WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.100 The words we default to usually tell on us. They 00:00:03.100 --> 00:00:06.559 reveal what we actually understand, what we expect, 00:00:06.780 --> 00:00:09.619 and sometimes exactly what is lurking in our 00:00:09.619 --> 00:00:12.740 hearts before we even are ready to admit it. 00:00:13.359 --> 00:00:16.160 Right now, our oldest son, Fletcher, is about 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:19.019 two months away from turning five. Our younger 00:00:19.019 --> 00:00:21.320 son, Archer, will turn two just a couple weeks 00:00:21.320 --> 00:00:25.920 before that. And lately, Archer has been studying 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:28.359 his older brother like it is his full -time job. 00:00:29.339 --> 00:00:33.479 Fletcher does not question everything, but whenever 00:00:33.479 --> 00:00:35.560 Christy and I tell him something that he's not 00:00:35.560 --> 00:00:38.759 really thrilled about, his go -to weapon is the 00:00:38.759 --> 00:00:42.679 word why. Fletcher, it's time to clean up. Why, 00:00:42.759 --> 00:00:46.840 Dad? Fletcher, go get your shoes on. Why, Mom? 00:00:47.899 --> 00:00:50.700 Sometimes he genuinely wants the explanation, 00:00:50.979 --> 00:00:54.240 but other times it's just the strategic delay 00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:57.920 of game. Archer has heard this enough. that he 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:01.420 now thinks why is simply the automatic response 00:01:01.420 --> 00:01:06.480 to any parental directive he does not like. Archer, 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:11.280 put the toy away. Why? Archer, please sit down. 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:16.700 Why? Archer, stop throwing your food. Why? I 00:01:16.700 --> 00:01:20.120 am convinced he does not even know what information 00:01:20.120 --> 00:01:23.540 he's fishing for right now. He just knows it 00:01:23.540 --> 00:01:26.659 is an excellent way to slow down obedience. But 00:01:26.659 --> 00:01:29.799 there's another word Archer has completely mastered. 00:01:30.180 --> 00:01:35.599 Mine. If you touch a toy he wants, mine. If you 00:01:35.599 --> 00:01:40.060 reach towards his dinner plate, mine. Sometimes 00:01:40.060 --> 00:01:42.519 Fletcher or I will be sitting beside Christy, 00:01:42.540 --> 00:01:46.519 giving her a hug, and Archer will literally march 00:01:46.519 --> 00:01:50.120 over, wedge his tiny little body between us, 00:01:50.260 --> 00:01:54.459 and point at her, and confidently declare, mine. 00:01:56.109 --> 00:02:01.189 Not my mom, just mine. As if he holds exclusive 00:02:01.189 --> 00:02:05.950 property rights to her existence. Kids say these 00:02:05.950 --> 00:02:09.229 things out loud. Adults just learn how to make 00:02:09.229 --> 00:02:12.909 them sound respectable. We don't scream mine 00:02:12.909 --> 00:02:15.189 across the sanctuary. Instead, we say things 00:02:15.189 --> 00:02:18.210 like, this is my ministry. This is our church. 00:02:18.449 --> 00:02:21.949 My family practically built this place. I've 00:02:21.949 --> 00:02:26.069 been here longer than the pastor. The vocabulary 00:02:26.069 --> 00:02:29.909 sounds mature, but underneath the polished language 00:02:29.909 --> 00:02:34.610 can be the exact same instinct Archer has. When 00:02:34.610 --> 00:02:37.909 he locks both arms around a plastic truck and 00:02:37.909 --> 00:02:42.729 pulls it to his chest. My! To a massive question 00:02:42.729 --> 00:02:45.830 the church has to answer with total honesty. 00:02:46.530 --> 00:02:51.189 Who does the church actually belong to? Because 00:02:51.189 --> 00:02:54.469 the answer is not the pastor. It's not the members. 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:57.379 It's not the founding families, and it's not 00:02:57.379 --> 00:03:01.120 the biggest donor. The church belongs to Jesus. 00:03:01.620 --> 00:03:04.939 It belongs to Him. None of us gets to hold it 00:03:04.939 --> 00:03:08.000 with a clenched fist. Welcome to Grace on the 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:09.400 Grind, brought to you by Arrow & Roots Coffee 00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:11.960 Company, where faith meets the everyday. Here 00:03:11.960 --> 00:03:13.879 we take time to notice God's presence in the 00:03:13.879 --> 00:03:17.080 middle of life's busiest moments, to find encouragement, 00:03:17.259 --> 00:03:21.020 clarity, and a reminder of His grace right in 00:03:21.020 --> 00:03:23.740 the grind of daily life. So grab your coffee 00:03:23.740 --> 00:03:28.360 and let's take a sip of this cup together. In 00:03:28.360 --> 00:03:31.340 our first cup, we asked a foundational question. 00:03:31.719 --> 00:03:34.560 Does what we believe about the church actually 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:39.060 match the blueprint of scripture? We all inherited 00:03:39.060 --> 00:03:42.379 institutional assumptions, traditions, and stylistic 00:03:42.379 --> 00:03:45.319 preference, but familiarity alone does not make 00:03:45.319 --> 00:03:47.740 something biblical. And the first assumption 00:03:47.740 --> 00:03:51.979 we need to examine is ownership. Who has the 00:03:51.979 --> 00:03:55.340 right to define the church's identity? Who sets 00:03:55.340 --> 00:03:57.759 the priorities? Who establishes the mission? 00:03:58.020 --> 00:04:01.240 Who gets to correct the ship when it drifts? 00:04:02.539 --> 00:04:06.479 Ownership determines authority. If the church 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:09.520 belongs to the pastor, it can become an empire 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:12.960 built around his personal vision. If the church 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:15.599 belongs to the members, it can slowly become 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:19.339 a corporate focus group balancing competing preferences. 00:04:20.459 --> 00:04:23.800 If it belongs to the legacy families, then influence 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:26.800 can begin to feel like something purchased by 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:29.980 longevity. But if the church belongs entirely 00:04:29.980 --> 00:04:33.660 to Jesus, then every single one of us serves 00:04:33.660 --> 00:04:37.680 under delegated authority. Leaders, members, 00:04:38.019 --> 00:04:42.199 programs, and traditions must all bow to the 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:46.860 same standard. Today, we're diving into Colossians 00:04:46.860 --> 00:04:51.389 1, Acts 20, and 1 Peter 5. And my hope is that 00:04:51.389 --> 00:04:54.949 by the end of this cup, we will see that Christ's 00:04:54.949 --> 00:04:57.810 ownership of the church is not merely a threat 00:04:57.810 --> 00:05:02.769 or a heavy -handed rebuke. It is the deepest 00:05:02.769 --> 00:05:06.110 comfort we have. The church was never ours to 00:05:06.110 --> 00:05:10.810 control. She was entrusted us to steward. Colossians 00:05:10.810 --> 00:05:14.310 1 gives us the ultimate theological weight class 00:05:14.310 --> 00:05:18.730 for who Jesus is. Paul writes, He is the image 00:05:18.730 --> 00:05:22.889 of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 00:05:23.389 --> 00:05:27.610 All things were created through him and for him. 00:05:27.790 --> 00:05:32.990 And he is the head of the body, the church. Notice 00:05:32.990 --> 00:05:35.470 that Paul does not say Jesus is a historical 00:05:35.470 --> 00:05:39.509 figurehead, an inspirational mascot, or just 00:05:39.509 --> 00:05:42.509 the name we paint on the brick sign outside. 00:05:43.329 --> 00:05:49.370 He says Christ is the head. The head is not ceremonial. 00:05:49.850 --> 00:05:53.290 It directs the body, coordinates its movements, 00:05:53.470 --> 00:05:56.910 and sustains its life. Without the head, the 00:05:56.910 --> 00:05:59.389 body does not become independent. It becomes 00:05:59.389 --> 00:06:03.709 a corpse. This means we do not get to build whatever 00:06:03.709 --> 00:06:06.430 religious enterprise fits our market research 00:06:06.430 --> 00:06:10.290 and then slap his name on it. We do not set our 00:06:10.290 --> 00:06:13.189 own agenda and treat Jesus like a cosmic rubber 00:06:13.189 --> 00:06:18.870 stamp. Christ defines his church. He gives the 00:06:18.870 --> 00:06:21.990 mission. He determines the character. He speaks 00:06:21.990 --> 00:06:25.970 through his word. This is where our adult version 00:06:25.970 --> 00:06:31.029 of Archer's why gets exposed. We can approach 00:06:31.029 --> 00:06:34.170 scripture the same way a toddler approaches an 00:06:34.170 --> 00:06:38.569 instruction he does not like. Not with a desire 00:06:38.569 --> 00:06:41.589 to understand, but with a quiet attempt to negotiate 00:06:41.589 --> 00:06:44.720 the terms. Why do we have to structure leadership 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:48.339 that way? Why can't we just do what works better 00:06:48.339 --> 00:06:53.040 for our budget or our culture? Why does the text 00:06:53.040 --> 00:06:56.060 get the final say when our modern circumstances 00:06:56.060 --> 00:07:00.040 are so different? Studying context and seeking 00:07:00.040 --> 00:07:03.800 understanding is vital. But if Christ is the 00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:06.980 head of the church, his instructions are a blueprint 00:07:06.980 --> 00:07:10.860 to follow, not a rough draft open for peer review. 00:07:11.529 --> 00:07:14.810 In Acts 20, Paul gathers the elders from Ephesus 00:07:14.810 --> 00:07:19.189 for a tearful high stakes farewell. He knows 00:07:19.189 --> 00:07:22.250 wolves are coming, false teachers will arise, 00:07:22.470 --> 00:07:25.670 and people will try to hijack the ministry for 00:07:25.670 --> 00:07:30.069 personal gain. Look at his warning. Pay careful 00:07:30.069 --> 00:07:32.870 attention to yourselves and to all the flock 00:07:32.870 --> 00:07:36.250 in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers 00:07:36.250 --> 00:07:39.990 to care for the church of God, which he obtained. 00:07:40.509 --> 00:07:45.230 with his own blood. Acts 20, 28. That last phrase 00:07:45.230 --> 00:07:49.610 settles the ownership debate forever. The church 00:07:49.610 --> 00:07:54.430 was purchased by the blood of Christ. She was 00:07:54.430 --> 00:07:57.069 not claimed by the people who worked the hardest. 00:07:57.290 --> 00:07:59.670 She was not earned by the people who sacrificed 00:07:59.670 --> 00:08:02.670 the most time. She was not bought by the people 00:08:02.670 --> 00:08:05.310 who gave the most money. She belongs to Jesus 00:08:05.310 --> 00:08:11.649 because he paid for her in blood. Now faithful 00:08:11.649 --> 00:08:15.589 service matters deeply. People spending decades 00:08:15.589 --> 00:08:19.490 teaching Sunday school, cleaning carpets, running 00:08:19.490 --> 00:08:22.449 soundboards, counseling the broken, and praying 00:08:22.449 --> 00:08:26.970 in secret. That labor is beautiful and should 00:08:26.970 --> 00:08:30.310 be honored, but faithful service does not purchase 00:08:30.310 --> 00:08:34.529 ownership. Sweat equity does not give us ownership 00:08:34.529 --> 00:08:38.269 in Christ's church. Giving does not buy shares. 00:08:38.830 --> 00:08:42.210 longevity does not create ownership rights. When 00:08:42.210 --> 00:08:45.289 we confuse our personal investment with actual 00:08:45.289 --> 00:08:49.289 ownership, entitlement takes root. We start thinking, 00:08:49.429 --> 00:08:51.649 after everything I've done for this youth group, 00:08:51.809 --> 00:08:55.309 I deserve to have the final say. After what my 00:08:55.309 --> 00:08:58.190 family has given financially, they should have 00:08:58.190 --> 00:09:02.570 consulted us first. Caring deeply is a gift. 00:09:03.629 --> 00:09:08.210 Claiming ownership is a trap. Service is not 00:09:08.210 --> 00:09:10.570 a receipt we keep in our back pocket to cash 00:09:10.570 --> 00:09:13.169 in for leverage when things do not go our way. 00:09:13.549 --> 00:09:16.649 We do not serve so the church will belong to 00:09:16.649 --> 00:09:22.590 us. We serve because we belong to Christ. 1 Peter 00:09:22.590 --> 00:09:25.549 5 speaks directly to the leaders holding the 00:09:25.549 --> 00:09:36.500 microphones. Peter writes, Not domineering over 00:09:36.500 --> 00:09:40.460 those in your charge, but being examples to the 00:09:40.460 --> 00:09:46.559 flock. Notice the language. Shepherd the flock 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:50.299 of God. He does not say shepherd your flock. 00:09:50.779 --> 00:09:54.580 Biblical leadership has real and weighty authority. 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:58.940 Leaders are called to teach, protect, lead, and 00:09:58.940 --> 00:10:02.220 correct. But that authority is entirely delegated. 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:05.450 A shepherd watches sheep. that belongs to the 00:10:05.450 --> 00:10:09.230 chief shepherd a steward manages an estate that 00:10:09.230 --> 00:10:12.889 belongs to the landowner there's a massive difference 00:10:12.889 --> 00:10:15.870 between the way an owner thinks and the way a 00:10:15.870 --> 00:10:19.970 steward thinks an owner asks what do i want to 00:10:19.970 --> 00:10:23.309 do with this property a steward asks what does 00:10:23.309 --> 00:10:26.809 the master want done with his property an owner 00:10:26.809 --> 00:10:29.990 sees accountability as a threat to his control 00:10:30.990 --> 00:10:33.509 A steward sees accountability as part of his 00:10:33.509 --> 00:10:37.269 faithfulness. An owner builds the ministry around 00:10:37.269 --> 00:10:40.850 his charisma, personality, and indispensability. 00:10:41.169 --> 00:10:44.330 A steward consistently points beyond himself 00:10:44.330 --> 00:10:49.529 to the cornerstone. Let's be fair here. This 00:10:49.529 --> 00:10:52.090 is not just an exercise to throw rocks at a pastor. 00:10:52.289 --> 00:10:55.750 Many leaders carry an exhausting, unsustainable 00:10:55.750 --> 00:10:58.950 burden because the congregation has trained them 00:10:59.259 --> 00:11:03.600 to act like owners we expect them to be ceos 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:06.559 world -class communicators financial wizards 00:11:06.559 --> 00:11:09.840 flawless counselors and available for every middle 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:12.840 of the night emergency then we get upset when 00:11:12.840 --> 00:11:16.799 they show human limitations some leaders micromanage 00:11:16.799 --> 00:11:19.480 everything not because they're hungry for control 00:11:19.480 --> 00:11:22.100 but because they're afraid the whole structure 00:11:22.100 --> 00:11:26.980 will collapse if they let it go pastor elder 00:11:26.980 --> 00:11:30.330 team leader You are called to be faithful stewards. 00:11:31.490 --> 00:11:35.490 You are not called to be the Savior. You cannot 00:11:35.490 --> 00:11:38.870 fix every heart, sustain every budget, or keep 00:11:38.870 --> 00:11:42.409 every person from becoming offended. You are 00:11:42.409 --> 00:11:47.590 a shepherd. But the sheep belong to Jesus. Clenched 00:11:47.590 --> 00:11:51.309 fists will ruin your health. Open hands will 00:11:51.309 --> 00:11:54.549 give you freedom. This is not just a platform 00:11:54.549 --> 00:11:58.529 issue. Members can become just as possessive 00:11:58.529 --> 00:12:03.429 as leaders. We can easily critique a controlling 00:12:03.429 --> 00:12:07.529 pastor while quietly expecting the entire church 00:12:07.529 --> 00:12:11.769 to revolve around our personal comfort. We know 00:12:11.769 --> 00:12:13.929 exactly how the order of service should run, 00:12:14.070 --> 00:12:18.070 which music styles are holy, how the building 00:12:18.070 --> 00:12:20.769 should be decorated, and which programs deserve 00:12:20.769 --> 00:12:24.230 a line item in the budget. Of course, completely 00:12:24.230 --> 00:12:26.700 coincidentally, Usually it's the programs our 00:12:26.700 --> 00:12:30.240 kids attend. Now, having preference does not 00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:33.840 make someone a consumer. The danger begins when 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:37.259 our preferences become expectations. The body 00:12:37.259 --> 00:12:41.039 must satisfy. There's a massive difference between 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:44.419 belonging to a body and possessing it. Belonging 00:12:44.419 --> 00:12:49.259 says, I am covenantally responsible to these 00:12:49.259 --> 00:12:53.320 people. Ownership says, these people are responsible 00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:58.470 to satisfy me. Belonging asks, how can my gifts 00:12:58.470 --> 00:13:01.789 strengthen the weak parts of this body? Ownership 00:13:01.789 --> 00:13:05.789 asks, why wasn't my preference consulted before 00:13:05.789 --> 00:13:09.529 this change? Consumer Christianity does not always 00:13:09.529 --> 00:13:12.070 look like church shopping for the flashing megachurch 00:13:12.070 --> 00:13:15.330 down the street. It can also look like the traditional 00:13:15.330 --> 00:13:18.289 member who treats decades of attendance like 00:13:18.289 --> 00:13:20.610 a senior parking spot no one else is allowed 00:13:20.610 --> 00:13:24.230 to touch. The ownership battle is as old as the 00:13:24.230 --> 00:13:27.399 New Testament. In 1 Corinthians, Paul walks into 00:13:27.399 --> 00:13:31.460 a church fractured over human celebrity. The 00:13:31.460 --> 00:13:34.840 believers were fragmented into camps. I follow 00:13:34.840 --> 00:13:38.000 Paul. He is the original church planter. I follow 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:41.419 Apollos. His preaching is way more dynamic. I 00:13:41.419 --> 00:13:44.100 follow Cephas. He's got the traditional weight. 00:13:45.179 --> 00:13:49.960 Paul's response is incredibly blunt. Is Christ 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:54.320 divided? Was Paul crucified for you? What then 00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:58.419 is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom 00:13:58.419 --> 00:14:02.559 you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I 00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:06.360 planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:14.799 1 Corinthians 1, 13, 3, 5, and 6. Servants. That 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:18.539 is the category Paul gives them. Not foundations, 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:22.860 not celebrities, not owners. God uses distinct 00:14:22.860 --> 00:14:27.659 personalities, distinct gifts, and distinct seasons 00:14:27.659 --> 00:14:31.700 of leadership. But the moment a local congregation's 00:14:31.700 --> 00:14:35.039 identity becomes completely dependent on a human 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:39.559 personality, it is spiritually unhealthy. Healthy 00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:43.039 leaders do not collect personal fans. They make 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:48.460 disciples of Jesus. They do not build a monument 00:14:48.460 --> 00:14:51.669 to themselves that falls apart. The day they 00:14:51.669 --> 00:14:55.909 leave. They build a body that outlives them. 00:14:57.409 --> 00:15:00.049 If you want to know what someone truly believes 00:15:00.049 --> 00:15:04.029 about ownership, introduce a little change. A 00:15:04.029 --> 00:15:07.230 pastor retires. A new ministry starts. An old 00:15:07.230 --> 00:15:10.730 one closes. The service time moves by 30 minutes. 00:15:10.970 --> 00:15:14.049 The stage gets remodeled. The music style shifts. 00:15:14.370 --> 00:15:18.070 Suddenly, the vocabulary gets transparent. This 00:15:18.070 --> 00:15:20.870 just doesn't feel like my church anymore. Let's 00:15:20.870 --> 00:15:24.070 be tender here. Change can involve real, legitimate 00:15:24.070 --> 00:15:27.870 grief. A physical building or a particular room 00:15:27.870 --> 00:15:30.750 may carry profound emotional weight. People were 00:15:30.750 --> 00:15:34.730 married there. They buried their parents. They 00:15:34.730 --> 00:15:38.009 found Christ there. They wept at those altars. 00:15:38.250 --> 00:15:41.470 That history carries real weight, and it should 00:15:41.470 --> 00:15:46.350 never be mocked or dismantled carelessly. But 00:15:46.350 --> 00:15:50.570 honoring the past is not the same thing. as weaponizing 00:15:50.570 --> 00:15:54.669 it against the future. Sometimes our anger over 00:15:54.669 --> 00:15:57.889 a structural shift does not reveal a defense 00:15:57.889 --> 00:16:01.669 of sound doctrine, simply reveals that our comfort 00:16:01.669 --> 00:16:06.230 was interrupted. In any season of change, the 00:16:06.230 --> 00:16:09.070 ultimate question cannot be, how do we protect 00:16:09.070 --> 00:16:14.009 what I'm used to? It must be, how do we remain 00:16:14.009 --> 00:16:16.909 faithfully submitted to what Christ requires 00:16:16.909 --> 00:16:20.289 next? This week, Let's take a hard look at our 00:16:20.289 --> 00:16:24.570 own hearts. Watch the possessive pronouns. When 00:16:24.570 --> 00:16:28.230 you use the phrase my church, what is the underlying 00:16:28.230 --> 00:16:31.830 definition? Do you mean this is the covenant 00:16:31.830 --> 00:16:34.629 family where God has placed me to serve and submit? 00:16:35.490 --> 00:16:38.529 Or do you mean this is the institution that exists 00:16:38.529 --> 00:16:42.450 to cater to my lifestyle? Track your reactions. 00:16:42.809 --> 00:16:45.669 The next time a decision does not go your way 00:16:45.669 --> 00:16:49.200 in a committee meeting, ministry team, or weekend 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:52.679 service, pay close attention to what flashes 00:16:52.679 --> 00:16:56.320 inside you. Is it a genuine concern for biblical 00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:00.419 truth? Or is it a wounded ego because your preferences 00:17:00.419 --> 00:17:04.480 did not win the day? Leaders give responsibility 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:08.420 away. Look at what you carry. Are you intentionally 00:17:08.420 --> 00:17:12.259 equipping others? Or are you holding everything 00:17:12.259 --> 00:17:15.059 close because you need the validation of feeling 00:17:15.059 --> 00:17:21.470 indispensable? Serve without keeping score. Are 00:17:21.470 --> 00:17:24.109 you offering your gifts for the good of the body, 00:17:24.190 --> 00:17:26.970 or are you quietly using your service to build 00:17:26.970 --> 00:17:31.430 influence? Clenched fists are exhausting to maintain. 00:17:31.650 --> 00:17:34.890 There is incredible freedom in remembering that 00:17:34.890 --> 00:17:37.730 the future of the church does not rest on your 00:17:37.730 --> 00:17:42.309 shoulders. It rests on the promise of the one 00:17:42.309 --> 00:17:46.650 who has already conquered the grave. The church 00:17:46.650 --> 00:17:49.410 belongs to Jesus. He bought her with his blood. 00:17:49.710 --> 00:17:53.569 He guides her as her head. He protects her by 00:17:53.569 --> 00:17:56.470 his power. He purifies her through his word. 00:17:57.829 --> 00:18:00.970 Denominations do not own the church. Pastors 00:18:00.970 --> 00:18:04.630 do not own the church. Boards, donors, and founding 00:18:04.630 --> 00:18:08.809 names do not own the church. She does not need 00:18:08.809 --> 00:18:11.650 a human savior, and she does not need another 00:18:11.650 --> 00:18:16.990 owner. She already has one Lord, and his name 00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:22.579 is Jesus. So let's love her fiercely, serve her 00:18:22.579 --> 00:18:26.299 quietly, hold our preferences loosely, and trust 00:18:26.299 --> 00:18:30.160 him completely. Before we close, if Grace and 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:32.779 the Grind has been helpful to you, one of the 00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:35.059 simplest ways to support the show is by grabbing 00:18:35.059 --> 00:18:36.859 a bag of coffee from Aaron Root's Coffee Company. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:40.099 You get genuinely good coffee, and it helps keep 00:18:40.099 --> 00:18:42.440 these conversations going. You can find the link 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:45.180 right in the show notes. Before we get to the 00:18:45.180 --> 00:18:48.430 next full cut, Come back Friday for an extra 00:18:48.430 --> 00:18:51.450 shot connected to this conversation. We're going 00:18:51.450 --> 00:18:54.130 to dig deeper into the difference between stewardship 00:18:54.130 --> 00:18:57.730 and ownership. How faithful responsibility can 00:18:57.730 --> 00:19:00.809 slowly drift into control, entitlement, or the 00:19:00.809 --> 00:19:03.309 need to feel indispensable. Because stewardship 00:19:03.309 --> 00:19:07.009 takes responsibility seriously while remembering 00:19:07.009 --> 00:19:11.289 who the true owner is. Then in our next main 00:19:11.289 --> 00:19:14.329 cut, we're going to keep letting scripture reshape 00:19:14.329 --> 00:19:17.740 our expectations by looking. at a phrase many 00:19:17.740 --> 00:19:21.079 of us say, but do not always live as though we 00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:24.940 believe. The church is a people, not a place. 00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:29.259 We talked about why attending a gathering is 00:19:29.259 --> 00:19:32.019 not the same thing as belonging to a body, and 00:19:32.019 --> 00:19:35.440 why the New Testament gives us no picture of 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:39.019 a Christian life intentionally disconnected from 00:19:39.019 --> 00:19:42.359 the people of God. Thank you for listening to 00:19:42.359 --> 00:19:44.799 Grace on the Grind, brought to you by Arrow & 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:47.150 Roots Coffee Company. Until next time, keep the 00:19:47.150 --> 00:19:48.730 coffee strong and your fight strong.