Genesis 37 and I'll begin reading in verse number five. And Joseph dreamed a dream and he told it his brethren and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them here I pray you this dream which I have dreamed. For behold we were binding sheaves in the field and lo my sheaf arose and also stood upright and behold your sheaf stood around about and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us, or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, saying, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more. Behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father and to his brethren. And his father rebuked him and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee, to the earth? together in verse 11. And his brethren envied him, but his father observed the same. I'm going to give you the title, and we're going to use the life of Joseph, we're going to go further into his life, that's just the beginning part, and we'll hopefully understand some things we're going to talk about tonight. But here's the title, A Changing Life changes you. I preach a sermon similar to this according to my records 12 years ago and we're going to kind of revisit this thought. I thought it was a something good that we should consider and think about and apply to our lives. A changing life changes you. and let's pray together. Father, I pray now that you would bless the preach of your word. We're here tonight, we're gathered together, we're looking towards you. You have designed a service like this in where there's preaching going on, not because one is Above the other, one is more important than the other, one person more important than the other. This is just how you've designed it. And so Lord, we submit to that design and ask that you'd use it in our lives. And we ask for these things in Christ's name. Amen. You may be seated. If I were to ask you tonight, I went around the room and I just said, now you already know what we're preaching about, so it's kind of a giveaway, but if I hadn't given you the text at all and I just said to you tonight, if I were to ask you to name a Bible character, that dealt with major difficulties in life and afterwards seem to come on the top side. I mean, they went through terrible situations. I guess you could probably name several. You're thinking about Daniel, probably. Maybe the three who abused children. You could probably think of some others as well. But I think most of us would come to the understanding that Joseph is probably the main character. I mean, think of all that he went through. At the end of his life, he came out on top side. When we think about his life, we often say this, this is not a new statement, this is a very cliche maybe statement about Joseph. I've said it, other preachers have said it. We'll say something like this, based on Joseph's life, we'll say you will either, based on going through life, going through situations in life, circumstances in life, we'll say something like this, you will either become bitter or better. My guess is you've heard someone preach along that line. Preachers like that statement. It's short, it's succinct, and it's alliterated. Bitter or better. And preachers love alliteration. Have you ever noticed that? Preachers love alliteration. And so preachers like statements like that. But the question is, what does it mean you'll either become bitter or better? Well, that means this, that some people will go through circumstances, whatever those circumstances are like, and as they go through these circumstances of life, after they come through the circumstances, they come out worse. That's the bitter. Either they come out angry, they come out discouraged, they come out defeated, they come out in a worse state. They started here, they go through the circumstances of life, and they come out on the bottom. which is another alliterated word for the bee. So anyways they become bitter. Now that's the idea, you can be bitter or better. So some go through the circumstances, situations, all the difficulties, the valleys, the ups and downs of life, they come out for the worse. Others though go through, now watch this, the exact same circumstances, same valleys, same problems, same hurts, same pains, but they seek the Lord. and they find grace, and they come out the better. They come in, they're like this coming in, and they're like this coming out. They're actually the better for it. The circumstances are the same, the hurts are the same, the pain is the same, but the difference is one sought the Lord and the other did not. Now, when we look at our Bibles and as we read the Old Testament and then go into the New Testament, the New Testament, especially 1 Corinthians 10, reminds us and teaches us that these Old Testament characters that are given here in the Old Testament, these people in the Old Testament, they're given to us, they're recorded for our example. The reason the Lord tells us about Joseph is that we know about Joseph so we can consider Joseph's life. And I think Joseph tonight is a good example for us about dealing with the difficulties of life. Now we tend to do this, we tend to look at people who are doing well and we tend to say, well, they didn't have my problems. Now that may be true, they didn't have your problems, but you know what? They had their problems. And they came out the better for it. And so instead of looking at people and trying to reason away why we're bitter, why we're the worst off, and why we're upset or discouraged or depressed or defeated, instead of going through that, we ought to say, well, what can we learn from the Bible that teaches us how to go through these things? So tonight, I'm gonna give you three thoughts, I think quite simple thoughts, but important thoughts, thoughts I don't think that you've never thought before, But maybe you don't think enough about it. So I'm going to remind you tonight about these three things to consider as we go through life. Number one. I'm going to give you the statement and then it'll be a little bit different because we're not going to attach straight to our text. Our text is going into the life of Joseph. So we're going to go through multiple places in the life of Joseph and look at these statements. Here's statement number one. Very simple statement. Again, I'm not looking for profundity. It's a very simple statement, but often the simple things is what trip us up. Because we're looking for, we want something profound. Typically, it's the simple things that we need to be reminded of. Number one is this, two words, life changes. True in every life, life changes. Life by its makeup is dynamic. It is a constant flow of change that comes into your life. You can start a day one way and end the day a completely different way. Things that you start a day maybe with one mindset of how your life was going. I don't mean just that day. I mean your life in general. This is how life is going. Maybe you go to a doctor's appointment. Maybe something happens to someone in your family. Maybe a phone call comes in and everything in your life can be turned upside down going forward because of that event or that circumstance. Life by its makeup is dynamic. There's a constant flow of change that comes into it. So think of your life like a river and there's these tributaries that come flowing into it, tributaries of change that constantly change the makeup of your life. So let's look at Joseph as an example of this. Look with me in Genesis 37 and we're just going to just kind of jump through some places. Just look at this idea about life changes. Look with me at verse number two. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being 17 years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought into his father their evil report. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age and he made him a coat of many colors. Think about that situation in Joseph's life. He is the favored son. He is loved by his dad. He's a good kid doing good and right things. Go down to verse 24. And they, which would be Joseph's brothers, and they took him and cast him to a pit, and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread, and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels, bearing spice, rain, balm, and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brethren and conceal his blood? Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites. Let me just stop there. Do you think his life's about to change? What you read in verse 2 and 3 in Genesis 37 is completely changed by what we re-hear later in this chapter. His whole life now is being changed. He is the beloved of his father, he's living in a home, now he's getting ready to be sold as a slave to these foreigners and be taken away. His whole life is changing. Do you think when he woke up that morning he thought about that? You think when he got out of bed that morning, he said, hey, my life's going to change. I'm going to be sold as a slave. He had no idea of the change his life was about to happen that day. Let's continue on. Go to chapter 39, verse 19. And it came to pass, when his master heard these words, sorry, heard the words of his wife, which he spake unto him, this would be, remember he's sold as a slave, and now he's there with Potiphar, and Potiphar's wife now is lying about him. which he spake unto him, saying, After this man did thy servant to me, that his wrath Potiphar's wife was kindled. And Joseph's master took him and put him to the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound, and he was there in the prison." Again, he starts today. He has risen up the ranks, as it were. He's over Potiphar's house. He's doing well, the best he can in that situation. He's far away from home, far away from family. He's making the best of it. And now, again, his whole life is being turned upside down. Go with me to chapter 41. In verse 39, all this, I'm trying to illustrate how his life kept changing. And really, it's seemingly on the spur of the moment. Verse 39, And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God has shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art. Thou shalt be over my house, and according to thy word shall all my people be ruled. Only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. Again, a bigger change. Now, this is a positive change. But it's a change nonetheless. He starts the day, he's in prison, overseeing other prisoners. He ends the day, number two man in the whole kingdom, kingdom of Egypt, which is a major power at that time. Again, his old life changing at the spur of a moment. Go with me to chapter 42, verse 6. And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold all the people of the land. Now watch this. And Joseph's brethren came. He got up that morning. I'm sure he still had thoughts about his family, but he had no idea that his brothers were going to show up that day. And what were they going to do? Bow down, just like many years ago the Lord had told him about. All of that dream years ago was about to be fulfilled that day. He had no idea. His life's changing in a moment just like that. So what I'm trying to say is there's this constant flow of change. We wake up one day thinking one way, and by the time we go to bed at night, everything in our life can be different. changes. We know this, but we need to be reminded of this. It is impossible, now watch this statement, there's nothing wrong with trying to make plans and preparing the best we can, there's wisdom and prudence and such, but it is impossible to plan for all the changes of life. because you don't know all the changes of life. All you know is what you know, and you can plan for what you know, but there's a lot of things you don't know. And a lot of things come in your life and can completely change your life. I think about a story. I think it was my barber who told me this. I think that's who it was. His grandfather, prior to World War II, got married. I think he had a couple kids by then, maybe one or two kids. And this is what the barber told me. His grandfather was good-natured, everyone liked him, he was friendly, he was an outgoing person, and he got drafted and went to World War II. He came back from World War II, and because of the experience, and back then they called it shell-shocked, and because of the experience of the war, he came back, he was sullen, he was quiet, he didn't want to be around people, he was completely changed by that event. Now that wasn't an overnight event. But his life, what he thought his life was going to be, getting married and going forward, completely changed. Because when he came back from the war, they said he would sometimes just go off by himself for days, or be locked in his room by himself for days. He just didn't want to be around people. His whole life changed because of the events of life. Now James tells us this. In fact, we'll read it. I know you know the verse, but let's just read it. James, if you will, chapter 4. James chapter 4 look with me at verse number 13 go to now ye that say today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue their year and buy and sell and get gain all this idea that they're just they know how life's going to be verse 14 whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. For what? For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that." We have no idea how our life is going to go forward, and it can change. Everything in life can change in a moment. I remember it was in the old building. We had just finished our mission conference. Nancy Roadham was with us. She had come the Wednesday night of the Mission Conference, Thursday night of the Mission Conference, Friday night of the Mission Conference. She'd come out for our Super Saturday Soul Winning that Saturday. She was there Sunday morning. She was there Sunday night. And I remember, I can still remember, because of what happened next, this memory is etched in my mind. I remember standing by the door like I normally do. She's walking out. I shook her hand. I said, it was good to see you, Nancy. We'll see you Wednesday night. She said, bye. Monday I got a phone call, she was dead. Like that. Your life's a vapor. We have this idea that we can plan life, we can figure out everything and then go forward and be in control of our life, but we have to understand life changes. This is why fantasies don't match reality. This dream that we can have can be totally blown away because when reality comes in, it's not how we imagined, it's not how we dreamed it would be. We cannot know all the changes that life holds. Alright, so what? That means this, because life changes, and because a changing life changes you, we'll see the second part in a moment, that's why we always need to be submitted to the Lord. You have no idea what's going to happen. We're here tonight, just like we were on that one Sunday night, 2009. It's possible, and I'm not trying to be, you know, weird, but it is possible to shake hands with someone tonight, and tomorrow they're dead. That's why we always need to be submitted to it. We have this idea that we, well Pastor Ryan, I got years of life! You may only have minutes of life. You have no idea. Life changes. That's why we always should be living in submission, always living in a yielding to the Lord. Because life changes, we need to make sure that every day we say, Lord, my life is in your hands. I have no idea what's going to happen. I have no idea what's going to come out of it. And I've told you before, the number one prayer I pray, more than any other prayer, and maybe this isn't good, maybe I should pray some other things more than this, but I tell you what I pray the most, because I pray it every day. I say, Lord, my life is in your hands, and I trust you. I have no idea what's going to happen today, but I trust you. My life is in his hands. Your life is in his hands. Our life changes, but our life is in his hands, and that's why we need to submit. Every day we say, Lord, my life's in your hands. Give you number two. So life changes, which brings us to a number two, which is kind of the corollary or the outgrowth of number one. Number two is this. People change. I don't mean that in a negative, even though it could be a negative. I just mean people change. You will not be the same person when you began your adult life, if you live a typical length of time, okay, typical length of life. However you were when you began your adult life, you're not going to be the same person when you end your adult life. Because life changes, people change. The changes of life changes us. That's not always a negative. Sometimes it can be a negative, but it doesn't have to be a negative. You're gonna be changed. Things are gonna come in your life, and it's not always what happens when we're adults. Sometimes it's what happens when we're kids. Life changes us, so people change. Life changes us, now watch this, life changes us physically. I don't mean you just grow old. Going through life can change you. Back in Bible college we had a teacher named Samuel Sprunger. Now, Brother Sprunger was a different breed. He didn't start out as a Baptist, I don't think, I think he started out as, he wasn't Amish, but he was something like that. He started out and then eventually kind of came to our group and then through some period of time got hired at the college. But he told about stories, so his stories were groups, was in another group that wasn't our group. But he told about a guy who he knew as a young man, this guy was kind of like me, big and strong. But the guy was a normal guy, and he said he watched this guy through the ministry, going through all kinds of difficulties, and he said by the end of his life, he was stooped shoulder and he was over, not because of age, just because of all of the things this guy was going through in life. It just began wearing on him physically. So our life changes us physically. I know age changes us. I know other things, but life itself changes us physically. We end up with wrinkles, maybe more so, gray hair, maybe more so, because of things that come into our life that changes us physically. I want you to notice something I find peculiar about Joseph. Go with me to Genesis 37. So before we read this, let me ask you this. Think about someone you know. And maybe you haven't seen them, maybe it was like 10 years or something, or 15 years, and then you saw them again. But you recognized them, you said, hey, you're so-and-so. If they're your family member, like your brother, hopefully you recognized them. If you didn't see your brother for 15 years, or your sister for 15 years, do you think you'd recognize them? I mean, they would look different, right? But you'd probably recognize him. I mean, I haven't seen, I told you I was gonna meet my brother in West Virginia, but he stood me up. And he watches our video, so let me tell you, I'm not bitter, but I'm upset. No, I'm just kidding. He couldn't come because of work. I haven't seen him probably in 10 years, maybe. Close to 10 years, something like that. But if I saw him, if he walked through the doors, I'd know who he is. I know my younger brother. I know my older brother. I would recognize him. I haven't seen my older brother 25 years probably but I would recognize him who came through my oldest sister who's now dead. I hadn't seen her Since it was before we got married the last time I saw her and then I saw her just a Few maybe a year or so before my mom died hadn't seen her for a very almost 30 years But as soon as I saw her I recognized her Age changes you, but you're still the same person. But I want you to notice something about Joseph here. I find interesting. Go with me to where we're at. We're in Genesis, right? Is that what I told you? Yep, Genesis 37. So I'm just trying to get you to understand that life changes and we change. Verse 18. And when they saw him, a far off, him being Joseph, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. Did they know who he was? They didn't know who he was before he showed up. They said, hey, there comes Joseph, we recognize him. Let me show you something else. Go with me to Genesis 42. Look at verse seven. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself stranger to them, and spake roughly unto them. He kept his Egyptian words and all that. And he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan, to buy food. He's close enough to talk to them. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. They're in the same room with him and they don't recognize him. I understand he probably looked because of, you know, he's looking kind of Egyptian, but the truth is that's his brother and they don't recognize, none of the brothers recognize, it's not like one or two, none of them recognize who Joseph was. So what I'm trying to say is that life changes us. It changes us physically, which is what we saw, but also life changes us just like it changes us physically, it changes us emotionally, It changes us mentally, and it changes us spiritually. I'm not saying those are negatives. I'm just saying that's the reality of it. Whether it's good or bad is not my point at the moment. The point is, it's just we do change. Think about the events in life that have impacted your life. I think of some in mine. I'll tell you the events that have changed me in my life. And some of these, well all these I've mentioned to you, all these you know about me. My father dying when I was a seven was a life-changing event, changed my whole trajectory of life, changed a whole lot of things about me. Riding the Sunday school bus to church as a teenager changed again my whole trajectory of life again. Attending Bible college after high school, that was a big change. One of the areas that people who come through, even grow up in a Christian home, from high school graduation to when they get settled in life, that space right there is usually a danger zone. A lot of them don't do well. But going into Bible college right after high school was a very important thing in my life. Getting married and having five kids. Changed me. Changed me in a lot of ways. Changed in how I had to look at life and how I had to respond to things. Other events that come into our life that changes us. Betrayals, financial setbacks, physical illnesses, heartaches that we experience, but also heartaches that the ones we love experience. All of these things have impact in our life. They change us. So let me ask you just as we're sitting here tonight, I'm standing, you're sitting, let me ask you this. What changes have you experienced in life? And how have those experiences changed you? Because they have. You've gone through experiences in life, and they've impacted you, and they've changed you. So why am I saying this? This is an important concept to understand. As the events of life come into our life, these events change us. We are going to be different. So here's the point, because you're saying, okay, Pastor White, you said this morning, so what? So, okay, so what? Here's the point of the message, because I said it didn't matter good or bad, we do change, but now here is the point. You do not have a say in whether or not you change. Life is gonna change you. You do have a say in how it changes you. That you have a say in. Things are gonna come in your life, and they're gonna change your whole life. you're going to be different. However you are, if you are right now, most likely in 20 years there's going to be things about you that are going to be different. You cannot control that, but you can control what that difference is. Whether or not you submit to the Lord, whether or not you give it to the Lord, whether or not you follow the Lord. We should always seek whatever event comes in life, whatever heartache comes in life, whatever Good thing comes in life. Sometimes good things can be as much a hurdle for people to get through as bad things. All of a sudden they get some money in their pocket and they forget about the Lord. Things start going well at work and they're like, hey, I got this thing handled and now they get themselves in trouble. We should always seek to use every event, every circumstance, every situation to grow as a believer. Every event that comes in your life, all these events that change us, every event, every situation, every circumstance has a purpose. God has allowed it. Nothing God causes, God has allowed it. Someone betrays you. God has allowed it. Someone stabs you in the back. God has allowed it. Someone has turned against you. God has allowed it. Or, maybe, you get a raise. God has allowed it. You get a promotion. God has allowed it. Whatever it may be, God has allowed it. I'm not saying God always causes it, but God has allowed it. And we always ought to say, Lord, whatever this situation is, positive or negative, whatever this situation is, Lord, use it in a positive way in my life. Help me to be better because of it. So life changes, people change. Sometimes the change is subtle, sometimes it's more obvious, but there's always change. That brings us to our third and final statement. Life changes, thus people change. Go back with me now to our text where we started with, chapter 37 of Genesis. One more concept. As you're turning there, let me say this. I don't think, I would say I'm like 99% sure of this, that every year of our church, however we started, that year, if you went 12 months, our church has always been different after 12 months. The makeup and all of that of the church. Things happen in people's lives that change them and thus changes the whole complexity. Good or bad. I mean, a year ago, we had the Ritz with us. Now they're down in Florida. Ritz was a great family, weren't they? I miss them. The Lord gave us three years, four years, something like that with them. They grew. You could see them growing as believers. You could see them making steps forward. That was great. Now they're in Florida. And hopefully, I don't hear much from them. Maybe you guys hear more than I do. Hopefully, they're doing well. But it changed them. It changed us when they went to Florida. Mrs. Hall came with her daughter up until this year, until a few months ago, and then she passed away. Boom. It's been a change, because usually she came in, she usually sat about right over here somewhere, or right over in here, and I could usually, you know, look over there and see her. Pat Hartley, who came for, I don't know, four or five years, As you could see, dementia or Alzheimer's, whatever it was, beginning to take root in her life. You could see that happening. And now she's in memory care. Probably would never be back with us. So things happen that way. What we got to do is say, Lord, I'm submitting these things. I'm looking to you. I know my life's going to change, but I'm going to look at you through these things. Let's go now to Genesis 37. Look at me at verse five. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brother, and they hated him yet more. And he said unto them, Here I pray you this dream which I have dreamed. For behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright. And behold, your sheaf stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And then he talks about the second vision, which drops us down to verse number nine. And he dreamed yet another dream. And he told his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more. And behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. They would bow down. Now go to chapter 42. Look with me at verse 6. And Joseph was the governor of the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came, now watch, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. Now, if you go to Genesis 37, what are they saying? Who do you think you are? We're not bowing down to you. Who do you think you are, Joseph? And even his father's like, wait, wait, what are you talking about? Me and your mom's going to bow down? I don't think so, bud. I don't think that's how it's going to be. A lot of things changed. Let me give you the third statement, and then I'll go forward. So life changes. People change. Number three, God doesn't change. A lot of things changed between the giving of the dream and the fulfilling of the dream. A lot of things in Joseph's life changed. He changed, his family changed, his location changed. He started out as a 17-year-old boy who was being favored by his dad, to being sold as a slave, to being in prison, and now he's governor. His whole life has been all kinds of changing going on. A lot of things have changed between the giving of the dream in chapter 37 and the fulfilling of the dream in chapter 42. But God never changed during the whole time. What God said, God did. Now a lot of things in life changes, and we change, but the Lord never changes. And what God begins, God finishes. And God, by the way, if you're a born-again believer, God began something. He began working your life. molding into the image of Christ and he's going to continue doing that until the day you see him face to face. Here's what Paul said in Philippians 1, being confident of this very thing that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. The same God that began the good work will continue that good work just like he did in Joseph's life. So what does this mean? What hope do we have in a world of constant change? Every time you turn on the TV, maybe go to social media, look at your news sites, whatever it may be, you see change after change, all kinds of things happening, all kinds of things that can, whoa, what's going on now? What hope do we have in a world of constant change? What hope do we have in a life of changes? What hope do we have in when our own life itself is changing? Well, here's our hope. Our hope is, in all of the change of life, there's a solid place to stand. Now, if life changes and people change, that's not true just for saved, that's true for the unsaved. The unsaved go nuts. And we can only imagine, because I'm trusting you're saved tonight. What would it be like if you're unsaved, looking at all that's going on in the world? If you're unsaved and you see what's going on in the Middle East and all you know is the weird stuff that people tell you, you gotta be thinking, man, this is the end of the world. Oh no, Armageddon. I mean, they think of all kinds of weird stuff. If you're, I'm trying not to laugh when I say this. If you're one of the 81 million who voted for our president, the mysterious 81 million, and he was your hope, could you imagine, if you're honest, how are you feeling right now? Do you see when he went to the, and put the lay to the wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier? He had no idea what he was doing. And he had him taken by the hand, basically the sergeant had to kind of guide him back to where he's supposed to be. I'm not trying to be unkind, but the guy is just mentally shot. That's your hope, that's your hope for America. A guy who, again, he's our president, I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but it's almost like elder abuse. It's terrible what someone needs to say, man, you kinda need to sit down and enjoy the last few days of your life. It's a sad thing. This world is a, it's gotta be, if I was unsaved, I mean, you, There are tens of hundreds of thousands of people pouring across our border, we don't know who they are. Do you think any of them mean us any harm? Do you think any of them might be sleeper cells waiting? We have no idea what kind of terrorists are running free in our country. If you're not saved right now, I would think either you are completely, well, most of them are doped up, so they probably don't even pay attention, but the ones who aren't, you know, stoned and all that, or drunk, and they're looking at the world, they've got to be saying, man, what are we going to do? But we who know Christ should not be that way. Because we know someone who doesn't change. And the God who made promises will see them come to fruition. We sing this song, I don't know how much we believe it. We say, the Lord's our rock, in Him we hide, a shelter in the time of storm. Secure whatever ill be tied, a shelter in the time of storm. Oh Jesus is a rock in a weary land, a weary land, a weary land. Oh Jesus is a rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm. The psalmist said it this way, when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. How did Joseph make it through all of the betrayals? all of the lies, all of the abuse. Well, Acts 7 and 9 says this, and the patriarchs, patriarchs, talking about Joseph's brothers, and the patriarchs moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt, and then watch what it says at the end, but God was with them. Now I'm going to say this, I'm not trying to be unkind, and I understand there's a place for doctors, and there's a place for medicine, and there's a place when I'm glad that there are psychologists, and when there's a real need for them, I'm glad that they're available. But ultimately for a believer, our hope, our confidence, and I'm not trying to be unkind to anyone, But our hope and our confidence is not in therapists, it's not in psychiatrists, it's not in doctors, it's not in some sedatives, not in some drugs we take. Our hope and our confidence is in the Lord. That's our hope and confidence, because God doesn't change. So I would ask you this, I guess here's my last question to ask you and we'll get ready to pray. Do you have this unchanging God in your life? Do you know Him as your personal Savior? Just because it's Sunday night, and I've said, you know, probably most of us are saved, but that's no guarantee. Do you know Him as your personal Savior? Have you submitted your life to Him? My guess is this, if you go through life this way, I don't know, I don't know what's going to happen. My guess is this, you have not submitted your life to Him. Have you committed that which changes, whatever changes is coming in your life, have you committed those changes to Him who never change? That is the question, I guess. Life changes. People change. God never changes. So we don't look at life, we don't look at people. we look at the Lord. That's our confidence and our hope in this life, in this world that constantly changes. Would you pray with me?