Encouragement for everyday struggles-don’t lose hope.

In today's episode we share some of our own struggle's and talk about the reality of feeling hopeless even as a believer in Christ. It takes TRUST and let's be honest, a lot of us have a hard time with that!! Bj and Denise also talk about the importance of building up others who feel hopeless and at a loss.As Christians we KNOW we have hope, we just don't always feel it. We are strong women with a STRONG, FAITHFUL God! Hope is only a prayer away!

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, rate, and share it with someone who needs encouragement and desires to grow in Christ. New episodes release bi-weekly, and we'd love for you to join us as we pursue freedom and walk by the Spirit together

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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Okay, so I got so tickled. You know that one of my very best friends in the whole wide world is Terry Pollard. Yeah. And there have been several times over the last several years that it's just Terry Pollard moments. Nothing can compare. Yeah. Until last night. So one time we're at the movies and we're watching The Martian. And it's the good movie about the what's his name that goes to Mars and plants the potatoes or whatever and whatever. It's a great movie if you like, you know, sci-fi type stuff. Yeah. And she leans over to me. This is to my friend Tori Pollard. She leans over to me and she says, Is this based on a true story?

SPEAKER_02 0:46

And I'm like, No, we ain't never been to Mars.

SPEAKER_03 0:52

So it's this long going thing. And then one time, I think it was during the like Snow Mageddon several years ago. And we were one of the ones that didn't have power for like two weeks or something. And so she would live right down the street from me, but she had power. And so she said, Well, hey, you want to borrow my electric blankets?

SPEAKER_02 1:14

Well, no, we got blankets. We just don't have electricity. And then last night.

SPEAKER_03 1:20

And then last night, oh, we are in our new house, which I'm loving. It's been so fun. We're doing a lot of remodel work, and Denise has been such a fun help with that. And ends up our air conditioner goes out not before last. And so I texted Denise and I said, Oh my goodness, my friend, let me borrow a portable AC unit. And she says, Well, hey, you want to borrow a generator so you can use some fans?

SPEAKER_02 1:48

Come on. Come on. I don't I don't need a generator. We got electricity.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

I'm just sitting here thinking, y'all are sitting over there burning up with no power. We have power. Well, Jerry, no, I know you listen to our podcast faithfully. You're one of our greatest supporters. And so I love you, my friend. And it seems like we are now in the same boat.

SPEAKER_03 2:19

Literally take to the knees and I said, if I ever had a Perry Pollard moment in my life, this was it. It was fantastic. We all have our moment. It really made me laugh.

SPEAKER_01 2:32

So we had an awesome night last night. We had Darren graduated, our first grandkid to graduate. And so that was a big exciting moment. And he was like, I didn't even, I don't even want to go to this graduation. I didn't even ask for this. And it was just kind of funny because I remember when I graduated, um, at the time, I'm like, oh gosh, I could care less about school. And, you know, all I wanted to do was go party afterwards. But I remember I didn't want to go to graduation at all. And my mom was like, Denise, you're going to graduation. You're going to do this, you know. And I was like, uh. And so um, as Darren was like, I don't want to go, it reminded me. And I said, you know, Darren, I said, it's so funny because when I was in high school, I didn't want to go either. But now, as a meme, I'm like, oh, but Darren, you gotta go to your graduation. It's like how things change, you know. But uh anyway, it was a good night. It was an exciting night. And um, so yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:30

Well, when I graduated, I didn't graduate high school, I was a high school dropout. But when I graduated college, girl, I don't think anyone was ever so excited to graduate ever in their life. I was so proud. I was, you'd have thought I got a doctorate.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

I see, and I don't even know the difference between all those. My friend Jeannie graduated last night as well, and uh, she got her master's. And so she said, you know, and she's a school teacher, so she's already graduated to college and got whatever. And so she's telling me I got my master's. She goes, I just realized I'm the only one in my family to get a master's. And um, anyway, we were talking, I was like, I don't even know the difference. I mean, you're I said something about, oh, you're graduating twice or something, you know. And she's like, Oh, but this is a master's. Oh, to me, look, you're graduating college. What's the de I don't know all of the things, you know? You're giving money. Yeah, you're getting money. That's the difference. That's the difference. Like, I don't even know. To me, you work hard, you get done with college, and you got a degree. I don't even know the different levels, too. I went to college for um, oh, not even a whole semester. Uh, went to and to Kilgore, and I was already working a full-time job, had started working at like 15 at Wendixie part-time, and at this, when I graduated, I went straight to full-time. And um, back then I was I remember I was making $10 and I think it was $10 and fifty cents an hour. Hey, that was a lot back then. Yes. And so I'd go, I went to Kilgore College, and I'd be drinking all night and partying all night long, and I'd get there, I'd drive over to Kilgore and get in there and just sleep at my desk. Well, you know, in college they don't care. You know? And then I did up and leave. Yeah. And I remember one time I drove to Kilgore and I could not stay awake. And I pulled over at the time, it was a Walmart, and I pulled over in that parking lot, and I fell asleep in my truck. And then I woke back up and when I woke up, class was over, it was time for me to go get ready for work. And I was like, this is stupid. Why am I driving over here? Like, there was no sense in it. And so I just dropped out. And so I never did anything really. Like, I don't even know that I ever even turned in an assignment. And so that was just money wasted, is what that was. But anyway, I just thought, you know, I'm making ten dollars and fifty cents, I'm fine. I got this. I got this, I'm paying my bills, and having a good time and doing what I want to do. And man, uh, you know, you look back and you think, huh, how I could have made different choices and better choices. But at the same time, I don't regret it. Like, I love my life and where I am today. But never did I think it would turn out the way it did. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:10

I love, I mean, I'm very pro-education. I have seen that education can change lives.

SPEAKER_04 6:17

Right.

SPEAKER_03 6:18

And I I I just do. I believe in education. I think that it's it's good. It it changes poverty statuses, it changes, it changes everything for families. Like my daughter, when she graduated with her bachelor's degree, so it's associates, bachelor's, master's, okay. Thanks. See, I just learned something. Education. Education educated. Education is good for the soul. Uh, but when she graduated with her bachelor's degree, and she just she set herself up and her family up for so much more than I had been able to give her as a young high school dropout mom. And again, I've gone back and gotten education as an adult, and I'm and I'm very proud of it, and I love that. But I also think that formal education isn't for everybody. I'm very pro-trade education, like I love welders and mechanics and things like that. I don't think that you just have to go and get, you know, a certain degree or whatever to be accomplished. And then, like, my husband has as much education high school-wise as I did. I mean, he was a high school dropout also, and he provides a very good living for us, but he's learned a trade and he, you know, he he works hard and he takes care of us. But ultimately, the the job force in our current world is more challenging, and you're going to work harder if you don't have education. And you're most likely going to make less if you don't have education. And so, again, I'm very pro-education with that.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

And you love to learn. I love to learn. You like to study and to learn new things, and it really excites me.

SPEAKER_03 8:07

It really that was my job. It's no joke. It's, you know, kind of a kind of a joke, but it's really not a joke that I don't love my make my main job that pays my bills. But I do love to learn, and I've gotten to learn so many things and different programs and just different things. It's I just love to learn whatever it is. But I I crave learning and it's fun. The problem is that sometimes, and it's not not completely true. Like, I love to learn God's word too. Like, I love to dig in deep, and and it's when you have these aha moments in God's word, it's so just like, oh, it's so good. I the most recent time that happened to me was when we were in Oklahoma with our last retreat. And like it was just like you have these two idiot girls working and we're trying to seek after God's word so much. And I think we've talked about this on podcast before, maybe not, I don't know, but we're seeking and seeking and seeking, and we're studying God's word, and and like we don't have enough sense to realize where it's going. Right. Yeah, we don't have a clue. And then all of a sudden, I'm in the hot tub in this one scripture that we kept bringing up, and it was just like, oh, Denise! It all makes sense now. And it's just, I don't know, it's just fun.

SPEAKER_01 9:22

Yeah. You know, I think when I was in college and and for that little smidgen of a moment to there, uh, to me, like I didn't have hope that I could be anything better than what I was. You know, like going to college to be, first I wanted to go to college to be a vet veterinarian, right? But then I found out how long you had to go to school to do that. And I was like, Yeah, no, I I don't want to do that. Uh so then my second choice was to be a coach. And so that's what I was gonna go to school for. But but then I didn't want to take all those extra classes. Like, just teach me how to coach. I just wanted to be a P teacher.

SPEAKER_04 10:01

No, no, no, I didn't want to be a P teacher.

SPEAKER_01 10:04

But I wanted to get you know, just teach me how to do the thing. Yeah. But then when you had to go to do all the work to achieve what I wanted to achieve, I didn't want it bad enough. And at the same time, I didn't think I was capable because at that moment I didn't have hope in the Lord, I didn't have faith in him or myself, and I just really thought, as long as I like I'm just gonna make money, pay the bills, and just enjoy life like it is, and I just really didn't think I would amount to anything anymore, you know? Yeah, and so hope that's something that not everybody has all the time. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_03 10:47

Even as Christians, we have hope, and but then sometimes we don't feel we say we have hope because we know that's the Jesus answer, but we don't always have hope. And I mean, what is the scripture you brought up earlier when we were getting ready for this? Is that when you trust in the Lord, that is our hope or something?

SPEAKER_01 11:07

13 says, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_03 11:16

And I love that. And when I am trusting in him, when my air conditioner breaks in my brand new house, it's not a big deal. Like it's like we got so many blessings through this. When I'm trusting in him, and you know, the car breaks down, like when when junk, junk's gonna happen, life happens, and when you are in the word and you're going to church and doing the things and you're plugged in, you've got good community, and you've got friends lifting you up in prayer, like that that's great. When you're trusting in him, it's easy to have the hope. Right. It's when you are not trusting in him, and there are seasons even in my walk with the Lord that I that I struggle with trust, period. And that includes with God, and I know that's stupid, and I know and I know, and I know in all that I am that God is trustworthy, He has proven himself over and over again, and I'm better today than I was even a year ago, and especially where I was 10 years ago and all that, but I struggle trusting God. I mean, if you know, I've shared this story many times when we were dealing with my grand, my baby grand's adoption, you know, and when Ashley was like, Mom, all I can do is trust God, and I'm just like, you can't trust him. And it was like the second those words came out of my mouth, I'm like, what in the world? Yes, you can, yes, you can trust God. He is good, He is He is holy, He loves you. But those fears are real, you know.

SPEAKER_01 12:53

Sorry. No, we got a gnat flying around in here.

SPEAKER_03 12:58

I don't know how the I mean there's widen PNC us, but it's it's a whole thing. Um, but anyways, when you when you struggle with trust in God, then you're going to struggle with hope. And uh my son, and I don't talk about him a whole lot, he's pretty private for the most part, but he struggled with a lot of things for many years, and uh, you know, we him and his dad and I didn't have a good relationship, and um he ended up getting caught up in meth and menth addiction for a while, and he's he's my sweetest kid. He's to this day my sweetest kid. He he just he's a he's a full-on mama's boy, he's a proud mama's boy. Even in his addiction, he was a mama's boy, but he was an addict. He is an addict. And um, but right after he had gotten busted and he had just gotten clean, got out of jail, he he wasn't in jail for a real long time, but uh long enough to get clean, I guess. And I remember he he was having a hard time getting a job. He'd finally got a job at Dairy Queen, and I'd gone up to see him and get ice cream or something, you know, and he just looks so defeated, and I'm so proud of him. Like he, you know, he's he's trying, you know, and I have I have such hope in what God's gonna do and restore him. And he came to my table table, and we're just bragging about him where he's at, and he was like, Mom, I just have there's no hope. This is the best I can do is a job at Dairy Queen. And and I just remember feeling sad for him because in that moment it felt like no hope. And now you fast forward, and golly, I don't know, that's been six years ago, I guess. Now he's very happily married. He has a beautiful wife who is very successful in her medical field. They just got a home in North Carolina, they're thriving. I mean, they're just doing really good. And you know, we don't get to see the future, right? You know, we can't see how God's gonna work all of these things out. But um, but he does. God is so faithful and you know, he shows up, right? So you can trust him.

SPEAKER_01 15:14

Right. A couple of things came to mind. I was thinking, first of all, in recovery, um, talking to people, it's like it's so funny to me because people always come in and you start to talk up to them and they say, Well, look, I just have a hard time trusting people. And I always smile at them and laugh, and I said, You are not alone. Everyone has a hard time trusting people. I said, Every person that's walked through these doors say those same words. But whether you walk in the doors of recovery or not, all of us, everyone has a hard time trusting in people sometimes, you know?

SPEAKER_03 15:50

Well, people have every single human in the world has been failed by a person. Absolutely. Everybody and always will be.

SPEAKER_01 15:56

Yes, because we're fallen, yes. Of course, we're fallen people, right? And so um we talk about that all the time that everyone has a problem with trust. And even though we trust God and we know God's ways are always perfect and right, and all of those things that we know, it's still hard sometimes to trust him in certain situations because we're looking through with our human eyes at things and we're like, but it seems like it would be better this way, and it's hard for us to trust him. But like you said, we never know what the future will hold. At uh Darren's graduation last night, the guy that gave the whatever you call it, like the invocation or whatever. Sure.

SPEAKER_03 16:38

Yeah, that thing. I might be saying the wrong one.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

Be in my educated self. He gave the charge to the graduates and all the things, and um he said one of the things he said, he used to be in the Coast Guard. Um, but he lived, I don't even remember, some other state, and then he married a woman that he met in some other country, and he was in the Coast Guard, Coast Guard during um whatever I think it was like 2010 or 11 or something when there was a big oil spill in the Gulf, and he was like very much in the middle of all of that. That's what made Don Dish so famous. Yes, yes. Um and then now here he is in Longview, Texas, at Laterno University, you know, as a professor there or whatever. And he but he was just saying, he said, you know, when I was in college, high school, he said, if you had told me that and that I would be in the Coast Guard helping with this massive oil spill, he said, I would have never, I'd have said, you're crazy. If you'd have told me that I was gonna marry a woman that I was gonna meet in some other country, he'd he said, I couldn't ever see any of those things. And now living in a town in Texas at a university doing this, he said, I never would imagine. He said in school, he hated uh geometry. He said, I hated geometry. And he said, when I got done with it, he was like, I'm done with that, I'm not ever dealing with that again. And he said, then he went and took uh trig and he whatever, you know, took all of it, it just got harder from there, and he took all these classes. But he said when he got finished, he thought, I'm never gonna use this ever again. And then he said, Do you know that in the Coast Guard, everything you do has to do with trig and geometry? And he said, It's all about angles and degrees and all that. And he said, So I'm out in the Gulf doing something with buoys, and he said, You have to, whatever he's talking about. He said, But I never thought any of those things would play, you know, have a part in my life. That, and that's the thing is we have, like you said, we have no idea what the future holds. And if someone had asked you 20, 30 years ago, would you be sitting in my house doing a podcast about hope and faith and trusting in the Lord? If you had asked me those same questions, neither one of us would have ever thought we would be here.

SPEAKER_03 19:05

It reminds me, you know, I I've said it a bunch of times myself and I've heard it said a bunch, you know, it's like if God would just tell me the plan, then I could do it. Then I could like, then I then I would just know, you know? And but the reality is, is no. If he would tell me the end result and what it's gonna take to get there, I'd be like, peace out, homie. Yeah, I ain't doing all that.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

Yeah, or I'd be like, no. You got jokes, you got jokes. No, that ain't gonna happen. Not me. Yeah, yeah. Because I wouldn't trust because you wouldn't. I would think, no. Because here it is, this is what it comes down to. We look at our own abilities. Right. And in our own abilities, we're like, there's no way that could happen.

SPEAKER_03 19:51

Yeah. And our with our insecurities and our past failures and all the things. And what God does is He uses the foolish to compound compound the wise.

SPEAKER_01 20:05

That's right. Hebrews uh 11 1 says, Now faith is the confident of confidence of things hoped for, the assurance of things not seen. Yeah. That and that's the kicker right there. It's um having faith. It's the assurance of things not seen. That's just so hard for us as humans to fathom those things. But I do think though we can see it in other people. Oh, absolutely. I can I I say this all the time. Uh, you know, I can talk to an individual and I can be like, Look, God sees you, he loves you. I'll go back to scripture. You are his masterpiece, and he wants to use you, and I can be your friends. Yes, I want to sew all this encouragement into you, but then I look at myself and I'm like, Well, I know a but. Yeah. There's no but. There's no but. But I look at my own self and what I know what goes through my head. I know my sins, I know my thoughts, I know my failures, I know my limitations as a human. And so I'm looking at me, and that's why I don't have hope sometimes, because I'm looking at my own abilities, and hope is not about me. Yeah, it's about him.

SPEAKER_03 21:19

Well, and then we also get in this like, you know, this good Jesus movement where we're not gonna be prideful, and so we can't boast. So it can't be like, oh, I can do that, you know. Um, but I'm dealing with my youngest daughter, and it's become a joke because she's just had a baby, and it's it's hard to be a new mom, and she lives far away from us and all the things. And so, but it's like but I thought I'm like, You can do hard things. I raise strong women. You can do hard things, I raise strong women. I don't raise no little punks, suck it up. You can do hard things. And so some of you may know she lived in Chicago for a minute, and I'm like, You could do hard things you lived in Chicago. That was a hard, hard season for her. It was very hard and she grew up a lot and she had to like she had to do hard things. And so now like I'm getting out of my husband's hummer and like everything on me hurts. And I'm like, I can do hard things. My daughter lived in she probably goes.

SPEAKER_02 22:15

My husband's like rolling his eyes at me.

SPEAKER_03 22:17

I'm like, but but but we can. We we are stronger than we think. And if you've ever had to go through hard things, it really does make you stronger in the end. And um, and I think that God will use all of that to grow our faith, to grow our trust in Him, which then grows our hope and valid validates that no, what is what's the word I'm looking for? It it makes it real, you know. Um confirms. Confirms that it that and then that's how it just keeps growing. And like now, it I mean again, not that I've not that I've got it together, because girl, I could be in a heap of tears in 15 minutes, like that's real. Yeah, but I don't panic and feel hopeless as quickly when tragedy hits as I would have 10 years ago, or even probably five years ago, to be honest. And because again, God keeps showing up and he keeps proving himself, and you grow.

SPEAKER_01 23:24

Yeah. I think too, like I'm just sitting here thinking about my where I'm at right now today as we're recording this podcast. And um I think we make things a lot harder than they have to be.

SPEAKER_03 23:38

As we were getting ready to record this podcast and nothing was working.

SPEAKER_01 23:41

Yes, yes, uh, but uh like for me, like uh right now today as we sit here, I have um these last couple of weeks have been busy for me, you know. Um, and not necessarily any busier than any other weeks, it's been a different kind of busy. Yeah, you know, I've been over at your house helping you a little bit. We've had things going on around here. I've been trying to catch up with yard work and just different things. I've not felt real great. I've had a headache for since I was in Spokane. I have had a headache almost every day since then, and it's not horrible. There's like this sinus headache, and it's like it's just getting to me, you know, and I'm just getting to this point where I'm just like, oh, the mornings have been tough for me to get moving around and uh just different things. And so I missed church because we had the family reunion out at the late. The next Sunday I missed church because I was in Spokane, Washington, and we were flying back on that Sunday. Last Sunday was time for church, and uh it was Mother's Day, and I decided I wasn't teaching life group, we didn't have that, so I was gonna go to our other campus, and I, for whatever reason, just got mixed up in my brain on the time that it started, and I woke up and I was like, I got time, and I went back to sleep. And I never, ever, ever have I overslept for church on Sunday. Like, really, I have not, you know? And I wake up and it's 9.08. And I'm like, oh well, church didn't start until whenever. And then so then I look and I'm like, I'll get on the website, what time does this campus start? 9:30. I'm like, I'm just getting out of the bed. So I had this moment of rush and get ready and just walk in during the worship. And so I go in the bathroom, I start to get ready, and then I'm like, oh, forget it. And so I didn't, and I just played hooky like there's no excuse. So I could have gone to the 1045 service, but I didn't. Yeah. And so then that's three Sundays in a row that I've missed church. Three times makes a habit. Yes, three times in a row. Then what happens is I have not been reading, reading in the mornings. I've gotten up and been doing certain things, and I I've prayed during the day.

SPEAKER_03 25:56

My dog is snoring, y'all. If you hear this, I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_01 25:59

I've prayed during the day. I've I even noticed in the last couple of days I hadn't even been listening to music. It's just been quiet. My husband's gone to work right now. It's been quiet in the house. And then what's happening is I'm getting in this funk. Yeah. But here's the deal. I know what the answer is. You need some GPS.

SPEAKER_03 26:17

I don't have to sit around and go, is it because I don't just know so loud.

SPEAKER_01 26:24

She's so agreed. Sorry, girl. That's peace, is what that is, right there. When you can sleep through the middle of anything. But it's just like, I know the answer. Sometimes we make things so difficult trying to figure out what the answer is, but it always comes back to I need Jesus. Yeah, absolutely. I need Jesus. I need to be in his word. I need to be in church. I need to be around other believers. And honestly, even just hep taping this recording right now, sitting in this room with you, my attitude and my demand, everything has already automatically it's just changed. Now I'm like, go Jesus, come on. Yeah. You know, like it's that's what I need. Yeah. And when we're feeling hopeless, it's because we haven't put any trust in the Lord. Right.

SPEAKER_03 27:08

Exactly. Yeah. It's true. You know, I was it's so funny how sometimes our lives mimic each other, but I had a crazy three weeks too. I had some travel and things, and so I was at week three also of not going to church. I remember telling you, I'm like, it's been three weeks, and I have got to get into church. Like, I am like my soul is just dry. And that morning, I we had so much to do. And I'm telling you, it was literally a battle in my spirit of stay and get things done or go to church. And and thankfully, my husband was home and there was really no discussion. We were going to church. And I never even brought it up to him. But I could have been like, babe, I'm just gonna stay home and take care of this last project and try to get some more done. And I would have felt so accomplished, but I was so spiritually dry. And so I just basically almost rebelliously sucked it up and went to church. And oh my gosh, Denise, it was just so good. It was like like just pictures of water just pouring into my soul and just being able to raise my hand and worship was so good, and the message was so good, and like it was like, oh, thank you, Lord. I needed that so much, and just how he's so faithful. But we have to do that, we have to get up, we have to go, we have to make the choice. You can choose to be like Denise, and not just getting, you can choose because I've done it too. Sure, yeah, yeah, you know, and in the moment it seems like you know, we can justify too, like I'm tired, it's been busy, I deserve a break. Yeah, you know, I deserve to be able to sleep in my only day or whatever. Um, and we always say, Good thing good Jesus didn't say that when he went up on the cross. I deserve to sleep in today. But um, but the the thing is is that when we will suck it up and go, we're the beneficiaries of that. He is such a good God that when we go to worship him, we get filled up. Right. You know, like it's just good. It's just so good. When we get in the word, it's not like us, us, you know, my my pastor says this all the time is like me not doing what I'm supposed to do doesn't make him less good or less God or less powerful. Yeah, me doing what I am supposed to do doesn't make him more God or more powerful, right? But it still has this effect where it fills me up and I am more powerful when I'm doing what he's called me to do. When I'm showing up, when I'm getting on in the word, when I'm on my knees and doing the things, I am a better me. Right. I feel better, I surely I act better. And and life is just sweeter.

SPEAKER_01 29:53

Right. Period. We have hope. We have hope. It's the hope. We have the hope, we have assurance, we have trust, all of the things. All of the things. You know, and it's like those of you that are listening today, you know, I hope that this is an encouragement to you that um when you're feeling that way, that you're not alone, you know, that other other Christians put we all go through that time where we struggle and we have a hard time. And you know, the thing is I was thinking as you were saying about um how you were thinking in your mind, go to church or not go to church. How I was thinking that morning, go to church or not go to church, you know. Here's the thing is normally that thought never crosses either. Right. Because we just go. It's just what we do. We go every Sunday. It's not a decision. We want to be there. Yeah. We need to be there. And it's just our life. It's a routine of what we do, and it's vital to our walk. And we don't ever usually get up, and it's not a every Sunday thing that we get up going, do we go or do we? We we're past that now. We know we gotta go and we want to be there. Yeah, right. But once we get out a couple of times, like you said, then all of a sudden we're like, well, do we go or do we not go? Why are you questioning it now, Denise? You've always got 20 years. Right. You know, like, but that's the thing. We when we're going and we're doing what we're supposed to do, we never question them.

SPEAKER_04 31:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:19

But sometimes we get out of that and it's not, and and it's okay. It's okay not to go like you're on vacation or you're something's going on, you know, we're not going to hell because we didn't go to church this Sunday, right? But you're gonna feel real dry. But you're gonna feel real dry, and you might feel like a hell of a week if you don't go, right? But we've all been there, and so maybe if you're listening today and you're sitting here thinking, dang, you know, that's why I'm feeling like I'm feeling is because I've not been in church, I've not been reading his word, whatever it is. We just encourage you, you know, if you're feeling hopeless, then maybe just take a step back and look at your life and think about, you know, where are you right now? Are you chasing after Jesus? Are you reading his word? Are you listening to his worship? Are you in this house? Um, because nine times out of ten, uh I mean, really, I probably want to say ten times out of ten, when we're not where we need to be, it's because we're not doing what we're supposed to be doing.

SPEAKER_03 32:21

And it will always be easier to just stay home. Oh, yeah. I mean, it just always is. I don't care, I don't care what's happening, it's always just easier to climb back in the bed. Sure. And it's always gonna benefit you the least amount when you do that. Right. Yeah. So and again, I'm not saying like we don't go to church for us. I mean, we do. It's we're going to church to worship a holy God. Right. But in that process, he is so good that we are the ones that get filled up. And can you imagine if this is how we feel when we go worship, how does he feel? He's the one being worshipped. Right. You know, like I don't know. I just think about that.

SPEAKER_01 32:59

Yeah, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 33:00

Yeah, it's it's just good. And if you've not been to church for a minute, I just want to encourage you to find a good church. And I don't know where you live, and you know, a good church matters. Yeah. Because going to a dry church that's not preaching the word, that's not giving, you know, biblical worship and corporate worship, that's not any healthier than stay at home, you know. But um, you know, please find a good church. And I mean, especially in today's world, and I don't this is not a substitute, and I'm never gonna recommend this, but if nothing, else at least watch a church service live.

SPEAKER_01 33:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:36

You know, you can it's not the same. It's not the same. At least you're getting the word. It's something, it's better than nothing. But I'm gonna encourage you to put on your breeches, brush your teeth, comb your hair, and find a church to just go and sit on the back pew if you got to, cry through the whole service if you got to, but just go and be with other believers and and see God work through your life and fill you up and to restore the hope that He wants you to have. Yeah, that's good. Yeah, all right. Well, till next time. All right. Oh, you know what, y'all? I forgot. Don't forget to like and subscribe.

SPEAKER_01 34:21

Push all the buttons.

SPEAKER_03 34:22

Push all the buttons.

SPEAKER_01 34:24

That's one time you get to push the buttons. Yes. Good things come out of it.

SPEAKER_03 34:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 34:33

You've been listening to Table Talk with BJ Garrett and Denise Bowens. To support this ministry through prayer or giving, visit our website at unashamedww.com. May you be encouraged, rooted in truth, and unashamed.