WEBVTT 00:00:09.939 --> 00:00:13.320 Hello, and welcome to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. 00:00:13.539 --> 00:00:14.839 Thank you so much for listening. 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:16.199 We're startup church. 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:23.460 We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:32.299 And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect, be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. 00:00:32.500 --> 00:00:36.439 You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:40.399 We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. 00:00:41.219 --> 00:00:41.920 Very good. 00:00:42.140 --> 00:00:51.359 Uh, it's been, it's been a little bit, it's well, it's felt like a little bit longer than it really maybe has been for, uh, for me, I'm grateful to be back. 00:00:51.399 --> 00:01:11.519 Um, as you guys, uh, some of you guys know, I got a chance to go to, uh, Latvia and then I'm Estonia over the last few weeks and, um, some of the big, uh, some of the big takeaways I shared a little bit on Wednesday, but some of the big takeaways was, uh, in Riga Latvia, I was just super impressed with, uh, with how much the group prayed. 00:01:11.780 --> 00:01:19.359 Um, the students, uh, we, we shared the guys, he's, he has a student ministry of like 25 to 30 at any given point. 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:21.319 And he's working part time. 00:01:21.340 --> 00:01:22.980 Uh, he was just in grad school. 00:01:23.019 --> 00:01:23.900 He finished that up. 00:01:23.900 --> 00:01:25.980 Uh, he's an, he's an architect. 00:01:26.379 --> 00:01:29.099 Um, and, but he's also leading a ministry. 00:01:29.099 --> 00:01:31.620 And so he, uh, it's, it's crazy. 00:01:31.700 --> 00:01:34.200 You won one day, uh, it'd be cool if you guys went there or something. 00:01:34.280 --> 00:01:39.040 I realized many won't, but it was amazing because they just decided we're just going to pray a lot. 00:01:39.079 --> 00:01:42.760 And so you could see, uh, the pattern, uh, that the ministry was building was one. 00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:44.000 They just prayed a lot. 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:48.599 Um, in Tallinn, I was super impressed that these 15, I shared it on Wednesday. 00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:59.480 I think it bears sharing again, um, these students that are 15, 16, 17 years old, uh, would go over to this guy's house, uh, who was leading the ministry and they would make a mess. 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:02.879 And then they would leave the house spotless like you, they would, they would mop. 00:02:02.939 --> 00:02:07.620 They left it better than when they showed up and, uh, and it's a 16 year old. 00:02:07.698 --> 00:02:11.360 And so I, I just, there's so much, I think that I learned over this time. 00:02:11.379 --> 00:02:17.979 There's a lot that we're going to, I'll even, I got a couple of stories in here about that, but, um, but that was, that was where I was. 00:02:17.979 --> 00:02:23.419 And so I feel, uh, if on Wednesday I was like 70% back, I feel like I'm 95% of the way back. 00:02:23.740 --> 00:02:24.979 Uh, and so we're, we're happy. 00:02:25.080 --> 00:02:25.900 We're having a good time. 00:02:26.379 --> 00:02:32.599 Um, a couple of other cool things that while we were gone, there was a, there was a couple of baptisms. 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:34.599 Um, Sarah French got baptized. 00:02:34.819 --> 00:02:36.120 We're excited about that. 00:02:36.699 --> 00:02:37.879 A few baptisms. 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:40.120 Then Clayton Asha got baptized as well. 00:02:40.219 --> 00:02:41.319 We're excited about that. 00:02:43.020 --> 00:02:52.479 Uh, what, uh, what encouragement if you guys missed it on Wednesday, uh, there's a, there's a, uh, these, these, uh, dapper young men shared a little bit about their time at camp. 00:02:52.599 --> 00:02:54.840 And so, uh, the, the theme was refuge. 00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:58.580 If you want to hear about how camp went, just talk to them. 00:02:58.639 --> 00:03:00.719 Uh, you got, you guys know who were here on Wednesday. 00:03:00.860 --> 00:03:03.419 We kind of sat down and listened and I gave them one minute. 00:03:03.539 --> 00:03:06.780 Uh, they probably could have preached for about five or 10 and done a pretty good job. 00:03:06.819 --> 00:03:07.000 Amen. 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:10.759 Uh, so anyways, we're, we're looking at the book of Titus. 00:03:11.060 --> 00:03:14.780 We talked about, uh, we looked at Titus one last week. 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:16.379 This week we're looking at Titus two. 00:03:16.379 --> 00:03:30.849 Um, if you could, if you had a title for any of this stuff, I think, I think the title would be learning and teaching, uh, from Titus two, you know, on first reading of this chapter and then second reading of this chapter, I felt like, uh, what am I going to talk about? 00:03:30.889 --> 00:03:39.650 Because it feels like really what it is is it's a letter from Paul, uh, written to Titus, uh, who was a church leader and he's just teaching them how to be a good church leader. 00:03:39.650 --> 00:03:45.169 And so, uh, for me, it's, it's a helpful book because I'm like, you know, how do I be a good church leader? 00:03:45.169 --> 00:03:49.550 Let me follow, uh, what Paul says, uh, as he's writing to Titus. 00:03:49.729 --> 00:03:54.189 But as I sat with it more, I think it has a lot of relevance for us as well. 00:03:54.289 --> 00:04:01.310 Uh, just us in a, as a Christian community, it talks a lot about how we can really be great learners and how we can be great students. 00:04:01.409 --> 00:04:05.849 And then it talks a lot about how we can actually teach and be great teachers. 00:04:05.969 --> 00:04:11.930 You know, at any point in our lives, we should be those who are learning, uh, and have people who were following. 00:04:12.050 --> 00:04:12.870 We should be students. 00:04:13.009 --> 00:04:14.810 Uh, and we also should be teachers, right? 00:04:14.810 --> 00:04:19.149 If we are just, uh, if we are just teachers, uh, that's, that's a problem, right? 00:04:19.189 --> 00:04:21.569 And actually it talks about that in the Bible. 00:04:21.790 --> 00:04:28.029 Uh, if we're just, if we're just students though, now hear me, this is where maybe we can get a little bit mixed up. 00:04:28.069 --> 00:04:38.250 I mean, goodheartedly mixed up if we're just students as, as in we just consume, what can end up happening is we can learn a lot, but if we don't give it to other people, that's not what the Bible teaches. 00:04:38.310 --> 00:04:44.610 In fact, the Bible says, watch your life and doctrine closely persevere so that you can save yourself and your hearers. 00:04:44.610 --> 00:04:54.089 This is first Timothy four 16 and so there's, there's a necessity if we're going to be a Christian community, how the Bible speaks about, then we have to be those who are teaching at certain points. 00:04:56.769 --> 00:05:00.810 Um, you know, I, there, there's a couple of, a couple of things that we want to look at though. 00:05:00.829 --> 00:05:12.250 I do, uh, want us to, uh, to realize, and I think we know this, I just want to reiterate it that it's not just me saying in his Bible is that you can't just be a student of Jesus. 00:05:12.250 --> 00:05:16.910 Uh, you know, we can say, well, I don't need to join a group of people. 00:05:17.029 --> 00:05:18.269 I don't need to be a part of a group. 00:05:18.350 --> 00:05:20.970 I kind of do my own studies spiritually. 00:05:21.189 --> 00:05:25.350 And maybe you have been in that sphere or maybe you've been in that spot. 00:05:26.029 --> 00:05:27.769 Maybe you, you came out of that spot. 00:05:27.850 --> 00:05:36.410 Maybe you're, you're kind of in the middle of that spot right now, or if nothing else, I know you've heard somebody say that, that I don't need to be a, I'm a student of Jesus. 00:05:36.430 --> 00:05:37.970 I read the word that is enough. 00:05:37.970 --> 00:05:44.649 Uh, we can see in the Bible, uh, it, these are just, I just did, this is just from my memory. 00:05:44.730 --> 00:05:45.730 It took me like 10 minutes. 00:05:45.790 --> 00:05:47.629 I bet you, if you did it, you could even do more. 00:05:47.709 --> 00:05:51.930 These are just the people who became students of others and got a lot of help. 00:05:52.110 --> 00:05:58.189 Uh, John, this guy obviously wrote the book of John, then first, second, third, John, and then revelation as well. 00:05:58.610 --> 00:06:06.870 Uh, there's a point when presumably he gets, he, him and Peter get, get sent to prison and presumably he's pretty scared. 00:06:06.870 --> 00:06:08.910 Peter speaks up, gives him courage. 00:06:09.329 --> 00:06:11.410 And then at first it says, Peter said this. 00:06:11.709 --> 00:06:17.529 Then by the end of it, it says, Peter, uh, Peter and John said, we are not going to stop preaching the word. 00:06:17.610 --> 00:06:23.370 And so Peter and so, or John at some point was a student and he learned a lot, Paul as well. 00:06:23.430 --> 00:06:24.370 You guys know the story. 00:06:24.470 --> 00:06:26.769 Paul had this one-on-one interaction with Jesus. 00:06:27.029 --> 00:06:38.750 That is, you can't even, you can't, nobody I don't think, uh, in this room has had something like that where they just look at Jesus in the eye and Jesus comes down after he's been resurrected and says, who are you persecuting? 00:06:39.629 --> 00:06:42.290 Paul could have said, well, I don't need, I don't need help from anybody else. 00:06:42.310 --> 00:06:46.149 But what happens though, is that in a nice assent to help teach him a little bit more. 00:06:46.389 --> 00:06:57.790 Uh, you guys know James, uh, and the apostles and the elders, uh, this is when they're deciding, can, can Jews be allowed, uh, in, in the, or can Gentiles, excuse me, be allowed in the kingdom of God? 00:06:58.029 --> 00:07:00.290 And Peter says, no, without a shadow of a doubt. 00:07:00.430 --> 00:07:01.290 Yes, they can. 00:07:01.389 --> 00:07:05.889 Paul shared about how they received the Holy spirit of Barnabas in his journey, shared about it. 00:07:05.990 --> 00:07:18.769 And so James, the guy who wrote the book of James, um, and you know, one of the main first, uh, first century church leaders has to be taught by, by somebody other than Jesus, uh, Apollos. 00:07:18.910 --> 00:07:23.990 We understand he was teaching the way of God adequately, uh, or as he, as he knew fit rather. 00:07:24.170 --> 00:07:33.329 But, but then, uh, Priscilla and Aquila, uh, this, this married couple, go ahead and teach them what, what happens at the resurrection, uh, what happened at the resurrection and then the Holy spirit. 00:07:33.329 --> 00:07:46.709 Um, then you guys know, uh, in Galatians two, there's a sharp disagreement between Paul and Peter and Peter had to be, although he said, Hey, it's, you know, Gentiles can come on in to the kingdom. 00:07:46.790 --> 00:07:56.970 Uh, sometime in Galatians two or sometime around there, Paul has to tell him, you know what you were off in how you were interacting actually with the Gentile group of people. 00:07:56.970 --> 00:08:02.410 And so for us to say that we're anything above that, we only need Jesus. 00:08:02.410 --> 00:08:03.290 We'd be mistaken. 00:08:03.490 --> 00:08:07.029 If you guys interact someday, uh, sometime this week, even with somebody who says, you know what? 00:08:07.050 --> 00:08:08.790 I just need the Bible and I'll be good. 00:08:09.170 --> 00:08:12.930 You can call them a liar because they're, they're not following what, what scripture teaches. 00:08:13.009 --> 00:08:14.370 Uh, let's go over to Titus two. 00:08:14.810 --> 00:08:22.089 Uh, if you're not there already, Titus two, uh, it, it, it says you, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 00:08:22.209 --> 00:08:29.149 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled and sound in faith in love and in endurance. 00:08:29.750 --> 00:08:37.009 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 00:08:37.590 --> 00:08:48.629 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the word of God. 00:08:50.549 --> 00:08:53.710 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled and everything. 00:08:53.929 --> 00:08:56.870 Set them an example by doing what is good in your teaching. 00:08:56.870 --> 00:09:07.210 Show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. 00:09:09.940 --> 00:09:15.559 This first part, uh, I want to talk about what it means to be a great student or what it means to be a great learner. 00:09:16.059 --> 00:09:20.919 Uh, if, if we're going to be great learners, um, then, then we have to understand a few things. 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:28.000 I think one of the main things that, uh, that's helpful to understand is where, where we stand or basically where we're at, what we struggle with. 00:09:28.659 --> 00:09:34.679 Um, you know, in sports I've, I've, I've coached anywhere from college to, you know, fifth and sixth graders. 00:09:35.019 --> 00:09:42.299 And it's interesting, the, the fifth and sixth graders have like some of the least awareness of their, their aptitude in athletics. 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:45.299 Like if you talk to, and I did this, I was just having fun with them. 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:48.039 I said, Hey guys, um, what do you need to grow in most? 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:55.000 And what people shared, uh, in fifth and sixth grade, they were like, you know what, I need to grow in my jumping so that I can be able to dunk one day. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:58.659 And uh, and as a fifth and sixth grader, you just don't need to worry about dunking. 00:09:58.799 --> 00:09:59.320 You know what I'm saying? 00:09:59.399 --> 00:10:01.320 Like that's like for the advanced skills. 00:10:01.340 --> 00:10:06.320 I said, no, you need to worry about shooting layups properly and like making, making your, your shots. 00:10:06.440 --> 00:10:12.580 Uh, if you don't understand what you're struggling in and what you're trying to grow in, you're going to have a difficult time growing effectively. 00:10:12.879 --> 00:10:19.820 Uh, you know, what's amazing about how God made us is that our struggles are not entirely unique to us. 00:10:20.379 --> 00:10:31.279 Uh, the world, the devil, he's trying to do everything he can to isolate you, to convince you that no one can relate to you, uh, that you're unique in what you're going through. 00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:33.539 People just don't understand. 00:10:34.340 --> 00:10:37.679 Uh, when, when, when they share something, they're not seeing the full picture. 00:10:37.980 --> 00:10:40.240 They didn't understand my motives or my intentions. 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:45.840 Uh, all of these, these are just defense mechanisms that the devil is convincing you of. 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:49.399 That's blocking us from being strong students or learners or disciples. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:52.659 Um, why, why do I, why do I, why do I say that? 00:10:52.919 --> 00:11:01.820 Well, because Paul is able to identify, these are the areas for the older men, for the older women, for the younger women and for the younger men that, that we struggle with. 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:09.440 These are the areas that you have to keep, uh, you have to keep your eyes on and you have to babysit them and you have to pay attention to them or else you're going to struggle. 00:11:09.639 --> 00:11:11.799 Uh, and, and it's, it's powerful. 00:11:11.980 --> 00:11:13.799 We're going to, we're going to look at what this means. 00:11:13.799 --> 00:11:22.639 And so right now I'm going to speak a little bit to hopefully to you individually or you specifically, um, by just categorizing how the Bible does basically. 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:27.559 And these are things that if you do a good job of, I think you can be great students if you do. 00:11:27.820 --> 00:11:31.419 Uh, if there, but there's room to grow is what I would say for the older men. 00:11:31.480 --> 00:11:32.059 What does it say? 00:11:32.840 --> 00:11:35.100 You, you guys got a lot of responsibilities. 00:11:35.100 --> 00:11:36.980 I don't know who, how you define old or not. 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:39.120 I'm not going to be the one to say above this age gap. 00:11:39.179 --> 00:11:39.980 That's not me. 00:11:40.279 --> 00:11:42.759 But he just says, older men, you've got to be level headed. 00:11:42.759 --> 00:11:44.960 You have to be worthy of respect or dignified. 00:11:45.179 --> 00:11:49.580 You have to be self controlled, sound and faith, sound and love, sound and endurance. 00:11:49.700 --> 00:11:50.820 You have to be steadfast. 00:11:53.549 --> 00:11:57.429 This is a, it's powerful that this is spoken about first. 00:11:57.590 --> 00:12:02.129 And actually the older men, you guys are given the most responsibility to pay attention to these things. 00:12:02.190 --> 00:12:07.230 If you look at the next list that we, that we're going to talk about, actually you guys got the longest one. 00:12:07.889 --> 00:12:11.250 Um, you guys got the most to pay attention to. 00:12:11.250 --> 00:12:21.129 Um, and, and the other thing that I think is really powerful is you can look at these other, these other areas for the older women, the, the younger men and the younger women. 00:12:21.370 --> 00:12:23.809 And a lot of these are outward things that are pretty obvious. 00:12:23.809 --> 00:12:33.330 Some of these for, for you older men, these are things that, that what the Bible is saying and I believe what Paul is saying is you guys figured out how to live as Christians. 00:12:33.350 --> 00:12:36.029 You guys figured out how to put on a good face and to live a good life. 00:12:36.210 --> 00:12:37.250 You figured that out. 00:12:37.250 --> 00:12:39.830 Now you've got to worry about what's going on deep in your heart. 00:12:41.090 --> 00:12:54.049 Uh, who's to say if you're sound in faith, but, but you and God and maybe those closest to you, who's to say if you're sound in love or sound and endurance instead fast, who, who really, who is to say you guys, you got to show up to church every Sunday. 00:12:54.230 --> 00:12:59.789 You, you give your, your contribution, you're a servant, you, you serve where you, where you're needed. 00:13:00.490 --> 00:13:03.070 These are things that, that you have to pay attention to. 00:13:03.129 --> 00:13:10.409 If you're going to be a great student and then understand this is what's going to get you to not be a great student and to not be a learner is to say, I've already got it. 00:13:10.509 --> 00:13:13.750 I show up and I end point to some of your laurels or your accolades. 00:13:14.110 --> 00:13:16.289 You know, it's, it's such a cool scripture. 00:13:16.450 --> 00:13:21.429 You guys know it and we're not going to get, get super deep into it, but I'm reminded of Joshua 14, right? 00:13:21.490 --> 00:13:29.330 This is a Caleb talking, he's 85 years old and he says, so here I am today, 85 years old. 00:13:29.409 --> 00:13:32.370 I'm still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out. 00:13:32.370 --> 00:13:35.990 I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 00:13:36.230 --> 00:13:40.129 Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. 00:13:42.490 --> 00:13:45.409 This again, I love, I love it. 00:13:45.450 --> 00:13:50.169 There was a, there was a brother who was in Milwaukee for years. 00:13:50.870 --> 00:13:52.529 His name, his name was Harvey. 00:13:52.629 --> 00:13:55.789 He passed away probably about 10 years ago, huh? 00:13:55.889 --> 00:13:56.309 Sometime. 00:13:56.409 --> 00:14:01.710 And he, and I, I, it's, it's funny when you grow up the, maybe you guys have experienced this, maybe you haven't. 00:14:01.710 --> 00:14:17.429 If you've grown up with old people, sometimes, uh, how they look when, or how you perceive they look when you're five, um, they actually look like when you're, when you're 25, um, or something like they, they, you did, they already seem old, but then when you see them, you're like, oh no, no, wait, that was, they really were old then. 00:14:17.870 --> 00:14:20.850 Um, this guy was, was strong in the faith. 00:14:20.970 --> 00:14:23.070 He was a guy that was, that, that loved others. 00:14:23.269 --> 00:14:24.250 He was so giving. 00:14:24.309 --> 00:14:26.649 If you interacted with him and said, let's, let's move. 00:14:26.750 --> 00:14:29.570 He would be, you know, let's, let's move this person or that person. 00:14:29.570 --> 00:14:33.889 He'd be one of the first ones to show up and we're like, Harvey, it's just not super helpful. 00:14:34.049 --> 00:14:36.409 Like just be an encouragement, you know, pour some water for us. 00:14:36.470 --> 00:14:38.669 You know, you, we don't need you to help lift this couch. 00:14:39.029 --> 00:14:41.850 The point I'm saying is that he was, he was, he was ready to serve. 00:14:41.929 --> 00:14:42.789 He was, he was there. 00:14:42.870 --> 00:14:55.450 He was as vigorous, uh, he identified as vigorous at 85 as he was at 45 and, and maybe, maybe not in actuality, but I guess for your faith, uh, you, you older men, can you say this? 00:14:55.450 --> 00:15:01.289 Can you say I was as, I'm as vigorous for the Lord today as when I was in my twenties. 00:15:01.490 --> 00:15:05.029 Can you say that there, there, there's, there's such great hope. 00:15:05.090 --> 00:15:15.580 You know, there's such a great responsibility that you guys have in the leadership of this church says to the older women, it says, be reverent in the way you live. 00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:16.600 Don't be slanderers. 00:15:16.659 --> 00:15:20.320 Don't be, don't be addicted to too much wine and teach what is good. 00:15:21.379 --> 00:15:38.059 You know, I think, uh, so much of a, uh, so hear me now, I, again, I'm, I'm, I'm treading on some territory that if I'm stepping on toes and if I say something wrong, um, I'll apologize later. 00:15:38.059 --> 00:15:48.659 I think so much of, um, at least in this world, how women are taught to identify, especially older women is by the title of mom or the title of grandma. 00:15:48.659 --> 00:15:53.240 I think that's the, usually when, once you get a little bit older, that's kind of the extent of it. 00:15:53.259 --> 00:15:54.500 I'm a mom and I'm a grandma. 00:15:54.940 --> 00:16:10.600 And then the other stuff I do, I do, uh, you know, I, I think, I think these are noble and they're, they're incredible, but there comes a time in a mother's life when you're not as needed or you don't feel as needed as you once were, as when, as when your children were little, were little. 00:16:11.019 --> 00:16:15.019 I think this can create a crisis and I've, I've seen it in the church. 00:16:15.019 --> 00:16:19.559 I've seen it in my, my family, uh, you know, my, you know, extended family. 00:16:19.980 --> 00:16:22.399 Uh, I've seen it in almost every, every facet. 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:27.980 I've seen, uh, women who are older, who have grown up children are like, what's the point? 00:16:28.100 --> 00:16:28.960 What am I doing? 00:16:29.019 --> 00:16:31.559 I don't, I'm cooking for way less people. 00:16:31.700 --> 00:16:40.639 I only make one meal a week and you know, however you figure I, they drive themselves to the actual locations and there's a feeling that's, you know what, they don't need me. 00:16:40.919 --> 00:16:41.759 And so what's the point? 00:16:43.340 --> 00:16:44.279 They don't need me. 00:16:44.279 --> 00:16:45.500 I don't, I don't have value. 00:16:45.700 --> 00:16:49.299 And so let me engage in, in folly, right? 00:16:49.320 --> 00:16:52.500 Let me engage in slander, folly with my words. 00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:55.179 Let me engage in, in folly with my actions. 00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:56.960 Because what's the point? 00:16:57.080 --> 00:16:58.159 They, I'm not needed. 00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:04.160 What Paul is saying, what I'm saying is you are still extremely valuable. 00:17:04.940 --> 00:17:06.440 You are, you're so valuable. 00:17:06.578 --> 00:17:06.920 Listen to this. 00:17:06.980 --> 00:17:13.358 You are so valuable as an older woman that, that Paul doesn't tell Titus to help out the younger woman. 00:17:13.358 --> 00:17:17.519 He just says, Hey, teach the older women well, they're going to worry about the younger women. 00:17:17.660 --> 00:17:26.338 And so this responsibility and role that you think, well, it's done by the time I was done being a mother, a mother to young children, he says, no, no, no, no, no. 00:17:26.380 --> 00:17:34.819 You have a great responsibility to this church, to this community that, that is being built to give to the young moms and to teach the young moms the right way. 00:17:34.859 --> 00:17:35.079 Amen. 00:17:36.180 --> 00:17:45.960 This is a, this is, this is a great responsibility, but if you're going to be, if you're going to be a great student, then you have to understand this is where you can find yourself. 00:17:46.099 --> 00:17:49.079 Don't let the devil convince you that you're not, that you're not worthy. 00:17:49.220 --> 00:17:51.880 Don't let the devil convince you that your time is up. 00:17:51.940 --> 00:17:52.819 You've done all you can do. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:54.920 There's no more value for you. 00:17:55.380 --> 00:18:00.759 The Bible tells a very different story for the, for the younger women. 00:18:01.079 --> 00:18:07.319 Uh, I might tread even lighter because I think the responsibility is for the younger women to talk to you, to you ladies. 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:15.359 And so I, I've got, I've got some thoughts, but, uh, but if, again, I will actually defer if some of the older women say he's wrong, that's fine. 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:15.940 Listen to them. 00:18:16.440 --> 00:18:32.400 Uh, it, it just says, it says, uh, teach them, uh, for the older women, teach them how to love their husbands and children to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind and to be subject to their husbands so that no one will malign the word of God. 00:18:36.470 --> 00:18:40.430 Again, I, I, uh, I think I've seen it in this world. 00:18:40.430 --> 00:19:09.710 I've seen it in specifically in social media in the 21st century, um, that I've seen social media in the 21st century attack young women, um, more tactfully and more deceitfully than probably any other group of people, uh, in, in, in other for the, you know, for the young men or I feel like it's kind of obvious how, and we'll talk about it, but it's obvious I think in the way that, that social media attacks, uh, but for the women, the young women in this group, I think it's so deceitful. 00:19:09.710 --> 00:19:14.890 Uh, there, there's, uh, an Instagram lie that says, you've got to have it all together. 00:19:15.069 --> 00:19:16.789 You've got to have it entirely figured out. 00:19:17.210 --> 00:19:19.289 You don't need help from anybody else. 00:19:19.390 --> 00:19:25.269 All you have to do is watch a few of these videos and you can save them on your tick tock and you're ready to go. 00:19:25.930 --> 00:19:27.029 Uh, that's a lie. 00:19:27.730 --> 00:19:32.349 Uh, there, there's, there's a posture of humility that's needed to be able to say, I don't have it all figured out. 00:19:32.369 --> 00:19:32.690 Right. 00:19:32.829 --> 00:19:33.009 Yeah. 00:19:33.329 --> 00:19:38.049 I don't, I'm not, I don't know how to parent, uh, my, my kids the best way. 00:19:38.049 --> 00:19:43.910 My kids aren't acting right and it's, and it's not, it's not enough to say, Oh shucks, my kids aren't acting right. 00:19:44.009 --> 00:19:49.509 There needs to be responsibility then on your end to look to the older women to learn from them. 00:19:51.710 --> 00:19:59.170 Uh, you know, I, it's, I, I, again, I, I don't want to, uh, Oh man, we'll keep preaching. 00:20:01.450 --> 00:20:02.369 I'm going to plug it in. 00:20:02.390 --> 00:20:02.950 Give me one second. 00:20:25.380 --> 00:20:29.839 I think, I think just, you have to realize that you don't have it all figured out. 00:20:29.960 --> 00:20:32.000 Not everything is going to be perfect. 00:20:32.279 --> 00:20:40.720 And don't say that the solution to that, I think, I think this is what I've seen also on Instagram, uh, is that, okay, not everything's perfect, so I'm not going to have it figured out. 00:20:40.740 --> 00:20:41.819 And so I'm not going to try. 00:20:42.019 --> 00:20:43.380 That's not the response to have though. 00:20:43.380 --> 00:20:45.319 The response to have is I'm not perfect. 00:20:45.380 --> 00:20:46.220 I don't have it figured out. 00:20:46.519 --> 00:20:47.119 Let me learn. 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:54.480 There's so many women, uh, in this congregation that are able to help you out, that are able to give advice about parenting, that are able to teach you how to parent. 00:20:54.579 --> 00:21:01.059 You know, I feel it, uh, with, with our, with our three and our one, I feel like my kids are amazing. 00:21:01.559 --> 00:21:05.359 Um, but they're, uh, they're, they're not unique in, in their struggles. 00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:11.259 Uh, I, I love my children to death, but I'd be, I'd be extremely arrogant and prideful if I said, you know what? 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:13.779 You don't understand my exact situation. 00:21:14.059 --> 00:21:15.599 Um, let's not do that. 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:15.880 Amen. 00:21:16.579 --> 00:21:22.240 And then to the, uh, then to the younger men, um, in some ways it just says, just be self-controlled. 00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:40.440 Uh, and so, you know, I, I think on one hand I feel, um, I think, I feel like it's pretty cruel of Paul to force us to, uh, to keep our attention span long enough to listen to these other three, um, as young men, but, but he did, uh, he, he stretched our attention span. 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:44.980 He said, go ahead and listen to what everyone else has to grow in, but then you guys don't focus on a lot of things. 00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:45.740 Just be self-controlled. 00:21:46.339 --> 00:21:56.299 Um, and then, and then he tells Titus some specific ways to live his life, but, uh, so much of in, in our lives, if you just focus, if you're a young man, you just focus on being self-controlled. 00:21:56.839 --> 00:22:00.359 Um, that, that's, that's maybe just about all we can focus on. 00:22:00.420 --> 00:22:01.200 That's the way to live though. 00:22:01.220 --> 00:22:02.380 It says in your integrity. 00:22:02.940 --> 00:22:12.160 Um, so who you are when no one else is watching, be self-controlled, uh, the seriousness with which you carry yourself. 00:22:13.339 --> 00:22:17.500 Um, this isn't saying that, that, you know, don't, don't make a joke or don't be silly. 00:22:17.579 --> 00:22:29.359 I, I struggled with this so much, um, to figuring out for myself, who am I, what am I, I mean, I like to make jokes, but at what point and, and at whose expense maybe, and I think this is saying that there's a time and place for everything. 00:22:29.500 --> 00:22:33.299 You got to be aware of what's going on, uh, and who you're talking to. 00:22:33.539 --> 00:22:36.859 Um, then it says there's a soundness of speech and this is what I've seen. 00:22:37.299 --> 00:22:40.200 Uh, I don't know, again, I can't speak to everything. 00:22:40.200 --> 00:22:43.940 I've seen it so much though, over the last little bit, maybe my ears are perked up to it. 00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:47.759 Uh, as men, we just can't talk about things we don't know about as young men. 00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:54.599 There's so there's, there's examples in our lives of people that maybe you've been in, you've been in that situation. 00:22:54.599 --> 00:23:00.500 I know I've been in a situation where something's been asked of me in a way that's really humble and kind. 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:01.819 Again, I was coaching basketball. 00:23:01.960 --> 00:23:02.480 There's a coach. 00:23:02.519 --> 00:23:04.019 He's been coaching for 20 some years. 00:23:04.059 --> 00:23:06.019 It was my first year as an assistant. 00:23:06.259 --> 00:23:07.640 He has cut film. 00:23:07.740 --> 00:23:08.680 He knows everything. 00:23:08.680 --> 00:23:11.220 You know, he's, he's, he knows, he knows it all right. 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:11.819 What to do. 00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:13.099 He has the plays drawn up. 00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:14.759 They're his plays and, or he's listening. 00:23:15.160 --> 00:23:15.799 He's got it. 00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:18.000 He's coached again, 20 years at a college level. 00:23:18.400 --> 00:23:23.079 It's my first year coaching and he would pull us in a huddle and he's like, Hey, what should we do? 00:23:23.160 --> 00:23:24.900 What do you guys think we should do now? 00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:25.460 On one hand? 00:23:25.539 --> 00:23:25.799 Great. 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:26.180 That's it. 00:23:26.200 --> 00:23:26.460 That's it. 00:23:26.460 --> 00:23:27.819 That's, that's humble of him. 00:23:27.880 --> 00:23:28.220 You know, right. 00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:29.339 That's, that's, that's awesome. 00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:36.319 On another level, there's wisdom to say, well, my opinion counts for a lot less than his opinion, right? 00:23:36.339 --> 00:23:37.339 He knows what he's doing. 00:23:37.339 --> 00:23:38.380 He knows what he's talking about. 00:23:38.579 --> 00:23:44.160 And then what happened was there was another assistant coach has been coaching as long as he has, but he's not as connected. 00:23:44.259 --> 00:23:45.240 It wasn't his full-time job. 00:23:45.259 --> 00:23:47.940 And I just asked him, I said, Da Vinci, why don't you say anything? 00:23:48.019 --> 00:23:49.119 And he's like, why don't I say anything? 00:23:49.140 --> 00:23:50.140 He knows what he's going to do anyways. 00:23:50.339 --> 00:23:53.119 He, what am I going to tell him that he's not already going to do? 00:23:53.140 --> 00:23:54.119 And he's going to do it the right way. 00:23:54.200 --> 00:23:57.160 And he was like, and plus, if I'm wrong, I don't want to be in trouble for it. 00:23:57.759 --> 00:23:58.759 I was like, okay, amen. 00:23:58.940 --> 00:24:00.720 You know, that, that's, that's one way to go about it. 00:24:03.710 --> 00:24:05.190 I, I appreciate that though. 00:24:05.190 --> 00:24:10.289 I appreciate that because it taught me that something, someone can ask something of you. 00:24:10.390 --> 00:24:14.109 It's not always, it's not always wise to speak about things you don't know very much about. 00:24:16.799 --> 00:24:22.859 The other thing that says though, for, for young men is this says that you have to know the character of the person you're following. 00:24:22.980 --> 00:24:29.079 If you're going to be a great student, you have to know the character, their integrity, their seriousness, their soundness of speech. 00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:31.980 How are you going to know that listening to preachers on YouTube? 00:24:32.680 --> 00:24:36.900 How are you going to know that listening to smart videos or how-to videos on TikTok? 00:24:37.480 --> 00:24:39.200 How are you going to know that by reading books? 00:24:39.240 --> 00:24:42.559 You're not going to, you gotta interact with the person who you're following. 00:24:46.029 --> 00:24:54.390 And so all of this, the majority of the lesson then is about, uh, is just about how do we, how can we be great students? 00:24:54.990 --> 00:24:57.309 But I do want to talk about how we can be teachers as well. 00:24:57.430 --> 00:25:01.130 And we're going to read a little bit and we'll bring it in for a landing then too. 00:25:01.130 --> 00:25:06.210 It's in Titus, uh, Titus two, we'll read in, in verse seven again. 00:25:07.910 --> 00:25:10.950 And then we're going to then drop down to 15 after we get through seven and eight. 00:25:11.069 --> 00:25:13.630 It says in everything, set them an example by doing what is good. 00:25:14.109 --> 00:25:24.630 In your teaching, show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. 00:25:25.230 --> 00:25:30.769 And then in verse 15, he says, these then are the things you should teach. 00:25:31.650 --> 00:25:34.049 Encourage and rebuke with all authority. 00:25:34.789 --> 00:25:36.930 Do not let anyone despise you. 00:25:40.589 --> 00:25:45.789 Paul's saying, if we're going to be teachers, we have to be those who set an example by the way that we live, right? 00:25:46.549 --> 00:25:47.809 Uh, you guys know it. 00:25:47.829 --> 00:25:56.369 And we don't want to be those type of people who talk a big game, act, you know, I'm a Christian, I'm a Christian, but then live in a very different way. 00:25:56.410 --> 00:25:57.869 That that's, that's not attractive. 00:25:57.950 --> 00:25:59.009 That's not why you're here. 00:25:59.069 --> 00:26:00.589 That's not why you became a Christian. 00:26:00.789 --> 00:26:02.569 That's not why you're going to stay a Christian. 00:26:02.569 --> 00:26:06.309 You, you probably actually probably ran away from that type of religion, right? 00:26:06.369 --> 00:26:07.690 That said, do this, do this, do this. 00:26:07.750 --> 00:26:11.349 And then you looked at the character of their life and you said, it's not worth it. 00:26:11.750 --> 00:26:14.170 So we can't be these type of people either. 00:26:14.289 --> 00:26:15.650 He says, set an example. 00:26:16.250 --> 00:26:21.829 Uh, you know, I, I, the, the other thing I think is, is tough. 00:26:21.910 --> 00:26:26.309 This maybe is where it speaks a little bit more to, uh, pastors or leader of the church. 00:26:26.309 --> 00:26:29.450 It says, uh, that you should, these are what you should teach. 00:26:29.509 --> 00:26:34.109 It says, encourage and rebuke with all authority and don't let anyone despise you. 00:26:34.109 --> 00:26:48.490 Um, we understand what the word encourage means, uh, to give literally to entrust with courage, to give courage to, but the word, uh, the word rebuke is maybe a little bit difficult, um, to convict or to find fault with is how it's, is how it's translated to other places. 00:26:48.609 --> 00:26:49.150 It's translated. 00:26:49.269 --> 00:26:54.950 And so there's a seriousness in, inside of this word and it says, do it with all authority. 00:26:55.309 --> 00:27:02.910 Uh, what I would say is again, all authority maybe is reserved for those who have the title of church leader or in whatever way. 00:27:03.390 --> 00:27:07.309 But I, I'd also say that there's probably people who you've, that was interesting. 00:27:10.349 --> 00:27:15.390 That was such a great, yeah, Nina's going to have authority. 00:27:15.670 --> 00:27:17.690 Oh, that's what, that's what I heard there. 00:27:18.349 --> 00:27:26.769 Um, what I would also say is there's, there's probably, uh, there's probably somebody who you've given authority to, at least in some areas of your life. 00:27:26.809 --> 00:27:32.690 Uh, there, there's somebody who you, you maybe said, Hey, if you see anything in my parenting, let me know. 00:27:32.930 --> 00:27:37.289 If you see, Hey, in my marriage, you see anything, let me know. 00:27:37.390 --> 00:27:42.210 You know, Bianca, she, she knows it's like pretty known that there's like open policy. 00:27:42.210 --> 00:27:43.730 She can, she can tell on me. 00:27:43.789 --> 00:27:47.809 She can say, Hey, he's being a bad husband to, uh, to any of the older men here. 00:27:47.829 --> 00:27:48.730 Actually the younger men too. 00:27:48.809 --> 00:27:49.470 I'd, I'd welcome it. 00:27:49.509 --> 00:27:49.809 It's okay. 00:27:50.029 --> 00:27:57.829 But, um, but especially like my boss, she's able to say that to Mark, uh, to Mark King, she's able to say, Hey, he's off, you know? 00:27:57.829 --> 00:28:02.210 And, and same thing, you know, if, if Bianca struggling, I can do the same, uh, as well. 00:28:02.289 --> 00:28:07.809 And so you've probably given authority in one or some areas of your life to, to other people. 00:28:08.289 --> 00:28:15.450 And so in those areas, if you know you have authority, I think our responsibility is not just to encourage, but it's also to then convict or then to share. 00:28:15.529 --> 00:28:25.210 If there's areas that the person that you're helping is struggling in, you know, the, the only way that we can, the, the question, man, I don't want to rebuke somebody. 00:28:25.210 --> 00:28:26.589 I don't want to tell somebody how it is. 00:28:27.230 --> 00:28:29.549 I don't really want to, I don't feel comfortable doing it. 00:28:30.730 --> 00:28:33.569 I think it's difficult to be humble and to rebuke somebody. 00:28:33.750 --> 00:28:43.670 But what I would say is, uh, the only way we can actually rebuke somebody, convict somebody, share something and be humble as well is if we're holding ourselves to the same standard. 00:28:44.450 --> 00:28:54.069 Uh, if we're, if we're not holding our, if you're not holding yourself to the standard that you're holding somebody else to, uh, one that's tacky to that's, that's not, there's no way you can be humble inside of that. 00:28:56.740 --> 00:29:07.200 The other thing that that's, that's a truth is if, if there are not people in authority in your life, then don't go about taking authority, uh, of somebody else's life or in an area of somebody else's life. 00:29:07.660 --> 00:29:10.099 Um, even if they ask it of you, Hey, teach me how to do this. 00:29:10.099 --> 00:29:13.619 But if you look at your life and say, well, no, I'm not really open about anything. 00:29:13.619 --> 00:29:17.019 I don't really, you know, and, and maybe it's more sinister than that. 00:29:17.059 --> 00:29:19.359 Again, you might say, well, somebody could always share something with me. 00:29:19.859 --> 00:29:21.539 Somebody could always bring that up to me. 00:29:21.539 --> 00:29:24.960 But if you haven't given somebody that authority, it'd be difficult for them to do that. 00:29:27.390 --> 00:29:31.089 You know, as a, if we're going to be teachers, we got to be those who are living it out. 00:29:31.309 --> 00:29:36.930 Uh, so in, in, in Riga, so basically our trip started in Riga, Latvia. 00:29:37.170 --> 00:29:43.150 And, uh, and what we did is we spent some time reaching out and then we went to, uh, Estonia. 00:29:43.269 --> 00:29:45.430 It's like a four hour, uh, bus ride. 00:29:45.470 --> 00:29:51.109 And from Riga, there were some students that weren't signed up for the trip and said, Hey, I'd love to join you guys. 00:29:51.210 --> 00:29:51.609 Basically. 00:29:51.750 --> 00:29:52.910 Can we, can we join you? 00:29:53.190 --> 00:29:58.750 And so one of the students, 17 year old guy from Riga joined us for the, the five days that we were in Tallinn. 00:29:59.630 --> 00:30:02.430 And, um, and there, it was, it was fun. 00:30:02.509 --> 00:30:02.930 It was cool. 00:30:03.009 --> 00:30:04.730 There were, there was some energy that was being built. 00:30:04.890 --> 00:30:07.490 And so one day we, we just went out sharing our faith. 00:30:07.529 --> 00:30:08.789 It was me, the 17 year old. 00:30:08.970 --> 00:30:14.609 And there was, uh, this, this other guy who had been, has been serving in the ministry for like eight years. 00:30:14.910 --> 00:30:18.109 Five of those years has been, it had been in Estonia. 00:30:18.430 --> 00:30:21.589 And so he, he just knew the lay of the land. 00:30:21.650 --> 00:30:22.609 He knew where to go. 00:30:22.730 --> 00:30:23.230 He, he did. 00:30:23.349 --> 00:30:26.690 He's done ministry overseas longer than he's done ministry in the States. 00:30:26.690 --> 00:30:29.769 He just, he, he gets it and he knows the people there. 00:30:30.029 --> 00:30:35.450 And so we were talking, there was the three of us and I just said, Hey, where, where should we go to share our faith? 00:30:35.789 --> 00:30:39.750 And, um, the 17 year old spoke up and he said, well, I think we should go over there. 00:30:40.049 --> 00:30:40.750 I said, okay. 00:30:41.029 --> 00:30:43.990 And then I said, what, what questions do you think we should ask? 00:30:44.190 --> 00:30:46.529 And the 17 year old started to speak up and I said, you know what? 00:30:46.890 --> 00:30:47.470 I'm sorry. 00:30:47.490 --> 00:30:49.470 I want to talk to the person who's actually done it. 00:30:49.750 --> 00:30:52.849 I'm not interested in talking to, to, to, to you. 00:30:52.849 --> 00:30:55.349 Um, you know, you, let's, let's talk to this. 00:30:55.490 --> 00:31:00.269 The person who's actually spent five years sharing his faith to thousands in this city. 00:31:00.529 --> 00:31:02.130 We're both foreigners here actually. 00:31:03.009 --> 00:31:08.089 And, um, and again, I think listening to a 17 year old's opinion, that's not bad. 00:31:08.329 --> 00:31:09.509 That's not what I'm saying. 00:31:09.890 --> 00:31:18.029 Um, but we also need to realize it shouldn't be weighted equally as, as the one who was actually living it out or as the person who's actually living according to these teachings. 00:31:18.029 --> 00:31:22.390 And so I, I think for you and me, again, we need a way who our teachers are. 00:31:22.390 --> 00:31:23.529 Are they actually living it out? 00:31:24.430 --> 00:31:28.470 Um, but if we notice that they aren't living it out, you know, Dan is the guy who has been serving in the ministry. 00:31:28.569 --> 00:31:31.789 He could have told me to ask just about any question. 00:31:31.789 --> 00:31:33.289 And I would have asked just about any question. 00:31:33.349 --> 00:31:37.269 He could have said, ask them if they want to do a cartwheel and give them a high five. 00:31:37.289 --> 00:31:39.589 And I, you know what I would have done, I would have actually done that. 00:31:39.730 --> 00:31:40.329 Would it have worked? 00:31:40.410 --> 00:31:42.130 I don't know, but I'm not going to see those people again. 00:31:42.190 --> 00:31:42.750 You know what I'm saying? 00:31:42.769 --> 00:31:45.970 I just, I would have done it because he's lived his life. 00:31:46.009 --> 00:31:47.890 He reached out to thousands of people in this nation. 00:31:47.930 --> 00:31:49.150 He understands their struggles. 00:31:49.210 --> 00:31:50.529 He knows what they're going through. 00:31:50.549 --> 00:31:51.950 He's converted dozens over there. 00:31:51.950 --> 00:31:53.950 I, I, I can trust what he's saying. 00:31:54.410 --> 00:31:55.069 Same thing. 00:31:55.150 --> 00:31:58.849 If you're, if you're going to entrust yourself to somebody, then make a point. 00:31:58.970 --> 00:32:01.069 If they're the right person, I believe they probably are. 00:32:01.269 --> 00:32:02.769 Then actually listen to what they're saying. 00:32:02.849 --> 00:32:03.009 Amen. 00:32:04.329 --> 00:32:12.069 Let's close up here because I, I think this could just be a, uh, yeah, this, this, this doesn't have any value. 00:32:12.069 --> 00:32:14.769 If it's not for Jesus, uh, he's not our ultimate teacher. 00:32:14.849 --> 00:32:20.950 It says in verse 11, for the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 00:32:20.950 --> 00:32:30.190 It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled upright and godly lives in this present age. 00:32:30.690 --> 00:32:46.230 While we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our, of our great God and savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own eager to do what is good. 00:32:49.440 --> 00:32:55.799 You know that we talked about again, we talked, we can talk forever about teaching and being a great student of other people. 00:32:55.880 --> 00:32:57.700 And we can talk about being a great teacher. 00:32:58.140 --> 00:32:59.559 And none of that has any value. 00:32:59.640 --> 00:33:00.420 It's just self-help. 00:33:00.700 --> 00:33:04.720 If we're not focused on Jesus, ultimately we, we can, we can try to teach. 00:33:04.759 --> 00:33:05.680 We can try to help people. 00:33:05.940 --> 00:33:07.740 We can't, we can't do very much, right? 00:33:07.740 --> 00:33:09.480 And we can try to be great students of others. 00:33:09.759 --> 00:33:12.359 And we, we, we don't want to be a disciple of somebody though. 00:33:12.359 --> 00:33:13.700 We want to be a disciples of Jesus. 00:33:13.819 --> 00:33:15.160 This is what it says. 00:33:15.180 --> 00:33:20.380 It says that when you look at the salvation that God gives us, that's what teaches us to say no to ungodliness. 00:33:20.940 --> 00:33:23.880 There's, there's different and worldly passions as well. 00:33:23.940 --> 00:33:26.660 You know, there's different tricks and there's different things you can do. 00:33:26.779 --> 00:33:27.039 Fine. 00:33:27.160 --> 00:33:27.380 Great. 00:33:27.640 --> 00:33:28.619 None of that is lasting. 00:33:28.759 --> 00:33:33.599 If you're not focused on Jesus, it's, it's just, it's just action change. 00:33:33.599 --> 00:33:34.799 It's not going to get to your heart. 00:33:35.220 --> 00:33:43.119 There there's only one way to, to, to rid yourself of wickedness and to be pure. 00:33:43.240 --> 00:33:46.339 The only way is, is through the blood of Jesus. 00:33:47.019 --> 00:33:53.559 As we, as we think about Titus two, the questions we should ask ourselves is how can I be a better student? 00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:56.640 And how can I, how can I be a great teacher? 00:33:57.140 --> 00:34:01.500 But ultimately we need to ask ourselves, what do I need to do to get right with God? 00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:03.400 Or what do I need to do to stay right with God? 00:34:03.539 --> 00:34:03.700 Amen. 00:34:04.420 --> 00:34:06.039 Let's, let's pray right now. 00:34:06.259 --> 00:34:07.719 And then we're going to take communion. 00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:14.159 We're going to take the, the bread that, that symbolizes his body. 00:34:14.159 --> 00:34:18.219 And then, and then the, the cup that symbolizes his blood that was shed him. 00:34:18.360 --> 00:34:18.920 Let's pray. 00:34:23.480 --> 00:34:25.800 Dear God, Lord, we come before you father. 00:34:26.059 --> 00:34:30.840 And we're grateful to, to be in a community that loves you, Lord. 00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:36.139 I'm grateful to, to be in a church of people who want to do what's right. 00:34:36.219 --> 00:34:44.019 Lord, I'm grateful to be in a church of people who, who want, want to want to grow and want to learn and are accountable. 00:34:44.019 --> 00:34:51.400 Father, I just want to pray that, that we won't lose, that we won't lose your heart in the middle of all of it. 00:34:51.460 --> 00:34:54.300 Lord, it can feel, it can feel heavy at times. 00:34:54.360 --> 00:35:13.519 It can feel like a lot of times, God, I pray that we will just lock into to you, Jesus, Jesus, that we will, that we'll listen to you, that we'll, we'll, we'll, we'll just lock in God and remember your sacrifice, what you did on the cross, that it was once for all Lord. 00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:18.639 And out of that, that we'll have gratitude to live, how you're teaching us father. 00:35:18.940 --> 00:35:29.460 I pray that we'll, we'll look to your sacrifice as we, as we make decisions that we'll look to your sacrifice as we, as we strive for growth, that we'll look to your sacrifices. 00:35:29.599 --> 00:35:30.539 We strive for righteousness. 00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:35.739 Thank you so much, Jesus, for, for going on the cross for us. 00:35:35.880 --> 00:35:37.320 This is in Jesus's name that we pray. 00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:37.639 Amen. 00:35:38.159 --> 00:35:42.679 Thank you so much for listening to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. 00:35:43.079 --> 00:35:46.360 If you're in the Kalamazoo area, we'd love to get connected. 00:35:46.599 --> 00:35:53.960 Please go to kalamazoo.church and fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on. 00:35:54.119 --> 00:35:56.579 In any case, you'll be hearing from us next week.