150- Frontlines Ministry- Called to Be the Church (with Jack Arnold)
Strength for Today's PastorOctober 03, 2023x
150
00:47:5833 MB

150- Frontlines Ministry- Called to Be the Church (with Jack Arnold)

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SFTP Podcast number 150 focuses on how a ministry which is considered a frontlines ministry must first of all, be a healthy ministry. There must be the life of Jesus, the light of Jesus, and also the love of Jesus.

Today I’ll be speaking with Pastor Arnold, who ministers right in the thick of the ongoing cultural and spiritual rebellion against God which is so prevalent in these times in which we live.

Jack pastors Calvary Chapel Mt. Si, in North Bend, Washington. North Bend is only about 30 miles S.E. of Seattle. That part of Washington is known for its strong leftist leanings and politics, and is not typically fertile ground for the gospel.

Yet, the church in Mt. Si is thriving, and even though they've lost approximately 70 families—many of whom have relocated to more conservative, family friendly environs.

How has the Lord led Jack and his leadership team to equip the church to be the church of Jesus Christ?

Hear Jack's story. It's going to encourage and challenge you, that is a certainty.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bill-holdridge/support

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at strongerpastors@gmail.com. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

[00:00:08] [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to Strength for Todays Pastor, conversations with current senior pastors and leaders which

[00:00:14] [SPEAKER_01]: will strengthen and help you in your pastoral ministry.

[00:00:18] [SPEAKER_01]: And now, here's your host, Bill Holdridge of Poiman Ministries.

[00:00:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Welcome to podcast number 150.

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER_02]: So glad to have you with us today.

[00:00:28] [SPEAKER_02]: So here's the deal.

[00:00:29] [SPEAKER_02]: Increasingly, pastors in the United States are sensing this huge cultural downturn with

[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_02]: regard to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[00:00:39] [SPEAKER_02]: That's not new news.

[00:00:40] [SPEAKER_02]: But also they're sensing the resistance to the truth and relevance of God's Word.

[00:00:46] [SPEAKER_02]: And what this has done is led to an increasing marginalization of Christianity at best and

[00:00:53] [SPEAKER_02]: outright antagonism against the Church.

[00:00:57] [SPEAKER_02]: So today I'm going to be speaking with Pastor Jack Arnold.

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER_02]: He's a friend and a pastor who ministers right in the thick of this ongoing rebellion against

[00:01:07] [SPEAKER_02]: God and the suppression of the truth.

[00:01:09] [SPEAKER_02]: So a little bit of biography concerning Jack so you can know who he is before he speaks.

[00:01:16] [SPEAKER_02]: Jack Pastor's Calvary Chapel Mount Si in North Bend, Washington.

[00:01:20] [SPEAKER_02]: He's married to Janelle.

[00:01:22] [SPEAKER_02]: They married in 2004.

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER_02]: They have four wonderful children.

[00:01:26] [SPEAKER_02]: And he was ordained with Shoreline Calvary Chapel in Morro Bay, California, which is

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_02]: when I met Jack right around 2008-ish.

[00:01:35] [SPEAKER_02]: Somewhere, no, no, it was before that 2004-ish, something like that.

[00:01:39] [SPEAKER_02]: Anyway, Jack became the senior pastor a couple years after he was ordained in 2010

[00:01:45] [SPEAKER_02]: when his pastor, Tony Holiday, moved on to the UK as a missionary in the London area.

[00:01:51] [SPEAKER_02]: And in 2016, unexpectedly perhaps the Lord called Jack and his family to move to North Bend

[00:02:00] [SPEAKER_02]: where he became the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel North Bend, which is now called Calvary Mount Si.

[00:02:06] [SPEAKER_02]: So Jack, welcome to the program.

[00:02:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Really looking forward to this time together with you and good to see a friend.

[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_02]: Likewise.

[00:02:11] [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for having me, Bill.

[00:02:13] [SPEAKER_02]: So now you're pastoring in North Bend and it's only about 30 miles south east

[00:02:18] [SPEAKER_02]: of Seattle.

[00:02:19] [SPEAKER_02]: And that part of Washington, of course, is known for its leftist leanings, its politics,

[00:02:25] [SPEAKER_02]: typically not fertile ground for the gospel.

[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_02]: So what's it like there culturally?

[00:02:31] [SPEAKER_02]: What's it like there spiritually for you as a pastor?

[00:02:35] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's been a cultural shock even moving up here in 2016.

[00:02:40] [SPEAKER_00]: And in the past seven years, we've seen even a radical cultural shift happen in this area,

[00:02:46] [SPEAKER_00]: in King County, the Seattle area.

[00:02:48] [SPEAKER_00]: I would say back in 2016 there was a huge cultural shock moving from the central coast of California

[00:02:56] [SPEAKER_00]: to the heart of the Pacific Northwest.

[00:03:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Everything from having figuring out how to do outreaches when people don't talk to each

[00:03:07] [SPEAKER_00]: other for eight months out of the year or come out of their houses to the homeless

[00:03:13] [SPEAKER_00]: and drug population of Seattle.

[00:03:16] [SPEAKER_00]: And most people that come up here or minister in this area recognize that it's one of the

[00:03:22] [SPEAKER_00]: least churched areas per capita in the nation.

[00:03:27] [SPEAKER_00]: And there is a spiritual darkness.

[00:03:30] [SPEAKER_00]: And we've seen that increase drastically over the last seven years, really rearing its

[00:03:39] [SPEAKER_00]: ugly demonic head even during COVID when the Capitol Hill, autonomous zone,

[00:03:46] [SPEAKER_00]: things were happening and the political governmental push of abortion and the LGBT

[00:03:57] [SPEAKER_00]: agenda infiltrating into even kindergarten and schools.

[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_00]: But we find ourselves ministering in a non-Christian culture context where even last week there

[00:04:11] [SPEAKER_00]: was in Bellevue just about 20 minutes from us.

[00:04:14] [SPEAKER_00]: It was a citywide celebration with a 15 foot idol of a Hindu God cadish.

[00:04:22] [SPEAKER_00]: And it was a fun family event where you could learn how to chant and say divination

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_00]: prayers to a physical idol.

[00:04:32] [SPEAKER_00]: And this is what's celebrated in our area where you have the majority of the tech

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_00]: industry infiltrating the culture and you have very few gospel preaching,

[00:04:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Bible believing, discipleship making churches shining the light and holding

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_00]: the ground, let alone taking ground.

[00:04:56] [SPEAKER_00]: So long answer for a short question.

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Well, good answer because even though those are the things that are true in North Bend,

[00:05:05] [SPEAKER_02]: your church, the church that the Lord has allowed you to pastor and the work of

[00:05:09] [SPEAKER_02]: the Holy Spirit has been strong in your area, which is part of that hugely

[00:05:14] [SPEAKER_02]: unchurched part of that greater region.

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_02]: And it just proves that it can be done.

[00:05:22] [SPEAKER_02]: It can be done.

[00:05:23] [SPEAKER_02]: And that's why, as you know, I wanted to speak with you today and have you share

[00:05:28] [SPEAKER_02]: some of your thoughts with us because there are pastors that are discouraged.

[00:05:33] [SPEAKER_02]: They're ministering and living in areas like yours, maybe not quite as extreme,

[00:05:37] [SPEAKER_02]: maybe just as extreme, but they don't know what to do.

[00:05:41] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, the old models of ministry aren't working anymore.

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, the things that you mentioned, making disciples, teaching the word,

[00:05:49] [SPEAKER_02]: focusing on Jesus, that always works.

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_02]: But the way to view outreach versus in reach and the way you structure your

[00:05:57] [SPEAKER_02]: focus in terms of the church, that's changed.

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER_02]: And you guys have made that change and the church is healthy and wonderful.

[00:06:06] [SPEAKER_02]: So when you were called from Morro Bay and Shoreline Calvary Chapel in

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_02]: Morro Bay to North Bend, I remember loving to come to Morro Bay just to

[00:06:16] [SPEAKER_02]: hang out with you and your family in the church and teach every once in a

[00:06:20] [SPEAKER_02]: while, teach in the Bible schools, always so refreshing.

[00:06:24] [SPEAKER_02]: And the church had life.

[00:06:25] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, it was a life-filled loving group of people.

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER_02]: But the church at the time that you assumed the leadership of Calvary

[00:06:34] [SPEAKER_02]: Chapel North Bend, now Calvary Mount Si, had been going through a really

[00:06:38] [SPEAKER_02]: difficult time.

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_02]: But you heard the Lord's voice and you went anyway.

[00:06:43] [SPEAKER_02]: You went from something that was healthy, something that was strong,

[00:06:49] [SPEAKER_02]: that had a great history.

[00:06:51] [SPEAKER_02]: And you went to something that who knew what was going to go on there.

[00:06:55] [SPEAKER_02]: It was just a step of faith.

[00:06:57] [SPEAKER_02]: So tell us that story.

[00:06:58] [SPEAKER_02]: It's a cool story and I don't know, I'd like to hear it again myself.

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, we were super blessed to be able to be involved at Shoreline

[00:07:09] [SPEAKER_00]: Calvary Chapel in Morro Bay.

[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_00]: We attended there in college, went through Calvary Chapel Bible College.

[00:07:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Well, we had an extension campus there.

[00:07:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Came on staff, helped with missions and evangelism, Bible studies,

[00:07:25] [SPEAKER_00]: did a little teaching in the Bible college.

[00:07:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Men's ministry was an assistant pastor there and got to see a huge

[00:07:34] [SPEAKER_00]: amount of college ministry right there out of close to San Luis

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Vismo, Cal Poly and Cuesta.

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_00]: And we were in a lot of ways just in this beautiful paradise and cocoon.

[00:07:50] [SPEAKER_00]: And we were able to walk to the beach most days with our kids and this

[00:07:55] [SPEAKER_00]: beautiful little town, well-established church.

[00:07:58] [SPEAKER_00]: And yet there was always something that we felt was coming next.

[00:08:04] [SPEAKER_00]: And we couldn't even put our finger on it.

[00:08:06] [SPEAKER_00]: And we prayed about going overseas, starting a school,

[00:08:11] [SPEAKER_00]: adopting again just a number of different things when you get that stirring.

[00:08:15] [SPEAKER_00]: And there was also a sense that we also felt like maybe we're not meant to die here.

[00:08:23] [SPEAKER_00]: We're not meant to stay here forever.

[00:08:26] [SPEAKER_00]: And again, it would have been hard to articulate that back in the day.

[00:08:31] [SPEAKER_00]: But I just remember praying through that and

[00:08:34] [SPEAKER_00]: we had a couple that lived down the street from us.

[00:08:37] [SPEAKER_00]: A young couple got married around the same time of us in 2004.

[00:08:42] [SPEAKER_00]: And he was from this area up in the Pacific Northwest and ended up

[00:08:46] [SPEAKER_00]: giving his life to the Lord at our church down in Morro Bay, met his wife.

[00:08:50] [SPEAKER_00]: They got married.

[00:08:50] [SPEAKER_00]: We were friends down the street.

[00:08:53] [SPEAKER_00]: A few years later, they moved back up here.

[00:08:56] [SPEAKER_00]: And then after they moved, I had contacted them and made sure

[00:09:00] [SPEAKER_00]: that they had found a good church and they had mentioned that they are

[00:09:03] [SPEAKER_00]: found are going to this church in Calvary Chapel North Bend.

[00:09:07] [SPEAKER_00]: And then that was kind of the end of it as things go,

[00:09:10] [SPEAKER_00]: you just drift apart and we don't stay in contact.

[00:09:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe it was, I mean, eight, eight, ten years later

[00:09:18] [SPEAKER_00]: among the Calvary Chapel List Server that I'm not very good at checking,

[00:09:22] [SPEAKER_00]: maybe once a month the best.

[00:09:23] [SPEAKER_00]: And I see a prayer request come through for the church

[00:09:26] [SPEAKER_00]: and it detailed out just the hardships that were happening at the church,

[00:09:32] [SPEAKER_00]: the fact that the pastor had had left and actually been arrested

[00:09:37] [SPEAKER_00]: and the church's name was in the paper and it just been gone through the mud.

[00:09:42] [SPEAKER_00]: And this was the second pastor that had left under bad or immoral circumstances,

[00:09:49] [SPEAKER_00]: at least the accusation of it.

[00:09:51] [SPEAKER_00]: And I saw that and I said, oh, I think that's the church

[00:09:55] [SPEAKER_00]: that this couple goes to.

[00:09:57] [SPEAKER_00]: And I had no idea where North Bend was and had spent no time in Washington

[00:10:01] [SPEAKER_00]: or understood the culture up here.

[00:10:04] [SPEAKER_00]: And this set a short prayer and thought about hitting the waves that afternoon.

[00:10:10] [SPEAKER_00]: It wasn't much to it.

[00:10:12] [SPEAKER_00]: And then several months go by, maybe six or more,

[00:10:17] [SPEAKER_00]: and sitting in my office and just the Lord puts on my heart,

[00:10:22] [SPEAKER_00]: hey, pick up the phone and call that church and pray for them.

[00:10:25] [SPEAKER_00]: And that doesn't happen to me a lot.

[00:10:27] [SPEAKER_00]: It sounds very spiritual, but that's a very unique experience for me.

[00:10:30] [SPEAKER_00]: I've never had such a strong sense like that.

[00:10:34] [SPEAKER_00]: And so I Googled the church and ended up picking up the phone

[00:10:39] [SPEAKER_00]: and calling them and talk to the then associate pastor

[00:10:43] [SPEAKER_00]: that was the interim pastor.

[00:10:45] [SPEAKER_00]: He was the youth pastor at the time.

[00:10:48] [SPEAKER_00]: And the Lord was just putting on my heart some very specific things to pray for,

[00:10:55] [SPEAKER_00]: having gone through a transition of our own, which was a healthy transition.

[00:11:00] [SPEAKER_00]: But still there's difficulties just in any handoff.

[00:11:04] [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I knew that there were things that I could pray for them and encourage them in.

[00:11:09] [SPEAKER_00]: And but the Lord was working something in our hearts.

[00:11:12] [SPEAKER_00]: And he said, hey, are you calling to apply

[00:11:15] [SPEAKER_00]: because we've had a hundred candidates and we've narrowed it down to three candidates?

[00:11:19] [SPEAKER_00]: And I said, no, I'm not calling to apply.

[00:11:21] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm just calling to pray for you guys.

[00:11:24] [SPEAKER_00]: And through our prayer and our conversation,

[00:11:26] [SPEAKER_00]: the Lord began to stir some things and again, put some things on my heart

[00:11:30] [SPEAKER_00]: that were very specific things to pray for.

[00:11:34] [SPEAKER_00]: And then at the end of our conversation, he says, you know,

[00:11:37] [SPEAKER_00]: I think the Lord's doing something here.

[00:11:38] [SPEAKER_00]: And I said, yeah, but I don't know what it is.

[00:11:40] [SPEAKER_00]: And I thought maybe I could be with my limited understanding, limited experience,

[00:11:45] [SPEAKER_00]: help them in some way, at least avoid the mistakes that I had made.

[00:11:49] [SPEAKER_00]: And I said, let's let's stay in touch.

[00:11:51] [SPEAKER_00]: And he's like, I'm going to tell the elders you called.

[00:11:53] [SPEAKER_00]: And I said, that's fine.

[00:11:55] [SPEAKER_00]: And he ends up calling back in a couple of days later and said, hey,

[00:11:59] [SPEAKER_00]: I think talk to the elders.

[00:12:01] [SPEAKER_00]: We think we want you to apply.

[00:12:03] [SPEAKER_00]: And I said, oh, I better talk to my wife about this.

[00:12:07] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.

[00:12:09] [SPEAKER_00]: So I had told Janelle about the first conversation, of course,

[00:12:14] [SPEAKER_00]: because of the association with the church and our friends.

[00:12:17] [SPEAKER_00]: And I said, the Lord's really stirring something.

[00:12:20] [SPEAKER_00]: And so we prayed about it and just felt like the Lord said,

[00:12:23] [SPEAKER_00]: take the next step and talk to them and Skype with them and meet them.

[00:12:28] [SPEAKER_00]: And so little by little, they said, hey, we want you to fill out this application.

[00:12:33] [SPEAKER_00]: It was a lengthy application that they had come up with.

[00:12:36] [SPEAKER_00]: And I said, okay, but I'm still, I'll do this,

[00:12:39] [SPEAKER_00]: but I'm going to give you feedback from kind of a standpoint

[00:12:42] [SPEAKER_00]: that I'm not in this, like I don't have a dog in the fight here.

[00:12:46] [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm going to, you know, call it like I see it.

[00:12:50] [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm not necessarily saying that I'm, you know, coming up there to apply for the position

[00:12:55] [SPEAKER_00]: in a clear calling kind of a way.

[00:12:58] [SPEAKER_00]: So I went through these motions and filled out the,

[00:13:02] [SPEAKER_00]: this, I think it was like 26 pages or something.

[00:13:05] [SPEAKER_00]: And some of them were one word answers and ended up Skyping with them.

[00:13:10] [SPEAKER_00]: And right away, the Lord was putting on my heart

[00:13:14] [SPEAKER_00]: some unhealthy issues, even with the questions that they were asking

[00:13:17] [SPEAKER_00]: and the dynamic of the leadership within the elder team.

[00:13:23] [SPEAKER_00]: And kicked off a series of Skype meetings and conversations.

[00:13:28] [SPEAKER_00]: And most of the time, Janelle was involved with them.

[00:13:31] [SPEAKER_00]: And I think every single time I ended the conversation I said to her,

[00:13:35] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think they're ever going to want to talk to me again.

[00:13:39] [SPEAKER_00]: And I would just, you know, speak plainly but in love,

[00:13:42] [SPEAKER_00]: but just speak to the issues going on in the church

[00:13:44] [SPEAKER_00]: and some of the unhealthy things that I was kind of getting wind of

[00:13:50] [SPEAKER_00]: by either the conversation or the Lord's direction.

[00:13:53] [SPEAKER_00]: Things kept progressing and every time we'd pray about it

[00:13:55] [SPEAKER_00]: and it was take the next step.

[00:13:57] [SPEAKER_00]: And we still didn't feel called away from shoreline.

[00:14:00] [SPEAKER_00]: We loved it there.

[00:14:01] [SPEAKER_00]: A lot of our friends and family of, you know, 14, 15 years were there.

[00:14:07] [SPEAKER_00]: And when we they finally got to the point and said, hey, we,

[00:14:13] [SPEAKER_00]: you know, we want you to be a serious candidate.

[00:14:17] [SPEAKER_00]: I had found out through the grapevine that one of their other

[00:14:20] [SPEAKER_00]: serious candidates was a missionary that we had got to know

[00:14:24] [SPEAKER_00]: just from being in Calvary missionary circles

[00:14:27] [SPEAKER_00]: that was serving overseas and that was hoping to come back

[00:14:30] [SPEAKER_00]: to this area to take on being the pastor.

[00:14:33] [SPEAKER_00]: And I kind of told them, hey,

[00:14:35] [SPEAKER_00]: I know one of your other candidates, he's a great guy.

[00:14:39] [SPEAKER_00]: Let me help you bring him in to be the pastor.

[00:14:42] [SPEAKER_00]: I think it would be a good fit.

[00:14:44] [SPEAKER_00]: And I said, I can, you know, just help facilitate.

[00:14:46] [SPEAKER_00]: I've done some missionary work.

[00:14:48] [SPEAKER_00]: I understand kind of the needs that he would have.

[00:14:50] [SPEAKER_00]: I've been a transitioning senior pastor.

[00:14:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Let me be a help in this.

[00:14:54] [SPEAKER_00]: And if he's the guy, let me, you know,

[00:14:58] [SPEAKER_00]: just be a resource for you.

[00:15:00] [SPEAKER_00]: Anyway, they invited us up and we had gotten free plane tickets

[00:15:05] [SPEAKER_00]: and a free place to stay and all these things

[00:15:07] [SPEAKER_00]: and the Lord just did his thing

[00:15:09] [SPEAKER_00]: and it all worked out to come up here

[00:15:14] [SPEAKER_00]: and sit and meet everyone.

[00:15:17] [SPEAKER_00]: And we actually attended the church

[00:15:19] [SPEAKER_00]: didn't come up to speak.

[00:15:20] [SPEAKER_00]: And it was one of the most awkward

[00:15:24] [SPEAKER_00]: church services I've ever been to.

[00:15:26] [SPEAKER_00]: They began the Sunday morning service

[00:15:28] [SPEAKER_00]: by giving a legal update of the former arrested pastor

[00:15:33] [SPEAKER_00]: as one of the announcements.

[00:15:35] [SPEAKER_00]: And I just remember sitting in my seat

[00:15:38] [SPEAKER_00]: and holding my breath and hoping

[00:15:41] [SPEAKER_00]: that the Lord would not drive any new people away.

[00:15:46] [SPEAKER_00]: It would shrunk down the church to maybe 40 people.

[00:15:49] [SPEAKER_00]: And so this, we knew we were stepping into a lot of hurt,

[00:15:56] [SPEAKER_00]: a lot of confusion, a lot of dysfunction.

[00:16:00] [SPEAKER_00]: The church couldn't find their, the bylaws.

[00:16:03] [SPEAKER_00]: There was nothing governing them.

[00:16:06] [SPEAKER_00]: The church had a lot of dysfunction in elders

[00:16:09] [SPEAKER_00]: that weren't in agreement with one another

[00:16:12] [SPEAKER_00]: let alone the Calvary Chapel theology.

[00:16:16] [SPEAKER_00]: And all of that to say they were in massive debt,

[00:16:20] [SPEAKER_00]: credit card debt and couldn't pay any pastor

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_00]: that would come up.

[00:16:25] [SPEAKER_00]: And so this whole thing just was a bad idea

[00:16:28] [SPEAKER_00]: from every front and it was just,

[00:16:31] [SPEAKER_00]: you know, when it's like that

[00:16:32] [SPEAKER_00]: and the Lord keeps saying take the next step

[00:16:35] [SPEAKER_00]: that he's just in it moving and we had peace about it.

[00:16:38] [SPEAKER_00]: And so we after coming home,

[00:16:42] [SPEAKER_00]: the Lord had put a verse on my heart

[00:16:44] [SPEAKER_00]: that we were just praying asking the Lord

[00:16:47] [SPEAKER_00]: if this is you please confirm it

[00:16:49] [SPEAKER_00]: and call it clearly to this.

[00:16:51] [SPEAKER_00]: And this was a beautiful blessing.

[00:16:53] [SPEAKER_00]: And I asked something of the Lord

[00:16:55] [SPEAKER_00]: that maybe was a lack of faith

[00:16:57] [SPEAKER_00]: or a little giddy-ness that I said,

[00:17:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Lord would you call me away from Morro Bay shoreline

[00:17:08] [SPEAKER_00]: and call me here?

[00:17:10] [SPEAKER_00]: And would you make that two part clear?

[00:17:14] [SPEAKER_00]: And he, when I was praying that

[00:17:15] [SPEAKER_00]: even on the plane flying back to California,

[00:17:18] [SPEAKER_00]: Lord gave me that verse that when Jesus says about Galilee

[00:17:23] [SPEAKER_00]: the prophet isn't accepted even in his own hometown.

[00:17:26] [SPEAKER_00]: And I thought that was an odd verse

[00:17:28] [SPEAKER_00]: to didn't understand exactly what that meant.

[00:17:30] [SPEAKER_00]: But the next day when we were having a staff meeting

[00:17:33] [SPEAKER_00]: back in California is one of the first things

[00:17:36] [SPEAKER_00]: out of the mouth of my associate pastor

[00:17:39] [SPEAKER_00]: when I was asking him how things were going,

[00:17:41] [SPEAKER_00]: he says, man it actually went smoother

[00:17:43] [SPEAKER_00]: than when you were here.

[00:17:44] [SPEAKER_00]: And you know, having you gone

[00:17:47] [SPEAKER_00]: I think was a good thing for that little bit of time.

[00:17:49] [SPEAKER_00]: And he quoted that verse

[00:17:50] [SPEAKER_00]: and at that moment I just knew

[00:17:53] [SPEAKER_00]: that the Lord was calling us out as shoreline.

[00:17:56] [SPEAKER_00]: And then I prayed after that,

[00:17:59] [SPEAKER_00]: I knew at that point we were supposed to leave shoreline

[00:18:01] [SPEAKER_00]: and I knew that that was true

[00:18:03] [SPEAKER_00]: even if we didn't come up here to North Bend.

[00:18:06] [SPEAKER_00]: And I just really love that

[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_00]: and I knew that the Lord was gonna have something next

[00:18:12] [SPEAKER_00]: and something better for that church

[00:18:15] [SPEAKER_00]: which excited me for the church

[00:18:18] [SPEAKER_00]: that he was gonna bring in,

[00:18:20] [SPEAKER_00]: the Lord was gonna bring in who that church needed

[00:18:25] [SPEAKER_00]: to move to the next stage of growth.

[00:18:30] [SPEAKER_00]: And then I prayed to the Lord,

[00:18:31] [SPEAKER_00]: I said, Lord if this is true

[00:18:33] [SPEAKER_00]: and you are calling us to Washington,

[00:18:37] [SPEAKER_00]: seeing that the elders are not in agreement

[00:18:40] [SPEAKER_00]: and unity about anything,

[00:18:42] [SPEAKER_00]: I pray that if we're supposed to go up there

[00:18:45] [SPEAKER_00]: that they would call this weekend,

[00:18:47] [SPEAKER_00]: it would be unanimous

[00:18:49] [SPEAKER_00]: and it would be kind of first thing in the morning

[00:18:51] [SPEAKER_00]: which I thought would be quite odd

[00:18:54] [SPEAKER_00]: given the arguments and discussion

[00:18:56] [SPEAKER_00]: that had come up between the elders

[00:18:57] [SPEAKER_00]: on candidates and doctrine and all that.

[00:19:01] [SPEAKER_00]: And I had actually told when we were up here

[00:19:04] [SPEAKER_00]: I'd asked one of the current elders

[00:19:05] [SPEAKER_00]: to step down and leave the church

[00:19:07] [SPEAKER_00]: even if we don't come up,

[00:19:09] [SPEAKER_00]: I just said you're not being helpful,

[00:19:12] [SPEAKER_00]: you're being divisive

[00:19:13] [SPEAKER_00]: and you probably need to leave the church.

[00:19:16] [SPEAKER_00]: And so lo and behold as God works,

[00:19:19] [SPEAKER_00]: we got a phone call that Saturday morning

[00:19:21] [SPEAKER_00]: and the first words were,

[00:19:23] [SPEAKER_00]: hey we just made a unanimous decision

[00:19:25] [SPEAKER_00]: and it was a quick decision

[00:19:27] [SPEAKER_00]: and we think the Lord's calling you up here.

[00:19:30] [SPEAKER_00]: And we knew at that point that that was the Lord

[00:19:32] [SPEAKER_00]: and I asked well what about this person

[00:19:35] [SPEAKER_00]: that was in full disagreement?

[00:19:37] [SPEAKER_00]: He said he stepped down and left the church

[00:19:39] [SPEAKER_00]: and I said okay praise the Lord.

[00:19:42] [SPEAKER_00]: And through your advice Bill and Poiman,

[00:19:47] [SPEAKER_00]: we wanted you guys to be involved

[00:19:49] [SPEAKER_00]: and asked them to accept these new bylaws

[00:19:53] [SPEAKER_00]: and have Poiman involved come up do an assessment,

[00:19:56] [SPEAKER_00]: have Poiman involved down there in Morro Bay

[00:19:59] [SPEAKER_00]: and that was one of the best decisions

[00:20:00] [SPEAKER_00]: we ever made for the transition.

[00:20:03] [SPEAKER_00]: Having an outside third party

[00:20:06] [SPEAKER_00]: kind of take inventory of what's there

[00:20:08] [SPEAKER_00]: even before I got there

[00:20:09] [SPEAKER_00]: was just made all of the whole relaunch

[00:20:13] [SPEAKER_00]: that we did within six months

[00:20:15] [SPEAKER_00]: not only was possible

[00:20:16] [SPEAKER_00]: but it was asked for and encouraged

[00:20:20] [SPEAKER_00]: and it was a joyful relaunch.

[00:20:24] [SPEAKER_00]: So that was a huge blessing

[00:20:26] [SPEAKER_00]: and the Lord just made everything work.

[00:20:30] [SPEAKER_00]: You know we didn't have a paycheck here

[00:20:31] [SPEAKER_00]: for close to six months

[00:20:34] [SPEAKER_00]: and every month people would

[00:20:37] [SPEAKER_00]: without us trying to raise support

[00:20:39] [SPEAKER_00]: they'd send us money and the church back home

[00:20:42] [SPEAKER_00]: stepped in and helped shoreline did

[00:20:45] [SPEAKER_00]: and we were never lacking anything

[00:20:48] [SPEAKER_00]: and the Lord just made it possible.

[00:20:52] [SPEAKER_00]: We bought our house sight unseen

[00:20:53] [SPEAKER_00]: and it was the only vacant home

[00:20:55] [SPEAKER_00]: on the market at that time

[00:20:56] [SPEAKER_00]: and it was just every step was a step of faith,

[00:21:01] [SPEAKER_00]: every step was a step of peace

[00:21:03] [SPEAKER_00]: and it was just the Lord getting the glory

[00:21:08] [SPEAKER_00]: in our ignorance and weakness.

[00:21:10] [SPEAKER_02]: Great story, yeah.

[00:21:12] [SPEAKER_02]: It's like a tutorial almost

[00:21:14] [SPEAKER_02]: or at least a great example of

[00:21:17] [SPEAKER_02]: a lot of the processes that go into

[00:21:22] [SPEAKER_02]: in a church sense leaving and cleaving.

[00:21:25] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean it's really

[00:21:27] [SPEAKER_02]: there's a lot to it

[00:21:28] [SPEAKER_02]: and chief among all of the factors

[00:21:33] [SPEAKER_02]: that are highlighted in my mind

[00:21:36] [SPEAKER_02]: from what you just said,

[00:21:38] [SPEAKER_02]: Jack is that we have to hear the voice of the Lord.

[00:21:42] [SPEAKER_02]: We have to hear Him speak.

[00:21:44] [SPEAKER_02]: You know?

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER_00]: That's right.

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, because if we're just leaving something,

[00:21:49] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean that's fine

[00:21:51] [SPEAKER_02]: if the Lord's directing that

[00:21:52] [SPEAKER_02]: but it's so helpful

[00:21:54] [SPEAKER_02]: if there's something we're going to

[00:21:56] [SPEAKER_02]: at the same time

[00:21:57] [SPEAKER_02]: and that's what got this whole

[00:21:59] [SPEAKER_02]: whole train moving down the track

[00:22:02] [SPEAKER_02]: for you and your family.

[00:22:04] [SPEAKER_02]: Well you mentioned earlier

[00:22:05] [SPEAKER_02]: you talked about the transition.

[00:22:08] [SPEAKER_02]: It had its challenges

[00:22:09] [SPEAKER_02]: because all transitions do have challenges

[00:22:12] [SPEAKER_02]: not talking about the one to North Bend

[00:22:15] [SPEAKER_02]: but the one into Shiverline Calvary Chapel

[00:22:19] [SPEAKER_02]: when you took the reins from Pastor Tony.

[00:22:23] [SPEAKER_02]: It was sudden, I remember that.

[00:22:25] [SPEAKER_02]: It was very sudden

[00:22:26] [SPEAKER_02]: and you had to absorb an awful lot

[00:22:29] [SPEAKER_02]: and learn a lot in a short time

[00:22:32] [SPEAKER_02]: and you know,

[00:22:35] [SPEAKER_02]: you're a student, you're observant

[00:22:36] [SPEAKER_02]: so the Lord taught you

[00:22:37] [SPEAKER_02]: and you were willing to learn.

[00:22:40] [SPEAKER_02]: Tell us about that

[00:22:41] [SPEAKER_02]: but specifically I want you to

[00:22:43] [SPEAKER_02]: help us understand how did that prepare you

[00:22:47] [SPEAKER_02]: for what you'd encounter in North Bend?

[00:22:49] [SPEAKER_02]: You already mentioned helping the board

[00:22:52] [SPEAKER_02]: of the leaders in North Bend

[00:22:54] [SPEAKER_02]: with some of the things they were going through

[00:22:56] [SPEAKER_02]: before you were even asked to be a candidate.

[00:22:59] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, let's go through that.

[00:23:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so when I was the assistant pastor

[00:23:05] [SPEAKER_00]: down in Morro Bay

[00:23:07] [SPEAKER_00]: we were a very missions minded church

[00:23:13] [SPEAKER_00]: because of Pastor Tony, Tony Holiday

[00:23:16] [SPEAKER_00]: and he just cultivated a great

[00:23:20] [SPEAKER_00]: evangelistic and missional mindset.

[00:23:24] [SPEAKER_00]: We were doing sometimes three different missions trips a year

[00:23:28] [SPEAKER_00]: to different countries, we were doing outreaches

[00:23:31] [SPEAKER_00]: and my wife and I felt like we were here in the States

[00:23:37] [SPEAKER_00]: only to be sent out

[00:23:38] [SPEAKER_00]: and I remember our calling to ministry.

[00:23:41] [SPEAKER_00]: We both prayed, Lord will serve you any place but America

[00:23:46] [SPEAKER_00]: and we felt that calling to ministry

[00:23:49] [SPEAKER_00]: off of when the prisoners of hope,

[00:23:52] [SPEAKER_00]: I think it was back in 2002, were touring

[00:23:56] [SPEAKER_00]: and they came to speak at the campus crusade there at Kalpali

[00:24:02] [SPEAKER_00]: and they were prisoners by the Taliban, Afghanistan

[00:24:05] [SPEAKER_00]: and I remember okay Lord, I'll go to Afghanistan

[00:24:08] [SPEAKER_00]: and then read in voice of the martyrs

[00:24:10] [SPEAKER_00]: and different things like that.

[00:24:11] [SPEAKER_00]: We just had this burden to go overseas

[00:24:13] [SPEAKER_00]: and we were discouraged by what we were seeing

[00:24:18] [SPEAKER_00]: within the modern American church

[00:24:21] [SPEAKER_00]: and we didn't want the worldliness

[00:24:25] [SPEAKER_00]: and the comfortability to affect us

[00:24:32] [SPEAKER_00]: in a way that kept our eyes off the prize.

[00:24:34] [SPEAKER_00]: Now again, this is a young early 20 year old

[00:24:38] [SPEAKER_00]: immature view on life

[00:24:40] [SPEAKER_00]: but we had this passion to go overseas

[00:24:43] [SPEAKER_00]: and so we tried to help build the missions program.

[00:24:48] [SPEAKER_00]: I was the missions pastor, I was involved

[00:24:50] [SPEAKER_00]: with a lot of trips all over the world

[00:24:53] [SPEAKER_00]: and every place we went we fell in love with Kenya

[00:24:57] [SPEAKER_00]: several times beginning in 2004, we got there

[00:25:00] [SPEAKER_00]: and said yep, we'll stay here Lord just confirm it.

[00:25:02] [SPEAKER_00]: We just need that calling

[00:25:03] [SPEAKER_00]: and we always had that sense

[00:25:04] [SPEAKER_00]: that we really needed the calling

[00:25:07] [SPEAKER_00]: because we knew life and ministry would be tough

[00:25:09] [SPEAKER_00]: and so wherever we were supposed to be

[00:25:11] [SPEAKER_00]: we knew that the Lord would have to call

[00:25:14] [SPEAKER_00]: in a very clear way

[00:25:15] [SPEAKER_00]: and so he kept essentially saying no

[00:25:19] [SPEAKER_00]: at least not giving us peace

[00:25:20] [SPEAKER_00]: or not giving us an open door

[00:25:21] [SPEAKER_00]: and we did that in Kenya, we did that in Thailand

[00:25:23] [SPEAKER_00]: we did that in Russia, we did that in Mexico

[00:25:25] [SPEAKER_00]: and all these different places

[00:25:28] [SPEAKER_00]: it was just either a closed door

[00:25:29] [SPEAKER_00]: or a no in lack of peace and lack of confirmation.

[00:25:35] [SPEAKER_00]: So when Pastor Tony asked us to pray

[00:25:39] [SPEAKER_00]: about taking over the church as the senior pastor

[00:25:44] [SPEAKER_00]: my immediate answer was no

[00:25:46] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't wanna do that we're supposed to go overseas

[00:25:49] [SPEAKER_00]: and I didn't yet have the heart to pastor in America

[00:25:56] [SPEAKER_00]: that the Lord needed me to have

[00:25:58] [SPEAKER_00]: and I remember no one knew about that ask

[00:26:02] [SPEAKER_00]: and that prayer it was just him and his wife and mine

[00:26:07] [SPEAKER_00]: and we had a missions night shortly thereafter

[00:26:10] [SPEAKER_00]: where I think three different trips came together

[00:26:13] [SPEAKER_00]: for sharing and prayer and food

[00:26:14] [SPEAKER_00]: and talking about the trips

[00:26:16] [SPEAKER_00]: and I think it was Kenya, China and Russia

[00:26:20] [SPEAKER_00]: different teams and we broke up into groups to pray

[00:26:23] [SPEAKER_00]: and there were people there that supported

[00:26:25] [SPEAKER_00]: the different people that went on the trip

[00:26:27] [SPEAKER_00]: and I'm leading the night and breaking it up into prayer

[00:26:30] [SPEAKER_00]: and I just remember praying in my own heart

[00:26:33] [SPEAKER_00]: I probably should have been praying

[00:26:34] [SPEAKER_00]: for one of the countries

[00:26:35] [SPEAKER_00]: but I just remember praying

[00:26:36] [SPEAKER_00]: and being so having Pastor Tony's request

[00:26:39] [SPEAKER_00]: on my heart so much that I said

[00:26:41] [SPEAKER_00]: Lord you've given us a heart for these different countries

[00:26:45] [SPEAKER_00]: if you want us to stay here

[00:26:47] [SPEAKER_00]: would you please call us in a new way to serve this area?

[00:26:53] [SPEAKER_00]: And then I said amen we ended the night

[00:26:57] [SPEAKER_00]: and some guy came up to me that didn't go to our church

[00:27:00] [SPEAKER_00]: and he said hey you don't know me

[00:27:03] [SPEAKER_00]: and I know this is weird because you're a pastor here

[00:27:05] [SPEAKER_00]: but the Lord give me kind of a word of knowledge

[00:27:08] [SPEAKER_00]: for you while we were praying

[00:27:10] [SPEAKER_00]: and he said that he is gonna use you here

[00:27:13] [SPEAKER_00]: in a new way and he wants you to know that

[00:27:15] [SPEAKER_00]: he is calling you to here

[00:27:19] [SPEAKER_00]: and I just remember the blood just draining from me

[00:27:24] [SPEAKER_00]: and just going man you just read my mail

[00:27:28] [SPEAKER_00]: and all of this was still a secret

[00:27:30] [SPEAKER_00]: so I couldn't even tell him the fullness of what it meant

[00:27:33] [SPEAKER_00]: but I just said you have no idea what that means to me

[00:27:35] [SPEAKER_00]: and I just really appreciate you being obedient to the Lord

[00:27:38] [SPEAKER_00]: and at that moment the Lord changed my heart

[00:27:41] [SPEAKER_00]: and gave me a heart for the church I was already pastoring at

[00:27:45] [SPEAKER_00]: and a heart for our area

[00:27:47] [SPEAKER_00]: and a heart for the American church

[00:27:48] [SPEAKER_00]: and I think I was maybe it was just an immature lack of faith

[00:27:54] [SPEAKER_00]: and lack of hearing the Lord that he needed kind of

[00:27:56] [SPEAKER_00]: that spiritual two by four to knock me upside the head

[00:27:59] [SPEAKER_00]: to really realize to be obedient to the calling

[00:28:03] [SPEAKER_00]: and then I knew anything else would be disobedience

[00:28:06] [SPEAKER_00]: and that clarity man I needed it

[00:28:08] [SPEAKER_00]: for the tough years to come when I questioned

[00:28:11] [SPEAKER_00]: am I really supposed to do this

[00:28:13] [SPEAKER_00]: and am I really equipped to do this

[00:28:15] [SPEAKER_00]: and then it made me confident and apologetic to the church

[00:28:19] [SPEAKER_00]: as they hung in there while I figured out life and ministry

[00:28:23] [SPEAKER_00]: and almost saying like hey sorry

[00:28:26] [SPEAKER_00]: the Lord told me to do this you're stuck with me

[00:28:29] [SPEAKER_00]: but I knew I was supposed to do it

[00:28:31] [SPEAKER_00]: and it kept me from quitting

[00:28:32] [SPEAKER_00]: it kept me from being overly discouraged

[00:28:35] [SPEAKER_00]: and it was I felt a lot like Paul in 2nd Corinthians

[00:28:38] [SPEAKER_00]: when he said hey I'm gonna boast in my weakness

[00:28:42] [SPEAKER_00]: and he is open and honest about the discouragement

[00:28:45] [SPEAKER_00]: that is the despair, the persecution, the abandonment

[00:28:48] [SPEAKER_00]: but he said this is the calling that we have

[00:28:52] [SPEAKER_00]: in these earthen vessels that we have the ministry

[00:28:56] [SPEAKER_00]: of the new covenant and the glory of the message

[00:29:00] [SPEAKER_00]: far surpasses the brokenness and the crackpotness

[00:29:05] [SPEAKER_00]: of our own humanity and this is where ambassadors

[00:29:09] [SPEAKER_00]: of the message and the word of reconciliation

[00:29:11] [SPEAKER_00]: and so this is the God of comfort that even from chapter

[00:29:15] [SPEAKER_00]: one of 2nd Corinthians to chapter four and five

[00:29:18] [SPEAKER_00]: he says yeah no it's been horrible

[00:29:20] [SPEAKER_00]: it's been discouraging it's been all these things

[00:29:23] [SPEAKER_00]: but the weightiness of God's glory

[00:29:25] [SPEAKER_00]: and the beauty of the message of the gospel

[00:29:28] [SPEAKER_00]: that we have is lights in these earthen vessels

[00:29:31] [SPEAKER_00]: far surpasses any difficulties, any shortcomings

[00:29:34] [SPEAKER_00]: and then the weaknesses that we actually are

[00:29:38] [SPEAKER_00]: actually gives more glory to God

[00:29:40] [SPEAKER_00]: and so that just really helped me reframe my ministry

[00:29:43] [SPEAKER_00]: when attacks came or people would say

[00:29:45] [SPEAKER_00]: hey you're not equipped for that

[00:29:47] [SPEAKER_00]: and you're not very good at this

[00:29:48] [SPEAKER_00]: I would say yeah isn't God's grace amazing

[00:29:52] [SPEAKER_00]: that he would even use me

[00:29:54] [SPEAKER_00]: and you know I made tons of mistakes

[00:29:56] [SPEAKER_00]: and I offended tons of people

[00:29:57] [SPEAKER_00]: and I'm sorry if you're listening

[00:29:59] [SPEAKER_00]: and you're one of those

[00:29:59] [SPEAKER_00]: you know and I just tried to hang on

[00:30:02] [SPEAKER_00]: and allow the Lord to equip and to encourage

[00:30:06] [SPEAKER_00]: and to direct as I'm holding on for the ride

[00:30:09] [SPEAKER_00]: so that was kind of that

[00:30:11] [SPEAKER_00]: and it really prepared us for this

[00:30:13] [SPEAKER_00]: and I knew that if the Lord was calling

[00:30:15] [SPEAKER_00]: he would make it happen

[00:30:17] [SPEAKER_00]: and if he's calling then it didn't matter

[00:30:19] [SPEAKER_00]: if we didn't know the area

[00:30:21] [SPEAKER_00]: it didn't matter if we didn't have the money

[00:30:23] [SPEAKER_00]: it didn't matter that we couldn't figure out the logistics

[00:30:26] [SPEAKER_00]: but if he is calling and it's a clear calling

[00:30:29] [SPEAKER_00]: and he's giving you peace and faith to step out

[00:30:33] [SPEAKER_00]: then it's all about him

[00:30:34] [SPEAKER_00]: and it's gonna be a story of God's power

[00:30:38] [SPEAKER_00]: of God's faithfulness

[00:30:40] [SPEAKER_00]: not a story of how good of a program you are

[00:30:43] [SPEAKER_00]: or how good of an administrator you are

[00:30:45] [SPEAKER_00]: or how gifted of a person you are

[00:30:47] [SPEAKER_00]: we do not preach ourselves

[00:30:49] [SPEAKER_00]: but we preach the risen Jesus

[00:30:54] [SPEAKER_00]: and that's it he just uses our broken vessels

[00:30:58] [SPEAKER_00]: and our step out in faith

[00:31:00] [SPEAKER_00]: and I just knew that going into this area

[00:31:04] [SPEAKER_00]: that no matter how bad it was

[00:31:06] [SPEAKER_00]: I wasn't defining success as relaunching the church

[00:31:10] [SPEAKER_00]: I wasn't even defining success

[00:31:14] [SPEAKER_00]: as keeping the church alive

[00:31:16] [SPEAKER_00]: I was defining success as being obedient to come up here

[00:31:21] [SPEAKER_00]: and I was ready to make phone calls

[00:31:24] [SPEAKER_00]: just to get a normal construction job or whatever

[00:31:28] [SPEAKER_00]: and there was, I did not have a definition of obedience

[00:31:32] [SPEAKER_00]: meaning that there were gonna be a number of results

[00:31:36] [SPEAKER_00]: or the church was gonna thrive or it would heal

[00:31:38] [SPEAKER_00]: I just said we are doing what the Lord's calling us to

[00:31:41] [SPEAKER_00]: and no matter what happens from here

[00:31:45] [SPEAKER_00]: this is success

[00:31:46] [SPEAKER_00]: and I think that the first transition

[00:31:48] [SPEAKER_00]: radically impacted my outlook on the second

[00:31:53] [SPEAKER_00]: because when I took over from Tony

[00:31:55] [SPEAKER_00]: I could write a book on how to take a church of 600

[00:31:59] [SPEAKER_00]: and preach it down to 100 people

[00:32:01] [SPEAKER_00]: I just had no idea what I was doing

[00:32:04] [SPEAKER_00]: my sermons were jam-packed full Bible college classes

[00:32:08] [SPEAKER_00]: I tried to give in 45 minutes

[00:32:10] [SPEAKER_00]: so the growing, the humility

[00:32:14] [SPEAKER_00]: but the confidence in the calling

[00:32:15] [SPEAKER_00]: and the knowing that success is obedience

[00:32:19] [SPEAKER_00]: not numerical results

[00:32:21] [SPEAKER_00]: and that if he's in it, it's gonna be good

[00:32:23] [SPEAKER_00]: even if it's different than what you think

[00:32:25] [SPEAKER_00]: was life changing for me

[00:32:29] [SPEAKER_02]: transferable concepts right there

[00:32:31] [SPEAKER_02]: I mean that really is the core of all of it, isn't it?

[00:32:35] [SPEAKER_02]: And a lot happened in North Bend

[00:32:38] [SPEAKER_02]: even in the last seven years

[00:32:40] [SPEAKER_02]: and when COVID hit

[00:32:42] [SPEAKER_02]: radical things took place in that community

[00:32:45] [SPEAKER_02]: I know from what you've told me

[00:32:46] [SPEAKER_02]: and a lot of transition, transition in, transition out

[00:32:53] [SPEAKER_02]: That's right

[00:32:54] [SPEAKER_02]: things not so good, things really good

[00:32:58] [SPEAKER_02]: and challenges and victories

[00:33:01] [SPEAKER_02]: and all of those kinds of things

[00:33:03] [SPEAKER_02]: but because you had Christ in you as the hope of glory

[00:33:09] [SPEAKER_02]: that was the whole thing for you

[00:33:11] [SPEAKER_02]: you weren't, you were able to not be as focused

[00:33:15] [SPEAKER_02]: on the results or the externals

[00:33:19] [SPEAKER_02]: as we're tempted to be

[00:33:21] [SPEAKER_02]: all of us as human beings who are pastors

[00:33:25] [SPEAKER_02]: so talk about that season

[00:33:27] [SPEAKER_02]: I know it was a challenging one for you

[00:33:30] [SPEAKER_02]: mentioned the other days we're chatting

[00:33:32] [SPEAKER_02]: that and I don't know the timeframe Jack

[00:33:35] [SPEAKER_02]: but 70 plus families left the area

[00:33:39] [SPEAKER_02]: and thus left the church

[00:33:42] [SPEAKER_02]: but apparently there's a new group

[00:33:45] [SPEAKER_02]: that has come in that has replaced them

[00:33:47] [SPEAKER_02]: and you're baptizing them

[00:33:49] [SPEAKER_02]: and leading them to Christ

[00:33:51] [SPEAKER_02]: and all those kinds of things

[00:33:53] [SPEAKER_02]: so yeah, that's a cool thing

[00:33:55] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah we've seen a big cultural shift up here

[00:33:59] [SPEAKER_00]: in the last seven years just from us coming

[00:34:02] [SPEAKER_00]: where when we came up here

[00:34:04] [SPEAKER_00]: we were used to doing ministry down there on the coast

[00:34:07] [SPEAKER_00]: and if you wanna do evangelism outside

[00:34:09] [SPEAKER_00]: you don't have to check the weather report

[00:34:11] [SPEAKER_00]: or bundle up

[00:34:12] [SPEAKER_00]: cause everybody's outside always

[00:34:14] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, we had almost a weekly outreach

[00:34:18] [SPEAKER_00]: where we just set up a coffee table

[00:34:19] [SPEAKER_00]: out there at Morrill Rock

[00:34:21] [SPEAKER_00]: and just said, hey ask me about Jesus

[00:34:23] [SPEAKER_00]: and you could do that all year round

[00:34:25] [SPEAKER_00]: here they have two months of summer and the rest

[00:34:29] [SPEAKER_00]: there's it's rainy, it's cold

[00:34:31] [SPEAKER_00]: it's not an outdoor community

[00:34:35] [SPEAKER_00]: in the sense that there's not one place

[00:34:37] [SPEAKER_00]: people congregate like surf spots

[00:34:39] [SPEAKER_00]: we don't have them all

[00:34:41] [SPEAKER_00]: and so I would say, hey how do we reach this area

[00:34:43] [SPEAKER_00]: but seven years ago they were still

[00:34:45] [SPEAKER_00]: in the very beginning stages

[00:34:48] [SPEAKER_00]: of being a bedroom community

[00:34:50] [SPEAKER_00]: for Redmond, Bellevue, Seattle

[00:34:54] [SPEAKER_00]: and there was a building moratorium

[00:34:57] [SPEAKER_00]: that kept a large amount of development happening here

[00:35:00] [SPEAKER_00]: and so there was just limited houses

[00:35:03] [SPEAKER_00]: since then the moratorium had been lifted

[00:35:06] [SPEAKER_00]: and we had this huge influx of building

[00:35:10] [SPEAKER_00]: I think one year it expanded

[00:35:14] [SPEAKER_00]: even though the borders of the town are small

[00:35:17] [SPEAKER_00]: we had a 30% housing increase

[00:35:21] [SPEAKER_00]: in new homes being built

[00:35:23] [SPEAKER_00]: and then we became the newest bedroom community

[00:35:28] [SPEAKER_00]: out in the mountains for the tech

[00:35:32] [SPEAKER_00]: you know, Microsoft's 60,000 person campus

[00:35:36] [SPEAKER_00]: or T-Mobile or Amazon

[00:35:38] [SPEAKER_00]: or all the supporting companies

[00:35:41] [SPEAKER_00]: in that whole tech field

[00:35:43] [SPEAKER_00]: and we've seen this massive influx of Seattle

[00:35:48] [SPEAKER_00]: and Bellevue and just the worldliness of that

[00:35:51] [SPEAKER_00]: come into the area

[00:35:52] [SPEAKER_00]: and especially during COVID

[00:35:56] [SPEAKER_00]: where the culture had become increasingly more liberal

[00:36:01] [SPEAKER_00]: where there are so many people

[00:36:03] [SPEAKER_00]: that when we do outreaches or we stop people

[00:36:06] [SPEAKER_00]: they haven't heard the gospel

[00:36:08] [SPEAKER_00]: or they've heard of Jesus

[00:36:09] [SPEAKER_00]: but they haven't heard the real gospel

[00:36:11] [SPEAKER_00]: and it's so unchurched in this area

[00:36:15] [SPEAKER_00]: to find a church that's actually preaching the gospel

[00:36:18] [SPEAKER_00]: or teaching the word

[00:36:19] [SPEAKER_00]: you might be able to find a church that's doing one of those

[00:36:23] [SPEAKER_00]: but not both of those

[00:36:24] [SPEAKER_00]: and then the next question of discipleship comes into play

[00:36:28] [SPEAKER_00]: and as a third component that is often neglected

[00:36:31] [SPEAKER_00]: so the culture is not a Christian culture

[00:36:35] [SPEAKER_00]: and in the midst of COVID

[00:36:38] [SPEAKER_00]: this area up in the mountains

[00:36:40] [SPEAKER_00]: is where Seattle goes to hike on the weekends

[00:36:42] [SPEAKER_00]: and it was a conservative holdout for years

[00:36:45] [SPEAKER_00]: for the King County Seattle area

[00:36:48] [SPEAKER_00]: and then when COVID hit

[00:36:50] [SPEAKER_00]: there were very few churches

[00:36:52] [SPEAKER_00]: after we all kind of realized

[00:36:55] [SPEAKER_00]: the reality of what was going on

[00:36:58] [SPEAKER_00]: versus what we were being told in the mainstream media

[00:37:03] [SPEAKER_00]: we opened up like a lot of churches did

[00:37:06] [SPEAKER_00]: and we were one of the first churches

[00:37:08] [SPEAKER_00]: in all of King County to open up

[00:37:11] [SPEAKER_00]: we had people coming from Seattle

[00:37:12] [SPEAKER_00]: we had people coming from Tacoma

[00:37:14] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, we had people driving an hour away

[00:37:17] [SPEAKER_00]: hour and a half away

[00:37:19] [SPEAKER_00]: because they heard that we were open

[00:37:21] [SPEAKER_00]: and people would walk in

[00:37:22] [SPEAKER_00]: and not because necessarily they had

[00:37:25] [SPEAKER_00]: a Christian background at all

[00:37:27] [SPEAKER_00]: but we had very book of acts type of moments

[00:37:30] [SPEAKER_00]: where people said, hey

[00:37:31] [SPEAKER_00]: there's something spiritual going on here

[00:37:34] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what it is

[00:37:35] [SPEAKER_00]: but I knew I had to get to a church

[00:37:37] [SPEAKER_00]: and you are the only ones open

[00:37:38] [SPEAKER_00]: what must I do to be saved?

[00:37:40] [SPEAKER_00]: I'm like, you know

[00:37:41] [SPEAKER_00]: and in the hallway people saying this

[00:37:43] [SPEAKER_00]: and seeing this spiritually

[00:37:51] [SPEAKER_00]: polarizing culture

[00:37:53] [SPEAKER_00]: where churches will stay closed

[00:37:57] [SPEAKER_00]: and here singing was outlawed

[00:38:01] [SPEAKER_00]: and a number of churches would

[00:38:05] [SPEAKER_00]: not sing or not worship

[00:38:07] [SPEAKER_00]: and not meet for years

[00:38:09] [SPEAKER_00]: they were closed

[00:38:11] [SPEAKER_00]: and we got churches whole worship teams

[00:38:15] [SPEAKER_00]: but we became kind of a launch pad

[00:38:19] [SPEAKER_00]: to for people looking to move out of the area

[00:38:23] [SPEAKER_00]: usually people with kids

[00:38:26] [SPEAKER_00]: because of the whether you know

[00:38:28] [SPEAKER_00]: liberal agenda in the schools

[00:38:30] [SPEAKER_00]: or medical mandates that they were requiring

[00:38:36] [SPEAKER_00]: to put on your kids to play sports

[00:38:39] [SPEAKER_00]: or different things

[00:38:40] [SPEAKER_00]: we became a lily pad, a launch pad

[00:38:43] [SPEAKER_00]: to send people to conservative states

[00:38:45] [SPEAKER_00]: Idaho, you know Arizona, Texas

[00:38:47] [SPEAKER_00]: all those Tennessee

[00:38:49] [SPEAKER_00]: and we had many people coming in

[00:38:53] [SPEAKER_00]: and we had many people going out

[00:38:54] [SPEAKER_00]: and I think we had about 70 families

[00:38:57] [SPEAKER_00]: that went out

[00:38:57] [SPEAKER_00]: and some of those were core families

[00:38:59] [SPEAKER_00]: that were with us

[00:39:00] [SPEAKER_00]: that have been with us for years

[00:39:02] [SPEAKER_00]: and that was difficult

[00:39:04] [SPEAKER_00]: and we were trying to minister

[00:39:05] [SPEAKER_00]: during COVID to people that had just gotten saved

[00:39:10] [SPEAKER_00]: that have never set foot in a church in their life

[00:39:12] [SPEAKER_00]: to somebody that had been going

[00:39:15] [SPEAKER_00]: and raised in a Catholic context

[00:39:17] [SPEAKER_00]: to somebody that had been going

[00:39:18] [SPEAKER_00]: to a hyper charismatic context

[00:39:20] [SPEAKER_00]: and it was this beautiful kind of melting pot

[00:39:23] [SPEAKER_00]: where you'd all align through the teaching of the word

[00:39:27] [SPEAKER_00]: and the preaching of the gospel

[00:39:28] [SPEAKER_00]: and really have some good discussions

[00:39:31] [SPEAKER_00]: and growing pains

[00:39:34] [SPEAKER_00]: figuring out what God was calling us to do

[00:39:37] [SPEAKER_00]: and there was this

[00:39:39] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know, it felt like an overseas model

[00:39:42] [SPEAKER_00]: of the church

[00:39:43] [SPEAKER_00]: like what mattered in life

[00:39:46] [SPEAKER_00]: people were asking questions about

[00:39:49] [SPEAKER_00]: what are we doing here

[00:39:50] [SPEAKER_00]: and let's wake up

[00:39:51] [SPEAKER_00]: I think even I mentioned second Corinthians

[00:39:54] [SPEAKER_00]: but C.S. Lewis is the weight of glory

[00:39:57] [SPEAKER_00]: a book

[00:39:58] [SPEAKER_00]: that's just a phenomenal book

[00:40:00] [SPEAKER_00]: on really waking us up from the lullaby

[00:40:04] [SPEAKER_00]: of the American dream

[00:40:06] [SPEAKER_00]: that's a nightmare

[00:40:07] [SPEAKER_00]: and the comfort entertainment based Christian culture

[00:40:12] [SPEAKER_00]: that we've allowed ourselves to operate in

[00:40:14] [SPEAKER_00]: that we aren't engaged

[00:40:16] [SPEAKER_00]: in real gospel relationships

[00:40:19] [SPEAKER_00]: with other people in the church

[00:40:20] [SPEAKER_00]: we aren't, you know

[00:40:22] [SPEAKER_00]: can't pivot to a persecuted model

[00:40:24] [SPEAKER_00]: within a week or two

[00:40:26] [SPEAKER_00]: and if we are operating in a biblical church community

[00:40:31] [SPEAKER_00]: it would be easy to pivot into one of those models

[00:40:34] [SPEAKER_00]: and to see the strength of the church manifest

[00:40:38] [SPEAKER_00]: because of relationship

[00:40:40] [SPEAKER_00]: not because we're running an organization

[00:40:42] [SPEAKER_00]: but because we're bonded

[00:40:44] [SPEAKER_00]: because of the importance of the gospel

[00:40:46] [SPEAKER_00]: needing to get out to the world

[00:40:48] [SPEAKER_00]: so huge cultural changes even in seven years

[00:40:53] [SPEAKER_00]: and then figuring out

[00:40:55] [SPEAKER_00]: how to do outreach to the Hindu community

[00:40:59] [SPEAKER_00]: or the Muslim community

[00:41:00] [SPEAKER_00]: or the atheistic anti-Christian community

[00:41:07] [SPEAKER_00]: and as I mentioned

[00:41:09] [SPEAKER_00]: we just had, just in Bellevue last week

[00:41:11] [SPEAKER_00]: they had a huge parade

[00:41:13] [SPEAKER_00]: a city wide parade

[00:41:14] [SPEAKER_00]: for a 15 foot statue of Ganesh

[00:41:18] [SPEAKER_00]: and a real idol

[00:41:19] [SPEAKER_00]: that people were worshiping and celebrating

[00:41:21] [SPEAKER_00]: and it was pitched as a city of Bellevue

[00:41:24] [SPEAKER_00]: family fun chanting

[00:41:26] [SPEAKER_00]: and pagan rituals for everyone

[00:41:29] [SPEAKER_00]: and come get your cotton candy

[00:41:31] [SPEAKER_00]: and go worship the idol

[00:41:32] [SPEAKER_00]: and this is real

[00:41:34] [SPEAKER_00]: you don't think that there's physical things

[00:41:37] [SPEAKER_00]: like that happening

[00:41:38] [SPEAKER_00]: but here we are

[00:41:40] [SPEAKER_00]: and it's been a joy

[00:41:41] [SPEAKER_00]: and I think that

[00:41:44] [SPEAKER_00]: for the people that are here

[00:41:46] [SPEAKER_00]: and the people that are committed

[00:41:47] [SPEAKER_00]: it resurged

[00:41:50] [SPEAKER_00]: rekindled a fire in us

[00:41:53] [SPEAKER_00]: that said

[00:41:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Christians run to the fire

[00:41:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Christians are called as ambassadors of light

[00:42:01] [SPEAKER_00]: into dark places

[00:42:02] [SPEAKER_00]: and to not only hold the line

[00:42:05] [SPEAKER_00]: but to be excited about taking ground

[00:42:08] [SPEAKER_00]: for the Lord and the kingdom of God

[00:42:10] [SPEAKER_00]: in a place that desperately needs him

[00:42:13] [SPEAKER_00]: I think in our flesh

[00:42:15] [SPEAKER_00]: we've all processed like

[00:42:17] [SPEAKER_00]: it'd be much nicer

[00:42:18] [SPEAKER_00]: much easier

[00:42:19] [SPEAKER_00]: much more comfortable

[00:42:20] [SPEAKER_00]: in a more Christian context

[00:42:22] [SPEAKER_00]: in a conservative state

[00:42:24] [SPEAKER_00]: but that's not the reality

[00:42:26] [SPEAKER_00]: of what we're called to as Christians

[00:42:28] [SPEAKER_00]: go into all the world

[00:42:29] [SPEAKER_00]: preach the gospel

[00:42:30] [SPEAKER_00]: go into all the world

[00:42:30] [SPEAKER_00]: make disciples

[00:42:32] [SPEAKER_00]: and there should be at least a prayer

[00:42:35] [SPEAKER_00]: or thought to do that

[00:42:36] [SPEAKER_00]: where one of the greatest needs is

[00:42:38] [SPEAKER_00]: and so there is that sentiment now

[00:42:41] [SPEAKER_00]: at the church that

[00:42:42] [SPEAKER_00]: hey how are we going to be

[00:42:44] [SPEAKER_00]: this impact on a community

[00:42:46] [SPEAKER_00]: how are we going to show them

[00:42:47] [SPEAKER_00]: the love and the truth of Jesus

[00:42:48] [SPEAKER_00]: and excited about

[00:42:51] [SPEAKER_00]: the great need

[00:42:52] [SPEAKER_00]: and the lack of the gospel here

[00:42:55] [SPEAKER_00]: because the Lord's put us here

[00:42:56] [SPEAKER_00]: and equipped us by His Spirit

[00:42:58] [SPEAKER_00]: so there is this linking of arms

[00:43:00] [SPEAKER_00]: and almost brother of arms

[00:43:02] [SPEAKER_00]: in the trenches together

[00:43:03] [SPEAKER_00]: sweetness of deep relationship together

[00:43:06] [SPEAKER_00]: that's more than just

[00:43:08] [SPEAKER_00]: doing church

[00:43:10] [SPEAKER_00]: or running programs or events

[00:43:12] [SPEAKER_00]: it just feels sweet

[00:43:14] [SPEAKER_00]: and rich and deep and real

[00:43:16] [SPEAKER_00]: and humbling

[00:43:18] [SPEAKER_00]: and a great dependency upon the Lord

[00:43:20] [SPEAKER_00]: in the power of the gospel

[00:43:22] [SPEAKER_02]: Jack that is so encouraging to hear

[00:43:25] [SPEAKER_02]: it really is

[00:43:26] [SPEAKER_02]: but unfortunately we don't have any more time

[00:43:29] [SPEAKER_02]: so we've got to end this particular episode

[00:43:32] [SPEAKER_02]: and take it up again

[00:43:33] [SPEAKER_02]: and have episode 151

[00:43:36] [SPEAKER_02]: where we finish this concept

[00:43:38] [SPEAKER_02]: talking about where this is going

[00:43:41] [SPEAKER_02]: being the church

[00:43:42] [SPEAKER_02]: as frontline ministers

[00:43:44] [SPEAKER_02]: and now taking the frontline ministry

[00:43:47] [SPEAKER_02]: directly into the culture

[00:43:48] [SPEAKER_02]: so that's what's next

[00:43:49] [SPEAKER_02]: so looking forward to that

[00:43:51] [SPEAKER_02]: for right now though

[00:43:52] [SPEAKER_02]: I want to give you your two minute drill opportunity

[00:43:55] [SPEAKER_02]: this is your chance to just share whatever is on your heart

[00:43:58] [SPEAKER_02]: for pastors to either encourage them

[00:44:01] [SPEAKER_02]: exhort them

[00:44:02] [SPEAKER_02]: maybe even comfort them

[00:44:03] [SPEAKER_02]: a la 1st Corinthians 14-3

[00:44:06] [SPEAKER_02]: so here you go Jack

[00:44:07] [SPEAKER_02]: ready set

[00:44:09] [SPEAKER_02]: you're on

[00:44:11] [SPEAKER_00]: my two minute encouragement has to do with

[00:44:14] [SPEAKER_00]: appreciating and knowing our calling as Christians

[00:44:17] [SPEAKER_00]: and specifically for those of us in ministry

[00:44:20] [SPEAKER_00]: where our calling first and foremost

[00:44:22] [SPEAKER_00]: has to be as sons and daughters of the living God

[00:44:26] [SPEAKER_00]: and having a peace and an assurance

[00:44:30] [SPEAKER_00]: that we are his

[00:44:31] [SPEAKER_00]: and that he is working in us

[00:44:34] [SPEAKER_00]: a far greater work than we can come up with

[00:44:38] [SPEAKER_00]: there is a general calling

[00:44:40] [SPEAKER_00]: not only on every single believer

[00:44:42] [SPEAKER_00]: but on the fact that we are all called to be ministers

[00:44:46] [SPEAKER_00]: all called into ministry

[00:44:48] [SPEAKER_00]: whether you're in vocational ministry

[00:44:50] [SPEAKER_00]: or your janitor, teacher and engineer

[00:44:52] [SPEAKER_00]: there is a calling on our life

[00:44:54] [SPEAKER_00]: to appreciate that

[00:44:55] [SPEAKER_00]: reframes the way we approach

[00:44:58] [SPEAKER_00]: every relationship, every job

[00:45:00] [SPEAKER_00]: and that we are ambassadors of the gospel

[00:45:04] [SPEAKER_00]: and that we are being sent into our workplaces

[00:45:07] [SPEAKER_00]: our families and our relationships

[00:45:10] [SPEAKER_00]: on top of that a calling into ministry

[00:45:12] [SPEAKER_00]: I have always prayed for a clear calling

[00:45:14] [SPEAKER_00]: so that when times get tough

[00:45:16] [SPEAKER_00]: I know that it's the Lord and not me

[00:45:18] [SPEAKER_00]: that it's his calling

[00:45:20] [SPEAKER_00]: and not my wisdom or skills or circumstances

[00:45:23] [SPEAKER_00]: that have led me into a position

[00:45:26] [SPEAKER_00]: like the apostle Paul

[00:45:27] [SPEAKER_00]: led by the Holy Spirit really begins

[00:45:30] [SPEAKER_00]: most of his letters by

[00:45:32] [SPEAKER_00]: confirming his calling is from the Lord

[00:45:34] [SPEAKER_00]: and whether it's a bond servant or a prisoner

[00:45:37] [SPEAKER_00]: he knows that he is doing what the Lord's called him to

[00:45:39] [SPEAKER_00]: and there's a peace and a confidence

[00:45:42] [SPEAKER_00]: that is mingled with humility

[00:45:44] [SPEAKER_00]: and to see both of those things come together

[00:45:46] [SPEAKER_00]: has been my prayer and goal

[00:45:48] [SPEAKER_00]: that I would be exuding the humility

[00:45:51] [SPEAKER_00]: with boldness and confidence

[00:45:53] [SPEAKER_00]: and I see those two characteristics

[00:45:55] [SPEAKER_00]: come together both in the life

[00:45:57] [SPEAKER_00]: and teachings of Jesus in the gospel

[00:45:59] [SPEAKER_00]: and with the apostles in Acts and the epistles

[00:46:03] [SPEAKER_00]: and that's my prayer

[00:46:04] [SPEAKER_00]: continually moving forward for myself

[00:46:07] [SPEAKER_00]: and each one of you

[00:46:08] [SPEAKER_00]: that we would be confident

[00:46:09] [SPEAKER_00]: in the calling of the Lord Jesus

[00:46:11] [SPEAKER_00]: both general and specific

[00:46:13] [SPEAKER_00]: and we would have boldness of speech

[00:46:16] [SPEAKER_00]: because of the confidence and calling

[00:46:18] [SPEAKER_00]: it would produce a humility

[00:46:20] [SPEAKER_00]: then it would produce a boldness

[00:46:21] [SPEAKER_00]: in each one of us

[00:46:23] [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, thanks Pastor Jack

[00:46:25] [SPEAKER_02]: for taking this time to share with us today

[00:46:27] [SPEAKER_02]: I appreciate being able to hang out with you this way

[00:46:29] [SPEAKER_02]: and a lot of food for thought here

[00:46:32] [SPEAKER_02]: if you want to get in touch with Jack

[00:46:34] [SPEAKER_02]: or you have any questions for him

[00:46:35] [SPEAKER_02]: just write to strongerpassersatgmail.com

[00:46:39] [SPEAKER_02]: and we will be sure to forward them promptly

[00:46:42] [SPEAKER_02]: resources from Calvary Mount Si

[00:46:44] [SPEAKER_02]: and Pastor Jack are available

[00:46:45] [SPEAKER_02]: will be in the show notes for this episode

[00:46:47] [SPEAKER_02]: again thanks for joining us

[00:46:49] [SPEAKER_02]: and by way of reminder

[00:46:51] [SPEAKER_02]: Poinman Ministries was formed in 2008

[00:46:53] [SPEAKER_02]: our heart was to

[00:46:55] [SPEAKER_02]: and is to strengthen and revitalize churches

[00:46:58] [SPEAKER_02]: by helping encouraging the senior pastors

[00:47:00] [SPEAKER_02]: of those churches

[00:47:01] [SPEAKER_02]: please feel free to reach out to us

[00:47:04] [SPEAKER_02]: if we can be of help to you in any way

[00:47:07] [SPEAKER_02]: and the announcer will give you details

[00:47:09] [SPEAKER_02]: on how to connect with us

[00:47:11] [SPEAKER_02]: God bless you

[00:47:13] [SPEAKER_02]: and may he strengthen you

[00:47:14] [SPEAKER_02]: in his service

[00:47:16] [SPEAKER_02]: in Jesus name

[00:47:18] [SPEAKER_01]: Strength for today's pastor

[00:47:19] [SPEAKER_01]: is sponsored by Poinman Ministries

[00:47:22] [SPEAKER_01]: You can find us at

[00:47:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Poinman Ministries.com

[00:47:25] [SPEAKER_01]: that's spelled P-O-I-M-E-N

[00:47:27] [SPEAKER_01]: ministries.com

[00:47:29] [SPEAKER_01]: If something in today's program prompts a question

[00:47:32] [SPEAKER_01]: or comment or if you have a topic idea

[00:47:34] [SPEAKER_01]: for a future episode

[00:47:35] [SPEAKER_01]: just shoot us an email

[00:47:36] [SPEAKER_01]: at strongerpassersatgmail.com

[00:47:39] [SPEAKER_01]: that's strongerpassersatgmail.com

[00:47:43] [SPEAKER_01]: May the Lord bless you

[00:47:45] [SPEAKER_01]: as you serve him, his pastors

[00:47:47] [SPEAKER_01]: and his church