Now Gen - Week 4 Discussion - Investing in the Next Generation

What does it look like to invest in the next generation? This week we discussed the responsibility we have to pass on the message of the Gospel from one generation to the next. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:18

Welcome to Navigate, a podcast discussion from Tower Life Center, where we talk about how to navigate life, living as a follower of Jesus in a fallen and ever-changing world. Let's join the discussion. Hello, how are we feeling today?

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Good morning. Good morning.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

Good afternoon. We're missing. Yeah, that's true. Good night. Good night.

SPEAKER_02 0:39

Yeah. We're missing, we're missing Bradley.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

We're missing our hype man, our Enneagram 7.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

Yes, we are. So we're trying to bring the energy this morning.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

We haven't had enough coffee.

SPEAKER_02 0:48

We're so thankful for Brad because he always does that for us. We miss you, Brad.

SPEAKER_01 0:52

Yes. You're just if you get if you can just keep a youth pastor around you. Yeah, you will constantly have somebody who's pulling you emotionally up.

SPEAKER_02 1:01

Yes. And it is so great.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

It's like you got a hype man around you all.

SPEAKER_02 1:05

Yeah, we're missing that, Brad.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

Yeah. So you're using up all of your vacation days, all of your navigate vacation days. They're all being used up.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01 1:14

Um, yeah. So let's dive into the discussion. Uh we're wrapping up our series that we've called Now Gen, right? And talking about how do we place a sense of urgency on the next generation. Yeah. Uh, not that I expect that to stick globally, nationally, or even regionally. Just for our church, I'd love to shift the perspective on um the urgency that we carry with discipling them. Right. And so we we were talking about um throughout this series, how do we really spend time helping the next djinn grow? How do we prepare and equip them to make a difference in the world around them? And in week one, we talked about protecting them. Right. I think it's important that we understand uh what are they up against, what are they navigating, and um what does a solution look like? That was Brad who kind of talked to us about man, the solution uh isn't just shielding them, it's discipling them. And so that's a way we can protect them. Week two, we talked about praying for them, praying with them, praying over them. Week three was celebrating. So we're talking about the words and how do we use those words, and then week four was this last week as we wrapped up the series talking about investing in the next gen. And so um, yeah, we had that discussion yesterday, and uh, I have no idea how it landed. Um, I have no idea if people were encouraged, if they were challenged, if they were convicted, or if they thought that was the biggest waste of their time.

SPEAKER_02 2:42

But yeah, I mean, I think it was really encouraging just being someone in the seats. I think it was very encouraging and challenging at the same time. Um, even challenging for my heart in areas that I can step up and continue to step in. Um, even when I feel like I'm already doing so much, it's like, well, what more can I do? Like how how else can I be helping the next generation? Um, it just kind of landed as a whole new um layer of conviction for me, even. And I think too, oh go ahead. Um, I think too, just hearing some of the feedback from some people that were messaging all of us, um, just how encouraged they were after the message too, and just the conviction that you spoke with. I'm very thankful for how you how you laid it out for us and presented it to us.

SPEAKER_00 3:34

Yeah, that's what I was gonna say. Just the people that are like, Hey, my spouse is feeling the nudge.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:39

Which is so cool.

SPEAKER_00 3:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:41

So cool.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Yeah. Well, that's great. I don't I didn't say that to be like, well, tell me how good it was. It was just like it's it's one of those messages, really. If you didn't listen to it, this conversation may not do it justice in terms of the um I don't know the urgency. Urgency, or even what may feel like to some aggression. I don't know that that's the right word, but something that feels a little bit more forceful than even urgency, yeah, of the role that we all play. Right. And we kind of set the whole discussion up with this conversation of like, why did I, or why did we as a leadership team pick this generation of people to say we hey, you know what, we should invest in them. And the discussion really is centered that the answer to that question, I guess, is centered around two thoughts. The first thought is that that is the group of people, that's the demographic that God has continued to send us. And so it would be silly for us to try to reach a different gem demographic and to try to disciple a different demographic if God sent us that demographic.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

Right.

SPEAKER_01 4:48

Right. And so basically I'm I'm imploring us as a church to say, hey, can we lean into and invest in the people that God is sending us? Yeah. It just happens to be the next generation who we have labeled now. Yeah. Right. So that's number one. Um, but then number two is when we see this concept of like generational discipleship, right? And understanding that we, I say we as those of us who are, I'm gonna say 25 years old plus, right? Anywhere from 25 to 125. I don't know anybody older than 125 still alive. Uh so anybody in that century age range from 25 to 125, like we've been placed in our hands the message of the gospel, right? The we've been discipled at some level, right? And so the question we kind of wrestled through at the beginning is what happens if we don't disciple the young people that God has placed in our circle of influence?

SPEAKER_02 5:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

Right. Like, well, what does happen if we don't? Right. And we went through a bunch of different ways of asking that question to make sure that it resonates with all the different people in the room, right? Like we said, well, what happens if we don't disciple them in the ways of Jesus and the Word of God and in obedience to the Holy Spirit, right? Like, if we could teach everybody, adults, next gen, whoever, right? If we could teach everybody who walks through our doors, what does it mean to be discipled in the way of Jesus? So a lifestyle following him, loving the word of God, and being obedient to the Holy Spirit, like that would be a huge win.

SPEAKER_02 6:25

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 6:26

Right? But what happens if we don't do that? Right? Well, what happens is then we have this question is we say, what happens if we let the ways of the world, the voices of culture, and obedience to their fleshly and selfish desires disciple them? Because if we're not, for all of us, this is true, if we're not being discipled in the ways of Jesus, the word of God, and the obedience of the Holy Spirit, what's going to happen is the ways of the world, the voices of culture, and our fleshly, selfish desires will disciple us.

SPEAKER_02 6:58

100%. And I was just thinking like if we don't take this opportunity to go and disciple the next generation, what are we missing out on? Even it's not for ourselves, but it is such a refining relationship when you are discipling someone else because it's easy. Get out of here.

SPEAKER_03 7:16

But that's what it's like.

SPEAKER_02 7:17

It's so true. Like, um, when we are discipling the next generation, it's another layer of accountability, not just for them, but for us too. And it is refining in us. Like if we're teaching someone to walk in the ways of Jesus, we better be walking it out too.

SPEAKER_03 7:31

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 7:32

And that is just such another layer of accountability for us, even where it's like, yeah, I'm not above that. Like, I don't want to be prideful in that. I do want to make sure that I'm humbling myself and and stepping into these opportunities and these relationships with the now gen.

SPEAKER_01 7:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:49

Because how beautiful could that be? I mean, for sure. Titus too has it right, you know, telling us that how important this is.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

100%. And we have to begin to think through that, which is kind of where the conversation is going. But I really want to allow this thought to just sit for a second. Like, what happens? Right? What happens if we just allow those who we are called to hand over the message of the gospel to, those who we are called to disciple and to invest in, right?

SPEAKER_03 8:18

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 8:19

What would happen if we just said, you know what? We're gonna let the world do it. We're not gonna do it, we're gonna let the world do it. We're gonna let culture do it. We're gonna let your selfish fleshly desires do it. Where would they be?

SPEAKER_02 8:31

With cat ears and a cattail on them.

SPEAKER_01 8:33

Where would where would we be if somebody would have let us do that?

SPEAKER_02 8:38

Right.

SPEAKER_01 8:39

I'm not saying we in this room, I'm saying you listening.

SPEAKER_02 8:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

You who could show up at church, whatever church you go to, you who are lit reading your Bible on a daily basis, you who are right. Like, where would you be if someone didn't help guide you and keep you on the right path?

SPEAKER_00 8:54

Well, right. Even we in the room.

SPEAKER_02 8:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:56

Every poor decision ever made.

SPEAKER_02 8:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 8:59

I still had the next morning, or sometimes at the same time, I could hear somebody that was a mentor growing up behind me saying, think that's a good idea.

SPEAKER_02 9:09

Right.

SPEAKER_00 9:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:10

Yeah. Like, are you thinking through that?

SPEAKER_00 9:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:13

Are you seeing the consequences that are being played out because of that decision? You know?

SPEAKER_01 9:18

And it's not even that that's the that's not even what they would have been telling you. Right? Like, that's not the voice that they they just they invested in you, they discipled you, they spent time with you. Yeah. And as you're making those decisions, it's like, I mean, I know that they wouldn't. They would want better for me. Right. They'd want something different.

SPEAKER_03 9:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:34

Right? Like, so then the question that where we landed our question section is where would the gospel of Jesus Christ be in just a few generations if we don't intentionally disciple people in the ways of Jesus, the word of God and obedience to the Holy Spirit? Like, think about the message of the gospel that we've been given.

unknown 9:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:54

The steward, where would that be if we're like, no, that's way too much work. I'd rather do my own thing. I'd rather meet my own fleshly needs. I'd rather, I'd rather, I'd rather certainly don't want to spend time with the next generation or really anybody around me discipling them.

SPEAKER_02 10:08

We turn into an incredibly selfish, self-centered, self-focused generation that has hidden the gospel of Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

And that's where we would be. Where would the gospel be in three generations from now? Think about that.

SPEAKER_02 10:20

Non-existent.

SPEAKER_01 10:21

And that's the point.

SPEAKER_02 10:22

Which is the urgency and the alarming piece of this.

SPEAKER_01 10:25

Correct.

SPEAKER_02 10:26

Because it really does. I mean, when you look at the Bible, you look at the gospel, we have been given this gift. And we just I don't know. It's like you keep a gift and you just hold on to it. You're not, you don't want to share it. You're not willing to steward it. You're not willing to do the things in it that the Lord has said, hey, this is this is for your good. Do these things.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 10:47

Um, so yeah, I think when you look at it through that perspective, it shines a whole new light on what we're supposed to do and what we're called to do.

SPEAKER_01 10:55

And as we talk about investing in the next gen, there's there's a a principle or a truth that we all have to come to terms with and agree on. And when I say we have to, I I can't force you to. I'm just telling you that the rest of what we're gonna talk about hinges on your agreeance to what I'm about ready to say. God advances his kingdom through people intentionally investing in the biblical discipleship of others. You need to understand a couple things in there. God's the one who advances the kingdom, it's his kingdom, not ours, right? But then he's going to use people like all of us, right? All of you listening. All like he's gonna use way more people to do it than we would like to think that he would. I think oftentimes he has a far lower um standard to be used by God that we would want him to have, but then we would all be on the outside of that same standard. But either way, he's gonna be the one who's advances it through his kingdom, using people who are gonna intentionally invest in the biblical discipleship of others. Right? And if we can all agree with that, then we can look and see how in scripture we see that this is really God's way of generational discipleship. It's Psalm 78, 5 through 8. It says God gave his instructions to Israel, he commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so teach the instructions to their children. Why? So that the next generation might know them, even the children not yet born, and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his command. Then they will not be like their ancestors, stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God. Okay, so we're gonna pass down instruction from generation to generation, to generation to generation. Why? So that they learn to set their hope on God, so that they don't forget all the miraculous things God has done, and so they obey his commands. Now, for what purpose? For the purpose of not refusing to give their hearts to God, it's so that he can have a relationship with them.

SPEAKER_02 13:12

Yeah, and I think it's really important to see in the very beginning of that, he commanded. This is a command. This isn't just a suggestion, right? This is a command, which then becomes an obedience and stewardship issue on our end.

SPEAKER_03 13:24

Right.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

If we choose not to do it, we're choosing to disobey God in this, and then we have to give an account for that to him.

SPEAKER_03 13:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

On the day that we stand in front of him on judgment day and say, you know what, you gave me this opportunity to steward, and I just said, No, sorry.

SPEAKER_01 13:41

I think that's so great. And for those of you who are like, Yeah, but that's Psalm, that's Old Testament, that's like he commanded Israel. Remember, Kyle? Remember, Amanda? It's like, well, he actually gave all of us the great commission, which is this same concept, yes, right. And so we can choose to obey.

SPEAKER_02 13:55

Reinforced it.

SPEAKER_01 13:56

Yes, yes, yes, so but you're 100% right. This is this wasn't like, hey, here's a special opt-in for super Christians.

SPEAKER_02 14:03

Hey, you guys should do this if you want to.

SPEAKER_01 14:05

No, this is a command. Yes, this is a command, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:08

To keep the gospel alive, you know, like there is purpose behind this.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

Yeah, 100%. Yeah, right. And you can see that that he does it to keep the gospel alive, which which is driving people to him and away from their sinful life. Yeah. And the way we said it yesterday was generational discipleship, which we just saw here, and the ways of Jesus, the word of God, and obedience to the Holy Spirit. Well, we've been saying over and over, right? That type of generational discipleship can both lead people to deeper relationship with God, so to him, and away from the broken ways of the world. Yeah. Yeah. Think about that. Like if we're just gonna teach people the commands, be like, hey, remember what God did, remember how he showed up. Obey those commands. Here's the instructions, right? And we're gonna invest in that way. It's gonna drive them closer to God and in turn away from the brokenness of this world because they won't be refusing to give their hearts to God.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

Right.

SPEAKER_01 15:05

Which I think is so, so impactful. Right, because we don't want to just invest in the next generation because they're the quote-unquote church of tomorrow, right? We want to make sure that we invest in them because we see generational discipleship as the plan that God has always had for moving his kingdom forward.

SPEAKER_03 15:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

Right. We just it's through it's throughout the Old Testament. Here in just a little bit, we're gonna talk about Deuteronomy, right? Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, the fifth book. Right? In the fifth book, we begin to see it. Right? In Genesis, the very first book, we see how generational discipleship didn't happen and the effects of that. It has been God's plan for forever.

SPEAKER_00 15:46

It's kind of amazing too when you talk to youth leaders like Brad, even like the number of kids like in this that's actually reversed because the kids are coming first and then they're bringing their parents.

SPEAKER_02 15:58

Yeah, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

Like how important it is that discipling the kids is not just helping them and their kids. Yes, helping their parents because they didn't grow up in church because they don't know. Yeah, their parents weren't discipling. Yeah, it's exciting to see that.

SPEAKER_01 16:12

Yeah, the yeah, for sure. The the model of discipleship that God has set in place was never intended to have to have that happen. Right. But because the brokenness of the world happened, now it's like, all right, can we get a little upflow and downflow going from the same generation? Right, yeah. Right. Right. And and then how do we impact their parents at a at a deeper level? Yeah. You know, where it's not or grandparent. Yeah, or grandparent. One kid's got his grandma coming now. Yeah, which is awesome. Right. Which is so cool. So cool. So we said, okay, so what can we practically do if we want to say, all right, sign me up to understand that or to say, I hey, I agree with this, right? Yeah. Because I agree that this has been God's plan and it's how he designed this. So what can I do? Well, the first thing we can do is we can invest by living out in intentional faith. Right. It's not this, it's not this idea of, well, I'm gonna tell you what to do, but I'm gonna go do this other thing, right? Right. Like I I still remember growing up, I didn't say this yesterday, but I remember growing up, my dad would always say, Do as I say, not as I do, right? Which would fly in the face of this. Right. But for so long, he only said that because, yeah, I'm a sinful person, born into a sinful world, making sinful decisions. But at the same time, I think Amanda, you can attest to this. If we did what he did, we would be growing closer and closer and closer to Jesus.

SPEAKER_02 17:34

Right.

SPEAKER_01 17:34

Right. So he said that, knowing that his life was also going to reflect it. Um so invest by living out an intentional faith. And so, Deuteronomy, as we were just saying, chapter six, verses four through nine, it says, Listen, O Israel, the Lord is our God and the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. That should sound familiar because that was when Jesus was asked, What's the greatest commandment? He goes back and he recites Deuteronomy chapter six, uh, verse four and five. Then he says, in verse six, you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I'm giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you're at home and when you're on the road, when you're going to bed, when you're getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates. Right. And when we begin to look at this, it's easy to focus on the parts where like we're gonna talk about them, we're gonna tie them on our hands, wear them on our foreheads, write them on our doorposts, right? That's why we that's why people put on tattoos and wristbands that say things, and t-shirts and hats and whatever, right? Like that's that's easy for us to do. But when we look at what he said first, he said, Love the Lord with all that you have, and then commit yourselves wholeheartedly to what?

SPEAKER_02 19:02

These commands.

SPEAKER_01 19:03

Commit yourselves wholeheartedly to the commands, love him with all you have, and then commit yourselves wholeheartedly to the commands. That comes before you go and write it on the doorpost and you tat it on your skin, post it on social media, right? Right, yeah. Don't don't be getting the phone case that has it if you're not willing to love the Lord your God and commit to it, right? Like it's that concept, that's what we see.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

He wants that all in concept before you start doing these things. He wants to make sure that your heart is right with him.

SPEAKER_01 19:30

Yeah, approach him all in before you tat all in on your skin.

SPEAKER_02 19:34

Right.

SPEAKER_01 19:35

Right? Like that that's the challenge that we have there. And so we said yesterday the greatest investment that you can make in the next generation starts with you committing to becoming the kind of disciple who pursues loving God with all you have and commits to his commands. Right? Like, what if that was the only investment that you made in the next generation? You said, Hey, you know what? I need to become all in.

SPEAKER_02 20:00

That's where it all starts.

SPEAKER_01 20:02

I need, I've got to commit to the process of becoming. Like, I've got to make that decision.

SPEAKER_02 20:08

I want to.

SPEAKER_01 20:09

I've been telling Johnny, I've been telling Johnny that he shouldn't be doing X, Y, and Z, but I'm over here doing X, Y, and Z and saying, well, you can't do it because you're 16, but I can because I'm 46.

SPEAKER_03 20:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:20

Right? Like, I've been telling him to watch his mouth as I cuss Adam while I tell him to watch his mouth.

SPEAKER_03 20:26

Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

Right? Like, I've been telling my daughter, we could say this, we've been telling our daughter to share. And then when it comes down to it, I don't really want to give up any of my stuff.

SPEAKER_02 20:35

Or we tell her, nope, no more screen time today, and we'll sit there and scroll on our phones. And she's like, But look at what you're doing. She's old enough to call that up. She said it to me.

SPEAKER_01 20:44

It's coming. She did.

SPEAKER_02 20:45

Oh, yeah. She said it last night as this guy was putting her to bed. I'm like, go to bed open. But mommy, you're not. You're looking at your phone. I'm like, yeah, you're right.

SPEAKER_01 20:55

Instantly convicted and put the phone down.

SPEAKER_02 20:58

But it it's it's like, okay.

SPEAKER_01 21:00

That's a perfect example. Yeah. That's a perfect example of like, you know what? What if we just said, all I'm gonna do to invest in you is I'm gonna become a better follower of Jesus on my own.

SPEAKER_02 21:12

Right. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 21:13

Do as I say, not as I do, but also watch me do what Jesus has called me to.

SPEAKER_02 21:18

Watch me try and also watch me fail. Yeah. And watch me fail well, hopefully, if I'm living in accordance to what Jesus is calling me to.

SPEAKER_01 21:26

Because if people followed, I asked this question if people followed Jesus exactly like me, where would they end up? I said, look at me as somebody who you guys sit here and listen to at some level many weeks in a row. If you followed me to Jesus, where would you end up?

SPEAKER_02 21:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:42

But that's a convicting thing I have to answer.

SPEAKER_02 21:44

Even in those moments with your children, it's showing them how you repent, not only to them and saying, like, mommy, sorry, please forgive me, but then also going to the Lord in prayer with your child in that moment, like, Lord, please forgive me for me not giving you my whole heart in this moment. And And for them to see that and to experience that and to know that that's just that's how we live. Oh wow. It's so powerful. You're building humility in those children. You're helping them understand what it means to repent and ask for forgiveness and move forward when you do fail. It's okay that you're going to fail. But how do you how do you recover from those failures with the Lord? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:25

And so it builds a strong enough relationship that like I was saying when I was not making good decisions in college. It was the it was those mentors that were living this way that I was like, they would not be happy. At the time I was not thinking Jesus would not be happy with me. He would not.

SPEAKER_01 22:47

Yeah. Zach, you're kind of fancy.

SPEAKER_00 22:49

What do you mean?

SPEAKER_01 22:50

The M-word you just said? How do you say that? Somebody who like spends time investing in you? How what do you call them? What are you talking about?

SPEAKER_02 22:58

M-E.

SPEAKER_01 22:59

What did you say? I don't know. Did you say mentor? You called him a mentor. Mentor.

SPEAKER_00 23:05

Mentor?

SPEAKER_01 23:05

Yeah, and I'm like, well, that's fancy. I think I've been saying it wrong my whole life.

SPEAKER_02 23:08

It sounds very French. Yeah, I'm like, that's probably why.

SPEAKER_01 23:12

That's probably I'm like, it sounds very European. Mentor. I was like, what's the point? The people that mentored me. I got real. I'm like, I've been saying it wrong my whole life.

SPEAKER_02 23:18

Yeah. I probably said it wrong yesterday. But that's so true because it's the people that showed you Jesus. The people that you experienced Jesus through.

SPEAKER_03 23:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:26

Those were the people that you're like, ah, yeah, they probably wouldn't approve of this. And in turn, Jesus probably wouldn't approve of this.

SPEAKER_00 23:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:34

Yeah. From the now 95-year-old guy that was a Sunday school teacher for me to the youth director that I'm now in a Bible study with.

SPEAKER_02 23:42

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's so sweet. That's cool. And full circle.

SPEAKER_01 23:46

And it's even like, to your point, we call them mentors or mentors, right? And as people who just invest in you.

SPEAKER_03 23:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

But the Christian version is not I'm a Christian mentor. I'm a discipler. Right. Somebody didn't just mentor you. They discipled you in the ways of Jesus, the word of God, and obedience to the Holy Spirit. Because at some level, behind your shoulder, when you keep saying, Well, they were saying, Do you think that's a good idea? Maybe it wasn't them, and it could have just been the Holy Spirit, meaning it was. Hey, here's some conviction. For sure. Remember what so-and-so taught you?

SPEAKER_03 24:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:14

Remember what so-and-so invested in you? Yeah. Remember when they discipled you in that? They talked about self-control. And right now, 48 beers deep, not self-control. Right? Like that could be the same thing for me.

unknown 24:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

Like, like I can I could sit there and go back to college and be like, you know what? Like, I could talk about how my dad had discipled me. And I could talk about these people. And at some level they did, but the conviction doesn't come from them. It comes from the Holy Spirit who's like, hey, Galatians 5.22, you've been called to have a spirit of self-control. And right now you are so far out of control, Kyle. Right? Like you don't need the you don't need to go upside down on the cake.

SPEAKER_02 24:51

Right. And you don't you don't need another one. You can call it a night. It's time to go home.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

You should have done it three hours ago.

SPEAKER_02 24:56

Right.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

Right. Yeah. So it's it's that concept of like that investment they made in us is not just it's not just them who's like, hey, they don't think it's a good idea. Of course they don't. Right. But you know who doesn't think it's a good idea more than they don't think it's a good idea? The Holy Spirit. Right.

SPEAKER_02 25:12

Well, they don't think it's a good idea because they were discipling you through the Word of God.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

Right.

SPEAKER_02 25:16

And through His Holy Spirit, which is beautiful.

SPEAKER_00 25:19

And probably past experience of their own, knowing that don't follow my footsteps.

SPEAKER_01 25:26

A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_00 25:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:28

A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_02 25:29

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 25:29

Okay, so we're gonna invest in others by living in intentional faith. And then the next principle we said is we're gonna invest in people, not programs. Okay. And I asked a question yesterday, I'll ask you listening today. If you could, but we'll use podcasts instead of sermons. Tell us the five most impactful podcasts we've ever done.

SPEAKER_02 25:50

Yeah. I mean, no, I probably couldn't.

SPEAKER_01 25:53

Yeah. And you're on the show. You're the star of the show. You're on the intro.

SPEAKER_02 25:58

And you still can't tell us the But I'm just thinking about other podcasts too and other podcasters where it's like, yeah, I listen to a ton of them, but I don't know that I could just rattle off my top five.

SPEAKER_00 26:08

I can think of a couple.

SPEAKER_02 26:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:09

I remember bits and pieces, but as far as like the whole thing.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

No, but if I said, hey, tell me three to five people who have made a massive impact in your life.

SPEAKER_02 26:18

Easy.

SPEAKER_01 26:19

Easy. And you could tell me the impact, and you could tell me conversations, and you could take me to places.

SPEAKER_02 26:25

Yeah, those marking moments, those moments of conviction, I could definitely try to.

SPEAKER_01 26:29

So that podcast act that you said you could remember, you might be able to remember bits and pieces. What car were you in? Where were you driving to? What were you doing? Was it in earbuds? Or like you don't know that, but if I said, hey, tell me about that youth leader who or the Sunday school, you'd be like, Oh, I can take you to the room. And I remember what they said. I remember what they smelled like and what they wore. And like, yeah. Because it was an impactful moment. And so we have to I remember that every time a certain song comes on. Yeah. You can remember that. Yeah, yes. What that was. Yeah. That moment. And it's it's that concept in our brain or we have to understand that as we invest in other people, we're investing in them, not in the program that serves them.

SPEAKER_03 27:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:06

Programs are necessary, programs are needed, programs are helpful, programs are good, but they are not, we are not serving or investing in a program. We are serving and investing in humans. And the program is the vehicle that helps us get there, right?

SPEAKER_02 27:20

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 27:21

And so we talked about the concept of Paul and Timothy, right? Paul writes two-thirds of the New Testament, he writes two letters to Timothy, first and second Timothy. And in those, there are tons of programming instructions where he tells them, hey, here's how you should set leaders in place. Here's how you should do church. Here's how you should do these things. Timothy, here's what would be wise in these situations.

SPEAKER_02 27:44

Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 27:45

And then he comes to 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 2, and he says, Listen, Tim, you've heard me teach these things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other people who will be able to pass them on to others. Paul to Timothy, Timothy to trustworthy people, trustworthy people to others. Four generations, one verse. Once again, generational discipleship in play.

SPEAKER_03 28:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:13

This is New Testament. So we saw it in the Old Testament, we saw it in the books of the law in the beginning. We see it in the New Testament. It all echoes the Great Commission. Right? Like it is God's design. And this is the point in the sermon yesterday where it got a little tense, I felt like. Right? It got a little tense because I wanted people to understand that you're not just investing in the next generation to do the church a favor. Right? It's not. It is advancing the kingdom of God in a forceful way by owning the responsibility that's been passed to us. Because if we say, hey, you know what? I'm trying to follow Jesus. I'm trying to live in that way. Somebody discipled us. Somebody invested in us. Somebody did all of those things.

SPEAKER_02 29:00

It's our turn, right?

SPEAKER_01 29:01

But has it has passed it into us. And now biblically we own a responsibility.

SPEAKER_02 29:06

Yeah, the baton has been passed. It's in our hands. What are we going to do with it?

SPEAKER_00 29:11

Deuteronomy 6 and expanded. Because if it was just us and our families, yeah. Not good enough. Right. Right. Now. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:18

Now. Now Paul's like, hey, this is teach it to trustworthy people. And then they could just teach it to others. There's no limits on it.

SPEAKER_02 29:26

Right.

SPEAKER_01 29:27

Because that's not like God's plan for salvation is not limited.

SPEAKER_02 29:30

Right.

SPEAKER_01 29:31

It is unlimited. And now the responsibility for that has been left to us. And so this is where I made Amanda super nervous yesterday.

SPEAKER_02 29:38

My heart always starts racing. You know, when you are up there and you're preaching, there are moments where my heart is racing. I'm like, okay, Holy Spirit, please soften this or prepare the hearts to receive it.

SPEAKER_01 29:47

He already was softening it all week because I he told me to add a sentence between what we just said and what I'm about ready to say. And the sentence is, I don't want to sound harsh, but at the risk of sounding harsh, right? Like I don't want to, but it's probably going to, right?

SPEAKER_02 30:02

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01 30:03

I said, if you view investing in the next generation as doing the church a favor, you are minimizing the magnitude of the message of the gospel. You're minimizing the urgency of the responsibility left to the church. You're minimizing the importance of the role that God has for you specifically to play in it. And you're minimizing the power of the gifts, talents, and passions He's placed inside you.

SPEAKER_00 30:26

I think that's true of every not just like helping a kid's ministry. Oh, no. Even if you're a greeter, you're the first person somebody's going to see that the experiences the Lord through you. God through you. Yeah. Every single thing for minimizing if all you think you're doing is opening a door or making coffee, whatever it is.

SPEAKER_01 30:44

When you're help carpooling with another family, taking their kids home. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 30:47

Right now it doesn't have to be church. You're picking kids up to take them somewhere.

SPEAKER_01 30:51

Yeah. When you're when you're watching your friend's kids, when you're helping with your family, when you're doing this thing, when you're coaching, when you're whatever.

SPEAKER_02 30:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:57

Right? Like it doesn't have to be church, but most people don't think that they're doing the school a favor when they coach. Mm-hmm. They don't think that they're doing the other family a favor when they carpool. It's just part of it. Right. But when you serve at church, when you invest in the next generation in discipleship, hey Kyle, I'm going to do you a solid.

SPEAKER_02 31:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:16

And I and I I could do one every month, maybe one every two.

SPEAKER_02 31:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:22

If you need me every month just for okay, fine. And it's like, man, I don't want you doing this.

SPEAKER_02 31:28

We have to change that perspective. When we have to break those barriers down and help people understand that it is, it's not a favor to the church. This is your responsibility.

SPEAKER_01 31:36

Right.

SPEAKER_02 31:37

As a believer of Christ, this is your responsibility. Now, how are you going to steward it?

SPEAKER_01 31:41

Yes, this is our responsibility.

SPEAKER_02 31:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:43

You like, and I think that's important language because many times we can sit here and say, Well, I'm I'm already serving in kids' ministry, so this is your responsibility to no no no no no you're greeting, you're serving, you're coaching, you're preaching, you're leading worship, you're leading a Bible study, you're doing what's going on.

SPEAKER_02 32:03

How are you showing up to be the body of Christ?

SPEAKER_01 32:06

That's awesome. And he called you to lay down your entire life. I'm not saying that you're not allowed to have hobbies or passions or whatever. Like, don't hear what I'm not saying. Hear what I am saying, which is we are called to lay down our entire life.

SPEAKER_02 32:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:20

And whatever your investment is into advancing the kingdom through the local church, through other nonprofits, through the things you're doing that no one knows about. Praise the Lord for those. And that is not the limit to what God has called us to. Right? And like what I don't want us to do is think of it as a favor because then we minimize, and that word is so important to me. We minimize what the message of the gospel is. Well, our responsibility is in that.

SPEAKER_02 32:49

Yeah. Mm-hmm. And I think too, like, you just think about the heart of the Father, and he has given us so many good gifts. He has given us the gospel. He's given us the ability to be in relationship with him. He's given us a responsibility to steward the bride of Christ, his church, um, his children. He's given us um an important role. And he has placed certain gifts and talents on the inside of each of us. That is a beautiful gift to be stewarded. And I just think if God were sitting right next to you and he said, Hey, I have this really great gift for you, and you just looked him in the eyes and you said, Nah, not right now. I don't want to use it. Nah, not right now. I'm not interested. Nah, I'm not willing. No, my heart's not in it. Imagine having that conversation with God, guys.

SPEAKER_01 33:38

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 33:39

I think about that in my own life all the time. I'm not exempt from this. Like, there are times where I know there is a next step of obedience, and I sit there and I'm like, okay, if I were sitting here with God, like what would my response be? Would it be, you know what? Like, I'm just gonna offend you, Lord, and I'm just gonna say, nah, not right now. That's offensive to God in his heart.

SPEAKER_01 34:00

And what is also offensive to God, because I agree with that, I think there's a group of people, and we can all probably fall at different moments in that, right? Then there's another group that says, Hey, I have this gift, I have this talent. Yes, I'll take your gift, God, but I'm gonna use it in my way.

SPEAKER_02 34:15

Or I'm not gonna use it for advanced to to glorify myself.

SPEAKER_01 34:18

Yes, I'm not gonna use it for your kingdom, I'm gonna use it for my empire.

SPEAKER_02 34:22

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_01 34:22

Like I'm gonna use it to build my thing.

SPEAKER_02 34:24

Yikes.

SPEAKER_01 34:25

I'm gonna use it to build my brand. I'm gonna use it to build my family.

SPEAKER_02 34:29

I'm gonna use it to build my platform, my social media platform. Like that's a really slippery, slippery slope.

SPEAKER_01 34:34

Sure, but even think about like, well, I'm gonna use it to build my business. Right?

SPEAKER_02 34:39

Like, well, God's giving like there in that moment, what are you calling it?

SPEAKER_01 34:44

Well, mine, right? It's not mine.

SPEAKER_02 34:46

It's not yours in the first place.

SPEAKER_01 34:47

But think about some some of the best greeters in the world, right? Are gonna be people who are some of the best salespeople in the world. Right. So I'm gonna use this gift you gave me to connect with people, to talk with people, to make them feel comfortable, to do all of these things, not just to help them feel more at ease when they walk into a church, possibly for the first time ever. Yeah. I'm gonna do it to get a bigger paycheck.

SPEAKER_02 35:09

Well, and it's like, what are you connecting these people to? Are you connecting them to yourself? Are you connecting them to the Lord? You know?

SPEAKER_01 35:16

Yeah, for sure. And so I think that's where we have to like begin to understand all the different layers of this and what he the responsibility of what he left us with.

SPEAKER_02 35:24

Yeah. Right. The urgency of it.

SPEAKER_01 35:26

So the the urgency, yes. And so the there's there's a great urgency and there's a great responsibility, and the marriage of those two things becomes what God has called us to do. Right. And so we have to live in that. And then if we can say, hey, I'm gonna invest in how I intentionally live my life, I'm gonna invest in people, not programs. I'm not doing the church a favor, I'm not doing that nonprofit a favor, not doing the school a favor, those families a favor. No, no, no, no, no. I'm using the gifts and talents God has placed inside of me to bear the weight of the responsibility of advancing the message of the gospel because that's his plan A.

SPEAKER_03 36:04

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_01 36:05

Right? Because it's really important, and heaven and hell are real, and God has called us not just to save people, but to also disciple them. Right. And I'm not saying we're saving them, Jesus saves them, but not just to get them saved, not introduced them to Jesus, but then what are the ways of Jesus, the words of God, right? We get all of that. Then here's the third principle we need to understand is that investment will always cost you something. Now, if you think of investment, right? Right, like when you think of investment, you think, well, I'm gonna give up a little bit today. But almost always what we invest is the excess. Right. When people are investing things, they're investing what they believe to be the excess. So I'm gonna financially invest in a 401k, I'm gonna invest in this thing or that thing. I'm gonna invest the excess because I'm spending all of these things over here that I have to. Now I'm gonna spend give invest my excess for future growth. Excess today for future growth and a benefit to the tomorrow's, right? Now, when I say investment will cost you something, it sounds like I'm offering you a bad investment. Right? Because I wrote down, and I'll say it again, here's the things that I think investment in others will cost you. It's gonna cost you time, it's gonna cost you energy, capacity, comfort, convenience, patience, money, availability, time with your hobby or passions, and it's gonna cost you earthly treasures. Now, how many of you listening, Zach, Amanda, how many of you have excess time? Excess energy, excess capacity, excess comfort and convenience.

SPEAKER_02 37:41

I mean, we feel like we know that.

SPEAKER_01 37:42

Excess patience, excess money, excess earthly treasure, excess availability. Yeah, yeah. No, you say you don't, and I would say I don't either. Right? So this sounds like a bad investment. If that's what it's gonna cost me, and I'm only willing to invest the excess, I don't have anything to give. I don't have anything to invest, right? And so it's not really an excess conversation, it becomes a prioritization.

SPEAKER_02 38:06

I was gonna say when you're making investments and you're having the conversation about investments, you typically always have to reprioritize.

SPEAKER_01 38:13

Yes, yes. And so kingdom investment works principally in the same way, right? Kingdom investment is saying I'm gonna sacrifice now, right? But so I can so someone else can flourish later.

SPEAKER_02 38:28

Yeah, it's not about you.

SPEAKER_01 38:29

Right. Kingdom investment is I'm gonna sacrifice today so someone else flourishes later.

SPEAKER_02 38:33

Right.

SPEAKER_01 38:34

And as I began to think about that, it just I just felt like, man, John 12, Jesus has some really challenging words for us. Right? He's calling his disciples his disciples into a deep, deeper following of him and being disciples of him, and what is that gonna mean in their life? And he tells his disciples, he says, Hey, listen, I tell you the truth. Unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and it dies and it remains alone, but its death will produce many new kernels, a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for all eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am, and the Father will honor anyone who serves me. Giving up our own lives, giving up our own ways, our own desires. That's what gives us life. But I love how he says, listen, it's you're gonna have to die.

SPEAKER_02 39:34

Yeah, biblical investment costs you your life.

SPEAKER_01 39:36

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 39:37

And it should.

SPEAKER_01 39:38

But what I love about it is he says, You go die.

SPEAKER_02 39:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:42

Right. Period. Now, by the way, when you're willing to make that, you're gonna find life. But that wasn't the deal. He didn't say you want life, you should die first. He said, Go die. Are you willing to die without the promise of life on the other side?

SPEAKER_02 39:58

Yeah, and I think people have to understand this is not like a uh I don't know what the word is, logical, physical death, a physical death. This is a spiritual, emotional death that we're talking about here. This is I have to die to my selfish wants, desires, pleasures, things of this world. I have to lay those things down. That is that is the death we are speaking about here in this moment.

SPEAKER_01 40:20

Correct. Yes. When I say go die, I don't mean physically go die. I'm saying go die to your desire to build your own empire and sign up to build his kingdom. Right? Go die to your desire to meet every fleshly need you would ever have and begin to help other people meet their basic needs.

SPEAKER_02 40:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:37

Right. Like those types of things. Yes. The Bible, I appreciate that context because the Bible says in 2 Corinthians that when we give our lives to Christ, the old has died and the new has come. Right? So the old has gone, there's a new creation. So we have a spiritual rebirth, right? And so what he's saying here is you gotta die so you can have your new spiritual birth. But when you die, not only do you get life, but verse 24 says that it gives a plentiful harvest of new lives, meaning that we are called to multiply. Yeah, we're called to invest, we're called to allow our one death impact a bunch of other kernels. Does that make sense? Because we have to understand that death is painful, death is hard, it means saying no to our flesh, it means all of those things, right? And the same with investment in today's like money principles, right? We don't invest because we like giving up things today. We invest because we know giving up things today produces a harvest that matters today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.

SPEAKER_02 41:43

Yeah, and I think in that we have to remember Philippians 121, which says, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. So for us to live, it's Christ, it's all Him. And then to die is all gain. It's biblical gain. It's eternity gain. Think about the impact that you're making and the seeds that you're planting. Imagine getting to heaven one day and looking around and seeing every person's life that God used you to impact.

SPEAKER_01 42:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 42:10

How sweet and special would that be? And if it doesn't feel sweet and special, start praying about that. Yeah. Start asking God to give you eyes to see the people that He has for you to impact.

SPEAKER_01 42:20

Yeah. Yeah. I love that scripture that you just said because Paul there is actually talking about a physical death, but only but only because he had experienced the spiritual death. He knows that dying is gang.

SPEAKER_02 42:32

He lived a whole life that way.

SPEAKER_01 42:33

The reason that living is Christ, it's because dying is already game.

SPEAKER_02 42:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:37

Right. But what's funny is they asked him, he's like, listen, for me, it would be better if I died because I'd get to go to heaven.

SPEAKER_02 42:43

And be with God.

SPEAKER_01 42:44

Yeah, that's gang.

SPEAKER_02 42:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:46

But until that happens, and I think even it says it's like, but God kept me here.

SPEAKER_02 42:52

It would be better for me to die than to live and stay here with you.

SPEAKER_01 42:57

Yes, yeah, right. But he's like, but God has kept me here. Yeah. So here I am.

SPEAKER_02 43:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:00

Good for you. So now I'm going to live as Christ. Yeah. What if that was our mindset?

SPEAKER_02 43:04

That's what I'm saying. Like we need that scripture on our hearts to constantly flip the script because we're not doing the church a favor.

SPEAKER_01 43:12

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 43:13

We are living for God.

SPEAKER_01 43:14

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 43:15

Ultimately, every single moment, every second, every hour of every day.

SPEAKER_01 43:18

Yeah. And I don't want to miss this opportunity to do what we did yesterday at the inner service where where for those of you who are listening who already serve in our TLC youth TLC. Kids, kids back in upward, all of that. Like I'm not going to make you stand where you're at, but I just want to let you know thank you. You are spiritual investors in the lives of the next generation. You are doing all of the things or many of the things that we we're talking about today.

SPEAKER_02 43:41

There will be many crowns in heaven.

SPEAKER_01 43:44

So yesterday we had everybody stand up in the room and everybody give them a round of applause. And I want to thank you for those of you. Maybe you were serving yesterday and you're listening here. Wherever, however, thank you, thank you, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 43:54

Thank you for your investment.

SPEAKER_01 43:56

Now, metaphorically sit down. Now, everyone else. The question I would ask is who's next? Who's next? Because the reality is every single one of us would agree that discipling the next generation into the image of Jesus, the word of God, obedience to the Holy Spirit, right? We would all agree that that's important. Would we not?

SPEAKER_02 44:23

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 44:24

If you disagree with me, honk your horn. Okay, I don't hear any honking.

SPEAKER_02 44:29

There we go.

SPEAKER_01 44:29

Right? So here's where we landed the plane yesterday. The next generation doesn't need more people who believe discipling them is important. They need people who are willing to prove it.

SPEAKER_02 44:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:43

They need people who are willing to say, hey, you know what? Like Yeah. I need I and not just because I'm doing the church a favor, right?

SPEAKER_03 44:54

Right.

SPEAKER_01 44:55

We could run this whole thing in reverse. We're not going to, but we could. But no, I believe it's important. I'm going to prove it, not because I'm proving just to you, but because it is the plan that God has put in place.

SPEAKER_02 45:08

Yeah. And I think we have to understand too, as disciples of Christ, this is a step in our spiritual maturity.

SPEAKER_03 45:13

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 45:14

This is a step of responsibility and accountability that we need to take as believers within the church. Um, and for those of you that do have past mentors, past disciplers, go back and ask them, when was that turning moment for you? When did you have a a mindset and a thought that wow, I need to get outside of myself and I need to start discipling others. Start having that conversation with people with wisdom ahead of us. You know, ask them what what did that look like for you?

SPEAKER_01 45:44

If you were as curious and interested in discipleship as you were in all the other topics that you spend time thinking about, whether that is sports, whether it's golf, whether it's healthy living, whether it's making sourdough, whether it's your business, whether it's whatever, right? Like, like legitimately, like if you're as as interested in discipling others as you are in whatever your interest-bearing hobby is. Yeah, right. Think what we would do. Yeah. Mm-hmm. So that's the conversation we've been having. And we put up a little QR code at the end of service where where people could scan it and they could sign up to just have a conversation about what would it look like to serve in different areas to invest at the local church level. Um, and so I will do my best to get that in the message notes or in the podcast notes or description or whatever the right word is. Listen, when you click play, there should be a box below it where you can read about it. I'll put that in there so that you can click on your way and and you could if if you feel like God's leading you to begin to be a part of generational discipleship, to be a part of his plan A, because you are part of his plan A, but if you feel like he's leading you in that direction, yeah, then I want to give you a place where you can sign up just for a simple conversation. Yeah. You're not gonna be thrown on a schedule for anything other than just a conversation with somebody from our team about what would it look like.

SPEAKER_02 47:04

And I think the simple question is like, are you ready to steward the gift that God's given you and placed inside of you? Are you ready to take that next step of stewardship?

SPEAKER_00 47:12

Yeah. So yeah. And if busy or time is what you're worried about, there's 12 guys that Jesus called that were busy doing other things.

SPEAKER_02 47:21

Yeah, yeah, for sure. They were busy living their life.

SPEAKER_00 47:23

One of them persecuting Christians. Yeah, was his job. Well, they quit their job to like they're like, hey, you know what?

SPEAKER_01 47:29

They leave this boat in the middle of the lake.

SPEAKER_02 47:31

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 47:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:32

In an instant.

SPEAKER_01 47:32

Yeah. So and so if you're busy, we would love to talk about how we can reprioritize our schedules to make time.

SPEAKER_02 47:39

100%. One of our favorite things is doing whiteboard meetings. Yeah. Let's let's throw it all up on the whiteboard and help you figure it out.

SPEAKER_00 47:46

Well, in the grand scheme of things, we already know. Yeah. You can reprioritize yourself. Yeah, you know, you know that.

SPEAKER_02 47:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 47:52

I know where I'm not making time. Yeah. For sure. Right. I can look at it.

SPEAKER_02 47:56

If you would like help, we're here for that.

SPEAKER_01 47:58

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Anything else?

SPEAKER_02 48:03

I don't think so.

SPEAKER_01 48:04

Listen, if we do a quick prayer, we're gonna be out of here before 50 minutes.

SPEAKER_02 48:07

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 48:07

Yeah, Brad just or not Brad, Zach, just give me the music.

SPEAKER_03 48:10

Rapid.

SPEAKER_01 48:11

All right, let's pray together and then we'll be done.

SPEAKER_03 48:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:13

Father, thank you for uh this morning. Thank you for each and every person who's listening. God, we thank you that you have a magnificent plan. One that you chose to include us, partner with us on. You chose to work alongside us. You didn't have to, but you chose to. So I thank you for the gifts and the talents of everybody who's listening. I thank you for their spiritual gifts. I thank you for their passions. Father, I thank you for everything you've placed inside them. Holy Spirit, I pray that you just cultivate in them a desire to impact the next generation at the local church, but not only here at their kids' school, with their grandkids, with their neighbors. Father, that we'd be people who are passing it down when we wake up, when we go to bed, when we're at home, when we're on the road. Tie it around our hands, tie it around our necks, put it on our forehead, doorposts, gates, all of it, Father. We'd be people who are all about it. Lord, we are just so grateful for this time. We're grateful for these conversations and the ability to be able to have them. We're grateful for each person who's listening, that they continue to give us time uh to begin to continue pouring in them. So, God, just pray that you continue to use it in a way that glorifies you and only you. Uh, once again, Father, we're just here for you and for your kingdom and using the gifts and talents you've given us for that. God, we thank you for the truth of your word. We thank you for the blood of your son, Jesus. We thank you for the leading of your spirit. In Jesus' name. Everyone's said.

SPEAKER_02 49:41

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 49:42

Amen. Amen. Hey, we love each and every one of you. We're so grateful for you. We want to invite you back next week as we kick off a brand new series called First, talking about how we are going to put God in his rightful place. And as we put God in his rightful place, what does he ask from us in putting him first? And so we're excited to have you along the journey for that.

SPEAKER_02 50:01

Talk about some reprioritization.

SPEAKER_01 50:03

For sure. There we go. And so we'll have you guys back next week. We love y'all. Deuces. See you.

SPEAKER_02 50:08

Love you guys.