Whose Job Is It To Preach, Anyway?

Satan has successfully infiltrated the Christian church and continues to lead people astray with his subtle lies. For centuries he has fed us the lie that only the highly educated are worthy of becoming a pastor or preacher. It's time we shatter that mold and go back to the words of Jesus.

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Podcast 6 Transcript

(This is a computer generated transcript of this podcast.  This is NOT a typed transcript and it has not been edited. Expect grammatical and syntactical errors.)

Hello, and good day. Welcome to another podcast of God's Family In An Ungodly World. I'm your host, B. R. Maul author, teacher, preacher, and most importantly, a child in God's family. It's great to have you here. Today's message is about our church today. As we know it. And what I mean by that is the church that we go to, not God's church, not the invisible church, but the visible.

So the church that's right down the road, the church building that we assemble at once a week. Now the reason I want to talk about that, for starters, this is near and dear to my heart. In my walk with the Lord, he has shown me so much in his church and how we have changed it in our hearts. and now what we see today is much of what we have set up as comfort.

So talking about God's church and, and how, what God says about it, in his words, not ours, is a big part of this podcast, along with about four other topics. Now, today specifically. I want to focus in on what we consider church leadership. Okay? And of course, once again, this is not in God's church, because in God's church there's one leader, Jesus Christ is the head of the church and is referred to as the head of the body of the church or the body of Christ.

So we see that in God's word. The reason this is so important is because we tend to want to put one person in charge of our churches, either a pastor or a priest. Of course, there's other levels that we have designed to work underneath this person. But I want to point out that as much as some of this is linked to God's.

I need to point out how much we have adopted man's ways of doing things over the centuries. Now, let me start by, first of all, just pointing out the great commission. That's one of the most important and should be most obvious directions that Jesus gave us before he before he ascended into heaven. So the great commission and that great commission, he says, is to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Preach, he says. Now, isn't that interesting? Because we today use the term preacher as it is in a sense a leadership , but mind you, that's not what Jesus said. So we need to focus on what our king told us to do and not what over the centuries mankind has come up with. Because every Christian is given that command to go into all nations and to preach, to preach the gospel.

We don't need to preach anything else. There's nothing else for us to have to abide by. It doesn't matter what the Roman Catholic Church has put into place. It doesn't matter what Martin Luther nailed up on the church door. It doesn't matter what other visions, what other perhaps genuine and intelligent Christians over the centuries have said, we are to preach the gospel.

Now, isn't that a good thing? I mean, Christian didn't. We don't have to make this complex. This does not have to be something that is so complicated that we have to go through a whole system in order for someone to be qualified to preach the gospel. Let's also keep in mind who Jesus was talking to. All right. He was not even talking to the Pharisees at that time in history.

If he wanted the most brilliant minds, those are the ones he would've gathered to do the work of his father. All right? He would've made it quite clear that you must be as brilliant as can be. You must have a pretty high education. But he's not. Keep in mind that at the same time, he was also addressing fishermen, farmers, others, because it wasn't just the apostles.

This was the command given to all disciples. So every walk of life now, in my journey so far that the Lord has led me through, I've had the opportunity to go to a seminary. Myself, sure. I'm educated that I have a degree in teaching English, but you know, the interesting thing is when it comes to my education to get into the seminary, I took three tests.

These tests are common for, for anyone who wants to go into a seminary. These three tests, one based on the New Testament knowledge, old Testament knowledge and theology. Now I passed and I, and I didn't just skim by. I, I didn't rather, well, and I'm not saying that to pat my own back and to boast. Not at all, Christian. The reason I share that with you is because my only knowledge of those three areas, new Testament, old Testament, and theology, all comes from God's word. Years ago when the Lord directed me. I had shared my, story. You can listen to my first podcast, and when the Lord directed me, when God Himself put it into my heart to read his word, that is what I've been doing for years.

He showed me to basically get through the hoops into the system of the seminary, along with the tests and interviews that I passed with flying colors, and I did so on what God taught me. Not my college degree. Went to college many years before that, right after the military. And again, that was for teaching.

In fact, at the time I was going to school, I wasn't at all walking with the Lord. So the great commission, that is something that is on all of us. Well, let's take a look then, because preaching is something, once again, preachers, we make into leaders. Okay, but I'm going to challenge you and say that you are to be a preacher if you are a Christian.

If you are born again, then you are called to also be a preacher. Okay? Well what about a pastor You'll say. Well, I'm glad you asked me that because yes, that is referenced as well. And we can go right into the book of John, the very last chapter in the book of John. So in 21, and we'll go right over to, oh, excuse me, 21 verse 15.

So now of course this is when Jesus, after making Peter and some of the others a meal on the shore after they came in from fishing, it is written verse 15. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, now this is kind of interesting. I want to just point a little fun factor a little, what I like to call a gem. Simon Peter, now remember earlier on. Jesus renamed Simon Peter, which means rock. Not a big rock, not like a boulder. So Jesus in his word, he says, he calls him Simon, son of Jonah. Do you love me more than these? He said to him, that is Jesus. To Peter. Yes, Lord. You know that I love you. Take note that he says Simon, son of Jonah.

That is how he refers. To Peter when he first met Peter, he called them by his given name, Simon, and of course son of Jonah, he is referring to Peter because remember Peter also denied Christ three times. And Peter at this point was, he was feeling extremely guilty about. Jesus and his lovingness understood that, and so he is restoring Peter.

It's no coincidence that he asks Peter this three times when Peter denied him three times. It's Jesus' way of restoring him, so I'll continue. He said to him, feed my lambs, who feeds lambs Shepherds 16. He said to him again a second. Simon son of Jonah, do you love me? He said to him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you.

He said to him, so Jesus said to Peter tend my sheep who tends sheep shepherds, verse 17, he, Jesus said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, do you love me? And he, Peter said to him, Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you.

Jesus said to him, feed my sheep and will stop right there. Course once again, who feeds Sheep Shepherds and we don't call them shepherds, we call them what Pastors? Now, I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty of how some churches use that to symbolize Peter as like the first Pope. Don't have time for that.

But there's many reasons why that's not the case. But he is, after restoring Peter from Peter, turning on him and denying that he even knew his teacher and best friend, and this is his Jesus way of restoring Peter. . And so we know that Peter, of course, does become quite the leader in the first Century church, and he does in fact, pastor also shepherds the first Century church and not Peter alone. Not at all, but he is definitely one of them. Okay, so now we've established two titles already, pastor and preachers that along the way in time have been established as somehow superior or ahead of the church. Now I disagree with that because what's happening is that we are putting way too much emphasis on the role of leadership, and we have created that role of leadership because Jesus, once again, he is the head of the church.

So all decisions need to be made by praying to our Lord Jesus, and that is not the given job of one man. With that said, You can also turn to the book of Ephesians. I'm in chapter four, verse 11. Now, this is the Apostle Paul writing to the Ephesians. Paul writes, and he himself, that's God, gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors, and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. All right, so there are some roles right there, and what Paul is doing is identifying spiritual gifts. And this is not an exhausted list of spiritual gifts, but it is indeed ones that he has pointed out to the Ephesian church.

Now apostles. That was the chosen 12. Saul is the only apostle that was not following Christ when he was crucified. He followed Christ after the crucifixion and that's when Jesus revealed who he was. But because of the fact that he, Jesus revealed himself to him in the way that he did, qualifies as an apostle apostleship.

We don't have apostles. All the apostles were eyewitnesses to Christ prophets and evangelists, prophets. In the Old Testament, those were people that God chose not for any special reason. He chose to speak to his people. And of course, in the Old Testament, priests were given the job to speak for the people to God in the Holy of Holies.

So there are roles that God has. We are expected to carry out. Please understand, Christian, I am not against higher education. If it pertains to a person's craft and what he or she is wanting to study that God has called him to do, that's wonderful. I mean, learning is great myself, I love learning. But I am against what we as a society has put in place, so important that we put in place this higher education.

It's bad enough, we do it in our secular society thinking that just because someone goes to a university, that they're going to make a, a better worker than somebody who does not go to a university. Because there's a lot to be said about somebody who is wise, for example. Just from reading God's word, and that's where all wisdom comes from anyways, is God's word.

So we have plenty of educated people out there who are walking around who are not wise because they are not reading God's word. So there are roles to play, but with what Paul finishes up after talking about these positions from, from whom the whole body, him who is the head of. From whom? The whole body, body of Christ, the church joined and knit together by what every joint supplies so joined and knit together.

It's interesting because he paints this picture then right of being connected like our human body that without one the other next to it doesn't work without the fingers working. The hand really isn't doing. and without the hand, the arm's not doing a whole lot. We all have to come together joint and knit together by what every joint supplies the joint in the body according to the effect of working by which every part that is part of the body does its share causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love, growth of the body. So every part that is every part of the body. A K. A Christian, every Christian. Okay. Cuz yes, even if we are not attending a church, the church building, we are still part of the body, the invisible church, God's church. And he of course knows his sheep, who is and who is not following him.

 But then also in the body for those who are attending a church. And we should, if you are blessed to have a Bible teaching and preaching church. You should definitely be their Christian. But with that said, if you do not have a Bible teaching preaching church and they are teaching things that are false, I would also say get out fast.

Let me point out again. Now let's go back to this text by which every part does its share, or we can reword it that every Christian, that every follower of Christ does his or her share. Share in what the work, beloved. It is not for the pastor. It is not for the preacher because first of all, we are all royal priests.

Do you understand that? We are all expected to do our share, so in some way, shape, or form, we are all a pastor. or preacher, however you want to put it. Now, bear with me because yes, there is still a separation and definition when it comes to the roles, but I just want to finish up here in the end of Ephesians four 16, and again, causes growth.

So working together, sharing the work causes growth of the body, the body of Christ, aka the church. God's people for the edifying of itself in love. So in love, we are to work together to uphold one another and to edify each other. Edify. What is that? Well, edify is to educate, to improve. So we are not supposed to be stagnant, just sitting around doing nothing.

Yes, we label. He is a pastor and we look at our pastors today as somebody who is supposed to be the head of the church, who is supposed to be the spiritual leader and spiritual leaders. Yes, those are important. I'm not downplaying that whatsoever. Not one bit because as we'll soon, see, when we go to First Timothy, So if you want to turn to that book while I'm talking, that there is a need for education, but education in what?

Beloved education in God's word. There is no need to have to go to college to preach God's word. The qualifications there, which I'll read shortly, is used to identify leaders in the. But when I read these to you, be mindful of something, and that is, these are the exact same qualities that is expected of all Christians.

All followers of Jesus Christ needs to have what we read in first Timothy for qualifications. The point being is that it takes a mature Christian to lead and shepherd people. It doesn't necessarily take an educated Christian. In fact, I would argue the point that it has to do with the maturity of the Christian to do that.

Beloved, yes, we need to be in God's word. We need to, and every Christian needs to be in God's word daily. Again, we live in a world where we are constantly. . Uh, I've been reading a lot of articles and I know I've been wanting to talk more about just news events too that's going on in our world today where we as Christians need to be mindful of and stand up against.

But again, there's so much information to go over today that I'm just not going over any of that. Before we get into first Timothy though, let's take a look at, you know, this concept of a lay person, and I've now have officially been in the role of a non lay leader, so a spiritual leader. And then of course some churches still want to say lay leaders, and I never liked that.

And I still don't. And here's why. Because first of all, that takes away from your job and my job that Christ himself gave. And that is we are to be preaching the gospel to the world. Whether we're amongst those who are traveling overseas and around the world, or we are just walking to the other end of our block, we are to be preaching, in other words, talking about and trying to educate people on the gospel.

So I looked up. I love words. Love words. So looking up the word lay. And of course we can bypass the verb part and all that good stuff. Uh, even the noun. And we're going to go right to the adjective and the adjective. There's, there's three definitions here in the Miriam Dictionary that I have on my, my phone definition number one of, or relating to the laity.

Of or relating to the laity, not ecclesiastical. Hmm. Okay. Relating to the laity and not ecclesiastical. The next question then, that I'm sure you were going to ask me then is, well, what's ecclesiastical? Well, I'm, I'm very glad you asked me that. E ecclesiastical. I have here before me and this, I'm just on the internet looking at the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language fifth Edition.

A couple of definitions. One of or relating to a church, especially an organized institution. Hmm, okay. Two, appropriate to a church or to use in a church that's ecclesiastical. And then three. Of or pertaining to the church? Small c relating to the organization or government of the church. Not secular.

Okay, so let's take a look at this. Again, I love breaking down definitions. So the definition then of lay being a lay person of or relating to the laity and. Ecclesiastical. Hmm. So to be a lay person would mean not ecclesiastical. And according to this dictionaries, then not relating to the church. A lay person is not relating to a church, especially an organized institution.

I would highly disagree with that. You take everybody out of there except for the one that we consider educated. You don't have a church. You have a person . That would also mean then that appropriate to a church or to use in a church that's ecclesiastical. So to say that there's lay people and ecclesiastical people or spiritual leadership.

So the lay people then are not appropriate to a church, according to definition One, they're not relating to a church and they're not even appropriate to a church or to use in a church? . Do you see how we have taken terminology? And I say we just, humankind in general and all the big ones. I can't say I've looked into all denominations, but all the major denominations have certainly taken that into serious account, that there's the people in the church and then there's the leadership or the pastoral part of the church.

Isn't that robbing every Christian, or I should say not robbing, but perhaps maybe not robbing, maybe just downplaying the fact that, well, I guess lay people just don't have a job to do. No wonder so many churches are falling apart because most people are looking to the pastor or the preacher to do most of the work and to do the educating to read God's word.

Now there's a little more here because lay number two, definition of or relating to members of a religious house and definition three not of a particular profession, so the lay public, not of a particular profession. Beloved, what that means then is that we are saying that a pastor and a preacher is a profession? Would you disagree with that?

Would you disagree with me and say, no? Pastors are, that's not a profession. Preaching is not a profession. I doubt you are disagreeing with that. I mean, people actually go to colleges with the intention of their profession going to be a pastor or preacher or priest, depending on your denomination. That's dangerous.

and not only is it dangerous, it's already harmful. It's already hurting Christianity. I'm a huge advocate and almost in every podcast, and hopefully I'll remember in every podcast to mention the importance of the four areas where we need to read God's word daily. We need to pray to God daily. We need to meet with fellow Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ.

If you may, weekly, when two or three gather he. He's there, he's making sure that we understand his word. When we open up that word, we really talk back and forth and we just grow. He does so much growing in us. And yes, there's, there's the place of, um, worship, and I'm so reluctant to use the terminology like going to church on Sundays because the church is us.

We are the church, we are the temple of God. The Holy Spirit resides in Born Again Christians. So for you to be with God, you don't need to go to a church to go to a building. But we do that because we come together to worship him, because we love him and he means so much to us. And yes, we get to come together and there's those who are so talented with playing music.

so there is coming together to worship him. Very important. We need to worship. Now the definition of pastor, by the way, and I find this interesting because this is also based on the American Heritage Dictionary. There's three of 'em. Definition one is a Christian minister or priest having spiritual charge over a congregation or other group.

I'd say that's, that's where. We often label that, but two, A layperson having spiritual charge over a person or a group. I find that interesting. See, there's nothing in there about education. The third one is simply the definition of pastor. Two words, a shepherd, a shepherd. To be a pastor, to be a preacher of God's word is not defined the way we have defined it is not somebody who has gone to a seminary that has letters behind his name. No, I'll probably get some emails on this in time, especially from leadership and churches. Let me hopefully put that to rest. I am not against higher education, not. But I'm making it perfectly clear right now that I am against making that the standard, because that's horrible.

We have taken what Jesus has commanded us all to do and we put it on the lap of just few and then that seems to give so many people a pass of, I don't have to, that's not my job. Man, I've heard that a lot, and that's really frustrating. If you're at a book of one Timothy, turn to chapter three. , there are qualifications there.

Now, when I read these qualifications and when I did, we read this in the seminary and one of the classes, and of course they pointed out just how obvious then that this is what God expects of his leadership. However, I want to make the challenge because even though the term bishop is used here in the new King James version, it literally means overseer.

Not the bishop that we think of when we think of Catholicism and some Lutheran denominations. First Timothy chapter three, qualifications of Overseers. This is a faithful saying, put yourself in this position and isn't this what's expected of all Christians? I think one of the points here is that to be in a leadership position one who is preaching God's word and teaching God's word. One needs to know God's word. And to know God's word means you've accomplished this. You are here at what this describes, not that you went to a school to obtain this. If a man desires the position of a bishop a k a overseer. He desires a good work.

The bishop then must be, and here they are. Blameless doesn't mean perfect, mind you, it just means a person who is righteous. They don't, they can't be blamed. They don't live a life or they can, they're cheating and lying. The husband of one wife, temperate, by the way, the husband of one wife, the very fact that he is looking specifically at a male and from other scripture, and this is not what this podcast is about, perhaps another time, but that men are the ones who are to lead in teaching and preaching God's word, but for all the qualifications of a person's behavior. This is for all Christians, blameless, temperate, sober-minded.

Of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not coveted. One who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence. For, if man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?

And again, because we know with God's word that men are put in as head of a the family unit, and this is God's word, not mine. But again, this is for another podcast when it comes to talking about family. But we are all given roles that we need to play. And it has nothing to do with authority because we already know that man and woman are created equally.

God doesn't love one more than the other. In fact, that's why marriage is so wonderful because it completes both the man and the woman. It makes us a better person when we are together. Let me finish, what else? So not a novice, Les being puffed up with pride. He fall. the same condemnation as the devil.

Moreover, he must have a good testimony among those who are outside and that's outside. That's the world, outside the body of Christ, unless he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. So when it comes to teaching and preaching, not a novice, and again, that doesn't mean a novice is somebody who doesn't have a higher education.

No, it just means that a novice is somebody who has been walking with the Lord for a short time because when we are baby Christians, as Paul has said before, we're vulnerable. We don't have the meat of the gospel of God's word in us. So we don't have that strength. We don't have, we're not able to use it as a weapon, as a sword in the armor of God to defend ourself and to go on offensive.

And say, no, you're wrong. I've met some amazing people who just love the Lord. They know God's word, obviously. Nobody knows it. Exactly word for word, and I understand that God's word is complex. It's living. It changes us and it teaches us in different seasons of life. So it's amazing he goes on, because then the qualification of Deacon.

Very similar. Likewise, deacons must be reverend not double tongue, not saying one thing to one group of people and then another to another. What we'd say two-faced. I find it interesting because it says, not given to much wine, whereas the position of bishop is not given to wine, but the same, not greedy for money being found blameless.

 Like wives, they're wives once again being identified as male must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Husbands of one wife ruling their children and their house. Well, the only thing that seems to be majorly different is deacons are not told they need to be able to teach. So that is where the role comes into place.

Yes, pastors can be looked at and preachers as somebody who can teach, and that is an important part of it. But for a teacher to be a good teacher, needs to know, what their teaching, having a bunch of education in all these other fields, and then even going in into a seminary and learning a ton of their denomination, but having very little time in God's word in comparison to all this other stuff, writing your own books for your doctorate and you know, the thesis and all this other stuff, that just is also wonderful. And the, and the world just finds it awesome. And that is, in some ways it is awesome. It can be fantastic, but not when it comes to teaching God's word.

Okay, so the other thing I wanted to do, take a moment and point out that there are many, many great pastors and preachers over time, um, who do not have a formal education or higher education, whatever terminology we're using these days, but they have done wonders. The Lord has worked through them, and so they have done wonder.

Teaching and preaching God's word. And you know, one of them that I like to hear a lot about is Charles Spurgeon. He grew up in a Christian, uh, in a Christian family, but he still felt convicted. And in one, and in his autobiography, he shares that at the age of 15, Spurgeon needed to really go to church, but there was a snow storm.

And so for shelter, he ducked into the primitive Methodist Chapel. Because of the snowstorm. Apparently the regular preacher wasn't there. Some people say it's a lay preacher, but again, I'm going to stay from using that. So a substitute preacher stepped into the pulpit and read his text, which was Isaiah 45 22.

Look unto me and be, save all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else. Now, in his autobiography, here's a short part of an excerpt from that Aspersion. These are his words. Now, he had not much to say. That being the substitute preacher, he had not much to say. Thank God for that compelled him to keep on repeating his text.

Which is Isaiah 45 22. Then stopping, he pointed to where I was sitting under the gallery and he said, quote, that young man there looks very miserable, and he shouted as I think only a primitive Methodist can look. Look young man, look now. Then I had this vision. Spurgeon writes. Not a vision to my eyes, but to my heart.

I saw what a savior Christ was. Now I can never tell you how it was, but I know sooner. Saw whom I was to believe that I also understood what it was to believe, and I did believe. In one moment. The reason I think this is so amazing and so wonderful is not the part about Spurgeon himself. I mean, that too is an amazing story because of course, Spurgeon goes on to be obviously a famous preacher.

and I'm sure led countless people to the feet of Jesus. And to this day, because of him, many souls are in heaven now because, um, he preached and taught God's word as God had called him to do. What's amazing is what's overlooked, and that is the substitute preacher or what some writers have called the lay preacher.

Isn't that something that that day God used that man who renames nameless, and he is the one who ultimately, God used to change the course of Charles Spurgeon. It wasn't this big, high educated man, it was a lay preacher. As they say, too much is given over to higher education.. There's a place for higher education.

There are careers that need it, that are very advanced. I certainly wouldn't want a brain surgeon who had never gone through medical school to be doing surgery on my brain. And of course, there's other professions we can sit and talk about in the same way, but there are other professions that as much as the knowledge is important, What's in the person's heart is more important.

Teaching. In the past, the teachers that I worked with and even teachers, you can look back at your own teachers that you've had, whether you're in higher education or not. Whether it was, uh, K through 12 or college. The teachers that loved teaching are the ones that I saw do the most. They were amazing, amazing.

because that's what God designed them to do, and they just love teaching. But that's the kind of stuff you can't go and learn. It's what God has given us the ability to do. But when it comes to preaching God's word, mind you, if you are a baby Christian, a recently born again Christian, yeah. I've seen it happen where somebody who is just saved by the Lord, they're so excited.

They go out and right away because of their convictions, they start telling people what they can and cannot do. That often backfires because, um, often we are all convicted of something, a little different. With good intentions the new Christian gets, gets gunned down though because they just go about it the wrong way.

So yes, that's where experience comes in. Not a novice is what, how Paul put it. And I like it, put that way because it's got everything to do with character and the fact that a person is in God's word. And if you have been walking with the Lord for, for quite a while, If you are not a novice Christian, then yes, you have a responsibility to help guide other Christians who don't understand that they need to be in God's word daily and to be praying to the Lord.

You know, they, they don't understand certain things, and the more that you spend time in God's word, Christian, yes, the more that you need to help others. Now you may not be given the spiritual gift of preaching and teaching, and that's okay because I'm not advocating that we should all be doing that. That would be like having a body with just an arm and a stomach and that's it.

Well, we need every part of the body to be able to walk and talk and to see and to hear. We need people doing all kinds of different things. But with that said, we are all to be reading God's word. We are all to be growing and walking with him. We are all to be opening ourselves up so the Holy Spirit can sanctify us.

So Christian, how is your walk with the Lord Jesus coming along? How is your relationship with the one who paid your sin? Debt? Are you praying to him? Are you reading his word daily? Praying is us speaking to him and the Lord speaks to his people through his holy scriptures. I certainly do hope you are. I encourage you to do that.

Remember, Jesus loves us so much and he has given us the ability to give our love to him. to really love him in our hearts. We don't need to know everything about our savior. And that's where a lot of faith comes in. And there's going to be plenty, as you're reading God's word, that sure, some of it just might not make sense.

It can be frustrating, but that's why we also come together because the Holy Spirit is who teaches us and who gives us the understanding of God's word. It's not going to just happen over. But I'm honored to be here. I am honored to be amongst my brothers and sisters. I am here for you. You can go to my website, bbrmaul.com.

Again, that's M A U L as in into Mame or to Destroy. If you're Star Wars fan Darth Maul. No relation. Send me a message. I'd love to hear from you disagree with something I'm saying let's talk. I am so willing to do that because that is how we grow, is that we come together. But if you have any struggles, if you have anything that you would like me to pray for, whether it's on the podcast or not, I'm here for you.

I've been walking with the Lord now, uh, steadily and reading his word for a good 18 years. I still have so much to learn. What I have learned, the Lord has put upon my heart not to keep to myself, to use my experiences and what he has taught me and what I continue to learn in his word each and every day.

To those who are willing to listen to those who don't know his son, Jesus Christ, I encourage you to take that step and to ask Jesus into your heart today. Don't. , but do it today. Don't worry about what the next step is. In fact, you can get ahold of me. Go right ahead and go to my website and you can email me and just tell me I come to the Lord Jesus and I don't know what to do, and I'll be happy.

Happy to help you out and for those who are indeed walking with the Lord this day, my brothers and sisters in the faith. I love you so much and I do pray and hope that you continue to walk with our Lord Cuz every moment that we spend with him, we are not letting the world influence us. We are letting our Heavenly Father influence us.

I can't stay enough to stay on the narrow path, beloved. And I know it's effort. I know it takes effort, but we're in this together and he promises and he is with us always. Until next time, God bless.

Songs

“Heroes Inspire Hope” and “Mountainscape” by Humans Win

“Positive Vibrations” by Boris Skalsky; “The Drama Unfolds” by Jon Presstone

Sound Effects from Storyblocks.com