June 26, 2025 • 59 mins
We explore the concept of stumbling blocks versus stepping stones in our faith journey, examining how our actions can either hinder or help fellow believers grow spiritually.
• Scripture foundations from Romans 14:13 and 2 Corinthians 6:3 about not placing obstacles in others' paths
• How "seniority" in church can become a stumbling block when older Christians judge newer believers
• Everyone's spiritual journey progresses at different rates - transformation doesn't happen overnight
• Small acts of kindness like giving up your seat can be significant stepping stones for newcomers
• Being sensitive to others' struggles and respecting their boundaries with addictions or past issues
• Personal testimony of turning struggles into opportunities to help others facing similar challenges
• Jesus becoming what seemed like a stumbling block on the cross to be the ultimate stepping stone to salvation
• Practical ways to be Christ's ambassadors without harsh judgment or creating obstacles
Remember that obstacles in your faith journey might be there because you have a target on your back as a Christian - learn to navigate them wisely and help others do the same.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
dollars well, my insurance resets in august.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Well then just wait till august so I'm gonna do the
deep.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
He wants that like done immediately, because they
haven't done one and I've gotperiodontal disease so um, so we
are going to go ahead and dothe deep cleaning, because I
still have money, yeah, for thisyear.
So we're going to do the deepcleaning and the two cavities
and then, come august, we'regoing to do the bridge yeah, and
the two crowns it's funny thatit renews in august.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I've I've known a couple of them to do july, but
yeah my resets in august.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
That's what the girl at the desk said she's like hmm
that is weird doing this, youreset next month or in august
and we're waiting until augustyep, so now my out-of-pocket
expense will be $2,500 insteadof $58 yeah, that's nice, so
still a hefty still priced.
Yeah, but but listen, I pray toGod all the time not to let me
(00:58):
lose my teeth, so I'm gonna haveit done yep, you only have two
sets, so, and don't let me losethis set.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah, so I was.
Cooper is such a daredevil.
I'm like I mean, he's walkingon the edge of the couch like
losing it, laughing, like I'mlike you're going to fall.
I'm like you know I'm justgoing to have to let him fall
and I'm like, but you only gettwo sets of arms and legs, dude.
You're going to have to throwsome throw pillows on the floor,
(01:27):
so when he's on there,something I don't know- he's a
trip he is you better get thatkid playing an instrument.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
He's got such natural time he does, yeah he does.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
yeah, my friend, my friend said um her son's he'll
be four and she's like I thinkthey start doing like dance
classes or music classes at theY at three and I was like, well,
I need to get him intosomething you know, along those
lines.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yes.
As soon as he can.
He does have some rhythm, yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
I mean I'll bear with that flag.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
I know.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Because you know most kids would be probably pretty
silly or getting chaotic.
Yeah, you know, and you'd haveto like, and he was just going
right along on time.
That's why I didn't really.
He did a great job.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
That's why I didn't really like stop him, because he
was like yeah, he was great.
It wasn't like he was killing,you know, stabbing anyone with
it.
He was actually going and hadhis hand up at times.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I'm like, oh my gosh, but roger, what were you doing
today?
Just now, uh, taking thebaptismal out.
It's up on the top of the stagethe old one.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Is it lifted up and out?
Yeah, yeah, hmm, yeah, yeah, Ihad to crawl.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
I've crawled underneath the stage and way
back in there, lift it up andout.
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, I had tocrawl.
I crawled underneath the stageand way back in there.
Of course I had.
I should have been a skinny guyBecause I had to beat a piece
of two before out so I could.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Then I got halfway in there and the nails is digging
in my side, so it's built.
It was built into the stage.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Yeah, well, no, yes and no.
I think it was an afterthought.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Right, but so, but it wasn't meant to ever like come
out once they put it in.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
It wasn't supposed to Right.
Yeah, they didn't anticipate onmy skills.
If it don't come out in onepiece, it'll come out in two or
four, but I got it.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
It was a stumbling block, hmm.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
It was definitely an obstacle of some sort.
Yeah, it was.
It really wasn't a stumblingblock, but was definitely an
obstacle of some sort.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yeah, it really wasn't a stumbling block.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
But not a stepping stone either.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
No, the stepping stone is the stairs going up.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yes, that's what I was picturing.
Yeah, that's our topic fortonight.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Hey, you remembered Yay.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
I know you looked at me.
I reminded you, Nick.
I know you looked at me atchurch like she's going topic
for tonight hey you remembered?
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yay, I know you looked at me.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
I reminded you.
Nick.
I know you looked at me atchurch like she's going to ask
me.
She's going to ask me.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
I know she is and I was like.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
I know what that look is and I know what I actually
remembered I had typed thoseverses in just like in a draft,
and then I sent a message tosomebody and when I went back
they disappeared.
They weren't there.
I must have deleted them, as Isent that message.
Oh no, I gotta ask nick whatthose verses were well, let me
(04:32):
tell you how I came upon that Ithink you and I talked about it.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Yes and it wasn't last week's message but the
previous two that pastor michaelgave.
The first one he was going, he,he was in Romans quite a bit,
and so he was in Romans 14 atone point.
And usually when he's givinghis message, doing his thing,
whatever he's got up on thescreen, you know, I'm still
(04:58):
paying attention.
I'm always paying attention.
Just so you know, michael, butI always tend to read further.
Whatever verse he's got upthere, I always read a little
bit further.
And so on.
Down the page there wassomething about the stumbling
block in Romans 14, 13.
So I'm like, all right, I kindof got an idea.
(05:19):
I thought, yeah, that might bea good idea.
Well, the next week we were in2 Corinthians, and that was 2
Corinthians.
What did I say?
It was 6-3?
.
And of course I'm reading downagain.
And there it is.
The very next message was abouta stumbling block.
(05:41):
I'm like, well, that's gotta beit, because two weeks in a row,
you know, I'm seeing this verseand I thought, hey, you know,
that's the way it works, that'sconfirmation right there.
That's all I need.
And I'm usually when PastorMichael is giving his sermon,
I'm usually kind of alwayslooking for ideas.
(06:01):
Yeah, it's like maybe sometimeswhat he says will kind of
piggyback off of it yeah yeah,sometimes it'll just kind of
inspire something else, um, soI'm always kind of looking for
those key things, uh, you know,for things for us to do.
But yeah, that was just reallycool that two weeks in a row I
just looked down to the nextverse yeah and they both had the
phrase stumbling block in it.
(06:22):
I was like well you didn't askhim.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
If it like if he got that too, did you like.
You didn't ask him separately.
You know what?
I mean no because I wondered Ihaven't said anything to him
yeah, we'll have to find outyeah because that kind of you
know, since it had led you fromthe first or the first know
(06:44):
message, led you to the secondone with the stumbling blocks.
Maybe his first message ingeneral led him to the next
week's message.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
You know what I mean.
No, no, I did not say anythingat all, which makes it all the
more interesting.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Yep.
So that's one thing people is.
There's always confirmation,and if you're willing to, if
you're willing to look, oh yeah.
And if you're, as we talkedabout a few weeks ago, if you're
receiving the word and not justkind of listening, you'll find
those things, yeah yeah.
So our topic is stumbling blockor stepping stone.
(07:19):
So if you want to, we can maybejust kind of read that verse in
Romans to kind of get us primedready to go.
Do you want me to read it?
Somebody else want to read it?
I can read it.
Somebody else want mic time?
Speaker 3 (07:37):
I'll read it Unless, roger.
Do you want to read it?
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I have to find it.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
All right, I'll read it.
I don't have it marked.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I have to find it All right.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
I'll read it.
I don't have it marked, so thisBible that I'm reading out of
it's a study Bible, but it isthe Christian Standard Bible.
She Reads Truth is like a howdid I find it?
A podcast, maybe Just like afive or ten minute podcast a day
.
And then they also have an applike devotionals, and then I
(08:07):
noticed the Bible.
So it's a little harder tounderstand, but it's still.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
It's still that's what we can still understand it
Therefore let us no longer judgeone another.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Instead, decide never to put a stumbling block or
pitfall in the way of yourbrother or sister when you keep
going.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Yep, keep going Okay.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that
nothing is unclean in itself.
Still, to someone who considersa thing to be unclean, to that
one it is unclean.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Keep on going All right, go all the way through 21
.
Okay, keep on going All right,go all the way through 21.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Okay, for if your brother or sister is hurt by
what you eat, you are no longerwalking according to love.
Do not destroy by what you eatsomeone for whom Christ died.
Therefore, do not let your goodbe slandered, for the kingdom
of God is not eating anddrinking, but righteousness,
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Whoever serves Christ in thisway is acceptable to God and
(09:08):
receives human approval.
So then, let us pursue whatpromotes peace and what builds
up on one another.
Do not tear down God's workbecause of food.
Everything is clean, but it iswrong to make someone fall by
what he eats.
It is a good thing not to eatmeat or drink wine or do
anything that makes your brotheror sister stumble.
(09:28):
Whatever you believe aboutthese things, keep between
yourself and God.
I'm just going to keep going.
There's like two more Blessedis the one who does not condemn
himself by what he approves, butwhoever doubts stands condemned
if he eats because his eatingis not from faith, and
(09:50):
everything that is not fromfaith is sin.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
That was a lot.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Yep.
So you know he's using theexample, I think, of food and
drink, you know, as a way tokind of express what he's.
You know what he's trying toget at there.
But of course, you know, in ourdaily lives there can be many
things that can um, asChristians we, we do have to be
(10:17):
careful about Um, and I think Isaid this last week.
You know when, when I look atChristians myself think I said
this last week, you know when Ilook at Christians myself,
others, it doesn't matter to mehow long somebody's you know
been saved been a Christian.
You know, once somebody has beensaved and has started that
journey, you know, I want tolook at that person as an equal.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
So I would say the first you know stumbling block,
you know you can talk a lotabout church hurt.
You know people talk about thatall the time and I think one of
the main things is thatsometimes there's seniority can
sometimes play into that.
You know, the older generationhas tougher time with the
(11:02):
younger generation becauseyounger generation doesn't do
quite things the same way.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
And so you know, we have to be careful about how we
we always have to be looking tookay, how can we help this
person on further in theirjourney.
Not making them feel likesometimes, like well, everything
they've done to this point,yeah, okay, you're coming along,
but you still belong at theback of the line.
(11:30):
Yeah, you know so so, when we'rebringing people up, we we have
to be careful about how weexercise.
That, yeah, and we have.
We have to be aware that, yeah,they are just starting out
their journey and perhaps youknow they they haven't
experienced everything that wehave.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Yeah Well, and you know, that gives me an idea of
when.
Even when you guys say, oh yeah, I said you're 20.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
You're so young?
You're only 20.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
I don't even know how old I am now.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
Well, we have a good like right here we have a good.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Diverse age group.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
We do, yeah, but you hear it, you know.
Oh, and if I could still beyour Roger Roger just said it
last week, I think or you'rejust a little baby, which, yes,
I am, but we need to look atthat.
We need to have those goggleson when we're thinking of these
new Christians.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Christians.
You know what I mean, right,and we don't.
We have.
Well, no, because I was 30 whenI gave my life to the Lord.
Yeah, you know, I mean a lot ofpeople were raised in the
church and continued on, but Iwas 30.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Mm-hmm.
So yeah, and I mean that'snormal, you know yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Yeah, but I feel like we just we need to be more cogn
.
Looking at it that way ratherthan oh well, they should know
better.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
No, they're not going to change overnight, yeah, so
yeah, discouragement isgenerally not the way to help
people grow.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
We're all a work in progress.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Yeah, absolutely, yep .
Speaker 1 (12:56):
None of us are perfect.
No yeah, we've got to showeverybody grace.
Yeah, and hopefully they showus the same grace.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
Yeah, We've got to show everybody grace and
hopefully they show us the samegrace.
Yeah yeah, your seniority doesnothing to kind of absolve you
of making yourself a stumblingblock onto new believers.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
If anything, I feel like that seniority could make
you a stumbling block.
If you— yes, right, dependingon the attitude.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
You know what I mean.
Yes, because some very matureChristians will say things like
well, I can't believe they'reRight, right, Well, they're a
brand new, they're a babe inChrist, Exactly.
They're a baby in Christ.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Yeah, yes, it could be something as small as I'm not
going to do is give my seat upwhen the exact opposite should
be true.
Right, I'm going to give myseat up to this person because
(13:53):
perhaps they need it more than Ido.
Yeah, you know, perhaps it'syou know.
What they need is is to youknow just something that small
could really lift somebody up tothat next level.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
That could be a stepping stone right there.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Something that small could really lift somebody up to
that next level.
That could be a stepping stoneright there, because when you're
being that example because,yeah, a lot of young churchgoers
when they first start coming toa new church they're afraid to
approach people- they're afraidto talk to other people.
So if somebody would actuallybe like, yeah, yeah, you can sit
in my seat, that would be astepping stone right there for
somebody to be like okay, I feelaccepted, right, right, you can
sit in my seat.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
That would be a stepping stone right there for
somebody to be like okay, I feelaccepted Right.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
Right, you know, they notice me.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Yes, they am aware that they welcomed me.
They even gave me their seat.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Yeah, yes, I mean that would just, you know,
that's that would be huge.
Yes, something that small, yeah, yeah, because we have to.
You know, those are the thingswhere we always talk about
getting out of your comfort zoneto do you know, go to that next
step in your journey, butsometimes it's something as
simple as that Like yeah, getout of your comfort zone, get
(14:52):
out of your chair.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
Let somebody else sit there.
Yeah, if you have to stand aslong as you're able, maybe you
should.
You know that could go a longway with people.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Yeah, I wanted to just bring up again, um this
what I just read out of, butverse 14, I wanted to bring it
up again.
I know and am persuaded in thelord jesus that nothing is
unclean in itself.
Still, to someone who considersa thing to be unclean, to that
one, it is unclean.
I'm thinking to that oneindividual.
It is unclean.
I'm thinking to that oneindividual.
It is unclean.
You know like it almost soundslike keep whatever you're
(15:31):
thinking to yourself Believe inyourself.
Yes, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
Well, because sometimes you can think, oh,
that's silly, that that personneeds to.
They think that way, thatthat's part of what they believe
, like that's part of their walkwith the Lord is that they
don't do this, they don't dothat and somebody is like, well,
that's silly, that doesn'tmatter, that shouldn't affect
(16:00):
your relationship with Christ.
But maybe it doesn't for you,right?
Maybe?
for you, it's like for you,right you know, maybe for you
it's like yeah, you, you, you,you know maybe there's you never
think about it to why they door don't do something.
Yes, you never know why thatperson has chosen to right you
know, behave a certain way, notdo something yeah and, yeah, you
don't want to be.
You don't want to be that personthat either, uh, either offends
(16:22):
them or, in most cases, youdon't want to be the person that
tempts them or draws them backinto something that they really
worked really hard at to youknow, pull out of.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
To pull out of yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
To stop sinning, whatever it is, whatever
challenges they've had.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Right.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
You know, sometimes we have to be very careful that,
yeah, we're not the one that isgoing to, because to you you'd
be like, oh, what's the big deal?
Yeah, yeah, you know there'splenty of Christians out there
who smoke cigarettes.
Okay, Now, a lot of us mightnot think anything of that.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
You know, just you don't even think about it.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
But if it's, if some, there's that one person that
has struggled for, you know, 10years to quit smoking.
And then you pull them into asituation a social situation,
yes, where you know you'retempting them to smoke.
Yeah, you know, for them that'sa big deal oh, yeah, yes, a
huge deal, yeah, so we got to beyou know, that that's a stump,
that's being a stumbling blockanytime anytime that you know
that you find what one person isdoing is not productive for
(17:28):
your walk.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
And so you think well , you know why is this person
got to, you know why is it sucha big deal, right?
Speaker 3 (17:37):
Yeah Well, and not to mention you know some people.
Maybe it took only a year foryou to stop smoking, but it took
him 10 years.
You know, that's probably justbased on how their brain is
wired, or their willpower versusyour willpower, like we're not
all the same in that sense.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
You know, you could be saying I got saved and, yeah,
I quit smoking right away.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
No big deal, you know it only took me a year.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
What's their problem?
Right, it doesn't work the sameway for everybody.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
I mean, it's literally biological that
there's some people strugglemore with like addiction than
others.
Absolutely yeah, they have thataddictive personality.
It's wired in your brain.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
And when you define addiction, you know it's
something for somebody thatdistracts them from every other
productive thing in their life.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
To me, that's the true form of addiction.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Is when it overtakes everything else in your life.
You can't concentrate onanything else.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Yeah, that's what you're always thinking about.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Yeah, all your finances go towards that, yeah,
yeah, if you have any extramoney, it's controlling your
life, that's where it goes, yourhealth is going more than
likely downhill because of it,you know, yep, yeah, it's
holding you back from movingforward.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
That, to me, yeah, is addiction yeah and that's hard
for people.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Yeah, yeah and not just, not just like smoking, I'm
thinking cell phone usage oryou know, like that's.
That's interrupting your yourhealth, like your emotional
health.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
You know what I mean, oh, yeah so your physical
health well
Speaker 2 (19:03):
I had a friend that was a recovering alcoholic and
like if we were all going to goout to eat, he didn't want to go
someplace, that there was a barinside the restaurant, yeah,
you know.
And everybody would be like youknow, we can't go here and we
can't go there, and you know.
Or he would just say, well, youknow, you guys go ahead and go.
Well, you know, you guys goahead and go.
(19:25):
I'm just going to stay homebecause I am tempted when I walk
in that establishment and I'mfaced with that bar yeah, right
in front of me as I'm beingseated at my table.
That tempts me.
Yes, so I don't want to go yeahyou know, but even his family.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
That would just frustrate them tremendously like
yeah, they just didn'tunderstand right, right, yes,
yeah, and he was probably onethat couldn't just have one or
two.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Well no he had been an alcoholic into his 70s.
Yeah, yeah you know, and whenhe finally gave it up, then yeah
, yeah yeah, I mean, that's some.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
I'm sure that was something he was proud of too.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Oh, absolutely, and the family was proud of it but
you know, didn't understand wecan't go out to dinner anywhere,
so there's a bar in every place.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
And you can agree or disagree, but I'm not really
sure.
But I don't know.
There's some things, eventhough when you're saved,
there's just certain things thatyou always have to work on.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Whether it's anger issues.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
I even feel like gossip or something like that.
Yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
Like, even though you're saved, you know it's a
big.
Sometimes I think it's a bigand this is agree or disagree.
It's a big misconception thatonce you're saved, you know
non-Christians can look at uslike, oh well, now they think
they're perfect.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
We're just running around.
We're running around inwildflower fields, yeah no, we
get irritated and irate too, yes, yes, there's no more challenge
for us.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
Yeah, yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Sometimes we're challenged more, right, you know
, I mean Most of the time.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Yes, sometimes those yeah, sometimes those
temptations come at us all theharder.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Yeah, because that's the enemy at work.
Absolutely so you know we hadto, like I said, this huge
misconception that you know,just you know I used to drink.
Now I can walk into because I'msaved, I can walk into a bar
and look at all the drinks onthe wall and I don't feel any
(21:31):
temptation at all because, I'vebeen saved.
I don't know, maybe for somepeople that's true, some people
that's true, but I don't know.
I think there's certain thingsthat people really have to.
For the rest of your life, youreally do have to exercise
Always a temptation.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Yes, extra prayer Mm-hmm.
Yeah, like I've been convictedlately about my venting, my
specific vent that I have, I'mlike I have to stop.
I just have to stop thatbecause I it I've been convicted
of that and beth said no,you're just talking to me about
(22:11):
it, we're we're twoprofessionals it's, it's.
No, I've been convicted of itbecause, yeah, she likes to, she
likes to hear it.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
I think yeah, yeah, well, because she wants to know
that she's not alone.
Yes, yes, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
So I'm like no, I have to stop.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
No, I get that.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Yeah, she's like well , you're not gossiping, you're
just venting about your day.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Well, you know, my sister got married over the
weekend and in the best manspeech he said you know, I'll
remember this.
I think his advice was you know, once that day is done because
he's a teacher and so is mysister is a teacher as well he's
like sit or shy, I know you'll,you know, attest to this, he
said.
But once that day is done, youshut that door and you are now
in your sanctuary.
This is a new.
(22:57):
This is like your second day.
You know, this is the secondpart of the day.
That's a whole nother day withyou and Brady, like, leave that,
leave it behind.
Not saying that he shouldn'tknow anything about what
happened with your day, but whenyou come home and talk about it
all the time, if you'remiserable all the time, you know
like, and I, you know I didthat with Chase for probably a
year and a half cause I wasmiserable and I mean at what
(23:20):
point they're like oh, what do Isay?
Right, you know what I mean?
Do I have to listen to?
Speaker 4 (23:27):
this again.
Wait a minute, we're talkingabout this again.
Yeah Well, and it's even harderin our day and age because,
guess what?
Both people go to work.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Yes, and both people come home with their own set of
problems and you're like, okay,my turn, my turn.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
But it's hard not to do, because you know you want
somebody to listen.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Exactly, to your problems, exactly.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
And yeah.
So sometimes you do have to belike, okay, I'm not going to
give this to my wife or myhusband, I'm going to give it to
God.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
I'm going to pray about it.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
I'll talk to him about it All the way home.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
I'm going to spare my significant other of you know,
and just try to enjoy the theday yes let's leave work at work
yeah and let's, let's have anice evening let's focus on the
joy.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Yeah, focus on the joy.
There had to be some joy in theday as well, right, yeah?
Speaker 4 (24:10):
focus on the joy so we can rest and start again the
next day, because before youknow it, you're going to be
right back in it right, yeah,yeah it is.
You know it is good to I.
I think you're right in thatapproach.
It's just very hard to do it'sso hard, hard to do.
But I do think it's important.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Now on the same token , I don't think you should hold
everything in Right right.
There is a difference betweenjust constantly holding
everything in and never talkingto anybody about anything, for
the fear that you feel likeyou're complaining or venting
Right right, sometimes you doneed to talk, you do need to do
it.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Maybe Sometimes you do need to talk.
You do need to do it.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
Maybe it just depends on make sure you're talking to
the right person.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
You know.
So where you're venting doesn'tturn into gossip.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Exactly, doesn't turn into destructive behavior.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
Yeah, you know to where like, hey, let's go get a
few beers and talk about it.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Right, you know, it's 12 beers and then you know you.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
I know you know young kids.
You know I work with a lot ofyoung males and you know that's
what they do.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:08):
That's what they do, and then they call off and
they're sick today and you'relike I know you're not sick?
Speaker 3 (25:12):
No, you're not.
You're sick, but you know.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Yeah, they had the flu, yeah they had the flu.
Yeah, brown bottle flu, brownhard.
You know it's hard yeah uh, andif you look down into romans 15,
it kind of goes into what we'retalking about there, because it
says he who are strong ought tobear with the failings of the
weak and not to please ourselves.
Each of us should please hisneighbor for his good, to build
(25:38):
him up, for even christ did notplease himself.
But, as it is written, theinsults of those who insult you
have fallen on me, foreverything that was written in
the past was written to teach usMic drop.
Yeah, so sometimes it's, youknow, when you have somebody
(26:05):
who's this is where, okay, am Igoing to be a stumbling block?
Speaker 3 (26:08):
or a stepping stone.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Are you going to bear the failings of somebody you
know that's struggling Right, orare you going to be the person
that tears them down?
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Exactly we're going to tear them down or are we
going to build them up?
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Yeah, Gossip about them do everything other than
say hey, let's you know how canI help.
You know, sometimes that's veryhard for people to just say how
can I help.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Right, right, well, yeah, because if they're
stumbling, they're going to quitgrowing, they're going to pull
back, they're not going tocontinue to yeah we might cause
them to.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Right, and there are some people that you can't help
sometimes in certain situations,like I had one today with this
truck driver.
We people that you can't helpsometimes in certain situations,
like I had one today with thistruck driver we have this huge,
uh, 400 tons, so like 800 000pounds of steel uh coming into
our shop and it's all coming upthrough like arkansas, georgia.
(27:01):
So I have truck driver aftertruck driver.
We're up to like over 20truckloads of steel right now,
like 45,000 pounds a piece, andI'll be honest, this thing's
killing me right now becauseit's coming in so hard, so heavy
, all the time Like it's hardfor me to concentrate on the
rest of my job because I have toput so much focus on this.
But for the most part the truckdrivers they're coming up from
(27:22):
the South, south, most have beenreally nice, really polite,
helpful, just easy going.
Uh, but this guy today he wasjust, he hated the world because
his appointment was supposed tobe yesterday at 10.
He couldn't make that so I waslike, well, can you get here at
one?
yeah, I think I can come here atone okay and he was calling me
(27:43):
that night at home trying tofigure out what he was going to
do, and I was was like, oh, okay, to come at one.
If you're any later, I can'tpromise you anything.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
But if you're there, we'll unload you, okay.
So eventually he calls me again.
He's like, yeah, I'm not goingto make that, I'm still in
Louisville, and can we just makeit Wednesday morning at 6 am?
I said, sure, that'll probablywork out better for both of us
anyway.
Okay, I'll be there at 6 am.
So he gets there this morningand he just he's not making any
(28:14):
money as a truck driver.
Our company is making it hardfor people like him to survive
because we should be open 24-7to receive deliveries.
He missed another load that hewanted to pick up because he
still had that one on his truck.
He sat at the place where hepicked it up for seven hours.
(28:36):
He's like I couldn't even givethis trailer and this semi away
right now because truck drivingis so bad.
I used to really love Trump,but since he attacked Iran,
fuels went up 70 cents and.
I didn't make anything on thisjob.
He's like I'll never come backhere again.
And he kept going from me, thento another person, to another
person, to another person, thesame thing, and it's like I'm
(28:58):
trying to talk him down fromthat ledge, Like just trying to
explain to him like I understandwhere you're coming from.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
For sure.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
But there are certain things that I have to do as
well.
Yeah, you know this is myresponsibility.
This is mine To make sure allthe steel coming in comes in at
the correct time, that it'sorganized.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
You know, everything has its place.
I can't just have trucksarriving whenever they want to.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
That's how I get my paycheck.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Yeah, yeah I get my paycheck, so I have to manage
this stuff.
I can't have trucks completelybacked up because I didn't hold
people to their appointments andthings like that and I said but
you know?
I said you know, I don't know,I appreciate your problems.
I said, but it'll be all right.
I said you'll, you knoweverything.
I'm just trying to talk himdown for that ledge, trying to
be friendly, and he justwouldn't have it.
(29:48):
So in some ways it's like thatwas a case of I'm offering the
stepping stone.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
And he's picking it up and dropping it on his head,
right yeah, as a stumbling block, or dropping it on his toe.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
He picked up the stepping stone Right.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
Dropped it on his toe .
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Yeah, can either hinder your progress or you
could use it to grow and learn.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
And so, as a Christian, I'm like, well, okay,
you know I wasn't rude to theguy, you know I didn't tell him
to just take his truck and youknow.
So I was doing everything I canjust to try and get the guy to
just be like it's going to beall right, get you unloaded, you
know, you move on to your nextjob or whatever it is you need
to do and things are going towork out.
He just wouldn't have it and hethat I gave him his paperwork
(30:30):
at the end sign.
He didn't even look at me andthen, for whatever reason,
instead of cause, you cancollect, turn around and go
around to head back out.
He decided to back out, clearout of the lot which the and
other trucks were coming.
They got into an argumentbecause now he's in the way,
because he's trying to back out,and it's just like one of those
things where you're like dude,you know, I tried to you know,
(30:54):
help kind of stop.
You know, it's like that powderkeg, the line, you know the line
of powder going to the keg.
And it's like yeah, I tried tocut it off several times and you
just kept lighting it.
It's like well, you can't savethem all.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
And sometimes people are their own stumbling block.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
Yes, sometimes they love living in that misery.
Oh yeah, they do.
They like being miserable andcomplaining.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Yes, and that's just where I'm thinking like I'm
trying to bear the failings ofthe week.
Yeah, You're trying to bear,you know, the failings of the
week.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Yeah.
You know, yeah, you're tryingto show love.
Speaker 4 (31:28):
Yeah, I'm trying to do everything I can to not make
it worse.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
I know, I, you know, I'm pretty certain there's
nothing I can do to deescalatehis feelings.
But I certainly don't want toescalate them.
But some people would, somepeople would relish.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
And that's the thing some people would relish and
making that guy even more likeI'm gonna do this and see if it
makes them well, just wellyou're gonna give me a hard time
.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
I'm gonna give you a hard time back yeah you know,
just for the sake of it, just soI can show you I'm a bigger man
than you are even though I'llprobably never see you ever
again.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Yeah, because he's like I'm never coming back here
again and I'm like like, oh yeah, you're probably right, You're
not?
Speaker 4 (32:08):
And I could have took the opportunity to be like well
, you're never coming back, so Icould talk to you however I
want, but I'm like no you donever know.
You never know.
Yeah, you never know thatperson might cross my path again
.
So I don't know.
That's another, that's adifficult one.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Yeah, and in the same sense, like he didn't take that
stepping stone, you know,instead.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
No, he didn't.
He made it a stumbling block.
He picked it right up, droppedit on his tail.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Yeah, but then there's there's people that can
make a stumbling block into astepping stone and like, yeah,
absolutely.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
But it's yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
Well, I think, in that case, I think it would be
somebody who has been an addict.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
Yes, yes, exactly Through everything, or came from
you know, poverty issues, oryeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
And they can come back to be that person that goes
around the country.
You know talking to peopleabout their struggles and trying
to help other people not makethe same mistakes or help them
out of the same situation.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
So, yeah, that's a perfect example of a stumbling
block becoming a stepping stoneand God will turn all evil to
good.
He can take something evil forgood, and that's one of those
situations where, yeah, you dohave a lot of people in this
life that have been through alot of tough things, and
sometimes their only savinggrace is that they decide to be
(33:31):
a stepping stone, they decidenot to be a victim anymore.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Yes, yes exactly.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
And actually help other people to understand what
they're going through and letthem know that it's not you.
You're not unique.
You know you don't have to beashamed of what you've done.
There is help for you.
There's plenty of other peoplethat have been through the same
thing yeah and they can share,you know, uh, in your comfort
and, like I said, yeah, be uhbear with feelings of the week,
(33:58):
um, so that's great.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
That's a great example of that yeah, um, I saw
someone say and I'm like I'mgonna have to pick their brain
but they said jesus became astumbling block on the cross, so
he could be a stepping stone tous read that one more time.
I get the last part, jesusbecame a stumbling block on the
(34:22):
cross so he could be a steppingstone for us, and they were
specifically talking aboutmatthew 23.
Um, but it was that's kind ofthat's like the hypocrites, and
you know, and like the first 23one.
Then jesus spoke to the crowdsand to his disciples.
The scribes and the phariseesare seated in the chair of moses
(34:45):
, of moses.
Therefore, do whatever theytell you and observe it, but do
what they do.
Or, excuse me, but don't dowhat they do, because they don't
practice what they teach.
They tie up heavy loads thatare hard to carry and put them
on people's shoulders, but theythemselves aren't willing to
lift a finger to move them.
They were talking about thefull, like chapter of 23.
(35:06):
But I mean, I think, I thinkthose couple of verses
definitely go with what we weretalking about at the beginning,
you know, yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
Well, it's kind of like if somebody decides you're
going to be a weightlifter,they're going to start power
lifting.
You don't put 500 pounds on thebar to start them off, Do you
no?
No, you don't put 500 pounds onthe bar to start them off, do
you?
No, no, no, you got to build upto that kind of weight.
No, so you know, it's the samething there.
It's like somebody's startingout.
You know, in their faith, don'tgive them a.
You know yeah don't put them onthe bench and you know, slam two
(35:37):
big 250 pounders on yeah,because you know what's going to
happen.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Yeah, you know, it's common sense.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
Yeah, they're gonna, they're gonna they to give up?
You want to?
Speaker 4 (35:45):
build somebody from, you know, from weight to weight,
just experience to experience.
Give them just, you know, justgive them a little bit, see if
they can handle that.
Yeah, give them a little bitmore.
You know, when you feel you cantrust them with that, give them
a little more.
But yeah let them feel goodabout what they're doing.
You know.
(36:06):
Let what they're doing, you know, let them kind of you know,
because, again, everybody'sdifferent, everybody has a
different, you know, yeah, thereare some people that, yep, I
can go in and within two weeksI'm lifting 100 more pounds than
I was two weeks before.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
Some people can't do that, you know well, and
especially if they, you know,get hurt during the process,
then they're starting all overagain, then you really yeah,
then you really lost the yeah.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
If you're the responsible for the ones getting
them hurt, chances are.
Trying to get them back againis not going to be.
They went backwards from wherethey were at.
Yeah, and they'll tell everyoneabout that.
Well, I tried going to churchand here's what they did.
This is what happened.
It's like they wanted to provethemselves.
Okay, AI delivered know.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
Okay, ai delivered again, sorry, yes, so I just
wrote Jesus became you know,type that phrase, and it says
the idea that Jesus became astumbling block on the cross to
be a stepping stone is a conceptrooted in biblical
interpretation.
A stepping stone is a conceptrooted in biblical
(37:07):
interpretation.
It suggests that while Jesus'scrucifixion was a source of
offense and disbelief for somethe stumbling block it
ultimately became a means ofsalvation and spiritual growth
for others.
The stepping stone.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
Well, pastor Michael and his sermon last week said
something about, well you know,the same people that were
shouting hosanna now shoutingcrucify, and for what reason?
Because, you know, week priorthey saw him riding in on donkey
as the savior and they thoughthe was going to destroy
(37:39):
everybody around him and bringtheir their kingdom, back
physically in this world.
And then you know that fridaylater he's being whipped and
beaten and you know he he's noteven the image of himself.
You know he's.
He's definitely, in their eyes,no image of power or control or
(38:00):
, yeah, uh, being the saviorthat you know they thought they
were going to have.
Yeah, he looks totally weak andthere's no possible way Now
this is the guy that was goingto do all these great things.
I don't think so, and that'sthe difference is there's some
people that saw it that way asthe stumbling block, and there's
(38:20):
other people saw it for what ittruly was.
Maybe that's maybe that stillgoes on today.
Maybe, when people look atChristianity and following the
Lord and trying to make thatdecision, their stumbling block
is well, what can he really dofor me?
(38:42):
Yeah, I've heard the stories.
Yeah, I've heard people talkabout it.
Yeah, I used to go to churchwhen I was a kid, but that can't
work for me.
That's not true.
You know, that's just a bunchof that's just people trying to
control other people.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
And the religion is all about just trying to control
other people.
Speaker 4 (39:03):
And so they don't see Jesus for who he truly is.
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
This right here says in other words, jesus is like a
stumbling stone because in inyou rejecting him, if you decide
to reject him, they're going tofall very heavy so that's
another way to look at it, yeah,yeah yeah, like we were
thinking negative the whole timeand like, yeah, as far as the
(39:29):
stumbling block goes, and butit's like this is kind of saying
that's kind of up to you,that's on you.
If you decide to reject him,it's going to be a stumbling
block or, excuse me, yeah,stumbling block, but if you
accept him, it'll be a steppingstone.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Choice is yours there's nothing in the bible
that Jesus says I'm going toforce you to come to me, he's
not that no, he never does that,nope yeah yeah, we have a
choice of how we'll, how we willrespond yeah, yeah, he's not
forcing us no, we have free willyep huh hmm, chirp, chirp.
Speaker 4 (40:14):
Oh, so well, we'll go over to, uh, corinthians.
That was the other one that wesecond Corinthians, yeah, second
Corinthians uh six, three, sixthree yes, so read that one.
6-3, yes, so read that one.
(40:36):
Maybe just go all the way downto through 13.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
Roger, you got it.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Giving no offense in anything, that the ministry be
not blamed, but in all thingsapproving ourselves as the
ministry of God, ministers ofGod, and in much patience and
afflictions and necessaries anddistresses and stripes and
(41:12):
imprisonments.
Necessaries and distresses instripes, in imprisonments, in
term in term, turmoils in labors, in watching, in fasting.
Go ahead, sis or Sid.
My eyes is all screwed, messedup, yeah.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
I forgot.
Sorry um, where'd you end?
Six, six, okay, my eyes is allscrewed.
Yeah, I forgot.
Sorry Um, where'd you end.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
Six.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Six, okay.
By purity, by knowledge, bypatience, by kindness, by the
Holy Spirit, by sincere love, bythe word of truth, by the power
of God, through weapons ofrighteousness for the right hand
in the left, through glory anddishonor, through slander and
good report regarded as dece.
(41:55):
Did I skip something?
Okay, many as having nothingyet possessing everything.
We have spoken openly to you,corinthians.
Our heart has been opened wide.
(42:15):
We are not withholding ouraffection from you, but you are
withholding yours from us.
I speak as to my children as aproper response.
Open your heart to us.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
And I'll go back up to 520.
It says we are thereforeChrist's ambassadors, as,
through God, we're making hisappeal.
Through us, we implore you, onChrist's behalf, be reconciled
to God.
God made him, who had no sin,to be sin for us, so that in him
we might become therighteousness of God.
(42:50):
And then mine's a littledifferent when we go into 6.3.
The first thing it says is weput no stumbling block in
anyone's path so that ourministry will not be discredited
.
So again, there's an importantpoint of what we do as
Christians, what we do asChristians, as once we become
(43:10):
Christians, we're not getting abadge that says okay, now I can
judge people the way I see it.
You know I can decide who'sgoing to be, who sits up front,
who sits in the back.
You know I'll decide if thisperson's worthy to serve here,
(43:33):
serve there.
You know, yes, there does haveto be responsible people in
place, but we're not coming atpeople with harsh judgment.
So we are Christ's ambassadors.
We are to do everything that hetells us to do, the way that he
would do it himself.
We're not supposed to stretchthe truth.
(43:55):
We're not supposed to stretchit for our own good, so it
benefits us.
We have to make sure that youknow, in this whole process, the
last thing that we want to dois turn somebody away from God
or get jealous because of this,because of that.
Uh, it's like Vicki, uh, goingto church with her friends that
(44:23):
were interested in going tochurch you know, she could have
said why do you want to go there, right, why don't you?
you know you really need to cometo church where I go.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
Yeah, come to my church.
Speaker 4 (44:33):
Yeah, if you don't come to my church.
I'm not going.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (44:36):
Because that's where I go to church.
She very easily could have beenthe type of person to do
something like that, but that'snot what we're supposed to do.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
No.
Speaker 4 (44:44):
Because again it all goes back to what we were saying
Not everybody is built like you, Not everybody is built for the
Pentecostal church just the waythat it is.
And for her to go, do that, togo to another church, to be
there with them, to give themall the confidence they needed
or all the support and love theyneeded, to get them into a
(45:06):
church, to where they would belike, yeah, we want to keep
doing this.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
That's huge, that's a big deal.
Speaker 4 (45:14):
And that's being an ambassador for.
Speaker 3 (45:16):
Christ.
Speaker 4 (45:19):
That's truly what it's about, and she did that
without, like I said, nojealousy, no regret, no thinking
like well, okay, I'll go ahead.
Speaker 3 (45:30):
No strings attached.
If I do this, you have to dothis for me.
You know, yeah, no stringsattached.
Yeah, no strings attached.
If I do this, you have to dothis for me.
Speaker 4 (45:35):
Yeah, you have to come to our church next week.
Speaker 2 (45:36):
if I go to your church this week, yeah, if I
come to Dover to go with you,then you've got to come down
here.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (45:44):
So that's the kind of things we should be doing.
Speaker 2 (45:53):
And that doing and that's being truly a stepping
stone.
Yes, and how old is vicki?
Oh gosh, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (45:55):
I don't know, but I think she said her friends were
in their 70s and 80s, so even atthat age she's still being a
stepping stone yeah so it'snever something that we should
grow out of or think our timehas passed and yeah, so again.
That was.
That's another one of thosethings.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Just thinking about this episode, I mean like that's
all perfect timing from it isfrom me finding the two
scriptures to her doing that allthings that we're talking about
have happened in the lastcouple weeks and it's like yeah
yeah, she relied on her faiththat if she went and gave them
that influence, yeah, of hersavior, but at another church,
(46:34):
and they accepted it, theyenjoyed it and they were going
back and Michael's still goingto make fun of her sweater even
if she doesn't have a sweater onhe's still going to make fun of
her for not having a sweater on, so she didn't lose anything
there.
Speaker 4 (46:52):
No, no but.
Speaker 1 (46:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
You were saying something about Don.
Well, the no strings attached.
Like you know.
Well, if I go there, you haveto come with me and like joking,
but really not joking, though,because that's how a lot of
friendships are absolutely youknow what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Yeah, if I do this for you, yeah you have to do
something.
Speaker 1 (47:18):
There's something, yes exactly you're not doing it.
You're not doing it just out oflove love.
Speaker 2 (47:22):
Exactly, it's a benefit.
Speaker 3 (47:26):
There's something else has to come of it, yeah or
you have, like I was thinkingalmost, like like I've never
been this way, but girls like,oh, will you go to the restroom
with me because I can't go bymyself.
And I'm like, oh, my gosh, butthat's what it reminded me of
like well, I can't go by myself,so if you go this week, I'll go
to yours next week, like yeah,you know, yeah, well, and I know
(47:48):
what it's like to walk into achurch for your first time by
yourself, yeah, you know,because I was out of church for
about five years after my mompassed, and so five years in I'm
like I got to get back tochurch, but I knew what it was
like walking through the doorsof someplace new.
Speaker 2 (48:04):
Now I knew that the church that I went to there was
going to be a few people that Iknew, because a lot of the
people that I worked with at thehospital went there, but that
wasn't a fit for me, and so whenBeth invited me here, she's
like you know I'll wait for youout front, you know I'll come
out and get you whatever.
So I didn't have to walk in bymyself.
But yeah, it sometimes isoverwhelming, oh for sure, no
(48:27):
matter how outgoing you are orwhatever, but sometimes it's
overwhelming walking insomeplace brand new.
Speaker 4 (48:33):
And what do you do?
Criticize Pastor Michael'ssqueaky voice.
The first time I'm here Firsttime she's Whiny, whiny voice,
not squeaky, it was whiny.
I don't think your voice issqueaky.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
I never thought that.
Speaker 4 (48:50):
That was my own thought.
Speaker 2 (48:51):
And since then it definitely hasn't been whiny
either.
The devil was just certainlyworking on me.
He did not want me here, yeah,Because he knew that if I was
here I was going to grow in myfaith.
Speaker 3 (49:01):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (49:02):
Yes, so here we are Three years later.
Yep, I'm still here.
Speaker 4 (49:07):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (49:08):
Yeah, yeah, and the Lord prevailed.
Speaker 2 (49:10):
Amen Yep.
Speaker 4 (49:14):
Yep, satan's dominions is paved with
stumbling blocks.
Mm-hmm, yeah, so that's whatit's all about.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (49:21):
You just yep, got to remember that A lot of times
when you got that stumblingblock in front of you.
A lot of times it might not beanything you did.
Speaker 3 (49:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (49:31):
You didn't really put yourself in that situation.
It's just guess what.
You know you're a christian,you're.
Speaker 2 (49:36):
You got a target on your back yeah, you just do and
we have to learn how to navigate.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know yep, kind of have to be
like the old time navigators andyou gotta map that stuff out
yeah never know when you'regoing to be coming that way
again.
It's good to know where thosestumbling blocks are and you
know safe passage when that bigoak tree is.
Speaker 3 (50:00):
Yeah, when those potholes are.
Speaker 4 (50:02):
Yeah, or the roundabouts.
Yeah, avoid the roundabouts.
Oh speaking of roundabouts, ohno.
Speaker 1 (50:12):
When I went to North Carolina, we went into this town
.
It not only had one roundabout,every intersection was a
roundabout.
Yeah, I had to laugh.
I laughed to myself, I didn'tsay anything to my wife
Roundabouts.
Speaker 4 (50:32):
Here it is.
Speaker 1 (50:33):
You get out of this one and you're into another one.
Speaker 3 (50:35):
Yes, I think I was going down to Myrtle Beach and I
think we were avoiding highwaysor something you know and it
had.
I think we went through sevenor eight of the roundabouts, but
yeah.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
In the same town, uh-huh yeah.
Speaker 3 (50:53):
Well, you must have went through the same town.
Speaker 4 (50:54):
I did probably, probably, yeah, it would have
been they're getting more,there's more and more of them.
Yeah, yeah, it seems likeanytime they.
Uh, I've just noticed, likeI've been through places like it
used to have a traffic light.
Now it's gone that's aroundabout yeah, that made
people upset about sitting in atraffic light or stop sign could
you imagine a roundabout atMacaulay Drive?
Speaker 2 (51:13):
What are they doing out there?
Speaker 4 (51:15):
anyway it's like a roundabout.
I'll tell you that you neverknow if you're allowed to go
left or right.
Speaker 2 (51:19):
You have to turn left and turn around and come back
to go straight across.
Speaker 4 (51:22):
Well, the one post was like oh, all you got to do
is go up to Midvale X and comeback.
Speaker 2 (51:26):
Back down.
You know how far that is oh,yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
I've seen people turn in there.
Speaker 4 (51:32):
Yeah, and they'll still do it.
Speaker 1 (51:33):
They'll turn in there .
Speaker 3 (51:33):
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, but I don't blame them, I
really don't as long as it'ssafe.
Right, I mean, and it doesdepend on the day, because I
mean even today it wasacaulaydrive will be changing you know
direction or routes again, andI'm like, oh my god yeah, I've
(51:56):
just decided I take 416 yeahthrough tusky home now every day
.
Speaker 4 (52:00):
I just like it's more scenic anyway, yeah, yeah, yeah
I like 460
Speaker 3 (52:04):
yeah and I've um, I will leave my house on parish
street and go east port Roadonto Wolf Run and then take it
into Midvale and then get on.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (52:14):
And.
Speaker 3 (52:14):
I mean, I think it added three minutes.
Speaker 4 (52:16):
Yeah, it really doesn't add that much time yeah.
Speaker 3 (52:18):
Yeah, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 4 (52:19):
So yeah, you just never know.
Speaker 3 (52:21):
No.
Speaker 4 (52:21):
I mean, there was one day I sat there for I don't
know how long.
It was a long time.
Speaker 1 (52:26):
Oh yeah, I think four traffic light changes.
Speaker 2 (52:29):
I sat through three one time a couple days ago, and
that's the thing is they'll poston Facebook.
Speaker 4 (52:35):
Now you can no longer turn right or left A lot of
people don't read that stuff.
No, because I just did it theother day.
I wanted to go right to go toDollar Market and it said I
couldn't go right.
Well me, I went up the highway,got off Midvale exit, did that
whole thing.
But I'm looking in my rearviewmirror, there's people going
right.
I'm like I should have just didit, you know, but I'm trying to
(52:57):
follow the rules.
Yeah, so much for trying tofollow the rules.
Yeah, I did the same thing.
So, half hour later I get tothe dollar market.
It's like, oh my God.
Speaker 3 (53:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (53:14):
So I've heard like october really, or they have
that done, yeah, so it will be astumbling block for quite some
time.
Speaker 3 (53:17):
Well, when I went to the one city council meeting
just to sit on in on it andbecause it's open to the public,
and I'm like, what are theyactually talking about?
But, um, someone was statingthat the their daughter lives on
parish street, which is where Ilive, and I may or may not have
created a group message witheveryone that I know on parish
(53:39):
street saying we all need to dosomething about this.
And, you know, come to thecouncil meeting anyway.
I didn't realize.
Her dad was on, like he's aboard member and one of the
girls and, um, he, but hebrought it up because if, if
they weren't going to talk aboutit, I was, that's what I was
there for.
I was going to bring it up buthe was saying, you know, hey, my
(54:00):
sister was, or my sister, mydaughter, was telling me, you
know, a lot of people are prettyunhappy with how parish street
is looking.
And he said I'll be honest, Iwent down at the other day and
the first couple blocks they'repretty rough and that's right
where I'm at.
And our mayor is like, well, Imean, I think they call it like
the Water Street project becauseit's still technically Water
(54:23):
Street.
Yeah, well, I mean they getlike two hundred thousand
dollars a year or something.
And he's like I mean it'smostly all on the water street
project and I'm like what areyou?
Speaker 4 (54:34):
doing yeah, there's.
I was just telling margie theother night because we walk uh
kind of like behind trentonavenue school there's a lot of
little uh like walnut streetstreet, willcoxon and my both my
grandparents lived on willcoxswain so we always go down
there.
Just I just do it for thenostalgia.
But I'm walking on thesidewalks and some of the
(54:58):
sidewalks are like, just likecompletely caved in and I told
her.
I said, you know, I said Iremember as a kid seven, eight
years old playing on this veryuh caved in sidewalk Because we
would act like, oh, it's anavalanche.
Right, right, right I was likethat has been this way for
30-plus years.
Speaker 3 (55:18):
Well, and it's your responsibility.
Speaker 1 (55:21):
Yeah, it's the homeowner's responsibility.
Speaker 4 (55:23):
But it's just a lot of things like that.
Speaker 1 (55:26):
Even though the city can dictate how you do it Right,
right, yeah, that's dumb.
Speaker 2 (55:30):
But if you're like Water Street or wherever, the
city can dictate how you do it,right, right, right, yeah, yeah,
that's dumb.
Speaker 4 (55:32):
Yeah, but if you're like Water Street or wherever,
you get your sidewalks done,they're all brand new and you
probably didn't have to payanything for it.
Speaker 3 (55:38):
Well, I grew up on Water Street and when they did
the first project, like I don'tknow, back in 07 maybe, or the
first one, I can remember, yeah,that my dad didn't have to pay
any of it, like it was brand new, like, yeah, how does that make
?
Speaker 2 (55:53):
sense.
Speaker 3 (55:59):
Because for a while, someone that was on council had
told me hey, hold off on doingyour sidewalk, because they may
or may not like it was in thetalks about that they would
possibly do it.
And now I'm like I haven'theard anything.
Speaker 4 (56:08):
Are we gossiping or venting?
Yeah, or both.
Both, which is probablynegative anything Are we
gossiping or venting.
Both.
Speaker 3 (56:13):
A little bit.
Speaker 4 (56:17):
Oh man.
Well, does anybody got anythingelse to add to all that?
I think I was made a nice hourout of that.
Speaker 3 (56:24):
Yeah 56 minutes and 29 seconds.
Speaker 4 (56:30):
I was hoping Beth would be here tonight because I
wanted to talk to her about her.
She had an idea about crowns orsomething.
Speaker 2 (56:38):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (56:39):
Yeah, I wanted to talk to her more about that
Crowns, because so far I don'thave an idea for next week.
Yes, you were saying somethingabout all the different crowns.
Speaker 2 (56:45):
Crowns that are listed in the Bible.
Speaker 3 (56:47):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (56:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (56:48):
So well, we'll have to just keep, we'll have to just
stay in her back pocket.
Speaker 3 (56:53):
She may be able to describe it.
Speaker 2 (56:56):
Right, a little more, yeah In detail for us Mm-hmm,
so yeah.
Speaker 3 (57:02):
Stay tuned.
Speaker 4 (57:02):
Stay tuned.
Speaker 3 (57:03):
Right.
Whose turn is it to pray?
Speaker 2 (57:07):
Pastor Rogers, it's my turn.
Speaker 3 (57:09):
Yeah, yeah, I'm going to get situated here.
Speaker 1 (57:15):
Okay, precious Heavenly Father, we do thank you
, lord, for this day.
Lord, we just ask you to takeand just be with those people
out there that are having thosestumbling blocks that are thrown
in front of them, lord.
Let them know how to deal withthem and make them into a
stepping stone to you.
Lord, and we just thank you forbeing with us, lord.
(57:35):
We thank you for those peoplethat are in this house.
Lord, we just love you, lord,there's no other words you know
that we can say, and we justlove you and we just honor you
and we just praise you for allthe things that that you've did
(57:56):
in our lives, lord, for takingthose stumbling blocks away from
us and making them steppingstones to get closer to you,
lord, and we just thank you andpraise you.
We give you all the glory.
We just ask us all in jesusmost precious name, amen, amen.
dollars well, my insurance resets in august.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Well then just wait till august so I'm gonna do the
deep.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
He wants that like done immediately, because they
haven't done one and I've gotperiodontal disease so um, so we
are going to go ahead and dothe deep cleaning, because I
still have money, yeah, for thisyear.
So we're going to do the deepcleaning and the two cavities
and then, come august, we'regoing to do the bridge yeah, and
the two crowns it's funny thatit renews in august.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I've I've known a couple of them to do july, but
yeah my resets in august.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
That's what the girl at the desk said she's like hmm
that is weird doing this, youreset next month or in august
and we're waiting until augustyep, so now my out-of-pocket
expense will be $2,500 insteadof $58 yeah, that's nice, so
still a hefty still priced.
Yeah, but but listen, I pray toGod all the time not to let me
(00:58):
lose my teeth, so I'm gonna haveit done yep, you only have two
sets, so, and don't let me losethis set.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah, so I was.
Cooper is such a daredevil.
I'm like I mean, he's walkingon the edge of the couch like
losing it, laughing, like I'mlike you're going to fall.
I'm like you know I'm justgoing to have to let him fall
and I'm like, but you only gettwo sets of arms and legs, dude.
You're going to have to throwsome throw pillows on the floor,
(01:27):
so when he's on there,something I don't know- he's a
trip he is you better get thatkid playing an instrument.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
He's got such natural time he does, yeah he does.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
yeah, my friend, my friend said um her son's he'll
be four and she's like I thinkthey start doing like dance
classes or music classes at theY at three and I was like, well,
I need to get him intosomething you know, along those
lines.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yes.
As soon as he can.
He does have some rhythm, yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
I mean I'll bear with that flag.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
I know.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Because you know most kids would be probably pretty
silly or getting chaotic.
Yeah, you know, and you'd haveto like, and he was just going
right along on time.
That's why I didn't really.
He did a great job.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
That's why I didn't really like stop him, because he
was like yeah, he was great.
It wasn't like he was killing,you know, stabbing anyone with
it.
He was actually going and hadhis hand up at times.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I'm like, oh my gosh, but roger, what were you doing
today?
Just now, uh, taking thebaptismal out.
It's up on the top of the stagethe old one.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Is it lifted up and out?
Yeah, yeah, hmm, yeah, yeah, Ihad to crawl.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
I've crawled underneath the stage and way
back in there, lift it up andout.
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, I had tocrawl.
I crawled underneath the stageand way back in there.
Of course I had.
I should have been a skinny guyBecause I had to beat a piece
of two before out so I could.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Then I got halfway in there and the nails is digging
in my side, so it's built.
It was built into the stage.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Yeah, well, no, yes and no.
I think it was an afterthought.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Right, but so, but it wasn't meant to ever like come
out once they put it in.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
It wasn't supposed to Right.
Yeah, they didn't anticipate onmy skills.
If it don't come out in onepiece, it'll come out in two or
four, but I got it.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
It was a stumbling block, hmm.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
It was definitely an obstacle of some sort.
Yeah, it was.
It really wasn't a stumblingblock, but was definitely an
obstacle of some sort.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Yeah, it really wasn't a stumbling block.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
But not a stepping stone either.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
No, the stepping stone is the stairs going up.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Yes, that's what I was picturing.
Yeah, that's our topic fortonight.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Hey, you remembered Yay.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
I know you looked at me.
I reminded you, Nick.
I know you looked at me atchurch like she's going topic
for tonight hey you remembered?
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yay, I know you looked at me.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
I reminded you.
Nick.
I know you looked at me atchurch like she's going to ask
me.
She's going to ask me.
Speaker 4 (04:09):
I know she is and I was like.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
I know what that look is and I know what I actually
remembered I had typed thoseverses in just like in a draft,
and then I sent a message tosomebody and when I went back
they disappeared.
They weren't there.
I must have deleted them, as Isent that message.
Oh no, I gotta ask nick whatthose verses were well, let me
(04:32):
tell you how I came upon that Ithink you and I talked about it.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Yes and it wasn't last week's message but the
previous two that pastor michaelgave.
The first one he was going, he,he was in Romans quite a bit,
and so he was in Romans 14 atone point.
And usually when he's givinghis message, doing his thing,
whatever he's got up on thescreen, you know, I'm still
(04:58):
paying attention.
I'm always paying attention.
Just so you know, michael, butI always tend to read further.
Whatever verse he's got upthere, I always read a little
bit further.
And so on.
Down the page there wassomething about the stumbling
block in Romans 14, 13.
So I'm like, all right, I kindof got an idea.
(05:19):
I thought, yeah, that might bea good idea.
Well, the next week we were in2 Corinthians, and that was 2
Corinthians.
What did I say?
It was 6-3?
.
And of course I'm reading downagain.
And there it is.
The very next message was abouta stumbling block.
(05:41):
I'm like, well, that's gotta beit, because two weeks in a row,
you know, I'm seeing this verseand I thought, hey, you know,
that's the way it works, that'sconfirmation right there.
That's all I need.
And I'm usually when PastorMichael is giving his sermon,
I'm usually kind of alwayslooking for ideas.
(06:01):
Yeah, it's like maybe sometimeswhat he says will kind of
piggyback off of it yeah yeah,sometimes it'll just kind of
inspire something else, um, soI'm always kind of looking for
those key things, uh, you know,for things for us to do.
But yeah, that was just reallycool that two weeks in a row I
just looked down to the nextverse yeah and they both had the
phrase stumbling block in it.
(06:22):
I was like well you didn't askhim.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
If it like if he got that too, did you like.
You didn't ask him separately.
You know what?
I mean no because I wondered Ihaven't said anything to him
yeah, we'll have to find outyeah because that kind of you
know, since it had led you fromthe first or the first know
(06:44):
message, led you to the secondone with the stumbling blocks.
Maybe his first message ingeneral led him to the next
week's message.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
You know what I mean.
No, no, I did not say anythingat all, which makes it all the
more interesting.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Yep.
So that's one thing people is.
There's always confirmation,and if you're willing to, if
you're willing to look, oh yeah.
And if you're, as we talkedabout a few weeks ago, if you're
receiving the word and not justkind of listening, you'll find
those things, yeah yeah.
So our topic is stumbling blockor stepping stone.
(07:19):
So if you want to, we can maybejust kind of read that verse in
Romans to kind of get us primedready to go.
Do you want me to read it?
Somebody else want to read it?
I can read it.
Somebody else want mic time?
Speaker 3 (07:37):
I'll read it Unless, roger.
Do you want to read it?
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I have to find it.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
All right, I'll read it.
I don't have it marked.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I have to find it All right.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
I'll read it.
I don't have it marked, so thisBible that I'm reading out of
it's a study Bible, but it isthe Christian Standard Bible.
She Reads Truth is like a howdid I find it?
A podcast, maybe Just like afive or ten minute podcast a day
.
And then they also have an applike devotionals, and then I
(08:07):
noticed the Bible.
So it's a little harder tounderstand, but it's still.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
It's still that's what we can still understand it
Therefore let us no longer judgeone another.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Instead, decide never to put a stumbling block or
pitfall in the way of yourbrother or sister when you keep
going.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Yep, keep going Okay.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that
nothing is unclean in itself.
Still, to someone who considersa thing to be unclean, to that
one it is unclean.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Keep on going All right, go all the way through 21
.
Okay, keep on going All right,go all the way through 21.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Okay, for if your brother or sister is hurt by
what you eat, you are no longerwalking according to love.
Do not destroy by what you eatsomeone for whom Christ died.
Therefore, do not let your goodbe slandered, for the kingdom
of God is not eating anddrinking, but righteousness,
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Whoever serves Christ in thisway is acceptable to God and
(09:08):
receives human approval.
So then, let us pursue whatpromotes peace and what builds
up on one another.
Do not tear down God's workbecause of food.
Everything is clean, but it iswrong to make someone fall by
what he eats.
It is a good thing not to eatmeat or drink wine or do
anything that makes your brotheror sister stumble.
(09:28):
Whatever you believe aboutthese things, keep between
yourself and God.
I'm just going to keep going.
There's like two more Blessedis the one who does not condemn
himself by what he approves, butwhoever doubts stands condemned
if he eats because his eatingis not from faith, and
(09:50):
everything that is not fromfaith is sin.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
That was a lot.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Yep.
So you know he's using theexample, I think, of food and
drink, you know, as a way tokind of express what he's.
You know what he's trying toget at there.
But of course, you know, in ourdaily lives there can be many
things that can um, asChristians we, we do have to be
(10:17):
careful about Um, and I think Isaid this last week.
You know when, when I look atChristians myself think I said
this last week, you know when Ilook at Christians myself,
others, it doesn't matter to mehow long somebody's you know
been saved been a Christian.
You know, once somebody has beensaved and has started that
journey, you know, I want tolook at that person as an equal.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
So I would say the first you know stumbling block,
you know you can talk a lotabout church hurt.
You know people talk about thatall the time and I think one of
the main things is thatsometimes there's seniority can
sometimes play into that.
You know, the older generationhas tougher time with the
(11:02):
younger generation becauseyounger generation doesn't do
quite things the same way.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
And so you know, we have to be careful about how we
we always have to be looking tookay, how can we help this
person on further in theirjourney.
Not making them feel likesometimes, like well, everything
they've done to this point,yeah, okay, you're coming along,
but you still belong at theback of the line.
(11:30):
Yeah, you know so so, when we'rebringing people up, we we have
to be careful about how weexercise.
That, yeah, and we have.
We have to be aware that, yeah,they are just starting out
their journey and perhaps youknow they they haven't
experienced everything that wehave.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Yeah Well, and you know, that gives me an idea of
when.
Even when you guys say, oh yeah, I said you're 20.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
You're so young?
You're only 20.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
I don't even know how old I am now.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
Well, we have a good like right here we have a good.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Diverse age group.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
We do, yeah, but you hear it, you know.
Oh, and if I could still beyour Roger Roger just said it
last week, I think or you'rejust a little baby, which, yes,
I am, but we need to look atthat.
We need to have those goggleson when we're thinking of these
new Christians.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
Christians.
You know what I mean, right,and we don't.
We have.
Well, no, because I was 30 whenI gave my life to the Lord.
Yeah, you know, I mean a lot ofpeople were raised in the
church and continued on, but Iwas 30.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Mm-hmm.
So yeah, and I mean that'snormal, you know yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Yeah, but I feel like we just we need to be more cogn
.
Looking at it that way ratherthan oh well, they should know
better.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
No, they're not going to change overnight, yeah, so
yeah, discouragement isgenerally not the way to help
people grow.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
We're all a work in progress.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Yeah, absolutely, yep .
Speaker 1 (12:56):
None of us are perfect.
No yeah, we've got to showeverybody grace.
Yeah, and hopefully they showus the same grace.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
Yeah, We've got to show everybody grace and
hopefully they show us the samegrace.
Yeah yeah, your seniority doesnothing to kind of absolve you
of making yourself a stumblingblock onto new believers.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
If anything, I feel like that seniority could make
you a stumbling block.
If you— yes, right, dependingon the attitude.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
You know what I mean.
Yes, because some very matureChristians will say things like
well, I can't believe they'reRight, right, Well, they're a
brand new, they're a babe inChrist, Exactly.
They're a baby in Christ.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Yeah, yes, it could be something as small as I'm not
going to do is give my seat upwhen the exact opposite should
be true.
Right, I'm going to give myseat up to this person because
(13:53):
perhaps they need it more than Ido.
Yeah, you know, perhaps it'syou know.
What they need is is to youknow just something that small
could really lift somebody up tothat next level.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
That could be a stepping stone right there.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Something that small could really lift somebody up to
that next level.
That could be a stepping stoneright there, because when you're
being that example because,yeah, a lot of young churchgoers
when they first start coming toa new church they're afraid to
approach people- they're afraidto talk to other people.
So if somebody would actuallybe like, yeah, yeah, you can sit
in my seat, that would be astepping stone right there for
somebody to be like okay, I feelaccepted, right, right, you can
sit in my seat.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
That would be a stepping stone right there for
somebody to be like okay, I feelaccepted Right.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
Right, you know, they notice me.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
Yes, they am aware that they welcomed me.
They even gave me their seat.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Yeah, yes, I mean that would just, you know,
that's that would be huge.
Yes, something that small, yeah, yeah, because we have to.
You know, those are the thingswhere we always talk about
getting out of your comfort zoneto do you know, go to that next
step in your journey, butsometimes it's something as
simple as that Like yeah, getout of your comfort zone, get
(14:52):
out of your chair.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
Let somebody else sit there.
Yeah, if you have to stand aslong as you're able, maybe you
should.
You know that could go a longway with people.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Yeah, I wanted to just bring up again, um this
what I just read out of, butverse 14, I wanted to bring it
up again.
I know and am persuaded in thelord jesus that nothing is
unclean in itself.
Still, to someone who considersa thing to be unclean, to that
one, it is unclean.
I'm thinking to that oneindividual.
It is unclean.
I'm thinking to that oneindividual.
It is unclean.
You know like it almost soundslike keep whatever you're
(15:31):
thinking to yourself Believe inyourself.
Yes, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
Well, because sometimes you can think, oh,
that's silly, that that personneeds to.
They think that way, thatthat's part of what they believe
, like that's part of their walkwith the Lord is that they
don't do this, they don't dothat and somebody is like, well,
that's silly, that doesn'tmatter, that shouldn't affect
(16:00):
your relationship with Christ.
But maybe it doesn't for you,right?
Maybe?
for you, it's like for you,right you know, maybe for you
it's like yeah, you, you, you,you know maybe there's you never
think about it to why they door don't do something.
Yes, you never know why thatperson has chosen to right you
know, behave a certain way, notdo something yeah and, yeah, you
don't want to be.
You don't want to be that personthat either, uh, either offends
(16:22):
them or, in most cases, youdon't want to be the person that
tempts them or draws them backinto something that they really
worked really hard at to youknow, pull out of.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
To pull out of yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
To stop sinning, whatever it is, whatever
challenges they've had.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Right.
Speaker 4 (16:41):
You know, sometimes we have to be very careful that,
yeah, we're not the one that isgoing to, because to you you'd
be like, oh, what's the big deal?
Yeah, yeah, you know there'splenty of Christians out there
who smoke cigarettes.
Okay, Now, a lot of us mightnot think anything of that.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (16:55):
You know, just you don't even think about it.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
But if it's, if some, there's that one person that
has struggled for, you know, 10years to quit smoking.
And then you pull them into asituation a social situation,
yes, where you know you'retempting them to smoke.
Yeah, you know, for them that'sa big deal oh, yeah, yes, a
huge deal, yeah, so we got to beyou know, that that's a stump,
that's being a stumbling blockanytime anytime that you know
that you find what one person isdoing is not productive for
(17:28):
your walk.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
And so you think well , you know why is this person
got to, you know why is it sucha big deal, right?
Speaker 3 (17:37):
Yeah Well, and not to mention you know some people.
Maybe it took only a year foryou to stop smoking, but it took
him 10 years.
You know, that's probably justbased on how their brain is
wired, or their willpower versusyour willpower, like we're not
all the same in that sense.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
You know, you could be saying I got saved and, yeah,
I quit smoking right away.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
No big deal, you know it only took me a year.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
What's their problem?
Right, it doesn't work the sameway for everybody.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
I mean, it's literally biological that
there's some people strugglemore with like addiction than
others.
Absolutely yeah, they have thataddictive personality.
It's wired in your brain.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
And when you define addiction, you know it's
something for somebody thatdistracts them from every other
productive thing in their life.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
To me, that's the true form of addiction.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Is when it overtakes everything else in your life.
You can't concentrate onanything else.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Yeah, that's what you're always thinking about.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Yeah, all your finances go towards that, yeah,
yeah, if you have any extramoney, it's controlling your
life, that's where it goes, yourhealth is going more than
likely downhill because of it,you know, yep, yeah, it's
holding you back from movingforward.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
That, to me, yeah, is addiction yeah and that's hard
for people.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Yeah, yeah and not just, not just like smoking, I'm
thinking cell phone usage oryou know, like that's.
That's interrupting your yourhealth, like your emotional
health.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
You know what I mean, oh, yeah so your physical
health well
Speaker 2 (19:03):
I had a friend that was a recovering alcoholic and
like if we were all going to goout to eat, he didn't want to go
someplace, that there was a barinside the restaurant, yeah,
you know.
And everybody would be like youknow, we can't go here and we
can't go there, and you know.
Or he would just say, well, youknow, you guys go ahead and go.
Well, you know, you guys goahead and go.
(19:25):
I'm just going to stay homebecause I am tempted when I walk
in that establishment and I'mfaced with that bar yeah, right
in front of me as I'm beingseated at my table.
That tempts me.
Yes, so I don't want to go yeahyou know, but even his family.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
That would just frustrate them tremendously like
yeah, they just didn'tunderstand right, right, yes,
yeah, and he was probably onethat couldn't just have one or
two.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Well no he had been an alcoholic into his 70s.
Yeah, yeah you know, and whenhe finally gave it up, then yeah
, yeah yeah, I mean, that's some.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
I'm sure that was something he was proud of too.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Oh, absolutely, and the family was proud of it but
you know, didn't understand wecan't go out to dinner anywhere,
so there's a bar in every place.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
And you can agree or disagree, but I'm not really
sure.
But I don't know.
There's some things, eventhough when you're saved,
there's just certain things thatyou always have to work on.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Whether it's anger issues.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
I even feel like gossip or something like that.
Yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
Like, even though you're saved, you know it's a
big.
Sometimes I think it's a bigand this is agree or disagree.
It's a big misconception thatonce you're saved, you know
non-Christians can look at uslike, oh well, now they think
they're perfect.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
We're just running around.
We're running around inwildflower fields, yeah no, we
get irritated and irate too, yes, yes, there's no more challenge
for us.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
Yeah, yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Sometimes we're challenged more, right, you know
, I mean Most of the time.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Yes, sometimes those yeah, sometimes those
temptations come at us all theharder.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:11):
Yeah, because that's the enemy at work.
Absolutely so you know we hadto, like I said, this huge
misconception that you know,just you know I used to drink.
Now I can walk into because I'msaved, I can walk into a bar
and look at all the drinks onthe wall and I don't feel any
(21:31):
temptation at all because, I'vebeen saved.
I don't know, maybe for somepeople that's true, some people
that's true, but I don't know.
I think there's certain thingsthat people really have to.
For the rest of your life, youreally do have to exercise
Always a temptation.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Yes, extra prayer Mm-hmm.
Yeah, like I've been convictedlately about my venting, my
specific vent that I have, I'mlike I have to stop.
I just have to stop thatbecause I it I've been convicted
of that and beth said no,you're just talking to me about
(22:11):
it, we're we're twoprofessionals it's, it's.
No, I've been convicted of itbecause, yeah, she likes to, she
likes to hear it.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
I think yeah, yeah, well, because she wants to know
that she's not alone.
Yes, yes, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
So I'm like no, I have to stop.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
No, I get that.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Yeah, she's like well , you're not gossiping, you're
just venting about your day.
Speaker 3 (22:36):
Well, you know, my sister got married over the
weekend and in the best manspeech he said you know, I'll
remember this.
I think his advice was you know, once that day is done because
he's a teacher and so is mysister is a teacher as well he's
like sit or shy, I know you'll,you know, attest to this, he
said.
But once that day is done, youshut that door and you are now
in your sanctuary.
This is a new.
(22:57):
This is like your second day.
You know, this is the secondpart of the day.
That's a whole nother day withyou and Brady, like, leave that,
leave it behind.
Not saying that he shouldn'tknow anything about what
happened with your day, but whenyou come home and talk about it
all the time, if you'remiserable all the time, you know
like, and I, you know I didthat with Chase for probably a
year and a half cause I wasmiserable and I mean at what
(23:20):
point they're like oh, what do Isay?
Right, you know what I mean?
Do I have to listen to?
Speaker 4 (23:27):
this again.
Wait a minute, we're talkingabout this again.
Yeah Well, and it's even harderin our day and age because,
guess what?
Both people go to work.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Yes, and both people come home with their own set of
problems and you're like, okay,my turn, my turn.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
But it's hard not to do, because you know you want
somebody to listen.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Exactly, to your problems, exactly.
Speaker 4 (23:47):
And yeah.
So sometimes you do have to belike, okay, I'm not going to
give this to my wife or myhusband, I'm going to give it to
God.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (23:52):
I'm going to pray about it.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
I'll talk to him about it All the way home.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
I'm going to spare my significant other of you know,
and just try to enjoy the theday yes let's leave work at work
yeah and let's, let's have anice evening let's focus on the
joy.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
Yeah, focus on the joy.
There had to be some joy in theday as well, right, yeah?
Speaker 4 (24:10):
focus on the joy so we can rest and start again the
next day, because before youknow it, you're going to be
right back in it right, yeah,yeah it is.
You know it is good to I.
I think you're right in thatapproach.
It's just very hard to do it'sso hard, hard to do.
But I do think it's important.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Now on the same token , I don't think you should hold
everything in Right right.
There is a difference betweenjust constantly holding
everything in and never talkingto anybody about anything, for
the fear that you feel likeyou're complaining or venting
Right right, sometimes you doneed to talk, you do need to do
it.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Maybe Sometimes you do need to talk.
You do need to do it.
Speaker 4 (24:43):
Maybe it just depends on make sure you're talking to
the right person.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
You know.
So where you're venting doesn'tturn into gossip.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Exactly, doesn't turn into destructive behavior.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
Yeah, you know to where like, hey, let's go get a
few beers and talk about it.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
Right, you know, it's 12 beers and then you know you.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
I know you know young kids.
You know I work with a lot ofyoung males and you know that's
what they do.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (25:08):
That's what they do, and then they call off and
they're sick today and you'relike I know you're not sick?
Speaker 3 (25:12):
No, you're not.
You're sick, but you know.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
Yeah, they had the flu, yeah they had the flu.
Yeah, brown bottle flu, brownhard.
You know it's hard yeah uh, andif you look down into romans 15,
it kind of goes into what we'retalking about there, because it
says he who are strong ought tobear with the failings of the
weak and not to please ourselves.
Each of us should please hisneighbor for his good, to build
(25:38):
him up, for even christ did notplease himself.
But, as it is written, theinsults of those who insult you
have fallen on me, foreverything that was written in
the past was written to teach usMic drop.
Yeah, so sometimes it's, youknow, when you have somebody
(26:05):
who's this is where, okay, am Igoing to be a stumbling block?
Speaker 3 (26:08):
or a stepping stone.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
Are you going to bear the failings of somebody you
know that's struggling Right, orare you going to be the person
that tears them down?
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Exactly we're going to tear them down or are we
going to build them up?
Speaker 4 (26:19):
Yeah, Gossip about them do everything other than
say hey, let's you know how canI help.
You know, sometimes that's veryhard for people to just say how
can I help.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Right, right, well, yeah, because if they're
stumbling, they're going to quitgrowing, they're going to pull
back, they're not going tocontinue to yeah we might cause
them to.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Right, and there are some people that you can't help
sometimes in certain situations,like I had one today with this
truck driver.
We people that you can't helpsometimes in certain situations,
like I had one today with thistruck driver we have this huge,
uh, 400 tons, so like 800 000pounds of steel uh coming into
our shop and it's all coming upthrough like arkansas, georgia.
(27:01):
So I have truck driver aftertruck driver.
We're up to like over 20truckloads of steel right now,
like 45,000 pounds a piece, andI'll be honest, this thing's
killing me right now becauseit's coming in so hard, so heavy
, all the time Like it's hardfor me to concentrate on the
rest of my job because I have toput so much focus on this.
But for the most part the truckdrivers they're coming up from
(27:22):
the South, south, most have beenreally nice, really polite,
helpful, just easy going.
Uh, but this guy today he wasjust, he hated the world because
his appointment was supposed tobe yesterday at 10.
He couldn't make that so I waslike, well, can you get here at
one?
yeah, I think I can come here atone okay and he was calling me
(27:43):
that night at home trying tofigure out what he was going to
do, and I was was like, oh, okay, to come at one.
If you're any later, I can'tpromise you anything.
Speaker 3 (27:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:50):
But if you're there, we'll unload you, okay.
So eventually he calls me again.
He's like, yeah, I'm not goingto make that, I'm still in
Louisville, and can we just makeit Wednesday morning at 6 am?
I said, sure, that'll probablywork out better for both of us
anyway.
Okay, I'll be there at 6 am.
So he gets there this morningand he just he's not making any
(28:14):
money as a truck driver.
Our company is making it hardfor people like him to survive
because we should be open 24-7to receive deliveries.
He missed another load that hewanted to pick up because he
still had that one on his truck.
He sat at the place where hepicked it up for seven hours.
(28:36):
He's like I couldn't even givethis trailer and this semi away
right now because truck drivingis so bad.
I used to really love Trump,but since he attacked Iran,
fuels went up 70 cents and.
I didn't make anything on thisjob.
He's like I'll never come backhere again.
And he kept going from me, thento another person, to another
person, to another person, thesame thing, and it's like I'm
(28:58):
trying to talk him down fromthat ledge, Like just trying to
explain to him like I understandwhere you're coming from.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
For sure.
Speaker 4 (29:04):
But there are certain things that I have to do as
well.
Yeah, you know this is myresponsibility.
This is mine To make sure allthe steel coming in comes in at
the correct time, that it'sorganized.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
You know, everything has its place.
I can't just have trucksarriving whenever they want to.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
That's how I get my paycheck.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Yeah, yeah I get my paycheck, so I have to manage
this stuff.
I can't have trucks completelybacked up because I didn't hold
people to their appointments andthings like that and I said but
you know?
I said you know, I don't know,I appreciate your problems.
I said, but it'll be all right.
I said you'll, you knoweverything.
I'm just trying to talk himdown for that ledge, trying to
be friendly, and he justwouldn't have it.
(29:48):
So in some ways it's like thatwas a case of I'm offering the
stepping stone.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
And he's picking it up and dropping it on his head,
right yeah, as a stumbling block, or dropping it on his toe.
Speaker 2 (29:56):
He picked up the stepping stone Right.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
Dropped it on his toe .
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Yeah, can either hinder your progress or you
could use it to grow and learn.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
And so, as a Christian, I'm like, well, okay,
you know I wasn't rude to theguy, you know I didn't tell him
to just take his truck and youknow.
So I was doing everything I canjust to try and get the guy to
just be like it's going to beall right, get you unloaded, you
know, you move on to your nextjob or whatever it is you need
to do and things are going towork out.
He just wouldn't have it and hethat I gave him his paperwork
(30:30):
at the end sign.
He didn't even look at me andthen, for whatever reason,
instead of cause, you cancollect, turn around and go
around to head back out.
He decided to back out, clearout of the lot which the and
other trucks were coming.
They got into an argumentbecause now he's in the way,
because he's trying to back out,and it's just like one of those
things where you're like dude,you know, I tried to you know,
(30:54):
help kind of stop.
You know, it's like that powderkeg, the line, you know the line
of powder going to the keg.
And it's like yeah, I tried tocut it off several times and you
just kept lighting it.
It's like well, you can't savethem all.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
And sometimes people are their own stumbling block.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
Yes, sometimes they love living in that misery.
Oh yeah, they do.
They like being miserable andcomplaining.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
Yes, and that's just where I'm thinking like I'm
trying to bear the failings ofthe week.
Yeah, You're trying to bear,you know, the failings of the
week.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Yeah.
You know, yeah, you're tryingto show love.
Speaker 4 (31:28):
Yeah, I'm trying to do everything I can to not make
it worse.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
I know, I, you know, I'm pretty certain there's
nothing I can do to deescalatehis feelings.
But I certainly don't want toescalate them.
But some people would, somepeople would relish.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
And that's the thing some people would relish and
making that guy even more likeI'm gonna do this and see if it
makes them well, just wellyou're gonna give me a hard time
.
Speaker 4 (31:55):
I'm gonna give you a hard time back yeah you know,
just for the sake of it, just soI can show you I'm a bigger man
than you are even though I'llprobably never see you ever
again.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
Yeah, because he's like I'm never coming back here
again and I'm like like, oh yeah, you're probably right, You're
not?
Speaker 4 (32:08):
And I could have took the opportunity to be like well
, you're never coming back, so Icould talk to you however I
want, but I'm like no you donever know.
You never know.
Yeah, you never know thatperson might cross my path again
.
So I don't know.
That's another, that's adifficult one.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Yeah, and in the same sense, like he didn't take that
stepping stone, you know,instead.
Speaker 4 (32:29):
No, he didn't.
He made it a stumbling block.
He picked it right up, droppedit on his tail.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Yeah, but then there's there's people that can
make a stumbling block into astepping stone and like, yeah,
absolutely.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
But it's yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
Well, I think, in that case, I think it would be
somebody who has been an addict.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
Yes, yes, exactly Through everything, or came from
you know, poverty issues, oryeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:52):
And they can come back to be that person that goes
around the country.
You know talking to peopleabout their struggles and trying
to help other people not makethe same mistakes or help them
out of the same situation.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (33:08):
So, yeah, that's a perfect example of a stumbling
block becoming a stepping stoneand God will turn all evil to
good.
He can take something evil forgood, and that's one of those
situations where, yeah, you dohave a lot of people in this
life that have been through alot of tough things, and
sometimes their only savinggrace is that they decide to be
(33:31):
a stepping stone, they decidenot to be a victim anymore.
Speaker 3 (33:34):
Yes, yes exactly.
Speaker 4 (33:35):
And actually help other people to understand what
they're going through and letthem know that it's not you.
You're not unique.
You know you don't have to beashamed of what you've done.
There is help for you.
There's plenty of other peoplethat have been through the same
thing yeah and they can share,you know, uh, in your comfort
and, like I said, yeah, be uhbear with feelings of the week,
(33:58):
um, so that's great.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
That's a great example of that yeah, um, I saw
someone say and I'm like I'mgonna have to pick their brain
but they said jesus became astumbling block on the cross, so
he could be a stepping stone tous read that one more time.
I get the last part, jesusbecame a stumbling block on the
(34:22):
cross so he could be a steppingstone for us, and they were
specifically talking aboutmatthew 23.
Um, but it was that's kind ofthat's like the hypocrites, and
you know, and like the first 23one.
Then jesus spoke to the crowdsand to his disciples.
The scribes and the phariseesare seated in the chair of moses
(34:45):
, of moses.
Therefore, do whatever theytell you and observe it, but do
what they do.
Or, excuse me, but don't dowhat they do, because they don't
practice what they teach.
They tie up heavy loads thatare hard to carry and put them
on people's shoulders, but theythemselves aren't willing to
lift a finger to move them.
They were talking about thefull, like chapter of 23.
(35:06):
But I mean, I think, I thinkthose couple of verses
definitely go with what we weretalking about at the beginning,
you know, yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
Well, it's kind of like if somebody decides you're
going to be a weightlifter,they're going to start power
lifting.
You don't put 500 pounds on thebar to start them off, Do you
no?
No, you don't put 500 pounds onthe bar to start them off, do
you?
No, no, no, you got to build upto that kind of weight.
No, so you know, it's the samething there.
It's like somebody's startingout.
You know, in their faith, don'tgive them a.
You know yeah don't put them onthe bench and you know, slam two
(35:37):
big 250 pounders on yeah,because you know what's going to
happen.
Speaker 3 (35:40):
Yeah, you know, it's common sense.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
Yeah, they're gonna, they're gonna they to give up?
You want to?
Speaker 4 (35:45):
build somebody from, you know, from weight to weight,
just experience to experience.
Give them just, you know, justgive them a little bit, see if
they can handle that.
Yeah, give them a little bitmore.
You know, when you feel you cantrust them with that, give them
a little more.
But yeah let them feel goodabout what they're doing.
You know.
(36:06):
Let what they're doing, you know, let them kind of you know,
because, again, everybody'sdifferent, everybody has a
different, you know, yeah, thereare some people that, yep, I
can go in and within two weeksI'm lifting 100 more pounds than
I was two weeks before.
Speaker 3 (36:15):
Some people can't do that, you know well, and
especially if they, you know,get hurt during the process,
then they're starting all overagain, then you really yeah,
then you really lost the yeah.
Speaker 4 (36:26):
If you're the responsible for the ones getting
them hurt, chances are.
Trying to get them back againis not going to be.
They went backwards from wherethey were at.
Yeah, and they'll tell everyoneabout that.
Well, I tried going to churchand here's what they did.
This is what happened.
It's like they wanted to provethemselves.
Okay, AI delivered know.
Speaker 3 (36:46):
Okay, ai delivered again, sorry, yes, so I just
wrote Jesus became you know,type that phrase, and it says
the idea that Jesus became astumbling block on the cross to
be a stepping stone is a conceptrooted in biblical
interpretation.
A stepping stone is a conceptrooted in biblical
(37:07):
interpretation.
It suggests that while Jesus'scrucifixion was a source of
offense and disbelief for somethe stumbling block it
ultimately became a means ofsalvation and spiritual growth
for others.
The stepping stone.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
Well, pastor Michael and his sermon last week said
something about, well you know,the same people that were
shouting hosanna now shoutingcrucify, and for what reason?
Because, you know, week priorthey saw him riding in on donkey
as the savior and they thoughthe was going to destroy
(37:39):
everybody around him and bringtheir their kingdom, back
physically in this world.
And then you know that fridaylater he's being whipped and
beaten and you know he he's noteven the image of himself.
You know he's.
He's definitely, in their eyes,no image of power or control or
(38:00):
, yeah, uh, being the saviorthat you know they thought they
were going to have.
Yeah, he looks totally weak andthere's no possible way Now
this is the guy that was goingto do all these great things.
I don't think so, and that'sthe difference is there's some
people that saw it that way asthe stumbling block, and there's
(38:20):
other people saw it for what ittruly was.
Maybe that's maybe that stillgoes on today.
Maybe, when people look atChristianity and following the
Lord and trying to make thatdecision, their stumbling block
is well, what can he really dofor me?
(38:42):
Yeah, I've heard the stories.
Yeah, I've heard people talkabout it.
Yeah, I used to go to churchwhen I was a kid, but that can't
work for me.
That's not true.
You know, that's just a bunchof that's just people trying to
control other people.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
And the religion is all about just trying to control
other people.
Speaker 4 (39:03):
And so they don't see Jesus for who he truly is.
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
This right here says in other words, jesus is like a
stumbling stone because in inyou rejecting him, if you decide
to reject him, they're going tofall very heavy so that's
another way to look at it, yeah,yeah yeah, like we were
thinking negative the whole timeand like, yeah, as far as the
(39:29):
stumbling block goes, and butit's like this is kind of saying
that's kind of up to you,that's on you.
If you decide to reject him,it's going to be a stumbling
block or, excuse me, yeah,stumbling block, but if you
accept him, it'll be a steppingstone.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Choice is yours there's nothing in the bible
that Jesus says I'm going toforce you to come to me, he's
not that no, he never does that,nope yeah yeah, we have a
choice of how we'll, how we willrespond yeah, yeah, he's not
forcing us no, we have free willyep huh hmm, chirp, chirp.
Speaker 4 (40:14):
Oh, so well, we'll go over to, uh, corinthians.
That was the other one that wesecond Corinthians, yeah, second
Corinthians uh six, three, sixthree yes, so read that one.
6-3, yes, so read that one.
(40:36):
Maybe just go all the way downto through 13.
Speaker 3 (40:41):
Roger, you got it.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Giving no offense in anything, that the ministry be
not blamed, but in all thingsapproving ourselves as the
ministry of God, ministers ofGod, and in much patience and
afflictions and necessaries anddistresses and stripes and
(41:12):
imprisonments.
Necessaries and distresses instripes, in imprisonments, in
term in term, turmoils in labors, in watching, in fasting.
Go ahead, sis or Sid.
My eyes is all screwed, messedup, yeah.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
I forgot.
Sorry um, where'd you end?
Six, six, okay, my eyes is allscrewed.
Yeah, I forgot.
Sorry Um, where'd you end.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
Six.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Six, okay.
By purity, by knowledge, bypatience, by kindness, by the
Holy Spirit, by sincere love, bythe word of truth, by the power
of God, through weapons ofrighteousness for the right hand
in the left, through glory anddishonor, through slander and
good report regarded as dece.
(41:55):
Did I skip something?
Okay, many as having nothingyet possessing everything.
We have spoken openly to you,corinthians.
Our heart has been opened wide.
(42:15):
We are not withholding ouraffection from you, but you are
withholding yours from us.
I speak as to my children as aproper response.
Open your heart to us.
Speaker 4 (42:29):
And I'll go back up to 520.
It says we are thereforeChrist's ambassadors, as,
through God, we're making hisappeal.
Through us, we implore you, onChrist's behalf, be reconciled
to God.
God made him, who had no sin,to be sin for us, so that in him
we might become therighteousness of God.
(42:50):
And then mine's a littledifferent when we go into 6.3.
The first thing it says is weput no stumbling block in
anyone's path so that ourministry will not be discredited
.
So again, there's an importantpoint of what we do as
Christians, what we do asChristians, as once we become
(43:10):
Christians, we're not getting abadge that says okay, now I can
judge people the way I see it.
You know I can decide who'sgoing to be, who sits up front,
who sits in the back.
You know I'll decide if thisperson's worthy to serve here,
(43:33):
serve there.
You know, yes, there does haveto be responsible people in
place, but we're not coming atpeople with harsh judgment.
So we are Christ's ambassadors.
We are to do everything that hetells us to do, the way that he
would do it himself.
We're not supposed to stretchthe truth.
(43:55):
We're not supposed to stretchit for our own good, so it
benefits us.
We have to make sure that youknow, in this whole process, the
last thing that we want to dois turn somebody away from God
or get jealous because of this,because of that.
Uh, it's like Vicki, uh, goingto church with her friends that
(44:23):
were interested in going tochurch you know, she could have
said why do you want to go there, right, why don't you?
you know you really need to cometo church where I go.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
Yeah, come to my church.
Speaker 4 (44:33):
Yeah, if you don't come to my church.
I'm not going.
Speaker 2 (44:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (44:36):
Because that's where I go to church.
She very easily could have beenthe type of person to do
something like that, but that'snot what we're supposed to do.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
No.
Speaker 4 (44:44):
Because again it all goes back to what we were saying
Not everybody is built like you, Not everybody is built for the
Pentecostal church just the waythat it is.
And for her to go, do that, togo to another church, to be
there with them, to give themall the confidence they needed
or all the support and love theyneeded, to get them into a
(45:06):
church, to where they would belike, yeah, we want to keep
doing this.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
That's huge, that's a big deal.
Speaker 4 (45:14):
And that's being an ambassador for.
Speaker 3 (45:16):
Christ.
Speaker 4 (45:19):
That's truly what it's about, and she did that
without, like I said, nojealousy, no regret, no thinking
like well, okay, I'll go ahead.
Speaker 3 (45:30):
No strings attached.
If I do this, you have to dothis for me.
You know, yeah, no stringsattached.
Yeah, no strings attached.
If I do this, you have to dothis for me.
Speaker 4 (45:35):
Yeah, you have to come to our church next week.
Speaker 2 (45:36):
if I go to your church this week, yeah, if I
come to Dover to go with you,then you've got to come down
here.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (45:44):
So that's the kind of things we should be doing.
Speaker 2 (45:53):
And that doing and that's being truly a stepping
stone.
Yes, and how old is vicki?
Oh gosh, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (45:55):
I don't know, but I think she said her friends were
in their 70s and 80s, so even atthat age she's still being a
stepping stone yeah so it'snever something that we should
grow out of or think our timehas passed and yeah, so again.
That was.
That's another one of thosethings.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Just thinking about this episode, I mean like that's
all perfect timing from it isfrom me finding the two
scriptures to her doing that allthings that we're talking about
have happened in the lastcouple weeks and it's like yeah
yeah, she relied on her faiththat if she went and gave them
that influence, yeah, of hersavior, but at another church,
(46:34):
and they accepted it, theyenjoyed it and they were going
back and Michael's still goingto make fun of her sweater even
if she doesn't have a sweater onhe's still going to make fun of
her for not having a sweater on, so she didn't lose anything
there.
Speaker 4 (46:52):
No, no but.
Speaker 1 (46:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
You were saying something about Don.
Well, the no strings attached.
Like you know.
Well, if I go there, you haveto come with me and like joking,
but really not joking, though,because that's how a lot of
friendships are absolutely youknow what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Yeah, if I do this for you, yeah you have to do
something.
Speaker 1 (47:18):
There's something, yes exactly you're not doing it.
You're not doing it just out oflove love.
Speaker 2 (47:22):
Exactly, it's a benefit.
Speaker 3 (47:26):
There's something else has to come of it, yeah or
you have, like I was thinkingalmost, like like I've never
been this way, but girls like,oh, will you go to the restroom
with me because I can't go bymyself.
And I'm like, oh, my gosh, butthat's what it reminded me of
like well, I can't go by myself,so if you go this week, I'll go
to yours next week, like yeah,you know, yeah, well, and I know
(47:48):
what it's like to walk into achurch for your first time by
yourself, yeah, you know,because I was out of church for
about five years after my mompassed, and so five years in I'm
like I got to get back tochurch, but I knew what it was
like walking through the doorsof someplace new.
Speaker 2 (48:04):
Now I knew that the church that I went to there was
going to be a few people that Iknew, because a lot of the
people that I worked with at thehospital went there, but that
wasn't a fit for me, and so whenBeth invited me here, she's
like you know I'll wait for youout front, you know I'll come
out and get you whatever.
So I didn't have to walk in bymyself.
But yeah, it sometimes isoverwhelming, oh for sure, no
(48:27):
matter how outgoing you are orwhatever, but sometimes it's
overwhelming walking insomeplace brand new.
Speaker 4 (48:33):
And what do you do?
Criticize Pastor Michael'ssqueaky voice.
The first time I'm here Firsttime she's Whiny, whiny voice,
not squeaky, it was whiny.
I don't think your voice issqueaky.
Speaker 2 (48:49):
I never thought that.
Speaker 4 (48:50):
That was my own thought.
Speaker 2 (48:51):
And since then it definitely hasn't been whiny
either.
The devil was just certainlyworking on me.
He did not want me here, yeah,Because he knew that if I was
here I was going to grow in myfaith.
Speaker 3 (49:01):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (49:02):
Yes, so here we are Three years later.
Yep, I'm still here.
Speaker 4 (49:07):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (49:08):
Yeah, yeah, and the Lord prevailed.
Speaker 2 (49:10):
Amen Yep.
Speaker 4 (49:14):
Yep, satan's dominions is paved with
stumbling blocks.
Mm-hmm, yeah, so that's whatit's all about.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (49:21):
You just yep, got to remember that A lot of times
when you got that stumblingblock in front of you.
A lot of times it might not beanything you did.
Speaker 3 (49:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (49:31):
You didn't really put yourself in that situation.
It's just guess what.
You know you're a christian,you're.
Speaker 2 (49:36):
You got a target on your back yeah, you just do and
we have to learn how to navigate.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know yep, kind of have to be
like the old time navigators andyou gotta map that stuff out
yeah never know when you'regoing to be coming that way
again.
It's good to know where thosestumbling blocks are and you
know safe passage when that bigoak tree is.
Speaker 3 (50:00):
Yeah, when those potholes are.
Speaker 4 (50:02):
Yeah, or the roundabouts.
Yeah, avoid the roundabouts.
Oh speaking of roundabouts, ohno.
Speaker 1 (50:12):
When I went to North Carolina, we went into this town
.
It not only had one roundabout,every intersection was a
roundabout.
Yeah, I had to laugh.
I laughed to myself, I didn'tsay anything to my wife
Roundabouts.
Speaker 4 (50:32):
Here it is.
Speaker 1 (50:33):
You get out of this one and you're into another one.
Speaker 3 (50:35):
Yes, I think I was going down to Myrtle Beach and I
think we were avoiding highwaysor something you know and it
had.
I think we went through sevenor eight of the roundabouts, but
yeah.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
In the same town, uh-huh yeah.
Speaker 3 (50:53):
Well, you must have went through the same town.
Speaker 4 (50:54):
I did probably, probably, yeah, it would have
been they're getting more,there's more and more of them.
Yeah, yeah, it seems likeanytime they.
Uh, I've just noticed, likeI've been through places like it
used to have a traffic light.
Now it's gone that's aroundabout yeah, that made
people upset about sitting in atraffic light or stop sign could
you imagine a roundabout atMacaulay Drive?
Speaker 2 (51:13):
What are they doing out there?
Speaker 4 (51:15):
anyway it's like a roundabout.
I'll tell you that you neverknow if you're allowed to go
left or right.
Speaker 2 (51:19):
You have to turn left and turn around and come back
to go straight across.
Speaker 4 (51:22):
Well, the one post was like oh, all you got to do
is go up to Midvale X and comeback.
Speaker 2 (51:26):
Back down.
You know how far that is oh,yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
I've seen people turn in there.
Speaker 4 (51:32):
Yeah, and they'll still do it.
Speaker 1 (51:33):
They'll turn in there .
Speaker 3 (51:33):
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, but I don't blame them, I
really don't as long as it'ssafe.
Right, I mean, and it doesdepend on the day, because I
mean even today it wasacaulaydrive will be changing you know
direction or routes again, andI'm like, oh my god yeah, I've
(51:56):
just decided I take 416 yeahthrough tusky home now every day
.
Speaker 4 (52:00):
I just like it's more scenic anyway, yeah, yeah, yeah
I like 460
Speaker 3 (52:04):
yeah and I've um, I will leave my house on parish
street and go east port Roadonto Wolf Run and then take it
into Midvale and then get on.
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (52:14):
And.
Speaker 3 (52:14):
I mean, I think it added three minutes.
Speaker 4 (52:16):
Yeah, it really doesn't add that much time yeah.
Speaker 3 (52:18):
Yeah, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 4 (52:19):
So yeah, you just never know.
Speaker 3 (52:21):
No.
Speaker 4 (52:21):
I mean, there was one day I sat there for I don't
know how long.
It was a long time.
Speaker 1 (52:26):
Oh yeah, I think four traffic light changes.
Speaker 2 (52:29):
I sat through three one time a couple days ago, and
that's the thing is they'll poston Facebook.
Speaker 4 (52:35):
Now you can no longer turn right or left A lot of
people don't read that stuff.
No, because I just did it theother day.
I wanted to go right to go toDollar Market and it said I
couldn't go right.
Well me, I went up the highway,got off Midvale exit, did that
whole thing.
But I'm looking in my rearviewmirror, there's people going
right.
I'm like I should have just didit, you know, but I'm trying to
(52:57):
follow the rules.
Yeah, so much for trying tofollow the rules.
Yeah, I did the same thing.
So, half hour later I get tothe dollar market.
It's like, oh my God.
Speaker 3 (53:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (53:14):
So I've heard like october really, or they have
that done, yeah, so it will be astumbling block for quite some
time.
Speaker 3 (53:17):
Well, when I went to the one city council meeting
just to sit on in on it andbecause it's open to the public,
and I'm like, what are theyactually talking about?
But, um, someone was statingthat the their daughter lives on
parish street, which is where Ilive, and I may or may not have
created a group message witheveryone that I know on parish
(53:39):
street saying we all need to dosomething about this.
And, you know, come to thecouncil meeting anyway.
I didn't realize.
Her dad was on, like he's aboard member and one of the
girls and, um, he, but hebrought it up because if, if
they weren't going to talk aboutit, I was, that's what I was
there for.
I was going to bring it up buthe was saying, you know, hey, my
(54:00):
sister was, or my sister, mydaughter, was telling me, you
know, a lot of people are prettyunhappy with how parish street
is looking.
And he said I'll be honest, Iwent down at the other day and
the first couple blocks they'repretty rough and that's right
where I'm at.
And our mayor is like, well, Imean, I think they call it like
the Water Street project becauseit's still technically Water
(54:23):
Street.
Yeah, well, I mean they getlike two hundred thousand
dollars a year or something.
And he's like I mean it'smostly all on the water street
project and I'm like what areyou?
Speaker 4 (54:34):
doing yeah, there's.
I was just telling margie theother night because we walk uh
kind of like behind trentonavenue school there's a lot of
little uh like walnut streetstreet, willcoxon and my both my
grandparents lived on willcoxswain so we always go down
there.
Just I just do it for thenostalgia.
But I'm walking on thesidewalks and some of the
(54:58):
sidewalks are like, just likecompletely caved in and I told
her.
I said, you know, I said Iremember as a kid seven, eight
years old playing on this veryuh caved in sidewalk Because we
would act like, oh, it's anavalanche.
Right, right, right I was likethat has been this way for
30-plus years.
Speaker 3 (55:18):
Well, and it's your responsibility.
Speaker 1 (55:21):
Yeah, it's the homeowner's responsibility.
Speaker 4 (55:23):
But it's just a lot of things like that.
Speaker 1 (55:26):
Even though the city can dictate how you do it Right,
right, yeah, that's dumb.
Speaker 2 (55:30):
But if you're like Water Street or wherever, the
city can dictate how you do it,right, right, right, yeah, yeah,
that's dumb.
Speaker 4 (55:32):
Yeah, but if you're like Water Street or wherever,
you get your sidewalks done,they're all brand new and you
probably didn't have to payanything for it.
Speaker 3 (55:38):
Well, I grew up on Water Street and when they did
the first project, like I don'tknow, back in 07 maybe, or the
first one, I can remember, yeah,that my dad didn't have to pay
any of it, like it was brand new, like, yeah, how does that make
?
Speaker 2 (55:53):
sense.
Speaker 3 (55:59):
Because for a while, someone that was on council had
told me hey, hold off on doingyour sidewalk, because they may
or may not like it was in thetalks about that they would
possibly do it.
And now I'm like I haven'theard anything.
Speaker 4 (56:08):
Are we gossiping or venting?
Yeah, or both.
Both, which is probablynegative anything Are we
gossiping or venting.
Both.
Speaker 3 (56:13):
A little bit.
Speaker 4 (56:17):
Oh man.
Well, does anybody got anythingelse to add to all that?
I think I was made a nice hourout of that.
Speaker 3 (56:24):
Yeah 56 minutes and 29 seconds.
Speaker 4 (56:30):
I was hoping Beth would be here tonight because I
wanted to talk to her about her.
She had an idea about crowns orsomething.
Speaker 2 (56:38):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (56:39):
Yeah, I wanted to talk to her more about that
Crowns, because so far I don'thave an idea for next week.
Yes, you were saying somethingabout all the different crowns.
Speaker 2 (56:45):
Crowns that are listed in the Bible.
Speaker 3 (56:47):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (56:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (56:48):
So well, we'll have to just keep, we'll have to just
stay in her back pocket.
Speaker 3 (56:53):
She may be able to describe it.
Speaker 2 (56:56):
Right, a little more, yeah In detail for us Mm-hmm,
so yeah.
Speaker 3 (57:02):
Stay tuned.
Speaker 4 (57:02):
Stay tuned.
Speaker 3 (57:03):
Right.
Whose turn is it to pray?
Speaker 2 (57:07):
Pastor Rogers, it's my turn.
Speaker 3 (57:09):
Yeah, yeah, I'm going to get situated here.
Speaker 1 (57:15):
Okay, precious Heavenly Father, we do thank you
, lord, for this day.
Lord, we just ask you to takeand just be with those people
out there that are having thosestumbling blocks that are thrown
in front of them, lord.
Let them know how to deal withthem and make them into a
stepping stone to you.
Lord, and we just thank you forbeing with us, lord.
(57:35):
We thank you for those peoplethat are in this house.
Lord, we just love you, lord,there's no other words you know
that we can say, and we justlove you and we just honor you
and we just praise you for allthe things that that you've did
(57:56):
in our lives, lord, for takingthose stumbling blocks away from
us and making them steppingstones to get closer to you,
lord, and we just thank you andpraise you.
We give you all the glory.
We just ask us all in jesusmost precious name, amen, amen.
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