WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:03.439 He just looked at me and said, Something's wrong. 00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:06.320 And he said, Let's go talk. 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:12.080 So we went out behind uh the lodge and he kind of shared exactly what I was going through in my life. 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:12.960 Exactly. 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:13.919 Wow. 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:16.399 And he said, You need to follow Jesus. 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:17.199 And I said, Why? 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:19.519 And he goes, Because you'll be a better person. 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:23.359 And Jesus will change your life from here on out. 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:28.160 Welcome to the Midweek Motivation Podcast, where we bring practical help for your faith and life. 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:29.760 Here's today's episode. 00:00:30.160 --> 00:00:33.200 Hey guys, uh, welcome to this week's Midweek Motivation. 00:00:33.359 --> 00:00:36.560 My name is Jess, and I've got my friend Tony here. 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:38.479 And uh Hello everybody. 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:41.200 Yeah, Tony's been with us a couple of times. 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:47.600 And he um what is your official thing that you do for um weekend services? 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:48.479 It's like stage production. 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:51.359 Oh geez, Barker's gonna kill me if I don't get this right. 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:56.159 I'm a stage director for now Saturday. 00:00:56.240 --> 00:01:00.159 I moved from doing all the services on Sunday to Saturday. 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:04.560 I just felt with that us wanting to do a Saturday service, that was I was called to do that. 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:05.359 Yeah, yeah. 00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:07.599 And you do an awesome, excellent job at it too. 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:07.760 Yeah. 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:09.359 I enjoy Saturday. 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:10.959 Saturday is it's just own thing. 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:11.760 I just love it. 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:12.319 Yeah. 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:25.920 It's uh it's uh maybe, maybe I'm projecting this, but I see in you like it's a missional type thing, and that's what you love, like to be on the cutting edge in the new thing, it like exciting, all that. 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:29.200 Yeah, I I like to see something from beginning to success. 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:29.599 Yeah. 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:38.000 You know, not necessarily to the end, but yeah, and I who would have thought that Saturday was gonna be this the way it is, all you know, within five months. 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:40.480 Just doesn't I didn't think that. 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:41.519 Five months. 00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:43.200 Oh my gosh, no kidding, huh? 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:44.640 Yeah, I think it's five months. 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:45.680 I can't believe that. 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:46.159 That's awesome. 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:53.760 Yeah, somebody came a couple weeks ago and I was saying that yeah, it was when we were doing four months, and I go, Yeah, he goes, Four months? 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:56.159 Didn't you've only been doing this for like a couple weeks, haven't you? 00:01:56.560 --> 00:01:57.040 I know, right? 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:57.280 Yeah. 00:01:57.519 --> 00:01:59.760 No, we've been doing it since the end of last year. 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:00.239 Yeah. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:03.439 And at the same time, it feels like we've always had a Saturday service, so that's cool. 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:05.040 Yeah, it's really it's great. 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:10.560 So if you don't if you can't come on a Sunday, you work, or your schedule's not right. 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:12.319 Saturday is for you. 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:17.039 It's early in the afternoon, so you can still go out and have dinner, go to a movie, go to a blazer game. 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:17.520 Yeah. 00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:18.879 Go home, whatever you want. 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:21.840 Yeah, because it's it's it's a perfect time for people. 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:22.639 Yeah. 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:23.439 All right. 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:29.680 Well, we weren't, we didn't uh that was just a whim, so uh a commercial for Saturday. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:30.400 Yes. 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:34.159 Um but we're in the middle of Holy Week. 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:34.719 Yeah. 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:35.360 Yeah. 00:02:35.520 --> 00:02:39.759 And so um it's a special time for you, especially if you're a believer, I think. 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:52.719 And and uh um, you know, I I don't have any like particular things from myself from like growing up or anything like that, because we didn't really participate in church a lot when I was younger. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:56.960 But how about you when you think Holy Week, what does that bring to mind? 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:07.039 What well I grew up early on grade school age in Southeast Portland, right by uh Catholic grade school. 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:10.240 So a lot of my friends were Catholic. 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:23.360 And I was a I remember being a little jealous that during Holy Week they had some there's some saint thing every day or there's some feast celebration every day for Holy Week, Ash Wednesday, and all that. 00:03:23.599 --> 00:03:26.639 And we were at the time Lutherans, which we didn't do anything. 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:27.199 Yeah. 00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:29.039 So we just go to church on Sunday. 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:34.319 There's Easter Easter morning service and Easter evening service, and that was it. 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:59.199 Um but years later, when um I had decided to follow Jesus and realized that Holy Week to me personally, and I think for a lot of Christians, is the most important event of Jesus' life and the fulfillment of God wanting to have a deep relationship with us and how that starts, and it starts with Jesus' resurrection. 00:03:59.840 --> 00:04:00.159 Yeah. 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:19.040 So that's what I think of is this is the fulfillment not only of the Old Testament um prophecies about the Messiah, but for us as Christians uh in the Old Testament and even up through Jesus' time, because they weren't Christians till later, right? 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:24.720 They didn't they didn't pull out their King James Bible on Easter and read it. 00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:28.160 So um, you know, we were not we were just not Christians. 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:32.160 You're either you're you're either Israelis, Jewish, or you weren't. 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:32.720 Right. 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:33.759 So Yeah. 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:43.920 Wow, I'm like as you say that it makes me think back um to like the gospels and there's this moment in the Garden of Gethsemane. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:05:10.000 Um if I don't know how familiar maybe our audience is about about this, but there's a moment when Jesus knows that he is headed toward Jerusalem and he goes with his disciples to pray and is under so much stress that he's like sweating blood and he prays that prayer and says, you know, Lord, if if you're willing, take this cup from me, but if not, like I'm gonna be obedient, essentially. 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:19.040 I'm I'm paraphrasing that's not exact scripture, but you know, and then he dis but he makes that decision, it seems like, to go at that point in time. 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:21.439 Not that he wasn't going to, but you know what I mean? 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:33.360 Like Well it's the demonstration of that he's human like us that he felt he he felt the anxiety, the stress, the pain, the f the physical manifestations of stress in your life, yeah, like we all do. 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:33.839 Yeah. 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:39.759 So I mean I think that's part of him saying, I'm one of you, yeah, and I'm coming back for you. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:40.240 Yeah. 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:41.920 So and then he goes. 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:46.160 And and so that's kind of like what what you're talking about, it seems like. 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:46.399 Yeah. 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:47.360 Yeah. 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:56.079 I mean you you we can get bogged down in the prophecy he's fulfillment of the prophecy, and you can interpret all that. 00:05:56.959 --> 00:05:59.439 And it it's never ending, right? 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:03.040 That that um dialogue of For sure. 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:04.720 Did he really fulfill this? 00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:09.759 Was is it really prophesied that Mary was he was gonna be from a virgin birth and all? 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:22.160 I mean none of that is really as important as he was obedient, he f he went to the city, he had told his disciples and all of his followers, You have me for a little while. 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:25.920 Yeah, when I'm leaving and I don't think any of them believed it. 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:31.839 And I don't think well, we know that uh many of them didn't believe it until he showed himself after his resurrection. 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:32.319 Yeah. 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:41.040 So you know, Thomas had to had to touch his wounds, and and I think he probably was like, Oh, geez, okay, I get it now. 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:41.920 Yeah. 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:44.240 Wow, that's it's just incredible. 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:57.279 After like, I'm pausing for a second because it's incredible to think through that process of of what Jesus did and what like how he led his his um disciples through that process as well and what they all went through. 00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:15.920 But like I've always it Holy Week has always felt heavy to me, just because like he starts out the week by entering into the city of Jerusalem with everybody celebrating, and then the end of it is I mean, well, the end of it is his resurrection, but you know, everybody feels so heavy and defeated. 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:19.120 At least I get that sense when I'm reading at the cross. 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:30.399 Yeah, I I I I often wonder, you know, when he entered the city, um, he wasn't on a triumphant, you know, he wasn't on, you know, the king's horses. 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:30.879 Yep. 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:33.839 He just came in on a donkey. 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:42.079 Um when during that process did his followers go, Oh my goodness, he they really are going to kill him. 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:42.480 Yeah. 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:46.000 There's there's when was that point of no return? 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:49.839 Which stations of the cross that we go to now was it? 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:51.279 You know. 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:52.959 Um my gosh. 00:07:53.279 --> 00:08:01.360 And how and how dark all that got when they do when they did put him on the cross and nailing him up and how brutalized, how brutalized he was by then. 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:09.920 Um and it's hard, it's a juxtaposition of right, here's the the man of sorrows, extreme grief. 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:19.120 But then when he reveals himself to people afterwards, um they were like, He is alive. 00:08:19.199 --> 00:08:19.839 No, he's not. 00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:20.959 Yes, he is. 00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:24.000 You know, go tell the disciples, I just saw him. 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:27.680 They didn't even recognize him when he knocked on somebody's door at one point, right? 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:36.159 Yeah, and when he was walking, when he was walking with two people on the pathway, yeah, his resurrection body was different enough that they didn't recognize him. 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:37.840 They said, Didn't you hear? 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:38.720 Yeah. 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:45.519 Well, wasn't it like Mary even the mist mistook him for the gardener too at the tomb, right? 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:48.799 Yeah, because they're like, no way, like it's not possible. 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:50.720 Um it's not even a consideration, right? 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:51.679 Wow, crazy. 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:56.240 Yeah, and those those are uh those are just events that happened. 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:58.720 We have good records of that. 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:08.159 We have all the testimony inner inner circle people and uh people that weren't part of that later on, attesting to, yeah, this did happen. 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:09.759 Yeah, I know people who saw this. 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:11.039 Actual account, yep. 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:12.480 Yeah, that's super cool. 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:30.799 So you may you talked about the donkey thing, and I learned something new this year when studying this, and even just from the Sunday, that that like you said, there wasn't a like he didn't come riding on a this grandiose like King's horse with all of that pomp and circumstance, right? 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:31.440 He came on a donkey. 00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:32.080 He could have though. 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:32.639 Yeah, he didn't know. 00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:34.080 He could have, he just he didn't. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:34.720 Yeah. 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:36.720 He came on a donkey. 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:37.840 Right. 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:43.279 And and there's actual symbolism behind that donkey from that time frame too, right? 00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:49.919 It's it's that he was um it it was peace and what's the other piece of it I forget now. 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:53.279 Peace and you can look it up. 00:09:55.360 --> 00:10:14.000 Well, I always see that as um as Jesus taking control of the situation, saying, I am not who the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the priests think I am the way they're expecting me to come in. 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:14.879 Yeah. 00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:19.600 And oh that was confirmation that this is what he'd been saying all along. 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:23.200 It's also confirmation of the prophecies from like Isaiah. 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:23.919 Yeah. 00:10:24.080 --> 00:10:31.840 Well, in his early ministries, you know, he spent most of his time with the poor people, with the people that were oppressed by the by the system. 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:37.679 And I think up to that point, it's I am still for the people. 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:40.639 I'm still here, not for the well, I'm here for the sick. 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:41.120 Yeah. 00:10:41.360 --> 00:10:47.919 And you juxtapose that with how he's going to come from what from what we know of Revelations, right? 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:51.679 He's coming on a big white steed, he's coming in all power. 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:54.559 It's yeah, this is how I'm coming now. 00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:56.320 This is how I'm going to just wait. 00:10:57.679 --> 00:10:58.000 Yeah. 00:10:58.240 --> 00:10:58.559 Yeah. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:04.720 I think that's uh oh gosh, I had a thought and I got distracted because I was looking about looking up the donkey thing. 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:09.840 Well, a donkey and a cult, remember, he told his people to get two things. 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:15.919 There was peace and there was one other thing, but I can't remember what it was that the doc donkey symbolized, but I don't know that it matters all that much. 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:18.480 Look it up, it's in Luke 19. 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:20.240 Yeah, yeah. 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:30.639 But um, I I think that it's interesting that not only did did Jesus say that he was coming like in humility, but that he was also coming. 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:37.279 I think peace just in general is uh an interesting idea for a king to come in. 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:50.159 Um and you know, um, in today's worlds, we've got marketing and and lobbying and all of the like for like say a presidential election, they're they're like, I promise this to you. 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:58.080 Like in in other countries, like when somebody comes over and they're it's a it's a conquer type thing, but it's usually done with force. 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:09.440 But Jesus, um, even like in the Old Testament prophecies and what he told the um disp uh disciples is that he was coming in in peace. 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:20.080 And we can see uh the way that he came and the way that he um uh established his kingdom kingdom was actually through his death and his sacrifice, right? 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:24.480 And then we go in and we we look at scripture like the armor of God. 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:40.720 And uh and in Ephesians it talks about putting on your armor, you know, the armor of God, and it's like a full suit of armor, but all of the the pieces of that are the it's like it's all symbolum symbolism for something that's peaceful, really, right? 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:50.399 Like the the mo the only offensive tool in that is the sword, and the sword represents truth, and Jesus that's what he uses as weapon was truth, you know. 00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:55.679 Yeah, he didn't go into Jerusalem on a horse with armor and like okay, I'm taking over. 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:57.200 Yeah, which is what I expected. 00:12:57.519 --> 00:13:01.200 And I think that the religious leechers leaders of the day, that's what they expected. 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:01.759 Yeah. 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:07.840 And um I'm not sure what people expected. 00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:16.720 You know, the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the temple priests, they would read the scriptures, the Old Testament writings to people. 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:20.559 Probably not many people had anything in their homes that they could read, right? 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:23.360 So you'd go to the temple for scripture reading all day. 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:25.279 Everybody was reading the scriptures all day. 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:34.960 So you're going to expect what you're taught in the synagogues, which was the Messiah is going to be this big powerful governmental ruler, right? 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:38.240 And he isn't this time. 00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:45.840 So he came in peace, he came, he came in on a donkey, which is the beast of burden, right? 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:51.200 It's the it's the animal that everybody had, that the common people had. 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:52.879 And he came in as them. 00:13:53.039 --> 00:14:03.600 He didn't come in as a religious leader, he didn't come in as a politician, he didn't come in as uh, you know, a Solomon or a David, you know, I'm gonna defeat all evil by force. 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:12.799 He came in quietly, peacefully, and that's why we're encouraged in the in in our New Testament is you know, blessed are the peacemakers, right? 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:13.679 Yeah, yeah. 00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:15.600 So that's awesome. 00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:19.120 I that's a a perfect uh segue. 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:40.960 And that's when um Jesus sent out, sent out the disciples two by two, and he said, Look for people of peace, right? 00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:46.000 And um Yeah, if somebody doesn't accept you, yeah, go find another place to stay, right? 00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:46.399 Yeah, yeah. 00:14:47.279 --> 00:14:49.279 Leave the dust in their house and go somewhere else. 00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:49.679 Yeah. 00:14:49.919 --> 00:15:09.360 So the people of peace um that we're looking for are people who are receptive and are um, but but Jesus did say, like, to his disciples, his marching orders, like his last marching orders were um, I mean, essentially follow me, but he gave uh he gave real specific, you know, instructions. 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:11.120 Go and make disciples, yeah. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:25.360 Yeah, and and so much of that early talk about being peaceful and gentle is in the Sermon on the Mount, the what we call the Beatitudes are Christian theology, theological word, the Beatitudes, it's all it's all that. 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:31.120 It's be humble, it's be merciful, it's take care of people who can't take care of themselves. 00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:38.480 Um and when we look around in our society right now, even in our evangelical society, you think, oh my goodness. 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:39.279 I know, yeah. 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:42.000 Are we not I mean I'm not living like that? 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:42.559 Honest. 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:44.080 I look at myself like that. 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:49.600 And the one of the reasons why I thought that it'd be great to have this conversation with you is because you are excellent at this, I think. 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:55.200 Like you just connect really well with people and see them where they're at and and are able to engage. 00:15:55.279 --> 00:16:01.279 And so it's it's really cool to have this conversation of follow me. 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:08.240 This is what it looks like to share the gospel, this is what it looks like to share the good news, to share Jesus with other people. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:11.679 And we we do it by being peacemakers, right? 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:13.600 And we go find our people of peace. 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:16.320 Yeah, and it's it's difficult sometimes. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:23.279 You have this inner struggle, it's like, I am why would somebody want to follow me because I follow Jesus? 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:26.639 I am like we say, you know, no perfect people allowed. 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:29.360 Yeah, I am as imperfect as you can get. 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:36.480 And I have my frailties and my flaws that unfortunately I exhibit more often than I care to. 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:46.639 Um but that is our strength when we want to talk to other people about, you know, you know, the question is, why should someone follow Jesus? 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:49.440 What can I tell them about following Jesus? 00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:51.279 Why do I follow Jesus, right? 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:53.279 Why should you follow Jesus? 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:53.679 Yeah. 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:55.039 You know, why do we follow Jesus? 00:16:55.200 --> 00:17:02.080 I don't think we ask that question to ourselves, and I don't think we give ourselves a good enough answer to share with people why do you follow Jesus? 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:06.240 Wow, that's a yeah, that's a great question for all of us to pause on the job. 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:07.039 What would you answer? 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:08.720 You're you're in you're in Why do I follow Jesus? 00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:09.920 Yeah, why do you follow Jesus? 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:28.960 Uh um because I honestly I earlier on in my life, I would say because um of the change that I've seen him make in my life, because he met me um when I was six, and I I had a childlike faith. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:48.000 I just believed, and in that childlike faith, I had God experience and relationship just naturally, and then I walked away when I was 13, made terrible life decisions, realized that his way is the way that works, and went back and he started changing my life again. 00:17:48.079 --> 00:17:48.720 You know what I mean? 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:51.119 And so that's all experiential. 00:17:51.440 --> 00:18:08.240 And then as I started to dive in and started asking myself questions that I think people who didn't know Jesus yet would ask me, I started to wrestle through a lot of those questions and realized, yeah, those are valid questions. 00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:11.200 Like, why, you know, why is that? 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:12.960 Like, why do I believe? 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:16.720 Like, how do I know for sure that Jesus raised from the dead? 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:19.440 Like, how do I know he is who he said he is? 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:29.759 And so I started actually wrestling through those things while going through the historical uh accounts, and now my answer is because it's the truth. 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:30.559 Right. 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:31.680 It did happen. 00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:32.480 It did happen. 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:33.119 Yeah, yeah. 00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:42.400 Yeah, I and I think it's similar to me is you know, I followed Jesus because somebody told me that I should, and I said, Well, why should I? 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:46.480 And then the Holy Spirit said, This is why you should, Tony. 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:48.960 I mean, I I think I've shared this before that. 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:55.839 Um when I uh the day that I decided to follow Jesus, it was a clear voice from him. 00:18:56.079 --> 00:19:04.319 I can't tell you what the words were, but I heard it, a clear voice to Tony, that something like, I've got you, or you're mine now. 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:10.319 Wow, when you so can you elaborate on I heard a clear voice, because there are so many people who wrestle with that. 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:12.880 Yeah, and some people don't, you know, some people don't. 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:16.640 You know, people who say that I've always been a Christian, I've grown up a Christian household. 00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:21.599 I I yes, there was a day that I I said the words, I did the I did the prayer. 00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:26.079 Um but some people like me who weren't formerly church, or we weren't evangelical. 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:34.240 I mean, we went to church on all the great holidays and when somebody got baptized or whatever, but I didn't I didn't come from an evangelical household. 00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:50.720 So um when when a friend of mine said, you know, met me up at uh Timberline Lodge that day when I um well there was a day when cars didn't have hood latches on the inside, and somebody could steal your battery quite easily. 00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:51.119 Okay. 00:19:51.440 --> 00:20:00.240 So somebody stole my battery, so I called this friend of mine that I hadn't seen in a while, because I wasn't living in Hillsborough, I was living in Central Oregon, and I said, Hey, someone stole my battery, can you help me out? 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:08.160 And he you know, there was payphones, there weren't cereal phones, you couldn't text, there wasn't nobody was gonna deliver things. 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:10.319 Um It was a different world. 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:23.440 So we're standing by the payphone in Timberline Lodge calling back and forth to each other, and he finally came up and um and delivered a battery and said he he looked at me and said, You're in trouble, are you? 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:25.200 Yes, I am. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:27.200 Big trouble. 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:30.559 Give me a moment. 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:36.480 He just looked at me and said, Something's wrong. 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:39.680 And he said, Let's go talk. 00:20:39.759 --> 00:20:45.440 So we went out behind uh the lodge and he kind of shared exactly what I was going through in my life. 00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:46.319 Exactly. 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:47.200 Wow. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:50.559 And he said, You need to follow Jesus, and I said, Why? 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:52.880 And he goes, Because you'll be a better person. 00:20:54.079 --> 00:20:57.119 And Jesus will change your life from here on out. 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:14.079 And so um, so we didn't plan this, but um this is the Bible that I took out of the desk, out of the nightstand at my room in Timberline Lodge after I received Christ. 00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:16.559 This is the original cover of it. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:17.680 It's all beat up. 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:19.119 Pieces are coming out. 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:27.200 And there was a girl at um a girl in our office who I saw that she had a a couple books and she was binding books. 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:28.880 I said, Do you repair books? 00:21:28.960 --> 00:21:30.160 She goes, I'm trying to teach myself. 00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:32.319 I go, would you I have a book, would you repair? 00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:32.640 Yeah. 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:39.680 I didn't tell her it was my Bible, and I and I brought it in, and I was opening it up and I was showing her how the pages were falling out. 00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:47.359 And I said, This is my first Bible that I got the day that I decided to follow Jesus, and it's it's all marked up and pages are falling out. 00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:54.240 And um I shared less emotional than what I just did. 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:56.640 I didn't have ugly cryface that day. 00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:01.599 Um, and then she had this for weeks, and I think she She was kind of afraid to do anything with it. 00:22:01.680 --> 00:22:03.359 She kept asking me little questions. 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:08.559 But it it it let me have a conversation with her about why this was really important. 00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:08.799 Yeah. 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:20.640 Now I don't we've never talked about faith or anything since then, but it was an opportunity for me to get this thing fixed and pass it down to my family if anybody else wants it. 00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:21.119 Yeah. 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:28.160 Um but again, you know, why sh why would you tell somebody to follow Jesus? 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:31.359 Or why would you tell somebody to follow you because you follow Jesus? 00:22:31.680 --> 00:22:33.119 Because it's true. 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:50.079 And if you are open to a conversation about it, seriously, if you're a seeker or you have issues in your life, we've all everybody has asked the question, I don't care what they say, is what is the meaning of my life? 00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:51.200 What is my purpose? 00:22:51.359 --> 00:22:52.240 Why am I here? 00:22:52.400 --> 00:22:53.599 How did I get here? 00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:59.200 Um we have just the perfect opportunity when it comes to weeks like Easter. 00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:02.960 We do Easter big, we do Christmas big, we do baptisms big. 00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:04.720 Those are all opportunities. 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:13.119 I mean, people bring non-Christian family members to baptisms, and those are perfect reasons why you can have conversations with people. 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:15.440 You know, why do you follow Jesus? 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:16.640 Because he's real. 00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:22.000 He says what we've been taught all our lives is true, and we can prove it. 00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:29.599 And we don't have to do it through theology, we don't have to do it through denominational differences. 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:31.519 Um, it's all simple. 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:34.079 It's in here, it's it's simple. 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:37.359 Jesus is who he says he is. 00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:40.000 Nobody comes to God but through me. 00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:45.519 God wants to have a relationship with us, that's why he created us, he wants to have a relationship with us. 00:23:46.160 --> 00:23:57.599 And now that we have Jesus, we don't have to go through a priest, we don't have to go through all the laws and rules and regulations of um of the Old Testament. 00:23:57.759 --> 00:23:58.160 Yeah. 00:23:58.400 --> 00:23:59.440 We just have Jesus. 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:00.480 Yeah, he's right there. 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:05.839 He he he brings things to God, but he also is God, right? 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:06.400 Right. 00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:11.039 And we have the Holy Spirit to be a different kind of conscience than we used to have. 00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:11.599 Yeah. 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:13.279 And all those things are real. 00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:18.640 And why would why would you not want that in your life, no matter whether your life is great or not great. 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:18.880 Yeah. 00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:20.240 Why would you not want that? 00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:21.599 Oh my goodness. 00:24:21.839 --> 00:24:23.759 I mean, I feel like we could just stop. 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:26.000 So good. 00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:26.720 Well. 00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:30.720 I mean, our s we've gone over this before, but yeah. 00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:34.160 Our stories are our stories, and nobody can tell you they're not, right? 00:24:34.319 --> 00:24:34.720 Yeah. 00:24:35.039 --> 00:24:40.480 So never be afraid to tell people how you decided to follow Jesus. 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:40.880 Yeah. 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:42.880 Because they can't tell you that it didn't happen. 00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:44.480 Yeah, I can tell you this. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:45.759 I have proof. 00:24:46.559 --> 00:24:50.720 This came November 1976. 00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:51.519 It happened. 00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:52.000 Yeah. 00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:56.000 I can tell you, I've got people that are still alive that were there that day with me. 00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:58.160 I can prove that that really happened in my life. 00:24:58.319 --> 00:24:58.480 Yeah. 00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:02.720 And that's why I would that's why I'm not afraid to tell people that they should follow Jesus. 00:25:03.039 --> 00:25:03.680 That's amazing. 00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:04.160 Okay. 00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:18.559 So to get into a little bit more nitty-gritty on the engagement, like this conversation that you were able to have with this woman was an incredible opportunity, and you grabbed a hold of it. 00:25:18.799 --> 00:25:24.319 And I know that you have probably thousands of other examples of how you've engaged with people. 00:25:24.640 --> 00:25:26.799 Yeah, just since I started going here. 00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:27.759 Yeah. 00:25:28.000 --> 00:25:35.599 So so number one, I hear you say, just don't be sh afraid or shy of being yourself, right? 00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:49.759 Um, but also the do what uh what other tips do you have or whatever like opportunities, opportunities of engagement can you share with people to look out for and be sensitive to, like, you know what I mean? 00:25:50.079 --> 00:26:02.960 Yeah, I mean, people people spend most of their time in the workplace, and there's always a kind of a taboo about talking about spiritual things at work, right? 00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:15.279 And um, it wasn't really until we had the um change your world um uh program that we that we did for a couple years that I decided that was that was my thing is okay, I'm gonna just start. 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:18.960 I don't care if I get in trouble at work, I'm I'm gonna talk about Jesus at work. 00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:24.319 I'm gonna invite people to our events, everyone we have, and to regular church on Sunday. 00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:37.279 So I think you just have to say I'm gonna I'm gonna talk about Jesus to my friends, who I am, why why it's important in my life and what changes it's made. 00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:46.960 Um and if you go to West Side, why wouldn't you want your friends to come here on a Saturday or Sunday? 00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:47.440 Yeah. 00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:49.279 This is not regular church. 00:26:49.519 --> 00:26:50.480 It's a pretty cool place. 00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:51.359 I agree. 00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:57.359 This is not two upbeat songs and one ballad kind of a church, right? 00:26:57.519 --> 00:26:57.759 Yeah. 00:26:58.240 --> 00:27:03.039 We have a level that we get to and we stay that way the whole weekend long. 00:27:03.200 --> 00:27:03.519 Yeah. 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:14.079 Um and it's because we realize that people and the church, the local church and the greater church, can change your life. 00:27:14.559 --> 00:27:18.000 And they can be they can be their they can be your social net, right? 00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:19.519 They can be your safety net. 00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:31.920 And you know, the these uh midweek motivations, the stories that people tell are just why wouldn't you want that in your life, right? 00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:33.440 Very true, yeah. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:34.319 Wow. 00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:42.000 And you just have to uh find people that might listen to you and and maybe some that are stubborn and not. 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:43.519 Because what what do you have to lose? 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:50.400 You get written up at work or whatever it is, or your family gatherings, you're gonna you'll be that person. 00:27:50.640 --> 00:27:52.880 Oh, there's Tony again. 00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:55.200 He's gonna invite us to church. 00:27:55.519 --> 00:27:56.319 Yes, I am. 00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:56.799 Yeah. 00:27:57.039 --> 00:27:58.559 Because your life will be better for it. 00:27:58.799 --> 00:27:59.039 Yeah. 00:27:59.279 --> 00:28:00.960 Well, at least you're predictable, right? 00:28:01.279 --> 00:28:02.319 Yeah, yes. 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:03.440 That's awesome. 00:28:03.599 --> 00:28:04.319 I love it. 00:28:04.799 --> 00:28:05.920 Oh man, okay. 00:28:06.160 --> 00:28:20.400 Well, I honestly I f I feel like that kind of lands um where I I was hoping this conversation would, just connecting that idea that that Jesus it came in such an unexpected way. 00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:29.279 And in that unexpected way, we we saw peace and he told us to follow him, and then told us to go find more people and bring them back. 00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:33.920 So so um number one, thank you for sharing your story. 00:28:34.079 --> 00:28:35.519 Uh I I love it. 00:28:35.599 --> 00:28:36.559 Yeah, we never plan these. 00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:37.680 People think we write the scripts. 00:28:37.759 --> 00:28:39.359 We never you and I never plan these. 00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:44.880 We just have these conversations on a Sunday or Saturday in the lobby. 00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:45.839 So it's good. 00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:57.599 Well, I mean, Jesus, the the whole Easter week and the whole this whole season happened, and that happened for us for for it to help us and for us to tell other people. 00:28:57.839 --> 00:28:58.240 This happened. 00:28:58.559 --> 00:28:58.880 Yeah. 00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:00.720 So that we can bring bring other people with us. 00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:02.160 So we can go tell other people. 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:03.599 Yeah, that's good stuff. 00:29:03.839 --> 00:29:04.240 All right. 00:29:04.400 --> 00:29:20.079 Well, I think um if you had one thing or I should I I guess I'll ask it this way if you had one encouragement or one additional thing that you didn't get to say that you want people to walk away with, what might it be? 00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:21.680 Maybe you've said it already. 00:29:23.759 --> 00:29:31.680