WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.080 Thank you for joining us for After the Message. 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:12.800 To learn more about Celebration Church here in Orlando, you can follow us on social media under the handle at CelebrationORL or visit our website at celebrationorl.org. 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:17.600 Welcome to After the Message, folks. 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:24.320 If you are uh tuning in for the first time, you are on the Celebration Church Orlando podcast. 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:30.239 And uh we're so glad that you're here and tuning in whenever wherever you are and whenever it may be. 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:36.079 Uh After the Message is simply a conversation uh of the previous Sunday sermon. 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:42.159 And uh we just like to continue that conversation and hope it encourages you to do the same thing in your community. 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:47.280 Today uh I'm joined by our uh lead pastor, Pastor Keith Pittman. 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:49.280 Pastor Keith, welcome back. 00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:50.799 Man, I'm I'm glad to be back. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:59.359 And you know, Nate, I think um the last time I was here, it was like leading into potentially a Super Bowl appearance from your your squad. 00:00:59.520 --> 00:00:59.840 Yes. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:05.519 And um since then, um the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have have succeeded in winning the um Super Bowl. 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:17.120 So I want to say congratulations to you amongst the entire community of people that are listening to us as a diehard Eagles fan, game-recognized game, and even though Tom Brady has broke my heart on many occasions, I'm glad that it's worked out for you. 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:24.480 Yeah, man, it just you know, once you once you wake up a champion from the day after the Super Bowl, you just get used, you know. 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:25.840 I today I woke up a champion. 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:29.120 Tomorrow I'm gonna wake up a champion and I'll be a champion forever. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:31.120 So ride that wave as long as you can, brother. 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:32.000 It's it's amazing. 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:46.079 But yes, uh, we kid and we joke, but um, you know, we're we're super uh excited to continue this conversation on on a pivotal topic in our series, and we're currently in a series called Pursue. 00:01:46.159 --> 00:02:03.599 Yeah, and you know, we've talked a little bit about how Celebration Church has had a little bit of shift in um a little bit of shift in perspective about how we used to say that we lead others to experience a God first life, you know, that's why we exist. 00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:03.840 Yep. 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:09.360 Uh so we've kind of shifted that to uh God's people pursuing God's kingdom. 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:14.560 So uh I I think you put it beautifully that uh our pursuit determines our experience. 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:14.879 Yeah. 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:20.319 So we're still experiencing that God first life, but the way that we're experiencing it is by pursuing God. 00:02:20.560 --> 00:02:20.879 Exactly. 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:33.360 And and so can can you kind of talk a little bit about like how that revelation per se kind of came to you, or or maybe just you maybe you were thinking about how to present it to the community and and what that process was like? 00:02:33.599 --> 00:02:36.479 Well, I think uh I think you you hit it right on the on the head, man. 00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:46.719 I think what it was is realizing that when you're you're leading people to an experience, it's it's it's kind of it can be passive because like people can just want to sit back and and wait. 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:57.439 And and even though I think that our church historically, even in the 20 years leading into us kind of having this shift, we've created environments and and people have passionately pursued it. 00:02:57.680 --> 00:03:13.280 But I feel like in this this current season, and I'm not sure if it was the the pandemic or not, but I kind of started noticing how people like we we live in such a customizable world, and I think what happens is we begin to use the conveniences that are available to us to even customize our walk with God. 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:17.599 And now I don't have to pursue my I don't have to pursue my mail. 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:18.479 It comes to me. 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:20.800 I don't have to pursue anything, everything gets delivered. 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:24.479 And so I could begin to see that was kind of working its way into our belief system. 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:33.840 So even though you're thinking of all the church at home stuff, all the content that we have, all the things that's available, I would have people saying, like, hey man, so can you just have it delivered to me? 00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:36.800 I'm like, well, like all you got to do is just log on and go get it. 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:40.560 But even that seemed like to be an an exertion of effort. 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:47.280 So that's when I realized, like, man, maybe, maybe leading people to experience, we need to shift that from experiences to you to pursue it. 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:52.240 It's available, you don't got to work for it, but you still got to put the work into at least go and get what's available for us. 00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:55.840 And we do that in every area of our lives when you really think about it practically. 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:58.479 When we could go to the movies, you had to go. 00:03:58.639 --> 00:03:58.879 Right. 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:03.039 You didn't have to make the film, but you had to still go and position yourself to go and receive it. 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:12.960 So that was the subtle shift, and it may seem a little bit like semantics, but my hope is it can get ingrained into our culture where our posture is, I'm here to experience something, but I'm going to pursue it. 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:13.199 Yeah. 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:14.879 And my pursuit will determine what I experience. 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:16.319 Because here's the other thing I'll say. 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:25.759 I used to notice a a big distinction between whenever we would have like revival nights, like worship nights, like those nights are so powerful, they're so, they're so exciting. 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:28.639 And I'm thinking to myself, like, it's the same God. 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:30.959 We're still singing the same songs. 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:35.920 It's nothing has really changed except someone's expectation or their pursuit. 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:40.399 They're showing up with an expectation, they're showing up pursuing it, and so they're experiencing it. 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:42.800 So they're saying, like, man, that was a great night of worship. 00:04:42.879 --> 00:04:48.480 Well, Sunday morning is a great day of worship if you came with that same pursuit in mind, if you came with that same posture in mind. 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:53.680 So changing us from being in a spot where we're waiting to hear our favorite song to I'm pursuing God no matter what. 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:54.160 Yeah. 00:04:54.480 --> 00:04:55.680 Yeah, that's that's great. 00:04:55.759 --> 00:05:00.560 And and kind of at the beginning, you you spoke a little bit about the season of Lent. 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:08.000 And uh I grew up uh in an area where uh Catholicism was was pretty heavy. 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:16.879 And so I was familiar with this just because of my friendships and my community that you know my friends would be like, uh, you know, I can't do this because it's Lent. 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:21.680 And and so I began to learn what that was, and I even participated in it uh a few times. 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:31.920 And and so I think um I think it's interesting what you brought up about how you know this is a historically it's it's from Christianity, it's birthed out of Christianity. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:36.000 Is there any more do you have any more history or context around the birth of that? 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:43.839 Ultimately, what it what what tradition had pulled it from is they pulled it from when Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days. 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:44.240 Okay. 00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:46.160 Um that's kind of like the scripture reference. 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:51.120 And even though that's not the exact extraction, but nonetheless, that's the principle that people pull. 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:54.879 Like Jesus went away, he gave up to prepare himself for ministry. 00:05:55.360 --> 00:06:06.000 And so tradition came where they use that text to say, okay, in preparation for Easter, it's such a sacred time where we're believing that the fulfillment of Jesus' ministry is going to bring a harvest of people. 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:16.399 So why don't we recognize this as a moment where the people of God are going to create a space where they sacrifice in order to prepare for the work that Jesus has done and for people to come and get saved. 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:27.600 So traditionally, people would they would fast, they would pray, they would have baptisms and they would have this as a preparation for what they believed God was going to do in the lives of so many people um for Easter time. 00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:37.600 Now, w like anything, traditions can quickly get turned into religiosity and it can get real complicated and legalistic, yeah, and then the potency of it kind of gets lost. 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:49.600 And so when when Reformation happened and we kind of started seeing the divide between Protestants and Catholicism, that's where some of those those traditions that really were rooted in the best intentions kind of like fell by the wayside. 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:52.639 So it's like, oh, that's a Catholic thing versus that's a Protestant thing. 00:06:52.800 --> 00:07:00.079 But before there was a great divide, it was actually just a body of Christ thing that I believe the enemy began to manipulate to cause confusion. 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:05.759 So for folks that want to kind of lean into these moments with a sacred mindset, you can participate in it. 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:10.399 It's not something that you have to do, just like a lot of the other things that we recognize as believers. 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:22.399 But if you want to, I believe that there's a grace there in just abstaining from some things, praying for some loved ones that you want to see get saved, because we've seen traditionally that that it does seem to soften the ground a little bit and people do come to faith. 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:22.879 Yeah. 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:26.639 It it's interesting too that you mentioned reading the gospels, yeah. 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:34.800 Um, and actually what you know, I was I I was going through a devotional and I finished that, and so I was like, man, what what should I do next? 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:37.040 And I thought, well, why don't I just read through all the gospels? 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:41.040 And so when you mentioned that, I was like, okay, is this providential? 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:42.879 Whatever, but it it's just really cool. 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:51.759 So I I started reading Matthew and um yeah, really looking forward to to kind of walking through that um that book of the Bible in this season, you know. 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:53.759 It's it's kind of cool how that's kind of come together. 00:07:54.240 --> 00:07:55.839 Are you going to just are you reading like just Matthew? 00:07:57.519 --> 00:07:57.920 Yep, great. 00:07:58.160 --> 00:07:58.879 Yep, definitely. 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:01.920 Um so yeah, really, really looking forward to that. 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:06.399 I haven't I haven't like been intentionally in one book of the Bible in a while. 00:08:06.639 --> 00:08:07.040 Same. 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:09.600 So I think it I think it'll be a good thing. 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:10.480 Yep. 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:23.680 Um, so we talked about uh rhythms of rest and and how God initiated that and and it's you know it's from God and it's almost countercultural, you know what I mean? 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:26.399 And and you spoke about you know the very beginning. 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:43.440 Um I I guess the first question I have for you, is God resting after each day in creation, and then eventually on the seventh day, is that purely a model for us, or is there other significance to it, other like theological ramifications, or is it is it really just like no, this is what I want you to do? 00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:45.840 Yeah, I think it's so there's there's two sides to it. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:50.879 One, it's it's God modeling because he he really is trying to help us to understand. 00:08:50.960 --> 00:09:00.240 But when you look at the days and him resting, and that's something I really didn't hit on in the message, but at the end of every day, the whole point was that God was establishing boundaries. 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:06.000 So for each day, it was still meant to be there's a beginning, there's an end, there's a boundary, and then there's another start. 00:09:06.159 --> 00:09:10.480 So that's why it allows scriptures for like his his mercies are renewed every morning. 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:16.559 It begins to allow these scriptures to take root and recognizing that here's boundaries, and then tomorrow's a new day. 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:22.480 Because un unfortunately, we can kind of have this constant pressure to want to accomplish and get so much done. 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:23.679 It's great to be driven. 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:28.960 But even when you think about the ministry of Jesus, like he got to a point where he was like, the poor you will always have with you. 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:36.080 Like there are still moments where we're gonna need to rest, to detach, to kind of disconnect, because there's gonna always be another email that you need to respond to. 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:42.480 There's gonna always be another thing that you can get to, but when you can live your life with healthy boundaries, it's gonna allow you to reserve your strength. 00:09:42.799 --> 00:10:01.039 But when you get to the seventh day and on the seventh day he rested, I was reading some some some scholarly work, and what it said was is on the seventh day when he rested, and they were looking at some of the language implications, it was saying that ultimately it was like when he breathed a sigh that then allowed everything he created to be filled with his presence. 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:10.080 So it was like on the seventh day after everything is done, it was almost like when you see in um in Psalms where sometimes it says Sela, like it's a break, it's a breath. 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:13.039 It was like that was God saying, Okay, I've finished it. 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:17.440 And now his presence was filled in everything that he had just finished creating. 00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:19.200 So that's kind of what that was meant to symbolize. 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:23.840 And the beautiful thing was there was never supposed to be an end to that day. 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:37.919 Like that that seventh day of rest was meant to be the state that we were supposed to exist and live in for all eternity, which is why when he comes back and everything and then the heavens and the earth come together, there will never be like that new day and end. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:39.600 Like it says, there's no sun, there's no moon. 00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:45.279 We're sustained by the presence of Jesus, getting back to that eternal rest, which was what God's plan was from the very beginning. 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:51.200 But when sin entered the picture, he had to put boundaries around that so that restoration could have a pattern that he could lead us through. 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:52.480 Yeah, that makes sense. 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:58.480 It's kind of like when you cook a steak and this you take the steak off the grill, but it needs to rest for a little bit. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:10:59.120 Exactly. 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:05.679 You know, you can't you could go right in and eat it if you want to, but it's probably gonna be a little bit better if you just give it a few minutes at room temperature. 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:07.600 So Nate, I should have used that in the message, man. 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:08.399 Hey, well, there you go. 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:11.279 Next time you preach this one, you know, you got that in your back pocket. 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:14.960 But um wh why do you think rest is difficult for us? 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:18.639 You know, what why what why doesn't it seem to be natural? 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:22.799 Because I think what seems to be natural, and let's distinguish this. 00:11:23.039 --> 00:11:25.759 Um laziness could be a natural thing. 00:11:25.919 --> 00:11:26.240 Yes. 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:28.080 Oh, or escapism. 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:42.720 You know, I was talking to somebody earlier in the week uh leading up to Sunday, and I was like, you know, I think what this this Sunday could do for our community is it could it could show that we don't run away from something, we run to something. 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:47.679 So we're not what the world says is you know, escape. 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:49.120 So go to the movies and escape. 00:11:49.279 --> 00:11:50.320 Escape your reality. 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:52.480 What we're saying is no, we're running to God. 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:52.799 Yes. 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:55.200 And and and we're running to rest in God. 00:11:55.440 --> 00:12:05.840 So is it just that our sinful nature that causes that, or or or what do you think causes us not to naturally lean towards true rest in God? 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:12.720 I think it's um I think what it I think what it can boil down to is almost like a lack of trust. 00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:16.559 So, so and and I I kind of talked about it a little bit in the message. 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:21.759 I didn't go as far into it as I wish time would allow me to, but but in its in its pure form. 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:24.559 That's why after the message was birthed, that's why we're here. 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:29.519 Um but when you when you think about like, okay, so the children of Israel in bondage, they were slaves. 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:30.799 There were no days off. 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:40.879 Um, but if you go back even before that in Genesis 11, and there's a statement that that the people, the collective, said, like, we're going to build this monument and make a name for ourselves. 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:48.080 I think it's part of our human nature that we just love to make monuments that are a reflection of our hard work. 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:49.840 Look at what I've created. 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:58.000 But the whole idea of rest was getting to a point where you recognize that yes, the Bible talks about how God gives us gifts and ability to do things with our hands. 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:03.440 But when we pause and invite God into the process, it allows God to breathe on the work of our hands. 00:13:03.600 --> 00:13:08.240 It allows us to have rest, but allows God to be the guest of honor of the work that we've done. 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:18.639 Unfortunately, what happens is we've gotten so busy with our schedule that we schedule God right out of our lives, and now we just continue to exalt the monuments that are a reflection of our hard work. 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:31.679 I still remember, um, I've shared this in a message years ago, um, but I still remember when I had a friend of mine who went to um medical school, and he had grinded, as you can imagine, as it requires you to go to medical school. 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:45.519 And then he had got to a point where he was graduating and he he was genuinely concerned about his faith because he knew, like coming out of medical school, he was being recruited, making a salary that was just ridiculous, like day one. 00:13:45.679 --> 00:13:53.200 And he said to me, He's like, Man, I'm concerned about my faith because I don't know what my walk with God's gonna look like now that I don't need him financially. 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:57.600 And I said, Well, that's that shouldn't change because you still need God. 00:13:57.759 --> 00:14:10.240 Like, you know, and and again, our walk with God isn't meant to be rooted in like this uh super dependency that I can't function, but it's meant to be this, this, this trust that I understand that God is the one who's giving me gifts and my my mind, everything that I have. 00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:15.279 But but his filter was like, I really sought God when I didn't have finances. 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:17.519 I really sought God when I was working through school. 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:22.480 But now that I have all these resources, I don't even need to include God in my decision making anymore. 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:24.480 I don't have to include God in my budget anymore. 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:35.200 And I think that that's an example of how we can be so busy and so successful and so driven that we get to a point that we don't even feel like we quote unquote need God because we have all the answers, because it's right in our hands. 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:35.440 Yeah. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:40.639 What God is saying is in spite of your success or in spite of your struggles, create space for me to come in. 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:42.000 Just invite me to be a part of it. 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:45.519 And I'm not asking you for a whole lot in the same way with the tithe. 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:50.960 I'm asking you for to give me a portion of time where you just acknowledge and honor me in it, and I'm telling you you'll be blessed. 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:53.840 That's that's kind of what rest is biblical rest. 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:55.440 That was the mind of God from the beginning. 00:14:55.679 --> 00:14:56.080 Yeah. 00:14:56.399 --> 00:15:05.360 And again, you know, it's easy to get that confused with relaxation or get it confused with just tuning the world out. 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:07.600 You know, there's there's a difference there. 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:11.279 And and I think it'll be your perspective now. 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:13.840 You were just on vacation, you know what I mean? 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:18.559 And so I think what a lot of people do is when they come back, I I hear this term all the time. 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:20.240 I need a vacation for my vacation. 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:26.080 You know, like I went on vacation, I had a lot of fun, I did what I wanted to do, but I'm exhausted. 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:27.679 So there was no real rest. 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:28.639 You know what I mean? 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:29.440 So true. 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:30.639 So true. 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:36.159 One of the or the first point that that that you kind of brought up was rest giving us perspective. 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:47.759 And and you use the uh example of Joseph, uh, you know, when he finds out that Mary's pregnant, and then you know, he uh during his his night's rest, uh he learns what to do. 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:54.720 Are there any moments that you can remember in your life, you know, vivid moments where uh rest played a part in a big decision that you made? 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:05.200 So when I was gonna come into full-time ministry, it was that was a big one for me. 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:20.720 So we we had been serving at the church um and and faithfully loving it, but kind of feeling the sense of even though I had a great job working for the school district, doing very well there, um, but I knew that God was calling me to do something else. 00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:34.159 And so I remember wrestling with it and and even even going into like I had like conversations with tons of different people and kind of sensing like, hey man, the day's gonna come where the church is gonna ask you to come on full time, like it's just a matter of time. 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:40.240 I wasn't pursuing it, I wasn't chasing after it, but it seemed as if it was inevitable based off of the opportunities that were coming my way. 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:40.639 Okay. 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:44.960 So so I knew that that was something that that God was kind of beginning to stir. 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:52.799 I had I ended up having a meeting with someone to talk about some stuff dealing with groups, and um, but I didn't realize that that was almost like a test like job interview. 00:16:52.879 --> 00:16:53.200 Didn't know. 00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:54.879 You just never know. 00:16:54.960 --> 00:16:55.840 So I'm like, all right, cool. 00:16:55.919 --> 00:17:09.279 So I come home and then I get a phone call from our then CFO, and she's like, hey, like, you know, I just want to let you know, like, you know, the church has been, you know, watching you and your family for several years, you guys have been faithful, and we want to see if you would be interested in and accepting this position. 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:14.000 And I was like, okay, like, yeah, like I've been I've been on this journey, and of course you want to pray about it. 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:24.480 But but the thing that hit me was I had already known, just real talk, I had already known that the church was not going to be able to match my salary that I was what I was making when I was at the school system. 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:25.680 I knew that for a fact. 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:29.759 So I I was really at a place where at the time Megan wasn't working. 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:34.319 I was making enough at the school where um where Megan didn't have to work. 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:36.400 We decided for her to stay home with um with the kids. 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:40.799 And so I knew that even though she didn't have to work, we still weren't bawling. 00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:43.279 We still we sure we were doing okay, but we weren't balling. 00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:48.160 So so I was like, man, if I'm gonna make less, I don't think I can afford to make less. 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:56.319 So logic began to really begin to deconstruct, like, bro, like I know it's a great opportunity, but there's no way that you can afford to make less money. 00:17:56.400 --> 00:17:57.839 I know it's what you feel called to do. 00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:03.039 And so in my flesh, in my mind, I was prepared to say, like, listen, like it's a great opportunity. 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:10.640 I can still serve, I'll do the exact same things you want to pay me for free, um, but I can't st I can't stop making what I'm making. 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:13.680 Um and I was prepared to do that, but um but I didn't. 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:16.799 I literally felt like God said, You need to sleep on it, you need to rest. 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:30.559 And when I went to sleep, um God kind of spoke to me in this in this dream and he gave Megan a a dream as well, but he spoke to me and he said, Um He said, Keith, uh if you if you decide to go into full-time ministry, I won't love you any more or any less. 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:35.839 If you decide to stay at your job in the school district, I won't love you any more or any less. 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:37.359 My grace is sufficient. 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:48.559 However, and this is where God kind of dropped a mic on me, he said, However, uh at the end of your days and you're standing in my presence, are you gonna say that you did not fulfill my perfect will for your life because I couldn't afford you? 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:53.359 And once once I got that, I woke up and I was like, Man, it's true. 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:55.440 Am I saying that God can't afford me? 00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:58.640 So what I did is I went into that next meeting and I was like, you know what? 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:11.440 I don't know what the job offer like what the salary is gonna be, but I feel like the Spirit of God told me to say yes because absolutely if I have to sacrifice, if I have to make adjustments to my life in order for me to walk in my calling, I'm prepared to do that. 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:18.000 So that's an example of when I needed to rest, where God was able to speak to me because my mind otherwise wasn't giving God space to talk. 00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:22.480 But when I went to sleep, he was like, I love you either way, but do you think that I can't afford you? 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:23.599 And so that was it. 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:26.880 That's uh that brings up a kind of another conversation. 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:30.720 Something I talk to people about all the time is like, you know, the will of God. 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:40.880 And and I think I think what you brought up is God's love, you know, and God's grace is uh unconditional, his love's unconditional, you know what I mean? 00:19:41.039 --> 00:19:42.559 Kind of what we've been talking about. 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:49.359 Um but um he has specific things probably that he's ordained for your life. 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:56.400 And so the you get in that whole that whole battle of free will versus predestination and all that stuff. 00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:57.839 So we can talk about that in another time. 00:19:58.240 --> 00:19:59.200 Perfect will and permissive will. 00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:00.319 Like that's what it pulls down to. 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:01.839 Like, what is God going to permit me to do? 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:03.599 But what is his perfect will for my life? 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:08.160 And um more often than not, I'm trying to lean towards the the perfect will. 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:09.119 Sometimes you miss it. 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:21.680 Um, but there is that space where grace kind of lets you, like, yeah, if you wanted to if I if if I know what God's calling me to do, I know God's called me to function um as a pastor in in my life, and I believe that that's my calling to the end of my days. 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:24.720 But if I'm like, you know what, man, I've had enough of this. 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:27.200 I want to go back, I want to go into the construction field. 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:28.720 God's still gonna love me. 00:20:28.880 --> 00:20:34.319 He's he will permit me to do that, but I know that I am not in his perfect will for my life. 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:37.680 What do you think whenever you talk to people about that? 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:44.240 Because I'm sure people talk to you all the time about like, I don't know what to do, I don't know what the next step is, I think this is what God wants me to do. 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:50.640 Like, what do you what do you typically say to someone when they're trying to decide if this is God's perfect will for their life? 00:20:51.359 --> 00:21:03.599 I think um what I've found with the perfect will of God is that the doors are open and you don't have to force them open yourself, but to walk through that door will require sacrifice. 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:12.319 I've I've I've not seen scripturally or otherwise where the perfect will of God can be fully walked in without it costing you something. 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:18.640 And so we can look at Jesus obviously as a perfect example where nevertheless, not my will, your will be done. 00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:24.559 Jesus walked and lived his life, but he understood that the perfect will of God was going to require me to sacrifice my life. 00:21:24.640 --> 00:21:30.240 And so what I would typically say to people, a lot of times we feel like things are God because things are easier. 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:34.559 We feel like something is God because it's super man, like this makes so much sense. 00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:35.599 And sometimes it is. 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:38.720 But I often find myself saying, But what do you have to give up to do that? 00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:44.799 And if the if you don't have anything you can think of, it doesn't mean that it's not God, but I would just say, let's let's dig a little bit deeper. 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:45.200 Yeah. 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:50.079 The second thing that that you kind of touched on was rest honoring God. 00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:59.680 And and um the question that came out of that for me was how do we balance the mission that God's given us as Christians um to be aware. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:07.039 witness and to try and help others know Jesus um that kind of urgency that's in us with rest. 00:22:07.519 --> 00:22:08.240 You know what I mean? 00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:19.680 And how do we um I guess how the how do we balance it is the best way to put it or how do we justify rest when someone may say well yeah but there's people that are dying and go to hell. 00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:20.319 You know what I mean? 00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:20.880 Absolutely. 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:23.440 Like what's what's the balance there do you think? 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:28.640 I think the balance is is um is is you you have a you have a rhythm of rest. 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:31.680 I think there's a difference between rest and hibernation. 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:32.319 Okay. 00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:33.039 Yes. 00:22:33.279 --> 00:22:34.079 You feel what I'm saying? 00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:42.799 So like I so I think for if you have a rhythm of rest where okay like you know for for me and my family I do my best to to rest on Fridays. 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:44.319 As you know we're off on Fridays. 00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:56.880 So Friday I might be running around doing some things but Friday night we do our best to to have a to try to have family dinner and then like from Friday night at least until like Saturday afternoonish I'm trying my best to just be present with my family. 00:22:57.039 --> 00:23:02.880 We can run errands we can go shopping it's not like you're just sitting at home like in some kind of spiritual seance just hoping that you hear from God. 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:09.599 It's just my moment where I'm trying my best to detach from the things that are trying to that are fighting for my attention. 00:23:09.920 --> 00:23:18.559 It's my opportunity for me to make sure that I am to the best of my ability present for my family and and we've invited God into our home and there's just a peace that comes with it. 00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:25.839 So I think sometimes we can think rest is the lack of activity and there may be moments of that but really it's just the lack of distractions. 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:43.039 I'm minimizing the things that are trying to pull me away so so that's that's the first the first thing that I want to bring clarification to I think the tension or the way that you balance it all out is just understanding that um on this designated day that I guess I see it as man Jesus rested. 00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:45.759 God rested after creation. 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:58.960 So if he was able to rest, if Jesus rested with all of the things he's doing and then and and he's leading us to this place of rest then I believe that you know what even if I don't it'll still get done. 00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:04.880 I think it I think it really just takes me off of my high horse and believing that that that I am the end all be all. 00:24:05.119 --> 00:24:11.599 So I think sometimes we we don't realize that we really do believe that that we that things don't get done without us. 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:15.119 And and I realize we can set up systems and certainly things can fall between the cracks. 00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:17.119 So don't don't don't misunderstand what I'm saying. 00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:25.359 But what I'm trying to acknowledge is that God forbid like when I when I broke my ankle and I wasn't able to function life goes on. 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:43.200 Like you'd be amazed at how life goes on and so if we can just have that mindset of saying like I know that life's going to go on as Jesus modeled for us hey let's pull away and rest for a while like we gotta we gotta get to this place where we kind of just breathe and just enjoy one another and then we get back at it like even if you're watching a sporting event they could have time. 00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:46.480 Like everything we see is geared towards giving people rest. 00:24:46.720 --> 00:24:47.599 It's not that hard. 00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:52.559 I think it's just if we can get out of our own heads and stop creating systems that require so much from us. 00:24:52.799 --> 00:25:02.559 Yeah that makes total sense and uh I think like you said man it if Jesus did it it's probably a good idea that that that we follow that rhythm. 00:25:03.119 --> 00:25:16.880 You briefly mentioned though that there are some um some counter viewpoints to this uh kind of in in passing in your sermon but it obviously put the light bulb on on in my head like what would be an argument against rest? 00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:30.000 You know what I mean and why even in the circle of faith like without trying to get too confrontational what what would be some arguments against that and um why would anybody not be down for it I guess? 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:32.880 Bro it's it's a it's a can of worms. 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:33.200 Okay. 00:25:33.359 --> 00:26:07.119 But but what I'll tell you is that so our you know when we when we look in scripture you know and we see passages of scripture like salvation is of the Jews, Jesus talking to the woman at the well helping her to understand that that God chose the Jewish people that he he he challenged he he um he rebuked he he gave them consequences because they were his chosen people to be the ones that would be the the bearers of light because he knew that he was going to bring about redemption of all mankind and he needed a people group that had a foundation of what it meant to worship the true God um Yahweh. 00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:08.720 So that was the God's chosen people. 00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:11.359 So that's what it means by found that salvation is of the Jews. 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:23.599 They were the people group that God selected so when God chose them and gave them um these biblical um boundaries and ways of function as a people they also began to establish strong traditions. 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:31.759 So for for for Jewish people they have their their religion their faith their their national identity are all woven in together. 00:26:31.920 --> 00:26:43.599 So when you fast forward time and you get to these things it's sometimes hard to make a distinction between what are the things that God is telling us to do versus what are the things that are just part of the Jewish nationality that we really don't have to do anymore. 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:53.519 So the confusion comes in where people begin to look at certain things in the Old Testament which was kind of towards a Jewish audience outside of like prophecies about the inclusions of nations later. 00:26:53.680 --> 00:27:05.200 So people are saying like okay well God that's in the Old Testament right so that means that that was mainly under the old dispensation the dispensation of law which is pretty much dealing with the Jewish people we're in a dispensation of grace. 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:10.160 That's the that's the that's the age of the church and the Gentiles so we're not bound by any of that stuff. 00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:21.759 So I think what's important for us is to recognize that when God institutes a Sabbath by himself demonstrating a day of rest, that's before the Jewish people were selected out to be their own separate people group. 00:27:21.839 --> 00:27:28.559 This is something that God had established from the very beginning but then he gave it to the Jewish people as a as a semblance of what we do. 00:27:28.640 --> 00:27:37.039 And so for me that's the confusion that comes into it is where people look at these things and say well no God gave that to the Jewish people so that's not something that we quote unquote have to do. 00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:43.680 Didn't Paul say that we don't have to do these things anymore didn't Jesus have to deal with debates when he did things and people are like well hey man what are you doing? 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:53.200 You're not supposed to do that on the Sabbath like what it is is ultimately folks if like so Jesus came he's Lord of the Sabbath the book of Hebrews says we have a better priest we don't have to do those things anymore. 00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:56.480 And the truth be told like it's not a salvic thing. 00:27:56.559 --> 00:28:00.640 If you choose to work nonstop you're not going to lose your place in heaven. 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:06.240 But what I think you're doing is you're missing out on the opportunity of experiencing a little bit of Eden now on earth. 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:08.640 That's what that's what that's what Sabbath is supposed to be. 00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:11.440 It's supposed to be a benefit to us not a burden to us. 00:28:11.680 --> 00:28:25.599 Yeah that makes sense um I think it I think too a a lot of a lot of the perspective that sometimes we can even get infiltrated into the way that we view the world is not an eternal perspective. 00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:38.400 And so I'll sleep when I die you know or I gotta I gotta get it when I'm alive and and all that stuff when when in reality if you're a believer there's no end. 00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:53.839 You know like there's a physical death obviously and you know you can go into the the doctrinal theological ramifications of what new life is and and and and that's not what we're here to to debate or figure out but at the end of the day like we win. 00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:54.880 You know what I mean? 00:28:54.960 --> 00:29:11.440 Like if you're if you're a son or daughter of God like you you have because of the grace of Jesus Christ like you have eternal life so there isn't really in my even as a child I've always like well why are you worried about that like we don't we don't run out of time. 00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:32.240 You get what I'm saying for so and I was kind of talking to somebody about that in in in regards to death because of a a a parent you know and so I was trying to understand and I don't have kids so I was trying to understand like the grandparent relationship like well my grand my my parents aren't going to be able to see my grandkids or whatever it may be. 00:29:32.400 --> 00:30:05.039 So I don't know if that makes any sense at all but it does there is there is a perspective I think that in modern day uh especially America it it's hard to grab on to as as a Christian because it can infiltrate us that well we gotta we gotta hurry up and get it done before we before we leave you know I think um you know and it's not exclusive to to the West but we we certainly have a controlling interest and and and our ability to work hard and capitalism and that's that's one of the beauties of being able to know that you can work hard and get after it. 00:30:05.200 --> 00:30:11.519 But I I think it comes at the expense of us forsaking the things that God really wants us to have. 00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:18.400 Like you know it's you know I I Jesus talks about man what what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul. 00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:18.799 Right. 00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:22.480 Um and and a lot of times we look at that as like a a salvation thing. 00:30:22.799 --> 00:30:24.880 Um but I I think it's a little bit deeper than that. 00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:39.839 I think it's like soul is like a sense of self, well being purpose like understanding the the biblical and godly value that you have you got all these things but it came at the expense of you giving up like your family, your rest, your peace, your shalom like is that is that worth it? 00:30:40.079 --> 00:30:54.640 And I think that if if if there's something that I think the American church can really begin to lead the way in with our with our demographics that God has us in, is helping us to recognize like acquiring more things is not is not a reflection of godliness. 00:30:54.960 --> 00:31:01.200 It's not necessarily anything wrong with it man get it be successful but I think sometimes we place so much we place so much emphasis. 00:31:01.359 --> 00:31:18.480 This is why Jesus says man don't don't simply store up things that are going to be here on earth that's going to rust and that mother's going to get to but but man store up treasures in heaven that's the balance that we want to have be successful man provide for your family go on vacations do all that stuff God's given us this world for us to have impact but to also enjoy it. 00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:27.039 But don't forget that man we we belong to the kingdom of God and if we don't learn how to bring the kingdom here on earth on earth as it is in heaven then we're missing out on it. 00:31:27.119 --> 00:31:36.079 Sometimes we think on earth as it is in heaven is exclusively to answering the prayer that I want no in heaven while they are certainly on mission there's rest. 00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:42.240 So let's start talking about bringing that on in heaven on earth as well instead of just kind of like getting my prayer answered. 00:31:42.400 --> 00:31:42.559 Yeah. 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:46.400 So that's that's the thing that we needed we just have to bring that heavenly balance back in. 00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:56.960 Yeah a lot of times and this is a theme that's come up on the on the podcast uh a few different times and and something that God's continuing to teach me like it's both. 00:31:57.119 --> 00:31:57.359 Yes. 00:31:57.519 --> 00:31:58.720 It's work and it's rest. 00:31:58.880 --> 00:31:59.119 Yes. 00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:01.680 And there are designated spaces for that. 00:32:01.759 --> 00:32:13.599 Yes you know what I mean so God definitely I mean before the fall of man like they were even required to to steward the the the garden you know and that's work. 00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:19.599 So it's not like it's not like whenever there's a new heaven and a new earth it's just like we're just chilling on the couch. 00:32:19.839 --> 00:32:21.519 Like there's stuff there gonna be stuff to do. 00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:31.200 But it's gonna be from a posture of rest and satisfaction and peace absolutely and not frantic gotta get it done or not striving. 00:32:32.000 --> 00:32:42.240 Yes yeah absolutely that's that's always been the will of God for for his people is for us to experience in that and I think that we we look at heaven as being this distant thing that's away. 00:32:42.319 --> 00:33:01.039 We look at the things that God is talking to us about as this thing that we only can acquire when we when we breathe our last breath but the truth of the matter is man like heaven is closer than we think it is and and we can experience some of the the peace that God really has for us if we can just begin to implement um his ways into our lives. 00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:03.200 So that's that's the that's the hope. 00:33:03.279 --> 00:33:47.839 That's what I'm asking us to consider doing is really getting to a place where we're gonna stop allowing the the hustle and the grind of the world to consistently call us cause us to get out of rhythm with God like okay yeah get after it but create some space let's do something countercultural and create some space where we're gonna say I'm gonna rest I'm gonna invite God into my home I'm gonna pray over my family we're gonna sit back we're gonna play some Uno together we're gonna watch some TV we're gonna talk we're gonna hang we're gonna chat we may go out to get something to eat we're gonna do any of that stuff but it's a space where I'm not gonna be looking at my emails I'm not gonna be looking at the things that are needed that are pulling away from me and we work in church we work in ministry and even that is something that I have to say you know what when God was doing his creation you know what that's good enough for today. 00:33:48.160 --> 00:33:49.119 That's good enough for today. 00:33:49.200 --> 00:34:13.519 It's understanding boundaries and so that's something that I've learned to put into my life and even being in a position that I'm in I I do my very best to make sure I don't I don't harass anyone on Fridays or Saturdays unless it's like a crazy emergency or something comes up that we just didn't anticipate but I do my best to honor that because I realize that that means something to me and I'm hopeful that I can show that to our team. 00:34:13.760 --> 00:34:14.400 Yeah. 00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:19.119 And for for someone who's like man what where do I even begin? 00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:24.480 Who how how do I even start this other than just not doing anything? 00:34:24.639 --> 00:34:35.519 Like what what do they you know what what does someone need to because we're talking more about a posture and a mindset and and an attitude more than we are an action. 00:34:35.679 --> 00:34:35.920 Yep. 00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:43.760 So so how do how does someone begin to do that begin d is it just like just start and and move forward with it? 00:34:43.840 --> 00:34:51.679 Are there are there things that you want people to be thinking about I mean what are what are some um some Sabbath specifics if you will? 00:34:51.920 --> 00:34:55.599 Yeah I would I would say like there are some things that you just you just do it. 00:34:55.679 --> 00:35:05.199 Like it's it's you just begin to you just begin to get after because um sometimes like you know we we can't be we can't wait for our feelings to catch up with what God is asking us to do. 00:35:06.000 --> 00:35:18.480 So for so for me and my family I would say depending on the week it all varies but if I were to kind of you know collate a s a a data point I would say we probably eat together eighty percent. 00:35:18.719 --> 00:35:18.960 Okay. 00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:25.679 Maybe more recently over the past month maybe about 78% but 80% we eat together virtually every night of the week anyway. 00:35:26.079 --> 00:35:32.239 But what I do know is on Friday is the night that I'm a little bit more intentional about what we are are talking about. 00:35:32.400 --> 00:35:36.559 We're a little bit more intentional with making sure like okay on Friday nights we don't have phones at the table. 00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:38.960 Like so it's just being a little bit more intentional with that night. 00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:51.599 So I think that instead of trying to overwhelm yourself by launching something completely new I think you look at what you're currently doing and just say how can I be intentional with presencing God in this I gotta eat. 00:35:51.920 --> 00:36:03.119 I'm I'm I'm either with my family or I'm with friends or maybe this is a night that I'm I'm I'm alone just when I'm doing something that I already do I eat on Fridays or whatever day it works for you I'm gonna pause and take a couple of minutes and just say God you know what? 00:36:03.199 --> 00:36:03.840 I honor you. 00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:14.320 I'm so grateful that that you are Lord of the Sabbath and I invite you into my home I just pray that you give me peace in Jesus' name and then you literally sit down you eat you do whatever you do you keep it pushing. 00:36:14.400 --> 00:36:31.360 Sometimes my family and I will do communion a lot of times we don't but just something as simple as that is just your process of inviting God into your home and you acknowledging that he's Lord not only of your Sundays but he's lord of your your Fridays your everyday of the week but it's a great moment to pause and just acknowledge him. 00:36:31.679 --> 00:36:50.880 Yeah I uh I think too a lot of times we um we forget that pursuing God may not necessarily be always adding elements but taking some elements away so for me one of the ways that that I do that is literally putting my phone in another room. 00:36:51.039 --> 00:37:03.679 Yes because I can say oh I'll just put it on silent and put it on the coffee table well what do I do I pick it up I turn it over did I do I have anything but when it's away from me in the other room or even off it's it's it's me removing that. 00:37:03.840 --> 00:37:10.960 You know it's me saying like okay I'm liter if I really want to look at it I'm gonna have to get it up walk you know what I mean so it's a shame to go get it. 00:37:11.199 --> 00:37:17.760 Exactly exactly exactly like dang it yes but so I think removing some things too it's not just adding a bunch of stuff. 00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:25.119 Absolutely and I think that's the key point man is like I think sometimes we we can just get bogged down by feeling like okay I got to add all this stuff but I think that's a great point. 00:37:25.280 --> 00:37:35.440 I notice for me that um when I would struggle with sleeping because sometimes like I'm my mind's always going and man I got this thought let me put it in my notes or something really quick. 00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:47.840 But what I notice is when I when I move my phone on the other side of the bedroom so it's it's charging it's in the other it's in the other room like it's basically in a bathroom like it's going to require me to physically get up walk over there like what you're saying. 00:37:48.079 --> 00:37:52.000 I started sleeping so much better because my brain knew I didn't have immediate access to it. 00:37:52.159 --> 00:37:58.159 So I was able to literally rest better because my mind wasn't thinking hey man you need to write that down before you forget it. 00:37:58.239 --> 00:38:10.800 It was so much more peace um doing that and I had to train myself in that way so I think you're on to something really crucial is like yeah just put it just put it away what does putting it away look like um and that's just doing something like that. 00:38:10.960 --> 00:38:14.719 It's it goes a long way because there's constantly this pull at us man. 00:38:14.800 --> 00:38:22.320 It's just you know I was I was watching this show man I'll I'll say this I was watching this show on um Netflix I think it's called Social Dilemma. 00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:47.840 Yep and bro like it it messed with me because like it talks about how like these devices which are meant to be tools to help us how they conveniently strategically send things to your phone to get your attention like and it's it seems like it's random but again this is like a this particular like documentary slash show is like a little bit of like a it it really gives you insight into like the algorithm of how they try to spark engagement. 00:38:48.159 --> 00:38:57.280 It's brilliant but at the end of the day man it's pulling you in like it literally it kind of personifies like um a social media and it says like oh man they haven't posted in a couple days. 00:38:57.440 --> 00:39:25.920 What can we do to generate and you start noticing the strategy of how they're trying to get your attention and so for me and what they do is the the notifications so a big thing that I've decided to do after watching that is I turned off my notifications on virtually everything with the exception of I think my text messages because obviously if my family's texting me I want to be able to see it and maybe like my emails other than that I literally don't want social media alerting me every time a friend of mine posts something because it compels you to want to go and look. 00:39:26.079 --> 00:39:36.400 So literally just turning off notifications you'd be amazed at how much peace you get because you're not being alerted every single second when something's happening and you're feeling like you're missing out on something. 00:39:36.639 --> 00:40:24.079 Yeah and and speaking of peace let let's let's offer some some peace and some ease of mind to maybe some of our listeners who's like uh I work at a hospital on Friday nights or I you know I'm a first responder I'm I'm a police officer I work on Saturdays like you know like let's offer them a little bit of comfort into into this it's it's never it's not about and I think that's the beauty of being in this dispensation of grace like we're not supposed to be so bogged down into the the legalistic day so to speak um God had a moment and he has a day and what they'll say in um in Genesis when you break down when it says and God created the the the suns and the stars to serve as times they call that an appointment an appointed time so but what many scholars will say is that so when the Bible talks about a certain day that's an appointment with God. 00:40:24.239 --> 00:40:38.800 But now that we're under the dispensation of grace and we kind of see the the evolution of how um people used to gather and go to um to temple on certain days but then when Jesus was resurrected it was on the Lord's day and that's what how we now go to church on Sundays like we see that shift. 00:40:39.039 --> 00:41:00.639 We're in this space of grace where man if you if you are working on Sunday and you can't come to church well then you do church at home when you can or if you are working like you're saying and you can't do it on a Friday like God's not sitting back and saying man you know what you missed the appointment so you're you're out of it it's it's a posture of the heart and just simply saying I'm creating space for God on a Tuesday because that's when my schedule allows for it. 00:41:00.800 --> 00:41:12.000 And what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna turn my phone off or I'm gonna have it in another room but it's going to be a space where I'm gonna do my best to be present with whoever my community is and I'm gonna presence God in some way. 00:41:12.159 --> 00:41:14.800 It doesn't matter what day of the week it is just start somewhere. 00:41:14.880 --> 00:41:36.480 It for some folks I know so many families man like depending on what their what their dynamics are we have kids who are involved in all types of activities of course pre-COVID but what I would see that people would say is like so we have our family dinner but after that like we all go our separate ways because I got kids who are involved in in in varying sport activities or varying community things. 00:41:36.639 --> 00:41:53.519 So it's not meant to be this legalistic thing where okay we're just gonna sit in here we're gonna light candles kumbaya and sit here the whole night but it's just creating intentional space where we sit together as a family we're not gonna allow distractions to come in and take it away we're gonna pray we're gonna eat and then everybody can go their separate ways if that's what you need to do. 00:41:53.599 --> 00:41:54.960 And it doesn't matter what day of the week. 00:41:55.039 --> 00:42:05.679 If you can do it on a Friday sure if you can't then do it whenever you can sometimes man if I'm traveling or if something comes up and we can't do it on a Friday I'm not sitting there like man God's angry with me. 00:42:06.000 --> 00:42:09.440 That is that is not the way that God is functioning and seeing any of this right now. 00:42:09.519 --> 00:42:15.039 It's just saying do what you can with what you have that's that's so I want to give everybody a sense of peace with that. 00:42:15.119 --> 00:42:22.880 Like don't feel like you if you can't do it on a certain day that you're missing it and you can't participate in the same way if you can't make it to church on a Sunday what do you do? 00:42:22.960 --> 00:42:29.920 You watch church at home you listen to after the message you still do what you can with what you can with what you have that's how this needs to be implemented into our lives. 00:42:30.159 --> 00:42:30.960 Yeah that's good. 00:42:31.280 --> 00:42:38.239 Is there anything else that I always like to ask you this because uh I know a couple times you you like to mention like man I wish I would have said that. 00:42:38.320 --> 00:42:44.239 Is there anything else that that you kind of maybe didn't get a chance to to hit on Sunday or we pretty much cover it all. 00:42:44.400 --> 00:42:47.199 I think I mean you always do such a good job at pulling stuff out of me. 00:42:47.360 --> 00:42:49.519 So um so I I think that's it. 00:42:49.599 --> 00:42:56.239 I just I just just sincerely I just want to demystify some of these things that are really meant to be a benefit to us. 00:42:56.480 --> 00:43:09.119 I think um that's the biggest thing and I'm hopeful that this conversation I'm hopeful that this message can just begin to nudge people to say maybe if God just doesn't want me running at this uncomfortable burnout pace. 00:43:09.760 --> 00:43:16.719 So what I briefly hit on and and and I know we're going to wrap up is just at the pace in which people are burning out. 00:43:16.800 --> 00:43:21.920 And there's all types of things that we can tie back to it but people are burning out like like crazy. 00:43:22.079 --> 00:43:41.519 And it's because they're just running this nonstop race, this constant execution, this constant output um but scripture says man the race is not given to the swift like there's moments where God is saying I really I really want you guys to recognize that that in my ecosystem the things that I value the most are people that that are going to be hard working. 00:43:41.599 --> 00:43:48.480 Again scripture tells us if a man don't work he don't eat like we're like you can read the you can read Proverbs and it tells you that like you need to get after it. 00:43:48.719 --> 00:43:51.280 Don't sit back and wait and like yo get after it. 00:43:51.440 --> 00:44:03.199 However the tension that we have to manage is recognizing we're gonna pause and acknowledge God because I think God understands that you know there's that scripture That Dave Ramsay uses all the time, that the borrower is slave to the lender. 00:44:03.679 --> 00:44:06.559 That when you begin to create debt, that you're a slave to it. 00:44:06.719 --> 00:44:12.639 So we're looking at at that as an expression of okay, there's debt and now you're in you're indebted to someone. 00:44:13.280 --> 00:44:18.480 But typically what happens whenever you're in debt or you create debt, you're working to pay off debt. 00:44:18.800 --> 00:44:22.400 And as long as you h have debt, you have to work hard in order to pay it off. 00:44:22.480 --> 00:44:30.639 And so if you got an opportunity to work overtime or all these other things, you're typically doing that because you have a goal that a lot of times is attached to debt in some way. 00:44:31.039 --> 00:44:42.000 So that's why what I've seen, I've seen so many folks that when they get to that debt-free life, people who downsize, they um they kind of scale back a little bit because they seen what that rat race does to them. 00:44:42.159 --> 00:44:48.000 I've seen this one couple where they worked hard, I mean, very successful, but they were just like, man, it was killing us. 00:44:48.079 --> 00:44:48.880 It was burning us out. 00:44:48.960 --> 00:44:51.119 So they slowed down, they took a year off. 00:44:51.280 --> 00:44:53.519 They paid off all their debt, took a year off work altogether. 00:44:53.679 --> 00:44:54.559 That's what I'm talking about. 00:44:55.440 --> 00:45:01.039 Drove across the country, came back, and now they're able to work at a pace that's good for them and their family. 00:45:01.280 --> 00:45:06.239 I'm not telling anyone on here to quit your job and then get an RV and just ride across the countryside. 00:45:06.880 --> 00:45:07.679 Of course that's what you have. 00:45:08.320 --> 00:45:18.800 But what I'm saying is I think there's a connection where God doesn't want us to be bound to having to work in this nonstop grind in such a way that we can't pause and enjoy the life that He's given us. 00:45:19.039 --> 00:45:22.800 Yeah, and and at the end of the day, it's it's really a remembrance, anyways. 00:45:22.960 --> 00:45:26.159 It's it's a it's just an intentional time for for us. 00:45:26.239 --> 00:45:27.760 I mean, why do we have holidays? 00:45:28.960 --> 00:45:32.079 You know, and sometimes they sneak up on us because we're in the race. 00:45:32.239 --> 00:45:32.559 Exactly. 00:45:32.719 --> 00:45:35.360 And we and we go, oh yeah, we need to we need to remember this. 00:45:35.599 --> 00:45:37.920 So it really is at the end of the day, that's what it is. 00:45:38.000 --> 00:45:44.480 Like, oh yeah, God's actually given me the ability to work, you know, like I can do nothing without him, basically. 00:45:44.719 --> 00:45:47.760 And so it's just a way to to worship him and thank him for it. 00:45:47.840 --> 00:45:49.920 And so really appreciate you you coming on. 00:45:50.000 --> 00:45:52.000 We always love having you on on the podcast. 00:45:52.079 --> 00:45:56.159 And uh uh yeah, uh hope hope to uh have you on again soon. 00:45:56.400 --> 00:45:58.880 Absolutely love it, great work as always, man. 00:45:58.960 --> 00:45:59.760 I can't wait to come back. 00:45:59.920 --> 00:46:00.480 Yes, sir. 00:46:00.639 --> 00:46:01.280 All right. 00:46:01.920 --> 00:46:04.000 Thank you for joining us for After the Message. 00:46:04.159 --> 00:46:14.559 To learn more about Celebration Church here in Orlando, you can follow us on social media under the handle at Celebration ORL or visit our website at celebrationorl.org.