What We Earn in Heaven Begins with How We Live Now- Heavenly Crowns

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What happens after we're saved? Is heaven the same experience for everyone, or are there different levels of rewards? We dive deep into the biblical concept of heavenly crowns – the rewards Christ promises to faithful believers who have run their spiritual race with perseverance and purpose.

The conversation begins with an eye-opening comparison: salvation on your deathbed is like being rescued from a burning building with nothing but your life. Yes, you're saved – but you've missed out on accumulating treasures in heaven through a lifetime of faithful service. It's a sobering reality that our eternal rewards are directly connected to how we live our earthly lives.

The question becomes not just "Are you saved?" but "What are you doing with your salvation?" These crowns await every believer, but they must be actively pursued through faithful service and spiritual discipline. Don't settle for merely being pulled from the fire when God has prepared crowns for you to wear for all eternity!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 2 (00:01):
we're on we're on and we're just going to bring it
right to the surface.
Beth is over here panicking,hit herself away in the building
.
We didn't even know where shewas I thought she like locked
herself up.
This is a topic we're going todo tonight.
She brought it up and Ibasically forced her into it,

(00:22):
and so she has been a nervouswreck I mentioned it and it kind
of like died off so I didn't doany more studying on it.

Speaker 4 (00:29):
And then you're like give me a three-day notice and
let's go, let's go because Ididn't think you were ever going
to do it.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
So I was like, okay, I didn't really have, I didn't
really have anything reallysolid and I thought you know
what that is a good idea?
And uh, yeah, I just think ifwe don't, if I don't force you
into it, you ain't ever going todo it.

Speaker 4 (00:45):
So here we are you're right you know, so tonight
we're doing on the crowns, thecrowns that we are, we are to
strive to obtain when we get toheaven.
Um, it actually I bouncedaround whether to go into the
judgment seat of christ, butwe'll just touch briefly on what
that is.
The judgment seat of Christ iswhen believers are judged,

(01:09):
giving an account of what theyhave done with their lives as
Christians, what we have donefor Christ.
We've already made it throughthe gates.
Salvation is, you know, we'vealready been judged on our
salvations.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Yeah, and I heard it explained that.
Well, I think it may be inRevelations, but think of it
this way, and this is what kindof turned the light bulb on for
me.
So let's just say, okay, let'sjust say, on your deathbed,
because we've talked about thisbefore you know you take Christ
as your Lord and Savior, allright.

(01:45):
And let's say, for the past 60years you've never followed
Christ, you've never been aChristian, you know?
So it's last call.
So look at it this way you willbe saved.
But it's compared to like beingsaved from a burning building,
like, yes, you will be pulledfrom the fire, you will be

(02:08):
rescued.
But think about somebody who'sbeen pulled from a fire, from
their home and loses everything.
Like, yes, you survived, buteverything else is gone.
But every everything else isgone.

(02:33):
So, in heaven, when you receiveyour crown, well, you may be
saved, but you might not receiveany of those crowns.
The only thing you might haveis your salvation.
And as I said before we went onthe air, I was talking about
this, this, to my wife, margie,right before I came over here
and she asked me what the topicwas.
I said well, we're going totalk about the crown.
She's like well, what's thecrowns?
So I started explaining it toher a little bit and I said,

(02:55):
well, there's going to be, youknow, more or less different
levels to heaven.
I said somebody who's been savedfrom the burning fire, from the
burning building, yeah, they'llbe saved, but that's pretty
much it.
They're not going to get toenjoy, you know, the other, the
crowns, the other things thatheaven has to offer.
You're pretty much going to beon that first tier, on the lower

(03:20):
level of salvation.
Think of it like a rewardsprogram.
Yeah, you know, I don't know,you're like on tier one.
And she looked at me and shegoes, you know, she's like I
don't know if I should be sayingthis, but I don't really think
that's fair.
And I said, well, I said Idon't think there's anything in
the Bible about things beingfair.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
No, or in life really , or in life as we know.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
So that's maybe one way to look at it is, when we're
talking about this, you willcome to realize that, yes,
perhaps there are differentlevels to heaven and there are
different rewards to be had,depending on you know, were you
faithful?
You know, did you have a truerelationship with God?
Did you try to follow his pathin life?

(04:02):
Was that your main purpose isto bring people to plant a seed,
or were you just getting by?
And in the end, perhaps whenyou were scared, perhaps when,
you know, with facing death, youhave this revelation that
Christ is your Lord and SaviorOkay, yeah, you'll be saved, but

(04:24):
and we'll talk about this toothis revelation that Christ is
your Lord and Savior okay, yeah,you'll be saved, and we'll talk
about this too.
You know, the crowns not onlyhave to do with heaven, but they
also do have to do with lifeitself as we're living it now.
You can receive crowns as youlive, and so that's an important
part of it, too, is realizingthat, yes, you can be saved at
last call and be saved from theburning building, but look at

(04:46):
what you're losing in life.
Look at all the things youcould have had in life, all the
blessings you could have had ifyou had had a relationship with
Christ.
Yeah.
So don't miss out on the crownsin life, Exactly Because you
know you wait till the lastminute, because then that's when
we'll start talking about.

(05:06):
I think what Beth is more orless prepared for is all those
different crowns as we go intoheaven, and what they mean and
what your heaven is going to belike.

Speaker 4 (05:13):
Well, I have in my 10 pages of notes, you know,
spread out all over the place,scribbled on, whited out,
whatever.
But in Luke, when Jesus tellsthe parable about the faithful
servant, when the king gives themoney to his slaves or whatever
, and what they did with that?
Because they knew he was comingback.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
Right.

Speaker 4 (05:37):
So how he rewarded each one of them differently for
what they did with what he gavethem.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
Yeah, yeah, I think I had me.

Speaker 4 (05:46):
I think I had it marked.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
You might hear some shuffling here, because I had
one of.
I thought I had one of thosemarked.
It might have been, maybe Ididn't have it.

Speaker 4 (05:57):
I know that story's Luke 19.
What is 11, 26?
Is that what you're looking for?

Speaker 2 (06:02):
I thought for some reason, I thought I saw in
Matthew, because what is 11, 26?
Is that what you're looking?

Speaker 4 (06:06):
for I thought, for some reason I thought.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
I saw in Matthew, because you know, some of these
things go in.
Yeah, they come up twice, theycome up more than once.

Speaker 4 (06:14):
Yeah, I have it Luke 19, 11 through 26.
That's a lot to read.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
What do you got?
Do you have a main part of thescripture there that?

Speaker 4 (06:30):
just the one that I think he rewarded.

Speaker 2 (06:36):
Let's start with after he's crowned well, I think
, what you're, what you'regetting good servant.

Speaker 4 (06:44):
You have been faithful with the little I
entrusted you, so you will begovernor of 10 cities.
As your reward, the nextservant reported master, I
invested your money and madefive times the original amount.
Well done.
The king said you will begoverned over five cities.
But the third servant broughtback only the original amount of
money and said master, master,I hid your money and kept it

(07:06):
safe.
I was afraid because you are ahard man to deal with and taking
what isn't yours and harvestingcrops you didn't plant.
Oh, I must have missed somethingthere.
Kept it safe, I was afraid,because you are a hard man to
deal with.
Yes, taking isn't yours, takingwhat isn't yours and harvesting

(07:27):
crops you didn't plant.
That doesn't.
It's there but it doesn'tregister here.
But plain words.
I think that shows thedifferent levels.
You know he kind of like you'resaved on your deathbed and you
know being faithful with what hegives you.

Speaker 2 (07:45):
And you know, being faithful with what he gives you.
Yeah, and you know we talkabout this all the time too,
because you can get a littleconfused, because the Bible does
talk about works and we say alot of times that works alone
cannot save you.
But I think there's we have todefine.
We have to define those works.
We have to define those works.
So in life, if let's just sayyou know out of sheer kindness

(08:09):
and you know you do all thischarity work, you know you're
always nice to people, you goout of your way to, you know, do
things for other people, andthen you can get into things
like well, everything that youdo on the surface looks like

(08:30):
you're doing good works, butreally you're doing them to get
attention, you're doing them foryourselves, so that you can
elevate yourself.

Speaker 1 (08:38):
You're supposed to work for God to humble you not
be boastful.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
Yeah.
So if you're just doing it forworks alone, no, those works
will not get you into heaven.
Those works will not earn youany crowns.
It's the work you're doing forthe lord that is what is going
to be defined as those worksthat are going to earn you those
crowns.

Speaker 4 (08:58):
So I think that has to be well defined yeah, because
you want his reward, for youdon't want man's reward no right
, but man's reward is just whatit is it's man's reward?
Yeah, and that's it, yeah.

Speaker 2 (09:09):
You want all your work to please him, not anybody
else.
And I had one, I think.
Let me find it because I reallyliked it, because I think it
was, if somebody else wants tokeep talking, while I find it,

(09:29):
people can just listen to pagesthis one was a pretty deep
subject.
Yeah, it's very deep and, like Isaid, you'd be surprised how
much you will find on this topic.
Um, once you get, let's see, II'll find it, I know, okay.

(09:56):
So so this is I think I foundit.
I think I found it.
So this is in 1 Corinthians andit's 1 Corinthians 4.
And I think this is Paul right.
Yeah.
Okay, so it's Paul.
Yeah, so he says.

(10:17):
So, then men ought to regard usas servants of Christ and as
those entrusted with the secretthings of God.
Now it is required that thosewho have been given a trust must
prove faithful.
So if God has bestowed hisblessing upon you and you've
recognized him as your Savior,then you are expected to prove

(10:41):
yourself faithful of that, whichmeans you're never going to
lose sight of it, you're nevergoing to take it for granted and
you're going to continue.
Despite your flaws, despiteyour sins, you're going to
continue to work for God.
So to me, that means that'swhat will keep you faithful.
And the next line it says Icare very little if I am judged

(11:03):
by you or by any human court.
Indeed, I do not even judgemyself.
My conscience is clear, butthat does not make me innocent.
So what he's saying is, Ibelieve, is that even within
himself, if he thinks he's donea good work, he still has to be
humble.

(11:23):
Right he still has to be humble,right.
He can't just be pleased withhimself that he thinks that he
did the right thing, or pleasedall these other people you know.
Uh, hot dogging andgrandstanding you know, making
everybody look his way.
He's saying that, you know, I'mstill, uh, accountable to the

(11:43):
lord for the, for the thingsthat I do, and it has to be, for
that true purpose is to pleaseGod.
So when he says, my conscienceis clear, but that does not make
me innocent.
It is the Lord who judges meflaws he has, no matter what

(12:10):
sins he has.
It does not matter if the wholeworld, if every one of the
human race, does not forgive himor continues to judge him.
It doesn't matter.
The only judgment that mattersis God's, and he's making that
quite clear.
So, therefore, judge nothingbefore the appointed time.
Wait till the lord comes.
He will bring to light what ishidden in darkness and will

(12:32):
expose the motives of men'shearts.
At that time, each will receivehis praise from god, which very
well could mean and receive hiscrowns.
So again, uh, you're alwayslooking inward.
You're always.
You know god can see it anyway.
God always knows your heart,why you're doing what you do,

(12:53):
why you're doing it, if you'redoing it to please him, to
better the kingdom, or if you'rejust doing it for your own uh,
you know self-indulgence, or toget attention.
And let's face it, they can begood works, they can be great
works, but if you don't give Godany of the credit for the work

(13:14):
that you're doing or for theresult of those works, when good
things happen, if you don'tgive God the credit, they're
meaningless.
And that's the point, and Ithink.
So jumping ahead, jumping aheadwhen he says at that time, each
will receive his praise fromgod.
That's what they're talkingabout.
They'll be talking about thecrowns, so where were you at?
with that one.
So that is first corinthiansfour and it goes from four one

(13:38):
to uh, four, five, four, six.
So it's like the first.
Yeah, it's the first one and Ijust thought that was a very
good one.
Just, he's like I care verylittle if I am judged by you or
by any human court.
So you know, even if he's, ifhe knows he's been guilty of

(14:01):
something in man's eyes, thatmeans not that he and it's not
to say like you shouldn'trecognize if you've harmed
somebody, if you treatedsomebody unfairly for any reason
, that doesn't mean youshouldn't recognize that.
There, you know.

(14:21):
There's just circumstances inlife being a human being, where
you have to realize that youknow what.
There's some things maybe I'vedone in my life that humans are
never going to forgive me for.
But that's life on earth,that's the way it is.
You have to accept the thingsthat you have done and take
responsibility for them.
And you have to realize that,yeah, there may be some people

(14:43):
who never forgive you for doingsomething in life.
There's just a lot of peoplethat are unforgiving and will
never look past something thatyou've done in your life and
that's just the way it is.
But you don't need to hang yourhat on that.
Don't keep your head down,because you know somebody out
there may never forgive you.
That's not going to stop youfrom your relationship with God,

(15:04):
because in the end it's God'sjudgment.
That's the only judgment thatmatters, I have James 1.12.

Speaker 1 (15:14):
Blessed is the man who preserves under trial,
because when he has stood thetest he will receive the crown
of life that God has promised tothose who love him.
But I thought it wasinteresting because life, a lot
of the times in scripture isreferred to almost in like

(15:35):
meaning a relationship with god.
so it's like the crown of beingin a relationship with god and
it's like, yeah, like you said,you can't just have good works
to get you into heaven or tohave that relationship Like you
have to.
You know, you have to have thatrelationship with him and not

(15:55):
just the good works.
And look at me.
And you know, and I think, yeah,the apostle John pretty much
just answers it, I think maybein Hebrews, but he says for this
is the love of God, that wekeep his commandments.
So it's like not only have thatrelationship but keep his
commandments.
That way you get that crown oflife.

Speaker 2 (16:16):
Yep, yep.

Speaker 4 (16:18):
The crown of life is known as the sufferer's crown.
Yes, all the ones who have beenpersecuted for their walk with
Christ, the martyrs.
It's a reward for those who donot let go of their faith, no
matter what they're goingthrough.
They keep their eyes focused onthe Lord.

(16:38):
I read in one place it says itis forged in the fire of testing
, trial and tribulation and theyhave the unwavering love of
Jesus.
It's a reward for the one whoendures, not just when it's easy
, but when it's excruciating.

(16:59):
Believers who lose everythingon earth but gain everything in
Christ.
And I think the verse I have isJames 1.12.
That's what.
I have you just read that one,okay, yep.

Speaker 2 (17:13):
Well, yeah, blessed is the man who perseveres under
trial.
Yes.
Because when he has withstoodthe test, he will receive the
crown of life.

Speaker 1 (17:22):
Like the first person that came to mind was my
grandpa, and it's I mean, it waskind of both ways, because,
like he, he did suffer at theend, but he was also probably
one of the most I'm likeevangelical, like just someone
that was always trying to spreadthe word one way, like somehow,
and I truly believe, like, ifyou know, if he had a gun up to

(17:43):
his head and someone was tryingto, you know, murder her at him
or something he would have justyeah, that is my god and you
know, I truly believe, like hehas that crown of life up there
right.

Speaker 2 (17:54):
Yeah, he wasn't going to let it go for any yeah
circumstance.
Yeah, no, he was going toconvince him otherwise the other
one.

Speaker 4 (18:00):
First I have on that is revelations 2 10.
Don't be afraid of what you areabout to suffer.
The devil will throw some ofyou into prison to test you.
You will suffer for 10 days,but if you remain faithful, even
when facing death, I will giveyou the crown of life.
So, like she said, you knowwhen that person's there you

(18:22):
think about end times.
You know when they want you toannounce your Lord.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
And I think I've got what did I have here.
Yeah, proverbs 4, 5.
Get wisdom, get understanding.
Do not forget my words orswerve from them.
Do not forsake wisdom, and shewill protect you.

(18:51):
Love her and she will watchover you.
Wisdom is supreme.
Therefore, get wisdom, thoughit cost you all you have.
Get understanding.
Esteem her and she will exaltyou.
Embrace her and she will honoryou.
She will set a garland of graceon your head.
So when you're livingunderneath God's wisdom,

(19:17):
following His Word, you need tocling to that as much as
possible.
That's where you draw yourwisdom from, is from God's Word,
and you know that's.
I think I shared something onFacebook I think Steve Harvey
was talking about it and he saidyou know, there's just a lot of

(19:38):
Christians out there that can'tunderstand why their life is
not going in the direction theywant it to go.
You know they say I don'tunderstand.
I go to church every Sunday.
You know, I profess that I'm aChristian and yet I'm not
anywhere near where I want to be.
All the dreams I have, all thesuccess that I hope for,

(20:03):
nothing's coming to fruition.
Why is that?
It's like, well, because peoplecan say their daily prayer.
You can go to church on Sunday,but you're not actually
applying it to your everydaylife, you're not in the Word
every single day.
So, although you can pronounceto the world that you're a

(20:23):
Christian and hope everybodyhears it and you want to have
that identity, and PastorMichael, I think, was talking
about that this past Sunday.
You know, oftentimes you canproclaim that, you know you're a
Christian, but you're notworking towards it, you're not

(20:46):
getting into your word.
You know, you just you know youdo the bare minimum.
You're not growing.
Right, yeah, you're not growing.
You're not doing anything topush yourself spiritually and
make yourself grow, so you'reattending.
You're a bystander, you justfill in the seat.
Yeah and so people have a hardtime understanding, Like I don't

(21:09):
get it, what else can I do?
And it's like well, it'sbecause you're not applying the
Word every day and it's probablybecause you're not getting
enough of the word.
Just going to church on Sundayisn't enough.

Speaker 4 (21:20):
But not only that.
You have to learn to listen forhis guidance.

Speaker 2 (21:26):
Yeah, be patient.

Speaker 4 (21:28):
Be patient, and whether you hear his voice in
your heart or whether he showsyou what he wants you to do
through the word, if you're notin the word or you're not
patiently listening, You're notgoing to find it.

Speaker 2 (21:40):
You're never going to find it.
Yeah, and I can attest to thefact, and I think doing this
podcast is it's a major catalystfor getting into the word every
week.
It provides me with anincentive to get into the Word
every single week, and not onlyjust read it, but to study it,

(22:01):
yes, to find different verses,how they come together, how it
can be applied to life, and sothat's a great thing and that's
what everybody should be takingthe time to do in the course of
a week.
You know, maybe it'd be helpful, Like we come up with a topic
every week because we need toRight, so we could do this show
Right, but maybe it'd be goodfor every week for somebody to

(22:22):
go.
You know what?
This week I'm just going tofocus on anger and I'm going to
get into the word.

Speaker 1 (22:27):
Or they can even piggyback off what we listen to,
like listen to the podcast andthen do your own research, you
know, because, again, we're notalways right.

Speaker 2 (22:37):
No, and we're only touching the surface Right,
right.

Speaker 1 (22:40):
Especially with this one yeah.

Speaker 2 (22:42):
So I mean there's the Bible is, once you really start
getting in there and readingthe word every day, you start
putting together something fromthe back of the book, clear to
the front of the book, and itall as we've talked before it
all matches up.
And that's what people need tobe doing is they need to give
themselves the incentive eachweek to have a goal as getting

(23:03):
into the word and staying inthat word and keep and keeping
their you know, brain mossy, youknow, keep it, keeping their
curiosity up and keeping theirdesire for it, because otherwise
it is just a book and in ourway of life these days, it's
hard to get into any writtenword you know, or just because

(23:25):
it's all about you know,social media now and electronics
, and it's hard to open up abook much less the bible, yeah,
which can be very challenging attimes just to read.
You know it's not something youread for enjoyment, right.
So I think you got to giveyourself that challenge and push

(23:46):
yourself to make it interesting, to make it apply to your life.
And if it's anger you got tofocus on, if that's what you
feel you got a problem with, ormaybe you just know somebody
that's really struggling with ityou want to help them.
And then maybe next week,instead of looking at anger, say
, well, now, this week I'm goingto focus on joy, right.
And go ahead, keep going, and so, yeah, and so you will build on

(24:08):
those things to the point whereyou'll start to build an inner
you know, your personalrelationship with christ yeah
it's stronger.

Speaker 4 (24:20):
Yeah, yeah yeah, I think digging into this made me
stop and think am I doing enough?
Right, right yeah am I doingenough?

Speaker 2 (24:30):
you know, I mean well , like I said when margie's like
well, that's not really fair,yeah, and and before I read it I
might have been like, yeah, Ikind of agree with you, right,
but then when you really startreading it you're like, well,
the word is the word yeah itdoesn't say it's going to be
fair yeah, yeah you know, and,and everybody thinks well,
heaven's heaven, it's the samefor everybody to sit here, but
perhaps it is not.

Speaker 4 (24:50):
And it sounds, sounds to me the word that it is.
It is not.
It's given me a clearunderstanding of your deathbed
salvation.

Speaker 1 (24:59):
Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 4 (25:00):
Cause I'm, you know, you're like you know yeah, well,
I could have been living thewildlife until you know.

Speaker 2 (25:09):
I can still get pulled from that burning
building Right.

Speaker 4 (25:11):
But you know I mean you pulled from that burning
building right.
But you know I mean you thinkwell, if they're going to get
the same thing.

Speaker 1 (25:21):
Why should I work so hard?
Yeah, but then I got diggingI'm like no, this is what I want
, yeah, this is what.
Yeah, because it.
Because you always you hearlike the deathbed salvations and
everyone thinks, oh well, thenI'll get you know, if I do a
dead, you know a deathbedsalvation.
I'll get the same as joe schmoe, who's been preaching for 30
years.
Yeah, not really, you know adeathbed salvation.
I'll get the same as joe schmoe, who's been preaching for 30
years.
Yeah, not really.
You know, we're finding out.

Speaker 2 (25:37):
No, not really, yeah and when you talk about the
crown of life, you realize thatyou have just cheated yourself
out of the one life that godgave you yeah right and he was
going to give you everyopportunity to be happy, to be
successful, to be at peace withthe world and the people around
you, and you didn't take it.
Yeah, you know.

(25:58):
And then, if you can look backon that and go, man if I could
just do we say that all the timeif I could just do it over
again.

Speaker 4 (26:06):
Well, you know I was studying on the crown of life.

Speaker 2 (26:08):
It's just joe, joe yeah yeah, you know it, all the
suffering that he went throughand yep he, he never and he was
being pushed to the edge yeahyeah, he was being pushed to the
edge.

Speaker 1 (26:22):
Yeah, the way edge denounced his lord never I
wanted to go back to the justtrying to find your own niche or
whatever.
Or you know certain seasons ifyou need to dig in deeper, like
I say it all the time, but welive in a time that there's so
many resources that we can useto our advantage.
Like I'm typically not a umdevotional, like I typically

(26:46):
don't like devotionals, however,I found one when Cooper was or
when I was expecting for Cooper,so I I would open it and I mean
it would give you, you know, apage or two, pretty much two
pages, and then ask you like twodifferent prompts.
Well, now the same person haswrote I missed the full first
year because I didn't realize,but she, she's probably had five

(27:08):
or six of them.
So, and you know, that'ssomething like right now.
I just started it, it came todayand it's like hey, for your 15
month old, and it just it's somuch.
It just resembles like what I'mdoing with him right now, but
it also portrays, you know, andit compares like the Bible to
what's going on with his life,like there's so many different,
not just motherhood, like somany different things.

(27:30):
Like for historians, like youdon't even have to do
devotionals, but I mean chat,gbt, like ask him to you know,
make something up for you Likethere's so much we can look into
and all the different you knowversions of the Bible and
translations, like I think we'revery fortunate at this time.

Speaker 4 (27:48):
You would see my.
I have Rosalind's little Idon't know whatever table
sitting up has in front of myrecliner and I got three
different Bibles all over theplace and I got papers thrown
all over the floor and thedriver's like, when are you
doing this?
But I was still all hiding awayand I can't even read my own

(28:08):
notes.
I scrub them out so much.
She's cursing me over there.

Speaker 2 (28:19):
Well, here's another good one that kind of applies to
what we're talking about.
So this is first corinthians 9,24, and it says do you not know
that in a race, all the runnersrun, but only one gets the
prize?
Run in such a way as to get theprize, everyone who competes in
the games goes into stricttraining.
They do it to get a crown thatwill not last, but we do it to

(28:42):
get a crown that will lastforever.
Therefore, I do not run like aman running aimlessly.
I do not fight like a manbeating the air.
I beat my body and make it myslave, so that, after I have
preached to others, I myselfwill not be disqualified for the
prize Now that is the verse Ihave for the imperishable crown

(29:05):
Me too, okay, or theincorruptible crown it's given
to those who live their life inself-discipline, spiritually
focus.

Speaker 4 (29:17):
In a world full of distractions they continue to
focus on on the lord, those whomake hard choices when no one is
watching.
Yeah, you know, yeah they dothe right thing regardless
regardless of um.
They trained the spirit by theword.

(29:38):
I don't know, I'm gonna say Ican't read my own notes.
They run their race for theeternal prize, you know, to have
that place in heaven.
Yep, and this one is a havenote here.

Speaker 2 (29:52):
That's for every believer yeah, me too and that's
the kind of works we're talkingabout.
And then I have in Isaiah 61,which is called the year of the
Lord's favor.
It talks a little bit about itwhere it says the spirit of the
sovereign Lord is on me becausethe Lord has anointed me to

(30:12):
preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to preach goodnews to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up thebrokenhearted, to proclaim
freedom for the captives andrelease from darkness for the
prisoners, proclaim the year ofthe Lord's favor and the day of
vengeance of our God, to comfortall who mourn and provide for
those who grieve in Zion, tobestow on them a crown of beauty

(30:32):
instead of ashes, the oil ofgladness instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise insteadof a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks ofrighteousness, a planting of the
Lord for the display of hissplendor.
So when you're talking aboutrunning for the prize, doing it
that's your aim, is you know?

(30:53):
No, we're not actually runninga relay race here well, that's
what I was gonna say.

Speaker 1 (30:57):
I feel like training analogy yeah like trained could
also be like discipliningyourself.
You know what I mean, becausewhen you are training for a
marathon, let's say, like you're, you're full-on, disciplining
you're yeah, you know,emotionally, spiritually,
physically, all of it like yeah,yeah, basically like keeping
your eyes on the pride, nomatter what distractions are out

(31:20):
there?

Speaker 2 (31:20):
and there's all kind of distractions out there yep,
you know, and no runner in anyrace.
You know it's a sound of theyou know pistol, that you don't
give it full bore.
No.
You know there's a process tohow you run.
Yeah, so you're not runningNumber one, you're not running

(31:44):
aimlessly, but you're not just,you know, shooting out like a
cannon.
It's like you know there's agoal from beginning to end of
how you're going to get there.
And so you have to be watchfulof that.
And I think that is when we'retalking about okay now, yeah,
we're talking about running arace, but it's that training and

(32:05):
process of not only are youconditioning yourself,
conditioning yourself, butyou're preparing yourself so
that others may well.
Maybe they'll, maybe you'relike Forrest Gump.

Speaker 4 (32:20):
Yeah, just running yeah.

Speaker 2 (32:22):
You know, he starts off just running.
Yeah.
Because he feels he needs torun.
And what do you know?
He can't stop.
Then what do you know?
He can't stop, but then, beforeyou know, he's got all these
people running behind him.
Why is that?
Because they see something inwhat he's doing that he's not
just running Right.
You know he has a purpose towhat he's doing.
Yeah.
And everybody wants to figureout.

(32:43):
Okay, why is this guy running?
There's something to this guy.

Speaker 1 (32:45):
And that's what your, yeah, that's what your life
should be, yeah.

Speaker 2 (32:49):
You should.
When you look back, you shouldhope that somebody wants to run
with you.

Speaker 1 (32:52):
Yeah, that you can draw a crowd, yeah, and you
should hope that your lightshines differently or shines,
let alone differently comparedto others, and like, hey, what
do you have that I don't have?

Speaker 2 (33:04):
Yeah, what makes you, you know sometimes you want to
look at somebody and go.
What makes you tick.
You know what drives you tohave this kind of commitment.
You know to have this kind ofdiscipline, because I want that
too.
Yeah.
Because I see where you'regoing.

Speaker 1 (33:24):
I see what the goal is.

Speaker 2 (33:25):
You know I want that too, and that's what you want to
project.

Speaker 4 (33:29):
Yeah.
You know, you talked aboutbeing in the Word.
I have notes here under the.
We train by being in that worddaily.

Speaker 2 (33:39):
Yeah, that is our training, as I said, you know,
that's, that's the main thingand it's you're not going to.
Yeah, you'll get something outof going to church and listening
to Pastor Michael preach.
You will, I guarantee you willinto Pastor Michael preach.
You will, I guarantee you will.

Speaker 1 (33:56):
But that's really like.
So cliff notes.
Well, it's like.

Speaker 2 (34:02):
I don't know Synaptizer yeah, it's like a
primer, yeah, but at the end ofthe day it's not going to,
unless you're willing to takewhat he says and go a little

(34:22):
deeper, go a little further.
You're not getting past thefirst quarter of the race.

Speaker 1 (34:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (34:31):
Basically, if all you have is what Pastor Michael
says to you every Sunday, you'regoing to make it through a
quarter of the race.
Yeah.
And then you're going to quit.
Yeah.
Because that's all you're goingto be trained for, that's all
you're going to be disciplinedfor, inspired to do.
But if you build off that, ifyou go home, if you hear what he
has to say and go okay, I'mgoing to look more into that

(34:53):
then that's going to prepare youfor the next course.
That's going to prepare you forthe next you know mile of the
race.
However, you want to look atthat, the next, and you have to
continue to feed off thatsuccess and that inspiration and
God's word and moving forward.
And just when you feel like youwant to quit, when you're
exhausted and you don't thinkyou can go any farther, well,

(35:13):
you'll pick up on that next partof it, just be like yep, okay.
I'm fueled up again.
Yeah.
And keep going.
So, yeah, it's not somethingthat you know.
You can kind of start and stop,start, stop you know, think
about, I mean, it's like thetortoise and the hare.
You know, the hare is like Igot this guy because I'm faster

(35:33):
than he is I, physically, I can,you know, I'm smarter, I can,
I'm faster, you know, I'm youknow, cockier, I've got all
these things, but what's he do?
Start, stop, start, stop.

Speaker 4 (35:47):
And, of course, story the tortoise just keeps on slow
, even pace, but he knows wherehe's going, he understands what
he needs to do and he doesn'tquit Because he never took his
eyes off.

Speaker 2 (36:00):
Yeah, he never.

Speaker 4 (36:00):
Yeah, keep our eyes focused on the Lord and keep
going.

Speaker 2 (36:04):
Yeah, so so that's what it's all about.
Like I said, starts and stopsto starts and stops to anything.
I that's the way I work, like Iwork off momentum, even my job.
I work off momentum.
Usually, if I have a bad day,it's because somebody has
stopped me from the task that Iwanted to complete.
Like I've got a plan, I've gota pace I want to keep and, for

(36:27):
whatever reason, people just goout of their way to put a dead
stop to it.
And nothing kills me more thanlosing my momentum, both
mentally, physically.
Yep, you know, once you losethat it's hard.
Oh, yeah.
Starts and stops in yourspiritual journey.
It's like you're starting allover again.

Speaker 4 (36:47):
I have a plan when I leave the night before work.
My plan for the next day itdoesn't always work day it does
not work.

Speaker 2 (36:55):
No, it does not yeah.

Speaker 4 (36:56):
And nothing upsets me more than I have to carry
something from this day over tothe next day because, I didn't
get it done.

Speaker 1 (37:04):
Same same.

Speaker 4 (37:04):
And here lately I've been carrying it over another
day, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (37:08):
And when I look at my schedule, by Friday I want to
have every order out the doorand that everything I put on my
schedule, I want it to be off.
And not because it got pulledoff or got canceled or delayed.
No, because I got it shipped.
Right, I got it out the door.

Speaker 1 (37:22):
It's off on my hands, that's my goal every week.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (37:25):
And that's kind of what we're talking about here.
You have to have a consistency,you know, and the momentum to
keep moving forward, to keepbuilding on your relationship
and to finish the race.
As they say yeah, everybody,everybody can run, everybody can

(37:49):
participate in that race.
But, you know, are you going tobe at the back of the line?
Are you going to be laying onthe side of the road, winded,
and can't carry on?
Yeah.
Where are you going to be at theend of that race?
Do you want to be at the frontof the line?
Do you want to?
You know everybody else to youknow, not that you want to be

(38:12):
low Be carrying you.
Yeah, but you know, not that youwant to carry you, yeah, but
you know, yeah, you want to.
You want to run a good race,you want to feel good about what
you've done and and and you'rerunning for god too.
That's the thing, um, you know,you can have 50 000 people in
the stands watching you run, butthe only person that matters,
you know that's going to judgeyou on your performance, is
going to be god exactly so thatthat's.

Speaker 1 (38:33):
That's all you need to worry about and it's like
physically, when you are runninga race, you need air, you need
food, you need water, but likespiritually, you need him or
else you're not, you're notgetting anywhere.
And I truly believe you needhim spiritually even when you're
in a physical run, because youare in your head you're in your
head so much, regardless, anyhow, all the blood's rushing your

(38:55):
head and uh-huh yeah, you knowthat's all you're going, because
at some point I have to believe, like what separates the
winners from the losers?

Speaker 2 (39:04):
you know, at some point we're all human, so
they're all training just ashard yes, you know, they're all
on the same regimen yes doingthe same things, following the
same program.
But you, but you have tobelieve that the one that wins
most of the time is one thatdecides in their mind they're
going to push a little harder,just when it's the toughest.

(39:24):
Right, you know, and they're notgoing to let down.
Yeah, that has to be thedifference, and a lot of times
you're right.
Yeah, it could come down tosomebody who was spiritually
focused and disciplined oversomebody who was.
This just isn't worth it.

Speaker 4 (39:40):
It just isn't worth it.

Speaker 2 (39:42):
You know, yeah, I know I trained, I know I my diet
was, you know, a plus allacross the board.
I did everything I was supposedto do physically, but now it's
just not worth it, yeah no, andmaybe that's how you know and
maybe that's how some people getwith um, you know their
religion with, with being achristian is, once you start

(40:03):
getting pounded a little bit,you start getting judged a
little bit, people look at youthe wrong way, you lose your
friends.
All these things, some people,you know what it's just not
worth it.

Speaker 4 (40:13):
Very much so.
I've seen people falter withthat.

Speaker 2 (40:16):
Yeah.
So it's only the people thatstay in the word and continue to
draw strings from it, All thethings we talked about that
finish out where most people arelike, yeah, it's it sounded
good, you know.
Yeah, there was a lot of greatbenefits to it, but at the end
of the day, it's just not yeah.

Speaker 4 (40:35):
So when I was reading this I think we already talked
about it, about, you know, theone that will receive, that is,
the one that lives their lifeevery day for Christ, and that
made me question myself.
It really did.
I mean, I like to say that I do, right.
Yeah, sometimes I'm up and atwork before I've acknowledged

(40:56):
him for the day and I'm notproud of that.

Speaker 2 (40:58):
Yeah, yeah Well and the way the world which I fully
believe, that's the enemy's plan.
You know, the way this worldhas become is designed to keep
you that way.
Oh, exactly, keep you that way,keep you distracted to keep
things so tight that you haveabsolutely no time to take time
to get up in the morning.

(41:19):
Say thank you, lord, for wakingme up.
Thank you, lord, for, you know,giving me another day to serve
you, you know, to put me on theright path to do what you want
me to do.
You know, most time it's likeyou know we're getting up late,
we're we're pressed to the lastsecond you know I've got kids so
all your focus has to be onthem.
You know both.
You know most cases.

(41:40):
You know husband and wife bothwork, so the pressures of that.
You get home both.
You're tired.
You still got the kids to dealwith right and you're you know.
So, at the end of the day,who's going to open up the bible
?

Speaker 4 (41:53):
yeah Bible and really get into the work, yeah.

Speaker 2 (41:56):
And of course, the devil has to go.
That's perfect.

Speaker 4 (41:58):
I don't even have to do anything.
He is a thief of our time.

Speaker 2 (42:01):
Oh for sure, that's his biggest thing.
He's like I don't even have todo anything, They'll do it to
themselves.

Speaker 1 (42:06):
Well, and even like on my days off, like Cooper,
normally he'll sleep in likesometimes till like 8 30.
So I'm like I'm not even gonnaset an alarm because I deserve
to sleep in too, like that ishim.
That is him in my head becauseyou know I'm tired yeah, like if
I would at least start the day,you know, even fall asleep
around 11, wake up at 7, that'sperfect.
You know that that would giveme like a full hour probably to

(42:30):
have my alone time to start theday ahead.
But then I just no, no, I'mlike no, no we'll just wait till
he wakes up.
I'm like no, and I know it'shim doing it you know, maybe
next week.
Yeah, oh yeah.

Speaker 2 (42:44):
I'm tired.
It's been a long week.
I really need to sleep in.
I do that all the time and it'sjust like, yeah, you just throw
hours away because you justbelieve that you know you got
again.
You believe at the end of theweek you got nothing left to
give.
You know, because life has justbeaten you down and you know.
If you can just find, yeah, ifyou can just sleep in and get up

(43:05):
when your body's ready to getup, yeah it's a great idea.
I do it all the time.
But then you think like, yep,if I was a little more
disciplined yeah think of what Icould accomplish yeah, exactly,
yep no.
So yeah, it's tough and, like Isaid, devil just sits back and
goes yep, this is perfect, Idon't even have to lift a finger
they'll do it to themselves.

Speaker 4 (43:24):
His best and best thing that he uses is our cell
phones oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah, Ithat was just such a.

Speaker 2 (43:31):
It takes our time away from him.

Speaker 4 (43:33):
It takes our time away from our family.

Speaker 2 (43:37):
That has been such a leap for him that most people
can't even comprehend how much?
Advantage that has given him inso many ways, not just for your
time, but just yeah.

Speaker 4 (43:53):
Well, even it keeps us out of our Bible.
Yeah.
I mean we can say we're goingto read this devotion and that
and I have daily devotions onthere that I read yeah, hey,
I'll be honest, you'll go on.

Speaker 2 (44:06):
Facebook.
You'll get in the morning, openFacebook, look at your news
feed and you'll be scrollingthrough, and there'll be a Bible
verse and you'll be scrollingthrough and there'll be a bible
verse and you'll go yeah, oh,so-and-so's.
Yeah, you know, or so-and-sodid this yesterday, or all you
know, my favorite sports teamdid this.

Speaker 1 (44:23):
And another scripture she just passed right over,
because you're like, I alreadyknow what it is you know, yeah,
you're like yeah, but thenyou're like oh, who won the game
last?

Speaker 2 (44:31):
yeah, then you get you the next one.
Sure will be something thatreally grabs your attention and
you completely, completely loseit.
I will say Guilty, guilty,guilty.

Speaker 1 (44:42):
Yeah, like over the past week and a half two weeks,
I downloaded an app called BibleMode and it makes you either
take a picture of your Bibleopen or it will give you a verse
.
But with the verse it gives you, I don't know, like an
affirmation, it gives you adevotion and something else.
So you have to physically gothrough them before, because you

(45:07):
set your limit, like, say, youdon't want to get on, you can
have 15, or you can have, say,three minutes to scroll or
something.
But once you're done scrollingand you lock your phone up.
If you go back to facebook,like 10 minutes later, if you
have it set to not even be ableto open it for another two hours
, it's not opening, it's goingback to that bible mode and it's
going to make you read anotherverse.

(45:28):
So it shouldn't come to that,though I know I know, but I will
say, I will say it's really, myscreen time has went down.
Like I've found myself notdoing it as much, I found my,
because it is annoying.
I'm like, oh crap, I gotta youknow.
And then I found myself likehurry up and reading that and
I'm like, wait, no, that's notwhy I, you know, I downloaded it

(45:49):
for purpose, not to just skimthrough it, like we were
probably skimming through thosepictures.
That has a Bible verse, youknow.

Speaker 2 (45:55):
And yeah, like I yeah , you're going to get no credit
for completing the task.

Speaker 1 (46:00):
Right.

Speaker 3 (46:02):
That's not what it's about, god doesn't just say,
yeah, I want you to completethis task.

Speaker 2 (46:05):
Exactly Just because it's something I want you to do.
Yeah, no, we get no credit foryou're like yep.
I wrote the first three versesof Job today.
Yeah.
Oh, fantastic.
But only to complete it, to saythat you did yeah, yeah, I
don't think that's, that's nothelpful.
No, you know.
Nope, it's only if you'rereally trying to get into it and

(46:31):
you know that, like I said, itgoes back to, like I said,
challenge yourself in ways thatmake it something that you have
the desire to do, because itwill spark your, you know your
interest and your inspiration to.

Speaker 4 (46:42):
Yeah, well, you know, when we do that, fasting every
year.
Yes, january, I always.
Mine is that I'm going to.
I'm not allowed to be onFacebook or any of my games
until I've had my time with theLord.
I will do so good through that.
Yeah, as soon as it's done,right.

Speaker 2 (47:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (47:01):
Before my feet hit the floor.
You know, Yep.
Before my feet hit the floor, Ishould be thanking the Lord for
waking me up Exactly.
That's right.

Speaker 2 (47:09):
Exactly, yep, yep.
There's one reason I do notlike getting up at 4, 4, 30 in
the morning I'm not a morningperson, but it is one thing that
I do like about getting up thatearly, and not so much now,
because now time's turning but,that time from like late april,
yes, to late mid-july when youget up at 4 4 30 and I get

(47:30):
outside and the sun is justcoming up the birds are already
chirping another day is coming.
That's when I can stand outsidein the morning and really just
appreciate God and thank God andhave that time.
Because, it's almost like whenyou see another day creating
itself.
It really does something to you.

Speaker 1 (47:48):
I agree, I agree.

Speaker 2 (47:50):
So I am thankful in that regard that I get to
experience that each year.
Yeah.
Now it's getting to the pointwhere it's still dark when I'm
leaving.
Mm-hmm.
So I really like that time ofyear, but yeah, so it's trying
to find that moment in your daywhere everything comes together,
to where you can have that time.

(48:10):
But, it's tough.

Speaker 1 (48:13):
It is yeah.

Speaker 2 (48:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (48:15):
Speaking of of time, where are we at?

Speaker 1 (48:17):
because 48 minutes I'll see I see you then leaving
yeah, we didn't start right atsix, michael um I think he's
doing in there.
I don't know he left, didn't he?
Or did he leave?
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (48:29):
you think he's doing in there?

Speaker 1 (48:32):
I don't know he left, didn't he?
Did he leave, yeah?
I think he was planning on it.
Is his car still out there?
You can?
See I can't.

Speaker 4 (48:43):
No, I thought you got those guys fixed.
I can't see.

Speaker 1 (48:47):
I'm not Superman.
I can't see through the wall.
Beth Come on Gee many Christmas.
I could, beth Come on Gee miniChristmas.

Speaker 4 (48:55):
I could, but I can't Boy what you could tell us, if
you could.

Speaker 2 (49:01):
You might be able to crash through a ceiling, but you
can't look through a wall.

Speaker 4 (49:04):
Yeah.
The next one is the crown ofrejoicing that's available to
all.
It's what they call the soulwinner crown, and I have the
verse as Now.

Speaker 2 (49:17):
I got to ask you because this is the trouble that
I had.
I had a little diagram that Ifound online that showed all the
different crowns and I tried toblow it up and I still couldn't
see it.
So it was like a really badversion of it, so I was trying
to find a better one.
But when you're in the Bibleyou're talking about all these

(49:39):
different crowns, I couldn'tfind where it's actually like
there's no point in the Biblewhere it actually lists them all
, or am I wrong?

Speaker 4 (49:49):
No, I actually I like to listen to Dr David Jeremiah.
I actually, I like to listen toDr David.
Jeremiah.
So I searched in his thingwhere he had a teaching on it
and it brought it up and I readthrough it.

Speaker 2 (50:02):
Yeah, I thought so, but I wasn't sure because I
couldn't find anywhere where itactually listed them all
together.

Speaker 4 (50:12):
Well, and I just have the five, but I think there's
many more.
The five that were listed inthe New Testament.
Okay, I have 1 Thessalonians 2,17 through 20.

Speaker 1 (50:34):
As they're flipping, we're still on crown of
rejoicing, right.
Yes, um, I just wanted to say,you know, when we were talking
about like our, our lightshining brighter and everything
like that really reminded me ofthe crown of rejoicing, you know
, and like I feel like, aschristians, we have the most to
rejoice about, so we should bedoing that, you know.

Speaker 4 (51:01):
Start here, Nineteen.
After all, what gives us hopeand joy?
What will be our proud rewardand crown as we stand before our
Lord Jesus when he returns?
Is it you?
Yes, you are a pride and joy.
Lord Jesus when he returns, isit you?
Yes, you are a pride and joy.
So my first, Thessalonians 19,.

(51:27):
That's what I got.
But we do want to be the prideand joy and we want to bring I
don't know how that ties withbeing the soul winners we want
to be able to plant that seed.
We want to be able to be awitness to somebody.
Yeah, and we have to be able tohave that faith when we plant

(51:48):
that seed, knowing that God'sgoing to provide, maybe the next
person to come along on waterand do it.
It's not always ourresponsibility, knowing that
God's going to provide, maybethe next person to come along on
water and do it Right.
It's not always ourresponsibility.

Speaker 1 (51:57):
Yeah, like it's not always coming from our jug, even
if we want it to, you know.
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (52:07):
Maybe it is because it talks about the joy in the
heavens when one sinner repents,when they obtain their
salvation, when God uses us inour words, you know, and we
approach people with compassionand share our testimony to draw
those people close.

Speaker 1 (52:26):
Yes.

Speaker 4 (52:26):
You know, yes, so they can see that we're
different.

Speaker 1 (52:30):
That we're different yeah.

Speaker 4 (52:31):
And when they and we live our life.
Yes, so they can see Christ inus.
Yes, yes, and it makes themwant that.
And that goes back to all theother gifts that kind of all
line up together.

Speaker 1 (52:45):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (52:46):
The righteous gift you know yes.
To live our life for him,mm-hmm.

Speaker 2 (52:52):
Yeah, I have 2 Timothy, Okay, and it's 2
Timothy 2 through 2.1, through2.6, where he says you then my
son, be strong in the grace thatis Christ Jesus, in the things
you have heard me say in thepresence of many witnesses, and

(53:16):
trust reliable men who will alsobe qualified to teach others,
libel men who will also bequalified to teach others.
Endure hardship with us like agood soldier of Christ Jesus.
No one serving as a soldiergets involved in civilian
affairs.
He wants to please hiscommanding officer.
Similarly, if anyone competesas an athlete, he does not

(53:37):
receive the victor's crownunless he competes according to
the rules.
The hardworking farmer shouldbe the first to receive a share
of his crops.
Reflect on what I am saying, forthe Lord will give you insight
into all of this.
And then going over toPhilippians 3, 17.

(54:03):
He says live as enemies of thecross of Christ.
Their destiny is destruction.
Their God is in their stomachand their glory is in their

(54:25):
shame.
Their mind is on earthly things, but our citizenship is in
heaven and we eagerly await aSavior from there, the Lord
Jesus Christ, who, by the powerthat enables him to bring
everything under his control,will transform our lowly bodies
so they will be like hisglorious body.
Therefore, you, whom I love andlong for my joy and crown, that

(54:50):
is how you should stand firm inthe Lord.
So I think that maybe thatenlightens a little bit about
what you were talking aboutthere.

Speaker 1 (55:09):
Are you about to highlight the crown of
righteousness?
Oh that one was a little hard.
It was, I feel like you know,the soldier.
Like everything he justhighlighted on about the soldier
, that was really, I don't know,portraying the crown of

(55:30):
righteousness for me.
I suppose Okay.
Let me see.

Speaker 4 (55:35):
I have as they.
It's the person that keepslonging for Jesus.
They live their life every dayjust to see Jesus' face.
Like eagerly, Eagerly, justwait for that, and I think I

(55:58):
don't know.
It was really hard for me tounderstand this one a little bit
.

Speaker 2 (56:05):
It's kind of like when they say David was a man
after God's own heart.

Speaker 4 (56:08):
Yes, yeah.
A holy hunger for the Lord iswhat one person described it as.
This brought Pastor Holly to mymind because she never, no
matter what she's, she's alwaysgot her eye on the lord and just
keeping focused.

(56:29):
No, you know, yeah, no matterwhat problems you, she has, or
or somebody brings to her, shejust gets them right back on the
path and fills them with theword and what they need and
guides and leads them, you know,because she never takes her
eyes off of him.
Yeah, because she's waiting,just waiting for his return.

Speaker 2 (56:48):
Yeah, Well, and you want to get to the point where
because I think you know,sometimes proof of God lies
within us, Like you, can't getsomebody to believe in God and
believe in Jesus if they can'tsee him in your eyes.

Speaker 4 (57:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (57:03):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (57:04):
If you can't, if you, you have no hope of trying to
do that, if somebody can't seeit within you.
Exactly, you know you can't,you know, you can't be a
self-serving jerk all day andthen try to preach to God's word
it's not going to work.
It's not going to work, itnever will, even though the word
is true.
He may be reading the word asit is true, but if people can't

(57:25):
see, you know the eyes of Godwithin you and how you deal with
people and treat people.

Speaker 4 (57:32):
I mean you know you can't do it.
It's just not going to work.
So those that receive it is,they keep longing for Jesus.
They look forward toexpectation of his return.
There's steady hope in time ofdespair they just, you know, no
matter what, they just don'tever give up on Jesus.
You know, no matter whathappens, he's going to handle it

(57:52):
, he's going to work it out.
God's going to, you know.

Speaker 3 (57:56):
I get in there, I meddle all around and try to fix
it.

Speaker 4 (58:01):
Then I'm like okay.

Speaker 1 (58:01):
Yeah, it's really messed up then.

Speaker 3 (58:02):
Yeah it is, and I'm like I can't do it, lord, here
you go.

Speaker 4 (58:05):
Yes, hopefully our life would be so much easier if
we just did that from thebeginning.

Speaker 2 (58:11):
Yeah, I was thinking about that just the other day,
like, yeah, that was one thingmy mom always told me, since I
knee high was just, whatever youdo, don't turn your back on
jesus, don't give up on jesus.
And it seems like such anelementary thing to say to a
little kid.
You know, it seems very simpleand just, but it's very true, no
matter how old you get it'slike that's the one if all else

(58:33):
fails.
You know, that's the one thingthat you know, don't?
You know, don't turn your backon the lord, everything else
will come to pass.
Yeah, you know, but that thatone thing just.
You know don't turn your backon the Lord, everything else
will come to pass, you know.
But that one thing just youknow if you got that going for
you, you got everything.
If you don't have that, you gotnothing.
So it's pretty simple.

Speaker 4 (58:54):
The other notes I have in here.
They live knowing that thisplace is not their home.
That's right that they know,they know that they're living to
go home with Jesus, and thisbeliever is usually the one who
repents thoroughly, forgivesquickly and like I said, and

(59:15):
they don't store their treasureshere on earth.

Speaker 2 (59:18):
They just know that and I think any believer
unbeliever.
I think you could get them toadmit like do you want to stay
on this earth forever?
I can tell you right now.
If somebody asked me do youwant to live on this earth
forever?
I'll grant it right now thatyou can live on this earth
forever.
And they could even say healthyand I'd be like no thanks.

Speaker 1 (59:41):
Yeah, no.

Speaker 2 (59:45):
No, no way.
And they could even say healthy, and I'd be like no thanks,
yeah, no, no, no way.

Speaker 1 (59:47):
I mean because at some point it just there's
nothing, there's nothing to hopefor, no, it's just not and I
mean we know the word is true,so we know that the end times
will happen, so like why wouldwe want to be here?

Speaker 2 (59:58):
for that.
I'll give you all the money inthe world and you'll be healthy
and but you got to live in thisworld forever.

Speaker 4 (01:00:03):
No, no, no, because day by day you see it getting
more violent.
Exactly just, you see satan,you know and sometimes I think
like I think back, like the bookof dracula.

Speaker 2 (01:00:16):
when you think of dracula, when you think about
the original book, you thinklike, yeah, he's lived on this
earth for centuries, no wonderhe's a vampire.
No wonder he's Dracula I neverthought about that, because if
you had, to live on this earthas long as he has, that's
probably how you would lose yourmind and become something very

(01:00:38):
similar Because all your lovedones are gone, something very
similar because you, all yourloved ones, are gone.
You know you have, you knowthere's no, you've.
You've, uh, piled up all thetreasures of earth to you.
That's the thing.
If you could just keep pilingthem up, piling them up, at some
point they're not going to meananything to you.
I mean so eventually you wouldjust become I think you would
become a creature, you wouldstop being a human being yeah

(01:00:58):
because you just wouldn't beable to take it anymore.
You've been on this terribleearth so long and everybody
you've loved has gone on andpassed, and you've been given
this great curse to yeah, stayhere forever.
Yeah, you probably wouldn't bethe nicest person in the world,
or?
No you probably would befeeding off other people and
doing everything you can just tosurvive survive so, yeah,

(01:01:18):
absolutely not, I would not wantto be here forever.

Speaker 4 (01:01:22):
I kind of chuckle when I was reading that about
store your treasures up on earth.
I'm thinking you've got to stopbuying purses, oh yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:01:31):
It kind of hurt a little bit.
You're like all right, god, Ihear you okay.

Speaker 2 (01:01:36):
Speaking of that, there's an auction today.
Have nothing but purses, I meanall brand names.

Speaker 4 (01:01:44):
Want me to tell you where it's at.
No, okay, I won't, because Iactually need Jarvee to put
another shelf up.
He's already put one up.

Speaker 1 (01:01:52):
I mean like, as soon as I saw that, I thought ah.

Speaker 2 (01:01:58):
She would go berserk.

Speaker 1 (01:02:01):
I'm terrible with purses.
I will.
I'll take that same one untilit starts like the one that I
was carrying around forever.
The zipper broke and I can'tlike zip it again.
I'm like I guess I better get anew one.

Speaker 4 (01:02:14):
But well, honey, you just come into my closet.

Speaker 1 (01:02:17):
And you could just pick perfect and then I'll be
good for another five years.

Speaker 4 (01:02:22):
I probably have two for every outfit.
Best changes in maybe fiveminutes.

Speaker 2 (01:02:30):
Sorry, I'm just having another Dracula thought.
It's like if you were a personthat lived on this earth forever
, you wouldn't have that promiseof salvation.
No, and if you lose that, thenguess what?
You're going to lose your soul.

Speaker 4 (01:02:44):
And if you lost that?

Speaker 2 (01:02:45):
then anything goes, and sometimes that's what I
think it's like.
Yeah, if you live here for athousand years with no promise
of salvation, what would youturn into?
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
I mean because I think for alot of people, a lot of people
because they haven't.
And, let's face it, there arepeople still in this day and age

(01:03:07):
that have not been introducedto that salvation.
They may not even be aware ofit.
You know, yeah, I mean I'm sure, yeah, everybody's heard Jesus'
name, but nobody's ever takenthe time to say as mom did

(01:03:28):
whatever you do, don't turn yourback on jesus, like they have
never been introduced to him andthey live thing that she
instilled in you as a child yeaheven if you, as a teenager, you
thought oh, whatever, you knowright, yeah like some teenagers,
go through that little thing.

Speaker 4 (01:03:41):
It still was.

Speaker 2 (01:03:42):
She planted the seed, planted the seed, but some
people live on this earth andyou think how could they be that
lost, how could they be thatterrible?
How could they Well, thinkabout it.
There's no seed in them, right?
There's nothing in them.
Well, that's probably why.

Speaker 1 (01:04:17):
So you know, they're not even people that have.
Oh yeah, I went to church whenI was a kid and for know if the
schools can't bring it into theschooling system, if you know
people are.
It just seems like everythingis getting more strict as far as
freedom of speech and freedomof religion, so where would they
get that seed?

Speaker 2 (01:04:36):
yeah, I mean, yeah, I mean it was like schools like
try to stop, you know, childrenfrom, you know, receiving the
word, which is just it's crazyto think about, but it's true
and you know, like I said, inthis day and age it's hard to
believe that there could bepeople that lost, that have
never been introduced to Christ,but it's the truth.

(01:04:59):
Oh, you know and that could be awhole other topic of
conversation.
But yeah, so you can't evenbegin to prepare for a race if
you know you've never even been,you've never even seen the
track, you know you never youknow you just it's hard to
imagine, but it's true.

Speaker 4 (01:05:20):
Very true.
The last one I have is thecrown of glory, and this is
given to those who shepherdGod's flock, to those who
shepherd with patience,integrity and love.
He protects the flock, bearsthe burdens of the flock, and
when the chief shepherd appears,which is Jesus, he will honor

(01:05:40):
those who served and protectedhis flock.
So I have on that 1 Peter, 5, 1, 4.
And now a word to you who areelders in the churches.
I too am an elder and a witnessto the sufferings of Christ,
and I too will share in hisglory when he is revealed to the

(01:06:01):
whole world, and I too willshare in his glory when he is
revealed to the whole world.
As a fellow elder, I appeal toyou care for the flock that God
has entrusted to you.
Watch over it willingly, notgrudgingly, not for what you
will get out of it, but becauseyou are eager to serve God.
Don't lord it over the peopleassigned to your care, but lead

(01:06:24):
them by your own good example,and when the great shepherd
appears, you will receive acrown of never-ending glory and
honor and this also saysspeaking about the crown of
glory.

Speaker 1 (01:06:38):
it is the only way true meaning comes to life,
because, like, if you think ofMichael, you know like someone,
like a head of the church orsomething like, yeah, a lot of
his time is, you know, spent onothers and making sure their
purpose is lived out, let alonehis, you know like.
So if you're not pouring intoothers, then what are you doing

(01:07:01):
you?
Know like yeah is you know like.
So if you're not pouring intoothers, then what are you doing?

Speaker 4 (01:07:04):
you know like yeah and you know it has to get hard
for them to continually care forthe flock.

Speaker 2 (01:07:14):
Oh yeah, look at all the burdens that they carry for
others well and think about alot of times like people place
their burdens upon him.
People go out of their way toplace their burdens.
Yeah.
So then, yeah, as a shepherd,as a man of God, you have to
accept that.
You know you can't say I'm notgoing to.

(01:07:35):
Yeah, you know, a lot of timesyou have to take on that
responsibility, even when youdon't want to.
It becomes part of.

Speaker 4 (01:07:42):
You know you've got conflict within the church.

Speaker 2 (01:07:44):
You've got discord.

Speaker 4 (01:07:46):
You know you've got divorce.
You know, I mean PoliticsExactly.
I mean, look how it just makesus realize how much we should be
uplifting our past.

Speaker 2 (01:07:57):
Older generation, newer generation.
You've got the legacy members,you've got the young members,
you got the young members.
There's so many conflicts thatcan come up.

Speaker 4 (01:08:05):
Yeah, I don't like the change of this.
I don't like that.

Speaker 1 (01:08:09):
Well, I don't like staying put.
You can't please everyone, andof course that comes with
growing pains growing yournumbers.

Speaker 2 (01:08:17):
The more people you have, the more situations you're
going to have and opinionsyou'll have, and so even what
your, your goal is to gathermore people and, as you're doing
that at, the same time, it'scausing more stress for yourself
.
Yeah yeah, so it's tough, youknow.

Speaker 4 (01:08:36):
But but it's, I guess it's not.
This crown is not only just forthe pastors, but your elders,
your Sunday school teachers,anybody that is guiding, leading
and teaching and protecting theflock whether it's little ones
or the elderly.

Speaker 2 (01:08:55):
And I can't remember which book it's in, but it says
something like if they're ateacher, let them be a teacher.
If they're a leader, let thembe a leader.
You know, et cetera, et cetera.
So it's saying that you know,if somebody finds their gift to
what they're supposed to do andthey feel like it's their gift
and you know it's genuine, ifthey want to be a teacher, let

(01:09:15):
them be a teacher.
You know, don't stop thatperson from fulfilling that role
, whatever that role might be.
That's in the church, that'sfor the church of God.
Let that person build on that.

Speaker 1 (01:09:28):
Well, and then that goes with the five-fold ministry
that Pastor Michael reallythinks that it operates well.
Whenever a church is under,someone has a little bit of this
, a little bit of that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:09:42):
Yep, you know he's.
He had to walk away from thepodcast, you know, and he's
entrusted us five people tocarry it on.
And I think, deep down, heknows, yeah, they can do it, you
know, and he's willing to trustus to do it every week, to do
it right, to serve purpose.

(01:10:03):
I've always felt I've been ateacher.
That's where I feel like that'sthe gift that God has given me.
So, yeah, I'm going to run withthat, I'm not going to not do
it yeah.
I always say just again nomatter what else I've got going
on in my life, no matter whatI'm working on spiritually,

(01:10:26):
whatever I might be failing inmy shortcomings, I'm not going
to stop doing the work of God.
Yeah.
Now, you know, we all live inthis world, we all have, you
know, day jobs, we all havefamilies.
But it's like I've committed tothis, I'm going to do it?
Yeah, right, families, but it'slike I've committed to this.
I'm going to do it.
And and it's always, you knowthere's plenty of times you're
like oh, you had a hard day atwork, I'm tired, I would really

(01:10:50):
just like to stay home.
But as soon as I get here andwe start doing this, it's like I
know I've done the right thing.
I instantly feel better.

Speaker 1 (01:10:59):
I mean, that's, it's just yeah, that's just like a
race or even a walk.
Like even if you just go walkor go work out, or do you never
want to do it, you never want tostart, but towards the middle
of it you're like all right, Igot this.
And then towards the end you'relike man, I'm so glad I did
that.

Speaker 2 (01:11:24):
You know, that's exactly what this all about.
It's just you know you want,you want to run that race, you
want to get that crown.
Well, get in the word and, yeah, find out where god wants you,
because it'll tell you yeah, itdoes, it will tell you where
you're supposed to be but you'renot going to know.
You're not just going to walkinto a church for the first time
, sit down, down and go.
I want to be a pastor.
I want to lead worship.

(01:11:45):
I want to.
It doesn't work that way.

Speaker 1 (01:11:48):
I might be saying something and I could be wrong,
but maybe you know, I feel likea lot of people get complacent
and, just you know, in themundane and not wanting, because
they stop reading the Bible.
But when you're reading theBible you're getting those Aha,
he spoke to me in this verse,you know, and it's like well
then, if you're not reading yourBible, then that spark is not

(01:12:11):
reigniting, like no wonder, youknow.

Speaker 4 (01:12:15):
I love when I read a verse, read a verse, read a
verse a hundred times and all ofa sudden I'm like exactly, oh
yeah, go tell Jarvie look.
And he's like, yeah, yeah, youcrazy.

Speaker 1 (01:12:26):
I knew that Whatever.
I'm like well, I never lookedat it that way.

Speaker 2 (01:12:32):
And I want to be clear I'm happy if somebody goes
to church every Sunday andthat's all they do.
I'm happy that they do that.
I'm not criticizing anybodybecause that's all they do.
I'm happy that they do that.
I'm not criticizing anybodybecause, that's all they do.
Yeah.
So.
But what we're saying is justconsider for a moment that you
know your salvation is yoursalvation.

(01:12:53):
You got to work it out yourself.
So just consider for a momentif you know, it doesn't matter
what again my judgment.
It doesn't matter what again myjudgment.
It doesn't matter what I thinkyeah whether you go to church
every sunday and that's all youever do.
That's fine, I'm pleased withthat.
I'm happy with it, but I'm justme yeah, you know, I'm just me

(01:13:14):
but consider for a moment if youdo more, if you get into the
word more, how it it couldpossibly change your life, how
it could lead you in newdirections you've never been in
before.
How could it give you blessingsthat you've never had before?
Because, again, it's yoursalvation, it's your crown.
Take it or leave it.
You know you can pick it up,set it down, set it aside,

(01:13:36):
replace it with other things ifyou want to, but at the end of
the day it's reserved for you.
That's the thing the crownsthat we have promised.
They're reserved for us in thebeginning and they're never
going to be taken away.
There's no point where God'sgoing to say you know what this
dude?
He's just going to church everySunday.
Forget it, I'll just put him inthe attic.

(01:13:57):
He's never going to do that.
He's going to lay him at yourfeet every single day and you
have every single day to choosewhether you're going to pick one
up, put it, put it on yeah, andand go out and and do it, and
that's, that's what you need toconsider.

Speaker 4 (01:14:13):
When I sat under the church in port washington the
pastor's wife there always saidshe wanted those crowns so she
could and I've never seenanything biblically but she
wanted those so she could laythem before Christ's feet, you
know, as an honor to him.

Speaker 2 (01:14:30):
I've never Give them back in the end Like, yep,
you're giving to me, but yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:14:33):
Like here, this is a gift for you, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:14:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:14:37):
And I think I don't want to get up there and I got
nothing right, yeah, here's myexpired milk.

Speaker 1 (01:14:45):
What, yeah?
But?

Speaker 4 (01:14:48):
I will say, by digging in into this study and I
know we can go a lot deeper andwith it it's made me sit back
and reevaluate my walk yeah,yeah, I agree am I doing
everything that he wants me tobe doing?
Yeah am I using the gifts thathe's given me?
You know, am I using theblessings that he's given me for

(01:15:13):
his purpose?
Right yeah, it's made me openmy eyes.
Yeah, and open the book.

Speaker 2 (01:15:19):
Yeah, like I said, I was very pleasantly surprised
when I started studying up.
I'm like, wow, there's actuallya lot to this, Because at first
I thought it's going to be kindof a struggle and all of a
sudden I was like I was runningout of these little things I'm
like, I'm running out of thesetabs.
And I'm still going.
And I was like this is great,you know, you know, yeah, and I
love, I love that anyway, I love.
I'm a writer by heart too.

(01:15:42):
I like to write.

Speaker 1 (01:15:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:15:43):
But sometimes my favorite part of it is research.

Speaker 1 (01:15:45):
Is research?
Yeah, finding it and like thenputting it all together, yeah,
yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:15:49):
Yeah, that's.
The writing is kind of a chore,it's hard.

Speaker 1 (01:15:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:16:02):
To actually put it doing the research.

Speaker 1 (01:16:03):
Yes, this is good, write it down.
It has none it has.
It doesn't flow.
Same thing.
And she's got 942 sticky notesand don't know which one she
wrote first.
Hey, I'm the same way, though Ihave papers all over.
She's got roslyn's constructionpaper.

Speaker 4 (01:16:16):
That's all I had at the boat to work with.
That that's so funny, but thegood thing we were at the boat
and so I had pulled up DavidJeremiah to see what he had to
say, but I like listening to him, I like his teachings and Jarvi
is like really into it.

Speaker 1 (01:16:32):
Yes, yeah, see, yeah, yeah, I wrote his name when you
said that earlier on tonight,but think about it that piece of
construction paper is worthmore than a $500 bill.

Speaker 2 (01:16:44):
It's worth more than a piece of silk.
It's worth more than a strandof gold.
Yeah, because you did that andused that.

Speaker 1 (01:16:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:16:54):
It's worth more than anything.
Yeah, Because all that otherstuff you can't take it with you
.
What you wrote down, you'retaking it with you yeah yeah,
yeah you can't lose it.
Nobody can take it from you.
Yeah, yeah, you know somebody,can you know, steal your purse?
God forbid, beth.
So we can steal your purse,that's okay, she's got plenty
more, but that's the can't ever.

(01:17:14):
They can't ever take away fromyou.

Speaker 4 (01:17:16):
Yeah, yeah, very good well, I suppose it was Dawn's
turn to pray, huh.

Speaker 1 (01:17:24):
Actually it was yours , beth, and Nick did you pray,
so it was going to boomerangback to you to pray tonight All
right, let me get it started,okay, okay.

Speaker 4 (01:17:39):
Dear Heavenly Father, we just thank you for this
opportunity to come together andand study your word together
and and learn new things throughwhat you have shared and shown
each and every one of us here,dear father god.
And we ask, dear lord, that youjust put this word in our heart
and that we hold it and that,as we go out through each of our

(01:18:01):
days, that we strive to winthat race, dear Father God, so
that we can have those crownsyour word says that we can
obtain.
Dear Father God, we ask thatyou get us home safely tonight,
dear Lord, and that you bring usback to our next appointed time
.
And, dear Father God, I ask thatyou just be with the family

(01:18:25):
that has recently suffered lossof their young children dear
Lord, and we just lift thatfamily up to you, dear Lord, and
we ask that you just wrap yourloving arms around them and just
bring them peace through this,somehow, dear Father God,
because we know that you can dothat.
In Jesus' precious name, I prayamen.