1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,000 Season two of Love in Context podcast welcomes you. 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:10,600 Get ready for engaging unscripted conversations with your hosts, Ben and Spencer. 3 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:17,120 Our mission remains unchanged to explore the Bible through the powerful lens of love. 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:21,060 In this new season, we'll embark on a journey together, unearthing fresh insights and gaining 5 00:00:21,060 --> 00:00:25,440 deeper understanding of how we can love God and live out our faith in practical ways. 6 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:30,200 So let's dive into this season of Love in Context, where love in the context of the 7 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:34,880 Bible intersect to transform our lives. 8 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:37,080 Welcome to the Love in Context podcast. 9 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:38,560 And you're like, Ben, you sound weird. 10 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:44,360 I do sound weird because we've talked about this in the past, but children are Petri dishes. 11 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:47,680 And whenever they get sick, they're always like, Dad, I want to climb in your lap and 12 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:48,680 sneeze in your face. 13 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:49,680 Yeah. 14 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:53,600 And on top of that, like you spend a lot of time over at my place, right? 15 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,000 We do bonfires all the time. 16 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,200 And my house is like the hangout for all the kids. 17 00:00:58,200 --> 00:00:59,200 Right. 18 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,120 So like you come over to my house, it's like you could have two kids or 15 there. 19 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:03,120 You don't know. 20 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,440 Like, yeah, there's like four houses and all the kids just congregate towards. 21 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,880 Well, to be fair, he does have a trampoline. 22 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:10,880 Yeah. 23 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:11,880 And a playground. 24 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:12,880 Yeah. 25 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,640 And he's almost always has a bonfire going on out there during the summer. 26 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,280 So to be fair, that's like a kid's like, yeah, happy place. 27 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:20,280 It's like they're. 28 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:21,280 Yeah. 29 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:22,280 Yeah. 30 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:24,800 So this is episode four in the book of James. 31 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:27,960 And we've been kind of going through and high stepping through James, because obviously 32 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:31,360 if we went through every single thing going on in here, I'm not sure we would ever get 33 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:32,360 through this book. 34 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,800 I think that'd be season two, three, four and five, maybe. 35 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:36,800 Right. 36 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,360 Because well, and especially because as we were referencing more and more is that James 37 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:44,720 is referencing back to Torah, he's referencing back to these ideals that the Jewish people 38 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:49,000 would know that the book is written very much in this like wisdom of Ben Sirach or like 39 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,880 a Proverbs type of thing where he's like, hey, these are things that you know that you 40 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:54,880 should be doing as followers of Christ. 41 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:55,880 Yes. 42 00:01:55,880 --> 00:02:01,600 And some things specifically you Jews should know as followers of Christ because he's specifically 43 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:02,600 writing to the Jews. 44 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:04,680 Now, there's tons of application for the Gentiles. 45 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:05,680 Yes. 46 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,680 But knowing who his audience is, is important when we're interpreting some of the things 47 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:09,680 he says. 48 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:10,680 Yes. 49 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:14,840 And we're going to we're going to once again talk about the rich again today. 50 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:18,840 And we've been talking about how James is using this idea of rich, but he's not talking 51 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,520 about necessarily wealth itself. 52 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,040 He's talking about how you get your wealth and what you do with your wealth. 53 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:26,040 Yes. 54 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,960 And and I and I want to mention that because I think the tendency is to say, oh, if we 55 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,680 have money, then we're the rich oppressors. 56 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:37,480 No, it's this invitation of like, if you are blessed by God, because Abraham was blessed 57 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:42,560 by God, Isaac was blessed by God, Israel was blessed by God, and they had a lot of wealth 58 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:44,100 and all these different things. 59 00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:45,700 But what do you do with it? 60 00:02:45,700 --> 00:02:46,840 How do you accumulate it? 61 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:50,040 Do you do it off the back of other people like Egypt did? 62 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,440 Or do you do it because of the blessing of God in your life where suddenly your fields 63 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:55,360 are producing and your animals are reproducing? 64 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:56,960 Your children are abundant. 65 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:57,960 Right. 66 00:02:57,960 --> 00:02:58,960 Yeah. 67 00:02:58,960 --> 00:02:59,960 This whole call back to Torah. 68 00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:00,960 Mm hmm. 69 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:05,600 So you said that we're going to start in verse 11, 11 before. 70 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:07,360 And we have been reading in NIV. 71 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:08,960 But why don't we read an NLT? 72 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:13,680 Just because, as you said, it's it's your it's the best translation ever. 73 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:14,680 It is. 74 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,040 It is the best translation ever. 75 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:21,120 Ben, for those who don't know, Ben and I have an ongoing debate or we've agreed to disagree 76 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,200 on this, but that's OK. 77 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:24,200 He knows I'm right. 78 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,920 Actually, I think we both have agreed that if you really want to get to it, you should 79 00:03:27,920 --> 00:03:28,920 know the Greek and Hebrew. 80 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:29,920 Yes. 81 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:30,920 Yes. 82 00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:31,920 Yes. 83 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:37,040 Side note, if you guys are ever like, hey, we want you to do a podcast episode on Bible 84 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:38,800 translations. 85 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:39,800 Love to do it. 86 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:40,800 Would love to do it. 87 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:41,800 That'd be a great conversation. 88 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,160 There is a lot of really good Bible translations. 89 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:48,680 And the reality is with very few exceptions, I'm fine with any of them as long as you read 90 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:49,680 it. 91 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:50,680 Yeah. 92 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:51,680 Yeah. 93 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:52,680 All right. 94 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:56,280 So anyways, coming back to James chapter four, verse 11, don't speak evil against each other, 95 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:57,840 dear brothers and sisters. 96 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:03,400 If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and criticizing and judging 97 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,080 God's law. 98 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:11,800 But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 99 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:14,720 God alone who gives the law is the judge. 100 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:20,180 He alone has the power to save and destroy. 101 00:04:20,180 --> 00:04:25,320 So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? 102 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:26,640 We ended the last episode on that. 103 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:33,280 But one of the things I love with that whole sentence is he says, you know when you're 104 00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:36,400 judging your brother and sister, so these are people in the faith, right? 105 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:40,080 When you're judging your brother and sister in the faith, you're actually judging the 106 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:42,200 law itself. 107 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,360 Maybe leave that to the lawgiver, not to you. 108 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:50,920 Which there's another, there's other places in the Bible where it says not to, you know, 109 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:53,980 allow the master to correct his servants. 110 00:04:53,980 --> 00:04:56,500 Like this whole idea of like God is the master, we're the servants. 111 00:04:56,500 --> 00:04:58,960 It's not our job to tell the servant what they're supposed to do. 112 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:02,500 No fellowship, life together, a hundred percent all those things. 113 00:05:02,500 --> 00:05:05,720 But what is it that pastor Sarah said in that one episode? 114 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:07,500 You can't correct without connection. 115 00:05:07,500 --> 00:05:08,640 Can't correct without connection. 116 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:09,640 Yeah. 117 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,920 And so like inside of connection, there's absolutely this ability to come in and say, 118 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:15,920 hey, let's have a conversation. 119 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:19,960 Outside of that, we need to be a lot more careful about the way we talk to each other. 120 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:20,960 You know? 121 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,920 And I mean, if you jump over to Luke when he actually talks about judging where he says 122 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,880 don't judge or you will be judged, don't condemn or you'll be condemned, forgive and you will 123 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:30,260 be forgiven. 124 00:05:30,260 --> 00:05:33,920 The phrase that he uses for judge in the first line is the same as you will. 125 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:34,920 Yeah. 126 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,340 The word he uses for condemn in the second line is same as you will. 127 00:05:38,340 --> 00:05:41,280 And the word he uses for forgive in the third line is same as you will. 128 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:47,920 So another way that you could actually interpret that is when you judge, you're judging yourself. 129 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:49,440 When you condemn, you're condemning yourself. 130 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:51,400 When you forgive, you're forgiving yourself. 131 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:54,680 Like it's a two way street. 132 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,000 Brings a whole new idea to having grace with each other, right? 133 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:58,000 Right. 134 00:05:58,000 --> 00:05:59,000 Yep. 135 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:00,000 You know? 136 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:01,000 Yeah. 137 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,900 I liken it also, when I was at real life ministries, Aaron Couch, who I have a tag 138 00:06:03,900 --> 00:06:05,800 in this episode just because I like talking about Aaron. 139 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:07,560 I like Aaron a lot. 140 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:12,280 Aaron Couch always taught a yearly, he would talk about blessing your children and about 141 00:06:12,280 --> 00:06:13,720 actually taking a time. 142 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:18,140 He actually had a whole ceremony that he would do once in the child's life where he would 143 00:06:18,140 --> 00:06:21,600 just call out what he saw in their life and where he was hoping they would go. 144 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:25,160 But he was talking about this idea of being a people that blesses other people and that 145 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,120 we should be people that bless. 146 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:30,760 And then he talks about how Jesus says to go and pronounce a blessing into these places 147 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:33,980 that you're going to serve and that if they don't receive it, it's going to come back 148 00:06:33,980 --> 00:06:34,980 on you. 149 00:06:34,980 --> 00:06:38,560 So we want to be really good at our blessings because either one of two things, either they're 150 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:42,520 going to really influence other people's lives or we get it. 151 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,400 That's the same kind of idea here is like we're going to be really careful where we're 152 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:48,860 judging because either it's going to help fix somebody's life or it's coming back and 153 00:06:48,860 --> 00:06:49,860 it's getting us. 154 00:06:49,860 --> 00:06:50,860 Yeah. 155 00:06:50,860 --> 00:06:51,860 Right? 156 00:06:51,860 --> 00:06:57,120 And so like, obviously in Luke, Jesus is talking, but and it's not directly correlated with 157 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:00,800 this, but he's going to talk about the plank in somebody's eye. 158 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:01,800 Right? 159 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:04,800 And you want to make sure that there's the there's not the plank in your eye when you're 160 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:06,520 going to take a look at the spec. 161 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:07,520 Yes. 162 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:08,520 Right. 163 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:09,520 You're like, oh, hey, I got this spec, but guess what? 164 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:10,520 Right. 165 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:11,520 Mm hmm. 166 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:15,600 And I think it's important to when we talk about judging of what does that lead to when 167 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:17,160 we judge others? 168 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:18,160 Usually pride. 169 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:19,160 Yeah. 170 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:23,240 Usually like pride and it ties into the next part too. 171 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:25,320 Let's just hang out in this judging for a minute. 172 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:31,800 Usually pride, usually like a false self-confidence of like, I'm right, you're wrong. 173 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:36,760 I must defend what I know to be quote unquote true. 174 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:41,720 And the reality is, is when we judge people, we don't know where they're coming from. 175 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:42,720 Right. 176 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:43,720 Right? 177 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:48,180 Like you could have somebody walk into your fellowship who they have made leaps and strides 178 00:07:48,180 --> 00:07:55,000 in their life from where they used to be through the grace of God, but because where they used 179 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:59,520 to be was way further down the way further behind than where you started out. 180 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:01,960 You might be like, man, why don't they have it together yet? 181 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:02,960 Yeah. 182 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,760 You have, we have, first of all, like this coming back to the thing we've talked about 183 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:10,200 in the past, we tend to judge people by their actions and other people by ourselves, by 184 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:11,200 our intentions. 185 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:12,200 Right? 186 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:14,520 The same kind of thing as we're like, oh, why don't you do this? 187 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:15,520 It's super easy. 188 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:18,080 You can just, you have no idea what that person's life is like. 189 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:19,280 You have no idea how many kids they have. 190 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:21,840 You have no idea how physically demanding their job is. 191 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:26,200 You have no idea the trauma that comes from their history of even being in a church. 192 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:30,480 And maybe that trauma has nothing to do with their, maybe it was none of their own fault. 193 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:31,480 Right? 194 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:32,480 Correct. 195 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:36,080 Like maybe their trauma was just someone left them, someone died, someone, whatever. 196 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:37,080 Right? 197 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:38,080 The list could go on. 198 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:40,440 Like, so we need to be really careful when it comes to judging. 199 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:45,800 I remember I had a friend in college who struggled with Baptist churches, not because of any 200 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:50,840 of their theology, but because he had an uncle that was a Baptist, Baptist, I put that in 201 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:53,680 air quotes, who was abusive. 202 00:08:53,680 --> 00:08:54,720 Right? 203 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,760 And so he associated every single person in a Baptist church like that. 204 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:00,560 Now I've known a lot of people in Baptist church, a lot of really good people in Baptist 205 00:09:00,560 --> 00:09:01,560 church. 206 00:09:01,560 --> 00:09:02,560 Same here. 207 00:09:02,560 --> 00:09:03,560 Right? 208 00:09:03,560 --> 00:09:07,120 And I was like, and so like, if they came into your fellowship and you're like, you know, 209 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:11,480 I'm a Baptist, then you have like this inward cringe moment and it has nothing to do with 210 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:12,480 you. 211 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:13,480 It has nothing to do with the denomination. 212 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:15,200 It has to do with their trauma and their history. 213 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:17,000 And like, that's why we're gentle with people. 214 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:18,000 Yeah. 215 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:19,000 That's why we come with them gentle. 216 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:23,120 We have a connection with them over time because that's the only way that you can kind of overcome 217 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:24,720 these things over, over time. 218 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:25,960 Yeah, absolutely. 219 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:31,120 So then continuing on in 13, he says, now listen, you who say today or tomorrow, we 220 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:35,120 will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. 221 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:36,120 Why? 222 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:37,760 You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. 223 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:38,760 What is your life? 224 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:41,600 You are a mist that appears for a while and then vanishes. 225 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:45,560 Instead you ought to say, if it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this and that. 226 00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:49,740 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes, all such boasting as evil. 227 00:09:49,740 --> 00:09:54,200 If anyone then knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them. 228 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:55,200 Okay. 229 00:09:55,200 --> 00:10:00,680 I want to pause here because I think this has been misinterpreted at times. 230 00:10:00,680 --> 00:10:04,440 Well, a lot of pieces have, but so I'm just going to tackle one and then you probably 231 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:06,000 have some as well. 232 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:09,100 This idea of you shouldn't make plans for the future. 233 00:10:09,100 --> 00:10:11,420 You should just follow God every in every moment. 234 00:10:11,420 --> 00:10:13,040 So first of all, yes. 235 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:15,000 But second of all, no. 236 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,360 You just need to make God's plans for the future and not yours. 237 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:22,400 And then be open for God to change them as necessary. 238 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:24,760 Because we've talked about this whole idea of thinking generationally. 239 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:27,160 So we're thinking generation to generation to generation. 240 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:28,160 We should be making plans. 241 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:34,400 But we're making plans to grow the kingdom of God, not to go here, go there, make some 242 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:36,020 money, do all these things. 243 00:10:36,020 --> 00:10:37,480 Because they're not actually focused on the kingdom of God. 244 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,600 Those are focused on selfish endeavors. 245 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:44,240 I think there's a distinction between the plans that you're talking about. 246 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:51,120 So on one side, you have the plans of achievement, wealth, personal gain. 247 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:55,160 And on the other side, you have the plans of generational relationship. 248 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:59,640 Like in Torah talks a lot about the generational relationship. 249 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:03,480 About how you're not to oppress those who are beneath you. 250 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:07,360 Or Deuteronomy talks a lot about welcoming the foreigner in. 251 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:09,240 And not having generational poverty. 252 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:12,040 You have the year of Jubilee. 253 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:15,080 There's forgiveness of debts, so on and so forth. 254 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:20,760 So there's a big, a lot of times though what we look at is we look at what can we achieve. 255 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:24,760 And so you can take this passage and you can say, okay, well, what am I achieving? 256 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:28,180 Is it for my own gain or is it for the gain of the kingdom? 257 00:11:28,180 --> 00:11:32,700 And when we're looking at achieving things for the gain of the kingdom, that is a good 258 00:11:32,700 --> 00:11:37,440 place to be because that allows you to make plans in the sense of how you structure your 259 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:41,240 life to be a place where you can bring the kingdom forward. 260 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:45,520 Well, and this is coming on the heels of this whole idea of God opposes the proud, he gives 261 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:47,320 grace to the humble, right? 262 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:52,120 And so like the whole, I'm going to go do this and I'm going to do this and blah, blah, 263 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:53,120 blah. 264 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:54,120 Like it reeks of pride, right? 265 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:55,840 It just reeks of pride. 266 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:56,840 And God's like, hey, no. 267 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:59,400 Or James is like, hey, no, this is not what we're doing. 268 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,280 Like if you're going to pursue this wisdom that comes from heaven, if you're going to 269 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:09,120 be doers of the word, not simply hearers, like it manifests itself in not planning like 270 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:12,320 these opulent things for yourself, but actually planning generation and like, how are we going 271 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,320 to forward the kingdom of God and move forward? 272 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:19,800 And that we're, we're instead focusing on God, what are you doing in this moment? 273 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:20,800 Yes. 274 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,680 The bigger thing is it always shocks me how often I have a conversation with people and 275 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:26,360 they're making a massive decision in their life. 276 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:29,920 And I said, well, what have you been sensing in your prayer time? 277 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:30,920 Blink stare. 278 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:31,920 Like what? 279 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:32,920 What time? 280 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:33,920 Yeah. 281 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:34,920 You know, like it was just shocking. 282 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:38,680 They're like, well, my wife and I have had this conversation or, you know, me and my 283 00:12:38,680 --> 00:12:39,680 family have had this conversation. 284 00:12:39,680 --> 00:12:43,360 I was like, okay, what, what comes from your conversation with God? 285 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:45,640 And it's just nothing. 286 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:50,740 And it seems crazy that if we were going to say Jesus is our King, that we would make 287 00:12:50,740 --> 00:12:53,320 any big decisions without checking in with them. 288 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:54,320 Yeah. 289 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:55,320 Right. 290 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:57,480 I imagine that doesn't go well in a normal kingdom. 291 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:03,500 Well, I mean, okay, so let's just, let's take marriage for example, right? 292 00:13:03,500 --> 00:13:09,040 If I went to my wife and said, Hey, I sold, we're putting the house on the market tomorrow. 293 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:10,600 We're moving to this town. 294 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:14,360 Uh, I don't know what we're going to do for work, but I'm going to maybe pick up a job 295 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:15,360 here. 296 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:18,020 You can look at work here, you know, blah, blah, blah, all this stuff. 297 00:13:18,020 --> 00:13:19,680 How well do you think that would go over? 298 00:13:19,680 --> 00:13:22,160 I think I'd go over not well at all. 299 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:23,160 Yeah. 300 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:24,160 Right. 301 00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:25,160 I know your wife. 302 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:27,280 I mean, I think that what would go over well, there'd be this frying pan that go well over 303 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:28,280 your head. 304 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:29,280 Uh-huh. 305 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:30,760 I would be sleeping in the boat for the next few months. 306 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:31,760 Right. 307 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:33,600 And I'd be like, cool, you don't want to live in my house. 308 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:34,600 There's the boat. 309 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:35,600 Go sleep there. 310 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:36,600 Yeah. 311 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:38,560 Like she's like, I have to sign up in order for you to sell the house because we're both 312 00:13:38,560 --> 00:13:39,560 on deed. 313 00:13:39,560 --> 00:13:40,560 Yep. 314 00:13:40,560 --> 00:13:41,560 Yep. 315 00:13:41,560 --> 00:13:46,400 Um, and so like, but if you went to make a decision like that and didn't include, didn't 316 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:48,320 include the other half. 317 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:51,720 Now here's where the analogy falls apart though. 318 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:56,580 When it's our relationship with God, it's really God making the decisions and he's including 319 00:13:56,580 --> 00:13:57,580 us in that. 320 00:13:57,580 --> 00:13:58,580 Yeah. 321 00:13:58,580 --> 00:13:59,580 Right. 322 00:13:59,580 --> 00:14:03,700 And he's bringing the thing that God doesn't do or he does sometimes, but for the most 323 00:14:03,700 --> 00:14:06,280 part he brings us along with it. 324 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:10,680 There are times where he says you're going here now and you, and you obey and you do 325 00:14:10,680 --> 00:14:11,680 that. 326 00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:14,960 But for the most part, he brings you along with it and it's a journey that you're going 327 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:15,960 on with him. 328 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:16,960 Right. 329 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:21,320 So, um, again, it's where do you have your eyes? 330 00:14:21,320 --> 00:14:22,320 Like where do you have your eyes set? 331 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:23,320 Yeah. 332 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:26,520 Like, do you have them set on the kingdom or do you have them set on your own self worth, 333 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:28,360 self worth? 334 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:33,160 And I think, and I think this is a caveat, which we'll jump into here in a minute, but 335 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,800 when it comes to your own self worth, it's okay to have money. 336 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:38,960 It's just, it's God's money. 337 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:40,480 And how are you managing that? 338 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:41,620 How are you stewarding that? 339 00:14:41,620 --> 00:14:42,880 How are you accumulating it? 340 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:44,200 How are you managing it? 341 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:45,600 And who do you actually serve? 342 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:46,960 Do you serve God or money? 343 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:47,960 Yeah. 344 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:48,960 Right. 345 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:49,960 Exactly. 346 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:54,840 So five, one, this is a very fun passage that I think, uh, five, one through six that I 347 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:58,920 think has been misinterpreted a number of times. 348 00:14:58,920 --> 00:15:00,840 And so, but let's dive into it here. 349 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:06,360 So five, one, look here, you rich people, weep and groan with anguish because of all 350 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:08,940 the terrible things ahead of you. 351 00:15:08,940 --> 00:15:10,960 Great way to start by the way. 352 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:11,960 You're encouraging. 353 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:12,960 Yeah. 354 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:13,960 You're well, it gets better. 355 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:14,960 Yeah. 356 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:19,160 Your wealth is rotting away and your fine clothes are light are moth eaten rags. 357 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:21,520 Your gold and silver are corroded. 358 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:27,240 Your very wealth that you're counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. 359 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:28,240 Yummy. 360 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:33,160 Their corroded treasure that you have hoarded and will testify against you on the day of 361 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:39,760 judgment for listen, hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated their 362 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:40,760 pay. 363 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:46,680 The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord, of the 364 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:49,080 Lord of heaven's armies. 365 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:52,640 Call back to prophets and Taurus with that language. 366 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:59,040 You have spent your years on earth in luxury satisfying your own desire. 367 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,960 You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 368 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:09,080 You have condemned and killed innocent people who do not resist you. 369 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:10,560 Great way to end the podcast. 370 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:11,560 Right? 371 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:12,840 And that's the end of this week's episode. 372 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:14,840 No, I was just kidding. 373 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:18,560 Well, but to your point, like misinterpreted, because I think people will read the first 374 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,080 part and they're like, listen, listen to James go after the rich people. 375 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:25,400 I was like, okay, but he actually defines like what these rich people are doing. 376 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:26,400 He does. 377 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:27,400 Right? 378 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:28,400 He does. 379 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:34,040 And what James does is in verses, so verses one through three, he's talking about how 380 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,560 all you've accumulated is worthless. 381 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,320 At the end of the day, you're not taking it with you. 382 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:40,320 Very much ecclesiastical. 383 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:41,320 Right? 384 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:42,320 Yeah. 385 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:43,320 Yeah. 386 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:45,720 He's very much, he's actually, he is echoing back to ecclesiastics. 387 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:46,720 Right. 388 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,800 And I think that this thing is meaningless a little bit here. 389 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:55,760 And so he's saying like, if you just basically take this, you do what the person who was 390 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:59,200 given the one talent did and bury it in a field, right? 391 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:00,200 Hide it away. 392 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:01,200 Right. 393 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:02,200 Right? 394 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:03,400 It's just going to rot away. 395 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:07,440 And then he goes on and he talks about why that is. 396 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:11,000 And then he talks about how you've cheated field workers of their pay. 397 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:12,000 Yeah. 398 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:13,000 Right? 399 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:19,920 And how you have spent your years in luxury satisfying your own desires and you've condemned 400 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,800 and killed innocent people who do not resist you. 401 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,960 Like, he's talking about how like, okay, you've stolen from the people who work for you. 402 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:31,480 You've even had them condemned, killed, probably imprisoned if you're talking about that, because 403 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:36,480 that was a pretty common practice was to imprison those who had massive debts that they owed 404 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:37,480 you. 405 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:38,480 Right? 406 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,160 And so there's all these things, like basically you're saying, I'm fattening myself up and 407 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:46,120 I'm going to like give you a little bit to make make myself look good. 408 00:17:46,120 --> 00:17:51,480 But really, the Lord is here and he's saying, no, everything that you have is mine. 409 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:54,200 I want to talk about peace. 410 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:58,600 I think I think that it's a little it's a little too common in the American church. 411 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:01,960 Now I want to specify. 412 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:04,800 I know many, many generous people that go to the American church. 413 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:05,800 Yes. 414 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:10,440 So like this is not a topic about individual churches or places that I've been. 415 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:13,720 This is a trend across the across the nation. 416 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:14,720 Yeah. 417 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:21,520 A lot of our charitable giving is given out of sometimes out of obligation. 418 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,400 But it's also like to feel better about yourself. 419 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:25,400 Yeah. 420 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:28,440 Rather than in recognition of all that God has done in your life. 421 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:33,080 Like, one of the things about the whole idea of the tides is that you take, you know, let's 422 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:34,640 just say 10 percent. 423 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:38,560 We have conversations about how that's actually not what the New Testament is asking you to 424 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:41,120 do is actually be generous with everything you have. 425 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:43,280 But let's just take the 10 percent. 426 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:44,280 Right. 427 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:48,520 And you take this 10 percent and it's a recognition that, hey, 100 percent of this belongs to 428 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:49,520 God. 429 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,360 100 percent of this is produced by God. 430 00:18:51,360 --> 00:18:53,680 Every single thing I have in my life is produced by God. 431 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:59,680 And I'm giving back 10 percent in recognition and appreciation for the other 100 percent 432 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:01,680 that's been put in my life. 433 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:02,680 Right. 434 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:06,360 Instead of like the saying of like, OK, well, if I give you my 10 percent, then what am 435 00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:08,520 I going to get? 436 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:09,520 Well, you already got it. 437 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:11,680 Breath in your lungs. 438 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:13,560 Family at your side. 439 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:15,080 Some of us a house we can sleep in. 440 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:16,280 Food in our belly. 441 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:17,280 Yeah. 442 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,440 Like if you have a job and you're gainfully employed, like you've already got it and you 443 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:22,200 have the presence of the Holy Spirit inside of you. 444 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:23,200 Mm hmm. 445 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:24,200 What do you mean? 446 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:25,200 What are you going to get? 447 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:26,200 Mm hmm. 448 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:27,200 You got a lot. 449 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:28,200 Yeah. 450 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:32,360 And it is a height of arrogance to be then be like, well, what else? 451 00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:34,400 How are you going to motivate me for this? 452 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:35,400 Right. 453 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:40,080 And then we wonder why God opposes the proud. 454 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:41,080 Mm hmm. 455 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:42,440 It's because it's real stinky. 456 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:43,440 Yeah. 457 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:47,480 It's real stinky when you're when you are a blessed people, a blessed person, and you 458 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:50,760 use that blessing to oppress the very people you're supposed to bless. 459 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:51,760 Yeah. 460 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:55,800 So going back once again to Torah, Genesis, Chapter 12, God says to Abraham, he says, 461 00:19:55,800 --> 00:20:00,960 I'm going to bless you so that all nations would be blessed. 462 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:06,160 How repugnant is it then when Israel holds a blessing for themselves? 463 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:10,840 And how insulting is it to God when God blesses you and you don't bless others? 464 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:11,840 Right. 465 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:12,840 Right. 466 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:16,280 Because I mean, backing all the way up to Genesis one, one and two, when it talks about 467 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,560 the creation of mankind, it talks about how we're made in his image. 468 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:20,560 Yeah. 469 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:21,560 Right. 470 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:25,720 So when you withhold that blessing, you're actually insulting the very image of God. 471 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:27,960 So the other side of that is incredible. 472 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:29,840 So I want to use a real real life story. 473 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:36,720 So my son, James, is he's got a really big heart, but he went to. 474 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:39,880 He went to like a preschool thing. 475 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:40,880 Right. 476 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:47,280 And he had gummies and he was with his friends and he opened his gummies and he made sure 477 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:49,840 each of his friends had a gummy before he ate his own. 478 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:50,840 Yeah. 479 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:54,120 Now, I can tell you that that kid gets as many gummies as once. 480 00:20:54,120 --> 00:20:55,120 Right. 481 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:58,800 Like, because because I see the generosity flow through him. 482 00:20:58,800 --> 00:20:59,800 Right. 483 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,200 And I see the other kid who's like, well, I gave them a gummy. 484 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:04,360 So now I get three bags. 485 00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:07,680 No, that's not how that works. 486 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:09,240 Right. 487 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:11,600 Generosity is is it should be your natural position. 488 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:14,640 And if you're a person who's generous, then I want to feed into that. 489 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:15,640 Right. 490 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:19,320 I want to give you a chance to be generous with your life. 491 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:25,480 And I think the the same idea is that people who are generous people in and I'm not just 492 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,740 talking about finances, I'm talking about time, I'm talking about help, I'm talking 493 00:21:28,740 --> 00:21:37,840 about skills, people who are incredibly generous and God pours into and everything they do 494 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:42,680 prospers and through that prospering, they bless the people around them like through 495 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:44,080 them. 496 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:50,180 And and it's in but it's not about the prospering. 497 00:21:50,180 --> 00:21:54,760 It's about actually living a life that reflects Jesus Christ and letting it pass through you. 498 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:55,760 Yeah. 499 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:56,760 Right. 500 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:57,760 Sometimes that will be money. 501 00:21:57,760 --> 00:21:59,120 In America, we're very blessed with money. 502 00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:02,440 So in our case, we're going to have a lot of money because of the nation we grew up 503 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:03,440 in. 504 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:05,360 And so we should recognize what we're being gifted with. 505 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:06,360 Absolutely. 506 00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:07,360 And use it to bless those around us. 507 00:22:07,360 --> 00:22:08,360 Absolutely. 508 00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:11,400 I think that there is is a requirement like I'm not gonna say requirement, but there is 509 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:18,120 definitely a heavier side that we should recognize in our nation because we have so much money. 510 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:19,400 God will do other things in our lives, too. 511 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:21,420 But we have so much money. 512 00:22:21,420 --> 00:22:22,680 So we should bless. 513 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:23,680 Yeah. 514 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:26,840 I think sometimes this gets taken too far in the sense of like, hey, you're blessed 515 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:30,680 with a lot, so just give everything you have to the poor around you and then you'll have 516 00:22:30,680 --> 00:22:32,800 nothing but the Lord will take care of you. 517 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:33,800 Right. 518 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:38,280 And the issue I have with that is because the Lord's already taken care of you by blessing 519 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:39,560 you with how much you have. 520 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:40,560 Correct. 521 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:45,840 And so so you also have to remember that your family, you're called to bless them. 522 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:49,880 Like me as a husband and father, I'm called to bless and provide for my family. 523 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:50,880 Right. 524 00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:51,880 Yeah. 525 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:57,320 So so we do hold a portion of wealth for our family so that I can bless my wife and bless 526 00:22:57,320 --> 00:22:58,320 my daughter. 527 00:22:58,320 --> 00:22:59,320 Yeah. 528 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:03,900 And and then out of the excess, we give to other missions and other organizations around 529 00:23:03,900 --> 00:23:05,640 us so that we can be a blessing to them. 530 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:11,480 If I actually just in conjunction with what he's talking about is beyond the tithe, like 531 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:15,720 it actually incurs in the in the Old Testament, they talk about being generous givers. 532 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:20,960 There is a Jewish tradition that you don't tip or you don't bless more with than 30 percent 533 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:25,600 of your income because if what ends up happening is instead of actually being a blessing to 534 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:28,840 the people around you, you actually become a burden to the people around you. 535 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:32,440 So there is there is obviously this thing you have to walk back and forth. 536 00:23:32,440 --> 00:23:34,660 And so like we have obligations as well. 537 00:23:34,660 --> 00:23:36,600 And so being generous doesn't mean to get rid of anything. 538 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:40,640 Even in the in the beginning of Acts, where it's talking about the apostles and then people 539 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:43,340 are laying property at their feet and money at their feet. 540 00:23:43,340 --> 00:23:45,760 They were selling things as needs arose. 541 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:46,760 Yes. 542 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:49,280 They weren't just selling everything and bringing all the money. 543 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:57,160 They were saying, oh, Jake from State Farm is here and he needs a place to stay because 544 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:01,400 he's doing this mission with all the with all the orphans. 545 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,900 And they're like, we need to make sure that we can feed him. 546 00:24:03,900 --> 00:24:06,520 And somebody is like, oh, you know, I have an old car that I can sell. 547 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:08,680 That's definitely what they're saying in the Old Testament or the New Testament. 548 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:09,680 Right. 549 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:10,680 I have an old car I can sell. 550 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:12,800 I got like six grand that I can bring over. 551 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:13,800 Yeah, it was a Honda Accord. 552 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:18,380 Yeah, because they were all in one accord. 553 00:24:18,380 --> 00:24:21,360 There is a kid in our youth group that if he hears this podcast, he's going to laugh 554 00:24:21,360 --> 00:24:22,360 when you say that. 555 00:24:22,360 --> 00:24:23,360 Uh huh. 556 00:24:23,360 --> 00:24:30,520 But, you know, like it wasn't it wasn't, hey, I just sold my Honda because of no reason. 557 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:35,040 There was a need and I had something that I didn't that I I could do without. 558 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:39,280 Yeah, I love the way that Francis Chan, I'm going to to turn for a little bit. 559 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:44,600 Francis Chan talked about when he got the money from Crazy Love. 560 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:48,200 Then if you guys don't have it out, Red Crazy Love has sold millions of copies at this point. 561 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:51,440 So that doesn't normally happen, but you get a fairly large paycheck. 562 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:56,240 And then he turned to his wife and he's like, we didn't need this before. 563 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:57,240 We don't need it now. 564 00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:58,640 What do we do with it? 565 00:24:58,640 --> 00:24:59,760 What do we do with it? 566 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:03,560 And so they started like building like houses and like doing all the starts with stuff in 567 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:06,520 foreign countries because they were taking their money and they're putting it to work 568 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:07,960 in the kingdom because they didn't need it. 569 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:09,360 They didn't they didn't need it beforehand. 570 00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:11,760 They definitely didn't need it now. 571 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:18,880 And so like that's a that's a very tactile example of like how do you like balance this 572 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:20,360 in your life? 573 00:25:20,360 --> 00:25:21,600 Yeah. 574 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,320 But that's not who James is talking about or warning about here. 575 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:27,760 No, he's talking about the other guys who you're making a ton of money and you're not 576 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:30,080 even paying your laborers. 577 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:35,680 I had a sat in this conference one time where this the guy was he was talking about David 578 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:39,600 Pratt's book, Radical of like and the idea of being like the Lord told you to give up 579 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:41,920 everything and move would you? 580 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:42,920 Right. 581 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:43,920 That was the idea. 582 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:44,920 Right. 583 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:46,760 I mean there's more to that book but it's a rough idea. 584 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:51,680 And the amount of opposition I heard from people who were believers who followed who 585 00:25:51,680 --> 00:25:54,800 quote unquote followed Jesus was astounding. 586 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:58,440 They're like well there's nothing in scripture that says I can't have nice things. 587 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:01,320 There's nothing in scripture that says I can't be wealthy. 588 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:02,320 Yeah. 589 00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:05,480 And there's and nothing in scripture says I can't live a comfortable life. 590 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:07,480 And I'm sitting there and I'm just listening. 591 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:10,880 But in my head because I'm listening because I'm not leaving this conference. 592 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:15,520 But in my head I'm thinking I was like okay well there actually is things in scripture 593 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:21,840 that call you to give up comforts to give up things that you think you should have. 594 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:22,840 Yeah. 595 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:24,380 For the sake of the gospel. 596 00:26:24,380 --> 00:26:28,300 There is definitely a very true portion of that that we're called to experience the suffering 597 00:26:28,300 --> 00:26:31,760 of Christ so that other people are blessed. 598 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:32,880 Right. 599 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,880 Like we absolutely identify in the suffering so that other people can be blessed. 600 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:37,880 Yeah. 601 00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,680 And in this conference like how these people were responding as they were responding I 602 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,160 was like well I have all this stuff and I don't want to give it up but I'm still going 603 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:44,960 to follow Jesus. 604 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:47,880 And the speaker handled it really well. 605 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:51,600 He said well you got to understand the Lord may or may not be calling you to give that 606 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:52,600 up. 607 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:55,360 The question is if he does are you willing. 608 00:26:55,360 --> 00:27:00,520 Like if he says hey I want you to sell your house and move across the country or move 609 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:04,760 to a foreign country or go here do missions work or whatever. 610 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,880 If he calls you to that are you willing to do that. 611 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,720 Yeah and I can say for myself I would do it. 612 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:12,720 It would not be easy. 613 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:15,640 It would definitely be difficult. 614 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:20,000 Like for one thing I don't like when I don't know what people are saying. 615 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:23,200 So moving to a foreign country would be scary enough to me as it is. 616 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:25,080 I love going and checking out all these things. 617 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:31,160 I was like but if anyone was God calling I was like the decisions are being made you 618 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:34,080 know 30 years ago when I gave my life to Christ. 619 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:35,160 Right. 620 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:36,480 So that's not the conversation. 621 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:38,360 It would actually just be like it would. 622 00:27:38,360 --> 00:27:42,240 But I don't want to pretend like flippingly and be like oh I could just do it because 623 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:43,240 you know you have to. 624 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:44,240 There's a lot. 625 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:45,240 Yeah there's a lot. 626 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:46,880 There's a lot that goes into that. 627 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:50,000 Yeah and like I mean we're not talking small things. 628 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:53,280 But the Lord does call us to big things and the question is are we trusting he's going 629 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:54,840 to provide in those moments. 630 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:56,680 The second you start qualifying though. 631 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:57,680 Yeah. 632 00:27:57,680 --> 00:27:59,480 You're like well you know God just wouldn't do that. 633 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:03,200 I was like well you know people probably thought God wouldn't split the Red Sea either and 634 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:04,520 then he did it. 635 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:09,880 I you know in my my life following Jesus kind of how he's operated in my life as I was like 636 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:12,120 oh well I don't think God would do that. 637 00:28:12,120 --> 00:28:17,160 Yeah that's kind of a moment where God's like kind of kind of this can be a really bad analogy 638 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,880 and I'm probably get some flack for this but kind of like the three year old really like 639 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:25,080 hey don't touch the hot fireplace and they're like and then all they can think about is 640 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:26,520 touching the hot fireplace. 641 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:27,520 Yeah. 642 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:30,200 Like sometimes I think that that's what God does in our lives. 643 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:35,000 I was like I don't think God will do that and God's like and he's like you know what 644 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,200 you don't think I'm going to do it so I'm going to call you to that and stretch stretch 645 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:39,200 your comfort zone. 646 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:40,200 Yeah. 647 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:41,320 Show you that more things are possible. 648 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:43,120 Well but that's not okay. 649 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:44,800 Coming back to James one though. 650 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:45,800 Yeah. 651 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:46,800 Right. 652 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,120 Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds because these are actually designed 653 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:52,920 to make you into the kind of person that engages in the kingdom of God. 654 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:53,920 Yeah. 655 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:57,480 The kind of person that seeks the wisdom of God not the sees the the wisdom of the world 656 00:28:57,480 --> 00:29:00,800 the kind of person who is a doer of the word not simply a hearer. 657 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:01,800 Right. 658 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:04,920 The kind of person that submits themselves to God the kind of person that is humble in 659 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:07,320 their approach does not seek pride for themselves. 660 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:08,320 Yeah. 661 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:12,160 And so in this case you know they're the kind of people who seek justice. 662 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:13,160 Right. 663 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:14,160 Love mercy. 664 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:15,160 Yeah. 665 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:17,800 So like five five one you know this whole idea of these rich people that are like supposed 666 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:23,120 to be paying their people but they're not like if you are the doer of the word not a 667 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:28,840 hearer you're going to be enraged by this you're going to be enraged because you're 668 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:31,440 like hey this isn't who we're supposed to be. 669 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:32,440 Mm hmm. 670 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:36,800 This isn't your money is going to actually come back and actually be a story against 671 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:37,800 you. 672 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:38,800 Yeah. 673 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,720 So there's this company in Seattle this is just kind of an example I don't know if this 674 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:48,360 guy is a believer or not but he voluntarily he had this growing company he voluntarily 675 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:52,960 cut his salary down to 70k a year and said OK I'm going to pay all of my employees at 676 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:55,040 least 70k a year. 677 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:56,120 Right. 678 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:59,760 And everybody thought he's crazy this business model is not going to work all this stuff 679 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:04,000 but he said I'm going to he's like I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure my people 680 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:05,880 are compensated well. 681 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:07,360 All right. 682 00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:11,960 And he did that I think it was six or seven years ago in his company I think has like 683 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:19,120 quadrupled in size since he's done that since he said OK yeah like I'm I'm going to be yes 684 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,080 I'm still their boss I'm still the owner but I'm going to make sure they're getting paid 685 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:23,520 close to what I'm getting paid. 686 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:24,520 Yeah. 687 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:25,520 Right. 688 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:26,520 And I'm going to make sure they're fairly compensated. 689 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:27,520 Right. 690 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:28,520 Right. 691 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:32,720 They're there is also there's a thing when people see that you're treating other people 692 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:37,400 fairly that you're treating them with worth that you're treating them with value things 693 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:38,400 change right. 694 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:39,400 Right. 695 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:43,480 Like he he went from creating a company and he's just from the news articles I've read 696 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:45,580 I've never been there so it's just from what I've read. 697 00:30:45,580 --> 00:30:48,640 So there might be there's probably more to the story I don't know but he went from creating 698 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:51,700 he went from having a company that was just like any other company to a company where 699 00:30:51,700 --> 00:30:53,240 people wanted to be. 700 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:54,240 Right. 701 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:57,040 Because he saw value in them. 702 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:58,480 Right. 703 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:05,640 What if like can we as believers take a page from that playbook of like how do we because 704 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:09,560 if we want to be generous people one of the things we have to do is we have to see the 705 00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:12,040 people around us through God's eyes. 706 00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:13,480 Right. 707 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:17,840 Because if we see the people around us as beautiful creations of God people who are 708 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:25,280 created in God's image people who are loved dearly as we are loved dearly it changes our 709 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:26,880 whole perspective on money. 710 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:31,800 Well and this is why it becomes really important that you understand the breadth the depth 711 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:33,800 the width of God's love. 712 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:34,800 Yeah. 713 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:40,240 Because I think there are a number of Christians who do I think in their mind see people through 714 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:43,240 God's eyes but they still see everybody through judgment. 715 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:44,240 Right. 716 00:31:44,240 --> 00:31:49,560 Like they still see they still see the world through a lens of judgment not of and they 717 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:53,320 only see the judgment they don't see the the love of God. 718 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:54,320 Yeah. 719 00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:57,240 And in scripture there's not a disconnect between money and love. 720 00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:58,240 Correct. 721 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:02,680 Like and I think we often in the church we disconnect those two which I think honestly 722 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:07,280 is a grave mistake but that's a I think that's a lot of churches nationally. 723 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:08,920 You unwrap that a little bit. 724 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:10,320 The disconnect between money. 725 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:11,320 Yeah. 726 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:15,840 Sometimes we say hey we love people right and then we then when we get into looking 727 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:21,040 at the church books we're like oh well we can't actually find ways to support or love 728 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:24,960 people with our money we need to make sure just make sure our pastors are paid fairly 729 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:32,240 or we need to make sure the buildings kept up or so on so forth right. 730 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,760 And I think I've talked to you about this too but like if I was given the choice of 731 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:41,720 going to a church that had a pristine building put on a good show every Sunday or a church 732 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:45,000 with a rundown building that loves people well I'm going to a church with a rundown 733 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:46,800 building that loves people. 734 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:47,800 Right. 735 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:53,520 Because the reality is the gospel is not tied to how well our building looks it's not tied 736 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,880 to the production we do it's tied to how well we love. 737 00:32:56,880 --> 00:32:57,880 Sure. 738 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:02,000 And so a lot of times what we do though is I see what you're talking about with the disconnect 739 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:05,240 between love and money where we say we love somebody but we you know this is what James 740 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:09,920 was talking about earlier is like listen I really hope you do well. 741 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:10,920 Bye. 742 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:11,920 Yeah. 743 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:14,280 So we're both musicians right. 744 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:15,280 All right. 745 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:19,080 Let's let's take this for example we have at our church what it's like a seven or eight 746 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:20,960 hundred dollar keyboard. 747 00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:21,960 Yeah right. 748 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:24,480 Okay. 749 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:28,320 The church if they wanted to could have been like we want the nicest keyboard possible 750 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:33,000 so we're going to go spend 10 20 grand for a setup or whatever even you spend upwards 751 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:36,160 of 100 grand on keyboard setups if you really want to. 752 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:37,560 Right. 753 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:43,200 For most people for 95 percent of the people they are not going to hear the difference 754 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:46,760 between a hundred thousand dollar keyboard and an eight hundred dollar keyboard. 755 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:47,760 Correct. 756 00:33:47,760 --> 00:33:48,760 Right. 757 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:49,760 So then the question I would pose. 758 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:50,760 Especially not in the room that we have. 759 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:51,760 Yeah. 760 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:54,360 I mean yeah our room is actually pretty horrible for us. 761 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:55,360 Yeah. 762 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:56,920 Which most churches are by the way. 763 00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:58,200 Most churches are not designed. 764 00:33:58,200 --> 00:33:59,200 Yeah. 765 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:01,160 They're not designed for a sound. 766 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:02,160 Yeah. 767 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:06,320 So but the so then the question is asked like why would you want to spend 100 100 grand 768 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:09,400 on a keyboard or 10 grand on a keyboard when eight hundred dollar one is going to do the 769 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:14,960 job just going to do the exact same job and perform the exact same level of ministry. 770 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:15,960 Correct. 771 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:16,960 Yeah. 772 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:17,960 Right. 773 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:19,200 Like there's a level of stewardship there. 774 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:23,320 Now the flip side of that is you don't buy something that's seven hundred dollars that's 775 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:24,320 not going to do the job. 776 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:25,320 Exactly. 777 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:26,320 Like that. 778 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:27,320 That's actually poor use of money as well. 779 00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:29,520 If it costs a thousand dollars it costs a thousand dollars. 780 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:30,520 Right. 781 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:31,520 Yeah. 782 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:36,760 That's 100 percent right. 783 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:40,880 And just to unpack this a little bit further I did this I did the math on this one time 784 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:43,920 for a church because I was because they were talking about like well how can we love people 785 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:44,920 better. 786 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:51,600 And we laid out like how many paid hours and volunteer hours go into just producing Sunday. 787 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:57,240 And I think it came out to like 350 hours total just for just to make Sunday morning 788 00:34:57,240 --> 00:35:01,040 happen and that was every week every week between. 789 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:02,800 And this was a church is about 800 people. 790 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:06,180 They had three services like they had a lot going on. 791 00:35:06,180 --> 00:35:11,040 They had a fair amount going on but came out to about 350 hours a week. 792 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:15,360 That included your children's volunteers Sunday youth minute Sunday morning youth ministries 793 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:21,340 worship team tech greeting pastor prep time for preaching hope like all of it. 794 00:35:21,340 --> 00:35:25,320 So then the question for the church became like OK how can we lessen this by 50 hours 795 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:30,280 a week and spend those 50 hours in a community loving those around us. 796 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:31,280 Right. 797 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:32,280 Right. 798 00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:33,280 So like again that's valuing time. 799 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:34,280 That's about in time. 800 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:37,760 You do the same thing with money but you have to connect these all back to how do we love 801 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:42,320 God well and love the people around us because I know I know plenty of churches where they 802 00:35:42,320 --> 00:35:47,280 put on a great show but the people walk in feeling unloved and they walk out feeling 803 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:50,720 unloved. 804 00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:56,640 So I'm going to quote something that I heard earlier this week and I I'm going to misquote 805 00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:57,640 it. 806 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:05,520 It's like originally the church existed as a community and then then it became recognized 807 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:12,200 as an entity and then it became an institution and now most of what it does is produce out 808 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:14,000 institutionalized content. 809 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:15,440 Right. 810 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:19,800 And so what like you know dealing with the recognition under Constantine and then institutions 811 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:30,000 isolation institution institutionalizing that's the word in the the Caesars that came 812 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:32,000 afterwards right. 813 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:36,920 The Roman the Roman leaders to where that it became like now this it's like this religious 814 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:41,240 persona that you put on it's no longer driven by community and we took the church out of 815 00:36:41,240 --> 00:36:43,760 the homes and we put it into these buildings. 816 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:44,760 Right. 817 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:48,960 The church the Ecclesia is not a building and it never has been a building it's been 818 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:54,440 a group of people gathered together for purposes that you know they used to all be in their 819 00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:58,080 homes and the apostles would go from place to place to place to place to talk and share 820 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:02,880 the news so that they would be but they were gathering together for fellowship and prayer 821 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:06,920 and relationship and they were going out and they were living this out in the way that 822 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:07,920 they lived. 823 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:12,080 Now I don't think that there's a there's a issue with us having a Sunday morning service. 824 00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:15,400 I think that's a good way for 100 125 people to get together. 825 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:16,400 Yeah. 826 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:17,400 Right. 827 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:21,520 I think that's a good problem that the church does too full but in a way it's a good problem 828 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:24,200 that church outgrew the home because that means there are more and more people are coming 829 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:25,200 to Christ. 830 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:26,200 Correct. 831 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:29,520 Where I think we went wrong is we then took the church out of home. 832 00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:37,040 Yeah we said the music speaking the show is church. 833 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:38,040 That's not church. 834 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:42,280 Church is the people of Christ actually living the kingdom out into the world and this is 835 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:45,720 what James is getting back into and like obviously we've got a little bit away from the rich 836 00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:47,040 oppressors idea. 837 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:48,520 But this is what James is talking about. 838 00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:52,480 He's like he's like you that are like building off the backs of other people and you that 839 00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:56,560 aren't paying your your coworkers like you need to get back to the reality which is living 840 00:37:56,560 --> 00:38:01,120 the kingdom among you getting into those places where you're going to have trials and they're 841 00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:06,520 going to refine you where you're going to be a doer of the word not simply a hearer. 842 00:38:06,520 --> 00:38:07,520 Yeah. 843 00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:10,900 And I think you can actually tie this back into churches because I think there are churches 844 00:38:10,900 --> 00:38:15,120 out there where where the pastor does build it off the backs of volunteers and doesn't 845 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:16,700 appreciate what they do. 846 00:38:16,700 --> 00:38:17,700 That's true. 847 00:38:17,700 --> 00:38:18,700 That's true. 848 00:38:18,700 --> 00:38:19,700 All right. 849 00:38:19,700 --> 00:38:22,680 I think that is at least I can think of one church I've been a part of where that was 850 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:23,680 the case. 851 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:26,000 There's probably more churches like that than we were. 852 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,280 We are comfortable admitting. 853 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:32,560 And when you're building it off a church a pastor's persona I heard a heard a statement 854 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:33,560 once it was a church. 855 00:38:33,560 --> 00:38:37,680 They didn't have a lot of people maybe 60 70 people but this pastor been pastoring them 856 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:42,600 for 40 years and they said I just don't know what this church is without them. 857 00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:49,880 And I was like well that's a terrible thing to have on your legacy. 858 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:51,400 Right. 859 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:56,560 You know I would hope you know a lot of the churches like if they're seeing your pastor 860 00:38:56,560 --> 00:39:00,540 disappear tomorrow I don't know if they know what to do. 861 00:39:00,540 --> 00:39:04,680 And then that's not a place you want to be because that's not a collaborative spirit. 862 00:39:04,680 --> 00:39:09,080 Every ministry I've worked worked for and I've done a lot of interim work in my life 863 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:13,240 but every ministry I've worked for like my goal has been to build it up to where my jobs 864 00:39:13,240 --> 00:39:14,240 are relevant. 865 00:39:14,240 --> 00:39:15,240 Right. 866 00:39:15,240 --> 00:39:19,560 I should be able to step away from my job and the effect that it'll have on that ministry 867 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:21,600 is little. 868 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:27,080 Right because there's enough people taking the reins that they could carry it forward. 869 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:31,820 And I think one of the things churches and ministry leaders should do a better job at 870 00:39:31,820 --> 00:39:33,600 is appreciating their volunteers. 871 00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:34,600 100 percent. 872 00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:35,600 Right. 873 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:39,920 I mean I lead a ministry and I struggle with that too. 874 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:44,040 Like every week how do I better appreciate my volunteers. 875 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:45,040 Right. 876 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:49,120 And I think one of the big ways that church leaders can do that is just be more intentional 877 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:52,520 on just doing life with them. 878 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:54,640 And doing life with them with no strings attached. 879 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:55,640 Right. 880 00:39:55,640 --> 00:39:59,440 Like so if those volunteers step out you're like hey I'm still going to do life with you. 881 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:00,920 Right. 882 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:03,720 I think that's a huge way. 883 00:40:03,720 --> 00:40:08,160 I heard one pastor years ago say talk about this and he is like church leaders he's like 884 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:10,240 we have to do better than pizza parties. 885 00:40:10,240 --> 00:40:11,240 Yeah. 886 00:40:11,240 --> 00:40:12,240 Right. 887 00:40:12,240 --> 00:40:13,840 Like we have to do better than the once a year pizza party. 888 00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:14,840 Thank you. 889 00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:15,840 I spent 100 bucks. 890 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:16,840 Right. 891 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:18,840 Or 200 bucks or whatever on you. 892 00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:22,680 So you got to find better ways to appreciate. 893 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:25,240 Well not everybody's gonna feel appreciated with pizza either. 894 00:40:25,240 --> 00:40:26,240 No. 895 00:40:26,240 --> 00:40:27,240 Yeah. 896 00:40:27,240 --> 00:40:32,500 So wrapping this up here I want to hit this last section of James because this last section 897 00:40:32,500 --> 00:40:36,280 before next week of James starting in verse seven. 898 00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:40,240 So this idea of like hey you're fattening yourself up for the day of slaughter. 899 00:40:40,240 --> 00:40:42,240 You've condemned and murdered the innocent one. 900 00:40:42,240 --> 00:40:43,320 Those who are not opposing you. 901 00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:47,560 And so then how do you live in this world where justice is not yet being served. 902 00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:51,360 And also how are you patient for what what God is doing in other people's lives because 903 00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:53,260 it's not going to happen automatically. 904 00:40:53,260 --> 00:40:57,300 So he says be patient then brothers and sisters until the Lord's coming. 905 00:40:57,300 --> 00:41:01,820 See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop patiently waiting for the 906 00:41:01,820 --> 00:41:03,200 autumn and spring rains. 907 00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:07,700 You too be patient and stand firm because the Lord's coming is near. 908 00:41:07,700 --> 00:41:10,840 Don't grumble against one another brothers and sisters or you will be judged. 909 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:12,500 The judge is standing at the door. 910 00:41:12,500 --> 00:41:15,280 Brothers and sisters as an example of patience in the face of suffering. 911 00:41:15,280 --> 00:41:17,540 Take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 912 00:41:17,540 --> 00:41:20,240 As you know we count as blessed those who persevered. 913 00:41:20,240 --> 00:41:23,800 You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. 914 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:25,880 The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. 915 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:30,320 Above all my brothers and sisters do not swear not by heaven or earth or by anything else. 916 00:41:30,320 --> 00:41:32,880 All you need to say is a simple yes or no. 917 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:35,000 Otherwise you will find yourself under condemnation. 918 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:38,880 Okay so that's where we're going to end today because we're going to talk about the prayer 919 00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:42,120 of faith in the next episode. 920 00:41:42,120 --> 00:41:45,560 But this whole idea of like you're living in a world that's not just now. 921 00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:48,140 Now that 100 percent means that we need to stand firm. 922 00:41:48,140 --> 00:41:50,300 We need to go stand in the middle of chaos right. 923 00:41:50,300 --> 00:41:53,160 Which means that we need to bring justice to the world. 924 00:41:53,160 --> 00:41:57,000 But ultimately God is the one who fights the battles where our job is to go stand firm. 925 00:41:57,000 --> 00:42:01,120 That's coming back to Ephesians and Paul talking about the armor of God right. 926 00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:03,400 And our war is never against people. 927 00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:05,600 So stop talking badly about people. 928 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:10,600 Our war is always with spirits and principalities and you know reigns of evil. 929 00:42:10,600 --> 00:42:13,440 Like stop attacking people. 930 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:14,440 Stop it. 931 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:15,440 Yes. 932 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:16,440 Stop it. 933 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:19,440 We need to stop it. 934 00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:21,160 I don't have anything besides stop it. 935 00:42:21,160 --> 00:42:24,800 Like it's not our place to stand in judgments. 936 00:42:24,800 --> 00:42:26,680 That's God's job. 937 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:31,200 There is a growing concern for me in the church where the Christians are trying to do God's 938 00:42:31,200 --> 00:42:33,480 job. 939 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:36,320 Rather than doing what we've been commissioned to do. 940 00:42:36,320 --> 00:42:38,200 Right. 941 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:40,300 We need to let God's job be God's job. 942 00:42:40,300 --> 00:42:43,120 There's a reason he's in that job and we're not. 943 00:42:43,120 --> 00:42:45,360 You know. 944 00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:48,480 But this commission we go everywhere we go. 945 00:42:48,480 --> 00:42:50,060 We make disciples. 946 00:42:50,060 --> 00:42:53,480 We teach them to obey the things that God has taught us to obey. 947 00:42:53,480 --> 00:42:55,840 And then we know that he's with us everywhere we go. 948 00:42:55,840 --> 00:43:00,000 And when you judge it speaks more about yourself than the other person. 949 00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:01,000 It so does. 950 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:02,000 It so does. 951 00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:06,800 When you stand in that seat of judgment you're taking that on yourself and people are looking 952 00:43:06,800 --> 00:43:07,800 at what you're doing. 953 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:10,000 They're not looking at what the other person's doing. 954 00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:14,860 And so we need to step out of that seat and just say Lord here like give that seat back 955 00:43:14,860 --> 00:43:15,860 to the Lord. 956 00:43:15,860 --> 00:43:19,760 And we need to step back into the how am I going to bring the kingdom to these people 957 00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:20,760 around me? 958 00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:25,200 How am I going to love them well with the love that the Lord's bestowed upon me. 959 00:43:25,200 --> 00:43:26,200 Yeah. 960 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:30,280 And if I do have issues maybe I should build a connection with that person and earn the 961 00:43:30,280 --> 00:43:32,840 right to have correction in their life. 962 00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:33,840 Right. 963 00:43:33,840 --> 00:43:37,320 Learn to see life a little bit from their perspective so that I can bring correction 964 00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:39,600 in the place of relationship. 965 00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:41,680 Yeah. 966 00:43:41,680 --> 00:43:44,180 So we got a Q&A coming up pretty soon. 967 00:43:44,180 --> 00:43:48,400 So I want to make make mention of that just so that everybody is aware. 968 00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:51,440 And I'm sure that we've prompted a few questions in this episode. 969 00:43:51,440 --> 00:43:55,480 So if you have any thoughts after listening to this please send us at love and context 970 00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:56,480 at Gmail dot com. 971 00:43:56,480 --> 00:43:57,480 Yes. 972 00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:00,640 You can receive it there or you can comment on any one of our social media posts. 973 00:44:00,640 --> 00:44:03,640 We receive them there too and I usually just write down the questions. 974 00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:07,040 Somebody actually tagged us in Instagram and I saved the tag so that we can talk about 975 00:44:07,040 --> 00:44:08,640 it in a Q&A post. 976 00:44:08,640 --> 00:44:09,640 Yeah. 977 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:10,640 Awesome. 978 00:44:10,640 --> 00:44:11,640 Yeah. 979 00:44:11,640 --> 00:44:12,640 Love it. 980 00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:13,640 Till next time. 981 00:44:13,640 --> 00:44:14,640 Till next time. 982 00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:17,380 And that's a wrap for today's episode of Love and Context. 983 00:44:17,380 --> 00:44:21,300 We hope you enjoyed this engaging conversation and gained valuable insights into the powerful 984 00:44:21,300 --> 00:44:23,280 message of love within the Bible. 985 00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:26,400 We'd love to hear from you and continue the conversation. 986 00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:31,000 Connect with us by sending us your questions, thoughts, and suggestions to loveandcontext 987 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:32,780 at Gmail dot com. 988 00:44:32,780 --> 00:44:37,380 We greatly appreciate your feedback and ideas for future episodes. 989 00:44:37,380 --> 00:44:41,640 Stay connected with us on social media for updates, behind the scenes content, and additional 990 00:44:41,640 --> 00:44:42,640 resources. 991 00:44:42,640 --> 00:44:47,480 You can find us on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook at Love and Context. 992 00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:50,480 Don't forget to hit that follow button to stay up to date with the latest episodes and 993 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:52,600 join our growing community. 994 00:44:52,600 --> 00:44:55,040 Thank you for being part of the Love and Context family. 995 00:44:55,040 --> 00:44:57,940 Remember, love is at the heart of it all. 996 00:44:57,940 --> 00:45:02,840 Until next time, keep seeking wisdom, embracing love, and living out your faith in the context 997 00:45:02,840 --> 00:45:21,840 of today's world.