After the Message: Heart for the House

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 CelebrationORL or visit our website at celebrationorl.org.

Hey, welcome to After the Message.

Uh if you are not sure what After the Message is, pretty simple.

We talk about uh the message from this past Sunday here in Celebration Orlando.

We've had a couple weeks off of After the Message, but we're back.

And we're uh we took a little hiatus, a little break, but we're back and better than ever.

And today uh we're joined by Pastor Mike Sathoff.

Whoa.

What's happening?

It's all good.

Yeah?

We're ready.

Let's do this.

I'm excited.

Yeah, man.

Uh glad you're here.

Glad you glad you can expound upon what you preached on Sunday, man.

Yeah, what a good Sunday.

It's good to be back together, even though it can't be everyone.

At least it's a semblance of what we used to be like.

You know, like we we talked about how during quarantine, you know, the church is in a building, and that's so true, but the gathering is super important for the body, man, like corporate worship and everything.

You know, even if it's not full blown, it's still so important.

I don't know how what your experience has been with that, or but I know for me it's just it's definitely um highlighted how important that is.

Yeah.

It was so good being up there, and I think too the environment was so cool.

Yeah.

Um just being up on like the 11th floor overlooking downtown Orlando.

Like that's just such a good that's such a good feel.

Um you know, and then I mean, just it's super bright too.

It's so bright.

It's different than what we're used to.

It's so modern.

We're used to like a stinky middle school, you know.

Like, I mean, it's just you know, you just I mean it has its own charm.

Yeah, but uh there's nothing that beats that.

I mean, it's just a nice cool vibe.

Um but yeah, so that was that was really, really cool.

Well, and also um the like the worship setting too, where you're used to like low light and all that stuff, and so just a really bright, even during worship, it's a different I don't know, it's just different, and it's it's fun to be a part of it.

Yeah, you can't really hide your worship in those moments.

You know, you you just you can't really like you know, it's like man, it's like this is for real.

Like I don't you know, and I honestly think that most people were they didn't care because they were like, man, I'm finally with people, I can finally hear live worship, like I'm going all in.

I don't care if you have a light and a camera shining in my face, like I am here, I'm all for it.

Yeah, like it was just it was just cool.

And then I would say, even um from the worship standpoint, it was kind of interesting because there was a couple moments of like, man, I mean, you know how we do, like I'm like, man, I maybe I'll kneel on the ground, but I kind of was like, Man, it's concrete floor.

Um, Jesus, you know I'm kneeling in my heart.

You know, it's like I got a good kneel in my heart.

I'm like laying prostrate right now in my heart.

Bringing like your knee pads from the days where you used to like roller skate back in the 90s or whatever.

Yes, yes.

Um yeah, so if you're like, what the heck are you we talking about?

Um we are back to gathering.

It's obviously limited.

So if you're a part of our community, or maybe you're not a part of our community and want to be a part of our community, uh, this Sunday, October 4th, is gonna be our first Sunday that's like open to the public.

Right.

So you can register um from here on out, kind of indefinitely.

We'll be registering just to keep track of who's in the building, you know.

God forbid there's any sort of outbreak or whatnot.

We can do some contact tracing and all that stuff.

But anyways, uh yeah, you can reach out to us uh several different ways via our social media or whatever, or you can email atm at celebrationorl.org and I can get you the information you need.

So man, we're in our Heart for the House series.

Yeah, and this is something that as a church we do every year, and uh you've been a part of Celebration.

Why don't you go ahead and share how long you've been a part of Celebration Church, man?

Man, so I've been part of Celebration Orlando since we launched.

So starting with our launch team, so back um in 2014, and actually even a little bit before we started doing like our our interest interest meetings, and then those turned into go nights, you know, as we were um because we originally were up in Jacksonville, Florida, and then we kind of you know moved down and um so yeah, man, from from the get-go and um was part of our church in Jacksonville for uh prior to that.

So yeah, man, it's um it's uh it's cool, man.

It's reaching towards its 10-year mark at this point.

So I mean that's uh it's exciting stuff.

Um yeah, it is crazy.

Um but yeah, man, just really cool, exciting stuff, and just thinking through all of our you know, all those times that we were meeting prior to actually hosting a full-on service before prior to our launch, and those were some fun times as well.

So lots of comical moments, including one that was right at the um um museum, like like science and history museum, um, right in downtown Orlando, and we were doing an interest meeting on the same floor as like the dinosaurs exhibit, and so um that was hilarious.

They kind of like you walk into a room and some people have their babies and they're like babies are crying, they walk into the dinosaur room or something.

It's just like, man, if this is any indication of what church is gonna be like, you're right.

It's gonna be um you're never gonna know what to expect, and it's just gonna be so much fun.

And that was uh, man, it was it was us to a T, but it was it was a cool vibe for sure.

That's awesome.

Yeah, yeah.

And so, you know, like like I said earlier, we're in our Heart for the House series.

We do it every year.

Last year we really talked about how we wanted to reach, you know, the city and and and our community and our world, and we talked about emphasizing certain areas, and you know, one of the things we emphasized was even this right now, being able to to uh equip us to have this podcast, you know, after the message to be able to to continue the conversation throughout the week and not just be you know a Sunday thing.

So we're seeing the fruits of that even as we speak a year later, you know, which is really cool.

And and so this year we're kind of just talking about you know, vision of our church and everything, you know, there's been shifting in the world and shifting in our community and and all this stuff.

So we're just kind of talking about who are we as a church and and moving forward, and and one of the the key markers or the key marker for that is we're looking at Nehemiah.

Right.

And I'm gonna go ahead and be the first to admit like I've never read the whole book of Nehemiah before.

I've heard the story in fragments and bits and pieces and stuff, but before having to preach on Sunday, did have you done any other study on Nehemiah?

Yeah, like bits and pieces.

Okay.

I would say like the majority of Old Testament, like I mean, it's hard to read through an entire book of the Old Testament in one sitting.

Um, one, there's so much to unpack.

Two, um, it it's a lot going on.

Um, and uh, and that's kind of you know, Old Testament, you kind of see a lot of that where there's just so much going on, yeah, which by the way is always really exciting to read because it's like I'm a big reality TV person, so like the drama that ensues is like getting it.

Go ahead, Mike.

What's your favorite channel?

Oh man, Bravo.

Like, I don't even have to like think hard about it.

You know, like come on, Bravo.

I feel like if okay, for me, it's like if I had to pay$50 a month just to have my Fox Sports channel to watch the rays, that would be fine with me.

I feel like it's the same with you with Bravo.

If you had no other channel but you had to pay 50 bucks a month, you would do it.

That was actually a priority when I was looking at okay, what am I gonna actually pay for streaming?

I was like, do they have Bravo?

Like, because I felt like I have enough guy friends who I could like get their login to watch sports.

Yeah.

But it's more embarrassing for me to say, hey, do you have a login so I can watch the real housewives of whatever city?

Like that that would just seem more embarrassing to do.

So I just made sure that I had it out of the gate.

Yeah.

Respectable.

Yeah.

Anyways, drama in the old testament.

Yeah, yeah.

So a lot, a lot that unravels, but the cool thing too is that the old testament isn't something that is no longer applicable.

Like, you can still like that's what's so good about the Bible is that it is you can still make it so much um relevant for today, and you can make it um apply to your life in so many different ways, and oftentimes it just truly depends on the angle that you're looking at.

And so with Nehemiah, to bring it back to the point, like um, man, that's kind of what I did.

I just kind of like said, okay, God, what what is it that we need to look at for today as we look at the life of Nehemiah?

Yeah, is it something that we look from a personal perspective for a a church big C church perspective?

Um, or is it something maybe just as a people group?

Like maybe just as like as as Americans or as Christians, you know, like what what does that even like what does it mean?

So it was kind of like just breaking it down in that way.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, and one of the things you said at the beginning I'd never heard before, but I thought was hilarious was trying to fit a quart and a pint.

Oh yeah.

Is that what you said?

Oh yeah, that's like a good Southern preacher thing, you know.

That's a great saying it it because there was, I mean, like, mind you, the the amount of information that I wanted to convey was coming from the entire second chapter of Nehemiah and a little bit of the third, too.

Um, and so you know, and then there was just so much that I actually wanted to say, and so much I felt like God was tugging to say and wanted us to have information.

So I'm like, man, I'm gonna try and squeeze a quart in the pint, man.

For those of us who have never who have never preached before, how difficult is that?

Because there's probably so many things that you are like, man, this is incredible.

This is incredible.

Like, what how do you just as an insider scoop, like, how do you choose?

Do you know what I mean?

So funny you say that because I actually was talking to Pastor Keith.

Um, he just kind of asked me, um, I think it was probably like um it was the week prior, probably like on a on a third on a Thursday, actually.

Okay.

He asked me, he goes, Um, okay, so how like kind of give me a little bit of you know what you what you were studying and and all that kind of stuff.

And um, and we kind of talk about those things.

It's not like we say, hey, this is what we want to preach on.

It's more like, hey, pray about it, read up on it, and all those types of things.

Well, he was just like, hey man, so what what do you think that's gonna look like?

And I'm like, listen, I'm looking at all this stuff in here.

There's so much, because this is what I see, this is what I see.

So I'm literally unpacking, he's like, Well, man, that's a lot of content.

Um, so I'm like, I know your role, bro.

And he's the content king.

So it's like, so when he told me that was a lot of content, I was like, man, maybe it is a lot of content.

And so in thinking through that, it's like you gotta just put it all out there.

Like, just just like the best thing to do is just just read it through, put it all out there, like one of those, you know, I didn't do it on like a big board or anything, but in your mind, like kind of like let's let's unpack everything that we see and then be able to figure out, man, are there any themes?

What is going on here?

And like, God, what are you leaning me towards?

Do I feel like something is speaking more specifically to me?

Because I'll say this, like, even for people who who may not communicate as much, like as a preacher, and I love love sharing the gospel in any way, whether it's like a room of five, ten, whatever, like it doesn't have to be the hundreds, right?

Um, or the thousands, um, or the hundreds of thousands.

Um, but like it just needs to be, it just honestly, it's like, God, what is it that you're speaking to me?

Because I know that if this is starting to preach to me, then man, I could definitely preach this to a crowd.

Because then it's then not only am I believing what I'm saying, but it's actually now starting to make some some personal deposits.

So I'm also now able to speak to a place of vulnerability, and that's key too.

It's like to share with everybody, um, hey, I don't have this down pat myself, but this is coming straight from the Holy Spirit, and this is where we need to go.

And and then just kind of like, and here's also how he's saying to get there.

Like, that's the thing.

I don't think that when when God shows us something or um anything like that, like it's not unobtainable.

You know, it's like it's it's there's some practical things, and I think that's kind of um where we need to figure out where our starting point is with that.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, man, and and that's kind of the whole gist behind Heart for the House and and the message of Heart for the House is what are some things that we can actually do to uh manifest impact, you know, like th because of what God has doing and is doing in us, how do we then go out and reciprocate that to our church and to our community and the nation?

And um that's you know, that's even the kind of the motto, if you will, if it stirs your heart, it should activate your hands.

Absolutely.

Which was what Pastor Keith, you know, introduced us to in week one.

If it stirs your heart, it should activate your hands.

And man, I don't know about you, but a lot of a lot of the things that I grew up in, the church was just it's hard, it's hard to um distinguish like works-based, faith-based, like what bucket does all that apply.

And but the Bible's very clear that like man, without faith without works, it's meaningless.

You know what I mean?

And and so I think that's what we're trying to figure out throughout this series is God, what do you have us to do?

Yeah.

And and I think I think you did a really good job at uh recognizing and honoring those in our church who have been the church throughout this quarantine period because we've seen it firsthand as people on staff, people that have answered the call to help care for people that they don't even know who they are.

Yeah, and that's part of it.

You know, it's like it's like man, when people say, Oh, if I only had this, I could do something.

If I only had blank, I could do something.

But it's like, no, why don't you see what it is that you can do?

Like, like, don't don't get dismayed by thinking, like, man, if I only had a million dollars, I could, I could open up a program and do all these different things.

Yeah, but what can you do right now?

Sure.

Like, who is close to you now that you might be able to help?

Like, there could be one person that you can help.

Um, you know, it's it's like, man, if I see somebody hungry, I don't have enough money to feed the masses, but I can go to Taco Bell and get you a taco.

Like, you you know what I mean?

Like, I mean, there's there's certain things that it's like, what can I do?

And I feel like that is in part of what Nehem where Nehemiah was at.

It was kind of like, man, this is a challenge on my heart.

Um, so much so that it's like, well, what can I do?

What I don't have the resources, and then he begins to go and gather those resources.

So that was something I didn't necessarily get to share about, thinking about how much content one may have for a Sunday.

Share it now, man.

Share it now.

It's like, it's like Nehemiah didn't actually have the resources to do what it was that he needed to do.

He had to get it from the king, he had to get it from some other place.

Um, and that was the timber that he needed.

He didn't even have security.

Like, yes, he was in the presence of the king, but he didn't have all those resources.

And so oftentimes we we we get this feeling on our heart, but we don't we don't take action because we we lack the resources.

But why don't you start sharing what that is?

So I think a big part of it is like we need to share, we need to be very open about what God puts on our heart because there could be somebody next to you, there could be a boss, there could be, there could be a neighbor who, if you begin to share what God has put on your heart, they may actually go, wait a minute, really?

Like, man, here, here, why don't you like what can what can I do?

Because oftentimes when you have like a good idea, like, man, this is burnamsome, like Nehemiah was like, Man, this is burnamsome.

I'm seeing like a whole city in ruin, and it's just it's grieving me.

And he goes, Well, what can I do?

Okay, well, well, since you said that, and then he begins to give him a whole list like I need timber for this, I need this, that, and the other, and and then give me like letters so I can go through.

Like, I mean, it's all these things that Nehemiah requested, but he didn't have all that on his own.

Right.

And so we need to realize, like, just because we don't have those things on our own does not mean we can't accomplish it.

I think one thing, man, that prohibits me from stepping out in faith and doing things that I feel like God is maybe urging me to do is to use a 2008 term, like worried about the haters.

You know what I mean?

Like, I I specifically think of instances where I felt like God was asking me to say something.

Sure.

And I didn't want to look like the weird guy who has a word from the Lord, you know what I mean?

And yeah, even amongst people that are believers, I just didn't want to be like the weird dude because I don't want to say like I believe I feel like God's asking me to say such and such, you know, and sometimes you look at that and go, is he really?

So I I think one thing if I if we can encourage folks is to to step out in faith, and if it's not of God, then it probably won't come to fruition, and you can just learn from that, you know, like and like you talked about in the sermon, like pray for discernment.

Yes, pray, pray, in pray to to ask God, like, is this of you?

And and to know how to hear the voice of God.

Yeah, because you know what it is like, you know, and people are like, Man, I can't hear from God, and it's like you get some of those people that's like, yeah, it's a still small voice.

And while some of those things are simple, there's also moments when God may not say anything, and he may not say anything because it is up to you, it's in your hands to be able to accomplish what he has set you out to do.

And what's crazy though, like when you talk about haters and stuff, there's always going to be opposition.

And I had to bring that up in the message because Nehemiah had faced opposition with Sambalat and Tobiah.

And like, those are the master haters in this, in this, in this context.

Like, I mean, they were just complete haters.

They were like, I mean, they they were trying to block him as soon as he got to town.

I mean, the man didn't even put up one piece of stone before they even started hating on him.

They knew he was coming, they knew why he was coming, and they just kind of just started going at it.

And so we cannot be fearful of opposition.

We just have to understand that opposition is inevitable.

Um, but what he what he had to do was he had to understand that he needed to be strategic.

And I think that's what we have to do.

Like, you know, and thinking about haters in today's context, like, yeah, there's gonna be people who are gonna say whatever they want to say about you and about what God is stirring on your heart, you can't be so caught up in that, um, you know, just because um because there is something that has to be done.

Just be like uh the haters are gonna be there, um, and you know the opposition will be there, but you have to just keep going forward.

Yeah, you just 100% have to keep going forward.

You have to know what God told you, and you have to be strategic.

You know, the Bible is says like, you know, you've gotta you've gotta be, you can't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, and then you also have to be like as harmless as a dove, but as wise as a serpent.

So it's like you've got those things where it's like, man, you've gotta be a strategist.

Like, so that's what Nehemiah did.

Like, he went in the nighttime and kind of surveyed some stuff.

Um, but I think oftentimes what we do is God gives us some things and we go and we maybe tell the wrong people instead of discerning.

So I'm glad you said that about discerning because while yes, we might need to be able to go gather help from other people, we still need to discern who those people should actually be.

Yeah, which kind of which kind of segues into what we talked about.

And there was kind of like three sections that that you talked about with um you know, examining the the the internal, which would be kind of our temple, you know, examining the external, which is the walls, or or in other words, who who is around us, and then occupying which is what Nehemiah wanted to do.

So, first of all, talking about examining the internal, like what what's the best way to determine like what your quote unquote temple looks like in your opinion, and and maybe in your past experience, like how do you examine the inside of you?

And maybe if you're not sure what we're talking about, we believe that as as children of God that God actually dwells on the inside of us, so we are considered his temple now.

Um so what are some things that that you do to examine that and and how has that um played a part in your life?

Yeah, a lot of that in terms of examining like the inside of you as as being like a temple, a place where the Holy Spirit can dwell, um It's not so much what you always heard, like, man, don't have the tattoos, don't pierce your ear.

Like, it's not, it's like, don't beat up the temple.

It's it's not that.

It is so much more than that.

It is, it is making sure that you are whole.

Now, one thing is like, how do I make sure I'm whole?

Well, there's some practical things.

Like, there's some things that you may not consider or even think that it would be spiritual, but your mental health is incredibly important.

And that is something that is big for us here.

Like, I mean, like, I go to counseling.

We we are strongly um a church who believes in that.

We even have like, as an organization, we do have like a clinic, uh Honey Lake, um, for for that specifically.

We have some great content from Dr.

Henry Cloud on that whole healing process because it is one of those things to where um when you think about the temple, when I talk about the temple and I'm telling you like your internal um, like that internal inspection of where you're at, like that is a question you have to ask.

You have to say, like, am I good?

Am I okay?

Um what's going on on the inside of me?

Because what goes on on the inside of you is what's gonna bubble up.

And so instead of you trying to fix everything around you, you've got to fix that temple.

You've got to fix what's going on on the inside first, or really inspect it, because maybe there's just some, maybe there's some hairline fractures here and there.

But what I do know is like when you start having some damage on the inside that's subtle, a lot of it over time can become major.

Um, and so and part of that inspection is making sure your foundation is right.

Like that foundation has to be rooted in Jesus 100%.

And if it's not, well then no matter what you build, it's it's gonna it's gonna fall.

So that's kind of what I meant by like an internal perspective.

It's like first having that foundation of Jesus, but then really starting to kind of see like, man, what is in me?

Because something that you know, we used to always hear, I've got a great buddy of mine who used to who always says this to this day, it's like, man, God, don't ever send me to a place that my character can't sustain it.

And that's also something that is an internal deal.

Um, so it's all those things.

It's like, man, what what does my character look like?

What what fruits am I able to bear?

All that stuff is internal.

Yeah.

Um bitter.

Stephen talks about that too.

Like um loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.

It's a holistic approach to you, the person.

Right.

And sometimes I think in the church world, we can just everything's spiritual, spiritual, spiritual, spiritual.

Well, there's the uh physical aspect to it, like making sure you're in good physical health because it all connects.

There's like you said, the mental health aspect.

So the mental, spiritual, and physical all of it, all of it works together.

Yeah, you know, God created us that way.

It's you can't just like put one piece over here and go, that doesn't matter for this part.

Right.

Does that make sense?

You know, and so I think a lot of times what we need to do is refocus on what are the areas maybe in my mental.

And it's so hard, man, because sometimes you feel like you're gaining ground in one area and you look back at the other area and go, dang it, I'm back a few steps.

So it is a difficult thing to do.

But I think what you said, as long as that foundation is uh, you know, built on Jesus Christ, you can always go back to him.

Yeah, and it's not something that you just do and then you're like, okay, I'm good for life.

Like nobody paints their house one time and think, oh, you know what, in the next 30 years, it'll this paint will still look great.

Nobody.

There's always going to be some things that you're gonna have to touch up, and it could be seasonal, um, it could be whatever.

You know, like every every I mean, look at people who have homes.

Like, I mean, if you own a home or whatever, or it's just what we know, like there's there's seasons that take place, and sometimes storms can cause some damage.

Um, most of the time, storms will cause damage.

So if you've been through a storm and you think you're still good, I can probably tell you there's probably some damage there that you're just unaware of because it could be in a spot that you don't normally look.

And so it's really good for you to look, but then also to have some people around you to be able to tell you about that.

Man, yesterday we were in your office talking about, and you were talking about how sometimes to practice, like you know, saying a message or whatever, you'll point at an object and go, okay, candle.

Yeah.

How you know, and you'll start.

I'm just thinking about you're sitting in the house looking at the house and going, Okay, foundation is cracked.

I need to make sure that I'm back on my foundation with Jesus.

It's true.

It is, it is so true.

It's like, man, there's something right here.

And I've got buddies who I'm like, man, do you do you see something I don't see?

And that's something that I will ask a couple buddies of mine from time to time.

Like, is there something that you see about me that maybe it's like a new blind spot that I I just don't I don't see it?

Um, and then that lets me know like maybe that's something that I need to work on.

Yeah, yeah.

The other thing too was the the external the walls that you were talking about with Nehemiah and how you kind of likened that to uh the people that are in our life.

And one of the things that you said was um you need to make sure that the people around you aren't just with you, but that they're for you.

Yeah.

How do you distinguish that?

I think that's a hard thing to do if you're if you're not careful, you can kind of slip into like, oh, they're we're cool.

Yeah, you know, instead of like, are they actually for me?

Yep.

What does that look like?

Yeah, so that that honestly, like, well, right out of the gate, man, if you have people who are with you and they can never like those people who are just with you are people who are are good for the moments, you know.

They're like, Yeah, I'll help you move, I'll do whatever, but then when you have like a really high, man, it's hard for them to celebrate you.

Or if you have a low, they're not the ones right there that's like, man, I'm I'm here with you.

Tell me what you need.

I'm coming over to your aid right now.

Like, like though that's the difference maker.

Like, it's kind of like I would say, like, the people who are with you are kind of more of an acquaintance, you know, than than the people who are for you who are like, man, whatever hill, whatever valley, I'm I'm all in for you.

I believe in you.

The difference is like those are the people who truly, truly believe in you.

They believe in what God is doing in you, they believe um, you know, that you are somebody, even if your current state may not fully resemble that, those are the people for you.

Typically, those people, it's not as many as you think.

And so it's like, and there's nothing wrong.

Like the thing is like, you don't have to disown the people who are with you.

That's fine.

Like, they have their place, but you just need to take notice of the ones who are for you.

Gotcha.

Yeah, yeah, that makes sense.

And one thing that you said was was really cool was suddenly the vision can become division.

So what you th so the people that are with you who you thought were on the same vision, if you're not careful, it can become division.

Yeah, easily.

Because you know, it's kind of like um, like think of this like man, if a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways, got it.

So if you're pulling me one direction, and then I've got, you know, what God is calling me to, pulling me another direction, well, you're splitting me in so many, like you you just how can I remain whole?

So you've got that, but then you also have, man, how can two walk together at least they be agreed?

So it's like, man, if you are close to me and we're on a mission, if you think this thing should play out another way, and I'm thinking it should play out in a certain way, that right there, we're we're completely going in two com different directions.

And then it just kind of starts causing confusion.

And one of the things that I said, just to kind of give people a clear example of it, it's like think about like a like you got two horses and you got like a carriage.

Well, if for whatever reason those horses, if they're not like buckled in sync with each other and there isn't like anything connecting them to each other, then one can go this way, one can go the other way, and then it's just like you know, there's just it causes confusion.

Correct.

And so, um, yeah, I mean, you you can't really you gotta get that clear um and you've gotta be on the same page.

Yeah.

And it's similar to even what Jesus spoke about with you know, with being yoked, you know, the the analogy of of a yoking, and you know, back in the day, like kind of like what you were talking about with horses, like they would yoke cattle together in order to plow the fields.

Right.

But if you're out of sync with what Jesus is trying to do, you're working against one another.

And I think one of the things that just kind of a side note that I think about a lot that we forget is the fact that there is a yoke.

And he says it's light, but there is a yoke, you know what I mean?

So sometimes I'm afraid that I'm afraid that we think that since we're good, we're we're with Christ and we're good, that we can go off and do whatever or be in whatever space when in reality Jesus is saying, like, no, I I want you to walk with me.

Yeah, you know, I want you I want you to see how I do it and walk alongside me.

So if your friends are for you, that means that they're for what Christ is for in your life.

And I think that I think that that's kind of what we're looking at, even with Heart for the House.

Like, man, what what is God having us do and who's for that with Heart for the House, you know what I mean?

Yeah, yeah.

And I that is so I mean, that's spot on, man.

Yeah, spot on.

Man, the kind of backtracking to to the beginning of it was and I th and I think it's fitting that it kind of begins and closes this this sermon is vulnerability with the king.

And it comparing that to our relationship with God.

Yeah.

Are we are we even willing because you mentioned it, like are we even willing to be vulnerable with God even if even then despite the fact that he knows what we're already vulnerable about in the first place?

And like Nehemiah, you have to take the first step to even ask God for the in the first place.

And so I know there's a lot of things that I'm hesitant to do because I don't even want to ask God about it because maybe I don't want the answer that God gives me back, but I could be missing out on something.

God could be asking me to do something great, like Nehemiah, like he did Nehemiah.

Right.

So I you know, it's just it's just very fitting to know that um that it's okay to be vulnerable with God, and sometimes we miss that.

Yeah, and I think some of that oftentimes when people aren't as vulnerable with God as they should be, and I mean we all do it from time to time.

I think a lot of it, if we really look at it, it could be rooted in shame.

Um the same thing with Adam, you know.

Adam, Adam had some shame after everything in the garden, and he hid himself.

It wasn't like God didn't know where he was at.

I mean, come on, like of course God knew where he was at, um, and was like, Adam, where are you?

And Adam hid from him.

So it it was kind of like we do that, even though like you know, we can come to church, we can be, you know, we can do all these things and we're still hiding.

You know, we can we can serve on teams, we can we can go out and do outreaches, but we're still hiding.

And it's like, man, are we vulnerable enough before God?

Like, not saying before people, not any of that, but like first, like, are we vulnerable enough with our king, our savior, to where he knows exactly where we are because we're expressing where we are.

Um, not just knowing where we are because he's sovereign, but knowing where we are because we're expressing that.

And when we express that, man, we're we're we're putting that before him.

We're laying that at his feet.

You know, part of part of scripture that I love is like cast our care on him because he cares for us.

So it's like, man, that means we have to be in a state of vulnerability in order to cast those cares on him.

And trust me, he's he's God enough to receive whatever we have.

It's not gonna, it's not gonna scare him, shy him, you know, it's it's not gonna scare him away.

It's not he's not gonna be shy about it.

It's not it's not one of those things that he's gonna look and point, you know, a finger at you or anything like that.

Like that's not that's not who he is.

Yeah, yeah.

That's awesome.

One one thing that um I can't let you leave without asking you is what are some insider tips for going to Disney right now?

Man, because you should be the one to know Disney junkie.

And you should know how to what's the insider tip, man?

You've been there, you scoped it out, what's going on?

Yeah, you know, the I love me some Disney.

In fact, I'm probably going tomorrow.

Okay.

Um, so the insider, so like right now, you know, just because of you know the world that we live in with COVID and everything, you have to have a mask on the whole time.

So definitely wear a mask that you appreciate, that it's comfortable, that has a lot of breathability.

Now, I understand why we wear the mask, but breathability is essential because it's Florida, it's hot.

I mean, you you just gotta breathe.

The other thing is um now, even right now, like you still need to support some Disney things.

Like, if you have a favorite treat, whatever, just buy it.

Like, it's okay.

But like, I'm not paying for water at Disney.

So I bring my own water.

Okay.

Um, they let you bring it in, have it in a pack, you know, like all that kind of stuff.

And so um you want to stay hydrated because for whatever reason the masks keep you like just dehydrated.

My tip is because of weather, you need to go early or later.

Okay.

Midday, it's I mean, welcome to Florida.

It's a coin toss whether it's gonna rain on your yeah, and it's probably gonna rain.

It's like it's it it there's more of a even if the forecast says, oh, it's gonna be sunny, just know that it's probably gonna rain around noon.

I mean, that's just how it is.

So just face it.

I want to emphasize what you said about we got we got folks in our church that work at Disney.

Yes.

So if you go there, yeah, support, you know.

Support, you know, like and I know people are like, man, Disney has all this money and all the person.

No, no, no, no, no.

Understand it's still a business.

We're talking about real people, you know, and like people are like, man, we got to support local.

I'm like, yeah, Walt Disney World is local.

Like, I don't know about you, but there is no other Walt Disney World on the face of this world.

So that is local.

So I support local, you know, in the shape of Walt Disney.

And on that note, man, thanks for coming on.

Yeah, man.

Thanks for having me.

This is great.

Yeah, dude.

We really appreciate it.

Last Sunday was great.

Looking forward to opening up to everybody again.

If you want more information about anything celebration church related or anything that we talked about on this, you can email atm at celebrationorl.org.

That stands for after the message at celebrationorl.org.

All right, have a good day, guys.

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 the celebration or L or visit our website at celebrationorl.org.