Beyond Sunday: Evidence of Walking with Jesus
Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.
As the Holy Spirit empowers us to walk with Jesus we will see evidence of the Spirit in our life. The cost is not small but the reward is eternal. We must trust Jesus as we walk with Him on this journey.
Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.
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Hey everyone, welcome to Beyond Sunday. Uh this is the podcast where we take the conversation beyond Sunday. Uh we have a couple guests with us today. So um first though, Devin, how are you doing this morning? Fantastic. Glad to be on with you, but also glad to be on with our guests. Yeah. So, so today we have Aubrey. Aubrey, um, you actually got to team preach with Devon at Centriia this week. Um, how are you doing this morning, Aubrey? I'm doing really good. Good. Thanks for being here. I'm glad to
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have you. I'm I'm glad to have another girl on the call. So, thanks for being here with me. Henry. Henry uh got to come and preach here at NextStep for us. Um, though your your church home is Centriia. So, thanks for being here, Henry. How are you today? I'm wonderful. I'm wonderful. Fantastic. Wonderful. Everybody's doing good. Well, before uh we dive into what is sure to be a lively conversation, uh take a look at this video. Heat. Heat. All right. So, um, enlarging the circle,
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we we had again, uh, Aubrey and Devon team preaching at Centria. Henry, you were at Next Up. So, um, I'm just going to open this up and, um, Devin or Aubrey, tell us kind of where where you were at, what the big idea was, um, where where did God kind of have you guys this week? Yeah, Aubrey, let me start and I'm going to hand it off to you. when Aubrey and I met uh um what three or four times prior to this last Sunday and uh you know read through the scriptures uh listening for what God was
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speaking to us and uh it was really cool how um and each time that we met it seemed like God was uncovering something else that we hadn't discovered the time before and it was like just another layer and another layer um and so um you know maybe halfway maybe the second meeting or or or somewhere around there. Um God really impressed on my heart like, "Hey, maybe you just get out of the way." Um uh that God was telling me just get out of the way. I I've I'm speaking something here to you, but also
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to Aubrey, and if you've invited her into this space because I asked you to, why don't you get out of the way and uh and and let me continue to speak to Aubrey. So, um, that's where it was like Aubrey in that meeting. I was like, uh, I think God's just invited me to let you let you go. Not let you go from like this Sunday, but like let God speak to you and let you let you roll with what he's um put on your heart. Thank you. Yeah. Um, it's really funny just to see like how we started versus
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how we ended because the first time we met, we were kind of like faced with, okay, here's first Kings, 2 Kings, and we have Luke, we have there was even some Psalms in there. Um, and we had Galatians and we were like, "Okay, how is this connecting?" And we had a moment where we were just like sitting there and we kind of were like, "How?" Like trying to connect the dots and we really couldn't. Um, and then even just through that first time meeting, like from beginning to end, like we had seen God
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really start to speak through. And then every single time we met up, it was like completely almost different. And there was just so much more like that he had opened up and spoken it about. And then literally that week leading up to the sermon, um, like God was speaking so many different things, connections that we haven't made yet. And I remember there was one night I literally was like, God had made a connection that I was like, whoa, like I did not make this at all. Like this is crazy. Like I was
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literally in awe. Um, and then that Sunday came and I feel like it came all together um, from God's spirit. So I thought it was really good. Yeah. So our our big idea was this um walking with Jesus and that there's an evidence to the walking with Jesus. And so we were in uh first Kings and the story of uh Elijah um and then calling Elisha and then over into second Kings um of uh of Elijah being taken up. But what then his spirit is left um and and rests upon Elisha that the these other prophets are
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witnessed to. And that brought us over to um uh um Luke chapter 9, but then eventually over to Galatians 6 for me that was that was the struggle piece of like uh the evidence. So these other prophets seeing the spirit of Elijah resting over Elisha like what where is there evidence for us of the of God's spirit upon us in us um overflowing from us? And so how that all sort of came together and this evidence of of walking with Jesus, it was it was cool what God was was speaking and and how he was
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bringing this all together. Yeah, for sure. Uh so so then Henry um we were in a in a kind of different place. Tell tell us where you were at, where God had you. Well, let's just let's just establish this right now. I didn't go rogue. I I was well within I was well within my my scriptures given to me. So, I feel good about that. Um, I hesitate to say I preached uh because I didn't do much talking. So, um I did a lot of uh upsetting the world, I think. Uh turning the room upside down. Um I was really
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excited. I I don't know where to start, Shay. Okay. Well, let me let me say uh kind of in the same way Devon did. So, I asked you um I don't know a couple months ago, six weeks or whatever. um out ahead I had asked you like hey what what do you think about coming up and and sharing preaching um and in that I remember I don't know if you remember this but it it was a text thread and I was you you asked what it was about and I gave you kind of like here's the big idea here's the scriptures and you said
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oh I can't I can't preach on those and I said well you have six weeks to figure it out um and so then in that we had a couple conversations since then and one of the things um You asked just before you came up, you said you said you had one question about my church context and I was expecting you to ask something about like I don't know the the makeup of the church or what our what the the church culture is like but you wanted to know what the seating was like um what what our chairs were like and so I uh in
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answering that then then you asked like essentially you were like do I have permission to do whatever the spirit leads me to do um and I was like yep so I don't know if any of of us knew what we were headed into when you came up on Sunday. Um, but God spoke and moved powerfully. And so, yeah, when when Henry says he didn't preach, he he had us all sit in a circle. We moved chairs in the middle of the service and we landed uh in a big circle in the sanctuary. And um it was more like even
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maybe a little bit like a conversation like this where we read through through the text and then got to ask questions about what God was saying um right there in the room. And so Henry, what what was the text? Start there. Where's the what's the scripture that God uh kind of got you stuck in? Um Psalms 77. That's uh I went through all the text, the block of text that we were in for Revised Common Lectionary this past week and I went through all of them and I just came back and forth. You
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know, I had the luxury of getting six weeks heads heads heads up on that and so that was nice. Um, and that just allowed me to really prep and pray over um what God wanted to do. Um, I don't it's like I said, I don't know the context of the church. I didn't ask a lot of questions and some of that was intentional um because I wanted I wanted this to be about them and not about me and and um and let the text and the scriptures do its work. Um, and so that's that's kind of where I was to to
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rebuttle Shay a little bit in the whole when I said I couldn't do it. I didn't turn my sarcasm font on. Oh, I knew the tone came through. I got it. So, but the sarcasm was, "Oh, I can't do it." But I, you know, I'm just being contrarian and difficult as always. So, um, but I stayed true. I stayed on to I stayed on target. So, yes. Yeah. But but I would say is is like I think I think in this space, Jay, I think you're going to be able to you're gonna I think I want you
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to speak more into just what what happened in the room, what's what's happened since then. Um because I have some things, but I I get that opportunity to end with Aubrey. So So Tag, you're it. Yeah. Well, God was speaking um God was speaking powerfully in the room and has been since um out of Psalm 77. Um, and even this idea, uh, so it's funny the big idea here of walking evidence of walking with Jesus. Um, and even in this moment reflecting on that, um, part of part of the evidence that
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you're walking with Jesus is like he you're hearing him in real time. And that's kind of what we got to experience uh, Sunday in the room. Um, and that's what I in in conversations with my people because again, Henry shook things up in in the way that Henry does. Um, but I that's the those are the conversations I've been able to keep having um with people. And I think the the biggest one of the biggest reflections for me right now is um just the way that uh God used what he gave
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you, Henry, to remind me or to confirm in me that I've been hearing him because you you said things in that space that I've been saying the the couple weeks before. And it's kind of like um it's like when you're a parent and you tell your kids something and they're like, "Yeah, whatever." and then somebody else says the exact same thing and they're like oh my gosh that's brilliant. Um, and so a little bit for me it was like, yeah, um, here's somebody else. Here's a
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different voice, but a different voice saying the same thing that I think God's been telling me, uh, the last couple weeks, um, that that you and I hadn't talked about, Henry. And so for me, um, from from a a pulled back view, that that was a big piece for me was like, thanks for thanks for the confirmation, God, that that we have been hearing from you. And so that's part of the evidence of walking with Jesus. um even right there and and I would say there's uh there's no coincidences in the in the
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economy of God. And so that this would be the Sunday that Aubrey, you and I get to team preach and that uh months prior um God was stirring my heart to to have opportunities to invite others to lend their voice and and speak and share what God has put on on their hearts. And you you had mentioned in the times that we were meeting and even um even today before we started recording that like um there were moments in times that God was is just very um very clear and very loud. was stirring something in you uh
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in the text that we were going through in this in the stories we're reading whether it was about Elisha or Elijah or or the or the passage in Luke with the disciples as they're uh being traveling along with Jesus and and he's he's telling them like this is going to be the cost of following me which is can be a really hard word um but one that I just I so appreciated how you articulated right this this cost of following Jesus and that um um and carrying things with us into this life
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is not actually what we see in the story of Elisha. It's not what we see and what what God Jesus is calling his disciples to. And so um c can you speak to that a bit and um from Sunday what you share but also what God was stirring in your heart even from now from then? Yeah. Um so we started with the story of Elisha and Elijah and um in first kings it starts off with Elijah or Elisha he's with his 12 oxen and um then the calling happens where Elijah gives his cloak onto Elisha and um instantly Elisha
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reacts in a way of like let me go say goodbye to my family and then I'll follow you like I'm going to follow you and it was a very instant um spontaneous moment but it was so beautiful because it didn't seem that there was much doubt there and it was a very like instant like I'm going to do this like I am ready. I'm prepared. Um and instead he wasn't asked to burn anything but he goes back and he burns all of his oxen. Um and they have a feast. And I think one of the biggest things that spoke to
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me and I felt like God was really speaking to me was like Elisha, he didn't only just leave and just go I'm going to follow you. He literally went back and burnt everything that he had. Um, and there was a night that I was just like, it was literally like 1:00 in the morning and I was in my bed just like, "Okay, God." Like, just going through it. And I was kind of just sitting there wondering like, "What is the importance of Elisha burning everything?" Um, because he could have
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just went and followed him. Like, I don't really understand the purpose behind it. And God was just kind of putting on my heart like, okay, in our walk with Jesus, yes, we need to go and we need to follow Christ and we need to follow his path and um just follow his journey straight ahead, but we also need to burn everything from our old life as well. Um because like if Elisha had been on this journey with those 12 oxins still at home, maybe that would have been a distraction where he's on this
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journey following Elijah and he's like, "Well, I wonder how these oxen are doing. I wonder how my old life is cuz there's something to still look back to. Um and so God was just kind of saying like, hey, like when you're driving, you can't just be looking back the whole time. Like you need to actually be looking forward. Um and so not only just being like, hey, I'm going to follow you, but I'm actually going to burn everything that I used to be, my old life, my old ways um in the flesh and
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just fully surrendering um to Christ. And that was something he really spoke on to me. And then it really followed into what Jesus had said in Luke. Um when he had said like those who have their hand on the plow but look back aren't fit for the kingdom of God. And I had not made that connection at all. And I kind of put it towards like okay he was saying like don't go back to your like father um and stuff like that which we had talked about Devon and I had talked about um kind of trying to figure
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out is this what is speaking onto Elisha because Elisha went back to his parents. So, was that kind? We were kind of trying to figure out and unpack that um comparison. And then as I was like having that 1:00 a.m. morning with God, he kind of was speaking to me like that's actually the connection is that we're not made to be looking back. Like when things are tugging back at you from before like no, I'm calling you to still like remain forward and focus on me and focus on the path that I have for you.
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Um because he is the lamp onto our feet and the light into our path. And so, um, it was just really, really awesome to see God not only speak that for the sermon, but like even to me as well. Like I've caught that in my own life. Um, and he's still speaking that to me to this day. So, yeah, that's a such a good word. And it's interesting because part of what what came up for us in the room and that uh this idea of where we're focusing, what what are we looking at? Where are our eyes? Because even as
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you're saying that, Aubrey, um, and that's such a good word of like not being distracted or looking back towards things that God's like, I actually don't have that for you anymore. Um, but for for us in the room even, and then since Sunday, um, coming out of Psalm 77, there's also a reminder that um what uh there is value in looking back at what God's done. So, not looking not going back to like what I'm leaving behind or what he's called me out of, but but remembering what he's done and
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where he's been. And that was the big that was kind of the big echo in the room. Psalm 77. Um Henry U had called out that uh the the author of that like essentially the first half of that is him crying out like how how much longer am I going to be alone? Like are are you going to forsake me God? That that kind of idea. And then then there's this moment of remembering like, okay, but wait, I do remember I remember who you are and I remember what you've done. And even as he's writing that, it's not him.
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The the thing he's calling back to the the parting of the Red Sea and the crossing on the dry ground. Like he wasn't even it wasn't something he was part of, but he's calling back to like these are the things I've heard you do. Um, and so even in the room, Henry had us as a as a church body call out in that space some of the things like what what has God done already that maybe we've forgotten. Um, and not in a uh because because Psalm 77 even says uh verse 5 says, "I think of the good old
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days long since ended when my nights were filled with joyful song. I search my soul and ponder the difference now. Has the Lord rejected me forever?" And so this like um not a looking back to like oh a pining for the good old days or the old things or the 12 oxen, but a looking back to like do you see what God's already walked you through and will you not believe him for what else he has? Um so even even in that in two very different uh Sunday sermons and passages of scripture, there's a tie-in
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even in what you're saying. Yeah, that has been the the echo for me uh in conversation with people. Um because I Henry, you texted me on I think Tuesday and you said what's you asked what was still sitting. Um and I was trying to I was trying to figure out why why the parting of the Red Sea like what's why is that the thing he calls out in 77? because the week before I had been uh and Devon I think you were as well but we were sitting in Psalm 78 where there's a call out of everything that
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God's done uh throughout the wilderness like all the powerful ways God showed up. Um but in 77 same same person wrote both psalms in 77 he specifically just calls to to the parting of the red sea. So I was trying to figure out like what's the significance there? And so then Henry, we had had a conversation, you and I, on Tuesday and you asked a question um like like maybe what what what shore is my church standing on? Are we standing on the shore of the Red Sea where we're like, "Okay, we're trusting
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God, but but it's actually a wilderness in front of us or are we standing on the shore of the the Jordan River and it's like the promised land is in front of you?" And so you had kind of asked that question or just maybe even rhetorically. And I was sitting with that um and then I came up up to the church shortly after that conversation and I was talking to our worship pastor um and he he was like, "Do you know you know what's sitting with me since Sunday?" He goes, "When I read Psalm 77,
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it feels like uh a whiny like sniveling like how long are you going to forget about us, God?" Like da da da. Um and and our worship pastor, he goes he goes, "I've seen God work so powerfully and in so many ways." He goes, "I'm done asking that question." Like, I don't want to sit in those questions anymore. I just want to throw my He He put his hands up in the air. He goes, "I just want to throw my hands up and say, God, I actually I'm done with those questions.
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I trust wherever you call us." And he goes he goes, "I wonder if our church is standing here going, "Oh, but what if we have to go into a wilderness?" And he goes, "But what if we're about to go in the promised land?" And I that's coming off the conversation I just had with you, Henry. And I hadn't even shared that with him yet. And I was like, "Yeah, like what if? Like, what if?" And he goes, "I just want to look around at our people and say like, you're so
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worried that the ground is going to be too wet and it's going to swallow you up. You're worried God's going to lead you into the wilderness. What if he's calling you to the promised land?" And um so I don't know, that hit so powerfully for me on Tuesday. Um, and then conversation yesterday with another gal from church and and the reminder of like, but also what if it is the wilderness and that's where God's going? Don't would I not want to be there? Like Moses, so then the reminder for me, one
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of my favorite parts of scripture, I think it's Exodus 33, where Moses is like, actually God, if you're not going in the promised land, we don't want it. If you're staying in the wilderness, we want to stay in the wilderness. And so then that that reminder of like is what I want more than anything to be with Jesus, to be with God, even if that's whether it's Egypt or the promised land or the wilderness or whatever. Like is that what I want? And if that's true, then yeah, whatever shore I'm standing
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on, I should just like, okay, God, I'm I'm done asking the questions. I'm going where you're going. Um, so that I don't know. That's what's sitting for me this week. There's a fire. It feels like there's this fire that's just like, "Yeah, I'm I'm I'm not asking questions anymore. I'm done standing on the shore. Um I'm trusting trusting the dry ground." Good. It seems as if God is even stirring in this moment uh as well of um do we trust where God is leading us even
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if that does mean that we're leaving some things behind or we're um no longer putting our attention to it. Uh or we're no longer asking those questions. In fact, we're asking different ones that actually help us to discern um what it is that where it is that God's leading, how it is we're we're to obediently, faithfully follow him. Um it sounds it seems as if even in this conversation though, um maybe we're in different portions of scripture that seems to be the the echo even here and now.
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Yes, for sure. Well, Henry, tell them about because because part of this uh you used an example. You said this is a stupid example because you talked about putting two dams in a river. So, go go ahead and offer that up because there's something sitting in that even with this the two dams in the river. It's amazing. Like you you damn one side of the river and then you dam the other side of the river and there's no need to dam the other side of the river because the water would just flow away.
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And so like and and one of the college students pointed that out and we had a good laugh about it. I thought it was genius. I don't know why there was flaws in my idea, but it was really more the idea that if a river just we a river's been flowing in a riverbed for as long as we've been alive. So it is it is it is that max saturation point. So, I have never ever considered in in in up until the point where I had read this that um when God parts the sea or he parts the river that if I was just
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to do that today, it it wouldn't be enough. There there has to be some other things that happen. The the parting of the river, the parting of the sea doesn't just demand that the pathway is now open for you. It also needs to be that the ground is is safe for you to travel on. And it is fascinating too because this is another thing that someone pointed out earlier in the week which was unconnected to this. Um but when they cross the Red Sea, God parts the water and we know he dries the land which is
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which is in and of itself another equal miracle. Um, but when they're at the Jordan River, God doesn't part the water until they step onto the water and the water just goes away. But the water just goes away, but they step on dry ground. It's not that the water just goes away. It's that there also is a firm foundation for their pathway forward. And so it it it there's two similar journeys happening, but it's no longer God. That's God is doing the parting, but in the first
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step, it's like they don't have a concept of what that looks like. In in the second step where they're going to enter into the promised land, it's like, you've heard the stories, you know the deal. Now, I'm asking you to step into it. you actually you have to physically actually have to do something now. Yeah. And so if you don't go then you'll just stand there. Yeah. And um and the other thing that I'm hearing in this too and I appreciate what you were saying Shay too
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is is trying to figure out which which space you're in, which crossing space you're in. Um but not to devalue or not to be afraid of the wilderness experience. It's it's not the wilderness experience that was the problem. It was it was the fact that when God took them right to the promised land through the wilderness that they became fearful of going into the promised land. So it's the fear of going and making that next step, no pun intended. Um it's the fear of taking that next step that actually
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is is that's the that's the concern is if if we don't want to if we don't choose to move forward then it's going to be a long time in the wilderness. A long time in the wilderness. And on top of that it's not only going to be a long time in the wilderness but it's going to be costly. Mhm. And it almost feels like not having the faith to move into the promised land and receive everything that God wants to give is is feels like it's punishment enough, but it it feels like an uno reverse card of
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not only are you going to not only are you going to not benefit from trusting um those of you who didn't trust, you're going to die off in the wilderness so that the next generation can. Yeah. And that's a costly thing. And so, and so there there's a lot of wrestle that every single one of us have to have is do I have the faith to move forward with what you have called us to to to do and to be obedient in that. Yeah. Um and and and and that's and but that's the other thing,
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too, is I think I brushed on this a little bit is there's a testimony to that. you you brought up the fact that it only talks about um Moses and Aaron, but let us also not forget that it does also talk about Jacob and Joseph and and the witness and testimony of Jacob and Joseph and the witness and testimony of Moses and Aaron not just saved the people of Israel, but it saved the the people who had no connection. It had it saved people who were innocent bystanders, the Egyptians. Um, so there's a witness there that then
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they're like, "Oh, well, I want to be a part of what that God is doing from people who are standing around watching." So people are watching us. They're watching our They're watching our congregations and how we're interacting within our communities and and and if there is like this and I think that that's the question is what God in Psalm 77:13, "Your way, oh God, is holy. What God is great like our God. You are the God who works wonders. You have made known your
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might through all the peoples." And so when you when you live that out as um as a people walking and following Jesus, then what happens is is that that in itself is a testimony to those around us. And they they can't help but not want to be a part of that. Yeah. Well, and I think I get the image that comes to mind there with the even with the calling out of like uh the the ground being dry, which is not something I had thought through before, but yeah, like a if a river like if water stops
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flowing over a river right now, it's not dry immediately like for us. So, that that's a miracle. But I wonder how often we're testing that. Like I'm I'm like God's like, I've made a way for you and I'm calling you to cross this space and I'm like touching it like are you sure? Like what if I sink? What if it's muddy? what if it's whatever. Um, but then even the the word of like uh the testimony, the story, the telling of like this God who parted the river
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and the ground was dry and we we crossed and whatever. Um, and you guys have even in your notes I saw this idea that like the spirit resting and it's there's this visibility to to other people, right? Which I would say is the Galatians 5 like the fruit of the spirit. there's a visibility of like uh of of this is somebody who's walking with Jesus and that that piece um yeah are we telling the stories of this God so that like you just said Henry people around us the Egyptians like there were Egyptians that
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joined the Israelites because they were like what other god what other god is going to make the ground dry and and call you into this space and you said something at the end Henry you were in Hebrews I I don't even know the what the reference was but the scripture that says um Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And the way you you said something about um if I'm having a hard time trusting Jesus for today, I can look back to the yesterdays and see where he showed up. And if I actually
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don't have an example of Jesus in my yesterdays, I can have hope for Jesus tomorrow. And that just that has sat so powerfully. Um because whatever space, whatever my story is with with God, like there's a there's either something to remember, there's something he's doing now, or there's something to hope for. And then as people who are followers of Jesus, like am I telling about those things? Here's where I've seen him. Here's where he is. Here here's where he
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is with me now. And here's what I'm hoping for um in the future. Because that's a story that that Yeah. people are like, there's something different about that God. There's something different about about that thing. Yeah. As we bring this podcast episode to a to a wrap, um let's share some chyros. What is it that God is speaking to you, saying to you, and how is he inviting you to respond? So, I'll I'll go first and the rest of you can can think um if you don't
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already have one. But my mine is is this connection to the Luke the Luke nine of uh following Jesus that there isn't there isn't a a double-mindedness in disciplehip with Jesus. I am either in or I'm out. I'm I even some of the echoes for into this week have been the um this the scripture of the parable of the of the the fig tree in the garden that is not producing free fruit and the gardener comes back three uh uh and it's had three years to grow and produce fruit and hasn't grown and the
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gardener's like just you know or the owner of the the of the garden tells the gardener cut it down and the gardener replies with the uh well no no give it give it another year I'll dig around its roots I'll put fertilizer in here I'll put good soil and give it give it another year and then the owners of the garden is like okay well if in a year's time there's no fruit cut it down there's no need to waste the the soil so there is a piece of the like the double-minded thatness of of that can't
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exist in following Jesus we're we're either in or we're out we're we're not halfway in or halfway out and Uh, and even that parable of the fig tree that's not producing fruit over three years. I mean, there's grace and mercy that's offered that the gardener's like, "Wait, wait. I'll I'll tend it. We'll see if it can grow fruit." But, um, also, there's for me a space of like, if if there isn't fruit being produced, there's no point in taking up soil in the garden.
00:32:09 - 00:33:12
So, you're either in, you're with me, you're doing what I'm calling you to do, being on mission with where I'm, my king is breaking in, or you're not, and then you're not a part of the garden. Yeah. That's super good. Um, yeah, I that is something that I think God is speaking to honestly all of us in the room right now. Um, but I think a big thing that I've noticed God keeps repeating to me is Galatians 5. Um, literally last night I was reading a devotional. Um, and it's
00:32:40 - 00:33:33
titled I think it's love does. Um, or something like that, but it's with Satie Robertson and Christian Huff. And I was reading my devotional and it literally was about Galatians 5. And it was talking about something we had literally talked about on Sunday and just how we need to leave those old ways behind um, of the fruits of the flesh and live according to the fruits of the spirit. And just really sit and like spending time with God. And the more you're with Christ, the more you'll be like him and
00:33:07 - 00:33:53
and bear those fruits. Um, and so I think that's really something that has been on my heart that God has been speaking to me is like just spend time with me and like spend more time with me and you will see that. Um, and you will see the fruits just like flow out of you. Um, and so it's and like we had talked about, it's not necessarily something you can like really work on super hard where it's like, hey, well, today I'm going to work on love. Today I'm going to work on P, you know, all
00:33:30 - 00:34:31
these things. Um, and it is something that literally it is the spirit. And so just really I think that is um so far what God has been really just repeating over me of like just spend time with me and you will see an evidence evidence of myself upon you like Elijah's spirit was on Elisha um and asking for that double portion. And so I think um that's really what God's been speaking to me. Uh, mine's similar to Devon's, although the imagery I think um lands just still again for the the the
00:34:00 - 00:35:08
crossing of whatever whatever wherever God's leading the the crossing into. But I think specifically for me the things sitting u maybe in the context of being a leader um cuz I don't I don't know in this season that I that myself um that I'm feeling timid in following God but there is a level of like um I don't want to cross without the people that you have put me uh here to lead or or I want I want to bring all the people with me. Um, and there's I think I said earlier there's like this fire um that I I feel
00:34:34 - 00:35:28
in me of like I'm actually not I I I'm not going to wait. I I want to go where you're going, God. And so I want people to come. Um but more than I want people to come, I want to go where you're going. And so that um yeah, I think that's a word for me is like I I'm just going to cross. I'm going to cross into wherever you're headed, God. And and whoever comes comes, but more than that, it's it's I'm going where you're going. So what's sitting with me if I sit in
00:35:01 - 00:36:12
here? I I well for me one is is like I did really enjoy going up and speaking and um and uh wear testing some thoughts or ideas that have been floating in my head about totally disrupting a congregation and um changing their seating arrangements so I don't have to stare at the back of Marcus's head. Um that was really fun. Uh the posturing of intimate fellowship. Um that's something that stuck with me. This is like coinia, which by the way is a little bit of a you're you're picking
00:35:37 - 00:36:46
up a little bit of my Philippians study here. Um, but I I think I talked about the idea of like there's a certain type of posture that happens when we're faced forward and we're just looking at one person and and there's a very different posture that happens when we just circle up in a room and there is a more intimate posture and we can we can it's not just enough for me or you or or Aubrey or Devon to see the facial expressions in the room, but What does it look like when we all get to see each
00:36:12 - 00:37:19
other's facial expressions? And what does it look like when we all can contribute and speak to um what God's doing in the room in that moment? And and it was it I don't know. I wish there was a time like one of them chest timers. Like Shay had a chest timer on her on her lap while we were while we were doing this. It'd be curious to see how much time I talked versus how much time the rest of the group talked. But I know it was I know it was a lot to a little. And then a chess timer has two
00:36:45 - 00:37:48
clocks on either side. You hit one down, the clock goes on the other side. You hit the other one, the clock goes on the other side. That's how a chess Henry, she doesn't know chess is. And in the words of Elisha, shut up. Thank you, Henry. Appreciate that. I'm using it right here. What does it say? It says, uh, they said, uh, leave me alone or something like, yes, I know it. Keep, yes, Shay, just say this. Yes, I know it. Keep quiet. That's what they say. That's going to be my mantra, um,
00:37:16 - 00:38:15
for him. Um, yeah, one of the things that, uh, you called out Henry in the room and even with that word fellowship and and coinia, um, you you said something in the space about uh, looking around like, wait, am I actually at my own church or am I at a different church? um because there's there were elements that are familiar to you um both like literally through screens and graphics on the stage or on the through graphics on the screen. Um Danielle, yeah, shout out to Danielle for sure for
00:37:46 - 00:38:40
that. Um but there's an element of that that was that was cool and that I think is even represented on this this podcast because right now um we're we're talking about two church congregations, but you said in the room, Henry, like this is all we're the reminder that we're all part of the same kingdom. we're all part of the same family. Um, and so I think that was also um that's also sitting from Sunday. It was just a cool opportunity for like um we brought somebody new in, but there's not it
00:38:13 - 00:39:15
doesn't feel like a guest speaker necessarily. It's like, yeah, you're just from a sister church. You just came up. You're part of the family. Um, so that that was a cool piece also that we get to see on the podcast regularly in conversations like this. So, thanks for coming. I enjoyed it. All right. Well, thank you guys for being on today. Thanks for um thanks for taking the time, first of all, to to speak, to preach, to listen to what what God might be saying. Um but also to to be open in this conversation
00:38:44 - 00:39:33
to go wherever God leads. When we invite people onto this podcast, I'm always like, "Yeah, we don't know. We don't know how it's going to go or or what God might say." So, thanks for being open to that. Um, and yeah, as always, um, for those of you who might be listening, we we hope that this is, uh, the kind of conversations you're getting to have, too. Um, this is something that, uh, we are grateful for rhythms and space that we get to just talk about what God might
00:39:08 - 00:39:40
be keeping, continuing to say, um, beyond just from the platform on Sunday morning. So, we pray you have those conversations as well. And until next time, uh, Henry, Aubrey, thanks for joining. We hope to have you here again. Thank you guys.
