How Do I Tell My Story? Season 3: Episode 12

Levi has a riff stuck in his head, Easter Jam Recap, and why it's important to share the story God gave you.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:05

All right, well, welcome to episode 12, I think. I hope of Live at Liberty. Just look at the title. I'm pretty sure it's 12 of season three. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 0:16

That's a lot. That feels like we've been doing this for a while.

SPEAKER_04 0:19

We haven't even we we we're not even teenagers yet. I mean, we're still wild in uncontrolled.

SPEAKER_03 0:25

We're in the tweens of season three.

SPEAKER_07 0:27

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 0:28

What about that? Uh anyway, so we were kind of kicking around some riffs before. Actually, I think we did press record, but you won't see it because that's gonna be cut out in the bloopers. But Levi, I feel like this happens to you quite a bit. Yes. Happens to me too, but you get a riff or a song or a lyric or something stuck in your head, and it just eats at your mind until you figure out what it is, and then you got to listen to it to sort of like clear the the search history of your brain, if you will.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

So random fun fact uh I took German in college, and there's a word for that because Germans have cool words for very specific things. Orvorm, like a like an like an earworm, something that gets in your in your stuck in your head.

SPEAKER_03 1:10

So you were orvormed like to the max before we kicked us off.

SPEAKER_02 1:15

All day, every day. There's probably a song or a or a movie scene or something someone said playing just over and over.

SPEAKER_03 1:21

Can you riff that for us on the mic real quick? Can you just give it a spin? See if see if you can guess what riff this is.

SPEAKER_02 1:30

So I was looking for it all morning and could not find it. Uh haven't even heard it. I don't even know where it came from in my head. Maybe it was a commercial or something like that, but it went a little something like You couldn't do it. Everybody, clear the way. And I I mean, apparently Google can't search that in Chat GPT. He's like, I don't know what you're talking about. Um, but I said it to Austin in about 0.5 seconds. He goes, Oh, yeah, that's yeah. That's another one. That's voodoo child by uh Jimi Hendrix.

SPEAKER_04 2:03

That's that's why you're not an endorsement of this.

SPEAKER_02 2:07

I took it, I I don't even I couldn't even tell you where the song came from, much less how it got into my head.

SPEAKER_03 2:12

But well, let me just say I sat in my bedroom in the floor with my Stratocaster, my whammy pedal, my wa pedal playing along to my iPod. Well no, whom I so I mean that's been backlogged in the archives for learned in the memory, yeah. Yeah, that's that's one of the easiest ones for me to help you with. That's what having no friends in middle school looks like. Blessed. Oh, wow. Get decent at the guitar.

unknown 2:35

It's okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:35

I have friends. I feel like I should be better at the guitar then.

SPEAKER_07 2:38

Okay, can we back up for a second though? Because I thought you were a Spanish major. So you didn't you took German too?

SPEAKER_02 2:43

Well, if you're if you're a foreign language major in, or at least at the school I went to, then you had to have at least two years of another language, and I didn't want to do French because I feel like I'd confuse Spanish and French all the time. So I went German.

SPEAKER_07 2:53

Wow, I didn't realize that.

SPEAKER_03 2:55

I took German in high school, and man, I learned nothing. But I had a great time with my friends though.

SPEAKER_07 2:59

Because the elementary school by me okay, they have German classes too.

SPEAKER_04 3:03

I barely can speak English.

SPEAKER_07 3:05

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. I'm like, German's a hard language.

SPEAKER_03 3:08

Before we totally get off of this riff subject, I I would like to say I think this would be a great opportunity for Brian to, you know, how he's been doing the AI thumbnails, just make you into like a Jimi Hendrix cosmic. I think that would be a positive idea.

SPEAKER_04 3:22

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_03 3:23

Why not? I mean, it's your fault. Or Google ads fault.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

See, when you said that, when you said it's your fault in my head, I went, hi, it's me. I'm the problem, it's me.

SPEAKER_04 3:34

And I'd listen to that if you paid me, but we could put the story behind the music. Taylor Swift. Oh, that's the story behind the music, right? Because we're talking about stories.

SPEAKER_07 3:43

We're talking about stories today.

SPEAKER_02 3:44

You rewinded a VH1 like 35 years ago. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 3:48

Oh, that's behind the, isn't it? Behind the behind the music. Behind the music.

SPEAKER_03 3:51

Yeah. What about that? Maybe maybe our future consideration for a future podcast. But for now, let's pivot a little bit. I always think about the Friends episode when somebody says pivot. We're thinking about references left and right here. Let's talk about Easter Jam Sunday. Yes. Don't you just kind of take a floor here?

SPEAKER_07 4:08

So much fun. You can kind of still see a little bit of the memories outside. We don't know if it's Pollen. We don't know if it's just the yellow team who had fun. But if you were not able to come to Easter Jam this Sunday, basically we were able to share the gospel with families, and um, and that was so much fun. And then we blessed them with the gospel outside. And let me tell you, our volunteers at first were like, I don't think I want to get dirty. And by the end of it, can I just say we started, I think it was like what, 20 pounds of colored like powder? We are down to three pounds of powder. And uh, it was awesome. There are pictures online.

SPEAKER_03 4:52

So half a pound of it wound up in the passenger seat of our van.

SPEAKER_07 4:56

I was gonna say my left ear, but yeah, Jenny Hendrix, she speaking of Hendrix, uh, shot me in the mouth with blue dye. So that was enjoyable. Um, not on purpose, but it did happen. Um, but no, for all the volunteers and just for everybody who came out, such a big thank you because it was fun. It was a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_03 5:16

So it looked like fun. I'm kind of I don't really get dirty. I've been this way since I was a kid.

SPEAKER_07 5:22

We did have a spectating line that just followed the crowd. Um were you in the amateur photography?

SPEAKER_03 5:29

I was ready to play the song at the end, and I was really hoping nobody would like think it was funny to like throw powder on my guitar and you got out of it because I mean there are some people getting chased down.

SPEAKER_07 5:39

Kelly Cochran and Brenda Powell, they were chased down.

SPEAKER_03 5:42

There were a few people I had to be like, no, no, no, no, no. Like, yeah, show my mean side of it. I love the zeal. I love the zeal.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

Enthusiasm for ministry. That's what I'm talking about. Yeah, super fun.

SPEAKER_07 5:50

If you weren't able to come, we definitely have pictures on um our Facebook pages and thank a volunteer if you see them because they were awesome.

SPEAKER_03 5:58

Cool. Well, I think for now we are gonna pivot to David Neal. He's got some dad jokes for us. We love the dad jokes, Neil. Um, and he's gonna read our announcements, all of our sports and bowling and softball scores and all that stuff, so stay tuned. All right. That's bowling right there. That's bowling right there.

SPEAKER_01 6:16

I reckon we'll I reckon we'll get started. Birthdays at Liberty include the following, and there's quite a few. March 31st, Evan Hawkins. In case you don't know, that's Brian and Shannon's grandson, is turning one year old already. April 1st, Mavy Glenn turning one. April 1st, I don't have to say April 1st every time. Let's say April 1st, Mavy Glenn is turning one, and Stephanie Young is turning some undisclosed age. April 2nd, Avery C, Mark and Tammy C's daughter. April 3rd, Wanda Ryder and Pinky Collins. April 4th, Leah Long. April 5th, Ronnie Jackson. Pronounced Ronnie. I should have read the notes. Zeke Troop's birthday is April 6th. April 7th, we have Christy Hawkins, Grady Miller, April 8th, Connor Haynes, April 9th, is April Drew and Carson Lowry's birthdays. April 11th, Weston Stanley and Easton Edwards. And then on April 12th, Rose Barrett and Jay Doolhit turning one. The only disclosed ages are those that are turning one. For anniversaries, we have on March 31st, Gary and Jeanette Abraham. April 5th is James and Brenda Powell. And April 10th is Hunter and Katie Shady. Announcements for Liberty Easter Sunday will offer two service times at 9 and 11 a.m. Choose one that works best for your family and invite someone to join you as we celebrate the hope of the resurrection together. There will be no prayer meeting service on Easter. Due to the spring break week, there will be no Wednesday night groups on April the 8th. We will resume normal schedule on April the 15th. Now for the sports updates. In bowling, Liberty 2 had another strong week getting four wins against Temple Baptist. Father Abraham led the scoring with a 222. Fantastic. Liberty 1 bowled shorthanded after having to move Jeremy Poe to the injured list this week. Central Church of Christ took advantage of our situation and took four games from us. As we go into the last week of the bowling season, our off-season plans and contract negotiations are in the works. In softball, we lost. That's all I have to say about that. And now dad jokes with David Neal. The part that you've all been waiting for. Dad jokes. Did you know that milk is the fastest liquid? And did you know the best runners don't eat before a race? That's because they fast. Thank you. Have a good day.

SPEAKER_03 9:21

This is the third time that we have tried to come back from David's segment. David, thank you for the dad jokes. I keep messing it up. I keep trying to describe like how it's an art and how it's like entertainment. And I just say something really dumb that I don't know how to like land the plane on. That's okay. But that went better just now than the previous two takes. See, there you go.

SPEAKER_07 9:42

So let's keep rolling.

SPEAKER_03 9:43

I just I can't be like I could never be like a newscaster or a reporter because like I'm just teleprompters though, so you're not making it up. I'm Ron Burgundy.

SPEAKER_04 9:52

That's oh boy they say the third time's a charm, right? So man, we we're doing good so far. We are dude, right?

SPEAKER_03 9:59

Yeah, okay. Well killing it. Let's run on this charm here. Um we have an interesting topic today. Uh somebody asked us a question about um telling your story, not part of the truth, but the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Warts and all, flaws, mistakes um in church, and sometimes how maybe church culture, uh I don't think necessarily this church, but just in general, can make you feel like maybe there's not room or there's an opportunity to tell your whole story, your whole testimony, um, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Because I think people are afraid of being judged sometimes. I know we all probably fear that to some degree. You know, what are people gonna think if they if they know the real me or if they heard all the details of my story? I thought it'd be a great opportunity for you to just kind of jump us off here and and just talk about just some of the different cause there's a lot of nuances to this conversation. You know, there's there's questions that people have about, you know, um about stories being told in the Bible, you know, like how much do we tell of our story and how it affects other people. So why don't you kind of get a started?

SPEAKER_04 11:10

So when I first when I first came to Liberty and found out about Celebrate Recovery and went through the 12-step process, and at the end of it, you get to share your five-minute testimony, and that's like that's scary, right? So but but what was interesting about mine is is so for it was probably I don't know, we we had been probably about four years after I got burned, uh came to Liberty, and and then we got involved in Celebrate Recovery, and it came time to share a story. And man, we had we had made up a fib story because we didn't want people to know. And it was through the 12-step process that man, we realized that God wanted us to share our story, that people needed to hear it, and that we had been holding, we had been holding back what God really wanted to do. And so, man, I remember sharing the our my story for the first time, and then um it's like two weeks later, Brian had me on a Sunday morning two services sharing my 10-minute story, and it's like, oh my god, it's like crazy. And but uh the beauty of that is is so we had a lot of fears because you know I I was burned 70% of my body making methamphetamine. And man, you just go blasting something like that, and you've got the opportunity to go to jail, you've got like there's a whole lot of things like risk. Yeah, there's a there's a lot of risk involved. Yeah. Uh but man, there there comes a point where faith has to come involved, right? And and when faith, when when God intersects in that and and he uses your story, I I remember the the after I got done sharing that Sunday morning, we had so Stephanie's biggest fear is going to jail, right? Oh bless her. Yeah. So happy birthday, Steph. Yeah, it's yeah, it's her birthday. So but but her biggest fear was going to jail. And so um w we had two campuses at the time, and and the warden at Walker State Prison was watching the service, and like two days later, she calls me up and she's like, Hey, I need you to come share your story in the in Walker State Prison. And and Stephanie says, Don't do it, you're going to jail. It's a trap. She said, You're going to jail. It's a it's a trap. But but it was what I find in it is is that God was increasing our faith to share our story by the doors that he opened, right? And and the more that we became willing to open up and share, you know, just just what God, not just what God had done, but like all of the struggles that man everybody goes through. Man, the you know, at Celebrate Recovery, we call them hurts, habits, and hang ups. And man, I don't I don't think anybody can go through life without being hurt, having a habit or having a hang up. I think we all fit in that category. And and man, when you're when you're able to sit down in a room with a group of people and really work through your life and look at some things and you go, Wow, I I can see God like I can see all the places where God was interceding on my behalf, just all the little details as you write out your story. Uh and it's amazing what God does. And and not just that, is as you begin this process, how he adds to your story uh is such a beautiful thing. And so, man, people can can argue theology, but they can't they can't argue uh a life change, right? And and so man, I I am prime example of man, you can change, right? The power of the Lord Jesus Christ has the ability to change you and keep you and grow you into what he wants you to be. And man, that came about through the power of sharing my story. Um I I would not be where I I was if God hadn't have written that story in my life. And then even though I was fearful so many times to share the power of the Holy Spirit, give me the courage, despite my fear, uh, just to step out in faith and begin to share uh just what he'd have me to share.

SPEAKER_02 15:34

And I think about how many doors that's opened for you and for Steph to to share your story in different places and just the lies that's impacted. I know personally, look, telling my brother um your story and and where you came from and where you are now and what God's done, I think that was a was a big part of him thinking, okay, well, if if this is the kind of kind of people that I'm I'm gonna go be working with, or you know, this is the kind of stuff that God's doing up there, then I want to be a part of that. And it it it makes me think of the the the two things about stories is the the universality, I don't know if that's a word, but like how everybody has a story. They they may all be different, but we we all have a story, and like you said, you can't take that away from somebody. And the the other thing is that how God can use it. A lot of times when people are scared to be vulnerable or scared to tell their story, they're worried about, you know, I'm gonna mess it up, or someone else is gonna think or judge, or or this circumstance or this situation is gonna come about, you know, we're gonna go to jail or whatever. But but really when the when the focus is on, okay, God, look, here's me and all my all my junk, and you know, here's here's where I've been, here's what you did, and here's where I am and where I'm going, like putting it in God's hands and just letting him run with it, yeah, you you you net you never know what kind of impact your story is gonna have on someone else and how God can use that.

SPEAKER_04 16:55

And that's that's the difference, is is that like when you begin to look at you, you're looking in the wrong place. But when you begin to look at God and how he's writing your story, man, it it's amazing. And and you know, my story's dramatic, and and and just because my story is dramatic doesn't mean that your story doesn't have the same kind of power. Because because the thing is, is that the same God, right? The same God that spoke into my story is the same God that spoke into your story that wants to use your story to bring him glory.

SPEAKER_06 17:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 17:26

Yeah, well, I I think the consistent theme in all of our stories, you know, we talk about like how I mean y'all's life story and your testimony and the Lord intervening in your life is a pretty dramatic change. And it's and it's a really powerful story, and there's a lot of big events, but you know, I think part of this question that you know we were asked is you know, well, what if my story is not like I don't have you know this, you know, I was I went to jail or or I was delivered from an addiction or this, that, or the at the end of the day, I think what we have to remember is like all sin being redeemed and washed away by Christ is just as much of a miracle as as any other sin. And so I mean it it may be more dramatic, it may have be more eventful, but at the end of the at the end of the day, we're all given the same miracle of salvation. And so it it is a dramatic thing really to be taken from a life of brokenness and sin and be restored in Christ.

unknown 18:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 18:28

So let us jump. Sorry, I was just thinking if you're on the other side of that, because to your point, I'm a pastor's kid. I grew up in church, I went to a Christian school, like the complete opposite of, oh, then you should have had everything easy. But that's where a lot of things can even get taken for granted. Um, and there's an expectation of, well, he's just always gonna be there. Oh, he's I knew a lot about God, I knew how to answer every answer. Uh, you could Bible quiz me, you could do whatever, and I could just I could talk about God all day. I didn't know him. Uh, the expectation was to be at church, not to have a relationship. The the expectation was to make sure you didn't make your parents look bad. Not from my mom and dad, they were fantastic, but it's hard. Um and I can say, you know, from that, so my story isn't necessarily traumatic or there isn't anything like that, but I will say having to heal from disappointment or from what I thought I deserved because I have served you, because I am in church. I'm one of your kids. Why did they always get it? And how come I'm not getting what I should I've been doing this forever? It's kind of the prodigal son and the son that stayed. It's the same dad who's reaching out saying, I want you both. And so we're the ones competing. God's not the one competing. And so I can remember just being transformed because I had to go to a conference for a church service. I had to go. I did not want to go. I was not in a good spot. Um, even though I was working for God, I was not loving him at that moment. I was really angry about some things that had happened just with me personally. And I can remember sitting in that worship service and I had to be in that worship service. I kept finding excuses not to be in there because they were thanking all the volunteers. And so I couldn't get out of it. I tried. Um, and I had to go in there and I listened to one of the keynote speakers, and she was talking about what does it look like when you're disappointed with God? And I was like, oh, great. You know, here we go. But just hearing those conversations gave me permission to start healing because up to that point I didn't know I was allowed to say, I'm mad and I'm frustrated and I'm angry. Don't live there. Don't live there. But when you can admit that God's going, okay, now we can get back on track because at least now we're talking. At least now there's relationship back. And so, you know, for the other side of that, I would say, you know, that same God is reaching out to the to the ones who go, I've been doing this forever. You might have been doing it, but are you in a relationship or is it just knowing a whole lot? Or, you know, there's a whole lot about stories that I think you dig into.

SPEAKER_02 21:15

And I think that that highlights the the importance of a testimony like that is because not everybody can relate to a testimony like Scott's or mine. But I mean, think of how many people have um, you know, either don't know God but are are working for him or or go to church because that's what you do, or all these scenarios where you know maybe you're not, you know, deep in the depths of sin or whatever from your perspective, but you just you're apart from God, you're separated from God. You know, when Jesus talks about it's you know it's harder for you know um a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man entering heaven, like same thing. It's it's it's hard to it's easy to see life change when it's really dramatic. It's not so easy when you're just a a good kid or Or something like that. And I I've seen that again and again and even seen it firsthand where somebody who I I saw give a testimony, uh one of our students actually, um, who was asked to give testimony but didn't have, you know, a testimony that she thought was was worthy to share and it ended up being super powerful, you know. And um that's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 22:20

Can I like so if you're if you if you struggle with like and my story's not my story's not like his story or my story's not, but your story is unique to you, right? And you influence people that man, that I can't influence. I can't I can't walk into some of the places that you can with your story and share. Like my story, I can walk in and and and you go, wow, like that that was messed up. And and man, I'm when when I when I talk to people that say that they don't have a story, I'm like, man, you should you should be so grateful that that God has given you a story and not giving you a story like mine, right? Because sometimes sometimes those those stories like you, like, even though even though God has healed you and brought you to some places, the memory of those things are still there. Yeah right. And and and the thing is is though, but our stories, uh, they build bridges and they don't build walls, right? They connect us to the gospel and they connect other people to the gospel. People that man wouldn't be willing to walk into a church or people that have been hurt by church that man, you've you've been through some of the same things, and and man, you've seen God heal you through that, and and you you're able to speak into that, right? Not every everybody's story is unique, uh, but but God uses those things to touch people in ways that, man, I I couldn't go and talk to somebody about well that gives me a question.

SPEAKER_07 23:50

Okay, so for ladies, most of us carry shame like a backpack. Satan loves it. And so a lot of times we won't share what's going on because of the shame of maybe it's I'm not a great wife, or I'm not a great mom, or I'm not able to be a mom, or I don't have enough patience. Like Satan twists our story to shame. I'm just curious, what do guys feel on that? Is it like I just hear a lot of females say, I don't share my story because I'm so ashamed of it. So they put on this persona. Is that does that work in the same thing with guys?

SPEAKER_03 24:25

I think I mean, I think it's maybe case by case. I think we probably all have three different answers to your question that we probably want to say at the same time. And for me, um, I think I've learned to be more open about kind of the flaws and the mistakes in my story, and just kind of like going back to what you were saying. You know, we we're afraid to say those things a lot of times because we're afraid of what people will think. Yeah. But that's really kind of like you were saying, Satan twisting um what is us into believing that the kind of the most powerful part of our story that can really help set other people free is is not of use. And so, I mean, a lot of times when we're open with about our flaws or our mistakes or our carrying of shame or not feeling like we're good enough or whatever, based on past experiences or upbringing or whatever. I mean, that's really a lot of times the key thing that like when people see somebody brave enough to share all the parts of their story, they they say, Well, man, they did it. So that encourages me to share my story. I think more specifically for me personally, um, and I think this also goes into another thing that I want to talk about, just talking about, you know, how how do we share, how do we share the appropriate parts of our story that um in the right context, and then you know, there are inevitably sometimes going to be those parts of our stories or other people's stories where we just have to be careful about the way that we present them because we don't want to bring harm to others. There are parts of my story where just kind of out of respect for people, um, you know, I know the Lord uh has redeemed a lot of things in my life, and I and I don't feel that it's appropriate or beneficial or or edifying to talk on a platform about those things. Um so it it really is just kind of like a situation by situation, what what's edifying, what's beneficial, and and what's gonna keep uh like further harm from happening to others. So I I mean I I know we want to go that direction with the conversation, and you got a ton to say about that, especially with just the I'm gonna try to say anonymity and confidentiality of of CR. I'm not gonna try to say the what happens here stays here when you leave here, here, here. Yeah. And you're the only person I've heard get that right. Um I've I've done it a long time. That's it's like second nature. But anyway, let's I I do want to kind of talk about what what you were really trying to drive home is you know, like what what do we what do we carry? How do how do guys deal with that?

SPEAKER_04 26:59

So one of the things that man I I think for all men we don't want to look weak, right? And and that's a that's a that's a that's a big deal in a man's life. And but but you know, you know, in celebrate recovery, we have we have a blue chip, and on that blue chip, it's got Second Corinthians 12, 9 on it says it says, But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Then Paul says, I therefore I will I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. So, man, it it's it's when we do get vulnerable with our story, and man, I begin to boast about my weakness, that the power of Christ comes into that, right? And and does something amazing that I can't do, right? That takes the Spirit of God to do that. And so when when I'm okay with God with that, right, when his grace is enough, so if I'm okay with him to allow him to come into my weakness, then then man, the power of Christ rests on my story, and it has it has the ability, right? The power of Christ has the ability to use my weakness to speak into the hearts of other people. And and so many times we we walk around and you you ask somebody in church, how are you today?

SPEAKER_02 28:21

Blessed and highly favored.

SPEAKER_04 28:23

I'm good. I'm fine, I'm fine.

SPEAKER_07 28:27

I hate that word so much.

SPEAKER_04 28:28

But but but the truth is is that I may not be fine, right? And man, when you can come into a place to where you you can be honest about some things in a safe environment, right? Not not like some things, some things are meant to be so like at Celebrate Recovery.

SPEAKER_03 28:49

But some people in some situations you can't trust. Yeah, with with your story and and all the details.

SPEAKER_04 28:55

Yeah, so at Celebrate Recovery, if you come on a Thursday night, we have small groups, right? And anybody can join those small groups. But if you come if you sign up for 12 step on Wednesday night, that's a closed group. There's a certain amount of people that are set that stay there. Now some fall off. And and so the sharing in a group where it could just change overnight, you you just surface level share, right?

SPEAKER_06 29:18

Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 29:18

In a group that's not going to change, where you're gonna walk with me through my story, I can have a deeper level of sharing. But then we have sponsors that this is a person that I trust, right? That I that I that I totally believe that the Lord is moving in their heart. That they they have a story that they're they're willing to share, they're open and honest, and they're they're they have the ability to speak into my life when I'm when I'm leaning one way or the other, and and they have the I've given them the ability to speak into my life when I share about certain things. And that's an even deeper level of sharing. And then God is the safest place that we can take any of our sharing, right? So there's there's different levels of sharing different atmospheres and different people that I'll share my deepest things with, but but ultimately God God's power rests in all of my weakness. I just have to be aware and discerning of the atmosphere that I'm gonna share in. And then, man, when when when God opens the door, right, there's a lot of things in my story that would make your hair curl, but I don't want to gratify the flesh, I don't want to gratify, I don't want to boast in any of that. I want to, if I'm gonna share something, I'm gonna share, hey, this is where I was weak, and man, this is where Christ came into that weakness and he made me strong, right?

SPEAKER_02 30:39

There's such such wisdom in what you just said about um the different levels uh and how how how close in you let you know certain people, if you're if you're sharing uh to a crowd, it's it's one thing. You get into a small group, it's you can be a little bit more into if it's a closed group, and then you get down to a sponsor. I mean, like you can you can really you know really share, and then with God, man, he knows everything anyway, so you can just pour your heart out and stuff. So um I think that's super wise. And again, what you said with you know, I don't want to gratify the flesh, being able to tell your story in a way that's God honoring and people helping, um, is is almost um I don't know if it's a skill necessary, but you can get better when I was when I was young and shared my story, I probably focused a lot more on the the bad side and almost sounded like I was I don't think I was intentionally doing it, I just didn't know what I was doing, but but almost glorifying all the sin and and just expounding on all the sin of my previous life, and then God was a small part of that testimony. And and it's it's gotta be that the focus has got to be different. God's got to be the star of my testimony. Yeah, here's where I was, but but then Christ came. But then, but then here's how he's changed my life. And when you when you do that and give him the glory for it and make the focus on him, um, I don't think it gratifies the flesh the same way, and it it it gives him um an opportunity to use that in how how he sees fit.

SPEAKER_03 32:02

So one thing that I would kind of zero back in on with this question is you know, this this person is asking, how do we feel about a church that prefers to keep stories and testimonies hidden and not speaking openly about their flaws and mistakes? And and we've talked about like having the freedom in the right context to speak individually um about our own stories, and and I'm maybe I'm reading into this too much, or maybe I'm not reading into it enough, but uh it seems like a lot of times you hear stories of different churches that you know there was a pastor scandal or the worship leader was doing this or that or the other. And for a long time um it was even an effort within the church to cover that up to preserve the image for the sake of the institution and and or the brand, you know, like a a lot of a lot of stuff is coming out lately about big churches and and ministries that people have had speculation about for a long time. And I I don't think that's the point of this conversation or podcast, but one thing that I my mind goes back to, my memory goes back to is early on when me and Val were in the interview process, um I remember we all met at the Williams House, and I think y'all were not here yet, but I know y'all and your your families were there. And um one thing that I noticed really in our first big serious conversation that we had together was just how open and honest and real everybody was just about their story. Yeah. And so that that was something that really drew us um to liberty and and that I've I've felt like is a consistent thing within the church that was not just that conversation that night, but anybody we've met, anybody we've you know had over the house or had lunch with or something, everybody's pretty willing to um to tell their stories. And I think that because of a lot of those themes, creating that culture of the right context, the right accountability, the right trust, um, and all the different levels that it exists here has really created a culture where people do feel open uh to be vulnerable and and to share their their flaws and their mistakes and and like you're talking about, the the redemptive parts of their story and what God's done. Um so I I mean I think liberty is really unique in that. And I think that there are other churches that do that well too. But I just think it's important to highlight, you know, as we're talking about, you know, it being a positive thing for churches to be willing to be transparent. Um I I I would just brag on liberty and that I think that we do it well. Um, not that we don't have room to improve and always fine-tune everything, but um, you know, I hope that that's everybody's impression that comes here that that they're wherever they're coming from or whatever they're looking for when they walk in the doors, that they do sense that there is a place for them to plug in and and go deeper and be transparent.

SPEAKER_04 34:56

Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I I mean if you're if you're man, I I would I would want to invite you to just come. Like if you if you're struggling with your story or you're you're struggling with, man, is the church gonna really, is it really gonna love me where I'm at? I I've been here for gosh, I've been here for 12 years, and and this church has loved me. I came in and sat on a pew just like everybody else, and man, now I'm on staff this church, and they just love me through my story and and love me. Uh, but man, I would I would invite you to come and just sit on a Thursday night and hear stories and testimonies and and just see the freedom that Jesus Christ brings through the power of story. And then man, begin to pray and ask the Lord, where can I share my story? Right? Where where where can where can you open the door for me to to be an encouragement to somebody? I I so the guy that was baptized Sunday, right? So cool story. So um the Sunday prior, so I'm sitting in the back of the church, and about the second song, I don't know what you played, Austin, but you you really you really struck a chord. Second song.

SPEAKER_03 36:09

You really struck a oh two weeks ago. Yeah. Oh, I have to look back. I have like I have like a seven-day running memory, and then the the hard drive just wipes. That's at that point. That's okay. But whatever I gotta go to the city.

SPEAKER_04 36:21

The Holy Spirit knew the second song, whatever you hit, you struck a nerve. And so young man comes out of the service. I'm sitting in the back, and and so I walk out and and I just ask him, hey man, what's going on? He said, Tears in his eyes, he's sobbing. And he says, Man, I can't, I I I can't get my dad to come to church. He's in addiction. I I I just I don't I don't I'm trying to figure out my own life. I I don't know how to help him. And man, I I said, Hey, can I share some hope with you? I said, My dad's sitting in that service, and I want to tell you that I was I was born into addiction.

SPEAKER_03 36:58

Going right back to stories, nobody can argue with that.

SPEAKER_04 37:00

My my parents were addicts, and and man, I there was a time where I thought my dad would never dart the doors of a church, right? Man, he's sitting right in there because I never gave up praying, I never gave up hope, and I got the opportunity to leave my dad to the Lord Jesus Christ. And man, I want to tell you that man, that is the greatest thing that you can do with your life is give it to Jesus Christ. And he said, I want that. And I got the opportunity to lead him to the Lord. And and just how God's timing in your story and puts people where they need to be, when they need to be there, is just amazing, is an amazing thing. And you never know, right?

SPEAKER_07 37:42

Yeah, and what's cool though is like he was willing to be vulnerable with you, saying, Here's what I need, and you were being able to be vulnerable with him, saying, Here's my story. And I think sometimes that's where we miss either we're scared to be vulnerable with what we need or we're scared to be vulnerable with what we've gone through because of the same reason. We're scared of what are you gonna think of me? What are you gonna do? And you know, I think back and I'm going, okay, year two or three of marriage. How much would I have loved to have an older, more mature couple speak into our marriage? Because when we were fighting, I'm like, are we allowed to do this? I don't know how to talk to you. Like, and so then it felt really overwhelming. And I'm like, well, we can't admit that we're fighting because I'm like, you know, what if people say or what if this escalates, or what if and so then here you have these young kids trying to figure out how to communicate to each other. And it's like, what we could have done with people to give us some advice or some launching points or say, hey, one, you're not the only ones who have ever fought. Uh, because when we do come into church, we say we're fine and not I am about to karate chop my husband to the throat, but happy Sunday. I love you, babe. Um, because we're not gonna say that. Or, you know, I've felt personally where I'm going, if I get on to Maverick or if I am upset in front of other people and now they're trusting me with their kids, what are they gonna say? And I can't, and so it almost gives you this like unnecessary guardrail sometimes where not even a guardrail, it's like a wall where you're like, I can't do what needs to be done because of insert whatever. Um, you know, or what I do appreciate here is that more women are speaking up about either infertility or miscarriages or um unexpected things because for a while that was not talked about. And so when you're going through that alone, it is scary, it is overwhelming, and the healing process is just like going through quicksand. It's just never ending. And so having people to talk to you, not to hold you there, but to say there's still light. Yeah, it's gonna be okay. And it does suck. Am I allowed to say that word? It's not great. Okay, cool. Dave. Um, but just all those different things where I'm going like to your point, we need to know who to ask and where is it safe to go to get advice, not to have people um encourage the sin um and keep you there. So um, but also have people that say, Hey, been there, done that, here's what helped. Um so I just I encourage you to look at the church because I bet you there's people here that need to hear from you. Oh, yeah. Um, and then just to step into boldness and obedience to say, I'm gonna choose this over the shame that I might feel, and then watch God work because we've all needed it.

SPEAKER_04 40:28

It does take some discernment though, yeah. To know when to share, who to share with you. Absolutely. How much to share, you know. Yeah, because because there's some some things that just don't need to be shared, right? There's you know, we're seeing God do amazing work at the Murray County jail. But man, they're they're they're people that that like the Lord can redeem anybody. Absolutely. But man, there's there's sometimes there's things that people do to people that and that that you carry that mark for the rest of your life. And and and so, you know, you you you don't want to bring we we have a in one of the steps that celebrate recovery is when we go to make amends or we we don't want to cause more harm, right? So so if I share something uh that would cause more harm, that that that is that's not the gospel. That's not that's not bringing the healing process into it. So man, there's some things that you just like so there's some pictures because people have done stuff at the jail that we just don't put on the wall.

SPEAKER_03 41:27

Um and what we do have to trust is that ultimately those things will be redeemed in eternity. Um there are just certain circumstances where while while yes the soul has been saved and that the person has been redeemed, you know, um there is a glorification to come on the other side of it.

SPEAKER_04 41:45

Well, and and the other thing is is that you know, with with with what I do at Celebrate Recovery and the stories that I hear and the things that I hear, you can become jaded, right? So one of the things, one of the things that really helps me is is I when I look at people, I I change the way that I see, right? I I don't I look at you as made in the image of God, right? I I don't look at your like I don't look at what you've done. I don't like because all of those things, like the Lord can do whatever he wants to with them, but if I can get you to see the identity that you're created in, right? Then things can change. So how do you do that? Exactly. I'm sorry, I don't know, that's okay.

SPEAKER_07 42:27

I'm curious because I feel like sometimes people go, Okay, that's great. You're a pastor, of course you can do that. What about me? And so I'm just curious, how did you get there? How did that switch flip?

SPEAKER_04 42:41

I look at the cross. I I I look at man, the Lord was patient with me and he was kind to me, he forgave me, he had grace on me, had mercy on me, all of those things that I do not deserve, right? And when I got a biblical understanding of my identity, that I was created in him, and that I was created in his image, and that everything that he that he created, he called good, right? So man, if I if I work from the scripture, what the scripture says, that there's something good in you, right? Then I can look past all of the stuff that you've done, I can look past your flaws, your mistakes, your all of those things, and and I can I can come to the core of truth, right? Not what the world says about you or what you've done, but what the word of God says about you, right? And then I can draw that out of you and get you to see it as well. And that changes everything, right?

SPEAKER_03 43:44

You hit the nail on the head with exactly kind of where I wanted to land this whole thing because the the question ends with I think there are a lot of people that think you cannot talk about mistakes or flaws at church because of your image. And really what it all comes back to is What image are you being transformed into? And as long as you're, like you said, your eyes are fixed on the cross and you're being transformed into the image of Christ, that's the best way that you can represent the church.

SPEAKER_04 44:14

So at Celebrate Recovery, what when we do small groups and we introduce ourselves, you say, My name is Scott, I'm a grateful believer in Jesus Christ. And I struggle with these things, right? I don't identify, I identify with Christ. I don't identify with the things that I struggle with because God is still working on me. Philippians 1 6 says, God who began the good work and you will see it through to completion until the day that He calls you home. So God is still like I'm still peeling back the onion, the layers in my life that God is even today as a pastor, God is still working on me. And and I I still like I have things that God is revealing to me that just trying to work through so I can grow to a deeper relationship with him, right? Because that's that's what I want.

SPEAKER_02 45:00

So so what you made me think of is Scott's really good at that, not trying to like brag on you too hard or nothing like that, but it's true. Scott is really good at taking his story and using it for God's glory. And the part of it, I think, is that he's had so much practice. He'll tell you, I mean, every every Thursday night, or every every time he goes to a speeding speaking engagement, or every time he's going into the jail and stuff like that. Like he's practiced, and I I think that's that's important for us to know is if you are never telling your story, then yeah, it might it might seem you might get some stage frights in public speaking if it's the first time you ever shared it, but he's practiced over and over and over again and and knows what parts are are necessary for this time or this group or things like that. But the two things that I heard that you gotta get back to is one, you gotta have the Holy Spirit in you. You gotta be able to you can't just, you know, you you you need the Holy Spirit, right? Uh because he because he can take your words and use them, even if you fumble through it, even if you think it's not good enough or whatever. He has the power and and knowledge and and wisdom to be able to do that. So you gotta have the Holy Spirit, and you gotta go back to the scripture. It it's it's a matter of trusting God and what he says about you. So I may not be able to see the image of God in you if if we've got personal beef and you're marred by sin or you've done me wrong or X, Y, Z, whatever. But if the scripture says you're made in the image of God, I gotta trust that God is is telling the truth in his word. So having the Holy Spirit, um always going back to the scripture and practice making better.

SPEAKER_07 46:31

And it doesn't even have to be somebody in jail that you're struggling to see the image. It could be somebody under your own roof, it could be a family member, it could be somebody that you're about to spend Easter with.

SPEAKER_04 46:40

It could be somebody in this church. I mean, you like you can get you can, I mean, you can get church hurt and and go to church with people. And and and and the thing is is that God has called us to be faithful, right? That that's the whole thing, is God's called us to be faithful to him, faithful to our story, faithful to the scriptures, and and faithful to serving in his church, right? I'm not I'm not all like you see it in the Acts, so Paul and Barnabas, they had to part ways for a little bit, but but still they they were on the same they were on the same mission, right? And so it's it's it's keeping your eyes on the cross and keeping your eyes on Jesus Christ and knowing that man God can move my story, your story, to accomplish his will in whatever way he wants to. And I just have to be willing and faithful to to step out in faith and share it.

SPEAKER_02 47:36

What was the scripture you said in Revelation 12, 11? They they overcame by the the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.

SPEAKER_03 47:42

Yeah. Yeah. Man, I think that's that's a powerful conversation. And what I would say just to anybody listening or watching, or however you are taking this conversation in is get plugged into community where the Holy Spirit is at work, um, where the common goal is to be transformed into the image of Christ, and where there is that trust and that um that openness and that ability to share your life story and what God has done and what he's continuing to do, because the truth is all of our stories as we're living and breathing are still being written and God is still working. And uh so I I think that's I think it's a great conversation.

SPEAKER_04 48:20

And so, hey, listen, if you're if you if you're listening to this and you go, hey man, I I really want to share my story. I really wanna, I really wanna I really want to step into all God has for me, but I don't know how. And come talk to me. I I when I came to this church, I didn't know I didn't know nothing about God, I didn't know nothing about sharing your story. I all I know, all I knew was Jesus Christ had set me free, right? It's like the story in John chapter 9. I love John chapter 9, it's my probably my favorite. All I know is I was blind, yeah and now I see, right? That that's it.

SPEAKER_02 48:55

Good place to start.

SPEAKER_04 48:56

And and and man, if if you know what Jesus Christ has done for you, right? There's power in that. Nobody can refute that. And man, I know without a shadow of a doubt what Jesus Christ has done in my life. And man, I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for it's the power to salvation, right? Levi, why don't you play us out with a little riff? There you go, booty man.

SPEAKER_02 49:21

I was gonna do it, but he he did such a he did such a good job in that. I just wanted to be like, amen. And then it just like fade to black.

SPEAKER_03 49:28

Well, uh how do you want to end this? This is what did I say? This is episode 12, live at Liberty. Thanks for tuning in. I'll do it for you. What's your story? No, well, no, well, no, I don't know. See you at Easter.