Episode 5
[EP 5] Made to Worship w/ Samuel Sanchez
In an interview with Christian Searer, Samuel Sanchez shares his journey of faith and ministry. Samuel reflects on his childhood, emphasizing the importance of obedience and trust in God's provision, and discusses the significance of his calling and anointing. Samuel stresses the value of asking God questions, staying expectant, and partnering with Him faithfully, while also highlighting the importance of character development, mentorship, and staying focused on the Lord in worship leading.
Takeaways:
• Obedience and faith are key in fulfilling God's calling.
• God can use anyone, regardless of their background or abilities.
• Experiencing God's power and provision builds faith and trust.
• Testimonies are powerful tools to encourage and inspire others.
• Asking God questions and engaging in a dialogue with Him is essential in our faith journey.
• We should show up with expectancy, trusting in God's plans and timing, rather than having rigid expectations.
• Stepping into our calling and partnering with God requires faithfulness, obedience, and a willingness to learn and receive wisdom.
• As worship leaders, it is important to have the right heart postures and stay focused on the Lord.
• Meditating on God's word and keeping the Sabbath are vital practices for spiritual nourishment.
• We can partner with God's work in the earth by seeking unity and praying for His plans to be fulfilled.
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https://linktr.ee/authenticpodcast
SUPPORT:
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FIRST EVER EPISODE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rZiTcvF8sY&t=5392s
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LATEST TEACHING:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2ZIjXgkiQA&t=177s
Transcript
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You're tuned into the Authentic Podcast, where we explore the transformative power of embracing the reality of Jesus Christ. As we embark on this journey together, we will navigate the depths of faith and discover the profound impact that Jesus has on our spiritual walk in this space. You will find real and inspiring conversations about faith and how, as a believer, we should navigate the kingdom reality.
::Unknown
We are excited that you are part of an adventure where authenticity and faith intersect. Welcome to the Authentic Podcast. Let's dive in.
::Unknown
Of course. Man. Glad to be here. Thanks for the invite.
::Unknown
Okay. Yeah.
::Unknown
yeah.
::Unknown
Of course. Man. Thank you. Bro. I appreciate that. That's really kind of you. I'm humbled. I'm humbled that, I felt the same way about you. So. I mean, when we met, I don't know, there was just something about you, Christian. We. You know, I felt like I had known you all my life, but we had just met.
::Unknown
And then even, like, afterwards, I was like, Maddie, I don't know who that guy was, but I like that guy. And she's like, oh, yeah, that's Christian. And I was like, yeah, heck yeah, he's cool. And then, you know. But yeah, so you said you mentioned that you, were going to the church, so I, I didn't see you last time we came into town.
::Unknown
where have you have you guys moved to another church? Where have you guys been going?
::Unknown
No, this is just a curious. I just curious. Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Awesome.
::Unknown
Cool. Heck yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah, yeah. So you guys are leading your own ministry. So are you essentially a pastor? Not on a paper or. Officially, I don't know. Would you? Is that kind of like, what your role looks like? Okay. Is the home church at your house?
::Unknown
Okay. Yeah. yeah. Okay.
::Unknown
Cool. Yeah. Yeah. And did you guys you guys lead that ministry? Cool.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
I just yeah. that's just I just I mean, you're saying that you started a ministry, with your wife, Psalm 72. You're saying that the home church, I guess. Are you leading the home church? Is that is that your. Or are you attending a home church?
::Unknown
Gotcha.
::Unknown
Yeah. Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. That's awesome man. That's awesome. Well, I mean, honestly, Christian, I think I think people think of the word pastor, and they think of someone who is who stands on a platform in front of hundreds of people. I don't think that that's necessarily what a pastor is. I think biblically, we see that a pastor is just anybody who's shepherding people.
::Unknown
So if you have people that you're discipling, and they trust your leadership and they're looking to you for guidance and mentorship, I think that, you are a pastor biblically. and I think that honestly, that's something that we're all kind of all Christians are kind of called to, to an extent. We're all called to disciple and preach the word and preach the gospel.
::Unknown
So I think to an extent, we're all kind of pastoring, in some shape or form. So, yeah, man, I mean, if that's if the shoe fits. So.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. Dude. Yeah, it's it's actually an incredible story. a lot of times. So I was obviously named after the prophet Samuel. my middle name is Eli. And so the meaning behind those names, I don't think that my parents were intentional in doing this, but, you know, Christian, a lot of times in the Bible, people get a name and so in some shape or form, that name is calling out some type of characteristic.
::Unknown
And then. Right. So, so, Peter was given the name Peter, and Peter means rock. And he was meant to be the rock and the leader of, of the church in those times. And so, for me, I don't think again, my parents did this intentionally, but they named me Samuel Eli after the prophets. Eli, I believe, was the mentor of Samuel.
::Unknown
and then basically, what the what the names mean. So Samuel means God has heard, because his mother wasn't able to conceive. She prayed to God and and really just wanted to have a child. God gave it to her. And she promised that if she did have that child, she would dedicate that child to the Lord. and then the name means God has heard because she prayed and God heard her.
::Unknown
And then Eli means God with us. And so, with that kind of going back to like, my story, when I was like, I grew up in the church, my, my family was super involved in the church. My dad was a preacher by the time that I was born. and so I was super I was super blessed to to grow up, to grow up in a Christian home.
::Unknown
I grew up in a family that love the Lord and pursued that. And so my dad was preaching. My mom was serving at the church as well. and so I was always kind of in I grew up in a Christian home. I was always in that in that world. but I didn't necessarily find, like, a purpose for how I fit into that world.
::Unknown
I didn't really find my own connection with the Lord or anything like that. And so it wasn't until about, like, middle school, I was, I was around in seventh or eighth grade. My dad felt a calling to start a church. and then and one of our services, we were still meeting in a small home. It was my uncle's house.
::Unknown
He had invited, this lady who was apparently super gifted prophetically. we had heard about her. We didn't know her personally, but my dad had invited her to come speak because he was waiting on some confirmation from the Lord about starting this church. And so she came in, and she basically gave a 15 minute sermon before she just started spitting, you know, prophecies and spitting the word to to my family and to my dad.
::Unknown
And so, and one of those occasions, she she looks at me and, and she begins to prophesy over me. And keep in mind, I'm a seven eighth grader. I've never seen this before. So I'm just, like, amazed at what's happening right now. The Lord is in the room. People are crying. My dad has already received confirmation that, like, this lady is speaking on behalf of the Lord, she's saying things and telling us things that nobody knows.
::Unknown
We don't know this lady. There's I don't I don't even know how she knows that I was his son. but yeah, my my dad had been praying for a worship leader because at the time we didn't have one. We were like, singing worship off of, like, a track. and so she's preaching and all of a sudden she, like, looks at me, make eye, makes eye contact a little bit awkward staring at a kid.
::Unknown
I was like, what's happening right now? Why are you looking at me? My heart starts beating fast and she points to me and she says that that's going to be your worship leader. And she looks at my dad and she says, you've been praying for a worship leader, and that's that's your worship leader. And then she looks at me and she calls me up.
::Unknown
She's like, come here, son. And I come up and and she asks me, have you ever have you ever been, like, musically inclined? Like, do you play anything? and what she didn't know was that I had learned a song on the guitar, but the reason it was not a, it was not a Christian reason that I learned that song on the guitar.
::Unknown
It was like after watching the Jonas Brothers, I really liked one of their songs. I was in middle school, and so I was really trying to impress a girl. So I learned a song on the guitar so that I could impress the girl, because I thought that that's what people were into those days. and so.
::Unknown
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Super shallow for me, but yeah, that's that's what I did. and I had told her, like, kind of like I was like, I know a song on the guitar and I know a song on the piano. And she was like, she's like, okay. And then she starts to prophesy over me. She starts to say all these things.
::Unknown
She starts to tell me, what the Lord has for me. and, at that time, I had been praying for the Lord to reveal what my role is, in his kingdom, because I'm a super, like goal oriented guy. I like to have a mission, something that I'm working towards. And so, I was blessed to get that at a very young age.
::Unknown
And it was a call to being a worship pastor and to being in ministry. that calling has since developed throughout the years. So it started off as worship, but it's it's now developed into something so much more. I don't quite know what that's going to look like yet. but I just do know that the Lord gifted me with certain things to be able to do things, to be able to sing, to be able to understand music to a level that I would have never been able to understand otherwise.
::Unknown
because I wasn't I wasn't a singer back then, but this lady, she the next thing that she did after prophesying over me was she anointed me. She asked for, she asked for oil in a in my uncle's home. I don't know why they had anointing oil, but they had anointing oil. and she asked for it. She and she started to pray over my hands and over my throat.
::Unknown
And I'm not kidding you. The next day I was just able to sing and I don't know where it came from. I don't know how it happened. I don't know how it happened. It was the Lord. But, And yeah, yeah. And so it was just incredible. And I think that it's just ironic that my name, means God has heard, I'm dedicating my life to singing, worship and praise to God.
::Unknown
I always feel like God has been a part of my life. He's always been there. There's never been a doubt in my mind that he exists, that he's been, prevalent in my life. And so my middle name, Eli. God, God is with us. And so, I think that that's that just those two names carry so much meaning and so much power and the reason why I chose to go by Samuel, after a certain point was because another pastor prophesied over me, after a big turning point in my life, he he basically prophesied over me and said that from now on, you will be living out the name that you
::Unknown
were prophetically named after. And so that just impacted me. And I was like, Lord, I hear you. every time I meet someone, I'm gonna introduce myself with Samuel. Whether that sticks or not, that'll be up to them. but but I want to, because I've kind of shied away from the name. I didn't like it. I thought that it was, silly, but, I've learned to to love the name and love the meaning of it.
::Unknown
So trying to, trying to embrace it.
::Unknown
Yeah, it's. Wow. Yeah.
::Unknown
Okay.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Oh, my. Wow.
::Unknown
Wow.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Correct.
::Unknown
Yeah. So our church started off as a as a home church, so we didn't obviously, we didn't have the finances or the people to to rent a facility or a building. And so we just kind of met where we could. Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. Yeah. So like I said he started off, preaching at a church back in Jersey. It was a Pentecostal church. So you can just kind of picture and imagine what that world is like. And just a man on fire for the Lord. eventually, he, he started pastoring in Jersey. but he, he kind of ran away from that.
::Unknown
He made some mistakes and just kind of decided, hey, you know what? you know, I have messed up to the point where I can't redeem myself. And so, essentially, we kind of like. I don't want to put words in his mouth, but to my perspective, it seemed like we kind of lead because he did get a lot of shame, for for leaving the pastoral, position that he was in.
::Unknown
And so we, we moved to North Carolina. And then from there, it was about like a period of doing nothing. We attended a church. And, you know, we did all the things that that we that we're supposed to do. But he wasn't serving. He wasn't preaching. He kind of just put that calling to the side for, for a good amount of years until eventually, he felt like the Lord was calling him to to step back into that.
::Unknown
And so he he pressed into that a little bit more. He did a seven day fast, no food, just water. in a room. Never saw him locked himself in a room for seven days. and was just seeking the Lord. And when he came out of that room, he, he had told us that he he, like, had a vision, where he saw the Lord.
::Unknown
And the Lord told him that he will be pastoring again. and so from then on, it was just kind of chasing that and getting each step, the next step. Hey, what does this look like? What's the next step here? What's the next step here? And just kind of seeking the Lord until eventually, it brought us to Atlanta.
::Unknown
and yeah, he's still pastoring today. Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Gotcha.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
I think.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah, yeah, I would say. I mean, it depends. The. I feel like there's a there's a spectrum when it comes to the Pentecostal, denomination. I feel like there's the side of Pentecostals where, like, females aren't allowed to wear pants. They have to wear, like, skirts. they. And, I mean, sometimes they even have to wear veils when they're in, when they're in the church.
::Unknown
And so, there's different. Yeah. Yeah. So they're, they're, they're very much, I would say like old school. and so there's that verse in the Bible that says that a woman's, glory is her hair. And so she has to cover it. And so, yeah, stuff like that. But I would say there's a lot of our, our church was a little bit more old school.
::Unknown
It wasn't quite to that extent, I think that they did have, a rule that when you were in the church. So like on a Sunday, girls were, supposed to wear skirts, so they couldn't wear pants. They couldn't wear jeans, they couldn't wear, but I mean, in public, they could. And so it was kind of rules that we had in the church that we didn't necessarily apply at home.
::Unknown
It was just for a specific setting in a specific place. as far as our everyday life, I think that at that point, when we were attending that Pentecostal church, my family was still pretty new to Christianity. They had kind of just recently converted, I would say, within like the last five years. and so I think they were just kind of more of like an open book and just trying, like their best.
::Unknown
And so, home life was was pretty normal. And we didn't have, like, family, altars or like, you know, how, like, some families, I guess, get together on a certain day and, like, just read scripture together, like we didn't do anything like that. It was a pretty normal family. We were at home hanging out, having fun, loving on each other.
::Unknown
I was usually outside playing with my friends, around the block. And so it was just a pretty normal, pretty normal life that was just, heavily involved with the church that we were going to. Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah, I've had to. So I've actually, I've had to process this a lot, fairly recently and just trying to understand, like, what my thought process was as a, as a kid, because I feel like I speak to so many people nowadays where they didn't start off as Christians. and then they met the Lord and like, there was this huge, like, shift in this life change.
::Unknown
I've also met people who grew up Christian and aren't Christian anymore. And because again, there is this huge life changes, this huge shift. And so I've asked myself like, why is, and and I'm not perfect by any means. Like, I think that I definitely have a heart for the Lord, and my heart is to to be like Jesus.
::Unknown
And that's my intention. I still make mistakes. I'm not perfect. but I think that as far as I can remember, Christianity and God and the Holy Spirit in Jesus were they were just they were just it that was it. That was life. That that's how I grew up. I didn't I didn't know anything other than that.
::Unknown
And so I've asked myself, like, you know why? Why has my faith never really why have I never doubted? Why did I never really doubt that the Lord existed? And I think that it was a lot to do with the example that my parents, gave me, both my mom and my dad and just how on fire they were with the Lord.
::Unknown
The different testimonies that they would tell me, the things that I would see happening in the church. So to answer your question, a lot of it was through observation. It wasn't through personal experience at that time. I think the first personal experience I had was, at that moment when that lady prophesied over me. up until then, it was just observation, and it was curiosity.
::Unknown
So I would observe those things. My dad would tell me these stories, I would see these things in church happening. but I would always just be curious into, like, God, what does this look like for me? Like, I want to be involved. Like, if if what you're asking for is my life at a very young, ignorant age, I was like, you can have it if that's what you want.
::Unknown
If I'm going to do this and I'm going to be a Christian and my dad's going to be a pastor, and you're calling this to be a family ministry? I'm all in, I'm all in. So, And I knew it. I mean, again, I think that just my dad is a very, extroverted guy, super passionate guy.
::Unknown
And so I think that just kind of rubbed off on me and, you know, like, if I, if I commit to something, I'm going to go all in. So I think that a lot of a big part to do with it. Yeah.
::Unknown
You.
::Unknown
I was too, man. I was too, you know,
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Definitely.
::Unknown
Definitely.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. so I guess your question is, as far as experiencing God at that time and experiencing God now and what some of those differences are, is that your question?
::Unknown
The. Okay. again, I think as, as a child, it's so funny that that that scripture talks about, you know, if you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who have a heart as a child. and I think that that that translates so well with, with what do I remember from when I was a kid?
::Unknown
Because, I mean, in you ask how old I was, I was about maybe sixth or seventh grade. so I was in middle school at that time. I think it was just such a pure curiosity, and and such, such a strong faith. there was like, no, no, no hesitation at all at that time. I had nothing to lose.
::Unknown
I had, you know, all the time in the world. and so I think that I was just so open to whatever the Lord had. And so I remember times where, when I first started leading worship Christian, I wasn't even good. I knew maybe four chords in the piano. And when I, like, officially started leading worship at the church.
::Unknown
but I remember times where even though I wasn't the best singer, even though I wasn't the best piano player, I barely knew what I was doing. I think just just the heart translates so much. And I remember vividly just moments where, like, the Holy Spirit would just invade the room and people would be crying and and it wasn't because of me, but I think it was just just the, the nature of someone just being willing to give their heart to the Lord and, and obey and obey that calling that he has for them.
::Unknown
and so compared to now, it's not that I don't see those moments, but I think that as an adult,
::Unknown
Yeah. I think as a as an adult, just naturally, we we tend to let our have our decisions a lot more heavily because they have a lot more impact than when you're, in middle school. And so you have you have careers to think about. You have, your marriage to think about. There's just so much more weight to your decisions.
::Unknown
And so I think when it comes to experiencing the Lord, I think that my mind just naturally tends to, think about it in a more logical way. So I love I love feeling the Lord. I love being in his presence. But there's always a follow up to that where it's just like, okay, Lord. Like, what does this look like practically?
::Unknown
How do I walk this out? Practically? Because there's more to to life with you than just, being in your presence and feeling your Holy Spirit move. And so I think that when it comes to then and now, I think then what is just a purity of just wanting to to feel him and be in that presence. And now it's more of like, hey, how do I what does that what does this look like on an at in everyday life.
::Unknown
Like how do I how do I just walk every day in your presence? What does that look like? because I don't think that the intention was for us to be crying and sobbing every, every time we walk outside down the street, even though that's great. And there's there's moments like that. Those moments are awesome. I think that there's still a practicality to it.
::Unknown
and as an adult, you start to think about that stuff more.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. I appreciate it. Thank you. I received that.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Wow.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Exactly. I think I think you put it, like, literally perfectly. I think I think that that's honestly where I'm at. Where I'm at a point in my life where I'm turning from, like you said, seeking the gift, to seeking the gift giver and learning, what that looks like and how to do that effectively. because, you know, we can try and it doesn't always work out the way that we want to do.
::Unknown
So it's like, okay, Lord, how how do I do this? And so, yeah. So I think that that's I think you put it so well, that's, that's that's a really good way of putting it.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Right. Yeah. That's good, man. That's good stuff. Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. Yep. Yep.
::Unknown
I know, I know.
::Unknown
Yeah, I do, I do. So it's, It's so funny that you say that because I actually did test it out in the shower the next day. I was I was in the shower, and I was just. I was just talking to God, and I was like, well, I was like, well, I asked for a mission.
::Unknown
I asked for some type of, purpose, some type of calling, and you gave it to me. And I was like, now I need to find out if this was a bunch of baloney or if this is for real. And I was like, God. I was like, theoretically, if what happened yesterday was real, then I should be able to sing.
::Unknown
And so I was like, when I sing, it should sound pretty decent. And so I started to just sing a song that I knew I don't remember, couldn't tell you what song it was, I have no idea. But I just started to sing in the shower. And I remember that when I. When I got out of the shower, my family was all just kind of standing there like just amazed.
::Unknown
And they're like, dude, when did you start to be able to sing? And and I just didn't know how to answer. And I was like, I guess, I guess today, and at that moment we all kind of there was no doubt in our minds that that the Lord was, was not just calling my dad, but calling the family as a whole to to step into ministry and to, do these things that he's called us to.
::Unknown
So. Yeah. And that's that's what it was. Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yes, 100%. I love how you say that, because I was literally I was I was thinking like, man, I if there's somebody listening right now who, who, whoever you are, if you feel like the Lord is calling you, but you don't necessarily feel equipped, to do that calling you don't feel prepared. You feel like you don't have the credentials for it.
::Unknown
I just want to say something that that has been told to me throughout the years and has now, you know, I experienced it as a kid, but they they made that experience into a phrase and the phrase was this. It's that the Lord doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called. And so the calling comes first and the equipping comes afterwards.
::Unknown
And so if you are listening and you feel like God is calling you to do something, but you don't feel like you're ready for it or equipped or prepared, I just want to encourage you and say that he will provide the opportunities to equip you. I was not a musician. I was not a singer. but he he provided all the tools that I needed to do the calling that he had for me.
::Unknown
And I'm so grateful and so blessed that it happened that way. You just have to say yes and no, and you basically have to walk through the doors that he provides.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Sir, Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. Yeah. So there's two there's two specific opportunities that, that I want to mention, to you, Christian. And one of them was kind of like, right afterwards, we were obviously at this place where I still didn't know how to play an instrument. I had this general, natural talent to sing somewhat, but again, I wasn't a great singer.
::Unknown
I think that there's still, you have to do your part in developing those skills. And, again, accepting the opportunities that the Lord presents before you, he will provide those opportunities. But you have to say yes to step into them. And so one of the things that after that moment in the shower that I had told the Lord, I was like, God, if, if, if this is real, the moment that this becomes real and there's no doubt in my mind that this is you, I am going to go all in and I'm going to just do everything I can to develop those skills.
::Unknown
Starting today. And so one of the things that we did again, I was in middle school. So once we moved to Atlanta, my dad had the confirmation that he wanted to start a church. one of the things that I did was when I started high school, I immediately joined, my chorus class. and so I was in choir for a couple of years in high school.
::Unknown
I didn't do it every year. I think there were some limitations to how many years I could do it for. But I joined choir and that for me was my way of getting trained vocally because we didn't necessarily have the finances to find, like a vocal teacher or anything like that. but that was just the the opportunity that was presented to me.
::Unknown
And so I joined choir, and I remember sitting in my class the first day of class, there were auditions to join different types of choirs. And so my teacher had asked me, like, do you know how to read music? I said, no, he said, have you ever sang before? I said, no, and he just kind of looked at me like, who are you?
::Unknown
Like, what are you doing here? And I just told him, like, hey, this is something that I want to learn, something I want to get into, and that's pretty much all I told him. And so I remember he gave us the sheet music and we had he didn't know what type of singer I was, whether I was a tenor baritone.
::Unknown
So I just sat with the tenors and he everything the way we started class was we warmed up, we pulled out our sheet music and he would play our part. and so I remember us sitting in the class and he handed me the sheet music. I've never seen sheet music before. And I was looking at it and and it was he every, every piece of the choir took turns singing their part.
::Unknown
And I remember it was our turn. He was like, all right, tenors, are you ready with your part? And we were like, yes. And all of a sudden, like, it just it just made sense to me. I was the only one that sang. There was like four of us sitting in that in the in the little tenor section.
::Unknown
And when and he said he gave us the count off, he started to stuff. And I was the only one that sang Christian. And I remember everybody in that room turning towards me and just going, like, who is this guy? Like, where did you come from? You just came out of nowhere. and everybody was just shocked. I was shocked at myself because I looked around.
::Unknown
I didn't know why everybody was staring at me. The two dudes that were sitting next to me, these were staring at me. I was like, is this not what we're supposed to do? Are you supposed to sing our part? but I think that they were just amazed at the the understanding that I had for the level of the lack of experience that I had in singing or the lack of knowledge that I had in raising music.
::Unknown
And from then on, like, it just things just clicked. It just came so easily to me and I give all glory to God. This was not me. I had never understood music prior to, that lady being prayed over me and getting that calling from the Lord. But like I said, when he calls you, he's going to equip you.
::Unknown
And so he equipped me with this just, supernatural understanding. And I'm not the best musician by any means. Again, I think that there was there's there's still some room to say that, you know, hey, there's certain, aspects of the calling that has to do with talent, but there's more to do with the heart. And so I think, there was more cultivating of my heart than there was at the talent.
::Unknown
I learned enough to be pretty good. Not great. I don't think I could do it professionally, put me in a jazz band. I'm going to be completely lost. and so that was that was one occasion. And then the other occasion was, it was this moment where we were sitting in our house. We had friends from Jersey that we knew back in the day, from the old Pentecostal church that lived maybe 2.5 hours away from where we lived.
::Unknown
And all of a sudden, one of the, the sons of the family members that we knew pulled up to our house. No one invited him. No one told him to come. He just came. Knocked on our door. We opened the door. We were like, what are you doing here? And he just said that the Lord told him to come and teach me piano.
::Unknown
And that was it. And it was after shortly after we had moved to Atlanta and we again, I had we had received that calling from the Lord. And so it was just confirmation after confirmation after confirmation. And so, from then on that that same guy would come to our house twice a week to teach me a couple chords on the piano.
::Unknown
He taught me enough to where I could understand how to play a song and learn what I needed to to develop that talent. And so from then on, it was just kind of self-taught at that point and just meeting different musicians, people that were better than me, asking a lot of questions, taking the opportunities to to if I if I hear them do something really cool, I always go up to them and like, hey, what did you do there?
::Unknown
Can you show me? and it's just kind of that's been the process. And again, I'm not the best musician by any means, but I think that there's a lot of heart to want to have excellence for and provide excellence to the Lord. And so, yeah, that was what that journey looked like. And, developing those skills.
::Unknown
It's crazy.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Right.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Definitely.
::Unknown
Yeah. Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Definitely, definitely. So there's. There's one thing that I'll say. I don't necessarily know if it has to do with with, you know, calling, like, if the Lord's calling you. I don't necessarily know if it has to do with that, but I think it has to do with just our everyday Christian walk and the certain circumstances in life that may come up that may be challenging.
::Unknown
So if you are called and there are challenges or it doesn't necessarily look the way that you thought it was, this is, something that I learned, thankfully, thankfully, I thank the Lord that I learned this at a very young age, and it has stuck with me. And it's I think that it's part of what really anchored my faith in him.
::Unknown
despite tough circumstances, despite things not looking the way that I thought they were going to look, and still not looking the way that that were prophesied to me when I was in seventh grade, you know. And so I'm still not working with full time ministry. What I love to, I would love to, but that opportunity hasn't presented itself to me yet.
::Unknown
And so, one thing that I did want to say, Christian, and I hope that this helps anybody listening, there's always purpose behind every situation that happens to you. there's a scripture that says that for those who love the Lord, everything works for their good. And I learned scripture in Spanish. I grew up in a Spanish church.
::Unknown
And so if I, if I miss said that, you can correct me, but in Spanish, it that's pretty much the gist of what it says, that if you love the Lord, everything that happens to you, he is going to turn for your good. and so what I always ask in every situation, if I feel, if I'm feeling anxious, if I'm feeling disappointed, if I'm feeling sad, I don't blame the Lord.
::Unknown
I don't see it as as something that is a hindrance to me because my mind and my heart knows that he's going to use that for my good. And so what I always say when those situations happen, when those circumstances happen, I'll always have a moment alone with with God. And I will just pray and I will and I will ask, you can ask him what the purpose is.
::Unknown
It's okay. And so I just ask him, like, God, this wasn't in my plans. I don't know why this happened. This is how I feel about what happened. How is it that you're going to use this for my good? Where? What are you wanting me to learn from this? That'll. That'll benefit my relationship with you. What is it that you're wanting?
::Unknown
How are you wanting me to grow in this situation? How are you calling me to to be closer to you in this situation. And sometimes that's all it is. Sometimes it's just drawing close to him. Sometimes it's just something that happens, and it happens because you're meant to draw close to God in that moment, and that's okay. And it doesn't have to be this big, profound thing.
::Unknown
but the question always is, how? How are you? How are you in this circumstance? How are you in this situation? Because if you say you love the Lord and he obviously loves you, he's not going to let you go out of any situation. Empty-Handed there's always going to be something good for you on the other side. And so that is a very profound truth that I learned at a young age, and it has definitely helped in anchoring my faith in him, because life has not always been pretty.
::Unknown
Even now, there's some hard situations that we're going through. but our faith is always anchored in the Lord, because I know that no matter what, we're going to come out the other end, seeing him and just knowing that he's good and he's good and he's and everything that he has for us is good. So anchor yourself to that truth.
::Unknown
And that's that's what I got.
::Unknown
That's what I got. Yeah. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yes.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Amen.
::Unknown
Wow. Amazing. Yeah. That's good. Pastor.
::Unknown
Wow. Amazing.
::Unknown
Amen.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Amen.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
It was. Let me see if I can remember. So I'm just trying to think about just kind of when. When these situations happen to me, I'm going to try to just compartmentalize and make it, like, a little step process. But I think the first thing that I do is, just sit and process. Process? What happened? process just what is a lot of times our emotions can cloud, our judgment can cloud what it is that that actually happened.
::Unknown
So so sit down, process. Process through it. Process your emotions. Process your thoughts. with the Lord. And then secondly, ask Lord if there are doubts to any situation that you're going through. and I do want to be sensitive to some situations. I know that some people sometimes just go through really dark things, and I do want to be sensitive of that.
::Unknown
And I don't want to make this sound like, hey, follow these steps and and your life is going to be good. Like, no, it's it's going to be hard. It's going to be tough. but this is what I have found works for me in my moments of struggle. So, sit and process, ask the Lord what his purposes.
::Unknown
How does this turn from my good. let's see what these other ones that you said. Christian, I'm trying to remember you. You said it better than I did. What was. What was the steps that you.
::Unknown
yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Right.
::Unknown
Right.
::Unknown
Right.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
You have to be. You have to be open to what the response is. because it won't always be what you want to hear. and so let's say you are you are you finished processing?
::Unknown
You've asked God what the purpose is behind this. And the way that he reveals that to you is going to be unique. The way that he communicates that to you, what he says, may not necessarily be what you're looking for. He may reveal it in one of the most strangest ways that you never thought he would speak to you.
::Unknown
But God is. And everything, and God is everywhere. So be open and be looking for that answer. and be open to what that answer is going to be. And so I think that that's that's super important to to mention also because a lot of times I feel like we can ask God something, but we we have the answer that we want in our head already.
::Unknown
It's like, no, like keep keep an open mind about it and be willing to to listen like you said. So I think that's important to.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Praise God!
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Exactly. Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. So, I feel like I talked about the progression a little bit, but for a long time, it was just. It was this, period of learning, how to refine those skills. And then it was a period of application. And so I started leading worship on my dad's church. my dad really wanted me to be, like, the worship director.
::Unknown
I wasn't I was still in, like, high school. I was in freshman year, and I was like, no one's going to take me seriously as a freshman. that's just the way that my brain worked back then. there was there was adults on the team who were way more qualified to do that. but because I had that calling and because he was my dad, he really wanted me to lead the team.
::Unknown
And. But we just knew that I just wasn't ready for it. And so there was a time where there was a guy who was at our church, who was the worship director, who also mentored me on how to apply those skills. And the things that I learned in a worship setting and how to lead a team. he also taught my brother how to play the drums, who still currently plays drums at our church.
::Unknown
and he he taught one of my cousins how to play bass. And so from then on, we kind of built the team at the church. we were we were the, the team, the worship team for the church for a couple of years. After a couple of years later, I think it was maybe two years later. I did become the worship director at a very young age.
::Unknown
I was like a sophomore in high school, and I was I was leading our worship team, I was scheduling, I was picking the sets. I was doing all the things, not necessarily doing a good job at it. I was still, very ignorant teenager, doing very ignorant things. But, that is when I stepped into that role after that, around college, there was a little bit of a, of a rebellious season on my life.
::Unknown
I think that there was just this, being a pastor's kid. I don't know if you guys have ever heard the stories of being a pastor. Skip it. There's a lot of pressure on you to to be perfect. there's a lot of pressure on you to meet this standard that everybody has for you, and you're never going to meet that standard.
::Unknown
And so it got to the point where I just got sick of it. and I was just rebellious for like the next two years of my life until eventually the Lord met me again, revealed my calling and my purpose to me again, and asked me to essentially start over. and I stepped into that. I got into ministry school.
::Unknown
that didn't necessarily look the way that I thought it was going to look. but the Lord still used it for my good. Amen. And now we are currently, we had, I guess, the most recent thing that had happened, the first ministry school I went to shut down the Lord, led me to another ministry school. I decided, your third year at the ministry school is your intern year.
::Unknown
So I decided to do my internship separately. There was a church that I was a plugged into here in Atlanta that is, very credible, and had an opportunity for me to intern. I had talked to them about it. I feel like the Lord was leading me there, so I interned there. and then another ministry school, was there was a door at another ministry school that was open to me.
::Unknown
I met somebody that was one of the one of the students there. She invited me to come check it out again. I felt the Lord was calling me into that. And it was, through my university. It was through Southeastern University. I stepped into that ministry school to do my last year of ministry school, my internship, an official internship with another church that I had never been to.
::Unknown
but that was partnering with this ministry school. it was my last year of college as well. And so I figured, hey, if this is going to be my last year, the last opportunity I have to do something like this, I might as well take the opportunity now. And so I did the internship through the school, through the church at the at the school is partnered with and that is currently where we are attending.
::Unknown
that church has been such a blessing to me. they have been so supportive. They have been so, such a blessing to Maddie, to her moving from Pennsylvania to Atlanta was not an easy process. She didn't know anyone. She didn't have any friends. And this church was just so, so welcoming. they really are a family.
::Unknown
And they have adopted us into that family. And the pastor has invested and poured into me. Their worship pastor has invested in important to me. And so I have incredible opportunities now to serve every Sunday, I have the opportunity to to receive compensation for serving on Sundays, which allows me to give more of my time and push back from my actual job so that I can serve at the church more because I'm not trying to meet financial needs.
::Unknown
so I have that incredible opportunity. And then the worship pastor has also, confided in me enough to, allow me to lead the team on certain Sundays and give him the opportunity to rest. And so every, every once in a while, I think probably once or twice a month, he'll take a he'll take a step back, focus on the other areas of ministry while he allows me to lead the team.
::Unknown
And so I still get the opportunity to to step in that role every once in a while and, and just really, champion him and support him in the vision of the church and support the church. So that's where we're at now. we're we're currently serving at the church that I interned at, and we love it. And we're having a blast, and we love where we're at.
::Unknown
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, man. It's been, it's been pretty crazy.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. For sure.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah, I'll. I'll kind of share just some of the some of the lessons that I. That I've learned along the journey that have definitely, helped me be a better worship leader. I think that that would be super beneficial to anybody who's in the same shoes or just wants to be a better worship leader. I'm not the best worship leader.
::Unknown
But again, these are lessons that I've learned that the Lord has taught me, and hopefully you guys can learn from my mistakes. so the first thing is talent matters, but heart matters more. So talent matters, but heart matters more. so it doesn't matter how talented you are, it doesn't matter how talented your team is. if you guys do not work on cultivating your heart for the Lord and cultivating your your relationship for the Lord, you're essentially just a cover band.
::Unknown
there's there's no there's no substance. There's no life to what you're doing. If there's not meaning behind it in the way that there's meaning is, is cultivating that relationship with God and cultivating that relationship with the Lord. So there has to be a heart to meet God in that place and to lead his people. And so your heart, your heart condition, where you're at in your life matters way more than what your talent is.
::Unknown
And so I would I would encourage you guys not only that for yourself, but whenever you think about your team, I would ten times out of ten would rather pick someone who is a decent guitarist but has a heart that's passionate and on fire for the Lord, rather than someone who's been playing professional guitar for ten years and just wants to do it for the money and just wants to do it for the paycheck.
::Unknown
I would rather pick the guy who has a heart for the Lord, because there's so much more to leading worship than just playing music. There's also this spiritual aspect, and there's some there's stuff going on in the spiritual world, and if you aren't able to tap into that, if you're unable to see that and feel that, then like I said, we're just we're just playing music at that point.
::Unknown
And that's not what the purpose is. Oh, so that's, that's that's one of the biggest things that I've learned. let's see something else. I blind rephrase the question for me. Christian sparked some more ideas.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Amen.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. Great. Awesome. So, two, two things that we struggle with as worship leaders. And I think that leads to to the downfall of a lot of people that not just lead worship, but just work in ministry or serve in the church in general. And one is, playfulness. it was David's biggest flaw. And then it was also, not not in David's case, but it's prideful ness and it's burnout.
::Unknown
It's pride fullness and it's burnout. And I'm going to share just a little bit of of how I've combated these things in the past. again, we're all still growing. We're all still, still constantly fighting these things. but it's something that just if we're just if I can just have you guys be more mindful of it. I think that that would be, again, beneficial to the kingdom and to the church overall, pride, fullness.
::Unknown
It's it's not it's not about you. It's, you know, no one. I feel like I've seen worship leaders who who are trying to perform and who are trying to highlight themselves and not not the person that they're singing to. And so and I think the downfall of a lot of these, worship leaders and these worship teams that we're seeing today, is that they're getting too caught up in the industry mindset and the business mindset in the, in the, the recordings, the studios.
::Unknown
Like there's so much more to it than that. I mean, I, I'm a strong believer in giving excellence to the Lord. I believe that the music that we do for the Lord should be just as good as the music that's being produced in the world. we should be drawing people to listen to the music. That's that's for the Lord.
::Unknown
And so when it comes to pride fullness, it's it's not about you. Keep in mind that you are where you're at because of what God did for you. because God gave you the grace to be in that situation. And so if we're always just mindful of that, of where the Lord brought you from, always be thinking about every time before you walk out on the platform, be reminded of of who the Lord is and where he has brought you in your life.
::Unknown
And just think about it and just think about it and why you're why you're leading worship. When you're thinking about the songs that you're singing, when you're thinking about the lyrics, make it personal to you that a lot of those songs, a lot of them are part of our story. A lot of those songs are meant and written to be.
::Unknown
You sang in a church because they relate to a lot of people. And so as a worship leader, you are meant to demonstrate what it is and what it looks like to connect with those lyrics at a personal level. And so always be reminded of of where the Lord brought you to stay away from pride, fullness. I used to do this.
::Unknown
This is really funny. One of the more practical things that I used to do, I don't do it as much anymore. but whenever someone comes and compliments you. I used to say this thing I used to say like, glory to God, glory to God. I mean, obviously the glory is is for the Lord. We don't want to take any of that, but it's just a little bit awkward when you're in, like, normal conversation with someone.
::Unknown
And like you said, it's a little bit like hyper spiritual. So you know what? What I always recommend doing is, is say thank you. you know, receive that compliment, receive that that, that compliment that person is giving you. But in private, whenever you're whenever you're driving home or whenever you're in your devotional time with the Lord, I would say, give that back to him and give that glory back to him in private and make sure that you are you are reminding yourself that it is not by your will that you're here.
::Unknown
It's not by your talents and and what you can do. It's it's all because of him. If someone was blessed because of how the Lord moved by you, led worship, you were allowed to be the instrument in that moment. And so just be grateful about that. And so that's how I think I've I've combated pride fullness in my life.
::Unknown
always being reminded of where the Lord has brought me out of really just humbles you real quick. and so the second thing was, burnout. A lot of times with worship leaders, if you're honest, if you're on a set every Sunday and you're leading worship every Sunday, a lot of times these songs can become, how do I put this?
::Unknown
It can become a little bit monotonous where it's like, hey, I feel like I've heard this song a million times. there's not a whole there is more variety nowadays than there was back then. but a lot of times these, these songs are structured the same. A lot of times they're not that different. And so a lot of times it can feel like you're just doing the same old thing over and over again.
::Unknown
And so again, I say that one of the things that I've done to, combat that combat burnout is one, obviously keeping the Sabbath have a day where you can just relax and not do anything and just really pour into yourself and what you enjoy to do. And then second thing, I'll say this again, because of how important it is, is make it personal.
::Unknown
Make it personal. These songs become more than songs when they become part of your story. These songs become more than songs when they become part of your story. And so these are more than just songs. These are the stories of many Christians out there. And when you really start to think about that, this song becomes more than just a song.
::Unknown
and if you need to take a break and not sing a song, that's fine. You can do that. Let the song sit for a couple of weeks and then bring it back later on, like, that's that's okay. That's human, that's natural, that's normal. but whenever you do pick a song, whenever you are leading a song, no matter how many times you've sang it, find a way to make it personal.
::Unknown
Read the lyrics. Find a time in your life where these lyrics would have come to life in to you personally. And then when you're on the platform, when you're singing this song, bring yourself to that place and be reminded of that place so that when you sing it, it's it's it's a genuine cry and genuine worship. And it's not a, an authentic worship to God and not just another song that you're singing.
::Unknown
So though that's, that's my $0.02. That's what I have to say.
::Unknown
I don't ever know how to. I don't never know how to end, how to end that. But yeah man that's those are those are definitely some things that I've learned.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
Yeah. So my Sabbath. again, one of the things that I said is do something that that fills you. Do something that you enjoy doing, whatever that is. And I will unashamedly say that something that I genuinely enjoy doing is playing video games. And so a lot of times, my Sabbath is relaxing. It's spending time with my wife.
::Unknown
So we'll usually do like a date night or we'll go out on a date, we'll spend time together. And then also it'll always and the night ends with me just doing a little gaming session, and just just letting my mind just wander and just not think about the stresses of work. Not think about the stresses of life.
::Unknown
When I play video games, I feel like it's it's a moment where my mind can just go blank. And a lot of times, when I play with friends, those are moments. I mean, I honestly, genuinely, when I think about it, they're they're opportunities to have like fellowship with your friends. And so the friends that I play with, they're believers as well.
::Unknown
And so a lot of times we'll talk about like, like, well, we literally playing video games and we're talking like about real life and stuff. and it is filling and it's awesome. And, and it's cool to have a group of guys that you won't necessarily otherwise be able to, like, meet with in person. but you can still have connection and fellowship with.
::Unknown
So I think that just just focus on the things that you enjoy doing and then just go do those things and let your tanks be full so that when Sunday comes around, like you're leading from a full tank and and not an empty one.
::Unknown
Yeah. yeah, bro. Right now, I'm console. I'm playing on my PlayStation slim. I don't even have a PlayStation five. I just have a four. Slim. it works for me. It does the job. I don't I hate playing my PC people that I see that you're a PC gamer, and you guys are just so difficult.
::Unknown
Oh, really? Okay.
::Unknown
Gotcha. Now. And, I pretty much strictly play apex. I don't I don't really play anything other than apex. I've. I've played other things. and I have moments where I'm just taking a break from apex and I'm just jumping on another game. But I would say that consistently, if I'm playing video games 90% of the time, I'm going to be playing apex.
::Unknown
Yeah, man, that's my game. Okay.
::Unknown
Yeah.
::Unknown
met some people that I've gamed online with in person, and it's been it's been such, such a blast seeing one of my favorite, brothers in Christ.
::Unknown
His name's Jacob Richards. And he's been on the podcast as well. He lives in Ohio, which is the next state over from Pennsylvania. So him and I have actually gotten together I think, four times now. and there's been a couple others, one time in Colorado with a friend and, some people down south, but it's amazing, like how we can connect to people around the world using technology or something as simple as video games.
::Unknown
there really is an evangelistic opportunity. And pretty much anything. This is how you use it and see God, man, that's so cool. I didn't know you're a gamer. That's so cool. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Christian, I do have to leave here. pretty soon in about, like five minutes, I have a meeting with, one of our team members on the team.
::Unknown
So, just want to let you know. Wonderful. All right, well, then we'll draw. We'll draw this to a conclusion. so I have two questions for you in that five minute time frame. the first question is, what do you see God doing in the earth, and is there a way to partner with that as a believer?
::Unknown
and the second question is what is your biggest prayer? And if you could close us out in prayer? Of course. so the first question, remind me again, what do I think God is doing, in the church and today and how he's moving today? Yeah, yeah, it's a prophetic question. And I think that go ahead. Yeah.
::Unknown
I think that where my heart is right now, I think everybody's obviously called to something different. God reveals different aspects to different people so that he can send them in different areas. I think my heart definitely is lean towards the church, and, and helping build the church. And so one of the things that you actually mentioned in the beginning of the call, I don't even know if we're recording at that point.
::Unknown
But there was there was one thing that you said, and it was it was you have a strong heart for unifying the church. And I think that I am on the on that same boat, brother. I think that when I grew up, it was a lot of, competition between church and church like, hey, these are my people.
::Unknown
These are your people. I'll stay over here on this side of the street. You stay on that side of the street. And I think that that's just not at all how the church was intended to be. I think that I don't I mean, obviously, you have your your group of people, your community. but there's nothing that can that has to keep us from collaborating and working together and doing things together as a church and body to reach more souls for Christ.
::Unknown
and so a lot of times what would happen was like a lot of times it would be somebody from one church coming to this church and it'd be like this whole taboo thing. And it's like, dude, like, who cares? As long as the message of the Lord's being preached. Amen. This person has a heart to hear it.
::Unknown
Like, it's like, what? What does it matter? you know, if they go to this church on this Sunday or that church on that Sunday, obviously we want them to get plugged into the community. But if that's just the circumstance of their life right now, just let them be. There's other places that they can be right now.
::Unknown
let's partner with the other church that they go to and let's find out a way to best serve this person that's coming. So even even something like that. So my heart definitely right now, and the reason I think what my role will look like whenever I do get the opportunity to step into full time ministry, will be a strong heart for unifying the church and getting rid of this competition mentality.
::Unknown
and just getting rid of that and just really, really focusing on unifying the church. the other thing is I have a strong passion for the next generation. I don't know what my journey is going to look like and having the opportunity to pour into the next generation. But, I really do think that the Lord has something special for this next generation, with our generation as well.
::Unknown
But with this next one, I think that, I have also been gifted with the ability to connect with the next generation, and I don't want to take that for granted. I definitely want to pour into the next generation. I want to see future prophets, future pastors, future teachers, future worship leaders. really step into their calling, a step into their ministry in a way that looks different than than ours.
::Unknown
Because there is a certain, every generation is different. The way that they look at life, the way that they do things, the way that they function is going to be different. The opportunities that they have are going to be different. And so I want to help cultivate that in the next generation. And so I definitely think that that should always be a focus of the church has and building up the next generation and finding someone to really pass the mantle to.
::Unknown
And so that's, that's my heart unifying the church and building up the next generation. That's what I think the Lord is doing right now. at least what he's calling me to. Obviously, the Lord is doing a ton of things in the world right now, but I think my role and what it looks like for me, I think those two things have really been pressed on my heart.
::Unknown
Amen. Well said. And I think that is definitely at the heart of the father to unify the church and, to raise up the next generation. Man, way to keep pressing and way to keep partnering with the Lord and being obedient and saying, yes, man. I have a line of prophetic questions that I would love to ask you, so we'll have to save them for another time.
::Unknown
I mean, if there is something in the name Samuel man, I would love to talk about prophecy and prophetic. but if you could, could you close this off in prayer over the audience? Of course. I think the second question you asked was, the big like, one of my biggest prayers is that is that what you were asking?
::Unknown
Yes. Yes, or the biggest prayer? Yeah. So for me right now, you know, I'll pray this out, but if you guys can also keep me in your prayers. like I said, I graduated college with a ministry degree. it is fully credentialed. It is a ministry of leadership degree from Southeastern University. and I'm not necessarily working career wise.
::Unknown
in that field. And I would love to know, I think that for me, as far as prayer goes, I would pray that you guys just keep me in your thoughts, keep me in your prayers. As far as my relationship with the Lord, to have it continue, be strong, and continue to have my faith grounded in him in this season of just kind of waiting, I guess, I don't necessarily want to overstep boundaries.
::Unknown
I don't want to overstep the will of the Lord, but I definitely want to, so I don't want to like a go and apply for churches. I'm waiting to see if the Lord opens up a door for me like he has done all my life. And so I'm just right now waiting for that opportunity. So I pray that you guys, can pray for me that in this season that I make the most out of it, that I really focus on my heart and my relationship with him and really, found myself in him, not focus on the talents, like you said, Christian, but focus on the talent giver and use this season of
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life, as best as I can. So if you guys could keep me in your prayers for that, and, I'll close on prayer. All right. We thank you, Lord. just for this opportunity, father, we are just so grateful. God, it just where you have brought us in life. God, where? I don't know where the listeners may be in their life.
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God. But we just want to exude gratitude, Lord, because there is so much to be grateful for. Despite, situations, despite circumstances that we may be in. Father, there is still so much to be grateful for. We are grateful for the cross. We're grateful for your son who gave his life for us. Lord, we are grateful for for the grace that you give us, father, to be redeemed and to step into our callings even after we've been rebellious.
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Lord, we thank you and are grateful for your forgiveness, father, for the fact that you give us the tools to accomplish the callings that you have put on our lives. Father. So as we close out this podcast, I want to bless my brother Christian Holy Spirit, if you can meet him and guide him along this journey, that you in this path that you've set him on.
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ust started Believe in You in: ::Unknown
God, You are doing so much in his life and so I am so excited to see what you have in store for my brother. And I pray that you keep using him and keep blessing him in his journey and in this path. And I just pray for every listener right now. God, I pray that if there was just be one person who could take something from this conversation with my brother, Lord, I pray that their hearts be filled.
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God, I pray that their relationship worship with you. Be strengthened. God, I pray that they find encouragement through this conversation. Lord, and most importantly, God. I pray that they find you. Jesus. if they don't know you and they've been wrestling with that faith God, I pray that, hopefully God that through this conversation that you can do a work in their hearts, Holy spirit, we give you the freedom and the liberty to move, and just impact lives, God, and to just continue to use us, God, we make ourselves available as instruments for you to use to spread the gospel and spread the Word of Jesus to all those who are listening God.
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So I pray for all those who are listening, that you bless them, that you keep them, and that you, have favor for them, Lord, and whatever endeavors that they have in their life and that you continue to raise up ministers, and priests and pastors and worship leaders, and you continue to raise them up, God, and instruct us on what to do, because we don't always know what to do.
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So I pray you give us, that's the steps and the direction and the tools that we need, father, to really carry out the calling that you have for our lives. And so we bless your name, Lord, we thank you again for this, for these moments, for these conversations. And we pray that you always be glorified in Jesus name, Amen, Amen, Amen.
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Samuel Sanchez on the Authentic Podcast. Brother, we thank you so much for your time and just pouring into us. We call you blessed in the name of Jesus and we just say to being a fully credentialed minister ready to rock and roll man, we just say, door open. so we call you blessed in the name of Jesus, guys.
