Beyond Sunday S2: Hello/Goodbye Part 2
Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.
Looking back and celebrating the ways God has shown up in the past helps us trust Him as we look forward to the year to come.
Catch up: this week’s Sunday morning message.
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Hey guys, welcome to another episode of the Beyond Sunday podcast where we desire to take a conversation beyond Sunday. And so this one's a special episode. I feel like I say that almost every time, but this one we got uh myself u I'm Devon and we've got Pastor Sheree. How you doing, Sheree? >> I'm good. >> Good. And the and the special the special reason of this episode is we got Rob Sandy joining us. Rob preached at C3. How you doing today, Rob? >> Doing great. Good to be with you.
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>> Yeah, it's good to have you. Uh before we dive into our conversation discussion, take a look at this video. Heat. Heat. All right, guys. As we dive into the conversation, um, Sherea, what was the the big idea? uh we're sort of this is Epiphany Sunday actually if uh what we last preached on and but uh what was the big idea for for our churches and some of the scriptures you were in? >> Yeah, this is the continuation, right? So um last week was goodbye and so we close out the year uh 2025 uh with a
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goodbye Sunday that looks a lot like celebrating what God's done. um calling out the the places we've seen him work, reminding ourselves of the ways he's shown up. And so then this is the counterpart, we say hello to a brand new year. Um and uh with this with the idea that when we when we call out the ways that God's already shown up, it helps us trust him for whatever's coming, for what's in front of us. Um and so that's where we were. That's that was our focus this Sunday. Um we were around tables.
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Again, I think I talked about this on the podcast last week, but these two Sundays um for us, we gather around tables and it's more uh reflective in those spaces. Um and so with that, we were still in um a couple different spaces in the text. Um we started out in Jeremiah 31, which is really a reminder or a call out of the not yet and the promises uh of what is coming. Um and then yeah, we were uh from the from the RCL, the revised common lectionary, we were also in Ephesians 1 at the very end, but we spent some time in first
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Peter um which is kind of our verse, our our space for this whole year. Um and really just the in all of those places, reminders of what God has promised um both like in the not yet, what's coming. Um in in 1 Peter 2, it's the promise of like we belong. Um we we are now chosen. we belong to God. Um, and then in Ephesians 1, the promise of like he's given us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm. And actually, those are protected promises and blessings that God's offered. And so, um, yeah, in a
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nutshell, that's where we were. >> Yeah. Yeah. Rob, uh, you and I were able to team preach at C3. And so, um, we were also in 1 Peter chapter 2, um, and then, um, landed in 2 Corinthians 5. But you also brought in uh part of this the Isaiah 43 uh verse 25 and um you know just like the the get swept away and and thinking about the new things coming into this year. Uh Rob, one of the things I loved how you started this off um and I know you gave me a qualifier when you emailed me your notes, but like what um what makes a
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good church, right? and and uh you even said on Sunday like you're a dreamer by nature. You you God gives you dreams. You dream dreams and and ideas and all that. Um but share share a little bit about like what what God's been speaking into you this like what yeah what makes a good church and the things that you've come through at C3 and and otherwise but um but in your in your in in what what you're hearing from God. >> Well, yeah, thanks Devin. Um, and you know, I think I think often we we look
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at a at a church, our church or other churches and say, "What do we like and what don't we like about it?" you know, and we uh we tend to be more of consumerism of um well, I want things the way I like it, you know, and >> and I think I've I was teaching today and and kids were talking about why do we have to go to school so early, you know, and so um >> Aren't you asking the same thing though? Well, you know, I do not like to get up in the morning for sure, but um but yet
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we we look at things and uh it's through the lenses of what we want or what we don't want. And I think sometimes we look at our church that way. And so to think about and to dream about what would we really like to to have for our church, we can always come up with ideas. And um and for myself, I like to come up with ideas and they're not always good, but you know, I mean, you just it's fun to dream and it's it's fun to do those kinds of things. But I think with the dreaming um and with uh
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the kind of church that you want to fit into, I think the real key is um we really need to seek in our own hearts um the God of the universe to come in and and and touch us and to lead us. Um and through that um we can see how we can be an active member of our church. We talked about the living stones and and uh I don't know I I wonder if that was a understandable concept, you know, to uh to people in our congregation. And I really I really believe strongly in that that if we can begin to look at our
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church as I'm one of I'm a part of this church. This is my church. This is uh I'm part of the foundation that strengthens this church. Um I think we then can dream about that what kind of church we want to have in an essence of we're all in this together. >> It's not like well this is my idea. It's no >> we seek to have our ideas. We seek to seek our ideas with God's and and uh of course through his leading um that is the key. And you know, how do you make this year? We often say, I
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believe that this is going to be a great year, but how can we make 2026 uh into a great year, you know, and how can we really seek God and see our church move in ways that we haven't seen it? For me as a dreamer, that excites me to no end. still you you need the how to and but but with that I think it starts with each one of us seeking God and almost you know recommitting our lives in in the new year of 26 to make it happen for our church. >> Yeah. Yeah. And you I mean you you hit it like um we we all have been wired a
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certain way and have giftings, right? And you even shared on Sunday like you you dream dreams and and have visions and and ideas and um thank God for Kelly uh who is the you know the being able to put the building blocks together like here's here's the steps and how we get there. Um, and we do need people. We need each of us. And that's kind of how the living stones, like you had even mentioned, is just fitting together that when uh uh in and of ourselves, you know, we've we've got some strengths and
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and we've got some weaknesses, but together we fit together in this kind of way. God fits us together like living stones being built into a spiritual house that each one of us having gifts and being able to and experiences and be able to share those stories and uh utilize our strengths and giftings. um for the body that that's what is getting built in in into this spiritual house. And um Shay, I know you guys were around tables for another Sunday and being able to share uh the stories of of one's life and the
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collective story of of your church and what God's been doing in and through. That's a powerful way of for me that I see of like that's that's a a visual of these stones fitting together that God fits together for a spiritual house. Yeah, because I think um and whether it's around tables or in in whatever way, a big piece of that is the recognition that like uh it's actually it is those people, it is those living stones that make up the church. And we get that so backwards um so often, but
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like and because it because that's true, because it's the people and the stones and of what you were just calling out, Devon, like uh our stories are different. um the way we were wired and designed is different which means when we come together yeah there's there's differences and uniqueness in the living stones if you will which means that any gathering or collection of those living stones is going to look a little bit different and that's where I think Rob even what you're calling out of like
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this um you know how do we make 2026 a great year and if we you know if we want to be specific like how do we make this a great year for our church um and everybody's looking for the template or the manual like just tell me what to do and like how do I run a church Um, but each gathering or collection of living stones that God's called together into the various churches are going to look different and the way he's calling us to be his church in in those specific cases are going to look different. Um,
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and so I think you're I think it's wise what you're calling out, Rob, like yeah, first we we need to seek we need to seek first. And that that's an echo even of this weekend um even of Saturday for me. We we got to spend um I got to spend Saturday in the room with a bunch of teenagers. Um we our our two churches together have just uh launched an integrated student leadership team. And so um we've got high school students that went through a pretty rigorous process of like application and letter
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of intent or uh >> letter uh recommendation letter of recommendation um and an interview process and all of that. like our our teenagers went through this process. Um, and then now Saturday we got to kick that off and spend time in the room with these teenagers and and you know do some disciplehip and leadership training but also give space to hear them kind of wrestle out some of this stuff we're even talking about um at the youth group level. But really, it's it's that's a
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picture of the church. And some of what was uh the the cool part for me was that by the end of our time, we spent most of the day together Saturday. And by the end of the time, uh what the teenagers were calling out was like, "Hey, I think we need to listen to God like before we um you know, they had some ideas of different things we could do and ways we could change youth group here and there um that were specific, but like the main call out was like, what's God saying? We need to we need to be a youth group that
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listens for God." Um, which was just a really cool thing to see teenagers get and call out. >> Yeah. Yeah. And Rob, you don't know this, but and maybe people came and and talked to you afterwards or sent you messages, but there are a number of people who have responded to the church and have been so um blessed and were grateful for your for your your words and for the message that spoke to their heart. It actually spoke to for for them is what some of what they were saying was it spoke to
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something I needed to hear this day. Uh that you know God had already planted a seed or was watering it. But uh what your voice and um being able to share that to our C3 family uh uh was was uh was was what was needed. Uh many were were had been sharing with the church. was needed and and grateful for your heart and um and words of encouragement also in spaces where was a hard word, right? like it isn't some of what you had shared is like this isn't all on the pastor or the pastoral staff and this is
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it takes us it takes us to be a part of of being this uh spiritual house that we're living stones being formed together um that God has brought together um and and because those who have said yes we want to be a part of this. Yeah, I think a good example of that is the summer sports jam where, you know, and it's kind of how we advertise, you know, that, hey, all we need is a willing person and we can find a job for you because we have thousands, no, we only have hundreds of uh of jobs to do.
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Um, and uh it uh this was really the first time for me last summer to see that. um just to see a lot of people I didn't know, but just we're willing to to say, "Hey, I'll help out." >> Yeah. >> You know, and that really is the attitude we need uh in our church if we want to see things happen. Um and Shay, you said it too that it is backwards how we all kind of >> have a tendency to sit back and say, "Well, that's the pastor's job, you know, and um and not see our part in
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that." So, um you know um I I just think um that maybe you know around tables and you know in in homes can be a real key maybe is even more than maybe back in the 80s and 90s when I was a youth pastor and seeing those things happening but to see um sometimes I wonder what does the church really look like today? Is it focused around Sunday morning or is it you know what what's the real calling card of our churches to uh um uh that people would want to come in? I mean certainly our Lord and Savior Jesus
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Christ is is the direction but you know what can we do to attract people to uh to to come in? What do they see in our churches? do they see um opportunities to meet others and sitting around tables and and talk instead of just sit and listen. So, there's just a lot of lot of thoughts uh that come to my mind um as as I hear you guys talking. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. And that was one of the things I think that was sticking out for me um on Sunday was be because I um I think as a leader, as a pastor,
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sometimes I can get myself to a space where I'm thinking like h the the people the the congregation has this backwards and they need to recognize exactly what you guys are calling out. Like Devon, you said that that there was a little in some spaces. It's a hard word like this isn't all on the pastor and it isn't all on the staff. And that's true. But also I I had this space on Sunday of recognizing that in some ways that's um the si the the structure or the tradition of what church looks like
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right now has perpetuated that and in some ways that's on us as a leader because I even found myself like I was recognizing on Sunday that there are some people who are ready for that and and like this played out um essentially Sunday I was more facilitating discussion around tables and so I I opened you know with some scripture and kind of set the stage for that. But then I was going, you know, offering a like here's what we're going to talk about now. And then I was going to sit at a
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table and engage in conversation and then I would come back up after a set amount of time. And I kept like trying to leave my table cuz like hey, we need to get to the next thing. And like people around my table were like, "Well, also well also." And I just had this recognition of like there are people, certainly not all of them, but there are people who are ready to engage in the wrestle in the discussion of what it looks like to be uh to live a Jesus-shaped life and to be a Jesus-shaped church. Like there are
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people who are ready and are we giving them space to to have a voice or are we just frustrated that they don't? Um and so there is some some level of that too for me on in reflecting on Sunday was like yeah maybe maybe some of that oness is on us and the and and not allowing a space that says come use your voice. >> Yeah. Whi- which makes me think Rob of our conversation about what what are the steps when you asked the question like what is it to be a C3 be a family on mission and uh and that's kind of where
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we ended on Sunday were these opportunities of some ways to practically walk out being family on mission uh you know whether whether it's small group or through a refresh group or otherwise connecting and serving um one of the big ways for me that we're entering into now is reading through reading ahead through the scriptures that we'll be in in the coming here um and lending reading the reading the text the scriptures and lending your voice to the into the room around the table. What
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are you hearing from God for you and for C3? uh because it it matters then what you're hearing as as you're people are being invited in part of that um part a part of that round table part of those scriptures and these are the scriptures we're preaching through even on Sundays now that we read a year ago back when we did read and reflect 2026. >> Yeah. No, I think the thought of 2026 can be exciting. Um the trouble with me as a dreamer is that I need people to uh to come in and and uh do the work kind of a
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thing. You know, not that I'm not afraid to do that, but uh um I give the example of uh when we were doing the Civil War reenactment, this dream of trying to get Civil War reenactors to come to Shahalas and put on battles. Um it was my wife Kelly's the one that uh she probably worked harder than anybody. She was out there helping parking cars and we had a lot of people doing that but she was the one that if there's any problems you go to her and so she was just hopping and what was I doing? I was teaching about a
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Civil War battle and then walk out and talk to some of the people that uh came for the day about what they're seeing and trying to wear my uniform and you know just kind of enjoying the day and and to look over at Kelly with sweat dripping off her face. >> Yeah. But that uh you know that uh that has meant you know the world to me to have someone >> uh that I can dream and she'll help put this thing on. And so um you know in our church we need all sorts of people >> and we need the you know we need the
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pastor, we need the teachers, we need the um the behind the scenes and and so many people to to help out to make things happen. And uh um you know uh I'm just one in in that cog of of uh uh of being part of the body of Christ. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's good. Um as we as we bring this episode to uh to a close, let's share some chyros. Uh what is it that you're hearing from God and how is he inviting you to respond? Um I I'll start first. Um it's one of the things that you shared
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Rob in that uh you use the example of the dust bowl and um I know on Sunday you're like I'm not saying that our church represents the dust bowl but but this idea of what was the response of the farmers to these different ways of of helping to s have sustainable farming uh so that the top soil wouldn't blow away when the when the winds came every year. Um, and the response being like, "It's not our problem. Don't tell us what to do." Uh, is that there there is there is
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something about the uh wrestling with like ownership, responsibility, um, who's got a stake in this thing, church life, whatever. Um, whatever we put our hands to. And I think the chyros for me has been to reflect where are there places that I I have been unwilling to take responsibility and ownership like I don't have a stake in this thing. Um I just I just got to I'm going to take and I think this is probably an echo of like uh when when we love something we don't take from it. we we
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um we care for it, right? This this example and and Shay remind me what I think this is from practicing the way when we talked about like different cities in the United States, they use LA as an example. Like LA is a pretty dirty city and and it's by nature those who live there uh are transient. They don't stay very long. There there are fewer and fewer long-term residents of the city of LA. Um and uh and so that you know went from this place where maybe a lot of people invested and wanted to
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have some really good things and have good communities and care for it versus a place that just gets used up and uh and what's left behind, right? And and that for me was like where do I is God inviting me to have a stake? You you have a part to play. You have uh I'm I'm putting here in this place and and um and so love it. love where I placed you. Love those who are in those places. And so I think that's part of the from what was going through my mind when the example of the of the Dust Bowl and like
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don't tell us what to do. We'll do what we want. And then like that didn't go well for my grandpa grew up in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl and had to move to Portland um because the there was no crops. The farm was dead and they packed everything up in their one car and they drove to the to Portland where the shipyards were going. So they moved to where there was work. It's why my family now most of them reside in in the Portland and Oregon area and not in Oklahoma. >> And it's like so there's a I think
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there's a sense for me in this chyros that uh reflecting where are those places that God has invited me. Here's you have a stake in this. Love it. Love the people that are there. Care for them. Don't just use it and move on. Mhm. >> Sounds like Jeremiah 29 where God's like uh like work for the prosperity and the peace of the place even in exile that I've planted you and >> build the cities garden plant the gardens all that. >> Yeah. Yep. >> Rob, what about you? What what's God
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saying? >> Well, this is I might throw you guys a curve here. There's something I wrote uh kind of came to my mind. it was part of the message but I think I talked too long so I I didn't want to continue um on Sunday but uh um just the thought that you know when you look at our body um you know should we expect everyone to to step in and to get involved and kind of kind of come with that that air of of belief as we go into 26 or do we realize that Maybe there are some people that um
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just are not quite there. And I um the thought came to me that some people come to our church because they're so tired of struggling and and um and they just need rest. >> And you know what? I um Devon and and Pastor Shay, I wish I wish we could know those people. I remember when I was a youth pastor, I had a very good friend as a youth pastor here in Cria and uh he just really struggled in his church and so he he left the church and uh he started coming to our church. Now, here's a just a incredible guy that
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could do all sorts of things, but what he needed was rest. >> And he just sat there and he listened and um and just tried to to kind of find out >> Yeah. who he was and and his family and his wife and and uh where where would God take them from there and and of course he did and and um but I think that if we could find out you know certainly we're all about we need people to be living stones and to build the foundation of our church and be and to be allin but I you know there's probably some that are hurting
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and they hear a message like last Sunday and they think, "Well, I just don't think I have any any energy to to do any of that. I just want to rest. I want to learn more about God and and and find out for me what he has for me." And uh and like I said, I wish we could find out those type of people so that we could just put our arms around him and say, "Why don't you just hang out with with me and uh we can just love on you and let's get together for coffee and let's uh um let's get together for
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prayer and just kind of build them up." And maybe if it got to the point of, hey, let's make it a goal that by the summer, um, we can we can find a place for you to to serve in this church, be a greeter or or something like that that you can start reaching out. But understand that it's okay to rest. It's okay to you don't need to feel like, well, I I guess I'm not as good of a Christian as I could be if I'm not serving. But to realize that resting is good in God and that
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>> I wouldn't be surprised if there's a large chunk of people around us, Devin, that >> that feel that very way. >> Yeah, Rob, that what that sounds like, I don't sure if you went there, but Matthew 11 is come come walk with me, learn these unforced rhythms of grace, >> um and and be renewed by him. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And that's a uh it's like uh a great uh I don't know that that's connected to the chyros for me this week
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because um it hit while I was up on the the platform Sunday as it often does. Um this idea like we're talking so much about God's faithfulness as we look out towards this coming year and we're talking about like uh and and not just talking about how God's faithful like okay we trust that you're faithful God. We trust that you are a God who draws near and who who will be close. But we're also praying for that in this year, right? We're it's the start of the year and we're praying like God, would
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you lead us? Would you would you speak to us? Would you be near and be close? And this um this thought of like that is that's who God is actually. Like that that is the character nature of God. So um not that it's wrong to pray those things, but that is actually who he is. That doesn't change. It hasn't changed. It's what we see in scripture. It's what we know to be true in our own stories. Um, but there's an element of of my faithfulness that has to exist. Like I I have this sense of God like, "Hey, I'll
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lead you. I'd love to lead you in and through 26, but you I'm actually going to need you to follow me. I'm going to need you to listen and to be close." Um, and that came on the heels of I I mentioned like the day before being with these teenagers and and one of the teens at one point was like, I think I hear God saying, "Seek me." And as we were talking that out, I'm like, "Well, that's super cool." like God's telling you seek and what do you think that
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means? And and he was like, well, I think it I I guess I need to do more. And and we were able to kind of wrestle this out a little bit because I was like, okay, seek me sounds a lot like God. I do you think do more sounds a lot like God? And this teenager is processing this out and he's like, well, no, actually, I think that sounds like me. And so, we get to this place of of like, uh, maybe God's just asking you to be with him. and the do more part that can come that that'll come out of
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whatever God might be saying. But maybe right now with with seek me that sounds like God's like, "Hey, would you just come near and be with me?" And uh I just I think that's so true for all of us, especially at the top of a year. And even, you know, you guys are talking a lot about what it looks like to be the church. And it's so easy to get caught up in like what are the things we need to do to be a good Jesus follower or to be a good church. Um, and I I just I think what God's reminding me is like
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actually seek me. Will you be so faithful to me? And sometimes I might ask you to do something and sometimes I might ask you not to do something. Um, but would you just be so faithful? Uh, like I've been faithful. Um, yeah. >> Yeah, that's a good chai roast. >> That was a good chai roast, >> man. So good. Well, uh, guys, thanks for listening in. Um Rob, thanks for joining uh this episode of the Beyond Sunday podcast. It's been it's been great. Uh like I said on Sunday, I do so
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appreciate your faithfulness, steadfastness, and um just leadership among for our C3 family and appreciate your insight and even and even challenge from today. Like there are there are those who just need rest um just be with me. So, um, guys, we, uh, we look forward to, uh, this conversation again next week, and we hope and pray that your conversations are going beyond Sunday, uh, and hearing and and listening to God so that it's stirring in your soul, and that maybe he's also got a word for you like, come and be
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with me. Come learn these unforced rhythms of grace. Um, take upon my yoke where it's easy and we give the we give what we have, what we've been carrying to him. So, have a blessed week, guys.
