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
Transforming Community Through Discipleship and Leadership
Together, we explore the pivotal role of community in discipleship and how small groups create spaces for spiritual growth and connection. The conversation emphasizes active engagement in faith and the importance of empowering individuals to lead and multiply their groups for greater impact.
• Importance of discipleship in personal and community growth
• The role of small groups in fostering spiritual freedom
• Multiplication vs. addition in discipleship structures
• Personal stories showcasing transformation through community
• Encouragement to participate in church events and small groups
Hey, what's up everybody, and welcome to Worship and Leadership by LifePoint Creative, and y'all know what time it is. It's time for us to get down. Hey, in the studio with me, we have Pastor Willie Yo. What is going on what's going?
Speaker 2:on.
Speaker 1:I'm excited to be back again. Hey, we back, we back baby. It's 2025.
Speaker 2:Man. Happy New Year, Happy New.
Speaker 1:Year and my voice sounds different. I think it's cold outside too.
Speaker 2:It is man. That's what I saw. I think that has something to do with it. But you got the fire of the Holy Ghost, I got the fire of the Holy Ghost on the inside.
Speaker 1:Hallelujah, hallelujah. Hey, we also have a special guest today.
Speaker 2:I'm very excited about this one here.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, you want to introduce our guest Guys listen, I'm telling you right now.
Speaker 2:This is the glue for the entire discipleship Team. Y'all give it up for the one the only often imitated, never duplicated Emily High Hello.
Speaker 3:How are you Good? I'm just here for security for both of y'all.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 3:Keep y'all on track here.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, maybe not.
Speaker 1:I think well, I don't think you're going to help very much.
Speaker 2:I'm not. You got three sevens in there.
Speaker 1:You're going to add fuel to the flame.
Speaker 3:Yes, absolutely. It's just like a grenade, it's a live grenade.
Speaker 2:Who knows whenever it's going to go off? Who? Knows where it's going to go.
Speaker 1:Hey, well, today we want to talk as we kick off the new year. We want to focus on the topic of discipleship. It's something we talked about last year and we're always going to talk about it. That's right. We believe it's something that's important. Jesus called us to go and make disciples of men and it's something that we focus on a lot here at LifePoint Church and we're going to emphasize a lot more on it this year.
Speaker 2:I don't know if that's a sentence, but— yeah, you made it one day I made it Again.
Speaker 3:we're in what day six of 21 Days of Fast and we're all hungry, we're feeling it right now we're hungry, oh Lord.
Speaker 2:What I wouldn't give for some carbohydrates, oh Jesus, and some gluten, some glucose, oh man. Some sucrose, some lactose.
Speaker 1:I don't like salty food.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I wouldn't mind just to look Like a bag of peanuts or something.
Speaker 3:Just smell it one good time.
Speaker 2:Let me just smell.
Speaker 3:Just like waft the smell Right now just stashing those or something.
Speaker 1:On Sunday someone's like Pastor Elmer. Do you like King Taco? I'm like what?
Speaker 2:What.
Speaker 1:Do you like some King Taco? It's like some restaurant from California. Oh, I'm like stop King Taco, oh man.
Speaker 2:I'll take Taco Bell right now. I would Absolutely I would demolish a 20-pack of hard-shell and soft-shell Taco Supremes. You can throw in a couple of chalupas and a couple of gorditas. Man, you can put a good stuff burrito if you want that thing, man, I'd wash it down with a Baja Balas.
Speaker 3:I'd call it a day. This, kids, is why we eat sometimes.
Speaker 2:That's right, that's why you got to eat some food. My God, I'd eat shoe leather right now.
Speaker 1:But we're excited that we're fasting because it's with a purpose and we believe God is doing incredible things in our church and our community, and what better way to start the year by devoting it to the Lord. That's right. Like Pastor Mike said on Sunday, if you can say no to food, you can say no to a lot of things.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 1:And so we're all about disciplining not just our bodies and our big muscles, but also our spirit, our spirit, man and woman, I guess.
Speaker 2:That's right. Is that the thing? Yeah, yeah, I'm assuming that women have a spirit woman in them.
Speaker 1:A spirit woman.
Speaker 2:A spirit woman I'm going to assume you got a spirit woman.
Speaker 1:You know how? Have you heard that Like you have a spirit man, you have the carnal man.
Speaker 2:That's right. You got a spirit woman and you got a carnal woman, my God.
Speaker 3:Fifteen hours later, discipleship.
Speaker 1:Discipleship. All right, let's talk discipleship. All right, okay, so going into 2025, we are getting ready to launch our small groups, some new small groups.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And what's the heart behind small groups? For those that are joining us for the first time, Right.
Speaker 2:So small groups are a part of our vision at LifePoint Church. You know, everybody knows the mission, which is to lead people to become fully devoted followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. So that that's really the why like, that's why we exist as as an entity, as an organization, as an organism. But the vision is how we do it. So it's, for we believe God has a four-step process for everybody to become more devoted. That's to know God, that's Sundays to find freedom. That's small groups to discover your purpose. That is growth tracking and making a difference through serving on the dream team and missions and outreach. So small groups exist to help people find freedom, so that they can become more fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. And we find freedom specifically through discipleship.
Speaker 2:And discipleship happens in community. Nobody is discipled on their own. There is nobody in scripture who was directly discipled by the Lord. He didn't just part the heavens and say, hey, I'm going to take you on a three-year journey so you can become more like me. No, no, no. It was always in the context of community, Even when Jesus was here on the earth. He didn't just disciple one person, he discipled a small group of individuals. And so we model that kingdom-wise and say we're going to disciple and learn how to follow Christ in the context of community and we find freedom because there is a sanctifying effect, right Emily, to discipleship you learn who you are, who you are not and how much more you have to grow as you're learning about Christ and how to follow in context with others.
Speaker 3:I think it's cool that, even in context with others, you're not going to get along with everybody. You're not going to like everybody and, honestly, I think that's one of God's greatest things, that it's like I'm going to put you in a group of people that you're not going to get along with all the time, to where you can become more like me, to where you can react more like me outside of that. So that's what I also love about it too. Yeah, we're going to get in community of like-minded people, but it's still not. We're not exactly like each other.
Speaker 3:So we're going to have to function out of Christ in order to tolerate you sometimes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's true, come on.
Speaker 1:And some people are going to rub you the wrong way. That's right, but it's part of the growth. It really is I think learning like if we all were the same, it'd be boring.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely it would be, and we wouldn't grow yeah.
Speaker 1:Because we'd all anticipate what we're going to do eat for lunch and stuff like that. But because we're different, it allows us to take the things that we learn as we're growing in Christ, even just etiquette, just the basic things, common sense, right, the fact that people are different. How can you be kind to someone if someone's not kind to you? How can you help someone that's not in need? So if we all had all of our needs met, how would we ever help someone?
Speaker 1:So there's the fact that we're all at different stages of life, that we're all in different seasons of life, economically, just in age, and just the way we see the world, even what we think about God and the Bible. Those differences in us as individuals allow us to actually help each other grow, because we're rubbing each other a different way. So then I take everything I'm learning from scripture, everything I'm learning from the Bible, everything I'm learning from the Bible, that I'm learning from the scripture. You know the sermons on Sundays and I'm able to put them into, apply them into my daily life and give them some legs. And then, so how do I deal with my coworker that you know I don't get along with? Well, I got to apply what I'm learning from the word or what I'm learning from others that are around me.
Speaker 2:Yeah, of course the scripture in Proverbs says that iron sharpens iron. And I mean I've watched a lot of videos of that process and it's not to your point. It's not clean, it's not sexy, it's not smooth and it's not quiet either. There's a lot of sparks flying, there's a lot of noise going on, and that is the nature of discipleship. It is a refining process.
Speaker 2:When I get into proximity with other believers, we may be like-minded that we follow Christ, but we're not like-minded in how we view the world in every aspect. The birds that are on me, those rough spots, they're going to get smoothed down. They're going to get sanded down as I'm conforming to the image of Christ and he's using his people to do that. Like I said, nobody is discipled in isolation. That is not scriptural, it's not biblical and it's not logical. It makes no sense for me to remain in an echo chamber and, like you said, pastor, I'm too expected. I'm going to grow. That makes no sense. If the only voice I'm hearing is my own, I will never grow. I will never learn how to follow Christ. I will never learn how to love, how to serve, how to forgive, how to overcome temptation if I only live in an echo chamber.
Speaker 1:We're the most connected ever through technology, but we're the least connected in our society and in our context. You know cause you. We could easily compare ourselves to people in the Bible and but their context is completely different. Right, it's more dangerous for us today not to be in community because we think we know everything because of what's at our, in our hands, you know, through our phones and computers and tablets, and so we have access to so much knowledge that if we just live, if it's just our world, is just us and Siri, like you know, she's like what do you want If?
Speaker 1:it's just us and our technology, then we start shaping our own worlds, we start shaping our own perspectives, and everything can be what we want it to be, but it's not.
Speaker 1:The reality is I'm not always going to be right, and in community I find that because I make other people upset, I hurt people's feelings, I'm going to say things that might not come across right, but I will not know that unless I'm talking to an actual person and not just to Alexa and Siri and now you know I got meta glasses and so you know like, unless you're talking to real people, you don't know like humanity and the things that God calls us into into being Christ-like.
Speaker 1:We can't put those things into action unless we're actually doing life with others, and so I want to. We're going to talk a lot about discipleship and share some stories, but I'd love for us to lead in this direction. That, for those of you listening on the podcast, you might be a part of LifePoint Church and if you are, you know we talk about getting involved in small groups and getting connected, and we want to make sure that you know, as you start this new year, that you get involved in a small group, that you get connected and make sure that that's not just a goal but that's something that you do for yourself. And also, if you are in a small group, I'd like to challenge people don't just stay where you're at, because sometimes just an example my small group, my men's small group it can get so big sometimes because everyone decides to show up.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:That we have like almost 20 guys around a table and it's like man it's hard and the conversations after as much as we've enjoyed everyone being there, it's like man, it's hard to get real intimate when everyone is here, and so it's exciting. Yeah, it's a big party.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But you know, I don't just want to have a gathering just for people to get together, because there's some guys that need to share some things that are like deep and intimate, but it's hard for them when there's a large group, and so we talk about multiplication.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely. And I love how you said that, elmer, I think to your point there is a certain I don't want to say pride, but, for lack of a better word pride or excitement to see your small group get large, you know, you're. Oh man, we got double-digit numbers and this is great and I almost feel it's awesome too that it feels like everybody's here and they're gravitating. They want to be a part of what God's called to be the lead. But again, that's not biblical. But again that's not biblical. I mean, practically speaking. Everybody here, practically speaking, can have deep, life-changing connections with probably about six people at most, and even that's a stretch, right.
Speaker 3:Is that fair If Jesus himself, god himself, discipled 12, but really did life with three, who are you to think that you can do more?
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 3:That's the way how I think about it, especially because I get caught up in that too of oh, I want to grow my group. Evidently something God's blessing me, I'm doing something right, which could absolutely be true.
Speaker 2:Sure.
Speaker 3:But if God himself, if Jesus really discipled 12 and really focused on three, that invited him everywhere, that's discipleship right there. Yeah, and who am I to think that I can do more than him?
Speaker 2:Right Yep.
Speaker 3:Thank you, pride, Right yeah that's what I said.
Speaker 2:It just feels good to view ministry through these hard numbers and equate large numbers with growth or health. And that's no. I mean, a tumor can grow, but we wouldn't call that healthy. So, and this is based on a conversation Pastor Graham and I had last year, where he just really challenged me to think through multiplication and not addition. And here's the difference Addition is bringing in new material or new people to help grow a thing that God's called you to. Multiplication says I'm going to take what I already have and I'm going to cultivate that Like. That's the goal.
Speaker 2:This is the parable of the talents. The Bible says that God gave each a specific number of talents and the Bible says according to their ability. So that's first key you have to understand where you're at and how capable you are of leading, at what number you feel comfortable with. That's number one, but number two, two out of the three servants, the master says well done. And he says well done because they multiplied. What they didn't say was hey, master, I have taken the talents that you've given me and I've added to it. No, no, no, what they said. I've taken this and multiplied it. I've turned this into this. I didn't go out and grab another person who had some talents and put theirs with mine. No, I've taken this and I've multiplied it and he says well done. And he calls them faithful. So when I think of faithfulness, I think of multiplication and what I love about multiplication instead of addition.
Speaker 2:Multiplication starts with a current relationship, like in my small group. It's way easier for me to talk with the men in my group and say, hey, you know what? I think it's time for you to go to training. And here's the thing they're going to be more likely to do that because I have what's called relational equity. They trust me to lead them. That's why they're in a group. They say, yeah, man, so if I am calling them into an endeavor that they may never have done before, they're more likely to do it. They say, well, I've never done this, but Willie, as my leader, as my small group member, is calling me to this. I'm going to trust him.
Speaker 2:I can take someone who's a total stranger and say, hey, it's good for you to lead a small group and that very well may be, but how likely are they to trust me? That's what I love about multiplication, the reason why Peter, james and John the three that Jesus spent the most time with. I mean, you read how they write in Scripture and you can tell that they have been with Jesus right. The first miracle performed. Why does Peter know exactly what to do? I mean, he doesn't struggle at all. He sees the man at the gate called beautiful and he knows exactly how to reproduce the ministry of Christ because he spent so much time with it. So there's a trust when he says in the name of Jesus, he's like in the name of that man I spent three and a half years with.
Speaker 1:Get up, hey, and he spent three and a half years and I say this with love. And there's people that have been in church for five to ten years and they still don't get up to like here's what Jesus would do, and like they want people to do it for them. And I say that with all love, just because you know our goal is not to just educate or just to give people information. It's to activate people in their God-given purpose and talents and lead them to Jesus to become fully devoted followers.
Speaker 2:But to your point three and a half years. Three and a half years, and he knew exactly what to do, fully devoted followers. But to your point, three and a half years, three and a half years, and he knew exactly what to do. He knew Jesus is physically no longer here on the earth, and not one of the people, the 120 that were there in the upper room. They knew exactly what to do.
Speaker 2:They knew exactly what to do, and so I'm challenging those of you right now at LifePoint Church, who lead a small group, who have led three months, six months, nine months a year, multiple years. It is time for you to call those that you are leading forward so that they can lead as well. The way that we expand the kingdom through discipleship is by raising up leaders. Hear me on this by raising up leaders and creating more small groups. That is how you expand the net of discipleship. We have to build more leaders so that they can build more small groups. That is how you expand the net of discipleship. We have to build more leaders so that they can build more small groups.
Speaker 1:That's awesome Praise the.
Speaker 1:Lord, multiplication, I think of the dynamic of a family, right, because that's hard for people to think If you already have a small group and to consider, like man, we've been together for years, right.
Speaker 1:And so now you're telling me I need to multiply my groups and that means I have to tell people in my group, hey, you have to go for the sake of multiplying and growing and discipling other people and reaching other people for Jesus, as appealing as that is, for the kingdom sake, it's hard because you build relationship, you invest, you get to know people's kids and family dynamics and all that. But I'm thinking in the context of family, like when you're thinking addition, there's the family that when their son gets married and here comes the daughter-in-law and she becomes part of the family, to add somebody means that they have no connection with their, their own family at all, and that happens because there's so many different things that happen in family. So I know scenarios can be different. But that means that, say, if everything is good with your daughter-in-law's family, but you're just, she's just going to be added to your family but, she can't have nothing to do with them.
Speaker 1:So that means you're depriving her from her relationship with her own family. To multiply, which is what we're called to do to be, fruitful Multi is to know that everything that you've invested in your son or child, now, now that they're married, you trust them enough and you believe in yourself enough as a parent that now, as they go on and build their own family Because you having a daughter-in-law or son-in-law coming into your family doesn't mean they're part of your no, you've just you got to let go.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Right, and so then now you have to. You can't see it as like, oh, my family, it is getting bigger, but it doesn't mean that you control that household. Yeah, it's like, oh, my family, it is getting bigger, but it doesn't mean that you control that household. So multiplication in small groups means, hey, you got to let go and you got to trust God that, just like God led you in reaching other people, he's going to use other people to go and grow where they're at, reach their circles or community.
Speaker 2:I love that.
Speaker 1:As you're talking, I'm just picturing like family.
Speaker 3:I love that, as you're talking, I'm just picturing like family. I love that I do too, because it's not like you're never going to talk to them again it's not like once you say, hey, it's time for you to go. I love you, but it's time for you to go. I know I have a daughter.
Speaker 3:She's coming very fastly on adulthood, and I am not going to lie, she's the baby. We are almost empty nesters, y'all. I am not going to lie, she's the baby, we are almost empty nesters, y'all. I am almost at the point that it's like it is time. I'm just kidding, she can stay as long as she wants to, but once she moves out, it's not like that's it and that she's never going to call me, with her starting with me. I'm still going to make sure I'm in that position of calling and checking up on her. Hey, how are you doing? How's it going with you? Do you need help with anything? That's great and that, I think, for me, is where discipleship actually starts, that's right, that's so good, that's really good.
Speaker 3:That's where it starts is when they go, that's when they go.
Speaker 1:That's it right there, because Jesus said go.
Speaker 2:He absolutely did. And I will say this to your point Jesus really did set the expectation in regards to the end goal of his ministry time with the disciples, and first and foremost, it was through the teaching of the parables. The parables are all about the kingdom of God. That's number one. He said hey, listen, let me teach you about this kingdom that I lead, so that way you'll have an understanding of your experience as you are advancing the kingdom. But then, number two, he also let them know I'm not going to be with you always, right, right. And he says that. And the Bible says it records that they're crestfallen, that they're downcast. No, no, no, it's better for you that I go, and here's why I'm going to send you the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the helper. But then he also encourages them hey, greater works than these? Are you going to do so?
Speaker 2:To your point, as small group leaders, I think it's important for us to cast vision for our small group, the small group that we lead. It's important for us to cast hey, guys, here's why we are gathering. We are not gathering so we can be a social club. We are not gathering so that we can just become friends. Those are awesome dynamics. I mean, jesus said to his own disciples he says no longer do I call you servants, because the servants don't know what the master is doing. He said I call you friends. And the man still told his followers I got to go, it's better for you that I go. So both things can be true. Guys, listen, small group leaders you can be friends with your small group members and you can still make sure that they are missionally minded. Both things can be true. You can be my friend and I can launch you out. Like you said. I can launch you out so that you can now lead your own small group and help others find freedom. Both things can be true, and I think, honestly, that's what the kingdom is about, like. I mean, it makes no sense for us to all be citizens of the same kingdom and loathe each other. No, we're family, we're friends, that's the whole point. But we're still on mission together, and I think that is the mind shift that we must make as small group leaders. You are at its core. You are a steward of the people that God blesses you with in your small group. I'm a steward over them and I have to give an account for that. So, because that's true from day one.
Speaker 2:Let's set vision. Hey, listen, man, we're going to laugh, we're going to cry, we're going to have a lot of fun, but we're going to learn how to follow Christ. And guess what? We're also going to teach each other how to teach others how to follow Christ. That's vision and that's what Jesus did. That's why they didn't struggle. Afterward, when Jesus goes up to the clouds, they're like hey, why are you looking? The same way you saw him leave. The same way he's going to come back. Jesus says the very last thing. He says wait for the promise of the Father, stay here in Jerusalem. The promise of the Father comes, the Holy Spirit. Boom, they got marching orders.
Speaker 2:So I think we have to continually keep that vision in front of our small group members, and you do that in multiple ways by encouraging them in their own personal walk, encouraging them in how they interact with coworkers, their own family, their own friends. Hey, hey, how was it? You said you were going to talk with your son or talk with your coworker about this. Hey, how did that go? Like you said, how did that go? It went great, man. That's awesome. Keep going, keep praying, keep going, keep praying. You know I want you to lead the group next time. Like you're constantly keeping vision, you're keeping leadership in front of them, you're keeping kingdom in front of them. So when you have to have that conversation, hey, man, you've been with us for six months, you're ready for this. There's going to be some sadness, but like, yep, you're right, I am ready for this.
Speaker 1:And then there's people that are listening that they're like and you're telling me to multiply, but I think just being part of a community and understanding that even in relationships and this is the hard thing. So my family and I I'm from LA, california moved to Texas. If you know my whole story, I've lived in different places and in Clarksville we have a lot of people that have done the same because they're in the military or various reasons. I've had to learn that you develop relationships with people and you fall in love with people and their families and stuff. But when the Lord says you got to go, like as much as it hurts, like you trust that God is going to take care of them just as much as he's going to take care of you.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:And he's going to lead them. And even when you're in leadership positions like I've been in ministry roles where you're like man, what's going to?
Speaker 1:happen to so-and-so and this and that you just got to trust people aren't ours. Yes, we're in relationship with people, right? So whoever it is, if it's our educators or people in our church, these are relationships. I think the same applies to kids. My wife always says like our, these are relationships. I think the same applies to kids. My wife always says like our kids are borrowed, you know we got to let them go at some point and trust the Lord that they're going to do the right thing, as much as we've invested in them and, you know, teaching them and raising them. So you join a small group and you find community because we want it, we're hungry for it, but there's. So there's the desire to join a small group because you're hungry for community, you want that connection. But when we're talking about discipleship, because we don't just want people gathering- yes.
Speaker 1:And so that's what I'm trying to differentiate, and I want you guys to speak into this, because there's people that will join a small group initially for the community, the connection but then what? And so how do we help people get from making the connection, you know, finding a group of friends, and then how do we get them to the next part?
Speaker 2:which is the mission.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, oh. I love how y'all just stopped talking and looked at me.
Speaker 1:I wish there was a camera here. At that moment Y'all were like in turn and cue Emily, and cue Emily and cue me.
Speaker 3:Well, that's the cool thing, especially here If they're locally here and if they attend LifePoint, we help them, we train them how to do it. The second Tuesday night of every single month, from 6 to 8, we have what we consider leader training here. But I don't want that to be a scary thing because, just like Pastor Elmer said, we have influence. All leadership is is influence. You have influence over someone, which then you can start a small group and from there, honestly, if your sole focus is not Jesus, then you are having a social club.
Speaker 2:You're having a social gathering.
Speaker 3:If you are not talking about Christ, if you are not trying to move closer into your devotion, into your discipleship towards Christ, then you have a social club.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's great.
Speaker 3:Now is there room for fellowship. Yes, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1:There's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 3:No, but that's what we can help you do through the leadership training, through all of that. I mean, we literally will hand walk you through all the way through your first group and then from there we have all kinds of different tools and stuff here that we can do. But just on a practical level, if you center your group around Jesus, then you are doing discipleship. If you are centering everything that you do, if you're moving people closer, whoever you have influence over whether it be your kids, your friends in college I mean honestly your spouses too you have influence in your spouse's life.
Speaker 3:That's discipleship right. And it does not matter if you are male, female, young, old. It doesn't matter, it does not matter.
Speaker 2:That's great.
Speaker 3:Discipleship.
Speaker 2:Move closer. So to your point, emily. You're right. The focus, the central focus, is Christ as one who wants to lead a group. And then to Elmer's point. I guess you know you were really, and then you were also asking about folks who want to join a group. I think it's the exact same mindset. The central focus is to become more like Jesus. A disciple is an apprentice. An apprentice is someone who is being trained to do something, and so an apprentice has three motivations I want to be with my master, with my leader. I want to become like my leader, and then I want to do as my leader did. So when I joined a small group, my goal must be I want to be with Jesus, which means I want to be with other people who are going to encourage me to be with Jesus.
Speaker 2:I want to be like Jesus, which means I want to be around people who are going to encourage me to be like Jesus, and then I want to be around people who are going to encourage me to be like Jesus, and then I want to do as Jesus did, which means I want to be around other people who are going to encourage me to do what Jesus did.
Speaker 2:So that must be the motivation for anybody joining a small group, whether it's a freedom group like Reboot or Divorce, care or Grief Share, or a discipleship group like Rooted or Engage or Alpha, or whether it is an activity-based group, whether it or a discipleship group like Rooted or Engage or Alpha, or whether it is an activity-based group, whether it's a sermon review group, those three motivations are still the same. Every time that you gather, you are saying to yourself God, today I want to be with you, I want to be more like you and I want to do as you did. So then my conversation is going to be informed and shaped around that. I will ask questions about study and reading scripture and about prayer. I will bring scenarios to my small group so that I can receive help and counsel and direction.
Speaker 2:Hey, I'm having a really tough time with my coworker. They always have a bad, negative attitude, always. Every time I ask them what's going on, they say this or that Can you guys help me with this? And so the expectation is, the counsel that I receive is going to help me with one of those three things being with Jesus, being like him or doing as he did.
Speaker 2:So for anybody joining a small group, that must be your aim and I promise you everything else will be thrown in. You will receive community and fellowship. You will receive pastoral care 100%. Felt needs are also met in small groups 100%. But those are ancillary blessings. Those are outfalls of the main blessing, which is discipleship, which is being more like Jesus and then doing as he did. Yeah, that is powerful.
Speaker 3:I think that's a good way how to check, to make sure that that's a group that you want to join too, because the fact of the matter is, is you know if, once again, if they're, if you're listening to this and you're not anywhere close to Clarksville and you're like, hey, I need to be in community with somebody, and so you're hey, I'm just going to go join a group. That's, I'm just going to go join a group. That's a great way how to measure. Hey, is this group legit or not? Those are three main ways that you can check hey, is the leader? One, two and three, and then move on, that's right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if they ain't checking all the boxes, okay, that's not the group for you. It's not that it's a bad group, it's just not the group for you.
Speaker 3:Exactly. It's not the group for you. There you go, that's it.
Speaker 1:Man, I got all these things going in my head. We'll probably offline on some of these things later.
Speaker 2:Okay, All right man.
Speaker 1:I'd love to ask you guys because you guys are the heart of our small groups here at LifePoint Church and what are maybe some stories of people in our church that you've seen them actually go from? Hey, I need people, I need to get connected, and now we see them leading and empowering other people as leaders.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So yeah, there was a really good friend of mine. His name is Aaron and I know he won't mind me sharing. I met him last year and he approached me at first with the desire to learn to play bass. He's in the military and you know I get statements or comments all the time hey, willie, we enjoy when you play and I always appreciate that because I let them know I'm having fun. People will say you like having fun. I said I am, I'm having fun, I'm doing this. You play bass, I do. Yes, sir, I play, I'm pretty good at picking that thing.
Speaker 2:It was like, okay, I get him a burger, I just need a burger, that's it right there. I just needed some carbohydrates and sugars. So that's initially how it started. And so we would meet in my office and I was like okay, I will teach you Bay. So we had like a little Bay small group going, and then here's what's awesome as we gathered around this common activity, the conversation shifted.
Speaker 2:He started asking me discipleship questions about his own personal walk and then about family. I said, okay, hey, all right, we can talk about that too, absolutely. So then he begins to share his story and I asked and this is one of my favorite questions to ask, and both of you, emily, and Pastor Emily, you guys asked this question too. I say who are you processing this with Like? When people share hard things with me, one of my first questions I ask is hey, who are you processing this with Like? Who else knows about this? Pastor Chris Hodges made this statement years ago and it just wrecked me. He said if you're the only one that knows what's going on with you, you're wrong, straight up. And he said man, nobody, I'm not sharing with anybody. So then I said right. Then I said I'm going to text, I'm going to give you the name of three guys, three leaders that I know, and I said I want you to call them and say hey, Cousin.
Speaker 2:Willie told me I need to did Now we would still meet. But what was incredible was that he was sharing now about how his small group was becoming a safe space for him to share. And one of the biggest blessings, guys, that he found out, that he shared with me. He said, willie, I found out I wasn't the only one struggling that right. And we said shocker, shocker.
Speaker 2:And that's the enemy's ploy is to make you think that you're unique. That's why 1 Corinthians said that there's no temptation that's befalling you, except that which is common to men. You ain't the only one going through the struggle, but you don't know that until you get in the presence of other believers. And then I had the privilege of baptizing him and his small group was there. And I am telling you, I mean just the roar, there's something about men cheering that just man invigorates me. And he comes up and they're just cheering, whistling, and I'm taking pictures. That is an amazing why? Because he now let me say this too the situations that he is struggling with have not all been resolved, a lot of them haven't changed, but his perspective has Right. He now is not hopeless, he's hopeful. He's like man. I know I'm not alone in this and I said that's the win. He's taking another step.
Speaker 2:He's taking another step and again, that's the win. The win isn't that the small group was a magic bullet that fixed all the issues, but it let him know, hey, you're not alone. As you struggle like everybody else does, you realize you're not alone. But now it's taken a step further and he's asked me about growth track. Hey, man, I need to do growth. I said, yeah, you need to do growth track. So now he's thinking now, instead of others helping him, which they have, he's going to now help others. That is, to me, an awesome kingdom win, and that's what discipleship does. Now he's actually thinking through not just community, but he's thinking through action. He's thinking through commitment.
Speaker 1:Now I love sports.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And so I like, throughout the year, at random times as my schedule allows, Throughout the year, at random times as my schedule allows, I'll organize Monday night basketball or Sunday football out in the back of the church Just don't tell the soccer club and we're here and we're playing, and some weeks it's like 20 guys, some weeks it's like five of us and I love that community and that's social. It's the activity I've always been into sports since I was. That community and that's social, it's the activity. I've always been into sports since I was a kid. So it does something for my soul. That's my outlet. Instead of being in a gym, I'd love to do recreational sports in group. That's my thing. But as much as on my calendar, I might say it's one of my small groups when they're active. It's not where I do discipleship, it's where I lead people to discipleship, because out of that, those moments, I'm able to lead people to like hey, have you ever gone on a mission trip?
Speaker 1:Hey, have you done growth track? Are you on a dream team?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then ultimately it's always like hey, what small group are you in? And sometimes some of the guys are like I thought this was a small group. I'm like, hey, come to my Saturday small group or come to this group or join someone, someone's group. And because it's not just about the activities, I think I you know to your point with Aaron. I think we're all looking to connect and to be belong to something.
Speaker 1:And so you know a group. But but because there's something more on the inside and we're on this journey in life to discover it, and along the way, these feelings and emotions, they just come out, and so we want to talk with someone, or we want to hear someone, or we want someone to listen to us, and so connection becomes about change, because I want to be better. A lot of guys tell me I want to be a better person, so I want to be around people that are better than me. At least they assume that they're better. But to your point, you can't do that alone?
Speaker 2:No, you can't. And I love how you said that too, pastor, about discipleship and people assuming well, I'm in this group, so I'm being discipled. No, you're not. You're in community and you're not alone. Sure, but you're not being discipled. No, disciple, I think the synonym is intentionality. This is intentional, it's focused, it's direct, it's clear. That is discipleship. And it's also invitational. You're invited into discipleship. Nobody just walks up to I'm not going to walk up to Elmer or Emily, but like, hey, you're going to disciple me. No, that's not how that works. Seriously, you were telling me last year about the whole rabbinical system. It was like, no, the rabbi told you, I'm going to take you on.
Speaker 1:That's how that works. It was an honor to be asked.
Speaker 2:Yes, it was an honor to be asked. And it's the same way with discipleship. Like you know, you're being discipled because you're going to be told that, like I'm working with another young man named Darius and he is hungry. He's a former football player, he is a young guy and man, he is hungry for the Lord and he approached me directly, sent me an email. I never met the guy, I couldn't pick him out of the matter, but he was like, hey, man, I was giving your name, one of the guys I was talking with. I said, man, you should talk to Willie, hit him up. So he just got my email and he told me he says, hey, I want to be discipled, like I want to learn to grow. And I said okay, and so I'm taking him through a specific curriculum and let me just park the car there and say that too.
Speaker 2:When it comes to discipleship, you're discipled around something. Yes, we are disciples of Christ, but we are discipled around something, primarily scripture. You're discipled around resources. That's why I say what differentiates a small group from a gathering, a social gathering, is that you're gathering around something. There's a shared resource, whether it's sermon review, a book of the Bible, a right now media video series, some sort of discipleship material, some sort of spiritually formating material that is Christological in nature, like that is. So we're going through a resource called the Purple Book and it was mentioned to me by pastors Jordan and Aaron. They do that. They've used that resource with their young adults and it's a phenomenal basic Christianity 101. And when I shared the PDF with them he was like man, this is awesome, this is exactly what I'm talking about. I said, okay, every week that we meet, we're going to go through this material. So now he understands. We're not just shooting the breeze. And I told him. I said, darius, can I tell you something right now? Because people always ask me, willie, what's your opinion? I say, listen, if my opinion mattered, it'd be in the Bible. If Willie Simpson's opinion mattered, it would be in Scripture, and anybody that knows me knows that I am a Bible nerd. So if you say, willie, what are your thoughts about this and this? Well, let's see what Scripture says about it. So I'm going to disciple Darius around Scripture, a resource that points us to Scripture. Not only that, but it's also methodical.
Speaker 2:Like Jesus, he had a method to the madness. So when we talk about discipleship, I think people start with a very strong desire to lead others to follow Christ, which is necessary. You have to start with the desire. But then they stop there and they say well, just come alongside and just watch me do this thing. Sure, absolutely. But there has to be a method to the madness.
Speaker 2:Jesus sends out his disciples on two separate occasions. The very first time he sends them out, he tells them exactly what they need to take with them, right, he says well, the very first time, he says don't take anything, just go out. And they come back. Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. And they come back. Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. The second time he sends them out, hey, take this, take this, take this, take this, take this.
Speaker 2:There was a method why I'm sending you out further. It's going to get hairy, I'm sending you out as sheep among the wolves, but there was a method. I mean, listen, the disciples knew how to preach the gospel. They knew how to heal the gospel. They knew how to heal the sick. They knew how to raise the dead. They knew how to exercise demons. They knew how to speak to beggars, to paupers and to royalty, because they had seen Jesus do the exact same thing. There was a method to what Jesus was doing, and that's where I think we stall out when we are discipling people. I got a strong desire to do this, so let's just you and I gather for coffee. Great, that is an awesome first step, because you got to start there. What are we going to talk about when we gather? Oh, we'll just figure it out. No, we won't. Jesus didn't do that.
Speaker 2:He taught in Mark, chapter 4. Jesus is teaching. Remember, he taught in Mark, chapter 4. Jesus is teaching. Remember all the parables about the kingdom. Because he's like this is what discipleship is. I'm discipling you into the kingdom.
Speaker 2:He teaches the parable of the sower and after he explains, after he tells the parable, he says let the people understand. And some people depart. Those that remain said can you give us the? I mean, what are you talking about? Give us the meaning behind this par with the sower. And he says are you also without understanding? And he says if you do not understand this prayer book, you will not understand the rest. So he's giving them the method in the teaching. Here is what the kingdom is like Sowing seed with four different reactions.
Speaker 2:This is what ministry is going to be like for you. You're going to sow seed and you're going to get a lot of different reactions. Three-fourths of them are going to be negative. He's already distilling the method into them. So when I'm discipling someone, what I am not doing is trying to figure out how I can make their hopes and dreams come true. That's mentorship. Hey man, I want to be a surgeon. Let me do this internship and you mentor me to be a surgeon. Discipleship says I want to learn how to follow Jesus, which means I want you to help me conform to that. Does that make sense? So I've got to have a resource.
Speaker 1:I think we mix that up a lot in church. You have a lot of people that are leading people as mentors.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And so they come and meet with you and they tell you their problems and then you pray for them and you give them scriptures and it's so natural to do. But then we're giving advice out of what we think is best, of what we think is best, and that eventually naturally becomes a mentorship, because the person is seeking you for guidance versus you like hey, how can I point you to Christ?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And I think naturally we like it. We like it when people depend on us and we have something that sounds right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Especially, we're using the Bible.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:It's still a tool and I think Christian psychologists and they using the Bible. Yes, it's still a tool and I think Christian psychologists they use the Bible. Christian counselors use the Bible, but they're not there to disciple us. They're there to counsel us and to hear our pains and stories and traumas. So a lot of people can use scripture, but it doesn't mean that they're discipling you. How many preachers are there on YouTube? Every church in the world pretty much has a YouTube channel, but that doesn't mean because I listen to them, they're discipling me.
Speaker 2:You're just listening to them. No, you're right.
Speaker 1:And so it's even hard as the end user to sometimes differentiate like am I being discipled or am I being mentored?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think the biggest thing, though, for me is like discipleship if you break it down to its root word, is discipline right, and that's on both ends too. It's discipline of the person who is trying to make disciples and the person who is wanting to be discipled. Like it's a discipline on both ends, on you and understanding hey, I got a jerk knot in your tail. If I need to and I'm going to do it biblically.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Right, but it's also the person who's getting the knot jerked to understand hey, this is out of love.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Because I want you to be better. These are little character defects, these are little things that I want to see, that I want to mold, that I want to shape to look more like Christ to where that I want to mold, that I want to shape to look more like Christ to where? Then, eventually, I can back up.
Speaker 2:That's it right there, Emily.
Speaker 3:And then I can go seek somebody else and you can do the same, and that brings the whole multiplication back. But it all starts with discipline, because it's not easy. No, it's not it's going to take time yes, it's going to take time out of your schedule, out of your family schedule. It's like it is.
Speaker 2:It's a sacrifice.
Speaker 3:It is. It's absolutely a sacrifice, but if we are wanting to look more like Jesus, why not sacrifice as he did?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's so good In the way that we can. No, that's a great point. You know, I just had this thought. All of us in this room are Christians. Let me put it like this Proof that Peter James, john, paul and the crew, proof that they were truly disciples, is that we are disciples, because disciples make disciples. And the word got out. The word got out. That is proof that they were truly disciples, because we are disciples today. To me, we're the greatest proof that all of the 120, they had Pentecost they were truly disciples. Why? Because a disciple. You can never call somebody a disciple until they've made a disciple. That's how you know. Because you've made another follower. Yeah, we're a fruit of what they did. Yes, the fruit of discipleship is disciples. The fruit of a disciple is another disciple, and they'll never know it.
Speaker 2:Never, until we get to heaven. That is exactly right. Let's park the car there, family. You may never, ever see the person you're discipling become a disciple. You may never see that. You may never see that. But that isn't the point. When Jesus said to go and make disciples, he says go and make disciples, teaching them to obey all that you have observed. That is how you make a disciple. It is to your point. It is still incumbent upon the person being discipled to receive the teaching they still got to receive that and obey it.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I can teach you to obey. I can't make you obey, and I think that's what we're doing. It's like we view ministry like selling cars. I got to close the deal. I got to see the fruit. I got to make sure that I see them come to the Lord. I got to make sure that I see this person get saved. I got to make sure that I see this person get saved. I got to make sure that I see this person turn around and start treating their families, because we think that's success. Yeah.
Speaker 3:And that satisfies us and spoiler alert the fruit is never for the tree. No, come on Yep.
Speaker 1:Spoiler alert Come on.
Speaker 2:Come on, that's it.
Speaker 3:It's not.
Speaker 2:No, that's it right there. I am not discipling someone so that I can pull up my digital discipleship board and say, girl, another one, got another one right there, so I can do like DJ Khaled, another one.
Speaker 3:Listen, I already told you to take that off your phone.
Speaker 2:The digital discipleship. What was it, the digital discipleship?
Speaker 1:I told you to delete it. You did my bad. That looked like a picture of your wife that was in an app.
Speaker 2:That's my wife right there, ain't she pretty. Pretty, she's beautiful.
Speaker 3:She is, I brag.
Speaker 2:Oh, man, but that's a great point though. Pastor, you're exactly right, and Jesus, again, he was concerned. That's why he taught that parable.
Speaker 2:I'm the sower, I'm scattering seed. Yeah, he's not over there trying to turn the dirt. He wasn't turning the walk path, the foot path, he wasn't trying to turn that in the soil, he just scattered his seed. He says make disciples, comma teaching them to obey. So okay, that's the part that I'm going to do. I'm going to teach them to obey, that's what I'm going to do, but what I'm not going to do is try to convince them. Hey, man, this is good for you, man, you got to do it.
Speaker 1:It'll change your life. No, no, no, I'm going to teach you. Yeah, I feel like I need to share this. We're in 21 days of prayer. Somebody in one of our groups asked for prayer and they were asking for, without too many details, for just to walk in the anointing of God, for more anointing. And as I was going to pray for them for that, the Holy Spirit obviously leads us and I began to pray that they be more obedient. And as I was praying for them and I'm like God's just leading me in the prayer, I'm like, okay, and I was done, and I'm like man that spoke to me too, like I want to walk in a greater anointing, you know, but I have to learn to be obedient Because, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many gallons of anointing or oil are poured upon you without obedience nothing can happen.
Speaker 1:Come on, man, because it's not on my own strength or ability. And so you know, as we're seeking to make disciples, as we're seeking to lead people to Jesus, it's not about what you know or what you're capable of or how much you know. You know just what do you call it, shondo. It's about simply being obedient.
Speaker 1:I think that's the step and just walking in obedience, like if you feel like you can do it. Just be obedient to God and he's equipped you with everything through his Holy Spirit, and, I think, to everything that we're talking about in discipleship and I know it sounds like we're just like just blasting people that are in small groups or you don't want to multiply your team. It's not about that, it's we want to encourage you, that God's equipped you with everything that you need, and if you are a small group leader, that's awesome, but don't get stuck with a social club. Like Emily said earlier, let's get back on mission. It's a whole new year, 2025. And I'm not trying to set goals here, because we're just trying to lead you back to Scripture, to go and make disciples.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely, that's the mandate.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and don't get attached to people. Like I said earlier, in relationships, there's and I've said this story before as a teenager, we used to have this is back in the day where youth leaders could pick up students and stuff like that, and we used to have prayer every day, five in the morning, and this wasn't a church thing. This was our student group. Our youth group would do prayer every morning and so my youth leader would pick me up at before five to get to church at five and we'd be there for an hour and then I'd go back home, go to school every day, every day, and that was some of the most forming years for me. And so this leader of mine his name's Mark like years later, like this decades later, I see him. I'm like, hey, thanks for everything you did. Like you discipled me. I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for you being so disciplined.
Speaker 1:This is a 20-year-old picking up a young you know, I was 15, picking up a high school kid to go pray. Like you're saying the discipline of he didn't have to go pray. Like you're saying the discipline of he didn't have to go pick me up. He lived around the corner from the church. He could have just gone straight to church, slept in a little longer, but he was so disciplined and, hey, I'm going to make the investment and go pick up this kid, take him to church, pray, take him back home. He didn't. We'd, literally we'd talk about the Bible, He'd give me some scriptures, but it wasn't like he was on me every day, like what are you doing, what are you watching? He just was disciplined and invested time to getting me to church, to getting me to a place so I can meet God. Not so I can meet Mark, but so I can meet with God. That's so good.
Speaker 1:And it was again some of the most forming years of my life where I met God and I saw God in such a different way in prayer, and that was discipleship, because he was leading me to Jesus and he was investing into me. And so not everything we do in discipleship is going to be in. Let me lead you through this book, because you don't have to lead me through the book. Lead me to Jesus, teach me to obey. Teach me to obey, getting to learn how to Jesus. Teach me to obey. Teach me to obey, getting to, to learn how to pray. He taught me to obey and it costs him something and you know, and so I look back at that and and in the way I lead other people, like I don't feel like I need to give them like every day of my life and an hour every single day of my life. I'll give you an hour or two a week, every other week something, but every time it's going to be.
Speaker 2:I'm going to point you back to Jesus and you're still disciplined with that. Yeah, come on, that's so good man. I think. Yeah, I think you've distilled discipleship perfectly, piggybacking off what you said, emily, about the discipline. It was Mark's discipline that really had the impact on you and made room for you to learn to obey.
Speaker 1:Christ, I don't know if you woke up like I don't want to go get him, but hey, I'm going to go.
Speaker 3:I can promise you, as a mom with almost the same age group, right there. Yeah, he did not. He woke up many times and was like I'm just, you're laughing. I'm over here like I wake up in the morning now and I'm like, how bad do I need my job?
Speaker 1:I'm just kidding. I love y'all. I love y'all, that's fair. Not kidding Not kidding Well, with weather like today, yeah like 17 degrees outside.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely, yeah, fact Absolutely.
Speaker 1:I did that on Saturday. I sat in front of the mirror and I woke up. I had my small group, seven in the morning it's like six, I'm like do I need to get up? Right? Do I really need to go?
Speaker 3:I'm gonna go yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna do this. Oh my gosh and well, this has been a great conversation.
Speaker 2:I've enjoyed every minute of this, yeah is there anything?
Speaker 1:just any final steps? So there's people that are in groups and there's people that are not in groups that might be listening. What's some advice for them to help them get connected this year?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So those of you specifically that are connected to LifePoint Church want to address you. So January 13th and the 14th, that's Monday and Tuesday, that's next Monday and Tuesday we are launching our freedom and discipleship groups here at our Rossview campus and I always say if you don't know where to start, start literally at your church. Our groups meet on Mondays at 6 pm and on Tuesdays at 6 pm and the freedom group is basically helping you get unstuck from a life challenge. So that's like a reboot for our military and first responders. That's divorce care, that's grief share, that's financial peace university. On Tuesdays we have groups for discipleship specifically saying I either want to know God or I want to know him better. So that's rooted, that's alpha, that's re-engage, which is an awesome discipleship marriage group, and you can go to lightpointchurchtv slash small groups. You can register for those groups. Child care is also offered as well. So again, you guys have no excuse If you're not in a group. We have made it super easy. If you don't attend Lightpoint Church, first of all get into a church and join a small group, whatever they call it small group, cell group, home group, life group, connect group, whatever they call it. You have to make sure that you plug in to your church. That's how you can make the church feel small again and make sure that you are seen and known.
Speaker 2:If you are leading a small group, just like Emily said, the second Tuesday of every month at 6 pm here at our Rossview campus, we offer leader training. We will teach anybody who wants to lead a group exactly how to lead a group. The fourth Tuesday okay, the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6 pm. For those of you who are currently leading a small group, I am pleased to announce that we have a brand new leadership series that we're starting this month, in January, called Love who you Lead, and we are going to give you practical, Christ-based approaches and practices to lead your small group. We're going to talk about literally anything and everything. We're going to talk about how to start a group, how to run a group. We're going to talk about how to teach people to share the gospel, how to have hard conversations, how to launch people out of your group. There's no registration required. All you have to do is just show up. That's the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6 pm, right here at Rossview.
Speaker 3:So just because everybody's hungry now and probably like what in the world? That was like drinking from a fire hose. If you want to join a small group and you're here at LifePoint, honestly just show up. That's right. On Tuesdays, that's all you got to do At 6 o'clock and ask for Launchpad.
Speaker 2:Yes, Launchpad.
Speaker 3:That is literally a small group designed to help you find a small group, that's right. So just show up any Tuesday at 6 o'clock and then I'm going to get specific. January 14th is the leader training. That's right If you want to lead.
Speaker 2:Yes, if you want to lead.
Speaker 3:That's right. If you want to lead, yes, if you want to lead. And then January 28th is the If you Are An Existing small group, and that is the Love who you Lead series.
Speaker 1:So once again.
Speaker 3:January 14th, leader, January 28th Love who you Lead. Just show up at 6 o'clock right here at LifePoint. Just show up, Just show up.
Speaker 1:That's all you got to do. Just show up. Hey o'clock right here at LifePoint.
Speaker 3:Just show up, just show up.
Speaker 1:That's all you got to do, just show up. Hey, this was fun, guys. Emily, thank you for joining us. Thank you. Hey, you've done a great job with Sunday Rewind. Oh, thank you. And so all those videos are about to go live on YouTube, oh no. Aren't you excited?
Speaker 2:Let's go.
Speaker 1:So a lot of you have listened to our Sunday Rewind episodes and we're going to do those throughout the year, but Emily hosted them as we were doing the Journey series.
Speaker 3:I am just so glad that I don't have to do the intros anymore.
Speaker 1:Hey everybody.
Speaker 3:By the end it was just like what's up? Okay, let's go.
Speaker 1:I'm so awkward. You did an awesome job and it was an honor having you today.
Speaker 2:And thank you.
Speaker 1:Pastor Willie, like always, and thank you guys for listening today on our podcast. If you have any questions concerns anything that we can help you with, make sure you reach out to us via email at info info at lifepointchurchtv. The team will forward those emails to us, or you can follow us on social media at LifePointChurch, or also you can follow our creative social media at LifePointCreative, and those are Instagram handles, so we would love to connect with you Again. We are here to help lead you to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. We love you and we're excited to start a new year together. Until next week, peace out.
