September 26, 2023 • 72 mins
Ever wondered how faith, like a mustard seed, can flourish into a magnificent tree with the right nourishment? And what are the key ingredients to keep this faith tree thriving? Our enlightening conversation reveals all, as we venture into the biblical definition of faith, drawing from Hebrews 11:1 and discussing its importance as a shield against life's trials. We also ponder on faith's trials and the beauty of remaining pliable in the hands of the Lord.
As part of our journey, we hold up the magnifying glass to discernment, forgiveness, and humility in our spiritual walk. The road may sometimes be rough, but with faith as our compass, we navigate these challenges and emerge stronger. We also highlight the significance of our testimonies, and how they can be a beacon for those around us. Plus, we delve into the transformative power of forgiveness and self-care. Unburdening ourselves from the weight of unforgiveness, we find, can truly illuminate our journey.
So, buckle up as we journey through the oft-tread but ever-enriching path of prayer, meditation, and God's guidance in our lives led by Natalie Shumaker.
#prayer #faith
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Alright, so we are live and recording.
We'll give folks a couple moreminutes before we get started
and I'll just run.
Y'all are just listening tosoaking music to kind of get us
in the right mindset, and thenI'll turn it off and then come
back so Nat can kick it off.
So just enjoy the music.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
So I'm gonna turn it off and then come back so Nat
can kick it off.
So I'm gonna turn it off andthen come back so Nat can kick
(01:59):
it off.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Alright.
So we are at 830.
I have stopped the music, soyeah, so we'll kick it over.
We'll hand over to Nat.
Nothing, admin.
No, I think we're good in termsof that, and so just, we're
(02:33):
just excited to hear what theLord has to say through Nat.
I am ready, my heart is wideopen.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
So with that, we're gonna turn over to you, nat,
alright thank you, excuse me,spend a day, actually a couple
of days, last few days.
But before we start anythingright, we gotta invite the Lord
in.
So we'll say our prayer,heavenly Father.
Thank you, lord, thank you forall that.
(03:03):
You are, all that you do, allthat you work on for us.
Lord, despite of us, you loveus, you keep us, you show us,
day in and day out, how it is towalk with you and your son,
jesus Christ, how to follow, howto abundance and love and peace
(03:26):
that we so call for Father.
Father, in this moment I praythat you come in and do what you
will do, take over.
If you must decrease us andincrease you, father, let your
word go forth and do what itmust do, father, and we pray all
of this in your mighty son,jesus name, amen, amen.
(03:52):
So tonight I want to talk abouta big word faith, just simple.
Right, it's a big word but it'ssimple.
Right, but it takes a lot togrow, even though it starts
small.
Right, god says you only need amustard seed to mustard, seed
(04:13):
of faith, and he can do the rest.
Why?
Because God is our living water, that provides the water to
help that seed grow.
They have the sun of JesusChrist, who shines the light
down on it, and then the HolySpirit, which is the mighty wind
that comes through and providesanything else that that seed
(04:35):
needs to be able to growcontinuously.
Right, but what do we have todo in order for that to happen?
Right, it's not just the simpleof the sun shining on us.
Water, we have to allow that inand we have to get ourselves in
a place of where we can do that.
We can.
We have to be fertile ground tobe able to make that happen,
(04:58):
meaning we have to be open andpliable.
We can't have all of the thingsin the world that we think we
need or we have to have to dothose things.
But first, I want to start withthe definition.
Right of faith is Hebrews 11,one.
Now, faith is confidence andwhat we hope for, an assurance
(05:20):
about what we do not see.
So what does that really mean?
Right faith is confidence andwhat we hope for.
So what are we hoping for?
What?
Hoping for?
Goodness?
Right, we want to have a goodlife.
We want to have peace, want tohave love, joy, faithfulness,
kindness.
(05:40):
One have all the fruits of thespirit we strive to have, just
the goodness of God in our livesforever, even if we don't
realize that that's what we're.
We're striving for, right,those that grow up in chaos,
they strive for the peace.
Those that grow up, and youknow, poor, they want to be able
to have abundance.
(06:01):
We are strive to be able tojust say I'm living life and I'm
happy and I'm full of joy, andso that's the things that we're
hoping for, and we have to haveconfidence that God is going to
provide those things.
And then assurance about what wedo not see.
Well, hoping means it's nothere, right, and so we have to
(06:22):
be steadfast that God is goingto provide.
Today, I may I barely may beable to scrape up food to feed
the family, but guess what Goddid provide, and so we have to
be assured that one of thesedays we won't have to scrape up.
It's going to be so much foodaround there was nothing we're
going to be able to do about it,right, and we're going to be so
(06:45):
grateful and also just makingsure that we do our part,
meaning that we are actually,that we are listening and we are
growing and we are coming toGod when we have and we're
feeling hopeless.
Right because I hope our faith,I hope and I love is set in God
(07:08):
consistently.
And I'll be honest, you guys,like last week has been a test
of faith.
You know it's strangely enoughwhenever God gives me a new
topic.
I don't know if it's just me,but it's like he gives you a
topic and then he pushes youinto the topic.
(07:32):
Let me know.
Okay, we're going to talk aboutfaith.
Well, let me test your faith.
I wish you went to thewilderness so I can test it,
right, but it's not a realwilderness, it's a test.
Right is to see you want totalk about the faith.
I think, okay, cool, let me seewhere your faith is.
Are there?
It's funny because as I wasgoing through talking about me
(07:57):
trying to learn about faith, andjust you know, I was like, okay
, my faith is.
I was like my shield is tight.
I think I was like, mm.
Hmm, sure, it is right.
So the first thing they gave mewas right.
I started.
I was kind of I'm trying tothink about.
Someone from my past called andasked me for a favor and I don't
(08:20):
mind.
Like I told you guys, I don'tmind helping people, I love
helping people.
Well, this person called me toask for a favor and I kind of
gave them a little wisdom andunderstanding along with the
thing they asked for, and thisperson kind of got a little
annoyed and just it was strange,right.
So I was like what was thatabout?
(08:42):
Right?
So God says well, one.
You see, there's a hole in yourshield of faith.
Right, because you allow thatto penetrate, you allow that to
get you upset, you allow that tochange yourself.
Right, and faith isunderstanding that we're going
to walk through different things.
(09:02):
We're going to walk, we'll talkto different people, but we
don't change from what God hasshown us.
Now.
We may fall, but even if wefall, you know, we know where we
can go to.
And I also kind of gave me thelesson behind that don't throw,
don't give dogs what is sacredor holy, right, do not throw
(09:23):
your pearls to pigs.
If you do, they may tramplethem under their feet and turn
and tear you to pieces.
People have to be prepared andready, right.
If their faith is not whereyour faith is, or even if their
journey is not, they're not openenough and understanding enough
.
They just don't have it right.
(09:44):
And this is where yourdiscernment comes in.
You have to make sure that.
Okay, well, it should I sellthis person or should I pray for
this person?
Right, there is a decision thathas to be made every time you
feel that urge to say something,to action, to action your faith
, to say, well, okay, I know youhave this going on, or I know
(10:05):
you have that going on, becausepeople just aren't ready to hear
it.
And so that's where your faithin God that he put you in his
place for a reason, but he alsogave you other tools to be able
to use so that you can determinewhat's going, what's needed in
that moment, as well as makingsure that you have faith that
(10:28):
God is not going to put you inthis place that's going to hurt
you, is everything's meant tohelp you, even when you go to
the wilderness is meant to helpyou and bring you up to
something.
Diamonds are made by addingimmense pressure on top of coals
.
Iron swords are made bysharpening with rough materials
(10:51):
like sanding, paper and things,and so everything beautiful and
of use has to go through sometype of hard process to be able
to be the usable thing thatwe're used to being able to see.
And so we have to recognizethat these hard times that we're
going through, they're onlybrought, made, brought, to make
(11:13):
us stronger, not to kill us, notto hurt us, because God
absolutely knows what will, howmuch we can bear and how much we
can take on and what is for us,because he created us and so we
have to have faith that ourcreator loves us.
And the other analogy that Godjust kept coming in my head with
(11:34):
he kept, I kept seeing childrenand I was like children.
What about he was like?
Now your faith has to be likethat of a child, right?
And he gave me this analogy ofwhen children are walking, right
, say, you know, chip mom and achild walking down the street.
Or say you're taking a walk,just a regular walk through the
(11:55):
woods, or something like that,right, just to go, me and my
kids, to have nature walks allthe time during the pandemic,
just to kind of get out thehouse and you know, just not go
stair crazy, right.
So, as we were taking thesenature walks, when we first
start aerial, my five year oldnow but at the time she was like
(12:15):
two or three she would hold myhand really, really tight, right
as we're walking and we're justwalking, and all of a sudden
she would let go because she gotcomfortable, like okay, but I
would notice she would alwaysturn around and kind of look to
see are you there, are you there, right, and I'm like I'm still
(12:37):
here.
You know, I'm kind of watchingher.
I would change positions as she, you know, move around and pick
up sticks and pick up rocks,and you know, look at this, and
stuff like that, right.
And then she was just keepgoing.
And then all of a sudden,something would come out the
woods or she would hear noiseand boom, she's right back on my
side holding my hand, againright, and God said we're
(12:59):
walking with.
Jesus is the same way, right,you have your faith.
That you know.
In the beginning you're justlike growing it.
You're holding his hand reallytight, really close to him.
And then, all of a sudden, youget a little comfortable, right,
you, comfortable in your faith.
You got your own shield.
That's really, um, your shieldis set and you know it's
(13:21):
impenetrable.
So you like, okay, you're goingto step out on faith.
Let me go ahead and, you know,start ministering to people and
telling people about Jesus.
And let me start, you know,seeing what the world and see if
I like want to do that.
And then all of a sudden, right,something comes out and scares
you.
Now you're running back, you'refasting, you're praying even
more, you're trying to holdtight.
(13:43):
But every time, right, jesusand God and Holy Spirit, they're
kind of all switching positionsto let you know we're still
here.
We just changed positionsbecause you moved away or you
move this way, you move to theright.
We told you to go to the left,but you want to take your time
and come back this way, butwe're still going this way.
(14:03):
We're still here, we're stillaround, and so, um, that that's
kind of been my revelation thisweek on faith and making sure
that I stay tight and hold tightto the faith that Jesus has
allowed me to grow on Jesus andGod and in my journey.
And so my question to you guysis how do you maintain your
(14:27):
faith?
How do you keep your armor intech out here in this world?
Because life be like that is.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
That is powerful.
I'm gonna have to watch thereplay just so I can capture the
example with your daughterbecause, as you was saying that,
I was like, yeah, I can see medoing that with the Lord and
that's my relationship.
So how do you keep your faithis through a lot, of, a lot of
ways.
It's through being intentionalin worship.
(15:06):
Like me and the Lord not me ina church, not us together
weren't really working andseeking out this relationship
with the Lord, and it's it's amindset that I had to choose
whether or not I believe God ornot.
(15:26):
And once I decided no, Ibelieve God, then nothing else
counter to that makes any sensefor me anymore, because I just
believe.
I totally believe what he says,I believe his covenant with me,
I believe who he says I am.
(15:47):
My perception is different ofthe challenges, even challenges,
that are coming to me.
I'm more like, hey, I'm goingto show you, let me show you me
meaning the Lord, let me showyou how I operate in this
situation.
So it's no longer about metrying to solve the problem.
It's because he loves me somuch, he's going to use this
situation so that he getsglorified and I'm literally like
(16:10):
a cheerleader on the side, like, yeah, go, holy Spirit.
So keeping the faith, and thenalso through community things
like this is so important.
You got to have people that youcan commune with on those days
when you really you really justwant to be like I don't know
what in the world is going on,right, nothing is making any
(16:31):
natural sense, whatever.
So you really need to have somekind of community of believers
who you can, who can comealongside you and you can come
alongside them and and they,they lift you up on the days
when you need that, and thenyou're doing that for somebody
else.
And when I see, when I see howGod is operating in other
(16:53):
people's lives because I watchfor that- then, I'm also just
energized because when I seeNatalie, the goodness that he's
doing in your life, or Terry orAudrey, like when I see his him
operate, and this is why witnessis so, that's why he wants us
so bad to witness differently,right.
But when I see that it helpsthe days when I might have a
(17:16):
little unbelief that God's notgoing to come through me, no, he
will, because he has a witnessthrough that.
So, it's all, it's, all of it's, all of those things for me.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
And I agree with Shelly.
It's so much of what she saidand I think about, over the
years, hearing someone else'stestimony and the reminder that
if he could do it for thatperson, he really can do it for
(17:53):
me and it's proof of his word.
Yeah, you know, I read his word, understand it.
But you have those moments.
You know something's happeningin your life.
You may have a little doubt,but you get reminded of the fact
that he is still there and hewill come through.
(18:15):
He hasn't left us and it's thetestimonies and sharing with
other people.
So, yeah, he did that.
He may do something differentand a different matter for you,
but at the same time he is stillthere and he loves us so much
(18:36):
that it's appreciating thelittle things that he shows us
and being aware of his goodnessand the little bitty thing.
It's not always something grand, but it's the little things
like oh okay, he's still there.
You know, tap me on my shoulder, he's said something little
(18:57):
Like he is still there.
That just keeps me going andknowing that I may have my
weekdays but he's still there.
Amen Amen.
Speaker 5 (19:18):
So I agree and I love the analogy, natalie, I really
do.
I think that one of the thingsthat, for me, I'm intentional
about having that relationshipwith our father so that my faith
continues to grow and, asShelley said, just having those
(19:41):
individuals that God has putinto your lives to kind of help,
coach you, direct you, guideyou in those moments where
you're not where you feel youneed to be, and then somehow
there's always this littleconfirmation that he will nudge
you to help you to understandthat you're headed in the right
(20:04):
direction.
So I think, just listening andbeing intentional about serving
God and being in the Word andthe one thing the reality is,
the walk in which we're on isnot easy, but we have to
continue to rely on our fatherby again being intentional about
(20:27):
having an intimate relationshipwith him and understanding that
he's our faith, that we maydoubt but he is there to support
us.
He has people in our lives thatwill support us, and I think
that is the biggest thing isjust keeping our eyes on Jesus,
(20:47):
even in those hard times asNatalie say, in the wilderness.
When we're in the wilderness,there's a way out.
There's a way out.
We just have to continue tohold on to Jesus and what he's
doing in our lives and tellingus, because it doesn't always
come when you think it should.
(21:10):
But you still have to hold onbecause you could get a lot of
nodes from God.
You could get a lot of nodesbecause the timing could be, our
timing could be way off, maybewe're not ready.
He sees that we're not ready,so he's not going to put us in a
situation where, as they say,our faith is tested to failure.
(21:31):
That is not the God in which weserve.
So anything that he puts for usto do, he's going to prepare us
for it.
So, as I said, sometimes we getout in front of him and he will
send a little nudge and pull usback.
And that's the good thing aboutbeing in a position where
(21:53):
you're listening to what Godwants you to do, because then
you know that nudge is notcoming from.
If it comes from one of yoursisters in Christ, or you know
that's coming from a good place,because again he will send
where two or three are gatheredand standing together.
He will send you those nudgeswhere it's going to redirect you
(22:17):
.
So you have to be in a positionwhere you're listening
intentionally for what he hasyou to do and what he's saying
to you.
So for me again, it's just beingintentional and being in the
Word and just standing on thatand knowing that I have, I got
people to have my back, sothat's been real important for
(22:40):
me.
So, yeah, thank you.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Yeah, that was amazing.
Thank you, audrey.
You know, audrey, thank you foryour obedience to send that
word yesterday.
The end of me, listen, I saidI've been in what I call waiting
room wilderness like the lastfew days, just because, right,
(23:06):
when your faith is being tested,when you're being tried to see,
okay, you wanna talk about this?
Well, let me see where yourlevel is.
It's kind of how God did me thelast few days, and so I kind of
had got reached a boiling pointSunday night, going over into
Monday, and I was just like Idon't know, I don't know.
(23:27):
He was like downtime, that'sall I wanted you to know.
Right, because you're trying tofix it right, because God gives
us these tools and that weacquire, that we learn to you,
know when to use, how to useright, and we start trying to
become Mr and Mrs Fixit Because,okay, the last time this
(23:51):
happened, I'm gonna do it thisway, okay, oh, I remember when
this happened, I'm gonna usethis gift, I'm gonna use this
tool and I'm gonna, okay, I'mgonna pray this away.
And God was like and nothingwas working, and I was like I
surrender God, I don't know whatit is.
He said that's all I wanted youto know.
Sometimes I need you to startcoming back to me, right, stop
(24:11):
thinking so much.
You know, right, because youdon't right?
And at the same time he gave meand he said truly, I tell you,
unless you change and becomelike children, you will never
enter the kingdom of God.
(24:31):
That's what he told me.
He was like, but recognizingthat the kingdom of God is
already in you, right, and youwon't be able to pull it forward
because you're not listening,you're not standing tall on your
faith.
You're kind of like okay, well,this is happening, well, let me
move forward and start fixingthis.
And he was like you're notgonna always know the answers.
(24:52):
Like, even though I gave you atool that could fix it, come ask
me first.
Come say that, right, beforechildren do something, what do
they do?
They come to mama or daddy hey,can I do this?
Is it okay?
Even if they did it once before, a lot of times they're still
gonna come back and ask right,children are very pure of heart
(25:13):
and pliable.
And just that word yesterdaykind of brought me back to that.
Like, natalie, you gotta stoptrying to be you, right, stop
trying to be you you thinkyou're supposed to be because of
what God has given you, andjust lean to God.
He's here, he's brought youhere, he loves you.
(25:34):
Just keep, be here.
And I agree with youwholeheartedly, audrey.
It is so important to havepeople who have your back, who
provide those little nudges, andyour faith should be one of
those things that makes youaction it and read it.
And somebody says pray forsomebody.
(25:55):
You never know when, thatprayer that you say for somebody
else is a key to unlocksomething in your life.
So we have to keep actioningour faith and saying well, this
was brought to me.
I feel like I should dosomething about it.
What can I do in this moment?
What do I have the power to do?
I always have the power to pray.
(26:16):
Well, I have the power to openthat and read it.
Or when somebody gives theirtestimony, hallelujah, yes,
thank you, god, you stand therewith them.
So I love that.
So thank you, audrey, forsending that.
Yeah, you ended my suffering.
(26:38):
You ended my suffering.
I will tell y'all I wassuffering.
I was over here trying to.
I was pulling out all the stopsand I was like that's not gonna
work, it ain't gonna close.
It's so funny, it's closingtill I close it.
Speaker 5 (26:54):
And that's just an example of how God works,
because I listened to thatsermon live on Sunday and I
couldn't wait for it to get onYouTube because in my spirit it
was like you need to share, itis right.
And every time I would bring upcool church, it would have the
(27:15):
old sermon and I was like no, Ineed the other one, because you
knew it was something good,because I haven't listened to
what was popping up, but thatjust spoke to me, in that
sometimes we gotta get out ofour own way and allow God to use
us in the varsals.
(27:36):
Right, just get out of the way,audrey, because I got you and
that's what he's saying, andthen he can make those steps
forward.
And it was just on my heart toshare that, so obeying obedience
and doing what he asked me todo.
But it definitely blessed me,and anytime that I come across
(28:01):
something that blesses me, Ifeel like it will do the same
for somebody else, and I justkind of go with my heart on that
whenever that happens.
So I'm glad that it blessed youas well, matt.
So.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Yeah, amazing, awesome.
So, I realized I didn't answerthe question either.
My own policy, all right.
So how do I keep my faith,staying close, right To God, but
also listening to everyone, toeverything and something I
(28:40):
mentioned last week I am like asponge to data.
It's just the way I was created, so to speak, right.
So everything is constantlycoming in and coming in right
and I try to fine tune it byusing my discernment as well as
(29:00):
just coming back to the Lord.
Like I ask questions all thetime, like I'm pretty sure
somebody was here with me allday while I'm working and would
think I was crazy, cause I'mliterally talking to God, like
I'll watch something you know,youtube, tiktok, you guys will
say something, I'll readsomething.
I'm like God, what you thinkabout that, like it sounds right
(29:23):
and that kind of keeps to buildmy faith and confidence in God
right as my provider, as myguide, as my everything
essentially Right, cause God ismy best friend.
Right, holy Spirit, jesus,they're my best friends.
I talk to them all day Likethey're right here, which they
(29:47):
are right, and they answer andbut that's how I do that.
And when I get far away, and Ican tell them far away, cause I
can tell by God's voice.
I can tell by the way I move.
When I start moving, a littleunassured, right, I'm kind of
like, okay, god said, but Idon't, hmm, it's not clear right
(30:12):
Now, I have to start doingthings to get back to Him.
So that means, instead of mejust kind of saying quick
prayers and things like that,I'll be more intentional by
making sure that I wake up andactually dive into the work,
cause sometimes we get so usedto it that I'll get up in the
(30:34):
morning, read the Bible reallyquickly, kind of meditate for a
couple of minutes, then pray andthen on to whatever I'm
supposed to be doing, right.
But when I realized that, okay,wait a minute, I've got a little
further away, I didn't let goof God's hand.
I'm over here looking at thebox, and God's like come on,
let's go over here.
And I'm like, ah, but it's acreek over here.
(30:56):
I like that, I like water, Iwant to watch that, right, and
this is real life.
That's how my daughter did me.
And so when that happens, thenI have to find my way back,
right, and sometimes I have tofind my way back through things
I didn't realize I had walkedthrough.
You know, I might have walkedto the other side of the creek,
(31:18):
so now I got to walk back and soI'll start to fast and I'll
start to just be moreintentional about how I approach
God, because also, what Irealized is that sometimes I
tend to take for granted, right,that God is here and so I'll do
(31:41):
things.
I guess she heard her nameright, so she's back.
Somebody doesn't wanna go to bedtonight?
It's okay.
You can hear this word, baby.
You intended to hear it.
So I try to make my way and tobe intentional, just about my
(32:04):
walk and making sure that I'mlistening and really diving into
the word, and I try to look atthe word from multiple
viewpoints, cause you can readthe same scripture and what
speaks to me, what speaks toShelley, audrey, it's gonna be
something totally different.
I've noticed, right, and alsoI've noticed that it speaks to
(32:27):
where we are as people, right,cause I can change from today to
a month from now and that samescripture speaks something
different to me.
So, just being more intentional, soaking everything in, not
being judgmental of the thingsthat God places in front of me,
(32:47):
cause that helps to build myconfidence as well and my faith
in God and what he has for me.
No, put those back, please.
Oh, no, ma'am.
No, thank you so much.
Have a good night.
This is real life over here.
Okay, right, it's real life.
(33:10):
And she still hasn't gone tobed.
She's like on the other side ofthe thing she's trying to get
one cheat up, See you?
See why I got the analogy.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Cause each child like Exactly.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
You know we like to look at the sometimes we look at
the you know the disobediencepart of children, but they're
not being disobedient, they arefinding their place in the world
right, it's viable and just.
You know they try to understandthrough learning.
That's how we are right Withthe kingdom of God.
We have to read so we canunderstand.
(33:49):
Read God's word so we canunderstand.
We have to open up and bepliable to receive his word.
Cause I'll admit, when I firststarted reading the Bible, how
it was like this just hittingnothing.
It was hitting and just rightthere.
It wasn't going anywherebecause I wasn't open to
(34:12):
receiving it.
I just was reading it becausemy intentions where somebody
said I can get healing from this, but I'm trying to heal, I
don't want to heal to that, butthat's not how the word of God
works, right.
And then I'm praying, cause I'mpraying for me, I just want to
(34:33):
heal.
But what is this going to dofor your relationship with God?
Right, Are you striving to givesomething back or are you just
trying to heal so you can moveon, do the same stuff you were
doing before?
What's your underlining motive?
God sees that, and so thehealing wasn't coming, the
(34:53):
understanding wasn't coming ofGod's word.
Cause I was just doing it,cause somebody told me to try it
.
Mama always said stay close toGod.
I don't know what.
I didn't know what that meant.
Yeah, okay, stay close to God.
Okay, mama, like sounds good.
Okay, well, I'ma give it a try.
Let me open this book.
But it wasn't until I trulydesired God and a relationship
(35:18):
with Him and His love that Irealized this is some good stuff
here, Like what, what, what'sbeen on my life?
And God said right here, righthere.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
It just occurred to me that we're the four of us and
whoever else is watching,wherever are live, witnessing to
your daughter.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
Yeah, yes, Stop doing those, please.
She's still back like.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
So it's all good.
I hope that the kind of mom Iam is the one that has and will
leave that kind of imprint on myboth our girls that I was a
praying mother and a worshipingmother.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
So that's the least for me.
I was just sitting here likelook at, look at, look at that
witnessing for a daughter.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
It's something.
So, speaking of that onSaturday, right, cause that was
another one of those things thatcame up in my faith was am I
being intentional about givingmy children, you know, peace to
the kingdom right and makingsure they understand that and
(36:44):
presenting it in the right way?
And so I was kind of thinkingabout that a little bit, right.
And so Saturday, some Jehovah'sWitness came to the door right
and Ariel, being Ariel's, justkind of went straight to the
door.
She opened it and I was likedon't open that door right, like
you know, cause it's a stranger.
(37:05):
So she opened the door and youknow we had a great conversation
about the kingdom of God of allthings.
I need some cheetah.
Listen, this is real life, okay.
So you know we have theconversation.
(37:27):
I'm sitting in there kind ofstill reading, cause, like I
said, it doesn't matter where Iget the information from.
If it's right, it's right, andyou know, I can use whatever God
you know has for me to useHamlet Keisha.
And so, as I'm reading it right, I stop on a page that has like
(37:47):
a bunch of different things onit.
I'm so sorry to hear that.
Are you okay?
Well, do you know?
If you were in the bed, youwouldn't have had the
opportunity to hit your tongue.
Please don't get in the bed.
Speaker 5 (38:03):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
So, as I am reading this pamphlet, right, ariel says
mama, what is that about?
Like the environment orsomething?
And I was like I didn't sayanything, I just cause.
I was almost done with the page.
So I kind of flipped it overand she said oh no, it's about
(38:26):
God.
And I was like, no, it's justfive, she can't read yet.
Right, she can read some words,but not enough for her to be
able to read that.
So I was like, hmm, how do youknow that?
And she was like well, there'sJesus right there.
And I was like well, how do youknow that?
And she was like becausethere's a golden man right there
(38:49):
on the throne.
And I was like, okay, and I waslike, well, now I'm interested
even more.
Because I'm like well, how doyou know that?
And she said, well, becauseyou're around here praying and
talking to God and listening tothe music and they talk about
(39:09):
the golden man.
I was like mind blown, right,cause you're trying to give them
little seeds that you know theycan handle, but they're soaking
it in from other places, fromother things that you're doing,
just seeing you and your fruits,and how you're talking, how
(39:29):
you're walking, and things thatyou're ingesting the way that
you're approaching them andgiving them the knowledge that
God is giving you.
So I'm pretty sure, shelly,that they see it, Cause I see it
, so I'm sure, and you're therewith them all the time.
So they definitely would belike mama and God was like this,
(39:52):
right, you know.
Speaker 4 (39:55):
Nellie is.
I was gonna say, you know,nellie is so right, they pay
attention more than we thinkthat they do.
And it's the little bittythings.
I know my granddaughter I takeher to church with me all the
time and the things that shenotices I'm thinking wait, wait,
(40:16):
where were you?
But I realized that we're inthe same place and the things
that she picks up, the thingsthat she says, and I'll never
forget.
When she made the choice to getbaptized, she asked me well,
grandma, after I get baptized,does that mean that you should
(40:37):
not say certain words or youshould not listen to certain
things, you should not docertain things?
And it was like you know, sherecognized that you change after
you get baptized.
You're not the same person.
And she was saying in her ownway, and I just looked at that
okay, and in your little way,you're understanding it, it's
(40:59):
your level.
But they pay attention.
Even when we think they're notlistening to us, they really are
listening and we're plantingthose seeds.
Every time we do something,every time we say something,
they're watching our behaviorsand they'll remember.
They definitely remember.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
So, mckisha, we're talking about faith, and one of
the things actually, I wasthinking about you and practical
faith, because one of thethings that Mckisha is very
blessed with doing when shetalks about faith is practical
(41:41):
faith in a way that you canunderstand, because sometimes,
when we talk about faith, it'sso high brow and so high minded
and so it's so hard tounderstand that other people who
are on the struggle bus maybeyou're on the struggle bus this
week, you know what I'm saying.
It's just you know it is ajourney, and so one of the
(42:04):
things that I appreciate withMckisha is that, when she shares
her testimonies, when shewitnesses about her faith, is
that you make it so that therest of us can digest the
information and we experiencewhat you're experiencing.
And I'm not y'all, I'm notlisten, I'm not someone who,
(42:26):
like, blows people up for justthat ain't me.
I'm saying it because y'allneed to hear it, because there
are.
We talked about how we maintaina faith.
I think, yeah, how do wemaintain it?
And one of the things that Ishared was having a community
like this, like you know, likeminded folks who basically come
(42:49):
alongside, and Mckisha is justone of those that does it really
well with just sharing verypractical faith.
So I encourage, if that is yourthing, if that is your thing, is
that is your gift thing, thatyou are doing that more within
whatever that circle could beyou know your family, your job,
your co-worker, whatever it isbut sharing practical faith,
(43:13):
experiences that are likeday-to-day things where you've
experienced something and you'resharing it in a way that it
makes sense to all of us.
And again, there are times whenit's high brow and all about
encounters but everybody don'thave it.
Sometimes people wanna knowthat.
Listen, this is what the Lorddid and this is how by faith was
(43:35):
tested and this is how you knowthe Holy Spirit responded.
You know what I mean?
Just real, practical, down toearth, not high brow, like just
tell me for real how to get outof this mess.
Come pray with me, kind ofthing.
Speaker 3 (43:51):
So for me, I feel like I was just saying I just
had my podcast and I had one ofour sister circles on there.
I feel like God, used in mylife for his comical moments,
like I feel like when he's readyfor a laugh, that's when he's
like uh-huh, I know the rightperson that can experience
(44:12):
something that can give me thelaugh of the day.
You know what I'm saying,because it's always a funny
story.
It's like always somethingcrazy that happens and you
cannot make it up.
And when I tell people they'dbe like girl, you are such a
storyteller, I'm like and it isnot now I'm very dramatic, but
it just, it, just it justhappens.
(44:32):
It ends up happening that way.
You know, and all my life it'sso funny.
I'm like why do I always have tohave the dramatic stuff Like,
and the comical stuff like am Iyour laugh of the day?
Clearly, I have to be yourlaugh of the day and I'm okay if
I'm your laugh of the day,because I already know that
you're gonna take care of me.
Prime example today I get aphone call from one of my
(44:56):
coworkers and they're like firstday I am me hey, are you
available to chat?
I'm like yeah, I'm available tochat.
And they call me and they waslike I just wanna let you know.
I don't know if you alreadyknow, but I took another job
offer and I'm just like what.
Like are you serious?
Like I'm with the blue, likedifferent where we coming you
(45:18):
know what I'm saying and they'relike I don't know when they're
gonna announce it, but I justsaw my country, or whatever,
whatever, whatever.
I'm just like okay, god, likeyou're so funny.
Now, you know, my goal is to goto Nick's assignment.
Now, I can even be mad, right,I can even be mad.
Now, I'm so excited for thisperson.
But I'm like, of all people,they don't call me hey, what the
(45:42):
?
You know what I'm saying.
Are you available to chat?
Yeah, am I crazy stuff, like,yeah, I'm available, hey, you
know what I'm saying.
But the part that I love from itis that I can find humor in it,
because I'm saying to myselfokay, god, now if you're doing
this for them, okay, it's justnot by chance that you allowing
(46:06):
them to call me.
This is not just a coincidentalright, this is a faith moment
for me to be like, okay, theyfound their assignment,
congratulate them.
You're next, you know what I'msaying, but it's just funny,
like what, you know what I'msaying.
It's just like I won't let youknow I got my.
I'm like, god, you're so funny,you know what I'm saying.
But then they shared theirstory of how different
(46:30):
opportunities that they appliedfor the doors were not open and
different things like that.
I was like I see you live here,Jess, and it's just so funny to
me that you would think thatyou're the only person who's
experiencing right.
But God would be sending peopleto be like mm-mm, bro, you
ain't the only one.
You know what I'm saying.
That's why I'm like.
I don't have to be your comicalsmile of the day, your laugh of
(46:53):
the day, because it happens tome.
You're just just what it is.
Hey, man, Cindy, I love it.
Now, I was speaking to comicallisten.
I went and watched that videoof the incident the pastor's
time and I was like I don't knowwhy I'm standing in line.
(47:18):
I was just like let me see.
Well, you know it.
Kind of.
I got a couple of things fromthe Lord from it right.
One we really do get.
We do go on a journey.
We do go overboard as humanbeings.
(47:44):
This is why we need God todirect us and guide us right,
because we take the words as bezealous for your God right.
We get overzealous because inour minds, stuff like that is a
good idea.
Right, what Jesus did it?
Why can't I, well, look at thepurpose of what Jesus was doing?
(48:07):
It for right?
He was doing it to heal, not toprove a point.
But then also, god came back tome to say, well, but he has
faith, though.
Look at that Faith.
By doing that, he was like,yeah, because he has to have
faith, because he did somethingthat he know is going to create
(48:30):
a shock and a paw.
It could potentially lose himcongregation members, it could
destroy his platform, but he hadfaith that God's word, the word
that he was going to deliverthat day, was going to turn out
to be something for the greatergood.
Now, I don't know if that waskind of what that did, but
(48:54):
that's what God told me.
He had that faith.
I received that, but I was oneof those indefined Christians at
that moment.
I was like I pinched my pearls.
I was like, oh my God, you know.
But God, and then I literallystopped watching.
(49:14):
But our pastor has been talkingabout forgiveness and witnessing
and different things like that,and God, I had to repent
because I was like, dang, do youwant some more judge eat Now.
You look crazy out there too.
Now you be saying super stuffand you be putting up.
Do you want some more judge youtoo?
So I had to repent and I'm likeGod, I'm so sorry, cause he did
(49:38):
say touch not mine, you want toone?
And he had a naughty.
So I had to go get my stuff allthe way together.
But I was just like Lordsometimes, for we and I know
because I'm very charismatic too, I'm very dramatic, I know, and
I want an example, I wantpractical things.
But I was like, why did he pickthat practical one?
But forgiveness is the key.
(50:06):
I had to ask for forgivenessand I had to.
I have to be careful aboutjudging, because the one you
judge trust and believe it'scoming back.
The same measure you judge,they're going to be measured to
you.
So I had to.
When I was watching his sermon Isaid, oh, hold on, hold on, I
can't even watch you, sir.
(50:26):
I need to get my heart straight.
I need to get all the meat onthe cross and get my cash my
cares Cause I have just onlyjust judge you in so many ways.
Because that's just I feel likeI think his parents must have
was Pentecostal or some kind oflike that, because you can see
(50:49):
the charismatic and with thePentecostals and different
things they had those dramaticthings and stuff.
So I just think it's justprobably carried over from his
upbringing.
That's a good point.
But I like him Now.
I'm good me and him good.
Now Us good.
Us good now.
(51:11):
Now you know what I'm saying.
I ask God for forgiveness.
Now.
I've been listening to my child.
I was like, yes, I don'tremember you being funny.
I said I don't remember youbeing funny.
I don't remember you beingfunny.
Oh, my God, you be actingstupid like that.
Sometimes you know what I'msaying, cause you put that in a
dig in like you, and arise uplike God, be like hold on, hold
(51:32):
on.
You have not arrived.
Only time you can arrive whenyou in those golden gates.
Right now you ain't nowherenear it.
Right, we still walking.
Right, we still walking.
I'm like, ooh, so forgivenessis the key.
We talked about that last time.
Forgiveness is still potent.
(51:53):
I think that's been trending.
So, for a minute, across a lotof platforms, listening to
different ministers and stuff,forgiveness has been trending.
So there's a lot of things thatwe have to search our hearts to
make sure that we are notwalking in on forgiveness,
especially if you're going to beused by God, because what
(52:17):
you're going to do is dispenseall that stuff out, all that
bitterness, all that toxic, allthat stuff into people Because
it's come out of your mouth.
No man, I had to check myself,got to let it go.
There's a lot of us walkingaround with it, with forgiveness
in us, and we don't evenrealize it, right, because we've
(52:38):
managed to morph it intosomething else, right?
Like we morphed it from.
You know I didn't like the wayshe, so now I'm just telling it
like it is, type of person Girl.
Really it is.
You just have some unforgivenessin your heart that makes you
feel like it's your duty to telleverybody everything you need
(53:03):
to be told, Because you feellike either somebody didn't tell
you when or somebody did tellyou stuff and you didn't like it
.
But it's just a bunch ofdifferent things that have
manifested in you, but it getstransformed into something else
Because you won't let it go.
You got to let it go.
(53:23):
It be weighing us down.
Audrey, were you sayingsomething?
I can't see?
I was just agreeing.
Speaker 5 (53:32):
No, but you're absolutely right, because
sometimes you walk around withthat unforgiveness, that's what
you exhibit and put off on otherpeople and you don't have the
mindset to see them where theyreally are, because you're so
(53:54):
jaded by your own feelings, bywhat you have built up in your
mind about somebody, that youdon't even see that real person
anymore.
So you have to just kind ofstart peeling that onion back
and that's when you get thecrime, because you know that you
have wronged people.
(54:16):
So you really have to just tryto walk in that forgiveness and
it's not easy, you have to.
Sometimes it gets really realbecause, as the Lord is bringing
you forward, he starts to showyou some things and you have to
(54:38):
be ready to deal with it.
And sometimes it's not prettyand sometimes it's situations
where you may hurt somebody withwhat you're going to say about
how you have treated them andthey don't even know I mean,
they don't even know why you'reacting the way you're acting.
But it's because you have builtup so much resentment or
(55:02):
animosity or whatever towardsthem for no real reason.
And you have to find thatwithin yourself and then reach
out to people to start to justsay I've wronged you, and that's
when God rises you up a littlebit higher.
You've got to be willing toacknowledge that you have
(55:24):
wronged somebody and that youhave for no reason, and that's
the thing that sometimes youdon't realize is like OK so why?
am I acting like this toward heror Him?
Or you just carry stuff andwe've got to let go.
We've got to let that stuff gobecause you're the only one
(55:47):
that's hurting, becausesometimes and Mcky said I think
you talked about this beforewe're walking around, we're
carrying stuff.
They sleep a real good at night.
But we have to recognize withinourselves and just start
creating that gratitude list andthose people and things like
(56:10):
that and get that stuff off ofour chest and move on.
Speaker 3 (56:17):
Like the old folks said, you need to learn how to
count your blessings.
I think we have walked awayfrom a lot of basic principles
that we learned when we were inSunday school.
We have walked away because wehave became so grown I'm so
grown, you know what I'm sayingand we have lost those basic
principles and we have to goback.
You have to go back to thatfirst love.
(56:38):
We have to go back to thatfirst love, basic, like a child
mind.
He said he wants you to be achild like faith.
We have to go back there.
You know what I'm saying.
We have to let go because I'mgrown.
Girls, I remember being a kid Iwas waiting to be able to say
because I'm grown, now I'm like,oh, I don't want to be grown.
(56:59):
No Real life here, bro, bro, no,indeed, indeed.
But that's also where our faithcomes in, right, like knowing
that we can step out there andhave those conversations with
individuals to release ourselvesfrom the bondage of forgiveness
(57:23):
.
We can step out there andrecognize all the blessings that
God has bestowed upon us,because we have faith that this
isn't just it right, likethere's even more if we continue
to walk.
We have faith that those thingslook a little bleak and strange
(57:43):
and, like I said, every weekright before these calls,
there's always something right,like there's something going on,
like area of the day.
She wanted to come back andforth.
Normally she goes in a room yougot to just still stay the
course because God is handlingit, god is taking care of it, he
(58:04):
will see through it, he willmake sure and, trust me, there's
a blessing on the other side ofit, whatever it is, or there's
a blessing right there in it.
I'm learning now the last fewmonths that even in the struggle
there's blessings, right,because a lot of times my
struggles only be struggles whenI'm not paying attention to the
(58:25):
lesson that's in the struggle,right?
So what is it?
God called for me to fast,right?
Shelly had been saying it for awhile, but God called for me to
fast over the weekend and itwas very specific, you
understand me.
It was the most specific fast Ihad ever gotten.
(58:45):
It was like don't do this,don't do that, don't do this,
not after this time or after it.
And I was like what kind of fastis this right?
And at first I was kind ofstruggling because I'm like this
is so out of my norm and how doI do this?
And God was like relax, I gotthis, you're going to be able to
(59:09):
do this.
And this is the first lessonI've learned in this fast One.
I've been struggling with beingable to keep up with my life
because I haven't been takingcare of me.
And he was like this fast firstoff is for you to recognize you
need to take care of yourself.
You need to be eating on aregular basis.
I've been.
(59:29):
My eating habits have been allover the place.
Speaker 2 (59:32):
Not coming from me, y'all.
I just want to put on a record.
Not coming from me because I'mliving on gummy bears.
Speaker 3 (59:44):
Well, if the shoe fit , if the wire hit you, okay, you
know what I mean, you too,right?
But yeah, he said he was likebut I mean, I haven't been
taking care of myself either,right, when I don't take care of
myself, I don't eat like I'msupposed to, I don't, you know,
really pour into myself, I don'tmake sure I go out and, you
(01:00:07):
know, get my exercise and stufflike that, my whole energy
changes, right, and I shift, andso, whereas I normally could
take on you know a thousandthings, I'm struggling with
three.
And he's like because you'renot running at your optimal self
and I need you to pay attentionto that Right Now.
(01:00:29):
There's more for me to learn,but that was the first thing.
So there's always typically alesson in the struggle.
We have to just stop focusingon the, on the, the problem, and
focus on what.
What is God trying to say?
What is he trying to stop me tosee?
Because usually when we get tothat struggle, we start clinging
(01:00:51):
so hard down the guy with apran and stuff.
But are we taking the time tolisten?
and meditate, got close ourmouths and just sit there and
listen.
Put on a little soaking musicand just let God just speak in
the room.
Come, sit in the room you canfeel the Holy Spirit just kind
of usher in and just sit down.
(01:01:12):
He's like oh, it's about to getgood now.
It's about to get good now.
So we got to stop and justsometimes we got to stop Like,
um, that's one of the things Ithink the mom and them and my
aunt and them generation,because my aunt said she was
waking up two, three o'clock inthe morning and she's like what
(01:01:34):
does that mean?
I can't sleep, what does thatmean?
And the first thing I said waswhy don't you meditate?
My aunt was like no pray, praywithout ceasing.
But God said meditate to likeJesus, meditated a lot.
That's like right.
(01:01:54):
And I felt bad because I waslike she was so hard about it
and I was like, um, he saidmeditate, but okay, sure, and
she was.
She came back and was like youknow, we got to start listening
more.
But that was one of thosemoments where I let her have it
(01:02:17):
because I wasn't from theargumenter and I actually went
and prayed about it.
Right, I was like what am I?
Was I wrong?
Like, because this was when Iwas new in my walk and I had
just came from doing some otherthings in my walk with Jesus
that I wasn't supposed to bedoing.
I got shifted over into theother side.
That's for another day, though.
(01:02:38):
But I got shifted over to theother side and I started you
know, there was some ancestralthings going on and God was like
hold on, wait a minute, I didnot bring you out, no, we're not
doing that Right.
So I was kind of a littleuncertain, like well, it is
meditating, a part of theancestral you know, arts or and
(01:03:04):
God was like no, you're supposedto listen.
I gave you two years to listen.
Right, I need you to listenmore than you are talking.
You can pray, that's cool, butare you listening for the answer
?
Because when you pray, yougotta.
I'm going to give you an answerback.
Sometimes I'm going to beaudible with my answer and I
need you to be listening for it.
(01:03:24):
Okay, say less, god.
I'm here listening, all right.
Well it's so funny what you talkabout.
Fast right.
Well, it's another funny story.
So it's like you got for me.
(01:03:46):
I can't even get it out.
It's so funny.
I'm in the shower, right,because that's where we have our
communication, our talking, ourconversation, our listening,
whatever, whatever.
Right Now, this is like twoweeks prior to the time he told
me to start the fast.
He was like you got a fast.
You're talking to him.
(01:04:09):
They're planning to eat such afast right.
You know how they say I'm arebuke devil, I rebuke, and I'm
like stop, you know what I'msaying.
Like you do a team too muchright.
And then it was like from 6amto 6pm, like really, why, eye
(01:04:30):
gates, ear gates, mouth gates,all the gates where the holes
are, I'm on restriction, nosnacks.
So when Shelly show her gumbears, I was like when I see her
I'm gonna tell her you are hereshowing gum bears, I can't eat.
(01:04:55):
No snacks.
Like I'm a snack of horror andthat's where you strip.
He was like eat nutrition andstuff.
Like a day you fast.
If you hungry, eat an apple,eat an apple, piece of peanut
butter, eat some soup, Somelight broth, clear broth.
I'm like bro, yeah, likestraight up.
Eye gates, no, ratchet TV, no.
Speaker 2 (01:05:18):
Oh my gosh that sounds just like my eyes, no
social media yeah.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:05:24):
Like I've been watching Bob Bob Hart, abba
Shola.
Bob Hart.
Bob Hart, abba Shola.
With this Nigerian lady.
He's a white man.
I said man and it's.
I mean, it ain't what you don'tunderstand.
I was just like okay, but guesswhat, I got my whole family
(01:05:50):
engaged when my sister came downthis weekend, my daughter came
down this weekend, my husband onmy nephew, everybody's like oh
my gosh, turn it to the next Bob.
I'm kind of seeing food anyway.
So we all just been beingwatching Bob's Hart, abba Shola
In it.
Now I'm telling you it is thefunniest.
(01:06:11):
But if you guys have never seenit, it's on CBS, but you can
catch it on max if you want tobe watching.
It's the most funniest episode.
It's some crazy stuff but it'snot as crazy.
Like you know how our TV is,it's crazy, it's awesome.
It teaches you family valuesand, like I've learned stuff
(01:06:31):
about the Nigerian culture, likehow they hold up their elders
and different things.
We don't do that in our culture.
You know, we, we used to.
That's those practical thingsthat we lost, right, and we need
to get back to.
But it's just, it just taughtme so much things and I was like
, okay, yeah, so that's whereI'm at for 24, 30 days and she
(01:06:58):
wants to show those.
I was at the gym.
I said, oh, I cannot wait tillI see her.
Yeah, you right here showingyour welches, oh, gummies.
You just don't understand.
No, you don't understand.
Speaker 4 (01:07:13):
Listen, she got a whole issue.
I got all kinds of issues.
Speaker 3 (01:07:15):
That's a whole, yeah, that's a whole thing, yeah.
No, I mean, there's my sister.
Speaker 4 (01:07:28):
After we shut down this live recording.
Speaker 2 (01:07:31):
Okay, okay, do you guys want to?
Speaker 3 (01:07:33):
speak on faith or God's word Shut us down.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:07:44):
This was really good that the imagery of the kids
really stuck with me and Mckisha, even as you're talking about
fasting, my fasting has been alittle bit different this time
and mine has been people and sothere are, for example, like
when you guys shared thosesermons, even he was like no,
(01:08:05):
the things that he has meabsorbing has been like oral
Roberts and, like you know, theactual and Catherine Coleman and
those types of feeding becauseof where I'm going.
Speaker 3 (01:08:21):
But, by the way, I asked for this right or Rob,
that's some deep, that's somedeeper it is.
Oh my God, that is very verythat.
We need that, we need that, weneed that now.
Speaker 2 (01:08:37):
So you're in the right vein, oh yeah.
For sure.
That's, that's it, that's all,you know, that's, that's it,
that's all.
And so these, the I don't wantto say younger pastors, how do
you put it these more modern day, the message that the feeding
that I need isn't going to comefrom them, it's the other folks.
But I had to.
I had to have faith that Icould understand and receive
(01:09:02):
what they are teaching, and thenjust relying on the Lord.
So I'm asking, I'm asking Godfor stuff.
I'm not asking for daily breadstuff anymore, because he's got
me right.
I don't care how crazy it looksor what's going on on the job,
but, like I know, the dailybread stuff, you know, yeah,
he's got it covered and I just Itrust him.
(01:09:24):
But what I'm asking for is I, Iwant to be fully, fully, fully
engulfed with the Holy Spirit,where it becomes overflow, where
you literally pass me and youfeel him, because I want to be
in a position where I walk likeI'm stepping back and I'm
(01:09:44):
watching the Holy Spirit work.
That's what I want, that's the.
You know what I mean.
That's the, it's the power andthe authority.
But I want to see him more andless of me, less of people, and
to get that you got to gothrough a whole different
mindset, and so that's what heliterally so I've yeah.
(01:10:04):
So I've had to cut downconversation, so I keep again, I
keep.
The circle was tight before,but the circle is even tighter
now.
You know, and that's that'sthat, because again, that's what
I asked for.
It's like, give me that.
And he was like you're going tohave to, you're going to have
to cut some strings, You'regoing to have to let people say
stuff and not respond.
You're going to have to notwatch some stuff like Mekisha.
(01:10:26):
Mekisha is what she's primingup for for this retreat, the
stuff that she's going to.
You know, you're going to haveto, you're going to have to, but
we're doing it with joy.
So, for those of y'all who arelistening to us when we talk
about fasting, we're doing itout of obedience, but there is
also joy in our heart.
There's no, you know what I'msaying Like yeah, we're not
(01:10:49):
tortured.
If you will, we're, you know,obedient and doing this because
we know why we're doing it andwe just we're humbly doing it.
So please don't don't take itthe wrong way.
Now I will say I do have mygummy bear addiction and I'm not
ashamed of that.
Go ahead and press out net andthen I'll turn off this live
(01:11:12):
because y'all ain't going tocome from me on the live over my
gummy bears.
Speaker 3 (01:11:17):
See, we all still got .
We all still a work in progress.
Okay, we all got something.
All right, no matter what,what's happening with us, we are
all still real people.
Okay, Listen, we, we be seekingthe Holy Spirit.
We want to push back because weknow we are a mess.
We are a whole mess out here inthese streets.
Okay, all right.
(01:11:38):
Well, thank you guys so much,and I'm on close as I, heavenly
Father, thank you, lord, thankyou for your exhibit of faith
and love in this moment, lord,giving us hope.
We pray that those that arehere and those that are
listening on the live havereceived a word that will be
(01:12:00):
nourished and flourished in you,father.
We pray that all that you aresetting out to do in their lives
shall be accomplished.
Father, we pray all of this inyour mighty son, jesus name,
amen, amen.
Speaker 2 (01:12:17):
Amen, all right.
Thank y'all for watching.
I'm going to cut the live, sogive me one uno momento.
So I'm going to stop therecording as well.
Alright, so we are live and recording.
We'll give folks a couple moreminutes before we get started
and I'll just run.
Y'all are just listening tosoaking music to kind of get us
in the right mindset, and thenI'll turn it off and then come
back so Nat can kick it off.
So just enjoy the music.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
So I'm gonna turn it off and then come back so Nat
can kick it off.
So I'm gonna turn it off andthen come back so Nat can kick
(01:59):
it off.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Alright.
So we are at 830.
I have stopped the music, soyeah, so we'll kick it over.
We'll hand over to Nat.
Nothing, admin.
No, I think we're good in termsof that, and so just, we're
(02:33):
just excited to hear what theLord has to say through Nat.
I am ready, my heart is wideopen.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
So with that, we're gonna turn over to you, nat,
alright thank you, excuse me,spend a day, actually a couple
of days, last few days.
But before we start anythingright, we gotta invite the Lord
in.
So we'll say our prayer,heavenly Father.
Thank you, lord, thank you forall that.
(03:03):
You are, all that you do, allthat you work on for us.
Lord, despite of us, you loveus, you keep us, you show us,
day in and day out, how it is towalk with you and your son,
jesus Christ, how to follow, howto abundance and love and peace
(03:26):
that we so call for Father.
Father, in this moment I praythat you come in and do what you
will do, take over.
If you must decrease us andincrease you, father, let your
word go forth and do what itmust do, father, and we pray all
of this in your mighty son,jesus name, amen, amen.
(03:52):
So tonight I want to talk abouta big word faith, just simple.
Right, it's a big word but it'ssimple.
Right, but it takes a lot togrow, even though it starts
small.
Right, god says you only need amustard seed to mustard, seed
(04:13):
of faith, and he can do the rest.
Why?
Because God is our living water, that provides the water to
help that seed grow.
They have the sun of JesusChrist, who shines the light
down on it, and then the HolySpirit, which is the mighty wind
that comes through and providesanything else that that seed
(04:35):
needs to be able to growcontinuously.
Right, but what do we have todo in order for that to happen?
Right, it's not just the simpleof the sun shining on us.
Water, we have to allow that inand we have to get ourselves in
a place of where we can do that.
We can.
We have to be fertile ground tobe able to make that happen,
(04:58):
meaning we have to be open andpliable.
We can't have all of the thingsin the world that we think we
need or we have to have to dothose things.
But first, I want to start withthe definition.
Right of faith is Hebrews 11,one.
Now, faith is confidence andwhat we hope for, an assurance
(05:20):
about what we do not see.
So what does that really mean?
Right faith is confidence andwhat we hope for.
So what are we hoping for?
What?
Hoping for?
Goodness?
Right, we want to have a goodlife.
We want to have peace, want tohave love, joy, faithfulness,
kindness.
(05:40):
One have all the fruits of thespirit we strive to have, just
the goodness of God in our livesforever, even if we don't
realize that that's what we're.
We're striving for, right,those that grow up in chaos,
they strive for the peace.
Those that grow up, and youknow, poor, they want to be able
to have abundance.
(06:01):
We are strive to be able tojust say I'm living life and I'm
happy and I'm full of joy, andso that's the things that we're
hoping for, and we have to haveconfidence that God is going to
provide those things.
And then assurance about what wedo not see.
Well, hoping means it's nothere, right, and so we have to
(06:22):
be steadfast that God is goingto provide.
Today, I may I barely may beable to scrape up food to feed
the family, but guess what Goddid provide, and so we have to
be assured that one of thesedays we won't have to scrape up.
It's going to be so much foodaround there was nothing we're
going to be able to do about it,right, and we're going to be so
(06:45):
grateful and also just makingsure that we do our part,
meaning that we are actually,that we are listening and we are
growing and we are coming toGod when we have and we're
feeling hopeless.
Right because I hope our faith,I hope and I love is set in God
(07:08):
consistently.
And I'll be honest, you guys,like last week has been a test
of faith.
You know it's strangely enoughwhenever God gives me a new
topic.
I don't know if it's just me,but it's like he gives you a
topic and then he pushes youinto the topic.
(07:32):
Let me know.
Okay, we're going to talk aboutfaith.
Well, let me test your faith.
I wish you went to thewilderness so I can test it,
right, but it's not a realwilderness, it's a test.
Right is to see you want totalk about the faith.
I think, okay, cool, let me seewhere your faith is.
Are there?
It's funny because as I wasgoing through talking about me
(07:57):
trying to learn about faith, andjust you know, I was like, okay
, my faith is.
I was like my shield is tight.
I think I was like, mm.
Hmm, sure, it is right.
So the first thing they gave mewas right.
I started.
I was kind of I'm trying tothink about.
Someone from my past called andasked me for a favor and I don't
(08:20):
mind.
Like I told you guys, I don'tmind helping people, I love
helping people.
Well, this person called me toask for a favor and I kind of
gave them a little wisdom andunderstanding along with the
thing they asked for, and thisperson kind of got a little
annoyed and just it was strange,right.
So I was like what was thatabout?
(08:42):
Right?
So God says well, one.
You see, there's a hole in yourshield of faith.
Right, because you allow thatto penetrate, you allow that to
get you upset, you allow that tochange yourself.
Right, and faith isunderstanding that we're going
to walk through different things.
(09:02):
We're going to walk, we'll talkto different people, but we
don't change from what God hasshown us.
Now.
We may fall, but even if wefall, you know, we know where we
can go to.
And I also kind of gave me thelesson behind that don't throw,
don't give dogs what is sacredor holy, right, do not throw
(09:23):
your pearls to pigs.
If you do, they may tramplethem under their feet and turn
and tear you to pieces.
People have to be prepared andready, right.
If their faith is not whereyour faith is, or even if their
journey is not, they're not openenough and understanding enough
.
They just don't have it right.
(09:44):
And this is where yourdiscernment comes in.
You have to make sure that.
Okay, well, it should I sellthis person or should I pray for
this person?
Right, there is a decision thathas to be made every time you
feel that urge to say something,to action, to action your faith
, to say, well, okay, I know youhave this going on, or I know
(10:05):
you have that going on, becausepeople just aren't ready to hear
it.
And so that's where your faithin God that he put you in his
place for a reason, but he alsogave you other tools to be able
to use so that you can determinewhat's going, what's needed in
that moment, as well as makingsure that you have faith that
(10:28):
God is not going to put you inthis place that's going to hurt
you, is everything's meant tohelp you, even when you go to
the wilderness is meant to helpyou and bring you up to
something.
Diamonds are made by addingimmense pressure on top of coals
.
Iron swords are made bysharpening with rough materials
(10:51):
like sanding, paper and things,and so everything beautiful and
of use has to go through sometype of hard process to be able
to be the usable thing thatwe're used to being able to see.
And so we have to recognizethat these hard times that we're
going through, they're onlybrought, made, brought, to make
(11:13):
us stronger, not to kill us, notto hurt us, because God
absolutely knows what will, howmuch we can bear and how much we
can take on and what is for us,because he created us and so we
have to have faith that ourcreator loves us.
And the other analogy that Godjust kept coming in my head with
(11:34):
he kept, I kept seeing childrenand I was like children.
What about he was like?
Now your faith has to be likethat of a child, right?
And he gave me this analogy ofwhen children are walking, right
, say, you know, chip mom and achild walking down the street.
Or say you're taking a walk,just a regular walk through the
(11:55):
woods, or something like that,right, just to go, me and my
kids, to have nature walks allthe time during the pandemic,
just to kind of get out thehouse and you know, just not go
stair crazy, right.
So, as we were taking thesenature walks, when we first
start aerial, my five year oldnow but at the time she was like
(12:15):
two or three she would hold myhand really, really tight, right
as we're walking and we're justwalking, and all of a sudden
she would let go because she gotcomfortable, like okay, but I
would notice she would alwaysturn around and kind of look to
see are you there, are you there, right, and I'm like I'm still
(12:37):
here.
You know, I'm kind of watchingher.
I would change positions as she, you know, move around and pick
up sticks and pick up rocks,and you know, look at this, and
stuff like that, right.
And then she was just keepgoing.
And then all of a sudden,something would come out the
woods or she would hear noiseand boom, she's right back on my
side holding my hand, againright, and God said we're
(12:59):
walking with.
Jesus is the same way, right,you have your faith.
That you know.
In the beginning you're justlike growing it.
You're holding his hand reallytight, really close to him.
And then, all of a sudden, youget a little comfortable, right,
you, comfortable in your faith.
You got your own shield.
That's really, um, your shieldis set and you know it's
(13:21):
impenetrable.
So you like, okay, you're goingto step out on faith.
Let me go ahead and, you know,start ministering to people and
telling people about Jesus.
And let me start, you know,seeing what the world and see if
I like want to do that.
And then all of a sudden, right,something comes out and scares
you.
Now you're running back, you'refasting, you're praying even
more, you're trying to holdtight.
(13:43):
But every time, right, jesusand God and Holy Spirit, they're
kind of all switching positionsto let you know we're still
here.
We just changed positionsbecause you moved away or you
move this way, you move to theright.
We told you to go to the left,but you want to take your time
and come back this way, butwe're still going this way.
(14:03):
We're still here, we're stillaround, and so, um, that that's
kind of been my revelation thisweek on faith and making sure
that I stay tight and hold tightto the faith that Jesus has
allowed me to grow on Jesus andGod and in my journey.
And so my question to you guysis how do you maintain your
(14:27):
faith?
How do you keep your armor intech out here in this world?
Because life be like that is.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
That is powerful.
I'm gonna have to watch thereplay just so I can capture the
example with your daughterbecause, as you was saying that,
I was like, yeah, I can see medoing that with the Lord and
that's my relationship.
So how do you keep your faithis through a lot, of, a lot of
ways.
It's through being intentionalin worship.
(15:06):
Like me and the Lord not me ina church, not us together
weren't really working andseeking out this relationship
with the Lord, and it's it's amindset that I had to choose
whether or not I believe God ornot.
(15:26):
And once I decided no, Ibelieve God, then nothing else
counter to that makes any sensefor me anymore, because I just
believe.
I totally believe what he says,I believe his covenant with me,
I believe who he says I am.
(15:47):
My perception is different ofthe challenges, even challenges,
that are coming to me.
I'm more like, hey, I'm goingto show you, let me show you me
meaning the Lord, let me showyou how I operate in this
situation.
So it's no longer about metrying to solve the problem.
It's because he loves me somuch, he's going to use this
situation so that he getsglorified and I'm literally like
(16:10):
a cheerleader on the side, like, yeah, go, holy Spirit.
So keeping the faith, and thenalso through community things
like this is so important.
You got to have people that youcan commune with on those days
when you really you really justwant to be like I don't know
what in the world is going on,right, nothing is making any
(16:31):
natural sense, whatever.
So you really need to have somekind of community of believers
who you can, who can comealongside you and you can come
alongside them and and they,they lift you up on the days
when you need that, and thenyou're doing that for somebody
else.
And when I see, when I see howGod is operating in other
(16:53):
people's lives because I watchfor that- then, I'm also just
energized because when I seeNatalie, the goodness that he's
doing in your life, or Terry orAudrey, like when I see his him
operate, and this is why witnessis so, that's why he wants us
so bad to witness differently,right.
But when I see that it helpsthe days when I might have a
(17:16):
little unbelief that God's notgoing to come through me, no, he
will, because he has a witnessthrough that.
So, it's all, it's, all of it's, all of those things for me.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
And I agree with Shelly.
It's so much of what she saidand I think about, over the
years, hearing someone else'stestimony and the reminder that
if he could do it for thatperson, he really can do it for
(17:53):
me and it's proof of his word.
Yeah, you know, I read his word, understand it.
But you have those moments.
You know something's happeningin your life.
You may have a little doubt,but you get reminded of the fact
that he is still there and hewill come through.
(18:15):
He hasn't left us and it's thetestimonies and sharing with
other people.
So, yeah, he did that.
He may do something differentand a different matter for you,
but at the same time he is stillthere and he loves us so much
(18:36):
that it's appreciating thelittle things that he shows us
and being aware of his goodnessand the little bitty thing.
It's not always something grand, but it's the little things
like oh okay, he's still there.
You know, tap me on my shoulder, he's said something little
(18:57):
Like he is still there.
That just keeps me going andknowing that I may have my
weekdays but he's still there.
Amen Amen.
Speaker 5 (19:18):
So I agree and I love the analogy, natalie, I really
do.
I think that one of the thingsthat, for me, I'm intentional
about having that relationshipwith our father so that my faith
continues to grow and, asShelley said, just having those
(19:41):
individuals that God has putinto your lives to kind of help,
coach you, direct you, guideyou in those moments where
you're not where you feel youneed to be, and then somehow
there's always this littleconfirmation that he will nudge
you to help you to understandthat you're headed in the right
(20:04):
direction.
So I think, just listening andbeing intentional about serving
God and being in the Word andthe one thing the reality is,
the walk in which we're on isnot easy, but we have to
continue to rely on our fatherby again being intentional about
(20:27):
having an intimate relationshipwith him and understanding that
he's our faith, that we maydoubt but he is there to support
us.
He has people in our lives thatwill support us, and I think
that is the biggest thing isjust keeping our eyes on Jesus,
(20:47):
even in those hard times asNatalie say, in the wilderness.
When we're in the wilderness,there's a way out.
There's a way out.
We just have to continue tohold on to Jesus and what he's
doing in our lives and tellingus, because it doesn't always
come when you think it should.
(21:10):
But you still have to hold onbecause you could get a lot of
nodes from God.
You could get a lot of nodesbecause the timing could be, our
timing could be way off, maybewe're not ready.
He sees that we're not ready,so he's not going to put us in a
situation where, as they say,our faith is tested to failure.
(21:31):
That is not the God in which weserve.
So anything that he puts for usto do, he's going to prepare us
for it.
So, as I said, sometimes we getout in front of him and he will
send a little nudge and pull usback.
And that's the good thing aboutbeing in a position where
(21:53):
you're listening to what Godwants you to do, because then
you know that nudge is notcoming from.
If it comes from one of yoursisters in Christ, or you know
that's coming from a good place,because again he will send
where two or three are gatheredand standing together.
He will send you those nudgeswhere it's going to redirect you
(22:17):
.
So you have to be in a positionwhere you're listening
intentionally for what he hasyou to do and what he's saying
to you.
So for me again, it's just beingintentional and being in the
Word and just standing on thatand knowing that I have, I got
people to have my back, sothat's been real important for
(22:40):
me.
So, yeah, thank you.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Yeah, that was amazing.
Thank you, audrey.
You know, audrey, thank you foryour obedience to send that
word yesterday.
The end of me, listen, I saidI've been in what I call waiting
room wilderness like the lastfew days, just because, right,
(23:06):
when your faith is being tested,when you're being tried to see,
okay, you wanna talk about this?
Well, let me see where yourlevel is.
It's kind of how God did me thelast few days, and so I kind of
had got reached a boiling pointSunday night, going over into
Monday, and I was just like Idon't know, I don't know.
(23:27):
He was like downtime, that'sall I wanted you to know.
Right, because you're trying tofix it right, because God gives
us these tools and that weacquire, that we learn to you,
know when to use, how to useright, and we start trying to
become Mr and Mrs Fixit Because,okay, the last time this
(23:51):
happened, I'm gonna do it thisway, okay, oh, I remember when
this happened, I'm gonna usethis gift, I'm gonna use this
tool and I'm gonna, okay, I'mgonna pray this away.
And God was like and nothingwas working, and I was like I
surrender God, I don't know whatit is.
He said that's all I wanted youto know.
Sometimes I need you to startcoming back to me, right, stop
(24:11):
thinking so much.
You know, right, because youdon't right?
And at the same time he gave meand he said truly, I tell you,
unless you change and becomelike children, you will never
enter the kingdom of God.
(24:31):
That's what he told me.
He was like, but recognizingthat the kingdom of God is
already in you, right, and youwon't be able to pull it forward
because you're not listening,you're not standing tall on your
faith.
You're kind of like okay, well,this is happening, well, let me
move forward and start fixingthis.
And he was like you're notgonna always know the answers.
(24:52):
Like, even though I gave you atool that could fix it, come ask
me first.
Come say that, right, beforechildren do something, what do
they do?
They come to mama or daddy hey,can I do this?
Is it okay?
Even if they did it once before, a lot of times they're still
gonna come back and ask right,children are very pure of heart
(25:13):
and pliable.
And just that word yesterdaykind of brought me back to that.
Like, natalie, you gotta stoptrying to be you, right, stop
trying to be you you thinkyou're supposed to be because of
what God has given you, andjust lean to God.
He's here, he's brought youhere, he loves you.
(25:34):
Just keep, be here.
And I agree with youwholeheartedly, audrey.
It is so important to havepeople who have your back, who
provide those little nudges, andyour faith should be one of
those things that makes youaction it and read it.
And somebody says pray forsomebody.
(25:55):
You never know when, thatprayer that you say for somebody
else is a key to unlocksomething in your life.
So we have to keep actioningour faith and saying well, this
was brought to me.
I feel like I should dosomething about it.
What can I do in this moment?
What do I have the power to do?
I always have the power to pray.
(26:16):
Well, I have the power to openthat and read it.
Or when somebody gives theirtestimony, hallelujah, yes,
thank you, god, you stand therewith them.
So I love that.
So thank you, audrey, forsending that.
Yeah, you ended my suffering.
(26:38):
You ended my suffering.
I will tell y'all I wassuffering.
I was over here trying to.
I was pulling out all the stopsand I was like that's not gonna
work, it ain't gonna close.
It's so funny, it's closingtill I close it.
Speaker 5 (26:54):
And that's just an example of how God works,
because I listened to thatsermon live on Sunday and I
couldn't wait for it to get onYouTube because in my spirit it
was like you need to share, itis right.
And every time I would bring upcool church, it would have the
(27:15):
old sermon and I was like no, Ineed the other one, because you
knew it was something good,because I haven't listened to
what was popping up, but thatjust spoke to me, in that
sometimes we gotta get out ofour own way and allow God to use
us in the varsals.
(27:36):
Right, just get out of the way,audrey, because I got you and
that's what he's saying, andthen he can make those steps
forward.
And it was just on my heart toshare that, so obeying obedience
and doing what he asked me todo.
But it definitely blessed me,and anytime that I come across
(28:01):
something that blesses me, Ifeel like it will do the same
for somebody else, and I justkind of go with my heart on that
whenever that happens.
So I'm glad that it blessed youas well, matt.
So.
Speaker 3 (28:15):
Yeah, amazing, awesome.
So, I realized I didn't answerthe question either.
My own policy, all right.
So how do I keep my faith,staying close, right To God, but
also listening to everyone, toeverything and something I
(28:40):
mentioned last week I am like asponge to data.
It's just the way I was created, so to speak, right.
So everything is constantlycoming in and coming in right
and I try to fine tune it byusing my discernment as well as
(29:00):
just coming back to the Lord.
Like I ask questions all thetime, like I'm pretty sure
somebody was here with me allday while I'm working and would
think I was crazy, cause I'mliterally talking to God, like
I'll watch something you know,youtube, tiktok, you guys will
say something, I'll readsomething.
I'm like God, what you thinkabout that, like it sounds right
(29:23):
and that kind of keeps to buildmy faith and confidence in God
right as my provider, as myguide, as my everything
essentially Right, cause God ismy best friend.
Right, holy Spirit, jesus,they're my best friends.
I talk to them all day Likethey're right here, which they
(29:47):
are right, and they answer andbut that's how I do that.
And when I get far away, and Ican tell them far away, cause I
can tell by God's voice.
I can tell by the way I move.
When I start moving, a littleunassured, right, I'm kind of
like, okay, god said, but Idon't, hmm, it's not clear right
(30:12):
Now, I have to start doingthings to get back to Him.
So that means, instead of mejust kind of saying quick
prayers and things like that,I'll be more intentional by
making sure that I wake up andactually dive into the work,
cause sometimes we get so usedto it that I'll get up in the
(30:34):
morning, read the Bible reallyquickly, kind of meditate for a
couple of minutes, then pray andthen on to whatever I'm
supposed to be doing, right.
But when I realized that, okay,wait a minute, I've got a little
further away, I didn't let goof God's hand.
I'm over here looking at thebox, and God's like come on,
let's go over here.
And I'm like, ah, but it's acreek over here.
(30:56):
I like that, I like water, Iwant to watch that, right, and
this is real life.
That's how my daughter did me.
And so when that happens, thenI have to find my way back,
right, and sometimes I have tofind my way back through things
I didn't realize I had walkedthrough.
You know, I might have walkedto the other side of the creek,
(31:18):
so now I got to walk back and soI'll start to fast and I'll
start to just be moreintentional about how I approach
God, because also, what Irealized is that sometimes I
tend to take for granted, right,that God is here and so I'll do
(31:41):
things.
I guess she heard her nameright, so she's back.
Somebody doesn't wanna go to bedtonight?
It's okay.
You can hear this word, baby.
You intended to hear it.
So I try to make my way and tobe intentional, just about my
(32:04):
walk and making sure that I'mlistening and really diving into
the word, and I try to look atthe word from multiple
viewpoints, cause you can readthe same scripture and what
speaks to me, what speaks toShelley, audrey, it's gonna be
something totally different.
I've noticed, right, and alsoI've noticed that it speaks to
(32:27):
where we are as people, right,cause I can change from today to
a month from now and that samescripture speaks something
different to me.
So, just being more intentional, soaking everything in, not
being judgmental of the thingsthat God places in front of me,
(32:47):
cause that helps to build myconfidence as well and my faith
in God and what he has for me.
No, put those back, please.
Oh, no, ma'am.
No, thank you so much.
Have a good night.
This is real life over here.
Okay, right, it's real life.
(33:10):
And she still hasn't gone tobed.
She's like on the other side ofthe thing she's trying to get
one cheat up, See you?
See why I got the analogy.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Cause each child like Exactly.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
You know we like to look at the sometimes we look at
the you know the disobediencepart of children, but they're
not being disobedient, they arefinding their place in the world
right, it's viable and just.
You know they try to understandthrough learning.
That's how we are right Withthe kingdom of God.
We have to read so we canunderstand.
(33:49):
Read God's word so we canunderstand.
We have to open up and bepliable to receive his word.
Cause I'll admit, when I firststarted reading the Bible, how
it was like this just hittingnothing.
It was hitting and just rightthere.
It wasn't going anywherebecause I wasn't open to
(34:12):
receiving it.
I just was reading it becausemy intentions where somebody
said I can get healing from this, but I'm trying to heal, I
don't want to heal to that, butthat's not how the word of God
works, right.
And then I'm praying, cause I'mpraying for me, I just want to
(34:33):
heal.
But what is this going to dofor your relationship with God?
Right, Are you striving to givesomething back or are you just
trying to heal so you can moveon, do the same stuff you were
doing before?
What's your underlining motive?
God sees that, and so thehealing wasn't coming, the
(34:53):
understanding wasn't coming ofGod's word.
Cause I was just doing it,cause somebody told me to try it
.
Mama always said stay close toGod.
I don't know what.
I didn't know what that meant.
Yeah, okay, stay close to God.
Okay, mama, like sounds good.
Okay, well, I'ma give it a try.
Let me open this book.
But it wasn't until I trulydesired God and a relationship
(35:18):
with Him and His love that Irealized this is some good stuff
here, Like what, what, what'sbeen on my life?
And God said right here, righthere.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
It just occurred to me that we're the four of us and
whoever else is watching,wherever are live, witnessing to
your daughter.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
Yeah, yes, Stop doing those, please.
She's still back like.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
So it's all good.
I hope that the kind of mom Iam is the one that has and will
leave that kind of imprint on myboth our girls that I was a
praying mother and a worshipingmother.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
So that's the least for me.
I was just sitting here likelook at, look at, look at that
witnessing for a daughter.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
It's something.
So, speaking of that onSaturday, right, cause that was
another one of those things thatcame up in my faith was am I
being intentional about givingmy children, you know, peace to
the kingdom right and makingsure they understand that and
(36:44):
presenting it in the right way?
And so I was kind of thinkingabout that a little bit, right.
And so Saturday, some Jehovah'sWitness came to the door right
and Ariel, being Ariel's, justkind of went straight to the
door.
She opened it and I was likedon't open that door right, like
you know, cause it's a stranger.
(37:05):
So she opened the door and youknow we had a great conversation
about the kingdom of God of allthings.
I need some cheetah.
Listen, this is real life, okay.
So you know we have theconversation.
(37:27):
I'm sitting in there kind ofstill reading, cause, like I
said, it doesn't matter where Iget the information from.
If it's right, it's right, andyou know, I can use whatever God
you know has for me to useHamlet Keisha.
And so, as I'm reading it right, I stop on a page that has like
(37:47):
a bunch of different things onit.
I'm so sorry to hear that.
Are you okay?
Well, do you know?
If you were in the bed, youwouldn't have had the
opportunity to hit your tongue.
Please don't get in the bed.
Speaker 5 (38:03):
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
So, as I am reading this pamphlet, right, ariel says
mama, what is that about?
Like the environment orsomething?
And I was like I didn't sayanything, I just cause.
I was almost done with the page.
So I kind of flipped it overand she said oh no, it's about
(38:26):
God.
And I was like, no, it's justfive, she can't read yet.
Right, she can read some words,but not enough for her to be
able to read that.
So I was like, hmm, how do youknow that?
And she was like well, there'sJesus right there.
And I was like well, how do youknow that?
And she was like becausethere's a golden man right there
(38:49):
on the throne.
And I was like, okay, and I waslike, well, now I'm interested
even more.
Because I'm like well, how doyou know that?
And she said, well, becauseyou're around here praying and
talking to God and listening tothe music and they talk about
(39:09):
the golden man.
I was like mind blown, right,cause you're trying to give them
little seeds that you know theycan handle, but they're soaking
it in from other places, fromother things that you're doing,
just seeing you and your fruits,and how you're talking, how
(39:29):
you're walking, and things thatyou're ingesting the way that
you're approaching them andgiving them the knowledge that
God is giving you.
So I'm pretty sure, shelly,that they see it, Cause I see it
, so I'm sure, and you're therewith them all the time.
So they definitely would belike mama and God was like this,
(39:52):
right, you know.
Speaker 4 (39:55):
Nellie is.
I was gonna say, you know,nellie is so right, they pay
attention more than we thinkthat they do.
And it's the little bittythings.
I know my granddaughter I takeher to church with me all the
time and the things that shenotices I'm thinking wait, wait,
(40:16):
where were you?
But I realized that we're inthe same place and the things
that she picks up, the thingsthat she says, and I'll never
forget.
When she made the choice to getbaptized, she asked me well,
grandma, after I get baptized,does that mean that you should
(40:37):
not say certain words or youshould not listen to certain
things, you should not docertain things?
And it was like you know, sherecognized that you change after
you get baptized.
You're not the same person.
And she was saying in her ownway, and I just looked at that
okay, and in your little way,you're understanding it, it's
(40:59):
your level.
But they pay attention.
Even when we think they're notlistening to us, they really are
listening and we're plantingthose seeds.
Every time we do something,every time we say something,
they're watching our behaviorsand they'll remember.
They definitely remember.
Speaker 2 (41:20):
So, mckisha, we're talking about faith, and one of
the things actually, I wasthinking about you and practical
faith, because one of thethings that Mckisha is very
blessed with doing when shetalks about faith is practical
(41:41):
faith in a way that you canunderstand, because sometimes,
when we talk about faith, it'sso high brow and so high minded
and so it's so hard tounderstand that other people who
are on the struggle bus maybeyou're on the struggle bus this
week, you know what I'm saying.
It's just you know it is ajourney, and so one of the
(42:04):
things that I appreciate withMckisha is that, when she shares
her testimonies, when shewitnesses about her faith, is
that you make it so that therest of us can digest the
information and we experiencewhat you're experiencing.
And I'm not y'all, I'm notlisten, I'm not someone who,
(42:26):
like, blows people up for justthat ain't me.
I'm saying it because y'allneed to hear it, because there
are.
We talked about how we maintaina faith.
I think, yeah, how do wemaintain it?
And one of the things that Ishared was having a community
like this, like you know, likeminded folks who basically come
(42:49):
alongside, and Mckisha is justone of those that does it really
well with just sharing verypractical faith.
So I encourage, if that is yourthing, if that is your thing, is
that is your gift thing, thatyou are doing that more within
whatever that circle could beyou know your family, your job,
your co-worker, whatever it isbut sharing practical faith,
(43:13):
experiences that are likeday-to-day things where you've
experienced something and you'resharing it in a way that it
makes sense to all of us.
And again, there are times whenit's high brow and all about
encounters but everybody don'thave it.
Sometimes people wanna knowthat.
Listen, this is what the Lorddid and this is how by faith was
(43:35):
tested and this is how you knowthe Holy Spirit responded.
You know what I mean?
Just real, practical, down toearth, not high brow, like just
tell me for real how to get outof this mess.
Come pray with me, kind ofthing.
Speaker 3 (43:51):
So for me, I feel like I was just saying I just
had my podcast and I had one ofour sister circles on there.
I feel like God, used in mylife for his comical moments,
like I feel like when he's readyfor a laugh, that's when he's
like uh-huh, I know the rightperson that can experience
(44:12):
something that can give me thelaugh of the day.
You know what I'm saying,because it's always a funny
story.
It's like always somethingcrazy that happens and you
cannot make it up.
And when I tell people they'dbe like girl, you are such a
storyteller, I'm like and it isnot now I'm very dramatic, but
it just, it, just it justhappens.
(44:32):
It ends up happening that way.
You know, and all my life it'sso funny.
I'm like why do I always have tohave the dramatic stuff Like,
and the comical stuff like am Iyour laugh of the day?
Clearly, I have to be yourlaugh of the day and I'm okay if
I'm your laugh of the day,because I already know that
you're gonna take care of me.
Prime example today I get aphone call from one of my
(44:56):
coworkers and they're like firstday I am me hey, are you
available to chat?
I'm like yeah, I'm available tochat.
And they call me and they waslike I just wanna let you know.
I don't know if you alreadyknow, but I took another job
offer and I'm just like what.
Like are you serious?
Like I'm with the blue, likedifferent where we coming you
(45:18):
know what I'm saying and they'relike I don't know when they're
gonna announce it, but I justsaw my country, or whatever,
whatever, whatever.
I'm just like okay, god, likeyou're so funny.
Now, you know, my goal is to goto Nick's assignment.
Now, I can even be mad, right,I can even be mad.
Now, I'm so excited for thisperson.
But I'm like, of all people,they don't call me hey, what the
(45:42):
?
You know what I'm saying.
Are you available to chat?
Yeah, am I crazy stuff, like,yeah, I'm available, hey, you
know what I'm saying.
But the part that I love from itis that I can find humor in it,
because I'm saying to myselfokay, god, now if you're doing
this for them, okay, it's justnot by chance that you allowing
(46:06):
them to call me.
This is not just a coincidentalright, this is a faith moment
for me to be like, okay, theyfound their assignment,
congratulate them.
You're next, you know what I'msaying, but it's just funny,
like what, you know what I'msaying.
It's just like I won't let youknow I got my.
I'm like, god, you're so funny,you know what I'm saying.
But then they shared theirstory of how different
(46:30):
opportunities that they appliedfor the doors were not open and
different things like that.
I was like I see you live here,Jess, and it's just so funny to
me that you would think thatyou're the only person who's
experiencing right.
But God would be sending peopleto be like mm-mm, bro, you
ain't the only one.
You know what I'm saying.
That's why I'm like.
I don't have to be your comicalsmile of the day, your laugh of
(46:53):
the day, because it happens tome.
You're just just what it is.
Hey, man, Cindy, I love it.
Now, I was speaking to comicallisten.
I went and watched that videoof the incident the pastor's
time and I was like I don't knowwhy I'm standing in line.
(47:18):
I was just like let me see.
Well, you know it.
Kind of.
I got a couple of things fromthe Lord from it right.
One we really do get.
We do go on a journey.
We do go overboard as humanbeings.
(47:44):
This is why we need God todirect us and guide us right,
because we take the words as bezealous for your God right.
We get overzealous because inour minds, stuff like that is a
good idea.
Right, what Jesus did it?
Why can't I, well, look at thepurpose of what Jesus was doing?
(48:07):
It for right?
He was doing it to heal, not toprove a point.
But then also, god came back tome to say, well, but he has
faith, though.
Look at that Faith.
By doing that, he was like,yeah, because he has to have
faith, because he did somethingthat he know is going to create
(48:30):
a shock and a paw.
It could potentially lose himcongregation members, it could
destroy his platform, but he hadfaith that God's word, the word
that he was going to deliverthat day, was going to turn out
to be something for the greatergood.
Now, I don't know if that waskind of what that did, but
(48:54):
that's what God told me.
He had that faith.
I received that, but I was oneof those indefined Christians at
that moment.
I was like I pinched my pearls.
I was like, oh my God, you know.
But God, and then I literallystopped watching.
(49:14):
But our pastor has been talkingabout forgiveness and witnessing
and different things like that,and God, I had to repent
because I was like, dang, do youwant some more judge eat Now.
You look crazy out there too.
Now you be saying super stuffand you be putting up.
Do you want some more judge youtoo?
So I had to repent and I'm likeGod, I'm so sorry, cause he did
(49:38):
say touch not mine, you want toone?
And he had a naughty.
So I had to go get my stuff allthe way together.
But I was just like Lordsometimes, for we and I know
because I'm very charismatic too, I'm very dramatic, I know, and
I want an example, I wantpractical things.
But I was like, why did he pickthat practical one?
But forgiveness is the key.
(50:06):
I had to ask for forgivenessand I had to.
I have to be careful aboutjudging, because the one you
judge trust and believe it'scoming back.
The same measure you judge,they're going to be measured to
you.
So I had to.
When I was watching his sermon Isaid, oh, hold on, hold on, I
can't even watch you, sir.
(50:26):
I need to get my heart straight.
I need to get all the meat onthe cross and get my cash my
cares Cause I have just onlyjust judge you in so many ways.
Because that's just I feel likeI think his parents must have
was Pentecostal or some kind oflike that, because you can see
(50:49):
the charismatic and with thePentecostals and different
things they had those dramaticthings and stuff.
So I just think it's justprobably carried over from his
upbringing.
That's a good point.
But I like him Now.
I'm good me and him good.
Now Us good.
Us good now.
(51:11):
Now you know what I'm saying.
I ask God for forgiveness.
Now.
I've been listening to my child.
I was like, yes, I don'tremember you being funny.
I said I don't remember youbeing funny.
I don't remember you beingfunny.
Oh, my God, you be actingstupid like that.
Sometimes you know what I'msaying, cause you put that in a
dig in like you, and arise uplike God, be like hold on, hold
(51:32):
on.
You have not arrived.
Only time you can arrive whenyou in those golden gates.
Right now you ain't nowherenear it.
Right, we still walking.
Right, we still walking.
I'm like, ooh, so forgivenessis the key.
We talked about that last time.
Forgiveness is still potent.
(51:53):
I think that's been trending.
So, for a minute, across a lotof platforms, listening to
different ministers and stuff,forgiveness has been trending.
So there's a lot of things thatwe have to search our hearts to
make sure that we are notwalking in on forgiveness,
especially if you're going to beused by God, because what
(52:17):
you're going to do is dispenseall that stuff out, all that
bitterness, all that toxic, allthat stuff into people Because
it's come out of your mouth.
No man, I had to check myself,got to let it go.
There's a lot of us walkingaround with it, with forgiveness
in us, and we don't evenrealize it, right, because we've
(52:38):
managed to morph it intosomething else, right?
Like we morphed it from.
You know I didn't like the wayshe, so now I'm just telling it
like it is, type of person Girl.
Really it is.
You just have some unforgivenessin your heart that makes you
feel like it's your duty to telleverybody everything you need
(53:03):
to be told, Because you feellike either somebody didn't tell
you when or somebody did tellyou stuff and you didn't like it
.
But it's just a bunch ofdifferent things that have
manifested in you, but it getstransformed into something else
Because you won't let it go.
You got to let it go.
(53:23):
It be weighing us down.
Audrey, were you sayingsomething?
I can't see?
I was just agreeing.
Speaker 5 (53:32):
No, but you're absolutely right, because
sometimes you walk around withthat unforgiveness, that's what
you exhibit and put off on otherpeople and you don't have the
mindset to see them where theyreally are, because you're so
(53:54):
jaded by your own feelings, bywhat you have built up in your
mind about somebody, that youdon't even see that real person
anymore.
So you have to just kind ofstart peeling that onion back
and that's when you get thecrime, because you know that you
have wronged people.
(54:16):
So you really have to just tryto walk in that forgiveness and
it's not easy, you have to.
Sometimes it gets really realbecause, as the Lord is bringing
you forward, he starts to showyou some things and you have to
(54:38):
be ready to deal with it.
And sometimes it's not prettyand sometimes it's situations
where you may hurt somebody withwhat you're going to say about
how you have treated them andthey don't even know I mean,
they don't even know why you'reacting the way you're acting.
But it's because you have builtup so much resentment or
(55:02):
animosity or whatever towardsthem for no real reason.
And you have to find thatwithin yourself and then reach
out to people to start to justsay I've wronged you, and that's
when God rises you up a littlebit higher.
You've got to be willing toacknowledge that you have
(55:24):
wronged somebody and that youhave for no reason, and that's
the thing that sometimes youdon't realize is like OK so why?
am I acting like this toward heror Him?
Or you just carry stuff andwe've got to let go.
We've got to let that stuff gobecause you're the only one
(55:47):
that's hurting, becausesometimes and Mcky said I think
you talked about this beforewe're walking around, we're
carrying stuff.
They sleep a real good at night.
But we have to recognize withinourselves and just start
creating that gratitude list andthose people and things like
(56:10):
that and get that stuff off ofour chest and move on.
Speaker 3 (56:17):
Like the old folks said, you need to learn how to
count your blessings.
I think we have walked awayfrom a lot of basic principles
that we learned when we were inSunday school.
We have walked away because wehave became so grown I'm so
grown, you know what I'm sayingand we have lost those basic
principles and we have to goback.
You have to go back to thatfirst love.
(56:38):
We have to go back to thatfirst love, basic, like a child
mind.
He said he wants you to be achild like faith.
We have to go back there.
You know what I'm saying.
We have to let go because I'mgrown.
Girls, I remember being a kid Iwas waiting to be able to say
because I'm grown, now I'm like,oh, I don't want to be grown.
(56:59):
No Real life here, bro, bro, no,indeed, indeed.
But that's also where our faithcomes in, right, like knowing
that we can step out there andhave those conversations with
individuals to release ourselvesfrom the bondage of forgiveness
(57:23):
.
We can step out there andrecognize all the blessings that
God has bestowed upon us,because we have faith that this
isn't just it right, likethere's even more if we continue
to walk.
We have faith that those thingslook a little bleak and strange
(57:43):
and, like I said, every weekright before these calls,
there's always something right,like there's something going on,
like area of the day.
She wanted to come back andforth.
Normally she goes in a room yougot to just still stay the
course because God is handlingit, god is taking care of it, he
(58:04):
will see through it, he willmake sure and, trust me, there's
a blessing on the other side ofit, whatever it is, or there's
a blessing right there in it.
I'm learning now the last fewmonths that even in the struggle
there's blessings, right,because a lot of times my
struggles only be struggles whenI'm not paying attention to the
(58:25):
lesson that's in the struggle,right?
So what is it?
God called for me to fast,right?
Shelly had been saying it for awhile, but God called for me to
fast over the weekend and itwas very specific, you
understand me.
It was the most specific fast Ihad ever gotten.
(58:45):
It was like don't do this,don't do that, don't do this,
not after this time or after it.
And I was like what kind of fastis this right?
And at first I was kind ofstruggling because I'm like this
is so out of my norm and how doI do this?
And God was like relax, I gotthis, you're going to be able to
(59:09):
do this.
And this is the first lessonI've learned in this fast One.
I've been struggling with beingable to keep up with my life
because I haven't been takingcare of me.
And he was like this fast firstoff is for you to recognize you
need to take care of yourself.
You need to be eating on aregular basis.
I've been.
(59:29):
My eating habits have been allover the place.
Speaker 2 (59:32):
Not coming from me, y'all.
I just want to put on a record.
Not coming from me because I'mliving on gummy bears.
Speaker 3 (59:44):
Well, if the shoe fit , if the wire hit you, okay, you
know what I mean, you too,right?
But yeah, he said he was likebut I mean, I haven't been
taking care of myself either,right, when I don't take care of
myself, I don't eat like I'msupposed to, I don't, you know,
really pour into myself, I don'tmake sure I go out and, you
(01:00:07):
know, get my exercise and stufflike that, my whole energy
changes, right, and I shift, andso, whereas I normally could
take on you know a thousandthings, I'm struggling with
three.
And he's like because you'renot running at your optimal self
and I need you to pay attentionto that Right Now.
(01:00:29):
There's more for me to learn,but that was the first thing.
So there's always typically alesson in the struggle.
We have to just stop focusingon the, on the, the problem, and
focus on what.
What is God trying to say?
What is he trying to stop me tosee?
Because usually when we get tothat struggle, we start clinging
(01:00:51):
so hard down the guy with apran and stuff.
But are we taking the time tolisten?
and meditate, got close ourmouths and just sit there and
listen.
Put on a little soaking musicand just let God just speak in
the room.
Come, sit in the room you canfeel the Holy Spirit just kind
of usher in and just sit down.
(01:01:12):
He's like oh, it's about to getgood now.
It's about to get good now.
So we got to stop and justsometimes we got to stop Like,
um, that's one of the things Ithink the mom and them and my
aunt and them generation,because my aunt said she was
waking up two, three o'clock inthe morning and she's like what
(01:01:34):
does that mean?
I can't sleep, what does thatmean?
And the first thing I said waswhy don't you meditate?
My aunt was like no pray, praywithout ceasing.
But God said meditate to likeJesus, meditated a lot.
That's like right.
(01:01:54):
And I felt bad because I waslike she was so hard about it
and I was like, um, he saidmeditate, but okay, sure, and
she was.
She came back and was like youknow, we got to start listening
more.
But that was one of thosemoments where I let her have it
(01:02:17):
because I wasn't from theargumenter and I actually went
and prayed about it.
Right, I was like what am I?
Was I wrong?
Like, because this was when Iwas new in my walk and I had
just came from doing some otherthings in my walk with Jesus
that I wasn't supposed to bedoing.
I got shifted over into theother side.
That's for another day, though.
(01:02:38):
But I got shifted over to theother side and I started you
know, there was some ancestralthings going on and God was like
hold on, wait a minute, I didnot bring you out, no, we're not
doing that Right.
So I was kind of a littleuncertain, like well, it is
meditating, a part of theancestral you know, arts or and
(01:03:04):
God was like no, you're supposedto listen.
I gave you two years to listen.
Right, I need you to listenmore than you are talking.
You can pray, that's cool, butare you listening for the answer
?
Because when you pray, yougotta.
I'm going to give you an answerback.
Sometimes I'm going to beaudible with my answer and I
need you to be listening for it.
(01:03:24):
Okay, say less, god.
I'm here listening, all right.
Well it's so funny what you talkabout.
Fast right.
Well, it's another funny story.
So it's like you got for me.
(01:03:46):
I can't even get it out.
It's so funny.
I'm in the shower, right,because that's where we have our
communication, our talking, ourconversation, our listening,
whatever, whatever.
Right Now, this is like twoweeks prior to the time he told
me to start the fast.
He was like you got a fast.
You're talking to him.
(01:04:09):
They're planning to eat such afast right.
You know how they say I'm arebuke devil, I rebuke, and I'm
like stop, you know what I'msaying.
Like you do a team too muchright.
And then it was like from 6amto 6pm, like really, why, eye
(01:04:30):
gates, ear gates, mouth gates,all the gates where the holes
are, I'm on restriction, nosnacks.
So when Shelly show her gumbears, I was like when I see her
I'm gonna tell her you are hereshowing gum bears, I can't eat.
(01:04:55):
No snacks.
Like I'm a snack of horror andthat's where you strip.
He was like eat nutrition andstuff.
Like a day you fast.
If you hungry, eat an apple,eat an apple, piece of peanut
butter, eat some soup, Somelight broth, clear broth.
I'm like bro, yeah, likestraight up.
Eye gates, no, ratchet TV, no.
Speaker 2 (01:05:18):
Oh my gosh that sounds just like my eyes, no
social media yeah.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:05:24):
Like I've been watching Bob Bob Hart, abba
Shola.
Bob Hart.
Bob Hart, abba Shola.
With this Nigerian lady.
He's a white man.
I said man and it's.
I mean, it ain't what you don'tunderstand.
I was just like okay, but guesswhat, I got my whole family
(01:05:50):
engaged when my sister came downthis weekend, my daughter came
down this weekend, my husband onmy nephew, everybody's like oh
my gosh, turn it to the next Bob.
I'm kind of seeing food anyway.
So we all just been beingwatching Bob's Hart, abba Shola
In it.
Now I'm telling you it is thefunniest.
(01:06:11):
But if you guys have never seenit, it's on CBS, but you can
catch it on max if you want tobe watching.
It's the most funniest episode.
It's some crazy stuff but it'snot as crazy.
Like you know how our TV is,it's crazy, it's awesome.
It teaches you family valuesand, like I've learned stuff
(01:06:31):
about the Nigerian culture, likehow they hold up their elders
and different things.
We don't do that in our culture.
You know, we, we used to.
That's those practical thingsthat we lost, right, and we need
to get back to.
But it's just, it just taughtme so much things and I was like
, okay, yeah, so that's whereI'm at for 24, 30 days and she
(01:06:58):
wants to show those.
I was at the gym.
I said, oh, I cannot wait tillI see her.
Yeah, you right here showingyour welches, oh, gummies.
You just don't understand.
No, you don't understand.
Speaker 4 (01:07:13):
Listen, she got a whole issue.
I got all kinds of issues.
Speaker 3 (01:07:15):
That's a whole, yeah, that's a whole thing, yeah.
No, I mean, there's my sister.
Speaker 4 (01:07:28):
After we shut down this live recording.
Speaker 2 (01:07:31):
Okay, okay, do you guys want to?
Speaker 3 (01:07:33):
speak on faith or God's word Shut us down.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:07:44):
This was really good that the imagery of the kids
really stuck with me and Mckisha, even as you're talking about
fasting, my fasting has been alittle bit different this time
and mine has been people and sothere are, for example, like
when you guys shared thosesermons, even he was like no,
(01:08:05):
the things that he has meabsorbing has been like oral
Roberts and, like you know, theactual and Catherine Coleman and
those types of feeding becauseof where I'm going.
Speaker 3 (01:08:21):
But, by the way, I asked for this right or Rob,
that's some deep, that's somedeeper it is.
Oh my God, that is very verythat.
We need that, we need that, weneed that now.
Speaker 2 (01:08:37):
So you're in the right vein, oh yeah.
For sure.
That's, that's it, that's all,you know, that's, that's it,
that's all.
And so these, the I don't wantto say younger pastors, how do
you put it these more modern day, the message that the feeding
that I need isn't going to comefrom them, it's the other folks.
But I had to.
I had to have faith that Icould understand and receive
(01:09:02):
what they are teaching, and thenjust relying on the Lord.
So I'm asking, I'm asking Godfor stuff.
I'm not asking for daily breadstuff anymore, because he's got
me right.
I don't care how crazy it looksor what's going on on the job,
but, like I know, the dailybread stuff, you know, yeah,
he's got it covered and I just Itrust him.
(01:09:24):
But what I'm asking for is I, Iwant to be fully, fully, fully
engulfed with the Holy Spirit,where it becomes overflow, where
you literally pass me and youfeel him, because I want to be
in a position where I walk likeI'm stepping back and I'm
(01:09:44):
watching the Holy Spirit work.
That's what I want, that's the.
You know what I mean.
That's the, it's the power andthe authority.
But I want to see him more andless of me, less of people, and
to get that you got to gothrough a whole different
mindset, and so that's what heliterally so I've yeah.
(01:10:04):
So I've had to cut downconversation, so I keep again, I
keep.
The circle was tight before,but the circle is even tighter
now.
You know, and that's that'sthat, because again, that's what
I asked for.
It's like, give me that.
And he was like you're going tohave to, you're going to have
to cut some strings, You'regoing to have to let people say
stuff and not respond.
You're going to have to notwatch some stuff like Mekisha.
(01:10:26):
Mekisha is what she's primingup for for this retreat, the
stuff that she's going to.
You know, you're going to haveto, you're going to have to, but
we're doing it with joy.
So, for those of y'all who arelistening to us when we talk
about fasting, we're doing itout of obedience, but there is
also joy in our heart.
There's no, you know what I'msaying Like yeah, we're not
(01:10:49):
tortured.
If you will, we're, you know,obedient and doing this because
we know why we're doing it andwe just we're humbly doing it.
So please don't don't take itthe wrong way.
Now I will say I do have mygummy bear addiction and I'm not
ashamed of that.
Go ahead and press out net andthen I'll turn off this live
(01:11:12):
because y'all ain't going tocome from me on the live over my
gummy bears.
Speaker 3 (01:11:17):
See, we all still got .
We all still a work in progress.
Okay, we all got something.
All right, no matter what,what's happening with us, we are
all still real people.
Okay, Listen, we, we be seekingthe Holy Spirit.
We want to push back because weknow we are a mess.
We are a whole mess out here inthese streets.
Okay, all right.
(01:11:38):
Well, thank you guys so much,and I'm on close as I, heavenly
Father, thank you, lord, thankyou for your exhibit of faith
and love in this moment, lord,giving us hope.
We pray that those that arehere and those that are
listening on the live havereceived a word that will be
(01:12:00):
nourished and flourished in you,father.
We pray that all that you aresetting out to do in their lives
shall be accomplished.
Father, we pray all of this inyour mighty son, jesus name,
amen, amen.
Speaker 2 (01:12:17):
Amen, all right.
Thank y'all for watching.
I'm going to cut the live, sogive me one uno momento.
So I'm going to stop therecording as well.
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