Ever found yourself trapped in the wilderness of temptation? Our conversation could be your guide to escape. We navigate through this dense subject, covering everything from personal faith journeys, the Sermon on the Mount, to dealing with the common trials of a modern Christian life. We encourage you to actively engage with us, send in your questions, or share your thoughts - remember, you can always remain anonymous!
We pull back the curtain and reveal how our experiences and faith shape our perspectives, including the impact of prayer in our lives. As we unpack the Sermon on the Mount, we contemplate its many layers and how we can apply its teachings in our everyday lives. We even dive into the process of how Michelle and their life group prepare for their discussions - who knows, it might inspire your next group study session! The conversation takes a deeper turn as we discuss Jesus' comforting words about mourning the old self to step into the new.
As we press on, we reflect on the responsibility of being a light in the darkness and what it truly means to fulfill the law. We aren't shying away from tough topics either, tackling issues like righteous anger, resolving conflicts promptly, and living morally. Lust, temptation, divorce - none of these are off the table either. Listen in for a refreshing perspective rooted in Jesus' teachings and find comfort, guidance, and inspiration in shared wisdom. And perhaps, just perhaps, you'll discover a new way of looking at things.
Email: findingfaith.losingsleep@gmail.com
Twitter: @FindingFaithPod
Ever found yourself trapped in the wilderness of temptation? Our conversation could be your guide to escape. We navigate through this dense subject, covering everything from personal faith journeys, the Sermon on the Mount, to dealing with the common trials of a modern Christian life. We encourage you to actively engage with us, send in your questions, or share your thoughts - remember, you can always remain anonymous!
We pull back the curtain and reveal how our experiences and faith shape our perspectives, including the impact of prayer in our lives. As we unpack the Sermon on the Mount, we contemplate its many layers and how we can apply its teachings in our everyday lives. We even dive into the process of how Michelle and their life group prepare for their discussions - who knows, it might inspire your next group study session! The conversation takes a deeper turn as we discuss Jesus' comforting words about mourning the old self to step into the new.
As we press on, we reflect on the responsibility of being a light in the darkness and what it truly means to fulfill the law. We aren't shying away from tough topics either, tackling issues like righteous anger, resolving conflicts promptly, and living morally. Lust, temptation, divorce - none of these are off the table either. Listen in for a refreshing perspective rooted in Jesus' teachings and find comfort, guidance, and inspiration in shared wisdom. And perhaps, just perhaps, you'll discover a new way of looking at things.
Email: findingfaith.losingsleep@gmail.com
Twitter: @FindingFaithPod
It's time to wake up and pray up here on the Finding Faith and Losing Sleep podcast, episode 22. 22. Is that right, pierre, our executive producer Pierre Hi Double D's 22. Is it really?
Speaker 2:It is Crazy, I was totally guessing.
Speaker 1:I was totally guessing 22,. That's a long time. That's almost half a year. If you go by weeks, almost. Is that right? Yeah, hey, that is Pierre, the executive producer of the podcast, the guy who puts it all together and edits it and gets it all out there to you. He is on Twitter at PeeWee31, and his wife, michelle, is joining us today again, which we are so thankful for. It is at GopakGo 411 over on Twitter as well. Good afternoon Wilsons, good afternoon Wes, and I'm Wes. He's one of your hosts at Lofenit over on Twitter and you can find the podcast that we're on Twitter. Can you find it there? Hey, we have got some followers over there. I didn't realize we had that many followers, pierre.
Speaker 2:We do. I don't know where some of them came from, but I'm glad that they're there At Finding Faith. Pod is where you can find us and we're there. We got an email as well. If you want to reach out via email, we're at findingfafelosingsleepcom so multiple ways that you can reach out to us, in addition to our own separate Twitter handles. So just looking forward to interacting and, even if we don't interact, just thanks for following along.
Speaker 1:Yeah, totally. Thanks for following along, and if you leave a review over on whatever listening platform you'd like to listen to it on, don't, yeah, yeah, slap a star around. That's fine, you can leave. You know you can hit some reviews there that way, whatever you want to. But we would love to hear from you. We would love questions.
Speaker 1:I want a question episode and, pierre, I know we got some questions in the holster. We're saving them, we're kind of grouping them all together. I hope we have a question episode one day is what we can have, and I would just love to be able to do that and interact with all the listeners and listen. If you don't want your name read or anything like that, or where the question can come from, we can do all that too. Just tell us or just write in anonymous. We don't have to include any kind of email address or any kind of Twitter handle or whatever it is that that you leave it with. Just, we can do it anonymously. We aren't worried about that. I just want to interact with you guys. I face to face, I like face to face stuff. You know what I mean, because whenever you start talking to people over the internet or over the phone, maybe your inflections don't get. I'm a smart Alec, right? I like to joke.
Speaker 3:I like to have fun, I am.
Speaker 1:I like to have fun, I like that. But sometimes that doesn't come across well on Twitter or on a podcast or over a phone or something, because they can't see your reaction, they can't see your face, they can't see a little smirk or their smile. So that's why I like to have that interaction here and just to see what people are wanting to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, good call out on it being anonymous. We don't have to tie you towards the question that you ask, especially if it's about something personal or you're listening to it with someone you may have a question about. So definitely send those in and yeah, it's just been an interesting journey. I know we've had a question or two that have come in. We've answered one, I believe, early on in episode, like three or four. We had a question come in there and we do look forward to interacting. You're correct on it, sometimes tough to do that through social media platforms, texting, et cetera. Yeah, I mean, I don't know why the emojis are there, but me being a sarcastic person, sometimes it just doesn't come across the way you think it should come across.
Speaker 2:So you try to toss an emoji here or there to at least lighten the mood.
Speaker 1:I give you all the benefit of the doubt. I don't take anything personal, I just let it all roll off my back, whether it's. I guess I'd listen to criticism a little bit and look, if you have a weird wonky question, that's fine. You've heard me talk about weird stuff before. And if it's a weird wonky question, all Michelle's going to do is blame me for it. Anyway, she's just going to say Wes, you probably came up with that. You wrote that question in yourself, didn't you, wes? I think that's what you'll do, michelle.
Speaker 3:Hey, I think I've talked about like maybe I should send in questions for Pierre anonymously. So that's still on the table. So we are okay, not yet.
Speaker 1:Anyway, we are working our way through life together and we are not any kind of theologians or anything. I mean we work, we work at it. We've been studying the Bible for a long time, michelle and Pierre. They've been studying the Bible too and they have come to the faith. I guess I would roughly estimate you guys have been actively involved in pursuing a relationship with God, probably your whole lives, but like the last five years, like probably really actively involved, maybe going to church and stuff like that, am I? Am I guessing that right, cause I don't know that we've ever laid that timeframe down.
Speaker 3:I think that's correct.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, right around that four to five year mark. I'm not. I'm not smart, you know, in the Bible, like I'm not one that can debate you. But I can speak to life, I can speak to experience and how it's talked to me that way, how my prayers have been answered that way. But if you're wanting me to go like toe for toe, like Bible verse or Bible verse like we kind of talked about a little bit last week, that's not going to happen. I'm not that person.
Speaker 3:And he's probably better at that than I am even. I think we we really just dive in as much as we can and, you know, rely on what God says to us and how he speaks to our hearts and what we've seen work. And you know, in our life group we have seen, if we go back and we really look at all the prayers that have come up and all of the ways that they have been answered, it's really just mind boggling.
Speaker 1:Oh it is. It is cool to see that, that interaction from God as well, and I think he wants to interact with us. So it's always good to have that open mind, to be able to talk to him through prayer, which we're always supposed to pray, and supplication to him all the time, but also to be able to receive, and so you want to take that quiet time to be able to talk to him. I've been in the faith for a long time now I don't even 30 years, and that's pretty straightforward. I mean, it's been about 30 years. I know it doesn't sound like it all the time I try to be amusing and I try to do things to where I talk and look, I have got a bunch of the ways, the way I've always said.
Speaker 1:I've got a big filing cabinet and it's really deep, and I've got a bunch of files in my filing cabinet on knowledge that I have in life right, but every, every file has about two or three papers in it. None of them are really deep, none of them are really big. I know a lot about, I know a little about. A lot is how I look at it, and what we did together is we started this journey through life and we started talking about topics that were happening to us or happening around us and in the news and stuff, and and it has led to where we're starting to read Genesis together, we're starting to read Matthew together and we're over there in Matthew, chapter five. If you have a Bible, that's great. If you don't have a Bible, that's fine too. Just sit back and listen. We're going to walk through it a little bit and this is where Jesus is now starting his public ministry and he's called some apostles together. He started to get a following. We saw him back in walking around and healing people and people really started believing in him and stuff.
Speaker 1:And now we get to a very special sermon, right, the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount. This is probably a sermon that Jesus actually preached all over the place. If you, if you ever listen to a preacher and, like you, go hear a preacher a second time in like a different city or a different church, you might get the same sermon again. It just it just might be what you get, because it doesn't always have to be fresh thoughts, it doesn't always have to be something new or anything, but this is probably a sermon that Jesus didn't just preach this one one time. He probably preached this over a different in different cities, not all, you know, all the time, not, not the one sermon. He didn't just have one sermon, I'm sure, but he had different ones. So I don't. I've never thought about that before until I thought about that and I was like, hey, that's probably true. I think I read it somewhere and I was like that's, that's probably two. We got to think about that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean it makes sense. Like you you think of, like Martin Luther King Jr, for example, as one example I have. You know the I have a dream, you know speech didn't just take place. You know that one time. You know it was done like it in gymnasium, like to start, it was his first time ever, was actually like in a high school gymnasium and it kind of just got bigger and spread. And you know you're hitting different people with the same message and they're taking it in. And then you have followers, like Jesus has the disciples, who may pick something up different. You know each time they listen to it as well. And I think that's the case with with any good speech. You know you can hear it over and over again and each time you're going to probably draw something new from that speech.
Speaker 3:I agree.
Speaker 1:And it says that the multitudes were around him. I I see this in verse one. When he saw the multitudes, he went up on the mountain and after he sat down, his disciples came over to him and all these people. So he's up there on the mountain, all these people around him. The way I see it, michelle, is people are sitting down. People are just, you know, some are on rocks, some are sitting down on maybe a blanket or a coat or something like that, just just listening to him speak, and some people may be even taking notes. I don't know if they took notes. I don't know what they took notes on back then. Yeah, parchment paper and all that. Are you a note taker, michelle, while you're in services, whenever you hear a preacher preach?
Speaker 3:I am mostly on my phone. We have an app at church that we can add our notes in, and so we usually add them in there to prepare for our life group, because we usually cover our sermon in our life group. So I am some are better at it than I am we have one girl in our life group who always, like, has her little tablet out and she's taking notes and she's the person we defer to if we didn't catch it.
Speaker 1:So I am, I, I, I. We have that ability too, and some people do, some people don't. I'm a, I'm a paper guy, you know. I like paper, I like paper, I like pen, and that's maybe I'm scared of technology or I'm just an older guy or whatever, but that's that's how I like to do it. I makes it stick a little bit more.
Speaker 2:I hear it on airy episodes. I believe you.
Speaker 1:Oh, anyway, he's up there on the mountain, he starts speaking. Right, he opened up his mouth and he began to teach to him is what verse two says. Now, before we get into this little part here where it goes, you know, blessed are the poor in spirit. You actually have to start this part, I believe, at the end of this part. Wherever you go over to verse 11 and 12, jesus says this. And in conclusion but I think you have to put this at the end of each one of his blessings, he says blessed are you when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you, falsely on account of me, rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great. And so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Blessed are you on account of me? I think that's the key part in all of this on account of me, all these things happen to people because of Jesus, because of God, on account of me. So, as we read this at the end of each one of those little blesseds and I'm going to be passing this back and forth to you guys a little bit here just put the on account of me at the end of each one of them, because I think that that's how it all ends up.
Speaker 1:All right, okay. So if you could, pierre, why don't you get started? I'll give my voice a break. I just got done teaching homeschool volleyball. I was a coach in homeschool volleyball. Just because my voice is rough, that doesn't mean I was yelling at all the kids. Okay, I wasn't doing that. But I like cheering them on, I like getting them to go, because they don't always go as hard as they should. I'm like let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go, let's read these Bible sprints.
Speaker 2:I was just going to say you're making quite the assumption that I can read right now, but really good.
Speaker 1:Hey, pierre Pierre, read it like you live, my friend Read it like I live. Okay Hard, okay Hard.
Speaker 2:That means the blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Are we stopping at one or are we keeping on? Keep it on, keep it on.
Speaker 1:We stop On account of me.
Speaker 2:On account of me.
Speaker 1:On account of me. See, blessed are the poor in spirit. There's is the kingdom of heaven. On account of me, because of Jesus. You see, you got to put that on account of me at the end of each one of these, because it summarizes all those. Go ahead, pierre, you're going to be the poor. Keep going.
Speaker 2:Hard okay.
Speaker 1:Keep going.
Speaker 2:I don't want to keep going. I want to stop at that one.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right.
Speaker 2:What, when you, when you, when you see that, when you see blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted, what do you go to? What? What thought process goes into your head when you see that verse or read that verse?
Speaker 1:Usually sadness or death.
Speaker 3:Okay, Michelle for me that, yeah, lost a death or a loss of some sort comes up for me.
Speaker 2:I think that's the case. I think most people go to like you know the thoughts of, like funerals, you know folks morning and basically they will be comforted. But a way that I read it Maybe a couple months ago, it's over. We're kind of, we're kind of taught to take up our cross daily and and be and live like Jesus, and the way it was was kind of relayed is that you're kind of mourning yourself, so bless her of those that kind of mourn themselves. You're dying to yourself so you can be more like Jesus. Blessed are those, for they will be comforted. And I think that makes even more sense, west, when you add that on account of me, because you are, you are dying to yourself for Jesus, and so blessed are those that mourn themselves, for they will be comforted on account of me. What are your thoughts on that?
Speaker 1:Good one. I like it, I like the thoughts. That's a good one and and I was thinking about that how, if you mourn because you aren't good enough, you know If you're, if you're repentful of those things that you are falling short of in the eyes of God, you would feel poor in spirit, you know you. You would feel like like you were mourning or sad because of that, yeah, and and you can be counted righteous in God's eyes because of him, on account of him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think again, I think most people go to you know the deaf and sorrow, family, members of loved ones which you know, those you know. Hopefully those comforts are there as well. You know I've had those comforts myself. But I think also we got to think about it and mourning yourself, you know, and maybe you're, you're old you. You know being reborn into new you. You got a mourn, the old you, in order for your new, the new you, to be comforted.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because it'd be like a closure process.
Speaker 1:Yeah that's good, michelle, you want to pick up there?
Speaker 3:verse five Well, my Bible is a little different, so I'm gonna steal peers because mine says God blesses those versus blessed are so. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth on account of me. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled on account of me, right. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy on account of me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God on account of me that is so good, and Could you imagine being there, though, and and having this, and it may not have been in this exact order, and then maybe it was in this exact order, but just here, jesus say those words, you know yeah, I know, I know we talk about this show all the time, but the chosen did this.
Speaker 2:End of Season two maybe I think it's two and and basically, like Jesus is with Matthew at the time, you know, obviously because Matthew's the one that wrote this book and kind of going over this, like kind of practicing this speech Before he delivers it, practicing this sermon, and when he's kind of going over each of these he's has flashbacks, moments of his own life with the disciples, and so when he goes, blessed are the poor in spirit, you know, he flashes back to a moment with one of the disciples he goes.
Speaker 2:You know, blessed are those who mourn. He flashes back to another who was mourning. And so each time he does this, blessed are. It triggers a reflection on the life that he's lived and usually tied into a disciple and the last one that we actually are starting with, the number 11 was was actually Matthew. His reflection on Matthew was the Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, because Matthew, you know, was the tax collector and he he lived through all that type of persecution, insults himself, and it continued even once he started to follow Jesus. So I just thought that the way they did that was putting pretty neat, just to see that that Jesus had a thought in mind, tied to a disciple, when he was going through these.
Speaker 1:No, I like that. And then tying it into Matthew, right there being the tax collector, and if you think about all these, all these blessings, and what's gonna happen to these Disciples as apostles later on, that we learn in the book of Acts and and so forth, and and other disciples and throughout history, and these are very comforting words, and I remember starting reading my Bible after I got baptized and all that stuff. I this is where I started Matthew, matthew chapter 5, you know, I started Matthew chapter 1. I made it through that genealogy and then I then I kept marching through and I got to Matthew chapter 5 and I'll tell you where I quit. I'll show you guys where I quit. And there was, there was one part of it that just I was like huh, and we'll get there, but uh, pier, how about keep going right there where we get to eight or nine, nine?
Speaker 2:I think we're on nine. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God on account of me. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven On account of me, and it goes into 11, which is where we kind of started. Blessed are you when people insult you, pursuant you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Speaker 1:Now, in that I mean, all these things are for us as well, right, it's not just for them, for poor in spirit, right? I think about myself in these things If I mourn. Uh, if you're gentle, you'll inherit the earth. Bless are you who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers and and and those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, and blessed are you and men cast insults.
Speaker 1:Listen, that's happened to me For whatever reason, maybe not all at one time or anything, but it's happened to me over my period of christianity, and I remember this, and I remember why these things happened was because of jesus. It's not always going to be roses and sunshine. Whenever you're a christian, I'm going to be left out of some things that maybe I wanted to be a part of in the past, but I realized that I can't really do it because I I don't need to be in that environment anymore, right? So guess what? Blessed am I on account of christ and, and? Whether that's because I'm being a peacemaker, whether that's because I'm just being a little bit different than the crowd or Different than the people I used to run around with and I don't get included in all the same things. That's okay. Blessed am I on account of him, and I may not be able to see it now, but I'll see it later and I'll see the fruit coming from that blessedness.
Speaker 1:I remember one time we were at the back of a store. All I delivered bread for a living and all that stuff and and a bunch of it was raining outside and whenever it rains outside, the different vendors it's it's like it's it's like rats coming inside. You know, we just all, we all get inside as quick as we can with all of our product and we're all jumbled up back there in the back and this one guy was was having just a terrible day, it was a bad day and and he was, he was saying, man, I need to get the blank out of here, I need to hurry the blank up. You know stuff like that. And I was listening to him and I realized people were having a bad day, it was raining and stuff, and we were all kind of just all huddled together and and, uh, we'd never really seen this guy before, but he was, he was being very vocal and I finally just had it had enough and I looked up.
Speaker 1:I said, hey, man, if you don't mind, can you stop talking that way? I'm a christian. That's just really hurting my ears. I'm uh, my ears are born again, okay. And he looked at me and he said, oh, shut the blank up Right. And then he and he's. And he laughed. And then he looked around and he saw all the other people that I already knew and they he looked at their faces and they were all like, yeah, he's not joking, you're talking about me.
Speaker 1:And I wasn't threatening the guy or anything, I was asking him to do that politely. And he he said man, I'm sorry, I was just having a real bad day and he went into this thing and then we all got to talking about stuff and everything like that. But you know, it's just one of those times where sometimes you have to stand up for what you don't want to necessarily take part in. You know what I mean. And and I felt blessed at that time on account of Jesus, and somebody else later on that was in that group said I can't believe you said that to that guy because the guy was a big guy. I mean, he was a big guy and I'm not a real big guy even though I was soaking wet.
Speaker 1:I wasn't a real big guy then and uh, he said I can't believe you said that to him. I said, well, I just, you know, I was having a bad day too. It wasn't the greatest of days and I just didn't want to hear those words, so it was making it even worse for me. He said that took a lot of guts and and I said well, I don't know if it took guts or stupidity, but I had, I had one of them. And he said I appreciate you doing that. I need to do that more. So I encouraged that guy To stand up for what he knew, what was right too, and he was a Christian. We had this ongoing conversation, so it was real good, you know, to do that. And it was on account of christ Is the whole reason why he got encouraged, while I got encouraged, and all those things on account of him. So I've always liked that Matthew. Uh, chapter five, that first part right there, on account of jesus, that's. I've always liked it.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, it kind of comes off as a a peacemaker as well. Um, just because you don't know who else was, like you said, you had at least one person other than you feeling Kind of the same way with the, the words that were being used. And you know, sometimes it takes that person stepping out of their box, their comfort zone, to Kind of confront the situation. Um, thankfully it ended well. It doesn't always end well, but it's still. It still takes, you know, someone to kind of take a stand and you took a stance and it worked out, which is which is great, and you know it should be rewarding. You know to look back at this and know that. You know you are blessed, you know, for being that type of person, to to try to, you know, bring the peace and be a peacemaker In certain situations.
Speaker 3:I think you were god's seasoning less.
Speaker 1:You're what a great little intro, but you know we'll get to that. Michelle, that was good job. I I thought, oh, I don't want to ruin that, but I I do want to say that you know it was. It's fun Doing stuff like that, and I know I said that last time whenever I talked about Asking somebody. You know, hey, what's your relationship with god like? Are you saved?
Speaker 1:And and, and listening for the response, and helping that person saying something like that, like I did that day, and it is fun to do that, to put your faith out there on the line. It makes life exciting and it makes your faith exciting. It gives you something to wake up for. I think that's zeal, as what the bible calls that zeal as zealous person, as zealous man, and that's what we should be like. We should desire everybody out there to be saved, just like god does, and I love that.
Speaker 1:And, by the way, michelle, pier West, listeners, you are the salt of the earth, but if the salt becomes tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore except to be thrown out and trampled by the foot of men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure. But the lampstand and it gives light to all those who are in the house. So let your slight shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven. Isn't that cool?
Speaker 3:Uh-huh.
Speaker 3:That's that's what I was saying. Like you know, salt is seasoning and you know if it doesn't have any flavor, it's no good. And so you know, if, if seasoning brings out the best flavor in food, then we need to bring out the best flavor, and in god's word and With each other, and I think you were a great representation of that. That. You know, you, you provided that flavor and the seasoning to others and you encourage them, and I think that's the intent of the bible and what Jesus came for. So Good job, bliss.
Speaker 1:Well, it's not to toot my horn. I'm not tooting horn, I'm hoping to encourage others to do the same, because if a real simple man like me who could could do it, then Anybody can do something like that, and I did it in a very nice way. Now Let me say this I, you know I do, I do things like that often. I just do things like that often, and I don't think that you have to have a lot of time in the faith to be able to Do something like that. You don't have to have a great reputation. Just do it and allow and allow the lord to work in your life through you To help others be encouraged as well and I would love to hear about those stories. And once again, you can do it Honestly. You can send it into all those places that pier talked about sending it into. Hey, pier, while I do this here, do you mind? Do you have something to where you can get the king james version? Pier, I can, maybe can you google that a little bit like matthew, chapter 5.
Speaker 2:Which, which, which version versus 17?.
Speaker 2:I'm looking at up.
Speaker 2:So we touched on, you know, the salt, which you know as someone that's recently had a blood pressure issue, who's awful without salt.
Speaker 2:So I can understand the need of salt and seasoning, but when it comes to light and it says you are the light of the world, what I found really interesting so I go down a lot of rabbit hoses we talked about on this pot quite a bit, but one of the rabbit holes was a kind of like a near deaf experience rabbit hole and this lady passed away and she came back and she could basically see all humans, all the humans you know, kind of roaming the earth.
Speaker 2:What the one thing she said is that she noticed that every human had access internally to this light. There was light internally that every human had access to, but not everyone tapped into that light and this potential. And I don't know exactly what that meant, but I just found it unique to know that there was just this ray of light walking with every single person, that this person who says they passed over to the other side could see, that they could tap into that light and just be something special, but not everyone tapped into the light itself. So I found that just unique, especially saying that you are the light of the world.
Speaker 3:It would make sense if we're the light of the world and we all have access to that light somewhere and all we have to do is tap into that potential and then that light would shine bright out to others well, and so my version of the Bible breaks down at the bottom for me and the light part on there, this is literally what it says, and it's kind of funny that Pierre just said that, because part of this kind of talks about that. It says can you hide in a city that's sitting on top of a hill? Its light at night can be seen for miles. If we live for Jesus, we will glow like lights shining brightly with his love.
Speaker 3:Many who are living in spiritual darkness will be attracted by our light and want to step into it. Jesus's light always reveals truth. We hide our light by being quiet when we should speak, going along with the crowd, denying God's truth, letting sin dim our light, not explaining our light to others or ignoring the needs of others. Be a beacon of truth. Don't shut your light off from the rest of the world. So basically what he was saying is kind of in this that if we're living in spiritual darkness then our light's not shining.
Speaker 1:So it kind of makes sense based on what he said to there totally, and I was going to point out that you may think well, my light's not that big, I don't have a lot to offer, I don't have any. Listen. Listen, if the room is dark, right, think about the middle of the night and it's dark. All you want is a little bit of light. You know, whenever you open your eyes and it's dark and you hear a bump or something like that, or you're trying to walk through the house, just give me a little bit of light so I can see, right, and that that little bit of light that somebody might be able to offer somebody else, well, that's opening a door for someone. You know, just a little bit of light, you might make their day, just just saying hello, instead of ignoring people.
Speaker 1:You are the light of the world, so let your light shine before men. Don't be ashamed of the light. Shine before men that they may see your good works and then glorify your father who is in heaven. That's coming from Jesus. Now I mean, you know, but we got to make it real, we got to apply that and we got to listen. He's daring us to do that stuff too. He's daring us to do these things, and I think that we could take this there and just let it go and see where God takes it and try and apply these things to our life and to other people's lives the best that we possibly can and have fun with it.
Speaker 2:Have fun, pierre we do a really cool thing real fast in church, yeah, oh, usually around Christmas it's like that, during a silent night, and so the pastor basically shuts off all the lights in the worship center and there's one candle that he lights and he basically passes that candle around to the next person and then they use their candle and they light the next, and on and on and on and basically what it demonstrates is that you know, one, one candle can eventually light up a room if that lights passed on to others and basically at the end everyone has their candle lit by someone that shares their light and all of a sudden that worship center that was dark is full of light from each candle because each person shared that light basically within them, and pass it to another person. But I do have King James version 17 open for you yeah, and really quickly.
Speaker 3:We've seen Silent Night when we do that and it's especially poignant and I don't know if you've ever been to like a concert where everybody turns on the flashlights on their phones like, and how it lights up, and I mean it's just, it's beautiful and you know I think that's the whole point like Jesus's light is beautiful and you know we can make that a personal goal right now we could start thinking about those people that we want to invite to church, that we might want to have a Bible study with or a discussion with, maybe single out those, that one family, those individuals because Christmas time is a special time.
Speaker 1:People know what it's about, people know that it's about the birth of Jesus. They know that and people are intrigued at that time. Those can. Those candlelight services are special right at churches and it might be one of those. Just just put that people on your heart, pray for those people, ask the Lord to open up a door or window of opportunity for you to be able to go through and invite them to the candlelight service. And that's a couple of months away right, I mean, it's a couple of months away, but we got to have a plan and we start praying for those people a little bit and we got to be open for other people to come to, not just that one family that we have. Allow God some wiggle room there to allow him to work some way in other people's lives as well, to be open to that reception or that invitation. So, but maybe we can start doing that now because it is almost November. I mean it's October, it's going to be November. It always flies the end of the month, the end of the year always flies.
Speaker 1:So let's just single out those people in our mind listeners. I'm going to do it for myself. I hope here Michelle do that and I hope you guys do it as well just to start praying for those people, to invite them to some kind of candlelight service or maybe you're listening for the first time and you're like a candlelight service. What is that? Hey, I'm. You get to play. You get to play with fire in church does that sound?
Speaker 1:appealing. Alright, because it's appeal. My kids can't wait to do that when they love that, when they're hoping something happens is what they're hoping but no, I'm serious like a candlelight service. It is really, really cool. It's, it's fun to be a part of. Agree, alright. Alright, pierre, go ahead and give me in the King James version, matthew, chapter 5, verses 17 and 18 think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets.
Speaker 2:I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you till heaven and earth pass one jot or one little shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled.
Speaker 3:I had to do it now I want to read it.
Speaker 1:There's your word see, I, yeah, at first I remember the jot and tittle episode and you're like what are we just talking about? Wes, what are you talking about? And so this is what I was talking about the jot and tittles bait and switch.
Speaker 1:That's what that was so Jesus came to fulfill it. And this is look, the author of Matthew is Matthew. We've already talked about that a little bit, but Matthew was a Jewish man writing to Jewish people, and one of the points of his letter was that Jesus came to fulfill the law. Jesus was that promise, the prophecy was coming true in all the things that he did, and this kind of proves that a little bit too. And Jesus hammering that home that he didn't come to abolish it, he didn't come to get rid of it, but he came to fulfill it until everything was accomplished.
Speaker 1:Alright, that's what he said. And he said whoever then on those one of these least of these commandments and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps it and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. You talk about a mic drop right there in front of all those people, a mic drop that they had to be better than and I'm gonna put it in today's terms the pastors right, the preachers, until you and I. What do you guys think that he is trying to emphasize there about being better than the Pharisees and scribes.
Speaker 2:I just think they had their own faults. Clearly, we kind of see that they're. They're pretty set on what they feel the law is. They speak to the law and the prophecies and I think there's even a, again a chosen quote, where Jesus responds on this and says that he is the law I am the law, moses when they're kind of questioning the law itself. So it's saying to be better than those who have these faults. I don't don't focus on them and their teachings. I need you to basically excel and exceed past them to better understanding, because they're they're not. They're not where they need to be. So you need to be to their level, but better than them, because even those that you're getting your teachings from aren't where they need to be in order to get to the kingdom of heaven.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think they were content to obey the laws outwardly, but not allowing God to change their hearts or their attitudes. So I think it's a good, you know, eye opening moment to help us realize that God's concerned about our hearts as well as our deeds and, you know, because our, our hearts show where our real allegiance lies.
Speaker 1:No, and I do too, and I think that even for Pharisees, scribes, pastors, preachers, whoever you want want to say sometimes they can go through the motions too. You know what I mean. Like they just go through those motions and Jesus says, hey, we're not just going through emotions here, we're going through. We're trying to get better each and every day. We're trying to get better here, and I think that he's also telling those people don't ride the coattails of the Pharisees and scribes, don't, don't write, you can't ride their coattails into heaven. I don't care who your Pharisee is, I don't care who your pastor is. You can't, just because you have a pastor at your church, don't sit there and think that his righteousness is going to be imputed on to you. You have to get into heaven yourself. You know you got to get there and you can do that. They're just men, just the same as you are women, excuse me, michelle and they, they have a take. They have their own path that they have to go, and you have to have your own path to get into heaven as well, but it's up to you. It's not up to your pastor to get you there, it's up to you to get there.
Speaker 1:You know, on account of him, by the way, on account of him, and Jesus is just raising these standards, I think a little bit too around town, and and I think that today in our society we could probably raise spiritual standards a little bit more. I don't know if you guys agree with me there, but I mean we, we could probably raise those standards a little bit. We've probably been lax a day's a call in some areas as a society on what a spiritualness is or godliness is and what righteousness is. I think that we can kind of take these things to heart, to that don't just sit there and think you know, because I go to, I go to church so and so down the road we got, we got our pastor so, and so he's a real good speaker and I go there every Sunday. Okay, what about the rest of the week? That's what you got to ask yourself, what do you do the rest of the week?
Speaker 2:and I think that's what Jesus is doing just kind of raising up those standards a little bit yeah, I mean it's, it's a dangerous ground to you, like I know we talk about it, like at church our pastor brings it up all the time. Don't just be here, you know once a month, once a week, and then you know not. You know being that righteous person Monday through Saturday, etc. And again, it's tough grounds because I mean, we all see it, you know whether you're in church, you see it. You know those that you know maybe outside of church, are acting the way that they should. If you're outside of church, you know who goes to church and you know who you know once they're not in church, you know kind of acts, the way they want to act.
Speaker 2:So it's just a tough. It's a tough line. You don't want to judge. Only God can judge. But there are situations where you can lead by example. I think would be the the best way of kind of going about it, leading by example with who you are. You know, sunday to Sunday, ultimately out in public, in your homes, in your workplace. I think that's the best way to kind of spread that.
Speaker 1:Sure, sure, and I think Jesus is about to raise the standards even more. Michelle, you want to read for us right there, starting at verse 21? And I'll stop you, I'll go, you just keep going until I stop you.
Speaker 3:Okay, just so you stop me. I'm just saying so. You've heard that. It was said to the people long ago you shall not murder and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment Again. Anyone who says to a brother or sister is that rocker.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Is answerable to the court, and anyone who says you fool will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Speaker 1:Well, I feel I feel sorry for Mr T. Every time I read this I'm like man, mr T, he ain't got a shot. But you know the rock, they're getting mad. Somebody asked me just the other day hey, is it okay if I get mad? And he said I don't ever take it out physically on anything, but just inside I'm just angry. I'm just angry all the time. So what were you angry at? He said, well, just life.
Speaker 1:And this guy, this guy had been, he'd been a. His mother abandoned him and his family a little bit, or him and his brothers and sisters. His grandma had to raise him, his grandpa had to raise him, the kids were split up, just different things like that were going on. He just his past. He was just angry, his past right.
Speaker 1:And I said well, let me tell you, jesus had an anger. And he looked at me. He said Jesus was angry. I said, yeah, jesus wasn't always just, you know, loving sunshine. He had some anger about him, but it was righteous anger. He was mad at things that he knew wasn't right. And I told him the story of Jesus overturned the money tables and the temple and stuff like that, and I said it's a righteous anger and I said so you got to ask yourself if your anger is righteous or not. And I said I think you've done really well at not taking your anger out on things, you know. Just he said well, I used to get into a lot of fights and I said well, that's, that's in your past, so we're just moving forward now.
Speaker 1:You know, but but you know, but but no, I mean, it's something that people struggle with a little bit and getting that temper under control All right. So I think people did All right. Verse 23, michelle.
Speaker 3:Okay. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, Leave your gift there in front of the altar First. Go and be reconciled to them. Then come and offer your gift, Settle matter.
Speaker 1:And then you know the offering was important to do and the offering like when it was your turn, you're supposed to do the offering and that was important to do. And Jesus is saying oh, no, no, no, make your peace, that comes, that comes. That's more important than making your offering Right. I don't know if you've ever been in that place, pierre.
Speaker 2:I mean, I've had some quarrels with my sister, honestly, and a lot of things happen just growing up on kind of how I felt she'd treated my mom, et cetera, and even after my mom's passing, like we, we had a little bit of a falling out when it came to things that really didn't matter. In my opinion, it didn't take priority. So, yeah, I'm, I'm familiar and I kind of understand the the need of just making sure there's not any bitterness or anger, you know, towards not just your brother and sister, but really anyone. You know you read different verses. You know don't let the sun go down while you're anger and just so many things can happen. And yeah, even though you know your, your, your offering is important, how important is it going to be if you don't get the chance to kind of right the wrong with a family member, for example, if something might happen to them? So I think this is just kind of saying that to really give priority to to making sure you're you're in good standing with the folks you care about.
Speaker 2:Oftentimes that happens like on a hospital bed, like you'll see situations where someone's on their, their death bed and all of a sudden they're thinking and they're wanting to make amends with loved ones and they, they worry is it too late? You know what's going to happen. Some people even hold on, I feel, until they get to see or speak to that one person they're waiting for. And you don't really have to to worry about that if you're. You're constantly, you know, making sure that you're you're not holding your, your family member, your loved one in contempt of anything. If you're just working things out immediately, then that's a stress, of pressure burden that's now lifted when you're giving your offering or just moving out throughout life.
Speaker 1:And not. And if you do sell somebody, your sorry for something that you know you guys have had a quarrel or something like that. You've done your part. That doesn't mean that somebody else has to forgive you for that. For that time, all you, all you have to do and all you can do is tell them you're sorry. You might even explain why you did that, tell them you feel really bad about it. Is there any way I can make that up to you and they don't have to even tell you? Well, I forgive you. They don't have to tell you that. You did your part.
Speaker 1:You know, and yes, I would say to pray for the right timing in some of those things, that the situation kind of present itself to you, but also don't drag your feet on it. You know, just pray for that person to have an open heart and have an open mind, and if that time becomes available to them, I think it's the right timing. And keep in mind what Jesus said. He said you know, don't, don't, don't sit there and leave. Make an offering before you do that. So you got to. He's saying remedy that stuff pretty quickly, remedy it as best you can. And I think that's it. Michelle, you got the last little stretch here, 25 and 26, please.
Speaker 3:Okay, settle matters quickly with your adversary, who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer and you may be thrown into prison. Truly, I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Speaker 1:I think the owner of the Annapolis Colts found that out with Jonathan Taylor right here.
Speaker 3:We're happy, we're happy.
Speaker 2:I know, I know. So one thing that usually comes up there is child support. I know we've had that. You can come up in like group. You know at times like how does it kind of work out when you're you know you've been in love, wherever it is, with someone and you're at a point now where you know you're no longer together and you're trying to basically get the money to take care of your child.
Speaker 2:I don't know, that's a tough situation. I feel that it's a kind of think about. When you think about you know, do it while you're still together. That's not really something you think about together. Usually it's some type of disagreement or maybe even bitterness. That kind of takes place to where someone just in need of help, the other person's not wanting to help, and so that's what kind of leads it to the court and to the judge. But just that type of situation is kind of unique. When you think about why people get taken to court and I know it even speaks to you know trying to avoid court and you know not having you know anyone in that situation, but it does happen, and so just trying to tie that into today, I feel like it's a little difficult.
Speaker 1:Totally. And you've heard it said that you should not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks on a woman and loves her, her, already has committed adultery in his heart. And if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out, throw it from you, for as better than one of your body parts perish than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off. Throw it from you, for as better for one of your body parts to burn than it is for your whole body to go to hell. And it is said whoever sends his wife away, let her give him a certificate of divorce. But I say to you everyone who divorces his wife, except for the cause of unchastity, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. That's it. So you know what Jesus says, that about his eyes, or somebody's eyes, his hand. Better for one part of your body to burn than for your whole body to burn in hell. He ain't wrong. You know what I mean. Like he's not wrong.
Speaker 1:This, right here, is where I stopped, because I went wait a minute, what People are supposed to? I'm supposed to what? And I went to my uncle who was an elder of church. I lived with him and his family and I said what's Jesus saying here? I don't get this part. And he said, well, he's just using illustrations, he doesn't mean it. And I looked at my uncle and I said are you sure? You know, I was like really he doesn't mean it, because I do think he kind of means it. You know, I don't think he doesn't mean it, but I understand how it could be. You know, just an example of something.
Speaker 1:But at the same time, jesus ain't wrong whenever he says to do something like that and I do think it stumbles into the pornography region and stuff, all those things, adult conversations that we could have right now, and this may be a family show. So I don't necessarily want to do that, particularly because if you are an adult, you could probably read between the lines on some of this stuff or what it's talking about. But he's now whatever causes you to stumble. So maybe you don't have to go to the extreme of your eyes being plucked out or your hands being plucked out, but maybe you have to go to the extreme of putting covenant eyes on all of your devices so that other people can see what you're looking at and that you're held accountable for what your eyes see. Right? Maybe that's not allowing internet access, right? Maybe that's having to cut off Netflix and throw it into the fire If all you could do is watch things that are, you know, of adult nature.
Speaker 1:I don't know where that all. I don't know what adult natures are anymore. I don't know how people get the adult natures, necessarily, but whatever I know, back in the day when I was a young man, I had to cut off all the adult natures in order to not have to cut off my body parts. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so kind of what your uncle said. I don't know if people, like, take these as serious as they should. Obviously, I think you know divorce is pretty high. I'm a daughter even higher. But even like in the church, I don't I don't feel like like these are taking that seriously. So, for example, I know we've had the homosexual conversation. I don't think that these are taking as serious as homosexuality. You bring up homosexuality and there's like pitchforks and you know fires and you talk about adultery and divorce and everyone just kind of brushes it off. But when you look at these at least these last three are for sure they're in the ten commandments, like they're there written in stone from God itself, but the church and people just don't take them as serious. So I don't know why. That is Something that bothers me at times, just because every sin is supposed to be equal. But I also don't know why. So what color are these letters that you're reading right now?
Speaker 1:Mine are red, Pierre Red letters.
Speaker 2:Why are there no red letters in the Old Testament?
Speaker 1:I don't know why.
Speaker 2:I don't know, that's just something I think about. So I know we got Jesus speaking here. Okay, yeah, reading through the Old Testament, you know God speaks quite a bit himself. So why aren't those letters read? And again, I don't know what that is or why that is, but I would feel these red letters are important. You know, they're red for a reason. They're highlighting red for a reason they want to draw your attention to what Jesus was trying to get across. And so to me, you know murder, adultery, fulfilling a law, something like divorce, what we're getting to next with those. These are important. That's why they're in red. So why don't we treat them as important as we treat some things that aren't in red?
Speaker 1:And he's raising the standard. Like I said, you know you think about all these things that he's saying. You heard it said you know not to murder. I say don't get mad at anybody, you know. I mean he's just raising the standard a little bit, raising the bar, and so I I think about this adultery and and lusting and stuff like that too. Ladies, can I just tell you from a male's perspective, men don't need a lot of help in letting their imaginations to go. Okay, that's me being frank, that's me being honest, and I don't know when yoga pants became fashionable and acceptable in life, but I'm like the yoga pants would turn the other way. You know we don't listen. I don't need yoga pants in church, of all places, but let it all out there in public too. I'm not sure that I need yoga pants all the time. It's one of those things where men's eyes don't need help in lusting after something. It takes a man to be able to train something.
Speaker 2:On the website what it's not. It's not their fault that you can't control your eyes and they're, they're wearing something comfortable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but, but we all need help.
Speaker 2:We do, we do and what it says. If you need help, you know, figure it out. Basically is what Jesus is saying Gouge it out, throw it away. So if you, if something causes you to stumble, you need to figure out a way to throw it away. It's not up to her to dress differently. You need to address what it is you're battling, what's causing you to stumble. That's on your end. That's not on the person's end that you're watching.
Speaker 1:Okay. Well then where's the line? Because if the line is, you know I know everybody's line could be a little bit different. But let's say we're at a nudist colony, let's just go to nudist colonies, then Don't go to nudist colonies.
Speaker 2:There you go, there's the line.
Speaker 1:Don't show up there. But what if somebody wanted to walk around nude?
Speaker 2:Okay, Then you walk away, you remove yourself from that situation.
Speaker 1:Uh huh.
Speaker 2:It's kind of like you you're taught as a kid when I think I even sent this to my daughter the other day when she was kind of copying some of her friends. If everyone jumps off a mountain, off a roof, are you going to jump off?
Speaker 1:Well, what's below me? What's below me you?
Speaker 2:make a smarter decision and remove yourself from that situation. If I'm whether it be a nudist beach or someone shows up nude if I'm anywhere and some some danger or something bad happens, it's up to me to try to remove myself from that equation. It's not up to everyone else to protect me or to keep me from stumbling over. That's my job to figure out how best to escape that situation.
Speaker 1:No, I agree, I know, I know the. I know that scenario. For me it's always inviting that person to church. Like you know, I, if there, if there's a lady and and she's in the same you know area that I'm always putting bread in, or something like that, she comes over there or whatever. I look her straight in the eyes, I talk to her about her family. I try to get personal with her as far as like, hey, do you got a husband? Do you got kids? You know, I know how to remove myself from that situation.
Speaker 1:I was going to go there and say that's how you stop looking at yoga pants, so that's how you stop looking or lusting after women. In my particular instance, that's how I learned to conquer that. I guess, or I don't even know. I say it's conquered because it's not conquered I'm still flesh and blood and all. But that's how I get better at those things and that's how I stopped doing those things and I try to look them in the eyes and I try to have a relationship with them that goes beyond a physical nature. You know what I mean. Like I don't, I don't want it to be a physical attraction. I want her to know that I'm married, that I have kids. I want to be able to relate in that kind of personal level so that it doesn't ever escalate into something else and all of a sudden, now she's become a person instead of an object. Does that make sense? I don't know if I've said all that stuff right?
Speaker 2:Yeah it does I mean? We're ultimately getting tested in the wilderness. We just came from number four, where Jesus was tested. You know, temptation is a part of being tested. So these are situations that will continue to be faced with. If that's what causes you to stumble, the devil's going to bring you many opportunities to stumble over those types of situations. Sorry, michelle.
Speaker 3:Oh, it's okay. So do you think a blind person can lust?
Speaker 1:The scent of a woman who are in that Al Pacino movie or something. Yeah, so, yeah, I did think so.
Speaker 3:So I think, kind of like when he's talking about gouging your eye out, if you know, if you're lusting and you're seeing something, I think it's figurative, basically saying to kind of remove yourself from what's destroying us. So you know, just because it's a visual thing doesn't mean that a blind person can't lust as well. So it's the act of removing that sin from our lives and gouging that out for lack of a better term like removing that habit, or for us to experience that pain of removal of worldly things that are tempting to us and that sort of thing, something that we treasure. It could be a bad habit, it could be something that we just enjoy, obviously, like we typically enjoy looking at someone of the opposite sex or someone that we're attracted to. So it's just removing that thing that is causing us to sin, I agree.
Speaker 2:I think that if it was literal, like it's saying that you would literally be better off just removing that body part than basically tossing your whole body in the hell, like that's what it's saying. So if that's what's causing you to stumble, if your eyes are your issue, you'd be better to go blind than to go to hell. At the end of the day, Some men become.
Speaker 1:Some men are born eunuchs and some become eunuchs for the kingdom of God. I think I'm quoting Bible there even there you go, I'm telling you.
Speaker 3:This is a struggle in here and I've had a lot of conversations about the divorce piece because I'm divorced and he's married to me. So we've had a lot of conversations around that and it's something, quite frankly, I still wrestle with. It was the one thing for me that promised to God that really kind of made me hang in there for lack of a better term in my first marriage, because I made the biggest promise that there was and I made that promise to God. To think about breaking that was really, really difficult for me and ultimately I just had to reconcile that in my heart with God and I don't know yet if I was right or wrong. I mean, we'll find that out. I'll find that out when I get up there, hopefully. But I just had to say there's free will.
Speaker 3:Did I make a mistake in my own free will? Do I believe in my heart that this is what God had planned for me? And the answer to that was no. I felt like God had much better and I honestly believe that Pierre is that right person and that this is what God had planned for me. And I feel like it's been pretty clear since I met Pierre just the way things lined up and how it all happened. We can have that whole conversation too, but I literally just feel like this was God led and God driven, versus me making the decision 100% on my own. So I feel like God has blessed me and that he forgives me, but that's something, honestly, we could go about all day. But it's just between God and I, and really God and Pierre too, since he's brought into it, but I guess it's a tough one for me.
Speaker 1:People have to figure out too. I wasn't even a Christian then, and whenever I was married or stuff like that, that's what people should ask themselves I wasn't even trying to live for God at that point in my life. And then you got to think well, two wrongs don't make a right either. So now, if I divorced Pierre because I was divorced before, I can't absolve that relationship either. Two wrongs don't make a right Always.
Speaker 1:I always try to think of it this way, and I went through recovery process and stuff like that, and one of the things that we always emphasized and was emphasized to me as well, and it made a lot of sense always make the next best decision. And so the next best decision is to go back, necessarily to a harmful relationship or something that's in the past. But the next best decision is what for you or for the person? And so when somebody's trying to work their way through difficult struggles like that and trying to think of things that they've done in the past, the past is the past. We're moving forward. What's the next best thing to do? And that isn't always to go backwards. That isn't always to do that. You can always make amends for things that you've done in the past, but you can't always undo things that you've done in the past.
Speaker 2:So, anyway.
Speaker 1:All right, listen, we got a boogie on this, because we're almost done here, pierre, let's see. Let's see where we go. We went 34 there. I'm just going to start and I'm going to start whizzing through these things, okay, okay, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Again, you heard that the angels were told you shall not make false vows, but you shall fulfill your vows to the Lord. And I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven or by the throne of God, or by the earth, and that shall be the footstool of Jerusalem, for is the city of great king. I think I skipped words there, but you guys get the point. Nor shall you make any oath, either by heaven, for is the throne of God, or by earth, for is the footstool of his feet, or by Jerusalem, for the city of the great king. Nor shall you make an oath of your head, because you cannot make one hair white or one hair black. But let your statement be yes, yes, or your note, no, and anything beyond these is evil. So, be a man of your word, be a woman of your word. If you say you're going to do it, do it. If you say yes, say yes. If you say no, say no, okay, and that just be a person of your word. You've heard it said that. I said that it was said, and I for an eye and a tooth for a heart. But I say to you, do not resist him. Who is evil? But whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone wants to sue you, let him take your shirt, let him have your coat also, and whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him to give to him. Who asked you and do not turn away from him. Who wants to borrow from you.
Speaker 1:I think this has a lot to do with just trusting God for these things. You know, if somebody needs something, if somebody wants something, if somebody is going to take something of yours, let them have it. God will replenish it. Just let them have it. Don't make a big to-do. Let them have it. You know what I mean. Like, don't try to get revenge, don't try to be angry about it and get mad about it. Just let them have it. God's gonna give it to you. Just think about the story of Joe Beard and stuff like that, that God has replenished people a million times over for things that have been taken from them.
Speaker 2:It really just prevents conflict as well Versus kind of retorting or outwardly coming back with something. It kind of just brushes it off a bit and it avoids things escalating further into what they need to be. Both the eye for the eye, two for the two. Turn the other cheek. If you get slapped, like most times, you want to slap back Like no, you didn't, you didn't, just slap me, I'm gonna slap you back.
Speaker 2:But this is saying you know, kind of take the high road in these situations Same for like the walking, you know the extra mile I think we were talked about some there kind of like serving. So whether you're like a slave or anything along those lines that have been kind of discussed you know versus just you know taking that backpack of that soldier that maybe you're kind of enslaved to a mile, just go to go to two miles, just to go above and beyond in circumstances, even when you're not necessarily comfortable going above and beyond, because it's gonna, it's gonna basically resolve conflict, who's gonna argue if you for going the extra mile? No one really argues about going above and beyond. So that's kind of a I think it's a good message to relax and kind of resolve conflict in some of these situations.
Speaker 3:What is and you know we talked about this at church Sunday was, you know, kind of keeping your mouth shut when you want to speak up and when it's natural for you to like belt it out and want to get it out. And I'll be the first to say, like I am that person, that I want to talk through it, and I want to talk through it right now and I want to get it handled before in my brain it becomes something bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger. And I will say that Pierre is very good at walking away, which is super frustrating to me at times, but he's good at like letting it not come out of his mouth. And I'm trying to do better.
Speaker 3:And I was really proud of myself Sunday because he actually made me really angry and I wanted to say something and I remembered our sermon. I did not say a word and you know what. You know what the beautiful thing in that was is it went away and it was good and we didn't have to rehash it and talk about it and it didn't blow up into something bigger. I prayed about it and I was super thankful that God just removed that from me, so I can see the blessing in that I do. I will say I do believe that there are times you do have to come back and talk about it, but this was not one of those and it wasn't important and I was able to let it go, so I'm thankful for that.
Speaker 1:You have heard. It said, Michelle, that you shall love your neighbor and your husband and hate your enemy.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:But I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, in order that you may be sons of your father, who is in heaven, for he causes the son to rise on evil and good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward is it? What reward have you? Do not even the tax gatherers do the same. We got to love those people that are hard to love and it kind of goes back to even the things that we were talking about earlier.
Speaker 1:I didn't realize it was going to go this direction about thinking about those families that you would want to bring, maybe to some kind of Christmas service or candlelight service or something to pray for those people. We got to love on them and be available to love on them, not just close our doors all the time, maybe even inviting them over for dinner or just to talk about things, just to get to know them a little bit better, because the tax gatherers love people who love them. Sometimes we got to love people who are hard to love and that we don't necessarily love, and that's where God does the same thing. We're hard to love, but God loves us. He just doesn't love the people who love him. He loves everybody. He desires all men everywhere to be saved, and so we can learn from that as well.
Speaker 2:I mean it says the sun rises on evil and good. I know we're all familiar with the rain falls on the just and the unjust. That's God telling you right there. There's going to be good days and bad days for good people and bad people. That's just how life's going to go, but you still need to love each other in the process and obviously Jesus did that the best. We dragged His cross, he got whipped, he got mocked, he got embarrassed. At the end of the day he said forgive them, Father, but they don't know what they've done. That's love. How many of us can get treated that way by others and still show that type of love and forgiveness to die for the people that are basically mocking you and killing you?
Speaker 3:It's really tough.
Speaker 1:It is. You think you winked at Matthew whenever he said even the tax gatherers do the same, I am sure. So if you greet your brothers, only what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same, and that's a big slap in the face of Jewish people too, who are probably all gathered around Him. The Gentiles do it. The Jewish people looked like Gentiles. They were second class, third class citizens. They weren't Jewish, they weren't inheriting the kingdom of God like they were. So he says you got to do that. The Gentiles even do it.
Speaker 1:Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect. Jesus once again raised in those standards. And for us, as a believer here on this earth, our goal is to be perfect. It's to not tempt other people, it's not to make other people angry.
Speaker 1:It's to try and do as best that we possibly can because of what Jesus has done for us and to trust that he's going to be able to lead us through that path, no matter what path we are on and where we're positioned on that path. He's going to be able to do it, and we may receive persecution and all those things, but it'll be because of Him and we may have success, but it'll be because of Him. On account of Him, all those things that happen to us are just simply because it's on account of Him, and I think that that's why we should do all these things too, pierre and Michelle, is because on account of Him, because of what he's done for us, and it's worth it. He thought we were worth it. So, if we really honestly believe that he thought we were worth it, isn't he worth it too, to be able to lay our lives down, to take up His cross, to take up our cross, and to try and be perfect, as our Heavenly Father is perfect? I think so.
Speaker 2:I agree Absolutely, and as a reminder, every day and again that's the whole pick up your cross daily. That's what you got to do. Each day is a new day, full of new grace, new mercy, and you got to really start over each day and try to be perfect. If you fail one day, you got to. If you're blessed with another day, you have another chance to be perfect. So each day, that's what you're picking up the cross for and your morning, your old self and you will be confident for that.
Speaker 3:Well, you know they say practice makes perfect, but that's not necessarily true. Only perfect practice makes perfect, because if you practice something badly every day, you're not going to be perfect In the end, you're just going to still be bad. So you have to really practice your perfection every day and it has to be a choice. And you know, there are days we're going to fail and there are days we're going to excel. And it's really just about taking up that cross daily and, you know, doing the very best that you can.
Speaker 1:Well, listen, I am a busy man. I got to go. I've got to go make sure all my Jots and Tiddles are crossed and dotted. I got to. I have to go around and buy all the yoga pants and mini skirts and throw them into the fire so that I don't have to worry about any young men being thrown into the fire, so I got to go do that too. But listen, listeners, please just leave a review, send in your questions, give us some feedback. We'd love to interact with you and we'd love to hear from you. It's always a blessing to be able to talk to you and thank you so much for tuning in whenever we do put out a podcast and we want to get these out to you as soon as we possibly can. But thank you so much for listening to the Finding Faith and Losing Sleep Podcast. Feel free to pass this along to anybody that you feel like needs it, because that's what we're here for, and if you pray for us, we will pray for you.