1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: Well, good morning and happy Easter to you. Thank you 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: for joining us on this Easter Sunday morning, and just 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: a reminder this morning. In John chapter ten, Jesus says, 4 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: I have come that you might have life, and have 5 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: it to the full. And that's the celebration of Easter. Life, 6 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: life giving, hope, encouragement, possibilities, transformation, the opportunity and ability 7 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:33,239 Speaker 1: to rechart your life, to be forgiven, to be changed, 8 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,159 Speaker 1: to let the past be the past, to not be 9 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: haunted by whatever failure, whatever bad choice, whatever habit, whatever addiction, 10 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: whatever chronic situation, whatever family system, whatever trauma. The message 11 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: of Easter is, no matter how bad it seems, even 12 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:58,319 Speaker 1: death cannot steal from you the opportunity for life. And 13 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: so that's always celebrate today. And that's what we're thinking 14 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: about today, and specifically we're going to think about the 15 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: story of Easter. But then we're going to think about 16 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: that in terms of the words that we speak and 17 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,199 Speaker 1: what we say, and how our words impact the people 18 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 1: around us and our own attitude and our own ability 19 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: to feel alive. And so we're going to share and 20 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: think about that together. Let's start by just sharing together. 21 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: From John twenty the Easter story, as John relates it, 22 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: early on the first day of the week, while it 23 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and 24 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance, 25 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: and so she came running to Simon, Peter and the 26 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, they have 27 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 1: taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't 28 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: know where they have put him. So Peter and the 29 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: other disciples started for the tomb. Both were running, but 30 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first, 31 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 1: and he bent over and looked in at the strips 32 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: of linen lying there, but did not go in. And 33 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: then Simon, when Peter came along behind him and went 34 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: straight into the tomb, we saw the strips of linen 35 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: lying there, as well as the cloth. It had been 36 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: wrapped around Jesus's head, and the cloth was still lying 37 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: in its place, separate from the lenin. And finally, the 38 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. 39 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 1: He saw and believed they did not understand from scripture 40 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: that Jesus had to rise from the dead. I love 41 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: John's account for several reasons. First of all, the other 42 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 1: disciple that Jesus loved is John. That's who's writing this story. 43 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 1: And I love that in this moment, as he is 44 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 1: talking about the resurrection of Jesus and the feelings on 45 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: that first morning, and the confusion and the not understanding 46 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: that Jesus had to rise from the dead, and the 47 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 1: confusion about Mary, and the running to the tomb. There 48 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: is such a human element to the story for John 49 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: because he talks about the fact that they both run 50 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: for the tomb, but he outruns Peter, and then after 51 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: he arrives, he stops at the entrance and looks in, 52 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: and then Peter goes even though he didn't get there first. 53 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: And he gets to the very end of the story 54 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: and then says, and then the disciple who had gotten 55 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: there first went in and believed. And I think it 56 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 1: just makes this such a human story, such a first 57 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: person account, things that mattered in that moment, and thoughts 58 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: that were running in his head that might not have 59 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: logically made sense or maybe could have gotten edited out, 60 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: except there's just a raw piece of this. John also relates, 61 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: just before this incident, the story of Lazarus and coming 62 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: from the grave. The other gospel writers put the story 63 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: of the cleansing of the temple here just preceding a 64 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: crucifixion and resurrection happens during Holy Week. In Matthew Martin, 65 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: Luke John puts the story the cleansing of the temple 66 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: at the very first of his gospel. It happens right away, 67 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: and then at the end of his gospel he puts 68 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: the story of Lazarus. And the reason that he arranges 69 00:03:57,760 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: it in that way, at least one of the reasons, 70 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: is because we have this very graphic story of Jesus 71 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: going to this tomb and asking that the stone be 72 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 1: rolled away. Get any foreshadowing here, and people say, it's 73 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: been four days, there's going to be a terrible smell, 74 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 1: and Jesus prays a simple prayer, and when the stone 75 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: is moved, he knows immediately because there is no smell 76 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: of death, that God has heard his prayer. And it 77 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: is a foreshadowing, a reassurance to Jesus that when the 78 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,479 Speaker 1: stone will be rolled away from his tomb, God will 79 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: hear his prayer again. And then he calls Lazarus out 80 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:37,040 Speaker 1: of the grave, and we're told that Lazarus now comes 81 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: walking out of the grave, wrapped in the grave clothes, 82 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: and he says, loose him, let him go, take the 83 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 1: grave clothes off. And then in the upcoming story of 84 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: Jesus at the Resurrection, they come into the tomb and 85 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: find the grave clothes neatly folded. That Jesus removes his 86 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,039 Speaker 1: own grave clothes. He's free. And John wants to create 87 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: this sense, this feeling, and the feeling is what are 88 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: the grave clothes that bind you? What do you walk 89 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 1: around on a daily basis living in your grave clothes, thinking, speaking, 90 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: living and death, living in negativity or fear or anxiety 91 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: or depression, our shame, our guilt, or loose them, let 92 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 1: them go. You don't have to live in your grave clothes. 93 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 1: You can set those aside and let them go. So 94 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: as you think about that, and we think about the 95 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: celebration of Easter and that God has come that we 96 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: might have life, God tabernacle and human flesh and dwelt 97 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: among it, that we might have life and have it 98 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: to the full. The verse preceding that is, the thief 99 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: comes only to steal and kill and destroy. But I've 100 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: come that you might have life and have it to 101 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: the full. There's lots of things in our life that 102 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 1: try to steal and kill and destroy. Our culture has 103 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: a way of stealing and killing and destroying the system. 104 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 1: Finance is economic. You know, just filled up my car 105 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: with gas. What a horrifying experience that is lately, the 106 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: economics of life, the culture of life, the negativity, the politics, 107 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:16,640 Speaker 1: the bickering, the fighting, the arrogance, the superiority, the putting 108 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 1: down of others, the constant blame, the constant process of 109 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 1: criticism and critique. And it's kind of what we've evolved into. 110 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 1: Used to have to pull some kind of yellow journalism, 111 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: the National Inquirer or something to get these fantastic stories 112 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:40,280 Speaker 1: about conspiracies and aliens, and now it's just the mainstream 113 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: media that tells us these sad, horrifying, highly opinionated stories 114 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:51,720 Speaker 1: that shape our sense of well being. Easter Sunday, take 115 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: off the grave clothes and thinking. Especially as we continue 116 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 1: these conversations about erosion, we're going to talk a little 117 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,919 Speaker 1: bit about what our words mean and how they contribute 118 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 1: to life and death. How are your words? What do 119 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 1: you say? What's the tone with which you speak in 120 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: life to people, about the world, about the culture, about yourself, 121 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: about others, because it turns out our words are pretty important. 122 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: If you've been around and listen to this segment much, 123 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 1: then you know that the passage Ephesians four twenty nine 124 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: is kind of a tough one and one that matters 125 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 1: a lot. And we've talked about on this radio show frequently, 126 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 1: let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth except 127 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: what is suitable for the building up of others, that 128 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: it might edify those who listen. What a terrifying passage, 129 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: Just a passage that you struggle with. First of all, 130 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: it's pretty hard to not let any unwholesome talk come 131 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: out of our mouths. But then the passage has the 132 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: audacity to suggest that we're supposed to say words that 133 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: build up others. And then the last part that it 134 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: may benefit those who listen, which means the person listening 135 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: actually gets to decide if it's beneficial or not. I 136 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: don't like that. I know what I said, and I 137 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 1: know what I meant, and I know how I meant it, 138 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: and if they had hurt their feelings, and it's on them, 139 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: not me. But it turns out, according to Paul's writing 140 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: and Ephesians, it's on us. We're supposed to think about 141 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: how our words are getting received. I have a ritual. 142 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: You've heard me probably mention it if you've listened much, 143 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 1: and that is on any typical Sunday, when I speak, 144 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: I will pray a prayer. Have been doing it for 145 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:33,959 Speaker 1: quite a long time. May the words of my mouth 146 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you. 147 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: That's from Psalms nineteen. And I prayed that for I've 148 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 1: prayed that most Sundays, most speaking opportunities, whether Sundays or 149 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: other times, for the last forty years, certainly in the 150 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: last thirty years. And somewhere along the way, I realized 151 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 1: that I needed to pray and alter that a little bit, 152 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 1: and so I began toy, may the words of my 153 00:08:57,240 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: mouth and the meditations of my heart be ordered by 154 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: and therefore pleasing to you, because I probably need not 155 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 1: just help in the delivery of the words, but actually 156 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:10,439 Speaker 1: help with generating the right thoughts and the right words 157 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: that lead to the right way of speaking. And so 158 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: I've become convicted over the years, because why do I 159 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,199 Speaker 1: feel the need to pray that prayer on a Sunday 160 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: as opposed to any other conversation that I might have 161 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 1: I'm guessing that most people that have to listen to 162 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: me that they are thankful that I prepare and put 163 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,560 Speaker 1: some thought and energy into it. Some people probably wish 164 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 1: I would put a little more time and thought and 165 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,839 Speaker 1: energy into the process. But why is it that we 166 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 1: treat a conversation that's public like that a teaching place, 167 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:46,600 Speaker 1: differently than the private conversations that we actually live in 168 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:50,360 Speaker 1: that actually shape the quality of our lives? Do ever 169 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: stop to think before I walk in the door, I 170 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: should bow my head and pray a prayer. May the 171 00:09:55,679 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 1: words of my mouth and meditations of a heart be 172 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 1: ordered by you, and therefore pleasing to you. Whatever I'm 173 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 1: about to say to my family, whatever I'm about to 174 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: say to my friends, whatever I'm about to say, whatever 175 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: I'm about to put out into the public world, shouldn't 176 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 1: I be very diligent and serious about those words and 177 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: about what they mean. And So in a moment, we'll 178 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 1: take a break, and when we come back from break, 179 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,560 Speaker 1: we're going to read James chapter three, and then we're 180 00:10:21,600 --> 00:10:24,199 Speaker 1: going to break down what James is trying to talk 181 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: to us about, about speaking life in the world, about 182 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 1: getting the grave clothes off, about living life to the full. 183 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: As we celebrate this Easter Sunday, we'll be right back. 184 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:39,199 Speaker 1: Welcome back. You're listening to healing Conversations on KABC seven ninety. 185 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 1: Happy Easter, and listen to these words now from James 186 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: Chapter three. Not many of you should become teachers, my 187 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:49,199 Speaker 1: fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will 188 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. 189 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: Anyone who is never at fault in what they say 190 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 1: is perfect able to keep their whole bodies in check. 191 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,440 Speaker 1: When we put bits into the mouths of horses to 192 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 1: make them obey, as we can turn the whole animal. 193 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:07,959 Speaker 1: Or take ships as an example. Although they're so large 194 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,360 Speaker 1: and driven by strong winds, they're steered by very small 195 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue 196 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:16,559 Speaker 1: is a small part of the body, but it makes 197 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on 198 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, 199 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:24,959 Speaker 1: a world of evil among the parts of the body. 200 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 1: It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of 201 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire 202 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea 203 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,479 Speaker 1: creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 204 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 1: but no human being contained the tongue. It's a restless 205 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: evil full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise 206 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,439 Speaker 1: our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human 207 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:51,199 Speaker 1: beings who have been made in God's likeness. Out of 208 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: the same mouths come praise and cursing, my brothers and sisters. 209 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,559 Speaker 1: This should not be. Can both fresh water and salt 210 00:11:57,559 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: water flow from the same spring, brother and sisters? Kind 211 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 1: of fig bear olives or grapevine figs? Neither can a 212 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:09,679 Speaker 1: salt spring produce fresh water? So pretty tough words, pretty 213 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: difficult things to think about, and just to think about this. 214 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,440 Speaker 1: Here we are in a culture, in a world that 215 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: right now is being shaped and dominated by words, by 216 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 1: sound bites, by politicians who speak, by celebrities who speak, 217 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: by athletes who speak by preachers who speak by all 218 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: kinds of different voices. In our culture, consultants, the media, 219 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 1: social media, and many of us are speaking out on 220 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 1: our social media accounts. We just feel obligated to participate 221 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:54,240 Speaker 1: in the words. Words are the most very basic kind 222 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:57,559 Speaker 1: of building blocks to life. So when we think about 223 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: this Easter Sunday and the celebration of life and the 224 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: invitation to have abundant life, we need to think about 225 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 1: the words that are floating around in our heads and 226 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 1: in our hearts, and in our relationships and homes and families, 227 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: and certainly in our culture, because the words that are 228 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:17,040 Speaker 1: getting spoken are building a world of anxiety and depression, 229 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: of distrust and suspicion, of conspiracy, of a sense of destruction, 230 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 1: a sense of inevitable demise that is not the message 231 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: of God. The message of God is that even what 232 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: is intended for evil will be used for good, That 233 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:39,320 Speaker 1: the plight of the world is heading to a place 234 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:41,439 Speaker 1: of redemption. That we began in a garden well and 235 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: in a redeemed city, a place where there is light 236 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,560 Speaker 1: and love and no more sorrow and no more sickness 237 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:50,560 Speaker 1: and no more death, and so the promises of a 238 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:53,439 Speaker 1: redemptive story. But we've come to believe something different. We've 239 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 1: come to live in a dark shadow, a sense that 240 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: we are inevitably devolving into something horrible, how sad. Take 241 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,439 Speaker 1: off the grave clothes. You don't have to live like that, 242 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,080 Speaker 1: you don't have to think like that. But the building 243 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: blocks that create that are words. And I don't know 244 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,560 Speaker 1: about you, but words are hard. Merger are difficult. A 245 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: few weeks ago, our family went to Disneyland, and some 246 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:20,480 Speaker 1: of us were coming from the northern part of the 247 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 1: city and some of us were coming from the south, 248 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 1: and we were all arriving at different times and from 249 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:29,000 Speaker 1: different places. And so we did what normal people do. 250 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: We set a time to meet and a place to meet. 251 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: You with me, just a time to meet and a 252 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: place to meet. Pretty simple stuff. And yet that conversation 253 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: had to evolve over the next couple of hours in 254 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 1: order for all of us to actually end up in 255 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: the same place at the same time. How simple of 256 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:54,040 Speaker 1: a conversation is that here's where we're going to meet, 257 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: and here's what time we're going to meet. And yet 258 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: something so simple has to evolve. And then when we 259 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 1: traffic in the deeper issues of relationship and emotion and 260 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 1: feelings and hope and encouragement, how much more complicated it 261 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: is for us to say what we mean, to communicate 262 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 1: what's in our heart, to hear what's in someone else's heart. 263 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:19,160 Speaker 1: Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth except 264 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: what is suitable for the building up of others, that 265 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 1: it may edify those who listen. And we throw up 266 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: our hands like I'm helpless. The world is what it is. 267 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 1: It's just a sad, hard place. We're not helpless. We 268 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 1: have a choice of what words we're putting out, of 269 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: what emotions we're expressing, of what's going on out there. 270 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 1: I am come. The thief comes only to steal and 271 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: kill and destroy, But I have come that you might 272 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: have life. Are you speaking life? Is someone speaking life 273 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: into you on this Easter Sunday morning, Because this day 274 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 1: is a celebration of life that even the grave can't 275 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: steal away life. Even the grave doesn't get the final 276 00:15:57,120 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 1: word in our story and in our life, and in 277 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 1: the redemptive story of Christ, that Jesus comes with good 278 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 1: news and the world can't stand the good news, can't 279 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:09,400 Speaker 1: stand that thought, and so they put him to death. 280 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: But even death can't stop the good news. Even death 281 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 1: can't stop the promise of God's redemned of story. It 282 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: just plows right through the grave, becomes a pathway, a 283 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: pathway to a better life, a pathway to hope, a 284 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: pathway to something that is not vulnerable to the same 285 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: old things. And so that's what we think about today, 286 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 1: and we think about it with James and the way 287 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 1: that he thinks about it and talks about it. Let's 288 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: think about this for a moment. Jesus suggests that our 289 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: words reveal something deeper about ourselves, that in fact, our 290 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 1: words are an early warning system. The suggestion is that 291 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 1: a person speaks out of what's in their heart. You've 292 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 1: probably been around people like that. You've probably been in 293 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 1: a situation where somebody's talking to you and go, what's going 294 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: on with you? Man? There's a lot of darkness coming 295 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: out of here, mount a lot of sadness, and you 296 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,720 Speaker 1: know what's happening to you? What's really in there? Because 297 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:06,240 Speaker 1: every time you open your mouth, some dark things escape, 298 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: some sadness, some anger, some bitterness. What's going on in there? 299 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 1: Jesus and Luke six says, no good tree bears bad fruit, 300 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree 301 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick 302 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 1: figs from thorn bushes or grapes from briars. A good 303 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:29,199 Speaker 1: man brings good things out of the goods stored up 304 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:31,919 Speaker 1: in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things 305 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: out of the evil stored up in his heart. For 306 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 1: the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. So 307 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:39,800 Speaker 1: maybe that's why we pray the prayer, may the words 308 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:43,359 Speaker 1: of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be 309 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:48,200 Speaker 1: ordered by and therefore pleasing to you. Because it's not 310 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: just that I need to control what I say. I 311 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: need to control the source. I need to control the 312 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:55,920 Speaker 1: place where those words are getting generated, where those thoughts 313 00:17:55,960 --> 00:18:00,440 Speaker 1: are getting created. I need help way back there, because 314 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 1: my words aren't our early warning system. Now, just hang on, 315 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:09,440 Speaker 1: because I'm going to ask you this question. What are 316 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:14,600 Speaker 1: your words saying about you? Are they reflecting a darkness 317 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 1: and a sadness that's in you? Or are they reflecting 318 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: a hope and a life? Because each of us are 319 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:24,680 Speaker 1: shaping the ethos in which we live, We're shaping the atmosphere, 320 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:28,200 Speaker 1: we're creating it. Our words are creating something, a place 321 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: of hope and safety and encouragement. Most of us can 322 00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:36,199 Speaker 1: reflect on growing up, someone had a place that we 323 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: enjoyed being. Maybe it was grandma's house, maybe it was 324 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: our own home and something our mothers created for us, 325 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: and it was good and meaningful and positive, and we 326 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 1: reflect on it and we enjoyed, We loved the ethos 327 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 1: of that place, We loved being in that space. Are 328 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 1: we creating such spaces? Have we given up? Have we 329 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,479 Speaker 1: just given into the culture and said, the whole world 330 00:19:03,600 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 1: is dark and we're just a part of it and 331 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:09,080 Speaker 1: we can't help it. And so we speak our own 332 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:13,880 Speaker 1: darkness and our own sadness. Well, words mean something. We've 333 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:17,680 Speaker 1: already read the passage in James, you can almost make 334 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 1: out the points. But let me highlight several that I 335 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 1: think matter to us. Our words mean that small things matter. 336 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:31,199 Speaker 1: James says, listen, you know, little things make a big difference, 337 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 1: and he gives us several examples, a bridle and a 338 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:36,720 Speaker 1: horse's mouth, a rudder ownership that can be kind of 339 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:39,639 Speaker 1: sad and overwhelming. To think that these little things that 340 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:44,679 Speaker 1: I say have a disproportionate effect. They have an exponential 341 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:48,360 Speaker 1: effect on what's happening. So when I'm negative and critical 342 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: and I talk like that, then it seems like it 343 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: has a disproportionate ability to create negativity. It has a 344 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:03,200 Speaker 1: disproportionate ability to make people sad, overwhelmed, unpleasant. And by 345 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 1: the way we create habits like that, it's very easy 346 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: for us to have the same conversations over how you doing, 347 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:10,680 Speaker 1: I'm tired? How you doing? I'm sad? How you doing? 348 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: I don't feel good. Some of us don't even need 349 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:14,119 Speaker 1: to ask anymore because we know what people are going 350 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: to say. Some of us don't need to be asked 351 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:20,160 Speaker 1: because they know what we're going to say. And Jesus 352 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:23,960 Speaker 1: in Luke Passage, she says, are you a grapevine or 353 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 1: a thornbush? Do people know that when they come to 354 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:29,560 Speaker 1: you they're going to get briers or are they going 355 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 1: to get grapes? Is it going to be some sweet 356 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:33,239 Speaker 1: and nourishing or is it going to be something to 357 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:38,919 Speaker 1: avoid prickly unpleasant? Small things matter, That's the downside. The 358 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 1: upside is small things matter. Positive words, prayerfully asked. May 359 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 1: the words of my mouth and the meditations of my 360 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,399 Speaker 1: art be ordered by generate some good in me, so 361 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 1: that what comes out of my mouth is positive, That 362 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 1: it has some impact, That it has a positive influence, 363 00:20:57,359 --> 00:20:59,640 Speaker 1: That I lift the people around me, that I entifies 364 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 1: those who listen, that it builds up and doesn't tear down. 365 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: I'm not helpless, And James wants us to know small 366 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:10,120 Speaker 1: things make a huge difference. So that's the first thing. 367 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 1: Second thing, other words mean we need to be bridled now. 368 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,199 Speaker 1: I don't know how many of you have been around 369 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:20,200 Speaker 1: an agrarian sort of experience, how many of you have 370 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 1: been around when the horses are getting tacked out, getting 371 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 1: all bridled up and ready to go. Youre going to 372 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,640 Speaker 1: reflect on that, and when we come back from break, 373 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:32,560 Speaker 1: we'll talk about what that means. Welcome back. You're listening 374 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 1: to Healing Conversations on KABC seven ninety. I'm Dave Roberts. 375 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 1: Happy Easter. I want to keep saying it. It's an 376 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:44,720 Speaker 1: amazing special celebration. It's the high celebration of the church. 377 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,840 Speaker 1: You know, we certainly celebrate the high holidays of Christmas 378 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 1: and Easter, but Easter we've been preparing for all through 379 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 1: the Linton season, all the way back to ash Wednesday. 380 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:59,359 Speaker 1: This forty days plus a few extra there because we 381 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:02,679 Speaker 1: don't on Sabbaths, we take those out, so it's a 382 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:04,679 Speaker 1: forty day fast, but there's some extra days in there. 383 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 1: It's why we start on a Wednesday. This morning, we're 384 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 1: breaking fast. We are celebrating life. We are invited to 385 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 1: this place of invitation to redemption, to hope, to take 386 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 1: off the grave clothes, to not be bound anymore, to 387 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 1: let some things go to be redeemed. And so James says, 388 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 1: small things matter. We're not helpless. You're not helpless this 389 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 1: morning with what you do with today and what you 390 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 1: do with tomorrow and the rest of your life. But 391 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:35,440 Speaker 1: also we need to be bridled. 392 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 2: Now. 393 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:39,120 Speaker 1: If you've never been around horses or you know, there 394 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 1: are other animals that we use with bridles, But the 395 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 1: bridle is a you know, it's a system of straps 396 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:46,760 Speaker 1: that goes on the horse's head and at the center 397 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:49,359 Speaker 1: of the bridle is a bit and the bit goes 398 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 1: inside some piece of metal goes inside the horse's mouth 399 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: and under the tongue, and there's a little lump on 400 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: the underside of that bridle, on the upper side that 401 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:01,679 Speaker 1: you know, the horse can certainly feel the discomfort, and 402 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 1: so the reins are attached to that and when pulled 403 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:07,520 Speaker 1: one way, they are giving the horse some instruction of 404 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: what is expected and what is needed. And it's not 405 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 1: a torture device. It's not any sharp edges. It's designed 406 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,920 Speaker 1: to be a reminder, not a punishment of some kind. 407 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:21,640 Speaker 1: So light on the bridle is always good for the 408 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: horse rider relationship. But there's something really important that James 409 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:30,920 Speaker 1: has in mind here, because the bridle creates a collaborative 410 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:35,080 Speaker 1: relationship between the human and the animal. And it turns 411 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 1: out if the horse didn't have the bridle and the reins, 412 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 1: it would just wander off, it would just do its 413 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 1: own thing. And if the man didn't have the horse, 414 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:50,360 Speaker 1: there would be a serious lack of efficiency and strength. 415 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: But together they become a very dynamic team and amazing 416 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: things happen. That this process then becomes collaborative, and so 417 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 1: James is indicating that some of us need a bridle 418 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 1: on our mouths. And what that means is we need 419 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: to learn to be in collaborative relationship with the people 420 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: around us. We need to learn the value of what's 421 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:14,159 Speaker 1: going to The horse and the human are not the same. 422 00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:17,359 Speaker 1: They're very different from one another. The horse has the 423 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 1: broad hopefully the human has the brain, and together they 424 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 1: can accomplish amazing things. Each would be diminished without the other. 425 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 1: And that's how we are. We've forgotten that, we seem 426 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:33,560 Speaker 1: to have dramatically forgotten that we want instead everyone to 427 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 1: be the same, We want them to think the same 428 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:38,280 Speaker 1: packed the same politic support the same people believe the 429 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:41,440 Speaker 1: same stuff, and if they don't, they're less than They're 430 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: dumber than we are. Maybe that flies in the culture, 431 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:47,639 Speaker 1: but it doesn't fly in the biblical story. It doesn't 432 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:51,000 Speaker 1: fly in the Kingdom of God, where everyone matters and 433 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 1: everyone has a contribution to make, and we bridle our 434 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:57,399 Speaker 1: tongue so that we can be in collaborative relationship with 435 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 1: people who are different than us, because they bring enormous strength. 436 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:04,639 Speaker 1: We are so much better in the diversity, in the 437 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:07,919 Speaker 1: diversity of race, and the diversity of culture, in the 438 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,119 Speaker 1: diversity of economics. We are so much better when we 439 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:15,159 Speaker 1: are honoring to all the strata, thankful for all the 440 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 1: blessings we have, mindful of all the need around us, collaborative. 441 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 1: There is so much strength to be had when we 442 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 1: are willing to collaborate, to bridle our tongues and to 443 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:32,640 Speaker 1: be honoring so that together we can accomplish great Synergy 444 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 1: is a real thing. The whole is always greater than 445 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 1: the sum of the parts. But we've forgotten it. Somehow. 446 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 1: We seek to be a homogeneous culture. Let's all think 447 00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:43,240 Speaker 1: the same and be the same, and agree on the 448 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:45,959 Speaker 1: same and practice the same and let's detest those who 449 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:49,280 Speaker 1: think differently than us. That's not where strengths come from. 450 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 1: It comes from diversity, it comes from honor, it comes 451 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:55,640 Speaker 1: from respect. So our words mean that small things matter. 452 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 1: It means we need to be bridled. In number three, 453 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:02,399 Speaker 1: it means we need to rudder. So James says, you 454 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: think about how a rudder works. Now, I don't know 455 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:07,800 Speaker 1: about you, but when you see the rudder situation on 456 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:11,439 Speaker 1: a big ship, it doesn't seem that there's any way 457 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,439 Speaker 1: that that little rudder is going to control the mass 458 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:17,720 Speaker 1: of that ship. It is not a fair fight. And 459 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:19,920 Speaker 1: then when you throw in and James mentions this, the 460 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: other factors. There's wind, there's currents, there's forces of unimaginable 461 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,520 Speaker 1: measure and size that are pushing and pulling the mass 462 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:32,880 Speaker 1: of that ship. You can't look at that and think 463 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: that there's any way that the rudder has a fighting chance. 464 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:36,800 Speaker 2: But it does. 465 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:40,679 Speaker 1: It does, and the pilot is able to make the 466 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:43,120 Speaker 1: mass of that ship go where he wants it to go, 467 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 1: James says, able to guide it all against those forces 468 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:50,200 Speaker 1: and put it exactly where he wants it to be. 469 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:53,960 Speaker 1: And his application then is very simple. Your tongue is 470 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:57,360 Speaker 1: a rudder. And you may be in circumstances, you may 471 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: be in relationships, you may be in messes. And you say, 472 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,360 Speaker 1: there is no way that the words that I speak, 473 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 1: that the words I think inside of me, that are 474 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:09,680 Speaker 1: generated in me and come out of my mouth, can 475 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:14,720 Speaker 1: have any effect on where this relationship needs to go, 476 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 1: or where this business needs to go, or where my 477 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: depression needs to go. There's no way. The forces, the currents, 478 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 1: the wind, the mass of the problem is too big. 479 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 1: And James says, no, it's not. There is an exponential 480 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: relationship between the words you speak and what happens to 481 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:37,640 Speaker 1: them in the world. What happens to relationships, what happens 482 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 1: to circumstances, what happens around you. By the way, I 483 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:44,640 Speaker 1: don't know if you know this, but this is free 484 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,359 Speaker 1: advice on an Easter morning. I have been married forty 485 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:50,920 Speaker 1: four years. I have four daughters, a couple granddaughters too. 486 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:53,880 Speaker 1: Thankfully we've got some grandsons in there, three of those. 487 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: That's a fun thing, just a little piece of trivia. 488 00:27:56,640 --> 00:28:01,200 Speaker 1: What percentage of communication for a woman is nonverbal? Studies 489 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:04,800 Speaker 1: say about eighty percent. About eighty percent of communication for 490 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 1: a woman is nonverbal. Some of you out there know 491 00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 1: what I mean because you've heard this. You know I 492 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 1: said I was sorry. Yeah, your tone of voice did 493 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 1: not suggest that you're sorry. And I can't hear your words, 494 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:20,560 Speaker 1: for your attitude or the lack of eye contact are 495 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:24,479 Speaker 1: the insincerity of your body language. See, our words are 496 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:28,240 Speaker 1: complicated and they're rudders, and we got to pay attention 497 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:31,640 Speaker 1: not just to the actual words, but actually the spirit 498 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 1: and tone and context in which they're spoken, because it's 499 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 1: a rudder and it can move things in a very 500 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 1: positive direction. It can steer us right into the rocks, 501 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 1: and we can crash and burn, and most of us 502 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:48,560 Speaker 1: have at one point or another. And then he says, 503 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:53,080 Speaker 1: your words are flammable. Consider what a forest is set 504 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:56,280 Speaker 1: on fire by a little spark. Some of us are 505 00:28:56,360 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 1: shocked at the volatility of our homes and relationships. And 506 00:29:02,640 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 1: it's kind of interesting to me because I'm not sure 507 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: why we are, because most of us are pumping flammable 508 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 1: fluids into our homes and relationships and families, and then 509 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 1: a little spark happens and suddenly we have a fire, 510 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 1: and we're just shocked. I can't believe how we got here. Really, 511 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 1: you can't because you've been pumping gas into your house 512 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:27,560 Speaker 1: all day. You've filled that home, that relationship, that friendship, 513 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 1: with so much volatility that one eye roll, one sarcastic remark, 514 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 1: one email, one phone call, one text message read with 515 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 1: the wrong tone of voice, and there are explosions that happen. 516 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:44,480 Speaker 1: Our words are creating the ethos in which we live. 517 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:47,520 Speaker 1: Are you aware of that? Some of us feel like 518 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,480 Speaker 1: we're swimming around in oatmeal like our homes. Have you 519 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: ever been to lunch with somebody you didn't really want 520 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: to have lunch with a relative of friend. You's got 521 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:56,719 Speaker 1: to get together, and you've got to do it, and 522 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 1: you go and you sit through it, and then you 523 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:02,080 Speaker 1: come home and you're exhausted. Why because the ethos of 524 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: that relationship is oatmeal. You breathe it. You know, your 525 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:09,200 Speaker 1: steps are heavy, your words are heavy. Everything's hard. We 526 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:12,720 Speaker 1: get to decide. Then there's a lot of flammability, a 527 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 1: lot of volatility to how we speak and to our words. 528 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: And then finally he says, we are to be consistent. 529 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: Consistency matters. We shouldn't have blessing and curses coming out. 530 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 1: This confuses everybody. One day, you're nice the next day 531 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:29,360 Speaker 1: you're not. One minute you're okay, the next minute you're sad, 532 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: one minute you're nice, the next minute you're mean, And 533 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:34,239 Speaker 1: then we kind of got I don't understand why this 534 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:36,600 Speaker 1: relationship is hard. I don't understand why the ethos of 535 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: my home is unhappy. I don't know where my own 536 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:41,440 Speaker 1: disposition is depressed. I don't know why it seems like 537 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 1: everything has come to still and kill and destroy instead 538 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: of life in abundance. You really don't get it. And 539 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 1: so we pray, We diligently ask God, may the words 540 00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 1: of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be 541 00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 1: ordered by you, and please you. And by the way, 542 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:02,640 Speaker 1: Solm's nineteen's a beautiful chat. Should read it sometime. And 543 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 1: those are the concluding words that David prays at the 544 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 1: end of this passage. And it's not a global prayer. 545 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 1: It's not a once and for all. I wish it was. 546 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 1: I wish I could pray the prayer one time and 547 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:15,000 Speaker 1: be done, and then all the words of my mouth 548 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 1: will be ordered by But he says, after this very 549 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:22,440 Speaker 1: beautiful piece of poetry, he says, may these words of 550 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 1: my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing 551 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:29,520 Speaker 1: to you, my God, my rock, my redeemer. And so 552 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:33,959 Speaker 1: we pray moment by moment, day by day, conversation by conversation. 553 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 1: It's not a global prayer for everything all at once 554 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 1: all the time. I'm literally going to try to think 555 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:44,280 Speaker 1: and pray and seek that I could allow my words 556 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:47,480 Speaker 1: to become building blocks that speak life, that actually free 557 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:52,080 Speaker 1: people from their grave clothes me included, instead of words 558 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 1: that create death and sadness and fear and listen. Just 559 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:03,240 Speaker 1: because of the world and the politicians and the celebrities 560 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:07,920 Speaker 1: and the athletes are speaking deaths doesn't mean there's an 561 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:11,440 Speaker 1: excuse for us to do that. We're supposed to speak life. 562 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 1: We are invited to be ambassadors of reconciliation, salt and 563 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: light in the world. We're going to continue this conversation 564 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:23,800 Speaker 1: right after this break. Welcome back. You're listening to Healing 565 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:28,920 Speaker 1: Conversations on KABC seven ninety on Easter Sunday morning, and 566 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 1: I'm welcoming into the studio Debbie Payne. Welcome, Debbie, thank you, 567 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 1: Happy Easter, and happy Easter to you. 568 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:37,760 Speaker 2: Yes, it's just a glorious morning, isn't it. 569 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:42,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's great and so kind of a weird Easter conversation. 570 00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 1: I think maybe the words of life and the thought 571 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:48,640 Speaker 1: about we're invited to be free. When you think about 572 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 1: all of it, what hits. 573 00:32:49,600 --> 00:32:54,440 Speaker 2: You oh so much? The ethos of my home, of 574 00:32:54,480 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 2: my workplace, of my friendships, of my relationships with people, 575 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:04,400 Speaker 2: you know, in all groups. That's something I never looked at, 576 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 2: like part of that is my responsibility. And I think 577 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 2: I've just started thinking about that in the last five years, 578 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:17,160 Speaker 2: and how important it is to measure my words, to 579 00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:20,800 Speaker 2: have the meditation of my heart be lined up in 580 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:23,840 Speaker 2: a positive way so that I can deposit something in 581 00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:24,720 Speaker 2: those groups. 582 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:29,280 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, Yeah, I'm amazed at how powerful our disposition 583 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,120 Speaker 1: and words are to the overall sense of well being 584 00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:34,960 Speaker 1: of people. And I find that there are people I 585 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 1: so look forward to talking to because they just speak life. 586 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:42,480 Speaker 1: You know, they're not boring, and they don't sound like 587 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:45,520 Speaker 1: a Hallmark card. It's not that that never works. I mean, 588 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,680 Speaker 1: I do have people like that in my life, and 589 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 1: that doesn't really give me life, but it's people that 590 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 1: are alive. They're fun, they're real, they're genuine but positive. 591 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:55,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. 592 00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:58,200 Speaker 1: Well, you rarely leave a conversation that you just don't 593 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 1: feel uplifted. I think it is very powerful. And then 594 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:06,280 Speaker 1: when we live in a culture that has just become 595 00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:10,319 Speaker 1: enamored with bad news, and that's across the board. It 596 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:13,240 Speaker 1: doesn't matter if you're on the right or the left, 597 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:16,919 Speaker 1: a Republican or Democrat, all of the outlets are doing 598 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:21,720 Speaker 1: the same thing. There's outrage everywhere, there's anger everywhere, there's 599 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:26,359 Speaker 1: disbelief at the craziness of the other side, and the 600 00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:29,319 Speaker 1: thread it is to all humanity and all sense of 601 00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:33,160 Speaker 1: well being. And then celebrities weighed in and make these 602 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:37,000 Speaker 1: sweeping statements as if these issues are simple and there's 603 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:40,960 Speaker 1: simple solutions, And I guess I would just ask the question, 604 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:45,239 Speaker 1: where is it working? You know, we've got states that 605 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:47,200 Speaker 1: are run by Democrats that doesn't work, and we've got 606 00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:50,400 Speaker 1: state run by Republican that doesn't work. We have different problems. 607 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:54,160 Speaker 1: We've got country that's deeply divided. I mean, if somebody's winning, 608 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:56,920 Speaker 1: if somebody's crushing it, if it's somewhere you know the 609 00:34:56,960 --> 00:35:00,319 Speaker 1: economics work and people seem happy and well adjusted, there's 610 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 1: fairness and equality, and you know where. 611 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:02,960 Speaker 2: Is that place? 612 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:05,879 Speaker 1: Yes, it doesn't seem to exist, and yet we don't 613 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:09,920 Speaker 1: mind blaming each other and creating an atmosphere and our 614 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:11,920 Speaker 1: culture and in our world, and then it trickles into 615 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:13,680 Speaker 1: our homes and into our time. 616 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:17,040 Speaker 2: It's the grave clothes, yeah, that we just put on. 617 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:21,240 Speaker 2: As soon as as we're involved in those conversations, whether 618 00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:24,439 Speaker 2: they're coming to us through media or whatever, it takes 619 00:35:24,480 --> 00:35:27,680 Speaker 2: us down a road and it becomes an internal dialogue 620 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:30,799 Speaker 2: that's negative, and you know, nobody really wants to be 621 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:31,279 Speaker 2: around that. 622 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:35,560 Speaker 1: Yeah. I remember years ago we had a psychologist come 623 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:38,960 Speaker 1: in and do a weekend of marriage En Richmond for us, 624 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:41,520 Speaker 1: and I remember she said, all of you have learned 625 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:44,040 Speaker 1: a dance. You've learned a dance in your marriage and 626 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:48,879 Speaker 1: your relationship. And the music starts and you you fall 627 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,040 Speaker 1: into the steps, and you got to change the music. 628 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:54,719 Speaker 1: If you don't change the music, you'll do this dance 629 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:56,920 Speaker 1: until the day you die. And you have to on 630 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,279 Speaker 1: purpose say we're going to change the dance. We're not 631 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,719 Speaker 1: going to be stuck in that. And I think our culture, 632 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:05,640 Speaker 1: what was true about the intimacy of marriage all those 633 00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:08,239 Speaker 1: years ago is true about our culture now. You know 634 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:10,320 Speaker 1: the music You turn on the news and the music 635 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:14,320 Speaker 1: plays and we all dance. We just dance like trained animals. 636 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:16,840 Speaker 1: We just dance. We just do the dance, and we 637 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:19,360 Speaker 1: don't ever stop and go. I don't like this music. 638 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:22,319 Speaker 1: This music needs to change, right because I don't like 639 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:24,080 Speaker 1: the dance. I don't like how it makes me feel. 640 00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:25,919 Speaker 1: I don't like how it makes me look. I don't 641 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:27,279 Speaker 1: like what it does to me. I don't like what 642 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:29,239 Speaker 1: it does to the world. And I do believe that, 643 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:32,360 Speaker 1: you know, this is the ultimate expression of freedom. I 644 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:34,359 Speaker 1: don't have to do the dance. I get to set 645 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:36,920 Speaker 1: my own music in my own dance, but I'll have 646 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:39,480 Speaker 1: to decide that it'll have to be intentional. 647 00:36:39,719 --> 00:36:43,399 Speaker 2: Yes, And there's something about what you said about the root, 648 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 2: the root being so lodged in sometimes where what's coming 649 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,560 Speaker 2: out of the mouth is coming from the root. Why 650 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:54,560 Speaker 2: is the work not being done at the root level 651 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:57,920 Speaker 2: to change what's coming out of our mouths? 652 00:36:58,000 --> 00:36:59,920 Speaker 1: Yeah? Well, I think the first reason is most of 653 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:02,400 Speaker 1: us don't think we're wrong. I mean, we think what 654 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:04,760 Speaker 1: we think because we think it's the right thing to think, 655 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 1: and we don't ever stop and go. Man, I'm so 656 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:10,719 Speaker 1: limited in what I can see, you know. I say 657 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:14,040 Speaker 1: this a lot. I teach a Bible study on Thursday nights, 658 00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:16,799 Speaker 1: and so it's a very different environment when you have 659 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:20,719 Speaker 1: an interactive environment and it's an hour or so. But 660 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:24,520 Speaker 1: one of the conversations that we have is this idea 661 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:30,120 Speaker 1: that we're invited into space in which maybe the best 662 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:32,799 Speaker 1: thing we can ever do is be humble, and that 663 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:37,239 Speaker 1: our worst enemy in life is dogma. Dogma is I 664 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:41,080 Speaker 1: figured it out. I found the answer, and now everyone 665 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:44,560 Speaker 1: needs to listen to what I'm saying. Well, dogma is dangerous. 666 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:47,400 Speaker 1: In theology, you know, this is absolutely the way it works. 667 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:51,000 Speaker 1: John Calvin years ago said there's this thing called election. 668 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:54,000 Speaker 1: It's the curtain behind which God operates. A man can't penetrate. 669 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:56,960 Speaker 1: There's always a mystery. The day we can tell everybody 670 00:37:56,960 --> 00:37:59,279 Speaker 1: what God is doing exactly how he's doing it, that's 671 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:03,319 Speaker 1: called dogma, and we're very likely wrong. We just don't know. 672 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:06,960 Speaker 2: And dogma can stretch into being a grandparent and thinking 673 00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:10,560 Speaker 2: that we have all the answers and we know the 674 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:13,480 Speaker 2: right way, and what that creates is an ethos of 675 00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:18,560 Speaker 2: conflict and resentment. And so it's just a lot of 676 00:38:18,880 --> 00:38:22,040 Speaker 2: self reflection to say, I don't want to be that person. 677 00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:24,040 Speaker 2: I don't want anything to come out of my mouth 678 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:27,120 Speaker 2: that's going to pull this down, and the ethos is 679 00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:29,840 Speaker 2: so important and my ego doesn't need to be pumped 680 00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:31,640 Speaker 2: up here so well. 681 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:32,759 Speaker 1: And I think that you know, we used to call 682 00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 1: that the generation gap. You know that older people had 683 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:38,560 Speaker 1: a dogma about life and I accomplished it, and I 684 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:41,000 Speaker 1: did it. Here's how you got to do it. And 685 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:42,759 Speaker 1: then younger people are like, I don't know if you 686 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:46,080 Speaker 1: know what you're talking about. And I think we that's 687 00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:49,680 Speaker 1: become much more accentuated, to the point that we can't 688 00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:52,800 Speaker 1: really call it a generation gap because it's now multiple 689 00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:57,799 Speaker 1: generation issues. And I think what's ironic today is that 690 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:00,879 Speaker 1: the world is changing so rapidly this times, younger people 691 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:03,600 Speaker 1: are better equipped to understand it and cope with it 692 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:06,440 Speaker 1: than older people. And we find that in a variety 693 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:08,680 Speaker 1: of ways, younger people have a tendency to be able 694 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:11,799 Speaker 1: to help us as older folks, to understand some things 695 00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:14,280 Speaker 1: that maybe we wouldn't ordinarily get our want to get. 696 00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:17,200 Speaker 1: But yeah, what is dogma? And why? And why are 697 00:39:17,280 --> 00:39:21,160 Speaker 1: politicians so dogmatic? And why are celebrities so dogmatic? And 698 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 1: often athletes not everyone, not all celebrities, not all politicians, 699 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:27,839 Speaker 1: but generally the ones that make the papers and make 700 00:39:27,880 --> 00:39:31,319 Speaker 1: the soundbites and hit social media. The more dogmatic you are, 701 00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:34,880 Speaker 1: the more quotable you are, the easier it is to 702 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:38,960 Speaker 1: fit you into a meme. And it's just destructive. Life's 703 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:41,279 Speaker 1: complicated and none of us have figured it out. So 704 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:43,759 Speaker 1: I think the reason we don't change as much is 705 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:46,840 Speaker 1: because we don't want to. We like who we are, 706 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:49,120 Speaker 1: we like what we think, and we're sure we're right 707 00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:52,040 Speaker 1: and everybody else is wrong. So until we can get 708 00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:54,279 Speaker 1: to that humility that says, no, I just know what 709 00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:57,480 Speaker 1: I know, and I'm pretty sure I can be willing 710 00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:02,160 Speaker 1: to learn some more. The biggest reason to get out 711 00:40:02,160 --> 00:40:06,480 Speaker 1: of this country and visit other places is to learn 712 00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:09,600 Speaker 1: that you're just sitting in one seat at the game, 713 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:11,719 Speaker 1: and there are a lot of other seats and a 714 00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:14,600 Speaker 1: lot of other perspectives, and a world full of people 715 00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:19,000 Speaker 1: that are different, and it will greatly humble your sense 716 00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:22,680 Speaker 1: of knowledge to just be around people that have grown 717 00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:25,080 Speaker 1: up in a different culture in a different way. You 718 00:40:25,120 --> 00:40:26,920 Speaker 1: don't know as much as you think you know. I 719 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:28,600 Speaker 1: remember when I got out of college, I thought I 720 00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:31,399 Speaker 1: was very smart. I mean, I just was like, man, 721 00:40:31,600 --> 00:40:34,920 Speaker 1: I've crushed it and then I worked for three years 722 00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:37,640 Speaker 1: and then went back to grad school, and I remember 723 00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:40,440 Speaker 1: getting out of grad school and going I'm in big trouble. 724 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:43,000 Speaker 1: I'll never be able to get my brain around this. 725 00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:45,759 Speaker 1: So I think a lot of us know enough to 726 00:40:45,760 --> 00:40:47,360 Speaker 1: be dangerous. Yeah. 727 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:51,440 Speaker 2: I think gratitude too, is a way to reset. At 728 00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:54,080 Speaker 2: least That's what I've found, is if I can take 729 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:57,759 Speaker 2: a minute and reset before I go into conversations and 730 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:00,520 Speaker 2: go into my day, if I can just find some 731 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:04,480 Speaker 2: gratitude so that I don't pour out, you know, the 732 00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:07,400 Speaker 2: negativity that could be swirling around in my own heart. 733 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:09,880 Speaker 2: It's a little bit of a coping. But what do 734 00:41:09,960 --> 00:41:13,200 Speaker 2: you suggest where people can get to the point where 735 00:41:13,200 --> 00:41:15,160 Speaker 2: they can give life giving words. 736 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:18,280 Speaker 1: Well, I think number one, you know, to just say, 737 00:41:18,400 --> 00:41:21,600 Speaker 1: I'm tired of grave clothes. I'm just tired of negativity. 738 00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:24,359 Speaker 1: I'm tired of sadness. I'm tired of the habit I've 739 00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:29,040 Speaker 1: gotten into, of being, you know, exponentially affected by bad news. 740 00:41:29,239 --> 00:41:32,200 Speaker 1: I'm tired of everything tipping me over. I would like 741 00:41:32,360 --> 00:41:34,879 Speaker 1: to be a source. I would like in my own 742 00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:37,560 Speaker 1: inner world to be at peace. I'd like to have 743 00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:41,400 Speaker 1: life and optimism and a sense of you know, because 744 00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:44,640 Speaker 1: life's going to be hard enough without a bad attitude 745 00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:46,200 Speaker 1: to go with it. And so I want to change, 746 00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:47,920 Speaker 1: and then I want to create that in others. I 747 00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:49,840 Speaker 1: want to offer that. I want to give that gift. 748 00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:52,440 Speaker 1: I want to be a grapevine in not a not 749 00:41:52,520 --> 00:41:55,840 Speaker 1: a thorn bush. And so I think that's where we start. 750 00:41:56,480 --> 00:42:00,239 Speaker 1: And I think, obviously here on Easter Sunday, that is 751 00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:03,400 Speaker 1: the message. There is life that even death does not 752 00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:07,120 Speaker 1: get to steal away our hope. And so I hope 753 00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:10,440 Speaker 1: this morning, as you listen, that you decide that you're 754 00:42:10,480 --> 00:42:13,239 Speaker 1: going to go out and celebrate this day number one. 755 00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:15,640 Speaker 1: This is the only one of these you're going to get, 756 00:42:15,760 --> 00:42:17,880 Speaker 1: and so make the very most of it. And if 757 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:21,440 Speaker 1: you are blessed to be with family today, don't be annoyed, 758 00:42:21,880 --> 00:42:27,800 Speaker 1: and don't be annoyed. You celebrate, have fun, take a moment, reflect, enjoy, 759 00:42:28,320 --> 00:42:31,600 Speaker 1: savor a moment. You know, tell the people that matter 760 00:42:31,719 --> 00:42:34,319 Speaker 1: most that you love them. They won't always be there 761 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:38,160 Speaker 1: for you, they won't always have the opportunity and speak life. 762 00:42:38,719 --> 00:42:41,600 Speaker 1: Allow today to be a time in which the rudder 763 00:42:41,640 --> 00:42:46,000 Speaker 1: and the bridle create collaboration and set a direction and 764 00:42:46,080 --> 00:42:48,799 Speaker 1: a tone that at the end of this day, people 765 00:42:48,840 --> 00:42:51,800 Speaker 1: are going to go. Man, this was such a great 766 00:42:51,920 --> 00:42:55,440 Speaker 1: day of life and celebration, and so I pray that 767 00:42:55,520 --> 00:42:59,120 Speaker 1: over you. Happy Easter. God bless you. Thanks for listening.