Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: That was my first podcast ever.
[00:00:03] Speaker B: What do you think?
[00:00:04] Speaker C: I love. I love that I get to sit next to this guy during the podcast. What do you think it makes. It makes. It makes the entire experience. Because my favorite part is every part. Every time I'm supposed to speak, I get one of these.
No, podcasting is fun. It's a good time.
That was the wackest opening ever.
[00:00:23] Speaker D: We can't use that. It's so bad.
Let's just start the show.
All right. Music starts. We're using that.
[00:00:35] Speaker C: Okay, I guess.
[00:01:15] Speaker A: Welcome, everyone, to Discover Life podcast sponsored by Vida Church. I am Pastor Axel, and I am your host this week. Let me introduce to you our cast. Tonight we have. To my left, I have Minister Lewis.
[00:01:29] Speaker C: What's up? What's up? What's up?
[00:01:31] Speaker A: Next to him, we have Deacon Eliu.
[00:01:33] Speaker B: What's going on?
[00:01:34] Speaker A: And we have our own here, Bishop Herson.
[00:01:37] Speaker D: Hey, everybody. So glad to be with you. Excited about our topics tonight. Please share, like, subscribe. Let people know the podcast is on.
[00:01:48] Speaker B: Yes, sir.
[00:01:49] Speaker A: Hey, guys, I have a topic for tonight for us to talk about.
[00:01:52] Speaker D: All right.
[00:01:52] Speaker A: And what's so special about church life? What's so special about being part of a church?
[00:01:58] Speaker C: Yeah, okay.
[00:01:59] Speaker B: For me, it's like community. It's feeling like home, feeling like family, you know, worship experience, you know, it's something that draws you in. It draws you in.
[00:02:15] Speaker C: Sure. When I think about the people who walk in, especially to our church and many of the churches that we know, they walk in and that's the experience they get from not necessarily belonging, like, hey, first time coming, you know, or haven't been in a while. Always feel that family, that love, that touch.
[00:02:34] Speaker D: Well, for me, because I know that when Christ returns, he's not coming for a person, he's coming for his bride. I have a real good understanding that being a part of the church means that I'm part of that bride.
It's a holy designation. It's more to me. It's more than finding a place to belong. It's more than having connection with people, though. It is all of those things. But the more you get to know what the church is, you realize that being a part of the church, you become the bride of Christ. And that is a biblical definition, a designation that's so special here on the Earth and that whatever God is doing on the earth, he's using his church to do that is special on the earth right now.
[00:03:25] Speaker B: It speaks to love and how we should interact.
[00:03:28] Speaker C: Church life doesn't mean perfect life. Church life Just means godly community and fellowship. It means a place to go and people to speak to and people to live with that walk that same path in alignment with you towards Christ. Right? And I think that if you're looking from the outside, you might think church life, we're only going to talk about, oh, it's always perfect life, it's great life, but it's not about that.
[00:03:57] Speaker D: It's just Bible. And it's just.
[00:03:58] Speaker C: Exactly. It's just Bible.
[00:03:59] Speaker D: It's boring.
[00:04:01] Speaker C: It's not.
[00:04:02] Speaker A: It's real.
[00:04:02] Speaker C: This church life is real life.
[00:04:04] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:04:04] Speaker A: I think people think church is just the four walls where they come to and they don't realize that this is just a small percentage of it. That outside of these four walls, that's.
[00:04:19] Speaker D: What the real life, that's where church life really starts.
[00:04:22] Speaker A: And, and let me ask you guys, if someone asks you, what are the benefits of salvation? Because we talk about salvation so much, but what are the benefits you have found in your life being saved?
[00:04:37] Speaker D: The most important thing that we get out of a relationship with God is our salvation.
To put it in a better term, we get to go back to the original relationship that God created us for.
And that's what the life of Jesus and the church offers us. It gives us a chance to return to a more pure, more beautiful relationship with God where the power and the sting of death and sin have been removed from us and we can now commune with God in a very natural, very beautiful way.
[00:05:17] Speaker B: We feel connected again. We feel that there's a home and the only home because it was him that created us to be closer to him, to be like him in his image and his likeness, you know?
[00:05:28] Speaker C: Yeah, that's good. And I think that sometimes when people think about the benefits of salvation, they think about eternity only. But salvation has power here while we're still alive. And I think when I think about salvation, I actually think about the security I have in Christ, not having to constantly believe the lies of the enemy, that it's insecure that I don't have it, that I haven't grasped it, and that it wasn't given to me as this free gift that I've accepted. Because a lot of times in the faith we can get into that whole conversation where everything is works based, right? I mean, we grew up somewhat in a church that was that way, but to the understanding that salvation gives you that security to not have to constantly be like, did I do it right? Did I do it right? Am I doing it right? Am I living it Right. Am I constantly perfect? No, it's not about it, that, it's about understanding that Christ did this for you and gave you this gift.
[00:06:23] Speaker D: And in addition to salvation, what are the benefits of being a part of the church? What else do we get?
[00:06:30] Speaker B: Yeah, we, we get to grow, we get to grow spiritually, we get to, to grow in our faith and, and, and we get to be able to even, even help others.
[00:06:41] Speaker D: That's to share the gospel.
[00:06:42] Speaker B: That's it.
[00:06:42] Speaker A: Yeah, that's some good stuff. And I think people that are, are watching us are definitely going to benefit from, from just knowing this because it's a package that salvation gives us. It's not just like minister was saying, it's not just eternity. It's also here for us to enjoy it, for us to live it here. And going to eternity is just a continuation of it.
It's the complete what Jesus started in the cross for us.
[00:07:18] Speaker C: So many people think salvation is the end, but salvation is the beginning.
It's the open door to what we call discipleship. Right. And so the benefit of salvation is that now you understand your role, you understand who you are. You said earlier, we are the bride. That means now I get to walk with him every day.
[00:07:38] Speaker D: But that's if you allow the church to prepare you, to mold you. And this is why the church is so helpful. The Bible talks about the five fold ministry which prepares the saints for the work. And so it's when you allow that five fold ministry to start to really, you have to be a part of the church to really enjoy the benefits beyond salvation of that. I am a light in darkness, I am salt of the earth. All of those things, you know, God can prepare you for it through the fivefold ministry.
[00:08:13] Speaker C: That's so good.
[00:08:14] Speaker A: Guys, let me, let me ask you guys, you guys have any Bible verses this week that minister you guys, something that recently, just when you read it, you said, wow, this verse really touches me. Yeah, how about we tell everybody?
[00:08:28] Speaker D: Yeah, mine, mine is since we started this podcast, I had never seen this Bible verse. It never jumped out to me. Proverbs 8. 35. And I'm going to read 36. These, these are beautiful because since we started our church, it's called Vida Church, we'd had kind of the subtitle Discover life and it has a play on the Vida Life. Discover life at Vida Church. But, but recently I found this Bible verse that really speaks to me. Proverbs 8:35. For those who find me, find life. In other words, for those who find me, discover life.
[00:09:08] Speaker C: Yeah, that's good.
[00:09:09] Speaker D: And then it says, and receive favor from the Lord. But then verse 36 says, but those who fail to find me harm themselves.
[00:09:19] Speaker C: Wow, that's good.
[00:09:20] Speaker D: All who hate me love death.
What a powerful verse.
[00:09:27] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:09:28] Speaker D: I mean, it gives you that hope of if you find me, you discover life. And then it says, but those who fail to find me. Listen to that phrase.
[00:09:36] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:09:36] Speaker D: For those who fail to find me, I'm here. I'm not playing hide and seek with you. I'm here. But still, yet. And still people will fail to find them. Then it says, those who fail to find me harm themselves. All who hate me love death.
[00:09:53] Speaker C: So.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: So.
[00:09:54] Speaker C: But there's. There's. There's categories there. Right? So there's the one that looks and finds.
[00:09:59] Speaker D: Yep.
[00:10:00] Speaker C: There's the one that looks but fails to find.
[00:10:02] Speaker D: There's.
[00:10:03] Speaker C: Because if you're failing to find it, it's not that you're not looking. And then there's the ones that are just. I don't care about you. I don't care about this gospel message.
[00:10:12] Speaker D: Hate me.
[00:10:13] Speaker B: Hate.
[00:10:13] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:10:14] Speaker C: That's intense. But what I think, what I love about that, though, is when you go into the Word, not everything's a mystery. You can go to the Word and God's going to speak to you. And what I love about how direct that is, is that's the best kind of communication he can give you.
[00:10:29] Speaker D: That's right.
[00:10:30] Speaker C: You know what? You find me, this is what happens. And we can get lost in the negative. And a lot of people do that. They'll go to Scripture and they'll be like, oh, but why, but why would a loving God do that to me? Well, he's not. He's actually giving you the ability to find him.
[00:10:44] Speaker D: Find me and discover life, and you will. Discover life speaks to the mission of what we're trying to do as a church. We're trying to help people to find God. Hopefully, in our conversation, in our love for each other, our love for the Word, and our love for you, you can choose to find God. It a choice he's making himself available to you.
[00:11:05] Speaker B: I'm going to read mine.
[00:11:06] Speaker D: Go ahead.
[00:11:06] Speaker B: It's going to connect to that in a way so much that this is powerful. So I was reading it today, and it's Matthew 7, 13, and 14, and it says, enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction.
And many we are tough today.
[00:11:28] Speaker D: We're hitting hard.
[00:11:30] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:11:31] Speaker C: That's right.
[00:11:33] Speaker D: He's Looking at the. Are we discovering life today?
[00:11:36] Speaker A: I mean, go ahead.
[00:11:38] Speaker D: I mean.
[00:11:39] Speaker B: And many enter through it, but watch this. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few will find it. How many times are we messing with the broad road, which is the world? The things that give you anxiety, that bring you depression, that lead you to death. Some of us are so far and close, that is so dangerous that you may lose your salvation because you're too far away from it. The narrow road. The narrow road is so narrow, you can't go right or left. It's up and down, but it's challenging. And that's why people don't like it. Because in there, there's. There's a purpose. You have to. You have to work hard to get to. To that place. But it leads to righteousness and holiness, and it leads to life, not death.
[00:12:31] Speaker A: Let me. Let me bring some life back to the podcast.
I think we're going off track here, but this morning I was. I was reading Exodus, chapter 15, and it was talking about manna and how God was introducing manna to his people. And it's always interesting to read because every day God told his people that he will provide manna for them and on the sixth day for them to collect extra for the. For the weekend. Right. And it always touches me to know how God provides us every day with manna. He provides us every day with that and that for me, it was to just trust him, you know?
And I think that's what all of us need to do in this season of our lives, to just trust God and know that whatever you're going through, God will provide each day that manna that you need. So hopefully this story can bring life back into your life. Yeah, Minister Lou, what's that verse?
[00:13:50] Speaker D: Uh. Oh, Lou's going back into the.
[00:13:53] Speaker C: No, I'm just going to go to the thing that has been ministering to my life is the life of Jesus himself. And as I was reading, I had to stop because a clip had come up when I was scrolling a clip of the Chosen. And what I love is it brought me to John 11:35. And I saw the scene acted out. And seeing it acted out changed my perspective.
[00:14:19] Speaker D: Nice.
[00:14:20] Speaker C: Okay. And it's the simplest and shortest scripture, and it just says Jesus wept.
And it really caused me to stop for a minute because our perspectives of Jesus are all through the interpretations of our mind. And we read it, but we want to interpret it and we want to do all this stuff with it. But when I Just took a minute to think about the fact that Jesus was.
He came back, Lazarus was already dead. Here are his sisters just bawling. He knew he would resurrect him. But time to weep in their loss. He didn't rush fast to go, I'm just going to fix it all. He said, no, I'm with you. I'm an intimate God. I'm not a far God that's somewhere over there in the sky that can't reach you or that you can't reach me. And it was wonderful for me because I. I was kind of like, in the moment. I was working on a project and I was in a moment of, like, struggle because I've got all this stuff that I'm trying to do. I have a deadline. I'm trying to make sure I get it all done. And I'm struggling with a piece and I have to fabricate something, but it caused me to just stop first and just pay attention to Jesus. Jesus did that for them. He stopped. He didn't go straight to the miracle. He didn't go straight to doing it. He stopped there with them. He wept. And it doesn't say he cried. It said he wept. And for all of us who have had moments in our lives where we just weep because it's almost an uncontrollable cry, Jesus did too. He aligns with us. He is close to us in the heart.
And that helps me to remember the God that I serve.
[00:15:57] Speaker B: That really shows his compassion, because it's different. It's like he understands. He sees the pain. He feels the pain. He's there and he loves you.
[00:16:08] Speaker D: And for those who are mourning, cry.
[00:16:12] Speaker C: Yeah, right?
[00:16:13] Speaker D: It's. It's quite natural. Jesus wept. And we will cry with you.
[00:16:18] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:16:18] Speaker D: And our church, we've had, you know, an unfortunate series of deaths and loss. And there are people who are crying and weeping. And Christ identifies with you.
[00:16:33] Speaker C: Right.
[00:16:34] Speaker D: He shares. He knows what it is to lose a friend, but he also knew that he would experience resurrection. And I hope you know, your friend, your family, if they knew Jesus, they'll experience resurrection as well.
[00:16:48] Speaker A: That's good, guys. How about Flourish and Thrive?
[00:16:52] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:16:52] Speaker C: A great series.
[00:16:53] Speaker D: Loving the series.
[00:16:54] Speaker A: My goodness. This Sunday's message was. Was sponsored by Bread of Life. And we're gonna go into this Sunday's message. It was the value of hard work. But Bread of Life, it's one of our ministries here at Vida Church that really, really resembles who we are, where we take care of the community, where we get people every Wednesday at 5:30 here at 120 Prospect street here in Woonsocket. If you are in need of a meal every Wednesday, those doors open at 5:30 for you to come here. Bring your family. If you're in need of a meal, we will provide that for you. There's some people that love Jesus so much that are here every Wednesday and just, you know, promote the love of Jesus through these meals.
[00:17:46] Speaker D: The only thing I'll add to that is that it's, it's if you want community, if you, if, if you have food, but you miss being around people.
[00:17:54] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:17:55] Speaker D: If you want fellowship, we have that for you here too. So come eat the good food, enjoy the fellowship, and that's what Bread of Life is all about.
[00:18:05] Speaker A: So yes, Bread of Life is just doing an amazing work here in one socket. And we just encourage you to both ways. You can either come here and just have a hot meal or you can sign up and help us continue this ministry. There are so many ways and you can help us pray for it financially with being here and just volunteering your time. So there are so many ways that you can help us move this ministry. I mean, I came from a family where we start work early.
You know, when I was, by the age of 13, I was already making money. And when I say I was making money, it wasn't $12 or no, I was having, you know, hundreds, $400, $500 a week when I was 13 years old.
And I started helping at home very early with the rent, with the, with the bills. And so this message just spoke to me in so many different levels because I feel like we're losing that generation. And, and you talked about that how, you know, where we talk about this generation so much of how, you know, lazy it is, but we're the ones raising that, you know, and that kind of like, hold on, I'm responsible for this generation. So it pulled a lot from me. And why is hard work so important for you guys?
[00:19:38] Speaker D: Well, I think that being a Christian, a lot of folks use God as a cop out, that God will provide, that the Lord will provide.
[00:19:51] Speaker C: Right?
[00:19:52] Speaker D: And one of the things that we were talking about before we preached that message on Sunday is that, is that most of the people that God chose, they were doing something, they were active. If you look at Abraham, he was an amazing idol worshiper.
He loved a false God so much that it caught God's eye.
He was busy, you know, and so many others that we find that Jesus said, because you're working, you know, so there's There's a lot of meat in the scripture, a lot of examples in scripture that teach us that, that it, it is intrinsic in the Bible for us to be hardwired, to work hard.
[00:20:35] Speaker C: That's good.
[00:20:36] Speaker D: We should work hard.
[00:20:37] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:20:38] Speaker B: And I can start with the Joseph's diligence in Potiphar's house. And in Genesis 39, 2 it says the Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man. A successful, successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. So if I go back a little bit because this blew my mind, right. Because I call this the pit of preparation. So Joseph was in a pit. The pit led him to Potiphar's house, which he learned to be great at what he was doing as a servant. And he looked around and saw what kingdom and leadership looks like. See. Then he was put in prison. The prison prepared him for him to lead the second in command in the palace.
So talking to you out there, you might be in a pit, but the pit will prepare you to get to the promise that God already has given you the three P's. So there goes the three pit.
[00:21:47] Speaker C: The pit pit. Yeah.
[00:21:48] Speaker A: I love it.
[00:21:49] Speaker C: Well, we'll prepare you for the promise.
[00:21:52] Speaker B: I just want you to know that that pit can't hold you down as long as that you're doing it for God. As long as that you believe and trust God. Because Joseph truly believed in God. He never complained that you're talking about a free man who was put in a pit. And then a free man, slavery and then accused and put in, in a jail cell. Which was kind of like a pit too.
[00:22:17] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:22:17] Speaker B: But he prepared himself.
[00:22:19] Speaker D: So for everyone who is in a dead end job, anyone that is feeling like they're not appreciated, try being a servant or a slave. He lived a life of excellence no matter where he was. And that's what separated him. That's why Joseph's hard work is such a great example. He worked hard even though there was no promise of promotion. Even there was, there was no promise of a palace. He just knew one thing. I'm going to work and I'm going to let everyone know that my work is a direct result of my relationship with God.
[00:22:57] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:22:57] Speaker C: My favorite part about his story is that there was a promise in a.
[00:23:01] Speaker D: Dream, in the dream.
[00:23:02] Speaker C: But the promise wasn't his inspiration any longer. It didn't look like, it looked like nothing matched what he had seen in his dream. And so he had nothing except for knowing that what he did was for Christ to guide him to that place. It was his hard work and his faithfulness to Christ that led him to the promise, not this thing that he made up in his mind, like, oh, I bet I can get there if. Yeah, it was just, you know what? If this is where I am, and you said it, he was excellent even in prison, he was excellent even as a slave, he was excellent even in a pit. And it doesn't matter where you are, if you are excellent. And if you love the Lord and do all things, I think you had said that scripture on Sunday, if you do all things unto the Lord, he's going to take you right to where he wants you to be.
[00:23:51] Speaker D: That's right.
[00:23:51] Speaker C: Amen.
The second character after Joseph, we talked about Bezalel and Oholiab. I love saying those words. Right? Exodus 31:2 6. And I'm going to read this. It says, see, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and have filled him with the spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship to design artistic works, the work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels, for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. And I, indeed I have appointed you. I, indeed I have appointed with him Holiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. And I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the gifted artisans that they may make all that I have commanded you.
[00:24:54] Speaker B: Oh, my goodness. There's a lot there.
[00:24:57] Speaker C: We could go into many things, but I think the biggest part for me is that they were anointed to do the work. God gave them these gifts. And if you actually read a little bit further, it talks about how Bezalel actually was not just gifted in, like, the carpentry, the design, the artistic way of creating it.
Just in woodworking, he knew how to sew, he knew how to make the linens. All things pertaining to the tabernacle were created under the anointing that was on him. It says that the Spirit of God was upon them. And so working hard is not just a thing that we should do, but understanding that through your work, you are actually working through the power of the Holy Spirit. It's not just in your power, but if God has given you a gift, you function in the power of the Holy Spirit.
[00:25:50] Speaker D: Yeah, I believe we are. We are candidates for that kind of anointing. Yeah. And if you do everything as if unto God, you become a candidate, I believe, for the move of the Holy Spirit, not just so that you feel good. The spirit of God doesn't fall on you so that you can feel good. It empowers you to do a work. It empowers you. The spirit of God would come upon Samson that he might fight mightily. The spirit of God would come upon David that he could play anointedly. The spirit of God would come upon these guys and they would work amazingly. This is the same spirit of God that you have access to. If you dedicate your work, whatever it might be, wherever you are, you dedicate that to God. The Holy Spirit will give you the inspiration the know how all of a sudden you're doing things. You go, well, I didn't know I knew how to do that.
I didn't know I could do that. And all of a sudden you find yourself doing things that are blowing your mind. It's the Holy Spirit that has empowered you because you made yourself available to him by saying, God, wherever I am, glorify yourself through me. Use me, God, to be a demonstration of what a life surrendered to, you can look like.
[00:27:09] Speaker A: Come on, preach.
[00:27:10] Speaker D: Come on.
[00:27:11] Speaker C: He started getting excited.
[00:27:12] Speaker B: He's getting excited.
But let's add a little bit to. Because that he's talking about even at work, your job, your job, do it. Excellent. Because sometimes we'll go to work and we're complaining, right?
And nobody, you know, we get too far. But if you're doing it for God, listen, do it excellently and God's going to reward you.
[00:27:39] Speaker C: I like what you're saying is, is live out how you live for Christ. Right?
There's a phrase, I'm going to butcher it, but it says something like, preach the gospel everywhere you go and use words if necessary. Right. And I think that that's exactly what you're saying.
[00:27:55] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:27:56] Speaker A: How about Ruth's story, guys?
[00:27:58] Speaker C: Go ahead.
[00:27:59] Speaker A: If you haven't read this story, I mean, it's only four chapters and there might be people out there that have gone through so much like Ruth and might have a reason to give up like she did.
[00:28:16] Speaker D: She had a reason, but she didn't.
[00:28:18] Speaker A: She pulled through, she pushed through. I mean, she did everything she could to maintain that, that mindset that I will not fall to my. To my issue, to my situation. And in instead, she, she worked hard to get back to where she needed to get. And I think that speaks to so many people out there that, that have worked so hard for something and a situation just comes and they just give up. They. They start coming in late to Work, they, they, I mean they start character changes, they start taking off, they should days offs that they shouldn't be taken. I mean your excellence just starts going down and all of a sudden they lay you off or you just give up on your job. But Ruth, if you read that story, it's going to inspire you, it's going to lift you up, it's really going to turn you around. Because she didn't give up and she had, I mean she lost everything. She lost her family, she lost her husband. I mean she was left by herself. But instead she went to the fields and she said, I will not hide in that bedroom. I will not hide in that house. She went to work. And what happened when she went to work? She found favor.
[00:29:40] Speaker D: That's right. Somebody caught her at her best. My brother Orlando works in a hotel and every month they have a thing caught at his best. And it's an award that they give when they catch you at your best. You know somebody, they catch you at your worst. No, they have this idea of catching at the best. And Boaz caught her at her best. He caught her doing something that she had no, no real right to do. She was working after the workers went through. She was just cleaning up after people. But she did it in such a way, she did it with such passion. She was working hard, she was sweating, she was laboring, she was doing the work. Don't expect other people to do it for, for you. You've got to do it yourself.
[00:30:29] Speaker C: Yeah, that's good.
[00:30:30] Speaker D: You have to get up, go to work every morning.
You have to make up your mind that you're going to be a blessing, that you're going to work different, that it's going to hit different with you. And, and, and Ruth is that inspiration that, that her and her mother in law had no right to go and earn. But, but they had no husbands. They had no one to do it for them. The husbands were supposed to do it. They weren't there. So maybe you're the person that's finding yourself. Maybe you're a kid in the house and nobody's working and you're the one finding yourself. I'm the one that's got to go work like he did at 13.
[00:31:07] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:31:08] Speaker C: That's good.
[00:31:08] Speaker D: Making how much money?
[00:31:09] Speaker A: It was illegal, but we're not gonna talk about that.
[00:31:15] Speaker C: You were tithing and you gave it back to God.
[00:31:18] Speaker D: You made it right. When you tithe, you tithe.
[00:31:21] Speaker A: It's the benefit. When you look your.
[00:31:25] Speaker D: Oh my God. Did you have a mustache at 13.
[00:31:29] Speaker C: You know, maybe. I don't know, something that you said just inspired a single thought. And you just were talking about her going out to the fields.
You don't know what can happen unless you show up.
[00:31:41] Speaker D: Show up.
[00:31:41] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:31:42] Speaker C: Just show up. Like this idea of taking time off often or just not showing up. And, I mean, one of the things that. That saddens our hearts, I think, the most as leaders at church is when people don't show up to church with no good reason. And sometimes it's a decent reason, but not enough. And it's not that we're trying to devalue your reasons for staying, but something can happen if you show up. God is faithful. He wants to see that. Maybe you just had enough to take the steps. You want to be healed, but you're saying, God, heal me here. I don't want to go over there. To get the healing he had, the man had to get up and get to the pool if he wanted the healing, right. All of these things take movement of some sort. Now, he wasn't able to move, but he did ask, right? And so what it takes for you to do, really, if you want to see God move, just show up, show up, be present.
[00:32:35] Speaker D: We look at the Proverbs 31 woman, and we're talking as much about men as women. Women are strong in the workforce. A lot of women are doing the work. And praise God for you in Proverbs 31, in this time, women were not known as industrious or women were not known for having businesses. But the. But the. But the Proverbs 31, Woman. A lot of people talk about the virtuous woman. Well, she worked, right? She didn't just work. She had businesses.
Let's read Proverbs 31, 15, 17. She also rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and a portion for her maid servants. She's got employees, y'all.
She considers a field and buys it. She's in real estate, y'all.
[00:33:28] Speaker B: Come on now.
[00:33:29] Speaker D: Right from her profits, she plants a vineyard. Oh, my goodness. She's an entrepreneur, y'all. Yeah, right. She girds herself with strength and strengthens her arms. That sounds like a man, but we're talking about a virtuous woman. And so we want to encourage you to look at these people, because why, if you want to flourish and thrive in your vocation, in your work, you're gonna have to work for it. God's gonna bless you, but you're gonna have to work.
And here's the biggest reason I think we can. We can point to Jesus. And I'm not talking about when he was carrying a cross. I'm talking about before he started his ministry. Jesus was carrying a hammer and nails, and he was a carpenter. He wasn't just the carpenter's son, he was a carpenter. He was in the family business. And if anybody could have taken a cushy job and just taken an office job and say, I'll just take the orders, it would have been. But I like what Mark 6:3 says in is this not the carpenter?
[00:34:39] Speaker C: So good?
[00:34:40] Speaker D: The people in his neighborhood, the people that knew him, knew him as a carpenter. They knew him as a hard worker, a worker of excellence.
His. His work defined him before his ministry defined him.
[00:34:54] Speaker B: That's good. That is good.
[00:34:56] Speaker D: And I think it's important for us, even ministers, to know the value of hard work. We. We have to stop making the excuse that God will provide. Yeah, I mean, let's use that story. Abraham's with his son. He walked all the way up a mountain. He ties up his son, he's getting ready to sacrifice his son.
Right.
[00:35:21] Speaker C: So good.
[00:35:22] Speaker B: Let me tell you, your son, he's working.
[00:35:26] Speaker D: He's doing what God told him to do.
[00:35:29] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:35:29] Speaker D: And when he does that, that's when God provides. Don't ask God provide to provide if you're not doing what he called you to do.
[00:35:36] Speaker B: Come on.
[00:35:37] Speaker C: Yeah, we cheat a little bit with the whole providing thing, because what we're asking for God to do is to provide the end result. What he's going to do is he's going to provide you with the resources to do the work.
[00:35:47] Speaker D: Come on.
[00:35:47] Speaker C: And so I think of him as a carpenter. I do this, by the way, this.
[00:35:53] Speaker D: Table, Minister Lewis and his dad. I mean, look at this thing. I mean, all of this here, this is, this is. This is hard work. Yeah, this is hard work.
[00:36:03] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. So that we get to enjoy. So I love it because we'll say, God, I need a table. So he gives you the wood, you got to build the table.
[00:36:12] Speaker D: That's right.
[00:36:12] Speaker C: Right. You build it. He'll bless it, but you've got to build it. So when we ask, every time we come to God to ask him for something, believe that he's going to give it to you, but he's going to give it to you through your hands. Right? So we go back and we say, okay, so the disciples wanted to be used by Jesus. They wanted to be used by him. Right. And so what he does is there's 5,000 people hungry. And the loaves and the fish, he breaks it in his hands and then gives it to them. And the multiplication happens in their hands. So when he gives it to you, you got to do the work for the multiplication.
[00:36:50] Speaker B: Noah didn't build the boat by himself. Now, come on, now.
[00:36:54] Speaker C: He was instructed, but he had to build a God.
[00:36:56] Speaker D: Why'd you say it like that?
[00:36:57] Speaker B: Because I just want people to know this is work. I mean, work is hard. I've been working since I was 12 years old, too.
[00:37:04] Speaker D: I mean, you used to bag groceries.
[00:37:05] Speaker B: I used to bag groceries at that time. You know, $3 went a long way.
[00:37:09] Speaker D: Amen.
[00:37:10] Speaker B: Because I was 12 years old back in the 70s, $3 was a lot of money for a kid. I used to get dimes, okay, from dad, but I didn't want to ask my dad. And then I went into working at 14 years old, and I was making $300 every two weeks. And I gave my mom $100, but I worked for it. And I've been working ever since. And I'm 59. That's right. Look at this guy. He looks good for 59. But I still work hard.
[00:37:33] Speaker D: Let us see.
[00:37:33] Speaker B: I still work.
[00:37:34] Speaker D: You look. How old are you?
[00:37:35] Speaker B: 59.
[00:37:35] Speaker D: You look good for 59.
[00:37:36] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:37:37] Speaker C: Thank you. No grace to be found.
[00:37:39] Speaker B: But these guys know I work hard. I work hard. And you know why? Because God has given me a gift and I have to provide just as well.
[00:37:49] Speaker C: Yeah. That's so good.
[00:37:49] Speaker B: And I'm gonna work hard until, I guess I die.
[00:37:53] Speaker D: And we're not saying we're going to depend on God. We work. And God blesses.
[00:38:01] Speaker C: See, he blesses the work.
[00:38:02] Speaker D: He blesses the work.
And that's the heart of this idea. If you want to flourish and you want to thrive in your vocation, be the hardest worker.
[00:38:12] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:38:12] Speaker D: Show up first. Don't show up to work to please your boss. Show up to work because God's going to be honored by an honest day's work that you're going to put in.
[00:38:23] Speaker C: We're going to be reading a book with the men called the Titus 10. And my favorite chapter is the first one because it's the only one I read so far.
But I love the opening because it's a reminder that God has given us dominion. But dominion means work. It means you have to go out and labor for it. And so when I think about that, I think about the days when I go out and work and when I come home and how I feel, okay? And I'm not talking about the best way that I feel, I'm talking about the exhaustion.
[00:38:55] Speaker D: Right.
[00:38:55] Speaker C: Why the book actually says this statement. It says, work hard all day and go to sleep tired. Our job is to labor our job. And I'm not talking about just men. Right. We are meant to work things. As a matter of fact, I think the reason why we're not seeing the blessings we want to see to the level we want to see them is because it's connected to the work we're putting in. And so in the kingdom, especially if we apply this, there's no way we can go home on any particular day and calculate the amount of time that we're actually wasting in between the tasks of what we're doing and say, there was no time for me to be effective. There was absolutely time. It's just about how we manage it. And if we learn to manage our time to do the tasks that are entrusted into our hands and steward well, what God has given us, there is no way. What we have doesn't grow. If we work it, it will grow.
[00:39:47] Speaker D: And let me speak quickly to the people who are on disability or you can't work a physical job. That doesn't mean you can't produce.
[00:39:56] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:39:57] Speaker D: You should still be producing something.
[00:40:01] Speaker C: That's right.
[00:40:01] Speaker D: Something with your time, something with your hand, something with your skills, something with your talent. Something ought to be coming out of your life.
[00:40:10] Speaker C: That's right.
[00:40:10] Speaker D: Right. So it's not just for the, the able bodied that can get out to work. I don't want you to feel left out if you're in a wheelchair. If you, if you feel like you, you, you, you, you, you're not allowed to work. Whatever the situation is, is, I believe that there is a good, honest product, product that God is expecting from your life. And it's not just coming to church on Sunday and worshiping God. God has built you for more than that.
[00:40:36] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:40:37] Speaker C: Amen.
[00:40:38] Speaker B: That's awesome.
[00:40:39] Speaker A: There is a call to action. Yes, there's a call to action. And we urge you to take action if you desire. What? Minister?
[00:40:49] Speaker C: Yeah. I think, number one, if you want to take action, rededicate your work to God. Bring it back to the table or bring it back to the altar, lay it down at his feet and say, lord, I'm going to do all things as if I'm doing them unto you. It doesn't matter what it is. Everything that touches my hand, Lord God, I'm going to do it and I'm going to dedicate it to you. I'M going to tell you what, you make that statement, you make that vow. By the way, Hebrews tells you, don't make a vow you ain't going to keep. Be very and honest about the vow that you make. But once you rededicate it to God, something's going to shift because the power of the Holy Spirit will fall upon that thing because it's his.
[00:41:26] Speaker B: And the other thing would be seek strength and resilience. Listen, don't give up. Remember, the strength comes from God. Unless you're doing everything on your own, that's where you'll fail. But when you got God's strength on your side, listen, there's no reason why you need to give up. You keep pushing, you keep going. Because there's a promise for you at the end of that. So don't give up.
[00:41:50] Speaker D: That's right.
[00:41:51] Speaker A: Embrace the God given gifts that you have, the skills that you have, everything we just talked about, God has anointed you for what you're doing now. And as you work in that excellence, as you use those gifts that God has given you, as you embrace those gifts, you will see God prospering you and thriving in what you're doing.
[00:42:12] Speaker D: Amen.
[00:42:12] Speaker B: Amen.
[00:42:13] Speaker D: And then we want you to trust in God's provision. Look, your job is going to give you a paycheck. But, but, but God is going to provide for you, right? You'll get, you'll get money. But if money is your ultimate goal, you're going to be dissatisfied with work.
If you dedicate your work to God, you'll get the money that you need to pay your bills. But then God starts to provide beyond what you earn. Provision comes from the Lord.
[00:42:46] Speaker C: That's good.
[00:42:47] Speaker D: And then I want you to commit to lead with integrity. For those of you who are working, but you're managing, I want to speak to every person that's leading a group or a sales team or maybe you're a manager or the boss, maybe you're the owner. I want you to commit to lead with integrity. Because. Because as you work, they will all work. We're reading a great, great book right now called Discovering the Leader within you, Developing the leader within you 2.0. And we're being reminded so much that everything, everything depends on leaders, on leadership. Amen. And so you can't expect for your people to work harder than you. You can't expect for people to be willing to do stuff that you haven't done or not willing to do, but work with integrity. Give them something to thrive for, to look for look toward. And that, my friend, is your example.
[00:43:45] Speaker C: That's good.
[00:43:46] Speaker B: That's awesome.
[00:43:47] Speaker A: We said so much today that it's hard to put everything into just one word. But I think that series that we're doing, it's just blessing so many people, and it's going to continue to do it. Hard work pays off.
[00:44:01] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:44:02] Speaker A: And that's what you need to take out of this podcast tonight, this morning, whatever time you're listening. But the hard work pays off. That God will give you the strength for you to get to where you need to. But you need to. To be available, you need to be responsible. And like Joseph, you need to do things with excellence. And like Ruth, you need to put yourself out there and someone will see you and you will find favor in someone. So get up and just start doing what you need to do and you will see, just like this podcast says, you will discover life.
[00:44:45] Speaker B: That's right. Discover life.
[00:44:46] Speaker A: You will discover things that you probably didn't know you could do.
[00:44:50] Speaker D: Amen.
[00:44:50] Speaker A: And that's what we want. That's what we're here. We're here to help you discover those things that are there. But with this conversation, we can inspire those and just they can see and say, I can do it.
[00:45:03] Speaker C: Another episode in the books.
[00:45:05] Speaker B: We're just thankful for you guys out there. Just want you to know. Please subscribe like and share and share. This is a very important message for a lot of people. There's people that need to hear this message. So please subscribe, like and share.
[00:45:23] Speaker A: How about we end with the prayer?
[00:45:25] Speaker C: Let's do it.
[00:45:26] Speaker B: Amen.
[00:45:26] Speaker A: All right, Father, we thank you. We thank you for those that are watching. We thank you for those that are going to listen to this podcast. We ask that you just help them in whatever season they're at. Help them. Help them in their job, help them in their business, help them in. In whatever struggle they are. And we just pray, Lord, that you lift them and that you just encourage them for them to continue that hard work in their life. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
[00:45:57] Speaker B: Amen.
[00:45:58] Speaker D: See you next time.
[00:45:59] Speaker B: See you next.
[00:46:00] Speaker D: Yo, what about these sweatshirts?
[00:46:02] Speaker C: Love them.
[00:46:03] Speaker B: I love it. Look at that.
[00:46:04] Speaker A: Black's my favorite color.
[00:46:06] Speaker D: You know, I was supposed to get the black one, and Valerie ended up giving me the gray one. But I like the gray one.
[00:46:11] Speaker A: It looks really good.
[00:46:12] Speaker B: I wanted black, and then they kicked me off and they gave me blue.
[00:46:15] Speaker C: I think the blue looks nice.
[00:46:16] Speaker B: You were gonna give me white first.
[00:46:17] Speaker D: What's wrong with white?
[00:46:18] Speaker B: White's Gonna make me look fat?
[00:46:20] Speaker C: No, you look great because it's dark.
[00:46:24] Speaker D: Hey, what's the name of that guy? And another one. That's that guy that. The producer. That guy here's another one. What's his name? DJ Kelly. He's always wearing white, and he's a big boy.
[00:46:34] Speaker B: He's got a lot of money. He don't care.
[00:46:36] Speaker C: That's hilarious. No, listen, I think they look sharp. P.S. shout out to Timothy Hidalgo, Deacon's son, who came up with the logo and the design right there. What's the name of his business? Shout out his business.
[00:46:51] Speaker B: His name is Gold Standard. If you need a bathroom, if you need a roof, if you need a floor, if you need a wall, if you need something being built, my son can do it, and he can do it all, and he's great. And I love you and I'm proud of you.
[00:47:02] Speaker D: Yeah. And if you want to look like us, if you want to give one of these. These great shirts that help us continue to the. The message of Discover Life.
[00:47:12] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:47:13] Speaker D: You can get it in the.
[00:47:15] Speaker C: In the comments.
[00:47:16] Speaker D: Not this comments.
[00:47:21] Speaker C: I went to you because I thought so. I thought. I thought I would remember that. But description, Be blessed by it, represent it. Right. Discover Life is a statement. It can turn into a movement. Right. Discover Life is more than just a podcast. It is. It is you actually discovering Christ. And if you're discovering Christ and you're. And you're sharing this, it's the gospel message. Right? And so that's. That's the greatest desire we have for you to wear one of these, man, is to represent the gospel.
[00:47:48] Speaker A: That's right.
