EP 28 SUFFERINGS=BLESSINGS

What is your view on suffering? Man do we have one for you today! The three Pastors come together and talk about the sufferings in which God promises us to stand strong on! We all go through different sufferings and trials, but God says in 1 Peter Chapter 3 17 "For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." God wants us to realize that we need Him through it all! There is no one and nothing in this World that brings the Peace and Glory in which God holds! 

Thanks for joining us today! As the Apostle Paul says, "Grace and Peace to you"

Bro. Lane, Bro. Ryan, Bro. David

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:10

Welcome to the Pick It Up Podcast, the podcast where we'll discuss what it means to pick up your cross and follow Christ. Living a life where Christ takes commitment, sacrifice, and ultimately being obedient to his word. Not only on Sundays, but every day. God's word says it, that settles it. So pray about it, practice it, and proclaim it. Let's get into it. What's up, gentlemen?

SPEAKER_02 0:38

Good morning, guys. What up? The three amigos today.

SPEAKER_05 0:42

Three pastoral amigos. Or three stooges one.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

The preacher and dumb and dumber. There we go.

SPEAKER_05 0:51

I ain't got nothing to say now. Oh man, what y'all uh like a movie? It's kind of different. We uh it's a Wednesday morning this morning. We uh didn't do it yesterday morning, had some stuff we had to get done. And so we jumped on here on a Wednesday. Wednesdays are busy for us usually. Um as me and Watson always say, they kind of drag by until we get to the the meat of it.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

But uh I never get I mean Wednesdays just wear you out. Right. And I know it's like that on Sundays for you, preacher, but just here, you gotta get that mic to you.

SPEAKER_05 1:22

I got you a new mic today, so there you go. But yeah, they drag by. They drag by.

SPEAKER_02 1:29

Well, how's things in y'all's world?

SPEAKER_05 1:31

How do you get him a new mic? He's sitting there in the corner. Oh, a new position. That way he ain't gotta turn his head. Open him out. Watson's in a new position. There we go.

SPEAKER_02 1:41

Feel distant.

SPEAKER_05 1:43

You want to get back in your old seat, Watson? Oh man, yeah, we uh I got a question for you boys.

SPEAKER_04 1:50

You ever been falsely accused?

unknown 1:52

Huh.

SPEAKER_04 1:53

By my wife. By my wife?

SPEAKER_01 1:55

I don't care by anybody. Yeah, multiple times. Yeah. You think as uh in in ministry you could be falsely accused? Oh yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 2:05

Falsely accused.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

I didn't mean to cause everybody to just freeze up.

SPEAKER_02 2:14

No, I'm sitting here thinking in my head. Because, yeah. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

I go ahead. In the world in which we live. You know, it's just evil everywhere. And we find ourselves in the ministry, you know, uh standing in the gap, standing in between the fight, you know, there's good and evil. Yep. And you get called into a situation to try to make sense out of chaos, and uh if you aren't careful, just simply because you're speaking the truth, things be taken out of context. And you just you say what you say because it's the truth, but then you're falsely accused. And you don't take sides, you're on God's side, obviously. But uh to be able to do that and then continue on and then just wait for the next phone call, wait for the next one.

SPEAKER_02 3:04

To to keep the right mindset and the right. Huge. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

Huge to have the right mindset. I thought about it, I tell you, the reason this comes up is we had a conversation yesterday morning with uh LG in the future, you know, college ministry. Got some good things coming up there, I think, of what God's doing, and I felt the need to talk to him about all right, you're putting yourself out there willing to get involved in ministry, and it can be dirty. And I know that I know the hard part, you know, of that, of uh being willing to to have the shoulders to carry the load of somebody else to get put yourself into the fight when you really don't have a dog in the fight. And I don't know if I did a good job or if that was appropriate time to bring that up or not, but anyway, that's what's on my mind when I mention that falsely accused.

SPEAKER_02 3:55

Well, you even brought up, you know, his wife, Abby, because she's just as much involved as and you know, our wives are are subject to get criticized and and that should not keep people I think that does.

SPEAKER_01 4:10

I think it keeps people from getting too involved in ministry. They get afraid, or maybe they have that experience and they don't want anything to do with this, therefore they quit and walk away. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 4:21

Well you I mean it's no doubt it's a lot easier to go to a 40-hour a week job and then when you get home, not stress about stuff and worry about. I say that lightly to the ones working, you know, not that you don't have a hard job, but but the fact is sometimes you can go home and shut it off. Just turn the key and cut it off, and and when you're in the ministry, it's hard to do that.

SPEAKER_05 4:42

Well, you I think you said it yesterday in our meeting your closest ones are gonna be the ones that hurt you the most, whether by their words, by their actions, whatever it might be, but it usually comes as a result of false accusation.

SPEAKER_01 4:56

That's right. Yeah. It really does. And they and you can defend yourself all day long, and it you know, it don't do a bit of good. And and Jesus addresses that through his apostles, through his writers, obviously. Uh Paul in particular, talking to Timothy and different ones, of uh what to expect here, son. You finna get in the fight. And I I read a verse to these boys first thing this morning when they come in the doors, and it was 1 Peter 3, 14, but and if you suffer for righteousness' sake, happier you. How is that possible? If you suffer for righteousness' sake, righteousness being that which is right with God, being right with God. Where are you at, preacher? Verse 14. 1 Peter chapter 3, verse 14, it says that happy if you suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are you. How in the world is it possible to maintain happiness when you suffer?

SPEAKER_02 5:50

Well, this is how mine put it, but even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it.

SPEAKER_01 5:57

Mine says you are blessing. Happy are you? Yep. Yep. And then the last part, be not afraid of the terror.

SPEAKER_05 6:04

You ask yourself the question: where's the blessings from sufferings?

SPEAKER_02 6:09

Well, you got to know in the end the ultimate goal is for you to serve God, be in his will, and knowing he's gonna take care of you all the way through it.

SPEAKER_01 6:20

Yeah, glorifying God. I mean, if you're if you're if you suffer unjustifiably, you know, with false accusation or whatever it might be, and you know that you have upheld and done the will of the Lord the best of your ability, God is my witness, then uh yeah, I mean you can you can have that maintain that I'm good because I know. You know, regardless of what anybody else says, I know.

SPEAKER_02 6:44

Well, we're not just on the ministry aspect here, but that's everybody's life. Oh, yeah, that's as a husband, that's a father. As long as you're doing what God wants you to do, you're gonna suffer. As you would say, let the low end drag.

SPEAKER_01 6:58

Yeah. Well, there's gonna be persecution. Last part of chapter 10, Hebrews. I mentioned that yesterday too, you know. It says the writer's reminding him, remember when y'all suffered through this? Remember when it was tough? Yeah. So those remembrances are very, very important for us to reflect on because we know the next time we face this same thing, we we've already been through this. We know the victory, we know the uh of the end of this thing. Yeah. God's gonna bring us through. He's done it before, he'll do it again. He keeps his promises. I'll never leave you, I'll never seek you, I'll be with you. I will deliver you, I will uphold you, I will strengthen you, I will guide you, I will lead you. I mean, it just on and on and on. And those promises. If you aren't standing on those promises, you you fix me go through some miserable, miserable moments. And that does. That don't apply just to ministry, that's everybody.

SPEAKER_05 7:45

We know what we've our advice to everybody. We make the comment all the time. Finding out the will of the Father is one of the hardest things to do. Ultimately, we know the will of the Father. Ryan said it just a while ago. It's honor and glorify him, right? Yep. But you you gotta skip down to verse, you might you might be waiting to save this verse 17 and what you just read in 1 Peter chapter 3, for it is better if it is the will of the God, the will of God to suffer for doing good and for not doing evil. Suffering again. So you go back to what you've been preaching on with false gospel and true gospel. You know what the true gospel is. You know what God's good things are, you know what evil is. And so, therefore, if you know what evil is and you're continuing to do evil, you're sinning. And ultimately living in sin. Living in sin.

SPEAKER_01 8:33

But to him to know do good doth it not, to him to sin, right? Yep. Another very odd or or maybe a better word, interesting take on that whole context 1 Peter 3. Suffering for righteousness' sake, being happy, is uh y'all know my spill on obstacles and opportunities, right? Yeah, it's so easy to look at the giant and say, I don't stand a chance. I'm thinking to get killed or I'm gonna get murdered, mauled right here. It's so easy to take that perspective, huge obstacle to overcome. That's the natural. But the spiritual perspective is I can't miss it. See the opportunity. David saw the opportunity. And if we'll approach our, you know, those those times and moments in life that it seems like, how am I gonna do this? How am I gonna handle this? How am I gonna go through this? Try to throw that spiritual perspective in there and see it as such. All right, if I go through this thing right here, maintaining my good conscience towards God, then my Bible tells me I'm gonna be alright. So here's an opportunity for me to experience God, to glorify God in a horrible situation. Yeah. And when you insert that perspective into a situation, particularly racial relational situation, not between us and our wives, but other people and their families. I don't know. You cause people to really think. They sit back in their chair and they go, hmm, I never thought about that. But that is the that is that is a a liberating truth, if if you can grab hold to the principle of it.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

You well, as a as a man, I know our pride gets us sometime, and we want to react. I'm thinking of these, you know, when people are after you. You're trying to live for God, but people are after you. You know, you want to It's the devil. Yeah. But if you look at 1 Peter chapter 3, it gives you instructions on how to handle that. It says, be tenderhearted and keep humble attitude. Then it goes on to say, Don't repay evil for evil. Don't relate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do. And he will grant you a blessing. And he goes on to repeat what the scripture says there.

SPEAKER_01 11:08

So And if you if you look at the context, it's it's relational. He's likewise you wise be subject under your own husband. That's verse one of chapter three. Yeah. So what's the what's the conversation he's having here and what's it all about? Very, very good and deep.

SPEAKER_02 11:27

It it's almost like I guess what I'm trying to say is it's hard for us sometimes to throw our hands up and just walk away. You know. But God has called us to be different, you know. And to be able to throw your hands up and just walk away and say, Well, the flesh wants to get involved. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

You don't you just want to get somebody in the headlock and just say, you're stupid. You're just stupid. Your actions are stupid. Yeah. What you've done to your wife or what you've done to your husband or what you've done to, you know, the flesh wants to just get them in the, you know, and just punch them. Yeah. Basically rendering evil for evil. But you can't. You know, you gotta take the high road. You know, and you got to when you know the the will of God and what how God would have you to insert yourself into this thing, it's not from a fleshly perspective, yeah, but it's from a uh spiritual perspective. And that's the that's the success, is when you bring God into the equation. Because usually when you get inserted into that, you God ain't nowhere around. Yeah. You know, it's just flesh on flesh. So bring spirit into there and let's start making some sense of this thing and bring some peace into the situation.

SPEAKER_05 12:42

That's right. All right, so I I've been sitting here trying to think of this song and I wanted to pull it up because I don't misquote the lyrics. But Zach, we we were listening to this song. I'm talking about this has been months ago. This has been maybe a year ago. I was playing a song on Sunday morning before we got ready for practice for worship, and it was called Second Opinions. And this this part in this song says this, I've heard them say the Lord won't give you anything you can't handle, but the truth is we can't handle anything without him. And how Zach said it, he he brought it up there in worship that morning. He said, Look, we're playing this song during practice. This is the way to look at it. You think that God won't, you say, Well, God's not gonna load my plate with nothing I can't handle. No, God's gonna overflow your plate until you realize that you need him. And so when I thought about that yesterday, we were sitting there talking to Logan and everything else, through everybody's life, you can't say, preacher old belching over there, uh, you can't say there's not a person in this world that says, Hey, my plate's been overfilled. I I can't handle this. There's somebody that says that even right when you were playing Jesus, would you say that I just can't handle it? You can't handle it. Take it away. But what I mean, what I want to bring us all back home on is through every trial, every suffering, every temptation, everything, you've got to realize you've got a Lord with you, you've got a Savior with you. Give it to him. Amen. Quit trying to fight this battle on your own. It's the invitation. Jesus said it. Respond. All right, here's the word.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

Bring me your troubles.

SPEAKER_05 14:12

Here's your response. Give it to him, you know. Oh man. You do really have to bring the response thing up.

SPEAKER_02 14:19

Well, here's a question for you, because we can we talked about it a little bit in Sunday school Sunday morning. Uh we brought up righteous anger. Yeah. You know, Jesus had righteous anger at one time when he went to flipping table. Well, when is it fine for us? You know, you talk about putting someone in a headlock and just want to get it into their head. You know, when is it okay to have righteous anger?

SPEAKER_05 14:45

When you had a belly full. And the Lord says enough is enough.

SPEAKER_02 14:48

Well, you you go to this person and say, you know, you need to do better. This is what needs to happen, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know. But there's a comes a time where you got to be real with people.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:01

You know.

SPEAKER_01 15:02

Comes a time you gotta hit them right in the mouth.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

Sound like old Carter, they do.

SPEAKER_02 15:10

But really, I mean, God or Jesus showed righteous anger without sinning.

SPEAKER_05 15:16

Yeah. Without sinning. So here's the verse I'm reading to these kids tonight. So we've been on the life of Moses and seeing God's righteous anger towards Pharaoh, you know. Well, he's done had enough, and this is the last plague, you know, talked about at the Passover. But he says this in verse 12 of Exodus chapter 12. For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgment. I am the Lord. He's speaking boldly. He done had enough. He done had enough.

SPEAKER_02 15:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:50

Bold talk. God will, God could get it, belly full. That's exactly right. And and take you out. Take you out.

SPEAKER_02 15:58

So here you are, if you're at home or in the car riding around, and you're just you consider yourself an average everyday Joe. This ain't to the ministers out there. This is to everyone. You know, if God's dealing with you on something, he's convicting you about something, and he has been convicting you, and it's over and over again, and you've been going the wrong road, he could get enough of it. Yep. He can say, enough's enough.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

Let's get back to the cause. Think about what you just said. Think about this. What caused a person to rebel against God that would cause God to get a belly full? I've had enough of you. It's obviously you're following the influences of evil, right? So you gotta stand against it. Well, how do you stand against it? That's what everybody listening to us probably wants to know. Well, give us some how-to stuff. I hear you. I'm there, I'm I'm right, I'm I'm dealing with it right now. Yeah. Tell me, arm me. And uh it's it's just interesting that the Bible is written, particularly the New Testament, and the epistles is written in that direction, you know, of how-to's.

SPEAKER_02 17:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

How to fight a fight, how to how to do battle, how to go to war. Because we are in a war and it's spiritual warfare. And you do need to arm yourselves. You mentioned them earlier, it's so important to have that right mind. I was talking about perspective a while ago, being able to see the difference between seeing something as an obstacle opportunity, but it's all a matter of the mind. If you get your mind right and the mind of Christ, then you can face anything. Yeah you when you arm yourself with the right ammunition, that's not of this world, but it's of the scriptures, of God, you mean you and we have the examples in the in the Bible. I mean, Jesus faced death, crucifixion, and he survived it.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

Well, I know that this is my go-to thing with David and the rock, right? But facing the facing the giant, this is my go-to thing. If if David stepped up there in front of Goliath, that wasn't the first rock he ever picked up. He was prepared. He knew how to sling a rock. He'd been doing it ever since he was a, you know, he was young when he defeated Goliath.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

What details saw? I killed a lion, I killed a bear.

SPEAKER_02 18:19

Yeah. He said, hey, I don't need all your stuff. I got what I need. I'm prepared, pretty much. So we need to prepare ourselves. That's the first step of competition. Yeah. Yeah. You know, what are we doing on our downtime? You know, I'm going to get into the sermon here. But to prepare ourselves for you want to defeat the giant, you want to defeat what's you're what you're against, but what are you preparing yourself to do?

SPEAKER_01 18:48

I'm interested in knowing what how your Bible, and we we all have the same Bible here, different translations. Don't get us wrong. When I say your Bible, my Bible, his Bible.

SPEAKER_02 18:57

Yeah, I got the NLT.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

King James and the NLT and this and that. And he's in the NIV. Verse 1 of chapter 4. Read that. 1 Peter. 1 Peter, chapter 4, verse 1. Get back over there.

SPEAKER_02 19:10

Chapter 4. No, no, no, no. Here we go. It's talking about living for God. It says, so then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had. And be ready. Here it is. Be ready to suffer too. Be ready. Be prepared.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 19:36

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 19:36

Is that not it?

SPEAKER_02 19:38

You must arm yourselves.

SPEAKER_01 19:39

How cool is that? That shows up right after chapter three, what we were just talking about. Yep. Suffering. How in the world can you suffer for righteousness sake and be happy? You know, and it's that mind, that attitude. I love the way that says that, by the way. You got to have the right attitude. Mine says, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind. He's talking about Christ. For as much then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourself likewise with the same mind, for ye that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin. He no longer should live the rest of his days in the flesh of the lust of men, but to the will of God. So quit seeking after your own desires and your own wills and your own wants and your own passions. I mean, you boys out there that y'all chasing the turkeys and chasing the three-pound crappies and you're chasing everything else, and you're putting God second class. You wake up one day and realize that your family's all out of whack. I mean, what what have you been pursuing? You know, and you ought to be pursuing God, the will of God, not your own stuff. The lust of men. Sound like I get kind of agitated. I'm not getting agitated. I'm just passionate about it. Just passionate about it. Arm yourselves. It ain't rocket science. It ain't rocket science. You know, what do you have a what we call arm yourselves? What's for the armor of God? And when do we when do you start teaching these kids laying the armor of God? You know, when they third graders, second graders. I mean, everybody knows Ephesians like the back of your hand, you know, and that's the whole goal. We realize what we have. And the only, it's always been said about the armor of God. The only offensive weapon you have is the word of God, thus saith the Lord. How did Jesus face the temptation? How did Jesus face the devil?

SPEAKER_05 21:24

Well, you go back to that pride and ego. Do you think let me ask you this question, Leslie? Do you think people are ashamed to have this as ammo? Do you think people are not necessarily scared? You know, we hear a lot of people say, Well, I don't really don't know what this word says. You know, I can't grasp it. You know, one, you're not putting in the effort to grasp it. Two, but you think they're ashamed of it?

SPEAKER_01 21:49

I think they're probably, if the truth be known, they're not necessarily ashamed of the word of God, but they're ashamed of their ability in handling the word of God. Yeah, they're not confident enough to get. An answer. Right. Oh my goodness, I gotta say that one too. Verse 15, 1 Peter chapter 3, verse 15. Sanctify the Lord in your hearts. Be ready always to give an answer to every man that seeks you a reason or the hope that is in you, the meekness and fear. So I'm gonna ask you, what's different? How come you handling this situation so differently than what I am? See, that's that goes back to the armor of God. That goes back to the gospel.

SPEAKER_02 22:23

Yeah, that's right. Well, you gotta keep reading there, verse 16. It says, keep you back to the armor of God. Keep your conscience clear, too.

SPEAKER_05 22:32

Well, all right, all right, yeah. All right. That goes, this is feeds right in. I think Paul might think Peter and Paul might have been wrote in uh Ephesians chapter 1.

SPEAKER_02 22:40

And you make fun of the way I talk about it. Well, listen.

SPEAKER_05 22:44

The preacher just said, always be ready to give an answer. Mine says always be ready to give a defense. Well, what's our defense mechanism in the armor of God? Armor. Amen. What's the word of God? The sword. You know, everybody's the weapon. The sword's your offense. No, the sword's your defense. You're there to keep it, keep what you have on your body set. Works both ways. You can deflect. Right. Or you can inflict. Then Ryan goes in talking about it. Go be in the battle with it. Ryan goes in and talking about the hope that is in you with meekness and fear, having a good conscience that they made uh when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. What's your feet? What are you shod of the gospel? The gospel. What's your protection of your head, you know? Who to heaven?

SPEAKER_02 23:30

Salvation. If anything, we teach an armor of God this morning. Feel like we need breakfast.

SPEAKER_01 23:37

Come on with it. Feel like we need to sing a BBS song this morning. These people listen to us thinking, them boys are just they all over the map.

SPEAKER_02 23:45

We just putting this coffee in there.

SPEAKER_05 23:47

We got one Mountain Dew on the table and two coffee.

SPEAKER_02 23:50

Oh man. We need to pause. Well, I'm gonna say this. Pause. I ain't pausing. I'm gonna say this. Gather our thoughts and preach. All right, here we go. What we've been doing, preacher. I don't know why in this main name, but the Lord's put it in my site this morning two different times. So I get a message every morning on my phone. Y'all know Jimmy Houston. Oh, yeah. Yeah. A great fisherman. But anyway, he's got a little deal out. He talked about friends this morning. And the statement he made, I'm not gonna read it word for word, is he said, it's easy to fish when you got five baits, right? But when you got 500 baits, it's hard to figure out which one you want, right? And it goes into talking about friends and our friendships that we have, you know. Uh when you have the right friends, you don't need a whole slew of them. You know, you just have the ones that keep you on track. You know, and I if you're if you're asking for a step of how to live for God and stay in the right, watch who you surround yourself with. You know, all right. So then we're reading in chapter four, 1 Peter. It says, of course, your former friends are surprised. Well, it's talking about godly living.

SPEAKER_01 25:11

Which verse? Which verse?

SPEAKER_02 25:12

Oh, well, I thought I said.

SPEAKER_01 25:14

You said chapter four.

SPEAKER_02 25:15

Okay, 1 Peter chapter 4, verse 4. There you go. It says, of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they'll slander you. The very next thing it says, they'll slander you.

SPEAKER_05 25:33

Of course. Accuse you.

SPEAKER_02 25:35

Yeah. I like how he says that. Of course.

SPEAKER_05 25:37

Of course.

SPEAKER_02 25:40

So, you know, I guess what we're looking at steps. That would be another step. Watch who you surround yourself with. And for don't worry about, forget what the other people are going to say. You know, you just want to live for God. And I know at people at my age, for sure, in your age, Lane, and that that's hard to do. Coming out of your old lifestyle, changing your ways and wanting to live a new way, your old buddies are gonna look at you and say, what's wrong with him? Yeah. And they're gonna talk bad about you, and they're gonna, but you know what? They'll eventually come back around. So I've I've told you the story of uh Brian, you know, and him changing, you know, changing his life, going a different direction. And old buddies coming to him and being like, Man, what you got that I need?

SPEAKER_01 26:28

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 26:28

You know?

SPEAKER_01 26:29

You gotta be ready to answer that.

SPEAKER_02 26:30

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 26:32

Kind of like Land asked while ago, why why are people ashamed? I don't think they're ashamed of what they know, they're ashamed of their testimony, they're ashamed of their ignorance in it. Yeah. Their ability to respond, to give an answer.

unknown 26:45

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 26:46

It's sad. But I mean, so if if you're saying that's me, you're listening to us, you're saying, well, that's me. Well, change that. Arm yourself. Yep. Put in the work, train, like David said, you know, he didn't just pick up a rock and chunk it, he turned to train.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

He was ready. Well, and I use that illustration with the teenagers because on his idle time, when he was sitting on a rock being a shepherd boy, he had that rock and that sling in his hand. And he was preparing himself. He didn't know he was gonna be battling a giant one day, but God did. So he he took God let him use what he was used to to defeat his giant. And I look at these teenagers and I say, What are y'all used to? Being on your phone and looking up stuff, and if what you're you're investing in, will it defeat giants? If it don't, it's worthless.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

Exactly. Calculus is worthless. Right? That's exactly right. Geometry is worthless. But it goes back to you think to yourself, there ain't no way algebra's gonna help me.

SPEAKER_02 27:56

Oh, I ain't used algebra since I graduated. I didn't even use it before I graduated. Geometry, I don't even know what that is.

SPEAKER_01 28:02

I apologize for distracting you, but Ryan's going down a very good road there. But some for some reason, you know, especially as we get older adults and we see some things happening to us, and we just think that's kind of strange. But there's plenty of cautions throughout the scriptures that these people who have been there and done that, led by the Spirit of God to write it, tell you, don't think it odd.

SPEAKER_02 28:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:29

Don't be caught off guard, don't be surprised. The tests are coming. That's right. The trials are coming. You're gonna have to face the giants at some point in time. And here's the key. Are you gonna be ready? Have you trained? Well, you trunk that rock.

SPEAKER_02 28:45

So I'm gonna get on Logan for a second. He brought this up yesterday. Uh and I'm talking about David here and how David, when he got to a moment in his life where he was somewhat bored, sitting on a rock, watching the sheep, just being a shepherd boy. What did he dig out of his pocket? A sling and some rocks. You know, when we sit in boredom more than two minutes nowadays, well, we dig out of our pocket, our phones, right? Looking for something to do. They didn't have that back then. Well, Logan brought it up yesterday, like when he sits idle, you know, first thing he does is get his phone out and look at Instagram. And it dawned on him, he said, Man, I got the Bible app on here. So he drugged the however you do it, the Bible app next to Instagram. And it reminds him every time he gets bored, instead of clicking on this, I'll click on this.

SPEAKER_05 29:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:37

It's a way to prepare yourself. It's a tactic.

SPEAKER_05 29:39

Yeah. Well, it goes back to what we talked about last week and influences, you know. That Instagram's got some pretty bad influences in it or any social media. But yet, it can be used for a good influence. But yeah, when you have the Bible next to it, there ain't no better influence than that, you know. Read verse 16, chapter 4, 1 Peter. Let me catch my breath. I done ran back upstairs. Yet if anyone suffers as Christians, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. Is that ashamed? You asked the question, Legal. Why not?

SPEAKER_01 30:08

People seem to shame.

SPEAKER_05 30:08

I even got that sugar highlighted later already. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_04 30:14

Or the time at the time.

SPEAKER_01 30:15

Look at verse 12.

SPEAKER_05 30:17

Chapter 4, verse 12. Chapter 4, verse 12. Beloved, do not think it's strange concerning the fire trial, which is to try you, as though some strange things happened to you.

SPEAKER_01 30:25

Yeah, you wonder what's going on. Don't be surprised. The writer's thing, don't be surprised when these things come. They're coming.

SPEAKER_04 30:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:32

The devil's gonna try. Especially you start living for him, you start leading your family towards God, you're just putting a target on your back. That's what I was trying to say, kind of Logan yesterday. You when you follow the Lord in this and willing to step out there and say, Not me, but you, Lord, here I am, use me, you know, then it's coming. The target. Yep. Yep. And whenever he does, you can you can slay him. You hit him right between the eyes with the truth.

SPEAKER_05 31:01

Right between the eyes.

SPEAKER_01 31:03

With the truth of the gospel.

SPEAKER_02 31:06

Do you think Peter is preaching to new new converts here?

SPEAKER_01 31:11

Oh, no doubt. I tell you what, if somebody, here's a good, I don't know if I've ever told y'all this, I'll tell you now. Uh somebody come to you, maybe they're a new convert, new believer, and they want to know, well, I want to get into studying the Bible. Where do I start? Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. I always send on 1 Peter.

SPEAKER_02 31:26

Yeah, I've I've done that as well.

SPEAKER_01 31:28

Why? Because it's practical. Yep. It's so practical. And y'all have heard us here this morning, we in chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, all over. It seems like one thing just answers another. Well, it's so practical.

SPEAKER_02 31:40

1 Peter, or the book of Peter, uh is no doubt is someone looking to grow in their life of God. If you're not looking to grow, you know, this book isn't going to do you any good. This is someone that is ready to suffer for Christ. That's all in.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

Well, that starts at the very beginning. Who did he write the book to?

SPEAKER_05 32:03

I was just about to read that to pilgrims.

SPEAKER_01 32:05

Yeah. And where were they scattered, right? All across. Well, how were they scattered by the devil? Yeah. Yeah. Persecution.

SPEAKER_05 32:11

False accusations. What's the NLT say, first verse chapter one? What's the reference again? First Peter chapter one.

SPEAKER_02 32:20

Verse one. This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God's chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces. Foreigners. I like it.

SPEAKER_01 32:32

Yeah, mine uses pilgrims.

SPEAKER_04 32:34

Strangers. I'm a bad preacher.

SPEAKER_01 32:37

Go to chapter 4. He says stranger. Don't think it's strange. Yeah. These fiery trials are just going to try you. But the word of the Lord endures, he says. He keeps repeating, he keeps affirming what he's telling them all throughout this letter. I mean, you ought to read that today. I mean, listen to it. You driving down the road right now, listen to us. When this podcast ends, turn it off, and get your Bible out and hope that 1 Peter, it's 5 chapters.

SPEAKER_05 33:04

Chapter 2, verse 11 and 12. We're just spitting them off here, right here. Listen. Beloved, I believe I beg you, as sojourners or pi or pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul. Having your conversation honest. Yep, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers. I like how they may be by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

SPEAKER_02 33:31

I like how mine says it. I warn you as temporary residents. Hey, buddy, it's only temporary.

SPEAKER_05 33:38

That's right. Pilgrims are just passing through.

SPEAKER_02 33:40

You're just a temporary resident of this old place called the world. It will disappear one day and you'll be in heaven. You know? Don't let the world drag you down. Don't let the desires of the world drag you down. Don't let this war against your souls drag you down. Hey, you in this for the world.

SPEAKER_01 34:00

So what do you replace the desires of the world with? There's a void. Right? You have to replace it with desire for the word of God. As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word.

SPEAKER_05 34:16

You know where that's at? Chapter 2.

SPEAKER_01 34:19

Chapter 2, verse 2. As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby. Man, I'm sitting up taller in my chair as I read this. I'm getting more confident. Grab a hold of it.

SPEAKER_05 34:32

All right, let me bring this up because I you were bringing it up, Watson. I didn't get to hear what you said when I left a while ago. Uh, but I kind of figured out what you were saying. You brought up uh Brian, but you brought up, you know, just ones your age, you know, kind of coming around and just seeing the light of it and everything. I remember very well. Because I think you were around 27, 28 when I first started coming to Shady Grove. Uh, but seeing these 30-year-olds, 20-year-olds, whatever, come to you, Cunning Brother David, wanting to kind of get their life back on track. But seeing how attractive it is, not necessarily how attractive our church is, but how attractive the Word of God is because the peace that it brings, the joy that it brings, and everything. I'm seeing that now.

SPEAKER_02 35:14

Well, people at that age, and I've said it before, people at that age are searching truth in their life.

SPEAKER_05 35:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 35:21

They're searching for truth. And they're searching for the joy that it brings. It's suffering with it. We're reading it right here, but also there's an inner peace with it too. Well, I see. There's an outer suffering, but an inner peace.

SPEAKER_05 35:34

I see it, and you take Logan, for example, but multiple ones that went to school with me that has called, even me, but just you can see a desire in their lives, hey, yeah, I have wasted a whole lot of time on what the world has to offer and not what I really need to be.

SPEAKER_02 35:51

Well, you know, that was my my sermon when God finally got a hold of me. You sat there in your kitchen and said one. I was looking at that that clock on the wall on my oven, and I sat there for two hours trying to come up with something, and like a light bulb went off. Look at all this time I've wasted. Yep. Look at all the time. And little did I know that changed my future. That one little thought. Look at all this time I've wasted.

SPEAKER_05 36:17

So I guess my question is how would you encourage someone? Because I mean the gospel never changes. That's the same old message, I say, but how do you encourage someone not to wait till they're 30? Why don't you do this when you're 18? I think that's kind of our efforts towards, you know, with this whole college deal.

SPEAKER_01 36:36

It's a matter of grasping. Right. How many times have y'all heard me say if y'all can get a hold of this? Kind of like in the book of Hebrews, if you can get a hold of this concept of rest in the Lord. Man, rock your world, you said, you know. If you could do that at 17, 18, 19 years old, then you wouldn't reach your mid-30s and have the regrets.

SPEAKER_05 36:55

And I think that's where Go ahead. No, you go ahead. Well, what I was gonna say, I think that's just where I kind of grasped it at about to be 20 years old, 2019, when I surrendered a ministry of reading that verse in Colossians 23 or chapter 3, verse 23, and whatever you do to it wholeheartedly to the Lord and not to men. I realize this ain't life, this life is not for the men in this world or not for the people of this world. This life is for God that He has given me. And I think that's what's kind of just got the wheels rolling.

SPEAKER_01 37:25

You grabbed a hold of that concept that okay, everything this world can offer me and the universities can offer me, and a career and the private sector, secular sector can offer me, is all gonna go away. It's all gonna go away. It has no lasting, it's corruptible. Right. So I I want to place my efforts and my time and my talents and my gifts towards these things that are incorruptible. Yeah. And the only thing in this world that is incorruptible is the word of God. So that's where you're at. And whenever you if you can grab that at 20 years old, you you got something. But it's so hard to grasp.

SPEAKER_05 38:06

And I think that's just where it is hard to grasp at that age because you have so much, so many things offering you so much, not necessarily so much more, but that could just be more attractive. And I think that's just where I'm at. Like, hey, what can I do? What can we do as a church to to come alongside these people and say, hey, start now. Quit bit quit quit waiting until you're 30, 40 years old. Start now. You know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 38:36

Lord knows I've tried through the years from the pulpit, convincing people, and that's all you can do. That's all you can do. You can just preach it, proclaim it, and you gotta trust the Lord for the results. Limit your expectations because they're gonna hurt you, they're gonna let you down. But man, the joy of seeing a few grab it and live by it. It's just, I mean, it's worth every bit of it.

SPEAKER_02 39:05

It is worth it. But you are, as Christians, gonna face trials. No doubt.

SPEAKER_05 39:11

Yeah, God don't promise an easy life. See, they're coming.

SPEAKER_02 39:14

It says it right here in 1 Peter. These trials will show you that your faith is genuine.

SPEAKER_01 39:21

Amen.

SPEAKER_02 39:22

It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold. That's one of my favorite scriptures right there.

SPEAKER_05 39:30

Let's just start at the first chapter, 1 Peter, and just read all the way through chapter 6. Well, Peter 5. Yeah, just do the whole thing.

SPEAKER_01 39:36

Okay, so next this this next month of podcast, we're gonna first Peter. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 39:42

Well, y'all ain't even letting me preach my sermon here.

SPEAKER_04 39:45

What do you mean with your mic over there preaching?

SPEAKER_02 39:47

Let me let me go on with my sermon. Let me go on with my sermon here. For those that are test or being tested right now and going through trials, you know, it says being tested just as fire and test and purifies gold. He wants it to, in the end, to be this precious gold metal, right? The fire dust. And I've learned about studying this the way that people purify gold. They put them through the test, they put them through the fire, and they let the impurities the impurities come to the top. And then they scrape them off, throw them away, scrape them off, and then they do it again. Well, when you go through that test and when you go through that trial, when all those impurities come to the top, because they're the first things that show, right? The things that, you know, the questions and the things that you lack in, the lack of faith, that'll come to the top. And that's God saying, all right, let me scrape that off and get you pure. I want you as pure as I can get you so that you can live for me. So if you're going through something right now, let God scrape off the impurities.

SPEAKER_01 40:59

Remember this catchphrase. It is in the fire where you gain ground with God. That's right. It is in the fire where you gain ground with God. No better place is that seen in Daniel chapter 3. We know the story. Hebrew, I mean chatter, Mesha, and Dominico, right? But that same principle applies in the New Testament here in 1 Peter, everything you just said, purifying. Without the fire, without the test, without the trial, God knows. God knows you you're not gonna be you're not gonna be all that I want you to be. So this is what I have to allow to happen. And I've always said it. I tell people this, because they come to me, how many times you see them sitting there in your office, you know, and they're all emotional, and their life's just ruined, and da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. And you share them the truth, and then you don't see them for three months.

SPEAKER_02 41:55

Yeah. Oh, you fixed them all one day. I'm good to go.

SPEAKER_01 41:59

I'm seeing for three months. And you think to yourself, what in the world? You know?

SPEAKER_02 42:05

They wasted your time.

SPEAKER_05 42:07

But it happens. Go ahead, doctors. I got something to say too. Go ahead. You got your finger.

SPEAKER_02 42:11

I'm gonna finish this statement out. It's talking about purifying the gold through the many trials. It says, it will bring you so much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

SPEAKER_05 42:25

There will be a day that He will bring you. The ultimate judgment.

SPEAKER_02 42:30

But there will be a day when the reward is coming. Jesus is gonna look at you and say, Well done. Hey, and that's big enough for reward for me.

SPEAKER_05 42:43

He's gonna look, well done. I am the Lord. I am the Lord. You bring up fire. There's gotta be fire in order to gain ground, right? How did God come to Moses through a burning bush?

SPEAKER_02 42:54

Come on with it. Hey, he said, take them sandals off, boy. Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_05 42:57

You walking on holy ground. This Moses deals. Come on with it.

SPEAKER_01 43:03

And Moses said, Let me see your glory, God. You can't handle it. Let me see your glory, God. And God said, nope, you can't see me. Ain't nobody ever seen me live, son. That's true. So he put his put it, God put his hand over the face of Moses.

SPEAKER_02 43:17

He said, You can look at my backside as I'm walking away.

SPEAKER_01 43:20

I heard old preacher preach it one time, looking through the fingers of God.

SPEAKER_02 43:24

That's good stuff. Y'all, we ain't witnessed nothing yet. We really haven't. Oh no. The trials and stuff that we got going on in our lives, God's so much bigger. And he's right here in Peter telling us, just trust me. Place your faith in me.

SPEAKER_01 43:42

When you when you when you when you are falsely accused, when you are persecuted, when you do go through the trial, bring it back to me. Bring it back to the gospel.

SPEAKER_02 43:54

I'm looking at it as even if you're having a bad day, put your faith in me. I'll take care of it. Whatever you're going through is not a it can't amount to a hill of beans compared to what God has in store for us. Hill of beans, he says. Hill of beans. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 44:14

So do we have to suffer? How did this suffer?

SPEAKER_02 44:18

How do we view our suffering?

SPEAKER_01 44:19

Well, how does it all start in verse 14? But if you suffer for righteousness sake, happier you.

SPEAKER_02 44:23

Well, that that's my point.

SPEAKER_01 44:24

We've come full circle, haven't we?

SPEAKER_02 44:26

Yeah. How do you view your suffering?

SPEAKER_01 44:31

Well said.

SPEAKER_02 44:34

Well, I mean, if you're suffering for God, if you're suffering in your faith, is that a good thing? Amen.

SPEAKER_01 44:40

How do you view your suffering? That perspective. Yep. Change your view of it.

SPEAKER_02 44:45

When that next suffering hits you, when that next trial hits you, here's my chance. Smile. With my giant right here, I'm finna kill him. Let me get the old slingshot out of it.

SPEAKER_01 44:53

The word of God is finna come here. Let me get the old slingshot out. It's gonna fall, son. We're done, Duke.

SPEAKER_05 45:04

Come on in and join us. We got about 10 minutes left. We're talking about sufferings.

SPEAKER_01 45:09

I just Lord, Lord, we're talking about everything they talk about. We all over the place. But we have confined it to 1 Peter. Yeah. It's true.

SPEAKER_02 45:19

I I love it, man. Because I am right now, I'm I ain't gonna say I'm suffering, but you know, I got some trials in my life. I'm like, God, what I gotta do, you know? And so this is speaking to me more than Well, you think about what you just said.

SPEAKER_01 45:34

Could it be God saying no and you just not accepting no?

SPEAKER_02 45:37

No. Oh, it definitely could be.

SPEAKER_01 45:41

So, Ryan, you really don't need that addition on your house.

SPEAKER_02 45:44

Oh, come on now, preacher.

SPEAKER_01 45:46

Dang on.

SPEAKER_04 45:49

You brought it up.

SPEAKER_02 45:50

Well, it's it's so much more than that addition.

SPEAKER_04 45:53

So much more of an addiction, preacher.

SPEAKER_02 45:56

No, no, that ain't even the route I was going on.

SPEAKER_01 45:58

Well, how many people thinking, boy, I need this, I need that.

SPEAKER_02 46:01

Well, yeah, but it's it's you know, just to maintain what you got going right now.

SPEAKER_01 46:06

It it's a you go back to what you it's your view of it. Yeah. It's your perspective of it. And when you when you consume with thinking of what you don't have and what you need, what you need is God. What you need is the right perspective. What you need is a perspective that pushes you toward doing his will. And then what he says is this if you will seek first my kingdom, I'm gonna take care of your needs.

SPEAKER_05 46:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:30

I meet every need you got. You need a new truck, you need whatever. You know, you if you'll look at it from that viewpoint, you'll ru you'll come to find out you can't outgive God. That's exactly right. You cannot. Go on, try it. As a matter of fact, God says that. Try me. Try me and see. Put it in there and see.

SPEAKER_05 46:51

Say it in the mic, dude. Spin her around. Spin her around there, too. You might as well just hook her up. Here you go.

SPEAKER_03 46:58

Be content.

SPEAKER_01 47:00

Oh my goodness, you come in here with that.

SPEAKER_03 47:03

Be content.

SPEAKER_02 47:04

Now we've got to turn to 2 Peter.

SPEAKER_05 47:06

Now we gotta turn to 1 Timothy. Contentment with great godliness is or no, contentment with godliness is great gain.

SPEAKER_01 47:14

Man, I mean that wraps it up. Think about what he just said. You know, I mean that does, that wraps it up. And that's the problem, really, because discontent. And that that's the whole design of evil. That is one of the main the Bible calls it, King James calls it, wiles of the devil. One of the strategies of the devil is to get us to be discontent, to be discouraged, be depressed, be downcast, look at everybody else, lust every thing of the world, desire is the thing of the world. If he can get us wrapped up in that, then he got us.

SPEAKER_02 47:45

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 47:46

But yeah, we could be content in what we have in Christ, which is salvation, which is eternal life, which is peace, which is all that. That's where you defeat the devil right there. In that perspective, in that mind. I kind of got excited there. Let me say this one thing, because I just brought it up about uh the strategies of the devil. And if that is his strategies to cause you to be discontent. You gotta see the devil for what he is.

unknown 48:18

That's gonna be good.

SPEAKER_01 48:20

We're all familiar with terrorism. Right? I mean, what's a terrorist? He says somebody wants to come over and kill you. Cause confusion. Well, why do they resort to terrorism? That would be a good definition for Satan. He's a terrorist. The reason they resort to terrorism is because they know they can't win the fight. These terrorists that are attacking the United States or is or anybody else is because they know if they got into a fight, a actual war, they would lose. So they have to resort to terrorism. The devil is no different. He knows he's gonna lose he's already lost. He doesn't stand a chance in a legitimate war. Therefore, he results to terrorism. And so whenever, I can't remember the president. The president has said it in World War II. The greatest fear that we face is fear itself. So if the devil can wrap us up in fear as a terrorist, we're scared of him, we're scared of what he's gonna do next, then he got us. So you got to treat him where he is. He's a loser. He's a loser, he's a coward. He knows he can't he cannot win the fight because already been won. And whenever you can when you can wrap that perspective, that view around your mind, then there ain't nothing that you can't face. That's right. There ain't no strategy of that terrorist that could cause you to lose. You are victorious in Jesus Christ. You are an overcomer. Be content with that right there. I'm done preaching. Thank you very much. I don't know why y'all just sit back shaking your head.

SPEAKER_02 49:59

Well, what kind of time we got? Uh we got about 10 minutes. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 50:03

I mean, we I ain't even giving you a chance to talk, Jonathan.

SPEAKER_05 50:07

Look, I mean, old preacher, yeah, we we started this podcast off, and preacher he read rock and roll, that's sucker. We weren't two minutes into it. First Peter chapter 12. Chapter 3, verse 14.

SPEAKER_01 50:17

None of us knew what we were going to talk about this morning. Oh, I know. Yeah, I think Ryan comes in and said, Y'all want to do a podcast today or not?

SPEAKER_05 50:27

Oh, uh we went to Macy Lee and and uh Weston's wedding this weekend. Oh, Mike was there, Mike Ratledge was there, and he said, Yo, y'all got a script? Is this thing scripted or like y'all got notes? It's all raw, man. This ain't nothing scripted up here. We jump right into it and let the Holy Spirit lead.

SPEAKER_03 50:47

That's the way it's supposed to be.

SPEAKER_05 50:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 50:49

Well, I mean, it's just growing together. Yeah, I just stopped by to get a cup of coffee this morning. Now y'all got me on air. You should have picked your head in here, dude. All right, I'm going to the next verse.

SPEAKER_01 50:59

Stop by the grove up here. You never know what you get.

SPEAKER_03 51:02

That's right. But what a better place to start your day off. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 51:05

Ain't no doubt. Amen. Ain't no doubt. Maybe we need to put in a coffee shop. Jonah, would you pay five dollars for a cup of coffee shop?

SPEAKER_03 51:12

Egg no, and I want to come up and get it for free now.

SPEAKER_05 51:16

Even donuts in there. I bought some donuts in there for y'all this morning.

SPEAKER_02 51:19

The grove. You got next verse, Rodsa? You said no, this is a whole nother sermon here.

SPEAKER_05 51:25

Well, let's go.

SPEAKER_02 51:26

Uh, I'm gonna read it. Let's wrap up. Let's be your last deal. Wrap up right here. All right. So here's my encouragement for you. All right. And this is talking about call as this is a calling into a different type of living, a holy living. This is verse 13 of 1 Peter chapter 1. It says, so prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Christ Jesus is revealed to the world. Get prepared.

SPEAKER_01 52:00

You know what that screams screams to me. It just screams. Have a plan. Have a plan. Arm yourselves. Be prepared. Be prepared. Yep. Prepare your mind. King J says, gird up your loins. Yeah. Don't you like that? We need a shirt. Put it on a hat.

SPEAKER_04 52:19

There's that armor of God right there. Gird up your loins.

SPEAKER_01 52:23

Be ready to face the devil.

SPEAKER_02 52:24

Well, I think that's where we lack as Christians. We're not prepared for anything. We're not prepared for a battle. We're prepared for heaven as far as being saved, but it stops there.

SPEAKER_01 52:40

You know what? That might be the verse. That might be the verse of Chad looking for. For picking up the pieces. Prepare yourself. Gird up because of what it says. Gird up your loins with your mind and be sober.

SPEAKER_02 52:54

Yep. Exercise self-control. Self-control.

SPEAKER_01 53:02

A lot of people struggle with addictions.

SPEAKER_02 53:04

There's no self-control there.

SPEAKER_01 53:07

Mind. You gotta have a plan. So if you're gonna beat this thing, you gotta have a plan. He's gonna beat the devil in his own game.

SPEAKER_02 53:13

Are you following Are you following what your mind says or the convictions in your heart? He's flipping the pages, boys.

SPEAKER_01 53:23

For as much then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind.

SPEAKER_02 53:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 53:30

That's Christ.

SPEAKER_02 53:32

Well, I've got a verse for you too here. Let me find it. I seen it a while ago. It's gonna take me two days to find out.

SPEAKER_01 53:42

Peter 4, verse 1. First Peter 4.

SPEAKER_02 53:45

Oh, here it is. With the same, you're talking about the same mind. It says, finally, all of you should be of one mind. One mind. One body of Christ. Yep. Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathy with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. That's where I started because if you remember, I said be tenderhearted and keep a humble attitude. That was the next part of that verse.

SPEAKER_05 54:17

How do you get of the same mind? By the renewing of your mind. Renewing of your mind.

SPEAKER_02 54:23

And where are you going to renew your mind at? Yeah, right there. God's word.

SPEAKER_05 54:27

Alright, this is going to be my encouragement right here. I'm going to go to 2 Peter chapter 3. I think, as you can tell, your three stooges, three pastoral preacher, and two dumb and dumb are here been stirred up this morning. 2 Peter chapter 3, verse 1. Beloved, and I write to you this second epistle, in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder, that you may be mindful of the words which are spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior. The things that were spoken before. Stirring you up here. Refresh your memory.

SPEAKER_02 55:03

Here's your reminder. Refresh your memory.

SPEAKER_01 55:06

And now let me tell you why. Come on with me. Yeah, it goes all the way through it. Go ahead. 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 6. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God. Woo! Yep. That he might exalt you in due times. Casting all your care upon him, for he cares to you. Verse 8 Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resists steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who's called you unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus. After that, you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish strength, and settle you. To him be glory and to many prayer. I'm gonna get all excited.

SPEAKER_02 55:53

Well, I like what it says right there. It says, the whole world has already gone through this. You know, going through the same kind of suffering, you are. Be vigilant. And it has been accomplished.

SPEAKER_01 56:05

Cast all your cares upon him. Do not forget that your adversary is described in the scriptures as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He's wanting to eat you up. And as adults, you guys running here, right here, Lane's having a baby girl in the morning. Amen. You better you better realize that it's gonna be his number your adversary's number one objective to get to that baby girl. And every parent ought to see it that way.

SPEAKER_03 56:39

And he's way, way harder on the ones that are seeking the Lord and following the Lord as they should than he than he is the ones that are not.

SPEAKER_02 56:47

Well, he ain't got to worry about the ones that are not.

SPEAKER_03 56:49

He's already got them. He's already got them.

SPEAKER_01 56:52

You got a target on your back.

SPEAKER_02 56:53

Yes, big bubble's eye.

SPEAKER_03 56:54

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_02 56:55

If you're not defending or standing up for God, he don't, he's not worried about you. He got you already.

SPEAKER_05 57:01

This ain't the devil's first rodeo.

SPEAKER_02 57:03

He knows exactly which buttons to press. When you are deep in sin, living a certain way, your convictions ain't working. You know, when you've been there for a while. He's not worried about you because your convictions ain't stout, right? That's right. But the closer you are to God. So I read this statement before and I agree with it. The closer you get to God, the more faults you see in your life. And that's a good thing. Because he's purifying the gold. You know. It ain't that you're struggling more. He's just getting the impurities out. You know? And a lot of us look at our trials as, God, I'm just trying to live for you. Why has this got to happen? Well, hey, he's cleaning you up, Bubba. He's getting you ready for the next phase.

SPEAKER_01 57:53

The old fray, why me, Lord? Yeah. Why not me, Lord?

SPEAKER_02 57:58

How many people have said that me? How many people have said that? God, I'm just trying to live for you. Why I gotta go through this? Hey, he just cleaning you up even further. Look at it as a joy to have a trial in your life. How you feel about your trial?

SPEAKER_01 58:14

How did I say that a while ago? Yeah. He said, 1 Peter 4. Think it not strange. Yeah. When these fiery trials come, this ain't nothing new.

SPEAKER_05 58:26

How do you view your sufferings? That's what you said.

SPEAKER_02 58:28

How do you view your sufferings? Praise God for them.

SPEAKER_01 58:32

Have the mind of Christ. How did Jesus view the suffering of the cross? He knew it was the will of God. What in the world? If we know that we're going to suffer because we're doing the will of God, go on and suffer.

SPEAKER_02 58:46

And let him get the glory.

SPEAKER_05 58:51

We need to do this on Wednesdays, man.

SPEAKER_02 58:54

I got a new struggle in my life now, what to preach tonight. Yeah. It is, man. It's good. It's good to get Go ahead, Doug.

SPEAKER_03 59:03

I thought you had two guests tonight. I do.

SPEAKER_02 59:04

But I'm going to preach after y'all get done. Oh, so y'all going.

SPEAKER_03 59:07

Y'all going over there? I lost my leaders tonight. Yeah. I thought me and Brian were going to turn the loose in there. We were going to take the fourth class.

SPEAKER_02 59:15

You might not have to.

SPEAKER_05 59:17

But they're coming over there, Ryan. You got to come take their fourth grade boy class tonight.

SPEAKER_02 59:22

We're going to bring their fourth graders in there. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_03 59:26

They ain't ready to know the truth yet.

SPEAKER_01 59:29

They ain't ready to what I got.

SPEAKER_03 59:30

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 59:32

He's coming prepared, man.

SPEAKER_05 59:33

Oh, Duke and Brian, man. They they rocking rocking and roll with them fourth grade boys. What'd y'all have? Was it two weeks ago? Week before spring break? Old Jeremiah West.

SPEAKER_03 59:41

Yep. Little young man. Let him to the Lord. Let him to the Lord.

SPEAKER_05 59:45

Now they ain't gonna be in class with him tonight, Ryan.

SPEAKER_02 59:48

They got the boy ready. They got the boy prepared to move on to the better thing. The next thing.

SPEAKER_03 59:56

It was a blessing. It was a blessing. It was awesome. It really was. Anybody can make a difference.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:01

Yeah, that's right. Hey, if you can do it, anybody can do it. I promise you.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:06

I promise you.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:08

We're out of time. We uh I mean, is there a limit on this? No, maybe we can keep going. I've got some stuff that I've got to do. I've got to do. What? Like you got a kit or something. I got I got one coming. Well, she's doing all the work. What are you doing? I've got to get the house prepared. Oh, you you got duty to do it. We got chicken for shit from Friday tonight. We gotta go change order. You say she's doing all the work.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:29

He's gonna feel them in labor pains.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:31

Nah.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:32

Every fingernail into my arm I'm gonna be feeling.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:36

Oh man. I'm gonna forget them days.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:39

Duke, you got anything to encourage our listeners about? I know you came in on tail end of it.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:43

Ah, just put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It'll all work out.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:47

I just thought about something.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:49

Be content. Be content.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:52

Elaine finna have a baby girl tomorrow. The deuce 8 o'clock. My baby girl turned 39 years old today. Today.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:00

You had to do that for her.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:01

39 years ago, I experienced the same thing.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:05

Yep, amen. Lord, I don't want to do this again. Poor Lindsay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:11

Oh man.

unknown 1:01:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:14

I was going somewhere before you brought all that up. I don't know. Happy birthday, Lindsay.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:20

Happy birthday, Lindsay. We uh merit early.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:25

Mine's exactly seven days away. It'll be next Wednesday. Next Wednesday. Yep. I'm just telling y'all that.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:33

We'll have a birthday party on the next podcast.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:35

Yep. I'm getting y'all prepared for that. Letting you know.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:40

We uh yeah. We we we hope I hope I can get this podcast up today. I'm gonna try my best. Our Wi-Fi's been raggedy.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:48

One more thing, it's Easter week. That's what I was gonna bring up. It's coming up. That's it. Easter Sunday. And uh, you know, y'all go to church. Amen. Just go to church.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:59

Hey, we've they're gonna come to church this week, preachers Easter.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:03

We've got 500 and some of my chairs in this place. And if we have to, we'll sit in the floor. Come on. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:11

Kids can sit and left.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:12

I'll move to the front row. Somebody needs my spot. Oh Lord.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:15

No, no, he said it. You move in the front row regardless. They're gonna need your spot. You gotta go in the front row now.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:20

If you hear this before Sunday, Lord willing, move up.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:24

I'm gonna have me in A. I'm gonna have an A-men committee established before Sunday.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:28

Yep. We're gonna make Johnny Jordan head up. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:32

Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:35

Oh amen. You get the amen in the preacher, man. He's allowed to blow a rock, Jordan.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:40

Well, that's why I say my amen's lightly, so you don't get carried away up there.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:44

Oh man. Well, thank y'all once again for joining in this week. Uh Lord willing, we'll be back again next week. And uh we look forward to she hollering at me. Hey, Rosie's here. No, we almost done with the podcast. Give us just a second. Oh man. Well, uh, like I said, thank y'all for joining us this week. We love y'all. Y'all need anything, give us a shout. Brother Davis, you want to close us out?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:17

Father, we should love you. Thank you, Lord, for the power of your word. Thank you, God, for bringing it to our forefront of our minds, God, when we get to thinking and talking about you. And Lord, I want to pray for everybody uh that's listening to us, whether this is today or tomorrow, next week, next year, I don't know. But Lord, your word never returns void. So we're just gonna trust God that something maybe we said this morning, touch a heart, and maybe you would use it, Lord, to bring conviction upon the soul, ultimately to drive them towards you and doing your will. We thank you again for your word. We ask God your blessing upon us, help us as we fight this devil. It's in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.