You are invited to reflect on the supernatural ways God has worked in your life recently and consider how that story can become a heritage of faith for someone else. Surrender your response to Him today, allowing your transformed life to equip others for ministry. Let your personal encounters with God become the prophecy of what He intends to do in your future.
So so we're in a series titled testimony, and, and thank you, guys. It's awesome. We're in a series titled testimony. And and every time in the series, what I wanna do is review what testimony is. But then I also want to give you something a little new, a "new truth" about testimony.
Not that it's there's nothing new under the sun. Right? It's all from scripture, but a new to this series. Right? And then we'll hear testimony.
Like, what you just heard was some testimony from me. What's the purpose of that? Well, what is testimony? Here's the review. Testimony is do we have the the definition?
I don't remember if yep. There we go. No. We don't. That's my fault.
Testimony is a written or spoken record of the supernatural working of God. We've learned that. I've said that for the last 3 weeks. A written or spoken record of the supernatural working of God. And in order to have a testimony or in order to be a witness, you must have a testimony.
Right? We're not secondhand witnesses, so you must have to have a personal interaction with God, him supernaturally working in your life. Now we've also talked about what is the purpose of testimony. Now if this is super fast, go back and listen to the podcast from the last couple of weeks. Okay?
Because I want you to get it. We talked about what is the purpose of testimony in Psalm 1 19 verse 1 11. It says that your testimonies are my heritage. Notice it says your testimonies. A testimony doesn't have us as the "main character".
It has Jesus and what He's done. He's the main character of a testimony. We get to play a part in what he's doing or be a part of what he's doing. Amen? But it says, your testimonies are my heritage.
That's the purpose. They're my heritage. *Romans-8, we are heirs of God*. So when I hear a testimony, I'm hearing what God's done in you, but it's a promise of what he wants to do in me. Amen.
Amen. They're my heritage. Yeah? So the definition of a heritage is is something that is, transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor. Okay?
So testimonies are are heritage. So what that means is when I share this testimony of how I walk a life of contentment and how the alarm system when I'm not in content content content is to begin rejoicing and putting my mind back on him because I can do all things through Christ. When I share that, what I'm doing is I'm a predecessor. Maybe if you don't live that life, then I'm experiencing a territory of our relationship with God that maybe some of you haven't experienced. So I'm sharing your heritage.
So I'm transmitting to you, and depending on how you hear and how you receive, you're acquiring from me the faith to walk in that very same promise. That's what a testimony is. It says, They are the joy of my heart. So David honors them. Now here here's the here's the new, for the series, not new because it's in scripture and it's been known for thousands of years, but Revelation-19:10.
Then I fell down at his feet to worship him. This is John the Revelator writing, and he went to worship an angel. But he said to me, you must not do that. I'm a "fellow servant" with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.
And here's the point. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of Prophecy. Of what? Prophecy. Yes.
You're awake. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. So what is testimony? Testimony is a written or spoken record of the supernatural working of God. What is prophecy?
*Prophecy* is written or spoken what God intends to do in the future. Yes? Okay. Now does prophecy have to happen? It's a good question.
There's multiple types of prophecy. A certain type of prophecy every time, it must happen. Like when Jesus was the Bible says Jesus was crucified before the foundation of the world, meaning it was the plan for Jesus to go to the cross for us. Isaiah-61, what he wrote, it was destined to happen. And there are some prophecy that our response determines whether or not that prophecy will happen.
Amen. Amen.
It's *relationship*. Now don't get your you know, don't don't get all like, woah, woah, hold on. What is he saying? I'll show you in scripture. If I don't show in scripture, don't believe me.
But it's relationship. It's like a father throwing the ball. Remember this analogy I shared a couple weeks ago? Father throwing the baseball with his son. *God* is a God of relationship.
He throws the word at us, we receive the word, and we act on it. And as we do that, we get better and better at walking out this relationship with our heavenly father. For instance, Jonah. *God* told Jonah to prophesy to Nineveh that it would be destroyed in 40 days. That's a prophecy.
Right? Jonah didn't wanna go and ran the other way. We all know the story or many of us do. He was eaten by a fish, spit out on the land. Jonah ended up going to Nineveh and ended up prophesying.
Oh, I just spit bad. Good thing you guys aren't sitting close. That's you know I'm really preaching. End up prophesying exactly what God said. And because of the people's response, the prophecy didn't happen.
Our response in certain types of prophecy plays a part in whether or not the prophecy will happen because it's relational. Alright? You guys see that. So *testimony* is 1 of those types of prophecies. Testim the prophecy or the the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
The the testimony of what Jesus has done shows what God intends to do in your life. If you're sitting and and God reveals what he's done to see his his working, God is revealing it to you. Why is he doing that? Because he's showing you what he wants to do in your life. But you have a response, and that response is probably 1 of 4 things.
Think of my Bible. In Luke-8, this is mostly just to hold it at you and do this as we're talking. But now I'm gonna read it too. In Luke-8, we in Matthew-13, Luke-8, and somewhere in Mark, we see the parable of the sower. Jesus tells the parable, you know, sower went to sow seed, and he sows some seed on the path, and the birds came and ate it.
And then he sowed see some seed on the rocky ground, and, it it grew up quickly, but the sun it didn't have any root, and the sun scorched it, it died. And then he sowed some seed on the thorny ground, and it grew up, and the thorns choked it, and it died. It didn't produce any fruit. And then he sows some seed on the "good ground", and it produced some 30, some 60, and some a hundredfold. Right?
That's what it says? Amen. Amen? And then Jesus goes on to explain to his disciples what the parable meant, and it applies to testimony. Jesus says the seed is the word of God.
Okay? The seed is the word. He said, and when he threw some on the path let's read it. In Luke-8:11. Now the parable is this, the seed is the word of God.
Verse 12. The ones along the path are those who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts so that they may not believe and be saved. In Matthew-13, it says, they hear, but they don't understand. Right? So that's those that come to church on a Sunday or they're listening to their friend in normal daily life, share a testimony about what God's done, and they they say, oh, that's great.
Cool. That could never really happen to me. They don't really believe, and they reject and go away. You know what the enemy does? Takes that word so it never produces fruit in your life.
Yeah? Yeah. Amen? Amen. Or as Olivier would say, amen?
Amen? I love that man. And then he said, the ones verse 13, and the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, they receive it with joy, but they have no root. They believe for a while, and in the time of testing, fall away. So that's those, you share this testimony, and they're like, yeah, I wanna do that in the middle of my storm.
I'm going praise the Lord. I'm gonna dance, I'm gonna shout, and it's gonna be awesome. And they go, and a storm comes, and they do it, and it's great. And they go the next day, and it gets real hard, and they're like, oh, that didn't work yesterday. I'm going back to what I normally do.
And so the word doesn't produce any fruit in their life. 14. And as for those that fell among the thorns, they are those that hear, but as they go on their way, are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature. In Matthew, it says, and they don't bear fruit. Anyway, that's those that hear the word and it's like, awesome.
I believe it's wonderful. But then they go out and they're just distracted by the world constantly. And because of their constant distraction, they they're not they don't stand in the word. The Bible says, remain in the word, then you will know the word and the word will set you free or the truth. Right?
Part of the truth setting you free is believing it enough to stand in it in relationship. Thank you, Jesus. It's wonderful. So that's important too. You hear the testimonies.
You're like, Oh, that's wonderful. That's awesome. But then you get so distracted as you walk out that you're not able to, you don't stand in it. Like when we, the first time we talked about healing and you guys there was people that are actually healed here in the service and you guys prayed for 1 another and many people were healed in the service, which is awesome. Is there anybody here that that was healed that Sunday?
3 3 or 4. 1 2 3. Just look around. Look at the hands. Raise your hand high.
Okay. Actually healed. Okay. That's cool. But many people, man, they're like, oh, that's awesome.
And I I challenge you guys. Go go pray for people. Many people just got distracted by the cares of this life, and it never produced any fruit. Well, look, I'm not condemning you. I'm just telling you this is this Jesus said, be careful how you hear.
So as because I love you, and I care about you. I want you to be careful how you hear because I want you to I I want it to be the fourth the fourth 1 is what? And for that in the good soil, they are those that hearing the word hold fast in it with an "honest and a good heart" and bear fruit with patience. See, there's the key. Sometimes the miracle or sometimes the deliverance and the thing is instant where it not just happens instantly here, but you see it here.
That's amazing. And then other times you have to wait for the seed to take root and bear fruit, and sometimes that could take years. And it says that bear fruit in patience. You can't have patience without love. Love is patient.
Right? So we believe he loves us, and we receive the fact that he's a good father and a good God, and so we can stand that no matter even if the storm say what he said isn't true, I'm gonna stand in it even when I don't understand. Amen. Amen. Because he loves me so I can be patient.
And guess what? Even if you're the first 3, he's he loves you so he's patient, And He'll continue to sow the word in your life until hopefully you receive it before you die. Amen?
Amen. Alright.
That being said, this is my favorite part. We're gonna continue with some testimonies, and I get to introduce to you, most of you already know them, so it's not an introduction. But if you're new, I get to introduce to you 2 of my favorite people in the world. They're 2 they're elders of the church. They have been appointed dad, husband and wife.
Jerry says, old. Well Oh, 0, Loretta Loretta said said old.
Then Daniel what?
Old to the Lord. But, man, they're they're amazing people. And if you stick around long enough, hopefully, you'll get to know them. Because by getting to know them, you're getting to know Jesus. And you'll see that in their testimony today.
So Jerry and Heidi, would you guys probably come up the stairs? Yeah. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.
Yeah. If you don't mind, I'm a I'm a talk to I'm a talk to Jerry first, and then and then you as as far as testimonies go. Yeah. These are, an amazing married couple that, *God* has just blessed with a deep relationship with him, and we get to my wife and I get to be a part of it. They hang out all the time at our house, which is fun.
We go to their house from time to time. But I I meet with Jerry also weekly, for relationship, but he he disciples men. That's that's his full time job God has given him. And, man, it's just awesome. Some of the some of the men that he disciples that he he meets with weekly, would you guys stand up real quick?
Any that are in here? If you can. You I look look look around. I mean and that's not just here, so he also disciples many others that don't go to this church or that are in other places. And, man, I'll just encourage you.
You wanna grow in your identity in Christ? Get to know this man. Yeah. This is which is awesome. So, anyway, I'm gonna ask both of you, but I'm a start with you, Jerry.
Testimony, spoken record of the supernatural working of God. Man, I wanna hear some story of what how God has supernaturally worked in, on, or through your life.
Amen. You know, when I was growing up, I was never enough. Mhmm. And I felt like I had to be the source. And until I understood that news that was "too good to be true".
Come on.
And that news that's too good to be true is the power of God that leads to salvation. And once I understood that, that in that I was the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, understood that I had to be content in receiving the "gift from heaven". That was the only source. Mhmm. And as I was in content in that, God was enough in my life.
Mhmm. Well, it was just amazing that how God can take a similar scenario and put somebody in your life with feeling like they're not enough. And where you would be the 1 to interact with them, to point them to the *source* as you are content with that gift. And this goes back to our youngest daughter. You know, we have 5 together.
She graduated from college. We were living in Orlando, and she gets a interview in Orlando. Well, she calls Heidi and says, hey, mom, I'm you know, can I live there? Because I'm having an interview. And man, I started thinking, wait a minute now.
We we we kinda settled with our little life here. You know, you guys have come home. We left and you know, and and it's like, what happened though is I reverted back to me not being enough.
Come on.
Me being the source. *God*, how how am I gonna deal with this? How am I going to change her life? Because at the time, I mean, we couldn't even mention God around her. And it was like, you know, he had to remind me that he is the source.
And as she moved into the house, you know, things were we were having relationships together. It was good. And then I'm sitting upstairs 1 day and he goes and actually, he told me the reason she needed to come to the house was so that she would belong. And I didn't quite get that, but as I continue to let him unfold this thing, I'm sitting upstairs 1 day and he goes, you need to wash your feet. And I said, you know, I didn't even wanna respond to that because there again, I'm going back to me being the source.
And he says, and I struggle with that because I said, can't even mention the word God around her, and she just is like a bulldog. You know? And so I continue to struggle with that day in and day out. And finally, 1 day I says, I said, Lord, I know what that means in the in the word, but what does it really mean? And he brought that back up again so that she will belong.
You have to wash your feet. And says and and, man, I read it in in that same time I read it in scripture where Jesus is talking to disciples, you know, if you wanna share a life with me, I have to wash your feet. And so I remember going downstairs 1 day, and she and Heidi are sitting on the couch. I'm a go get a bowl, bring a towel. And I walk in the door, I mean I walk through the doorway and Heidi looks at me and she sees the bowl and just she loses it and I sit down and I tell Philemon the story.
The reason that I need to wash her feet is so that you will belong. There again, her always trying to be the source, her not being enough, and you know, how how we can get in the way of of some things. Just being *obedient* to the fact of that. Well, it was not an immediate change. Mhmm.
But she moves out, and she lives on her own, and then she meets a guy. And before you know it, a couple years down the road, she's telling, Heidi, you know, mom, something's going on inside of me where you know how I love the dogs and I love you. She goes, it's just like butterflies. And then her mom says, this is the Holy Spirit drawing her in. And before you know it, she became a follower of Christ.
Come on. And 2 years ago, before she and her husband got married, I was able to baptize him, and then I got to marry them. And it's just goes back to show how God can use you for a *supernatural* in a supernatural way.
So just to to comment on that, that that moment when God's speaking to you and your flesh is fighting, you know. Anybody else experienced that before? Well, you know you need to do yeah? Am I the only 1? Yeah.
Or me and Jerry? No. Where where *God* is that was an encounter with God. And in order for the fruit of that encounter to happen, it took surrender.
Amen.
And and and I see that in my own life and then in your life when you have an encounter with God, you want the fruit of relationship with God, it takes surrender. Yeah. So how did how did my my question for you is, how did you washing her feet we heard how it impacted her. How did it impact you afterwards?
Oh my goodness.
He told me to interview him.
Yeah. I did. It just it it brought a whole new level Mhmm. Of understanding the love of God. Come on.
You know? I mean, how he washed me clean by the washing of the word. And when you think about that, that word, that incorruptible seed that he puts in, I mean, it lasts forever. It endures forever. And by me getting to wash her feet and implementing that, oh my goodness, just like this light that we get to walk into, to have fellowship with God, practicing the truth.
This *fruit* just continues to flow outward, you know. It was just it was just an amazing it brought us closer together in our marriage.
That was my next question because I saw as he was talking about washing the feet, it impacted you sitting on the couch. How how did this event affect you?
Those of you that know me know that I it's been really hard for me not to say something and correct his story. No. I'm not
gonna correct his story.
But I do wanna say that her father, Jerry's not her birth father, and her father said that she is not his daughter because she married a black man and has beautiful black and white babies. And when I the thing that stuck out to me when he washed her feet, because like I was like the referee, you know, in the house, because she was pretty hurt and angry. And he said, God it's not the exact words, but he said, God told me to do this because as your daddy, I want you to know that I love you and you belong. And it "wrecked her", and it broke that thing in her that made her so angry at God. And it opened the door for him to start moving in her life.
And of course, it was so powerful for me, and it was so humbling. And he's a man of God. God put him in her life.
And, you know, not only that, he not only did God get a daughter, he gave me a beautiful daughter that was rejected, and now she's a just an awesome mom, an awesome wife, and a great mother. Just loves Jesus. She told a story just the other night standing I was standing at the counter, and she had pulled into McDonald's. And, you know, you have the you're sitting there to drive through waiting to to get in line for the next person, and, well, it was her turn, and this little 17 year old girl tries to inch in and Taylor pulls on in. Well, she says she looks in the mirror and she sees this little girl just giving it to her, know, doing the finger and just yay yay yay.
And she goes, what is this about God? And it's like God says, she was like you. Then And he says, well, how do I respond? And she goes, you buy her breakfast. And she goes, why should I buy her breakfast?
Because she was like you. Come on. And so, you know, the fruit of think about the fruit of that whole scenario. Yeah. And we get I mean, not only do we witness to her, she is now a witness to us.
So
scripturally, we love because he first loved us. But the beautiful part of co laboring with God is He wants to use us to show His love to those around us so the others, the people around us experience the love of God through us. We get to be a part of that. What you just heard was God first loving her or first showing His love to her in a way that she could receive it, or when she finally received it through Jerry, and then his love changed her where she received relationship with the 1 who initiated that, him, and then not only changed her, but then began to impact others through her in the same way he impacted her through him. That's how he wants to move in your life.
Alright.
Can I stay here?
Yeah. You can. Originally, I was like, we planned it out, Heidi's gonna go after Jerry and, you know, so then we'll swap, and it doesn't matter.
It doled me out
of You could you could have said here, Heidi.
I was trying to be obedient.
Well, I was oh, anyway, I was trying to stick to the plan, but you know what?
So I just wanna say really fast that last not this past Thursday, but the Thursday before my eardrum ruptured, and we've been praying, and, I went to the ENT Monday, and he said it was clearing up, and it was healing itself, praise the Lord. But it's just been, stopped up. Like, I can't hear anything in my ear, and I just keep praying and thanking God for healing. I've had peep a lot of people pray for me. Anybody wants praying for me, pray for me.
And this morning, we prayed again, and Philemon prayed for me, and some other people prayed for me. And then all of a sudden, like, I yawned, and like when I yawn, my ear opens, and it goes back. And so I kept yawning everywhere. You know, I was just yawning all this time,
and it's
my ear She
wasn't tired.
My ears opening up. And when you haven't had like a ear completely blocked, it's very frustrating, and it's very hard to hear. And that's why I don't come into worship because I was just trying to protect my eardrum. So anyway, I just wanna praise God that, like pastor David said, I'm gonna keep yawning because this ear is opening up. And it's gonna keep you know, it's gonna open up for good, and my hearing is gonna be, you know, completely restored.
Yeah.
And I just wanna thank him for that.
Amen. Yeah. Ear open in Jesus name.
Yep. And and, because it didn't open the first time we prayed, doesn't mean that *God* didn't heal me on the cross when he died. And I'm gonna keep over and over and over, you know, pressing in and expecting that to happen.
It's it's that'll be another message. Go ahead.
I was I was trying to be like, God, can that be my testimony? Because I really don't wanna do the testimony that he told me to do. But I'll do it, and I'll try to do it in the quick version. But I didn't know what I was gonna share because there's so much, and I told pastor David that, gosh, I'm so excited about what God's doing, and all I wanna do is look forward. Like, what's the next thing, God?
What's the next testimony? And it's so encouraging to myself to have that mindset and be looking forward to what he is doing. And there's just so much, so much testimony, in my life and in our life. But there was a time when Jerry and I, pretty much our marriage was destroyed, pretty much since it started. And it was probably like this, the first 5 years of our marriage.
It was really, really, really bad. And, you know, divorce was on the on the on the horizon, but we had been divorced, and we didn't wanna put our kids through that. So I'm driving home Wednesday, I mean, Friday from work, and I'm like, alright, Lord, what am I gonna share? And he's like, I want you to share this. And I'm like, oh, *God*, I don't wanna share that.
And the reason is because it's it's very humbling because I'd love to share a story that talked about how God told me something, and I was obedient, and something wonderful happened. But this is really a testimony of, you know, some things that God did in my life because of things that I'm not real proud of. And so the word that he's been speaking over me or to me for months and months is it's not about you. And so when he said it to me, I was just like, oh, I don't wanna do that, but I will because it's not about me.
Amen.
And he has completely redeemed me. Amen. So several months ago, I don't even know and correct me when I'm wrong because David's part of the story. Pastor David's part of the story. But I spend a lot of time at their house pretty much every Wednesday and just spend the time with Courtney.
And Joe used to have his men's group on Wednesday nights. And I was over there, and I don't even remember what we were talking about, but Pastor David will come in and out, but he was just the kids weren't there, and he was just, you know, talking with us, and we were all talking. And he said, hey, I need to ask you a question. I think the lord wants me to ask you something and I just look at him because I mean, we've been hanging out long enough like where I know, oh, this is So I might wanna avoid. Oh, my.
And he's like, I really feel like God wants me to ask you something, but you you can't get upset. You can't get mad. Don't remember whether it was you can't get mad or you can't get upset. Like, don't if I tell you, and I'm like, well, I'm like, how do you expect me to respond to that? I mean, God's telling me to tell you something, but don't get upset.
But my heart is, whatever, God. Whatever it takes. And so I was like, alright. Tell me. And he's like, why are you so hard on Jerry?
And I'm like, what do you mean why am I so hard on Jerry? Because first of all, they meet. And I'll be like, what y'all talking about me when you're like? I mean, y'all can talk, but just don't tell the dirty stuff, know, don't tell all this stuff.
And just so you know, we don't. We don't talk about Heidi. We talk about Like, what is he telling So
I immediately got defensive, just like betrayal just jumped on me. I didn't know what he was talking about, but I will tell you that the Lord had been speaking to me about the way that I talked to my husband. And I don't know if I'm the only 1, but yeah. I was talking to him worse than I talked to my enemies. And I would respond to him in very unkind ways.
And you know, God's moving in my life, and he's moving in our lives if we let him. So he had been talking to me about it, and I would have never told anybody because there was shame. It was just so much shame. Well, here I am with pastor David and Courtney, and he says this, and all of this stuff just rises up in me. And I wanna like, I'm I wanna fight.
Like, I can't even explain it. Like, every God's healed me in so many of these areas, but everything's coming at me all at once, and I have a split decision to make it. I have a split second to make a decision. So the enemy's coming. All of these things from the enemy are coming, and then the Holy Spirit's talking to me at the same time.
And and we had conversation in that, but I began to stare like, if you can violently cry, I was violently crying. And I think it terrified pastor David and Courtney, because they were both just like and I could not stop crying. I cried a cry that I had and I've done a lot of crying, like the ugly cries. I cried a cry that I've never heard or seen or experienced, and I could not stop. No matter how hard I tried, I could not stop.
And the Holy Spirit told me in the middle of it, I'm "setting you free". I'm delivering you, and I'm healing you. And I didn't know what from, and it didn't matter. But all of this was going on, and it and it really had nothing to do with the question. Pastor David was obedient.
Like, he he didn't want you could tell he didn't wanna do it, but because he loved me and he cared more about *God* doing his work in my life and me having an opportunity to respond to God than he cared about our friendship or our relationship. And so I don't even know how long that went on, but it was a big ugly thing.
Long time. Too long.
Did go on for a long time. And in the in the crying, I would I was like, why would God I felt "betrayed by God". I'm like, why would God tell you that? Like, knows how hard I'm working. He knows I'm trying to be kind.
It's just it's just I don't know why I'm responding the way, and I felt betrayed by God. I'm like, God, why would you expose me like this? You know I'm trying. You know my heart. You know I love him.
So I'm going through this whole thing, and in the meantime, I'm having to choose not my feelings, because everything I wanted to run out of there so fast. I don't know how many times I I was like getting up, like, getting up, and he would not. It was like he was pinning me to that couch.
Not me, the Holy Spirit.
I knew that that he wasn't gonna let me go. And and I chose to stay, and I chose to let him do what he was doing. And because I knew it was good, and we had conversation right after that. And I said, you know, everything I the first thing I wanted to do is I wanted to say, but what about Jerry? Because he does this and this and this and this and this.
And the Holy Spirit wouldn't let me. He was like, this is about you. This is about you responding to him regardless. Now he is a great husband. God has completely redeemed our marriage.
We're best friends. We're not perfect yet, but he's he's getting us there. Amen. But I wanted to say, but pastor David, you don't know. Like, let me tell you.
You know, let me tell you all of the things that excuse it, and the Holy Spirit says no. And I never spoke a word. And I told him, was like, I wanna do this, but I know God won't let me because I this is about me. Like, I'm responsible for my actions. I'm responsible for how I respond.
And am I responding in Christ? And he wants me. And and that day, it broke something in me because I let him I let myself be vulnerable, open, and wounded. It also put me in a place with my pastor and Courtney that made me trust them because I've been anybody I've been hurt in the church or hurt by people that that that love you, and and I've been there, and I I was afraid to love them. I was, like, waiting for something to drop.
And it just sealed something in us, you know, and what God's doing in this church and in ministry. That all of that happened. There's so many more things God did in that moment. But the testimony is, you know, you can respond by your feelings, are the enemy. The truth is, pastor David loved me.
It wasn't calling me out. It wasn't trying to hurt me. It wasn't trying to stick up for his buddy. It was because he was being obedient to the Holy Spirit and he loved me. And the truth is, God loves me desperately, and wants me to change, and wants to empower me.
And sometimes, different circumstances that wouldn't be our favorite circumstances have to happen. And we have to trust that in the middle of it, he's a good God, and that he loves me, and that his promises are true, and I can trust him. And I've been walking with him long enough to where I was at the point where that couldn't have happened a couple years before, but like pastor David preached several weeks ago, he gets us ready here before he gets us ready here. And because I have been choosing to choose him and not my circumstance and not my feelings, I was able to withstand the surgery that he did at that moment.
So there's there's 2 aspects of that for you guys. Some of you, on the receiving end, you have to understand that Proverbs says a fool rejects correction, but a wise person is thankful for it. And we can only not be foolish in Christ and realizing that he loves us. And so, you know, as you're growing in relationship, at real church, you really grow in relationships in small groups. Just so you know, if you're not in a small group, you know, this is great, but but small groups is is where we really grow in Christ, man.
I mean, this is just kind of an injection of encouragement. But as you as you take the step to build relationships in Christ and with 1 another, you know, there there's a a vulnerableness to letting people into your life. Well, with that comes the the the ability to receive from the Lord from people. And in that, the willingness to not be defensive, but the willingness to receive what the Lord's trying to say, as as you're walking in relationship. And, man, it's it's crucial because we need 1 another in that way.
Alone, we're ineffective and unproductive, but together we're the body of Christ. And so learning to receive correction and encouragement and all of the above from each other is part of being the church, you know. Once again, this is this is great, but this isn't really church. Church happens in small groups, you know. This is just encouragement.
So I'd encourage you, man, to to allow people, the body of Christ into your life so they can encourage you. And the other part of that is on on my end, for some of you, that's what you need to hear today, is being willing to obey the Holy Spirit and love the person more than you that more than you you, love what they think about you. Being willing to love them enough to say something that could possibly sacrifice the friendship because you care more about them receiving the love of God than you do about their opinion of you. And and and just so you know, in correction, if it doesn't hurt you to correct someone, you're the wrong person to do it because you don't care about them. If it hurts you to correct someone, then go to the Lord and you're probably the right person to do it.
If you're not really nervous about it and all, you know, if you're not concerned, that kind of thing, you don't care enough about them to correct them. Don't talk about them and just love them and get to know them. Yeah?
Yeah. And so my biggest thing too that I just wanna share with you guys, like, I grew up in a very abusive, terrible childhood, neglected, abusive in any kind every kind of way, maybe 1 day you'll hear about that, but I can stand here, even though I'm sitting, I stand. I can tell you that any hurt, any betrayal, any negative, hurtful, painful, ever no matter what you've been through, you can trust God. Amen. And the more you practice it, because you're practicing it, the stronger you're gonna get at it.
The more your faith is gonna grow, and you're gonna be a witness in other people's lives. It stinks. Like, it stunk that night, and it was ugly, but it was so beautiful. It was so beautiful. Just I'm telling you, it's worth it
So what to do I'm sorry for interrupting, but what are the results of that? So since that happened, and and once again, I apologize. I just was jumping at it. I shouldn't have interrupted you, but but the results of that night, you know, it's been couple months since then. How has your life changed?
I'm a perfect wife. No.
Just Badoom.
It's a perfect wife before that. I can't explain to you how much my life has changed. It's just I'm seeing God do things in my life and in this church and in ministry. Like, he called me to minister to women. He called us to minister to married people.
I mean, and and men. I mean, there is a trust and an intimacy with *God* that I never thought that I could have. And I and and the not about me, it's not about me. Like, I don't even have to worry about it. I don't have to know what to say because he's gonna tell me, and I know he's gonna tell me.
And when I tell you, you're gonna get through this and that he loves you, I know it. Like, I experienced it. I still experience it.
Come on.
And that is powerful, and it's true. And I can say it with complete faith because I believe it. I believe it with everything in me.
Come on.
And until we get that until we get that
She's a preacher. She's gonna
The body of Christ is gonna respond according to what they see God doing in you. Mhmm. People wanna hear what God tells you. You don't you know, they wanna hear, oh, God told me this, God told me that. But what really matters is them seeing what God told you
That's right.
In your life, and the fruit in your life. And it's so good, y'all. It is God is so good.
What what matters is his "word becoming our flesh".
Jerry's like, let him talk, honey.
Like, us being transformed. So my question for you, Jerry, is she gonna keep preaching. My question and with this and we'll end on this is, "how have you seen her change" since that night?
You know, sitting right here, I was just thinking how *supernatural* this whole thing is that we get to sit on this stage together and in ministry together and be part of God's story. And since that has happened, I mean, we were in small groups together and we're just like a I mean, like a power packed team. Uh-huh. And as God gives a word to her, it's just like I get to minister to that word with other people around. It's just it's just phenomenal.
You know? It's fun. I I just I *love* like I said in the beginning, I love being your guys' pastor because I get to see this kind of stuff all the time. But you know what's even more fun for me? Is is seeing you guys minister to 1 another Yeah.
And to others outside. Because as a pastor, *Ephesians-4:11* 12, my role is not to do ministry as a pastor. My role is to equip you to do ministry. So this testimony you hear, 1, it's for you to be free and know that God can free you, but 2, it's for you to walk in and help others to be free by "letting his love flow out of you". And that's that's the joy that I get of doing this.
It's awesome. So we're gonna we're gonna end. Chevy, Chevy's our our host. He's gonna come up and close us. But before or as he's coming up, I wanna invite you to stand.
Thank you. And I I I wanna also invite you, if you're if you're feel comfortable with it, just to lift your hands. It's just kind of a sign of surrender. What you just heard was encounters with God followed by surrender that resulted in life change. God wants to encounter your life followed by surrender, which results in deeper life change day by day through you and the ones around you.
So I just want you to ask your heavenly father. Just say this, heavenly father. How do you How do me want me me to to respond respond today? And if every time we gather Sunday, small groups, hanging out, going to Starbucks with our friends, whatever, God speaks through encourages 1 another and gives us a way to respond to "walk out our relationship with him" even deeper. That's called church.
Thank you for tuning in today to the Real *Church* podcast. I pray that you walk away from today *encouraged* with a deeper understanding of how much God *loves* you. If you'd like to connect with us, we can't wait to reach out to you and pray for you. You can go to www.realchurch.us/connect. Then also, if you would like to give to what God is doing in and through our ministry, you can do so at www.realchurch.us/giving or you can text any amount to 84321 and then just search in the link that comes up search for Real Church Clearwater.
**God bless you** and the best is yet to come.