Beyond the Letter || Night 3 || Patria Fresh Start

I'm gonna ask that our pastoral team come on up.

We're gonna dig in some questions today as we dive in.

Hopefully you guys had some great table conversations. I encourage

you if you met new people at your table before

you leave, maybe exchange information. If you're part of a

neighborhood group, a small group of ours, and you didn't.

Tell your table, share that with your table.

Try to connect someone with what God's doing in your life,

but also in the life of the church in that way,

and then to gather and continue that community.

Well, we're gonna dig in.

We always see how many questions we can tackle before

the end of the night. So we have Pastor hairing

with us, who's our student Ministry's pastor and.

Has been helped.

Is there anyone in here by show Hans who's been

going to our Bible sprint. Anyone's been going to our

I know happened last night, so man, about a third

of the room. That's great. So man, that's awesome. Hopefully

you've enjoyed it. We'll make some reference probably here to

it tonight as well. And then we got Pastor Aaron

here who taught last at our sprint.

And he's over all of our campuses.

He's our campus operations pastor, he's over our campus pastors.

And then we have Pastor Sonnas who's one of the

ones along with my wife.

They lead the women's ministry, and Sonas is over our

legacy ministry as well.

So we are gonna dig right in, and we're gonna

throw up question one right away.

We're gonna dig into it. Man, I am thoroughly.

I don't know about you, Pastor Aaron, because you the

one who helped you kind of picked our questions tonight.

There's probably I don't know, eighty questions submitted.

Yes, it was very hard.

We look at that voice too, man, it was hard. Yeah,

that's why I gave him to you. I looked at

the list. I was like, either are so good. It's like,

how do you pick something like Pastor Aaron? You pick

them here, So these are the ones that you decided on.

But the man, they're all so good and so thoughtful. Well,

we're jumping to number one. It says this, How can

I have.

A desire and hunger for wisdom and intellect without making

them idols in my life?

Is it more wrong?

From a Christian perspective to desire and pursue intellect.

I don't ever want the desire.

To be to get to be intellectual, to get in

the way of my relationship with Christ. Please help man,

what a great question? Does anyone want to tackle that first?

At all? If not, I could jump into it, I

mean I'll go first. Number one, the fact.

That someone's asking a question like that shows a lot

of desire of maturity in their walk is that they

don't want something. What I gat the first time I

read it, I thought they met they didn't want to

get puffy with knowledge from the Bible. And then as

I read it more, I thought, oh, I think they

mean to be an intellectual in general, and so that

may be like in your career, you want to be intellectual,

whether it be through politics or whatever. And then there's

this awareness like I don't want those things to get

my relationship in my relationship.

So I kind of saw it twofold at first.

I saw it in the way of Luke twoin fifty

two is what we kind of encourage our men with, with,

which is as Jesus grew when he was a child

and as he grew in adulthood, the Bible says Jesus

grew in wisdom, knowledge, favor with God and favor with man.

And so there's this encouragement in Luke two fifty two

that wisdom and knowledge is a good thing, it's a

great thing, but there's an added element where essentially you

need God's favor and you need man's favor, which is

a gift of God. In that same regard, and so

what I always prerequisite and encourage someone who's maybe pursuing

an intellectual endeavor.

And I sit on the board.

Of a university, and so I get to meet people

all the time who have doctor in front of their name,

and you can meet people who have doctor in front

of their name who are really humble, and at times

you meet people with doctor in front of their name

who are not very humble. And so really, to me,

it's an application of humility in that regard is do

you think you've earned this or do you think.

God has blessed you with this?

Because I think it earned it, then more than likely

you will gain a place of pride. But if you

believe that all intellect has been formed and gifted by God,

then there's a humility that says, no matter how smart

I get God is infinitely more smarter and wiser than

I could ever be. Still, and if you can keep

that in the picture, it doesn't matter how many degrees

you have behind your name. What does matter is how

much you rely on God for the source for sure

of your wisdom and your intellect. Because I've met a

lot of smart people all day, but they're stupid in

the way they talk. They don't know how to talk

to people, they don't know how to gain favor from anyone,

and so therefore they're brilliant, but they've never had any

access to anything because in their brilliance, they don't know

how to talk to people, and they've never reached a

point of humility. And so I just encourage keep in

perspective by never letting your intellect, whether it's in the

Bible or outside of the Bible, never keep it away

from prayer life, because it does. You don't bring your

smarts to prayer. You bring your worship to prayer.

So don't don't.

You can memorize Versus all day, but at some point

in prayer, prayer is a lowly thing to do because

you're releasing things to God and you're also compassionately caring

for others by praying for others. So never let your

intellect get in the way of prayer, and never let it.

Get in the way of your worship.

Don't ever be too smart to not be able to

bow down to the King of kings and the Lord

of lords. No matter how much position or prominence your

intellect has brought you, always say God, I'm but a

servant to you, and so I go wherever you go.

And I think when you keep that in perspective, you're

gonna be okay. And they asked that question, so by

that regard alone is beautiful.

You know, I love God, love to question.

I'll piggyback off a pastor adam.

Humility is key.

So one of the practical ways of demonstrating humility is

through community, proactively asking people that love you what are

your blind spots? Because no matter how much intellect you have,

no matter how much you grow in wisdom, we all

have blind spots. So having people that love you but

aren't impressed by you, that you that are safe, that

you can proactively say, Hey, how would you assess my

humility in the last six months? Hey, you know you

work closely with me. What are some areas that I

can grow in, et cetera, et cetera. And as long

as you stay open in community, that will keep us humble,

and you can continue to grow in that wisdom and

God will continue to bless with favor.

That's great.

I also think too that if we are somebody who's

seeking intellect and seeking wisdom, as you said, it's a

very good thing.

I think where it gets us.

In trouble sometimes is that we are so hyper focused

on the black and white of science essentially that we

have a hard time in understanding that the supernatural and

so God can perform miracles and do things that absolutely

don't make sense. So for us not to get so

to deep dive so much into this doesn't intellectually make sense.

Therefore it cannot happen. That it almost.

Gets to the point where you don't believe that God

can make anything happen in your life.

So it tends to test.

Our faith in that moment where our faith is not

as big as our intellect. And I never want to

be in a position where my intellect is bigger than

my faith. I always want to have my faith be

bigger than what I know, because He can do things

that I will.

Never even understands.

Great, yeah, all right, let's jump to number two. What

does it say, how can we as the church get

new believers to sit at the feet of Jesus and

become disciples first before integrating them to be part of

a system of the church. I asked this because when

I was a fresh new believer, I was zealous to

do for God instead of sitting under him and creating

an intimate relationship with him. What I see also on

my card is they said, and as a result of

my lack of understanding, I put myself in situations I

wasn't equipped for, and I made some mistakes. So the

question is twofold, how do we as the church convey

the importance of discipleship first before serving and volunteering? And

how can we walk alongside new believers?

Better? Great question, pastor Hering, you wanna tackle that first?

I would say discipleship at its most basic function means

following Jesus. And so when I read that question, I

felt like there was some kind of tension that she had,

maybe some experience she had with the church. And so

as a new believer when it comes to discipleship, I

think you have to look at it as a spiritual

infant the way you look at a baby, right, a

baby needs help feeding themselves. And so the church can

come alongside the new believer and help feed this infant.

And so as you're picturing what discipleship is in this

infinite stage, you know, an infinite also cries a lot, right,

makes a lot of noises, and so this new believer

will make a lot of noise, and so we as

a church have to give room and space, and there

has to be a process of growth for them. And

then also, you know, and infant poops a lot, right,

You're changing a diaper constantly, And so as the church,

when we see this new believer, this infant in Christ,

we also got to be reminded that they will make

a lot of mistakes and it will smell. And so

it's our job to walk alongside them to kind of

help them push them towards discipleship. And being at the

foot of Jesus is simply just talking to Jesus every

single day, right, And this believer, I feel like this

person needs needs help in that direction.

But also a believer also.

Infant sleeps a lot, right, and so this new believer

has needs to sleep and and so you have to

give time for that new believer to wake up. Sometimes

they may you may see them, and they may not

be spiritually where they need to be. And I think

that that's the tendency of a lot of old saints

or super orthodoxy folks.

They they're they're.

Too judgmental on this new believer. And so they're casting

judgment there because they have a certain language, they have

a certain lingo, and so you gotta you gotta, you know,

be reminded that at one point you didn't know at all.

And so this new believer that there's a process to that.

And so I would just dumb it down to three things.

Three things regularly spend time with God, get water, baptized,

and attend UH a growth track. And I think if

you do those three things, that's how you that's how

you come alongside the church and growing discipleship.

Yeah, that's great, and I think it's important UH, and

we encourage and we're doing this in our sprint right now.

When we're done, we'll we'll put it online in the sprint.

But but it's always important because one of the things

I love about this person's question is they are reflecting

critically on their own experience and how they began their

relationship with Jesus, which that's great and we all should

always reflect on, like, man, where was I three years ago?

Where am I? And now what did I learn?

The place that we can get into trouble is if

we start to formulate a fix that we haven't really

spent time in the Bible actually studying. So that's kind

of where our sprint that we're in right now, where

we're showing how to read the Bible, because the very

statement of sitting at the feet of Jesus and serving

the person is separating those two.

But if you read the Gospels.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus finds his disciples and

throws them in the deep water immediately, like hey, you

go to.

This town, you pray for this person, Hey you do this,

Hey you do that.

It's like Jesus goes once you see me do it

once get in the game, and you see these disciples

make after mistake after mistake. They say stupid thing after

stupid thing, they do, dumb thing after dumb thing. They

can't cast out a demon they're asking to be on

Jesus's left and right hand Peter's cutting off ears.

And you know, you could make the argument like, why

don't those guys just sit down and sit? What are

they doing? And it'say, well, no, Jesus was the one

who wanted them, commanded them, and in their airs they

grew and they learned and.

They developed to then Jesus ascends into heaven and he takes.

These twelve guys.

But you know, the twelfth comes in with Matthias after Judas,

and he goes, hey, you guys are gonna do greater

things in building the church than I did when I

ascend to heaven. You guys have made so many mistakes

under my covering, and you have learned how to sit

at my feet.

That you're good to go.

And they build this movement by the power of the

Holy Spirit that is still two thousand years later in

effect in impacting today. That came from guys who were

both sitting at the feet of Jesus and also serving

in the kingdom. And so you actually, I'd rephrase the

question and say, hey, let's talk about how important it

is to do both, because if you look around on

a Sunday, there are actually more Christians sitting at the

feet of Jesus than they are serving.

You know, we.

Have fifteen thousand people in our church and we have

twenty five hundred people actively serving, So then less of

half of people are serving and more than half are sitting.

So the statement should actually be flipped.

Why are so many people sitting at the feet of

the Jesus without serving? You know, that's the more appropriate question.

And I'm not here to make anyone feel guilty. I'm

just here to say I love that your journey was

that you served right away and you learn from mistakes.

I'm telling you that's great. Make some more mistakes and allow.

God to continue to disciple, which is discipline. Discipleship you

discipline into refining you into the believer that God has called.

You and I to become. Because if I look at

the years that.

I've had opportunity to serve in the Kingdom of God,

just like that person, I've made a lot of mistakes,

but the Lord has also allowed me to make a

lot of impact by learning through my mistakes. You can't

perfect your faith without doing that is the process of

what Jesus has called.

You to do is to be doers of the word,

not just hearers. Of the word.

According to James, so I love the critical aspect of

the question. It's like, okay, now let's start to read

scripture and make sure that the opinion we're coming out

falls in line.

And if it does, great, run with it.

If it doesn't, say okay, I think I was thinking

the right thing, but now I need apply.

It a little bit different.

So I encourage you do both and use your spiritual gifts.

In Corinthians, Paul teaches the gifts of the Spirit and

talks about the body.

And the gifts.

But in that same book, a few chapters later he

also tells everyone, you guys are all still on milk.

You're no one's on meat yet in corinth But why'd

you just tell us the spiritual gifts and tell us

to use these if we're all on meat milk? Because

through that process you're going to start to grow to

meat as the Holy Spirit works on us, as we

use our gifts. And so a fantastic question, and hopefully

that that dials in on some more practical application on

how you can utilize both in regards and I'm not

saying sitting at the feet of Jesus is just church attendance.

You know, we know it's reading our Bible prayer, but

these are all kind of culminate in that same place

of sitting at the feet of Jesus.

All right, let's go question three when dating exclusive.

When dating exclusively, should one attend singles ministry events for

example singles neighborhood groups, Bible studies, singles nights.

Through the church. Let me qualify.

Maybe you guys know they're saying they're dating someone exclusive,

like they have a boyfriend and a girlfriend.

Should they be at singles? Okay, okay, that's right.

Yeah, okay, sweet sonas you want to take that you

are single in the church?

First, yes, Nathan, uh.

You know, I used to be a summer camp counselor

and we would divide the kids by age, and sometimes

a parent of one of the seven year olds would say, oh, well,

my child's almost eight, and I would say, well, your

child is seven until they're eight, so they can go

to the seven year old group.

And I would say the same thing for the single person.

You are single until you are married.

You are single until you are married, and until you

are married, you are single.

So therefore, feel free.

To partake in anything that is for single people. Now

you're dating exclusively, so it would be a great idea

for you to get around groups that are a pro

that can teach you about the next season that you're

going through. Absolutely, if you want to learn about marriage

because you are dating somebody and the intent is to

marry and you have discussed this and you have good

counsel around you, get get plugged into some groups or

get to know some couples that can mentor you and

walk you through those things. But if you're specifically asking

about Bible studies and single nights, you are single, So

feel free to have friends that are single.

You're not going there to meet.

In fact, our church used to have a singles ministry,

but it sort of just became like a grocery store

to shop.

For a spouse.

And then they would find each.

Other, and then they same a single women's.

Club, right it, yes, you know, and so and then

once they found somebody, they were out of the singles ministry.

And so then yes, it ended up just being you know,

a bunch of you know, synass.

Before I got married.

So you know, just just know that if you're saying, well,

you can do anything that is for a single person.

I just had curiosity for the person to ask the question.

He's trying like a pillow talk like you're.

You know, the radio station.

I would have the.

I'm just curious if that person wants to bring their

day with them or they're trying to pull up by themselves.

Well, well maybe I will assume.

I'm going to assume I feel like this this this,

this question may be different if it's based on if

it's a man or if it's a woman.

Not the answer, but not the answer.

But I'm saying I think if it was a man,

maybe because he's trying to figure out if he's disrespecting

his girlfriend by attending these And if it's a woman,

maybe she's trying to, you know, say, am I being

inappropriate by going.

To these wells.

Most singles events are normally around equipping and encouraging in

a season of singleness. It rarely is an encouragement unless

sometimes and we want to do some in the future

where it's specifically a.

Mixer to meet people.

So I think that's the difference is, you know, there

are many singles events that are based around mixers to

potentially meet someone. Then yeah, if you're exclusive, you probably

shouldn't go to the singles mixer where it's built to

meet someone of the opposite sex and potentially thrive a relationship.

But nine times out of ten, a singles neighborhood group

or a singles gathering, it's really around the idea of

the season that the person's in, which is which singleness

is a.

Great season to that. The apostle Paul says, I wish that.

Everybody was in that season of singleness. They could give

more time to God in the church. And you know,

he says, when you're married and you have kids, you're

split minded and in the worldly thing and earthly things.

He's not saying they're bad, He's just saying you are split.

So he says he doesn't demonize the single experience.

So in that same.

Regard, most singles events are built around, hey, we're just

in a common season. Let's encourage each other, let's equip

each other. And normally when you're at when you read

like a singles book or curriculum, it normally is all

about preparing you for a better relationship when you are

in a relationship, because there isn't a lot of equipping

you could do for a single person. Because if a

person identifies as a single person, you're kind of more

than likely the person saying I don't want to be single.

I want to be in a relationship.

So most of the content you're consuming is basically preparation

to be in a relationship. And so if you're in

an exclusive relationship, I hope that you're still preparing to

be in a better relationship. So you can absolutely go

in an exclusive relationship into those gatherings because you're equipping

each other and encouraging each other.

To do healthy relationships in that way.

And hopefully when you're out those you can realize if

your boyfriend or girlfriend is the real deal, and you

could you could dump them before things get serious if

they're not really about, you know, what they're supposed to

be about. So there's that benefit as well. And who

knows that that gathering a real Christian man or woman

may pop up. So until that rings on, fair game.

So it's my motto, you know, all right, let's go

to the next question. In other words, put the ring on.

All right, let's go to the next question.

It says, how do I raise my fiance's son without

overstepping any boundaries? He also looks at me like his

dad any advice, that's great.

Uh, passeron. You want to jump on that one, I

can start.

On that one. I have a blended family. My daughter's

in here. It's her birthday, by the way, Happy birthday. Yeah,

I'm so happy that my daughter's in church on her birthday.

So me and Erica have been married seventeen years.

This is my daughter. But I also respect.

The boundaries that I'm not her only father, and that's

not always easy to do. So it's I believe it's

me honoring his role as a father while providing love

to the assignment that God has given me to be

her father as well. So a lot of conversations with

my daughter as it relates to our healthy relationship. When

me and Erica first got married, I recognize that though

I'm the leader of the household, she has so much

more years of influence and authority in her life. And

it was up to me and Erica to work that out.

As we parented Eileen, and as I establish more trust

with my wife eric Cu and as I established more

trust what Eileen, I just organically got more influence over

the years. I didn't I didn't think that, Okay, now

that we're married Eileen has to treat me this way

as her father. Now that we're married, Erica, you have

to trust me to be the lead. Those things take

time in a blended context, and there's different scenarios because.

There's very oh god, there's varying levels. It's not like

I'm about to cry. Yeah, I'll interpret it for you, okay.

Yeah, of like involvement on the other like father's side.

So based upon that.

Level of involvement is going to be what needs to

be agreed upon. But I think it can work out

what continued communications because things change over the seasons.

So yeah, that's great.

Yeah, And I recommend and I always recommend it. There's

a famous book which we would all practically know called

The Five Love Languages by doctor Gary Chapman. And I

got to meet doctor Gary Chapman time and he shared

with me which is out now, But he told me

many years ago he had released now a book called

the Five Love Languages for Blended Families. Because what he

told me one time was he said, I didn't realize

how different the Five Love Languages should be applied when

an outsider comes into a family or into a relationship,

and he talks more about building trust, being aware of

how your stepson or stepdaughter responds to the love languages

and five love languages, even that new spouse spouse that

you have as a blended family. But be aware that

you have to garner trust in order to build those

bridges to exemplify the love that you're trying to show.

And when he was telling me, he said, you know,

for example, you know in my book it recommends you

know if someone's love language is physical touch, you know

someone will benefit from a hug or coming up around

and putting your armor on their shoulders. So let's just say,

for me, if I know a young man's love languages,

he's affirmed by physical touch, and I come.

Around, I put my arm around him.

Well, if he doesn't trust me, he'll actually, even though

that is his love language, he'll revolt at it.

They'd be like, you.

Haven't earned the right yet to put your arm around me.

I'm not comfortable with that. So doctor Chapman said, man,

I realize it kind of made an error, and I

made the five lunguage love language is a blanket statement.

Though those aspects.

Are true, the trust part is a huge component, and

at what varying degrees you grow and trust. So if

you're in a blended family, I highly recommend that you

go get five love languages for blended families and just

process that through and apply it. However, the Holy Spirit

encourages you to apply it to but you'll really benefit

from the resource. And then lastly, we've done some you know,

we have Beyond the Letter podcast, but we also have

Beyond I Do podcasts, So if you're in a blended family,

Aaron and his wife Erica and a few other people

have done some episodes with us, specifically.

On blended Family.

Eileen has also as his daughter has shared on there.

So you can go are Beyond the Letter podcast or

on YouTube. Just type in Beyond I do Blended Family

and those episodes should pop up and those will be

longer form that you can kind of get more insight

on that topic as well. All right, let's go to

the next question. Hello, I was wondering how you guys

go about the LGBTQ plus community. My friend and I

started coming to this church. However, my friend says she

loves it here and feels closer to God. But they're

also part of the LGBTQ community and feel as if

they don't belong here because of it, but they are

a true believer of God.

It's a great question.

I'll let the other team jump on it in a second.

But there's a few things it's important to talk about.

But right before I left on my time off in

the summer, I actually had two young girls that were

probably twenty and twenty one years old who came up

to me and essentially asked essentially the same question. And

you know, it's easy to give a response on stage

when I'm just looking at like a lot of faces

and people online. You feel much more at tension when

you have two young girls who are looking at you

after service and asking the question. And one girl was

straight and the other one identified to be in the

LGBT community, and they came up and asked me, And

so essentially I'll just respond how I responded to them.

But also I have a little bit more time, so

I'll add to it as well. But essentially what I

said is I always like to be upfront and straightforward.

I feel like too many churches today are trying to.

Pull the okie dokee. Right.

There's those statements about you know, and we've used them

before in the past two but it's you know, you

don't have to believe before you feel like you belong

in all these statements. But then a person comes and

they find out six months later that you're not an

affirming church, and they're like.

Wait, you guys tricked me.

You told me that I'm accepted as I am, but

now that I'm like trying to connect, you're telling.

Me now that I'm not. And so I always there's

two types of churches.

There's not a lot of churches that are this first kind,

which you have an affirming church, which is a church

that thinks all sexuality, all genders are fair game and

it's all accepted by God as it is, and that's

called an affirming church.

There aren't many of those today.

And then you have a non affirming church, which believes

in traditional biblical gender, which is male and female. God's

design for man is between a man and a woman,

specifically to live life, procreate, and continue to bless the

world that God has put us in and expand, and

so our church falls under the latter if you go

through growth track. We even share because we want to

be very clear to say, hey, everyone in the church

is welcome.

Everyone is welcome.

Does it matter what I have seen church that are

people that come into church that are high on cocaine.

We don't exclude them.

We have seen people that have come to church who

are have done jail sentences and our murderers, and they

can come. We have had people that are in active

affairs and adultery and they can come. But all of

those individuals they cannot serve and they cannot come on staff.

So LGBTQ community is not the only thing that we place.

What you would think is a boundary around.

It was the fact. It's the fact that the Bible

is our only authority.

Yes, and we have a statement here that says, hey,

if we ever say something that isn't in the Word

of God, then don't listen to us. In other words,

we're saying we're not an authority. God's word is an authority.

And so what I shared with those two young girls

was as God's Word has a design for our life.

That doesn't take away from the part that you may

have things that you're struggling through or a lifestyle that

you identify as in the same way that I have

struggles every day. Because the Bible, Bible commands me to

be a husband to one woman. And there are many

times that my flesh tells me, Adam, don't be a

husband to one woman. And I have to make a

decision every day to to silence that flesh and put

the misdeeds to the devil in its place. And so

I just turned it.

I said.

It may be harder for you because at this time

you don't see that your lifestyle could ever change. But

if you trust in Jesus, I have seen it before,

God does do a miracle. And so I encourage that girl.

I said, come here, attend here, love to be here.

Let God grow you. But we aren't here to know

more about God. That's that's not why we come to church.

We come to church to worship Jesus, who saved us

from our sins. That that is the primary focus of

why we come to church. And sometimes the front door

to someone coming to church is I want to know

more about God. I want to know more about the Bible.

But we're we're that is that is where we all start.

But the finish line, where life actually begins, is an acknowledgment.

Like Acts three nineteen says, and it says, repent therefore

and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,

wiped away, that times of refreshing may come for you

in the presence of the Lord. So God wants to

blot out your sins. Now we just have to talk about, well,

what are sins?

You know?

And we could spend time about talking about that all day.

But I'm a sinner. Everyone you're sitting next to is

a sinner. We all need our sins wipe clean if

we want to spend time with God one day in

his presence. And so it finishes, and it says that

He may send Christ appointed for you. And so the

point that all took point about why we do anything is.

So that someone can recognize.

God, I have sinned in your sight and I desperately

need saving, and you have gifted me your son Jesus

to save me of my sins, and You're very presence

and forgiveness will bring about a revival and a renewal

of my heart like I've never seen before. And when

you can recognize that you have fallen short of the

glory of God and you need Jesus as your savior,

that is the starting point on why we gather here.

It's because we all have a commonality, not that we

want to know who God is, because.

There's tons of religions who are trying to pursue who

God is. We know who God is.

His name is Jesus, and he died for us, and

he rose for us, and he lives today in you

and I so that we can see him and know him.

And so as I encourage anyone to say, reflect upon

the Gospel on what sins you need saving, and the

Word of God will tell you and show you and

I what those sins are. And the faster you can

lay your hope on Jesus. And everyone needs to lay

their hope on Jesus. The person who's had affairs, the

person who is actively addicted to things in pornography and

lustful lifestyles, living with their boyfriend or girlfriend, all of

those things are ways that we have fallen short, including

a same sex relationship. It is not any different than

any of those things, but it is a part of it.

And so I would encourage anyone that, as you are

pursuing God, get to the final phase, which is saying, Jesus,

I need you so bad, and that is where you

will begin to see that relationship with God start to

take root in a person's life.

So know that God does love you.

God is pursuing you, and God wants you to know him.

In the same way that He has made.

Steps for you, you must make steps towards him. And

know you don't have to do it upon your own power.

The Holy Spirit will help you and enable you in

a way that your flesh and your body couldn't.

And so hopefully that.

Answers with a little bit of grace, but also a

little bit of truth, because I do think in culture

today there is a little bit too much dancing around

this conversation. I'd rather love someone enough to say I

love you. But in the same way that I'm giving

the gospel to the guy that's living with his girlfriend,

I'm going to give the gospel to you in the

same same regard. Because God is not indifferent to those

type of things. But there should be a care because

many people are going through a lot of things today.

So it should come up from a place of compassion,

not of judgment. And that's what leads ultimately, that allows

a person to make a decision to follow and pursue Jesus.

Anyone else want to tap on that and add anything, Yeah, okay,

cool man, it's.

You know, I want to make sure we answer it

clearly in an age of where we get asked this,

you know, multiple times a week, you know, yeah, yeah, okay,

let's go. Let's take a couple more, two more, and

we'll close here together. When you're a new believer, how

do you know God's will and plan for your life?

What would you suggest might help someone to make a

life decisi vision like that?

Anyone woun't tackle it pastor hearing you wire.

It's probab cliche, But I think the most simple thing

to know God's will is God's word and prayer. And so,

you know, the more you're in tune God's word, you

kind of know that what he's like, what's his attributes.

What he does not like.

And so as a parent, you know, my kid knows

what not to do, you know, and what to do

because we have that relationship. So when you have that

relationship with God through his word, you kind of have

this idea of knowing what God wants from my life

and what he doesn't want from my life. And then

through prayer, it's our connection back to him to kind

of confirm.

What his word is revealed.

But also what prayer is like when you're talking to

God on a daily basis.

So that's great.

I would just briefly add that a lot of times

you're not going to know. Sometimes I don't know, And

that's what Pastor Schnaz was talking about earlier. That's where

faith comes in.

So one of my wife's.

Favorite scriptures is Colossians three twenty three, and it says,

whatever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and

not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will

receive the inheritance as your reward. So it's taken out,

is it yes or no?

It's whatever you do.

Palms twenty three says goodness and mercy shall follow you

all the days of your life. So sometimes you may

make the wrong decision with the right heart. I remember

when we were launching Pomona, and I just knew we

were going to launch in this school.

Have people take pictures in front of it. This is

God's will. I was completely wrong.

It was wrong, but I kept pursuing. And as you

keep pursuing, and you learn from failure. Okay, don't send

a camera crew out and declare that this is the school, right.

You learn from that.

But afterwards, you just continue to push forward as you're

seeking god will.

Yeah, that's great.

When when when I was dating Ashley, we had a

moment of contention very early on in our relationship because

she got a job for that famous gossip call h

TMZ and UH she also got an.

Offer to work with UH.

She had she has a passion for special needs children,

so she got an offer to work at a special

needs organization. And then she got an offer with more

money and more opportunity from TMZ in Hollywood. And she

we're like two months into dating and she goes, what

do you think I should do?

You know?

And she's trying to what what do you know? I

want to know God's will? What job should I take him?

And my response was, you know, I think that you

should choose the thing that looks most like Jesus. That's

that's what you should do. And that's not always the case.

Sometimes both decisions may look like Jesus. But but often

you can start a logical discussion on what looks most

like Jesus. God, I don't know your will with this

friendship or this relationship or this family member. Well start

first with, well, what looks most like Christ? Just harboring

bitterness or ignoring a conversation or not loving something like

it would Jesus be like, that's it, that's my will,

give that person the bird, or ignore them like that's

me all day.

No, that's not. It's not that Jesus was always soft.

But but we know how to.

We can read the Bible and deduce what what Christ's righteousness,

what his anger, and what his forgiveness looks like.

And so upon giving that aff uh, you know.

That affirmation to Ashley, she decided to take the job

at TMZ, which didn't look like.

Jesus at all.

But here's where God's will does come a part of it.

I said, God, if it is your will, and I'm

to marry this girl if she makes it. If she's

still working there in six months, I'm gonna break up

with her because it's.

Just not something that I wanted to be connected to.

Uh.

Within within two weeks she was fired. Uh for no reason.

Just brought her in.

They were like, she was bringing in the most leads,

she was doing the best job of all the groups

she was hired, and they just called and they said, hey,

you're not working out for us. You're fired And I said,

all right, God, I see your will, so prayer, prayer,

wisdom word.

I'm pass her here and double down on it.

And it was the best thing that could have happened

to her, because you know, twelve years later she's married

to me.

So it's a great blessing for her life not to

still be working there. You know. All right, let's close

with this last one.

In a way, I've been struggling with letting go of

going to raves.

Ooh, me too. You know, I'm just playing.

I do not participate in the drugs. What's good that

take place. I just enjoy the music. However, since developing

my faith, I've been pulled between going and not going.

Is it wrong for me to still participate in raves

as a believer in God?

Great question.

I'm glad you're asking that. I'm glad in your faith.

You're you know, even contemplating what's right, what's wrong for

your walk and for your faith.

You know. So now as you want to add.

That, I think that in protecting your faith to be

anywhere where, you're going to be tempted to do something

that might not As Pastor Adam was talking about with

the Ashley and TMZ thing.

If if that doesn't look.

Like God in your life, then maybe that's something that

you need to really think about.

There are people who can walk into a bar.

And not not blink twice, have no issue, will get

a diet coke and call it a day.

And it's not even something that they think about.

But then there's some people who walk into a bar

and before they even get to the door, the smell

of inside.

Is making them sweat.

And if that is something that is triggering you, or

if that is something that I like to go to

raves because I like to dance, but the environment is

more than dancing.

The environment is drugs.

If that's something that you struggled with in the past,

that is all the stuff that you have to consider,

because it's important to understand that the enemy will use

that as an open door to get to you. And

it might not be the first time, it might not

be the second time. You may be able to go

to ten twenty raves and hold fast, but there could

be a day where you're not as strong as you

think that you are and you may be tempted with

something that has tempted you in the past. And if

there is even a slight chance of you being tempted

to go back into a life that is not of God,

I would consider why you even have a taste for

it anymore, because as we talk about transformation through God,

God changes our taste buds for life, and he makes

attractive the things of God, and he makes unattractive the

things of the world, the things I used to be

up in the club, okay, back in the day.

I don't. I have no desire whatsoever.

I'm not about that because it's not attractive to me anymore.

I love music, but that doesn't mean I need to

be in.

An environment that is not attractive because of what's going

on there.

And so I would I would look at what it.

Is that makes that attractive and whether or not that

is something that you need to take to God and

work on and say, Lord, make attractive, what is attractive

to you? Make me be like you, make me want

the things that you want in my life.

Yeah, that's great.

Oh yeah, I think I I uh, one hundred agree.

I somewhat got checked by my own hypocrisy. And I

think it's important to do as we as believers because

raving is so foreign to me.

I don't know what happens at raves.

I know the stereotypes about raves, but I don't know

how many. I don't know if ninety percent of the

space are they're all, you know, doing drugs and you know,

walking in circles or what. I don't know what happens

at them. I know music is played and it goes.

It's like the very minimal words are used, and so

it's like, well, technically it's you know, like ambient music

or whatever. I've never been to one, you know, I

know they happen, so you know, when I first read

a question, I was like, oh, yeah, easy answer, like no,

you don't go to it.

And then I was processing.

I was like, well, if that's such an easy response

to not go to it, then there are a lot

of other things that are easy responses to not go

to but would be really hard for a believer to

give up. In other words, you go to a football

game and you know more than fifty of the percent

of the people are getting drunk. Yeah, uh, a third

of those people have idolized the people on the field.

I have gone to a RAMS game with my wife

one time and we had to leave because we were

getting a contact high from everybody smoking weed at the

Rams game, and so you know, there are so many

things that you could begin to say and say, man,

well then you know, yeah, like going to football games

probably not appropriate, going to basketball game is probably not appropriate.

And I'm not advocating that you take it that far.

I'm just saying I'm not even a big sports person,

but I've been in enough areas that I can say, Man,

if I immediately say a rave is off off the ticket,

then I mean some of the football games I've been

I've been to are off the ticket, or some of

the movies that we go to and we see that

we think for a second, oh, well that wasn't appropriate,

But I mean it passed already, so I think will

be good.

You know. It's like we do those things all the

time in terms.

So I'm not I'm not saying whether the person should

or shouldn't go. I probably through time would recommend it's

not as smart. But but I think there are some

more qualifying conversations within the discipleship process that.

One should have on whether it is appropriate or not.

Because the Bible doesn't ever just say you can't listen to,

you know, music that doesn't talk about God all the time,

but we know that there is music that isn't appropriate

at the same time, and so it can be a

both and at times it just depends on the atmosphere

environment and what does that cause your flesh to do?

And are you.

Capable to be a light in a dark area.

In that way?

If you can't, if being in an area like that

waters down, you know, Like I have nothing against but

you know, I see people like trying to share the

gospel with someone that's drunk sometimes and I'm just like, hey,

they're not coherent, you know, like you have a you know,

you're well intent like I'm sharing my light right now.

It's like they're not sober minded. They can't even make

a decision on where their home is let alone, you know.

So it's like you may be well intentioned, but environment

is critical we at the same time too.

I mean obviously unless.

God gives you a word to do that than be obedient.

But you know, it's just this idea right environment is

important and how we approach the environment is and so

you have to everything Sonasa saying what was your walk, like,

how did you approach them in the past?

What was your like those do matter? In the conversation. Right,

I've never been to a rage, so.

I imagine I could go there and I could just

stand there and like, you know, just stare at it.

But if someone had a pass where they love it

and it just does something to them.

You have to evaluate, is this an idol for me,

that's that's taking my passions away from God?

Or you know, can you are you doing it in

a healthy way.

That's really up to maybe a spiritual advisor and what

the Holy Spirit is telling you in that way.

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed tonight.

I'm gonna pray for us as we close, so glad

and thankful that our family joined us for this beyond

the letter night, and excited to see what God does

this next Sunday.

I'm gonna pray for us, So if you would like

to bow your head and close your eyes, will leave

here together.

God, we thank you so much, Lord for just the

wisdom and insight you've given, not just from this stage today,

but at everybody's tables. God, I thank you Lord that

everybody is being equipped to live out our faith. God

is we have come to this place and this day

to day to be in community with one another, God,

to walk our faith with one another, to encourage one another.

Father God, I thank you Lord that as we are

a family, that's what patreo means family, that in a

family we can encourage one another, we can discourage one another,

we could pray for one another, and we can also

see you move in.

Such a fresh way. God.

I pray if there's anyone here that has never made

a step forward like we shared about moments ago, and

they've never rested their sins, they've never trusted in You

as their Lord and Savior, and they've been wrestling with

some things, and maybe they've come into church thinking I

just want to know a little bit about God. I

want to know a little bit more about who I am,

or what my purpose is or why I'm here on earth.

I pray Lord that in these moments they can come

to the final reconciliation as they are here on earth

to be relationship with You, God. And the way to

that relationship with You is through your son Jesus, the

one who has died for us, the one who has

resurrected for us, and the one who calls us to him.

So I pray, Lord, if there's anyone in here or

watching online, who's being called by you to give their

life to you, to confess their sins and fully hope

in you and experience your presence.

I pray in this moment that we can all.

Say this prayer out loud together as we see God

moving in your life. So, if you're here today and

you want to say that prayer and you want to

not just go to a place where you've just been

living a life wanting to be a good person, but

get to a place where you realize I'm not good.

God is good and I desperately need him, then I

will encourage all of us as a family to say

this out loud as we affirm what the Holy Spirit

is doing right now. Would you join me in saying this,

Dear Lord Jesus, in this moment, I confess my sins.

I believe in my heart that you died on the

cross and you rose three days later. From this day forward,

I call you Lord and Savior in Jesus' name.

Amen.