July 24, 2025 • 36 mins
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the King of Kings
podcast, where we dive a littlebit deeper into our message
series and see what we're takingbeyond Sunday.
My name is Dena Newsom and I amecstatic to have some wonderful
guests today.
Go ahead and introduce yourself, friends.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
My name is Kate Solberg and I'm the Associate
Campus Director at our NorthwestCampus.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I'm Roger Timer.
I am the Pastor of GlobalMissions and Faith Formation.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
And Roger, we're coming up on a big time for you.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I'm T-minus three days in the office.
Oh my goodness, who is counting?
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Well, apparently you are Pastor Roger.
How long have you been at Kingof Kings?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
30 years 30 years.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
And how long have you been at King of Kings?
30 years 30 years and how longhave you been a pastor?
41.
, 41.
And you are getting ready toretire.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
I am.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
We are having some fun celebrations coming up.
The church is so gracious thiscoming Sunday you'll get to
preach your last message andthen we'll get to discuss it
here next week.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Oh excellent.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Without me, without you, I'll tune in, I'll be
listening.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
So I'm sure you both are aware but maybe some of our
listeners don't know we have ahuge back to school event coming
up at two of our campuses,Millard and Fremont, and that
got me thinking about back toschool.
So my question for you today iswhat was your favorite part
about the start of a new schoolyear when you were growing up
Yours when you were growing upand what maybe were your kids'?
Speaker 3 (01:32):
I just loved it to figure out who is going to be in
my class and which are going tobe the guys I'm going to get to
play with.
So that's kind of cool, andthen also you know who the
teacher is.
But oftentimes I had an idea ofthat.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I can't really remember when I was a student
because I was a teacher for somany years and like this time of
year, like I still have likesecondary anxiety, like what
bulletin board isn't done, likewhat student could possibly been
left off my roster that Ihaven't made supplies for, but
once all the kids come, it'slike ah.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Kate, here's the question.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Because I was a teacher too.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
And some.
We had a little debate amongstteachers at the beginning of
school what's the best practice?
Because some said do not smilefor the first two weeks, mile
for the first two weeks.
(02:31):
So they have a sense of clearboundaries and they are not
going to push those boundariesif you're yes.
Was that you?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, I was always taught that it's way easier to
loosen up the reins than totighten them up and to start
tighter, and so I always taughtmy rules and regulations very
clear.
You follow them all.
But who are we kidding, like no, I'm going to smile at every
kid I see Like I love school andI love kids you know, but I
(02:56):
agree with that.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, I did.
I follow that for the first,maybe 15, 16 minutes, then it's
game out.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Wow, you did.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Roger.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
My son's first year of middle school he came home
and I was asking him about allhis different teachers, because
that was when he transitionedfrom having one main teacher to
multiple.
And he was talking about one ofhis teachers and oh, she was so
mean, she's so mean, mom.
And I said you know, she'sprobably going to relax some.
She's just dropping the hammerhere hard at the start of the
year and then she'll relax.
(03:29):
And he said to me I don't knowwhat you mean by drop the hammer
, but she's got a hammer, ascrewdriver, a saw and all that
stuff she's dropping.
She's just mean Wow.
I mean do it Awesome, I mean doit Awesome.
My favorite part of the newschool year was buying new
school supplies.
That was my favorite, yeah yeah, that was my daughter's
(03:58):
favorite.
My son could care less.
I think he used the same schoolsupplies for every year of high
school.
We didn't buy a single thing,not even sure he used them.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
They borrowed a piece of paper when they got to class
.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Right, both my kids, rebecca every single supply I
bought her, she brought everysingle one home.
The last day of May my son noidea where any of them are Came
home with nothing and like theyboth couldn't figure each other
out.
Like Rebecca's like what do youmean, you don't know where your
stuff is?
And Ben's like how do you knowwhere your stuff is?
(04:28):
So I literally have tons of herschool supplies in my kitchen.
God created them each uniquely.
He did he did Well.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Okay, shifting gears from back to school to kind of
leading into.
This is week four of ourmessage hey, don't Skip this
where we're looking at someBible events that are lesser
known or maybe not everyone isfamiliar with.
This Bible event has a littlebit of kind of like a scary
situation in it, and so mystarter question is are you a
(05:01):
panicker Pastor Greg talked alittle bit about.
He's pretty much a coolcucumber in a crisis, except
when it involves his daughtersor wife.
So are you guys a panicker?
Are you a?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
clear headed.
Yeah, if you amp up theanxiousness, I am down.
I'm a non anxious presence.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, yeah, I'm kind of like Greg, like if it's my
own children, yeah, I may loseall my wits about me, but with
most other people, be real calm.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
It's interesting to select what it is that I'm going
to choose to be moreemotionally responsive for,
because it doesn't mean thatthere aren't some squirrel
wheels turning on the inside,you know, but what's led on the
outside might be a little bitdifferent.
But I think it is significantfor us to say, ok, what do we
(05:53):
want to give emotional intensityto, and how does it affect
people around us?
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Agree, I'm pretty calm, collected, like very, get
this problem solved, like getwhatever you know, if we need
medical attention or we need tofind a parent or whatever the
crisis is.
But then after I'll have anervous breakdown After
everything is good again.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
You'd still be fun in a nervous breakdown when you
have one phone me All right, Iwill.
Or at least Zoom me in okay.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Something to see.
Maybe I'll make a video.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
It'll go viral.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
All right.
So our Bible event this weekthat we're looking at is really
about a coming back to lifestory.
So, pastor Roger, do you wantto kind of give us a little
summary, like an overview ofwhat this event entails?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Well, we can talk about that theme of emotional
intensity because we're dealingwith some real life situations
the Shunammite woman who had thegift of hospitality and she
opened up her home regularly tothe prophet Elisha, who has to
be somewhat itinerant because ofhis ministry.
So they developed a veryendeared relationship and he
(07:03):
looked for what is her need,developed a very endeared
relationship and he looked forwhat is her need and she hoped.
She was even afraid to mentionit but she had no child, you
know.
But she'd given up on hope andwe all have been in situations
close enough to know what that'slike when someone's is just
(07:27):
even afraid to hope.
And when that happens and shehas that child because he
prophesies okay, you got it, ayear from now you're going to
have a son, you feel the joywith her and how ecstatic that
would have been.
And as her family, her familygrew again.
Elisha visits and now Elisha isnot in the area but he hears
(07:50):
word and message later in thestory in a certain way.
But what had happened was theboy was out with her dad in the
field, had some kind of brainthing happen with a big headache
and he died.
So she came with a message, sointense was she on seeing Elisha
.
I've got to see Elisha, elisha'snumber one right-hand man, who
(08:16):
is also just kind of his servantguy.
There too, gehazi went out togreet her as she was approaching
, because something seems wrong.
But she says no, everything'sfine.
She went right past him, wentright to Elisha You've got to
come help please Right now.
He's dead, he's not breathing,whatever.
And Elisha sends Gehazi with hisstaff.
(08:39):
You run ahead and you put thestaff on him and and you put the
staff on him and I've seen Goddo miracles, using sometimes
just the faith that we have, andwe gather around something like
that.
She then says, okay, that canhappen, but I'm sticking with
you, elisha, and followed him.
The staff thing did not work.
(09:00):
Elisha got there, took sometime aside.
Also implied in the whole thing, of course, is praying and
trusting, but he actually laidon top of the boy and there was
a coming to life.
Resuscitation is what it wouldlook like to us.
That is one of thoseresurrection events after death
(09:21):
experiences.
That is in the Old Testamentand it's pointing to obviously
that our God is a God of life.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Thank you.
That's a great summary.
So if you wanted to read moreabout this, this is in 2 Kings 4
, and it's mainly 18 to 37, ifyou're looking it up on your own
.
So hearing Pastor Greg talkthis through, what are you guys
taking beyond Sunday?
What really stood out to youfrom this message?
I loved when.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Pastor Greg encouraged us to, instead of
moving toward despair, to commit, pursue and run to God.
I don't know what else isbetter advice than that.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
I like the part where he made the analogy just as
Elisha stretched out his arms.
It was one of the ways that theOld Testament foreshadows the
coming gospel event of Jesusstretching his arms out for us.
And very literally, jesusbreathes life into us, and
(10:20):
spiritually, through his HolySpirit.
I mean that's literal, but it'sthrough His death that we have
victory over death and throughHis resurrection we have
resurrection.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
I really liked the points that he talked about,
which, to me, were really waysthat Jesus can kind of touch us,
and that's through a prophet,through prayer and through
resurrection, like theresurrection of, in this event
is of the child.
But, like you said, it's Jesusthat touches us, the
resurrection of Jesus thattouches us.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
It's kind of interesting too if you take the
theme of resurrection.
That is something, of course,we look forward to literally
with us in resurrection afterthis life, resurrection, new
body in the new heaven and newearth.
But there are resurrectionmetaphors throughout our lives
(11:16):
and God uses things thatsometimes are dead that he
brings to life, and that's whatmakes life so rich, Because we
go through the pain of watchingthings that have got to pass
away or die, if you will, sothat there may be a new kind of
life around that.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
So one of the questions that Pastor Greg kind
of hinted at was how do you keepyour faith strong when things
seem hopeless?
He talked a lot about hope, andhow do you in your life keep
your faith strong when thingsget to where they seem hopeless?
Speaker 2 (11:46):
It's a big question.
It's lovely to watch you think,kate, I'm watching it.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
It's good, it's good, something good's coming, I feel
it.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Well, you were just talking about the reference to
the Lord stretching out theheavens, the creator of heavens.
Pastor Greg referred to Isaiah42, verse 5, and that's where it
says the creator of heavens.
Pastor Greg referred to Isaiah42, verse 5.
And that's where it says thecreator of the heavens, who
stretched the mount, spread outthe earth with all that springs
from it, who gives breath to itspeople and life to those who
walk on it.
(12:16):
Verse 6 is like where I was,like oh, that's good.
It says I, the Lord, havecalled you in righteousness.
I will take hold of your hand,I will keep you and will make
you to be a covenant for thepeople and a light for the
Gentiles, to open eyes that areblind, to free captives from
prison and to release from thedungeon those who sit in
(12:40):
darkness.
Like wow, yeah, isn't thatamazing.
That's verse six.
And so like what?
What could I possibly get fromthis life that would ever
compare with that?
So I just this life willdisappoint us, your plans will
(13:02):
fail, things will not turn outhow you hoped, but that doesn't
mean there's not still a planand a purpose and something
quite possibly even better whenyou hitch your wagon to the Lord
.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Jesus used that verse as a quote for his first sermon
.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Verse five or six, both of them.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Oh yeah, his first sermon is in Luke four.
The spirit of the Lord is on mebecause he's anointed me to
preach good news to the poor.
He sent me to proclaim freedomfor the prisoners, recovery of
sight for the blind, to releasethe oppressed and proclaim the
year of Lord's freedom.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
That's good, it's good.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Yeah, that's good.
It's good, yeah, and becauseit's, you know, the prophet is
already foretelling of Jesus,but there's also a foretelling
that's happening sooner thanthat, because there's another
kind of good news that thepeople are seeing, but the
ultimate fulfillment, of course,is in Jesus.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
And I didn't really realize that until I, many years
walking with the Lord.
It's so simple, but the wholeBible is one story of Jesus.
So many people say, oh, that'sthe God of the Old Testament or
it's different, but it's not,it's one story.
And the way Jesus lays thatfoundation and points us to
(14:23):
Jesus' coming, that foundationand points us to Jesus's coming.
You know it just.
The more you study the Bible,the more you see the brilliant,
like tapestry.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Oh, my yes, yeah, yeah and um, okay.
So here's an analogy the moreyou study the Bible, you see the
brilliant tapestry of how heweaves people's stories together
into his story.
And then you start weaving yourstory into that story.
So what do you do when you hitthe kerbump and you have that
panic moment or that kind ofthing?
(14:54):
What do you do when your hopecrashes?
And that's the human experience.
Like Greg said, the Bibledoesn't short.
That.
That's what our life is like.
For me, it's very important thatI have carved out time alone
with God, that I have time tonot only read but also pause and
(15:16):
listen and pray.
And it doesn't necessarily fixeverything, but it does open me
up to be I don't want to say tobe fixed, but yes, to be fixed.
Things start making sense overtime with that, because it
(15:38):
sometimes gives you a chance toput perspective on it.
That's not just yourperspective, it's God's
perspective.
He sees it so radicallydifferent.
Look in the Bible event today.
If she runs to him, elisha seesthings differently because he
sees.
Today, if she runs to him,elisha sees things differently
because he sees.
You know, just like he couldsee that God would give her a
(15:58):
baby.
Now he also sees God can raiseher from the dead.
But that's his business.
But let's just be about it.
And sometimes we need to get inthat perspective by spending
time alone with him, reading theBible and in prayer, and
sometimes just journaling someof those things that you're
learning, and then expect thathe's going to meet you at your
point of need.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
There's a phrase that when I was younger, people
would say and they talk about,hope floats, and I always
thought I was kind of stupid andkind of cheesy, and then the
further I got in my walk withthe Lord, that's the imagery
that I think of when I get tothose points where I feel like
hopeless, whatever it is that'sweighing me down and I feel like
is pulling me under the water.
(16:41):
I spend time in prayer,sometimes in the Word, but
mostly for me it's justconversation with God, and I'm
letting those weights go andletting Him carry them till I
feel like, okay, my head's abovewater, and maybe some days I
feel like I'm even floatinghigher than that, but at least
I'm getting my head above water.
And now this phrase that Ithought was so dumb when I was
(17:02):
younger hope floats is what Ithink of when I'm struggling
with my own hope that, okay, Ijust got to get to the point
where I'm floating again, and Iknow how to do that, because I
just got to turn over some of myburdens to God, who's just
there waiting for them.
I mean, he's big enough to takethem all.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Imagine what it was for this Shunammite woman.
She was afraid to have hopewhen she was childless.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Well, like you said, she had given up, she'd given up
.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
And then she got it and then now her son's dead and
it's very honest, she's upsetand angry, you know, and despair
and distraught and you knowappropriately complete basket
case.
(17:49):
But there was somethingdifferent about her then because
she had underneath it a senseof hope that God could do
something and she went afterthat.
Kudos for her.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
So Pastor Greg kind of moved on to talking about
prayer, really focusing onprayer and how can prayer serve
as a source of hope and how doyou guys answer that question?
I kind of already referred tohow that serves as a source of
hope for me.
It's really I feel likesometimes me dumping my issues
on God and hopefully hearingsome response of Him, whether
(18:25):
that's comfort or calm, orsometimes direction and wisdom
and guidance, or sometimes justpeace.
Know how does that speak?
How does prayer serve as asource of hope for you guys?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
a very important part of my prayer life.
Uh is usually the section atthe beginning that takes a
considerable amount of time withum praise, with understanding
who God is and what he's done,because that frames everything
else and it frames all the otherprayers that follow.
(18:59):
But it also fills me with hope.
By the time I've finished.
Some of those times, thosethings that have distraught me
may not be my main issues, dropme, may not be my main issues.
Sometimes, in the midst ofthose praise he shows me is he
(19:22):
shows me more about who he is,because that's what praise can
do.
It shows me what part of that Ineed in my world and I don't
want to go on and on, but it'sworth pursuing.
What Greg used a lot in hismessage was the word Ruach,
(19:45):
which is the Hebrew word forspirit breath, and it's the
breath of God that he breathesin in creation and makes man,
and he breathes here and, ofcourse, he breathes out by his
Holy Spirit in Pentecost andfills us with that breath of God
(20:07):
.
Well, man, that fills us insuch a way that it does give us
a different perspective.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
I would agree.
I've been stuck for a couple ofyears now with starting my
prayers with just acknowledgingthat the Lord is on the throne
and just visualizing the Lordseated on the throne.
So His plans are in place.
He has complete power, completecontrol, and the more I spend
(20:37):
in that praise, naming who he isthe alpha, the omega, the
beginning, the end and justnaming his traits, it does
change what comes after that.
You know, when your kids startdriving, I was praying all the
time because I was anxious and Iwas praying the blood.
(21:00):
My kids are like if you layhands on my car one more time.
But I was anxious and worriedand you know what can happen.
You know putting your child ina car, and the more I praise the
Lord, the more my prayerschange from anxiousness to you
(21:22):
know, may Ben and Becca alwaysknow how much you love them.
You know.
May they always know yourpursuit of them as their father,
know your pursuit of them astheir father.
May they always desireconnection with you and that
(21:46):
prayer.
That's what I want.
Yes, I want them to be safe onthe drive, but I want them to
know the Lord as their king.
And so I think I appreciate howGod has taught me.
You know, yes, he's going totake whatever prayer you give
him, he'll never, turn you away.
But if you desire to pray morein his will, he will reveal how
to do that, and I appreciatethat's what God has been doing
(22:06):
for me lately.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Now, I think a lot of people get intimidated by
prayer.
I know for a while in my life Ididn't know how to pray or what
to pray.
And Kate, you use an acronymthat I like.
Can you share that Pray yeah,Just what they stand for.
I think it's really easy toremember.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Pray, p for praise, r for repent, and a lot of times.
That's as far as I get.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
P-R Purr are for repent and a lot of times that's
as far as I get.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
I'm on a PR campaign right now.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Because A is ask, and that's where you ask the Lord.
You know, this is what's on myheart, this is what I desire,
and Y is yield, and that's whereyou give up control to Him.
But when you do praise the Lordand you repent for falling
short, sometimes you're likewhat else do I need to ask for
God's?
Speaker 3 (23:00):
on this throne.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
There's nothing he doesn't know.
He has a plan that's in place.
I just need to stay in thatattitude of worship and praise
and yield.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
I've been in this business for a long time.
That's really good.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
I did not come up with it.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
That's what's different between you and me.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
I'd have claimed it copyrighted it so pastor greg um
talked about breathing lifeinto things that ruha and um
what, and he asked the questionwhat in your life feels dead
that god may want to breatheinto again?
(23:47):
Was there something that jumpedout at you guys from your
personal life like what in yourlife feels dead that god may
want to breathe into again?
Speaker 3 (23:54):
I didn't't have a specific thing, but I also think
that's one of the rhythms oflife.
I suppose that my orientationat looking at life and the
unfolding of all the differentevents and dealing with things
that are disappointments orthings that even might be
(24:16):
discouraging, some things thatare just flat evil or wrong,
sometimes trying to discern ohwell, is that God's will or not?
Well, sometimes it's obviouslynot, but I'm part of it and I
may be culpable, I may be theone causing it, but what I see,
(24:38):
that what I pursue is notnecessarily trying to understand
everything about what his willis going to be in all those
circumstantial outcomes.
I look for how his will is totake things of death and turn
them to life.
How does he redeem thatcircumstance, redeem that person
(25:01):
, or what needs to happen forhim to take this whole situation
and flip it, Because that's whohe is.
So it seems to me kind ofopen-ended.
You know what's God doing?
I don't know, but I do knowthis he's a God that breathes
(25:23):
life into things and he redeemsthings that once were dead and
he brings them to life.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
I've talked before.
I have a family member who I'veprayed for for many decades to
come to know the Lord and andevery now and then I'm like, oh,
I think it's getting close,it's going to happen soon, and
then and this person attendschurch actually and I'll stand
by this person, and then theperson seems uninterested Sign
(25:49):
and I'm like, oh, my goodness,why?
That's why it's good to endwith yield, because I cannot
create salvation for anyone, noone.
Only the Lord can do that.
I can continue to pray and askGod to work, knowing that he
hears my prayers and he desiresthe same, he wants the same.
(26:10):
So we're at, we want the samething.
But that can feel like it's adead situation that needs some
new life in it, yes, and maybeit's there and I just don't see
it.
And many times God's wanting usto wait, like, are you able to
wait?
(26:30):
And I feel like God has saidthat to me many times.
Like, do you want your timeframe or do you want mine?
And I don't know If it's up tome I'm going to mess it up.
So I want the Lord's time frame, but it's all that conversation
, like you said with God before.
You're like, okay, okay, Ithink I'm okay now.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
This jumped out at me .
There was one thing that reallycame to mind for me that kind
of intersects with somethingelse that's going on in my life.
And on Wednesday nights rightnow I'm leading a connect group
that's been meeting and thiscoming week is our last week,
but we've been doing this study.
That's Bob Goff.
That's called.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Love and Chaos.
I love Bob Goff.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
He's just so goofy and silly and his laugh cracks
me up.
There's a little video that wewatch each week and he always
has the goofiest laugh.
But it's talking about lovingyour neighbor and loving your
enemies and how you show lovewherever you go and whatever you
do.
And because our culture getsmore closed off and we live in
this kind of source of chaosright now and how are we showing
(27:37):
God's love?
And two weeks ago our wholesession was about loving your
enemy and we had talked aboutloving your neighbor and
sometimes it's hard to love yourneighbor and your neighbor is
anyone really but then we hadthe session that talked about
loving your enemy and I felt soconvicted I used to be really
good, I feel like, about prayingfor the people that I was
(28:00):
struggling with.
I was praying for good thingsfor them, not that I would get
along with them or not that theywould change their mind about
me or whatever it was.
I really felt like that wassomething I wholeheartedly
wanted good things for them.
And I don't know when thatchanged and I don't know how
that changed over the last fewyears, but we're going through
this study and I'm realizing Ican't remember the last time I
(28:23):
really prayed for my quote,unquote enemy, you know and that
means different things todifferent people or somebody
(28:43):
that I feel like God put in mypath to really help me grow by
learning something from them andI'm struggling in that growth.
That's somebody I think of asmy enemy sometimes and I had not
been praying for them, and sojust over the course of the last
two weeks I've really beentaking the time to really pray
for my enemies and it's just hadsuch a lifting sense in my
(29:04):
heart Like I just I've reallyhope floats, I'm really feel
like my heart is floating, andit just when Greg asked that
question.
What in your life feels deadthat God may want to breathe
into again?
That's what I thought of.
Like it's not, I feel like it'salready being breathed into.
You know that things aren'tgoing in the right direction,
but that was what stuck out tome.
(29:25):
All right, as we wrap up today,what are your final takeaways
from this message?
What's really sticking with you?
Speaker 2 (29:35):
I have one more scripture Go for it.
Well, and you know when I justthought it was so fascinating
how he sent the servant aheadwith the staff and then he came
and laid on him and breathed onhim and touched his hands, and
all that, and I just thought ofIsaiah 55, 8.
For my thoughts are not yourthoughts, neither are your ways,
(29:56):
my ways, declares the Lord.
As the heavens are higher thanthe earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways and my thoughtsthan your thoughts, and kind of
like we were talking before.
Roger.
You know, god never gives otherthan coming to him through his
Father.
The Bible isn't full of formulas.
Here's how you do this, here'show you do this, here's how you
achieve this, here's how you getpeace.
(30:18):
It's just that process ofacknowledging who God is in
comparison to us.
Just when you think you have itlike, oh yeah, I got it figured
out pretty good, you know, godwill just blow your mind with
something, and I think that goeswell with how he worked in this
story, how he caused new life.
(30:39):
That goes well with how heworked in this story how he
caused new life, life to comeagain.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
I was just thinking what it would be like to be the
boy.
I mean, you're dead, You'reback alive Now.
Of course, I've been studying alot of near-death experiences
because I'm researching it, butthen it makes me so quickly go
to that place.
The reality of what life isface-to-face with him.
(31:10):
And one characteristic I'm justgoing to pause with today the
anxious Shunammite woman, themyriad of thoughts racing
through her skull as she'strying to make sense of life at
that time, and sometimes you cryout to God and there's so many
thoughts and yet he is a God whois not only all powerful but so
(31:34):
loving.
He actually knows, hears,understands and cares.
It's remarkable.
Can you imagine what it's liketo meet him face-to-face and he
will know all that and he'llhave what feels like time for
(31:56):
you and you will feel whatyou've only just had a small
glimpse of.
But you'll see it face to facethen and that's the fullness of
his love for you.
You'll see it because you'llsee Jesus right there and he was
the one that showed us just howfar God's love will take him.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Amen I have no words.
I'm still imagining.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
So there were two things that really stuck with me
and one, kate, you mentionedalready.
When Greg talked about CPRcommit to the resurrection,
pursue the spirit of God and runto the future I really thought
that's practical.
I can remember that.
And then I wrote down what hesaid when life flatlines, don't
hold a funeral.
(32:52):
Faith holds even when it hurts.
And I was like, okay, I likethat, that's something that I
can hang on to when I'mstruggling, that faith holds
even when it hurts.
It's not a string that's goingto break, because it's much
stronger than that.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Right.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Yeah Well, thank you guys so much for being here
today.
I appreciate your insights andnext week we'll get to discuss.
Well, it won't be you, Someonewith me?
Speaker 3 (33:23):
will be discussing.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Pastor Rogers, do you know what year?
Can you give us like a littlepreview of what your message is
about?
Speaker 3 (33:30):
The title is what If we Prepared for Heaven as Much
as we Prepare for Retirement?
The truth is, people don'tprepare real well for retirement
.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Let's just pretend we did.
Some people do what you do whenyou get closer.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
Believe me, when you get closer, you go.
I wish I would have I shoulduse that, but I've already
written it and I'm out of time.
I'm trying to cut things now.
I don't want to add more.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
What are they going to do?
Speaker 2 (34:02):
fire you, that's right, I own it.
Go on, and on, and on and on.
Roger, I have no authority.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
That is my fear to go over, because it's so easy, you
get excited and you want tokeep going.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
You have some great messages.
I always get disappointed whenI'm like really engrossed in the
message and then I'm like, ohit's getting.
The band is starting to vamp upbehind.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
That means it's ending soon.
They're playing me off thestage.
They have to start extraearning with me.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
Don't you feel like it's like and I'm sure you do
like you're going to bepreaching in ways you don't even
know, in such a different way,in retirement?
Speaker 3 (34:48):
I don't know.
What do you mean?
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Like you, will continue to have messages to
deliver to people, whether it'sone-on-one.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Oh yeah, you know you are going to continue preaching
till your last breath, yeah,okay, so here here it would be
not everyone's a preacher, buteveryone is a witness.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
Right.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
So sometimes, when you preach, you're just
witnessing and you're sharingyour story.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Yeah, right.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
But if I'm no longer a full-time pastor, I am
definitely a full-time witness.
Yes, Whether good or badhopefully Super good It'll be
real and it'll be what theLord's doing.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Right, and there's no time limit on that.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
They're not going to cut you off the thing there is
just to shut up and listen toother people.
Right, right, and there's notime limit on that.
They're not going to cut youoff, it's just the thing there
is to shut up and listen toother people.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
Right, right, and you know that.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
Well, thank you for all your years of service,
Pastor.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
Oh yeah, my honor.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
You have blessed this church and the kingdom at large
.
Thank you All right.
Well, until next time, let'skeep living our faith beyond
Sunday.
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the King of Kings
podcast, where we dive a littlebit deeper into our message
series and see what we're takingbeyond Sunday.
My name is Dena Newsom and I amecstatic to have some wonderful
guests today.
Go ahead and introduce yourself, friends.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
My name is Kate Solberg and I'm the Associate
Campus Director at our NorthwestCampus.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
I'm Roger Timer.
I am the Pastor of GlobalMissions and Faith Formation.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
And Roger, we're coming up on a big time for you.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I'm T-minus three days in the office.
Oh my goodness, who is counting?
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Well, apparently you are Pastor Roger.
How long have you been at Kingof Kings?
Speaker 3 (00:42):
30 years 30 years.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
And how long have you been at King of Kings?
30 years 30 years and how longhave you been a pastor?
41.
, 41.
And you are getting ready toretire.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
I am.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
We are having some fun celebrations coming up.
The church is so gracious thiscoming Sunday you'll get to
preach your last message andthen we'll get to discuss it
here next week.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Oh excellent.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Without me, without you, I'll tune in, I'll be
listening.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
So I'm sure you both are aware but maybe some of our
listeners don't know we have ahuge back to school event coming
up at two of our campuses,Millard and Fremont, and that
got me thinking about back toschool.
So my question for you today iswhat was your favorite part
about the start of a new schoolyear when you were growing up
Yours when you were growing upand what maybe were your kids'?
Speaker 3 (01:32):
I just loved it to figure out who is going to be in
my class and which are going tobe the guys I'm going to get to
play with.
So that's kind of cool, andthen also you know who the
teacher is.
But oftentimes I had an idea ofthat.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I can't really remember when I was a student
because I was a teacher for somany years and like this time of
year, like I still have likesecondary anxiety, like what
bulletin board isn't done, likewhat student could possibly been
left off my roster that Ihaven't made supplies for, but
once all the kids come, it'slike ah.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Kate, here's the question.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Because I was a teacher too.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
And some.
We had a little debate amongstteachers at the beginning of
school what's the best practice?
Because some said do not smilefor the first two weeks, mile
for the first two weeks.
(02:31):
So they have a sense of clearboundaries and they are not
going to push those boundariesif you're yes.
Was that you?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, I was always taught that it's way easier to
loosen up the reins than totighten them up and to start
tighter, and so I always taughtmy rules and regulations very
clear.
You follow them all.
But who are we kidding, like no, I'm going to smile at every
kid I see Like I love school andI love kids you know, but I
(02:56):
agree with that.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, I did.
I follow that for the first,maybe 15, 16 minutes, then it's
game out.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
Wow, you did.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Roger.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
My son's first year of middle school he came home
and I was asking him about allhis different teachers, because
that was when he transitionedfrom having one main teacher to
multiple.
And he was talking about one ofhis teachers and oh, she was so
mean, she's so mean, mom.
And I said you know, she'sprobably going to relax some.
She's just dropping the hammerhere hard at the start of the
year and then she'll relax.
(03:29):
And he said to me I don't knowwhat you mean by drop the hammer
, but she's got a hammer, ascrewdriver, a saw and all that
stuff she's dropping.
She's just mean Wow.
I mean do it Awesome, I mean doit Awesome.
My favorite part of the newschool year was buying new
school supplies.
That was my favorite, yeah yeah, that was my daughter's
(03:58):
favorite.
My son could care less.
I think he used the same schoolsupplies for every year of high
school.
We didn't buy a single thing,not even sure he used them.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
They borrowed a piece of paper when they got to class
.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Right, both my kids, rebecca every single supply I
bought her, she brought everysingle one home.
The last day of May my son noidea where any of them are Came
home with nothing and like theyboth couldn't figure each other
out.
Like Rebecca's like what do youmean, you don't know where your
stuff is?
And Ben's like how do you knowwhere your stuff is?
(04:28):
So I literally have tons of herschool supplies in my kitchen.
God created them each uniquely.
He did he did Well.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Okay, shifting gears from back to school to kind of
leading into.
This is week four of ourmessage hey, don't Skip this
where we're looking at someBible events that are lesser
known or maybe not everyone isfamiliar with.
This Bible event has a littlebit of kind of like a scary
situation in it, and so mystarter question is are you a
(05:01):
panicker Pastor Greg talked alittle bit about.
He's pretty much a coolcucumber in a crisis, except
when it involves his daughtersor wife.
So are you guys a panicker?
Are you a?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
clear headed.
Yeah, if you amp up theanxiousness, I am down.
I'm a non anxious presence.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, yeah, I'm kind of like Greg, like if it's my
own children, yeah, I may loseall my wits about me, but with
most other people, be real calm.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
It's interesting to select what it is that I'm going
to choose to be moreemotionally responsive for,
because it doesn't mean thatthere aren't some squirrel
wheels turning on the inside,you know, but what's led on the
outside might be a little bitdifferent.
But I think it is significantfor us to say, ok, what do we
(05:53):
want to give emotional intensityto, and how does it affect
people around us?
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Agree, I'm pretty calm, collected, like very, get
this problem solved, like getwhatever you know, if we need
medical attention or we need tofind a parent or whatever the
crisis is.
But then after I'll have anervous breakdown After
everything is good again.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
You'd still be fun in a nervous breakdown when you
have one phone me All right, Iwill.
Or at least Zoom me in okay.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Something to see.
Maybe I'll make a video.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
It'll go viral.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
All right.
So our Bible event this weekthat we're looking at is really
about a coming back to lifestory.
So, pastor Roger, do you wantto kind of give us a little
summary, like an overview ofwhat this event entails?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Well, we can talk about that theme of emotional
intensity because we're dealingwith some real life situations
the Shunammite woman who had thegift of hospitality and she
opened up her home regularly tothe prophet Elisha, who has to
be somewhat itinerant because ofhis ministry.
So they developed a veryendeared relationship and he
(07:03):
looked for what is her need,developed a very endeared
relationship and he looked forwhat is her need and she hoped.
She was even afraid to mentionit but she had no child, you
know.
But she'd given up on hope andwe all have been in situations
close enough to know what that'slike when someone's is just
(07:27):
even afraid to hope.
And when that happens and shehas that child because he
prophesies okay, you got it, ayear from now you're going to
have a son, you feel the joywith her and how ecstatic that
would have been.
And as her family, her familygrew again.
Elisha visits and now Elisha isnot in the area but he hears
(07:50):
word and message later in thestory in a certain way.
But what had happened was theboy was out with her dad in the
field, had some kind of brainthing happen with a big headache
and he died.
So she came with a message, sointense was she on seeing Elisha
.
I've got to see Elisha, elisha'snumber one right-hand man, who
(08:16):
is also just kind of his servantguy.
There too, gehazi went out togreet her as she was approaching
, because something seems wrong.
But she says no, everything'sfine.
She went right past him, wentright to Elisha You've got to
come help please Right now.
He's dead, he's not breathing,whatever.
And Elisha sends Gehazi with hisstaff.
(08:39):
You run ahead and you put thestaff on him and and you put the
staff on him and I've seen Goddo miracles, using sometimes
just the faith that we have, andwe gather around something like
that.
She then says, okay, that canhappen, but I'm sticking with
you, elisha, and followed him.
The staff thing did not work.
(09:00):
Elisha got there, took sometime aside.
Also implied in the whole thing, of course, is praying and
trusting, but he actually laidon top of the boy and there was
a coming to life.
Resuscitation is what it wouldlook like to us.
That is one of thoseresurrection events after death
(09:21):
experiences.
That is in the Old Testamentand it's pointing to obviously
that our God is a God of life.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Thank you.
That's a great summary.
So if you wanted to read moreabout this, this is in 2 Kings 4
, and it's mainly 18 to 37, ifyou're looking it up on your own
.
So hearing Pastor Greg talkthis through, what are you guys
taking beyond Sunday?
What really stood out to youfrom this message?
I loved when.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Pastor Greg encouraged us to, instead of
moving toward despair, to commit, pursue and run to God.
I don't know what else isbetter advice than that.
Speaker 3 (09:59):
I like the part where he made the analogy just as
Elisha stretched out his arms.
It was one of the ways that theOld Testament foreshadows the
coming gospel event of Jesusstretching his arms out for us.
And very literally, jesusbreathes life into us, and
(10:20):
spiritually, through his HolySpirit.
I mean that's literal, but it'sthrough His death that we have
victory over death and throughHis resurrection we have
resurrection.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
I really liked the points that he talked about,
which, to me, were really waysthat Jesus can kind of touch us,
and that's through a prophet,through prayer and through
resurrection, like theresurrection of, in this event
is of the child.
But, like you said, it's Jesusthat touches us, the
resurrection of Jesus thattouches us.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
It's kind of interesting too if you take the
theme of resurrection.
That is something, of course,we look forward to literally
with us in resurrection afterthis life, resurrection, new
body in the new heaven and newearth.
But there are resurrectionmetaphors throughout our lives
(11:16):
and God uses things thatsometimes are dead that he
brings to life, and that's whatmakes life so rich, Because we
go through the pain of watchingthings that have got to pass
away or die, if you will, sothat there may be a new kind of
life around that.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
So one of the questions that Pastor Greg kind
of hinted at was how do you keepyour faith strong when things
seem hopeless?
He talked a lot about hope, andhow do you in your life keep
your faith strong when thingsget to where they seem hopeless?
Speaker 2 (11:46):
It's a big question.
It's lovely to watch you think,kate, I'm watching it.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
It's good, it's good, something good's coming, I feel
it.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Well, you were just talking about the reference to
the Lord stretching out theheavens, the creator of heavens.
Pastor Greg referred to Isaiah42, verse 5, and that's where it
says the creator of heavens.
Pastor Greg referred to Isaiah42, verse 5.
And that's where it says thecreator of the heavens, who
stretched the mount, spread outthe earth with all that springs
from it, who gives breath to itspeople and life to those who
walk on it.
(12:16):
Verse 6 is like where I was,like oh, that's good.
It says I, the Lord, havecalled you in righteousness.
I will take hold of your hand,I will keep you and will make
you to be a covenant for thepeople and a light for the
Gentiles, to open eyes that areblind, to free captives from
prison and to release from thedungeon those who sit in
(12:40):
darkness.
Like wow, yeah, isn't thatamazing.
That's verse six.
And so like what?
What could I possibly get fromthis life that would ever
compare with that?
So I just this life willdisappoint us, your plans will
(13:02):
fail, things will not turn outhow you hoped, but that doesn't
mean there's not still a planand a purpose and something
quite possibly even better whenyou hitch your wagon to the Lord
.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Jesus used that verse as a quote for his first sermon
.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Verse five or six, both of them.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Oh yeah, his first sermon is in Luke four.
The spirit of the Lord is on mebecause he's anointed me to
preach good news to the poor.
He sent me to proclaim freedomfor the prisoners, recovery of
sight for the blind, to releasethe oppressed and proclaim the
year of Lord's freedom.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
That's good, it's good.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Yeah, that's good.
It's good, yeah, and becauseit's, you know, the prophet is
already foretelling of Jesus,but there's also a foretelling
that's happening sooner thanthat, because there's another
kind of good news that thepeople are seeing, but the
ultimate fulfillment, of course,is in Jesus.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
And I didn't really realize that until I, many years
walking with the Lord.
It's so simple, but the wholeBible is one story of Jesus.
So many people say, oh, that'sthe God of the Old Testament or
it's different, but it's not,it's one story.
And the way Jesus lays thatfoundation and points us to
(14:23):
Jesus' coming, that foundationand points us to Jesus's coming.
You know it just.
The more you study the Bible,the more you see the brilliant,
like tapestry.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
Oh, my yes, yeah, yeah and um, okay.
So here's an analogy the moreyou study the Bible, you see the
brilliant tapestry of how heweaves people's stories together
into his story.
And then you start weaving yourstory into that story.
So what do you do when you hitthe kerbump and you have that
panic moment or that kind ofthing?
(14:54):
What do you do when your hopecrashes?
And that's the human experience.
Like Greg said, the Bibledoesn't short.
That.
That's what our life is like.
For me, it's very important thatI have carved out time alone
with God, that I have time tonot only read but also pause and
(15:16):
listen and pray.
And it doesn't necessarily fixeverything, but it does open me
up to be I don't want to say tobe fixed, but yes, to be fixed.
Things start making sense overtime with that, because it
(15:38):
sometimes gives you a chance toput perspective on it.
That's not just yourperspective, it's God's
perspective.
He sees it so radicallydifferent.
Look in the Bible event today.
If she runs to him, elisha seesthings differently because he
sees.
Today, if she runs to him,elisha sees things differently
because he sees.
You know, just like he couldsee that God would give her a
(15:58):
baby.
Now he also sees God can raiseher from the dead.
But that's his business.
But let's just be about it.
And sometimes we need to get inthat perspective by spending
time alone with him, reading theBible and in prayer, and
sometimes just journaling someof those things that you're
learning, and then expect thathe's going to meet you at your
point of need.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
There's a phrase that when I was younger, people
would say and they talk about,hope floats, and I always
thought I was kind of stupid andkind of cheesy, and then the
further I got in my walk withthe Lord, that's the imagery
that I think of when I get tothose points where I feel like
hopeless, whatever it is that'sweighing me down and I feel like
is pulling me under the water.
(16:41):
I spend time in prayer,sometimes in the Word, but
mostly for me it's justconversation with God, and I'm
letting those weights go andletting Him carry them till I
feel like, okay, my head's abovewater, and maybe some days I
feel like I'm even floatinghigher than that, but at least
I'm getting my head above water.
And now this phrase that Ithought was so dumb when I was
(17:02):
younger hope floats is what Ithink of when I'm struggling
with my own hope that, okay, Ijust got to get to the point
where I'm floating again, and Iknow how to do that, because I
just got to turn over some of myburdens to God, who's just
there waiting for them.
I mean, he's big enough to takethem all.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Imagine what it was for this Shunammite woman.
She was afraid to have hopewhen she was childless.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Well, like you said, she had given up, she'd given up
.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
And then she got it and then now her son's dead and
it's very honest, she's upsetand angry, you know, and despair
and distraught and you knowappropriately complete basket
case.
(17:49):
But there was somethingdifferent about her then because
she had underneath it a senseof hope that God could do
something and she went afterthat.
Kudos for her.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
So Pastor Greg kind of moved on to talking about
prayer, really focusing onprayer and how can prayer serve
as a source of hope and how doyou guys answer that question?
I kind of already referred tohow that serves as a source of
hope for me.
It's really I feel likesometimes me dumping my issues
on God and hopefully hearingsome response of Him, whether
(18:25):
that's comfort or calm, orsometimes direction and wisdom
and guidance, or sometimes justpeace.
Know how does that speak?
How does prayer serve as asource of hope for you guys?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
a very important part of my prayer life.
Uh is usually the section atthe beginning that takes a
considerable amount of time withum praise, with understanding
who God is and what he's done,because that frames everything
else and it frames all the otherprayers that follow.
(18:59):
But it also fills me with hope.
By the time I've finished.
Some of those times, thosethings that have distraught me
may not be my main issues, dropme, may not be my main issues.
Sometimes, in the midst ofthose praise he shows me is he
(19:22):
shows me more about who he is,because that's what praise can
do.
It shows me what part of that Ineed in my world and I don't
want to go on and on, but it'sworth pursuing.
What Greg used a lot in hismessage was the word Ruach,
(19:45):
which is the Hebrew word forspirit breath, and it's the
breath of God that he breathesin in creation and makes man,
and he breathes here and, ofcourse, he breathes out by his
Holy Spirit in Pentecost andfills us with that breath of God
(20:07):
.
Well, man, that fills us insuch a way that it does give us
a different perspective.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
I would agree.
I've been stuck for a couple ofyears now with starting my
prayers with just acknowledgingthat the Lord is on the throne
and just visualizing the Lordseated on the throne.
So His plans are in place.
He has complete power, completecontrol, and the more I spend
(20:37):
in that praise, naming who he isthe alpha, the omega, the
beginning, the end and justnaming his traits, it does
change what comes after that.
You know, when your kids startdriving, I was praying all the
time because I was anxious and Iwas praying the blood.
(21:00):
My kids are like if you layhands on my car one more time.
But I was anxious and worriedand you know what can happen.
You know putting your child ina car, and the more I praise the
Lord, the more my prayerschange from anxiousness to you
(21:22):
know, may Ben and Becca alwaysknow how much you love them.
You know.
May they always know yourpursuit of them as their father,
know your pursuit of them astheir father.
May they always desireconnection with you and that
(21:46):
prayer.
That's what I want.
Yes, I want them to be safe onthe drive, but I want them to
know the Lord as their king.
And so I think I appreciate howGod has taught me.
You know, yes, he's going totake whatever prayer you give
him, he'll never, turn you away.
But if you desire to pray morein his will, he will reveal how
to do that, and I appreciatethat's what God has been doing
(22:06):
for me lately.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Now, I think a lot of people get intimidated by
prayer.
I know for a while in my life Ididn't know how to pray or what
to pray.
And Kate, you use an acronymthat I like.
Can you share that Pray yeah,Just what they stand for.
I think it's really easy toremember.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Pray, p for praise, r for repent, and a lot of times.
That's as far as I get.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
P-R Purr are for repent and a lot of times that's
as far as I get.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
I'm on a PR campaign right now.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Because A is ask, and that's where you ask the Lord.
You know, this is what's on myheart, this is what I desire,
and Y is yield, and that's whereyou give up control to Him.
But when you do praise the Lordand you repent for falling
short, sometimes you're likewhat else do I need to ask for
God's?
Speaker 3 (23:00):
on this throne.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
There's nothing he doesn't know.
He has a plan that's in place.
I just need to stay in thatattitude of worship and praise
and yield.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
I've been in this business for a long time.
That's really good.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
I did not come up with it.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
That's what's different between you and me.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
I'd have claimed it copyrighted it so pastor greg um
talked about breathing lifeinto things that ruha and um
what, and he asked the questionwhat in your life feels dead
that god may want to breatheinto again?
(23:47):
Was there something that jumpedout at you guys from your
personal life like what in yourlife feels dead that god may
want to breathe into again?
Speaker 3 (23:54):
I didn't't have a specific thing, but I also think
that's one of the rhythms oflife.
I suppose that my orientationat looking at life and the
unfolding of all the differentevents and dealing with things
that are disappointments orthings that even might be
(24:16):
discouraging, some things thatare just flat evil or wrong,
sometimes trying to discern ohwell, is that God's will or not?
Well, sometimes it's obviouslynot, but I'm part of it and I
may be culpable, I may be theone causing it, but what I see,
(24:38):
that what I pursue is notnecessarily trying to understand
everything about what his willis going to be in all those
circumstantial outcomes.
I look for how his will is totake things of death and turn
them to life.
How does he redeem thatcircumstance, redeem that person
(25:01):
, or what needs to happen forhim to take this whole situation
and flip it, Because that's whohe is.
So it seems to me kind ofopen-ended.
You know what's God doing?
I don't know, but I do knowthis he's a God that breathes
(25:23):
life into things and he redeemsthings that once were dead and
he brings them to life.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
I've talked before.
I have a family member who I'veprayed for for many decades to
come to know the Lord and andevery now and then I'm like, oh,
I think it's getting close,it's going to happen soon, and
then and this person attendschurch actually and I'll stand
by this person, and then theperson seems uninterested Sign
(25:49):
and I'm like, oh, my goodness,why?
That's why it's good to endwith yield, because I cannot
create salvation for anyone, noone.
Only the Lord can do that.
I can continue to pray and askGod to work, knowing that he
hears my prayers and he desiresthe same, he wants the same.
(26:10):
So we're at, we want the samething.
But that can feel like it's adead situation that needs some
new life in it, yes, and maybeit's there and I just don't see
it.
And many times God's wanting usto wait, like, are you able to
wait?
(26:30):
And I feel like God has saidthat to me many times.
Like, do you want your timeframe or do you want mine?
And I don't know If it's up tome I'm going to mess it up.
So I want the Lord's time frame, but it's all that conversation
, like you said with God before.
You're like, okay, okay, Ithink I'm okay now.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
This jumped out at me .
There was one thing that reallycame to mind for me that kind
of intersects with somethingelse that's going on in my life.
And on Wednesday nights rightnow I'm leading a connect group
that's been meeting and thiscoming week is our last week,
but we've been doing this study.
That's Bob Goff.
That's called.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Love and Chaos.
I love Bob Goff.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
He's just so goofy and silly and his laugh cracks
me up.
There's a little video that wewatch each week and he always
has the goofiest laugh.
But it's talking about lovingyour neighbor and loving your
enemies and how you show lovewherever you go and whatever you
do.
And because our culture getsmore closed off and we live in
this kind of source of chaosright now and how are we showing
(27:37):
God's love?
And two weeks ago our wholesession was about loving your
enemy and we had talked aboutloving your neighbor and
sometimes it's hard to love yourneighbor and your neighbor is
anyone really but then we hadthe session that talked about
loving your enemy and I felt soconvicted I used to be really
good, I feel like, about prayingfor the people that I was
(28:00):
struggling with.
I was praying for good thingsfor them, not that I would get
along with them or not that theywould change their mind about
me or whatever it was.
I really felt like that wassomething I wholeheartedly
wanted good things for them.
And I don't know when thatchanged and I don't know how
that changed over the last fewyears, but we're going through
this study and I'm realizing Ican't remember the last time I
(28:23):
really prayed for my quote,unquote enemy, you know and that
means different things todifferent people or somebody
(28:43):
that I feel like God put in mypath to really help me grow by
learning something from them andI'm struggling in that growth.
That's somebody I think of asmy enemy sometimes and I had not
been praying for them, and sojust over the course of the last
two weeks I've really beentaking the time to really pray
for my enemies and it's just hadsuch a lifting sense in my
(29:04):
heart Like I just I've reallyhope floats, I'm really feel
like my heart is floating, andit just when Greg asked that
question.
What in your life feels deadthat God may want to breathe
into again?
That's what I thought of.
Like it's not, I feel like it'salready being breathed into.
You know that things aren'tgoing in the right direction,
but that was what stuck out tome.
(29:25):
All right, as we wrap up today,what are your final takeaways
from this message?
What's really sticking with you?
Speaker 2 (29:35):
I have one more scripture Go for it.
Well, and you know when I justthought it was so fascinating
how he sent the servant aheadwith the staff and then he came
and laid on him and breathed onhim and touched his hands, and
all that, and I just thought ofIsaiah 55, 8.
For my thoughts are not yourthoughts, neither are your ways,
(29:56):
my ways, declares the Lord.
As the heavens are higher thanthe earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways and my thoughtsthan your thoughts, and kind of
like we were talking before.
Roger.
You know, god never gives otherthan coming to him through his
Father.
The Bible isn't full of formulas.
Here's how you do this, here'show you do this, here's how you
achieve this, here's how you getpeace.
(30:18):
It's just that process ofacknowledging who God is in
comparison to us.
Just when you think you have itlike, oh yeah, I got it figured
out pretty good, you know, godwill just blow your mind with
something, and I think that goeswell with how he worked in this
story, how he caused new life.
(30:39):
That goes well with how heworked in this story how he
caused new life, life to comeagain.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
I was just thinking what it would be like to be the
boy.
I mean, you're dead, You'reback alive Now.
Of course, I've been studying alot of near-death experiences
because I'm researching it, butthen it makes me so quickly go
to that place.
The reality of what life isface-to-face with him.
(31:10):
And one characteristic I'm justgoing to pause with today the
anxious Shunammite woman, themyriad of thoughts racing
through her skull as she'strying to make sense of life at
that time, and sometimes you cryout to God and there's so many
thoughts and yet he is a God whois not only all powerful but so
(31:34):
loving.
He actually knows, hears,understands and cares.
It's remarkable.
Can you imagine what it's liketo meet him face-to-face and he
will know all that and he'llhave what feels like time for
(31:56):
you and you will feel whatyou've only just had a small
glimpse of.
But you'll see it face to facethen and that's the fullness of
his love for you.
You'll see it because you'llsee Jesus right there and he was
the one that showed us just howfar God's love will take him.
Speaker 2 (32:23):
Amen I have no words.
I'm still imagining.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
So there were two things that really stuck with me
and one, kate, you mentionedalready.
When Greg talked about CPRcommit to the resurrection,
pursue the spirit of God and runto the future I really thought
that's practical.
I can remember that.
And then I wrote down what hesaid when life flatlines, don't
hold a funeral.
(32:52):
Faith holds even when it hurts.
And I was like, okay, I likethat, that's something that I
can hang on to when I'mstruggling, that faith holds
even when it hurts.
It's not a string that's goingto break, because it's much
stronger than that.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Right.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Yeah Well, thank you guys so much for being here
today.
I appreciate your insights andnext week we'll get to discuss.
Well, it won't be you, Someonewith me?
Speaker 3 (33:23):
will be discussing.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Pastor Rogers, do you know what year?
Can you give us like a littlepreview of what your message is
about?
Speaker 3 (33:30):
The title is what If we Prepared for Heaven as Much
as we Prepare for Retirement?
The truth is, people don'tprepare real well for retirement
.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
Let's just pretend we did.
Some people do what you do whenyou get closer.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
Believe me, when you get closer, you go.
I wish I would have I shoulduse that, but I've already
written it and I'm out of time.
I'm trying to cut things now.
I don't want to add more.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
What are they going to do?
Speaker 2 (34:02):
fire you, that's right, I own it.
Go on, and on, and on and on.
Roger, I have no authority.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
That is my fear to go over, because it's so easy, you
get excited and you want tokeep going.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
You have some great messages.
I always get disappointed whenI'm like really engrossed in the
message and then I'm like, ohit's getting.
The band is starting to vamp upbehind.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
That means it's ending soon.
They're playing me off thestage.
They have to start extraearning with me.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
Don't you feel like it's like and I'm sure you do
like you're going to bepreaching in ways you don't even
know, in such a different way,in retirement?
Speaker 3 (34:48):
I don't know.
What do you mean?
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Like you, will continue to have messages to
deliver to people, whether it'sone-on-one.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Oh yeah, you know you are going to continue preaching
till your last breath, yeah,okay, so here here it would be
not everyone's a preacher, buteveryone is a witness.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
Right.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
So sometimes, when you preach, you're just
witnessing and you're sharingyour story.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Yeah, right.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
But if I'm no longer a full-time pastor, I am
definitely a full-time witness.
Yes, Whether good or badhopefully Super good It'll be
real and it'll be what theLord's doing.
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Right, and there's no time limit on that.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
They're not going to cut you off the thing there is
just to shut up and listen toother people.
Right, right, and there's notime limit on that.
They're not going to cut youoff, it's just the thing there
is to shut up and listen toother people.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
Right, right, and you know that.
Speaker 1 (35:48):
Well, thank you for all your years of service,
Pastor.
Speaker 3 (35:51):
Oh yeah, my honor.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
You have blessed this church and the kingdom at large
.
Thank you All right.
Well, until next time, let'skeep living our faith beyond
Sunday.
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