Proverbs Chapter 3

Sir Brian and Tommy back with Proverbs chapter 3. We also introduce a new word to our lexicon. Sometimes we just don't want to know.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Started getting into the um to be honest, it was the exorcism, I seen things that was very empowering. I felt God kind of stand me upright and give me the voice that I needed because I could see that the evil spirit was actually afraid.

SPEAKER_02 0:23

Like once we were able to uh identify and and did you fully realize that he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world? Yes.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

That's a good way to put it. Because people have asked me about it, and I didn't know how to explain it. And and as you go through these things, that is something that in that uh that right that you do, you say, you say, This is not from me. This is from God. I am just a vessel that God is using. Because make no mistake, it's not us that does it, it's not some kind of mystical magical power that we have. It's the fact that we stand on his word and on his truth, and we are able to take um authority. And it was very interesting because as we were uh discussing with this uh evil spirit, I could see that it was afraid. It was like talking to a child, like if you were to scold a child, or if you catch a child doing something that it shouldn't do, like it was had she had her had her head down and it wouldn't look up at us. We had to keep telling it to look at us, look at us. And it would. It was it was very it was very empowering to see that we do that God does work through us and give us the power over those things. And all right, welcome back. It's uh Faith in the Streets, it's another week here. We had snowbaged in, I guess. Last week we had to take a little break. Uh we're still digging ourselves out here in Ohio, but for the most part the roads are okay. Um, but we're back and we're gonna uh try to delve into some more stuff and talk about some experiences that we've had the last week. How are we doing today, Brian? Doing very good, doing very good. That's good to hear. Um, I hope everybody else is safe and warm and out of the weather. I know we have a uh uh a nice program here in our little town that helps with the uh less fortunate to have a place to stay when it's this cold. Uh we've been doing our part at the gathering to help out as many as we can um and keeping them warm and giving them what they need. It's been uh it's been a really awesome experience to be able to find our purpose and be able to help others that need us. There you go, Jack.

SPEAKER_03 2:35

Shalom. Uh let's see. Um sorry, uh do you want to start with do you want to would you like to share with them uh uh the idea that we had, the brand new word we're gonna try and institute in uh uh into the the lexicon.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

The lexicon. That's a good word. I liked that and I wouldn't have known how to say that otherwise. Lexicon. And we're not talking about Lex Luser, by the way. Nor leprechauns. Nor leprechauns. I would never of course the artistman thinks of that. Sir Brian. Um so yeah, um I think I may have made up a word once before on one of our podcasts, and I wasn't sure if it was a word or not. So we've kind of taken a hold of that, and we're starting to figure out ways to uh explain things and make them a little maybe not quite as bad as they really are. Um the new word that we have come across is banus. Banus. Bainus.

SPEAKER_03 3:33

B-A-I-N-O-U-S. Yes, banis. There we are. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

Uh you want to explain where you come up with that?

SPEAKER_03 3:45

Well, alright, so the idea is that I think sometimes we fool ourselves for something that isn't um isn't the real thing. Would you think like maybe fool's gold to give reference? Could very well be. Could be a fool's gold. Um but I think uh where where this where the uh definition uh of this word really thrives is is where it's derived from. Uh oftentimes we think we have vanilla as a flavoring, uh but we sadly come to find that we have had artificial vanilla, which is generally derived from the anal gland of a beaver. And this is truth. Uh the uh the AI or the Google search will tell you that it's not used all the time anymore, but but we're still there. So um and I and I and I I bring this to mind because I think uh sometimes we we fool ourselves with the fool's fool's gold and or uh false prophets.

SPEAKER_00 5:05

Yes, false prophets, false doctrines, uh taking things out of context. Oh, very true.

SPEAKER_03 5:13

Yes, yes. And uh all that is banus. That is that is that is truth. It's not but banis.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

I I actually like that even more now that we've talked about it out loud and heard it. I'm gonna try my best to use it when I get into those situations. Oh no. Yeah. Kind of like heinous but banus. Yes. Yes, very good. I like that. Yeah. Good revelation, Sir Brian. It definitely makes you think the next time you make your coffee order somewhere. So fair enough, you know. Vanilla isn't so vanilla, is it?

SPEAKER_03 5:50

We spend that couple dollars for the real thing. I guess.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

Yeah, we talked about that actually earlier at a gathering. You know, it's uh it's more costly to buy something that is better for you. We were actually talking about doing laundry. And of all things, we now have uh these weird kind of thin sheets that are better for our environment and better for our clothes, and but of course they cost you three times what you would uh a normal detergent that you would buy. So that's kind of banis. It it is, it is actually.

SPEAKER_03 6:27

All right. All right, so uh actually you had a story, brother. Uh what happened to you just recently. That was a good thing.

SPEAKER_00 6:36

Yes, yes, yes. Interesting. So uh our pastor at our church, he is a certified demonologist, and he was contacted a couple months ago about a case up in Columbus. Um he came to me and asked me to be his assistant to go up and have a consult about uh what might be happening with this person, and I will say that it was definitely interesting. I I got to witness and see things that um that I was nervous at first, but once we started getting into the um, to be honest, it was the exorcism, I seen things that was very empowering. I felt God kind of stand me upright and give me the voice that I needed because I could see that the evil spirit was actually afraid.

SPEAKER_02 7:40

Like once we were able to uh identify and and did you fully realize that he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world?

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Yes, that's a good that's a good way to put it because people have asked me about it and I didn't know how to explain it. And and as you go through these things, that is something that in that uh that right that you do, you say, you say, This is not from me. This is from God. I am just a vessel that God is using. Because make no mistake, it's not us that does it, it's not some kind of mystical magical power that we have. It's the fact that we stand on his word and on his truth, and we are able to take um authority. And it was very interesting because as we were uh discussing with this uh evil spirit, I could see that it was afraid. It was like talking to a child, like if you were to scold a child or if you catch a child doing something that it shouldn't do, like it was had she had her had her head down and it wouldn't look up at us. We had to keep telling it to look at us, look at us. And it would. It was it was very it was very empowering to see that we do, that God does work through us and give us the power over those things. And my nervousness went went away. And I I I I go back to you when you see things that are like that that are uh tempting you, it's like it's how petty of a try this is. And I just kept thinking how petty this evil spirit is to try to come against a great God Almighty, you know. Um but uh we did get its name. Um, I'm not going to repeat the name because I don't want to give it any power and um kind of want to stay away from that. But I will give you a synopsis of what we were dealing with. Um if I can go back to where I was at, there we go. What is going on here? Ah, here we go. This was uh and and it's interesting once we learned its name and it was it didn't want to tell us. And it tried to gibber it. It tried to kind of like I said, like a child being scolded, had its head down and just mumbled it. And we told it to speak clearly, and it didn't want to, but it did, and it was just it was just it was just awesome to see that. Um, but it was a uh it's a malevolent creator god in a Gnostic tradition. It's seen as an ignorant, arrogant being responsible for creating the flawed material world and imprisoning souls within it, often depicted as a lion-headed serpent or a blind, powerful entity who mistakenly claims to be the supreme god, and he is a central figure in Gnostic cosmology, contrasting with the true transcendent God, and represents control, ignorance, and the limitations of the physical universe. And it once we left and kind of got our stuff together and we talked about it and we we did this search here, we seen all those things. Wow, we seen every one of those things. The voice, the way it talked about being it was saying it was it was the Christ, that it was the God, and it was very arrogant, but it was also you could see the fear, and and the subject told us that um it felt like a serpent was climbing up her right side up to her head, and she was real tight in the neck area, and we seen her arms contort and her legs lock, and um we used the uh the the right the extra exorcism rice, we used holy water, uh we used uh anointing oil, and we used the crucifix, of course, and it did not like holding the crucifix. Oh, yeah. When we handed the crucifix to it, it really just knotted up real bad. Uh, but we were able to um it was stubborn, it was, um, and the things that it said was that the subject was going to be the AI God. Like somehow or other they were going to be the the bringer of the AI god. And if you look at uh the definition here that I'm looking at, you know, it's a flaw material world. Yes, you know, and she has problems with using um different electronics and stuff, and you know, one of the ones that was a problem was the apple products, and there's uh I don't know if you've heard it, but there's a reason that it's an apple with a bite out of it. Yes, I've heard this. Which we know that it was a fruit, not an apple, but I can see where people would kind of get that mixed up. But uh, yeah, it was hectic. Um the subject definitely did not want it. Would you like to just would you like to explain that?

SPEAKER_03 12:49

The hectic know that it was a fruit and we know it's an apple.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

That might be confusing to some of the things. All right, all right. So the fall in the garden in Genesis, uh, it was the fruit of the tree of good and evil. It wasn't an apple. Uh everybody equates it with an apple. I don't know why exactly, um, but it we don't know what it was. Whether it was an apple, whether it was a dragon fruit, or whatever, we don't know. Um, but because society has deemed it an apple.

SPEAKER_03 13:22

A society. Because there are there are other accounts as well too. So, like uh uh in a lot of the uh Asian myths, it's a peach. Right. A peach leads you to eternal life. Right. Yeah. And then uh then there are um there are others, so pears and so on and so forth.

SPEAKER_00 13:40

So yeah, and it's it's something interesting that I have noticed that I have learned over the last year or so is all the different cultures of the world have very similar stories to what the original story is. It's like they're trying to make it fit in their culture. Like every culture has a flood story, uh, a worldly flood story. Uh when I went to the creation, not the creation museum, the art museum or the art experience, I think one of the uh cultures has it as a cube that they floated in. It was one that was like a top or something. It was just very interesting to see that everyone, every uh culture has some kind of boat and flood type uh looking for uh scenario. And again, it's all just basically them. I feel my personal opinion is they're adopting from what their original story is.

SPEAKER_03 14:38

Brother, I uh I think as we we kind of learn more about those things, there's there's something more there. Uh and and it's um like like we we we read this we read in the Bible about the apostles, and and they witness our brother do so many fantastic things, and it's almost like they forget.

SPEAKER_00 15:06

Oh, yeah, absolutely. And I want to make it clear that when he said our brother, he is meaning Jesus. Yes, and that is something that Brian has brought to my attention is he is our half-brother. Yes, we are uh an heir to his kingdom, so we are a brother to Jesus himself. So that's been very comforting for me to know that I'm in the family.

SPEAKER_03 15:30

And and it was clear to me when Jesus taught me how to pray with the Lord's Prayer. Our Father who art in heaven. Brother, that that is it's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

It really is. It really is. And I've started using it a lot more in my own prayers, and I talk to God like He's my earthly dad, but it's my father in heaven. Yes, that's much more intimate relationship, in my opinion. Um, but yeah, it's it's something that I think that as we're going through the book of Proverbs, we're seeing how that all pans out. And again, it's no coincidence that things are the way they are. You know, it's father, and then you become a dad, and you're a husband, and you are, you know, the head of the house and the wife and the kids. This are all there's not a coincidence. They're it's a system the way it is for a reason, and I think that's very important that we see that. And he gives us the structure on how to do those things. Um, I find that the first four books of Proverbs is very prevalent in that. And the whole book of Proverbs is an excellent book, and we even see, we've mentioned it before, um, it mentions later on uh the Proverbs 31 woman. That's a hot topic. That's that's one of the hot topics. There's a song going around and all that stuff, but again, I I I need to stress very much that you need to be deserving, you need to be a man deserving of a Proverbs 31 woman. Right. And if you're not, you need to do some work on yourself.

SPEAKER_03 17:09

That's truth.

SPEAKER_00 17:10

Yeah. You shouldn't expect something from nothing. Yeah, exactly. But yeah, it was a very interesting day yesterday, and I'm I'm very proud of what we were able to accomplish. I'm I'm very proud of uh being able to help that woman um to be able to get her a peace of mind and to um and to find out what the battle really is out there. Like we are fighting a spiritual battle. It is, and I think the veil between us and them is a lot thinner than we think it is.

SPEAKER_01 17:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:48

Start with Proverbs 3, Mr. Brian. Yes, brother, you were you were leading us right into Proverbs 3.

SPEAKER_03 17:52

I did, starting to learn that segue thing, ain't you? You're getting good at it, brother. Alright, so I will begin. My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart guard my commandments. For length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Do not let loving kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, so you will find favor and good insight in the eyes of God and man. Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight.

SPEAKER_00 19:06

You know what a promise he just made there and then He is directing us in all that. I mean, we've talked about it a lot in here. Uh, you know, stand on the truth of God, stand on your identity in Christ. Um of course we have adopted very much and do not lean on your own understanding. And we're not meant to understand certain things. Our ways are not God's ways.

SPEAKER_03 19:34

We we are, but it's not necessary for us to find out by ourselves. Yes. I again when the spirit leads us there, listen, look, learn.

SPEAKER_00 19:46

Oh, absolutely. Please. Yeah, we talked about, we say it a lot here. Um leave room for grace, leave room to be wrong. That's the pipes. They do that. Um, yeah, I mean, he's gonna crown our efforts with success and put our trust in him, in God, instead of our own understanding. Because let's be honest, there's a lot of things out there that we don't understand. My experience yesterday, I didn't understand and they and I didn't know what to expect, but when I saw that power that God had in that situation, it was like I I knew exactly where I was supposed to be, who I was specific to be there with. Again, you know, five years ago, you would ask me what my life would look like now, and it would not be this. But I I like that it talks about you know the faithfulness, um, standing on the truth, do not lean on our own understanding. And he will give us good insight as long as we stay obedient to him, and of course, saying that it's right on the tablet of your heart, how how um like we joke about Moses was the first person to use tablets. Yes, yes, you know, so it's interesting now that in this it says tablet of your heart and how much of us use tablets and technology and everything like it. So I just I like that part there. I thought that was pretty interesting.

SPEAKER_03 21:14

Uh speaking of uh kind of following the leads of the Holy Spirit, um I've been kind of working out something. Uh he and I. He's been kind of leading me to it. Um I think for a long time I've kind of had the misconception that our fight is uh is good versus evil. And and uh and I think in in that logic I've allowed for things to exist that don't. Um like uh uh for instance uh there's a there's a common misconception that um The dichotomy between good and evil is how things are always going to exist. There can't be one without the other, I have heard. And uh it's not true. Because we know it's not true. Jesus comes back. Correct. Thousand year reign. New Jerusalem is gonna be without evil. So that's not true. And um what I've discovered apart from that is is the fight is actually God versus sin. Um and it's not evil that begets sin, it's sin that begets evil. And it's not God creating evil, it is the way things are meant to be as God has instructed, and a choice not to do those things. That's where that's where evil lives is we've had a choice, and I've heard people explain it as well too often, that um oh, evil evil come about because of free will, period. And there was there's no other explanation to that, and it's like that's a fine saying, but what do you mean? Right, yeah, and and I think that is exactly what they mean, but they haven't found the words to say, yeah, is is that uh because the choices aren't good and evil, they're God and sin, and if you choose not God, you've opted for sin. Uh that is that is where the choice lies. So, but God left the choice available so that we could still choose it, and then again choose right.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

So I've heard so many people argue that there really isn't a choice, but the fact that there is, you know, you can choose. Free will is a beautiful thing. Quite honestly, God doesn't want robots.

SPEAKER_03 24:29

No, you are absolutely right about that, brother. But at the same time, too, I see where you're going with this. And and yes, uh, it may seem that we don't have a choice because we're only meant to choose one way and we are judged for having gone the other way. I understand that. But when you consider when you consider that all is forgiven because Jesus has claimed that, there's there's no judgment.

SPEAKER_00 25:03

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 25:04

There are no there's no judgment for those in Christ the Lord.

SPEAKER_00 25:08

Yes. It's interesting because that was one of the things that we dealt with yesterday. Um I seen where the torment of past sins that they haven't let go of. I spoke with the subject for about 45 minutes after we were done, and I was very uh prevalent or adamant, that's what we're looking for. Um that the forgiveness part of it and east to the west. Yes, that always kind of befuddled me. East to the west. What does that mean? I've got it figured out now. Good, brother. Because you can never get far enough east, and you can never get far enough west. No matter how far west you go, east gets further. No matter how far east you go, there's always west. That's true. And it took me a while to realize that that's what we deal with. And now, as humans and as society and as the accuser, which is a very prevalent term for him because that's what he does. Yes, he accuses. There isn't a whole lot that the enemy has to do, it just has to put a little twinge of a doubt or uh, well, remember that time you did this, remember that time you did that. Agreed. And it's hard for us to accept that grace, to accept that no matter what we've done, God still loves us. And going through Proverbs and talking about the family as a parent, no matter what your kid does, you love them. And you will pick them up and you will wipe them off and you'll send them back out into the world. And that's, I think, exactly what God has done with us. Essentially, yeah. And he's given us Jesus as our grace to be able to return home to him.

SPEAKER_03 26:55

Apologies. There was there was one more thing, too, uh, as far as the uh uh the insight. Is I started I started um uh really thinking on what Jesus meant when he says forgive them, they know not what they do. No, I love that. I say that so much to myself. Yes, brother. And and and we can look at it on its surface level, and we're like, I mean, they don't know they're killing the savior, the lord and creator of of this world, as a matter of fact. Um but um it's a lot deeper than that, it is deeper than that, and and and it and it always is with our brother, yeah. Yeah, so um, but again, I think um we are uh we are deceived in sin. And and that's why I don't find myself hating my brothers, not just because I'm not supposed to, because it's akin to murder, but but I don't find myself hating uh my brothers and sisters when I see them in sin. I know they're deceived. And again, we make room for we have the saying, hate the sin and not the sinner. But I think I think all that is is is us not knowing what we're doing and him still asking forgiveness for us all.

SPEAKER_00 28:28

So when you say that you forgive them for they know not what they do, uh I see what you're saying there because we don't know what we're well, they don't know where we are to be graceful and loving. You know, he says that even the tax collector loves his family. And when somebody is, and this is just a very direct term, you know, uh sin against your you, and this is what I told the this is what I told the subject yesterday, was you holding on to those things is you drinking poison and thinking that it's gonna hurt that person. So they didn't know what they were doing, and you need to give them that grace so that they understand. And again, it's for you, not for them. When you forgive, it's it's for you, not for the person you're forgiving. And that's what God tells us. He says, if you don't forgive, you won't be forgiven. Which is the very harsh thing to say. For sure. But yeah, that they forgive them, they know not what they do, is just so much deeper than what is happening at the time. You know, it's the uh the lashing, it's the the the walk up to the cross, it's the being nailed on the cross, and he says, forgive them, they know not what they do. And it's and it's again, it's just it's so much more than the fact that he was going through that. It's they don't understand how to love each other. They don't know how to under they don't understand how to take care of one another. They don't know that that's what this is supposed to be about. Shalom, shalom. Everything is the way that it's supposed to be, that it was meant to be. We we walked in the garden with God. That's where it all started. And that's the way it's supposed to be. And one of the things that I heard in a podcast the other day was how that's how it's supposed to be now is no barriers, no uh this person is this color, or this person is this nationality, or this person is, you know, this way or that way. It's it's about it takes a village, and we're all supposed to be a village. We're all supposed to be one community, and that's what the New Jerusalem is going to be. It's gonna be everybody loves everybody the way they're supposed to. Everybody is brother and sister instead of, you know, scoundrel or whatever.

SPEAKER_03 31:57

Continuing. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones. Honor Yahweh from your wealth and from the first of all your produce. So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will burst with new wine. My son, do not reject the discipline of Yahweh, or loathe his reproof. For whom Yahweh loves, he reproves, even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.

SPEAKER_00 33:00

Again, we're going right back into how we're supposed to be as a uh earthly dad and uh earthly family. Um I think there's in uh I want to say it's the New Testament, you know, if your son asks for a fish, or you're gonna give him a snake. It's a bit different there, but at the same time, it's like, you know, the first of your produce, your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will burst with new wine. In my own walk, in my own life, I have seen these things happen. I've seen uh the healing to your body and the refreshment to your bones, which I always thought that I wanted to be picked up and kind of wrung out like a wash rag to get all the yuck and gook out of me. I know it doesn't work that way. That's more of a cartoonish kind of thing, but giving everything over to God and allowing him to allow my identity to be in Christ as a son of God and not trying to lean on my own understanding, not trying to, and it it's it's I guess it's cliche, Jesus take the wheel. It's been such it's been so uplifting, you know, to be able to really just be a passenger.

SPEAKER_03 34:30

Yes, I well I I think I think too, uh with the uh sorry, the the God versus sin thing. I I think oftentimes we uh we almost see the sins as a gathered thing, like we've collected a plate of sins, yeah, and and we're standing there holding them, and and that when we do give it over to God, we're just handing him the plate, like here, take this, take it away from me. Yeah, but at the same time, too, uh with us not having to fulfill the role of being our own gods, uh, which brother, if you're still striving, sister, if you're still you're still aiming to be your own God, uh, you're hurting yourself only. And um, yeah, as soon as you give the reins over, you take the Lord's yoke. I think it's gonna go there.

SPEAKER_00 35:36

I think it's gonna go there. Because I I love the image of it. I use it in my sermon Saturday, you know. Good. God's finger. Yeah, just holding on to it. It's like when you teach your child how to ride a bike, you know, you're holding on to the seat until you're not. That's it. You know, and and God never lets go. No. No matter what happens, no matter what you do, even the subject yesterday, you know, sh they were still fighting so hard to get away from those things. And that was one of the things that was brought up. It said that it was God, and in the description, it thinks it's some kind of false God, you know, and it was just so eye-opening to see and hear all that, and to see how deceiving. But also I could see because we were told about the subject's life and what they had been through, and you can see where the spirit had used those things, like I said earlier, we don't forgive ourselves, and that was one of the things that I told her that the subject was you got to forgive yourself first, and then you can start working on forgiveness of others.

SPEAKER_03 36:46

But when you don't forgive yourself, is when you torment yourself thinking about those things, replaying those things, not that it that is true, but it's also true, too, that how can we love someone else as ourselves if we don't love ourselves?

SPEAKER_00 37:04

Yes, yes, that was something that happened to me in my life. I had I was dealing with a uh a relationship and it it dawned on me that I one of my things is I'm a people pleaser. And as a people pleaser, you don't really love yourself. And how do you love someone if you don't love yourself? And it's not it's not being bragged or boastful, it's what we're commanded to do. But it's because if we love ourselves, we will treat other people the same way, kind of like don't do others what you would do to you, you know what I'm saying? So it's it's it's very interesting that when you brought that up, I was just cheering and jumping in my seat over here while you're laughing so hard at me. But yeah, it's it's like how do I love somebody? And that's one of the reasons why I wanted to read Proverbs too. Like, how what is the how do you know how to be a dad if you don't have good examples of what a good dad is? We have it with with God, we have it with our Bibles, we have it in His Word, but not all of us have been graced with someone in our lives to show us those things. Not only just to show us earthly, but also have that foundation. You know, I was very blessed with uh my earthly family here that there was that foundation, and it was always in my life. And I think it has definitely kept me out of jail, out of being living on the streets. And I mean, I I was I was uh I was a heathen for a while. I definitely wasn't I wasn't a Boy Scout all my life. Um I was a Boy Scout and I was still a heathen. Okay, that yeah, I was the same thing. So it doesn't necessarily mean what you think it means, I guess. Uh kind of like uh banis.

SPEAKER_03 39:03

Yes. It was that that that artificial idea of what is good instead of what was really good.

SPEAKER_00 39:09

Yes, yes, yes. In our verses here, um it's something that a lot of people struggle with, and I've had to kind of talk to our community about it a lot. Um when God reproves us, okay, there's a reason behind it. And he's not doing so because he wants us to suffer, our people to suffer. He's correcting us because he loves us and doesn't want us to go any further in our sin. Now, what do we do as humans when we are a family? I just said a little bit ago, your kid's gonna mess up, you're gonna reprove them, punish them, rebuke them, whatever you want to say. Um I'm of the mindset, well, I was raised with a belt. I know what the sound of clearing belt loops sounds like, I know what picking my own switch is like. Um now, God doesn't do that with us, but he does give us that, he gives us the option to do that. He tells us, and again, we've talked about it before, um, you get off the path and your GPS reroutes you. You may fall off the path that God has for you. It may be a series of unfortunate, what was it, limiting sneakets series of unfortunate events that turns you back around to where you need to be. And what I was saying earlier, and I thought about it as I said it, this is where my journey started. Um, Jesus take the wheel. Uh one of my issues that I had was I definitely did not like being a passenger. Gotcha. I did not like anybody else driving. I was never comfortable with anybody else driving. I always wanted to be the one driving. One of the reasons why I don't like to fly in a plane is because I'm not flying a plane. Um that way it's like my fault. You know, if I do something stupid and something happens, it's my fault. I can't blame anybody else. Now, again, God rerouting me. Um, I had an incident and I broke my foot. Not only did I break my foot, but I broke my right foot. And you use your right foot to drive your car. Even if it's a manual or automatic, your right foot is pretty important. So he made you a passenger. He made me a passenger. He absolutely made me a passenger. So I had to learn how to be a passenger.

SPEAKER_03 41:27

Good.

SPEAKER_00 41:27

And it was God, and it was like one of the first real injuries I've ever had, like as far as a broken bone. I've had little things here and there, but that was something that I was laid up for, you know. I had to learn to depend on other people instead of me being the one that was always in control and taking care of everybody. So yeah, it was interesting. And he he and that's that started my journey. The second broken bone is when I gave up. I stopped fighting. Like, I get it, you're on it. So, yeah, so it it God doesn't want us to go any further in our sin, so that's why he reproves us, he gives us the correction, and that's one of the things I pray for. God, correct me if I'm doing something wrong. One of the things we read in James. We're not teachers. We're not teachers, but I pray for correction. If I'm doing something wrong, show me the right way. You know, reroute me, get me back on the path, get me back on the track. And that's what my life has been the last couple of years. And the last one was the big one, the last bone break. I was like, all right, I give up. You got it. I learned how to be a passenger from broken foot, and then the broken shoulder, I learned how to listen and do as he says, and follow where he leads me, which led me to the gathering, which led me to Sir Brian, which led to so many other wonderful things. And you know, the gathering, we've been talking about that, it has changed so much in that you know, what year, year and a half. Ah, yeah. And it is a completely different place. We've got so many different uh people that were helping, so many different services. God has just again, if you don't see God working at the gathering, you are not looking. That's true. And you need to be looking, that's for sure. So God loves us and he has our best interest no matter what it is, and he wants to correct us to keep us on the right path. Oh, agreed. And Proverbs is just a great book to start that and to start a new family and get going there. So no, I I agree with all that. I certainly do. I definitely want to continue with Proverbs at least until we get to chapter four, but um our direction, listening to God, uh, we'll be doing some other things too. Yeah, as we'll be talking about some other things. You may have another host in there here or there. Well, no, brother, we were actually hoping to get into Philippians when you were you were uh aiming for that. Yes, I doubt. That's what I wanted to do with Philippians, but God put on my heart proverbs and how to um help young families. We've got a lot of young youth in our in our congregation, and they're looking to um well we've had what three, four engagements in the last six months, and I'm sure they want to start a family, and uh Jacob being one of them. Yeah, yeah. And uh so proud of him. Um but yeah, I think it's something that we need to be the example. Um that's one thing that I love about the story of of God and Jesus. He led by example. Yes. And it that's how I've kind of always done things myself. Just that's just how I was. I figured if if I'm willing to do it, then other people will be willing to do it too. Yes. And that's I again, Jesus came to us. God came down and emptied himself to be a servant, to wash feet, to the least of these are the first and the first or the last. It just it's just such an amazing story. I was actually asked today. Um I have until next Saturday to sum up the Bible in 500 words or less. Okay. At first I was a little overwhelmed, but now I'm looking forward to it. Yes. I'm looking forward to this may catapult something in me that I've been trying to cultivate or let God cultivate in me.

SPEAKER_03 45:34

I I think I think it can be done in quite a few words. Uh God so loved the world.

SPEAKER_00 45:42

I I agree with that. Yeah. I I absolutely agree with that, and that's kind of where I'm leaning towards. Um I think I've actually got a book in my library in there that says uh I don't remember what it's called, but it's like sum up the Bible in like ten words, which you can't really do that, but I mean you can. Uh God so loved the world. Um so yeah, it's it's definitely gonna be an interesting week for me to kind of wrap my head around that. And the one thing that I have said before is once you start writing sermons, they're never ending. That's the truth, brother. Because there's so much information there that it's just oh what about this? Oh, what about this, what about this? And you just you go down these rabbit holes. No, it's you have to figure out how to get the point across, stay within the word, don't add to or take away. So yeah. If you think that's a good thing, that's a good uh uh assignment. Write a sermon. Pick something that is close to your heart and try to write a sermon on it.

SPEAKER_03 46:42

That's good.

SPEAKER_00 46:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:44

Alright.

SPEAKER_00 46:45

So listeners, that's your uh that's your homework. Yeah, you didn't know you were gonna get homework on the podcast, did you? Um yeah, so we'll wrap that up. We'll call it a day. We may finish the rest of this uh before we go to the four. Um we'll have to look over it. But again, if you're looking to get closer to God, Proverbs, if you're looking to start a family, Proverbs. I actually got turned onto it by another gentleman that came and visited the gathering. He said he just woke up one morning and started reading Proverbs, and it changed his life. And I see it. I absolutely see it. So thanks for joining us, and uh, we'll see you on the next episode.

SPEAKER_03 47:24

After you pray us out, Tommy.

SPEAKER_00 47:26

Of course, of course. Uh Father God, you just uh I just love you so much. You're so amazing. Uh giving us this word, giving us the free will, giving us the love and the forgiveness and the mercy and the grace. And again, you so love the world, and it's just such an amazing life that I am now a part of, and I'm just so happy that I finally got out of the way. I'm glad and happy and grateful for all the people that you brought into my life. Uh I have so many little groups that I pray for all the time, and it's just such a wonderful, wonderful uh experience to see it happen. To to watch your your plans, your will just unfold right in front of my eyes, Father. Father, I just pray for all those that are out there in the coal. We have so many people that are still kind of struggling in that, and it's just going to be so cold here, Father. And we are grateful for the organizations that we have that are open and are there to warm the people and to keep them safe, Father. Just be with them and be with all those that are still fighting that addiction and trying to get out of it, Father. Just give them the strength to to walk away from those things and to turn back to you, to soften their heart, to allow you to show them the way and let you be the driver instead of them thinking that they can handle it because they just can't. And we just thank you for Jesus, most of all, and the uh sacrifice that he made in Jesus Christ's name. Amen. Amen.