Bible Bibs and a Prayer Season 3 Episode 59

Singer: Brother Jim's got the mic in hand.

Singer: David's laughing like a one man band talking disco, bell bottom

Singer: flares and a little bit of scripture to say your prayers.

Singer: Yes, it's the past, it's the present.

Singer: It's the holy.

Singer: Sit back and join us.

Singer: Bible bids and a prayer.

Singer: Bible bids and a prayer.

Singer: We're keeping it real.

Singer: From the red, white and blue to the spinning wheel.

Singer: It's stories and devotion.

Singer: Good vibes to share.

Singer: Come on and listen to Bible bibs and a prayer.

Brother Jim: Hey what's up everyone?

Brother Jim: It is time my friends.

Brother Jim: Time for Bible bibs and a prayer.

Brother Jim: And especially good morning Vietnam.

Brother Jim: Yes, Vietnam.

Brother Jim: Oh baby.

Brother Jim: Number two coming in in our viewing as far as countries go,

Brother Jim: David updated me on that.

Brother Jim: And of course, going back to that great movie, Robin Williams

Brother Jim: good Morning Vietnam.

Brother Jim: We had to do that.

Brother Jim: So we brothers and sisters out

Brother Jim: there in Vietnam, friends, we

Brother Jim: are so glad to have you and keep

Brother Jim: it up.

Brother Jim: And again, we'd love to hear from you.

Brother Jim: Good morning family, friends and the whole wide world.

Brother Jim: Welcome to your daily start.

Brother Jim: Hopefully this is going to, uh, be a place to wake up, stay

Brother Jim: informed, focused and ready for the day ahead.

Brother Jim: Whether you are sipping your

Brother Jim: morning coffee, maybe doing a

Brother Jim: little morning exercise, heading

Brother Jim: out the door, which I gotta say,

Brother Jim: that whole exercise thing in the

Brother Jim: morning.

Brother Jim: David, I don't know anything about that.

Brother Jim: It's overrated.

Brother Jim: Overrated?

Brother Jim: That's right.

Brother Jim: Or easing into your morning

Brother Jim: routine, we've got just what you

Brother Jim: need.

Brother Jim: Quick insight, a little inspiration, and a clear look at

Brother Jim: what matters today.

Brother Jim: Let us make this morning count.

Brother Jim: Speaking of that, folks, how is my wallet, David?

Brother Jim: Like an onion.

David: How's that?

Brother Jim: Every time I open it, I cry.

Brother Jim: I let you, and I thank God for another day.

Brother Jim: We didn't have to set the alarm for.

Brother Jim: Because hey folks, we are

Brother Jim: already awake and we are

Brother Jim: blessed.

Brother Jim: My name is Brother Jim, one half of the dynamic duo here on Bible

Brother Jim: Bibs and a prayer by day.

Brother Jim: A pastor of Rockford Church and.

Brother Jim: Well, that's just good enough for me because the comedy.

Brother Jim: The wrestling has just went off.

Brother Jim: So welcome to the show.

Brother Jim: Let's turn this in from a conversation into an experience.

Brother Jim: And now, the moment you've all been waiting for.

Brother Jim: Joining me, as always, is my

Brother Jim: co-host, the voice you did not

Brother Jim: ask for, but somehow keeps on

Brother Jim: showing up.

Brother Jim: And I gotta say, thank you for that.

Brother Jim: The man that brings the jokes,

Brother Jim: the chaos, and just enough

Brother Jim: questionable opinions to keep

Brother Jim: things interesting.

Brother Jim: Here is my co-host, my partner in crime and the reason we had

Brother Jim: to add a disclaimer to this podcast, and especially a face

Brother Jim: that only a mother could love.

Brother Jim: The one, the only Mr. David Keener, plus one of my best

Brother Jim: friends in the whole wide world.

Brother Jim: Good morning sir.

David: Good morning.

David: It's funny that you mentioned

David: your wallet because my bank

David: keeps calling me to compliment

David: me.

David: They say I have an outstanding balance.

David: So, I mean, you know, we're in good company.

Brother Jim: Uh, you know, the other day I

Brother Jim: had sixty dollars cash in my

Brother Jim: wallet.

Brother Jim: And guess what I have now?

Brother Jim: Zero zero.

David: Yeah, yeah.

Brother Jim: Yeah. It's like.

Brother Jim: And that was my own doing, actually.

Brother Jim: Usually it's the wife or child,

Brother Jim: you know, looking into my wallet

Brother Jim: to take.

Brother Jim: But yeah.

Brother Jim: Uh, but how is life in Big Brother?

David: It's good.

David: It's it's, uh, it's expensive.

David: I just had to put in a new hot water tank, uh, this past week,

David: and, uh, can I, can I can I brag on the Lord for just a minute?

Brother Jim: You go right.

David: Ahead. So, you know, I'm like everybody else.

David: I live paycheck to paycheck.

David: You know, you're just hoping you got enough to get get by.

David: Well, this year we got a tax refund, and I thought, I'm going

David: to do some upgrades to the house that have been needing done

David: since we moved in.

David: So I got a new storm door and a new kitchen window and they were

David: shot completely gone.

David: So spent the entire tax refund, got that done.

David: And then about a month later, the hot water tank went out

David: like, son of a gun.

David: Like, how am I going to do?

David: Well, I get up, I'll just call it a bonus check, if you will.

David: Twice a year at where I work.

David: And, um, it just so happens that that falls this week.

David: So the Lord takes care of us even when we don't know how

David: we're going to take care of it.

David: He takes care of us.

David: That will cover that.

David: My wife needs tires for her car.

David: I should have enough left over to cover the tires for the car.

David: I'm not going to have anything above that.

David: But he takes care of our needs, not our wants.

David: Right?

Brother Jim: Yes. So Amen to that.

Brother Jim: Where do you work at again?

Brother Jim: Bonus check.

Brother Jim: Wow.

David: Well, there's.

David: There's some work involved.

David: It's not necessarily free money, but.

David: Yeah.

David: Extra.

David: Extra.

David: Yeah.

Brother Jim: Yes. It is amazing the ankle

Brother Jim: biters that come along or a

Brother Jim: little bit bigger than ankle

Brother Jim: biters.

Brother Jim: Just when you get one thing fixed, something else pops up.

Brother Jim: But the joy of being a homeowner.

David: Oh, yeah.

Brother Jim: But you hit a good point.

Brother Jim: The Lord always provides.

Brother Jim: He might not give you a whole lot of extra.

Brother Jim: Yep.

Brother Jim: But just what you need.

Brother Jim: So, uh.

Brother Jim: Yeah.

Brother Jim: Uh, it never ends.

Brother Jim: No. it never ends.

Brother Jim: And you know, right now, in the time of mowing.

Brother Jim: And I mow a lot.

Brother Jim: Oh my goodness.

Brother Jim: There's the gas.

Brother Jim: Just goes through the cans so quickly.

David: And it's so cheap right now too.

David: Oh I know.

Brother Jim: I mean jeez, you know I'm going to start just handing out gas.

Brother Jim: Yeah.

Brother Jim: You know, free gas.

Brother Jim: Yeah.

Brother Jim: I'm kidding on that.

Brother Jim: But it's like.

Brother Jim: And sometimes I get pretty

Brother Jim: sloppy filling up the the

Brother Jim: machines.

Brother Jim: I'm being very careful now.

Brother Jim: Yes.

Brother Jim: Every little every drop counts.

Brother Jim: Yes.

Brother Jim: Anything else?

Brother Jim: How was the weekend?

David: It was.

Brother Jim: Good. Other than spending money.

David: It was good.

David: I mean, we had a little bit of rain there, but other than that,

David: it was good.

David: Got the yard mowed ahead of time, so was prepared for the

David: Saturday rain, so I didn't have to deal with that.

David: So yeah.

Brother Jim: Oh yes.

Brother Jim: Yes. And not that we are endorsing anything here, but oh,

Brother Jim: one of my best friends Biofreeze, I told David, uh.

Brother Jim: Oh my goodness.

Brother Jim: I am feeling it today because working outside, you know.

Brother Jim: Yeah.

Brother Jim: Do I stretch?

Brother Jim: Do I prepare?

Brother Jim: No, No.

Brother Jim: So, uh, yeah, it's, uh, it is

Brother Jim: the season and there's, the

Brother Jim: grass just keeps growing and

Brother Jim: growing.

David: Growing like crazy right now.

Brother Jim: Yes, I did get a couple, uh, people shout out on, uh, how to

Brother Jim: kill, uh, thistles.

Brother Jim: So I went and bought some stuff.

Brother Jim: And then I got another reply.

Brother Jim: So I don't know if I'd just be like a little mad scientist and

Brother Jim: combine it all.

David: You end up making napalm or something.

Brother Jim: If I come in turning a little green or greenish color, you'll

Brother Jim: know I took it to the extreme, which I usually do, so, uh.

Brother Jim: But hey, uh, you know, not a lot going on, uh, kind of settling

Brother Jim: down here a little bit, but, uh, before we go any further, uh,

Brother Jim: Rockford church, the family here, we lost, uh, and here on

Brother Jim: Bible bibs and a prayer, we lost one of our most faithful

Brother Jim: listeners, Miss Ida Lee Walker, and we can rejoice she is in

Brother Jim: heaven, but she is the one that gave me the name for this pig,

Brother Jim: Miss Ida Lee.

Brother Jim: And, uh, a very dear friend to me.

Brother Jim: And, uh, it's hard, David, you know, and I know you've been

Brother Jim: through it when, you know, without a shadow of a doubt that

Brother Jim: they are saved.

Brother Jim: Where they're going, they're going home.

Brother Jim: Yep.

Brother Jim: But it's still it's still tough.

Brother Jim: Yep.

Brother Jim: It is.

Brother Jim: And I met, went to the to her

Brother Jim: house the other day to meet with

Brother Jim: the family for preparation for

Brother Jim: her funeral coming up

Brother Jim: celebration.

Brother Jim: And again, this lady has more

Brother Jim: knick knacks than I've ever

Brother Jim: seen, and it's so well put

Brother Jim: together.

Brother Jim: But I was commenting to a friend who's very close with Miss Ida.

Brother Jim: The Spirit's gone in that house, you know.

Brother Jim: It's gone.

Brother Jim: And it's just.

Brother Jim: It's a shell now.

Brother Jim: Yeah.

Brother Jim: You know, because of the life, the joy she brought.

Brother Jim: So Miss Ida Lee, I know you were Jesus.

Brother Jim: We know you were Jesus.

Brother Jim: But we will do our best to try to keep bringing the humor.

Brother Jim: But you're going to be missed.

Brother Jim: And one thing she hasn't been due to health reasons.

Brother Jim: She hasn't been in church for a

Brother Jim: good while, but she always joins

Brother Jim: us Sunday mornings, and she

Brother Jim: watches us here on Bible bibs in

Brother Jim: a prayer.

Brother Jim: But the one thing I still see her, she always was a front,

Brother Jim: front pew person.

Brother Jim: Yep.

Brother Jim: And she would sit there to my

Brother Jim: left, her hands raised, just

Brother Jim: praising her.

Brother Jim: Jesus.

Brother Jim: And that's a good thing, David.

Brother Jim: Memories.

Brother Jim: Yep.

David: Memories.

David: Absolutely.

Brother Jim: So, uh, you know, all I can say is my friends cherish life.

Brother Jim: And as we say here, find the joy, spit out the bad.

Brother Jim: And that poor lady was in so

Brother Jim: much pain here these last quite

Brother Jim: a few years, but it still kept

Brother Jim: her going and her love for

Brother Jim: Jesus.

Brother Jim: So I think we could all be a little more like Ida.

Brother Jim: So, uh, and saying that.

Brother Jim: any other dad jokes, you got to lay on us.

David: Well, I don't know if I have a joke, but I'm thinking about

David: writing a book on fish puns.

David: So if you happen to know any good ones, let me know.

Brother Jim: Okay.

David: Did you get it?

Speaker 4: I got it.

Speaker 4: Yeah, I got it, yes.

Brother Jim: Speaking of that, we got a crick

Brother Jim: that comes through the property

Brother Jim: there, uh, between our house and

Brother Jim: my mom's house there, the old

Brother Jim: farmhouse.

Brother Jim: And Dawson has discovered the joy of a crick.

Brother Jim: Our grandson.

David: Oh, yes.

Brother Jim: And, uh, I pulled in the other

Brother Jim: day, and him and my mom were out

Brother Jim: there pretending to fish, and he

Brother Jim: had two sticks, you know, and

Brother Jim: his imagination.

Brother Jim: So the other night, I went and

Brother Jim: got, uh, some tackle out and

Brother Jim: hooked up, uh, some string and a

Brother Jim: bobber.

Brother Jim: And I took a lead and put on one of those little, uh, rubber

Brother Jim: worms for him.

Brother Jim: Yeah.

Brother Jim: And he was just having a blast.

Brother Jim: And I gave him a, I took one pole in half and set up another

Brother Jim: one for him and gave it to one of my daughters.

Brother Jim: And sure enough, within five minutes she got it tangled up

Brother Jim: and I was like, seriously, it's just like a, you know, there's

Brother Jim: nothing to tangle.

Speaker 4: Yeah. Right.

Speaker 4: So yeah.

Brother Jim: Uh, but let us remember another

Brother Jim: sunrise, another chance to

Brother Jim: shine.

Brother Jim: A chance to show the whole wide world and everyone around that

Brother Jim: you, my friends, are one special person, and we've been blessed.

Brother Jim: Yes, we have been blessed.

Brother Jim: You, David and myself, just to be alive, to walk this earth.

Brother Jim: And let us thank God for another blessed day.

Brother Jim: Whether you're driving, working, or just starting your morning

Brother Jim: coffee, we are glad.

Brother Jim: Glad you are here with us.

Brother Jim: We are alive and even with all of them aches and pains.

Brother Jim: Thank God for icy hot and ibuprofen, Bengay and maybe you

Brother Jim: got some other good stuff.

Brother Jim: Let us know if you got any homemade recipes there.

Brother Jim: But again, we are blessed.

Brother Jim: So come on, come on, come on and join Mr. David myself along with

Brother Jim: the the barnyard here.

Brother Jim: We got Dan the Chicken rooster here.

Brother Jim: Uh, the Leinster hasn't been grumpy yet.

Brother Jim: And of course, ideally.

Brother Jim: So we're hoping to grow our, uh, barnyard here a little bit.

Brother Jim: And, uh, still looking for that alligator, man.

Brother Jim: Uh, that I would just set us up here.

David: He's out there somewhere.

Brother Jim: He's out there somewhere.

Brother Jim: But, uh, let us just come

Brother Jim: together and say thank you,

Brother Jim: Lord, for another day of

Brother Jim: opportunity.

Brother Jim: Just waiting for you, you and I, to go out and make our mark.

Brother Jim: And, as we just said, find the good in life and forget the bad.

Brother Jim: Come on and spit that bad boy

Brother Jim: out here on Bible bibs and a

Brother Jim: prayer.

Brother Jim: We admit life gets weird, life gets hard.

Brother Jim: But you know what?

Brother Jim: We also talk about why you are

Brother Jim: never actually facing life

Brother Jim: alone.

Brother Jim: You are not on a solo mission because we have Jesus.

Brother Jim: Yes, we have Jesus.

Brother Jim: Rejoice that you are alive.

Brother Jim: When you look in that mirror, remember you are beautiful.

Brother Jim: You matter in this world.

Brother Jim: And oh my goodness, you are loved.

Brother Jim: Now a man having lunch at a Chinese restaurant noticed that

Brother Jim: the table had been set with forks, not chopsticks.

Brother Jim: So he asked the waiter, chopsticks.

Brother Jim: He asked why?

Brother Jim: Why don't we have chopsticks?

Brother Jim: And the waiter replied,

Brother Jim: chopsticks are provided only on

Brother Jim: request.

Brother Jim: But the man countered, if you gave your patrons chopsticks,

Brother Jim: you wouldn't have to pay someone to wash all the forks.

Brother Jim: True, the waiter shot back, but we would have to hire three more

Brother Jim: people to clean up the mess.

Brother Jim: I have yet to accomplish those.

Brother Jim: David.

David: Have you?

David: No, I have not.

David: I don't even try most of the time.

Brother Jim: I will say you put a little

Brother Jim: rubber band or a hair thingy

Brother Jim: around them.

Brother Jim: That is a good.

David: That's a good idea.

Brother Jim: Yeah, but still, it's.

Brother Jim: You might as well give me a bib.

Brother Jim: And, you know, like you said, we would create.

Speaker 4: A bigger right.

Brother Jim: So all right, our thought of the

Brother Jim: day God provided his love on the

Brother Jim: cross.

Brother Jim: When Christ hung and bled and died, it was God saying to the

Brother Jim: world, I love you.

Brother Jim: The late, great Billy Graham.

Brother Jim: So let me ask you something,

Brother Jim: folks, as we head down a new

Brother Jim: series here, and especially in

Brother Jim: this time of the world, we've

Brother Jim: got a lot of chaos, a lot of

Brother Jim: hate, a lot of just everything

Brother Jim: going on.

Brother Jim: What is salvation?

Brother Jim: What is salvation?

Brother Jim: What does salvation mean to you?

Brother Jim: Good question, isn't it?

Brother Jim: What is salvation now?

Brother Jim: David, let me ask you something.

Brother Jim: Does salvation cover?

Brother Jim: Oh, I believe in God.

Brother Jim: I believe in the big man upstairs.

David: Nope.

Brother Jim: I go to church, I pray, I read the Bible from time to time.

Brother Jim: I listen to worship music.

Brother Jim: Does that mean you're saved?

David: No more than me.

David: Standing in a garage makes me a car.

Speaker 4: I love that one.

Brother Jim: You got it.

Brother Jim: And it is the frustration.

Brother Jim: I'll use a personal experience.

Brother Jim: A few years ago, my biological

Brother Jim: father died, and we were sitting

Brother Jim: there having lunch with some of

Brother Jim: his friends.

Brother Jim: And the one friend said, hey, your dad believed in God and I

Brother Jim: wanted to counter so bad, but I didn't want to.

Brother Jim: Maybe I was right.

Brother Jim: Maybe I was wrong, but you know.

Brother Jim: Well, that's good, but that doesn't mean he's in heaven just

Brother Jim: because you believe.

Brother Jim: I mean, think of the things we used to believe in.

Brother Jim: I believed in Santa Claus.

Brother Jim: How many of us, you know?

Brother Jim: Well, we just celebrated Resurrection Sunday, which the

Brother Jim: world has turned into Easter.

Brother Jim: Oh, a little fat bunny that comes along and leaves us candy

Brother Jim: and toys and little Easter baskets and that.

Brother Jim: I mean, as a child, we believed in the tooth fairy.

Brother Jim: the thing.

Brother Jim: How about AI?

Brother Jim: Now let's go to adulthood.

Brother Jim: Wait a minute.

Brother Jim: That's not a dancing chicken.

Brother Jim: Come on.

Brother Jim: That chicken spoke.

Speaker 4: David.

Speaker 4: Right.

Brother Jim: We are very.

Brother Jim: We live in such an entertainment world.

Brother Jim: Salvation.

Brother Jim: I believe just my opinion has

Brother Jim: become lost of what the true

Brother Jim: meaning is.

Brother Jim: So in Ephesians, let's go to Ephesians two eight to nine.

Brother Jim: This is out of the NIV for it is

Brother Jim: by grace you have been saved

Brother Jim: through faith.

Brother Jim: And this is not this is very important here.

Brother Jim: This is not from yourselves.

Brother Jim: It is the gift of God, not by works.

Brother Jim: Oh, did you hear that, my friends?

Brother Jim: Not by works so that no one can boast.

Brother Jim: Now, David, have you ever

Brother Jim: encountered someone who boasts a

Brother Jim: little bit about what they do

Brother Jim: for God?

David: Oh, no, never, he said sarcastically.

Speaker 4: Yeah.

Brother Jim: That's why he's paid the big

Brother Jim: money here, folks, I'll tell you

Brother Jim: that.

Brother Jim: But yeah.

Brother Jim: David, I've been in church since nineteen fifty two.

Brother Jim: I was here when we brought in the first, uh, I don't know what

Brother Jim: from the fifties.

Brother Jim: Uh, now, this is true.

Brother Jim: When the outhouse.

Brother Jim: We got running.

Speaker 4: Water.

Speaker 4: Yeah.

Brother Jim: Yes. I've been here all along.

Brother Jim: I have tithed faithfully.

Brother Jim: I have sung in the choir faithfully.

Brother Jim: I have worn my best suit or dress faithfully, David.

Brother Jim: I never swear.

Brother Jim: David.

Brother Jim: I never gossip.

Brother Jim: David I never, I never, I never noticed the word I, I I it's

Brother Jim: easy to fall in that is it not?

David: It is.

Brother Jim: It is easy to have pride, which

Brother Jim: we've talked about under those,

Brother Jim: uh, temptations, pride coming to

Brother Jim: our lives.

Brother Jim: But David, is salvation something we earn?

David: Absolutely not.

Brother Jim: Absolutely not.

Brother Jim: Yes. Salvation is a gift from God, not something we earn.

Brother Jim: We are saved by grace, not by our own effort.

Brother Jim: Grace means undeserved favor.

Brother Jim: Faith is trusting in what God

Brother Jim: has already done now in this

Brother Jim: world today.

Brother Jim: David.

Brother Jim: Faith.

Brother Jim: It's tough, isn't it?

David: It sure is.

Brother Jim: David. Why?

Brother Jim: Why does a three year old have cancer and die?

David: I'll never understand that.

Brother Jim: Why does the seventeen eighteen,

Brother Jim: nineteen year old driving down

Brother Jim: the road?

Brother Jim: Why does he.

Brother Jim: Why is he tragically taken or her from us?

Brother Jim: I don't know.

Brother Jim: I don't have those answers.

Brother Jim: But I do have faith that God.

Brother Jim: There is a plan from that.

Brother Jim: And again, we can't see what is in the other room, can we?

Brother Jim: And I always like to go back to the ripple effect.

Brother Jim: You throw a stone in the water,

Brother Jim: the ripple that comes from that,

Brother Jim: and that to me is where faith

Brother Jim: helps us get through the hard

Brother Jim: times.

Brother Jim: It's a gift.

Brother Jim: Salvation is a gift you did not pay for.

Brother Jim: It is yours if you only.

Brother Jim: And here's the key.

Brother Jim: You gotta accept it.

Brother Jim: You can't earn it.

Brother Jim: You can't buy it.

Brother Jim: You can't do this.

Brother Jim: You can't do that.

Brother Jim: What can we what can we learn from this?

Brother Jim: Stop trying.

Brother Jim: Stop trying to earn God's approval.

Brother Jim: Start trusting in his grace now.

Brother Jim: I'm very.

Brother Jim: I try to be very humble.

Brother Jim: I don't.

Speaker 4: Deserve.

Brother Jim: It, David.

Brother Jim: None of us deserve it.

Brother Jim: But again, it comes back to love, my friends.

Brother Jim: Love.

Brother Jim: But let.

Brother Jim: What if we stop trying to earn God's approval?

Brother Jim: I know I've said this, but

Brother Jim: David, I tried to be perfect one

Brother Jim: day.

Brother Jim: And guess what happened?

David: It didn't work.

Brother Jim: I'm guessing about twenty minutes in.

Brother Jim: Maybe.

Brother Jim: If that.

Brother Jim: Yeah.

Brother Jim: Start trusting in his grace.

Brother Jim: If we break this verse down.

Brother Jim: By grace, number one, by grace you have been saved.

Brother Jim: Grace means undeserved favor.

Brother Jim: This is saying God saves you, not because you earned it, not

Brother Jim: because you are good enough, but because he is kind and loving.

Brother Jim: In other words, salvation starts with God.

Brother Jim: Right at the top starts with God.

Brother Jim: Not you, not me.

Brother Jim: Number two through faith.

Brother Jim: Faith means trusting.

Brother Jim: Do you have faith today, my friends?

Brother Jim: It's just not knowing about God.

Brother Jim: And here's the big one.

Brother Jim: It is trusting in what Jesus has done for you.

Brother Jim: On that cross.

Brother Jim: He walked this earth as human flesh.

Brother Jim: He walked it.

Brother Jim: He went through temptations.

Brother Jim: He walked.

Brother Jim: He went through what you and I go through every day.

Brother Jim: So you can't say Jesus doesn't understand.

Brother Jim: Salvation comes by grace.

Brother Jim: God gives you through faith.

Brother Jim: You receive it by trusting him.

Brother Jim: Do we understand that?

Brother Jim: Trusting in him?

Brother Jim: And I'm going to say right now, David, you jump in.

Brother Jim: Trusting is hard sometimes.

David: Absolutely it is.

Brother Jim: Trust. Just like what David said here, they were able to upgrade

Brother Jim: the home, update a few things, and then what happens?

Brother Jim: The old hot water tank comes along.

Brother Jim: What are we going to do?

Brother Jim: And boom, look what happens.

Brother Jim: Just enough.

Brother Jim: Just enough to cover it.

Brother Jim: Number three, this is not your own doing.

Brother Jim: This part makes.

Brother Jim: It should make it very clear.

Brother Jim: You you.

Brother Jim: I know one creates your own salvation.

Brother Jim: You did not achieve it.

Brother Jim: You did not figure it out on your own.

Brother Jim: And I think sometimes, David, maybe that's where the big

Brother Jim: brains, which I don't fall into that category by any means.

Brother Jim: I think me and Miss Ida Lee got the same thing going.

Brother Jim: Here.

Brother Jim: Is the pig.

Brother Jim: Not a whole lot going on

Brother Jim: upstairs, but even a guy of my,

Brother Jim: uh.

Brother Jim: What?

Brother Jim: Uh. Uh, trying to think of the word I want here.

Brother Jim: Uh, limited ability and understanding.

Brother Jim: We'll keep it short and simple.

Brother Jim: I got that figured out.

Brother Jim: It's not on your own, and it's

Brother Jim: not something you can take

Brother Jim: credit for.

Brother Jim: You think about this, and I've thought about this a lot.

Brother Jim: I don't save anybody as a pastor, do I, David?

Brother Jim: No, you don't save anybody as a faithful follower of Jesus

Brother Jim: Christ, do you?

Brother Jim: Nope.

Brother Jim: Now, what we can do is love, Nurture, plant seeds.

Brother Jim: Help lead them be the light.

Brother Jim: But we can't.

Brother Jim: And as much as I wish we could, we can't.

Brother Jim: And that includes praying somebody into heaven.

Brother Jim: I've never understood that, David.

Brother Jim: We go.

Brother Jim: We light candles.

Brother Jim: We say prayers for the dead.

David: That doesn't make much sense.

Brother Jim: No. It's over.

Brother Jim: But what we should be doing is praying for the family.

Brother Jim: Praying for the loved ones, praying for the friends.

Brother Jim: I can't you can't pray them into heaven.

Brother Jim: And it's nothing.

Brother Jim: Nothing that we can take credit for.

Brother Jim: But again, we have been

Brother Jim: commanded to go out and spread

Brother Jim: the gospel that we are

Brother Jim: accountable for.

Brother Jim: But you can't take credit for saving somebody, because at the

Brother Jim: end of the day, it's a decision the individual makes.

Brother Jim: Number four, big number four, it is the gift of God.

Brother Jim: Salvation, my friends, is a gift.

Brother Jim: Think about a gift.

Brother Jim: You do not work for it.

Brother Jim: You do not earn it.

Brother Jim: You simply accept it Just like this chicken.

Brother Jim: Just like this little grumpy gorilla.

Brother Jim: It was a gift to us.

Brother Jim: We didn't earn it, but we sure did accept it.

Brother Jim: The same thing with salvation.

Brother Jim: We can't earn it, but it's there for the taking if we accept it.

Brother Jim: So if we had to earn it, it

Brother Jim: would not be a gift anymore,

Brother Jim: would it?

Brother Jim: Number five, not a result of works.

Brother Jim: Works means good actions.

Brother Jim: Like being kind.

Brother Jim: Oh, David, you look beautiful in

Brother Jim: that light blue shirt of yours

Brother Jim: today.

Brother Jim: That's just being kind.

Brother Jim: That's cool.

Brother Jim: Helping others.

Brother Jim: Following rules.

Brother Jim: Yes, these are important.

Brother Jim: These things matter, but they do not save you.

Brother Jim: Do we understand that salvation is not based on works?

Brother Jim: And unfortunately, David, my

Brother Jim: understanding is there's a lot

Brother Jim: of religions out there that

Brother Jim: teaches that.

David: Yeah.

Brother Jim: Oh, we're keeping a check list today.

Brother Jim: Mhm.

Brother Jim: Well, I got up and made my kids breakfast.

Brother Jim: Is that a good works, David?

Brother Jim: Or is that just responsibility?

David: Yeah. Pretty much responsibility.

Brother Jim: Responsibility?

Brother Jim: I don't think you're going to get a gold.

Brother Jim: How many of us are looking for gold stars from God?

David: Well, there's more looking for

David: gold stars than should be, but

David: yes.

Brother Jim: Yes, yes.

Brother Jim: Again, these things matter, but they do not save you.

Brother Jim: You cannot.

Brother Jim: I cannot do enough good things to earn salvation.

Brother Jim: Number six.

Brother Jim: So that no one may boast.

Brother Jim: This explains why salvation works this way.

Brother Jim: So no one, not anyone walking

Brother Jim: God's green earth can say, I

Brother Jim: saved my self, David, I saved

Brother Jim: myself.

Brother Jim: Now that might work in a swimming pool or a pond.

David: Yeah, that's about it.

Brother Jim: But that's about it.

Brother Jim: Yeah. Or if I'm behind the wheel, you know.

Brother Jim: Good thing I've got fast reflexes.

Brother Jim: No, no, no one can say I saved myself.

Brother Jim: All the credit goes to God.

Brother Jim: And in our world today, just my opinion.

Brother Jim: We are so filled with entitlement.

Brother Jim: We are so led to.

Brother Jim: We are taught this to be successful.

Brother Jim: It's all about you, you, you.

Brother Jim: What about God?

Brother Jim: Where does the credit go?

Brother Jim: David my man.

Brother Jim: Again, not trying to build him

Brother Jim: up, but who did he give the

Brother Jim: credit to?

Brother Jim: Who did he give the glory to?

Brother Jim: Because the man works.

Brother Jim: Because the man has faith.

Brother Jim: All of a sudden, God provides enough money for him to get his

Brother Jim: hot water tank.

Brother Jim: Now, hot water is important.

Brother Jim: We're blessed.

Brother Jim: We got hot water.

Brother Jim: Yep.

Brother Jim: I've taken some cold showers and it is not a pleasant thing.

David: Me too.

David: Recently.

Brother Jim: Yes, it wakes you up in the morning.

Brother Jim: Forget the coast.

Brother Jim: Oh, the credit goes to God.

Brother Jim: Ephesians two eight and nine is

Brother Jim: saying, you are saved by God's

Brother Jim: kindness.

Brother Jim: You receive it by trusting in him.

Brother Jim: You cannot earn it.

Brother Jim: It's a gift.

Brother Jim: It is a gift.

Brother Jim: It is the greatest gift.

Brother Jim: So all the glory goes to God.

Brother Jim: So why does this matter?

Brother Jim: This changes how you see.

Brother Jim: At least I pray it does.

Brother Jim: It changes how you see everything.

Brother Jim: You do not have to live trying to be good enough.

Brother Jim: You do not have to compare yourself to others.

Brother Jim: And that is one of the biggest things I have seen as a pastor.

Brother Jim: We get so down on ourselves and trust me, it's hard not to

Brother Jim: compare myself to other pastors.

Brother Jim: David, we've had a long, strong

Brother Jim: history of pastors here at

Brother Jim: Rockford Church.

Brother Jim: Have we not?

Brother Jim: Sure have big shoes to fill.

Brother Jim: And I gotta tell you, in the

Brother Jim: beginning it was very

Brother Jim: intimidating.

Brother Jim: But you know what?

Brother Jim: No. God made me who I am.

Brother Jim: God gave me this calling.

Brother Jim: It's me and God.

Brother Jim: It's not me trying to emulate,

Brother Jim: to imitate, to be like the

Brother Jim: former pastors.

Brother Jim: No, don't compare yourself to others in your walk with Jesus.

Brother Jim: You can rest in what God has

Brother Jim: already done, and instead of

Brother Jim: doing good things to be saved,

Brother Jim: you do good things because you

Brother Jim: are saved.

Brother Jim: And that is one of the biggest things I see.

Brother Jim: Oh, I got Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

Brother Jim: But where's the transformation, David?

Brother Jim: Yeah.

Brother Jim: One of my favorite words transformation in your life

Brother Jim: because you want to do it.

Brother Jim: You've got the Holy Spirit in you.

Brother Jim: There is the big word conviction

Brother Jim: coming down on you because you

Brother Jim: are saved.

Brother Jim: You start to do good things.

Brother Jim: That transformation starts and

Brother Jim: you're not going to get it

Brother Jim: perfect right off the bat, are

Brother Jim: you, David?

David: Absolutely not.

Brother Jim: It's a slow process, my friends.

Brother Jim: You have moments where you speed

Brother Jim: up, things are going well, and

Brother Jim: then you have downtimes, don't

Brother Jim: you?

Brother Jim: You're going through the valleys or climbing the mountain.

Brother Jim: But it's a gift.

Brother Jim: Something to chew on this week, my friends.

Brother Jim: Mr. David, any closing thoughts or comments for this segment?

Brother Jim: This is where you make your money.

David: I don't know about that, but no,

David: I mean, speaking of salvation, I

David: can remember I don't remember

David: the exact date, but I can tell

David: you exactly where I was when it

David: happened.

David: And it was about almost exactly ten feet above me in this exact

David: spot in the old church up here.

David: Oh, yeah.

David: And, uh, you know, I was probably, oh, eleven or twelve

David: at the time somewhere in there, but, uh, yeah, God changed my

David: life and, and have I got it perfect since then?

David: No. Absolutely not.

David: Who does?

David: But, you know, we continue to try.

Brother Jim: You show me one perfect person out there other than Jesus that

Brother Jim: walked this earth.

Brother Jim: I'll buy you a steak dinner.

Brother Jim: Yeah, yeah, with all the fixings to go to it.

Brother Jim: With it.

Brother Jim: All right.

Brother Jim: Please remember you.

Brother Jim: Yes, you.

Brother Jim: You have meaning.

Brother Jim: You have value.

Brother Jim: And most of all, you are loved.

Brother Jim: May God continue to bless you just as well.

Brother Jim: May you and I continue to thank our Lord above for our blessings

Brother Jim: each and every day.

Brother Jim: Well, my friends, that just about does it for this.

Brother Jim: Tuesday, April twenty first, twenty twenty six.

Brother Jim: If we meet again, well then we will smile and rejoice.

Brother Jim: And if not, then this parting was well made.

Brother Jim: And I can't help but think of Ida.

Brother Jim: This applies so much to her and another great brother.

Brother Jim: We lost Mr. Jack Moreland.

Brother Jim: But again, if we meet again, well, then, we will smile.

Brother Jim: But if not, then this parting was well made, and I go back to

Brother Jim: the last time I seen Ida Lee.

Brother Jim: It was a good parting.

Brother Jim: Thank you for joining David and myself, along with the crew here

Brother Jim: on Bible bibs and a prayer.

Brother Jim: This is the big guy, Brother Jim, out.

Speaker 5: There.