Inside Beauty Inspires
Inside Beauty Inspires takes on real life experiences and introduces the Word of God to help believers to navigate peaks and valleys fearlessly. Real, raw, & relevant, Inside Beauty Inspires seeks to unleash a fresh anointing in the atmosphere. Our goal is to connect our listeners to “the plug”, Christ Jesus, a savior who has paid the price for all of our sins and wants nothing more than to see His children win!
Inside Beauty Inspires
James 2: Favoritism, Mercy, And A Living Faith
When faith only lives in our mouths, it dies in our lives. We open James 2 like a map for modern hearts, confronting favoritism, selective obedience, and the comfortable myth that belief without action is enough. With warmth and urgency, we walk through the royal law—love your neighbor as yourself—and ask what our choices reveal about who is shaping us: the culture or Christ.
Together we explore why mercy is the true mark of maturity and how “faith without works is dead” lands in real moments, not theory. We connect Abraham’s obedience and Rahab’s courage to today’s decisions, showing how trust matures when it moves our hands. Then we stitch in the story of Saul and David to expose how appearances seduce us while God searches the heart. Saul looked like a king; David learned to lead by tending sheep. That contrast reframes our hidden seasons as training, not punishment, and invites us to stop mourning what God has removed so we can anoint what’s next.
You’ll hear practical rhythms for seeking God’s presence over grasping for His hand, why consistency beats intensity in building intimacy, and how trials refine identity instead of defining destiny. We press on identity in Christ, the narrow path few choose, and the danger of judging others while ignoring the log in our own eye. Most of all, we invite you to trade agreement for alignment: where is God asking you to move, whom have you overlooked, and what obedience have you delayed?
If you’re ready for a clearer, sturdier faith—one that loves without favoritism and acts without hesitation—this conversation will meet you where you are and nudge you forward. Listen, share with a friend who needs courage, and if it helps you, subscribe and leave a review so others can find it too.
New, new, new, everything new, new, new, new, new, new, everything new, new. I'm ready to go.
SPEAKER_04:Hello, hello, hello. Welcome back. It's Stephanie L. Harrison, and you are now listening into Inside Beauty Inspires, where we motivate, encourage, and inspire through biblical principles. This is a space where faith meets real life and where we don't just talk about the word. We let the word talk to us. Today, especially because I'm joined by my son again. We're continuing the book of James. Tyler, thank you again for joining us on today. He took time out of his busy schedule to come and record with his mom.
SPEAKER_01:How y'all doing? Glad to be back. Ready to just talk about the word.
SPEAKER_04:All right, well, let's get in and let's get into James chapter two. Listen, Tyler, I also want to tell you, got a bunch of feedback from last week's word. Like everybody was like, Your son is on fire. How old is he again? I'm just like, he's not even 20. Back up. Slow down, okay? Not too much on my boy. Okay. But we are in the book of James 2. And you know, just to kind of set this up for you, you know, James, James 2 talks about a couple of things that a lot of people say struggle with, okay? James 2 is a chapter about revealing who we truly are, okay? What do we truly believe? It confronts favoritism, shallow belief, and active faith. This chapter asks one piercing question. If someone looked at your life, Tylen, would they see your faith or only hear about it? And James is not attacking grace. He's exposing faith that never leaves the mouth. Let's go, Tylen, let's get it. Ready? I'm ready. Let's get into it. I'm ready. All right, so I'll start off. It says here, James 2, I'm reading from the NLT. My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor, dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention in a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, you can stand over there or else sit on the floor. Well, doesn't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the kingdom He promised to those who love him? But you dishonor the poor. Isn't it rich? Isn't it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren't they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear? Let's talk about it, Tylen. You know, let's just go ahead and dig into what this word is saying. Go ahead, talk to me about verses one through five. Let's just start right there, verses one through five. What you got for me?
SPEAKER_01:One through five. For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed dressed in filthy clothes also comes in.
SPEAKER_02:If you look with favor on the wear on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, sit here in a good place, and yet you say to the poor person, stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my footstool. Haven't you made distinct distinctions among yourself and become judged? Become judges with evil thoughts. Um I just want to ha get into how like we we do that a lot. Not like it's certain people who don't do it, but in this world we have a lot of people that judge based off of outside. Yes. Based off of what you're wearing, based off of how your hair is, based off of how you walk, based off of these um outside of outside things, right? And we all know that God's telling us to judge from the inside, not the outside.
SPEAKER_03:Amen.
SPEAKER_02:And are you really in Christ if you don't even listen to him with that one? I feel like that's a very simple commandment is to not judge anyone based off of the outside, because God judges based off of inside.
SPEAKER_03:Right.
SPEAKER_02:Right? Because it's not about status, it's about where your soul is and if, you know what I'm saying, you're actually following Jesus. It's not about what you have on, because all that stuff doesn't matter. So I just want to really get into that how we shouldn't be judging people based off of what they're wearing, based off of their money status, based off of their jobs. It's like you can, and I seen something earlier. Um, no, I just got that card actually when it was saying that let me look at it. Um you can be the richest man alive, but still feel miserable about yourself.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:So you can see a rich person and think, okay, yeah, he must got it together. Okay, bet. I'm I'm I'm gonna judge him and put him over here because he's rich. Whole time the poor person is the one who's blessed. Whole time the poor person is the one with joy. Whole time the like the poor person is the one who who is like wise in the spirit. Like, we don't make those distinctions because we're so used to living by sight and not by faith.
SPEAKER_04:Amen. Beautiful, beautiful uh way of looking at it. So I'm gonna take a look and see what the commentary says about that because you're absolutely correct. And they miss it. They miss it based off of what they're looking at, what they're focusing on. It says here, one of the ways we become stained by the world is by practicing the sin of discrimination. James has some choice words for his readers about showing partiality, do not show favoritism. Doctrine wasn't this group's problem. They had faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, but that wasn't affecting how they related to others. To illegitimately to illegitimately discriminate against people, we are to discriminate against evil, is to make a value judgment based on an unbiblical criteria, such as race, class, or culture, and act inappropriately towards them. Jane uses an example based on class differences. If a GQ rich guy in fine clothing receives preferential treatment in your church because of his status and wealth, while a poor person is disregarded because he has nothing to offer, you have made distinctions with evil thoughts, regardless of the motivation for favoritism, whether race, class, education, gender, or culture. We cannot blame society or our upbringing for this tendency that James calls evil. Understand, we're not talking about discriminating against between right and wrong based on God's word. We're talking about discriminating where God shows no partiality, looking at the outside to determine a person's worth. People do it every day. And it's sad, Tyler, because you know when you go to the book of Matthew, chapter five, it tells you, blessed are the poor, for those are the ones who inherited the kingdom. You don't even know whether you're encountering an angel or not. He says that be you don't even know whether you are you don't know who everybody is. So when people make judgment calls based off of what they see, it's a sad place to be in.
SPEAKER_01:It definitely is.
SPEAKER_02:And that kind of leads into verse five, how it says, Listen, my dear brothers and sisters, didn't God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith, in heirs of the kingdom, how you were just saying about Matthew 5. And that he has promised to those who love him, yet you have dishonored the poor. Don't the rich oppress you, drag you into court, don't they blasphemy the good name that was invoked over you?
SPEAKER_03:Yes.
SPEAKER_02:Because a lot of times people feel like they don't need Christ if they have money, or if they're rich, they can look at you in a certain way and they can oppress you based off of the world's, you know what I'm saying, the societal view for real. Um so and I just like really loved how you said that the blessed are the poor in spirit, because it's not even about where your money is in real time, it's not about what you have, it's about where is your heart. Do you have the do you have a rich heart posture? Come on. Do you have a poor heart posture?
SPEAKER_04:Well, you just picked up where I was gonna what I was gonna say. It's not about, it's about your heart posture. It really is. It's not about manners, it's about your heart posture. Favoritism happens when we honor appearance over character, platforms over presence, status over submission. And James says, when we do this, we become judges with evil thoughts. Favoritism is a sign of that the culture is disciplining us more than Christ. And God does not measure worth by money, influence, beauty, or popularity. He measures by obedience and humility, Tylin. And if we only honor what looks impressive, we miss who God is actually using. I know this verbatim, verbatim, because you can't see past what you see. So you take a person and you go, you make a judgment call off of that person based off of what you see off of them. They that's that's my life. Yeah. That's been my life. Like, you ain't got this, you ain't got that. Let me put you over here. Not knowing that I carry something that this world needs based off of what I have. So people miss that. What you got on?
SPEAKER_02:Oh, I was gonna say that's that's a great point because I was gonna bring it back to um is it or it any of the gospels really on how the Pharisees looked at Jesus because they assumed that, oh, if he's the king, if he's really the Messiah, shouldn't he look a certain way?
SPEAKER_04:That's right.
SPEAKER_02:You know what I'm saying? And Jesus looking at them like you you can't tell by what I'm doing. It's about what what I'm doing, it's not about how I look, because we can be they said that you know Jesus didn't look like the king, he didn't look like the Messiah in their eyes. Right. Because they just had this perception that if you have if you're if you to hold uh if you have worth over someone, or if someone's gonna be your king, he must look better than you, he must have more money than you, he must have more riches than you, without realizing, okay, well, maybe it's his foundation. You know what I'm saying? God, I mean, Jesus was rooted in God, and God looked, I mean, Jesus looked only at God for guidance. He didn't say, Well, uh, I'm gonna go over here, y'all y'all got money, y'all can guide me. No. He didn't do that. No. So I just like how you just literally brought that back to it goes, it started with Jesus, and that's how we're living today, is that people will put us in a category or judge us based off of how we look, and just because you expected me to look a certain way, to receive me a certain way, it's gonna like you're gonna miss your blessing, you're gonna miss the word that was given to you based off of you thinking that I have to look a certain way to tell you something.
SPEAKER_04:Well, you know, it reminds me of a story. In 1 Samuel, uh chapter, what's it, chapter 8. Israel, you talked about the Israel, you talked about the Pharisees, but it takes me to the Israelites. So Israel requests the king, right? And I'm gonna read a little bit of this, so um, I well, I'm just gonna try to uh summarize it. But if you guys go to 1 Samuel chapter 8, Israel requested a king. And so um, you know, they chose the king because of his appearance. They chose the king based on how he looked. Um but they were but the people were already told to let God choose the king. Let God, you know, be the one to appoint a leader. But, you know, I'm just gonna read a little bit of it. So let's start at verse 4. Finally, all the elders of Israel met with Ramah to discuss the matters of sent with Samuel. Look, they told him, You are now old and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have. Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. Do everything they say to you, the Lord replied, for they are rejecting me, not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt, they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them. So Samuel passed on the Lord's warning to the people who were asking him for a king. This is how the king will reign over you. Samuel said, The king will draft your sons and daughters, I'm sorry, your sons, and assign them to his chariots and charioteers, making them run before his chariots. Some will be generals and captains of in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him. He will take away the best of the fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials. He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and sit and distribute it among his officers and attendants. He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for there for his own use. He will demand a tenth of your flocks and will be, and you will be his slaves. When that day comes, you will beg for relief from the this king you are demanding. But then the Lord will not help you. But the people refused to listen to Samuel's warning. Even so, we still want a king, they said. We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle. So Samuel repeated to the Lord what the people had said, and the Lord replied, Do as they say and give them the king. Then Samuel agreed and sent the people home. Go to 1 Samuel 9, Talon. I want you to read. I want you to read what it says in 1 Samuel 9. Y'all listen. And while Talon is going to 1 Samuel 9, I want to make a point here. This is the world we live at today. God literally told them, they are rejecting me. Do you know how many people reject God? They reject the leading of God, so they want what they want. But God said, give the people what they want. They want a king, but tell them, you're gonna give them a king, but this is what's going to happen. Now, this is what the people want. He went back to the Lord. They said they don't care. They want to be like all the other nations. Read, read, read.
SPEAKER_01:Do you want me to start from verse one?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, start from verse one.
SPEAKER_01:Hey, if I if I get any of these names, hey.
SPEAKER_04:Hey, hey, give us some grace. Apologize. Give us some grace.
SPEAKER_02:I'm gonna start. There was a prominent man of Benjamin named Keish, son of Abel, son of Zarar, son of Bakorath, son of Abo Aphiah, son of Benjamite. Why is this crazy?
SPEAKER_04:The tribe of Benjamin.
SPEAKER_02:He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man.
SPEAKER_04:Uh uh, but wait, which which which version are you reading? The NLT or the NIV?
SPEAKER_02:I'm reading CSB.
SPEAKER_04:Okay, so read what verse 2 say.
SPEAKER_02:He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man.
SPEAKER_04:Okay, so in the NLT it says his son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land. What else it says? What else is it saying?
SPEAKER_02:There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than everyone else. One day the donkeys of Saul's father, Kish, wandered off. Kish said to his son, Saul, Take one of the servants with you and go look for the donkeys. Saul and the servant went through the hill country of Ephraim. Ephraim. Ephraim. And then through the region of Sheleesha. Yeah. I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_04:It's okay.
SPEAKER_02:But they didn't find them. They went through the region of Shem Sheleem. Nothing. Then they went through the Benjamin the Benjaminite region, but still couldn't find them. When they came to the land of Zof, when they came to the land of Zof, Saul said to the servant who was with him, Come on, let's go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us. Look, the servant said, There's a man of God in the city who was highly respected. Everything he says is sure to come true. Let's go there now. Maybe he'll tell us which way we should go.
SPEAKER_04:Alright, pause for a second. That's a prophet that's that they're speaking about. They're talking about Samuel. And if those that are both Bible heads that are out there, we already know Samuel is Hannah's son, and she asked God for a son, and he gave him Samuel. So Samuel is who this man is saying, okay, let's go to him and see if he knows where the donkeys are. Let's keep going. But we don't have anything to offer him. Right here, verse 7.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, yeah. Suppose we do go, Saul said to the servant, What do we take to the man? The food from our packs is gone, and there is no gift to take the man of God. What do we have? The servant answered Saul, Here, I have a little silver, I'll give it to the man of God, and he'll tell us which way we should go. Formerly in Israel, a man who was going to the inquire going to inquire of God would say, Come, let's go to the seer, for the prophet of today was formerly called the seer. Good. Saul replied to the servant, Come on, let's go. So they went to the city where the man of God was. As they were climbing to the hill, they as they were climbing to the hill to the city, they found some young women coming out of a draw water and asked, Is the seer here? The woman answered, Yes, he is ahead of you. Hurry, he has just now entered the city because there's a sacrifice for the people at the high place today. As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes to the high place to eat. These people won't eat until he comes because he must bless the sacrifice. After that, the guests can eat. Go up immediately. You can find him now. So they went toward the city. Saul and his servant were entering the city when they saw Samuel coming toward them on the way to the high place. Now the day before Saul's arrival, the Lord had informed Samuel, at this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people, Israel. He will save them from the Philistines, because I have seen the affliction of my people. For their cry has come to me. When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, Here is the man I told you about. He will govern over my people.
SPEAKER_04:Now pause. Okay. Did God choose him or did the people choose him?
SPEAKER_01:The people.
SPEAKER_04:The people. Why did the people choose him?
SPEAKER_01:Because they wanted a king.
SPEAKER_02:They just they rejected God in a sense. They just wanted a king so they could be like all the other nations. That's what it said in first, I mean 1 Samuel 8.
SPEAKER_04:So what was it about his appearance? What is that did they see? What did they see about this man? Did they know anything about him or did he look apart?
SPEAKER_01:He just looked apart.
SPEAKER_04:He just looked apart. That's the only reason why I wanted to cover here. I don't know why. Because he looked apart. They rejected what God wanted. He looked apart. We know how the story goes. The anointing came off of him because he didn't do what God told him to do, and they and it happened that way. Do you understand why I wanted to go there?
SPEAKER_01:Nah, tell me, tell me. I feel like I do, but. No, tell me.
SPEAKER_04:I want you to tell me why you tell me.
SPEAKER_02:Because that's what happens with us. Like we prioritize like um what a person looks like over what they carry. You know, if if he has this, then he must, he gotta have this. I want that, or or or when it comes to women or man, like, okay, well, he has these features, he's this tall, he has these certain things, and if he has those, then he meets your box until you have to actually deal with what you got. And then it's like, oh, I didn't know I had that. Because a lot of us judge based off of, oh, they look good, or oh, they got this job instead of hmm, can they leave me? Can they submit? Like, are they submitted to God? Like stuff like that.
SPEAKER_04:Right. That was the reason I wanted to go there because I wanted you to see how people are. This has been going on since the beginning of time. And I wanted to talk about before David even became king, this was who they chose. They did not want who God wanted. They didn't. And God said they kept being defiant. So God gave them what they want. Well, God will give you what you want just to show you what you don't need. Let's keep going.
SPEAKER_01:On that same one?
SPEAKER_04:Oh, no, no, no, no. We're gonna go back to James. We're gonna go back to James. I just wanted to make the point.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Okay.
SPEAKER_04:I got you. I got you.
SPEAKER_02:See, because all the scripture, it come together. There's no contradictions.
SPEAKER_04:Amen. Amen.
SPEAKER_02:Think we ended off at Verse five.
unknown:Six.
SPEAKER_02:Nine. We're we're at eight.
SPEAKER_04:We're at eight, yeah, we are at eight. Okay, go ahead with eight.
SPEAKER_02:Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed to the scripture, love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. If, however, you show favoritism, you commit sin, and you are convicted by the law of the transgressors. For whoever keeps the entire law and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all. For he who said, Do not commit idolatry, I mean, do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do commit, if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker. Speak and act as speak and act as those who are being judged by the law of freedom. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
SPEAKER_04:Let's talk about it, Tylen. So verses eight through thirteen. Okay, listen, here's the thing Mercy is the evidence of maturity. There's no other way around that there's a royal law of love here. James introduces what we call the royal law. Love your Neighbor as you love yourself, as yourself. This is royal. It's the golden rule. Treat people the way you want to be treated. It's alright. They're all that's right there together. Now, this is royal because it reflects the king. It requires self-denial and it demands consistency. James reminds us, breaking one part of the law breaks the whole law. It breaks it all. You can't be selective with obedience and call it righteousness. We often excuse what God is trying to cleanse. But here's the key verse, Talon. Mercy triumphs over judgment. This does not mean God ignores the truth. It means mercy proves you've encountered truth. If grace didn't soften you, you didn't receive it, you studied it, talk about it.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. So I want to go to um verse 10.
SPEAKER_02:For whoever keeps the entire law and yet stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking it all. We are so quick to, and it says this in the gospels, why are you judging your brother when you have a whole log sticking out of yours? Matthew 7. Matthew 7. And it is just saying that whoever stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking it. So don't think that you're better than someone else because you're dealing with something they're dealing with something you're not dealing with.
SPEAKER_03:Amen.
SPEAKER_02:You know what I'm saying? Because we're all, we've all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But that doesn't give us the point to, oh well, I keep the law. I like people, and I've seen this on the internet like a bunch of times with people say, Well, I keep the law or I'm a good person. You have to define what is good and what is what is bad, though.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:What is good in God's sight and what is evil in God's sight.
SPEAKER_04:That's right, because people don't really know. If you don't know the word of God, you're basing everything from a worldly perspective. And that's what most people do. They don't know what thus says the Lord. So they really judge things from what they see, not from who our father is or what the word of God says about these particular situations. You said something earlier, you we all fall short of the glory of God. We do. And so you see, James sets it along the side of adultery and murder. The reason the church still suffers from sin or discrimination like racism is because we're not willing to acknowledge how serious and wretched it is. If you're condemned as a murderer, it does no good telling the judge that you're innocent of adultery. If you're hanging from a chain off the edge of the cliff, it doesn't matter which of the links breaks because they are all connected. The end results will be the same. If you practice discrimination against those made in the image of God, you are guilty no matter how many rules you follow. Talk about it. Amen. Let him quote.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, so it was it's uh Galatians is one of Paul's letters, right? And he's telling the people that Okay Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law. You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ. You have fallen from race, for we eagerly await through the Spirit, by faith in the hopes of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything. What matters is faith working through love. So what that means is that when you try to do it yourself, it it doesn't matter. God's looking at you like, well, you you didn't do this. It says don't do this, but you're not following me. You know what I'm saying? Like you're doing it out of your own efforts. Yeah, your own efforts. And literally, Paul says right here, it doesn't accomplish anything. What matters is faith working through love. Because we all know that love is the source, but faith is the evidence of that. You know what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_04:Yes, yes, yes. And you know, it really brings us to the next verse Faith. So it says here, what good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say goodbye and have a good day. Stay warm, eat well. But then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn't enough unless it produces good deeds. It is dead and useless. Now some may argue, some people have faith, others have good deeds. But I say, How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds. You say you have faith for you believe that there is no God. Good for you. Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish. Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Talk about it, Tyler.
SPEAKER_02:I kind of wanted you to read that last verse.
SPEAKER_04:I'll read it. Don't you remember that our ancestors Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions were together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened, just as the scriptures say.
SPEAKER_02:What I was gonna say is that it literally says, what is it good, my brothers? If someone claims to have faith and it does not show by your works, right? I because I like I just said earlier, love is the source, but faith is the evidence of God's love. And and usually what happens is what whatever you believe is usually how you, you know, apply your life. Right. If I believe in certain things, I'm gonna move as if I do believe in these things. That's it. And it's hard for me to say, Well, yeah, I have faith, but my life is telling a whole nother story. You know what I'm saying? It's very difficult for me to believe someone who tells me you have faith.
SPEAKER_04:Well, it's confession, it's really confession without transformation. Where's the change that you're saying one thing, but I'm actually seeing a different.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly.
SPEAKER_04:You know, go ahead.
SPEAKER_02:So so within that, um verse 17, in the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. Right. It's dead. You cannot say you, and we speak about this last week. I'm pretty sure you can say you have this, but it's if you doubt God, he's like, Well, you can ask for something, but if you have doubt in your mind and you're showing that you're double-minded, God is like Don't ask me for nothing. Yeah, like I'd rather you come to me fully and not come to me at all if you go doubt who I am. Like we don't look at it like that, but that's how he's looking down at us.
SPEAKER_04:Well, yeah, it's in the book of Hebrews. He says, You can't even come, you you must believe that I exist. If you're coming to me, you must believe that I am who I say I am. Think about it. This is big, I think this is something that people wrestle with, Tyler, because what good is it for somebody to claim they have faith in no works? You know what I'm saying? Like, it's work claim. First of all, it's the word claim. You're claiming to be something, you're claiming to have something. James is not saying work saves us. He's saying real faith produces evidence.
SPEAKER_03:Yes.
SPEAKER_04:There's evidence here. Where's your evidence? You know, faith that never moves your hand has not moved your heart. Belief that doesn't change behavior is not faith. It's agreement.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly. It's agreement. And I was just gonna say a lot of us agree with the scriptures.
SPEAKER_04:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04:God said this. Yeah, I believe this.
SPEAKER_02:That's good. I believe that.
SPEAKER_04:Hey, that's a good word right there.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, but then we go into verse 19. You believe that God is one good, even the demons believe because they shudder. And they tremble. You feel me? It's crazy. So for us to be like, well, yeah, I agree with the word. I believe in God. What really separate and I hate to say it, but what really separates you from the demons he's speaking about in here? If we're just believing. Hey, you just keeping it in a game. Because you you you just said that, uh, what was it? And I I think I said this behavior, it's about heart transformation, right? Right, right. Because if you actually believe in something, that's gonna transform your heart posture. And based off of your heart transforming, you're gonna have practical applications that follow that.
SPEAKER_04:That's right.
SPEAKER_02:You're gonna have behavior modification. These things are gonna happen.
SPEAKER_04:There's no other way to do it.
SPEAKER_02:There's no choice because if you really get in it, it's gonna be instilled in your heart. Hallelujah. You can't try to be somebody else when God is has a hold on your heart because he won't let you. You better preach, boy. You better preach. So, and then on top of that, we can literally go down to Abraham. Our father was justified by works and offering Isaac to the altar. Abraham is what the father of faith. And we see him as the father of faith, God is saying, Well, this is the most a very faithful guy right here. I'm giving you the father of faith. Matter of fact, I'm gonna bring my leaners to you. Because you you got faith for real, and you not only saying it, you are showing me you have faith by bringing your if any of y'all, if God said, I need you to bring your little one, your little kid right there, bring them to me around the corner. I'm a deuce, you're not gonna do that. You scared.
SPEAKER_04:You're gonna be like, well, what are we bringing them around the corner for?
SPEAKER_02:What am I benefiting from? What am I gonna get? Why? Yeah, what I'm spamming questions, God. Well, I mean, it must be something over there you got for me, but I need to know now because if I do it and you don't got nothing for me, no, it's not about what he has for you. It's about him, you just having faith and he actually truly seeing, okay, you follow me. And we literally spoke about that in James. Like, it's a it's not about you just saying, Oh, yeah, I believe. Faith is gonna move you.
SPEAKER_04:That's right, Tyler. Faith is going to move you. Well, think about it like this. Abraham was told to go to a place he didn't know where he was going. How many people do you know are gonna go somewhere where God says, Go. I'm not gonna give you the instructions. I just need you to go. I'll show you when you get there. Nobody. That's what I'm saying. That's why I used to father faith because you know, I always say this analogy in my head. I said, What if like God was just speaking? And out of all the people on the earth, Abraham heard him. And he got everybody up in heaven, like, hey, we got somebody, we got somebody. He following, you know, he's following us. He listened, he hears me, he hear me. All right, go to a place I'm gonna tell you. He like, all right, Abraham can hear from God. That's why he moved. I want us to understand, belief alone is not intimacy. God requires you to spend time. I wouldn't know the words that I know. I would not have the faith that I have, Tyler, if I did not spend time with my follower. Knowledge alone is not obedience. You gotta spend time. You gotta talk to him, you gotta be intimate with him. To believe, you gotta know what his word says. If you call yourself a believer, it's gonna be evident. Where's your where's the fruit?
SPEAKER_02:It's it's like consistency, I would say. Like, one thing I did learn from the camp is that you can be very intense, and God doesn't probably like he doesn't love you. Talk about it. If I am in my word on Monday and I have a deep prayer session, I have a good little Bible study, but I don't touch it again until Friday, whether there's someone on the other side of the country spending 30 minutes with God a day, praying every day, even if it's not to the same degree as like, oh, super intense. God is built it's building intimacy because it's consistency. It's consistent. And if when you're waking up and you're doing it and you're following him for real, it's gonna show Hallelujah. You can have like you're having faith, right? Abraham had faith. What happened after faith? Because he wasn't gonna be called the father of faith if he didn't allow his faith to be moved by God. You feel me?
SPEAKER_04:He had to take his son. God won God give us tests.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly. And if James 1, he's gonna give you that test. He's gonna test you to see if you are who you say you are. Okay, well, and that's why he gives parables too, because I know a lot of people don't like parables in the Bible, but it also says in in um Matthew, and I do not remember, but you know, you know when you read the scripture and you don't remember where you pulled it from, but you know it's in the book. You know it's in the book. That's how I feel right now. That's all that matters because you know it's in the book. Rather than me just giving you all the pieces and all the pieces to the puzzle. Yes. It's it's it's that type of faith, right? It's in like it's producing endurance in us when we actually like want it. Yeah. And it doesn't just come with belief. No. Because yes, yes, faith is the belief in something you cannot see, but oh, I love this because he says it in the scriptures. He says, where is it at? You see that faith was active together, it's active together with works. Yes. Faith without works, no, where's it at? Faith was made complete with works. Right, you have faith. That's I have.
SPEAKER_04:So Abraham had faith to move.
SPEAKER_02:Yes.
SPEAKER_04:To move in a direction. He didn't know where he was going, but he had faith to believe that God was gonna do what he said he was going to do based off of his beliefs.
SPEAKER_02:And by his movement, God is like, oh, well, because look, this is.
SPEAKER_04:I got somebody. I got one.
SPEAKER_02:This is how God be for real. Okay, well, yeah, you got faith in me. Okay, y'all, hold on. Y'all, y'all, y'all we looking at this person. Ah, they didn't move though. Ah, they said they had faith, but they ain't moved. They still there. Okay, well, you halfway. Then we got somebody over here. Oh, you you got faith? Oh, your actions, oh yeah. Your faith has been made complete because you have actually done what I you you heard my voice. Come on. You didn't say, Well, God, I need you to do this. Well, God, I need you to do that. Because what if God questioned us? Well, why did you do that, son? Or why did you do that? No. God is there with us, like, okay, you did that. I'm I'm I'm right here. Yeah. I'm right here. He doesn't question us. So why do we feel like we can question the God of the whole universe? That we should not be able to feel like we can like just give him a like, and if you do question him, don't be surprised if you don't get an answer, or if you get an answer you didn't want to receive.
SPEAKER_04:Amen. Well, see, the thing about it is, you know, there's this myth that a lot of people that have been seasoned in the word, they say, don't question God. I'm gonna tell you, you know, um, I I think it has proximity. I think it it it's worth it's with your proximity because what I see is studying the Old Testament with Moses, you know, Moses and and God had a real close relationship. It was a face-to-face relationship, so much to the point where God rebukes the Lord. God rebukes God, like uh God, Moses rebuked God, like, God, no, please don't do what you want to do. Your word says this, your word says that. So there are times in your life where there's a relationship where you're gonna talk to God, but I'm but you know, we're talking about those that don't read their word, don't seek his face, but questioning God. And even if you question him, he's gonna answer you back. Jeremiah 33, verse 3 says, Call to me and I will answer you and tell you things that you do not know. But I want you to really think about what Talon is saying. Where's the movement? James gives two examples, Abraham and and Rahab. And and and what he what he reveals with Abraham is his faith was revealed through obedience. He trusted God enough to act before understanding. Rahab, her faith showed up in a risk. She aligned herself with God even when it cost her safety. Faith is proven when obedience costs comfort. People want to be comfortable. People don't want to do what God is requiring them to do because they don't want to feel it. But just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. Faith is the spirit. Works are the body. One without the other cannot live. One without the other cannot live.
SPEAKER_02:Nah, I definitely agree with that because like in it we're getting we're getting it from the scripture, right? That's right. Straight words, straight words. I really just want to like emphasize on how a lot of times people say with their mouths, yes, God. Or or if I have a conversation with you, yeah, I got faith that something's gonna happen though. And God, like, well, yeah, you got faith, but What you doing? All right, I don't see you attempting to it's not even the fact that you gotta do it right, the fact that you haven't even attempted, because Abraham didn't sacrifice his son. What? But he attempted it. Yes, he did. Yes, he did, yes, he did. And it's the fact that God just wants to see if you're gonna attempt to do something. This is how he's uh he doesn't say, um, what is he what is he he says, seek first the kingdom. Amen. All things will be added. He doesn't say find the kingdom, all things will be added. Nah, he says seek. Seek. Look for. It's the it's the it's the desire to even want it and to go after it. How we want things in life. You want this money, you go get a job. You try hard in your job, but you can't try hard in the word. Man, listen, you only you see. Because it's about seeking. It's not about it's not even simply about finding, it's just the fact that when you seek, he gives you the ability to make himself present to you and reveals himself to you. So now you have found him through him. But if you want to found him, come on, Tom. If you didn't go seek him based off faith because you didn't have the blueprint. Yeah. You didn't have the blueprint, but like your way out. You feel me? And it's like, when you don't have the blueprint, when you don't see what God sees, you often just sit back. You okay, well, I can't see it, so I'ma just walk by faith. I mean, I'm gonna walk by sight. I'ma walk by what I can see. My circumstances say this, so God oh, okay, God gave you them circumstances, and them circumstances ain't bigger than God. Come on. A lot of times we bring our problem to God. What about when we bring God to our problems? What happens then?
SPEAKER_04:When you make God bigger than your problem, that's when you see the evidence of how real he is, Tyler. And you said a couple of things, boy, you on fire, and I love it. When it comes down to the evidence of God, you gotta think about the evidence. What you can't see is really than what you can. You know what I'm saying? A lot of people don't understand that concept. That's the word. When we seek first the kingdom of God and all his righteousness, all these things will be added. That's what his word tells us. But how many people are seeking him? And you've made the point. Consistency matters. Consistency matters. Listen, I would not know him the way I know him if I was not getting up every morning. Shout out to the ladies of ISI. If I was not getting up every morning, seeking God's face, putting forth, putting my my best foot forward, saying, God, teach me. Here I am, sitting at your feet, show me who I am. I would not be in the position that I'm in today. The word changed my life. The word saved my life. The word gave me life. I found my life in the word. So, you know, I'm evidence. You people can look all day long and act like this word ain't real. But baby, your girl, your wife, your your your mother is evidence that the word is real. Because I can't add to that. All I've been doing is seeking, looking, asking consistently. When you do that, you're gonna see something. He's gonna reveal himself to you. The presence, the very presence. But people want to be able to tell people how to live their life. They don't spend time with God. They don't, they're not consistent with him. They want him to do for them whatever. They want his hand, but not his presence. And we want his presence. Because when you got his presence, the door, you might go to a door and try to open that door. It ain't gonna open. But you got the presence of the Lord. Automatic. Automatic.
SPEAKER_02:I like, and I God thank you. I like how you just said people want his hand. And you and we we want the presence. We want his heart. And and don't tell me if I'm tripping here. Why are you trying to seek the hand of a person you haven't even met? You don't even know his face. You don't know his heart. But you want his hand so bad, and he's looking at you like, well, you don't even know who given to you. You don't know who I am. You don't know my true nature. You don't even trust me for real. You just won't, you just since I'm God and I can give you this. Here, God, please give me this. I want this, or I'm gonna seek you just to have you move in my life, and I'm not gonna actually prioritize your presence.
SPEAKER_01:No, gang.
SPEAKER_02:You can't, because we see it. David's David said, Lord, take it all. I want your presence, though. Psalm 51, he said, You can I need I need your presence. That is the most important thing. That's what he talked about, Talon. They say David was a man after God's own heart. They did not say David was a man of God uh after God's hand. But based off of him, off his heart, what did he do? Here you go, David. There you go. Because you're seeking my face that you're not even worried about my hand. So I'm gonna come from behind. Here, drop a little blessing there. Hmm, drop a little something here.
SPEAKER_04:Well, I want you to think about something what God just gave me, Talon. This is so deep. We just went to 1 Samuel. We know that he anointed Saul as king. Saul got instructions on what to do. Y'all know how the story goes. Saul didn't do everything he was supposed to do. And so the anointing came up off of Saul. What was Saul doing when Samuel anointed him, looking for donkeys? What was David at when God anointed him?
SPEAKER_02:Tending the sheep.
SPEAKER_04:Come on.
SPEAKER_02:Tending sheep. Come on.
SPEAKER_04:Do you see the irony? He was outside of the house. And then, not to even mention, let's go to 1 Samuel chapter 15. Because we're going to see something with our prophets. Because again, the prophet mourned. He was sad. He was sad because God said he wished he had never made Saul king. And he even said it. He said, one day Samuel said to Saul, It was the Lord who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord. This is what the Lord of heaven's armies have declared. I've decided to settle accounts with the nation. Okay, I ain't gonna read all of that. Let's go to 1 Samuel 16. I want to make this point over there. All right, now, because here, here's the thing. Saul didn't do what God told him to do. He did a little bit, he didn't do it all. And that's where you get obedience is better than sacrifice. All right, fast forward. 1 Samuel 16. Now the Lord said to Samuel, You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king. So fill your flesh with oil of oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lived there, for I selected one of his sons to be my king. But Samuel asked, How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he'll kill me. Take a help for which y'all, that's a cow. The Lord replied, And say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice. I will show you which is one of his sons to anoint. So Samuel did as the Lord instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. What's wrong? They asked, Do you come in peace? Yes, Samuel replied, I've come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. Then Samuel performed the purification right for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice too. When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, Surely this is the Lord's anointing. But the Lord said to Samuel, Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I rejected him. The Lord doesn't see the things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearances, but the Lord looks at the heart. Then Jesse told his sons, Adabdab, to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, This is not the one the Lord has chosen. Next Samuel summoned Shemiah. But Samuel said, Neither is this the one the Lord has chosen. In the same way, all seven of Jesse's sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen any of these. Then Samuel asked, Are these the only sons you have? Well, they're still the youngest, Jesse replied. But he's out in the field watching the sheep and the goats. Send for him at once. Samuel said, We will not sit down and eat until he arrives. So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome with beautiful eyes. Yes, he was fine. And the Lord said, This one, anoint him. So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. And then Samuel returned to Rama. Talk about it. Talk about it, because I already know you over there and you'll see like, ooh.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Well, first, I want to start off with verse one. And it got something to do with what we're talking about, but if it does take a turn, you know why.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:The Lord said to Samuel, How long are you going to mourn for Saul since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected for myself a king from his sons. How long are we gonna mourn over the people God has rejected out of our lives and brought out of our lives and say, Well, well, God, I want this person. How long are you gonna mourn over something I don't want you having? Or something I place in your life for a season, and you think that I'm trying to bring you out of the season, but you're still worried about that person or that job or that situation. Alan, you better preach, boy. Go on here. You know what I'm saying? Let them let them cool. If if if God is trying to take you out of something, allow him. That's right. He said, he didn't say don't mourn. He said, how long are you gonna mourn? Because God knows that as humans, we are gonna feel some type of way based off of the things he does. Right. This is who we are. Right. But it it don't need to be for that long if you really if you really have faith in me and trust that I'm gonna do something in your life.
SPEAKER_04:Get up and come on.
SPEAKER_02:So why are you mourning over something I took out of your life? So I just want to say that to the people. Don't mourn over something God has sent away from your life because he didn't know what was coming into his life as a David, because you could be mourning Saul and there's a David waiting on you on the other side of the fence.
SPEAKER_04:Y'all better listen to what my baby is. You know what I'm saying? The servants are listening.
SPEAKER_02:And then I wanna And then I want to pinpoint one other thing. And this just like, this is crazy to me. Where is it at? Hold on, hold on, hold on. Oh, I like it. Samuel told Jesse, send for him. We won't sit down until he gets here. Why you tell them they can't sit down? You know, you know, you know why I told him that. Why he tell him, Tom? Because he already knew since y'all not the seven, a king finna come up in here, and I don't want y'all, I don't want y'all to sit down until that he gets here. Yeah, the king. The king is gonna show some respect. That's the one, and before he even walks in, y'all not finna sit down because this is who this is who God chose. Y'all can't even eat. You can't until he gets here. Yeah. And it's not because I think he is, because I know that God told me it's one of your sons, and it can't be And it ain't none of these. Because he's tended to the sheep. Who else tends to the sheep? Our the shepherd. And you know what's crazy? You know what's crazy about that? Talk about it. Sheep are one, and I'm sorry, because God calls us his sheep. He does. Sheep are one of the most idiotic creatures ever. Why are you saying that? They fight, they butt their heads, they're always doing like this on the thing. And you and you know what's crazy that sheep cannot take care of themselves without a shepherd. They are not, they cannot operate without a shepherd. Come on. So it's crazy how God says we're sheep and we can't operate without him. Because we can't. Let them cook. We can't. Let them cook. So that's just that's just a crazy analogy to me, but I'm not gonna get too deep into that.
SPEAKER_04:Nah, I mean, you're going somewhere with it because I mean at the end of the day, you're making me want to go to James 10. But I mean, sorry, John, uh, John uh, yeah, John 10, but go ahead.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, well, I'ma I'ma really like keep it, kind of keep it there. But we are seeing that there is an anointing going over a person who David and Ma, this is crazy. This is the same thing.
SPEAKER_04:Talk about it, Tyler, because God, this is real time.
SPEAKER_02:He had a king's anointing.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah. Outside, in in in in in the field.
SPEAKER_02:With a shepherd's responsibility.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, ma'am. I mean, sorry, yes, sir. Come on.
SPEAKER_02:You better let him cook. So so when your ability and your responsibility, it may not match. God could have you somewhere and your anointing can be so strong, but he has you in a lower level tending to other things.
SPEAKER_04:But he's training you in those other things. Exactly, he's training you in the other things. Because don't forget that David's the one that slayed Elias, and the only reason why he was able to slam is because he had been trained fighting bears and all these other things, right?
SPEAKER_02:And it's crazy, God put David out there to tend to the sheep because God knew David you was gonna have to tend to these people. Come on. So I'm I'm gonna show you now on how to tend to sheep as in God calls us, you know, sheep. You know what I'm saying? So we don't see it though, but God could be placing us in a position. Yes, because we don't know that this where I'm at right now is gonna be based, it's it's like I'm gonna be. I'm in training. Okay, I'm in training for what God has. Absolutely. But you think that this is it. Nah, God, you have me here. Okay, this gotta be it.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Nah, I I had you there for a couple more months, but after that, you go see why I had you there.
SPEAKER_04:Well, I'm teaching you something. I want to show you something about the way I move. See, that's why you gotta you gotta get out of God's way.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:You gotta let God be God. Because you be trying to control the narrative of your life and you don't know that God has your your it says the steps of a good man is ordered. Jeremiah 28, 29, 11 says, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper, you give your hope in a future. If God knows the plan he has for us, Talum, then to me, maybe it's just me, but to me it made sense to want to get to know the word of God so that I know what the plans you got. If I don't know the person that holds the plans, how am I gonna know what the what where I'm supposed to be? If I ain't got no relationship or no identity in my father.
SPEAKER_02:That's why you have to seek his heart, seek his face, and not his hand. That's it. And it's crazy because, like you were saying, we have to let God develop us. That's right. And our worth isn't found in where we are. That's right. It's found in him. That's right. Because it's it's it's levels. There's levels. It is levels, it is levels. You see the levels too. It doesn't mean you're not still going, but you gotta you've got to allow him to sit you down and put you over here so you can learn.
SPEAKER_04:But think about Joseph and his brothers. He wakes up from a dream, tell his brothers about the dream. He didn't think that they was gonna try to get rid of him based off of a dream. God let him, because God had a plan. He had to go to the pit. He had to be accused of things he didn't do. He literally went from the pit to the palace and was in charge of the Israelites coming over to Egypt. So, you know, what we gotta understand is that God has a way that's mighty sweet. We might not always understand what God is doing right now. I think I thank you, Tyler, for speaking on that because there's somebody that's listening, that's in a place, and they really are like, God, really, why am I here? I think I feel like I should have been far longer in life than where I'm at. God has you in that place. You're right in the place God has you because God knows what you need. God knows the plans he has for you. God wants to develop you, but God can't get you to what you want until he develops you in the area that he's training you in. And so sometimes you really do have to just be still and know. But if you don't believe and don't trust and don't know the word, how you gonna believe?
SPEAKER_02:You can't believe. And you know what's crazy? As people, speaking of word, and you were saying that how people feel like they're they don't, um, what'd you say? They should be somewhere further than they are, right? This this is how I look at that. We always out here looking for the next word. God give me a word, God give me a sign. And I think that God is up there like I've been giving you signs. You haven't even obeyed the last word I gave you trying to get this other word. It's true. How about you respond to this one, and then I'll give you another one that you can receive. That part. But my word is gonna be based off your responses, and if you're not responding to my word the way you should be responding to them, I can't just keep giving them to you because if I'm giving them to you and you're not gonna steward them, you weren't stewarding little, so how you gonna steward all these words now? I can't just give you them. I can't just because you didn't do anything with the last ones I gave you.
SPEAKER_04:And well, he it makes the point that a lot of people skip over. You know, there's a s there's a scripture in Matthew 7 um that says, you know, um, you might say, you're gonna say, I prophesied in your name, I did all these things in your name. And it's Jesus said straight up, depart from me, I never knew you. I never knew you, you worker of iniquity. You wanted his hand and not his presence. So you're doing all these things in the name of Jesus, but you don't even have the presence of God. Make it make sense. It's a sad, it's sad. You think about it. Because again, presence versus hand is it's real. I can speak to it because the presence of the Lord is here. You understand what I'm saying? And when and see, even with the brothers, they didn't know they were all God be sending people up left and right. He said, I use he's like he said in in 2 Timothy chapter 2, he said, in a wealthy home, there are two types of utensils, one for common use, one for honorable use. If you keep yourself clean, you do what thus says the Lord, you'll be used for honorable use. So either way, whether you believe it or not, you're being used by God, whether you believe it or not, you're walking in this word. Either you're gonna be a believer or a non-believer, it's to me, it's very simplicity. I don't make your heart. When I look at the fact that Saul was looking for donkey and found Samuel, and I look at David, 10 of sheep, and was called, and this is the person that replaces him, it makes sense. God already knew then, when the scriptures were written. He already knew. And he knew that he would have believers like you to see it. He said, My sheep know my voice. If we go to John 10, it says, I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of the sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief or a robber. But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him. The sheep recognize his voice and comes to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them and they follow him because they know his voice. They won't follow a stranger. They will run from him because they don't know his voice. Do you even know the father's voice? And let me tell you something. I'm gonna even take it a step further. See, it's almost like somebody looking at you and said, That boy don't know what he's talking about, but you carry the presence of God. Jesus said, You can't hear me, you can't see me because you're not, you, you, you're not, you're not a part. You understand what I'm saying? It's a it's the truth. Go ahead.
SPEAKER_02:Nah, I was just gonna add in, um, because we were talking about faith.
SPEAKER_04:I know, we're trying to do that.
SPEAKER_02:Right, and then we keep we keep going everywhere, but I mean we're really in alignment. We're yeah, we're aligned on what God is wanting us to really put out there, and it does come in with faith, with faith, right? And um, I wanna just speak on how we have the we have this like concept of how can I say it? Well, if if everything's going bad, God must not be around. Or, okay, the enemy must have and I we love to give the enemy authority over us. We over here thinking the enemy like, okay, well yeah, that I'm ruling over this. He ain't gotta be the enemy is in the hell suffering too. Yeah, because he Who did he make it for? Satan and his army. Who did he make? You feel me? Right.
SPEAKER_04:He's and then when you and then when you don't really he can't even move how he wants to, Todd.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly. He gotta well God uh can I oh nah, yes, sir. He gotta respect God too. He gotta respect God, he gotta respect God too. It's and and people, and there's a perception in the world, Jesus versus the enemy. Jesus versus the devil. Well, he been conquered that years and years ago. That part right there, Todd. And it's just the fact that our flesh allows us to like, okay, well, there must be some authority that the enemy still has. He only has what you allow him to have. And even then, you're giving him he probably over there jumping for joy because he's not, he knows he's weak, but oh, these humans right here making me feel like the strongest man ever.
SPEAKER_04:Because they don't know who they are.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly. Because your identity is found in Christ.
SPEAKER_04:And you're not tapping in. And you and you and you're and you judge people off of what you see, which which takes me. And I know we're in faith, but it God really is speaking to me over here because this is people. Matthew 7 says this way: Do not judge others and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye when you can't even see past the log in your own eye, hypocrite? First get rid of the log in your own eye. Then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye. Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don't throw your pearls to pigs. They will trample the pearls and then turn around and attack you. Talk about it, Tyler. Because you just said it. You just said it. It's the truth. And this is the reality that we live in. This is the world. And this is written in red, by the way. So this lets us know people want to hear from God. Well, you're hearing from them. People want to hear from Jesus. Well, you're hearing from them. He's giving us the scriptures so that we can be in the know, so that we don't be out here in this world walking around like we don't know what he's giving us the tool. He said the Bible is not in the sea, it's not in the sky, it's on our lips, in our hearts. That's the word of God. But who many, how many people are applying it? How many people are seeking him? How many people are looking for him? When I say we're rare, we're very rare.
SPEAKER_02:No, very rare. And in uh, if y'all read a book called Outwitting the Devil. There is an interview with with he does an interview with the devil, right? Right, right, right. And and you see how the devil, this whole playground of his that he makes his playground, he has up to about 90% of the people really not following Christ for real. Yeah, real. There's a very under 10% people who truly follow Jesus Christ. I know.
SPEAKER_04:They say, hey, listen, I just read it. You said the path is He said only a few. Only a few f he said only a few find that path. It's in Matthew 7. I mean, literally, when I was reading, I'm like, let's look up what few is. You know me? I'm just want to get into it. Few is two or three. Find the narrow path that God wants us to walk on. What does that tell you?
SPEAKER_02:Then a lot of people, I feel like he says that because he knows that this path isn't gonna be easy. So a lot of my children are gonna be like, well, if it's not easy, I don't want to do it because they don't like difficulty, they don't like challenge, they don't like controversy, they don't like adversity, but you you want to be comforted all the time. You can't always be comfortable. You can't and and I I say that to my friends all the time. I say that to a lot of people because gang, you're gonna be stuck in a position. Talk to them. Because that's what happened in Exodus. Y'all comfortable being in Egypt. Going to go back. Y'all don't even realize the growth because y'all don't y'all aren't seeing the growth that you're having from being uncomfortable, seeing that God's actually in your life now, seeing that your father's.
SPEAKER_04:That's just it. They saw it. They saw the cloud. Moses was giving them instructions. That's why Paul talked about in the book of Hebrews. He said, Alright, who's who and who will never enter God's rest? Was these not his children that he was leaning out of Egypt? Was it not his children that he said, and they will never enter my rest? Why they couldn't enter? Because of disbelief. All because of disbelief.
SPEAKER_02:They didn't have faith.
SPEAKER_04:They did not have faith.
SPEAKER_02:They were going off of well, I seen through sight that I was comfortable over in Egypt, and you're telling me to trust in these guys. And I can't do that, guys.
SPEAKER_04:Because I don't they don't make sense to me. And if it don't make sense to me, it ain't right. And I don't believe they know what they're doing either way.
SPEAKER_02:Well, if every if okay, well, if you want stuff to make sense, if you want stuff to make sense, it makes sense that because of everything we do, we should be in hell. But because Jesus sent his son, we don't, we, we're not in it. If you want it to make sense, you shouldn't have everything that you have right now. If you want it to make sense, you shouldn't be in a lot of positions. You shouldn't have a lot of jobs, you shouldn't have that person you have. Talk to the people, sir. If you want everything to make sense, but don't you find it crazy that you have these things and when you think about it, well, this does not make sense to me. Well, it don't. It shouldn't. Because with God, it isn't gonna make sense because his ways are above our ways. Come on, his thoughts are above our thoughts. He always tells us to keep our minds on things above. That's because when we keep our minds on things above, we're not seeing surface level from which the enemy wants us to see, because everything that is good anchors in heaven. Everything comes from heaven. Come on. His heart, his love is found in heaven. Yes. So when we follow his word and when we trust in his word, and when we actually seek after who this man is, and we're looking on above, well, he tells me to have faith, he tells me to pursue holiness, yes. Live with joy, live with peace, live with love, have self-control. We see, okay, well, this is who I am. This is my identity. It's found in this person.
SPEAKER_04:That's it. That's it, man. When I tell you you just broke that down.
SPEAKER_03:I broke it down. You broke it all the way down. Let him use it. Let him use you, Shaf. Let him use you.
SPEAKER_04:Well, you know, Tyler, you know, of course we get excited about this word, and we have coming to a close. But what I want to say is listen, family, James 2, we gave y'all a bunch of scriptures. We did. We dropped some nuts, we dropped some nuts. Tonight. We really did drive some nuggets for you. But James 2 is not call is not calling us to strive. It's calling us to align. I've been saying it for the year 2026. This is a year of promises. Only for those who are in alignment, okay? You know, it's not saying do more, but let your faith be seen. You need to ask yourself a couple of questions. Where is God calling me to move, not just to believe? Who have I overlooked because they didn't look impressive? Where have I spoken faith but withheld uh obedience?
SPEAKER_02:I'm I'm gonna be real, because I know a lot of women watch your podcast, Matt. A lot of women watch it. Y'all over here.
SPEAKER_04:Talent speaking to y'all. Because what did God say?
SPEAKER_02:He judged by what? Y'all looking at this man, uh, he well, they talking to you. Step up, he looked good, step. I don't know. Well, he got his finances looking right. Can he lead you to Christ though? Is he is he a man who is submitted to God? Tyler's speaking to somebody out there. Is he a man that's submitted to God? And that should be able to tell you everything you have because based off, and I'm gonna be real, I had to learn this the hard way. I had to learn because God is not gonna God is not gonna bless a relationship that does not glorify him in any way.
SPEAKER_04:He's speaking to y'all.
SPEAKER_02:So when you see that relationship going into well, okay, well, it's falling down, y'all. Well, maybe that's because the foundation isn't rooted in the right thing, and maybe it's because you're keeping your eyes on surface level things rather than okay, well, this is what God says a man's supposed to leave. That's right. And it's saying it's the same with man because sometimes we let the adulterous woman get in our ear. Oh, that sounds good. That sounds like that sounds like milk and honey to me. Proverbs, okay. That is great. But no, because we're looking on outside appearance. Come on. And we're not looking at heart posture and submission and fruit and faith, and it's all gonna show based off how we live. So for you to say that you can't see it, no, you're just ignorant. Because you can see it and you don't want to believe it. Yes, you don't want to move. No, I'm just telling the truth. Tell them. I'm telling the truth because you're not that ignorant enough. You're grown people, grown men, grown women who know these things, but you don't want to do it because you know it's gonna be hard. But what does it say in 1 Peter? It says God trials you based off fire. He trials you with fire. So when you're going through these hard things, you gotta just endure and hold it, knowing there is something better for you. Okay. Because even when Saul was leading these people, he they didn't know, well, there's David on the other side of that. They didn't know that. They didn't know that. But God did. And what did they keep even Samuel the prophet? Oh man, uh Saul, I'm green, gosh. You rejected him? I'm more gang. I'm just chill. Trust in me. I'm gonna give you some more anointing oil, I'm gonna send you to David, and you're gonna see firsthand why this is the right decision. And I gave the people what they wanted to see, what they didn't need, like you said earlier.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I wanted to read that to make sure that they knew that this is what the people wanted. Because God would do that. And God did say that not to choose a king. Exactly. And they did what they wanted because people do what they wanted to do.
SPEAKER_02:Don't think God won't allow you to do what you want to do just to show you what you shouldn't have done. Yes, he does. But if you would have listened, he wouldn't have had to whoop you like that. But since you don't want to listen, uh, pop. You gotta you gotta hold that.
SPEAKER_04:Well, and listen, y'all. He he just keeping it a G. You know, I can't even say that to my son.
SPEAKER_02:I'm very sorry though, if I definitely like came for somebody I didn't know. He didn't come for nobody particularly. It's all coming out. My fault.
SPEAKER_04:Let him use you. The thing about it is Tyler's speaking truth. He's seeing, he's seeing things from his perspective. As a young man in the word of God, he sees exactly what the problems are. And, you know, I love it. I love the way he expresses himself. I love the way he talks. I love because he's speaking, and that's his way of speaking. And I pray that he, well, you know, the word is the word at the end of the day. So look, y'all, I pray that you guys had an amazing listening session to us going back and forth about the word, because all it is is scripture, you know. When you tap into the word, you know, God gives you insight on things you don't understand. And a lot of times people just don't understand, they just don't know. And so, you know, I want to say thank you, Tyler, again for, you know, coming in the studio, dropping some gems, letting the people know what God has been teaching you and showing you in this season. Um, also, we pull us, we pull a card every every time we come together. And so, my word of the day, beautiful words, by the way, Tyler. I mean, I I love the way that you really just, you know, let them cook.
SPEAKER_02:I didn't want to go. I I hope I didn't sound too aggressive. No, well, listen, you know.
SPEAKER_04:Even if I did, though, like you know, hey, let them cook, let them, let them uh.
SPEAKER_02:I don't know if I should have I don't know if I should apologize.
SPEAKER_04:Well, it's okay. It's okay. You know, we're in the studio, and I understand that, you know, you feel like you, hey, you're just doing only, you're just doing only what you what God has given you to do. You're speaking from your heart. You're letting the people hear God's heart more than anything. And so I'm not gonna stop you from doing that because when you're anointed to speak and you're speaking prophetically, the people need to hear this. And so I don't know who that word was for, but Tylin spoke it and he spoke it very clearly. I want to leave you guys with this Proverbs 423. Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. The affirmations are out of me flows excellence, virtue, and success, because my heart is filled with divine treasures. Everywhere I go today, I am accepted and highly favored. I recognize challenges as my opportunities to win and make my world a better place. I am a champion forever. I'm laughing my way through life. Tyler, what was your word for today?
SPEAKER_02:Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true and whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. Philippians 4 8. Affirmations are I affirm that my mind is sanctified by the Spirit of God and the Word. My mind is focused on things that are true and honest. And I'm I I I want to I'm gonna not go into that real quick, but speaking on things that are true, we know the devil is always a liar. I haven't heard him one time tell the truth. He don't know how to tell you. That's his native language, though. So this is God saying my mind is focused on things that are true, which means my things are foc are focused on him. My mind are foc my mind is focused on him more than anything else. Amen. In honesty. My mind is focused on the things that are just, pure, lovely, a good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. I live in perfect peace because my mind is immersed in the word. Amen. And in what what does it say in the beginning? What does it say in Genesis 1? The word was The Word was what did it say? The word was God?
SPEAKER_04:The word was with God and the God When you're talking about in John 1? John one, yes, John. Um the word became flipped. Wait a minute. I got I don't want to misquote it, Talin. Basically, we know we know that Jesus is the word. Jesus is the word, but I want to say it the right way because I want Talon got something to say, y'all, and I want to make sure I don't misquote it. That means In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.
SPEAKER_02:Perfect. Okay. I love how you said it. I live, I'm gonna say that with Jesus. I live in perfect peace because my mind is immersed in Jesus. Amen. My mind is immersed in God. Amen. And that is because we read the word that we know this.
SPEAKER_04:And the word gave life to everything that was created. And his life brought light to everyone. And that light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever extinguish it.
SPEAKER_02:But would you know you was in the light if there was no darkness? No good. I ain't gonna go and say we'll see. My mind is renewed with the word of God. All right, yeah. My mind is renewed with the word of God. Those are my affirmations.
SPEAKER_04:Amen. Amen. Listen, we hope that you enjoyed this show today. Um, I'm gonna say this. If you take away all the who I should be, what is left? You start hearing the silence in the presence and receive a gift. Peace of mind. I want to leave you guys with a peace of mind. Love and embrace who you are right now. God is doing a new thing. I love you guys, Tyler. What's your word to give the people before? Oh, you gave it to them in the beginning. Wanna give them this word right here?
SPEAKER_02:Okay, yeah. I'll give y'all this word right here. We're limitless. You are the only one that can set yourselves up. You can you are the only one who can set up limits for yourself. So don't do that.
SPEAKER_04:So don't do that. Y'all heard him a little bit.
SPEAKER_02:You can set up a limit for yourself because that means you're setting up a limit for God and He has no limits.
SPEAKER_04:Ooh, y'all heard him. Y'all heard him. Tylen, listen again, thank you so very much for coming all the way from school to be in the studio with your mom to record with me. I really do appreciate you. May God bless you. May He continue to give you more anointing, more light, more wisdom. And listen, I I like I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for listening in. Um, I hope you enjoyed this word. Stay blessed and get in your word. James 3 next week.
SPEAKER_00:Peace. I'm ready to go. Ready for more. I'm ready for new. Like a straight out the stump. You already know. I'm ready to flow. I'm ready to move. The old is through. I'm in Papa's new bag, and I still got the bags, you know, never know.