Worship and Leadership by LifePoint Creative
This podcast was intended to resource our Dream Teamers at LifePoint Church, with biblical fundamentals on worship, life and a variety of leadership principles.
Worship and Leadership by LifePoint Creative
The Jesus People Need to See
Edwin Portillo's journey is nothing short of inspiring—moving from El Salvador to the United States, he has embraced a new culture and language while pursuing his passion for music and creativity. Join us as Edwin shares how his mother's unwavering work ethic influenced his path, leading him to study audio engineering at Nashville State Community College. From his work as a general contractor to launching a music label and nurturing Hispanic artists, Edwin's multifaceted career paints a vivid picture of resilience and creativity.
In our conversation, we explore how humility and collaboration are essential in expressing creativity and nurturing spiritual growth within the church. Edwin and I reflect on the importance of recognizing and nurturing our unique gifts as a collective force for good, inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus. By embracing our talents—whether in music, finance, or community service—we not only grow individually but contribute to a harmonious and flourishing church community.
Don't miss this enriching dialogue with Edwin Portillo, as we embrace creativity and the power of community in God's kingdom.
Hey, what's up everybody, and welcome to Worship and Leadership by LifePoint Creative. My name is Elmer Canaz Jr and I'm excited that we get to hang out today and here in the studio, like always, my friend, you know the one and only Willie C Simpson. What's up? What's up? Hold on. I got to turn on your mic. You ready? You're on a different mic today. All right, yo. What is going on?
Speaker 2:I'm geeking man. I'm excited to be here today.
Speaker 1:I have you on the pink mic today.
Speaker 2:That's all good man, Listen man, Real men wear pink.
Speaker 1:That's great. Wear pink on Sunday.
Speaker 2:Okay, I will. I will wear pink on Sunday. I will wear pink on Sunday, all right.
Speaker 1:I'm preaching, so I'm going to call you out. Call me out, Pastor Willie. Please stand up.
Speaker 2:I'm going to stand up. For sure, I'm going to have a pink shirt on.
Speaker 1:Come on. Hey, I'm excited because today we have our friend in the studio.
Speaker 2:Yes, so we have Edwin.
Speaker 3:Portillo, Edwin. What's up? What's up, guys. I'm glad to be here with you guys. Man, it's already a joyful afternoon. I can imagine what's going to happen here today.
Speaker 2:We're about to get crazy there.
Speaker 4:We're about to get some lives saved tonight. Man, let's go. Yes, we are, come on.
Speaker 3:Let's go get saved.
Speaker 1:tonight we're going to call the ushers, we're going to line them up Outside the door. That's right, we're going to lay hands on people, come on somebody.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir. That's my kind of church.
Speaker 1:You already know.
Speaker 2:Okay, when we get the, we would get the ursus up there With the white gloves. And the sheriff's star Folks be laid out. Hit them with the modesty cloth, Cover them up. Yep Got to. Gotta keep it sanctified man Jesus made. Come on In Jesus' name.
Speaker 1:Hey, edwin, thank you for being here, man, I'm so glad that we get to hang out and hear a little bit about your story. And then also I have a conversation I want to dive into about creativity creatives in the church. But before we dive into that, we want to get to know a little bit about you. I know some about you but, we want everyone that's listening on the podcast to know who Edwin is.
Speaker 2:I was joking like dude. You are literally a master. You're a jack of all trades man, like you're doing all.
Speaker 4:I just had a mother that would not let me steal steel.
Speaker 3:She was like oh you got to go sweep the corridor right now.
Speaker 4:You get two minutes. You're going to go wash the car right now, Okay, so man. Momo got me straight man. Yeah, so I am the product of that. So thank you guys for having me over. It's an honor. It's a pleasure to be here, Pastor Elmer. Pastor, just so glad to be, here, man, what Pastor Mike is doing to this ministry.
Speaker 4:Yeah, man, we honor them and uh, yeah, man, so immigrant parents of course you can see it for my blue skin and, uh, you know, grew up, grew up, was born in la, uh, moved to el salvador when I was five parents you know just that american dream came to work, went back home and I grew up there. I grew up on salvador until 18. Then I moved to the states, you know, with my sister and, um, I had to learn the language again, as you can tell, sorry for my Russian accent, so you know, but went to school after a couple years for audio and engineering here in the States, in Nashville State Community College. And I mean, when I moved to the States, all I knew was Spanish. So my first job was a framing job. Man, I went in and and help, uh, one of the guys to do framing and start doing houses, and that's how everything began.
Speaker 4:Man, I was always involved in some kind of phase of construction. I'm a general contractor now, yeah, uh, and music never left me, man, music was always. And we grew up in church playing. That's all I remember. My youth, my childhood was just a keyboard or a guitar or a saxophone, and that's all we remember. We gave our life to the Lord very early on and basically grew up in church.
Speaker 4:So, it's been a pleasure to see what God has done and the promises of God, his faithfulness, and we're just part of it. Amen, come on.
Speaker 2:And so yeah, so you again your music's in your blood. So, auto engineer, do you play any instruments? I?
Speaker 4:play keyboard. Yeah, I play keyboard piano, a little bit of acoustic guitar. I used to play saxophone pretty well. Actually, you play bass, I play bass, come on, because once you learn one instrument and everything, it's about the same use for the chords. I mean I can hang in there with an electric guitar, but I don't pursue it much. I do a lot of programming, I do a lot of producing and all that, so it's fun, man.
Speaker 1:And most recently, you're starting a label.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we are working on—we actually are developing our first artist right now. Oh man, come on. Yeah, he's going to die. We're excited. We just finished a five-song EP. We're releasing a single January Okay, yeah, so we're very excited. He's a Hispanic artist. Okay, we're very, very. I will tell you more about it, but it's going to be a big deal so we're very excited about that.
Speaker 1:We're excited for you, man.
Speaker 2:Okay, so let's just run through the resume. Okay, so we got framing, slash, construction right. So that's all levels, all phases. You're a GC, so you can do it all. You can manage that. You're an instrumentalist. Do you sing? You're a vocalist.
Speaker 4:I used to have a band man. Believe me or not, I had a band. I was trying to save the world. You don't hear his voice, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, it's Monday. He's been working on the weekend.
Speaker 3:I was your brother trying to make some money last night.
Speaker 2:So you know, under the bridge you know preaching to the, to the lost souls man under the bridge. So you're a vocalist, you're an instrumentalist, you're a producer, you're an audio engineer. Obviously you write music. I do. Yeah, I mean so. So here's a guy who can build the studio. Not only build the studio, he can make it work. He can lay down all the tracks, all the instruments and then provide the vocals if he wants to as well. He ain't got to pay nobody. You know what?
Speaker 4:I think he's the artist that's going to be released next year he said, we're really excited about this artist you know, but it's, it's about the, it's about the collaboration with different people, you know. I mean you can definitely do it, but then you rob the beauty of doing it as a group, you know, doing it as a collection, you know.
Speaker 2:It's just great. I just got to tell you. I mean, I don't know personally if I know anybody who has more individualized gifts than you. You are an extremely gifted individual man.
Speaker 4:God has really blessed you and graced you. God is good man. God is good man. God is good. Just send a text to my mom and let her know all those beatings, man.
Speaker 3:They paid off man. All the beatings. You know, if you're a Latino you got a few of those Mama.
Speaker 2:It worked okay. Well listen, the Bible says spare the rod spoil the child. She really took that to heart, Not my baby.
Speaker 1:He ain't going to be spoiled. Hey Willie, did you get whooped as a kid?
Speaker 2:Brother, look at me. What you think? Did I get whooped as a kid? You?
Speaker 3:kidding me. I needed some of those, though. Oh, absolutely, I'm very grateful 100%.
Speaker 2:I would either be in jail or in the morgue. I'm letting you know right now. Thank God for the belt and the switch and the extension cord and whatsoever else my mom could grab, and the chanclet you know about the chanclet, I know about the chanclet.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, absolutely, we call them slippers, slippers.
Speaker 3:Y'all call them chanclet we call them the slippers, the flying chanclet bro.
Speaker 2:Chancleta, slipper, same language Chancleta, that's universal. Okay, you had a soul behind.
Speaker 4:At the end of the day, the same effect, same effect, ah.
Speaker 2:Ah that translates to all languages. What did that mean? That means ah Say it in Japanese, ah Say it in Spanish.
Speaker 1:Ah Say it in Greek, ah Say it in Swahili discipline is a universal language oh man, alright, so I got one too.
Speaker 3:You mentioned the chancha look where we're at today.
Speaker 1:Look where we're at today. Instead of talking creative, let's talk about therapy come on now mama's creative bro.
Speaker 2:It's a different way to get me you got three grown men here and all of us is in ministry because our mamas didn't spare the rod. Come on, you know I thank God for it. I'm just telling you. I mean, we're here today because we had parents that believed in this discipline, definitely, and I think it's beautiful that they believed.
Speaker 1:I'm just even considering my parents. They believed and trusted the people in the church, yeah, and like I don't even think they knew everyone as well as they thought they knew, but they trusted the Lord with our lives, and so I am grateful, and so a lot of times, you guys see my kids around the church too, and I'll be running around helping out in different places, but I believe that there's something forming about having our kids grow up in the church. Amen, you know, and so, yeah, it's awesome man.
Speaker 1:It's awesome and what I love about Edwin is you do all these things and you're so humble, bro. Yes, and one of the things is God will gift you and empower you in so many ways, but humility leads the way and, man, thank you for being humble. That continues to open doors and more doors for you, man and for your family.
Speaker 1:That continues to open doors and more doors for you, man, and for your family, and so I think that's awesome. Every conversation we've had, it's just been how are you doing, how are you doing? And I'm grateful for our friendship, man, and for what God's doing in your life. Yeah, come on.
Speaker 4:Man. Thank the. Lord for that man because there's nothing good in us but Holy Spirit. Man, that's the only—we've been pruned and we've been to hell back and forth a couple of times and we're still smoking a little bit, but we're good, we're here man.
Speaker 2:Come on, that's a good little singe hair. Let me ask you this, edwin, again as a creative, I mean literally, I mean you're the embodiment of creativity, with all that God's graced you with. To Pastor Emma's point being so humble how do you define creativity in the church context? You know you're serving in the church now and obviously you know helping to improve their flow of worship and things. So how do you define creativity and why is it essential in the church?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think to me, creativity it comes with the I what is missing right now. Okay, so that's not there, so let with the I what is missing right now.
Speaker 4:Okay, so that's not there, so let me make it. Okay, that's how I can define. If I can make a picture of how I think about it is what's missing, and I heard somebody saying earlier in my life if you see a need, it means God gave you the capacity to meet the need. Because you're seeing it now, come on. So to me, god is a creative God. We were made right at his image. So I think we are all creative. Some are creative with finances, some are creative with law, some are creative in music, some are creative I mean, I think everybody's creative. There's just no such a thing. Sometimes we get distracted and that's where the creativity stops. So if we keep our mind open, our eyes open, there's a need, just do it.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. I love that idea. Something missing, you see it? That means God's called you to and he's going to enable you to meet that need. So why is creativity vital in the church? Why is it essential? Because there are some people who are like anti-creativity, it feels like. But why is it essential? Why is it vital in the church?
Speaker 4:I think, with the image of Christ. And so if Christ, god the Father, is creative, the church needs to be creative. Yeah, that's just the nature of who he is. It's just when we miss, when we don't have an identity, who God is or we don't understand, you know, the heart of the Father. Yeah, I mean even the place that he created for us. You know, in six days. I mean it took him some time, he got done in one day, but why did it take six days to do it? And then the last one he rest the seventh day. So I feel like if he did that, he's calling us to be like him. Then we got to go do something for six days.
Speaker 4:And then let's take one day and just rest, just as he did man that's so good.
Speaker 2:I love the idea. You said God created the earth for us and we look at the earth and there's beauty, there's diversity, there's unity, there's harmony, but man, there's just, I mean, all these very colors and textures and all of these things. So how do you view your role in church as really helping to bring God's image and God's presence to bear? Because it's easy to look at oh, I'm just moving a fader or I'm just changing a library, but how do you view that as like expressing, you know, worship towards God?
Speaker 4:in church we're one body, so I understand that whatever is needed in the body is my role to cover Right now. We recently joined a church, a victory church, in Antioch. We're so happy to be there, pastor Troy and Darla yeah. And as much as I love to play music, there's a need right now in sound, so I mean I can be creative, but I think the need right now is for me to meet the need. So I just jump in the role of that for now, until we can raise somebody else, because I feel like we are to empower others to do it as well, and I feel like the only way I can grow is if I give what I know. If I don't empty my vessel, then I'm full, so I cannot get full anymore.
Speaker 3:Come on you know.
Speaker 4:But so I believe if I want to be, if I want to receive more, I need to empty it on a daily basis. Yeah, and when you empty it on a daily basis, you understand it's not yours, it comes from God. So if we talk about humbleness, I really believe humbleness is not just a quality. Humbleness is a daily decision. You know, I understand today that God put this on me, so it's not mine. So why would I boast about that? It's God's. You know I'm not going to win this over fighting with somebody over something. You know I think I will win if I just stay quiet and let that other person believe that they won. Then actually I won. You know, I think I will win if I just stay quiet and let that other person believe that they won, then actually I won.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying? Come on.
Speaker 4:So you know, be that bigger person, and that just keeps your feet on the ground.
Speaker 2:Can you say that statement again? You said you don't believe humbleness is just a quality.
Speaker 4:Say that whole phrase again yeah, I believe that humbleness is not a quality, it's just a decision.
Speaker 2:Man quality. It's just a decision man that is good man. It's a decision Bro that'll preach right there. I feel like the organ needed to tune up. But anyway, I'm just saying oh gosh. The man of God said, humbleness is not just a trait.
Speaker 1:No, come on.
Speaker 2:I feel my Shondo. He said it's a decision. Some of y'all right now Are not walking in the favor of God Because you have not chosen Humbleness. For my seasoned saints, we say humbleness. You want God's favor, choose humbleness, humbleness, humbleness, come on, come on, come on, somebody that is powerful, man, man. Thank you, man. We have to choose humility. We have to choose to humble ourselves.
Speaker 1:But I love that, because it's not just choosing humility for the sake of this is how I choose to live. For me it's. I choose humility. I choose to be humble for the sake of being part of the body.
Speaker 2:Right, yes, it's not, it's not.
Speaker 1:It's not. It's not to survive, but it's to be able to thrive as a as a whole. And earlier you talked about collaboration. Yes, we didn't even ask you about it, and so we're just. We were like just giving him praises.
Speaker 3:Like Edwin does this and that and he's like it's all about collaboration.
Speaker 1:Like we didn't ask you like you know. Right, but I think humility and collaboration go together.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Especially in any type of creative space. You said earlier that when you see a need, you feel it and creativity is finding resolving conflict.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:And finding how to fix things and, you know, resolve things, and but when you don't do it alone, when you're able to do it with other people, that's powerful.
Speaker 2:That's powerful, yeah, so can you talk about even in your ministry experience, your professional experience. You know how do you leverage the. You know the power and the advantage of collaboration, like whether it's you know in the studio, serving in a church and your band. Like how, how do you leverage the power of collaboration?
Speaker 4:I think I have to understand that I cannot do it all. That's the main thing I mean. Superman is dead now. He fell from a horse.
Speaker 3:Batman. Oh my God, because he has somebody man, you know it's alone, brother, time out.
Speaker 2:I did not think that you was going to go there. He said he's there. I'm thinking about the comic book, he talking about Christopher Reeve. I am shook. I am shooketh.
Speaker 4:Elmer, let him finish his thought.
Speaker 2:Elmer, I'm just saying Did you think he was going to say that?
Speaker 1:No, no, you know, he didn't mean that I was about to make a Batman reference and then he says he fell off a horse.
Speaker 4:So they had to find a replacement for the guy.
Speaker 3:No, no, we can go there now, man. Let me move on from that, edwin. I believe you have to enjoy life, man every single day.
Speaker 2:If you're not laughing, man, I don't know what else. I'm with you, man. Why are we here? We ain't going to enjoy it. I love it, man so we're talking about collaboration, and Superman and Superman and Superman Y'all. You're talking about a train taking a dirt road. That was the last thing I thought you was going to say. He's dead for love of horse man.
Speaker 3:But look at the analogy. I just removed the real person from that. Look at the analogy. I'm not trying to be insensitive about it.
Speaker 4:It's just, I believe, we're not called to do it on our own. I mean, even God, the Father, is a relational father. What is he building a church? What is he building a bride church? What is he building A bride? It's because he wants to have a relationship. He wants to have somebody with him. Look at Adam, back in the garden. God created everything, had animals and everything. We worship him. Right, everything that had breath already was praising the Lord. That's where David got that out.
Speaker 2:But then he made men.
Speaker 4:He gave them a responsibility the first things he gave them and then he used to come every single day to check on him. What did they do, man, hey, how are we going to name this thing today? Yeah, yeah, I don't know. Let's call it giraffe. I think that's brilliant. What do you think it should be? Monkey?
Speaker 2:Ah well, monkey, it is then.
Speaker 4:You brilliant. What do you think I should be, monkey? Ah well, monkey it is. Then you know what I'm saying. I think God created us to be people of relationship, you know, and I think in the church sometimes you got so many people that are insecure and they're trying to prove they're something, or they want to prove that they can do something on their own, but then they work themselves out, you know, because God didn't call that person to do it on their own. God called the church to be one. You know. That means maybe I don't, I cannot do this right here. Maybe you can come help me. I should be humble enough to ask you for help and then I can rest more. I don't have to worry about doing it because I know you can do it. Come on, you know. So that opens up respect for me to you. Yeah, no, and I can honor you and I can see your. You know all your abilities Keeps me humble. You know I cannot do it on my own. Yeah, I need somebody else to do it.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you a question. So that's how you perceive things, but what about people that are on the outside and they see you doing things and they're like, oh, he can do it, he doesn't need my help? Like what would you tell somebody that's like they're not serving, they're not committing their gifts to the Lord, because they're like, oh, they'll figure it out? Like what is that?
Speaker 4:I think one of the biggest thing I can tell is they're rubbing themselves from the blessing of, because you know if you don't pour out, you don't receive more. You know if you don't pour out, you don't receive more. You know there's a lot of people out there sitting down that they're very gifted but they don't want to share that. You know for God to keep pouring a new wine, you have to empty. You know your bottle. You know you have to empty it. You have to give it out. But that comes from being selfless, you know.
Speaker 4:So, at the end of the day is, why do we imitate as persons? Okay, we imitate what our big brother Jesus did on the cross. We imitate what he showed us for three and a half years when his ministry started at 30. So it's having a clear picture of who we want to be like. So I don't want to be like I don't know. I don't want to be like Trump. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I want to be like Jesus. And when I see who Jesus is and what he's done, then I just want to imitate what he does because, man, he's the OG.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4:I want to be like my big brother. Yeah, so maybe the people that are out there, they're missing it because maybe they don't busy creating their own God. So people create their own God. It's just either brokenness or is it where they are in life, and all that I mean. I'm not judging anybody. You're saying like sometimes people are stuck where they are because for a reason you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 4:But when you lay it all down, you know, when you lay it all down, you put it at Jesus' feet and then you understand who Jesus is and you want to be like him. Then I really believe everything can flow. You can have a different perspective.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I love how you tie it in again. Really, like you said, starting with humility, starting with this hey, I'm not thinking too much of myself, I'm not thinking too little of myself. And then that flows into the desire to be collaborative, because I say, well, I can't do this on my own. And then I am now blessed by my brothers or sisters' giftings and talents and work ethic, which leads to honor, reciprocating honor, love, trust and respect. But now I've invited this person, now they're blessed through the collaboration as well. So, yeah, I love that encouragement. Anybody listening. You've been kind of sitting on your hands. You know God's gifted you, you know that God's blessed you. Listen to your brother Edwin right now. He said, hey, you're robbing yourself of the blessing of collaborating with other believers to build God's kingdom. I love that. That's so redemptive.
Speaker 4:And there's some people that need. There's some of us that we need those guys that are sitting on their chairs to rise up, because we cannot get to the next level until they pour what they have. You know, we need what they have also, so we can get there.
Speaker 2:Right, Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 4:That would also be encouragement to whoever's listening man, I can actually help somebody too. Somebody needs me so they can get to the next level. Absolutely yeah, the next place, the next stop.
Speaker 2:That's beautiful man. I love that. I love how you brought up Pastor Elmer about looking at somebody like Edwin, who's very creative and who's a talented, high-functioning level leader, and someone says, oh, he's got it. Nope, you're saying nope. Leaders like us. We need you. You know we can't get to this. There's this vision God's given us. We can't accomplish that vision without your effort, without your gifting, without your presence, without your collaboration. That's so good.
Speaker 1:Let me ask this question. So God gives you, he gives you all these gifts, right? And then you start operating in those gifts and abilities and you said we can't get to the next level until other people rise up and step up. How do you manage when you're in that place where you're waiting for people to step up and say, hey, I'm going to be a part of this? How do you manage not overdoing things or starting things prematurely, because then you'll find yourself in this place where you're like god, like I can only do so much, you know, but it's good, but you're able to do it, but maybe not completely well, or 100, because you're split with so many things. So how do you manage from starting things prematurely when you feel like you can, but as you're waiting for people to step into something that they can be a part of?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I can think of two things. Number one would be Holy Spirit. I mean you don't need Holy Spirit to the first thing you do, the last thing you do of the day. I mean even when you're sleeping you're trusting that he's taking care of you, right, and you don't choke in your sleep. So you need Holy Spirit 24-7, regardless, like any move you do, any big movement. Move I've done in my life, in the last I don't know, 15 years, I would say maybe 20. Big events, big things, big move. It was always a time of seeking Okay, what are you saying, lord, what are you saying? And when I have found myself stuck, prayer, prayer, father, bring the help, bring the tools you know, increase my capacity. A lot of times I feel like we lack those prayers Like, hey, increase my capacity to do this. Maybe I don't know how to do it, but teach me how to do it, Holy.
Speaker 4:Spirit and thank God for Pastor YouTube that he can pastor YouTube With your accent.
Speaker 1:I didn't know if you said pastor or apostle, youtube.
Speaker 2:He said both of them. He said both of them.
Speaker 1:Reverend YouTube. He said both of them. He said both of them. He said pastor and apostle.
Speaker 4:Reverend.
Speaker 4:YouTube Reverend YouTube, come on. I mean, you know, to me it has never been, I can't. To me it's only how you know, I don't use, I can't, I can do it. No, it's how am I going to do it, you know, and figure it out, yeah, and that's the beautiful thing about it, and that thing, that's what keeps a lot of people humble. It keeps us humble is when you have to go to the source. Okay, god, how do you do this? Because I have no clue.
Speaker 4:But you know, like the last studio I built, my personal studio I literally went to sleep. I took a silent retreat that I do once a year three days, complete silence, and I'm sleeping, like in the second day, and I already had some conversation with God, like, show me how blah, blah, blah, and I literally went to sleep and I saw this building, I saw a floor plan and I woke up. It was like I don't know 3, 4 o'clock in the afternoon, something like that. I grabbed my iPad and I have a little drawing program, and I grab my iPad and I have a little drawing program and I just start drawing it and I have people like top-notch people that they know what they're doing and all that and they come like who designed your room? And I have to say, holy Spirit, yeah.
Speaker 4:I cannot even take credit for my own man.
Speaker 2:Come on man.
Speaker 4:I mean, it's the Holy Spirit. I literally went to sleep. He showed me how to do it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and they're impressed with the design and everything.
Speaker 4:I mean it sounds when they hear frequencies and all that. They're like the room is perfect. How do you do it? Like what system you have? Where's the subs? There's no subs. Why can't I hear everything so clear? Holy Spirit showed me how to do it. Wow, you know, a lot of times you have to trust Holy Spirit because he'll teach you. If the problem is whether we follow or not, he always speaks to you, whether we obey or not, you know. I mean, he gives us all the tools that we need as to whether we take him or not.
Speaker 4:That's our responsibility as the children of God.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's so, man, that is good, that's so good. This last weekend we had some technical glitches here at the church and I was here on Saturday and I'm like I don't know how to fix this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I'm like I don't know how to fix this. And I was texting and calling people and I'm like, all right, I got to my limit and I don't know what else to do. I just start laying hands on the equipment. I'm like, how do I fix this? Like well, fix it or show me how to fix it. And then somebody's name came in my head. I'm like message this person and then I wrote them a text and they just gave me a one line response and as soon as I read it, I'm like I know what to do.
Speaker 3:Come on and it's very much like that.
Speaker 1:Like even even things like that, where, like it's beyond your own knowledge and understanding and just going to God.
Speaker 1:I could have just been like I'm gone. Someone can deal with this later. Right, I agree. And we, we, we, we deny the Holy Spirit from these opportunities in our daily lives of doing these miracles, and we want a miracle to be like someone just got healed from not being able to walk or a disease. But there's these little miracles that happen every day and if we allow the Holy Spirit to speak into our day, like we see them, yeah, we see them. That's so good.
Speaker 4:I really believe it's a two-way. Holy Spirit puts the miracle, but we need the faith.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:So faith without work is dead right.
Speaker 2:That's right Right.
Speaker 4:So if we don't put the faith, the miracle is there, yeah, but you'll never see it, yeah, or somebody else will see it. My, my prayer a lot of times is like give me that miracle that person don't want, I'll take it. Give me that blessing this person don't want, I'll take it. Even the suffering that these people don't want, I'll take it. Why? Because that will prove me to be what, to be more like Christ. Yes, sir, you know so a lot of times we just like so, we can be like so insensitive about getting dirty, or we can just be like, oh, I don't want to be uncomfortable. Well, it's okay to be uncomfortable sometimes, you know, it's actually good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that man. First of all, again, it's encouraging, but it's also challenging. Like again, man, the Lord wants to do this work. He has these miracles, he has this insight, he has this revelation, he has this favor waiting in the wings. And are we reaching up in faith? Again, I'm thinking about the book of James. You have not, because you ask not, and that's literally what it is. You're just asking. You're asking Lord, I need insight, I need a person. And he's like okay, here's a person, I need a design, I need a pattern. There it is. I'm thinking about the Old Testament when God tells Abraham no, build it according to the specifications. Or Moses, he doesn't build it according to the specifications, the pattern that I'm going to give you. But then there's a man, belazel, and the Bible says he put in him and these other craftsmen right, not only the desire, but the skill, the anointing to do it, but they were willing vessels.
Speaker 2:And I mean, how many? How many more vessels does God want to pour into If they just open their head and say say Lord, use me. Man, even you saying Lord the suffering, sign me up for that. It's going to prune me, it's going to refine me, it's going to shape me and mold me. If they don't want it, god, I'll take it.
Speaker 4:And when I'm screaming, don't listen to me, keep going.
Speaker 2:Okay. I'm going to say okay because if he put the suffering on you, okay. Lord, okay it hurt.
Speaker 3:It hurt.
Speaker 4:It hurt it hurt, but when I'm crying about it, just don't listen to me. Lord, keep going.
Speaker 1:I'll get to you, he'll get to you. You have to drag me, but you'll get me to the other side.
Speaker 2:I want to say this what is so encouraging, man, is I just I love, I love the overflow of how you're speaking. It just speaks to such a close relationship with the Lord. You know what I mean. Like just how you're sharing. I mean, I really do believe that that's literally how you talk to God, just like that Lord just hey, ignore me, because it's like a friendship, you know what I'm saying Like you're just speaking out of such a close personal relationship with the Lord and it's very. It's so encouraging man to hear that. I think, probably because you're going on these silent retreats, just, lord, thank you you're speaking. I'm quiet. When it's quiet, the Lord's going to speak.
Speaker 1:I love that. One of the things that we again it's very eye-opening, bro, just hearing you speak One of the things that we tend to neglect, just as individuals, is the abilities that God's given us, and we don't see the abilities that God's given us and the potential because we're not willing to get uncomfortable, we're not willing to be long suffering. But it's those seasons that produce creativity, that produce the outcomes that will, in the future, allow us to be successful and be able to lead other people and pour into other people.
Speaker 1:But it starts with the willingness to be uncomfortable and long-suffering.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I'm telling you that is so convicting. I mean, again, everybody wants the insight, lord. If they don't want the insight, give it to me. Everybody wants the favor, lord. If they don't want it, give it to me. But nobody signs up for suffering. Lord, you know what? No visit, that affliction on me, god, if they don't want it, I'll take it, because again you have this awareness, again, that is the gateway to transformation. It is the sufferer. You can't have life without having that and even there we have joy.
Speaker 4:Because Jesus said in this world you will have afflictions. Yeah, but rejoice.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Like, okay, it's going to happen, hey, but rejoice, right, because I have already conquered it all, so I'll give you all the tools. So just rejoice, choose joy in that moment. Again, we need the faith. I feel like the tools are there, it's just are we going to get up or not? Yeah, you know, we need the faith. We put the faith.
Speaker 2:Come on, man, I'm telling you right now.
Speaker 1:He said he was going to preach.
Speaker 2:He did say that he warned us that he was going to preach.
Speaker 3:We're preaching together, man, come on.
Speaker 1:I'm loving it man, that is awesome.
Speaker 2:Let me ask you this, Edwin when do you feel, based on the current landscape, where do you see the church heading? Or what opportunities do you see that the church has from a creative aspect, collaboration aspect, to really connect with the community, Because God calls the church really to pastor the community. Pastor, Mike, you know I love when he talks about, even geographically speaking God didn't call him a pastor all of Clarksville. God called him a pastor to people that come to LifePoint Church and that's a radius here, yeah, we'll take any, we'll welcome anybody. But how do you see that the church has an opportunity creatively to connect with the community, the surrounding community that God's placed the church in?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think it goes back to what the Father created as a family right.
Speaker 4:God's a family right. So God's a father of relationships. So church is now in the building to come and meet and mourn. You know, it's just the church. Let's speak. What church is? You know it's just church is a group of people together, do life together, you know, pray together, suffer together, help each other together. So, just like, go back to Acts. You know, let's just look in the first 10 chapters and you can see, from chapter 2 all the way to chapter 9, 10, before Paul gets the calling, you can see what the church used to do together. You know, I think like the essence is the same. Okay, you know, it's the vision of the leader. What has changed? I don't think God has changed his church.
Speaker 4:The church continues to be the same thing One body, you know. One body to serve one king, you know. So I think nowadays it's just basically getting our eyes checked up, you know, spiritual eyes checked up, come on and then just returning to the original design, you know the opportunities are endless. I mean, the last 5,000 years we have had the same opportunities, the church is having the same opportunity and they will continue to have the same opportunity for the next 20,000 years, you know, as long as Jesus don't come before. Yeah, you know, I really believe the groom is coming.
Speaker 2:The groom is coming. Yes, sir.
Speaker 4:And he came to prepare a bride. He's looking for his bride, so it's just returning to the original design. What's the original design? Fellowship.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that Caring for one another.
Speaker 4:Love one another.
Speaker 4:Love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind and one another and one another, yeah, love one another, love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind and one another. Yeah, and one another, yeah. So you know if you can love, you can see the need, you know, like the person, the person in the back is here and you can tell you walked in and you can see that person is just defeated, she's angry, just giving you attitude. What do you do about it? How's your day going? Yeah, yeah. Or are you going to go like what's wrong with you? Like don't give me that attitude? Yeah, you use so many words. That person is just she's screaming or he's screaming. Hard for somebody to say something nice. So I really believe that you can take the church there yeah, because you're the church. When two come together, yeah, or three, three, he's there. So I really believe we just need to open our eyes a little more. The church the 2024, the 2025 church needs to open their eyes and go back to the original design.
Speaker 2:I love that. I love when you said the opportunities are the same, same with the first century church. It's going to be the same 20,000 years unless the Lord comes. The opportunity is to connect with our community and it's through fellowship and I love that. I love how you started with the church itself. Like you said, we see those in the first 10 chapters. The church starts out as a strong community and then that community goes out and invites others into this same life-giving community. So let me ask you this, I guess just even more pointedly how do you, how can we leverage the blessing of creativity you know to to help connect with our community, inviting, inviting outsiders into the community? How can we leverage the power of creativity to do that?
Speaker 4:I think they're going to come, as I see you giving testimony in your with your own life, like people, automatically they want it. Yeah, people want it. As they see you doing it, they'll come, okay. So if we talk about creating workshops, you know, let's rephrase it.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 4:So how can we create workshops in the church or in the assembly? Okay, you know. So then I mean you can, like I say, you can just do events, you can do an event and then convoke. You know, hey, we're convoking musicians this week. Hey, we're convoking women that know how to sew. We're convoking women that know how to cook. We're convoking the men that know how to go hunt. Let's go hunt, let's go hunt.
Speaker 2:I mean, god is there too.
Speaker 4:God's pretending watch over here. Come on, stay quiet. All right, shoot now.
Speaker 3:Pow, come on.
Speaker 4:I think we're limiting the church sometimes to like four walls. You know, I think we need to actually get a sledgehammer and beat the four walls of the church and we need to go outside, come on and just be the church. Yeah, you know they'll want to be like you, they'll want to do what you're doing. He works.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:You know, it's just like a delicious meal. It makes them tacos man. People will show up yeah.
Speaker 2:I love that. So what I hear you saying, though, edwin, yeah, it's really incumbent upon the church to think of creative ways to connect with those people that we do life with anyway. So I'm thinking, even with LifePoint Church, with our small groups model, we have so many different ways that people can connect and find freedom in community through discipleship, whether it's sermon review, looking at watching a video series, or we have groups like archery groups or axe throwing groups, or guys that go to the gun range, or ladies that may go. We have a dog walking group led by a couple, and so I love how you're saying hey, no, listen, let us be creative with how we interact with the people outside of the four walls. Don't let it be conventional, don't let it be traditional, so to speak, and I love how you said they're going to want to be like you because I'm doing life, I'm hanging out, so there's godly influence now that's having an impact on that person's life.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I mean you'll have the guy in I don't know, in the restaurant that you meet, you know, and that you're having a meal. You have the person that might be cussing and cussing and throwing bombs and you just be you, and then he'll realize in 10 minutes that you're not cussing back.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:You know, and then you're kind and they'll see that you're smiling and he's probably a bitter, rotten guy. They're just bitter about something in life. You know he'll want that. He just don't want the meal that he's eating, but he's going to want what you have. And then he's going to come and say, hey, man, what you got. You know, can I have some of that?
Speaker 2:Come on, people want.
Speaker 1:Jesus. They just don't know what Jesus looks like anymore.
Speaker 2:Mic drop man. And that's the end of the episode. I mean seriously, I don't even know what else. Wow.
Speaker 1:People don't know what Jesus looks like they don't know.
Speaker 2:but they want him, but they don't know what he looks like. They don't know who to look to. That's it right there. That's it, pastor. They don't know who to look to. Hey, okay, Church are you? I don't know if you're Jesus. I don't know if you're showing me Jesus. I don't know what it looks like. Are you showing me Jesus man?
Speaker 1:Woo, the only Jesus they might see is on YouTube. If we don't step up as the church, absolutely man.
Speaker 2:Chosen.
Speaker 4:Chosen Jesus Come on. Chosen Jesus Come on.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Is he the chosen Jesus? He used to use the rose bro.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But you're right, is he? The chosen Jesus Is he his Jesus Season one, season two, season three which Jesus are we?
Speaker 2:getting. Yeah, I mean you know, oh man, is he political Jesus? Is he ethnic Jesus? No man, what does Jesus look like? What does Jesus look like? They want him, but they don't know what he looks like. They can see him in us, right, but is it an accurate portrayal? Is the Jesus that they see in us? Is he an accurate portrayal?
Speaker 1:Man, that's so good, it's crazy. I don't want to get too ahead. I'm preaching this week on bearing good fruit and the leading question is what is your life producing? And the?
Speaker 2:leading question is like what, what is your life producing?
Speaker 1:and like because that's true, like he is, the vine straight up, and if we abide in him. You know, man, that's so powerful.
Speaker 2:Bro, I'm gonna just have you preach for me I'm telling you, he said we're gonna preach here, let's go.
Speaker 4:Man, that was good, we, just I, I think we, just we, we hear this and it just matters. Okay, guys, let's just wake up, let's go.
Speaker 3:Let's go.
Speaker 4:And that's all it is. Man, this is encouraging. This is good. This is good, you know, this is good because this is a good time to be like okay, you know what? Let's spread this.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:You know, let's spread this, yeah, and the more we're lacking nowadays is boldness. Yeah, you know, just be violent about it. And I don't mean violent, be angry about it. I'm talking about, you know, walking with security. It's not even pride, it's security.
Speaker 2:You can be secure without being prideful. You know what I mean. That's right, yeah.
Speaker 4:So I mean, you can just be secure who you. You have the authority to say hey, you know what I'm actually a child of God. I receive that.
Speaker 2:Come on, you know yeah.
Speaker 4:I mean it. Just I really believe that the groom is calling the bride to wake up. You know, and I really love what you guys are doing here. You know, pastor Mike and you guys are doing here at LifePoint. I mean, you guys are doing here at LifePoint, you guys are just such a family man. I really love what you guys are doing. Man, we're just big fans of LifePoint man. You guys are rocking it Amen. I think we need more LifePoints around the country, man and the world. Come on now.
Speaker 2:You know, come on, I receive that In Jesus' name. We're going to have a light point on every continent. We'll have a light point at Antarctica, pastor Penguin going to be leading Pastor Bear.
Speaker 3:Pastor White Bear, pastor Polar.
Speaker 1:Bear. Jesus' name, in Jesus' name. So we started the conversation talking about gifts and creativity and collaboration, but interwoven in all of this conversation is Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:We can't do it without the Holy Spirit. He leads us, guides us, directs us, and our own decision. And if we're going to make a difference in this world, do we just want to survive or are we going to thrive with the tools that God's given us? Right? And so I think, just a reminder for me, this has been great for me, edwin, this season of my life, to hear and be reminded like hey, you can't be self-sufficient.
Speaker 1:You know Superman's dead, yeah, and as funny as that sounds and like I know we're we're teasing, but that's true, like if we can all reflect on that, the truth that we're not superman, we're not superwoman, yeah, but we do have the holy spirit and so let's rely on him. And that goes back to relationship yes into that piece of relationship.
Speaker 1:Yep, what, what, let's, as we're closing up, what has that relationship look like for you? Because there's people that are probably listening and they're like I don't know God like that. What has that look like for you in your journey, on your journey? You grew up in church. Mom whooped you with a chancla, all this stuff. I know we're kidding, but what has that, what formation when it comes to your personal relationship with God, look like over the years?
Speaker 4:I think I had to come to the realization that nobody can have a relationship with God but me with him.
Speaker 2:Nobody else can do it for me.
Speaker 4:And I really need God. I need a lot, I mean every day, Because a man without God is an animal right. So I really believe it comes down to knowing that you have to have that relationship with God. You have to have the walk with God, Not from a religion standpoint, but you know, and everything flows from there. You know the creativity flows from there, the answers that you need for whatever issue you're dealing with comes from there. Even when you're about to face a massive problem, he prepares you, yeah. So when that comes, he doesn't move you. You know you can stand. You know, yeah, Even when death comes, a loving person, somebody that you love, dies, or you know you have somebody from some member from the family, even there, he'll be there, you know, to encourage you. He'll be there to stay. So I think we're super. We actually have a superpower. We all have a superpower through the Holy Spirit and his faith. Come on.
Speaker 2:You know that's a superpower, yeah.
Speaker 4:We have the superpower to heal the sick. You know we do Come on that. To heal the sick. You know we do Come on. I don't know if you believe it, but that's a superpower to me, man. I love how you do that A superpower is somebody that a non-normal person can do. Yep, okay, so we have that superpower, you can do that Supernatural.
Speaker 2:You can do that in Croker's.
Speaker 4:Republic. Man, you can heal somebody out there. Yeah, you get somebody go out there and cast demon out to you, man.
Speaker 2:Yes sir, that's a superpower to me.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so I really believe we're better than all these heroes. You see, people keep looking at these heroes and they admire them, but we're cutting ourselves short because we actually have a bigger, a bigger superpower than those heroes. You know that we see on TV. Yeah, you know, and even Jesus said you will do more than me. Yeah, because I got to go. Yep, y'all going to do more.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:And then John resumes everything and says and not even all the books in the world would have been enough if I would have written everything that he did.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know period and Jesus says you're going to do more than that. And I never thought of it that way. That is exactly how John closes out his gospel man. That's so good.
Speaker 1:More and greater things, yeah, greater, he said greater works than these.
Speaker 2:That's how you do. But John describes the works of Christ. He says man, all the volumes in all the world can contain all the good he did. And Jesus said no, you're going to do greater.
Speaker 4:Or Big Brother said that man. So why are we cutting ourselves?
Speaker 1:short, because it wasn't so much about what he did, but it's what we're capable of doing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's the greater magnitude. I mean, jesus was one man on the earth and we're just going to do. I think the greatest work ever was the resurrection, but to your point it's the greater magnitude, like our works have greater impact. You know, jesus wasn't all over the entire world, but Christians are and we're, yeah.
Speaker 4:So the magnitude of the work has expanded, it has increased and you've seen creativity through the whole Bible.
Speaker 2:I mean even when he sent them to.
Speaker 4:he said you go, just go to, don't take anything with you. And you'll know what to say when you get there. Use your creativity, say something. You got it in you, you just got to use it.
Speaker 1:They went to different continents.
Speaker 4:They went to different languages.
Speaker 2:Different languages and.
Speaker 1:God had to use them. These men from the same region sent them all over the world.
Speaker 2:And they had to get creative.
Speaker 1:How do I communicate to people of a different culture and different language. God empowered them. God empowered her to do that.
Speaker 2:Man, it's so good. The God who never changes. He says it all the time. The God who never changes is always up to something new. Hebrews 13.8. Jesus Christ is saying yesterday, today and forever, but he's always doing something new, Mm, mm mm.
Speaker 1:Man, it's good stuff. I'm like in this reflective mode now, yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm about to chew on this one. This is like the gristle in the pork chop. You got to chew on that thing. You got to chew on it. What's the thing on the?
Speaker 4:taco, the salsa verde and the taco bro, the salsa verde, the salsa verde.
Speaker 1:Come on, man the salsa verde I was going to say, like the gizzard on the turkey, is that right? No, no, there's no gizzard. I don't do the gizzards, I don't know about that stuff. I'm just like trying to be Southern. We call I like the salsa on the tacos. That makes more sense. Yeah, it's delicious too, ain't nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 2:It's like the toenail on the pork on the pork on the ham hocks. Got to chew on that nail, that toenail on them, ham hocks. Don't tell me you eat pork feet Every now and then I get mad. Now listen, the way black folk do it is we take the hammer and we throw it in the greens.
Speaker 3:Oh God, you're an idiot, bro, my nose is itching. You pull the leg out. You're like okay, help me out, porky, help me out.
Speaker 1:Scratch your nose, scratch my nose. You put it at the end of a drumstick and just like scratch your neck. What Creativity.
Speaker 3:Creativity.
Speaker 1:Creativity. Who does that? I don't know. Edward just said it.
Speaker 3:Edward, do you do that? No, but that's where my brain goes, man.
Speaker 1:He found a solution. He did, he found a solution.
Speaker 2:I throw the ham hock in the pot of greens.
Speaker 3:Okay, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Some turnip greens and some mustard greens, some collard greens. Personally, I like turnip greens. They're not as bitter. You throw it in and you let that mug simmer for about an hour and a half. Let's go.
Speaker 1:Hey, since we're talking about food and we'll close out with this Thanksgiving's coming up.
Speaker 2:Yes, it is Four weeks out, come on.
Speaker 1:Exciting time for a lot of people. Families get together, all this fun stuff. We'll close out with this. What are you eating for Thanksgiving, edwin?
Speaker 4:I'm going to fry a turkey Come on, and then I'm going to do a ham. Okay, come on, yeah. And then we're doing a friendsgiving, finding people that don't have family in town.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 4:And just having them over Come on, I love that.
Speaker 1:Let's go.
Speaker 2:What are you guys going to? So yeah, I'm frying a turkey as well. I'm doing some mac and cheese, doing some turnip greens, I'm doing some yams, doing some cornbread, Doing some yeast rolls, going to do pecan pie, homemade pecan pie, sweet potato pie, icebox pie, chocolate cake it's going to be delicious.
Speaker 4:That sounds good. Better start fasting now.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to tell you. You said enter yourself. I don't want to be fooled on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1:I'm going to do some Cracker Barrel Thanksgiving.
Speaker 3:You're welcome to come down to La Verne, bro, I might have to go to your house, man. Yeah, man.
Speaker 1:Come on, man, let's do it, let's go. I do tamales, but we save that for Christmas. We do the tamales.
Speaker 2:Yes, sir.
Speaker 1:Oh man, hey Edwin, thank you so much for being with us today, bro. Honestly, this was amazing, I'm telling you.
Speaker 2:I've been blessed. I needed to hear that.
Speaker 1:So, hey, is there anything you want to share?
Speaker 4:Man keep rocking it, Keep doing it, keep believing in it and do it.
Speaker 1:Come on, let's do it, just do it, Just do it, just do it. Hey guys, once again, thank you for being part of today's episode and thank you again to Edwin and, like always, willie for having such a great time in the studio. If you need anything and if there's any way we can serve you as a church, we are here for you. Just email us at info at lifepointchurchtv. You can also follow us on social media, at Instagram, on Instagram at lifepointchurch, or you can follow our creative social media at lifepointchurchcreative. We love you and until next week. We will talk to you later, peace.
