The Rain and Wind Will Come

Pastor Lee Day sits down with Chris Lee, Frankie Brown, and Billy Livingston to walk straight through Matthew 7:21-29 and face the difference between saying the right words and actually knowing Christ. We talk about why church activity, big moments, and “mighty works” can still miss the point if there is no real relationship, no surrender, and no obedience that flows from love.

Then we move to the picture Jesus gives at the end of the Sermon on the Mount: two houses, two foundations, and the same storm. Rain, floods, and wind hit both. That means trials, temptation, loss, and pressure are not proof God left you, they are proof you live in a broken world. The real question is what you have been building on. We unpack what it looks like to hear the Word and practice it, how “great was the fall” can become mercy, and why sometimes we need to get out of God’s way and let Him rebuild what we kept trying to prop up.

We also get practical about spiritual growth, mind renewal, and discovering the will of God through the Bible, not shortcuts. If you want a stronger foundation, we share simple habits that help you stay in the Word, listen for the Holy Spirit, and live with steady faith when life gets loud. Subscribe for more Bible teaching, share this with someone who needs a reset, and leave a review. What part of Matthew 7 hit you the hardest?

Transcript

Welcome And Church Invitation

SPEAKER_03 0:07

Welcome to another episode of Beyond Sunday. I'm your host, Pastor Lee Day, and I pastor Christ Family Outreach Church located in the one and the only Amelia Courthouse, Virginia. And if you're looking for a church to grow in, a church to be involved in, a church where the word of God is preached each and every week, I personally want to take a moment to invite you to CFO and Amelia. Service begins at 10 a.m. on Sundays. We would love to see you. I hope we do see you there. Join us a Sunday. On today's episode, I've got three different guests today, and I know each one of them personally. They attend CFO Church. They have all three appeared on this show before, but this is the very first time that they've all come around the table together at the same time. So let me welcome these guys before we get started. I consider it a blessing to have each and every one of them sitting here at the table with me today. In no particular order, we've got Brother Chris Lee. He serves on the board at CFO Church. Brother Chris, how are you doing? Uh blessed, brother. Blessed.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

Glad to have you back, man. You were just here a couple weeks ago, brother. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I'm glad the uh seat opened up this quickly, man. Amen.

SPEAKER_03 1:11

Back around the table. That's right. Next up, we got Brother Frankie Brown. He leads our men's study. Brother Frankie, how are you doing? Doing well, brother. Amen. And you just preached at Recharge this past week, fired up. Yes, sir. Amen. It was a blessing. Amen. Still riding that wave, hopefully, man. Still riding, bro. Forever. Forever. Last but not least, Brother Billy Livingston, who, along with his wife Robin, head up our greeter team at CFO Church. Brother Billy, how are you doing, man?

Reading Matthew 7:21-29

SPEAKER_02 1:35

Oh, I am blessed, brother.

SPEAKER_03 1:36

Amen. Holy blessed. Thank you guys for being here. This is gonna be a fun episode. Folks, if you got your Bibles, we are going to be reading from Matthew chapter 7, verses 21 through 29. And this is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna read straight through it, and then the brothers and I, we're gonna circle back around and trust that we are gonna be led by the Holy Spirit. We've already prayed this morning before we came on air. And we just want to be a blessing to everyone listening out there, and let's grow in the word together. So Matthew 7, 21 through 29, this is what the word of God says. Jesus is teaching in the text. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. And on that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority and not as their scribes.

Lord Lord And Real Relationship

SPEAKER_03 3:24

All right, my brothers, so there's a lot going on in this particular part of the text. And the first part that I want to discuss with you guys and to be a blessing with our listeners is what Jesus himself said in verses 21, 22, and 23. Because the truth is there are people who think they are getting into heaven that are not going to be getting in. Not if there's not a change, right? Not if there's not a true change. They have the opportunity to get in, but there has to be a born-again decision. And that really is the main issue. Uh, it comes down to Jesus saying, I don't know you. You know, so the the relationship is is is key here. What do you guys think personally that Jesus is saying in verses 21 through 23? What do you guys get from it when you study the text?

SPEAKER_01 4:11

It's easy for people to study a word or to look at a word or memorize a word, but how do you actually apply it through your life? Are you actually using that and building on the foundation that he's giving you? Or are you just it's easy to go do an act or to do something for someone? Are you doing that because you love God and he called you to do it, or are you doing it to boast yourself up and to help you in some way?

SPEAKER_03 4:33

Yeah. So one thing I hear when you're saying that is you touch upon this, it's it's more than just a head knowledge. Right. You know, it's it it's more than just quoting the scripture. It's actually about living the scripture. That's right. It's more than just coming to the church, it's actually being the church, right? It's it's more than just attending the service, it's being part of the service. And you say, Well, there's so many people go to your church. How can I be part of the service? Well, you come in there and you worship the father with us. You know, you're you're part of the alive, moving body of Christ. So it's it's more than just the knowledge. That's a great point. That's a great point. Brother Frankie, you got anything?

SPEAKER_04 5:11

Yeah, man. Um, I really like 21 because this is not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, that means that some are gonna get in. And it gives me hope because this is a this is a tough topic, you know. Yeah. Um, but like you said, we shouldn't be afraid of it. But just like Brother Chris said, it's sometimes we can get caught up in like a religious duty. Yeah, we know what we need to do. We we read the word, we've been told what the word says, but sometimes people may not even know that the intentions behind their desire is is opposite of what Christ is is telling us in that sacrificial love and service. May just be serving just to serve, you know, rather than seeing yourself as serving the living God. What you got, brother?

SPEAKER_02 5:57

Yeah, that's uh that's four words. I never knew you, yeah, that you never want to hear your savior say. Yeah, yeah. That is uh that's robbing my wife. She's that's her healthiest fear of God is to hear those words. Yeah, I never knew you. I never knew you. You know, and that's that'd be a tough thing, you know, to go through everything as a Christian and believe that you're doing everything right, and then get there at that point and go, I never knew you because you never had that relationship. Yeah, to me, that's what this this whole thing came back to me was building that relationship with your savior, you know, because it's only through him that you're gonna get to have.

SPEAKER_03 6:41

Yeah, what we don't want to do is cause people to doubt their faith, right? We we we don't want anyone to doubt their faith. But I I want to bring this up if your faith is weak enough to doubt it, then there might be something wrong. I don't doubt my faith. I I don't doubt that I'm saved. I'm not worried about it. You know, I I know that I have a relationship. And so if if you're listening out there and your faith is where it needs to be, then then you're not you're not wondering, well, am I getting in? Am I not getting in? I mean, the greatest joy that I'm waiting for is to see my savior and to hear him say, Well done, that good and faithful servant. And the whole thing, and this is the beauty of it, the whole thing, this whole point of the message is God is just saying, through Christ, I just want a relationship. That's right. That that that's what it comes down to is a is a relationship. And and what what is really concerning to me is what's in the 22nd verse. This kind of opens my eyes up the most in in these three verses, where Jesus says that on that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name? These are church folks. These aren't just strangers that don't know nothing about the Lord. You know, these aren't just strangers. You know, I've I've said it many times when I've been preaching before, like how many uns how many people that are unsaved walking around without a knowledge of Christ are going around casting out demons in the name of Jesus? These are people that that somewhat have it together, right? You know, and and we can't we can't go any farther in the text until we at least acknowledge that these are people, according to Jesus, that they're also gonna say, Lord, we also did many mighty works in your name. So, Chris, it kind of brings up like to what you were talking about. Like, there's a works element here, right? You know, there's a religious element here where people are doing things to do these things uh in the name of the Lord. Jesus says it in the text that they're gonna say, can we do many mighty works in the name of the Lord? But they're they're doing it in the name of the Lord, but there's still no relationship going on with the Lord. And that is, my friends, that is the main thing right there. It's all about the relationship. And what I love about Christ, and we I just want to put this out there too, it's it's it's Christ, Christ wants us striving for perfection, but he knows that we're not gonna hit perfection every single moment of every single day. So I don't want people tuning out right now thinking, well, I I'll never be good enough then, you know. No, that's just a lie from the pit of hell in itself, right there. I need the forgiveness of Jesus every single day. I'm breathing on this earth, man. You know, like we fall short every day. Yeah. Go ahead, brother Bill.

SPEAKER_02 9:25

When I first read the the 22nd verse, whatever, you know, the uh casting out demons and doing all these works in your name, first thing I thought of was his disciples. But then I read deeper and realized he won't just talk about his disciples, he's talking about everyone who's done those works, but works without faith. That's what hit me because if you don't have that relationship, then you're not building your faith to be able to do those works.

SPEAKER_03 9:50

Not going from faith to faith and glory to glory, and all that comes through a relationship. What you got, Brother Frankie?

SPEAKER_04 9:56

I had this beautiful idea of like relationship exposure. You know, in um Hebrews 4 13, it says nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. So if the listener, and including ourselves, would just picture our relationship being exposed, just like we would our naked body, right? Like if we were out somewhere and our naked body was exposed, we would feel like humiliation and we would feel like public shame to speak. But how would that feel to stand before your savior one day, knowing that you did all these things in his name, but then that relationship is fully exposed all the way down to the intent that was behind it. Yeah, just to find out, like, man, this wasn't for me. Like this relationship that you thought you had, like it it wasn't it wasn't based on who I am to you, it was based on what you could do in and through my name. Yeah. And that kind of almost like a power trip in a way.

SPEAKER_03 10:55

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, because oftentimes people do get caught up in, I'll just say this word performance. Right. And and and they're not doing it. Maybe, maybe they don't even realize they're doing it selfishly, but they are. Yeah. You know, they're not doing it maybe with a selfish intent, but it does become when it when it becomes performance-based, it's all about like what we can get out of it, what it's gonna provide for us, this this relationship and doing these things, who's noticing us. The 23rd verse says this Jesus says, and then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. And one one thing that really jumped out to me in that verse was the word depart. So many people could be upset when they hear that on judgment day, depart from me. But it's like, well, wait a minute, you know, you weren't with them down here on earth. You know what I'm saying? It's like, you know, we don't want to be separated from him for eternity, but we're okay being separated with him down here on earth.

SPEAKER_04 11:54

Yeah, that's good.

SPEAKER_03 11:55

And I think that that's a huge wake-up call because again, it comes down to relationship. And where there's separation, there's no relationship. Oftentimes that's why people get divorced because there's no relationship due to separation. You know what I mean? So some someone gets hardened, there starts a small separation, and over time, that separation, next thing you know, it's like the Grand Canyon out there. He's on one side, she's on the other. They hardly ever talk when they do they're yelling at each other across across the room. Yes, there. You know what I'm saying? So the separation piece to me jumps out big right there. And again, it just shows how loving God is. Because some people might read this and think, oh, that's so unfair. But it it shows how loving God is that he wants us together with him. That's right. You know, he doesn't want to say depart from me. That's why he's trying to be connected to us right now. You know what I'm saying? Like God is all about connection. That's right. That's right. And I just think that's beautiful.

SPEAKER_02 12:49

Yeah, and I think the next you know, few verses kind of hit on that, you know, to build upon these words. Yeah, you know, he's gonna give you what you need to build that.

SPEAKER_03 13:00

Yeah, he's brand, he's coming with the answer. Oh, he's coming. That's

Wise Obedience Versus Empty Hearing

SPEAKER_03 13:03

right. Yeah, let's let's let's get in, let's get into it because the 24th verse says, Jesus says, everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. What do you guys get out of that?

SPEAKER_01 13:19

It it comes back to what I was saying before. It's not just about reading, it's not just about memorizing, but it's actually putting it into place and doing and um and going forth, you know, we're to be not only hearers of the word, but doers of the word as well. You know, and um that's that's what you got to do. You just you gotta have that obedience and you gotta walk that walk that he's calling us to. And it it is gonna be hard, and and that's you know, that's a good way that we can judge it as well. Like, yeah, there's some people that's gonna look at you differently, there's some friends that are gonna talk about you or you know, oh well, he's a religious freak now, or whatever. That's fine because that means you're walking the way you're supposed to walk. Yeah, you know, there's gonna be some of that separation. And uh to me, I wear that now. Like before I used to worry about it, and now I'm just like, hey, praise God. You know what I mean? It means I'm actually doing what I'm supposed to be doing. Yeah, I'm supposed to look different. That's right. I'm supposed to look different. I'm supposed to look different, I'm supposed to shine brighter, I'm supposed to hurt somebody's eyes that needs to be hurt, you know what I mean? So uh yeah, but that's that's that's kind of where I get out of it, man. You you just got to keep doing that and and actually be a doer and not just a speaker.

SPEAKER_03 14:29

Yeah, I I like what you say hurt someone's eyes. Someone someone's gonna see something, the feelings are gonna get hurt because of what they see and how you're living differently. And maybe it's because they're being convicted. Right. You know, but man, I remember when I came to Christ, man, I was crushed. Yeah. You know, I mean, I wept for hours. Like literally, the Holy Spirit just like took over, consumed me. I wept for hours because he he showed me in that moment just how weak and pitiful I was. And it wasn't to condemn me. He was in love, showing me how much I needed him. And I man, I'm not kidding you. I I was I was eight eighth grade going into ninth grade. I wept for hours. You know, and as a church, it was at a church camp. The the camp, the the the the sanctuary had shut down for the night. They were telling people to go to their cabins or hang out at the pool or basketball, whatever, you know, late at night. And and I just remember the janitor coming up to me with the with the push mop, the drop room or whatever, the dry mop sweeping. And he came up to me, man, and he said, Young man, he said, um, you know, you don't have to go back to your cabin, but you gotta you gotta leave the sanctuary. You know, I I gotta lock up. I'm done cleaning, you know. And bro, I couldn't even walk outside by myself, man. This this this this brother in the Lord, this janitor, he helped me outside and set me on this retaining wall uh right there where a flower bed was at. I still remember it to this day, man. And and I sat there and just continued to weep, man. I mean, I God showed me just how much I needed a savior. That's right. And I need him just as much today as I did all the way back there in the summer of my my eighth grade year. Amen. You know, but you're you're right, brother. We gotta be doers. That's right. And and it is gonna hurt sometimes. And we and and we are gonna stand out, but that's what's supposed to happen. Right. Yeah, yeah. Brother Billy, you got anything?

SPEAKER_02 16:10

It's not good enough just to hear the word or to read it, you know, and just gain that wisdom. Yeah, you gotta live it out. Yeah. And you gotta be that light. People have to recognize you as a changed man. And like brother said, you know, when they see that, they know you're different. Yeah, and that's how you know you're doing what you're supposed to be.

SPEAKER_03 16:29

I like that. Live it out. Yeah. Brother Frankie, you want to add anything there?

SPEAKER_04 16:34

Yeah, verse 23 and 24, both are hitting on application, both are hitting on what you practice. So in 23, he says, depart from me, you lawbreakers. So these people are practicing the violation of God's laws in the flesh. In 24, he's and he's saying, you know, um, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them or practices them will be like a wise man who built his house on a rock. So we got two different sides of this thing, two, you know, two different versions of these things being practicing.

SPEAKER_05 17:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:05

And based on what you practice, right, is what you're gonna see come into reality. And and God's telling us right here in 24, it flips a script and saying, man, like start building on these things, start putting to practice what I'm telling you. Because I'm gonna tell you, when you do that, it's like building a house on a rock. Yeah, that's good. I'm gonna get to that.

SPEAKER_03 17:23

I like that. Amen, brother. I I like that. So, application. We're all practicing something. That's right. We're practicing disobedience or obedience. Right. You know, we're all doing something today, you know, and and it's just about what side of the line are we on? You know, what what are we striving to do? Who are we striving to be like? Are are we striving to be perfect in the Lord? That's right. Or are we just walking in the pleasures of the flesh? But but we're all doing something in this very moment. So we're gonna we're gonna press

Storms Hit Every House

SPEAKER_03 17:51

on. Verse 24, after talking about the the wise man who hears the words and does them, the 25th verse says this, and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand, and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat against that house, and it fell. And great was the fall of it.

SPEAKER_01 18:27

Who wants to go? I mean, I personally wouldn't be here today if I didn't have that foundation laid upon me that I could fall back on. And um, I mean, I can tell you that straight up. I mean, it yes, I had that separation and I was not walking in obedience at all, and I was so far away from it. It was wild, but I had that foundation to come back on. If I would not have had that, I don't think I'd be here today. Yeah. You know, actually, I know I wouldn't be here today. Yeah. So that's what's important, man. It's it's having that foundation, and not only having the foundation in your life, but being the spiritual leader of your household, no matter your situation, it's giving that foundation to everyone that's around you as well.

SPEAKER_03 19:11

So I want to bring up a point that you said you said if it wasn't for that foundation, you wouldn't be here today. Not just physically in this room, but maybe, maybe even alive on this earth. That's right. I mean, for those who heard your testimony just a couple weeks ago, I mean, there's a chance that if you'd have kept going the way you were going, you know, that that that you may not you may not be here.

SPEAKER_01 19:30

Yeah, I would have burned out fast. I mean, I was on that path. I mean, I was burning hard and fast, and I I could have burned out very quickly, yes sir.

SPEAKER_03 19:37

And and the point, the point I want to make is that the foundation is what saves the house. That's right. And now we'll talk about like the spiritual house, our and even our physical house as in our literal body. Right. The foundation, if you're taking notes out there, I want you to write that down. The foundation saves the house. I mean, that's that's so important, right? So when you understand that it's the foundation that saves the house, now you're going into worship differently. That's right. Now you're going into praising the Lord differently. You're taking this stuff serious. Now you're going into church serious because you're going in there ready to build upon that foundation. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 20:08

This ain't something. I'm sorry. No, go ahead, brother. This ain't something that you build and it's built, it's done. This is something you add bricks to everything.

SPEAKER_05 20:17

Yeah, to it. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

You build that foundation every moment of every day.

SPEAKER_03 20:22

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:23

It's a it's an ongoing, ongoing process. That's right. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 20:26

That's right. Getting bigger and stronger.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

That's right. I mean, you go, you go, you go from a foundate, you go from like a foundation and a stick-built house to next thing you know, you're in a fortified fortress. Yeah. You know, as you keep building, you keep adding another layer of block and another layer of block. Yeah. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 20:41

That's right. Something I want to point out, and to me, this is this is the most the most beautiful uh part of the text right here, because there's there's scenarios given in in in both of these houses. Okay. In in both scenarios that Jesus gives, the rain still fell, the floods came, and the winds blew. Whether you had a strong foundation built on a rock or a foundation built on the sand. You know, it's still problems coming. The rain comes, right? The floods come and the winds are gonna blow. Whether you got a foundation or not, so so I believe what Jesus is pointing out here, again, it comes down to this beauty uh in relationship. I'll walk with you, but you got to be willing to be walk with. So whether you're with me or not with me, the rains are coming, the floods are coming, and the wind's blowing. Oh, they coming. Because a lot of people, a lot of people think that when they get saved, everything's supposed to get fixed. Oh no, no, a lot will get a lot will get fixed and a lot will get better, but you still could go through stuff. Oh, yeah, you're right. Storms are still coming, man. Attacks are showing up, and and I believe that's one of the many things that Jesus is pointing out here in the text. Hey, you you can you could be built on the Solid rock. You can have the right foundation, but you know, the rain's coming, the floods are coming, the wind's coming. And I think that this is another thing that Jesus is pointing out right here. This is why you need me in your life.

SPEAKER_02 22:12

Like brother Chris said, you hold on to that foundation and you won't blow away with that storm.

SPEAKER_03 22:16

That's right. Yeah. You you this is why you need me, because no matter what, rain's coming, you need me because no matter what, the floods are coming. You need me because no matter what, the wind's about to blow. You know, like all that stuff don't stop just because you get saved.

SPEAKER_02 22:30

That's right. That's right. You know, what just it just popped in my head as y'all was talking is if you are the one that built that foundation on that sand, Jesus will be right there to help you build yours back on that rock.

SPEAKER_03 22:45

Amen. Amen. Amen. Hey man, you know, I just got this image, uh, brother Billy, as you said that. I I like just like kind of like word um word pictures, if you will. You ever see a you ever see a building or a house get lifted up and and and moved to to another, you know, stronger foundations, you know what I mean? Like literally pick it up off its foundation and move it and set it down at a better place, brother. That's exactly what I was thinking when you said that, because you're right, man. There's some people out there listening to this this episode right now that are thinking, well, I'm already on the sand, what am I gonna do? And I just want to tell you, my friend, like just let let the Lord get you in his hands and pick you up and set you down on the solid rock, the foundation of the word of God. Amen. And and and that's it. You got to get into the word. That's right. Brother Frankie, you want to add anything?

SPEAKER_04 23:32

Man, I'm just thinking um that Jesus is so interested in our response. We got this text as we're studying 21 through 27, 29. But Jesus is so interested in our response. That's right. That's that's really what he cares about. And I think about it sometimes, man, when we get down or we get hurt. I I actually had the spirit tell me back in 2024, it was before I came to CFO, that my foundation had cracks in it. And I just want to share that with the listeners because if there's anybody looking at at me as an example or looking up to me in the faith, I just want to remind you that in 2024 I had the spirit of God tell me that you got cracks in your foundation. So wherever you're at, regardless of right now, you could look at my life as an example, and I'm just one of many, but my life used to be part foundation, part saying. And the reason I share that with you guys is because I didn't know it, but I had got into some prosperity gospel type stuff. Some people I hadn't researched up and I was reading their stuff like crazy and trying to apply that to my life rather than the actual word itself in its true context. But I just want to I just want to encourage whoever's hearing this today, man. Jesus is is is so anticipating your response. How will you respond to the text? How would you respond to this after we read it today? Whether you look back or not and see that your life is built on the sand or whether you look at it and see it's on a solid rock, Jesus wants to know how will you respond to these words? Because your response can actually save your life. And it can change from the part from me, you lawbreakers, to welcome in, my good and faithful son. Just like that.

SPEAKER_03 25:11

Welcome in. Just like that, bro. Yeah. You know, we can't we can't save one another, right? It's only Christ that can save a person. Amen. You guys with me where I'm going with this? Okay. It's only Christ that can save. But Brother Frankie just brings up a great point that I kind of want to platform off of. Someone can make a decision right now to be different and they can be saved. One person getting saved is all it takes for someone else in the house to get saved too. Amen. Now, they they've still got to have their walk with Christ. And, you know, in other words, my grandma's faith can't save me. Amen. You guys with me? My wife's faith can't save me. That's right. My mom and dad's faith can't save me. But if there's someone out there listening and you say, well, what's the rest of my family gonna do? They're gonna look at me different. Yeah, they may. They're supposed to, because you're supposed to be different, as what was just mentioned, brother Chris, uh, a little bit ago in this episode. But your difference, the difference that Christ makes in you could be what someone else sees, because I've seen this happen before too, with with people. A spouse looks at a spouse and says, Man, they're different. I I want that.

SPEAKER_05 26:13

Amen.

SPEAKER_03 26:14

You know, like they they got joy all the time, they're they're they're they're living different, their mouth is cleaned up, they're not as angry the way they used to be with me, you know, in in this relationship or in this marriage. Like the difference makes a difference.

SPEAKER_05 26:27

Amen, bro.

SPEAKER_03 26:28

And so one person getting saved could change a generation. That's right. Think about that. One person getting saved could change a household. And so this is this is the beauty in the response. I I I love that, brother Frankie. I appreciate you being obedient in the Lord and bringing that point up. Jesus is anticipating, you know, he's excited with great hope that that that we would that we would come to. Pick up on it. Yeah, and apply it.

SPEAKER_01 26:54

Apply it. Absolutely. And I and I, you know, and I feel that he's using these trials and these tribulations that we go through. That's that's what's helping us build our foundation. Is as we lean to God, he's handing us the brick to add on as we get through something else. Yeah, because we know we're gonna go through it.

SPEAKER_03 27:12

Yeah, you know, son, daughter, this ain't gonna break you. That's right. This this this block right here, it's about to make your wall stronger. That's right. That's right. I'm gonna walk with you, and you're coming out better. That's right. That's so good.

SPEAKER_04 27:23

A lot of people have gotten saved too when they've seen what they had built. Amen. And it crashed, they said, Well, this ain't working. And you bring that a beautiful point up. It's like, man, you can actually learn by having your house crash that I need to build it on something different. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 27:36

And maybe there's someone out there listening. Odds are there could be that someone's listening to this episode and they've spent years of a professional life building this platform or or or building this this bank account or or or building this lifestyle. And then all of a sudden, just with the blow of a wind, because what? What's the scripture say? The rains go come, the floods are gonna come, the winds go blow.

SPEAKER_04 27:58

This is when, right? I'm gonna say when.

SPEAKER_03 28:03

It's not if. So that's that's a powerful word. It's coming. Wind. It's coming. You know, the the 27th verse does say that to the unfaithful, uh, to the disobedient person, the person who builds on the sand, it says the rain fell, the floods came, the winds blew, beat against the house, it fell, and then it says this, and great was the fall of

When A Great Fall Becomes Mercy

SPEAKER_03 28:24

it. And I know some people that truly didn't surrender to the Lord until great was the fall of it. That's right. You know, like if just a part of the house blew down, they were still hanging on.

SPEAKER_02 28:34

You know, Brother Billy, you were there. I've been there, bro. You were living it.

SPEAKER_03 28:38

You were uh a live testimony of that.

SPEAKER_02 28:40

Ain't no doubt about that.

SPEAKER_03 28:41

Yeah. You know, until great was the fall. But man, look, this just brings up a whole, I just feel the Holy Spirit take me this direction. How many times as parents or just as brothers or sisters do we try to spare people from going through the great was the fall of it? And when we think we're saving them as an umbrella for something, we're actually hindering what the Lord's trying to do. So the Holy Spirit could just be like, would you get out of my way? I'm trying to make this fall great.

SPEAKER_04 29:11

Fully collaborative.

SPEAKER_03 29:12

I'm trying to, I'm trying to take the legs out on this one because they keep trying to prop themselves up on their own. I'm trying to take their legs out and you trying to be a crutch and hold them up. I'm I'm trying to remove this addiction they got that you don't know nothing about, but I see what you can't see in the dark room. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04 29:28

Yeah, we work in foundational repair, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:30

Yeah, we're we're we're out there trying to like replace cracks and repair things and prop things up and adding beams and all kinds of stuff. And God's like, no, that's not how I work. I gotta destroy this thing right here. I gotta bring it to a ruin so that when when I get them where I want them to be, that old root ain't creeping back up through that foundation. That's you know, you ever see a tree planted too close to a house and the foundation starts because of the roots grow out, the foundation starts getting busted up and things like that. And it's almost like we can do so much damage trying to prop people up. And I know we're supposed to be there for people and we're supposed to pray for people, and we don't want to see the grate of their fall, but sometimes they got to go through that so that the roots that are near that foundation can be ripped up so they can do no more damage.

SPEAKER_04 30:15

I was just traveling on the way here this morning, bro, on Amelia Springs, and um a tree roots have come up onto the road right there and lifted the pavement up. Come on, man. When I was driving, I hit it, I was like, boom, boom, hit it like that. And it almost knocked me off course. And yeah, we could look at that spiritually as well.

SPEAKER_03 30:31

A bumpy road. Yeah, that's right. A bumpy, if you take a notes, you can write those words down. A bumpy road, all because of some roots that didn't need to be there. Exactly, brother.

SPEAKER_02 30:39

Yeah, me and uh me and Robin talk about it all the time about knowing and understanding when they get out of God's way. Because she's always been a fixer, you know. She fixed me. She helped fix me. If we say, look at me now, look at me now, but yeah, we always try to and found ourselves getting in God's way. Not intentionally, right? But just trying to do the right thing for people and help them and all that. And that's great. And we do help and we pray and we look out, but you gotta know when it's God's turn.

unknown 31:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:10

Amen.

SPEAKER_04 31:11

That's good. Beautiful point.

SPEAKER_03 31:12

Yeah, it is God, and I maybe that's a prayer that we pray, you know. Father, is this how you want to use my hands in this situation? Is this where you want my feet to be? What words do you want me to say to help this person in this moment? Because maybe not all the time is it's gonna be a word that's gonna make someone feel good. Maybe sometimes the words gotta cut, you know, and and it's gotta be some hard truth to open eyes up. That's right. You know, to open to open the eyes up, you know. Uh, brother Frankie, you got a you got a brand new baby boy, and I was watching someone uh feed him on the front row this past Sunday after church, and it just reminded me of when our boys were little. But you know, you feed, you feed that baby, and then you gotta kind of prop him up, you kind of hold him right there at at the collarbones or under the chin, however you could do it. And then you gotta you gotta hit him on that back. Pop, pop, pop. And you know, sometimes you look at that and you're like, man, how could how in the world could that be comfortable? You know, you're popping that back, pop, pop, pop, pop. But you're trying to burp them, and and and the whole thing is, you know, hey, this may be uncomfortable, but I'm trying to release that pressure that's making you uncomfortable. And if I don't, if I don't get this baby to burp, he could be fussy or she's gonna be fussy, you know, whoever the child is at the time, right? And so, you know, that that that hitting, that pop, pop, pop, that that pressure is meant to actually relieve an internal pressure. And I think oftentimes we don't want to give people a word because we don't want to pressure them, but oftentimes that that pressure is gonna relieve a greater pressure that's causing them to struggle.

SPEAKER_01 32:47

That makes sense to you guys?

SPEAKER_03 32:48

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 32:49

Some of some of the best words I've heard in my life have been words that have punched me right in the face or cut me, you know, really made me get in my feelings. But looking back on it, that it's the words that I needed to hear to truly give myself the perspective I needed on that situation or that moment to be like, you know what? Yeah, I this needs to go away.

SPEAKER_03 33:11

Well, it is the hearing of the word and the application of the word that really does set us free. Amen. Matthew chapter 7, 28 and 29

Authority And The Father’s Will

SPEAKER_03 33:20

says this. And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority and not as their scribes. Anything jump out to you guys on that part of the text?

SPEAKER_02 33:34

The word astonished. I mean, it it it's almost like he said that they've never even had a chance to hear that type of word before.

SPEAKER_03 33:44

That type of teaching.

SPEAKER_02 33:45

Yes, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:46

Yeah, I mean, it just saying that he was teaching with true authority, you know, godly's authority. He was teaching the word as it was meant to be taught. He wasn't going through another man using another man's uh verbiage or another man's laws that had that had been put in place. He was teaching what needed to be taught right there, raw, and uh no translation needed. You know, it was right there for the people.

SPEAKER_03 34:14

Yeah, yeah. As he's teaching, understanding this. That's right. That's right. Yeah. Brother Frank, you got anything?

SPEAKER_04 34:19

Forgive me, brothers, but I I feel so pressured by the spirit to to readdress verse 21.

SPEAKER_03 34:25

Yeah, go ahead. Is that cool, guys? Yeah, yeah, yeah. What you got?

SPEAKER_04 34:28

Um, so it's it's the part when I was reading this this morning asking Spirit to really press on me. One of the main questions that stuck out to me, even as a saved Christian, is what is the will of the father for my life? So in 21, it says, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my father in heaven. So maybe even we could just take a moment, if it's cool with you guys, instead of hitting like 28, 29, I just feel pressured by the Spirit to share what is the will of the Father for our lives, you know.

SPEAKER_03 34:59

That's good, bro. Um, I feel like the only way we're ever gonna know what the will of God is is through an active pursuit in his word. Amen. Amen. Amen, bro. The the will of God maps out. I've I've over the years I've had so many people come up to me and say, How do I know, Pastor? How do I know what the will of God is for my life? You know, and I'm listening, I can't find it. And I'm like, are you reading? Are you reading? You know, often oftentimes like we're we're we're looking to receive this quick word from God as if he's just gonna like drop this thing in our lap and say, boom, this is everything I want you to do. Can I tell you what would be so unfair about that? If God would just tell us what he wanted us to do with the rest of our lives, then there would be no need to study the word of God daily. There would be no need for us to pursue him daily. You know, and I think sometimes people can get so caught up in this target that they have to hit, like, yes, I'm called to be a pastor, but I'm called to be much more than that. I love going out, you know, six other days during the week and evangelizing. I I I love talking to someone at the bread aisle on Food Lion, right? I can't so focus on what I know that I'm called to do that I miss all the other things that I'm called to do. Amen. And see, you find all those other sub things, if you will, to do as you study his word. So I always direct people if if if you want to know what God wants you to do, go go get in his word. I I saw this thing on the internet not too long ago. It said that people people are out there asking God, give me a word, give me a word, give me a word. And and they ain't even read the book of Genesis yet. You know, it's like you want a word, you want a word. We got the we got a Bible with 66 books in it. That's right. There's 66 books in this. That's right. You know, like you want a word. There's plenty of word in this thing from Genesis to Revelation. You know what I'm saying? But but but that's that's the culture we live in that we just want to run around, get something quick and and fast and and and easy. We just want this quick fix. And again, it it circles, brother Frankie, it circles right back down to this relationship piece that Jesus is teaching in this part of his sermon. Yeah, you know, I mean, it comes right back to the relationship and the application. Frankie used the word application. Um, the only way we're gonna know what to be applying in our lives is to get in the word. And it is the word that teaches us the will of God, and that is what it comes down to. Lost Christians are not in the word. Uh, a Christian that knows what they're doing, that that's somebody that's in the word of God, bro. Amen. That that's someone that's in the word. So that that kind of brings me to a point that uh I was actually going to uh bring up to you guys next.

Why The Word Changes A Man

SPEAKER_03 37:50

So it's kind of like a full circle moment here. Yeah, man. For someone out there that that's listening right now who's not taking the time to read the word of God, how could you guys encourage them? How how has let's just go around the table real quick in just a few a few sentences or less for each of you? How has reading God's word changed you as a man?

SPEAKER_02 38:11

It's changed my whole my whole way of thinking, my whole way of living. I mean, it's changed my whole life. Yeah, you know, and I didn't have the best life to begin with. I do now.

SPEAKER_03 38:21

Amen.

SPEAKER_02 38:22

And I don't read nowhere near as much as I should. I mean, I read a lot, but I feel like I'm doing God a disservice by not reading more. Um but with me, with it being in the word and knowing what you're supposed to be doing, learning, you're never gonna know it all. But learning what you're supposed to be doing and walking it out, that the will of God for your life is the instant conviction for me. Like if you gotta stop and think and go, is that the right thing? Or or should I have done that? Then it's not.

SPEAKER_03 39:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:01

It's that instant conviction that you go, oh, I'm outside that will. Yeah, yeah. And you gotta go the other way.

SPEAKER_03 39:06

That's good.

SPEAKER_02 39:07

You know, but you can't know that conviction unless you know the word.

SPEAKER_03 39:10

Amen.

SPEAKER_02 39:11

Amen. That's good.

SPEAKER_03 39:12

Brother Chris, how about you, man? How is how does reading the word change your day?

SPEAKER_01 39:15

Uh man, it it well, I mean, it's changed my day, it changed my life, changed everything. I mean, it comes back to, you know, when I approached you, you know, multiple times, your your response every time was getting your word, getting your word, getting your word. And it's so true. I mean, on a daily basis, you know, dealing with the public, dealing in the retail world and all those things, I see ugly people all the time. And it will, it can drain you, you know, like when you're in the world every day. We're all in the world every day, but when you're face to face with it every day like that, it can drain you. But staying in the word and doing what I'm supposed to do and having that relationship with God daily, it refills me and it keeps that negativity out of me. You know, that's the biggest thing. It's taken all of the angry thoughts, the negative thoughts, the it's just it's wiped them away and it's replaced them with, let me pray for that person or it'll be better, or you just smile and you kill them with kindness, you know, you you show that love. And they're gonna look at you funny. They're gonna be looking at you, yelling and cussing and having their Karen moment. And when you're just sitting there smiling, and you say, Yes, ma'am, yes, ma'am, you know, I'd love to help you out. You just that's how you got to approach all things in life, you know, and using the word, filling your cup, and letting that cup overflow with the with the grace and love that God gives us through the word is is is what you can do daily. That's good. That's good.

SPEAKER_03 40:43

Brother Frankie, how about you, man? How's being in the word change your life?

SPEAKER_04 40:46

For me, it's transform my mind. Yeah. You can transform the mind, you can change the way you think, that changes the way you act, it changes the way you live. Yeah, now your foundation is different. Um, and for me too, I I pose a question like, what is the will of the father for my life? Because it had me on a deep, deep dive this morning, checking out what the will was. And I found three things I just want to share quickly.

SPEAKER_03 41:06

Go ahead, brother.

SPEAKER_04 41:07

One of them is to believe in Jesus and to push Jesus. So you don't push self, you push Jesus out there to the world, which goes against my mind. The world tells me I need to push self, but I'm pushing Jesus. Uh, and then being sanctified is another one. Be holy and pure. And the world tells you, be worldly, be be caught up in lust and sin, pleasure yourself. And then obviously Matthew uh 721 says, hear in practice, and a lot of times my life before that, before my mind was renewed, it just would just say, Listen, but don't do. Like you can kind of just stay grounded. So my mind being transformed, man, has transformed my life, it's transformed everything. And I live in that reality today where I once questioned it. I don't question it no more. Amen. Jesus is the word, truth, and the life, man.

SPEAKER_03 41:54

Yeah, that's that's good, man. Romans 12, 2 says, Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will. And we've got to transform

The Bible As Your Blueprint

SPEAKER_03 42:10

our minds every day. That's right. Because as you mentioned, brother Chris, it's a great point that you bring up, and I appreciate you doing it. We're in the world every day. That's right. We're in it, we're not of it. We're in it, we're not of it. And uh, but but every day that that we're in this world, we need to be transforming our mind because the world's coming against us every day. Ephesians 4 23 says, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Colossians 3 2 says, set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. I mean, just just just think about that. You know, how much how much better we would all be spiritually if we were putting our minds on things above every moment of every day. And that's when I fall, right? That that's when I slip up in sin. That's when I fail, is when I make the conscious decision to say, no, I'm gonna let my mind go here right now, or I'm I'm gonna operate in this right now, not not not in the spirit right now. That that's where we all fall short. That's where that's where we miss the mark. Philippians 4.8 says, Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, think about such things. And so if we if we want to know what the will of God is, we've got to we gotta start deep diving in the plan of God. We've we've we've got to get into the blueprint. Really, really, you know, you've heard people say it before, probably the the Bible is is the blueprint, you know, that that God has for us. You wouldn't set out to build a house without looking at the plans. No, you wouldn't. You know, but we got we got Christians, man. We got we got Christians running around claiming Christ that don't ever look at the blueprint. Right. And that's why you don't see a difference in their life because they haven't checked out the plans. You know, they may come to church and hear what the pastor has to say, you know, but as far as going home and and and and and rolling out the plans, I remember we were built. The new sanctuary here here at CFO. I remember first getting a set of plans. It was so many pages, man, and just huge plans. It just like swallowed up the table. And we're going through every plan, man. And you know, I didn't understand everything. Matter of fact, most of it, you know, uh, I'm I'm looking at the pictures, you know, and I'm thinking, okay, somehow this is all gonna add up. I'm not a math guy, yeah. You know, so my math won't math and right. Right. You know what I'm saying? And but I knew that the plans made sense to the engineer. Right. Because he's the one that calculated everything, because he he has the degree, he knows what he's doing. We've got to trust God that when we open the word, come on, even though we can't understand it all, come on, you know, that that God knows what he's doing. You know, why'd so and so get sick? How come so-and-so has cancer? How come that marriage fell apart? How come how come all this is going on? And oftentimes people allow their fear to take them to a finger pointing and blame game of God. And we've just got to understand that the bigger question is, did you do what the blueprints told you to do? That's right. You know, because if you follow the plans, the marriage ain't ended. Hallelujah. You know, like if you follow the plans, faith ain't running out. You know, like if you follow the plans, church hurt ain't happening. Right. You know, if you if you follow the plans, relationships don't have to end. If you follow the plans, even if someone does get sick and die, that ain't the end of them. That's right. You know, like that they're going to glory. You know, so like these are the blueprints. And even if I think the math ain't mathing right, it always does. And we see that from Genesis to Revelation. We we see at the all the way at the very end of Revelation, we see that Christ is coming back. He's in control. He is the architect, he is the engineer, he he is God is in control of all of this. God is in control of all of this. And and and and yet we just have to remember that these are the plans of God for our lives. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 45:50

Amen. Amen. And he lays it out for us. Like you said, right here in the word, it's it's the blueprint. Yeah. You know, he gives it for us. And if if you got to, I just got a real quick. Just a real quick blueprint, man. This is this is something that's changed me, and I try to do it daily. Um, but first, I try to give thanks. Psalm 75, 1. We give thanks to you, oh God. We give thanks, and your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. Spend five minutes in silence, abide in me, and I in you, John 15, 4. And then remember who you are. You were not, you were not your own. You were bought with a price. It's 1 Corinthians 6 19. And then at the end of it, you meditate on God's word. Psalm 119, 97. Oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation all the day. Just doing those simple steps will help you, and it helps me daily, but it helps stay firm on that foundation. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:45

I love that quiet piece. You read the scripture, you take five minutes or so, and you just let the Holy Spirit minister to your spirit about what that means for your life today, past, present, future, whatever. Uh, but it gives the Holy Spirit time. A lot of people want to read, close the book, and then go off to work. That's like, wait a minute. You did do your part by reading, right? But you didn't let God do his part by talking. That's right. You know, like you read, God wants to speak. So, like, so so give him some time to talk, you know. So when you read, give him time to listen. You know, you you you give God time to speak by you listening. That's that's good. Amen. That's good. Yeah,

Final Prayer And Sendoff

SPEAKER_03 47:24

that's real good. Anyone got anything before we close this episode?

SPEAKER_02 47:27

Yeah, the uh you know, when people give speeches and and everything, they usually save the point they really want to push to the end. The best for last. The best for last. And uh these verses we've been studying this morning, these are the last verses of the Sermon on the Mount. And the last thing he says on that sermon is that foundation.

SPEAKER_00 47:51

That's fire, bro.

SPEAKER_02 47:52

Yeah, yeah. You know, that that was his last, he saved that to last to push the point of that foundation. Yeah, that foundation is him.

SPEAKER_04 47:59

Amen, bro. So good. So good. That's fire.

SPEAKER_03 48:01

I love that, man. The last part, and he's talking about are you really saved or aren't you? That's right. And this is how you get this is how you know that you're really saved. Your foundation got to be right.

SPEAKER_00 48:12

Yep. Amen. That's a knockout punch, yeah. That's yeah, great point. Yeah, beautiful point.

SPEAKER_03 48:17

Yeah, that's good. All right, brothers, let's pray. Father, I'm so grateful for your presence, for your Holy Spirit, even in this room, leading, guiding, and directing us around this table. Father, I'm believing and trusting that what has been shared here has been a blessing and will continue to be a blessing to those who have heard it and will hear it. We trust you, Father, to take this episode all over the world. Do as only you can do, Father. We love you, we praise you, we honor you. Father, I lift up the listener that may be struggling right now with where their foundation rests. And I pray, Father, that you would give them clarity on what they need to do next. Father, I pray that if a relationship needs to be increased, Father, that they would cry out to you, they would give you time to work within their heart, their mind, they would study your word, but they would also pause and listen for your voice in the process. And in the name of the blood of Jesus, I just rebuke the devil and any enemy from coming against any listener with doubt on whether or not they're saved, with doubt on where their foundation is. God, I just want your truth to reign free and rain down on and within all of us, Father.

SPEAKER_05 49:31

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_03 49:32

Let us know, Father. Let us know what we need to do, not on our own strength, but in the strength of your Holy Spirit that lives inside of us to be more like you. Because the truth is, every one of us mess up every day. We're gonna mess up. But we want to make sure that our foundation is in the right place so that we are washed and cleansed by the blood of Jesus, so that when we do mess up, we can be forgiven as we repent and confess and we can move forward in the name of Jesus. Bless every listener, Father. In the name and the blood of Jesus. I ask all this and all God's people say it. Amen. Amen. Thank you, brothers, for being on here. Another wonderful episode studying the word of God. I really appreciate you. Until next time, be blessed and stay in his word.