Kathie Lee Gifford & John Bevere: Fulfilling Your God Given Purpose | Takeaways with Kirk Cameron

October 6, 2025 | 54:42

Kirk Cameron is joined by television host Kathie Lee Gifford and speaker John Bevere about God’s calling and purpose in our lives and fulfilling it with the gifts He has given us.

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Takeaways with Kirk Cameron | Kathie Lee Gifford & John Bevere: Fulfilling Your God Given Purpose | Takeaways with Kirk Cameron | October 6, 2025
  • Kirk cameron: are you looking to make an impact in this world?
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  • Do you want to make a difference in people's lives?
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  • God has given each one of us gifts, and he has a plan for us
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  • To live a purpose-filled life using those abilities to help
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  • Each other.
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  • If you're in a season of starting a new venture or
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  • Waiting for the next chapter or wrapping up a career, god still
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  • Has a calling on your life.
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  • We're gonna talk more about this today with our guests kathie lee
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  • Gifford and john bevere right now on "takeaways."
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  • Kathie lee gifford: quit wasting your life on regretting.
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  • There is nothing you can do to change what is past.
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  • The only thing that we have actual power over in our lives
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  • Is this moment.
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  • John bevere: in our personal relationship with jesus, don't
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  • You think he wants us to know what he put us on this earth
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  • To do?
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  • And if we really seek him about it, we now become more fruitful.
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  • [music]
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  • Kirk: i am so excited and honored to introduce my
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  • First guest.
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  • Her four-time emmy-award winning career has spanned television,
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  • Film, broadway, and commercials.
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  • She's an actress, singer, producer, director, a friend,
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  • And has authored numerous books, including the one that we're
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  • About to talk about today, "i want to matter."
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  • Kathie lee gifford, it is so good to have you on "takeaways."
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  • Kathie: thank you, kirk.
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  • Great to see you.
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  • Yeah, last time i looked, you were a little boy in my studio
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  • With regis.
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  • Kirk: that's right.
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  • I don't think i even had a whisker.
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  • Now i'm a grandfather with a beard.
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  • Kathie: you had a couple of pimples.
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  • Kirk: i did.
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  • I think i was 19 years old.
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  • Chelsea and i, i think we were boyfriend and girlfriend at the
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  • Time, we were working on growing pains, and now here we are 35
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  • Years later, 6 kids and a granddaughter, and we're
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  • Still friends.
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  • And i'm so thankful that you wrote this book, "i want
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  • To matter."
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  • What inspired you to write this devotional memoir?
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  • Kathie: you know what, my literary agent said that of all
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  • The books i've been writing lately, it's the one that really
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  • Matters to him, or he likes to hear what other people and
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  • People talk to me about what jesus means to them, that kind
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  • Of thing, and he said, and i wanna know more and more about
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  • Your faith, you know, your faith journey, because you've
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  • Been through.
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  • I've been on this planet a long time now, kirk, and i just keep
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  • Writing that way, and people seem to, you know, gobble it up.
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  • I don't know why.
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  • I think it's because they sense it's authentic in me.
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  • Kirk: you've always been so great at entertaining us and
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  • Making us feel like we are your friend, and we've been a part of
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  • Your life as we watch all these things unfold.
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  • And one of the things that has always encouraged me and
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  • Millions of other people is that you recognize the value of
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  • Living a life that is really for the benefit of other people.
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  • Was there an ah-ha moment for you?
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  • Was it when you came to faith in jesus or sometime during your
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  • Career where it suddenly dawned on you, wait, this isn't about
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  • Me, this is about blessing others.
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  • Kathie: my parents always taught me to whom much is given, much
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  • Is required.
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  • You know, i was just rejoicing today.
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  • I just came out of my umpteenth physical therapy session for
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  • Some of the stuff i'm going through.
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  • My inner body is wasting away, believe me.
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  • And i have these little pocket jesus-s, have you seen them?
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  • Kirk: everybody needs a little jesus.
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  • Kathie: it's just the cutest thing in the world.
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  • We order them by the hundreds.
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  • And a guy at pt came up to me about two weeks ago and says,
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  • "kathie, remember me?
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  • You gave me a pocket jesus."
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  • And i said, "yeah, of course."
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  • And he goes, "i just want you to know that he saved my life
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  • Last night."
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  • I said, "what?"
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  • He said, "i was in a, car crash and totaled my car.
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  • And i came to, and there on my dashboard is pocket jesus
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  • Looking at me."
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  • And i cannot tell you the miracles, this little pocket
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  • Jesus, and i always say, if he's in your heart--if he's not in
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  • Your heart, we can work on that, let's pray.
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  • And i'm just bold about it, you know.
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  • Kirk: kathie, you're always spreading joy everywhere that
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  • You go.
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  • One of the devotionals here in your book is called
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  • "no regrets."
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  • Regrets are are terrible things, and some people--
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  • Kathie: they're tools of the devil.
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  • Kirk: tools of the devil, what would you say to someone who is
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  • Living a life that is full of regrets?
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  • What can they do to offload that?
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  • Kathie: quit wasting your life on regretting.
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  • There is nothing you can do to change what is past.
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  • The only thing that we have actual power over in our lives
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  • Is this moment.
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  • I could choose today to be with you talking about our lord,
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  • Something we have always had in common, and you and i were both
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  • Rarities in the entertainment field of people that were bold
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  • About their faith when it was certainly not the popular woke
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  • Thing to do, you know?
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  • And but what jesus taught me a long, long time ago, and it was
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  • My daddy, he said, kathie, always treat every single person
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  • You meet on any set or any movie or any recording session,
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  • Everybody, treat them like jesus would treat them and let them
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  • Know how valuable they are.
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  • Use it to tell people how much god loves them, how much jesus
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  • Loves them, and i love you, too, because he does.
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  • And don't judge 'em, and don't pass judgment on them, and it's
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  • Gonna be hard, because you're gonna see people doing things
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  • That does not honor me and you're not born on this planet
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  • To judge them.
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  • That's my job, and i will be merciful.
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  • But you are here on this planet to share the message of hope
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  • That is within you.
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  • Kirk: well, kathie i love that you're always learning.
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  • I think retirement, the word retirement means nothing to you.
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  • You continue to bless other people and pursue opportunities.
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  • And i can't wait to talk with you more after the break.
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  • And we'll be back with kathie lee in just a few moments.
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  • And then later in the program, john bevere is going to join us
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  • To share how we can discover our god-given gifts to fulfill
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  • Our purpose.
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  • So stay with us, don't go away.
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  • Kirk: what do you say to the man or to the woman who's now in
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  • Their retirement years?
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  • Is it too late for them to find their calling?
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  • John: no, it's never too late.
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  • I don't care if you're 80 years old, it's not too late.
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  • And i don't care if you're 14 years old, it's not too early.
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  • Jeremiah was called when he was 16, 11 out of 12 jesus's
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  • Disciples were called when they were under 20.
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  • We have so many examples of people engaging in their calling
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  • In their teens, not waiting until they're in their thirties,
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  • So both ways.
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  • I don't care if you're in your seventies, you still got a call
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  • Of god in your life, and that call is not a stationary call,
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  • It's constantly adjusting.
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  • [music]
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  • [music]
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  • [music]
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  • Kirk: we're back with emmy award-winning host and
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  • Bestselling author, kathie lee gifford, talking about making a
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  • Difference, because life is short and precious.
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  • Kathie lee, you talk in your devotional book here about
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  • Leaving a legacy that matters.
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  • What kind of a legacy do you want to leave?
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  • Kathie: well, look who's joined us.
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  • I took--can you see it?
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  • Kirk: yes, i can see it's a little jesus.
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  • Kathie: yes, and it comes in multiple colors, and if you want
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  • To make people smile, change people's days, just start giving
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  • Them away.
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  • Only one person out of hundreds said no to me.
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  • No, i don't believe in that.
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  • I said, "well, he believes in you, and he loves you."
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  • I started praying for him, and darn if he didn't come up to me
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  • A couple months later and go, you know, he didn't and mention
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  • The incident, but he was, you know, he was very sweet, and i
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  • Think he felt, you know, that he had no reason to react so
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  • Viscerally to something.
  • 00:07:51.729 --> 00:07:53.064
  • But, you know, jesus gets attention, and people more and
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  • More and more need more jesus in them.
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  • And if you wanna have a life that ultimately lasts long
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  • Beyond your days on this earth, you know, love people, love
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  • People in his name, and who knows where god will take you?
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  • That's his business, that's his job.
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  • Kirk: kathie lee, you've been through so much in your life,
  • 00:08:15.587 --> 00:08:17.722
  • Ups and downs, both professionally and personally.
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  • Can you share with us something that god has revealed about
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  • Himself to you through your journey?
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  • Kathie: well, there was a couple of times in my life where i
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  • Never stopped believing in god.
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  • I just stopped believing that he loved, you know, for
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  • Various reasons.
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  • And then he always, always brought me back to beit av,
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  • Which is in hebrew the father's house, because that's what we're
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  • Created to do.
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  • I have a musical called, it's a movie called "the way," and it
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  • Talks about how the whole purpose of our life on this
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  • Planet is god made us for his house.
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  • The beit av is the father's house, and that's what we were
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  • Created for, and any time we leave the comfort and the
  • 00:09:05.703 --> 00:09:10.341
  • Protection of being in beit av, we're gonna pay for it one way
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  • Or another.
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  • We're gonna bring it on ourselves, or other people will
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  • Bring it to us, because we have a a mighty, mighty enemy out
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  • There who wants to steal, kill, and destroy us.
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  • And so we have to stay mindful at all times is that he's a
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  • Roaring lion.
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  • He's a roaring lion.
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  • He'll find us in our most vulnerable places.
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  • And that's where he'll dig in and try to get a foothold.
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  • And, you know, at times, the times in my life that i let him
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  • Do that, i paid the price.
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  • I paid a big price.
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  • And, now, do i have regrets?
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  • No, because everything i have learned in life, i learned from
  • 00:09:50.014 --> 00:09:53.284
  • What i just learned.
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  • You know what i mean?
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  • Always, always.
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  • He is jesus was a rabbi, and that means teaching.
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  • He didn't preach at people.
  • 00:10:00.725 --> 00:10:02.960
  • He taught them lovingly, lovingly taught them.
  • 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:06.464
  • I think in our christian culture here in the west, we have too
  • 00:10:06.464 --> 00:10:11.669
  • Many people preaching at us and certainly not living a life
  • 00:10:11.669 --> 00:10:15.840
  • Behind the closed doors that gives them the right to
  • 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:19.677
  • Be self-righteous.
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  • I know that god loves everybody, but religious people are hard
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  • For me, because i consider myself a follower of jesus.
  • 00:10:24.749 --> 00:10:30.755
  • The first followers of jesus were not christians.
  • 00:10:30.755 --> 00:10:33.858
  • You know, people don't understand that.
  • 00:10:33.858 --> 00:10:35.193
  • They weren't christians.
  • 00:10:35.193 --> 00:10:36.561
  • They were called the way, followers of the way.
  • 00:10:36.561 --> 00:10:39.764
  • Believers in jesus were not called christians until after
  • 00:10:39.764 --> 00:10:42.333
  • Jesus was resurrected and ascended, because that was a
  • 00:10:42.333 --> 00:10:46.471
  • Pagan's thing that--was nero.
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  • I just finished writing a book about nero.
  • 00:10:48.439 --> 00:10:50.074
  • He's the one that said, "oh, the little christians."
  • 00:10:50.074 --> 00:10:52.877
  • It was derisive.
  • 00:10:52.877 --> 00:10:54.245
  • It was a derisive term that he used.
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  • He couldn't stand them.
  • 00:10:57.215 --> 00:10:58.549
  • He made torches out of them when they were being crucified,
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  • And got joy out of it, got joy out of it.
  • 00:11:02.286 --> 00:11:04.555
  • But that's when the apostolic period started with paul and
  • 00:11:04.555 --> 00:11:09.060
  • With the men who were the disciples went forth and left
  • 00:11:09.060 --> 00:11:13.664
  • Jerusalem and became apostles at that point, that's when the
  • 00:11:13.664 --> 00:11:18.903
  • Believers started to be called christians.
  • 00:11:18.903 --> 00:11:22.106
  • Kirk: kathie lee, this is so interesting, and i love how,
  • 00:11:22.106 --> 00:11:25.443
  • Again, you continue to learn and not just stay stagnant where you
  • 00:11:25.443 --> 00:11:29.881
  • Are, but always be growing in your understanding of things.
  • 00:11:29.881 --> 00:11:34.352
  • If you could go back and you could speak to your younger
  • 00:11:34.352 --> 00:11:39.290
  • Self, knowing what you know now, what kind of advice would you
  • 00:11:39.290 --> 00:11:43.461
  • Give the 20-year-old kathie lee gifford?
  • 00:11:43.461 --> 00:11:46.397
  • Kathie: i am probably the least patient person you'll ever meet.
  • 00:11:46.397 --> 00:11:49.634
  • I want it now, and if you can't do it for me, i will get it
  • 00:11:49.634 --> 00:11:53.171
  • Myself, thank you.
  • 00:11:53.171 --> 00:11:54.505
  • You know, i'm a doer.
  • 00:11:54.505 --> 00:11:56.474
  • I am a type a personality out the wazoo.
  • 00:11:56.474 --> 00:11:59.677
  • You know, i just--i'm a--the lord puts it on my heart, i go.
  • 00:11:59.677 --> 00:12:04.916
  • Oh, send me, lord, go.
  • 00:12:04.916 --> 00:12:06.584
  • I pray and then i go.
  • 00:12:06.584 --> 00:12:08.052
  • And and so i would say to the 20 year old, what i was just
  • 00:12:08.052 --> 00:12:12.456
  • Starting to learn very tough lesson about back then, you
  • 00:12:12.456 --> 00:12:18.029
  • Gotta trust his promises.
  • 00:12:18.029 --> 00:12:20.064
  • You know, in my musical "the way," the movie, the first
  • 00:12:20.064 --> 00:12:23.601
  • Oratorio's called the god of the how and when.
  • 00:12:23.601 --> 00:12:26.537
  • Everybody in scripture gets a promise, and then they don't
  • 00:12:26.537 --> 00:12:29.540
  • Know how long they're gonna have to wait for that promises to be
  • 00:12:29.540 --> 00:12:31.943
  • Fulfilled, but god always has-- as for god, his ways
  • 00:12:31.943 --> 00:12:35.847
  • Are perfect.
  • 00:12:35.847 --> 00:12:37.215
  • The word of the lord is flawless.
  • 00:12:37.215 --> 00:12:40.084
  • Now, we know that jesus is the word, and the word became flesh
  • 00:12:40.084 --> 00:12:43.888
  • And dwelt among us.
  • 00:12:43.888 --> 00:12:45.256
  • But, you know, we're anxious, we want it now, we want what we
  • 00:12:45.256 --> 00:12:50.194
  • Want right now, and it's human nature.
  • 00:12:50.194 --> 00:12:52.496
  • And i'm trying to say, well, lord, you promised me to give me
  • 00:12:52.496 --> 00:12:54.966
  • The desires of my heart, and you haven't done that yet.
  • 00:12:54.966 --> 00:12:58.102
  • And he goes, you're right, not yet.
  • 00:12:58.102 --> 00:13:00.338
  • And maybe i'm working on the desires of your heart to make
  • 00:13:00.338 --> 00:13:02.807
  • Them more in keeping with my will for you.
  • 00:13:02.807 --> 00:13:08.746
  • Kirk: i love that god can change the desires of our heart.
  • 00:13:08.746 --> 00:13:11.849
  • Not only fill the wicked desires of our heart, but actually give
  • 00:13:11.849 --> 00:13:14.719
  • Us a new heart and then fill the desires that align with what
  • 00:13:14.719 --> 00:13:18.756
  • Heaven loves.
  • 00:13:18.756 --> 00:13:21.092
  • What would you say to somebody who feels like they're at a
  • 00:13:21.092 --> 00:13:24.962
  • Point in their life where they just sense that they're
  • 00:13:24.962 --> 00:13:27.064
  • Drifting, and they've almost given up on their dreams?
  • 00:13:27.064 --> 00:13:29.567
  • They're not sure what god is calling them to do and not sure
  • 00:13:29.567 --> 00:13:32.870
  • If they've lived a life of significance.
  • 00:13:32.870 --> 00:13:35.940
  • How can they begin to really lock in on a legacy that they
  • 00:13:35.940 --> 00:13:40.244
  • Can leave for their children and grandchildren going forward?
  • 00:13:40.244 --> 00:13:43.514
  • Kathie: well, if you die with one person telling you that you
  • 00:13:43.514 --> 00:13:47.418
  • Changed their life and that you you taught them about love, then
  • 00:13:47.418 --> 00:13:52.723
  • You have a legacy.
  • 00:13:52.723 --> 00:13:54.058
  • If it's just one person, just one person.
  • 00:13:54.058 --> 00:13:58.429
  • And maybe that's all god had for you at the time, but i don't
  • 00:13:58.429 --> 00:14:02.233
  • Believe that, because when we throw our bread upon the water,
  • 00:14:02.233 --> 00:14:04.335
  • It comes back manifold over and over and over and over again.
  • 00:14:04.335 --> 00:14:08.005
  • If we were to seek first the kingdom of god and his
  • 00:14:08.005 --> 00:14:10.975
  • Righteousness, and everything else will be added unto us.
  • 00:14:10.975 --> 00:14:15.179
  • His promises are true.
  • 00:14:15.179 --> 00:14:16.781
  • We have to take him at his word, because he is flawless.
  • 00:14:16.781 --> 00:14:20.117
  • There's a wonderful bible it's out now it's called the tree of
  • 00:14:20.117 --> 00:14:23.120
  • Life and it's written by jewish rabbis, messianic rabbis, and
  • 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:29.060
  • It's just--i love it because it--you can guarantee that
  • 00:14:29.060 --> 00:14:33.130
  • They've done their homework.
  • 00:14:33.130 --> 00:14:34.465
  • You know, i studied with these men in israel.
  • 00:14:34.465 --> 00:14:36.600
  • "the rock, the road, and the rabbi" is where all of this
  • 00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:39.170
  • Stuff happened.
  • 00:14:39.170 --> 00:14:40.504
  • The rock is jesus, the road is the holy land, and the rabbi is
  • 00:14:40.504 --> 00:14:43.574
  • Not rabbi sobel so much who wrote that book with me, but
  • 00:14:43.574 --> 00:14:48.312
  • It's its rabbinical teaching.
  • 00:14:48.312 --> 00:14:50.414
  • The way i talked about my experience in israel learning
  • 00:14:50.414 --> 00:14:54.485
  • These things and then rabbi takes you down ten
  • 00:14:54.485 --> 00:14:58.122
  • Layers deeper.
  • 00:14:58.122 --> 00:14:59.457
  • If you wanna start getting closer to god, find out what the
  • 00:14:59.457 --> 00:15:02.526
  • Word of god actually says.
  • 00:15:02.526 --> 00:15:04.161
  • Embrace it and start to believe it.
  • 00:15:04.161 --> 00:15:06.530
  • I think my book "the rock, the road, and the rabbi" would be a
  • 00:15:06.530 --> 00:15:09.367
  • Good one for people to try, and we have the audio book as well
  • 00:15:09.367 --> 00:15:14.038
  • That we did.
  • 00:15:14.038 --> 00:15:15.373
  • And i think that just get back on the on the road to beit av,
  • 00:15:15.373 --> 00:15:20.411
  • The road to the father's house.
  • 00:15:20.411 --> 00:15:22.380
  • Kirk: i just love that you continue to make project after
  • 00:15:22.380 --> 00:15:26.017
  • Project so creatively, sharing the love of jesus with people
  • 00:15:26.017 --> 00:15:29.086
  • Through your books, through your movies, through your broadway
  • 00:15:29.086 --> 00:15:30.955
  • Plays, and you just never quit.
  • 00:15:30.955 --> 00:15:33.391
  • Thank you so much for taking this time to come
  • 00:15:33.391 --> 00:15:35.760
  • On "takeaways."
  • 00:15:35.760 --> 00:15:37.128
  • It's great to catch up with you again.
  • 00:15:37.128 --> 00:15:39.363
  • Kathie: regis would say you're out of control.
  • 00:15:39.363 --> 00:15:41.465
  • Kirk: you're out of control.
  • 00:15:41.465 --> 00:15:43.801
  • Well, god bless you.
  • 00:15:43.801 --> 00:15:45.636
  • Kathie: and you too, sweetie.
  • 00:15:45.636 --> 00:15:47.004
  • My love to your family.
  • 00:15:47.004 --> 00:15:48.639
  • Kirk: thank you, after the break, author and speaker john
  • 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:51.242
  • Bevere will share his insights on how we can discover our
  • 00:15:51.242 --> 00:15:54.645
  • Calling and live a purpose-filled life, so don't
  • 00:15:54.645 --> 00:15:57.415
  • Go away.
  • 00:15:57.415 --> 00:16:01.218
  • Kirk: we'd like to welcome dr. erez soref, who serves as
  • 00:16:01.218 --> 00:16:04.488
  • President of one for israel ministry.
  • 00:16:04.488 --> 00:16:06.657
  • One for israel's dynamic online outreach ministry transformed
  • 00:16:06.657 --> 00:16:10.394
  • The visibility of the gospel in israel with over 70 million
  • 00:16:10.394 --> 00:16:14.665
  • Views in hebrew alone.
  • 00:16:14.665 --> 00:16:17.234
  • One for israel also operates the only hebrew-speaking accredited
  • 00:16:17.234 --> 00:16:21.472
  • Seminary in the world, training jewish and arab pastors and
  • 00:16:21.472 --> 00:16:25.309
  • Leading outreach and evangelism in the digital arena.
  • 00:16:25.309 --> 00:16:29.513
  • I'm so thankful you're here.
  • 00:16:29.513 --> 00:16:30.848
  • Thank you for joining us.
  • 00:16:30.848 --> 00:16:32.216
  • Erez soref: hello, shalom, kirk, great to be here.
  • 00:16:32.216 --> 00:16:33.818
  • Kirk: so you're the president of this bible seminary and the
  • 00:16:33.818 --> 00:16:37.688
  • Leading gospel ministry in israel, but you didn't grow up
  • 00:16:37.688 --> 00:16:41.525
  • In the faith.
  • 00:16:41.525 --> 00:16:42.893
  • So how did you come to christ and get where you are?
  • 00:16:42.893 --> 00:16:46.163
  • Erez: so it sounds really weird, and we refer to this phenomenon
  • 00:16:46.163 --> 00:16:49.733
  • As jesus being the best kept secret in the jewish world and
  • 00:16:49.733 --> 00:16:53.170
  • In israel.
  • 00:16:53.170 --> 00:16:54.505
  • And growing up in israel, i've never heard about jesus of
  • 00:16:54.505 --> 00:16:57.108
  • Nazareth, and even though i visited the sea of galilee in
  • 00:16:57.108 --> 00:16:59.810
  • Jerusalem, often i didn't know anything about him, never seen a
  • 00:16:59.810 --> 00:17:02.980
  • New testament.
  • 00:17:02.980 --> 00:17:04.315
  • And in fact, i've heard the gospel when i was 22 after my
  • 00:17:04.315 --> 00:17:07.585
  • Military service, when i met a group of followers of jesus for
  • 00:17:07.585 --> 00:17:12.690
  • The first time in my life.
  • 00:17:12.690 --> 00:17:14.024
  • It was in europe, and it was through their testimony and
  • 00:17:14.024 --> 00:17:18.129
  • Their love, they got me in paul's language to be jealous,
  • 00:17:18.129 --> 00:17:22.967
  • Spiritually jealous in a good way.
  • 00:17:22.967 --> 00:17:25.002
  • And so i started reading the new testament.
  • 00:17:25.002 --> 00:17:28.205
  • Finally became convinced in my head and then in my heart that a
  • 00:17:28.205 --> 00:17:30.975
  • Spiritual experience with yeshua, jesus, and i thought i
  • 00:17:30.975 --> 00:17:34.678
  • Was the only jewish disciple since paul to have made this
  • 00:17:34.678 --> 00:17:37.781
  • Great discovery.
  • 00:17:37.781 --> 00:17:39.617
  • Went home very enthused to tell my parents, my friends, my
  • 00:17:39.617 --> 00:17:43.020
  • Family, my neighbors, my people about this great discovery.
  • 00:17:43.020 --> 00:17:47.458
  • The initial response was very different than what i expected.
  • 00:17:47.458 --> 00:17:49.894
  • It was not all that positive.
  • 00:17:49.894 --> 00:17:51.529
  • Kirk: right?
  • 00:17:51.529 --> 00:17:52.897
  • Erez: but i did find out that i'm not the--i wasn't the only
  • 00:17:52.897 --> 00:17:56.066
  • Follower of yeshua in the country, which was great
  • 00:17:56.066 --> 00:17:58.569
  • Encouragement to me.
  • 00:17:58.569 --> 00:17:59.937
  • I started attending a local church or congregation.
  • 00:17:59.937 --> 00:18:03.174
  • And that's kind of how we started.
  • 00:18:03.174 --> 00:18:04.975
  • Kirk: wow, that is so fascinating to me.
  • 00:18:04.975 --> 00:18:06.911
  • And i grew up in atheism, and we found christ and life has has
  • 00:18:06.911 --> 00:18:12.483
  • Never been the same.
  • 00:18:12.483 --> 00:18:13.817
  • And the ministry that you have in israel to jews, to arabs with
  • 00:18:13.817 --> 00:18:17.655
  • The gospel is just overwhelmingly encouraging.
  • 00:18:17.655 --> 00:18:20.958
  • What is the climate like right now for the reception of the
  • 00:18:20.958 --> 00:18:25.229
  • Gospel in israel as opposed to when you first heard the gospel?
  • 00:18:25.229 --> 00:18:30.034
  • Erez: so, say, 30 some years ago, shortly after i became a
  • 00:18:30.034 --> 00:18:33.604
  • Follower of jesus, i started going to university, and my
  • 00:18:33.604 --> 00:18:37.408
  • Friends and i, you know, a couple of us, and we would go
  • 00:18:37.408 --> 00:18:40.110
  • Out and talk to other students about spiritual things and jesus
  • 00:18:40.110 --> 00:18:42.913
  • In particular, and the response was always, always, always with
  • 00:18:42.913 --> 00:18:46.150
  • No failure, you know, how come you as an israeli jew talk to us
  • 00:18:46.150 --> 00:18:50.254
  • About jesus?
  • 00:18:50.254 --> 00:18:51.589
  • I mean, who's ever heard about this thing?
  • 00:18:51.589 --> 00:18:52.957
  • And now jumping 30-some years ahead, of course, the exposure
  • 00:18:52.957 --> 00:18:57.094
  • As you mentioned is just dramatically different.
  • 00:18:57.094 --> 00:19:00.364
  • But especially the last 20 months with the current war
  • 00:19:00.364 --> 00:19:05.035
  • That's going on in israel, maybe the most difficult season in the
  • 00:19:05.035 --> 00:19:09.673
  • Life of the jewish people and the state of israel since the
  • 00:19:09.673 --> 00:19:13.744
  • Holocaust, and a lot of people have existential questions, you
  • 00:19:13.744 --> 00:19:17.881
  • Know, why is this happening?
  • 00:19:17.881 --> 00:19:19.216
  • Is there hope in any way, shape, or form?
  • 00:19:19.216 --> 00:19:20.951
  • And so our channels, digital channels have just seen an
  • 00:19:20.951 --> 00:19:24.722
  • Explosion of people calling us, writing us, texting us, wanting
  • 00:19:24.722 --> 00:19:29.293
  • To hear more about the hope in yeshua, in jesus.
  • 00:19:29.293 --> 00:19:33.163
  • Kirk: that is so exciting, especially for those of us here
  • 00:19:33.163 --> 00:19:35.899
  • In in america where we're thinking that there would always
  • 00:19:35.899 --> 00:19:40.004
  • Be so much opposition in the middle east and in israel, and
  • 00:19:40.004 --> 00:19:43.374
  • Yet i also remember that christianity started in israel
  • 00:19:43.374 --> 00:19:47.845
  • And that jesus was jewish.
  • 00:19:47.845 --> 00:19:49.980
  • I mean, my heroes of the faith are jewish, and that revival is
  • 00:19:49.980 --> 00:19:55.386
  • Actually taking place in some of the most persecuted areas.
  • 00:19:55.386 --> 00:19:58.455
  • And you're confirming this right now.
  • 00:19:58.455 --> 00:20:00.958
  • Erez: yes, and you know it's interesting to think about it in
  • 00:20:00.958 --> 00:20:03.927
  • Terms of the great commission.
  • 00:20:03.927 --> 00:20:05.829
  • So the gospel, as you mentioned, began in israel.
  • 00:20:05.829 --> 00:20:07.965
  • I mean yeshua, jesus himself, you know, jewish person, the
  • 00:20:07.965 --> 00:20:11.068
  • First disciples, and then it went westbound, circled the
  • 00:20:11.068 --> 00:20:14.471
  • World, and now it's coming back to the middle east and also
  • 00:20:14.471 --> 00:20:18.409
  • To israel.
  • 00:20:18.409 --> 00:20:19.743
  • And i think that's part of the last frontier, so to speak.
  • 00:20:19.743 --> 00:20:22.479
  • And again, just thinking about god's plan for humanity tells us
  • 00:20:22.479 --> 00:20:26.050
  • Something about god's timetable, and for sure it's exciting.
  • 00:20:26.050 --> 00:20:30.120
  • Kirk: yeah, this is very, very encouraging.
  • 00:20:30.120 --> 00:20:33.424
  • What are some of the challenges that you are seeing and that the
  • 00:20:33.424 --> 00:20:36.760
  • Gospel is facing in israel today?
  • 00:20:36.760 --> 00:20:38.929
  • Erez: well, we share the gospel both with jewish people and arab
  • 00:20:38.929 --> 00:20:41.365
  • People, and it's both similar but also different in terms of
  • 00:20:41.365 --> 00:20:44.535
  • The challenges.
  • 00:20:44.535 --> 00:20:45.869
  • You know, our arab evangelism team, and actually our jewish
  • 00:20:45.869 --> 00:20:49.039
  • One, too, gets a lot of threats, you know, including
  • 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:52.242
  • Life threats.
  • 00:20:52.242 --> 00:20:53.977
  • There is a group in the nation of israel of people that kinda
  • 00:20:53.977 --> 00:20:58.248
  • Like paul before he became the apostle, they truly believe that
  • 00:20:58.248 --> 00:21:02.720
  • They serve god by trying to stop our activity, so they would
  • 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:06.490
  • Learn anything from, you know, articles in the newspaper
  • 00:21:06.490 --> 00:21:09.293
  • Telling how terrible we are, digital media, of course, now,
  • 00:21:09.293 --> 00:21:13.964
  • Demonstrations in front of our buildings, and now more recently
  • 00:21:13.964 --> 00:21:17.935
  • Trying to pursue a legal route, suing us for all sorts of
  • 00:21:17.935 --> 00:21:21.939
  • Different things and trying to, you know, just take attention
  • 00:21:21.939 --> 00:21:26.009
  • And resources and stop our activity.
  • 00:21:26.009 --> 00:21:28.045
  • You know, it's really not about us, and those people are not
  • 00:21:28.045 --> 00:21:30.681
  • Our enemies.
  • 00:21:30.681 --> 00:21:32.049
  • They're actually, you know, the people that we're trying to
  • 00:21:32.049 --> 00:21:33.484
  • Reach, we pray for them, there'll be more apostle pauls
  • 00:21:33.484 --> 00:21:36.420
  • From among them, but the reality for the church in israel is that
  • 00:21:36.420 --> 00:21:41.492
  • There is a lot of struggle, i mean, on an ongoing basis.
  • 00:21:41.492 --> 00:21:44.862
  • Kirk: yeah, i've learned throughout history that this may
  • 00:21:44.862 --> 00:21:48.565
  • Be one of the periods of time in our history where revival or a
  • 00:21:48.565 --> 00:21:55.139
  • Great awakening breaks out, because they always come during
  • 00:21:55.139 --> 00:21:58.542
  • Times of financial hardships, spiritual apathy, persecution,
  • 00:21:58.542 --> 00:22:04.114
  • And even economic challenges, people turn their hearts to god,
  • 00:22:04.114 --> 00:22:07.985
  • And with the war, you're saying that's exactly what's happening.
  • 00:22:07.985 --> 00:22:11.321
  • Erez: that's exactly what's happening.
  • 00:22:11.321 --> 00:22:12.689
  • Kirk: well, how can we pray for israel?
  • 00:22:12.689 --> 00:22:14.691
  • Erez: well, first of all, thank you, and you know, praying for
  • 00:22:14.691 --> 00:22:17.060
  • Israel, praying for the peace of jerusalem is something that
  • 00:22:17.060 --> 00:22:19.129
  • Scripture is commanding us to do.
  • 00:22:19.129 --> 00:22:20.864
  • God is commanding us in scripture, and for that reason
  • 00:22:20.864 --> 00:22:24.601
  • We at one for israel created this 31-day prayer guide, and in
  • 00:22:24.601 --> 00:22:30.207
  • That prayer guide you can learn specifically how to pray for
  • 00:22:30.207 --> 00:22:34.011
  • Different groups in israel for different things that are very
  • 00:22:34.011 --> 00:22:37.314
  • Relevant for the life of followers of yeshua of jesus in
  • 00:22:37.314 --> 00:22:41.585
  • Israel in a very both intelligent and informed way.
  • 00:22:41.585 --> 00:22:45.923
  • So this is a great resource.
  • 00:22:45.923 --> 00:22:47.458
  • We get very, very good feedback, and it's completely free.
  • 00:22:47.458 --> 00:22:51.695
  • Kirk: i love that.
  • 00:22:51.695 --> 00:22:53.063
  • If we want to pray for israel, let's pray specifically, like
  • 00:22:53.063 --> 00:22:55.933
  • Here for unity in messiah, training ministers, underground
  • 00:22:55.933 --> 00:22:59.336
  • Believers the oral torah.
  • 00:22:59.336 --> 00:23:01.238
  • This is fantastic.
  • 00:23:01.238 --> 00:23:02.573
  • Just scan the qr code that you have on your screen, or you can
  • 00:23:02.573 --> 00:23:06.276
  • Call the number or visit the website oneforisrael.org.
  • 00:23:06.276 --> 00:23:11.748
  • We'll have more on "takeaways" right after this.
  • 00:23:11.748 --> 00:23:18.004
  • We'll have more on "takeaways" right after this.
  • 00:23:18.004 --> 00:23:18.389
  • [music]
  • 00:23:18.623 --> 00:23:23.761
  • Kirk: i'm so excited about my next guest, john bevere is an
  • 00:23:24.963 --> 00:23:28.333
  • International bestselling author.
  • 00:23:28.333 --> 00:23:29.834
  • He's written more than 20 books including "the bait of satan,"
  • 00:23:29.834 --> 00:23:33.471
  • "the awe of god," and most recently, "you are called."
  • 00:23:33.471 --> 00:23:37.375
  • Along with his wife lisa, john is also the co-founder of
  • 00:23:37.375 --> 00:23:40.512
  • Messenger international, a ministry committed to
  • 00:23:40.512 --> 00:23:43.581
  • Revolutionizing global discipleship.
  • 00:23:43.581 --> 00:23:45.550
  • John, thanks so much for coming on.
  • 00:23:45.550 --> 00:23:47.085
  • John: kirk, it's great to be on, and i appreciate all the work
  • 00:23:47.085 --> 00:23:49.254
  • You've done in the body of christ.
  • 00:23:49.254 --> 00:23:50.889
  • Kirk: well, we have met, but we've never sat face to face and
  • 00:23:50.889 --> 00:23:53.925
  • Had a conversation.
  • 00:23:53.925 --> 00:23:55.293
  • John: this is bad.
  • 00:23:55.293 --> 00:23:56.628
  • It takes this long for us to be face to face.
  • 00:23:56.628 --> 00:23:58.429
  • Kirk: but i am so grateful, because you've written a book
  • 00:23:58.429 --> 00:24:01.599
  • Now on the heels of "the awe of god" that i think is going to
  • 00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:05.370
  • Fly off the shelves faster than "the bait of satan" or any of
  • 00:24:05.370 --> 00:24:08.873
  • The others, because i have six children who i know are longing
  • 00:24:08.873 --> 00:24:13.545
  • To see with clarity what god is calling them to do and be in
  • 00:24:13.545 --> 00:24:18.516
  • Their life.
  • 00:24:18.516 --> 00:24:19.884
  • What prompted you to write this book?
  • 00:24:19.884 --> 00:24:21.252
  • John: you know, what really opened my eyes is i played golf
  • 00:24:21.252 --> 00:24:23.588
  • With a partner of ours, and he had just turned 50.
  • 00:24:23.588 --> 00:24:26.424
  • He had worked three decades to build his businesses up to
  • 00:24:26.424 --> 00:24:30.261
  • Really where he wanted them to be.
  • 00:24:30.261 --> 00:24:31.596
  • His net worth was well over 9 million.
  • 00:24:31.596 --> 00:24:33.264
  • He said, hey, everything's great.
  • 00:24:33.264 --> 00:24:34.899
  • My wife's cared for life.
  • 00:24:34.899 --> 00:24:36.367
  • He said why should i work as hard any longer?
  • 00:24:36.367 --> 00:24:39.103
  • Everybody's cared for it.
  • 00:24:39.103 --> 00:24:40.471
  • And i knew it was a moment.
  • 00:24:40.471 --> 00:24:41.806
  • I knew my answer was going to affect this guy's next ten years
  • 00:24:41.806 --> 00:24:44.175
  • And possibly longer.
  • 00:24:44.175 --> 00:24:45.910
  • And he's a good friend, and i said, okay, stan, i'm gonna
  • 00:24:45.910 --> 00:24:49.113
  • Answer this with a different scenario.
  • 00:24:49.113 --> 00:24:50.848
  • I have traveled 12 million miles, i've written 20 books,
  • 00:24:50.848 --> 00:24:54.886
  • They're in over 100 languages.
  • 00:24:54.886 --> 00:24:56.721
  • You know, i've stayed in little hotel square--400-square foot
  • 00:24:56.721 --> 00:24:59.958
  • Hotel rooms, why should i write another book?
  • 00:24:59.958 --> 00:25:02.894
  • My wife's cared for, my children are cared for, why should i get
  • 00:25:02.894 --> 00:25:05.530
  • On another plane?
  • 00:25:05.530 --> 00:25:06.864
  • He laughed, and he said i wouldn't want to be in your
  • 00:25:06.864 --> 00:25:08.232
  • Shoes when you face jesus.
  • 00:25:08.232 --> 00:25:09.901
  • I said, well, i said, you just said the same thing.
  • 00:25:09.901 --> 00:25:12.937
  • And he got this look on his face, and he got a little, you
  • 00:25:12.937 --> 00:25:15.506
  • Know, defensive.
  • 00:25:15.506 --> 00:25:16.841
  • He said what are you talking about?
  • 00:25:16.841 --> 00:25:18.209
  • I said god has a calling on every single believer's life,
  • 00:25:18.209 --> 00:25:20.445
  • Every single one.
  • 00:25:20.445 --> 00:25:21.813
  • And with that calling, he gives us unique supernatural gifts to
  • 00:25:21.813 --> 00:25:25.216
  • Accomplish it.
  • 00:25:25.216 --> 00:25:26.551
  • And i said we can do one of three things with those gifts,
  • 00:25:26.551 --> 00:25:29.087
  • We can sit on them and do nothing, we can use them just
  • 00:25:29.087 --> 00:25:31.990
  • For us and our family, we can use them as intended to build
  • 00:25:31.990 --> 00:25:35.059
  • The kingdom of god.
  • 00:25:35.059 --> 00:25:36.394
  • I said the problem we have here is, stan, as you see, you've
  • 00:25:36.394 --> 00:25:39.964
  • Connected my dots, you haven't connected your dots.
  • 00:25:39.964 --> 00:25:43.635
  • And he said what do you mean?
  • 00:25:43.635 --> 00:25:44.969
  • I said you see how my dots, my gifts of writing, speaking, are
  • 00:25:44.969 --> 00:25:49.207
  • Building the kingdom, you don't see how yours.
  • 00:25:49.207 --> 00:25:52.143
  • Well, i continue to minister to him, six months later he said
  • 00:25:52.143 --> 00:25:55.813
  • Your call haunted me.
  • 00:25:55.813 --> 00:25:57.649
  • I just got a text from him eight years later, okay,
  • 00:25:57.649 --> 00:26:01.085
  • Last november.
  • 00:26:01.085 --> 00:26:03.488
  • He said, john, i just want to share with you.
  • 00:26:03.488 --> 00:26:05.156
  • I couldn't wait until it actually happened, but do you
  • 00:26:05.156 --> 00:26:07.692
  • Remember that really long conversation we had in the car
  • 00:26:07.692 --> 00:26:11.663
  • Eight years ago?
  • 00:26:11.663 --> 00:26:13.031
  • I said yeah.
  • 00:26:13.031 --> 00:26:14.365
  • On the text he said i just sold my brand-new business.
  • 00:26:14.365 --> 00:26:16.601
  • He said i started that business because of that talk.
  • 00:26:16.601 --> 00:26:19.003
  • I just sold it for $555 million this morning with
  • 00:26:19.003 --> 00:26:22.173
  • 3 other partners.
  • 00:26:22.173 --> 00:26:23.574
  • And what i saw is when he connected his gifting to his
  • 00:26:23.574 --> 00:26:27.645
  • Calling, it made him more purposeful.
  • 00:26:27.645 --> 00:26:31.082
  • And kirk, i see a lot of people in the body of christ right now
  • 00:26:31.082 --> 00:26:34.285
  • That because they don't understand they are uniquely
  • 00:26:34.285 --> 00:26:36.621
  • Gifted and called to do something that nobody else is
  • 00:26:36.621 --> 00:26:38.790
  • Really called to do.
  • 00:26:38.790 --> 00:26:40.124
  • We talk a lot about our identity in christ, but we don't talk
  • 00:26:40.124 --> 00:26:43.327
  • About what we're called to do in christ, because the bible says
  • 00:26:43.327 --> 00:26:45.730
  • We're his workmanship created in christ jesus to do good works
  • 00:26:45.730 --> 00:26:48.766
  • That we should walk in those.
  • 00:26:48.766 --> 00:26:50.468
  • It doesn't say we would, says we should.
  • 00:26:50.468 --> 00:26:52.670
  • I'm sitting with a navy seal instructor in hawaii, and this
  • 00:26:52.670 --> 00:26:57.675
  • Guy really wanted to see me, and i was like, okay, any navy seal
  • 00:26:57.675 --> 00:27:02.914
  • Wants to see me, i wanna see him.
  • 00:27:02.914 --> 00:27:04.315
  • Kirk: that's right, because if you don't, he'll find you.
  • 00:27:04.315 --> 00:27:06.217
  • Kathie: yeah, he'll find me.
  • 00:27:06.217 --> 00:27:07.752
  • So we sit down at the dinner table.
  • 00:27:07.752 --> 00:27:09.087
  • There's a bunch of other couples, and i said what's
  • 00:27:09.087 --> 00:27:10.655
  • Your story?
  • 00:27:10.655 --> 00:27:12.023
  • And basically he was in ministry for three years, two years bible
  • 00:27:12.023 --> 00:27:15.226
  • School intern in a church, it all went sour, and i don't have
  • 00:27:15.226 --> 00:27:19.063
  • Time to explain that.
  • 00:27:19.063 --> 00:27:20.465
  • But he said, john, it caused me to really see god like i never
  • 00:27:20.465 --> 00:27:24.502
  • Saw him before.
  • 00:27:24.502 --> 00:27:25.837
  • And god said to me i didn't call you to ministry, i called you
  • 00:27:25.837 --> 00:27:28.973
  • To military.
  • 00:27:28.973 --> 00:27:30.341
  • And he said i went to all the recruiters.
  • 00:27:30.341 --> 00:27:32.543
  • When the guy in the navy said the word seals, something leapt
  • 00:27:32.543 --> 00:27:35.880
  • In me.
  • 00:27:35.880 --> 00:27:37.215
  • I said, that's me.
  • 00:27:37.215 --> 00:27:38.583
  • What they both didn't know is that he couldn't swim, and there
  • 00:27:38.583 --> 00:27:41.119
  • Was a reason.
  • 00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:42.453
  • He had deformed ears, and they had to put tubes in them.
  • 00:27:42.453 --> 00:27:44.822
  • And he said if i even got a couple drops of water in his
  • 00:27:44.822 --> 00:27:47.225
  • Ears, he was in excruciating pain.
  • 00:27:47.225 --> 00:27:49.427
  • I said what'd you do?
  • 00:27:49.427 --> 00:27:50.995
  • He said i prayed every day, and i taught myself to swim, and i
  • 00:27:50.995 --> 00:27:56.434
  • Was in excruciating pain every day for two months.
  • 00:27:56.434 --> 00:27:59.570
  • He said one day i go down 10 feet, 20 feet, no pain.
  • 00:27:59.570 --> 00:28:02.874
  • That man was just--he was not just a navy seal, kirk, he was
  • 00:28:02.874 --> 00:28:07.378
  • An instructor.
  • 00:28:07.378 --> 00:28:08.813
  • He started telling me about his missions, how god delivered
  • 00:28:08.813 --> 00:28:11.182
  • Them, and i sat there with my jaw dropped.
  • 00:28:11.182 --> 00:28:15.386
  • Now, he looked at me after two hours of sharing the mission
  • 00:28:15.386 --> 00:28:18.523
  • Stories that god delivered him from death, and he said i know
  • 00:28:18.523 --> 00:28:21.893
  • I'm called to military, not to ministry.
  • 00:28:21.893 --> 00:28:25.396
  • He said but my ministry is in the military.
  • 00:28:25.396 --> 00:28:28.633
  • And so that's the purpose of this message, to get people to
  • 00:28:28.633 --> 00:28:33.504
  • Basically find out we have a personal relationship, right?
  • 00:28:33.504 --> 00:28:38.109
  • I'm here talking with you.
  • 00:28:38.109 --> 00:28:39.877
  • Until i sit down and talk with you, we really don't know each
  • 00:28:39.877 --> 00:28:42.947
  • Other, right?
  • 00:28:42.947 --> 00:28:44.282
  • But now we can--you can ask me questions, i can ask
  • 00:28:44.282 --> 00:28:46.851
  • You questions.
  • 00:28:46.851 --> 00:28:48.219
  • In our personal relationship with jesus, don't you think he
  • 00:28:48.219 --> 00:28:51.989
  • Wants us to know what he put us on this earth to do?
  • 00:28:51.989 --> 00:28:55.593
  • And if we really seek him about it, just like that navy seal,
  • 00:28:55.593 --> 00:28:59.230
  • Just like that businessman, we now become more fruitful.
  • 00:28:59.230 --> 00:29:02.900
  • Kirk: john, what you're saying makes so much sense with the
  • 00:29:02.900 --> 00:29:05.269
  • Story of the navy seal, and obviously people look at a guy
  • 00:29:05.269 --> 00:29:07.872
  • Like you and they say, man, you write books.
  • 00:29:07.872 --> 00:29:09.774
  • God gifted you to do this.
  • 00:29:09.774 --> 00:29:11.142
  • It's obvious what your calling is.
  • 00:29:11.142 --> 00:29:13.144
  • Why do so many of us struggle to connect the dots and see our
  • 00:29:13.144 --> 00:29:19.116
  • Gifts and connect it to our calling?
  • 00:29:19.116 --> 00:29:22.954
  • John: i'll be really honest.
  • 00:29:22.954 --> 00:29:24.322
  • Somebody may not like my answer i'm about to say.
  • 00:29:24.322 --> 00:29:26.991
  • The bible doesn't say god rewards those who casually
  • 00:29:26.991 --> 00:29:29.861
  • Seek him.
  • 00:29:29.861 --> 00:29:31.229
  • Hebrews 11:6 says without faith, it's impossible to please god,
  • 00:29:31.229 --> 00:29:35.499
  • Because he that comes to god must believe that he is, and
  • 00:29:35.499 --> 00:29:37.902
  • He's a rewarder of those who diligently, not casually, seek
  • 00:29:37.902 --> 00:29:41.906
  • Him in faith, not wonder and doubt.
  • 00:29:41.906 --> 00:29:43.574
  • Kirk: what does diligently mean?
  • 00:29:43.574 --> 00:29:45.376
  • John: diligent means that it's more than me just spending
  • 00:29:45.376 --> 00:29:49.013
  • 15 minutes.
  • 00:29:49.013 --> 00:29:50.381
  • It means i'm carrying it with me.
  • 00:29:50.381 --> 00:29:52.650
  • Does that make sense?
  • 00:29:52.650 --> 00:29:54.018
  • When i'm writing a book, kirk, our team will tell you this, i'm
  • 00:29:54.018 --> 00:29:57.321
  • Pretty much very focused for about four months.
  • 00:29:57.321 --> 00:30:02.426
  • Like, i try to keep as much out of my mind as possible in that
  • 00:30:02.426 --> 00:30:07.965
  • Four months.
  • 00:30:07.965 --> 00:30:09.300
  • I'm talking administratively and everything else because i know
  • 00:30:09.300 --> 00:30:12.236
  • I've got a responsibility.
  • 00:30:12.236 --> 00:30:14.272
  • When i'm diligently seeking god, it's much more than just when
  • 00:30:14.272 --> 00:30:18.276
  • I'm in the prayer closet, it's all throughout the day.
  • 00:30:18.276 --> 00:30:20.645
  • It's looking inside, it's conversing inside with the
  • 00:30:20.645 --> 00:30:23.447
  • Holy spirit.
  • 00:30:23.447 --> 00:30:24.849
  • That's diligently seeking.
  • 00:30:24.849 --> 00:30:26.851
  • Secondly, the bible says those that are planted in the house of
  • 00:30:26.851 --> 00:30:29.086
  • God will flourish.
  • 00:30:29.086 --> 00:30:30.421
  • If you plant a peach tree, you're not gonna get an apple
  • 00:30:30.421 --> 00:30:32.723
  • Tree--or peach seed, you're not gonna get an apple tree, right?
  • 00:30:32.723 --> 00:30:36.127
  • Well, when you plant yourself in a local church, it's going to
  • 00:30:36.127 --> 00:30:40.264
  • Actually cause what you've been created to do to flourish up out
  • 00:30:40.264 --> 00:30:43.434
  • Of you.
  • 00:30:43.434 --> 00:30:44.802
  • That's something we don't recognize with our natural mind,
  • 00:30:44.802 --> 00:30:47.271
  • But yet we are spiritual beings.
  • 00:30:47.271 --> 00:30:49.240
  • When you walk in these principles of god, they begin
  • 00:30:49.240 --> 00:30:51.909
  • To happen.
  • 00:30:51.909 --> 00:30:53.277
  • Kirk: i like what you just said, when you plant yourself in a
  • 00:30:53.277 --> 00:30:55.646
  • Local fellowship, a church, then you begin to produce the fruit,
  • 00:30:55.646 --> 00:30:59.583
  • And you recognize what god has gifted you with.
  • 00:30:59.583 --> 00:31:02.787
  • Sometimes i think that we take the approach of i want to do a
  • 00:31:02.787 --> 00:31:06.724
  • Personal spiritual inventory.
  • 00:31:06.724 --> 00:31:08.559
  • What are my gifts?
  • 00:31:08.559 --> 00:31:09.894
  • And i'm equating that with what do i like to do?
  • 00:31:09.894 --> 00:31:11.629
  • I like drinking coffee.
  • 00:31:11.629 --> 00:31:14.065
  • Maybe i'm supposed to be a barista, or i like,
  • 00:31:14.065 --> 00:31:17.935
  • You know, cars.
  • 00:31:17.935 --> 00:31:19.270
  • Maybe i should be a mechanic.
  • 00:31:19.270 --> 00:31:20.604
  • But if i plant myself in a church, maybe all of a sudden
  • 00:31:20.604 --> 00:31:24.442
  • The different gifts begin to appear.
  • 00:31:24.442 --> 00:31:26.644
  • Am i grasping this?
  • 00:31:26.644 --> 00:31:27.979
  • John: beautiful example.
  • 00:31:27.979 --> 00:31:30.614
  • I was on a tennis court six to eight hours a day, okay?
  • 00:31:30.614 --> 00:31:33.684
  • I played the usta circuit, i played junior davis cup,
  • 00:31:33.684 --> 00:31:36.854
  • I started at a big ten school, i was--i wanted to play
  • 00:31:36.854 --> 00:31:40.891
  • Wimbledon, okay?
  • 00:31:40.891 --> 00:31:42.860
  • And i was working towards it.
  • 00:31:42.860 --> 00:31:45.229
  • When i got saved, that desire kind of lifted, and i remember
  • 00:31:45.229 --> 00:31:49.900
  • In my pastor looking at me, and he said, john, is there anything
  • 00:31:49.900 --> 00:31:56.040
  • You're more passionate about doing than being a minister?
  • 00:31:56.040 --> 00:31:58.576
  • Because god was dealing with me for a year and a half.
  • 00:31:58.576 --> 00:32:00.978
  • I kept feeling this tug in my heart every time i go to pray,
  • 00:32:00.978 --> 00:32:04.115
  • I've called you to preach.
  • 00:32:04.115 --> 00:32:05.850
  • And i remember i said, no, there's nothing i have more
  • 00:32:05.850 --> 00:32:09.253
  • Passionate about.
  • 00:32:09.253 --> 00:32:10.588
  • He said there's probably a calling on your life.
  • 00:32:10.588 --> 00:32:13.057
  • And so i remember there was still some wrestling.
  • 00:32:13.057 --> 00:32:15.593
  • It took me a year and a half to really know i was called to
  • 00:32:15.593 --> 00:32:19.196
  • Full-time ministry.
  • 00:32:19.196 --> 00:32:20.564
  • I didn't want to go in full-time ministry.
  • 00:32:20.564 --> 00:32:21.899
  • I didn't want anything to do with it.
  • 00:32:21.899 --> 00:32:23.300
  • I was going to harvard, i was gonna get an mba if i didn't go
  • 00:32:23.300 --> 00:32:25.903
  • On the tennis circuit, and i was gonna go into corporate america.
  • 00:32:25.903 --> 00:32:29.206
  • But god came on my--i remember i was in my church, in my
  • 00:32:29.206 --> 00:32:33.177
  • Church, and my pastor's preaching.
  • 00:32:33.177 --> 00:32:35.713
  • The spirit of god came on me, and i started going down the
  • 00:32:35.713 --> 00:32:38.282
  • Chair like this.
  • 00:32:38.282 --> 00:32:39.650
  • I felt like 2,000 people were staring at me.
  • 00:32:39.650 --> 00:32:41.218
  • They weren't.
  • 00:32:41.218 --> 00:32:42.553
  • And he said i've called you to preach.
  • 00:32:42.553 --> 00:32:43.921
  • What are you gonna do about it?
  • 00:32:43.921 --> 00:32:45.256
  • I heard it in here.
  • 00:32:45.256 --> 00:32:46.624
  • I said, lord, if i end up in africa in a shack, if i end up
  • 00:32:46.624 --> 00:32:48.259
  • Having a smelly house and weird kids, i don't care what you want
  • 00:32:48.259 --> 00:32:50.661
  • Me to do, i will preach the gospel.
  • 00:32:50.661 --> 00:32:52.930
  • And that's how it began for me.
  • 00:32:52.930 --> 00:32:54.265
  • But it was a year and a half years of searching.
  • 00:32:54.265 --> 00:32:57.368
  • Kirk: i love how in your book, you also talk about your view of
  • 00:32:57.368 --> 00:33:02.773
  • God is not one of a micromanager of our gifts.
  • 00:33:02.773 --> 00:33:06.977
  • Can you unpack that for us?
  • 00:33:06.977 --> 00:33:08.345
  • John: absolutely, the bible says that we're stewards of these
  • 00:33:08.345 --> 00:33:11.715
  • Gifts, we steward them.
  • 00:33:11.715 --> 00:33:13.751
  • One of the definitions of a steward is that they're
  • 00:33:13.751 --> 00:33:16.854
  • Not micromanaged.
  • 00:33:16.854 --> 00:33:18.355
  • They manage what belongs to somebody else without
  • 00:33:18.355 --> 00:33:20.558
  • Being micromanaged.
  • 00:33:20.558 --> 00:33:21.892
  • Let me give you an example of a steward.
  • 00:33:21.892 --> 00:33:23.661
  • My 401(k), i don't even know, i mean, i know so little about it,
  • 00:33:23.661 --> 00:33:28.899
  • Because i've taken my money and given it to this guy who's far
  • 00:33:28.899 --> 00:33:32.536
  • Better than me at investing, and he is required by law to talk to
  • 00:33:32.536 --> 00:33:36.740
  • Me about it once a year.
  • 00:33:36.740 --> 00:33:38.075
  • He has to chase me down.
  • 00:33:38.075 --> 00:33:39.443
  • I'm so disinterested.
  • 00:33:39.443 --> 00:33:40.778
  • Another example of a steward would be joseph.
  • 00:33:40.778 --> 00:33:42.213
  • He starts out as a slave in potiphar's house, but he becomes
  • 00:33:42.213 --> 00:33:44.482
  • Steward of his household, right?
  • 00:33:44.482 --> 00:33:46.884
  • And what does the bible say about potiphar?
  • 00:33:46.884 --> 00:33:48.652
  • He didn't know anything that was going on in his home except for
  • 00:33:48.652 --> 00:33:51.422
  • The food that was at his table.
  • 00:33:51.422 --> 00:33:53.390
  • So steward is not micromanager-- micromanaged by the person who
  • 00:33:53.390 --> 00:33:57.595
  • Owns what he stewards.
  • 00:33:57.595 --> 00:33:59.763
  • My gift to write is not my gift.
  • 00:33:59.763 --> 00:34:02.099
  • My name's on that book because i was the first guy to get to
  • 00:34:02.099 --> 00:34:04.401
  • Read it.
  • 00:34:04.401 --> 00:34:05.736
  • The gift of god on my life wrote this book, not john bevere.
  • 00:34:05.736 --> 00:34:10.374
  • You know, my worst subject in high school was english in
  • 00:34:10.374 --> 00:34:12.443
  • Creative writing?
  • 00:34:12.443 --> 00:34:13.777
  • Do you know i scored 370 on the sat in english?
  • 00:34:13.777 --> 00:34:16.113
  • Do you know i scored 16 on the act?
  • 00:34:16.113 --> 00:34:18.682
  • I've only met two human beings that scored lower than me on
  • 00:34:18.682 --> 00:34:21.051
  • Those two in my entire travels, so when god said to me, son, i
  • 00:34:21.051 --> 00:34:24.588
  • Want you to write in 1991, i said you got the wrong kid.
  • 00:34:24.588 --> 00:34:27.491
  • You got so many of us kids, you're getting us mixed up with
  • 00:34:27.491 --> 00:34:29.527
  • One another.
  • 00:34:29.527 --> 00:34:30.861
  • You don't want me to write.
  • 00:34:30.861 --> 00:34:32.229
  • And yet now i look at the book, they're in the tens of millions,
  • 00:34:32.229 --> 00:34:34.131
  • They're in 146 languages all over the world.
  • 00:34:34.131 --> 00:34:36.834
  • So when i look at that i laugh, because my english teachers, if
  • 00:34:36.834 --> 00:34:40.571
  • They were sitting here right now would go he can't write.
  • 00:34:40.571 --> 00:34:44.942
  • Kirk: right, that's amazing.
  • 00:34:44.942 --> 00:34:46.677
  • And what would you recommend would be maybe the most
  • 00:34:46.677 --> 00:34:49.713
  • Effective way for someone to discover what their gifts are
  • 00:34:49.713 --> 00:34:53.584
  • And then connect that with their calling?
  • 00:34:53.584 --> 00:34:57.121
  • Some people they have--there's an app for that.
  • 00:34:57.121 --> 00:34:59.123
  • You can have sort of like one of those, you know?
  • 00:34:59.123 --> 00:35:01.458
  • John: okay, i don't wanna go--
  • 00:35:01.458 --> 00:35:03.194
  • Kirk: it's an ideogram.
  • 00:35:03.194 --> 00:35:04.795
  • John: i got a whole chapter in here about it, and it's a very
  • 00:35:04.795 --> 00:35:07.598
  • Lengthy chapter.
  • 00:35:07.598 --> 00:35:08.933
  • And the reason is i help people with the search, okay?
  • 00:35:08.933 --> 00:35:13.637
  • What do you find yourself doing that you don't even want to be
  • 00:35:13.637 --> 00:35:17.808
  • Paid for it?
  • 00:35:17.808 --> 00:35:19.143
  • I'd preach, kirk, if i didn't get a thing.
  • 00:35:19.143 --> 00:35:20.678
  • I just you push my button, and i preach, okay?
  • 00:35:20.678 --> 00:35:23.681
  • I'd write if i didn't get paid a thing, which, by the way, the
  • 00:35:23.681 --> 00:35:27.551
  • Royalties go to the ministry.
  • 00:35:27.551 --> 00:35:28.886
  • So i don't, right?
  • 00:35:28.886 --> 00:35:30.254
  • I'm not writing for money.
  • 00:35:30.254 --> 00:35:31.589
  • I'm writing because i have something from heaven that the
  • 00:35:31.589 --> 00:35:34.558
  • Gift isn't for me, it's for everyone else.
  • 00:35:34.558 --> 00:35:38.762
  • So your gift is not for you, it's for us.
  • 00:35:38.762 --> 00:35:41.298
  • My gift is not for me, it's for you.
  • 00:35:41.298 --> 00:35:43.467
  • And when you realize that, you feel the responsibility that
  • 00:35:43.467 --> 00:35:46.971
  • Heaven has given.
  • 00:35:46.971 --> 00:35:48.439
  • Kirk: mmm, i love it.
  • 00:35:48.439 --> 00:35:49.773
  • John, there's so much more i want to ask you about.
  • 00:35:49.773 --> 00:35:51.942
  • After the break, we're gonna talk more with john about what
  • 00:35:51.942 --> 00:35:54.945
  • Is essential when fulfilling your calling and some common
  • 00:35:54.945 --> 00:35:58.215
  • Obstacles that people face in that journey, so don't go away.
  • 00:35:58.215 --> 00:36:01.885
  • [music]
  • 00:36:01.885 --> 00:36:08.001
  • [music]
  • 00:36:08.001 --> 00:36:08.158
  • [music]
  • 00:36:08.392 --> 00:36:13.797
  • Kirk: we're back with bestselling author, john bevere,
  • 00:36:14.832 --> 00:36:17.301
  • Discussing the importance of fulfilling your calling.
  • 00:36:17.301 --> 00:36:21.071
  • So, you talk a lot in your book about the importance of
  • 00:36:21.071 --> 00:36:24.908
  • Faithfulness, faithfulness, and you offer a fresh perspective
  • 00:36:24.908 --> 00:36:29.847
  • On that.
  • 00:36:29.847 --> 00:36:31.181
  • Would you unpack it for us?
  • 00:36:31.181 --> 00:36:32.549
  • John: yeah, it's a great question.
  • 00:36:32.549 --> 00:36:34.351
  • For 12 years, i asked leadership teams all over the world, give
  • 00:36:34.351 --> 00:36:38.555
  • Me your definitions of faithfulness, and the most
  • 00:36:38.555 --> 00:36:41.058
  • Common responses are actually excellent, steadfast,
  • 00:36:41.058 --> 00:36:43.994
  • Consistent, dependable, reliable, faithful, true.
  • 00:36:43.994 --> 00:36:47.598
  • And if you go to the thesaurus, you're gonna get all of those.
  • 00:36:47.598 --> 00:36:50.701
  • But never once in 12 years did i hear one of the most important
  • 00:36:50.701 --> 00:36:56.040
  • Definitions of faithfulness, and that is multiplication.
  • 00:36:56.040 --> 00:36:59.643
  • I say, whoa, whoa, whoa, multiplication is not a
  • 00:36:59.643 --> 00:37:01.512
  • Definition of faithfulness.
  • 00:37:01.512 --> 00:37:02.846
  • Yes, it is.
  • 00:37:02.846 --> 00:37:04.214
  • No, noah webster didn't say that, noah webster should have
  • 00:37:04.214 --> 00:37:07.618
  • Because he was a believer.
  • 00:37:07.618 --> 00:37:09.620
  • Jesus defines faithfulness as multiplication.
  • 00:37:09.620 --> 00:37:13.657
  • Now, i'm gonna share it with you.
  • 00:37:13.657 --> 00:37:15.592
  • If you look at the parable of the talent, you have the guy
  • 00:37:15.592 --> 00:37:17.861
  • That does, you know, that basically goes from five to ten,
  • 00:37:17.861 --> 00:37:22.032
  • Two to four, that's multiplying.
  • 00:37:22.032 --> 00:37:24.401
  • The reward, when the master comes back, he goes on a long
  • 00:37:24.401 --> 00:37:27.471
  • Trip, so he's not micromanaging.
  • 00:37:27.471 --> 00:37:29.306
  • When he comes back, he wants to see what they did with his goods
  • 00:37:29.306 --> 00:37:32.843
  • That he entrusted that to them while he was gone on his
  • 00:37:32.843 --> 00:37:35.479
  • Long trip.
  • 00:37:35.479 --> 00:37:36.814
  • When he comes back, the first two come forward and said, hey,
  • 00:37:36.814 --> 00:37:39.016
  • I multiplied.
  • 00:37:39.016 --> 00:37:40.384
  • He said, well done, good and faithful servant.
  • 00:37:40.384 --> 00:37:41.819
  • If that's all he says, we can't say a definition of faithful
  • 00:37:41.819 --> 00:37:45.756
  • Is multiplication.
  • 00:37:45.756 --> 00:37:47.791
  • The next three words are amazing, you were faithful.
  • 00:37:47.791 --> 00:37:51.762
  • Both guys, two verses, you were faithful.
  • 00:37:51.762 --> 00:37:54.732
  • Wait a minute.
  • 00:37:54.732 --> 00:37:56.066
  • There's no other virtue, description, there's no other
  • 00:37:56.066 --> 00:37:59.403
  • Action described in this parable other than the fact he went from
  • 00:37:59.403 --> 00:38:02.606
  • Five to ten and two to four.
  • 00:38:02.606 --> 00:38:05.309
  • Jesus directly connects faithfulness
  • 00:38:05.309 --> 00:38:07.711
  • With multiplication.
  • 00:38:07.711 --> 00:38:09.079
  • You can't slice this pie any differently, okay?
  • 00:38:09.079 --> 00:38:11.849
  • He literally says you were faithful, thus directly
  • 00:38:11.849 --> 00:38:15.352
  • Connecting faithful with multiplication, because he
  • 00:38:15.352 --> 00:38:17.721
  • Didn't say in the parable he was dependable, faithful, he was
  • 00:38:17.721 --> 00:38:20.324
  • Reliable, all this.
  • 00:38:20.324 --> 00:38:21.792
  • He said you went from--
  • 00:38:21.792 --> 00:38:23.694
  • What's god's first commandment to mankind?
  • 00:38:23.694 --> 00:38:26.697
  • Be fruitful and multiply.
  • 00:38:26.697 --> 00:38:28.031
  • He isn't just saying have babies, he's saying anything i
  • 00:38:28.031 --> 00:38:30.401
  • Entrust to you, return it back to me, multiply it.
  • 00:38:30.401 --> 00:38:32.836
  • Jesus is amplifying out that first command.
  • 00:38:32.836 --> 00:38:35.973
  • So how this all began is when i was in my fifties.
  • 00:38:35.973 --> 00:38:40.277
  • I was 50th year, i came in from playing a round of golf,
  • 00:38:40.277 --> 00:38:44.782
  • Everybody was gone in my house.
  • 00:38:44.782 --> 00:38:46.116
  • I went down to the basement, started reading the book of
  • 00:38:46.116 --> 00:38:47.484
  • Daniel, and all of a sudden, the spirit of god filled our
  • 00:38:47.484 --> 00:38:50.554
  • Entire basement.
  • 00:38:50.554 --> 00:38:51.889
  • And i heard god say this.
  • 00:38:51.889 --> 00:38:53.223
  • You've been faithful with the english-speaking community.
  • 00:38:53.223 --> 00:38:55.659
  • I want you to get your resources in the hands of every pastor in
  • 00:38:55.659 --> 00:38:57.928
  • The world that can't afford them.
  • 00:38:57.928 --> 00:38:59.696
  • I went what?
  • 00:38:59.696 --> 00:39:02.266
  • Okay, in the english-speaking community, we had multiplied.
  • 00:39:02.266 --> 00:39:05.869
  • Like i took our messages, i made curriculums out of it.
  • 00:39:05.869 --> 00:39:08.472
  • We had sold over a million curriculums, over
  • 00:39:08.472 --> 00:39:10.107
  • 25,000 churches.
  • 00:39:10.107 --> 00:39:11.442
  • We use them in the us, 1,000 in australia, 500 in england, and
  • 00:39:11.442 --> 00:39:15.746
  • God was saying to me, now i want you to multiply this in every
  • 00:39:15.746 --> 00:39:19.283
  • Language, right?
  • 00:39:19.283 --> 00:39:20.617
  • Well, i had no idea what he was saying, but i remember i told
  • 00:39:20.617 --> 00:39:23.720
  • Our team, i said i want to give away--right after this, i said
  • 00:39:23.720 --> 00:39:26.523
  • I want to give away 250,000 books this year.
  • 00:39:26.523 --> 00:39:28.826
  • The whole room went silent.
  • 00:39:28.826 --> 00:39:30.260
  • My coo argued with me for 20 minutes.
  • 00:39:30.260 --> 00:39:32.396
  • I mean, 250,000 books, right?
  • 00:39:32.396 --> 00:39:35.165
  • Is unbelievable, and i remember slamming my fist down on
  • 00:39:35.165 --> 00:39:38.535
  • The table.
  • 00:39:38.535 --> 00:39:39.903
  • I got a little passionate, and i said we're gonna do this.
  • 00:39:39.903 --> 00:39:42.206
  • And that year we gave away 271,700 books to pastors and
  • 00:39:42.206 --> 00:39:46.143
  • Leaders in 48 nations and 44 languages.
  • 00:39:46.143 --> 00:39:49.413
  • Well, the next year it went to 1.3 million, the next year it
  • 00:39:49.413 --> 00:39:52.049
  • Went to 2.7 million, next year it went over 4 million.
  • 00:39:52.049 --> 00:39:55.118
  • We just passed last month, 64 million resources.
  • 00:39:55.118 --> 00:39:59.723
  • We've put in the hands of pastors and leaders in 243
  • 00:39:59.723 --> 00:40:04.094
  • Nations of the world, 44 million of those resources are physical
  • 00:40:04.094 --> 00:40:09.466
  • Resources, okay?
  • 00:40:09.466 --> 00:40:10.801
  • We've done over 4 million alone in iran.
  • 00:40:10.801 --> 00:40:13.570
  • We have--in 61 languages in the world, reaching a potential of
  • 00:40:13.570 --> 00:40:19.309
  • 663 million people, over half a billion, we're the only provider
  • 00:40:19.309 --> 00:40:23.947
  • Right now of discipleship resources.
  • 00:40:23.947 --> 00:40:26.149
  • That's from that one word from god, and when god gives you a
  • 00:40:26.149 --> 00:40:29.586
  • Word, it should multiply.
  • 00:40:29.586 --> 00:40:32.422
  • And this is what god has called all of us to do, what he has
  • 00:40:32.422 --> 00:40:35.792
  • Entrusted us.
  • 00:40:35.792 --> 00:40:37.127
  • What have you done with the gift on your life?
  • 00:40:37.127 --> 00:40:39.129
  • You've multiplied in the way that you have reached people.
  • 00:40:39.129 --> 00:40:42.633
  • You're multiplied through your movies you've done, through your
  • 00:40:42.633 --> 00:40:45.669
  • Show you're doing, through all kinds of.
  • 00:40:45.669 --> 00:40:47.638
  • I mean, you are a man who is by faith listening to god
  • 00:40:47.638 --> 00:40:52.476
  • And multiplying.
  • 00:40:52.476 --> 00:40:54.411
  • That's what jesus said when he said i've called you to bear
  • 00:40:54.411 --> 00:40:57.014
  • Fruit and that your fruit would remain.
  • 00:40:57.014 --> 00:40:59.850
  • Kirk: i love that insight, and my mind is spinning with all
  • 00:40:59.850 --> 00:41:03.186
  • Sorts of other multiplying moments when jesus is
  • 00:41:03.186 --> 00:41:06.123
  • Multiplying fish and loaves, and i'm thinking of the chosen, and
  • 00:41:06.123 --> 00:41:10.327
  • I'm thinking of all our children's childhood they heard
  • 00:41:10.327 --> 00:41:13.697
  • From my wife god multiplies that which he loves.
  • 00:41:13.697 --> 00:41:16.333
  • So we're to multiply to disciples and everything.
  • 00:41:16.333 --> 00:41:19.336
  • That's really beautiful when it comes to what does god mean
  • 00:41:19.336 --> 00:41:22.472
  • By faithfulness?
  • 00:41:22.472 --> 00:41:23.974
  • I love also, john, that you talk about the importance of a
  • 00:41:23.974 --> 00:41:26.577
  • Healthy fear of god.
  • 00:41:26.577 --> 00:41:27.978
  • And i think this probably ties back into your book, "the awe
  • 00:41:27.978 --> 00:41:30.414
  • Of god."
  • 00:41:30.414 --> 00:41:31.748
  • Could you explain why that's important in finding
  • 00:41:31.748 --> 00:41:33.884
  • Your calling?
  • 00:41:33.884 --> 00:41:35.252
  • John: absolutely.
  • 00:41:35.252 --> 00:41:36.587
  • The fear of god is not to be scared of god, kirk, it's to be
  • 00:41:36.587 --> 00:41:38.889
  • Terrified of being away from him.
  • 00:41:38.889 --> 00:41:41.091
  • If you look at isaiah 33:6, the fear of the lord is
  • 00:41:41.091 --> 00:41:44.194
  • God's treasure.
  • 00:41:44.194 --> 00:41:45.562
  • It's his treasure that he's given us to keep us from
  • 00:41:45.562 --> 00:41:48.165
  • Walking away.
  • 00:41:48.165 --> 00:41:49.499
  • Jesus delighted in it.
  • 00:41:49.499 --> 00:41:50.867
  • And if you look at paul, paul wrote that we work out our
  • 00:41:50.867 --> 00:41:53.870
  • Salvation with fear and trembling, not with love and
  • 00:41:53.870 --> 00:41:56.239
  • Kindness, with fear and trembling.
  • 00:41:56.239 --> 00:41:58.442
  • So this is what matures our salvation.
  • 00:41:58.442 --> 00:42:00.911
  • You look at solomon, david raises solomon to walk in the
  • 00:42:00.911 --> 00:42:05.282
  • Fear of god.
  • 00:42:05.282 --> 00:42:06.617
  • As a result, you have all these benefits that come, the bible
  • 00:42:06.617 --> 00:42:09.186
  • Shows, of walk in the fear of god, wisdom,
  • 00:42:09.186 --> 00:42:12.289
  • Understanding, right?
  • 00:42:12.289 --> 00:42:13.657
  • He walks in this to a degree that he becomes the greatest
  • 00:42:13.657 --> 00:42:16.393
  • King on earth in his generation.
  • 00:42:16.393 --> 00:42:19.396
  • But what happened?
  • 00:42:19.396 --> 00:42:20.731
  • He lost his fear of god.
  • 00:42:20.731 --> 00:42:22.099
  • He started thinking he could do things that god said he
  • 00:42:22.099 --> 00:42:24.434
  • Shouldn't do.
  • 00:42:24.434 --> 00:42:25.802
  • And he marries all these women, his heart turns from god, and
  • 00:42:25.802 --> 00:42:28.572
  • What do you get?
  • 00:42:28.572 --> 00:42:29.906
  • You get a gift.
  • 00:42:29.906 --> 00:42:31.274
  • You know what that gift is?
  • 00:42:31.274 --> 00:42:32.609
  • The book of ecclesiastes.
  • 00:42:32.609 --> 00:42:34.244
  • If you look at, solomon says what goes around comes around.
  • 00:42:34.244 --> 00:42:37.481
  • Nothing can be improved.
  • 00:42:37.481 --> 00:42:39.082
  • The day you die is better than the day you're born.
  • 00:42:39.082 --> 00:42:41.251
  • Who writes this?
  • 00:42:41.251 --> 00:42:42.586
  • A jaded, cynical man.
  • 00:42:42.586 --> 00:42:45.288
  • Do you know how many times i've been in green rooms, kirk, and
  • 00:42:45.288 --> 00:42:47.958
  • I've watched people in ministry for 30 years, they're jaded,
  • 00:42:47.958 --> 00:42:51.061
  • They're cynical.
  • 00:42:51.061 --> 00:42:52.429
  • Why are they jaded and cynical?
  • 00:42:52.429 --> 00:42:54.097
  • Because they lost their healthy fear of god.
  • 00:42:54.097 --> 00:42:56.733
  • So the fear of god, the bible says, endures forever.
  • 00:42:56.733 --> 00:43:00.904
  • If you look at psalm 19, the fear of the lord is clean,
  • 00:43:00.904 --> 00:43:03.040
  • Enduring forever.
  • 00:43:03.040 --> 00:43:04.374
  • Lucifer led worship in heaven.
  • 00:43:04.374 --> 00:43:10.480
  • Can you imagine?
  • 00:43:06.476 --> 00:43:11.915
  • Oh my gosh.
  • 00:43:11.915 --> 00:43:13.316
  • And yet he doesn't have the fear of god, he doesn't endure.
  • 00:43:13.316 --> 00:43:16.653
  • A third of the angels don't have the fear of god.
  • 00:43:16.653 --> 00:43:19.356
  • They don't endure.
  • 00:43:19.356 --> 00:43:20.724
  • Adam and eve walked in the presence of his glory, they
  • 00:43:20.724 --> 00:43:23.827
  • Didn't fear god, they didn't endure in the garden forever.
  • 00:43:23.827 --> 00:43:27.330
  • We have to understand the fear of the lord is the love of god
  • 00:43:27.330 --> 00:43:31.868
  • Woos me to him, the fear of god keeps me from walking away
  • 00:43:31.868 --> 00:43:35.372
  • From him.
  • 00:43:35.372 --> 00:43:36.740
  • I had one of the most well-known evangelists in the 1980s who had
  • 00:43:36.740 --> 00:43:40.911
  • Went to prison for 5 years, and he had read the first book i
  • 00:43:40.911 --> 00:43:44.815
  • Wrote, and he asked me to come visit him in prison.
  • 00:43:44.815 --> 00:43:47.884
  • So i walk into this federal penitentiary.
  • 00:43:47.884 --> 00:43:50.087
  • Here is one of the most famous men on the earth all for the
  • 00:43:50.087 --> 00:43:52.923
  • Wrong reasons.
  • 00:43:52.923 --> 00:43:54.291
  • He was on cnn headline news every single night, and we
  • 00:43:54.291 --> 00:43:58.161
  • Didn't have any other forms of media back then.
  • 00:43:58.161 --> 00:44:00.564
  • It was the thing everybody watched.
  • 00:44:00.564 --> 00:44:02.566
  • They put his trial on.
  • 00:44:02.566 --> 00:44:03.934
  • He was five years in the penitentiary.
  • 00:44:03.934 --> 00:44:05.902
  • I'll never forget when he sat down with me, and he said, john,
  • 00:44:05.902 --> 00:44:09.973
  • Did you write this book?
  • 00:44:09.973 --> 00:44:11.341
  • I said yes.
  • 00:44:11.341 --> 00:44:12.676
  • He said we have so much to talk about.
  • 00:44:12.676 --> 00:44:14.044
  • This book is so touched my life.
  • 00:44:14.044 --> 00:44:15.812
  • He said this prison wasn't god's judgment on my life, he said it
  • 00:44:15.812 --> 00:44:20.250
  • Was his mercy.
  • 00:44:20.250 --> 00:44:21.618
  • He said if i would have continued the way i was going,
  • 00:44:21.618 --> 00:44:23.353
  • I would have ended up in hell forever.
  • 00:44:23.353 --> 00:44:24.888
  • I went oh my gosh.
  • 00:44:24.888 --> 00:44:26.256
  • Kirk: wow.
  • 00:44:26.256 --> 00:44:27.591
  • John: so when he shares the whole story how the first year
  • 00:44:27.591 --> 00:44:29.993
  • In prison god sent a man in to deliver him from all the junk
  • 00:44:29.993 --> 00:44:33.363
  • That was in his life, and he said there was a lot of it.
  • 00:44:33.363 --> 00:44:36.032
  • He said when i--when he told me the whole story, i said i got
  • 00:44:36.032 --> 00:44:39.836
  • One question, and this overrides all my other questions.
  • 00:44:39.836 --> 00:44:44.441
  • When did you fall out of love with jesus?
  • 00:44:44.441 --> 00:44:46.676
  • At what point?
  • 00:44:46.676 --> 00:44:48.311
  • And he said, john, i didn't.
  • 00:44:48.311 --> 00:44:50.413
  • And i said what?
  • 00:44:50.413 --> 00:44:52.182
  • What do you mean?
  • 00:44:52.182 --> 00:44:53.550
  • You committed adultery seven years before you were sentenced
  • 00:44:53.550 --> 00:44:55.819
  • To prison?
  • 00:44:55.819 --> 00:44:57.187
  • You just admitted how wicked you were.
  • 00:44:57.187 --> 00:44:58.989
  • What do you mean you didn't fall out of love with jesus?
  • 00:44:58.989 --> 00:45:01.658
  • And he looked at me and he said i didn't fear god, john.
  • 00:45:01.658 --> 00:45:06.129
  • And he said i love jesus, but i had no fear of god.
  • 00:45:06.129 --> 00:45:09.266
  • And he said there's millions of american christians like me,
  • 00:45:09.266 --> 00:45:11.868
  • They love jesus, they don't have the fear of the lord, and yet
  • 00:45:11.868 --> 00:45:14.805
  • That's what matures our salvation.
  • 00:45:14.805 --> 00:45:17.240
  • Kirk: yeah, wow.
  • 00:45:17.240 --> 00:45:18.675
  • That's so, so, so important.
  • 00:45:18.675 --> 00:45:20.877
  • I've often thought that it's the fear of the lord that keeps me
  • 00:45:20.877 --> 00:45:23.847
  • Walking with him, and it's not a terror of him as an awful
  • 00:45:23.847 --> 00:45:28.785
  • Monster, but a--i don't know how else to say it.
  • 00:45:28.785 --> 00:45:32.689
  • My heart is so filled with gratitude for what he's done for
  • 00:45:32.689 --> 00:45:35.859
  • Me on the cross, and i--it makes me shudder to think of
  • 00:45:35.859 --> 00:45:41.331
  • What i would do without the spirit of god living within me.
  • 00:45:41.331 --> 00:45:45.502
  • And so it's both, it's both a love and a fear.
  • 00:45:45.502 --> 00:45:47.304
  • John: are there healthy fears?
  • 00:45:47.304 --> 00:45:50.173
  • Yes, this is the problem.
  • 00:45:50.173 --> 00:45:51.541
  • We put all fear in unhealthy bucket, right?
  • 00:45:51.541 --> 00:45:55.011
  • We had no fear.
  • 00:45:55.011 --> 00:45:56.379
  • Remember that campaign in the '90s, right?
  • 00:45:56.379 --> 00:45:58.849
  • And we have all this self help to remove all fear, uh-uh,
  • 00:45:58.849 --> 00:46:01.451
  • There's healthy fears.
  • 00:46:01.451 --> 00:46:02.819
  • The healthy fear of not being mauled by a mother grizzly bear
  • 00:46:02.819 --> 00:46:05.088
  • Will give me the wisdom to not mess with her cubs in front
  • 00:46:05.088 --> 00:46:08.124
  • Of me.
  • 00:46:08.124 --> 00:46:09.492
  • The healthy fear of not falling 2,000 feet to my death will give
  • 00:46:09.492 --> 00:46:11.461
  • Me the wisdom to not walk too close to a cliff that drops
  • 00:46:11.461 --> 00:46:14.898
  • 2,000 feet.
  • 00:46:14.898 --> 00:46:16.233
  • There's healthy fears.
  • 00:46:16.233 --> 00:46:17.601
  • The fear of the lord is a healthy fear.
  • 00:46:17.601 --> 00:46:18.935
  • It's not an unhealthy fear.
  • 00:46:18.935 --> 00:46:20.303
  • Kirk: yeah, what do you say to the man or to the woman who is
  • 00:46:20.303 --> 00:46:23.373
  • Now in their retirement years?
  • 00:46:23.373 --> 00:46:25.208
  • Is it too late for them to find their calling?
  • 00:46:25.208 --> 00:46:27.911
  • John: moses started when he was 80.
  • 00:46:27.911 --> 00:46:29.312
  • Smith wigglesmith entered into his calling when he was in his
  • 00:46:29.312 --> 00:46:31.815
  • Fifties and became one of the greatest men of god on the
  • 00:46:31.815 --> 00:46:34.784
  • Planet in the 20th century.
  • 00:46:34.784 --> 00:46:37.287
  • No, it's never too late.
  • 00:46:37.287 --> 00:46:38.655
  • I don't care if you're 80 years old, it's not too late, and i
  • 00:46:38.655 --> 00:46:41.625
  • Don't care if you're 14 years old, it's not too early.
  • 00:46:41.625 --> 00:46:44.928
  • Jeremiah was called when he was 16, 11 out of 12 jesus's
  • 00:46:44.928 --> 00:46:48.298
  • Disciples were called when they were under 20.
  • 00:46:48.298 --> 00:46:50.467
  • Peter was the only one over 20.
  • 00:46:50.467 --> 00:46:53.003
  • I mean, i could go on and on and on.
  • 00:46:53.003 --> 00:46:54.537
  • Solomon was eight.
  • 00:46:54.537 --> 00:46:55.872
  • I mean, you know, uzziah was 16.
  • 00:46:55.872 --> 00:46:58.008
  • We have so many examples of people engaging in their calling
  • 00:46:58.008 --> 00:47:01.444
  • In their teens, not waiting until they're in their thirties.
  • 00:47:01.444 --> 00:47:04.581
  • So both ways, i don't care if you're in your seventies, you
  • 00:47:04.581 --> 00:47:07.684
  • Still got a call of god on your life.
  • 00:47:07.684 --> 00:47:09.152
  • And that call is not a stationary call.
  • 00:47:09.152 --> 00:47:12.155
  • It's constantly adjusting.
  • 00:47:12.155 --> 00:47:14.591
  • That navy seal is out of the navy seals now, okay?
  • 00:47:14.591 --> 00:47:17.294
  • So he told me, he said i'm back to seeking god passionately.
  • 00:47:17.294 --> 00:47:21.398
  • And you know what they did?
  • 00:47:21.398 --> 00:47:23.066
  • The show "hawaii."
  • 00:47:23.066 --> 00:47:24.434
  • They brought him on and said we want you to teach our guys your
  • 00:47:24.434 --> 00:47:27.304
  • Navy seal moves.
  • 00:47:27.304 --> 00:47:29.105
  • And he led the number two actor to the lord, right on the set,
  • 00:47:29.105 --> 00:47:32.876
  • You know, right on the set, developing a relationship
  • 00:47:32.876 --> 00:47:35.345
  • With him.
  • 00:47:35.345 --> 00:47:36.713
  • He knows he's on this earth for a purpose, and so is everybody
  • 00:47:36.713 --> 00:47:40.984
  • Watching us.
  • 00:47:40.984 --> 00:47:42.352
  • Kirk: man, this is right at the very heart of, to me, of what it
  • 00:47:42.352 --> 00:47:46.222
  • Means to be fully alive as a christian.
  • 00:47:46.222 --> 00:47:48.625
  • Is not just i've got my ticket to heaven so that when the bell
  • 00:47:48.625 --> 00:47:53.763
  • Rings, the rapture rumbles, whatever the event that i'm
  • 00:47:53.763 --> 00:47:58.001
  • Going to the good place, not the bad place, but it gives me a
  • 00:47:58.001 --> 00:48:01.137
  • Sense of who i am, that god has equipped me, i know where i
  • 00:48:01.137 --> 00:48:05.141
  • Belong, i know the team that i'm a part of, and now i can put
  • 00:48:05.141 --> 00:48:08.845
  • Pedal to the metal and do what god made me to do while
  • 00:48:08.845 --> 00:48:12.148
  • I'm here.
  • 00:48:12.148 --> 00:48:13.783
  • That's what everybody wants.
  • 00:48:13.783 --> 00:48:15.118
  • And i so long for people who don't know jesus to understand
  • 00:48:15.118 --> 00:48:20.423
  • That the gospel encompasses all of that.
  • 00:48:20.423 --> 00:48:22.392
  • I believe it's not just, you know, it's your ticket so that
  • 00:48:22.392 --> 00:48:28.999
  • You get beamed up at the end, but that it is fully coming
  • 00:48:28.999 --> 00:48:34.204
  • Alive into who you are and why you're here, and you get to know
  • 00:48:34.204 --> 00:48:37.374
  • God and enjoy him forever, yeah.
  • 00:48:37.374 --> 00:48:40.276
  • John, thanks so much.
  • 00:48:40.276 --> 00:48:41.644
  • I can't wait for people to read your book.
  • 00:48:41.644 --> 00:48:42.979
  • I can't wait for my kids to read your book.
  • 00:48:42.979 --> 00:48:44.581
  • Thank you for answering god's call on your life.
  • 00:48:44.581 --> 00:48:47.117
  • John: thank you, kirk.
  • 00:48:47.117 --> 00:48:48.485
  • Kirk: after the break, we'll review today's takeaways.
  • 00:48:48.485 --> 00:48:50.887
  • [music]
  • 00:48:50.887 --> 00:48:57.002
  • [music]
  • 00:48:57.002 --> 00:48:57.327
  • [music]
  • 00:48:57.560 --> 00:49:03.366
  • Kirk: welcome back.
  • 00:49:03.833 --> 00:49:05.201
  • It was great to be joined today by kathie lee gifford and
  • 00:49:05.201 --> 00:49:07.370
  • John bevere.
  • 00:49:07.370 --> 00:49:08.705
  • All of us have a god-given calling to live out.
  • 00:49:08.705 --> 00:49:11.808
  • How exciting that the god of the universe invites us to bring
  • 00:49:11.808 --> 00:49:15.845
  • More of heaven to earth.
  • 00:49:15.845 --> 00:49:17.847
  • I wanna be a part of that, don't you?
  • 00:49:17.847 --> 00:49:20.050
  • Let's talk takeaways.
  • 00:49:20.050 --> 00:49:22.052
  • Love people in jesus's name.
  • 00:49:22.052 --> 00:49:24.821
  • I appreciated kathie's bold approach to sharing jesus with
  • 00:49:24.821 --> 00:49:28.391
  • Those around her, a commitment to being authentically me as the
  • 00:49:28.391 --> 00:49:33.163
  • Person god made us to be to accomplish his purpose, that's
  • 00:49:33.163 --> 00:49:36.766
  • Where real fruitfulness begins so that we're not envious of
  • 00:49:36.766 --> 00:49:40.937
  • What somebody else gets to do for the glory of god, we're just
  • 00:49:40.937 --> 00:49:44.307
  • Grateful that we get to be a part of what god's doing here
  • 00:49:44.307 --> 00:49:47.710
  • On earth.
  • 00:49:47.710 --> 00:49:49.212
  • So take some time tonight, think back on the opportunities that
  • 00:49:49.212 --> 00:49:52.582
  • God has given you this week to share jesus with those around
  • 00:49:52.582 --> 00:49:56.152
  • You and then ask him tonight to give you eyes to see what's
  • 00:49:56.152 --> 00:50:00.223
  • Yours to do in the coming week.
  • 00:50:00.223 --> 00:50:04.027
  • Connect the dots between gifting and calling.
  • 00:50:04.027 --> 00:50:07.964
  • John bevere reminded us that god provides all of his children
  • 00:50:07.964 --> 00:50:11.534
  • With the god-given gifts to live out the god-given calling, but
  • 00:50:11.534 --> 00:50:16.573
  • It's ultimately up to us how we steward those gifts.
  • 00:50:16.573 --> 00:50:19.509
  • We can either sit on them and do nothing, use them just for
  • 00:50:19.509 --> 00:50:23.046
  • Ourselves and our families, or put them into practice to build
  • 00:50:23.046 --> 00:50:26.549
  • The kingdom of god on earth.
  • 00:50:26.549 --> 00:50:28.685
  • The choice there seems obvious, doesn't it?
  • 00:50:28.685 --> 00:50:31.521
  • But the follow-through demands that we examine what god has
  • 00:50:31.521 --> 00:50:35.425
  • Gifted us in, what we realize we're good at and we would do
  • 00:50:35.425 --> 00:50:40.430
  • Even without being paid, and then connect the dots on how we
  • 00:50:40.430 --> 00:50:43.967
  • Can use those gifts to build his kingdom.
  • 00:50:43.967 --> 00:50:47.237
  • So think tonight, what am i good at?
  • 00:50:47.237 --> 00:50:49.572
  • How can i practically use that skill or ability to spread the
  • 00:50:49.572 --> 00:50:53.543
  • Good news, to disciple those around me, and to advocate for
  • 00:50:53.543 --> 00:50:57.914
  • The things that god loves?
  • 00:50:57.914 --> 00:51:00.216
  • All of these things bring more of heaven to earth.
  • 00:51:00.216 --> 00:51:04.888
  • Trust god's promises.
  • 00:51:04.888 --> 00:51:06.956
  • Kathie lee also challenged us to be people who know god's word
  • 00:51:06.956 --> 00:51:10.927
  • And trust his promises.
  • 00:51:10.927 --> 00:51:13.329
  • When we do this, it helps us stay focused on what god has
  • 00:51:13.329 --> 00:51:16.232
  • Called us to and allows god to reshape our desires to align
  • 00:51:16.232 --> 00:51:21.104
  • With his.
  • 00:51:21.104 --> 00:51:22.605
  • Scripture gives us account after account of god's faithfulness,
  • 00:51:22.605 --> 00:51:26.609
  • So we know we can trust him.
  • 00:51:26.609 --> 00:51:29.012
  • But choosing to trust god is an individual choice, so think
  • 00:51:29.012 --> 00:51:33.583
  • Tonight, what do you need to trust him in with your life
  • 00:51:33.583 --> 00:51:36.853
  • Right now?
  • 00:51:36.853 --> 00:51:38.221
  • Fear the lord.
  • 00:51:38.221 --> 00:51:39.689
  • John reminded us that a healthy fear of the lord is crucial to
  • 00:51:39.689 --> 00:51:43.893
  • Living out our god-given calling, why?
  • 00:51:43.893 --> 00:51:46.696
  • Our reverence of god helps us to endure in our calling when times
  • 00:51:46.696 --> 00:51:51.367
  • Get tough and temptation tries to divert us from doing things
  • 00:51:51.367 --> 00:51:55.905
  • God's way.
  • 00:51:55.905 --> 00:51:57.240
  • So how do we continue to hold a healthy fear of god?
  • 00:51:57.240 --> 00:52:00.877
  • For me, looking back on all that god has done for me on the cross
  • 00:52:00.877 --> 00:52:05.915
  • And as his spirit resides within me, it keeps me grateful and
  • 00:52:05.915 --> 00:52:10.320
  • Aware of how much i depend on him.
  • 00:52:10.320 --> 00:52:13.590
  • That healthy fear of the lord is not just about being afraid of
  • 00:52:13.590 --> 00:52:16.859
  • God, it's rather being afraid of being apart from god.
  • 00:52:16.859 --> 00:52:22.198
  • That's all for this episode of "takeaways," thanks
  • 00:52:22.198 --> 00:52:24.500
  • For watching.
  • 00:52:24.500 --> 00:52:25.835
  • And if you've enjoyed this show, don't forget to set your dvr so
  • 00:52:25.835 --> 00:52:29.138
  • You never miss an episode.
  • 00:52:29.138 --> 00:52:30.573
  • And of course you can always catch up on past episodes by
  • 00:52:30.573 --> 00:52:33.576
  • Searching for "takeaways" on the tbn+ app or by visiting the kirk
  • 00:52:33.576 --> 00:52:38.381
  • Cameron on tbn youtube channel.
  • 00:52:38.381 --> 00:52:40.917
  • We'll see you here next time for more great conversations.
  • 00:52:40.917 --> 00:52:44.821
  • [music]
  • 00:52:44.821 --> 00:52:44.821