Happy Mother's Day!! (A Mother's Example of Obedience)

Join Trey Overton and Mavric Herrera as they reflect on Pastor Greg's Sunday sermon, continuing the Bible recap series. The church started reading the Bible chronologically together, and this sermon continued the series that dives deeper into the readings. During this episode, Trey and Mavric shared some insights into their reading and reflected on both Matt Passmore and Dave Skorupa. Matt and Dave both used mothers as an example of obedience and submission to the Lord. Trey and Mavric discussed different points within the reading last week, along with recapping the sermon that Matt and Dave provided on the topic. Join in and reflect with us as we discuss the sermon from First Baptist Church in Fort Smith, AR. 

Mavric Herrera - mherrera@fsfbc.org

Trey Overton - toverton@fsfbc.org

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Psalm 119.11 says that Scripture is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. That means God gave us His Word to guide and equip us in practical ways as we walk through our everyday lives. Join us now for this episode of From State to Street, as our FBC staff and church members talk about how this week's Sunday morning message comes alive as we walk through the streets and moments of everyday life.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

Hey everyone, thanks for joining us. My name is Trey Overton, and I'm here with my good friend Maverick Carrera. So we are running, I was gonna say solo. We're not running solo, we're we're as a do-et. It's a do-et. Yeah. So we were running just the two of us today. Um it was a little bit all over the place this last Sunday. I s I it that sounds bad. It wasn't all over the place. It was a good all over the place. But we had um Greg was here, but we had seniors, they were, you know, showing off the seniors and doing a big uh thing for them to hear downtown. And um we so Matt was here preaching downtown because he was their children's pastor, and so a lot of those that are graduating, he got to teach as a children's pastor, which is kind of crazy. He's been here long enough for that kills in his children's ministry, like second, third graders are graduating high school. That's pretty wild. I think I think it was Katie. Katie was in Katie's in it, yeah. Yeah, and she's graduating college. So that's wild. Like, so he's got so he was here preaching downtown, and then Dave, our um senior uh pastor, he was senior adult pastor. I should probably clarify that. Promotion, yeah. Dave, yeah. So our senior adult pastor, he was uh preaching out there at Chaffee this last Sunday. So we had those, and like I said, Greg was here, he was just kind of supporting both churches. He came out to Chaffee for a little bit and then came down here and and was here for the seniors, and and um he he even, you know, I think introduced the slide and all that good stuff. So we also had Mother's Day and um we it was like we just had so much going on, and I thought, man, if we bring somebody in here on the podcast with us today, I don't even know where everything would go. And maybe that would have been good, maybe not, I don't know. So, but long story short, we decided you know what, we're just gonna run the two of us and really just give some major reflections and applications for the message, yeah, right, for each one. So Maverick's gonna give us some some reflection and and application for Matt's message here downtown because Maverick led the music downtown and uh which everybody raved about and everybody said he did an awesome job.

SPEAKER_03 2:38

And most of the work it was Katie. I was just facilitating I was just the face that Sunday. Hey man, Katie was the one who had all of that work done. Yeah, working with the youth band, you know. I made sure to give her a good shout out on Sunday.

SPEAKER_01 2:52

Yeah, well, and uh being in the position you're in, you get to take all the credit when things go well. So the bad part is you get to take the credit when things go bad too. Right.

SPEAKER_03 3:01

So Right. So like I receive all the criticism, but then I have to redirect all of the compliments.

SPEAKER_01 3:05

Yeah, exactly. So that's just part of it. Yeah. Um but anyway, so Maverick was down here, and then I was, of course, as always, out at Chaffee. And so we got to um I heard I was able to hear hear Dave preach his message. Um, Dave's message was um he they both had their own applications about mothers, right? It being Mother's Day, um, they both had their own um origination, I guess, or whatever, off of mothers, and they just hit it on completely like ends of the spectrum. So very so, and that was another reason I was like, well, we'll just do this the two of us. Um, but they was just it was just a completely opposite ends of how they were looking at things and how they were speaking to mothers about and using mothers as an example and all of that. So uh we'll just start off with you, Maverick. Some initial um impressions, thoughts, uh maybe some application that you got from from the message that Matt preached.

SPEAKER_03 3:58

Oh yeah. I kind of got lost in my own, like felt like I was kind of speaking to me that Sunday and not just the mothers, you know. Yeah. So it's a lot of really good application for everybody because it was all over obedience. Uh it was all over the idea of um, you know, following God's way other than our own way, uh, doing things while um not on our own merit and not on our own counsel, but seeking the counsel of God and seeking his wisdom and seeking his guidance and his leadership. Um and his first point was honestly my favorite point, uh, but it was obedient good intentions are no substitute for obedience. Uh because he was talking about the story of David where he they were going after the Ark. Um and Uzzah, uh I call him Uzzah. I don't know if I people call him Uzzah Uzzah whatever it was. But uh Uzza, you know, in good intentions. I think I like Uzzah better. That's what I think it is. Yes. That's how I was taught in college. Yeah, whatever.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

Uzzah. Whatever you want. Wasn't that a thing like early 2000 Uzzah? Anyways. The early 2000s was when I was born. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 5:06

I don't know what's going on. Whoopsie whoopsie. Yeah, that's a thing.

SPEAKER_03 5:11

I remember that when I was a baby. Yeah, you don't remember that? No, man. Anything. But um, no, so so Uzza, uh, you know, following the leadership of David as well, which I thought was interesting. And like I can I can so often think um that like in our leaders, it's also very important for us to follow the obedience of God because we're leading other people. And this is a great example of how um when you are not leading as a as a leader, you're not following the leadership of God, how it can affect the people that you are leading. You know, because Uzzah really had no reason to to to not think that this was a good thing to do. Right. Because of David's poor leadership in this moment. This was a this was a shortcoming of David's leadership to not, you know, to go with the instructions, the original instructions of God. Um, for those of you who don't know what the that's what we were talking about, David basically at the beginning of his kingship decides that we're gonna go and get the ark. That's that that is the literal manifest presence of God, and we need it, you know. And so he moves everything aside, goes on this big journey to get the ark, they get it, and they actually get it with this big fancy cart. Um, but the original instructions for transporting the ark was to have two poles strung through the four holes in the corners. Um, and the Levites are supposed to be by the Levites. Um And so um instead of that, David's like, we'll put it on a cart. It's a nice new cart. This is a this is a modern, you know, this is a modern way of doing things, right? Right? Uh okay. Uh-huh. It's like this is the modern way of doing things, this is how we do things now. Um, you know, God wasn't instructions didn't apply, you know, now. Um and so they bring it on this cart, they're rolling it back, and the cart slips, the cart cart gets stuck on something, it falls over, and the Ark of the Covenant is falling out of the cart. And so Uzza, in good intention, wanting to protect this sacred thing, uh, which is holding the manifest presence of God, he reaches out to catch it. Um and the moment he does, God is the word says God is infuriated and angered in that and strikes Uzzah down right there. Boom.

SPEAKER_01 7:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:20

Without anything else. So um you know, David mourns, and but this is a great example to where you get to see like, wow, that was not that was not Uzza's failure. That was David's failure. You know, that was David's failure in the year.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

David set him up for failure.

SPEAKER_03 7:35

That cost him a life, yeah. Um and so good intentions are no substitute for obedience. This is a great example of that. Uh another point he hit was responding to our mistakes or how we respond to our mistakes says a lot about us. Um, which I cannot agree with more. There's there's so many ways that this can apply. Uh but we'll come back to that. I'm just gonna go through all the points. The next one was David didn't seek God before getting the ark. Um, this was the big this was the the big fall. You know, David time and time again is always like, God, well, should I go attack this enemy? Should I go attack this enemy? Uh will you deliver them into my hands? Will you do this for me? Um, should I go here? And God was always quick to answer um in saying yes, yes, no, yes, yes, whatever.

SPEAKER_01 8:23

Or so we think quick. Right. So we think quick, yeah, at least scripturally. Yeah, like it seems when we're reading quick in scripture. Like, wow, that's fast, man. All right, I wish that was real. Yeah. In real life, like David fasted for like a month and you know Yeah, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 8:36

So he put in the time and the work. Yeah. Um but in this instance, he did not seek God. He saw the importance of this and was like, Oh, I'm this is obviously God's will. This is obviously God's will. God wants to be with us, he wants his presence to be with us. So I'm just gonna do this. Um which again, good intentions, right? Um but David did not seek the ark, seek God before seeking the ark, and he actually sought the counsel of other be other people, other men. And then God's presence uh brings blessing. His presence actually is a blessing. That was another one of his points. And then uh the last one was God knows what's best for us, and we need to let him be God. And I really like this point because Matt was just talking about the authority of God and how oftentimes we can we can get caught in the yes, God wants a relationship with us and that we exist to be in relationship with God, but that doesn't mean that God is now on our level or we are on his level. Um most of the time we bring him down to our level, you know, then elevate ourselves. Oh, humility. Right. Um but he was really big on remember who's in charge. And this story was a great use of that. You know, David may have been king, but we know who's in charge after that. And he David quickly is reminded of who's in charge. Um and so he brought up a great story sharing about his grandson with their medical um medical issues, and um not really sure if he was gonna make it when he was uh still in newborn, if he was a few months old. Um but it was a really sweet moment when he was able to actually to bring him up uh on stage and everybody got to see living proof of of God's faithfulness and how God's plan actually does come. And though it may not be always great, it does bring a blessing in some way. You know, in some way.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

Yeah, and I think a point uh a point in that is is I was talking to a buddy about this the other day. He's uh um he he doesn't live here, but he he's a firefighter up northwest Arkansas, and he was talking about just some things going on in his life, and and um we were we were I was talking with him about just some personal experiences, and I was like, you know, here's the deal. God reveals and and will reveal his purpose, his will in his time, right? And we seek him um man, but all too often I either pretend like I know what's best or I try to find some kind of middle ground, you know, and it's like or like you know, and so um and I'll just kind of give you just a you know, just kind of a glimpse into what I mean. But in my in my life, um when God called me back to school, um, whenever he called me, and this was you know, been a couple years ago now, right? I was in South Louisiana, and um, man, I was selling insurance and I didn't, I just got, you know, I just finished teaching school and coaching and all that stuff, you know, and I and I was kind of in a nowhere place, but you know, I was my my relationship with the Lord was growing. You know, I was I was seeking him, but I was kind of as far as careers and everything else goes, I was a kind of in a nowhere place. Um and uh we just one Sunday I was I was worshiping and it was like me and you sitting here, um, he called me to go back to school. It's like it wasn't like literally he didn't speak like audible words, but it was just you know how you're in a room and and you're looking at your mom and you know what she's thinking. Right. You know, it was like that. I'm a kid. Yeah. Yeah, but it it was like that, you know, and I just knew that that that's what he he was speaking to me, right? And so, long story short, I go back to school. To me, I I you know, which this was not my first rodeo in ministry. I'd you had been a youth pastor before for several years and stuff, and um, but I didn't know what God was calling me to other than school, you know, and I didn't know what my walk in ministry would be like. Yeah, I just always assumed I'd be a preacher. This I I liked speaking in public. I'm not great at it, but I'm decent. You know, I'm you know, I can hold a room and and do all those things. Uh and and God had had always gifted me with that ability. He always gifted me the ability to milk make relationships with people and and connect with people and all that stuff. So I just always assume connecting dots, you know, that's what it's gonna be, right?

SPEAKER_02 12:51

This is what's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_01 12:52

Right. And so going back and it's fair to assume. Right. And so this is obviously God's will. This is obviously God's will, right? And so, um, but that's not what he called me to. He didn't call me to preach, right? He called me to go back to school. And then I say all that to say I always just expected this to be God's plan, and I always try to fit it into my agenda, like this is what I'm doing. And maybe that's where he does lead me eventually, like and maybe, you know, in in time that's where he's gonna lead me, but right now that's not where he has me. I try to fit that into my agenda. Whenever I started looking for jobs and I was graduating, you know, that's what I was looking for. That's because that's God, obviously, that's where you want me. That's where you want me. That's like there's gonna be some avenue that I I'm gonna be able to, you know. And so, and right now it's it's just that's not the that's not where he has me. And I the more I try to make this middle ground, I try to like make it work and fit into my agenda, but that wasn't it. And I have the best intentions. It's like God, I want to preach your word. God, I want to go out, and that's I have the best intentions, right? Yeah, but that's not his will. And and I see him just um, you know, of course, as I follow his will, and and those that are listening, and this is this is just kind of all what I want you to get out of this, as I as I follow his will, and as I've I've just trusted every step, he has made me, he has caused me to grow so much, just like obviously every step that that you're taking out, you know, you're stepping out in obedience, it it leads you to trust him more automatically, right? So every step I'm trusting him more. But there's been areas that I'm just learning because I'm not so, you know, I'm I'm not focused on that other stuff, I'm growing in areas I didn't expect to, right? I'm growing in areas of ministry that I didn't expect to, um, relationships that I didn't expect to, in the house, you know, with my family, you know, because um because of where I am, it just it helps me be able to to navigate a lot of that better. And so there's just so many things that God has blessed through it that I would have never expected, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

And and so, and I say all that to say this like you it's easy for us to have the best intentions. And it's like whether you're cre whatever your career is, whatever you you got going on, family, your church involvement, you could have the best intentions, right? But we have to be seeking God's will. And and um I think that's a lot of what what Matt was trying to, you know, the point Matt was trying to get across too, but um I like what he said about um the the obedience that we're called to, but that David, you know, he always sought God first. And you know, and I and I think in this moment sometimes I think sometimes, you know, and like here, David just kind of gets ahead of himself, as all it is. Yeah. But you know, he had such a good relationship with God, he just assumed that that's what God would want.

SPEAKER_03 15:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:43

Without even really taking a step back and and stopping for a second, and he just assumed that's what God wants. Sometimes, you know, like that's very easy to do. Yeah. I go over to my mom's house and we're talking about moms. I go over to my mom's house and I think, you know, her Lyards, um her the weeds in her bed, you know, her flower beds are starting to get long. Um I bet she she'd appreciate me going through um and and picking some of those and picking some of this. And next thing you know, I'd you know, I go and I'd do that for her, right, just to be nice. And then all of a sudden um she gets home and she's mad at me. Well, why are you mad? Well, those that wasn't weeds, that was something I planted, and you just plucked it out of the ground. You know, right, but you know, I had the best intentions. And so it's so easy to do that in our walks where where we think we're supposed to do things, it sounds like a good thing, but we don't take a second to stop and and just seek God first. Um and I think that was a um that was a powerful thing. And and I'll really like that that thing he used with his, you know, his grandson and the emotions. I like how he tied his emotions in with David's. You know, um, how he just at first he felt angry, you know, and and then after he was he was angry, he just started he just started questioning and he just started, he was just and and and if somebody says they've never gone through these emotions at some point in their life, they're lying. I mean, as a Christian, you know what I'm saying? Like where you where you've had something happen in your life and you just get mad or ups, and maybe it's maybe it's not just anger, maybe it's just upset, maybe whatever, but where you just get emotional and and you you're crying out to God because I God, I I I feel like we've I've been faithful and all of a sudden this happened, you know, and and then if you've ever done that, God will bring you. It's just for me, anyways. If I've ever done that, God's faithful to bring me to a place of obedience, you know, it's you know, i once I calm down, you know, but but once unless he strikes you right then but but he'll bring you to a place of obedience from there. Um and you just you just have to realize I like the um I like the what was it, him that said the G Dog thing?

SPEAKER_03 18:06

Oh like Matt's Mess friend. Yeah, Pastor Friend of his. Yeah. I'm so close to God that I'm now I call him G Dog. All right.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

As soon as he said that, which you know, it gives then he made the comment like I was looking for the lightning strike or something like that. And I was like, but even before he said that, he said he said G Dog is like, ooh.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:27

Yeah. And I was like, yeah. I mean, he calls us to a closer relationship, but he is it's if if you're close with him, you've experienced him calling you to obedience, and that's a humbling moment.

SPEAKER_03 18:41

And that's part of the greatness about being in a relationship with him is his greatness. Like being in relationship with someone so holy.

SPEAKER_01 18:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:48

Being in a relationship with an all-powerful being like that. Like we can't you're almost devaluing the whole relationship if you bring him down on your level because it's just another guy. Yeah. Um not to say that you know our relationships here aren't great, but this is God. This is God. This is kind of what we're talking about. We're talking about a deity. Yeah. We're talking about the most supreme being. Um, but yeah, so oh all in all, I think Matt's Matt's message really, really um struck me well as a leader as well, and just thinking about that. And I can see how it you know connects some others very well as um Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

Well, like let's just i if you were to pull one good point to take away, like if you were gonna say, All right, for you, not this, you know, obviously we have everybody listening who is dealing with a hundred different things, right? We can't speak to everybody, but for you specifically, um, how would how would you take this message and apply it?

SPEAKER_03 19:42

Yeah. I mean, I like we mean Trey were talking about it just before this, but I was really struck by the fact that like as a leader at my age, you know, I'd I you know, and the Bible says it talks about, you know, don't letting people look down on you for your age. Um but I need God. I need God and I need to know him and I need to be with him, and I need to seek after him. And I think it's so easy as a young minister to get stuck in the deadlines and in the things you have to do, um to the point where I I I go off of my instinct and I go off of like I know God's heart, like I know what his interests are, I know what he finds important, I know what he wants to do, you know. I know him so well. How arrogant of me to think that. Right, yeah. Um because even though we may know what he wants, like and his intentions and his good heart, y we just we can't understand the ways that he wants to go about these things.

SPEAKER_01 20:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:45

You know, like the Bible talks about how great his plans are and how they're so far beyond anything we could dream or imagine. So it's like you may know what he wants, but you don't know how he's gonna get to you. Yeah. You don't know how he's gonna get there.

SPEAKER_01 20:57

And there's things that are like in character with God, you know, that you automatically you know, you that are that you know if you go this direction that goes against God's character. Right. So it's not going to be something that he would allow, right? Or that he would want you to do. Um, there's things obviously we will the scripture tells us to walk by the spirit. Right. We're led by the spirit and everything. So like there's there's times when you're in a moment led by the spirit, but that doesn't there again take away from the need for obedience and um time spent alone with exactly, exactly. Um and and what was it? He said something about and and I I think I wrote it down there, but uh he said something about um how uh obedience is a is a reflection or or no your reaction.

SPEAKER_03 21:44

Our reactions reflect our relationship.

SPEAKER_01 21:48

Yeah, so how you react in certain in certain situations, and he gave that that scenario where you you know two different you can the same thing can happen, you can react two different ways. Ways based on how your relationship is with Christ, right? Where you are in that moment. You know, if you're if you're strong strong in your walk and you hit your thumb, he's the hand hitting his thumb with a hammer, you know, if you're strong in your walk, you're gonna stop and pause, and then it's gonna hurt. Right. But then you're gonna move forward, right? And then there's when you're you're and you're not not close in your walk and you're haven't spent time with him, then you might hit your thumb and all of a sudden you start cursing, you know. So um so I thought that was pretty cool too, just and how that kind of ties in with that, like we have to seek him, we have to stay close with him and tied with him, and your reactions are a reflection of that. Yeah. Which it also says in scripture, he says that we are known by our fruit, and that's just a piece of that too. So yeah, um, that was good. Okay, so um let's go ahead and move on to to tell me about Dave's message. Okay, so Dave went away that I did not expect him to, right? So I you know, and and um usually on Mother's Day, pastors will get up and they'll talk about how great mothers are and and how they are loving and kind and are a reflection of all these things. And and while all that's true. Yeah, be careful, man. Yeah, while all that's true, Mama Love You. Um, no, while all that's true, they're the when we look at especially like we call, you know, considered the patriarch of mothers, you know, the the the the I you know the the mothers who are who are big roles in biblical history, um Mary and and um um Ruth and yeah, all that. I I'm just my brain's not working, but yes, all those. Um Esther.

SPEAKER_03 23:42

Esther is one of the my favorites.

SPEAKER_01 23:44

Yeah. So when we look at all all these mothers, these women, not just you know, but women, um throughout the uh throughout scripture, so often they are referred to as they refer to themselves and are referred to as maidservants. Um and and and a lot of them referred to themselves when they're when they're talking to God, and you know, I am your maidservant, and and all that stuff. And and so it was a good message that um just kind of went after the fact that, and this is not saying that that you know women need to make maidservants and all that stuff. That was not where he goes with that. So let me just stop for, you know. But he was he was talking to everybody, using these women, you know, great women in in biblical history, using them as an example how we are called, men, women alike, to be maidservants, right? And um he gave some characteristics of of maidservants, and uh one of them being humility, uh willingness to serve, putting the Lord's plan ahead of their own, finding their identity in the Lord, and and being uh rewarded by the Lord, right? And these are these are characteristics of a maidservant, which obviously if you read out these characters to characteristics, I mean that's the same calling that we all have. Right. Um and and it was a g it was a good point there again. He he kind of went, you know, took took Mother's Day and used mothers, women, and and mothers as an example that we are called to so much more, we are called to this this this greater thing, and and that is to be servants. Um and there again we s we see these different aspects of of servitude and starting with just like humility. Um what uh am I putting in and humility, let's just define that real quick. Humility is putting is not thinking less of myself, it's thinking of myself less. So as a maid servant, am I putting others first before myself? Yeah, you know, am I and and this is this is true in every aspect, like whether I'm at work, home, grocery store, am I putting others before myself? You know, um willingness to serve. How am I serving in the body? You know, and for those of y'all listening out there, those who you know, it's easy for me to say I work here. I mean, I just it is what you know, I work here, so I'm you know, I spend a lot of my time here, right? Right. But you know, as uh anybody that's a part of this church can appreciate, you know, um when you do something that's not a part of, you know, for me, and this is what I take from it, that's not a part of my job. Right? So am I willing to serve outside of what I'm supposed, quote unquote, supposed to do, right? Am I willing to take that extra step? Am I willing to um carry the tunic an extra mile? Am I willing to do all of those things that we are called to do? Right?

SPEAKER_02 26:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:56

Um it's not about what I'm supposed to do, what I'm paid to do, what I'm all those things, it's about what I'm willing to do. Am I willing to go that extra mile? Am I willing to to pick up my cross and continue to walk and do all of those things? And that applies to everybody, not just me, right? Um if you're if you're a part of uh first Baptist Church, you're called to serve. You're called to serve.

SPEAKER_03 27:19

Right.

SPEAKER_01 27:20

And if every every piece of the body of Christ was serving like we're supposed to serve and being the maid servants that we're called to be, then this body's gonna grow ten times. You know, it's it's just gonna, but you know, it is it is what it is, right? So we this is this is the wake-up call that Dave was calling us to. Like, hey, you're called to serve no matter what. And like we have all these places to serve, and serve may serving for you may look there again. We kind of goes back to what we talked about earlier, it may look different than what you realize it's gonna look. You may have this idea that, oh, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. Well, the Lord may be calling you to something else. The needs may be somewhere else, and the Lord's gonna use you in mighty ways, and He's gonna work through you in mighty ways so that He is glorified, right? And so just um be open to that, keep your eyes open, um, and that just being a big takeaway. Keep your eyes open to places that you can serve within the body. Um, keeping your eye look at look for the needs. Um and not just in a in a working standpoint, but also look for the needs and the people that are there.

SPEAKER_03 28:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:24

Who's sitting next to you that looks like they might need some prayer? Who's sitting next to you who may need a connection, who may be feeling lonely, who who who has been maybe not a part of the body, um, and you can reach out and and change that, right? Um, how are you willing to serve? Um, we need it all over the place, right? Um, the other thing putting the Lord's plans ahead of your own.

SPEAKER_03 28:49

And see, this is kind of a good like similarity between the two.

SPEAKER_01 28:54

It really is. And and um it's tough, you know, that one kind of hit me hard because I'm like, I just dealt with this. I just dealt with this. I was like, uh, I can't remember somebody somebody was asking, they were like, which, you know, they were like, hey, um, I got this coming up. I know I'm gonna need some help. And I was like, I made the comment, which I was joking, half-heartedly joking. I wasn't really joking, but I was like, I was like, well, as long as it's not on a Friday, because that's the day that I fish and golf. Like I do something, you know, not you know, but that's my day that I, you know, I had to me, right? And and I was kind of a joke, but then like in the back of my hand, I was like, hey, I was like, no, it's not really joking. That's my day for me. Right. And and so he said that up there, and of course, the other, you know, whatever that was ended up being a Saturday, so it's fine. But great, yeah. I was like, but you know, he said that on the sermon, and I was like, hmm, well, am I willing to give up my Fridays?

SPEAKER_02 29:55

Right.

SPEAKER_01 29:55

Um, that's you know, am I willing to give up my me time? Am I willing to give up that time that I have to go do the things that I like to do?

SPEAKER_03 30:02

You know, uh it's like Jesus and Peter on the campfire. Like, do you love me?

SPEAKER_01 30:07

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:08

Do you love me? Yeah. Like, oh man.

SPEAKER_01 30:11

Yeah. So that was kind of a good wake-up call for me. Like, there's things that that you have in your life, and that's for those that are listening out, there's things you have in your life that um the Lord's calling you to put aside sometimes. It's not like permanently, sometimes it's sometimes it is, sometimes it's not, but sometimes it's just like, hey, we've got this, I've got this, you know, this is God, God's got this thing for you that he wants you to do, and you've got to put whatever it is that you have in front of him aside and follow him, right? Um, it could be something simple and dumb like playing around a golf like it is for me, or it could be um something bigger, and maybe some sin in your life that you've got to get rid of and put aside and so that you can um not be distracted and obviously be follow, like Matt said, in obedience. So it all kind of connects right there.

SPEAKER_03 30:56

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 30:57

Um let's see here. The other one was um finding their own identity in the Lord. Maid servants, you know, they had they identify with their masters, right, in in their master's house, right?

SPEAKER_02 31:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:07

Um, so as a maidservant, we need to find our identity in Christ. And then and what that means for those that are listening out there, I know that's that's a church, that's kind of a church trying to get still Christianese kind of thing. Yeah, and it's thrown around out there.

SPEAKER_03 31:20

Um identity in Christ. What does that mean?

SPEAKER_01 31:23

So so we I'm Trey, right? I'm Trey, and I hi Trey. Yeah, so I'm Trey, and I like to, you know, I have all these things about me, right? I like to go. Right. I like to outdoors, I like to be active, I like to build things, you know, and uh there's all this stuff about me, and that's Trey. Um at some point in my walk with Christ, that has to train that has to change. And and I have to be no longer Trey, who does all these things. Hey, I'm Trey, and I am a servant of Christ. My identity changes at some point in your walk, right? We this is this is the growth becoming the image of Christ. At some point in my walk, I have to start changing to the old me to the new me and my identity. I might find my identity in Christ. Like I'm Trey, I'm a follower of Christ, I do everything to serve him. And as a maidservant, that's I, you know, who are you? Well, I'm so and so, and I serve in the house of of Jim Bob and I wash his feet. You know, that's that's how they identify people. That's how people know that person, right?

SPEAKER_03 32:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:31

Well, we at some point we have to start identifying ourselves in Christ.

SPEAKER_03 32:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:36

I am Trey, I'm a follower of Christ, I'm his servant, and I will I do all things for him and to his glory. And that's when we begin to answer that question and our we identify in him and everything, and that's our sole purpose. Um, that's when, you know, obviously that's when your your relationship with him just, you know, that's when it takes a huge turn, and that's when we start seeing all of these, all these things. Uh if you're if you're truly identifying with him, all these things are gonna take care of itself, right? If you're truly identifying with him and and and submitted to him, then all of these things are gonna take care of itself too. So it all ties in together. Um, you're gonna be obedient. If you're a servant to his servant, you're gonna be obedient, right? Um, and the last one, rewarded by the Lord. And I looked at this one and I was like, well, that's interesting to throw in there, you know. Um, but really though, um, maid servants, they they have their own reward, right? Mm-hmm. And a maid servant in a household's got their out there, whether it's paycheck, whether it's food, housing, whatever it is, they have the reward, and just like we have, which scripture tells us, we have a reward. We have a reward with a with an eternal relationship with Christ, which is the greatest reward, right? We have a reward um on a daily basis by him blessing us with various things. I mean, all all you know, you could look at if I could sit here all day and tell you the benefits there are to identifying with Christ, right? And you as you know, a Christian can say the same thing and attest to that. Um and so to sum all of it up and to say, I want to apply this message, and let's just find an application for this. Um we we need to be maid servants. And this is what these these these women they identified as maid servants of the Lord, right? And we need to be maidservants of the Lord. That means putting others first, that means serving others at all times, that means identifying ourselves with him and everything we do, right? That's putting our selfish desires aside and all of that, but at the end of the day, it's submitting to him fully. That's what it is, being a maidservant, it's submitting to him fully. And um it's easy to do things in life half-heartedly. I'm the I'm the worst about it. And and where I'm bad about it is I'll jump in with one foot. You know, like I'll I'll step my I'll step my foot into something, and when things don't exactly go the way that I think they're gonna go, or you know, then all of a sudden I back off and then I just coast, you know, it's like um it's not going the way I hoped, it's not going to planned, let's just uh reassess and do something else. You know, sometimes that happens, right? Um, but that's not how Christianity works. We have to each and every day wake up and choose to serve the Lord. We have to wake up in each and every day and choose to chase him. Not because we have to. I mean, we do have to if we want eternal life with him, yes, but but not because we have to, but because we get to. Because we have that opportunity. Because he died for us, because he sacrificed himself. We get this opportunity to wake up in the morning and choose him, and that's what being a maidservant's about. You know. Um just when things don't go your way doesn't mean that all of a sudden I can just coast and back off and be like, well, this didn't go away I planned. Things are gonna happen. And we've got to continue to choose him.

SPEAKER_03 36:18

Yeah, something I've been doing like to do that, that has been like really on my mind lately. Um but every morning I've been waking up and starting my day with at least this simple prayer of like, here I am, Lord send me. You know, and thinking thinking that. Um, because it's also again so easy for a young minister to get stuck in um the minister mode where you gotta think long term, you gotta plan out things for the fall right now, you know. Uh we already have our whole summer planned out, you know, and so it can get so easy to think long term and to think, you know, years and years in advance even. Um But I just felt like the Lord has been asking me to trust him with today.

SPEAKER_02 37:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:00

Uh and to to follow him today. Yeah. You know, just just keep following me today, you know, and just make that choice every morning. And so um a friend of mine kinda suggested that I I I begin praying like that and praying just in the morning. God, here's all the things that are happening today, here's all the things I've got on my mind for this week. Lord have them all, and just here I am, send me. If this is where you want me to be today, I'm gonna be here.

SPEAKER_01 37:28

Yeah. You know I like that. And I bet you there's a lot of people listening now that um are going through the same thing. Maybe they're going through something hard, maybe there's things aren't going exactly the way they thought they would. Maybe they're not in a place they thought they'd be. Um but just like Maverick just said, um, I think that's a good place not just to start, but to continue. Wake up waking up and God, what do you have for for me today? We get so caught up on 20 years from now. Yeah, we may not even be here 20 night 20 years from now. Hopefully we're not. You know, hopefully Jesus comes back before then. But we get so focused on that and when when it simply takes care of itself when I wake up and I say, truly does, God, what do you have for me today? God, oh reveal to me yourself within my conversations, with my interactions, with my work, everything I do, God, reveal yourself to me. And and it takes care of itself. So that's an awesome point. I really like that. I think I'm gonna close on that actually. So um if you're struggling with that today, if you're struggling with what you've with the future holds, and and um, like Matt talked about obedience and all this stuff, and maybe you need some prayer or some help or some guidance with that, our link, our emails are in the bio. Um, please reach out. We'd love to interact with you, love to talk with you and just kind of guide you through that process. You can always call the church and we're here too. Um and I just want to encourage you if you haven't been down here and visit us, I encourage you to do so. Also, um, you know, we got some cool people here, like I always say. And uh I think it's uh we've got a lot of stuff going on, a lot of places to serve if you're looking for a place to serve or just to call home.

SPEAKER_03 39:02

Oh boy, do we?

SPEAKER_01 39:03

Yeah, we got it all over the place. So um just like I said, come see us. Um we're looking forward to the Sunday. We got a cookout at Chaffee at the end of the month on the 31st. So that'll be cool. And then VBS is the first week in June, so put those on your calendars. Um, thank you everybody for listening, and we are out.

SPEAKER_00 39:28

Thank you for joining us for this week's From State to Street Conversation. This podcast is the Ministry of First Baptist Church, Fort Smith. As a reminder, you can always listen to each of the messages we discussed here on our chapter and first sermon podcast each week. Thank you for listening.