Hey, man, thank you for tuning in. I'm sorry I've had some PowerPoint computer problems, amen, as we come to you in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ. I'm Darrell Bay, Service for Christ. Here as we come together to be able to speak about here, first of all, happy Fourth of July to each and every one of y'all, amen. Today as we come with our message today, pulling together to make it happen. I lost my PowerPoint. And so we'll make do with the best that we can, but here with the boys in the boat, based from Matthew chapter 8, verses 23 down to verse 27, amen. I'm glad that the story of the boys in the boat pulling together to make it happen, it draws parallels from Matthew chapter 8, verses 23 through 27, and the historical significance of July the 4th, 2024, marketing 128 years of Olympic Games that will be coming up this time, 234 years of freedom that we see. And so when we look at the boys in the boat and realize how powerful it is to be able to come together with the message today, I hope and pray that each and every one of you As a board, I tell you, I've got a lot of things that ain't working right, so we just try to do the best that we can with what we've got, but. I hope and pray that here, happy Fourth of July for 234 years, Amen. The story of how America came to be a free nation, Amen. The colonial beginning, the growth, the self-government, the ideas of liberty and enlightenment, the struggles for our rights, the Declaration of Independence of 1776, and America's revolution from 1775 to 1783. the constitutional government that was established, the expansion and the challenges, the evolution, and the civil rights that America has fought through over these 234 years, and all of the global influence that comes with it. Freedom, the acronym is a foundation of liberty, rights upheld, equality pursued, empowerment of people, democracy defended, opportunity for all, and memories honored. I thank God if you ever go to do something for the Lord, the devil will fight you harder than he's ever fought you. And so I'm glad for our 234 years, 234 years of independence, 234 years of opportunity for growth, and 234 years of a legacy of freedom that we see, that we have, amen. When we were looking at the book, of Daniel James Brown, thanks to the neighbor next door, as I say it, because here he had wrote about a flaming sky, the great Hickory Firestorm of 1894, and all of a sudden nobody knew that this guy was going to move next door to someone that would tell the story of a 1936 Olympic Games that nobody had even heard of. Man, they knew about Jesse Owens and all the medals that he won in the 1936, but everybody forgot about these boys in the boat. And so, when Daniel James Brown began to write the book about the boys in the boat, then George Clooney began to be the writer or the director or the producer. And so when we look back and realize that the University of Washington 1936 is where everything began to come together. their dreams of rowing to glory begin to come together. And so here, the struggles and the aspiration of young men amidst the backdrop of the Great Depression. And so let's open up with a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your message here on this 4th of July. And Lord, I pray, God, that as you send this message out, to all the Americans, I pray God that you'll touch their hearts and lives as they've spent time, whether they're ice cream, whether they're watermelon, whether they're cooking out on the grill or going to the beach or wherever they might be today, to celebrate our Independence Day of a great nation of 234 years of freedom. But what I like is our pastor, Keith Dipsy, said that, Lord, our nation has always been against each other. We've always been able to overcome it and get alone through these many years. And Father, I pray that God, that we will continue to come together. But Lord, in the future, if we don't do like the boys in the boat and pull together to make it happen, I don't know what's going to happen except not victory, but a tremendous defeat of the United States of America. Help us, Lord, to do as these boys did, pull it together. Lord, as we all as Americans get in the boat of liberty and continue to row it with all of our hearts in Jesus' marvelous mighty name, amen. And so. The unwavering determination when we see it, faith amidst adversity because there's lessons from the journey. And a poor boy by the name of Joe Rance and his teammates overcome some personal hardships during this time. And so when we look at Independence Day, as we pull together to make positive changes for America's future, especially in the upcoming election. We look at the steps that we can contribute to continuing and enhancing the legacy of the United States of America. Amen. And so I hope and pray that through the many things, especially how can Americans pull together to make things happen for this country? Well, one of the things is that we can do for this is come together in a unity and a collaboration. Leadership and vision must be a very important thing. Stewardship of the natural resources, social security and well-being, innovation and adaptation, and then education and empowerment. All of these, dialogue and respect of each other, transparency and accountability, and long-term planning and substantial ability are some of the things that will have to come together this coming year election. Putting together the right team of leadership to drive positive change and ensure a sustainable future for America involves several key steps, and that is when we look and realize what it involves, identifying the visionary leaders. Listen, do you know who it is that can really be a visionary leader that will take us? Maybe you don't even like them. But they've got what it takes to take you into the next level that we need. And so I'm glad even that diverse expertise, you need somebody that's got diverse expertise to take us into the future. Somebody that knows what they're doing, not just somebody that's up there that somebody else's. controlling, or somebody else that, oh my goodness, that has no idea what they're doing, and I'm telling you, somebody that has the education, somebody that has military background, somebody that has the training and the diverse expertise in order to do that. And so, the integrity and the ethics, the track record of achievement. the collaborative skills that it will take, the commitment to transparency and accountability, and the innovation and adaptability, and the representation and inclusivity, and the public service orientation that it will take, and also the support and empowerment that will go there. When we look at this team that come together, We saw a team of just poor boys. Some of them didn't even have a place to sleep. And they were going up against Ivy League Senators kids from all of these other colleges of Ivy Leagues. And these boys, every one of them, the only one that really that was the count caller that was 5'7", every one of them was 6'2", 6'5", 6-something. But every one of them trained hard to this point in their life. And I'm telling you, when we set the scene and we look and realize to pull together in order to accomplish our mission, we've got to look like these guys did. Here you see Roger Morris, 6'3", Charles Day, 6'3", Gordon Adams, 6'2", John White, 6'2", Jim McMillan, 6'5". George Hunt, 6'4", Joe Rance, he was 6'3", and you've got Don Hume, who was 6'2", or 6'3", excuse me, and then little old bitty Bob Mock. He was the shortest. He was 5'7". These guys made up a team of poor boys that had nothing and some of them no place to even sleep and they come together and hear all about the story next door because Joe Rance's daughter, Judy Williams, was a neighbor to Daniel James Brown, who shared her father's story with him for the book, The Boys in the Boat. And so, thanks to the neighbors next door. Sometimes you got a neighbor next door that does you a lot of good, and just happened to be an author, and they began to tell the story of Joe Rantz and these boys in the boat and the book was wrote and the next thing you know a story that was forgotten back from the 1936 Olympics that we begin to look and realize that how desperately this story had been lost. No one knew anything of the wonderful gold medal that had been won from these and so it's sad that when you look at how that the Olympics even today when we look at how the Olympic trials are going on and how that today those different states here we got Paris 2024 coming up and And everything started in 1896 with Athens, Greek Athens. It went from the 1900s to Paris, to 1904 St. Louis, to 1908 London, 1912 Stockholm, to 1920 Belgium, to 1924 Paris again, all the way to the 10th Olympics. which was in Berlin in 1936, hosted under Nazi Germany's regimine. And these boys in the boat went up against the tremendous odds at that time, knowing that from 1986 to 2024, the Summer Olympic Games, they've been held for over 128 years. This will be the third time that it'll be held in Paris. And we look, and we realize, hey, which city hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896? I just told you. Greece, Athens. In which year were the Olympics canceled due to World War I? The Olympics were canceled in 1916, canceled and held in Berlin, Germany. But which country had won the most gold medals in the history of the Summer Olympics? It was the United States of America. Who lit the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics? Muhammad Ali. And what was significant about the 1964 Tokyo Olympics in the terms of technology? It was the first Olympics to be broadcast live via a satellite. Which city hosted the Summer Olympics the most times? London has done it in 1908, 1948, and 2012 up until this coming year when it will be held in Paris for the third time as well. Which athlete won the most Olympic gold medals? Everybody ought to know it. Michael Phelps, an American swimmer, with 23 gold medals. What was the first year women were allowed to compete in the Olympic Games? Women first competed in the Olympic Games in 1900 in Paris. Which city was awarded the 2028 Summer Olympic? At the same time, Paris was awarded the 2024 Olympics. Los Angeles, California. And so, what sport made Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Olympics? It was the triathlon. All of these things dealing with the Olympics right now, with the 4th of July, that we look and we realize Joe Rantz's daughter began to tell the story to Daniel James Brown, and it was history. Joe Rantz here, born March the 31st. That's a mighty fine birthday. That's my birthday. And so, he was an athlete, man. And so here he made the rowing team, and he was a freshman that was in the boat. We look at his passport and the depression of the 1930s, of all the hardships that took place during that time, and what America faced with Hitler and the Italians, of all the hard resources, the depression of the 1930s, and how these things began to transpire. Coach Ulbrichson began to put together a team And Matthew chapter 8 verses 23 through 27 will be our scripture. And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with waves, but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, awoke him, saying, Lord, save us, we perish. And he saith unto them, why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him? When we set the scene, the scene of the disciples' journey on the Sea of Galilee. It's parallel of America's journey to facing the storms and the challenges and seeking unity and faith just like these boys in the boat had to come together if they were ever going to win against all of the other Ivy Leagues and beat all of them, go all the way to the Olympics in 1936. The movie is combined with several years because each one of those young men tell a story of their own. Not just Joe Rantz's, but all of them men tell a story about the hardship that they endured during the time of after the depression and going through it and growing up in America. Joe Rantz, his mother died when he was young and his father remarried. When he remarried, the stipulation for the stepmom is, I do not want Joe Rantz. He goes or I go. And so that boy had to go out on his own and make do. And so later on, he shows up with a truckload of lumber in the movie, and Joe just don't know how to take it because he's been dealing with all of these pressures of life like we do in America today, trying to raise a family, trying to make a living, and those were hard times. And so parallel to America's journey facing the storms and the challenges, seeking unity and faith, first of all, We see that America is going to have to face the storm because when Jesus entered the ship, his disciples followed him and behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea. Listen, Jesus is with me every day, but there's storms that arise in the Bailey's household and there's storms that arise across America that we're going to have to face that storm. And we've got to recognize the storm for what it is. America, You're going to have to recognize the storm that we've got to face this coming election. We've got to identify the challenges facing America today. And believe it or not, there are people today that are trying to run America into the ground. They're trying to bankrupt America. They're trying to sell America out. And there arose a great tempest in that sea. We've got to unite in an awareness. We've got to acknowledge the need for a collective action that's got to be taking place. We've got to overcome the fear as the disciples needed help in the boat with Jesus. And we've got to confront the divisions with the courage and with the resolve. And so we've got to face that storm, amen. We've got to exercise faith, praise God, because the disciples came to Jesus and they woke him up. And they said, Lord, save us, we perish. And he said to them, why are you so fearful, O ye of little faith? And then he arose and he rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. We need to rebuke the storm that's happening in America. Christians, we need to come together in revival and prayer. And this is a time of preparation before that hits. Because if we don't get prepared for it, listen, we've got to be able, every one of us, to be like these men. and these two coaches, amen, that begin to put together a winning team. America is going to have to put together a winning team in order to win. And so we see the storm's ferocity and the disciples' anxiety and Jesus's authority because I'm glad that when you face the storm And when you begin to identify the challenges of recognizing it, and then all of a sudden you unite in an awareness and then overcome that fear to confront the division and the courage with resolve, then we can step out and exercise our faith, America. And I'm glad that we can seek guidance and we can turn to the spiritual principles for wisdom from the Word of God. We can have strengthening faith. We can trust in the divine guidance of our Lord and Savior amidst all of this uncertainty. We can pursue unity, praise God. We can embrace shared values and aspirations for the nation. Boy, the devil did not want me to get on today, boy. Boy, did he turn every turn he could turn. And so, facing the storm and then exercising the faith. We've got to achieve that unity and that renewal. And so by doing that, the men marveled, saying, what manner of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him? You see, we've got to reflect on the miracles. We've got to find the inspiration in the historical moments of unity. I told you about America. America has come 234 years of all of the things that they've overcome. A civil war, brother against brother, amen. They've overcome some things. And you know what? We've got to have some lens of faith, praise God. We've got to have some lens of faith as we raise a family, amen, today. each and every one of us the challenges that we continue to face in order to go forward to be able to overcome the things that are happening to us amen and so when we look and realize that we've got to pull together amen to make it happen these boys in the boat begin to pull things together amen and so when we begin to raise a family when we're able to go forward, praise God, as we raise our families together, amen, as we provide for our families, as we deal with sickness and health issues, praise God, as we maintain our employment, amen, as we have spiritual growth that we've got to go through. We've got spiritual growth, but also setbacks and disappointments. We've got health issues that arise, amen. But in all of these areas, Christians often rely on our prayer. And I'm glad that when we look at the analogy to the rowers preparing for the challenge race, it underscores the discipline of America, the perseverance, the teamwork that's required, amen, for every one of us to raise that family, to be able to provide for the family, to deal with sickness and health issues, to be able to maintain our employment, amen, to spiritual growth, praise God, the setbacks and the disappointments, praise God, Here we look and we realize that these guys, they had to overcome obstacles as well to make it together. And you know what? They didn't even have enough money to pay the ticket to go to Berlin to compete. And so here the Washington Post began to make it all happen. They didn't have no money. And so it went out into the newspaper. They needed $5,000 to be able to go to Berlin or they're going to have to cancel and let somebody else go. But they had worked hard for this, and I'm glad that they begin to get it. People went out and gathered money and come up with the $5,000 that these men needed to go to Berlin. Hallelujah. And all of a sudden, they sent a thank you back to the people, to the community that went out and made it happen, praise God. And so I'm glad that we've got to pull it together, America, to make it happen. We've got to be able to be like these boys in the boat, Eggman. As the broadcasts begin to go out, I can only imagine what it began to sound like when it went out across the old radio waves that was going during that time, Eggman. and how everything began to sound as it come across the radio waves and how they were listening to these things, Abe Man. It was an extraordinary thing in that time. That's all that everybody in Washington was gathered around, listening to a radio and trying to make things happen. And all of a sudden, when we look and realize that some of the things that they were doing, Abe Man, That they began to look and hear as the story on the radio began to transpire for these guys. How that they looked and saw that this listening around in an old radio was all the technology that they had to listen to, praise God. I'm glad that we've got to be able to face the storm and exercise faith and achieve unity and renewal. Praise God. How can we recognize the times that we're in today? We've got to commit to a change and we've got to be able to take proactive steps toward a national healing. We've got to move forward, and we've got to embrace a collective vision for a stronger, united America, praise God. And so, I'm glad that each and every one of us, when these men come together in unity and diversity, they had faith amidst that. Perseverance through trials, amen. And so I'm glad that the lessons from their journey and the challenges and the reflections, how can we cultivate unwavering faith in the midst of life's storms? Draw inspiration from the example of Jesus and the disciples by anchoring ourselves in prayer. Scripture, and may the community and the local church as we come together and strengthen our faith and trust in the provision because in what ways can we foster that unity and amidst the diverse within our church and community and embrace all of our differences and put them aside, amen, by practicing humility and mutual respect. We can build bridges of understanding, cooperation across the cultural, racial, and ideological divides that are out there. We've got to maintain perseverance in the face of trials, the setbacks, and the trusting of God's faithfulness. The enemies are at the gate. They're waiting for us to continue to plunder under, but we've got to pull it together. And the only way that we can do that to be able to pull it together. That radio broadcast, the announcer was saying something like this. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We bring you a special broadcast tonight from the heart of Berlin, from where the excitement of the 1936 Olympic Games is in full swing. But tonight, our focus is on a remarkable group of young men from the University of Washington. who have captured hearts and headlines alike with their journey to the top of the rowing world. And all of the crowds were sounding off. Just, the announcer continues on, just moments ago, amidst a crowd of tens of thousands at the Giroux Regatta course in Berlin. Here, the University of Washington's rowing team clinched victory in the men's eight-odd-shell race. They crossed the finish line with a commanding lead, leaving their competitors from Italy and Germany in their wake. that now says this victory is not just a triumph for the team, but a testament to their incredible journey against all odds. These young men, hailing through humble beginnings, have trained tirelessly under the guidance of Coach Earl Brickinson, and they overcome all of the hardships of life and the setbacks in life. And so, can you imagine the story here as the builder of the boats. And I'm glad as we look and realize that everyone that played a part, George Pocock's workshop, and all that everyone did to pull together to bring this team. Here, PBS has done a series back in 2016 called The Boys of 36. And so, look for it. But together, what a magnificent story that we all need to pull together to make it happen, America, because these men made it happen, and they begin to go and make something happen that we need to make happen in America today. And that is as we cultivate, anchor ourselves in prayer and scripture, we need to be able to practice humility and mutual respect. And we need to be able to maintain perseverance in the face of our trials and setbacks, because I'm glad that every one of us, as we reflect on the journey of the men in the boat, Let us remember that the challenges that we face are opportunities for growth and transformation through faith, unity, and perseverance, that we can overcome any obstacle and emerge victorious knowing that God is with us every step of the way, America. And so I'm glad that as I close out and with closing prayer, I hope that this message, and I hope that these young men inspired you as well. As these older men got together later on, Roger Morris, Bob Moth, lessons from the journey, Joe Rance, man, we begin to look and realize that through the hardships that these men had encountered, amen, draw the parallels between the disciples, wavering faith in the storm, and the resilience of these young men facing challenges on their journey. We see that every one of us as a rowing team members, as they come together in a pursuit of a common goal, America is going to have to come together in a pursuit of a common goal as well. We're going to have to get ready for the coming election and we're going to have to do something about it because each one of these young men grew to be old men. We're getting older every day. Joe Rance told the story to his daughter, and that daughter told the story to the neighbor that wrote the book, The Boys in the Boat. And so I'm glad every one of y'all, I hope y'all have a wonderful Fourth of July this year with your families, and may God continue to bless every one of y'all as we go forward I hope and pray that you're able to have the best 4th of July that you've ever had. Heavenly Father, we depart and we thank you for the lessons of faith, of unity and perseverance gleaned from the story of the men in the boat in Matthew chapter 8 with the storms that are fierce that inspires us to live more fully for you. Grant us the strength to weather life's storms, Lord, and unwavering faith the grace to embrace the diversity with the unity of purpose and perseverance to press toward the prize of our heavenly calling as Americans here this 4th of July in Jesus' marvelous mighty name. Amen. God bless you. Hope and pray that you have a wonderful 4th of July.