Episode 1
[EP 1] Growing in Christ w/ Isaiah Bryner
In this episode of the Authentic Podcast, Christian brings on guest Isaiah Bryner as they delve into the topic of growing in Christ. Isaiah's journey from self seeking to selfless show the awesome transformative power of Jesus!
Takeaways:
• Faith requires personal encounters with God and experiencing His presence.
• Following Jesus means walking on His words and relying on His faithfulness.
• Joy is not based on circumstances but on a deep relationship with Christ.
• Navigating contemporary issues requires humility, understanding, and seeking to know others' perspectives.
• Faith intersects with challenges when we rely on God's wisdom and guidance. Communicate truth in a helpful and edifying way.
• Have a solid foundation and relationship with Jesus to effectively share the gospel.
• Move beyond saying 'God bless you' and proclaim 'Jesus loves you.'
• Engage in conversations with non-believers, seeking to understand their stories and building trust.
• See people as beloved children of God and use spiritual gifts for edification and evangelism.
• Trust the process of maturing in Christ and His timing.
• Embrace the uniqueness and authenticity of each individual.
• Return to the first love and seek God's face.
• Seek unity in the body of Christ and depend on God.
• Simplify and depend on God in all things.
FOR HIS GLORY (Spotify):
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6NwbBlBRYHLbBEfFHhyH1x?si=Rw9vnfDPRCmsIfByidgplQ
MINISTRY WEBSITE:
https://linktr.ee/authenticpodcast
Transcript
Unknown
Pleasure to be here, man.
::Unknown
Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for the intro. Definitely better than I deserve, but appreciate. Yeah. Yeah. So my name is Isaiah Briner. I also go by like, a lot of people know me as like, and I'm currently studying as a student physical therapy student at a masai university or DPT program and as a fellow disciple of King Jesus. I have had the unique privilege of getting to know Him and making him known in the field of physical rehabilitation there music, even youth outreach and then through sport, like you said in wrestling at the collegiate level.
::Unknown
And yeah, despite being an introvert, I do wear my heart on my sleeve. And so I do I do have a big heart for relationships, for learning unity and enjoying the beauty of creation, specifically through the human body. It's absolutely amazing. I'm also a coffee lover, coffee and conversation like what we're having right now. Love it. But mean.
::Unknown
Yeah. So yeah, definitely. First shoutout to my dad. He taught me everything that I know and how to hit things rhythmically, So yeah, I know. He, yeah, he always talked about when he played the drums kind of emulating as you like, play the drums in the spirit, like emulate the heartbeat of God. And that has always stuck with me, even at a young age when I was learning from him.
::Unknown
So yeah, he does pray the drums for sure. And yeah, so yeah, my friend Mason, I met him in undergrad, like in college here at Messiah actually. And yeah, he just has a I mean, first of all, he loves Jesus. He loves you so much. I've learned a lot from him. He's like three years younger than me, but he has the wisdom of some that's been walking with the Lord for a long, long time.
::Unknown
Very humbled. Humbled. Do has a great passion, like a God given passion and talent. Passion and how it for music. And he's a he's a songwriter and just shreds on the guitar and so and he's just got this big dream man dream to make the Lord known through music and to just kind of tap into the beauty of that and just giving him all of the glory throughout that.
::Unknown
And we've seen the work work really miraculously through and just like provide opportunity after opportunity by just to do to like the music. So the band is for his glory. It's that's what it's called all caps for his glory and yeah, within the past month, month and a half, we were able to release two songs, which is really cool in of itself.
::Unknown
Just the opportunity to be able to record was kind of wild. So shout out to Nate Hopkins, who gave us the opportunity to produce and his We just love being a part of that with him because his heart, his ministry, to provide opportunity to people who would not be able to get it otherwise and providing affordable music production.
::Unknown
He's just phenomenal. He really is. So he has become a brother. Absolutely. But yeah, so we're on Spotify and probably some other platforms. I use Spotify, so that's all I know. And I joke around with him. I, I say that like now I'm just happy that I'm listening to music in my car. I can now cue up our music because I love his songs that he creates, you know, and yeah, and I'll probably just get to put it in my Spotify queue, right?
::Unknown
Yep. Nate Hopkins Yeah, that that's interesting that you say that too. I mean, you talk about like pastor being called to pastor, meaning Shepherd like shepherding the flock, sharing your body, encouraging the body. That's kind of what like the pastor does because like people can be called into a pastoral role, but not necessarily a preacher. You know, we often, you know, symbolize the two.
::Unknown
So, yeah, sure. Yeah. So in my youth, definitely Jesus was very present and prevalent and in the heart of a child and my parents being very faithful and following Jesus, even even when they were kind of new and what it means to walk with Jesus, they fell in love with him and pass that on to us and always had us pointing to the Lord, not to them.
::Unknown
I definitely obeying them, but ultimately seeking that. Your Heavenly Father, whether we knew what that entailed or not at the time being, that was always a very present value aspect in our in our household. So definitely, I mean, I believe in generational curses. I believe in generational blessing. And I've seen that in our family. And I know you can attest to that, and we'll probably get more customers to that I saw at some point.
::Unknown
But yeah, he has moved very moved a lot. And in our family, however, like, you know, life happens so or death happens rather in our in our life so definitely did not follow Jesus to middle school or high school or at least made the facade or lived the facade of of doing so either for the seeking acceptance from people rather, or just kind of living my own way and tagging God on it.
::Unknown
So I I'd say when I was 18 years old, the word of God changed my life around forever. The same words that I had read my entire life suddenly were saturated with life and truth because I opened my heart. I had come to a point saving you much like long story short. Yeah, come to a point where that was my.
::Unknown
That's my last straw. And I just needed truth spoken over so many lies I had let my mind and heart and I'm a very influenced person. I've noticed that by myself. So I can very easily buy into what is told of me or what lies creep in and what I can. And I will sit on that and reflect upon that.
::Unknown
But Jesus turned that around and conversely, very influenced by His Word and his truth. And it has changed my life forever. So the words of the Lord, the living Word of God, not just the I mean, the Bible is the Word of God, the holy inspired word. But like those words, man, they pierced the heart, they pierced the soul.
::Unknown
And yeah, learning what it means and like slowly learning and stumbling what it means with what it means to follow Jesus along the way. And he's so gracious, is so, so, so gracious within that. And yeah, the disciple aspect of it is very much transferring substituting what we think following Jesus looks like with what he says, regardless of our feelings.
::Unknown
I am a feeler. I guess so. But you have you have to choose his truth, whether you believe it in the moment or not. And it's the little things. It's the little daily things, the daily decisions. We think it's these big moments with God, you know, and they happen. They will him. He encourages us in that. But it's the little daily bits of faithfulness that add up and make those big moments worth it.
::Unknown
And it's it's it's it's all about falling in love with everything. I think Francis Chan once said, Everything changes when you fall in love every. And yeah, that's all I got to say about that. I'll also keep you off. And so you got to. I decided to begin again reading his word because. A Yeah, yeah. So I was not in that point in time beforehand but kind of was like, All right, this is the last straw.
::Unknown
This is kind of the last, you know, desperate attempt. And I know and yeah, again, shout out to two dad, because he was always, always had his nose in the word has always been a principal. And so that was just like all right well this is all that I know to do at this point in time. So let's give it a try and kind of a desperate cry to the Lord to to speak in some capacity.
::Unknown
So and people I don't know how no specific like all over the place. Probably the gospel of John. Yeah. Yeah. I mean really every really every page. Jesus is he is the binding that holds it all together. He really is. And you will begin to, he reveals to you his presence on every page. It's all about Jesus.
::Unknown
It's all about Jesus. My dad would always say, Keep it, Jesus, keep it is to the point where it's annoying. I keep it. You start, you start and you end with Christ and him crucified always. And it all makes so much. It all makes so much sense. And, you know, obviously you learn, you learn and you and you struggle and you wrestle with him.
::Unknown
But he'll win. When? Every time you wrestle with him. Yeah, we walk with a limb. We walk the Olympic pops our head up out of socket policy. So I had a lot of tendencies to isolate my myself, like being self-absorbed because pride doesn't always take the form of like, look at me, I'm all hot stuff kind of thing.
::Unknown
It can. It's also self-pity. Pride is also self. When you look, you know, you're very self-centered internally and isolate yourself can give kind of the appearance of like a false humility. And so I feel like what Jesus begin really uprooting that and he uprooted that in a very painful process, very much a coming to Jesus moment, quite literally.
::Unknown
But yeah, he he chastised me greatly with this and convicted me. Great. I guess that's when, you know, the spirit starts to really work through his word, is that he does convict his children and he chastises his children, but he does not hand them over to death. He wants us to enter into the life that he has. And so a lot of that for me looked like getting out of my comfort zone to commune and invest into people, which I wasn't super interested in before, unless it was for my gain.
::Unknown
And yeah, the more you stare at Jesus, you see, it is not require anything in return. He gives, he gave and poured out even to death on the cross. So how like learning to die daily. I didn't sign up for that when I use it. Dying daily, waking up and dying.
::Unknown
But that is where life is truly found. Seed being poured underneath us. So like we might need to get covered up first in order to die so that real life can actually flow out of this. The seed that he has now planted. So yeah, definitely a rough time. But it was it was always it was always worth and and only the glory could be given unto him because it was no longer me, because I'm pretty hard on myself, like a performer kind of mentality at times, especially when wanting to follow Jesus and be zealous for, for Jesus.
::Unknown
Like I'm, I desire that. So I'm going to work toward it and but he wants us to rely and and to depend on him fully, fully and that's just like a foreign concept in the way of the world. So kind of transitioning from how the world thinks to how, you know, what the kingdom is like, it's upside down.
::Unknown
It's an upside down kingdom. And adjusting to that is how I was. I guess I struggle, I say adventure. I say it's an adventure. Yeah. So, I mean, that's yeah, yeah, yeah. And certainly certainly a daily battle for sure. Like it's a it's why the sun rises and sets every single day. It is a decision to be made every day.
::Unknown
And so definitely not perfect or completely sanctified. But like, like you said, seeded with Christ, we depend on him within that so that he can get all the glory. And are we like we it's not us. yeah. Finally achieved that selflessness right. Got that notch in my belt. But he in our weakness he is made strong so he will humble us if you know when need be.
::Unknown
Yeah. And and do straight up. Could not like I have to say this I really need to if it were not for the people that he had placed in my life one for mentoring I just for pouring in pouring into my life that just and then also random people he would just set along my journey and path like it just would not be possible.
::Unknown
He made that truth of needing community needing a body very real, tangibly, not just something he was teaching me and my mind and heart. He he made it happen. And so yeah, whether it was spiritual mentors throughout college, whether it was family members like and my and my brother in law, Johnny, really teach me what it meant to and listen to other people's stories and kind of listen to other people's points of views.
::Unknown
Didn't realize how brainwashed and not the right word or just channeled in thinking I was in group, whether it's groups of people or just different ideologies or mindsets, or even just certain beliefs, like taking the time to try to understand. And so I couldn't do that without. And we and, you know, he struggled and wrestled with me throughout all that and our times together as he has given me employment to at times and and a place to live like he poured in and poured out in that way.
::Unknown
So definitely indebted greatly to him. And there's other people and you especially me, you know, not to butter you up too much, but yeah, just the constant leaking of Christ out of every pore of your body is it's exciting. That's why I'm so glad to be here, there. And, and my friends did too. why were I brothers?
::Unknown
Yeah, I can do without. I love him a lot. Just doing life. Doing life. People. And I'll even add I'll add something to that. Something that my sister Leah taught me. She's my little sister. She. She's not so little anymore. She's like 21 now. Who I think anyway, taller than me, that I was basically my big sister. But now she something she would always say is like love trusts and she kind of dives into that.
::Unknown
Like, since love is a risk, it is true love. It's a risk. So when you go to love somebody, you are giving them the benefit of the doubt. You're they might desert your trust, they might hurt you, but you're going to do it. You're going to love first regardless. And because that's what Jesus did and she would always tie back to Jesus being like we love because he first loved us and he took a chance on us knowing full well we were going to desert him, knowing full well we were going to spit in his face, knowing full well we were going to, you know, desert him and and cheat on him.
::Unknown
But he took that chance and he know. So that's I say that because I know a lot of people, even those listening, might have a lot of hurt, whether it's from the church or from somebody who misrepresented Jesus. I do want to say like, I'm sorry if somebody misrepresented Jesus to you, but you can get it from the source.
::Unknown
You can get it from the source. You know. I heard this saying somewhere, I wish I remember he said it. But like, who do you blame when somebody plays a piece of Beethoven incorrectly? Plays it wrong? Who? Who? Yeah, obviously. But no, you, you. It's the person that was botching it up. Right. And so. So if somebody messed up Jesus for you or misrepresented him, like, I know it is a journey, it's, it's, it's not going to be easy.
::Unknown
And maybe you don't step foot in a church right away, but there is a body of Christ that does want to serve you and and but it might be a risk. You might have to trust people again. And I understand definitely like I have trust issues sometimes. Sometimes like with people because you it does take vulnerability is a risk, but it is a risk worth taking because he took that risk first.
::Unknown
And you will taste and you will see that he is good and there's no other love like his. So sorry, I just had a further look. Our buddy right here at about 487, ma'am, and keeping tabs. So you better watch your back if I'm all here for it. Man. And you follow Jesus, you don't follow a pastor. You don't follow up.
::Unknown
You follow Jesus, and you will know the people that are following Jesus because they're the ones humble enough to say, you follow me as I follow Jesus. So if I find a disciple or find him because, you know, hey, like I used to think, you know, now that I'm with Jesus, like it's me and Jesus, he's all I need.
::Unknown
People. They're faulty. You know, I'm going to I'm going to trust in. I just can trust in Jesus. He made it for community. Maybe it is for community. And so he's like, Hey, look, I choose to work through people. I don't have to. He doesn't have to use us. He chooses to work through people so that he gets the praise, he gets the honor from his creation.
::Unknown
And so that's how we decided to do it. So you got to buy in. You got to buy and say, okay, fine, I'll give people a chance even if I do get hurt. But hopefully you get plugged in with somebody who wants the best for you in Christ and will point you to Christ ultimately, because even when they fail, because they will be when you follow, they will you can still point to your Heavenly Father who all failed.
::Unknown
So yeah, and it's a it's a it's a process. It's a journey. But with the body, man. And you. Wow. Yeah. That's it. Probably the most. Yeah, there are so many. But the, the one I think that I can certainly relate to the most but also challenges me a lot. Is it? I guess it's more of a story, but it's from John 666 to 69.
::Unknown
I'll read it right now. I have it open, so says and so just some context. This is when Jesus was explained to his multitude of disciples. He had like a lot, you know, at this point people were listening to him and following him and he talks about how he is the bread and how you must eat of my body and drink my blood and the things that he was saying, the words of truth that Jesus was speaking became really uncomfy, became really weird.
::Unknown
And, you know, they're used to these allegories, these metaphors and everything. So kind of like, yeah, like we'll have on the train for a little bit. But then Jesus is like, like you, like eat of me like you need me so much. Like ingest me kind of, you know. So they're kind of, well, this is weird. Things are getting weird and and so some start to leave like some actually left because Jesus was teaching an uncomfortable truth.
::Unknown
And so 66 to 69 says from that moment, many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompany him. So Jesus said to the 12, So he turned to his his faithful 12 and says, You don't want to go away to Do you imagine Jesus saying that you and Simon? Peter answered, Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life.
::Unknown
We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy one of God. And notice like this is crazy because notice Peter didn't really like mention anything about what Jesus was teaching. We don't know whether he was like, yeah, like, understand? I get it. I'm down for that. Yeah. He also didn't he doesn't say like, I have no idea what I mean.
::Unknown
He probably was thinking this. I would have been like, I have no idea what you mean. This is weird. However, however you have the words of life we've come to know we have tasted and we have seen the You are the Holy one of God. That's what we're going to stand on. And I believe if you have like it takes an experience with God, whether that's one like big, holy, miraculous experience or whether it's in the day to day, whether it's in the suffering, most likely it will be in the suffering.
::Unknown
You have to experience it for yourself somehow. It might be in the silence, in the silence in the corner of your room, praying desperately it might be, and enjoying the beauty of creation. It might be through a person you have to experience or through his word or like a lot of times there is word like opening your heart.
::Unknown
His word, and and so they experience that. And so regardless of the uncomfortability that you're going to have walking through and coming to the truths of Jesus, like you don't have to, this might sound bad. You don't have to be on board for everything immediately like that. But that's that is where faith comes in. That is where it's like I I'm looking back to his faithfulness and I'm saying I know he has the words of eternal life.
::Unknown
So we're going to still follow you because he calls us to follow. He says, Follow me, not accept me. He says, Follow me. And yeah, I mean, cause like, it's just funny because it's like it's Peter, you know, and I've said this a lot, like, because Peter, he loved Jesus. He said, We have a lot of people that love this, and he's chopping off ears for Jesus.
::Unknown
He's out here pushing kids away for Jesus. He's out here, you know, trying to wash Jesus. He's refusing to let Jesus wash his feet, you know, because he loves them. Right? But you got rebuked. He was a disciple that got rebuked by Jesus probably the most times for doing all these things out of love. Are these like trying to love Jesus and trying to care for Jesus?
::Unknown
He got rebuked the most. Why? Because Jesus, like, listen, like, let the kids come to me. I'm showing you a different way of doing things. I'm showing you the kingdom way of doing things. Your heart's in the right place, but you got to like the kingdom. Yeah, I've come to bring the kingdom. And so he heals the ear.
::Unknown
He lets the kids come, he washes their feet, his servant leadership. And then even the one time when Peter's like, You're not going to die. I'm not going to let that happen. Jesus goes, Get behind me, Satan, because you are not mindful of the things you've got. You're mindful of the things of man. So you can love Jesus.
::Unknown
You can be the biggest fan of Jesus. But listen, like he we walk with him and we learn from him and other faithful believers who are following him because it's time to be mindful of the things of God, not things that man. And we often settle for our own devices to do things for the Lord and they become unfruitful.
::Unknown
Why? Why? Because we're mindful of the things, man, not the things of God, even if it's for his name. Like doing things out of man's vices for God. So that challenged me in that way because I'm like, Why? Like I love Jesus and, you know, so doing things my way for Jesus, right? But so much comes out of that.
::Unknown
I feel like Peter also got frustrated a lot is a pretty fiery individual. Yeah, well, Rex Yeah. So I'm not going to kid myself and say that this was like a pinpoint time in life, though. I just found this verse like, yeah, this is all the sudden, like when I'm building my life, it really is. It's all a conglomerate of recognizing like the people in Scripture and like the the story of humanity in relationship with God.
::Unknown
You start to realize that. So it's like, I'm not even going to channel it to Peter. I'll take it back to to David, to Abraham, to even early believers that we read about in history, even the ones walking around me, you know, and my life in that walk. And so you just, you start to just see patterns like, I mean, humans are pretty predictable.
::Unknown
I mean, I see a lot of a lot of things change, like society changes, I guess, and technology changes. The human heart is kind of is this is same condition, you know, and and the words of God are everlasting, too. He is a solid rock. And even even Peter in acts when he gives that first Holy Spirit filled sermon, talking about Christ is the cornerstone in which we build everything.
::Unknown
Like He's the only solid, solid thing we need to build our lives on. And, you know, not the sand and the like. dude, I'm telling you. Like, I feel like I represent a lot of sandwiches, a bunch of tiny rocks, just a lot of a lot of good things, a lot of solid things. But if it's got to be of, of God, like good or God, there's like a book I wrote a long time ago.
::Unknown
Good verses are good or God by John Favorite things. I'm just like, this is a crazy concept because isn't a God good. Isn't everything that comes from God good? Yes, any man. But even good. In fact, I would say this is probably the most effective weapon of the enemy is utilizing good things to distract just from that which is better, that which is best.
::Unknown
And that's that's a sobering truth as a humbling truth. Because the thing about deception is that you don't know. You're see. And so that's why the words that's why the words are like you have to eat and drink the words like we he literally is our daily bread. His words, man, I'm just like the physical body you ingest and absorb nutrients through the food.
::Unknown
You're like your spiritual life is very is just as much real as your physical body. I believe that we are spiritual, physical, emotional, mental, environmental beings, social beings, that it's all of us as we like the six aspects of health, right? The teaching, the health profession, all these things that contribute to to a person. And you have to look at it holistically, not just one or the other.
::Unknown
He made us his fingerprint is on every single one of those categories. And so you're spiritual, like you can be spiritual like that. I'm telling you, man. There are zombies walking around who are living life, like living in the carnal life and everything is fine, right? I'm telling you that they're dying. We have people giving daily and they need the words of life.
::Unknown
And yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Yeah. So I feel like a lot of the experiences, at least those that you know, that bear so much fruit have been sprouted from failure. Like a lot of failure, a lot of. So that if that's what needs to be done to help to humble the stubborn soul life, then so be it.
::Unknown
So that unfortunately, like, it's not a fun process sometimes, like being humbled like that, but like, yeah, because we are stubborn and we're selfish and but he loves us enough to bear with us to, you know, to go alongside us and not even yoke himself to like, to us instead of you could just be dragging me with a leash.
::Unknown
Like, you really wanted to say that. Like he could and he'd be fully justified. But he chooses that. That's just the kind of father that he is. And he will do that. Whoever is listening, he will do that with you. He's so very patient. Yeah, more patient than you'll ever be or anybody else. Well, we'll be with you.
::Unknown
So he is worth is worth that anyway. See that? That's what a lot of my mark I talk about every single one of my failures because we don't have enough time. They really are born out of out of those and his tender love in that and also a lot of times just through other people seeing how other people who are faithfully following him have challenged my view of what it means.
::Unknown
Like, I don't know anytime you think you have it figured out, right, because I'm a pretty I can be a pretty analytical kind of person is like, okay, be equal. See? Like, nice. Okay, I'll carry that with me. wait. April, speed does not equal see here. That's wild. So, like, it's not black and white, and that's but like, that's where wisdom does come in, right?
::Unknown
Like seeking seeking the Lord. Like that is the beginning of all wisdom. And so he, he does challenge your views in that. But once, if you're looking for specific time, I can think of one time. So I was a part of this three month discipleship program with a sports ministry from Messiah called Aroma. It's like a revolution of missional athletes.
::Unknown
What it stands for. And so, yeah, it was it was really cool. And one thing that we had the opportunity to do was work at Arrowhead Bible Camp up in Bracken, EPA, and now this thing called called James Project, where they have a lot of developmentally disabled adults have certain, you know, take certain weeks out of the summer to have them enjoy like a summer camp kind of thing and kind of pour into them and serve them.
::Unknown
And so we got to partner with Arrowhead to do that. And it was so it was so cool. I remember this one time, you know, as we were interacting with those adults, and I was just laying in bed and one night we were like, stay the night there for the whole week. And I was like, At this point in my life, there's just a lot of like uncertainty, especially about my future and everything.
::Unknown
And I'm just like, God, I, I see these people and it's so easy for them to have joy. I also see this in kids a lot, too, like kids, because I also worked a lot of like youth sports camps and the like. There's just like a freedom and they're so good at loving, freely being freely themselves, being freely goofy and and just enjoying the little things in life, like the simplest things that you just overlook daily and like, got Why is it so hard for me to experience this kind of joy that they're having it, you know, and they don't they have nothing.
::Unknown
They some can't walk, some can't speak. And then there's kids who they depend on their parents for everything. They're out here, you know, peeing on the floor. It's fun. Like how why is there such a like, I've been following you, I've been doing the things I've been maturing, like I was asking you. Yes, I wanted to know because I'm like, Here I am.
::Unknown
You've provided everything that I need. I am so blessed in my life. I really am way beyond what I deserve. And yet, why am I struggling to find joy in what you've provided and all that. And you and you just really revealed to me throughout that whole week, like because there's a dependance, those people that are developmentally disabled, adults, they depend on their caregiver, they depend on, you know, and kids.
::Unknown
They don't have to worry about where their next meal is coming in. So parents can put their chicken nuggets and mac and cheese in front of them. You know, they depend and they trust and they live so freely. And so here I was making a life for myself in the name of Jesus, right? In the name of find, find work for you.
::Unknown
I'm trying to work for you. I'm putting my best foot forward, which is sucking the joy out of my life because he wants us to depend on our faith. And that takes vulnerability. And it does take humility that I lacked, especially in that point in time. And even now he but he makes opportunities daily for us to depend on him.
::Unknown
So joy comes from dependance in a nation that worships independence. It don't follow it. Like don't buy into it, don't buy into it. We don't live like the world. It's it's upside down. SWAC gotta stick to his word not to stick to his words. Count it in. Was that you or Jeremiah that share that on that one night about like the joy of the Lord is our strength.
::Unknown
His joy becomes, our strength. Like what? I guess it is Scripture, but he's the one who pointed out that truth, you know, to us as so good. What kind of like what allows to do that? What you know, that's for sure. But it's a lot. It's a love for it. It just reminds me of a quote by Jim Elliott.
::Unknown
This is this is not in scripture, but this man like he was a martyr for the kingdom. But he said, this is one of my favorite quotes, is he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. And so when it comes to that day, he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.
::Unknown
Not one pierces the heart pierces me, and it challenges me a lot. So what am I what what am I willing to give? I feel like I have a cap, you know, I feel like we have a cap or a limit where we either start to get really uncomfy, we start to get, no, I don't know if I go that far.
::Unknown
Like, how far are we willing to go? Yeah. Ouch. no way. You just add that hold up. Yeah, I have my notebook, and I just wrote the same, like, yesterday. So this is in Galatians five. I was reading about, like, walking in the spirit and in verse elapses Galatians 511. So it is kind of, if I were to summarize it, kind of talking about like Christ over legalism, at least in the first part of Galatians five as so this is verse 11, this is now brothers and sisters.
::Unknown
If I still preach circumcision or the law or legalism, why am I still persecuted? In that case, the offense of the cross has been abolished. I say that in that case, the offense of the cross has been abolished. He's so he's like, if I'm preaching legalism, circumcision, then they'll accept that. But so they're not going to persecute me.
::Unknown
I'm being persecuted because the cross is offensive, because Jesus gives freedom. And then like later on in 13 he said, in 13 he says four. You were called to be free. Brothers and sisters only, only don't use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another in love. So it's a it is like you have a choice, like you're free in Christ.
::Unknown
So those who have accepted Jesus, you still have a choice. You have a choice to use that freedom as an opportunity, the flesh or to serve one another through love. And only one brings glory to the Father and to his name. So yeah, that's why it's like those commercials, like you, you want him.
::Unknown
That's May your words be season with salt, so you know how to answer each one of them. And it has to be out of love because that's living the truth. You can speak the truth all you want, but living the truth like that matters. And yeah. man. Going off to what? You were going off what you were saying.
::Unknown
Like, let's not forget, he's a holy. He's a holy God. So when? So we're living a righteous life matters because you bear his name. Now, if you are in Christ, you bear his name and you know, even when we go back to the Ten Commandments, the number three is hunger. Don't take the Lord, Lord, your God's name in vain.
::Unknown
And it's not just not using his name as a curse word. It it's recognizing that if you you now bear his name in Christ, like that's that's a big deal because he holds his name to a high regard. That's why he's worshiped. And so it's like not just to be thrown around willy nilly. He is holy, he is righteous.
::Unknown
We can come him boldly as we discover the kind of God, the kind of father that he is, kind of brother, that that he is willing to be longsuffering toward us. So we. Yeah, that's a good one. Yes. I'm not going to pretend to have like, answers or cookie cutter guide to that, but I will I will share some things I've seen that have borne fruit or that I have learned either from others or just kind of what the Lord has guided me through very graciously.
::Unknown
sus talks about that. Matthew: ::Unknown
So receive. Yeah. So you have to receive from him and you have to know him. You got to be in the word. You got to be in the word. You will get blown over. If you don't have that rock to stand on, you will get blown over very easily by the because you'll just be another person with opinion if you try to have truth within yourself, even if it isn't the name of Jesus, who is Jesus?
::Unknown
What is his name? What Are His words. You have to you have to seek him. You have to seek him in his word. You have to know him so well. Something that one of my mentors in college Tyler Claypool, he said, I think you'd be a good candidate for this fight. Yes. So. But. Well, yeah. Tyler, you once said he's, like the most the most loving thing you can do for another person is to have a solid relationship with Jesus.
::Unknown
And that left me scratching my head was like, What do you mean, like, that has nothing to do with another person. It's like me and Jesus thing again, right? But no, like you have to receive from him because you're just a vessel. You're just an empty vessel. He is working through you. He is reflecting on you. You're just the mirror.
::Unknown
And don't let yourself get in the way of that. Don't smudge it out like stop trying to do you don't. The world tells you just do you, man? Just. Just do you. Now, why settle? Why settle for you anyway? So you got to get in the word and then you got and this is the toughest one. And he's like, You got to humble yourself.
::Unknown
You got to humble yourself. And here people seek to understand. You don't have to. That doesn't come with a grit like you are allowed to disagree and yet seek to understand somebody and where they're coming from. Find out what truly it is that they value. Where are they come, what's There's always a root. There's always a root. Jesus always went for the root, you know, like when the guy was like, Hey, Jesus, tell this.
::Unknown
Tell my brother to give me an inheritance that I deserve. He goes, There's greed in your heart. Like he attacks, attacks. The root cause is even talk about the inheritance. If the guy wasn't actually taking what he was saying, he was probably was like, wait, what? What does that have to do with the money? Ideas Are these like, there's greed.
::Unknown
I know. So we often like we bicker over these over these superficial. They're not they're they're important issues. They're important issues. But we're out here trying to snip tree branches when Jesus comes in with a freaking bulldozer getting the root right. And that's why a lot of people didn't understand what it meant to be born again or that he came to save the hearts of man.
::Unknown
They thought came to save all the issues of the world. That one piece by piece he's getting to the root of it. And so, yeah, and that's it. It can be a choppy process because you do just want to like, here's the truth and here's the truth. And we do. We proclaim the truth. We proclaim the truth. But is it helpful?
::Unknown
Is it edifying because you can say the truth, but in a combative way that is not helpful or edifying, You know, so right? Yeah. Then pop off, man. Do it well, because you get to choose. We get to choose which God, which bars. There's power. Power in the name of. Yeah, sure. I mean, there have been, I feel like ones especially like similar patterns that you see with like reset tivity or lack thereof.
::Unknown
I guess you're speaking of being receptive. And a lot of times that has looked like one, like finding a common ground that is also like I've, I like how you said it, like it can be uncomfortable. It can be, you know, like it does take I mean, I've done sports my whole like sports take practice to get more like better or to the point where something's like muscle memory, you know, And yeah, it becomes a lot more fun to play at that point, you know, like, you know.
::Unknown
But yeah, I've seen is like I was, I was very much like, okay, like going in with an agenda like this person. Scott is confessed Christ or else I'm a failure. I got to make sure I use God to make sure I use the right words. I have to make sure, you know, all that is very anxiety inducing.
::Unknown
But he bothers us. Not very well anyway. Like it like we've already mentioned taking time to hear their story, hear their heart. People do like to talk about themselves. And so, like you give them the opportunity and honestly, like you just never know what is happening in somebody's life or what they have gone through, you know, until you ask it, just ask and they'll tell you people do love to to share.
::Unknown
And it is it can be hard at first, especially because it to to seek to understand does require you to lay yourself down before that person in a way like it goes deeper than just listening to their words. It goes deeper than just, you know, talking at somebody. It it is it is like an investment because they might talk your ear off.
::Unknown
There's no tomorrow. You might have something that you need to go to, you know, because you know hurry up, buddy. But yeah, give them the time and space, cause you might be the only person to have given that opportunity. And then also like finding that, that common ground to where, I mean, like if the Lord has moved in your life and you and they ask you about your life, it slowly becomes just like, well, I mean, he saturates my life.
::Unknown
It will just kind of come out. I, I do believe. But yeah, starting to see the person as a, as a person, not a mission, you know, because we think about people as a mission a lot of time instead of a beloved child of the king. And sometimes that can, at least for me at first, is kind of off putting.
::Unknown
It's like, man. Like, you're a child of the you're a child of the king. Like, what have. Yeah. And people are hungry. People are really hungry for something real, especially young people. They're ready, ready for something real. And that's just what I've noticed when talking with. And I mean, for that young people or older people very, very hungry.
::Unknown
And you start to see the gifts that they have and try to encourage, like you're trying to encourage them to have it be used for what it was supposed to be used for in the first place and taking the time to pray over their life and using the gifts he's given you. And that's something that I'm like new in and definitely seeking, trying to seek more counsel in how to effectively and responsibly use the gifts, spiritual gifts that he's given and like tapping into that not for the gifts themselves, but just for edification of the body or for evangelism to those who are are lost.
::Unknown
But yeah, sorry, I guess I wasn't really a specific example. I trailed off then, but yeah, it'll build trust to like you. They will open you and you might start to see people will just open up to you for like no reason. I think there is a reason. I think because the Lord shines like he, you and I.
::Unknown
I used to think that like. And how ignorant that if I'm seeing or I'm seeing like what my standards are of a successful mission opportunity or a successful like, the law and moved here or man, he must not have planned. No, he is always moving and you might get to see it and you might not. You stay faithful, you faithful regardless.
::Unknown
You might look, you might fail on your face, but he might use that decades down the road. Maybe after you're dead, maybe through your death, maybe because of your death, many are say, have you ever thought about that? Have you ever thought like that? I see. Not like we don't think that because we limit our God, but just like I hope that brings a it brings me peace because I'm so hard on myself and like, like kind of more good just got to happen.
::Unknown
But like, dude, have you ever prayed for something for years, years? Like how disheartening can that be? You know? And you're not seeing it yet, but like, trust the process. Trust the process. Trust him because like, we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land. We will. We will. We will what? Whether whether you. Because remember, it's we.
::Unknown
It's the body it's not you might not see it here, but like, who cares? It's not about you. You're a cell. You're us. So you're a cell in the body of Christ. I know the work that's. Sorry. Not sorry, but. Yeah. Ouch. But it like the scripture talks about the body parts, right? Like the the body being, you know, the hand in the eye.
::Unknown
But, like, I'll take it to the cellular level because there's so there's a myriad of, of different functions and, and roles played that might seem so irrelevant or so not working in congruency, but develop and maintain this living body that you know, lives, moves and has being. And he created it so uniquely and yeah or the I the most technologically advanced piece of machinery known to man where the human eyeball and so I'll right now your shameless plug for the podcast that nobody can love Jesus like you do in the current moment like where you are in life.
::Unknown
There's nobody else that like nobody can love Jesus, like Christian. Sierra loves him, right? And nobody can love Jesus the way that Isaiah is loving him at this point in time. You know, like there is. It is. He's so personal. He is so personal and he knit. I love the imagery. And so I'm wondering, like he knit you together and his mother is not he just made you he knit you together with purpose.
::Unknown
It's a you know, the whole birthing process in of itself. Like, it's not like, yeah, I'm pregnant. And then just to, like, pop one out, it's, it they incubate, you know, there's a period of time that they're just like, becoming human, you know, like that. We are slowly becoming into the image, like becoming the image of of Christ.
::Unknown
Right? That's what he that's why he's working everything together for our good. You know, the verse that you were talking about in Romans eight, like the next verse as like that good. In which we are, you know he's working out that good is defined in the next verse, which is becoming into the becoming the image of Christ being conformed to his image, not just any kind of good, not my definition of good, not good things in my life.
::Unknown
He's working all good things together. It's image of Christ, image of Christ and yeah, straight up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think I'm going to I think I'm going to read from Revelation two. I think it just says it better than I could. It just does seem very affirming and relevant to now. This is to the, the letter to Ephesus and I'll try to explain it and briefly how I feel like it's very relevant to now this isn't a revelation to to I know your works, your labor and your endurance.
::Unknown
This is that this is God talking to his to his body, to a church in Ephesus specifically. But also, I think to us in this time to to believers is know your works, your labor and your endurance and that you cannot tolerate evil people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not. And you have found them to be liars.
::Unknown
I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name and have not grown weary. But I have this. I have this against you. You have abandoned the love you had at first, remember Then how far you have fallen. Repent and do the works you did at first. Otherwise I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place unless you repent.
::Unknown
So this is because I don't know if I should say this, but I guess I should. Yeah. He gave this to me like a house. Church like two weeks ago. I didn't share it at house Church. I didn't. But I think it's good that we share that here. So thank you for asking. Yeah, I just want to encourage the body, because even though it looks like a lot is like, crumbling and it is, you got the false teachers and you got people falling from the from the pulpit, you know, and you have so much evil, you know, and ungodly.
::Unknown
And it's becoming regular and becoming the norm. It's all around us. It's like we are it's like an ocean we are drowning in right now. But do not forget that he is moving in the underground in the day like he is. I know we have our face in the media like I know it's everywhere. It's loud, it's loud, it's loud.
::Unknown
He is working and speaking to the hearts of people who are hungry for God. He is, I promise you, if you like, if you seek it, you'll find it. There are faithful people working in the underground. There are. And so he's kind of encouraged. He's encouraging, saying like just, you know, persevere, persevere. But then he says he says this, but I have this against you, even though they're, you know, being faithful, they're doing the right things like I have is against you.
::Unknown
You you have the love you had at first, remember then how far you have fallen. Repent and do the works you did at first. He's I think he's going to usher in a lot of simplicity. We got to get back to the basics. We have to get back to our first love. You know, a lot has happened. A lot of good things.
::Unknown
A lot of good things have happened within the church. But like, it's becoming much maybe too much for our for our hearts at times. Get back to love. Loving him for your heart, soul, mind and strength. Seek his face. I love some 27 a lot, which says like one thing I've asked that way will I see? I may dwell in the House.
::Unknown
The Lord. All the days in my life, my friend Mason, the one I do music with, he says. He reads that and he goes like, You know, if I'm going to be honest, he goes, I'm going to be straight with this. I don't love the Lord as I should. I don't like. I'm just going to be honest. I all it I like.
::Unknown
She is not my one desire. I've noticed I've had others that he goes, but my chief desire is to desire him more. And I think the Lord honors that. He'll take it because and I'm like, Dude, that's so cool. Like, I love being your friend. Yeah, he really. Yes. Yeah. I'm like, Man, that the Lord will, man. He will.
::Unknown
He will grow harvest after harvest of that in your heart, if you just desire to have him be your one desire. And that's what the Lord wants, that's what He wants us to bring it back to. So yeah, I don't fully know. So but, but like I, if we look at Jesus, right, we start with Jesus, we end with Jesus, we look at him.
::Unknown
Something that kind of blows my mind is like he was he was in ministry for like those three years, like, or give or take, give or take three years. And he like, man doing the Lord's kingdom. He should have been working night and day 24 seven feeling people preaching the kingdom. Right. And we sometimes have that kind of urgency of like, it's got to happen.
::Unknown
Like, it's got to happen tomorrow is gonna happen that like we got to get to work and we do we do right Like it's he can come at any moment. We have to prepare way for him. However Jesus always and he was so intentional with getting away and being with the Father. Because even though Jesus was God remember what he says like, well, like not getting to a lot of like the Trinity or trying to explain the Trinity as if I ever could.
::Unknown
But like the father is not the son and the son is not the father son. Jesus knows out of his perfect humility. And he says, I do nothing apart from the father I think I'm doing is within myself. The humility of Christ is crazy. Read Philippians two. And so he was always receiving from the receiving from the father.
::Unknown
I know where my strength comes from. He had to get re plugged in so that he could give as he's received. And so we need to look to Jesus. I don't know what to say. We look like we need to receive from him, go to him, seek his face. Otherwise it is in vain and it will be less efficient.
::Unknown
It will, you know, we think, can we trust so much in our devices? And it's all for the kingdom. It is. It's all for the kingdom. But like, what does it look? Yeah, What is it? Profit. A man to build up the church in his own ways and to lose his and lose the. So, you know, like him.
::Unknown
with good intentions and wanting to serve him. Even wanting to serve. Wow. For sure. Yeah. Unity, man, that was Jesus's prayer. That was what he prayed for. To the folks. I pray that they are one, as you and I are one. So, yeah, guys, we got to seek unity and it's an uncomfy road. I mean, that's like the last thing I thought I'd be doing.
::Unknown
You want to ask me years ago is like, Yeah, let's get everybody together. Even if you disagree. We like that's like we, we come to the tape like the the bread and the wine, you know, the blood of Jesus, the broken body of Jesus that brings us together. Does that which is broken bring us together in his name.
::Unknown
So, yeah, we're one one big unhappy family. But hey, I'm about happiness. It's about one big, joyful family. And so, yeah, it requires it, but it's beautiful. Like, it's so beautiful. Step out and learn what God is doing in other denominations, other places in the world like it. It is so cool and he is moving and it is so encouraging.
::Unknown
So yeah. And he's got it and okay, he's got it. You don't have to. You can depend on him. You don't have to do it all yourself. I should be bringing peace. But yeah, let's pray. Jesus, we we love you. We thank you for being able to spend this time this morning just talking about you, pondering over you.
::Unknown
Lord, you just pray right now that you forgive us for when we've just depended on our our own devices the way we think we should do things. We do love you. We do. And we want to show you that we love you. We want to show you that we're that we're all in because of what you what you've done.
::Unknown
We have taste and we have seen that you are good and that you are sufficient. The outward like we need help. We we thank you so much for being longsuffering towards us. I pray that we take what we have received from you and you being long suffering to us. And may we extend that to to other people that we can give to them as we've received from you and being patient with them, our brothers and also those who don't know you.
::Unknown
Maybe we have the humility to enter into their story and to encourage them and build them up, not discourage them. You know, because your truth, like your truth, will convict your your spirit or convict we just want to testify. We will overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. And it's not up to us to change hearts and souls.
::Unknown
You can do that. And we believe in that. And we know that you will in your timing. So we surrender that to you. We surrender or, Lord, we come expecting that you'll move because we've seen you move and you're the same God. But we surrender and we release our expectations as to what it looks. And we're trading that in for something better or change something good, something better, and got to change a scary event, which for me is very, very scary.
::Unknown
The Lord like we can trust you, we can trust you. And also we're like a friend of mine once said, We're not making disciples of us making disciples of Jesus. So I pray over the churches that the bodies and then the congregations God, that they don't try to create more congregants, but creating warriors for the kingdom, we bring them not to a church, but to Jesus, because we don't want to limit you like that.
::Unknown
God says thank you for for, for giving us and for giving us the opportunity to love you, to know you, and to make you known. That is the greatest gift, the greatest, the greatest joy, seeking your face, knowing you. And we can't wait. We see it in fulfillment. I pray for Christians ministry, God and that there are many more podcasts like this that we get to learn from other believers, from a bunch of different backgrounds God, and then it gets to extend to the ends of the earth.
::Unknown
So I got Can't wait to see what you do. We love you. Thank you for what you've done. What doing what you're going to do in your precious sons Name Jesus. Amen. Blood in Isaiah. Thank you.
