1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,860 Hey everyone, welcome to another week of the podcast here. 2 00:00:04,870 --> 00:00:08,350 And I'm here not with Grant, but I'm here with Allison. 3 00:00:09,130 --> 00:00:11,890 We don't know what to call you something like we were like, 4 00:00:11,930 --> 00:00:14,220 you're not Pastor Allison, you were Pastor Allison. 5 00:00:14,310 --> 00:00:18,240 You are currently not Pastor Allison, but it feels weird to 6 00:00:18,250 --> 00:00:21,380 not, I don't know, because you were preaching and you were 7 00:00:21,390 --> 00:00:23,950 filling that role. And so even though you are no 8 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,460 longer on staff with us, you're like, you're still a part of our 9 00:00:26,470 --> 00:00:27,180 team. Thank. 10 00:00:27,190 --> 00:00:28,900 You. Yeah, that you come up with a 11 00:00:28,910 --> 00:00:32,950 fun title for me. And perhaps not Pastor Allison 12 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,130 is not the title. That's probably not the one she 13 00:00:35,140 --> 00:00:37,210 we should go. With I think that could lead to 14 00:00:37,220 --> 00:00:40,190 some confusion. So that's the other hard part. 15 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:46,530 Is certainly not capital P. Anyway, we were grateful to have 16 00:00:46,540 --> 00:00:51,490 you with us yesterday. And as always, it's awesome to, 17 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,530 to get you back up there, at least for, for me as the, as the 18 00:00:55,540 --> 00:01:00,130 listener and the one who just gets to receive from, from the 19 00:01:00,140 --> 00:01:02,270 wealth of wisdom. And, and for those who don't 20 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:04,599 know you, because, I mean, we've had a lot of new faces around 21 00:01:04,610 --> 00:01:07,240 the church and people tuning in. There's a lot of people that 22 00:01:07,250 --> 00:01:12,040 that may or may not be familiar with you And, and you know, you 23 00:01:12,050 --> 00:01:16,090 were on staff for what, seven years and before that, like you 24 00:01:16,100 --> 00:01:20,030 have a long history with, you know, inductive Bible study and 25 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:25,630 through university and, and, and so like you are someone who 26 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:29,950 really takes the Scriptures seriously. 27 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:32,650 That's what I've always thought about you. 28 00:01:33,420 --> 00:01:37,750 And so in light of that, we threw you just a real fun 29 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,200 passage. That was a treat. 30 00:01:41,390 --> 00:01:45,300 It was definitely, you know, I often say like I'll work with 31 00:01:45,310 --> 00:01:46,820 anything, like give you anything. 32 00:01:46,930 --> 00:01:52,550 That one challenged me. Certainly, yes, but it's it's 33 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,640 good like let's you know, as we've said, that's why we like 34 00:01:55,650 --> 00:01:57,730 the style that we're doing. We're working our way all the 35 00:01:57,740 --> 00:02:00,550 way through Luke and we're we're intentionally not skipping 36 00:02:00,620 --> 00:02:02,850 anything. We're trying to go in, go there 37 00:02:02,860 --> 00:02:07,330 and try to understand why did Luke include this? 38 00:02:07,340 --> 00:02:11,070 And so we want to read, read every word and see what God 39 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,970 might have for us in that. And, and, and trusting that God 40 00:02:13,980 --> 00:02:18,750 has something for us and that they're, you know, as we go 41 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:23,880 through some of the challenging bits feels like there's, there's 42 00:02:23,890 --> 00:02:25,560 always something for us on the other side. 43 00:02:25,570 --> 00:02:29,320 For sure. And in, you know, in inductive 44 00:02:29,330 --> 00:02:31,680 study, when we do that, like honestly, the most fruitful 45 00:02:31,690 --> 00:02:35,450 moments are when I think we have real genuine questions, right? 46 00:02:35,460 --> 00:02:38,240 Like it's the passages that we think we get and we understand 47 00:02:38,350 --> 00:02:42,400 we probably miss the most, but the passages that force us to 48 00:02:42,410 --> 00:02:45,660 ask some of those really tough questions or be like, we, I 49 00:02:45,670 --> 00:02:50,300 don't understand, like what is this about that often those 50 00:02:50,310 --> 00:02:53,860 genuine questions lead to some of the best fruit. 51 00:02:54,490 --> 00:02:59,040 It it helps us to do that. This passage was about the 52 00:02:59,050 --> 00:03:02,260 Kingdom. So for, for those who didn't 53 00:03:02,350 --> 00:03:06,720 listen or were not present for worship this past Sunday, it's 54 00:03:06,810 --> 00:03:11,110 Luke 17 versus 20 through to the very end, which is 37. 55 00:03:12,310 --> 00:03:15,610 And actually I noticed as I was like making your slides for you, 56 00:03:15,660 --> 00:03:18,900 there's like 36, but there's actually no verse 36, which I 57 00:03:18,910 --> 00:03:20,760 thought was like, oh, we, I don't know. 58 00:03:20,770 --> 00:03:24,070 I just, I just noticed that just a little like verse 36 is 59 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,680 absent. It just skips to 37. 60 00:03:26,690 --> 00:03:29,810 And there's a little note that says some manuscripts include 61 00:03:29,820 --> 00:03:33,290 here words similar to Matthew. So there must be like a parallel 62 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,590 that's some manuscripts don't include so. 63 00:03:36,380 --> 00:03:39,100 Thank you. I just noticed it yesterday as 64 00:03:39,110 --> 00:03:40,620 we were as I was making the slides I was like. 65 00:03:41,820 --> 00:03:44,870 You know, I like when I'm doing my perfect actually pull it out 66 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:47,270 in what we call manuscript style, where you pull out all 67 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:49,580 the divisions and chapters and verses. 68 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,850 So definitely didn't notice. That so at its core, this is 69 00:03:53,940 --> 00:03:56,000 this is a passage about the Kingdom, which, you know, has 70 00:03:56,010 --> 00:04:01,330 been a pervasive theme all throughout the book of Luke, But 71 00:04:01,500 --> 00:04:07,410 mixed in with this passage is some tricky metaphors and and 72 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,450 out like just the language of Jesus uses is not always easy 73 00:04:11,460 --> 00:04:13,340 here. And so, you know, he, he talks 74 00:04:13,350 --> 00:04:15,110 first with the Pharisees and then he talks with the 75 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:21,110 disciples, um, and, and kind of uses the example of Noah and the 76 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:26,230 flood, uses the example of of Lot and, and the destruction of 77 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:31,440 Sodom and Gomorrah. Like, not pleasant, not pleasant 78 00:04:31,530 --> 00:04:34,000 imagery. Corpses and vultures. 79 00:04:34,010 --> 00:04:36,700 Corpses and vultures, which, like, I love, I love the, you 80 00:04:36,710 --> 00:04:38,340 know, Happy Mother's Day right after that. 81 00:04:38,350 --> 00:04:41,620 Like, it's like so happy, yeah. You know, not to take away from 82 00:04:41,630 --> 00:04:45,480 the seriousness of it, but I think it's also OK to, I think, 83 00:04:45,530 --> 00:04:48,280 I think what I was trying to do in that is just acknowledge this 84 00:04:48,290 --> 00:04:52,000 is intense. And sometimes humor helps us 85 00:04:52,090 --> 00:04:55,840 acknowledge this is intense and there's a lot to this. 86 00:04:56,130 --> 00:05:00,960 So not to make light of that or overlook it, but also to sort of 87 00:05:00,970 --> 00:05:03,970 be able to collectively take a deep breath and go, there's a 88 00:05:03,980 --> 00:05:06,840 lot this is hard here. So we've got those difficult 89 00:05:06,850 --> 00:05:09,670 images and then we've got sort of this, this interesting 90 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:13,430 picture of, you know, those Jesus says whoever tries to keep 91 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,460 his life will lose it. Whoever loses their life will 92 00:05:15,470 --> 00:05:17,750 preserve it. And then he uses this example of 93 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,050 people just like disappearing. You know, I tell you on, on that 94 00:05:21,060 --> 00:05:23,330 night, two people will be in bed, one will be taking the 95 00:05:23,340 --> 00:05:25,370 other left. Two women will be grinding grain 96 00:05:25,380 --> 00:05:27,050 together, one will be taken and the other left. 97 00:05:27,060 --> 00:05:28,310 And it's like, what does that mean? 98 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:33,570 And you know, we have a, a particular modern lens, you 99 00:05:33,580 --> 00:05:38,580 know, particular brand of theology will say that that 100 00:05:38,810 --> 00:05:43,440 automatically reads in that that is about OK, I'll just say it 101 00:05:43,510 --> 00:05:46,680 that that is about rapture. And, and I think maybe we'll get 102 00:05:46,690 --> 00:05:49,280 into that a little bit, but I, I want to actually have like a, a 103 00:05:49,290 --> 00:05:54,180 higher level conversation to start of like when we approach 104 00:05:54,190 --> 00:05:59,630 passages like this, whether you are a professional Christian or 105 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:03,630 whether you are a layperson, just like reading through the 106 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:06,790 Bible with us, or maybe you're on your own kind of reading 107 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:11,170 schedule. Like how do we approach passages 108 00:06:11,180 --> 00:06:13,620 like this? Like there, there are so many 109 00:06:13,630 --> 00:06:17,780 different ways to like that poor ways that we can deal with it. 110 00:06:17,790 --> 00:06:19,090 You know, we can just glaze over it. 111 00:06:19,740 --> 00:06:22,390 We could just skip over it makes me feel uncomfortable, so I'm 112 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,850 going to skip. Or we can be like left with this 113 00:06:25,860 --> 00:06:28,890 feeling of like overwhelm and that we just sort of like block 114 00:06:28,900 --> 00:06:31,510 it from our memory and move on to something fluffier. 115 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:34,730 Like. And so yeah, like there's a 116 00:06:34,740 --> 00:06:37,760 difference between, you know, like when you and Grant and I 117 00:06:37,770 --> 00:06:40,360 sit down like we're, we're digging into all of these 118 00:06:40,370 --> 00:06:41,880 things, asking these hard questions. 119 00:06:41,890 --> 00:06:46,020 We're, but we're, we're taking a solid like hour, hour and a half 120 00:06:46,030 --> 00:06:49,050 to do that, right? So like, I think there's a 121 00:06:49,060 --> 00:06:52,240 conversation to be had there. But like, how do, how can we 122 00:06:52,250 --> 00:06:55,360 encourage everyone who's, who's listening and everyone who's 123 00:06:55,370 --> 00:06:57,700 reading the scripture? How do we encourage them to do 124 00:06:57,710 --> 00:06:59,760 that? They're not maybe going to have 125 00:06:59,770 --> 00:07:02,120 an hour and a half, but like, how do we read these difficult 126 00:07:02,130 --> 00:07:03,670 passages? How do we approach them? 127 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,200 What's the Yeah, what's the what's the vision there? 128 00:07:07,610 --> 00:07:12,260 I think the answer, as it often is, is community. 129 00:07:12,370 --> 00:07:16,940 So that can take us a few forms. First of all, it's why studying 130 00:07:16,950 --> 00:07:22,080 scripture together in community is so rich because we can bring 131 00:07:22,090 --> 00:07:24,670 different insights and contributions that are hard for 132 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:27,710 any one of us to have alone when we're just reading it by 133 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:32,160 ourselves that together we can hopefully glean a more accurate 134 00:07:32,430 --> 00:07:35,720 picture. So whenever possible to do this 135 00:07:35,730 --> 00:07:40,160 with other people who are also trying to trying to dig into 136 00:07:40,820 --> 00:07:43,460 what Jesus, what the author would have for us in that I 137 00:07:43,470 --> 00:07:45,850 think is always a gift. Now I get we're not always in a 138 00:07:45,860 --> 00:07:47,190 Bible study when we look at this. 139 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,770 So I think community can also be in a couple other forms. 140 00:07:50,780 --> 00:07:54,110 So one is, it might sound a little bit funny, but I think 141 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,530 there can be somewhat of a leaning on community by looking 142 00:07:57,540 --> 00:08:02,130 at commentaries, looking at scholars who have poured their 143 00:08:02,140 --> 00:08:05,710 lives into understanding the context, understanding the 144 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,470 original languages, that can really help us. 145 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:11,610 And so that's always part of our prep when we're preaching. 146 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:16,140 But I don't think that needs to be limited to preachers having a 147 00:08:16,150 --> 00:08:18,580 good trusted commentary or two to say like, well, what did? 148 00:08:18,590 --> 00:08:22,800 What did these people who inherently know more than I do? 149 00:08:22,890 --> 00:08:24,660 What do they say about it? Now? 150 00:08:24,670 --> 00:08:26,800 I want to be careful. I don't like rushing to a 151 00:08:26,810 --> 00:08:29,200 commentary right away. I actually think it's really 152 00:08:29,210 --> 00:08:33,799 important for us to wrestle with it somewhat on our own, to have 153 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:37,460 our genuine questions bubble up so that we can acknowledge those 154 00:08:37,570 --> 00:08:41,740 and not just read it like, oh, let's go look for the answers. 155 00:08:41,780 --> 00:08:44,330 I also don't want to use commentaries as the definitive 156 00:08:44,340 --> 00:08:48,090 answers on those things. I think seeing them as a voice, 157 00:08:48,100 --> 00:08:52,410 as a friend at the table who's contributing a line of thinking 158 00:08:52,420 --> 00:08:54,830 and a thought. And so we don't take it as the 159 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,570 answer book, but we take it as someone else's thoughts and 160 00:08:57,580 --> 00:08:59,810 contributions. Why it's good to often read a 161 00:08:59,820 --> 00:09:01,950 few of them and get a variety of those. 162 00:09:02,550 --> 00:09:04,330 So it's a little bit of a different way, but I think 163 00:09:04,340 --> 00:09:07,490 that's another way of leaning on community, leaning on the wisdom 164 00:09:07,500 --> 00:09:09,980 of those that have gone before us and what they've come to 165 00:09:09,990 --> 00:09:13,630 think about those things. Um, and then I think finally, 166 00:09:13,700 --> 00:09:16,570 you know, maybe you are reading this of a hard passage in your 167 00:09:16,580 --> 00:09:19,670 own quiet time, in your own personal study and you come up 168 00:09:19,680 --> 00:09:23,070 against this, say phone a friend. 169 00:09:23,300 --> 00:09:26,770 I mean, maybe literally, or maybe it's a roommate or a 170 00:09:26,780 --> 00:09:29,160 spouse or a trusted friend or mentor. 171 00:09:29,170 --> 00:09:33,210 Be like, hey, I was reading this this morning or whatever and I 172 00:09:33,220 --> 00:09:35,270 found this really challenging and I don't really understand 173 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,130 it. Have you read this? 174 00:09:37,140 --> 00:09:39,820 Do you have thoughts about it? Like it can be just sort of in 175 00:09:39,830 --> 00:09:44,030 the natural course of our day, but leaning into knowing that it 176 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:53,290 is very hard for us in 2026 English speakers to to grasp all 177 00:09:53,300 --> 00:09:54,750 that is contained within these pages. 178 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:57,810 It's impossible. And it's we are not going to get 179 00:09:57,820 --> 00:09:59,950 there in community either, but we're going to get a little bit 180 00:09:59,960 --> 00:10:03,070 closer. And so I think that's a key way 181 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:06,140 that we can approach these is with humility to know. 182 00:10:06,150 --> 00:10:07,940 I'm not going to be able to know, I'm not going to be able 183 00:10:07,950 --> 00:10:10,790 to figure it all out. How can I lean on others, 184 00:10:11,190 --> 00:10:16,290 whether in books, whether hopefully also real life people 185 00:10:16,300 --> 00:10:20,370 in front of us to go further? And there's something so there's 186 00:10:20,380 --> 00:10:22,260 two things that come to mind as you're talking about that. 187 00:10:22,270 --> 00:10:25,710 The first being in I think it's Timothy Keller's book on 188 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:28,650 preaching. He always says, like, read the 189 00:10:28,660 --> 00:10:33,710 passage multiple times, potentially multiple 190 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:37,050 translations. Write down your thoughts, you 191 00:10:37,060 --> 00:10:39,930 know, like, get it, get it all. So like from a pastoral level, 192 00:10:39,940 --> 00:10:42,710 that's like just a responsible thing to do to write out your 193 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:46,180 thoughts, like, like, and because God is speaking through 194 00:10:46,190 --> 00:10:49,350 these words, right? And, and sometimes the more we 195 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,510 read the, the, the different angles we can approach it from, 196 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,440 we get to glean bits of wisdom. Like there been times when I 197 00:10:55,450 --> 00:10:58,400 know that like the three of us have been sitting in in the room 198 00:10:58,410 --> 00:11:01,650 and be like, Oh, we've never noticed that before, just 199 00:11:01,660 --> 00:11:03,930 because we've been reading this and talking about it and we're 200 00:11:03,940 --> 00:11:06,800 seeing this connection that and, and, and sometimes maybe the 201 00:11:06,810 --> 00:11:09,410 connection is nothing. Other times it gets confirmed 202 00:11:09,420 --> 00:11:13,180 when we, you know, eventually read a, you know, commentary 203 00:11:13,190 --> 00:11:15,380 like, oh, that person agrees with me. 204 00:11:15,450 --> 00:11:16,800 I think we're in good company you. 205 00:11:16,810 --> 00:11:18,460 Know, and that's often how we use it, right? 206 00:11:18,470 --> 00:11:20,980 It's like we actually kind of work out our own hypothesis 207 00:11:20,990 --> 00:11:23,890 first. Confirmation bias kind of way, 208 00:11:23,900 --> 00:11:27,040 like it's, it's more so like like, hey, like we've gleaned 209 00:11:27,050 --> 00:11:29,870 this. Let's see if others agree. 210 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:34,470 And but I want to stress the value of doing the wrestling 211 00:11:34,580 --> 00:11:39,110 first, because when you've had to work at it, and I've seen 212 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:41,590 this again and again in Bible study, when you've actually had 213 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:45,670 to work at trying to understand something, it just goes in a lot 214 00:11:45,680 --> 00:11:48,750 deeper than when you just read the quote UN quote answer. 215 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,970 Again, it's not the answer, but when you just quickly go to it, 216 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,350 it's there's a surface level of processing that's different than 217 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:57,130 the processing that has to happen when you're like, I 218 00:11:57,140 --> 00:11:58,570 genuinely don't understand what that is. 219 00:11:58,580 --> 00:12:00,370 What could that mean? How can we piece these things 220 00:12:00,380 --> 00:12:01,670 together? What do you think? 221 00:12:02,060 --> 00:12:05,670 There's just a depth of understanding that you can't 222 00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:08,940 trade for jumping quickly to reading some of those. 223 00:12:08,950 --> 00:12:11,610 Things and that was the second thought I had was like, what a 224 00:12:11,620 --> 00:12:13,330 gift of something like community Bible study. 225 00:12:13,340 --> 00:12:16,220 When we've done that, where, you know, you're at a group, you're 226 00:12:16,230 --> 00:12:21,210 at a table of people who you're before you are given any like 227 00:12:21,260 --> 00:12:26,590 hints about some of like the context or the, the history or 228 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,490 the, you know, some of the, the Greek words or whatever. 229 00:12:29,500 --> 00:12:33,250 Like before we do any of that, which invariably does happen, 230 00:12:33,260 --> 00:12:34,400 right? You know, where, where one of 231 00:12:34,410 --> 00:12:36,530 the teachers will get up there and they will say, like, Hey, 232 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:40,830 this word actually means this. And this is probably what Jesus 233 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:44,290 was getting at here. You know, like we do that work 234 00:12:44,300 --> 00:12:46,770 inductively. We do that work just by reading 235 00:12:46,780 --> 00:12:51,710 and studying and parsing and, and like in a way that is more, 236 00:12:51,780 --> 00:12:55,890 you know, it's different than, you know, say we're reading a, a 237 00:12:55,900 --> 00:12:58,960 novel in English class in high school and having to like write 238 00:12:58,970 --> 00:13:00,720 an essay based topic. Like that's not what the work 239 00:13:00,730 --> 00:13:05,860 we're doing here that we are trying to truly understand and 240 00:13:05,870 --> 00:13:09,200 internalize, right? Like it's, it's a deeper work 241 00:13:09,210 --> 00:13:12,120 than just like. How can I analyze this text? 242 00:13:12,530 --> 00:13:15,210 And that's exactly why like the very first thing we do at 243 00:13:15,220 --> 00:13:17,320 Community Bible Study is our own personal study, right? 244 00:13:17,330 --> 00:13:21,460 Like is we take some time to try to absorb it and to try to go, 245 00:13:21,470 --> 00:13:24,460 what questions are coming up for me as I look at this? 246 00:13:24,470 --> 00:13:28,370 Before, like you said, before, we've got more of the history, 247 00:13:28,450 --> 00:13:30,860 historical context before we have the Greek, before we have 248 00:13:30,870 --> 00:13:33,630 other things. Like how can I try to see this? 249 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,770 Even if it's a passage I've read 100 times, How can I try to see 250 00:13:36,780 --> 00:13:41,390 this with fresh eyes and notice and pay attention to what's 251 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:43,570 happening here? And that just lays such a solid 252 00:13:43,580 --> 00:13:46,930 foundation for the rest of the work that we do, which is really 253 00:13:46,940 --> 00:13:49,190 important and really valuable. But there is something about 254 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:52,080 having that. Let me try to wrestle a bit with 255 00:13:52,090 --> 00:13:54,710 this before we go into those other stages. 256 00:13:56,220 --> 00:13:59,180 Family member texting me just like last week being like, hey, 257 00:13:59,370 --> 00:14:02,480 I'm confused about some stuff. Can we grab coffee? 258 00:14:02,490 --> 00:14:05,880 Yeah, you know, like I, I love that like, like a like I'm just 259 00:14:05,890 --> 00:14:08,360 working through like I have some questions about like this, that 260 00:14:08,370 --> 00:14:10,720 or the other thing. And, and so like trying to find 261 00:14:10,730 --> 00:14:14,600 a time just to connect, like, and, and just to be able to 262 00:14:14,670 --> 00:14:19,020 like, hey, I admit when we're struggling with understanding 263 00:14:19,030 --> 00:14:22,420 something in Scripture and like, you know, the difficult 264 00:14:22,430 --> 00:14:24,940 theology, things like that, like, and just being able to be 265 00:14:24,950 --> 00:14:27,500 honest and say like, hey, I want to try to figure this out. 266 00:14:27,900 --> 00:14:29,310 I need a bit of help. Yeah. 267 00:14:29,380 --> 00:14:32,790 And not that I'm the expert, but it's like I can help point them 268 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:36,000 to the right location hopefully. Yeah, yeah. 269 00:14:36,010 --> 00:14:37,730 No, that's exactly what we're talking about, right? 270 00:14:37,740 --> 00:14:41,250 And it's some of the beauty and freedom of what we get to do 271 00:14:41,340 --> 00:14:43,730 with Grant is like, it's OK to not know. 272 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,330 It's OK for us to be stumped. And like I said, that actually 273 00:14:46,340 --> 00:14:49,170 often leads to the most fruitful questions and work. 274 00:14:49,180 --> 00:14:51,970 But you have to have those places where and people that you 275 00:14:51,980 --> 00:14:53,690 can go to to be like, I don't get this. 276 00:14:55,650 --> 00:14:59,400 And then even because I don't want to like leave us with the 277 00:14:59,410 --> 00:15:02,650 impression that like, you know, we can just once we've once 278 00:15:02,660 --> 00:15:04,840 we've rocked our brain enough and we haven't figured it out to 279 00:15:04,850 --> 00:15:08,040 them, and then we go to commentaries or maybe just one 280 00:15:08,050 --> 00:15:11,350 commentary or whatever. That doesn't mean, and this is 281 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:14,240 where it does get tricky. That doesn't mean that that is 282 00:15:14,310 --> 00:15:18,160 the definitive answer, right? Like you, if, if you read, you 283 00:15:18,170 --> 00:15:21,060 know, like I have access, I think between grants 284 00:15:21,070 --> 00:15:25,420 commentaries and my commentaries and like Logos Bible software, I 285 00:15:25,430 --> 00:15:29,590 have access to like probably like two dozen commentaries on 286 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,260 any given book of the Bible, right? 287 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,310 Do you think they all agree? You know? 288 00:15:36,820 --> 00:15:39,170 Definitely not. Absolutely not, right? 289 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:43,290 And that's where that's where it does admittedly get potentially 290 00:15:43,300 --> 00:15:48,690 overwhelming, right that like, hey, they've been studying this 291 00:15:48,700 --> 00:15:52,890 for their entire stinking lives and I still and they still don't 292 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:55,310 necessarily agree or come to the same conclusion. 293 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,530 There might be overlap, there might be connection. 294 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:00,790 And that's where like, I think the beauty of, of you not 295 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:06,170 letting us get too down the rabbit hole of like what? 296 00:16:06,180 --> 00:16:10,140 OK, let's let's dive deeply into like the, the, the flood and 297 00:16:10,150 --> 00:16:14,500 Sodom and Gomorrah and the supposed rapture stuff 298 00:16:14,510 --> 00:16:16,910 happening, right? Because it, it can distract from 299 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:19,560 the main points, right? And same with commentaries, 300 00:16:19,570 --> 00:16:21,110 right? I feel like commentaries can can 301 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,860 do the same thing where where we can read them all and then still 302 00:16:24,870 --> 00:16:28,160 not have actually internalized the thing that we need to 303 00:16:28,170 --> 00:16:29,660 internalize. Yeah. 304 00:16:29,670 --> 00:16:32,180 And I think sometimes it's important to take that step back 305 00:16:32,250 --> 00:16:36,870 and use posture of humility, posture of being a learner. 306 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:39,750 It's actually our right posture of depending on God. 307 00:16:40,430 --> 00:16:45,430 Ask the Holy Spirit what not just for accurate understanding, 308 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:50,310 but like, what do you have for me in this moment of my life and 309 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:52,310 time? Like what are you seeing to me 310 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:54,650 from this passage? And that's also why we can read 311 00:16:54,660 --> 00:16:59,060 it 100 times and have something different because that's why I 312 00:16:59,070 --> 00:17:01,680 think it's often called the living word is because when the 313 00:17:01,690 --> 00:17:05,380 Holy Spirit inhabits it and inhabits our understanding, it 314 00:17:05,390 --> 00:17:09,380 can mean, I don't mean different like contradictory. 315 00:17:09,390 --> 00:17:14,650 I just mean, um, different aspects of like different 316 00:17:14,660 --> 00:17:16,250 fuller. Picture Yeah, exactly. 317 00:17:16,260 --> 00:17:20,869 And and that when and that's one of the reasons why it's so good 318 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:24,430 and so important to have multiple different voices. 319 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:29,090 You are going to see things in a way that I don't just because 320 00:17:29,100 --> 00:17:31,790 partly because of who you are. Like we've known each other long 321 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,070 enough that we know like we we're similar in some ways, 322 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:36,350 right. But also like look at us. 323 00:17:36,360 --> 00:17:40,750 We're, we're, we're different for you as a woman, you have, 324 00:17:40,820 --> 00:17:42,250 you have a different perspective. 325 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:47,770 I remember this is just one silly example, but it was Good 326 00:17:47,780 --> 00:17:51,650 Friday, our service. We did kind of a reflective, 327 00:17:51,660 --> 00:17:55,630 contemplative kind of service and, and we had a, a bunch of 328 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:58,270 the way we were approaching was that we had these different 329 00:17:58,620 --> 00:18:03,830 aspects of the, the passion narrative and the different 330 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,290 people in that narrative outside of Jesus. 331 00:18:06,300 --> 00:18:12,660 So you had, you know, Simon of Cyrene and the Joe Joseph was 332 00:18:12,670 --> 00:18:15,640 the, the guy who carries the cross, Joseph Avermedia. 333 00:18:16,470 --> 00:18:19,840 Sorry, no, that's Simon, the guy who pays for the, the burial. 334 00:18:20,290 --> 00:18:23,200 So all these different examples, the, the other men on the cross, 335 00:18:23,210 --> 00:18:25,890 all that kind of stuff. And I'm giving this example, 336 00:18:25,900 --> 00:18:29,140 these examples to someone who's going to be setting up different 337 00:18:29,150 --> 00:18:32,450 stations for us. Such a gift to have that. 338 00:18:32,540 --> 00:18:35,540 And then they responded, they're like, but wait a minute, there's 339 00:18:35,550 --> 00:18:38,870 like a bunch of women there as well that are doing things as 340 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:42,790 well. And I'm like, you're 100% right. 341 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:45,980 And actually I was just, you know, remiss in in including 342 00:18:45,990 --> 00:18:49,010 those in my examples. But it it says something that I 343 00:18:49,020 --> 00:18:53,450 had didn't include them because I'm sometimes a dumb headed guy. 344 00:18:53,500 --> 00:18:56,550 Well, and we all have these blind spots, right? 345 00:18:57,220 --> 00:19:01,390 And so that's again, some of the beauty of hopefully being in 346 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:04,470 community and and being in community, not just with people 347 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:05,820 that look like us. Yeah, right. 348 00:19:05,830 --> 00:19:11,230 Like the people that come from more, the more different from us 349 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:15,130 background, whether that's like ethnically, gender, 350 00:19:15,140 --> 00:19:18,190 socioeconomic, whatever, they're going to bring a different 351 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,530 experience that is going to be different than what I can see. 352 00:19:21,540 --> 00:19:25,390 And so the richness of having those relationships where you 353 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,890 can lean on each other and help each other to see things from a 354 00:19:27,900 --> 00:19:30,550 different angle is, I think, is a beautiful part of the Kingdom. 355 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:32,870 Like how much like the Beatitudes is one example. 356 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,290 Like, like it's gonna hit different. 357 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:39,190 You know, I, you know, grew up mostly just like kind of middle 358 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:43,890 class, you know, Canada, right? For someone who's grown up in, 359 00:19:43,900 --> 00:19:50,740 in a place where there's been persecution and poverty and, and 360 00:19:50,750 --> 00:19:55,100 a real like disparity within their, you know, where they grew 361 00:19:55,110 --> 00:19:57,840 up, like that's going to hit very differently. 362 00:19:57,910 --> 00:20:00,530 That's right. And how much richer probably 363 00:20:00,540 --> 00:20:03,170 their understanding is, and how much I can learn from from a 364 00:20:03,180 --> 00:20:06,750 different perspective. So, yeah, and the other thing 365 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:12,630 maybe just before we move off of this is like we may, and I think 366 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:16,510 you kind of alluded to this, like we may walk away with more 367 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:18,070 questions. Absolutely, right. 368 00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:22,910 And that like sometimes the point of not the point of a 369 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:26,210 passage, but like sometimes the thing that that we are going to 370 00:20:26,220 --> 00:20:30,630 need to learn to be OK with is that we may just have questions 371 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:33,150 and they may never fully resolve. 372 00:20:33,220 --> 00:20:40,680 And, and this is a, a lifelong journey, a lifelong almost 373 00:20:40,690 --> 00:20:44,180 battle with scripture in some ways, you know, like that, like, 374 00:20:44,190 --> 00:20:46,860 hey, I, I, the, the things I struggled with 20 years ago in 375 00:20:46,870 --> 00:20:51,270 my faith are very different, but there's still things I struggle 376 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:53,060 with, right? And, and I'm going to come and 377 00:20:53,070 --> 00:20:56,080 hit these passages and read them and be like, OK, I didn't 378 00:20:56,090 --> 00:20:58,610 struggle with that in my younger years, but now I'm reading this 379 00:20:58,620 --> 00:21:01,280 and be like, oh, that's, that's challenging, you know, in a 380 00:21:01,290 --> 00:21:04,310 different way, right? And, and so like, that's 381 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:06,130 another, that's another piece of like, there's, there's an 382 00:21:06,140 --> 00:21:08,940 element of like mystery. There's an element of needing to 383 00:21:08,950 --> 00:21:12,970 be OK with, like, not having all of our questions answered. 384 00:21:13,020 --> 00:21:15,830 Yeah. And the the the certainty that 385 00:21:16,060 --> 00:21:20,450 some spheres of Christianity want. 386 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,330 Yeah, and I would almost, I think I, I think I mean this, I 387 00:21:24,340 --> 00:21:28,010 would almost be wary of either a sermon or Bible study that feels 388 00:21:28,020 --> 00:21:31,230 like everything wraps up nice and neat with a bow on top. 389 00:21:31,620 --> 00:21:36,350 Now, my wiring is I like that. I like a nice, neat story with a 390 00:21:36,360 --> 00:21:39,270 clear ending and a boat. Like I want that. 391 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,130 And I wrestle with being OK with living in the tension. 392 00:21:42,140 --> 00:21:44,610 But I think that's probably actually a more accurate and 393 00:21:44,620 --> 00:21:47,650 true place to live. Now, at the same time, I want to 394 00:21:47,660 --> 00:21:50,520 say that doesn't mean we can't know anything, right? 395 00:21:50,530 --> 00:21:54,420 Like absolutely, there are solid truths that we can plant our 396 00:21:54,430 --> 00:21:56,800 feet on. And I think that's that's some 397 00:21:56,810 --> 00:21:59,270 of what I was noticing as I was working through this passage is 398 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:02,120 like, wow, there's a lot of things that lead to a lot of 399 00:22:02,130 --> 00:22:04,950 questions that I don't understand. 400 00:22:05,610 --> 00:22:10,480 And as I said, I don't think are the point, but what can we say? 401 00:22:10,490 --> 00:22:12,500 What can I plant my feet firmly on? 402 00:22:12,510 --> 00:22:15,440 And I think there are very clear things that we can plant our 403 00:22:15,450 --> 00:22:19,200 feet firmly on in the passage. And so learning to plant our 404 00:22:19,210 --> 00:22:24,640 feet where we can and know what we can know and hold open handed 405 00:22:24,690 --> 00:22:27,420 to the questions and the tensions and the things that we 406 00:22:27,430 --> 00:22:30,420 go, I'm not sure we can know that. 407 00:22:31,750 --> 00:22:35,180 And I think there's two things that I think stuck out for me as 408 00:22:35,190 --> 00:22:40,150 we were as we were going through this passage the first time and 409 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:42,000 the second time and then also during your. 410 00:22:43,450 --> 00:22:46,350 This one required. But I think there's two, there's 411 00:22:46,360 --> 00:22:49,530 two, there's two particular things that Jesus says that I 412 00:22:49,540 --> 00:22:52,640 think are like worth like hanging, you know, hanging on to 413 00:22:53,710 --> 00:22:56,820 #1 what he says to the Pharisees, Kingdom of God is in. 414 00:22:56,830 --> 00:22:58,520 Your midst. Don't miss it. 415 00:22:58,590 --> 00:23:02,560 Don't miss it #2 toward the very end, and I said this earlier, 416 00:23:02,930 --> 00:23:04,600 whoever tries to keep their life will lose it. 417 00:23:04,610 --> 00:23:07,020 Whoever loses their life will preserve it. 418 00:23:07,690 --> 00:23:10,230 Like those, those two feel like those are and they're. 419 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:12,610 That doesn't make them any more easy. 420 00:23:12,870 --> 00:23:16,520 But if you, if you hear nothing else, I think, yeah, I think 421 00:23:16,530 --> 00:23:20,740 those if everything else sifts away, you will do well to hang 422 00:23:20,750 --> 00:23:25,370 on to what is being taught in both of those phrases, both to 423 00:23:25,380 --> 00:23:26,920 the Pharisees and to the disciples. 424 00:23:27,470 --> 00:23:30,120 And there's even something like when Jesus, whoever tries to 425 00:23:30,130 --> 00:23:32,520 keep their life will will lose it. 426 00:23:32,810 --> 00:23:40,270 Like I also even think about like my my propensity and I 427 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:47,030 think our like capital O our like tendency to want to just 428 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:49,790 like hold on to everything in a neat little way. 429 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:51,540 And when it comes to the scriptures, when it comes to 430 00:23:51,550 --> 00:23:54,430 faith and and like the Kingdom is is, can't be. 431 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:56,470 Bigger than that. It's bigger than that. 432 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:57,920 It can't be boxed in in that way. 433 00:23:57,980 --> 00:24:00,360 It actually would be unfortunate, yeah, if it could 434 00:24:00,370 --> 00:24:04,690 be neat and tidy and contained within our understanding, right? 435 00:24:04,700 --> 00:24:09,090 It is just going to constantly blow out-of-the-box as we try to 436 00:24:09,100 --> 00:24:13,020 put it. So I think to that end, like 437 00:24:13,030 --> 00:24:16,240 that's actually like a great segue into kind of like landing 438 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:20,200 the this passage a little bit wanted to talk a little bit 439 00:24:20,210 --> 00:24:24,090 about the Kingdom. And, and it's not a new topic. 440 00:24:24,100 --> 00:24:27,110 It's not a novel thing to talk about, but like, I think it's 441 00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:29,930 just worth bringing up on a regular basis, especially since 442 00:24:29,940 --> 00:24:33,050 you're not Grant you and I grant and I have talked about this in 443 00:24:33,060 --> 00:24:36,680 the in the podcast, but since you're a fresher face, you've 444 00:24:36,690 --> 00:24:39,970 only done this like a couple Times Now with us. 445 00:24:40,020 --> 00:24:43,650 Like I want to talk a little bit about like what the Kingdom in 446 00:24:43,660 --> 00:24:47,150 our midst is looking like for us, right? 447 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:51,900 For, for you, for me, for us as a church, for, for, for things 448 00:24:51,910 --> 00:24:54,530 like that. And so I don't know if you wanna 449 00:24:54,540 --> 00:24:56,490 go with that, but just like I think that there's a a good 450 00:24:56,500 --> 00:24:58,670 conversation to be had there about like just reminding us 451 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:01,910 like, yes, there's the meta sort of like, OK, this is Paula 452 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,020 passage is challenging, but also like, let's bring it to the 453 00:25:04,030 --> 00:25:06,350 ground. Let's like, talk about like the 454 00:25:06,360 --> 00:25:09,440 work of the Kingdom that is in our midst that's happening. 455 00:25:10,570 --> 00:25:14,420 Yeah, Well, we talked a little bit about the Kingdom being this 456 00:25:14,430 --> 00:25:18,220 writing this, turning right side up of what was turned upside 457 00:25:18,230 --> 00:25:21,300 down. So we talked about how the way 458 00:25:21,310 --> 00:25:26,000 that God intended the world in terms of peace, which is this 459 00:25:26,010 --> 00:25:28,700 word Shalom in Hebrew, which is much more than the absence of 460 00:25:28,710 --> 00:25:31,000 conflict, but it's actually everything it was. 461 00:25:31,010 --> 00:25:33,260 It was meant to be wholeness, right? 462 00:25:33,270 --> 00:25:37,900 Relatedness, yeah, just the fullness of life. 463 00:25:37,970 --> 00:25:42,190 And so that's what was intended. That got inverted, turned upside 464 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:43,530 down. We are very aware of all the 465 00:25:43,540 --> 00:25:46,520 ways that that is broken and the dysfunction around us. 466 00:25:46,530 --> 00:25:51,870 And so I think we can see the Kingdom wherever we see those 467 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:56,760 things being righted and put in their proper order. 468 00:25:56,810 --> 00:26:02,580 And so I think one of the the joys for us that would consider 469 00:26:02,590 --> 00:26:06,920 ourselves followers of Jesus is to join in the work of the 470 00:26:06,930 --> 00:26:10,800 Kingdom, which is the work of writing those things that have 471 00:26:10,810 --> 00:26:16,210 been turned upside down. And so whenever we see, you 472 00:26:16,220 --> 00:26:23,270 know, justice for oppressed, hungry, being fed, you know, 473 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:27,210 even health to sit like whenever we can see and work for those 474 00:26:27,220 --> 00:26:32,410 things, I think those are working to bring the fullness of 475 00:26:32,420 --> 00:26:36,230 the Kingdom. And and I think that that can be 476 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,750 can be the joy. That's not something we have to 477 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:43,430 wait until, you know, like it talks about in this passage, 478 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:45,570 till the Son of Man is revealed, is how it talks about it. 479 00:26:45,580 --> 00:26:48,250 Until that day where the Kingdom is fully restored. 480 00:26:48,260 --> 00:26:51,630 We actually get to be part of that happening right now. 481 00:26:53,060 --> 00:26:56,570 And there's like, you know, just thinking across our church 482 00:26:56,580 --> 00:27:00,310 community like because there, there is, you know, this 483 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:03,800 multifaceted, holistic way of understanding the, the Kingdom, 484 00:27:03,810 --> 00:27:08,440 which is both our, our spiritual selves as well as our, you know, 485 00:27:08,450 --> 00:27:10,760 that there is a, a component where, hey, yeah, right. 486 00:27:10,770 --> 00:27:14,980 When people are being fed, when, when things are being right, 487 00:27:14,990 --> 00:27:18,360 when justice is happening, all of that is the Kingdom. 488 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:24,100 And also when people come to repentance, that is the Kingdom 489 00:27:24,660 --> 00:27:29,490 and, and, and like what's been really cool over the past little 490 00:27:29,500 --> 00:27:34,410 while is just to see the way that the gospel in the Kingdom 491 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:40,090 is, is doing something for, for, for unexpected people and 492 00:27:40,100 --> 00:27:42,650 unexpected situations that I mean, I, I don't want to get 493 00:27:42,660 --> 00:27:44,630 into other people's stories because they're not my story, 494 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:51,350 but just like seeing people changed, seeing someone, seeing 495 00:27:51,360 --> 00:27:55,110 Jesus do something in someone's life that I'm like, Oh, I didn't 496 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:56,910 expect. Yeah, yeah, you know, didn't, 497 00:27:56,920 --> 00:28:00,070 didn't see that coming. Like, and like, that's just what 498 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:03,230 Jesus is doing. And like they goes perfectly 499 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:05,180 with what he says about, you know, like, hey, this is 500 00:28:05,190 --> 00:28:07,030 happening in your midst. It's happening all around you. 501 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:08,430 You you can't observe it, but it's. 502 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:13,740 Happening and happening, you know, outside of us and also 503 00:28:13,750 --> 00:28:15,540 within us, right? And that's some of what you're 504 00:28:15,550 --> 00:28:17,190 pointing to. So how do we work for that 505 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:20,270 outside of us, but also how do we let God do the work of 506 00:28:20,740 --> 00:28:24,250 changing that, of sifting apart those things in us that are 507 00:28:24,260 --> 00:28:28,480 aligned with God and are not and bringing more of the life that 508 00:28:28,490 --> 00:28:32,300 he offers? Just a quick example, recent for 509 00:28:32,310 --> 00:28:36,420 me, we were dealing with a really a bit of a scary and 510 00:28:36,430 --> 00:28:40,960 stressful situation recently. And in the midst of it, I was 511 00:28:40,970 --> 00:28:45,060 finding, I felt like, oh, I think God is offering me peace 512 00:28:45,970 --> 00:28:50,340 because this is scary and it's stressful, but I really feel 513 00:28:50,350 --> 00:28:53,120 this undercurrent of peace. And then I'd have moments to be 514 00:28:53,130 --> 00:28:56,640 spiraling into like, but all the worst case scenarios and I had 515 00:28:56,650 --> 00:28:59,500 to kind of keep coming back to like, he's, I feel like he's 516 00:28:59,510 --> 00:29:04,550 holding it out there for me to actually have peace and I can 517 00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:06,910 choose that. I can choose to live into what I 518 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:10,990 believe he's offering in me, or I can keep, you know, have those 519 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:13,940 moments of spiral. And so I think for me, that was 520 00:29:13,950 --> 00:29:18,900 like just a small experience of what I feel like the Kingdom is 521 00:29:18,910 --> 00:29:21,950 about is that he was holding it out there for me. 522 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,730 I could keep choosing to spiral and be stressed, or I could 523 00:29:25,740 --> 00:29:29,090 choose to go, OK, I'm going to try to lean in and trust this 524 00:29:29,100 --> 00:29:31,210 undercurrent apiece that I feel like he's offering me. 525 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:33,970 That's just one small example of like what that might look like 526 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:37,310 internally. Well, and the way that that can 527 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:43,570 change the, you know, the atmosphere in a room and, and 528 00:29:43,580 --> 00:29:47,290 even like the people around you, when you are able to be that 529 00:29:47,300 --> 00:29:50,510 that person and then they come like that agent piece in some 530 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:52,190 way. That's like, I'm even thinking 531 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:56,170 about our service yesterday morning where it just felt like 532 00:29:56,180 --> 00:29:59,690 everything was going wrong. Like the screens were reversed. 533 00:29:59,700 --> 00:30:02,430 There was no lyrics on the like all the things. 534 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:04,290 And I was the point person for the morning. 535 00:30:04,740 --> 00:30:08,790 Grant graciously was able to take the morning off and he was 536 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:13,270 there, but kind of not there. Like he was there secretly snuck 537 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:16,450 in, snuck out kind of thing. And like I was, I was so 538 00:30:16,460 --> 00:30:17,690 grateful that he could have that. 539 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:21,830 And also like it was a lot. It was a lot, a lot, but like I, 540 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:26,380 I was so grateful and I'm not like this isn't like I pat 541 00:30:26,390 --> 00:30:28,430 myself on the back because I can't attribute this to me in 542 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:31,420 really any way, shape or form Is like, I was so grateful that 543 00:30:31,430 --> 00:30:33,870 like the the Lord was like, Hey, this is a lot. 544 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:37,230 But like, you've got this, you know, like and, and, and even if 545 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:41,920 nothing else works, like we're going to sing the, the Kingdom 546 00:30:41,930 --> 00:30:46,200 is going to be proclaimed, we're going to pray and everything's 547 00:30:46,210 --> 00:30:49,200 going to be OK, you know, like. And I was not that coming into 548 00:30:49,210 --> 00:30:50,840 it. And you were able to gift that 549 00:30:50,850 --> 00:30:52,810 to me. Even though some curveballs were 550 00:30:52,820 --> 00:30:57,180 thrown at you, you were able to lead from that place and offer 551 00:30:57,190 --> 00:31:00,480 that sense of peace both to me to others. 552 00:31:00,490 --> 00:31:03,160 I'm sure you're leading into the congregation as we had some 553 00:31:03,230 --> 00:31:05,060 bumps and. Hiccups now I mean, I can't 554 00:31:05,070 --> 00:31:08,030 speak for like our our tech team who is at the back of the room 555 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:10,780 and one of them who's like in the room right now with us but 556 00:31:10,790 --> 00:31:14,110 like you know, they they might they might have they might have 557 00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:15,490 gained some Gray hairs yesterday. 558 00:31:15,500 --> 00:31:20,940 I don't know, but I might have as well, But but what was what 559 00:31:20,950 --> 00:31:24,570 was and what was fun, you know, just using this again as an 560 00:31:24,580 --> 00:31:28,710 example is like there was a lot of like laughter and levity that 561 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:30,370 we were able to do. And like there's something 562 00:31:30,380 --> 00:31:35,710 beautiful when when we can as a community impart that like, Hey, 563 00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:40,050 not everything is like super serious and stress, you know, 564 00:31:40,060 --> 00:31:42,990 stress city, right? Like we can actually just laugh 565 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:44,970 and be OK. Yeah, and while we strive for 566 00:31:44,980 --> 00:31:51,170 excellence, people relate a lot better to imperfection than to 567 00:31:51,180 --> 00:31:53,170 perfection. For sure. 568 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:57,460 No, that's good. Um, the other thing I was 569 00:31:57,470 --> 00:31:59,790 thinking about, you know, and this is like, so you know, like, 570 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:03,880 yes, lives change people, people, you know, being brought 571 00:32:03,890 --> 00:32:07,270 to repentance, justice happening. 572 00:32:07,310 --> 00:32:10,220 There's also other things like I think about where we were 573 00:32:10,230 --> 00:32:15,400 Saturday morning this past this past weekend, we were planting 574 00:32:15,410 --> 00:32:20,470 trees, which is like neighbors with church and neighbors. 575 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:22,640 And yeah, and our, our. Church family. 576 00:32:22,650 --> 00:32:24,580 And it's like, you know, and if you're listening and you're 577 00:32:24,590 --> 00:32:26,620 thinking, what a bunch of hippies, well, maybe that's 578 00:32:26,630 --> 00:32:30,040 true, but this is, you know, we are in Guelph ON Canada, which 579 00:32:30,050 --> 00:32:37,150 has a lot of those types. Well, and a full picture of the 580 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:41,410 Kingdom, yeah, includes creation. 581 00:32:41,470 --> 00:32:45,760 Yeah, it includes. It does what is good for the 582 00:32:45,770 --> 00:32:47,420 earth. And I think. 583 00:32:47,430 --> 00:32:49,060 Trees are good. Yeah. 584 00:32:49,620 --> 00:32:52,700 We hopefully where we can all agree that trees are grids. 585 00:32:53,030 --> 00:32:55,780 Well, trees. And not just any trees, but the 586 00:32:55,790 --> 00:33:01,560 idea of trees that will produce fruit that can be a gift and a 587 00:33:01,570 --> 00:33:04,540 blessing to our neighbors, to our church community, and to the 588 00:33:04,550 --> 00:33:09,120 broader golf community. Well, and even like there was 589 00:33:09,310 --> 00:33:13,640 like the local kind of news outlet was there, but also like 590 00:33:13,770 --> 00:33:17,860 are both a are Conservative and Liberal MP's, members of 591 00:33:17,870 --> 00:33:21,920 Parliament were there, which was kind of an interesting dynamic 592 00:33:21,930 --> 00:33:25,210 and of itself that it's like, hey, like this is, yeah, this is 593 00:33:25,220 --> 00:33:27,030 very cool. But there is, yeah, there's 594 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:32,420 something beautiful about our our neighbors gathering with us 595 00:33:32,510 --> 00:33:36,500 to do this together, to see again, just continuing to to do 596 00:33:36,510 --> 00:33:41,000 that, that call of our vision to become trusted neighbors and to 597 00:33:41,010 --> 00:33:43,700 build those inroads. And I think our food security 598 00:33:43,710 --> 00:33:47,710 garden, our food bank are not the only, but two of the 599 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:51,180 beautiful expressions that we get to be part of seeing that 600 00:33:51,190 --> 00:33:53,590 Kingdom come, seeing that Kingdom work. 601 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:56,400 I also think our meal ministry, which is totally hidden and 602 00:33:56,410 --> 00:33:59,450 behind the scenes, but they care so beautifully for people that 603 00:33:59,460 --> 00:34:03,250 for whatever the circumstance could benefit from a good meal. 604 00:34:03,260 --> 00:34:09,010 And, and there's many, many other examples of this, but it's 605 00:34:09,020 --> 00:34:10,050 also fun. Yeah. 606 00:34:10,060 --> 00:34:14,199 Like getting to be part of those things of seeing, seeing people 607 00:34:14,210 --> 00:34:17,500 blessed, part of that Kingdom work is a joy. 608 00:34:17,570 --> 00:34:21,070 It's I think it's good for our souls to be part. 609 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:23,489 Of 100%, yeah. And there's something, yeah. 610 00:34:23,500 --> 00:34:25,610 There's something again, like going back to what Jesus says to 611 00:34:25,620 --> 00:34:29,750 the Pharisees like that some of this is very at word. 612 00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:32,050 We can see tangible expressions of it, but some of it is like 613 00:34:32,060 --> 00:34:34,060 you can't observe it. Like all of a sudden it's gonna 614 00:34:34,070 --> 00:34:36,170 take like white. The Kingdom has been doing all 615 00:34:36,179 --> 00:34:38,929 of these things all the way. Like there's something very, 616 00:34:38,940 --> 00:34:41,330 very cool, very profound about. That well, think about a couple 617 00:34:41,340 --> 00:34:43,870 of the metaphors that have been used, I believe, already in 618 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:46,150 Luke. So the Kingdom is like a mustard 619 00:34:46,159 --> 00:34:48,130 seed, right? A seed that's planted in the 620 00:34:48,139 --> 00:34:52,270 ground that grows to bear a giant tree could actually, you 621 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:57,340 know, give shade for the birds you don't see generally, unless 622 00:34:57,350 --> 00:34:59,840 you maybe have one of those cameras that like is trained on 623 00:34:59,850 --> 00:35:02,540 it and speeds up. You don't see growing happening, 624 00:35:02,550 --> 00:35:04,240 right? Like you can see the seed, you 625 00:35:04,250 --> 00:35:07,420 see the tree, but it's hard to be like, oh, look, watch that 626 00:35:07,430 --> 00:35:11,820 growing or another example that's used as the Kingdom is 627 00:35:11,830 --> 00:35:14,270 like yeast, right? Again, you don't look at your 628 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:16,560 loaf of bread and be like, wow, that's some nice yeast, right? 629 00:35:16,570 --> 00:35:19,650 The yeast just permeates and is spread throughout. 630 00:35:19,660 --> 00:35:21,970 Like those are some of the images were given for the 631 00:35:21,980 --> 00:35:25,640 Kingdom that I think contribute to what he's saying there with 632 00:35:25,650 --> 00:35:28,780 it can't be observed in the like, it's sometimes I talk 633 00:35:28,790 --> 00:35:30,290 about like it smells like the Kingdom. 634 00:35:30,300 --> 00:35:34,720 Like you can't always like pinpoint exactly what The thing 635 00:35:34,790 --> 00:35:37,540 is, but you just have a sense that like, yeah, this is 636 00:35:37,550 --> 00:35:39,700 something that is aligned with God and that's good. 637 00:35:39,710 --> 00:35:45,920 But it's it's sometimes hard to like yeast to sort of see where 638 00:35:45,930 --> 00:35:50,170 it is. And, and in a church, you know, 639 00:35:50,430 --> 00:35:53,150 here at court, right, where a Church of, you know, most 640 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:55,620 Sundays around like 200, two, 150 people. 641 00:35:55,630 --> 00:35:58,780 And more than that, when you consider those who would all 642 00:35:58,790 --> 00:36:02,520 call this their church home. Like I think about all of the 643 00:36:02,530 --> 00:36:07,100 different ways that the Kingdom is doing The thing is. 644 00:36:07,110 --> 00:36:10,010 And and the thing that again, unseen ways things, the things 645 00:36:10,020 --> 00:36:14,360 that we don't know, things that like they do people in our 646 00:36:14,370 --> 00:36:18,180 church do that we have no idea about that are like it's such a 647 00:36:18,190 --> 00:36:21,170 thing willing to think. About it would be such a shame 648 00:36:21,180 --> 00:36:24,130 if the Kingdom impact of the church was only the things that 649 00:36:24,140 --> 00:36:29,310 were done by the church like as programs of the church, right? 650 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:34,670 But hopefully as that community of maybe 400 people, I don't 651 00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:38,330 know are spread throughout golf and beyond, like if we are 652 00:36:38,340 --> 00:36:41,050 working for the Kingdom in all of those little corners of the 653 00:36:41,060 --> 00:36:47,510 city, that is a beautiful expansion and expression of the 654 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:51,020 if we are loving our neighbors. And yes, I think the definition 655 00:36:51,030 --> 00:36:55,800 of neighbor, you know, is very broad, but also our actual 656 00:36:55,810 --> 00:36:57,600 neighbors. Like even just think about if 657 00:36:57,610 --> 00:37:02,620 those 400 people did an amazing job of loving even just their 658 00:37:02,630 --> 00:37:05,880 like literal either side or down the hall. 659 00:37:05,950 --> 00:37:09,100 Like, that's thousands. Of people like that would be 660 00:37:09,170 --> 00:37:12,900 incredible impact in the city. And that's like, that's actually 661 00:37:12,910 --> 00:37:18,570 the call I believe of the church and what I hope is and would 662 00:37:18,580 --> 00:37:22,410 love to see more of happening. And so, yeah, like I think 663 00:37:22,420 --> 00:37:24,790 that's I think it's a good place to to close out like just 664 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:29,990 thinking about like the everyday little things, the unseen, the 665 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:34,750 unobservable ways in which the Kingdom is going forth. 666 00:37:34,820 --> 00:37:37,910 And that the, the ways that the Kingdom will will be in our 667 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:41,500 midst and will continue to grow in our midst is not going to be 668 00:37:41,510 --> 00:37:44,040 just through these big public acts, but it's going to be 669 00:37:44,050 --> 00:37:49,160 through the ways that all of us are doing our part to, Yeah, to 670 00:37:49,170 --> 00:37:54,160 love our neighbors well, to, to lead them to a greater 671 00:37:54,220 --> 00:37:57,300 understanding and experience of who Jesus is. 672 00:37:57,450 --> 00:38:01,370 And so I hope that, you know, you're able to think about what 673 00:38:01,380 --> 00:38:03,650 that looks like in your life, wherever your context is, 674 00:38:03,660 --> 00:38:07,000 whether it's your work, whether it's your, your home, your 675 00:38:07,010 --> 00:38:10,840 neighbors on your, your house or your, your apartment building. 676 00:38:11,170 --> 00:38:14,920 And so I just hope that you're able to be inspired to think 677 00:38:14,930 --> 00:38:20,200 through the ways in which the Kingdom can be spread, to go out 678 00:38:20,270 --> 00:38:25,560 into our city and then it spills out into the nations, into the 679 00:38:25,570 --> 00:38:27,240 world. And I, yeah, I think I would 680 00:38:27,250 --> 00:38:31,640 just add to that, though, that there can be a temptation in our 681 00:38:31,650 --> 00:38:35,850 culture and in our plate Canadian society, in our, you 682 00:38:35,860 --> 00:38:39,360 know, secular world, to strive for the Kingdom without the 683 00:38:39,370 --> 00:38:41,000 king. That's a phrase that's often 684 00:38:41,010 --> 00:38:44,360 used by Mark Sayers, who I really appreciate and has. 685 00:38:44,370 --> 00:38:49,620 I've learned a lot from both the pastor and cultural commentator. 686 00:38:49,690 --> 00:38:51,860 It's like a philosopher. Feel like, yeah, I don't know, 687 00:38:51,900 --> 00:38:54,510 he doesn't fit in a box, which is which is great. 688 00:38:54,720 --> 00:38:57,130 But I think that's been such a lesson to me is that it's 689 00:38:57,140 --> 00:39:00,910 tempting to be about the things of the Kingdom and to to 690 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:04,610 separate that from the king, because those are very it's 691 00:39:04,620 --> 00:39:07,290 politically correct maybe to do that. 692 00:39:07,300 --> 00:39:10,170 And So what does it mean for us to be about the work of the 693 00:39:10,180 --> 00:39:14,690 Kingdom while making sure we're, we're still trying to be all in 694 00:39:14,760 --> 00:39:17,850 with the king? And what does it mean for us to 695 00:39:17,860 --> 00:39:24,050 be receiving the friendship that Jesus is offering us? 696 00:39:24,060 --> 00:39:29,050 And also, um, choosing and leaning into that friendship so 697 00:39:29,060 --> 00:39:31,470 that we are about the things of the Kingdom, but that we're 698 00:39:31,480 --> 00:39:33,730 making sure we're about them with the. 699 00:39:33,740 --> 00:39:36,450 King, that's great. Well, that's a great place to 700 00:39:36,460 --> 00:39:38,130 end. So we hope this has been helpful 701 00:39:38,140 --> 00:39:40,370 for you in some way. And we hope that you will 702 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:45,710 continue to think through the ways in which you are called to, 703 00:39:46,060 --> 00:39:49,330 to bring forth this Kingdom that Jesus calls us to. 704 00:39:49,340 --> 00:39:52,700 So I hope you are able to take that into your week and we'll 705 00:39:52,710 --> 00:39:53,300 see you next time.