1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,320 Welcome to the God's Goodness podcast, where our mission is to encourage as well as highlight 2 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:14,760 God's goodness and modern-day miracles. 3 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:17,880 We are your hosts, Josh and Shelley Hankins. 4 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:24,800 Today we have with us Annette Nucles, and she is going to share a little bit of her life 5 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:29,280 and God's goodness in it, and she's going to start us off with a little prayer. 6 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:30,920 Father God we come before you. 7 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:35,880 I believe that you will have full reign in everything said and done, giving you glory 8 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:41,480 and honor for a testimony of what you can do in people's lives. 9 00:00:41,480 --> 00:00:43,520 And first of all, I give you thanks, God. 10 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:44,520 You're so awesome. 11 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:46,040 You're so incredible. 12 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:51,520 And I thank you for being in this podcast today, Lord God, and we praise you and give 13 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:53,680 you honor and glory in Jesus' name. 14 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:54,680 Amen. 15 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:55,680 Amen. 16 00:00:55,680 --> 00:01:02,480 So, we were at a lady's luncheon with the greeters one time, and I heard you speaking, 17 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:06,280 and I haven't gotten to spend a lot of time with you at ladies' events, because you're 18 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:10,320 like me, a social butterfly, and you talk to a little bit of everybody. 19 00:01:10,320 --> 00:01:16,160 But the way I heard you speaking, I'm like, she has got the spirit inside of her, and 20 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,360 the experiences that fill her, I don't know. 21 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,160 But the way you spoke, I just wanted to hear more. 22 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:27,680 And God's leading me to all the right people to invite on this show. 23 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:34,240 And I just wanted to invite you and just get to know you more, and I can't wait to hear 24 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,720 what the Holy Spirit is going to have you share with us. 25 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:42,720 So we're just going to have a conversation and just get to hear from you and just share 26 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:43,720 what you got. 27 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:44,720 Well, praise God. 28 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:46,600 I'm humbled. 29 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:52,800 How I got saved was just tired of the mundane life I was living. 30 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:58,920 And it was just one night I was drinking a beer, and I said to God, I said, if you are 31 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,200 real, reveal yourself to me. 32 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,040 And that's exactly what he did. 33 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:10,560 And so I threw away the beer, and the next day they had kingdom here from South Hills 34 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,880 where they had kids come up and they painted their face. 35 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:18,880 And I remember coming back from shopping, and I had a slight hangover, and I remember 36 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,240 sticking the key in the door and something said to me. 37 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:26,080 And I didn't know it was the spirit which is gone. 38 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:27,280 He said, go up on the hill. 39 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,680 I'm thinking, no, I'm going to go lay down. 40 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:31,920 And they said it again. 41 00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:33,200 They said, go up on the hill. 42 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:38,240 So I took my son's hand and walked up on the hill, and this was in Arlington Heights. 43 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,480 And the woman said, hi, how are you doing today? 44 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:41,960 And I said, I'm fine. 45 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:43,680 And I said, my name is Annette. 46 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:48,040 And at that time it was Abbott introduced him to my son, Chris. 47 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:53,120 So she said, well, let me introduce you to Pastor Rick, and she said, this is Annette 48 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:56,400 Abbott, and let me introduce you to her. 49 00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:02,400 And he said to me, he said, oh my gosh, she said I worked with the Henry Abbott, which 50 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:07,640 was my ex-husband's brother from Verizon. 51 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:09,480 It was Bell Telephone at that time. 52 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,560 And I said, oh my gosh, you're kidding me. 53 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,720 But this is not just a just of it. 54 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:23,440 He, oh my gosh, our God, orders our steps, and we don't even know that back then. 55 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:30,560 Pastor Rick back in the 60s, when he was a hippie, had a bandana on. 56 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,000 Picked up my twin and my other sister Thelman. 57 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:38,120 And he gave us a ride, and he dropped us off and said bye, but he wasn't saved then. 58 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:44,080 And I said, oh my gosh, he said, I have a picture of all three of you back then. 59 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:45,600 Are you kidding me? 60 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:47,440 That had to be God. 61 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:48,440 Yeah. 62 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:53,520 And he's six months into being at South Hills, he pulled out that picture, and my face was 63 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:55,080 right in the middle. 64 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:58,520 And you could see half of my twin's face, but you couldn't see my other sister. 65 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:03,240 I said, oh my gosh, I'm telling you. 66 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:08,560 So anyhow, he says, we have a van that picks up people, and we'll come and get you. 67 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:10,320 And I said, okay. 68 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:13,360 So they came up to get me that Sunday. 69 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:15,600 And I remember going there, sitting there. 70 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:17,240 I can even remember what I had on. 71 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:23,520 I had canvas top, white tennis shoes with a pair of light jeans, and a sat silk green 72 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:24,520 shirt. 73 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:28,680 And I'm sitting in the pew, nobody in front of me, nobody on the side. 74 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:34,120 And I'm sitting there, and I thought, oh no, here we go again with this coldness in the 75 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:35,120 church. 76 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,080 And I got ready to get up and leave. 77 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:46,080 And as I, oh my God, before I could get up and leave, the Holy Spirit said to me, worship, 78 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:47,080 praise me. 79 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:53,760 And in that moment, I lifted my hands and started praising him. 80 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:58,680 I don't even know what was even, I was saying to him, I was just tears were flooding down 81 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:00,720 my face, and I'm crying. 82 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:06,360 Oh my gosh, I had never experienced that in life. 83 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:12,640 I grew up in a church, but it wasn't like, it was a Methodist church, but we were the 84 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,000 choir, and it was a little different. 85 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:16,440 It was just odd. 86 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:23,040 And then my aunt and my cousin's grandmother were sitting in the back of the church, and 87 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:24,040 they're drinking. 88 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:29,160 So I said, if God is like this, why not come to church? 89 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,600 So that was my scene in church. 90 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:36,880 But when I came there, it was a life changing experience. 91 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:45,400 Oh, it was like water running down, or let's say the oil running down Aaron's beard at 92 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:46,760 that moment. 93 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:54,000 And I just remember, oh my gosh, but even when I left there, I thought, man, this is beautiful, 94 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:59,760 but you still have not been delivered and set free from some of your bondages. 95 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:05,160 So you think, I was kind of thinking, well, I was doing God a favor by coming to church. 96 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:06,840 I thought he was up there. 97 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:10,360 Oh, you get brownies. 98 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:11,920 I mean, you're ignorant. 99 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:13,640 You don't know that. 100 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,560 And I thought, well, I'll come whenever I feel, but he's not going to be in your sinful 101 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:18,560 life. 102 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:19,840 You can still go drinking. 103 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:24,600 I'm telling you, I just about got killed from an ex-born friend. 104 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:30,240 Back then I went to see him and he was mad because I went to see my ex-husband's uncle 105 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:33,280 and I was talking to him and then I went over to see him. 106 00:06:33,280 --> 00:06:37,920 Well, he beat me so bad, it was just horrific. 107 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:40,480 I had my forehead was out like that. 108 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:42,560 Both eyes were black. 109 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:44,080 My earrings were ripped out. 110 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:49,560 And so I finally got out of there and I went to my mom's and the cops came, they took pictures 111 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:50,560 and everything. 112 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:56,040 And you just don't know when you get saved that you need to be delivered. 113 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:57,040 And it's a process. 114 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:03,480 It's like an onion, which you peel back, it's layers and you don't get saved instantly. 115 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:10,200 So with that being said, the next day I stayed at my mom's and a friend of theirs came over 116 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:15,160 and both of my eyes were black and my forehead was just, I was just disfigured. 117 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:17,760 And I remember him saying, you're beautiful. 118 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:19,200 You want to come and see my heart. 119 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:20,600 He thought, this is it. 120 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:22,440 I've had enough. 121 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:23,440 You know, I'm going home. 122 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:25,520 So I said to the mom, I'm going home. 123 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:31,440 So I'm sitting on the bus, going home, trying to cover up the scars with a hat that kind 124 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:33,880 of covered up my face a little bit. 125 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:40,040 But I knew in that instance, a young kid was sitting like across from me and I'm trying 126 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:41,400 to hide it. 127 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:43,600 And I knew it was God. 128 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:45,440 You know his voice. 129 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:51,040 He was saying to another person, he said, I would never beat my woman like that. 130 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:54,080 And tears of emotion. 131 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:57,720 Just I just sobbed because I knew it was God. 132 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:00,480 God was, I mean, I would never harm you like that. 133 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:01,480 So I went home. 134 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:02,480 I said, that's it. 135 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:07,640 I gave up the beer and it took a little while, maybe eight months and to be in saved to give 136 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:10,040 up the cigarettes and everything. 137 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:16,800 Once I gave it up, that was it and I went after God with everything that was in me and 138 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:21,520 he changed my life from that life to this life. 139 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:29,040 And I would never change anything that he has done, even though I'm so grateful that 140 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:33,120 he loved me that much to pull me out of the muck and the mire. 141 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:37,120 And even when I got saved, he showed me times when I was with you. 142 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:38,320 I was with you in that. 143 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:39,320 I was with you with that. 144 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:45,320 Oh my gosh, I'm so grateful and so humbled that he loved me that much to want to change 145 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:49,720 me and I've been saved almost 33 years and it's still a journey. 146 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:51,040 It's a process. 147 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:57,080 You still got maybe some roots that need to be brought up that have hurt, rejection, persecution, 148 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:58,080 whatever. 149 00:08:58,080 --> 00:08:59,480 And you're still growing. 150 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:02,440 And I thank God for this. 151 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:03,760 And I'm just grateful. 152 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:09,920 And I thank you, Shilly and Josh and your little ones for even wanting to know God's 153 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:12,720 people and what they've been brought through. 154 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:14,360 That's an honor and a privilege. 155 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:18,480 And I just want to say thank you and God bless. 156 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:19,480 Thank you. 157 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:24,800 I've got other motives as well as reaching out for other people's stories and it's because 158 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:30,720 I feel a lot of us feel very alone in our sin and a lot of us feel very alone in our journey 159 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:35,840 and that nobody else knows what exactly we're feeling and what exactly we're going through 160 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,640 or what exactly our burdens are. 161 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:42,960 And when we reach out like this and we hear your story, we find out how many other people 162 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:44,040 can relate. 163 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,840 How many other people now all of a sudden don't feel alone. 164 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:51,720 They don't feel like they are the only person is suffering from whatever affliction that 165 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:58,320 they have, manmade, circumstance made, whatever it is, self inflicted injuries, alcoholism, 166 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:02,240 drugs, pornography, whatever it is, but they're not alone. 167 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:08,480 And I want more people to share that because I think it gives hope an era of our time right 168 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:11,960 now where hope seems to be on short supply. 169 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:16,040 And I know that if you have Jesus, that you have joy, that you have hope, that you have 170 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:17,880 all these, but you still are human. 171 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:22,120 And so the flesh is weak and so we can lose hope so quickly. 172 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:27,040 Jesus is speaking to the men in the boat, have you so little faith. 173 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,440 And again, it's not a measure of quantity of faith. 174 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:32,920 These men were laying on hands and people and watching Jesus who think they knew they 175 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:36,080 had that faith, but the duration of their faith, right? 176 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:39,000 It was a little bit of time and so it was so easily forgotten. 177 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:43,920 So once we get to our fleshy selves and we're away from church or away from the fellowship 178 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:48,520 and we're alone and isolated, the enemy attacks us, which is another reason why marriage is 179 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:53,200 such a wonderful institution because we're two or more gathered in my name there I am 180 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:54,200 with you. 181 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:58,240 And when you're married, you have two or more always in your name, always your part, you're 182 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:01,160 like two become one, you're always two people. 183 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:04,680 There's nothing he can, he tries to separate marriage so bad, look at America. 184 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:09,440 This is a godless, it used to be a country founded on God, but I could safely say that 185 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:14,440 we're in a god, a godless country and that we were being punished not by God, but by 186 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:20,600 our actions, that the consequences of our actions are just running havoc. 187 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:25,720 Right in another podcast, when I had fasted, she was encouraged to do it, but not when 188 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:26,720 I was doing it the first time. 189 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:28,760 So after I'd finished, she wanted to do one. 190 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:31,840 And when I shared it with her, she was doing something that was like 10 times less than 191 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:32,840 the time that I did it. 192 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,320 And that's like, that's crazy. 193 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:39,480 When I went into the kitchen the next morning, it occurred to me, God give me a revelation 194 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:45,120 that when you're married, fasting, praying, doing things, the other worshiping is 10 times 195 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:49,520 more powerful, exponentially more powerful than when you're by yourself. 196 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:53,800 And that's why when the enemy sees like my son, he sees easy pickings because he's by 197 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:54,800 himself, right? 198 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:55,800 That's why we're here. 199 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:57,560 He's not easy pickings. 200 00:11:57,560 --> 00:12:00,120 But when he sees the two of us, he passes. 201 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:01,480 He's not as quick to go after it. 202 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:06,040 I was in the military and if I saw a guy by himself, I'd take him out. 203 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:12,360 But if I saw a squad of guys, 40 of them, I'm not touching that until I can isolate them 204 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:13,360 and take him out. 205 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:15,720 And so the enemy's playing it, it's a break his up and I love your story. 206 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:17,000 I love that you shared it. 207 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,200 I love that you have some things in common with other people. 208 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:25,880 I hope that people can learn from your experience that they can at the very least not feel alone 209 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:31,120 and that you've encouraged somebody by just experiencing something and then experiencing 210 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:36,440 God and then experiencing God a little bit more and understanding that when we experience 211 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:39,480 God that that's not the end of it, right? 212 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:41,040 And that we're going to have a low moment. 213 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:42,360 We're going to have a dark period. 214 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,160 We're going to have something that we don't desire and that we're going to experience 215 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:46,160 God. 216 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:50,000 And the older we get, the more mature we get, the easier it is to recognize God in our 217 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:51,000 life. 218 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:52,000 And that's not always the case. 219 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:53,840 Sometimes you're young and you get it. 220 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:54,840 Kudos to you. 221 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:55,840 That was not me. 222 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:59,720 So I'm still learning things from God and most of my best lessons are from God and I'm 223 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:01,040 very grateful for you. 224 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:03,040 I love watching you worship. 225 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:04,240 I love watching you up there. 226 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:05,240 I love watching your hands come up. 227 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:06,880 I love seeing a joy in your face. 228 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:07,960 Oh my goodness. 229 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:08,960 It is. 230 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:09,960 And again, that's not me either. 231 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:11,280 I don't hoot and holler at sporting events. 232 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:13,000 I don't hoot and holler anywhere. 233 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:17,800 I'm only here because she's here and so it's not how God made me. 234 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:19,320 But I love watching other people do it. 235 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:21,120 I love watching the joy in their face. 236 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:22,720 I just absolutely love it. 237 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:23,720 You're an absolute treat. 238 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:25,280 You guys are wonderful people. 239 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:26,880 I really appreciate you. 240 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:27,880 Thank you. 241 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:31,920 This reminded me of Ephesians 2, 10. 242 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:34,200 For we are God's masterpiece. 243 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:38,960 He has created us a new and Christ Jesus so we can do the good things He planned for us 244 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:40,460 long ago. 245 00:13:40,460 --> 00:13:45,120 Really for anyone who's just new to, it's not an overnight thing. 246 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,760 It's a total, it's a process. 247 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:50,560 Like an onion peeling back the layers. 248 00:13:50,560 --> 00:13:55,080 And God's just so gentle with us and just takes us and guides us gently with the right 249 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:57,440 people, the right circumstances. 250 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:00,040 And He wants us to build relationships with others. 251 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,280 He doesn't want us to go through life alone. 252 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:06,680 And I've found that the more relationships, the good ones, you've got to be with the right 253 00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:08,000 people. 254 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,120 But the better your relationships, the better your opportunities actually. 255 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:15,360 And you know, a more fulfilled life. 256 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:21,600 And for anyone who thinks it's like an overnight thing, it's not because we are all sinners. 257 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,880 And we have a lot of work to do on all of us. 258 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:27,960 And it's definitely not an overnight thing. 259 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:33,160 And it's very encouraging, you know, that there's more people that are willing to be 260 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:37,000 authentic and share their testimonies with us. 261 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:42,720 And I love it that we can come together and learn lessons that He wants us to learn. 262 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:45,680 I do have a question for you, Annette. 263 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:50,560 When you were at your lowest, I'm going to assume your lowest was after being beaten, 264 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:52,720 that you were still drinking. 265 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:56,760 And how far away did you feel from God at that point in your life? 266 00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:59,600 I always knew He was there. 267 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:07,960 But when you drink, the enemy is able to come in and tell you, oh, look what you've done. 268 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:09,320 He doesn't love you. 269 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:15,120 And I remember going through that stage at that point, drinking and laying down and Him 270 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:17,440 saying, He don't love, look what you did. 271 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:23,920 And crying so hard that my eyes were closed shut because I was sobbing because I believed 272 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:31,640 and lied that the enemy was telling me, but once I turned it over and He delivered me, 273 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:33,320 I didn't go back. 274 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:34,320 Let me share this. 275 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:40,840 I did go to my mom's one weekend and I figured, well, I could have one beer. 276 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:45,280 You know, so I go into the refrigerator and I pop, oh God, it's so good. 277 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:48,880 And I popped the beer and my mom said, I had another room. 278 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:50,160 I thought you wasn't drinking. 279 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:52,160 I put the beer back in the refrigerator. 280 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:54,160 I thought it was a door. 281 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:55,160 I knew it was God. 282 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:58,840 That was my way out and I never went back. 283 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,160 And that's what people struggle with today. 284 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:05,360 They keep going back and more you go back, the worse it gets. 285 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:10,120 Because you got to remember, when you invite the enemy and the demons come and you got 286 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:13,400 70 times 70, they're just coming in. 287 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:16,120 So you can't go back. 288 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:20,360 And that's why each day you have to ask God, please check me. 289 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:24,520 Not so much individuals, check your heart, check your walk. 290 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:26,920 And when you're walking with Him, He's not going to leave you. 291 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,320 The Bible says, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. 292 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:31,880 So He's always there. 293 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:37,240 But sometimes we don't always feel His presence, but He's always there. 294 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:42,840 When you cry out, say, God, I need you, you may not feel Him, but He's there. 295 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:43,840 I'm so thankful. 296 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:45,400 That's all I can say. 297 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:46,400 I'm grateful. 298 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:51,560 A good reference I use for that is He's actually closer to you in those moments that you don't 299 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:53,680 see or feel Him. 300 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:57,560 And a good way to think of it is, you know, put your nose against the door and what can 301 00:16:57,560 --> 00:16:59,400 you tell me is in front of you? 302 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:00,400 I can't tell. 303 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:01,400 It's just blurry. 304 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:02,400 I can't see anything. 305 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:03,400 My side is limited. 306 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:04,400 There's nothing. 307 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:05,400 I feel trapped. 308 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:08,640 But if you take four steps back, you will recognize that it's a door. 309 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:10,720 You'll see the handle, you'll see the hinges, you'll see the frame. 310 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:14,000 You'll recognize the grain of the wood, the paint. 311 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:17,560 And that's the way that God is, is that when we're under weakest, He doesn't leave us 312 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:18,560 at our weakest. 313 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,880 He doesn't stand farther away to see how far the leash is. 314 00:17:21,880 --> 00:17:25,880 He's the closest to us in a posture of hugging, you could say. 315 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:31,040 Like right there, that we're face is barium and we can't see Him because we're too close. 316 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:35,600 And if we realize that that's where He is, that posture of a loneliness of ours will 317 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:38,240 shift dramatically. 318 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:41,480 And I think that is something that more people should lean into. 319 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:43,680 And hopefully they know about it now. 320 00:17:43,680 --> 00:17:50,160 I just want to say I thank God for the body of Christ because the Bible says iron softens 321 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:51,160 iron. 322 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:57,280 And going to prayer each morning has helped me leaps and bounds to know that God's people 323 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:58,760 really do love you. 324 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:02,840 They do care they're going to come alongside you when you're struggling, you're having 325 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:03,840 battles. 326 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:05,520 They're there for you. 327 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:12,120 And I'm so humbled and honored by Pastor Pete and Elaine and Pastor Luke and Brea, all 328 00:18:12,120 --> 00:18:17,680 the body and all of them that come to prayer that we all just come together. 329 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:20,480 I never experienced that in the former churches. 330 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:21,600 I didn't know that. 331 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:25,120 I gave people love, but it never came back. 332 00:18:25,120 --> 00:18:26,560 And it was hard. 333 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:33,600 But when I came here and I thank God for the greeting, oh my gosh, when I first came here, 334 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:37,000 that love like, oh my God, I never felt that. 335 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:38,000 I never experienced. 336 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:43,440 And then love, I mean, by the time I got into the sanctuary, feeling his presence so strong, 337 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:45,040 I was so grateful for that. 338 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:49,080 I didn't know what that was, but I said, oh my gosh, I want that. 339 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:53,080 And I had that from the body of Christ in the doorway. 340 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:56,800 So I was so grateful and I'm so, oh my gosh, I'm so excited. 341 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:57,800 That's amazing. 342 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:02,280 You know, the Bible talks about people that would come together, break bed, pray together, 343 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,960 and be of one mind, not as in like, I believe that yellow is the best color, red is the 344 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:06,960 best color. 345 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:10,920 So it's one mind with Christ, one mind in the body, one mind to help others that you 346 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:15,320 get some people out there think, I don't need to go to church because it's not in the Bible. 347 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:16,560 Yes and no, right? 348 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:19,920 It's not in the Bible as church, because we are the body of Christ. 349 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:21,200 We are the church. 350 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,560 And therefore going to church, quite literally being fellowshipping. 351 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:25,560 Yeah. 352 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:26,560 Right? 353 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:29,200 So if I'm going to church, what I'm doing is I'm going to fellow believers. 354 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:32,960 I'm going to the body believes the Bob and I'm fellowshipping. 355 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:36,440 And I just love that you are sharing that experience with fellowshipping because I think 356 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:39,320 it is so important for us to stand together. 357 00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:43,040 You know, if I told you the story about how when you're a wife and a husband, you're like 358 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:48,920 a platoon of people, what do you think happens when you have a hundred people and 30 married 359 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:51,120 couples in that hundred people? 360 00:19:51,120 --> 00:19:56,440 Like this becomes quite the war machine for God against the spiritual powers of the enemy. 361 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:57,440 Right? 362 00:19:57,440 --> 00:19:58,440 It's not against people. 363 00:19:58,440 --> 00:19:59,440 It's not against holidays. 364 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:02,120 It's not against anything but the enemy. 365 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:06,640 And we stand together, arms locked, and just like a battlefield medic, if somebody goes 366 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,960 down or right there, right there with them and we have them up because we want full fighting 367 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:12,280 strength against him. 368 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:16,400 And I think it's just wonderful that you shared the fellowship aspect of it. 369 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:17,400 Yeah. 370 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:19,920 The enemy wants us isolated for sure. 371 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:24,520 And when you come to different church events, not just Sunday, like Sunday, you get in, 372 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:28,760 you worship, you listen to the sermon, but you don't get to really know people because 373 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:30,760 everybody wants lunch. 374 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:34,760 They're angry or they want to watch a football game or whatever. 375 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:39,640 But like those extra nights that are available, go out and get to know the people with those 376 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:43,440 activities because they're meant to build those relationships. 377 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:47,880 And then we're stronger in our faith and then we grow as individuals and then we can be 378 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:52,120 a blessing to others and God can use us to be blessings. 379 00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:56,560 So people are missing out when they don't show up. 380 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:57,720 So I know I've been blessed. 381 00:20:57,720 --> 00:20:59,760 I tried to come to everything I could. 382 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:01,120 I would sign up for things. 383 00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:03,440 I didn't even know what we were going to do. 384 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,640 I'd be like, I'll be there and then I'll figure it out when I get there. 385 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:07,640 Thank you for that. 386 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:08,640 Yeah. 387 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:10,200 Sometimes he gets invited too. 388 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:11,800 So team Hankins. 389 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:22,000 So, man, like there's so many lessons and just by a few minutes of talking and that's 390 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:23,000 good. 391 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,000 Do you have anything else you want? 392 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:26,080 These don't have to be long. 393 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:29,640 And this won't be the only time I have you on because I'll ask you to come on again 394 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:32,800 and we'll have always been led you to more stuff. 395 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:34,480 So we can do whatever we want. 396 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:36,920 We can do like short podcast, long podcast. 397 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:38,320 So if that's all. 398 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:39,320 Yeah, Joseph's long. 399 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:41,040 Joseph's like an hour. 400 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:42,040 That was my limit. 401 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:43,200 And it's not that I don't love Joe. 402 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:44,200 I love Joe. 403 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:45,200 I know. 404 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:46,680 But like other people's attention stands. 405 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:48,400 I also sort of have projects. 406 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:52,000 My wife has projects and I get impressed into the labor of said projects. 407 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:55,160 Like if I need something planted, I need to have you plant this. 408 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:56,400 I need to rephrase it. 409 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:58,000 I don't have time for my own hobbies. 410 00:21:58,000 --> 00:21:59,000 You got to do hers. 411 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:00,000 Yeah. 412 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:01,480 That's teamwork. 413 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:02,480 Yes. 414 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:04,480 And teamwork makes the dream work. 415 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:05,480 That's right. 416 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:09,840 Apparently God loves that ability because you know, when I did children's ministry here, 417 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:14,560 Kayla prayed about it and my name came up in her prayers. 418 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:17,840 She had no idea that I'd done a children's ministry in the last two churches I was at. 419 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:21,720 I was thinking I'm just going to sit here and enjoy the show. 420 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:22,720 Right. 421 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:24,720 And that did not happen. 422 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:26,440 She's like, Hey, how about children's ministry? 423 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:29,120 My head is going absolutely not. 424 00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:32,360 It's not going to happen, but I will go to prayer about it. 425 00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:35,720 And I prayed about it and I thought, I don't like that. 426 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:38,600 So I walked away from that prayer and then I came back the next time. 427 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:40,600 The same answers like, come on, really? 428 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:42,720 Like you're not going to let this go. 429 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,480 And so I was like, all right, Kayla, I'll do it. 430 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:47,560 I don't want to, but I'll do it. 431 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:52,600 Well, if this podcast or any of the podcasts have been a blessing to you or, you know, 432 00:22:52,600 --> 00:22:55,320 someone came up in your mind, just share this with them. 433 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:59,120 Pass it along and hopefully it can be a blessing to them. 434 00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:03,880 And if you'd like to come alongside us with our little ministry here, we have a fundraising 435 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:06,320 campaign in the Give, Send, Go account. 436 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:10,320 Look up God's goodness podcast and you can make a donation to help us pay for the audio 437 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:14,120 editing because I tried to learn that and that did not bring me joy. 438 00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:18,160 So we outsource that to a gentleman in Ukraine. 439 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:22,280 So if you could come alongside us with that, that would be a blessing as well. 440 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:25,360 So thank you and we'll talk to you next time.