Growing Together
Step into a virtual garden of spiritual growth and community connection with the "Growing Together" podcast. This podcast is a nurturing space for individuals seeking to deepen their faith, cultivate relationships, and explore the boundless beauty of a shared spiritual journey.
Each episode of "Growing Together" is a breath of fresh air, where Pastor Michael, Syd, Nic, Pastor Holly, and Pastor Roger try to navigate the twists and turns of life while staying rooted in faith. Their warm and inviting presence makes you feel like you're sitting in a cozy living room, engaged in a heartfelt conversation with old friends.
Diving into topics ranging from personal growth and self-care to building resilient relationships and fostering a sense of community, the podcast aims to equip listeners with the tools to nurture their faith in all aspects of life. Through scripture readings, open discussions, and interviews with experts in various fields, "Growing Together" provides a holistic approach to spiritual development.
Whether you're a lifelong believer, a seeker on the spiritual path, or simply someone curious about how faith can shape lives, "Growing Together" offers a welcoming haven for everyone. Tune in during your morning routine, while taking a leisurely stroll, or even during a quiet moment of reflection – the podcast fits seamlessly into your daily life.
Join the "Growing Together" community and embark on a journey of discovery, growth, and genuine connection. In a world that can sometimes feel disconnected, this podcast reminds us that nurturing our faith and cultivating meaningful relationships can lead to a life that's deeply fulfilling and spiritually abundant. Subscribe now to start your journey of growing together in faith and fellowship.
Growing Together
Offended vs. Convicted
Ever wondered how digital kiosks are transforming the tipping culture, or found yourself tangled in a web of waste management woes? Join us on an enlightening journey as we unravel these everyday dilemmas. From the puzzling dance of credit cards at American restaurants to the surprising efficiency of self-serve kiosks, we dissect how these innovations are reshaping our habits. And just when you think you've heard it all, we plunge into the quirky saga of dumpster rentals, revealing the financial headaches and backdoor solutions that make trash disposal a chore worth storytelling.
Picture this: a Roomba with a mind of its own, a Christmas tree that defies transportation, and a cat with a flair for festive decor. Our tales of modern technology and holiday traditions promise both laughter and nostalgia. Venture with us through the trials of pre-lit tree replacements and oversized tree antics, and discover how a simple shopping spree at Hobby Lobby turned into a comedic ordeal. As we navigate through the chaos of Christmas past, our stories promise merriment and a few lessons in creative problem-solving.
In a shift to introspection, we explore the delicate dance of offense within the Christian faith. Through metaphorical lenses, we reflect on personal convictions and the spectrum of spiritual maturity, drawing parallels to mundane routines that mirror our inner values. From the nuances of parenting to the workplace ethics of passion and vision, we unfold layers of introspection that invite you to ponder your own journey. Join us as we blend personal anecdotes with profound reflections, weaving a tapestry of stories that resonate with both heart and soul.
I can't wrap my head around is the whole tipping thing we tip everybody now, like you go to the McDonald's drive-thru and they want to tip, like I believe that there are jobs that deserve it, me too yeah. But not every like I'm not tipping at the gas station, sorry folks.
Speaker 6:I'm sorry, yeah, when you guys start tithing.
Speaker 1:Can you tip I?
Speaker 5:have to say, though, I think it really hurt them by putting like the kiosks in there for your tip. Because usually I was a straight like if you're good, I'll at least give you $10.
Speaker 1:You know, no matter what the bill is.
Speaker 5:Yeah, but now you see what the exact 20% is and you can just add it. It's like $8.92 and I'm like $8.92. Yeah, I agree with you.
Speaker 1:So here's what I've learned, because we're looking at digital tipping for our housekeepers right now. They say that the number of tips that you receive almost doubles. So you, technically, are making more money. Even if the amount were to go down, you are still getting almost double because nobody's carrying cash and so when you tip digitally, it's easy to just go. Even if it's the 20% at $8.92, some of those people would have only tipped five. You may have tipped over, but most people wouldn't have, and so they're seeing more tips, especially in housekeeping where it's cash-based. In a restaurant, they're typically swiping your card. Did you know that's unique to the United States, by the way Tipping no Giving the waiter or waitress your card and then walking away with it no.
Speaker 1:In almost every other country. They bring the little terminal to you to run your card, because it's rude to take somebody's card from their possession like from their.
Speaker 2:Well, your dad had that experience when we were in Myrtle Beach.
Speaker 6:Yeah, Well, not to mention, they could just write down well that's exactly.
Speaker 4:That's exactly. No one do that. He had like an 1800 charge when we got back and it was a mess.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah yeah, well, I wanted to share. I already shared a little bit of it, but I have to share the final kimball update for anybody that drove in.
Speaker 5:They noticed the dumpster's gone I, I didn't notice, but cool.
Speaker 1:It is gone. There was some confusion apparently. They again told us we were going to renew or we were out of contract in September if I wanted to just keep the seven months, save ourselves the fee and whatnot. So I knew that that was not the case. I knew we were into 2026. And I thought you know what, if I don't say something, we're going to go the seven months. They're going to tell me oop, our bad, you have to stay through the end of your term. And I wasn't going to do that. So I just emailed him and asked him to confirm. He said oh, you're right, you have to go till May of 2026, or something like that.
Speaker 1:So I responded with my cancellation stands'm like, hey, this isn't resolved, what's going on? And they told me that I'm still under contract again and I said no, I canceled. Pick up the dumpster, send me a final bill. And then he responded again with well, here are the terms of the contract. You have to pay out six months in order to get the dumpster picked up. Again, send me a bill, because what business do you know can just write a check without a bill, right?
Speaker 5:Right yeah. Who would Right? Nobody.
Speaker 1:Because if I write you a check and you and I don't have a bill, I have no idea whether or not that check is accurate or what I'm even really paying for. You can just say, oh, thanks for yeah.
Speaker 6:The receipt. Yeah, secretary, will just go cash it yeah.
Speaker 1:So I responded with you know, as I've asked three times, send me a bill. And I come in today and the dumpster is gone. Didn't tell me they were picking it up, Nothing, Just gone. But I'm thankful that it's gone because they're going to try to bill us for last month's service which we had already canceled.
Speaker 1:And they just refused to pick up the dumpster for last month's service, which we had already canceled. And they just refused to pick up the dumpster Even though I was adamant that just pick it up, pick it up, pick it up sent the certified letter to all the things. So I'm not for, I'm for sure not paying that one. Yeah, but here's what I've decided. I mean, if we've got to pay them, it's the right thing to do, but we're going to pay them over six months. I'm just going to drag out that like of regular trash payments anyway. So yeah, there we are.
Speaker 2:And what are we going to do for trash?
Speaker 1:pickup. Tyler and I are going to haul the trash away each week. So, like Tyler will take it on Sunday after church, whatever he picks up he'll take to his work or home, and then I'll do midweek whatever's left over. That's why that bag is sitting outside the doorway Because, frankly, based on church finances, it saves us the $100. After six months we're going to save that $100 plus a month, which really is what we need to do. We don't produce enough trash to justify having the dumpster. At one point, when we were cleaning out the attic and things like that, it was necessary. But at this point we can find alternate options. So we've got enough trash cans, we can collect it and then one of us can haul it away.
Speaker 6:so I might have another company that can help you right down the road, if you know who I mean uh, I don't think that I do my padre oh, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, because I mean he's plant manager. So yeah, pull some strings.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, he's, he's, he's dumped like stuff there yeah, and again, ours is typically just a couple of bags like I can take that put it in my trash at home, and it's not like I'm taking 30 bags of trash Now after a large event. That might be a little bit challenging, but Tyler can take it to his work. They're okay with that. I can take it to my work, they don't care. I've got 14 dumpsters at this point.
Speaker 6:It's not like your hotel Right.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Our city doesn't ever complain. They don't care at all Listen.
Speaker 1:I put a whole trash can of construction debris out there last week and I'm going to do it again this week, because all the stuff from the basement build.
Speaker 4:There's furniture on the curb. Yeah, I'll just pick up anything. Just pick it up. They don't care Sometimes if you have furniture, sometimes if you have furniture.
Speaker 2:Out there is tires yeah, we've. I called Kim the next morning and said, hey, I set this out and I came home. It's not even my trash day, it's gone. It's gone. Yeah, they come and get it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's probably easier for them to do that bulk pickup outside of their regular route. Yeah, and those guys most of the time are looking for something to do, I would guess because they run the trash route two days a week and they run the recycling two days a week, so they've probably got the extra manpower to handle it. But yeah, so good stuff, good, good stuff, good stuff. Let's see, I'm getting my instructions from my wife right now for the grandfather.
Speaker 6:No, no, no she's not even.
Speaker 1:She's not even aware of that one. She is now way to go surprise sweetheart.
Speaker 5:She's not even aware of that one. She is now Way to go, Surprise sweetheart, my grandfather.
Speaker 6:No, it's gymnastics night.
Speaker 1:So she tells me what I'm responsible for for the remainder of the evening. Speaking of, we got a Roomba.
Speaker 6:Yeah, I thought you had one.
Speaker 1:No, we had one a long time ago, but we didn't have one at the new house and they don't do great on carpet. Just plain and simple. They don't do great on carpet. But the new house is pretty much all vinyl. So I bought one on MacBid. It was $600. I paid $120 for it. Mac bid it was $600. I paid $120 for it and it was brand new in the box. Wow. So they had a bunch of them.
Speaker 6:It wasn't even open.
Speaker 1:It had obviously been opened, but everything was there. It hadn't been used at all. So this son of a gun actually maps your house.
Speaker 6:Really.
Speaker 1:It takes about an hour the first time that it runs. It doesn't sweep, it just runs and it's baffling. It actually identifies the living room, the kitchen, the dining room, the hallways, based on its location, and it will tell you what has carpet or a rug, what doesn't. And so this thing mapped my whole house. We closed the bedroom doors because we don't want it to do the carpet, we just want it to do the LVT.
Speaker 6:It was just want it to do the lvt it was impressive, it was really impressive I have one, but it didn't map well, that's what I was gonna say.
Speaker 1:So this is a fairly I shouldn't say it's the newest, but it's a fairly new model. It's like a j7 or something like that, if that means anything to roomba people. Um, but I was really impressed, like when it identified the living room. It knew where the wall stopped. So it's if you've been in my house it's a big open concept, so so it's a long, one long room, but it knew where the living room ended. And then it calls the part in front of the kitchen a hallway. They call that one hallway one, and then the kitchen is separate, the dining room it separated itself, and then the hallway down to our bedrooms it separated that as well. So I had it run in that hallway. What's crazy is, once it knows that that's all I want it to vacuum is that hallway. It drives itself, it avoids obstacles, it has a little camera on the front and it just like drives around stuff. It goes to the hallway, it sweeps, it goes back to the dock, docks itself, charges, empties itself.
Speaker 4:Even empties itself. Even empties itself. The dogs think about it.
Speaker 1:Lucy hates it.
Speaker 6:She shakes the whole time it's running.
Speaker 1:Milo licks it A friend, a friend.
Speaker 6:Do you know if the camera has a microphone?
Speaker 1:I don't know.
Speaker 6:Because the reason I'm saying that is the last place. Second to last place I worked at, they had one and apparently it has a camera that has a microphone and they joke that people are listening to them being control freaks.
Speaker 1:I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. I loved it. I thought it was the coolest thing I've ever seen when it started mapping the house and when it came back accurate, I was really blown away.
Speaker 2:I think I've seen that one advertised. It's cool. Do you know what?
Speaker 6:brand it is, it's iRobot.
Speaker 1:It's a Roomba.
Speaker 6:It's an actual.
Speaker 1:Roomba. When they first came out, roomba was the brand. Now it's iRobot Roomba. I don't really know how that happened, but when Alyssa and I bought our first one, we did extensive research before we bought it and the one that we bought was allegedly the best on the market, the best you could get. That thing was nothing compared to this thing. That thing was garbage compared to this thing. It has a little QR code on the docking station and so when it gets close, it brightens its light so that it can read the QR code, so it knows that it's lined up perfectly, and then it just rolls up onto the little dock. But when it empties itself, it's loud, it's violent.
Speaker 2:So what's it emptying it to?
Speaker 1:So when it pulls into the dock it has a canister on the back and so it sucks all of the stuff out of the Roomba into the canister on the back and so if it gets full before it's done sweeping, it'll go empty itself and go back out, and it knows it cleans in direct paths so it knows exactly where to go back to.
Speaker 2:The only complaint I remember a girl at work said she had when her dog had an accident and it had went through it and it continued to clean.
Speaker 1:Clean would be not a great word there.
Speaker 6:We stopped using it because we had an older dog and we were afraid of that, but now we don't have an older dog.
Speaker 1:From our last one. We never had that experience but, like I said, we had carpet and it just didn't didn't do a very great job and we tried to revive that one. So we had it at the old house, um, and I was like, hey, you know, drop it off at the church, put it in the sanctuary and let it vacuum the sanctuary every week.
Speaker 1:It battery and it had gone bad and the battery was more than a new room but would cause so like pitch that bad boy yeah any other good fun updates from the last week?
Speaker 5:nothing fun, nothing exciting man, nope man I'm just finally getting my christmas stuff down, oh geez, after all the snow and ice. And so what was it that day? It was 60 degrees. Yeah, oh yeah, I was moving, I bet. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Out there with a box cutter, just cutting strings off of stuff and letting it drop to the ground at that point Get it down. Yeah, it's crazy. We went from like 60 to 30.
Speaker 5:Yeah, Back in the 20s.
Speaker 2:I actually got my Christmas tree down on Sunday.
Speaker 1:Mine came down like that day.
Speaker 4:Mine came down like Mine never does.
Speaker 2:Mine was naked.
Speaker 1:We took the one down. In our dining room we put two up. I didn't have a choice in that. One Invited Courtney over to help move us into the house. Next thing I know we're putting up this old, dilapidated Christmas tree.
Speaker 2:I thought it was really well it was.
Speaker 1:Thank you, but I hated it and it was painful regardless. So which, by the way, next year we're going to have three. That one's going to go in the family room.
Speaker 4:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Because why not? But I put it in the basement with the lights still on, because it was a pre-lit tree but the lights had all burned out on it. So Courtney went and bought 400 boxes of lights and strung this Christmas tree for us.
Speaker 2:Each branch. Yes, she did very.
Speaker 1:It's intense, like you could probably see that tree from this International Space Station, it is bright.
Speaker 6:Wait, is that the one that's in your living room? It was in the living room, okay, yeah, or was yeah?
Speaker 1:So that one's going to go in the family room. My wife bought a nine-foot flocked Christmas tree from Hobby Lobby after Christmas.
Speaker 6:Nice.
Speaker 1:Now, fun story about that. We were in Fairlawn. We drove up to get a Christmas gift so we bought it before Christmas was over but they put everything on clearance early. Drove up there to pick up a Christmas gift for Aiden that had gotten lost in shipping from Hobby Lobby. We get in there and everything's 75% off Christmas and I'm like this is bad, this is I'm filling carts. I'm like you get a gift, you get a gift, everybody gets a gift.
Speaker 4:It's like Oprah and my wife how long were you in there? I?
Speaker 1:don't know, but it was too long. It was far too long.
Speaker 2:If you didn't beat our seven, it wasn't seven hours, it wasn't seven hours in one store.
Speaker 1:No we went later in the evening it was after work but, um, alissa's like I really like that christmas tree. She's like that's the only one they've got left was the display model. Should we get it? And I'm like, yeah, just get it, whatever. Well, it turned out they had one in a box. It was no big deal and I was like it's fine, it'll fit in the car like we.
Speaker 1:No, no, not even close. So I had to go back to Fairlawn the following day to pick up the Christmas tree. So Did you put it in the tree?
Speaker 4:We just had to rearrange bags. That's all we needed to do to put my tree in the car.
Speaker 1:We got it. It was like a week before Christmas, so we weren't going to put it up. Wait till you put that thing's ugly. Take it back down, send it back. I had that flocking everywhere.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's when we put that tree down.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was a mess, it was an absolute mess.
Speaker 2:I can say something. It was a flocking mess. He put it in that Christmas tree bag. I'm like shake that thing good. So when we make that thing good it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1:It doesn't matter that stuff continues to fall off for the next 500 years, like I'm pretty sure that's. It's probably asbestos, I don't even.
Speaker 5:We've all got mesothelioma, one of our cats just loves that stuff Because we have we're up to six Christmas trees. Oh my gosh but three of them are flocked. They're like pencil trees we have in the bedroom.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 5:And she will just lick the brand.
Speaker 1:You guys do a like one of those foil trees. Is that right?
Speaker 5:It's aluminum. Yeah, it's aluminum. Yeah, that's what I meant, yeah.
Speaker 1:Does it have the light underneath that changes color?
Speaker 5:No, we want the light.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah we'd like to have one of those, but haven't found one yet, you can order the light off of Amazon.
Speaker 5:Yeah, we just haven't done it yet. It'll happen yeah. Eventually yeah, I mean, I want one of the really old. Yeah, you want a real one.
Speaker 4:The ones where you had to put the branches in one at a time. We had one as kids. We had one as kids. I don't remember it, I just remember you talking about it.
Speaker 1:That's one of like for me. When I buy something like that, I want OG, I want. You guys got my text.
Speaker 4:Yes, did you text no.
Speaker 1:Yes, I texted to everybody in the group.
Speaker 2:I'm going to respond to yours, like you respond to mine.
Speaker 1:Well.
Speaker 4:I don't know that any of us responded.
Speaker 1:You know I got home. No, she's upset because she calls me at work.
Speaker 2:You should have been on your way to work that day.
Speaker 1:You called me after 8 o'clock, beth, you should have been on your way to work clock. I've been in my office, no kidding.
Speaker 2:Sorry, dear, I get the block Left yet Good gravy. You gotta walk on down the street a little bit more Good gravy.
Speaker 1:It's funny. The day that I saw you guys dropping off mail at the mailbox I was coming down the alley and I said to the kids they were in the back seat. I said that's Beth and Jarvie. And they're like no, it's not, no, it's not. I'm like I'm telling you it's Beth and Jarvie and we go out around them and Beth's waving. I said, told you, oh goodness.
Speaker 2:And he's parked on the wrong side of the road.
Speaker 1:Well, that's not my fault. I was coming down the alley, not you, oh Jarvie, but you can't help it. That's where they put the mailbox, and if you don't have somebody in the passenger seat, how are you supposed to put it out the window? I do it all the time. I don't care, I ain't scared. All right, tonight's topic what is the difference between being convicted and being offended? Ready Go, oh, you know what? I just had this epiphany while we were sitting here that I left the coffee pot on did you yeah, I should probably go turn it off.
Speaker 1:I made coffee, didn't have creamer so I didn't drink it, but I made a whole pot and I know I left the warmer on, so I should probably go turn that off. I'm gonna go do that while you guys start. I don't want to burn down the building. I would be the one if it were going to happen. It would be me alright, so who's first?
Speaker 2:not me, not me today.
Speaker 5:The only thought I've had so far is, I think, when people keep bringing up past offenses towards you, that's when you're being offended, like you know.
Speaker 4:Yes, you've sinned in the past. People keep bringing up past offenses towards you.
Speaker 5:That's when you're being offended, Like you know, yes, you've sinned in the past, you've done things in your life, but you've moved on, you've grown from it. But there's always that person that's just got to bring the past back up again, just won't let you get past it. So I think things like that, those are offenses.
Speaker 4:And that's personal. We take that emotionally. Yes.
Speaker 1:Yep Ooh, that's a perfect point. I jumped back in. I only heard the tail end of that.
Speaker 5:So I missed a lot. I feel like I said for me. I said I think when people bring up past offenses and won't let things go, if you've sinned in the past, if you've had things in your life that you've overcome, but there's always that person that's got to bring it back up, oh yeah, and they just won't forgive you for it, won't let it go. I think things like that are offenses. That's when you feel offended, okay, because you know at some point it's like, yeah, you got to move on from it okay and I said that's when we take it emotionally, you know personally and emotionally yeah.
Speaker 4:Yeah, but then conviction I don't know.
Speaker 1:I think conviction can be emotional.
Speaker 4:Oh, certainly yeah, oh yes, yes, but.
Speaker 1:I get what you're saying, though it's hard to put into words. I think, when you're offended.
Speaker 6:It's like it's an emotional response. Yeah, versus when you're convicted, it's emotional internally, which was what I was. That was the point that I was going to make. I think, like offended is like your flesh, like talking, and then conviction is your spirit.
Speaker 1:Correct. But what is the difference? So if somebody comes to you and says, hey, I don't like what you're, I don't feel like what you're doing is godly, you have two options and it's either. I shouldn't say two, you have three. Ignore them is number one. You have the. You have you either be convicted or offended by that. So like, where does the? Where's the line? What changes that for you? So what I thought was thinking was that when I think of conviction, I feel like it's internal, like this is a okay, this is a me problem that I have to deal with.
Speaker 5:You're taking responsibility.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely so the Holy Spirit has spoken to me or has, through somebody else, shared with me one of those dark spots in my heart that I have to deal with. So that is how I look at conviction. It's internal. I look at offense as external. So that is how I look at conviction. It's internal. I look at offense as external. So when somebody says you know, and you can go with, like when somebody talks about you, like oh hey, your hair looks stupid, you can become offended by that, you can be your spiritual end. But really it's—and I think I've maybe talked about this in the past. One time I had a guy deliver a message, an interpretation of a tongue, and that interpretation was meant to be divisive and hurtful. That, I think, will cause you to be offended.
Speaker 6:When it is not spirit-led, yeah, cause you to be offended when it is not spirit led. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:But I'm not offended at the word, necessarily. I'm not offended at what was said. I'm offended that that person felt the right to say it to me.
Speaker 6:You weren't offended of the actual sentence, correct?
Speaker 1:Yeah, like I don't get offended by words typically, like there's not very often that somebody could use a word that would offend me. There are a particular set of words that like I don't like when I hear them, I don't like when people say them to other people. It just rubs me the wrong way, but I don't know that I would ever get offended by that. I get offended that sometimes people feel like they have the right to say those things to other people if that makes sense.
Speaker 2:So that's the external part. I think, as Christians, we can offend other Christians when we see something in their life that we just think is wrong, and it's wrong because God has convicted us about it.
Speaker 1:It's wrong because God has convicted us about it, and so we take it to that person and we feel, hey, you know da-da-da-da-da, but they're not convicted because they haven't grown to that point where God's broke that off of them yet Right, so if you're a smoker and you smoke before you walk into the building and you smell of cigarette smoke when you walk in, and if somebody says to you, hey, you really shouldn't be smoking you know, beth, you or I, who have been smokers in the past, and we know it's not good for you and we know it's not good for the move of the spirit, and I say to you, hey, you should really stop smoking that could be offensive to somebody because God has not yet convicted them of that particular item in their life, and that may be for lots of reasons.
Speaker 1:He may be working on something else that's, in his eyes, more important than that cigarette that they're smoking. You know, maybe they beat their kids, or you know I know that sounds extreme, but it's true there may be something like that happening in their lives that God is working on, or maybe flat out and, very frankly, they're not saved, and so there's no conviction in their life at all.
Speaker 1:So offense is really easy to come by because you don't really have a moral compass. They're not saved Right and so there's no conviction in their life at all. Exactly.
Speaker 6:So offense is really easy to come by because you don't really have a moral compass at that point, and I think especially with smoking. Like smoking is one where, in my opinion, my body, my choice.
Speaker 6:No, I think people look at it like, well, it's not like it's like a home wrecking, or do you know what I'm saying? Like it's not like it's drugs, it's not like it's like a home wrecking, or do you know what I'm saying? Like it's not like it's drugs, or it's not like it's alcohol, but it's like. But you are worshiping. If you are putting it before God, it is a sin regardless of its nature.
Speaker 1:Yes, that goes for somebody who gambles. If you're not tithing and you're going to the casino and gambling every week, you've got a problem. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:And you can tell me you're saved, but I'm going to question it. And I'm not going to question it like, oh, I don't think you're saved. I've had people say that to me, like, oh, I don't think that person's saved, and I'm like, well, I'm not in the business of assuming somebody's salvation. That's not my job, that's not my specialty. If they tell me that they're saved and I'm going to trust that God is working on whatever it is, whatever's going on in their life, salvation doesn't come from church attendance. Salvation doesn't come from you know how much you tithe. Now, all of those things come after you're saved. Once you're saved, you should have a desire to be in church. You should have a full understanding of what it is to tithe. You should have a full understanding of why giving is not tithing. You should have a full understanding of why giving is not tithing. You should have a full understanding of what worship is, what fellowship is, and none of those things equate to a relationship with Christ. Those come from having that relationship with Christ.
Speaker 1:It's the work that comes from those things, if that makes sense.
Speaker 5:Yeah, end of topic. Right, that's it. I've I've seen talking about the smoking thing. I've seen uh working in the grocery business. You know these parents, they get food assistance, so much money, and some of these people get a lot of money oh yeah, and they would come through the line, um, and you could tell, uh, they were buying things for themselves. Yeah, and they weren't necessarily buying the food and the things they need for their children, and so they're putting all that before their children, and so they can still buy their cigarettes, oh yeah.
Speaker 5:You know cause? They're not going to stop smoking? In order to maybe have a little more money to spend on their children, Right? So it's when you're getting into that pattern.
Speaker 1:Correct.
Speaker 5:Yeah, those things children. So it's when you're getting into that pattern that those things are obviously a problem that you should feel conviction for.
Speaker 1:And when those people don't feel conviction and you address it. I'll just give you an example. When I went to MacBid to pick up my new Roomba I don't know why I do this stuff to myself my wife and I make a financial goal every month, so we get rid of 25 things a piece and then we set a financial goal. So my goal this month was to eat no fast food. I'm allowed to get a drink because we don't buy Coke at home, so I usually pick up a McDonald's Coke or Burger King Coke, whatever. But I wasn't going to eat any fast food for the month, so I went to Walmart on 62. Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:So if you've never been to that Walmart, like it's rough, it's rough, rough. They've got armed security driving through the parking lot. They have a police car parked out front at all times, like it's something else. It's a very interesting place, to say the very least, and I went in and I buy Campbell's chunky soups, canned ravioli, the tuna pouches, but I stock up for my lunch for the next 30 days. And I'm standing at the checkout and I'm minding my own business. I'm just hanging out with my little mini shopping cart full of junk and I hear this lady in front of me and she's like no sweetheart, we don't have the money for for this, we're going to have to put all this stuff back. We'll have to get the Valentine's Day stuff later. I'm just watching it unfold and my heart is saying just go pay for it, until I hear the lady say hey, can you get me a pack of whatever? And that lady turns around and she gives her a carton. The lady buys a carton of cigarettes. I don't even know what that costs anymore.
Speaker 4:It's got to be a hundred bucks at least All of that stuff in the cart that she put back could not have totaled what that carton of cigarettes cost.
Speaker 1:That little girl said I'm listening to all of this, mom. You said we could. The lady said I know what I said, but we can't afford it right now. What? Yeah.
Speaker 5:That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1:So there's no conviction there. There's no doing what's right, which, by the way, that's kind of my. I hang my hat on that slogan do what's right, not what's easy. Yeah.
Speaker 1:We should always be trying to do what's right and not what's easy, because it's easy for me to look at that lady and say, well, you're probably going to end up in hell, right. It is not easy for me to say, lord, whatever she has going on in her life, I need you to take that away from her because her children don't deserve that Right. So that little girl went home with nothing and mom got her carton of palm oils or whatever they were, and I'm sure it's always next time. Yes, certainly.
Speaker 5:And it's probably not the first time the little girl's heard oh, next time. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I met with some Christian-oriented organizations today and this morning I had one lady say to me, she was asking me like hey, what kind of outreach do you do? And I was telling her about our food pantry and I was telling her about, um, a couple of other things that I had in my mind, and she said and you, you do the Easter egg hunt, right? And I was like, yeah, unfortunately I don't know if it's going to happen this year Cause, you know, just financially we can't really afford it and I'm not getting the donations that I need, yada, yada, yada. And she said you know? She said, let me just tell you. She said we have a lady who gets benefits from her organization and she said this lady constantly brags about all of the stuff that her kids get for free, because they go to all of these things that are giveaways, right? And she said at Halloween, this lady posted pictures on her personal Facebook page of her children with those storage totes, big ones, full of candy, each of her kids full of candy. They went to every trick or treat that they could go to and collected as much candy as they could possibly collect and then were bragging about it.
Speaker 1:And I think the problem is. That's why the world wants to stop helping. Yeah, yes, because that's the stuff that we see. We see that more often than not Now I have experienced a million times over where you do one kind thing, very small kind thing for somebody and they're just blown away that you would do something so kind for them. And that's what we want. Our hearts want to serve people like that, not the people who take advantage of it. But it's so hard because last year at the easter egg hunt we had a lady. Um, we had set up a coffee station and we had a lady come in and she's getting her very small children coffee, oh yeah and uh, she was asked not to and she's like they can have coffee if they want.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we're not going to fight with her. And then she's like well, if you don't like it, just dump it out. And the kids just threw the whole cup in the trash filled with coffee. And then they just go over and make another one.
Speaker 5:Yeah, do it all over again.
Speaker 1:Right. It's like. That's where, again, you're starting to fall into that trap of like I'm living in this sin that I'm okay with because I don't have a moral compass, I don't know Jesus, I don't have God in my life, I don't understand what is right and what is wrong, and so I don't ever become convicted. And when you tell me no, I become offended because you feel like you have the right to tell me no. Listen, I have lots of people that I know that I'm like oh, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah, I'm saved, I'm saved.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, for sure I'm saved.
Speaker 5:And I'm like. You know, those same people are like oh, you say you're a Christian, but you're yes, Right, yeah three cups of coffee they're going to throw in the.
Speaker 1:You're right, I won't, because we're good stewards of our money and our resources and yeah $49, by the way, a carton of Paul Molls.
Speaker 6:If they were actually.
Speaker 1:I don't know what they were, I'm just saying I just saw her pull out a carton.
Speaker 6:I mean they're no surprises. I can't believe they'd be that cheap well, paul Molls are pretty cheap yeah, so that's bottom of the line, yeah, so buy a pack of Marlboro Reds.
Speaker 1:That's what my grandpa used to smoke. My very first cigarette that I ever smoked was a Pall Mall, no filter. You want to talk about awful Smoked. That bad boy on the train tracks threw up immediately afterwards.
Speaker 1:Conviction, in my opinion, comes from the spirit I, I yes I mean, the scripture actually tells us that the conviction comes from the holy spirit, and so I feel like when you are speaking into somebody's life and again just to always throw this back out there, I will not take. I will not take correction from somebody, will not seek advice from. So if I won't come to you and ask your opinion, don't come to me and try to give it to me without me asking, because I don't care.
Speaker 5:Yeah, that's a good rule.
Speaker 1:And it's not that I don't like. There are people who I trust that try to speak into my life and I'm like I trust you, but not to that degree.
Speaker 4:And so I don't allow you to speak into my life.
Speaker 1:And again there's there are guardrails, because you've seen it a million times over, where people say things that are just not truthful or it can be hurtful. I don't remember where I was going with that.
Speaker 4:I don't know, but I know, like one of my first convictions from the Holy Spirit, it worked. I mean notepads laying around everywhere, sticky pads you know. So if you but you'd stick one in your pocket, you'd walk down the hall, do whatever, not think anything of it. Then you'd get home, you'd have three or four of them sitting on the coffee table or on the kitchen table. It's like, wait, take these back to work. But that was like one of my like I wasn't intentionally stealing the notepads, but and it was small.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was a very small.
Speaker 4:But you realized you needed to be more. One day I got home and there was like four of them. I just tossed my work stuff on the end of them. Like oh, I've got four of these here, Take them back to work.
Speaker 1:You didn't buy those.
Speaker 4:Yeah, those are for everybody to use. And another conviction my gosh, I'm always picking up trash. I'll leave work, walk through the parking lot. There's a bag of McDonald's trash. It's like I'll walk past it and it'll be like you know, you got to go back and pick that up, yeah.
Speaker 1:Can I just say that's funny because I have recently in my own house, like that has been a big one for me Again, do what's right, not what's easy. So every morning I get out of the shower, I put on deodorant, I clean my ears and I'll throw the Q-tip in the trash can beside the toilet.
Speaker 1:And sometimes it bounces out and guess what it lays there because I don't care Right, and guess what it lays there because I don't care right. And then I did it one day and I was like do what's right, not what's easy, bend over, pick up the Q-tip. So this morning I went to throw Q-tip in there and it bounced out. All right, whatever, bend over, pick it up. But the reason it bounced out was the trash can was full. So now I'm emptying the trash can. I'm like wait a second, yeah, wait a second. More recently I have started to make my bed every morning. So if Alyssa is out of bed before I leave, I make my bed. Now we don't sleep with like a sheet.
Speaker 6:It's always fitted sheet comforter. We don't have a, so it's nothing but throwing the comforter up on the bed.
Speaker 1:But let me tell you, doesn't it feel good when you walk into your room and your bed is made, Whether or not, like the sheet underneath of it is still the same sheet whether it's made or not. But there's something about walking in there and it feels clean.
Speaker 6:Yes.
Speaker 1:And so like that's been a weird one for me.
Speaker 6:I started that in January too. It doesn't happen every day, day.
Speaker 1:yeah, when it does, I'm like, I'm proud of myself listen, I'll even walk in after work, like if alicia was still in bed when I left. I'll come in after work it's three, four o'clock in the afternoon and I'll make the bed. And she's like we're gonna get back in it. Like why are you?
Speaker 6:I'm like I don't know but it feels good whenever you do go to bed and it's made yeah kind of like when fresh sheets oh yeah, yes, oh yeah I love, love, love, love, love.
Speaker 1:I would wash my pillowcase every day just for the smell of a fresh pillowcase. My wife's like really You're washing our pillowcases again. Yup.
Speaker 5:Yeah, margie is way ahead of me on all that stuff. All the time, I mean, she just has the same routine every day. So usually she makes the bed, she takes the laundry downstairs the laundry room. She does all these things and she's always on top of it. And I get to the point where I'm like I'm just used to that so I just let it go. Yeah. But you do start to realize after a while, like if you do make the bed, if you beat her to making, the bed, you realize like, okay, they do really appreciate it.
Speaker 5:Oh yeah, my wife and I have a rule, because otherwise you just think why I shouldn't do it, because it's her thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah my wife and I have a rule. My wife is not allowed to say thank you for household chores. Yeah. So if I do the dishes for her which doesn't happen often, because usually again she's beating me to those things but if I do the dishes or I vacuum the floors or I do the laundry or whatever, she's not allowed to thank me for that. Now what she is allowed to do is thank me for giving her more time to do other things. Hey, thanks for doing the laundry. It allowed me to do X.
Speaker 1:She can't just say thank you for doing the laundry, because it's just as much my responsibility as it is for her. So that's been a big one and I've almost had to I don't want to say I've had to teach her that, it's not like she's a dog, but I told her. I said it's not your responsibility to thank me for helping with things around our house, it's my responsibility. But when I started to realize how much time it would save her the other night, we had probably four or five days worth of dishes, which is not common in our house. We had a couple of late nights yeah, because that was like Saturday into Sunday. So we had Financial Peace University in the evening. So it was nuts. So Monday night maybe, I can't remember for sure. I mean, the sink was absolutely full of dishes. We didn't have a clean spoon or fork in the house.
Speaker 1:We were using plastic at that point. So I emptied the dishwasher, I loaded the dishwasher and I hand washed everything that needed to be hand washed. And it was so funny because she's standing next to me. She never once said thank you and I was like she shouldn't have to In my mind. I'm thinking if she doesn't say thank you, I'm going to pick a fight Right.
Speaker 1:Like I don't have to do this, but then I realize she's not responsible for saying thank you for that. Yeah, and again, some of that is conviction, some of that is me realizing that if you want to make a difference, you have to start at home. Right, you don't make a difference. I don't make a difference every Sunday standing in the pulpit, it's the same 20, 30 people who are consistent every week. I'm not making a difference there. I'm giving some sort of like life lesson to take with you, but not everybody is. I'm making a difference at home, teaching my kids responsibility, and you know the art of a hard work and you know things like that. So if we don't start there, what? What are we really doing? And if you put all your time into work I keep seeing this. I don't know if it's the Lord trying to speak to me, but you put all your time at work. Listen, you die tomorrow. They'll have your job posted before your obituary goes out all the time.
Speaker 6:You know what I mean. Like you have to take care of yourself.
Speaker 1:Yep, you have to take care of yourself and your family first, and then you can, you know, give your job 110%, but make sure that you know where your limit is.
Speaker 6:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Cause 110% doesn't mean you have to be going 24, seven, 365 days a year.
Speaker 6:No, no, I was just telling someone that today, like the girl who was just training me, we are in the Dover office like two days a week and she would normally just stay um, because the we were done seeing patients around five and then everyone else went home and she would normally just stay and like work on the stuff that she couldn't do in between patients after work and it's like, yeah, I get not wanting to come in like a third day to do it, yeah, but like by that point you're so drained and even because her thinking process was like, well, it doesn't feel like I've been here for eight or nine hours, so I'll just stay an extra three and do it. It's like, yeah, but your body is telling you to stop, to slow down, to come in that extra day for three, four hours and do the rest of that. Don't stay and overrain yourself those two days. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:This is my rule of thumb, kids were never meant to sit at a desk for six or eight hours a day. It was never like. I've never met a kid that enjoys sitting for six or eight hours a day. That's why they have recess in the middle to try to get the kids up and moving and run off some of that energy. So adults also weren't meant to spend their entire lives at work. Yeah, we weren't meant to wear shoes. If we're being honest with you, Like we have taken so many things and we've like made it like this is the social norm.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we're used to working 40 plus hours a week, 52 weeks out of the year, and getting one, two, maybe three weeks of vacation. But that's not the way it was designed. No, the problem is is people get upset with us, or we feel like people get upset with us if we take that time away, or well, they can't survive without me, or whatever. Listen, you're working the drive-thru at McDonald's. They can survive without you. You know what I mean. Take the time. I tell my kids right now, like you need to be kids. Yeah, stop packing your schedule so full that you can't be a kid.
Speaker 5:Sometimes you need to give people a chance to miss you, to realize how valuable you are. Yeah, for sure, for sure.
Speaker 1:My problem is, and we've have we talked about imposter syndrome on this podcast before?
Speaker 6:We talked about it last week. At the end I don't think we were recording.
Speaker 1:So I do suffer from imposter syndrome and that's where I don't feel like I'm worth being in whatever I'm in. So like if I audition for a musical and I get a role, I don't feel like I'm worthy of the role that I have. At work, I don't feel like I fit with the people that I work with, and that's been a long process for me and so I always have this fear that if I take a vacation, somebody is going to peek under the hood and realize that it's not running as smooth as it looks. But here's the thing that's. My job is to make sure it looks smooth.
Speaker 6:Yeah.
Speaker 1:My owner said to me. They said you know we, they went on like a two and a half week vacation or something like that. And they came back. They're like what's the updates? I said there aren't any. I said everything's operating the way that it should and everything's okay. And they're like yeah, that's what we like, like we don't have to hear about it. Now my team on the back end there's chatter like, hey, this furnace broke and that went down and this guest is upset with this.
Speaker 1:But I insulate that intentionally, so when I leave they start to hear those things and it gets a little bit like oh man, oh man and when I come back. They're usually like man, we are so happy to have you back. Yeah, because they don't? They're like the buffer their desire is to be owners and not operators right and so there is that, that separation that has to happen and somebody has to be the operator and be that buffer so yeah, when I get back from vacation, I at least always get one.
Speaker 5:We really missed. Okay, I'm doing something.
Speaker 1:Yes, right, yes, yeah and, and it helps with that imposter syndrome as well. So we should be thinking more about our own spiritual health, mental health, emotional health, rather than the health of a business or the health of a, you know, in organization well, you can't be sure, you can't really be successful without that.
Speaker 5:Anyway, right, yeah, you do have to take time for yourself.
Speaker 6:Yeah, I mean if you're burned out doing anything you need something you love to do, yep, then you're gonna start making mistakes, and then you're not even as valuable as you were three hours ago yeah, for sure, for sure.
Speaker 1:I another one of my never mind it eluded me again. I apparently have not had enough coffee today.
Speaker 2:One cup was no, it was a good one. It was a. It was one of those like aha, this is one of those. I apparently have not had enough coffee today. One cup was not enough. Is that the Holy Spirit shedding?
Speaker 1:No it was a good one. It was one of those like aha. This is one of those phrases that I always use, but I don't remember what it was. Doesn't matter, doesn't matter.
Speaker 6:Might be the flat Coke Coca-Cola Getting to you.
Speaker 5:How do we know when somebody has reached that level of spiritual maturity to where you know that they're ready for conviction? And how can you, how can you be sure? Like, okay, this person, like they they can handle. Like, okay, they can handle a tough conversation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we need to have a talk. That's a great question, because it's something that I actually deal with pretty regularly. So there are, like there are times when I have to talk to somebody about something that I've heard, seen or had happen, and a lot of times I walk in there assuming that they are not emotionally mature enough or spiritually mature enough to have this conversation with me, and so I know that I'm going to offend, that there's a possibility for that and that it's likely not going to end in a conviction. That's kind of how I operate. I operate with the understanding that I'm likely offending this person and not making a difference. Sometimes they will surprise me and they'll say thank you for telling me that I needed to hear that, that I needed to hear that. More often than not, I hear, okay, well, that's not how that was, or well, that's not what I meant, or I didn't say that, which is a fence. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:And so I just assume always that it's going to be a fence and that I'm delighted whenever it's not. Yeah, I, we just had a really recent one. I had a, uh, never mind, I haven't addressed it yet, so we're not going to put it okay fair. Yeah, yeah, I have one. I have one that I'm going to have to address. Well, it's kind of the same thing with your children.
Speaker 5:Like you know, you have to have certain conversations with your children, but until they're a certain age they're just things they don't understand, correct?
Speaker 1:You can't really make them understand.
Speaker 5:They're just like I don't care yeah.
Speaker 1:It's not a big deal.
Speaker 5:17 years old and they still don't care. It's not a big deal, they don't care. So it's that same thing trying to get your children to understand why something is important.
Speaker 1:Or something like you know, down the road you're going to need to do this. I'm not you, Dad, I'm not you. I'm not you, Dad. I won't make that mistake like you did, Dad, I'm not you. And then they're 21, and guess what? They're hooked up in the back of a cop car calling Dad for bail money. He's in the drunk tank.
Speaker 5:So, yeah, it's a walk in a fine line between conviction and offense.
Speaker 1:My kids are unique in the fact that they're homeschooled, the fact that their dad is a pastor, the fact that their mom serves in the church in children's ministry. So my kids are learning the books of the Bible with the regular kids I almost said regular kids the rest of the kids in Sunday school. But my kids have an advantage because we're doing it every day. We don't stop. They get a new book every day until they get to the end the rest of the kids get that every Sunday, so my kids can keep going long after the other kids have had to stop.
Speaker 1:And so my kids are also aware of their lifestyle, they're aware of what they have and they can appreciate those things. But some of the kids around us are not that way, and so there's a very different um level of maturity, and I don't just mean spiritual maturity, I mean physical maturity. Fact is, boys mature slower than girls, and so I would expect most like Adeline, far more mature than either of my boys, and it's crazy to me because she's a fraction of their age but I mean she'll sit at the table and carry on a full conversation with you. And the other two are like give it a toilet, like it just is a very different. Like if you fart in front of her, she will correct you. Like you can't say a swear word in front of her, she will correct you. Like, just, it's very, she is very like this is right, this is wrong.
Speaker 1:She is very like this is right, this is wrong, and that's how it works. She's very black and white. I cannot raise my voice with her, otherwise she cries Like there's a different level of maturity for her than my boys. You know, my boys are farting on each other's heads in the other room and she's arguing that you can't do that. But the problem is we talk about age of accountability Like for me it as a big conversation. Kids that are taking communion outside of that age of accountability probably shouldn't happen. But here's what I've said. This is my opinion. Now that's between them, their parents and Jesus, because I'm not going to stop it, because there are people who are going to do it, whether you like it or not. You're not going to tell them no, because if I say no children, what they'll do is the parent will come up and get two and they'll take it back and serve it to their kids anyway, but then that parent is accountable Exactly.
Speaker 1:That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying Like we've had the conversation, we've talked about it. I'm not going to tell you no, but want you to know that I'm praying for you because that's not the right call. And the thing is, is it's different? If you like, if your child has accepted Christ into their heart and they fully understand what that means and the like, the severity of taking communion with all of your heart, posture issues, then fine, let them take communion. But the problem is, is that's not usually the case? Fine, let them take communion. But the problem is, is that's not usually the case? Because, again, kids, generally speaking, mature slower now than they ever have because they're in front of tablets and, like, I mean, do you any? Yours doesn't. Yet my kids watch videos of kids playing with toys.
Speaker 1:They've got the same toy but they don't play with it. They watch somebody else play with it or open toys Rosalind does.
Speaker 2:They've got the same toy, but they don't play with it. They watch somebody else play with it. Yeah, yeah, roslyn does that.
Speaker 6:Yeah, well, chase watches people open cards like the old cards.
Speaker 5:As a kid, they're opening up the old pack. Yeah, I can't help it.
Speaker 1:Yeah so yeah it's just there's that it's. It's mind-boggling to me, though, that that's what entertainment is and this is what I was telling you.
Speaker 5:I'm sorry I had a silly question. Yeah, sure, communion. Have you ever had an adult or child take more than one piece of?
Speaker 1:food? Oh yes, and you know what? I don't even judge them for it, because I take the whole bag home with me at the end of service.
Speaker 6:I wanted to say something about the parents. You know we've already addressed, addressed it and they're still not changing or correcting, or you know they keep bringing the kids forward. That almost reminded me from the conversation, like when our conversation first started today, like about the parents who you know you would tell them hey, no more coffee for this. Yeah, but they're like, they just do nothing, so like they just. It kind of resembles one another.
Speaker 1:Well, correct. And then those kids. How is it? Uncoachable children grow up to be unemployable adults. So when a child can't be corrected and when it's, say, uncoachable, like if you put them on softball, and mom gets mad every time the coach corrects them. And listen, coaches yell oh, I had a good one. I had this happen last week at basketball. So my kids both play basketball at New Point for Armor Sports and Emmett was playing and his team was losing I'm talking like 12 points spread, whole game, and I was getting mad because those boys can play better basketball than that. And so there are these two parents and they're sitting there, their kids are on the court, but they're sitting there chit-chatting, their backs are to the court, they're not even watching. And I yelled. I was like, oh, double dribble, nice. And that parent looked at me and she goes, one of the boys and I said, yeah, mine. And she kind of looked at me and she goes.
Speaker 6:Well they're just learning.
Speaker 1:I said no better. Yeah, I was like you're not even paying attention to the game, like I want my kid to do his best every time he goes out there. Now, I'm not saying he wasn't playing his best, I'm saying that there's always more to give like that's how a parent should exactly not, hey well, and you just brush over it.
Speaker 4:What do they? They learn.
Speaker 1:Right, exactly. And so those children of those parents and I shouldn't say this, because it's a broad statement I don't know those people, but their children will grow up to be the kind of people who, when they get employed, their mom calls them off work because they're not feeling well. Today we're going on a family vacation, so they won't be in this weekend. That's the kind of stuff that happens. It is not uncommon for that to happen in the workplace, and it's mind-blowing to me.
Speaker 5:It used to happen all the time at the grocery store.
Speaker 1:Your mom doesn't call you off work, you call off work.
Speaker 4:Right, you're old enough to be working.
Speaker 5:Yeah, it'd be their grandma or their uncle.
Speaker 1:I had the opportunity of listening to. Horst Schulze is his name. Can you remember that? Yes, I'm going to write it down.
Speaker 6:I was trying to think of the basketball game and parents, you know, not being accountable and this and that, and talking to coaches at my hair salon appointment today that I told everyone about. Anyway, they said, did you guys hear about what happened at the claimant ridgewood game? And I'm like, and it was varsity boys basketball and they had all the cheerleaders there and many cheerleaders, like it was a full you know how they have the many, yes, full event, like there was a ton of people there. Apparently one of the ridgewood like dads went into the locker room and like tried strangling the coach, the head coach Of Claymont Of Ridgeway, of Ridgeway.
Speaker 6:Wow, yeah, that's intense.
Speaker 4:I'm like, oh my gosh, because I saw things a week or so ago at the Ridgewood-Newcomerstown game. Okay, there was a lot of stuff.
Speaker 1:Well, maybe it was that and they thought it was claymont man I don't know, but we do play ridgewood though so yeah, I don't, yeah, it is possible, I would. I can't believe aiden didn't tell me, but I also haven't seen him, so it I mean it's possibility yeah, but okay okay.
Speaker 1:So I had the opportunity of listening to uh, horst schultze is his name. He was the one of the founders and the COO of the Ritz-Carlton. He was at our hotel Tuesday night yeah, last night, yes and I got to listen to him for an hour and one of the things that he said is that he never wants a person. They didn't allow people to come to work. You came to be part of the dream, you came to be part of the vision. You didn't have a title, you didn't have a position, you didn't have a task. It was offensive to hire somebody to perform a task. Everybody came with the vision of being the best.
Speaker 1:Sounds like a cult, the absolute best, and it was amazing to hear him talk about it. What he said was he walked into a bank. He was going to do a keynote for some large bank. And he walked into a bank. He was going to do a keynote for some large bank and he'd never been in one of their branches, so he was in new york or wherever he was, and so he uh decided that he was going to go into whatever branch was closest to him. He walks into the bank. He said this place was opulent. Now, this guy is german, so he has a very german accent, very like you have. It's hard to follow him.
Speaker 1:yes, um, he said it's very opulent, uh, marble pillars, marble floors, just this grandiose bank. And they had 22 tellers, every window open, he said. And he was like 24th in line. He said now I recognize there were 22 tellers. I was 24th in line. That means really I'm second in line because this is going to move fairly quickly.
Speaker 1:He said he got up to the point, to where it was his turn, and he hears uh, a teller yell next and he goes down to the teller and he starts to try to make small talk with her and he says I need to make change for this $50 bill. She sighs, takes the 50, gives him his change back and yells next while he's still standing there. And he said and what's sad is it made everybody there look incompetent. It made everyone there look like they don't care, even though it was one teller. He said, and the worst part is, is I've given this, I've told this story every time I've ever done a keynote.
Speaker 1:He said so that bank is now dealing with the repercussions of somebody telling this story consistently. And I thought about that in the way of conviction, because when we all walk into a situation knowing that we represent Christ and allowing that to be who we are and who we represent. It's so much easier to greet somebody with a smile. My rule is you should answer the phone with a smile. Right, that sounds stupid, but when you answer the phone with a smile, it's hard to sound mean when you're actually smiling.
Speaker 4:That's how I got my office job is, they said. I had a phone voice. Yes, yeah, I don't know what that means.
Speaker 1:I didn't want that office job, but it really is. I think that we as Christians have to understand that that's an important part of what we do. We have to be able to represent Christ in that way, and you can't just yell next. You know, I got a text tonight from somebody that wanted to ask me a few questions. This is not a regular church attendee, this is not somebody I spend a lot of time fellowshipping with, but I get a text that says Pastor Michael. I want to ask Now, first of all Pastor Michael was what they started the sentence with. I was like all right Now we're talking.
Speaker 1:At least they have enough respect to address the fact that I'm a pastor. Whether they would consider me their pastor or not is completely irrelevant, because there are a lot of people who attend here that simply don't do that and it's hard to like. Okay, because that's part of that conviction process. Right For me. When you walk in, I refer to Holly as Pastor Holly in almost every instance. Now if her and I are talking, I might just call her Holly, but Roger is always Pastor Roger. That just is part of the nature of the position.
Speaker 1:But I feel like as Christians, we walk into situations and we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to move through us, and so it's impossible for us to actually convict somebody because we're operating out of flesh and we're operating out of I don't like what you're doing, I don't agree with what you're doing, I personally don't agree not the word doesn't agree. And then what we do is we offend, and then when we've offended the church or offended the body, it's game over. I had to personally leave the church because I said we were charismatic and not Pentecostal. It's not a joke.
Speaker 1:Now, here's the best part of this. So if you read our four-square bylaws, it says that we are a charismatic movement and the difference is. Charismatic tends to be more dignified than Pentecostal, and I don't mean that in a mean way, but Pentecostals like you've ever watched any of those videos of those Pentecostal churches? They're just up there dancing around in the front, everybody falling on the floor and whatnot. There's nothing wrong with that. It's a season for everybody. But you don't see that here. Like we carry ourselves a little bit differently now. Some of us get a little wild every whip stitch, but not like that.
Speaker 1:Um so people who think that we're extreme, they ain't seen extreme no, they have not seen extreme um, so I I shared that with them, and they're like well, it can't be true, it can't be true now they're offended because they've been met with proof that they are wrong, then the worst part is is I was at the time I was digitizing a lot of Florence's old messages and trying to get a collection of those and I always played them at the end to make sure that there was audio content. And the very first thing that she says this is not a joke, it comes on I press the play thing that she says this is not a joke, it comes on I press the play button and she goes you guys act like we're not a charismatic church. Now, mind you, they had sat under Florence for years without issue, so I just sent them that and I left it alone. About three weeks later they were gone and I was like it wasn't, like I wasn't trying to be mean, but you can't be offended by facts.
Speaker 1:You can't be offended by the gospel. You have to be convicted by it. You can be hurt and you can be confused and you can be a lot of things, but you cannot be offended by the word of God. It's not possible. You will always be convicted by the word of God and if you're offended by it, it means it either wasn't delivered to you appropriately or you chose to be spiritually immature which?
Speaker 4:that, or you just aren't saved yet.
Speaker 1:Yes, or you just aren't saved yet. You know that's another thing. Let's just cover that real quick because I have to go. I have to serve in the sanctuary tonight. But people who do not regularly attend church, I would never say that they're not saved, but I always ask myself what is the status of their heart posture? And I say that because for me to not come to church on Sunday morning is strange.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Right, like that's. I wake up in the morning and I'm on Sunday morning and the enemy doesn't want me here. The devil says it's not. You're not, just go back to sleep, you're still tired. You know what I mean? Oh man, you forgot to charge your car last night. Oh geez, you can't find your shoes. I can't tell you how many times this stuff happens. Right Like, I'll come in Crocs, I'll come in my bare feet. I don't care, because I know that I'm supposed to be here on Sunday morning. Some Sunday mornings I get here and I'm not happy about being here because the furnace isn't working and the tech isn't working or we don't have internet or whatever silly thing might be happening. But I realize that that's just all trying to stop me from what's supposed to happen in the building.
Speaker 1:I can't imagine not being here. So when I see people who don't show up, like on the reg, I'm like man, how do you reach those people to say and I'm the same with tithing Like, what do we do? How do we, like, how do you get them to realize that they're missing out? They're really truly missing out, and I think about that from a worship standpoint. You know I'd love to put together live worship again, but I also recognize that that doesn't work for everybody and so I'm careful about how I approach it. You can't get people to volunteer for this stuff. Somebody asked me the other day about live worship like instruments and I was like, well, yeah, we got, nick can play guitar and Chase has a guitar.
Speaker 1:Jamie can play electric guitar, but beyond that we're yeah, we're not really two guitars. Yeah, we could make it work, but it would not be good. Yeah, not what we want.
Speaker 2:Sunday I was late getting here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we know, we clapped for you, yeah.
Speaker 2:It was a struggle. I had every reason. No, I didn't have any reason. You had every excuse, every excuse not to be here and I carried in some old baggage and I was all huffy puffy and I even went to the altar. I was going to say but you went to the altar, I went to the altar and prayed, but when I went back I just didn't feel that I had let everything go. And when you did communion I didn't take communion.
Speaker 1:Yes, I saw that yeah.
Speaker 2:I just didn't feel that my heart was 100% in the right place, and that's the best thing you could do Loop that back to the communion thing.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. Like it's real, it's very real, it's very, very real.
Speaker 2:Even though I tried to surrender it.
Speaker 1:I just I picked some of it right back up and took it back to the communion, certainly Because that's the easiest thing to do. Yeah, it's the easiest thing to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean my heart's going to be in the right place, Because I can hear Jarvie chirping in my ear. You know what it says.
Speaker 1:Does anybody else have any good points? I'm going to go serve in the sanctuary, so whose turn is it to pray? Oh, it's Roger's, of course.
Speaker 1:So I guess, he gets a pass and it's my turn then. Huh, all right, well, let's pray together. Father, we just thank you and we praise you for an anointed word this evening. Father, we just lift all of these conversations up to you. I thank you for the people who serve in this ministry. Father, I pray that you just continue to lead us, guide us, direct us, give us a burning desire to be in your house, to be in your word, Father, to serve you more fully.
Speaker 1:Lord, I pray for every person who's listening to this right now. Lord, whatever the situation is that they're going through, I pray that you just help make it as best as it can possibly be. Allow there to be an understanding that you are a sovereign God, that you are going to make all things work together for your good. I know, hearing those words it's not as easy as it really is. Father, you just continue to make mighty things happen and we doubt it, and I pray that that spirit of doubt, that rejection that we may be feeling or may be holding on to, is just gone. In the mighty name of Jesus, father, I pray that you just bring us back here next week and just allow us to continue to be blessed and to pour out blessings. We give you all the praise, the honor and glory in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.
Speaker 4:Amen.
