SPEAKER_00: 0:16

Welcome and thanks for joining us on the Blue Chair Podcast, brought to you by Fresh Wind Church. Each month, we discuss the latest sermons from the perspective of the Blue Chairs.

SPEAKER_02: 0:27

Hello, and welcome to the Blue Chair Podcast. I am Pastor Jared, and with me as always, we have Charles Magyar. How's it going? Oh, just fantastic. We also have a special guest here because uh when I was prepping for this podcast, I was racking my brain. Who could we have on that we haven't had on already? But also somebody that I trust took notes and someone uh who's just fantastic with notes. She's in our life group, and every week she comes having preemptively watched the lesson with notes, ready to talk about it. We have Destiny Crowley with us this month.

SPEAKER_03: 1:03

Hi guys, happy New Year's. Happy to be here.

SPEAKER_02: 1:06

Thank you for thanks for being on. Um, but this we this month we are going to discuss the I'll Be Home for Christmas series that we just finished up in December. So if you were excited that Christmas was over, too bad. You got about 45 more minutes. We're gonna get through this together, all right? But I wanted to go ahead and kick it off. We were talking earlier and before we started, and we were talking about how the shepherds and there was some symbolism there, and I kind of liked what you were saying, and so I wanted to give you an opportunity just to kick us off. Like talk about something that came to your mind during the sermon series.

SPEAKER_03: 1:44

During that week, I liked when the pastor mentioned that the shepherds were not very recognized by society because they were pretty low on the totem pole, but the Lord the Lord's angel invited them first to witness Jesus' birth, and they obeyed and listened. Um, and I like that they were kind of like the first foreshadowers of Jesus' um death in a way. Um, it was the same shepherds that were responsible for the sacrificial lambs, and with Jesus being our sacrificial lamb, I just I liked how it was so detailedly described to us. There was a lot of foreshadowing there, and I liked all the symbolism.

SPEAKER_02: 2:28

Oh, for sure. And honestly, that's a wild take on it because I've never thought of that at all.

SPEAKER_01: 2:34

Never.

SPEAKER_02: 2:34

Most people kind of follow like the main line. He went to the shepherds, they were the they were lower, they weren't like God was going to the the average person, but the symbolism that it's hey, they're prepping the lamb already. I'm not convinced I've heard that before. And so that's like massive insight that you may have picked up on there. I like it. Um, and we you're talking about week two, or was that week one?

SPEAKER_01: 3:00

Then I think it's week three.

SPEAKER_02: 3:02

Oh, I'm just completely wrong.

SPEAKER_03: 3:04

So this is the week of our first second service, so the week of the 21st.

SPEAKER_02: 3:08

So yeah, that'd be week three, and that was Ryan, I believe. And uh, I like that. That was a good one. I liked the whole the like, don't get me wrong, that the idea that we went to some shepherds who, as Ryan explained, like, they weren't the trustworthy ones. They weren't like if I wanted someone to have good big news, right? Super important, I want to get the word out. I would go to someone like really cool, someone everyone knew, like to the king, and be like, yo, this is happening. You should go to let it let all your people know, right? Yeah send out a text to everybody, King Herod. It's gonna be sweet, but the it's not what happened. Like he told that he told just the normal people, and then they went home to their wives, and they were like, You won't believe what happened today. Yeah, and I love it. I don't know. Charles, you were talking about some other stuff too. Throw it out there. What do you got?

SPEAKER_01: 4:00

Yeah, because I for me, I picked up on like Luke 220, where it when it says that the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all they uh had heard and seen. So when I read this and I think about like my own daily life, so they went they went to see Christ, but on their way back, they were glorifying and praising God for all they had heard. So for me, I see like they're going back to their their same life in a sense, but they're going back with a reshaped identity. They're they're going back glorifying God and every for everything they had seen. So for me in my life, um, I put in here like obviously when I came to God and I came to Christ, I I didn't necessarily have a change in my earthly status, but I definitely had um how did I how did I word it? Um I had a transformation of my identity. So it's where I'm at in life, going to God and having a relationship with him isn't gonna change your poverty level. It's not gonna change where you're working, it's not gonna change this or that, but ultimately that's all within his control, which isn't another point that we'll talk about later. It's one of the other topics, but ultimately I needed to see that it may not change my daily life, but it totally reshapes my identity. And me, like I would have never years ago been out proclaiming anything or sharing scripture or anything, but since I've come to that, that's all I want to do is rejoice in God. So I I like that verse and how they treated the information.

SPEAKER_02: 5:34

And I love that you bring that up that you're rejoice in the Lord where you're at, and I think that's so important for um everybody to know. Like Pastor Tim, Pastor Ryan, myself, we have this title and we work at a church, and so you think it's just like those are the people that are supposed to do it. At least I did when I was like in high school, and before I started working at the church, I'm like, yep, those pastors that are employed there, they're great at it and stuff. Um but it's not like the church is the people of the build, like the people in the building, right? And scripture talks about over and over again that like we are his saints, that it's not like Saint Paul from the Bible that should be saying saying stuff like Saint Joe Schmoe that works at I don't know, the Toyota dealership or something where they're just selling cars, and those are the people that are God is sending out to share the gospel with everybody.

SPEAKER_01: 6:37

Well, yeah, and I think we've talked about this. We talked about it in life group, and then I even brought it up um when I talked on Pastor Appreciations Day that like the the body of the church needs to understand like you and Tim and Ryan, like you're there to equip us with the tools that we need in order to be able to go out and proclaim and and follow our calling and everything else. So I I just think it's important as us as believers need to not look at pastors like it's their job to handle everything, but realize they're there to equip the flock to be able to go out and and do what needs to be done for the kingdom.

SPEAKER_02: 7:12

Love it. Um, I can't say much too much that, or else people are gonna yell at me for telling everyone else to do my job. Uh, I'm kidding. Um my turn to share something cool that I thought I read or uh I heard read.

SPEAKER_01: 7:26

It's a cool story, Destiny. You got something else? Wow. Just kidding.

SPEAKER_03: 7:32

Actually, now that you mention it. All right, you're up. Go for it.

SPEAKER_02: 7:36

I loved when it was talked about that sometimes the will of God doesn't look like home. Yeah. How we if we come to Christ, we have this expectation of um first and foremost, everything being easy. Being a Christian is like inherently more difficult. Um being able to just do whatever you want and not I don't say not feel remorse, but the rules are stricter inherently, and so to have to control yourself and have um set your desire second and put God's will first is inherently more difficult. And in like it makes you feel less comfortable. And when you think of home, you think of comfortable, right? Like I get to sit back on the recliner, watch Lord of the Rings or something sweet, like hang out and do nothing. It's comfy. But coming home to God kind of means going to work. Now, don't get me wrong, there's this massive sense of comfort and reassurance and peace and all of that that comes with it, but it's it's it's an oxymoron, or uh, it's uh that might be the right word. It's not what you think it should be. And I love that. It's staying close to you. That is my son as we record our podcast. He wants us to stay close. James, you want to come say hi?

unknown: 8:56

I don't really want to stay with you.

SPEAKER_02: 8:59

Alright, you can go in the mother's room, but say hi to the whole church.

unknown: 9:02

Hey.

SPEAKER_02: 9:03

Alright, go in the mother's room and hang out, buddy. Alright, but back to it. What did you have? You I think you might have had, did you actually have something before I started talking? Because I've lost where I was going. You're up here.

SPEAKER_03: 9:21

I definitely like where you're going. I mean, in order to keep the home that you love that's so comfortable, I mean, how hard do you have to work to keep that? You have to go to work, you have to do your job to provide, you know, everything you need to keep that home. You have to work hard for it. Just like for your position in heaven, I think you do. I mean, obviously what he did is, but it's still hard work. You still have to do hard things. I mean, just fighting your own fleshly things is hard. And I think that that is good enough to get to where you're going ultimately, which is heaven, home. But there's gonna be hard things that we're gonna have to work for in order to get that and be comfortable ultimately when it's all said and done. And I didn't have anything to add before, but when we were when I was taking notes, we took some out of um Philippians, and it says that he who began the good work within you will continue his good work until it is finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. So to like conclude that, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 10:27

It's God doing the work in us. And man, I remember teenage years, you'd start growing and you'd have like growing pains, like your knees would hurt or whatever because you're getting taller and it's your joints are getting used to it. And that's what a lot of this walk is. Like, God is doing a good work in us, it gets good stuff, lifting weights is good stuff, running miles, they're good, they're good for you. It doesn't feel good though, it it sucks.

SPEAKER_01: 10:53

And we talked about it, I think, on not the last podcast, but I think the one before that, you know, before we missed a month. Um, the the verse, I always forget what book it's in, but when Paul says that um I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So when I read that and we talked about it, um my mind goes somewhere totally different than those are like football games, right? No, yeah, like it goes somewhere totally different. Because for me, in that whole like not just that one verse, but in the whole thing, he's saying that even in my despair, my faith is there, even when I'm prospering, my faith is there. So no matter what season we're in, we can survive that because of Christ. Oh, yeah. So that pairs along with everything you're saying, because I had a thing in here too about I mean, it's a different verse style, but in Proverbs it says, the heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. So I made a note for myself that in my times of despair and chaos, that I have to understand to trust less in my own understanding of what's going on in those moments, but put more trust in what God is doing in those moments to shape me into the person that He needs me to be. So both for the kingdom and for my calling. So it, you know, the seasons that I've walked through, obviously I didn't realize it then, but ultimately in those seasons, I don't understand what's going on, but I need to be able to sit back and trust that God is has a purpose for everything that's going on in my life. And it's leading us somewhere ultimately, whether it's his calling or it could be, you know, what we're going through is helping shape somebody else for their calling. You know, they could be observing and it's impacting them, or however they I can't, I'm never gonna understand his brilliant mind, but I can understand what he shows me. But it's it's something that I know for myself I need to work on is trusting that his plan is ultimate and you know he's not gonna lead me somewhere just because and to like even add to that and throw a cherry on top, scripture teaches us that what the enemy means for evil, God uses for good.

SPEAKER_02: 12:59

Yeah, and so even if something bad happens, like it's it's not you're not off the plan. Like God's got dominion over it all, God's got God's will is gonna be done if we we allow that to happen, if we submit to him and we we lean into him. And so if something terrible happens and life gets difficult, you can go ahead and just continue leaning in God because he's continuing to lean into you and make things better.

SPEAKER_01: 13:28

Well, do you have any other notes?

SPEAKER_03: 13:31

Yes. Um, so when you were saying that, it made me think about um when God came to John to give him revelations. Not a lot of people have read revelations, but that's what we're studying in ladies' Bible study. And um, he was in prison, he was in Patmos, and he was like chiseling rock all day long. And like imagine staring at rock and then it's just beaming back at you. And then that's when he's given all of those revelations about you know Jesus returning to us. Yeah, he probably didn't decide that, you know, he probably wasn't expecting that he would get such big, impactful prophecies or revelations in prison.

SPEAKER_01: 14:14

So again, even with those topics, um, when you guys were talking earlier, it reminds me of like we're gonna suffer for his namesake. So whether that means um John and getting this divine revelation in the midst of suffering or Paul finding joy and and still leading a congregation in the middle of suffering, like we don't choose these moments, but ultimately God's gonna use these moments to proclaim the name of Christ.

SPEAKER_03: 14:43

And I have a note, and sorry, Ryan and Tim, sometimes it's exactly what you say, but even on the familiar road, God is there, but also in the chaos, he's also um he's not that far from us, he's never that far.

SPEAKER_01: 14:56

And I think my early walk, that's where I struggled the most, is you know, they talk about it during sermons, and we've talked about it on the podcast, is it's so easy to be a churchgoer when everything's going good, but when things start going bad, that's when you start to see people not showing up to church. And and I was one of those people where it's like if I wasn't seeing God acting in my life, I'm like, where is he? And I had to realize, and I had to, I mean, it was ultimately through the spirit and and having conversation with God, but I had to realize that even in those moments where I don't feel like he's he's always there, but it's we're never gonna truly understand why that season is taking place, or I mean eventually you will, because you're gonna see the outcome. Man, I mean it's it's eventually gonna make itself known. Um, like for me, for instance, you know, I've had talks with with Jared and stuff about my walk and the loss that I've endured and everything else, and ultimately, I think a lot of that is what led into my calling for ministry, and not just ministry, but you know, I'm my I'm going into chaplaincy, and I think a lot of it, a lot of what I went through in life is gonna help me in that field because it's all around loss. So having the insight and the struggles that I've dealt with in my walk with God, I think ultimately I can use a lot of that in that calling.

SPEAKER_03: 16:20

Um, and it I don't know, it was it weighed on my mind for a long time, and I kept there answering that calling than looking, like talking to somebody who's never heard about Jesus and telling them like the good news. Like there's nothing better than just seeing their face, and then you just it's like the Holy Spirit takes over and you just start flowing with all of these words, and you're just like, and and the good thing is this, and we get this, and this is gonna happen, and all of these things, and yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 16:48

Me and Erica just talked about that the other night because I told her there's like there's certain topics that I really get into, and when we start talking about them, it's like you just instantly get goosebumps when you're talking about it. I love it.

SPEAKER_02: 17:00

I don't know what we're talking about. I'm back now.

SPEAKER_01: 17:03

It was very insightful conversation while you were gone.

SPEAKER_02: 17:05

I guess I'll have to like actually listen to this when I edit it now. Yeah, you're gonna have to listen to it just to make sure you weren't going on something crazy.

SPEAKER_01: 17:11

Oh, it was totally crazy. Um, I don't know if you have anything else for that topic or if you had another note that um you wanted to talk about.

SPEAKER_03: 17:22

I really like the GPS analogy that they kept giving because we're talking about like the career. So I have GPS example. When you take a wrong turn, what does the GPS say? Rerouting, not turn back around and go the way you came, then reroute, just turn left and keep going. I mean, I really liked that because I I'm a very, very much overthinker and I struggle with anxiety. So, like when you just keep going and just lay those problems at the feet of Jesus and just keep moving, that helped me a lot. I think about that often now.

SPEAKER_02: 18:01

I love that. That it's whatever dumb thing we do. I mean, we're gonna do a few dumb things, it's gonna happen. Charles probably more than the rest of us, but we're gonna do some things that probably not the best decision, and it's going to mess some things up, right? It's gonna change the plan a little bit, but that doesn't mean your destination is changing. You're still going towards Christ, you're still um, you're still being sanctified, is the word. Like sanctification is working out, making us more like Jesus, working out all the crud. The crud's not gone instantaneously. We get saved, we get justified through Christ, and then we get sanctified over our entire life, and we will eventually be sanctified when we are in heaven. But until that happens, we're gonna take a few wrong turns. We're gonna say the wrong thing, we're gonna mean something, and it's gonna come off the wrong way, or we're just gonna wake up one day, be in have the wrong mindset, and choose sin. But that doesn't mean God can't pull us from that.

SPEAKER_01: 18:59

And I like how you worded it with the the crud analogy, because there's I've watched a bunch of videos on this. Um, and even I think Ryan and one of the notes I had in here too talks about it in the sense that we don't have to clean before he comes into us, we make room for him to clean. So how that looks for you, like where in your life you need to make room for him, ultimately we just have to trust in the fact that once we make room and we accept Christ into our lives, that's when when the Spirit's dwelling in us, that's when the cleaning takes place. And I don't know, to me, that's for talking to someone new in the faith, like that's really reassuring. Cause I feel like a lot of times people can get overwhelmed thinking that they have to make such a drastic change just to be able to accept Christ, not realizing that it's ultimately God's gonna be the one making the change once you've made room for him in your life. Nope.

SPEAKER_03: 19:56

That little seed and those spoonfuls of influence.

SPEAKER_01: 20:00

Ooh. Uh you gotta trademark that.

SPEAKER_02: 20:04

I like that. I also liked um you guys may have said this, but the when Tim challenges us, like make room for him and just see what happens after that. Like if we it's not even so much of the stuff that we do. Like, yes, all the uh spiritual devotions and all of those things, all the spiritual disciplines are important. But if we just make room and do a few things, like come on, 12 minutes a day you could read the Bible in a year. 12 minutes a day, I stare at a wall. Like, let's be real.

SPEAKER_01: 20:39

How often are you just like I might be at an hour a day? I I know.

SPEAKER_02: 20:43

Like we've got 12 minutes. And if we just spend a little bit of time, do do some small things, so much can happen when we make room for God.

SPEAKER_03: 20:56

Just reach out and discover he's not that far.

SPEAKER_01: 21:00

These little tidbits, I'm telling you. Well, and I'm glad that you brought that part.

SPEAKER_02: 21:04

Is this what happens when you take notes during the sermon?

SPEAKER_01: 21:08

Oh, and pictures, and pictures, those little diagrams, a little mustard seed. That's that's fantastic.

SPEAKER_02: 21:15

Pastor Tim, Pastor Ryan, uh Destiny's got a picture book for all of your sermons.

SPEAKER_01: 21:20

Yeah. I I like that you brought up too the the no place for them thing, because I feel like you can take this into your daily life when I was looking at it, and I don't know if I can't remember if it was one of the sermon notes or not, but it talks about different aspects of your life, like your workplace, at home, whatever, like where do you feel rejected or where do you feel replaceable? Um, and it it goes into detail about like Jesus was born into the noise, into the mess, in an overcrowding place, and God entered the world through that rejection, not comfort. Um, so for me, like I I reflect on that a lot when I'm thinking about like my workplace and realizing I'm just a number that's replaceable, or you know, at home where you've experienced loss and you may not have you know certain people around anymore, or whatever. Like, I look at the fact that I'm not alone in that because Christ did it. So it's I have to look, I look to him for guidance in those moments, and I look in his word for for guidance in those moments because ultimately, like, we're all gonna feel this way, one way or another, throughout life, throughout different scenarios, and there's no better place to look than you know the birth story. He was born right into the middle of rejection. So I don't know. That was just to me, that's something that I try to implant into my brain.

SPEAKER_02: 22:36

I love it.

SPEAKER_01: 22:40

What else? What do you got, Jared? You got any more notes? Because I know you're not a note-taker.

SPEAKER_02: 22:45

My notes are locked away in my brain.

SPEAKER_01: 22:48

It's got a steel trap, huh?

SPEAKER_02: 22:50

It's it's got a few holes though. I forget more often than not. I'm kidding. Um I'm just stuck on the uh shepherds. I can't believe I forgot that word of all words. We've already been talking about them. That just the I'm looking at notes and it says the first that first Christmas night, the shepherds didn't stay in the spotlight. They returned and glorified, praising God. So we come to God, we see God, we see who he is, we don't stay there. Like we're not in the we're not always in this moment of like we first met God, and there it's like this magical moment where like our eyes are open to this. We still have to go back to the world. We have we have to walk around, but we're forever changed, and that's that's what grace does. And like even as a parent, like I saw a video where they were it was talking about a dad teaching children discipline and um like what sin is, right? So you get in trouble and you have to do like a punishment, like maybe it's you have to run around the house a couple times, or maybe you have to go sit in the corner, or maybe you don't get something, or you get grounded, and like you instill this into your child that actions have consequences, and then at some point you do it for them. Like, all right, your punishment is you have to go around the house five times, run. And like physical, if you didn't know this, physical exertion, especially with young boys, is an excellent way to teach them things. Um and but you throw a twist on it eventually, and you make your son that and you get him a drink and you sit him down in front of the yard, and then you run around five times, and he's like, What are you doing? And you're you're showing the example of grace that there was there needs to be a consequence, someone's gotta pay for this, but I'm choosing to pay for it for you. And that's what Christ did for us. But when we get that and we understand that and we can and and we can apply it to different aspects of our life, it's so good, and it makes us want to be more gracious to other people. Like, how often is are we allowing the person to get in front of you in the pickup line? How often are we laying on our horn because someone cut us off? Or are we just making sure there's space when they're trying to get out on the on-ramp? Like everyone's trying to get to work, it's 8 45, everyone's late. Make some room, be gracious, love on some people.

SPEAKER_01: 25:19

And I'm glad that you ordered it like that, because even in the moments where I'm trying to be gracious, someone still has to find that fine line to try and cross. Because I can't tell you how many times like I am the person in line that's letting other people go, and then someone sees that you're letting people go, and they just take advantage of it and they cut in real quick too. And it's like, ooh, I don't have that much great back and forth, one at a time. It's like zigzag. My line goes, your line goes. My line goes, your line goes.

SPEAKER_02: 25:47

It's like a zipper, is what Allison says. I love it.

SPEAKER_01: 25:51

Yeah, it's it's good, good stuff, good stuff. Did you have anything? Any more notes? Another topic.

SPEAKER_03: 25:59

Um, no, no, but I have a relatable story from last night about go for it. Um, I was waiting at Chipotle, so it's kind of I always Chipotle is my life. Yeah, I go there after work sometimes for dinner, and um I have my 16-year-old brother at home and my sister, so they want a Chipotle too. Um, you know, gotta get the chicken because it's the best. Um, they weren't done with the chicken. I like the chicken. Steak the steak too. I go back and forth, but they like the chicken. And they wasn't done now. I had to wait for it to cook. It was like 10 minutes before it would be done. Someone came in behind me, they were by themselves, and uh the lady was like, All right, whoever was waiting for fresh chicken, come up. And I had three orders. I'm by myself, so it looks like it's just me, but I was like, you can go in front of me. And he was like, boom, boom, boom, boom, and was done. Already out the door, and he was like, Thank you.

SPEAKER_02: 26:50

That's the Lord's work right there. I have been in some Chipotle lines when someone walks in with a list and it's like, Lady, I got five minutes. Like, come on now.

SPEAKER_01: 26:59

I feel guilty because I could be a single order and mine takes forever. Because I'm like, double this. Oh, I want some of this, a scoop of that, a scoop of this.

SPEAKER_02: 27:06

On behalf of Chipotle employees everywhere, just stop serving me. Yep, pretty much. I didn't want to say it. You said it. Uh, that's a great, great example of our daily life where we can be a little bit more gracious, being like just conscious of the situation that we are in and the situation other people in everyone had to wait. Everyone um wanted the same thing. Is is it gonna hurt to do that, or are you gonna make someone's day? And uh that's awesome. I'm proud of you. I gotta know which Chipola you're at. That took you took a while. I'll go yell at them for you. But uh, I joke. I'm not I don't yell at people for taking a while. Just how they clean stuff.

SPEAKER_03: 27:44

Cast the Tetamin one to go to the one in Parmatown, so that says anything.

SPEAKER_02: 27:48

Fair enough. Uh alrighty, what do we let's see.

SPEAKER_01: 27:56

So I only have one note left, other than what I told you I had for like a final comment. It was from week one, and I think it's when they were talking about um Acts 17, 26 through 27. And it said, uh, and he made from one man every nation of mankind, having determined allotted periods in the boundaries of their dwelling place that they should seek God. And I mean this ties in with what we were talking about already, and then we were talking about it when you left. Is that for me anyway, like there's moments in my life where you know, the sermon series where you feel far from home, or whether that be emotionally, spiritually, relationally, um, and it reminds me that like displacement doesn't mean abandonment. Um, and I had a note that like God arranges our times and places so that we might seek Him. Um, and that means where I'm at right now isn't accidental or meaningless. If God led me here, then God's with me here. So even you know, going off uh Destiny's point with God finishing the work, even when I feel unfinished, God's still working. So like there's times where like I might be exhausted and you know I'm I'm not continuing in what I should be right now, but even in those moments when I'm at my lowest, like God's still working. Um, and it's just trusting in the fact that no matter where he's leading us down our path, like it's not abandonment, it's not always punishment, it's for his purpose. Um I don't know, I like that one.

SPEAKER_02: 29:28

I love it, and along that same line, I'm looking at the notes that say Jesus enters when the cluttered space Jesus enters the cluttered space as it is. Yeah, and I don't know, I like that. Like there's we're not perfect. And it doesn't mean we don't try. That's not what I'm saying. But don't get caught up on being perfect first. Come as you are, broken, and God'll do God'll heal you. God will take you places you never thought possible. Um I know we're coming up to your hard stop, Destiny, so I want to be courtesy of your time. Do we have any other um any anything else we want to throw out there here?

SPEAKER_01: 30:14

I mean the honestly, what I had for my last point was just um, which we've kind of already touched on it, is they they talked about um finding Jesus in Luke 2. They said they searched, they pursued, they found exactly what God promised. And then Jeremiah 29, 13 says, You will seek me and find me uh when you search for me with all your heart. So my reflection on that was for Christmas, what was I truly searching for? And ultimately, as I thought about and thought about it, like all I could think about was, you know, we've talked about my calling, um, we've talked about my journey and everything, and ultimately I find myself searching for what is my purpose in all of that. Um, and that's where, you know, like I was saying earlier, in my mind, I I have to stop questioning it all the time because ultimately I think it's gonna be revealed. Um, so obviously I'm searching for my purpose, but I have to trust in his plan in my life and be comfortable in that um and just accept what he's given me, and just as Ryan would say, say yes before I even start. Um ultimately that purpose is gonna come out, but I think for Christmas, ultimately that's what I've been searching for is like what is my grand purpose in my calling and my life.

SPEAKER_02: 31:30

We had a whole podcast about that one, man. It doesn't matter what you do, just do it for God and He'll figure help you figure it out.

SPEAKER_01: 31:35

As a human, I can't help but to think what is my ultimate purpose in this.

SPEAKER_02: 31:39

That's fair. That's fair. My final point, um, and I'll I'll find another one if someone else talks after me because it's how I am. But where Ryan talks about how his Tim's one of Tim's first lessons to him was say no to some things so you can say yes to the others. And then he goes on to talk about how a crowded heart doesn't have enough room for Jesus. And the thing that me and Allison have been doing so much together as a couple to make sure that we have more time for is Jesus, right? And so we have everyone's got a schedule, everyone's got things going on. We've got kids' sports, we've got PlayStation that needs played, we have all kinds of things that are just occupying our time. Some of them are important, some of them are not, but how many of those are going to change our eternity?

SPEAKER_01: 32:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 32:29

And are we cutting, are we saying no to something so we could say yes to Jesus? And he gives examples of things that were crowded and what happened. Um Herod was too full, Herod was crowded with power, and didn't end too well for him. He would he sought to kill Christ. Like, way to swing and miss, bro. Um, the Pharisees were just so full of pride and then it crowded their hearts so they couldn't come to Jesus. And if we're not careful doing the same thing, like if you have too much pride in like, oh, I work 50 hours a week and I make this much money for my family, and this is all great, like, yeah, that's great. It's I mean, don't get me wrong, care pro provide for your family. It's important. Just remember who gave you the talents to do it. Who gave you the talents to do it? And then all like there's uh this I'm gonna go on tangents here, but just remember who gave you the talents to do it and the eternal um example that you're setting for those kids. What's the priority? If you want to.

SPEAKER_03: 33:30

Okay. Um, I to wrap this up for me, because the bigger picture is to get home at the end of this. Um, if we start and we look at um where God started when he gave us Jesus, you know, he could have chosen anywhere. And he chose the most chaotic and scrambled like mess. And um he had a plan and he had a purpose. And I just think that everyone should know that it's gonna take a little bit of hard work. It might not be perfect, but eventually we'll get to that nice, comfy home at the end of it.

SPEAKER_02: 34:06

We'll make it home eventually. All right, guys. We appreciate you listening. Destiny, thank you for being on. Like you were spectacular.

SPEAKER_03: 34:14

It's my first podcast. If you're a man, I might not be as nervous.

SPEAKER_02: 34:18

All right, you're just gonna take over for me and uh it's gonna be great. All right, but uh she has a notebook. She does. I don't have a notebook, she's got me there.

SPEAKER_01: 34:27

All right, blue clues over here.

SPEAKER_02: 34:29

Blues clues. Tell me you have young kids without telling me you have young kids.

SPEAKER_01: 34:34

She just got a letter.

SPEAKER_02: 34:35

Oh my goodness. Alright, finally, I'm gonna try to sign off one more time. We love you guys. Have a great month. We'll see you at church. Talk to you later.

SPEAKER_03: 34:44

Bye. Thank you.