1 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:08,680 What's up guys? My name is Alexis. 2 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:11,280 And I'm Abby, and we are. Your host with praises in the 3 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:13,520 pod. We are super excited to be back 4 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,880 in the pod today. We are going to talk about a 5 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,880 message that we heard recently and kind of we just got a lot 6 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:23,560 from it and just kind of catch up with what's all been going on 7 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:25,240 in life. So we're going to start off in 8 00:00:25,240 --> 00:00:26,840 prayer and then we're going to jump right in. 9 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:32,960 So here we go Lord, thank you for today. 10 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:34,680 Thank you for all your many blessings. 11 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,480 Dear God, thank you for allowing us to come on and talk about 12 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:39,800 your goodness and your faithfulness and what all you've 13 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,320 revealed in our lives. Dear God, thank you for just 14 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,400 being the God that you are. Lord, we just pray that you 15 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,960 speak to us and through us and let this podcast glorify you. 16 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,160 In Jesus name I pray. Amen. 17 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:54,720 Amen. Amen girl, you ain't been on in 18 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:56,440 a minute. We got a lot of catching up 19 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:57,240 today. Yes. 20 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:01,600 I had somebody ask me, me just last night, where have you been 21 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:02,840 at? I haven't seen you on the 22 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:04,879 podcast. And I said, I know, Alexis, 23 00:01:04,879 --> 00:01:07,200 don't kick me off. Your dad asked me that too. 24 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:08,920 He was like, where's Abby been? I said. 25 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:12,040 And then you sat like in a different spot at church and he 26 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:13,800 was like, so y'all aren't friends anymore? 27 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,680 I'm like, Oh my gosh, no. He was, he was upset because I 28 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:19,160 didn't sit with him either. Yeah. 29 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,640 Which wasn't like you and Dexter be bouncing around. 30 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,720 You know, some people have like those certain seats, Like if you 31 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:27,560 see me at church, I'm in my seat. 32 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,320 You know what I'm saying? On some days we have that, but 33 00:01:30,320 --> 00:01:33,520 Thursday night, someone sit. If I see somebody by themselves 34 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,240 and I know them, I'm gonna go sit with them. 35 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,960 Or just change up scenery, never get too comfortable. 36 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,720 And I like to kind of sit up front, so when Dexter wanted to 37 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:45,680 go up front, I'm like, yes, let's go cuz there's no 38 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,040 distractions. Yeah, me, yes. 39 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,400 When I was younger and we would go to church, we sat in the 40 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,680 balcony and I would see everybody move. 41 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,200 I would see like if someone pulled out their phone, if they 42 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,080 got up to go to the bathroom, like everything. 43 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,080 And it would drive me crazy. And so now that I sit up front, 44 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,320 I'm like, oh, what was going on? Fully concentrated. 45 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,280 But you know, I was just thinking like, it really has 46 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,120 been a long time since we recorded because, you know, Jess 47 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,080 and Brandon came on and we ended up having to split their episode 48 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,720 and then it just got pushed. And I'm like, Oh my gosh, we 49 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,280 have just probably had so much go on, you know, And then 50 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:23,040 originally for that episode, we were talking about how do you 51 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,440 seek God? Like what does that look like? 52 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:28,200 Because one of my life first is Matthew 633. 53 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,400 Seek first the Kingdom and all of his righteousness and all 54 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:32,120 those things will be added to you as well. 55 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,480 And I say that all the time. Seek first, seek first, seek 56 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:36,720 first. Well, what does it look like to 57 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,360 seek 1st? And you know, we kind of went 58 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:41,240 back and forth about that. We were going to talk about 59 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,400 that, but then we heard our message the other night from Pat 60 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,480 and it was all about hope. And I'm like, man, that's good, 61 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,320 you know? You literally texted me yes, I 62 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,600 said make sure men. Make sure you take notes. 63 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:56,920 And I was like, girl, I'm already been taking notes. 64 00:02:56,920 --> 00:03:00,960 I've got a whole page full. Yes, my mom looks so good and 65 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:03,920 I'm just like, I'm like scrolling because I had so many 66 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:06,240 notes. And one of the first things I 67 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,360 think that he said that really grabbed my attention and I was 68 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:15,760 like, maybe we should talk about this because it kind of is going 69 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:20,200 with the seeking too part. And what I wrote was when we 70 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,320 talk about Jesus Christ, he is the great I am. 71 00:03:23,920 --> 00:03:28,280 And so when we start talking about like, Oh, we'll never have 72 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:30,880 that. We'll never be this content in 73 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:35,200 our relationships or friendships or like we'll never get that job 74 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,520 or something like we're we can't. 75 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,680 But the great I am, he gives us that hope because anything that 76 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,600 we can't do, he can. And so that's where I was like, 77 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,400 oh, that kind of goes with that seeking just because you can't 78 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:49,840 do it, seek the Lord and He can't. 79 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,960 Yeah, seize the higher power. Yes, that's what I took. 80 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:59,200 The entire message that I took away from it was we cannot pull 81 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,200 this off without a relationship with Jesus Christ. 82 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:08,360 That is like the message in a hole for me that I have, and 83 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,320 that's going along with seeking him and along with finding hope 84 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:14,200 in him and everything that we do. 85 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,800 We just can't do it without him, without his power. 86 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,399 A lot of times I feel like CR gets such a bad rap a lot of the 87 00:04:21,399 --> 00:04:24,600 time, you know, like people are like, oh, like I'm not in 88 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,280 recovery. I don't drink and I don't smoke 89 00:04:27,280 --> 00:04:29,800 and I don't do all this stuff. And I'm like, it's, it's a 90 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,880 church service. Like we are all in recovery. 91 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:37,600 We all are all in recovery from not having a relationship with 92 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:39,600 Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter what you did 93 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:45,040 beforehand if you did not have that relationship you when you 94 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,240 end up having a relationship with Him. 95 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:49,480 We're all recovering from that separation. 96 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:54,040 True, like no matter what you're having to relearn your life and 97 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:56,640 learn how to live with him because it doesn't just happen 98 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,440 and we're not just instantly great Christians all of a sudden 99 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,560 and we're never to a point where we're like, we're good. 100 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:05,400 I can live like this exactly every single day of the rest of 101 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,000 my life. Like you want to continue 102 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,440 growing, you want get better, you want to seek him more, you 103 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,600 want to do all this stuff so. And one thing that he said, and 104 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,400 maybe we've said it on here before, that just hits me so 105 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,400 hard and it is the truest statement in my life. 106 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,280 And I know it's the true statement in your life, is that 107 00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:27,480 my worst day on this side is still better than my best day 108 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:28,920 without him. Absolutely. 109 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:35,080 And that is 100% true that you know, we with our relationship 110 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:39,240 with him, there is still I don't know what I'm trying to say. 111 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:44,680 Yeah, I mean, truly, we can have the absolute worst day, but that 112 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,360 is compared to my best day on the other side, right? 113 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:53,080 Like because them lows was low, then lows was real low. 114 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:55,360 One of the things that I wrote down to was stop being 115 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:57,200 embarrassed and call in the name of Jesus. 116 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,200 Nobody is willing to admit that they are trying to complete 117 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:04,000 themselves with a blunt liquor sex, but we are right. 118 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:06,800 And so like that kind of hit me hard because like I never 119 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,520 thought that I was trying to complete myself with alcohol. 120 00:06:09,840 --> 00:06:12,560 I never thought that I was like running from anything. 121 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:17,040 I thought I was just drinking because it was fun or I was 122 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:19,440 having a good time. Like I never once thought like. 123 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:22,120 I'm doing this to try to complete myself. 124 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,400 Yes, and so when he said that, I was like wow. 125 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,000 And then when he said stop being embarrassed, there's so many 126 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,960 times that it's like you don't want to admit that your. 127 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:33,760 Weakness. Is and so when you're weak and 128 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:37,720 you truly are weak and like in your flesh, that's when God can 129 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:40,200 speak to you. But until you put that pride to 130 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:44,600 the side and allow him and admit and admit, I think that's 131 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,360 something so big. I might have said this before, 132 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:50,160 like powers in the tongue, right? 133 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:53,640 So we say speak life, but maybe we need to start speaking things 134 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:59,120 that have us in a chokehold like something like alcohol or drugs 135 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,720 or anything like that. For me, one of the things that I 136 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:04,640 am thinking back to is when I used to pray, I would always 137 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:06,920 cry. Every time I would pray out 138 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:08,760 loud. I'm crying to the point where 139 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:10,440 like I can't even get a prayer out. 140 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:12,280 And then I'm embarrassed about it. 141 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,920 And finally, like it just kept eating up at me like because I 142 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,280 want to be able to pray. Like I want to be able to pray 143 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:20,320 with people and pray over people and stuff like that. 144 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,680 But every time I did it, I would cry and I couldn't get it out. 145 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:29,000 And so finally I told my mom, I'm like, every time I pray, I 146 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,160 cry. And I was like, I don't want to 147 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,720 have, I don't want the enemy to have me in that chokehold 148 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,320 anymore about that. Like I want to be able to do it. 149 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:40,600 And ever since I spoke that it was like gradual like. 150 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:44,120 You started to get freedom. From it, I did, and I really 151 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:46,040 did. And that's where I'm like, if 152 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,920 you admit that you have a problem, that's the first step 153 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,160 when you jump out of denial about it. 154 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:52,440 Yeah. It's just. 155 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:56,880 You know, I wrote something down with that was, well, kind of 156 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:58,880 going back to what you're saying, we're all searching for 157 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:02,640 something. And I mean every, I know it's 158 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,880 like every single person I know is searching for something and, 159 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:11,040 and we're seeking things in the world and will never be 160 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:14,920 fulfilled until we truly seek God and fill our hearts with 161 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,960 him. But I wrote down freedom. 162 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:21,000 When you give it all up for him, you've never been more free. 163 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:25,520 And it's just like what you were saying when you had to admit 164 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:30,080 some of your faults and truly give it over to him was when you 165 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:31,840 started seeing that freedom in your life. 166 00:08:32,159 --> 00:08:36,640 And I remember listening to Jess's episode, well, Jess and 167 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:40,679 Brandon, but it was her portion. And it was, I think, in her 168 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:46,840 darkest time when she actually kind of released everything over 169 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:50,640 to God for the first time. And in a time in her life when 170 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,560 she should have felt more hurt, she said she felt free. 171 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,560 And that is how the power of Christ works in our life. 172 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,280 Absolutely. And really, truly experience in 173 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:03,160 that freedom. And it doesn't matter what is 174 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:06,760 going on in your life at that point in time, you feel 175 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:08,600 complete. Yeah. 176 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:10,760 So. I think like one of the things 177 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:14,880 too, when I think about, you know, actually trying to turn it 178 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:19,040 over to God and give it to him and, you know, confess those 179 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:23,280 things and speak it, you have to realize that once you do start 180 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:26,880 seeking God, you have to be open to change like because you're 181 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:28,680 going to change regardless, you know? 182 00:09:28,680 --> 00:09:31,200 And I think that's so scary because people think about like 183 00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:36,400 the unknown, like, OK, if I do start following Christ, what 184 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:40,200 does that look like? And least and you know, like for 185 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,560 me, I didn't want to be a Bible thumper, you know, like I didn't 186 00:09:44,560 --> 00:09:46,240 want to be a nun. I didn't want to be like that 187 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:48,240 person that all they talk about is Jesus. 188 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:52,480 But like when you truly meet Jesus and you experience him, 189 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:56,320 you can't control this. Like you truly do want to tell 190 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,840 everybody about it. You want to tell everybody about 191 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:01,600 what he's done in your life, what he's done on the cross for 192 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:06,240 you and just so much more. And you have to be willing to 193 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,120 change if you're stuck in your ways and you're like, I'm not 194 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:11,800 changing and you're not really. Giving it a shot. 195 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:16,280 That message was called hope. And the acronyms were higher 196 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:20,040 power, openness to change, Hold on, let me read them and then 197 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:22,360 power to change. So kind of all that you're 198 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:25,680 talking about and then expect to change because there will be 199 00:10:25,680 --> 00:10:29,920 change no matter what. But let's kind of think about it 200 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:37,040 in this sense where, OK, you've got religious people or in Jesus 201 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:39,840 time in the Pharisees and Sadducees and they were 202 00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:44,840 religious people, you know, followed God went by, you know, 203 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:49,520 his Moses laws, right? And you would think that, oh, 204 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:52,800 these are really godly men, right? 205 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:57,280 But then Jesus comes along and they are ultimately the ones who 206 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:01,200 took him to Pontius Violet, who then took him to the cross. 207 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:07,400 So to me, that says that there was no relationship there. 208 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:12,320 And that word is so important to me, relationship, that there is 209 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:17,240 no change. There is no, you know, awakeness 210 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:21,400 in your heart for the Lord without that relationship aspect 211 00:11:21,400 --> 00:11:26,120 there for your in your love for Jesus because it's it's it's 212 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:27,680 almost like you're just following rules. 213 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:30,440 Yeah, at that point in time. And that's how I used to think 214 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,360 about, you know, or being a Christian. 215 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:38,440 It was more about rules and OK, now I've got to start doing XY 216 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:41,280 and Z and be more on a straight path. 217 00:11:41,560 --> 00:11:44,080 And that was all things that I had to do. 218 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:48,320 It wasn't, well, first I just need to have a relationship and 219 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:52,160 get to know Jesus. And then the change comes in 220 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:55,440 your heart, and then the change comes in your life. 221 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:59,040 And then the change comes in how you see the world and how you 222 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:01,840 see other people. And I had it backwards. 223 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:05,480 And I think a lot of people do, and I think a lot of people see 224 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:09,960 it that OK, if I'm going to be a Christian or these Christian 225 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:14,120 people, I see I have to do things a certain way. 226 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:18,800 And it is total opposite. It is I have to 1st come to a 227 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:21,400 relationship with Jesus Christ to pull this off. 228 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:23,600 Then the change comes. Absolutely. 229 00:12:23,680 --> 00:12:27,440 And you know, that's why it's so big on these lukewarm 230 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:30,440 Christians, right? Because if you are conformed to 231 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:32,960 the world and you look like everybody else and maybe you 232 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:35,680 just go to church on Sundays, but you're not, you're not 233 00:12:35,680 --> 00:12:40,560 living that faith out. That's where Christianity gets a 234 00:12:40,560 --> 00:12:44,600 bad rap because it's like, oh, they're two faced, like they're 235 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:46,800 doing, they're living a double life and all this stuff. 236 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:50,680 And it's like not everybody is. But actually I had someone 237 00:12:50,680 --> 00:12:53,240 talking to me recently. We were talking and they were 238 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:55,480 just kind of bringing up like, why can't you just go to church 239 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:57,800 on a Sunday? You know, why does it have to 240 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:01,200 always be so full force? You know, like it's all or 241 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:03,600 nothing. And I'm like, well, God says 242 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:07,240 either you give me your all or you give me nothing, but don't 243 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:09,160 sit in the middle because he'll spit you out of your mouth. 244 00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:14,240 And we were just talking about how the, it's the gate is 245 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:20,240 narrow, the road is broad, you know, like basically saying all 246 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:22,520 of these people are headed towards the gate. 247 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:24,280 We all think we're headed towards the gate. 248 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:27,880 But when we get to that gate, it's going to narrow out and 249 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:30,480 it's going to get so small that all these people that thought 250 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:33,200 they were going to heaven, they're not because they truly 251 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,120 just had that religion instead of a relationship. 252 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:41,040 And just like you were saying, like these rules and stuff, it's 253 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:44,640 like I've never been more free. I don't think of my life as 254 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:46,640 rules. Like, oh, I can't drink, I can't 255 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:48,480 smoke, I can't vape. I can't do all this stuff. 256 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:50,280 I don't want to cuss. I can't watch Shameless. 257 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:51,720 I didn't talk to y'all about Shameless. 258 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,680 But like, I can't do those things I don't think of. 259 00:13:55,680 --> 00:13:57,560 I can't. I'm thinking of all the things 260 00:13:57,560 --> 00:13:59,000 that I can do. Yeah. 261 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:03,680 Now I look at it, or I guess the simplest way I can put it is, 262 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:07,440 you know, I look at my relationship with my husband and 263 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:09,200 how much I love him and appreciate him. 264 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:12,080 And I look at my relationship with my parents and how much 265 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:14,440 respect I have for them. And I look at my friendships 266 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:17,560 like us. And this can go for somebody 267 00:14:17,560 --> 00:14:20,720 that, you know, doesn't know the Lord at all. 268 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:26,040 You still don't want to do things that hurt them and you 269 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:30,840 still want to, you know, bring joy to their life or do things 270 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:33,560 for them that bring happiness to them. 271 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:37,240 Or you know, there's that relationship aspect there. 272 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:39,840 You know, I never want to do anything to hurt my husband. 273 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:41,800 I never want to do anything to hurt you. 274 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:47,880 Not saying I'm perfect and never will, but there is that desire 275 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:53,400 because there is that relationship there to always try 276 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:57,240 to do right by those that I have that relationship with or that 277 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,240 closeness. And I think it's the same way 278 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,040 with Jesus in that relationship with Him. 279 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,680 It becomes more or I feel in my heart. 280 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:10,320 The more I get to know Him and know His word and know who He 281 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:16,040 is, the more it hurts me when I do things that aren't you know 282 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:20,040 of his nature. So that's how the relationship 283 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:22,720 works. It's not I'm doing it because it 284 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:25,560 says to, which is a part of obedience. 285 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:30,160 But now I'm doing it because I feel in my heart that I don't 286 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:35,200 want to do anything to hurt him or I want to do things to 287 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:39,120 advance his Kingdom, do things that bring him joy, that I know 288 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,400 that he is smiling down upon me on. 289 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:44,800 And and that's that's just the relationship aspect to it. 290 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:49,640 Oh, one thing that I did love, one thing that I did love when 291 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,280 he said he will take you as you are. 292 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:55,280 You don't have to get better or fix your life up before you come 293 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:57,840 to him. And I'm like, man, how many 294 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:01,480 times did I even think that on my end where I'm like, oh man, I 295 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:04,280 can't quit drinking. Like I can't quit vaping. 296 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:06,240 Like, I'm still going to go out on Saturday night. 297 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:09,160 I'm not ready to. I'm not ready to slow down like 298 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:11,480 all this. So like I can't come to him yet. 299 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,240 Like, I can't give my life to him because I'm not ready to, 300 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:17,640 you know, sober up or do all this stuff. 301 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:21,720 And it's like, come to him in that mess because he's going to 302 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:25,760 take that mess and clean it up on his own if you're willing and 303 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:31,960 expecting to change, right? So I think to another thing that 304 00:16:31,960 --> 00:16:35,120 he mentioned kind of just a piggyback off of that was 305 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:41,400 sometimes we are still in a lukewarm place in our life and 306 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:46,320 our sin hasn't become heavy enough to where you feel 307 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:49,280 hopeless. And a lot of times it takes that 308 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:55,200 greatest sin and that bottom to end up in a position where we 309 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,920 feel completely hopeless to then cry out. 310 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:04,880 It takes that to then go, I give it up because I can't do this 311 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:08,920 anymore on my own. And sometimes when we're kind of 312 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:12,000 just in that medium place in our life where everything is still 313 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,440 going good, you know, you need to change some things, but it 314 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:19,119 hasn't gotten bad enough yet that you're you're just not 315 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:23,440 ready and you're just, you know, you just haven't gotten to that 316 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:27,440 point of hopelessness because once you reach that point. 317 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:29,640 You'll do anything. You will cry out. 318 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:32,320 Yes you will. You will get tired of being sick 319 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:34,640 and tired and you will want to change. 320 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:38,400 But until you get that, so many people, you know, are waiting to 321 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,000 hit that right rock bottom. Yeah, before they're ready to 322 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,520 give a change. A girl actually came to church a 323 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:47,640 few weeks ago, got saved that night. 324 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:51,640 And you know, when she walked up to me, I could just see the 325 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:55,840 sadness, the brokenness in her and like, you just felt that she 326 00:17:56,120 --> 00:17:59,360 life was heavy. And I said, are you here to see 327 00:17:59,360 --> 00:18:00,800 the speaker? Are you here for yourself? 328 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:01,960 And she said, I'm here for myself. 329 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:03,880 And I said, are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? 330 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,320 And she said, yes, I've seen her every single week since, you 331 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:12,120 know, like she truly has hit like a 180 and just such a short 332 00:18:12,120 --> 00:18:14,000 time span. So like, it's only been about a 333 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:18,440 month or so. And it's just so nice to see 334 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:21,280 when someone does hit that rock bottom and they're ready to give 335 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:24,040 Christ the true chance and give it all they got. 336 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:27,800 Heart is the most open, yes. And they're open to receive him. 337 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:30,840 And when you get open to receive him, your life will change. 338 00:18:30,840 --> 00:18:33,360 Yep, and expect. It to change. 339 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:35,000 In a heartbeat. Yeah, it's. 340 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,880 So fast. That's, you know, I just 341 00:18:38,120 --> 00:18:42,320 remember a point in my life for so long, especially after my dad 342 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:44,040 got saved, because I was still young. 343 00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:48,680 I was only 16. And so from 16 until I ended up 344 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:53,560 really giving my life to Christ was I wanted that relationship, 345 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:55,840 but it just hadn't gotten bad enough. 346 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:57,760 You know, I was still having fun. 347 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:01,800 I mean, I was still, you know, school was going great, 348 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:04,520 friendships were great. I mean, obviously there were 349 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:09,400 some things that would get hard, but I never felt hopeless. 350 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:14,200 I never felt like I absolutely can't pull this off anymore. 351 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:18,760 I have nowhere else to go. And sometimes I think he lets 352 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:22,520 you get there because he knows, OK? 353 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:24,160 Because he's sitting there, right? 354 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:27,560 Like you said, he's sitting there knocking, waiting, waiting 355 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:29,320 on you to come. And he is. 356 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:33,920 You know that until you get to that point, you're not going to 357 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:36,800 give them your all because you're just so comfortable in 358 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:40,280 where you're at and so comfortable in your life and you 359 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:44,640 think you don't necessarily need him until you get to that point 360 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:48,280 where you need him. I can't do this anymore. 361 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:51,560 Without him, you won't fully receive them. 362 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:56,080 One of the things that Sharmel told me the day before I came 363 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:58,880 home and started seeking the Lord about pregnancy and trying 364 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,960 to conceive and all this stuff, she was like, sometimes He gives 365 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:06,080 us those problems in our lives or those, you know, weaknesses 366 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:07,640 and all that. So we turn around and give it 367 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,000 back to him. Like He allowed anything that 368 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:14,760 happens to you, He allows. Like that is truly what He 369 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,600 allows, but. We can turn around and give it 370 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:19,760 back to him. And that's how you start to seek 371 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:23,280 him and that's how you start that relationship. 372 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:26,160 You know, if you never open up your Bible, if you never, you 373 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,960 know, say a prayer and talk, try to really sit down and give him 374 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:34,280 time. He can't, he can't speak to you. 375 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:36,560 You're not really seeking him. You're not giving him the time 376 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:38,920 of day. I think if everything was hunky 377 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:42,520 Dory every single day for us, what would be the need for him? 378 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:46,280 Yeah, exactly. What would be the desire to lean 379 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:49,840 on a higher power? What would be the desire to find 380 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:54,280 him and to understand him to understand why did why are these 381 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,280 things happen in in my life? Lord, what are you wanting to 382 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,400 change in my heart? What are you wanting to change 383 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:01,600 around me? How am I supposed to handle 384 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:04,840 these situations or how am I supposed to treat those around 385 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:09,280 me in this time in my life? If if it if we never had a 386 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:13,640 struggle, if it was all just butterflies and rainbows, what 387 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:16,240 would we need from him? But that brings up the word in 388 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:21,320 my mind, faith and I'm doing it's called 365 S Reading the 389 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:25,080 whole Bible in 365 Days with Tara Lee Cobble. 390 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:26,880 Have you heard of her? You are. 391 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:28,280 I'm not doing the old and the new. 392 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,800 I'm doing the new right now. Are you doing it on the app? 393 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:33,280 Well, that's what I'm doing today. 394 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:35,920 Yes, girl. And actually I tried to do this 395 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,960 a few years ago, like right when I came to church and started 396 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,320 getting plugged in and trying to find a relationship with him. 397 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:43,520 And people were like, do you watch the videos? 398 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:46,280 And I was like, no. Girl is the best. 399 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:48,520 That's the part that makes everything understandable. 400 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:53,640 I'm like her. Discernment of the Word and her 401 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:59,200 understanding of God and who He is and why He does what He does. 402 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:02,360 Insane, yes. Untouchable, yeah. 403 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:04,560 But she. OK, so I just want to touch on 404 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:07,120 something that she said and she said way careful. 405 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:09,040 It was in the video. That's where you get all the 406 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:11,720 Nuggets. Way carefully how the word of 407 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:13,920 God intersects with our own thoughts. 408 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,760 And I'm saying this to talk about faith because she says, 409 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:23,040 you know, God does give impressions to his children. 410 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:27,200 We have to be careful not to ask God what he is doing in our 411 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:30,720 lives or reveal the future. It takes away the faith of God 412 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:34,680 being in complete control. So when those things happen in 413 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:37,480 our life and we're confused, OK, God, why? 414 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:41,000 Why is this not happening? Why am I not able to conceive? 415 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:44,960 Or why is this, you know, situation going on in our life? 416 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:46,760 Why are we struggling so bad right now? 417 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:51,240 Or we're, you know, praying for certain things to happen in our 418 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:55,240 life because I do this, you know, I think I know what's best 419 00:22:55,240 --> 00:23:00,120 or I'm going to pray God give us, you know, another child. 420 00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:04,600 I mean, I pray for those things, But where does the faith come in 421 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:08,160 to say no, Abby, I know what's best for your life. 422 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:12,840 And I've got to put my full trust in Him to say, you know my 423 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,320 heart, Lord, more than I know my heart. 424 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,280 Absolutely. You created me in your image. 425 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,520 I didn't create myself in my own image. 426 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:23,640 You created me. And I have got to fully put my 427 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:29,800 faith in your plan for my life. And it is so hard to do. 428 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:31,600 But that is where faith comes in. 429 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:35,400 And then trying to understand why I'm going through those 430 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:37,400 certain things. And then you see it on the you 431 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:39,560 don't see it until you actually get through it. 432 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:42,760 But that's what I think is so beautiful about this 433 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,240 relationship with God is that faith aspect. 434 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:49,760 Because once you see what he did, it is better than what you 435 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:50,840 ever could have prayed for. Or. 436 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,320 Asked for absolutely. And that's what I was going to 437 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:57,280 say, Like as hard as it is to say let or will be done over my 438 00:23:58,120 --> 00:24:02,000 it's so hard because you want something so bad. 439 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:06,640 But then like when that comes to in fruition, whatever that looks 440 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:10,520 like that yes, that no, that maybe or wait, whatever. 441 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:12,640 Because it's never. Maybe it's a wait, it's a yes, 442 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:14,840 no or wait. Whenever that when you figure 443 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:18,880 out what it was and then that happened, you're like, wow, 444 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,280 thank God it didn't happen when it happened because this is so 445 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:24,640 much better than I ever would. Have or the way I wanted it, 446 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:27,360 yeah. Forbid if some of them things I 447 00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:30,040 was praying for happened, I would have been in a mess, 448 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,600 right? And that's what's so beautiful 449 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:38,320 about this relationship is just seeing how much better He knows 450 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:44,160 you than we know ourself and seeing that I cannot pull this 451 00:24:44,360 --> 00:24:46,920 life off. I cannot pull this off without 452 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,520 him and his discernment and his power in my life. 453 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:53,760 It took me back when we started this episode. 454 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:55,960 And then when you just said that too, it takes me back to our 455 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:57,880 parents. Like they were in addiction for 456 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:01,520 like 30 years, you know? And it's like they tried so many 457 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,160 times to do it on their own without Jesus. 458 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:07,880 And then finally, they really do surrender it all to Jesus. 459 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:09,680 And they're walking so strong now. 460 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:12,400 And it's like the same, you know, we tried to fix ourselves 461 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:15,680 up and it never worked. It never worked. 462 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:17,960 Honestly, half the time when I try to take it into my own hands 463 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:19,520 and make it better, it got worse. 464 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:25,640 So it's like until you're ready to truly give it to him and let 465 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:30,720 him work and let his will be done, it's just going to 466 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:34,400 snowball into a like worse things and things are just going 467 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,320 to start happening and like you're going to make your 468 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:40,080 situations worse until you're going to give it to him. 469 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:43,440 Yeah, I think that. What Pat preached about was 470 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:45,640 hope. I think that is such a powerful 471 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:51,360 word because we all, you know, desire to have hope for our 472 00:25:51,360 --> 00:25:56,080 future and for our lives and what we what we want for our 473 00:25:56,080 --> 00:26:00,960 life in our future. But like you're saying, there 474 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:05,560 were so many times where they tried to do it on their own, and 475 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:08,680 I still think they didn't have hope. 476 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,720 And that was for me, too, when I would try to change things on my 477 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,960 own. Like, for example, let's just 478 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:20,320 say you're OK, I'm going to go three months without drinking. 479 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:24,480 How many times did we do that? And you set. 480 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:29,400 Those standards for yourself in the back of my mind, and I don't 481 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:32,840 know if this was for you, too. I still had, I didn't have hope 482 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:34,360 that I truly could do it. Yeah. 483 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:37,400 There was still. That like inkling in the back of 484 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:41,080 my mind that was saying that it was maybe just a voice. 485 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:45,000 I was saying what about like 3 weekends from now this is going 486 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:47,800 on, what am I going? To do every single time. 487 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:50,840 Every time. So, you know, there was still 488 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:54,840 never that true hope that, Oh no, we can pull this off. 489 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:58,520 We can do. This and we try to change on our 490 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:02,080 own so many times, do certain things, read certain books, you 491 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:05,120 know, OK, we're going to start, you know, working out or let's 492 00:27:05,120 --> 00:27:08,160 not go to this bar anymore and setting these standards for 493 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:10,760 ourselves that never worked. That made me think. 494 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:14,600 Too that when I first stopped drinking, I stopped drinking in 495 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:18,800 September and I had our high school reunion in November. 496 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,600 And I remember it was only about a six week period where I had 497 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:28,480 went without alcohol. And normally in the past I would 498 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,400 have gave in because now I'm around all these people that I 499 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:35,720 went to high school with that knew me as a partier and all 500 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:38,040 this stuff and they're going to be drinking and throwing down. 501 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:39,680 We're at the Country Club like all this stuff. 502 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:43,840 And I would have gave in. But because I continued to be in 503 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:48,640 prayer that whole day and constantly prepare my mental 504 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:53,240 state and talk to God about it, about my worries about that 505 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:57,600 night, That's when I got through the night and and I'm like, I 506 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:01,640 didn't need alcohol for that. Like the enemy wanted me to 507 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:04,160 believe that I did. Like I was going to feel out of 508 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:07,440 place, uneasy. I'm not confident all this 509 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:09,440 stuff. But because I went and sought 510 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:12,320 the Lord and I'm like, God, I'm scared. 511 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:14,800 I'm scared. I want to continue to remain 512 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:19,280 sober and not drink anymore, but I'm scared to go to this 513 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:21,080 function. But I'm the host, I'm the one 514 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,040 that's throwing it. So I'm like, how am I going to 515 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:26,720 do this? And Philippians 1413, you know, 516 00:28:27,120 --> 00:28:29,440 he gave me the strength. So yeah, let's like. 517 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:33,880 Let's put those two examples out there pre Jesus. 518 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,240 OK, you're you're you get sober in September. 519 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:41,360 You tell yourself, OK, what am I going to do come November at, 520 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:45,280 you know, my reunion? You know, would you have 521 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:49,120 thought, OK, maybe I'll just drink that night and then try to 522 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:52,680 get back on track because that would have been my mindset, But 523 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:56,920 let's put you where you were that September with Jesus. 524 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:01,560 It was OK in prayer. I've got him in my, I've got his 525 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:05,240 spirit in me. And no, we are going to pull 526 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:07,840 this off. It's just a whole mindset that 527 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:11,600 changes when His power is inside of you because you have that 528 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:16,440 power now you know you can pull it off with Him, whereas before 529 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:19,760 it I'm so weak in my flesh. But you don't realize that 530 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:23,600 you're weak in your flesh that you're questioning constantly, 531 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:27,200 how do I pull this off? And until you realize, I can't. 532 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:30,440 I can't until he's in me. Yep, absolutely. 533 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:35,360 So I guess as we start to like close up this episode, maybe 534 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:37,880 let's talk about something that God's kind of revealed to us 535 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:40,520 more recently, or maybe like something that's been just stuck 536 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,480 in our head that we continuously have been thinking about. 537 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:47,080 And yeah. So what you got? 538 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,200 Yeah. So I'm just going to read some 539 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,920 of my notes because and then I'll lead into what's really 540 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:55,760 been on my heart and Dexter's heart. 541 00:29:56,040 --> 00:30:00,320 So I wrote, the better we are at discernment with our own heart, 542 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:03,360 the better we are at enable to help others. 543 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:05,760 So how do we increase in discernment? 544 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:10,000 Reference Matthew 77. The primary purpose of prayer is 545 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:14,160 not to get the things we want to, but to grow closer to God. 546 00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:18,520 And so I guess what has been heavy on mine and Dexter's heart 547 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:23,360 was trying to help others more. And we don't want to come as 548 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:28,280 cross as, or maybe we put it as we would be embarrassed if 549 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:31,640 people thought we were just some crazy Jesus freaks. 550 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:34,800 And because you don't want to push people away, you know, 551 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:37,400 there's kind of like a balance or a fine line between you're 552 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:41,160 this crazy Jesus person and you want to grow closer to somebody. 553 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:44,920 So then they eventually come to know the Lord versus you're this 554 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:47,880 crazy Jesus person. And they're kind of like, bye, 555 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:52,040 thank you. So, you know, we have never 556 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:57,280 really pushed that agenda to go out of our way to really try to 557 00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:01,240 lead people to the Lord daily because we were trying not to 558 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:03,960 come off as that. But another night when we were 559 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:07,760 eating, we were at the register and I could tell Dexter was 560 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,000 taking a minute. And I was like, OK, like, what's 561 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:10,960 going on? We've paid. 562 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:14,680 But for some reason, it was put on his heart to ask the lady, 563 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:16,320 you know, how can I pray for you? 564 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:20,280 I'm feeling led to pray for you and before we would kind of just 565 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:23,840 brush those feelings off, but we really want to start leaning 566 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:29,720 into acting on them instead of I don't have time right now or OK, 567 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:31,680 we got to go, you know, rushing out. 568 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:35,080 So we did. And come to find out her car had 569 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:38,920 broke down that week and she was struggling to get to work. 570 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:43,120 And so we ended up helping her get a number to a guy that we 571 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:45,760 know that we can maybe help her get her car fixed and things 572 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:47,840 like that. But it was just mind blowing to 573 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:51,960 me that to see when you act on that, she really needed it when 574 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:54,040 you slowed down. When we slowed down. 575 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:57,560 And acted on that and listened to that discernment in our heart 576 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:00,520 that we need to ask what she needs prayer for. 577 00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:04,320 And she straight up just said, Oh my goodness, yes, my car. 578 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:06,840 And you just saw right then he worked. 579 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:09,080 That Holy Spirit moved right there. 580 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:11,880 We didn't. And it wasn't even that we just 581 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:13,600 listened. It didn't. 582 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,600 We didn't have to do anything. We just had to listen. 583 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:19,360 She already knew. He already knew who needed it. 584 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:22,040 He already knew who needed to hear it and who needed the 585 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:24,400 prayer and who needed the help. He worked all of that out. 586 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:28,320 All we had to do was say, yes, Lord, how can we pray for her? 587 00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:30,000 Here I am, Lord. Tell me. 588 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:32,080 Which? And I used to be. 589 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,320 Embarrassed to do that, yeah, but. 590 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:37,240 A lot of people, maybe they don't believe in God or maybe 591 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:39,360 they don't have a relationship with him and all this stuff, but 592 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:42,320 there aren't many people that you're going to run across that 593 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:45,560 are going to turn down prayer no matter what that looks like. 594 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:48,400 Like you may can can we pray for you? 595 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:51,200 Like how can I pray for you? People aren't going to turn that 596 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:53,120 down. And so that just gives them 597 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:56,480 like, oh wow, like people are really going out of their way to 598 00:32:56,480 --> 00:33:00,080 love and care for me. You know, that is something that 599 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:03,440 kind of goes hand in hand with what he's been like really 600 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:07,960 sitting in my spirit was if you look for negative, you're going 601 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:09,800 to find the negative and if you look for good, you're going to 602 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:13,400 find the good. And I feel like I've said this a 603 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:16,760 few months ago, because then it just kind of came back because 604 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:19,920 there's so many times that there's power in the tongue. 605 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:23,160 If we're speaking negative, if we're speaking and looking for 606 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:27,880 those negative things, that's all that's going to come from 607 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:31,800 our life is negativity. But if we are truly looking for 608 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:35,280 positive things, we're speaking positively, like we're showing 609 00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:36,720 love, we're doing all these things. 610 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:41,160 That's what's going to radiate from our life is positivity and 611 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:42,160 so good. I've really. 612 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:46,760 Been feeling that this last week or two honestly myself was OK. 613 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:48,800 How can I look at this situation? 614 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:52,240 I can look at it with an optimistic viewpoint or a 615 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,440 pessimistic viewpoint and which route am I going to take? 616 00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:57,560 Because which route did Jesus always take? 617 00:33:58,320 --> 00:34:01,400 You know, it was always looking to the higher Kingdom. 618 00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:04,040 There's always that hope. There's always that keeps 619 00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:07,320 seeking me and you will find me and you will find hope in the 620 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:10,040 end. And that's that positivity 621 00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:13,800 mindset to have that there is always something greater not to 622 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:18,520 stay in that negative, you know, or pessimistic mindset because I 623 00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:21,360 can get there and stay there. So I have. 624 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:23,760 That's crazy that you're talking about that because I have really 625 00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:25,719 been struggling with that the last week or so. 626 00:34:25,719 --> 00:34:26,800 Yeah. I mean. 627 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:29,000 We all struggle with it. There's so many times that I'll 628 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:30,520 jump in the car with my mom or something. 629 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:31,840 I'll start complaining about something. 630 00:34:31,880 --> 00:34:35,040 I'm like, but look at all the other good stuff that happened 631 00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:36,719 today. But did I mention that? 632 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:41,000 No, like here I am just talking about the negatives parts, but 633 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,080 I'm like there were so many good things wrapped into that. 634 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:48,320 I think it goes to. Show how good we have it that we 635 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:52,600 truly don't realize it. You know, our pastor Josh 636 00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:58,480 preached a sermon one time and it was, you know, comparing how 637 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:04,120 rich we are, not in materialistic or financial, you 638 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:08,680 know, aspects, but just rich in life that we have a warm bed to 639 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:10,760 lay our head in. Because if we go, if we compare 640 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:14,600 it to like other countries even and really go in, you know, 641 00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:18,160 where they've gone and done mission trips and seen the 642 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:20,560 situations that some of those children grow up in. 643 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:24,880 And it compared to that, we're the richest people in the world. 644 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:28,880 So. We, because we've got it so good 645 00:35:29,080 --> 00:35:33,520 and because we are so blessed, sometimes I think our viewpoint 646 00:35:33,520 --> 00:35:37,120 over here can. We just. 647 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:40,600 Get so lazy minded. That's how I want to put it just 648 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:45,000 lazy minded to go Thank you, Lord, that my feet just touched 649 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:48,000 a warm floor Yeah, when it's 30° outside. 650 00:35:48,240 --> 00:35:50,040 I just thought because. When you were talking about like 651 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:52,840 the kids over there, like they're praising when something 652 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:56,320 good happens to them, like the smallest thing, like something 653 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:58,600 good happens to them. And then here we are. 654 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:01,120 If one thing is out of place that day, we're complaining 655 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:03,840 about that one thing. And so that's just the shift of 656 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:07,880 the mindset of we need to be more thankful for the things 657 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:10,720 that we do have versus the things that go wrong throughout 658 00:36:10,720 --> 00:36:14,360 our day, which is something so small, you know, in in the big 659 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:16,600 world. Like I couldn't tell you what I 660 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:20,040 was complaining about 3 weeks ago, but why am I speaking it 661 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:23,000 You know, and in two days ago the more that we. 662 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:27,480 Seek him the more that he will. Like you're saying you're having 663 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:32,280 that discernment to see why am I, you know, speaking these 664 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:35,360 negative things when I have so much positive to speak about. 665 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:38,720 And that comes with seeking him that he will start to reveal to 666 00:36:38,720 --> 00:36:39,320 you. Yep. 667 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:41,840 Absolutely. I think that's pretty good, 668 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:43,280 girl. I think we're going to end it 669 00:36:43,280 --> 00:36:45,040 there. Look for the good. 670 00:36:45,320 --> 00:36:47,160 Look for the good. Look for the good look for. 671 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:49,480 God. Look for God and you will find 672 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:50,280 and you'll. Find the good. 673 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:52,840 Because the good's following God because he's not anything. 674 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:55,800 And I think that there's. So much heavy going on in our 675 00:36:55,800 --> 00:37:02,080 world right now that we really have to realize that to find 676 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:06,240 peace and to find that hope for our future and for what lies for 677 00:37:06,240 --> 00:37:10,440 our future ultimately, especially eternity, we have to 678 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:12,800 seek him. We have to seek the Kingdom. 679 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:15,720 We have to seek that relationship with Jesus and that 680 00:37:15,720 --> 00:37:20,400 comes all in one circle, seeking Him, having that relationship 681 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:24,160 with Him, to have the hope in our lives and we cannot pull it 682 00:37:24,160 --> 00:37:28,200 off without him absolutely well. That's good, girl. 683 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:30,960 Let's finish up right there. I think we're going to 684 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:33,640 definitely have to do an episode about seeking first and what 685 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:37,600 that really looks like and how to do that, I guess. 686 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:40,000 And you know what, I thought about it, I was like, maybe we 687 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:42,320 should get Rhonda on here too and have a three, three 688 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:43,680 conversation because. She loved. 689 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:47,440 Her life versus Matthew 633 too, so one of them would be great. 690 00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:49,320 All. Right, guys. 691 00:37:49,400 --> 00:37:53,280 Well, that wraps it up today. So stay tuned, stay blessed and 692 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:55,080 we'll see you guys later. Bye.