WEBVTT 00:00:03.819 --> 00:00:06.280 I'd like to introduce our speaker this morning. 00:00:06.900 --> 00:00:09.679 Most of you know who she is, but let's find out 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:15.359 a little bit more about Julie. We were at our 00:00:15.359 --> 00:00:17.940 women's retreat last fall, and she came to me 00:00:17.940 --> 00:00:21.620 and she said, I think I have a sermon for Women's 00:00:21.620 --> 00:00:28.239 Ministries Day. And I go, Amen. So Julie, where 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:31.620 did you grow up? I grew up in a little town in 00:00:31.620 --> 00:00:34.500 California called Willits, about an hour away 00:00:34.500 --> 00:00:38.719 from the sea, and about two and a half hours 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:42.100 above San Francisco. Okay. On a 1 ,200 -acre 00:00:42.100 --> 00:00:45.439 ranch. Wow. What did you do? What were your chores? 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:50.259 Chickens, goats, garden, picking berries, picking 00:00:50.259 --> 00:00:53.560 berries, picking berries, picking berries. Okay. 00:00:56.200 --> 00:00:59.399 Where did you go to school? Well, I was kind 00:00:59.399 --> 00:01:02.320 of a hybrid. I went to our local church school, 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:04.040 and then I was homeschooled, and then I went 00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:06.719 back to our local church school, then I was homeschooled, 00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:10.299 and then I went away to academy. So I got the 00:01:10.299 --> 00:01:14.540 best of both worlds. Okay. And college? College, 00:01:14.659 --> 00:01:18.040 I hopscotched. I started off in California, took 00:01:18.040 --> 00:01:20.980 a break, and went to work in Minnesota for a 00:01:20.980 --> 00:01:23.719 year, then went to England, and then I came back 00:01:23.719 --> 00:01:28.060 and finished at Southern and haven't left. Well, 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:30.260 we're glad you're here this morning. What's the 00:01:30.260 --> 00:01:33.859 title of your sermon? Who Are You? It's about 00:01:33.859 --> 00:01:37.719 our different personalities. Cool. Thank you 00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:42.879 so much. I love you. So today, I want to introduce 00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:45.819 you guys to the Tater family, which we are all 00:01:45.819 --> 00:01:52.579 members of. And I've borrowed from different 00:01:52.579 --> 00:01:58.180 stories and different... Different personalities 00:01:58.180 --> 00:02:01.040 I've seen over the years that I've been in church, 00:02:01.239 --> 00:02:04.640 and every one of the personalities I'm sharing 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:09.900 today in no way reaches every personality in 00:02:09.900 --> 00:02:12.419 the church. Some people are a combination of 00:02:12.419 --> 00:02:17.080 personalities. None of us are the same. All of 00:02:17.080 --> 00:02:19.439 us, every single one of us, have good and bad 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:22.020 character traits. We try to hide the bad ones 00:02:22.020 --> 00:02:24.620 and only show the good ones. But some of us are 00:02:24.620 --> 00:02:27.039 more successful than others. Some of us, you 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:31.960 know, everybody knows everybody. But we are hash 00:02:31.960 --> 00:02:35.300 browns, okay? All of us are shredded up into 00:02:35.300 --> 00:02:38.419 a pot and browned nicely. And as a church, we 00:02:38.419 --> 00:02:43.500 are a serving of hash browns. So when we're all 00:02:43.500 --> 00:02:46.669 shredded up into the same pot, Hopefully, we 00:02:46.669 --> 00:02:49.750 blend each other's good and bad traits, and the 00:02:49.750 --> 00:02:55.870 good of others makes up for the harder traits 00:02:55.870 --> 00:03:02.509 in others, and we make it a family. Today, I 00:03:02.509 --> 00:03:06.129 want to share some of the personality traits 00:03:06.129 --> 00:03:11.169 that make up this Tater family. As I said before, 00:03:11.330 --> 00:03:15.610 we can be a combination of difference of these 00:03:15.610 --> 00:03:20.250 traits. So what I want for you guys to consider 00:03:20.250 --> 00:03:23.990 while I'm going through these is which traits 00:03:23.990 --> 00:03:27.469 do you have? I don't think any of us have all 00:03:27.469 --> 00:03:29.689 the traits of every personality I'm going to 00:03:29.689 --> 00:03:33.870 show today. But which ones do you have, good 00:03:33.870 --> 00:03:36.210 or bad? Which ones do you need to look at? Which 00:03:36.210 --> 00:03:40.620 ones do you need to develop more? Where would 00:03:40.620 --> 00:03:44.639 you like to grow? So without further ado, I'm 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:47.319 going to be introducing to you both the good 00:03:47.319 --> 00:03:51.800 and the bad of the Tater family. And before I 00:03:51.800 --> 00:03:55.620 do that, let's bow for a word of prayer. Dear 00:03:55.620 --> 00:03:58.740 Heavenly Father, I just pray that you will help 00:03:58.740 --> 00:04:03.139 this sermon reach someone here, if not everyone. 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:06.819 Just help me to say your words and not mine. 00:04:06.900 --> 00:04:10.830 In thy name, amen. All right, we're going to 00:04:10.830 --> 00:04:15.650 start off with our first personality, Tater, 00:04:15.750 --> 00:04:20.709 and this is Dictator. Dictator is the self -appointed 00:04:20.709 --> 00:04:24.490 ruler who feels like everything should be done 00:04:24.490 --> 00:04:27.750 his way. He is not a team player. He doesn't 00:04:27.750 --> 00:04:30.569 listen to others. He does whatever serves to 00:04:30.569 --> 00:04:33.389 make him look good. He tries to boss everyone 00:04:33.389 --> 00:04:35.850 when there's work to be done. He is so full of 00:04:35.850 --> 00:04:38.519 himself. He doesn't see that people avoid him 00:04:38.519 --> 00:04:40.980 and rarely want to work when he's in charge. 00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:45.480 Spiritually speaking, Dick knows his Bible upside 00:04:45.480 --> 00:04:49.240 and down and constantly quotes from it when trying 00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:53.839 to make someone see his way. What he doesn't 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:55.980 see is that people don't want to be around him 00:04:55.980 --> 00:05:02.720 and don't see Jesus in his actions. Jesus in 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:07.439 Matthew compared... The scribes and Pharisees, 00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:12.000 to what I consider a dictator, he said, look 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:14.379 at what they say and what they do and learn. 00:05:15.860 --> 00:05:20.459 And that's a synopsis of Matthew 23, the beginning 00:05:20.459 --> 00:05:24.040 of that. They bind heavy burdens they're hard 00:05:24.040 --> 00:05:27.079 to bear. They lay them on men's shoulders, but 00:05:27.079 --> 00:05:31.459 they themselves don't act upon their own words. 00:05:32.330 --> 00:05:35.149 So there's pros and cons of being a dictator. 00:05:35.709 --> 00:05:39.269 One is it is real easy to make a decision. It's 00:05:39.269 --> 00:05:42.009 his way or the highway, okay? So we're going 00:05:42.009 --> 00:05:43.949 to do this, we're going to do it tomorrow, and 00:05:43.949 --> 00:05:47.810 you're going to be here. Very efficient because 00:05:47.810 --> 00:05:49.689 he's going to tell each of you where to be and 00:05:49.689 --> 00:05:51.389 what time and you're going to be there and what 00:05:51.389 --> 00:05:55.399 you're going to do. The con is... There's no 00:05:55.399 --> 00:05:59.300 joint decisions. The rest of the hash browns 00:05:59.300 --> 00:06:01.879 are not contributing to Dick's point of view. 00:06:03.639 --> 00:06:07.939 He suppresses anybody that says, I don't agree 00:06:07.939 --> 00:06:10.939 with that. He doesn't want to hear it. And should 00:06:10.939 --> 00:06:16.240 he leave, the church is in shambles or the group 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:18.699 is in shambles because no one knows how to do 00:06:18.699 --> 00:06:24.120 anything without his direction. This, we've seen 00:06:24.120 --> 00:06:28.500 this in the world as well where dictator leaderships 00:06:28.500 --> 00:06:33.680 rise and fall. And the same happens if one person 00:06:33.680 --> 00:06:39.439 controls a congregation. So then we can move 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:45.290 on. There's the imitators. Emma. As the member 00:06:45.290 --> 00:06:48.810 who follows all the latest fabs, she never really 00:06:48.810 --> 00:06:51.709 discovered her own identity because she's so 00:06:51.709 --> 00:06:55.449 busy trying to be somebody else. She doesn't 00:06:55.449 --> 00:06:58.170 have her own beliefs because she wants to fit 00:06:58.170 --> 00:07:02.110 in and be accommodating to others. She will agree 00:07:02.110 --> 00:07:05.490 with whoever she's with. When put on the spot, 00:07:05.610 --> 00:07:08.550 she can only repeat what she's heard. She doesn't 00:07:08.550 --> 00:07:10.670 study for herself. And spiritually speaking, 00:07:10.970 --> 00:07:14.529 Emma... doesn't know her Bible and relies on 00:07:14.529 --> 00:07:18.910 others to tell her what to believe. Now, a prose 00:07:18.910 --> 00:07:23.490 of Emma Tater. It's very efficient because she 00:07:23.490 --> 00:07:26.569 doesn't disagree with anyone. So wherever the 00:07:26.569 --> 00:07:31.209 flow is going, there she is. Reduce risk. She 00:07:31.209 --> 00:07:33.329 doesn't have to step out and make a decision 00:07:33.329 --> 00:07:35.589 and somebody disagree with her because she's 00:07:35.589 --> 00:07:40.009 always the one agreeing with others. She could 00:07:40.009 --> 00:07:43.790 learn and adapt. Some imitators do learn to do 00:07:43.790 --> 00:07:50.310 that. But they lack originality. They follow 00:07:50.310 --> 00:07:52.529 other people's ideas, so they rarely come up 00:07:52.529 --> 00:07:56.990 with one of their own. Ethically, she's not an 00:07:56.990 --> 00:07:59.730 example you want anyone to follow because she 00:07:59.730 --> 00:08:03.629 goes with the flow. Because she doesn't study, 00:08:03.790 --> 00:08:09.980 she has limited spiritual growth. sometimes decides 00:08:09.980 --> 00:08:13.819 to follow right out the church doors. And she 00:08:13.819 --> 00:08:16.519 depends on others to make decisions for herself. 00:08:17.459 --> 00:08:23.019 And this is very, very dangerous because who 00:08:23.019 --> 00:08:25.980 knows who comes and who she's following. Like 00:08:25.980 --> 00:08:28.360 I said, she could follow that opinion right out 00:08:28.360 --> 00:08:32.639 the door. Now our next part of the hash browns 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:38.149 is Hezzy. Hezzy Tater. He's often asked to help 00:08:38.149 --> 00:08:42.669 at church, knows that he should, always puts 00:08:42.669 --> 00:08:46.690 it off. He'll get around to service to God someday. 00:08:47.409 --> 00:08:49.909 But it's more fun to do what he wants in the 00:08:49.909 --> 00:08:53.470 moment. Spiritually speaking, Hezzy knows that 00:08:53.470 --> 00:08:55.789 he should commit his life to God, but he knows 00:08:55.789 --> 00:08:58.529 he'll have to give something up, something he 00:08:58.529 --> 00:09:03.070 likes to do. So he hesitates to commit. When 00:09:03.070 --> 00:09:05.990 hard times come, he's one of the first ones to 00:09:05.990 --> 00:09:08.370 draw away from his church and family because 00:09:08.370 --> 00:09:11.529 it's easier to leave than depend on God for a 00:09:11.529 --> 00:09:17.889 result. Now, pros, they can be thoughtful. They 00:09:17.889 --> 00:09:21.029 just don't go very deep. They avoid risk at all 00:09:21.029 --> 00:09:25.250 costs. They might help with strategic planning. 00:09:27.179 --> 00:09:29.740 But don't expect them, they'll give an opinion, 00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:33.799 but don't expect them to actually execute. And 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:37.419 emotionally, they're pretty shut off because 00:09:37.419 --> 00:09:41.039 they're hesitant to get involved. The cons is 00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:44.519 they miss a lot of opportunities. Most of us, 00:09:44.580 --> 00:09:46.580 when there's something going on, we want to be 00:09:46.580 --> 00:09:48.580 involved because it brings the family closer 00:09:48.580 --> 00:09:51.799 together. They're indecisive because they can't 00:09:51.799 --> 00:09:57.370 make up their mind what they want to do. They're 00:09:57.370 --> 00:09:59.269 not committing to something, and I don't know 00:09:59.269 --> 00:10:01.990 about any of you, but when I'm mulling something 00:10:01.990 --> 00:10:05.370 over and I'm hesitant, it causes a lot of anxiety 00:10:05.370 --> 00:10:08.870 within me because I haven't made up my mind. 00:10:09.090 --> 00:10:17.789 And they tend to procrastinate. Now, our next 00:10:17.789 --> 00:10:23.269 tater is common tater, or common. Common has 00:10:23.269 --> 00:10:29.019 an opinion about everything. You never need to 00:10:29.019 --> 00:10:31.460 know what they think because they are the first 00:10:31.460 --> 00:10:35.179 one to tell you. It doesn't matter whether they 00:10:35.179 --> 00:10:38.039 are a subject matter expert. They have an opinion. 00:10:38.919 --> 00:10:41.779 They don't like others to disagree with them. 00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:46.659 Spiritually speaking, Carmen wants God to do 00:10:46.659 --> 00:10:51.139 everything she asks. God's will is often not 00:10:51.139 --> 00:10:57.009 relevant, nor is truth. She can easily... or 00:10:57.009 --> 00:11:00.889 he or she can easily sway others who are just 00:11:00.889 --> 00:11:05.210 learning to their side. So the pros of commentators. 00:11:05.490 --> 00:11:10.970 They are engaged. They want to talk to you. They're 00:11:10.970 --> 00:11:13.509 an expert on everything. Not, but sometimes. 00:11:14.549 --> 00:11:18.429 Entertainment value. A lot of times they're pretty 00:11:18.429 --> 00:11:22.870 funny to listen to. Real -time updates. They're 00:11:22.870 --> 00:11:25.570 right in with another tater that we'll bring 00:11:25.570 --> 00:11:28.309 up, and they know the latest gossip in town. 00:11:30.769 --> 00:11:39.730 And it really can be a pro and a con. Bias. A 00:11:39.730 --> 00:11:43.549 commentator wants their opinion. Sometimes they're 00:11:43.549 --> 00:11:46.789 misinformed. They rarely listen. They like to 00:11:46.789 --> 00:11:50.250 talk over others, and they love to stir the pot. 00:11:51.049 --> 00:11:53.070 If there's drama going on, they have something 00:11:53.070 --> 00:11:57.029 to talk about. And in 2 Corinthians 12 .20 it 00:11:57.029 --> 00:12:00.990 says, For I fear lest when I come I shall not 00:12:00.990 --> 00:12:04.409 find you such as I wish, and that I be found 00:12:04.409 --> 00:12:07.570 with you as you do not wish, lest there be contentions, 00:12:07.570 --> 00:12:10.429 jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, 00:12:11.049 --> 00:12:14.610 backbitings, whisperings, conceits, and tumults. 00:12:14.769 --> 00:12:20.879 A lot of times the commentator, Carmen, is involved 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:26.879 in any kind of drama. Now, our next tater is 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:31.120 the spectator. Spectator, his favorite phrase, 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:34.940 I love work. I can watch others do it all day. 00:12:36.559 --> 00:12:39.840 He doesn't get involved because he is a great 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:44.639 observer. He shows up, but he looks on, sometimes 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:47.870 joins in. but is great also about giving his 00:12:47.870 --> 00:12:50.990 opinion of what needs to be done. When asked 00:12:50.990 --> 00:12:54.110 to help, there's always an excuse that will prevent 00:12:54.110 --> 00:12:56.970 him from providing assistance. Spiritually speaking, 00:12:57.450 --> 00:13:00.070 Speck is at church because that's where he's 00:13:00.070 --> 00:13:02.970 always been. He doesn't study for himself and 00:13:02.970 --> 00:13:05.710 is asked what he believes. He can only give a 00:13:05.710 --> 00:13:09.389 small amount of information before struggling 00:13:09.389 --> 00:13:15.659 for more. Pros of saying as a spectator on the 00:13:15.659 --> 00:13:19.179 sidelines. If they choose, they can observe and 00:13:19.179 --> 00:13:22.220 learn. Reduce pressure because all you're doing 00:13:22.220 --> 00:13:24.200 is giving opinion. You're not helping with anything. 00:13:25.259 --> 00:13:29.700 It's safety and risk avoidance because you can't 00:13:29.700 --> 00:13:31.419 offend anybody if you're not doing something 00:13:31.419 --> 00:13:34.840 that they don't want you to do. And they're great 00:13:34.840 --> 00:13:38.700 at a supportive role. The cons are they miss 00:13:38.700 --> 00:13:52.889 opportunities, just like our last tater. They 00:13:52.889 --> 00:13:55.730 miss out because they don't participate. They 00:13:55.730 --> 00:13:58.049 have limited social connections because they're 00:13:58.049 --> 00:14:00.649 always observing. And I don't know if you work 00:14:00.649 --> 00:14:03.649 with somebody, if you guys have experienced it, 00:14:03.690 --> 00:14:06.289 when you work with somebody in a church or a 00:14:06.289 --> 00:14:08.750 work setting, you get to know them as a person. 00:14:08.870 --> 00:14:11.090 But if you're sitting off to the sidelines all 00:14:11.090 --> 00:14:14.350 the time. All you're doing is watching someone 00:14:14.350 --> 00:14:19.070 else work. They have regret and self -doubt, 00:14:19.110 --> 00:14:22.190 and they lack personal development. They don't 00:14:22.190 --> 00:14:27.850 want to study for themselves. Now I have a duplicate 00:14:27.850 --> 00:14:30.730 side, which I'm going to skip. Our next tater 00:14:30.730 --> 00:14:36.269 is Aggie Tater. Aggie, when she was in school, 00:14:36.330 --> 00:14:39.710 got poor marks on plays well with others. And 00:14:39.710 --> 00:14:42.730 he's continually in conflict with others. always 00:14:42.730 --> 00:14:44.629 seems to be involved in strife and division. 00:14:44.889 --> 00:14:47.350 No matter what the pastor of the church does, 00:14:47.490 --> 00:14:50.470 it is never good enough in Aggie's mind. She 00:14:50.470 --> 00:14:53.169 loves to stir the pot. She loves it when people 00:14:53.169 --> 00:14:56.409 are arguing and disagreeing. Spiritually speaking, 00:14:56.809 --> 00:14:59.029 Aggie loves to point out the faults in others. 00:14:59.350 --> 00:15:02.389 She can make everyone around her feel as though 00:15:02.389 --> 00:15:04.990 they're the worst sinners in the world, but she 00:15:04.990 --> 00:15:07.330 doesn't take time to look in the mirror and reflect 00:15:07.330 --> 00:15:13.019 where she currently stands. You know, Aggie can 00:15:13.019 --> 00:15:16.480 be motivated to change because she's stirring 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:19.480 that pot and something's going to happen, good 00:15:19.480 --> 00:15:23.320 or bad, when she's stirring that pot. Encourage 00:15:23.320 --> 00:15:26.639 action. People may agree with her and move forward. 00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:29.559 Keeps things interesting. There's always drama 00:15:29.559 --> 00:15:34.419 going on. And stands firm for what they believe, 00:15:34.519 --> 00:15:41.149 right or wrong. The cons are... She's very confrontational. 00:15:42.190 --> 00:15:48.690 She always causes conflict, can be a bit overbearing, 00:15:48.789 --> 00:15:52.529 and can drain the life out of a congregation 00:15:52.529 --> 00:15:56.490 because they're always dealing with drama. And 00:15:56.490 --> 00:15:59.970 drama sometimes is good, but when you have drama 00:15:59.970 --> 00:16:09.009 all the time, it is not good. In 1 Timothy 5 00:16:09.009 --> 00:16:12.629 .13, it says, And besides, they learn to be idle, 00:16:12.769 --> 00:16:15.649 wandering about house to house, not only idle, 00:16:15.750 --> 00:16:18.149 but gossips, busybodies, and saying everything 00:16:18.149 --> 00:16:21.830 they shouldn't say. Now, we've seen some negative 00:16:21.830 --> 00:16:26.690 taters, and we probably have put faces in place 00:16:26.690 --> 00:16:30.370 of these potato heads. But there are the good 00:16:30.370 --> 00:16:34.320 ones, too. We have the sweet taters. And sweet 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:37.379 taters are lovely and cordial and cooperative 00:16:37.379 --> 00:16:40.720 members of the tater's church family. They're 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:42.840 one of the most loved members of the church, 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:46.299 have a great attitude, faithful, committed, supported, 00:16:46.779 --> 00:16:51.539 involved. She doesn't dictate, imitate, hesitate, 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:55.419 commentate, spectate, or agitate. Spiritually 00:16:55.419 --> 00:16:59.240 speaking, Sweet Tater is an example for everyone. 00:16:59.539 --> 00:17:02.399 She is the first to tell you she isn't perfect, 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:05.819 but if anyone is suffering, they head straight 00:17:05.819 --> 00:17:09.660 to Sweet Tater as she loves everyone, offers 00:17:09.660 --> 00:17:12.400 to pray for those who are struggling. She truly 00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:16.799 sees the good in everyone. She's also very involved 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:21.460 in Bible study. And in Matthew 5, 16, it says, 00:17:21.579 --> 00:17:24.440 Let your light shine before men, that they may 00:17:24.440 --> 00:17:27.000 see your good works and glorify your Father in 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:31.900 heaven. When everyone comes in proximity of Sweet 00:17:31.900 --> 00:17:37.640 Tater, she shows them Jesus. Now, the pros are 00:17:37.640 --> 00:17:41.720 it's a welcoming atmosphere, encourages compassion, 00:17:42.279 --> 00:17:45.160 promotes unity, offers support and encouragement, 00:17:45.660 --> 00:17:50.119 reflects Christ's love. The cons are... Sweet 00:17:50.119 --> 00:17:52.000 taters normally struggle with confrontation. 00:17:52.539 --> 00:17:55.440 They want to love everyone, but they don't want 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:57.279 to be the one that confronts anything that's 00:17:57.279 --> 00:18:01.319 going on. They are often taken advantage of because, 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:03.819 oh, sweet tater will do it, sweetie will do it. 00:18:04.579 --> 00:18:08.940 And they might overlook tough truths about different 00:18:08.940 --> 00:18:13.640 fellow members because they want to love everyone. 00:18:15.480 --> 00:18:17.980 It's hard for them to make a really hard decision. 00:18:18.099 --> 00:18:23.660 Say we have to ask someone that they please not 00:18:23.660 --> 00:18:26.140 share that opinion that conflicts with our belief. 00:18:26.339 --> 00:18:29.180 Sweet tater doesn't like confrontation, so it's 00:18:29.180 --> 00:18:35.900 hard to be that strong person. And people take 00:18:35.900 --> 00:18:38.970 advantage of the sweet potatoes. They can feel 00:18:38.970 --> 00:18:44.109 very drained, they get tired, and nobody seems 00:18:44.109 --> 00:18:48.509 to notice because they're so used to that congeniality. 00:18:49.670 --> 00:18:54.190 Now our next one is a Martha tater. Now Martha 00:18:54.190 --> 00:18:57.289 is always busy. She sees a need and promptly 00:18:57.289 --> 00:19:01.180 helps with it. She's caring. kind, but tends 00:19:01.180 --> 00:19:03.579 to neglect her own needs when helping others. 00:19:03.779 --> 00:19:06.299 Martha can get burned out or upset when others 00:19:06.299 --> 00:19:09.400 don't see the same priorities or needs as she 00:19:09.400 --> 00:19:12.400 sees that need to be done. Spiritually speaking, 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:15.940 Martha knows her Bible, but is often too busy 00:19:15.940 --> 00:19:19.980 to spend quality time for God. So her Bible knowledge 00:19:19.980 --> 00:19:22.900 is real, but her heart can often be in the wrong 00:19:22.900 --> 00:19:27.339 place. She has trouble surrendering and listening. 00:19:28.220 --> 00:19:31.079 On the other hand, people can always count on 00:19:31.079 --> 00:19:34.380 her to be there if needed. But she needs to be 00:19:34.380 --> 00:19:37.619 reminded often to take time for herself and her 00:19:37.619 --> 00:19:40.000 relationship with God so she doesn't burn out. 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:44.880 Now, the pros of Martha's is they're reliable, 00:19:45.140 --> 00:19:47.839 they're hardworking, they support church growth. 00:19:48.279 --> 00:19:51.500 They lead by example. They make ministry possible. 00:19:51.799 --> 00:19:54.359 Many times it's the Marthas behind the scenes 00:19:54.359 --> 00:19:59.339 that makes the ministry possible. And they help 00:19:59.339 --> 00:20:02.559 strengthen community bonds. The cons are when 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:05.720 they get burned out, they're burnt out. And so 00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:09.220 sometimes they'll just sit down and say, I quit. 00:20:09.319 --> 00:20:13.430 I can't do it anymore. Sometimes they can overshadow 00:20:13.430 --> 00:20:15.569 others. They're so used to being the driving 00:20:15.569 --> 00:20:18.210 force behind the scenes, they don't take a step 00:20:18.210 --> 00:20:21.450 back and let someone else come and fill the role 00:20:21.450 --> 00:20:26.069 alongside them. And they may struggle with delegation 00:20:26.069 --> 00:20:35.049 because they can take traits from a dictator 00:20:35.049 --> 00:20:37.690 of wanting it done their own way if they start 00:20:37.690 --> 00:20:40.950 something. They have less time for spiritual 00:20:40.950 --> 00:20:49.309 growth, unrecognized efforts, and so balance 00:20:49.309 --> 00:20:52.410 is key. Workers are essential, but they need 00:20:52.410 --> 00:20:57.210 support, encouragement, and rest. Now we have 00:20:57.210 --> 00:21:05.599 a preacher -tater. Preachers are scholars of 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:08.240 the word. They're constantly learning and wanting 00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:10.220 to share with others. They have a knowledge of 00:21:10.220 --> 00:21:14.160 many different subjects and bringing facts into 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:16.920 conversations. They have a constant desire to 00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:21.680 learn and share. Spiritually speaking, preachers 00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:24.700 have a strong relationship with God and desire 00:21:24.700 --> 00:21:27.819 to share that relationship with others. They 00:21:27.819 --> 00:21:30.980 attract those who desire to learn more. Sometimes 00:21:30.980 --> 00:21:33.480 they have to dumb it down for the average listener 00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:37.299 so they can understand it. Now, here I've got 00:21:37.299 --> 00:21:42.200 a story. And it may go right along with VBS because 00:21:42.200 --> 00:21:44.799 I'm positive this is similar to the same story 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:50.960 that is going to be done for VBS. But it's a 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:52.539 story about a missionary that we're going to 00:21:52.539 --> 00:21:58.799 call John. And he went into native New Guinea. 00:21:59.309 --> 00:22:01.970 to preach about Jesus. The village he was sent 00:22:01.970 --> 00:22:05.710 to was a village that was a bunch of thieves. 00:22:06.759 --> 00:22:08.559 They came to listen to his stories, but they 00:22:08.559 --> 00:22:11.400 continued to live as they were because they didn't 00:22:11.400 --> 00:22:14.220 see any need to change their life. John decided 00:22:14.220 --> 00:22:16.700 he needed a way to get income and decided to 00:22:16.700 --> 00:22:19.619 plant a grove of pineapples. He nurtured these 00:22:19.619 --> 00:22:21.880 trees for the next few years while he preached 00:22:21.880 --> 00:22:25.240 and served the people of this village. Finally, 00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:27.119 the year came. The trees were going to put out 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:29.880 fruit. John got so excited he was going to be 00:22:29.880 --> 00:22:33.240 able to have some pineapples. But as the fruit 00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:35.660 got bigger, it started to disappear before it 00:22:35.660 --> 00:22:38.079 was even ripe. He discovered that the villagers 00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:41.180 were stealing his fruit. He got upset and told 00:22:41.180 --> 00:22:43.640 them to stop, but they wouldn't listen. He prayed 00:22:43.640 --> 00:22:46.599 about it, but God didn't stop them from stealing. 00:22:46.900 --> 00:22:49.259 He tried to teach them about God, but he was 00:22:49.259 --> 00:22:52.640 angry about his pineapples. And one day he was 00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:56.480 praying, and God said, Okay, God, I'm tired of 00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:59.420 being angry. I'm giving you the pineapple grove. 00:23:00.339 --> 00:23:02.740 If you can keep the natives from stealing your 00:23:02.740 --> 00:23:06.299 pineapples, have at it. So he gave his anger 00:23:06.299 --> 00:23:10.980 to God and the pineapple grove. And once again, 00:23:11.079 --> 00:23:13.900 pineapples began to grow on the trees. And once 00:23:13.900 --> 00:23:16.140 again, the stealing started, but he didn't get 00:23:16.140 --> 00:23:19.619 angry. He just said, God, they're stealing your 00:23:19.619 --> 00:23:24.259 pineapples. One day the villagers said, Teacher, 00:23:24.420 --> 00:23:28.019 why are you not angry about us stealing your 00:23:28.019 --> 00:23:30.240 pineapples anymore? And John said, Well, I gave 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:32.579 the grove away. And they're like, Oh, who have 00:23:32.579 --> 00:23:37.259 we been stealing pineapples from? And they said, 00:23:37.299 --> 00:23:39.099 Well, who did you give it to? And he said, Oh, 00:23:39.119 --> 00:23:41.059 I gave it to God, so I don't have to worry about 00:23:41.059 --> 00:23:44.140 it anymore. You can have the pineapples. Well, 00:23:44.359 --> 00:23:48.140 word quickly got around that the pineapples no 00:23:48.140 --> 00:23:50.519 longer belonged to John, but they belonged to 00:23:50.519 --> 00:23:54.299 his unseen God. And everyone was afraid to steal 00:23:54.299 --> 00:23:57.480 the pineapples. And so as the pineapples got 00:23:57.480 --> 00:23:59.960 ripe, they would come to Mr. John. You need the 00:23:59.960 --> 00:24:03.059 pineapples ripe. You need to harvest your pineapples. 00:24:03.460 --> 00:24:06.640 And his reply was always, God will tell me when 00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:12.059 they're ready. And so John noticed, as he gave 00:24:12.059 --> 00:24:15.140 his anger to God and resubmitted his will to 00:24:15.140 --> 00:24:17.799 him, he became a better person. The villagers 00:24:17.799 --> 00:24:21.460 noticed, too. One day he was asked, Mr. John, 00:24:21.619 --> 00:24:25.660 have you become a Christian? And he was shocked. 00:24:25.720 --> 00:24:27.539 He asked them what he meant. I've always been 00:24:27.539 --> 00:24:30.640 a Christian. They said, no, you used to be an 00:24:30.640 --> 00:24:33.640 angry man, but you talked about a God of love, 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:38.039 and we couldn't see it. Now we see a man who 00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:41.920 can love. Did you become a Christian? John suddenly 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:44.000 realized that while he had come to tell people 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:46.460 about a God of love, he had not shown that love. 00:24:47.450 --> 00:24:52.930 And until he gave God his pineapple grove, he 00:24:52.930 --> 00:24:56.970 was always angry. After this, the villagers wanted 00:24:56.970 --> 00:24:59.349 to know about the God who could change the teacher 00:24:59.349 --> 00:25:04.809 and soon stopped stealing as they all began to 00:25:04.809 --> 00:25:09.069 believe in a God of love. All it took was for 00:25:09.069 --> 00:25:12.150 the missionary to become a Christian and show 00:25:12.150 --> 00:25:14.869 God's love to the people he was trying to reach. 00:25:16.420 --> 00:25:19.460 Preachers and teachers should be the hands and 00:25:19.460 --> 00:25:22.480 feet of Jesus. All of us are teachers, but what 00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:28.440 type of teacher are you? And so I've got both 00:25:28.440 --> 00:25:30.819 a preacher and a teacher. They both go along 00:25:30.819 --> 00:25:35.859 in the same. You can have preachers, strong spiritual 00:25:35.859 --> 00:25:39.019 guidance, community leadership, provide stability 00:25:39.019 --> 00:25:42.559 to a church, offers emotional support. But the 00:25:42.559 --> 00:25:45.380 cons is preachers have a tendency to burn out 00:25:45.380 --> 00:25:49.880 as well. There's a potential for conflict because 00:25:49.880 --> 00:25:52.700 a preacher should always stand up for what's 00:25:52.700 --> 00:25:54.460 right, and those who don't want to do what's 00:25:54.460 --> 00:25:59.039 right will cause conflict. Preachers have a pressure 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:02.140 to meet expectations. All of us have an expectation 00:26:02.140 --> 00:26:05.140 of what our preacher should do, and sometimes 00:26:05.140 --> 00:26:08.839 it conflicts with what we see. Limited personal 00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:14.680 time. out there working all the time. So their 00:26:14.680 --> 00:26:17.880 personal times can sometimes be eaten up with 00:26:17.880 --> 00:26:21.359 church business. And sometimes preachers are 00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:23.640 resistant to change when something new comes 00:26:23.640 --> 00:26:30.319 in. Teachers are kind of the same thing. They 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:33.319 have a deep spiritual knowledge. They provide 00:26:33.319 --> 00:26:37.380 spiritual guidance. They encourage faith and 00:26:37.380 --> 00:26:40.279 development. They foster community and discussion. 00:26:41.259 --> 00:26:43.660 and equip others for ministries, they're often 00:26:43.660 --> 00:26:47.519 working right alongside with the preacher. The 00:26:47.519 --> 00:26:51.900 cons can be a risk of misinterpretation. How 00:26:51.900 --> 00:26:54.720 many of you guys have known a solid Christian 00:26:54.720 --> 00:26:58.859 who has gone to a seminar, read a book, and completely 00:26:58.859 --> 00:27:01.680 switched the gears of their faith? I've seen 00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:04.519 it with multiple of the friends I went to college 00:27:04.519 --> 00:27:06.740 with. I have friends that have stayed staunch. 00:27:07.420 --> 00:27:10.900 bible believing adventist and i have seen friends 00:27:10.900 --> 00:27:13.680 who've stayed adventist but gone the way of the 00:27:13.680 --> 00:27:18.819 world and so if you have a teacher that switches 00:27:18.819 --> 00:27:21.940 they become a bad teacher for god not a good 00:27:21.940 --> 00:27:25.740 teacher for god teachers have a potential for 00:27:25.740 --> 00:27:29.759 bias also in the same thing they can face resistance 00:27:29.759 --> 00:27:32.700 because not everybody wants to be taught what's 00:27:32.700 --> 00:27:36.069 right Every single one of us has something we'd 00:27:36.069 --> 00:27:38.349 prefer the other person not know. And if they 00:27:38.349 --> 00:27:41.109 hear something that they don't want to hear, 00:27:41.349 --> 00:27:49.710 then they tend to kind of resist that. So they 00:27:49.710 --> 00:27:52.529 face resistance. They have a pressure to be perfect. 00:27:54.269 --> 00:27:58.089 And if a teacher is too rigid or academic, they 00:27:58.089 --> 00:28:01.430 may not resonate with the learners. Know your 00:28:01.430 --> 00:28:03.730 audience. Teachers need to speak on the level 00:28:03.730 --> 00:28:07.349 of the audience. I've heard some people say, 00:28:07.450 --> 00:28:10.049 well, I went to this meeting, but all they talked 00:28:10.049 --> 00:28:13.170 about was all this academic stuff up here, not 00:28:13.170 --> 00:28:15.829 something I could understand, and I didn't get 00:28:15.829 --> 00:28:19.980 a thing out of the sermon. Preachers and teachers 00:28:19.980 --> 00:28:23.299 are essential in shaping faith communities, but 00:28:23.299 --> 00:28:26.859 they also need support, accountability, and continue 00:28:26.859 --> 00:28:32.220 to learn to be effective. Now we have a meditator. 00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:36.720 Many doesn't like conflict and often works with 00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:40.450 others to resolve their conflict. She often works 00:28:40.450 --> 00:28:44.049 to resolve conflicts that Dick, Aggie, and Calum 00:28:44.049 --> 00:28:47.089 started. She and Sweet are good friends and often 00:28:47.089 --> 00:28:50.210 work together. Maddie is also actively praying 00:28:50.210 --> 00:28:52.630 for the church, especially those involved in 00:28:52.630 --> 00:28:55.910 conflict. She prays for her neighbors and herself. 00:28:56.230 --> 00:28:58.670 Spiritually speaking, Maddie works hard to have 00:28:58.670 --> 00:29:01.390 a good relationship with God, who gives her guidance 00:29:01.390 --> 00:29:03.490 and strength to help others resolve their conflicts. 00:29:04.460 --> 00:29:07.180 I have another story here about an elderly lady 00:29:07.180 --> 00:29:10.640 who prayed on her porch every day. Her neighbor 00:29:10.640 --> 00:29:13.359 was an atheist, and he hated to hear her prayers. 00:29:14.259 --> 00:29:16.700 She prayed for her family and her church and 00:29:16.700 --> 00:29:20.619 her neighbors. He constantly, her neighbor constantly 00:29:20.619 --> 00:29:23.880 mocked her faith in God. Then one day, he heard 00:29:23.880 --> 00:29:26.839 her praying for food. Her budget had not stretched 00:29:26.839 --> 00:29:29.819 far enough that month. Her neighbor said, all 00:29:29.819 --> 00:29:32.539 right, I'm going to get her the food and prove 00:29:32.539 --> 00:29:35.750 there is no God. And he went out and got the 00:29:35.750 --> 00:29:37.990 groceries and put it on her porch and then sat 00:29:37.990 --> 00:29:41.750 around the corner and waited. She came out, saw 00:29:41.750 --> 00:29:43.430 the groceries, and started praising the Lord 00:29:43.430 --> 00:29:45.430 for the groceries. And he jumped out and said, 00:29:45.490 --> 00:29:48.910 ha, it was me who got the groceries. God had 00:29:48.910 --> 00:29:51.869 nothing to do with it. She looked at him and 00:29:51.869 --> 00:29:53.789 then up at the sky and said, thank you, Lord, 00:29:53.809 --> 00:29:55.809 for the groceries and making the devil pay for 00:29:55.809 --> 00:30:02.349 it. Realizing that he was being used by God and 00:30:02.349 --> 00:30:05.109 gotten the groceries, but was unable to convince 00:30:05.109 --> 00:30:10.490 the woman that he had provided them and God hadn't. 00:30:10.589 --> 00:30:15.890 God always answers in mysterious ways. So are 00:30:15.890 --> 00:30:19.849 you like the atheist or are you like the elder 00:30:19.849 --> 00:30:22.970 lady that can see God providing in everything? 00:30:24.170 --> 00:30:27.990 And so in 1 Timothy 2, 1, it says, Therefore 00:30:27.990 --> 00:30:30.750 I exhort first of all the supplications, prayers, 00:30:31.029 --> 00:30:34.529 and intercessions in giving of thanks that be 00:30:34.529 --> 00:30:37.549 made for all men, for kings and authorities, 00:30:37.829 --> 00:30:41.470 that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in 00:30:41.470 --> 00:30:47.430 all godliness and reverence. So, you know, meditators, 00:30:47.470 --> 00:30:50.029 their prose, they encourage peaceful reverence. 00:30:51.760 --> 00:30:56.099 A lot of times they can help resolve things faster, 00:30:56.299 --> 00:30:59.460 but they may not be able to resolve all conflicts. 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:03.740 They have a potential for bias, and they are 00:31:03.740 --> 00:31:09.529 not guaranteed the result of a resolution. So 00:31:09.529 --> 00:31:13.089 meditators are very valuable in many situations, 00:31:13.210 --> 00:31:15.789 but their effectiveness depends on the nature 00:31:15.789 --> 00:31:18.670 of the dispute and the willingness of those involved 00:31:18.670 --> 00:31:27.509 to do that. Our next one is Theotator. Now, Theo 00:31:27.509 --> 00:31:30.910 is a Bible scholar. He can sometimes be considered 00:31:30.910 --> 00:31:34.960 unsociable because he studies so much. He loves 00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:37.119 to study the Bible with others, to lead Bible 00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:40.279 studies. His danger is making sure he studies 00:31:40.279 --> 00:31:43.859 the right materials. Sometimes he can learn error 00:31:43.859 --> 00:31:46.779 and share it with others. He prays for guidance. 00:31:46.839 --> 00:31:49.319 Spiritually speaking, Theo is a strong Christian 00:31:49.319 --> 00:31:52.839 and loves to share with others. He loves to study, 00:31:52.880 --> 00:31:56.700 and with the prayer studies, the right materials. 00:31:57.000 --> 00:32:01.420 He is a strong influence on the rest of the church. 00:32:02.039 --> 00:32:07.480 So theology. They have deep Bible knowledge. 00:32:08.500 --> 00:32:10.819 If they are doing it right, they're preserving 00:32:10.819 --> 00:32:14.160 biblical accuracy. They encourage people to think. 00:32:14.640 --> 00:32:17.980 They support church leadership, and they bridge 00:32:17.980 --> 00:32:23.740 faith and knowledge. Cons are they can get very 00:32:23.740 --> 00:32:28.200 over -analytical. A lot of our PhDs have studied 00:32:28.200 --> 00:32:32.890 themselves right out of the church. When you 00:32:32.890 --> 00:32:35.769 have to study for a broad subject, sometimes 00:32:35.769 --> 00:32:39.089 the study materials can make you doubt what God 00:32:39.089 --> 00:32:43.250 can do. They're very likely to disagree with 00:32:43.250 --> 00:32:45.829 someone who doesn't believe the same way. They 00:32:45.829 --> 00:32:48.890 can be detached from the hands and feet of Jesus, 00:32:48.930 --> 00:32:51.990 the practical aspects of faith. And they use 00:32:51.990 --> 00:32:56.529 complex language, influence, and personal bio. 00:32:58.750 --> 00:33:03.150 And I know I'm running late. And so I want to 00:33:03.150 --> 00:33:15.710 skip down a couple to the learning taters. Like 00:33:15.710 --> 00:33:19.410 I said, there's a lot of taters. So learning 00:33:19.410 --> 00:33:24.970 taters can come in many forms. Children, are 00:33:24.970 --> 00:33:29.930 we showing our children Jesus? Learners. Our 00:33:29.930 --> 00:33:32.309 visitors, our children, our community, what do 00:33:32.309 --> 00:33:34.650 they see? Do they see Jesus in us every day? 00:33:38.529 --> 00:33:42.589 The children learn by watching us. Children learn 00:33:42.589 --> 00:33:45.069 more by watching us than they do by reading the 00:33:45.069 --> 00:33:48.390 Bible. We, as a church, are responsible for our 00:33:48.390 --> 00:33:52.089 children. I have seen more children leave the 00:33:52.089 --> 00:33:55.029 church as a result of actions within the church, 00:33:55.190 --> 00:34:01.140 and they never come back. I want, for adults, 00:34:01.460 --> 00:34:04.319 I want you guys to lay that heavy on your heart. 00:34:04.619 --> 00:34:07.619 What would Jesus do? Lay it on your heart because 00:34:07.619 --> 00:34:11.440 it's so important for our learners to see Jesus 00:34:11.440 --> 00:34:15.530 in us. um our visitors do we greet them at the 00:34:15.530 --> 00:34:18.329 door do we invite them to lunch do we you know 00:34:18.329 --> 00:34:21.090 if if we're having potluck do are we showing 00:34:21.090 --> 00:34:24.210 jesus to our visitors and our community i know 00:34:24.210 --> 00:34:27.449 we do 1890s days and a few other events but do 00:34:27.449 --> 00:34:30.789 does our community see jesus in us if we're walking 00:34:30.789 --> 00:34:33.150 down the street do they go oh i recognize you 00:34:33.150 --> 00:34:36.250 from 1890s days you're with that that seventh 00:34:36.250 --> 00:34:39.590 day advent is something or the other Be the hands 00:34:39.590 --> 00:34:42.090 and feet of Jesus so the people that are learning 00:34:42.090 --> 00:34:47.750 can come to us. So, you know, the pros of learners, 00:34:47.969 --> 00:34:51.110 you can help them grow spiritually, community, 00:34:51.489 --> 00:34:54.769 morally, interactive learning, and encouraging 00:34:54.769 --> 00:35:00.010 family involvement. Cons can, if you're limiting 00:35:00.010 --> 00:35:03.710 your perspectives, the learners only see a certain 00:35:03.710 --> 00:35:05.849 point of view, and they may see it as not attractive. 00:35:07.389 --> 00:35:11.690 Potential for pressure. Witnesses can be both 00:35:11.690 --> 00:35:15.429 good and bad. And balancing learning and fun. 00:35:17.610 --> 00:35:20.969 So creating a welcoming and engaging environment 00:35:20.969 --> 00:35:27.429 is key to helping our learners. So my question 00:35:27.429 --> 00:35:31.590 to you is what kind of tater do you want to be 00:35:31.590 --> 00:35:34.909 today? What kind of tater do you want to be moving 00:35:34.909 --> 00:35:38.070 forward? You have viewed some of the positives 00:35:38.070 --> 00:35:40.849 and negatives of different personalities. Have 00:35:40.849 --> 00:35:43.389 you decided who God wants you to be? Can you 00:35:43.389 --> 00:35:46.989 take the positive traits of some of the negative 00:35:46.989 --> 00:35:50.769 characters and become a spiritual leader within 00:35:50.769 --> 00:35:56.230 your church? That's my prayer for each and every 00:35:56.230 --> 00:36:01.110 one of you today, is that we can become leader 00:36:01.110 --> 00:36:05.170 -taters. And we can become a wonderful church 00:36:05.170 --> 00:36:10.289 of hash browns. So let's bow our heads. Dear 00:36:10.289 --> 00:36:12.929 Heavenly Father, we thank you and we praise you 00:36:12.929 --> 00:36:15.349 for your love and care. I just pray that you'll 00:36:15.349 --> 00:36:17.969 be with each and every one of us as we decide 00:36:17.969 --> 00:36:22.050 who we want to be for you. And I just pray that 00:36:22.050 --> 00:36:26.710 we choose to be you. In Jesus' name, amen.