Obedience

Join us as we share about obedience .

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:19

Hey, Haley. Hi, Serena. We are sitting in a different spot. Yeah. We're still in the same room. It's magic. Don't don't be too shocked by it. It's okay. How was how was your last week?

SPEAKER_02 0:34

Um, it was good. How was yours?

SPEAKER_00 0:40

Okay. Well, my last week was good. Um, I got to uh teach at the youth camp. I got to really like geek out on like history and facts, and that's that's really where I thrive. Just like let me throw everything at you that I know because someone in the room has got to be as excited about the sheepgate as me. Okay. Yeah. And the temple mount, and that things are still there and the things that are not there. Do you know there's a replica of the temple mount in Israel right now? No. Okay, I don't think you do said, that's awesome. It's not big enough to go like because it it's a replica of the temple. Like, it's not big enough that they can actually use it as a temple, but I don't think they would, anyways, because they want the temple mount, but right now there's a mosque on the temple mount. But if that doesn't interest you, it totally interests me. Yeah, but someone else had to geek down in the room with me, I'm sure. But that was like that was fun to me that I was able to like go through the entire Bible from the old testament to the nest, but new the nest, the new testament to now and like give. Yeah, so I keep hitting this Bible. It's a whole lot.

SPEAKER_02 1:56

That's why I put mine in my lap because I realize I have just like notes after notes after notes in here that I just like from other stuff, and then I get my Bible all bent up.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

We haven't seen each other in a week.

SPEAKER_02 2:14

Yeah, well, uh busy. Uh you had to explain yourself. I was just saying work, youth camp, um, personal life, yeah. But it's been good, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

I mean I haven't missed you, like you didn't like leave the country and I didn't know where you were at or nothing like that.

SPEAKER_02 2:42

We didn't record either, so I was like, I miss my friend.

unknown 2:46

Look at that.

SPEAKER_02 2:48

Well, and well, we normally go out to eat too, okay? But we haven't even done that.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

There's a lot going on. There's always something going on. Yeah. Like this week, even like I have to practice for ministry that I'm doing on Friday. I have to practice tomorrow. I'm excited for that. So I have like this is a busy week.

SPEAKER_02 3:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:11

But it's all good stuff. Like, it's never like because family's good, work is not bad. Yeah, ministry is obviously good. Um, just like family. I'm not saying ministry is more important than family. I'm not saying that at all. Um, there's just always a lot going on. But it's because we're being obedient.

SPEAKER_02 3:28

Yeah, and that's what we're gonna talk to y'all about is obedience. Snook it up on you. Um, so okay. So what what do you want to say about obedience? So, what is obedience, Serena?

SPEAKER_00 3:43

Here's here's the thing. Like, I feel like obedience shouldn't be hard to understand.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Okay, like well, I think that obedience is seen wrongly because people have abused the word obedience and obedience. So, like people are like, you better obey me. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 4:06

Oh boy, and that's not yeah, no, oh yeah, but it also says so it says in okay, so let's just get into it. It's it's not like we obey God because He's gonna give us lashings, yeah. Okay, um, it does, however, say in Deuteronomy chapter 28 that obedience comes with blessings, yeah. It does say that disobedience at that time came with curses.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:32

I have to do a little bit more investigating on that, but I think a lot of time a curse is when you just have to reap what you sow from your disobedience, yeah. Which feels like a curse, but it it's honestly just justice.

SPEAKER_02 4:46

Justice is just what you be reaping. It's justice. I think so I've seen someone's um post about that about reaping and sowing and whatever. So sometimes it is. It is what you yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:02

Yeah, I mean, yes. So I but you know uh this is one of the verses I found. And I I thought that like um, like, okay, so Romans 6 and 17, but thanks be to God that though you were okay, but thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching in which you were committed. So this is one thing we learned when I when I we first said obedience, I thought about the story of Saul and Samuel. Yeah, also this chair is actually really comfortable, yeah, and I am super comfortable just like leaning here with my feet propped up. I'm just gonna be like fair. Uh, because I didn't think so.

SPEAKER_02 5:45

Backstory is though, is Serena used to not like these chairs, but I've always loved them. Okay, but now I have a table that's high, and I've tried to convince her that hey, these chairs are comfortable, and so I was hoping that she would be comfortable in the chairs, and now I don't and so that's a big deal.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Listen, we're breaking ground as we speak. Things are happening and moving and changing. Okay, we're growing, yeah. So when I think about obedience, I think about the story of Samuel and Saul. Yeah, because what he's saying here, so in this verse, it says, You are obedient from your heart. Yeah, so it's something what it's something that we we just like consistently say, like in every avenue of your relationship with God, we need you to be sincere and genuine and and not put a negative spin on it because obedience, though disobedience can get you in a place you don't want to be, obedience, because he is reciprocal, he wants to bless you. Yeah, and what I mean by reciprocal is when you give, he gives. Like it's it's a cycle. Yeah, it's a cycle of um him being good to us, is his graciousness to us.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:05

So when I think about obedience, I think about Saul and Samuel. I know I've said that like three times, but I'm gonna explain what I mean. Um, so in the book of Samuel, first Samuel, yeah, Saul is appointed king, and the Lord says, Hey, I need you to go kill every Amalekite. Amalekite, Amalekite. I need I was trying to spell it in my head. I need you to go kill every Amalekite. Yeah, like kids, sorry, kids, animals, everything. Don't keep anything. And we actually find okay. I'm just I'm gonna stop or step over myself. Saul is told to kill everything. What they do is they decided instead of killing everything, they were actually gonna take the choice animals and they were gonna give the sacrifice to God.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

This is not what God said, no, he said to kill everything, yeah. Um, so before we even get to that part, we do find out in the future the Amalekites are not gone. The Amalekites even still from David, so they're they're not gone because Saul didn't do what he was supposed to do. But the issue here is is they took the choice animals when Saul Samuel comes to him and he's furious, yeah, because he's like, The Lord told you to do one thing, not that it wasn't a big thing to do, but he told you to kill everything. And so Samuel Saul says, Well, I mean, we kept all these other animals so we could sacrifice to God. And again, Samuel's like, That's not what you were told to do. And then Saul does say, Hey, I actually did this because I was afraid of the people. So he says it is better for you to be obedient than for you to give sacrifice because obedience is what should be coming from your heart. Okay, and sacrifice is ritualistic. Yeah, God doesn't want your ritual, and he certainly doesn't want you to lie and say you've done something for him. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, you know how people are like, I'm sorry, I got excited. You know how people are like, Well, God knows my heart. You talked about this before. You know, you know what I'm saying? Look, because Saul same Saul's like, Well, I I did follow what he said. No, because when you finally said you did it for the people, then where was your heart? Your heart wasn't for God, the sacrifice wasn't for God, the sacrifice was for the people.

SPEAKER_02 9:26

Well, yeah, that's good. Yo, man. That is so good. Um obedience. That is so good. I'm sorry, but that was good to me. And I think there's a part where it says, Oh, where is that at? Is it does doesn't it say the word says that obedience purifies your heart? I think it's in 1 Peter.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

I didn't see that verse.

SPEAKER_02 9:52

Um, let me see.

SPEAKER_00 9:54

But I believe it.

SPEAKER_02 9:55

I think it was in 1 Peter because I think as you obey, it kind of grows you. You know what I mean? Yes. I'm off in the wrong thing.

SPEAKER_00 10:16

Let me clarify something real quick. Go ahead. So when we talk about obedience, you know, because some people are like, well, I'm waiting for a word from God. There's two, there's two levels of obedience we're talking about here. So there is following the commandments of the Lord, regardless of whether God some has something something specific to you to be obedient about, like, go talk to someone, go do this, go whatever. We still have commandments that we have to follow. We still have to love people, we still have to have fruit, we still have to love God with all our heart. Like it's not a it's always going to be an action thing, and it's always gonna be something that flows from your heart because of your concern for your relationship with God.

SPEAKER_02 10:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:57

Did I give you enough time?

SPEAKER_02 11:00

No, I don't remember where that was. I'll show you the uh so this is like um all the my notes because I had gone on a just a um and this page is nothing but scripture, like and it's front and back.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

I found it. Um the verse you're looking for says, Since you have in obedience to the truth, purified your souls for sincere love of the brethren. Yeah. Fervently love one another from the heart. Yeah. Since you have in obedience to the truth, because you were obedient to the truth, your heart was purified.

SPEAKER_02 11:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:54

Yeah. And like in the old testament, like that that verse in Deuteronomy where he's talking about how he's gonna bless if you're obedient, it doesn't say obedience, it says hearken diligently. Because the word obedience doesn't seem to be in the King James Version in the Old Testament, but it's hearken diligently, which means to listen to with concern, to listen to with attention. So if we are listening to the gospel with attention and concern and letting that obedience, then it is going to shape our heart and purify it.

SPEAKER_02 12:28

So obedience is a loving, active response to the Lord's authority rather than a strict rule following, a conscious, willing submission to an established authority. And so in Hebrew, in Hebrew, it's Shema, and you sent me a thing someone posted on this. But I was like, I think I have that. I'm not sure because I've I wrote down, I like I just pulled out my whole book of notes here. And um it's a yielded response. You know, obedience is it's not passive, it's active in how we pray, it's active in how we respond to reading his word, applying his word, and being a doer and not just a hearer of his word. Um in the New Testament, see, we love God, we love people as ourselves, we spread the gospel, and we live a life that shows Christ-like character. Right. And so we come under obedience to that, and we um we live out obedience. Um so but James 1:25 says, but one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer, but an active doer, this is a blessed person. So when you're active in being obedient to the Lord, doing the things that he says, becoming what he says that you should be, you become blessed because you are being obedient to the truth because he is the truth. And your heart becomes pure because you're uh obedient to the truth, like the truth purifies you.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

Yes, yes, absolutely. And then in the um Deuteronomy also on the 20th, he said that he would bless you when you're coming and you're going. Yeah, he would bless you when you're filled, he would bless you and like again, like the Lord wants to bless you. It's a reciprocal just like any relationships, it should be reciprocal. Like you put in, someone gives out you know, just like um one thing I was thinking about because Pastor Cody on Sunday, like her message came from James 5 and like 1, and it was like don't be uh yoked again to bondage. And like if you go to Romans 6 and 16, it says, Do you not know that the one to whom you present yourselves as slaves for obedience, you're slaves of that same one who you obey, either sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness.

SPEAKER_02 15:12

Yeah. So you'll be obedient, you're gonna be a slave to something, um, whether it's to a lot of times we're obedient, so we're slaves to ourselves. I actually wrote that's part of it. We will be obedient, a slave to something. Um, a lot of people are they're slaves to their flesh. Um, they're slaves to, and I say that, but that I'm just meaning like actually, I'm not gonna say that because I learned in doing this that slaves and servants are different.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

So you are a servant servants, yeah. You are servant to your flesh or to what provides for your platform or what pleases other people or the enemy or this. Um so it always goes back what authority is established in your life? Is it your platform? Is it um is that what you're a servant to? But Paul he refers himself as a slave. In many translations in the Bible, they have it as a um bond servant. Um, but there's two words that is used for it that I found, and one is doulos. So Paul was a free man, but he was referring to himself as a slave. So he's doos is the word for it, and um, is total submission, ownership, and complete absent of personal rights. And the difference between a servant and a doulos is a servant could serve for other people. But a doulos and servants was like temporary, you know what I mean? But when he referred to himself as a doulos, he was saying, This is a forever thing. My my total dependence is on my master, my lifelong, I'm lifelong, I'm permanently owned by you. And so, and when I say a slave, I understand that there's a lot of historic stuff with that, and I'm not trying to be insensitive and I'm not um standing for that. I'm just saying, like in this context, the essence, yeah, he made his self a free man, willingly chose to become a slave reliant on God, on God, and that he said, I'm a slave to I'm doulos to this gospel, I'm doulos to this.

SPEAKER_00 17:39

And live and breathe this, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:41

And so First Peter 2 and 16, act as free people and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as a doulos of God, a slave to him. And so, but this reminded me of um of I because like it's like I bonded myself to you. You know what I mean? I bonded myself to the Lord, and so I don't it may be two different things. I'm still studying this out, but it reminded me of when they said, Um, I think it's in Isaiah where it says, um, those who wait on the Lord shall renew in their strength, and that weight means tether to. And I just got to thinking how, like, in Paul's life, how he binded himself under the full authority of Christ and he went through all that he went through. And so, like, when you are a doulos, you are fully obedient to your master. Um, I think in the Romans, if I read it correctly, they belonged to the house. So they wasn't even just like they belonged to the house. And so I was like, oh wow, that stood out to me.

SPEAKER_00 18:52

And it was an actual thing that happened in Roman law and someone never moved into the house, so the next person, they still they owned this, yeah, the staff and stuff.

SPEAKER_02 19:00

Um, and so um, but I got to thinking that how that to be binded so much so that, and then Paul, when he went to prison and all the things, he still he was still like renewed in his strength. So it's like when you're bound to the Lord, when I'm a I'm a slave to this thing, I'm not just a a servant to this thing. I think that's when you get into the difference, is because um Paul, like he so when he greeted himself, he was using doulos. And the other word is I'm probably I'm not really good at saying this, dichonos, is someone who carries out a task for the benefit of others. And this is just it's a sir, it's a that's like your servant, like so. This describes a work that you do, and um so he who becomes I think it's in Matthew 20 and 26, maybe he who becomes a deaconose or diconose to you becomes first among you, right? But he who becomes doolos, a say, a slave, Jesus becomes first, okay. But he who is dichonos or whatever is um great among you. So when you become a dichonose, a servant, you become great among the people you serve with, right? But when you become a doulos, you become first among the people, and that's what he used in Matthew 20 and 26, I believe it is. And Jesus, and Jesus didn't come to be served, but to serve, he gave his life. So he was a slave unto death for the cause, literally, unto his master. Okay, and so but Philippians 2 and 7 says, but and he's talking about Jesus here, but he emptied himself, taking the form of a bondservant, Dulos, and being made in the likeness of man. He's talking about Jesus, and so Jesus became a slave unto his master, and obedience flowed from him. When we become that bonded to this and that bonded to the Lord, then I believe we start flowing in obedience. And so Deaconos, the work and what we do is great, but doulos is what the work should flow from. So, Paul, when he introduced himself, he would say, Paul Dulos unto the Lord. And then he described his Dachinos, the work that he did. And so even though that Paul's work changed because he became a prisoner, and he was, but his position in heaven never changed. And so when I'm obedient unto the Lord, my earthly position may change, but my heavenly position doesn't change. I still am tethered to the my master.

SPEAKER_00 22:25

And um I'm just smirking because you're so into it.

SPEAKER_02 22:32

I'm sorry. She was like this was like this was like, I don't know. To me, this shows like obedience in the fullest, because um, you know, just because even even when his name changed, okay, so he went from apostle to prisoner, he still was like, I I'm still this is still obedience because I have a master, and this is what he has for me to do. So this is, and it's just the greeting. This ain't even the whole the greeting preached the message, you know, and so it was so good to me, and I just I kept going. I told her I was like, I'm going down a rabbit hole right now, and I was like, I can't even write anything else because to me, this is obedience, yeah. That it's not just because I'm an apostle, it's even when I'm a prisoner. The obedience is being tethered to my master and doing whatever he says and submitting to his full authority, that's obedience, yeah. And I feel like so many people now, um, when their position changed, their heavenly position changes where they're not bound to their master anymore, you know?

SPEAKER_00 23:53

And so I'm like, I think that says something about the way that we actually view God, yeah. Right. So if we think I I think that we have this issue where we because we're used to earthly things, we're a vessel, like we're used to we really have an issue with seeing how big God is.

SPEAKER_01 24:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

And then in that same way, seeing how important God is.

SPEAKER_01 24:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:19

So we'll move around in like ministry and stuff, and like we'll see it so small like that when when he Paul knew the truth about the truth. He he probably would have fist fought you, not you know, not really, but if you would have said that ain't the truth, he would have spent he made that one guy die because he fell asleep when he was preaching. And so it may not have been elegant, but he had the word, he had um conviction, he had a real conviction about what the word meant. Yeah, and he was gonna bring it to death to him, he was gonna be in prison, and I think that that's maybe an issue where we have is an issue with obedience because we either don't get it or we don't want to grasp it, yeah. But our commitment to God really should be unto death.

SPEAKER_02 25:10

Yeah, it's not based on the ladder of success or doesn't matter if I'm on stage or not, or this checklist, like I'm not bound by that. Like, even if I lose an earthly position, I'm still doolos, I'm still Dakinos or however you say that word. I'm still agree, I'm still tethered to him. My heavenly position has not changed. So don't mistake, a lot of people probably would have been like, oh, Paul's not an apostle no more. No, friend, he was still He was still what he was called to be. Yeah, you know, and so like he was still obedient to his master, regardless of the position. Position does not dictate what the what the obedience is, and I feel like we missee that. Like if certain people aren't doing certain things anymore, then we'd be like, Oh, you know what I mean? No, we don't even know I'm still obedient unto my master. You don't know what the Lord's told me to do because not everything was in discussion, you know.

SPEAKER_00 26:10

Right, right, right, right, right, right. You don't know everything the Lord said to me, you know. Here's one thing that we've we've I said we've because I'm just gonna speak for me and Haley. Yeah, I've learned through our pastor now.

SPEAKER_02 26:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:21

Our pastor, and I I think that she probably takes it wrong because she'll she'll make a joke about how we probably think she's crazy. But it really is is that she's actually just very encouraging because the Lord will tell her to do something so off the wall and she'll do it.

SPEAKER_02 26:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:40

And it is so encouraging to see that because then you realize that things really aren't in a box. Like the Lord might tell you to do something off the wall, but see what happens afterwards.

SPEAKER_02 26:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:52

And I've actually learned that recently, like being obedient, and then something happening almost right afterwards. And I'm like, oh, I wasn't even sure I was being obedient. Yeah, but I was being obedient.

SPEAKER_02 27:05

Oh no, it got hard. I was you know, and then you start questioning your whole life, like, Lord, was I just disobedient to you? And really, it's just like, no, no, I still got you, like you know, and so I just I don't know. To me, that really was like that's obedience, so obedience is when I'm willing to just humble myself and take the place as a doulos, a slave, and have a master, Jesus, over my life, and just whatever he says, do and have no um let me go back to that meeting, meaning to be total submitted. I don't even own myself. Okay, I'm a I'm that's a hard thing to unlearn.

SPEAKER_00 27:58

Paul is free, he's a free man, and he is taking on a name that literally means that someone else has ownership of you, which we could see as bondage, but because we love, we don't see as bondage.

SPEAKER_02 28:12

But it says you're gonna be bound bond bound by something, you're just gonna choose which one it is by righteousness or by not so, you know?

SPEAKER_00 28:22

And so you're gonna you're gonna choose, yes.

SPEAKER_02 28:26

Yeah, so to me, I think that's beautiful. Like, but he was that's also the character of Jesus because Jesus did the same thing. And we've seen that in was that Philippians or Peter that I read? I'm not really sure.

SPEAKER_00 28:40

And and it wasn't oh gosh, I was like, dude, my God. So when it says that he before we were yet sinners, he gave his life for us, because it didn't matter what people thought, it mattered what his father wanted.

SPEAKER_02 28:53

Yeah. Okay, okay, see, and that's the thing that gets good. Let's think about it. Like because that's what he would say, Galatians 1:10. For I am now seeking the favor of men or of God, or am I striving to please men? If I were trying to please men, I would not be a doulos of Christ. You'd be a doulos of Christ.

SPEAKER_00 29:17

The conviction no matter what people think, and I think that we're just all talking to ourselves too, because we all have these moments of like but the conviction is if I believe so much in what this word says, and I believe so much in what you say to me in my private time, and I know that you're real, then I've got to stop caring about what people think.

SPEAKER_02 29:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:40

And how they're gonna respond to my obedience, because my obedience is not.

SPEAKER_02 29:45

And you know, like, and also some people's obedience is not gonna make you feel so well because the Lord is probably gonna send something like that.

SPEAKER_00 29:54

I mean, like Nathan when he came to tell Daniel, like David, hey bro, the Lord knows you did what you're doing.

SPEAKER_02 30:06

I think that maybe they just decided that they're gonna be a doulos unto this, like they're you know, but I wanted to repeat because I feel like I messed that up a little bit when I was trying to say it, because it's a lot of different words, okay?

SPEAKER_00 30:18

Trying to say all these Greek words.

SPEAKER_02 30:20

So Dakinos is a servant, it's the work, it's what we do, right? Yes, and so doulos is a slave. No, it's full submission.

SPEAKER_00 30:37

Doulos is the person, Dakinos is the action.

SPEAKER_02 30:40

Yes. Well, it's still, it's still Dakonos is a servant, but servant, it more it refers to more of like an office.

unknown 30:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 30:52

Does that make sense? And so what the work that we do is great, right? But the reason why we do it is even better. If I flow out of a place that he is my master and I'm fully submitted and I'm fully attached to him, like I don't even own myself anymore, even though I'm a free person, like we are free in Christ.

SPEAKER_00 31:16

So, in simplest terms, is it better to be a servant or a slave?

SPEAKER_02 31:20

I think you're supposed to be both. I think it's just the way it flows. And so, but in Matthew 20, 26, it says, Someone who where is that at someone who diagnosed is great among you, and someone who is doulos is um first among you, and so and then it goes into Jesus. And so I feel like that shows obedience just because if you're doos or if you're servant unto Christ, that means you're being obedient to him, and it doesn't matter what your platform is, it doesn't matter if you're in the prison, it doesn't matter if you're in the slumps, it doesn't matter if what's going on, it means that I am I'm tethered to the one that really matters, my master, and whatever he says and whatever he tells me to do, that's what I'm going to do. I'm I'm fully submitted to his authority. And so I just thought that was good.

SPEAKER_00 32:30

Yeah, yes, because it says But Jesus called them to himself and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.

SPEAKER_02 32:54

Yep. I was trying to get that in my head. But just the words like get me. Because we don't speak coin A Greek. When I I don't even know, I was just like, I just started diving in to all just keep going to all of nobody saw me just do that.

SPEAKER_00 33:18

You can't if you can't see it, there's a sign on the wall that should be.

SPEAKER_02 33:22

Yeah, it's okay. Um I forgot. Oh god, scared me. I was like, oh, jumped out of the seat. Okay, yes. But it was yeah, so it's just good. I just started looking for all of these all the things in the back of my Bible. I went and I was like, okay, I'm gonna read every scripture that has to do with obedience. And then I got to one scripture and I was just I just went, I was looking up, I think I was looking up words that had to do with obedience at that point, and it was in the strongs, and I was like, wait a minute, what is that? And it just highlighted to me, and then there we went, and I was like, okay, but it's hard to explain sometimes how you study because it's just like okay, well, the Holy Spirit just kind of we just kind of went on this thing, you know. I became a student of the Lord today, that's what happened for real. And so, what does the new covenant say for us to be obedient to?

SPEAKER_00 34:31

Loving God with all our hearts, souls, and mind, and then loving others as we love ourselves. Yeah, but there's other things too, like um, be gentle.

SPEAKER_02 34:40

Yeah, like and that's uh that's all kinds of stuff.

SPEAKER_00 34:45

Oh, this is one thing that we we were talking about the other day. Side note. So me and Haley were on the phone last week? Last week, yeah, and um there's this verse that has no no, there's this thing that's always been said that the Holy Spirit's a gentleman. And even I we I we were in the conversation and I said it to you, and then I went, wait, where is that even at in scripture? Because I've heard that in my entire like Christian whatever. I even heard it as a kid, and then I looked it up. That ain't in scripture. What it is is like one of the fruits of the spirit is gentleness. Yeah, but here's the issue like and this is so way off topic, but we I think people have used that phrase, like the Holy Spirit is a gentleman, as in to say he would never put you in a space that's not hard or that you have to work out of, or he wouldn't make you put you in a space that's uncomfortable among other people because he's just a gentleman. But I think that that also um gives us an excuse not to have to like be in a space that makes us uncomfortable. So and that's not true. With the Holy Spirit is a gentleman, sure, because the fruit of the Holy Spirit is gentleness, but I don't think that's I think we've been saying that it's not you know what I mean, but it's not always bad either.

SPEAKER_02 36:09

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 36:10

It's it again it's you're blessed if you obey, but it also is exciting, like yeah, I know I just said that really high pitched, but like there is time, okay, yeah, there's times we'll where like I I have to sing, and I will my my heart testimony though, hold on, I'm sorry, no, no, no, but okay, the Lord says, Haley, um start a podcast.

SPEAKER_02 36:36

I thought I was gonna like write a book because it was coming out as like chapters almost, and so I was like, Oh gosh, please, you know, like I would have been obedient, but I'm just saying, you know, and then I was I didn't I've never watched a podcast or listened to a podcast or anything. I watch reels, you know, but I've never like watched a full-on podcast, and um never even honestly cared to research one. I'm just gonna be honest with you. Like, I just don't, yeah. And so um, but we're talking about obedience, right? So I was just like, okay, um, I'm gonna pray on it. And then the Lord gave me a name, and he showed me like a like kind of like what it's supposed to look like. And we go to, I think it's Women of Fire, and I kid you not, I told my mother-in-law about it on the way. I was like, hey, I feel like this is what the Lord is asking me to do, but I'm kind of a little nervous because like we're talking about me, you know what I mean? I don't really talk, and and when I do talk, it comes out a little awkward, you know, and so uh, and she was like, girl, talk, and you know, and I was like, Well, and then um, and then um we got there, and the lady they have a lady that paints, and she painted almost exactly like the logo that I had pre-arready picked out, and so I was like, I was like, okay, confirmation. I was like, I really want that picture, you know, so I can set it up in here, you know, because I already had it and like I already knew what it was supposed to be. So I was just like, oh wow, crazy, right? But anyway, he says start a podcast, do this, do that. And I knew it was never about anyone following or liking or whatever. Simply did this to literally grow in the Lord and just to see why he would even ask someone like me to do that, you know? And like you, who can barely form a sentence? Okay, I can write all the sentences that she said tonight. I can write really well. Okay, I could write what my thoughts because I'm I'm just I'm trained in that from counseling and all the other things, you know. But like when it came to speaking, it's like I got like tongue-tied or like somewhere between here and here, it just didn't go well. And maybe because it's used to coming out here, our girl's been doing so good, and so but he says, do all this, you know, and so it's like, but like Moses, even Paul's like, hey, dude, I'll write you, you know. But when I stand in for before you and talk, I don't know, you know?

SPEAKER_00 39:22

Yeah, the dude's gonna fall.

SPEAKER_02 39:23

And so, how many people would have written them off too? Because, you know, but anyway, so he says, do all that, and then I'm just like, Lord, am I doing what you want me to do? Like, you know, and um girl, did he not send like some confirmation? My mom watches these, and I never even knew, I did not know that. And if you know me, like that's super huge for me. I'm sorry, because I never was really good at like giving her the gospel like face to face because we clash sometimes, and so my mom watches this, my dad watches this, you know, my sister watches this. All the people that I really really care about watch this, and I'm like, if I just do this for them and for the Lord, like for the Lord first, obviously, but if it's only for then, oh my god, I don't care. We're in it, it's worth it for me. Like, I don't care who agrees with it or not, you know, not that anybody ever has disagreed, but I'm just saying, like, like Paul, like.

SPEAKER_00 40:38

Maybe this doesn't make sense. You never, you never know what the outcome's gonna be.

SPEAKER_02 40:41

Even when it doesn't make sense, be obedient because then you get texts from your mom talking about like, hey, um, I love your podcast or whatever, you know what I mean? Or you go to our Facebook page and she shares them.

SPEAKER_00 40:55

My mom does too.

SPEAKER_02 40:56

And you're like, wait, what? Like, so you're like listening to the gospel, like, what? That is worth it to me.

SPEAKER_00 41:07

We love you, mom.

SPEAKER_02 41:08

And I love you, mom, and I love you, dad, and I love you, sisters. Like, this is people that you mean, like, they don't they don't go to a church, and I'm not saying this replaces that at all. Like, I would never say that, but I'm just saying, like, they're getting the gospel.

unknown 41:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 41:27

Because someone said yes to something that was insane. I didn't know how to start a podcast.

SPEAKER_00 41:32

And we weren't friends, and we was not we didn't know, I mean not that we were, we just didn't know each other.

SPEAKER_02 41:38

We were like cool, you know? I was like, we didn't know each other like that, you know? And so I'm just like, if we're talking about obedience, sometimes you're not gonna know what to do. I didn't know how to start a podcast. You know what I did? I got on Google how to start a podcast, and then I watched a little video. But if you want it bad enough, and if you're do-loss in this, you're going to just make the steps. Yes, and you're just gonna do some form of what is obedience. Okay, he said start it. Okay, I'm gonna do the research, I'm gonna start preparing for this. I'm always gonna be comfortable, I'm gonna start praying about this. I'm gonna get on a phone and probably look ridiculous and just start recording.

SPEAKER_00 42:20

Serena's gonna come out of nowhere.

SPEAKER_02 42:22

And uh, but I was so scared. I waited. We had this thing for nine days, and I was like, Lord, if you're sure after this, I'll do it, you know, because I'm when I will sit on something forever, you know, because I I just I don't I mainly because I don't want to embarrass the Lord. So I get that part in obedience, and I think that's the hard part on a lot of people. They don't want to embarrass themselves and they don't want to embarrass the Lord.

SPEAKER_00 42:47

Well, like some you just want confirmation, but sometimes you don't always get it.

SPEAKER_02 42:51

Yeah, and so and so if I can relate to you personally in that way is event, I don't just the Lord sent people and like every I'm pretty sure every night someone said something about it. Like he sent somebody to say something like, You're gonna do this, this, this, and it was like, Okay, yeah, I know. I don't even know I was supposed to be part of anything at that point, so it's just no, but the Lord, okay, so I went to Serena and I'm telling Serena about this, you know, and it's just the way her face looked. I don't know, probably maybe not even because her or like because like the Lord was just showing me something, and the Lord's like, take her with you, and I was like, I don't know her. No, I was just like, okay, I don't know you, and you know me, okay, you know me. I just I'm awkward, you know? And I'm like, oh my gosh, she's gonna think I'm crazy. But you said yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:57

Yeah, I'm awkward. I was like, if you ever need Help. And then like a week later, I didn't actually think that you would want my help. Oh, definitely. So I didn't know I had no idea. It caught me off guard. I was like, Oh, yeah. Yeah. Let's do that. But the other thing about like even in my obedience in this is like, um, I've had a lot of uncomfortableness that I've had to fight through and like figure out. But you've come like my best friend.

SPEAKER_02 44:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:28

When we didn't even know each other. So my best friend too. So like it that's why like obedience doesn't always make sense. Like, why would you start a podcast to someone you don't know? And you can tell from our first season that we're just like, I don't know you. Are you safe? We're just are you a trustworthy person? We're being obedient. But she is 100%, of course. And um, I I've even had to like fight myself to be in a hell, like you know, healthy, not I just said hell, but I was trying to say healthy. I didn't fight myself to be in hell. Uh, anyways, so obedience doesn't always make sense, and you don't know the outcome. And even if it's awkward at first, like the Lord has a plan that don't make no sense to people until you until it makes sense.

SPEAKER_02 45:15

Yeah. And until you look back and you're like, See, the right way to me, okay. So there's a way that seems right to someone, right? The way to me would have been just like, am I comfortable by myself in my like little closet, you know, do do that, you know? But the Lord's like, oh no, this is what I want. This is what I and all that to say, like, but there's fruit from it, you know, and it may not that may not be a big deal to some people, but that's huge for me. And only the Lord would know that that would speak to me in a way that wouldn't speak to someone else, you know? Like, cause I would do this, you know, if it just for the heck yeah. Yeah, if that's okay to say, you know, like I'm all that's okay, I'm all in for that, you know.

SPEAKER_00 46:06

So we do, like we know, it's crazy family.

SPEAKER_02 46:10

I don't know, I get so excited, you know?

SPEAKER_00 46:13

And so I think, and then the Lord also knows what you need to be encouraged. Like, my brother followed our page.

SPEAKER_02 46:19

Like, it's not just a yeah, it's just like yes, I'm like, you know, and so like, but at first was I like yes, no. I was like, oh no, I'm kind of nervous. But like, if you really want what the Lord has for you, it's just gonna take you stepping to do it. I had no idea what I'm doing, you know, and some days I still don't, you know, I because I don't know what the Lord wants to do, you know, and just like and he keeps like telling me things that are way out of my comfort zone, to be for real.

SPEAKER_00 46:51

Look at us all having to grow.

SPEAKER_02 46:53

But what I am comfortable with is the Lord because I've seen him time and time and time again.

SPEAKER_00 47:00

He's trustworthy, he is safe.

SPEAKER_02 47:03

So even if you're scared to be obedient, but your heart is willing, you know, and I think that's where that willingness comes from, you know, take the step, be obedient. Like if he's put a plan on your heart and he's put purpose on your heart, and that's another thing too, like obedience. Like, I always knew that, and I still know that like I'm made for more, and purpose just keeps pulling out of me lately, and I'm just like, but I'm not comfortable, you know, and so but it just I don't know, purpose up in there, yeah. And so, but like if you really want the things of the Lord, just be obedient by taking the steps, you know? Don't be like, Oh, I'm I don't know how to do that, so I quit. No, there's so many things. There's Google, Google how to start a podcast, how if the Lord said do that, don't bring me out here doing whatever.

SPEAKER_00 47:57

Lord, did you don't ask Jet GBT? Lord, did you say that I need to know?

SPEAKER_02 48:01

No, did you genuinely pray about it and the Lord said do it, you know? Well, this is like but so many people they the Lord tells them what to do and they just don't make any kind of step. Make the step, even if it's not, but also be consistent, you know, because there's times where we could have we could have done our first episode and we could have quit because it was so awkward.

SPEAKER_00 48:26

Okay, it really was. It was um oh boy, yeah, it was oh man. We have a picture from that night which makes it look like it was just but it was because again, we didn't know each other and you never watched a podcast, and I didn't know that until I came through that night and I was like, so how are we gonna open this? And you're like you now I didn't we didn't even say welcome to girl talk. No, we didn't say that my name is Serena and her name is Haley. I did say your name, but well, so so that's an example, but I remember like a couple episodes ago, or whenever maybe it was the last season, but when I went to Trin Trinidad and Tobago, I went to Trinidad and Tobago to lead a praise and worship team throughout the entire trip. And I came back so frustrated with myself because I was so scared the majority of the time. And I think this so obedience is like there's like so many different streets of obedience. Something about being so scared, and obviously that having some issue with how I felt safe with the Lord. Yeah, I felt okay, I have to change something about what I'm doing. And um this is the first time something about that, like I I like I had gone so because I've been singing I I've been in praise and worship 15 years collectively altogether. I've always sang, but I've never given my all because I've always been afraid to.

SPEAKER_02 50:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:04

And something about like because giving everything and if something does if it's not good enough, even if you've given all your things, what are you supposed to do? So I've always kind of lived in that space, which is scary. But something when I came back from Trinidad in Tobago, I was like, I can't do this anymore. If you if you've really called me to do a thing and be a thing, then I just need to be all in.

SPEAKER_01 50:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:28

And my obedience with being completely all in has shifted things.

SPEAKER_01 50:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:35

And something even about me being on stage and singing, and I and I feel like almost it's like the Lord is safeguarding me to not care about what people are thinking anymore.

SPEAKER_01 50:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:46

And it used to be such a big deal for me.

SPEAKER_01 50:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:49

Um if I messed up in front of you now, oh well. You know what I'm saying? Like, so something about there's obedience and like making an action like this, and there's obedience and like and what I did, you know, I had a place in my living room when I was getting on my knees every morning praying and stuff. And I just like but there's purpose behind it. Like, yeah, that's why I'm saying obedience is can be scary, but it is it's so important. Like just like what I said, like when I pray before church now on my knees, I have to know that my prayer causes something in that room to change. Yeah, we have to know that we just have to be in that space. So when the Lord calls you to do something, if he's calling you to go higher, if he's calling you to be more consistent with him, know that he's safe. Yeah, and your obedience is very important. It's important to your walk with him too. Like, um because it says something about w how we trust him. You know, and the word says that when we keep his commandments, we love him. And so there there is a depth of love and trust. And if you have to work that out with the Lord, then you have to work that out with the Lord, process it with the Lord so you can trust him. Yeah, so you can feel like he's a safe space because your obedience really is going to come with blessings.

SPEAKER_02 52:15

Yeah. Yeah. And first John 2 and 3, by this we know that we have come to know him. And that know right there is um it's not, it's relational, it's intimacy with God. It's a deep and active relationship that naturally results in obedience. If we keep his commandments, the ones who says, I have come to know him and does not keep his commandment is a liar and the truth is not in him. So you can't say you know him intimately if you don't obey him.

SPEAKER_00 52:54

Yeah. If you're not fervently, yeah. And it also says that the people who love him keep his commandments.

SPEAKER_02 53:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:05

So there's more to it than just not doing so.

SPEAKER_02 53:09

I think of like terms of the covenant, because when he gave people covenant in the Old Testament, there was always like terms to it, you know, like, but you do this. And so it's like the terms here, there's probably many of them, but from just what we're saying right now would be like, okay, the the terms of this is you obey, you know, you that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_00 53:33

I know you the time they are, yeah, like disobey what I'm saying, and and I will reciprocate. Yeah, something will come to you because again, he's always wanting, he wants to be in relationship with you.

SPEAKER_02 53:48

Yeah, and there was a lot that like I encourage you to go and look up like ordinances, judgments, like covenants, um, commandments.

SPEAKER_00 53:58

Um really exciting stuff.

SPEAKER_02 54:00

Yeah, look it up. Um, because all of that is entwined with this, you know. But to simplify it for a new believer, um would be, you know, love people, love God, spread the gospel, and live a life that pleases the Lord, live a surrender life that pleases the Lord, and you can also look up many other things that he says in the Bible, um, that the word says to be obedient to, and um you can look up the judgments and the all the things like you can look up all that, um, and you can really break it down if you really want to. Um, and so, but we hope that this benefited you. Do you have anything else that you would like to share?

SPEAKER_00 54:51

Not a tang.

SPEAKER_02 54:52

But just know that obedience that calls something does break yokes. And whether that's off of yourself.

SPEAKER_00 55:02

That's a good point though, because your obedience really, I think, in a lot of cases, actually is made to help other people.

SPEAKER_02 55:08

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 55:09

Or because we are in the well, we're in the the ministry of reconciliation. I can say that word right. Yeah, I knew see that's how I'm talking right there. When you pray for people, even if that's scary, in that obedience, we we've helped people.

SPEAKER_02 55:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 55:27

So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 55:28

Even you, you know, and so like it breaks the yoke. And so even if you're hearing this and there's something that the Lord has asked you to do, and you know that you know that He did, and you're just like, Well, I'm scared to take that step. Do it, take a step, do it scared. Um, you know, and just I just hope that this testimony of just even this podcast of people like, you know, it doesn't have to be a huge result, it can be like the things that mean the most to you. The Lord will be like, hey, this is the first fruits, you know, like that's how I that's how much I care about you is to give you the first fruits of something that I know that you're gonna receive, you know, and that's gonna make you super excited. And so just take the step and um obey that what his word says, be a doer, actively love people, actively love God by getting your prayer closet, reading your word, and obeying him, and um by spreading his gospel. Be a doer, tell people about Jesus. Um, live live a life that shows people Jesus and encourage one another. And we hope this helped you and um be blessed. Serena's gonna pray us out.

SPEAKER_00 56:44

I'm trying to remember if I prayed the last video or not. It was me at the end. Was it? Because the video before that kind of stopped laughing. That was awful. I'm so sorry that was offensive to me, but okay, we're gonna pray. Um we thank you, Lord. We are very thankful that even through the hard things and the things that don't make sense, that there's always there's always a plan that you have for us. There's always a benefit to what you say. There's always your love and your safety that comes along with anything that has to do with you. We do thank you for the fruits of this podcast. We do thank you that things are being said and words are being said, and your Holy Spirit is going in front of us, God, because it nothing means nothing without you. We do pray for salvation for our families. We do pray for prodigals to come home. We do pray for mindsets to be broken, God. And we pray that obedience for some would maybe not be as scary, that they would feel safe in you, God, or they would trust the process with you because there's a process. We learned that from our last video. There's certainly a process, but you are good and you will always be good and you will always chase after us because you are good. Um, we just love you so much, God, and we thank you for everyone listening. We pray that they have a blessed day, they have safe travels, God, and they they see you today and they hear you today, God. We're just so thankful for you. Amen.

SPEAKER_02 58:13

Amen. Um, we love you guys and have a good week. And also go follow feed and cheap and follow along with us. We are girl talk. But since Pastor is letting us rep her wall.

SPEAKER_00 58:33

Um, we mean loving that woman.

SPEAKER_02 58:35

Yes. Um, go follow feed and cheap because she will have some meat for y'all coming out soon. Um, and thank you for being with us, and we will see you next time. Bye.