Who am I?
My kids like to think of Kevin Hart as an uncle. I work in healthcare and am in a track team.
We are the 4X400m champs, over 40. I am actually the national champion for
javelin. Do you know how I achieved such a huge feat?
I don’t speak often at churches but my wife has a gambling problem -mostly slots and a
little dog racing… pray for her, she has a good heart.
I am from Africa.
My wife used to be on a TV show called Gladiators so if you give me a hard
time tonight she will break you. Seriously. I’m not kidding.
God has been so good to me. Many years ago I set out to see just how good God is. I
searched the scriptures on wisdom, favor, and blessing. I wanted to see if like Gideon, God
could do something with someone who was from the least of the least.
There are 2 ways to live our life… Like everything is a miracle, or like nothing is a miracle.
There was this young guy in the bible, David. He managed to take knowing God and
connecting to God to a whole new level.
Before Jesus walked, before the new testament, before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit,
before podcasts, and insta stories. This guy David somehow unlocked spiritual insights in
getting to know God to a level that God said, ‘He is a man after my own heart.’
He could sit for hours with God and just be completely satisfied, full of delight and joy,
overwhelmed by the greatness of God. He loved the presence of God.
He said things like:
1 Chr 16:34 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 8:1-4
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above
the heavens…When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the
stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of
man that you care for him?
(when I see how amazing you are, why do you care for us.)
Psalm 139
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too
wonderful for me; For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my
mother’s womb…
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul
knows it very well.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would
count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.
David reminds us of true worship, something most have lost- That awe, that Wonder –
WHERE IS THE WONDER?
You think he is probably an artsy, hippy getting all emotional about God. But this guy
wasn’t only a poet-shepard. This guy was a fearless warrior
There are 2 ways to tell my story, 2 ways to tell your story.
One through a lens of awe of God, absolute wonder.
The other is… through our pain…
Here is mine.
When I was small I had a father who used to be violent with my mom. For 15 years I would
dream about being big enough to hurt him. He would throw us out on the street whenever
he was in a bad mood. I remember the embarrassment of him throwing our clothes over
the wall in front of our neighbors while we tried to pretend like everything was fine. We
would have to find different places to stay. My father said you will be a beggar on the
street without me.
Later he would shoot at my uncle, who was a pastor. He missed but shot the assistant
pastor. The pastor lived but it was hard. My father had guns and money so we lived in
hiding for a few years. Imagine being the kid whose dad shot a pastor. We were in witness
protection with no protection and no money.
With no help from the government or my father, my mom would raise 2 boys by herself.
Later I would marry the girl of my dreams but it turned into a nightmare. We got to the
point where I hoped she would have an affair so I had a biblical reason to get divorced. We
couldn’t imagine another year with each other.
To make matters worse, we suffered a miscarriage and then our third child had a stroke
leaving her paralyzed down the right side of her body, we were told she would never walk
or talk. Seemed unfair.
I’ve had my nose broken more than once, I have had my teeth knocked out. I’ve had
measles, mumps, chickenpox, hepatitis, Covid. I had athletes’ foot for a decade (you would
think you would have to be a top athlete). No matter how hard I train my calf muscles they
are tiny. I can’t wear skinny jeans, you will think I am on stilts. Why are you laughing?
I’ve been sued, I’ve been lied about. In fact someone told such lies about me that I was
investigated by the FBI, the IRS and the INS. Have you ever had the FBI knock on your
door?
I got a few nods here.
After 10 years of marriage, my wife completely forgot how to cook. I would just find her in
the kitchen just staring in the distance. Completely. Stop laughing. It’s serious. I’ve been
hungry for 9 years. She says the only reason we have a kitchen is because it came with the
house.
Last year we were in a hot air balloon crash, people got badly hurt.
My life, like many of yours, is filled with difficulty. But that only one side of the story, the
story without God.
Let me tell you my story with the Wonder of God.
My mom spoke God’s word over me every day. She said we are the head and not the tail,
we are above and not beneath. She raised us in God’s house where we learned we are more
than conquerors. I never went begging to my dad.
My father came to know Jesus in the final days of his life. It was beautiful.
I have three beautiful children who love God.
Our little miracle Gabi not only walks and talks, she sings and runs and kicks.
The Lord has blessed be beyond my dreams in health, in business, in sport, in friendship.
The Lord has blessed us to be able to help hundreds and hundreds of children be fed,
loved, and go to school. Here are some of my kiddos. (pic)
My wife and I now have an incredible marriage, yes the same lady.
She still can’t cook but we eat out 3 meals a day.
Well what about your calves? Has God done anything about them?
The hot air balloon?
I have some insane blessings from God. I have these buttons on my wall. When it gets dark
I push them and a light goes on. (electrons flowing or something, it’s crazy).
The other day I went to this place called an airport and sat on this chair that floated
through the sky. It was crazy. People were arguing about not getting peanuts.
Sing: I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky
Turns out God put some fuel in the ground that you can burn and it makes you float in the
sky. I floated for like 2 hours and was in Mexico. This MX place is incredible. Beautiful
place, beautiful people and something called Chilaquiles.
My wife and I have this device that can take a picture and you can keep it. You used to take
a picture with an artist or with a big box and a curtain and an explosion and smoke. Even
crazier it has a connection to all of our friends in Africa. You talk into it and people can
hear you. Turns out God put compounds in the ground called Lithium, Cobalt and Terbium.
(Lord this is too wonderful)
I really am trying not to brag but I am sort of a big deal. My Father invented the world, he
invented life. I dont want you to like me just because of who my dad is but its okay. Life is
pretty amazing.
EG Do you know God is preparing a table for us?
Back to David, this guy got it.
Psalm 68:1 (Message) I bless GOD every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise. I live
and breathe GOD… (Praising God is my air. Try it)
8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good GOD is. Blessed are you
who run to him….
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
(David just sees the sky and is overwhelmed by God)
Why is God so wonderful? Why is David so happy?
David probably had a great life. Right? He didn’t have my mother-in-law. He dont know my
problems.
Facts about David,
● His brothers thought he was a loser.
● His father never saw his potential
● He never had the perfect wife. She thought he was an unsophisticated clown.
● He never had perfect kids. Mucho problemo.
● The man he loved, the most powerful man in the world, was consumed with
murdering him. You thought you had a bad day when your boss complained.
Imagine your boss hiring an army of assassins to murder you.
● Kings were constantly attacking him.
● David’s life was tough, he had never tasted Chilaquiles.
● He had never seen Fast & the Furious, or listened to Danza Kuduro.
How could a guy with so many troubles be so content? So excited about God?
Psalm 34:19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from
them all
Being in awe of God has nothing to do with the number of problems you have – CP
David was a worshipper, he was overwhelmed by God, he saw God in everything
Why is this important?
We are living through the lens of our pain versus the wonder of God.
Our focus is off and we are running the wrong race, focused on the wrong prize.
So instead if being delighted in God… we live defeated… we live with envy… we chase the
wrong things … we live dissatisfied… we live anxiously
EG Blue Cure Night Run. Stop chasing the wrong things.
Living with wonder means you are focused on the right things
Start delighting in God, chase after him.
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Matt 6: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and…
What does wonder look like?
Let me tell you your story, I researched you.
Your story:
● You beat out 100M sperm cells to conceive a child and be born.
● Then you somehow made it to childbirth, a miracle.
● Then as a kid, you fell hundreds of times, licked every germ you could find, stuck
your finger in an electric socket, nearly drowned once or twice and avoided getting
run over.
● Then you found out you were on this planet was spinning at 1,000 miles an hour,
while going around the sun at 67k miles an hour while with our earth and solar system are traveling around the center of our galaxy at 490k miles.
Just celebrate that you haven’t been sucked away. If you get to the end of a day and you are
tired, you know why. You are tired because you were just holding on.
● Then you find out that there is a God who put this all in place. He knit you together.
He knows the hairs on your head.
● He put the stars in place. He literally hung the moon yet knows your name.
● He created thousands of birds and fish and animals. Billions of tiny organisms that
all give life to this speeding bullet of a planet.
● He made plants that give us air to breathe.
● He makes mountains and oceans and somehow still knows the thoughts in your
head.
● Then you found out God has a purpose for you but you forgot….and so you started
chasing other things.
I am here to remind you. You are a miracle!!! You are an incredible creation.
● When is the last time you thanked God for sight, for hearing, for your legs?
When we sing songs at this church it’s not because we like dancing. It is to remind us who
God is and who He says we are. He Delights in Worship.
God inhabits the praises of His people.
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads
me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his
name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are
with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the
presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your
goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the
LORD forever.
Wonder brings healing
Psalm 103:1-2
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O
my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your
diseases,
Wonder brings contentment
● Joy comes from knowing our place in life
● Joy comes from giving something worth giving
You want to live with wonder, you want to live with Joy…. remember why you are here,
remember who your Father is.
Wonder brings joy
In closing,
There was a man who for many years dreamed of going on a cruise….cheese and cracker Christian
Are you living on crackers when there is a buffet available to you?
Forget not all his benefits
Taste and see that the Lord is good. I have godly FOMO
I want to experience healing, knowing God, visions, peace, joy.
When you look for God’s goodness, you will see it everywhere
I want to walk with wonder
