WEBVTT 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:16.399 Welcome and thanks for joining us on this episode of the Midweek Podcast, brought to you by a Fresh Wind Church. 00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:23.199 Each week, our team brings you new content to help you take steps towards Jesus and discover more in Christ. 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:26.800 Today's episode is hosted by Pastor Ryan. 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:29.280 Well, hey, welcome back to the Midweek Podcast. 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:37.520 Pastor Ryan joined as always with Pastor Tim, and we have wrapped up this past Sunday, our series, God Just Tell Us. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:41.039 And we've been talking about the will of God each week. 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:45.039 And man, Tim, I'm getting some great feedback on this series. 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:50.960 People seem to really uh really be into, I guess, figuring out what is God's will, how do I discover it? 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:52.960 How do I walk that out and live it? 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:56.320 And so um man, just super excited to have done this series. 00:00:56.479 --> 00:01:01.600 Yeah, and and it's been an extended series because that's what Philippians is all about, right? 00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:08.239 God is working um to teach you to please him. 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:08.799 Right. 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:11.280 Uh, and he's always working in that area. 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:20.799 He wants to uh he wants you to want to want him, he wants you to want to please him, he wants you to want to live in his will. 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:23.040 And Philippians is all about that. 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:29.200 And um it's good, it's great to be reminded that you're not alone out there. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:35.519 The Holy Spirit is working you to will in the direction that God wants you to go. 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:42.959 And you're one of the biggest things uh about the will of God is it's always, I don't want to go to Uganda, you know, right. 00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:51.599 And uh, but if you don't want to go, right away you know, well, there well, now we have a question. 00:01:51.599 --> 00:02:06.879 Because God is working in me to change my will to please him, and if he wanted to go to wanted you to go to Uganda, you would probably have a little that'd be terrible to go to Uganda, but man, what an adventure. 00:02:06.879 --> 00:02:09.199 You know, you'd have a little thing there, right? 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:18.800 And uh, but God is working um in all of his people that they'll want to do his will, and that's a a great thing. 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:21.280 I mean, that's the basis of it, right? 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:27.439 And we went through Philippians and now we're coming through this series, and they just kind of all click together. 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:28.319 It was really good. 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:28.879 Yeah. 00:02:28.879 --> 00:02:42.719 I gave everybody kind of this challenge, ultimatum, uh, at the end of the message on Sunday to say, and we've been talking about God's will for the past four weeks, and then yeah, even diving back into the Philippians series. 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:45.039 Um now you have a choice to make. 00:02:45.039 --> 00:02:50.080 We've talked about how you can discover God's will, how important it is to walk in his ways, all these things. 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:57.280 And you can choose to stand here and just let this all be head knowledge say, all right, I get it. 00:02:57.280 --> 00:02:59.840 Or you can take a step. 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:04.000 And and that step is always gonna require faith. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:18.240 And that was um, I even I was on, I think it was Facebook, and a guy from church uh listened to the message Sunday, and he said he posted that quote about um, you know, we we want to follow Jesus, but we want to live a faith-free life. 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:23.120 And how that that just hit him hard right in the nose, you know. 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:28.800 Because I I want I want to I want to do the God things and the church things. 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:31.840 I just I want guarantees. 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:33.199 Yeah, guarantees. 00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:36.400 I this I want to know, I want certainty. 00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:41.360 And the author of Hebrews says, without faith, it is impossible to please God. 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:46.159 And so my challenge was this step is gonna require faith. 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:51.120 You're gonna have to step in, and you're not gonna be 100% sure. 00:03:51.120 --> 00:03:54.800 You're not you're not gonna know if this is exactly where you should go. 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:57.120 People are gonna say, What on earth are you doing? 00:03:57.120 --> 00:03:58.240 That looks crazy. 00:03:58.240 --> 00:03:59.199 That sounds crazy. 00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:00.560 Why would you do that? 00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:02.719 And you're gonna have to take it anyways. 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:12.719 With the encouragement, however imperfect that step is, if we've taken it in faith and we're walking in God's ways, we've sought godly counsel, because it's not about just blind faith. 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:14.159 This is totally different. 00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:17.360 It's not about stupid risk just to do something. 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:24.160 It's you you seek counsel, you you get in God's word, and then you take a step, you know. 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:27.600 Uh Peter stepping out of that boat onto the water. 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:31.199 You know, like Jesus said, Come, all right, there's my call. 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:33.360 Is that water gonna hold me up? 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:37.120 You know, what what is you you gotta take the step of faith? 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:38.639 And it's important. 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:50.879 Um Reformation coming up, ref Reformation anniversary is coming up, and um Martin Luther, that it was just that one phrase that Paul wrote. 00:04:50.879 --> 00:04:52.800 The just shall live by faith. 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:58.240 And as as I've been getting older and people come to me, what do I do about this? 00:04:58.240 --> 00:04:59.920 And what do I do about that? 00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:06.879 You have faith that God will work it out because that's how you're supposed to live. 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:10.639 But how do I how do I make sure that God does this thing? 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:11.920 I you don't. 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:15.680 The just live by faith in every situation. 00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:25.600 And it's it it's it's tough uh for Martin Luther to wrestle this down, and uh that's how God is demanding that we live. 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:34.560 Um we got in a big discussion in discovery class about why God makes you live by faith. 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:41.600 Why don't he just show up in the sky and and uh we found a passage of scripture in Ephesians chapter three. 00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:54.399 It says God is proving his manifold wisdom to these authorities and heavenly beings through his church in whom he demands to live by faith. 00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:58.720 So God, God has got uh motives within motives. 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:00.959 Number one, he wants to teach you to trust him. 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:02.639 That's why you're gonna have to live by faith. 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:07.040 And number two, he's using your faith to prove something to somebody. 00:06:07.040 --> 00:06:10.560 But I got Forrest, he's trying to figure out who those guys are. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:14.160 So uh he's working on that for the church. 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:16.160 If he figures it out, I'll let you guys know. 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:18.480 That'll be the next discovery class, yeah. 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:23.519 And uh speaking of next, um, on this reformation thing, a little promo. 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:31.120 Uh our October series is coming up talking about reformation roots, and we're gonna talk about scripture alone, faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:32.959 So definitely come and be a part of that. 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:37.519 This is some some of that core doctrinal stuff that I think we we really need. 00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:44.399 And, you know, I think coming off of this series on God's will, we talked about how everything needs to be filtered through the word of God, right? 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:45.040 Absolutely. 00:06:45.040 --> 00:07:00.160 This is gonna be a great way to kind of bolster your your faith in God's word, the your confidence in who he is, and really build a foundation because as you know we talked about how does God speak to us, you know, influence of others, life situations leading to the spirits. 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:05.360 You need to know, okay, well, what is God's will and what our word and how do I filter these things through it? 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:08.079 Be a great series to start building that foundation together. 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:11.920 And this is uh this is a great time talking about the will of God. 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:39.199 Um in Discovery Class, we were talking about we have this life projection screen in front of us, and we project what we think is true as we come into Christianity and we put it up on the on uh our uh life projection screen, and we think it's true, and we try to try to live by that, but some of those things are not true, like Santa. 00:07:39.199 --> 00:07:47.199 You know, you're a kid, Santa, Santa, you know, and you get to be about you six years old, and it's like parent alert. 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:51.120 Yeah, don't let your don't let your kids listen to this. 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:58.800 You get six years old and and you're you get an orange and you're like, no, this is not the Santa on TV. 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:02.000 How come I I get an orange, you know? 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:12.480 And uh so you you start erasing that off your projector screen, and that's an emotional turmoil for a kid, you know, to take that down. 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:14.800 That that's not actually true. 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:16.079 Everybody just pretends. 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:18.160 Why does everybody pretend that's true? 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:21.920 And uh so they have to take that down, and that happens to Christians all the time. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:29.519 You've got untruth that you have brought in with you that has to be broken down. 00:08:29.519 --> 00:08:38.080 And that's what happened in this Will of God series is we had a belief, and I've heard it all my life. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:39.200 All my life. 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:42.960 God has the perfect person for you. 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:45.039 He's got one person for you. 00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:52.159 Just thinking through that for about three minutes and you realize, well, if somebody screws up, then the whole system. 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:54.240 Right, right. 00:08:54.240 --> 00:09:01.279 So, and we, you know, God has this one will for you, and God has this one perfect thing for you. 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:10.480 And if you missed it, or if you just um you you backslid that month and you you missed that decision, you know, what do I do now? 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:13.600 And uh this this study has been great for that. 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:22.320 If you guys haven't listened to all the sermons, listen to them all in a row, and um this stuff will start uh making sense to you. 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:32.960 But that's one of those things on our our screen, our life screen that we get is that the this one thing, and if I miss it, then I'm in trouble. 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:35.840 What if you come to the Lord and you're 40 years old? 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:56.159 You got a wife, you got three or four kids, you got a job to support them, your your wife finally was able to quit so she could focus on the the last two kids, you know, and um and now you're thinking, okay, the Lord, the Lord wants me in Uganda, you know. 00:09:56.159 --> 00:09:58.960 I I don't know why Uganda always comes up. 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:01.440 Um and you're like, how do I get there? 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:03.200 You know, how do I move? 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:05.279 What do I what do I do? 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:21.360 And this this series of sermons that we preached right here helps you navigate that you if you belong in Uganda, if you will follow his ways, he'll get you there. 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:28.080 And and you don't have to worry about making those big decisions and how am I gonna support my family and all that kind of stuff. 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:33.120 The Lord is gonna lead you in that direction because the just live by faith. 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:43.360 Just step out in faith in the things that um show up in your life that you feel like the Lord is calling you to do. 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:44.960 And guess what? 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:46.159 I can tell you this. 00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:52.639 If you miss that decision, it don't matter. 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:57.039 You can't disappoint God because he already knew. 00:10:57.039 --> 00:11:01.039 He's gonna tell you to turn left and you went straight. 00:11:01.039 --> 00:11:04.399 And um you didn't realize you missed it. 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:11.440 But he already knew before the foundation of the world that you were going to do it your way instead of his way in that moment. 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:14.159 And uh, but he still has plans for you. 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:17.840 Yeah, I mean the king of contingency plans, right? 00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:21.279 Right up they well, there they blew right past it. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:21.759 Right. 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:33.440 Um he he's he is so good, he's so faithful at redeeming all of those those missteps and those mistakes, and um shoot, I I I wasn't paying attention. 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:33.840 Right. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:44.000 Um man, I was driving to a soccer game a couple weeks ago, and you know, we got the whole turnpike is being rebuilt, it seems like at least all the bridges on the turnpike. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:45.679 And I missed one exit. 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:48.320 Thought, well, I'll just come up, turn around at the next one. 00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:49.120 So I did that. 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:49.840 Well, came back. 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:53.759 Well, the exit that I needed was closed down on that side because the bridge was out. 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:58.559 I had to go all the way back down to Elyria, had it on 30 minutes because I missed one exit. 00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:02.960 And we're like, man, if I screw this up, I've just I've missed it all. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:05.440 God's gonna redeem all those things, you know? 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:06.399 Yeah, and you know what? 00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:08.639 I don't even like that word contingency. 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:10.720 Uh think about this. 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:16.559 God, what I mentioned earlier needs to be brought out, which is you can't disappoint God. 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:21.279 He cannot be disappointed because he already knows. 00:12:21.279 --> 00:12:21.600 Right. 00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:24.080 It's for him to be disappointed, he'd have to be shocked. 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:24.639 Right. 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:25.279 Yeah. 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:38.799 And uh since he's when he sees all time like a book, he's read the book, and he can turn to whatever page he wants to, and he's present in every time. 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:45.039 I I know that's good, but if you just think about it for a minute, how can he be surprised? 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:50.480 How can he be like, oh no, they didn't turn left here. 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:52.480 Now I'm gonna have to make up all these. 00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:53.600 No, no, no, no. 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:54.879 That's not who God is. 00:12:54.879 --> 00:12:57.519 There is no contingency because he already knew. 00:12:57.519 --> 00:13:01.840 And you're like, Well, how am I gonna find this perfect will of God? 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:02.720 Just follow him. 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:03.679 That's a good way to do it. 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:06.320 Follow him, and he's gonna he's gonna take you there. 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:13.440 And it doesn't matter how many times you get off the exit when you shouldn't have or stayed on and and didn't get off the exit. 00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:17.440 Uh it doesn't it doesn't matter to God because he already knew that was gonna happen. 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:22.000 And uh your life has been red from beginning to end already. 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:27.440 So take a deep breath and let all that out, Christian. 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:30.639 Just and live by faith. 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:31.360 That's right. 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:33.440 And you'll end up where you need to go. 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:48.879 Um I was in a situation years and years ago where it looked to me from the outside that someone chose something different than what God had planned for him. 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:58.639 And um I look back at that situation and I I would have sworn up and down that God had said, You need to do this. 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:00.159 And he said no. 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:04.159 And um he loved the Lord. 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:08.799 Um I don't know why he said no, but he said no. 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:13.919 Um and I thought, man, I wonder what God's gonna do to him. 00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:18.799 I wonder he's gonna get a bad spanking and uh and all this kind of stuff. 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:25.519 Um but he went where I knew he wasn't supposed to be and served God and won all kinds of people to the Lord. 00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:31.120 So you know, I look back and say, I can say he said no. 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:35.679 But then God continued to use him wherever he ended up. 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:41.919 And I and I know, guys, I'm not giving you you're gonna get your spanking if you say no. 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:46.720 Um but it really doesn't matter if you do. 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:52.240 God knew you were gonna say no and he planned for other things for you to do on the other side of that no. 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:57.039 Um we're we're dealing with a God who can't be disappointed. 00:14:57.039 --> 00:14:59.679 Yeah and so you relax. 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:01.039 Relax. 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:05.039 Follow his ways, and you'll find yourself in his will. 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:11.519 Yeah, don't don't take what we're saying here as permission to just ignore the will of God. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:18.639 Um this is this is all reliant, like you walking in his ways. 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:26.240 Um, sin carries consequences, disobedience carries consequences, absolutely, and you can say, Well, I'm gonna do it one day. 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:31.200 Uh, you know, I I I know what God's calling me to, but I'm just not ready. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:34.080 I want to go live it up while I'm young. 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:39.120 Scripture talks about should we go on sinning that the grace of God may abound? 00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:40.480 No, Paul says. 00:15:40.480 --> 00:15:41.759 Yeah, you're being crazy. 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:43.919 How stupid, how stupid can you be? 00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:45.440 No, you don't live like that. 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:52.480 Yeah, um so we're trying to free you from all those times when you look back and say, Man, I missed it. 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:53.759 I missed it. 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:59.840 And to say, start right now, walk in his ways right now. 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:00.799 Today. 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:04.879 And as you begin to do that, he'll lead you in his will. 00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:09.039 And we always push his will out. 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:13.120 You know, it's out there somewhere, and I'm kind of looking for it. 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:16.399 No, his will is present right here today. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:17.120 That's good. 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:21.279 Be the man that God has called you to be today. 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:37.759 When you got the four kids and you got the job that you can't leave because it's paying for everything that's going on in your life, and and your wife finally got to, you know, take a break and and be with the kids and all those things, that's fantastic. 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:55.919 Walk in your walk in his ways today, and you will end up if it's Uganda one day or if it's retiring from that job and getting your kids through school and having a big Thanksgiving uh where you can all join hands and thank God for your lives. 00:16:55.919 --> 00:17:04.799 You know, that's that's just as much part of his will as running off as a missionary or being a preacher or all these things. 00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:15.279 But as long as you're living for him, uh the way he wants you to live, yeah, right now, today is is how you live in God's will. 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:24.559 So take a deep breath and quit looking out in the future and think about hey, shouldn't I be driving the speed limit right now? 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:26.559 Maybe that's what's going on. 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:36.160 And uh we'll we'll put we'll put God's plan and will for our life on hold, waiting for some big temporary thing. 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:39.839 And yeah, he's he's saying, Well, why don't you be faithful right now? 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:49.680 You know, it makes me think of that parable Jesus, you know, he gives these guys some talents and he gives you know one guy one, another one five or two, whatever. 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:52.799 One gets is it one, two, and five, something like that. 00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:56.559 Yeah, um the guy with five doubles it, and the guy with two doubles it. 00:17:56.559 --> 00:17:58.480 The guy with one, he goes and buries it. 00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:08.720 Um one day, you know, and he he was worried about you know, I know you're harsh and you're gonna say all these things when you come back, and I didn't want to screw it up. 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:11.039 But isn't that what we do with God's will? 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:14.240 Like I I didn't want to screw it up, I didn't want to make a mistake, I didn't want to miss it. 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:16.319 And God said, I gave you this opportunity. 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:18.480 Go and serve it and use me. 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:20.480 Man, what if I get it wrong? 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:25.200 And what if I what if I just I'm not ready? 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:29.519 Well, maybe I can put it on hold and go do these other things first. 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:34.400 And we want, we're gonna put all these things on hold, waiting for some big thing. 00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:36.640 And then Jesus comes back and he's like, Well, what'd you do with it? 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:38.079 Well, I buried it in the ground. 00:18:38.079 --> 00:18:41.759 Well, that's not what I asked you to do with it. 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:48.799 You know, we need to be faithful in the here and the now with the the things God has given you. 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:52.559 And it's easy to look at someone else and say, Well, man, I wish I had their life. 00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:55.920 I wish I got the talents that they got, I wish I had the money and the resources they had. 00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:59.039 And if if I had those things, then I could follow God. 00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:01.519 Then I could pursue God's will for my life. 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:03.039 Do it right now. 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:09.839 Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:11.279 Whatever it is. 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:15.759 And so, yeah, God might want you to go to Uganda, but you know what? 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:18.799 I I know for sure, He wants you to be a great dad. 00:19:18.799 --> 00:19:22.400 Yeah, he wants you to be a great wife, wants you to be a great mom or dad. 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:26.000 He wants you to be the best employee that your boss has. 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.880 That when people like, man, who do we call? 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:30.720 We call this person because they show up. 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:33.519 I know for a fact that's who God wants you to be. 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:34.079 Absolutely. 00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:38.880 We can sit here and we can talk about you going to Uganda and we can dream up, you know, all these plans. 00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:44.480 We can start looking at, you know, f the cost of flights and we can buy you some suitcases, we can do it all. 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:54.880 The cost of living, how many churches you're gonna have to go to to get your support to live there, and and um but the truth is what are you doing today? 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:55.359 Right. 00:19:55.359 --> 00:20:01.119 You're not gonna get to Uganda um by not living for God right now. 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:20.160 Yeah, we want we want that big thing, and it's like even if God said, Yep, I want you to go to Uganda because you're gonna serve me there, God could send you to Uganda right now, but if you haven't been doing all the right things along the way, you're not gonna be the right person for Uganda when you get there. 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:20.799 Absolutely. 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:28.160 You know, so start now following him and saying yes to him, and he'll get you to Uganda if that's where you're supposed to be. 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:29.920 And I know a lot of us we're afraid. 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:32.160 We're like, well, dear God, that's what I'm afraid of. 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:34.000 He's gonna send me to Uganda. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:36.960 Well, just be a great dad, be a great mom. 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:38.480 You know, start doing those things. 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:46.400 And like you said, maybe God's will for you is to retire and get your kids through school and be a great grandma or grandpa for your grandkids one day. 00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:51.279 And you're gonna impact eternity just by living faithfully now. 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:53.200 And serving your local church. 00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:53.680 Yep. 00:20:53.839 --> 00:21:01.200 Um we're all given a gift to serve the local church, and we're always worried about going to Uganda. 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:05.680 You know, hey, what is God telling you to do in your church? 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:12.319 And um, you might just be one of the guys that run up there to the altar and pray with people when they go up. 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:24.079 Um, or you know, you might be the guy who makes sure all the words are correct when we're doing the the slides for the songs, the off-the-wall music. 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:25.759 Remember you do you remember that? 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:27.359 Were you at church when that lady came in? 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:29.359 I remember you telling me the story. 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:33.119 She came in and she goes, Do you guys do that off the wall music? 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:36.960 And I'm like, I don't know if I'd call it off the wall. 00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:41.839 And uh it's it's pretty normal Christian music. 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:44.640 She goes, No, I mean when you put it up on the wall. 00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:49.599 Oh, yes, then our music is totally off the wall. 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:54.720 Yes, and we said we can't afford hymn books, so it's gonna be off the wall music. 00:21:54.720 --> 00:22:00.400 But um I think this I think this series has really served our church. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:11.599 Because God wants you to do his will today, um, with your responsibility to your family, to your local church, to your personal relationship with the Lord. 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:17.039 And like I said, if something big is in your future, he's gonna give it to you. 00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:25.440 You know, um Church.tv. 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:27.279 Craig Rochelle. 00:22:27.279 --> 00:22:37.039 We went to that leadership summit a few months ago and uh he was talking about flossing his teeth to all these leaders from all over the nation. 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:37.440 Right. 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:43.279 He says, Great leadership starts with flossing your teeth. 00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:49.839 And uh he goes into this story where he's like I hated flossing my teeth. 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:53.440 And everybody told me you should be flossing your teeth. 00:22:53.440 --> 00:23:19.359 And uh he said so I put it in my routine, and after I floss my teeth, I did this, and after I did that, I read my scripture, and after I did this, I I went here, and then I did my exercise, and then I studied for preaching, and then I and he said, I did the little things for years until I can do the big thing. 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:24.720 Yep, and uh my big things are two a year. 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:30.640 I go somewhere like this and I speak to all these people, but my life is made up of little things. 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:31.359 Yeah. 00:23:31.359 --> 00:23:40.559 And my big thing is about an hour and 20 minutes, you know, and it's big and it makes me scared. 00:23:40.559 --> 00:24:02.960 And I gotta get out here in front of all you people, and you don't know me, and I know my people at my church, and I know what I can say and what I can't say, and what'll be funny to them and what's not funny, and then my big thing is to come up here and tell you that my life isn't about standing in front of 20,000 people and talking about this stuff. 00:24:02.960 --> 00:24:06.720 My life is about flossing my teeth. 00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:14.079 If every day I get up and I floss my teeth and I do my little things, yeah, then I get a big thing. 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:17.279 And I'm always scared of it, but I do it. 00:24:17.279 --> 00:24:21.519 And he says, We all start with little things. 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:24.880 Do your little things and you'll be ready for your big thing. 00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:25.359 Right. 00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:27.119 And uh that's so important. 00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:32.880 And I mean, we could cover most of the will of God sermon series just by saying that. 00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:34.000 Do your little things. 00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:34.559 Yep. 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:38.240 And uh follow the will of God right now, today. 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:45.599 If it starts with flossing your teeth, and he'll he'll tell you if he don't floss his teeth, his day falls apart. 00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:57.200 You know, he goes, I gotta make sure I get up and floss my teeth, or I I I don't run through my little things um that get me ready for the big thing. 00:24:57.200 --> 00:25:06.000 And that's what God is trying to tell you through this, and your pastors are trying to tell you through these series, and that's what Paul was trying to tell you in Philippians. 00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:12.480 You know, hey, God's gonna change your heart on your way and just live by faith, and you'll end up where you need to be. 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:13.200 I love that. 00:25:13.359 --> 00:25:14.960 On the way, on the way. 00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:27.039 So take those imperfect steps, and you know, we we read Proverbs chapter three and just great passage of scripture, but I grew up reading um from the NIV. 00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:30.880 And I think the NIV trying to remember exactly what it was. 00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:34.559 If one of the translations uses acknowledge, another one uses submit. 00:25:34.559 --> 00:25:38.559 I think it was in all your ways acknowledge him, one of those ways. 00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:48.960 Yeah, do not lean on your own understanding in all your ways, and like I said, depending on the translation you grew up with, it was acknowledge or submit to him and he will make your past straight. 00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:54.799 And then I was reading the CSB, this as I was studying for the sermon, and said, In all your ways, know him. 00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:57.359 And I was like, What? 00:25:57.359 --> 00:25:58.960 That's not how I remember it. 00:25:58.960 --> 00:25:59.519 Yeah. 00:25:59.519 --> 00:26:12.319 Um, and so you, you know, we got this fancy Bible software logos, and I click on that word no, and then I go into the Bible word study, and like, okay, well, the Hebrew word is yeda. 00:26:12.319 --> 00:26:23.599 And and it doesn't necessarily I understand what they were trying to say in the NIV and you know, New King James and all those ones, by using the word acknowledge or submit. 00:26:23.599 --> 00:26:26.000 And it reads a whole lot better that way. 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:27.279 We get it, yeah. 00:26:27.279 --> 00:26:31.680 But the Hebrew word is much deeper than that, and the CSB nailed it. 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:36.799 It means know him in all your ways, know him. 00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:48.799 And man, it it struck me because I one, I'm not used to reading it that way, but two, it changes the connotation a little bit because now I can I can acknowledge God in what I do. 00:26:48.799 --> 00:26:50.319 That doesn't mean I like doing it. 00:26:50.319 --> 00:26:54.559 You know, it doesn't mean I'm I'm okay with it, but I acknowledge this is what he wants. 00:26:54.559 --> 00:27:01.680 I can submit to him and still, you know, kind of just grudgingly getting gritting my teeth, getting through it. 00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:09.519 But to know him in all my ways, and it seems so much more intimate, yeah, so much more personal. 00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:19.279 I like I like that idea because it's I know that bracelet we all handed out did several years, what would Jesus do? 00:27:19.279 --> 00:27:25.920 Um, but it it's deeper that, deeper than knowing what he would do, it's knowing why he would do that. 00:27:25.920 --> 00:27:27.839 Yeah, and that's the difference. 00:27:27.839 --> 00:27:29.039 That's the difference. 00:27:29.279 --> 00:27:31.200 Yeah, and all your ways know him. 00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:36.480 So as a as a dad, how do I how do I know him in my ways? 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:45.039 You know how I deal with the you know kid who Gavin just had a birthday and he's gonna love that I'm sharing this story. 00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:49.279 I don't know if he listens to the midweek podcast, but if he does, I think we're safe. 00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:52.559 Probably okay to share it. 00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:54.319 That he was doing dishes the other day. 00:27:54.319 --> 00:27:58.079 We have you know, fall in our house is crazy. 00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:06.240 We got four kids, six different sports teams, and then all the school stuff running around like crazy, mad people. 00:28:06.240 --> 00:28:09.200 And so our house little becomes it's more like a motel room. 00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:12.000 You come, you just drop your stuff on the floor and go to bed. 00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:13.839 Um, wake up and do it all over again. 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:17.599 I know we hit uh about August. 00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:19.839 We don't see you guys until January. 00:28:20.160 --> 00:28:21.359 January, for real. 00:28:21.359 --> 00:28:26.079 Um, and we're I mean, we are coming up gasping for air come January. 00:28:26.079 --> 00:28:28.640 Um, but we finally had uh a day off. 00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:33.119 Kids didn't have school last Friday, and so I said, Hey, we got a day off. 00:28:33.119 --> 00:28:37.599 I need you guys to help me get some stuff done around here so we can get back to normal. 00:28:37.599 --> 00:28:48.880 Um, and so I had Gavin washing the dishes, and I had said something to him, and he under his breath goes, You can wash the dishes. 00:28:48.880 --> 00:28:54.960 And I'm like, Well, what did you just like I'm not far enough away yet? 00:28:54.960 --> 00:28:56.880 Yeah, you you let me get one step. 00:28:56.880 --> 00:29:00.640 You gotta wait till I get to the other room before you say something like that. 00:29:00.640 --> 00:29:10.720 And I I will tell you, I don't know if I knew God in all my ways in that moment because I kind of lost it, you know. 00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:15.920 Um, I grounded him, I think, till eternity and took his cell phone. 00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:21.519 His birthday was the next day, and I just boom blew up. 00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:27.680 And how do I know God in all my ways in that moment? 00:29:27.680 --> 00:29:34.559 How many times has God given me grace when I've I've made the snarky remark under my breath? 00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:43.759 Yeah, you know, how do I in in my relationship with my wife, how do I know him in in all my ways? 00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:50.559 When it comes to preparing for, you know, church and Sunday service, and I man it it it's busy. 00:29:50.559 --> 00:29:54.559 Every week we seem to turn around and there's more and more people showing up. 00:29:54.559 --> 00:29:57.440 And it's like, man, how do we, how do we disciple all these people? 00:29:57.440 --> 00:29:59.279 How do we get connected with all these people? 00:29:59.279 --> 00:30:05.119 Or Our team here would tell you one of the things I'm worried about all the time is people falling through the cracks. 00:30:05.119 --> 00:30:06.799 How do we how do we connect with these people? 00:30:06.799 --> 00:30:07.759 Build relationships. 00:30:07.759 --> 00:30:08.559 Who do we need to call? 00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:09.599 Who haven't we seen? 00:30:09.599 --> 00:30:12.720 They're like, golly, dude, give me a break. 00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:16.880 Um, how do I know him in those ways? 00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:17.359 Right. 00:30:17.359 --> 00:30:22.400 And and I just meant I loved that idea because it's so personal. 00:30:22.400 --> 00:30:26.799 I yeah, not just what would Jesus do, but why would he do it? 00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:27.200 Right. 00:30:27.200 --> 00:30:31.359 Why would he respond like this to my son who just smarted off? 00:30:31.359 --> 00:30:37.759 Why would he respond this way to our team as we're trying to think how we grow and disciple believers? 00:30:37.759 --> 00:30:40.400 Why why God, why would you do it that way? 00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:46.319 And man, I I think there's there's so much joy in getting to know him in that way. 00:30:46.319 --> 00:30:46.799 Yeah. 00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:48.640 Um that's growth. 00:30:48.640 --> 00:31:03.200 You wonder, um you wonder how you get to be that person and um who terrible things are happening all over the place, and and they're just sitting there um, are you sad? 00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:03.920 No. 00:31:03.920 --> 00:31:04.880 Are you mad? 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:05.759 No. 00:31:05.759 --> 00:31:08.000 I'm sitting here living in joy. 00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:14.000 And yeah, but all this stuff is going on and God's got it. 00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:16.000 Oh, that is so weak. 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:18.079 You know, that is God's got it. 00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:29.680 I mean, that's that's where and it's it's like yeah, but I've spent a life stepping out in faith and God has always had it. 00:31:29.680 --> 00:31:32.400 So I'm not afraid. 00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:33.279 Yeah. 00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:48.079 And um I've known several people like that in my life, but it it it is about not looking out there for the will of God, it's about knowing Him in following His ways. 00:31:48.079 --> 00:31:48.319 Yeah. 00:31:48.319 --> 00:31:49.839 You know, why do you want me to do this? 00:31:49.839 --> 00:31:58.880 Why why do I have to um I bought this car, it goes 180 miles an hour, and I'm only allowed to drive 70. 00:31:58.880 --> 00:32:00.400 Why? 00:32:00.400 --> 00:32:01.039 Why? 00:32:01.039 --> 00:32:02.720 Why can't I just go? 00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:08.720 And and the Lord says, Well, you spent a lot of money and you only needed a car that would go 70. 00:32:08.720 --> 00:32:11.920