WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.439 Thank you for listening to the Kelona Christian Center podcast. 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:08.080 Our desire is that today's message will be fresh and encouraging to you. 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:13.519 For more information on KTC and how to connect, visit us at KCT.net. 00:00:13.919 --> 00:00:19.760 We're just glad to have you here on a Labor Day weekend and celebrating in the house of God. 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:21.920 Celebrating with each other. 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:24.960 And I know we've got a lot going on. 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:29.760 We've got a great uh time and a great service prepared for you. 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:36.880 But before we get started, next week is the launch of our new series called Level Up. 00:00:37.679 --> 00:00:38.880 Level Up. 00:00:39.119 --> 00:00:45.359 And this series is really moving us from the old into the new. 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:48.719 Do you know that God is doing a new thing? 00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:53.759 There are a lot of things that you can celebrate in the past. 00:00:54.560 --> 00:01:02.479 A lot of things that you can celebrate in the past, but what's what's exciting is what we have to expect in our future. 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:04.719 And God wants greater things. 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:11.519 And I love what Pastor Malachi said this morning that God is moving us into greater things. 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:15.359 He's not, turn to your neighbor and say, God's not done with you yet. 00:01:15.680 --> 00:01:18.079 He's got bigger things in store for you. 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:20.719 He's got great things in store for you. 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:21.680 Amen. 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:31.680 So next week is our launch, our church launch, and uh we're just gonna be making it an invitational event. 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:34.239 It's our first kind of Sundays. 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:35.519 We start the New Year's. 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:43.680 Everyone's back into school season and they're coming off of summer holidays and they're getting their rhythm uh for the new year all set. 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:45.920 We're just inviting everyone to come to church. 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:47.920 We're gonna have a great after party. 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:49.840 It's gonna be a lot of fun. 00:01:50.480 --> 00:01:52.480 Um, excuse me. 00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:56.159 Feels like I'm back at 12 years of age right now. 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:58.640 I can't even blame the smoke, right? 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:04.319 Um today I'd like to just take a few minutes before we get started. 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:10.080 And I just want to share a few scripture verses with you out of uh Matthew chapter 16. 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:14.879 I have it on the on the big Bible in the sky for you. 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:19.919 But you can read on your own Bibles if you prefer. 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:24.479 It says this in Matthew 16, starting in verse 13. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:34.479 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, he says, Who do people say the Son of Man is? 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:44.159 And they replied, Some say you're John the Baptist, others say Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:49.919 But Jesus said to them specifically, he says, but what about you? 00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:54.319 And that's where the real crux is. 00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:58.560 A lot of people have a lot of views and perspectives of who God is. 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:04.560 They have views and perspectives on what the church should be doing or how the church should be operating. 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:09.360 And uh they have a view on who what God should look like. 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:12.960 But what's important is your own perspective. 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:15.280 Who do you say that I am? 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:22.479 And he says, Simon Peter answered, he says, You are the Messiah, which means Savior. 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:25.919 You are the Son of the living God. 00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:35.680 And Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:45.520 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it, or will not overcome it. 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:48.560 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. 00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:56.159 Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 00:03:56.479 --> 00:03:58.560 It's quite a powerful scripture. 00:03:58.800 --> 00:04:02.960 It's uh powerful because it empowers you and I. 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:10.639 It's uh a powerful scripture as well because it's a responsibility scripture. 00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:24.720 Because not only do are you and I empowered to do great things, not are we only a part of this great church that is charging after and crushing down and knocking down the gates of hell. 00:04:25.040 --> 00:04:34.639 But now Jesus is saying, you particularly have keys to the kingdom in your hands. 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:45.439 You and I do, not uh the not just Pastor Brody or just staff of KCC, but you have the keys to the kingdom. 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:54.959 You have keys to open, lock, open or lock, loose or bind, open up or close down. 00:04:55.600 --> 00:05:02.399 And that responsibility is now in your hands and in your heart, in your pocket. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:14.079 And so when we look at the church in its mission is to tear down the gates of hell, that is what the church is to be good at. 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:18.160 There's a book called Essentialism. 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:37.279 And in this book, uh it's sharing with you that really you ought to really put your energies towards your greatest strengths and to put your energies and your efforts towards where you're that nine out of ten or that ten out of ten, and put your efforts all in that one area. 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:47.040 When it comes to the church, and it comes to the role of the church, the role of the church is not to be contained within these four walls. 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:53.519 When God had a dream for the church, God's dream for it was not that it be a building. 00:05:54.639 --> 00:06:10.000 When Jesus' dream, when he sat with his disciples at that last supper, and he started sharing with them about what was going to happen to him and the cross and the resurrection and this new power that they would hold on to. 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:16.560 And the Holy Spirit came upon the church, and the Holy Spirit upon the church was like, You'll be anointed. 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:22.079 I'll give you power to go into Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the world. 00:06:22.319 --> 00:06:30.879 I'll give you power to be a witness in Kelowna and the Okanagan and the Lower Mainland, and then to the rest of the world. 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:47.120 His dream wasn't to buy a piece of property, particularly, and just build a building that we would all assemble in and maybe have two services or three services or four services or live stream to those viewing from on their holidays. 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:48.399 Welcome. 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:51.759 It wasn't God's dream. 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:59.680 God's dream was that the church, the church break down the gates of hell. 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:07.199 When uh Malachi, Pastor Malachi, was sharing, he was saying, uh, with every new level, there's a new devil. 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:14.160 That it's not like we're gonna meet someone new and they're gonna have that name, you know, whatever that name of that devil is. 00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:18.399 It means there's gonna be new resistance at every new level. 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:22.399 You're gonna be required to do things that you've never had to do before. 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:26.160 You're gonna have to take steps into the unknown. 00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:30.480 You may have to, and I'm gonna use the C word, change. 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:36.720 Something about your life. 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:43.439 And everything is going to hinge upon a moment in time where your change is inevitable. 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:45.839 And your choice will come. 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:49.600 Do I stay where I'm at or do I push forward? 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:50.800 Do I go into that? 00:07:51.360 --> 00:08:09.759 Do I do I just carry the keys of the kingdom in my pocket or do I use them to unlock healing, to unlock help, to unlock compassion, to unlock uh unlock the hope for someone in some particular area. 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:12.879 You've got the key for that hope. 00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:15.279 You've got the key for that healing. 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:17.920 The question is, are we going to use it? 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:21.120 So the church, the church is good. 00:08:21.279 --> 00:08:27.120 The church was created to be beyond the four walls of the building. 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:29.519 Now, do we get rid of the building? 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:30.160 No. 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:42.159 We gather, we celebrate, we give thanks in this place, we hear the message, we walk in one accord or in uh in unity in this place. 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:49.600 We we use this, we use this as our our hub and our place to to minister and to bring service to our community. 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:56.159 But it's not just about this is a one and a half hour, two-hour event in your week. 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:01.200 The rest of your week is spent living it out. 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:04.559 This was never supposed to be your lifestyle. 00:09:05.440 --> 00:09:11.360 This was to be your this was to be your proving ground for your lifestyle. 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:31.679 So today, what's really great, and I'm so glad uh you've taken the time on this long weekend to come and be with us because we have some great people that we're gonna be just uh sh who are gonna be sharing today about how in their summer this year they took opportunity to step out. 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:49.440 Now, some of them have a larger story than others, um, but I want to let you know today that no one is exempt from opportunity, and no one is exempt from the opportunity to be used by God to actually further the mission of the church. 00:09:49.679 --> 00:09:54.799 So today, would you give a hand as I welcome up Ben Robadoo and Naomi Howard? 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:57.120 Come on up, I'll need a microphone. 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:01.840 Yay! Come on up here. 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:09.679 Um, I'm gonna put my notes down because I'm not actually gonna do too much talking. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:18.879 But uh, you know, there's a lot of coffees you'd have to have if you want to actually share what's been happening in your life in the last little while. 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:26.799 Now, I have to I have to just openly say these two are dating, but they're not up here together. 00:10:27.120 --> 00:10:34.720 Okay, so this is just uh we're we're we're grateful that you're dating and and the Lord knows. 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:42.799 Um but uh I just don't want I wanna I don't want to set you off on the wrong foot here today. 00:10:43.120 --> 00:11:06.159 They're not up here as a couple, but each of them, you know, like attracts like, and uh what I found is that people who have a similar heart, and uh both of you have showcased that heart to actually uh live out your Christian faith and live it out loud, living it out in the real world beyond the four walls. 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:21.120 And so I'm just gonna I'm just gonna prompt you with a few questions, but I just want you to share with the congregation here today what God has done in you and some of the stories, and then leave them with something that's tangible for their for their sake too. 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:21.840 Okay, cool. 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:22.080 Thank you. 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:22.480 Ready? 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:23.759 And I'm gonna enjoy. 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:34.080 Um, yeah, so I'm gonna be talking about uh this opportunity that Naomi and I had to go uh serve at this Bible camp over the summer, and it was in Alberta. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:40.000 And first of all, just getting down to the camp, it felt like God just super opened the doors for us to get down there. 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:49.200 Like this opportunity uh came to us from one of our friends uh that we hadn't really seen in a year, but you know, she contacted us and said, Hey, uh, we need some cabin leaders for this camp. 00:11:49.360 --> 00:12:00.240 And Naomi and I were really into it, we were really interested, but we didn't know if we could get the time off work or anything, but it was just crazy to see how God just uh really opened the doors for us to get time off work and get down there, get a ride. 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:02.399 And so, first of all, that was really cool. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:27.039 But anyway, so uh we got to the camp and Naomi and I were both cabin leaders and we were responsible for our uh cabins, and it was really cool because it was a it was a Christian camp, but like the majority of the kids there uh like didn't know God, they didn't have a they didn't they weren't Christians, and so it was really cool to like be down there and be Christians and like be confident in our faith and kind of just like form relationships with these kids. 00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:40.639 So uh in my cabin we had there were six boys and four out of the six of them uh weren't Christians, but I just have a couple stories about what happened over the week, and it was really cool because we got pretty close and everything. 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:43.600 But um yeah, so it was cool. 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:50.960 Like uh most of the boys in my cabin weren't Christians, but like every night I would ask them, like, hey boys, like, is it okay if I just pray over us? 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:53.200 And they were all like really into it, like, yeah. 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:56.720 Um yeah, and so then I have this one story. 00:12:56.799 --> 00:13:02.879 So there was this one boy, and he was very not interested in the spiritual aspect of camp whatsoever. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:06.639 He was very, you know, we would have chapels and he would kind of just do his own thing. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:10.000 He didn't want to pray, he didn't want to talk about God, he didn't want anything to do with it. 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:16.399 And this one night I was sleeping and he woke me up in the middle of the night, and I was like, whoa, what like what's what's wrong? 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:18.000 And he was like, Ben, I need to talk to you outside. 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:18.799 And I was like, okay. 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:24.000 So we went outside and he told me that he thinks he thought that he had this like disease. 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:25.840 And I was like, What, Henry? 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:28.159 Or like, yeah, and I was like, I don't know. 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:39.919 I was like, um, and so we went to the nurse, and the nurse told him that he thought that he had this disease from this horse fly that he had killed on his arm, and then he was scared that the blood like went inside of his mouth, and he was all worried. 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:42.559 We all know that person in our life, hey? 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:48.639 And so yeah, so we went to the we woke the nurse up in the middle of the night, uh, and she told him, Oh, Henry, it's gonna be okay. 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:57.440 And so we were walking back, and like Henry's still kind of in this like solemn mood, and I was just like, Oh, Henry, like, is it okay if I just like pray, pray for you, like pray over the situation? 00:13:57.519 --> 00:13:58.480 And he was just like, Yeah. 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:00.320 And so then I just prayed over him. 00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:06.559 Um, and then afterwards he just gave me like this the biggest hug, and he just he was crying and he told me thank you. 00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:13.600 And it was just it was it was really like I don't know, mind-blowing for me as well because just the whole camp, he was just very not into it. 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:19.840 But then, like in this situation when I prayed for him, it felt like it it meant a lot to him, and it was just I don't know, it was really cool to see. 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:24.080 It's amazing that God used the horse fly to bring that around. 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:26.559 Yeah, God will use anything, right? 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:39.519 Yeah, and uh um yeah, it was and the last night there's this one non-Christian boy, and we're getting ready for bed, and I was gonna get ready to pray, and and he said, Oh, hey Ben, like is it okay if I pray tonight? 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:41.360 And I was like, Oh yeah, that'd be so cool. 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:43.279 And that was that was really awesome as well. 00:14:43.440 --> 00:15:01.600 And then um yeah, lastly, uh the last night at our chapel, it was really cool because like I got to share um my testimony in front of the camp, and and then yeah, so overall, um, it was just really cool because it felt like God brought Naomi and I down there. 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:09.279 And then like when we left, it felt like like, man, God actually used us down here, and like we didn't know any of these people, and it was just really cool to see. 00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:11.039 So that's my story. 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:11.759 Thank you. 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:26.799 So I'm gonna be talking about um an experience that happened in Mexico right before. 00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:39.279 So we uh it was like the last leg of the trip, it was the last 10 days, and we were um put with homesick, and um my family wasn't Christian actually, they were Catholic. 00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:45.600 Um and okay. 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:55.840 Um so my homesick parents were gone, so our student Elena um was the one to drive us around. 00:15:56.080 --> 00:16:16.639 Um she was our age, like 17, and we had to go to uh or we we got to go to this youth group, we got to take part in a youth group um with one of our trying given her yours uh like connection churches that we have with a former student at HTS. 00:16:17.039 --> 00:17:10.559 And uh so Elena had dropped us off and um God put it on my heart to invite her because she had never been to church before, and she had nothing better to do except like go home, and usually she had ballet or something, she's like an intense um ballerina, and so she came with us um not really knowing what to expect, and it was super cool because it was one of those services that like um that everyone was like captivated by, like the Holy Spirit was just so present, and um like I don't know, like it was just a super cool experience just for me personally and for like everybody, and then when you look over at Elena, she's just bawling because she's so captured by it, and like after she's like, Oh my goodness, this is like the coolest thing ever. 00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:20.400 I don't know how anybody can deny that because like it's just so real, and yeah, so that was super cool. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:33.599 She came home and she was just super amped on the Holy Spirit, and um we didn't really talk about it until like a few days later because I didn't want to overwhelm her with like oh, so you're gonna keep going to church and stuff. 00:17:33.759 --> 00:18:10.640 So and then we went to the church the like the church service the following Sunday, and we invited her to come and she was super excited to come with us, and then yeah, so she decided that she's gonna continue going, um, and she has been ever since we left Mexico, so yeah, and it was the night we were leaving, so we were leaving at midnight, so um we spent the day together, we went and got like coffee and stuff and just hung out and had like a girl's night and stuff, and we were out, and I had like this annoying thought in my mind. 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:43.200 I'm like, oh, I forgot something because uh in my bag, or like I forgot something to pack, and we went home and I opened my suitcase and I didn't forget anything, but I saw my Bible, and God told me to leave it for her because she didn't have one, and then I put it aside, and then I got that annoying feeling again, like, oh, you forgot something, and then I looked in it again, and it was this booklet that Pastor Ed had given me on how to go um how to do an in-depth Bible study. 00:18:43.440 --> 00:19:08.799 Um and so I took that out and put it aside for her, and then I wrote her a letter on like how to or like getting started on your walk with God and like finding mentors and um yeah, just getting connected with the church and finding good people to be with and to help you through that and knowing when the enemy is attacking and stuff. 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:24.160 So I put it all aside and like three minutes before we left, I gave it to her, and the look on her face was like indescribable because she was just like I don't know, it looked like she had won a million dollars. 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:29.920 Like she's like, I cannot believe this, like so excited, and started crying again. 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:33.519 Give me the biggest hug and being like, I will never forget this. 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:38.400 Like, yeah, so now we have a picture of her, do we? 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:39.680 Do we have a picture of her? 00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:40.960 Can you just go to that slide? 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:42.160 This is Alina? 00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:44.400 Yeah, Alina, would you just take a moment? 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:45.759 Let's pray for Alina. 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:48.319 Father, we thank you today for Alina. 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:52.000 We thank you, Lord, that she is your daughter, your child. 00:19:52.240 --> 00:20:09.680 In Mexico today, Father, you we pray and we ask that your Holy Spirit, your presence, would be with her at this time, continuing to draw her close, allowing your grace, Lord, to cover every part of her that she doesn't feel sufficient, Lord, you would make sufficient. 00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:11.279 In Jesus' name. 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:12.240 Amen. 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:13.519 Amen. 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:14.720 Awesome. 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:16.880 Now you want to share one more thing? 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:19.440 Uh yeah, or just like our take-home. 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:20.799 Take home, takeaway. 00:20:21.119 --> 00:20:22.000 Take home message, yeah. 00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:35.359 Okay, so uh just kind of the takeaway that tying Naomi and I stories together that we came up with is um say yes to God's voice and opportunities because a surrendered life is a meaningful and freeing life. 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:37.119 Amen. 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:37.920 Thank you. 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:44.400 Thanks, guys. 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:45.440 What do you all just say? 00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:46.319 Say yes. 00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:51.839 Say yes, turn to your neighbor, say say yes, yes, yes, for a meaningful life. 00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:52.640 Amen. 00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:54.559 That was a really good lesson. 00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:55.359 Thank you. 00:20:55.599 --> 00:21:03.839 Ben is gonna uh Ben is part of a team that's gonna actually be leading our junior highs uh for this next year, so we're really excited about that. 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:04.880 Naomi too. 00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:06.240 It's gonna be really good. 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:08.720 Um, I'd like to invite up Pat Grera. 00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:10.079 Would you give him a hand, Pat? 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:11.440 Come on up here. 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:19.519 You don't have anybody, do you? 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:23.759 Yeah, but you'd have your wife is there with you. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:25.119 This one, try that one. 00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:28.160 I love it when they clap before I say anything. 00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:28.960 Yeah. 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:32.640 Great. 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:37.359 So Pat, uh Pat is a busy guy. 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:40.799 Uh Pat continues to amaze me. 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:45.440 Everywhere I go, it's like someone someone's like, Oh, I know Klona Christian Center. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:46.400 Do you know Pat? 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:49.119 And I'm like, hey, I'm the pastor there. 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:54.799 So, Pat, thank you for uh sharing with us today. 00:21:54.880 --> 00:22:06.799 And uh, why don't you just share with the church what you've been doing and uh how that's made Made an impact for you this year, and maybe something that the church can take away with them as they go into this next season. 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:12.079 I'm gonna try and stay focused, but off focus for a moment. 00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:15.279 Uh, Pastor Malachi said new levels, new devils. 00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:22.720 Gosh, I almost I almost can feel sorry for the devils because when we come in the name of Jesus, they're just gonna stop. 00:22:23.759 --> 00:22:25.519 You know, it's the way it is. 00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:31.119 And for those of you who don't know, Pastor Malachi are brothers from different mothers. 00:22:32.079 --> 00:22:37.759 And the other side comment is uh the exhortation that Pastor Brody gave this morning. 00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:40.240 I could have just said amen and gone home. 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:43.200 And that was so good, honestly. 00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:43.680 Thank you. 00:22:43.839 --> 00:22:45.759 Uh so now I will stay focused. 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:47.039 Do you mind if I stand up? 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:47.599 Yeah, cool. 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:49.839 I'm just too excited to sit down. 00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:56.880 Uh so I'm gonna briefly and partially tell you some of the things that we do to try and reach Kelowna. 00:22:57.039 --> 00:23:00.000 And uh guess Pastor Brody was focusing in the summer. 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:09.440 Uh in the summer, we go to City Park, and uh at City Park we set up a display and we give out scriptures, Gospels of John, New Testament. 00:23:09.519 --> 00:23:10.400 This is gonna be quick. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:11.119 Hang on. 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:28.240 Uh but at City Park, people from all over Kelowna, all over BC, all over Alberta, I mean uh Canada, and all over the world, nations from all over the world walk right by us and have an opportunity to get free scripture and hear the gospel. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:34.079 It is absolutely the world comes to us, so it is extremely fun. 00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:41.599 We've also in years past gone to something called Kelowna Wellness Fair, which does have to do with wellness, but a lot of it is really new age stuff. 00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:45.119 There's witches and tarot and stuff, and so we're right there. 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:47.119 What better place to be? 00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:50.720 So we're there representing Jesus, and that's been exciting. 00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:54.240 For the last few years, we've been involved in the Rutland parade. 00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:57.440 Yay, Rutland! Woo! Yeah. 00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:07.359 And so we have a float and we go through, and in that short period of time, this last year, we gave out 1,000 Gospels of John into the community. 00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:09.519 And they're like, thank you, thank you. 00:24:09.599 --> 00:24:10.480 It's awesome. 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:19.440 Uh, we also do some educational outreaches to the University of British Columbia, Okanagan, and Okanagan College, and the two high schools here in town. 00:24:19.599 --> 00:24:22.240 And there's a lot more I can say about that. 00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:31.519 But just one thing I have to say, we went to Kelowna Senior Secondary School, and we had to set up and be there publicly, and we were kind of really marginalized. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:34.480 I don't have time to tell you, but we're really at a disadvantage. 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:38.480 Vice principal said, I'm sorry, I have to put you by the smoke pit. 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:45.839 And so, James, who's at the most important part of the church, that group back there, there, that's the VIP section. 00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:56.559 Uh, James and I set up, and I told him, James, I'm going over to the smoke pit and started handing out uh New Testaments and saying, you know, Merry Christmas, a gift for you. 00:24:56.720 --> 00:24:58.240 This is unbelievable. 00:24:58.640 --> 00:25:03.200 Over a hundred young people said, I want one, I'll take it. 00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:04.079 What about my friend? 00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:12.240 Just in a 30-minute span period of time, on one day, we sewed over a hundred new testaments into that high school. 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:16.160 We came back the next day expecting it wouldn't be as good. 00:25:16.319 --> 00:25:17.279 It was the same. 00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:22.000 So we sewed in over 200 new testaments to that one high school. 00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:26.480 And we also were at the university, uh, and that was really exciting. 00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:28.319 I don't know where we're at with the slides. 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:36.160 Yeah, that's us at UBCO, and then the next one, there's a little bit more action. 00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:38.079 Uh this last year, action. 00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:40.640 Uh we started, I started an outreach. 00:25:40.720 --> 00:25:45.119 How many of you know Kelowna is like full of mature people? 00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:48.000 I will not use the word old. 00:25:48.640 --> 00:25:54.559 We will never admit to being old, but everywhere, there's tens and tens and tens of thousands. 00:25:54.720 --> 00:26:06.160 So we've created an event called 55 plus 55 outreach lunch to try and get them to come to that and has music and uh good speaking and a lunch and the gospel. 00:26:06.400 --> 00:26:07.920 And so that's been amazing. 00:26:08.079 --> 00:26:10.880 So we're targeting not only the youth but the older people. 00:26:11.119 --> 00:26:16.160 Canada Day, 50,000 Kelowna people go down to the park. 00:26:16.400 --> 00:26:17.200 They're there. 00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:21.119 They they actually come down there to see us, but they don't know that. 00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:29.599 But anyhow, I pay$15 for a permit, and we can set up and give out scripture and talk to whosoever will. 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:31.519 We're there, we're a part of the party. 00:26:31.599 --> 00:26:32.400 It's amazing. 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:36.240 And then this summer I started something new going to Bible camp. 00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:37.359 Where's Ben? 00:26:38.160 --> 00:26:40.960 Those Bible camps are beyond amazing. 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:44.079 Yeah, I'm they just I'm sure they could have gone on for hours. 00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:46.240 They are like incredible. 00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:53.279 So we uh are no longer, as Gideons, allowed to go into the schools, so we're outside the schools. 00:26:53.359 --> 00:26:59.599 Now we're at the Bible camps, and we're gonna get make sure these kids have an opportunity to hear God's word. 00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:00.240 Amen. 00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:02.960 And so that's kind of an overview. 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:05.839 I wanted to say at the start, but I got too nervous. 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:16.400 Thank you to Pastor Brody for giving us this opportunity, and thank you for you, because KCC is a partner church with Gideon's International in Canada. 00:27:16.559 --> 00:27:23.599 You you as a church support and participate in all of our local and international outreaches. 00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:27.359 So you're a part of all this, and so thank you. 00:27:27.599 --> 00:27:28.160 Woo. 00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:39.039 Now, before we get on to our our our next uh guest, I feel like a talk show today. 00:27:39.759 --> 00:27:51.200 Our next guest, what would you want to say to the church as in terms of a takeaway for the church in terms of their own engagement with the community and taking the church beyond the four walls? 00:27:51.920 --> 00:27:56.480 Not everybody can do what we do, but everybody is called to be a witness. 00:27:56.880 --> 00:27:59.759 So you can engage with some of these activities. 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:17.119 Uh, one of the most important things you can do, even though this looks exciting and dynamic and everything, and it is one of the most important things you can do if you have some fears, apprehensions, if you're not sure about how to share your faith, etc., uh you can talk to me, we can help you improve. 00:28:17.359 --> 00:28:24.559 But right now, the best thing you can do is invite people to church or to your small group. 00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:29.839 That is by far the most effective method of sharing the gospel. 00:28:30.079 --> 00:28:35.599 And so you're not gonna sit down at Starbucks and look at somebody in the eyes and say, here's the four spiritual laws. 00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:39.440 If you're not gonna do that, just say, Hey, would you like to come to my small group? 00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:40.960 Would you like to come to church? 00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:49.119 That is incredibly effective, and that is the way that God designed that all of us, it's within our reach to be involved. 00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:50.319 You can do it. 00:28:50.799 --> 00:28:51.839 Would you pray for us? 00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:53.920 I you know, I was gonna ask if I could. 00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:54.640 Did you really? 00:28:55.119 --> 00:29:00.079 And uh there are times in the Bible when Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed. 00:29:00.240 --> 00:29:01.200 He talked to his father. 00:29:01.519 --> 00:29:08.160 So if it's not too awkward for you, I'm gonna ask you to stand, keep your eyes open, and look up to the Father. 00:29:12.799 --> 00:29:18.079 Father, we pray first of all for ourselves because even as we've heard today, it starts with me. 00:29:18.319 --> 00:29:29.200 We pray for ourselves that we would be stirred, that we would find a way to be those witnesses, those dynamic, those people who bring the name of Jesus outside these four walls. 00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:30.319 Start with us. 00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:33.680 And then, Father, we pray for the multitudes around us. 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:37.279 They're happy, prosperous, successful, whatever they are. 00:29:37.519 --> 00:29:43.359 They are broken, lonely, lost, and headed for an eternity that is unspeakably bad. 00:29:43.599 --> 00:29:49.119 And we are we are the ones that could stop them, that could stand in their way. 00:29:49.200 --> 00:30:01.599 And we pray for our community that in spite of all our affluence, you would give them open hearts, open their hearts, bring them, God, to a recognition of their need for God. 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:13.440 We pray for Kelowna, and we pray that you would just do such an incredible wave of evangelism in this city and this community that we would look back and just say, wow. 00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:15.119 In Jesus' name. 00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:15.920 Amen. 00:30:16.240 --> 00:30:16.799 Amen. 00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:18.240 Thank you so much, Pat. 00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:26.559 Now, oh, you should have stayed standing as we welcome up Larry and Francine Carruthers. 00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:38.480 Let's now I gotta make sure both microphones are on because uh Larry likes and Francine. 00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:40.880 Come sit close to me, Francine. 00:30:41.759 --> 00:30:44.240 Francine will have a lot to share as well. 00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:46.400 Always have a lot to share. 00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:50.480 Except today I've got my notes with me. 00:30:53.599 --> 00:30:55.759 All right, I don't know where to start. 00:30:56.000 --> 00:31:00.720 Um maybe we can start with the first picture. 00:31:01.440 --> 00:31:02.000 Excuse me. 00:31:02.160 --> 00:31:16.400 I am going to talk about um a family that uh we uh we found um a couple more than a couple months ago, about four or five months ago, uh, that was in despair. 00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:25.759 So uh on the slide right now are the pictures you can see uh a lady called Chip Churchir, and then she is uh with her little girl. 00:31:26.079 --> 00:31:33.440 Chipchurchir had to work uh three kilometers uh to take her child to the clinic as she was very sick. 00:31:33.599 --> 00:31:40.400 Uh the child was suffering of uh malnutrition, and she was a very advanced stage. 00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:48.000 Um and then on the other picture you can see uh the hair that um is yellowish. 00:31:48.480 --> 00:32:00.559 Uh when children get to the stage, uh they eventually lose their hair, and then the skin uh becomes some kind of uh uh puffy jelly uh kind of looking. 00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:03.839 Um so uh it was an emergency. 00:32:03.920 --> 00:32:05.759 We needed to do something right away. 00:32:06.079 --> 00:32:07.599 Next slide, please. 00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:20.079 Um when I got there, well, actually we decided to uh to take the child and then the mother back to their home and see in what kind of stage they were living. 00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:30.400 And then we got to their house, and um I had to take a deep breath not to cry because I was overwhelmed by what I saw. 00:32:30.720 --> 00:32:36.480 Um as I proceeded to walk in the house, there was a really old couch in the house, and that's all there was there. 00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:44.799 There was nothing else but an old couch and some uh three or four bag sacks of flour or I don't know what the sacks contained. 00:32:45.680 --> 00:32:45.759 Yeah. 00:32:47.200 --> 00:32:50.160 And that's where uh the children were sleeping. 00:32:50.319 --> 00:32:59.599 So to find out, and when I got there, Chip Chu Chir had three uh triplets, and then uh Charity, the little girl, uh, was one of the triplets. 00:32:59.839 --> 00:33:12.319 And they were the three of them sitting on the couch, and then uh they were uh well a charity was nonverbal, she couldn't talk, and she couldn't walk, and she was in really bad shape. 00:33:12.640 --> 00:33:14.400 Next uh slide, please. 00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:20.319 We we thought there were maybe 20 months, 24 months, but it turned out to be four years old. 00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:21.359 Yeah. 00:33:22.960 --> 00:33:29.119 Um so uh from that point we decided that we were going to help uh this child. 00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:40.640 We had a board meeting, and then uh we came up with the idea of supplying uh bananas, uh, guava, um, avocados that we had uh on the compound. 00:33:40.880 --> 00:33:41.359 Wow. 00:33:42.400 --> 00:33:45.519 And then to start on a little business. 00:33:46.079 --> 00:33:58.640 And then uh I uh I posted some pictures on Facebook asking for help uh financially to be able to uh to provide uh for the family. 00:33:58.960 --> 00:34:15.679 Uh we needed to help those child, so we put the child on a on a on a program, uh, first of all by feeding them with nuts and eggs and everything that they need, uh, especially charity for proteins, uh, because the children were literally dying. 00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:17.840 Not only charity, but the three of them. 00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:25.440 Uh Chip Chichera also two other kids that were a little older, uh Julia and uh Derek. 00:34:26.159 --> 00:34:33.519 Yeah, and then uh when we found those children, they were in a very sad, very sad stage. 00:34:33.760 --> 00:34:42.559 Uh they looked very depressed and there was no smile, and then uh same with the parents, but it was more obvious with the children. 00:34:43.360 --> 00:34:44.880 Next slide, please. 00:34:46.960 --> 00:35:03.199 Um so uh the people responded, KCC responded, and a lot of people uh that don't necessarily go to church uh pour money on us and decided that they were going to help the children uh to do better. 00:35:03.440 --> 00:35:09.519 So from that point we were able to um uh to buy uh more for the family. 00:35:09.599 --> 00:35:17.199 Uh we get some cuckoos, chicken for them, and then we got them uh I know cuckoos, isn't that cute? 00:35:19.199 --> 00:35:20.480 Lulu cuckoos. 00:35:21.440 --> 00:35:28.639 Uh and we were able to uh to buy also um uh seeds for them. 00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:33.280 Um just by the fence, uh as we were going to their little house. 00:35:33.519 --> 00:35:34.960 You can go to the next slide. 00:35:35.039 --> 00:35:38.719 I think it's uh okay, so that's Larry. 00:35:38.800 --> 00:35:39.840 Oh yeah, shoes. 00:35:40.159 --> 00:35:52.639 So we already had shoes that uh grow up to uh five years, so you just keep on uh enlarging the shoes with the tip that moves along, so we were able to give the shoes to the children as well. 00:35:52.800 --> 00:35:54.880 So that's what Larry is doing there. 00:35:55.360 --> 00:36:02.639 Um so you can see uh the field as where we were going to their house, uh there was barely nothing there. 00:36:02.800 --> 00:36:12.480 So Larry went out with Danielle, the father, and then got some seed and plan maise and beans and some uh uh African vegetable. 00:36:13.679 --> 00:36:16.400 So this is the course of two, three weeks, right? 00:36:16.480 --> 00:36:19.519 Uh so obviously they're doing much better. 00:36:19.840 --> 00:36:27.039 Charity is, you know, back um well, back to her health very slowly, but she's getting there. 00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:37.920 And then suddenly we see smile in their face, and uh the attitude of you know, the darkness over the house uh start to change. 00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:50.639 Uh, Pastor David, that is the manager at our clinic, um, invited them at our uh at this church, and then the family started to come there and finally give their life to Christ. 00:36:50.880 --> 00:37:04.159 And it was really cute to see that because at the same time, those little girls that could not walk, that could not talk, regained their voice, were able to talk, to sing and praise to the Lord. 00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:06.320 We're walking and were running. 00:37:06.559 --> 00:37:11.679 Hallelujah! Next slide, please. 00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:14.480 Next slide. 00:37:14.800 --> 00:37:15.840 Next slide. 00:37:16.719 --> 00:37:20.559 Okay, so um I don't see very well there, but my glasses are. 00:37:23.039 --> 00:37:23.199 Yes. 00:37:23.280 --> 00:37:31.840 So we got them uh five chicken and then the chicken are uh broilers, uh, but we will eventually get them some layers as well, too. 00:37:31.920 --> 00:37:43.039 So it for these one they were to eat them, and their broilers will be to um uh to get themselves in a little business and actually sell eggs so they can make money off it. 00:37:43.199 --> 00:37:43.760 Am I right? 00:37:43.920 --> 00:37:44.480 Yes. 00:37:44.960 --> 00:37:45.280 Wow. 00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:46.079 All right. 00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:52.960 So we're continue to bring hundreds of uh bananas and avocados, and they sell them on the side of the road. 00:37:53.199 --> 00:38:05.039 And uh so we've taught them how to handle a three column ledger, and now they're saving 10% of their profit so that they can be end up buying their own stock, becoming self-proficient, sufficient. 00:38:05.920 --> 00:38:08.719 And we also do do counseling with them. 00:38:08.880 --> 00:38:15.360 Uh when we met the family, uh Danielle uh wasn't working, and of course there was no income. 00:38:15.599 --> 00:38:19.199 Not only the children were starving, but the family as well. 00:38:19.360 --> 00:38:39.679 Um so when Daniel was getting uh a little job, either uh going and help his neighbor with uh the harvest or whatever, he will take the money and he would go and drink it and would come home and be being drunk and abuse of his wife and then abuse of his children. 00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:48.159 Uh one time uh I came there and Chip Chichir had a black eye, and uh, of course she wouldn't tell me what happened. 00:38:48.400 --> 00:38:59.440 Um, but we pulled Daniel aside and we had a talk with him, and uh Daniel got down on his knee and asked the Lord to forgive him, and that would never happen again. 00:38:59.679 --> 00:39:03.039 So uh since that time we've been doing counseling with them. 00:39:03.119 --> 00:39:05.199 So we meet uh almost every week. 00:39:05.280 --> 00:39:10.639 We go and check on the children every week and see how they are doing with their little businesses. 00:39:10.880 --> 00:39:17.760 Um so we what we do with the future, uh, because you know we we want to plan ahead of time, we need a goal. 00:39:17.920 --> 00:39:24.800 Um so for another eight months, we're gonna still uh keep in touch with them and uh check how they are doing. 00:39:24.960 --> 00:39:36.960 Uh, keep supplying, of course, more fruits and vegetables for them, and then uh hopefully that um they will rise up and be a normal family and successful in what we do. 00:39:37.119 --> 00:39:41.280 So please, when you pray, pray for chair churchir and her family. 00:39:41.440 --> 00:39:42.960