WEBVTT

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Hey guys and welcome back to the salt not sweetener

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podcast. I'm your host Danielle Townsend I hope

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y 'all are having a wonderful week. It's been

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a wacky week here in Indiana The weather has

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been crazy. This is past weekend. It was like

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tornado level winds Right after having a good

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couple days like 60 plus degrees and now there's

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snow outside And it's like negative one degree

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with the wind chill. So it's been up and down.

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I have just decided to, outside of work and the

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grocery store, stay in the house right now because

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I don't do the cold to this extent. But the wonderful

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thing about feeling kind of like cooped up in

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the house is it's a fantastic time to read. And

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last night... I felt the Lord guide me to 2nd

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Timothy and I read through 2nd Timothy. If y

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'all have not read 2nd Timothy, I'm encouraging

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you today to go read it. It's only four chapters,

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y 'all. It's only four chapters. You don't really

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have an excuse not to read it. Okay, you can

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get a Bible app on your phone for free. You can

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look it up on like I am encouraging y 'all I

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will always encourage y 'all to read the Bible

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for yourself and Over the next couple episodes

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We're gonna be focusing on second Timothy Okay,

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so not just today today's gonna be like a part

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one and we're gonna go over like chapter one

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But there are gonna be a couple more episodes

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where this is almost like a little series. We're

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just gonna dive into 2nd Timothy, which is why

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I'm telling y 'all read it for yourself Of course,

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I'll be reading a lot of it to y 'all but read

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it for yourself Get your Bible out right now

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and you can follow along with me And I don't

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know if this is gonna be like one episode per

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chapter if a couple are gonna be combined together

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I have no clue but when I was reading it today

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and I knew the Lord was calling me to talk about

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just the first chapter I really felt Like the

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lord was saying all right, and this is going

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to be like a little bit of a series Like this

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is just going to be a part one There's going

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to be a couple parts to this and y 'all I might

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even do second timothy Or I might even do first

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timothy. We're starting the second timothy. We're

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a little out of order Okay, but we're starting

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the second timothy and we might go to first timothy.

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I don't know. We'll see But if y 'all have not

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read it I encourage you to read it and i'm going

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to start with just like giving y 'all a little

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context and as i've said previous episodes context

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is so important with the Bible okay a lot of

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people who don't know the Word of God or who

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only know like clips of the Bible and I used

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to be one of these people used to say the Bible

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contradicts itself all the time and they would

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just like pull out which is not true at all but

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it would be because they'd be pulling Scripture

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out of context in reading it in a way that does

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contradict if you do not know the context God

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does not contradict himself and his word does

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not contradict itself. Once you read it in context.

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It's easier to understand what's being talked

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about and Second Timothy is a letter from Paul.

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Okay And if you know anything about Paul's letters,

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oftentimes Paul was writing a letter to like

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correct something. It was a rebuke, it was a

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correction. So when you're reading, it's really

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important for you to know who the audience is.

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Okay, that's what context gives you is like,

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who is this person talking to? Who is this person

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talking about? It's important to know, historically,

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like what was going on in that society at that

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time? What was the thing that was being addressed?

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it's really important to know the context. For

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example, and this isn't what we're gonna be reading

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today, y 'all, but I really felt the Lord kind

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of pointing this example out to me today, amen,

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which is from 1 Timothy. And it's in 1 Timothy,

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it's near the end of chapter two, and it's where

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there are instructions to... men and women and

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a lot of people refer back to the scripture when

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they are debating on whether or not women can

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be pastors whether or not women can be teachers

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whether or not women should be in the ministry

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and if you just read a clip of that out of context

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it would seem like paul is saying all women should

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be silent and shut up and really have little

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to no say and little to no participation Right.

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It's really important. I want to give y 'all

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just a little bit of context just to kind of

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give an example All right Paul was writing a

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letter to Timothy who was Like ministering and

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head of the church in Ephesus if I'm pronouncing

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this correctly, right and we see Paul is addressing

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the women Okay, and he says here a woman is to

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learn quietly With full submission. I do not

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allow a woman to teach or to have authority over

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a man instead She used to remain quiet for Adam

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was formed first then Eve and Adam was not deceived

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But the woman was deceived and transgressed But

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she will be saved through childbearing if they

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continue in faith and love and holiness with

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good sense Now if you just read that out of context,

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you'd read that like okay Paul like if you just

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read that alone You think Paul is giving a blanket

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statement? and saying, okay, all women are supposed

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to shut their mouths, be completely submissive,

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no teaching. We would be very quickly taking

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all the women out of the education jobs that

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they're in, right? No more teaching children,

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no more teaching elementary, no more teaching

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Sunday school, no more instructing each other,

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nursing school, all these different things. We'd

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be looking at this and saying, okay, women are

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not to teach. If women were to teach no boys

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in the classroom, like if we were to read this

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as a blanket statement Okay There's a certain

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perspective we're gonna get out of this, but

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if we look at what's going on as a whole we take

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a step back Paul is writing Timothy and Paul

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is giving him instructions on how to correct

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a problem that he is dealing with with the women

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Ephesians if I'm pronouncing that town correctly

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because what happened? There's a different dynamic

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going on there Okay, the women in that area had

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been worshiping. They were part of a cult that

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worshiped I believe it was Artemis the goddess

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Artemis or was also known as Diana Okay, so women

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were used to being priestesses to a female goddess

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Women were used to being authority figures. Women

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were used to having a level of autonomy where

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it wasn't submit to your husband. It was women

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instructing. It was women empowered. It was a

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flip dynamic. They weren't looking at the way

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God created a wife to be submitted to the husband

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or like the man to be the head of the household,

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right? So the women were in this strange power

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dynamic that they weren't really supposed to

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be in. And they were used to teaching incorrect

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teachings. And when these women started to teach,

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they were teaching incorrectly, which was starting

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to stir up a lot of problems, right? Arguments

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around false doctrine and anger and all these

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things. So Paul was giving Timothy, amen, advice

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on how to correct this and saying, these women

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here that are part of this cult, that are part

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of all this stuff, need to be quiet. need to

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be silent they are not in the position to be

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teaching they are actually supposed to be submitted

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to the husband he was correcting the weird like

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authority thing that they have going on and right

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before this paul addresses their modesty saying

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that they shouldn't be adorning themselves and

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like doing their hair and wearing all these pearls

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and everything but instead focusing on the works

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that um glorify christ And it's because a lot

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of these women in their society, that was what

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they focused on. They paid attention to the hair.

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They paid attention to all these things. They

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adorn themselves. And that was like a status

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thing. And this was Paul correcting them. This

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was Paul correcting this group of people. But

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if we didn't know that historical context, it

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would be really easy to read this as a blanket

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statement. But when we look at who Paul is addressing

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and the problems that brought this up, It makes

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things make a lot more sense, right? And I hope

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y 'all are following me. I hope y 'all are following

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where I'm going with this so far. This is not

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what I'm gonna focus on today. And I know that

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this is like a hot topic for debates and like

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people are never in agreement on the scripture.

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I'm just giving y 'all some historical context

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and telling y 'all. The arguments that tend to

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fire up around us and why it's so important to

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know the historical context So anyway today we

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are focusing in on second timothy. Okay, and

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i'm going to give y 'all some context Of what

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was going on? So we're going to start out with

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who is speaking in second timothy paul Paul is

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writing a letter to timothy. It's a second letter

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to timothy here And at this time Paul is in a

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Roman prison. He has been in prison and Paul

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is close to his martyrdom. Paul is getting close

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to his death. And it's like he kind of knows

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it, right? Because he's said near the end, not

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to skip ahead too much, but a couple chapters

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in that he has ran his race and that he has endured.

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And it's clear that he's starting to see that

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he has started to reach the end of his walk and

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the end of his life, right? But Paul has been

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locked up many times before, and he is locked

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up in a Roman prison right now. And he is writing

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a letter to Timothy, who was overseeing the church

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in Ephesus. And at this time, what is going on

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in society is Emperor Nero. Emperor Nero is in

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power. And while he has been in power, the persecution

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of Christians has risen dramatically. Needless

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to say, it's dangerous to be a Christian. It's

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dangerous to spread the gospel. It's dangerous

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to proclaim Christ. It's dangerous to stand on

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the truth. And it is also dangerous to be associated

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with Paul. As we know, Paul is unapologetically

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Following Jesus. He is spreading the gospel.

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He is planting seeds. He was rebuking. He is

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correcting He is doing what he has been called

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to do. God has given him a call and he has answered

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it but in doing that He has been the target of

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persecution and he has been imprisoned and that

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this time there are a lot of people who have

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turned their back on Paul There are people who

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are not associating with him There are people

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who have turned from him who are no longer helping

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him who are no longer like really in his corner

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A lot of people have fled, right? And Paul is

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writing this letter to Timothy, not only to ask

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Timothy to come visit him, but also to encourage

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him in the time of persecution. So overall, it's

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important to note that this is a time when persecution

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is at like an all -time high. It's not popular

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to be a Christian. Not everyone's being received

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with love. Actually going out and doing this,

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going out and spreading the gospel, going out

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and standing in truth, you're getting persecuted.

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You're getting arrested you're getting slandered

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you're getting if we pay attention to what happened

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to Jesus's disciples Most of them died a very

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unfortunate death Pain wise now it was a beautiful

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in the terms of martyrdom, but multiple of them

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were crucified There's suffering that comes along

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with being a follower of Christ so it's important

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to understand that it seems like suffering and

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persecution Is a big part of life at this time

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Right and I want to just get so we've gone through

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the purpose we've gone through the context and

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Let's start to just break this down. We're going

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to read through the chapter together And as I

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was writing it this morning as I was reading

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through this morning. I was actually writing

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notes and I was going through it Y 'all know

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I rarely have notes for the episode, but today

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I have notes. Today I have notes. And as we read

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through chapter one, we're just going through

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chapter one, we're gonna stop and we're gonna

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start picking things apart. So get ready to do

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this with me today. We are in the Christian Standard

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Bible, my She Reads Truth Study Bible. Starting

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here in 2 Timothy, verse 1, it says, in my prayers

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night and day. Remembering your tears I long

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to see you so that I may be filled with joy.

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I recall your sincere faith that first lived

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in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice

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and now I am convinced it is in you also. Therefore

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I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that

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is in you through the laying on of my hands for

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God has not given us a spirit of fear but one

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of power love and sound judgment and I want to

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pause right here that may be a scripture a popular

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scripture that you have heard you guys may hear

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my cat in the background he's going to town on

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this cat scratcher he has the zoomies too he

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just bolted but this may be a popular scripture

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that you guys are used to hearing I know it's

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something that Has gotten me through a lot right

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and that is for God has not given us a spirit

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of fear But one of power love and sound judgment

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that is second Timothy chapter 1 verse 7 and

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Then reading that I'm reminded that the fear

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that we have the fear of persecution the fear

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of what happens When I spread the gospel what

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what if this happens? when I speak the truth.

00:15:04.929 --> 00:15:08.509
What if this happens when I step into my calling?

00:15:08.629 --> 00:15:11.169
What if this happens? The fear, I don't know

00:15:11.169 --> 00:15:13.309
about y 'all, but I have experienced this a lot

00:15:13.309 --> 00:15:16.570
in my life. When God calls me, there have been

00:15:16.570 --> 00:15:18.409
times when he's called me to spread the gospel

00:15:18.409 --> 00:15:20.429
with people that I don't know if they want to

00:15:20.429 --> 00:15:22.429
receive it. And I don't know if they're going

00:15:22.429 --> 00:15:24.750
to receive it well. And there's a fear that immediately

00:15:24.750 --> 00:15:27.490
starts flooding over me of like, what if they

00:15:27.490 --> 00:15:29.230
react in a bad way? What if they laugh at me?

00:15:29.309 --> 00:15:30.970
What if they get angry? What if they get upset?

00:15:33.340 --> 00:15:37.080
Or there are opinions that I have, there are

00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:40.539
values I have, that come from having a biblical

00:15:40.539 --> 00:15:43.960
worldview, that come from God's word and standing

00:15:43.960 --> 00:15:46.500
on God's word, that are not popular with society

00:15:46.500 --> 00:15:51.840
today. That many people would find cancelable.

00:15:53.240 --> 00:15:55.299
I believe a marriage is between a man and a woman.

00:15:57.899 --> 00:16:00.659
I believe that we're created, man and woman and

00:16:00.659 --> 00:16:02.519
God created us the way that we are intended to

00:16:02.519 --> 00:16:05.379
be. Saying those things alone would have a big

00:16:05.379 --> 00:16:10.080
group of people hating me, wanting to persecute

00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:14.419
me. And I know so many of my brothers and sisters

00:16:14.419 --> 00:16:16.879
in Christ experience that too, where there are

00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:18.679
values and beliefs you have that are just based

00:16:18.679 --> 00:16:24.019
off of God's Word. But you're afraid to even

00:16:24.019 --> 00:16:26.490
say them out loud. You're afraid that when someone

00:16:26.490 --> 00:16:29.250
asks you your opinion to say, but God's word

00:16:29.250 --> 00:16:34.649
says. And this scripture reading this today reminds

00:16:34.649 --> 00:16:39.509
me that that fear that we face is not from God.

00:16:42.629 --> 00:16:46.870
God gave us a spirit of power, love, and sound

00:16:46.870 --> 00:16:57.470
judgment. The boldness. to walk in truth, the

00:16:57.470 --> 00:17:03.490
boldness to declare God's Word, the boldness

00:17:03.490 --> 00:17:07.890
to plant seeds, the love of Jesus. See, the world

00:17:07.890 --> 00:17:13.670
has redefined love. God so loved the world that

00:17:13.670 --> 00:17:19.450
he sent his one and only son to die on the cross

00:17:19.450 --> 00:17:22.730
so that whoever who believes in him may have

00:17:22.730 --> 00:17:27.410
eternal life. Jesus showed us unconditional love

00:17:27.410 --> 00:17:31.589
Jesus showed us sacrificial love Jesus showed

00:17:31.589 --> 00:17:34.470
us what love looked like and that love did not

00:17:34.470 --> 00:17:39.309
look like blind acceptance That love didn't look

00:17:39.309 --> 00:17:43.809
like saying everyone's truth is the truth All

00:17:43.809 --> 00:17:46.210
roads lead to heaven that wasn't what Jesus said

00:17:46.210 --> 00:17:49.230
Jesus didn't even come and affirm people in their

00:17:49.230 --> 00:17:55.430
sin Jesus would heal He would forgive and then

00:17:55.430 --> 00:17:58.589
he would say go and send no more. Y 'all as I'm

00:17:58.589 --> 00:18:00.069
talking I'm looking out the window in the most

00:18:00.069 --> 00:18:02.569
beautiful blue jay. It's a big fat blue jay y

00:18:02.569 --> 00:18:06.670
'all. This is like a fat blue jay. Is sitting

00:18:06.670 --> 00:18:09.289
here on the fence post. Oh, that's so beautiful.

00:18:11.869 --> 00:18:15.509
Jesus showed us what love was and that love was

00:18:15.509 --> 00:18:18.470
calling people to repentance. That love was meeting

00:18:18.470 --> 00:18:21.009
them where they were at but calling them to hire.

00:18:22.180 --> 00:18:26.039
And that is not what our generation calls love.

00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:30.000
Society right now, the climate that we're in

00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:32.680
right now, says love is blind acceptance and

00:18:32.680 --> 00:18:34.359
telling people whatever makes you comfortable

00:18:34.359 --> 00:18:36.880
and whatever makes you happy. And it's not saying

00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:39.279
anything that will offend anybody. Not saying

00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:40.819
anything that will make anyone feel some type

00:18:40.819 --> 00:18:44.240
of way. And when you stand on God's word, when

00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:45.980
you plant seeds, when you try to point people

00:18:45.980 --> 00:18:48.440
towards repentance, you're called hateful. You're

00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:50.980
called like a bigot. You're called like every

00:18:50.980 --> 00:18:54.380
slanderous thing you can be called. It's crazy.

00:18:59.240 --> 00:19:03.279
It's important to remember that Jesus showed

00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:06.480
us what love looks like. That what we are modeling

00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:13.140
as Christians is God's definition of love, is

00:19:13.140 --> 00:19:17.210
God's definition of sound judgment. Not the worlds

00:19:17.210 --> 00:19:20.329
because the world is constantly changing The

00:19:20.329 --> 00:19:23.309
devil is the lowercase G God of this world and

00:19:23.309 --> 00:19:26.349
it's no coincidence that a lot of the things

00:19:26.349 --> 00:19:28.569
are acceptable and normalized in society and

00:19:28.569 --> 00:19:30.950
that you're called hateful and Evil person if

00:19:30.950 --> 00:19:32.609
you don't align yourself with are things that

00:19:32.609 --> 00:19:36.950
do not align with God's Word Because it's the

00:19:36.950 --> 00:19:42.130
devil's little domain for right now But not forever

00:19:42.130 --> 00:19:46.160
We know who has the victory But I just want to

00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:51.799
remind y 'all of that today. When you are guided

00:19:51.799 --> 00:19:55.519
by God to stand on your convictions, when you

00:19:55.519 --> 00:19:58.619
are put in a situation where you know persecution

00:19:58.619 --> 00:20:02.319
will come for standing on your values and speaking

00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:04.000
the truth, but you know it's what you're supposed

00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:07.140
to do, the fear is not from God. The fear is

00:20:07.140 --> 00:20:10.160
from the enemy. God gave you a boldness and God

00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:12.960
will be your strength. We have the Holy Spirit

00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:17.000
dwelling within us. To strengthen us and embolden

00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:20.400
us and guide us and give us the wisdom. Don't

00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:24.759
forget that We're gonna move down further it

00:20:24.759 --> 00:20:28.259
says Paul says here in verse 8 so don't be ashamed

00:20:28.259 --> 00:20:32.599
of the testimony about our Lord Or of me his

00:20:32.599 --> 00:20:35.839
prisoner instead share in the suffering for the

00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:38.880
gospel relying on the power of God And we're

00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:43.359
gonna pause here Paul Someone who is literally

00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:49.420
in chains. He's literally in prison For not being

00:20:49.420 --> 00:20:52.920
afraid to share his testimony Paul had an amazing

00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:55.460
testimony of how he encountered God on the road

00:20:55.460 --> 00:20:57.539
to Damascus He encountered the truth of Jesus

00:20:57.539 --> 00:21:00.480
Christ. He was one way and he became another

00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:04.779
He was on his way to go crucify or persecute

00:21:04.779 --> 00:21:07.619
more Christians he was on his way literally to

00:21:07.619 --> 00:21:11.119
go he had just gotten a legal like approval to

00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:14.599
be able to just go bind up followers of Christ

00:21:14.599 --> 00:21:19.380
he was present at stonings and he was happily

00:21:19.380 --> 00:21:21.640
on his way to do it more when God encountered

00:21:21.640 --> 00:21:24.660
him on the road to Damascus revealed the truth

00:21:24.660 --> 00:21:28.359
of Jesus Christ remember he was blinded and after

00:21:28.359 --> 00:21:31.599
days God sent someone to go lay hands on him

00:21:32.970 --> 00:21:37.230
And then for years, Paul was kind of in isolation

00:21:37.230 --> 00:21:40.970
where the Lord was revealing, giving him revelation.

00:21:41.970 --> 00:21:44.849
He experienced revelation from the Lord and the

00:21:44.849 --> 00:21:48.470
Lord alone. Paul had amazing testimonies and

00:21:48.470 --> 00:21:52.049
he was using those testimonies. All of his past.

00:21:52.730 --> 00:21:55.390
Times of persecution and getting in prison and

00:21:55.390 --> 00:21:57.390
getting out of prison and the different things

00:21:57.390 --> 00:21:59.950
that he has walked into the stonings Y 'all remember

00:21:59.950 --> 00:22:01.630
he got stoned. They thought I'm pretty sure it

00:22:01.630 --> 00:22:03.329
wasn't that Paul who was stoned and they thought

00:22:03.329 --> 00:22:07.329
he was dead He has been through it He has so

00:22:07.329 --> 00:22:09.470
many testimonies though that point to God and

00:22:09.470 --> 00:22:12.250
glorify God and he was using those to plant seeds

00:22:12.250 --> 00:22:15.730
for other people He was using those to correct

00:22:15.730 --> 00:22:20.190
and rebuke lovingly and calling people to hire

00:22:20.839 --> 00:22:26.200
And he knew that in the current climate, especially

00:22:26.200 --> 00:22:30.059
with Nero, that persecution for that was inevitable.

00:22:31.579 --> 00:22:34.859
It was clear that that was the path he was going

00:22:34.859 --> 00:22:40.740
towards. But he was so rooted in the truth that

00:22:40.740 --> 00:22:43.680
the Lord had revealed to him. And he was not

00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:46.940
ashamed to be a follower of Christ. He was not

00:22:46.940 --> 00:22:51.710
ashamed. To be someone who walked in the light

00:22:51.710 --> 00:22:55.289
and believed the truth and knew the truth He

00:22:55.289 --> 00:22:59.210
wasn't ashamed and I'm speaking to y 'all today

00:22:59.210 --> 00:23:01.970
as my brothers and sisters in Christ the current

00:23:01.970 --> 00:23:06.269
environment of the world wants us to be ashamed

00:23:06.269 --> 00:23:10.029
of being a Christian I Cannot tell y 'all how

00:23:10.029 --> 00:23:13.690
many times I have scrolled on social media and

00:23:13.690 --> 00:23:16.789
I see people who you know, just have their have

00:23:16.920 --> 00:23:21.559
a bit more conservative values that align with

00:23:21.559 --> 00:23:25.279
the word of God and I see in all the comment

00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:30.319
sections where people are just ripping them to

00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:33.980
shreds and saying we found out you believe in

00:23:33.980 --> 00:23:36.140
this we found out you believe in that let's cancel

00:23:36.140 --> 00:23:40.380
them you should be ashamed like it's crazy there

00:23:40.380 --> 00:23:43.279
are people who are afraid to share their values

00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:49.349
because of cancel culture Like there is a real

00:23:49.349 --> 00:23:52.470
fear my brothers and sisters in Christ have of

00:23:52.470 --> 00:23:55.230
like their livelihoods being ruined just for

00:23:55.230 --> 00:23:58.869
being rooted in the truth It's been a thing especially

00:23:58.869 --> 00:24:02.190
the past couple years of doxing online Like where

00:24:02.190 --> 00:24:04.930
you'll see when someone posts an opinion the

00:24:04.930 --> 00:24:06.750
other people don't like they'll literally get

00:24:06.750 --> 00:24:09.009
together and figure out this person's Address

00:24:09.009 --> 00:24:11.410
and their family members and where they work

00:24:11.410 --> 00:24:14.490
and like ruin their lives And it's something

00:24:14.490 --> 00:24:17.829
people are proud of unfortunately that people

00:24:17.829 --> 00:24:21.789
gang up together and do. And that's a fear that

00:24:21.789 --> 00:24:23.990
my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are

00:24:23.990 --> 00:24:27.890
walking with today of like, what about the retaliation

00:24:27.890 --> 00:24:30.990
that comes? There are people who are ashamed,

00:24:31.769 --> 00:24:35.789
who are ashamed into hiding their Christianity,

00:24:36.289 --> 00:24:38.450
who are ashamed into hiding that Jesus Christ

00:24:38.450 --> 00:24:40.549
is their savior, who are ashamed into hiding,

00:24:40.849 --> 00:24:45.529
no, my values are biblical values. My values

00:24:45.529 --> 00:24:50.430
align with the Word of God. And I encourage y

00:24:50.430 --> 00:24:52.970
'all today not to be ashamed. There are some

00:24:52.970 --> 00:24:55.809
people who have testimonies that glorify God.

00:24:56.630 --> 00:24:58.690
That will lead other people closer to them, but

00:24:58.690 --> 00:25:01.170
they are afraid to share because of the possible

00:25:01.170 --> 00:25:03.690
persecution that could come with it. I'm someone

00:25:03.690 --> 00:25:07.230
who I walked in that for the longest time. I

00:25:07.230 --> 00:25:09.869
had testimony that glorified God with sobriety.

00:25:10.089 --> 00:25:12.750
and I had testimony that glorified God when I

00:25:12.750 --> 00:25:16.029
left New Age. I was so fearful to share it because

00:25:16.029 --> 00:25:18.710
I was fearful of the people in the New Age community

00:25:18.710 --> 00:25:23.869
can be mean and vicious and you know for the

00:25:23.869 --> 00:25:27.750
people who claim to be all about I'll just say

00:25:27.750 --> 00:25:31.769
this they they don't there's not a lot of forgiveness

00:25:31.769 --> 00:25:34.809
there's not a lot of love there's not a lot of

00:25:34.809 --> 00:25:40.230
grace And I was very afraid to share my testimony

00:25:40.230 --> 00:25:42.630
of how and straight up call it for what it is

00:25:42.630 --> 00:25:46.150
and say New Age is a lie and a path that leads

00:25:46.150 --> 00:25:49.990
you straight to hell. And there are a lot of

00:25:49.990 --> 00:25:52.329
people who would get offended by me saying that.

00:25:53.309 --> 00:25:55.750
So for a long time out of fear, I didn't say

00:25:55.750 --> 00:26:00.089
it. I beat around the bush. I hid that testimony

00:26:00.089 --> 00:26:02.450
because I didn't want the retaliation that would

00:26:02.450 --> 00:26:05.490
come with me saying I used to be a part of that

00:26:05.490 --> 00:26:08.039
group and it's a lie. The truth is Jesus. He

00:26:08.039 --> 00:26:11.819
is the way of the truth alive. When it came to

00:26:11.819 --> 00:26:16.299
sobriety and sharing how I have a 100 % sobriety

00:26:16.299 --> 00:26:17.920
conviction because it was revealed to me that

00:26:17.920 --> 00:26:19.880
drinking and smoking was a false idol for me.

00:26:19.940 --> 00:26:22.059
It was an idol. It was an idolatry thing. When

00:26:22.059 --> 00:26:25.559
I was bored, I smoked. When I was emotional,

00:26:25.579 --> 00:26:27.480
I smoked and I drank. It helped me detach. It

00:26:27.480 --> 00:26:29.019
helped me to relate. It helped me to regulate.

00:26:29.099 --> 00:26:30.779
It helped me to sleep. When I was bored, when

00:26:30.779 --> 00:26:32.339
I was happy, when I was sad, that was what I

00:26:32.339 --> 00:26:33.900
was doing when I should have been going to Jesus.

00:26:35.699 --> 00:26:38.519
It was revealed to me, don't even dabble in it.

00:26:39.799 --> 00:26:41.339
God said, keep it out of your life completely.

00:26:41.420 --> 00:26:43.539
I was afraid to share that with other people

00:26:43.539 --> 00:26:46.880
because I know there are other people who can

00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:51.140
have one drink and not get drunk. And they can

00:26:51.140 --> 00:26:53.660
walk that line because it is not a sin to have

00:26:53.660 --> 00:26:56.500
a drink. It is a sin to be drunk. It is a sin

00:26:56.500 --> 00:26:58.720
to be a drunkard that opens the door for the

00:26:58.720 --> 00:27:00.440
devil. And I was afraid people would misinterpret

00:27:00.440 --> 00:27:03.720
it. And I was afraid in sharing my sobriety testimony

00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:06.000
that people would say, well, that's cool for

00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:07.940
you, but that's not that it like would tear it

00:27:07.940 --> 00:27:11.839
apart and misunderstand and rip it apart. And

00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:13.519
that's how each of these things, it was fear

00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:15.940
that was preventing me from stepping out and

00:27:15.940 --> 00:27:17.480
sharing something that once I finally started

00:27:17.480 --> 00:27:18.920
sharing those things, other people were like,

00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:21.140
I can relate and I needed to hear this and this

00:27:21.140 --> 00:27:24.299
helped me. And it's leading me closer to Jesus.

00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:29.450
I needed to hear this thing. I'm urging you today,

00:27:29.650 --> 00:27:31.230
brothers and sisters, don't be afraid of the

00:27:31.230 --> 00:27:33.849
testimony. Don't be afraid to share what God

00:27:33.849 --> 00:27:35.390
has done for you. Don't be afraid to share what

00:27:35.390 --> 00:27:37.650
God has revealed to you. Don't be afraid to share

00:27:37.650 --> 00:27:39.730
what God has taught you. Don't be afraid to say

00:27:39.730 --> 00:27:43.710
that you are a follower of Christ. And to say

00:27:43.710 --> 00:27:46.950
this is a sin. And to say this is what God calls

00:27:46.950 --> 00:27:49.849
us to do. This is who God calls us to be. Don't

00:27:49.849 --> 00:27:54.630
be afraid to call people higher. I was reminded

00:27:54.630 --> 00:27:57.049
of this in reading the book of Ezekiel not too

00:27:57.049 --> 00:28:00.670
long ago. Where God was talking to him God was

00:28:00.670 --> 00:28:04.809
talking to Ezekiel about warning people and he

00:28:04.809 --> 00:28:07.710
was saying like these these people like if you

00:28:07.710 --> 00:28:12.849
warn them and They don't do it like your hands

00:28:12.849 --> 00:28:16.609
are clean their hands are clean if you warn them

00:28:16.609 --> 00:28:19.890
and they do it anyway They will see death. We

00:28:19.890 --> 00:28:22.750
know the wage of sin is death But your hands

00:28:22.750 --> 00:28:24.730
will be clean, but then he goes on to say but

00:28:24.730 --> 00:28:26.829
if you see that they're doing this and you do

00:28:26.829 --> 00:28:31.119
not warn them They will die and your hands will

00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:33.400
be dirty. You will be held accountable. It is

00:28:33.400 --> 00:28:37.059
our responsibility as Christians To speak the

00:28:37.059 --> 00:28:39.579
truth. It is our responsibility as Christians

00:28:39.579 --> 00:28:43.440
to warn Regardless or not of whether they accept

00:28:43.440 --> 00:28:45.819
it and in reading that that Scripture has like

00:28:45.819 --> 00:28:48.420
kind of like pierced my heart and been my reminder

00:28:48.420 --> 00:28:54.339
that I cannot give into fear Because to know

00:28:54.339 --> 00:28:58.769
what is right and to keep my mouth quiet is to

00:28:58.769 --> 00:29:05.710
disobey God. Now to go on further, 2 Timothy

00:29:05.710 --> 00:29:11.910
chapter 1 verse 9, he has saved us and called

00:29:11.910 --> 00:29:15.069
us with a holy calling not according to our works

00:29:15.069 --> 00:29:17.609
but according to his own purpose and grace which

00:29:17.609 --> 00:29:20.069
was given to us in Christ Jesus before that time

00:29:20.069 --> 00:29:24.029
began. Paul is acknowledging that he is suffering

00:29:24.029 --> 00:29:27.289
on behalf of walking out his calling. And we'll

00:29:27.289 --> 00:29:29.690
see, we're gonna read further. Before we stop

00:29:29.690 --> 00:29:30.930
here, we're actually gonna read a little bit

00:29:30.930 --> 00:29:33.930
further so we can get the full gist of things.

00:29:34.069 --> 00:29:37.730
Okay, it says, this has now been made evident

00:29:37.730 --> 00:29:40.769
through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus,

00:29:41.210 --> 00:29:43.710
who has abolished death and has brought life

00:29:43.710 --> 00:29:46.109
and immortality to light through the gospel.

00:29:47.329 --> 00:29:50.069
For this gospel, I was appointed a herald, an

00:29:50.069 --> 00:29:53.730
apostle, and teacher. And that is why I suffer

00:29:53.730 --> 00:29:58.039
these things. But I am not ashamed Because I

00:29:58.039 --> 00:30:01.059
know whom I have believed and then persuaded

00:30:01.059 --> 00:30:04.380
that he is able to guard But has been entrusted

00:30:04.380 --> 00:30:09.079
to me until that day Paul is in this position

00:30:09.079 --> 00:30:13.920
because he is walking out his calling and sometimes

00:30:13.920 --> 00:30:17.460
when we see someone in suffering and in bondage

00:30:17.460 --> 00:30:21.180
and Just going through unjust treatment our brain

00:30:21.180 --> 00:30:23.400
quickly turns on to believing that person must

00:30:23.400 --> 00:30:27.529
be disobedient That person must not be walking

00:30:27.529 --> 00:30:29.670
in their calling this person must be going incorrectly,

00:30:29.670 --> 00:30:34.470
but that's not the truth Paul was walking out

00:30:34.470 --> 00:30:41.650
his calling And that led him to bondage But we

00:30:41.650 --> 00:30:47.509
see here that he is actually partaking In the

00:30:47.509 --> 00:30:49.990
same suffering Jesus did because when we go up

00:30:49.990 --> 00:30:52.170
further we can remember that he said share in

00:30:52.170 --> 00:30:57.490
the suffering for the gospel He has been in prison

00:30:57.490 --> 00:31:03.529
and will eventually be killed for standing in

00:31:03.529 --> 00:31:10.329
the truth. That is exactly what Jesus did. Jesus

00:31:10.329 --> 00:31:13.089
came here to testify of the truth. He is the

00:31:13.089 --> 00:31:15.670
way, the truth, the life. He came to fulfill

00:31:15.670 --> 00:31:20.130
the law. He is the Word made flesh and He came

00:31:20.130 --> 00:31:22.309
here and when He was here He testified to the

00:31:22.309 --> 00:31:25.720
truth. Not just with his words, but people saw

00:31:25.720 --> 00:31:30.359
miracles. People were raised from the dead. Blind

00:31:30.359 --> 00:31:32.640
people had sight, lepers were healed, demons

00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:35.180
were rebuked, the man with a legion of demons.

00:31:37.220 --> 00:31:48.319
And he was healed. The lame walk. And yet, even

00:31:48.319 --> 00:31:51.279
when the truth was staring people in the face,

00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:54.450
they rejected it. And what did they do to Jesus?

00:31:54.990 --> 00:31:59.410
They falsely accused him. They beat him. They

00:31:59.410 --> 00:32:02.250
called him every name you could think of. Slandered

00:32:02.250 --> 00:32:04.349
him. They brought people against him in court

00:32:04.349 --> 00:32:07.150
to bear false witness. They had people lying

00:32:07.150 --> 00:32:10.170
and lying and lying, spitting on him. Eventually

00:32:10.170 --> 00:32:20.190
crucified him. And Jesus warned us. We shouldn't

00:32:20.190 --> 00:32:26.180
think it's strange. when we as Christians face

00:32:26.180 --> 00:32:28.819
suffering and persecution because Jesus actually

00:32:28.819 --> 00:32:33.099
warned us about this in John 15 specifically

00:32:33.099 --> 00:32:36.559
in John 15 verses 18 through 25 Jesus is warning

00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:39.779
and predicting about the persecution of his followers

00:32:39.779 --> 00:32:43.859
but it's not something to be avoided and we know

00:32:43.859 --> 00:32:45.940
in the Beatitudes too when he was giving the

00:32:45.940 --> 00:32:48.039
sermon on the mount when he was saying like blessed

00:32:48.039 --> 00:32:51.460
are those who are persecuted on my behalf Jesus

00:32:51.460 --> 00:32:53.900
addressed multiple times that if we are walking

00:32:53.900 --> 00:32:56.380
like him if we are looking like him if we are

00:32:56.380 --> 00:32:58.859
standing in the truth We will partake in the

00:32:58.859 --> 00:33:01.299
suffering that he partook in and I want to read

00:33:01.299 --> 00:33:03.339
this scripture to y 'all specifically John 15

00:33:03.339 --> 00:33:06.259
verse 20 where it says a servant is not greater

00:33:06.259 --> 00:33:09.680
than his master if they persecuted me They will

00:33:09.680 --> 00:33:12.640
also persecute you if they kept my word They

00:33:12.640 --> 00:33:15.400
will also keep yours and we see Paul walking

00:33:15.400 --> 00:33:19.900
this out if they persecuted Jesus for standing

00:33:19.900 --> 00:33:23.240
on the truth, for standing in the truth, for

00:33:23.240 --> 00:33:28.920
standing in love, for his standing and pursuing

00:33:28.920 --> 00:33:32.339
righteousness. If you are doing the same, you

00:33:32.339 --> 00:33:34.440
are going to be persecuted. You are not better

00:33:34.440 --> 00:33:37.440
than Jesus. I am not better than Jesus. We're

00:33:37.440 --> 00:33:41.740
not going to be more. He was perfect, sinless,

00:33:42.619 --> 00:33:48.160
loving. forgiving Jesus is so much better than

00:33:48.160 --> 00:33:52.039
me Jesus was so much better than you and He faced

00:33:52.039 --> 00:33:56.000
this of course, we're gonna face this too. We

00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:59.539
are not greater than him That cup didn't pass

00:33:59.539 --> 00:34:02.119
from him and the cup of suffering is not gonna

00:34:02.119 --> 00:34:04.599
pass from us either When we are walking like

00:34:04.599 --> 00:34:09.440
Christ and we see Paul actively living this out

00:34:12.969 --> 00:34:15.769
And then later chapters we'll see how to suffer

00:34:15.769 --> 00:34:17.789
well but today we're just talking about suffering

00:34:17.789 --> 00:34:20.889
as a Christian in general y 'all and suffering

00:34:20.889 --> 00:34:24.110
is something that is inevitable. Persecution

00:34:24.110 --> 00:34:28.130
is inevitable if you are following Jesus and

00:34:28.130 --> 00:34:32.170
standing boldly in his word. Of course you can

00:34:32.170 --> 00:34:36.070
avoid persecution as a Christian if you are ashamed

00:34:36.070 --> 00:34:38.170
of Christ and no one knows you're a Christian.

00:34:39.449 --> 00:34:42.579
But how strong is your faith? If you are not

00:34:42.579 --> 00:34:45.599
following the conviction to live it out, if you

00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:48.960
do not have the desire to obey God, to do what

00:34:48.960 --> 00:34:51.300
you were called to do, which is to create disciples,

00:34:51.980 --> 00:34:54.179
to plant seeds for other people, how can you

00:34:54.179 --> 00:34:56.940
do that if no one knows that you are a disciple

00:34:56.940 --> 00:35:00.679
yourself? How can you do what God has called

00:35:00.679 --> 00:35:04.500
you to do if you're not emboldened to take a

00:35:04.500 --> 00:35:09.460
footstep out of your door? We should be admiring

00:35:09.460 --> 00:35:15.869
Paul. that he has walked so heavily in his calling

00:35:15.869 --> 00:35:18.190
that he was led to this type of persecution.

00:35:18.489 --> 00:35:20.769
I want to be so clear y 'all, persecution as

00:35:20.769 --> 00:35:24.610
a Christian isn't an if, it's a when. When you

00:35:24.610 --> 00:35:27.769
face it. It's not an if you face it, it's a when

00:35:27.769 --> 00:35:34.570
you face it. And Paul here is referring to himself,

00:35:34.610 --> 00:35:36.829
he's saying, I was appointed to be a herald,

00:35:37.610 --> 00:35:40.969
an apostle and a teacher. He's identifying the

00:35:40.969 --> 00:35:46.230
calling that God gave him. He's an apostle. He's

00:35:46.230 --> 00:35:49.869
teaching. He is a herald. He is proclaiming the

00:35:49.869 --> 00:35:52.869
Word of God. He is being used in all these ways

00:35:52.869 --> 00:35:54.849
and we can see him confidently and boldly doing

00:35:54.849 --> 00:35:59.329
it through these letters. How many times he was

00:35:59.329 --> 00:36:03.039
almost stoned and almost killed? and then ends

00:36:03.039 --> 00:36:04.780
up going back to that place because that's where

00:36:04.780 --> 00:36:06.920
God calls him back to. Still writing letters,

00:36:07.059 --> 00:36:09.539
still doing his thing. He didn't let fear deter

00:36:09.539 --> 00:36:12.480
him or stop him or persecution stop him. He saw

00:36:12.480 --> 00:36:15.000
he didn't see persecution as a sign to stop.

00:36:15.019 --> 00:36:17.539
He saw it as a sign to keep going because we

00:36:17.539 --> 00:36:20.260
know that the enemy doesn't attack what he's

00:36:20.260 --> 00:36:25.519
not intimidated by. And I want to address this

00:36:25.519 --> 00:36:27.800
with y 'all because I'm someone who I have fallen

00:36:27.800 --> 00:36:30.000
into this category to. So many of us want to

00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:34.500
call him. We want the anointing We want God to

00:36:34.500 --> 00:36:37.500
call us to some Wonderful position where we feel

00:36:37.500 --> 00:36:39.500
like we're making such a big difference I cannot

00:36:39.500 --> 00:36:41.639
tell you how many times I pray to God to be God

00:36:41.639 --> 00:36:43.559
I want to be used by you to the full capacity

00:36:43.559 --> 00:36:50.380
and God has revealed My calling and I'm sure

00:36:50.380 --> 00:36:53.719
that there is more to be revealed to me Throughout

00:36:53.719 --> 00:36:55.719
my life and as I'm walking about and stepping

00:36:55.719 --> 00:36:58.460
it out. I am just barely dipping. I am at the

00:36:58.460 --> 00:37:02.139
beginning I don't believe God has even done a

00:37:02.139 --> 00:37:05.320
tenth, a hundredth of what he intends to do through

00:37:05.320 --> 00:37:07.500
me. And the same for many of you who are listening

00:37:07.500 --> 00:37:13.179
to this today. And it's great for us to identify

00:37:13.179 --> 00:37:15.179
that calling, right? Because it gives us a sense

00:37:15.179 --> 00:37:19.679
of purpose. It gives us like a navigation, right?

00:37:19.840 --> 00:37:22.500
I know that my purpose here is to serve God.

00:37:22.739 --> 00:37:26.480
Like we were created in general to worship. To

00:37:26.480 --> 00:37:28.400
worship and to steward over God's creation God

00:37:28.400 --> 00:37:30.619
created all of earth and saw it was good But

00:37:30.619 --> 00:37:33.840
then he created man to steward over the creepeth

00:37:33.840 --> 00:37:35.599
the things that were creeping around on the earth

00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:39.099
the animals The steward over we were created

00:37:39.099 --> 00:37:42.780
to steward over God's blessing We were created

00:37:42.780 --> 00:37:53.539
to worship him to elevate him And we also know

00:37:53.539 --> 00:37:57.269
that We're called to create disciples. We're

00:37:57.269 --> 00:37:58.750
called to plant seeds. We're called to point

00:37:58.750 --> 00:38:03.429
people closer to Jesus. And then our calling

00:38:03.429 --> 00:38:06.849
is kind of like the bigger picture way that God

00:38:06.849 --> 00:38:09.210
wants us to do it. For me, one of my callings

00:38:09.210 --> 00:38:11.409
here is to share testimony that glorifies God

00:38:11.409 --> 00:38:16.909
and I believe is to teach other people. And then

00:38:16.909 --> 00:38:18.750
your assignments are different ways you can carry

00:38:18.750 --> 00:38:23.349
that out. So if you are called to teach, Your

00:38:23.349 --> 00:38:25.630
assignment might be being a Sunday school teacher

00:38:25.630 --> 00:38:28.349
later on it might be being leading a Bible study

00:38:28.349 --> 00:38:31.170
Later on it might be a youth group. There are

00:38:31.170 --> 00:38:35.090
different assignments for the calling but we

00:38:35.090 --> 00:38:38.349
see that Paul had multiple of these callings

00:38:38.349 --> 00:38:41.690
but these callings come along with like suffering

00:38:41.690 --> 00:38:45.969
and persecution because what a calling does is

00:38:45.969 --> 00:38:49.010
a calling isn't glorifying you and elevating

00:38:49.010 --> 00:38:53.760
you The calling is meant to glorify God. Just

00:38:53.760 --> 00:38:55.579
like the spiritual gifts that we are given. We

00:38:55.579 --> 00:38:57.500
are given these gifts not to get ourselves ahead

00:38:57.500 --> 00:38:59.699
in life or to do things for us, but to point

00:38:59.699 --> 00:39:01.880
other people closer to Christ and to further

00:39:01.880 --> 00:39:04.679
the Kingdom of Heaven. God gives us these gifts

00:39:04.679 --> 00:39:09.739
to use in obedience to His will. The gift of

00:39:09.739 --> 00:39:12.599
communication. Like that's a wonderful thing

00:39:12.599 --> 00:39:15.360
to have, right? The ability to communicate. Well,

00:39:15.519 --> 00:39:17.159
glory be to God, I believe that's something I

00:39:17.159 --> 00:39:19.099
have. I've always been a good talker and good

00:39:19.099 --> 00:39:21.059
at just having conversations with people. But

00:39:21.059 --> 00:39:23.480
I don't believe that's just for me to use in

00:39:23.480 --> 00:39:25.940
my life. I believe that's for me to use to have

00:39:25.940 --> 00:39:27.780
conversations with people, good conversations

00:39:27.780 --> 00:39:29.460
with people where I can point them closer to

00:39:29.460 --> 00:39:37.260
the cross and where I am able to describe and

00:39:37.260 --> 00:39:43.309
put into words. my lessons and experiences. I

00:39:43.309 --> 00:39:45.329
understand that there is a way that I'm able

00:39:45.329 --> 00:39:47.449
to work and communicate things that maybe not

00:39:47.449 --> 00:39:49.849
everybody else can. And then there are things

00:39:49.849 --> 00:39:52.289
that those other people can do that I definitely

00:39:52.289 --> 00:39:56.489
cannot do and am not very good at. The things,

00:39:56.949 --> 00:39:59.590
the natural talents and the abilities that we

00:39:59.590 --> 00:40:01.289
have, because I guess I want to separate like

00:40:01.289 --> 00:40:04.570
the gifts of the Spirit from like the abilities

00:40:04.570 --> 00:40:07.760
and the talents that God has Graciously given

00:40:07.760 --> 00:40:10.940
us right because the gifts of the spirit like

00:40:10.940 --> 00:40:13.860
the discernment For example, those are things

00:40:13.860 --> 00:40:15.920
that come along with the baptism of the Holy

00:40:15.920 --> 00:40:17.900
Spirit, right? So I guess I don't want to confuse

00:40:17.900 --> 00:40:23.619
those two but even that with when I My discernment

00:40:23.619 --> 00:40:26.099
have gotten so strengthened the more I spend

00:40:26.099 --> 00:40:28.320
time with the Lord, especially after receiving

00:40:28.320 --> 00:40:33.099
the Holy Spirit Where it's like you can kind

00:40:33.099 --> 00:40:37.460
of walk into a situation you can just It's like

00:40:37.460 --> 00:40:39.980
you can read the room in a way you have not been

00:40:39.980 --> 00:40:46.840
able to in the past. And when I'm able to in

00:40:46.840 --> 00:40:50.539
communication and conversation and contact with

00:40:50.539 --> 00:40:53.380
people, and I feel with the discernment like

00:40:53.380 --> 00:40:56.059
the Lord is revealing something to me, it's not

00:40:56.059 --> 00:40:58.500
a thing for me to just giggle about and gossip

00:40:58.500 --> 00:41:00.300
about, it's something for me to pray on for that

00:41:00.300 --> 00:41:04.949
person later. Intercessory prayer. And this wasn't

00:41:04.949 --> 00:41:06.789
something I planned on going, this isn't written

00:41:06.789 --> 00:41:09.030
down in my notes at all, I didn't plan on even

00:41:09.030 --> 00:41:11.989
talking on this, so obviously it's a bit unprepared.

00:41:13.230 --> 00:41:16.030
But the gifts, the spiritual gifts that we are

00:41:16.030 --> 00:41:22.010
given, the gifts of the spirit, are used to carry

00:41:22.010 --> 00:41:26.429
out God's will. Right, teaching, the gift of

00:41:26.429 --> 00:41:28.489
teaching, the gift of like the evangelizing.

00:41:31.049 --> 00:41:33.489
But the natural abilities and talents we have,

00:41:33.570 --> 00:41:35.889
so many of us focus on how can I use that to

00:41:35.889 --> 00:41:38.210
better my life? How can I use it for me? How

00:41:38.210 --> 00:41:40.269
can I use it for myself? A better question asked

00:41:40.269 --> 00:41:43.510
is how can I use it for God? Because we were

00:41:43.510 --> 00:41:46.650
created here to glorify God and to serve God.

00:41:46.690 --> 00:41:48.630
So the things that he has blessed us with, we

00:41:48.630 --> 00:41:50.949
should think of how can we better use it to glorify

00:41:50.949 --> 00:41:54.610
him and serve him, right? And we see Paul as

00:41:54.610 --> 00:41:58.119
someone who has been using the gifts he has and

00:41:58.119 --> 00:42:00.500
the abilities he has to further the gospel and

00:42:00.500 --> 00:42:04.699
not further himself and in doing all of that

00:42:04.699 --> 00:42:10.980
I believe God's word that just his faith alone

00:42:10.980 --> 00:42:17.739
you know he has he he's in heaven man but his

00:42:17.739 --> 00:42:21.920
obedience and his self -denial I believe that

00:42:21.920 --> 00:42:24.340
he has so many riches and treasures stored up

00:42:24.340 --> 00:42:28.239
in heaven But we can also see how God honored

00:42:28.239 --> 00:42:31.039
him here on earth at the fact that all of these

00:42:31.039 --> 00:42:36.599
letters I I haven't looked this up But I'm pretty

00:42:36.599 --> 00:42:39.360
sure just by how many letters from Paul I've

00:42:39.360 --> 00:42:42.619
read he's probably like the most frequent author

00:42:42.619 --> 00:42:46.980
in the Bible Obviously it is all God inspired.

00:42:46.980 --> 00:42:50.099
So God is the author. We know that this is God

00:42:50.099 --> 00:42:54.639
inspired But God used different men and I'm pretty

00:42:54.639 --> 00:42:57.940
sure Paul is like one of the most like the most

00:42:57.940 --> 00:43:01.699
letters recorded in here and the most Written

00:43:01.699 --> 00:43:04.099
in here. I don't know a different way to word

00:43:04.099 --> 00:43:09.159
it. Oh, I'm sorry Paul was not forgotten Paul

00:43:09.159 --> 00:43:12.280
was used as an example For other Christians on

00:43:12.280 --> 00:43:15.820
how to be and how to act how to be in times of

00:43:15.820 --> 00:43:18.900
suffering how to walk how to correct And that's

00:43:18.900 --> 00:43:23.190
not saying Paul was perfect But we even see how

00:43:23.190 --> 00:43:28.389
God honored Paul And I'm telling y 'all today

00:43:28.389 --> 00:43:34.750
you're calling When you are walking it out You

00:43:34.750 --> 00:43:38.550
will at some point face Persecution if you are

00:43:38.550 --> 00:43:42.630
be if you are a soldier for God here on earth

00:43:42.630 --> 00:43:48.010
Using the gospel wielding it You're gonna face

00:43:48.010 --> 00:43:50.849
opposition. You're gonna face persecution. That's

00:43:50.849 --> 00:43:53.989
gonna come from people who clearly don't know

00:43:53.989 --> 00:43:55.710
Christ and that's also gonna come from people

00:43:55.710 --> 00:44:00.150
who call themselves Christians. I know it sucks

00:44:00.150 --> 00:44:02.289
to hear that, that your people that you might

00:44:02.289 --> 00:44:05.889
consider brothers and sisters will also persecute

00:44:05.889 --> 00:44:10.369
you. But the Pharisees believed they knew God

00:44:10.369 --> 00:44:13.769
and they were the ones sending Jesus right to

00:44:13.769 --> 00:44:18.300
the cross. Okay? Now let's kind of move forward

00:44:18.300 --> 00:44:20.480
from here. So we have this identified, okay,

00:44:20.800 --> 00:44:23.199
that you're calling. Not only a lot of people,

00:44:23.300 --> 00:44:24.800
when they think calling, they think blessing

00:44:24.800 --> 00:44:26.420
that comes along with it. When they hear, oh,

00:44:26.420 --> 00:44:28.599
God wants me to teach, or God wants me to be

00:44:28.599 --> 00:44:30.880
a mouthpiece, and people just think about the

00:44:30.880 --> 00:44:34.039
platform, and people just think about the influence,

00:44:34.159 --> 00:44:35.639
and people just think about those things, but

00:44:35.639 --> 00:44:38.590
they don't think about the false witness. They

00:44:38.590 --> 00:44:40.489
don't think about the accusations. They don't

00:44:40.489 --> 00:44:43.170
think about the they don't think about all of

00:44:43.170 --> 00:44:46.070
the pain and suffering and mischaracterization

00:44:46.070 --> 00:44:51.409
Look at Charlie Kirk You want a perfect example

00:44:51.409 --> 00:44:53.889
like a great example of modern -day someone walking

00:44:53.889 --> 00:44:57.150
out there calling and Being persecuted to the

00:44:57.150 --> 00:45:00.210
point of martyrdom with it and there's so many

00:45:00.210 --> 00:45:01.750
people like I didn't mean to call Charlie Kirk

00:45:01.750 --> 00:45:06.380
a martyr. I will This was a man that his values

00:45:06.380 --> 00:45:08.480
and his beliefs were based off of God's Word.

00:45:08.920 --> 00:45:11.519
And of course a lot of these were political conversations

00:45:11.519 --> 00:45:14.400
he would have and all the political conversations

00:45:14.400 --> 00:45:16.219
he could have could be backed up by things that

00:45:16.219 --> 00:45:19.059
weren't just God's Word. But his root for his

00:45:19.059 --> 00:45:21.059
belief in everything was God's Word. But what

00:45:21.059 --> 00:45:22.860
he would do is he would sit down and he would

00:45:22.860 --> 00:45:25.679
open the door lovingly to have conversations

00:45:25.679 --> 00:45:34.250
with people and plant seeds. now his love didn't

00:45:34.250 --> 00:45:37.030
look like the world's love because his love didn't

00:45:37.030 --> 00:45:41.610
involve conformity and Saying your truth is every

00:45:41.610 --> 00:45:44.369
truth is the truth and all these things as we

00:45:44.369 --> 00:45:46.289
talked about earlier the world looked at love

00:45:46.289 --> 00:45:48.550
as as long as you don't make anyone feel Uncomfortable

00:45:48.550 --> 00:45:50.429
and you make everyone feel justifiable and you

00:45:50.429 --> 00:45:52.449
water down your beliefs and you water down the

00:45:52.449 --> 00:45:56.170
truth There's only like one truth if everything

00:45:56.170 --> 00:45:59.590
is the truth and there is no truth But what the

00:45:59.590 --> 00:46:01.650
world and society right now sees is love is the

00:46:01.650 --> 00:46:04.829
opposite and that wasn't what Charlie Kirk exhibited

00:46:04.829 --> 00:46:09.610
He exhibited the Christ like love Where he welcomed

00:46:09.610 --> 00:46:15.309
everybody He stood on the truth he would not

00:46:15.309 --> 00:46:20.030
conform But he called people higher and he left

00:46:20.030 --> 00:46:22.730
it like as an open door for redemption, right?

00:46:23.090 --> 00:46:25.289
It wasn't like a condemnation thing in a shame

00:46:25.289 --> 00:46:30.239
thing Now if people wanted to shame themselves

00:46:30.239 --> 00:46:32.019
and do that he wasn't going to stand in their

00:46:32.019 --> 00:46:35.860
way. And in doing that there are people who were

00:46:35.860 --> 00:46:39.179
so angry and hated him so much to the point that

00:46:39.179 --> 00:46:40.880
someone was willing to kill him and after that

00:46:40.880 --> 00:46:42.340
happened there were so many people that were

00:46:42.340 --> 00:46:45.880
so angry at him and hated him so much that they

00:46:45.880 --> 00:46:48.400
were cheering on saying he's glad they're glad

00:46:48.400 --> 00:46:50.760
he's dead they're glad that his children have

00:46:50.760 --> 00:46:56.139
no father. They're glad that that was on a live

00:46:56.139 --> 00:46:57.800
video that the kids are probably gonna see one

00:46:57.800 --> 00:47:01.300
day They're glad that all these other people

00:47:01.300 --> 00:47:03.699
on that college campus young adults had to see

00:47:03.699 --> 00:47:08.280
that happen And these are the same people that

00:47:08.280 --> 00:47:12.199
say no hate like Christian love These are the

00:47:12.199 --> 00:47:14.340
same people that say that their love is the most

00:47:14.340 --> 00:47:16.519
loving until you don't agree with me then I'm

00:47:16.519 --> 00:47:20.539
fine if you die Those are the same people who

00:47:20.539 --> 00:47:23.079
said that he was unloving and he was hateful

00:47:22.969 --> 00:47:28.349
because he wouldn't conform. I see Charlie Kirk

00:47:28.349 --> 00:47:31.809
as someone who is walking out his column, who

00:47:31.809 --> 00:47:34.150
is planting seeds and who is being used by God.

00:47:37.730 --> 00:47:39.630
But I want to repeat what Paul says down here

00:47:39.630 --> 00:47:41.989
at the bottom, but I am not ashamed because I

00:47:41.989 --> 00:47:44.769
know whom I have believed and persuaded that

00:47:44.769 --> 00:47:48.329
he is able to guard what has been trusted to

00:47:48.329 --> 00:47:52.070
me until that day. And Paul was able to not be

00:47:52.070 --> 00:47:53.750
ashamed and walk in this wilderness because he

00:47:53.750 --> 00:47:57.070
trusted God. And if you're asking to say, Danielle,

00:47:57.449 --> 00:47:59.550
I understand I'm supposed to be bold. I understand

00:47:59.550 --> 00:48:01.289
that fear doesn't come from God. I understand

00:48:01.289 --> 00:48:03.309
I shouldn't be ashamed of my testimony. But like,

00:48:03.429 --> 00:48:07.269
where do I find the strength from? God, He will

00:48:07.269 --> 00:48:08.889
give you the strength. He will fight for you.

00:48:08.909 --> 00:48:12.650
You need only be still. You need the encouragement.

00:48:12.710 --> 00:48:16.309
Pray for the Holy Spirit. If you have not, Prayed

00:48:16.309 --> 00:48:18.610
that you are baptized with the Holy Spirit. I

00:48:18.610 --> 00:48:23.170
encourage you to pray that God Gives you the

00:48:23.170 --> 00:48:24.869
Holy Spirit. I pray that you start receiving

00:48:24.869 --> 00:48:29.389
the Holy Spirit If you do not have the Holy Spirit,

00:48:29.389 --> 00:48:32.010
I'm telling you that's the very first thing when

00:48:32.010 --> 00:48:37.269
I look back like That that is where I started

00:48:37.269 --> 00:48:40.949
having the boldness and the empowerment was when

00:48:40.949 --> 00:48:44.289
I had the Holy Spirit dwelling within me And

00:48:44.289 --> 00:48:46.889
the way I personally knew was I was able to start

00:48:46.889 --> 00:48:49.710
praying in a language I didn't understand. And

00:48:49.710 --> 00:48:51.510
it came pretty soon after getting baptized a

00:48:51.510 --> 00:48:53.829
second time. I was baptized as a child. And I'm

00:48:53.829 --> 00:48:55.550
not saying this is a rule of thumb for everybody,

00:48:55.750 --> 00:48:58.010
okay? I'm not preaching second baptism by any

00:48:58.010 --> 00:49:00.710
means. But my situation was a bit unique. I got

00:49:00.710 --> 00:49:03.809
baptized in the Catholic Church. When I was in

00:49:03.809 --> 00:49:05.269
second grade and I got baptized because I had

00:49:05.269 --> 00:49:07.449
to if I didn't I wasn't able to do my confirmation

00:49:07.449 --> 00:49:10.949
classes and my CCD classes to do my first communion

00:49:10.949 --> 00:49:14.090
it was something I had to do in order to move

00:49:14.090 --> 00:49:16.130
further in the church and it was something that

00:49:16.130 --> 00:49:20.329
Was just expected of me. It wasn't That my faith

00:49:20.329 --> 00:49:22.789
was in Jesus. It wasn't something I desired to

00:49:22.789 --> 00:49:24.809
do for myself It wasn't something I even understood

00:49:24.809 --> 00:49:26.949
believe it or not y 'all I actually I actually

00:49:26.949 --> 00:49:28.670
believed that baptism was all I needed to go

00:49:28.670 --> 00:49:30.590
to heaven I actually believed that I was automatically

00:49:30.590 --> 00:49:32.570
going to heaven because I was baptized and I'm

00:49:32.570 --> 00:49:34.550
not saying that is what the Catholic Church preached

00:49:34.550 --> 00:49:36.869
That was just my personal understanding of it.

00:49:36.889 --> 00:49:40.789
Okay So when I got baptized, I did not understand

00:49:40.789 --> 00:49:42.710
at all. I had a very incorrect understanding

00:49:42.710 --> 00:49:45.130
of what I was doing My faith wasn't in Jesus.

00:49:45.150 --> 00:49:47.989
I had no commitment to follow him. I had no desire

00:49:47.989 --> 00:49:49.809
to follow him It was just simply something I

00:49:49.809 --> 00:49:51.769
thought I just had to do and get through and

00:49:51.769 --> 00:49:55.010
let me tell you I sinned the very next day Willfully

00:49:55.010 --> 00:49:57.929
did not care what about my life And when I gave

00:49:57.929 --> 00:50:00.789
my life to Jesus in 2024, not long after, I really

00:50:00.789 --> 00:50:02.789
started feeling a call to get baptized again.

00:50:03.289 --> 00:50:05.429
And I'm not saying that is something that God

00:50:05.429 --> 00:50:07.250
is calling everybody to do. I'm saying that's

00:50:07.250 --> 00:50:09.590
something I was called to personally. And I wrestled

00:50:09.590 --> 00:50:12.510
with it very, very heavily. And the Lord gave

00:50:12.510 --> 00:50:15.170
me the understanding of why He called me to do

00:50:15.170 --> 00:50:18.090
it. And it kind of comforted me to see that the

00:50:18.090 --> 00:50:21.030
first time I did it, it wasn't me that wanted

00:50:21.030 --> 00:50:24.550
to do it. It was just a conformity thing. I didn't

00:50:24.550 --> 00:50:26.860
have the understanding of it. I didn't know what

00:50:26.860 --> 00:50:29.239
I was committing to. I didn't even know what

00:50:29.239 --> 00:50:32.019
baptism truly was. But this next time around,

00:50:32.039 --> 00:50:33.940
when I did have the understanding, and I already

00:50:33.940 --> 00:50:35.699
was living a life to go to the Lord and serving

00:50:35.699 --> 00:50:38.800
the Lord, I'm not joking y 'all. It was right

00:50:38.800 --> 00:50:40.980
after I got baptized. I went through a lot of

00:50:40.980 --> 00:50:42.400
spiritual warfare, but it was a couple weeks

00:50:42.400 --> 00:50:44.300
later that I started praying, and I found myself

00:50:44.300 --> 00:50:46.400
praying in a language I didn't understand, which

00:50:46.400 --> 00:50:49.719
I believed to be praying from the Spirit. And

00:50:49.719 --> 00:50:51.679
I believe I got baptized with the Holy Spirit

00:50:51.679 --> 00:50:56.059
at that time. And I, to this day, pray from the

00:50:56.059 --> 00:50:59.300
Spirit. Some of my best prayer and some of my

00:50:59.300 --> 00:51:01.679
most restful prayer is when the words coming

00:51:01.679 --> 00:51:04.280
out of my mouth aren't English. But my Spirit

00:51:04.280 --> 00:51:06.940
knows what I'm praying for. It's crazy the understanding

00:51:06.940 --> 00:51:09.099
I can get as I'm praying it. And I don't think

00:51:09.099 --> 00:51:10.980
there's a better way to word it than that. And

00:51:10.980 --> 00:51:13.400
until you do it, it's kind of hard to understand

00:51:13.400 --> 00:51:18.519
it. But I know a lot of people who do it. And

00:51:18.519 --> 00:51:20.139
I encourage you all today to pray to receive

00:51:20.139 --> 00:51:22.079
the Holy Spirit if you have not yet prayed to

00:51:22.079 --> 00:51:25.230
receive the Holy Spirit. I've noticed it and

00:51:25.230 --> 00:51:27.909
the understanding I'm able to have now and the

00:51:27.909 --> 00:51:30.230
guidance I have and the nudges and the conviction

00:51:30.230 --> 00:51:32.530
I have It's like the volume was turned way up.

00:51:32.550 --> 00:51:36.289
It's amazing But let's continue on reading it

00:51:36.289 --> 00:51:39.989
says Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching

00:51:39.989 --> 00:51:42.630
that you have heard from me in the faith and

00:51:42.630 --> 00:51:45.489
love that are in Christ Jesus Paul is encouraging

00:51:45.489 --> 00:51:48.210
them like do not be shaken and what you know

00:51:48.210 --> 00:51:53.679
to be true Do not be shaken And that is something

00:51:53.679 --> 00:51:57.000
I feel like we really need to allow to resonate

00:51:57.000 --> 00:52:01.400
with us today. Because it's really easy to, bad

00:52:01.400 --> 00:52:04.360
companies corrupt good morals, right? Is that

00:52:04.360 --> 00:52:06.000
first Corinthians or second Corinthians? That's

00:52:06.000 --> 00:52:08.800
another one from Paul. That's another bar. That's

00:52:08.800 --> 00:52:14.179
another good one from him. You can have the good

00:52:14.179 --> 00:52:16.159
morals. You can be rooted in your values. You

00:52:16.159 --> 00:52:18.940
can know the truth of the gospel. You can know

00:52:18.940 --> 00:52:24.619
this is what God's word says. But once suffering

00:52:24.619 --> 00:52:27.500
comes once persecution comes once you have a

00:52:27.500 --> 00:52:30.800
lot of people saying That belief is not right.

00:52:31.159 --> 00:52:33.400
You should believe in this Are you sure once

00:52:33.400 --> 00:52:36.000
you start hearing false teaching once you start

00:52:36.000 --> 00:52:38.679
hearing warped and manipulation sometimes you

00:52:38.679 --> 00:52:42.460
start to be led astray and You find your footing

00:52:42.460 --> 00:52:44.119
being shifted. I don't know if y 'all have ever

00:52:44.119 --> 00:52:47.409
swam in an ocean But I find this to be a frequent

00:52:47.409 --> 00:52:49.510
thing when I swim in the ocean of like I'll go

00:52:49.510 --> 00:52:51.949
straight from where my towel was out right and

00:52:51.949 --> 00:52:53.650
I'll go out into the water and I'll feel like

00:52:53.650 --> 00:52:55.989
I'm straight ahead and I'm not moving to the

00:52:55.989 --> 00:52:58.570
left I'm not moving to the right. I'm just standing

00:52:58.570 --> 00:53:01.550
and like wading in the waves and about five minutes

00:53:01.550 --> 00:53:08.449
later I turn around and I'm like Five feet horizontally

00:53:08.449 --> 00:53:11.429
from where my towel is like I look back and my

00:53:11.429 --> 00:53:13.630
towel is no longer directly behind me. It's diagonal

00:53:13.630 --> 00:53:17.250
to me And I turn back around and I'm like wading

00:53:17.250 --> 00:53:19.329
in the water and about 10 minutes later I look

00:53:19.329 --> 00:53:22.630
down and now I'm like 10 feet away. And it's

00:53:22.630 --> 00:53:26.289
like the longer I'm out in it and I'm not like

00:53:26.289 --> 00:53:28.889
actively trying to keep myself rooted, I'm pushed

00:53:28.889 --> 00:53:31.550
away. And like when I turn back, I'm like, wow,

00:53:31.550 --> 00:53:33.949
I'm really far off. And I didn't plan on using

00:53:33.949 --> 00:53:36.050
this analogy because this analogy is just now

00:53:36.050 --> 00:53:40.369
hitting me. But when we're not consistently in

00:53:40.369 --> 00:53:43.869
the word, when we're not consistently praying,

00:53:44.820 --> 00:53:48.719
When we're not surrounding ourselves with people

00:53:48.719 --> 00:53:51.460
that know the Word of God and encourage us to

00:53:51.460 --> 00:53:57.059
stay rooted in the Word of God, it's easy to

00:53:57.059 --> 00:54:00.860
become susceptible to being shifted, right? And

00:54:00.860 --> 00:54:04.539
that is all our current environment does, the

00:54:04.539 --> 00:54:06.679
world environment, because everything that the

00:54:06.679 --> 00:54:09.300
world elevates, as we discussed earlier, is not

00:54:09.300 --> 00:54:11.860
godly. And when you spend a lot of time outside

00:54:11.860 --> 00:54:14.599
of God's Word, And when you spend a lot of time

00:54:14.599 --> 00:54:17.199
outside of prayer and when you spend time outside

00:54:17.199 --> 00:54:21.820
of denying the flesh That's already it makes

00:54:21.820 --> 00:54:24.760
you really vulnerable to deception it makes you

00:54:24.760 --> 00:54:27.619
really vulnerable to ideas that are not God ideas

00:54:27.619 --> 00:54:30.639
The values are not God values and it makes you

00:54:30.639 --> 00:54:33.300
really susceptible to become becoming lukewarm

00:54:33.300 --> 00:54:37.579
and when you add that in combination of Maybe

00:54:37.579 --> 00:54:39.619
the company that you keep being company that

00:54:39.619 --> 00:54:42.119
encourages things aren't Christ like maybe it's

00:54:42.119 --> 00:54:46.440
a lot of lying, slandering, gossiping, fornication.

00:54:47.360 --> 00:54:49.300
Maybe it's the things that the people, as we

00:54:49.300 --> 00:54:50.420
talked about in the beginning of the episode,

00:54:50.519 --> 00:54:54.000
Ephesus elevated that was not godly. You can

00:54:54.000 --> 00:54:59.900
find your life starting to look like that. And

00:54:59.900 --> 00:55:03.820
it's so important that the gospel that you received

00:55:03.820 --> 00:55:05.920
when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and

00:55:05.920 --> 00:55:10.739
Savior, what you know to be true, God's Word

00:55:10.739 --> 00:55:13.969
that you know to be true. that you're not shaken

00:55:13.969 --> 00:55:17.130
when persecution comes, that you're not shaken

00:55:17.130 --> 00:55:19.929
when all these other ideas try penetrating your

00:55:19.929 --> 00:55:22.590
brain and your heart, that you stay rooted in

00:55:22.590 --> 00:55:24.849
God's Word. And the best advice I can give to

00:55:24.849 --> 00:55:27.269
you for that is to be consistently reading God's

00:55:27.269 --> 00:55:32.230
Word. To make sure that you are getting sound

00:55:32.230 --> 00:55:35.230
biblical teaching is very important for you to

00:55:35.230 --> 00:55:38.469
have a church community. And I have said this

00:55:38.469 --> 00:55:40.849
in past episodes before. I don't believe that

00:55:40.849 --> 00:55:42.570
you have to go to church every Sunday to be saved.

00:55:42.670 --> 00:55:44.510
I go to church every Sunday because I love my

00:55:44.510 --> 00:55:47.769
church community. It calls me higher. The messages,

00:55:47.949 --> 00:55:49.929
the sermons are usually hitting where I need

00:55:49.929 --> 00:55:51.929
to hear I really feel God present in that place.

00:55:52.190 --> 00:55:53.909
But it's also an opportunity for me to serve

00:55:53.909 --> 00:55:56.190
and it's an opportunity for me to carry out my

00:55:56.190 --> 00:55:59.090
calling. Your church isn't just a place for you

00:55:59.090 --> 00:56:01.269
to go worship God, because yes you can worship

00:56:01.269 --> 00:56:03.960
God at home. you can worship God in your car,

00:56:04.260 --> 00:56:06.360
you can worship God in your backyard, but your

00:56:06.360 --> 00:56:08.280
church is also a place for community, for people

00:56:08.280 --> 00:56:10.400
to come together who also have their faith in

00:56:10.400 --> 00:56:13.119
Jesus, who also desire to live life pleasing

00:56:13.119 --> 00:56:15.519
to the Lord, who are also chasing after Christ's

00:56:15.519 --> 00:56:18.039
art, to be able to lift each other up when they're

00:56:18.039 --> 00:56:21.739
down. Just as Moses, when you know the battle

00:56:21.739 --> 00:56:24.039
was ensuing and every time his hands were up,

00:56:24.980 --> 00:56:27.119
His group the Israelites were overtaking and

00:56:27.119 --> 00:56:29.300
winning every time his hands fell down They would

00:56:29.300 --> 00:56:31.940
start like being overtaken and losing. So was

00:56:31.940 --> 00:56:35.079
it Aaron and was it her? That held his hands

00:56:35.079 --> 00:56:38.280
up for him. Your church is your place where people

00:56:38.280 --> 00:56:41.659
can pray for you Can intercede for you can hold

00:56:41.659 --> 00:56:45.179
your hands up Church is the place that when you're

00:56:45.179 --> 00:56:47.460
going and you're not sure and you're confused

00:56:47.460 --> 00:56:49.380
and you're muddied These are people who are rooted

00:56:49.380 --> 00:56:53.360
in God's Word ready to encourage you There was

00:56:53.360 --> 00:56:55.360
a message that was shared at my church this past

00:56:55.360 --> 00:56:57.099
week and that was so amazing and it was this

00:56:57.099 --> 00:56:59.960
couple who they were one was from I believe Pennsylvania

00:56:59.960 --> 00:57:02.519
and the other person was from Alaska and They

00:57:02.519 --> 00:57:05.119
got together here in Indiana got married and

00:57:05.119 --> 00:57:06.739
they missed the mountains They wanted to move

00:57:06.739 --> 00:57:08.940
back to one of either place, but they fell in

00:57:08.940 --> 00:57:11.500
love with our church community They were serving

00:57:11.500 --> 00:57:13.440
here and they were a part of it and the church

00:57:13.440 --> 00:57:15.099
became their family where they were like No,

00:57:15.099 --> 00:57:17.780
we can't leave we have to stay here and unfortunately

00:57:18.119 --> 00:57:20.179
you know after building their family they went

00:57:20.179 --> 00:57:22.340
through a tragic loss of one of their children

00:57:22.340 --> 00:57:27.239
but the church rallied together for them it was

00:57:27.239 --> 00:57:29.880
like 200 people showed up at their house to help

00:57:29.880 --> 00:57:31.480
them they were finishing up construction on a

00:57:31.480 --> 00:57:34.139
new house to just help them build and that just

00:57:34.139 --> 00:57:36.940
embraced them and lifted them up in prayer and

00:57:36.940 --> 00:57:42.659
encouraged them and that's some advice i have

00:57:42.659 --> 00:57:45.360
to you all not only Being in your word and praying

00:57:45.360 --> 00:57:48.440
but having community that is Christ centered

00:57:48.440 --> 00:57:51.900
That is going to lift you up and that is often

00:57:51.900 --> 00:57:54.699
found in a church now. I want to be very clear

00:57:54.699 --> 00:57:56.219
Church is in a place where you're gonna find

00:57:56.219 --> 00:57:59.980
perfect people Church is a place for people Christ

00:57:59.980 --> 00:58:02.460
is literally a doctor for people who are sick

00:58:02.460 --> 00:58:06.460
Every one of us has our faith in Jesus because

00:58:06.460 --> 00:58:09.539
we know that we are sinners in need of saving

00:58:09.539 --> 00:58:12.579
We know that we fall short of the grace of God

00:58:12.809 --> 00:58:15.130
There are some people in the church who are far

00:58:15.130 --> 00:58:17.769
along and maybe exhibiting a lot of fruits of

00:58:17.769 --> 00:58:22.070
the spirit and maybe looking a Good amount like

00:58:22.070 --> 00:58:25.329
Jesus and then there are people who are Fresh

00:58:25.329 --> 00:58:28.329
new to treatment and don't really have the best

00:58:28.329 --> 00:58:30.250
biblical advice because they don't know the Bible

00:58:30.250 --> 00:58:33.469
like that yet They're still working through things

00:58:33.469 --> 00:58:35.070
and they're still being healed. There are some

00:58:35.070 --> 00:58:37.170
people who are there who are not responding to

00:58:37.170 --> 00:58:40.210
treatment That was me most of my life growing

00:58:40.210 --> 00:58:42.349
up in the church I went to church, but I didn't

00:58:42.349 --> 00:58:45.630
have a relationship with Jesus. So my life looked

00:58:45.630 --> 00:58:47.489
nothing like Jesus. I didn't feel convicted.

00:58:47.550 --> 00:58:49.710
I didn't feel anything. I was someone going and

00:58:49.710 --> 00:58:52.250
not responding to treatment. I want to make that

00:58:52.250 --> 00:58:54.289
so clear. Okay, church is not a place where you're

00:58:54.289 --> 00:58:55.750
going to find perfect people or everyone's going

00:58:55.750 --> 00:58:58.369
to look like Jesus. And you even do have to be

00:58:58.369 --> 00:59:00.489
mindful of the people you meet at church. Okay,

00:59:00.789 --> 00:59:03.269
I'm saying that that is one place having a Christ

00:59:03.269 --> 00:59:05.369
-centered community, which usually is your church,

00:59:05.949 --> 00:59:09.519
is a good thing. Okay, it's good to have Christ

00:59:09.519 --> 00:59:11.860
Center community point blank period Church is

00:59:11.860 --> 00:59:13.519
one of the places where you may find them and

00:59:13.519 --> 00:59:15.340
also church is one of the places where you're

00:59:15.340 --> 00:59:18.500
going to be able to serve Me I serve on my kids

00:59:18.500 --> 00:59:21.119
team. There is a kids ministry. We have a kids

00:59:21.119 --> 00:59:22.840
ministry We have students ministry. We have young

00:59:22.840 --> 00:59:26.780
adults ministry. I serve in the kids And I volunteer

00:59:26.780 --> 00:59:30.800
and I lead I kind of help after our after the

00:59:30.800 --> 00:59:35.980
kids pastor teaches and does the sermon and worship

00:59:35.980 --> 00:59:38.239
we go in classrooms and I help kind of go over

00:59:38.239 --> 00:59:40.500
what the pastor talked about I help the kids

00:59:40.500 --> 00:59:44.480
in that way that is me serving Church is a wonderful

00:59:44.480 --> 00:59:46.539
way for you to get involved and serve and point

00:59:46.539 --> 00:59:49.599
other people closer to the cross Okay, so that's

00:59:49.599 --> 00:59:52.340
another way I'm just telling you to to be able

00:59:52.340 --> 00:59:55.099
to stay in the sound teaching is to regularly

00:59:55.099 --> 00:59:58.559
put yourself in environments that exhibit sound

00:59:58.559 --> 01:00:03.309
teaching And the major place is a church Okay,

01:00:03.309 --> 01:00:05.750
I'm very blessed with mine. I'm very blessed

01:00:05.750 --> 01:00:08.449
with mine and I encourage y 'all to find what

01:00:08.449 --> 01:00:10.630
there's not one your community I encourage you

01:00:10.630 --> 01:00:14.409
to find one online Two churches that I love to

01:00:14.409 --> 01:00:16.110
listen to online. Even though I have my church

01:00:16.110 --> 01:00:17.989
I still love to listen to them throughout the

01:00:17.989 --> 01:00:21.150
week. I'll listen to their recent sermons is

01:00:21.150 --> 01:00:25.030
authentic church which is pastored by Bobby Chandler

01:00:25.030 --> 01:00:29.869
in North Carolina and Then 28 19 church, which

01:00:29.869 --> 01:00:32.909
is pastor by Philip Anthony Mitchell Those are

01:00:32.909 --> 01:00:36.949
two fantastic ministries that I love to listen

01:00:36.949 --> 01:00:39.809
to. And I also listen to, if I pronounce his

01:00:39.809 --> 01:00:42.929
name correctly, sometimes I listen to Craig Groschel.

01:00:43.210 --> 01:00:45.170
If I'm pronouncing his name correctly, I hope

01:00:45.170 --> 01:00:49.050
so. But if you don't have a church in your area

01:00:49.050 --> 01:00:54.090
for sound biblical teaching, sound sermons, I

01:00:54.090 --> 01:00:55.750
just gave you a couple that would be wonderful

01:00:55.750 --> 01:00:57.730
to look up and I encourage you all to do so.

01:00:58.170 --> 01:01:01.469
But it is so important that you stay grounded.

01:01:02.139 --> 01:01:04.380
the teachings so that way you may not be led

01:01:04.380 --> 01:01:09.000
astray. We're gonna go on here where Paul says

01:01:09.000 --> 01:01:12.840
in 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 15 you know that

01:01:12.840 --> 01:01:15.059
all those in the province of Asia have deserted

01:01:15.059 --> 01:01:17.559
me including y 'all I'm gonna mispronounce these

01:01:17.559 --> 01:01:22.820
names by Gellius and Hermogenus may the Lord

01:01:22.820 --> 01:01:27.539
grant mercy to the household of once for us because

01:01:27.769 --> 01:01:30.610
He often refreshed me and was not ashamed of

01:01:30.610 --> 01:01:33.829
my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome,

01:01:33.929 --> 01:01:36.309
he diligently searched for me and found me. May

01:01:36.309 --> 01:01:38.570
the Lord grant that he obtain mercy from him

01:01:38.570 --> 01:01:41.789
on that day. You know very well how much he ministered

01:01:41.789 --> 01:01:45.630
at Ephesians. As we talked about in the beginning

01:01:45.630 --> 01:01:47.849
of the episode, Paul was kind of like deserted

01:01:47.849 --> 01:01:51.889
and left because this was a time period when

01:01:51.889 --> 01:01:55.179
a lot of Christians were under persecution. Clearly,

01:01:55.179 --> 01:01:57.500
Paul was being persecuted. It wasn't popular

01:01:57.500 --> 01:01:59.780
to be a friend with Paul, and it wasn't safe

01:01:59.780 --> 01:02:02.139
to be friends with Paul if you wanted to stay

01:02:02.139 --> 01:02:05.940
out of jail. That sounds really similar to what

01:02:05.940 --> 01:02:09.699
Jesus experienced, right? If y 'all remember

01:02:09.699 --> 01:02:14.820
when Jesus was literally talking to his disciples,

01:02:15.880 --> 01:02:17.940
and it was the night when he was like, y 'all

01:02:17.940 --> 01:02:21.199
remember? And I don't have the scripture written

01:02:21.199 --> 01:02:23.699
down. I thought I did. I guess I don't have it

01:02:23.699 --> 01:02:27.500
written down. So we are just kind of pulling

01:02:27.500 --> 01:02:29.780
out of the depths of my brain right here though,

01:02:29.780 --> 01:02:33.039
okay? Oh, I do have it written down. Yes, Mark

01:02:33.039 --> 01:02:36.300
14, 27, 28. I have the verse, but I don't have

01:02:36.300 --> 01:02:38.960
like the scripture written down. But what had

01:02:38.960 --> 01:02:42.159
happened was this was around the time too when

01:02:42.159 --> 01:02:44.059
Peter was like, I'll never betray you Jesus.

01:02:44.119 --> 01:02:46.710
And Jesus was like, You're gonna deny me three

01:02:46.710 --> 01:02:50.110
times before you know, like the bird crows before

01:02:50.110 --> 01:02:54.769
the Was that the Raven or the I don't know the

01:02:54.769 --> 01:02:57.130
specific bird y 'all it's leaving my brain But

01:02:57.130 --> 01:02:59.630
this was a time where Jesus predicted and said

01:02:59.630 --> 01:03:02.769
to them like y 'all are gonna scatter. I don't

01:03:02.769 --> 01:03:04.750
want to misquote this We're just gonna look it

01:03:04.750 --> 01:03:07.630
up. Amen. We're just gonna look it up and read

01:03:07.630 --> 01:03:11.760
this but Paul is experiencing right now what

01:03:11.760 --> 01:03:13.420
Jesus experienced when he went to the cross,

01:03:13.500 --> 01:03:16.940
because when Jesus went to the cross, his disciples

01:03:16.940 --> 01:03:20.820
scattered. Peter, the one who was supposed to

01:03:20.820 --> 01:03:23.360
love him the most, denied him multiple times,

01:03:24.159 --> 01:03:28.719
right? He is literally partaking in a very similar

01:03:28.719 --> 01:03:35.059
suffering to Jesus. Let's see where it's at we're

01:03:35.059 --> 01:03:38.980
in mark is this mark 15 we're gonna find it y

01:03:38.980 --> 01:03:46.800
'all It's not mark 15 it is mark 14 I'm so glad

01:03:46.800 --> 01:03:51.579
I looked this up. This is where Jesus is saying

01:03:52.869 --> 01:03:55.309
All of you will fall away. I will strike the

01:03:55.309 --> 01:03:57.690
shepherd and the sheep will be scattered but

01:03:57.690 --> 01:04:00.170
after I have risen I will go ahead of you to

01:04:00.170 --> 01:04:02.050
Galilee and this is where Peter told him even

01:04:02.050 --> 01:04:04.610
if everyone else falls away I will not and Jesus

01:04:04.610 --> 01:04:06.789
says truly I tell you Jesus said to him today

01:04:06.789 --> 01:04:09.070
this very night before the rooster crows twice

01:04:09.070 --> 01:04:11.070
You'll deny me three times. Okay, it was a rooster

01:04:11.070 --> 01:04:12.690
y 'all. I'm so glad we pull it that because I'm

01:04:12.690 --> 01:04:14.510
happy I didn't give you all the wrong scripture.

01:04:14.510 --> 01:04:19.650
So that was Mark 14 that was mark 14 where we

01:04:19.650 --> 01:04:24.199
were in the Talk of the Passover and I just closed

01:04:24.199 --> 01:04:26.139
this out. Of course I closed out before I give

01:04:26.139 --> 01:04:27.539
you all the verse We're gonna go back and find

01:04:27.539 --> 01:04:29.960
the chapter and the verse because I want to be

01:04:29.960 --> 01:04:33.400
able to quote this Correctly to y 'all so we

01:04:33.400 --> 01:04:37.119
are in mark 14 and this was starting in verse

01:04:37.119 --> 01:04:40.719
27 that went to verses 30 Okay, there we go.

01:04:40.719 --> 01:04:42.679
I'm happy we cleared that up. Thank you y 'all

01:04:42.679 --> 01:04:47.139
for bearing with me But we see right here Jesus

01:04:47.139 --> 01:04:51.559
experienced that right When he was walking out

01:04:51.559 --> 01:04:56.500
the height of his calling which was to be the

01:04:56.500 --> 01:05:00.059
living sacrifice This was the high point of like

01:05:00.059 --> 01:05:02.539
the high point right? This was where he defeated

01:05:02.539 --> 01:05:06.099
death on the cross This was where like his calling

01:05:06.099 --> 01:05:10.679
everything came together and where it's sealed

01:05:10.679 --> 01:05:16.320
Victory But this was also the time where no one

01:05:16.320 --> 01:05:18.619
was around. This was the time where persecution

01:05:18.619 --> 01:05:20.579
was at such a high that people were afraid to

01:05:20.579 --> 01:05:25.539
be associated with Jesus. Jesus literally said,

01:05:26.639 --> 01:05:29.619
like, y 'all are gonna be scattered. And Peter

01:05:29.619 --> 01:05:31.300
said, no, not me. Like, maybe everyone else,

01:05:31.300 --> 01:05:34.099
not me. The one who loved Jesus the most, the

01:05:34.099 --> 01:05:36.539
one who was gonna, like, I don't wanna say who

01:05:36.539 --> 01:05:38.460
loved him the most, but the one who proclaimed

01:05:38.460 --> 01:05:41.679
a lot that he loved Jesus. And the one that Jesus

01:05:41.679 --> 01:05:44.599
even said, like, you are the rock that the church

01:05:44.599 --> 01:05:52.380
will be built upon. Even he. Scattered. Once

01:05:52.380 --> 01:05:56.619
it all began, even he denied Jesus three times,

01:05:56.639 --> 01:05:59.340
and it was a rooster. It was not a crow. It was

01:05:59.340 --> 01:06:01.579
not a whatever. It was a rooster. I'm so glad

01:06:01.579 --> 01:06:03.639
we went through and read that. That is what Paul

01:06:03.639 --> 01:06:06.059
is facing right when he was referring to those

01:06:06.059 --> 01:06:07.559
two people where he was like, they have turned

01:06:07.559 --> 01:06:10.190
their back on me. They have left me now. I want

01:06:10.190 --> 01:06:11.969
to be clear. I tried to look this up and I couldn't

01:06:11.969 --> 01:06:14.250
get a definitive answer It's not clear if they

01:06:14.250 --> 01:06:17.050
just turned away from Paul and just quit supporting

01:06:17.050 --> 01:06:20.070
Paul or if they turned away from Christianity

01:06:20.070 --> 01:06:22.550
itself like renounced Christianity completely

01:06:22.550 --> 01:06:28.469
I didn't have that clarification But they did

01:06:28.469 --> 01:06:30.909
turn away Paul didn't have those people in his

01:06:30.909 --> 01:06:33.150
corner and he was actually blessing that one

01:06:33.150 --> 01:06:35.809
person one atheist if I'm pronouncing that correctly

01:06:35.809 --> 01:06:40.760
because this person Onephius was not ashamed

01:06:40.760 --> 01:06:45.619
of his chains. Didn't cut him off, didn't excommunicate

01:06:45.619 --> 01:06:48.900
him, didn't like act like he never knew him.

01:06:50.139 --> 01:06:54.079
I believe that was a blessing from God. Where

01:06:54.079 --> 01:06:55.900
Paul could see that there were still some people

01:06:55.900 --> 01:07:00.420
in his corner. And I wrote this down today, do

01:07:00.420 --> 01:07:03.280
not let whether or not people stand with you.

01:07:04.759 --> 01:07:06.800
Determine whether or not you are ashamed of the

01:07:06.800 --> 01:07:10.079
gospel and you stand in your calling. Sometimes

01:07:10.079 --> 01:07:12.139
when you are walking out your calling you're

01:07:12.139 --> 01:07:14.139
not going to have a lot of people next to you

01:07:14.139 --> 01:07:18.039
being supportive. And do not let whether or not

01:07:18.039 --> 01:07:20.599
someone has a crowd of cheerleaders or like a

01:07:20.599 --> 01:07:22.880
lot of sounding boards or a lot of supportive

01:07:22.880 --> 01:07:27.460
people determine whether or not they are in right

01:07:27.460 --> 01:07:32.619
standing with God. We see Paul who had a very

01:07:32.619 --> 01:07:37.920
heavy calling. Was also someone who wasn't a

01:07:37.920 --> 01:07:40.260
friend like he didn't have all these close besties

01:07:40.260 --> 01:07:42.019
I've encouraged y 'all before and I will encourage

01:07:42.019 --> 01:07:44.360
y 'all again It was an amazing thing for me to

01:07:44.360 --> 01:07:46.659
read up on read about what happened to Paul after

01:07:46.659 --> 01:07:50.400
his conversion Okay, because it's really easy

01:07:50.400 --> 01:07:52.400
when we're reading scripture to think that Paul

01:07:52.400 --> 01:07:54.219
was converted He went through the blindness.

01:07:54.219 --> 01:07:57.139
He was healed and then it seems like he immediately

01:07:57.139 --> 01:08:00.739
Went into evangelizing and preaching, but he

01:08:00.739 --> 01:08:04.260
actually took like a decade Right where God kind

01:08:04.260 --> 01:08:05.960
of called him to an isolation where he wasn't

01:08:05.960 --> 01:08:08.440
associating with very many people and he was

01:08:08.440 --> 01:08:11.000
just having a lot of like New understandings

01:08:11.000 --> 01:08:12.679
being brought up and he was receiving divine

01:08:12.679 --> 01:08:18.180
revelation from the Lord Like he he wasn't getting

01:08:18.180 --> 01:08:21.479
advice from everybody Paul actually was communicating

01:08:21.479 --> 01:08:24.340
with a rare few people He wasn't he didn't have

01:08:24.340 --> 01:08:27.159
a lot of sounding boards. He didn't have a lot

01:08:27.159 --> 01:08:30.569
of people that he was talking to God wanted him

01:08:30.569 --> 01:08:33.050
to know his voice and his voice alone. God was

01:08:33.050 --> 01:08:36.229
preparing him for a calling where he could not

01:08:36.229 --> 01:08:39.289
rely on the advice of other people. Look at when

01:08:39.289 --> 01:08:42.069
Paul knew he was called to go to Rome and he

01:08:42.069 --> 01:08:44.289
was going to be bound. Everyone was telling Paul,

01:08:44.529 --> 01:08:47.619
don't go. No one was encouraging him to go people

01:08:47.619 --> 01:08:49.500
who were supposed to be prophets people who were

01:08:49.500 --> 01:08:51.420
supposed to be in right standing with God We're

01:08:51.420 --> 01:08:53.380
all even saying no don't go I see you in chains

01:08:53.380 --> 01:08:55.380
I see you bound and when Paul would hear them

01:08:55.380 --> 01:08:57.600
prophesying that they see him in chains He was

01:08:57.600 --> 01:08:59.359
like, okay period so I'm definitely supposed

01:08:59.359 --> 01:09:02.199
to go because that's what God told me to he knew

01:09:02.199 --> 01:09:05.199
that his calling came with suffering and if Paul

01:09:05.199 --> 01:09:07.960
was too busy relying on other people's interpretations

01:09:07.960 --> 01:09:11.890
and other people's advice He would not have been

01:09:11.890 --> 01:09:14.090
following God to this point. When you have like

01:09:14.090 --> 01:09:16.689
a very big calling, when God has a calling for

01:09:16.689 --> 01:09:22.989
you, like Paul, at least what we see with Paul

01:09:22.989 --> 01:09:27.710
is your sounding board has to be God. You have

01:09:27.710 --> 01:09:33.350
to have such a relationship with Jesus, where

01:09:33.350 --> 01:09:36.149
your ears are open, where you're consistently

01:09:36.149 --> 01:09:39.250
connecting with him and hearing from him. Like

01:09:39.250 --> 01:09:42.090
that's a unique thing, right? Paul wasn't allowed

01:09:42.090 --> 01:09:45.590
to have this big, like this big community, especially

01:09:45.590 --> 01:09:50.449
in his learning, where he had like once he became

01:09:50.449 --> 01:09:55.729
a new Christian for that like decade. A lot of

01:09:55.729 --> 01:09:58.029
his revelation was from God. He wasn't going

01:09:58.029 --> 01:09:59.930
to all these other teachers and all these other

01:09:59.930 --> 01:10:02.949
knowledgeable people. His family wasn't always

01:10:02.949 --> 01:10:05.670
pouring all this advice into him. He was actually

01:10:05.670 --> 01:10:08.949
excluded a lot, but that allowed him to receive

01:10:08.949 --> 01:10:12.109
directly from the Lord and prepared him for this.

01:10:12.529 --> 01:10:16.069
We said earlier that a calling comes with persecution,

01:10:16.369 --> 01:10:18.510
but sometimes a calling comes with isolation

01:10:18.510 --> 01:10:21.710
and loneliness. Because when Paul was at this

01:10:21.710 --> 01:10:23.909
point, when he had written all these letters,

01:10:24.830 --> 01:10:27.449
when he had been used by God in all these ways.

01:10:28.689 --> 01:10:31.149
And he was in jail just as God revealed to him.

01:10:31.149 --> 01:10:32.930
He was in prison just as God revealed to him.

01:10:32.930 --> 01:10:35.729
He wasn't surprised. He knew that his obedience

01:10:35.729 --> 01:10:38.189
would lead to this point. He didn't have a lot

01:10:38.189 --> 01:10:40.470
of people in his corner. He didn't have a lot

01:10:40.470 --> 01:10:43.430
of supporters. He didn't have a lot of people,

01:10:43.430 --> 01:10:47.270
like, vouching for him, just like Jesus didn't.

01:10:47.609 --> 01:10:50.430
All these people witnessed Jesus' miracles. All

01:10:50.430 --> 01:10:52.250
these people witnessed his healing. All these

01:10:52.250 --> 01:10:55.380
people witnessed these things. But when Jesus

01:10:55.380 --> 01:11:00.060
was put before Pilate and put before these people,

01:11:01.420 --> 01:11:04.960
what we got was a lot of false witnesses. What

01:11:04.960 --> 01:11:07.119
we got was a lot of people scared and scattered.

01:11:11.359 --> 01:11:13.220
Just because someone doesn't have a lot of people

01:11:13.220 --> 01:11:16.960
doesn't mean God isn't with them. Sometimes that's

01:11:16.960 --> 01:11:21.319
exactly where God wants them. Sometimes that's

01:11:21.319 --> 01:11:26.409
a confirmation that They refuse to conform. You

01:11:26.409 --> 01:11:28.750
get a lot of friends and a lot of supporters,

01:11:29.229 --> 01:11:30.970
oftentimes through conforming and through people

01:11:30.970 --> 01:11:34.829
-pleasing. I can speak to this personally every

01:11:34.829 --> 01:11:37.250
time I had big friend groups in my life. It was

01:11:37.250 --> 01:11:39.250
also a time when I was compromising a lot of

01:11:39.250 --> 01:11:44.859
my values. Or it was also times when I... I think

01:11:44.859 --> 01:11:46.500
that's the best way to word it. I compromise

01:11:46.500 --> 01:11:49.539
a lot of my values. Or I made myself cool with

01:11:49.539 --> 01:11:52.739
things or made myself go to things or participate

01:11:52.739 --> 01:11:57.079
in things that wouldn't be my first thing I jump

01:11:57.079 --> 01:12:02.319
at. My personality would shift depending on who

01:12:02.319 --> 01:12:04.279
I was around. When I was around these kind of

01:12:04.279 --> 01:12:06.279
people I would be more of a gossip. When I'd

01:12:06.279 --> 01:12:07.659
be around these people I'd be more of like a

01:12:07.659 --> 01:12:09.399
preppy person. Around these people I'd be more

01:12:09.399 --> 01:12:14.199
of like a laid -back person. Oftentimes to have

01:12:14.199 --> 01:12:18.420
like such a big group like that That comes through

01:12:18.420 --> 01:12:21.819
some often times not like trying to walk on eggshells

01:12:21.819 --> 01:12:23.600
and not hurt people's feelings. It comes from

01:12:23.600 --> 01:12:26.479
conformity I'm not speaking for everybody. I'm

01:12:26.479 --> 01:12:28.460
just saying that's often what you see happen.

01:12:31.079 --> 01:12:32.840
I Think sometimes when we think of someone who's

01:12:32.840 --> 01:12:34.779
blessed by God and like loved by God and being

01:12:34.779 --> 01:12:36.859
used Like they must have everyone likes them

01:12:36.859 --> 01:12:38.439
and everyone has good things to say about them

01:12:38.439 --> 01:12:40.500
and everyone has all these things But that's

01:12:40.500 --> 01:12:43.590
not what happened to Jesus Why do you think that

01:12:43.590 --> 01:12:45.229
would happen to you or other people if that's

01:12:45.229 --> 01:12:48.930
not what happened for Jesus lovingly if we're

01:12:48.930 --> 01:12:53.210
walking like him And we're living like him and

01:12:53.210 --> 01:12:55.409
we're loving like him our persecution is probably

01:12:55.409 --> 01:12:58.050
gonna look like him also So I just want y 'all

01:12:58.050 --> 01:12:59.829
to meditate on that and think on that but when

01:12:59.829 --> 01:13:02.930
Paul hit this point people People were rejecting

01:13:02.930 --> 01:13:05.170
him people were disassociating with him people

01:13:05.170 --> 01:13:07.829
left It wasn't a ride -or -die situation when

01:13:07.829 --> 01:13:10.329
the going got tough people gave in and people

01:13:10.329 --> 01:13:12.479
gave up And all of a sudden, they didn't know

01:13:12.479 --> 01:13:24.000
him. It is so important, y 'all, that you don't

01:13:24.000 --> 01:13:29.560
allow persecution and the fear of persecution.

01:13:30.520 --> 01:13:33.180
It's so important that you don't allow the world.

01:13:33.239 --> 01:13:35.600
I just want to hit, we're coming to the end of

01:13:35.600 --> 01:13:38.260
the podcast. And there are just a couple points

01:13:38.260 --> 01:13:42.770
I want to hit home for y 'all today. Okay, and

01:13:42.770 --> 01:13:45.890
the first one here is you are to boldly preach

01:13:45.890 --> 01:13:49.069
the gospel Unashamed and not deterred by suffering

01:13:49.069 --> 01:13:52.989
and understand that the fear that you are combating

01:13:52.989 --> 01:13:57.270
When you're desiring to do this is not from God

01:13:57.270 --> 01:14:03.630
The next point is this You need to continue take

01:14:03.630 --> 01:14:06.770
the active step and I don't think we got too

01:14:06.770 --> 01:14:09.229
heavy in on this I want to I want to address

01:14:09.229 --> 01:14:12.569
this real quick How Paul says to stir up the

01:14:12.569 --> 01:14:15.670
spiritual gift? Because God how he says earlier

01:14:15.670 --> 01:14:19.430
in the text to stir up the spiritual gift and

01:14:19.430 --> 01:14:22.210
we discuss that the gift that God had given us

01:14:22.210 --> 01:14:25.890
Was he didn't give us a spirit of fear? No, he

01:14:25.890 --> 01:14:28.649
gave us the power of love and sound judgment

01:14:28.649 --> 01:14:31.649
He gave us the spirit of power love and sound

01:14:31.649 --> 01:14:34.369
judgment and we are to stir that up We don't

01:14:34.369 --> 01:14:37.960
just hold on to it and sit on it One of the best

01:14:37.960 --> 01:14:40.659
ways that you can stir that up is to take some

01:14:40.659 --> 01:14:44.359
bold steps of faith What bold steps of faith

01:14:44.359 --> 01:14:46.979
is God calling you to take right now? What truths

01:14:46.979 --> 01:14:49.840
is he calling you to speak? How maybe is he calling

01:14:49.840 --> 01:14:53.159
you to share testimony? How is he calling you

01:14:53.159 --> 01:14:55.039
to spread the gospel? How is he calling you?

01:14:55.100 --> 01:14:57.479
Maybe it's just making it known that you're a

01:14:57.479 --> 01:15:00.479
Christian that you're a follower of Christ Maybe

01:15:00.479 --> 01:15:02.760
it's planting seed. Maybe it's a rebuke. I don't

01:15:02.760 --> 01:15:05.739
know what it is but one of the best ways that

01:15:05.739 --> 01:15:09.760
you can stir up that spiritual gift is give God

01:15:09.760 --> 01:15:12.500
an opportunity to show up give that spiritual

01:15:12.500 --> 01:15:16.739
gift an opportunity to be used step boldly by

01:15:16.739 --> 01:15:19.899
faith into a situation that requires power that

01:15:19.899 --> 01:15:25.279
requires love okay that requires a sound judgment

01:15:25.279 --> 01:15:28.140
as I'm saying God -led I'm not saying go out

01:15:28.140 --> 01:15:29.779
and do all these things outside of God I don't

01:15:29.779 --> 01:15:32.180
want you to go ahead of God pray that he guides

01:15:32.180 --> 01:15:36.159
you in how to do this The next one is, hold fast

01:15:36.159 --> 01:15:37.979
to the teaching and the knowledge of the gospel.

01:15:38.140 --> 01:15:41.720
Do not let the world's climate, don't let the

01:15:41.720 --> 01:15:44.439
current environment of the world influence your

01:15:44.439 --> 01:15:47.359
beliefs. It is constantly changing. The things

01:15:47.359 --> 01:15:49.180
that are socially acceptable right now were not

01:15:49.180 --> 01:15:51.180
socially acceptable 10 years ago. The things

01:15:51.180 --> 01:15:53.000
that were socially acceptable 10 years ago were

01:15:53.000 --> 01:15:55.159
not socially acceptable 10 years before then.

01:15:56.760 --> 01:15:58.920
It is constantly changing. People's feelings

01:15:58.920 --> 01:16:00.939
are constantly changing. The devil always has

01:16:00.939 --> 01:16:05.359
a new angle he's working at. Which is why your

01:16:05.359 --> 01:16:08.159
values and I encourage y 'all I believe it's

01:16:08.159 --> 01:16:10.180
rooted in truth Which was actually one of my

01:16:10.180 --> 01:16:12.460
most popular episodes ever people seem to gravitate

01:16:12.460 --> 01:16:14.260
towards that one and that's where I talk about

01:16:14.260 --> 01:16:18.039
having a biblical worldview and Your values and

01:16:18.039 --> 01:16:19.619
your beliefs and your opinions being based off

01:16:19.619 --> 01:16:22.600
of what God's Word says So there's nothing new

01:16:22.600 --> 01:16:25.020
under the Sun and when sometimes a new a topic

01:16:25.020 --> 01:16:26.779
comes up that seems new to me And I'm like, I

01:16:26.779 --> 01:16:28.579
don't know how I'm supposed to feel about this

01:16:28.579 --> 01:16:30.479
Like I don't know how I feel about this. I take

01:16:30.479 --> 01:16:32.100
it to God's Word and God's Word tells me how

01:16:32.100 --> 01:16:39.090
I should feel about it I want that to sit with

01:16:39.090 --> 01:16:40.789
y 'all. You don't know how you feel about it,

01:16:40.789 --> 01:16:42.550
take it to God's Word and I'll tell you how you

01:16:42.550 --> 01:16:45.130
should feel. And if that's not what your heart

01:16:45.130 --> 01:16:47.390
aligns with, start praying that God takes the

01:16:47.390 --> 01:16:48.869
things out of your heart that don't align with

01:16:48.869 --> 01:16:57.210
it. The truth is not your truth. And the final

01:16:57.210 --> 01:17:00.369
point here y 'all is stay loyal to Jesus and

01:17:00.369 --> 01:17:02.630
walking out your calling despite the desertion

01:17:02.630 --> 01:17:05.090
of others. Not everybody is going to stay with

01:17:05.090 --> 01:17:07.600
you. People are gonna leave when the going gets

01:17:07.600 --> 01:17:10.039
rough people are gonna leave when they get offended

01:17:10.039 --> 01:17:12.819
God may call you to leave other people because

01:17:12.819 --> 01:17:15.180
they are gonna be grabbing you by the ankle every

01:17:15.180 --> 01:17:17.060
step you try to take I cannot tell y 'all how

01:17:17.060 --> 01:17:19.600
many doors the Lord has lovingly called me to

01:17:19.600 --> 01:17:21.399
close because he said you can't they cannot go

01:17:21.399 --> 01:17:23.760
with you into this next season if You take them

01:17:23.760 --> 01:17:25.359
with you into the next season. They are gonna

01:17:25.359 --> 01:17:28.159
drag you down They're gonna give you the worst

01:17:28.159 --> 01:17:32.399
advice. They are gonna be a stumbling block They

01:17:32.399 --> 01:17:37.939
are gonna be saboteurs Pray for them, love them,

01:17:37.939 --> 01:17:42.180
but you do not need to take them with you. Sometimes

01:17:42.180 --> 01:17:44.060
they will desert you and sometimes God will call

01:17:44.060 --> 01:17:48.239
you to close that door before they ruin it. All

01:17:48.239 --> 01:17:52.100
right? And again, y 'all, I'm encouraging you

01:17:52.100 --> 01:17:55.939
go read Second Timothy for yourself. Study this

01:17:55.939 --> 01:17:58.880
book in the Bible. It's four chapters. You can

01:17:58.880 --> 01:18:03.100
read it in like 30 minutes. I encourage y 'all

01:18:03.100 --> 01:18:07.140
to study it. pick it apart there are some amazing

01:18:07.140 --> 01:18:11.760
things that you can take out of this book and

01:18:11.760 --> 01:18:14.579
this is just a part one there is more to come

01:18:14.579 --> 01:18:17.319
y 'all i will see you next time make sure you

01:18:17.319 --> 01:18:19.060
hit like and subscribe wherever it is you're

01:18:19.060 --> 01:18:20.899
listening to this podcast and i will see you

01:18:20.899 --> 01:18:23.000
guys next time bye guys