WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.640 This podcast is the Ministry of Grand Parkway Baptist Church. 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:06.080 For more information in our church, please visit grandparkway.org. 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:06.719 Amen. 00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:07.919 You can have a seat. 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:11.359 And uh this has been a special weekend in the life of our church. 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:15.439 Our youth pastor, Aaron Cotton, got married right here on the stage yesterday. 00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:18.480 Uh many of you are here, you made the love of his life, Chloe Darnell. 00:00:18.559 --> 00:00:19.839 They're off on their honeymoon. 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:23.839 Uh and if you were here, uh Aaron barely made it through the ceremony. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:27.600 Uh when they started playing You're Beautiful, that's what she came into. 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:30.800 Uh he was doing good until the doors opened up and he saw her. 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:36.000 And I heard Howard Coach tell my spirit, Down and Ghost Frasia, Down and Go Sprasia. 00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:38.719 And then I thought it was, I thought I was hearing noises. 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:42.479 I heard him and he went and I was like, uh oh, this isn't good. 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:47.119 And I looked over and he was I was like, dude, she's not even down the aisle yet. 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:49.679 And then she got into the aisle where he could see her. 00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:52.880 It went, it was, I thought it it went to the ugly crowd. 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:59.200 But anyway, but but here's the thing I did the pre-meral counseling five sessions with me for an hour and a half. 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:01.200 It's like getting a phone booth with a gorilla. 00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:11.439 They had worked so hard to get to that point, and I knew I knew how hard they had worked to get to that point, and so I just kind of watched it unfold, kind of like, mm-hmm, go ahead and cry. 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:14.000 I'd cry too if I was marrying somebody this beautiful. 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:17.599 Uh but I tell you that to say, that's my privilege. 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:19.040 Is it I get to know people? 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:20.560 I don't want to just preach to you. 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:26.239 I want to be your pastor, I want to hang out with you, I want to know you, I want to know the good of you, and I want to know the bad of you. 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:28.319 It's not gonna change the way I think about you. 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:30.319 That's my privilege of pastoring people. 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:35.040 Is they just sometimes people call to say, hey man, I I need to confess my sin. 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:36.319 Can we go to lunch? 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:36.959 Absolutely. 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:39.840 And if you got a lot of sin, we'll go to Starbucks after that. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:43.280 Uh uh, but but but knowing the backstory, why don't I tell you that? 00:01:43.439 --> 00:01:47.680 Because we're this is Labor Day, uh Labor Day Sunday, and what do preachers know about Labor Day? 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:48.959 We only work one day a week. 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:58.319 I mean, we don't even really work on real jobs, and so I've asked some people, in addition, you're gonna hear and understand why I love this place and these people so much. 00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:00.400 All three services of people. 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:10.800 Uh, and so if you're visiting today, you're gonna get an and you're gonna get exposed to what our church is about or what God's doing in our church because I I I I've selected different people for each service. 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:16.479 There's a couple of folks that are doing all three services, but I sent them a list of questions about faith and work. 00:02:16.879 --> 00:02:22.240 And so basically, uh they're gonna preach the sermon today, and then I've asked my friend Wade Burgess if he would. 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:23.199 He'll go last. 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:28.960 He's gonna come and just kind of summarize and give us some takeaways to think about as it relates to faith and work. 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:33.520 So I'm gonna ask my friend Tommy Hammer, who's gonna be first, if he would come and have a seat. 00:02:33.680 --> 00:02:39.439 And I I've already told him part of this answer, but tell us who you are, what you do, and for how long you've done it. 00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:41.360 Okay, my name is Tommy Hammer. 00:02:41.439 --> 00:02:45.680 I'm the founder and president of Hammer Printing and Graphics over in Stafford. 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:50.319 And about two weeks ago I celebrated my 31st year doing business over. 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:51.599 31st? 00:02:51.840 --> 00:02:53.199 You can clap for that. 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:57.280 All right, first question. 00:02:57.439 --> 00:02:58.319 Do you see your work? 00:02:58.639 --> 00:02:59.759 First of all, hold your microphone. 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:02.240 Uh, I want them to hear you like eating an ice cream cone. 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:03.120 Do you see your work? 00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:05.840 Oh man, Barry White's in the building. 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:07.840 How about that, baby? 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:08.560 How's that? 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:11.360 Uh do you see your work as a calling? 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:13.199 I think that's an interesting question. 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:19.919 I I sort of see my life as a calling, but when I think about my work, I I think about it more as a commissioning. 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:21.840 And let me explain what I mean by that. 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:34.560 I I kind of look in the in the scriptures and I see um two examples in particular in Apostle Paul and in Joshua in the Old Testament, and both of those are men that were called to love God and be a relationship with God and serve God. 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:42.240 But in both of those instances, it says specifically that they were um men who were commissioned to do unique things. 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:56.400 And and so that word unique kind of resonates in me because uh just to tell you a little bit more about my business, I'm in addition to being the founder and president, I'm also the janitor, the salesman, the the uh estimator, the pressman. 00:03:56.960 --> 00:04:04.960 Uh I started running a press 42 years ago when I was in high school, and on 5 30 Friday afternoon I was still running a press. 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:08.400 Uh not continuously, of course, but you kind of get the point. 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:10.000 It kind of feels that way. 00:04:10.639 --> 00:04:11.280 It feels that way. 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:13.520 And I was talking to Neil earlier this week. 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:19.040 I said after 42 years of doing this, the the glamour of this has kind of gone away on the technical side. 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:24.480 So um, but I say all that because in my industry, I work by myself. 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:28.000 I'm the only person in hammer printing, it's been that way for about 15 years. 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:35.759 And my wife Diana worked with me for a while, and then she went to work somewhere else so that we wouldn't have our whole income dependent on the decisions I was making. 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:50.240 But um but since I work by myself in my industry, that's uh that either qualifies as real peculiar or real unique, and um probably in my case both, you know, both peculiar and unique. 00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:54.319 And so you don't see very many printing companies that are just one man. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:05:08.240 And so uh I see the uniqueness of the way God has brought me to that, and that's the thing that I kind of think about with the commissioning, that he's he's decided for some reason for Tommy Hammer to have him do his business this unique way. 00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:26.319 And and what I found in that uh as I kind of step back and think about how my faith interacts with my work, I think God has led me through this uh uniqueness to see sort of uh a uh panorama of how he wants to work in my life and and through me and others. 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:33.680 I've had some great opportunities in my business to share my faith and to learn stewardship principles and and things of that nature. 00:05:33.839 --> 00:05:40.240 But when I think about um when I think about the calling, I think about calling being more on my life in total. 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:45.839 But I think God has commissioned me in this specific way to do this specific job. 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:46.560 Okay. 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:52.240 Quick second question, uh, what role does your faith play when things are not going well at work? 00:05:52.319 --> 00:06:00.160 I mean, you're kind of self-employed, for lack of a better phrase, and that's pretty, and I mean you kind of eat what you kill, what comes in the door, what you can sell. 00:06:00.639 --> 00:06:03.759 As feaster family, we have a lot of people in sales in our church. 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:08.879 When things are not going well, uh what is what role does your faith play? 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:12.879 Well, you've just defined about 90% of my time in business. 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:17.120 We'll have a special moment of prayer for Tommy after the service. 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:17.839 You'll be down front. 00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:20.879 I will be out in the lobby with business cards if anybody needs some prayer. 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:24.399 Um for all your pretty needs, birthday parties, barmitzfas. 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:26.160 You did say there was gonna be a slide up or something. 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:28.319 Oh, the slide-oh, yeah, put that slide up. 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:48.160 Um I think I think the thing that that I noticed when and I've had I I I'm like a lot of small businessmen in this up and down economy, and the challenges that go with that, I've had my fair share of times of stress and anxiety, and and uh there was one time in particular when I just was pretty sure we weren't gonna make it, but God you know brought us through that. 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:58.399 But one of the things that I I find my faith kind of drawing me back to during those times is is sort of a reassessment, a self-examination, if you will. 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:05.920 I I love the the verse, I think it's Proverbs 16, 3 that says, Commit your ways to the Lord and He will establish your plans. 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:14.560 And so he knows that I have if I'm gonna be a good diligent businessman, I'm gonna have plans, but he wants to make sure that our plans are in sync. 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:32.399 And so when I when I'm struggling, one of the things that I I find myself doing over and over is just going to God in prayer and just um asking him, okay, am I am I too much on Tommy's agenda and not enough on God's, or have I missed something, or have I sinned in some way, or treated somebody in in a wrong or unfair way? 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:38.079 And uh, and I always I've I've begun, I guess as I've gotten older, I've kind of begun to pray this prayer. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:49.759 I've I think it kind of I drew it kind of out of Jesus' Upper Discourse, I think is where it is where Jesus tells the disciples, From here on out, I won't speak to you in parables, but I'm gonna speak to you plainly. 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:56.319 And so I had this prayer that I call the plain the plain prayer, and it's it's basically this is God speak to me plainly. 00:07:56.399 --> 00:08:16.800 You know, because so much of business when you have struggles, there can be 20 or 30 things going on at one time, but I want God to cut through all of that and just speak to my heart and tell me, am I just going through a business cycle that everyone else is going through, or or am I struggling with something else that's impeding what God wants to do in my life? 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:22.560 So I think I think just that self-examination is sort of the thing that that I keep coming back to when times are tough. 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:24.639 Okay, I want to ask, I want to get off. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:31.519 This is not a question I sent to you, but talking about when times are tough, we all kind of get I call it magical thinking, you know, is it karma? 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:34.639 Is that you know I cut somebody off in traffic? 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:51.600 Is that why this didn't bid didn't uh you told me in my office last week about a time when you you thought we're not gonna make it, and somebody gave your name to somebody else and said, Hey, Tom, you'll do a great job, and the the guy and you got the bid when the the bid was sent to you. 00:08:51.840 --> 00:08:52.559 Remember what I'm talking about? 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:54.080 You said you heard the can you talk about that? 00:08:54.320 --> 00:08:58.080 Yeah, this was this was the one time that I thought we were really weren't gonna make it. 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:01.120 We had a whole summer that was just awful. 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:06.080 And at that time Dinah was working with me, so again, all of our income is dependent on that one business. 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:13.120 And so it's right about the end, it's about this time, about the end of August, and I'm just I can't figure out what to do. 00:09:13.200 --> 00:09:18.480 And so I got this friend of mine in business called and said, Hey, this guy just came in looking for a printer. 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:26.320 I gave him your name, he's got and sort of described the size of the job, and I thought, Oh, hallelujah, God, you've rescued me. 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:30.559 And so I ran into the office, Diana's office, and I said, I think I think we're gonna make it. 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:31.759 This thing's coming in. 00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:37.600 And as I was standing in there, I could hear the fax machine start to spit out this this uh bid. 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:40.000 The guy was gonna send me a sample of the work and everything. 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:59.279 And so I ran back in there and I got in there, and about half of the fact of the fax had come out, and when I looked at it, uh my my heart just fell because what I saw was this silhouette of a um stripper, and I knew that this was not the kind of business that I did, and so I just thought, well, what next? 00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:06.960 You know, and so I got on the phone, called this guy, and I said, Look, uh I got your thing, but I don't do this kind of work. 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:08.799 I'm not gonna endorse that kind of business. 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:12.240 I'm a Christian, and and I just I can't be a part of that. 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:15.279 And of course he just said, Thanks, bye, click hang up. 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:20.159 And I was just sitting there thinking, what in the world does all this mean? 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:22.000 And so this was, I think, a Friday. 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:33.200 We came in on Monday, and Monday the phone started ringing and didn't stop, and in that month of September we did more business than we did in three months and in uh during the summer. 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:42.879 And I just thought, you know, God's faithfulness when I'm thinking about my Christian principles and not thinking about business principles, because there's a lot of printers in this time. 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:47.679 Somebody did that job, somebody printed that job, but but my principles wouldn't let me do it. 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:55.360 I just thought God honored that faithfulness in me there, and that was one of those times he really drew us up out of the pit, if you will. 00:10:55.919 --> 00:10:56.559 Okay, okay. 00:10:56.720 --> 00:10:57.360 Last question. 00:10:57.519 --> 00:11:00.879 Talk about your faith, the role your faith plays when things are not going well. 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:02.799 What about when things are going well? 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:04.240 Can you speak briefly to that? 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:13.519 Yeah, that's actually what I'm going through now because the last two and a half years have been the best years that we've had, and um and and I and I'm just really blessed. 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:16.000 I've got a I'm I'm busy all the time. 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:21.679 I'm working about 60 or 65 hours a week and just churning it out, and it's been great. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:31.519 But I find that that may be the most harrowing time, to be honest with you, because I find that you know I sort of have this analytical mind, and I'm always thinking, and I can't turn it off. 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:35.600 And and so um I'm always thinking, okay, what do I have to do tomorrow? 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:39.360 And and what do I need to do in terms of advertising and how do I market to this person? 00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:47.200 And and I find at that time, if I think about one word, that's my faith just sort of screams out to me, it's balance. 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:58.240 And uh that it's a reminder that God wants me, even though he wants to provide for my family and to allow me to do things uh through this business for our community and for uh people of faith. 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:03.840 I do a lot of printing for parachurch ministries and little churches that are startups and things like that. 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:05.919 And it's a real blessing to do that. 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:21.519 But um I find balance is the thing that he keeps whispering in my ear, and and uh and some of you know that I I teach Bible study here and have for a long time, and so sometimes it's easy for me to think, well, you know, I'll be studying on Saturday for my lesson, I'll do all my study then. 00:12:21.679 --> 00:12:46.000 But this year I started in January back onto a habit that I used to have a long time ago, and that is every morning before I start work, before I look at the first email or answer the first phone call, as I'm eating breakfast, I I get in the word, and I've been doing this one of these through the Bible in a year things, and I just find that it it fleshes out my day so much, keeps me focused on what's really important, even when I'm busy. 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:49.440 And uh many of you know me, I'm not really a morning person. 00:12:49.519 --> 00:13:04.000 I don't know if that's a surprise to many of my friends, kind of a night person, but and so I used to do a lot of my reading at night, but I I really made a a devoted effort on January 1st to get in and do that morning study. 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:07.919 And when I do, I find that my day has that balance that's important. 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:20.320 There's a lot of work that I need to get done, and I try and be diligent about that, but I have uh God speaking to me and working in me and working through me during that day also because of that commitment uh to balance in my life. 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:22.000 Okay, thanks a lot, sir. 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:32.720 Okay, tell us you you got it? 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:33.759 I got it. 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:34.960 Tell us who you are. 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:36.639 Yours is a unique question. 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:40.639 Tell us who you are, what you used to do, and what you do now. 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:41.279 Okay. 00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:42.399 I probably don't need this. 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:46.080 Anyone knows me knows I'm really loud, so I'll talk softly in it. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:53.440 Um I used to, for 12 years, I owned a private practice, counseling practice. 00:13:53.600 --> 00:14:01.759 I was a psychotherapist and did uh family and um and specifically children and severe um emotional disturbances. 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:02.960 So I did that. 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:10.960 Um two and a half years ago, I we made the decision that I was gonna stay at home when I had my first son and be a stay-at-home mom. 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:12.799 So I've been doing that for two and a half years. 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:18.960 So 12 years owned a private practice counseling facility, and then two and a half years stay-at-home mom. 00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:19.360 Right. 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:24.559 Okay, that frames I want you to hear that because it's gonna frame the questions that that that I asked Sarah. 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:30.799 Uh, first question uh what role did your faith play in the transition from career woman to stay-at-home mom? 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:33.519 That was such a hard transition. 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:52.639 I went from a career that I loved, that I was good at, and um that was very intellectual, very much different every day, to staying at home with a collecting infant who screamed all day, every day for four months, doing the dishes, very mundane, very routine. 00:14:52.879 --> 00:15:00.240 And you know, I I found myself one morning very much just grumbling in my spirit and unloading the dishes. 00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:02.960 And also, anybody who knows me knows I hate doing the dishes. 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:04.720 Worse than anything, I hate it. 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:09.360 And so I'm just complaining in my spirit, and I'm just like, what in the world? 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:23.360 And I think my faith played the biggest role because um the Holy Spirit just I mean completely corrected me because I had a bad attitude that morning, and said, How dare you, how dare you complain you have a healthy child? 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:28.799 There are women who would give anything to have a child, period, more or less a healthy child. 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:43.759 And how dare you complain about picking up your husband's socks when you know just don't get crazy there, you know, when when there when there are women who would do anything to have a husband or have their husband back with them or have a child to look after. 00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:52.399 And so my faith played the biggest role in being open to the correction of the Holy Spirit and then doing something with that and saying, you know, you're right. 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:53.600 I need to be thankful. 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:57.039 I mean, heck, I have a dishwasher, I have food to eat, you know. 00:15:57.519 --> 00:16:07.519 And so, and so really um my own uh being willing for the Holy Spirit to correct me and to do something with that and to listen to um to the voice of the Lord. 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:09.440 So that was the biggest thing for me. 00:16:09.759 --> 00:16:14.559 Okay, anybody that that's ever done it knows it more than than men like me. 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:18.080 I you know, but there's an anonymity to motherhood. 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:24.480 How no one knows all you do, and you know on Labor Day, we we talk about people that go get a check. 00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:28.399 We don't talk much about women like you that don't have adult conversation all day. 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:32.399 When your husband gets home, you're like, talk to me now, uh-huh, engage me. 00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:38.639 Um how does the gospel help you process the anonymity that comes with being a stay-at-home mom? 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:44.240 And I think that was also hard having such a you know career that I loved before I stayed at home. 00:16:44.399 --> 00:17:02.080 Um, you know, when I was in a career, I mean you have I had a waiting list of mile on because I specialized in certain severe disorders, and um there's nobody to give you a pat on the back and say, Oh, you're great, you know, good job, and and nobody knows all the frustrations you have during the day. 00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:13.839 But um I go back to the scripture and I have to remind myself of that daily, of the scripture that says, do everything as unto the Lord, work hardly as unto the Lord, because ultimately that's all that matters. 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:14.640 Really. 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:22.079 I mean, and I thought I was doing that, and I think I was to a certain level when I was out in the career world outside the home working. 00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:24.960 Um, I was doing that, and I would cover everything I did in prayer. 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:26.720 I was like, Oh, I'm doing this for the Lord. 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:38.319 But when you don't have any feedback and you have a toddler who's screaming in your face, and you gotta be out the door in 10 minutes, and nobody's eating, and nobody's dressed, and you haven't had a shower, you're like, really, Lord? 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:54.000 You know, and so I think for for me it was it's the reminder to my own self of ultimately I'm doing what I'm doing to please the Lord, and then hopefully my child will see that and learn about that principle as well. 00:17:54.160 --> 00:18:01.200 Because that's the the biggest thing that I'm supposed to do is not only take care of him, but teach him about these principles uh in the word. 00:18:01.519 --> 00:18:03.920 So next question. 00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:07.839 What is the biggest challenge to your faith in the role you're in now? 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:12.079 What is the biggest challenge to your faith and how do you deal with that? 00:18:13.279 --> 00:18:18.000 I think for me the biggest challenge is what's in between my ears. 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:21.599 Um I've talked to a lot of moms, I think, that can relate to that. 00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:24.319 Um what do you what do you mean when you say in between your ears? 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:24.880 Because all the means. 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:25.599 My thoughts. 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:25.839 Huh? 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:26.880 My thoughts. 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:27.279 Okay. 00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:28.880 Thoughts, my thoughts. 00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:32.880 Um, I think a lot of moms can probably relate to that, or a lot of women. 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:37.359 Um, you know, men don't have women figured out, but God does. 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:39.599 And so praise the Lord. 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:51.839 Because He has, you know, God has given us the scripture of, you know, take every thought captive and submit it into obedience to Christ. 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:56.160 Because I think, I mean, as a woman, we are very emotionally based. 00:18:56.400 --> 00:19:02.480 And so everything we do, our thoughts are intertwined with those emotions. 00:19:02.559 --> 00:19:07.039 So whether you're feeling something, it's gonna affect what you think, and whether you're thinking something, it's gonna affect how we feel. 00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:25.279 And so it's a big snowball, you know, and it's easy, I think, for women to get, especially moms who have been isolated, who are with little kids or older kids or teenagers, and that's a whole another story we know, um, is getting a hold of that and getting stopping that train when it wants to go derail. 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:43.599 Um, so I think that's the biggest thing, whether it's worry, um, whether it's uh fear, whether it's frustration or anger or impatience or all of these things, is to take those thoughts and then God gives us that perspective, gives us his perspective, and helps us keep that under control. 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:46.480 Because I think um if we don't do that, we don't have a chance. 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:47.200 Okay. 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:52.880 I want to ask you the last question I want to ask you, and it's not a question I gave you, it's just listening to you talk. 00:19:53.200 --> 00:20:08.079 For us men, when we come home, men that have mom wives that are stay-at-home moms that manage a household, and and uh when we come home and our wives have had one of those days, and she's just kind of mumbling under her breath in the kitchen, we we don't always know what to do. 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:09.599 We're kind of like, do we approach her? 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:11.039 Do we put our hand on her back? 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:12.960 Do we say, hey, how was your day? 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:22.960 Give us just a hey, this is what's helpful on those days, and we're just like the trains derailed, and I've been like, we have no idea how hard this is, and I resent the hound out of you. 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:26.079 Not that y'all ever do that to us. 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:30.319 Um, so the question is husbands. 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:39.680 Yeah, husbands, what what's how do we how do when we come home, we've been interacting with adults and you know, killing stuff and mounting it on the wall and and making fire. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:41.680 Just take the child, just take them. 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:42.880 No, I'm just kidding. 00:20:43.839 --> 00:20:44.720 I'm just kidding. 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:45.839 That does help. 00:20:46.079 --> 00:21:06.079 But um, you know, I think to validate your wives, I think that's the biggest thing that a lot of um mothers, especially stay-at-home moms, are looking for is validation that um that we're doing our best, regardless of if we screw up, regardless of whatever, we are doing the um the best that we can. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:17.599 Um it has been a long day, I guarantee you at the end of every day, no matter what's happened, and um you know, just to be supportive and to um, you know, just love on them. 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:31.680 And that's really, you know, because when when my husband comes home and he works crazy hours and it's late and I'm exhausted, and I mean the sweetest things that he'll do is just just love on me and say, you know, tomorrow we'll be better. 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:35.119 Okay, okay, I can do this, I can do it another day, you know. 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:41.920 And that that um just to validate those feelings and to validate you know what we're doing all day, I think is probably the biggest thing. 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:42.400 Okay. 00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:43.759 Thanks very much. 00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:53.359 Uh I'll tell you who this person is because I'm not gonna give him any questions. 00:21:53.519 --> 00:21:58.319 It uh this is Mark Brooker, also known as the guy that plays electric guitar in our worship band. 00:21:58.559 --> 00:21:59.440 Uh, to most of you. 00:21:59.519 --> 00:22:05.279 Um Uh Mark is uh I didn't didn't ask Mark to respond to questions as much because his role is different. 00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:09.359 He owns his own business, he's a majority owner in a business, and so that has a different perspective on it. 00:22:09.440 --> 00:22:20.400 So I just said, hey, I want you to talk about how the your faith and the gospel influences the way you operate as a majority owner in a business uh that that that that God's using. 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:22.559 And so take a few minutes, Mark, and just talk to us about that. 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:23.440 Okay, thanks. 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:26.480 Um first of all, I appreciate the opportunity. 00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:36.079 Um I own a I'm the majority owner in a company called the Frontline Group, and and we've been around about 20 years and we do management consulting to the oil and gas business. 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:47.359 And about 10 years ago, uh I had the opportunity to uh buy out all the partners and and go into a lot of debt, which I didn't exactly explain to my wife what that was gonna look like. 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:55.039 Um and I and I remember praying, I said, God, you know, uh I want this business now to you know be aligned with you and serve you. 00:22:55.119 --> 00:23:04.400 And and uh so I'd like for you to bring the people that need to work here here and uh get the people out of here that that you know don't need to work here. 00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:11.519 And and so in the next couple of months after I'd signed this big note, we lost a million dollars worth of business with the people leaving that didn't need to be there. 00:23:11.599 --> 00:23:13.279 So I said, well, this is interesting. 00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:16.480 We're gonna put water on the wood here before we get the fire. 00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:22.720 So so it it was just uh interesting learning experience starting to take this over. 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:31.279 And and so a couple of things I wanted to talk about were just the things that it takes, uh some thoughts on business management as a Christian. 00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:31.680 Uh-huh. 00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:38.400 And the very first thing that that I think is critical is is being consistent with tithing. 00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:42.000 And and so this was a very interesting revelation. 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:51.359 The more I've learned about it, the more I've done it is that is that tithing is kind of the basis for how you learn to manage a business. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:24:00.720 Um this may come as a surprise, it may not, uh, but most of the money that you receive as your paycheck is actually not your money, right? 00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:09.440 I mean, there's a hunk that goes to the feds, and then there's a hunk that goes to the mortgage company, and then your car payment, and then the school, and then HEB and all that. 00:24:09.599 --> 00:24:17.200 And so, you know, as you begin to learn to tithe, you begin to learn how money gets segmented that you're in charge of. 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:21.680 And so there's two there's two lessons out of this. 00:24:21.839 --> 00:24:24.079 The first is becoming obedient to God. 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:28.400 You know, Jesus said, render under Caesar, what's his, render under God, what's his. 00:24:28.799 --> 00:24:30.640 And he was talking about tithing. 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:35.039 And so, you know, uh, he says, uh, this is what I want you to do. 00:24:35.119 --> 00:24:39.519 And so as you start to do that, you begin to learn how to be obedient to God. 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:45.519 This is you know, this is like the first thing, but it's very hard for many people to get on top of that. 00:24:45.759 --> 00:24:52.000 Um and then the second thing is that you learn how to manage money like this. 00:24:52.160 --> 00:24:55.920 So you say, well, there's there's money I always have to lay aside for these things. 00:24:56.079 --> 00:25:04.559 And when I'm really being responsive to God, you know, I need to be able to be generous and I need to not live to the very end of my means all the time. 00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:06.640 And how am I gonna learn to do that? 00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:15.599 Now, let me give you some practical advice on tithing, because I've been we've been very good at it at parts of our lives, but we've been really lousy at it in other parts. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:32.400 We went through a pretty dry spell, and we had a kid in college and another couple of kids right behind them, and and we had kind of gotten out of the habit of tithing as a consistent habit, and it had become more like, well, let's give some gifts to God this week, and then next week we'll see where we sit. 00:25:32.720 --> 00:25:42.400 And so what I did uh heard a sermon on tithing and said, we we've got to get moved back into this and get consistent on this because uh for any number of reasons. 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:44.400 But first of all, just being obedient to God. 00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:55.359 And so what I did was we we opened up two checking accounts, and usually when you get like electronic funds, you can actually direct, you can usually direct to two places with your paycheck. 00:25:55.440 --> 00:26:10.319 But we we as we brought our money into our in into our purview, we split it immediately on into the tithe, went into uh a separate checking account from our you know, household uh uh checking account. 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:14.960 And it became really, really easy after that to start to manage our tithe. 00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:22.319 And what we found was that at first we kind of used the formula, and over time God has said, I want you to be more generous than that. 00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:33.839 And so, you know, we we never take money out of the tithing checking account and stick it in our general checking account, but we do find ourselves taking things out of our general account, especially as God has blessed us more and more. 00:26:34.079 --> 00:26:40.880 So this discipline begins to make you uh you know listen to the voice of God as He's directing you. 00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:48.400 And and when you're running a business and you're trying to run it as a Christian, you're gonna need that kind of discipline in hearing the voice of God. 00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:50.400 Now, here's why. 00:26:50.640 --> 00:27:00.480 Because we all say this, God, I want you to use my business, and I want, you know, and and we and we think about that, but we kind of always think in terms of my business and me were the center of things. 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:08.559 We don't think so much about ourselves being our business being a pawn in a game that God's running and God's directing. 00:27:08.799 --> 00:27:11.599 And so let me let me give you let me give you an example, for instance. 00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:20.160 All right, so you remember that when Jesus had the triumphal entry, you remember he goes into Jerusalem and he sends the guys out to get the uh white colt. 00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:21.519 You remember that story? 00:27:21.680 --> 00:27:24.720 And says, talk to the owners and and and bring it back. 00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:27.440 Well, let's think about that in terms of today. 00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:31.920 So let's say that Jesus is gonna go into Houston tomorrow. 00:27:32.240 --> 00:27:35.200 And so he says, James, you and John, come here. 00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:37.039 I want you to run an errand for us. 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:56.559 Uh he says, I look, I want you to go in in here into Richmond, and there's a there's a guy that's got a tinning company, his name's Gary Cooper, he's a friend of mine, and and uh we've talked before, and he's got this cream puff 1964 white caddy convertible, and that's what we're gonna use tomorrow. 00:27:56.799 --> 00:28:01.359 And he says, So I want you to go in there and and and get the car from Gary and bring it back. 00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:08.160 And James says, wait, wait, I know Gary, he won't even let his wife drive that car. 00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:11.279 He is not gonna loan us this car. 00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:14.240 And Jesus says, Wait, listen to me, guys. 00:28:15.039 --> 00:28:20.799 3,000 years ago, my father decided that this is how tomorrow is gonna play out. 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:22.720 And he wrote it down. 00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:31.279 And so he's been preparing Gary's business and Gary's heart for loaning us this car, and so it's gonna be just fine. 00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:35.920 He says, now, on second thought, John, you drive and don't squeal the tires. 00:28:36.400 --> 00:28:48.559 All right, so I think you can see that that your business might be intertwined in God's plan from not just when you started it, but from way before it was ever envisioned in your head. 00:28:49.119 --> 00:29:09.759 And so this tithing discipline starts to prepare you to manage your business in a similar way, of having ways to be generous and ways to follow God's leading when it's not exactly what HR says you ought to do, or it's exactly what you know your MBA class said for you to do. 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:15.039 And so you begin to feel look out there and say, How can I be generous in places? 00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:26.559 And so when we get a resume from somebody kind of out of the blue, we'll say, you know, there might be an opportunity coming that we did not solicit this, but there may be some reason that we're getting this. 00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:29.359 We may be some reason some customer is calling us. 00:29:29.519 --> 00:29:38.799 And so just just like uh Tommy was talking about, you know, things come out of what appears to us to be left field, but they're really God's plan. 00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:50.640 And so as you've learned to manage your business and leave room all the time in that, not living to the end of that all the time, that's how you can be responsive to God's plan. 00:29:50.880 --> 00:29:56.240 Let me give you just a real quick thing on that, uh, an instance that's real, actually. 00:29:56.319 --> 00:30:01.039 Uh unfortunately, I don't think Gary's got a white Cadillac, which is too bad because they're really nice. 00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:10.559 Um so in a few years back, I was the uh we did a joint venture with Baker Hughes uh to provide drilling people around the world. 00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:13.039 They would find the jobs, we'd find the people. 00:30:13.200 --> 00:30:27.759 And this went on for a couple of years, and and and we were in a building up on 1960, and I used a little local attorney in that building, a guy named Jan Jersik, to do some contract work for us and some various things, and just kind of got to know him like that. 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:32.240 Well, at the end of the two years that that uh Baker Hughes reorganized. 00:30:32.319 --> 00:30:35.039 I realize that most big companies don't do that, do they, right? 00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:36.799 Big all the time. 00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:47.599 Um and so they reorganized, and so we kind of disbanded this group, and I needed a little office to move into right there in the building, and so I moved in with Jan Jersik, this attorney. 00:30:47.680 --> 00:30:49.599 He had a couple desks in there, so I move in. 00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:56.079 And a couple months into this, Jan comes to me and he says, Hey, um, you know, I I'm I'm struggling with something here. 00:30:56.240 --> 00:31:01.279 He said, We have a teenage son, and we took him out of the public schools because he was just a disaster. 00:31:01.359 --> 00:31:04.720 He's a disaster at school, he's a disaster at home, and we put him in St. 00:31:04.799 --> 00:31:10.720 Thomas, and we've done that for a year or two now, and it's not getting any better, and we're spending a ton of money going to St. 00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:14.480 Thomas, and there's a drive from the 1960 area down there. 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:17.039 So we're gonna put him back into public school. 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:18.960 You got any thoughts? 00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:21.599 And I said, Well, yeah, he's he goes to Side Creek, right? 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:22.720 He's gonna go into Side Creek. 00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:28.000 And they said, Yeah, and we're we're we're trying to figure out how to keep him away from the kids he used to hang with, right? 00:31:28.160 --> 00:31:35.759 And I said, Well, I know I was I was involved as a volunteer leader with Young Life at the time, and so I said, Look, I know the leaders at Side Creek, they're great. 00:31:35.920 --> 00:31:42.319 Why don't you introduce your kid to them and get him started there, and that'll be a whole different group of kids than who he's been hanging with. 00:31:42.400 --> 00:31:49.279 And so we did that, and that was in the fall, and at Christmas at ski camp, the kid comes to Christ. 00:31:49.680 --> 00:31:58.720 And uh and over the next couple of months after that, the dad would come in and say, You couldn't believe how remarkable this change is in my son. 00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:08.720 You know, I mean, he's not giving us trouble, he's not giving trouble at school, he's making good grades, all these things that have come out of this, these positive from him coming to Christ. 00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:22.319 And, you know, as as I reflect on that, it's like, well, I wonder if that whole two years and Baker Hughes and us and all that stuff was actually so that he would come to Christ. 00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:29.279 The interesting thing is we all gravitate towards Romans 8.28, right? 00:32:29.519 --> 00:32:34.079 Uh, because it says, you know, things work for good for those that love God. 00:32:34.480 --> 00:32:39.759 But we kind of forget about the last half of that verse, which is according to his purposes. 00:32:40.160 --> 00:32:57.519 And so, you know, you find in your business that if you'll let God have his way in it, that there's all kinds of things that he's gonna use, uh, the prosperity and the community that you've built to serve his purposes. 00:32:58.160 --> 00:32:59.519 So that's what I got. 00:32:59.839 --> 00:33:01.519 Okay, one one quick question. 00:33:01.759 --> 00:33:06.240 Uh just just so everyone will know, this is not a paid political advertisement by the pastor. 00:33:06.319 --> 00:33:09.039 I didn't I didn't tell you what to talk about or anything. 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:10.480 No, about the tithing? 00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:10.799 Yeah. 00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:12.880 No, okay, because I don't want people to go, oh great. 00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:13.920 Now look at the preacher. 00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:20.720 If you're new to our church, if you're new to our church, it's not actually somebody stopped me recently and said, Hey, you never preach on money. 00:33:20.799 --> 00:33:27.599 Uh and I said, I think these people understand where everything they have comes from, and they're good stewards of that, which is why we don't do that here a whole lot. 00:33:27.680 --> 00:33:29.680 And so if you're visiting today, just relax. 00:33:29.759 --> 00:33:32.400 We're not gonna dim the lights and pass out pledge cards, all right? 00:33:32.880 --> 00:33:33.839 Just relax. 00:33:33.920 --> 00:33:34.559 Thanks, Mark. 00:33:34.640 --> 00:33:35.039 Thanks a lot. 00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:46.799 Okay, um, tell us who you are, what you do, and for how long you've done it. 00:33:47.119 --> 00:33:48.880 Yeah, my name is Wade Burgess. 00:33:48.960 --> 00:33:50.400 Uh, I work in healthcare. 00:33:50.480 --> 00:33:53.359 Uh, been doing that for about 15, 16 years now. 00:33:53.680 --> 00:33:54.000 Okay. 00:33:54.160 --> 00:34:02.000 I just have a couple questions for you because I want you to kind of give us some takeaways uh to kind of to kind of frame and shape what we've heard this morning. 00:34:02.240 --> 00:34:07.119 First question is simply this what are some ways that you connect your Sunday faith and your Monday work? 00:34:08.800 --> 00:34:15.519 Uh I think the first way is being consistent, uh consistent in my attitude, consistent in the mood that I have. 00:34:15.760 --> 00:34:19.199 Um I I don't think I'm moody, but my wife says I am. 00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:24.880 And uh I think it's because I'm so consistent during the week that I've got to let it out on the weekend, and that's when she gets to see it. 00:34:25.840 --> 00:34:31.199 Um so so uh so so I I think the way I demonstrate my faith is by being consistent. 00:34:31.360 --> 00:34:39.920 I come in on Monday morning with the same attitude as I do on Friday morning, and when things go to heck in a handbasket, I'm the same way as I am when it all went well. 00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:49.920 And that's not to say um I don't I don't show some emotion or appreciation or or I I get down a little bit because I think that would be fake, and and certainly people read right through that. 00:34:50.079 --> 00:34:55.840 But what it is is a consistency of attitude that says I I'm an alien here, right? 00:34:55.920 --> 00:35:00.639 That this is not um what what is my everything. 00:35:00.880 --> 00:35:06.079 I know that there's something better waiting, and because of that, I've got a more consistent attitude at work. 00:35:06.320 --> 00:35:10.320 I think the second way I demonstrate that is by the way I treat people. 00:35:10.480 --> 00:35:23.039 Um we we had a young lady who was the um she was single, her mother uh was the only family she had, her mom had a stroke and this terrible medical issue, and she said, I need to be off. 00:35:23.199 --> 00:35:27.599 Now, our policy states that you're only supposed to use your extended sick leave for you. 00:35:27.760 --> 00:35:32.559 Um, but we also have a motto that says, our employees are our greatest assets. 00:35:32.800 --> 00:35:34.559 And so I thought, let's test that. 00:35:34.800 --> 00:35:40.800 And so what I did was I told her, I said, Why don't you use your extended sick leave for this time off that you need to care for your mom? 00:35:41.039 --> 00:35:42.880 Uh now I never got in trouble over that. 00:35:43.039 --> 00:35:51.039 I don't endorse doing things against your policy, but I am saying that I think by the way we treat people, it doesn't have to be that big either, right? 00:35:51.199 --> 00:35:53.519 It can be consistently treating people well. 00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:57.280 I think they recognize uh where where your faith lies. 00:35:57.519 --> 00:36:00.480 And then the third piece is being specific. 00:36:00.800 --> 00:36:05.360 I think we all uh well, me particularly, want to hide behind this. 00:36:05.519 --> 00:36:10.960 Well, they'll know I'm a Christian by the way I live, so let me go out and live it, and hopefully they'll know it. 00:36:11.599 --> 00:36:15.280 You know the adage, preach all the time and sometimes use words. 00:36:15.440 --> 00:36:17.280 My point is use words. 00:36:17.519 --> 00:36:21.360 Be specific in what you do, in the example you're setting. 00:36:21.519 --> 00:36:27.519 There's a lot of great people out there that don't know God, and they will not be any different than you are. 00:36:27.679 --> 00:36:30.960 The difference is you get to use some words that maybe they've not heard. 00:36:31.039 --> 00:36:34.880 You get to say it in a way that they've not heard, phrased to them. 00:36:35.039 --> 00:36:37.440 So be specific in your witness. 00:36:37.760 --> 00:36:39.519 Okay, I want to ask you to clarify a little bit. 00:36:39.599 --> 00:36:40.800 You said you work in healthcare. 00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:42.480 That's what drug dealers say as well. 00:36:42.559 --> 00:36:48.000 Uh, could you give us a little more granularity around what it is you do so they'll have a frame of reference? 00:36:48.239 --> 00:36:48.960 Yeah, yeah, sure. 00:36:49.039 --> 00:36:52.880