WEBVTT 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:04.799 Thank you for joining us today for After the Message. 00:00:04.959 --> 00:00:13.839 To learn more about Celebration Church here in Orlando, follow us on social media at CelebrationORL or visit our website at celebrationorl.org. 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:17.440 Hey, well, welcome to After the Message at Home Edition. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:18.719 I'm Josh. 00:00:18.879 --> 00:00:19.760 This is Justin. 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:21.440 We're here with Pastor Keith. 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:23.280 We hope everybody's doing good. 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:29.679 Hey, what room, what room in your house are you guys uh are you guys podcasting from today? 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:32.880 I'm at here at Pittman Headquarters. 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:36.079 I'm um and I'm in our our our living room space. 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:38.240 So it's kind of like an open floor plan, like a lot of places. 00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:44.079 So um our living room, but it bleeds into like the the like kitchen area and also like our little um breakfast area. 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:45.679 So it's kind of like very open. 00:00:45.759 --> 00:00:47.520 So if you hear a lot of echoing, that's what it is. 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:48.960 But that's this is like my office. 00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:52.960 I wish I could show you guys a picture of like I have like my little tripod here set up. 00:00:53.119 --> 00:00:58.079 I got my um my computer, my my iPad, um, my my Bible here. 00:00:58.159 --> 00:00:59.679 Like I look like I'm really planning something. 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:01.119 Like it looks really legit. 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:03.200 Um, like I'm really in like deep study. 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.439 So if there's a picture of this, it's it's gonna make me look like I'm really like a student of this whole thing that we're doing. 00:01:07.519 --> 00:01:10.079 So that's this is my this is my space there, Pittman headquarters. 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:16.640 I think we should each um take a picture of our setup and we'll just put it all on Instagram after this. 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:18.319 Yes, I think that'd be great. 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:21.280 I look like a YouTube like vlogger. 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:24.879 I've got the light, and I've got the whole thing. 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:28.000 Becca walked in yesterday and was like, what the heck? 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:29.680 I was like, don't don't judge me. 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:31.519 Do you have the one with like the the light? 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:36.719 Is it the one so you it looked like you're doing makeup right now? 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:38.480 Yeah, here, hold on. 00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:41.120 Look at that. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:42.640 Yes. 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:47.120 So later on, Justin's gonna be giving us makeup and beard tips. 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:49.120 So that's what that setup is for. 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:52.000 I'll give you beard tips. 00:01:52.159 --> 00:01:56.079 You want to use just enough beard oil, but not too much. 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:59.599 So you don't want it dripping off of your beard like a prophet in the Bible. 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:00.879 That's not what we want today. 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:02.719 Yeah, that's that's not the day. 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:03.760 None of Florida. 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:04.239 Yeah. 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:10.080 So the room that I'm in is kind of like dining room, living room, main room. 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:10.560 I don't know. 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:14.080 We live in a college park home, so the the rooms are multi-purpose. 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:15.759 Yeah, it's like a New York law. 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:16.560 Everything is just one. 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:18.080 Yeah, everything. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:23.680 It's it's it's open concept is the word. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:24.639 Yeah. 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:27.680 Especially if you just open all the doors like we do, you have to. 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:31.280 It's just like one big house, uh, just very small rooms, you know what I mean? 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:32.879 So yeah, yes. 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:35.039 I I'm in my girls' playroom. 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:37.840 So if we need a chalkboard, I have a chalkboard over here. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:39.439 I have a whiteboard over here. 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:43.039 Uh, so they're out uh doing schoolwork right now. 00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:46.400 So if you hear them yelling in the background, it's because they've been arguing all morning. 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:48.319 Quarantine life, but it's all good. 00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:52.639 So you so you guys are like doing like y'all have like legit school times, like for for the girls. 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:53.759 That's like kind of okay. 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:54.719 Yeah, I respect that. 00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:57.360 I've heard a lot of I've heard a lot of families like they're doing that. 00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:00.000 Like, obviously, like my youngest is 16. 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:01.919 So like like nothing has changed for him. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:04.719 Like, he's just most of his stuff was online anyway. 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:09.759 So he's just like, I went into his room yesterday and I was like, bro, like, aren't you supposed to be like working on schoolwork? 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:10.800 And he's like, Oh, I am. 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:17.759 So he's simultaneously playing his PS4 while like watching like this lecture from his like um from his teacher. 00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:19.759 And I'm like, man, this is just like any other day. 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:27.360 Like, so there's not been a lot of movement here um in the in the academic realm um for the Pittman household, but we're gonna tighten them up a little bit. 00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:43.199 Yeah, yeah, I mean, we have to every day their school actually takes attendance through they have these apps they have to use online, and so they take attendance because where public schools are getting great uh not getting graded and they can just decide to either stay back or move forward, they're still getting graded. 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:48.400 So um pray for me, especially my wife, that uh that we that we do well. 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:53.439 I'm trying to teach them how to use uh an app yesterday and they knew they know how to use it better than I do. 00:03:53.520 --> 00:03:55.120 I'm like about to throw the iPad on the ground. 00:03:55.199 --> 00:03:56.800 I'm having to ask for patience daily. 00:03:56.960 --> 00:03:58.159 So Good Lord. 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:00.159 I'm glad I don't have to do anything with Caleb School. 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:01.039 It would drive me nuts. 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:02.000 So he's on his own. 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:03.520 So hopefully it all works out. 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:04.080 Good. 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:07.439 Well, hey, this Sunday uh church at home was amazing. 00:04:07.599 --> 00:04:13.199 Um, I loved like getting to see you and your family uh uh just lead church at home together. 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:15.919 I thought it was awesome seeing everybody in there together. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:21.279 It felt like um you were in our living room, uh that you were talking to us uh right from where you were at. 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:22.639 I I really love that. 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:35.920 And I mean you said so many um amazing things, but Justin, when we were talking about it a little bit earlier, you were you had a uh a couple of things that um kind of led you down a uh a trail of thought, um, especially when it came to yielding. 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:37.040 You want to share that? 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:44.879 Yeah, before I do though, Pastor Keith, you shared a story right at the top about Caleb uh having a nerf war at the church offices. 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:49.600 Like seven, seven years ago, maybe eight years ago now. 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:50.319 Were you there? 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:50.720 Were you there? 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:51.680 I was there. 00:04:52.160 --> 00:05:01.120 I was there just I may to this day have scared your son, probably the worst he's ever been scared. 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:07.439 So we were having a we were having a nerve floor in the dark church offices. 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:17.920 I was hiding in a room or taking cover in a room, and I looked to my right, and there was an old like um like bear costume that we were using for sea kids at the time. 00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:34.480 So I did what any adult would do, and I put on the bear costume and lurked in a dark corner until Caleb and his buddies came by and I jumped out at them, and I've never seen the kids run so fast in their life because they were not there. 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:37.199 Yeah, I think I think to this day Caleb hasn't forgiven you. 00:05:37.360 --> 00:05:38.079 Did you hear him cuss? 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:39.680 Tell me right now, I want to know. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:43.600 Uh no, I the the I had bear ears on, so the thing was. 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:44.879 No, you're being nice. 00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:50.160 It was almost eight years ago. 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:52.639 He may not have known what cuss words were at that time. 00:05:53.040 --> 00:05:53.360 Okay. 00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:56.000 I was gonna go and rebuke him now eight years later. 00:05:57.279 --> 00:06:00.240 But anyway, I had I had to say that right at the top. 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:02.560 As you were sharing that story, I was like, I was there for that. 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:04.639 I didn't have one one more thought. 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:07.040 What are you guys doing to get through the quarantine? 00:06:07.120 --> 00:06:09.439 Just one one thing that you're doing to get through it. 00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:12.399 Other than Tiger King. 00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:15.439 I watched Tiger King. 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:25.279 Um we uh I have I have an almost two-year-old, so we just we take walks around the block and we watch Disney Plus. 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:32.160 And by mean we watch Disney Plus, I mean we watch the same movie four times a day, which is the secret life of pets. 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:33.759 Um that's what he's into. 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:34.160 Okay. 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:35.199 Dude, he loves it. 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:36.160 He just sees it on the screen. 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:38.480 He's like, puppy, puppy, puppy. 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:40.879 At least in two. 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:45.920 Yeah, once he goes to bed though, I've been re-watching all the Marvel movies. 00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:54.319 But I I I do I wake up in the morning with the greatest intentions of like, man, I'm not gonna do this quarantine. 00:06:54.560 --> 00:07:06.160 I'm gonna eat healthy, I'm gonna no carbs, and then about 7:45, once he's down, I open up a pantry and there's like Pop Tarts and family-sized bags of Skittles. 00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:10.319 And so ours has been peanut butter MMs, man. 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:12.560 We have gone through so many peanut butter MMs. 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:16.480 Uh if I find some of those in my porch, thank you. 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:18.399 That's it, that's the gift. 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:26.639 Yeah, for for us, um kind of like um all of the above, because we don't have little ones, we have a lot more flexibility in in some of that stuff. 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:28.399 But Danira has been a true blessing. 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:31.680 Her and Megan take turns on on cooking and things like that. 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:36.800 And Daniera's really in this space where she's like baking all these desserts and Megan's making breakfast and stuff like that. 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:42.079 So, again, to your point, Justin, like trying our best to be healthy, but Megan makes the best French toast. 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:44.319 Like it's it's it's it's of the Lord. 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:45.439 So, like she she'll make that. 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:50.079 And like, so we're we're in a we're in a good rhythm, um, but still trying to find like that normalcy. 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:50.639 You know what I mean? 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:54.800 Like it still seems kind of scattered and and everything, but but that's what we're doing to survive. 00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:58.399 Just eating a lot of food and hoping that um hoping that I got enough that's gonna last. 00:07:58.480 --> 00:07:58.720 I don't know. 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:02.399 I think I'll need to make another supply run at some some point this week, but we'll we'll see. 00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:04.480 I just need toilet paper and paper towels. 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:04.800 That's it. 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:06.480 You can't find them anywhere in college park. 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:07.279 Nowhere. 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:08.959 I went yesterday to try to find them. 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:10.560 It was just completely empty. 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:13.600 I got lucky about, I think about a week and a half ago. 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:20.800 Um, and and out where I live, there's like this Walmart, and there was somebody there, they were just kind of standing at a pallet and they were guarding it, and it was like one per family or whatever. 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:25.680 Um, and I did see the same family just kind of like send different people from that family to go and get as much as they could. 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:27.680 So it was really funny to see like a six-year-old go. 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:29.120 I'm like, hey, can I get my one? 00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:31.920 Like someone's not recognizing that that you're with the dad who just got it. 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:33.440 Anyway, they're hoarding, it's not fair. 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:37.120 Anyway, um we did manage to get a couple um in that. 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:42.720 So we're I think we're good enough that we could probably go another good two weeks um and and we'll make it through. 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:54.720 So um, I'm not gonna probably start worrying about it until probably like next week, and then um then I'll I'll I'll just be like Rick Rhymes out here, just running these streets and trying to see how can I um how can I um how can I survive with my family. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:57.679 I thought you said Rick Ross for a second. 00:08:57.840 --> 00:08:58.000 No. 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:00.240 I'm just gonna start wearing it. 00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:04.559 I'm gonna start wearing a cowboy hat for no apparent reason during this time, like when I go out. 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:06.159 And a crossbow. 00:09:06.399 --> 00:09:06.960 Yes. 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:07.840 Yes. 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:11.360 Anyway, people are tuned in for after the message. 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:11.600 Yeah. 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:13.279 Let's do that. 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:15.440 We haven't seen each other, so man, we we miss each other. 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:17.360 This is what we miss around our office. 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:18.000 I know. 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:20.720 I feel like we're on the Josh Isell podcast right now, though. 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:22.240 Because you look all professional. 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:23.360 He's very good. 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:27.679 Hey, I'm again, I'm I'm stir crazy. 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:30.399 So I I happen to get out all my old recording equipment. 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:32.000 I was like, ooh, I can use it. 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:33.519 So yeah, I was happy. 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:34.720 He's waiting for this. 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:40.080 Like you and I are just sitting here just trying to survive with our snows and other sweets, and and he's like, man, I'm ready for this. 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:41.679 Like he's ready to start broadcasting. 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:43.679 So thank you, Ezelle, for leading the way. 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:44.159 Yeah. 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:46.159 Hey, God, do what he gotta do. 00:09:47.039 --> 00:09:49.519 Anyway, back to what what we're here to do. 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:51.039 Back to the spiritual things. 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:51.360 Yeah. 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:53.840 Yes, let's let's invite God back into this conversation. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:55.840 Yeah, church at home, it was great. 00:09:55.919 --> 00:10:02.000 And yeah, to Josh's point, like it was so cool seeing you and your family and and could kind of in that setting. 00:10:02.159 --> 00:10:07.519 And you know, we talked about uh the I am statement that Jesus made of I am the light of the world. 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:18.960 And uh what about halfway through your message, you you kind of shared like what that meant, you kind of um kind of related to people, like maybe their situation, but you asked the question, like, so what about now? 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:21.200 Like, what do we do in the meantime? 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:23.440 Like, how do we how do we receive this light? 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:26.080 How do we feed this light in the darkness? 00:10:26.240 --> 00:11:03.279 And one of the things you said um and you shared scripture about about yielding, like one of the things that we can how we can feed the light and and in the middle of the darkness is is to yield to ourselves and get out of the way, like to yield in our lives, to to de yield to all the other voices, to to de-yield to this and and to kind of look for that light and to kind of feed um that light, and then you shared some points around it, which is to listen to God, which that was your first point, which I think, you know, uh Josh, you and I have talked about it, and I've talked about it with a lot of other people. 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:07.519 Like, I think that's the thing that people are looking, like, how do people listen to God? 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:09.440 How do people hear God? 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:14.639 I think is is is is one of the bigger questions that's being asked right now. 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:21.519 Yeah, I think um I actually saw uh a friend of mine, he had posted this statement, and I thought it was so it was so well put. 00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:31.039 He said um he said check the news, but watch the word instead of watching the word and check and you know, instead of you know checking the word and watching the news. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:37.279 And and I think that that's a that's a healthy way because I mean again, I I truly believe that it's important for us to be informed. 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:39.440 We need to be aware of what's going on. 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:45.440 Um, and a lot of times it's so we know what to pray for, sometimes it's what to prepare for, but it shouldn't be what to be fearful of. 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:45.840 Yeah. 00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:52.559 So so when it comes to like listening to God, I think all of us probably have different versions of the ways that we can hear from God. 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:58.240 Some people hear from God, and it could be um through reinforcement, through listening to a worship song. 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:07.039 And and and as you're listening to that song, there's like a phrase or something that's being sung that's just a constant reminder of of something that God has already spoken over your life. 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:15.679 Some of us, it's it really is just opening up the word of God and reading it and seeing how um certain things are being reinforced and and ideas are being kind of stirred up from that. 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:17.679 And then others, it could be it could be prayer. 00:12:17.919 --> 00:12:25.759 So this idea of like like yielding, it was kind of connected to the thought in Genesis where it says, let there be light. 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:31.360 And so, you know, time didn't allow me to kind of get into all the different times God's used the words let. 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:33.679 Like we have an opportunity to let this happen. 00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:38.320 We can get out of the way, and ultimately that word does mean yield to get out of the way. 00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:43.200 Um, so there's almost like this this this verb, this action that's required of us in order for us to do that. 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:49.919 And so I shared the story of how when Megan and I were, it was super busy, a lot of stuff going on in our life. 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:54.159 We get this phone call from a sick family member, you know, little babies in the hospital. 00:12:54.240 --> 00:13:05.440 And and at that moment, like even with us, like two decades in, walking with God, people that I would consider to be strong in our faith, there's this moment where our first response wasn't prayer initially. 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:16.480 It was just pausing and taking inventory of all the stuff that's going on, with like trying to figure out my son being at school at home now and adjusting to leading the church, all the stuff that I shared in the message. 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:22.399 So there's this part where you're just processing through it all and you're just allowing the information to kind of close in on you. 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:24.240 And that's where it starts to feel overwhelmed. 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:29.919 And that's kind of like that darkness that I said that you can like you can just feel it, like, good Lord, like, is there any good in this at all? 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:34.559 And that's when I feel like God literally said to me, like, but will you let me shine in this moment? 00:13:34.799 --> 00:13:38.000 And and I know that that can sound like just words. 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:43.360 I realize that sometimes when we read scripture and in real time, it's like, yeah, I see what that says, but what does that feel like? 00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:49.600 So for us, in that moment, letting letting God shine was not ignoring the facts, was not ignoring the reality, what was going on. 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:54.879 In fact, it was taking those facts into prayer and allowing God to kind of like speak through that. 00:13:54.960 --> 00:14:09.759 So as we started to pray and really just try to lean into like like acknowledging what it was, not submitting to it, but honestly beginning to pray scriptures over the situation, there was like this overwhelming sense of peace because it was a reminder of like, man, like this this situation is new to us. 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:14.720 This information is new to us, but this isn't the first time that God has needed to step into a situation like this. 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:25.039 So if my faith is rooted in sometimes not seeing the evidence of it, but still believing in an outcome, this is the time that I'm gonna let God shine in this and I'm not gonna allow my feelings to overwhelm me. 00:14:25.120 --> 00:14:32.000 So I think that to kind of answer your point, it's it's it's really coming down to us learning how do we recognize the voice of God. 00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:39.759 But for us, and what's worked for me over the years is is recognizing that that God's not gonna speak anything that's in conflict to what his word says. 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:43.200 So I'm often looking for things that that reinforce it. 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:48.000 And so for some of us that may are like, man, like I open up my Bible, I'll read a passage of scripture, I don't know what that means. 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:52.000 Honestly, like God will confirm his word in a multitude of ways. 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:57.360 It could be listening to this podcast right now, and and something that we say is a reminder of something else. 00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:01.600 I said, that's that's that's not just Keith, Josh, and um Justin speaking. 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:05.279 That's the Holy Spirit interpreting words that's being a reminder of things that he said. 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:09.039 It might be planting the word, or it could be the song, like I mentioned, or it could be one of those things. 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:13.360 So I think it's not like this this formulaic thing of like, okay, this is how you hear from God. 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:19.440 It's just putting yourself in godly environments and God will begin to confirm his word and begins to bring you peace through it. 00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:20.720 Yeah, that's good. 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:26.480 Pastor uh Nathan Pinocchio, one of the pastors at uh Hillsong, he wrote a book called Hearing God. 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:41.120 And to your point, Pastor Keith, he he talks about one of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to like hearing God is that you don't need scripture or that that you know it's just gonna be this like this moment where you're just sitting there, whatever, and you just hear this audible voice. 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:48.639 But he says often, oftentimes I'm like how it works and how you know hearing God works is God's word actually gives context to his voice. 00:15:48.879 --> 00:15:55.279 Like if you hear something and then you open the word and it doesn't line up with what the word says, you did not hear God. 00:15:55.360 --> 00:16:03.279 You heard the enemy, you heard what you wanted to hear, you heard, you know, kind of another voice besides his. 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:03.679 Yeah. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:06.320 And bro, let me let me say this because that's that's so true. 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:07.600 I'm sorry, let me let me say this. 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:16.720 Because what I've what I found for me, like if we're if we're looking at it, because the Bible is so vast, um, and sometimes this is what I found, because I think that's a powerful point. 00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:24.799 I found that if there's times that I'm going into God's word with a predetermined outcome, you can read whatever you want into scripture. 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:29.840 So now I'm taking my feelings and I'm reading into a passage, and now I'm looking for an outcome. 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:31.919 I'm trying to force the word of God. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:40.720 So this is when you, and I mean, and you guys as pastors know this, this is when you have people that will then present the word of God to you to justify a decision that's not consistent with his nature. 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:44.240 And then ultimately the the answer is I have peace about this. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:47.440 I read this passage here, and so this applies to my marriage. 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:48.720 So God's telling me to walk away. 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:50.799 And it's like, no, that's not the proper context. 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:56.480 You're reading your feelings into the text, and you're allowing yourself to extract what you interpret as the voice of God. 00:16:56.639 --> 00:17:02.879 It's important, like you said, to give context to God's voice, but it's not going to be in conflict to other things that's in his words. 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:03.360 That's good. 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:08.079 And to your point with what you just said, I think, I think that is like such a huge misconception. 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:19.920 I think, and I've even done it in my life where I want, I want a situation to come to fruition so bad that when I'm praying, or maybe maybe there's uh several different choices I need to make. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:27.759 Like I know the one I want to make, and I'm praying and I'm asking God for like peace and clarity about it, but I'm going into it with a predetermined outcome. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:32.160 But then you have Jeremiah 29, 29, 13, that brings context to even that. 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:36.160 It says, You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:40.400 When you come to God with all of your heart, God, what do you want to do? 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:43.440 God, I want to hear from you no matter what you say. 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:49.519 Like, I want what you want from me, not I want what I want, and I just want you to affirm what I want. 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:57.440 Like, I think when you go in to God with that attitude of your heart, with your whole heart, like God responds not to action, he responds to motive. 00:17:57.599 --> 00:18:06.880 Like God responds not like to to the He responds to the heart, not to the I'm going to God, I'm being quiet, I've listened to two Hillsong songs, I've even listened to the blessing now. 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:09.920 I've even I have I've done all of these things. 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:11.839 Why, why is God not speaking to me? 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:12.640 Like what is your heart? 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:14.559 Yeah, yeah. 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:18.640 What is what is what is your heart in in that moment? 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:19.599 Like, what is your heart? 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:21.440 Are you going to God to affirm something? 00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:26.160 Are you going to God to give you answers or what he wants for your life? 00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:31.200 I think my my dad used to always tell me that your your feelings shouldn't dictate your theology. 00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:33.279 Your theology should dictate your feelings. 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:37.200 And I think a lot of times when it comes to hearing from God, that's what like that's what we do. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:45.839 We go in with our feelings and our emotions and we look for we look for God to then support that instead of doing like what you said and then submitting that to him. 00:18:46.079 --> 00:18:50.880 I mean, the word yield and submit, I mean, they could almost be interchanged a lot of times. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:19:01.920 But I think one of the things that that I at least I see in my life um and that I've seen in the lives of of other people around me is that people have a different definition of yielding. 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:08.720 Um, my wife uh is from up north, so when they yield up north, it is really like really quick, like we don't even really stop. 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:10.400 We kind of just look and then go. 00:19:10.480 --> 00:19:11.920 Like we kind of get in the traffic. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:19.279 I'm from down south, and so when we yield, we like stop because there could be a big tractor coming down the road and we don't want to get hit. 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:23.839 And you actually stop for a minute and you let someone know if that's another thing. 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:24.640 I don't know. 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:26.480 I get mad at people like you. 00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:28.000 I'm like, it says yield, nothing. 00:19:28.079 --> 00:19:28.799 I'm like, exactly. 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:30.880 Like, go is no cars coming. 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:31.519 Let's go. 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:34.640 But well, maybe it's just me. 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:37.920 Um you're getting the horn blown at you if I'm behind you. 00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:40.880 And if Callie's behind me, the same thing. 00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:42.319 In Jesus' name. 00:19:42.559 --> 00:19:57.440 But I but I do think though that there is a part of that yielding where you do have to like there's like this this like millisecond where you have to decide, am I just gonna keep going and kind of go with the flow, or am I gonna stop and then be kind of kind of be led? 00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:05.680 And I think that that's for me what I had to learn with it because my version of yielding was always I just want to keep it going and then I want God to catch up with me. 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:14.079 Like I want I I want to keep going the direction that I'm going, but sometimes like what I've seen is is when I do that, I'll keep going in the same direction. 00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:19.599 And I haven't completely yielded or submitted to that, to the to the actual direction that God wants for my life. 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:22.640 And so then I wind up in the wrong place doing the wrong thing. 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:29.519 And so I think that there's always that pivotal moment when you are yielding or submitting that you have to like you have to make that decision. 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:35.519 Am I gonna stop for a second and actually like recalibrate, or am I just gonna keep going and let God catch up with me? 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:37.200 That's so true. 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:50.559 And and I think to to add to that, if we if we continue to kind of like walk out this analogy, I I remember um I remember like when we when we first moved to Orlando and and again kind of like I mentioned, like near our home, there's like this this traffic circle. 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:54.640 And so I remember there was this time where my daughter Daenerys was following me. 00:20:54.799 --> 00:21:00.240 So she's following me, and so we're at this traffic circle where you know you gotta yield, cars are coming, all that stuff. 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:04.799 And so um she just I think she was following me to kind of like this place to go get her oil change. 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:11.200 So as I'm ahead of her um and I'm yielding for the car that's kind of like in the traffic circle, I kind of pull out after that. 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:14.720 So she comes to a complete stop because she's doing exactly what you're saying. 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:16.480 Like she's she's yielding, she's waiting. 00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:21.279 And and from my guesstimation, like, okay, there's one car, you can hop in, you can keep going. 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:23.359 But she she stood still too long. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:27.680 So now the one that she was following got so far ahead she didn't see where I made the turn. 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:35.440 So I think the importance of yielding is not always coming to a complete stop because we still are supposed to stay in tune and in step with God. 00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:40.720 Because I think at the risk that we run is that we can let God get so far ahead of us. 00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:43.519 Now, again, I'm I'm I'm using this as a as an analogy. 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:47.200 I was just saying that yes, yielding doesn't always mean coming to a complete stop. 00:21:47.359 --> 00:21:50.880 Like if God is moving, then I I just call it this cooperate with grace. 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:55.200 Like if God is moving, yield, let him get in front of you, but make sure you continue to follow him. 00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:58.799 Because I think there are times that in fear we can come to a complete stop. 00:21:58.880 --> 00:21:59.680 And God's like, no, keep. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:01.359 Keep coming, like I'm I'm still moving. 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:02.400 You gotta stick close to me. 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:02.640 Yeah. 00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:04.000 Um, don't come to a complete stop. 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:06.480 But then on the other side, we don't yield, we're ahead of it. 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:11.599 And now instead of asking, instead of us following God, we're asking God to follow us and just clean up after us on the back end. 00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:18.480 So where there is that tension, like Justin, you were saying, like it's it's important for us to recognize like we yield, we slow down. 00:22:18.640 --> 00:22:24.160 Sometimes we may need to pause, but don't come to a complete stop that to the point that you lose the person that you're supposed to be following. 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:24.559 Yeah. 00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:26.720 Or Justin might beep the horn at you. 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:27.440 So yes. 00:22:28.079 --> 00:22:33.359 That I I I have a I have a question, and I mean, when you were talking, I I was thinking about it. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:37.440 How how do you know when when you have kind of stopped for too long? 00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:39.680 Like, how do you know when you're in that moment? 00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:47.279 Um, I mean, I've talked to you know, multiple people, especially, you know, over the past couple of weeks, that are like they feel like their life is at a standstill. 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:49.519 They feel like everything is at a complete stop. 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:54.480 Like, how do you how do you know when it's like, all right, I need to, I gotta start going again. 00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:57.200 I gotta, I gotta get, I gotta get back on the road. 00:22:57.279 --> 00:22:59.279 I gotta get back going to where I was going. 00:23:01.200 --> 00:23:04.240 Um, so I think it I think it depends on the scenario. 00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:11.359 I I wish that for some of our listeners, I think that um I would love to be able to say, okay, here's the three things of knowing that you stayed still too long. 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:14.640 And if I had enough time, maybe we could do a sermon around that. 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:25.759 But I think just looking at it practically for for me, it's it's I often think about the the moment where um Samuel is now basically instructed, like, you got to move on from Saul. 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:30.400 So we know that the Bible has this whole like biblical timeline of mourning. 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:31.599 It's roughly around 30 days. 00:23:31.680 --> 00:23:35.359 Like, okay, so you can mourn for 30 days, um, and then it's time for you to move forward. 00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:40.480 So we see this with the death of Moses, we see this when when God moves on from Saul to go to David. 00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:43.599 So we we just know that, okay, yeah, we got to move forward. 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:51.119 But there's a moment where we can acknowledge the pain, we can acknowledge where we are, we don't want to rush through it, we don't want to ignore it, we we gotta we gotta pause for a moment. 00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:59.359 But I often think more so of like, not like how long am I supposed to be here, but it's more so like, where is God leading me to next? 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:08.079 And I think more often than not, that what can happen is for for Samuel, God had already told him what his next steps were going to be. 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.799 Like, okay, you're we're moving on from Saul. 00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:12.880 There's an there's another man after my own heart. 00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:13.920 I need you to move on. 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:21.039 So he was he was kind of aware of that already, but he was staying still, even though God had already given him instructions on what the next thing is to do. 00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:32.720 So I think the best way for me to explain it, and and it may not always work out in this perfect formula, acknowledge where you are, but you know when you're standing still too long is when God is giving you your next step and you still haven't taken it. 00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:33.680 Yeah, that's good. 00:24:35.279 --> 00:24:35.759 I don't know. 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:36.960 What do you think, Justin? 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:42.720 Yeah, I think I think to that point, it does 100% depend on the on the scenario. 00:24:42.880 --> 00:25:02.079 There is an aspect where when you're in, I mean, for me at least, like personally, I feel like when I'm in like when I'm in God's grace and I'm I'm walking on the path that He has set before me, like I feel like and with what we talked about earlier, like my heart is right in it, like I'm pursuing God, like my heart is right in it. 00:25:02.319 --> 00:25:18.640 But there have been times in my life where for whatever reason, maybe a situation, maybe it's just laziness creeps in, and I just find myself months down the road of like, I have not, I have not moved, I have not taken any steps, I have not, and and and I look at it, it's like I got content. 00:25:18.880 --> 00:25:24.960 I got content in like the yielding, like I got I got content of just like waiting, like, man, God's taking me this far. 00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:27.279 Like, you know, it's like, oh, you know, I kind of like it here. 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:30.160 I'm just gonna I'm gonna yield here for a little bit. 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:32.559 I'm gonna make a complete stop, Pastor John. 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:34.880 I'm gonna stop. 00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:36.240 I'm gonna stop. 00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:41.200 I'm gonna stop until someone blows the horn at me. 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:44.640 And I think, I think which is usually my wife. 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:59.039 I think when I have found myself there, it's when I when I take a look back at like, okay, and and this, and this is for everyone for that matter of like, man, I don't, I don't like, I don't feel God as much as I used to. 00:25:59.119 --> 00:26:01.279 I don't feel like I'm in this like rhythm, whatever. 00:26:01.359 --> 00:26:05.039 I think, I think look at what you were doing in that season. 00:26:05.200 --> 00:26:08.799 I think like look at what your heart was, like, were were you seeking after? 00:26:08.960 --> 00:26:12.720 Like, did you get what you were seeking after and now you're not seeking after anything anymore? 00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:17.119 And you can stop, like, look at what you were doing in that season and apply it to what you're doing in this season now. 00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:25.039 And for me, it's oftentimes like, no, my discipline is not there of like spending time of of of spending time with God anymore. 00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:43.359 And so if my discipline isn't there, if I'm only doing it like once or twice or or or three times a week, but it's just kind of like just so I can check it off and I don't get behind the new version plan, like, you know, whatever it is, I don't have to hit the catch up button on you version, like, you know, if I'm only doing it for that, like I'm just standing still. 00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:45.599 I'm not pursuing, I'm not going for anything. 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:49.200 It is now an obligatory an obligatory practice for me. 00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:56.720 So I think that if you want to know when you're standing still, is what you're doing, is it out of obligation or is it out of pursuing in relationship? 00:26:57.119 --> 00:27:04.799 Like, uh and I feel like for for me, like, and and and there are times where you do where I do have to push myself. 00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:06.000 Like, I mean, I'll be quite honest. 00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:17.440 Like, I don't wake up every single day and you know, with the same fervency, with the same whatever, but at the end of the day, I'm like, no, man, I'm I'm gonna, I I've already decided as Pastor Keith has talked about, I've already decided, like, this is what I'm gonna do. 00:27:17.519 --> 00:27:37.359 Like, it's not based on my feelings, you know, but I I think there's times in your life too where where if you're standing still, I think I've always with since we've been in Orlando, I've had pretty much every job or position under the sun here at the church, like just based on the season of what we're in. 00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:46.079 And at first, I'm not gonna lie to you, it was hard for me because I do like to like if something is given to me, like I'm gonna hold on to it and like this is mine now. 00:27:46.720 --> 00:27:49.519 This is mine, this is what I've been given, this is who I am. 00:27:49.680 --> 00:28:06.319 You know, I used to have a problem with wrapping up my identity and like what I was doing, but I think when you do that, when you begin to wrap up your identity of what season of life you're in, of what position of life you're in, of of whatever that that you're in, and like that may not be what God has for you. 00:28:06.480 --> 00:28:15.519 So the the the type of attitude that I've adapted in life now is like, okay, this is what God has given me, this is where God has led me, this is where God is leading me. 00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:17.599 I'm going to hold on to that. 00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:22.000 I'm going to do it and pursue it and do it to the best of my ability for the glory of God. 00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:27.759 And once I get there, and then once I feel like, oh man, I am, I feel like I have done what God has called me to do. 00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:30.880 And if this is what He has me do for the rest of my life, then this is awesome. 00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:36.799