In The Name of God

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE!

-GOOD MORNING. -MORNING.

I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU ALL HEREON THIS GLORIOUS DAY.

WE'VE ALL COME TOGETHER ONE AND ALL

TO GIVE PRAISE TO OUR LORD JESUS.

AMEN.

AMEN.

BEFORE I GET STARTED WITH TODAY'S MESSAGE,

I'D, I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU ALL A LITTLE STORY.

A FEW YEARS AGO I WAS TRAVELING

WITH A VERY CLOSE FRIEND OF MINE, A FELLOW PASTOR.

WE WERE DRIVING TO A CHURCH CONFERENCE

AND WE HAD BEEN IN THE CAR FOR QUITE A FEW HOURS

CHATTING ABOUT THIS AND THAT, OLD TIMES,

AND IN GENERAL, PASSING THE TIME

AS THE ROAD AND TELEPHONE POLES PASSED US BY.

BUT THEN THE TOPIC CHANGED, I MEAN, HEY,

YOU CAN'T HAVE TWO PASTORSIN A CAR FOR THAT LENGTH OF TIME

WITHOUT THE TOPIC TURNING TO OUR LORD.

THE CONVERSATION TURNED TO A DISCUSSION OF REVERENCE,

SPECIFICALLY REVERENCE OF OUR LORD

AND REVERENCE OF HIS HOLY NAME.

AND OUT OF THAT SPRUNG A STORYMY FRIEND THE PASTOR TOLD ME...

ABOUT A TROUBLED YOUNG MAN,

A BOY REALLY, 16 OR 17 YEARS OLD.

A BOY THAT HAD BEEN MOVED FROM FOSTER HOME TO FOSTER HOME.

HE DIDN'T HAVE A SENSE OF PLACE.

DIFFERENT HOUSE, DIFFERENT FAMILY, DIFFERENT FACES.

A BOY WHO, THROUGH CIRCUMSTANCE,HAD BEEN LEFT ON HIS OWN,

ALL ALONE, TO FEND FOR HIMSELF IN THIS WORLD.

HE JUST NEEDED A CHANCE.

HE REALLY JUST NEEDED A FRESH START.

HE'S A BOY WHO MERELY NEEDED SOMEONE TO CARE.

THESE PEOPLE, THEY'RE PART OF MY CHURCH.

I FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM, AS I DO YOU.

I'VE READ YOUR FILE AND SPOKEN WITH YOU

AND ALL I REALLY KNOW FOR SURE IS HOW TOUGH YOUR LIFE'S BEEN.

BUT THAT'S NOT WHO YOU ARE, SON, IN HERE.

YOU WILL DECIDE THAT.

SO TELL ME, WHAT DO YOU WANT OUT OF LIFE?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

WHAT DO YOU WANT OUT OF LIFE?

SAY WHATEVER COMES TO MIND.

OKAY.

MONEY, ENOUGH SO I DON'T HAVE TO DEPEND ON ANYONE.

OH, I GOT YA ON THAT ONE.

ME TOO.

BUT THAT'S THE EASY ONE.

BESIDES MONEY.

YOU'D BETTER SPEAK UP.

YOU RAN OUT OF OPTIONS LONG AGO.

LISTEN, SON.

YOU SEE, I'VE GOT A WHOLE GROUP

OF THESE OLD PRAYER WARRIOR LADIES.

THEY'RE IN THE OTHER ROOM KNITTING SHAWLS.

WELL, I'M THINKING THAT THEY'D LIKE NOTHING MORE

THAN TO BE ASKED TO COME IN HERE

AND PRAY OVER A TROUBLED YOUNG MAN.

YOU WOULDN'T.

IT'D MAKE THEIR WEEK.

MAYBE EVEN THEIR MONTH.

OKAY, I'D LIKE TO BE ACCEPTED FOR ME.

NOT THE POOR KID WHO DOESN'T HAVE A HOME.

I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE FEELING PITY FOR ME.

I GOT IT.

AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HONESTY.

I MEAN, I CAN'T HELP YOU WITH EITHER OF THOSE TWO AREAS

OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT, WELL,

'BLESSED IS THE MAN WHO FEARS GOD,

WHO TAKES GREAT DELIGHT IN HIS COMMANDS.'

THAT WOULD BE PSALM 112.

I THINK I'D RATHER LISTEN TO THE PRAYER SHAWL LADIES.

YOU TAKING HIM TO THE LEWIS' TONIGHT?

YES, LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

THEY'RE A NICE FAMILY, SON.

GO EASY ON THEM, OKAY?

OOH, I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET THEM,I'M SURE THEY'RE JUST LOVELY.

THANK YOU FOR COMING.

IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I NEED TO HANDLE SOMETHING.

YOU'RE GOING TO TALK TO THEM, RIGHT, PASTOR?

I WAS JUST GOING TO GRAB THEM.

LADIES, THANK YOU FOR COMING.

TOM, WHITNEY.

-REVEREND. -HELLO.

I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH

FOR TAKING THIS YOUNG MAN INTO YOUR HOME.

-OF COURSE. -IT'S TRULY GOD'S WORK.

I WAS WONDERING IF I MIGHT BEABLE TO SPEAK TO YOU IN PRIVATE,

IN MY OFFICE PERHAPS, IF YOU HAVE A MINUTE.

-SURE. -OF COURSE.

NATE, WE'RE GOING TO SPEAK WITH REVEREND FIELDS

FOR A FEW MINUTES.

-WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK. -I'M COMING TOO.

IT'S OKAY.

NATE, WHY DON'T YOU SCOOT OVER HERE WITH US?

NO. I'M OKAY RIGHT HERE.

UH, TOM, WHITNEY, IT WAS ACTUALLY NATE

THAT REQUESTED THE MEETING.

HE, UH...IT'S ABOUT THE FOSTER CHILD.

HE'S NOT A CHILD! HE'S A 17 YEAR OLD.

NATE HAS SOME CONCERNS WITH THE PLACEMENT.

YES, AND WE'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO HIM ABOUT IT.

IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE IGNORING HIS CONCERNS,

IT'S JUST THAT, UM, WE FEEL CALLED TO DO THIS.

THAT, THAT'S RIGHT.

WE HAVE DISCUSSED THIS.

NATE SHOULDN'T HAVE BROUGHT YOU INTO IT.

I'M BRINGING HIM INTO THISBECAUSE HE BROUGHT THIS TO YOU.

AND SURELY WE CAN ALL SEE THIS

AS SOME SORT OF ATTEMPT TO REPLACE JACK.

NATE! SHOW SOME RESPECT.

-WHAT? HE WAS MY BROTHER! -THAT'S ENOUGH!

THE DECISION'S BEEN MADE.

HE'S COMING. THAT'S FINAL.

OKAY.

BEST WE PRAY ON THIS.

HOW 'BOUT WE READ FROM...

NATE.

I'LL TALK TO HIM.

NO, LET ME HANDLE THIS.

THAT'S CUTE, BUT NOT HELPFUL.

HEY, WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE UNHAPPY ABOUT THIS

BUT IT IS HAPPENING AND IT WON'T BE FAIR TOO HIM

IF WE DON'T MAKE HIM FEEL WELCOME.

LOOK, I'M SURE HE'S GOING TO BE FEELING NERVOUS

AND TRYING HIS HARDEST TO FIT IN.

HEY, WE LOVE YOU AND WE LOVE JACK

AND NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE THAT, OKAY?

NOW WILL YOU PLEASE MAKE AN EFFORT AND BE NICE?

THANKS, BUD.

PUSH YOUR HAIR BACK... AND TRY TO SMILE.

YES, CAN I HELP YOU?

UH...I'M LOOKING FOR MR. AND MRS. LEWIS?

OH, THEY LIVE NEXT DOOR.

WHAT'S HE DONE?

OH, NOTHING, MA'AM.

HE'S JUST A FOSTER PLACEMENT WITH THE LEWIS'.

IS HE PART OF A GANG?

NO, MA'AM.

I LEFT THEM AND I'M HOPING TO HIDE OUT HERE

SO THEY DON'T FIND ME.

HE'S GOT A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR.

WE'RE SORRY FOR THE MISTAKE, MA'AM.

THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO START LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME.

PLEASE TRY TO MAKE THE MOST OF THIS.

HEY.

REVEREND FIELDS WORKED REALLYHARD TO GET YOU THIS PLACEMENT.

THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE.

SO I HEAR.

YOU SURE THIS IS THE RIGHT PLACETHIS TIME?

HI.

HELLO, MISS SWANSON, AND THIS MUST BE MASON.

PLEASE, COME IN.

-THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL HOME. -OH, THANK YOU.

YEAH, IT'S A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

NATE, THEY'RE HERE!

AND THERE'S LOTS OF KIDS YOUR AGE AND LOTS TO DO, SO.

DO I REALLY HAVE TO BE HERE FOR THIS?

YES.

THIS IS OUR SON, NATE.

HI, NATE! THIS IS MASON.

AND MASON, THIS IS NATE AND MR. AND MRS. LEWIS.

NICE TO MEET YOU, MASON.

-YOU TOO, CHIEF. -MASON.

IT'S MR. AND MRS. LEWIS.

YEAH, THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID.

HE REALLY IS TRYING HARD TO FIT IN HERE.

OH, OF COURSE, I AM.

IT'S BEEN MY DREAM TO COME AND LIVE

WITH YOUR PERFECT LITTLE FAMILY.

I'M SO SORRY.

YOU KNOW TEENAGERS, AND IT'S A ROUGH TRANSITION.

I CAN SPEAK WITH HIM IF YOU'D LIKE.

-WOULD YOU USE A CLUB? -NATE!

THIS IS GREAT...

WE JUST HAVE TO GET TO KNOWEACH OTHER A LITTLE, THAT'S ALL.

COME TO SEE THE NEWEST ATTRACTION?

YOU'RE OUR FIRST.

IF THEY'RE ALL LIKE YOU, I CAN'TSEE US GETTING ANY MORE.

WELL, ZOO'S CLOSED.

WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE OUR DOORS CLOSED.

YEAH, WELL, I'M OLDER. DIFFERENT RULES.

JACK WAS OLDER TOO.

HE FOLLOWED THE SAME RULES.

WHO'S JACK?

MY BROTHER.

THIS IS HIS ROOM.

WHERE'S HE, BESIDES KEEPING AWAY FROM YOU?

HE'S IN HEAVEN NOW, AND WE GOT ALONG JUST FINE.

YEAH, WELL, I DON'T BELIEVE IN HEAVEN.

WELL, WHERE IS HE?

DID YOU TELL HIM DINNER WAS READY?

I TOLD HIM, BUT HIS DOOR IS CLOSED,