Believers and Butterflies | November 24, 2024

All right, well,

I gotta be honest,

it does not smell

as good in here as

it did last Sunday.

That chili Cookoff

tailgate thing

was pretty epic.

And I don't know what

your Thursday looks

like this week, but

if you've got a lot

of extra Turkey, we

were kind of kicking

around an idea to

maybe just bring in a

bunch of trucks, lay

those tailgates down,

and you just bring

your Turkey leftovers

and pile 'em on the

tailgates next Sunday

and see what happens.

That's unofficial.

It was just a

suggestion I thought

of and didn't

run it by Jamie.

So at any rate, my

truck will be open,

ready to receive all

Turkey leftovers.

How about that?

Go that direction.

Alright.

The Jesus Way.

Love that song,

and I love how it

ties into this.

Crazy adventure

that we've been

on together over

these last 10 weeks.

You know, 10 weeks ago

I asked this question,

do you belong to

the Jesus Way?

Are you

following Jesus?

We began to take

a look at this,

practicing the way

from John Mark Comer,

which uh, John,

where's John at?

He was telling there,

John was telling

me it's on the

Angel Studio stuff.

Now you can actually

go into your angel

studio stuff, your

app or something

like that and get

connected to a bunch

of resources from him,

which is kind of cool.

I didn't know that.

He makes a great

question or poses

a kind of a great

statement here.

The question is not,

am I a disciple?

Am I a disciple?

Right?

But it's who or what

am I a disciple of?

And we talked

about this.

I

not gonna lie, I

didn't know the

communion stuff

was piled up here.

My bad.

My bad.

Sorry.

Alright,

where's Scott?

He's not even here to

see that and enjoy it.

Alright.

Oh well.

So anyways, I'm

not a disciple of.

Nevermind.

We're gonna move on.

Okay.

Disciple or

apprentice, we

talked about this

concept, right?

That disciples are

taught, they're

told stuff, right?

And maybe you haven't

been discipled

because the person

who taught you didn't

disciple you very

well and you needed

more information

or you didn't

quite get discipled

the right way.

And the onus is

really on the, the

teacher, right?

The rabbi, the the

person educating,

discipling you.

But the picture

of apprentice is

a kinda a better

biblical picture

of what it means to

follow Jesus, right?

Because an apprentice

practices what his

teacher demonstrates

and shows.

And so it's not just

about, I mean, there

is information we

need to gather, right?

We need to absorb

like a sponge, the

information that God

has for us, but we

need to practice what

it looks like to be

his followers and

not just have a bunch

of head knowledge,

but really that

our actions, right,

would live that out.

We looked at this

idea of apprentices

practicing and tied

it to this idea of.

Being with

Jesus, right?

Hanging out,

connecting with

him, becoming more

and more like him

in the process of

just being with him

and doing the stuff

that he did, right?

That's that picture of

being an apprentice.

And over the last nine

weeks, we've explored

a bunch of practices.

It's not an

exhaustive list.

It doesn't include

everything that's

made up and being

a follower of Jesus

or an apprentice of

his, but we looked at

the idea of Sabbath

and this sacred

space that we make

and the busyness

and the hecticness

of our life, and

getting rest and

connection with Jesus.

We looked at solitude,

the idea of connecting

with him intimately,

just him and us

hanging out, spending

time, investing in

that relationship.

We talked about

prayer and did

some cool prayer

things together.

Just communicating.

Interceding and

engaging with our

Heavenly Father.

We talked community

a little bit, right?

Not just our own

community, but the

ripple effects of

loving even those

outside of our

community of faith

that we might impact

the world around us.

We talked about

scripture and the

foundation of God's

truth constantly

being a practice daily

that we put into our

heads and our hearts

that we might walk in

faithfulness to him.

We looked at fasting

and the idea of saying

no to our flesh and

fully just diving

into this space of

connecting with the

Lord and interceding

with the Lord and

saying no to our flesh

to say yes to him.

We looked at

generosity, living

open handed towards

God and not closed

fist towards him.

We looked at

service, right?

Finding ways to do

for the least of

these, and in so

doing to actually do.

For Jesus himself.

And last week we

explored this idea of

witness that we would

live the gospel of

Jesus Christ, not just

look like maybe we

know some words about

it or say some things

about it, but that

our actions and our

attitudes and the way

that we engage would

actually shine the

light of Jesus in the

dark world around us.

Some pretty

cool practices.

And we come to the

end of this, which

means now we're

done apprenticing

and we'll move on

to something else.

Just kidding, that's

not the goal, right?

The goal is not

that we stop these

practices, but the

goal is that we become

people who, these

are so second nature.

It's not just

something that

we do, but it's

really who we are.

Now, the one cool

thing about a

chili tailgate, you

know, I don't know.

I don't drink at all.

So I don't know.

Like when people

start drinking and

they start saying

stuff they don't

mean, but what I've

learned is that

sometimes people get

enough chili in their

system and they start

talking and pretty

soon, so last Sunday.

My good friend Susie

Alexander, who's

gonna come join me

on the platform, had

too much chili and

she started talking

and she said some

stuff and I started

to think about what

she said and then we

started talking more

and it turned into a

fun conversation that

I'm gonna invite you

guys to be a part of.

And my friend Susie,

you can have this

stool right here.

I got a mic

right here.

Rust, you'll get you

hooked up, brought

your notes, and I

see how you know

Susie's serious if

she's got notes right?

If you know Susie

notes are not

necessarily how

this is always gonna

shake down, right?

Well, you don't even,

I mean, you can stand

up and walk around

too if you want to,

but you got a stool

if you need it.

How about that?

So just get

comfortable.

No pressure.

No pressure,

no pressure.

Susie and I had this

great talk about some

things that were on

her heart about this.

Um, whole series

we've been on, and,

uh, you know, we

have about, I would

say what, 17 or 18

launching off points

here this morning

that we could just

launch right into.

Um, but what I really

want is for you to

sit here with Susie,

and I guess I'm just

peripheral too, right?

And I just want to

hear some of this

cool stuff the Holy

Spirit's been kinda

speaking to you about

and that we've had a

chance to talk about.

It's gonna get crazy.

I'm not gonna lie.

There's gonna

be sponges and

butterflies and all

kinds of things, but

if you didn't get

that, you'd be like,

that's not really

Susie up there.

It's an imposter.

Right?

So Susie, let's

just jump in.

I'm jumping jump in.

Second Corinthians

five 17.

If anyone is in

Christ, there is

a new creation.

Everything old

is passed away.

See?

Everything has

become new.

The butterfly.

I read this statement,

so this is, okay.

The butterfly, we

know, we all know what

a butterfly is, right?

You know where

they came from?

A caterpillar

or a worm?

A worm.

As a worm.

It could only crawl,

it could not fly, but

it goes into a cocoon,

a crystals in which,

okay, this is cool.

I'm sorry I

have to stand.

No, I, the root

word is Christ.

Okay.

Can I just say this?

We're standing at a

tail at a tailgate,

and there's some

chili and cornbread.

My mouth is full

so I can't talk.

And Susie says, oh,

that's Susie, right?

Yeah.

Oh, worms and wings

and butter and

crystals, and it's.

Right.

And so that's the

real heart of this

conversation is, okay,

there's some beautiful

things that God's been

speaking to you about.

Okay, I'm

sorry, go ahead.

You finished.

So this quote I did

read, and then we

went from there.

So the Lord and

I, and don't ask

the Lord questions

during the night.

Lord, could you

explain to me,

you know, that

solitude or just

soaking before him?

So here's the deal,

okay, I did, I did

talk about a sponge.

Sometime I'm

just a sponge.

And what does

a sponge do?

What's its purpose?

To soak.

So when, and then

a hand comes and

squeezes that thing,

and it's not up to us

how we're squeezed.

Sometimes

people do it.

The Lord is faithful

and what comes

out, but then

what flows out?

What happens is

fun's job, it

could get dried.

Then you soak again.

So I've been soaking.

For weeks since you

started this stuff.

Don't blame me.

I'm my fault.

Yes, I do.

So you know what

the other word

is for Chrysalis,

what they call it.

It's like papa.

Which sounds like

Papa, doesn't it?

So we have Christ

and we have papa.

So just to be clear,

we got this worm.

Yeah.

It's a worm.

It's a worm.

And now, and

it emerges.

A butterfly completely

transformed.

It was once weighed

down by gravity.

Now it could fly.

Christians were once

under the reign of

sin, but now we can

live in freedom.

And here's a phrase

that always bugged me.

Okay.

My mouths dry.

Okay.

Just gotta hold

that thing close.

'cause they, yeah,

yeah, yeah, yeah,

yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm just a sinner.

Saved by grace.

That makes as much

sense as a butterfly

saying, I'm just

a worm with wings.

So in Christ we

have a new identity.

It's like the,

it's a butterfly.

We are, we are

one in which who

Christ dwells,

but does he reign?

So, okay, so

here's the deal.

So before you turn

the page, those are

some good things

you just said.

Oh yeah.

And, and ask me

about butterflies.

I know so many things

about butterflies.

For example, there's a

worm crawling around.

Do you know, I

don't know how

they know this.

A butterfly, I

don't know how

you know this.

A butterfly contains

the memories of

when it was a worm.

How can they do that?

I don't know.

It's what it said.

I can.

Okay.

If Google said it,

dang it, that's

gotta be right.

Yeah.

So, so, so before,

before you go too

far, I just wanna

explore this little

word you just picture

you gave us right.

Worm.

Okay.

Worm.

Like worm with wings.

Yeah.

Versus doesn't work

butterfly, right?

What a crazy idea

of identity, right?

Yes.

As an apprentice in

Jesus, we're invited

into relationship.

But the cool part is

we're not like hired

hand stuff, right?

No, no.

We're like princes

and princess is

in the kingdom.

It's new and it's

new and they're

all interesting.

And we are free to

make the choices

in light of

who we are.

Now that doesn't

determine who I am.

It flows out of

who I am in Christ.

So, and it takes time.

It's not an

easy process and

sometimes you're

slowing down stuff.

Your Sabbath, that's,

and, and in my mind

for weeks now, it was

a Sabbath as a soak,

it's a soaking in.

So a a As

people we think

we wanna hurry.

So here's the thing,

the okay butterflies

when it emerges and

see some of them,

there's over 18,000

species of them and

they can't enter

species because how

they're made, it's

kind of different.

So it kind of

doesn't work.

So they can't do that.

This is not the

birds and the

bees talk people.

This is the

butterflies

and bees talk.

So here we are,

I have 15,000.

So some of of them

live a week and

some of them live,

um, up to a year.

Okay, so I was gonna

ask Shirley this

morning there, 'cause

she's my math person.

So I asked Siri, you

know Siri, you know

that phone is like

having an encyclopedia

in your hand?

Anybody old

enough to remember

encyclopedias?

I love just sitting

there looking

up something.

So now I ask,

I ask Siri.

Okay, so if there's

a week when the, when

the butterfly emerges.

Oh, okay.

When the worm is

in the chrysalis,

it's inside.

Like, cocoon,

chrysalis, papa, you

know, it's only job.

I gotta use that

thing right there.

I know.

You know, it's

only job is to eat.

I like that part.

So it's only

job is to eat.

Is to consume.

It's in this thing and

it's doing its job.

Okay.

And it's being

transformed.

I don't know.

They all know

these things.

So let's see a week.

So when it emerges

its wings are a

little crumpled and

it's very vulnerable

at that time as it's

really like, oh my

gosh, this is new.

What is this?

And it needs fluid.

And so what it does,

it kind of pumps and

it realized the fluid.

And then if Lord

brought me down,

you're in the soak.

What are you soaking

in that sponge?

So we're in the fluid.

So as it emerges.

So let's take

this, why I thought

of you, Cheryl.

Let's take a week.

Some butterflies

last a week.

So in their, once

they're butterflies.

So let's, one day in

a week is 14 point

something percent.

All right.

I agree.

Okay, so if you're

eight, is that

right, Charlie?

If you're 80

years old-ish.

If you can, and we'll

just take a week.

That is 29,219 point

something, 0.4 days.

If you take,

I'm trying to

get the same.

I don't know if

this makes sense.

It doesn't matter.

So it doesn't matter.

I like that.

My point is, out of

80 years, that one

day, this can be

4,090 point 66 days.

Okay?

So if, if you are

unique and the Lord

grants you 80 years,

they don't rush it.

So we think a

butterfly lives a

week and one day, I

don't know how long it

takes for him to puff

out and fluff, and

now I'm a butterfly,

and choose like, wow.

I can kind of

see things from a

different perspective.

I'm up here and I'm

remembering this,

and I've always

been that way, but

just think about we

rush the thing, and

that's why I loved

Sabbath and solitude

and quietness.

Some of this might

have a problem

being quiet.

The Lord doesn't

get tired of me

speaking with them.

Mm-Hmm mm-Hmm.

Even last night,

Lord, help me.

It's like, Lord, it's

been three hours now

and we're still doing

this, and my mind's

going this way and

that way and think,

but I'm thinking

through.

Sometimes we take

time, we don't rush.

It's like, well,

I'm a, I'm a fine.

I'm a butterfly.

So what does

that have to do?

So what reminded me,

there's times in our

lives we need to soak.

Which is to ruthlessly

eliminate hurry.

And we are coming

into a season of

frantic mm-Hmm.

And the Lord says,

are you gonna

miss me in that?

So here we are.

Here's the process.

Sometimes the process

takes longer and

Philippians one, six,

you know that I am

confident of this very

thing, that he begun

a good work with you.

We'll complete it.

So here we are,

we're a butterfly

and we have a

different perspective.

So let's put

into practice of

that, like, okay.

Scripture in

light of who I am.

So what, I forget when

you said it, but one

time when you talk

about scripture and

you put God is this.

So let's take, we

all know probably

one Corinthians

13, it's the love

chapter, right?

And I'm trying to

memorize and do some

of those things even

more and it's harder.

So love is patient,

love is kind.

Love is kind.

Yeah.

What's the next one?

Huh?

It's not there yet.

What's the next one?

It's surprising

it.

Oh, did somebody say

it does not envy?

Yes, envy.

Okay.

Okay.

So here's the thing.

We know God

is patient.

Gotta, okay.

Does God envy?

No, what's the point?

I mean, he has

everything.

He's fullness

in himself.

Why would he

envy something or

someone when he is

fullness, right?

Mm-Hmm.

So here we are.

Okay.

I probably shouldn't

envy probably.

So there's

different kinds.

So envy is also,

there's one envy in

comparison is the

sin of witchcraft.

That's nasty.

I didn't like it.

So envy.

I, I don't envy

cars or whatever.

It doesn't

matter to me.

But sometimes, you

know what I've been

accused of envying,

I'm just gonna

say it right now.

Families,

Ooh,

some of us didn't

have a sister.

I always envy people

who had sisters,

sisters, sister.

You know, it's just

school and you could

share stuff and

whatever, and tell

somebody if there's

something in your

teeth and all that.

Yeah,

I had three, I don't

remember it quite

as fondly as you

or for that

matter, parents.

Some of y'all

I didn't.

Some of y'all

had real mothers

who mothered you.

Do you know what

a gift that is?

So when I see mothers

or fathers who didn't

do many things, abuse

and all that, you,

but who was Papa?

Who loved

work?

I always wanted

more children.

Thank God I got two.

They were almost

18 years apart.

One with each husband

that, there you go.

And I have

grandchildren,

Dwight Nvi.

It's like,

what does God do

in all of this muscle

memory of scripture?

He puts us

in families.

So when practicing

the Lord gave

me sisters.

No, the Lord gave

me the butterfly

perspective.

I'm, yes.

I had the memories

of a worm.

I was not wanted.

I was told I

wasn't wanted.

I was shown.

I wasn't wanted.

I was told, sit

down, be quiet.

He wasn't Jewish, but

you might as well.

So

Susie's kind of

a little, a bit

of an actress.

I don't know if

you notice that

at all, but,

or you're, yes.

And you know what,

okay, that reminds

me from a worm's

perspective, the,

you know, whenever

I wanted to say

something or share

something, or sing

something, whatever

the enemy says, oh,

sit down and shut up.

Because my foundation

was cracked,

my foundation

was not wanted.

You have nothing

I need to hear.

Even a few weeks ago

when I thought of

a song I wanted to

sing, 'cause the Lord

had it in my heart.

Do you know I

walked away from

that conversation?

Embarrassed.

That I asked somebody

if I could sing

a song because

that's showing off.

That's my worm

perspective.

But as a butterfly,

Lord, give me

your perspective.

Oh, here's a good one.

Okay.

Do you know,

don't tell 'em.

'cause I told

you yesterday

not, do you know?

I have no idea

where you're gonna

go, to be honest.

It'ss.

Okay.

Totally.

Sometimes I

don't either.

You know how you

told me about

that dot thing?

I don't know where

the next dot, but as

long as I'm in a dot,

the Holy Spirit knows

where the next dot.

So here's

the next dot.

Okay.

Do you know what a

group of butterflies

are called?

Kaleidoscope.

Cool.

Do you know what

a kaleidoscope is?

Some of the young

people, so here's

the thing, I had to

look this up three

o'clock this morning.

You right there?

Yes.

Yeah.

So it's, you

know it's a tube

thing and you're

looking through it.

It's an optical

instrument with

two or more

reflecting services

tilted each to

an angle so that

one or more parts

of objects of the

mirrors are seen as

regular symmetrical

pattern when viewed

from the other end

due to repeated.

I think the

better definition

really, Susie, is

a kaleidoscope, is

what's happening

inside Susie's mind

at any given time.

Beautiful pieces and

parts moving together

and looking amazing.

Oh, Suzie, the other

day when you said, my

mind goes in a million

directions, Uhhuh,

but here's the deal.

God kind of likes it.

Yeah, he does.

Yeah, he does.

Because then he

hears, Lord, what's

this piece and how

this piece, so, and

how does all this

make sense with

the practicing?

So here it is.

So we've, we've got

all these pieces

coming together.

My, one of my hearing

aids just went off, so

it's just really weird

for me for a second.

Sorry.

Lord, help me.

Do you see what

happens when

you get old?

So, okay, so

butterflies,

and they're

different, right?

Butterflies

are different.

They're unique,

they've got

colors, they've got

dimensions of

different things.

So

let's see, some

are, ooh, some are

blue, or it looks

like they're blue.

Okay, because it's

a blue something.

M-O-R-P-H-O.

It's not, the scales

are reflecting.

The light in a

certain way so

it appears blue.

But did you know these

butterflies, necessa,

let's go with that,

are only one of the

very, very few blue

animals or whatever

in nature chair

because their eyes

are perceiving, the

scales are perceiving

a certain way.

So some are called

a, like a glass

wing butterfly.

They look transparent

because their scales

are reflecting the

light a certain way

and some, can you

imagine if we were

all the same in some

look a certain way?

It's called a

mimic thing.

Uh, where'd it go

anyway, it's mimics

in there somewhere.

So let's say

a predator.

Because they got 'em.

A predator comes

along once to get

'em, but once they

see like the markings,

'cause some can be a

little bit poisonous

to 'em or something.

Did you know that?

It's interesting

once they taste

like, Ooh, that

didn't look right.

They all stay away

from anything that

even looks like that.

So we could tell

the enemy stop.

So

the other thing, for

example, the muscle

memory of the more

taking time, the

more prayer, the

more gener in each

of these things.

There's ways of

doing it where you

practice, practice

it and becomes

easier muscle memory.

For example, Shirley's

taught me three

chords on the guitar.

Three of them.

One of them goes

like this and one

of them is like this

and one like that.

I don't remember the

names of it, but.

So here we go.

What if I sat before

the Lord like five

oh minutes and then

five more, whatever.

That's a beginning.

Knowing those three

chords, I could

kind of play a song,

hint I Shirley.

But what if I sit

before and say, okay,

now I'm ready to play.

Like Russell

Russell's probably

been through those

chords a little bit

more and he's done

it so many times.

Or like playing

the piano.

I'm looking

at Miss Robin.

She could play the

piano in its muscle

memory after a while.

Or you throw enough

balls and it becomes

that and you get

better at it.

Right?

And that's why when I

told you on the first

like, okay, this is

really exciting and

I wanna be apprentice

and all that, but

I don't wanna stop

learning or growing,

I wanna practice.

And it gets

easier, like, okay.

Okay.

You remembered

the time.

So let's say make

Peyton Manning, right?

He plays football,

he throws, he

took, he and Jeff

Saturday took, would

practice all the

time, every week.

I don't know how

many hours he

would practice.

They would wet

the football.

He practiced throwing

a wet football.

Okay, so

what happened?

He practiced enough,

it's muscle memory.

We could tell Russell

Russell, get up

here and do this,

and he would do it.

What?

Peyton Manning would

probably get up and

throw a football.

And he doesn't have

to think about it,

but he practiced in

adverse circumstances.

Does that make sense?

Did that come

in handy at all?

Pardon me?

Did that come in

handy at all, or?

Well, it so

happened, huh?

Do you probably

remember when

it came down to

the Super Bowl?

Do you remember?

You mean the only

Super Bowl on

record that happened

during a rainstorm?

That one.

That one right there.

Interesting

muscle memory.

He knew.

So what I wanna do in

practice is no matter

what we're doing is

like, Lord, I wanna

bring your scripture

memory to light.

And anything like

muscle memory that it

becomes second nature.

If you, if you will,

I wanna practice it.

So, and here's the

other word, 'cause

I know I probably

get, and if you

wanna ask me about

butterflies, I could

probably tell you.

So here's the deal.

So we've got

the worm in the

chrysalis or papa.

Isn't that cool?

Yeah.

Doing its thing.

Eating.

Thank you, Jesus.

And then he merges

and I thought.

What do they do

when they emerge?

When they get

be a butter,

what do they do?

Did you know?

Besides look pretty

and flu around.

Some of them are tiny.

Some of them

there's a Queen.

Alexandria,

Alexandria.

Get it.

Butterflies.

Suzy.

Alex.

Alex Sander.

If you didn't

catch the guy.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's good.

The butterfly's wings

pan of that dude

lady is actually

bigger than is like

10 to 12 inches.

Can you imagine?

It's a big butterfly.

So here it is.

Do you know?

Okay.

What the Butter

Butterfly does,

its job is to drink

and to reproduce

and flutter about.

Now it can bring

pollen like a bee.

Oh, but not

quite as much.

Carry it at the

same time, but it

can go further.

We all probably

know about the

Monarch butterflies.

Have you ever

heard of them?

And they're beautiful

and whatever,

and the colors.

And they go,

they travel

about 3000 miles.

Hmm.

There's one in

Europe that can,

does a $9,000

get it nine.

It probably cost

that to take

picture, right?

I was just, yeah,

just wanna make sure

you're listing, you're

trying to sell Pete

on your $9,000 trip.

Okay.

Okay.

Let's Pete, it goes a,

uh, 9,000 mile trip.

Now were they out

there saying I, you

know, the week and

they, they also,

some of those last a

little more like nine

months to a year.

So what, are they

out comparing?

Are they doing

No, they're not.

But you know

what the name.

Adult, the

wing butterfly.

Last stage.

What the name

for it is?

I told you.

Well, I don't

remember it or

supposed to say it.

Sorry.

Latin.

I'm gonna try it.

It's Imago.

That's why you

wanted me to say it.

Uhhuh, we don't

know how to say it.

Imago, which

will you get?

Image

as an adult butterfly.

What's our job?

To drink?

To drink in the

living water like.

And then go out and

spread that and image

it around Colossians

three 10 we have put

on the new self, which

is being renewed in

the knowledge and the

image of its creator.

So I wanna get back to

Kaleidoscope for just

a second and I'll be

done unless you wanna

ask more questions,

but I'm probably done.

Some of us are still

thinking like a worm.

Well, I've always

felt this way.

You know what

really gets me?

The one?

Well, I've always

had a temper.

How's that

going for you?

Or I've always

kinda lied.

Ooh, that was

a big one.

As a kid, I lied.

Ooh, it's bad.

But then I got

caught because for

some reason it kind

of shows up on my

face when I could

tell you're lying.

So when acting, you

get good at acting.

But the Lord says, in

your heart, I could

tell you're lying.

Mm-Hmm.

And he says,

put that off.

Put it off.

You're still thinking

like a worm that

I wasn't wanted,

that nobody wants

to hear what

I have to say,

the Lord does.

So sometimes we

have to choose to.

We renew our mind,

we pull it off.

We transform our

mind or think pattern

by, by his image.

So, and why do we

say, well, I'm broken,

or I'm whatever.

Think of a

kaleidoscope.

The pieces inside look

like they're broken,

but when they face the

mirror in each other

and you turn, and it

also is in adversity,

if those pieces were

stuck together to

make a picture, it'd

be like a mosaic.

Right Jaron,

it'd be a mosaic.

But those pieces

moving and it's

never the same.

When those pieces

are moving, it

creates a picture.

We as a church,

so you know, okay,

I'm getting better.

I'm not thinking

like a worm.

I know I'm a

butterfly, but where

do you fit if you

feel like something's

still missing is

'cause our part is

part of a community

that we are to bring,

to come together

and be our part.

'cause we together.

So the other thing,

oh, butterflies

are usually

don't fly alone.

They're in a group.

A kaleidoscope.

A kaleidoscope.

I learned that.

And do you know

they don't sleep

like we do.

Some of us don't

sleep either, do we?

But they rest

together.

So when something

disturbs them, you see

the butterflies go.

Some of them are

drawn, oh, you think

they're all that by a

butterfly, by the way.

And somebody

lands on you.

They're kind of

drawn sometimes to

drink, you know,

to sweat humid.

But they also

are drawn to dung

and rotted fruit.

So I'm just safe.

Okay?

Just thought

I'd throw that.

So don't get cocky

if a butterfly

lands on you, is

what Suzy's saying.

Okay?

So here we are and

we think, oh, I

wanna be that piece.

I wanna be that color.

I wanna be whatever.

Okay, so let's

just take blue.

There's some lovely

shades of blue.

There's like

cobalt blue,

that's my favorite.

There's sky blue or

teal blue or cols blue

Colts blue cols blue

or or deep blue, the

ocean blue, whatever.

And you have all

those things.

And blue, next to

yellow, oh, it pops.

It's gorgeous.

Or when I think of

orange, I think of

your Miss Jamie, Mrs.

Jamie, because

there's, but she's

not a pumpkin orange.

She's a rich, like

golden orange.

And what would we

do without colors?

Those colors

in a sunset.

They all come together

in the beauty of it.

And the purpose of

the kaleidoscope

is, is to fascinate.

So if you think, but

I still have these

pieces, or I'm broken,

let the mirror two

mirrors together and,

and there's something

about we look in

them mirror or let

the, now we only

see as in, uh, yes.

Yeah.

But sometimes

am mirror shows

who you are.

And if we are being

transformed into his

image and our job

is to come together,

not only protection,

but there's a

beauty in that.

So sometimes, and if

I could pull a Miss

Jamie and give you

an object lesson like

she does sometimes,

like, here's a rock

right on your rock

and take it home.

In my mind I give

you a butterfly and

a kaleidoscope to

remember you are

a new creation.

Mm-Hmm.

But what are you

gonna do with that?

We don't stop.

We come together

as a beautiful

kaleidoscope.

And when it's tilted

an image, it kind

of, uh, it's kind

of hurts sometimes.

But I wrote this

down this morning.

I didn't know why, but

I'm gonna just say it.

So I found there's

pieces from my

utmost inside.

I just wanna

remind you.

When God gives a

vision to a saint,

he puts them in the

shadow of his hand

and the saint's

duty is to be still.

And listen,

Abraham went through

13 years of silence,

but in those years,

all self-sufficiency

was destroyed,

and those years

of silence were a

time of discipline.

Not displeasure,

never pump up joy

and confidence,

but stay upon God.

Soak.

Just soak.

And sometimes I

understand because

back in the seventies,

ha, that's a lot.

Some of us remember I

was in ministry things

and there's been times

where the Lord pulled

back and say, I know

your butterfly, but

you need to rest and

you rest together.

But so now some

of the practice of

saying, and sometime

I have to remind

myself all the time,

I'm not a worm.

Mm-Hmm.

With things

I was a worm, but now

I've been transformed.

Yeah.

And, but he's

not done.

And sometimes that

transformation process

that we rush through,

have you ever gone to,

okay, here's the deal.

You bless me in

that, you know.

Sometimes you can

sit with somebody

and you can tell in

their eyes they're

kind of checking their

watch and thinking,

how long is she

gonna keep talking?

Waiting for

the next thing.

Waiting for

the next thing.

I appreciate

that you took the

time to listen.

Sometimes we

just don't.

You think the

Lord wants that?

Sometimes we give him

five minutes at the

first or 15 minutes.

Look, I've graduated

to 15 minutes

or then his 20.

Do you think sometimes

the Holy Spirit

just says, just sits

there and gives you

the grace, the Lord

of just listening.

Pam and Marty

are good at that.

How many busy

people do you know?

And I'm sorry,

but you are.

You blessed

me with that.

They serve.

Jesus served,

but he didn't even

going somewhere else,

he was going to heal

that guy and raise

him from the daughter.

Mm-Hmm.

What happened on the

way the woman with

the issue of blood

for 12 years reached

out and touched

him and he stopped.

Jesus stopped and

listened to what

she had to say, and

sometimes we wanna

rush and things,

but it's been 15

minutes of silence.

It's been three.

And the Lord

just, just,

he is not displeased

with us when

we have to sit.

It's a time of

still and waiting.

He can't love

us any less.

Mm-Hmm.

There's moments when

you feel that you

can sense that you

can cocoon it, you

feel good, and I'm,

and other times you

think I don't feel it.

Well sometimes

in feelings this

wouldn't happen.

Wednesday, my feeling

was why did I open

my big fat mouth and

say, I think I have

something to share,

Chris, like, you

know, five minutes

or a Roger five

minutes and turns

into I don't know

how many, oh Lord.

I'm gonna stop.

Well, Suzy, I'm

glad that you

opened your mind.

Glad I'm stopping.

No, well, you

know, no, no.

Yeah.

But anyway, thank you.

You listened.

And I just wanna

say this about,

this a minute here,

that the Greek word

that we look at for

new creation and

transformed is also a

butterfly word, right.

Metamorpho.

Right.

Metamorphs.

It's this

transformation

from being a worm.

Yes.

That we're all,

no matter who

we were, yes.

No matter what we've

done, like Yes.

No, how perfect

we looked.

We're all just worms.

And God gives us

the opportunity.

War worms work gives

us the opportunity in

Christ the crystals.

Yes.

With the root

word, Christ.

To come to him, to

ex, you know, to

not live by bread

alone, but right

by the word of God.

That transforms us

and we emerge from

that connection with

Jesus different,

still connected to

this flesh in some

way, and maybe still

having some memories

and some, some, some

history there that we

still battle against,

but we're different

because we're on

this side of heaven.

Yeah.

So we all will have

the opportunity

to make choices.

Mm-Hmm mm-Hmm.

Either to listen

to our, the, the

Lord's new heart,

new word for us.

Come up higher.

I love, Aline says,

come up higher.

So the butterfly come

up higher, you thought

you could crawl and

then you have to get

over here and you know

how long, you know?

No, he hasnt change.

Come up higher.

Yeah.

Yes.

Wow.

Okay.

That's good stuff.

Hey, uh, I just

wanna say this

out loud publicly.

I love Susie to death.

And if, if you think

that this is fun, you

should have sat at

her dining room table

yesterday where it

was really exciting,

just the two of us.

I don't think we'd

ever get stopped then.

And I figured it'd be

the same this morning.

So thank you for

being willing

just to share your

heart a little bit.

Thank you.

And, and I just wanna

say this too, Susie,

like, I know this

church, I know we have

to look amazing and

impressive and we have

to put on a good show.

Totally not

what church is

supposed to be.

And I would much

rather us get a

chance to just

talk heart to heart

about some of this

stuff and how it's

impacting our heart

and the things that

God's speaking and,

and stirring in us.

'cause I could give a

flowery message about

some fancy butterfly,

but man, lemme

just tell you it.

To hear Susie's

heart for what

this transformation

looks like and what

God's doing in her.

And hopefully that

you hear, like

sometimes we see

people and we're

like, uh, perfect.

Saint Susie, who's

never had anything.

Okay.

Maybe no one's

ever thought that,

okay, fair, fair.

Uh, but man, we are

all people who have

a history and a past

and some warmness that

Jesus wants, wants

to transform in us.

You know, I don't, you

know, and sometimes

I don't want to

dwell on my warmness.

Sure.

But if y'all think

you've got anxiety

or warmness, let's

just, let's just talk

amongst ourselves and

take some time and

say, I understand.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Because you'd

be surprised.

Yeah.

Yeah.

At how much people

can understand

the struggle.

Yeah.

And then our

brokenness in that

kaleidoscope picture

is so perfect, right?

Because we're this

side of eternity.

We're not perfect and

we're not a perfect

reflection all the

time of Jesus' love.

But man, he's called

us to do that together

in some cool ways.

And if the Lord

is tumbling at

the moment, just

sit before him.

There's no other

better place.

Yeah.

So these practices

are a gift to us as

the church, I think,

to spend time and to

try to engage and to

try to just live a

little bit more like

Jesus did in the way

that we engage the

people around us.

And everybody's gonna

engage in different

ones of these with

different intensities

maybe, and experience.

So different pieces.