Sometimes God Catches Strays

We’ve all been there: we love God, we want the promise, we even believe He’s leading us but we still freeze because we can’t see the full plan. 

We talk about why our world trains us to check every box before we commit, and why the spiritual life doesn’t work that way. We also dig into the idea of process before promise, how spiritual growth happens in the waiting, and why unanswered prayers can be God protecting a bigger purpose. If you’re wrestling with timing, fear, or the unknown “how,” you’ll find language for what you’re feeling and a path forward.

Then we shift into our Proverbs series with Proverbs 19, Proverbs 20, and Proverbs 21, pulling out biblical wisdom you can use right now.

Transcript

Welcome And Animal Icebreaker

SPEAKER_04 0:13

Welcome back to Kids in a Calling Podcast, where none of us are actually kids, but we all have a calling, and that is to point people to Jesus. Sadly, we have lost Audrey. Uh I have no idea what happened to her. I really hope she's alright. Um, just a moment of silence. Oh, I haven't heard from her in a few weeks. Um. No, I'm lying. She's out for the week, so sadly you guys have to do with me. I'm your host for today, Hudson Walton. And joining me is Andrea Crater.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

Hi.

SPEAKER_04 0:46

Ramsay Pavlou.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Hey.

SPEAKER_04 0:47

And Lincoln Stotcher. Hey guys. Alright, so since Audrey's out, it's my job to come up with an icebreaker question. So I got a really good one for you guys. If animals could be Christians, which species of animal would be the most devoted followers and why?

SPEAKER_00 1:03

I got the oh. Oh, these I got this. Alright, okay. Um, birds. Because they're always singing in the morning, in the afternoon, and the uh evening. They always be singing, so they'd always be singing praises to the Lord and worshiping. And they're friendly and stuff. I think. I mean, I've gotten attacked by only one bird, but one bird doesn't speak about the rest of the birds. So yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:28

What about like the vultures and things that only eat dead things?

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Um, they're doing what they gotta do to survive. It's like the Lord actually blessed them with that food. They didn't kill it, it was already dead.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

That's true. It's a life cycle. I think a goat would be a very good Christian. Um, not only does it break that down. They're very goats. They're very funny. They're enthusiastic. They're funny. Have you met baths? Have you watched a goat?

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Yes, yes. I've had one in headbutting me.

SPEAKER_03 1:56

They have footwork unlike any other animal. What? They're a perfect, perfect praise breaker. And they're very like they travel a lot.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

I don't know. One food told me two days ago I didn't like it.

SPEAKER_03 2:06

Great soul winner. You look at it looks at somebody. Imagine. Imagine a goat winning a soul. I could see it.

SPEAKER_04 2:11

You see, I've had a very different experience with goats because when I was a kid, my good friend Tanner, they had they had a pet goat. Dude, that thing hated me, bro. Almost got killed by that goat. Young Hudson almost lost his life to that goat. That thing was evil. I've never encountered any goats like that.

SPEAKER_03 2:26

I guess I'm lucky.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

One pooped on me two days ago. Oh.

SPEAKER_04 2:30

That's wow.

SPEAKER_00 2:32

Wow. Yep. Well.

SPEAKER_04 2:34

How are you in that scenario?

SPEAKER_00 2:35

Messiah? Pooped. Its butt fell out the bag and it pooped everywhere. Oh god.

SPEAKER_03 2:41

Fell out the bag. Very nice.

SPEAKER_01 2:43

Um, my animal that I think would be the most Christian would be bees. Because, okay, let's think about it. They're selfless because they're always serving the queen, just like we always serve the king. So, like, there's that. But then also they have to like go get the pollen and bring it back. Well, yeah. And then they also have to like pollinate other flowers while they're doing it. So they're spreading the gospel just like we have to spread. And they're making honey. And they're making honey, which is like their fruits and stuff. Sweet and stuff. Yes, it's good stuff. They're overflowing with honey, except minus the milk. Okay. But yeah, it's okay. We got cows for that part.

SPEAKER_04 3:16

I think the most devoted followers you'd find would probably be crabs. Crabs? Dude. Think about how a crab walks. No other animal walks like a crab. They're already set apart. Like we're set apart. Oh they are low to the ground. Those things are like half an inch tall. You can't get more humble than that. Okay. Okay. Think about an ant. That's not an animal, guys. What?

SPEAKER_03 3:39

Brother, brother, a bug is an animal.

SPEAKER_04 3:42

That's a bug, bro.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

Are they? This is interesting. I've never thought about that before. Anyways, continue.

SPEAKER_04 3:49

Sorry, guys. I can admit my wrong here. Ant would have been a good one. But no. Think about hermit crabs, alright? They literally leave their old lives behind to move on.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Come on. Come on, brother.

SPEAKER_04 4:01

It can't get more Christian than that, bro. That's it.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Wow, that's good. Wow. I agree.

SPEAKER_04 4:05

Well, see, crabs would be pretty good Christians. Um, I wish I could talk to one. That'd be pretty cool. Not just trying to win one over.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

I don't know. I feel like being a crab would be frustrating though. Have you ever thought about that? Just having to stay walking sideways.

SPEAKER_04 4:16

But think about it. If you were a crab and you grew up with crab, you wouldn't know it was frustrating because that's all you know.

SPEAKER_03 4:21

The truth. That's the truth.

SPEAKER_04 4:24

All right. We're talking too much about crabs. Alright, guys.

The Faith Factor Message Recap

SPEAKER_04 4:29

So last week we heard another incredible message from Pastor Jared. He spoke on the topic of faith in the factor. And it was a really good message. I really liked it.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

A quick correction. I think it was called the Faith Factor.

SPEAKER_04 4:40

Really?

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 4:41

Well, apparently I didn't listen to that message after my eyes. I'm the greatest host. It was the Faith Factor. I don't know why I have that. Um it's okay. But anyway, it still was an incredible message. Yes. What were your guys' thoughts?

SPEAKER_00 4:52

Um, it was really good. And he started off kind of funny. Um, he started off with the story of how when him and mom went to go buy their first house, they were doing all the paperwork and stuff, and they missed one paper, and they thought, like, it's fine. Like, we already got the keys, like, y'all just do whatever y'all want with that paper. But that paper was actually like really crucial for letting the courthouse know that it was an official sale. And so, yeah. And then he was talking about how nowadays it's all really digital, and so it's super easy to just like go through it all and like quickly check yes, yes, yes, kind of sign here, and like you cannot finish the process until it's all done. And he's correlated that to our spiritual world.

SPEAKER_01 5:32

Yeah, yes, I agree because he said that our world today trains us to have everything in line, like everything has to be all the boxes have to be checked. We have to know what's happening for us to be able to move forward in our walk with God and just well, like in the world. Well, not whenever we do stuff, and it's just like it's a very human thing.

SPEAKER_04 5:55

You want to know everything about your next step before you take it.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

And the I I do that all the time. Like, I have to know, well, I don't have to know, but I like to know what's going on and like what's gonna happen next. So if like I'm planning stuff, I like to plan out like what's gonna happen in like all these different scenarios. So this message was great for me. But anyway, um, he said that God doesn't really do that, like God doesn't tell us everything he's going to do, he just tells us to move, yeah, and then he does everything else. And uh him not telling us, he called it the faith factor because we have to have faith in order to move forward. Yeah, that's it.

SPEAKER_04 6:32

Because it wouldn't really be faith if God just told you everything that was gonna happen and when exactly it was gonna happen. Yes, he doesn't really give you all that, he kind of uh opens you have and expects you to walk through it if he's open. Yeah, but yeah, no, that's uh that's very human, and I've definitely struggled with that, just like you, Andrea. Um I like to know what's coming next. Yeah, especially if it's a place God wants me to be. Like I want to know, like, okay, how are you gonna do this? Um, are you gonna use someone to tell me this? Um yeah, how are you gonna bring me there? How um what do I need to do to get there? I like to know every little thing.

SPEAKER_01 7:04

Yeah, literally, or like what's gonna happen when or if because like you know, I might not take this step because I'm kind of scared. So, what happens when I take this step? How are other people gonna react when I take this step? Um, how is this even going to happen if and when and all the different things? And then eventually you just become so consumed in the what ifs that you're like, hold up. I haven't I've literally done nothing. Um I'm literally the same person that I was before I I started overthinking everything, and so this is where you really just have to trust God and lean on him and have faith that he has your best interest in mind. And we see this play out in John 11, 20 through 22. Um, it's a story of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, because Lazarus died, but we're gonna get to that in a second. So Martha, hold up.

SPEAKER_04 7:56

Spoiler alert.

SPEAKER_01 7:57

Spoiler alert, Lazarus died. Spoiler alert. So hold up. Okay, so they Mary and Martha, they have a brother who's sick, and his name is Lazarus, and so they send word to Jesus because Jesus and them are like really good friends, and they're like, Hey, Jesus, you need to come heal our brother because our brother is dying. Like he's so sick that he could die. And Jesus is like, All right. Um, so in John 11 and 4, it says, But whenever Jesus heard about it, he said, Lazarus' sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God, so that the Son of God will receive glory from this. And then Jesus remains where he was for two more days, and then whenever he gets to Mary and Martha's house, he finds that Lazarus has died. And so everyone is mo mourning, they're weeping, they have people everywhere, and so he gets there. And in John 11, 20 through 22, it says, When Mary got the word that Jesus was coming, so to her house, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house, and Martha said to Jesus, Lord, only if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, I know God will give you whatever you ask. So, what did Mary and them want? They wanted healing for Lazarus. That's why they sent for Jesus. They were like, Okay, we want you to heal our brother, but they were not okay with how God wanted to go about healing Lazarus because he said, Jesus said before he even went to their house, he said, This is not gonna end in death, but it's gonna be for the Son of Man to get glory out of it. And so just because Lazarus died and he tasted death doesn't mean he would have to stay there. Yeah. Because God, God let him die. But why? Because so that he would so that Jesus would get the glory for raising him up from the dead. But then that also jump started, not jumpstarted, but it kind of like set into stone set into stone what was going to happen next. Because if Jesus had not waited and would have gone and healed Lazarus, then all like the chief people and and the chief priests and all that wouldn't have like been crazy mad at him, and then they wouldn't have started to plotting to kill him right then and there. Yeah, and that's that's the main event that happened that they started plant plotting to kill Jesus.

SPEAKER_02 10:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:12

Yeah, because uh little known fact, I don't know if you guys know, um, I know you guys know it here, but listeners, back in that time, um, people, other people besides Jesus had prayed for people and they'd been risen up.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:24

Um, but the the caveat was it had always been before three days. Yeah, and that had happened so much that the Israelites kind of came to the belief that for three days the spirit hovered over the body. And after the three-day period, you could not like no one could come back, like you couldn't uh pray for people and have them raise up. And so Jesus did that, and that was kind of like Andrew was talking about like the Pharisees and all that were like, Alright, now we gotta do something because this guy's doing stuff that's never been done before.

SPEAKER_02 10:51

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:52

He he kind of forced their hand and made him be like, Alright, we gotta take this dude out.

SPEAKER_03 10:55

Yeah, also like um the story he told from Matthew when Jesus is telling his disciples, like, I'm gonna die, but on the third day I'm gonna I'm gonna raise from the dead. And um in verse 22, we see Peter, he says, Heaven forbid, Lord. Oh, yeah. I'm like, okay, first of all, looking into the but looking outside in, Peter is just telling God manifest in the flesh, heaven forbid, like bro, he created the heavens, but all right. He says, like, this will never happen to you. And Pastor Jared said that Peter was okay with what was going to happen, yeah, but not how it was going to happen. And um, I'm sure there's many of us ourselves that have been in that position where we're excited for a promise God has given us, whether it's been a ministry he's called us to or a dream job we've prayed for to have, and he's finally opened the door for us to have it. But um, we're okay with what it is that we're gonna get. Yeah. But the way to getting to where we get what we want to get doesn't always look as appeasing. And if we're not careful, um, we can start despising the path that led us to where we should have been. Yeah, and really like yeah, we should be grateful for the path. Um, I've I'm guilty of hating the path in the past, but now that I'm looking on the outside end, I'm like, every single step of the way I can see God working.

SPEAKER_02 12:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:14

Yeah, that's good. That's exactly what Andrew was just hitting on with the whole uh like how. Yeah, yeah, that's true. I've uh I've also dealt with that in the past. How you can have this big promise or this thing that you want, or even have confirmation that God wants to do in you, and you just struggle with the how. Yeah, it can trip you up. So that's kind of like how you you can trip up yourself by not wanting to move forward by because you don't see everything like we were just talking about earlier, because you're not ever gonna have the full plan laid out, or you can trip yourself up because, like we just talked about, you don't like the how.

SPEAKER_03 12:46

Yeah, like um and your how, um oh, did I cut you off?

SPEAKER_04 12:50

No, you're good. I was gonna say that, like Naaman in the Bible, that was another story Pastor Jared used, how he had leprosy and he went to the prophet, and the prophet told him, Go wash yourself in this dirty river seven times. Yeah, and he almost missed out on getting healed from leprosy because he was like, What are you talking about, bro? I'm not gonna do that. Yeah, he was expecting more, he was expecting something grander than going through a dirty river and washing seven times. Yeah, but then his servant was like, Look, bro, the prophet told you this. Like, it's probably true. Yeah, probably should probably go do it. He was like, You're right, bro. And so he went and he got healed from leprosy because he did what the prophet said. But I mean, that's true. Yeah, like if I wanted something and I went to Pastor Jared and Pastor Jared told me to go hop in a river, I'd probably be like that too. I'd probably be like, What are you talking about? I'm going to a different church.

SPEAKER_00 13:40

This church is crazy, especially down here with all the rivers.

SPEAKER_03 13:43

What's pastor talking about? Yeah, I think we have so much trouble and problems with the house because we don't we don't see it. Yeah, it requires absolute and total faith. And it is faith. Yeah, it's like Nay Naaman. Yeah, yeah, he was told Elijah told him, or Elijah told him, You're gonna get healed, but you have to do this. And to to Naaman, he's thinking, why in the world would I jump in a in the dirtiest of all these rivers to get clean? And so he had to take that step of faith, and he had to he he had to be humble a little bit because at first he was like, I'm this big guy. Why would I jump in the dirty water? And so he had to humble himself and do it. But eventually, I mean he took the faith, he walked in the faith, and he got his healing.

SPEAKER_04 14:25

That's also why Abraham was seen as such a great man of faith. And Hebrews 11 and 8. It says, It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as an his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. Yeah. And that verse ends there, but it shows you that Abraham, God was like, go do this, and he went. He didn't know where he was going, he didn't know exactly how God was gonna meet the promises that he gave him, but he just had faith. And that's the core of it. You just gotta have faith. He had no idea where he was going, he didn't have maps or even a GPS.

SPEAKER_01 14:58

God was like God was like, go, and he was like, Okay, all right, yeah, literally, and the process is so crucial to the promise because if God, so God gives you a promise, but you have to go through the process in order to get the promise. But if God were to give you the promise in who you are and what you are right now, yeah, you would not be ready for that promise. You wouldn't probably know how to handle it, it might even crush you entirely just because you have not gone through the process in order to receive your promise. But also the the process just refines you and helps you trust and lean on God and it really just builds your faith. Yeah. Because, like personally, I'm going through this like in the trenches, like right now. Because if y'all don't know me, um I have a lot of health issues. And so, like, I have had multiple promises over my life where God has said, Hey, I'm going to heal you, but not right now. I'm gonna heal you, but not right now, or I'm gonna use this for my glory so that I can use you as a vessel. And so, do I like it? No, no, I do not like it, but I have to submit to God and be able to trust Him and say, Okay, even though I don't understand it, you have not called me to understand everything. You have called me to take a step, you have called me to step forward. And so I'm just saying that because um we try we want in our human minds, we just want to understand everything. Like, why God? Why are you letting me go through this? Why do I have to take this step? Or we just want to understand. But God is saying, Hey, I I am God, I am like the guy in charge. Yeah, I see everything. Yeah, and I I just want you to take this little step over here because I can see everything, and this part is crucial to you. So you don't have to understand. I'm not calling you to understand, I'm calling you to take the step, and that's your job.

SPEAKER_04 16:57

Yeah, that's why it's so important because if you didn't have such a good outlook like you have, Andrea, and you weren't, you know, so strong in your faith, it could be so easy for the enemy to talk to you and be like, God doesn't love you, He's not healing you right now.

SPEAKER_01 17:11

Oh, yeah, and I've definitely been there. Yeah, like there have been times where I'm like, okay, what have I done so that God is not healing me? Like I must have done something wrong, but no, that's that's that's the enemy speaking into your life because God has everyone on their own path, everyone has their own path, and nothing can separate you from the love of God. The Bible says that that height or depth or sin, like nothing can separate you from God's love because it's so vast and it's so wide. But your process is for your promise. Yeah, and so like me and Hudson don't have the same promise. So we're going through stuff that's completely different.

SPEAKER_00 17:46

Yeah, yeah. Andrea, when you brought up the point of um, why are we not getting that promise now? Like, why do I have to go through all of this to get a promise? Yeah. It literally, like this analogy, just analogy, I think is what the word is, just popped in my head. It's like when you get, say you win the lottery, right? Yeah. And you just get all this money. Most cases, there's a lot of cases of people when they just lose it all within like the first year because they don't know what to do with that money. They've never had that much money. What do they do with it? Versus the person who's a billionaire that's worked years and years and years and put in work for years to earn this money. And so he's he's kept it better, he's learned how to deal with this money, and he now knows what to do rather than just getting all of the money thrown in at once. And it's like God will not just give you this huge promise that you do not know how to handle. Yeah, yeah. And the promise that you don't like, you don't even know what he has for you if you just be patient and wait and listen to his his plan or well, listen to his guided steps. Yeah, no, that's really good.

SPEAKER_03 18:43

That's really good.

SPEAKER_01 18:44

That is good because okay, so that just made me think of this. So the process is kind of like teaching us how to be stewards of the promise. Yeah. Because in order for us to be able to steward the promise, so we have in order for us to be able to maintain our amount of lottery money and not lose it in the first couple years completely, then we have to learn and we have to work hard to and build a firm foundation to be able to sustain it.

SPEAKER_03 19:10

Yeah, that's really good.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

God is so good, God is so cool, guys.

SPEAKER_04 19:14

Yeah, that's that's really good. That's really really good. And I just want to uh hit back on something Lincoln was talking about earlier when he was talking about um Peter talking to Jesus and being like, Oh yeah, bro, what are you doing? Um so yeah, again, pretty funny that he said that to literally God.

SPEAKER_00 19:43

But um Yeah, that imagine.

SPEAKER_04 19:46

But like we've been talking about, I mean, yeah, we don't have the physical Jesus right in front of us where we're literally looking at him and being like, Yeah, so it's not gonna happen that way. But a lot of us, I've done this in the past, so I know that we can be just like Peter at times. Um and Pastor Jared had hit on this where it may not even be an issue of your faith in Jesus. You could be a uh you could have full faith in Jesus. You you have faith, like you believe in him and everything, and it's not a matter of your belief in Jesus, it's a matter of resisting his way and wanting it to be your own way. Yeah, because like Peter himself, he had the revelation, he was one of the only few that had the revelation that he was the Messiah. Yeah, he knew fully and he believed, and yet still he was like, God, it's not gonna go this way. Yeah, he just he couldn't wrap his human brain around the fact that God that Jesus was taking that path, and that happens to all of us at times.

SPEAKER_00 20:41

Yeah, like subconsciously, even like you you may not be saying those exact words like no, that's not how that's happening. It's just like in your head, you're like, Well, maybe I won't do that though, because like I I don't really know what's gonna happen if I do that. And so you just kind of you take a step back. But Hudson, you point you set a point how you have to give up your own way. And Matthew 16, 24, you'll literally about the crabs giving up their own way, just like the hermit crabs.

SPEAKER_04 21:08

Just now you were just talking about crabs? That's what you're referencing. That was way back then.

SPEAKER_00 21:12

No, you said it two seconds ago about something, anyways. Matthew 16, 24 says you must give up your own way, take up your cross and follow me. Yeah, and not following me, Ramsay, but Jesus was saying that. Oh, so like Thanks, bro. Thanks for all the information there.

SPEAKER_04 21:28

Thanks for that disclaimer, dude. I was being a bit worried.

SPEAKER_00 21:30

I just have to clarify that. I didn't want anyone getting confused. But it's like you have to give up what all of your expectations and thoughts of how you were gonna get to that promise, yeah, and just give it up and just follow Jesus. Start walking even. Never be still either. Because God will nudge you back in the right direction. As long as you're making that effort to follow him, he will protect you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 21:51

Yeah, just make sure you're walking. Like you don't have to, that's the core of the message. Like, you're not gonna know exactly how to get from point A to point B or from point A. Point A to point Z, the in picture. Yeah, yeah. But you'll have to take uh small steps. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:05

And here's the thing with your walk with God is if if you're following his order steps, he's gonna push you when you need to go forward and he's gonna pull you back when you need to stop. Yeah. And so he he has like he we're walking hand in hand with with each other. So and and he wants what's best for all of us. He's not gonna set us up for failure. Yeah. So we just have to know if he's calling us to this area, yeah, you're you're going there for a reason. He's gonna be with you not only when you get there, but while you're getting there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 22:34

Yeah. And like if you don't know, like if you find yourself feeling like that right now and you don't know the exact step that God wants you to take, the core of the message that Pastor Jared's getting at is that that does not mean you sit there and do nothing. Like you guys are just talking about. Yeah. Still pray. Still fast, just like you know exactly where you're going, what you need to do. That's you have to build on that. That has to be consistent for you to get to that point. You're not supposed to just sit there until God whispers in your ear exactly what you need to do. No, you pray and you fast and you keep on believing, and that's what gets you there.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

Yeah, yep. Keep stepping little steps.

SPEAKER_00 23:09

Yeah. Um, one more point he made that I really liked is that there's a difference. There's a difference between like knowing and obeying. Like it's like it's so much easier when you know what's happening. Like we've been talking about this whole time. Yeah than when you have to obey and trust that he he knows better. And it's like knowing is getting something done, and because you know what to do and you know where it's gonna get you. And obeying is literally just you gotta take that leap of faith, you gotta step into some unknown waters to get that a greater outcome. Yeah, like doing what you know is just it's easier. Yeah, but God wants you to have enough faith to just obey him, whether whether you know what's happening or not. That's all he wants is your your trust and your faith.

SPEAKER_01 23:49

Literally, that's I really like that part. I really liked whenever he asked the question, Will I trust God's plan even if it goes against my own preference? Yeah, because it's so it's so hard. Cause just like Jesus said, Um, you have to put down your cross. Like, no, sorry, you have to give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow him. Yeah, and so what if like what if I don't like it? Well, I have to give up my preference. I have to say, okay, God, like, you know I don't like this, but then I have to follow after him. And that's that's hard, that can be hard depending on who what kind of person you are. But trust me, guys, it's so worth it. Like, yeah, yeah, you should do it.

SPEAKER_03 24:27

Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

Yeah, well, like one more thing. If Mary and Martha would have just let Jesus do what like if Jesus would have done what Mary and Martha wanted, yeah, healed Lazarus while he was sick and he was still alive, yeah, then his glory, he wouldn't have had that greater glory of him rising him from the dead, raising him from the dead. Yes, like the glory would not have been as high, which like obviously he it deserves all glory. No, but like the people wouldn't have seen it. And he he showed something that the people wanted to didn't see, weren't expecting to see.

SPEAKER_04 24:57

Yeah, no, it was all for a greater purpose, and it just if it would have been Mary and Martha's way, yeah, you're right. It that greater purpose wouldn't have been realized in that moment. Yeah, and yeah, he still would have raised someone from the dead. Mary and Martha would have been happy, but it wouldn't have gotten to the greater purpose of the Son of Man being glorified.

SPEAKER_01 25:12

Yep. And this kind of shows like this story. I love the story because it shows how why we should be thankful for unanswered prayers. Yeah. Because Mary and Martha, they prayed a prayer and could like they they talked to Jesus, they they were asking him, Hey, can you come heal my brother? Yeah, and Jesus is like, nah. Like I will, but like, not right now.

SPEAKER_04 25:30

And so just wait a little.

SPEAKER_01 25:32

If they wouldn't have, if they would have pushed, like really pushed, Jesus might have changed his mind, probably not, but like things could have ended up differently. And so the end result was some was turned out so much greater than what they originally thought. Yeah. Because we're human, we we don't think big like God thinks. And so we should be thankful for the unanswered prayers that we have prayed because it will turn, God will turn what we have prayed for, because we pray for things that seem little to God, right? But God will turn those things into things that will grow us and push us into people to turn us into people that we never even thought that we could even become.

SPEAKER_03 26:10

Yeah, yeah, that's really good. So yeah, that's a good point.

SPEAKER_04 26:12

Yeah, that's I didn't think about it right there. That is really good. I mean, end of the story, that's kind of what's like y'all are talking about earlier. That's kind of what submitted Jesus making his way to the cross, forcing their hand, and that led to him dying for our sins, and that was the ultimate goal, and they couldn't see that.

SPEAKER_01 26:28

No, they had no idea. They were just like, Lord, I don't want my brother to die.

SPEAKER_04 26:32

They had no way of understanding that, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:34

And so that just brings it back to us. Like, we have no way of because God is so big and he's so vast and he's just so majestic and all-powerful that we can't comprehend his plan for our lives. Cause if we did, we would freak out and be like, brother, what? Um because it's just it's just crazy, like it's just wild. And so we just gotta trust the Lord.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

Y'all have y'all ever I have this weird thing, like when you said we can't compliment like what God has for us, is like if I ever think of like something that could be really cool if it happened, like that'd be so fun. I'm always like immediate, I'm like, but it's never gonna happen because like I know God's got something else for me. So like I know that's not happening. It's like a it's like a checkoff list. If I think it, it's probably not happening.

SPEAKER_01 27:17

No, because God, God just says crazy things because like the person, okay, so 2025 Andrea would freak out if she found out what 2026 Andrea is gonna be up to. Just because I never would have fathomed that God could put me in places like this. Cause like, oh my god, like bro has been working on overtime. The Lord, bro, sorry guys, sorry, the Lord is working on over. Yeah, he's the holy bro. Just like because God shocks us, literally. He's like, all right, you've I see that you've been putting effort in, but also like he has that just shows like his plan for you is way out of this world, and you would never think of it.

SPEAKER_02 27:57

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 27:57

I mean, like, even things just like this podcast for all of us, like me from two years ago would be like, bro, you'll catch me dead before I'll be on a podcast. What are you talking about?

SPEAKER_00 28:06

Like, for real.

SPEAKER_04 28:07

Me on a podcast? Are you for real? But I mean, then I got sat down in the office and like you're on a podcast now. And I was like, what?

SPEAKER_01 28:15

Okay, well, no, like when did if you say so. That's funny. Yeah. So let God do the unexpected in your life because you're gonna need faith, but God's gonna get you through it when you have faith.

SPEAKER_04 28:27

Yep. Amen. Even if you don't understand the how.

SPEAKER_01 28:31

Yep. Amen.

SPEAKER_04 28:49

But

Proverbs 19 To 21 Overview

SPEAKER_04 28:50

all right, guys, if you've been following our Proverbs series, you'll know that now this week we're gonna be going through Proverbs 19 through 21, and I'm excited to get into this. So, what do you guys think? What do you guys have?

SPEAKER_01 29:03

I love Proverbs 19. Um, just kind of like a big picture overview really fast. It Proverbs 19 emphasizes integrity over wealth and the folly of hasty or reckless decisions, to like against each other, um, and the assurance of God's sovereignty over human plans. So it really is highlighting righteous living is superior to maternal material gain. Maternal. Maternal, it's not what that means. Maternal for the mothers out there, listen in for material gain while warning that foolishness leads to ruin and that true wisdom comes from respecting divine wisdom.

SPEAKER_02 29:40

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 29:40

I kind of have something in a similar vein, just kind of like a overview. It's something that I noticed was uh a main theme throughout the three chapters. Like literally what you just said, I have that uh God's sovereignty over human plans. Yeah, like you see it 1921. You can make many plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail. Proverbs 2024, the Lord direct directs our steps. So why try to understand everything along the way? And then in 21, 21, one. I love that verse. His heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord, he guides it wherever he pleases. And that stuck out to me as I was reading through it because that's literally what we just talked about in the message. It goes along hand in hand. Yeah, yeah. Like we can make all the plans we want, we could have our own preconceived ideas of what the promise or what any of these plans are gonna look like. But at the end of the day, God's the one guiding it all, God's the one building it all. And it stuck out to me because that ties hand in hand with the message.

SPEAKER_01 30:30

Literally, I was like, wow, this is crazy. And like verse 24 in chapter 20, wherever you said, like, why try to understand everything along the way? Yeah. Whenever I read that, I promise you that like jumped off. It's really good. Like jumped off the page, and I was like, whoa.

SPEAKER_04 30:43

Like you're gonna get there regardless if you follow God. So why waste your energy trying to understand it all?

SPEAKER_01 30:49

Yes, like that's crazy. God is so good. This is crazy.

SPEAKER_00 30:53

This is gonna be called the episode of Andrea being an awe of God for an hour.

SPEAKER_04 30:58

That's the title. Andrea being in awe of the creator for an hour straight. Uncut.

SPEAKER_01 31:05

I love it. Don't worry. Um, yeah. I really liked in chapter 19, verse 3, it says people ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord. Like, okay, do this one, right? This one was great, just because, okay, I know that we have all heard of people, and even in our own lives. So, like, you know, we everyone has made foolish decisions, yeah. But then also we've turned those decisions back on God and been like, hey, what are you doing? Like, what's happening? And then in reality, it's all your fault because you're the one that did it, and it's really not a godly thing, it's really just uh a not God thing, so it's like a foolish thing, and so we get mad at God for something that he honestly had no part being in. Yeah, it was all you, it was all you, he's just looking down like, bro, stop blaming me, bro.

SPEAKER_04 31:58

Like moral of the story, sometimes we throw straight as a god. Like, if I get a credit card and I just start racking up credit card debt, and I'm making very foolish decisions, and then I find myself in a very dark place in life because I have like $20,000 of debt. I'm gonna like it $50,000. This happened. I thought you loved me. And God's like, bro, read Proverbs. It's right there, dude.

SPEAKER_00 32:20

Literally, and I think it's so funny because the verse before it says, enthusiasm without knowledge is no good. Haste makes mistakes. Yeah, like we could literally just be so impatient with our lives and just make our own mistakes and then just be like a whole Una reverse card and be like, God, why didn't you keep me from doing this? Like you did this to yourself, you know? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:38

I liked Proverbs 1911. It says sensible people control their anger or their temper, and they earn respect by overlooking wrongs. And so this verse is saying, like, wise people are not or sensible people, they're not gonna let their emotions overtake them. But I like the second part a lot. It says they earn respect by overlooking wrongs. This isn't them being naive or like they don't yeah, they're completely taking out the fact that they're being wronged. No, it means that they understand they're being wronged, but they choose to forgive rather than get vengeance or say, Oh, you did this to me, I'm gonna do this to you. And so they're they're controlling their temper, they're having self-control, and then they're saying, I'm gonna forgive because God knows I'm gonna need to be forgiven.

SPEAKER_04 33:18

Yeah, yeah. Because imagine if God didn't have that same mindset to us. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:22

I was gonna say that. Like, that's exactly what God does. Like, he knows that we've wronged him, he is highly aware that we have wronged him a lot, but he chooses to overlook it because his amount of love for us is far greater than the wrongs that we could ever do to him. Yeah, that's crazy. God's cool. Sorry.

SPEAKER_04 33:41

That is very cool. I'm very valid statement.

SPEAKER_01 33:45

I really liked Proverbs 19, 17, and it says, If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord, and he will repay you. So whenever I read this, like my brain immediately immediately flipped to Matthew 25, 40, and it says, Um, so Jesus is telling a parable, and he says, and the king will say, No, he's not telling a parable, never mind. And the king will say, I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you are doing it to me. And Jesus had just spoken about like feeding the poor and clothing the homeless and being a father to the fatherless and all these things. And so he's saying, If you do it to the least of these, you're doing it unto me. And so, like, this really just like hit home because uh if we're helping the poor, we are doing it to the Lord. Like, if we are helping people, we're doing it as if Jesus is sitting in front of us himself, yeah. Which I think that's crazy. Yeah, like that's just cool. So, like, yeah, it popped off on my page. No, yeah, I like that.

SPEAKER_00 34:42

I really liked verse 22 in well, chapter 19, verse 22 says, Don't say I will get even for this wrong. Wait for the Lord to handle the matter. Because it kind of ties into what Lincoln was saying earlier. It's like we have no right to try and get even for someone who's doing us wrong, because like two wrongs do not make a right, like God will get pray to it, pray about it, and give it to God, and he will handle it, and he will bless your faithfulness to him by not lashing out and to your anger and doing what your flesh wanted to do, yeah, but giving it to him for him to handle and take care of. Yeah, because I agree. We don't God does not call us to go make it even with everybody, like he calls us to be higher and show his love and his mercy and his grace. So that one kind of stood out to me too.

SPEAKER_03 35:26

I'm glad that it's not make it even because I would be cooked. We would all be cooked.

SPEAKER_01 35:33

Literally, and God even says, like, vengeance is mine, says the Lord. Like, do not rob the Lord of his vengeance.

SPEAKER_04 35:39

Like, you hear that for God? Okay, it's yours. Yes, sir. Do not get in the way of that.

SPEAKER_01 35:43

Because also, like, we we only see one side of the story, like we only know our story, we don't know their story or whoever else has affected you. And so God will deal with them whenever and how, and he will deal with them how and when he sees fit. Like, we do not need to take that into our own hands because Avengers is the Lords. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 36:03

And I also just realized I made a mistake that was actually in chapter 20. My bad.

SPEAKER_01 36:06

Yeah, I saw like our verse 22. Well, not our verse, but like in Proverbs 19, 22. I was so confused. I was like, What?

SPEAKER_00 36:13

Yeah, my bad guys. Didn't mean to jump.

SPEAKER_03 36:15

I liked Proverbs 1920. It says get all the advice and instruction you can so you will be wise the rest of your life. And I think it's very important for all the people who are young adults listening or even junior high, like get all the wisdom you can now. Uh always, I know me personally, I always like talking to people who know a lot more than I do. Because through and people who have experience, like you can learn from somebody else's mistake. And so uh I think we really need to take uh hold of that and talk to people who have made mistakes, whether it be financially or they they went down the wrong road. Like, talk to them, learn from what they did that got them to where they're at.

SPEAKER_00 36:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 36:50

Always be willing to learn, always be teachable, and then like not even like you don't even have to be a student um junior high, like you're just saying, or you don't have to be in a specific stage of life to have that mindset. Absolutely. That's not just for when you're a in parentheses student. We like Andrew just said, you should always be a student when it comes to the word of God and to wisdom. Um when you're 80 years old, you should still have that same mindset of I can learn more. Um, because we're never gonna be as smart as we think we are. Yeah, um, God's always gonna be way smarter and we can always learn a lot more.

SPEAKER_01 37:23

Yeah, and like God is so big and he's so vast, and there's just so much to him that honestly we like in our humanity, like we can't know everything there is to know about God just because he is so big, and like Bishop will say a lot, like he's read the Bible countless times, but he'll always say, Every time I read it, I get something new out of it. Why? Because the word of God is alive, yeah, and there's always something maybe pulled out of it.

SPEAKER_00 37:48

Yeah, and I think it's like if you read it just one time and be like, okay, well, I'm done. So your mind may be on something about the your mind may be going and thinking about something, and when you're reading that Bible or that book in the Bible, your mind will try and tie it to that thing. But say you read it all again and you're going through something else in your life, then a different verse will poke out at you because you're going through something else and it'll help you with that moment in time. And it's just like there's never you can never read it too much because you'll always be learning more from it because you're always going through something different. Amen, sister.

SPEAKER_04 38:19

Yeah, I know that's really good because um, like you just said, that happens. Like if you're reading the Bible and you just lost a loved one or something, uh, versus helping with grief, those are gonna stick out to you a lot more and help you a lot more about God's love for you, about God protecting you, about God never letting you go. Those are gonna grab you a lot more. But say a few years down the line, now you're actively seeking out your calling, you're actively moving forward and where God wants to bring you. Whole different things are gonna pop out to you. Yeah, so yeah, that's I agree, Hudson.

SPEAKER_01 38:51

That's good.

SPEAKER_04 38:51

But I like that. Always be teachable. I like kids like that.

SPEAKER_01 38:54

Yeah.

Proverbs 19 On Wisdom And Anger

SPEAKER_03 39:09

I thought verse uh or chapter 19, verse 24 was diabolical. It says lazy lazy people take food in their hand but don't even lift it to their mouth. Yeah. Imagine being so lazy, like you make a sandwich and then you sit down with it on the plate. You pick it up in your hand, you're like, actually, I'm too tired to eat it.

SPEAKER_04 39:27

I think there's a misconception. I don't think the lazy person is making this.

SPEAKER_03 39:30

Yeah, but um, like I'm just picking that up with half the food. Imagine there is a sandwich and you pick it up with your hand and you're like, I'm too lazy to eat it.

SPEAKER_00 39:37

Yeah, it's like I agree when I saw that first. I was like, imagine getting everything handed to you and then just being too lazy to even do anything with it. Like you're like, I see it, but it's an inch away, and I don't have the energy in me to go.

SPEAKER_03 39:50

Sometimes half an inch.

SPEAKER_04 39:51

Yeah. I mean, that can happen. Sometimes we can be so stuck if we're if we're not uh being careful, if we're not being wise, like you know, Proverbs is telling us to be. We can be handed everything that we need to move forward and just be like, uh I kind of like it where I'm at right now. Don't want to move forward. Yeah. Um, I don't really need to.

SPEAKER_01 40:11

No dinks. Yeah, because let's look at this from like a not a spiritual perspective, because this is a spiritual perspective, but different perspective. So say like you're a student, right? And you grew up in a house where both your parents go to church, like they've taught you everything that you need to know, but you you don't want to do anything with it. You're like, all right, well, that's like you being a lazy person, taking like the food in your hand, but you're not willing to put action to it. So, like, we can know things, we can have knowledge. That's us having it in our hand. But if we don't put action to it, if we don't put it in our mouth, then like we might as well not even know it because what's the point of having knowledge if we're not gonna act upon it?

SPEAKER_04 40:47

Yeah, yeah. That's good. Or like imagine being offered a job, like six figures, bro. Yeah, but you don't take that offer because you don't want to work. Yeah, same mindset there. Like, bro, some people would kill for that opportunity, yeah. But you just don't want to work, so be teachable. Um, don't be lazy. Don't be lazy. Be an ant. Be an ant. That's in Proverbs 6.

SPEAKER_00 41:13

I'm dead. I forgot about Proverbs 6.

SPEAKER_04 41:15

Guys, don't be don't be afraid. She's not actually dead, she's here. She's okay, guys. She's okay.

unknown 41:22

What?

SPEAKER_01 41:22

Dude, Andrew, if you're confused, Ramsay just said she was dead.

SPEAKER_04 41:25

But I wanted to, you know, let the listeners know that she's okay.

SPEAKER_00 41:29

Yeah, she's totally alive and while I'm here, I wanted to touch on the pipeline.

unknown 41:37

What?

Proverbs 20 On Diligence And Motives

SPEAKER_00 41:38

While you're here, what? I wanted to touch on chapter 20. Oh, verse 4. All right. And it says those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest.

SPEAKER_01 41:49

You're not an ant. No.

SPEAKER_00 41:52

No.

SPEAKER_04 41:54

I'm not an ant. Good observation.

SPEAKER_00 41:58

No. What are you gonna say after that? What? Me? Yes. Oh, I was gonna say if you are given a time frame to do something, and like everybody's like, this is when you have to do it, or else like you're not gonna have any more chances to do it. And then the harvest comes and everybody's reaping what they've sown within that time frame. You were supposed to do it and you didn't do it either, you're just gonna be sitting there on the street like a fool, begging for everybody else's harvest because you were too lazy to do it yourself.

SPEAKER_04 42:27

Yeah, that's good. That's good.

SPEAKER_00 42:28

Whoa, wait, hold up. Begging for everyone else's harvest. Oh, that's crazy. Because, like, if you were too lazy to get anything for yourself, why would anybody want to help you if you can't help yourself? Like for real Wowsers.

SPEAKER_04 42:40

Yeah, and if you willingfully just sat there and you know were lazy, like that's on you, bro. It goes back all the way to the point we were just talking about where you make foolish uh decisions, you get yourself in a bind and then you blame it on God. Or you're the one being lazy and not doing anything. Yeah, like you did it to yourself, bro.

SPEAKER_01 42:57

Yeah, that's good. I like that one. Um, in chapter 20, I like verse 7. It says, The godly walk with integrity. Blessed are their children who follow them. This one is really like touches me and hits home because um, like I grew up in church. Um, I'm the third kid, and so my parents like taught us every taught me like all the stuff that I know about God. Like my parents were like my Sunday school teachers, and we would literally, literally, like they were the children's directors for like 20 years over here. Um, so they were my Sunday school teachers, and I was we were if church was open, we were here, yeah, we were serving, and so growing up, I got to see them be committed to God and serving God and just honoring God and every everything that we did. And so um, I just really like this verse because like I can relate relate to it. That's the word. Um, because I am their kid that is blessed growing up, seeing them do that. Yeah, but it's also like it doesn't have to be your parents, it could be a mentor of yours or like an aunt or an uncle or a grandparent that you can watch. She walks with integrity. Um, yeah. And you can be blessed for following after them. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 44:05

Yeah, and that kind of uh that verse kind of ties into a verse a little bit later in Proverbs 21:3, where the Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices. And it kind of ties into the idea that God cares more about the heart and like integrity in that verse than outward appearances. Um in the verse you were just talking about, Andrea, your parents, like you were saying, you were looking up to them, they were walking with integrity and godliness just because of their faith, yeah, their obedience. And a byproduct of that was you, their kid. You got to see that and you got to mimic that simply because they were living that way. They weren't doing that for outward appearance or anything. And that's kind of a theme I picked up on is that over these three chapters, God highlights that that it's more about what you do, your intentions, and how you're living, your integrity, your faithfulness, then your outward appearance, then like it says here, than when we offer him sacrifices. That's an outward thing. Yeah, the sacrifice isn't gonna be that effective if you aren't living that lifestyle, if you aren't faithful, if you aren't living with integrity. You're just doing that to do it. That's good. You gotta be living the life first.

SPEAKER_01 45:09

Yes, that's so good. I agree, very much so.

SPEAKER_00 45:14

Yeah, that's good.

SPEAKER_03 45:15

I liked um Proverbs 2015. It says wise words are more valuable than much gold and many rubies. So this shows that there's literally no price tag on wisdom because gold and rubies are quite expensive. Yeah, and um I think we've talked about it before, but God used wisdom to create the earth, and so that really shows like how valuable wisdom is. Like God had to use it to make earth perfect for the little while that was perfect. But he had to he had to use it to make the animals, the trees, the people. Uh he used wisdom when he was handcrafting Adam, uh, when he made Eve. Like he used wisdom in absolutely everything that we see and know. And so it was very important for us to grab a hold of that same wisdom, even though we're never gonna be as smart and as wise as God is, he still offers the portion that we can handle to us.

SPEAKER_01 46:03

Yeah, yeah. I also think that this verse shows that wisdom goes beyond way beyond any material gain that we could get in this world. So, like wisdom far like wisdom exceeds any earthly thing. Because just like you said, Lincoln, like God literally made the earth with wisdom. And so wisdom is important. Like, this is chapter 20 of 301. And so, like for the past 20 chapters, we've literally just been talking, all we've been talking about is wisdom and how important it is.

SPEAKER_04 46:36

Yeah, if you haven't picked up on the point by now that wisdom is like important, then you may need to go reread all those 20 chapters.

SPEAKER_03 46:45

Yeah, it's a lot of wisdom in here.

SPEAKER_04 46:47

It this isn't the first time it's being brought up. Like it's the writer brings it up again and again. It's important, it's one of the core themes of Proverbs. Yeah. Wisdom, wisdom, wisdom. You gotta get it, bro.

SPEAKER_01 46:57

Literally. I really liked Proverbs 2017. It says stolen bread tastes sweet, but it turns to gravel in the mouth. Gravel. And so, like, I don't know if y'all have ever tried to eat rocks or just accidentally eat every day.

SPEAKER_04 47:11

Oh, but they're not growing up. Hold on, we get passing by that. First of all every day. Pop rocks.

SPEAKER_01 47:17

I'm playing it. They're I don't know, or like even if you've ever just got a little bit of mud in your mouth, for some reason, like, gravel's not good. And so, sin, I I like thought about this and like sin. So still like stealing is sin. And so sin tastes sweet in the beginning, right? Like it's enticing. You're like, oh, like I should do this, and then you do it, and then it's turns out really bad in the end. And so I think this is pointing out that like you can do something sinful, and at first you think it's good, like you it's satisfying your sinful pleasure, but then it turns into gravel in your mouth. Like it's nasty, it's hard to chew, it's low-key disgusting. You're not swallowing that. Then you just want to get rid of the thing you stole. Yeah, and so it's not it's not good for that.

SPEAKER_04 48:02

Yeah, that's very true. It uh yeah, sin will very often feel very gratifying in the moment. Like I get very angry at someone, I lash out and punch him in the face. Dude, it may feel so good in that moment to my flesh. Like, I shut this dude up. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:17

But then you knock out the case. Say I go to jail later.

SPEAKER_04 48:19

Yeah, say the cops get caught on me. Yeah, um, say now me and this person have a grudge, and he sees me five years later and he punches me in the face, and he never forgets. I caused all these problems because I did what felt good in the moment, and I followed my flesh and punched him in the face. And that's just a silly example. I don't punch people in the faces. Um because I believe in you know, not doing that. Unless it's really justified, guys.

SPEAKER_01 48:45

Unless it's really justified.

SPEAKER_04 48:46

Just kidding. Um, but but yeah, some like it it will feel good in the moment.

SPEAKER_00 48:53

Yeah. And falling with like this maybe this this actually is just it's not connected at all. I like verse 27. I like verse 27. It says It says the Lord's light penetrates, the Lord's light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive. And it's like you may think you're getting away with something, but the Lord will reveal your ways eventually. Like you you cannot get away with doing something that and like think you're all sneaky and sly and stuff. The Lord will reveal you and He will punish you. Literally, you cannot get away with it. Because like the Lord, the Lord sees everything.

SPEAKER_01 49:32

Like we honestly we we think okay, we are quite silly in thinking that we can actually hide stuff from God. Yeah. Because we can't.

SPEAKER_04 49:41

Yeah, if you think that you kind of lost the plot already, because like how can you possibly think that?

SPEAKER_00 49:47

Yeah, he's reading a different book than us if you think that you can hide something from the Lord.

SPEAKER_01 49:51

Yeah, but I really like that verse too, because it's just so good. Like, uh like God's light is just so strong that he can just shine into your heart and be like, so actually, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 50:02

Let's have a talk here. What's happening?

SPEAKER_00 50:04

Let's let's sit down, let's let's have a chat. And if it's really bad, it'll reveal it to the people around you too.

SPEAKER_01 50:09

They're like, for real.

SPEAKER_00 50:10

Next thing you know, they'll be like, by the way, that person did this, this, this, and this. And they're not sorry about it. Oh, yeah. That wouldn't be good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 50:18

I don't know if we're on chapter 21 or not yet, but this verse goes perfectly.

Proverbs 21 On Pride And Planning

SPEAKER_03 50:22

Now we are. I mean, if y'all want to go back, go back, but this is perfect. It says Proverbs, Proverbs 21, 2 says, People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.

SPEAKER_01 50:31

Can we get an Amen?

SPEAKER_03 50:33

Amen. Amen. Amen. So God does not see what man sees, as we just talked about. Um, He if we see somebody doing right, it's easy for us to automatically see him, oh, this person's doing right. But um, what if the motive behind them living right was simply so they could be seen and they could be glorified? Yeah, like we see somebody who's oh yeah, they're they're doing exactly what we should be doing, but on the inside it's full of pride. And so God is seeing the pride, and he's like, Okay, I don't even you're yeah, you're doing the code, but on the inside, I don't want any of that. So it should be very careful.

SPEAKER_01 51:07

Your intentions are so important. Yeah, why you are doing it is so important, and it lays the groundwork for your walk with God and your relationship with Him because like I like personally, like I love God so much. It's like that is my groundwork. Like, my motive is I'm going to serve God because I love God. Yeah. But like just like Lincoln said, someone's motive might be because they're prideful. So yeah, like they could be following the quote unquote code, like they could be doing what you're supposed to be doing on outwardly. But just like Jesus said, like the Pharisees in the Bible looked good on the outside, but inwardly they were whitewashed tombs and full of dead man's bones. That's kind of scary having Jesus tell that to you. But um their intentions weren't right, and so your intentions are just so important, and so we should have them right.

SPEAKER_04 51:58

Yeah, yeah, no, I like that. It's um it's all about intention. Yeah, like you could be doing, like Lincoln was saying, all the right things outwardly, like the Pharisees, but if your heart isn't connected to God and that's not why you're doing it, then you missed it. You did miss it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:13

And it were you gonna say something? No. It kind of it kind of reminds like in verse five, it says good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. So when you're when you're wait, what were y'all just talking about? Intentions. Yes, if you're not that's the word I was gonna. If your intentions, if you don't have good intentions and you're like you're not intending to like really get much out of this, or you're not intentionally planning something that needs the planning, but you're taking these shortcuts instead, it's it will not get you anywhere. Yeah, like it won't get you anywhere. It'll actually probably just bring you down further. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 52:50

Like if you're just going through the motions, like you're saying, being intentional about what you're doing. Think about just going to church just to go to church. Yeah. Um, maybe you're just going because that's what you've always done, or maybe you go to hang out with your friends. Yeah, like you're going just to go. It has to be more. Your relationship with God should be more than just going to church to go to church. You're going to church so you can receive from God, so you can move forward. You're trying to gain something from it. Yeah. You're expecting God to do things in every service. You're not just going to go. Yeah. And so it is. It's about attention, it's about your mindset. I like that.

SPEAKER_03 53:22

It's really good.

SPEAKER_01 53:23

I thought that verse 9 and 21 was diabolical. It says, It's better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife who in a lovely home. Like the second part didn't stand out to me that much. But the first part, it's better to live alone in a corner of an attic. That's bad.

SPEAKER_03 53:41

Attics are hot.

SPEAKER_01 53:42

They're hot, they're annoying. They have like some some people might have some rats and something.

SPEAKER_00 53:49

Lincoln's something up there.

SPEAKER_04 53:51

We've been slacking Lincoln. One of us should have been married by the point of this episode, so we can really talk about the second part of that verse. But we don't have really we don't really have anyone to pick apart.

SPEAKER_01 54:02

So I don't know if the first part was diabolical.

SPEAKER_04 54:04

Well, ask them about that. Is it really that bad? Is the coralsome wife really that bad?

SPEAKER_03 54:09

If it's if it's as bad as staying in an attic in July in July of Louisiana heat. Oh, bro.

SPEAKER_04 54:16

That's almost like no, you're basically saying I would rather be dead than that. Yeah. That's what you're saying.

SPEAKER_01 54:23

And like the the writer of Proverbs has hinted on like it's better to be here than with like a quarrelsome wife or a wife, blah, blah, blah, blah. I think it's really just trying to pick like marry not someone who's quarrelsome. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 54:38

And I also think it's more about like think of it, uh, I think of it, yes, obviously being married to a quarrelsome wife or a spouse for anyone. That'd be horrible. But think about just the vision overall. Think about in your personal family. Yeah. If there's division in like your home family, that's just for anyone, not even just like a believer in God. For anyone, if you have the vision at your home, that's that's the core, that's the base. If you have the vision there, you're gonna be divided everywhere else. Yeah, right. In your circle, in your church, and your home, definitely, your home family, gotta make sure that there's no division there. You guys gotta be aligned, you guys gotta be in tune with each other. Because if you're divided at the home, just like with the quarrelsome wife, dude, you're not gonna want to be there. Yeah, you're gonna be screwed everywhere. That's yeah, that that's kind of what I get from that. Because like that is good, good job. I'm not married. Um, not married to a quarrelsome wife either. So not kind of there yet, but that's kind of what I get from it. Like, and hopefully I'm never there. Uh I don't want a quarrelsome wife. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's kind of what I take from it. That you have to be united. There can't be division at your home.

SPEAKER_01 55:44

Literally, and unity is so important. Like, unity is such a big theme throughout the entire Bible. Yeah, because unity like is what brings people of God together and la and allows us to be able to operate like as the body of Christ. And so, if just like Proverbs is pointing out, if um division is so harmful in the home, imagine how harmful it can be in a church. Yeah, like it can cause grudges, it can cause people leaving the church, it can cause um the church to split up. Like, we just we don't want division.

SPEAKER_04 56:21

And that verse, if you look at it, it ties back directly to some of the verses like Lincoln was bringing up earlier. Yeah, with the being wise and not letting your anger overtake you. Think about that in the church, how much less division there would be if everyone had that same belief and that same mindset. Where when if someone did something that kind of ticked you off or set you the wrong way, or act actively did something wrong, if instead of lashing back out them, you had that mindset, you forgave them, you prayed for them, you talked with them with gentleness and kindness.

SPEAKER_01 56:50

Yeah, we would be more unified.

SPEAKER_04 56:52

Because it brings about the unity, and that I like how it all ties together. That is a unity is a core concept.

SPEAKER_01 56:59

Yeah, I do agree. That's cool.

SPEAKER_00 57:02

Yeah. I think that uh side note, my favorite verse in Proverbs 21 is haughty eyes and a proud heart and evil actions are all sin.

SPEAKER_01 57:12

I just really I really what I was saying what verse it was because that was.

SPEAKER_00 57:17

Oh, verse 4, yeah. I just really love how direct it is. Yeah. Oh like literally it leaves no room for question. And that's what you can expect from Proverbs.

SPEAKER_04 57:24

Yeah, he's kind of like, hey bro, like if you haven't picked up on it from how I've talked about it in the previous chapters, here it is.

SPEAKER_00 57:30

Like so funny, they just snuck it in there. They were like, Howdy, it's a proud heart and evil actions are all sin. I just when I was reading, I was just like, oh, okay, yeah, that's really good.

SPEAKER_04 57:41

It's uh it's like for those that the wisdom hasn't really set in yet, they may have to read Proverbs again. Yeah, and so at this point they haven't really fully picked up that that thing's a sin.

SPEAKER_00 57:49

Chapter 21, not not in line with it yet.

SPEAKER_04 57:52

Oh, I get it now. This stuff is bad.

SPEAKER_00 57:57

Didn't see that before, but I see it now. That's a blot twist.

SPEAKER_03 58:00

I'd like to give it a few. It's all the way at the end of the chapter, but Proverbs 21:30, it says, No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord. And so this is like what we talked about earlier. Uh-huh. Like if God wants you somewhere, you're you're gonna get there. Yeah. Um of course, man's will does get in the way sometimes. Ask Jonah. I mean, Jonah was supposed to go to Nineveh the first time, but he had to learn what it is to live like in a whale for three days before he got to Nineveh.

SPEAKER_01 58:31

So um just imagine that's crazy. Yeah, that always bounces. Imagine living in a whale for three days. Like, my thing is like is it the belly of a whale?

SPEAKER_03 58:39

I don't want to imagine that, bro. Yeah, I don't actually want to imagine what that's like.

SPEAKER_01 58:43

Okay, well, like whatever. What's worse? Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 58:49

I choose the attic for three days.

SPEAKER_03 58:51

Or the or the whale. I choose the attic. I agree. Because that whale is eating and drinking stuff during those two days. I can't imagine that.

SPEAKER_04 58:58

Like when I was when I was a kid, uh, side note, um, not really that important, but when I was a kid, uh when I thought of the whale story, like I always just imagine like him being able to see in there. Like I would have to be. Oh yeah, like he has some kind of light or something like that. Like bro has like a head snipe on pitch black black, bro. Can you imagine how insane that was?

SPEAKER_00 59:18

Dude, imagine the whale just gulped a bunch of water and there's like barely any room for like breathing. Okay. Wait, how did he get oxygen?

SPEAKER_04 59:24

Imagine that the whale provided uh a bunch of fish, like a school of fish that the whale eats. It's an hour you have a bunch of little friends for a bit, but they don't last that long, so you just gotta keep watching them die. That's really sad.

SPEAKER_00 59:34

A little bit? Yeah. All right. That must have been horrible.

SPEAKER_04 59:37

That's really sad.

SPEAKER_00 59:38

It took him three days to realize he needs to do it. Yeah, when God tells you something to follow it.

SPEAKER_03 59:44

Yeah, yeah. So the moral of that story is if God calls you to go somewhere, just go. Really? No, yeah. It might not make sense to you. You missed out on a whale's stomach. So just go.

SPEAKER_01 59:57

Just go. Oh, yeah. I really like verse eight in Proverbs 21. It says, The guilty walk a crooked path, the innocent travel a straight road. And so this reminded me of Matthew 7, 13 through 14, where it says, You can enter God's kingdom only through the narrow gate. So, like the innocent travel a straight road. So, like, think about it like that. Um, the highway to hell is broad and its gate is wide for many who choose that way, but the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. I just think like all the interconnections in the Bible are just crazy. Like, because how can people say it's not real when there's so many connections? But, anyways, yeah, so the guilty, the sinful, like we're all sinful, but like the like foolish people in this context walk a crooked path, right? They walk the sinful path, they're making decisions left and right, and they're going left and right and all the different ways. Um, but the innocent travel a straight road, but Matthew 7 says a narrow gate. It has it's a narrow road, it's very difficult, but it's very rewarding in the end.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:08

Yeah, yeah, it's good.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:09

So I thought that was cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:11

Yeah. Following after what Lincoln's verse was was verse 31, it says, The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord. And that one is just like imagine we're the horse. We're not ants anymore, we're horses. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:25

So we've evolved.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:26

Yes. So the Lord has prepared us and He will He will help us, He'll protect us, and He'll use us. But whatever victory that comes out of us being used by the Lord is not our victory, it's the Lord's victory. Yeah, like He may have He may have kept you here and He might have prepared you for this, but He you still wouldn't have one without Him. Yeah, like He is the victory.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:45

Because the horses are just like the instruments in the battle, and like we're just the instruments in the battle. Yeah. But the Lord is like making it all unfold.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:54

Unfold. Sorry.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:58

But like in like in theory, the horse He doesn't really do much, he's just prepared to be strong and hold the person and like fight with the person.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:06

That's good.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:06

But the Lord uses them to for his victory. Literally, the horse didn't win the fight, the Lord did. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:12

So be like an ant and be like a horse.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:14

They're very different in size, but they they have the same creator.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:18

It's about the size of the belief.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:20

Wow. That's good.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:24

That is amazing. I'm gonna really sit down with that one later.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:26

I'm gonna write that on my mirror. Be an ant, be a horse.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:32

That's a faith builder. Doesn't matter how big you are, you got the same creator.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:37

Wow, amen. We'll run islands.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:41

That's a great note to end up in the podcast one.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:44

You're welcome. I agree.

Final Takeaways And Next Steps

SPEAKER_04 1:02:47

All right, guys. We've discussed a lot, a bunch of really good things. I really we I really like the message we had this week, and I really liked the the stuff we were going over in Proverbs. It was really good. But um just know I if you can, if you have the time, if you find the time, I'd go listen to the recording of that message if you can find the time. It was a it was a good message, and I feel like it can be applicable to a lot of you guys. Yeah, it was very applicable to me. And just if you have to take anything from it, know that you don't have to understand the how. Just trust in God, trust that He'll get you there, and just take those steps. Just believe in God. You're not always gonna know what it looks like. Just trust that God will get you there and you'll get there. And then in Proverbs, just keep following along with this. Just I mean, be wise. That's more of the story for Proverbs, but yeah, just we've been going over a lot of good stuff. There's a lot of good stuff in Proverbs, and we definitely didn't hit it all. So I'll just say follow it and read along with us. Read it on your own time, study Proverbs. It's I know we talk about it, we we joke about it at times, about how important wisdom is, but it's crucial. Yeah, and you'll get so much more. I like we talk about it, we discuss what we have from it, but you'll get so much more from it if you study it on your own time. Yeah, so that's what I'll leave you guys with. Study Proverbs on your own time, and you'll be blessed from it.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:05

I agree.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:06

But this is my first time doing this, so this is for you, Audrey. Pastor Jared spoke a word, and God's instructions were heard.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:15

Hey man, I think you'd be proud of that. You would be proud.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:18

But thank you guys for listening. Make sure you guys follow us on Instagram and wherever you listen for your podcast. And we'll see you all next week.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:27

Bye guys.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:28

Bye everybody.