1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 Welcome to Keep It 100 podcast with Sean and Christa Smith. 2 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:08,800 Join us in this space where we take on real issues 3 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:11,240 with real insight and real inspiration. 4 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,440 This podcast is for those not looking for temporary relief 5 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:16,760 to change circumstance, 6 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,040 but revelation to forever change lives. 7 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:19,880 Keep it 100! 8 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:23,080 Hey everyone, welcome to another episode 9 00:00:23,080 --> 00:00:25,640 of Keep It 100 with Sean and Christa Smith. 10 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:27,000 Hey, what's going on everybody? 11 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:27,880 Hey, we're always honored 12 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:29,640 when the Keep It 100 tribe joins us. 13 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:31,760 Thanks for taking time out of your day listening. 14 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,720 We're just really excited with these continued conversations 15 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,040 as our heart really is to disciple, to inspire, 16 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,240 to empower you in your walk with God. 17 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,880 Yes, and we really feel like we've heard so much feedback 18 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,000 from so many people that they look forward 19 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,920 to our bi-weekly podcast. 20 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:52,000 That this is something that they really feed upon 21 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:52,840 and different ones. 22 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:54,920 It really blessed us that at the end of the year 23 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:56,960 it was their most listened to podcast. 24 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:57,800 So excited. 25 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,600 So please continually just keep the word up for us, 26 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:02,640 tell people about it, listen, list people 27 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:03,680 to the Keep It 100 tribe. 28 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:04,680 We sure appreciate it. 29 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:06,760 And we're excited about this episode 30 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:08,360 because we're gonna talk about the beauty of truth 31 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,360 and we all know that truth is a person, is Jesus. 32 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:12,600 So we talked about the beauty of truth. 33 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:14,440 We're talking about the beauty of Jesus. 34 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:15,280 And it's so important. 35 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:16,760 But before we get into that, 36 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:18,880 Christa and I this past weekend, 37 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:20,760 we were up in the Pacific Northwest. 38 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:22,320 The first night we flew in on Friday, 39 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:24,320 Christa spoke Friday night to women, 40 00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:26,920 then I spoke Saturday morning to men, 41 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:29,920 then I spoke Saturday night at an all church 42 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:31,400 kind of encounter service. 43 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:33,640 And then Christa spoke Sunday morning 44 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:35,240 to the all church Sunday morning, 45 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:36,800 but it was really also an encounter. 46 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:38,000 So it was a phenomenal time. 47 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,040 Our great friends up there and it's so cool 48 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,960 because the pastor, John Hammers on this episode, 49 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:45,160 he's gonna, we're gonna introduce him in just a little bit, 50 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:47,320 but we're, it was such a powerful time. 51 00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:48,600 We saw God do so much stuff. 52 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,240 What was your favorite aspect of the encounter weekend 53 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:53,840 up in Everett, Washington? 54 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:57,120 You know what, probably two things if I can pull it in. 55 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,320 You know, I think whenever I get the opportunity 56 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:03,800 to be with women and call forth women into their destiny, 57 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:06,840 that's always, always, it's an honor, right? 58 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:07,840 I preached on Anna. 59 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:09,240 I've never preached on Anna before. 60 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,640 And I felt like God was saying a specific prophetic word 61 00:02:11,640 --> 00:02:12,480 over the house. 62 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:14,080 That's always a privilege to release that. 63 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,320 But then I'll say there was two other things 64 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:17,560 that I just thought were really special. 65 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:19,440 Number one, I came in the next morning, 66 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,080 you were doing the men's and I was having coffee with Noma, 67 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,200 dear friend of mine who's up there and she was hosting us. 68 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,600 And we walked in at the end of your session 69 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:29,400 and there was such a sweet presence of the Lord. 70 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:31,360 I literally felt like crying as soon as I walked 71 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:32,200 in the sanctuary. 72 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:33,920 There was this beautiful presence of the Lord 73 00:02:33,920 --> 00:02:36,120 where men were just ministering to one another, 74 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:38,520 getting free, encountering Jesus. 75 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:39,560 And it was just sweet and deep. 76 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,040 So I just kind of hung in the back 77 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,000 and I just basked in the presence of God. 78 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:44,320 And it was really beautiful. 79 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,880 It was just a sweet time in God's presence. 80 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,240 And then number three, I preached on Sunday morning 81 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:50,760 and I just went for it. 82 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:51,840 Just release a word, 83 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:55,040 call them to a place of revival for the Northwest 84 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:56,560 and I really felt God on it. 85 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,680 And I felt like I saw the church step into a deeper place 86 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:01,560 of freedom and breakthrough. 87 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,360 And so when I see a house and a church go, 88 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:05,680 you know what, we're going there. 89 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,120 Like there was such a hunger and such a intentionality 90 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:10,520 about the gathering on Sunday. 91 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:12,640 So I know I said three things you asked for one, 92 00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:14,480 but hopefully I was quick on that. 93 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,720 But it was just, it was super powerful. 94 00:03:16,720 --> 00:03:17,800 So there's probably my top three. 95 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:18,640 What about you? 96 00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:20,640 You know, all I have to do is it's kind of a tie. 97 00:03:20,640 --> 00:03:24,440 And one of them you hit upon is just seeing the men 98 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:25,640 surrender themselves to God. 99 00:03:25,640 --> 00:03:27,160 We talked about purity. 100 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,440 We talked about appetites and obviously contrasting 101 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:32,440 unrighteous appetites from righteous appetites. 102 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:34,440 And so these men came in, they were just honest 103 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:36,960 and we called men to purity and men got really honest 104 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:38,200 and repented of areas. 105 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,760 And so it was just so honest, just so awesome to see that. 106 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:42,760 And then my other highlight was Saturday night, 107 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:43,760 we just flow together. 108 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:45,080 I always love when we flow together, 109 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:46,200 you were prophesying over people, 110 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:47,840 I'll get words of knowledge for people 111 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:49,840 where we were seeing people just get free, 112 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:51,960 people get breakthroughs, people get healed. 113 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,360 And it's always cool to go back and forth. 114 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:56,000 And we always get great compliments 115 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:57,400 and obviously all glory to God, 116 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,960 but just people love the way we flow together. 117 00:03:59,960 --> 00:04:01,600 And so I never take that for granted. 118 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,720 I always love that when we get a chance to flow together. 119 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:06,640 So those are kind of tied for my top two spots. 120 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:07,480 I love that baby. 121 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:09,920 I know when I minister with you, 122 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,080 there is a synergy that we hit that's just different 123 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:14,680 than if I'm by myself. 124 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,480 And I've seen you move powerfully by yourself, 125 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,480 but it's just, and we can each move with the Lord 126 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:22,640 and it's really beautiful, 127 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,160 but there's something about husband and wife together 128 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:26,720 that really is special. 129 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:28,880 So that's always such a joy to do that with you. 130 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:29,720 I love that. 131 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:31,160 I'm excited about this episode. 132 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:32,000 Me too. 133 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:33,560 We're talking about one of my favorite things 134 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:35,360 and it's the beauty of Jesus 135 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,680 and it's the adoration of his beauty 136 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:39,640 and that he's so worthy, right? 137 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:40,480 Yes, yes. 138 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,480 And when you get a glimpse of Jesus 139 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,480 and you encounter his, the glory and the beauty 140 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,200 and the splendor of God has a major impact 141 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:51,920 on who you are, how you see the world 142 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:53,440 and how you see Jesus. 143 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:54,800 Yes, and I would even throw in there 144 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:56,880 how you influence the world around you. 145 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:57,720 True. 146 00:04:57,720 --> 00:04:58,560 Because it's so important. 147 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:00,760 So before we get to the interview 148 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,080 and conversation with Pastor John Hammer, 149 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,640 maybe we should just ask a question, why beauty? 150 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:06,600 Why are we talking about beauty? 151 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,000 Why is beauty important to a person's faith? 152 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:09,960 So let me throw that out to you. 153 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:11,400 Let's just throw out some thoughts. 154 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:13,480 Why do you think beauty is important? 155 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,200 You know, for me, I am a beauty person. 156 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,400 I always have been always well-been. 157 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:20,040 I remember I received a prophetic word. 158 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,360 It was probably in my late 20s 159 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,320 and it's probably to date one of my favorite prophetic words 160 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:28,160 I've ever received and it was from now a dear friend 161 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:29,200 but at the time I didn't know him. 162 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:30,640 And he prophesied over me, he says, 163 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:34,040 you are a woman of beauty and you bring beauty wherever you go 164 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:35,800 and God has designed you that way. 165 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,120 And I had never realized that my desire for beauty 166 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:42,120 and my desire for creation and the world, 167 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,200 the atmosphere even in my home being beautiful 168 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:48,120 actually was a reflection of how God made me to be. 169 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:49,960 And it's actually really, really important to me 170 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:53,360 because it's how God has made me wired to see beauty 171 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:54,440 through him, right? 172 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:55,880 So why beauty? 173 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:59,160 I think the truth is humanity is moved by beauty. 174 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:02,320 Aesthetically, we're moved by beautiful music, 175 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:05,080 beautiful paintings, beautiful images. 176 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:06,840 You know, that's why I think so many times 177 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:09,520 some of those people love great photography 178 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,080 on social media or a great design. 179 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,400 Or, you know, that's why fashion is fashion 180 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:16,960 because it's more than clothes. 181 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:19,560 It's an expression, there's beauty to it. 182 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,440 It's personality, it's creativity, it's artistry. 183 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:23,480 And we love that. 184 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:27,880 We respond to beauty because we were created to admire 185 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:29,120 and adore beauty, right? 186 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,320 So instinctually how we're created and God created this 187 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:35,080 in his image is to be drawn to beauty. 188 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:37,960 And so I think it's a natural, it's not a shallow thing. 189 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,160 And I think a lot of times in the world, in the church 190 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,800 we can view it as shallow, but it's actually 191 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:44,160 who we're created to be. 192 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,520 And I think it's interesting that three times in scripture 193 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:49,680 it mentions that holiness, which is a primary attribute 194 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,880 of God, is considered beautiful, right? 195 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:55,040 So one of the scriptures, and it says, 196 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:57,840 oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 197 00:06:57,840 --> 00:07:01,400 We also can read Psalm 29, too, Psalm 96, nine, 198 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:03,360 you know, reading about the beauty of God, 199 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:05,160 which is the holiness of the Lord. 200 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,680 And we see that the holiness is beautiful. 201 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:11,360 And so there's a beauty element to who God is, 202 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,880 but for us to see him as such, but also the creation 203 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:15,720 of the world. 204 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:16,800 I mean, you know this about me. 205 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:18,760 One of my favorite things is the moon. 206 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:20,240 I love the moon. 207 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:21,680 I love a good sunset. 208 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,320 I love a good sunrise, but I really love a good sunset. 209 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:28,160 And the sky, and you know, God is the ultimate artist. 210 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,800 And he is, he's creating masterpieces all around us 211 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:32,640 all the time. 212 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,560 So when we take time to bask in the beauty 213 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,480 of God's creation, we're basking in the beauty of God. 214 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:42,320 And I think there is a natural and eight desire within us 215 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,840 to adore, but also revel and bask in beauty. 216 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:47,960 And it's actually God and it's biblical. 217 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:48,800 I love what you're saying. 218 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:50,720 You're essentially saying God created us, 219 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:54,000 if you will, with a beauty appreciation chip. 220 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:55,160 It's in our DNA. 221 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:57,200 That aesthetically, I heard you say, 222 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:58,840 we are created to be moved by that. 223 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:00,640 And that's the reason why we gravitate towards that. 224 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:01,480 I love that. 225 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:03,720 I would even add on there why beauty is important, 226 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:05,760 is that I think really at the end of the day, 227 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,840 that truth has a hard time making its way 228 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,440 to the heart of humanity without beauty. 229 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,560 I think that's why the gospel message, the story, 230 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:15,400 and I say the gospel message, 231 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:16,920 I'm really just talking about the do's and don'ts. 232 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:19,200 I'm talking about God sending his only son, 233 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,560 dying on a cross, taking the sins, 234 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:25,080 resurrecting when you look at Jesus with touch lepers, 235 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:26,600 and Jesus with hill blind people, 236 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,520 and raise this woman's son, widow of names, 237 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:30,360 son from the dead. 238 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:33,480 I think the reason why the gospel is written, 239 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,480 the way it is, it's full of beauty. 240 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,440 And I feel like even as ministers, even as the church, 241 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:43,760 we have to make sure that part of the way God designed truth 242 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:46,640 to make it into people's hearts is the beauty of it. 243 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:48,200 That doesn't mean that we're not talking 244 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:49,640 about the demands of the gospel. 245 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:51,480 That doesn't mean we don't call people to repentance. 246 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:52,840 That doesn't mean that we don't get down 247 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:54,880 with the harsh reality of, you know, 248 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:56,320 the Bible talks about judgment to come 249 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:57,320 and all those things, 250 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,640 but that we've got to present that aspect 251 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:01,960 because we have the greatest story ever told. 252 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:04,080 It was actually a movie called the greatest story ever told. 253 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:04,920 It's about Jesus. 254 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:07,920 And so I think that those things are so important 255 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:11,360 because we live in a world that has a beauty deficit 256 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:14,720 and we have to acknowledge that we live in the presence 257 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,920 of not just beautiful stuff in the world, 258 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:18,480 but ugly stuff in the world, 259 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:22,200 decaying stuff in the world, the crass, the hideous, 260 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,920 the evil, the stuff that just is repulsive. 261 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,920 The world is full of disharmony and disintegration. 262 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,520 And so when we're able to bring out that glory 263 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:35,640 in the story, I think another reason why we would say 264 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:39,000 that beauty is so important is that beauty 265 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,080 is what clothes the gospel clothes, 266 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:45,600 as in you put on clothes, it clothes the gospel message 267 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:47,280 in a way that makes it attractive. 268 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:50,160 You know, and honestly, I think if we really understand 269 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:52,680 the essence and the biblical truth of beauty 270 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:56,080 is we really have not prized his beauty, God's beauty, 271 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,240 with anything like the fervor it really deserves. 272 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:01,360 I mean, if you look at Isaiah six 273 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,920 and you think about angels going around the throne of God 274 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:06,600 and they're declaring it again and again, 275 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:10,520 holy, holy, holy, which I established previously, 276 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:12,560 that holiness is beautiful, right? 277 00:10:12,560 --> 00:10:15,080 We read that in Psalms and we read that 278 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:16,480 in various portions of scripture. 279 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:18,720 And it's like basically the angels are saying, 280 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,680 beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, are you? 281 00:10:21,680 --> 00:10:25,840 And if we understand that celestial beings, angels 282 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:29,520 are declaring for eternity the beauty of God 283 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:34,520 over and over and over, we do not have a full comprehension 284 00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:39,040 of the beauty of his majesty, the beauty of his glory, 285 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:40,840 the beauty of his presence. 286 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:45,840 And I think we so compare our earthly examples 287 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:50,720 and we project that as to the definition of beauty. 288 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:53,680 But we all know what's beautiful here on earth, 289 00:10:53,680 --> 00:10:56,080 doesn't even come close, doesn't even compare. 290 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,400 That's man's version and here's the truth, 291 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:02,240 much of what's in the world isn't even actually beautiful. 292 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:04,920 What the world defines as beautiful 293 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:07,040 isn't defined as beautiful in heaven, 294 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:12,040 it's often defined as vulgar or offensive 295 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:13,800 to the things of God, right? 296 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:17,160 So the world cannot create the definition of beauty, 297 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:21,000 only the beautiful one can create the definition of beautiful. 298 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:24,800 I think this is something God has invited us to unpack 299 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:26,920 throughout our faith walk with him. 300 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:29,360 It's not something we just instantly understand. 301 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,720 I think it's through our journey in walking and loving 302 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:36,960 and worshiping and adoring the King of Kings, the great I am. 303 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:41,400 We begin to have a small understanding of the beauty 304 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:44,720 and the vastness and the depth of God's beauty. 305 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:46,120 Yes, I think that's so true 306 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,040 because the point you're aiming at is not everything 307 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:53,040 on the planet is beautiful is truly eternally beautiful. 308 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,200 Obviously Eve in the garden saw that the fruit was beautiful 309 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,240 to the eye, good to the eye, but that was hellacious. 310 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:01,640 You know, in terms of once you bit it, we bit the dust. 311 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:03,840 And I tweeted this on Twitter, 312 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:04,680 because I think it's so important. 313 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:07,400 I said, it is essential that we become fascinated, 314 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:09,760 gripped and captivated by the beauty of the Lord. 315 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:12,000 If not, we will struggle with boredom 316 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,800 and our hearts will be vulnerable to pursue other things. 317 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:16,080 So I think that's what you're saying 318 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:20,560 is that we will pursue inferior, quote unquote, beauty 319 00:12:20,560 --> 00:12:23,160 and sacrifice the greater eternal beauty 320 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:24,280 if we're not careful. 321 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:25,120 I love that. 322 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:26,560 I have 100 tribe right now. 323 00:12:26,560 --> 00:12:28,400 We're going to step into a conversation 324 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:30,480 that I had with Pastor John Hammer. 325 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:34,880 He pastors Sunrise Christian Center up in Everett, Washington. 326 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:36,800 And we talk about the beauty of truth 327 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:37,920 and the beauty of Jesus. 328 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:39,240 Check this conversation out. 329 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:40,600 I think you're going to enjoy it. 330 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:42,480 Hey, keep your 100 tribe. 331 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:44,760 I've got one of my great friends on 332 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,720 Pastor of Sunrise Christian Center 333 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,960 up in Everett, Washington, John Hammer. 334 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:52,360 We were just with you, John. 335 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:54,440 So good to have you on the podcast, bro. 336 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,160 Oh, man, it's great to be with you guys. 337 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,680 My wife, Grace and I, and our whole church, 338 00:12:58,680 --> 00:13:00,800 we were rocked as you and Christa came and ministered. 339 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:03,120 So good to see you back to back. 340 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:04,560 Hey, come on, man. 341 00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:07,320 I think we switched weather, dude. 342 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:08,520 I was up there with you guys. 343 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:09,480 You had sun. 344 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:10,320 It was clear. 345 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:11,120 It was nice. 346 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:15,480 I came back home to almost record rains, floodings. 347 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:17,200 Man, it is awesome. 348 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:21,120 One thing, our people 100 tribe, they love this segment 349 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:22,120 and this part. 350 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:24,880 So John, why don't you give us something about your origin 351 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:25,680 story, man? 352 00:13:25,680 --> 00:13:29,360 What has God done in you that has put this fire, 353 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:32,400 this passion, this visionary, you know, 354 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,680 cross obsession inside of you that I love dearly, man? 355 00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:36,040 Yeah. 356 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:38,800 Well, I grew up in a really good home. 357 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:42,520 My parents, my dad was radically saved as kind of a hippie drug 358 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:44,800 user, and then he became an evangelist that 359 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:46,280 saw signs, wonders and miracles. 360 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:49,960 And my mom got saved before they were married. 361 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,280 And it just, it got into a supernatural thing 362 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:52,960 in their lives. 363 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,440 And so I grew up in a minister's, pastor's home. 364 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:58,120 And when I was growing up, I had a really horrible addiction 365 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:00,240 to pornography through my middle school, high school, 366 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,000 and early college years. 367 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,440 And I had a real radical encounter with the Lord one 368 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:07,600 night when I went out to look for some things I shouldn't 369 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:08,680 have gone to look for. 370 00:14:08,680 --> 00:14:10,720 And I was in my parents' basement. 371 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:11,840 I was in community college. 372 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,200 I wasn't a little, I was a little uncertain about my future 373 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:15,240 at 20 years old. 374 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:18,720 And anyhow, I had a radical encounter with the Lord that 375 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:19,040 night. 376 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:19,760 I went to my dad. 377 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,480 It's a dad I've really been struggling and hiding things. 378 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:23,760 I needed to pray for me. 379 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,160 Within that first month, we had a few times of prayer. 380 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:28,720 And I was miraculously delivered out of my life, 381 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:29,560 out of my addiction. 382 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:31,760 I learned about the power of confession of sin. 383 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,600 And I really just got lit on fire for Jesus. 384 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:36,680 I started going to church every chance 385 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:40,080 I could getting in prayer meetings with older saints, 386 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:41,200 with young people. 387 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:42,920 If a church's doors was open or they 388 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:45,280 weren't having a conference, I'm like, I need Jesus. 389 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:48,720 And so there was this fire lit in me to really pursue the Lord. 390 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:51,040 And I was at this big conference. 391 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:54,440 And this church was having in our area. 392 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:56,440 The guest speaker was Marilyn Hickey. 393 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:58,600 And she was like, there's going to be this big prayer line 394 00:14:58,600 --> 00:14:59,440 we're going to do at the end. 395 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:00,600 They didn't call it a fire tunnel, 396 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:02,600 but it was a similar type thing where all the leaders 397 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:05,640 and pastors and ministers were going to come make this big tunnel. 398 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:07,760 And you're just to ask God for one miracle that night, 399 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:08,800 or one answer to prayer. 400 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:10,720 What's the one big thing you need from the Lord? 401 00:15:10,720 --> 00:15:12,800 And so they were doing like this long, 402 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:16,200 it was like maybe 1,000 people there, maybe 1,500 people there. 403 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,720 So it was and they started on the opposite side of the room 404 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:19,680 from where we were seated. 405 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:21,480 So it was like this big line. 406 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:22,800 So it was going to take a while. 407 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:25,040 So the guys I was with, they leaned over to me and they said, 408 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:26,520 hey, what are you going to ask God for tonight? 409 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:27,960 And I'm like, I don't know. 410 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:29,320 I was kind of drawn a blank. 411 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:31,040 And one of them said, I know what you're 412 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:32,160 supposed to ask the Lord for. 413 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:33,040 And I said, what's that? 414 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:35,600 And he said, you're supposed to ask God for the mantle that's 415 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:39,040 on your dad's life, which in the Bible is a prophetic. 416 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:41,960 The prophet Elijah had a mantle that represented not, 417 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:43,680 it wasn't just like a cloak, right? 418 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:46,360 But it represented his anointing, his history with God, 419 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:48,200 his calling, his authority. 420 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:50,680 It was a sign of his spiritual authority, right? 421 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:52,680 And so he said, you're supposed to ask the, 422 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:55,240 for the mantle that's on your dad's life to fall into your life. 423 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:57,000 You're called into the ministry like he is. 424 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,760 And my other friend leaned over to me and said, that's right. 425 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:00,920 That's what you're supposed to ask God for. 426 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:02,640 You're supposed to ask him for this mantle. 427 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:04,160 It'll be like from Elijah to Elisha. 428 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:06,400 It'll be a double portion of what your dad walks in. 429 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,600 And so I doubled over, bawling my eyes out. 430 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,480 I had this major God encounter. 431 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:13,320 I go from like, I don't know what to ask God for, 432 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:16,320 to like, oh, and it just ugly cry. 433 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:19,120 And I got home late that night. 434 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:20,320 I was still living with my parents, 435 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:22,200 finishing up community college around this time, 436 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:23,240 or maybe I had just finished 437 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:25,000 and I was on a little bit of a break to figure out 438 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:27,160 what a bachelor's degree would look like or whatever. 439 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:29,080 And I ran to my dad. 440 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:30,640 It's worked the next day after I got worked 441 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:31,680 to his office at the church. 442 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,200 And I said, dad, I need to tell you about what happened 443 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:35,360 last night and I'm emotional. 444 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:36,200 I start crying. 445 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:37,680 I'm barely getting the story out. 446 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:39,800 And my dad reads through the Bible, 447 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:41,360 two chapters in the Old Testament, 448 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:43,080 one chapter in the New Testament every day. 449 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:45,320 He's done it for like 30, 40 years, 450 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,280 a long time of his Christian walk. 451 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:50,560 And so he goes, guess what my Bible reading 452 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:52,600 was this morning in the Old Testament? 453 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:54,960 It was a story in Second Kings about Elijah 454 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:58,400 being carried to heaven and throwing his mantle on Elisha. 455 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:00,120 And Elisha receiving a double portion 456 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:02,160 of his mentor, spiritual father. 457 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:03,800 And he's like, son, the Lord is saying, 458 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:05,400 yes, you are called into the ministry. 459 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:06,880 Cause up until that point, he had never told me, 460 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:08,720 like you're a preacher, you're a minister, 461 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:10,800 you need to do what I do or anything like that. 462 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:12,520 And he probably knew I would probably rebel 463 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:16,440 if it was pressure on me, you know, he's wise, wise father. 464 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:19,760 And so anyhow, I knew though that meant going to the ministry. 465 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,120 So I went to Seattle Bible college, I got trained, 466 00:17:22,120 --> 00:17:25,000 started in youth ministry, started doing conferences, 467 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:29,600 internships, evangelism, youth ministry, 468 00:17:29,600 --> 00:17:31,320 a combination of things over the years. 469 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:34,400 And then eventually it turned to where the elders 470 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:37,080 and our parents felt like the Lord was saying that, you know, 471 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:38,920 we believe you and grace will be the next lead pastors 472 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:39,760 of the church. 473 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:40,600 So pray about it. 474 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:41,760 And so for five years, 475 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:45,200 just in time for COVID, a year before that, 476 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:47,440 we got installed as lead pastors. 477 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,200 And so we've been on that journey of leading our church 478 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:52,880 and seeing God do some great things throughout the last five 479 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:54,600 years, especially in the last year and a half, 480 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:56,840 we've been seeing an incredible move of the Holy spirit. 481 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:58,640 And I know you guys have been here a couple of times. 482 00:17:58,640 --> 00:17:59,480 Yes. 483 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:00,680 Time frame, you and Christa. 484 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,160 And so we're in for the ride 485 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:05,080 and the adventure of following Jesus. 486 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:05,920 Oh, I love that. 487 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:07,080 It's a church advance. 488 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:07,920 Yes. 489 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:09,600 You know, and I'll just say this too, John, 490 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:11,960 number one, you care a unique fire, man. 491 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,840 And I kind of want to talk about that a little bit more. 492 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:17,000 Seriously, I'm inspired by it. 493 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,560 And at your church, I'm amazed because of how many men 494 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:21,400 hit the altar. 495 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:24,240 A lot of times in churches, the ladies will hit the altar. 496 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:28,280 But unique thing is sunrise is how many men hit the altar 497 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:29,040 and linger. 498 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:30,200 You just don't see that. 499 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:32,440 I really think that's a sign of a move of God. 500 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:34,320 And, you know, maybe even later on, 501 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:35,520 you can talk about that. 502 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:38,800 Why do you think that so many people that were raised 503 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:41,680 in good Christian families, why do you 504 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:44,360 think that there's such a struggle, a battle? 505 00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:47,800 Why do you think there's such a big target on that generation 506 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:49,160 that comes up in Christian homes? 507 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:50,960 I know there are a lot of people that they've 508 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,360 got sons and daughters that are protocols, 509 00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:56,800 that are deconstructing, that are addicted bound, 510 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:58,280 just denying their faith. 511 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:00,080 And why do you think there's such a struggle 512 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:01,120 on a battle in that area? 513 00:19:01,120 --> 00:19:01,520 Yeah. 514 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:03,760 I mean, everything's about the family, you know, 515 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:04,480 in the word of God. 516 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:07,360 The first institution God created was marriage and family. 517 00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:09,480 Before, I mean, he always had the church in mind. 518 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:11,040 The church was the eternal plan of God. 519 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:14,280 But he started with family, right, as the paradigm. 520 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:16,120 And so Satan attacks the seed. 521 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:17,720 He attacks the family. 522 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:19,080 He attacks the generations. 523 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,360 The dragon at Revelation 12 is sitting 524 00:19:21,360 --> 00:19:23,640 at the foot of the woman who's about to give birth to the child, 525 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:23,840 right? 526 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:26,160 So it's always an attack after the young, 527 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,120 after our seed, after our offspring. 528 00:19:28,120 --> 00:19:31,120 And I think it's a war over generational blessing. 529 00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:34,280 Because if you can start creating, I guess, 530 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:38,280 normalcy in a good sense of like, hey, we serve the Lord. 531 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:39,360 We walk with Jesus. 532 00:19:39,360 --> 00:19:40,560 We walk in His ways. 533 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:41,240 We are righteous. 534 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:42,920 Yes, all of our children need to be redeemed 535 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:44,280 and have their own saving faith. 536 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:49,720 But our kids grow up thinking that God answering prayer 537 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:51,880 is normal, that following the ways of Scripture 538 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,000 are normal and fruitful and blessed. 539 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,600 And my parents painted a very attractive view of Christianity. 540 00:19:57,600 --> 00:19:58,880 I didn't want to do ministry because I 541 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:00,200 thought I could make a lot more money. 542 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:01,840 And I see all the suffering my parents put up 543 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:02,920 within the ministry. 544 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,240 But it was never because of their hypocrisy 545 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:09,880 or them speaking negatively about the ministry. 546 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,080 But I saw them love people that hurt them. 547 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:14,800 I saw them stay faithful to their marriage vows. 548 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:18,040 I saw them weep over people, even people that mistreated them 549 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:19,480 or were making horrible choices. 550 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:21,600 I saw them tithe and give offerings. 551 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:24,280 I saw them pray in vacations, pray in money 552 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:26,240 for extra clothes or extra things. 553 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,000 And it's not like we were poor or anything. 554 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,600 But I just saw a life of faithfulness. 555 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:32,600 And they're not perfect. 556 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:33,100 We're not. 557 00:20:33,100 --> 00:20:35,280 We were a perfect family. 558 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:36,160 Grace and I have four kids. 559 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:37,360 We're not perfect parents. 560 00:20:37,360 --> 00:20:38,920 But we're, by the grace of God, I 561 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,480 think modeling that and living out your faith 562 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:45,000 and not one version on Sunday, different version in the home, 563 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:45,960 that's how we grew up. 564 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:47,360 Their life is attractive. 565 00:20:47,360 --> 00:20:48,120 They're fun. 566 00:20:48,120 --> 00:20:51,560 I think that's one thing that maybe our home, we prayed 567 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:53,520 and read the Bible regularly and that stuff. 568 00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:55,280 But my dad wrestled with us. 569 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:56,520 He tickled us. 570 00:20:56,520 --> 00:21:01,880 He made lame dad jokes. 571 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:02,960 They spent time with us. 572 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:04,880 They were involved in our sports. 573 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:06,280 They're real people. 574 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:07,320 They like to watch movies. 575 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:08,880 They like to go have fun. 576 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:11,440 So I can't imagine a more attractive life 577 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:14,040 than somebody that loves their spouse, loves life, 578 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:17,120 loves their kids, trusts God, has integrity, 579 00:21:17,120 --> 00:21:21,160 says they're sorry when they screw up. 580 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:24,040 And but there is a war because there's 581 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:27,560 such a blessing that comes from the generations being united. 582 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:31,680 Like I think my dad, he grew up in an addictive 583 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:32,640 environment. 584 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,120 My grandpa turned to alcoholism because he lost my dad's. 585 00:21:36,120 --> 00:21:37,680 He lost his wife to a car accident. 586 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:40,360 My dad was a little boy and his mom died in a tragic car 587 00:21:40,360 --> 00:21:41,240 accident. 588 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:44,200 And so my grandpa, who was very successful psychologist, 589 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:47,600 he was decorated in the military and in all the who's who lists. 590 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:50,360 And he was a mayor of one of the Seattle suburbs, 591 00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:51,760 one of the first mayors of the town. 592 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:53,280 Anyway, very influential man. 593 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:54,280 He turned to alcoholism. 594 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,200 So anyway, my dad was very broken. 595 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:59,200 So he got radically saved and set on fire for Jesus. 596 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:01,080 Their first generation pioneers, and you 597 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:02,880 have all these great miracles, right? 598 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:05,480 But it seems like there's a battle over that next generation 599 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:09,040 establishing their own story, their own faith. 600 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:09,880 You're right. 601 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:11,160 And that's so accurate. 602 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:12,680 And you so nailed something. 603 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:14,600 I think there's this thing that if you 604 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:17,360 have to start all over again, it's 605 00:22:17,360 --> 00:22:21,120 like if you can stop that blessings that you think of it 606 00:22:21,120 --> 00:22:23,880 as a generational snowball, the enemy 607 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,400 is after the momentum of blessing 608 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:32,560 the synergistic exponential impact of when, like you said, 609 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:35,960 a father and a son, a mother and a daughter, generation 610 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:37,920 after generation after generations 611 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:39,880 begin to walk with the Lord. 612 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:41,720 It's like in some respects, our kids 613 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:43,560 have to forge their own walk with God. 614 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:47,720 But you see kids that are raised in homes of people 615 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:50,040 that are artistically gifted. 616 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:52,000 You refer to them as prodigies. 617 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,320 They were raised in a concert pianist's home. 618 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:55,400 They were raised. 619 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:56,920 Their dad played in the NBA. 620 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:01,800 Steph Curry, you're rebound for his dad and Vince Carter 621 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:03,160 when he was up in Toronto. 622 00:23:03,160 --> 00:23:07,880 And so that just causes that exposure at such a young age 623 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:10,320 to foment a trajectory. 624 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:12,360 And there's so many different things about it, man. 625 00:23:12,360 --> 00:23:13,400 That's profound. 626 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,240 Hey, John, let me throw another question at you. 627 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,320 We were having a conversation in the car 628 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:21,080 and almost wish we could have done the equivalent of car 629 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:22,120 karaoke, man. 630 00:23:22,120 --> 00:23:23,520 It blew up. 631 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:24,800 I got so ignited. 632 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:27,360 You mentioned this phrase that I have not 633 00:23:27,360 --> 00:23:28,640 been able to let go of. 634 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:31,200 You talked about this phrase, the beauty of truth. 635 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:33,920 And I feel like the word beauty. 636 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,920 And if you look at beauty and aesthetics, 637 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:39,320 how much that is huge in this generation. 638 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,320 Obviously, we can see it on a sunset. 639 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,200 We could see it at a full moon or a half moon 640 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:45,160 or whatever at night. 641 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,840 You could see it looking over the landscape of the city. 642 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:50,320 But this generation is drawn to art. 643 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:51,040 They're drawn. 644 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:53,080 You look at even the social media 645 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:56,280 and what gets kind of the clicks apart from the crazy things 646 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:58,200 is this aesthetic attraction. 647 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:00,680 We're all built by God. 648 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:02,520 If you will, there's this DNA chip 649 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:05,120 within us to have this fascination with beauty, 650 00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:07,160 because God himself is beautiful. 651 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:09,560 I think one of the early church fathers, 652 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:12,920 they talked about kind of this aspect of beauty, 653 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:15,600 of being all of it fitting together. 654 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:17,880 I thought that was a unique terminology. 655 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:18,680 It all fit. 656 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,760 And I think of just how God brings so many great things 657 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:26,920 together, mercy and justice and truth and love. 658 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,400 But it just fits together so well. 659 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:32,160 So man, talk to us about this whole aspect 660 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:34,280 of the beauty of truth. 661 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:34,880 Yeah. 662 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:37,080 The more I study the scriptures and then 663 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:40,120 reading some of the church fathers, church history 664 00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:44,360 is seeing that there's a meta narrative, I guess, 665 00:24:44,360 --> 00:24:48,400 like the big work or like the telos is like philosophers. 666 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:50,800 Like what's the primary idea? 667 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:55,520 The main, the summum bonum or all these things. 668 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:56,800 Like what is the main thing? 669 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:58,840 What is the main thing that all of history, 670 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:00,800 that what is the highest ideal? 671 00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:03,840 And in Greek philosophy, there was this idea of the logos. 672 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:06,520 And even studying like John 1, 1 for Christmas 673 00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:07,960 and the incarnation this last year, 674 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:11,760 like in the beginning was the word and the word was God 675 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:13,320 and the word was with God. 676 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:17,000 And so there's this idea of Jesus is the logos, the word. 677 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:18,840 But I guess sometimes I thought of, well, 678 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:22,240 he's the expression of the Bible and that is absolutely true. 679 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:24,960 But also in Greek philosophy, there was the idea 680 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:27,640 that the logos was like the highest ideal, 681 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,480 that everything in all of life and philosophy, 682 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:33,280 truth, beauty, the world, the way it all works together. 683 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:35,280 There's some logos, there's some ideal 684 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:36,880 that philosophers were grasping for. 685 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,040 So it's possible that John was not just necessarily saying 686 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,320 that Jesus is a manifestation of the Bible, 687 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:43,920 although we see that later in John 5, 688 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:48,400 that Jesus is the manifestation of truth of the word, 689 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:50,120 but then also he could have been appealing 690 00:25:50,120 --> 00:25:51,760 to the hearts of the philosophers 691 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,480 and like the prevailing ideas is that Jesus is the highest ideal. 692 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:58,680 He is God, he is the beginning. 693 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:01,480 And so the early fathers called Jesus the word a lot 694 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:04,080 and they call him the logo salat. 695 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,000 And even maybe more than they call him, 696 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:07,240 I mean, they call him the son of God, 697 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:09,320 they call him the different names that we see in scripture, 698 00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:10,760 but they call him the logo salat. 699 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:13,440 So just as I've studied the scripture 700 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:15,880 and just different things at different times in my life, 701 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:17,600 it feels like you have these different epiphanies 702 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:19,680 or these eye-opening God encounters 703 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:21,840 and you're like, wow, that's incredible. 704 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:23,920 And so even in my own story, 705 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:27,480 like seeing Jesus as the interpretive key to the scriptures 706 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:29,040 and to the greater meaning of life. 707 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:31,080 And I guess to me, like the beauty of truth 708 00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:32,960 is about understanding who Jesus is, 709 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:35,160 that the highest ideal in all, 710 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:38,800 in God's grand plan of creation and design 711 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:40,760 and the future for us, 712 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:43,200 it's all wrapped up into who Jesus is 713 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:46,280 and him coming, him living, him dying, him raising, 714 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:49,200 and him returning and then God's invitation 715 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:52,920 to make humanity share in his nature and become like him. 716 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,680 So understanding who Jesus is is like, 717 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:59,200 I want Morgan Freeman to be the narrator for my life story. 718 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:01,480 I wish he could have the, like we over my shoulder 719 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:03,280 and be like, today, John is going to, 720 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:07,200 you just wanna have that deep, like that beautiful voice. 721 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:08,480 And there's this soundtrack, right? 722 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:11,400 There's this beautiful score in a movie that just moves. 723 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:13,680 Like you watch a movie clip without the music 724 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:15,360 in the background, without the symphony 725 00:27:15,360 --> 00:27:18,120 or the, maybe it's electronic score, whatever it is, 726 00:27:18,120 --> 00:27:20,120 but like the music moves you 727 00:27:20,120 --> 00:27:21,840 and there's this connection to the story. 728 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:24,520 And to me, it's like understanding who Jesus is, 729 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:26,680 not just like, oh yeah, this guy that, 730 00:27:26,680 --> 00:27:28,160 yeah, he's God, he died on the cross. 731 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:30,400 Not just believing the basics of who he is, 732 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:32,160 although that's super important, 733 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:35,680 but really understanding that Christ is the key 734 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:37,760 to really unlocking everything. 735 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:39,880 He's the highest ideal in all creation. 736 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:41,720 He's the name that's above every name. 737 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,680 And so what started to take root in me was, 738 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:48,320 I interpreted the scripture more through my own pain, 739 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:52,120 my own story, even after I got set free from pornography, 740 00:27:52,120 --> 00:27:54,680 I had a lot of self-hatred and shame that had to unravel. 741 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:56,960 And I actually got in a big argument with my dad one day. 742 00:27:56,960 --> 00:27:59,160 So I get in this big debate with my dad, like, 743 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:01,440 I'm gonna quit, I'm just gonna try to like go to church 744 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:03,120 and hopefully make it to heaven when I die. 745 00:28:03,120 --> 00:28:04,280 But what if I fall in sin again? 746 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:05,280 What if I get back in porn? 747 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:07,320 Look at all these pastors falling morally. 748 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:08,880 It's not gonna work out for me. 749 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:09,880 Why am I even trying? 750 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:11,480 I'm just gonna screw everything up again. 751 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:14,240 And so my dad, I'm getting kind of heated. 752 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:15,840 Like I'm done with this, I'm gonna quit. 753 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:18,800 And he's like, son, do you believe that the blood 754 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:21,320 of Jesus is enough for you to be forgiven and free 755 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:22,400 of all your sin? 756 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,640 Or do you still think there's something else you have to do? 757 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:26,400 And I go, there's gotta be something else. 758 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:28,680 And as soon as I said that, I was like, oh no, 759 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:30,800 I just said there's something more powerful 760 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:33,000 than the blood of Jesus that somehow I can do. 761 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:33,960 That's the wrong answer. 762 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,160 Like I failed the Bible, I failed every test. 763 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:39,680 Like, you know, but it exposed in that moment, 764 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:42,800 the lie that I believed that I could perform 765 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:45,800 or I could do some ritual or I could repent the right way. 766 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:47,840 Or I mean, I had so many deliverance sessions, 767 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:51,320 inner healing prayer, prayer counselors, pastors I talked to. 768 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:54,480 I was obsessive about dealing with my shame and my past 769 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:56,280 and making sure there was no demons left. 770 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:58,920 There was no, you know, curses left. 771 00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:01,640 And I think the Lord honored my sincerity, 772 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:03,680 but I got over obsessed with me. 773 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:06,000 And then something changed in that moment 774 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,520 where I started to realize, I've gotta see this thing, 775 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:10,200 my life, I've gotta see the scripture. 776 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:11,720 I've gotta see it through Jesus. 777 00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:15,200 Like the curses, the penalties, the warnings, 778 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:16,680 these are all showing me the problem. 779 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:18,120 Jesus is the solution. 780 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:21,480 He's the answer and not in like a patronizing way 781 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:23,880 or like the cheap Sunday school answer, like, you know, 782 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:26,040 oh, there's a little fluffy squirrel. 783 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:27,280 What do you call that kids? 784 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:29,400 Oh, you know, I think it's a squirrel, 785 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:31,320 but I feel like I'm supposed to say Jesus in church. 786 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:34,080 You know, like, we've almost mocked that Jesus 787 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:35,720 is like always the answer, you know, 788 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:38,840 but it's like, no, but actually at the core of everything. 789 00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:41,560 So anyway, try to, let me see if I can bring this 790 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:42,640 around the beauty of truth. 791 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,200 So as I got obsessed with seeing Jesus through the scripture 792 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:47,720 and I get these key infusions of truth, 793 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:49,440 like one of my Bible school teachers 794 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:51,080 that was an evangelist in Canada, 795 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:52,840 an amazing Bible teacher, 796 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:56,800 and he taught and spoke and prayed in King James English, 797 00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:58,680 but his spirit filled man, Brother Cornish, 798 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:00,760 he would tell us wherever you cut the book, 799 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:02,400 it bleeds the atoning blood. 800 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:05,120 Wherever you cut the book, it bleeds the atoning blood. 801 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:06,400 He's like, you find Christ. 802 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:08,760 And then like my dad would tell me about this contemporary 803 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:10,840 that my parents used to host in their home. 804 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:14,760 He was an evangelist, a contemporary of Smith Wigglesworth. 805 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:16,400 But he would come and stay in my parents' home 806 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:17,680 because my mom was a good cook. 807 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:20,200 And so I never heard this sermon because I was little, 808 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:22,480 but like these things stuck with me 809 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:24,400 that has become, I think, a part of my life message 810 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:26,000 or my obsession, you know, 811 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:28,840 is he would preach a sermon in three parts. 812 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:32,800 The cry of the Old Testament is where is the Lamb of God? 813 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:35,800 The cry between the Testaments from John the Baptist 814 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:37,680 is behold the Lamb of God. 815 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:40,720 And the cry of the New Testament is worthy, 816 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:42,080 is the Lamb of God. 817 00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:45,640 And he would summarize the entire Old and New Testaments. 818 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:48,200 He would do the whole grand narrative of Scripture 819 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:50,760 as three movements of where is the Lamb, 820 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,080 behold the Lamb, and worthy is the Lamb. 821 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:56,800 And so one day I'm reading Revelation 13, 822 00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:58,720 and it says that Jesus is the Lamb slain 823 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:00,320 before the foundation of the world. 824 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:03,680 First Peter chapter one says the same thing basically, 825 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:05,440 that Jesus who was slain for us 826 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:07,320 before the foundation of the world. 827 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:08,520 And it starts dawning on me. 828 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:12,560 Like the first creative act of God is actually not 829 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:14,000 necessarily let there be light 830 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:16,720 unless it was all happening simultaneously in a sense. 831 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:19,320 But the foundational act of God was, 832 00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:21,040 I'm gonna have to insert myself. 833 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:24,280 God the Son is gonna have to insert himself as the Lamb, 834 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:26,600 is gonna have to become the incarnate Lamb 835 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,360 who is slain for his own creation. 836 00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:33,080 So you start realizing there's this beauty to truth 837 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:35,520 and there's this grand story that's, you know, 838 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:37,760 you get to the very end and revelation of the Bible, 839 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:39,840 but it tells us about the very beginning. 840 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,480 At the foundation of everything is a story. 841 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:46,440 God decided that this beautiful story of redemption. 842 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:48,760 So our world is actually built 843 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:52,000 on the self-sacrificial love of God himself, 844 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:55,120 coming to die for us as the Lamb who's slain. 845 00:31:55,120 --> 00:31:58,640 So as soon as the story starts unfolding in Genesis 846 00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:01,240 and mankind sins, we see God's provision 847 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:03,640 to cover Adam and Eve with these garments. 848 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:06,280 And even right before that, that he prophesies, 849 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:09,600 God prophesies, the scripture prophesies 850 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,680 that there is a seed that is coming, you know, 851 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:14,600 that's gonna crush the head of the serpent. 852 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:17,040 And so there's a redeemer, there's a seed coming, 853 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:18,000 born of woman. 854 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,920 And so we start seeing this narrative starts unfolding 855 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:26,240 early in Genesis of this idea of a sacrificial offering, 856 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:30,040 of a need for cleansing, a need for a sacrifice, 857 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:34,720 and God starts preparing us for this reality 858 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:35,960 that Jesus is gonna come 859 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:38,400 and he's going to be the sacrificial lamb for us, 860 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:39,240 for our sin. 861 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:41,560 And so everything's built on this idea 862 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:43,240 of Christ suffering on the cross. 863 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:45,120 And so of course, ultimately the cross 864 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:49,840 is the full manifestation of his suffering for us, 865 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:53,280 this Godless, horrible act, but yet it's beautiful. 866 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:55,120 Like Christians love the cross. 867 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:57,880 We see the beauty, the meaning, the forgiveness, the hope, 868 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:01,240 but we forget because we're 2000 years removed, you know, 869 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,560 from when crucifixion was very popular in the Roman Empire, 870 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:06,320 how brutal and ugly it is. 871 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:08,840 But the reason that we could look at a painting of Jesus 872 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:10,680 on a cross or something and we could weep 873 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:14,200 and we could be very moved by the beauty of his sacrifice 874 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:18,640 for us, it just shows you how significant in history, 875 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,720 cosmos, universe, altering the sacrifice 876 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:23,520 of the lamb of God is for us. 877 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:27,400 Because we see beauty out of something that's torture, 878 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:29,320 you know, and that's what he came to do. 879 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:31,320 He came to redeem our brutality. 880 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:34,080 So he being the exalted son of God, you know, 881 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:37,360 pre-existent as God, before he was born to the Virgin Mary, 882 00:33:37,360 --> 00:33:40,200 it becomes manifest in the flesh for us. 883 00:33:40,200 --> 00:33:44,320 And so his humiliation, his becoming human for us 884 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:46,640 was to lead to our exaltation. 885 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:49,480 And then we've got all these promises in the scripture 886 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:54,160 of like, wow, as he is, so are we in this world. 887 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:57,360 First John also says that one day we will be like him, 888 00:33:57,360 --> 00:33:59,120 for we will see him as he is. 889 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:02,440 And Paul says in Romans 8, those that he justified, 890 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:05,360 he has sanctified and he is also glorified. 891 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:08,080 But yet he's telling us he's sharing his divine nature 892 00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:10,840 with us in one of Peter's epistles, 893 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:13,080 according to these promises, that we're gonna become 894 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:15,840 like him when we see him, that we're gonna be glorified. 895 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,440 And it's already done in God's economy. 896 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:20,480 It's already, it's like a past tense. 897 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:23,200 You've been glorified, but we know it's a future reality 898 00:34:23,200 --> 00:34:24,040 for us. 899 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:27,840 So it all started with the sacrifice of the lamb 900 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:31,280 and his vision for humanity, and for those who are redeemed 901 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:33,600 and trust in Christ, is to one day become like him. 902 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:35,000 And of course, to become his bride 903 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:38,800 and to become joined to him forever. 904 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:41,360 But we're to become like him in the life to come. 905 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:45,480 And so it's like, this is the whole story we're caught up in. 906 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:47,600 Humanity's moving toward, that's why I was like, 907 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,720 understanding who Jesus is becomes the key for the scriptures, 908 00:34:50,720 --> 00:34:54,080 but also becomes the key to me for the meaning of my life 909 00:34:54,080 --> 00:34:56,640 and why I go through suffering and glory. 910 00:34:56,640 --> 00:34:58,640 Why I go through death and resurrection. 911 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:01,440 Why I lose my life to find my life. 912 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:07,120 It's like, so it's brought such deep comfort to me 913 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:10,560 and nearness, but I've learned to meditate on truth 914 00:35:10,560 --> 00:35:13,400 and understand that the scripture is trying to reveal Jesus 915 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:16,640 to me as according to John five, that's the chief purpose. 916 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:19,360 That's what Jesus said the chief purpose of scripture was 917 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:20,960 when he was speaking to the religious leaders. 918 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:22,880 You search the scriptures because in them 919 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:24,400 you think that you have life. 920 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:26,440 The scriptures testify of me, Jesus said, 921 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:29,840 but you weren't willing to come to me to have life in my name. 922 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:32,600 And so we're, as we look through the word, 923 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:35,440 I found I encounter Jesus through the word. 924 00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:37,400 I encounter him through the beauty of truth 925 00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:39,960 and I find meaning and I don't want to lose this simplicity 926 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:42,040 of just loving him and always getting caught up 927 00:35:42,040 --> 00:35:44,560 necessarily in deep philosophy or theology. 928 00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:46,680 Now everybody has to become a theologian or whatever, 929 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:50,080 but we do need to recover, I think, the beauty of truth. 930 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:52,920 And we need to find, we need to start telling the stories, 931 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:55,400 the narrative of scripture and as preachers 932 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:59,640 and teachers of the word to let people give them, 933 00:35:59,640 --> 00:36:02,640 feed them stuff that will cause them to hunger and long 934 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:04,160 to know Jesus more. 935 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:06,240 And because as we get in this book 936 00:36:06,240 --> 00:36:09,720 and we encounter the God of the word, as we read the word, 937 00:36:09,720 --> 00:36:11,800 there's, I don't know, I just, I feel like some days 938 00:36:11,800 --> 00:36:15,040 it's like there's a soundtrack that I'm running on 939 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:16,120 and I'm like, this is it. 940 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:17,520 This is what I was made for. 941 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:19,520 This is what I was made to bring him glory 942 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:21,400 and to be with him forever and ever. 943 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:24,040 And then to invite everybody else in on that journey 944 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:26,080 that they might know him and become like him. 945 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:27,600 So anyway, I could just keep going. 946 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:29,680 Man, that was so profound. 947 00:36:29,680 --> 00:36:33,320 I was impacted on so many levels of what you're saying. 948 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:36,800 And I think, you know, when Paul wrote that letter 949 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:40,320 and that phrase into the church of Corinth, 950 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:43,240 and he says, I'm afraid as Eve was beguiled 951 00:36:43,240 --> 00:36:45,800 by the serpent, so you two are being led astray 952 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:49,240 from a pure and simple devotion to Christ. 953 00:36:49,240 --> 00:36:52,000 And I love because what you're talking is 954 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:54,720 you're calling us back, you're calling a church, 955 00:36:54,720 --> 00:36:57,400 you're calling the listeners, you're calling people 956 00:36:57,400 --> 00:37:00,120 who follow Christ back to the one we really follow. 957 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:01,720 You know, that verse that says, 958 00:37:01,720 --> 00:37:04,320 he is fairer than the sons of men. 959 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:07,840 And I think in today's age, our aesthetics 960 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:09,720 are like very low level. 961 00:37:09,720 --> 00:37:11,360 Like it's the lowest hanging fruit. 962 00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:13,360 We think that if a person has symmetry 963 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:15,800 or they got a couple extra muscles on their body 964 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:18,080 or more curves, that that is beauty. 965 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:21,640 And we don't realize it that really the altogether 966 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:24,000 otherness, the characteristics, 967 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:28,400 that the very essence of Jesus' glory is beautiful. 968 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:29,720 And he's glorious. 969 00:37:29,720 --> 00:37:33,760 You know, there's a weight, there's an attraction. 970 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:35,760 You know, in the natural, the Bible would even give 971 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:37,440 the impression that in the natural, 972 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:40,560 there was nothing that seemed in the physical 973 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:42,920 appearance of Jesus to stand out. 974 00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:45,480 Like there's nothing about him that made him like, 975 00:37:45,480 --> 00:37:49,640 whoa, this student is gonna be 2024's most sexiest man. 976 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:52,800 You know, obviously the context of history, 977 00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:55,080 but yet there had to be something so fascinating 978 00:37:55,080 --> 00:37:55,960 about his eyes. 979 00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:59,120 I just think when he could look at a hardened tax collector, 980 00:37:59,120 --> 00:38:02,120 Matthew, for instance, you just say two words, follow me. 981 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:05,680 And the dude quit what he's doing and followed Jesus. 982 00:38:05,680 --> 00:38:08,200 I thought, what was the look in his eyes 983 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:09,480 when he could walk up on the boat? 984 00:38:09,480 --> 00:38:12,720 Obviously he did the miracle of the incredible catch, 985 00:38:12,720 --> 00:38:15,600 but still these fishermen, and I think you brought up 986 00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:19,960 the point that they followed him not after the bad night 987 00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:21,800 and okay, business is not going good, 988 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:23,200 it's time for me to move on. 989 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:25,400 They had the best catch of their life 990 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:28,360 and they left it and went and followed Jesus. 991 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:31,920 And I think in this generation, you know, 992 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:35,760 how can you begin to put legs on and kind of come 993 00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:39,400 on the street of maybe a Gen Z, a millennial? 994 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:43,400 Like what is it that makes Jesus so beautiful 995 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:45,960 even in a way that maybe they could track with? 996 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:48,080 Right, well, I think it's because he gives meaning 997 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:49,400 and purpose to your life. 998 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:51,160 And there's not meaning. 999 00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:54,480 I think art is huge, I think physical beauty 1000 00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:55,760 is huge to the Lord. 1001 00:38:55,760 --> 00:38:57,120 And like you said, it's interesting 1002 00:38:57,120 --> 00:38:59,360 because the Bible says there wasn't something beautiful 1003 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:01,720 about, oh, he looks like the most handsome guy, 1004 00:39:01,720 --> 00:39:03,480 like he's the guy, he's the one, 1005 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:06,240 because he just looks so much more physically attractive 1006 00:39:06,240 --> 00:39:07,560 in the way that, you know, maybe we think 1007 00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:09,000 of physical attractiveness, right? 1008 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:12,320 But his eyes, his touch, the way that he loved people, 1009 00:39:12,320 --> 00:39:13,960 the way that he forgave his enemies, 1010 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:16,320 the way he could see past people's barriers. 1011 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:19,000 So there's a beauty in people, 1012 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:21,240 there's a beauty in Mother Teresa, right? 1013 00:39:21,240 --> 00:39:23,080 I mean, she wasn't physically beautiful, 1014 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:25,320 but almost everybody's attractive to her story. 1015 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:28,040 And if people don't, you know, agree to her beliefs 1016 00:39:28,040 --> 00:39:31,080 about God or mission or theology, 1017 00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:33,200 they're like, she spent her life for the poor 1018 00:39:33,200 --> 00:39:35,200 and she found deeper meaning. 1019 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:37,080 And so I think there's something about 1020 00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:38,520 when we see beautiful art, 1021 00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:41,480 when we see a beautiful sunset or sunrise, 1022 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:44,440 when we see a story, like a film, 1023 00:39:44,440 --> 00:39:46,760 where there's forgiveness or there's a restoration 1024 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:47,880 of Father and Son, 1025 00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:50,560 where there's the power of blessing demonstrated, 1026 00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:53,920 that's all a part of God's redemptive truth. 1027 00:39:53,920 --> 00:39:56,240 And I'm not necessarily a proponent of like, you know, 1028 00:39:56,240 --> 00:39:58,440 search all the religions to try to find any truth 1029 00:39:58,440 --> 00:39:59,280 that's God's truth. 1030 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:01,800 I'm not, you can get kind of out there on some of that, 1031 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:03,520 that I think is beyond what's helpful 1032 00:40:03,520 --> 00:40:05,320 and fruitful in the Christian life. 1033 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:09,000 But I think that we've lost at times the reality 1034 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:12,880 of how there's a beauty to finding meaning and purpose. 1035 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:15,560 And there's like this deep ache and longing in us 1036 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:18,080 to be a part of family, to be a part of community, 1037 00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:21,120 to be, it's because we long to be, to not be alone. 1038 00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:22,600 And ultimately we long, 1039 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:24,960 I think we have an eternal longing for God. 1040 00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:26,720 The sin has corrupted and perverted 1041 00:40:26,720 --> 00:40:28,280 and we need forgiveness of that. 1042 00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:29,640 But there's also a deep longing. 1043 00:40:29,640 --> 00:40:31,160 We're created in God's image. 1044 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:33,840 We're created in His likeness. 1045 00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:36,120 And so that we were made for glory. 1046 00:40:36,120 --> 00:40:37,160 We were made for beauty. 1047 00:40:37,160 --> 00:40:39,720 We were made for this world with God. 1048 00:40:39,720 --> 00:40:42,160 And now there's been this fracture between heaven and earth 1049 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:44,080 because of sin, but Christ is the, 1050 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:45,640 He's the link to heaven and earth again. 1051 00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:49,560 He's the, again, His humiliation is for our exaltation. 1052 00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:50,920 He came down to lift us up. 1053 00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:52,760 And so to Gen Z, it's like, 1054 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:54,360 he's the meaning you're longing for. 1055 00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:56,040 He is, he's the ultimate beauty. 1056 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:59,520 And the reason you are moved by certain stories of love 1057 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:02,800 and compassion, by forgiveness and redemption, 1058 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:03,680 stories of hope. 1059 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:05,160 And you like, you know, 1060 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:06,680 you like these different media things. 1061 00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:09,120 It's because again, the foundation of the world 1062 00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:11,680 is a story of redemptive love. 1063 00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:15,040 And so anytime anybody taps into that story 1064 00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:16,960 in a different aspect of that truth, 1065 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:19,040 that forgiveness, that reconciliation, 1066 00:41:19,040 --> 00:41:20,800 it's like your heart comes alive. 1067 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:22,840 But if you don't, if you don't really know him, 1068 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:24,840 as he's revealed in the scriptures to us, 1069 00:41:24,840 --> 00:41:27,120 then that can get distorted, right? 1070 00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:30,240 Or that can get, like you can grab onto one aspect 1071 00:41:30,240 --> 00:41:33,360 of like justice or one aspect of compassion 1072 00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:36,160 or one aspect of even truth. 1073 00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:38,640 That's not, I wouldn't say temperate or balanced, 1074 00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:40,880 but like well-rounded, that's not full. 1075 00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:43,480 Like Jesus is the fullness of grace and truth. 1076 00:41:43,480 --> 00:41:44,920 So there's a fullness in him 1077 00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:47,760 that like appeals for justice and mercy, 1078 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:49,640 that appeals for truth and grace, 1079 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:52,640 that appeals for, you know, to goodness. 1080 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:54,440 And there's a beauty in that, 1081 00:41:54,440 --> 00:41:56,600 when you get to know him and have a relationship, 1082 00:41:56,600 --> 00:41:59,480 I don't, I just, it's like everything clicks. 1083 00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:02,040 It doesn't mean life is easy for sure, 1084 00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:04,160 but to have purpose and suffering 1085 00:42:04,160 --> 00:42:06,360 because I was just noticing this, 1086 00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:08,880 like Jesus said that to his disciples, 1087 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:11,920 I must suffer, I must die, 1088 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:15,240 and I must be, and I must raise again basically. 1089 00:42:15,240 --> 00:42:16,160 But then after that, he says, 1090 00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:19,840 you must to be my disciple, take up your cross daily, 1091 00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:21,840 you know, deny yourself and follow me. 1092 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:24,240 And so I was like, if he must die, 1093 00:42:24,240 --> 00:42:26,240 and then we must take up our cross, 1094 00:42:26,240 --> 00:42:28,640 then there, it's through Jesus alone 1095 00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:31,480 that we truly find redemptive purpose and suffering. 1096 00:42:31,480 --> 00:42:34,720 So in the cross, and Jesus is the sacrificial lamb, 1097 00:42:34,720 --> 00:42:37,840 we realize that God understands our suffering and our pain. 1098 00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:39,760 He understands our temptation and our trials. 1099 00:42:39,760 --> 00:42:42,200 He understands betrayal and being injustice, 1100 00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:44,600 and he understands being abused at the hands of others. 1101 00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:46,280 But he also willingly submitted to it 1102 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:47,240 so he could overcome it. 1103 00:42:47,240 --> 00:42:48,360 It's not that he was a victim, 1104 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:50,160 but he understands what victims deal with 1105 00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:52,240 because he was unjustly treated, right? 1106 00:42:52,240 --> 00:42:54,840 He did nothing wrong, but yet he endured all this. 1107 00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:57,840 But then also through the cross, we understand him. 1108 00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:00,080 We realize in our pain that there's something, 1109 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:01,640 we can comfort his heart. 1110 00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:03,920 We can fellowship with him through the cross 1111 00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:06,480 because he became like us so we could get to know him. 1112 00:43:06,480 --> 00:43:10,320 It's a very powerful and beautiful reality 1113 00:43:10,320 --> 00:43:12,520 to realize that when I'm going through hard things, 1114 00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:13,960 it's really only the Christian story. 1115 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:16,280 It's really only the story of the suffering lamb, 1116 00:43:16,280 --> 00:43:17,280 who of course was raised, 1117 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:18,720 because if he's not raised again, 1118 00:43:18,720 --> 00:43:19,960 and he didn't resurrect, 1119 00:43:19,960 --> 00:43:22,520 then the cross doesn't have ultimate meaning and purpose 1120 00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:24,280 and beauty, right? 1121 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:26,560 But it is beautiful because he conquered death. 1122 00:43:26,560 --> 00:43:27,720 He conquered the devil. 1123 00:43:27,720 --> 00:43:28,760 He conquered sin. 1124 00:43:28,760 --> 00:43:30,560 He conquered hell through the cross, right? 1125 00:43:30,560 --> 00:43:34,720 So I can endure knowing that there is one who comforts me, 1126 00:43:34,720 --> 00:43:36,120 that there's one who's gone before me, 1127 00:43:36,120 --> 00:43:38,120 that perfectly understands what I'm enduring. 1128 00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:40,760 And to me, that's a beautiful story 1129 00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:42,360 and that what I go through and endure 1130 00:43:42,360 --> 00:43:44,320 could actually bring glory to God 1131 00:43:44,320 --> 00:43:47,560 and even heavenly reward to me in the life to come. 1132 00:43:47,560 --> 00:43:50,040 And so even when things seem unfair, unjust, 1133 00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:52,760 there is a God, there is a Lord and Savior Jesus 1134 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:54,560 who's coming back as a king and a judge, 1135 00:43:54,560 --> 00:43:56,320 and he will make all wrong things right. 1136 00:43:56,320 --> 00:43:58,080 And so he gives meaning, 1137 00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:00,600 he gives perspective for this life and the life to come. 1138 00:44:00,600 --> 00:44:01,640 That is so good. 1139 00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:03,760 And I love John the way you made the connection. 1140 00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:06,360 There is such an attraction as generation 1141 00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:08,240 to redemptive themes. 1142 00:44:08,240 --> 00:44:09,280 You know, we were a kid, 1143 00:44:09,280 --> 00:44:11,040 good guys were the good guys, 1144 00:44:11,040 --> 00:44:12,560 and I'm older than you, so I mean, 1145 00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:14,320 I should put it back back when I was a kid 1146 00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:15,720 and you were coming up, 1147 00:44:15,720 --> 00:44:18,000 heroes are heroes and the villains were villains. 1148 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:20,880 But now we're seeing villains get redeemed, 1149 00:44:20,880 --> 00:44:23,800 like Loki, okay, Loki, you're a good guy now. 1150 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:25,760 You've been, and we love that. 1151 00:44:25,760 --> 00:44:27,800 We love that redemptive thing. 1152 00:44:27,800 --> 00:44:30,920 I mean, Hallmark is making money off the fact 1153 00:44:30,920 --> 00:44:34,280 that we love to see romance in the beginning 1154 00:44:34,280 --> 00:44:37,160 as unlikely as it may appear, 1155 00:44:37,160 --> 00:44:40,080 but all of a sudden we see that love wins the day. 1156 00:44:40,080 --> 00:44:41,720 And I think the temptation, 1157 00:44:41,720 --> 00:44:43,240 if there's a temptation in any of it, 1158 00:44:43,240 --> 00:44:46,160 is that we get stuck on the echoes, 1159 00:44:46,160 --> 00:44:49,760 not knowing that they're echoes of a deeper voice 1160 00:44:49,760 --> 00:44:50,720 that comes from the Lord, 1161 00:44:50,720 --> 00:44:51,960 that God calls us, 1162 00:44:51,960 --> 00:44:54,400 there's this, and you alluded to it, 1163 00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:56,360 there's a romance of the gospel 1164 00:44:56,360 --> 00:44:58,240 where we're called to a romance. 1165 00:44:58,240 --> 00:45:00,960 Philosophies begin with man 1166 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:04,240 and kind of these philosophers would try to move towards, 1167 00:45:04,240 --> 00:45:06,200 you know, the known to the unknown, 1168 00:45:06,200 --> 00:45:08,840 the concrete to the abstract, go for man to God. 1169 00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:11,200 And they're ear-tickling, they sound good, 1170 00:45:11,200 --> 00:45:14,080 especially on the day of ex, formerly known, 1171 00:45:14,080 --> 00:45:15,760 artists formerly known as Twitter. 1172 00:45:15,760 --> 00:45:17,280 And those can get clicks and likes 1173 00:45:17,280 --> 00:45:20,840 and people are trying to sound super philosophic and et cetera. 1174 00:45:20,840 --> 00:45:24,160 But the romance of the gospel doesn't begin with man 1175 00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:25,320 and reach to God. 1176 00:45:25,320 --> 00:45:29,480 The beauty of the romance is God reached down to us 1177 00:45:29,480 --> 00:45:31,160 when we couldn't lift our heads up, 1178 00:45:31,160 --> 00:45:32,520 we couldn't, we couldn't, 1179 00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:34,760 so much as call on his name, there was not a desire. 1180 00:45:34,760 --> 00:45:36,800 We were stuck with no way out 1181 00:45:36,800 --> 00:45:39,320 and there was only one way God himself had to make that way. 1182 00:45:39,320 --> 00:45:42,240 And so in those movies where someone rescues someone, 1183 00:45:42,240 --> 00:45:45,760 they go all out, you know, taking, you know, 1184 00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:48,040 I've acquired a unique skill set, 1185 00:45:48,040 --> 00:45:49,600 which makes me particularly dangerous. 1186 00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:51,040 But there was something about a guy 1187 00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:53,840 that would do anything to get his daughter back 1188 00:45:53,840 --> 00:45:55,640 and to make sure she was safe. 1189 00:45:55,640 --> 00:45:57,720 All of them are butt echoes, man. 1190 00:45:57,720 --> 00:46:01,160 They're echoes of something that is a voice that cries. 1191 00:46:01,160 --> 00:46:03,920 And the other thing is the Bible says 1192 00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:06,440 the beauty of this world passes away. 1193 00:46:06,440 --> 00:46:08,240 And I think we could see it like, you know, 1194 00:46:08,240 --> 00:46:11,880 hey, maybe this iconic, you know, pinup, 1195 00:46:11,880 --> 00:46:14,240 gal or guy during the 80s, 1196 00:46:14,240 --> 00:46:16,760 now doesn't look like the person you pin up on your wall, 1197 00:46:16,760 --> 00:46:18,120 right? Okay, so that passed. 1198 00:46:18,120 --> 00:46:21,680 But it's so much deeper than just physical age, 1199 00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:25,040 you know, refining, you know, a person's body, 1200 00:46:25,040 --> 00:46:26,560 beauty, whatever. 1201 00:46:26,560 --> 00:46:30,040 It literally is that it is passing, it's fleeting, 1202 00:46:30,040 --> 00:46:34,000 it's minute, it's a drop in the bucket, you know, 1203 00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:36,720 that there's a beauty that does not fade 1204 00:46:36,720 --> 00:46:38,440 and the Bible refers to that. 1205 00:46:38,440 --> 00:46:39,400 And I agree with you. 1206 00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:41,400 I think some of the, right now, 1207 00:46:41,400 --> 00:46:45,680 this disillusionment that leads to whatever, you know, 1208 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:48,880 whether it's a narcotic opioid, 1209 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:52,240 drinking, smoking, partying, immorality, all of it. 1210 00:46:52,240 --> 00:46:55,120 I know for me, I was looking for a beauty. 1211 00:46:55,120 --> 00:46:56,440 At the end of the day, 1212 00:46:56,440 --> 00:46:59,080 I was looking for a beauty that fulfilled. 1213 00:46:59,080 --> 00:47:01,680 I was looking for the beauty of truth. 1214 00:47:01,680 --> 00:47:04,680 And man, when that one Jesus came in my room 1215 00:47:04,680 --> 00:47:07,000 and I began, like you said, read the gospels. 1216 00:47:07,000 --> 00:47:09,840 And I just was struck, there was nothing I wouldn't do 1217 00:47:09,840 --> 00:47:12,440 for a God that would go that distance for me. 1218 00:47:12,440 --> 00:47:15,640 And it fomented a passion that I, you know, 1219 00:47:15,640 --> 00:47:17,600 I think if we're all honest, 1220 00:47:17,600 --> 00:47:22,600 there's flowing ebbs, but there's never been a U-turn. 1221 00:47:22,760 --> 00:47:23,840 There's never been a backslide. 1222 00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:26,520 There's never been a stop because of, 1223 00:47:26,520 --> 00:47:30,800 not because I'm like this super motivated, faithful dude. 1224 00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:31,760 It's quite the opposite. 1225 00:47:31,760 --> 00:47:33,640 It's that I just see Jesus. 1226 00:47:33,640 --> 00:47:35,880 And it was just, there are times when I've wanted 1227 00:47:35,880 --> 00:47:37,600 to give up ministry, not Jesus. 1228 00:47:37,600 --> 00:47:40,640 I'm like, oh man, this ministry stops hard Lord 1229 00:47:40,640 --> 00:47:43,440 and sheep bite Lord and man, you know, 1230 00:47:43,440 --> 00:47:45,840 you're trying to help people in this, you know, 1231 00:47:45,840 --> 00:47:48,000 but I couldn't cause I would look 1232 00:47:48,000 --> 00:47:50,680 and just go into a secret place and people say, 1233 00:47:50,680 --> 00:47:52,200 well, do you see Jesus? 1234 00:47:52,200 --> 00:47:55,600 And the answer is yes and no, you see him everywhere. 1235 00:47:55,600 --> 00:47:57,760 And particularly in scripture, you see him in creation. 1236 00:47:57,760 --> 00:48:00,320 You see him, I saw him in the birth of my son and my daughter. 1237 00:48:00,320 --> 00:48:02,120 I see him in my wife's eyes. 1238 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:03,280 I see him in a sunset. 1239 00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:06,400 And then if you're looking for the temporary, 1240 00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:09,960 immediate optical thing that you can lock your eyes on 1241 00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:12,560 in this world, he's so far beyond that. 1242 00:48:12,560 --> 00:48:15,440 And yet I did see him and I have seen him. 1243 00:48:15,440 --> 00:48:17,000 You know, that's all I got to say. 1244 00:48:17,000 --> 00:48:18,520 I mean, that's a whole nother story. 1245 00:48:18,520 --> 00:48:19,360 Come on. 1246 00:48:19,360 --> 00:48:23,000 Man, in what ways do you think right now, 1247 00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:25,320 the word of God can become the bridge 1248 00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:28,200 that can help rescue us from our beauty default? 1249 00:48:28,200 --> 00:48:30,240 Because obviously it points to Jesus, 1250 00:48:30,240 --> 00:48:31,080 but in what way? 1251 00:48:31,080 --> 00:48:32,560 And you may have answered in some ways, 1252 00:48:32,560 --> 00:48:35,800 but I recognize there's a lot of people that it's like 1253 00:48:35,800 --> 00:48:38,880 the Lord is wanting to give them a tune up in this area 1254 00:48:38,880 --> 00:48:42,040 of getting back in the word, getting back 1255 00:48:42,040 --> 00:48:43,320 in the plumb line of scripture 1256 00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:45,160 and how that can connect them to beauty. 1257 00:48:45,160 --> 00:48:46,000 Yeah. 1258 00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:49,560 I mean, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word 1259 00:48:49,560 --> 00:48:52,600 of God and just continuing to read, to listen, 1260 00:48:52,600 --> 00:48:55,960 to meditate on the word, to listen to good Bible teachers 1261 00:48:55,960 --> 00:48:58,320 that have a high value for scripture. 1262 00:48:58,320 --> 00:49:01,520 You know, we only know Jesus really through the word. 1263 00:49:01,520 --> 00:49:04,120 I mean, yes, he can reveal himself supernaturally 1264 00:49:04,120 --> 00:49:07,200 and visions and dreams and different experiences. 1265 00:49:07,200 --> 00:49:11,040 And those are all beautiful and valid, important things, 1266 00:49:11,040 --> 00:49:13,600 but he's not known apart from scripture. 1267 00:49:13,600 --> 00:49:16,400 We only know of him, even from those experiences, 1268 00:49:16,400 --> 00:49:18,160 we can only judge those experiences 1269 00:49:18,160 --> 00:49:19,720 and find what is valid from them 1270 00:49:19,720 --> 00:49:21,560 by coming in line with scripture. 1271 00:49:21,560 --> 00:49:25,880 So just having an appetite for the word, reading it daily, 1272 00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:27,800 I'm a big proponent of Bible reading plans 1273 00:49:27,800 --> 00:49:31,520 and just daily getting in the scripture and listening. 1274 00:49:31,520 --> 00:49:33,440 And then I think it's like anything, 1275 00:49:33,440 --> 00:49:36,520 I don't know why I never thought of this growing up, 1276 00:49:36,520 --> 00:49:38,960 but you know, like in martial arts training, 1277 00:49:38,960 --> 00:49:40,200 which you've been a part of a little bit, 1278 00:49:40,200 --> 00:49:42,600 like there's kind of a way you learn from a master 1279 00:49:42,600 --> 00:49:45,240 or a sensei or whatever the different arts call it, right? 1280 00:49:45,240 --> 00:49:47,760 But like to learn the art, to learn your, 1281 00:49:47,760 --> 00:49:49,200 to maximize your ability, 1282 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:51,760 you have to learn what was handed down to you. 1283 00:49:51,760 --> 00:49:55,160 And like that's what Jude says, like for once for all, 1284 00:49:55,160 --> 00:49:56,680 you know, contend for the faith 1285 00:49:56,680 --> 00:49:58,880 that was once for all delivered to the saints. 1286 00:49:58,880 --> 00:50:01,400 So we have this faith that's contained in the scriptures, 1287 00:50:01,400 --> 00:50:02,240 right? 1288 00:50:02,240 --> 00:50:04,240 And that the church is preserved through the generation, 1289 00:50:04,240 --> 00:50:05,840 God has preserved it through his church, 1290 00:50:05,840 --> 00:50:07,240 through the generations. 1291 00:50:07,240 --> 00:50:09,760 And so we're to learn the way, 1292 00:50:09,760 --> 00:50:12,080 we're to learn the way that's been handed down to us. 1293 00:50:12,080 --> 00:50:14,680 We're to learn this, the faith, not faith in like, 1294 00:50:14,680 --> 00:50:16,560 have more faith, but like the faith, 1295 00:50:16,560 --> 00:50:18,600 the body of truth of who Jesus is 1296 00:50:18,600 --> 00:50:20,800 and of God's holy word, right? 1297 00:50:20,800 --> 00:50:24,200 So we're to walk this path by studying it, 1298 00:50:24,200 --> 00:50:26,680 by sitting under teachers and people that are more advanced 1299 00:50:26,680 --> 00:50:28,920 than us, that have more knowledge and experience 1300 00:50:28,920 --> 00:50:32,120 and to continue, you know, to see it as a lifelong endeavor. 1301 00:50:32,120 --> 00:50:34,720 Like I think every time I read through the Bible, 1302 00:50:34,720 --> 00:50:37,720 I know more and I learn more and I get more out of it. 1303 00:50:37,720 --> 00:50:39,720 So it's like, it's okay to start as a novice 1304 00:50:39,720 --> 00:50:42,280 to not understand half of what you read or maybe more, 1305 00:50:42,280 --> 00:50:44,120 you know, I mean, there's a lot of days where I'm like, 1306 00:50:44,120 --> 00:50:45,920 I don't even remember what I read, 1307 00:50:45,920 --> 00:50:49,520 but there's plenty of days where I do remember and I feast. 1308 00:50:49,520 --> 00:50:50,880 And even if I don't remember, 1309 00:50:50,880 --> 00:50:52,760 I remember that I fellowshiped with him 1310 00:50:52,760 --> 00:50:55,120 and that he was near me as I opened his word 1311 00:50:55,120 --> 00:50:57,320 and that I was encouraged that day 1312 00:50:57,320 --> 00:50:58,920 or I was warned that day. 1313 00:50:58,920 --> 00:51:01,040 And where I might not, like I might not remember 1314 00:51:01,040 --> 00:51:03,240 this conversation exactly in a year, 1315 00:51:03,240 --> 00:51:05,320 but I'll remember the warmth of the fellowship 1316 00:51:05,320 --> 00:51:07,880 that I had with my friend getting to spend some time with him 1317 00:51:07,880 --> 00:51:09,880 and that enriched my life, whether I could remember 1318 00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:10,760 every line or not. 1319 00:51:10,760 --> 00:51:12,480 So it's like every time I open the word 1320 00:51:12,480 --> 00:51:15,480 is a chance to be enriched in my relationship with Christ. 1321 00:51:15,480 --> 00:51:17,400 And if my goal is fellowship, 1322 00:51:17,400 --> 00:51:20,400 my goal is to be more like him, to let him have his way in me. 1323 00:51:20,400 --> 00:51:21,480 And then I keep reading it, 1324 00:51:21,480 --> 00:51:23,280 then I find that I start remembering more 1325 00:51:23,280 --> 00:51:24,600 and I start connecting the dots 1326 00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:26,360 and I start finding deeper meaning. 1327 00:51:26,360 --> 00:51:27,600 But that didn't happen overnight, 1328 00:51:27,600 --> 00:51:29,760 just like in martial art or in a sport 1329 00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:32,240 or any other musical instrument, 1330 00:51:32,240 --> 00:51:35,760 you become not that any of us ever masters the Bible, right? 1331 00:51:35,760 --> 00:51:37,880 But you can only become a master and expert 1332 00:51:37,880 --> 00:51:40,160 by spending thousands of hours, right? 1333 00:51:40,160 --> 00:51:41,760 Like Malcolm Gladwell says an expert 1334 00:51:41,760 --> 00:51:43,440 is like a 10,000 hours, right? 1335 00:51:43,440 --> 00:51:44,280 Through his studies. 1336 00:51:44,280 --> 00:51:45,960 That's how somebody achieves mastery. 1337 00:51:45,960 --> 00:51:49,120 You know, the greatest Bible teachers and expositors, 1338 00:51:49,120 --> 00:51:50,280 preachers of the word of God, 1339 00:51:50,280 --> 00:51:52,040 well, they've spent thousands of hours. 1340 00:51:52,040 --> 00:51:54,440 And so this is a worthy endeavor. 1341 00:51:54,440 --> 00:51:57,240 If you spend five, 15 minutes with the Bible, 1342 00:51:57,240 --> 00:51:59,480 sometime in prayer, you spend an hour a day, right? 1343 00:51:59,480 --> 00:52:01,360 Over in a year, you might not feel like 1344 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:02,240 you've made much progress, 1345 00:52:02,240 --> 00:52:04,400 but in 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, 1346 00:52:04,400 --> 00:52:07,000 you're gonna have such a richness to share with others. 1347 00:52:07,000 --> 00:52:09,720 And anyway, so I would just encourage people 1348 00:52:09,720 --> 00:52:12,800 to start consistently and make it a part of the, 1349 00:52:12,800 --> 00:52:14,920 core part of their life and they won't regret it. 1350 00:52:14,920 --> 00:52:17,080 Hey, John, I love that man. 1351 00:52:17,080 --> 00:52:19,760 You're one of the most pure hearted dudes I know. 1352 00:52:19,760 --> 00:52:21,040 I'm always challenged. 1353 00:52:21,040 --> 00:52:22,360 I think of that. 1354 00:52:22,360 --> 00:52:25,360 I think of you and I think of that pure and simple devotion, 1355 00:52:25,360 --> 00:52:26,360 man, I'm challenged. 1356 00:52:26,360 --> 00:52:28,040 Hey, what are some things you're doing? 1357 00:52:28,040 --> 00:52:29,160 How can we follow you? 1358 00:52:29,160 --> 00:52:31,360 Tell us about your podcasts, books, 1359 00:52:31,360 --> 00:52:33,960 anything you're going on, your church services. 1360 00:52:33,960 --> 00:52:34,800 Give us some ways. 1361 00:52:34,800 --> 00:52:37,240 We've got some people that are gonna love to lock into you 1362 00:52:37,240 --> 00:52:40,000 and continually drink from the well, man. 1363 00:52:40,000 --> 00:52:42,440 Yeah, so our church is Sunrise Christian Center 1364 00:52:42,440 --> 00:52:46,880 and that's with an O as the son of God, Sunrise Christian Center. 1365 00:52:46,880 --> 00:52:48,480 We have a YouTube channel 1366 00:52:48,480 --> 00:52:50,440 and we have our services, our streams, 1367 00:52:50,440 --> 00:52:52,120 all our sermons are up there. 1368 00:52:52,120 --> 00:52:55,080 And then all of my platform stuff for social media 1369 00:52:55,080 --> 00:52:58,520 is like, it's John and Hammer, like Armand Hammer, 1370 00:52:58,520 --> 00:53:03,400 J-L-H-N-A-N-D Hammer, H-A-M-M-E-R, like the tool. 1371 00:53:03,400 --> 00:53:04,720 John and Hammer. 1372 00:53:04,720 --> 00:53:06,840 And so John and Hammer at Instagram, 1373 00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:09,520 John and Hammer on X, John and Hammer Facebook. 1374 00:53:09,520 --> 00:53:11,680 And then actually I do a lot of writing. 1375 00:53:11,680 --> 00:53:14,200 I have done a lot of writing on Substack. 1376 00:53:14,200 --> 00:53:16,760 So it's like a combination between a blog and a newsletter. 1377 00:53:16,760 --> 00:53:21,160 And so Johnandhammer.substack.com. 1378 00:53:21,160 --> 00:53:25,160 That I actually wrote, I just finished in December. 1379 00:53:25,160 --> 00:53:27,960 I wrote 365 days on the presence of God. 1380 00:53:27,960 --> 00:53:30,600 And so it's like, it's part like experiential, 1381 00:53:30,600 --> 00:53:34,400 part doctrine, part Bible story, part personal stories. 1382 00:53:34,400 --> 00:53:35,840 And every day I go through things like, 1383 00:53:35,840 --> 00:53:38,200 who God the Father is for like, for weeks, 1384 00:53:38,200 --> 00:53:40,480 who God the Son is, God the Spirit, 1385 00:53:40,480 --> 00:53:43,800 and how we experience His presence, the Trinity, 1386 00:53:43,800 --> 00:53:46,360 the corporate presence of God, 1387 00:53:46,360 --> 00:53:48,520 incarnation in the presence of God in December, 1388 00:53:48,520 --> 00:53:51,480 around Christmas time, you know, the cross and the presence, 1389 00:53:51,480 --> 00:53:53,200 all these different topics. 1390 00:53:53,200 --> 00:53:55,080 It takes about two minutes usually or so 1391 00:53:55,080 --> 00:53:56,960 to read through one of these daily devotionals. 1392 00:53:56,960 --> 00:53:58,600 And Lord willing, it will be a book 1393 00:53:58,600 --> 00:54:00,560 that comes at the end of 2024. 1394 00:54:00,560 --> 00:54:02,040 To be released in 2025, 1395 00:54:02,040 --> 00:54:03,840 but you can go read the whole archive. 1396 00:54:03,840 --> 00:54:06,800 And I write on other topics as well from time to time 1397 00:54:06,800 --> 00:54:08,560 that I send out on cultural issues, 1398 00:54:08,560 --> 00:54:11,640 doctrine issues, leadership, spirituality stuff. 1399 00:54:11,640 --> 00:54:14,040 Anyway, so that's probably the best place 1400 00:54:14,040 --> 00:54:16,000 to connect to me is on my Substack. 1401 00:54:16,000 --> 00:54:18,840 Hey John, bro, sure appreciate that. 1402 00:54:18,840 --> 00:54:21,640 Love your depth, your passion, it's infectious. 1403 00:54:21,640 --> 00:54:23,480 Amen, thanks for stopping by, keep it 100. 1404 00:54:23,480 --> 00:54:24,440 We sure love you, bro. 1405 00:54:24,440 --> 00:54:26,080 And blessing, blessing love you guys. 1406 00:54:26,080 --> 00:54:28,080 Thank you, give our love to Christ as well. 1407 00:54:28,080 --> 00:54:28,920 We'll do. 1408 00:54:28,920 --> 00:54:29,740 And the puppy. 1409 00:54:29,740 --> 00:54:32,080 Gosh, such a good conversation. 1410 00:54:32,080 --> 00:54:33,720 I love what Pastor John shared. 1411 00:54:33,720 --> 00:54:36,600 Just that is, that's revelation and just truth. 1412 00:54:36,600 --> 00:54:38,080 I just, that's just profound. 1413 00:54:38,080 --> 00:54:40,400 And I love that we're talking about a conversation 1414 00:54:40,400 --> 00:54:43,000 that a lot of people aren't talking about the beauty of God. 1415 00:54:43,000 --> 00:54:45,240 And yet demands your reflection, 1416 00:54:45,240 --> 00:54:46,680 it demands your contemplation. 1417 00:54:46,680 --> 00:54:50,000 It demands you to stop, slow down and absorb 1418 00:54:50,000 --> 00:54:53,200 and recognize the beauty of God that's around you. 1419 00:54:53,200 --> 00:54:56,040 And let us not miss a daily invitation 1420 00:54:56,040 --> 00:54:59,160 to adore and enjoy the beauty of God. 1421 00:54:59,160 --> 00:55:02,120 Thanks so much for tuning into the Keep It 100 podcast. 1422 00:55:02,120 --> 00:55:04,840 Make sure to rate, review and refer us to your friends. 1423 00:55:04,840 --> 00:55:06,800 And be sure to click that subscribe button 1424 00:55:06,800 --> 00:55:09,160 so that you're alerted as soon as new episodes drop. 1425 00:55:09,160 --> 00:55:10,160 Help us get the word out, 1426 00:55:10,160 --> 00:55:12,320 share this link on your social media platforms 1427 00:55:12,320 --> 00:55:15,000 and check us out at www.SeanAndChristasmith.com. 1428 00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:16,560 You can also find us on Facebook 1429 00:55:16,560 --> 00:55:18,560 at www.SeanAndChristosmithministries. 1430 00:55:18,560 --> 00:55:19,640 We would love to hear from you 1431 00:55:19,640 --> 00:55:21,560 on how this podcast has impacted you. 1432 00:55:21,560 --> 00:55:23,320 So be sure to show us some love. 1433 00:55:23,320 --> 00:55:24,560 Hey, Keep It 100 tribe. 1434 00:55:24,560 --> 00:55:27,080 Thanks so much for joining us for this exciting episode. 1435 00:55:27,080 --> 00:55:28,480 Join us on our next episode. 1436 00:55:28,480 --> 00:55:30,800 And remember, relief may change your circumstance, 1437 00:55:30,800 --> 00:55:32,560 but a revelation will change you. 1438 00:55:32,560 --> 00:55:35,840 We hope you enjoyed today's episode 1439 00:55:35,840 --> 00:55:39,080 of the Keep It 100 podcast with Sean and Christosmith. 1440 00:55:39,080 --> 00:55:40,960 Keep up with us on Facebook and Instagram 1441 00:55:40,960 --> 00:55:43,160 at www.SeanAndChristasmith.com 1442 00:55:43,160 --> 00:55:44,880 where you can discover more resources. 1443 00:55:44,880 --> 00:55:46,640 If this podcast has impacted you, 1444 00:55:46,640 --> 00:55:47,800 please subscribe and review 1445 00:55:47,800 --> 00:55:49,400 wherever you listen to your podcast. 1446 00:55:49,400 --> 00:55:59,400 Keep it 100!