How to Discover your Purpose (and grow spiritually without feeling stuck) | Season 7 Ep 9

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SHOW NOTES:

This episode highlights the power of personal growth and the unnoticed significance of disciples like Simon the Zealot. We explore how God qualifies the called, encouraging listeners to embrace their unique journeys in faith and the importance of nurturing growth within themselves and their communities. 

• Reflection on the theme of new growth in faith 
• Introduction of Growth Track 2025 for further learning 
• Exploration of the disciples and focus on Simon the Zealot 
• Discussion on the true meaning of qualification in God's eyes 
• Encouragement for those feeling overlooked or invisible in their faith journeys 
• Call to action for joining the Growth Track 2025 class

Transcript

Growth Track 2025 and Disciples Study

Speaker 1 0:00

Hey all, thank you for joining us here at Grab the Faith, where we try to grab the faith and run with it. Join us as we try to learn a little more, grow a little more and live a lot more. I'm your host, bobbi Gentry Goodwin. Stay tuned for this week's episode. Good evening, good evening, and thank you for joining me here on Grab the Faith. Grab the Faith, the podcast, where we try to grab the faith and run with it. I am just so grateful that you're here with me listening to another episode, the final episode of this season, as we have been studying these disciples, none other than the disciples of Jesus Christ. Back in those days, there were many people who had disciples, but we are studying the disciples of Jesus Christ. Have you been growing? Have you been growing? Have you been growing? Have you been learning? I've been learning, I've been growing. I feel like I have been getting to know these disciples personally a little bit better in my studies, and so I hope that, after you review each episode, you are going to the word of God yourself and reading about these disciples and studying the word of God. This is just an appetizer. Let me be clear. This is just an appetizer. The main meal is in the word of God and I hope that this podcast is encouraging you to eat well, creating a thirst in you to just learn more and more about the word of God. Listen, I sure hope the information that we're studying are watering seeds in you. If you already have a faith, I hope that it is watering seeds in you that have already been sown, or, if you don't have those seeds, or, better yet, if you don't know very much about Jesus Christ and Christianity. I hope that this podcast is sowing new seeds, sprouting up new growth and new information for you. And listen, that's exactly what we're going to be talking about tonight New growth.

Speaker 1 2:20

Now, I am a black woman and new growth has historically been a bad word. Okay, as I am, even looking on this camera, I can see I have a new growth right now. My hair needs to be dyed and when I was a kid, anytime my mama mentioned we have to get to that new growth. That means either my hair was getting washed and pressed and curled or my hair was getting another perm. So new growth never meant anything for me as a child. It was associated with those things. But in my adulthood, I not only see new growth, but I crave new growth. I look for it as I'm looking over my life. I'm looking for new growth in my prayer life. I'm looking for new growth in my prayer life. I'm looking for new growth in my studying, in my study habits. I'm looking for new growth in my compassion toward others. I'm looking for new growth in my knowledge of God and his character and his ways. I'm looking for new growth in my relationship with him.

Speaker 1 3:22

In 2025, I want to see some new growth in me and it is my hope that in 2025, there will be some new growth in you. How about you? Are you hoping for the same thing? Well, if you are, you're hoping for some new growth. Stay tuned, because we have lots of wonderful, wonderful study information that's coming your way.

Speaker 1 3:47

And if you know someone who needs to sprout up, right, they're just a little baby plant. They need watering, they need nurturing, they need tilling. That soil needs tilling, so the soil will be easily pliable for new seeds to be planted. If you know someone like that, or if that's you yourself, you're just starting off on your Christian journey. You need want to know more about God and want to know more about Christianity. Do not hesitate and I'm telling you, do not hesitate to join me or join us on my YouTube channel for this year's Growth Track 2025. You do not want to miss this. If you're looking for new growth in Christ, if you're looking to water that little suckling and that little baby plant, that little grass that's sprouting up and you wanted to start growing and flourishing, join me on my YouTube channel for this new Growth Track 2025. Listen, it has been encouraging me, exciting me, and I hope that it will be encouragement and excitement to you as you learn more about Christianity.

Speaker 1 4:58

This is a free class. Okay, let me not. Many things is free in this world, but this is a free. Salvation is free. Okay, salvation is free, but this is also a free virtual class that will be starting this March, a class that seeks to uncover foundational truths about Christianity and how our lives can flourish within it. So if you or someone you know is new to the faith, have foundational questions or is simply a seeker or curious and want to know more, point them in our direction. Encourage them to join us for this new class. It's many modules, but it is rich. It is rich, that soil is rich. So, please, don't hesitate to join us.

Speaker 1 5:48

But tonight we are talking about something totally different. We're diving into our own growth, but not only our own growth, but the growth of these disciples. We've been studying these disciples. Have you been having a good time? I have studying these disciples. Have you been having a good time? I have studying these disciples. And tonight we are on disciple number seven. He wasn't called in the seventh order. I want to be clear about that. But it's our seventh disciple that we are studying in these episodes and we're going to end this season with him. So if you have your Bibles, if you have your Bible, come along and join me as we open up to Luke, chapter 6, verses 12 through 22, which says this One day, soon afterward, jesus went up on a mountain to pray, went up on a mountain to pray.

Speaker 1 6:48

Wow, I can just stop there. What an example Jesus set for us about having a relationship with him. Even Jesus himself took time out, carved time out of his busy schedule healing the sick, raising the dead, ministering to people, teaching people, encouraging he took time out to pray. So one day, soon afterward, jesus went up on a mountain to pray and he prayed to God all night. Okay, now we get upset when the pastor pray for two minutes. Okay, jesus prayed all night. What a wonderful prayer life.

Speaker 1 7:20

At daybreak he called together all his disciples and chose 12 of them to be apostles. So you will see, in the gospels they called disciples, but in Acts they are called apostles, right? So he called together all his disciples and chose 12 of them to be his apostles. Here are their names. Now I want to be clear. There was many, many people following Jesus, but Jesus selected 12, as his disciples later called the apostles right. Let me go through the names. So here are their names Simon, who he named Peter. Andrew, peter's brother. James. John Philip Bartholomew, which we also know from our study. That's Nathaniel Matthew Thomas, who we studied last lesson. James, son of Alphaeus. Simon, who was called the zealot. Judas, son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed him.

Speaker 1 8:26

When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large level area. They stood with him on this large level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. So there was a lot of people in the crowd, but some of them was Jesus' followers. Are you tracking with me? Are you grabbing this? There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And Jesus also cast out many evil spirits. Everyone tried to touch him because healing power went out from him and he healed everyone.

Speaker 1 9:23

Then Jesus turned to his disciples, who we studying tonight, these disciples. Then Jesus turned to these disciples who were on the same platform as him, right On this large level area, and he took, and he and said God blesses you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the son of man. Oh, that's a mouthful. I'm gonna need some water after that. I'm gonna need some water as we study the living word of God and get this living water. Sometimes I need water, physical water, as I'm getting this spiritual water, this living water.

Speaker 1 10:35

So what is happening here? Right, what is happening here? We're studying the disciples and today we're going to be studying one disciple. Right, we're going to be. But you know. I just want to highlight this will be the last disciple that we're studying, so if you want to pick up next time when we study the next group of disciples eight through 12, then I want to encourage you to go ahead and like, rate or subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss an episode. Don't wait, pause it and do it now. Or, if you're on YouTube with me, go ahead and pause and go ahead and like and subscribe, because you won't miss an episode. Or just send two people right, tell them about this or previous episodes so they can learn right along with you you all can learn and study together or previous episodes so they can learn right along with you. You all can learn and study together. So we have couched on six other disciples already in this study. Do you remember who they are? Do you remember who our six disciples are? We studied Judas, we studied Peter, we studied Philip, we studied Andrew, we studied Nathaniel and last time we studied Thomas. So tonight we're going to lean into the seventh one, one more to close out the season, and that's Simon the Zealot. Simon the Zealot and as we highlight the topic for this evening, I just want to bring it into the space we are going to be talking about qualified.

Speaker 1 12:05

Qualified, listen, this word has taken on a new meaning for me lately. Right, my husband and I, we've been looking for him a car. He's had the same car, I don't even know how long, and it's on his last leg and I want to tell you that the seats is ripped. It got 200,000 miles on, I mean, but it's still shuffling. But it's shuffling, you know, not like Speedy Gonzalez anymore. It needs, he needs a new car.

Speaker 1 12:34

And so as we scour, looking for new cars and going to new car lots and things like that, what we keep hearing is qualify. This word has come up more than a few times. We can get you qualified. If you are qualified, you have to qualify. And as I hear this word qualify over and over, I know it comes with something. They're saying that to us for a reason To be qualified comes with some expectation.

Speaker 1 13:04

In order to qualify for a loan, you have to have something already. Right, they just not going to qualify. You have to come to the table with something, you have to have something. Say it with me all those who have purchased a car or a home or thing what do you have to have? You have to have credit, you have to have a good credit score, you have to show up with something that shows that you are worthy for them to qualify you. Well, credit is something we adults know a lot about. Okay, if you're an adult and been an adult for a minute, you know a lot about credit. Right, you can't get a credit card, you can't get a car, you can't get a loan, you can't get a lot of things an apartment without credit. But God, let me just qualify that. But God, sometimes God opens doors that man should otherwise close. But if you don't have credit, you won't be qualified.

Speaker 1 14:00

And listen, that's why I love Jesus, that's why Jesus gets me excited, that's why I'm a follower of Christ, because he's done something for me that I couldn't have did for myself. He's done something that not because of me, see, I couldn't earn his love, I couldn't earn his qualification. I couldn't earn it on my own. I didn't have to show up to the table with something. He has a different economy. He does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called. He doesn't call those that are qualified and say oh you got a good credit score. Come on, oh, you've been a good girl. Come on. Oh, you haven't been sinning, come on, he doesn't do that. He qualifies the call and that's a big distinction. Right, because he calls us first and then he qualifies us. Right, because in him we have everything we need.

Speaker 1 15:02

So when I look at these 12 disciples that we have been discussing, this ragtag group he done pulled together, I don't think they have good credit. Let me be clear I don't think they have good credit. I think that they are a ragtag group, right. As a matter of fact, I'm sure that they are people that as soon as they come onto the live, people looking at them suspect. As soon as they come onto the lot, people looking at them suspect. And as tonight, as we study Simon the zealot, we can see from the gospels it don't look like he had bad credit. It looked like he don't have no credit at all. When you study him and study the gospels and acts, it don't look like he don't have good credit or bad credit. It looked like he don't have no credit at all.

Speaker 1 15:50

We don't know much about him, yet much is known about him. How about that? We don't know much about him, yet much is known about him. See, let's dive into that a little bit deeper, because listen on this Christian walk. Sometimes you're walking in this Christian walk and there's not much known about you.

Speaker 1 16:13

A lot of things that we do with Jesus and God in our faith, people don't see. People don't see you praying for your kids. People don't see you praying for others. People don't see you anointing your house. People don't see you laying hands on your husband or your wife for that matter. People don't see all the things People don't see you fasting. People sometimes don't see you helping the needy. People don't see you giving a compliment or a word of affirmation or affirming word to someone who's downtrodden. People don't see that affirmation or affirming word to someone who's downtrodden. People don't see that.

Speaker 1 16:55

See, I love Simon the Zealot because we don't know nothing about him. Yet we know everything about him. We know that he followed the master. We know that he was called by the master. See, when we look at Thomas from last week's study, if you didn't listen to it, go ahead and listen to it. It will encourage you, I believe. But one of the things that we learned about he was talking. There's some language associated with him. Right, we know that, him as doubting Thomas, but when we also look at him. We know that he stood with Jesus. We learned that last time. When we look at Peter, we see that he stood with Jesus. We learned that last time. When we look at Peter, we see him declaring Jesus and denying him too. When we look at many of the disciples, we see them doing or saying something, but with Simon the zealot, only his name is mentioned.

Speaker 1 17:44

And oh my God, don't say nothing about me. You don't have to put nothing on my name. You don't have to put nothing on me long as my name is mentioned. I want you to hear that. You don't have to have people singing your praises. You don't have to have people lifting and puffing you up, because those same people sometimes puff you up, will tear you down, and puffing you up, because those same people sometimes puff you up will tear you down. You don't have to do that as long as your name is mentioned. Listen, oh, hear me clearly. You do not have to have people showering you with praise If God mentions your name. If God mentions your name, that's the only mention you need. If your name is in the book, that's the only mention that you need.

Speaker 1 18:31

See, we don't know a lot about Simon, but we know a lot about Simon. We don't know a lot about his life on earth, but we know a lot about Simon. We know that his name is written in the book. His name is grouped with all of the 12 disciples. See, the Bible don't say where he's from, what he did for a living. We know some of them was fishermen, you know, tax collector. All this. The Bible don't say what Simon the Zealot did for a living. Does he even have family? The Bible just mentions that he is one of the 12.

Speaker 1 19:09

And listen, I don't know about you, but that encourages someone like me tonight that I may not have to have a shiny reputation like the pastor or the ministers in the pulpit. I may not have to have a humble reputation like the missionary that goes to China and goes to the Middle East and goes to Africa. I may not be the first person called when someone needs a prayer warrior, but I'm still counted. I still count. I might not be the best teacher in the world. I might not be the best preacher in the world. I might not be the best preacher in the world. I might not be the best therapist in the world. I might not even be the best mother or wife, I'm trying to get better, let me tell you, but I might not be the best, I might not be the one that people look to.

Speaker 1 20:03

But listen, as long as the Lord sees me, as long as the Lord has written my name, as long as the Lord called me, I can go forward. I'm still counted as a disciple of Christ, just like Simon the Zealot. I don't have to glow up to show up. I ain't got a stitch of makeup on. I don't have to glow up to show up. I'm still the disciple of Christ. Christ can still use me how I am and will use me how I am for who I am.

Speaker 1 21:22

Listen, tune into that growth track, because we talk about this in growth track. Who are you? What's your purpose? We talk about all this in growth track. See, it really doesn't matter where I come from, it doesn't matter what I look like, what I sound like, if I'm a hooper or I'm not a hooper, it don't matter. Christ qualified me when he called me. And I want to say newsflash, he didn't just call me, he called you. He called you when he qualified you. You don't have to be Peter, you don't have to be John, you don't have to be Thomas, and neither did Simon the Zealot for God to call him. He can just be himself, I can just be me and you can just be you because, truth be told, there's a hierarchical structure that we live in.

Speaker 1 22:18

Right, the beautiful gets noticed before someone that is less glowed up. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. The shiny one garners all the attention. Listen, I just was looking for a car, that shiny car, that one that they wax every single inch of it, the one that is highlighted on the showroom floor, that's the one that get all the attention. The polished one draws the crowd. Me, me and my daughter. We just watched the movie wicked. And listen, this mute movie highlighted a few things. Well, she keeps singing it all over the house.

Speaker 1 22:59

Right, that some people will always seem to be on top. They don't have to try hard, they don't even have to wax themselves. They came into the world glowy and there is room for them. Right, some people will always garner that and that's okay. But I want you to know there's room at the cross for all of us, because those shiny people is called to a different group than the other people, right? Some people look like they have all the gifts and talents in the world, right? Some people show up to the space, they can speak in tongues, they can lay hands on and people fall out. They can give them a word and people say this word has changed my life. Some people show up with all the things, but that doesn't mean that just because they show up with all the things, but that doesn't mean that just because they show up with all the things, we show up with nothing. See, because God, there is no hierarchy, there is no top and there is no bottom. We all been qualified by him.

Speaker 1 24:01

Let's look at our text tonight. He called all of the 12 disciples. It wasn't a third or a fourth wheel, he called them all. And let me tell you in our text tonight, all of them stand with him. He don't say some of you, you don't stand on the platform. He don't say that. He don't say you stand over here, you stand over here. They all stood with him. And then he turns to not one of them, not some of them, but all of them.

Speaker 1 24:32

And listen, for me this feels like an emphasis that he turns directly to his disciples and he says something. Don't miss what he says To the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the hated, the excluded and the mocked. He says they will be blessed. He says they will be blessed. They will be blessed the disenfranchised. And as I sit here as a full black woman, I know what it feels like to be disenfranchised. I know what it's like to be looked over. I know what it's like for people to try to dim my light or have me not take up space. I know what that's like. So that means everything to me, as Jesus turns to them and say listen, you will be blessed. The poor, the hungry, the mock, the disenfranchised, the ones that the world sees that's low on the totem pole. It's you that I'm after, it's you that will be blessed. Now let me be clear. He's going to bless them too, but there is room for us too.

Speaker 1 25:46

See, I don't preach like everybody at my church, and I don't have to, because God created me like he created me. I don't mother like everybody else mother. I don't do crafts. Let's be clear If they got a science project, we're going to call in some troops. I don't mother like everybody else mother, but God called me to be their mother. I don't wife like everybody else's wife. You know like there's this whole theology going around that I'm wifeable, I'm wife material, listen, that's a great thing and I'm not downing that. But there's no one criteria for a wife. God created you to be your husband's helpmate. Your husband don't need what my husband needs. God created me to help my husband and he created you to help your husband. Right, listen, we compliment each other. I compliment him. God gave me to him for what he needs, but that's a whole, nother discussion.

Qualified in God's Kingdom

Speaker 1 27:01

We talk about Simon the Zealot, but I hope that this is ringing in your ears today to let you know whether you're shiny, whether the world sees you as shiny or the world sees you as dull. God sees you, he knows you, he wants you, he loves you and he qualifies you. He. That means everything to me. He turns to the disciples and says you, and then listen, I'm going to bring us to chapter nine, because he does something that I just can't get over. I can't get over what he does in chapter six, but listen, he does something else to this ragtag group in chapter nine that I want to bring to our attention. Not only does he call all the 12, he puts them all on the same platform as him, turns to eat all of them and gives them a message as well as a crowd of them, and gives them a message as well as a crowd. Not just to them, as well as a crowd.

Speaker 1 28:02

But Simon the Zealous, whose background in the text, in the scripture, in the Holy Writ, seemingly omitted, who's not the most popular in the bunch, whose name doesn't show up time and time again, who's called the Zealous, maybe because he was zealous or he was in that radical political party at the time. The zealot, who knows? It's no clear distinction, because not a lot is written about him. Maybe he was a zealot, a part of that ragtag political group that was challenging that woman authority, maybe he was, or maybe he just was zealous, who knows? But what we do know, that is, god called him the virtually invisible Simon, the one that people overlook, maybe the one that was maybe in the back of the class, the one that wasn't at the head of the line.

Speaker 1 28:49

The virtually invisible Simon. He called him. Not only did he call him and all the other disciples, but he gave him a new mission, a new purpose, a new identity in him, which is clearly outlined in chapter 9, verses 1 through 3, which says this when Jesus had called the 12 together, he gave them power and authority to drive out demons and to cure diseases. And he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. See, it doesn't say that he gave some of them power and authority. It says he gave it to all of them Power and authority to work on his behalf, driving out demons, healing the sick, curing diseases and proclaiming the kingdom of God. He sent all of them.

Speaker 1 29:57

And listen, if you're the one that's holding up in the background, if you're the one, like me, that don't like to be out front, don't like to be seen, if you are the last one to be recognized, the last one to be picked on the playground, let Simon the Zealot encourage you. You have been qualified Because Jesus gave him exactly what he gave everybody else. He didn't give some a lot and some a little. He gave power and authority to all of them. He qualified them all.

Speaker 1 30:38

And listen, that's the most important part. You don't have to be qualified by anyone. Your name don't have to mean nothing to nobody, but to God himself, because God himself qualified you. He loved you, he anointed you, he purposed you and he cares for you. So, as we end this season, I want you to run on, saint of God. I want you to run on knowing that you are qualified to do exactly what the Lord has appointed you to do, even if that's sitting before him and supping with him. Just like we read, jesus himself went away to spend time with the master. Run on, because when he qualified you, he gave you access to not only his power and authority, but to him himself. That's it. That's the end of our season, and for some of you, I hope it's the beginning. Thank you, thank you.