These are the notes taken live during services as captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing. This is not a word for word transcript. For the exact wording, please consult the audio recording.

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Brain cells have been likened to raw material. Much like lumber is a raw material in building a house. Heredity may determine the number and arrangement of the neurons. A child’s environment has a big impact on the connections. Our brains function before it is finished. At birth there are 100 billion neurons. Roughly the same number as stars in the Milky Way. Then there are trillions of connections. During the first few years, it eliminates connections that are seldom or never used. God designed our brains to grow and change over time. Languages are best learned in the first 10 years of life. Messages are going back and forth with a couple of months. By 8 months, it is full on. None of us want the mind of a newborn. We are thankful for the ability to think and reason and have relationship with God. The newborns motions are quirky. Their emotions too.

Leviticus 23:1-3, 6, 8, 20-21, 24, 27, 34, 36 We were here last holy day. Let’s read it in a different light. Vs. 2 – We are not just celebrating some feasts. They are not my feasts or Mr. Werner’s. These are God’s feasts. Vs. 3 – Interesting that the first one is the Sabbath. We get that one every 7 days. Vs. 21 – That is Pentecost, less than 7 weeks away. Vs. 36 – I find it interesting that in this list of 7 festivals, there is a progression. Have you ever thought about observing Pentecost without Passover and UB? There is a progression. You can’t have Satan removed without first having Christ return, symbolized by Trumpets. We can’t receive God’s spirit – Pentecost – without putting sin out. We can’t put sin out without accepting Jesus’ sacrifice. Does God expect us to stay right here on day 7 of UB? Is it okay to God if we just stay right here? No. Absolutely not. God expects us to continue to grow. To come back in 7 weeks for the next feast. And then the next. He expects us to keep them in order; there is growth there. Just as there is progression in the holy days, God expects progression in our lives. There is no way you can say, I’m so perfect, I don’t have to do anything else.

Romans 12:2 There is an interesting statement made here. The Moffat translation: Instead of being molded to this world, have your mind renewed, and so be changed in nature. God expects growth throughout the week. Every Sabbath should be more rejuvenating than the last. Conformed means to pattern yourself after something. G4964 συσχηματίζω suschēmatizō soos-khay-mat-id'-zo From G4862 and a derivative of G4976; to fashion alike, that is, conform to the same pattern (figuratively): - conform to, fashion self according to. Thayer Definition: 1) to conform one’s self (i.e. one’s mind and character) to another’s pattern, (fashion one’s self according to) Part of Speech: verb A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G4862 and a derivative of G4976 My dad worked for GM. If the holes didn’t line up, it caused major problems for the assembly line. “Transformed” is literally “metamorphosis”. Think of animals that change into another form. G3339 μεταμορφόω metamorphoō met-am-or-fo'-o From G3326 and G3445; to transform (literally or figuratively “metamorphose”): - change, transfigure, transform.

Thayer Definition: 1) to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure 1a) Christ appearance was changed and was resplendent with divine brightness on the mount of transfiguration Part of Speech: verb A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G3326 and G3445 Citing in TDNT: 4:755, 607 If you have done renovation on your house, you know what fun they can be at the beginning and what a pain they can be at the end. God wants us to renovate the faculties of our minds. God wants us to grow. Colossians 3:10 “Renewed” here is the same word we read in Romans. To pull down the walls, to put out the pipes and wiring, and put in something new. And not just to anything, but to be in the image of God. To become God-like. If we are transforming our mind into something other than God, that is not what God expects. He wants to see growth toward His righteousness and character. This time of year is great for reflection. Over the last year have we grown? I’m sure we have examined ourselves. Have we grown since Passover 2009? Have we overcome some sins? Maybe we are still struggling with some we were last year. But maybe we cut off those thoughts sooner. God expects spiritual growth in us. He demands that we have spiritual growth. Two types of situations that produce growth. They may seem obvious. But there are specific situations.

1. Reactive. That means responsiveness. How do you respond to something? Maybe you think this is bad. In my last job, if I planned everything as I should, I shouldn’t have to put on the fireman hat and react. God is okay with reaction; it shows Him what we are made of. Hebrews 5:8 Christ had to react to the environment around Him. Because of how He reacted, He learned obedience. He grew. Hebrews 12:3 All of Christ’s trials were brought on by other people. He had to react properly. If we do just a quick recap of his 33 years of life, how did He react? Perfectly. In the way that He should. In a way the reflected the gloriousness of the Father. What is our reaction? Trials are not always self inflicted. Sometimes they are what people have done to us. Jesus was always growing. Are we always working on our reaction to life’s difficulties? Or is it easier to throw up the barriers? One thing to consider is how will this affect my relationship with God? You deal with issues in a progression: First the person, then the Church, and then God. How will the situation affect your relationship with God? Closer or farther?

2 Corinthians 4:7-11 Vs. 7 – What is the treasure in earthly vessels? We are earthen. God is living in us; that is a treasure. Vs. 8 – Have you seen people that are hard pressed and end up crushed? Paul says you have the Holy Spirit. Don’t be troubled because it is complex and everything is falling around you. Vs. 10 – This is not a morbid reminder that we should remember Christ’s beatings every day, but rather remembering what He did. That we can come before God; that our sins can be forgiven. We need to ask if our thoughts and actions worth Christ’s sacrifice. Is this worth the sacrifice of Christ? We go through things with friends and family. How do we react? What can we learn from the bad things that come on us? Sometimes trials come in the form of winning the lottery. Trials are not always bad things. What would you do? Would you become vain or turn inward, or give it away? Would you learn humility? Would you learn how to share? It is not that you just have to react to all the bad things. Someone comes up to you at work: You did a good job. Do you say, I worked hard on that one. Give Mom thanks, but other than that, it was all me. (Laughter.) Do we get angry and vengeful? Do we blame others? Do we blame ourselves? If I wasn’t such a rotten person… God expects us to work on our reactions.

Ways to be reactive to grow: How we deal with other people? Other personalities? Thankfully, we are all different. Think about a world full of Ed Dowds. Scary. You like blue; I like green. Some of it may sound trivial. But if we react in the wrong way, God sees that. How do we react to disappointments? How do we react to things out of your control? Think of your investments. How do you react to death? To separation? To opportunities? The chance to move to a new city? Kansas? Who wants to live in Kansas? (Laughter.) How about to changes in life? Getting married? Getting fired? Getting a new job? Transferred? Babies? Children leaving home? We can react correctly or badly in any situation. If we react badly, we should recognize it immediately. Whoa. I gloated too much over that raise. I didn’t give thanks to God. “God, give me another raise; I promise I’ll do better.” Maybe next time we catch it sooner. That is what God wants to think. A complete shrug-off is not what God wants. God wants us to internalize the right reaction to what we just did. He wants to see the war of His way and our selfish nature. He wants to see His way gaining ground.

2. To be proactive. That means controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than waiting to respond to it after it happens. Luke 2:52 This is a great conversation verse on the way home. Those in Valley Center will have to talk quickly. The rest of you will have more time. What was He doing that created growth? He was doing something. How did He increase in wisdom and stature with God and man? Luke 2:41-43 Vs. 43 – It was common for the entire family would go. The parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles all went. There were no WalMarts, so they took animals with them. My wife was left at rest areas several times growing up. Not in the last 12 years. (Laughter.) Jesus took the initiative. He was proactive. He would go in and talk with the leaders. He was seeing other’s reactions and their approach to different scriptures. It does not say that He grew in knowledge; just wisdom and stature and favor. He took time to fast 40 days. He prayed. He took steps to grow closer to God. He wasn’t born and said, “I’m the son of God; we go way back. I don’t need to pray to Him.” No. He still prayed and took proactive steps to grow closer to His Father. Bible study is one way we can grow closer. Different types of education. We can seek wisdom. Read about Solomon. He sought wisdom, but in what context? Preventative planning can be a way to grow. Prayer. Why did Christ pray? To increase in His relationship with the Father. We can fast. There was a great message on that a month ago. Meditation. When you drive to work, it is a great time to meditate. That allows God to talk back to us. And encourage us. And cause scriptures to connect. Hugely important. We can serve others. We can be hospitable. We can be proactive in having a better marriage. If you see someone you want to imitate, invite them over. Find out what they do. Plan to grow. This is my goal for overcoming these sins. For understanding this book of the Bible. Ephesians 6 – the armor of God. We can plan our growth with God’s help.

Three more in detail: 1. Use your talents. Matthew 25:14-30 You can use the talents God has already given you. Some are overly hospitable. Some enjoy sending cards. Some are great at music. They can serve God that way. Remember the first two used their talents – what God had given them. The last one buried it. You have to be aware of your talents. What is it that is in me that I can serve others and grow in godliness? Do you know what it is? A month ago, I suggested that we compliment somebody. How many did that? It helps them know what they are good at. When you are down, you want an encourager to call you. By the time you are off the phone, you are ecstatic. If you have taken up my suggestion, do it. It is great to know what service you can give back to the congregation. We have to grow the positives. Know what God can extract out of you to help others. Everyone has been given talents by nature; others come from the laying on of hands. Utilize what God has given you.

2. Ask, seek, knock. This is the big four. Prayer. Bible Study. Fasting. Meditation. Luke 11:9 These are proactive steps. Things we do proactively. Ask means to crave or desire. G154 αἰτέω aiteō ahee-teh'-o Of uncertain derivation; to ask (in generally): - ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require. Compare G4441. Thayer Definition: 1) to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require Part of Speech: verb A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: of uncertain derivation Citing in TDNT: 1:191, 30 I have some things I’m craving after sunset tonight. (Laughter.) Do you crave God’s word? Do you desire a deeper relationship with Him? 1 John 3:22 What are you asking for? Or have you asked? If not, be proactive. Seek. Luke 11:9 It means to seek in order to find. It doesn’t mean an aimless thing; I’ll study this or that. It means seeking in order to find. We are aimed at something. We are dedicated to something. Matthew 6:33 Are we doing things in line with the kingdom of God, or are we just going from one ditch to the other? Are we seeking the kingdom or just something else blended with it? Knock. What are we knocking for? Are we knocking on God’s door and asking to be partners on this eternal life thing? What are we knocking against? For physical things? Nicer car. Bigger house. Pay raise.

1 John 3:22 What are we asking for, seeking after, and knocking for? For health? For healing? For trials to go away? Not bad things to ask for? But are we asking for that 95% of the time? And 5% for spiritual understanding? Or the other way? What is that balance like in our prayers? How much are we asking, knocking and seeking spiritual things. God promises to take care of us. None of us are naked. We had a big lunch. But the biggest thing to God is that we are all in His kingdom in His family. The early kings in the OT had to write a copy of the Law, word for word. They had to carry it and read it. They learned to fear God. There are two kinds of fear in the Bible. Great study; what are they and how are they different. By writing the law and reading it, it helped them have a heart for the people. Being single minded helps God to bless us. Just logging time in the Bible is not good enough. Got my 30 minutes of study today. Or, I listened to a sermon. Or, I read this magazine. We have to couple it with the right mind. We have to have that inner desire to overcome our sins. We are at day 7; what does day 8 hold for us? Do we slip back into the bad habits? Jewish tradition is that yesterday, the Israelites were trapped. Today, they crossed the Red Sea. They looked back at the chariots and horse and Egyptians drowning. What does day 8 have in store for us? Along with asking, seeking and knocking, fasting is very important. We have to do it more than once a year. It helps us find out what we don’t know so we can act on it. It helps us to acknowledge what we do know but don’t want to face, so then we can proactively act on it. We have to ask, we have to seek, we have to knock.

3. Ask for correction. This is the same as asking for growth. Sometimes it hurts when we grow. When kids grow, their legs ache. Muscles ache. Jeremiah 10:24 There are two ways to ask for correction. We will look at both. Vs. 24 – Correct me with mercy. Way number one: God correct me, but please be gentle and don’t make me a grease spot on the road. Way number two: God correct me, but let’s just work on one thing. Jeremiah didn’t ask for correction in just one way. He asked not to be a grease spot on the road. We need to ask for correction, but don’t limit God. Don’t tell God that you are okay with all these things except this one. David prayed for repentance of everything he had done. Jeremiah was proactively asking God for correction. He didn’t want to wait for the world to correct him. That is the hard way. We should ask for correction. God is going to course correct you one way or the other, whether you like it or not. As long as you are trying. The Holy Spirit will convict us toward that growth. Let God live in you; to grow and overcome.

Hebrews 12:10, 14 The pursuit of holiness involves asking for correction. We have to ask for that growth. We have to be proactive to this. Draw a horizontal line on your notes. On the left side, it indicates the evil and lustful. The right side indicates righteousness and obedience. In your mind’s eye, where are you on that scale? On the left? In the center? This close to the right? Where do you fit on that scale? God wants to see you start moving to the right on this scale. We can do that through reacting the right way and being proactive. Fruit comes from growth. It doesn’t come from sitting there. Galatians 5:22-23 With God living in us, these are the byproducts. When we grow, these things increase. We can’t just decide it is Wednesday, and I will be more gentle today. It is a byproduct of God’s way of life. We can’t just decide to work on peace today. As we work on this, God’s fruits increase. We can be proactive and then fail in reaction. We can pray and study and fast and meditate and then fail to react properly. We have to do both.

Here are three very broad areas we should be growing in, as we leave UB and start the 40 days to Pentecost: 1. Grow in our relationship with God. Not a news flash there. That is the greatest commandment. How do I grow in love towards God? 2. Grow in relationships with others. The second great commandment. 3. We should grow within ourselves. We should grow in godly traits. Genesis 22:12 God said about Abraham, “Now I know…” When will he say that about you? We must grow in our faith and trust and obedience we talked about on the first holy day. Proverbs 24:16 Vs. 16 – The reference is not seven literal times; it is more of an infinite thing. The fact that we rise again to fight what knocked us down means there is growth. God wants to see us get back up and put our mitts and say, “Nice try, Satan! It’s not going to happen!” Each time we eat a bit of leaven, we need to rise up again, tell God we are sorry, and do better next time.

2 Peter 1:10 Vs. 10 – Peter references verse 5-7. It is a progression of growth. He starts with faith and adds virtue and knowledge and self control and perseverance. Have you ever tried to persevere when you don’t have self control? It is all about growth. God wants to see us grow. There is a growth that occurs. You can’t just wake up one day with perfect care and concern for others. There is a growth process. We must put off our selfish nature to get there. We have to realize the importance that God puts on putting sin out of our lives. There are two festivals that last 7 days. The other one pictures the great millennial rule where people learn obedience. You don’t go to the feast, you don’t get rain. A hard lesson for some. This is the time for us to put our sins out and move on to day 8. These seven days are about our growth from sin to godliness. 2 Peter 3:17-18 Vs. 18 – This is not a syrupy kind of grace. We are to be thankful for Him being kind to us; for the sacrifice His Son made. This does not exclude personal responsibility in this. That is what these last seven days were about.