WEBVTT 00:00:09.779 --> 00:00:13.320 Hello, and welcome to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. 00:00:13.519 --> 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. 00:00:23.579 --> 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. 00:00:32.539 --> 00:00:36.439 You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. 00:00:36.979 --> 00:00:40.399 We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. 00:00:40.979 --> 00:00:41.500 All right. 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:42.659 Good to see this crew. 00:00:42.939 --> 00:00:44.299 Really appreciate you guys. 00:00:44.380 --> 00:00:47.179 We appreciate Jaron and Bianca, their leadership. 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:49.479 My wife and I were really grateful for the church out here. 00:00:49.560 --> 00:00:55.719 So many awesome, faithful couples and just see you guys grow kind of an oasis of faith out here in Kalamazoo. 00:00:56.479 --> 00:01:06.340 If I can get to my slides here, I'd love to share some good news of what's happening, but just wanted to say before we get into it, aren't you guys grateful for Jaron and Bianca's leadership here in the church here? 00:01:06.859 --> 00:01:07.159 Amen. 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:10.480 Yeah, they're, they're awesome old friends here. 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:13.379 Do I have a, here we go, Lesson, Mark King. 00:01:14.099 --> 00:01:14.340 Hello. 00:01:14.500 --> 00:01:14.900 Okay, great. 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:15.420 Here we are. 00:01:15.739 --> 00:01:18.659 So I want to share some good news about the church in Detroit. 00:01:18.780 --> 00:01:21.959 We've got about 250 disciples there. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:22.939 We meet in two regions. 00:01:22.939 --> 00:01:33.459 We have a group that meets in Ann Arbor and we have a group that meets about a half hour outside of Detroit and Kyle and Kristen Eastman are kind of the couple that lead that West group out in Ann Arbor. 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:36.359 And my wife and I lead the other group and we've got a great youth and family ministry. 00:01:36.739 --> 00:01:42.400 So last year we had a great year and in the Detroit church we saw 27 people baptized last year. 00:01:42.439 --> 00:01:43.439 So we're all encouraged by that. 00:01:44.120 --> 00:01:46.019 So here's some of the victories of last year. 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:55.480 Here on the left there is a young man named Grant and then to his right, to the right of him is our campus minister whom we hired last year. 00:01:55.620 --> 00:01:57.319 That's Max and his wife, Sabrina Plager. 00:01:57.640 --> 00:01:59.260 In the middle is Owen. 00:01:59.719 --> 00:02:06.140 He was also just baptized last year and he's already serving in leadership and in the campus ministry. 00:02:06.379 --> 00:02:11.240 And to his right is Jason and Jason and Grant, they were baptized on the same day. 00:02:11.319 --> 00:02:12.419 They were spiritual twins. 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:14.340 And on the right there is Nathaniel. 00:02:14.419 --> 00:02:16.400 He's been a disciple for a while, part of our campus ministry. 00:02:16.539 --> 00:02:21.340 So three of those young men were not here, you know, a year ago. 00:02:21.340 --> 00:02:23.740 You know, they were just all baptized last year. 00:02:23.860 --> 00:02:25.139 So that's really exciting. 00:02:25.819 --> 00:02:30.240 Also in the campus ministry on the left here is just got baptized as a young man named Tyler. 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:34.199 He's also baptized last year, already serving in leadership in our college ministry. 00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:38.080 And on the right is Theron, who was baptized at our ministry out in Wayne State. 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:42.620 So we had a bunch of Eastern Michigan, University of Michigan out in Wayne State. 00:02:42.979 --> 00:02:47.580 And then in December we had, you know, you have twin baptisms where you get people baptized on the same day. 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:48.500 We had triplets. 00:02:48.500 --> 00:02:52.840 All three of these people in December were baptized all on the same day. 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:54.759 So that's super encouraging. 00:02:55.219 --> 00:03:04.280 And we're seeing so many people in our teens, our college ministry, our singles ministry and our young marriage ministry just make the decision, hey, this is what I want to do. 00:03:04.379 --> 00:03:05.900 I want to give my entire life to God. 00:03:06.259 --> 00:03:09.340 I want to be a disciple and be added to God's kingdom. 00:03:09.560 --> 00:03:13.139 So what I want to talk about today is taking a step forward in faith. 00:03:13.780 --> 00:03:16.599 All of us, it doesn't matter what you do, you're going to hit a wall. 00:03:16.599 --> 00:03:22.020 You're going to come to a place where you feel like what I'm doing isn't working. 00:03:22.460 --> 00:03:28.099 And I think what's tempting in those moments is to take a step back from your faith. 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:32.879 And what I think that the Spirit and what God wants us to do is to take a step up, right? 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:34.500 To step up and to move forward. 00:03:34.860 --> 00:03:36.879 There's a lot of decisions that you're going to make in your life. 00:03:37.240 --> 00:03:39.419 Obviously, you've made some decisions today. 00:03:39.539 --> 00:03:40.719 You didn't just get up and come here. 00:03:41.180 --> 00:03:46.580 The decisions in your life that require courage are the most important decisions in your life. 00:03:47.180 --> 00:03:52.699 The decisions that require you step out and do something scary, sometimes that's be open. 00:03:53.159 --> 00:03:54.580 Sometimes it's admit we're wrong. 00:03:54.939 --> 00:03:57.139 Sometimes it's to repent and to let go of a sin. 00:03:57.240 --> 00:03:59.900 That's kind of been something like a security blanket for us. 00:04:00.060 --> 00:04:02.039 But the decisions that you make encourage. 00:04:02.199 --> 00:04:06.300 And so I want to talk a little bit about courage and sort of just this life. 00:04:06.460 --> 00:04:12.560 And part of what we combat as disciples is the fear that kind of the world uses to control. 00:04:13.020 --> 00:04:17.439 I grew up in Canada and my parents moved a lot when I was younger. 00:04:17.778 --> 00:04:23.620 When I was in fourth grade, we moved from a suburb of Vancouver to closer to the city. 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:25.680 And I went to this school for one year. 00:04:25.720 --> 00:04:26.759 It was called Champlain Heights. 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:28.160 And I was in fourth grade. 00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:30.800 I was a pretty social kid, so I made friends right away. 00:04:31.180 --> 00:04:33.360 But I noticed it was a pretty tough and tumble school. 00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:36.579 And during the recess and lunch, there were always kids kind of in a bit of a kerfuffle. 00:04:36.980 --> 00:04:40.819 I remember walking by and kind of making fun of the kids fighting. 00:04:41.740 --> 00:04:43.000 I never should have done that. 00:04:44.139 --> 00:04:48.680 But I remember one of the kids heard that and said, oh, you think, you know, and it's like, you know, I'm eight, right? 00:04:48.740 --> 00:04:50.279 So this is a nine-year-old kid. 00:04:51.180 --> 00:04:53.180 And, you know, and he just started pushing me. 00:04:53.240 --> 00:04:56.579 And I was like, you know, that second where you realize I'm in trouble here, right? 00:04:56.600 --> 00:04:58.199 Like, this kid's pushing me. 00:04:58.540 --> 00:05:03.360 And I remember, you know, thankfully the bell rang, but he goes, after school, you're dead, right? 00:05:03.399 --> 00:05:05.779 And then I remember, you know, I was nine, you know, oh, my gosh. 00:05:06.040 --> 00:05:10.339 And I remember all my friends came up to me and said, and this kid's name, I forget his last name, but his name was Kevin. 00:05:10.339 --> 00:05:13.379 And they were all like, you ticked off Kevin? 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:15.620 You're dead, right? 00:05:15.699 --> 00:05:17.680 Like, they were no comfort to me, right? 00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:18.680 They only reinforced. 00:05:19.139 --> 00:05:21.220 And so I remember just gathering my friends. 00:05:21.319 --> 00:05:23.259 I'm like, okay, guys, I need your help, right? 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:26.920 Like, I remember right after school, me and three of my friends just hid in the bathroom. 00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:29.160 And I just said, I need you guys to do that. 00:05:29.160 --> 00:05:32.720 And I stayed there for like 45 minutes until like we eventually walked home. 00:05:33.160 --> 00:05:37.699 I heard that next day at school, I went to like, I went like an hour early so that I wouldn't meet anybody. 00:05:38.180 --> 00:05:38.740 You know what I mean? 00:05:38.740 --> 00:05:44.220 And then I remember, you know, again, I just, I had this routine for like three days until eventually my mom's like, are you going to school so early? 00:05:44.500 --> 00:05:46.860 I said, well, there's a guy that wants to kill me. 00:05:47.060 --> 00:05:47.620 You know what I mean? 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:49.019 And that's kind of the way I put it, right? 00:05:49.060 --> 00:05:54.279 And then she eventually went and, you know, she came with me early and she pulled the kids and said, hey, come here, you know? 00:05:54.759 --> 00:05:59.000 And my mom was huge at the time, but she's like five foot one Asian woman, right? 00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:01.759 But at the time, I just remember like, hey, it's a big Asian woman. 00:06:02.300 --> 00:06:06.500 But she was five one and she kind of pulled that nine year old and was like, hey, come here, you know? 00:06:06.540 --> 00:06:08.060 And the kid was nice to me afterwards. 00:06:08.060 --> 00:06:19.100 But, you know, for like three days, my life was arranged by fear, like my whole day was organized around fear. 00:06:19.980 --> 00:06:31.220 The Bible says in Hebrews chapter two, since the children have flesh and blood, that's you and I, he too, that's Jesus, shared in their humanity so that by his death, he might break the power of him who holds the power of death. 00:06:31.220 --> 00:06:37.139 That is the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:41.759 One of the things that the scripture illuminates is that Satan controls us through fear. 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:43.160 That's his tool. 00:06:43.740 --> 00:06:47.800 If he knows you can't do certain things, he controls us like a rat in a mace, right? 00:06:48.180 --> 00:06:51.540 He's like, OK, well, we know you're not going to be humble, so then you're going to do this. 00:06:51.860 --> 00:06:54.660 We know that after you've fallen into sin, you're not going to get open. 00:06:54.839 --> 00:06:57.040 So, OK, OK, so then I'll just withdraw. 00:06:57.360 --> 00:06:58.399 Then I'll just be quiet. 00:06:58.519 --> 00:06:59.540 Then I just won't join. 00:06:59.660 --> 00:07:00.459 Then I won't do this. 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:02.939 And, you know, kind of directs us through fear. 00:07:03.959 --> 00:07:13.220 And what I want to illuminate and have us consider is this reality is that our life is arranged by something that is not physical. 00:07:14.379 --> 00:07:20.399 That your life is arranged, you know, if you're a parent, part of your life is arranged out of the love and obligation for that child. 00:07:20.860 --> 00:07:26.459 If you're a faithful disciple, you arrange your life so that you can effectively live out discipleship. 00:07:26.779 --> 00:07:29.360 But there's also a part of your life that you live it. 00:07:30.060 --> 00:07:32.319 It's arranged by fear. 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:38.100 It's arranged by fear of, like I said, perhaps get an open fear of maybe, you know, hey, Jared says, hey, sharing your faith. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:42.839 So it's like, oh, my gosh, it's time for me to be sick, you know, or whatever, you know, but you arrange yourself. 00:07:43.779 --> 00:07:49.420 And you arrange your schedule and your range is based on something that isn't physical. 00:07:49.699 --> 00:07:58.220 So the for our Bible study today, I want to look at the book of Joshua, the book of Joshua deals with this theme of courage and fear. 00:07:58.220 --> 00:08:00.660 Now, so Joshua is the sixth book in the Bible. 00:08:00.759 --> 00:08:02.000 And for those of you that don't know. 00:08:02.339 --> 00:08:06.980 So you have the first five books of the Bible and those first five books are given a special name, right? 00:08:06.980 --> 00:08:10.160 They're called the Law of Moses, the Torah, the Pentateuch. 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:12.819 It's given a bunch of names because it's these first five books. 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:13.899 We know the story, right? 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:14.779 It starts in Genesis. 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:17.839 You go from Adam, right, to Noah, to Abraham. 00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:20.699 And it ends with Joseph in Egypt, right? 00:08:20.759 --> 00:08:21.720 Sold into slavery. 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:25.600 Exodus starts with Moses leading them out of slavery. 00:08:26.060 --> 00:08:26.920 We know the story. 00:08:26.920 --> 00:08:29.399 And then you got Leviticus and Numbers and Numbers. 00:08:29.579 --> 00:08:30.620 It's about the Israelites. 00:08:30.920 --> 00:08:32.200 They're out of slavery. 00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:33.058 They're out of Egypt. 00:08:33.100 --> 00:08:35.360 But now they wander in the desert for 40 years. 00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:36.899 And Deuteronomy ends. 00:08:36.940 --> 00:08:38.779 And it's the last book of the first five. 00:08:39.399 --> 00:08:42.820 It ends with them about to enter the promised land. 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:45.940 And Deuteronomy is really just like three speeches from Moses. 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:50.299 And he's speaking to a new generation because 40 years had passed. 00:08:50.360 --> 00:08:55.019 So you imagine the group that had left Egypt and the group that's about to inherit looks very different. 00:08:55.019 --> 00:09:00.480 I mean, there's been generations of young people that have now been born in the desert that are about to inherit. 00:09:00.500 --> 00:09:02.720 A lot of the older people had passed away. 00:09:02.840 --> 00:09:04.820 And if they're still around, they're super, super old. 00:09:05.340 --> 00:09:07.740 OK, and we're about to enter the promised land. 00:09:07.899 --> 00:09:12.019 So Joshua is the one leading him to that promised land. 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:13.740 It's leading him to the unknown. 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:15.259 And so the book's about courage. 00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:17.860 But the book is also about leveling up. 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:23.179 It's also about what's it going to take for us to get to that next stage that we want to get to. 00:09:23.179 --> 00:09:24.960 So getting our hearts right for that next stage. 00:09:25.019 --> 00:09:27.320 So let's read together in Joshua chapter one. 00:09:27.340 --> 00:09:30.899 It says, keep this book of the law always on your lips. 00:09:31.539 --> 00:09:37.740 Meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in. 00:09:38.100 --> 00:09:40.200 Then you'll be prosperous and successful. 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:42.820 Have I not commanded you be strong and courageous? 00:09:43.480 --> 00:09:44.299 Don't be afraid. 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:46.000 You do not be discouraged. 00:09:46.179 --> 00:09:48.139 The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:52.419 So before I get into the weeds with Joshua. 00:09:52.419 --> 00:09:53.899 So Joshua is a it's a big book. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:54.919 It's 24 chapters. 00:09:55.019 --> 00:09:56.220 So we're going to take a bird's eye view. 00:09:56.759 --> 00:10:02.220 It's 24 chapters, but essentially you can you can narrow it down to three sections. 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:06.240 The first section is about entering the promised land. 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:11.659 The second section is about fighting battles within that promised land to kind of clear it out. 00:10:11.879 --> 00:10:16.559 And then the third section is about dividing it up, dividing up the land amongst the 12 tribes. 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:21.340 And so it starts with this start where Joshua addresses the people and he says two things. 00:10:21.340 --> 00:10:23.740 Be careful to do everything written in the law. 00:10:23.899 --> 00:10:25.519 And it's this call to obedience. 00:10:25.899 --> 00:10:31.200 It's this call to say, hey, make sure that you haven't neglected the most fundamental things. 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:38.320 When we asked a bunch of teenagers, when you think about discipleship and following Jesus, what do you think of? 00:10:38.860 --> 00:10:44.820 And a lot of them came up with answers like restricted, you know, things that you can't do. 00:10:44.899 --> 00:10:46.759 It means I can't do drugs. 00:10:47.299 --> 00:10:48.639 It means I can't sin. 00:10:49.399 --> 00:10:50.379 It means I can't do this. 00:10:50.379 --> 00:10:56.220 And so many of these young people saw the commandments of God through this lens of this. 00:10:56.460 --> 00:11:00.179 If I follow God, it means I can't do this. 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:07.399 But one of the things we just try to help them see is that discipleship and the commands of God aren't about restrictions. 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:09.620 It's about a doorway to a new life. 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:12.159 It is a gateway to a new life. 00:11:12.779 --> 00:11:17.340 You know, you think about if I were to say, hey, we want to make you a famous professional athlete. 00:11:17.340 --> 00:11:20.960 You would expect all of a sudden the patterns of your life would change. 00:11:21.419 --> 00:11:24.360 If we said to you, hey, we want to make you a professional artist. 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:26.120 We want to we want to make you famous. 00:11:26.200 --> 00:11:28.059 We want you to be a concert pianist. 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:32.059 We want to make you to speak in front, you know, to perform in front of thousands of people. 00:11:32.379 --> 00:11:37.200 Well, you would expect that all of a sudden the pattern of your life would have to drastically change. 00:11:37.779 --> 00:11:42.279 And see, God simply saying, listen, I have a plan to use you. 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:46.419 And it starts with you, first of all, obeying these commands. 00:11:46.419 --> 00:11:47.200 All right. 00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:48.519 And so it's a gateway. 00:11:48.700 --> 00:11:51.440 It's a gateway to the life that God has for you. 00:11:51.460 --> 00:11:55.279 And then it goes on and it says, have I not commanded you be strong and courageous? 00:11:55.460 --> 00:11:56.259 Don't be afraid. 00:11:57.259 --> 00:11:59.360 Don't be discouraged. 00:11:59.980 --> 00:12:07.259 You know, when you start pursuing things, if you want to learn guitar, you want to get in shape, you will hit a wall. 00:12:07.740 --> 00:12:10.419 And at some point you'll be tempted to be discouraged. 00:12:10.559 --> 00:12:10.799 Right. 00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:22.860 And, you know, I'd mentioned, you know, the beginning of the year, you know, I had kind of sat down and I thought about, I told my wife, I said, hey, there's like four or five things I would like to to just kind of grow in in terms of my own ability. 00:12:22.860 --> 00:12:24.779 And I just kind of gave her a list of these things. 00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:28.320 And one of them was learning jujitsu. 00:12:28.899 --> 00:12:29.940 I follow MMA. 00:12:30.460 --> 00:12:32.419 And I was like, you know, I took Taekwondo as a kid. 00:12:32.500 --> 00:12:36.000 It's kind of like what you have to do when you're a Korean kid growing up. 00:12:36.220 --> 00:12:39.259 And then and then, you know, I took wrestling in high school. 00:12:39.639 --> 00:12:41.879 So I took, you know, I signed up for jujitsu. 00:12:44.340 --> 00:12:48.159 And basically now I'm three, you know, I started beginning of the year and now I'm three months into it. 00:12:48.200 --> 00:12:49.139 So I can just tell you this. 00:12:49.779 --> 00:12:53.779 It's basically me showing up and letting 20 and 30 year old men beat me up for an hour. 00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:55.360 That's all it is. 00:12:55.419 --> 00:12:56.259 I'm not better. 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:01.419 In fact, I would argue I'm a worse fighter because I now know what I can't do, if that makes sense. 00:13:01.700 --> 00:13:03.259 Because I'll do things like, oh, don't do that. 00:13:03.379 --> 00:13:03.799 I'm going to go, why? 00:13:03.860 --> 00:13:04.480 Because they'll do this. 00:13:04.519 --> 00:13:05.360 And I'm like, oh, OK. 00:13:05.500 --> 00:13:07.639 And I'm on the head and I'll do something again. 00:13:07.700 --> 00:13:08.720 And they'll be like, don't do that. 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:14.600 And so these I'm at this point, I'm just getting beat up like I'm not getting any better. 00:13:15.500 --> 00:13:22.159 And at and what they tell me is they say, like, so, Mark, you have to keep taking this and fighting. 00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:26.320 You have to keep fighting until some of these disciplines get internalized in you. 00:13:27.159 --> 00:13:31.139 Right, because they can show me a move, but that doesn't mean I can do the move. 00:13:31.419 --> 00:13:33.340 Fighting is not about what you do consciously. 00:13:33.340 --> 00:13:34.960 It's about what you do unconsciously. 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:35.759 Right. 00:13:35.799 --> 00:13:37.259 And so it's about internalizing it. 00:13:37.259 --> 00:13:43.460 And and so I find this truth, you know, growth, growth feels like failure. 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:45.960 And this is an important reality. 00:13:46.100 --> 00:13:53.360 That's why Joshua says, don't be discouraged because growth feels if you're growing, you're you're heading into territory that you stink at. 00:13:53.740 --> 00:13:56.940 And leveling up always means that you're brand new again. 00:13:57.059 --> 00:13:57.919 We know that, right? 00:13:58.279 --> 00:14:00.600 You finish high school and guess what? 00:14:00.620 --> 00:14:01.799 You're a freshman again. 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:03.039 You know what I'm saying? 00:14:03.080 --> 00:14:04.000 You finish middle school. 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:05.039 You're a freshman again. 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:10.419 And so leveling up for you feels like being a freshman again at something that you're not good at. 00:14:10.860 --> 00:14:15.299 And the hardest part for me is a man in his 40s was driving was the first drive line. 00:14:15.740 --> 00:14:17.580 I am going to be the worst person there. 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:20.980 You know, it's wearing an awkward outfit and go, hey, I'm new. 00:14:21.179 --> 00:14:25.399 And that that whole moment of just sitting there going like, what am I doing? 00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:25.820 Sorry. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:28.120 You know, and hey, let me talk to you. 00:14:28.200 --> 00:14:28.940 It's that. 00:14:29.059 --> 00:14:30.000 And it's like, it's OK. 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:34.639 It's OK to feel like a failure because growth feels like failure. 00:14:35.100 --> 00:14:36.480 You know, it doesn't feel like failure. 00:14:36.620 --> 00:14:37.940 Quitting, quitting feels amazing. 00:14:38.039 --> 00:14:38.139 Right. 00:14:38.139 --> 00:14:45.980 Ever like I used to I used to run, you know, like three, four miles and, you know, kind of every summer, probably do it again. 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:53.559 And the first time I start running, the first time I start running, I always think, you know, you always think that you're as good in shape as you were last year. 00:14:53.860 --> 00:14:56.379 And then what hits you is you're like, wow, I haven't run in a while. 00:14:56.539 --> 00:14:59.120 And I always have this inner dialogue in my head when I start running. 00:14:59.159 --> 00:15:00.600 I'm like, let's just finish the run. 00:15:00.980 --> 00:15:03.379 Then, you know, probably like a mile into the run. 00:15:03.379 --> 00:15:04.960 I'm like, let's just finish half the run. 00:15:05.139 --> 00:15:05.620 You know what I mean? 00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:08.580 And then halfway, you just keep kind of compromising your goals. 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:17.240 And you're like, you know, when you run that first time of the year, your heart's pounding, you're aching, your joints start to ache. 00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:19.419 And at some point I just stop running. 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:20.899 And you know what it feels like when I stop running? 00:15:21.299 --> 00:15:21.960 Feels amazing. 00:15:23.659 --> 00:15:24.779 Feels amazing. 00:15:25.659 --> 00:15:26.820 Quitting feels amazing. 00:15:28.120 --> 00:15:30.019 But you don't become anything when you quit. 00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:31.460 You're not growing. 00:15:32.139 --> 00:15:35.340 Growth feels like failure and quitting feels awesome, right? 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:36.200 It feels amazing. 00:15:36.299 --> 00:15:37.860 Ask anybody how they feel when they quit. 00:15:37.940 --> 00:15:38.500 Hey, I stopped. 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:39.980 I stopped reading my Bible. 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:41.820 I stopped going to church and I stopped sacrificing. 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:42.340 How does it feel? 00:15:42.539 --> 00:15:44.539 Feels amazing that first day, doesn't it? 00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:45.960 But you ain't becoming anything. 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:47.500 You ain't growing. 00:15:48.039 --> 00:15:48.320 All right. 00:15:48.659 --> 00:15:50.639 Growth feels like failure and wrestling feels great. 00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:53.139 You know, I'll close with this thought there. 00:15:54.019 --> 00:16:02.620 And it's so important because I think, you know, it starts with this idea of courage and it starts with these fundamentals of do everything and don't get discouraged. 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:05.299 There's a book called Three Mile an Hour, God. 00:16:05.379 --> 00:16:07.360 It's written by a Japanese theologian. 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:10.580 And three mile an hour, three mile an hour is the speed of walking. 00:16:11.159 --> 00:16:12.799 And it's about walking with God. 00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:20.919 And the kind of the main theme of the whole book, honestly, is that God took 40 years to teach the Israelites one lesson. 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:24.460 That is, man does not live on bread alone. 00:16:25.879 --> 00:16:29.840 Forty, you know, if you went to college for 40 years and said you got one lesson out of it. 00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:33.019 That's a terrible college. 00:16:33.779 --> 00:16:35.639 But there's something that you got to understand. 00:16:35.740 --> 00:16:38.899 Just because you sit and you learn something doesn't mean it's here. 00:16:39.960 --> 00:16:43.320 Just like when I take martial arts and I learn them, I learn a move. 00:16:43.399 --> 00:16:45.919 It doesn't mean I can actually do it because it's not in my body. 00:16:46.440 --> 00:16:48.440 It doesn't mean I can initially I have to stop. 00:16:48.519 --> 00:16:49.120 Oh, how does it go again? 00:16:49.139 --> 00:16:52.700 OK, your left leg's here and I got to do it a thousand. 00:16:52.700 --> 00:16:56.740 I got to do it 10,000 times where it becomes unconscious and it's not there. 00:16:57.039 --> 00:17:02.659 So until it happens again and again and again, it took 40 years to learn one lesson. 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:05.240 Man does not live on bread alone. 00:17:05.660 --> 00:17:09.420 And so, you know, as you make decisions, make sure you never neglect the fundamentals. 00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:14.779 In Joshua chapter three, it says here, Joshua told the people, consecrate yourselves. 00:17:15.539 --> 00:17:17.539 Tomorrow, the Lord will do amazing things among you. 00:17:17.598 --> 00:17:22.279 You know, if you want to level up, you want to level up in your marriage, parenting, your faith. 00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:25.660 You walk with God, here's something you got to be ready for it. 00:17:25.818 --> 00:17:30.779 Have you ever met someone where you thought it's a good thing you didn't win the lottery because you would become a terrible person? 00:17:31.720 --> 00:17:33.920 Where certain people aren't ready for success. 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:38.160 Or sometimes, you know, as a parent, I'm always trying to get my boys ready. 00:17:38.259 --> 00:17:40.319 Hey, my wife's always trying to get them ready. 00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:41.759 Hey, oh, you got a job interview. 00:17:42.140 --> 00:17:43.099 Hey, you know, you're not ready. 00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:44.359 You know, dress nicer. 00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:45.380 Hey, you're going to school. 00:17:45.500 --> 00:17:46.400 Did you remember your lunch? 00:17:46.759 --> 00:17:47.839 Are you prepared? 00:17:48.059 --> 00:17:50.599 Are you ready for what you're about to face? 00:17:50.599 --> 00:17:55.500 Or sometimes, you know, we can see with single people, they pray for God to give them that special person. 00:17:55.539 --> 00:17:59.339 And you're like, if that special person showed up, you wouldn't be ready for that person. 00:18:00.420 --> 00:18:06.079 Right, like you are not the person that is able to connect and to give that person, you're not ready for it. 00:18:06.420 --> 00:18:10.859 I grew up, my parents were small business owners when I was eight years old. 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:15.059 You know, it's very typical of sort of the the Korean immigrant experiences. 00:18:15.240 --> 00:18:16.700 A lot of them became small business owners. 00:18:16.700 --> 00:18:25.359 And so, you know, for a kid growing up in that situation, that kind of was like the forum in which a lot of our character was built, because I had to start working there at eight years old. 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:28.339 And you're in the kitchen when, you know, chopping onions and doing so forth. 00:18:28.539 --> 00:18:31.799 My mom said that and my mom mostly ran the business. 00:18:32.339 --> 00:18:33.819 My father had other jobs. 00:18:33.960 --> 00:18:39.400 But my thought my mom said that in a business, the cardinal sin is to be unprepared for a rush. 00:18:40.140 --> 00:18:43.079 Because if you unprepared for success, then you can't have it. 00:18:43.079 --> 00:18:46.720 And so when a lot of customers would come, she'd be like, this is it. 00:18:46.779 --> 00:18:48.140 This is this is what you hope for. 00:18:48.420 --> 00:18:49.920 This is what you want, right? 00:18:49.940 --> 00:18:51.099 You want a lot of customers. 00:18:51.220 --> 00:18:52.839 And if we're not ready for it, we can't have it. 00:18:52.859 --> 00:18:54.380 And she just drilled this into my head. 00:18:54.720 --> 00:19:00.799 She's like, it's the worst thing a restaurant can do is be unprepared for a lot of people, because that by definition is success. 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:03.460 And a lot of restaurants aren't ready for it. 00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:05.119 And they're like, then they'll never have success. 00:19:05.660 --> 00:19:06.980 And God's calling us. 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:07.740 Are you ready? 00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:09.380 He says, consecrate yourselves. 00:19:09.480 --> 00:19:10.380 Why should I consecrate? 00:19:10.380 --> 00:19:12.160 Why do I have to get my heart ready? 00:19:12.220 --> 00:19:15.220 Because God is going to do amazing things. 00:19:15.339 --> 00:19:18.059 And it says now the Jordan is at flood stage during the harvest. 00:19:18.420 --> 00:19:24.019 Yet as soon as a priest who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. 00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:26.240 So you heard about the crossing the Red Sea. 00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:31.380 Well, this is a new generation and they had to cross the Jordan River and then they moved together. 00:19:31.579 --> 00:19:39.619 And so a lot of these a lot of these young people, they hadn't experienced this miracle that the older people talked about. 00:19:39.619 --> 00:19:41.500 They just heard the old people talk about it. 00:19:42.640 --> 00:19:49.660 You know, my youngest son, Bryce, he he is a he's a junior in high school. 00:19:50.200 --> 00:19:57.019 And when he started the year, he said, I that how did you when you were in campus, how did you study the Bible with people? 00:19:57.359 --> 00:19:58.619 How did you baptize people? 00:19:58.619 --> 00:20:00.599 I really want to have an impact in my school. 00:20:01.259 --> 00:20:05.680 And, you know, he he started, you know, inviting some a couple of his friends out. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:08.119 And I and he's like, yeah, but what do I say? 00:20:08.180 --> 00:20:08.599 What do I do? 00:20:08.599 --> 00:20:20.619 And I remember just pulling him aside and saying, son, there's one thing I can't like only you can decide, and that is only you can decide what you believe God can do. 00:20:21.579 --> 00:20:28.380 Only you, I can't tell you, like I can, you know, I could say, hey, God can change the lives of the students in your school, but it doesn't matter. 00:20:28.559 --> 00:20:30.180 Like my faith can't carry you. 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:34.380 You got to you got to decide what do you believe God can do? 00:20:34.460 --> 00:20:38.319 I said, listen, when God doesn't answer a prayer, it doesn't rock my faith. 00:20:38.599 --> 00:20:43.140 Because I know God has a bigger plan or sometimes maybe there was just a reason he wanted me to persevere. 00:20:43.579 --> 00:20:45.799 But you got to decide what you believe God can do. 00:20:46.339 --> 00:20:53.759 And so my son started fasting once a week for about a month and he started praying every day for, you know, these students. 00:20:53.900 --> 00:20:54.900 So he started inviting one. 00:20:55.200 --> 00:21:02.599 He eventually got his friend out named Khan and his friend, a Vietnamese kid comes from a broken family, you know, comes from an atheist background. 00:21:03.339 --> 00:21:07.480 And he started coming out to Devo for a couple of months and and really liked it. 00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:09.339 And, you know, he started studying the Bible. 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:13.279 And I remember at every step, Bryce was like praying, like, please, I pray he'll be open. 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:21.019 And, you know, he's always scared because you're always scared that when you ask somebody to make a decision, you're scared that they're going to make the wrong decision. 00:21:21.700 --> 00:21:26.920 And you're going to you're scared that this dream bubble that you created is going to burst. 00:21:27.019 --> 00:21:28.059 And at every step. 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:34.359 And I said, but listen, I don't you're going to have to decide these are steps of courage that I can't take for you. 00:21:34.359 --> 00:21:39.700 And just two weeks ago, Khan said Jesus is Lord and got baptized. 00:21:40.200 --> 00:21:41.240 And I was really excited. 00:21:41.339 --> 00:21:42.839 And I remember he was so excited. 00:21:43.160 --> 00:21:44.500 He was so excited. 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:46.740 And I just said, don't forget how much you prayed. 00:21:47.160 --> 00:21:52.140 And I said, don't forget that this is about what you believe God can do. 00:21:52.420 --> 00:22:01.519 You see, the in order to to go into the to cross the Jordan River, this group of people, this group had to decide, we believe God can do this. 00:22:01.619 --> 00:22:01.859 Right. 00:22:01.900 --> 00:22:03.259 And they moved together. 00:22:03.259 --> 00:22:07.079 It's so important as part of your faith that you move together with each other. 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:11.920 There's an old saying about community that we sin alone, but we heal together. 00:22:12.119 --> 00:22:12.299 Right. 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:14.319 We move in faith together. 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:19.900 And so you see this call again of courage that God get your heart ready and let's move together in faith. 00:22:20.119 --> 00:22:22.000 Let's look in Joshua chapter seven here. 00:22:22.019 --> 00:22:24.539 It says, go consecrate the people. 00:22:24.619 --> 00:22:27.359 And now we're in this section where they've inherited the promised land. 00:22:27.660 --> 00:22:32.400 And now they're kind of getting ready to fight the battles within the promised land. 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:38.319 And in Joshua seven, it says, go consecrate the people, tell them, consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow. 00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:40.660 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says. 00:22:41.099 --> 00:22:43.319 There are devoted things among you, Israel. 00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:48.259 You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them. 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:53.420 If you guys know this passage, I encourage you to read it. 00:22:53.500 --> 00:22:55.039 And again, I'm taking a bird's eye view. 00:22:55.220 --> 00:22:59.559 I think part of the hope is that you read some of these Bible narratives yourself. 00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:09.759 Chapter seven of Joshua is kind of an infamous passage about called Achan's sin, where they're fighting the battles and God's people get defeated. 00:23:10.180 --> 00:23:12.259 And Joshua's like, why did we lose? 00:23:12.599 --> 00:23:16.119 And God is like, there's stuff in your guys' camp. 00:23:16.279 --> 00:23:18.400 There's sin that you haven't dealt with. 00:23:18.779 --> 00:23:23.359 And until this is dealt with, you guys can't stand against your enemies. 00:23:23.779 --> 00:23:29.539 Like you're not going to be strong enough to be able to stand and consecrating your heart and getting your heart right. 00:23:31.740 --> 00:23:36.359 There's a 13th century theologian monk named St. 00:23:36.599 --> 00:23:37.000 Bonaventure. 00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:42.759 And one of the things he wrote about the spiritual condition of man is he said that every person has three eyes. 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:43.539 Right. 00:23:43.579 --> 00:23:48.119 And so the eye of their body in which, you know, the eye of the body is like what you see this. 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:50.640 And there's the eye of the mind. 00:23:50.759 --> 00:23:52.400 And that's where you understand ideas. 00:23:52.519 --> 00:23:55.500 That's where you like someone tells you, oh, I get what you're saying. 00:23:55.880 --> 00:23:57.359 I see what you're saying. 00:23:57.420 --> 00:23:59.160 What you're saying is you understand it. 00:23:59.160 --> 00:24:01.660 But then he said there's a third eye that everyone has. 00:24:01.859 --> 00:24:03.559 And that's the eye of the heart. 00:24:03.819 --> 00:24:06.759 He said it is only with that eye that we see God. 00:24:07.940 --> 00:24:09.539 And that is where Jesus referred to it. 00:24:09.619 --> 00:24:10.200 The Sermon on the Mount. 00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:11.500 He goes, blessed are the pure in heart. 00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:13.779 What will the pure in heart do? 00:24:13.799 --> 00:24:14.519 They'll see God. 00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:17.920 Blessed are the pure in heart for they'll see God. 00:24:17.960 --> 00:24:20.420 And a lot of times you can say, I don't see God working in my life. 00:24:21.059 --> 00:24:22.500 Only because you're looking with the wrong eye. 00:24:23.279 --> 00:24:24.319 Maybe you're trying to get it here. 00:24:25.640 --> 00:24:28.700 You know, and if you try to live life thinking like, oh, you know what? 00:24:28.700 --> 00:24:31.839 I can see with my, you know, physically or I can, I'm smart enough. 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:32.960 I can figure these things out. 00:24:33.299 --> 00:24:40.259 Let me tell you, there's, if you will have this hypocrisy in your life, because if you're so smart, explain all the dumb things that you do. 00:24:41.559 --> 00:24:45.160 Because there's something that is missing in your understanding of life, right? 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:47.000 And it is, you've got to open the eyes of the heart. 00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:54.880 And that's what this is called to is, is God's people are being called to, hey, make sure your heart is right or you won't see God working. 00:24:55.480 --> 00:25:00.519 You know, my wife and I recently, last month, we came back from Boston and we were asked to do a marriage retreat there. 00:25:01.220 --> 00:25:06.319 And, you know, we talked about sort of the foundations of marriage that make it, but they apply to any relationship. 00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:17.039 But one of them is, we talked about is generosity, like generosity, being generous to each other, generous with words and generous with time and how this is foundational for people that want close relationships. 00:25:17.180 --> 00:25:18.279 And it doesn't just apply to marriage. 00:25:18.740 --> 00:25:22.160 If you want to have close relationships, you have to be a generous person. 00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:23.640 Show me a stingy person. 00:25:23.740 --> 00:25:25.079 I'll show you someone with no friends. 00:25:25.079 --> 00:25:30.160 I'll show you somebody that is always battling being connected to people. 00:25:30.440 --> 00:25:39.579 But one of the weird things that we consistently saw in marriages were people that were very generous, yet were stingy to their spouse. 00:25:40.339 --> 00:25:44.480 You meet a brother, so giving and loving, or you meet a sister. 00:25:45.160 --> 00:25:48.079 She's just, she's a delight and she's just so giving. 00:25:48.259 --> 00:25:54.200 And yet we talked about, yet sometimes in the context of your marriage, you're super stingy. 00:25:54.200 --> 00:25:55.920 And we're like, what is that? 00:25:56.079 --> 00:25:59.839 And often, more often than not, there's something in their heart. 00:25:59.900 --> 00:26:11.279 There's a lack of forgiveness that they hold on to that prevents you from being able to experience the fruit of forgiveness in the context of a close relationship. 00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:18.599 In the same way with God's people, sometimes, you know what, we don't feel the fruit of being in God's community. 00:26:18.819 --> 00:26:20.640 God hasn't opened up the eyes of our heart. 00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:23.880 Because there's grudges that we hold on to. 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:26.579 There is a lack of forgiveness. 00:26:26.740 --> 00:26:32.160 If you feel like you're stingy towards each other or God's people, I encourage you, go on a forgiveness journey. 00:26:32.900 --> 00:26:35.140 Consider if there's something you need to let go of. 00:26:35.720 --> 00:26:39.880 There's a man named, a Christian writer named Everett Worthington. 00:26:39.980 --> 00:26:41.220 He's an emeritus professor. 00:26:41.819 --> 00:26:43.200 He's kind of a guru on forgiveness. 00:26:43.380 --> 00:26:45.019 He's written like handbooks on forgiveness. 00:26:45.019 --> 00:26:56.559 He tells a story about a married couple that it was just so obvious that they had gotten so bitter towards each other that like when they were together, they were basically just speaking words of hatred. 00:26:57.599 --> 00:27:06.160 And what he wanted them to do, he tasked them to do, was to write a list of the 10 worst things that they had done towards each other, to write a sin list. 00:27:06.440 --> 00:27:10.000 I want you to sit down and write down how you have sinned against your spouse. 00:27:10.539 --> 00:27:15.880 And so he had the, you know, they came back the next session and they wrote their list. 00:27:16.440 --> 00:27:21.900 And as they started to get open, he said, you know what, I feel like I'm invading on some sacred space. 00:27:21.960 --> 00:27:23.519 I'm going to leave the room for half an hour. 00:27:24.200 --> 00:27:28.880 And I'm going to come back, but I want you guys to share with each other your lists. 00:27:29.240 --> 00:27:39.400 And he said that when he came back, they were on their knees, hugging each other, crying, just weeping and holding each other and apologizing. 00:27:39.400 --> 00:27:46.700 And that is because that your capacity to forgive is directly related to how much you can confess. 00:27:47.640 --> 00:27:53.119 If you can't forgive a wrong or a grudge, maybe there's something in your life you need to get open about. 00:27:53.680 --> 00:27:56.819 Consecrate yourself, consecrate yourself. 00:27:58.279 --> 00:28:09.000 Consider what you need to get open about, to get right so that the blessing, that the floodgates of God can enter into your heart. 00:28:09.440 --> 00:28:11.779 Let's look at a couple more passages and we'll be done here. 00:28:12.839 --> 00:28:15.680 Joshua chapter 18, the whole assembly of the Israelites gathered. 00:28:15.799 --> 00:28:16.960 And so now we're on that third part. 00:28:17.019 --> 00:28:18.559 So that first part, they entered the promised land. 00:28:18.700 --> 00:28:21.079 That second part, they have to fight the battle, get their heart right. 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:25.740 The third one is now they're dividing up the promised land amongst the 12 tribes of Israel. 00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:30.039 So in Joshua 18 says, the whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh. 00:28:30.440 --> 00:28:32.079 They set up the tent of meeting there. 00:28:32.079 --> 00:28:41.079 The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance. 00:28:42.700 --> 00:28:57.000 If you had traveled for 40 years in the desert, crossed the Jordan River, fought battles, and then all of a sudden you were one of the seven tribes who had not received their inheritance, how do you think you'd feel? 00:28:58.640 --> 00:29:03.240 I'm sure you'd feel a little bit, at the very least, tempted to be irritated. 00:29:04.759 --> 00:29:08.099 At this stage now, it should be a time of victory. 00:29:08.599 --> 00:29:11.079 But what the Israelites have to battle is their own pride. 00:29:11.960 --> 00:29:14.779 Pride is the fear of looking bad. 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:24.480 It's the fear that somehow I'm not valued or I did not get credit for what I've done or I'm not credited for who I am. 00:29:26.059 --> 00:29:35.519 When I, in the late 90s, I went from Vancouver, Canada on the west coast of Canada and I moved to Toronto to train in the full-time ministry. 00:29:36.460 --> 00:29:43.960 And I was, you know, just in my early 20s and I remember just feeling so excited to be there. 00:29:44.099 --> 00:29:47.579 I was given a ton of responsibility for myself at that time. 00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:51.359 I was leading a campus ministry, but I was also overseeing a singles ministry. 00:29:51.980 --> 00:29:55.700 And I just remember feeling like I just wanna work so hard. 00:29:56.160 --> 00:29:59.920 I wanted my lessons at Devo to be deep and fun and inspiring. 00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:04.160 I wanted the ministry to be close, inspired, productive, and fruitful. 00:30:04.500 --> 00:30:11.220 And I remember just feeling like I worked so hard, but I remember in that first few months, I felt frustrated, tired. 00:30:11.660 --> 00:30:12.779 I wasn't fruitful. 00:30:13.099 --> 00:30:21.839 I felt like I was constantly getting corrected for things I was forgetting or making mistakes, neglecting people. 00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:30.319 And I just remember like I had this huge dream and anticipation to do everything and all it felt like I was doing was screwing up. 00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:33.299 Sure, we've all been there at some points in our life. 00:30:33.700 --> 00:30:38.119 And I remember being given this advice consistently from different people. 00:30:38.940 --> 00:30:39.779 Hey, Mark, relax. 00:30:40.740 --> 00:30:41.740 Hey, trust God. 00:30:42.599 --> 00:30:44.359 Hey, Mark, don't try so hard. 00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:47.359 I remember finding this advice frustrating, right? 00:30:47.700 --> 00:30:50.440 What does it mean to not try so hard, right? 00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:56.000 And then you're just like, well, does that mean not try? 00:30:56.359 --> 00:30:57.220 But I do know this. 00:30:57.279 --> 00:31:00.720 I know that many times in life, trying harder is not the answer. 00:31:01.039 --> 00:31:02.480 I played tennis in high school. 00:31:03.319 --> 00:31:09.660 And in serving, like in golf, there's a diminishing return if you just keep trying to serve too hard. 00:31:10.599 --> 00:31:12.660 Like you can't just try to kill the ball. 00:31:12.759 --> 00:31:17.599 In golf, if you try to drive it farther, the answer is not swing harder, right? 00:31:18.240 --> 00:31:20.599 You're actually going to ruin things, right? 00:31:20.819 --> 00:31:24.940 In music, if you're an artist, try harder to be creative. 00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:26.279 It doesn't work, right? 00:31:26.619 --> 00:31:29.799 Or you ever try really, really hard to go to sleep, right? 00:31:29.819 --> 00:31:35.660 A lot of times in life, the answer is not trying harder, but I felt this tension, right? 00:31:35.900 --> 00:31:36.599 You felt this. 00:31:36.799 --> 00:31:45.259 And what exhausts us in life, when they say what exhausts us is not effort, but the desire for control, right? 00:31:45.259 --> 00:31:46.420 What exhausts you? 00:31:46.579 --> 00:31:47.440 Church exhausts you. 00:31:48.180 --> 00:31:49.619 Effort doesn't exhaust people. 00:31:51.099 --> 00:31:52.960 The desire to be in control exhausts people. 00:31:53.059 --> 00:31:54.599 And that's what exhausted me in Toronto. 00:31:55.259 --> 00:31:58.079 It was like I wanted to control the outcome. 00:31:58.420 --> 00:32:00.640 I wanted things to be amazing. 00:32:01.079 --> 00:32:03.339 I wanted my ministry to be perfect. 00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:05.980 I wanted my lessons to be amazing. 00:32:06.200 --> 00:32:07.259 And everyone was like, chill out, relax. 00:32:08.160 --> 00:32:10.259 All I would do is get frustrated with that advice. 00:32:10.279 --> 00:32:11.279 What does that even mean? 00:32:11.579 --> 00:32:13.200 Like what are you actually telling me? 00:32:13.200 --> 00:32:18.819 And as I thought it through more and more, I realized I had to let go of the desire for control. 00:32:19.480 --> 00:32:32.660 I remember one time we were at a Midwest church leaders retreat and we're in a hotel and I was, we kind of had a meeting at the restaurant in the hotel. 00:32:33.420 --> 00:32:39.440 And there were two Mexican waiters that were there and then we brought like 30 of us. 00:32:39.539 --> 00:32:41.420 So they were massively understaffed. 00:32:41.759 --> 00:32:43.519 Well, as I said, I grew up in a restaurant. 00:32:44.099 --> 00:32:46.700 And so it's kind of like a really comfortable place for me. 00:32:47.019 --> 00:32:51.519 And so as they were running around like crazy, I decided to do the fun thing and I helped them out. 00:32:51.660 --> 00:32:53.240 And so I started waiting. 00:32:53.339 --> 00:32:56.220 I put on an apron and everyone's having a good chuckle, but I'm helping out. 00:32:56.240 --> 00:32:56.839 They're loving me. 00:32:56.920 --> 00:32:57.839 They're like, hey, let me go. 00:32:58.019 --> 00:32:59.220 They're just giving me a high five. 00:32:59.579 --> 00:33:00.339 And I'm helping them. 00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:00.920 I'm in the kitchen. 00:33:01.039 --> 00:33:01.480 I'm with them. 00:33:01.539 --> 00:33:02.640 I'm passing things with them. 00:33:02.700 --> 00:33:03.240 I'm helping them out. 00:33:03.299 --> 00:33:04.319 They're super appreciated. 00:33:04.740 --> 00:33:05.839 This group is happening. 00:33:06.059 --> 00:33:07.299 And so it's kind of a chuckle. 00:33:07.339 --> 00:33:08.039 It's really fun. 00:33:08.039 --> 00:33:13.359 And then all of a sudden, some people not from our group start sitting down. 00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:15.740 And the lady there goes, excuse me. 00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:16.960 And she starts asking me for something. 00:33:17.099 --> 00:33:17.799 And I'm like, oh, OK. 00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:19.119 And again, everyone's seeing it. 00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:20.579 It's kind of fun at this time. 00:33:21.200 --> 00:33:24.000 And at some point, I stop and I go to eat my meal. 00:33:24.140 --> 00:33:26.160 And then the lady from the group goes, excuse me. 00:33:26.400 --> 00:33:26.940 I need one now. 00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:28.940 And she keeps calling me back and forth. 00:33:29.319 --> 00:33:31.400 And I'm just like, OK, the joke's over now. 00:33:32.839 --> 00:33:35.380 And she's constantly asking me for things. 00:33:35.799 --> 00:33:37.140 And I remember just getting, ugh. 00:33:37.140 --> 00:33:39.640 And thinking, OK, what do I tell her? 00:33:39.799 --> 00:33:40.859 I might as well do it. 00:33:40.900 --> 00:33:41.900 And she's just over there. 00:33:42.099 --> 00:33:43.859 And there's kind of all the supplies there. 00:33:43.920 --> 00:33:46.200 But I remember getting annoyed and sitting down. 00:33:46.519 --> 00:33:55.019 And the church leader who was there at the time, his name's Dave Jung from Winnipeg, leaned over and looked at me and said, everyone likes being a servant until you're treated like one. 00:33:55.700 --> 00:34:02.279 And he just kind of, everyone likes being a servant until you're treated like one. 00:34:03.519 --> 00:34:05.140 Until you're treated like one. 00:34:05.220 --> 00:34:05.960 Hey, I want to. 00:34:05.960 --> 00:34:14.659 And this, dividing the land was about the courage to be humble. 00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:17.280 It was about the courage to be forgotten. 00:34:17.840 --> 00:34:20.699 It was about the courage to not care. 00:34:20.820 --> 00:34:28.380 You know, we had a, about a month ago, my wife and I had a baby Christian dinner because, of course, we had 27 people baptized last year. 00:34:28.579 --> 00:34:29.920 So we had them all at our house. 00:34:30.719 --> 00:34:35.780 And I said to all of them, you guys, I want to challenge y'all. 00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:40.900 And, you know, I talked about the ministry of inspiration, perspiration, and aspiration. 00:34:41.179 --> 00:34:46.019 I said, the ministry of inspiration, you guys should find peers that inspire you, that raise your standard of life. 00:34:46.840 --> 00:34:48.300 That raise your standard of life. 00:34:48.880 --> 00:34:52.119 Like you go, oh wow, you know, like this is now the new standard for my life. 00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:54.360 I said, find the ministry of aspiration. 00:34:54.559 --> 00:34:55.980 Find people that you want to be like. 00:34:56.820 --> 00:34:58.920 And then I said, now you find the ministry of perspiration. 00:34:58.980 --> 00:35:03.199 And I said, every Christian should have a ministry where they give and they get nothing back. 00:35:03.380 --> 00:35:04.760 You find that what it is. 00:35:05.099 --> 00:35:06.519 It goes, you might not get complimented. 00:35:06.800 --> 00:35:13.239 You might not get noticed, but you find something in the church where you give to the community and you get nothing back. 00:35:13.320 --> 00:35:14.000 That's the call. 00:35:14.119 --> 00:35:17.860 Jesus said, you know, when you do all you've done, you're still an unworthy servant. 00:35:18.159 --> 00:35:24.039 And how we divide things up, again, everyone wants to be a servant until you're treated like one. 00:35:24.199 --> 00:35:26.139 But that really tests our hearts. 00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:28.880 Close with this thought and then we'll be done. 00:35:29.739 --> 00:35:32.480 It ends here in Joshua 24 in verse 15. 00:35:33.119 --> 00:35:35.280 Serving the Lord seems undesirable to you. 00:35:36.099 --> 00:35:46.219 Then choose for yourselves this day whom you'll serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. 00:35:46.320 --> 00:35:49.579 But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. 00:35:49.880 --> 00:35:55.179 The impact of Joshua's leadership was that during his lifetime, Israel was devoted to God. 00:35:55.219 --> 00:35:58.400 And he said, for me and my home, we'll serve the Lord. 00:35:58.400 --> 00:36:01.539 And I shared this with the baby Christians and I'll share it to you. 00:36:02.260 --> 00:36:08.659 I said, you know, God calls us to finish the race to the very end. 00:36:10.239 --> 00:36:18.039 If you don't end your faith well, if your faith doesn't end well, no one will remember how you started. 00:36:19.360 --> 00:36:21.119 No one will remember how you started. 00:36:21.199 --> 00:36:21.900 Nobody will care. 00:36:22.320 --> 00:36:24.360 And no one will even remember how it all started. 00:36:24.500 --> 00:36:27.659 They will just remember that it didn't end well with you. 00:36:28.099 --> 00:36:30.980 With God, our call is not just to start the race. 00:36:32.079 --> 00:36:33.940 It's to make sure we end the race well. 00:36:34.099 --> 00:36:34.280 Amen. 00:36:34.920 --> 00:36:35.679 Thank you guys. 00:36:36.059 --> 00:36:38.400 You are all dismissed for kids class. 00:36:38.500 --> 00:36:38.800 Is that it? 00:36:39.579 --> 00:36:39.980 Okay. 00:36:40.179 --> 00:36:40.340 Yeah. 00:36:40.500 --> 00:36:41.320 Take care, guys. 00:36:41.360 --> 00:36:41.539 Yeah. 00:36:43.340 --> 00:36:47.860 Thank you so much for listening to the Kalamazoo Church of Christ podcast. 00:36:48.280 --> 00:36:51.519 If you're in the Kalamazoo area, we'd love to get connected. 00:36:51.780 --> 00:36:59.179 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. 00:36:59.300 --> 00:37:01.800 In any case, you'll be hearing from us next week.