Cody’s Comeback: Faith, Recovery, and Facing the Unknown

Join the HOTLCast crew as Pastor Cody returns to share his powerful story of illness, recovery, and the lessons learned along the way. The conversation dives into faith, community support, and finding purpose in life’s toughest moments, all with warmth, humor, and honesty. Perfect for listeners seeking inspiration, spiritual insight, and real talk about overcoming adversity.

Transcript

 Hello and welcome to the part. 

That was a No, we're keeping that, please. I want that to be kept. That is welcome to the Huddle cast. This is Pastor Cyle, whatever. And Pastor Cody, welcome to Pastor Mark. Hey Mark. How are you doing? 

I'm, I'm doing great. Do you 

know what I like about this? Like you can't see this 'cause this a podcast, but.

We can see Mark now. 

Yeah. 

Before we had our backs turned to Mark and now we can see Mark and I feel better about that. You had your back 

turned to me. No. You were in the orange chair. I had back turn. Cyle did. Nobody's in the green chair, which is the one that can't see me. Maybe you were all too 

strong at drugs the whole time you were gone.

I could see Mark the whole time. You could see Mark all the time. But you guys could not. 

I mean, I could. I was the only, I was the only one that couldn't. You could, Matt, could Jared. I couldn't. I sat in that chair. 

That's right. You never saw me chair. I 

took this chair. 'cause I don't like that chair anymore.

Why not? 

Because I have my back to you. 

Oh, well thank you. That act that, that's actually really nice. She had 

nothing to do with it. I don't like the way that mic's set up and it's all my left arm. 

Oh, I thought 

it feels too, too, uh, claustrophobic conducing. 

Mm. 

Well. 

I'm just happy to be back on the podcast.

Yeah. You're alive. Yeah. Yeah. Welcome. Yeah. Is this your first podcast since you died and came back? This is my first podcast since I almost. I guess it is true. I almost, what does heaven like Cody

the inside of Henry Ford Hospital, apparently like, don't go, turns the light. Yeah. Uh, no. Cody 

really didn't die and come back, but no, he's closed. He's closed a few times. So 

I, can we do something? 'cause I actually think this would be helpful. Can you give your perspective, like, I would love to hear both perspective, like can you give your perspective on how everything went down and then Mark, 'cause Mark lives with me.

Can you give your perspective? Then I'll tell you guys what happened. Would that be helpful? That I, because I feel like people, people should hear this whole like, scenario played out. 'cause I've had a bunch of people ask me and I I, did you say this in your video though? A little bit, but yeah, like you, it would, I 

mean, 

for the people, I mean, I, I don't think I have a different 

perspective than how it played out, than it did play out.

I mean, what I watched, watched a video. What was, 

what was, I know, but you were like, you're close to this, or like, what? 

I'm just glad, uh, you didn't die. Um, yeah, 'cause um, I didn't wanna have to do your funeral, so that's like, that's, you know, I mean, 

you're not getting out of that. 

I was always pictured you would do my funeral.

Um, oh, come on. I'm not doing your funeral. Yeah.

So, but that's truth is, I mean, yeah, I mean, this seemingly was a rib injury that turned into a, I mean, we're joking a life and death scenario. We're joking, 

but we're kind of not like it's, that's how we process some of this stuff, but. 

So I was worried when I heard Justice Hayes hurt his rib in the football game.

I was like, well, Cody thought he hurt his rib and he was gone for a month. We need Justice Hayes next week. I'm just really 

glad that you were more concerned about him than me. 

What team is he on? Michigan? Yeah, Michigan. That's good to know. 

We should not let Mark be on. If you can't, mark doesn't. Mark doesn't Mark's literally playing.

Listen, you're fantasy football now and you dunno what Justin, I'm doing college so much better. I'm in the NFL 

league and yeah, I did more trading this year than I have ever last year. So what, 

what does NFL stand for? 

Mark National Football League. So 

you're in the NFL League League. What, because you're in the NFL league.

We're, we're in that. Listen, listen, 

listen. You just trying to make fun of me. I'm in the 

NFLL guys. This is the greatest fantasy football season ever. Mark. Mark beat me two weeks ago. Yeah, 

I did in, in fantasy football and I got in second place this week for the league Overall, do 

you have the guy on the Barcelona Dragons?

That's not a team. 

It was a team. Really funny. That's actually really 

funny. It's not 

right now. 

It's not though. I wish they'd bring back NFL Europe. 

It was great. NFL Europe. Yeah, that's what I think. That's what they're trying with all these London games, but I hope so. Being in Germany games. 

No, we're glad you're okay.

I'm really glad you're okay. It was, it was nice to know that you were doing better and so I was worried. Glad 

to be okay. 

So 

yeah, I mean, it was. I think the biggest thing for me was I, I didn't expect to have that, um, I did not expect to have that level of ailment this early in life. 

No, it's been a rough year for you health wise.

It has been. It's been a crazy rough year. It actually has been a really rough year. 34 and 30 fives not been great. No. Been kind to you. It has 

not at all. So 

I'm hoping three six is better. Let's, let's see. As you, if you've taken that roundhouse and that upper cut, I'd hate to see what the haymaker does.

36. 

Energy drink, heart attack last year. Listen, I just want you to know. 

Yeah, it's kind. So for everybody who's asked me, I went cold Turkey a year ago on energy drinks. I've not had another one since. So do you feel like you need to contest sex? No. I just, I just know, I know a lot of people are, I know there's a lot of who know, like what had.

Like what had gone down last year and we're like, well, did you know? I'm like, no, I've been, my wife is like, you haven't had an energy drink since. I'm like, I mean, that, that one was more of like a rude awakening, like, like, like, you need to, this one, I didn't have anything to do with, it's not like I was, it's like they can't figure out why this happened.

They, they, I mean, they're running all sorts of tests, just trying to rule some things out, but basically it was like I got to the hospital. Double pneumonia. My lungs were full like about a third fo my right atrium was about a third fo of fluid. And then my entire lung cavity, like my chest was full of like, uh, plu sea is what they call it.

It's like a, the fluid. So then they went to go drain it. They couldn't drain it 'cause it basically turned in like human jello is what they say. Like so that's gross. Solidified. Yeah, it's pretty gross. So. They're like, we are gonna have to like, if this solidifies anymore. Like, 'cause they, they're like one, they call it, I think it's called Pret Toxic.

So it's basically, it's the, the fluid has the potential to go toxic, which would, wouldn't effectively kill me. 'cause it would be sepsis. Like, so like it set in and they're like, so, so I remember I told you like, yeah, they're gonna have to do surgery. 

Mm-hmm. 

And I'm thinking like, I don't, like, they didn't tell me anything.

So they're just like. Because you, you and I were talking and I was like, yeah, they're gonna have to do surgery. Like, I don't know what it's gonna look like. Like we're gonna see, like, and uh, 

I like, I think I said when you said, oh, sometime tomorrow afternoon. And then I woke up at seven 30 to a text from your wife that they're taking me back now from, and she called me like three times 30.

Like they woke me at four 30. Yeah. For, and I'm like, I, I, I was like, Patty, they're taking, cut it back. Like this is not good. Like this is rushed. Mm-hmm. So, 

so then the, I got there, I cut down there. They're, you know, they're doing all the prep and stuff. And the, uh, the surgeon's like, do you know what we're doing to you?

I'm like, no. Like, no, nobody's like, nobody's told me. And he is like, you know, we're gonna have, you know, I'd love to tell you we can do laparoscopic. We're not gonna be able to, this is what the surgery looks like and everything has happened so fast. So then I got done. So then I had two tubes sticking on my chest for a couple days.

A few days actually. Yeah. 

You've been off for a month. Yeah, 

it's back. Yep. So I'm still, I just slow goings, like the recovery just takes a long time. Like I'm still sore. I'm still in pain, like, but I'm like thankful. Just very thankful. I'm thankful for everybody. I, I mean, my wife and I are thankful for everybody because.

So many. I mean, this is, I think, a testament to our church. There's so many people that stepped up, not just to make food, but like to come and help out our family and like check in on my wife and check in on her kids. And like, I mean, if that, that to me is like, that's the body of Christ. Like that's how the body of Christ responds when people are in need.

And so I feel very fortunate that, you know, I get to be a part of that body of Christ. We don't, I don't always like, I, I don't know, I don't know about you, but like, I always feel like as a pastor, we're in a, we're in a weird position where like the, the role is to shepherd the flock, right? Like that's the whole idea in scripture.

Like we shepherd the flock. So it's weird to think that like, that's also when, in the time where we need that our church steps up to like take care of us, right? And so I was very, that was a really humbling like. Really godly experience. Like I was, it was really moving and touching to like, have that many people show up and just try and help our family and, um, yeah.

So, so it's been a lot. So. 

Well good. Yeah. We're, we're glad you're alive and back. Yeah. So you ready to be singing Sunday? I 

also would like to note that I literally had double pneumonia and I recorded. A song with devil pneumonia. So we did, so we recorded a song and put it on Spotify. So, and I had fluid and in and around my legs like crazy.

Yeah. So it was a pertinent song for a pertinent time. Yeah. Pray more, worry less as you laid in the hospital. But 

yeah, but we've been working on more, actually you and I have been working on more. We just, just this week we've been kind of working on some songs, like I was telling you some stuff like, you know, when you're sitting around doing nothing.

You know, you just are thinking about all sorts of things. Like I've been talking. It is been cool. One of the, I I'll say this, like one of the really cool things is all the men or, or, and some women who are at church who have had like. Ailments that have left them like debilitated for a while, like it's been good to talk to them.

'cause like there's a, there's a experiential piece to that. Like, and luckily you've never had, like, you've never really been laid up for like a long time, which is nice. Like it's, I'm thankful for that in your life that that has never happened to you. And like, but there's an experiential piece to all that that like.

It's just different. Like there's a, like, there's all sorts of things. You question your worth, you question your value. Like when you can't do things and everybody has to take care of you, it's like there's a whole different piece to like, like where's my, like I, and it was funny, like I called a friend and he said, Hey, have you figured out that your value has nothing to do with your output?

And I, that was really convicting for me. Like that, you know, we, you and I are both, we're both pretty. Pretty busy people. Like we are involved in a lot. We do a lot. And like a lot of times like I can fall pray to this idea that like, who I am or my value is derived from what I do or what I produce. And like that's not, like he was really, it was really funny 'cause he was just like, yeah, so that's not in the bible anywhere.

I was like, that's, yeah, that's actually really true. Like, and I think a lot of times we get in that mode. Like we just get, we think like if we do more, God will love us more. You know, or if we're doing less, God loves us less and it's like, God loves you the same. There's nothing you need to do to make him love you more or less.

And like at the end of the day, if you're working for the glory of the Lord, like it's also okay to set, sit back and realize like that's God determines your value and it's now based on what you can produce. Because like that's such a small part of who God has made you to be and like there's so much more to it.

So like that was, I mean, that's, that was a cool part of it too. So. I feel like I'm doing a lot of talking. You guys can chime in anywhere if you want, but 

I mean, yeah, it's good to remember that. Remind ourselves of like the eternal value. 'cause when you lose it, it's an eye-opening thing. Obviously you've experienced.

Like now that you've experienced not being able to like, because you needed to heal, there was, that was like the detail of it, like that that was necessary for you to be able to get back up and running, but how your value doesn't change because of that, the situation you're in doesn't change your value.

God decides it. 

Yeah. I mean that's kind of the crux of scriptures. You know, he is the determiner of all value, and he creates us to have value. Mm-hmm. So it's, it's good that you gotta slow down and 

get some 

perspective on that. It's good. Yeah. 

But no, I mean, I'm, I'm, I'm very, uh, I'm very fortunate. I do feel very fortunate.

I do, I mean, we talked about this, like, you know, there's, it, I do think, like, not to give too much credit to Satan, but Satan does have his schemes, right? So like. When I think about it, I'm like, well, if nobody can explain why this happened, right? Like, and it happened outta nowhere. Like, and like then maybe just maybe, maybe just, maybe that was Satan trying to work against, you know, what God's doing.

Not just in, in, you know, my life but in the people around me life, like, and it was hard for my wife. I know it was hard for you. I know you're a tough guy, so like you don't talk about emotions much, but I know as, as we're close friends, like I was thinking if I was in the reverse position, how much, how erected I would be to feel like you're, you know, what you're going through.

And I'm like, I know how close we are. So I know you, I know that's something you were dealing with too, so like, it's just tough, like the people who are around you and like. Who support you, who love you, who care for you. Like they radically change the way that you recover from something like this because they either bring great value to your life or they take away from it.

And so like the people who are most supportive and the closest in your life are the ones who are going to really kind of set the tone for all of it. And I, I told you, man, you were, we were laughing 'cause you were in the hospital. You and Patty were in the hospital. And you were like, you are the, you know, because I I, you're like, these drugs must be really hitting you.

But I was talking to you guys just kind of tearing up and like, thankful for you guys and like my family and my, you know, my extended, like the people I'd consider, consider my extended family. Just like how you guys have stepped up to take care of me and my family and like. I do think it's a testament not just to you guys, but to like, that is the character of our church, like our people.

They embody that like, and it's because, I think because of the fact that like you live that way and like you, you are constantly caring for people. I think that just bleeds through into the way that our church operates and like mm-hmm. So, you know, I think that's, and that's the example that like is set for all of our people, like set for my kids and my family and yeah, 

I think 

it 

was just the Quaaludes talking.

Yeah. Yeah. I'm sure mean they don't give you quaaludes in the hospital, but I dont know really what quaaludes are. Sounds like a bird. Love that we just know it's drug. We've said I word quaaludes are either so like, yeah, but so I don't know. So. Yeah, those are my thoughts, but that's good. That's good. I'm pre, I'm preaching in the end of November, beginning of December, so I'm definitely gonna talk about it.

I'm gonna talk about it this week with the youth kids, like it's gonna be part of what, what we're talking about. Like, you know, I think if you go through challenging times and your life that translate to spiritually challenging times. You should always have something to take away that God has done in the, as a, as a result.

And so like there should always be something that you can learn that God is teaching you. So, and I feel like that that's a responsibility I have through this is like mm-hmm. I need to make sure that I'm. Pushing people back to the idea like, Hey, this happened, but look at all this amazing things. All the amazing things God's done.

Like I think we have a responsibility to do that. 

So, yeah. 'cause he is always working and always moving. Mm-hmm. And we need to remember that and point back to that. 

Yep. 

Because you could easily be like, this is terrible, this is awful. And just be like, this is just the worst. And instead you can be like, no, God's gonna use this.

God is using this now. Yeah, he's working now. 

Yeah. Well, that's good. So thanks for sharing what you learned. Yeah. This Sunday we talked about, um, the four horseman apocalypse. Yes, we did. We talked about the fourth one, the fourth seal. What color is the horse in the fourth seal mark? 

It's the pale horse. 

The pale horse.

Greenish, actually 

sickly green actually. 

Actually car green. 

It's the fourth seal kind of, of the consequences of our sin that's released upon us. The kind of the judgment that comes in. Revelation six, I, I've been enjoying the series. I had somebody who was new church. Uh, today I went to coffee with them and they were, first, Sunday was a Sunday, so I really needed that and.

What I needed was, I just needed someone to say like, Hey, this is Revelation. And we don't really know, right? We don't know, know a lot about this, but there's a truth here that we need to uncover and take some of the tension away from like the, oh, it is the end of the world tomorrow. And, and to really just focus on like, what can we learn from this scripture?

Yeah. And apply in any situation. And so it was nice to have that conversation today and, um. Kind of be part of that. But I mean, essentially we, we talked about, we don't know, like this whole thing is we don't know, um, no, no scholar, no pastor knows what revelation means to, to be able to say definitively, I know this.

Mm-hmm. Is what this means. We presuppose, we argue, we debate, we do all those things, but. What we know is what John was trying to do. John was trying to encourage the church. He was trying to speak to unbelievers, to bring them to repentance. He was trying to establish that Jesus is going to win. Ultimately he'll be a victory, he'll win and to encourage believers.

So that's, that was the goal of his writings. And when we go into Revelation six, we, we picked that kind of odd moment to talk about, which is the odd moments, the four horses come outta the sky. There are seven seals. We'll do another podcast to discuss. The other ones were missing. But in this one we'll talk about the fourth horse of the apocalypse, which is the kind of the pale, sickly green horse with death as its rider and Haiti, as it as its companion.

And really when, when the end comes, whatever that looks like, if we could take it literally, there will be a horse come outta the sky with death as its rider in Hades as its companion, which means your physical form will die. The world will will die. And Hades is the realm of the soul. Um, that's what will happen.

People will die and go to the realm of the soul. In that realm, you'll be judged according to how you lived. So that would be the literal view. The figurative view would be, we are gonna face death and we are gonna face our eternal destination, and there'll be a judgment of to where that it leads us to life everlasting with Jesus Christ or to death and, and everlasting apart from Christ.

And so. That's the realm of Hades we we see in scripture. And so that there's the reality of where does, where do we fit with all that? Is it literal? Is it figurative? I think it could be some of both. It could be one or the other, but the truth is, the danger is not being ready for that moment. Like if the moment comes when God's ready to restore.

We needed to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Like that's the key of, of scripture is if you're right with the lamb, you're with right. With Christ, then you will be good. Like you'll be able to survive and endure. Mm-hmm. With Jesus. And so 

Well, I mean, and, and here's the reality though. Even if you're not to live as Christ and to die is gain, Paul's very clear about that.

So it doesn't even, like we, we get this idea that like, we'll be spared from all this like hardship or heartache or the, the hard stuff that happens. We don't, we're not guaranteed any of that. No. Like what we're guaranteed is, is that if we're right with the Lord, that eternity is secured for us. Right. So like.

That's the whole, like when we talk about all these things, like the signs, the seals, the things that are figurative or literal like we, that we don't know, like the, the relationship with Jesus Christ that propels us and the warnings to the churches, right? In Revelation, the warnings to the churches, to the seven churches.

Those are important because those are ways that, those are definitive markers that we can say, these are things that we need to watch out for. These are things that we need to be aware of and be right with the Lord. Meaning like, live a righteous life, a right 

life, right? And so that's, that's just something we need to be aware of as we walk through.

Um, life is that death is real. It's, it's coming. It's brutal. It doesn't skip anyone. Everyone's gonna die. And so at some point you have to face the reality that you are going to die. The people you love are gonna die. How are you going to meet your creator when you die? Mm-hmm. As a follower of him, as someone who's lived for him or as an opponent and like there are consequences to either of those lifestyles that lead you to one of those decisions.

Mm-hmm. Uh, on an eternal scale, I hope for me. I'm living for the Lord when that moment comes for me. And, and I'm hoping that's what the Lord will take into account when, you know, we meet and he determines my eternity. And so that's, I think for us as believers, we, we need to think that through. 

Yeah. I mean, 'cause God has the answers and I know like as someone like who's tried to read through Revelation, gets super confused and overwhelmed.

I have learned how to seek comfort in not having all the answers and not knowing everything. Because I was just thinking about how you were saying that not always, like, not, not, we don't actually know. Like scholars have disagreements and theories and ideas about what it all, all is, what it all means, when it all's gonna happen.

But ultimately, like I've learned to trust what I don't know because of what God has shown me. 

Right? 

And trust that God has a good plan, God has a purpose for it, and there's something I can learn from it without needing all the info. 'cause sometimes that's an uncomfortable place to be. It's like, okay, I'm just gonna trust it takes actual, I mean, that's faith right there is.

Trusting. Trusting in him when you don't have all the answers like you did Cody, like I'm sure you were, you had a lot of questions and you weren't sure how things were gonna go, but you knew God was gonna be good. 

Yeah, I did feel that the whole way. Like I, I mean, it was funny. My wife, I know, like my wife was freaking out way more than I was not, not to like single out.

She did an amazing job. And I know Cyle, I know you're, you were probably more aware of like all the things that were happening than I was. 'cause honestly I was on so many medications, like 

Yeah. 

When I got in, right. And like, there was a small moment of clarity before I had surgery where I was like, okay, I'm going in.

Like where I literally, I mean, I did have a thought, like, okay, what if I, you know, it's not small surgery. Like after the surgeon told me like, it's not small surgery. Like there's a, I mean. Maybe there's not a high chance, but there's a chance I don't wake up from this. Like, yeah. You know, and I just, there was a chance, there was a chance, like probably, probably higher than my wife, probably higher than you knew.

Probably higher than my wife should know. So like, but uh, you know, it was kind of like, okay, like this is gonna happen and you know, and. I mean, at the end of the day, like God's good. I, I didn't, I didn't, yeah. I didn't have a moment where I questioned where I was gonna end up, you know, is the other stuff.

Yeah. But I trusted the Lord with it too, like, you know. Yeah. The thing that people always bring is like, well, it's not, I'm not worried about dying. I'm worried about like, what happens to my wife and my kids, and all this other stuff's. Like honestly, I, my god's big enough to take care of all that stuff.

Yeah. 

And like maybe if yours isn't, you need to increase him and decrease yourself. Like, I mean, that's the whole point of like. That really is the whole point of scripture, like God should become greater and we should become less. Yeah. And like our reliance on God for every single thing should become more and more like.

I think that is just, that is, I mean, to me that is so overwhelmingly prominent in scripture. Yeah. Right. The idea that we need to rely on the Lord over and over and over again and that like we need to trust him for everything. I think the coolest thing, like the coolest thing for me is the fact. When the Israelites were in the desert.

Okay. And God sent manna. He didn't send enough that they could store it up and put it aside. He sent exactly what they needed for every day. 

Yeah. 

And that to me is like, because then 

the, if they tried to seek out extra, it would go bad. Yeah. 

So like, to me, that's the, that is the thing that we should focus on the most is like, I want to be.

Not like the Israelites in the desert that were mad 'cause they couldn't store it away and have control over it. I wanna be the Israelites in the desert that are thankful for every single thing that God provides every day for my sustenance. Yeah, he has gives me enough for today. Not that he's got tomorrow covered, but he doesn't, I don't need to store it away because I just need to trust that he's got it taken care of.

Yeah, that's good. 

Yeah, so like I love that a lot. Nothing's bigger than our God. He can handle it all. Yeah. Not even the boogeyman. 

If you're trusting God, you don't have to fear death, you don't have to fear Hades. Mm-hmm. The realm of the soul. You can be free to understand that there is a freedom in that.

Reliance on Christ as king in your life and accepting his, the free gift of his grace that he gives us for all who believe in him. That's scripture. I don't, I don't worry about death. Like, I mean, I don't seek it like right now. Like, um, you know, 'cause you always have the, what are the consequences of that for the people that are around me and the people I love.

But, um, I'm not afraid if that happens for me. And I think there's, yeah. That frees me from a lot of fear-based living that people have. 

Well, and it should. It should. It should completely free us. 'cause death is the ultimate. Thing to conquer, right? Like there isn't anything greater than death to conquer as someone who is living.

But the problem is like, think about all the, all the ways people live in fear. That's not death. I mean, we have a, we have a, a handful of people who are not a handful. We actually a large. Amount of people who are followers of Christ, who have con, who realize they've conquered death and they'll proudly proclaim it, but they're still, they still live in the fear of social rejection.

They still live in the fear of, of, of production. Like, how, how am I, it's, the whole idea is like, where's your value coming? Like I'm, I was scared that like my value and who I am is tied in what I produce. Right. Like somehow like that, you know, the, those, so it's like we can say like, I'm not scared of death.

That's great, but like, what else are you living for Christ in? Like, what else have you submitted? Like, yes, you understand that you aren't, like when you die, you don't have to spend eternity away from the Lord, but like, do you understand all the other things that you've been given freedom over as a result of that, that conquering of death?

Like when Jesus conquered death, he didn't just conquer death. He conquered sin and death. Yeah. And so like all these other pieces, like all these other things that we, we fear like. We, we don't have to be f like, dude, I conquer death. Like Jesus conquered death for me. Yeah. I don't have to be scared of any of those things.

Yeah. It should give us a boldness in our faith to to, to live according to scripture. To not be ashamed of the things that God's called us to speak out on, to not be ashamed of the things that God has called us to, to stand for and like, this isn't like a political thing. It's like there, it doesn't matter what your friend group is.

It doesn't matter who your friends are. Like right is right and wrong is wrong, and scripture is very clear. Where is your level of courage in those things as well? Like what is, what is your, what is conquering death? What, what is, what boldness has that given you and like what does that, how does that change your life?

For me, like it, it's completely changed the way that I. I'll be honest with you, like staring death in the face and going, my God is bigger than that. And then walking out the other side of it and realizing like it's a whole different view. I have a whole different view of my life and the way that I need to speak about Jesus with people about Jesus.

Like it really. For me, even as a pastor who I, I, I know all the right things to say. It's even changed the way that I think about it. Like, I need to be more bold, like in proclaiming the gospel and proclaiming Jesus love. Yeah. And like, I mean, I don't know, like, I, I just think there is, there's a different kind of freedom that freedom over death should bring to us in the freedom of all the other things that we have fear of, if that makes sense.

Yeah. 

Yeah. That as we grow in our faith, we can become more and more bold. 'cause we understand more and more deeply just what our relationship with Christ actually looks like. 

Yeah. 'cause you know where the spirit of the Lord is. 

There is freedom. There is freedom. It's 

true. And we weren't given a spirit of fear.

Yeah. So, so I mean, I think this is, I mean, you kinda lived an experience that kind of connects to our, our sermon topic for this past Sunday. So it's good. Um. I think for those of you who, who maybe didn't get to come hear the sermon, the key is like if you're in Christ, you don't have to fear death. You don't have to fear judgment.

Um, the, what John was doing when he wrote Revelation was seeing a vision of what God gave him to see, to give us a truth. That's transformative. But that truth is an encouragement to believers not. Necessarily to the loss. The loss need to come to repentance. It should be a wake up call for the lost.

Mm-hmm. And 

an encouragement to the leavers. So we don't have to fear, we don't have to fear the end. Um, we need to. We need to live in the moment for Christ and recognize that we're, we're called to live for him and help others live for him. That's the key. And so these seals that we're talking about, it's not something that's to scare people.

I remember Revelation used to be preached my whole growing up. It was just to scare you into salvation. We're not trying to do that. Like we're trying to just talk about a very. Uh, openly that, yeah, people don't know the, but the goal, John wasn't trying to scare people into Repentancy. He was trying to encourage people also say, Hey, wake up, and, you know, if you're, if you're missing this and know that God loves you and wants you.

And so those are some things that we, when we read Revelation, and hopefully this series will kinda give you the proper perspective of how and why to read it. And, and where you can look to not be afraid of the future and not be afraid of the end, but embrace it with a relationship with Jesus Christ. And so we'll hit some of the other seals.

There were seven seals total. We only did four in the series. 'cause that's kind of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. It wasn't the seven. Uh, so we'll talk about those other seals on our podcast and if you missed it, you can listen to the message and catch up to speed. And we thank you for listening.

We're glad Cody's back more from him. Uh, in the future.