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Better Together LIVE | Episode 98

September 2, 2020

25:20

The simple act of saying "yes" to God can change the world. Submitting to God's will is a bold act of pure adventure. | TBN Prayer Line: 1-888-731-1000

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Better Together LIVE | Episode 98

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- Sometimes God asks usto do the unexpected.
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When we submit to his plansand obey his commands,
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we are saying not mywill, but yours be done.
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Let's talk about how ouryes to Jesus can change
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not only our livesbut the lives of many.
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(upbeat music)
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- I was thinking abouta time in my life
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about seven years agowhen we lost everything.
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And I remember wehad a phone call
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from the churchwe were working at
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that they could no longerfinancially keep us on staff.
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We had hit a massive economicdownturn in California.
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If you had livedanywhere in the state,
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you'd know about therecession that we hit.
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And our church wasdesperately trying to hang on
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to staff members and families.
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And we were at thatpoint part of the cut.
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And I rememberfeeling so devastated
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after getting off thephone with my husband,
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I had just given birthto our fourth child
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and I had four boysunder the age of five.
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I had my fourth C-sectionand our littlest Beckham
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had ended up in theNICU for 10 days.
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And I rememberjust when I thought
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the sun was aboutto break through
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all three kidsget diagnosed with
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hand foot and mouth disease
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they were quarantinedfor another 10 days.
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And I'm finally like recoveringfrom the fore C-section
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and the NICU journey andthe hand foot and mouth.
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And then we get thisphone call that says,
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we financiallycan't keep you on.
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And I remember telling myhusband I couldn't talk.
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I was so overwhelmedwith emotion.
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I hung up the phone andI walked to my bedroom
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and I had a fullblown adult tantrum.
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If you've ever hadone it's possible.
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And I fell on thebed without my arms.
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And I cried and I said Godwhy are you doing this to me?
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I have not said no to you.
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I mean, my whole life.
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I said yes to yousince I was 17.
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I can barely remember a timewhen I haven't said yes to you.
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I mean, I have given you my life
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and I've givenyou my whole story
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and my marriage and mykids and the whole journey.
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And now at the end of allthis you're gonna leave me?.
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You're gonna leave meand in not have a plan
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and I said to God whatdo you want me to do?
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What do you want me to do?
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I can't give a childback (chuckles) to you.
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I can't go get another job.
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I can't nurse my entire family.
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What do you want me to do?
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And I remember hearinghim saying to me,
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I want you to make chicken.
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And I was sarcastic like,
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okay, God make chickenha ha you make chicken.
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And he goes no, no.
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I want you to make the chicken.
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I want you to getup and make dinner.
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- I did make the chicken
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- I did make it.
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God says, I did makethe chicken ha ha
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But I remember saying it to God
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and I don't know if you'veever been this place
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where I go, you know what?
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I don't have any other thing.
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I don't know what else to doso I might as well obey you,
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like, doesn't really feel like
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a big monumental faith moment.
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It's almost like well, Idon't know what else to do.
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And so I say okay,
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I'll make chicken.
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I get up that night.
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And I clean the house up andget the kids all cleaned up
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and light my candles andput on my little music.
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And when Ben comes home andwe have dinner that night.
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And he's like, do youwanna talk about it?
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And I'm like, not yet.
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Let's eat I need afull stomach before
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I talk about anything critical.
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And we sit down that night
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and we start to talkthrough our lives
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and I'll tell you what you guys,
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it wasn't like this radicalphone call on my phone
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and the halfwayeverything's solved.
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It's all gonna work out.
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Radical obedience for me wasloading up all four of our kids
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three months after postpartum
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moving to a brand new city
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with no family, nohome, no income,
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just we're gonna just do this.
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And I remember drivingin a town that day
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and we show up at our houseand we've got four little
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and we're unpacking the U hall,
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and I'm by myself.
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I'd never livedapart from my family
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in my 36 years of life.
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And I remember sayingGod I'm here for it.
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Whatever you wannado I'm here for it.
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And I can honestly say that
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with that move ofradical obedience,
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God opened up my entire life
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in terms of the callthat was on my life.
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The story that he had for me,
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the dreams of my heart Ididn't know would take place,
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but there was a radical likeobedience I had to walk in
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order to open up thenext section of my life.
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And then I wasthinking about this,
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not to belabor the pointbut in March we got a call.
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Obviously the Covid hadhappened and was still happening
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and stay at home order.
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And within 24 hours welost 40% of our income.
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All of my speakingengagements canceled
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one after the other in 48 hours,
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five months asspeaking engagements
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were just absolutelyoff the books.
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And for those of usthat are on the road,
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we know that that's kindof how we pay our staff
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and that's how we pay our rent,
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and that's how we feed our kids,
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and that's what life looks like.
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And I remembersitting in the office
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and I could feel this like God,
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what are we gonna do?
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I don't know what to do a
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and I don't have away to solve this.
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And I remember the Lord saying,
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remember that time when Itold you to make chicken?
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he's like, I think you know what
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you're having fordinner tonight.
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(laughing)
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So I went downstairsand I made chicken.
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And I remember it was in thatmoment of radical obedience
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that I could bereminded to do the thing
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that was in frontof me that day.
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And so I don't knowabout you guys,
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but this isn'tlike one and done.
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This is like a momentby moment, day by day,
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doing the very thinghe's asked me to do,
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manna 24 hours dothe next thing,
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manna at 24 hours todo the next thing.
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And I think we as a generation
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and even as a society right now,
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we are like children in Israel.
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We are wandering in the desertand he is giving us manna,
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but we have to believe thatthere's a promised land coming.
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And I don't know about you guys,
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but I feel like it'sbeen my daily bread.
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What about you Laurie?
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How's it been for you?
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- Yeah Absolutely.
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You know HavilahI could sit here.
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So I'm quite a bitolder than all of you.
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And I can say thatknowing the Lord,
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following after himfollowing the voice,
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the prophetic voice ofGod that speaks to us,
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that the harder it looksthe easier it gets.
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Now I have justturned a year older
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and I have a few scarsand a few stripes.
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I remember years,years ago when God...
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we had worked at TBN backwhen Matt and I were young
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in 1992 we were kindof ripped out at TBN.
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And I remember Matt saying,
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I feel like I have all theauthority with no responsibility
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and God like jerked usout and took us away
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and put us in the middle ofHollywood with two little boys.
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And I remember the day theprophetic word of the Lord
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was to put yourfoot in Hollywood.
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And it was very clear fromall the people around us,
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all the counselors andeverybody that means something
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to you said you gottago to Hollywood,
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you've gotta get there,
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just put your foot there.
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That was what the prophetsaid Just put your foot.
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don't care where you move,just put your foot there.
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And I'll never forget the day
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that we actually sign thepapers on a new home up there.
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And it was impossible
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but God had given Matt anighttime dream where to move.
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And it didn't matterwhether we sold our home
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in orange County or not,
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this home wasimpossible to get into,
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but we had takenseveral board members
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and pastors and people up there.
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They were likethis is the place,
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put your foot there.
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And I remembersitting on the floor
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at about six o'clockin the morning
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on a cold office marble floor.
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And a phone call had comefrom the owners of the home.
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They were in Chicagoand the man was crying
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and he said Laurie,
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he said, "we've got to haveyour answer today because
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"your escrow is responsible for
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"about five escrows right now".
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If this escrowdoesn't go through
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my escrow doesn't gothrough their escrow does...
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And it was justthis domino effect
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that was just gonna slaythe world, his opinion.
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And I'll never forget We had$8 and 99 cents in the bank.
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It was like whenthe Lord spoke to us
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and told us to go to Hollywood,
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it's like he turnedall the faucets off.
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It's like all thefinancial faucets
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just went to not even a drip,
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it was gone and now he's gone
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I want you to move to Hollywood.
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And it was already hard enough,
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to just kind ofuproot my little boys
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and move to themiddle of Hollywood.
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I never would have donethat to my children
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had it not been thevoice of the Lord.
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And I remembersitting on the floor
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and in came througha fax machine,
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if you don't know whatthat is look it up.
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This fax machine was thiscontract from these lawyers
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that was this long listof about 120 lawyer names
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from this huge Chicago firm.
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And it said you areresponsible for this loan
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in the next two weeks you areresponsible for this amount,
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whether your loancomes through or not.
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And I remember sitting on thefloor and Matt's just sitting,
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I've had to gethim out of bed God
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we have to sign this paper,
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or we have to forgetthis right now.
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And I'm sitting on thefloor and I'll never forget.
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I just sat there scaredspit less in so many ways,
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just the impossible but I knew
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what the voice ofthe Lord had said.
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I knew what was in our hearts.
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I knew what our parents,said what our pastors said,
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what spiritual influencesin our life had said.
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And I knew we had toput our foot there
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no matter what I saw.
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And I'll neverforget I sat there
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and Matt's just looking atme and I just looked at him.
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I said, go ahead,go ahead, go ahead,
00:11:08.224 --> 00:11:12.595
go ahead, go ahead, goahead, sign those papers.
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And he just signed real quick
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and he stuck it backin the fax machine.
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And that fax wentoff and it was like,
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Oh God, you're runningto the fax machine
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to tear the paper outthat's what I wanted to do.
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But I knew down insidethis is what God
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had spoken to our hearts.
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And I'm here today to tellyou that everything was okay,
00:11:34.416 --> 00:11:39.421
God wants to show his power.
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He wants to show his love forus and his power through us.
00:11:43.492 --> 00:11:48.497
And that's when we askedfor the impossible Bianca.
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And that's what livingradical that obedience to God,
00:11:53.569 --> 00:11:57.473
it's so much betterthan sacrifice.
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- I love that, infact listening to you
00:11:59.842 --> 00:12:02.478
and listening to HavI'm reminded of that
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passage in James where it says,
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"we can't just behearers of the word.
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"We must be doers of the word".
00:12:09.451 --> 00:12:11.554
And when the spirit of Godspeaks to us in whatever way,
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for Hav like it'snot an audible voice,
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it's an internalvoice for Laurie.
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It could be throughdreams or visions
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or people speakinginto your life.
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But I want us to be people who
00:12:21.697 --> 00:12:23.332
when we hear Godmove in our life,
00:12:23.332 --> 00:12:25.534
that we don't just hearit, but that we do it.
00:12:25.534 --> 00:12:28.003
And for me, I'm a stepmom.
00:12:28.003 --> 00:12:29.905
I have two step kids.
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And I think that the beautifulthing about radical obedience
00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:35.311
is that we get to seea different side of God
00:12:35.311 --> 00:12:37.346
that maybe we haven'tknown or discovered.
00:12:37.346 --> 00:12:39.849
And so when I became a stepmom,
00:12:39.849 --> 00:12:42.051
I stepped intoparenting two children
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that were not mine biologically.
00:12:44.253 --> 00:12:46.355
And I think that it'dbe easy to abdicate.
00:12:46.355 --> 00:12:48.657
It'd be easy to be likewell, I didn't birth you.
00:12:48.657 --> 00:12:50.526
Or you clearly got thatfrom your other parent,
00:12:50.526 --> 00:12:53.262
but when God has entrusted us
00:12:53.262 --> 00:12:56.565
and we are obedient to the call
00:12:56.565 --> 00:12:58.000
that he has placedin front of us.
00:12:58.000 --> 00:12:59.168
For me it's raisingtwo step kids.
00:12:59.168 --> 00:13:01.103
I have a choice I could obeyGod and rear these children
00:13:01.103 --> 00:13:04.440
in the ways of Godor I could abdicate,
00:13:04.440 --> 00:13:06.642
and all of us havethat same ability.
00:13:06.642 --> 00:13:09.411
Now for me I thinkthat in obeying God
00:13:09.411 --> 00:13:12.081
it has given me a perspectiveof learning him more
00:13:12.081 --> 00:13:15.017
so as I look at these kidsthat are not mine biologically
00:13:15.017 --> 00:13:18.787
I'm reminded of the wildolive branch is grafted in
00:13:18.787 --> 00:13:23.192
that we read about in John 15,
00:13:23.192 --> 00:13:25.394
that we have been...
00:13:25.394 --> 00:13:26.629
If you're a Gentile,you're not a Jew.
00:13:26.629 --> 00:13:28.731
Actually I discoveredI'm 1% Jew.
00:13:28.731 --> 00:13:30.499
So I like to say I'm Jew-ish,just a little bit of Jewish,
00:13:30.499 --> 00:13:33.435
but for the Gentilesin the house,
00:13:33.435 --> 00:13:35.537
we have been graftedinto this family
00:13:35.537 --> 00:13:38.374
and God has adopted us.
00:13:38.374 --> 00:13:40.376
We have been broughtin into this family
00:13:40.376 --> 00:13:42.411
we've been adoptedinto the family of God.
00:13:42.411 --> 00:13:43.879
And I think that,
00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:45.114
that same love.that same kindness,
00:13:45.114 --> 00:13:47.716
that same choice asGod has given me.
00:13:47.716 --> 00:13:50.419
I get to give mystep kids as well.
00:13:50.419 --> 00:13:52.888
And so radicalobedience has taught me
00:13:52.888 --> 00:13:54.757
yes to love people thatGod has placed in my life.
00:13:54.757 --> 00:13:58.260
But it's also given me a lens
00:13:58.260 --> 00:13:59.495
and a perspectiveof how God loves me.
00:13:59.495 --> 00:14:01.563
And so I love this ideathat radical obedience
00:14:01.563 --> 00:14:05.200
allows us to know, see andunderstand God in new ways.
00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:09.238
- Yeah, It's so interestingRadical obedience really does
00:14:09.238 --> 00:14:12.408
teach you about yourself,
00:14:12.408 --> 00:14:15.177
and the strong will thatwe can possess sometimes
00:14:15.177 --> 00:14:18.447
I know that's definitelywhat it's taught me.
00:14:18.447 --> 00:14:20.683
I remember I was talkingto Lisa Harper one day
00:14:22.451 --> 00:14:25.020
and she was talkingabout something
00:14:25.020 --> 00:14:26.789
that the Lord asked her to do.
00:14:26.789 --> 00:14:27.990
And her response was no sir.
00:14:27.990 --> 00:14:29.792
I feel like I saythat all the time.
00:14:29.792 --> 00:14:31.226
No, sir, no, sir.
00:14:31.226 --> 00:14:33.329
Instead of justwanting to do it,
00:14:33.329 --> 00:14:35.798
try to give him therespectful disobedient answer,
00:14:35.798 --> 00:14:39.568
but there is no respectfuldisobedient answer.
00:14:39.568 --> 00:14:42.805
And so I've just learnedabout my own strong will
00:14:42.805 --> 00:14:45.607
and things I'm surethat my husband
00:14:45.607 --> 00:14:48.610
has been trying totell me for years,
00:14:48.610 --> 00:14:50.679
but especially as a momlooking at my sons and seeing,
00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:55.150
Oh my goodness, thatstrong will, I know that.
00:14:55.150 --> 00:14:58.587
And I've got to help them learnhow to walk after the Lord,
00:14:58.587 --> 00:15:03.592
by being obedient aswell, telling my son,
00:15:04.760 --> 00:15:07.162
my older son hey buddydoing the right thing
00:15:07.162 --> 00:15:11.233
is about doing theright thing immediately.
00:15:11.233 --> 00:15:13.769
Not doing the right thingafter you've thought about it,
00:15:13.769 --> 00:15:16.305
or after you've heardabout the consequences,
00:15:16.305 --> 00:15:18.340
it's doing the right thingimmediately (chuckles)
00:15:18.340 --> 00:15:20.943
And to a three year old,he's not trying to hear that.
00:15:20.943 --> 00:15:25.948
So but the reality isat my age, me either,
00:15:27.149 --> 00:15:29.852
and that's what theLord has taught me.
00:15:29.852 --> 00:15:31.620
It's just there arestill some lessons
00:15:31.620 --> 00:15:32.988
that I wanna teach you.
00:15:32.988 --> 00:15:34.456
There's still some thingsthat I want to get out
00:15:34.456 --> 00:15:36.625
and radical obedience cansnatch you out of that thing.
00:15:36.625 --> 00:15:39.728
And so it's a journey
00:15:39.728 --> 00:15:41.764
and I've been walking withthe Lord for years now,
00:15:41.764 --> 00:15:44.900
and I'm not a disobedientperson even by nature.
00:15:44.900 --> 00:15:48.737
But the reality is I have thisstrong will that the Lord,
00:15:48.737 --> 00:15:52.174
when I feel something aboutsomething in particular,
00:15:52.174 --> 00:15:55.911
I want to do that,
00:15:55.911 --> 00:15:56.979
or I want it to be that way
00:15:56.979 --> 00:15:58.514
and just letting the Lordremind me like Hey, it's my way.
00:15:58.514 --> 00:16:02.351
When I say that I am theway the truth and the life
00:16:02.351 --> 00:16:05.487
that applies in every facetof life you can imagine.
00:16:05.487 --> 00:16:09.391
I am the way do not makeyour own way ,I am the way.
00:16:09.391 --> 00:16:13.495
So he just reminds meover and over again
00:16:13.495 --> 00:16:16.632
and that way for sure.
00:16:16.632 --> 00:16:18.200
- Yeah, I think tolot of the times,
00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:20.669
When I've heard about obedient,
00:16:20.669 --> 00:16:22.538
when we talk about obedience,
00:16:22.538 --> 00:16:24.807
so often our mindsfirst jump to the cost.
00:16:24.807 --> 00:16:28.710
what is that going to cost me?
00:16:28.710 --> 00:16:30.879
What is the cost for me?
00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:33.449
Or what am I going to lose?
00:16:33.449 --> 00:16:35.717
And I really believethat the spirit of God
00:16:35.717 --> 00:16:38.187
wants us to keep oureyes and our hearts fixed
00:16:38.187 --> 00:16:41.356
on what the gain is inobedience to the Lord.
00:16:41.356 --> 00:16:46.361
And when we're cost minded,we're self preservative.
00:16:47.763 --> 00:16:51.467
But when we trust hisgoodness and his glory
00:16:51.467 --> 00:16:54.837
and his sovereigntyand we know Lord,
00:16:54.837 --> 00:16:57.039
if you're calling me to it thereis gain for myself in ways,
00:16:57.039 --> 00:17:02.044
spiritually spirituallife in abundant,
00:17:03.178 --> 00:17:04.413
but there's alsogained for others.
00:17:04.413 --> 00:17:06.915
His will, his heart is always
00:17:06.915 --> 00:17:09.751
that not just thegospel would come to us,
00:17:09.751 --> 00:17:11.887
but that it wouldmove through us.
00:17:11.887 --> 00:17:13.689
And so I've at leastseen that a lot of times
00:17:13.689 --> 00:17:15.991
his call to obedience my yes
00:17:15.991 --> 00:17:19.928
makes a way for othersor blesses others.
00:17:19.928 --> 00:17:22.264
And this may seem like sucha small, silly example,
00:17:22.264 --> 00:17:24.666
but I have a lot,
00:17:24.666 --> 00:17:25.868
I was totallyresonating with you
00:17:25.868 --> 00:17:27.503
when Covid and everything hit,
00:17:27.503 --> 00:17:29.972
our itineraryschedule just stopped
00:17:29.972 --> 00:17:32.808
there wasn't we wereno longer speaker,
00:17:32.808 --> 00:17:34.576
It was done everything wasjust sort of off the books.
00:17:34.576 --> 00:17:38.680
And I remember sitting therereally just before the Lord,
00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:43.685
I trust you and I don't knowwhat this season looks like,
00:17:45.254 --> 00:17:48.257
but have your way.
00:17:48.257 --> 00:17:50.192
And he began to speakand move in ways.
00:17:50.192 --> 00:17:53.262
The call to obediencelooked very different
00:17:53.262 --> 00:17:56.031
from what I wanted to fight for,
00:17:56.031 --> 00:17:58.667
from what I wantedwhich was still,
00:17:58.667 --> 00:18:01.336
how do I make this wholeministry model work,
00:18:02.471 --> 00:18:04.206
where we're still strikingwhile the iron is hot
00:18:04.206 --> 00:18:07.176
and moving forward.
00:18:07.176 --> 00:18:08.410
And he so rebuked meon that, to be honest.
00:18:08.410 --> 00:18:11.346
And he said, ministry isadministering my gospel,
00:18:11.346 --> 00:18:14.516
where I call youand how I call you.
00:18:14.516 --> 00:18:16.585
And so I just satdown with him one day
00:18:16.585 --> 00:18:19.421
and I said beforeon a past episode,
00:18:19.421 --> 00:18:22.324
I have three kids,
00:18:22.324 --> 00:18:23.825
I have a four year old, a twoyear old and a one year old.
00:18:23.825 --> 00:18:25.561
And I just found out that
00:18:25.561 --> 00:18:26.795
we're expecting ourfourth praise God.
00:18:26.795 --> 00:18:28.797
But we also have a sweetnext door neighbor,
00:18:28.797 --> 00:18:30.999
Maddie who is six
00:18:30.999 --> 00:18:33.268
and we cared for herall through the summer
00:18:33.268 --> 00:18:35.804
when sort of sub-Covidrestrictions lifted
00:18:35.804 --> 00:18:38.473
and her parents hadto go back to work.
00:18:38.473 --> 00:18:40.075
And they're like what do we do?
00:18:40.075 --> 00:18:41.009
We don't have family near
00:18:41.009 --> 00:18:42.477
we'll then also theschools in this area
00:18:42.477 --> 00:18:44.713
have gone all digital,the public schools.
00:18:44.713 --> 00:18:47.382
And so I remember it justoverwhelmed me one day to
00:18:47.382 --> 00:18:51.286
to reach out to hermom and say hey,
00:18:51.286 --> 00:18:53.055
do you want us to continue this
00:18:53.055 --> 00:18:55.123
and facilitate schoolingeven for your daughter
00:18:55.123 --> 00:18:57.693
and reached out toother neighbors.
00:18:57.693 --> 00:18:59.494
It just overwhelmed my heart,
00:18:59.494 --> 00:19:01.029
the number of familieswho were in such unique
00:19:01.029 --> 00:19:03.899
and challengingpositions right now.
00:19:03.899 --> 00:19:06.134
And I'm home I gotnowhere to travel.
00:19:06.134 --> 00:19:08.637
I'm alreadywrangling the kiddos.
00:19:08.637 --> 00:19:10.806
And so what's a few more?
00:19:10.806 --> 00:19:12.441
and we now have seven kidswho are in under the roof
00:19:12.441 --> 00:19:16.144
and it's wild and wonderful,
00:19:16.144 --> 00:19:18.146
but they have structure,
00:19:18.146 --> 00:19:19.748
they have help with school,
00:19:19.748 --> 00:19:22.084
they have all the thingsthat so many are struggling
00:19:22.084 --> 00:19:25.254
because they just,
00:19:25.254 --> 00:19:26.321
especially in the Atlanta area,
00:19:26.321 --> 00:19:27.823
there's just a lot of familieswho don't have the ability
00:19:27.823 --> 00:19:30.692
to juggle all of thisand still make ends meet.
00:19:30.692 --> 00:19:33.295
And I just thought Lord,
00:19:33.295 --> 00:19:34.630
you're call to an obedience
00:19:34.630 --> 00:19:36.465
was so invisible in this season.
00:19:36.465 --> 00:19:38.467
And he just remindedme that's right.
00:19:38.467 --> 00:19:39.968
I do Holy work in quiet caves.
00:19:39.968 --> 00:19:42.170
I birth the savior of theworld in a quiet cave,
00:19:42.170 --> 00:19:44.473
it was unseen.
00:19:44.473 --> 00:19:45.974
I knit together life inthe quiet cave of a womb.
00:19:45.974 --> 00:19:48.410
Like I'm in the prayerclosets and the quiet caves.
00:19:48.410 --> 00:19:51.313
And I'm in thischaotic household
00:19:51.313 --> 00:19:53.215
where kids are coming fromall different backgrounds,
00:19:53.215 --> 00:19:56.451
but we're worshipingin the morning
00:19:56.451 --> 00:19:58.086
and we're praying together
00:19:58.086 --> 00:19:59.354
and they have safetyand provision.
00:19:59.354 --> 00:20:01.323
And he was likejust walk with me,
00:20:01.323 --> 00:20:03.392
Galatians 5:25,
00:20:03.392 --> 00:20:04.893
"live by the spirit, stayin step with the spirit"
00:20:04.893 --> 00:20:06.261
What does that looklike season to season?
00:20:06.261 --> 00:20:09.031
Sometimes we think weknow which way to go.
00:20:09.031 --> 00:20:12.100
And the Lord is the one whoreally directs our steps.
00:20:12.100 --> 00:20:14.770
And so sometimes radicalobedience can look really small,
00:20:14.770 --> 00:20:17.606
really hidden, really unseen.
00:20:17.606 --> 00:20:19.775
And I think he says, good job.
00:20:19.775 --> 00:20:23.111
Because that thenblesses others as well.
00:20:23.111 --> 00:20:26.214
And our life shouldbe laid down for that,
00:20:26.214 --> 00:20:29.117
by whatever means.
00:20:29.117 --> 00:20:30.352
And so that's beenreally cool to see,
00:20:30.352 --> 00:20:31.887
'cause I like the radicalthat then results in big.
00:20:31.887 --> 00:20:34.623
And he's like go wrangleall the time in humans.
00:20:34.623 --> 00:20:37.626
- Can we just clap it up forMo because all those kids.
00:20:39.061 --> 00:20:41.730
(clapping)
00:20:41.730 --> 00:20:43.699
- I tell you I'm in mymother's den right now.
00:20:43.699 --> 00:20:46.168
And this is a great vacation
00:20:46.168 --> 00:20:47.869
- I love it.
00:20:49.938 --> 00:20:51.173
- Am like how doyou feel about me
00:20:51.173 --> 00:20:52.207
shipping my four kids to you?
00:20:52.207 --> 00:20:54.042
How do you feel about that?
00:20:54.042 --> 00:20:55.277
What's that four more?
00:20:55.277 --> 00:20:56.611
- Send them over
00:20:56.611 --> 00:20:58.447
- Yeah, I was thinkingI have a four boys
00:20:58.447 --> 00:21:01.883
and I had four in five years.
00:21:01.883 --> 00:21:03.885
So they're in thisreally condensed
00:21:03.885 --> 00:21:07.723
like the little locker room,
00:21:07.723 --> 00:21:10.125
but one of the things thatwe try to say in our house
00:21:10.125 --> 00:21:12.861
from early age is Iwould tell my boys,
00:21:12.861 --> 00:21:15.664
I want you to obey right away
00:21:15.664 --> 00:21:17.699
all the way and witha happy heart, right?
00:21:17.699 --> 00:21:20.635
So when they werelittle they loved it
00:21:20.635 --> 00:21:22.938
as they've gotten olderit's world challenge.
00:21:22.938 --> 00:21:25.140
But you know I wouldsay that to them.
00:21:25.140 --> 00:21:26.775
What do I want you to do I?
00:21:26.775 --> 00:21:28.009
I want you to obeyall the way right away
00:21:28.009 --> 00:21:29.344
with a happy heart.
00:21:29.344 --> 00:21:30.846
And I remember one day I wasgetting on my eldest son.
00:21:30.846 --> 00:21:33.248
And just like Iasked you to obey me
00:21:33.248 --> 00:21:35.450
all the way right awaywith a happy heart.
00:21:35.450 --> 00:21:37.919
And you did whatI asked you to do,
00:21:37.919 --> 00:21:39.788
but you are not happy andyou did not do it right away.
00:21:39.788 --> 00:21:42.724
And the Holy spirit said, whydon't you obey me like that
00:21:42.724 --> 00:21:46.228
I was like Aww,
00:21:46.228 --> 00:21:47.729
but the Holy spiritjust so clearly.
00:21:48.864 --> 00:21:50.799
Are you obeying meright away all the way
00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:52.701
and with a happy heart?
00:21:52.701 --> 00:21:54.102
And I'm like whydidn't, really like,
00:21:54.102 --> 00:21:56.538
but I'm an adult Ihave adult problems.
00:21:56.538 --> 00:21:58.507
- Practice what you preach
00:21:58.507 --> 00:22:00.542
- Yeah yeah yeah but itwas a little bit of like,
00:22:00.542 --> 00:22:03.879
Oh, obedience iswith a happy heart.
00:22:03.879 --> 00:22:06.681
So obedience isn'tjust like fine,
00:22:06.681 --> 00:22:09.351
I'll do it God I've gotnothing better to do.
00:22:09.351 --> 00:22:11.887
It really requires us tohumble ourselves and say,
00:22:11.887 --> 00:22:14.923
and I'm gonna do itwith joy and gratitude.
00:22:14.923 --> 00:22:17.526
And I don't know about you guys,
00:22:17.526 --> 00:22:19.161
but right now gratitude'sreally hard to find,
00:22:19.161 --> 00:22:23.198
especially in a pandemic,
00:22:23.198 --> 00:22:24.433
it is hard to find andI'm challenging myself.
00:22:24.433 --> 00:22:29.171
I don't know Laurie,
00:22:29.171 --> 00:22:30.405
did you guys do thatwith your boys at all?
00:22:30.405 --> 00:22:31.673
And did you have anyphrases that you use
00:22:31.673 --> 00:22:33.408
to (indistinct)listening to you?
00:22:33.408 --> 00:22:35.544
- You know my husband calledit willful disobedience,
00:22:35.544 --> 00:22:40.282
and I didn't think that I hadreally heard it put like that,
00:22:40.282 --> 00:22:44.186
but I remember him kind ofbeing hard on the boys sometimes
00:22:44.186 --> 00:22:47.422
and that they didn't do it quick
00:22:47.422 --> 00:22:49.124
and with a happyheart and all that,
00:22:49.124 --> 00:22:50.826
that he would go okay,
00:22:50.826 --> 00:22:52.294
you're in trouble becauseyou just willfully disobeyed.
00:22:52.294 --> 00:22:55.096
And I was like willfullydisobeyed, but you know what?
00:22:55.096 --> 00:22:57.766
We look at thechildren of Israel,
00:22:57.766 --> 00:22:59.968
we look back in theBible and they talk about
00:22:59.968 --> 00:23:03.738
all the murmuringand all that stuff
00:23:03.738 --> 00:23:06.074
even though God had suppliedthis pillar of fire,
00:23:06.074 --> 00:23:10.779
this cloud by day,
00:23:10.779 --> 00:23:12.948
manna every morning,
00:23:12.948 --> 00:23:14.583
and yet we can look atthem and just say, Oh,
00:23:14.583 --> 00:23:18.220
you complained allthe way through.
00:23:18.220 --> 00:23:21.590
And then you can put thatspotlight right on us.
00:23:21.590 --> 00:23:23.725
What if the Bible was beingwritten today about us?
00:23:23.725 --> 00:23:28.730
What if our lives, whatabout our situation?
00:23:29.865 --> 00:23:33.935
The famine and the droughtand the plague came
00:23:33.935 --> 00:23:37.772
and the fire came,
00:23:37.772 --> 00:23:39.140
what is our attitude?
00:23:40.408 --> 00:23:41.877
We serve this beautiful livingGod that supplies for us,
00:23:43.278 --> 00:23:47.849
maybe you have had prayers
00:23:48.717 --> 00:23:50.352
that haven't been answeredyet the way you think,
00:23:50.352 --> 00:23:53.221
but you know what?
00:23:53.221 --> 00:23:54.422
God is going toanswer our prayers.
00:23:54.422 --> 00:23:56.191
God is going to see hiswill set forth in our lives
00:23:56.191 --> 00:24:00.395
and we have to trust andwe have to believe that.
00:24:00.395 --> 00:24:03.965
And we have to beobedient in God,
00:24:03.965 --> 00:24:06.301
we pray today foreveryone watching
00:24:06.301 --> 00:24:08.803
God for us Lord that we willbe quick to obey your spirit
00:24:08.803 --> 00:24:13.808
quick to obey your voice.
00:24:14.676 --> 00:24:16.578
God as you want topour out your spirit
00:24:16.578 --> 00:24:18.947
and then you want to bless,
00:24:18.947 --> 00:24:20.849
and you want to show yourselfso real in our lives.
00:24:20.849 --> 00:24:24.219
God let us be openvessels to you.
00:24:24.219 --> 00:24:27.155
Ones that pour out your life,
00:24:27.155 --> 00:24:29.190
giving water God to a hurting,hopeless, desperate world
00:24:29.190 --> 00:24:34.129
that is lost without you God
00:24:34.996 --> 00:24:36.064
let us shine your light
00:24:36.064 --> 00:24:38.867
father, to thepeople around us God,
00:24:38.867 --> 00:24:40.902
and continue to be the righteous
00:24:40.902 --> 00:24:43.271
and to walk by faithevery step of the way
00:24:43.271 --> 00:24:46.408
father and I thank you forit in Jesus name. Amen.
00:24:46.408 --> 00:24:50.345
You know our bettertogether community
00:24:50.345 --> 00:24:52.013
is always here for you.
00:24:52.013 --> 00:24:53.448
You can connect withus on social media
00:24:53.448 --> 00:24:55.483
and let us know howwe can pray for you.
00:24:55.483 --> 00:24:57.852
Thanks for joiningall of these sweet,
00:24:57.852 --> 00:25:00.322
beautiful women today.
00:25:00.322 --> 00:25:02.257
Allowing God to change ourhearts is the boldest step
00:25:02.257 --> 00:25:05.160
that we can take towards freedom
00:25:05.160 --> 00:25:07.529
tomorrow We're going to betalking about repentance.
00:25:07.529 --> 00:25:10.332
We'll see you thenGod bless you,
00:25:10.332 --> 00:25:11.833
we love you, bye bye.
00:25:11.833 --> 00:25:12.968

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Better Together LIVE | Episode 98

Better Together LIVE | Episode 98

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Menu Top

Better Together LIVE | Episode 98

Better Together LIVE | Episode 98

Video Keywords

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