Spiritual Contributors: Transforming the Church Experience
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This podcast episode dives deep into the transformative journey of faith, highlighting the pivotal shift from being a passive churchgoer to an active, engaged follower of Christ. TS Wright, the host and Jake Roberts, the guest and campus pastor of Life Church, shares his personal testimony—a relatable tale of growing up in the church, grappling with genuine belief during college, and ultimately embracing a life centered around spiritual contribution rather than consumption. He underscores the importance of community and accountability, emphasizing that true discipleship is about fostering relationships where vulnerability and growth can flourish. The conversation flows with humor and warmth, touching on the cultural challenges that complicate one's walk with faith, while also celebrating the revival spirit emerging among younger generations seeking authentic connections with God. Listeners are encouraged to embrace simple, consistent spiritual practices as a pathway to transformation, reminding them that the journey is about becoming known in community, and ultimately, contributing to the greater mission of spreading love and hope through Christ.
Life Church link:
Takeaways:
- The podcast emphasizes the importance of being spiritual contributors rather than mere consumers, aligning with the church's mission to serve the world.
- Pastor Jake's journey from a traditional upbringing in church to a deeper, personal relationship with Jesus illustrates the transformative power of faith.
- Listeners are encouraged to embrace spiritual disciplines like fasting and Sabbath, fostering a deeper connection with God amidst a fast-paced culture.
- The discussion highlights the revival among Gen Z, suggesting that younger generations are increasingly seeking genuine connections with faith and community.
- Pastor Jake shares that consistent, simple practices in faith yield significant transformation over time, urging listeners to remain steadfast in their spiritual journeys.
- The podcast concludes with a call to action for listeners to engage in discipleship, emphasizing the collective responsibility of the church in nurturing faith.
Transcript
Welcome to the show that combines biblical truth with the purpose of sparking revival.
Speaker A:Committed to spreading the gospel, this is your Kingdom Crossroads podcast.
Speaker A:And now your host, T.S.
Speaker A:wright.
Speaker A:Welcome everyone to the Kingdom Crossroads.
Speaker A:I'm your host, T.S.
Speaker A:wright and I'm just so glad you could join us today.
Speaker A:Before we dive into today's episode, if you haven't already, please take a moment and hit the follow or subscribe button and give us a like.
Speaker A:This ensures you won't miss out on any of the future episodes and your likes help us boost our visibility.
Speaker A:Thank you for being a part of the Kingdom Crossroads community.
Speaker A:Have you ever heard of Life Church?
Speaker A:Well, today's guest is someone whom I've known for over two years.
Speaker A:He is married with four children.
Speaker A:He is the campus pastor for A Life Church which is a multi site church based out of Edmond, Oklahoma.
Speaker A:Joining us today is Pastor Jake Roberts and him and I have been visiting and talking about this and he's going to laugh for over two years.
Speaker A:The first time we met, we sat down coffee together and discussed this.
Speaker A:So I'm absolutely thrilled that this is finally coming to fruition.
Speaker A:And a prayer answered so I can finally say this.
Speaker A:Jake, welcome to the show.
Speaker B:Thank you so much, TS it's an honor to be here.
Speaker B:Really glad you offered to have me on.
Speaker A:All right, well, hey, we're excited to have you here and it's now time for you to take off on this thing.
Speaker A:So let's kick it off.
Speaker A:Jake, here's the question and this is really for about you helping our listeners to understand your story.
Speaker A:And you and I were talking a little bit about it and we've talked about it before, but we want the listeners to get it in to get a sense of this.
Speaker A:So what has your journey been like in following our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
Speaker B:Yeah, so I was one of those kids who grew up in church.
Speaker B:So if the doors were open, kind of the running joke, if the doors were open, my family was there.
Speaker B:So we were there all growing up, kind of going through the steps of I could find a Bible verse faster than anybody, I could spout the scripture and say the right thing at the right time.
Speaker B:And I, I knew all the right things to say and all the right ways to behave.
Speaker B:But then something shifted for me as I went to college and it kind of just started wrestling with what does this actually mean in an ongoing way for me?
Speaker B:What is this going to look like as I go through life and had honestly just kind of resolved that church was going to be this thing that Fits in an hour block on a Sunday morning.
Speaker B:And I was going to go about the rest of my life just kind of as I wanted to and kind of went into college with that mindset.
Speaker B:But it was in college that God had a very different plan for me in a very different path.
Speaker B:And he really got ahold of me there.
Speaker B:And all of a sudden this thing came from something that I knew about to knowing the right things in my head to something that I lived every single day.
Speaker B:And a lot of that came from a value that we say at Life Church a lot is that we're spiritual contributors, not spiritual consumers.
Speaker B:The church does not exist for us, but we are the church and we exist for the world.
Speaker B:And when I heard that line, we are the church, we don't go to church, it shifted something deeply in me that I could never go back to being the same from.
Speaker B:And so that's whenever I started reading God's word for myself and it coming alive in the way that I lived.
Speaker B:And I started learning what it actually meant to pray and talk with God.
Speaker B:Not just talk to him or do the proper words at the right time at a meal or in front of people, but actually having an ongoing conversation, a relationship.
Speaker B:And so what really happened is it went from information about someone to actually knowing someone.
Speaker B:And that's what shifted for me in college.
Speaker B:And it put me on this path forward that has just skyrocketed me in my walk with God.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:And I'll tell you that story of sensing that you had that time in college with all of this.
Speaker A:And I can totally relate to that story.
Speaker A:And I think there's a lot of people out there, hopefully that are listening that can think back to those college years and think the impact that that can have.
Speaker A:Because think about the impact that we can have on college students today, other people at the time of their life.
Speaker A:So, you know, we're not just called to bring it in for ourselves.
Speaker A:We're called to share and think about what we can do for people at that age.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:Right, absolutely.
Speaker B:And if you, if you pay attention right now there is a revival taking place in Gen Z.
Speaker B:Like everybody wants to talk about all the anxiety they're facing, all the stress, but.
Speaker B:But if you look at it, there is a stirring beginning there that is spreading through the world.
Speaker B:And it's really encouraging to me.
Speaker B:If you look at where just people are returning to church at an uptick in percentage people are returning to spending time in scripture at an uptick, it's happening in Gen Z.
Speaker B:And specifically young men in Gen Z, which to me is really encouraging of.
Speaker B:They've given up chasing this idea of secularism, making everything work, and no, we're all miserable and they're done with it.
Speaker B:And so they're looking for answers somewhere else.
Speaker B:And we know the answer.
Speaker B:It's found in Jesus.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:And you know, I think we saw a revival similar to that back in the late 60s and early 70s called the Jesus Revolution, right?
Speaker B:Yep, that's exactly right.
Speaker A:And it was kind of that same type of thinking.
Speaker A:They were looking for something and couldn't put their finger on it.
Speaker A:And I think they're starting to put their finger on it now.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker A:That is all I can say is amen.
Speaker A:That's what I say.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:So, Jake, share this with me.
Speaker A:What are some roadblocks that you've hit along this journey that you're describing for our listeners?
Speaker B:Yeah, that's a great question, because it's always going to be this process forward in this journey.
Speaker B:It really is.
Speaker B:Our mission as a church is to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ.
Speaker B:And what that means is it's an ongoing journey that's going to have different roadblocks at different seasons.
Speaker B:So for me, from high school to college, it was the roadblock of am I actually living this and do I actually know who God is?
Speaker B:Another roadblock I hit just because of my upbringing and some of the ways nobody said these words, but I interpreted these words somewhere along the way, is that God can tolerate me because of Jesus.
Speaker B:He's not really crazy about me, but.
Speaker B:But thank goodness Jesus is there.
Speaker B:So God, you're okay with me.
Speaker B:And all of a sudden I started having this reframing in scripture and then in reading of some books of like, oh, God loves me.
Speaker B:I know it's a simple thing.
Speaker B:My kids could tell you that.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker B:It'S one thing to know it up here, but when it shifted to my heart, it's like, oh, God loves me.
Speaker B:And Jesus is my advocate saying, look, look at them, my brothers and sisters, look at them, my family.
Speaker B:Like, he's just championing this on.
Speaker B:And so this is.
Speaker B:It was this mental roadblock I had to overcome though, of like, ah, God, thank you for putting up with me, as opposed to, no, you love me and you're crazy about me.
Speaker B:And so now I walk forward in confidence knowing that I'm okay and I'm not having to walk forward in fear of like, how do you actually feel about me?
Speaker B:So that was one roadblock I had overcome.
Speaker B:It's a big one.
Speaker B:A lot of prayer, a lot of meditation on scripture and a lot of, like I said, reading.
Speaker B:And then another one was around my.
Speaker B:When I turned around 30, I think now Covid was happening, like all these things were happening.
Speaker B:Covid was hitting.
Speaker B:So church looked a little different.
Speaker B:Things were just happening in the world.
Speaker B:That caused like some shifts in my thinking at large anyway.
Speaker B:But I just had this moment with my wife and I was like.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker B:Just feel like I should be experiencing something different in my relationship with Christ than I currently am.
Speaker B:And mind you, I'm a pastor at this point.
Speaker B:And that actually took me on a journey to the spiritual disciplines and into a.
Speaker B:Because you kind of have these like stage of journey and they taught.
Speaker B:Some people have mapped this out, but it's like kind of an awareness of the goodness of God and so repentance and following Him.
Speaker B:Then you start to spend time with him, build a relationship with him, and then you start to serve and use your gifts to work alongside Him.
Speaker B:And I had done all those things, but then I hit this wall is the best way I could describe it.
Speaker B:And that's when I had to go on a journey inward.
Speaker B:And that's where the spiritual disciplines really helped me.
Speaker B:So learning to actually slow down and sit and be still and allowing space to be quiet and dist myself to hear from God, learning what fasting actually looks like in an ongoing way to deprive myself of something my flesh wants so I can attune to what it is that God wants more.
Speaker B:Learning to actually Sabbath and actually find rest in a culture that is always on go, always next thing, always achieving to learn like I can sit for 24 hours, accomplish nothing.
Speaker B:And in learning that I'm okay because I'm a child of God.
Speaker B:And so these things actually I needed more than just the relationship.
Speaker B:Like, relationship's it.
Speaker B:That's all we need.
Speaker B:But I need something else to rewire my flesh that had just kind of taken over these habits that culture had just kind of told me were the way that we operate.
Speaker B:And so that was a huge roadblock to where now I can sit with myself and God and actually do this more.
Speaker B:The busier I get to sit and just be with God and allow him to invite him into the spaces and just sit and be with Him.
Speaker B:And it's one of my favorite things that I do now.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker B:Because I used to always think I had to be reading or I had to be saying something, or I had to be, you know, had to be Doing the things to grow my relationship with Christ.
Speaker B:And what I found is in the sitting and the stillness and the quiet with him is actually letting me know I'm okay.
Speaker B:And so I can actually offer my strength in a better way to my family, to the church I lead, to the people around me, because I'm okay.
Speaker B:Because me and God are good.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:And you know, I like that you brought up the spiritual disciplines because like in the God centered concept series that we do for our discipleship series, we talk about how the culture influences and that we have to be really cautious of that culture thing and know that.
Speaker A:And what we do is we try to go back and show you where the roots of that culture come from and then what the culture we're supposed to actually follow.
Speaker A:Well, if you follow the culture that God originally gave Moses the original Hebrew, not the one that came back from Babylon and then they interjected, which is what got them really in trouble, even more so than what they already were.
Speaker A:But that it's, it's a focus on God himself.
Speaker A:We don't even have to, we get to a point, we don't even worry about ourselves because what we realize is God is the center of all things and we're just, we're there for his pleasure.
Speaker A:And that's the key is we're there for his pleasure.
Speaker A:So when we practice these disciplines, these spiritual disciplines, that is to his pleasure.
Speaker B:Yeah, it is exactly right.
Speaker A:Because it opens our connection to Him.
Speaker A:And then if you take that and relate that into the spirit world you have, you do not understand that you are literally opening a wide open 10 lane highway to God when you practice these spiritual disciplines.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I think that's so important and, and I am so glad you brought that up because I think that is, it's so lacking.
Speaker A:And today.
Speaker A:Yeah, you know, and I, I'm not, I'm not a practicing Catholic.
Speaker A:I'm not going to say that I am, I don't, I don't even call myself Protestant.
Speaker A:I'm just Christ crucified here, you know, that's the way I look at it.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker A:I went to a Catholic school for nine years.
Speaker A:So I, they did teach about those spiritual disciplines and that was already kind of ingrained in me when I received Christ.
Speaker A:So it wasn't that hard to make that, to add those in the fasting thing can be a challenge at times.
Speaker A:But I'm going to tell you folks, that is necessary.
Speaker A:Yeah, you need to find a pattern of fasting with the Lord does things to you that I can't describe.
Speaker A:It'll transform your relationship with him for sure.
Speaker B:And I, well, yeah, I've had people, I've had people say, oh, yeah, you love fasting.
Speaker B:I was like, no, I don't.
Speaker B:I love feasting.
Speaker B:That's my, that's what I like.
Speaker B:Give me the cheeseburger and the.
Speaker B:Yeah, no, I like feasting.
Speaker B:But what I like in fasting is depriving myself because there is a letting go of the world to cling to something that is supernatural.
Speaker B:And so I do have a weekly rhythm of fasting, which the early church had a weekly rhythm of a 24 hour fast and actually two a week.
Speaker B:But I've got to one, I haven't made it to two in the week, but because of just the consistency of it, I'm learning to say no to my flesh because it's just, I always call it the screaming toddler at that point, 24 hours, you can go without food, you're okay, but there's a screaming toddler inside of you still.
Speaker B:It' like, feed me now.
Speaker B:And I just want to learn to tell that toddler no.
Speaker B:And so absolutely, I think in today's culture, that's why I bring up even Sabbath solitude and fasting.
Speaker B:Like, yes, time in scripture, yes, time in prayer, yes to community.
Speaker B:But a lot of times those are the things getting harped on.
Speaker B:But Sabbath solitude and fasting, we live in a world today that is always on, always noisy.
Speaker B:We have a device in our pocket that we don't have to have a moment of silence in a day.
Speaker B:And so solitude is revolutionary.
Speaker B:We live in a culture that is what you produce is what you're worth.
Speaker B:And so to sit for 24 hours and not produce anything and learn to just rest and be with God and delight in him and worship him is so countercultural.
Speaker B:And we live in a society that says, give your body what it wants right now.
Speaker B:Fast foods around the corner don't, don't have to wait.
Speaker B:If you had to wait five minutes, that's crazy.
Speaker B:But so fasting is intentionally, is so countercultural.
Speaker B:So those three are just countercultural to the world that we live in as well.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:So let's go ahead and jump into the next question here.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So what is give me something that you would want to tell someone who is struggling in their walk with Christ, something that, you know, maybe one or two nuggets, so to speak, that they could bring, that they could add to their walk.
Speaker A:And I think you just touched on a few of them.
Speaker A:But some stuff that maybe that would help them kind of magnify that walk and really understand how to really connect to the Lord.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So one of the things I talk about with our staff team here a lot and with our church and attenders is don't ever underestimate the value of the simple things done consistently over time.
Speaker B:A lot of times we're looking for the breakthrough idea of this is going to be the revolutionary thing that changes everything.
Speaker B:But if you look at it, really the consistent things that make all the difference have stayed tried and true over time.
Speaker B:There's a reason memorizing scripture transforms your life.
Speaker B:There's a reason that time in God's Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you through it will transform you from the inside out.
Speaker B:There's a reason we talk about prayer and start with the Lord's prayer.
Speaker B:If you don't know where to start learning to pray this format and have a conversation with God.
Speaker B:And so I just.
Speaker B:Sometimes we as humans just overcomplicate everything, right?
Speaker B:It's like, no, I need the new discipleship strategy, I need the new approach to this.
Speaker B:But honestly, if you would just be consistent in those really simple things and do those steady over the course of time, in a decade you'll be a different person.
Speaker B:And by the time I'm just setting myself on the trajectory that by the time I'm 60, 70, I'm the most joy filled, at peace person because of the walk I've been on with God and I don't expect that to get fixed next week.
Speaker B:I still have a lot of things in here that's just going to take time of consistency through the years.
Speaker B:But I'm setting my course and my trajectory to walk it with Jesus.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker B:And so make a disciple.
Speaker B:What does that mean?
Speaker B:Sit down and teach someone to read God's word and what this means.
Speaker B:What does that mean?
Speaker B:Teach them the verse, those verses that you memorize.
Speaker B:You're like, oh yeah, I know all those.
Speaker B:Somebody else doesn't help them memorize those.
Speaker B:And there's a reason those are the most commonly memorized verses.
Speaker B:I think for me, I was like, oh, I got to help people understand these deeper concepts.
Speaker B:And yes, I want to dive into scripture, I want to understand it.
Speaker B:And I think it's a fascinating journey we'll be on for the rest of our lives, which is what's so fun about the Bible to me.
Speaker B:But I love meeting someone in a new relationship with Christ who doesn't know that they're fearfully and wonderfully made.
Speaker B:Who doesn't know that nothing can separate them from the love of Christ, who doesn't know.
Speaker B:For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son for you so you can have eternal life.
Speaker B:There's a reason we know Psalm 23.
Speaker B:There's a reason we know these verses because they're really good and impactful and people need to know them.
Speaker B:And so that's all I have to say.
Speaker B:It's the simple things done consistently over time.
Speaker B:Stick to it.
Speaker B:Don't be afraid of the journey inward because there's a surface level.
Speaker B:The other I'd say is don't be afraid to be really known in community.
Speaker B:A lot of us don't change because we're never actually honest.
Speaker B:We don't show up and actually say, we'll say, we'll talk about the thing right here.
Speaker B:We'll talk about the thing we're vulnerable enough to share.
Speaker B:What about that last 10% though?
Speaker B:The last 2%, the last 1% that you don't want to say out loud to somebody.
Speaker B:If we are unwilling to invite people into that, we're not really actually known and we can't actually be transformed.
Speaker B:Invite God into it, but also invite other people into the journey so they can follow up with you, hold you accountable to it.
Speaker B:Just those things and then the last thing.
Speaker B:And I'm just a naturally more positive person.
Speaker B:So this is always in my natural wiring and bent anyway.
Speaker B:But one of my favorite passages, I mean, Romans 8 is one of my favorite chapters of the whole Bible, right?
Speaker B:One of the most exciting, encouraging chapters of Scripture.
Speaker B:And Eugene Peterson has a paraphrase of it in the message that he kind of said, this is not a grave tending life that we're called to.
Speaker B:This is this gloriously expectant we approach God and he puts it in these words, what's next, Papa?
Speaker B:What's next?
Speaker B:What's next?
Speaker B:And like, that's the invitation that we have to follow Christ.
Speaker B:It's not a. Ah, let me just grind it out.
Speaker B:Just grit my teeth and maybe I can.
Speaker B:There's seasons of life like that.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker A:You mean you don't want to white knuckle it all the time?
Speaker B:No, no.
Speaker A:Come on.
Speaker B:Like, this is this, I think, but I think that's what people think they signed up for, right?
Speaker B:Sometimes, like, if I just white knuckle it, I can sin, manage my way to at least not being bad enough that maybe I squeak by and get into heaven when I die.
Speaker B:Like, no, it's this gloriously expectant life to the full we should be the most joy filled people on the planet, the most encouraging people on the plan.
Speaker B:And just this wild ride of waking up saying, God, what's next?
Speaker B:What's today hold?
Speaker B:What's the thing I don't see coming that you're going to invite me into with you today?
Speaker B:And if we approach that and allow the Holy Spirit to have this work within us and we can learn the discipline so we can actually stop and hear his voice through a day, it's a wild ride that's so fun and so challenging and so uncomfortable.
Speaker B:But I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Speaker B:I don't want to go back to just life as safe.
Speaker B:I want to go back, I want to be part of that life giving, joy filled, wild ride with God that I don't know what's coming next, but I know he's with me and, and we're doing this together.
Speaker B:So let's go do it.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:You know, I, I would, when I was coaching, I would tell athletes from time to time, I'd say, listen, you got to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, right?
Speaker A:Be okay with this because if you don't, you cannot improve, you can't get better.
Speaker A:You're going to always in your mind think that you're right.
Speaker A:You got to give up that need.
Speaker A:And you have to approach this from a position that comfortability just doesn't matter to you anymore.
Speaker A:And when you get past that, and you're not just living what the culture says for the comfort, convenience of everything, and everything is about pursuing that and you shift that focus to pursuing God, okay, Then all of a sudden things start to change.
Speaker A:That's when it's easier to practice those disciplines.
Speaker A:That's when it's easier to walk in Christ and let the power of the Holy Spirit work in you.
Speaker A:And if you will let that happen and kind of get over that cultural cloud, so to speak, it's amazing what God can do for you and what he will do in you to take you on the journey that he wants to take.
Speaker A:This is so much of it.
Speaker A:He wants to be the author of your story.
Speaker A:So one day, when your story does end as far as here on earth, he can use that story for his glory both when you're here and afterwards.
Speaker A:He wants to show up, he wants to show off, and he wants your story to be a piece of that that he gets to use for that glory of his.
Speaker A:Yeah, it is.
Speaker B:That's absolutely right.
Speaker A:And the way you said some of that stuff, I just, I really hope our listeners are Bringing that in, because I am, I, I love what you said about, about some of those different pieces and about doing it consistently over time.
Speaker A:You know, when I was, when I was with Campus Crusade, when I was doing the, you know, and I, I worked them as I was a student and they were just.
Speaker A:The campus minister was working with me is really what it was.
Speaker A:And he was training me because I was leading a couple of Bible studies and really discipleship groups, because that's.
Speaker A:It was true discipleship, what we were doing.
Speaker A:He goes, this is the model.
Speaker A:It's grace and truth.
Speaker A:So it's truth and grace over time equals the positive change.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:And that, that's why.
Speaker A:Well, when you said that, that model just popped right up online.
Speaker A:So I thought that was a, you know, that was such a big thing.
Speaker A:And I, and I think for our listeners, I, I hope you guys realize that it's not going to change overnight, but if you consistently do these things, you will see that.
Speaker A:And Pastor Jake, I want you to talk a little bit about your transition from being a pharmacist to a pastor, because I think this is fascinating.
Speaker A:You and I have talked about it before, but I want you to tell our listeners about this.
Speaker A:I love this story.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, it was a wild ride.
Speaker B:Not, not your normal route in the ministry.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Not.
Speaker B:Not many people go through pharmacy school to get there.
Speaker B:But I wouldn't have traded for anything because of the things I learned the way along the way.
Speaker B:And I met my wife in pharmacy school, so I do it all over again.
Speaker B:But, yeah, it came down to early on, I felt called to ministry.
Speaker B:And in a lot of ways, I probably just ran from it.
Speaker B:I was Jonah saying, nope, get me out of here.
Speaker B:I'm taking off.
Speaker B:I'll go make my money and have an impact for God.
Speaker B:And kind of, let's just, can we just have both?
Speaker B:And it was actually, as I was wrapping up pharmacy school, had the opportunity to plant a church actually in that season.
Speaker B:And so I was doing pharmacy school, planting a church, and then got out and was doing pharmacy and church planting, built up a church to where we were able to hand it off and really healthy transition, and then stepped back out and said, all right, I'll be a pharmacist for a season.
Speaker B:Because church planting is tough work.
Speaker B:If any of you are out there doing that, it is tough work.
Speaker B:And I said the line, probably nobody's ever said it.
Speaker B:I just, I want to just go be a pharmacist, like, which is a tough job.
Speaker B:But it's like, but I was like, probably nobody's ever said those lines, but I just want to be a pharmacist and just breathe a little bit.
Speaker B:And so we did that first season and kind of just through a journey, that's where I went on a lot of the inner journey of like, okay, who am I?
Speaker B:And what are some of these things I've picked up along the way that I need to actually deal with internally?
Speaker B:And went through a lot of that season, but then felt the stirring come back, felt the calling come back of it's time to get in the game.
Speaker B:It's time to be part of pastoring again and had this real wrestling match with God of, But what about my family?
Speaker B:Because now I've got kids, now I've got.
Speaker B:I want to help them out along the way.
Speaker B:I want to provide this, you know, all the reasons we line up for why we can't or why God won't.
Speaker B:And so I was just in this wrestling match of if I do this, it's going to cost.
Speaker B:This turns out, following Jesus is going to cost us something.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker B:If we're going to be obedient.
Speaker B:But in the night of just prayer and fasting through that season, it was just this peace came over me of, your wife and your kids need a husband and spouse or need a husband and a father who's obedient.
Speaker B:To me, they don't need your money.
Speaker B:I'll take care of that part.
Speaker B:And when I had that moment, it was just like, okay, all right.
Speaker B:I don't know what this means fully.
Speaker B:I don't know where we're going to go and where you're going to take us, but it's that gloriously expectant.
Speaker B:What's next?
Speaker B:Okay, all right.
Speaker B:I don't have the roadmap for how this works out.
Speaker B:My spreadsheet for my budget doesn't make sense here.
Speaker B:But I'm going to trust you and say yes, knowing that if there's something you are asking me to do, you've got the steps mapped out for me along the way.
Speaker B:And so I just have to take this next one right in front of me.
Speaker B:Now, I think sometimes we pick up things he has not asked us to pick up, and so we get overwhelmed and stressed out.
Speaker B:But if God is inviting you into a next step, he's got the roadmap figured out.
Speaker A:Yes, he does.
Speaker B:And all I have to see is the next step in front of me.
Speaker B:And so that was kind of that.
Speaker B:That journey into it.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And I can tell you now, what is it Seven years later.
Speaker B:Six.
Speaker B:Seven years later, he has absolutely shown up and been faithful in that way.
Speaker B:Just providing in ways that I'm like, it blows my mind every time.
Speaker B:And my family is closer.
Speaker B:We have deeper relationships with people.
Speaker B:We are taken care of.
Speaker B:Like, it's, it's been great.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:That is.
Speaker A:I love that story.
Speaker A:I, you know, and I remember you told this to me back when we sat down for that coffee and I think I grabbed a biscuit and gravy when we were.
Speaker A:Something there to eat and we were over there.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker A:But it was.
Speaker A:I still remember that.
Speaker A:And so I love the story of you shifting from that, what happened from being the pharmacist to going into the ministry in this capacity.
Speaker A:So, you know, and, and I would tell our listeners, you may be called into ministry, but it may not be as a pastor.
Speaker A:It may be something else.
Speaker A:I mean, look at, you know, look at what I'm doing.
Speaker A:I mean, I guess in a way I'm pastoring and shepherding a community here in this way.
Speaker A:But, you know, I'm also connected to the church.
Speaker A:I mean, Jake Roberts here is the campus pastor to the church I attend.
Speaker A:I mean, just so you guys know that.
Speaker A:And so, and he knows I lead discipleship groups for the church.
Speaker A:So I've been called to lead discipleship on a local and a global scale.
Speaker A:And so we're, we're taking this mainstream.
Speaker A:We're going to do more.
Speaker A:But we also were called to our local church as well.
Speaker A:And I think that's an important aspect that you guys understand is that those ministry opportunities exist in all kinds of different capacities.
Speaker A:All right, so to.
Speaker A:Not just to serve.
Speaker A:And I will say this, and I think you said it earlier, and it's your motto, it's the model or motto, I think that you really, you said was that we're not here to be spiritual consumers, but spiritual contributors, because we are the church.
Speaker A:You don't just attend church.
Speaker A:We are the church.
Speaker A:And I really hope that everybody listening here finds a place not just to be an usher in an aisle or that, but that you're connected into a group where you are sharing your faith and getting fed.
Speaker A:You're feeding and being fed because you need that community.
Speaker A:You really do.
Speaker A:And I want you to speak on that, you being a former connections pastor real quick.
Speaker B:Yeah, no, I think that's so good.
Speaker B:And I think in a lot of ways, not envious because it's a sin, but, you know, as close as you can get to someone who is not a pastor, because the call to ministry and to follow Christ is for everyone, everyone who has said yes to Jesus.
Speaker B:We are all doing ministry.
Speaker B:And the reason I say I'm envious is because a lot of times I get to deal with just shepherd, like, what is it?
Speaker B:I don't know, managing sheep.
Speaker B:And so you get the people who are already in and you start dealing with the church dramas and the whatever and the whatever.
Speaker B:And I have to really work hard to go find the non believer because who's naturally coming to me now.
Speaker B:A lot of them come to our church and I love getting to connect with them and create a space where they're welcome just as they are.
Speaker B:As far as like my co workers, they're all believers.
Speaker B:A lot of people that I know and interact with, they're all believers.
Speaker B:And so do not underestimate the value that you have because you go into a workforce on Monday morning, you go into a family, you go into a.
Speaker B:Wherever you go, getting to be the light into the dark world.
Speaker B:And so there is so much value in.
Speaker B:And so I like, I love that, that I get to equip our church to go out and be that in a lot of ways.
Speaker B:I have to work really hard to put myself in places to meet non believers because, you know, a schedule fills up because of the amount of people who come to your church.
Speaker B:And next thing you know, you find yourself just meeting with believers.
Speaker B:And I'm like, no, I need to mobilize you out into your space.
Speaker B:So everybody's doing ministry to say that.
Speaker B:And then for the value of community, you can't do life alone.
Speaker B:You just cannot.
Speaker B:And back to the honest accountability.
Speaker B:And you can't do life without being actually known.
Speaker B:Truly.
Speaker B:There's a version you can put on even if you sit in a small group.
Speaker B:And I always tell life group leaders when they take off, it's like, don't let people hide behind the curriculum, because you can also hide behind the curriculum.
Speaker B:But and be like, hey, let's talk about this thing.
Speaker B:Don't talk about this, what's in here.
Speaker B:Let's talk about this thing though.
Speaker B:And I could have the conversation and leave and be the most angry, bitter person or most lustful person, whatever it is, and no actual transformation is going to happen.
Speaker B:You might have gotten more information.
Speaker B:And so there is no solitary following Christ.
Speaker B:Just period.
Speaker B:The call to one another is all through scripture.
Speaker B:The call to the our faith together, that we share in community and honest conversation is all through scripture.
Speaker B:You need other people and other people need you.
Speaker B:And what you have to offer and that's the beauty of it.
Speaker B:Rounding out the untapped potential that sits in our church because people would just come and go is just.
Speaker B:It blows my mind.
Speaker B:It just blows my mind of the impact we could be having for the Kingdom of God if we would all find out the way to use our gifts to be part of the church, to be the church together, and to get in communities where people help us sharpen that and hone that and honestly take off some of those rough edges that we have and help us to actually walk out the faith, not just learn more information because of the conversations we have.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:And, you know, since I do two discipleship groups with Life Church, one of our goals in our group, and I've stated this goal, and I think this is.
Speaker A:And I say all this for you listeners as well, because I want you to hear this, is that discipleship is not about us just coming into a group and have all these protective walls.
Speaker A:But eventually we're going to build you up in the faith, but then we want to send you out to go disciple other people.
Speaker A:And Pastor Jake here was alluding to some of that.
Speaker A:And we is the model of the gospel.
Speaker A:It is not to sit in one group and just be fed all the time, but eventually we got to start doing some feeding of our own.
Speaker A:I'm going to say this.
Speaker A:Whatever church you go to, if your pastor is the one leading everybody to Christ or trying to, and he's the one doing every piece of the ministry and trying to do all the sharing and the discipling, it's not going to work.
Speaker A:It's just not going to work.
Speaker A:We have.
Speaker A:Everybody has to step up and do their part.
Speaker A:We are all called to share our faith.
Speaker A:We are all called to disciple others.
Speaker A:And yes, the accountability is the uncomfortable part of all of this.
Speaker A:But it is so necessary for us to grow the way that God wants us to grow.
Speaker A:We need some of that rough edge to refine who we are in Christ and to walk that way.
Speaker A:That way we don't get caught in the things like Pastor Jake just said, the lust, all the filth that the culture can dump on us and we can get caught up into it because our sinful natures will take over if we are left on an island.
Speaker B:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker B:And it was Jesus's whole model of multiplication, right?
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:It was.
Speaker B:If I was on Jesus's PR team, I'd be like, we need more of those 5,000 sermons, more of those feedings.
Speaker B:That's how we got to get this thing out.
Speaker B:Out.
Speaker B:And he said, no, it's these 12 that I'm going to deeply invest in relationally.
Speaker B:And if each of us would take on that same ownership for being responsible for one person's discipleship for the next year, we would see multiplication, not just addition.
Speaker B:And that's.
Speaker B:There's just nothing greater than that.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:And I'm trying to build.
Speaker A:I'm trying to help Pastor Jake, and of course, Pastor Josh is on the.
Speaker A:Is the connections Pastor.
Speaker A:I'm trying to help these guys get some people in our church that will do true discipleship.
Speaker A:And in our groups, the goal is for them to eventually go out within the next year and to develop their own discipleship groups and to get outside of our church walls to do that.
Speaker A:Not just people in the church, but to get outside and start doing that.
Speaker A:And I encourage every one of you.
Speaker A:And we're going to have that discipleship plan.
Speaker A:I've got three books already written.
Speaker A:They're being edited, and I've got the fourth one that I'm in the middle of writing right now, being a.
Speaker A:Being a teacher myself, learning how to write curriculum.
Speaker A:We're going to have that in place for you.
Speaker A:And I'm going to tell you right now, you guys want to watch some exciting stuff, you need to watch this coming Sunday.
Speaker A:And I'm going to let Pastor Jake right here tell you how to connect to Life Church.
Speaker A:And I want you to watch at the movies, watching Pastor Craig Groeschel take it away.
Speaker A:Jake.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:It's one of our most fun series of the year.
Speaker B:Just.
Speaker B:It's just awesome.
Speaker B:I mean, just like Jesus taught in parables, Pastor Craig's been using movies to illustrate biblical truth.
Speaker B:And so just like he told stories to connect with people, we're doing that with movies.
Speaker B:And I will tell you, this past week's message was fantastic on mental health and anxiety.
Speaker B:This coming one, though, is going to really tug at the heartstrings as we talk about just the purpose and the calling that we have and the impact a life can have on multiple people.
Speaker B:And so the easiest way to track along with us is that real simple website.
Speaker B:Our church is Life Church.
Speaker B:Our website is www.life.church and we have for.
Speaker B:At the movie specifically, you can only catch it live because we are running movies.
Speaker B:And so it has to be a live service, but we have them all throughout the week, all around the clock.
Speaker B:And so Live Life Church is where you go to watch the church online.
Speaker B:But if you go to our website, you'll be able to connect with there as well and just see what it is that God's doing.
Speaker B:I can tell you at our campus, it's already been just mind blowing just how much God is moving through these lessons and.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:I've.
Speaker A:I've got to sit through every one of them.
Speaker A:The second one was my favorite about her swimming through the jellyfish.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Like, I. I feel like I could relate to that because I feel like there's been some seasons I did nothing but swim through that type of stuff, you know, so.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:It's been.
Speaker A:And yeah, you guys need to connect and watch the.
Speaker A:At the movies.
Speaker A:You know, even if you attend another church, you can still jump on and just watch this.
Speaker A:So watch the.
Speaker A:Online.
Speaker A:I'm going to put this all in the show notes and that way you guys can connect to this and be able to go in and.
Speaker A:And learn more and be able to watch this stuff.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And a lot of.
Speaker A:A lot of the sermons are on YouTube after the fact.
Speaker A:It's just the at the movies part is not.
Speaker A:You have to watch that one live, so.
Speaker A:Well, Jake, this has been amazing, and I really don't want to wrap up the show.
Speaker A:We could talk for three hours on this stuff.
Speaker A:But unfortunately we do have a time clock and we're going to have to start wrapping this up.
Speaker A:But everybody, I'm going to tell you right now, now's the time for discipleship.
Speaker A:There is, I believe, a great harvest on the horizon.
Speaker A:There is a movement, a revolution, a revival that is coming.
Speaker A:And the Lord has been putting this on my heart since 03 04.
Speaker A:And this great harvest is something you hear me say at the end of every broadcast, Pastor Jake, when he's on the stage many times after the video clip falls off, he talks sometimes about, like, there's this little feel of a revival.
Speaker A:He'll bring some of that stuff up.
Speaker A:Well, I'm telling you, it's happening.
Speaker A:Where it's not here just yet, but it's coming and you can feel the environment.
Speaker A:And we need to all be spiritual contributors to this.
Speaker A:This is not about one person.
Speaker A:The Lord has called me to help spark this.
Speaker A:I hope there's other people doing the same, and I believe that there are.
Speaker A:But I want you to remember this.
Speaker A:This revival is going to be a big deal.
Speaker A:And we all are called to be a part of it.
Speaker A:It's a.
Speaker A:It's a gathering of all people who believe in Christ to gather more people who don't.
Speaker A:And we are called to this.
Speaker A:And that was the.
Speaker A:That was the model that Jesus left us.
Speaker A:So with that in mind, I want to thank you for tuning in to today's episode.
Speaker A:We appreciate you spending time with us and being a part of the Kingdom Crossroads community.
Speaker A:If you enjoyed what you heard, we kindly ask that you hit the subscribe and follow button and give us a like.
Speaker A:Your support allows us to keep producing content and sharing these experiences with you, ensuring that we can continue to grow and bring you even more enriching content in the future.
Speaker A:On behalf of Jake and myself and hey, we're giving you a little plug and understanding of Life Church and you can watch that at the movies this weekend.
Speaker A:This is T.S.
Speaker A:wright and until next time, go forth in total surrender to the One who owns and reigns over all creation.
Speaker A:Let the great Harvest begin.
