The Table California
The Table is a church family in Arroyo Grande, California. Our desire is to give Jesus His desire...a house where He can be Himself with His family. This podcast hosts the weekly teachings from our Sunday evening gatherings and occasionally supplemental conversations throughout the week.
The Table California
The Power of our Words
Ever wondered how the words you speak reflect the condition of your heart? In this message, we dive into Jesus' teachings in Matthew 12, where he illuminates the significance of our words as the fruit of our hearts. As kingdom people, we must weigh our declarations carefully, knowing they are recorded in heaven and form an integral part of our testimony.
Be sure to listen through to the end to hear John Forest give an update on the greenhouse and garden project as well as our commitment to be a people of generosity.
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www.thetablecalifornia.com
I love that. Here's to Jesus so good. I love that Hallie was laughing as she led us in communion. Thank you, hallie, because so often we take communion and it's this somber, serious thing. It is serious, it's holy. However, it doesn't have to be sad. I love that you led us with laughter. Thank you, hallie, amen.
Speaker 1:Okay, before we get to the Word today, I want to just take a moment and pray for our nation, for our nation. When things like what happened yesterday happen in a nation, fractures can happen, people can become even more entrenched and even more divided. And wherever you are on the political spectrum, I think we can all agree. When people start taking shots at political leaders, no one wins. That benefits nobody. Let's pray for our nation. Ok, I want to take a couple of minutes. Pray for our nation, pray for our political system, the judicial system, pray for peace, pray for wrong prophecies to be exposed and right prophecies to be exposed. That God's people would be a discerning, understanding, spiritual people that can discern the times, pray rightly and shine like a trillion suns when the rest of the country is becoming confused and angry and bitter. So I'll pray and then, if there are a couple others that want to pray out, we can agree as well. Thank you, jesus. Lord, we love you, lord, we trust you.
Speaker 1:Your word says that we should pray for our leaders so that we could live at peace and the gospel could spread in the land. So, lord, we pray for peace in our nation. Lord, I pray that we would be a people who understand your ways, who give ourselves to your ways and, lord, understand our assignment to pray and to shift the destiny of nations. Lord, I pray for the safety of our leaders. Lord, I pray for President Biden. I pray for those who are seated in different places of government. Lord, I pray for those who are aspiring to be seated in places of government. Lord, I thank you for this nation. I thank you for the democracy that you've given us. What an incredible experiment that we are part of.
Speaker 1:Lord, I thank you for the blessing that rests on this nation and on this land and, lord, we pray that she would continue to prosper and, lord, that the schemes of the enemy that would try to come in and tear down this nation would be defeated in Jesus' name. That the enemy's tactics would be exposed, god, that this election year would not be what everyone is saying, that so many people are afraid of god, that you would intervene and you would be bring peace so that the gospel could go forward. Or do we understand you are going to shake everything that can be shaken? Lord, let it be a shaking that you can say amen to, not that the enemy sneaks in and has his way with. I was thinking of David when he had the choice, when he numbered Israel, and he had the choice and he said I want to be in the hands of the Lord because I know I'm safe in his hands. Whatever his judgments are, I know they're good. Lord, let this country remain in the hands of Yahweh and whatever judgments you release, we give ourselves to them. Lord, protect us, protect our boundaries, protect our shores, protect our leaders, protect our judicial processes. And God, give us eyes that understand what you are doing. Thank you, jesus.
Speaker 1:Oh, we pray for the families that were affected by this incident yesterday or the ones who lost a family member. God comfort them. Or the ones who experienced a wound in their body. Lord, bring healing to them. Lord, we speak against trauma. Trauma for those who were there yesterday, trauma for the children who saw these things. Trauma for the children who are even hearing their parents talk about these things. Trauma for the children who are listening to news reports. God, we just speak against trauma in this nation. We ask that blessing would remain, that life would come. Thank you, lord. If anyone else wants to pray out, please feel free. Amen, all right, judah, you want to read our scripture bud? What scripture is it?
Speaker 1:It is Proverbs 18, 18, verse 21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Good job, buddy. Thank you Very good.
Speaker 1:Well, today we are talking about the power of our words, talking about the tongue. Now. We've been talking about the kingdom for weeks. We're borderline months now. This is one of the qualities of the kingdom people they understand the power of their words, the power of the tongue. So we've've talked about family, how kingdom people know that they are family, not just a collection of individuals. We've talked about generosity. Kingdom people are generous. That doesn't just mean with their finances, it means time, talent, all kinds of resources. You can listen to that from last week, and today we're going to talk about the tongue. Kingdom people understand the weapon of their words.
Speaker 1:I was praying this week and I was praying for the church. I was praying for you all and I was asking god to just launch us into his purposes, that nothing would hold us back. And I had this picture of different sailboats in the harbor. I think they may have represented some of us Collectively the church perhaps and there were different anchors that were holding those boats from being able to set sail into the deep. Some boats had one anchor, some had multiple anchors, and so as I leaned into what I was seeing, I realized that I have an anchor and it's my words and it's my words. My words at times will not be as life-giving as they need to be. So I took that to the Lord, repented, asked Him to give me the grace to use my tongue as a weapon that propels me and those around me into the purposes of God. So I thought it appropriate today to talk about the power of our words, the power of the tongue.
Speaker 1:We're going to be in multiple passages. I'm going to read a lot of scripture, so don't feel like you have to keep up One of the first ones if you do want to go ahead and turn. There is in James, chapter 3. James, chapter 3. While you're turning the air, I'll just give you a little bit of an introduction.
Speaker 1:One of the qualities of kingdom people is they know the power of their words. The tongue is a fire is how James says it. So kingdom people guard their words. Their words are few. Their tongues are disciplined. They speak spiritually discerned things that the Holy Spirit can say amen to. I want to say things that God can say amen to. They speak with gentleness and authority. I want to say things that God can say amen to. They speak with gentleness and authority. Words of love seasoned with salt flow from the lips of kingdom people. Rather than being an anchor that ties them down to this world. That's what I saw Our tongues anchor us into the spirit of this age. Rather than being an anchor that ties us down to the spirit of this world, the tongue becomes the propulsion that moves kingdom people into the purposes of God. Their words become seeds of life sown into the situations around them. Kingdom people understand the power of their words. We must discipline the tongue Now. James, chapter 3.
Speaker 1:James says some pretty strong things in this passage. We're getting ready to read James chapter 3. I'm actually going to read from the NASB I know some of you have the New King James, but you just bear with me Verse 3 through 6. He says this Now, if we put the bits into the horse's mouth so that they will obey us, we direct the whole body. So he's painting a picture. They will obey us. We direct the whole body, so he's painting a picture. You've got this massively powerful animal that is controlled by this tiny thing that you put where In his mouth? You turn the entire body of this, just one big muscle of an animal, a horse, just by this tiny thing in his mouth.
Speaker 1:Look at ships, verse 4. Though they are so large and they're driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. So again, picture of this massively powerful ship turned and directed through the strong winds by how? By just the turn of the rudder. Gretchen, you and Dan know this. Just the turn of that rudder, the smallest turn, and that entire boat is turning a different way.
Speaker 1:So also the tongue is a small part of the body and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire. I watched a documentary Lindsay and I did on the Paradise Fire. Unbelievable, the power of that fire, how quickly it swept through the town. I mean minutes. It would set aflame by just the tiniest little spark. That's the point that James is making. So also the tongue is a small part of the body and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire, and the tongue is a fire. The very world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our body's parts as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our life. And the tongue is set on fire by hell.
Speaker 1:James has some strong feelings about the tongue. How much of our sin could be stopped at the gates of our mouth if we would just control our tongue. How many mistakes could be avoided if the rudder of our mouth was disciplined. How many relationships would be preserved if our tongue was under the control of the Holy Spirit. How much life and increase could we see around us if we knew the creative power of our words? This is the big point that I want to make. Yes, the tongue is a fire. Yes, the tongue can tear down, but equally, the tongue can speak life and create.
Speaker 1:But I don't want to get ahead of myself. I have three points that I want to make today about God's word, from God's word, about the power of our words. Point number one our words declare the thoughts of our heart. Point number two we will be judged by every word that we speak. Point number three our words have the power to either create or destroy. Okay, so, point number one our words declare the thoughts of our heart.
Speaker 1:Jesus says this to the Pharisees in Matthew 12. Matthew 12, beginning of verse 33, he says A tree is known by its what Fruit? A tree is known by its fruit. He's talking to the Pharisees Now. How many of us hear this concept of fruit? You know the tree by its fruit. And think of what we do, like our actions, the fruit of our life. Jesus is telling the Pharisees. You'll see in a second that the fruit of our life is not just what we do, it's what we say. Verse 34. You, offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak any good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good person brings out of his good treasure good things, and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things. Listen to this, verse 36. But I tell you that for every careless word that you speak, you will give an account of it on the day of judgment. More on that in just a minute. For by the words, by the, by your words, you'll be justified and by your words you will be condemned. You know the tree by its fruit.
Speaker 1:And then Jesus jumps into talking about our words. The kind of tree we are is demonstrated by the fruit of what comes out of our mouths. We think that what we do defines who we are. Jesus teaches that what we say defines who we are. Of course, what we do matters. What we do is important, obviously, but I think few of us understand that what we say matters equally. Kingdom people understand the place that our words have in confirming what kind of tree we actually are.
Speaker 1:A tree is known by its fruit, and our words are the audible expression of the song that our heart is singing. Words are the fruit of the heart. The mouth announces what the heart already believes. You say okay, I get that, but what about my thoughts? Like am I gonna be judged by my thoughts too? Where the thoughts fit into this equation? Anyone ever wondered in here what about my thoughts? Like am I going to be judged by my thoughts too? Where do thoughts fit into this equation? Anyone ever wondered in here what about when I have a bad thought? A thought is only a thought. That's it. A thought is just a thought Until you give language to it. When I speak, my thoughts, those thoughts have now taken shape. They are now alive. They have now entered into time and space with authority and life and power. In fact, when I speak out my thought and give language to it, it becomes recorded in the books of heaven as the fruit of my heart. When it's a thought, it's just a thought, but as soon as that thought exits my mouth, now it's taken on life and heaven is listening. And heaven is recording in books what we are saying. Listen to this Malachi 3.16.
Speaker 1:Those who feared the Lord spoke to one another. That's what we're doing right now. We're speaking to one another. Those who feared the Lord spoke to one another and the Lord listened and he heard them speaking. So a book of remembrance was written before him about those who fear the Lord and meditate on his name. This is fascinating. Look at the connection between what we meditate on and what comes out of our mouths. See, while those who feared Him and meditated on His name, there was nothing recorded in the books. I'm meditating on it, I'm processing it in my mind. Nothing's being recorded in the books. But when they came together and they spoke to one another, the Lord listened and he started taking notes.
Speaker 1:What are we saying when we come together? What are we declaring at our dinner tables? What are we saying to our children and to our spouses? How are we speaking when we're disciplining our children? What are we declaring over our city and over our nation? What are we speaking about the bride of Christ? How are we talking about the church? Heaven is listening and taking notes. A thought is just a thought until I give birth to it with my mouth.
Speaker 1:Paul says this in Romans 12, verse 2 we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds to the church in Ephesus. He says this in Ephesians 4 23 we are to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. Okay, track with me here be transformed by the renewing of our minds, be renewed by the spirit of our mind. So our mind is a place of transformation, of renewal, where maturity is intended to take place. It's a laboratory where ideas about God are experimented, are experimented. It's the crucible where thoughts about eternity and Jesus and the gospel and everything else are forged, and the mouth is where the final product is released. I'll prove it to you. Some of you look skeptical. Paul says this in 2 Corinthians 4.13,.
Speaker 1:We believe. Therefore we speak. I've processed it in my mind, I've taken the thoughts about who Jesus is into the crucible of my mind. I've meditated on it, I've allowed the Holy Spirit to hammer and forge internally, wrestling with these things until they become convictions. And when they are convictions, I speak them out as flames. They're alive now, I believe. Therefore, I speak. His thoughts became convictions and his convictions became words. And for Paul, those words were sometimes scripture. My goodness, how important are our words. This man was writing scripture. I wrestled with it. I believe it, I speak it. Before I speak it out, I meditate on the thought, measuring it against the truth of God's word. I'm not responsible for that thought because it's going through a process of renewal, be renewed in the spirit of your mind. But the minute that thought leaves my tongue as a word, I'm now responsible for it. It's the finished product of my internal wrestlings. I've released it into the atmosphere. The word is now part of my testimony, for good or bad. It's on record.
Speaker 1:My goodness, let our words be few. Point number one our thoughts, our excuse me our words declare the thoughts of our heart, the convictions of our soul and the final result of our internal wrestlings with truth. Point number two we will be judged by every word we speak. We read Matthew 12 a second ago. Jesus says this in verse 37. He says we'll give an account for every idle word that we speak. This word idle means careless, lazy. We're going to give account for every careless word. Heaven, help us all. Here's the good news man, kingdom. People understand these things. That's why we're talking about this, so we can all be called up higher Kingdom people also understand the lifespan of their words.
Speaker 1:Listen to this. We don't just say something once. Our words are going to be spoken at least twice. Our words are going to be spoken in this age and when those words heaven help us are repeated back to us on the day of judgment. Kingdom people understand the lifespan of a word. It keeps going. Man watchman knee writes this every idle word which we speak will be repeated verbatim in the day of judgment. On that day, you shall discover how many idle words you have spoken and you will be justified or condemned by your words.
Speaker 1:None of us can afford to speak carelessly. We must discipline our speech, we must know the power of our words and we must choose them wisely. This is sobering, especially for someone who does a lot of speaking. This is why James says let not many of you be teachers. This is what Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 5, 1-3. Ecclesiastes 5, 1-3,. Solomon says this guard your steps when you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they don't know that what they're doing is evil. Do not be quick with your mouth and let not your heart speak anything impulsive before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few, for the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool is known through his many words. Let your words be few.
Speaker 1:I want to share with you a couple of Proverbs before we move to the next point. Proverbs 10, verse 19. I would just encourage you over the next week, read the book of Proverbs and make a note the characteristics of the wise compared to the characteristics of the foolish. Proverbs 10, verse 19. In the multitude of words, sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. Proverbs 13, 3. He who guards his words preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. Proverbs 17, verse 27. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace. When he shuts his lips, he's considered perceptive. Proverbs 29, verse 20. Do you see a man quick with his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. The Bible is very clear. Fool than for him, the Bible is very clear, mature, wise kingdom.
Speaker 1:People are few with their words. They're disciplined with their words. Their words are few. So, point number one our words declare the thoughts of our heart. Point number two we will be judged for every word we speak. So let your words be few. Point number three our words have the power to create, to produce life. The verse that Judah read for us was Proverbs 18, 21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Those who love it will eat of its fruit. Our words are either creating something or tearing something down.
Speaker 1:We understand the concept and the principle of sowing and reaping when it comes to finances, but do we understand this principle when it comes to our words? Bill Johnson said this I would never say that when you and I have difficulties or troubles, that we brought it on ourselves, because that wouldn't be true. We live in a world where there's conflict, but I have watched people who suffer season after season after season, knowing they are just eating the fruit of their own words. They've not yet learned the power of sowing and reaping. With your words, when we speak, we are either partnering. Are we partnering with the accuser of the brethren? Are we cursing ourselves and others by what we say? Are we diluting our own faith with what we say? Are we proclaiming uncertainty and confusion over our situations? Are we anchoring into this world with doubt, fear and insecurity? Or are we speaking life into our situations, building up faith in ourselves and in those around us, proclaiming God's word over our circumstances?
Speaker 1:Ephesians 4, 29-31 says this Let no unwholesome word proceed out of your mouth, but only such a word as is good for building up according to the need of the moment, so that it would give grace to those who hear. We can speak words that either tear down or we can speak words that build up. I'm almost finished. Is everyone good, good word? We can talk to be heard or we can talk to redeem. We can speak to vent our feelings or we can declare words of life that shape our world.
Speaker 1:Proverbs 29, 11 says a fool vents all of his feelings, but a wise man holds them back. This is just the way I feel, man. I just want to express to you how I feel. This is just how I feel. I'll be honest. I don't care how you feel. Tell me what you believe. Let's have that conversation, because you telling us what you feel is not wise. Let's not give account for feelings on the day of judgment, let's give account for convictions. I had a conversation with someone a few months back, multiple times. He said I'm just telling you how I feel. Man, I knew right then who I was talking to. So it goes in one ear and it goes out the other. We live in a culture that gives so much prominence to feelings. Scripture says the fool just wants to vent his feelings. We are going to give account of what we say, even when we paraphrase it, as this is just how I feel. Take those feelings, meditate on them, submit them to the crucible of God's word internally. Let the Holy Spirit shape it into a conviction, then release it. I believed, therefore I speak.
Speaker 1:Paul writes in Romans 4, 17, that God gives life to the dead and calls into being those things which do not exist as though they did. He speaks things that don't yet exist as though they already did. God stands in front of situations of death and famine and barrenness and hopelessness and he speaks life into that circumstance. That's who God is. Lazarus, come forth, leper, be healed. Waves be still Ocean this far and no more. Let there be light. When he speaks, he creates and this is the fun part. We get to partner with God in doing what he wants to do in the earth.
Speaker 1:We take the truth of what God has already said in His Word and we baptize our circumstance in His Word. We come up across a situation or a circumstance that doesn't agree with God's Word. We take His Word and we say God said I know I see what's happening around me. It's real, it's true, I'm not denying reality. God said I know I see what's happening around me. It's real, it's true, I'm not denying reality. But God said I know Lazarus is dead, but that man's going to live. Watch this Lazarus, come forth by faith.
Speaker 1:We too proclaim things that are not yet seen as though they were Now. Don't confuse this with calling things that are not yet seen as though they were Now. Don't confuse this with calling things that are as though they were not. We're almost finished. You may be tired. I know the seats are uncomfortable. Dan and Gretchen are taking care of that.
Speaker 1:Focus on this last part, because this is really good and it's all in this little pamphlet. It's not me at all, it's from this guy, charles Capps. He, because this is really good and it's all in this little pamphlet. It's not me at all. It's from this guy, charles Capps. He points out this really good point. We can't confuse these things, calling things that are as though they were not. That would be using our words to tear down. God intends our words to build up. The enemy kills, god creates. Let me give you an example.
Speaker 1:We don't speak to the rent payment, which exists in reality, and tell it to go away. That would be speaking to something that is as though it were not. Does that make sense, regina? Am I saying this right? Because I know you know this thing up one side and down the other. I'm not sick, I'm not sick. I'm not sick. I'm not sick. I'm not sick when you've got a scan that says you are. That's not reality, that's not the teaching of Scripture. We don't speak to the things that are as though they were not. We don't speak to the rent payment and tell it to go away. We speak to the business idea and tell it to live. See the difference there. But denying the problem isn't the solution. Sticking your head in the sand is not the solution. That's just delusional. We create the solution. Where currently one does not exist. He gives life to the dead things and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.
Speaker 1:We don't deny sickness. We deny sickness's right to exist in our bodies. Doctor comes back and says stage four. We don't go, I don't hear that, I'm going to ignore it and go away. We deny sickness's right to exist in our bodies. We don't deny empty bank accounts. We deny poverty the right to overtake us. We don't deny prodigal children. We deny the enemy the right to keep them. We don't deny suffering. We deny suffering the right to destroy our faith and redefine who God is.
Speaker 1:We don't deny reality. We deny reality the right to contradict the word of God. That one's really good. I want you to think about that one. We don't deny reality. All of these things are reality. Sickness is a reality. Empty bank accounts are reality. Lost jobs are a reality. Prodigal children is a reality. Sickness is a reality. Empty bank accounts are reality. Lost jobs are a reality. Prodigal children is a reality. We don't deny the reality, but we do deny the reality the right to contradict God's word.
Speaker 1:God says and then apply that to the situation. Hold God's word up against the empty bank account or the doctor's diagnosis, or the lost child or the job loss, whatever it might be, hold God's word up against it. Point number one our words declare the thoughts of our heart. Point number two we will be judged by every word we speak. Point number three our words have the power to either create or destroy.
Speaker 1:I'm going to close with Psalm 19, verse 14. With the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to your sight, o Lord. My strength and my redeemer, the words of my mouth, the meditations of my heart, be pleasing to you, oh Lord. Touchy subject, I feel right. Here's part of the problem. We've got things like the prosperity gospel and the word of faith movement that says just speak, man, speak it out. There are hints of truth in these things, but they've been perverted, misused and abused. And so we hear something, a teaching like this, and we're like ah, it makes me uncomfortable, man, does anyone have any questions? Or perhaps we should just ignore the questions. Go straight into there, got you?
Speaker 2:yes, ma'am so, um, regina and I, when we share oh wow, here it goes already, regina and I when we share, we, um, we kind of use our lives as an example of what god's done through us, in us, and is doing currently or past. And talking about you know where we're going, this body, you know, touching on the aspect of generosity, what's going to be required of all of us for this to succeed is having a spirit of generosity and again, this is my opinion, it's not like God said so to me, but I feel like generosity is important and you know, there's different aspects on how we give, the way we give, how much to give, you know, and there's different people have different views on that. And I believe that all of us in our lives, throughout our lives, are given the opportunity to be generous, generous with our lives, generous with many things, with many things. And I feel like for this place, this body of believers, to get off the ground well and healthy requires generosity. And I was thinking about, I was thinking some stories about generosity. Like I say, I think sometimes we're given an opportunity to be generous and we're not even aware of it, we're not aware that we've been put in a position. But before I go there, I'm just going to read out of 2 Corinthians a couple spots. 1 Corinthians 1.9 says. 1.9 says remember this whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you, that's each of us, should give what you've decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God gives, for God loves a. So one thing we've learned in giving the area of giving is giving without expecting a return, without expecting like you don't give to get, you just give to give. I was thinking back of one of the first times that we were given the opportunity to give sacrificially.
Speaker 2:Regina and I had our four-year-old son and our two-year-old daughter, danny Grace. Here is what a year and a half almost and we ended up at the hospital with our two-year-old daughter and it turned out that she had a brain tumor. She had a brain tumor and she had I'm going to shorten it but she basically went into a respiratory arrest because of a procedure that was done and got sent to Children's Hospital. Upon getting there, we were told that she would not survive. We were told that she would not survive and, before she was even pronounced, no longer with us. They began to ask can we have her liver, can we have some of her organs? And without realizing it, I was thinking about that.
Speaker 2:It was an opportunity to give. It was the opportunity to allow our child's life, in parts, to be given away so that someone else could live. And at first we were like no. So are we going to be generous or are we going to be stingy? And our first response was no. No, we were believing that God would restore her. We were holding out that God would restore her. And you know, it just didn't go that way. But before she was even pronounced brain dead, we went ahead and agreed. We hit the point. We said you know, it just didn't go that way. But before she was even pronounced brain dead, we went ahead and agreed. We hit the point. We said you know, if God's going to do a miracle, even if we give her liver away to this other child, he can replace it. And so we agreed, we agreed and think about that.
Speaker 2:You know we argue about how much should we give. Do we give generously? Do we give? Should we give? Do we give generously? Do we give sparingly? Do we give 10%? And the child that our daughter's liver was given to his sister had died from the same liver disease before him, and we learned later that it was a successful operation, it was a successful donation. So we're donating, we're giving, and this house is called to give. We're called to give. And if we'd only given 10% of her liver away, would that have done the job? No, if we'd only given 10% of her heart away because they took that too would that have done the job that needed to be done? Would have that raised the life that needed to be raised? If we'd only given 10% of her eyes, would that have done the job? No, we let them have. They basically were allowed to harvest everything that needed to be harvested, and so a life was raised up out of that. And that's one of the benefits of giving extravagantly, giving much, giving all, and we don't know what the return was on that. You know, for us it was years of grief, but, like I said, we learned later that that boy was given new life. I said we learned later that that boy was given new life Later on, as time went on actually prior to that so that I felt like we did pretty well in that situation.
Speaker 2:At the same time, there was a young couple that saying, hey, you know, we ended up giving them the car because they didn't have enough money. No, the couple and they were like, hey, we need diapers, you know, can you help us? And so like, yeah, we can help you with that. Hey, we need milk. Yeah, we can help you with that. Hey, we need milk. Yeah, we can help you with that. Like, we emptied out our change jar and all these things.
Speaker 2:And I don't say this to boast, hear me out. I don't say it to boast, but that's what God was doing, without us even being aware of it. He was causing, he was allowing us the opportunity to learn to be givers and um. But then he came knocking at the door after our daughter was gone and it was a whole different thing. See, it was a heart issue. And the way we give it's a heart issue. Do I have the heart to give or do I have the heart to hold on to and withhold? And finally, I was fed up. I was like I couldn't believe that he was knocking at my door after our loss and he knew of our loss and I didn't pass well on that one and I'll just leave it at that, but it was not pretty.
Speaker 2:Later down the road in life, we had a car that we were going to sell because we needed money, car that we were going to sell because we needed money and we were struggling. And this guy comes to the house and he's from Kazakhstan. Anybody know where that is, kazakhstan? That's like Central Asia, correct? And this, this come. He comes in, he doesn't speak very little and he wants to buy the car and we're like, okay, we tell him the price and he leaves and he comes back with an envelope full of money and he has this envelope full of money and Regina and I are in the hallway and the kids are with us and the Lord drops in our heart that we're not supposed to make him pay for the car. We have the title, it's signed. He brings the envelope full of money and he's like and she's like she pushes the money back in his hands and he's like Wait, he's like totally confused because he thinks I misinterpreted what they wanted. I don't. And he's like and he looks at the money, he goes, and so Regina actually folded it up like this and put it the pink slip and the keys and the money back in his hand and pointed up at the sky.
Speaker 2:This, this, this dude was like this, is this like Russian dude? You know he's stocky, a pretty, you know BA dude, and he just spins around. He's just like, oh, he just like melts, okay, he melts and he yells out to his wife, you know, and she's like, and they all come running, him and his kids and our kids are watching and he tells her what happened and she's like, oh, and there's just like this celebration, because, why? Because they received a gift and you know we were called to give it. It opened a door to having a relationship. They live down the street. They invited us into their home. We got to experience borscht food on their table, at their table, and it was pretty cool. So we're having dinner and we can't even converse because we don't know each other's language. But that's a door that God opened through generosity and I'll close it with this one last one.
Speaker 2:We'd lost work in Idaho. We come to California to go do some work. We pack up all the kids in my work van. I have this paint van, shelves in it and just anyways. We pack up and we look like the way you see a lot of people living now out of their vehicles. Yeah. So we come to California and we work. My van breaks down. It's like, oh no, what are we going to doifornia? We work, my van breaks down. It's like, oh no, what are we going to do? So we're borrowing my dad's truck, we're working, and, um, we, we, um, we're working, and, and it's like it's it's time to go. We got to go back home. We've been I think we're here maybe a month, babe, about a month working. It's time to go home. And, um, so we're going to borrow my dad's pickup truck and stuff everybody in it and all of our gear.
Speaker 2:And a friend of ours from church says, wait, wait, because don't leave. I feel like the Lord told me to ask this person to give you their van that they're selling. So he goes to a person who is not a believer, he is not a part of our church, he's not a believer and he says, hey, these people need a believer. He is not a part of our church, he's not a believer, and he says, hey, these people need a vehicle. Would you give them your van that you have for sale? It's a big passenger van. He says can I meet them? I'm like, yeah, he says he wants to meet you. So all of us kids we pile up, we go over there and meet this guy. Right, we go, meet this guy. He goes. Okay, he gives us the van. He just gives us the van, gives us the paperwork, gives the keys.
Speaker 2:It's this cool passenger van, like a Ford F-150. We drive it home, but we have this feeling like this isn't our vehicle, this isn't for us, it's for somebody else. So we go back to Idaho, we do our thing, we take trips to Washington in the van hockey and while we're using the van, things happen to the van Cars. Things happen the windshield gets broken, the brakes need to be repaired and the Lord shows us who it is we're supposed to give this van to. We're supposed to come back to California from Idaho and give this family this van. So we put new tires on it, we fix the windshield, we fix the brakes and we drive the van back to California.
Speaker 2:We arrange for my work van to get fixed and we give the van away my father, who's not a believer. So we go in the van and we get my work van. He's like what happened to your other van. He said well, god told us to give it away. That's why we came here to give it away. He goes well, did God tell you what you're going to drive next? I'm like nope, but we'll figure it out.
Speaker 2:We're getting in my work van to leave and a friend of ours comes pulling up to my parents' house and says wait, and she meets us and she has two envelopes. So where I'm going with this is sometimes you see the reward of being generous and sometimes you don't. But that's not what it's about. It's about just being obedient to be generous Generous with your time, generous with your finances, generous with your lives. She hands Regina these two envelopes and says the only terms are you can't say how much it is and you don't get to know who gave it to you. Okay, fair enough. And in the envelope, in the two envelopes, was cashier's check to her, one to her, one to me of equal amounts.
Speaker 2:And we went and the person said when you get home, go get yourself a new car and whatever else you need to do. When we got home a new car and whatever else you need to do, when we got home, we were able to buy us a new used car, pay all of our bills up current, because we were behind. We got out of debt. We got out of debt and so that was like we saw an immediate return. So I say all this to just say ask God, how are you calling me to be generous? Is it with my time? Is it with my labor? Is it with my finances? You know just what is he calling us to. We're trying to do something here, and the question is what is our role? What do we call to do here in this house, at this time and in the weeks and months and hopefully years ahead? That's it. Bless you guys so good man.
Speaker 1:Thank you, john yeah, absolutely thank you so good.
Speaker 1:we don't talk a lot about money here. Um, some of that is is my fault, because I just have this aversion, like I think a lot of us do, to the topic. We've all seen it abused, we've seen itused, and so my default is to just not say much and let God do what God's going to do. But I do have a responsibility to make sure that we understand kingdom principles, and sowing and reaping is a kingdom principle. Finances are extremely important to God. Money is important to God, so just because it's been misused and abused doesn't mean that the correct response is to just ignore it and not say anything. So this month it's important for us to acknowledge we have needs. Churches have needs to continue to move forward and we have those. This land isn't free. I know it looks like we meet in a tent, like how expensive could it be? We have expenses, so we just want to make sure that you guys understand that giving to this church family is an opportunity that you have every week, every month. We believe this is good soil to sow into. Amen Anyone else amen I was talking to I think it was Gretchen the other day about it and when I'm looking for ministries to give to. It's like picking a stock. I want to find a good return on my investment, so I'm looking for ministries that I know God is using, that are bearing fruit, that are trustworthy and honest, and kingdom. And when I find those and when Lindsay sees that too, we're like, hey, this is a great minute. Whether there's missionaries, whether it's a church, whether it's a traveling evangelist itinerant ministry, whatever it might be, it's like, hey, we're going to sow into that. Whether it's a church, whether it's a traveling evangelist itinerant ministry, whatever it might be, it's like, hey, we're going to sow into that because we're going to get a return Kingdom language. We're going to get a return in the spirit because we're investing in that good soil. I believe this is good soil, even though we have ants underneath that are trying to eat our communion bread. I believe this is good soil. So, anyway. So we want to. Obviously, you guys have seen this. This is what we want to do. This is what we believe we are going to do. If you want to take a look at that, feel free. I'll put that up.
Speaker 1:When we go back to the house to have a meal, you can give through the website. Scan the QR code. It's the easiest thing to do. We have those in the house. We have it there on that board. You can sign up for auto giving, like every month. You don't have to think about it, it just automatically withdraws it from your account. It's the easiest thing to do. Amen, anything else? Okay, well, let's get to worshiping. Huh, let's get to it Before. Does anyone have questions Specific?