and we'll be right back.
Don't get down
when you're seeing the worst
cause the last will be the first
What a day I'm telling you
all things will be new
living up in a down world
Yeah we're living, yeah we're living
living up in a down world
Oh
This is Jimmy Nenette
and we are coming to you
from the BCS
living up in a down world studios
in the heart of the Texas Hill country
Bridge Church, Fredericksburg
My name is Jimmy and
This is Annette
and you are stunning
No, I'm not, this is Annette
I am Annette
I know
You're stunning in that hot pink sweater
Well it's cold today
It's a sweater day, what happened?
We're gonna have, we've had 90 degree weather
Yeah it was 90 yesterday
and so today it's 50
and I'm like, okay
It's Texas for you
Well tomorrow I think is supposed to be in the 50s
so I get two sweater days
and then I'm back to wearing shorts and tank tops
in February
Flip flops, I know, crazy
Very odd, very odd
It's just all over the map
It is
But you know, I learned this
when we lived in Tennessee
people in Tennessee say the same thing
well it's Tennessee weather for you
Everybody does it
But they really do have four seasons
They do
unlike Texas
They do, but anywhere it can be different
But our four seasons are in one day
Yeah, true
Hey, welcome to living up in a down world
This is episode number 55
and we are so glad you joined us today
We're gonna kind of jump right in
I mean we've had some great things happen
I may or may not share that
We're also on a little bit of a timetable here
We have a staff meeting this morning
It's 8.44 a.m. and we have a staff meeting at 9.30
It's kind of 9.15-ish
It's gonna be a long day
Yes
So anyway, we hit the ground running this morning
so we have morning voices
and we both have coffee
Oh my gosh, Black Rifle coffee
I'm happy
Mine's leaded, yours is unleaded though
I love Black Rifle
Now you brought up Black Rifle coffee
to our church Sunday
I did
But Rick Green of the Patriot Academy was there
and he's developed his own coffee
and he has not given me any yet
I'm ready for him
He says it's better
When he gives us some
So when he gives us some
I think I'm gonna have to bring it back up to him
because you're gonna keep talking about Black Rifle coffee
Hey Rick, if you hear this bro
we need, show us the money
Bring some coffee
Because you will be talking about it every week
Absolutely
I think we should start
Well, I don't want to start having Black Rifle coffee
at the church on a Sunday morning
because we do give out coffee without trying his
to see if we might want to use his coffee
We'll see, we'll see
We'll give it a shot
I'm open
We just got a donation
From, for what?
For our Living Up and a Down Road
Just came on my phone
Oh wow, wow, very cool
Yes
Well thank you for whoever did that
I'll see if I can find it
Julie Herbert just now
Oh, Julie's so awesome
Just now, so sweet
We do have some people to thank
We'll do that later
But as we get started, you and I were having a conversation yesterday
Well, actually it was
Was it Monday?
It was a few days ago
What is today?
This is Wednesday
We were talking about how
Yeah
We, God really doesn't need us
because he can kind of do whatever he wants
And here's why I said that
Yes
So we were on a Zoom call with the Bishop
a couple weeks ago, week and a half
And he just made a comment about how in Muslim nations right now
that the Holy Spirit, an image of Jesus
is showing up in people's rooms
I think I shared this last week
Is it like a dream or is it like they see this apparition?
No, they actually, an apparition you mean?
Apparition, sorry
Apparition, that's okay
I just took out my aligner so my mouth is funky
So they actually see an image of a man dressed in white
like a robe, a white
He's standing
So it's not a vision or a dream
This is seeing
They really see
They're seeing
Yeah, but anyway
They can't tangibly touch
I know, I'm not in those bedrooms
So I just know that it's a miraculous appearance of some kind
It's happening all over the world right now
not just by the thousands but by the millions
Which is crazy
This is one of the international bishops of the
Anglican Church
Anglican Church who shared this with us
Yes
He served in Muslim countries his whole life
He's 74 years old and he's still doing great work right now
He's not retiring, he's refiring
I mean he's still going
And he was telling you and I that it's exciting because Jesus is literally showing up
And what happens is these people who don't have any reference point for Christ are finding other people
And they're led to Christians and saying who is this man in white who came to me and said come follow me
Even quoting
It blows my mind
Those words which are it's a rabbinic saying the rabbis would pick their disciples and say come follow me the chosen
Which poses the question
You know we say we have to go which we do we need to go to every nation and preach Jesus
But those nations that don't have anybody
They don't we don't have to I mean it's not like God can't do the same thing in those nations that they've never
Where they've never even heard of God
I mean he can do whatever he wants
The passage you're referring to is the great commission where Jesus said
And Jesus came and spoke to them saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth
Verse 19 go therefore and make disciples of all the nations
Baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all things
That I have commanded you and though I'm with you always even to the end of the age amen
So that's the show up but we need to go disciple them think about that
So here's the thing the question is does God need us or does God desire us
Yeah, okay, so about that word happened was you and I were talking about
God really doesn't need us but then I
As we go to the gym on Monday
Pull up a recent message from Robert Morris and it's titled God needs us and I'm like, okay
That's interesting. This was he preached this two weeks ago in Houston at his Gateway Church in Houston
And so I'm listening to it and he he
Talks about how God really does need how he had a conversation with God and said you really don't need us
You look at what you've created and God says no
I really do need you but I'm I switch to that word because I like the word desire
Yeah, God desires us. So I think it's when he was saying I really do need you
It's not that I need you to get the work done. It's I need you as I created you because I need you I want you
And I want you to partner with me because everything about our Christian walk has to do with partnering with Christ
That's right. That's why he created man to partner with us biblical word is co-labor
Yes, the scripture says that we are co-labors in Christ and the word co-labor means to co-labor
To labor together or cooperate like elaborate. Yeah, collaborate means co-labor
So we co-labor with him we cooperate with him and it's a privilege in the fact that he wants us
Yes to join him in the work. He wants us he wants to share it because it is a privilege when we get to
Share our faith with others not in a like throw it in your face call you out
But literally the joy of sharing something is so changed my life
I remember when Adam Curry was on Joe Rogan last year and he just said hey, let me tell you something
He wanted to share something with Joe and he said hey, I want to share something with you
It's absolutely changed my life. This has changed my life
Why we should be saying this to everyone? Well, I love it because Adam without any prompting or
Taking an evangelism course or study just he's like I have good news and because I have good news
And this has changed my life. I have to share it. I gave my life to Jesus Christ
Let me share it to about a million people or so. Yes on online because that thing went viral
It was crazy. It was insane. It went viral and to even more than that and he got to share his faith with
Millions of people but he did it so purely and it wasn't like throwing a Bible in your face or judging you
It was just let me tell you what has changed my life. In fact, it's not a what it's a who and that's that's what
God wants us to share in the joy of that and I love it to help somebody
Joe Rogan was like well expound on that. Tell me what happened. Very cool about it. And to me that
We need to have that boldness. Here he is a brand new Christian learning about Christ
Learning about what what it means to follow him and he couldn't wait to get on his show
He knew he was gonna do it. Tina was terrified because he knew he told her on his way there
I'm going to share what I know of the gospel what happened to me and she's scared to death because she's afraid of all the backlash
Right and and doesn't know really how Joe Rogan is gonna take it but he has the courage and yet we as Christians who are
living trusting in Christ are so afraid to speak up about what has changed in our life because it's a hope we have
So what does that say about people who have been Christians so long that their Christianity has become boring to them or it's become familiar to them
To the point where they're not excited about telling other people about it anymore. Whoa, that's scary. Do you think
Okay, so we fast forwarded to his the end of Robert's message as we were driving here. That's why we're hot off the press
Just listening and he talked about that story that happened. I want you to share that story
Yeah, well because he talked about trusting versus believing. Yeah, and I'm gonna go into deep in the weeds
So I'll give you the short version of it is there was a man who was going to do a high wire act across a large
Was it a river? Niagara Falls or something some crazy like that. Yes, and he was he was a professional and he said
And he talked to the crowd and he said do you believe I can do this and they were like, yeah
We believe because he'd done these amazing feats before and he says do you trust me that I can do this
We would trust you can do that and he says so who will go with me if you trust me carry
Who will let me carry you across and everybody the whole crowd went silent except for one man
He was a British man and he said I trust you and I believe and he literally carried that man across
That's that large expanse on a wire at the peril of their lives
But that man trusted him and he trusted him because he'd seen him do if we knew he could do it
But he was the only one everyone else believed but only one trusted so that
Question because the Bible says the demons believe yeah in book of James. Yes
But do we so they believe in Trimble, but they don't trust so to be a Christian is not
We take that word belief like well, I believe that watermelon is gonna be good. I believe you know this movie
I'm gonna watch is good. I believe
I believe you know that I'm gonna have a good day whatever right there's a big difference massive believing and trusting
There's an eternal difference between believing and trusting because it does it says the demons believe in Trimble
But they don't know the truth that sets them free just because you believe doesn't mean you know so how many people
Believe they're Christians, but they don't really trust so do they really believe that's it
That's it. It really comes back to me hard. It comes back to trust what I love what pastor Robert did
He's preaching to a group of people probably about down down in Katy, Texas
Yeah, and he asked the question and he has everybody, you know bow their heads and close your eyes
Do you really trust how many of you have believed at one time?
You may be even have gotten sprinkled or baptized or whatever
But you really don't know now after listening to this message after listening to it fully what it means
Can honestly say I don't know if I'm saved and he said hands went up everywhere
That's what scares me not for me because I know I believe I trust I adhere trust means to adhere to
Here if you think about adhering me think I love how you always use tape or you use duct tape and how you can't pull it apart
If you stick two pieces of duct tape together you will shred them you'll destroy them before you pull them apart because they literally meld
Weld together. Yes, and they become one chemically. That's just the way that adhesive is designed
That's how it is with us and Jesus. We can't how many of us have that kind of trust?
It's called oneness with Christ. We are one with him and literally become melded to him and cannot be pulled apart
And so those of you that are listening, this is a strong word, but it's so important and it could literally be
People's eternity their their destiny is hanging in the balance because a lot of people believe Jesus in a casual way
Like oh, yeah, I believe he's who he said he was not. Oh, yeah. Yeah, he's a good guy. He's a good great
Great rabbi, but here's the deal. Do you trust him with your very life?
Do you trust him enough to get on his back and let him walk you across the highway?
Do you trust him enough to tell other people about him?
And if you do trust someone to that level you'll want to tell other people that's the that's the way I sort of you know
It's we don't judge people but we do look at people's fruit the fruit of their lives and people who are
Incapable of sharing their faith. I just have to ask an honest question. Are they truly believers?
Believing believers or do they just believe from a distance or don't trust are they are they thinking? Well, you're a pastor
Of course, you're gonna do this but there's there's really no difference between you as a pastor and none whatsoever
You know that just got saved none whatsoever. We have the same calling. Yeah, we're supposed to do the same things and
We don't get saved and then like you say swing in a hammock on a beautiful sunny day
There's nothing left for us to do. Alright, we got saved. There is work to do. So in a real I preached a message a number of years ago
Over at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio Max Lucado's church and I titled it putting the go in the gospel. Yes
I'll never forget that message. Putting the go in the gospel and it's and it was along the same line that
That Jesus says go there for he doesn't say wait wait and see if it's my will for you to do something
No, he already tells us what I need to ask God if this is really what is what is God's will for my life?
That's a huge question. Probably one of the most asked questions either out loud or just thought in
In most believers mine wrong question. What is the wrong question? What do you do when you ask the wrong question?
You're gonna get the wrong answer. There it is. Go there for and make disciples of all the nations interesting. It doesn't say make converts
Right. It says make disciples. You can actually do that as we know. My goodness. As we found out from
Bishop Bill and now there's a responsibility for someone who has had an encounter with Jesus whether it's that supernatural like that
In another country or whether it's just in a conversation at Starbucks or wherever you're talking to somebody across the table and you
Say hey, do you want to be a follower of Jesus? Yeah, I think I want to do that either way. However, that happens
The the result is now the responsibility for us is to go but the go in the gospel
Get up off our blessed assurance
Get up off our blessed assurance and go and to make disciples. That means we have a responsibility to help people become apprentices
Disciples of Jesus
That's something we're working on real hard here at the bridge. So for those of you if you're new to the podcast and our lead
Passers at Bridge Church in Fredericksburg, Texas, we're developing a robust comprehensive
Discipleship track called walking with God on the journey of discipleship and on discipleship journey
I don't know. Discipleship journey. Yeah. Walking with God on the discipleship journey
So anyway, we are developing this robust 17 week two semester class. I'm excited because I'm gonna actually get to teach
Yeah, you're gonna teach I'm gonna teach other some of our other pastors teach on a Wednesday night on a Wednesday night
And it's going to when I say robust and comprehensive what I mean is gonna cover the whole gamut
It's gonna cover. What is the church? Who is the Holy Spirit? What does it mean to be a disciple?
What does it mean to be a witness? What does it mean to?
What what is the what does it mean to walk in faith? Yeah. Oh love that and what's the juxtaposition between government and and faith?
Yes, what about the intersection of what does it mean to walk in spiritual gifts to to be baptized in the Holy Spirit?
It's gonna be comprehensive. I'm I'm more stoked about this than I am Sunday mornings and I love your Sunday mornings
Thank you, sweetie. I can't get enough. I mean I listen to all three messages. I mean all three. You get to activate your teaching gift
I'm really excited because this is basic foundation. Yes, that's gonna help people
Yes, really hone in on their the salvation that we have been given as a gift and what we can do
To present it to others. So back to our original statement. Does God need us?
He needs us. He loves us and he desires us. He wants us to co-labor with him. Yes. Yes. To put the goal in the gospel
I love the word desire. Love the word desire. It's what I have for you. Oh and me for you. I really mean that. I desire you
That's why we love working together for 31 years of wow. I mean we we love doing what we do
But we love doing it together and that's how God feels about it. Think about it. If this is how we feel and we work together
Every single day every day all day long can't even imagine how much more he feels for us
Because he created us in his image. Remarkable really. I love this is another thing that was powerful to me
Is when Pastor Roberts said when God created Adam he created a genius. I never thought about that
He didn't create someone that he said okay Adam look at what I've created. Look at the expansion of the sky
The stars the mountains in him go yeah. No he created a genius. He's going to create someone in his own image
And he's a genius. So in hearing that I just thought wow look how dumbed down we've become. No kidding
Look how dumb down we've become. I love it. He created a genius. A genius in Adam. Because he wouldn't create less than that
To fellowship and connect with him. And sometimes we see ourselves as these terrible people. We're weak we're no good
He sees us as amazing because he created us. And we have that capacity because we've been given what the Bible says
The mind of Christ. We just have to tap into it and appropriate it don't we? That word appropriates huge in the Christian faith
It literally means you actually receive a gift but you actually activate and use the gift. Listen we've got people to thank
This is a killer conversation. This is amazing because it's so important. Even talking about it with you just now
Here on the podcast. My faith is built up. I'm encouraged I'm built up and I just feel stronger for even having the conversation
For those listeners that are listening right now. God loves you. He desires you. He can do things on his own because he's God
But he wants to partner with you. Partner with you in the gospel to get this gospel out. But not just to get it out
But to live it out. So I have something to ask of our listeners. If you have a question about faith and a question about a faith journey
And how do I get on the faith journey? Right in. Go to our website livingupinadoworld.com. Right there on the front page
I think it's on every page. There's a box there where you can write us. And so right in if you have faith questions
We want to give you the answers and if we don't know them we'll find them. I mean we're here to help you
And all you do livingupinadoworld.com go there and subscribe to our newsletter that gives you a bump
So that you know every week that a podcast is coming. And so we just invite you to go ahead and jump on the train with us
Because we want to teach you and help you live up in a down world even as we're learning and growing in it as well
And so a couple things. First of all, I want to give some thanks. Got to give a thanks for Brandy.
Brandy gave us a generous donation. Brandy Horne, she's amazing. New believer in our church. Just got baptized not too long ago
And she is on fire for God. I love it. Love it. She and Tina are like, well Tina actually encouraged her to come to church
And their trajectory is unbelievable. It's so parallel. Her and Chris are amazing people. We love them.
Got to hang out with them last week and that was amazing. Also with Trey Blocker and the Currys. Man we just had such a great
Rick Green and Kara. Rick and Kara Green. I mean God is doing amazing things around here. So this is a note that
Brandy wrote. She says, I love listening to the two of you share your love of the Lord and each other. I enjoy hearing what you each have to say
It's like a second sermon midweek with a bonus with our First Lady Annette. Thank you all for doing what you do for the people in the community
Brandy Horne. Brandy we love you and we are excited to watch your journey of faith. And we get to be a part of it.
Yeah we got a 50 yard line seat. I mean we're right there. And then also Adam Curry. Man I want to say big thanks for Adam Curry
As he gave a Straper Boost. $77.77. I'm trying to go too fast. He wrote this. Mullets are cool. God bless you both and all the living up.
No they're not. You keep saying I have one. Mine's a modified version. Well you're getting your haircut tomorrow. I am. I absolutely am.
Also a couple of things. We did a bro and sis date this last week. I just want to land on a couple of things. It was so funny first of all.
So every time we go out together it's me and Adam talking 7,000 miles an hour about God the World and other things at one end of the table.
And then you and Tina are talking 7,000 miles an hour on God the World and other things. So we do these bro dates and then y'all were like
So me and Adam are like man we've been meeting with a lot of people. Like we've been going out with Chris and Brandy and Trey and then we went out with Peggy and Tim
So we would keep going out with all these groups. And the Mandales. You hung out with them. Came back from Nashville.
So we're like we need to just go hang out together alone. Like a bro date and then you were like well we want a sis date.
So here's what we did. It was crazy. So we got together. We did it on what Tuesday night I think it was.
But we were going to drive over to Bernie which is like 30 minutes. 25-30 minutes from our house. So they came out to our house together.
We got in separate cars. And went to two separate restaurants. So me and Adam got in a car. You and Tina got in one of the cars.
Drove to Bernie together and then we split off because y'all went to one restaurant. We went to another and then we met back at the house later.
Ours was better. It probably was. Ours steak was over the top.
Mine was good but I think you probably yeah. I think y'all hit a home run.
It's my favorite place. Beef steak in Bernie is phenomenal. Ours was a base hit but not a home run.
I'm going to plug beef steak in Bernie. It's my new favorite restaurant in Bernie.
It's really great. If you're a meat eater, oh my gosh. It's meat heaven.
So anyway we had a great time. Of course both of us. We got back. We're all buzzing because we've been talking for hours nonstop.
But that's just such a cool time. We value those things.
And then the last thing I want to share is I'm reading a book that has been very has really impacted me.
It's a book by Eric. I don't have to read it because you just share it with me.
Oh totally. I'm sharing it with the church too. Eric Metaxas wrote a book called Letter to the American Church. And if you are a pastor or a leader or spiritual leader or just you're a follower of Jesus and you want to have your eyes open to what's going on in our world right now in government and politics.
It's not like a heavy political book. It's just talking about how the culture got to a point in the 1930s in Germany that looks very similar to our culture right now.
And he's shooting a...it's taking a shot over the bow to say we better wake up because things are not good right now.
Which means we as believers and followers of Jesus, apprentices of Christ, this is our time to step up, open our mouths and speak up.
So stand up, speak up and speak out. So you're reading the book but then we found out there is a documentary. Yes and we watched that. It's kind of like the cliff notes of the book.
Which meant I didn't have to read it. I could watch the documentary. We watched it twice. I'll watch it again. And you have to get it on epochtimes.com.
We downloaded it. It was $9.99. It's worth every penny. We've watched it multiple times. I want to watch it again. So either get the book, The Taxes, Letter to the American Church or go and watch the documentary on epochtimes.
It's easy. It's just a broad browser. I mean you just pull it up. So those are massively impacting me. And then Dr. Rick Scarborough's book you're reading.
Oh, I'm reading another book by Rick Scarborough. I have the title because it's not sitting in front of me. I met with Dr. Rick Scarborough who is a huge voice from the Christian standpoint of saying we've got to bring our nation back to biblical, conservative values.
Our founding fathers. We're pastors. Hello. Most of the signers or over half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were pastors.
Our government right now wants to do away with all Christianity. Anything that has to do with the nuclear family.
Well, and they do it based on the separation of church and state, which was set up by the founding fathers who were pastors.
It was set up so that to protect the churches and Christianity from tyranny. It was to protect them from government.
But now the government has flipped it and now they're trying to protect themselves from us. Yes. And that's wrong. It's not how it was meant to be.
So we're returning things to their values. I'm preaching that every Sunday from the pulpit. Boy, are you calling things out.
Yeah, I think I love that someone came to one of our pastors and said, y'all need to pray over Jimmy and Pastor Jimmy and that because they need protection because of what he's preaching in the pulpit.
And that right there just gave it. I felt protected knowing that she brought that up.
So we're speaking out. We're standing up and we're speaking up. And because we have to. We don't have a choice. We don't have a choice.
As followers of Christ, we have an obligation. Yeah, we have an obligation to speak truth into the culture. We speak it with love, but we speak it firmly.
We say what needs to be said. Absolutely. I did a sermon last week and basically the gist of it was we need to call sin, sin. We need to call spade a spade.
And so check out that sermon. If you in others, it's called Mind Wars is the series because that's what the enemy is after the real estate.
So excited you're doing this. So it's called Mind Wars and you go to a bridge FBG.com bridge FBG.com and you can find that you scroll down on the front page there and you can listen.
So, wow, we blew through this podcast. Yes, we're on speed speed dial right now. So anything going out that you want to share with our friends?
No, I think that's good. I think we've got to get to a staff meeting now. Hey, we love you guys. We love you so much.
You go to living up in a down world bridge FBG.com and sign up because we want to stay in touch and do send us any questions about your faith journey.
We want to help you in your walk with God. Well, that does it for today. We got a full day ahead of us. It's only nine twelve a.m.
We've got a full day of meetings and you know what? We get to do this because we're living up in a down world. Love you, baby. Gorgeous.
Hey, you guys have an amazing week on purpose. We are out of here.