1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: We pray without ceasing, so we never stop technically. 2 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that's good, Alex dude, thank you for being here. 3 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 3: Brother. 4 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 2: I I've been looking forward to this and I have 5 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 2: been such a fan of the Way for We're gonna 6 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 2: talk about several things, but first of all, the way 7 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 2: you put together a beautiful podcast called Storms in the Desert. 8 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 2: You are. I haven't Marshall introduced us, and I haven't 9 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 2: known you long, but what I do know about you 10 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 2: is you are definitely a storyteller at heart. When did 11 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,520 Speaker 2: you first start? When did you first realize you're a storyteller? 12 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 3: Uh? You know, it's very kind of you. You didn't 13 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 3: prep me with questions. You know, I never do storytelling. 14 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 2: I wouldn't do that metal. 15 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 3: You know, maybe regrettably the answer to your question might 16 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 3: be might be so. So. My parents got divorced when 17 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 3: I was ten, uh, and I had a lot of 18 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 3: time on my own as a kid. You know, I 19 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 3: don't mean to pay some like sordid picture. I wasn't, 20 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 3: you know, I wasn't all over twist or anything living 21 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 3: on the streets. But but I found a lot of 22 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 3: solace as even a young middle schooler in going to 23 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 3: the movies or going to Blockbuster, which is like a 24 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 3: brick and mortar Netflix. Uh. You know, so I have 25 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:33,759 Speaker 3: to wonder if the Lord hasn't in part redeemed redeemed 26 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 3: some of that. You know that that just natural knack 27 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 3: for constantly trying to, you know, learn or distract myself 28 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 3: from from stories of other people. I have to wonder 29 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 3: if He hasn't redeemed at least some of that by 30 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 3: giving me, I don't know, a desire to tell some 31 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 3: stories myself. 32 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 2: That makes completely That actually. 33 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 3: Is the genesis of it. I mean, I wish I 34 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 3: could say I've been like, you know, self publishing novels 35 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 3: or something since since I was a kid, but that 36 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 3: would that would not be true. So I think that's 37 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:04,559 Speaker 3: part of it. 38 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 2: That makes perfect sense. And I'll reference that later because 39 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 2: you know your book. You know that I found all 40 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,399 Speaker 2: of your movie references in your book. We'll talk about that. 41 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 2: But what I want to unpack, and the reason I 42 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 2: have my Pastor Marshall with us too, is because Marshall 43 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:25,079 Speaker 2: and I have talked on several episodes of this program 44 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 2: about what it means to have a healthy church. Yeah, 45 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 2: and I want to as you you already know this, 46 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 2: But most people listening, I would I would say a 47 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 2: majority people are either searching for what it means to 48 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 2: be involved that a church, or to serve in a church, 49 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 2: or to be served by a church, or they kind 50 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 2: of have their own opinion that of what church should be. Yeah, 51 00:02:55,360 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 2: and so I think this lately. I've heard a lot 52 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,079 Speaker 2: of this, and we all have. But I hear things 53 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 2: like God is moving, a God's on the move, A 54 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 2: God's making a big move right now. You could just tell, 55 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 2: you can tell God's making a big move. And I 56 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,119 Speaker 2: always wonder. I always hear that, and I think, isn't 57 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 2: God always moving? Isn't he? Is he always faithful? Isn't 58 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:24,519 Speaker 2: he always patient and persistent and always moving? In some 59 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 2: parts of his story unfold with a bigger dynamic that 60 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 2: we see and we we get the appearance of a 61 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 2: great a great portion of the movement. But isn't he 62 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 2: today in twenty twenty five consistently moving? And you didn't 63 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 2: make that exact argument. But your podcast that you have 64 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 2: that you have produced direct, what do you what's your 65 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 2: role in this podcast? 66 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 3: Yeah? I don't know. I mean I wrote it, Okay, 67 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 3: I didn't do the like you know Yeoman's work of 68 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 3: like splicing the audio file, and I don't even know 69 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 3: how someone I know who did that, Alberto, May he 70 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 3: be blessed forever. You know. So I don't know whatever 71 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 3: I could. I guess you could say I'm the creator 72 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 3: of it to whatever degree that you know is a 73 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 3: meaningful noun. Yeah. 74 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 2: So what I'm talking about is this podcast called Storms 75 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 2: in the Desert. You reached out to me, and you 76 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 2: and you texted me and said, hey, you could do 77 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 2: whatever you want. I just wanted to show you the 78 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 2: work I've been doing. If you want to post it, 79 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 2: that's cool. You know. You said it in a very 80 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 2: very humble way, and I was like, well. 81 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 3: Anytime, I mean, anytime you're asking someone to promote you, 82 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 3: you have to have a little self effacing humor in it, 83 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 3: or it's becomes totally, you know, just impossible. So I 84 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 3: tried to. I tried to make the request request plane 85 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 3: while also making fun of myself or making the request. Tried. 86 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:50,720 Speaker 2: You did a great job, You did a great job. 87 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 3: Well here we are. Something happens. 88 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 2: Well I told you straight up, I said, you know, 89 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 2: I could post it. I could put it on my 90 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 2: Instagram story and no one really cares. You know, hey, 91 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 2: check out my buddy's podcast. You're going to love it. 92 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 2: You know, like maybe five people would go and actually listen. 93 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:12,159 Speaker 2: I think, I mean people, that's just we're flooded with 94 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 2: stuff like that. So I said, what if, actually, Alex, 95 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,359 Speaker 2: what if I got you on the podcast and we 96 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 2: talked about what it is because it's something that's not 97 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 2: a one liner. It needs to be really, it needs 98 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 2: to be. We need to talk about it, We need 99 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:30,920 Speaker 2: to have a conversation. So you're you're really what you're 100 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 2: capturing with this podcast? You say it this way. This 101 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 2: is the story of how God uses ordinary ministry of 102 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 2: faithful churches to bring about extraordinary change. Right. Yeah, that 103 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 2: just debunks this whole idea that God is moving dynamically 104 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 2: in these big, big ways here and there and not 105 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 2: in other places. But your argument is, well, yeah. 106 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 3: I don't want to deny that he can do that 107 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 3: and has of course. But but what I what I 108 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 3: think doesn't get the publicity is the way He often works, 109 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:09,039 Speaker 3: you know, and which is through ordinary churches, churches that 110 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 3: are smaller than even your church or mine. Uh so, yeah, 111 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:15,239 Speaker 3: I'm sorry I interrupted you. 112 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 2: No, that's good that's good, and we do need the 113 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 2: clarification that, of course, and the cross would be the 114 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 2: epitome of a big movement from God. But I I 115 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 2: think I get the I get this idea that Granger, 116 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 2: you're you're doing, You're gonna do big things for the kingdom. 117 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 2: And I think, to my sometimes I think, are are 118 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 2: you thinking like Billy Graham? Is that like the bigger stadium, 119 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 2: like me being in a stadium? Is that? I think 120 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 2: that's kind of the idea, And that's not that That's 121 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 2: not where my heart is and it's not where your 122 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 2: heart is or Marshals. You make the argument that more 123 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 2: of us need to probably understand that God uses ordinary 124 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 2: ministry of faithful churches to bring about extraordinary change over time. 125 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 2: And you tell the story over five episodes of several 126 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 2: stories of several people that are kind of running parallel lines, 127 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 2: and it's based around more or less a church in Dubai. 128 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 2: You could say it that way, and this church and 129 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 2: a powerful story about it is a church that you 130 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 2: could walk into today, you and I could walk in 131 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:31,960 Speaker 2: then well maybe not you and I. 132 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 3: Any Yeah, I was just there on Sunday. 133 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 2: Okay, Well I was going to say someone that doesn't 134 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 2: really think about these kind of things often could walk 135 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 2: in there and go, Eh, nothing too special about this. 136 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, So where do we start? 137 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 2: Where do we start with this idea that God, God 138 00:07:56,440 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 2: can and oftentimes works slowly over decades with faithful ministry, 139 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 2: often let from the pulpit, to transform communities in radical ways. 140 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 3: Well, I think we should start with the I think 141 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 3: we should start with the Bible. What do you think, Granger? 142 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 3: Let this is I'm only going to read four verses, Okay, 143 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 3: only four verses, Mark Chapter four, Beginning in verse twenty six, 144 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:31,119 Speaker 3: the Kingdom of God is as if a man should 145 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:34,439 Speaker 3: scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night 146 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 3: and day, and the seed sprouts and grows. I love 147 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:41,680 Speaker 3: this half verse. He knows not how the earth produces 148 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 3: by itself, first to blade, then the ear, then full 149 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 3: grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe 150 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 3: at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest 151 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 3: has come. Now, I'm not going to argue that the 152 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 3: main point in the only instance of this verse is 153 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 3: about like the stuff we're talking about. I simply want 154 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:00,040 Speaker 3: to observe what is a very obvious point that I 155 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 3: think the author of Mark, who is putting words in 156 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 3: Jesus's mouth that I trust that he said, which is 157 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 3: simply that the kingdom grows sort of slowly. So when 158 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 3: we when we think of church growth, where do our 159 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:17,319 Speaker 3: minds go? We go to quick, fast, reproducible. Where does 160 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 3: the where does Jesus' mind go when he thinks of 161 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 3: church growth or kingdom growth? He goes to farming, which 162 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 3: which a little bit like, Okay, I'm on a podcast 163 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:28,719 Speaker 3: right now, a thousand miles from you. I don't I 164 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:31,559 Speaker 3: don't know anything about farming. I don't think. I don't 165 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 3: even think I could name a tool. I don't even 166 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 3: know what a sickle looks like. Is that the thing 167 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:38,680 Speaker 3: that reaper holds? I think I don't know. But like 168 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 3: I heard someone say recently about this passage, try to 169 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 3: watch a plant grow. You will never see it grow. 170 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 3: But if you do the right stuff, water, et cetera, 171 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 3: whatever plants need, uh, it will grow. And I think 172 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 3: the kingdom is kind of like that, Like are generally speaking, 173 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:06,640 Speaker 3: not in every case, but generally speaking, healthy growth in 174 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 3: a church is going to be like that. You can't 175 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 3: see it in a moment, you can't observe it over 176 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:13,800 Speaker 3: the course of an hour or even a week or 177 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 3: even a month. But oh man, if you continue to 178 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 3: do the means, if you commit yourself to the means 179 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:24,800 Speaker 3: that the Lord promises to bless preaching, singing, praying, all 180 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:29,559 Speaker 3: the rest meaningful membership, we just trust that it will grow, 181 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:33,160 Speaker 3: and it will grow even imperceptibly. So I would say 182 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 3: the story of the podcast sort of premised on that belief. 183 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 3: That is true. Now, thankfully we can take a wide 184 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:46,200 Speaker 3: enough aperture, we can look at twenty five years of 185 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:50,440 Speaker 3: history and actually chart some stuff, right, So I don't 186 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 3: want to communicate that the podcast is just me like 187 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 3: boringly charting nothing like no, over twenty five years, you 188 00:10:55,960 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 3: can chart genuine, real growth between from what the Lord 189 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 3: has done, you know, at these churches in the Middle East. 190 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,040 Speaker 3: And that's what I tried. I tried to I tried 191 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:08,320 Speaker 3: to capture a little slice of that growth. It's not, 192 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 3: you know, the numbers won't you know, blow your hair off, 193 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 3: But I think they're real, and I think it's it's 194 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 3: beautiful what the Lord has done. 195 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 2: It really is. And there's a there's a quote in 196 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 2: the podcast that talks about that I'm paraphrasing, but it's 197 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 2: like the difference between growing lettuce and growing an oak tree. 198 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:28,439 Speaker 2: You know what, We're dealing with acorns here, not salad. 199 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 2: And and it's the idea that you can go into 200 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 2: said church every day and not see really anything, but 201 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 2: if you go every five years, you're going to notice 202 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:42,160 Speaker 2: significant things changing. 203 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, so well, and Granger, what's true too is like 204 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,199 Speaker 3: it's easier to talk, it's easy to talk about as 205 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 3: if other people expect this, and like I'm somehow exempt 206 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,600 Speaker 3: from this temptation. But what you know, what's true of 207 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:56,480 Speaker 3: churches is true of Christians too. Right, we want to grow, 208 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,840 Speaker 3: we want to grow overnight. We want we want to 209 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 3: fast spiritually, and so we you know, we get to 210 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 3: January first and we and we say, okay, I have 211 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:10,839 Speaker 3: found the perfect spiritual disciplines map for twenty twenty five. 212 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 3: And it's this read the Old Testament, you know, like 213 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 3: whatever it is, right, pray this. You know, hard seventy five, 214 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 3: I'm gonna lift weights or what you know. I obviously 215 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 3: didn't participate in hard seventy five. Friends try to my 216 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 3: friends tried to participate in Mediocre twenty eight And I 217 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:31,440 Speaker 3: even have that so so like, but you understand what 218 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:35,960 Speaker 3: I mean, right, Like we we try to to grow 219 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 3: quickly spiritually, and I think it's the same principle holds. No, 220 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 3: the way to really grow actually is just to ordinarily 221 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 3: just do the things that the Lord promises to bring growth. 222 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 3: Go to church, read your bible, pray. I'm not again 223 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 3: not denying that there cannot be seasons of growth, of 224 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 3: fast growth. Certainly even suffering we think of that, you know, 225 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:01,440 Speaker 3: that can bring quick growth always, but it can. So 226 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 3: I know, I just want to be careful that I'm 227 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 3: not kind of you know, criticizing people out there, and 228 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 3: while I can, I locate that temptation in my own 229 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:12,319 Speaker 3: heart as well, and I want to be real about 230 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 3: that and kind of speak to my preach to myself 231 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 3: as it were. 232 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 2: You're you're saying that because I immediately started this podcast 233 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:21,200 Speaker 2: pitching holding you know, like I've had your hands tied 234 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 2: around your back, like this is the way it is. 235 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 2: God moves slowly, you know. So I I had an 236 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 2: idea of kind of and maybe I shouldn't, but I 237 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 2: know I know people that listen to this and and 238 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:41,080 Speaker 2: it these things. Let me say it this way. Go 239 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 2: to this podcast storms in the Desert and go to 240 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:48,040 Speaker 2: episode one and just put in some headphones and press play, 241 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 2: and it's it's really a beautiful production. There's music, there's 242 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 2: there's sound effects. You jump in and clarify something, which 243 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:00,679 Speaker 2: is really helpful. Somebody says something and you jump in 244 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:02,319 Speaker 2: and go, I think what he means by this is this? 245 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 2: And then you pop back out and let them continue. 246 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 2: It's so helpful, easy to listen to. All these things 247 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 2: are things I can't say on my Instagram story, but 248 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 2: they're things that I think. I think this philosophy is 249 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 2: just it's a beautiful thing that you've laid out. And 250 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 2: the conversion stories are really beautiful, the discipleship stories, the 251 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,600 Speaker 2: teaching done from the pulpit, it's it's really laid out 252 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 2: in a way to understand. So that's my encouragement for 253 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 2: people listening right now. Just go to Storms and Desert, 254 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 2: press play on episode one. 255 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 3: And maybe what I would want to say is like 256 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:45,760 Speaker 3: I grew up in what I like to call megachurch land. 257 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 3: I don't know Greendear, Honestly, I don't really know your 258 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 3: story much about like the churches that you've gone in 259 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 3: and out of, But I grew up in megachurch Land, 260 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 3: and to be honest, I have a lot of affection 261 00:14:55,640 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 3: for the Lord saved me under ministry like that. And 262 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 3: I think I think I because of my upbringing in 263 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 3: in megachurch Land, which again I'm not using that as 264 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:10,640 Speaker 3: derisive term. I mean, I'm just trying to describe what 265 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 3: it is. Uh. I think I have a pretty good, 266 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 3: like intuitive understanding of what kind of like your your 267 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 3: median rank and file Christian, uh, what they how they 268 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 3: how they think, what they believe because that was me 269 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,280 Speaker 3: for so long and I'm not godly. This sounds embarrassing. 270 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:28,360 Speaker 3: I'm not trying to say I've now like moved beyond that. 271 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 3: But what I mean to say is, I think most 272 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 3: Christians want a church that is kind of flashy and 273 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,560 Speaker 3: and feels momentous and big, you know what I mean. 274 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 3: Like they want to be part of a movement. They 275 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 3: want to be a part of a church that is 276 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 3: accomplishing something for the Kingdom. 277 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 2: I wanted to say, but you're saying it better how 278 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 2: I started this. 279 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:52,119 Speaker 3: And and I'm sympathetic for that, and and I appreciate 280 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 3: that because we all want we want the Lord to 281 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 3: do stuff. We want him to do things we trust 282 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 3: that he will. And and what I'm all, I'm simply 283 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 3: trying to do not all, but one of the things 284 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 3: I'm trying to do in this podcast is to say 285 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 3: I appreciate that impulse that can also be accomplished through 286 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,360 Speaker 3: churches that if you it only showed up for a month, 287 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 3: wouldn't seem as obvious. Maybe it's not as flashy, maybe 288 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 3: it's not as big, but if you take the if 289 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 3: you take a wide enough perspective, even ordinary churches committed 290 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 3: to very ordinary things can have pretty amazing effect in 291 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 3: this world. We don't just have to wait, you know, 292 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 3: for glory for those to be shown. And so what 293 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 3: I'm doing a little bit is you know, Jonathan Lehman 294 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 3: once told me he's a friend of mine, my boss. 295 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 3: He said one time he kind of jokingly made fun 296 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 3: of me. He's like, I think your whole like public ministry, 297 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 3: is you kind of like psychoanalyzing the first twenty five 298 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 3: years of your life and just sort of like letting 299 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 3: the results, like giving the results to the world. And 300 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 3: I was like, you know, maybe that's true, but that's true. 301 00:16:57,480 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 2: For a lot, that's true for a lot of us. 302 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 2: I think that a lot of us. I know Marshall's 303 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:06,560 Speaker 2: story is a lot of times that it's reflecting on 304 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 2: what we've seen and learned. And but yeah, what you're 305 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:13,000 Speaker 2: saying makes perfect sense. And so let's talk practical what 306 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 2: because yeah, what is an ordinary church that you're talking about? 307 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 2: Because there are differs. 308 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:22,399 Speaker 3: When I'm using that adjective ordinary, I'm sort of nodding 309 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 3: slightly at like the theological category ordinary means of grace. 310 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 3: But I don't only mean that, and and and even 311 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 3: when I'm talking about ordinary means of grace, maybe people 312 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 3: don't I I you know, some people intuitively understand what 313 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:37,879 Speaker 3: that is. Basically, it means churches who don't really commit 314 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 3: themselves to anything new or any you know, their their 315 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:46,479 Speaker 3: their mission statement is not anything new. They simply exist 316 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 3: to do a few things, which is to preach, you. 317 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 2: Know, how to preach? How would you do that? 318 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:54,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, so that's a good question. I mean, I think 319 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 3: of of I think of passages and first thing of Timothy, 320 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:02,639 Speaker 3: where Paul tells his protege Timothy to preach the word. 321 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:06,640 Speaker 3: And so I think of examples in the Old Testament 322 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 3: where where the prophets it opened God's word and explained 323 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:13,359 Speaker 3: it and applied it to God's people. And so what 324 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:16,360 Speaker 3: I think should be the normal diet, the normal way 325 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 3: to approach preaching would be what, you know what, what fancy, 326 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 3: fancier people than me have called expositional preaching, you know, which, 327 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 3: which I think is as a maybe a slightly too 328 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 3: many syllable words, slightly too many syllables to simply say, 329 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 3: when you get up in front of people on Sunday mornings, 330 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 3: you should primarily be trying to explain and apply the 331 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 3: Bible to their lives. And I think the best way 332 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:42,679 Speaker 3: to explain and apply the Bible to their to people's 333 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 3: lives is to consecutively walk through books of the Bible. 334 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 3: Because if you, if you, if you primarily preach topically, 335 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 3: which would be the other way to preach. I trust 336 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,520 Speaker 3: that most people who preach topically, they're not up there 337 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 3: giving you know you Dave Ramsey principles or non biblical principles. 338 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:02,639 Speaker 3: They're they're certainly meaning to give biblical principles. What does 339 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 3: the Bible say about generosity? What does it say about 340 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 3: conflict management? What does it say about marriage? That that's 341 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:11,160 Speaker 3: that's wonderful. We need to know that stuff. But as 342 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:13,480 Speaker 3: a Christian. I want. I need to know how to 343 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 3: read my Bible, like I need to know literally how 344 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:18,960 Speaker 3: to read it. And I'm not necessarily going to learn 345 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 3: how to read my Bible if the only kind of 346 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 3: Bible Bible talking that I'm hearing is bouncing around, you know, 347 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:29,480 Speaker 3: to to relevant places, but never sort of systematically putting 348 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 3: it together. Does that make sense? 349 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:34,240 Speaker 2: And so so how could we tell if I walk 350 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 2: into church? How could I tell if it's topical or expositional? 351 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:42,199 Speaker 3: Maybe you would need to show up two weeks in 352 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:42,480 Speaker 3: a row. 353 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:45,720 Speaker 2: Okay, sure, okay, but I think. 354 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 3: I mean, I think because because theoretically you could have 355 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:51,159 Speaker 3: a topical message that's on one passage, but then the 356 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 3: next week, you know, it'll be a different topic and 357 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:56,640 Speaker 3: a different passage, and and so you will you will 358 00:19:56,640 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 3: have learned some some particular principles sort of tethered to 359 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 3: those passages, but you will not have learned how to 360 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 3: put passages together or to read the Bible profitably on 361 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 3: your own. So, for example, at my church here in Louisville, 362 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:12,719 Speaker 3: I was not here on Sunday morning, but we but 363 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:16,879 Speaker 3: our pastor preached through Nehemiah chapters three and four, and 364 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 3: then next week, he's going to preach through Neemiah chapters 365 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:23,199 Speaker 3: five through six. And you know it's funny here in 366 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 3: twenty twenty five sounds that sounds like as normal as 367 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 3: the sun as the sunset to me. But grangry, I 368 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:33,440 Speaker 3: kid you not. When I was twenty years old or 369 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,199 Speaker 3: nineteen years old, if you had described what I just 370 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:39,159 Speaker 3: described as normal ministry, I would have looked at you 371 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 3: like you had one hundred heads. I would have didn't. 372 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:44,880 Speaker 3: I simply did not know that there were churches out 373 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 3: there whose primary diet of public teaching was was was 374 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,439 Speaker 3: opening the Bible and explaining it and applying it to 375 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:56,159 Speaker 3: people's lives. And I'm saying both of those verbs. Intentionally 376 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:01,120 Speaker 3: explaining and applying faithful preaching is not merely well, here's 377 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:02,720 Speaker 3: what the here's what it means, here's what it means, 378 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:04,199 Speaker 3: here's what it means, here's what it means, here's what 379 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:06,320 Speaker 3: it means. Here's the background. Blah blah blah blah blah. 380 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 3: That sounds very dry and boring. It's explaining it and generally, 381 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:14,640 Speaker 3: through the prism of Jesus, applying it to our lives. Right, 382 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 3: So what how does that passage get to Jesus, whether forward, backward, whatever, 383 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 3: and then how does it it's sort of application to 384 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:24,480 Speaker 3: Jesus affect my life? 385 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 2: So you're saying it's more than just a Bible study. Yeah, 386 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 2: because some people say, oh, yeah, we do that on 387 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 2: Sunday nights. We do what you're the line by line thing. 388 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 2: We do that on Sunday nights, Granger, That's what they say. 389 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:37,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, And I'd say, great, Praise God. I'm so glad 390 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:39,880 Speaker 3: that you do. And I would, but I would say 391 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 3: you what we need as a congregation is to gather 392 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 3: under the Word of God together so that we can 393 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 3: help each other obey it and help each other apply 394 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 3: it to our lives. You know, I'm so glad Marshall's 395 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:54,439 Speaker 3: saying so much in this podcast. Well, I was going 396 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 3: to ask I trustees amending this, But I mean, Marshal, 397 00:21:58,400 --> 00:21:59,879 Speaker 3: isn't that what you do as a preacher? Right? 398 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 2: Let me before before he says that, when's the first 399 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 2: time you experienced this what he's talking about, this kind 400 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 2: of teaching? 401 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:07,960 Speaker 1: When I was. 402 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:13,080 Speaker 4: Probably around the same age twenty one, that was the 403 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:14,919 Speaker 4: first time I stepped foot into a church that was 404 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 4: doing this. Outside of that growing up the church, I 405 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 4: grew up in. It was kind of whatever was laid 406 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,359 Speaker 4: on the pastor's heart that week. Yeah, and sometimes he 407 00:22:24,359 --> 00:22:26,400 Speaker 4: wouldn't even finish it. On Sunday he said, I've been 408 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,240 Speaker 4: going for an hour. We'll finish this next week. Let's pray. 409 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 3: Oh wow, And so be honest. 410 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 4: You've never done that, No, not yet. 411 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:42,679 Speaker 1: But going into it was actually going into a church plant. 412 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 4: I mean they planted about a year before I got there, 413 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:52,160 Speaker 4: so really really small church, but extremely faithful. And he 414 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 4: was just preaching through I don't remember what book it was, 415 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:58,679 Speaker 4: but he was going through a book and it was 416 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 4: it was the first time that I felt like I 417 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 4: was actually understanding my Bible together. There were things in 418 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 4: the past where I thought I could tell you how 419 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 4: the Bible says something about that topic you just asked 420 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:14,000 Speaker 4: me about. But if you had said, hey, kind of 421 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:17,679 Speaker 4: what's Paul's argument in Galatians and how are you seeing that? 422 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:19,040 Speaker 1: I would have not been able to do that. 423 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:22,400 Speaker 2: So, you know, you guys want to know. My first 424 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 2: time to experience this on the right on FM radio 425 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:32,679 Speaker 2: Alistair beg Truth for Life and I remember driving in 426 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:36,880 Speaker 2: my truck and I had it on that station because 427 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 2: it was like a Christian music station, but for some 428 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 2: reason at this particular time, they would flip it to 429 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 2: Truth for Life. This is a message by Alistair Beg. 430 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 2: And Alistair comes on and he says, he's in his 431 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:56,639 Speaker 2: Scottish accent, you know, he says, turn with me to 432 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:58,920 Speaker 2: you know, this chapter, because you know, we left off 433 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 2: last week here and so now we're going to pick 434 00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 2: up and continue the story. And I was like, yeah, oh, 435 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 2: is this a church service? This is cool. And then 436 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 2: he began to you know, for you know, forty minutes, 437 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:18,840 Speaker 2: go through this new passage and then apply it. And 438 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 2: I was like, I wonder if he will do this, 439 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,639 Speaker 2: if next week he'll do the next passage, you know, 440 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 2: because we kind of were left at a cliffhanger anyway. 441 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,720 Speaker 2: And sure enough that the radio program and I remember 442 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,879 Speaker 2: the radio program flipped and they brought the new the 443 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 2: next one in and it was the continuation of that, 444 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 2: and I started losing service in my truck with the 445 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 2: FM station. Then I pulled over on the side of 446 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 2: the road to get to keep this signal clear, and 447 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:49,000 Speaker 2: I was I was just so interested that this was 448 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 2: a way that people did church. 449 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 3: That was yeah, that was and I want to assume 450 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:57,439 Speaker 3: the best about folks who do it differently. Right, It's 451 00:24:57,800 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 3: it's because so in other words, I don't want to 452 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 3: pit this kind of ministry and say, well, and if 453 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 3: you don't do this, you're not interested in teaching the 454 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:07,400 Speaker 3: Bible to your people. No, no, no, no. I think 455 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:11,439 Speaker 3: probably what's happening is that a lot many churches, and 456 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 3: I would even say this of the church that I 457 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 3: grew up in, for which I'm very thankful, is that 458 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:19,400 Speaker 3: they have a totally different than than than at least 459 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 3: the three of us here. They have a different conception 460 00:25:21,760 --> 00:25:25,240 Speaker 3: of what the Sunday gathering is for and so so 461 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:27,879 Speaker 3: so they would they would they would say, either explicitly 462 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:32,080 Speaker 3: or implicitly that ultimately the Sunday gathering is for fill 463 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:33,920 Speaker 3: in the blank, and it's often filled in the blank 464 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:38,560 Speaker 3: with stuff like the unbeliever or someone seeking or or 465 00:25:38,680 --> 00:25:40,639 Speaker 3: or maybe it's not that it would be for you know, 466 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 3: someone who doesn't know that X about why, and so 467 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 3: they need to be instructed, you know, about why. And 468 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,560 Speaker 3: and I think I think those those definitions might sound 469 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,600 Speaker 3: like not that different, but it's actually a fundamentally different 470 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:58,640 Speaker 3: understanding of what I understand to be what the point 471 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 3: of a Sunday morning service is, which which is which 472 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:05,320 Speaker 3: is to primarily, not exclusively, but primarily build up the church. 473 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 3: And if we're trying to build up the church, by 474 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:10,840 Speaker 3: which I mean a group of Christians who are committed 475 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 3: to one another, then what those people need is instruction 476 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 3: on on on not just like one topic, but on 477 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:21,879 Speaker 3: like how to live this Christian life together through understanding 478 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 3: the word. Now, unbelievers should be addressed. They should be 479 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 3: I mean, First Corinthians eleven through fourteen makes it clear 480 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 3: the unbelievers should should should be able to walk through 481 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 3: a gathering and understand, be able to understand what's going on, 482 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:37,679 Speaker 3: and to be able to even locate themselves as in 483 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:41,160 Speaker 3: some degree outside of it, but still addressed and welcomed 484 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:43,119 Speaker 3: in it, you know what I mean. There was a 485 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:45,800 Speaker 3: notice that God is among is among you. Whether they 486 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 3: like that or not, you know, that's up between them 487 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 3: and the Lord. So I think I think what's happening 488 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 3: often is is church is just that different understands of 489 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 3: what the Sunday morning gathering is for. And so they're 490 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:00,040 Speaker 3: gonna they're gonna frame and and and structure their gathering 491 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,680 Speaker 3: so accordingly and I want to be sympathetic to those differences, 492 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,880 Speaker 3: even if I think the scriptures would be more on 493 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 3: our side than on theirs, while respecting that there's differences 494 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:10,560 Speaker 3: of opinion. 495 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:12,800 Speaker 2: And let me also say that this is this is 496 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 2: not your your special interpretation of what the scriptures are saying. 497 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,400 Speaker 2: You're I also know that you're standing on the shoulders 498 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 2: of hundreds and hundreds of years Yeah, of other preachers. Yeah, yeah, 499 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 2: And it goes and it goes hundreds and hundreds of 500 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:32,920 Speaker 2: years before even Spurgeon. Yeah, we can go all the 501 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 2: way back to Justin Martyr talking about that was that's 502 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:39,159 Speaker 2: the first written document we have, and that was in 503 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:43,800 Speaker 2: the second century, mid second century of how they did church. 504 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 2: And we know that there is a direct line to 505 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 2: the apostles themselves from this in the second century. If 506 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 2: you want to get a hold of me for any reason, 507 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 2: go to cameo dot com slash Granger Smith. It's a 508 00:27:57,119 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 2: great way to get someone a gift that you don't 509 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:02,880 Speaker 2: know what to get. It's some video message from me. Basically, 510 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:04,959 Speaker 2: you message me and say, hey, can you tell my 511 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:07,960 Speaker 2: brother happy birthday, can you tell my wife happy inniversary? 512 00:28:08,160 --> 00:28:10,240 Speaker 2: Or can you give me a word of encouragement or 513 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,919 Speaker 2: maybe even a prayer. Go to cameo dot com slash 514 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 2: granger Smith. Fill that out and it comes right to 515 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 2: my phone. I read what you want me to say. 516 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:20,439 Speaker 2: I could add libit. I take my phone, put it 517 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:23,640 Speaker 2: on selfie mode, shoot a quick video saying Hey, Bob, 518 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,520 Speaker 2: Cindy wanted me to tell you a happy anniversary, and 519 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:30,440 Speaker 2: you know, whatever you wantan to say, and then I'll 520 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:32,719 Speaker 2: send you that video message and then you give it 521 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 2: to Cindy. It's a great little tool. I've been using 522 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:38,760 Speaker 2: this for a long time. Cameo dot com slash granger Smith. 523 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 2: Have you heard about eye Fast yet? I need to 524 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 2: tell you. It's May ninth and tenth at the EEE Farm. 525 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:48,480 Speaker 2: We're gonna have a truck show, We're gonna have a 526 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:50,760 Speaker 2: mud bog, lots of good food, lots of people from 527 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,760 Speaker 2: ye Nation will be there, and I'm even gonna do 528 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 2: some kind of live podcast. Don't know how that's gonna 529 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:00,840 Speaker 2: look yet, but we're gonna do a live audience podcast, 530 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:04,320 Speaker 2: answer questions. Gonna have Amber there, most of my team 531 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:06,360 Speaker 2: and my brothers will all be there. And you know, 532 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 2: we'll be at the EEE Farm so you get to come. 533 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:11,280 Speaker 2: It's open to the public completely and you get to 534 00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:13,480 Speaker 2: come and hang out with us at the EEE Farm. 535 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:15,680 Speaker 2: I think it's gonna be so much fun. And here's 536 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 2: the surprise. Saturday night, May the tenth, I'm actually playing 537 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 2: a concert, my full band, all the crews. It will 538 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:27,120 Speaker 2: be the only concert we do the entire year. So 539 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:29,040 Speaker 2: you don't want to miss this. I mean, this is 540 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:31,400 Speaker 2: gonna be If you're part of EU Nation or you 541 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 2: want to be part of EU Nation, you got to 542 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,600 Speaker 2: check this out. You go to ee efest dot com 543 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:38,479 Speaker 2: for all your info. I'm looking at it right now. 544 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:41,920 Speaker 2: If you're wondering the price for the full weekend, it's 545 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,120 Speaker 2: seventy nine bucks for a ticket. If you just want 546 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 2: to go to one day, like a single pass on 547 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 2: Friday is thirty nine bucks, and a single pass on 548 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 2: Saturday is only fifty nine bucks. So if you want 549 00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:57,440 Speaker 2: to go to this concert, fifty nine bucks, kids are 550 00:29:57,520 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 2: cheaper than that. And then there's all kind of like 551 00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:02,080 Speaker 2: vip packages ways to get your truck in there. We 552 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 2: could sit on your tailgate of your own truck. It's 553 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 2: going to be a really, really good time. I'm so 554 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,920 Speaker 2: excited about this once again, ye Fest coming May ninth 555 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:12,880 Speaker 2: and tenth. Go to ee dot com or ee fest 556 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 2: dot com for more details. 557 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 3: Well, and even the even though you can, you know, 558 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 3: you don't want to make too much hay out of this, probably, 559 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 3: but the recipients of the New Testament letters are churches, 560 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 3: and there's a there's a clear distinction between, you know, 561 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 3: like here's what Christians think, here's what you know, non 562 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 3: beliefers think. 563 00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 2: So yeah, yeah, man, it's it's fascinating stuff. So you 564 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:37,480 Speaker 2: you said preaching, I think we got we got that. Okay, 565 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 2: what else were you going to say? 566 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 3: Marsha, there it's been it's been so long. You're asking 567 00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:46,480 Speaker 3: me what what makes an ordinary? 568 00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:49,560 Speaker 2: So yeah, we we The question was if I walk 569 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 2: into a church, yeah, what makes it healthy? What makes it? 570 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:54,280 Speaker 1: Yeah? 571 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 2: You say ordinary, which is you you defined what you 572 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:03,200 Speaker 2: mean by that. What we mean to say is faithful 573 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:06,440 Speaker 2: in ordinary ministry. But go ahead, what's next? 574 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:09,320 Speaker 3: Yeah? So I think I mean again, trying to tie 575 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 3: it in some respect to the podcast a little bit, 576 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 3: which is that you know, basically it tells a story 577 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:18,480 Speaker 3: of how a man came to this church in Dubai, 578 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 3: and this church in Dubai. I don't know how familiar 579 00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 3: some of you are with Dubai. But Dubai is a 580 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 3: very wealthy nation that's full of all sorts of different nationalities. 581 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:32,479 Speaker 3: In fact, only ten percent of the population is native 582 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 3: to the UA. Only ten percent of the population is 583 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:39,800 Speaker 3: what they call Amoradi. And so there was However, these people, 584 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 3: the rulers of this nation want Westerners and other nations 585 00:31:43,080 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 3: to come, and so they give them land to plant 586 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 3: to have a church, even though it is a Muslim nation. 587 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 3: And so the church that existed in Dubai in the 588 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 3: early two thousands was very diverse, several hundred people, five 589 00:31:56,360 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 3: or six hundred people, about less than one hundred but 590 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 3: to one hundred nations represented, and and the church was 591 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:07,440 Speaker 3: really really proud of its diversity. Uh. And it was 592 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 3: also very very sort of anemic spiritually, that is, it 593 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:14,520 Speaker 3: wasn't prioritizing the things we've been talking about. It wasn't 594 00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:16,000 Speaker 3: prioritizing biblical teaching. 595 00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 1: Uh. 596 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 3: And so the podcast as a story of when they 597 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:23,840 Speaker 3: basically hired a man named John to come in and 598 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:26,040 Speaker 3: to be their new pastor and who began to teach 599 00:32:26,080 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 3: the Bible. And after teaching the Bible, the second main 600 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 3: change that he made, which which would be to instill 601 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:35,120 Speaker 3: what I often refer to and probably what these guys 602 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:38,480 Speaker 3: referred to as meaningful membership. In other words, that that 603 00:32:38,760 --> 00:32:41,880 Speaker 3: what should, what should constitute our relationship to this church 604 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 3: is not merely like oh, like we're all you know, 605 00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:47,760 Speaker 3: look how look how it is, how crazy it is 606 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 3: that we're Westerners in Dubai. But what characterizes the relationship 607 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:54,400 Speaker 3: between us is that we're all Christians and that we're 608 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:56,840 Speaker 3: helping each other follow Jesus, and that the church is 609 00:32:56,880 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 3: going to be a gathering of Christians. And so I think, 610 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 3: I think, think what you know. One thing the scriptures 611 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 3: call churches too, is to to make that line between 612 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:12,000 Speaker 3: inside the church that is a committed Christian, committed member, 613 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,120 Speaker 3: and outside the church that is someone who's not following 614 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:17,160 Speaker 3: Jesus or at the very least maybe non member of 615 00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 3: that church. To make that line some somewhat clear, uh, 616 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:23,480 Speaker 3: and to make it meaningful. So I'm not saying that 617 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 3: everyone who's not a member of your church is not 618 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,640 Speaker 3: a Christian. I'm just saying that that the normal relationship 619 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:31,640 Speaker 3: to a church is one of membership, which which involves 620 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:34,000 Speaker 3: both responsibility and accountability. 621 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:37,440 Speaker 2: People are commenting right now. They're literally typing right now 622 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 2: as we speak that membership is not live. No, no, no, 623 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:46,320 Speaker 2: it's not. Oh my gosh, you know we do that. 624 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,280 Speaker 2: We do that at Amaze. I'm kidding, No, don't. People. 625 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:54,560 Speaker 2: People are typing right now that membership is not in 626 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:58,720 Speaker 2: the Bible. Marshall. Okay, well let's go to Marshall and 627 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 2: then I'll kick it back to you. 628 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 1: You're good. 629 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:03,160 Speaker 4: I was just gonna say, I was just gonna say 630 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:06,680 Speaker 4: that's encouraging, because I think a lot of people will 631 00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:10,520 Speaker 4: will say membership the way you guys talk about it, 632 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:14,200 Speaker 4: that's like an American thing. That's that's not that's something 633 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:17,360 Speaker 4: we do here. But to hear that it's happening in 634 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:20,080 Speaker 4: places like Dubai and then Alex, you and I know 635 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:22,960 Speaker 4: many other places across the world that have churches that 636 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:26,000 Speaker 4: are doing it. Maybe the process looks a little different, 637 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:29,200 Speaker 4: but the idea of it's the same. And so it's 638 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:32,200 Speaker 4: just an encouragement to see, now, these are just brothers 639 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 4: faithfully trying to do what Scripture calls us to do 640 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:38,759 Speaker 4: and holding each other accountable. And that's not a Westerner thing, 641 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:41,880 Speaker 4: that's not an American thing. That's not something that we 642 00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:43,920 Speaker 4: developed over the last fifty years that we thought this 643 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:46,440 Speaker 4: would just be helpful. It's something that we're trying to 644 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:48,399 Speaker 4: get back to doing what Scripture calls us to do 645 00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:49,680 Speaker 4: as a church. 646 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:54,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, where would you go when someone says membership is 647 00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:55,040 Speaker 2: not in the Bible? 648 00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 3: Okay? If I only like. 649 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:01,320 Speaker 2: Marshall, Okay, I want, I want to hear out. 650 00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:07,200 Speaker 3: I'm sorry you cut out. You cut out Marshall's answer. No, gosh, 651 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:11,880 Speaker 3: I'm so rude. I got all these I got all 652 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:13,880 Speaker 3: these dead people looking down on me behind me, and 653 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:16,200 Speaker 3: these old pictures. 654 00:35:17,239 --> 00:35:19,359 Speaker 4: Alex, you go, you go, and I'll play off you 655 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:20,640 Speaker 4: you go, all right? 656 00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:25,600 Speaker 3: Forgive me. So I appreciate the question. I'm happy to 657 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:30,080 Speaker 3: answer it. If I had only sixty seconds and someone 658 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:33,399 Speaker 3: said to me, man, my membership is just the way 659 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:35,320 Speaker 3: you guys are talking about it is not in the Bible, 660 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:38,040 Speaker 3: I would say, okay, open your Bible with me to 661 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:41,160 Speaker 3: First Corinthians chapter five, and I'm only going to point 662 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:43,120 Speaker 3: to one verse. I'm not even going to give you 663 00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:46,240 Speaker 3: any context other than to simply say he's he's writing 664 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:48,440 Speaker 3: to a church about what they should do about someone 665 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:52,319 Speaker 3: in their gathering. And Paul writes to them First Corinthians five, 666 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:55,640 Speaker 3: verse twelve, speaking to them, for what have I to 667 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:59,360 Speaker 3: do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the 668 00:35:59,480 --> 00:36:04,560 Speaker 3: church whom you are to judge? That one verse. There's 669 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:06,160 Speaker 3: more we could say about it, but that one verse 670 00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:11,759 Speaker 3: gives us two incredibly important principles that helps us to 671 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:14,719 Speaker 3: establish that meaningful membership is biblical. Which is which is 672 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 3: simply this number one. There is such a thing as 673 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:22,000 Speaker 3: an inside and outside of the church. Now, I think 674 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:24,640 Speaker 3: I think we already need to tweak our intuitions about 675 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 3: what that word church means. Church does not mean, though 676 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:29,920 Speaker 3: we use it colloquially all the time to refer to 677 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:32,320 Speaker 3: it as as the building. It does not mean the 678 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:36,040 Speaker 3: leadership structure. It does not mean the various ministries. Church 679 00:36:36,560 --> 00:36:40,120 Speaker 3: biblically is a is a gathering of Christians, so it 680 00:36:40,120 --> 00:36:42,640 Speaker 3: should have flesh and bones on it. That word, so 681 00:36:42,680 --> 00:36:44,680 Speaker 3: it establishes the first principle that there's such a thing 682 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:46,920 Speaker 3: as the inside of that thing and the outside of 683 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:51,280 Speaker 3: that thing. And then secondly it establishes that our relationship 684 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:54,799 Speaker 3: to the people on various sides of that line is 685 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 3: fundamentally different. In other words, we're supposed to judge the 686 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:00,520 Speaker 3: people on one side of the line and the people 687 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:02,880 Speaker 3: on the other side of the line. So is what 688 00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:08,000 Speaker 3: is meaningful membership. It's basically acknowledging those two principles. It's 689 00:37:08,040 --> 00:37:11,480 Speaker 3: having a rational, coherent way to have the line in 690 00:37:11,520 --> 00:37:13,920 Speaker 3: the first place, and it's saying, once you, once you're 691 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:16,719 Speaker 3: on the side of that line, my relationship with you 692 00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:18,720 Speaker 3: is going to change now, not in like a freaky 693 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:20,799 Speaker 3: weird way. It's going to change in that like we 694 00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:24,560 Speaker 3: will have formal responsibility and authority over one another because 695 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:27,439 Speaker 3: we've consented and agreed to it together. You know, there's 696 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 3: other theological arguments that you could make about about membership, 697 00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:32,359 Speaker 3: but I just simply don't understand how First Corinthians five, 698 00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:35,279 Speaker 3: verse twelve makes any sense in a context where there 699 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:38,320 Speaker 3: is not something as as membership, regardless of the formal 700 00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:42,360 Speaker 3: requirements or the congregational idiosyncrasies that a church will have 701 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:45,960 Speaker 3: sort of for the process the category. The principle I 702 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:47,120 Speaker 3: think is as clear as day. 703 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:50,120 Speaker 2: Marshall, what do you say about And I agree, Alex, 704 00:37:50,239 --> 00:37:53,080 Speaker 2: what do you say? What's another another piece of the 705 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:53,880 Speaker 2: Bible you could go to? 706 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:55,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, well, if you want to stay with 707 00:37:55,560 --> 00:37:58,600 Speaker 4: Paul's Letters to the Corinthians Second Corinthian, Chapter two, he's 708 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:01,840 Speaker 4: talking about another judgment case, maybe even the same one 709 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:05,480 Speaker 4: talks about the punishment by the majority is enough. Who's 710 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:08,360 Speaker 4: counted as the majority. There's an idea of who's recognized 711 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:10,800 Speaker 4: in that. The one I always go to is Hebrews thirteen. 712 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:15,279 Speaker 4: Just as a pastor, thirteen seventeen obey your leaders, so 713 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:18,600 Speaker 4: there's a recognition that you've made them your leaders, your elders, 714 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:19,360 Speaker 4: your pastors. 715 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:21,840 Speaker 1: And then it says that they have to give an 716 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:22,719 Speaker 1: account for your soul. 717 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:24,520 Speaker 4: So as a pastor, I want to know who I 718 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:26,680 Speaker 4: have to stand before God one day and he's going 719 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:28,719 Speaker 4: to say, I put them under your care. 720 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:32,439 Speaker 1: You're held responsible for them. So there's those. 721 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:34,440 Speaker 4: And then one that I didn't realize until I started 722 00:38:34,440 --> 00:38:37,920 Speaker 4: preaching through the book was in Paul's letter to Philemen. 723 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:43,800 Speaker 4: It's a very personal letter to Philemen about another brother 724 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:47,839 Speaker 4: in Christ, Onisimus, and their reconciling relationship. But he addresses 725 00:38:47,880 --> 00:38:51,759 Speaker 4: the letter even though it's very personal, he addresses the 726 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,800 Speaker 4: letter to the church. And I think that's in part 727 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:57,880 Speaker 4: because they're supposed to hold these two guys accountable to 728 00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:01,640 Speaker 4: what Paul's encouraging them to. I'd never noticed that Paul 729 00:39:01,719 --> 00:39:03,560 Speaker 4: writes to the church in that letter, but I think 730 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:05,480 Speaker 4: he does it with the purpose because everything he says 731 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:07,720 Speaker 4: in the letter is directed specifically to those two guys. 732 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:12,200 Speaker 3: So are you going to start see seeing uh your church, 733 00:39:12,320 --> 00:39:15,759 Speaker 3: Georgetown Baptist Church. To all of your correspondence about people 734 00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:16,600 Speaker 3: getting along. 735 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:21,319 Speaker 1: We already do, we already do No, we do not 736 00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:23,399 Speaker 1: do that. Just for clarity, we do not do that. 737 00:39:25,600 --> 00:39:27,200 Speaker 1: But I think those would be some of them. 738 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:31,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, there's even the metaphor, even the metaphors or scripture 739 00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:33,560 Speaker 3: don't make a ton of sense. I mean, a body 740 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:38,279 Speaker 3: is a it's a it's a it's it's He's using 741 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:42,640 Speaker 3: metaphors that sort of highlight the kind of interconnected intimacy 742 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:46,239 Speaker 3: of the various parts. Uh, he's he's he's using, you know, 743 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:49,000 Speaker 3: the metaphor of family. He's using the metaphor of building, 744 00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:53,160 Speaker 3: which has this interconnected intimacy. One part can't have one 745 00:39:53,160 --> 00:39:55,959 Speaker 3: part without the other. Those don't make it. It doesn't 746 00:39:56,000 --> 00:39:57,799 Speaker 3: make a ton of sense. If if there's not a 747 00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:02,520 Speaker 3: definable I know where my body stop stops and another 748 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:04,919 Speaker 3: person's body is I know where that building like, they're 749 00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:08,200 Speaker 3: just concrete images that don't make sense without some kind 750 00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:10,000 Speaker 3: of structure to support them. 751 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:13,920 Speaker 2: Would you see in the Bible? Would you think that 752 00:40:14,080 --> 00:40:18,480 Speaker 2: I could on my own, outside of any church, Yeah, 753 00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:23,080 Speaker 2: plant my own church. Would that be biblical? Oh? Would 754 00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:23,319 Speaker 2: that be? 755 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:27,719 Speaker 3: That's a good question. I think I would say you 756 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:31,319 Speaker 3: can do it. It's probably not wise to do it 757 00:40:32,239 --> 00:40:35,120 Speaker 3: that way, uh, in part because of you know, I'm 758 00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:37,480 Speaker 3: thinking of Acts thirteen and fourteen, where you know, a 759 00:40:37,640 --> 00:40:41,279 Speaker 3: church is gathering to send out Paul and barnabas Uh 760 00:40:41,320 --> 00:40:43,640 Speaker 3: to do the work, which means that the church is 761 00:40:43,719 --> 00:40:47,759 Speaker 3: recognize those two men as equipped to do that work. So, 762 00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:51,439 Speaker 3: you know, I think if you're planning to do what 763 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:53,440 Speaker 3: greater you just described. 764 00:40:53,680 --> 00:40:54,680 Speaker 2: I'm not planning to do. 765 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:56,799 Speaker 3: I know, but it's possible you would end up in 766 00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,320 Speaker 3: a church. More likely you would end up in a cult, 767 00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:03,600 Speaker 3: just just the way that goes. Frankly, so many have 768 00:41:03,719 --> 00:41:05,920 Speaker 3: tried to do what you're pointing, and that's why we 769 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:09,080 Speaker 3: have all sorts of cults in the world. 770 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:12,840 Speaker 2: That's another podcast for another time, and a fascinating thought. 771 00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:17,799 Speaker 2: Acts six as another time that the first deacons, as 772 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:20,359 Speaker 2: we think that they come through the church, through the 773 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:25,759 Speaker 2: decision of the church. If it wasn't defined who the 774 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:29,360 Speaker 2: church was, how in the world would you appoint deacons? 775 00:41:31,040 --> 00:41:33,560 Speaker 2: Why would you want why would you risk having an outsider? 776 00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:37,000 Speaker 2: Perhaps that just happens to be attending the gathering the 777 00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:40,280 Speaker 2: last few times you've gathered, and now they're the ones 778 00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:45,640 Speaker 2: also in on this decision to appoint deacons, even worse elders. 779 00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:48,759 Speaker 2: That is a that is a scary thought. Okay, so 780 00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:53,480 Speaker 2: you walk into church. The pastor is now preaching, and 781 00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:56,799 Speaker 2: we have an idea of what it would look like 782 00:41:56,840 --> 00:42:00,720 Speaker 2: to be preaching that making the point of the sermon, 783 00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:04,760 Speaker 2: the point of the text. Yeah, and then we also 784 00:42:04,840 --> 00:42:08,120 Speaker 2: see that there is a difference between us as the newcomer. 785 00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:10,880 Speaker 2: This is not in a bad way, but as a newcomer. 786 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:15,520 Speaker 2: There we're looking into a family. We're outside the family, 787 00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:17,640 Speaker 2: and we look into the family and we see that 788 00:42:17,719 --> 00:42:21,040 Speaker 2: they they operate as a unit. They love each other, 789 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:25,799 Speaker 2: they're encouraging one and another, they're holding each other accountable. 790 00:42:26,239 --> 00:42:29,600 Speaker 2: And so now we're we're where where do we go now? 791 00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:32,160 Speaker 2: In in our outside view of this church? 792 00:42:33,280 --> 00:42:36,600 Speaker 3: Oh man, I love the extended metaphor that you're asking 793 00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:40,800 Speaker 3: us to do with this. Uh, it's it's it's stretching 794 00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:45,719 Speaker 3: my brain. I think you would just you would probably 795 00:42:45,719 --> 00:42:50,480 Speaker 3: try to listen to like, okay, like the music. Are 796 00:42:50,480 --> 00:42:53,560 Speaker 3: they are they basically just doing are they? I mean again, 797 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:56,799 Speaker 3: here we are. I'm gonna use a fancy phrase. It's 798 00:42:56,880 --> 00:42:59,719 Speaker 3: it's it's what sometimes Christians have called regulative principle. In 799 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:02,360 Speaker 3: other words, are they are they doing the things in 800 00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:07,560 Speaker 3: the gathering that the that the Bible uh prescribes? Or 801 00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:09,719 Speaker 3: are they doing the things in the Bible that the 802 00:43:09,719 --> 00:43:12,319 Speaker 3: Bible prescribes and other stuff that they also want to do? 803 00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:14,279 Speaker 3: So for example, I one time went to a church 804 00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:18,760 Speaker 3: in Manhattan, Uh, I will I will keep the guilty 805 00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:22,600 Speaker 3: anonymous that had a comedy set in the middle of 806 00:43:22,719 --> 00:43:26,040 Speaker 3: the gathering right before the sermon because one of the 807 00:43:26,080 --> 00:43:29,000 Speaker 3: members is I guess a working comedian and wanted to 808 00:43:29,000 --> 00:43:35,319 Speaker 3: bless the church. You know, So I would say, you know, 809 00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:39,759 Speaker 3: well intended, but maybe ill advised. Uh. In other words, 810 00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:42,560 Speaker 3: I want, I want to worship the Lord. You know, 811 00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:44,560 Speaker 3: if we're if we're gonna, if we're gonna constrain the 812 00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:47,600 Speaker 3: consciences of Christians to come to church, which we should. 813 00:43:47,680 --> 00:43:51,959 Speaker 3: Christians should come to church generally speaking, so we when 814 00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:54,120 Speaker 3: they get there, we should only ask of them to 815 00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:56,799 Speaker 3: do what the Bible asks of them to do, which 816 00:43:56,840 --> 00:44:00,160 Speaker 3: is to hear the word, sing to one another, right 817 00:44:00,239 --> 00:44:03,160 Speaker 3: to one another, give attention to the public reading of scripture, 818 00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:07,040 Speaker 3: and to take the supper and do baptism, uh when 819 00:44:07,040 --> 00:44:10,319 Speaker 3: it's appropriate. So I think, I think if a church 820 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:14,879 Speaker 3: is really excited about those things, you're on pretty you're 821 00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:18,480 Speaker 3: on pretty level footing, pretty steady footing. Uh. If the 822 00:44:18,560 --> 00:44:22,160 Speaker 3: church is really excited about what makes them unique relative 823 00:44:22,200 --> 00:44:25,040 Speaker 3: to two thousand years of church history, I might get 824 00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:28,400 Speaker 3: a little nervous because what this is not me, but 825 00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:30,680 Speaker 3: it's it's you know, a guy we all respect. Mark 826 00:44:30,719 --> 00:44:33,719 Speaker 3: has said before, what what's most important about a church 827 00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:36,239 Speaker 3: is actually what it shares in common with every true 828 00:44:36,280 --> 00:44:37,279 Speaker 3: church that's come before it. 829 00:44:37,520 --> 00:44:37,759 Speaker 2: Wow. 830 00:44:38,040 --> 00:44:41,320 Speaker 3: And so so if if if this church is constantly 831 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:44,400 Speaker 3: talking about what makes it it, or its mission or 832 00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:47,520 Speaker 3: it's accomplishing of a certain mission unique, I'm just gonna 833 00:44:47,520 --> 00:44:50,960 Speaker 3: get a little nervous because because that man, that stuff 834 00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:53,799 Speaker 3: just burns out, It just burns out. I want, I 835 00:44:53,840 --> 00:44:58,279 Speaker 3: want ordinary, steady ministry that's just going to try to 836 00:44:58,400 --> 00:45:01,480 Speaker 3: pour in the concrete we after week Sunday after Sunday. 837 00:45:01,960 --> 00:45:05,640 Speaker 2: Uh, there's your definition that now you've now you've given 838 00:45:05,719 --> 00:45:08,520 Speaker 2: us a definition ordinary it is. 839 00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:11,839 Speaker 3: That's hard to suss out. It is. It's it's hard 840 00:45:11,880 --> 00:45:12,399 Speaker 3: to suss out. 841 00:45:12,440 --> 00:45:14,239 Speaker 2: And we have to have to say this all the time. 842 00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:17,759 Speaker 2: We're not talking about small is better. We're not talking 843 00:45:18,040 --> 00:45:19,319 Speaker 2: we're not talking about big as bad. 844 00:45:20,120 --> 00:45:22,399 Speaker 3: I mean, the church in dubaias six hundred people. It's 845 00:45:22,440 --> 00:45:25,719 Speaker 3: not small, it's but it's it's very big by the 846 00:45:25,920 --> 00:45:28,800 Speaker 3: standard size of churches. You know. I think the problem 847 00:45:28,840 --> 00:45:30,759 Speaker 3: is when you as the church gets bigger, if it's 848 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:34,520 Speaker 3: not committed to the principles we've described, it's almost impossible 849 00:45:34,560 --> 00:45:37,400 Speaker 3: to it's it's impossible to get that like you know, 850 00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:40,680 Speaker 3: that thing back in the bottle. It's really really hard. 851 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:45,799 Speaker 2: Is there anything we're missing walking to a church? If 852 00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:47,520 Speaker 2: you if you could sign up, if there's a sign 853 00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:51,080 Speaker 2: up list for baptism that day, it's probably probably. 854 00:45:50,800 --> 00:45:52,360 Speaker 3: Are you really going to ask me to speak on this? 855 00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:58,359 Speaker 2: Probably probably to me when you know I'm not gonna 856 00:45:58,360 --> 00:45:59,719 Speaker 2: I'm not going to put your feet at the fire 857 00:45:59,760 --> 00:46:03,080 Speaker 2: on that. But but I would say that's kind of 858 00:46:03,120 --> 00:46:06,040 Speaker 2: a that's kind of practical, Like, that's just we could 859 00:46:06,080 --> 00:46:09,160 Speaker 2: kind of think that with what we've established so far 860 00:46:09,200 --> 00:46:10,000 Speaker 2: in this podcast. 861 00:46:11,480 --> 00:46:15,840 Speaker 3: I mean, if you a Baptis, yeah, you could do 862 00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:17,759 Speaker 3: it as long as you brought them into membership and 863 00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:21,480 Speaker 3: we're willing to keep those people, uh, you know, to 864 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:24,680 Speaker 3: forge for another words, for that moment to be forging 865 00:46:24,719 --> 00:46:28,440 Speaker 3: a meaningful relationship with that person and not a meaningful 866 00:46:28,440 --> 00:46:31,600 Speaker 3: moment with that person. Uh, that's great, that's what. 867 00:46:32,440 --> 00:46:34,640 Speaker 2: That's great. What would take that right there and put 868 00:46:34,680 --> 00:46:41,880 Speaker 2: it onto my Instagram? That's good? What do we, Marshall 869 00:46:41,840 --> 00:46:42,319 Speaker 2: and I have done? 870 00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:47,000 Speaker 3: Me fruch of the spirit, truch of the spirit, godliness, kindness. 871 00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:50,440 Speaker 3: I think I think sometimes we can get really excited 872 00:46:50,560 --> 00:46:53,640 Speaker 3: when I first became, you know, persuaded by some of 873 00:46:53,680 --> 00:46:57,319 Speaker 3: these things, like like I began, you can almost think 874 00:46:57,360 --> 00:47:00,160 Speaker 3: like the point of of of the Christian life is 875 00:47:00,160 --> 00:47:03,200 Speaker 3: to grow in theological knowledge. And I think I think 876 00:47:03,200 --> 00:47:06,640 Speaker 3: it's it's the Pharisees who would say that who was 877 00:47:06,840 --> 00:47:10,360 Speaker 3: who was who was most interested in accruing biblical in 878 00:47:10,400 --> 00:47:13,880 Speaker 3: their minds scriptural data sounds like a pharisee a Christian 879 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:16,919 Speaker 3: is most is most interested in growing in the fruits 880 00:47:16,960 --> 00:47:20,000 Speaker 3: of the spirit. Now, I believe that we grow in 881 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:22,200 Speaker 3: the fruits of the spirit by it through our attention 882 00:47:22,280 --> 00:47:24,600 Speaker 3: to God's word, so that, in other words, the relationship 883 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:28,279 Speaker 3: is inter it's it's interconnected. As we learn more of 884 00:47:28,360 --> 00:47:31,239 Speaker 3: the God's Word with the appropriate you know, posture, we 885 00:47:31,320 --> 00:47:33,560 Speaker 3: grow in the fruits of the spirit. And so I think, 886 00:47:33,680 --> 00:47:36,040 Speaker 3: I think, I really really don't want a church that's 887 00:47:36,120 --> 00:47:41,640 Speaker 3: constantly trying to differentiate itself, like in like proud ways 888 00:47:41,680 --> 00:47:44,960 Speaker 3: from other churches, you know, like where you got these 889 00:47:44,960 --> 00:47:46,640 Speaker 3: people doing that, these people that well we're doing this 890 00:47:46,800 --> 00:47:49,600 Speaker 3: like that. That strikes me a pride. I don't I 891 00:47:49,640 --> 00:47:55,000 Speaker 3: really want to do that. I'm just rambling, I think. 892 00:47:55,880 --> 00:48:01,799 Speaker 2: So my my hope is that I don't have to 893 00:48:01,880 --> 00:48:04,759 Speaker 2: answer the direct question, Hey, Granger, can you help me 894 00:48:04,800 --> 00:48:07,799 Speaker 2: find a good church in my area. I'm happy to 895 00:48:07,840 --> 00:48:11,040 Speaker 2: do that. Marshall is happy to do that. But what 896 00:48:11,040 --> 00:48:15,839 Speaker 2: I would rather do is have the listener develop an 897 00:48:15,880 --> 00:48:19,040 Speaker 2: idea so that they could look for themselves, and they 898 00:48:19,120 --> 00:48:20,960 Speaker 2: could go around town and they could pop in a 899 00:48:21,040 --> 00:48:24,399 Speaker 2: church and they could go, Okay, what are what are 900 00:48:24,440 --> 00:48:28,200 Speaker 2: some practical fundamental biblical principles I should be looking for 901 00:48:28,280 --> 00:48:30,680 Speaker 2: in this church, and they could see something, and they 902 00:48:30,680 --> 00:48:35,120 Speaker 2: could they could be encouraged by something that would make 903 00:48:35,200 --> 00:48:38,040 Speaker 2: our job a lot easier instead of going to you know, 904 00:48:38,160 --> 00:48:40,360 Speaker 2: looking at their town and looking at Des Moines, Iowa 905 00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:43,799 Speaker 2: and doing a church search in the in the radius. 906 00:48:44,600 --> 00:48:46,600 Speaker 3: Yeah. So I wrote a little church questions book that 907 00:48:46,800 --> 00:48:48,399 Speaker 3: I was looking for a copy of but I can't 908 00:48:48,440 --> 00:48:50,400 Speaker 3: find it, called What Should I Look for in a Church? 909 00:48:50,840 --> 00:48:53,319 Speaker 2: I've given that out a bunch. It's a great little thing. 910 00:48:53,320 --> 00:48:54,680 Speaker 2: You can get that on Amazon, by the way. 911 00:48:55,120 --> 00:48:57,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think I had three answers to it. I 912 00:48:57,160 --> 00:49:01,279 Speaker 3: can only remember too, but I'll summarize them here. It's 913 00:49:01,360 --> 00:49:03,760 Speaker 3: number one, look for a church that knows you're gonna die. 914 00:49:04,200 --> 00:49:08,040 Speaker 3: In other words, look for a church who understands that 915 00:49:08,120 --> 00:49:11,040 Speaker 3: the most important fact about you is that you're a 916 00:49:11,080 --> 00:49:13,080 Speaker 3: human being created in the image of God and whose 917 00:49:13,080 --> 00:49:15,879 Speaker 3: sin has broken that relationship with that God. And as 918 00:49:15,920 --> 00:49:18,240 Speaker 3: a result of that broken relationship, you were going to die. 919 00:49:19,160 --> 00:49:21,600 Speaker 3: And you need to do something about that before you die, 920 00:49:21,600 --> 00:49:23,239 Speaker 3: which is to put your faith and trust in the 921 00:49:23,280 --> 00:49:25,719 Speaker 3: risen Lord Jesus. Now, I'm not saying you should look 922 00:49:25,719 --> 00:49:28,080 Speaker 3: for a church that only cares about that stuff, but 923 00:49:28,560 --> 00:49:31,239 Speaker 3: they should care about that most of all. And you 924 00:49:31,280 --> 00:49:33,320 Speaker 3: will be able to tell that from the way they preach, 925 00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:35,440 Speaker 3: from the mission, from what they give their money to, 926 00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:38,560 Speaker 3: from the things they celebrate from the stage. That is 927 00:49:38,640 --> 00:49:41,920 Speaker 3: how like that is the most fundamental thing. The second 928 00:49:41,920 --> 00:49:43,760 Speaker 3: thing I remember, I think there were three, I remember 929 00:49:43,800 --> 00:49:46,680 Speaker 3: two is that look for a church that where the 930 00:49:46,719 --> 00:49:50,880 Speaker 3: Bible is not only for super serious super Christians. So 931 00:49:50,920 --> 00:49:53,480 Speaker 3: what I've noticed, s Granger, over time is I have 932 00:49:53,520 --> 00:49:57,440 Speaker 3: lots of friends who still attend the megachurch that I've 933 00:49:57,480 --> 00:49:59,160 Speaker 3: grown up in, and it has I think it has 934 00:49:59,239 --> 00:50:01,720 Speaker 3: departed more more over the years for making the Bible 935 00:50:01,800 --> 00:50:04,719 Speaker 3: the center of their gathering. But what I've noticed in 936 00:50:04,800 --> 00:50:08,799 Speaker 3: these situations, especially among my friends there, who are who 937 00:50:08,800 --> 00:50:12,560 Speaker 3: are themselves very mature, they're godly, they're mature, they're wise, 938 00:50:13,200 --> 00:50:17,160 Speaker 3: is that they have found ancillary or extra ministries in 939 00:50:17,200 --> 00:50:20,239 Speaker 3: that church where they get their Bible intake. So it's 940 00:50:20,320 --> 00:50:22,440 Speaker 3: it could be like you said, a Sunday morning Bible 941 00:50:22,440 --> 00:50:25,399 Speaker 3: Study or Sunday afternoon Bible Study or whatever, a small group. 942 00:50:25,440 --> 00:50:27,839 Speaker 3: It could be a Bible study, fellowship class, it could 943 00:50:27,840 --> 00:50:30,880 Speaker 3: be a Tuesday night men's group. And what happens is 944 00:50:30,880 --> 00:50:34,080 Speaker 3: that the sometimes not all the time, because God is merciful, 945 00:50:34,280 --> 00:50:37,560 Speaker 3: But what happens often in situations like that is that 946 00:50:37,600 --> 00:50:39,719 Speaker 3: when the Bible sort of loses its pride of place 947 00:50:39,760 --> 00:50:43,480 Speaker 3: in a main gathering, the serious Christians aren't going to 948 00:50:43,600 --> 00:50:47,360 Speaker 3: leave often, but they'll just find their biblical edification in 949 00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:52,520 Speaker 3: other places. And it kind of implicitly silently communicates well, 950 00:50:52,680 --> 00:50:55,719 Speaker 3: biblical like, really being serious about the Bible is kind 951 00:50:55,719 --> 00:50:57,800 Speaker 3: of just for people who want that added on to 952 00:50:57,880 --> 00:51:01,840 Speaker 3: the experience. We're giving them on Sunday more warning. And man, 953 00:51:02,040 --> 00:51:05,359 Speaker 3: that sets a church out for some really dangerous situations. 954 00:51:05,360 --> 00:51:07,000 Speaker 3: And you know, if we're going to pull back the 955 00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:10,319 Speaker 3: camera for thirty forty fifty years, it's just really really 956 00:51:10,360 --> 00:51:11,319 Speaker 3: not a healthy place to be. 957 00:51:11,680 --> 00:51:14,000 Speaker 2: Well, that's that must just be a Louisville thing, because 958 00:51:14,000 --> 00:51:15,360 Speaker 2: we don't have that problem in Texas. 959 00:51:17,480 --> 00:51:20,520 Speaker 3: Brother, Brother, I got two interns from Texas and I'm 960 00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:23,040 Speaker 3: exercising texts and ghosts from them all the time. It 961 00:51:23,080 --> 00:51:26,560 Speaker 3: is universal, not every church, not every church over you know, 962 00:51:26,560 --> 00:51:29,520 Speaker 3: a thousand people is you know, is is really bad? 963 00:51:29,560 --> 00:51:31,520 Speaker 3: You should probably be careful about saying that. 964 00:51:31,840 --> 00:51:34,680 Speaker 2: So no, it's it's universal. There you know a man, 965 00:51:34,719 --> 00:51:38,280 Speaker 2: the producer, he has plenty of stories sitting here, Marshall 966 00:51:38,280 --> 00:51:41,040 Speaker 2: has plenty of stories, and all of us have friends 967 00:51:41,040 --> 00:51:45,000 Speaker 2: in these situations. And and people listening, I would say 968 00:51:45,440 --> 00:51:48,040 Speaker 2: the high percentage of people that are that gather with 969 00:51:48,160 --> 00:51:53,040 Speaker 2: a local church. I think say, our small group is 970 00:51:53,040 --> 00:51:55,239 Speaker 2: where we get our Bible, our small group is where 971 00:51:55,280 --> 00:51:57,880 Speaker 2: we learn. A small group is where we disciple. And 972 00:51:57,920 --> 00:52:00,200 Speaker 2: I just want to Yeah, there's an interesting people. No, 973 00:52:00,280 --> 00:52:02,640 Speaker 2: there's an interesting interesting thing you said in the podcast, 974 00:52:02,760 --> 00:52:06,200 Speaker 2: or that the in the story of the guy who's 975 00:52:06,440 --> 00:52:08,880 Speaker 2: nobody from his small group showed up to his funeral. 976 00:52:09,000 --> 00:52:12,279 Speaker 2: You remember that, Yeah, a little tea. Yeah, there's an 977 00:52:12,320 --> 00:52:16,040 Speaker 2: intimacy that's actually lost in the small group that you 978 00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:19,239 Speaker 2: get from the gathering. I hadn't really even thought that 979 00:52:19,560 --> 00:52:22,160 Speaker 2: there would be less intimacy until I heard it in 980 00:52:22,200 --> 00:52:22,800 Speaker 2: your podcast. 981 00:52:23,640 --> 00:52:25,840 Speaker 3: Yeah. Well, and I just want to say to the listeners, 982 00:52:26,200 --> 00:52:28,480 Speaker 3: who cares what Alex says? I mean, who cares what 983 00:52:28,520 --> 00:52:29,160 Speaker 3: Granger says? 984 00:52:29,239 --> 00:52:29,399 Speaker 2: Yeah? 985 00:52:29,400 --> 00:52:33,360 Speaker 3: That's true, definitely, who cares what Marshall says? Uh? And 986 00:52:33,360 --> 00:52:37,239 Speaker 3: And I'm like test the scriptures, brothers and sisters, ye, like, like, 987 00:52:37,640 --> 00:52:40,520 Speaker 3: see what the scriptures say? Are we are we fairly 988 00:52:40,600 --> 00:52:44,719 Speaker 3: representing them? Or are we not? Like that's the most 989 00:52:44,719 --> 00:52:47,600 Speaker 3: important thing. And and I think we we can stand 990 00:52:47,640 --> 00:52:51,239 Speaker 3: on scripture, and perhaps you can too, But the conversation 991 00:52:51,320 --> 00:52:55,520 Speaker 3: should not be about feelings or vibes or opinions per se. 992 00:52:55,560 --> 00:52:58,560 Speaker 3: But what what do the what do the scriptures say? 993 00:52:58,719 --> 00:53:01,239 Speaker 3: What does the Lord himself hold out as normal for 994 00:53:01,239 --> 00:53:02,120 Speaker 3: the Christian life? 995 00:53:03,320 --> 00:53:06,399 Speaker 2: That's so good, man, I think that's I think that's 996 00:53:06,440 --> 00:53:09,120 Speaker 2: a pretty good picture. And I appreciate your time to 997 00:53:09,120 --> 00:53:10,520 Speaker 2: be on here. I know you're you're a busy guy 998 00:53:10,560 --> 00:53:13,640 Speaker 2: on YouTube, Marshall, but I think that's a pretty good 999 00:53:13,640 --> 00:53:16,359 Speaker 2: picture that we could probably actually even continue another time, 1000 00:53:16,400 --> 00:53:19,279 Speaker 2: if you'd be willing to build especially, we could we 1001 00:53:19,320 --> 00:53:21,400 Speaker 2: could take this look at some of the comments on 1002 00:53:21,440 --> 00:53:23,200 Speaker 2: it and see if we if we had any blind 1003 00:53:23,200 --> 00:53:27,960 Speaker 2: spots so that someone could literally go to their local 1004 00:53:28,000 --> 00:53:32,000 Speaker 2: church down the road on this coming Sunday and walk 1005 00:53:32,000 --> 00:53:34,560 Speaker 2: in there with with a few things in their mind 1006 00:53:34,560 --> 00:53:37,760 Speaker 2: to be thinking through. And it's certainly not what feels 1007 00:53:37,800 --> 00:53:40,719 Speaker 2: good and what sounds good and what you know, what 1008 00:53:40,760 --> 00:53:43,200 Speaker 2: makes what? What uplifts me in a in a in 1009 00:53:43,239 --> 00:53:47,680 Speaker 2: a kind of a central type way. But I think 1010 00:53:47,719 --> 00:53:50,759 Speaker 2: this has given some tools and I then I want 1011 00:53:50,760 --> 00:53:53,480 Speaker 2: to say one more thing. Yeah, this book here, this 1012 00:53:53,520 --> 00:53:57,520 Speaker 2: is a pretty awesome book called From Eden to Egypt. 1013 00:53:59,640 --> 00:54:02,280 Speaker 2: I have a copy. I'm one of the first problems. 1014 00:54:02,280 --> 00:54:05,200 Speaker 2: Hopefully I'm one of the first. But this man, can 1015 00:54:05,200 --> 00:54:09,360 Speaker 2: you tell me when this podcast will release? Do you know? 1016 00:54:09,400 --> 00:54:13,000 Speaker 2: Off the top of your head? So I think we're 1017 00:54:13,040 --> 00:54:16,640 Speaker 2: pretty close to April fifteenth. This book is out. If 1018 00:54:16,640 --> 00:54:19,239 Speaker 2: it's before April fifteenth, I just checked and I just 1019 00:54:19,280 --> 00:54:22,279 Speaker 2: pre ordered it. You can get it on Amazon. But 1020 00:54:22,719 --> 00:54:27,640 Speaker 2: this is a guided tour of Genesis. Yeah, and you 1021 00:54:28,600 --> 00:54:28,960 Speaker 2: this is. 1022 00:54:28,960 --> 00:54:30,360 Speaker 3: Fuzy, something completely different. 1023 00:54:30,719 --> 00:54:33,960 Speaker 2: Let's go the everyday Christian, right, this is kind of 1024 00:54:34,120 --> 00:54:37,920 Speaker 2: this is what you're looking for. Yeah. Have you ever 1025 00:54:37,960 --> 00:54:40,640 Speaker 2: picked up a book that's supposed to help you understand 1026 00:54:40,680 --> 00:54:43,400 Speaker 2: the Bible but actually left you confused and even a 1027 00:54:43,400 --> 00:54:46,960 Speaker 2: little bit bored. It's okay, you could be honest, he says, 1028 00:54:47,239 --> 00:54:49,439 Speaker 2: if so, From Eden to Egypt is here to help. 1029 00:54:49,480 --> 00:54:53,160 Speaker 2: Genesis is a weird and beautiful masterpiece that raises all 1030 00:54:53,200 --> 00:54:56,560 Speaker 2: sorts of questions. Why are there so many genealogies? Why 1031 00:54:56,640 --> 00:55:00,720 Speaker 2: do heroes act like villains? Why do people keep sleeping 1032 00:55:00,719 --> 00:55:04,520 Speaker 2: with their relatives? Who are the Nephelim? And why do 1033 00:55:04,600 --> 00:55:07,640 Speaker 2: Abraham and random guy haggle about a price of a 1034 00:55:07,760 --> 00:55:13,040 Speaker 2: RinkyDink cave for a whole chapter? This is This is 1035 00:55:13,040 --> 00:55:17,200 Speaker 2: a beautiful book. And I got this from Marshall. Marshall 1036 00:55:17,239 --> 00:55:19,200 Speaker 2: sent this to me from you and I was able 1037 00:55:19,200 --> 00:55:21,680 Speaker 2: to take a look at it in the PDF form 1038 00:55:21,680 --> 00:55:25,160 Speaker 2: before it was even a book. And man, what a 1039 00:55:25,200 --> 00:55:29,560 Speaker 2: cool thing for a Christian listening. Not not We're not 1040 00:55:29,600 --> 00:55:33,160 Speaker 2: talking about pastors or Bible teachers. We're just talking about 1041 00:55:33,880 --> 00:55:36,160 Speaker 2: a guy or a girl that's interested in reading their 1042 00:55:36,200 --> 00:55:40,279 Speaker 2: Bible and they're reading through Genesis and they kind of 1043 00:55:40,600 --> 00:55:43,880 Speaker 2: use this and and read along with it, and it's 1044 00:55:44,120 --> 00:55:49,360 Speaker 2: spoken with everyday language. In fact, in chapter one, the 1045 00:55:49,520 --> 00:55:54,399 Speaker 2: quote the quote on chapter one says you complete being 1046 00:55:54,480 --> 00:55:59,839 Speaker 2: Jerry McGuire, Yeah, actually says Jerry comment Jerry McGuire, Yeah. 1047 00:56:00,040 --> 00:56:02,560 Speaker 3: Thought I thought the editors were gonna you know, part 1048 00:56:02,600 --> 00:56:04,960 Speaker 3: of me. I had like that. The other night. I 1049 00:56:04,960 --> 00:56:08,239 Speaker 3: couldn't sleep and I was thinking to myself, did I 1050 00:56:08,320 --> 00:56:10,520 Speaker 3: quote too many movies that are going to like cause 1051 00:56:10,560 --> 00:56:11,400 Speaker 3: people to stumble? 1052 00:56:12,520 --> 00:56:15,920 Speaker 2: Chapter two, Snakes? Why does it have to be snakes? 1053 00:56:16,000 --> 00:56:19,920 Speaker 2: Indiana Jones Raiders are all start. I think it's awesome. Man, 1054 00:56:20,000 --> 00:56:23,719 Speaker 2: it's it's uh, it's it's it's helpful, and there's I mean, 1055 00:56:24,520 --> 00:56:28,759 Speaker 2: the movie quotes are to supplement, not to not to 1056 00:56:28,760 --> 00:56:31,440 Speaker 2: make you stumble by any by any means. But I was, 1057 00:56:31,880 --> 00:56:36,160 Speaker 2: I was helped by this, and I probably shouldn't say 1058 00:56:36,160 --> 00:56:37,880 Speaker 2: what I'm about to say, but I'm about to say it. 1059 00:56:39,000 --> 00:56:43,040 Speaker 2: Now you're working on Exodus. Oh bro, never mind, I 1060 00:56:43,080 --> 00:56:44,160 Speaker 2: mean I was just saying. 1061 00:56:44,160 --> 00:56:47,279 Speaker 3: I didn't say that I'm supposed to be. If you're 1062 00:56:47,320 --> 00:56:50,920 Speaker 3: listening to this Zondervan, I'm sorry. 1063 00:56:51,480 --> 00:56:55,560 Speaker 2: Yeah. Really cool. So Alex Duke from Eating to Egypt 1064 00:56:55,640 --> 00:56:59,440 Speaker 2: and then Storms in the Desert podcast. These are shorter 1065 00:56:59,560 --> 00:57:03,759 Speaker 2: episodes codes twenty to thirty five minutes each. There's five 1066 00:57:03,800 --> 00:57:06,160 Speaker 2: of them, and they're actually really entertaining. So if you're 1067 00:57:06,160 --> 00:57:09,600 Speaker 2: on a road trip with your family or maybe commuting 1068 00:57:09,600 --> 00:57:11,600 Speaker 2: to work. Everyone has some kind of commute to work. 1069 00:57:12,120 --> 00:57:13,919 Speaker 2: Pop this in. Don't listen to it on one point 1070 00:57:13,960 --> 00:57:16,160 Speaker 2: seventy five. Ant Man makes fun of me for doing that. 1071 00:57:16,920 --> 00:57:19,240 Speaker 2: Listen to it in one speed that would be much better. 1072 00:57:19,520 --> 00:57:21,960 Speaker 2: But listen to Storms in the Desert and then if 1073 00:57:22,000 --> 00:57:25,120 Speaker 2: that raises up questions, great, I think that that would 1074 00:57:25,120 --> 00:57:27,760 Speaker 2: be amazing if it if it brought out some questions, 1075 00:57:28,640 --> 00:57:30,440 Speaker 2: and then I guess you could go to Bible Talk, 1076 00:57:30,480 --> 00:57:33,560 Speaker 2: your other podcast. You can go to Bible Talk and 1077 00:57:33,720 --> 00:57:39,400 Speaker 2: fill in some of the blanks, right, you could. 1078 00:57:39,160 --> 00:57:39,640 Speaker 1: Do all that. 1079 00:57:40,600 --> 00:57:43,200 Speaker 3: Most importantly, I'd love for you to do all that. 1080 00:57:43,640 --> 00:57:45,240 Speaker 3: But you know, the Lord is so kind to me. 1081 00:57:45,560 --> 00:57:47,680 Speaker 3: I would love for most of the people to listen 1082 00:57:47,720 --> 00:57:50,800 Speaker 3: to this, find a church that loves you, who's gonna 1083 00:57:50,840 --> 00:57:53,800 Speaker 3: lock arms with you until you get to glory, because 1084 00:57:53,800 --> 00:57:56,560 Speaker 3: that's what we all need. I mean, if my book 1085 00:57:56,640 --> 00:58:00,560 Speaker 3: is helpful, praise God. If Storm in the Desert is encouraging, 1086 00:58:00,960 --> 00:58:03,880 Speaker 3: praise God, get to work. If Bible Talk a podcast 1087 00:58:03,920 --> 00:58:07,440 Speaker 3: I do, is helpful, praise the Lord I am. I 1088 00:58:07,480 --> 00:58:10,440 Speaker 3: am blessed beyond you know, beyond belief. To get to 1089 00:58:10,440 --> 00:58:12,800 Speaker 3: do these things is you know, part of my life, 1090 00:58:12,800 --> 00:58:15,280 Speaker 3: the way I provide for my family. Uh So, I 1091 00:58:15,720 --> 00:58:19,000 Speaker 3: would be so honored if anybody, even one person picked 1092 00:58:19,000 --> 00:58:21,200 Speaker 3: it up, it be it'd be you know, it would 1093 00:58:21,280 --> 00:58:23,600 Speaker 3: make me thankful. But man, the main stuff we've been 1094 00:58:23,600 --> 00:58:26,080 Speaker 3: talking about so much more important than than little little 1095 00:58:26,080 --> 00:58:27,440 Speaker 3: additions I've made. 1096 00:58:27,280 --> 00:58:30,280 Speaker 2: The additions you've made I'll back you up for a second. 1097 00:58:30,280 --> 00:58:34,840 Speaker 2: The additions you've made all point towards getting people into 1098 00:58:34,840 --> 00:58:36,920 Speaker 2: that local church so that they can grow in their 1099 00:58:36,920 --> 00:58:39,760 Speaker 2: knowledge of the Lord together. And I hope so if 1100 00:58:39,760 --> 00:58:42,800 Speaker 2: it's very clear that these aren't like side projects that 1101 00:58:42,920 --> 00:58:45,880 Speaker 2: don't intersect or don't run parallel. They all of these 1102 00:58:45,920 --> 00:58:51,480 Speaker 2: things revolve around this, this same idea. And so yes, 1103 00:58:52,120 --> 00:58:54,160 Speaker 2: if anyone gets anything away from this podcast, we want 1104 00:58:54,160 --> 00:58:55,760 Speaker 2: them to be in a church that that they can 1105 00:58:55,800 --> 00:58:58,520 Speaker 2: gather with and that loves them and they grow together 1106 00:58:58,560 --> 00:59:00,680 Speaker 2: in the Lord. But what we've talking about for the 1107 00:59:00,720 --> 00:59:03,360 Speaker 2: last hour is how to identify what church does that? 1108 00:59:04,320 --> 00:59:04,400 Speaker 3: Right? 1109 00:59:05,280 --> 00:59:10,160 Speaker 2: That's the deal. You're right, bro, Thank you, man, I 1110 00:59:10,200 --> 00:59:10,680 Speaker 2: appreciate it. 1111 00:59:10,720 --> 00:59:13,000 Speaker 3: Thank you for the thank you for the invitation. It's 1112 00:59:13,120 --> 00:59:16,560 Speaker 3: it's truly an honor to get to to spend time 1113 00:59:16,600 --> 00:59:18,439 Speaker 3: with you. I'd be happy to do it any other time. 1114 00:59:18,800 --> 00:59:22,439 Speaker 3: It's good Marshall. I can't really see you, but you're 1115 00:59:22,440 --> 00:59:24,680 Speaker 3: just a floating head over there. You look you look lovely. 1116 00:59:24,880 --> 00:59:28,320 Speaker 3: Thanks and thanks for thanks for thanks for participating. And man, 1117 00:59:28,360 --> 00:59:29,400 Speaker 3: I don't even see you at all. 1118 00:59:29,800 --> 00:59:31,080 Speaker 2: He's working hard back here. 1119 00:59:31,120 --> 00:59:33,520 Speaker 3: With a name like that, you gotta be you got 1120 00:59:33,520 --> 00:59:35,760 Speaker 3: to be, you know, maybe a small guy who packs 1121 00:59:35,760 --> 00:59:36,360 Speaker 3: a big punch. 1122 00:59:36,480 --> 00:59:38,600 Speaker 2: So a man, and man does not go to our 1123 00:59:38,680 --> 00:59:40,120 Speaker 2: church in Mayis, but he is a He is a 1124 00:59:40,160 --> 00:59:42,800 Speaker 2: member of a like minded church on the other side 1125 00:59:42,840 --> 00:59:45,600 Speaker 2: of town about forty five minutes from us. 1126 00:59:45,680 --> 00:59:45,800 Speaker 1: You know. 1127 00:59:46,320 --> 00:59:49,720 Speaker 3: Wonderful. Yeah, well that's so good, guys. Keep up the 1128 00:59:49,720 --> 00:59:51,520 Speaker 3: good work. Granger You're a blessing man. Man. 1129 00:59:51,840 --> 00:59:52,760 Speaker 2: That's how I feel about you. 1130 00:59:52,800 --> 00:59:52,920 Speaker 1: Bro. 1131 00:59:53,080 --> 00:59:56,080 Speaker 2: Thank you. Thanks for joining me on the Grangersmith podcast. 1132 00:59:56,120 --> 00:59:58,600 Speaker 2: I appreciate all of you guys. You could help me 1133 00:59:58,640 --> 01:00:02,200 Speaker 2: out by rating this podcast on iTunes. If you're on YouTube, 1134 01:00:02,480 --> 01:00:05,680 Speaker 2: subscribe to this channel, hit that little like button and 1135 01:00:05,840 --> 01:00:09,560 Speaker 2: notification spell so that you never miss anytime I upload 1136 01:00:09,840 --> 01:00:10,440 Speaker 2: a video. 1137 01:00:11,000 --> 01:00:11,320 Speaker 3: Yigi