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Welcome to the God's goodness podcast where our mission is to encourage as well as highlight

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God's goodness and modern-day miracles.

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We are your hosts, Josh and Shelley Hankins.

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Today we have with us a very special couple.

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We are honored to have Pastor Pete, Giacalone and his wife Elaine.

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Pastor Pete is the head pastor at our church of South Hills Assembly of God and we are

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just honored to have him with us finally on this podcast and we'll let them open our

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episode with an opening prayer.

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Father, it's more than just a cliche when it's declared God is good.

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So Father, we pray that for those who are listening today, Lord, Father, we pray a right

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word in due season.

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Thank you for Shelley.

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Thank you for Josh.

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And Father, we just commit these next moments, Father, dependent upon the person of your

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Holy Spirit to speak words of life, to speak words of encouragement, to speak words of

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healing, to speak words of comfort.

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We thank you for your amazing anointing in Jesus' name.

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Amen.

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Amen.

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Thank you for that.

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You're welcome.

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So where would you like to start?

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Well, you know, when you asked some time ago about doing this podcast, God's Goodness

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podcast, I thought to myself, the theme of my life and not only as far as the theme of

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my life with God, but this all started with Elaine and that's the reason why it was so

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good.

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So if I can take you back from the moment I got saved, I always had devotions.

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Devotions were very important to me.

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I was told get in the book, read the book, study the book, know the book.

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And then what happened is when I started dating, I vowed that my dating life would always evolve

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around the word of God.

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So no matter who I was dating, if they couldn't be part of the word, then they weren't going

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to be part of my life.

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Fair enough.

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Yeah.

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So when Elaine and I started dating, we had devotions.

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That was this, we prayed before every day, the moment we got in the car, Lord, thank

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you, direct this guide is be with us.

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And we started reading the word together.

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And one day we were reading the word and we happened to be in Matthew chapter six.

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For me, Matthew chapter six is the father heartbeat of God, the fatherhood of God.

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And we were wrapping up chapter six and then in verse 33, it seemed like the words just

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jumped right off the page.

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And it says, but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things

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will be added unto you.

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And we knew there was going to be a future with each other.

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I just didn't know how God was going to provide for our lives.

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But the very moment I read that verse, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness

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and things, all these things will be added unto you.

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So immediately at that moment in time, I thought, I'm not going to be chasing anything, but

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I'm going to walk and seek God.

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And from that day, now we've been married 47 years from that day to this time, I can

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boast not about my faith, but I can boast in the faithfulness of God.

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There's a difference.

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My boast isn't in what my faith.

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My boast is in his faithfulness to me because the Bible even when we are faithless, he is

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still faithful.

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So if we get this started, everything I've always needed, everything Elaine has always

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needed, God has always provided.

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Amen.

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Yeah, I know that's right.

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We know him as Jaira.

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Jehovah Jaira.

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Very much.

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So we had 27 months and one week of no discernible income.

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We didn't lose utilities, we didn't lose the house, nothing.

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And people were like, what are you doing?

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And we were sure to tie it on everything, any money we got.

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And they're like, why are you tithing that?

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You need it.

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And it's like, well, if we don't tie it, then we run out of stuff.

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So that's a big deal.

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So we know the God of provision for sure as well.

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Amen.

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Yes, that is our motto or our scripture for our marriage.

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Remember at Bible School in Missouri, we would pray over the map of the United States because

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we didn't know where we would go.

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But we were open to anywhere in America.

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So we'd be praying.

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And when I think back to all of that today, he has been so faithful in so many a gazillion

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ways of not only just providing but healings and connections with other people.

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You know what I mean?

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And just leading and guiding our footsteps.

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I mean, he always will until we pass on.

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But we came, we had heard that Pastor Owen wanted to mother a church.

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And I had come to this church after I got saved.

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I lived right down the road.

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So I tried it out, fell in love with this place.

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Not only did God change me, but this church changed me all the more because of the love

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of the people and acceptance.

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So we came home for Christmas, his senior year of Bible College.

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And he approached Pastor Owen.

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You know, I hear down there, you're going to start a church someday.

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He goes, oh, Peter.

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Yeah, aye, aye.

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But not now.

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And he said, but I do know two other churches that need a youth pastor.

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And we thought, well, maybe that's the direction.

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Because at Bible school, professors were saying to him, go be a preacher.

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Go be the lead pastor or the senior pastor.

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You know what I mean?

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And I'm like, oh.

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Because I wasn't brought up in assemblies either, was he?

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I'm kind of scary then.

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And well, anyway, we did get interviewed by these two pastors.

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One was in Houston and one was in the north side.

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And well, anyway, it worked out that the Lord opened our door to the north side church.

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So that's where we started out here in Pittsburgh.

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We've been in Pittsburgh all these 47 years.

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The north side of Pittsburgh, we've been here at South Hills 42 years ago.

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And then we went to West Mifflin and then McKeesport.

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Oh, that's a rough neighborhood.

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Yes.

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And heard many a gunshot.

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And helicopters.

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And here we are, full circle.

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Whoever knew that we would be back here.

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Because when we left 42 years ago, you normally don't go back to a church that you've been

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at ever.

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And so I was kind of bittersweet.

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I was excited about on a grove or West Mifflin, but I knew I'd never come back because that's

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how it is.

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I'm not big in the history of this church because, you know, long time listener, first

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time caller, but not I haven't really been here a lot.

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And I mean, I've been here a lot, but not often or long.

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Just take yours.

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So what brought you back to South Hills?

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Josh, we were fully retired.

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And then again, this goes back to the provision of God.

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I fully retired that summer and I was going to start up a traveling churches again and

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just maybe do two or three churches a month or maybe just really just two churches a month.

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And I was in Michigan preaching for a friend of mine in Flint, Michigan by the name of Tommy

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Matuzzo, Flint Riverside Tabernacle.

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And I got a phone call from one of the board members here that the pastor had resigned and

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he said, Pete, will you just come and be an interim pastor for us?

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I said, sure.

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And again, I had such a free schedule.

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Things were opening.

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I was going to preach a couple more Sundays and then we were going to go through the holidays

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and then I was going to book up for the following year.

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But we felt the peace about saying yes to come be interim.

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And so we were most we were only going to be here was maybe six months.

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And during that time, the folks gathered around us and said, hey, would you stay?

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Will you put your name in?

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Will you stay indefinitely?

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So I said, well, there's procedure that you have to go through.

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So they voted.

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We contacted the district office, district office of the assembly of God here in what's

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known as the Pendel district.

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I wanted their blessings.

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And they said, yeah, Pete, we're in this.

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We think that your giftings, your talents, we believe that you can go in there and really

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help the church out at this particular time.

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So they voted on us.

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We got a unanimous vote, which, you know, it just blew us both out of the saddle.

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But again, it goes back to God's provision.

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Again, a man's step, a righteous man's steps are ordered of the Lord.

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That means that's the same for every born again believer.

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That doesn't mean that I have more righteousness than somebody else, but a righteous man's

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steps are ordered of the Lord.

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So again, going back, if I can tie this in together a little bit, when we were at the

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school, we never had enough money.

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But as you said, Shelley, just a moment ago, the provision of God, when I graduated from

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college, I graduated completely debt free.

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And it was just nothing but, again, the hand of God, God's provision.

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I was guaranteed as a teen by my dad that any college in the land, any college he would

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pay for my father had money, he would pay for it.

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But when I came and told him that I wanted to be a Pentecostal, now remember, I'm born

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raised in a Sicilian home.

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And first of all, me getting saved, that just set everybody off.

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So I was completely disowned from the moment I gave my life to Christ.

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So when I gave my life to Christ, everything was, you know, it was a game changer, a game

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breaker.

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So my dad turned me says, you're on your own.

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So at age 17.

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Now, at this time, I was at one of the finest all boy private Catholic high schools in Detroit.

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It was called Austin Catholic Prep run by the Augustinian friars and monks.

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So it was one of the best Catholic church schools in the Detroit area.

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But I just knew that I knew God's call, and I knew that I knew that he would provide.

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So we're going back and forth, you know, from 17 to 69.

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That's how old I am now.

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17 to 69.

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But throughout all of those years, my theme has been Jehovah Jireh, the God that provides.

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We weren't looking to come here at South Hills.

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It was an open door.

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We thought, okay, let's take that open door.

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So we've been here now three years.

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And we just started our fourth year as the lead pastor here at South Hills Assembly.

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So when you finally told your father you were saved, knowing that that was going to be a

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familial hardship, how hard was that to get that out and say, Hey, dad, I guess I'm going

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to tell you knowing how he felt right in an Italian home.

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Yeah, yeah.

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All Sicilian now.

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Now, so you have to see, remember, and you may not know this, but my grandfather on my

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mother's side, they ran and controlled all of St. Louis, Missouri.

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So my mother's from Missouri.

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My dad's from Detroit.

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My mom's from St. Louis.

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So my grandfather, during the days of Al Capone, they ran and controlled all of St. Louis,

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Missouri.

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My fact, my grandfather worked under Capone for a time and then went back to St. Louis

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to work with his brother and another guy.

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So they had ties.

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They were the general.

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I mean, they were not only ties, they ran St. Louis for, and those regimes weren't that

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long.

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The last name was Giannola.

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Giovanni Giannola.

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You know, him and his brother, and they literally ran all of St. Louis for a time.

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So now I'm in this all, and I was really the first one ever to marry out of the Sicilian

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family.

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So and that was a no, no, two, because you can see Elaine's not Sicilian.

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I really, I mean, he's a very Sicilian, maybe Northern Italian.

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Shelley and Josh would happen was my life, again, I was always running with the wrong

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people, always doing the wrong things, always in trouble.

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So my life radically changed when I gave my life to Christ, the drink, I never did drugs,

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but the drinking immediately left and running with the wrong people that immediately left.

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So my life was like overnight from always trouble to what's happened to you and my family couldn't

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understand it.

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I remember one time my mom even turned to me, she said, Peter, look, put that Bible down

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and I'll throw the wildest party you could ever drink.

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I'll pay for all the booze.

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I'll pay for everything.

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We just don't want you walk around with that Bible anymore.

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So the answer to your question, Josh, the only way my dad thought he could get to me was

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take away everything that was promised.

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But what he didn't realize when he did that, that forced me to trust the Lord, count it

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all joy when you go through all.

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That was a trial, a trial of God's provision.

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But like I said, from that day to this day, God has always provided.

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And Elaine can attest to this, that every church we've always went to, when we left here at

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South Hills in 1981, we didn't have money to start a church.

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We had 12 people, 12 people and a dream and a passion.

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And within a short period of time, that turned into a church of 300.

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I had 43 people on staff.

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And when we left the church, we had about 100 and so.

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It was 28,000 square feet, nine acres of property.

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And none of that was guaranteed.

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All of it was debt free.

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And it's all again.

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It goes back to Bible college.

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It goes back to when we had nothing, when he provided, when we had nothing, we knew

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he would provide.

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And here we are age 69.

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Here we are 47 years later.

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19 for the 50th time.

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Yeah, yeah.

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Right.

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Elaine was clowning around saying she's 39 again.

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You know, whatever, same thing.

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When I look back, like I said before, it was like a bittersweet.

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But you know, all the churches that we've been in, we've always known that it was God's

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will.

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It was actually eight years ago that we were asked to put our names in at this church after

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Jack's step left after 25 years.

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And we were not looking to come here at all.

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But we thought, all right, we'll test the waters just for the heck of it.

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You know what I mean?

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We just thought, anyway.

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And they searched for a pastor for what, eight months.

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They had a hundred applicants.

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And we came in second.

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And the guy that was here was voted in first.

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And we were not accepted because we were old.

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Oh my goodness.

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At 39, that's incredible.

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You know, when I look back, it just wasn't.

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You know, and that was OK because we weren't looking.

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Right.

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And it wasn't the right season.

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It wasn't time.

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And then we got that phone call three years ago.

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It was like, what?

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Because if you were too old back then and you're older now, how does that make any sense?

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Like, oh, now you're good enough.

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Like a fine wine.

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You're just getting better with each.

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When I think of Moses, he was, what, 80 when he started?

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So anyway.

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So, you know, as we look back again, it's in our relationship with Jesus Christ that

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counts Shelley.

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It's not a position.

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It's not a place.

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It's again, seeking first the kingdom of God.

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My world, our world did not fall apart.

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We were going to just stay the course.

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So, so for those who are listening right now that, you know, maybe they didn't get that

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dream job.

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Maybe they didn't get that amount of money that they wanted the need.

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I would say to them, seek first God.

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Keep God first.

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If you keep on keeping on, stay faithful.

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Stay faithful to him because he's definitely going to be remained faithful to you.

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Keep seek first the kingdom of God and all these things.

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Don't go chasing.

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You know, when we got married, I told Elaine everything that I could never provide because

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I knew what a youth pastor was going to make in the assemblies of God and it wasn't a whole

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lot of money.

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Now we always lived debt free.

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In other words, I never allowed my credit cards.

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I never, I just refused to go into debt.

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We graduated college debt free and just being a good steward.

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If I didn't have money for certain things, we didn't need it.

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That was my motto.

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If we didn't have the money, we didn't need it.

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We'll wait till we get the money.

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And God has always honored that as far as, now pledges to missions and giving to people.

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That was never a problem for us.

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I remember for the, oh, probably the first 20, 25 years of my marriage, every time I

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00:17:22,120 --> 00:17:25,720
saved up enough money because it was suits in those days.

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Every time I saved up enough money to buy a suit, God would lay in my heart to give it

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00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:33,200
to missions or give it to a missionary or give it to somebody who didn't have as much

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money as we had.

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And I would.

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And then within the very same week, someone would come up to me and say, you know, pastor,

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00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:41,920
God laid it on my heart to buy you a brand new suit.

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Or you know, pastor, we got a couple extra suits here and those suits that were given

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00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:49,480
to me, we're looking at $1,000 suits.

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I mean, these were just suits that I never could have paid for, never could afford.

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00:17:54,880 --> 00:18:00,600
So again, and it wasn't like I gave to get, I gave because I felt other people's needs

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00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:02,920
were greater than my needs.

322
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So going back when, when that door was shut, it didn't bother me.

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It really did not bother me because I knew who I belonged to and God had proven to that

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point in time in my life that he was my father.

325
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See that's what Matthew chapter six is all about.

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It's the Lord's prayer.

327
00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:23,880
It's right in the middle of the sermon amount.

328
00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:28,480
See the sermon amount starts in chapter five and ends at the beginning of chapter eight.

329
00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,240
So we got chapter five, chapter six and chapter seven.

330
00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:36,200
Jesus sermon on the mountain, but wrapped in the middle there in chapter six.

331
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They talk about the Lord's prayers.

332
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It's not really the Lord's prayer.

333
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It's the disciples prayer.

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He's teaching the people there to serve him out.

335
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This is how to pray.

336
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And in chapter six, he's talking about how much more show your heavenly father.

337
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See that's the reason why chapter six is the father heartbeat of God.

338
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And when we really have that heartbeat and we know that we know that we know that he

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00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:00,720
sees our every move, knowing that he will provide.

340
00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:07,040
And it's just been amazing Shelly and Josh, the fact that he has always provided.

341
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Every church we started, we have seen God wonderfully and gloriously pay it off.

342
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The first church debt free.

343
00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:20,880
I think we left it with 175,000 in savings and churches don't have savings account, but

344
00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:25,640
we did and we had 43 people on staff with the school, the daycare, the pregnancy center,

345
00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:28,400
the food bank, pastoral staff.

346
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God was good.

347
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People said, did you know what you were doing?

348
00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:38,840
No, every day that we were there for 16 years and God again, gloriously provided.

349
00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:42,040
And he's really good about that.

350
00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:46,320
So you've been here three years showing I've been here or two.

351
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So you've been here the entire time I've been here.

352
00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:55,480
Do you, being that you had already retired once have plans and trying to re-retire?

353
00:19:55,480 --> 00:19:59,720
Or are you like your heartbeat is in it for the moment, for the season, for however long

354
00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:00,720
that is?

355
00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:02,800
I'll let Elaine give hers and then I'll share mine.

356
00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:03,800
Okay?

357
00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:05,600
Well, this is going to be different.

358
00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,800
Yeah, we're here for a time.

359
00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:14,320
We always knew that it would be for a time, but we are, since we've been here, because

360
00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:21,560
we were here 40 some years ago, and I had seen old friends and just reconnecting again.

361
00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:28,560
But the majority of the churches, I don't know everybody, obviously, still learning.

362
00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:30,440
But there's a lot of people to learn.

363
00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:31,560
There's a lot of people to learn.

364
00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:32,560
I know.

365
00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:33,560
I know.

366
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But yeah, first season and God's, I'm not even worried whenever that time comes.

367
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I'm not because I feel I'm confident in him.

368
00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:49,520
But I'm not worried about the next step because after serving him all these years, and he

369
00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:54,280
has proven, not that he had to prove it to me, but he's always been faithful, that I

370
00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:59,280
know that I know that whatever the next step is, it will be his will.

371
00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,440
It's got a good track record.

372
00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:02,440
Yeah.

373
00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:06,520
But Josh, now going back to what your question was, I really believe it all in my heart that

374
00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:08,720
the church has to continue to grow.

375
00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:15,360
I come to realization of my age, and I'm not saying my age discredits me, but I do believe

376
00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:19,080
with all of my heart, and this would be a little hook.

377
00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:24,080
There's going to be a whole lot of great transitions coming in 2024.

378
00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:27,000
Again, we came here for one in ten.

379
00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:33,760
It was a church that was having some difficulties, and many people said, come stop the bleeding.

380
00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:36,160
So we believe God has helped us to come stop the bleeding.

381
00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:37,720
It has grown.

382
00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:38,960
He's an amazing staff.

383
00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:40,280
I am so proud of Luke.

384
00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:41,880
I'm so proud of Brie.

385
00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:47,320
I'm so proud of Kayla, Pat, Doris, and Debbie, Anthony.

386
00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:51,120
I'm proud of all of them, and we're seeing a hand of God.

387
00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:52,960
We're seeing a transition.

388
00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:59,480
So we'll be here as long as the people want us to be here, and as long as it's God's will

389
00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:00,880
for us to be here.

390
00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:06,800
But we're smart enough to know that we have to be very, very sensitive to him, to his

391
00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:09,680
presence, to his purpose, his calling.

392
00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:11,000
So I'm excited for South Hills.

393
00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:15,720
There's some exciting things that we're going to be presenting very first of the year.

394
00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:17,200
So that's not that many weeks away.

395
00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:18,680
No, it's right around the corner.

396
00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:20,120
It's right around the corner.

397
00:22:20,120 --> 00:22:22,120
So stay tuned for that one.

398
00:22:22,120 --> 00:22:24,880
I think the people are going to be excited.

399
00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:28,360
I'm happy for the team, and I see it as a team.

400
00:22:28,360 --> 00:22:31,480
I don't think any church should ever be built around one man.

401
00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:32,480
Jesus.

402
00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:33,480
There you go.

403
00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:34,480
There you go.

404
00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:39,920
You'll always be built, if he's Lord of all, then you've got a good winning combination.

405
00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:43,600
But going back to the provision, so here we are.

406
00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:45,000
We left that church.

407
00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:51,960
We're at Walnut Grove for 16 years, money in the bank for the church.

408
00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:57,040
I really didn't have a savings in those days, and God spoke to my heart and said, I want

409
00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,480
you to go into the evangelistic field.

410
00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:03,680
And Elaine turns to me and says, what do you know about being an evangelist?

411
00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:05,000
I said, I really, nothing.

412
00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:06,000
I said, what?

413
00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:07,000
And I turned to her.

414
00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:08,200
I said, what did we know about pastoring?

415
00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:09,600
We pioneered.

416
00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:15,320
We had 12 people, and that church became a church within three months time.

417
00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:20,120
Within three months time, we were running 100 people, three months time.

418
00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:27,280
And we did it the old fashioned way, prayer, fasting, knocking on doors, and we were sovereign.

419
00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:28,780
We were sovereign.

420
00:23:28,780 --> 00:23:29,780
It's unheard of.

421
00:23:29,780 --> 00:23:32,880
We were a sovereign church in three months time.

422
00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:34,920
I had an associate pastor.

423
00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:36,640
I had a youth director.

424
00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:38,520
I had a board three months time.

425
00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:39,760
That is really moving.

426
00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,800
And I have to give all the glory and the credit to God.

427
00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:47,000
Matter of fact, our theme of that church was we declare the glory of God.

428
00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,000
We kept declaring God.

429
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:55,920
So now here we are 16 years later, time to go with no guarantee of money, no guarantee

430
00:23:55,920 --> 00:24:01,920
of anything, but the faithful promises of God, the faithful promises of God.

431
00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:05,560
I had missionaries come to me saying, are you out of your mind?

432
00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,160
You're at the best place in the world in your life.

433
00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:11,680
I was in my 40s and finish out here.

434
00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:13,200
We thought we were going to retire there.

435
00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:15,800
Stay here, finish here, finish strong.

436
00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:19,960
But you know when you know when you hear God's voice and God said, it's over.

437
00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:21,560
Now I had to wait for Elaine for a year.

438
00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:23,640
So that happened in the 15th year.

439
00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:27,160
But I told her and I told the board, I said, this is my last year.

440
00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:29,960
I just want to let you know this is my last year.

441
00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:32,760
And you know, we went on to the Elaine Tournament.

442
00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:34,800
She said, how can we go on?

443
00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:37,240
Who even knows you as an evangelist?

444
00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:40,840
Because he had told me when it was, yes, he did wait for me.

445
00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:45,480
Thank goodness, because I didn't want to go.

446
00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:50,000
But within that year's time, I saw the handwriting on the walls.

447
00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:51,000
I knew it was time.

448
00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,600
But I was like, who knows you?

449
00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:54,600
How are you going to do this?

450
00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:56,600
And he goes, I already have the year booked.

451
00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:59,400
I was like, what?

452
00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:03,880
And then I was like, OK, God, if he already has a year booked, I'm not going to fight

453
00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:04,880
you.

454
00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:05,880
I'm not, this is your will.

455
00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:09,840
And it was amazing because close friends said, yeah, come preach.

456
00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:11,960
And then it was booked the following year.

457
00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:16,880
But I remember the very first church we went to, I mean, we booked 50 out of 52 weeks.

458
00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:22,120
We tried to keep Christmas free and usually Easter free and then try to have some kind

459
00:25:22,120 --> 00:25:23,240
of vacation time.

460
00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:27,760
But I remember the very first church we went to was Easter Sunday morning.

461
00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:29,640
I'll never forget it.

462
00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:31,680
The pastor forgot the love offering.

463
00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:35,840
So I mean, we're going to start living on this now.

464
00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:36,960
And we're driving home.

465
00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:37,960
The kids were with us.

466
00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:40,480
I preached the morning, the evening.

467
00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:44,040
And as we're headed home, Elaine turns and she goes, well, how did we do today?

468
00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:46,600
Meaning, what did we make?

469
00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:47,600
What came in?

470
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,440
You know, when I pastored, I had a set salary.

471
00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:52,280
And I prayed a quick prayer.

472
00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:54,440
I said, God, help me.

473
00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:57,160
Because again, I said, well, not too good.

474
00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:01,240
I said, let's wait and see what comes in tomorrow in the mailbox.

475
00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:05,400
And she whispered to me, she said, I don't know if I can live like this.

476
00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:06,400
But you know what?

477
00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:14,080
From that day to the day we left the evangelistic field, the provision of God was just absolutely

478
00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:15,080
amazing.

479
00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:18,120
And yes, checks did come in that week in the mail.

480
00:26:18,120 --> 00:26:21,520
People that, you know, hey, Pete, God laid you on my heart.

481
00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:23,320
So again, seek first.

482
00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:26,880
You know, some people say, when I have enough money, I'll get started.

483
00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,680
I say, if you got God, that's enough to get started.

484
00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,360
Yeah, I can attest to that.

485
00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:34,840
We had that same phrase for tithing.

486
00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:35,840
Okay.

487
00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:37,920
You know, when people say, I don't have the money to tithe.

488
00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:40,520
If you don't have the money to tithe, you'll never have the money to tithe.

489
00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:44,720
You tithe now in faith and he provides.

490
00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:48,320
And the first time we'd tithe, the first time we'd gone to church, I don't know how many

491
00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:50,240
years and we didn't tithe.

492
00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:52,240
The money was tithe.

493
00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:54,880
And then I remember telling her, I think we should start tithing.

494
00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:58,120
And I was really nervous to tell her that because we'd never talked about giving money

495
00:26:58,120 --> 00:26:59,120
away before.

496
00:26:59,120 --> 00:27:00,960
I thought this is not going to go over well.

497
00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:04,200
And I didn't know that God had already talked to her because as soon as they brought it

498
00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:08,960
up, she was like, okay, no fight back, no pushback, no conversation, just okay.

499
00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:11,560
I was like, that was the easiest fight I ever had.

500
00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:13,800
Like God fought it for me before I even got there.

501
00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:17,280
And you know, how long was it before I got laid off?

502
00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,400
Like right after that, I got laid off from work.

503
00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:24,120
Shortly after we started tithing, I was like, oh man, I was always tithed on the unemployment.

504
00:27:24,120 --> 00:27:28,640
Only to find out that I was laid off incorrectly.

505
00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:34,040
And they paid me back for, what was it, two months worth of work?

506
00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:35,640
And how much was it again?

507
00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:38,160
The take home was over $6,000.

508
00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:39,400
Wow.

509
00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:40,680
And so we tithed on that.

510
00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:46,720
And I had a very clear message from God on that, basically saying thank you for tithing.

511
00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:50,160
And I will give back 10 to 100 fold.

512
00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:54,280
So he also made it very clear that this was not an everyday thing, just because I tithed.

513
00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:55,720
He's not going to keep doing this everyday.

514
00:27:55,720 --> 00:28:01,440
This is just his way of saying, I see you, I hear you, I know you, and this is acceptable.

515
00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:05,600
And that's his way of giving back to me in the very beginning to make it so that there's

516
00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:07,480
no way we'll miss tithing.

517
00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:09,720
We don't care.

518
00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:14,520
You know, Josh, again, like I talked about suits and I really didn't make that great

519
00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:15,520
of money.

520
00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:17,560
We made money that we could live in a home.

521
00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:19,280
We could have a car.

522
00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:20,280
We could always provide it.

523
00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:26,680
As a matter of fact, our second or third year of marriage, we had a home built.

524
00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:31,640
Again, because our credit was so good and we brought a brand new car, but again, those

525
00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:33,720
were on credit.

526
00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:35,680
The bank and us owned the house.

527
00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:37,160
The bank and us owned the car.

528
00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:39,920
But God always provided, always provided.

529
00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:43,560
I remember one time Elaine was praying for a second car.

530
00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:45,440
Now it just was not in the budget.

531
00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:47,640
She was praying and praying and praying.

532
00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:49,440
She said, can we have a second car?

533
00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:51,760
I said, well, the greatest cop out.

534
00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:53,680
Let's pray about it.

535
00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:54,680
Let's pray about it.

536
00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:57,160
It sounds like the greatest cop out, but it really is not.

537
00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:00,160
It is the greatest asset any Christian has in his arsenal.

538
00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:01,160
There you go.

539
00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:05,280
So I said, let's pray about it so I can buy time because I knew I didn't have the money.

540
00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:06,560
I really didn't.

541
00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:07,560
And she did.

542
00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:12,840
She started praying like a prayer warrior and out of the blue, a dear friend comes up

543
00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:16,400
to me and says, hey, I want to give you a car.

544
00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:17,720
You want to give me a car?

545
00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:19,320
He goes, I want to give you a car.

546
00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:20,320
His name was Rocco.

547
00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:22,800
Oh, Rocco, dear, dear friend.

548
00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:25,360
And it was a five speed Honda.

549
00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:27,040
So I knew Elaine couldn't drive that.

550
00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:29,560
She's not getting the manual.

551
00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:30,840
Yeah, no, no.

552
00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:36,320
So she got the family car, all right, which was a nice minivan.

553
00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:38,600
That was the days of minivans.

554
00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:45,760
And as time was going on, you know, I had, we got the title transfer and that weekend

555
00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:46,960
I'm driving around.

556
00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:49,840
So I've only had the car two days now.

557
00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,480
Nice sharp car, fast.

558
00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:54,400
It was a lot of fun to drive.

559
00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,080
Monday morning, I'm pulling into Walnut Grove.

560
00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:58,640
We're at Walnut Grove at the time.

561
00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:02,480
Pulled in, the building was over 100 feet long, 100 yards long.

562
00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:04,520
It was a football field long.

563
00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:06,200
Pulled up around the circle, parked.

564
00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:11,000
And as I'm getting out of my car, I noticed that my daycare director, who was a single

565
00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,840
mom at the time, her and her son was getting off public transportation.

566
00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:20,840
And that was only a 50 foot walk from my car to the front of the door to get into the church

567
00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:22,840
facility.

568
00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:29,640
As I was walking to the door, I said, God, I'll give her the car today, today.

569
00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:35,640
But to make sure it was God, I went into the sanctuary and I prayed for a solid hour.

570
00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:36,640
And here I am.

571
00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:40,760
I've only had the car two days and I'm going to give away my wife's car.

572
00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:41,760
You understand?

573
00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:44,040
I better make sure I heard from God on this one.

574
00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:48,400
So I thought, you know, God's just, he's just testing me.

575
00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:49,400
That's all.

576
00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:50,400
That's all.

577
00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:51,400
It's just a test.

578
00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:53,360
She can't drive a stick.

579
00:30:53,360 --> 00:30:59,880
And so again, it was a 100 yard walk down the hallway and I'm going to the daycare area.

580
00:30:59,880 --> 00:31:00,880
And her name was Marge.

581
00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:05,600
I said, Marge, can you drive a stick and thinking she's going to say no?

582
00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:08,400
And God's just testing me to see if I'm faithful.

583
00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:11,280
She goes, oh, pastor, I love sticks.

584
00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:13,560
I thought, well, there you go.

585
00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:14,760
How would you like a car?

586
00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:17,120
And she started crying immediately.

587
00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:20,120
And that night, you know, we used to have family devotions.

588
00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:24,760
And that night I waited till after dinner before I announced to Elaine that I gave away the

589
00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:28,240
car that we've only had for two days.

590
00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:29,920
And I'll never forget it.

591
00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:35,280
As we have family devotions, I thought, great, she won't kill me in front of the kids.

592
00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:38,160
So as we're closing in prayer, I said, kids, guess what?

593
00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:42,380
We get to give away our car and the car we just prayed for.

594
00:31:42,380 --> 00:31:44,880
And we get to give it to Miss Marge.

595
00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:48,520
And I looked over at Elaine and thought, uh-oh.

596
00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:50,680
And Elaine felt how?

597
00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:54,400
I was not happy.

598
00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:56,920
The kids were happy.

599
00:31:56,920 --> 00:32:00,680
And my husband goes, let's go around the circle and pray and let's just thank God that we

600
00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:02,040
could do this for her.

601
00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:04,440
And we did.

602
00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:08,520
And as the kids were praying, now they were very young at that time.

603
00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:13,080
And they were so joyous and so happy for her.

604
00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:16,720
And I'm like, I felt terrible.

605
00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:17,720
Quite about me.

606
00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:18,720
Yeah.

607
00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:20,360
But I didn't have that joy.

608
00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:22,800
I mean, yeah, I prayed for that.

609
00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:26,800
But she took a bus all the time, everywhere.

610
00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:28,280
And here I am boo-hooing.

611
00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:30,760
You know what I mean?

612
00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:36,920
I felt bad that I wasn't like my children as a child, excited and happy.

613
00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:42,200
And I had to repent and ask God to forgive me because I was happy for her.

614
00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:43,200
You know?

615
00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:51,400
And shortly thereafter, maybe a month after, we, a lady had asked my husband to come to

616
00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:52,800
the hospital to see her.

617
00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:55,720
And she was in her mid-80s.

618
00:32:55,720 --> 00:33:02,000
And she had shingles, but they put her in Alzheimer's ward.

619
00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,720
And she goes, I got to get out of here.

620
00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:06,680
It's like, get me out of here.

621
00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:07,680
Well, he did.

622
00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:09,680
He got her out because she was fine mentally, you know?

623
00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:11,920
And, well, anyway.

624
00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:17,400
And she had said to him, you know, I have a car that I can't really drive anymore.

625
00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:19,840
She goes, could you drive it for me?

626
00:33:19,840 --> 00:33:21,240
Like out of the blue?

627
00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:24,120
And he's like, you go ahead.

628
00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:25,120
You tell her.

629
00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:31,360
How the story goes is, it was, truthfully, I don't mean to correct Elaine on the air,

630
00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:33,640
but it was really just about a week or two later.

631
00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:35,160
It wasn't really a month.

632
00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:36,520
It was about a week or two later.

633
00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:39,560
I'm making hospital visits and I'm visiting this lady.

634
00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:40,880
And she was an amazing lady.

635
00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:42,800
She had no family really.

636
00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:44,840
And she told me, she says, I'll make you a deal.

637
00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:50,680
If Elaine, and Elaine was brought into this right away, if Elaine takes me grocery shopping

638
00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:54,280
and Elaine takes me to the doctors and yada, yada.

639
00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:56,840
And she knew she did not know I gave a car away.

640
00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:59,080
She didn't know we were needing a car.

641
00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:02,280
So she said, would you help me out?

642
00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:03,960
We said, I said, sure, Anna.

643
00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:10,240
So you should see, and this car, her car, was a brand new Chrysler Fifth Avenue, New

644
00:34:10,240 --> 00:34:11,360
Yorker.

645
00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:13,080
It was a solid black car.

646
00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:16,800
I mean, this was myriads over the car.

647
00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:21,160
I mean, this other car couldn't even stand in the shadows of this car.

648
00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:22,520
And it was automatic, right?

649
00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:24,040
So she could actually drive it.

650
00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:26,440
And it was sleek.

651
00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:27,640
Spoke hubcap wheels.

652
00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:31,440
I mean, this thing, there was not another thing you could do with this car, not another

653
00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:34,000
bell, not another whistle.

654
00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,360
It had it all.

655
00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:39,800
So we hung on to it for a number of months.

656
00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:43,440
And Elaine lived up to her bargain, took her to the grocery store.

657
00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:44,720
And then one day I said, you know what?

658
00:34:44,720 --> 00:34:45,880
We better take the car back.

659
00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:48,720
So I pulled up in the driveway, and I'll never forget it.

660
00:34:48,720 --> 00:34:50,880
She goes, she really got mad at me.

661
00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:56,120
She said, Pastor, when I want that car back, I'll tell you.

662
00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:58,720
I said, oh, OK.

663
00:34:58,720 --> 00:35:02,600
And we hung on to that car for 15 years.

664
00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:04,160
15 years.

665
00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:06,120
And here's the amazing thing.

666
00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:09,560
As we reached out to meet the need of a single mom.

667
00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:12,240
See, Elaine never had a grandma.

668
00:35:12,240 --> 00:35:17,640
So as we reached out to meet the needs of a single mom and gave away that we thought,

669
00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:23,920
here's our last seed, we're going to give it away, God gave back not only another car,

670
00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:27,680
but God gave Elaine the grandmother she never had.

671
00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:31,760
And I was a daughter that she never had.

672
00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:32,760
But who knew it?

673
00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:35,600
You don't think about those until years later.

674
00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:39,520
Years later, we're connecting really like a mother-daughter.

675
00:35:39,520 --> 00:35:41,960
That was really nice.

676
00:35:41,960 --> 00:35:44,280
The whole time you were telling the story, I could only hear God.

677
00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:45,960
I could only hear what God was doing.

678
00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:47,440
I knew where you were going.

679
00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:49,040
I knew it was going to happen.

680
00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:52,000
I knew that you can't out give God.

681
00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:53,000
I mean, you absolutely cannot.

682
00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:54,000
You want a car?

683
00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:55,000
Here's a car.

684
00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:56,000
Oh, look, she needs a car.

685
00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:57,000
What are you going to do?

686
00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:58,000
Okay.

687
00:35:58,000 --> 00:35:59,000
Oh, you gave me that car.

688
00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,200
Good, because I've got something even better for you.

689
00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:02,200
Thank you.

690
00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:04,200
You know, we hear so much about seed faith today.

691
00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:06,880
I didn't give that car away to get a car.

692
00:36:06,880 --> 00:36:13,600
I gave that away because I knew that I knew I heard from my father.

693
00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:16,160
And it wasn't father, let's negotiate.

694
00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:18,400
I knew I heard from my father.

695
00:36:18,400 --> 00:36:22,160
And regardless, I knew he was going to provide.

696
00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:24,680
And I knew this was one of those that we couldn't wait on.

697
00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:26,960
You know, let's take a month and pray about it.

698
00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:32,720
And I knew that immediate obedience was necessary.

699
00:36:32,720 --> 00:36:34,440
And we never looked back.

700
00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:40,360
Even when we were on the road, the evangelist would say to my husband, you need a table.

701
00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:41,520
You need to sell books.

702
00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:45,760
Do you have any books or singing tapes?

703
00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:46,760
Okay.

704
00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:49,400
No, we don't have any of that.

705
00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:51,920
And so we made up a table.

706
00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:53,520
We tried it for a while.

707
00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:58,840
We would go to the Christian bookstore, buy up whatever was on sale, and go sell it at

708
00:36:58,840 --> 00:36:59,840
these churches.

709
00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:00,840
I hated it.

710
00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:08,680
I hated it because, yeah, they didn't have these resources in the little towns.

711
00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:13,360
But I hated standing there, like exchanging money.

712
00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:14,360
I don't know.

713
00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:15,360
I just...

714
00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:16,360
It didn't last long.

715
00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:17,920
That didn't last long.

716
00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:18,920
We quit that.

717
00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:21,440
And I even had my girlfriend make me Bible birdhouses.

718
00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:23,800
No, those flew off the shelf.

719
00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:26,040
A Bible birdhouse?

720
00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:27,040
Very nice.

721
00:37:27,040 --> 00:37:28,040
The size of it.

722
00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:29,040
Very nice.

723
00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:30,040
Anyway.

724
00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:31,040
She was very creative.

725
00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:33,120
She was a master carpenter.

726
00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:37,480
Just couldn't do it because that wasn't us or me.

727
00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:43,800
You know that we totally relied on the Lord the whole seven years.

728
00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:46,560
And we were able to put two kids through college.

729
00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:48,120
We even paid off our house.

730
00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:49,720
It was just like...

731
00:37:49,720 --> 00:37:51,920
And that's without the table.

732
00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:53,640
That's without the tables.

733
00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:54,640
You know.

734
00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:57,800
It's like God is putting that on your heart that you are miserable because that's not

735
00:37:57,800 --> 00:37:59,200
His plan for you.

736
00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:01,200
And when you followed His plan, He provided.

737
00:38:01,200 --> 00:38:06,240
But when you wanted to try to add income on your own vein, He's like, good luck.

738
00:38:06,240 --> 00:38:10,760
Now we got 16 years behind us from Walnut Grove, seven years behind us on the evangelistic

739
00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:15,440
field, and things were taking place at our home.

740
00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,200
It's just too intricate to talk about.

741
00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:21,240
So things were taking place.

742
00:38:21,240 --> 00:38:24,640
And so it was Elaine turned to me and said, you know what?

743
00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:27,120
I got to come off the evangelistic field.

744
00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:28,320
So we started praying about it.

745
00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:30,160
I'm on a golf course.

746
00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:31,160
My day off.

747
00:38:31,160 --> 00:38:32,160
I'm on the golf course.

748
00:38:32,160 --> 00:38:33,640
I'm having fun.

749
00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:36,200
And I get a phone call from Channel 40.

750
00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:42,080
Dear, dear friend, Ron Hembery, who was president of Channel 40 at that time.

751
00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:44,280
It was one of the gals.

752
00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:47,440
His secretary said, Ron wants to talk to you.

753
00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:48,440
Sure.

754
00:38:48,440 --> 00:38:50,120
So I finished my round of golf.

755
00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:53,800
And a matter of fact, I was asked to co-host a program that night.

756
00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:55,280
It was a Monday night.

757
00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:59,360
And then they said, not only do we want you to co-host tonight, we want you to co-host

758
00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:00,680
every Monday night.

759
00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:01,680
Sure.

760
00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:02,680
Why not?

761
00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:03,800
Never talked about money.

762
00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:08,520
And then it was, would you come full time here at Cornerstone Television?

763
00:39:08,520 --> 00:39:09,520
Sure.

764
00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:10,520
Why not?

765
00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:13,160
And again, I did not go looking for a position.

766
00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:15,400
I didn't go looking for a job.

767
00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:17,400
And this is so simplistic, Shelley.

768
00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:20,240
This is, and Josh, it's so simplistic.

769
00:39:20,240 --> 00:39:22,160
I believe it's God's word.

770
00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:25,320
And I don't believe it's God's word just for Pete and Elaine.

771
00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:29,080
I believe a righteous man steps or order the Lord.

772
00:39:29,080 --> 00:39:30,880
That's for Joe Schmoe.

773
00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:31,880
That's for Mary.

774
00:39:31,880 --> 00:39:32,880
That's for Susie.

775
00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:34,120
That's for Sally.

776
00:39:34,120 --> 00:39:36,240
That's for Freedom McGillicuddy.

777
00:39:36,240 --> 00:39:40,320
That's, you know, that's to whom so ever will.

778
00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:42,600
And even again, I got to emphasize this.

779
00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:48,840
Even when we are faithless, he is still faithful.

780
00:39:48,840 --> 00:39:54,440
So we went to work for Channel 40 for about two years.

781
00:39:54,440 --> 00:40:01,920
And then what happened was there was, Channel 40 hit a real law and a number of us, about

782
00:40:01,920 --> 00:40:03,960
30 of us had to be let go.

783
00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:04,960
That's okay.

784
00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:05,960
I still volunteered there.

785
00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:08,560
I'm still doing a program there to this day.

786
00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:13,440
And the amazing thing was we went to go to a church that my daughter was attending with

787
00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:15,200
her daughter.

788
00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:18,800
And the pastor came to me and said, hey, listen, I'm leaving.

789
00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:20,040
How about being interim?

790
00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:21,540
There's that interim again.

791
00:40:21,540 --> 00:40:27,000
I said, sure, we stayed 16 years in McKeesport.

792
00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:29,120
And that's where we retired from.

793
00:40:29,120 --> 00:40:30,400
Yeah, we retired from.

794
00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:34,280
And again, the church had some debt to it.

795
00:40:34,280 --> 00:40:36,200
We sought God.

796
00:40:36,200 --> 00:40:40,320
I turned to the board and said, hey, let's believe to be debt-free this year.

797
00:40:40,320 --> 00:40:42,000
I didn't take any pledges.

798
00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:44,360
I said, folks, would you pray and fast?

799
00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:47,040
Within the year, we were debt-free.

800
00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:48,040
It's just God.

801
00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:49,040
It's just nothing.

802
00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:51,800
If we will seek first the kingdom of God.

803
00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:58,200
And the funny thing was on that one, on paying off of Rainbow Temple Assembly in McKeesport,

804
00:40:58,200 --> 00:40:59,920
I was on vacation.

805
00:40:59,920 --> 00:41:02,600
Elaine and I were on vacation enjoying a getaway.

806
00:41:02,600 --> 00:41:09,600
While we were away, a business lady, God bless, turned her husband very, very well.

807
00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:11,840
She had something happen in her home.

808
00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:17,760
And she put the stipulations that she was going to give to an assembly god church.

809
00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:19,520
It had to be assembly god church.

810
00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:21,520
In McKeesport.

811
00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:23,040
And she showed up at the church.

812
00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:24,440
We were on vacation.

813
00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:26,720
She wanted to know who the board was.

814
00:41:26,720 --> 00:41:30,440
So after church, she wanted to just check them out.

815
00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:34,000
And then she goes, oh, I'm just going to send a check.

816
00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:36,000
You know, and great.

817
00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:38,520
You know, and away she went.

818
00:41:38,520 --> 00:41:39,520
And she did.

819
00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:42,120
She sent a check and she paid off the church.

820
00:41:42,120 --> 00:41:43,120
It was three times.

821
00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:48,760
The stranger that had never been in our church before, that God told her it has to be in

822
00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:50,560
McKeesport.

823
00:41:50,560 --> 00:41:54,560
It has to be an assembly of god church.

824
00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:55,760
And she paid it off.

825
00:41:55,760 --> 00:42:01,160
And we had some left over to bank and we were just shocked.

826
00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:03,000
And so we wanted to meet her.

827
00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:07,120
We had to know who she was because we, and we did.

828
00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:08,120
We got to meet her.

829
00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:10,040
She was from New Mexico.

830
00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:11,040
Yeah.

831
00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:13,640
Her parents were from McKeesport.

832
00:42:13,640 --> 00:42:14,840
They had passed away.

833
00:42:14,840 --> 00:42:17,960
It was a very bad winter.

834
00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:22,200
And they were elderly and they died of carbon monoxide in the house.

835
00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:24,760
So she had to come up and take care of the affairs.

836
00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:29,400
She grew up as assemblies and she loved the Lord.

837
00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:34,280
And I don't know if this was her tie or what, but we met her.

838
00:42:34,280 --> 00:42:39,240
We were just shocked by the amount that she had written.

839
00:42:39,240 --> 00:42:44,120
And then we had a mortgage burning ceremony months later and we had her and her, she brought

840
00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:50,600
one of her kids up with her, maybe two of her kids up from New Mexico to join the celebration

841
00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:51,600
of that day.

842
00:42:51,600 --> 00:42:52,600
It was really cool.

843
00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:59,040
And Josh and Shelly, when I took Rainbow Temple, they can only pay me $150 a week.

844
00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:00,960
So 150, that's not going to fly.

845
00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:04,000
That's 2002, you know, $150 a week.

846
00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:06,320
I got to make a few more dollars.

847
00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:07,320
But you know what?

848
00:43:07,320 --> 00:43:08,440
Elaine never complained.

849
00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:11,800
I wish I would have kept a log.

850
00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:13,160
How did he do it?

851
00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:14,820
We never missed a car payment.

852
00:43:14,820 --> 00:43:17,600
We never missed a house payment.

853
00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:20,840
We lived the exact same way.

854
00:43:20,840 --> 00:43:24,920
God knows how to take little and make much with it.

855
00:43:24,920 --> 00:43:31,720
But God, but my God shall supply, but seek first the kingdom of God.

856
00:43:31,720 --> 00:43:38,480
That's the reason why when Shelly asked us, I wanted that whole thing to be Matthew 633

857
00:43:38,480 --> 00:43:49,000
because for 47 years, whether it's been shoes, whether it's been cars, home, suits,

858
00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:55,560
dresses, salary, and I don't have a book to sell.

859
00:43:55,560 --> 00:43:57,440
But I do have a book to promote.

860
00:43:57,440 --> 00:43:58,840
Oh, amen.

861
00:43:58,840 --> 00:44:01,040
And that's the Word of God.

862
00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:05,040
You know, I'm sure someone's listening right now saying, do you think that can happen to

863
00:44:05,040 --> 00:44:06,040
me?

864
00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:10,200
I know it can because God is not a respecter of persons.

865
00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:13,120
You know, we're coming to the end of our race.

866
00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:17,400
Whether the end of our race is 10 years from now, 20 years from now, or maybe even 30

867
00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:18,400
years from now.

868
00:44:18,400 --> 00:44:22,560
We know we're coming in the last part of the race.

869
00:44:22,560 --> 00:44:24,680
And that doesn't bother me.

870
00:44:24,680 --> 00:44:36,040
But if I could take any other born-again believer, I would emphatically say, seek first the kingdom.

871
00:44:36,040 --> 00:44:38,880
Because if you keep Him first, He'll keep you first.

872
00:44:38,880 --> 00:44:39,880
I believe that.

873
00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:41,120
Now, have we had heartaches?

874
00:44:41,120 --> 00:44:42,120
Yes.

875
00:44:42,120 --> 00:44:43,120
Have we had hardships?

876
00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:44,120
Yes.

877
00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:45,320
Yes, we've gone through all of that.

878
00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:46,760
I remember one Christmas Eve.

879
00:44:46,760 --> 00:44:50,520
I'm going to fill up my gas tank with gas.

880
00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:55,400
And pop my, I mean, we're singing, we're having a wonderful time.

881
00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:57,400
And my credit card's denied.

882
00:44:57,400 --> 00:44:58,400
Denied?

883
00:44:58,400 --> 00:45:00,160
My card's never been denied.

884
00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:01,160
Never.

885
00:45:01,160 --> 00:45:03,360
Never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never.

886
00:45:03,360 --> 00:45:10,480
Somebody hacked into my credit card and that week they spent $15,000 on my credit card.

887
00:45:10,480 --> 00:45:11,640
But you know what?

888
00:45:11,640 --> 00:45:17,560
I just so happened to have another one and every bit of the money was restored.

889
00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:21,200
Again, people say, do you expect me to believe that?

890
00:45:21,200 --> 00:45:23,160
I really don't care if people believe it.

891
00:45:23,160 --> 00:45:24,800
I know it's happened.

892
00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:29,600
And I know Him as Jehovah Jireh.

893
00:45:29,600 --> 00:45:33,000
And we get to know Him, Shelley and Josh.

894
00:45:33,000 --> 00:45:38,040
It's not like it's in the highs that we get to know Him.

895
00:45:38,040 --> 00:45:40,240
It's in the trench.

896
00:45:40,240 --> 00:45:41,240
It's in the trench.

897
00:45:41,240 --> 00:45:44,800
It's when you're only making $5.

898
00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:49,800
It's when you're not meeting your bills and you decide to tithe.

899
00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:56,560
Like you said just a moment ago, Josh, it's in the depths of despair we will see the glory

900
00:45:56,560 --> 00:46:01,720
of God if we just remain obedient.

901
00:46:01,720 --> 00:46:06,360
It's real easy to forget who Jesus is when everything is in abundance.

902
00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:11,720
It's real easy to say that I did this, I built this when we're living on this high life.

903
00:46:11,720 --> 00:46:16,600
And so it's very important that God knocks us off that stool of pride once in a while

904
00:46:16,600 --> 00:46:20,800
so that we can experience that valley so we remember who really is in charge, who really

905
00:46:20,800 --> 00:46:22,360
does provide.

906
00:46:22,360 --> 00:46:29,400
We would hold on to a scripture that says, does two birds gather food all year long?

907
00:46:29,400 --> 00:46:32,600
Or how about the plants in the field, the flowers?

908
00:46:32,600 --> 00:46:35,360
Aren't they adorned greater than Solomon?

909
00:46:35,360 --> 00:46:38,360
How much more does he love us than he likes a flower or a bird?

910
00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:39,680
And I'm not saying he doesn't love those things.

911
00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:40,960
He created them.

912
00:46:40,960 --> 00:46:42,460
But he loves us more.

913
00:46:42,460 --> 00:46:44,480
So why should I worry about things like that?

914
00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:45,480
Why should I worry?

915
00:46:45,480 --> 00:46:48,600
Like, you know, what year has been added to my life by worrying?

916
00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:49,600
Nothing.

917
00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:52,880
You know, and I firmly believe that worrying just makes you suffer twice.

918
00:46:52,880 --> 00:46:55,880
You suffer through the worrying and then you suffer through whatever activity it is.

919
00:46:55,880 --> 00:46:56,880
Why bother?

920
00:46:56,880 --> 00:46:59,960
You know, you look at Paul, I count it all joy.

921
00:46:59,960 --> 00:47:01,600
And it doesn't matter what circumstance it may be.

922
00:47:01,600 --> 00:47:07,400
Highs, lows, riches, poor, abundance of food, famine, I'm content.

923
00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:10,720
Well, you know, Josh, you just quoted Matthew chapter 6.

924
00:47:10,720 --> 00:47:12,880
I just wanted you to know.

925
00:47:12,880 --> 00:47:17,840
So everything you just said was, which of you by worrying can add one cube to a statue?

926
00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:19,840
That's Matthew 6, 27.

927
00:47:19,840 --> 00:47:25,320
So that's the reason why for anyone that's listening, I would say, go home, open up Matthew

928
00:47:25,320 --> 00:47:28,720
chapter 6, devour it.

929
00:47:28,720 --> 00:47:32,600
You will see the heartbeat of God to reward you.

930
00:47:32,600 --> 00:47:37,880
And you'll see the heartbeat of God saying that if he cares for the birds of the air,

931
00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:42,240
how much more valuable are you?

932
00:47:42,240 --> 00:47:43,800
But it starts with nothing.

933
00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:44,800
Absolutely.

934
00:47:44,800 --> 00:47:46,040
People want to start at the top.

935
00:47:46,040 --> 00:47:50,160
It starts when I first got saved and I would go preach in churches.

936
00:47:50,160 --> 00:47:51,480
I never asked for money.

937
00:47:51,480 --> 00:47:55,760
Matter of fact, pastors would come up and hand me a check and I said, no, I don't want it.

938
00:47:55,760 --> 00:47:56,760
They look at me.

939
00:47:56,760 --> 00:47:57,760
What?

940
00:47:57,760 --> 00:48:00,560
I knew nothing about seat faith.

941
00:48:00,560 --> 00:48:02,880
I knew nothing about sowing money.

942
00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:06,760
I just couldn't believe I was going to get paid for sharing God's word.

943
00:48:06,760 --> 00:48:08,320
Those years, I'd preach for nothing.

944
00:48:08,320 --> 00:48:10,440
I'll still preach for nothing.

945
00:48:10,440 --> 00:48:11,880
You know what I mean?

946
00:48:11,880 --> 00:48:16,760
And it was really amazing because I wasn't looking for money.

947
00:48:16,760 --> 00:48:20,480
It was an honor just to be used by God.

948
00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:21,480
He always provided.

949
00:48:21,480 --> 00:48:23,800
It is an honor to be used by God.

950
00:48:23,800 --> 00:48:26,120
What a great commission that is, right?

951
00:48:26,120 --> 00:48:30,960
To go and make disciples of all nations that we don't just get to be a spokesperson.

952
00:48:30,960 --> 00:48:32,160
We are an ambassador.

953
00:48:32,160 --> 00:48:37,360
We're the very heart and soul and speaking to somebody about God Almighty, right?

954
00:48:37,360 --> 00:48:42,440
What an amazing position he puts us in and it can be quite intimidating.

955
00:48:42,440 --> 00:48:48,080
So it is important that we know scripture so that we can adequately represent him.

956
00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:53,840
So many people, I feel, are drifted away from God because of Christians, not because anything

957
00:48:53,840 --> 00:48:57,720
God did, but because of what a Christian represented him as.

958
00:48:57,720 --> 00:49:04,360
And I think that it's up to us as the body of Christ to relieve that burden from God

959
00:49:04,360 --> 00:49:10,000
and to rightfully show his character to others through that loving relationship with others.

960
00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:14,240
A pastor at my last church, Pastor John Kent, he had a saying, I love it.

961
00:49:14,240 --> 00:49:18,280
And it's you never lock eyes with somebody who doesn't matter to God.

962
00:49:18,280 --> 00:49:22,640
And I try to hold on to that one, especially if I'm agitated with someone or, you know,

963
00:49:22,640 --> 00:49:23,640
I'm still human.

964
00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:24,640
I know I look perfect.

965
00:49:24,640 --> 00:49:26,000
I know, but I'm not.

966
00:49:26,000 --> 00:49:29,920
And so when you look at that, it's really hard to look at him in any other way than

967
00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:31,800
significant, right?

968
00:49:31,800 --> 00:49:35,560
It's really hard to look at him any other way except meaningful, you know?

969
00:49:35,560 --> 00:49:38,760
So I'm looking in your eyes, you matter to God.

970
00:49:38,760 --> 00:49:39,760
You matter to God.

971
00:49:39,760 --> 00:49:42,760
I'm like, oh my goodness, like this is a lot of people.

972
00:49:42,760 --> 00:49:46,640
And even the ones that are spitting in your face, that are telling you these horrible

973
00:49:46,640 --> 00:49:51,640
things or mocking God and calling them sky daddy, that person matters to God.

974
00:49:51,640 --> 00:49:55,840
And how we represent God is what's going to be so crucial in how they're going to receive

975
00:49:55,840 --> 00:49:57,120
him next.

976
00:49:57,120 --> 00:49:59,480
And I just love the way that you present the word.

977
00:49:59,480 --> 00:50:04,160
I love that you don't sugarcoat a lot of things, that you go out there and say it.

978
00:50:04,160 --> 00:50:07,040
I love how you ask permission, but I know that you're going to do it anyway.

979
00:50:07,040 --> 00:50:08,680
I love that part about you.

980
00:50:08,680 --> 00:50:09,920
They say, can I say this church?

981
00:50:09,920 --> 00:50:11,760
Because I know it's coming anyway, right?

982
00:50:11,760 --> 00:50:13,320
Because you're actually going, no, you can't say it.

983
00:50:13,320 --> 00:50:14,400
Like, I'm doing it anyway.

984
00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:15,400
Right?

985
00:50:15,400 --> 00:50:17,080
So I love your heart for this church.

986
00:50:17,080 --> 00:50:19,000
I love your heart for his word.

987
00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:20,600
I love your heart for his people.

988
00:50:20,600 --> 00:50:22,760
I love your heart for your family.

989
00:50:22,760 --> 00:50:23,960
A God blessed man.

990
00:50:23,960 --> 00:50:26,280
You're truly a spiritual couple.

991
00:50:26,280 --> 00:50:27,280
I really appreciate you.

992
00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:32,720
And I do agree that a church isn't about the one guy on the top, the one human on top.

993
00:50:32,720 --> 00:50:36,760
I agree with you that that is not how it should be viewed.

994
00:50:36,760 --> 00:50:38,080
And that's not how it should be looked.

995
00:50:38,080 --> 00:50:42,000
Because if you have a problem in your pastor falls, stumbles, whatever, your church stumbles

996
00:50:42,000 --> 00:50:43,000
and falls.

997
00:50:43,000 --> 00:50:44,520
It's a house built on carts.

998
00:50:44,520 --> 00:50:46,080
And so you need to have a strong team.

999
00:50:46,080 --> 00:50:50,080
You need to have your Luke's and Bree's and Pat's and Kayla's.

1000
00:50:50,080 --> 00:50:51,080
And Anthony's.

1001
00:50:51,080 --> 00:50:52,080
Everybody.

1002
00:50:52,080 --> 00:50:56,880
And just because you get the predominant spotlight in this church does not mean the light does

1003
00:50:56,880 --> 00:50:58,800
not shine on the others.

1004
00:50:58,800 --> 00:51:01,680
And I love that you actually highlight that.

1005
00:51:01,680 --> 00:51:05,040
I love that you put that in the light and the spotlight.

1006
00:51:05,040 --> 00:51:10,480
And if you're anything like me, which I sense that you are, you hate getting credit.

1007
00:51:10,480 --> 00:51:11,560
Like I hate it.

1008
00:51:11,560 --> 00:51:15,160
I hate if I do something and I'm like, I love the way you do that.

1009
00:51:15,160 --> 00:51:16,160
Don't tell me that.

1010
00:51:16,160 --> 00:51:17,160
I don't like that.

1011
00:51:17,160 --> 00:51:20,600
You know, there's a part of every man that wants to be the hero that wants to be this

1012
00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:21,680
wants to be that.

1013
00:51:21,680 --> 00:51:25,480
But when that happens, if you have a love for Jesus, that's not what we want.

1014
00:51:25,480 --> 00:51:28,680
Because anything that you do that's praising me, you're taking from him.

1015
00:51:28,680 --> 00:51:30,720
I don't like it at all.

1016
00:51:30,720 --> 00:51:31,760
And I feel you don't either.

1017
00:51:31,760 --> 00:51:35,680
So like when you're up there and people are like, oh, Pastor Pete, I can almost feel your

1018
00:51:35,680 --> 00:51:37,040
the uncomfortableness in you.

1019
00:51:37,040 --> 00:51:40,800
I look in the mirror and say, uh, not much.

1020
00:51:40,800 --> 00:51:44,000
And so I feel your heartache when that happens.

1021
00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:49,080
And so I just want to let you on the record now that I love that the church body here

1022
00:51:49,080 --> 00:51:53,480
is more impactful for the kingdom of Christ than any just one man.

1023
00:51:53,480 --> 00:51:57,040
And it's not just the ministry that you have here, but it's every single person that sits

1024
00:51:57,040 --> 00:52:02,360
in the pews, every single person that has a seat that serves or just walks in a door

1025
00:52:02,360 --> 00:52:06,000
that they have a place in the kingdom at this place.

1026
00:52:06,000 --> 00:52:11,080
And I just love that about about you and how you two present yourselves this way.

1027
00:52:11,080 --> 00:52:12,800
You're very vulnerable with that.

1028
00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:13,800
Very open.

1029
00:52:13,800 --> 00:52:14,800
You're caring.

1030
00:52:14,800 --> 00:52:16,560
You're not afraid to show it.

1031
00:52:16,560 --> 00:52:19,400
You know, like some of us men who say, I don't cry unless there's no one around.

1032
00:52:19,400 --> 00:52:20,400
Right.

1033
00:52:20,400 --> 00:52:22,400
Like, and I'm not saying that's the right way because, you know, Jesus wept.

1034
00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:23,600
Shortest verse in the Bible.

1035
00:52:23,600 --> 00:52:25,640
It's obviously it's okay if a man cries.

1036
00:52:25,640 --> 00:52:26,720
It's just the way I was raised.

1037
00:52:26,720 --> 00:52:27,720
It's hard.

1038
00:52:27,720 --> 00:52:28,720
Right.

1039
00:52:28,720 --> 00:52:29,720
And I love how open you are.

1040
00:52:29,720 --> 00:52:31,280
I love how passionate you are.

1041
00:52:31,280 --> 00:52:34,400
And I'm so grateful that you finally got the time to be on this podcast.

1042
00:52:34,400 --> 00:52:35,400
Me too.

1043
00:52:35,400 --> 00:52:36,400
Me too.

1044
00:52:36,400 --> 00:52:37,400
You guys are just great.

1045
00:52:37,400 --> 00:52:38,400
We love you.

1046
00:52:38,400 --> 00:52:39,400
We'd love to do this again sometime.

1047
00:52:39,400 --> 00:52:40,400
Oh yeah.

1048
00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:42,280
I'd love to come back someday.

1049
00:52:42,280 --> 00:52:47,040
I mean, at your calling and talk about when we went through a depressive time.

1050
00:52:47,040 --> 00:52:48,040
Yes.

1051
00:52:48,040 --> 00:52:49,040
That's not a really enthusiastic.

1052
00:52:49,040 --> 00:52:50,040
I'm sorry.

1053
00:52:50,040 --> 00:52:53,680
But yes, because I know God's going to come out on top of this one because I'm looking

1054
00:52:53,680 --> 00:52:54,680
at you.

1055
00:52:54,680 --> 00:52:58,480
Crushing of the grape when it becomes valuable.

1056
00:52:58,480 --> 00:52:59,480
Thank you Josh.

1057
00:52:59,480 --> 00:53:00,480
Thanks Shelley.

1058
00:53:00,480 --> 00:53:04,760
Thank you for coming on and sharing all of that with us and, you know, letting us get

1059
00:53:04,760 --> 00:53:05,760
to know you better.

1060
00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:06,760
Thanks.

1061
00:53:06,760 --> 00:53:10,560
You know, one of the things that I saw on social media that I loved was we're going

1062
00:53:10,560 --> 00:53:14,320
to make God a star, something they'll always remember.

1063
00:53:14,320 --> 00:53:21,040
So just talking about his goodness and his provision is just, it's just so good because

1064
00:53:21,040 --> 00:53:22,600
it's there for everybody.

1065
00:53:22,600 --> 00:53:24,960
They just have to seek him and ask.

1066
00:53:24,960 --> 00:53:26,560
He does not withhold from anyone.

1067
00:53:26,560 --> 00:53:28,560
And you know, if I could say this, I know we're winding down.

1068
00:53:28,560 --> 00:53:32,400
If I can say this, it's not buying God's blessings.

1069
00:53:32,400 --> 00:53:35,520
You are not buying God's blessings.

1070
00:53:35,520 --> 00:53:38,080
It's literally taking seed.

1071
00:53:38,080 --> 00:53:42,880
If you eat the seed, it's gone, but if you sow the seed, you're looking for a harvest.

1072
00:53:42,880 --> 00:53:49,600
I know that may sound a little evangelistic, you know, but the point is, don't eat your

1073
00:53:49,600 --> 00:53:51,800
seed.

1074
00:53:51,800 --> 00:53:58,120
Sow your seed and see what the master harvester can do with that seed.

1075
00:53:58,120 --> 00:54:01,320
Even if you don't benefit from it, as long as his kingdom does.

1076
00:54:01,320 --> 00:54:06,800
Well, if this episode has been a blessing to you, we ask that you pass it on to whomever

1077
00:54:06,800 --> 00:54:10,520
the Lord led you to so it can be an encouragement to them.

1078
00:54:10,520 --> 00:54:15,360
And we also have a fundraising campaign to help pay for the expenses of this podcast,

1079
00:54:15,360 --> 00:54:17,560
such as the audio editing.

1080
00:54:17,560 --> 00:54:22,560
And if you look up gifsango.com and look up God's goodness podcast, you can put your

1081
00:54:22,560 --> 00:54:24,440
donations through there.

1082
00:54:24,440 --> 00:54:26,720
And that would be greatly appreciated.

1083
00:54:26,720 --> 00:54:36,680
And we hope you enjoyed it and we'll talk to you next time.