1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:05,960 S1: Broadcasting from Chicago, across North America and beyond its cast 2 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:10,680 S1: and crew. Come as you are an experienced guide. Overcome 3 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:15,440 S1: what seems impossible and live. As you never imagined. Start 4 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:16,880 S1: your morning with a laugh. 5 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:22,119 S2: Practical from the Bible. Tips and tricks to kill. Not tricks, 6 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:27,920 S2: but tips and tricks. Tips and tricks to kill. Tips and. 7 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:30,400 S1: Tricks. Delivering the truth daily. 8 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:33,280 S3: All of my attempts to, you know, prop myself up 9 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,760 S3: with achievement in good works. Well, God wasn't impressed by that. 10 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:38,239 S3: Even if other people were. 11 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,040 S2: The gospel changes everything. 12 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,519 S4: Freedom in Christ. Man, it's like that backpack of cement 13 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:46,440 S4: just falling to the ground. 14 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:50,920 S1: Now, from the call of Hope Studios, this is Carl 15 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,040 S1: and crew. When I was commercial fishing, we called it 16 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,800 S1: smoke on the water. When we had so many fish 17 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,400 S1: pouring in the net, it was a huge harvest and 18 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,170 S1: it was just fins and heads just splashing and boy, 19 00:01:03,170 --> 00:01:06,250 S1: it feels that way already. This is a week of 20 00:01:06,250 --> 00:01:10,369 S1: Ask the Experts and this is epic. We just got 21 00:01:10,410 --> 00:01:14,209 S1: done with Doctor Drew Dickens all things AI. If you 22 00:01:14,209 --> 00:01:17,569 S1: did not hear it, let me do something. Live here. Super. 23 00:01:17,730 --> 00:01:20,250 S1: Are we going to be able to crunch this down? Um. 24 00:01:20,650 --> 00:01:22,450 S5: We're with the best we can, but we don't want 25 00:01:22,450 --> 00:01:24,370 S5: to touch it too much because it's too much good information. 26 00:01:24,410 --> 00:01:26,730 S1: No, we don't want to crunch it down. So we'll 27 00:01:26,730 --> 00:01:29,490 S1: have the questions. Rapid fire. We'll be able to strip 28 00:01:29,490 --> 00:01:33,929 S1: out some of the underwriters and even some of the songs, 29 00:01:33,930 --> 00:01:36,250 S1: and we're going to go lickety split. So if you 30 00:01:36,250 --> 00:01:42,570 S1: want the show cast text show to 800 555 7898. 31 00:01:42,610 --> 00:01:45,170 S1: I need to warn you, you're going to be loaded 32 00:01:45,170 --> 00:01:47,770 S1: with experts this week, and this is going to be 33 00:01:47,770 --> 00:01:50,450 S1: content that is going to blow your mind. And we're 34 00:01:50,450 --> 00:01:54,330 S1: opening up phone lines, text lines for you to ask 35 00:01:54,330 --> 00:01:58,130 S1: your questions of our guests. So get the show cast now. 36 00:01:58,290 --> 00:02:00,570 S1: get subscribed to it. You're going to have a cat 37 00:02:00,610 --> 00:02:02,850 S1: by the time we're done with this week, you are 38 00:02:02,850 --> 00:02:05,850 S1: going to have a Katy bar the door catalog of 39 00:02:05,850 --> 00:02:09,930 S1: killer content. Oh, Ali, where are we at here, sister? 40 00:02:09,930 --> 00:02:13,450 S3: Well, we have another guest expert who's going to be 41 00:02:13,450 --> 00:02:14,650 S3: popping in right now. 42 00:02:14,889 --> 00:02:18,770 S1: Yeah, we got him with us. Greg Dempster, uh, Christ's 43 00:02:18,810 --> 00:02:23,810 S1: life Ministries. All about renewal, my man. Let's begin at 44 00:02:23,810 --> 00:02:26,769 S1: the beginning. What in the world is your goal with 45 00:02:26,770 --> 00:02:29,169 S1: this ministry that God has called you to? 46 00:02:29,690 --> 00:02:31,730 S6: First of all, great to be with you this morning 47 00:02:31,730 --> 00:02:34,610 S6: and with your audience. We're we're all about renewal in 48 00:02:34,610 --> 00:02:40,889 S6: Christ's life, helps pastoral leaders experience genuine transformation, and then 49 00:02:40,889 --> 00:02:44,410 S6: equips them to bring transformation to the organizations that they lead. 50 00:02:44,410 --> 00:02:49,769 S6: We're all about finding full life like wholeness in Christ. 51 00:02:50,530 --> 00:02:53,210 S1: Now, what's really cool is we've had Greg on here 52 00:02:53,210 --> 00:02:56,370 S1: and the reason we've got him in in Ask the 53 00:02:56,500 --> 00:03:01,500 S1: Experts Week is that these renewal principles, we've in the 54 00:03:01,500 --> 00:03:04,700 S1: past handed them off to you and walked you through 55 00:03:04,700 --> 00:03:07,740 S1: a couple of different journals. We're going to be giving 56 00:03:07,740 --> 00:03:10,820 S1: you a link to Greg's site throughout this hour, but 57 00:03:10,820 --> 00:03:13,500 S1: we've got a full hour of questions for Greg. Let's 58 00:03:13,500 --> 00:03:17,740 S1: talk about renewal. For every person. Greg, what's your heart 59 00:03:17,740 --> 00:03:18,500 S1: behind that? 60 00:03:18,900 --> 00:03:22,980 S6: It would be really difficult to form biblical ideas about 61 00:03:22,980 --> 00:03:27,980 S6: renewal without starting in Romans 12, especially verse two where 62 00:03:27,980 --> 00:03:32,340 S6: Paul says this. We've got to experience metamorphosis through the 63 00:03:32,340 --> 00:03:35,540 S6: renewal of noose. That's the Greek word for mind there. 64 00:03:35,540 --> 00:03:39,060 S6: He uses that word specifically to help us understand that 65 00:03:39,060 --> 00:03:44,180 S6: renewal happens in how we perceive and how we interpret life. 66 00:03:44,220 --> 00:03:50,380 S6: It's all about this, these default interpretations that we have 67 00:03:50,380 --> 00:03:52,660 S6: in life. How were those formed? That's really the question 68 00:03:53,060 --> 00:03:56,740 S6: that that springs from Romans 12. Well, how was my 69 00:03:56,740 --> 00:04:00,660 S6: mind formed? And the mind is formed through experiences, how 70 00:04:00,660 --> 00:04:05,260 S6: we interpret those experiences and then our response to those experiences. 71 00:04:05,420 --> 00:04:08,740 S6: And what ends up happening is we form these governing 72 00:04:08,740 --> 00:04:11,260 S6: ideas that drive our lives. We can believe all the 73 00:04:11,260 --> 00:04:16,180 S6: right things about Jesus, really have saving faith in Jesus, 74 00:04:16,180 --> 00:04:19,740 S6: and yet still experience a chasm between what we believe 75 00:04:19,740 --> 00:04:22,260 S6: to be true about God and what we're experiencing daily. 76 00:04:22,900 --> 00:04:25,340 S3: Greg Dempster, our guest right now, founder and director of 77 00:04:25,339 --> 00:04:28,820 S3: Christ Life Ministries. Their mission is to help remove that 78 00:04:28,820 --> 00:04:31,540 S3: chasm that often exists between what people believe to be 79 00:04:31,540 --> 00:04:34,900 S3: true about God and what they're experiencing daily. To help 80 00:04:34,900 --> 00:04:39,020 S3: our listeners, Greg, what are the type of questions that 81 00:04:39,020 --> 00:04:41,580 S3: you get asked most in your line of work? I 82 00:04:41,580 --> 00:04:44,700 S3: think that will help, um, get the wheels turning as 83 00:04:44,700 --> 00:04:46,340 S3: to what should I ask this guy? 84 00:04:47,100 --> 00:04:50,020 S6: I think most of the questions are related to why 85 00:04:50,700 --> 00:04:53,260 S6: the person is stuck. They might be leading a church 86 00:04:53,260 --> 00:04:56,830 S6: of 20,000, they might be leading a church to 200 87 00:04:56,870 --> 00:05:01,789 S6: or lead a missions organization overseas, but they feel stuck 88 00:05:01,950 --> 00:05:06,390 S6: or stifled in their relationship with Jesus. Like in some ways, 89 00:05:06,430 --> 00:05:08,910 S6: they feel like they've stepped away from their first love. 90 00:05:08,910 --> 00:05:11,750 S6: It's not fresh and real like it was in the past, 91 00:05:11,750 --> 00:05:15,430 S6: that they're that they're in some ways feeling like they've 92 00:05:15,430 --> 00:05:18,310 S6: defaulted to using God as a means to their own end, 93 00:05:18,390 --> 00:05:22,070 S6: the end being that they need to perform to be okay, 94 00:05:22,790 --> 00:05:26,630 S6: that they need approval to be okay, that they they 95 00:05:26,670 --> 00:05:30,070 S6: need something from God in order to perform at a 96 00:05:30,070 --> 00:05:33,350 S6: level that where they'll be valued. And so the questions 97 00:05:33,350 --> 00:05:36,670 S6: would be, how do I break that cycle? What is 98 00:05:36,670 --> 00:05:41,190 S6: transformation really look like? Could it be that transformation is 99 00:05:41,190 --> 00:05:44,429 S6: an integral part of of the way that God works 100 00:05:44,430 --> 00:05:47,550 S6: to set us all free, that it's a universal work 101 00:05:47,550 --> 00:05:50,630 S6: in us and and really that that would be the, the, 102 00:05:50,830 --> 00:05:54,279 S6: the main question is how might I leave what I'm 103 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:59,280 S6: experiencing right now and enter into a full experience of Jesus? 104 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:03,080 S1: I don't know that there's any disciple of Christ who 105 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:05,880 S1: hasn't asked that question at some point. Greg, what do 106 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:06,320 S1: you think? 107 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:09,240 S6: Well, I mean, here's the bottom line. I mean, the 108 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,120 S6: Holy Spirit, John 1613. He's the spirit of truth. He 109 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:15,840 S6: leads us into truth about all things he's given to 110 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,839 S6: every blood bought follower of Jesus Christ for a reason 111 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:24,040 S6: that we need the Holy Spirit. Titus three five teaches 112 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:28,359 S6: us that we need ongoing renewal of the Holy Spirit 113 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,000 S6: for us to fully engage the lives that God has 114 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:35,120 S6: designed us to live. So yes, every Christ follower is 115 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,599 S6: going to be made aware of the fact that they 116 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:42,080 S6: they need the renewal, the transformation of God and and really, 117 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:45,520 S6: God in His Word offers us the route to obtain it. 118 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,280 S3: We've got Greg Dempster as our guest expert right now. 119 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:52,599 S3: If you have questions, if you feel stuck or stifled, 120 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,520 S3: or having trouble breaking some cycle in your life. If 121 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:58,880 S3: you would like to ask a question. I know some 122 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,000 S3: of these might be more sensitive, so if text feels 123 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,520 S3: like more comfortable, we will not shout out numbers or 124 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:08,520 S3: use names. 800 555 7898 but do feel free to 125 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,560 S3: call as well. We will take your call in questions 126 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:18,360 S3: 800 555 7898 800 555 7898. 127 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:23,600 S1: Yeah, this is tremendous. Um, we're grateful to have Greg 128 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:29,680 S1: Dempster here. 800 555 7898. Let's get those calls in 129 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:35,560 S1: or texts 800 555 7898. 130 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:38,680 S7: You can take him out of Alaska, but you can't 131 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:42,520 S7: take Alaska out of him. Carl is in the crew. 132 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,320 S7: It's Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 133 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:49,600 S1: It's Carl and crew. Our whole week is ask the experts. 134 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,410 S1: And sometimes we got to break the logjam loose. There's 135 00:07:52,410 --> 00:07:59,490 S1: a lot of questions around renewal, habit, looping, sin, shame. Repent, repeat. 136 00:07:59,490 --> 00:08:05,170 S1: Speak to that one. Greg. Just a general sin. Shame. Repent. 137 00:08:05,210 --> 00:08:08,250 S1: Repeat our guest right now, Greg Dempster. What do you say, 138 00:08:08,250 --> 00:08:08,810 S1: my man? 139 00:08:09,130 --> 00:08:13,730 S6: Let's just get real practical. Sometimes you've got to analyze 140 00:08:13,930 --> 00:08:18,330 S6: what you've done in the past and just do the opposite. 141 00:08:19,130 --> 00:08:22,050 S6: And sometimes we isolate because we don't want to be 142 00:08:22,050 --> 00:08:27,370 S6: open and honest with the people who are in our 143 00:08:27,370 --> 00:08:29,650 S6: sphere of influence. We feel like if they knew who 144 00:08:29,650 --> 00:08:34,370 S6: we really are and what we do, they'd reject us. 145 00:08:34,370 --> 00:08:37,729 S6: So we isolate. We try to fix it, fix ourselves 146 00:08:37,730 --> 00:08:40,370 S6: so that we can fix the relationship that we have 147 00:08:40,370 --> 00:08:44,370 S6: with Jesus. None of that works. We've got to draw 148 00:08:44,410 --> 00:08:47,929 S6: people in people who have proven themselves to be trustworthy. 149 00:08:48,330 --> 00:08:50,500 S6: We've got to crack it open sometimes with the leaders 150 00:08:50,500 --> 00:08:53,660 S6: that I work with, them, just being able to share 151 00:08:54,059 --> 00:08:59,500 S6: the depths of their brokenness with another person breaks the chain. 152 00:09:00,300 --> 00:09:01,980 S6: And so for some of you who are in this 153 00:09:01,980 --> 00:09:05,380 S6: loop of of sinning and then and then getting back 154 00:09:05,380 --> 00:09:11,620 S6: on your feet and repeating, maybe it's shame based. Don't isolate. 155 00:09:12,020 --> 00:09:14,340 S6: Make sure that you've got somebody trustworthy in your life 156 00:09:14,340 --> 00:09:17,420 S6: that's a praying person, a person that that cares about 157 00:09:17,420 --> 00:09:21,500 S6: you and that that will journey with you. But number two, 158 00:09:22,380 --> 00:09:25,380 S6: you need to look at your rhythms with Christ and 159 00:09:25,380 --> 00:09:27,940 S6: and what you've done in the past, just trying to 160 00:09:27,980 --> 00:09:31,500 S6: perform better so that you can be valued or gain 161 00:09:31,500 --> 00:09:35,540 S6: God's value is never going to win, because you already 162 00:09:35,540 --> 00:09:39,300 S6: have all the value that you'll ever receive from Jesus 163 00:09:39,300 --> 00:09:43,339 S6: through the cross values. Finish it static. He'll never love 164 00:09:43,340 --> 00:09:45,420 S6: you more than he loves you right now. So when 165 00:09:45,420 --> 00:09:48,180 S6: we're in rhythms of trying to seek what we already have. 166 00:09:48,220 --> 00:09:50,020 S6: It's a no win proposition. 167 00:09:50,059 --> 00:09:53,699 S3: Greg Dempster, our guest right now. You know, lately there 168 00:09:53,700 --> 00:09:56,820 S3: have been a lot of stories in the news about 169 00:09:56,860 --> 00:10:01,220 S3: leaders falling in some sort of dramatic way. I'm not 170 00:10:01,220 --> 00:10:03,340 S3: going to point to any specific stories, but if you 171 00:10:03,380 --> 00:10:07,940 S3: pay attention, it seems like there's a lot of people 172 00:10:07,940 --> 00:10:13,219 S3: who are doing a public ministry but privately crumbling. And 173 00:10:13,220 --> 00:10:16,260 S3: every time you see another one of those stories, it's heartbreaking. 174 00:10:16,460 --> 00:10:19,900 S3: But it also is kind of a cautionary tale. What 175 00:10:19,900 --> 00:10:24,300 S3: can leaders do to guard themselves against these kind of 176 00:10:24,700 --> 00:10:30,140 S3: public failings, but also just the everything leading up to that, 177 00:10:30,140 --> 00:10:31,300 S3: if you get what I'm saying. 178 00:10:31,780 --> 00:10:35,620 S6: Yeah. You know, for every public failing, there's a myriad 179 00:10:35,620 --> 00:10:40,819 S6: of private failings. And and the reality is that just 180 00:10:41,179 --> 00:10:43,980 S6: even if if we were all to just stop and 181 00:10:43,980 --> 00:10:49,110 S6: take note of our personal lives right now. If we 182 00:10:49,110 --> 00:10:54,030 S6: have a litany, even a small collection of personal failings 183 00:10:54,910 --> 00:11:00,309 S6: that continue to bombard our lives. That's that's how the 184 00:11:00,309 --> 00:11:04,430 S6: deck is set. That's the starting blocks for a major 185 00:11:04,429 --> 00:11:08,070 S6: public failure. The problem that we run into is God 186 00:11:08,110 --> 00:11:14,470 S6: is so merciful, so kind, so forbearing that he allows 187 00:11:14,470 --> 00:11:18,110 S6: anointing and he allows power to still rest on ministries 188 00:11:18,110 --> 00:11:21,429 S6: that are being led by people who are wandering far 189 00:11:21,429 --> 00:11:24,150 S6: from him. And so if you're a leader today, if 190 00:11:24,150 --> 00:11:26,230 S6: you're looking at your private life and you're saying it's 191 00:11:26,230 --> 00:11:29,790 S6: a mess, and yet you've allowed the success of your, your, 192 00:11:29,830 --> 00:11:35,590 S6: your public ministry to overshadow, uh, those realities, just stop. Just. 193 00:11:35,830 --> 00:11:38,670 S6: The time is now. This is your opportunity to to 194 00:11:38,710 --> 00:11:44,190 S6: to do a turnabout, a to turn in the direction 195 00:11:44,190 --> 00:11:46,709 S6: that you're heading so that you don't have a total 196 00:11:46,750 --> 00:11:48,950 S6: catastrophe later on. 197 00:11:50,630 --> 00:11:54,110 S1: I think the irony in that, Greg, is that there's 198 00:11:54,150 --> 00:11:56,790 S1: a lot of people that feel the same thing that 199 00:11:56,790 --> 00:12:02,189 S1: don't have a platform, and the rationalization can go something like, 200 00:12:03,230 --> 00:12:05,870 S1: I know I've got this area in my life that 201 00:12:05,870 --> 00:12:08,150 S1: I keep getting my booty kicked in. It might not 202 00:12:08,150 --> 00:12:11,910 S1: even be that shameful. It could be pretty common. Whatever 203 00:12:11,910 --> 00:12:15,870 S1: that addiction, that issue is that hides in the shadows 204 00:12:16,470 --> 00:12:21,270 S1: and the rationalization can go, I'm doing all right. I mean, 205 00:12:21,309 --> 00:12:24,870 S1: I'm this isn't falling apart over here. Why is that 206 00:12:24,870 --> 00:12:26,589 S1: misguided perspective? 207 00:12:28,150 --> 00:12:30,470 S6: I'll never forget reading this quote for the first time. 208 00:12:30,470 --> 00:12:35,270 S6: It was by Dallas Willard, and he said, you are 209 00:12:35,309 --> 00:12:40,589 S6: an unceasing spiritual being with an eternal destiny in God's 210 00:12:40,590 --> 00:12:45,280 S6: great universe. That's that's the That's the baseline identity for 211 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:50,160 S6: every transformed follower of Jesus Christ. That we're an unceasing 212 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:55,520 S6: spiritual being with an eternal destiny in God's great universe. 213 00:12:55,679 --> 00:13:01,360 S6: That reality, that truth, lifts us beyond all of the 214 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:08,679 S6: the ungodly woken up compromised life that we find ourselves 215 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:12,199 S6: defaulting to. It lifts us higher that that it's not 216 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,920 S6: about your platform. It's about who God is and who 217 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:17,960 S6: he's made you to be. And and the fact that 218 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:22,120 S6: you have an eternal destiny in him. Uh, that that's 219 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:26,280 S6: being fulfilled now, but ultimately will culminate in seeing Jesus 220 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:30,400 S6: face to face. It's the reality of God's nearness and 221 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:35,240 S6: all that he is that calls us out of worldly, broken, uh, 222 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:38,480 S6: self-focused living and towards something that's greater. 223 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:43,010 S1: That's great. Greg Dempster is our guest right now we've 224 00:13:43,010 --> 00:13:49,210 S1: got a whole week of Ask the experts 805 five, five, 78, 98. 225 00:13:49,210 --> 00:13:52,210 S1: Get your questions in right now via text or call 226 00:13:52,210 --> 00:13:59,450 S1: in right now. Don't delay. 800 555 7898 Greg. We're 227 00:13:59,450 --> 00:14:01,170 S1: going to come back, and I want you to address 228 00:14:01,170 --> 00:14:03,970 S1: this on the other side. Here's the question. I desire 229 00:14:03,970 --> 00:14:06,890 S1: to have Christ more in my life, but my heart 230 00:14:06,890 --> 00:14:10,689 S1: is hardened to surrendering to him to let that happen. 231 00:14:10,890 --> 00:14:14,250 S1: What do I do? More with Greg Dempster in your calls. 232 00:14:14,250 --> 00:14:15,010 S1: Straight ahead. 233 00:14:15,370 --> 00:14:18,130 S7: She was trying to earn her way to God, but 234 00:14:18,130 --> 00:14:21,570 S7: God showed her she didn't have to. Ali is in 235 00:14:21,610 --> 00:14:24,970 S7: the crew. It's Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 236 00:14:25,010 --> 00:14:27,970 S1: Greg Dempster, our guest. Christ's Life Ministries. By the way, 237 00:14:28,010 --> 00:14:30,290 S1: some of you are saying, you know what? I had 238 00:14:30,290 --> 00:14:32,570 S1: a link before when Greg was on. This was one 239 00:14:32,570 --> 00:14:35,250 S1: of the most sought after links we've ever had. There's 240 00:14:35,250 --> 00:14:40,330 S1: some great, great content. It's called journey one and journey two. 241 00:14:40,570 --> 00:14:44,690 S1: Two little workbooks that Greg offers for no cost, and 242 00:14:44,690 --> 00:14:47,090 S1: he has been compelled by the Spirit of God to 243 00:14:47,130 --> 00:14:50,010 S1: offer this up. And he's got people that keep his 244 00:14:50,010 --> 00:14:52,330 S1: engine going and his lights on there. But what a 245 00:14:52,330 --> 00:14:56,210 S1: great blessing. And we're asking you to grab this link 246 00:14:56,210 --> 00:14:59,290 S1: if you'd like. I think the key word is life. Yes, 247 00:14:59,290 --> 00:15:06,650 S1: it is life to 800 555 7898. Life to 800 248 00:15:06,690 --> 00:15:11,690 S1: 555 7898. Ask the experts time to get in questions 249 00:15:12,010 --> 00:15:17,210 S1: via phone or text. Anything spiritual renewal wise for Greg 250 00:15:17,210 --> 00:15:22,610 S1: Dempster 800 555 7898. Question we have teed up here, Greg. 251 00:15:22,650 --> 00:15:25,010 S1: I desire to have Christ more in my life, but 252 00:15:25,010 --> 00:15:28,170 S1: my heart is hardened to surrendering to him to let 253 00:15:28,170 --> 00:15:31,170 S1: that happen. It sounds like they both want to and 254 00:15:31,170 --> 00:15:33,210 S1: resistant to. What do you say, Greg? 255 00:15:33,810 --> 00:15:38,370 S6: I think sometimes the equation our life story begins and 256 00:15:38,370 --> 00:15:41,860 S6: ends with us. I remember Joe Aldridge back in the 257 00:15:41,860 --> 00:15:46,140 S6: day at Multnomah Bible College saying, it's far more difficult 258 00:15:46,140 --> 00:15:47,620 S6: to fall out of the will of God than you 259 00:15:47,620 --> 00:15:51,740 S6: could ever imagine. We condemn ourselves and we beat ourselves 260 00:15:51,740 --> 00:15:55,660 S6: up and and we basically paint ourselves into the corner 261 00:15:55,660 --> 00:16:00,300 S6: of life. And God, his scripture teaches us that it's 262 00:16:00,300 --> 00:16:03,820 S6: his kindness that leads us to turn around and make 263 00:16:03,820 --> 00:16:08,900 S6: a 180. And so my encouragement to you would be, 264 00:16:09,260 --> 00:16:11,780 S6: but realize all the provision in the help of God 265 00:16:11,780 --> 00:16:14,220 S6: is just aimed at you. You just need to let 266 00:16:14,220 --> 00:16:16,620 S6: it in. Let him let him do the work in 267 00:16:16,660 --> 00:16:18,940 S6: you that he wants to do. Number two is there's 268 00:16:18,940 --> 00:16:23,020 S6: good reasons why we self protect. God wants to prove 269 00:16:23,020 --> 00:16:25,380 S6: himself to be way better at protecting you than you 270 00:16:25,380 --> 00:16:28,820 S6: can protect yourself. And then number three would be this, 271 00:16:28,820 --> 00:16:33,420 S6: that Matthew six teaches us that that where our treasure lies, 272 00:16:33,420 --> 00:16:36,660 S6: our heart lies. Also, sometimes we don't realize it, but 273 00:16:36,660 --> 00:16:40,030 S6: we treasure things in life so much that we attach 274 00:16:40,030 --> 00:16:43,430 S6: our hearts to them, and in doing so, we detach 275 00:16:43,590 --> 00:16:45,430 S6: our hearts from from God. 276 00:16:46,510 --> 00:16:50,590 S3: Greg Dempster, our guest right now. Somebody had a question 277 00:16:50,590 --> 00:16:53,910 S3: that she wanted to ask. Was there a defining moment 278 00:16:53,910 --> 00:16:57,110 S3: or journey of events in your personal journey that shaped 279 00:16:57,110 --> 00:16:59,230 S3: your calling into leadership? 280 00:17:01,710 --> 00:17:06,830 S6: Boy, that's a great question. I would say being absolutely 281 00:17:06,830 --> 00:17:12,070 S6: lost and at wit's end related to, uh, how to 282 00:17:12,109 --> 00:17:15,750 S6: move forward in life. My dad was a pastor. My 283 00:17:15,750 --> 00:17:19,230 S6: mom was a church organist. I was at church day 284 00:17:19,230 --> 00:17:23,629 S6: in and day out and and really found rebellion growing 285 00:17:23,670 --> 00:17:26,070 S6: in my heart. I wanted to know God, but I 286 00:17:26,070 --> 00:17:29,510 S6: wanted to know, uh, the God of the Bible. And 287 00:17:29,510 --> 00:17:32,190 S6: it's not that there was any issues with my parents church. 288 00:17:32,190 --> 00:17:36,790 S6: The issues were with me. And when I encountered Jesus, uh, 289 00:17:36,790 --> 00:17:40,189 S6: in a life transforming way on the beach in Capitola. 290 00:17:40,230 --> 00:17:44,270 S6: High on drugs. God just absolutely broke through the fog 291 00:17:44,430 --> 00:17:48,230 S6: of my drug, the drug that I was on and 292 00:17:48,230 --> 00:17:51,670 S6: revealed himself and my life was never really the same 293 00:17:51,710 --> 00:17:56,230 S6: and related to leadership. Really. God called me to be 294 00:17:56,230 --> 00:18:00,510 S6: the servant of all that. That my job is to 295 00:18:00,550 --> 00:18:05,750 S6: help others move towards fullness in Christ. And that begins 296 00:18:05,750 --> 00:18:10,550 S6: with God allowing fullness to grow in me. And so leadership, uh, 297 00:18:10,990 --> 00:18:16,830 S6: formed as in me, as God, uh, helped me move 298 00:18:16,869 --> 00:18:19,590 S6: closer and closer to him. It it was it was 299 00:18:19,630 --> 00:18:26,670 S6: a junior college education, moving into a Bible college education, 300 00:18:26,670 --> 00:18:30,390 S6: which ultimately grew into a master's degree. And then it 301 00:18:30,390 --> 00:18:35,230 S6: was really helping people that formed, uh, leadership in my 302 00:18:35,230 --> 00:18:36,760 S6: own life. Yeah. 303 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:40,520 S1: It's powerful stuff, man. If you got a question for Greg, 304 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:43,719 S1: it is Ask the Experts week. And the amount of 305 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:48,280 S1: links pouring out of here indicates we're hitting some good ground. 306 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:53,920 S1: 855 578, 98. If you want to remain anonymous, you've 307 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:58,800 S1: got a spiritual question. You might find yourself stuck in something. 308 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:02,520 S1: You're wondering why is there not more? Give us a 309 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:06,800 S1: call right now or text in your question to 800 310 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:16,359 S1: 555 7898 800 555 7898. If you need to go 311 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:18,760 S1: and you want that link, just text the word life 312 00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:22,280 S1: to that number. Life l I f e. And Greg's 313 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:25,400 S1: got lots of resources there, and he's made them available 314 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:29,639 S1: to you at no cost. Take a journey through those workbooks. 315 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:33,399 S1: Journey one, journey two. And God is going to give 316 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:40,080 S1: you some freedom Opening it up right now. 800 555 7898. 317 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:42,960 S1: Time for ask the experts. Greg Dempster is going to 318 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,919 S1: be with us here for another half hour. 319 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:50,560 S3: Taking your questions on cycle breaking, renewing your mind. The 320 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:58,600 S3: Christian Life 805, 55, 7898, 805, 55, 7898 texts or 321 00:19:58,600 --> 00:19:59,679 S3: calls welcome. 322 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:04,840 S7: Romans eight brought her to Jesus while broadcasting traffic overnight. 323 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:08,760 S7: Super di is in the crew, it's curl and crew 324 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:10,000 S7: on Moody Radio. 325 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:12,440 S3: Well, this is Ask the Experts this week and our 326 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:16,000 S3: guest expert this hour, Greg Dempster, founder and director of 327 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,919 S3: Christ Life Ministries. Now he's taking your questions on all 328 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:25,000 S3: things transformation. Renewal. If you feel stuck, stifled in your 329 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,440 S3: walk with the Lord, want to break some cycles? Ask 330 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:30,680 S3: a question. We'll keep you anonymous. If need be, you 331 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:38,410 S3: can text or call 805 five, five, 78, 98, 805 five, five, 7898. 332 00:20:38,450 --> 00:20:41,930 S3: We had an anonymous caller who asked, how do you 333 00:20:41,930 --> 00:20:45,530 S3: pull yourself out of the desert? Don't have a lot 334 00:20:45,530 --> 00:20:47,330 S3: of detail on this one, but I think we've all 335 00:20:47,330 --> 00:20:49,530 S3: experienced that where it can feel like you're in a 336 00:20:49,530 --> 00:20:52,130 S3: dry desert season with the Lord. How do you pull 337 00:20:52,130 --> 00:20:53,649 S3: yourself out? Greg, what do you say? 338 00:20:54,650 --> 00:20:58,129 S6: Yeah. First of all, biblically, the desert is where God 339 00:20:58,130 --> 00:21:03,370 S6: meets his people. It's in our desperation. It's. It's not 340 00:21:03,410 --> 00:21:07,409 S6: when the cup is full. It's when the cup feels empty. 341 00:21:08,369 --> 00:21:11,170 S6: And really, in some ways, we've got to start. We've 342 00:21:11,170 --> 00:21:14,370 S6: got to stop. And we have so many things that 343 00:21:14,369 --> 00:21:18,609 S6: clog the arteries of our lives that we have non-stop 344 00:21:18,930 --> 00:21:23,730 S6: stimulus going on. And for some of us, the best 345 00:21:23,730 --> 00:21:25,570 S6: thing that we could do is just take a season. 346 00:21:25,570 --> 00:21:28,730 S6: Maybe it's between now and Easter. What is that, 34 347 00:21:28,770 --> 00:21:33,060 S6: days or whatever before Easter? And just look at the 348 00:21:33,060 --> 00:21:37,420 S6: things that are peripherals. Things that aren't really important and 349 00:21:37,420 --> 00:21:41,620 S6: yet things that we occupy our time with. Maybe there's 350 00:21:41,619 --> 00:21:46,580 S6: some significant time that's being poured into those things. Maybe 351 00:21:46,580 --> 00:21:50,619 S6: you should just stop them for a season. Take God 352 00:21:50,619 --> 00:21:52,780 S6: at His Word where it says that if you seek 353 00:21:52,780 --> 00:21:57,700 S6: me with your whole heart, you'll find me. And, and 354 00:21:57,940 --> 00:22:00,740 S6: and move with another person or a small group of 355 00:22:00,740 --> 00:22:06,139 S6: people into a season of of tithing. Time to be 356 00:22:06,140 --> 00:22:09,460 S6: in the presence of Jesus. Jesus isn't about like if 357 00:22:09,460 --> 00:22:13,380 S6: we we perform for him. He gives us what we need. No, 358 00:22:13,380 --> 00:22:16,859 S6: all the provisioning that we need for life and godliness 359 00:22:16,900 --> 00:22:22,220 S6: is offered graciously, free of charge from Jesus. But we 360 00:22:22,220 --> 00:22:26,100 S6: tend to feed ourselves instead of feasting on Christ. We 361 00:22:26,100 --> 00:22:29,100 S6: tend to provide for ourselves and self protect instead of 362 00:22:29,100 --> 00:22:32,380 S6: allowing God to be God for us. So if you're 363 00:22:32,380 --> 00:22:35,820 S6: in the desert, man, turn to the rock. Go. Go 364 00:22:35,820 --> 00:22:40,300 S6: to Exodus. See that? That even with the Israelites wandering 365 00:22:40,300 --> 00:22:43,460 S6: in the desert for 40 years, God provided everything that 366 00:22:43,460 --> 00:22:47,220 S6: they needed. He was. He was water to them. He was. 367 00:22:47,220 --> 00:22:50,100 S6: He allowed manna to fall from heaven. Maybe the way 368 00:22:50,100 --> 00:22:53,340 S6: that you break a sense of desert in your life 369 00:22:53,340 --> 00:22:57,139 S6: is turning to the provider, stopping some things that are 370 00:22:57,140 --> 00:22:59,500 S6: interfering with you, being able to seek him with your 371 00:22:59,500 --> 00:23:03,580 S6: whole heart. Humble your heart before him. Romans ten nine says, 372 00:23:03,580 --> 00:23:07,659 S6: if you confess Jesus as your master and believe that 373 00:23:07,660 --> 00:23:09,780 S6: he was raised from the dead, you'll be saved. That 374 00:23:09,780 --> 00:23:12,540 S6: that's that's a route out. Don't do it by yourself. 375 00:23:12,540 --> 00:23:15,820 S6: Don't stay in isolation. Uh, seek him with a group 376 00:23:15,820 --> 00:23:19,260 S6: of people. And I'm telling you, his word will prove 377 00:23:19,260 --> 00:23:21,100 S6: to be true to you. If you seek him with 378 00:23:21,100 --> 00:23:23,780 S6: your whole heart, you will find him, and he'll bring 379 00:23:23,780 --> 00:23:26,420 S6: you into a place where. Where he pours himself out 380 00:23:26,420 --> 00:23:26,940 S6: on you. 381 00:23:27,460 --> 00:23:32,350 S3: Greg Dempster, our guest expert. Great. Great question, great answer there. 382 00:23:32,350 --> 00:23:36,869 S3: If you have a question on transformation, on renewal, maybe 383 00:23:36,869 --> 00:23:39,830 S3: you feel stuck. Just give us a phone call or 384 00:23:39,830 --> 00:23:48,230 S3: a text. 800 555 (789) 880-0555 7898 taking your questions for 385 00:23:48,230 --> 00:23:50,190 S3: Greg Dempster, Christ's Life Ministries. 386 00:23:50,710 --> 00:23:54,670 S7: Walking closer to Jesus every day you're listening to Carl 387 00:23:54,670 --> 00:23:55,310 S7: and crew. 388 00:23:55,550 --> 00:24:00,310 S1: It is Ask the Experts week and the content here 389 00:24:00,310 --> 00:24:04,790 S1: is amazing. The freedom is at hand. It is. Prayer 390 00:24:04,790 --> 00:24:09,430 S1: is laying hold of God's willingness. George Mueller I'm still 391 00:24:09,510 --> 00:24:11,790 S1: echoing in my mind. And some of you have a 392 00:24:11,790 --> 00:24:15,590 S1: heart cry that says, God, how am I going to 393 00:24:15,590 --> 00:24:17,990 S1: get freed from? How am I going to stop this 394 00:24:17,990 --> 00:24:23,790 S1: cycle of why do I find myself insecure in different spots, 395 00:24:23,830 --> 00:24:26,630 S1: saying stuff I wish I wouldn't have said? I mean, 396 00:24:26,670 --> 00:24:28,600 S1: it gets that Practical. Alli. 397 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:31,480 S3: It does. So we're inviting you to ask your questions 398 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,440 S3: of Greg Dempster, founder and director of Christ Life Ministries. 399 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:42,480 S3: Questions on transformation cycle breaking, renewal. 855 five 7898 855 400 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:47,199 S3: five 7898 Greg, we got a heartfelt text from a 401 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:51,720 S3: youth pastor by vocational unhappy at a secular job. Even 402 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:54,960 S3: though it pays well, church has no full time openings. 403 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:59,320 S3: They also added, um, they do not feel their spouse 404 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:02,720 S3: is an anchor of support. There's also, uh, they said 405 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:06,760 S3: joy is felt only during youth services where I teach 406 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:07,400 S3: the word. 407 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:13,359 S6: First of all, my heart goes out to you who 408 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:18,600 S6: you know, it's just we find ourselves in life regularly 409 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:23,480 S6: in difficult circumstances there. Jonathan Edwards calls these trials, these 410 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:28,480 S6: biblical trials the the. When I'm given the opportunity to 411 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:32,480 S6: choose between God's will for my life and my own. Uh, 412 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:36,600 S6: that's a trial. And again, my heart goes out to you, bro. 413 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,160 S6: That you're in a difficult situation. The thing I would 414 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:42,959 S6: keep in mind is, is that your calling is not 415 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:49,240 S6: dependent on your circumstances that you're calling. Ephesians 210 says 416 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:54,000 S6: that you're already God's workmanship. His best poem created in 417 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,400 S6: Christ Jesus to do good works which were prepared in 418 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:02,120 S6: advance for you to do. And you've got to understand, 419 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:06,400 S6: you just believe with me in this, that that God's 420 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:10,879 S6: desire for you, his calling for you, is something the 421 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:16,359 S6: Bible says is irrevocable. It's irresistible also. And he wants 422 00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:20,120 S6: you to he's fully determined that you'd step into that, 423 00:26:20,119 --> 00:26:23,080 S6: and there's nothing that can get in the way of 424 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:27,129 S6: you stepping forward into that calling. I would just humble 425 00:26:27,130 --> 00:26:30,530 S6: myself before the Lord. You know, there's there's lots of 426 00:26:30,530 --> 00:26:33,889 S6: opportunities to to just get into a rhythm, a cycle 427 00:26:33,890 --> 00:26:37,210 S6: of just regularly seeking God's face, whether that be with 428 00:26:37,210 --> 00:26:39,409 S6: your Apple Watch or your phone, or whether you're a 429 00:26:39,410 --> 00:26:43,010 S6: Garmin user. You can, uh, you could use a program 430 00:26:43,010 --> 00:26:47,170 S6: called keep me awake and have a haptic ring your 431 00:26:47,170 --> 00:26:49,930 S6: wrist regularly, whether it be every 30 minutes or every 432 00:26:49,930 --> 00:26:54,209 S6: 15 minutes, and just do nothing other as that, as 433 00:26:54,250 --> 00:26:57,489 S6: that chime comes through, than to humble yourself before the 434 00:26:57,490 --> 00:27:00,690 S6: Lord and say, my life is yours. Jesus. Yeah. And 435 00:27:00,690 --> 00:27:04,730 S6: I desperately, desperately want to just be about your things 436 00:27:04,730 --> 00:27:08,169 S6: done your way. And and you can woo my wife's 437 00:27:08,170 --> 00:27:12,050 S6: heart back to you. You can open doors with this church. 438 00:27:12,050 --> 00:27:13,969 S6: If that's the place that you want me to fulfill 439 00:27:14,010 --> 00:27:16,889 S6: my my calling in this season. Or you can open 440 00:27:16,890 --> 00:27:20,130 S6: up other doors. Either way, this is about you, Jesus, 441 00:27:20,330 --> 00:27:24,209 S6: and not about the the opportunities that are closing or 442 00:27:24,410 --> 00:27:25,570 S6: opening before me. 443 00:27:26,730 --> 00:27:29,770 S1: Greg Dempster guessed right now ask the experts. We got 444 00:27:29,770 --> 00:27:34,410 S1: time to get your questions in 800 555, 78, 98. 445 00:27:34,770 --> 00:27:37,290 S1: Thanks for holding on. Everyone on the phone lines had 446 00:27:37,290 --> 00:27:40,770 S1: anonymous come in here, Greg. And, uh, this person does 447 00:27:40,770 --> 00:27:42,930 S1: not want to go on air, but they left this. 448 00:27:43,250 --> 00:27:46,050 S1: How do you pull yourself out of the deserts? That 449 00:27:46,050 --> 00:27:50,410 S1: combined with Kirk, first time caller from Twinsburg, Ohio. What's 450 00:27:50,410 --> 00:27:52,570 S1: your question? Similar, right, my friend? 451 00:27:54,330 --> 00:27:59,170 S8: Yes, sir. Yeah, it's pretty identical. Um, actually, I'm going 452 00:27:59,170 --> 00:28:02,850 S8: through a period of where I describe as dryness and 453 00:28:02,850 --> 00:28:08,570 S8: disconnected from the Lord, and periods are filled with doubt. Um, 454 00:28:09,050 --> 00:28:14,369 S8: and just wondering, uh, your advice on, you know, reconnecting. 455 00:28:14,410 --> 00:28:15,490 S8: How do you get back with that? 456 00:28:15,530 --> 00:28:17,409 S1: Great. Kirk, thank you for that question. 457 00:28:17,890 --> 00:28:19,970 S6: First of all, I just want to say I'm sorry, man. 458 00:28:20,410 --> 00:28:24,979 S6: And and when we're when we're. you know, there have 459 00:28:24,980 --> 00:28:26,820 S6: been authors in the past. It's. What is it? Saint 460 00:28:26,820 --> 00:28:29,020 S6: John of the cross. It talks about the dark night 461 00:28:29,060 --> 00:28:32,660 S6: of the soul. And and I just wanted the first 462 00:28:32,660 --> 00:28:36,300 S6: thing that I want to say to you, Kirk, is 463 00:28:36,300 --> 00:28:40,580 S6: Psalm 139. It says that there's nowhere we can flee 464 00:28:40,580 --> 00:28:45,060 S6: from God's presence. If we rise to the heavens, he's there. 465 00:28:45,060 --> 00:28:47,780 S6: If we descend into the depths, he's there. Even if 466 00:28:47,780 --> 00:28:49,820 S6: I rise with the dawn and travel to the far 467 00:28:49,820 --> 00:28:52,540 S6: side of the sea, he's there. And, Kirk, that's that's 468 00:28:52,540 --> 00:28:55,660 S6: the first bit of advice I'd give you is that 469 00:28:55,660 --> 00:29:00,500 S6: he's right here with you right now. And he. He's 470 00:29:00,500 --> 00:29:05,140 S6: holding your life. He's giving you breath. He's he's giving 471 00:29:05,140 --> 00:29:09,860 S6: you everything that you need, uh, to for life. And 472 00:29:09,860 --> 00:29:12,900 S6: he not only is sustaining your life, I mean, that's 473 00:29:12,900 --> 00:29:16,620 S6: Colossians one. John one says that he with a word 474 00:29:16,620 --> 00:29:19,739 S6: spoke everything into existence. Colossians one says, with the sheer 475 00:29:19,780 --> 00:29:22,630 S6: nature of his being, that he's maintaining everything that he's made. 476 00:29:22,630 --> 00:29:25,910 S6: And that includes you and your life. Yeah. And it's 477 00:29:25,910 --> 00:29:30,030 S6: not his desire for you, Kirk, to live disconnected and 478 00:29:30,030 --> 00:29:33,790 S6: and broken and dismayed. It's his will for you to 479 00:29:33,830 --> 00:29:37,790 S6: find him and. And for you to be settled. Uh, 480 00:29:37,790 --> 00:29:42,550 S6: and and at rest and whole before him. And so 481 00:29:42,590 --> 00:29:44,870 S6: the advice that I gave earlier would be the advice 482 00:29:44,870 --> 00:29:47,870 S6: that I give to you, starting with Psalm 139. I 483 00:29:47,870 --> 00:29:49,870 S6: would I would get into a rhythm, you know, in 484 00:29:49,870 --> 00:29:53,510 S6: the early days, for me, I was a carpenter. I 485 00:29:53,510 --> 00:29:57,830 S6: was so screwed up, far more screwed up than most 486 00:29:57,830 --> 00:30:00,710 S6: of your listeners. Carl and I would get up in 487 00:30:00,710 --> 00:30:03,190 S6: the morning, I'd put my boots on, and I would 488 00:30:03,430 --> 00:30:05,870 S6: before I needed to be an hour away in Union 489 00:30:05,870 --> 00:30:08,870 S6: City to frame. I'd. I'd walk around the block and 490 00:30:08,870 --> 00:30:11,870 S6: I would just admit my inability and and I would 491 00:30:11,870 --> 00:30:14,110 S6: talk to a God who promised that he was present. 492 00:30:14,390 --> 00:30:17,910 S6: And slowly but surely, hour after hour, day after day, 493 00:30:17,910 --> 00:30:21,990 S6: I began to feel the weight and that aridness of 494 00:30:21,990 --> 00:30:25,430 S6: my soul leave and I began to experience new life. 495 00:30:27,270 --> 00:30:32,830 S1: Greg, I love that, and I feel like sometimes. Uh, 496 00:30:32,910 --> 00:30:39,430 S1: we really connect with God in the absolute quiet, in 497 00:30:39,430 --> 00:30:42,070 S1: what feels like in the past, a vacuum. We can 498 00:30:42,070 --> 00:30:45,190 S1: hear that still small voice speaking through if we'll give 499 00:30:45,190 --> 00:30:49,550 S1: him room I it's we use this analogy about very 500 00:30:49,550 --> 00:30:52,070 S1: high frequency radio that I commercial fish with. And then 501 00:30:52,070 --> 00:30:55,230 S1: I heard John Piper the other day use it. He 502 00:30:55,270 --> 00:30:58,750 S1: says most of us have an intercom connection with God 503 00:30:58,750 --> 00:31:01,190 S1: where we speak and hope he's listening. He says, you 504 00:31:01,190 --> 00:31:04,670 S1: really need a walkie talkie. And I thought, all right, 505 00:31:04,710 --> 00:31:07,709 S1: that's good. Where you unky the mic and you listen. 506 00:31:07,710 --> 00:31:11,070 S1: And so, Kirk, let's listen to the God who knit 507 00:31:11,110 --> 00:31:14,950 S1: you together in your mother's womb. Good stuff. Taking your calls. 508 00:31:14,990 --> 00:31:18,910 S1: Ask the expert, by the way, great content at Greg's site, 509 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:22,440 S1: and it doesn't cost you anything. Text the word life 510 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:32,120 S1: to 800 555 7898. Life to 800 555 7898. Download 511 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:34,240 S1: what the Spirit of God is leading you to grab. 512 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:36,760 S1: I'd grab journey one if you haven't gone through his journey. 513 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:40,840 S1: Material Boy talk about identifying things that have derailed you 514 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:48,000 S1: from your past. Beautiful stuff. Text life to 805 55 7898. Jerry, 515 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:51,680 S1: first time caller. Uh, Wesley Chapel, Florida. It looks like. 516 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:53,840 S1: What do you say, Jerry? What's your question for Greg? 517 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:59,760 S9: Good morning. Thank you so much for your ministry and for, uh, 518 00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:04,200 S9: being helpful to many people. Uh, it's just a great 519 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:06,680 S9: thing to do that. Well, um, my wife and I 520 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:10,400 S9: in the ministry for close to 50 years, and so 521 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:15,480 S9: we moved from, uh, uh, South Florida to North Florida, 522 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:19,970 S9: Wesley Chapel. And, we're just starting a new journey of life. 523 00:32:20,490 --> 00:32:25,450 S9: I mean, we've been moving, you know, missionaries move around 524 00:32:25,930 --> 00:32:30,010 S9: like the military many times. And so when you move 525 00:32:30,050 --> 00:32:34,570 S9: and I'm 66 now, yesterday was my birthday. And, um, 526 00:32:34,730 --> 00:32:38,810 S9: kind of, uh, thank you so much. I'm trying to 527 00:32:38,850 --> 00:32:42,330 S9: get a new journey of life. A new church, new friends, 528 00:32:42,370 --> 00:32:48,410 S9: new neighborhood. Uh, some of uneasy to do, uh, to restart, 529 00:32:48,450 --> 00:32:54,050 S9: to take off again and to get, uh, that, uh, um, 530 00:32:54,410 --> 00:32:58,170 S9: blessing of the Lord to keep going strong. Uh, you know, 531 00:32:58,330 --> 00:33:02,930 S9: there's not many. I got five more years. Ten more years. But, um, 532 00:33:03,290 --> 00:33:06,850 S9: how do you handle how do you go about getting 533 00:33:06,890 --> 00:33:12,050 S9: a new ministry, getting going back again when you moved? And, uh, 534 00:33:12,050 --> 00:33:14,330 S9: there are some changes in the horizon. 535 00:33:15,530 --> 00:33:18,370 S6: Jerry, that's a great question. We've we've moved a number 536 00:33:18,370 --> 00:33:22,130 S6: of times, uh, from Northern California up to the Pacific Northwest, 537 00:33:22,130 --> 00:33:26,370 S6: down to Arkansas, where Carl and I first began working 538 00:33:26,370 --> 00:33:30,290 S6: together up to Alaska and now to to Michigan. And, 539 00:33:30,290 --> 00:33:33,250 S6: and really, you know, I think that to to be 540 00:33:33,250 --> 00:33:36,330 S6: reestablished somewhere, you've got to continue to you've got to 541 00:33:36,370 --> 00:33:43,250 S6: establish yourself, uh, in, in the most important things first, in, 542 00:33:43,250 --> 00:33:46,170 S6: in this rhythm of seeking God's face, you know, God 543 00:33:46,170 --> 00:33:49,170 S6: never designed us to be, uh, just a quiet time. 544 00:33:49,170 --> 00:33:52,810 S6: Only people. He's designed us to, uh, to be constant 545 00:33:52,810 --> 00:33:57,010 S6: in unending. That's his desire. He's constant and unending with us. 546 00:33:57,010 --> 00:33:59,730 S6: He he abides in us. He he put he put 547 00:33:59,730 --> 00:34:03,570 S6: the first. He he moved towards us first. And he 548 00:34:03,570 --> 00:34:06,970 S6: invites us then to move towards him and abide in him. 549 00:34:06,970 --> 00:34:11,770 S6: So in establishing, getting established in a new area, number one, 550 00:34:11,770 --> 00:34:14,210 S6: the fact that God's called you there is is an 551 00:34:14,210 --> 00:34:18,780 S6: anchor for your soul that God will provide where he calls. 552 00:34:18,820 --> 00:34:22,900 S6: Number two is that getting you and your wife established, 553 00:34:22,900 --> 00:34:29,020 S6: or staying in these rhythms of pursuit and seeking God, interceding, uh, 554 00:34:29,060 --> 00:34:32,259 S6: praying over what he's called you to be about? Maybe 555 00:34:32,660 --> 00:34:35,819 S6: like Carl and me in the early days, maybe there's 556 00:34:35,820 --> 00:34:38,620 S6: just such a sense of desperation that you're going into 557 00:34:38,620 --> 00:34:41,899 S6: your new church building and you're just before anybody else 558 00:34:41,900 --> 00:34:44,980 S6: is there. You're just praying over that space and asking 559 00:34:44,980 --> 00:34:48,660 S6: God to do the miraculous. Uh, John 15 five. The 560 00:34:48,660 --> 00:34:52,339 S6: very things that we can't do for ourselves, he he 561 00:34:52,340 --> 00:34:57,140 S6: can do. And connecting yourself to to the God who 562 00:34:57,180 --> 00:35:00,339 S6: wants to do more than you can bring to the 563 00:35:00,340 --> 00:35:03,380 S6: table on your own would be a great way to start. 564 00:35:03,380 --> 00:35:07,060 S6: And then there's an ease, right? There's a sense of 565 00:35:07,219 --> 00:35:11,340 S6: of peace that comes. Related to all the other pieces, 566 00:35:11,340 --> 00:35:14,140 S6: whether it be the relationships that need to be formed. Jerry, 567 00:35:14,580 --> 00:35:18,739 S6: whether it be the the important relationship development that needs 568 00:35:18,739 --> 00:35:21,100 S6: to happen with any staff that you'd be leading or 569 00:35:21,100 --> 00:35:25,140 S6: your elder board or however your church is, is governed. 570 00:35:25,580 --> 00:35:28,620 S6: Those things come as a second, in the same way 571 00:35:28,620 --> 00:35:31,259 S6: that the Great Commandment calls us to love God with 572 00:35:31,260 --> 00:35:36,260 S6: everything and then overflow in love towards others. Your relationship, 573 00:35:36,260 --> 00:35:42,980 S6: establishing relationship, continuing in relationship with Jesus will overflow and 574 00:35:42,980 --> 00:35:48,860 S6: and provide horsepower, provide vitality to those other crucial relationships 575 00:35:48,860 --> 00:35:50,100 S6: that need to be in place. 576 00:35:51,300 --> 00:35:55,020 S3: We have Greg Dempster, Christ Life Ministries as our special guest. 577 00:35:55,180 --> 00:35:57,900 S3: Have time for maybe 1 or 2 more questions coming up. 578 00:35:58,060 --> 00:36:04,060 S3: 800 555 7898 800 555 7898. 579 00:36:04,420 --> 00:36:07,500 S7: He's a sports fanatic with a stat for anything you 580 00:36:07,500 --> 00:36:11,740 S7: can think of. Young Thunder is in the crew. It's 581 00:36:11,739 --> 00:36:14,069 S7: curling crew on Moody Radio. 582 00:36:14,110 --> 00:36:17,549 S1: Ask the experts. It's been an incredible start to our 583 00:36:17,550 --> 00:36:20,230 S1: week already. We're going to have this in the show cast, 584 00:36:20,230 --> 00:36:23,270 S1: I promise you that. And we're going to have a 585 00:36:23,310 --> 00:36:27,310 S1: lot of content all week long. Greg Dempster If you 586 00:36:27,350 --> 00:36:30,509 S1: want to get access to some phenomenal content, text the 587 00:36:30,510 --> 00:36:36,629 S1: word life to (800) 555-7898. No cost. Text word life to 588 00:36:36,670 --> 00:36:41,710 S1: 800 555 7898. It'll answer the question, why do I 589 00:36:41,710 --> 00:36:44,710 S1: do what I do? How can I break unhealthy patterns? 590 00:36:45,150 --> 00:36:47,110 S1: Why is there a gap between what I believe about 591 00:36:47,110 --> 00:36:49,629 S1: God and what I experience? You know, at the end 592 00:36:49,630 --> 00:36:53,270 S1: of the day, Greg, quick comment on this one. It 593 00:36:53,270 --> 00:36:58,870 S1: seems that we have, uh, perpetuated a model of life 594 00:36:58,870 --> 00:37:02,630 S1: in Christ that is very, uh, to use your analogy, 595 00:37:02,630 --> 00:37:05,470 S1: that I use a lot as well. Iceberg. It's what's 596 00:37:05,469 --> 00:37:08,950 S1: sticking out of the water, and it's really that unseen 597 00:37:08,989 --> 00:37:11,880 S1: stuff that matters most. Give us your best 30s on 598 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:12,800 S1: that one, my man. 599 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:16,799 S6: I mean, we either are living the independent life, the 600 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:20,520 S6: flesh based life and orientation towards the flesh or towards 601 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:24,920 S6: the spirit. And and really, God considers the heart right? 602 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:28,919 S6: He he's less impressed with whether our hairs come straight 603 00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:32,080 S6: or what we're wearing or how we perform. He is 604 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:35,680 S6: more interested in in the heart, in the things that 605 00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:41,879 S6: are eternal are surrendering to him. Uh, inability. Recognition of 606 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:45,600 S6: inability turning into a trust and the experience of his 607 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:49,520 S6: great sufficiency. And so leaving behind all of the the 608 00:37:49,520 --> 00:37:52,360 S6: stuff that really, in the end, doesn't matter. And moving 609 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:56,000 S6: towards things that have eternal value and things that are, 610 00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:59,200 S6: are God showing himself to be who he really is, 611 00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:01,720 S6: is is really where life is to be found. 612 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:03,960 S3: Greg Dempster, our guest right now, got just about a 613 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:07,960 S3: minute left. Give us your best 30s. We are entering 614 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:12,239 S3: up in the spring. Share Supporting radio Christian radio. Why 615 00:38:12,239 --> 00:38:13,000 S3: does it matter? 616 00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:19,760 S6: Well, it matters because your life matters. And. And there's 617 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:23,120 S6: a lot out there that occupies our time. But there's 618 00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:28,880 S6: very little out there that that feeds the the depth 619 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:32,880 S6: of who you are. There's a lot of also light 620 00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:36,560 S6: radio out there as compared to radio. That really gets 621 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:39,319 S6: at the very heart of the matter and challenges us 622 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:43,080 S6: and draws us and moves us towards those decisions that 623 00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:47,080 S6: ultimately affect the whole the rest of our lives. And 624 00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:51,680 S6: so the idea that you could be investing in something 625 00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:55,719 S6: that really is transforming lives is, is something that that 626 00:38:55,719 --> 00:38:58,680 S6: will yield fruit. And that fruit isn't just in a 627 00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:03,800 S6: life change. That fruit is is actually manifest in reward. Uh, 628 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:06,320 S6: your life is is rewarded. 629 00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:09,360 S1: Thank you. Greg. We love you, man. Greg Dempster.