Work and Faith

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Holy Spirit, use your people to speak to your people.

We pray and we listen now in Jesus' name.

And everyone said Amen.

Well, as you can see, uh I I y'all don't listen to me, and so I brought some some help today uh to reinforce the point.

If you're visiting, we preach by committee here at Grand Park Way.

No, this is not true.

Uh today is uh Labor Day weekend, and so I uh what I wanted to do is kind of uh I think of the great submission field uh where we encounter uh lostness and different beliefs and this it's it's in the workplace, and so what I wanted to do today was to use the panel discussion, a symposium, whatever word you choose for it, uh to kind of uh dialogue a little bit about faith and work.

And so uh instead of me introducing these people, I'm gonna start with my friend Mike here.

And here's the first question I want all of you to answer.

Tell us who you are, what you do, and for how long you've done it.

Mike's on.

Mike's on.

There you go.

Uh my name's Mike Kugler.

I've been a public servant for 15 years.

Um, got my start on a fire truck as a firefighter EMT.

Uh, did that for about five opportunity came open uh in the fire marshal's office in Sugarland, and the city sent me to the police academy uh to get my fire inspector and my artist investigator.

So it it's very confusing to a lot of people.

They ask, you know, what do you do?

Well, yes, I'm a certified firefighter in EMT, but I'm also a police officer.

And that confuses people is the day is long because they're like, why do you why did why does a firefighter have a gun?

You know, why why are you?

Because I mean business.

So if 911, you call 911, it's busy, call Mike Kugler.

He covers all the bases.

There you go.

So um it's main duties.

Uh the reason for having our peace officer's license is uh arson investigations uh and fire inspections.

But we work we work the arson case all the way up from doing the investigation on scene to figuring out how it started to uh presenting the gate the case to the uh district attorney's office, uh getting the warrant, and then even going and serving the warrants.

And and if that doesn't confuse you guys, I'm gonna go ahead and pass it on to the person next to me.

There you go.

Karen?

Hi, good morning.

My name is Karen Reyes.

Um and I've been in the oil and gas industry now for going on 17 years.

Um I started uh in supply chain, then uh did uh a little bit of selling, and now I'm in business development.

So over 17 years without telling my age.

You look good for a 28-year-old.

Brandon.

Good morning.

My name is Brandon Frelick.

Um I'm in technical sales primarily in the oil and gas industry, and I've been doing it for five years.

Hi, I'm Christy Golson.

Um, I'm a homemaker, stay-at-home mom, and have been doing that for about eight years now.

And who do you stay home with?

That's a great question.

It changes things, doesn't it?

Okay, I have four kids.

Um, right now they are eight, six, four, and two.

Um two.

Scott, just stop right there.

Breathe that in.

Eight, six, four, and two.

Go ahead.

Two girls, two boys.

So that's us.

Five-o?

Five-o in the house.

Good morning.

Uh my name is David Ryder.

I am your Ford Ben ISD chief of police.

Um I've been here five and a half years, but I've been in law enforcement twenty-five.

I started when I was eight, so uh with a cap gun.

With a cap gun.

And I've graduated to a water gun.

But we use hard water.

Okay, as you can see, uh all different uh uh walks of life, different, different, and these people are here for a reason.

So let me just I'll start, and David Ryder, I'll start with you, and then I'll call on some of you other ones to answer this question.

What is the greatest challenge to your faith in the workplace?

Uh the greatest challenge I think is the separation of church and state and the schools.

Um I've been in school district police work for 18 years now.

So um there's a there's a fine line that we have to walk, right?

Um we want to be a good role model, we want to be an example, and I try to teach the officers that that they're leaders on their campus, and um I try to give them tools and training and encouragement so that they lead as Christians without uh necessarily having to you know push it down somebody's throat or something like that.

I think people will see God through us by the way we treat people, and so the challenge is making sure that we're that role model in the schools so that we can establish those relationships with the kids at a young age and that they see God through us.

There you go.

Karen, same question.

What is the greatest challenge uh to your faith in the workplace?

Well, it's um really for me is is not backing down in what I believe in.

Um I travel internationally, so I'm always put in situations where um different faiths, to say the least, um, but it's always brought back to the corporate world.

Um I remember one time when I just joined this last position, I had an HR manager come around and tell me that my office was not adequate for my management position.

Um and she said this because I keep across and I keep, you know, I've got my kids with, you know, certain there, there we do a Bible verse every month.

So I keep that Bible verse in my office every month.

Like this month it's Isaiah 40, 31.

Um, and that HR manager came in, it was after a week of starting with this last position, and she said, you know, it's it's best that you bring that down because it doesn't send the right message in your position for the whole team.

Uh, come to find out that that particular HR person wasn't was an atheist.

I didn't believe, was not a believer at all.

Um so I did not take it down.

Um I politely said, happy to discuss further.

Let me know who else I need to bring it up to.

Um, but this is what I stand for, and I think I made it clear during my interview, because I do, I make it very clear during my interviews before I start any new positions.

So Mike Cougar, same question.

Uh what is the greatest challenge to your faith in the workplace?

I would probably say um the challenge to faith would be uh I would say probably at the beginning of my career, uh sometimes anybody who's been uh in public safety for a while, you start making you you make some calls where there's children involved or something like that, and uh that that that could shake somebody's faith.

It's hard to reconcile what you see with what you know to be the truth.

It's still the truth, but there's sometimes you see things and you're just like, dang, really?

Is that a fair statement?

I would say yes.

Okay.

You don't have to have to go any further.

Uh we we get that.

Uh Brandon Frelick, same question.

What is the greatest challenge to your faith in the workplace?

Um with my job, I'm in outside technical sales, so I get to interact with a lot of different people.

Um customers, distributors, my manufacturing route.

Um I would say just purely how many lost people there are in this world.

Uh if you watch the news, which I can't stand to do, uh it just shows how many people truly lost people there are in this world.

So I think we're outnumbered, to be honest.

Um but I think what a better opportunity in my line of work to be able to reach out to those people that are so lost.

And uh it helps that I was in their shoes once too.

So uh to be able to share my faith and share how far I've come because of God is uh a true blessing.

Kristy Golson, stay-at-home mom.

Uh it's been said that motherhood is delayed gratification.

How does the gospel keep this truth before you on a practical basis?

Um absolutely, right?

You you don't get um the pat on the back or the awards or anything like that as a stay-at-home mom.

So a couple ways.

Um one is you you um enjoy the little moments, you know, um, the little moments that you'll never get back.

Like this week, my kids' favorite thing to do was go under the sheets and play peekaboo.

And I don't know how long we played that for, but enjoying those little moments and not letting them pass thinking I've got to do all these other things.

Oh my gosh, the dishes and the blah blah blah, you know.

Um enjoying those moments for what they are, and then also the delayed gratification part is knowing that I'm investing today in what hopefully will be faith in my kids, 10, 20, 5, I don't know how long down the road, that my investment today may not show any sort of um fruit.

It's like the seed that you bury, but it's gonna be buried for a long time, you know.

And so hopefully the truth of God's word and the gospel that I um I try to live in front of my kids will bear fruit in their lives um at some point.

Okay.

Uh second question.

This is for I'll start with you, Karen.

Have you ever experienced discrimination in the workplace because of your faith?

Um, yes, actually I've um been passed over on positions because of it.

Um passed over a position actually to be able to work uh with a Middle East sector.

Um one I was told because I was a female, um, but the underlying factor was the fact that I was uh too strong of a believer, is what I believe I was told off record.

Wow, I was like, let me tell my pastor that.

You you mentioned something, uh and one of the reasons I asked Karen to be on it is because she's a woman and she's a professional and she's in a in a pretty much, is it safe to say, a pretty male-dominated industry?

Oh, absolutely.

Uh and so you said as a woman, uh, what is it like as a woman to be in that world?

And to be a woman of faith in that world.

It's awesome because uh, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart, because I'm different.

In other words, I've been told I've been different, and and I relish, to be honest with you, without sounding too overconfident or too conceited.

I am.

I'm confident.

Now tell me, tell me, hang on a second.

Why is it a woman when you're confident and you have to preface that by saying, I'm not gonna be conceited?

Because we never do that as a men.

Because in my world, we're like, I'm awesome.

In my world.

Where's my bonus?

In my world, um, you've got to walk, and and this is just real talk, right?

Uh uh you've got to walk a path that's very careful because, like I said before, I've been passed over on a lot of promotions because of one, my faith, two, being a woman.

Um, but it's been great for me because it's just strengthened my faith.

I'm I'm in a great position now.

I mean, years ago, and I'm head of my household too, on top of that, right?

Uh, as a single mom, I've got two awesome kids.

Uh, the Lord has just, gosh, I know how to explain it to y'all without crying.

I think I'm sweating up here to keep from crying because um he's never left me.

Um it's been an amazing ride.

Because every time a door has been shut, he's opened up another one.

And um, funny enough, Neil, um, just last week I got uh I'll give you all a quick synopsis without too many names.

I hope I'm not taking too much time.

You're fine.

I was in a position where I was up to be promoted, and this was over 10 years ago, to uh my first manager position, and um I was told to evaluate vendors, and I gave my list of the vendors that I thought were just not honest, not ethical.

There was one in particular that my management loved.

And um I stuck to my guns and I said this is a reason for it.

Um, and I got overlooked for that position to the point where I was kind of cornered, and in that process, I was, can you imagine?

I felt, am I good enough?

Do I belong?

Blah blah blah blah blah.

And funny enough, our verse this month is Isaiah 4031.

That's when I discovered Isaiah 4031 10 years ago.

And I said, nope, I'm sticking to my guns, this is where I stand.

Make a long story short.

I moved from that position, the door opened somewhere else, and I moved into a new role.

Here, 10 years forward, just last week, I find out that the minute I left from that position, it's been 10 years where they've been doing terrible invoicing.

FBI had to come in over millions of dollars that this company is now in debt or in trouble for, for this one vendor that I said you should not go with.

And so, yet again, 10 years later, the Lord lets me know, girl, you got it.

Stick with it.

You know, don't deviate from the truth and just hold on to my words, and I got you.

And I just stand here boldly telling you guys, He's got us, he's got me.

So, yeah, I am.

And Isaiah 40, 31 says what?

He says, Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strengths, they will not grow weary, they will not go tired, they were sore.

Wings of eagles.

Amen.

Amen.

Uh anybody else?

Have you experienced discrimination in the workplace because of your faith?

I haven't.

I I've been blessed.

Yeah, I haven't.

Good.

Uh I have another question.

Uh what role does your faith play when things are not going well at work?

You're looking down here.

You can take it.

I I I think especially in this day and age, and we we have a um our culture and their posture towards authority, especially police, is not in a good place.

So I think you have I think you have a great perspective, David, in this day and age to speak to that.

So when things are not going well, what role does your faith play?

Well, I think we need to I think we need to stay grounded.

Um, you know, the the news is gonna play what the news plays to get ratings, right?

And so um it's just because it's all over the news doesn't mean it's always like that.

There's a lot of good out there, and so um I I think we just need to stay focused and stay grounded, and that's what I try to teach our officers.

We just had a meeting uh Wednesday with all of our officers uh after school and got everybody together, and I had Bluebell ice cream for them, and you know, I mean I'm not gonna skip bluebell, right?

So uh we had bluebell ice cream for them and we had some healthy stuff over there too, but we stuck to the bluebell.

But anyway, I I talked to them about why.

Know your why.

Why do you come to work every day?

Why do you put on the uniform?

What's what's your motivation?

If your motivation is to come and get a paycheck, then there's plenty of other places for you to go work, and and I mean that in a loving way.

I'm not, I mean, we're fully staffed right now, and there's not a whole lot of agencies in this area that have every single officer position filled.

We started the school year fully staffed, which is amazing.

And um, you know, but and and so I hope that that they understand there's a reason why you put that uniform on and come to work.

Um and and so uh again, just staying grounded with that.

You bring up a great question uh that I'd love to hear you answer.

You said ask your officers why do you come to work?

Why do you get up and go to work?

Um to make a difference.

I mean, that's you know that that's that's a thing.

Um you know, there's uh 73,000 kids out there that need a role model.

Brandon, Brandon, I'd like you to answer the same question.

Why do you get up and go to work?

If you had to boil it down to to just, hey, this is why I do what I do.

Sure, you had to ask me that right after that.

Thanks for taking the ball.

You know, I used to be one of those guys that that did look at work as a paycheck, and if you ask me, I would I would say that uh I live to work instead of work to live.

Um so I always saw work as something I did and came home and was able to spend time with my wife or with friends, um, and to share all that God has given me uh through my friendships and that.

But uh here lately I've really seen work, especially in my profession, as a truly opportunity to kind of get out and meet others and meet people of all different religions and and backgrounds, and um and what better way to share God's grace and God's mercy with so many different types of people, and especially those that may have never heard it from an earthly father that truly need a heavenly father in their life.

Absolutely.

Uh the question uh that I asked earlier was what role does your faith play when things are going or not going well at work?

Uh I want to tweak it a little bit and ask this question.

Uh, what role does your faith play when things are going well at work?

Uh because in Proverbs 30, the guy prays a great prayer.

It's what I call the middle class prayer.

He says, Lord, don't give me so little that I steal and defame your name, but don't give me so much that I forget you.

And he's basically saying, I just want to be content.

And for some of us, and we're all different, it's easier.

Sometimes it's easier as a person of faith when it's hard because you rely on God, and it's like, okay, Lord, you know, but when you're killing it, and the bonus at the end of the year is bigger than your annual salary, and this, that, and not that I've ever had that experience, but I'm open.

I'm open to having that experience.

Uh, there's a guy in our church I was having lunch with last week, and he's like, Yeah, my my ain't my annual bonus is bigger than my yearly salary, and I just ate my taco and kept my head down.

We get a smoked turkey.

Uh, anyway.

Which is delicious, by the way.

Uh but when it's going really well, Mike Kugler want to start with you.

When it's going really well, uh, is that ever a challenge to your faith?

No, for me, it's it's uh it's a reminder of just how good God is.

And uh just being blessed and uh and not deserving it, and that's it's hey, it's just a gut check of how good God is, simply said.

Amen.

Karen, same question.

When it's going well, what is your faith like in that in those days?

Again, real talk.

Um that's where my discipline has to kick in.

Um I'm a list kind of gal, and uh, this is where my kids come in for me too.

I make a list, I remind myself, I keep a journal of all the good things that the Lord has done.

Um, even those special moments that you're talking about, you know.

Um, but it's really my kids, just like this week.

We're looking at the calendar, and I'm like, okay, we got football, we've got basketball, we've got this, got that.

Both of them said, and we've got bridge on Wednesday, mom.

I said, Yes, we do.

And they I was asked, what class are you taking, Mom?

We don't want you to teach this time, we want you to take a class.

Yeah, Neil, that's why I'm registered in your class.

They they they they picked it.

Um, so my point is this is where I think, because I I am, I'll confess, I'm I'm weak.

When things are going good, I'm so quick to fall into that schedule.

Um, and as a head of my household, I run a tight shift, house has to be clean, groceries gotta be stocked, gotta balance the checkbook, gotta make sure that everyone's in line in my household, including my parents.

Um, and I'm proud of that, you know.

Thank you, Lord, for that talent, but I can get lost in that.

And and I thank the Lord for my kids, to be perfectly honest with you.

Yes, they have a way of bringing us back.

Uh speaking of kids, Christy, um there's a uh certain amount of anonymity that goes with being a homemaker, a stay-at-home mom.

Uh, how does your faith inform the process of anonymity of motherhood?

Sure, yes, you can get um kind of lost in your four walls sometimes.

Um, like I said before, you don't get the pats on the back or um whatever, but it it does a couple things.

One, it challenges your identity.

Um, I was in the workforce prior, I was a teacher and a coach.

So I did get the pats on the back or the wins, you know, for my team or whatever.

And so you get that sense of purpose or security externally.

And so being a stay-at-home mom has challenged that.

Not that you can't be challenged other ways, but when everything is stripped down and all you got left is you, um, it really does challenge your identity.

And where do I find my identity?

Do I find it in the accolades or the pats on the back or um success or whatever, or do I truly find my identity in who I am in Christ?

And um and do I truly see, um, we talked earlier about the delayed process of delayed gratification in motherhood, and do I truly see that as value?

Because to be honest with you, on some days I don't, some days I'm like, please rescue me from the diarrhea.

You know, like I am done.

You know, let's be honest, like I am done with this.

Like I'm just gonna run away and never come back because I'm sorry, that was graphic.

Um but um but it's reality, right, moms?

I mean, y'all know you've been there.

Um, and so um I I got lost.

I'm sorry in the diarrhea.

We're at the diarrhea.

David can bring you a bit.

We're gonna get the diarrhea.

So sometimes you get lost in the diarrhea, and you get lost in the moment, and you wonder, is this worth it?

You know?

And that's when God says in these anonymous seasons of life, um, not only is it worth it, but there is great value here.

And our value is not determined on.

On things here, but in our treasure in heaven.

And how much better to invest in a child?

Um, because that is that's treasure in heaven right there, is generations upon generations upon generations knowing Jesus.

Amen.

Amen.

Uh question what role does your faith play in how you manage the fruit of your labor?

Uh, i.e., salary, bonuses, perks, etc.

Uh, what how do where does your faith come in into that dialogue?

Uh, or does it?

Or is it like, hey, this is my thing I do, like going back to the lunch I had with one of my buddies here in the church last week, and he was talking about, you know, my year and bonus is more than my salary, and I was just like, uh, and he's like, but I I don't I don't trust myself.

So we set up.

And so I'm just wondering, what role does your faith play when you experience the fruit of your labor?

How did how does your faith inform what you do with that?

And whoever wants to go first can.

Okay, David, you thanks.

I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to work that into one of my monthly safety emails about away from the diarrhea.

That's awesome.

Um so um so uh let's face it, cops don't get paid.

You know, I mean we're not gonna get rich.

So I didn't get into this job for um you know for the money.

Um but uh you know, we we tithe and we believe that that's uh that's what we're taught, it's what we're supposed to do.

Uh we're trying to instill that into our kids.

And um, so you know, when I work off-duty jobs or when I get you know work something extra, or just even at my job in Fort Ben, um, you know, that's just a given.

And honestly, there are some times when it's like, ooh, that that check would be really good if we could only go and do this with it.

Yes.

Uh and somebody has to tell me, mm-mm.

So I'm not the most disciplined.

Yeah, Jody.

So my wife Jody is the one that really kind of says, No, uh, we need to put that in the box.

So uh she uh she helps uh keep me in order uh when it comes to that.

Karen, I see you nodding your head.

Well I'm nodding my head because um I was raised Catholic and um you doubt where your money's going.

Um so it hasn't been into like the last five or six years that I myself have discovered tying and being a cheerful giver.

And and I'll be honest with you, tell you at first, you know, as a head of my household, I'm like, whoa, really?

So that's I'm I've read up a lot, I've thrown myself into scriptures to really understand it.

And so now I do the same.

I live by spreadsheets.

I'm trying my hardest to do it, you know, like I'm looking at you, Jody.

I need you to call me, right?

I mean, but I try to put it at the first thing on the list.

And Neil, I'll confess there are days when it's not, it's not the first thing on my list.

And and that's one of the things that I pray again, and I confess it even to my kids, because like you said, you want to you want to make sure that your kids are following in your example.

And so on in my household, I include them even in that.

So Aiden's the one that takes the paycheck and and deposits it.

And because I want them to understand where the budget's going.

And are we consistent with it?

I am praying so hard that I can be this year.

Amen.

Christy, uh, these people all talking about what they do, their perks, the benefits, their paycheck.

As a stay-at-home mom, what is your paycheck?

Sure.

You're like, is there one?

The diarrhea.

There you go.

Here, mom.

Maybe this is for you.

Right?

We've all been there.

Um, once again, the the paycheck is not here, it's it's the later.

Um I have um, you know, I have four kids, so they all have got different personalities, right?

I've got one who tends to be bossy.

And um here's the deal that's hard to parent sometimes, right?

Um, but in that bossy, um I believe that as God gets a hold of her heart, he's gonna reverse that and um make her into an awesome leader for the kingdom.

That's a paycheck.

The fact that I'm investing and dealing with and helping her to corral this and and and teaching her to lead in a in a godly way instead, that's a paycheck.

My son, who is my strong-willed spitfire little guy, um once God gets a hold of his heart, nobody's gonna tell him that the truth is not the truth.

And so right now I gotta deal with him hitting me and grabbing the shoe and chunking at me and um all sorts of other crazy things that he does.

But my paycheck is the fact that one day God is gonna get a hold of his heart and change him, and he's gonna be a warrior for the kingdom.

So it's that delayed gratification again.

Absolutely.

Uh, this question is for Brandon and then for Mike.

I'd like you guys to uh does knowing that you're a Christian affect the way your co-workers relate to you either positively, positively, or negatively?

It's a tough question.

Yeah, and here tough question.

Here's why, because a lot of people, when they find out we're believers, they think, oh, I can step on that person.

I can take advantage of them.

Or I that they're they're supposed to just take it.

Uh and and and there's a well, there's a reason the Bible says in Colossians, let your speech be full of grace and seasoned with salt.

And so, does knowing that you're a believer, does it affect the way your co-workers relate to you positively or negatively?

I would say I'm blessed in that it's more of a positive thing.

I haven't had much experience with the first situation that you explained.

Um, one of the really blessings of my job is I get to have a lot of people travel with me uh in my vehicle around town, and that's so it really allows me to kind of share my faith with them.

And so if you ask them this question, they might say something differently.

But um I would say that it's it's definitely more of a positive thing, and they see something positive in me that they want to get to know more of.

Um at least that's what I would hope.

Yeah.

Well, I mean, the gospel says it were the fragrant aroma of Christ to those who are perishing.

Uh Mike Kugler?

Same question.

I'd have to go with positive.

Um they m my co-workers as well as my superiors, they do know that I'm a Christian.

And uh I would say positive in a sense that there there are times, especially in the last couple years, as I I mature in my faith, that guys will uh the topic, the topic comes up.

Uh Christ, it all it always comes up.

Um, especially if you're he's talking about sitting one-on-one with people.

Yeah, I mean you can you know you can speak up when something's wrong, but trying to lead by example and trying to do what's right.

I think people people can see that there's something different about you.

And then that being said, when you have the opportunity one-on-one with somebody, and I've I've found that uh you know, most guys, especially in today's world, you know, their their faith, they can be kind of uncomfortable talking about it.

And one a just a once once you build up that rapport, especially one-on-one, a good gut check is asking the guy, hey, if you died right now, are you gonna go to heaven?

And based on their response, I've actually been surprised at how honest a lot of the guys that I talk to are.

And that opens up the opportunity for me to spread the good news God using me in that way.

So I would I would say that it's it's it it would it's positive.

Good.

Christy, you made the transition from working, from career to being a stay-at-home mom.

What do you miss most about the workplace?

That's a great question.

Um the relationships.

I was a high school teacher and a coach, and I loved, I mean, those those girls that I coached, they were my girls, you know.

I loved those girls.

I poured my heart and soul into them.

Um and having those relationships, you know, where you can share, and they do ask about your faith.

And some of them were already believers, and so, you know, I could talk through that with them.

Um, also co-workers, you know, just having the the adult interaction of coworkers and those those relationships and stuff.

And I honestly just love teaching.

I mean, that's just a passion of mine is is teaching.

And so, so it's something that that I love that you know, that God's asked me to put on hold.

And and at first it was a struggle.

Like every soccer season, I would be like, okay, this is the first day of practice, this is a first day of scrimmage.

Like I knew the schedule in my head, and I kind of mourned each season and wondered, when can I ever do this again?

And when can I ever do this again?

And and now God's just given me this sense of peace.

Like, you can worry about the that day, you know, when my kids go all are in kindergarten, or when my kids graduate from high school, or when that day comes, um, but then we're missing today, and we're missing those little moments.

And what if when that day comes, God changes your heart and you don't even want what you thought you wanted in the first place?

And so he's really just given me a piece like, hey, just be all here now.

And I got whatever in the future, I'll take care of it.

I don't know what it is personally, but he's got it, and and I just have to rest in that when I get anxious.

Go ahead.

All right, last question.

Uh I'd like all of you to answer it, starting on the end with David.

What are some ways that you demonstrate that you're a person of faith at work?

Besides the family Bible on your desk.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Um, you know, I've got a plaque in my office that says Blessed are the peacemakers.

Um I start, um, I I've been known to start department meetings off with a Bible verse on the wall.

And I don't necessarily have to read it because everybody reads it when they come in.

Uh so they they know.

Um my superintendent, uh Dr.

Dupree, is a believer.

Uh my lieutenants, uh, my command staff that are around me are believers.

Um, and and so it's nice to work in an environment like that uh where where we can talk about you know the gospel.

Um and and I've had officers come in and and say, hey, I need some help.

And that's good to know that they feel comfortable coming and talking uh to me or to my command staff.

But um, you know, we put a chaplain program in place.

Uh we're working on um uh a countywide chaplain program where um departments that don't have their own police chaplain, um, you know, we see a lot of stuff and families go through a lot.

And so uh there are times where our officers need somebody to talk to, uh, and they need that confidential person to bounce things off of.

They just need somebody to help make sense of it all.

And so I've been working with a group of chaplains in the county to create a countywide chaplain program uh for every single department, whether it's fire, uh police, or EMS.

And um, so that's getting off the ground.

We're putting on some regional training where chaplains from all over the country are coming in in October to get trained to be police chaplains and then take that back to their communities.

So I'm really excited about that.

Um I'm excited to be a part of that.

Christy.

Um I would say two things.

One is asking my kids for forgiveness.

Um, there's times that I lose it and I'm impatient and I'm grumpy, and it's not them, you know.

I mean, they may have asked ten times the same question over and over.

Um, mom.

The mom, right?

Mom.

I know when Ryan comes home from work and he's like, mom, mom, mom, mom.

I'm like, stop it! This is my bubble, you can't touch me.

Um but um uh it's not it's it's it's not their issue.

It's my issue when I lose my temper.

Like, I don't care if they ask ten times, I am still called to be patient.

It doesn't say be patient unless your children are annoying you, you know?

Like that's not what the Bible says.

And so I'm checking over here.

Check on that one.

Are you sure it doesn't say that?

You can say my name six times.

Here's your limit.

So asking them for forgiveness because it's my issue, and then that also says, hey, mama needs Jesus too.

Like, I'm not just teaching you about Jesus, I'm trying to, I'm trying to live with Jesus myself here.

And the second thing is just explaining when I do things.

Like the other day, a friend was having a really rough day and has had a really rough season, and so we just went and got her some coffee and dropped it off at her house.

Like, and so I asked my four-year-old, I'm like, okay, I explained everything, why are we you know, told him why we're doing it, and then I asked him to tell me back, okay, now why are we doing this, you know?

And he he he could tell me back.

And so sometimes when we do things that are good, um, our kids see it, but they don't know why.

And so, unless we explain it to them, then they're gonna know why and they're gonna know the heart behind it.

It seems kind of prideful in a sense to be like, here's why mommy's doing this, you know.

But um it's great because now he knows, and hopefully he'll replicate that.

Can you repeat the question?

I can't get the diarrhea out of my head.

You're you're you're stuck home.

Just what are some ways that you demonstrate at work that you're a person of faith?

Yeah, so one of the really uh lessons in my job, very early on in my uh Christian walk, um, God spoke to me and gave me the spiritual gift of hospitality.

And uh it truly allows me to have my coworkers that probably make up about 75% of my friends over to our house or things like that, or we can just really pour into them uh through meals, through fellowship, through worship.

Uh so I would say that's probably the biggest blessing in my relationship between my my faith and work.

And if you've ever had a meal that Brandon cooked, you would understand that.

He's an incredible cook.

And one of the ways, because I I and I point this out uh not to embarrass him, but I think as men sometimes we fall into the stereotype of, I've got to get a megaphone and go to work and go repent, the kingdom of God is at hand.

And and sometimes a better way to say that is, hey, what are you guys doing for dinner on Tuesday?

And they come to your house and you serve an incredible meal and they taste and see that the Lord is good.

Uh Brandon is great at that.

Uh and so uh I I don't want you, men, don't let's don't get pigeonholed in the way we we incarnate the gospel.

So, Karen?

Um I pray a lot.

Um I've had coworkers find me in the parking lot praying before big meetings praying.

Um and so my coworkers know that that I'm a strong believer.

Um and and uh I get almost giddy when they ask me, you know, can we pray?

Or you know, I'll close the door and we and we'll start praying.

They found me praying.

I just I pray over everything.

I am on my knees praying.

And um so and I'm intentional.

Like I I try to make it a point to kind of look around and see who might need a a lunch break.

And and that's how I socialize, you know, because it's a cutthroat environment that I'm in, so I can't be too soft, right?

But it's my I'm intentional with um with my lunch appointments and and who we go out with and and what we're gonna talk about.

And and for me, it's it's it's you know, like I do take you seriously when you say, hey, say this word this week.

And so I say the word that week to someone that I'm comfortable with, obviously.

I don't just glare it.

And and that it's a good lunch conversation as to you know what I heard that week or what book I'm into, you know, what I'm reading um in the Bible uh at that particular at that particular moment.

Uh making myself available uh and being supportive to the guys that I work with.

Uh I have a lot of guys, they'll come and they'll they'll dump problems that they're having, either with their kids, uh, marriage, work, and then uh encouraging them in a biblical perspective of what their response should be.

And that's that's it in a nutshell for me.

No, that's plenty.

It's plenty.

I want to read.

Uh uh just to conclude.

Uh I want to read.

You guys stay right here.

Uh this is uh Colossians chapter 3, uh verse 22 to 24.

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

This is what the Bible says.

Help this kind of see, let this sink in as you think about work and and what you do.

It says, bond servants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye service as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

Whatever you do, work heartedly, as for the Lord, and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.

You are serving the Lord Christ.

Uh, I want to give you three Labor Day questions to walk away with and think about.

Uh, you may want to jot these down.

You may just want to just pick one of them and think, I'm gonna think about that one.

And the first one comes from verse 22, and it's simply this Is your motivation at work more internal or external?

The Bible talks about not being uh people pleasers, uh, but but but doing it from a sincerity of heart.

So is your motivation more internal or external?

The second question I want to ask is who do you work for?

It'll be easy for all these people to say, I work for Fort Minn County, or I work for the Fort Middle School District, or I work for Parker Industries, or I work in the oil and gas or whatever.

Uh but the Bible says in verse 23, very clearly, whatever you do, work heartedly as for the Lord and not for men.

As a believer, you don't work for men.

You don't.

You do what you do as to the Lord.

And so I think it would behoove us on this Labor Day weekend to ask ourselves, who do I work for?

Let me remind myself.

And then thirdly, what does knowing this enable you to do at work?

What does knowing this, now you should be wondering, well, what is this?

Uh when he says it there in verse 24, he says, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.

See, we're able to work for the Lord and not fear men because we know something.

And what we know is that our inheritance, well, what is our inheritance?

Uh probably the easiest way to put it, when the Bible talks about the inheritance, it re refers to your your share in what the Bible calls this eternal blessedness.

This we don't have a frame of reference for it in this life.

The Bible talks about, you know, hey, you're gonna inherit this that God sees, he understands, he sees the conversations with the coworker, he sees you being hospitable or not being hospitable.

I mean, he sees all of that.

And so uh if we just kind of look around and we think I'm working as hard as Bill is over there in accounting, or, you know, the guy that's head of upstream for our company, I could do that job, but you got your eyes on men and you're living as a people pleaser.

And the Bible calls us to kind of to do what we do as unto the Lord.

And so uh my desire was that you could hear, I mean, because let's face it, what do preachers know about work?

We work one day a week, amen.

I see you nodding your head, Doctor Cooper.

Um uh but I want you to hear from people that slog it out every day.

They get up and go to work uh uh and and and have good days, have bad days.

And here's my my my prayer for you and for all of us is that on Tuesday, when we get up, we we we go into work to do what we do with maybe a little bit of more spring in our step.

Not because of mood, but because of understanding.

Does that make sense?

Not not, oh, I feel great.

Let me be candid.

There's a lot of days I get up, I don't feel great, and I work in a great place.

I work for God, but I work with people.

But it's the understanding that puts the spring in your step, okay?

Let me voice a prayer.

God thanks for an opportunity to do something a little different.

Uh thanks that our church is full of men and women that are authentic and real and don't have a problem just just just just keeping it real when they talk about their faith as it relates to their work.

Our faith is pervasive.

We don't, it's not like a library card that we carry around, we take out of our pocket when we want to go do other things.

No, it it it's just who we are.

It permeates every part of our life.

And so, Lord, uh, we we want to think differently and biblically about our jobs and how we do them.

That's our privilege as Christians.

That's not a burden.

That's an opportunity, and we don't want to miss it.

So thanks for provoking us through five different men and women to think differently and more biblically about how we do what we do.

And we pray this in Jesus' name.

And everyone said, Now, I'm gonna ask you guys if you'd do me a big favor and just kind of line up here across the front.

Usually we have pastors and elders available down front.

These people don't want to talk to us today.

They want to talk to some of y'all.

So if you would just put your mics down and just spread out over here, I'm gonna dismiss the service.

And then some of you uh, you guys go ahead.

Some of you women uh are like, I want to talk to that Karen lady uh because I I get that.

Some of you, and Christy was talking, your heart started beating, and you're kind of like, I need to talk to her.

And so uh whoever you feel prompted to, uh y'all spread out, don't bunch up, don't crowd me, get over there.

Uh, there you go.

Uh and and so I'm gonna speak a blessing over it, so we're gonna be dismissed here in just a minute.

Uh, and if you'd like to come one of these folks and just say, Hey, would you pray for me?

Because I work in that environment.

Uh, would you pray for me because I'm home with kids sucking the life out of me and I struggle with resentment?

You don't ever do that, do you?

Never.

Uh these people understand and they'd love to pray with you.

Uh, let me just say, if you're our guest today, today was a little bit different service for us.

Um, uh, but I appreciate you bearing with us.

We just uh we we don't like to do the well, we preach the Bible, but I want you to hear from people that kind of live with an integrated faith.

Uh when you came in today, you were given a little worship folder, uh, and and and you hope you had a chance to look at that.

Uh, there's a little tear-off part that asked for some personal information.

If you fill that out and you drop it in one of these wooden boxes by the door, we're not coming to your house today for coffee, okay?

We're not gonna show up unannounced, we don't send a visitation team to your house.

We just want you to know that we care about you.

And so if you fill that out, you'll get an email, maybe a phone call.

That's about it.

We're not gonna invade your privacy.

We want you to know that you're welcome here, and we'd love for you to get meaningfully connected to a church.

We'd love for it to be this church, but if it's not this church, get connected to a church somewhere, okay?

Because that's what you're created for.

To have a relationship with God and have a relationship with God's people.

That's as simple as I know how to do it, okay?

So as you get ready to leave, make sure you've done three things.

Number one, make sure you've said everything you're supposed to say to God and to people.

Make sure that you've given what you're supposed to give, and make sure that you've volunteered where you're supposed to volunteer.

Amen?

Stand to your feet, let me speak a blessing over you.

Hold your hands out.

Your God has created you and called you to rule over creation and subdue it.

And one of the most tangible ways you do that is by the way you do your job.

Depart now and do what you do as unto the Lord and with all your might.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Bless you, you're dismissed.