WEBVTT - My God, My Rock 0:00:00.440 --> 0:00:04.360 Coming to you from the Morning Star Mission sponsored studio. 0:00:04.720 --> 0:00:08.080 This is Carl and crew on Moody Radio. 0:00:08.600 --> 0:00:13.080 Carl and crew leading into a big Ole weekend here. 0:00:13.880 --> 0:00:15.360 Not long, but big. 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:17.840 It's a big weekend. 4th of July weekend. 0:00:17.880 --> 0:00:19.560 Cue the patriotic music. 0:00:19.800 --> 0:00:22.479 Yes, absolutely. 0:00:22.520 --> 0:00:23.360 Sparklers. 0:00:23.880 --> 0:00:26.040 One thing that I'm thrilled about with my son in 0:00:26.040 --> 0:00:28.400 law is he is one of the most patriotic guys 0:00:28.400 --> 0:00:29.440 on the planet. 0:00:29.440 --> 0:00:30.040 Really? 0:00:30.280 --> 0:00:33.400 Oh my God. It's. It's funny, isn't it? How sometimes, 0:00:33.640 --> 0:00:36.640 you know, you think of patriotism and you think of 0:00:37.159 --> 0:00:41.160 Vietnam vets, World War Two vets, people that have people 0:00:41.159 --> 0:00:45.040 that have given their lives for freedom. And and boy, 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:48.240 that resonates. But when you find a kid from new 0:00:48.240 --> 0:00:51.000 Jersey that loves to fly a flag, it's funny. He 0:00:51.000 --> 0:00:55.680 was coming to our home here. What was that? Oh, some. Oh, 0:00:55.840 --> 0:01:00.120 it was was it Veterans Day or something recently? Anyway, 0:01:00.120 --> 0:01:02.480 he was rounding the corner, coming to our home with 0:01:02.520 --> 0:01:12.399 my daughter, of course. And our grandchild. Yes. Little Kate. And, uh, 0:01:12.520 --> 0:01:16.319 he was just saying to Muriel, our daughter. I wonder 0:01:16.319 --> 0:01:18.680 if your dad's got his flag out yet. They round 0:01:18.680 --> 0:01:21.280 the corner, and there I am, putting it in the 0:01:21.959 --> 0:01:25.400 slot at that very time, and they just started chuckling. 0:01:25.440 --> 0:01:29.800 They said, there he goes. Oh my goodness. There's it's 0:01:29.800 --> 0:01:32.080 it's going to be super. I've got a couple of 0:01:32.080 --> 0:01:36.840 rescue cats that one of them in particular. Man they 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:42.920 are not. They don't like 4th of July fireworks right. Yeah. Freaks, 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:47.200 freaks this big boy out. He's a Norwegian forest cat, 0:01:47.200 --> 0:01:50.840 and he's a. Oh, I can get choked up thinking 0:01:50.840 --> 0:01:53.080 about this guy when we got him. You know, I 0:01:53.080 --> 0:01:55.600 don't know why I said yes, but, you know, when 0:01:55.600 --> 0:01:59.600 my bride's calling me from from the the rescue center 0:01:59.600 --> 0:02:02.440 and says, we got a guy here, he's wheezing. He's 0:02:02.960 --> 0:02:06.440 he's beautiful, but he's lame. He's got one foot that's broken. 0:02:06.440 --> 0:02:08.880 He can only walk on three. I'm like, all right, 0:02:08.880 --> 0:02:12.359 bring him home. There's gonna be a hospital for cats 0:02:12.400 --> 0:02:15.480 around here. And he brought that big old boy home, 0:02:15.520 --> 0:02:17.440 and we thought he was stuck on one floor for 0:02:17.440 --> 0:02:20.240 the longest time. We're like, oh, no. And then I'm 0:02:20.280 --> 0:02:22.440 in my own heart. I didn't tell my bride this. 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:25.040 I'm like, oh, no, we're going to have to have 0:02:25.320 --> 0:02:28.359 we're going to have to have food on this level 0:02:28.360 --> 0:02:30.920 and food and water on that level. And oh, because 0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:33.680 we got this townhouse situation that goes straight up in 0:02:33.680 --> 0:02:37.000 the air. It's about five feet wide and 49 stories 0:02:37.040 --> 0:02:41.680 tall is what it feels like. So I'm like, oh no, 0:02:42.280 --> 0:02:45.160 and praise God this guy got healed up and now 0:02:45.160 --> 0:02:47.200 he runs around on all four legs. 0:02:48.040 --> 0:02:49.600 But he's not a fan of the fourth. 0:02:49.639 --> 0:02:52.640 No, the 4th of July freaks him out, man. Even. 0:02:52.680 --> 0:02:54.680 And so last night some of these guys are getting 0:02:54.680 --> 0:02:56.359 warmed up. Oh get going early. 0:02:56.720 --> 0:02:57.320 The warmups. 0:02:57.320 --> 0:02:57.720 That all. 0:02:57.810 --> 0:02:59.049 The warm up is the worst. 0:02:59.810 --> 0:03:02.250 It's like, what are we doing, guys? It's not even 0:03:02.250 --> 0:03:04.889 dark outside. It's like, what? Do you hold on to 0:03:04.930 --> 0:03:08.090 these things? Wait till it gets dark. You can't see. 0:03:08.290 --> 0:03:10.609 All you hear is bang. That's all you. 0:03:10.610 --> 0:03:11.410 Get. It's true. 0:03:12.130 --> 0:03:15.530 It's the bang. But man, I'm telling you, that big 0:03:15.530 --> 0:03:18.650 old boy, you could see it on his face. He's like, oh, no. 0:03:18.690 --> 0:03:19.930 It's that time of year again. 0:03:20.810 --> 0:03:21.930 Did we just do this? 0:03:22.130 --> 0:03:26.130 Did we do this at New Year's? What's going on? Oh, 0:03:26.169 --> 0:03:29.730 bless his heart. But yeah, it's it's it's an awesome 0:03:29.730 --> 0:03:32.530 thing to see him get healed up. But the point is, 0:03:32.570 --> 0:03:36.130 we've got this three day weekend coming up, and it 0:03:36.170 --> 0:03:41.010 it really gets me cogitating on this idea that vacations 0:03:41.010 --> 0:03:44.890 can be the least restful thing on the planet. 0:03:45.210 --> 0:03:48.730 Long weekends, days off. 0:03:49.170 --> 0:03:53.410 Isn't it wild how you can come back from a 0:03:53.410 --> 0:03:57.089 vacation desperately needing a vacation? 0:03:57.130 --> 0:03:58.890 Yes. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. 0:03:59.450 --> 0:04:03.650 Why is that, Ali? I want to know. Explain what's 0:04:03.690 --> 0:04:04.610 going on. 0:04:04.730 --> 0:04:07.890 Well, what I've experienced is that you gear up for it. 0:04:07.890 --> 0:04:11.370 And if you're, let's say from my perspective, I'm a 0:04:11.370 --> 0:04:15.210 I'm a mom of two. And so leading up to vacation, 0:04:15.210 --> 0:04:17.810 I got to make sure everybody has the right clothes, 0:04:17.810 --> 0:04:21.130 that we are packed, that we have the itinerary, that 0:04:21.130 --> 0:04:26.089 we've handled all of the organizational aspect of it. So 0:04:26.089 --> 0:04:28.690 then we get to vacation and then I'm trying to 0:04:28.690 --> 0:04:31.050 figure out, okay, we need to do this and we 0:04:31.050 --> 0:04:33.010 need to do this. So then I'm trying to fill 0:04:33.010 --> 0:04:37.730 the days with activity, wrangle teenagers. And then by the 0:04:37.730 --> 0:04:39.810 time I come home from that, I go, well, that 0:04:39.810 --> 0:04:43.130 wasn't very restful. Maybe we saw a couple things. Got 0:04:43.130 --> 0:04:46.810 some nice pictures for the album, but boy am I tired. 0:04:46.850 --> 0:04:48.250 That's just my perspective. 0:04:48.290 --> 0:04:51.090 You proved the point so well. I'm exhausted listening to you. 0:04:51.730 --> 0:04:52.929 I'm exhausted listening. 0:04:53.130 --> 0:04:56.490 Maybe it's fun, but it usually doesn't feel like it 0:04:56.490 --> 0:04:58.410 was particularly restful. 0:04:58.450 --> 0:05:02.210 Yeah, it's just wild how that is. And and I 0:05:02.210 --> 0:05:04.650 think it has to do with you're breaking your routines 0:05:04.690 --> 0:05:07.969 a little bit. Your sleep patterns are broken up differently. 0:05:07.970 --> 0:05:12.050 And sometimes the days go long and you're exhausted. But 0:05:12.050 --> 0:05:14.969 it's fun. And then that day before you come back, 0:05:15.010 --> 0:05:16.730 you're like, uh oh, right. 0:05:17.890 --> 0:05:20.530 I gotta take a day. I gotta take a day 0:05:20.529 --> 0:05:23.089 recovering from my vacation before I feel good enough to 0:05:23.089 --> 0:05:23.969 go back to work. 0:05:24.210 --> 0:05:26.929 I don't know that I've ever heard. Well, I haven't 0:05:26.930 --> 0:05:30.730 heard too many people that come back going, woo! I'm 0:05:30.770 --> 0:05:33.250 refreshed and ready to rumble. 0:05:33.290 --> 0:05:35.210 Yeah, it doesn't happen often. 0:05:35.770 --> 0:05:39.210 It's usually not complaining. It's usually had a good break. Oh, 0:05:39.210 --> 0:05:42.210 but we're we're bushed. We're exhausted. 0:05:42.250 --> 0:05:45.690 True. And I think that sometimes we put a false 0:05:45.690 --> 0:05:49.370 expectation on it. I mean, we we want something out 0:05:49.370 --> 0:05:52.729 of it that, let's be honest, it really can't deliver. 0:05:52.890 --> 0:05:55.490 I mean, many people kind of live for that two 0:05:55.490 --> 0:05:58.810 weeks of the year. However much you get that that's 0:05:58.810 --> 0:06:02.810 going to be the time that my soul is refreshed. 0:06:02.810 --> 0:06:05.570 I look forward to that. If I look forward to that, 0:06:05.570 --> 0:06:07.930 it's got to deliver some sort of payoff. So I 0:06:07.930 --> 0:06:10.930 think from a kind of a taking it a layer deeper, 0:06:11.250 --> 0:06:14.010 we're we're putting something, a weight on it that it 0:06:14.010 --> 0:06:16.890 can't deliver, even in the best circumstances. 0:06:17.170 --> 0:06:21.290 Boy, you are full of profundities today. So it's the 0:06:21.290 --> 0:06:25.250 logistics and all the stuff. And then we put expectations 0:06:25.250 --> 0:06:28.289 on it that a vacation can't deliver. 0:06:28.330 --> 0:06:29.050 It cannot. 0:06:29.170 --> 0:06:31.850 Boy, did you set us up here. Ali. Uh, what's 0:06:31.850 --> 0:06:32.250 on your heart? 0:06:32.450 --> 0:06:33.969 I was going to say, I think just one final 0:06:33.970 --> 0:06:38.050 thing is that we mistake what real rest is. You know, 0:06:38.089 --> 0:06:42.130 we think it's. I'm gonna go and sleep all day. Or. 0:06:42.290 --> 0:06:44.250 Because sometimes I sleep all day, and then I'm more 0:06:44.250 --> 0:06:45.450 tired at the end of the day than I would 0:06:45.450 --> 0:06:47.170 have been if I was running around, you know, like, 0:06:47.170 --> 0:06:52.169 so we mistake what what rest and recovery is supposed 0:06:52.170 --> 0:06:52.690 to be. 0:06:53.540 --> 0:06:57.180 Boom! You guys are nailing it. So I had an 0:06:57.180 --> 0:07:00.300 experiment on our last vacation that my bride and I 0:07:00.300 --> 0:07:04.299 were on. And I just, in my heart of hearts said, Lord, 0:07:04.300 --> 0:07:09.059 I want to come back so refreshed coming up here, 0:07:09.060 --> 0:07:11.700 I'm going to give you the secret sauce. And I 0:07:11.740 --> 0:07:15.140 and I really mean this bedrock ways to come back 0:07:15.140 --> 0:07:17.700 from your little mini break. And some of you are 0:07:17.700 --> 0:07:19.660 in the middle of it right now, and you're driving 0:07:19.660 --> 0:07:24.020 somewhere and you're listening to us going, yeah, we're bushed already. 0:07:24.900 --> 0:07:29.380 Some of you want to come back next week refreshed. 0:07:29.660 --> 0:07:32.260 And by the way, this doesn't change when you're retired. 0:07:32.260 --> 0:07:34.940 I don't care how old you are. Sometimes you come 0:07:34.940 --> 0:07:37.700 back just because of events. It might be a staycation, 0:07:37.700 --> 0:07:40.540 but you got so much going on. You're chopping up 0:07:40.540 --> 0:07:44.780 the taters for the potato salad and you got potato salad. 0:07:44.780 --> 0:07:47.460 It's the best. This might be the best feature of 0:07:47.460 --> 0:07:49.700 4th of July is potato salad. 0:07:50.260 --> 0:07:52.020 That's hilarious coming from you. 0:07:52.100 --> 0:07:55.260 No agreement there. No agreement. Agreement. Oh! Come on. 0:07:55.580 --> 0:07:56.300 Celery and. 0:07:56.300 --> 0:07:57.820 Onions. Take us off. 0:07:57.940 --> 0:08:01.300 Okay, so coming up here, we're going to talk about 0:08:01.300 --> 0:08:05.020 how to come back refreshed. And I have got the 0:08:05.060 --> 0:08:09.660 secret sauce for you. I do it's bedrock truth on 0:08:09.660 --> 0:08:10.700 how to do this. 0:08:11.660 --> 0:08:15.660 Walking closer to Jesus every day. You're listening to Carl 0:08:15.660 --> 0:08:16.260 and crew. 0:08:16.700 --> 0:08:19.620 Oh, I want for you to get a taste of it. 0:08:19.660 --> 0:08:21.940 A little mini taste this weekend. Some of you are 0:08:21.940 --> 0:08:23.540 in the throes of a little bit of a break 0:08:23.540 --> 0:08:26.460 right now. You might be listening to us, and you 0:08:26.460 --> 0:08:28.860 feel in your heart what I was just sharing. And 0:08:28.860 --> 0:08:31.700 that is we can sometimes go away on a vacation 0:08:31.900 --> 0:08:35.020 and find ourselves getting out of rhythms, getting into logistics. 0:08:35.020 --> 0:08:40.220 We have expectations on vacations that vacations can't provide. That's 0:08:40.460 --> 0:08:43.140 that's really powerful. Ally, when you said that we have 0:08:43.140 --> 0:08:49.059 an expectation on vacations that they inherently can't deliver. Yes. 0:08:49.100 --> 0:08:52.939 And that could sound like we're here to discourage you today. 0:08:52.980 --> 0:08:53.980 But not. 0:08:53.980 --> 0:08:57.579 At all. Not. We're really not. I want to build 0:08:57.580 --> 0:09:02.940 a little. Why, how and what? This is a cool 0:09:02.980 --> 0:09:06.140 little paradigm to think through. Oftentimes we talk about what 0:09:06.140 --> 0:09:09.620 we're doing, and then you talk about, oh, maybe how 0:09:09.620 --> 0:09:11.500 to do it, but you got to get down to 0:09:11.540 --> 0:09:15.620 the why. So let me begin with the why of 0:09:15.820 --> 0:09:18.699 what you want coming out the pipe of your vacation. 0:09:18.700 --> 0:09:22.219 It comes right out of Psalm 139. It's a prayer 0:09:22.260 --> 0:09:26.900 by David who knows that God knows him intimately. And 0:09:26.900 --> 0:09:30.340 these are the final two verses of this incredible psalm. 0:09:30.820 --> 0:09:33.980 Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me 0:09:33.980 --> 0:09:37.660 and know my thoughts, and see if there is any 0:09:37.660 --> 0:09:41.860 grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 0:09:42.140 --> 0:09:44.620 That's the why that I want to give you this morning. 0:09:45.780 --> 0:09:48.780 The the kind of the, the chief end of man 0:09:48.980 --> 0:09:52.140 is to glorify God by enjoying him forever. That's a 0:09:52.179 --> 0:09:56.620 knockoff little twist. Uh, Piper ized of the Westminster Confession 0:09:56.620 --> 0:10:01.460 and its powerful truth. The way we do this is 0:10:01.460 --> 0:10:07.500 we never check out of conversation with God. Fair enough. Guys. 0:10:07.580 --> 0:10:08.140 Right? 0:10:08.179 --> 0:10:08.900 Absolutely. 0:10:08.940 --> 0:10:11.380 We stay locked in with them. And that prayer of 0:10:11.380 --> 0:10:14.700 David is one of my go to prayers. Psalm 139, 0:10:14.700 --> 0:10:19.179 verse 23 and 24. It's powerful. Then I want to 0:10:19.179 --> 0:10:22.939 go to the how, and then I'll go to the what. 0:10:22.980 --> 0:10:27.620 All right, here's the how. Very early in the morning, 0:10:27.620 --> 0:10:31.420 while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, 0:10:31.420 --> 0:10:34.819 and went off to a solitary place where he prayed. 0:10:34.860 --> 0:10:41.980 Mark 135. That's the how that gets to the why. 0:10:42.540 --> 0:10:45.140 So now I'm going to back up. And here is 0:10:45.140 --> 0:10:50.949 the what? Be still and know that I am God. 0:10:51.309 --> 0:10:56.870 That's Psalm 4610. So if you think about this in 0:10:56.870 --> 0:11:02.069 really practical terms, I want to encourage you today. Oftentimes 0:11:02.070 --> 0:11:04.069 we start with the what? Be still and know that 0:11:04.070 --> 0:11:07.750 I'm God. But without the scream and why we really 0:11:07.830 --> 0:11:12.150 we we don't we don't have it. All we've got 0:11:12.150 --> 0:11:15.030 is a really what we've got is a ritual, right? 0:11:15.030 --> 0:11:17.150 We've got a religious action. Be still and know that 0:11:17.150 --> 0:11:20.390 I'm God. Well, what's the why? The why is what 0:11:20.390 --> 0:11:23.550 we're aiming at. And that is see if there'd be 0:11:23.550 --> 0:11:26.829 any way in me that's leading me away. And lead 0:11:26.830 --> 0:11:31.790 me back onto the way everlasting. Now, if you put 0:11:31.790 --> 0:11:34.110 the how in there, right in the middle and we're 0:11:34.110 --> 0:11:35.589 going to, we're going to have a link for you 0:11:35.590 --> 0:11:37.350 here that's going to break this down so you can 0:11:37.350 --> 0:11:40.550 take it to the bank very early in the morning, 0:11:40.550 --> 0:11:43.110 while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the 0:11:43.110 --> 0:11:47.429 house and went off to a solitary place where he prayed. 0:11:47.429 --> 0:11:50.470 That's the how. And the payoff is what we find 0:11:50.510 --> 0:11:55.590 with with David. Here's the point. On our last vacation, 0:11:55.830 --> 0:12:01.390 I went away aiming to come back really refreshed. And 0:12:01.390 --> 0:12:05.510 this was the three part discipline that I exercised. Every 0:12:05.510 --> 0:12:09.070 morning I got up early. I spent time alone with 0:12:09.070 --> 0:12:13.950 the Lord. I talked with him and I asked him, 0:12:14.510 --> 0:12:17.430 set my day on a course that's going to give 0:12:17.429 --> 0:12:22.470 you glory and me joy. Lead me in the way everlasting. 0:12:24.510 --> 0:12:27.990 I'm not saying it's some magic sauce. I'm saying it's 0:12:27.990 --> 0:12:31.709 a spiritual discipline that if you linger there long enough 0:12:31.710 --> 0:12:33.710 and it doesn't take a lot of time, I was 0:12:33.710 --> 0:12:39.470 probably doing 20 to 30 minutes. Just one morning, I 0:12:39.510 --> 0:12:41.670 got on my knees and I said, Lord, this day 0:12:41.670 --> 0:12:45.910 is your day. Even as we're buzzing around doing vacation stuff, 0:12:45.910 --> 0:12:48.510 I want to be mindful of you, and it set 0:12:48.510 --> 0:12:51.830 the course of my day to hear his voice, to 0:12:51.870 --> 0:12:55.230 go his way. It brought refreshment and I came back. 0:12:55.230 --> 0:13:00.190 Here's my testimony. I came back so refreshed from time away. 0:13:00.190 --> 0:13:02.350 I think you guys might remember that I came back. 0:13:02.350 --> 0:13:04.030 I do very much so. 0:13:04.070 --> 0:13:07.790 Oh, yeah, it was. It was awesome. And so the 0:13:07.790 --> 0:13:11.310 proposal this three day weekend or for some of you, 0:13:11.350 --> 0:13:14.910 you've stretched it out 4 or 5 days. Grab that 0:13:14.910 --> 0:13:19.910 early morning time and watch what God can do. The what, 0:13:19.910 --> 0:13:23.150 the how and the why. Keep the keep the why 0:13:23.150 --> 0:13:26.910 in mind. Try me. Know me. Are there any thoughts 0:13:26.910 --> 0:13:30.950 that are wiggy here today in practically speaking, am I 0:13:30.990 --> 0:13:33.750 am I trying to please family on the 4th of July? 0:13:33.750 --> 0:13:37.150 Am I trying to? Am I a people pleaser here? 0:13:37.309 --> 0:13:40.470 Has my priority structure gotten screwed up? Am I trying 0:13:40.470 --> 0:13:42.950 to get something out of vacation that it can't provide? 0:13:42.950 --> 0:13:45.830 That's a great insight, Ali. We look to vacations to 0:13:45.950 --> 0:13:48.110 provide something that only God can provide. 0:13:48.150 --> 0:13:49.110 Yeah, very much so. 0:13:50.270 --> 0:13:54.070 And say, Lord, I'm going to go away. What? To 0:13:54.110 --> 0:13:56.910 a silent place, a quiet place. Be still and know 0:13:56.910 --> 0:14:00.230 that I'm God. The how is. I'm going to talk 0:14:00.230 --> 0:14:03.870 with you early this morning, and I'm going to watch 0:14:03.870 --> 0:14:07.630 you do something powerful in my life. I love this stuff. Ali, 0:14:07.630 --> 0:14:09.510 it's so good to come back refreshed. 0:14:09.550 --> 0:14:11.230 It is. We've got a key word for you. If 0:14:11.230 --> 0:14:13.590 you want these three little points, just text vacation to 0:14:13.630 --> 0:14:21.510 800 555 7898. Text vacation to 800 555 7898. We'll 0:14:21.510 --> 0:14:24.470 also have this up on our Facebook and Instagram page. 0:14:24.470 --> 0:14:26.190 Just search Carl and crew mornings. 0:14:26.630 --> 0:14:30.830 Yeah, what a sweet time when you go away for 0:14:30.830 --> 0:14:34.710 a few days. Get up early in the morning. Spend 0:14:34.710 --> 0:14:38.670 that time alone with the Lord. Why? To get the 0:14:38.670 --> 0:14:42.030 whole day in your life aligned with him. It can 0:14:42.030 --> 0:14:44.350 change everything, I promise you that. Up. 0:14:45.110 --> 0:14:48.030 You're listening to Curl and Crew on Moody Radio. 0:14:48.270 --> 0:14:51.150 Just a reminder, Grace, if you want to pass a 0:14:51.150 --> 0:14:54.870 course in seminary, you call it unmerited favor. But the 0:14:54.870 --> 0:14:57.750 real fleshing out of the word grace is not only 0:14:57.750 --> 0:15:01.310 unmerited favor, it's unlimited power. It's the power of God. 0:15:01.630 --> 0:15:05.390 It's the grace that saves and the grace that trains. 0:15:05.830 --> 0:15:08.230 You want a couple of passages. You want one passage 0:15:08.230 --> 0:15:11.190 that kind of anchors us around here. Never forget the 0:15:11.190 --> 0:15:14.430 day even mentioned this in a message. Now, I mentioned 0:15:14.430 --> 0:15:17.590 this at T7, our power pack. Last Saturday we did 0:15:17.590 --> 0:15:21.790 a discipleship half half day morning. Uh, for we had 0:15:21.790 --> 0:15:24.590 about 42 folks there. It was a dynamite time. Young Thunder, 0:15:24.590 --> 0:15:26.870 you were there, man. It was a it was a 0:15:26.870 --> 0:15:27.510 sweet time. 0:15:27.510 --> 0:15:28.190 It really was. 0:15:28.710 --> 0:15:31.630 But if if there is a passage of Scripture that 0:15:31.630 --> 0:15:34.630 captures the grace of God both for saving and training, 0:15:34.630 --> 0:15:38.430 it's the one that Ali whispered into my ear one 0:15:38.430 --> 0:15:40.870 time we were sitting in the studio and she goes 0:15:40.870 --> 0:15:44.280 on a break. She goes, hey, listen, I found this passage. 0:15:44.320 --> 0:15:46.360 You know you love to talk about the grace of 0:15:46.360 --> 0:15:48.600 God that saves you, and then the grace of God 0:15:48.600 --> 0:15:52.560 actually grows you. Have you looked at Titus 211 and 12? 0:15:52.960 --> 0:15:54.880 And I go over there and I look at it 0:15:54.880 --> 0:15:58.800 and I'm like, how have I not seen this before? 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:04.080 It's awesome. It is. Ali, do you have that thing handy? 0:16:04.120 --> 0:16:07.720 Talk about bedrock truth. Titus 211 and 12. Somebody pull 0:16:07.720 --> 0:16:13.080 it up. Yeah, this. This is the consummate passage on 0:16:13.080 --> 0:16:17.640 the grace of God and his favor and his power 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:19.400 to change everything in us. 0:16:19.440 --> 0:16:19.720 Yeah. 0:16:19.760 --> 0:16:21.200 And and it's beautiful. What do you got? 0:16:21.440 --> 0:16:24.200 For the grace of God has appeared. Bringing salvation for 0:16:24.200 --> 0:16:28.720 all people. Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions 0:16:28.720 --> 0:16:32.440 and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the 0:16:32.440 --> 0:16:33.480 present age. 0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:38.600 Amazing passage. I scared her half to death. I read 0:16:38.600 --> 0:16:42.280 it and I'm like, yes, this is. 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:42.640 It. 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:46.200 It's the study Bible that I was was reading at 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:49.760 the time. It it talked about it as saving grace 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:52.760 and training grace. And I just loved that. 0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:56.280 It's it's so spot on. And I've used that now 0:16:56.280 --> 0:17:00.160 for years as the central passage that illustrates the power 0:17:00.160 --> 0:17:04.280 of God. Any temptation to bootstrap it with regard to training? 0:17:05.200 --> 0:17:08.920 Let it go to the backdrop, man, that is not it. 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:13.359 Grace is not against effort, but it is against earning. 0:17:13.359 --> 0:17:17.119 So you want a passage? Titus 211 and 12. You 0:17:17.119 --> 0:17:20.760 want to commit something to memory. It's beautiful. Give us 0:17:20.760 --> 0:17:25.000 that training excerpt. Just that piece there. Ali, listen to what? 0:17:25.040 --> 0:17:26.560 Listen to what is said right here. 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:30.840 Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to 0:17:30.880 --> 0:17:34.080 live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives. 0:17:34.720 --> 0:17:35.120 Oh. 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:38.000 So training is to get rid of all this junk. 0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:38.440 Yep. 0:17:38.920 --> 0:17:42.840 And how to live upright. Self-controlled, which is a fruit 0:17:42.840 --> 0:17:43.000 of the. 0:17:43.000 --> 0:17:43.400 Spirit. 0:17:44.000 --> 0:17:48.000 In this present age. Sometimes God's Word just makes me 0:17:48.040 --> 0:17:52.760 want to scream and shout. It's just so liberating. Speaking 0:17:52.760 --> 0:17:56.320 of liberating, if you're on a vacation this weekend heading somewhere, 0:17:56.320 --> 0:17:58.640 maybe you're just going to do a staycation, but you 0:17:58.640 --> 0:18:01.879 want to come back refreshed. We have got a resource 0:18:01.880 --> 0:18:05.600 for you. We just super die and Ali teamed up 0:18:05.600 --> 0:18:08.520 and they took just a little sharing from the word 0:18:08.800 --> 0:18:12.040 on the what, the how and the why of having 0:18:12.040 --> 0:18:15.680 a bedrock vacation. Three bedrock truths for you. And we've 0:18:15.680 --> 0:18:17.480 got it in one text and we don't even send 0:18:17.480 --> 0:18:18.439 you to a link, do we? 0:18:18.480 --> 0:18:18.720 Ali. 0:18:18.720 --> 0:18:21.399 Right. This is just one little text. Just text. Vacation 0:18:21.400 --> 0:18:28.520 to 855 five 7898. Vacation to (800) 555-7898. 0:18:28.720 --> 0:18:31.760 Yeah, this is the way to vacation right here. I 0:18:31.760 --> 0:18:36.000 think it's self-explanatory. Look at those three little passages of Scripture, 0:18:36.000 --> 0:18:38.320 and it will set the course for your day in 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:41.000 a beautiful way. I promise you that. I don't care 0:18:41.000 --> 0:18:45.000 where you are in this world. Just grab this little resource. 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:49.919 I truly believe it'll help you. Text vacation to 800 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:58.200 555 7898. This little three bedrock truth brought me back 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:02.320 from my last vacation so refreshed. I'm never going to 0:19:02.359 --> 0:19:05.320 take a weekend like this weekend. I'm never going to 0:19:05.320 --> 0:19:07.760 go on vacation the same again. And I want that 0:19:07.760 --> 0:19:12.959 for you. Just text vacation to 855 five 7898. What 0:19:12.960 --> 0:19:15.600 I love about super I invented this here just a 0:19:15.880 --> 0:19:18.320 week or so ago. She's like, yeah, let's just build 0:19:18.320 --> 0:19:23.479 a little mini, little mini post that nobody has to 0:19:23.520 --> 0:19:25.560 link to. Anything else. They got it right there. 0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:26.080 Yes. 0:19:26.320 --> 0:19:27.000 Good work. 0:19:27.000 --> 0:19:28.080 Super day. Well. 0:19:28.640 --> 0:19:30.399 The Holy Spirit and it's thing is, that's what we 0:19:30.400 --> 0:19:32.000 want to do. We want to help people take their 0:19:32.000 --> 0:19:35.600 next step. And let's make it as easy and and 0:19:35.600 --> 0:19:38.800 just again we want to just share our resources. And 0:19:38.800 --> 0:19:41.530 so I'm just yeah, I'm very excited to do that. 0:19:41.850 --> 0:19:43.730 And thank you, by the way, for sharing it. 0:19:44.330 --> 0:19:50.210 Yeah it's great. Okay. Speaking of bedrock. Boy, you look 0:19:50.210 --> 0:19:54.010 across the scripture, you find rocks and boulders and ceremonies everywhere, 0:19:54.050 --> 0:19:54.730 don't you, Ellie? 0:19:54.770 --> 0:19:58.770 And stones. Stones, says Doctor Jim Coakley. 0:19:59.810 --> 0:20:02.969 Get to know the team behind the scenes. Follow Carl 0:20:02.970 --> 0:20:05.170 and crew on Facebook and Instagram. 0:20:06.050 --> 0:20:10.609 When I say the word, do you remember? You probably 0:20:10.609 --> 0:20:13.850 come up with an Earth, wind and fire song. 0:20:13.890 --> 0:20:15.729 I didn't know if that's what you were going with it, 0:20:15.730 --> 0:20:16.970 but I was like, honestly. 0:20:17.010 --> 0:20:17.449 Do you. 0:20:17.450 --> 0:20:20.010 Remember? See. 0:20:20.290 --> 0:20:23.570 It's amazing how music can bring things to mind. Yeah, 0:20:23.609 --> 0:20:26.650 but when I think about, do you remember if I 0:20:26.650 --> 0:20:28.770 isolate it to the word of God, there's two things 0:20:28.770 --> 0:20:29.490 that I go to. 0:20:29.530 --> 0:20:29.889 Okay. 0:20:29.930 --> 0:20:33.250 Right out of the chute. First Corinthians 11. Do this 0:20:33.290 --> 0:20:36.409 in remembrance of me. The Apostle Paul is citing the 0:20:36.410 --> 0:20:39.690 Lord's Supper. I got chills right now. Oh my goodness. 0:20:40.050 --> 0:20:44.050 And then I go back to the Joshua narrative. And 0:20:44.050 --> 0:20:48.410 they go through the Jordan. And the Jordan drives up 0:20:49.410 --> 0:20:53.410 and they grab 12 stones. That would be a monument 0:20:53.410 --> 0:20:56.250 of memorial to tell your kids and your grandkids and 0:20:56.250 --> 0:21:00.889 those kids all of the goodness of God. Remembering is huge, 0:21:00.890 --> 0:21:02.450 isn't it? Doctor Jim Coakley. 0:21:02.450 --> 0:21:05.010 Yes, it sure is. And we have a tendency why 0:21:05.010 --> 0:21:07.169 we have to remember because we have a tendency to forget. 0:21:07.290 --> 0:21:10.010 And so we need these kind of memorials. We need 0:21:10.010 --> 0:21:13.050 these kind of reminders. We need these object lessons. And 0:21:13.050 --> 0:21:15.810 that's why we do. The Lord's table is because the 0:21:15.810 --> 0:21:19.010 bread and the cup, they symbolize very meaningful things. And 0:21:19.010 --> 0:21:21.969 they cause us to look back, to look inward, to 0:21:22.010 --> 0:21:25.090 look upward, to look around us. And again, it's a 0:21:25.090 --> 0:21:28.490 great teaching aid. I'm a teacher and I love the visuals. 0:21:28.490 --> 0:21:29.130 It's powerful. 0:21:29.490 --> 0:21:31.449 Now we got a problem. I've been to the Jordan 0:21:31.450 --> 0:21:35.570 multiple times. Yes, I have not seen the stack of stones. No. 0:21:35.890 --> 0:21:37.930 So what do you think? How long did they last? 0:21:38.250 --> 0:21:40.890 Well, I kind of wonder if they lasted at least 0:21:40.890 --> 0:21:43.250 until the New Testament time. And the reason why I 0:21:43.250 --> 0:21:45.930 say that is I think there's actually two stacks of stones. 0:21:45.930 --> 0:21:47.970 There's one in the middle of the river that are there, 0:21:47.970 --> 0:21:49.889 but then there's one that they put a little bit 0:21:49.930 --> 0:21:52.450 inland at Gilgal. Yes. And so they have one that 0:21:52.450 --> 0:21:54.170 they can kind of go to on dry land, and 0:21:54.170 --> 0:21:56.490 one that's in the middle of the river. Now, when 0:21:56.490 --> 0:21:59.090 I read about what happened with John the Baptist, this 0:21:59.090 --> 0:22:03.610 is what's fascinating, because in Matthew chapter three, here's what happens. 0:22:03.890 --> 0:22:06.650 So he's doing the baptism in the Jordan River, which 0:22:06.650 --> 0:22:09.890 is where these stones were originally applied. But I think 0:22:09.930 --> 0:22:12.689 you'll love this. Listen to what he says as he 0:22:12.850 --> 0:22:16.570 says this about the thing he says, therefore bring forth 0:22:16.570 --> 0:22:19.929 fruit in keeping with repentance. Do not suppose that you 0:22:19.930 --> 0:22:22.970 should say to yourselves, we have Abraham for our father. 0:22:22.970 --> 0:22:24.930 For I say to you, God is able from these 0:22:24.930 --> 0:22:29.610 stones to raise up children to Abraham these stones. Now 0:22:29.609 --> 0:22:33.010 where is John the Baptist? Yeah, he's in the Jordan River. 0:22:33.050 --> 0:22:34.770 These stones he's talking about. 0:22:34.810 --> 0:22:36.170 I've never seen that before. 0:22:36.410 --> 0:22:38.650 Listen to what? Again. You talk about this, and the 0:22:38.650 --> 0:22:41.570 axe is ready to fall. But he goes on to say. 0:22:41.609 --> 0:22:44.050 As for me, of course I baptize you with water 0:22:44.050 --> 0:22:46.410 for repentance. But he was coming after me is mightier 0:22:46.410 --> 0:22:49.770 than I. And I am not fit to remove his sandals. Uh, 0:22:49.770 --> 0:22:52.490 and so the idea here is that, uh, he's going 0:22:52.530 --> 0:22:55.570 to baptize you with fire. Uh, Holy Spirit and the fire. 0:22:55.570 --> 0:22:57.250 But it's really so that you get the fear of 0:22:57.250 --> 0:22:59.890 the Lord in. And so again, that's why we need 0:22:59.890 --> 0:23:02.450 to be reminded. And so these stones, I think, were 0:23:02.450 --> 0:23:05.130 present even up until the time of John the Baptist. 0:23:05.450 --> 0:23:08.169 Now, I love this idea that children are mentioned here. 0:23:08.210 --> 0:23:08.730 Yes. 0:23:08.770 --> 0:23:12.609 That the thought is for the future generations that you 0:23:12.609 --> 0:23:16.770 can reference these stones to your kids. Talk a little 0:23:16.810 --> 0:23:19.850 bit about that. The significance of going from one generation 0:23:19.850 --> 0:23:20.770 to the next. 0:23:21.010 --> 0:23:24.250 You know, in a sense, remember they were not always literate. 0:23:24.250 --> 0:23:26.770 So they didn't have hand copies of the Word of 0:23:26.770 --> 0:23:29.450 God with them. And so they had to have these 0:23:29.490 --> 0:23:32.250 object lessons. And of course, Deuteronomy talks about, you know, 0:23:32.290 --> 0:23:34.050 when you lie down, when you get up, when you're 0:23:34.050 --> 0:23:37.700 on the way, Underway. And certainly then these memorial stones 0:23:37.700 --> 0:23:40.780 would be a great field trip. Storytelling parent to take 0:23:40.780 --> 0:23:43.139 their children to. Let me tell you what happened. Years 0:23:43.140 --> 0:23:46.340 ago and why we are to fear the Lord. And 0:23:46.340 --> 0:23:49.340 so again, it's a great teaching aid. It's a way 0:23:49.340 --> 0:23:51.980 for them to kind of I'm a visual learner. I mean, 0:23:52.020 --> 0:23:54.940 these kind of things are really fit to that kind 0:23:54.940 --> 0:23:58.300 of learning style. And so it is a wonderful teaching 0:23:58.340 --> 0:24:01.420 tool to use it as a prompter to talk about 0:24:01.420 --> 0:24:02.380 spiritual truth. 0:24:02.420 --> 0:24:06.780 All right. Let's get practical. So someone's going through life 0:24:07.020 --> 0:24:12.820 and there are some things that God wants them to remember. 0:24:12.820 --> 0:24:15.780 How do the stones in that application that we find 0:24:15.780 --> 0:24:19.780 in Joshua four and beyond, how does that relate to today? 0:24:19.780 --> 0:24:20.940 So what? 0:24:20.980 --> 0:24:25.020 Yeah. Well, you're taking something from the past to inform 0:24:25.020 --> 0:24:27.580 the present. And so this is where we always have 0:24:27.580 --> 0:24:29.260 to kind of be looking for. How is it that 0:24:29.260 --> 0:24:32.180 I can keep these things in the front of my mind? 0:24:32.500 --> 0:24:35.460 And so coming up with some type of memorial kind 0:24:35.460 --> 0:24:39.419 of stones or places. Typically they're associated with the place. 0:24:39.420 --> 0:24:42.700 I can envision right now. In my mind, when our 0:24:42.700 --> 0:24:45.179 kids were growing up, we went to Acadia National Park 0:24:45.220 --> 0:24:48.300 on top of Mount Cadillac. There's this huge round boulder. 0:24:48.340 --> 0:24:50.300 I mean, if anybody of our listeners have been there, 0:24:50.300 --> 0:24:52.740 you've probably been to that rock. We have pictures of 0:24:52.740 --> 0:24:55.060 our kids on that rock. And then when we took 0:24:55.060 --> 0:24:57.780 our grandchildren there a couple years ago, we put our 0:24:57.780 --> 0:24:59.900 grandchildren on that rock. And we say, this is where 0:24:59.900 --> 0:25:04.060 your mom sat years ago and how we enjoy family time. 0:25:04.100 --> 0:25:06.980 And it was a kind of a memento, but also 0:25:06.980 --> 0:25:09.580 a way to kind of let the past inform the 0:25:09.580 --> 0:25:13.379 present and how we firm family values and being together 0:25:13.380 --> 0:25:15.900 and loving one another. And it's all based on a rock. 0:25:15.940 --> 0:25:18.500 You know, we had at least two excursions with our 0:25:18.500 --> 0:25:18.900 kids when. 0:25:18.900 --> 0:25:19.540 They were growing. 0:25:19.540 --> 0:25:21.020 Up where we made memorial. 0:25:21.020 --> 0:25:21.540 Stones. 0:25:22.020 --> 0:25:24.619 One was a joyful experience. One was tragic. 0:25:24.619 --> 0:25:25.980 And they. 0:25:26.140 --> 0:25:26.540 To this. 0:25:26.540 --> 0:25:29.180 Day, remember those. 0:25:29.180 --> 0:25:31.179 Experiences. There's something about. 0:25:31.180 --> 0:25:32.420 Ceremony, isn't there, guys? 0:25:32.460 --> 0:25:35.060 Yes there is. And that's the thing with these rocks 0:25:35.060 --> 0:25:38.060 in Joshua is a good memorial about God bringing them 0:25:38.060 --> 0:25:40.340 across where the Ark of the covenant was, where the 0:25:40.340 --> 0:25:42.139 Lord is going to be with them. But also in 0:25:42.140 --> 0:25:45.060 the book of Joshua you have rocks to remind them 0:25:45.060 --> 0:25:48.859 of disobedience. Achan is stoned and they have a pile 0:25:48.859 --> 0:25:52.179 of rocks. Where to remember that? But then you also 0:25:52.180 --> 0:25:54.660 end kind of as a bookend to the book of Joshua. 0:25:54.700 --> 0:25:56.780 You have these memorial stones, but at the end you 0:25:56.780 --> 0:26:00.300 have this covenant renewal ceremony at Shechem, and there's a 0:26:00.300 --> 0:26:03.060 rock there. And I've actually been only one time to 0:26:03.100 --> 0:26:06.020 Shechem in all my tours to Israel. But this standing stone, 0:26:06.020 --> 0:26:08.100 this rock is still there. It's kind of been cut 0:26:08.100 --> 0:26:10.740 off a little bit, but it's almost as if you 0:26:10.740 --> 0:26:13.260 can go visit that same rock where the Word of 0:26:13.260 --> 0:26:16.180 God was recited, and it's a witness against the people 0:26:16.180 --> 0:26:18.460 to keep faithful to the words of the Lord. And 0:26:18.460 --> 0:26:21.460 so those are pilgrimage sites, so to speak, to again 0:26:21.460 --> 0:26:23.859 cause you to remember Joshua four. 0:26:23.900 --> 0:26:25.699 I'm going to read it to you now that you 0:26:25.700 --> 0:26:28.580 have this context. Take a listen. Starting at verse four. 0:26:28.619 --> 0:26:31.300 Then Joshua called the 12 men from the people of Israel, 0:26:31.340 --> 0:26:34.020 whom he had appointed a man from each tribe. And 0:26:34.020 --> 0:26:36.179 Joshua said to them, pass on before the ark of 0:26:36.180 --> 0:26:38.619 the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, 0:26:38.619 --> 0:26:41.260 and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, 0:26:41.340 --> 0:26:44.220 according to the number of tribes of the people of Israel, 0:26:44.220 --> 0:26:46.620 that this may be a sign among you. When your 0:26:46.619 --> 0:26:49.300 children ask in time to come, what do these stones 0:26:49.300 --> 0:26:51.780 mean to you? Then you shall tell them that the 0:26:51.780 --> 0:26:53.940 waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark 0:26:53.940 --> 0:26:56.300 of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over 0:26:56.300 --> 0:26:58.459 the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. 0:26:58.780 --> 0:27:01.180 So these stones shall be to the people of Israel 0:27:01.220 --> 0:27:02.419 a memorial forever. 0:27:03.020 --> 0:27:06.020 When you experience. 0:27:06.260 --> 0:27:07.540 Any movement of God in your. 0:27:07.540 --> 0:27:07.980 Life. 0:27:08.300 --> 0:27:09.820 And especially those ones that. 0:27:09.820 --> 0:27:10.139 Stand. 0:27:10.140 --> 0:27:11.500 Out as particularly. 0:27:11.500 --> 0:27:12.340 Significant. 0:27:12.380 --> 0:27:13.180 Remember. 0:27:13.180 --> 0:27:15.060 Them, mark them. 0:27:15.460 --> 0:27:18.939 Go back to them. Take loved ones with you. 0:27:19.300 --> 0:27:21.020 That's our bottom line, isn't it, guys? 0:27:21.060 --> 0:27:21.820 It sure is. 0:27:23.180 --> 0:27:23.460 You know. 0:27:23.859 --> 0:27:27.500 I want to tell you something. My bride loves Jim Coakley. 0:27:27.660 --> 0:27:29.820 He's one of our elders at our church. He loves. 0:27:29.820 --> 0:27:32.020 She loves his handle on the Word of God. She 0:27:32.020 --> 0:27:36.179 loves that teaching gift. But she will tell you that 0:27:36.180 --> 0:27:40.500 14 Fresh Ways to Enjoy the Bible, written by Jim Coakley, 0:27:40.740 --> 0:27:46.859 is the book that has helped her more to understand, catalyze, 0:27:46.859 --> 0:27:50.260 and energize her Bible study than any other book. That's 0:27:50.260 --> 0:27:50.980 a weighty statement. 0:27:51.020 --> 0:27:51.780 Yes it is. 0:27:52.619 --> 0:27:54.459 And we don't often do this here. We love to 0:27:54.460 --> 0:27:56.500 give away free stuff. But today I'm giving you a 0:27:56.500 --> 0:28:00.899 link to something that could possibly change. As my bride 0:28:00.900 --> 0:28:03.780 has experienced the way you read the Word of God. 0:28:03.980 --> 0:28:08.740 14 Fresh Ways to Enjoy the Bible by Doctor Jim Coakley. 0:28:08.780 --> 0:28:12.220 If you want the link, just text fresh to 855 0:28:12.260 --> 0:28:17.740 five 7898. Text fresh to 800 555 7898. 0:28:18.500 --> 0:28:22.340 He was running from God, but God's love brought him home. 0:28:22.540 --> 0:28:26.460 Carl is in the crew. It's Carl and crew on 0:28:26.460 --> 0:28:27.340 Moody Radio. 0:28:27.380 --> 0:28:29.740 I'm just wired this way. I need to apologize before 0:28:29.830 --> 0:28:30.510 I even confess. 0:28:30.550 --> 0:28:32.030 It to you. What's. What's happening? 0:28:32.070 --> 0:28:35.030 I'm just wired this way. I'm just wired this way. 0:28:35.670 --> 0:28:39.030 When when I. When I get a new toy, I 0:28:39.070 --> 0:28:40.910 got to tell everyone about it. And I got to 0:28:40.950 --> 0:28:42.510 use it as much as possible. 0:28:42.870 --> 0:28:43.430 Okay. 0:28:43.510 --> 0:28:44.469 What does this mean? 0:28:45.310 --> 0:28:46.550 Allie's freaking out. 0:28:46.750 --> 0:28:47.350 I know. 0:28:47.710 --> 0:28:50.910 I don't know. I'm super, super diagnose. 0:28:50.950 --> 0:28:53.910 Well, I've been ever since super died. Did this little 0:28:53.910 --> 0:28:57.270 mini blog on this keyword bucket don't. You don't have 0:28:57.270 --> 0:29:00.510 to send that right now. And then this morning we 0:29:00.550 --> 0:29:02.670 went a little mini. When I say mini blog, I 0:29:02.670 --> 0:29:05.230 mean so short we just text it back to you. 0:29:05.230 --> 0:29:07.230 You have no link or anything like that. And we 0:29:07.230 --> 0:29:11.870 did vacation that in that last song I said to 0:29:11.910 --> 0:29:14.950 Super Die, man, I got to do one for Grace. 0:29:15.750 --> 0:29:21.510 I mean, it's God's grace saves us. God's grace trains us. And. 0:29:21.550 --> 0:29:24.350 And then I got a text back from someone. Here 0:29:24.350 --> 0:29:27.350 he goes. Oh, man, that passage is so good. I've 0:29:27.350 --> 0:29:30.070 got a wife and six kids, and we're going to 0:29:30.110 --> 0:29:32.430 memorize Titus 211 through 12. 0:29:32.470 --> 0:29:33.230 Oh, I love that. 0:29:33.710 --> 0:29:35.070 How awesome is that? 0:29:35.110 --> 0:29:35.870 That's great. 0:29:36.070 --> 0:29:38.950 And it's a short but powerful. I think everything of 0:29:38.950 --> 0:29:43.870 grace is best embodied. I mean, you go to Galatians. Yeah, 0:29:43.870 --> 0:29:48.070 you get grace fleshed out and that long letter. But 0:29:48.070 --> 0:29:51.550 if you want to capture it in two verses, it's 0:29:51.550 --> 0:29:55.790 Titus 211 and 12, and the new toy is I 0:29:56.150 --> 0:29:59.390 fired a little, just a little snippet of that that 0:29:59.430 --> 0:30:04.350 really reveals for you that grace is God's unmerited favor 0:30:04.630 --> 0:30:11.230 and it's power without boundaries. It's it's amazing. So we 0:30:11.230 --> 0:30:14.270 put it all right there for you. So what I'm 0:30:14.270 --> 0:30:17.230 saying is, Ali, we got another little mini blog for you. 0:30:17.390 --> 0:30:17.950 We do? 0:30:18.190 --> 0:30:19.590 Okay, I missed that. 0:30:19.670 --> 0:30:20.390 It's a good one. 0:30:20.990 --> 0:30:23.750 It's a good one. What is it? Super dei? And 0:30:23.750 --> 0:30:24.750 what does it say? 0:30:24.870 --> 0:30:29.230 Well, again, it's unpacking that. Titus 211 through 12 and 0:30:29.230 --> 0:30:31.670 really just hitting home that, you know, grace is your 0:30:31.670 --> 0:30:35.310 access to God, who alone, just him alone, can rescue you. 0:30:35.430 --> 0:30:37.830 So you have to lean into the grace of God today. 0:30:37.870 --> 0:30:40.190 And we want to send you this friendly reminder. So 0:30:40.230 --> 0:30:43.550 text the word grace. The word is grace and the 0:30:43.550 --> 0:30:49.190 number is 800 555 7898. Be encouraged. Text the word 0:30:49.190 --> 0:30:53.750 grace 800 555 7898. 0:30:53.790 --> 0:30:58.190 Yeah, grace is your access to God who alone can 0:30:58.190 --> 0:31:02.350 rescue you. And here's the kicker change you. And I 0:31:02.350 --> 0:31:05.110 think most of us get that first half, don't we? Yeah, 0:31:05.150 --> 0:31:07.190 we know, we know that it's the grace of God 0:31:07.190 --> 0:31:09.150 that saved us because we were blowing snot out of 0:31:09.150 --> 0:31:11.870 both nostrils or at the end of ourself. And we're like, 0:31:11.870 --> 0:31:12.790 I can't do this. 0:31:12.830 --> 0:31:14.350 We do not save ourselves. 0:31:15.310 --> 0:31:19.030 But then who trains us? And this is one of 0:31:19.030 --> 0:31:20.950 the things that we have to fight here. Can I 0:31:20.990 --> 0:31:23.990 just confess to you that I'm with you on this one? 0:31:24.550 --> 0:31:29.910 For some reason, in the West we adopted a perspective 0:31:29.910 --> 0:31:33.229 on sanctification, which is growing up in God, which leaned 0:31:33.310 --> 0:31:36.950 heavily on our own strength and wisdom as a person. 0:31:36.990 --> 0:31:39.350 What we can try to do for ourselves. 0:31:39.870 --> 0:31:44.350 Yep. And what have we learned about that? Jesus reminds 0:31:44.350 --> 0:31:50.710 us in John 15 apart from him, we can do nothing. Nothing. 0:31:51.350 --> 0:31:55.150 So you want to get another? They're going out like crazy. 0:31:55.390 --> 0:31:58.030 We are having some fun here with these little. What 0:31:58.030 --> 0:32:00.870 do we want to call these little mini blogs? I mean, what, 0:32:00.870 --> 0:32:01.870 they aren't blogs. 0:32:02.110 --> 0:32:02.870 Yeah, we need to. 0:32:03.110 --> 0:32:04.390 We gotta come up with. 0:32:04.430 --> 0:32:06.630 Yeah, Allie's the namer around here. 0:32:06.630 --> 0:32:07.190 We gotta get. 0:32:07.470 --> 0:32:08.190 To name this. 0:32:08.190 --> 0:32:09.790 Thing. Her journalistic. Yeah, she's. 0:32:09.950 --> 0:32:14.150 Just get it. And. And this would be worth memorizing. 0:32:14.190 --> 0:32:16.950 Titus 211 through 12. But a little quick hit on 0:32:16.950 --> 0:32:21.550 what grace is unmerited favor and unlimited power. Come and 0:32:21.550 --> 0:32:27.240 get it. Grace to 805 At 55, 78, 98. Just 0:32:27.240 --> 0:32:34.160 that keyword grace to 800 555 7898. 0:32:35.600 --> 0:32:39.280 Start your day moving closer to Jesus. You're listening to 0:32:39.320 --> 0:32:40.480 Carl and crew. 0:32:41.280 --> 0:32:45.360 If you've never worried, everything we're about to talk about are, 0:32:46.040 --> 0:32:47.120 you've already got it. 0:32:47.440 --> 0:32:49.680 So won't apply to you. 0:32:49.960 --> 0:32:54.760 But I got a hunch. Just a hunch. Haven't been 0:32:54.760 --> 0:32:57.520 a pastor for a few decades. And a radio host 0:32:57.520 --> 0:33:03.120 here for a short time. Yeah, Ali. Worrying happens, doesn't it? 0:33:03.160 --> 0:33:03.840 It does. 0:33:03.840 --> 0:33:07.120 You. You walk through life and maybe things are going okay, 0:33:07.120 --> 0:33:10.840 and then something pops up that causes you to be fearful, 0:33:11.040 --> 0:33:14.040 to be anxious. And you know that the scriptures tell 0:33:14.040 --> 0:33:17.560 us not to worry. But how do we not worry? 0:33:17.880 --> 0:33:18.320 Yeah. 0:33:19.160 --> 0:33:21.880 I want to tackle three bedrock truths for the worrier. 0:33:21.920 --> 0:33:24.840 Doctor Neely, you've never worried a day in your life, right? 0:33:25.880 --> 0:33:30.080 No, sir. I have absolutely no idea or notion or 0:33:30.120 --> 0:33:38.280 inkling of what's involved in worry. I love you. Oh 0:33:38.320 --> 0:33:39.640 my goodness, man. 0:33:40.200 --> 0:33:43.240 Oh. All right, give us, give us, give us one. 0:33:43.240 --> 0:33:45.840 And then and then Ali's going to properly introduce you. 0:33:45.840 --> 0:33:49.400 But give us the first bedrock truth for the warrior today. 0:33:50.080 --> 0:33:56.960 Understand the difference between, uh, concern and worry. I think 0:33:56.960 --> 0:34:01.680 that's the big one. Um, you know, um, we have 0:34:01.680 --> 0:34:04.880 to be concerned about what's going on in life. You know, 0:34:04.920 --> 0:34:08.799 I retired, I retired recently, and I had a lot 0:34:08.800 --> 0:34:12.640 of low level anxiety about that. And one of the 0:34:12.640 --> 0:34:14.839 things that I had to do was, you know, make 0:34:14.880 --> 0:34:17.319 sure that I had all of my, you know, that 0:34:17.320 --> 0:34:20.759 I was actually ready for retirement in terms of plans 0:34:20.760 --> 0:34:24.600 and things like that. Uh, but that was that was 0:34:24.600 --> 0:34:28.200 some anxiety about it. Uh, and I had to remind 0:34:28.200 --> 0:34:31.680 myself that, uh, I'm not here alone. I'm not doing 0:34:31.680 --> 0:34:34.920 this in my own strength. I need to be concerned 0:34:34.920 --> 0:34:37.719 about stepping into this next season of my life. But 0:34:37.719 --> 0:34:40.040 I don't have to be losing sleep over it. I 0:34:40.040 --> 0:34:43.040 don't have to think before God that I have to 0:34:43.040 --> 0:34:45.680 navigate this in my own strength and power, with my 0:34:45.680 --> 0:34:48.520 own wisdom. That's the worry side of this. So I 0:34:48.520 --> 0:34:52.760 think understanding that that there's a difference between the two 0:34:53.239 --> 0:34:57.200 is really important, that when Scripture says be anxious for nothing, 0:34:57.200 --> 0:34:59.440 this is not a call for us to be apathetic 0:34:59.440 --> 0:35:03.440 or indifferent or to disengage from life. What it is 0:35:03.440 --> 0:35:06.840 saying is that we engage life, all of life and 0:35:06.840 --> 0:35:10.080 faith and trust in wisdom based on the Word of 0:35:10.080 --> 0:35:12.319 God and the power of the Holy Spirit. But we 0:35:12.360 --> 0:35:14.480 don't do it in our own strength, because when we 0:35:14.480 --> 0:35:16.600 attempt to do it in our own strength, with our 0:35:16.600 --> 0:35:19.800 own wisdom, under our own steam, that's when we fall 0:35:19.800 --> 0:35:22.280 into the slimy pit of anxiety and Worry. 0:35:22.560 --> 0:35:25.279 Doctor Winifred Neely, our guest right now, he mentioned he's 0:35:25.280 --> 0:35:28.440 a newly retired vice president and dean here at Moody 0:35:28.480 --> 0:35:32.640 Theological Seminary. He's an author. He has been a pastor 0:35:32.640 --> 0:35:36.400 for many years. Okay, so I can see someone hearing this. Okay, okay. 0:35:36.400 --> 0:35:40.399 I'm not worried about my son or daughter who's away 0:35:40.400 --> 0:35:44.400 from the Lord, but I'm very concerned about it. It's 0:35:44.440 --> 0:35:47.680 almost seems like a, like semantics. How do you take 0:35:47.680 --> 0:35:50.560 that and really grab on to this truth of concern 0:35:50.560 --> 0:35:53.000 versus worry? Dig a little deeper there. 0:35:53.600 --> 0:35:58.600 Well, I think, uh, one, uh, my children fundamentally belong 0:35:58.640 --> 0:36:02.120 to God. They're they're his gifts to me. And I 0:36:02.120 --> 0:36:05.960 do what I can to to love them, to, uh, 0:36:06.400 --> 0:36:11.000 continue to model Christ before them. Uh, but I also 0:36:11.040 --> 0:36:15.520 am not losing sleep over them. And what I mean 0:36:15.520 --> 0:36:18.680 by that, Ali, is that I'm not I'm not trying 0:36:18.680 --> 0:36:20.879 to figure out what I need to do in my 0:36:21.040 --> 0:36:25.480 own strength, with my own wisdom, uh, to, uh, get 0:36:25.480 --> 0:36:28.000 them to walk with God. I continue to love. I 0:36:28.040 --> 0:36:31.600 continue to listen, uh, you know, we do meals together. 0:36:31.600 --> 0:36:34.520 We laugh, we cry, we, you know, and I pray 0:36:34.520 --> 0:36:37.759 for them. And that just that difference has helped me 0:36:37.760 --> 0:36:41.000 and and understand that it takes time sometimes. Sometimes we 0:36:41.000 --> 0:36:44.080 have children who will walk away from the Lord Jesus Christ, 0:36:44.520 --> 0:36:49.480 and it may be years before they return to the Lord. 0:36:49.480 --> 0:36:52.280 Or if we see them return, uh, while we're alive, 0:36:52.320 --> 0:36:55.640 we may be dead and gone. And, uh, then a 0:36:55.640 --> 0:36:59.399 child may repent and come to know Christ or rededicate 0:36:59.400 --> 0:37:02.360 their lives to the Lord Jesus. But I have found 0:37:02.360 --> 0:37:08.920 that anxiety actually gets in the way of healthy relationships 0:37:08.920 --> 0:37:11.200 with our kids, who are no longer walking with God. 0:37:11.239 --> 0:37:12.400 I hope that makes sense. 0:37:12.440 --> 0:37:13.000 Yeah, very. 0:37:13.040 --> 0:37:16.480 Very much so. Understanding the difference between concern and worry. 0:37:16.480 --> 0:37:19.480 That's that first truth. Give us the second bedrock truth 0:37:19.760 --> 0:37:20.810 for the warrior. 0:37:21.489 --> 0:37:27.930 Remember? Remember, we can pray to God about anything that's 0:37:27.930 --> 0:37:31.610 troubling us. I say, remember, because we have a tendency 0:37:31.610 --> 0:37:34.650 to forget. Now think about this. I wrote a book, 0:37:34.690 --> 0:37:38.330 little book on how to overcome worry. I preached this 0:37:38.330 --> 0:37:42.770 text many, many years. We've had altar calls where droves 0:37:42.770 --> 0:37:46.450 of people have come forward and I'm stepping into retirement. 0:37:46.450 --> 0:37:49.890 Do you realize I had to? I'm going to be 0:37:49.890 --> 0:37:53.290 honest with you getting ready for this. Getting ready for 0:37:53.290 --> 0:37:59.090 this interview with y'all reminded me when you can pray 0:37:59.210 --> 0:38:03.049 about everything, son. And so. And I just think of 0:38:03.050 --> 0:38:06.330 the providence of God. Carl. Yeah. You all didn't know 0:38:06.330 --> 0:38:08.930 I was going through all of that. And here I 0:38:08.930 --> 0:38:14.890 am this morning, 70 years old and still having to 0:38:14.930 --> 0:38:17.930 remember after all of these years that I can talk 0:38:17.930 --> 0:38:22.810 to my Heavenly Father about anything that's troubling me. And 0:38:22.810 --> 0:38:25.130 the thing is, it says. And so the big thing is, 0:38:25.130 --> 0:38:27.890 you got to think it through because it says, let 0:38:27.890 --> 0:38:32.649 your requests be made known to God. That presupposes that 0:38:32.650 --> 0:38:38.850 I have something specific and detailed that I'm bringing to God. 0:38:38.890 --> 0:38:42.130 I have thought it through. Lord, this is what I need. 0:38:42.130 --> 0:38:44.770 This is what the problem is. Would you give me 0:38:44.810 --> 0:38:48.969 wisdom or strategy, or plan to navigate this in a 0:38:48.969 --> 0:38:50.290 way that honors you? 0:38:50.930 --> 0:38:54.730 You know, this is so encouraging. Prof. And I'll tell 0:38:54.730 --> 0:38:57.730 you why. Because I think a lot of us kick 0:38:57.730 --> 0:39:01.210 ourselves because it's like, yeah, I. I wrote on that 0:39:01.210 --> 0:39:05.009 or I had memorized a verse about that or I whatever, 0:39:05.489 --> 0:39:08.770 you know, the goodness of God's grace is that the 0:39:08.770 --> 0:39:12.330 Spirit of God does knock on our hearts doors still. Prof. 0:39:12.810 --> 0:39:15.529 And he calls us back to these core truths. Boy 0:39:15.530 --> 0:39:16.530 they're beautiful. 0:39:16.930 --> 0:39:19.770 Well, you know, you know, I think it was someone. 0:39:19.770 --> 0:39:22.609 I forget the author, but someone said, God's people need 0:39:22.610 --> 0:39:25.209 to be reminded as much as they need to be 0:39:25.210 --> 0:39:29.290 informed who you know. Yeah, we need to be reminded. 0:39:29.330 --> 0:39:34.290 We suffer from spiritual amnesia. You know, so we, you know, 0:39:34.330 --> 0:39:37.490 we we need some what I call spiritual provision. I 0:39:37.489 --> 0:39:39.210 would say to your younger listeners may not even know 0:39:39.210 --> 0:39:44.010 what provision is. That's what people my age who have 0:39:44.170 --> 0:39:47.770 have to take stuff to keep the memory going. We 0:39:47.770 --> 0:39:51.569 need that. We need spiritual provision to remember. Yeah. The 0:39:51.570 --> 0:39:53.410 great truths of God's word. Yeah. 0:39:53.770 --> 0:39:57.810 And spiritual provision doesn't have paralysis as a side effect, 0:39:57.810 --> 0:40:02.370 so it's really good. Okay. Oh my goodness. Okay. Third 0:40:02.410 --> 0:40:04.850 bedrock truth for the warrior. What do you say? 0:40:06.010 --> 0:40:10.650 Uh, expect God's peace. And what I mean, what I 0:40:10.650 --> 0:40:13.570 mean by that. So I mean, we we we we've 0:40:13.610 --> 0:40:17.370 thought it through. We've we've devised a strategy, in the 0:40:17.370 --> 0:40:20.930 presence of God. We're not indifferent, we're concerned, we're not worried, 0:40:20.930 --> 0:40:25.050 but we are concerned. And the Lord will give us 0:40:25.050 --> 0:40:29.690 peace in the midst of life. And I think that's 0:40:29.690 --> 0:40:33.810 that's a big one, that the wholeness, the the well-being 0:40:33.850 --> 0:40:39.250 of God that that he grants to us to allow 0:40:39.250 --> 0:40:43.850 us to flourish in any in all contexts. We can 0:40:43.850 --> 0:40:46.370 expect that from him. It doesn't mean that life is 0:40:46.370 --> 0:40:48.049 going to be perfect. It doesn't mean that we're not 0:40:48.050 --> 0:40:50.930 going to have problems. Uh, but it does mean that 0:40:50.930 --> 0:40:53.410 we will have all the grace and peace from God 0:40:53.450 --> 0:40:57.489 to navigate any and all circumstances in life. And again, 0:40:57.530 --> 0:41:00.530 this is not to say that, uh, life is easy. 0:41:00.570 --> 0:41:04.370 Think things happen, you know, you, you know, and again, 0:41:04.410 --> 0:41:07.370 in my case, in my case, of course, Stephanie and 0:41:07.370 --> 0:41:12.649 I are older now and we are navigating this season 0:41:13.010 --> 0:41:17.500 of of life. Right. Yeah. But we have we have 0:41:17.540 --> 0:41:19.180 peace as we go through it. 0:41:19.420 --> 0:41:23.140 Doctor Winifred Neeley, our guest right now, Doctor Neeley. You know, 0:41:23.180 --> 0:41:27.340 this generation coming up behind us is, uh, maybe more 0:41:27.340 --> 0:41:30.460 anxious than any before. And, you know, there's nothing new 0:41:30.500 --> 0:41:33.980 under the sun. There's always been challenges. But it seems 0:41:33.980 --> 0:41:36.980 like for the younger generation, it's coming at them from 0:41:36.980 --> 0:41:41.780 every direction. It's through social media. It's through advertising. Everything 0:41:41.780 --> 0:41:43.859 that comes at them is telling them, you need to 0:41:43.860 --> 0:41:46.460 be worried. You need to be concerned. How do we 0:41:46.500 --> 0:41:50.980 help coach our kids through their anxious seasons of life? 0:41:51.020 --> 0:41:54.540 Speak to those with, particularly kids who are in the 0:41:54.540 --> 0:41:57.060 younger years, maybe even up to young adults. 0:41:57.820 --> 0:42:02.900 How about unplugging, you know, turn all of that stuff off? 0:42:03.620 --> 0:42:07.100 You know, it's interesting. I know Jill Briscoe. I heard 0:42:07.100 --> 0:42:10.739 her say once that when her grandchildren came to her 0:42:10.739 --> 0:42:14.859 home that every grandchild these are young kids had to 0:42:14.860 --> 0:42:18.460 drop the cell phone at the door. No cell phones 0:42:18.460 --> 0:42:21.980 here for these three days that we're going to be together. 0:42:22.300 --> 0:42:26.180 And I and I think, Ali, that we are so 0:42:26.180 --> 0:42:30.299 connected to social media to in all of these other 0:42:30.300 --> 0:42:37.100 platforms that we don't have the the objective distance from 0:42:37.100 --> 0:42:40.260 all of that stuff to hear from God. And this 0:42:40.260 --> 0:42:43.020 is one of the reasons why I'm an advocate, by 0:42:43.020 --> 0:42:47.780 the way, of the old Bible conferences or and what 0:42:47.780 --> 0:42:51.300 happens is when you get to these places, you spend 0:42:51.340 --> 0:42:55.060 concentrated time in the Word of God. You've got yourself 0:42:55.100 --> 0:42:58.820 unplugged just under the sound of the word and prayer 0:42:58.820 --> 0:43:01.620 for 2 or 3 days, and you hear from God 0:43:01.620 --> 0:43:04.739 and you step back into life better. So I that's 0:43:04.739 --> 0:43:07.180 one of the things that I would do, you know, 0:43:07.500 --> 0:43:11.660 just turn some, turn that off for a while, turn 0:43:11.660 --> 0:43:15.340 it off. And it's not rocket science. We're two. We. 0:43:15.460 --> 0:43:19.739 We're constantly getting these messages and all that kind of stuff. 0:43:19.780 --> 0:43:22.420 You know, when I lived in the suburbs of Chicago many, 0:43:22.420 --> 0:43:25.940 many years ago, I got so many negative messages about 0:43:25.940 --> 0:43:29.060 the city of Chicago that I, an African American from 0:43:29.060 --> 0:43:31.180 the south side of the city, was afraid to come 0:43:31.180 --> 0:43:33.259 to the city of Chicago because I was getting all 0:43:33.300 --> 0:43:35.980 of this stuff filtered through the news and the media, 0:43:36.020 --> 0:43:38.700 and everything else is absolutely crazy. 0:43:40.739 --> 0:43:43.620 I just. Can you believe? 0:43:43.739 --> 0:43:46.540 Then you get downtown. You go, well, this isn't near 0:43:46.540 --> 0:43:48.460 as bad as I. It was advertised. 0:43:48.980 --> 0:43:51.700 This is not as bad as it was advertised. And 0:43:51.700 --> 0:43:53.700 safety is of the Lord. Frankly, there is. 0:43:53.700 --> 0:43:54.740 No place on earth. 0:43:54.940 --> 0:43:57.300 That you can claim to be exempt from any kind 0:43:57.300 --> 0:44:00.180 of danger or anything like that. Safety is of the Lord. 0:44:00.460 --> 0:44:04.219 And so, uh, that's I hope that that's one of 0:44:04.219 --> 0:44:06.859 the things that I try to encourage folks, you know, 0:44:06.900 --> 0:44:10.580 just put your cell phone down, put your device down, 0:44:10.620 --> 0:44:15.219 turn your computer off. Um, stop binge watching Netflix and 0:44:15.219 --> 0:44:18.500 all of this stuff here and allow yourself to spend 0:44:18.500 --> 0:44:21.020 some time in the presence of God and hear from him, 0:44:21.020 --> 0:44:22.980 and you'll be better in the process. 0:44:23.020 --> 0:44:27.300 Yeah. You know, you mentioned this conference thing. I gotta 0:44:27.300 --> 0:44:30.300 tell you, Winfred, I have been noodling on the very 0:44:30.300 --> 0:44:32.620 same thing. About two weeks ago, the Lord hit me. 0:44:32.620 --> 0:44:35.380 It's like, you know what? We need to get a 0:44:35.380 --> 0:44:38.580 good old fashioned, 2 to 3 day conference where you 0:44:38.580 --> 0:44:42.540 just soak in the word because we're. There is. You're 0:44:42.540 --> 0:44:44.819 spot on. Well, I got to tell you, boom crew. 0:44:44.860 --> 0:44:47.260 Have we got a link for you? This is one 0:44:47.260 --> 0:44:53.820 of the most practical, powerful. And here's what's great. 95, 85% 0:44:53.820 --> 0:44:56.459 of books you get purchased never get read. You got 0:44:56.500 --> 0:45:01.060 a possibility with this one because it's compelling content and 0:45:01.540 --> 0:45:05.980 and it's short enough and digestible in relevant words. And 0:45:05.980 --> 0:45:09.859 I mean powerful statements all throughout this book. I've read 0:45:09.860 --> 0:45:12.350 it cover to cover. You want to check this out? 0:45:12.350 --> 0:45:13.950 We've got a link for you, don't we, Ali? 0:45:13.989 --> 0:45:14.390 We do. 0:45:14.430 --> 0:45:17.390 It's doctor Neely. Doctor Winifred Neely, the author. He's our 0:45:17.390 --> 0:45:20.550 guest right now. How to overcome worry. Experiencing the peace 0:45:20.550 --> 0:45:27.310 of God in every situation. Text worry to 800 555 7898. 0:45:27.350 --> 0:45:31.670 Text worry to 800 555 7898. 0:45:31.710 --> 0:45:35.629 You're always professor doctor Winifred Neely. To me, you can't 0:45:35.670 --> 0:45:38.270 retire out of that. It's like a marine brother. You're 0:45:38.270 --> 0:45:39.310 in there the whole way. 0:45:39.350 --> 0:45:41.870 Well, well, they won't let me go. I'm. I'm running 0:45:41.870 --> 0:45:43.950 for the for NBA in the fall, man. 0:45:43.989 --> 0:45:48.029 So I'm teaching three classes. Oh, well, you are retired. 0:45:48.030 --> 0:45:50.070 You're still in the saddle, my man. 0:45:50.710 --> 0:45:51.510 Oh, my. 0:45:52.030 --> 0:45:52.549 Yeah, you. 0:45:52.550 --> 0:45:53.350 Are all. 0:45:53.390 --> 0:45:53.670 Right. 0:45:53.710 --> 0:45:54.630 Text, text. 0:45:54.670 --> 0:45:59.270 Worry to 800 555 78, 98. Just that one word. 0:45:59.270 --> 0:46:04.630 Worry to 800 555 78, 98. Prof. Neely, thank you 0:46:04.630 --> 0:46:06.190 for being with us, my friend. 0:46:07.390 --> 0:46:11.150 Your spiritual pit stop to keep you going in the race. 0:46:11.350 --> 0:46:13.510 You're listening to Carl and crew. 0:46:14.430 --> 0:46:17.029 Sometimes you get your cage rattled, and it's one of 0:46:17.030 --> 0:46:20.470 the most beautiful things on the planet. And I don't 0:46:20.469 --> 0:46:22.870 know how this went down, except that we got this 0:46:22.870 --> 0:46:25.990 common friend named George. George cook. 0:46:26.110 --> 0:46:26.550 Okay. 0:46:26.630 --> 0:46:28.710 And George invited me out. He said, hey, Carl, you 0:46:28.750 --> 0:46:30.629 got to come listen to this guy. I'm bringing this 0:46:30.630 --> 0:46:32.109 guy in. You got to come listen to him. I'm 0:46:32.110 --> 0:46:34.790 going to be serving lunch. And so I'm like, ah, 0:46:34.830 --> 0:46:36.750 it's one of those meetings. You're like, all right, George, 0:46:36.750 --> 0:46:41.190 I'll show up. And when I got there, I'm like, God, 0:46:41.190 --> 0:46:43.830 this is why I'm here. So the back story is 0:46:43.870 --> 0:46:46.230 God had just broken me and brought me back to 0:46:46.270 --> 0:46:49.470 the beginning of it all. And that is pastors first 0:46:49.469 --> 0:46:52.870 and foremost. Calling is to make disciples. And then I 0:46:52.870 --> 0:46:57.510 run into this character, David Nelms, and I'm like, who 0:46:57.510 --> 0:47:01.390 is this guy? He talks funny. He's got an accent. Guys, 0:47:01.390 --> 0:47:05.509 I'm not saying he talks funny. He thinks we talk funny, okay? 0:47:05.910 --> 0:47:10.550 But his heart is so sincere. Sear. And it rocked 0:47:10.550 --> 0:47:14.190 my world. You remember that lunch, David, by chance? I 0:47:14.190 --> 0:47:15.310 don't know if you do or not. 0:47:15.670 --> 0:47:19.549 Yeah, Carl, I do. And and I'm sure glad George 0:47:19.550 --> 0:47:21.310 introduced us. It was a great day. 0:47:21.350 --> 0:47:22.590 Yeah, it was a great day. 0:47:22.870 --> 0:47:25.710 All right. We're going to start with something totally different here. 0:47:25.989 --> 0:47:28.509 Ali and I were rocked by something you said in 0:47:28.510 --> 0:47:31.430 this studio. Goodness sakes. A couple of years ago. Ali, 0:47:31.430 --> 0:47:33.310 take it away. You remember the statement? 0:47:33.350 --> 0:47:33.549 Yeah. 0:47:33.590 --> 0:47:37.830 Doctor David Nelms with the Timothy Initiative. You said that 0:47:37.830 --> 0:47:40.990 we are not called to plant churches. We are called 0:47:40.989 --> 0:47:45.350 to make disciples. And it was like all of a sudden, 0:47:45.390 --> 0:47:48.950 something became clear that had maybe gotten a little foggy 0:47:48.989 --> 0:47:52.629 with sometimes the model that is put forth. First of all, 0:47:52.630 --> 0:47:55.750 what's the difference between planting a church and making a disciple? 0:47:55.750 --> 0:47:57.310 Why are they not one and the same? 0:47:57.590 --> 0:48:02.590 Well, let me be clear planting churches is probably my hobby. Okay. Yeah, 0:48:02.630 --> 0:48:05.150 you'll be hard to find anybody more excited about planting 0:48:05.150 --> 0:48:09.549 churches than me, but I used to think I knew 0:48:09.550 --> 0:48:13.190 the Great Commission was to make disciples. I thought the 0:48:13.190 --> 0:48:16.870 best way to make disciples was by planting churches. But 0:48:16.870 --> 0:48:20.350 I came to realize that I had it backwards. Uh, 0:48:20.350 --> 0:48:22.590 more accurate would be the best way to plant churches 0:48:22.590 --> 0:48:27.630 is by making disciples for Jesus. The Great Commission Jesus 0:48:27.630 --> 0:48:30.430 did not say, go therefore and plant churches. He said, 0:48:30.430 --> 0:48:35.270 go therefore and make disciples. And so that should be 0:48:35.270 --> 0:48:38.910 our priority. Now if you make disciples who make disciples, 0:48:39.310 --> 0:48:41.750 you can't stop it from happening. The fruit of that 0:48:41.750 --> 0:48:45.509 will be churches will spring up. And so I'm not 0:48:45.510 --> 0:48:47.910 saying don't plant churches. I'm saying the best way to 0:48:47.910 --> 0:48:51.430 plant churches is by obeying the Great Commission, going and 0:48:51.430 --> 0:48:52.430 making disciples. 0:48:52.469 --> 0:48:55.590 Doctor David Nelms with the Timothy Initiative. It's a global 0:48:55.590 --> 0:48:59.310 movement that makes and multiplies disciples, churches and leaders. They're 0:48:59.310 --> 0:49:03.670 committed to getting a church in every village, everywhere around 0:49:03.670 --> 0:49:04.350 the globe. 0:49:04.590 --> 0:49:06.750 David, I want to go back to something before I 0:49:06.750 --> 0:49:08.470 brought you on air. I don't know if you heard 0:49:08.469 --> 0:49:12.750 what I was sharing, but there is a gravitational, I mean, 0:49:12.790 --> 0:49:17.230 force field that to get out of that orbit is difficult. 0:49:17.230 --> 0:49:19.790 And it's a lot of pastors and a lot of 0:49:19.790 --> 0:49:24.069 people listening right now struggle with. Yeah, we're validated by 0:49:24.070 --> 0:49:26.790 how many people are coming and how much money's given. 0:49:26.950 --> 0:49:31.310 How do you get out of that gravitational pull into 0:49:31.630 --> 0:49:34.110 a genuine heart for disciple making? 0:49:34.150 --> 0:49:36.390 For me, Carl. And let me let me say this 0:49:36.390 --> 0:49:39.470 to your listeners, I about the only thing I'm really 0:49:39.469 --> 0:49:42.509 good at is not being good. Okay. 0:49:42.989 --> 0:49:45.310 So with Paul and me. Yeah. 0:49:45.350 --> 0:49:48.589 Yeah. I don't see myself as as an example by 0:49:48.590 --> 0:49:52.150 any means. But, you know, I would define a disciple 0:49:52.190 --> 0:49:57.069 as someone who lives like Jesus and leads others to 0:49:57.110 --> 0:50:02.189 do the same. And Jesus reached thousands. He preached to 0:50:02.230 --> 0:50:07.200 thousands of people. But I don't think his motivation was numbers. 0:50:07.200 --> 0:50:10.600 I think his motivation was bringing glory to his father. Yeah, 0:50:11.000 --> 0:50:15.760 and the Great Commission, to me, first and foremost, it's 0:50:15.760 --> 0:50:20.680 about honoring God, bringing glory to God. And I think, 0:50:20.840 --> 0:50:23.880 as you said before, there's nothing wrong with counting our attendance. 0:50:23.880 --> 0:50:26.280 I certainly did for the many years I was a pastor. 0:50:26.280 --> 0:50:28.720 There's nothing wrong with that. But I don't think Heaven 0:50:28.719 --> 0:50:31.360 is impressed with the fact that we're running a hundred 0:50:31.360 --> 0:50:34.440 more this year than we were last year. I think 0:50:34.440 --> 0:50:36.840 what matters there is, you know, when we get to heaven, 0:50:36.840 --> 0:50:38.839 the rewards are going to be based on well done, 0:50:38.840 --> 0:50:42.680 good and faithful servant, where we faithful to do what 0:50:42.719 --> 0:50:45.640 God's called us to do. And his great commission is 0:50:45.640 --> 0:50:48.480 to make disciples who make disciples. So that needs to 0:50:48.480 --> 0:50:49.560 be the focus. 0:50:49.600 --> 0:50:52.520 Doctor David Nelms, talk a little bit about or explain 0:50:52.520 --> 0:50:55.239 for our listener what this looks like, the work that 0:50:55.239 --> 0:50:59.040 you're doing with the Timothy Initiative, this disciple making making 0:50:59.040 --> 0:51:00.760 disciples who make disciples. 0:51:01.120 --> 0:51:03.120 Much of the world is made up of what's called 0:51:03.120 --> 0:51:08.719 unreached people, groups and ethnicities that are very few, if any, believers. 0:51:09.040 --> 0:51:14.480 And we're talking about 40% of the world's population. 40% plus. Basically, 0:51:14.480 --> 0:51:17.560 it's your Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, animist parts of the world. 0:51:17.960 --> 0:51:20.759 And we're not a sending agency. We simply we have 0:51:20.760 --> 0:51:24.040 national teams who train pastors that we call the Pauls. 0:51:24.320 --> 0:51:27.320 The Pauls recruit members of their church that we call Timothy's. 0:51:27.680 --> 0:51:30.680 The Pauls train the Timothy's to share their story, share 0:51:30.719 --> 0:51:34.280 God's story out where they live, work, study, shop, play. 0:51:34.280 --> 0:51:38.000 And as those Timothy's lead new believers to Christ, the 0:51:38.000 --> 0:51:41.319 Timothy begins discipling the new believer. Don't bring them back 0:51:41.320 --> 0:51:44.640 to the Paul. The Paul is equipping the Timothy to 0:51:44.640 --> 0:51:47.440 do the work of the ministry, which, if it's anything, 0:51:47.440 --> 0:51:50.839 it's the Great Commission making disciples. And so as the 0:51:50.840 --> 0:51:54.520 Timothy begins discipling his or her Timothy, we call the 0:51:54.520 --> 0:51:58.760 Timothy's Timothy, Titus, just the next generation. Great. Then pretty 0:51:58.760 --> 0:52:00.759 soon that Titus says, hey, I got a husband, or 0:52:00.760 --> 0:52:02.880 I got a wife, or I want my mom to 0:52:02.920 --> 0:52:06.279 hear about this. And they begin bringing in their their oikos, 0:52:06.320 --> 0:52:08.640 their friends and family. And the next thing you know, wham! 0:52:08.680 --> 0:52:13.319 A little churches sprung up. And because, uh, multiplication is 0:52:13.320 --> 0:52:17.040 in the DNA, we're not focused on making disciples, but 0:52:17.040 --> 0:52:19.520 disciple makers. The goal is not to plant a church. 0:52:19.520 --> 0:52:22.040 It's to plant a church that plants a church. And 0:52:22.040 --> 0:52:25.400 so it just continues to move. And we're just seeing 0:52:25.400 --> 0:52:27.960 God do some, I mean, book of Acts type stuff. 0:52:28.000 --> 0:52:29.040 Incredible stuff. 0:52:29.080 --> 0:52:31.200 Yeah. And I don't want people to get derailed by 0:52:31.200 --> 0:52:34.320 these numbers because they're so astronomical. But how many churches 0:52:34.320 --> 0:52:37.319 do you anticipate, by the way? These are churches visited 0:52:37.360 --> 0:52:42.240 twice to verify that there's leadership and that there's a 0:52:42.880 --> 0:52:47.439 a gathering that can that constitutes called out ones that 0:52:47.440 --> 0:52:50.240 meet together to grow up in a relationship with God. 0:52:50.280 --> 0:52:55.360 How many churches do you hope to plant here in 2025? 0:52:55.640 --> 0:52:57.480 As it looks right now, it looks like it's going 0:52:57.520 --> 0:53:01.760 to be somewhere between 40 and 45,000 churches this year. 0:53:01.800 --> 0:53:03.200 Is that staggering, guys? 0:53:03.239 --> 0:53:03.600 It is. 0:53:03.600 --> 0:53:04.000 Staggering. 0:53:04.040 --> 0:53:06.880 And they're verified. This is not just some pipe dream 0:53:06.880 --> 0:53:11.360 or numbers for numbers sake. It's just awesome. Okay. David 0:53:11.360 --> 0:53:14.799 Nelms so let's break it down here. David, what I 0:53:14.800 --> 0:53:18.399 want from you today is three rock solid truths of 0:53:18.400 --> 0:53:22.319 disciple making. And I just got a hunch these things 0:53:22.320 --> 0:53:24.439 are going to jar us a little bit, so let's go. 0:53:24.480 --> 0:53:25.800 What are they for? You, my man. 0:53:26.160 --> 0:53:28.600 Number one, I would say for me personally. Now this 0:53:28.600 --> 0:53:32.399 is for me. I would say the most important thing 0:53:32.400 --> 0:53:35.640 about the Great Commission or about making disciple makers, which 0:53:35.640 --> 0:53:38.719 is the Great Commission, is not what you do, but 0:53:38.719 --> 0:53:42.120 why you do it. I believe God is more concerned 0:53:42.120 --> 0:53:44.359 with why we do what we do than he is 0:53:44.360 --> 0:53:49.400 with what we do. Making disciples who make disciples. That's 0:53:49.400 --> 0:53:53.160 what we do. That's the Great Commission. But why do 0:53:53.160 --> 0:53:57.080 we do it? I think the why behind the what, 0:53:57.719 --> 0:54:01.480 the why behind the Great Commission is the great commandment. 0:54:01.480 --> 0:54:04.529 meant when Jesus was asked, what is the greatest of 0:54:04.530 --> 0:54:08.450 all the commandments? He did not say, go make disciples. 0:54:08.690 --> 0:54:12.650 He did say, Love God with all your heart. Love 0:54:12.650 --> 0:54:16.129 your neighbor as yourself. And what I have found is 0:54:16.130 --> 0:54:19.009 this Carl. I grew up being taught to keep the 0:54:19.010 --> 0:54:21.810 main thing, the main thing. Yep. And and what the 0:54:21.810 --> 0:54:24.170 pastor's always meant by that was the main thing was 0:54:24.170 --> 0:54:26.930 the Great Commission. They were right that we should keep 0:54:26.930 --> 0:54:28.290 the main thing. The main thing. 0:54:28.290 --> 0:54:29.450 But that's the what? 0:54:29.610 --> 0:54:33.330 Yes, that's the what. The main thing is loving God, 0:54:33.330 --> 0:54:37.649 loving people. And watch. If you love God, you're going 0:54:37.690 --> 0:54:40.970 to want to please him, honor him, obey him. I 0:54:41.010 --> 0:54:44.009 have a bunch of grandkids. I don't have any problem 0:54:44.050 --> 0:54:47.210 talking to people about my grandkids because I love my grandkids, 0:54:47.450 --> 0:54:49.850 and I want them to know about my grandkids. If 0:54:49.850 --> 0:54:51.609 I love God, I'm going to want people to know 0:54:51.610 --> 0:54:54.489 about my father. And if I love people, I'm going 0:54:54.530 --> 0:54:57.890 to want them to have to experience God's grace and 0:54:57.890 --> 0:55:01.450 his forgiveness and have joy and peace in their hearts 0:55:01.450 --> 0:55:03.810 and and be able to walk on gold one day 0:55:03.810 --> 0:55:07.490 for all eternity in heaven. So if you love God 0:55:07.489 --> 0:55:11.290 and love people, the Great Commission, it's no longer a 0:55:11.290 --> 0:55:12.650 duty or a command. 0:55:12.730 --> 0:55:14.530 Even sea outflow. Yeah. 0:55:14.570 --> 0:55:18.690 Yeah. So the main thing I think our problem, Carl. 0:55:18.730 --> 0:55:21.570 My problem. It's a love thing. Yes. When I love 0:55:21.610 --> 0:55:24.489 God with all my heart and I love people. The 0:55:24.489 --> 0:55:27.370 Great Commission is like taking candy from a baby bro. 0:55:27.410 --> 0:55:28.810 This is so spot on. 0:55:29.130 --> 0:55:31.570 I mean, come on, we could stop right there. Let's 0:55:31.570 --> 0:55:35.810 get two more, though. What are these rock solid truths 0:55:35.810 --> 0:55:40.130 of disciple-making? Number one, love God and the Great Commission 0:55:40.130 --> 0:55:42.450 will flow out of it. Number two, what do you say? 0:55:43.010 --> 0:55:47.690 Yeah. Really? Really. Be filled with the Holy Spirit in 0:55:47.690 --> 0:55:50.730 Acts one and verse eight, his last statement before he 0:55:50.730 --> 0:55:53.770 went back to heaven, his last words. And I'm going 0:55:53.810 --> 0:55:56.930 to paraphrase it. He said, I'm sending the Holy Spirit 0:55:57.090 --> 0:56:00.009 and he is going to give you the power you 0:56:00.010 --> 0:56:03.050 need to be my witnesses. I know the Holy Spirit 0:56:03.050 --> 0:56:06.529 has many ministries, is given for many reasons, but in 0:56:06.530 --> 0:56:10.450 our Lord's final statement, he directly connected the dots of 0:56:10.450 --> 0:56:14.489 the coming of the Holy Spirit with power to witness. 0:56:14.690 --> 0:56:17.730 And I believe, by the way, a witness is just 0:56:17.730 --> 0:56:20.130 simply someone who tells what they've seen, heard, know to 0:56:20.130 --> 0:56:25.530 be the truth. It's not techniques. It's not strategies. It's 0:56:25.530 --> 0:56:29.529 being filled with the spirit, and the spirit produces the 0:56:29.530 --> 0:56:32.569 fruit of the spirit in your life. And it is 0:56:32.570 --> 0:56:36.529 that love, that joy, that peace, that patience. It's all 0:56:36.570 --> 0:56:39.810 that fruit. That's what God uses to draw like a 0:56:39.810 --> 0:56:44.250 magnet people to Jesus Christ. And so I would say 0:56:44.530 --> 0:56:47.770 make much of the Holy Spirit every day. My first 0:56:47.770 --> 0:56:51.810 prayer in my life, every single day is, father, fill 0:56:51.850 --> 0:56:55.890 me with your Holy Spirit. And so, Carl, this is 0:56:55.890 --> 0:56:58.290 important to me because I grew up, uh, to me, 0:56:58.290 --> 0:57:00.730 the Holy Spirit was more of a doctrine. 0:57:01.250 --> 0:57:02.529 Uh, I'm with you. 0:57:02.969 --> 0:57:06.969 Yeah. And so, you know, see, God the Father, God 0:57:06.969 --> 0:57:10.129 the son, God the Holy Scriptures, as opposed to God 0:57:10.130 --> 0:57:13.770 the Holy Spirit. So when the Holy Spirit is alive 0:57:13.770 --> 0:57:17.050 in your heart and you're listening to him, and your 0:57:17.050 --> 0:57:21.050 desire is to be under his control again, the Great 0:57:21.050 --> 0:57:23.330 Commission just flows out of that. 0:57:23.370 --> 0:57:25.570 Doctor David Nelms, our guest right now, founder of the 0:57:25.570 --> 0:57:28.770 Timothy Initiative. Okay. In these last minute or two, give 0:57:28.770 --> 0:57:31.450 us that third. What's that third rock solid truth of 0:57:31.450 --> 0:57:32.450 disciple making. 0:57:32.650 --> 0:57:37.810 I would say it's understanding what's often called obedience based discipleship. 0:57:38.130 --> 0:57:41.650 Here in the States. Most of our discipling is knowledge based. 0:57:41.690 --> 0:57:44.770 It's just knowledge on top of knowledge, fact on top 0:57:44.770 --> 0:57:48.330 of fact. So we know it. But knowing it and 0:57:48.330 --> 0:57:51.770 doing it are two different things. The Great Commission passage 0:57:51.770 --> 0:57:56.730 Matthew 2820 Jesus did not say, teach those new believers 0:57:57.180 --> 0:58:00.460 Everything I commanded you. He said, teach them to observe 0:58:00.460 --> 0:58:05.060 or obey everything I commanded you. And so I heard 0:58:05.060 --> 0:58:08.260 somebody say once, there's no please in the Great Commission. 0:58:08.260 --> 0:58:11.060 It's not a request. It is a command. It's more 0:58:11.060 --> 0:58:15.100 than a command, but it is a command and understanding 0:58:15.100 --> 0:58:19.020 that it's not learning. It's not memorizing the Romans Road 0:58:19.020 --> 0:58:22.180 or the three circles, or the four spiritual laws, or 0:58:22.220 --> 0:58:26.260 even how to share your story. It's understanding that the 0:58:26.260 --> 0:58:29.900 King of Kings, the one with all authority, the one 0:58:29.900 --> 0:58:33.860 that snaps his fingers in heaven, jumps. He has told 0:58:33.860 --> 0:58:38.620 us to go out, share the gospel, make disciples. When 0:58:38.620 --> 0:58:42.220 we obey him, that is what brings him glory. So 0:58:42.220 --> 0:58:45.340 it's obedience based disciple making. 0:58:46.780 --> 0:58:49.420 This is so right on. You know, I actually called 0:58:49.420 --> 0:58:50.180 David guys here. 0:58:50.220 --> 0:58:51.060 Just, uh. 0:58:51.060 --> 0:58:53.980 What was this a couple months ago? I said, what's 0:58:53.980 --> 0:58:56.620 the game changer? You get this love guy. you get 0:58:56.620 --> 0:58:58.260 all this stuff cooking here and he goes, at the 0:58:58.260 --> 0:59:00.820 end of the day, we've got it. We got to 0:59:00.820 --> 0:59:04.700 get rid of this notion that calling for obedience is legalism. 0:59:04.700 --> 0:59:07.660 That's another thing that's happened here, David, is that we've 0:59:07.700 --> 0:59:12.420 we've reduced obedience, discipleship down to, oh, that must be legalism. 0:59:13.020 --> 0:59:17.300 That's not legalism. Legalism is foisting something on people that 0:59:17.300 --> 0:59:20.820 God never intended. Obedience is alignment of our life with 0:59:20.820 --> 0:59:24.900 God so that our lives change. And this is beautiful. 0:59:24.900 --> 0:59:27.980 I got to tell you, great Commission is the what? 0:59:28.220 --> 0:59:32.780 Here's the three really wise. You gotta ask, why do 0:59:32.780 --> 0:59:34.979 you do this, guys? That's what David just said. Love 0:59:34.980 --> 0:59:38.459 the Lord your God. Heart, soul, mind, strength. Be filled 0:59:38.460 --> 0:59:42.540 with the Holy Spirit. Yes, and obedience based discipleship. David 0:59:42.580 --> 0:59:44.980 Nelms I love you, hot dog. You are such a 0:59:44.980 --> 0:59:47.300 blessing and we're grateful to have you in here. 0:59:47.300 --> 0:59:52.500 If you want more, text disciple to 800 555 7898. 0:59:52.540 --> 0:59:56.180 Text disciple to 800 555 7898.