After the Message: Overwhelmed

Thank you for joining us for After the Message.

To learn more about Celebration Church here in Orlando, you can follow us on social media under the handle at Celebration ORL or visit our website at celebrationorl.org.

You ready to do this?

We ready, man.

Welcome to After the Message, the first 2021 edition.

I'm joined by none other than Pastor Mike.

Sathoff, how are you, man?

I'm good, dude.

I'm excited about this, you know.

We got 2020 in the rear view mirror, you know, like man, 2021 is, you know, we're, what are we, seven days in, um, day seven.

You know, tomorrow is the eighth day, number of new beginnings.

So, you know, we can let all the the previous days like from this week kind of be like, no, no, no, no.

We haven't reached day eight yet.

So, like, I know it's a new year, but wait for the new beginning of the new year.

Gotcha.

See what I'm saying?

That's great encouragement.

It's hope, man.

I'm trying to have some hope.

Yeah, I mean, what else you what else you gonna do?

You know, you gotta have it, right?

You gotta, man.

Got to.

Uh, Pastor Keith's phrases that he put out there was he was trying to get feedback on was 2021, we made it, or 2021, it's gotta get better from here.

It's gotta get better from here.

I I agree with that.

I think 2021, it's gotta get better.

Like, I mean, at the end of the day, it can't get any worse than what 2020 was, which oddly enough, I actually had to catch myself from saying that because 2020 in a lot of ways was really good to me.

Yeah, like there was a lot of good.

I think that what it was was all the good for me in 2020 was super good and very heightened, that also all the negative around was also very much heightened.

Yeah, it was a year of extremes.

It was, dude, that's I think that's the best way to put it.

It was for sure the year of extremes.

Yeah.

Like it was not a lukewarm year.

It was like, it was like, man, you either have super cold water or you have super hot water.

This is like, this is not McDonald's.

And it can change from week to week.

And it could change, dude.

It can change, you know.

It's like like the whole year was not disappointing.

Yeah.

Like I'll say that, I'll put it that way.

Like the whole year was not disappointing.

Like, would I want to do it again?

No, I think 2020 was like pledge ship, you know what I mean?

It's like something like when you're pledging like a fraternity or sorry, you didn't you're like, man, that's something I would never ever want to do again.

But I'm cool that I went through it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I agree.

I think there's a lot to to learn.

I think my biggest fear is forgetting it.

You know, I don't want to just forget it and just be like, okay, I'm glad that's over with.

Let's do it.

Yeah, we gotta learn from it.

Exactly.

Yeah.

I want to bring this stuff with me, you know, moving forward.

So um T minus how many days?

T minus Um, let's see if I can do math.

I think eight eight days, dude.

Eight days.

Eight days.

Married.

In eight days.

There will be a ring on my finger.

How you feeling?

I feel good, dude.

I think, you know, the crazy thing is, like, because I'm such an extrovert and because I do everything over the top to some extent, um I think for me, I was like, oh yeah, you know, it's not a big wedding.

We we like I wish it wasn't COVID, it could be bigger, and then people are like, Well, how many people you have?

And I'm like, it's only 250, and they're like, Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

You mean telling me you think 250 people's a small wedding?

Like, how many weddings have you gone to?

And and it's so weird because in my mind, like, you know, it's like on Sunday I can look at a crowd and I can probably give you an accurate count of how many people are there.

Yeah, but for some reason at weddings, I've always thought that people had a lot of people at their wedding, and they're really like, no, that was like 100, or that was like 150.

And I'm sitting here like, oh no, like I I don't, what am I doing?

So yeah, dude.

I mean too late now.

Too late now.

Like our bridal party is 24 people.

Jeez, Mike.

So, you know, I mean, hey, y'all, I'm always around for a good time, you know.

Hey man, 2021's gotta get better from here.

Your weddings are great, dude.

It's such a good kickoff, man.

We couldn't really throw like a uh New Year's Eve party, but this will, you know, it'll be good.

Yeah, we're gonna have a party.

Um, if you're new to After the Message, sorry to uh to uh kind of go off the rails here, but if you're new to After the Message, this is a podcast uh on the Celebration Church podcast.

Uh we are here in Orlando, and we just like to have a discussion about the previous uh sermon from Sunday and just kind of continue the conversation and we hope that it can encourage you to do the same in your circles as well.

Uh I want to start off by talking about the beginning where Pastor Keith said that he wants to try some new things, he wants to do some engage in some new things in 2021, and that thing that he mentioned was hunting.

Oh yeah.

I yeah.

And I'm all for I support you, Pastor Keith, but I just don't I just don't see him doing it, you know.

Well, you know he's done it before.

Right.

He told that story.

Oh yeah, that's a crazy key story.

He's gone and he, but I feel like it was one of those things where it's like the first time, and I do this too.

It's the first time that you go somewhere, you're trying to like look up what do I need to look like to like what do the professionals look like, and that's where he was.

Like he was so camoed out, like you you can't see him in any pictures.

Were you there?

Like, I was not there.

Okay, no, I was not there, and but I did see pictures, um, and so there is evidence, like, trust me, everybody, like it wasn't embellished, he did do this.

Yeah, um, and yeah, I don't I don't really know though if I foresee him really being the hunter-gatherer.

Yeah, so this is kind of funny.

So I think that experience, it would be funny.

I would pay money to see it.

Maybe you're the one that could take him hunting.

You've been hunting before, right?

No, I haven't been hunting before.

Oh I look the part, I go shooting all the time.

Okay, yeah.

Okay, yeah.

So I practice, you know.

There's a difference.

Oh, there's a big difference.

Are there are there are there any things like in this next year?

I mean, you're gonna kind of be busy in your first year of marriage, like figuring all that out, but anything you've kind of put on your radar, like, man, I want to definitely do more of this.

I think for me, it's like I definitely want to do like some more outdoor activities.

Um, and what I mean by that isn't necessarily like what Pasky said with like hunting, but just like just walking around, like not like in a cityscape, but like I love the mountains, I love all that.

Hiking, hiking, you know, like getting on some trails because I love that, and I didn't get to do a whole lot of that in uh 2020.

I went on one trail and that was when I proposed.

And so it was like, you know, it it there was it was more me trying to make sure that I wasn't gonna look like I was about to propose.

Right.

So and then the hike back was like, hey, I'm engaged now, but I stink and I don't want to be around you stinking, so we gotta hurry up and change.

Um so I do want to do some more trails, and I think honestly, like I want to do that, you know, with my wife and be able to go on those trails.

Yeah.

And so like, and and then even do some stuff with friends.

So yeah, because I love being out in nature, that's where I feel closer to God, especially like in the mountains and stuff, but just being around um being around like just the the raw creation of God.

Because I don't like when people just get, oh, I like to go out in God's creation.

Well, it's all his.

Sure.

And even if the things that he created created something, well, they created it because he put it in them to create it.

So it's all his.

Um, but being in the mountains, man.

Yeah, for sure.

Something beautiful.

Speaking of creation, we're we're in this uh past two weeks.

We've been talking about Elijah and Elisha and uh how Elijah was uh literally in a cave, yeah, and he he he's feeling overwhelmed.

Right.

And and Pastor Keith was talking about feeling overwhelmed by your calling and feeling alone and feeling like, man, I'm doing all this stuff for you, God, and nobody's on board with me.

Yeah, you know, ha have you ever felt overwhelmed by your calling?

Oh my gosh, yeah.

Well, I think I've often I often hear people go, you know what, if if if a calling, if God's calling on you doesn't like scare you or overwhelm you, then maybe you need to reevaluate that.

Um because the reality is you face it and you go, Man, I can't do this on my own.

But that's the point, right?

He's not telling you to do something on your own, he's telling you to do it with him.

Right.

Like, I'm with you.

Right.

You know, even as we came out of like Christmas, we're like, Emmanuel, God with us, like he is with us.

And even like think talking through like Elijah and in in the cave and and all that, like when you're overwhelmed and you're looking at what's in front of you, um, it's not that it's not real, and nobody can and everybody what what overwhelms you may not overwhelm the person next to you, you know, but it can still be very real for you because of where you've been, because of your all of your different past experiences, whatever the case may be.

Um, but it's never been a thing where God never saw anybody that I've read in the Bible like overcome what was overwhelming them.

Yeah.

Like, as long as they were with him.

Yeah, that's right.

Like you see it every single time.

You see it with with Jonah, you see it with Moses, you see it.

So I mean it's like a constant thing of man, this is overwhelming, this task is overwhelming, but you're you're pushing me through it.

Yeah, you're doing it with God.

Exactly.

Yeah, and I think that's key.

I think, you know, because it of course it's gonna be overwhelming because it's a it's a call, it's a task that God is giving you.

He's giving you, like, I mean, to put it in perspective, you are you are given a God task to complete with man hands.

Yeah it's gonna be overwhelming, but you have to realize that it's not gonna be the man in you who completes it, it's gonna be the God that's in you who will complete it.

And once you get to that point and you have that perspective and you follow God and you put him first in that, man, that's when it's like, what can stop you?

What can hold you back?

And I think that's what we have to lean into.

I've had a lot of conversations recently about calling specifically.

And usually when things start to pile up, I okay, like, is God showing me something, you know?

And so I kind of want to get your opinion on calling.

Is it do you think that there it's specific or do you think that there is general, or do you think that there is a smorgasbord of of all for each person?

Yeah, I think that's I don't necessarily think that a call is just like oh, this is it for you.

Like, this is your one call, that's it.

I don't think that it's like uh it's a alright, you get a cookie, now move on.

Like I honestly truly believe because it the Bible says it says the gifts and callings plural of God go without repentance.

So it's like, man, he gives us multiple gifts, he gives us multiple callings, and we can execute that because it's something like I like Pastor Dino Rizzo always says, like, man, like the call that's on your life, the callings that God gives you, man, hold tightly on to that because that will always be true, and that will always hold true for you.

It's the assignments that shift and change.

So like the call that you have on your life, like you just may be exercising it, or it may just manifest in different ways as you live life, but it's still there, it's still true.

So to your point, or back to your question, like, do I think, you know, are there multiple ones or is it like I feel like a person is could be given multiple ones at one time, but it's always gonna probably r like show very differently based upon the assignment that they have in front of them.

Yeah, depending on the setting, the context of the other.

I think I think all of that, because like for example, if you have a call to um maybe you have a call to the next generation.

Well, that can look very different.

That doesn't necessarily mean that you're like a a student ministries pastor.

Like it just means like what can what does that look like?

Like if you have a call for in the next generation, maybe you're a school teacher.

Like, why like it doesn't just have to be in this one thing, oh God's called me to like student ministries?

Yeah, it doesn't have to be in church, right?

Like, there's a bunch of kids in your neighborhood.

Like, how are you like, you know, so it's like it's like what does the assignment look like with your call?

Yeah, your call is true, but how does that fit into your assignment?

Yeah, that's really good.

I mean, there's all kinds of youth programs out there that you have godly Christian men and women, you know, to to help lead and to help help foster those relationships.

So that that's a really good point.

Um Pastor Keith gave us three things that he's encouraging us to do, and three things that he's encouraging us to stay away from.

And uh the first thing that he's encouraging us to stay away from is let this year uh be the year that we avoid comparison.

And um, you know, I think comparison uh can definitely cripple us and and we can one thing that I do often is I compare, and he mentioned this, I compare someone's uh end results to my development stage.

And so I look at someone and go, like, man, why am I not there?

Sure or why am I not uh performing uh the way that they are?

Well, it's because they've been doing it longer than you have.

Right, you know what I mean?

So um I I definitely know in ministry it's a it's a real thing.

I know in the in the corporate world it's a real thing too, but I think kind of like what you were saying, uh where's your assignment at this point in time?

And not being afraid or feeling shameful for where you are right now, because the thing is like it shouldn't matter your age or any of that kind of stuff, because man, you might be able to see somebody and go, Man, they're doing a lot more than me.

Like, I never thought that they were like as a kid growing up, and I would see, for example, uh, because I think maybe all of us can relate to this, but seeing athletes, yeah, and you're like, they're older than you when you're a kid, and you're like, man, they're making millions, man.

One of these days I'm gonna be making millions.

And dude, like being a 32-year-old right now, like I'm looking at athletes, I'm like, oh my god, this kid is 21 years old, and he just got a contract for 15 million.

And like, what am I doing with my life?

You know, so I mean, it's like like anything we can kind of compare.

You you're like, man, look at that person, like, man, they're they're they're 20-something, they've got a house, picket fence, two cars, two kids, two dogs, like all the things, and we're comparing ourselves, and we're like, man, I just got like a one-bedroom studio apartment, you know, whatever.

Like, I mean, it's like, it's like, but we can't, like, it's so bad to compare and just think any less of yourself.

Like, why is it that we think less of ourselves when the God of the universe thinks so highly of us that he laid his whole life down for us?

So to me, it's like we need a better perspective on our value.

Like, it has nothing to do with what we have or what we don't have.

The value that is on our lives have all it's already been determined.

And sure, you may want something, you may like, man, I really want to be in that place, I want to be there.

But like, sometimes we have to pause and just be like, you know what, God, I may not be where I want to be, but thank God I'm at least not where I used to be.

As long as you're making some forward progression, and it's fine to set goals, it's fine to do all that kind of stuff, but as long as you're making forward progression, and you can look at your life and go, well, you know what, I may not have that, but I'm still doing good.

I'm like progressing, you know.

I think I think then that's that becomes that becomes worth it, man.

Yeah, that and that's a healthy comparison too, even to look at other people and and and want to strive to be to be better.

Sure.

You know, I you know, I think of someone like a a mentor or a father figure or something like that.

That's a healthy comparison.

You want you want to strive to be like them because you admire them.

But I think they're it it it can easily get unhealthy if you don't measure up to that.

It can, and I would even go as far to say, and don't give up.

Right.

Like, because the minute that you give up, you're giving in to that comparison as if it is truth.

Yeah, and and so it's like don't give up, keep pushing, keep pressing.

I mean, at the end of the day, look at we all know who Joyce Meyer is.

Like, I mean, incredible, phenomenal.

I love Mama Joyce, okay.

Um, I don't even know her like that, but um, when I do meet her for real, real This is happening.

I I hope I meet her at some point and just be like, Mama Joyce, like I love you.

Um, but Joyce Meyer, um, her ministry started much later in life.

You know, like I believe she was in her 40s before it really kicked off and probably actually really blossomed in her 50s.

And so that's like, man, and people like look up to her.

She's got all these books out, she's really ministering to people what she felt she probably could have done a lot sooner.

But it's like she didn't compare herself, she didn't, she didn't like it's maybe she did, but you know, it's like she kept going, right?

And I think honestly, like the shame is not in missing the mark, it's in aiming low.

So just set your aim, you know what you're called to do, go for it, but at the end of the day, like just be careful not to get stuck in that comparison trap.

Yeah, and one thing that actually goes with that is um you know, Elisha serving for the amount of time that he served before he actually even stepped into the to that final calling or that or that uh assigned place.

And I think that was really powerful.

Um just a great reminder like to stick with it, kind of like what you were talking with Joyce Meyer, like maybe she felt like God had placed something in her life that she was supposed to do, but it didn't blossom until later in life.

And speaking of, I like how you put it where you said stick with it, you know, because oftentimes it's like, man, wherever God sends you, if he's sending you, whether that's to a job, whether that's to a ministry, whatever it may be, even if he's sending you to a group of people, whatever it could be, man, you've got to be like a post stamp and stick with it until it gets to where it's going.

You know, because it's like God's sending you there for a reason.

Like the only way that Elijah was able to pick up Elijah's mantle was because he was next to him.

Right.

Elijah said, if you see me when I go, it's yours.

Not like if you come and I'm already gone, like you can just find it.

Yeah.

No, it's like you gotta be here.

Like you gotta be by my side, and then you will get.

And I think that's something that we all need to kind of be reminded of, like, man, we gotta be, we've gotta be close enough to it, close enough to our what we really want, close enough to our blessing, with that in our view, in our focus, in order for us to be able to receive what it is that we need from it.

Yeah, I the in the the age of instant, it's super easy to give up.

You know, it's super easy to just quickly go, Well, this ain't it.

Yeah, let me try something else.

Yep.

And uh I think persistence and consistency, uh it'll make you stand out.

Yeah.

You know, it'll make you stand out and make you but it's also okay.

Like, I feel like I kind of want to give people that permission.

Like, it's okay to kind of have those moments where you're like, man, it's this kind of sucks.

Yeah.

Like, you know, like like it's okay to feel like Elijah and Decay.

Yeah.

This sucks.

Well, and I'll be honest, like, it was I was I was volunteer staff in the ministry for three years and was watching people like be brought on staff, and like all that time, I was like, man, this sucks.

Like, I am working a full-time job and doing full-time ministry for free, and all these people are being added.

I'm like, is this really for me?

And it's like, well, yeah, just keep doing what you're doing, like still be faithful, still do what I told you to do, like, and just be faithful.

Like, if you know that's what you're supposed to do, then just be faithful, stick with it, and watch the faithfulness of God.

Yeah.

The ne the next thing that uh he asked us uh to consider avoiding was avoid looking for man's approval.

Um you know, he said feedback's important, but sometimes it can hold you back.

Yeah, uh, everything you do will disappoint somebody.

Man, which is it's super super true.

And I I'm one of those people that I never want to let people down.

Same.

So when I know that this decision or this action or this step that I take is gonna let somebody down, it crushes me, man.

Yeah.

Oh, dude, I'm Same way.

Like I will I will stay up pondering, like, oh my gosh, I don't I can't like I just freak out.

Like it's just one of those things, like I'll I'll just sit up and and freak out because I'm the same way, dude.

Like I don't want to it's one thing to let yourself down, but then to let somebody else down, it's like a greater It's crushing.

Oh my gosh, yeah, it's crushing to your core for sure.

Uh in an effort, this is w one of Pastor Keith's great lines, in an effort to get likes from man, we miss God's well done.

I love that line, by the way.

I was like, and he does too, and he definitely did because he said it again.

So uh it was one of those like that was so good, maybe you didn't catch it.

I'm gonna say it again.

Um, but dude, yeah, it's so hard sometimes to get like, but even just like trying to do stuff to hear that well done, but I love when I'm reminded that before Jesus did any miracle, God said, Well done.

This is my son who I'm well pleased with.

And like he says that about us.

Yeah.

How do you how do you try and because I often forget that, you know, and I don't Yeah, I think it's easier to get the approval of man because it's in our face.

Sure.

Um, and if you do a good job and you get the pat on the back, it feels great, um, you get the likes, you get the comments, like what what can I do, I guess, to to be reminded of God's well done, do you think?

Well, well, here's what's funny, man.

It's like like man's well done is good, like that's fine.

Yeah, but the problem is, man, like if you are basing everything on the the rise of the cheers of the crowd, man, when that crowd comes with the booze, you're gonna be crushed.

But if you are rising on what God is cheering you on with well done, because the thing with God is man, he's saying well done before you do anything, which means that even if you fail, he's still like, Man, I got you.

Come on, get back up.

And he and he said it's scripture, it's in the Bible.

He's like, Man, if you fall, get back up.

Get right back up.

Like, and that's the beauty because a man oftentimes will not tell you to get back up.

Man will say, Nope, you fail, too late, stay down.

Told you so.

Told you so.

Like, should have never done that.

Should have never done it.

Like, or sometimes even waiting, like, oh man, they keep getting it all the time.

Man, you're rising up, you're gonna fall hard.

Like, you know, I mean, that's just like they're almost waiting, you know.

I mean, just just think about there are more people who will repost someone's failure than there are to repost to celebrate them.

And that we can see, like, how many, how many people who never went to church were posting about, I'll say it, posting about Carl Lentz.

Yeah.

And then when everything comes out, how many people who never went are now posting about his failure?

Like, it happens all the time.

We'll just call it out.

Like, it happens all the time, and sometimes it happens in the church too.

So it's and it's just because it's a it's a it's a very fleshly thing that we do where it's like all of that man, it's it's all from the enemy.

It it it's it's nestled in gossip, it's nestled in jealousy.

Um you think it makes us feel better about our own condition when we do that?

Well, yeah, because we can deflect.

So it's not so much that we're saying that we're better than somebody, but it's just so we can deflect.

Like, no, look at them, don't look at me.

You know, it's the whole reason why all those men were looking at that one woman and said, Oh, nope, killer, stoner, you know, she she's she's immoral, she's been sleeping around, all that kind of stuff, and then Jesus has to write in the saying.

You know, it's like, but that, if we wait, be steadfast.

We can be like that woman and allow Jesus to come in and without even having to be the loudest voice in the room, silence the whole room.

And I think for us, we have to oftentimes learn how to hold our peace and let him fight.

So it's like, just know that he's saying, Well done.

I'm pleased, and just kind of keep it in that way.

Let me get you a podium so you can start preaching over the city.

Oh, dude, I can dude.

We can we can go, man.

I just yeah, man.

Because it it is it is a thing, man.

It's like, it's like this is why scripture says, man, don't get weary in doing well, for in due season you'll reap if you do not faint.

It's like, man, this is not a sprint, it's a it's a marathon.

And we've got to be able to know, like, man, you're doing better than you think.

Well, and we all should say that in the mirror from time and time.

I encourage everybody, look in the mirror in the morning and just say, Man, you're doing better than you think.

And I think the beauty of it is because it's not up to us.

You know, we were a couple of us on staff were talking this morning, like, God doesn't need us.

Yeah, at all.

Like, if we were here or not here, it doesn't add value or take away value from God.

Right.

God is self-sufficient on his own.

Absolutely.

He's he's he chooses us out of love.

Yes.

You know, and and and that's that's just mind-blowing to me.

Like, yeah.

I if I don't know, man God's goodness and God's grace is so good that that he asked me, like, hey, do you want to be a part of this?

Right.

And the fact that I am approved isn't because of me, it's because of Jesus, anyways.

Exactly.

Because when he looks at me, he sees his son.

Exactly.

So gospel, dude.

It's never it never loses.

Never gets old, bro.

Never gets old, dude.

The uh the the other thing, the third and final thing that he asked us to avoid was avoid looking back.

And he he shared this really powerful image of Elisha destroying the plow that he was working on in the field.

Uh and uh there's no plan B, you know, and and and he mentioned about uh how faith is risky, you know, God's a lot of things, but he's not safe.

Yeah.

And and I think so often in in our modern culture, we're we're always we're always worried about that vulnerability position, I guess.

Yeah.

We always have to have that, well, if this doesn't work out, I have to have something to fall back on.

And don't hear what I'm not saying, like to be a good steward and to plan, you know, financially and to have to have plans and and fallbacks are I don't necessarily they're inherently bad, but if God gives you a certain mission or if God gives you a certain calling, I I think you know that was a very profound image of seeing like, okay, I'm actually destroying the old thing I used to work with.

Right.

So good, man.

The uh the three things that he he asked us to or encouraged us to to try and uh do this year was to stand on the word of God to be followers and to serve.

Yeah.

Um the followers one is is is a really interesting one to me, and he brought it up how we're obsessed with leadership.

Yeah.

And you know, I've always kind of thought like in order to be a good leader, you have to be a good follower first.

I don't know if you've ever considered any of that because I mean if you look at a lot of times Jesus would deflect and say, you know, it's my father, or I'm just here to do the will of the father, even though he's God in the flesh.

Yeah.

Well, it's it's to the thing to where it's like, man, how can you how can you know what people need while they're following you if you never really experienced what you needed when you were following?

Like, I think that's why it's never one of those things where you're like, Man, I've had bad leaders.

Okay, what did you learn from it?

Because as you then start to lead, then just know not to do that.

Like, don't repeat that.

Like, like it's it's like, so it it's it's but you've got to be able to follow because at the end of the day, we're always going to be following, period.

Something.

Yeah.

Like there will never be a point where God's like, okay, I'm gonna follow you now.

That will never ever happen.

So like you will always be a follower in some regard.

Like, like, I don't care like what kind of hierarchy you think there may be, but at the end of the day, like it is like God will always reign supreme.

There is never a point where he's going to be like, Yeah, I'm just gonna sit back and let you guys go ahead and go for it, you know.

Like, no.

And so, um, yeah, you you've got to be a good follower, and I think part of that too is as you're being a good follower, you're sewing.

So it's like, and I've always known this, even at an early age, and maybe because growing up in ministry, you hear these things or whatever, but it's like, man, can you push forward another man's vision?

Can you be able to support and back somebody?

I've always told people, man, I feel like I'm a good number two.

I don't ever think I'm the guy.

I legitimately don't mind, like, I don't have a problem not being the leader in the room.

Like, I don't ever even look at it like that because all I want to do is to be able to, this is gonna seem weird, but is to be able to um, I don't want to say like be a good follower, but all I want to do is just like support, man.

Like that's what I think a good follower is.

Like, it's to just serve and support, to be there, to be like, yeah, whatever it takes, like I got your back.

Because your role is still vital.

Like, even as you are a follower, you know, in quotes, like your role is vital to the whole.

Yeah.

And and then just kind of see what happens from there.

Yeah.

And and that just goes right along with with the serving aspect of it.

You know, he Pastor Keith mentioned that serving is a rec a requisite for increased stewardship.

Yeah.

You know, and that's a that's a principle that Jesus taught several times.

If you know, if you want to be you want to be the greatest among among men, you know, be their servant.

Yeah.

And that's something I have to constantly remind myself, you know, if if I want God to entrust me with more, right?

I gotta be faithful and serving where I'm at right now.

Absolutely.

And kind of what we were talking about, you know, earlier, like to just stick with it.

Yeah.

You know, whatever that is, yeah.

You know, family, job, uh, community, uh, calling that God has on your life, like to just stick with it and then trust God that He's gonna make it out.

Trusting that He's got you.

Right.

Like, because oftentimes we we like to make sure that we comfort ourselves enough that that we have like um, you know, I know we talk about like plan B and all that kind of stuff, but that is um like in our culture, we love to have contingency plans because we want to try and hedge stuff, we want to safeguard stuff.

But the reality is, man, if you if God's telling you to go somewhere and do something, well, he's already got a hedge around you.

So like what are you what are you fretting?

Like, yeah, that's just that's a our society thing.

Like, it's good to make sure you have a rainy day fun, but like you don't need to have like a rainy day calling.

Like you know, like like that's not what that means.

That's good.

What what are what are some things that you do or a thing that you do when you realize like, oh man, like you kind of snap out of it and go, I haven't been trusting God.

Yeah, like what are some things that you do to help refocus?

Um honestly, worship.

Okay, for me, it's worship because and here's why it give it gives me a perspective.

It gives me a different perspective because one, true worship, because it's a the Bible says, like, they who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

So at that point, my flesh has to be completely out of the way.

Like I can't, like, like all that I have, all that I've come with, all the burdens, it can't, it can't absorb that space.

And so, and that's just me putting God in his proper space.

It is me recalibrating the the pus the posture of my heart and not really trying to let my my thoughts and my minds overstep it.

So for me, worship always kind of helps recalibrate and sets my sets my focus back on the main thing, um, because I'm able to silence everything around me.

And also, worship is also one of those things that man, it's the one thing that we can give God that he can't give himself.

And so it's such an intimate thing.

And like when you fully understand the intimacy that is in worship, wow.

Yeah, because then it's like, man, when you get in some good worship and you're in that zone, you've never had a better high in your life, I guarantee you.

Yeah, you know, I get I guarantee you the perspective of it where your your your the clarity in your mind, the peace that you feel in your heart, like to escape, and like I said, it's a recalibration.

Yeah, that's good, man.

Yeah.

Appreciate you coming on, dude.

Bro, I always appreciate it, man.

Like, I love coming coming on.

Like, these are these are good, man.

These things, man, these things made me want to grab the mic though sometimes.

So like I almost like we have them on a stand and whatnot, and they're like fixed, but I just want to like grab it and hold it, and and you gotta get like a B3 in here next time.

Next time you're on After the Message, you'll be a married man.

How does that sound?

Ooh, that's crazy, right?

Right.

How crazy is that?

Like, man, love and marriage love.

I don't know if that's like a good one.

Maybe I should just sing the love boat, but you know.

Thank you for joining us for After the Message.

To learn more about Celebration Church here in Orlando, you can follow us on social media under the handle at Celebration ORL or visit our website at celebrationorl.org.