WEBVTT 00:00.031 --> 00:02.291 This is how God anointed Jesus. 00:02.291 --> 00:06.631 He went around doing good and healing all manner of sickness and disease. 00:06.991 --> 00:08.211 So what are we saying here? 00:08.211 --> 00:10.791 There's good works, not miracle works. 00:10.831 --> 00:12.591 Good works is our responsibility. 00:12.591 --> 00:17.291 Being good parents, being good employees, being good, whatever, doing good 00:17.291 --> 00:19.291 and just being a good person. 00:19.291 --> 00:21.471 When they came up to Jesus said, Hey, good master. 00:21.471 --> 00:23.011 He said, There's only one that's good. 00:23.011 --> 00:26.271 And what he was saying to the rich and the wrong ruler was only God's good. 00:26.660 --> 00:28.020 You're just seeing the reflection of him 00:28.020 --> 00:29.080 because I'm doing good. 00:29.080 --> 00:31.780 So we have that responsibility, the works, 00:31.780 --> 00:33.680 faith without works is dead. 00:33.680 --> 00:35.600 But if we don't do the works 00:35.600 --> 00:38.480 that cause goodness to be revealed, 00:38.480 --> 00:40.200 we're probably not gonna do the works 00:40.200 --> 00:42.660 that sets people free and deliver people. 00:52.850 --> 00:54.250 Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast. 00:54.630 --> 00:57.530 Please like, comment, subscribe if you enjoy this channel. 00:57.710 --> 00:59.170 And we're going to just jump right into it. 00:59.230 --> 01:01.870 We have Pastor Greg DeVries. 01:02.550 --> 01:03.369 Did I say it right? 01:03.370 --> 01:04.550 You did. You nailed it. 01:04.850 --> 01:06.109 Yes. 01:06.110 --> 01:07.890 Trying to one-up me. 01:08.070 --> 01:09.230 No, I'm not trying to one-up you. 01:09.310 --> 01:10.590 I also have my husband here. 01:11.050 --> 01:12.570 Hi, Jonathan Weiss. 01:13.330 --> 01:15.210 I just am not good at these intros. 01:15.830 --> 01:17.430 All right, let's just start talking. 01:17.530 --> 01:18.949 But where do you want to start? 01:18.950 --> 01:19.569 Do you want to just go right in? 01:19.570 --> 01:20.810 Well, I want to let him finish his thought. 01:24.290 --> 01:25.355 we were talking off camera about 01:25.356 --> 01:29.595 your wife, Gretchen. 01:29.596 --> 01:31.515 And you guys have been married for over 34 years. 01:31.516 --> 01:33.775 It's gonna be 36 years this coming June. 01:33.776 --> 01:35.275 Cause you have a 34 year old son 01:35.276 --> 01:37.395 and then you have a 14 year old. 01:37.396 --> 01:38.235 And then in between there, you have 10 more kids. 01:38.236 --> 01:39.695 Yeah, right, right. 01:39.696 --> 01:41.115 So 12 kids total. 01:41.116 --> 01:44.495 And then you were saying something about her 01:44.496 --> 01:46.095 and how she led the family in motherhood. 01:46.096 --> 01:48.989 Or what was your thought there? 01:48.990 --> 01:51.329 Yeah, my thought there is just her concept 01:51.330 --> 01:54.429 of helping raise the children 01:54.430 --> 01:55.649 and how important their names are, 01:55.650 --> 01:58.389 the names of the children. 01:58.390 --> 01:59.389 And so she has written a book, 01:59.390 --> 02:01.529 it's still in the rough draft, 02:01.530 --> 02:03.909 getting ready to get it all the way finished, 02:03.910 --> 02:05.809 of God names and just getting the name, 02:05.810 --> 02:07.649 because every time you call them by their name, 02:07.650 --> 02:08.489 you're speaking their destiny, right? 02:08.490 --> 02:09.329 Totally. 02:09.330 --> 02:10.169 I mean, you're speaking their calling, 02:10.170 --> 02:11.769 and we don't even know what that is. 02:11.770 --> 02:18.753 Like Spencer is the oldest, 02:18.754 --> 02:24.153 He's Gregory Spencer, and we didn't have the full concept as much, but it was out of honor of naming after me, but a different middle name. 02:24.154 --> 02:25.533 But Spencer means the distributor of gifts, and he's very gifted. 02:25.534 --> 02:26.513 He's a very gifted songwriter. 02:26.514 --> 02:27.853 He's a great teacher. 02:27.854 --> 02:30.380 He pastors a great church. 02:30.381 --> 02:35.020 and distributing those gifts for him. 02:35.021 --> 02:36.200 And Stuart Ford is, Stuarting Ford means the prophetic one, 02:36.201 --> 02:38.740 Stuarting the prophetic. 02:38.741 --> 02:40.660 And he's been huge in that aspect of her life. 02:40.661 --> 02:44.460 So each one of the children, their name, Abigail, 02:44.461 --> 02:45.620 the first daughter is my father of joy, 02:45.621 --> 02:49.400 brings joy to the father. 02:49.401 --> 02:51.400 And so she's just really dialed into that. 02:51.401 --> 02:53.956 And I think that made, 02:53.957 --> 02:55.636 a greater sense of fullness in our life 02:55.637 --> 02:57.096 because every day, all day long, 02:57.097 --> 02:59.716 they're being called by their destiny, 02:59.717 --> 03:00.436 by their purpose of what God wanted to name them 03:00.437 --> 03:02.416 and call them. 03:02.417 --> 03:05.436 And we had talked before too 03:05.437 --> 03:07.656 about our responsibility is to develop their character 03:07.657 --> 03:11.530 and God will take care of their calling. 03:11.531 --> 03:12.670 But we get to speak into that on a regular basis by calling their names. 03:12.671 --> 03:13.590 I love that. 03:13.591 --> 03:15.750 I couldn't agree more. 03:15.751 --> 03:16.650 We're super into names. 03:16.651 --> 03:18.290 What we've named our kids. 03:18.291 --> 03:22.690 I heard the names. 03:22.691 --> 03:23.510 Asher Samuel, Boaz David, and Eliana Joy. 03:23.511 --> 03:24.690 Oh, my goodness. 03:24.691 --> 03:27.543 I love that. 03:27.544 --> 03:28.783 And I think you came up with all of them, or did I do any of them? 03:28.784 --> 03:33.023 No, it's a collaborative effort. 03:33.024 --> 03:35.623 But I, it's like kind of like I came up with the ideas, 03:35.624 --> 03:38.003 and then we, but you really, he's the one who actually, 03:38.004 --> 03:40.743 I would say with all three kids prayed 03:40.744 --> 03:44.263 and got a prophetic sense of who they are. 03:44.264 --> 03:45.763 And then I found names that kind of lined up. 03:45.764 --> 03:46.383 God spoke to you about all of our kids. 03:46.384 --> 03:47.883 Yeah, he did. 03:47.884 --> 03:51.903 It was a collaborative effort. 03:51.904 --> 03:52.904 I love what you said earlier about how we developed our character, 03:53.944 --> 03:55.612 but not... 03:55.613 --> 03:56.452 call out their calling. 03:56.453 --> 03:58.672 Yeah, that's right. 03:58.673 --> 03:59.912 And that's something that I've focused on. 03:59.913 --> 04:02.512 I mean, my kids are still young, 04:02.513 --> 04:03.972 but just focused on the character piece, 04:03.973 --> 04:06.352 praying into their calling 04:06.353 --> 04:09.952 and letting the Lord reveal that in time. 04:09.953 --> 04:11.932 But knowing that He's shown me certain specific things 04:11.933 --> 04:13.772 over each individual kid. 04:13.773 --> 04:15.812 Well, I think it gives a clarity too 04:15.813 --> 04:18.452 that they need to know that God called them. 04:18.453 --> 04:20.112 So when they get into turmoils, crisis, 04:20.113 --> 04:21.867 or even victories and upsets, 04:21.868 --> 04:23.187 and great achievements, 04:23.188 --> 04:25.667 that they know where the glory goes to. 04:25.668 --> 04:28.187 They know what the responsibility is. 04:28.188 --> 04:29.467 It's not, I'm doing this because my dad wanted me to do this, 04:29.468 --> 04:30.967 I'm doing this because that's what my mom said 04:30.968 --> 04:34.807 I'm supposed to be doing. 04:34.808 --> 04:37.507 They don't have that chance to get just frustrated 04:37.508 --> 04:40.207 or angry in the midst of it or to blame shift somewhere, 04:40.208 --> 04:41.047 but they realize this is a God calling on their life. 04:41.048 --> 04:41.867 So, yeah. 04:41.868 --> 04:43.836 That's so good. 04:43.837 --> 04:44.736 Plus, it takes the pressure off as parents. 04:44.737 --> 04:47.716 It does. 04:47.717 --> 04:49.796 Just raise them up with focus on character. 04:49.797 --> 04:51.736 And disciple them. 04:51.737 --> 04:53.381 And disciple them and lead them. 04:53.382 --> 04:58.981 Into a relationship with the Lord. 04:58.982 --> 04:59.361 And if they can have a relationship with God, their life is submitted to the Lord, then they will hear His voice. 04:59.362 --> 05:00.261 That's right. 05:00.262 --> 05:01.681 And hear that call. 05:01.682 --> 05:02.621 And it'll just be step by step. 05:02.622 --> 05:03.901 They'll live it out. 05:03.902 --> 05:04.841 They'll walk it out and live it out. 05:04.842 --> 05:05.821 It's not this. 05:05.822 --> 05:09.401 And then it's ownership. 05:09.402 --> 05:10.821 It's not, this is personal responsibility, personal ownership. 05:10.822 --> 05:15.841 This God has called me to this. 05:15.842 --> 05:16.081 This isn't, oh, my parents put pressure on me and I'm taking over their ministry or whatever they, you know. 05:16.082 --> 05:16.502 Yeah. 05:16.503 --> 05:17.022 That's right. 05:17.023 --> 05:18.922 So I love that. 05:18.923 --> 05:20.242 I remember both of our sons, Spencer and Stuart, 05:20.243 --> 05:22.122 they both pastor a church now. 05:22.123 --> 05:24.142 They planted out from outside of us 05:24.143 --> 05:26.082 and still connected to that. 05:26.083 --> 05:28.622 They're both wells, just like our church is. 05:28.623 --> 05:31.202 But they went off, each one for a year. 05:31.203 --> 05:32.422 And Spencer went to North Carolina. 05:32.423 --> 05:34.462 Stuart went to Indiana. 05:34.463 --> 05:35.802 We thought, man, this is, it hurt. 05:35.803 --> 05:38.202 You know, releasing hurts. 05:38.203 --> 05:41.522 I mean, you just let them go and they're out there. 05:41.523 --> 05:42.442 But they came back real soon in good ways, 05:42.443 --> 05:45.922 called them back. 05:45.923 --> 05:49.286 And that was because they had to go away and leave. 05:49.287 --> 05:51.126 find their voice and not just have my voice. 05:51.127 --> 05:52.266 Neither one of them preach the same way I do. 05:52.267 --> 05:53.406 They don't act the same way. 05:53.407 --> 05:56.286 They might make references. 05:56.287 --> 06:01.286 They believe the same way, but they're themselves. 06:01.287 --> 06:04.826 And instead of trying to fill in and follow suit there, 06:04.827 --> 06:07.666 it gave them a chance to get their own voice 06:07.667 --> 06:10.886 and to hear His voice for themselves, which is huge. 06:10.887 --> 06:15.726 And I wanna tell the audience, just to give some context. 06:15.727 --> 06:20.201 So Greg and his wife, Gretchen, correct, they have 12 kids. 06:20.202 --> 06:24.021 and they homeschooled them and you took them on ministry, 06:24.022 --> 06:25.641 evangelism trips from different places all over 06:25.642 --> 06:29.081 and raised them in the things of God. 06:29.082 --> 06:31.541 So Jonathan and I here as young parents 06:31.542 --> 06:33.581 are trying to glean as much wisdom as we can, 06:33.582 --> 06:36.801 because for someone to have done all that 06:36.802 --> 06:40.001 and have all your kids still around and loving God, 06:40.002 --> 06:40.841 I mean, that is someone you want to ask questions from, 06:40.842 --> 06:50.508 right, babe? 06:50.509 --> 06:56.068 Well, that's a parent's dream and hope and heart's desire is that you raise them up and they find their own relationship with the Lord in their own voice. 06:56.069 --> 06:58.708 Like we said, their identity and their calling on their own. 06:58.709 --> 07:01.788 All we could do is just the best we can. 07:01.789 --> 07:08.537 And when I think about you and I, Rebecca— 07:08.538 --> 07:12.977 We both were raised in spirit-filled, very active ministering homes. 07:12.978 --> 07:17.097 But we both had a wayward journey that each of us, 07:17.098 --> 07:19.137 before we even knew each other, got the call of the Lord, 07:19.138 --> 07:24.357 came back to the Lord, got the call of the Lord, 07:24.358 --> 07:28.148 and heard Him calling us into ministry completely independent of one another. 07:28.149 --> 07:29.328 And both of us can bring those moments up very quickly. 07:29.329 --> 07:31.988 It marks you. 07:31.989 --> 07:32.588 And you know that when you feel that moment in time 07:32.589 --> 07:36.068 and that shift, 07:36.069 --> 07:38.868 because it really is the Lord putting His fingerprint on you 07:38.869 --> 07:41.508 as you're an adult and marking you. 07:41.509 --> 07:44.168 And then it's on you to live that out 07:44.169 --> 07:45.908 and get into the Word and seek His face. 07:45.909 --> 07:52.368 I think of the scripture out of Isaiah. 07:52.369 --> 07:56.045 He said that God created Jacob, but He formed Israel. 07:56.046 --> 07:58.025 And so he created Jacob and he had those flaws 07:58.026 --> 08:01.365 and had the deception and all that kind of stuff, 08:01.366 --> 08:03.885 the natural, but he developed out of that Israel. 08:03.886 --> 08:06.351 So there's always that who I was before. 08:06.352 --> 08:08.971 but there's always that who I'm gonna be also, 08:08.972 --> 08:11.091 is that God was working a deep work inside of him. 08:11.092 --> 08:13.091 And I think sometimes when children are going through, 08:13.092 --> 08:16.551 you have to let them go through some seasons 08:16.552 --> 08:19.871 and not take your hands off and allow God to do 08:19.872 --> 08:22.271 and just put it to prayer and just stay before, 08:22.272 --> 08:24.491 be an intercessor, stay in the gap as much as possible 08:24.492 --> 08:26.731 until they find God themselves 08:26.732 --> 08:29.331 and not force them into that situation 08:29.332 --> 08:31.911 because God's developing somebody, 08:31.912 --> 08:35.199 he's developing a spiritual name in their life 08:35.200 --> 08:36.279 that he wants to bring them into who he created them to be, 08:36.280 --> 08:38.699 you know, what his plans were. 08:38.700 --> 08:41.059 And I love the passage of scripture where, you know, 08:41.060 --> 08:44.679 I knew you before you were in your mother's womb, right? 08:44.680 --> 08:48.259 Which I think is huge for us to have that comprehension and understanding. 08:48.260 --> 08:51.959 But then Jesus said to some guys, he said, I never knew you. 08:51.960 --> 08:53.559 And I said, well, we prophesied, we cast out devils. 08:53.560 --> 08:56.699 He said, yeah, but I didn't know you. 08:56.700 --> 08:59.679 What he's relating back to is what was said to Jeremiah. 08:59.680 --> 09:02.375 Jesus knew us before we were even in our mother's womb. 09:02.376 --> 09:04.735 And he's saying, you're not who I created you to be. 09:04.736 --> 09:07.015 You got into ministry and you did ministry fine, 09:07.016 --> 09:07.875 but you are not who I created you to be. 09:07.876 --> 09:10.735 You're somebody else. 09:10.736 --> 09:13.635 And I think we have to keep that mindset in there 09:13.636 --> 09:15.935 that it's a process, developing and growing into that 09:15.936 --> 09:17.375 and giving them some freedom to become 09:17.376 --> 09:20.715 who God's created them to be 09:20.716 --> 09:30.716 and not just what they think we expect them to be. 09:33.140 --> 09:40.319 Well, and I think that connects to something that you were saying on another show that I thought was really a very important point to make, which is it's, you know, because you have a book, Taking Into the Streets, talking about prophetic evangelism. 09:40.320 --> 09:43.199 But one of the things you said is you need to be concerned about the way you're living your life and your relationship with the Lord. 09:43.200 --> 09:51.059 And then out of that will flow the ministry. 09:51.060 --> 09:51.860 And I think a mistake that people make, and this is where I never knew you, is people, you can be in ministry and not have a relationship with God. 09:51.861 --> 09:55.440 It's so true. 09:55.441 --> 09:57.560 You know, the gift and cause without repentance, right? 09:57.561 --> 10:01.108 What comes with repentance? 10:01.109 --> 10:01.868 If that's what's without repentance, there's a higher life. 10:01.869 --> 10:08.128 It's not lesser. 10:08.129 --> 10:11.108 And we're trying to grab things and to identify ourselves or achievements or accomplishments of things we've seen before. 10:11.109 --> 10:16.268 But he wants to do things that have never been seen before in our life. 10:16.269 --> 10:21.868 He created us specifically not to be like somebody else, not to carry on somebody else's. 10:21.869 --> 10:27.928 Even Joshua, although he honored everything Moses did, but they went to different places Moses never got to. 10:27.916 --> 10:31.416 Now think about the guy in 1 Kings chapter 13. 10:27.929 --> 10:33.509 So, yeah, I think it's huge for us to be able to find that place of. 10:32.270 --> 10:34.310 and he's called the man of God, right? 10:34.310 --> 10:37.210 And it's not until 18 that Elijah shows up out of nowhere. 10:37.210 --> 10:39.430 I mean, Elijah just shows up. 10:39.430 --> 10:40.770 He's Elijah from Tishba. 10:40.770 --> 10:42.030 We have no idea who this guy is, 10:42.030 --> 10:44.790 but he's this great prophet. 10:44.790 --> 10:47.270 Who was the guy in 1 Kings 13? 10:47.270 --> 10:52.010 And he was given a prophecy to go to the temple there 10:52.010 --> 10:55.310 and to prophesy and the altar is gonna turn into dust 10:55.310 --> 10:57.630 and the king's hand shrivels up. 10:57.630 --> 10:59.030 Remember that story there? 10:59.033 --> 11:03.733 But he was given instruction in the prophecy. 11:03.733 --> 11:05.653 He was asked to give the prophecy, but he said, 11:05.653 --> 11:07.993 don't eat their bread, don't drink their water, 11:07.993 --> 11:10.313 and don't come back the same way you went. 11:10.313 --> 11:12.693 So he had to live that out, and that takes character. 11:13.124 --> 11:14.324 That takes responsibility. 11:14.324 --> 11:16.064 That takes discipline in your own life. 11:16.064 --> 11:18.604 Because the king turns around and he reaches to go after him 11:18.604 --> 11:21.044 and the scripture says, do not touch the anointed 11:21.044 --> 11:22.424 and his hand shriveled up. 11:22.424 --> 11:25.724 Never touch the man of God, but his hand shriveled up. 11:25.724 --> 11:26.563 Why? 11:26.564 --> 11:28.784 Because the anointing is between you and him, right? 11:28.784 --> 11:31.024 If you think about in Isaiah chapter 61, he says, 11:31.024 --> 11:34.164 the spirit of the Lord God is upon me because, 11:34.164 --> 11:35.624 and a lot of people just go straight to preaching, 11:35.624 --> 11:37.064 no, because he anointed me. 11:37.610 --> 11:40.470 And Jesus can't saddle something that's not anointed. 11:40.470 --> 11:42.650 He can't just use flesh in the midst of it. 11:42.650 --> 11:45.290 So this guy's walking out, but he's a no-name prophet. 11:45.290 --> 11:47.350 I truly believe if he would have carried out 11:47.350 --> 11:50.090 the responsibility of what he was supposed to do, 11:50.090 --> 11:51.590 not eat the bread, not drink the water, 11:51.590 --> 11:52.950 not go the same way. 11:52.950 --> 11:54.330 He went back to the old man prophet, 11:54.330 --> 11:56.330 and he ate and he drank and did all that stuff, 11:56.330 --> 11:58.070 and he died on the side of the road. 11:58.070 --> 11:59.990 And there's a lot of people that are gonna die out 11:59.990 --> 12:01.970 not being who they're supposed to be. 12:01.970 --> 12:03.170 I'm supposed to be obedient. 12:03.170 --> 12:05.070 I'm supposed to be loving God with all of my heart, 12:05.070 --> 12:06.970 all my soul, all my strength, all my mind. 12:06.972 --> 12:08.672 And it's been over preached to the point 12:08.672 --> 12:09.812 that if you're the only person 12:09.812 --> 12:11.612 Jesus would have died for you, there's truth. 12:12.232 --> 12:14.572 But the first thing Jesus did when he went to the cross 12:14.572 --> 12:16.112 wasn't you and I. 12:16.672 --> 12:17.952 It was his obedience to God. 12:18.112 --> 12:20.152 He was loving God with all of his heart, 12:20.252 --> 12:21.411 soul, mind, and strength. 12:21.412 --> 12:23.172 So he's being obedient to his responsibility 12:23.172 --> 12:24.812 of who God's called him to be 12:24.812 --> 12:26.952 before he can be effective God. 12:27.577 --> 12:29.797 helping you and I become who we need to be. 12:30.277 --> 12:31.156 Does that make sense? 12:31.157 --> 12:31.396 Yes. 12:31.397 --> 12:32.997 You know, so, yeah, it's so important. 12:33.437 --> 12:36.417 These are these important distinctions that we need to make 12:36.417 --> 12:40.037 because people can be well-intended, but they're not accurate. 12:40.257 --> 12:42.077 And that's why you have to know the word of God. 12:42.157 --> 12:43.417 And you're exactly right. 12:43.517 --> 12:45.577 They can be well-intended, but not well-attended. 12:45.577 --> 12:46.476 Yeah. 12:46.477 --> 12:49.697 They're not attending to what I call personal convictions. 12:50.037 --> 12:53.757 And we all have scriptural basis that we have to live accordingly as Christians. 12:54.157 --> 12:59.877 But then there are certain things we have to do that He desires of us, that He longs of us. 12:59.997 --> 13:03.057 And that's where it shows our devotion to Him. 13:03.117 --> 13:03.276 Yeah. 13:03.277 --> 13:04.777 That's where it shows our belief. 13:05.056 --> 13:07.256 Yeah, and when you look at Jesus' life, 13:07.496 --> 13:09.336 everything he did was for the Father. 13:09.556 --> 13:10.556 People were helped. 13:10.716 --> 13:11.335 That's right. 13:11.336 --> 13:14.236 And that was God's will to see people set free and healed 13:14.236 --> 13:15.596 and all of these things, right? 13:15.656 --> 13:17.916 But he did it for the Father. 13:18.056 --> 13:20.476 And so I think people might wanna jump into ministry, 13:21.136 --> 13:23.056 but you have to have these distinctions, 13:23.216 --> 13:24.396 these things correct first, 13:24.396 --> 13:28.216 that we're doing this for him, by him, him through us. 13:28.445 --> 13:30.285 See, Romans 11, 36, right? 13:30.285 --> 13:32.685 Everything's from Him, through Him, and back unto Him. 13:32.685 --> 13:34.205 And I can't help but think, 13:34.205 --> 13:36.985 if I can just put over onto this, 13:36.985 --> 13:40.505 in John, where Jesus is greatly distressed, 13:40.505 --> 13:44.105 He's sorrowful, He's just beside Himself, 13:44.105 --> 13:45.785 and He said, what should I say? 13:45.785 --> 13:47.565 And that's a good thing to ask yourself. 13:47.565 --> 13:48.504 Think before you speak, 13:48.505 --> 13:49.805 or count to 10 before you say something. 13:49.805 --> 13:51.265 He said, what should I say? 13:51.265 --> 13:54.125 He said, should I say, Father, save me from this hour? 13:54.128 --> 13:56.748 He said, no, it's for this hour that I came here. 13:56.828 --> 13:57.707 This is my hour. 13:57.708 --> 13:58.747 This is it. 13:58.748 --> 14:00.088 He said, this is what I'll say. 14:00.388 --> 14:01.988 Father, glorify your name. 14:02.108 --> 14:04.148 Doing everything, as you said, doing everything for the Father. 14:04.208 --> 14:05.448 He said, Father, glorify your name. 14:05.948 --> 14:08.568 And it says, I don't know where the cloud shows up. 14:08.948 --> 14:13.948 We know God travels in the cloud and he shows up and he said, this is my son, right? 14:14.028 --> 14:15.167 This is my son. 14:15.168 --> 14:19.248 And so when he gets to that point, Jesus said, Father, glorify your name. 14:19.268 --> 14:21.008 He said, I already have. 14:21.618 --> 14:22.858 and I'll do it again. 14:22.858 --> 14:24.418 I think this is the age we're living in. 14:24.418 --> 14:25.778 I'll do it again. 14:25.778 --> 14:27.198 He's been looking for a generation, 14:27.198 --> 14:29.238 been looking for people like you and I. 14:29.238 --> 14:30.678 And he gets to that point, he says, 14:30.678 --> 14:31.517 Jesus turned around and said, 14:31.518 --> 14:33.518 he didn't say that for my sake. 14:33.518 --> 14:34.858 He said that for your sake. 14:34.858 --> 14:36.058 So what's happening there? 14:36.058 --> 14:38.998 Jesus said, hey, it's time for me to give you the baton. 14:39.878 --> 14:41.598 Just as he did in my life, he said, 14:41.598 --> 14:43.898 he's gonna do it again, but he wants to do it in your life. 14:44.028 --> 14:45.668 He wants to pass that on. 14:45.668 --> 14:48.528 And so that's where we have to be faithful. 14:48.528 --> 14:51.668 That's where we have to be prepared and ready. 14:51.668 --> 14:53.568 And we have to have the discipline and the character 14:53.568 --> 14:55.148 that can carry out the gifting 14:55.148 --> 14:56.648 and the calling that's in there. 14:56.648 --> 15:00.268 He wants us to live a life like Jesus lived 15:00.268 --> 15:01.908 that glorifies His name. 15:02.050 --> 15:06.330 And Jesus said, if you believe in me, you'll do the same works that I do. 15:06.570 --> 15:07.349 Watch this. 15:07.350 --> 15:08.610 And greater works will you do. 15:09.030 --> 15:10.730 Well, there's no greater work than the cross, right? 15:10.790 --> 15:12.470 I mean, let's be theologically sound. 15:12.610 --> 15:13.630 But these are the words of Jesus. 15:14.230 --> 15:16.190 He's not saying greater than. 15:16.770 --> 15:18.110 He's saying greater of. 15:18.110 --> 15:18.891 Right? 15:18.892 --> 15:21.592 All right, remember the old equal and the negative 15:21.592 --> 15:24.552 and positive, you know, greater than, lesser than? 15:24.552 --> 15:26.952 What he's saying is all these miracles I've been doing 15:26.952 --> 15:29.052 for three and a half years, he said, 15:29.052 --> 15:31.212 now you can start doing those, 15:31.212 --> 15:33.212 but only if you're doing the same works. 15:33.212 --> 15:36.272 This is how Jesus was anointed, John 10, verse 38, 15:36.272 --> 15:37.712 Acts 10, 38. 15:37.712 --> 15:41.452 He said, Jesus, this is how God anointed Jesus. 15:41.452 --> 15:43.772 He went around doing good, 15:43.917 --> 15:46.297 and healing all manner of sickness and disease. 15:46.297 --> 15:47.537 So what are we saying here? 15:47.537 --> 15:50.517 There's good works, not miracle works. 15:50.517 --> 15:53.797 Good works is our responsibility, being good parents, 15:53.797 --> 15:55.997 being good employees, being good whatever, 15:55.997 --> 15:59.077 doing good and just being a good person. 15:59.077 --> 16:01.217 When they came up to Jesus said, hey, good master. 16:01.217 --> 16:03.797 He said, there's only one that's good. 16:03.797 --> 16:05.817 And what he was saying to the rich and strong ruler was, 16:05.817 --> 16:07.322 only God's good. 16:07.323 --> 16:08.703 you're just seeing the reflection of Him 16:08.703 --> 16:09.843 because I'm doing good. 16:10.683 --> 16:12.283 I'm teaching good things. 16:12.283 --> 16:14.163 I'm helping people with things, you know? 16:14.163 --> 16:15.923 So we have that responsibility. 16:15.923 --> 16:18.763 The works, faith without works is dead. 16:18.763 --> 16:20.663 But if we don't do the works 16:20.663 --> 16:23.543 that cause goodness to be revealed, 16:23.543 --> 16:25.003 we're probably not gonna do the works 16:25.008 --> 16:27.588 that sets people free and deliver people. 16:28.248 --> 16:28.847 So, yeah. 16:28.848 --> 16:30.848 What was the greater than if it was, 16:31.028 --> 16:31.887 can you explain that a little bit more? 16:31.888 --> 16:33.267 Yeah, the greater than. 16:33.268 --> 16:35.628 So say Jesus healed one blind person. 16:35.708 --> 16:36.708 We know he healed more than that. 16:37.148 --> 16:38.248 Now, because of us, 16:38.288 --> 16:40.088 there's three more blind people gonna get healed. 16:40.853 --> 16:41.873 So it's like the multiplication. 16:42.273 --> 16:42.752 It's the miraculous. 16:42.753 --> 16:44.913 Yeah, so multiplication is more of this. 16:45.333 --> 16:47.633 So God is saying, I've already done it in your life, Jesus. 16:48.053 --> 16:49.513 Now I will do that again. 16:49.993 --> 16:51.132 And you know, in John, it says, 16:51.133 --> 16:55.153 not all the books in the world contain the miracles, right? 16:55.273 --> 16:57.353 And you guys sit down and it's another person 16:57.353 --> 16:59.153 is gonna be here later and later. 16:59.153 --> 17:00.713 And it's miracles and miracles. 17:00.873 --> 17:02.213 So those are those good works 17:02.213 --> 17:04.953 that are happening through people's lives as a minister. 17:05.073 --> 17:08.613 So it's greater than more of it, of what he's already done. 17:09.085 --> 17:10.485 Oh, wow. I've never heard anyone explain that. 17:10.565 --> 17:11.685 I always wondered what that meant. 17:12.865 --> 17:13.944 That's so good. 17:13.945 --> 17:16.685 So you've been pastoring for over 30 years. 17:16.965 --> 17:20.185 You have 12 children, amazing family, kids. 17:20.307 --> 17:23.527 have a church, you've planted five other churches, 17:23.527 --> 17:25.487 but let's go back to the beginning 17:25.487 --> 17:29.507 because you had a very different upbringing 17:29.507 --> 17:31.027 and experience with God. 17:31.027 --> 17:33.407 What was your upbringing like and how did you get saved? 17:33.407 --> 17:35.987 Yeah, well, I had a great family, to be honest with you. 17:35.987 --> 17:39.187 It was just a really good American family. 17:39.187 --> 17:42.247 We played sports, parents attended, coached, 17:42.247 --> 17:47.067 my mom was a nurse, just good, good family. 17:47.054 --> 17:48.854 I got caught up in the wrong crowd. 17:49.014 --> 17:52.134 I just got desirous of other things 17:52.134 --> 17:54.014 and started hanging out with the wrong people. 17:54.394 --> 17:56.454 And it was for a long period of time. 17:56.554 --> 17:57.614 We attended church. 17:57.714 --> 17:59.614 We would have been your American Christian family. 18:00.414 --> 18:01.453 Kind of cultural Christian. 18:01.454 --> 18:02.614 Yes, cultural Christian. 18:02.794 --> 18:04.574 But we didn't have a relationship with the Lord. 18:04.958 --> 18:07.478 And so then my mom met the Lord. 18:07.618 --> 18:09.158 I mean, she had an experience. 18:09.278 --> 18:11.198 She was watching Christian television. 18:11.498 --> 18:13.118 She's in the living room. 18:13.218 --> 18:14.297 She falls to her knees. 18:14.298 --> 18:14.817 She weeps. 18:14.818 --> 18:15.357 She cries. 18:15.358 --> 18:20.318 She gets broken, gets filled with the Holy Spirit, and went to the church where we attended. 18:20.858 --> 18:23.618 And the pastor said that she was going through a midlife crisis. 18:23.758 --> 18:25.018 He didn't have any answers for her. 18:25.398 --> 18:27.998 He said, you know, this will pass over after a while. 18:28.178 --> 18:29.004 Thank God. 18:29.005 --> 18:30.645 Jesus, it didn't, you know? 18:30.845 --> 18:33.525 And she stayed the course and she sought the Lord. 18:33.625 --> 18:36.825 And she prayed, Rebecca, I think at 14 to 16 years, 18:36.905 --> 18:38.645 somewhere in that period before I got saved. 18:39.125 --> 18:42.225 And then out of that, both of my brothers have been saved. 18:42.325 --> 18:43.325 My sister's saved. 18:43.585 --> 18:46.365 All of them are in aspects of ministry and working in ministry. 18:46.927 --> 18:47.766 Oh, wow. 18:47.767 --> 18:48.967 Yeah, yeah, every one of them. 18:48.967 --> 18:51.727 So it's nieces and nephews and grandchildren. 18:51.727 --> 18:54.527 She has more preachers than she could count 18:54.527 --> 18:57.067 on both of her hands, you know, living in her family 18:57.067 --> 18:58.567 and serving the Lord. 18:58.567 --> 19:01.227 So yeah, she was my roadblock to hell there. 19:01.227 --> 19:02.767 She just, she prayed and intercede. 19:02.767 --> 19:04.027 And I just wanna say this, 19:04.027 --> 19:05.287 there may be somebody listening and saying, 19:05.287 --> 19:08.167 man, you know, there's three of us that get together to pray. 19:08.167 --> 19:11.747 Keep praying, because mom had a few prayer partners 19:11.747 --> 19:13.667 and we all thought they were strange. 19:13.667 --> 19:15.187 We all thought they were weird. 19:15.192 --> 19:23.912 But if it weren't for them, I wouldn't be sitting here with you right now. 19:23.992 --> 19:25.672 There is no doubt whatsoever. 19:26.092 --> 19:27.071 So stay with it. 19:27.072 --> 19:28.011 Stay in the gap. 19:28.012 --> 19:28.991 That's such a good word. 19:28.992 --> 19:30.832 There is nothing like a praying mom. 19:31.112 --> 19:33.732 And we're both products as well of praying mothers. 19:33.952 --> 19:38.412 And I'm laughing because Jonathan's parents were, he grew up in a Pentecostal home. 19:38.512 --> 19:41.432 And so he has stories of being in the prayer meetings as a child. 19:42.023 --> 19:44.083 The ladies being a little interesting, you know? 19:44.083 --> 19:44.422 Yeah. 19:44.423 --> 19:46.003 But hey, it doesn't matter the outward. 19:46.183 --> 19:47.242 It matters the inward. 19:47.243 --> 19:47.342 That's right. 19:47.343 --> 19:49.703 And what God can do through someone, which is powerful. 19:49.903 --> 19:51.883 And so you got in the wrong crowd. 19:52.003 --> 19:57.703 You're in drugs and alcohol, but thank God, the hand of God stayed, protected you, kept you. 19:57.743 --> 19:58.282 Yeah. 19:58.283 --> 20:01.643 And you end up into a program. 20:01.863 --> 20:02.382 Mm-hmm. 20:02.383 --> 20:07.403 Did you just think, I want to get clean and I'm just going to try this? 20:07.423 --> 20:08.783 How did you get connected to the program? 20:08.783 --> 20:09.461 Yeah. 20:09.462 --> 20:13.062 Yeah, well, getting connected to the program, I tried a few things. 20:13.062 --> 20:16.502 I tried to go in the Marine Corps and get away from drugs. 20:16.682 --> 20:19.542 I did some outpatient clinical things. 20:19.642 --> 20:23.342 I mean, I was totally addicted to cocaine and everything with that lifestyle 20:23.342 --> 20:25.922 and just kept trying on my own strength. 20:25.922 --> 20:27.162 I mean, I wanted to do better. 20:27.302 --> 20:28.922 I wanted to do good and healthy. 20:28.919 --> 20:30.739 And then I, of course, went to college, 20:30.799 --> 20:32.559 got kicked out of college a couple of times. 20:32.879 --> 20:37.459 And then I moved from Naples, Florida to Atlanta, Georgia, 20:37.459 --> 20:39.939 because there's an old saying in the 12-step program, 20:40.019 --> 20:41.758 you'll change your playground. 20:41.759 --> 20:44.159 You shouldn't go to a bigger playground, you know? 20:44.157 --> 20:46.377 I mean, so, I mean, the first night I was there, 20:46.457 --> 20:48.477 I found out who the drug peddler was, you know, 20:48.477 --> 20:50.757 and I got, you know, right back into it. 20:50.837 --> 20:53.437 And then I got in a real bad situation. 20:53.437 --> 20:55.777 I went on like a two-week binge, 20:56.137 --> 20:57.957 and I stole from my friends. 20:58.117 --> 21:01.517 I stole, I mean, just, I don't even like talking about it. 21:01.537 --> 21:03.937 It's just, just went wild, if you would. 21:04.177 --> 21:05.997 And in essence, was homeless for a while. 21:06.097 --> 21:07.477 Was just jumping from here to there 21:07.477 --> 21:09.217 and nowhere to live, nowhere to call my own. 21:09.477 --> 21:11.897 And then one day, um... 21:12.322 --> 21:15.302 I just woke up like the prodigal son. 21:15.302 --> 21:18.502 And I came to my senses and I came to myself and I said, 21:18.502 --> 21:21.662 it's better at home, it's better there. 21:21.662 --> 21:25.522 And so I called my dad and it's the craziest thing. 21:25.522 --> 21:27.162 I can still remember the phone number 21:27.162 --> 21:29.022 and I can remember the call. 21:29.022 --> 21:31.862 And he was in a shoe store in Naples, Florida. 21:31.862 --> 21:34.402 And I called him and he was at work. 21:34.394 --> 21:35.794 And he said, meet me in the back alley. 21:35.894 --> 21:37.093 Well, I knew the back alley. 21:37.094 --> 21:39.434 And my dad was a stout man. 21:39.514 --> 21:40.594 He was a stern man. 21:40.734 --> 21:42.434 He was a man-man, you know. 21:42.474 --> 21:45.314 And I thought, I'm going to get whooping, beaten or something. 21:45.354 --> 21:46.713 I have no idea. 21:46.714 --> 21:48.334 And so I went to the back alley. 21:50.234 --> 21:51.294 And there he stood. 21:51.974 --> 21:56.294 And I walked up to him and he hugged me and he kissed me. 21:57.260 --> 21:58.359 He didn't know that scripture. 21:58.360 --> 22:00.040 He had no knowledge of Luke 15. 22:00.140 --> 22:00.979 He's living it out. 22:00.980 --> 22:03.840 I mean, I'm literally living this passage of scripture out. 22:03.860 --> 22:05.000 He hugged me, kissed me. 22:05.400 --> 22:07.820 And he said, Greg, he said, we love you. 22:08.740 --> 22:11.620 We don't have what it takes to get you what you need. 22:11.992 --> 22:14.712 but we'll do everything we can to get you there. 22:15.312 --> 22:17.492 And so we started hearing about Teen Challenge 22:17.492 --> 22:21.492 and somebody in the church they were going to at that time 22:21.492 --> 22:22.932 told them about Teen Challenge. 22:23.212 --> 22:25.292 I called maybe six, seven, eight, nine, 10 of them. 22:25.392 --> 22:26.651 I don't know. 22:26.652 --> 22:27.551 Closed, closed. 22:27.552 --> 22:28.191 We don't have room. 22:28.192 --> 22:28.711 We don't have room. 22:28.712 --> 22:29.431 We don't have room. 22:29.432 --> 22:31.032 And then I got in touch with this place. 22:31.192 --> 22:33.052 They said, try this place in Alabama. 22:33.152 --> 22:34.152 And I thought, Alabama? 22:34.152 --> 22:36.792 I don't want to go from South Florida to Alabama, you know? 22:37.112 --> 22:37.506 And- 22:37.507 --> 22:41.167 Sure enough, I called and he said, hey, why don't you call me back tomorrow? 22:41.647 --> 22:44.247 And that was his way of kind of vetting, if you would. 22:44.267 --> 22:45.487 And I called back the next day. 22:45.967 --> 22:47.127 He said, there's no Taj Mahal. 22:47.207 --> 22:49.527 He said, but we've got a bed for you if you want to come here. 22:50.027 --> 22:54.267 And it was called Boot Camp for Jesus, which is interesting because I went through boot camp with the Marine Corps. 22:54.767 --> 22:58.367 When I was walking out, a guy said, hey, DeVries, maybe God's calling you into the ministry. 22:58.527 --> 22:59.486 And I thought, that's crazy. 22:59.487 --> 23:00.887 I was looking for drugs on the way out. 23:01.727 --> 23:03.027 And lo and behold... 23:03.764 --> 23:05.124 Jim Summers always told me, he said, 23:05.124 --> 23:07.544 "'You just went to the wrong bootcamp first. 23:07.544 --> 23:08.764 "'It was bootcamp for Jesus, 23:08.764 --> 23:11.644 "'and that's where I got discipled, trained, and equipped. 23:11.948 --> 23:14.188 And my life is just fashioned and formed. 23:14.188 --> 23:15.388 And everything that I believe today 23:15.388 --> 23:16.568 and everything that I know today, 23:16.568 --> 23:20.668 all bases back to that season of discipleship in my life. 23:20.668 --> 23:22.788 And I realized, when I came to the point, 23:22.788 --> 23:26.948 realized I wasn't being disciplined, I was being discipled. 23:26.948 --> 23:28.528 It was two different worlds. 23:28.528 --> 23:30.808 You know, when somebody still has that mindset 23:30.808 --> 23:32.708 of I'm being disciplined, 23:32.708 --> 23:34.828 they're not, they haven't been transformed yet. 23:34.828 --> 23:36.668 They're not in that conversion point yet. 23:36.668 --> 23:38.828 And I got converted there and changed. 23:38.828 --> 23:40.528 My whole outlook of life changed. 23:40.805 --> 23:42.005 Can you talk about that moment? 23:42.305 --> 23:45.365 Because you get saved there and then you get discipled there. 23:45.425 --> 23:46.965 Can you talk about the moment that you got saved? 23:47.943 --> 23:49.603 Yeah, it was a real neat time. 23:49.683 --> 23:50.783 My mom had dropped me off. 23:50.843 --> 23:53.843 My mom and dad drove me all the way up there from Naples on a Saturday, 23:54.703 --> 23:56.883 probably about a 13-hour drive. 23:57.383 --> 23:58.943 And it was Memorial Day weekend. 23:59.623 --> 24:01.663 And so they dropped me off on that Saturday. 24:02.303 --> 24:07.083 And my mom said she could remember this voice on her shoulder saying, 24:07.183 --> 24:08.263 don't leave him here, don't leave him here. 24:08.323 --> 24:09.743 There's nothing beautiful about this place. 24:09.783 --> 24:11.122 It's not some pristine. 24:11.123 --> 24:14.203 It's just a bunch of ex-drug addicts trying to find – 24:14.200 --> 24:19.480 freedom. And so she said, I'm so happy I didn't listen to that voice. But I told her that 24:19.480 --> 24:23.760 day, I said, mom, well, we'd stopped at the store and I went in and bought two packs of 24:23.760 --> 24:28.420 cigarettes and went there and then went in for the search. When they're doing the search 24:28.420 --> 24:31.820 and they found the cigarettes, they threw those away. My parents knew I couldn't smoke, 24:31.900 --> 24:35.860 but they're like, we're not going to lose them a mile away from this place. And they 24:35.860 --> 24:40.220 had to get a lot of my clothing, had graphics on it, didn't need to be on it. And so I was 24:40.220 --> 24:41.620 like, what is going on here? 24:42.010 --> 24:44.870 And so I told my mom, I said, look, I said, 24:44.870 --> 24:47.190 I may go through this ministry. 24:47.190 --> 24:50.190 I said, but don't you dare think I'm going in the ministry. 24:50.190 --> 24:53.590 And she still laughs right now, you know, to this day, 24:53.590 --> 24:56.410 because in that moment, it was, I was in there three days, 24:57.282 --> 24:58.982 And I told the Lord, I was in a bunk bed, 24:58.982 --> 25:02.822 and I said, Lord, I said, I need your help 25:02.822 --> 25:05.602 to get through this ministry, 25:05.602 --> 25:08.642 but I just need your help to become who you want me to be. 25:08.642 --> 25:11.602 When I said that word help, it's like the light turned on. 25:11.602 --> 25:14.082 It's like everything changed the way I saw things, 25:14.082 --> 25:15.542 the way I thought about things. 25:15.542 --> 25:18.202 It's as if he came in and you know, 25:18.202 --> 25:20.402 Jesus said the Holy Spirit is a helper, right? 25:20.402 --> 25:23.262 So I'm Gregory, but you call me Greg. 25:23.262 --> 25:24.702 He's helper, but you call him help. 25:25.261 --> 25:27.381 It's when you say help, the Holy Spirit comes in 25:27.381 --> 25:29.761 and He starts to transform and starts to change 25:29.761 --> 25:33.981 and starts to restore and revive and renew and unveil 25:33.981 --> 25:37.201 and give you a vision, give you a perspective in life. 25:37.241 --> 25:37.900 And that's what happened. 25:37.901 --> 25:39.621 It just, in that moment, it happened. 25:40.081 --> 25:42.061 And then a few days later, 25:42.490 --> 25:47.350 A few days later in that week, we're allowed to make phone calls on Sundays. 25:47.910 --> 25:51.250 And the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, I don't want you to go to Bible college. 25:51.370 --> 25:55.530 Now, for anybody else, that's fine if that's where God wants them to be. 25:55.610 --> 25:58.210 But I think anything we do, we need to be doing what He wants us to do. 25:58.825 --> 26:00.145 And I thought, well, that's strange. 26:00.145 --> 26:01.204 And then all of a sudden it hit me. 26:01.205 --> 26:05.545 I was like, oh, I know the first thing my dad's going to say when I say I got saved and I'm called into ministry. 26:05.865 --> 26:09.505 He's going to say, well, I'll start looking for Bible colleges because that's what he did. 26:09.565 --> 26:11.445 He would get us to go to school and everything. 26:12.025 --> 26:19.205 So I knew in that moment I had to speak to my dad and tell him that I wasn't going to Bible college, even though that's what he wanted me to do. 26:19.705 --> 26:22.145 So that gave me a victory of hope. 26:23.311 --> 26:24.631 overcoming some of the fear of man 26:24.631 --> 26:28.251 and finding a father above the father there in that relationship. 26:28.471 --> 26:29.890 And so things change. 26:29.891 --> 26:32.791 And then right before that... 26:32.980 --> 26:36.160 We were playing Rook or Spades. 26:36.160 --> 26:36.999 Rook, right? 26:37.000 --> 26:37.839 Okay. 26:37.840 --> 26:38.679 And Spades. 26:38.680 --> 26:39.499 And Spades, right? 26:39.500 --> 26:40.880 Okay, and so here we are in this program 26:40.880 --> 26:42.780 and everybody's, one guy's just out of jail. 26:42.780 --> 26:45.480 He still has his white jumpsuit on from the county jail. 26:45.480 --> 26:47.380 That's how fresh he was coming into the program. 26:47.380 --> 26:50.220 And we're playing, we weren't allowed to play Spades anymore 26:50.220 --> 26:51.420 because we got in arguments. 26:51.420 --> 26:53.560 We'd fight over them and jailhouse guards. 26:53.560 --> 26:55.160 So we had to play Bible trivia. 26:55.160 --> 26:56.740 Well, I don't know John 3.16. 26:56.740 --> 26:57.940 I'm one week in the Lord. 26:57.940 --> 26:59.720 I don't know John 3.16. 26:59.710 --> 27:02.150 And they said, the question was, 27:02.150 --> 27:04.110 what is the love chapter in the Bible? 27:05.890 --> 27:08.830 And I thought, well, I said, Lord, what is the love chapter? 27:08.910 --> 27:10.630 I said to myself, what is the love chapter? 27:10.670 --> 27:11.990 And he said, 1 Corinthians 13. 27:12.190 --> 27:13.450 I heard him that clear. 27:13.730 --> 27:15.201 And I said it. 27:15.202 --> 27:16.322 and the table got angry. 27:16.322 --> 27:17.261 They thought I cheated 27:17.262 --> 27:19.682 because they didn't expect me to know it. 27:19.682 --> 27:21.402 So I realized hearing God's voice 27:21.402 --> 27:23.622 was not always gonna be a cool thing, 27:23.622 --> 27:27.522 but it could always be a real thing in your life. 27:27.522 --> 27:29.702 And so, yeah, it got saved 27:29.702 --> 27:32.502 and just started to grow in a relationship with them. 27:32.502 --> 27:35.082 And it's never stopped. 27:35.082 --> 27:39.362 It's been 36 years of just fun, exciting. 27:39.788 --> 27:42.808 And so you would end up staying, you didn't go to Bible school, 27:42.888 --> 27:46.508 but you ended up staying at the discipleship program with the same place. 27:46.688 --> 27:47.307 That is correct. 27:47.308 --> 27:49.688 For 13 months, actually, I stayed there. 27:49.688 --> 27:51.048 How did you know to go there? 27:51.748 --> 27:52.527 Yeah. 27:52.528 --> 27:53.788 It was the only place open. 27:54.248 --> 27:55.167 Yeah, it was the only one that was open. 27:55.168 --> 27:56.388 Remember, I was calling the other teen challenges. 27:56.628 --> 27:56.867 No, no, no. 27:56.868 --> 27:58.588 I meant like he went there and he got saved. 27:58.628 --> 28:00.348 Because remember, God spoke to you and said, 28:00.588 --> 28:01.588 you're not going to go to Bible college. 28:01.748 --> 28:04.268 So how did you know that this was the program for you? 28:04.578 --> 28:06.898 Because that was in the first week of the program. 28:07.178 --> 28:08.598 So it was a 13-month program. 28:09.118 --> 28:11.858 And here's the cool thing is, yeah, and here's the cool thing. 28:11.898 --> 28:13.898 I'm happy you brought that up because this is huge for anybody. 28:14.720 --> 28:17.360 Jesus is an author and a finisher. 28:17.360 --> 28:20.420 And I had not finished anything for years. 28:20.420 --> 28:22.440 I would start something, I'd start school, 28:22.440 --> 28:23.760 I'd start the Marine Corps, 28:23.760 --> 28:25.700 and I quit and I quit and I quit. 28:25.700 --> 28:28.480 If there's anything Christians need to quit is quitting. 28:28.480 --> 28:30.260 Right, and stay the course. 28:30.260 --> 28:33.120 And so I knew that I needed to be a finisher. 28:33.120 --> 28:35.500 I knew that I needed to get to the end of that. 28:35.493 --> 28:38.473 And being that I did, it's like it gave me a victory 28:38.473 --> 28:40.133 in my life. 28:40.133 --> 28:42.833 It gave me confidence there that I could, 28:42.833 --> 28:44.893 whatever I was faced to, whatever I was called to, 28:44.893 --> 28:46.653 I could finish the course there. 28:46.653 --> 28:48.413 So yeah, so I just knew that, 28:48.413 --> 28:50.173 there was a time I was getting ready to leave. 28:50.173 --> 28:51.553 I thought I had gotten saved. 28:51.553 --> 28:52.833 I could go tell the whole world 28:52.833 --> 28:54.313 and I was gonna go back to Naples 28:54.313 --> 28:56.093 and the director took me for a ride 28:56.093 --> 28:57.893 and he said, Greg, it doesn't work like that. 28:57.893 --> 28:58.881 He said, you know, 28:58.882 --> 29:03.182 And I think that's where he dropped it in my heart is that you need to finish this. 29:03.282 --> 29:04.522 God knew it was 13 months. 29:04.862 --> 29:06.402 He knew it was a 13-month program. 29:06.582 --> 29:11.202 So finish what he knows, and then you'll get to know what's next. 29:11.702 --> 29:12.301 That's so good. 29:12.302 --> 29:14.522 Can you tell the story about waking up at 5 a.m.? 29:14.522 --> 29:15.562 Okay, yeah, sure. 29:16.302 --> 29:17.542 I love telling this. 29:17.902 --> 29:21.502 So I was hungry for the Lord, and I wanted to spend more time with him. 29:22.882 --> 29:23.434 And so... 29:23.435 --> 29:25.075 I asked the staff, we're in a bunk room. 29:25.195 --> 29:26.655 There's, I think there's three bunk beds in there. 29:26.835 --> 29:29.195 And we're in a bunk room and I asked the staff, 29:29.275 --> 29:31.875 I said, hey, I said, can I get up an hour earlier 29:31.875 --> 29:33.415 and go to bed an hour later 29:33.415 --> 29:36.015 and just spend extra time seeking the Lord? 29:36.075 --> 29:37.315 Because they already had, you know, 29:37.455 --> 29:40.435 built in quiet times and classes and stuff. 29:40.555 --> 29:42.675 And I said, well, yeah, no one's ever asked that before. 29:42.775 --> 29:43.894 Sure, go for it. 29:43.895 --> 29:46.355 But I knew enough not to wake up my roommates. 29:46.575 --> 29:48.775 You don't wake up old ex-drug addicts, you know, 29:48.815 --> 29:50.254 before they want to get up. 29:50.255 --> 29:53.235 And so I asked the Lord, I said, Lord, 29:53.422 --> 29:56.062 would you wake me up at 5 a.m. tomorrow? 29:56.502 --> 29:58.662 And I want to seek you. 29:58.882 --> 30:00.522 And so the next morning I roll over, 30:00.622 --> 30:02.482 a little digital clock up on the dresser. 30:02.582 --> 30:03.561 It's 5 a.m. 30:03.562 --> 30:05.162 I thought, oh, this is crazy. 30:05.222 --> 30:06.521 Is this real? 30:06.522 --> 30:10.442 And I did what some people, a lot of people do. 30:10.502 --> 30:12.222 I just rolled over and went back to sleep, you know, 30:12.262 --> 30:13.241 and fell asleep. 30:13.242 --> 30:14.402 I was like, oh, I felt terrible. 30:14.402 --> 30:17.082 So the next night I said, okay, you're the god of second chances. 30:17.542 --> 30:20.222 Would you please, you know, wake me up again? 30:20.282 --> 30:21.582 I'm sorry I didn't get up, you know, 30:21.622 --> 30:23.302 but I'd like to have another shot at that. 30:23.408 --> 30:25.988 And so the next morning, wake up 5 a.m. 30:25.988 --> 30:28.308 And I'm like, okay, wow, this is crazy. 30:28.448 --> 30:28.887 This is cool. 30:28.888 --> 30:29.807 Started praying. 30:29.808 --> 30:32.848 Should have gotten out of the bed, but I stayed praying in the bed, fell back asleep. 30:33.008 --> 30:35.128 So I didn't meet the quota, if you would. 30:35.848 --> 30:43.508 And so the last night, the next night, excuse me, I was like, Lord, there's three of you. 30:44.266 --> 30:46.746 And I said, the Holy Spirit. 30:47.206 --> 30:49.586 Because, you know, in my human nature, I let down two people. 30:49.686 --> 30:52.626 I let down the Father and the Son, you know, the dad and the brother or whatever. 30:52.986 --> 30:54.105 It's all new to me. 30:54.106 --> 30:56.986 And I said, you know, would you please wake me up? 30:57.006 --> 31:01.006 And I was hoping that God, the Father, and the Son couldn't hear me while I was talking to Him 31:01.006 --> 31:03.606 and not really fully understanding the three or one, right? 31:04.026 --> 31:07.286 And so I said, even if you have to hit me over the head with a two-by-four, 31:07.486 --> 31:09.166 would you wake me up at 5 a.m.? 31:10.152 --> 31:16.312 Well, that next morning, as if I felt something in my head and it kind of aroused me and I turned over, looked at the clock, it's 5 a.m. 31:16.312 --> 31:17.612 This is three days in a row, right? 31:17.692 --> 31:19.151 5 a.m. 31:19.152 --> 31:29.392 And I, wow, and I started to move and the one by four slat from the bunk bed holding up the mattress up there or the box spring had dropped out at 5 a.m. and hit me in the head. 31:29.392 --> 31:30.907 Now, think. 31:30.908 --> 31:32.228 I asked for a two by four. 31:32.948 --> 31:35.568 I mean, could you imagine what I'd look like if he would have used a two by four? 31:35.928 --> 31:39.908 But he used a one by four and he marked me and my life was marked. 31:39.908 --> 31:44.048 And for that reason, now for years, I woke up at 5 a.m. 31:44.088 --> 31:45.808 Sometimes now it may be before that. 31:46.008 --> 31:54.228 Maybe it's somewhere in that area that I have made a commitment to seek the Lord first and foremost every morning. 31:54.652 --> 31:58.432 How important is and was making that commitment? 31:58.592 --> 32:00.412 And how did you fall in love with the Word of God? 32:00.772 --> 32:01.691 Yeah. 32:01.692 --> 32:04.072 You fall in love with that which you spend time with, right? 32:04.712 --> 32:07.132 And then even for that which you listen to. 32:07.652 --> 32:09.372 And so there's no love without listening. 32:09.732 --> 32:13.492 I mean, there has to be that compatible and that receptivity there. 32:13.872 --> 32:15.052 So yeah, that marked me. 32:15.152 --> 32:17.352 I knew how powerful that was and how important it was. 32:18.052 --> 32:20.752 My mom had sent me a scripture at one time in my life. 32:20.792 --> 32:24.372 I was trying to really weigh out whether the word's real or not. 32:24.372 --> 32:25.772 And she sent me the scripture, 32:26.292 --> 32:27.952 wherewithal is your young man cleanses way, 32:28.032 --> 32:30.092 but by taking heed according to your word. 32:30.792 --> 32:35.372 And I had just been in that scripture a few days earlier and, 32:35.371 --> 32:38.711 and was discrediting it because I couldn't find a word in the concordance. 32:39.331 --> 32:41.111 And it just confirmed it. 32:41.131 --> 32:43.031 It just really brought it to the point there. 32:43.531 --> 32:45.431 And so the word started to speak to me. 32:45.891 --> 32:48.651 The logos word started to speak to me. 32:48.731 --> 32:53.951 It started to just unveil things to me, and it caught me in certain times in my life. 32:54.031 --> 32:59.251 And so you start to trust that when it shows up in those moments in your life. 32:59.331 --> 33:00.531 And so I just embraced it. 33:00.631 --> 33:02.371 I just thought, hey, I'm going to do this. 33:02.871 --> 33:04.071 I started praying. 33:04.075 --> 33:08.295 memorizing passages, you know, if you continue in the word, you'll be his disciples. Indeed, 33:08.295 --> 33:11.975 you know the truth, the truth that sets you free. Word of God is a lamp unto your feet and a light 33:11.975 --> 33:17.555 unto your path. And I started to let that become real to me. And then when I read Jesus and how 33:17.555 --> 33:23.295 he used the word in the desert, and I knew that I was getting ready to go out into my 33:23.296 --> 33:25.196 new life outside of the program. 33:25.756 --> 33:27.736 And I saw how Jesus went from there. 33:28.136 --> 33:28.875 And think about this. 33:28.876 --> 33:30.016 Jesus is in the baptism. 33:30.216 --> 33:32.236 He's getting baptized by John. 33:32.316 --> 33:33.436 And John said, we have to fulfill all, 33:33.536 --> 33:34.756 Jesus said, we have to fulfill all righteousness. 33:34.896 --> 33:36.295 You have to baptize me. 33:36.296 --> 33:39.196 And then he's getting baptized and the cloud rolls in. 33:39.316 --> 33:41.576 And he said, this is my son, my beloved son, 33:41.856 --> 33:43.336 in whom I'm well-pleased. 33:43.917 --> 33:45.657 Jesus had not yet prophesied. 33:46.197 --> 33:47.557 He hadn't healed anybody. 33:47.877 --> 33:49.097 He hadn't done anything. 33:49.597 --> 33:50.717 And God said he was pleased with them. 33:51.497 --> 33:52.096 Sonship. 33:52.097 --> 33:55.777 And I realized that my life must be in the scripture. 33:55.977 --> 33:59.497 And I read Psalm 139 that all the days of my life 33:59.497 --> 34:00.957 and your life are already written in the scripture. 34:01.357 --> 34:04.157 And so I realized that was a platform foundation. 34:04.157 --> 34:06.817 It was a developing source of my life. 34:07.057 --> 34:08.717 So all those things put together, 34:08.717 --> 34:11.777 I just grew with a huge fondness and desire 34:11.777 --> 34:13.657 and respect for the word of God. 34:14.393 --> 34:15.332 So good. 34:15.333 --> 34:16.833 Did you have something that you wanted to ask? 34:18.733 --> 34:19.708 No. 34:19.709 --> 34:22.209 Okay. You looked over at me, so I was wondering what you were thinking. 34:22.209 --> 34:24.869 Oh, you were doing your nodding thing, and I was just laughing 34:24.869 --> 34:26.629 because I got to be here in real time for her. 34:26.669 --> 34:27.328 She goes like this. 34:27.329 --> 34:28.569 I hate that I do that. 34:28.689 --> 34:29.749 It's just like a constant. 34:30.029 --> 34:30.688 Right, right. 34:30.689 --> 34:32.969 And I was like, I never got to be here in real time. 34:32.969 --> 34:33.989 I hate the nodding. 34:34.209 --> 34:36.709 Now you all know, audience, if you're ever like, why is she doing that? 34:36.749 --> 34:37.769 It's how I like engage. 34:38.209 --> 34:39.809 Yeah, well, the nodding helps, right? 34:39.829 --> 34:40.908 It pulls out more. 34:40.909 --> 34:41.688 Yeah, it does. 34:41.689 --> 34:43.929 It's kind of like when I was preaching at a church years ago, 34:44.069 --> 34:47.889 and nobody, I'm from the South, so they say, amen, preach it, brother, you know. 34:48.413 --> 34:49.993 And nobody's saying anything, right? 34:50.113 --> 34:52.953 And finally, this lady, she says, amen, preach it. 34:53.393 --> 34:55.433 And another one said, preach it, amen. 34:55.653 --> 34:57.933 And one got a hanky out and started swirling it. 34:57.933 --> 34:58.292 Nice. 34:58.293 --> 35:00.173 And I was like, man, it kicked me into another gear. 35:00.213 --> 35:03.253 It's like Rebecca nodding her head, bringing it on. 35:03.613 --> 35:06.533 And finally, the preacher, he said, preach it, Pharaoh. 35:07.833 --> 35:08.629 Pharaoh. 35:08.630 --> 35:09.669 Yeah, right? 35:09.670 --> 35:11.390 I thought, I kind of closed it up. 35:11.450 --> 35:12.309 I thought that was strange. 35:12.310 --> 35:13.910 Closed it up and went back to his study. 35:14.010 --> 35:15.330 I said, do you mind me asking you a question? 35:15.850 --> 35:16.769 He said, yeah, what? 35:16.770 --> 35:18.330 I said, why did you say preach at Pharaoh? 35:18.790 --> 35:20.550 He said, I was trying to tell you to let my people go. 35:21.792 --> 35:22.791 It's a joke. 35:22.792 --> 35:23.811 That's funny. 35:23.812 --> 35:24.091 Oh my gosh. 35:24.092 --> 35:25.632 Yeah, it brings it on, Rebecca. 35:25.732 --> 35:26.291 It helps. 35:26.292 --> 35:26.571 It helps. 35:26.572 --> 35:27.371 That's amazing. 35:27.372 --> 35:28.411 My dad would always say, 35:28.412 --> 35:30.512 blessed are the short-winded 35:30.512 --> 35:31.832 for they shall be invited back. 35:31.912 --> 35:33.132 That's what he would always say. 35:33.432 --> 35:34.251 That's funny too. 35:34.252 --> 35:34.711 Yeah, I know. 35:34.712 --> 35:35.972 And like, it's so weird. 35:36.052 --> 35:37.432 All the things he told me over the years, 35:37.552 --> 35:39.212 like stick with me and I still say them. 35:39.472 --> 35:40.271 That's so good. 35:40.272 --> 35:42.732 So you leave the discipleship, 35:43.132 --> 35:44.712 find your wife, 35:44.860 --> 35:46.360 get into ministry. 35:46.360 --> 35:48.020 He prays his wife into existence 35:48.020 --> 35:50.360 because a friend shows him a photo of her. 35:50.360 --> 35:51.900 It's a cute story. 35:51.900 --> 35:55.100 So under the bunk bed too, is that late at night? 35:55.100 --> 35:56.740 Yeah, you can share that one. 35:56.740 --> 35:59.680 Yeah, so I'm doing the mornings, 5 a.m. 35:59.680 --> 36:01.320 Now I'm doing from 10 to 11. 36:01.320 --> 36:02.320 I'm under a bunk bed. 36:02.320 --> 36:03.380 I have a flashlight out. 36:03.380 --> 36:04.540 I'm reading the Word. 36:04.540 --> 36:06.740 This guy comes into the program 36:06.740 --> 36:07.619 and he gets up under the bed. 36:07.620 --> 36:08.459 He gets hungry. 36:08.460 --> 36:10.100 He's like, hey, can I hang out with you under the bed? 36:10.105 --> 36:11.405 Like, yeah, you know? 36:11.525 --> 36:14.285 And so we're under there and reading the word. 36:14.285 --> 36:18.105 And about three or four days into it, he says, hey, he said, you need to meet my sister-in-law. 36:18.705 --> 36:20.605 He said, I think you guys would be good for each other. 36:20.665 --> 36:21.785 I said, do you have a picture of her? 36:22.005 --> 36:25.705 And I've been praying for a wife knowing that I needed, you know, that help meet. 36:25.885 --> 36:28.305 And so, you know, it's not a help mate. 36:28.405 --> 36:29.485 It's a help meet. 36:29.478 --> 36:31.898 When you translate that out, anybody can help you mate, 36:32.418 --> 36:35.498 but not everybody can help you meet the call that God has in your life, right? 36:36.018 --> 36:37.038 And so Gretchen's been that. 36:37.038 --> 36:37.917 Is that a real thing? 36:37.918 --> 36:39.097 That is a true thing. 36:39.098 --> 36:39.897 That's really good. 36:39.898 --> 36:40.637 It is. 36:40.638 --> 36:42.338 Not a help mate, it's a help meet. 36:42.378 --> 36:42.737 Yeah. 36:42.738 --> 36:44.398 I mean, it blends into both. 36:44.578 --> 36:44.857 Right. 36:44.858 --> 36:45.357 It blends into both. 36:45.358 --> 36:47.418 I mean, we are to mate, be fruitful, multiply. 36:47.538 --> 36:48.578 We figured that one out. 36:48.738 --> 36:49.878 But she's the help meet. 36:50.018 --> 36:52.918 I mean, she still is that in my life today to help me meet. 36:53.258 --> 36:53.957 She has never once. 36:53.958 --> 36:56.158 I'll never forget one night I'm lying in bed. 36:56.393 --> 36:57.833 And I'm just wrestling with, you know, 36:57.913 --> 37:00.833 am I supposed to be an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher, you know? 37:00.873 --> 37:03.593 And I'm talking to her about it, you know, and she's pregnant, right? 37:03.653 --> 37:04.892 And there's children somewhere. 37:04.893 --> 37:07.613 And she rolled over and she said, why can't you just be a man of God? 37:09.413 --> 37:12.173 Guys, I dropped out of the bed on my knees and wept. 37:12.253 --> 37:13.353 She turns over and goes to sleep. 37:13.613 --> 37:14.833 But there's so much truth to that. 37:15.093 --> 37:16.653 Our identity is not our office. 37:16.793 --> 37:18.192 That's a gift, right? 37:18.193 --> 37:19.853 And we're not meant to be known by that. 37:19.853 --> 37:24.273 So anyway, so I'm under the bunk bed and Robbie shows me this picture. 37:24.493 --> 37:25.533 And I was like, wow. 37:25.823 --> 37:26.602 That's her. 37:26.603 --> 37:27.362 I just knew it. 37:27.363 --> 37:28.803 There's a knowing inside of me. 37:28.863 --> 37:29.702 I said, that's her. 37:29.703 --> 37:32.083 So the next five days or so, I'm calling him brother-in-law. 37:32.183 --> 37:33.563 Can't wait till we do Christmas together. 37:33.663 --> 37:34.903 You know, just, you know, talking. 37:35.463 --> 37:37.003 And he said, man, I made a mistake. 37:37.163 --> 37:38.563 I said, what's that? 37:38.863 --> 37:40.863 You know, I think he's getting ready to confess something to me big. 37:40.943 --> 37:44.443 And he said, she's been dating a guy for five years. 37:44.875 --> 37:46.615 And I said, well, that's informed intercession. 37:46.955 --> 37:48.015 I know how to pray now. 37:48.215 --> 37:49.335 I know she's the one. 37:49.875 --> 37:52.075 And so I started to pray. 37:52.155 --> 37:54.495 She started having some encounter with the Lord herself, 37:54.775 --> 37:57.515 just kind of a revival in her own personal life. 37:57.615 --> 38:00.255 And the first time she met me or saw me, 38:00.315 --> 38:01.815 she told her mom, she said, that's the guy I'm gonna marry. 38:01.875 --> 38:03.135 And her mom said, what are you gonna do with Mark? 38:03.175 --> 38:04.514 She said, I don't know. 38:04.515 --> 38:07.915 But I just know he's not part of the package. 38:08.435 --> 38:09.754 So yeah, yeah. 38:09.755 --> 38:09.874 Wow. 38:09.875 --> 38:10.119 Wow. 38:10.120 --> 38:10.959 It's a great story. 38:10.960 --> 38:14.540 And I mean, all these years later, pastoring, planted other churches. 38:14.740 --> 38:21.760 I did want you to share about how the Lord spoke to you about when your church reaches so much to plant another church. 38:21.840 --> 38:22.959 Because I thought that was really cool. 38:22.960 --> 38:23.779 Yeah, yeah. 38:23.780 --> 38:28.720 You know, and I think that's, again, where it's so important just to know the voice and what He speaks to you. 38:29.340 --> 38:32.060 What He does for others may not be what He's going to do in your life. 38:32.080 --> 38:33.800 And what He does in your life may not be for others. 38:34.387 --> 38:35.547 The church is growing. 38:35.687 --> 38:36.887 The church is doing well. 38:37.747 --> 38:40.307 And the Lord spoke to me, dropped in my heart. 38:40.307 --> 38:49.027 I remember when the church started to grow, our oldest daughters are on staff there at the church, the CFO of the church there. 38:49.107 --> 38:50.267 And she came to me. 38:50.307 --> 38:51.847 She said, Dad, you know so-and-so. 38:51.927 --> 38:53.207 And she named four or five names. 38:53.327 --> 38:54.747 And I said, I don't know those people. 38:54.887 --> 38:56.087 The one name rings a bell. 38:56.467 --> 38:58.227 She said, well, they're all tithing. 38:58.552 --> 39:00.552 And something shifted, it convicted me. 39:00.552 --> 39:01.632 I could feel conviction. 39:01.632 --> 39:03.432 I know when conviction comes, 39:03.432 --> 39:04.952 revelation's gonna come, right? 39:04.952 --> 39:06.992 And so I'm like, okay, I position myself. 39:06.992 --> 39:09.492 And the Lord really burned it in my heart 39:09.492 --> 39:12.992 that if somebody's giving and tithing in a church, 39:13.852 --> 39:16.272 it'd be really nice for them to have their name known 39:16.272 --> 39:17.992 and just to know them and that relationship. 39:17.992 --> 39:19.712 That's a big commitment. 39:19.712 --> 39:21.592 And this is my personal journey, right? 39:21.592 --> 39:22.431 This is where I'm at. 39:22.432 --> 39:24.732 So this is not comparison whatsoever. 39:24.725 --> 39:26.345 And so the Lord spoke to me in that moment. 39:26.405 --> 39:29.825 He said, every time when you hit 500, I want you to plant a church. 39:29.885 --> 39:31.085 Be ready to plant a church. 39:31.225 --> 39:37.365 And so 2020, we expanded the sanctuary twice, and we planted a church in 2020. 39:37.885 --> 39:39.305 And that was our oldest son. 39:39.385 --> 39:42.485 He was a great worship leader, phenomenal songwriter, loved him. 39:42.565 --> 39:43.765 I just loved it being my son. 39:43.765 --> 39:47.845 I could always request whatever I wanted if I wanted it, you know, and... 39:47.843 --> 39:53.503 And we released them and a large group of people to go plant a church in Fort Payne, Alabama, 39:53.503 --> 39:58.343 which is about 35, 40 minutes from us, but there's a little community in between. 39:58.443 --> 40:02.983 So you always try to jump over a community so people living in between can have their choice where to go. 40:03.043 --> 40:06.283 I really believe in worship where you live and live where you worship, you know, 40:06.323 --> 40:08.683 and just kind of to have that relationship, if at all possible. 40:09.410 --> 40:12.350 And so that came, then we started to grow again 40:12.350 --> 40:15.410 and came time again, our next son moved out 40:15.410 --> 40:19.030 and he went over to be with my father-in-law 40:19.030 --> 40:21.910 and Gretchen's dad and served him for a few years, 40:21.910 --> 40:23.530 but that became a well out of that. 40:23.530 --> 40:25.790 We released that and that became a well 40:26.015 --> 40:29.855 They're all autonomous and they're all their own entity. 40:29.855 --> 40:31.955 Their finances operate within themselves, 40:31.955 --> 40:34.615 but they answer to and under the covering 40:34.615 --> 40:36.355 of the well in Scottsboro there. 40:36.355 --> 40:38.635 And then another one of our spiritual sons, 40:38.635 --> 40:41.055 we have a discipleship school and a school of ministry. 40:41.489 --> 40:44.429 we've been doing for 18 years, I guess. 40:44.429 --> 40:48.269 And Nate and Holly Cunningham planted in Columbia, Tennessee. 40:48.269 --> 40:49.869 We sent them up to Columbia, Tennessee 40:49.869 --> 40:51.529 and planted a church up there. 40:51.529 --> 40:52.829 There's already a well there, 40:52.829 --> 40:54.969 so that's called the river there. 40:54.969 --> 40:56.069 And you can't have a well 40:56.069 --> 40:57.789 without an underground river at least, right? 40:57.789 --> 40:59.229 I love these names, by the way. 40:59.229 --> 41:00.048 Yeah. Great. 41:00.049 --> 41:00.888 You're a big water fan. 41:00.889 --> 41:02.209 I love all the water references in the structure. 41:02.209 --> 41:03.969 Your name in our family is Sparkling River. 41:03.969 --> 41:05.129 Oceans, yeah. 41:05.131 --> 41:17.731 So then we had a church, planted a church just recently, some months ago, just a few months ago, in Wickenburg, Arizona, just north of Phoenix there with John and Georgia Baker. 41:18.231 --> 41:24.891 And then we just released and sent a couple out to Mazatlan, Mexico, and they're planting a work in Mazatlan, Mexico. 41:25.031 --> 41:26.551 And they're just, they're a month into it. 41:26.751 --> 41:27.017 Wow. 41:27.018 --> 41:27.217 Wow. 41:27.218 --> 41:28.698 They're just getting started in it. 41:28.858 --> 41:33.358 And so every time, so we always have that church planting in our life. 41:33.418 --> 41:36.938 We had a prophetic word given to us that the well would be like a banyan tree. 41:37.078 --> 41:38.578 I don't know if you guys know what a banyan tree is, right? 41:38.578 --> 41:38.897 Yeah, I do actually. 41:38.898 --> 41:39.537 Do you know what that is? 41:39.538 --> 41:40.077 I don't. 41:40.078 --> 41:40.997 I know what it is. 41:40.998 --> 41:41.597 Go ahead, tell it. 41:41.598 --> 41:42.154 You can do it. 41:42.155 --> 41:43.775 It's, well, now I feel like I can't explain it. 41:43.775 --> 41:44.574 You got it. 41:44.575 --> 41:44.914 Come on, Aubrey. 41:44.915 --> 41:47.315 No, it's a tree that's like really, really big. 41:47.415 --> 41:48.655 Aren't those the trees in? 41:48.755 --> 41:50.015 Really good explanation, Rebecca. 41:50.135 --> 41:51.415 A tree that's really, really big. 41:51.515 --> 41:56.275 So this tree grows out and then roots drop from the branches 41:56.275 --> 42:00.395 and they could have thousands of roots and trunks coming out. 42:00.435 --> 42:01.855 So trees grow within the tree. 42:01.995 --> 42:04.635 And we had a prophetic word that we would be like a banyan tree. 42:04.635 --> 42:08.395 We'll grow out and even our church plants would plant churches in the midst of us. 42:08.435 --> 42:11.415 So that's kind of a burn in our heart is to plant churches. 42:11.735 --> 42:12.377 Yeah. 42:12.378 --> 42:14.658 Is it helped that like I saw the picture? 42:14.658 --> 42:17.538 Aren't there banyan trees in Hawaii? 42:17.538 --> 42:18.858 There probably are some in Hawaii. 42:18.858 --> 42:19.938 They were down in Naples. 42:19.938 --> 42:22.778 They're in tropical, more tropical environments there. 42:22.778 --> 42:23.717 But the cool thing was, 42:23.718 --> 42:26.318 is I just had our son Levi down in Naples. 42:26.318 --> 42:28.718 We went down on a little getaway trip together 42:28.718 --> 42:30.098 and I was speaking at a church 42:30.098 --> 42:31.318 and I took him by our old house 42:31.318 --> 42:33.098 and I showed him the banyan tree that was in our house. 42:33.098 --> 42:35.078 And I explained to him what a banyan tree was. 42:35.078 --> 42:37.418 The next week we get this prophetic word that, 42:37.418 --> 42:38.738 hey, I see a banyan tree 42:38.738 --> 42:40.638 and your church is gonna be like a banyan tree. 42:40.643 --> 42:41.262 They're in Hawaii? 42:41.263 --> 42:42.062 They're in Maui. 42:42.063 --> 42:44.103 There's that one massive one that you can like… 42:44.103 --> 42:44.202 Yeah. 42:44.203 --> 42:45.543 They have the root systems and stuff. 42:45.623 --> 42:46.723 You can like sit on it and stuff. 42:46.723 --> 42:48.463 Is that the one that's like a square mile? 42:48.603 --> 42:49.142 It's like a… 42:49.143 --> 42:50.002 It's famous. 42:50.003 --> 42:52.123 That's exactly what came to mind because we've been there. 42:52.283 --> 42:52.822 Yep. 42:52.823 --> 42:53.963 So, they're really cool. 42:54.103 --> 42:55.943 That's so awesome how it like… 42:55.943 --> 42:57.883 The multiplication and the feeding into it. 42:57.923 --> 42:59.783 It's like this beautiful prophetic picture. 43:00.023 --> 43:00.420 Yeah. 43:00.421 --> 43:05.881 And speaking of prophetic, your book, Taking It to the Streets, is about prophetic evangelism. 43:06.101 --> 43:07.761 Tell us, how did this book come about? 43:07.941 --> 43:11.801 How did prophetic evangelism really come about in your own life? 43:11.941 --> 43:13.901 Yeah, there's a lot of points to it. 43:13.921 --> 43:19.261 But just the one that comes to me now that kind of connected it is I just, I was reading in the scripture. 43:19.401 --> 43:26.161 And I saw where Jesus told his disciples, go out two by two and go out in the streets and invite all these people in, right? 43:26.221 --> 43:28.101 And just to minister to them. 43:28.221 --> 43:30.261 And so I thought, oh, wow. 43:30.256 --> 43:32.116 I think that'd be cool to do, you know? 43:32.116 --> 43:34.576 And so got a small group of people together. 43:34.576 --> 43:37.196 I was a youth pastor, it was a very small church. 43:37.196 --> 43:39.456 And I said, hey, this is what we're gonna do. 43:39.456 --> 43:40.476 The day after Christmas, 43:40.476 --> 43:41.676 we're gonna go down to New Orleans 43:41.676 --> 43:43.196 because I knew there would be sinners there. 43:43.196 --> 43:44.876 And so we're gonna go down to New Orleans 43:44.876 --> 43:46.736 and we're just gonna minister like Jesus would. 43:46.736 --> 43:49.456 I said, but we're not gonna bring extra things. 43:49.456 --> 43:51.356 We're just gonna go down and do it by faith. 43:51.356 --> 43:54.076 And so we did, we went down there and on the way down, 43:54.076 --> 43:56.196 there were people stranded on the side of the road. 43:56.196 --> 43:57.316 On the way down there was, 43:57.712 --> 43:59.512 dreams and visions fulfilled. 43:59.672 --> 44:02.292 I mean, just all these prophetic things were going on 44:02.292 --> 44:04.352 and it was just a little overwhelming, 44:04.452 --> 44:05.111 to be honest with you. 44:05.112 --> 44:07.332 I felt like we're living in a different world. 44:07.612 --> 44:07.751 Wow. 44:07.752 --> 44:08.892 And it felt like a kind of a, 44:09.052 --> 44:10.992 if you would, a Narnia experience. 44:11.132 --> 44:13.352 You know, it was like, whoa, this is bizarre. 44:13.632 --> 44:17.632 And so, yeah, it's just the desire to be used by God. 44:17.852 --> 44:20.072 It was the desire to see somebody's life 44:20.072 --> 44:21.772 transform and change. 44:21.772 --> 44:25.712 It was a desire to use what transformed my life 44:25.707 --> 44:28.307 there to help transform other people's lives. 44:28.607 --> 44:30.427 And I don't know, I just had a desire. 44:30.727 --> 44:33.147 The scripture says, and this is good for anybody, 44:33.587 --> 44:35.307 it says, desire spiritual gifts, 44:35.687 --> 44:37.847 but much rather that you would prophesy 44:37.847 --> 44:39.027 because it edifies. 44:39.187 --> 44:40.186 So let's watch this. 44:40.187 --> 44:42.007 This is something you can walk into anybody 44:42.007 --> 44:44.487 because I believe all the way back to Numbers 11 44:44.487 --> 44:46.587 that Moses said, 44:46.582 --> 44:48.502 Do not be envious for my sake. 44:48.542 --> 44:49.702 Remember Joshua came up and said, 44:49.802 --> 44:51.442 hey, there's other people prophesying. 44:51.522 --> 44:52.682 He said, don't be envious for me. 44:53.202 --> 44:54.201 I would, listen to this. 44:54.202 --> 44:57.282 I would that all the Lord's people were prophets. 44:58.262 --> 45:00.722 He's the most humble, meek man on face of the earth. 45:00.802 --> 45:02.882 And Jesus said, the meek will inherit the earth. 45:02.883 --> 45:03.642 And that's what we are. 45:03.643 --> 45:04.922 We're earthen vessels. 45:04.923 --> 45:07.003 God literally wants us all to be a prophetic generation. 45:07.363 --> 45:09.723 He wants all of us to see and to hear and to obey 45:09.723 --> 45:12.563 and to be a voice and a mouthpiece there. 45:12.963 --> 45:14.763 So with that desire, 45:14.983 --> 45:17.763 I think everything comes out of desire, right? 45:17.843 --> 45:21.143 Jesus said, I desire with desire to have this meal with you. 45:21.203 --> 45:23.523 And so if anyone desires to come after me, 45:23.523 --> 45:24.623 let them... 45:24.618 --> 45:26.718 Deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me. 45:27.178 --> 45:29.438 And so just watching and studying the life of Jesus, 45:29.698 --> 45:30.938 that's the way he ministered. 45:31.278 --> 45:34.818 He just was obedient and did prophetic things 45:34.818 --> 45:37.118 and ministered into people's lives. 45:37.238 --> 45:39.618 Matter of fact, the woman at the well, 45:39.620 --> 45:43.120 After he gets done ministering to her and she says, 45:43.200 --> 45:45.060 sir, I perceive you're a prophet. 45:45.340 --> 45:47.340 Then you look at Philip the evangelist, 45:47.680 --> 45:48.680 but he's doing prophetic stuff. 45:48.760 --> 45:51.640 He's interpreting the book of Isaiah for a eunuch. 45:52.080 --> 45:54.000 He has four daughters who are prophetess. 45:54.180 --> 45:56.480 I mean, there's, I think the five fold, 45:56.700 --> 45:58.560 apostolic, prophetic, prophetic, 45:58.553 --> 46:02.673 evangelistic, pastoral, and teacher. I'm sure you've seen that before in the five-fold. 46:03.033 --> 46:06.913 Well, the apostle can do all five of them because he goes out and he plants, but the prophet points 46:06.913 --> 46:11.353 things out. The evangelist reaches out further than any others. The pastor is the ring finger. 46:11.473 --> 46:14.013 He's married to the church, and the teacher is the only one who can get in the ear. 46:14.453 --> 46:21.133 But notice that the evangelistic and the prophetic are with each other, and there needs to be more 46:21.133 --> 46:25.453 prophetic evangelism. I was in a situation, I don't know if this is in the book or not, 46:26.566 --> 46:29.086 I was in Hollywood, California. 46:29.226 --> 46:33.086 Went out to minister for a friend of mine out in Orange County. 46:33.826 --> 46:35.786 And we're going to go that night. 46:35.806 --> 46:39.326 We're going to go to the Viper. 46:39.646 --> 46:42.946 Okay, this is a club where bands would go and kind of get stars. 46:43.046 --> 46:45.426 Where Phoenix River died out on the corner. 46:45.586 --> 46:47.686 And those guys all kind of hung out in that place. 46:47.686 --> 46:52.726 And so we're going to this bar club because we met a guy at lunch. 46:52.722 --> 46:54.482 who's gonna be playing that night. 46:54.482 --> 46:57.002 And I said, hey, can we come to the show? 46:57.002 --> 46:58.162 You know, he's like, yeah, 46:58.162 --> 47:00.242 two preachers wanna come to my show. 47:00.242 --> 47:02.302 So we come to the show, long story short, 47:02.302 --> 47:04.562 we sit down at the table. 47:04.562 --> 47:07.162 Well, before we get there, before we get there, 47:07.162 --> 47:10.202 Jay wants to stop, Jay Hazelby's an ex-pro skateboarder. 47:10.202 --> 47:13.482 He wants to stop and drop into the pool in Long Beach. 47:13.482 --> 47:14.642 I don't skate. 47:14.643 --> 47:17.563 And so I'm waiting thinking maybe Snoop Dogg 47:17.563 --> 47:18.643 or somebody will show up, right? 47:18.643 --> 47:20.143 You know, cause that's where he's from, you know? 47:20.143 --> 47:22.023 And I'm walking around and the Holy Spirit spoke to me, 47:22.023 --> 47:24.223 said, tonight you're gonna eat at Subway. 47:24.223 --> 47:25.443 I thought, I am not. 47:25.443 --> 47:26.563 I'm just not. 47:26.563 --> 47:27.402 I rebuke you. 47:27.403 --> 47:30.523 I'm not going to Hollywood and eating at Subway. 47:30.523 --> 47:32.163 Just not going to, right? 47:32.163 --> 47:35.163 But usually the spirit and the flesh 47:35.163 --> 47:36.743 are contradictory to one another. 47:36.732 --> 47:38.392 So my flesh is saying no. 47:38.492 --> 47:41.332 So really my spirit's going, yes, you got to say yes right now. 47:41.472 --> 47:42.712 That's a good indicator, right? 47:43.012 --> 47:46.772 And so I was like, okay, so I'm not going to say anything to Jay because he's kind of my host. 47:46.892 --> 47:47.771 And we get there. 47:47.772 --> 47:50.992 When we get to the Viper, it's 15 minutes before, 20 minutes before showtime. 47:51.192 --> 47:53.512 And there's a subway across the street on Sunset Boulevard. 47:53.572 --> 47:55.512 And I was like, oh, you got to be kidding me. 47:55.801 --> 47:57.081 And we go in there, they're closing up, 47:57.081 --> 47:58.381 the guy's wiping down everything, 47:58.381 --> 48:00.661 and he's kind of frustrated, he's got some customers. 48:00.661 --> 48:02.861 He's already put stools up on the table. 48:02.861 --> 48:04.921 And he said, I asked him, I said, 48:04.921 --> 48:06.181 do you mind if we sit over here? 48:06.181 --> 48:07.481 We'll clean up after ourselves, 48:07.481 --> 48:10.041 but can we sit down instead of sitting on the curb out front? 48:10.041 --> 48:11.881 He goes, yeah, yeah, yeah, you can sit down. 48:12.170 --> 48:15.210 So we sit down and another guy comes in right behind us 48:15.210 --> 48:16.970 and he has a sandwich in his bag 48:16.970 --> 48:18.930 and he's trying to get a stool down and he couldn't, 48:18.930 --> 48:19.769 and the Holy Spirit said to me, 48:19.770 --> 48:21.930 he said, he can't manage what he's doing. 48:21.930 --> 48:22.769 That's the key word. 48:22.770 --> 48:24.630 He said, he cannot manage what he's doing. 48:24.630 --> 48:25.930 And I was like, okay, well, the guy, 48:25.930 --> 48:27.630 I go over and I get a stool, they put it down. 48:27.630 --> 48:30.010 He's on the phone too, gets off his sandwich, 48:30.010 --> 48:31.570 his phone never returns, and goes, hey, thanks. 48:31.570 --> 48:33.670 He said, I couldn't manage what I was doing. 48:33.670 --> 48:34.461 I was like, 48:34.462 --> 48:36.122 There's the key, that's it. 48:36.122 --> 48:39.002 And I said, hey, I said, I noticed you have an accent. 48:39.002 --> 48:40.282 I said, where are you from? 48:40.282 --> 48:41.141 He said, Tel Aviv. 48:41.142 --> 48:44.122 I said, oh, I said, I found your Messiah. 48:44.122 --> 48:46.862 And he looks at me and goes, I'm an atheist. 48:46.862 --> 48:49.202 I said, oh, I said, so you believe in God? 48:50.242 --> 48:52.142 He said, I said, I'm an atheist. 48:52.248 --> 48:53.608 I said, yeah, so you believe in God? 48:53.648 --> 48:55.848 He said, what part of atheists do you not understand? 48:55.988 --> 49:01.868 I said, how can you build a philosophy or a religion of anything 49:01.868 --> 49:03.228 and something you don't believe exists? 49:03.368 --> 49:04.548 Excuse me, it's me this time. 49:05.488 --> 49:09.128 So he looked at me, and I said, what really happened in your life? 49:10.128 --> 49:13.048 He said, well, I was on the Gaza Strip. 49:13.342 --> 49:16.102 and we're in the military and my best friend was with me 49:16.102 --> 49:17.962 and he lit up a cigarette and I said, don't do that. 49:17.962 --> 49:20.162 He put it out and he says, he said, you know, 49:21.262 --> 49:23.642 they'll see us and he lifted up his head 49:23.642 --> 49:26.882 and got shot in the head and he died in my lap. 49:26.882 --> 49:28.502 He said, where was your God then? 49:28.502 --> 49:31.202 So here's a Jewish guy asked me where my God was, you know? 49:31.202 --> 49:33.842 And I started to explain to him the cross and Jesus Christ 49:33.842 --> 49:35.962 and how, where God was when Jesus died 49:35.962 --> 49:37.022 on the cross and everything. 49:37.022 --> 49:39.902 And he did not accept Messiah in that moment, 49:39.902 --> 49:41.542 but he returned his faith to God. 49:41.540 --> 49:42.779 in that moment there. 49:42.780 --> 49:44.980 So then we go over to the bar, right? 49:45.020 --> 49:46.260 Because we have an assignment over at the bar. 49:46.340 --> 49:47.840 We get in, we get our ticket, we get in there. 49:48.360 --> 49:50.280 And Jay and I are sitting down and they came over 49:50.280 --> 49:51.900 and this one booth opened up and they said, 49:51.900 --> 49:53.040 can I get you a drink? 49:53.740 --> 49:56.680 And we argue over who it was, got which one, 49:56.720 --> 49:58.820 but I got a Roy Rogers and he got a Shirley Temple. 49:59.040 --> 49:59.439 Nice. 49:59.440 --> 50:00.239 Okay, right? 50:00.240 --> 50:01.720 And he would say, I got the Shirley Temple 50:01.720 --> 50:02.799 and he got the Roy Rogers. 50:02.800 --> 50:04.860 So we're sitting down and this girl comes over 50:04.860 --> 50:06.760 and she's plastered, I mean, just wasted. 50:07.260 --> 50:08.940 She comes over and she starts painting 50:08.928 --> 50:10.808 well hitting on us, if you would, you know, 50:10.808 --> 50:13.208 and she's just being very forthright. 50:13.208 --> 50:14.968 And we started to share the gospel with her. 50:14.968 --> 50:17.068 She gets totally sobered. 50:17.068 --> 50:18.748 She gets absolutely set free. 50:18.748 --> 50:20.188 She gives her life to Jesus. 50:20.188 --> 50:23.968 And she said, now I know why I came here. 50:23.968 --> 50:26.708 And she was from like Iceland or somewhere like that. 50:26.708 --> 50:27.687 And she came over, got saved. 50:27.688 --> 50:29.168 She went, she said, you guys stay here. 50:29.168 --> 50:30.328 And she went and got her three friends. 50:30.328 --> 50:32.548 They just came into LA that day, 50:32.548 --> 50:33.988 came over and brought them to the table 50:33.988 --> 50:35.688 and they all got saved in the midst 50:35.688 --> 50:37.948 of that setting over there, so. 50:37.953 --> 50:39.953 And I say this quite often, 50:40.113 --> 50:42.493 it's so important that we know God's voice. 50:42.953 --> 50:45.773 Was it not somebody else who introduced you to Christ 50:45.773 --> 50:47.753 and spoke something that brought life to you? 50:48.253 --> 50:52.213 That's how he uses us is to bring life to those people 50:52.213 --> 50:55.893 who can't hear him, who don't know him and to reach him. 50:56.033 --> 50:59.033 And so, so important to have that gift, so important. 50:59.093 --> 51:00.012 And we all have it. 51:00.013 --> 51:01.152 We can all be prophetic. 51:01.153 --> 51:02.853 Here's the cool thing about being prophetic, okay? 51:03.493 --> 51:05.762 I said this earlier. 51:05.763 --> 51:09.283 In 1 Corinthians 14, it says the result of prophecy 51:09.283 --> 51:11.303 is edify, comfort, and exhort. 51:11.303 --> 51:12.142 Am I correct? 51:12.143 --> 51:13.403 Right? 51:13.403 --> 51:14.282 Well, think about that. 51:14.283 --> 51:15.202 Without even knowing each other, 51:15.203 --> 51:17.403 we could sit right here and, you look nice today. 51:17.403 --> 51:19.563 Man, what you shared there, you got a real gift 51:19.563 --> 51:21.503 that really encouraged and spoke to me. 51:21.503 --> 51:23.303 If we're faithful over little things, 51:24.483 --> 51:26.643 He'll make us steward over bigger things. 51:26.643 --> 51:29.103 And for us to become more prophetic, 51:29.103 --> 51:32.023 if He sees us using that in our relationships 51:32.023 --> 51:32.982 and in our communities, 51:32.983 --> 51:35.403 just edifying, comforting, and exhorting people, 51:35.632 --> 51:36.732 He's going to be, oh, I can trust you. 51:37.292 --> 51:39.952 I can use you with secrets of somebody else's life. 51:40.172 --> 51:42.332 I can use you with historical things. 51:42.412 --> 51:46.772 You know, a lot of people, you know, you look at the word damage, damn age, right? 51:47.208 --> 51:49.368 A lot of people's like, man, why don't you act your age? 51:49.548 --> 51:50.467 Well, they are. 51:50.468 --> 51:53.448 They just got damned up when somebody cursed them, abused them or whatever. 51:53.628 --> 51:57.268 But you speak that word in their life and brings healing to that moment. 51:57.588 --> 51:59.028 All of a sudden, they start to flourish again. 51:59.108 --> 51:59.927 They start to grow. 51:59.928 --> 52:02.088 They start to become who God created them to be. 52:02.488 --> 52:06.708 That's the story that you spoke earlier on the show, on another show that we did, 52:06.708 --> 52:10.988 which is you almost walked out of the calling. 52:12.028 --> 52:15.528 I love that because I've felt that before where like, 52:15.811 --> 52:18.271 I felt like the Lord was on something and I was like, no, it's okay. 52:18.351 --> 52:21.711 And I kept going and then I felt his presence lift and I said, oh, wow, nevermind. 52:21.851 --> 52:24.011 You know, and it makes you go back into it. 52:24.011 --> 52:31.811 And when you did go back in that certain situation, you were able to speak life over somebody and break off, you know, the bondage that was on them. 52:32.131 --> 52:33.611 Yeah, there was a situation. 52:33.811 --> 52:37.711 I think what we're talking about there is if you can walk in the spirit, you can walk out of the spirit, right? 52:38.151 --> 52:39.431 And that's the biggest danger. 52:39.591 --> 52:42.611 We probably, for as many as are led by the spirit, listen to this. 52:42.911 --> 52:45.631 For as many as are led by the spirit, they... 52:46.000 --> 52:47.260 are the sons of God. 52:47.260 --> 52:49.320 Now the gospel is all inclusive. 52:49.320 --> 52:50.159 It's not exclusive. 52:50.160 --> 52:51.860 Everybody gets to hear the gospel. 52:51.860 --> 52:56.260 But they is implying that there's some people who aren't. 52:56.260 --> 52:58.340 And Jesus said, you need to be born of the flesh 52:58.340 --> 53:00.940 or born of the spirit, born of water and the spirit. 53:00.940 --> 53:03.560 And so you have to have that spiritual relationship 53:03.560 --> 53:05.160 and we have to be led by the spirit. 53:05.160 --> 53:07.580 And I think that's the Holy Spirit prompting us. 53:07.580 --> 53:11.120 Even Paul, before he got saved, Jesus said, 53:11.120 --> 53:13.360 why are you kicking against the goads? 53:13.355 --> 53:15.015 Why are you kicking against those promptings? 53:15.115 --> 53:17.175 He was making life more difficult for himself, 53:17.275 --> 53:19.415 not being responsive to the Holy Spirit. 53:19.595 --> 53:22.655 So we have got to learn to walk in the Spirit, 53:22.955 --> 53:26.315 submit our flesh, commit to Him, and walk in that way. 53:26.355 --> 53:29.335 I was walking down Bourbon Street one night, 53:29.453 --> 53:33.633 And when I was going down the street, all of a sudden I came upon a fight. 53:33.693 --> 53:35.453 And I used to fight before I got saved. 53:35.553 --> 53:40.333 Matter of fact, I was in a situation that it carried some of that over my saved life. 53:40.733 --> 53:45.193 I was lying in bed and I was down in a street on the beach that I used to go to. 53:45.493 --> 53:47.713 And I'm having a dream about this fight, right? 53:47.793 --> 53:51.593 And so I rise up to get this guy off of me and I slug him with my elbow. 53:52.013 --> 53:56.233 Well, I hit Gretchen right here in the lip and just, I mean, filleted her lip. 53:56.413 --> 53:57.653 I mean, blood is everywhere. 53:57.652 --> 53:58.652 See, I've never done that to you. 53:58.652 --> 54:00.992 11 or 13 stitches, I think, something like that. 54:00.992 --> 54:01.651 No way. 54:01.652 --> 54:02.151 Yes, ma'am. 54:02.152 --> 54:03.152 What a dream you were having. 54:03.152 --> 54:03.651 You nailed it. 54:03.652 --> 54:04.652 Yes, yes. 54:04.652 --> 54:05.652 Here's my wife, OK? 54:05.652 --> 54:07.652 So we go to the emergency room. 54:07.652 --> 54:08.151 Poor Gretchen. 54:08.152 --> 54:08.651 And they could tell. 54:08.652 --> 54:09.151 Yeah. 54:09.152 --> 54:11.152 Gretchen's like, I told you, be a man of God. 54:12.652 --> 54:14.652 This is like she's pregnant with Spencer. 54:14.652 --> 54:16.652 This is the early days she's pregnant. 54:16.652 --> 54:18.652 So we go to the hospital. 54:18.652 --> 54:20.652 And they realize that this guy didn't do this. 54:20.652 --> 54:21.151 He's broken. 54:21.152 --> 54:21.651 He's troubled. 54:21.652 --> 54:24.152 And they could tell she wasn't upset or hurt. 54:24.152 --> 54:25.892 So she gets back. 54:26.356 --> 54:28.316 She made herself get in bed. 54:28.316 --> 54:29.155 She's pregnant. 54:29.156 --> 54:30.156 She doesn't want the baby to get hit. 54:30.156 --> 54:31.756 She made herself get in bed. 54:31.756 --> 54:33.176 And one night I'm dreaming 54:33.176 --> 54:35.316 and I used to talk out loud in my sleep. 54:35.316 --> 54:37.616 And I said, if you don't get that piece of wood off my foot, 54:37.616 --> 54:38.976 I'm gonna jack your jaw. 54:38.976 --> 54:40.896 And she grabbed me and she started saying, 54:40.896 --> 54:44.256 she said, if you jack anybody's jaw, it's gonna be mine. 54:44.260 --> 54:52.300 But I just, yeah, where would we have been if she had not, you know, gotten in there, you know, and gave herself to that. 54:52.460 --> 54:55.100 So anyway, I lost my track of thought of where we were. 54:55.440 --> 54:58.380 You were saying that there is a fight breaking out when you're on Bourbon Street. 54:58.600 --> 54:59.239 Yeah, thank you. 54:59.240 --> 55:00.199 There's a fight breaking out. 55:00.200 --> 55:01.159 So I hate fighting. 55:01.160 --> 55:01.939 I hate violence. 55:01.940 --> 55:03.100 I just, I don't like it. 55:03.120 --> 55:03.819 Because you came from that. 55:03.820 --> 55:04.519 I came from it. 55:04.520 --> 55:04.719 Yeah. 55:04.720 --> 55:06.460 And the Bible says God hates violence. 55:06.755 --> 55:09.735 And so I'm walking down and I see a fight. 55:10.055 --> 55:14.235 And it's these two guys getting beat up by like six girls. 55:14.715 --> 55:17.055 I mean, they are, listen, girls pull hair. 55:17.395 --> 55:18.354 They blow the belt. 55:18.355 --> 55:19.394 They get vicious. 55:19.395 --> 55:19.894 Yes, ma'am. 55:19.895 --> 55:20.634 Those guys are untrained. 55:20.635 --> 55:26.455 This is the middle of Bourbon Street. 55:26.575 --> 55:28.035 And I thought, I'm going to help my homies out, right? 55:28.075 --> 55:29.095 I'm going to break the fight up. 55:29.097 --> 55:32.577 I'm going to get in there and say, hey, guys, let's chill out, you know. 55:32.757 --> 55:35.637 And next thing I know, there's this girl that I did not see. 55:35.717 --> 55:40.197 She would be like Saul where he was holding the coats when people are stoning Stephen, you know. 55:40.477 --> 55:44.177 She's holding the beers of a couple of the girls, and she throws a beer in my face. 55:44.277 --> 55:47.177 I mean, a full-blown 16-ounce beer hits me in the face. 55:47.597 --> 55:52.217 And in that moment right there, I realize I'm not walking in the Spirit. 55:53.937 --> 55:56.217 And I turned around and I realigned myself. 55:56.217 --> 55:58.697 I said, Lord, I'm gonna start walking in the spirit. 55:58.697 --> 56:00.137 You didn't tell me to go in there. 56:00.137 --> 56:02.697 I just did it out of response, just out of action. 56:02.697 --> 56:04.657 It was a good deed, but that was not you. 56:04.657 --> 56:05.737 I wasn't meant to be there. 56:05.737 --> 56:07.317 And so I started walking and he said, 56:07.317 --> 56:08.276 turn down the street. 56:08.277 --> 56:10.417 So I turned down the street and it's dark. 56:10.417 --> 56:12.857 Like there's nobody here, everybody's on Bourbon Street. 56:12.857 --> 56:14.897 And I hear these footsteps coming up behind me. 56:14.897 --> 56:16.717 I thought, oh Lord. 56:18.136 --> 56:19.216 I think it's one of the girls, right? 56:20.016 --> 56:21.335 Yeah, that's what I was thinking. 56:21.336 --> 56:22.496 This is not cool, right? 56:22.656 --> 56:25.056 And I turn around and this guy comes up 56:25.056 --> 56:26.276 and he's a foot away from me. 56:26.336 --> 56:27.436 And he comes up and he goes, 56:27.796 --> 56:30.736 this isn't about bumming change, is it? 56:31.197 --> 56:32.136 He's a homeless guy. 56:32.137 --> 56:33.237 He's getting ready to bum me for change. 56:33.277 --> 56:34.637 He said, this isn't about bumming change. 56:34.997 --> 56:36.517 I said, no, this is about your destiny. 56:36.657 --> 56:38.397 I said, you've been here for X amount of months. 56:38.857 --> 56:40.817 You have a wife and three children back home. 56:40.897 --> 56:42.477 You need to get back to home. 56:42.597 --> 56:44.697 And I said, if you'll meet me here at 12 o'clock tomorrow, 56:44.797 --> 56:45.696 I'll get you on a bus. 56:45.697 --> 56:46.697 I'll get you back to your home. 56:47.157 --> 56:49.857 And a guy's looking at me like, what on earth? 56:51.110 --> 56:52.750 And he said, how'd you know all that stuff? 56:52.750 --> 56:53.669 I said, I didn't. 56:53.670 --> 56:55.530 I had no knowledge of that until you walked in, 56:55.530 --> 56:56.369 but watch what happened. 56:56.370 --> 56:58.090 I'm walking in the Spirit. 56:58.090 --> 57:00.050 Can't draw it, but I can walk in the Spirit. 57:00.050 --> 57:01.630 He walks into my zone. 57:01.630 --> 57:03.290 What did he walk into? 57:03.290 --> 57:05.230 He walks into the Spirit. 57:05.230 --> 57:07.250 He's now in a spiritual environment. 57:07.250 --> 57:08.650 The next day he meets me there. 57:08.650 --> 57:09.830 We get him on a bus. 57:09.830 --> 57:10.950 He goes back home. 57:10.950 --> 57:12.750 A month later, it's Valentine's night. 57:12.750 --> 57:14.870 Gretchen and I are out on Valentine night. 57:14.870 --> 57:17.530 And I went into a church service on a Wednesday night, 57:17.530 --> 57:19.870 left my phone in the vehicle. 57:19.865 --> 57:21.185 Came back out and there's a message. 57:21.185 --> 57:23.645 Said, hey, it's Jimmy from New Orleans. 57:23.645 --> 57:25.565 Just wanted to wish you a happy Valentine's. 57:25.565 --> 57:28.165 My wife and I and the children were all doing good. 57:28.165 --> 57:30.265 So what can happen if we walk in the Spirit? 57:30.265 --> 57:32.145 We carry the presence. 57:32.145 --> 57:34.705 The presence changes everything, right? 57:34.705 --> 57:36.465 And it's so important. 57:36.465 --> 57:38.225 It also protects you. 57:38.225 --> 57:39.805 It protects you, it guards you. 57:39.805 --> 57:42.885 Things can't get to you that otherwise would get to you. 57:42.885 --> 57:44.325 I think to be anointed, you know, 57:44.325 --> 57:46.625 it means a smearing on, a rubbing on. 57:46.628 --> 57:48.908 I think if we get anointed with the oil of gladness, 57:48.968 --> 57:50.608 we get anointed with the oil of His presence, 57:51.148 --> 57:53.888 it'd be like a greased pig at a country fair. 57:54.588 --> 57:55.708 You couldn't lay hold of it. 57:55.728 --> 57:57.068 The devil would reach to grab you 57:57.068 --> 57:58.468 and slide right out of it, right? 57:58.688 --> 58:00.128 There's so many important, 58:00.248 --> 58:03.148 so much importance of living in the Spirit. 58:03.688 --> 58:05.208 That's where we should be living life, 58:05.388 --> 58:06.187 each and every one of us. 58:06.188 --> 58:06.587 Amen. 58:06.588 --> 58:07.728 Yeah, each and every one of us. 58:07.988 --> 58:08.507 Amen. 58:08.508 --> 58:10.048 We're both the best versions of ourselves 58:10.048 --> 58:11.888 when we make sure we get time with the Lord 58:11.888 --> 58:14.588 despite busy schedules, kids. 58:16.615 --> 58:18.735 It's one thing that we'll each say to each other 58:18.735 --> 58:23.255 as accountability partners, if you had time, you know. 58:23.415 --> 58:25.535 And I think the more busy you are, 58:26.235 --> 58:29.415 the more you think, I don't have time for this, 58:29.495 --> 58:31.935 but it's actually when you need to make time the most. 58:32.155 --> 58:33.735 You need to make time every single day. 58:33.735 --> 58:35.195 And you'll never regret it. 58:35.195 --> 58:35.674 That's so true. 58:35.675 --> 58:38.755 You never get into God's presence or seek out His word and say, 58:38.855 --> 58:40.975 ah, time wasn't well spent. 58:41.875 --> 58:44.795 You're always like, of course I should have done that, you know. 58:45.488 --> 58:46.527 So true. 58:46.528 --> 58:48.328 Well, thanks for being with us, Pastor Greg. 58:48.408 --> 58:49.488 What an honor to be with you. 58:49.548 --> 58:50.748 It's been great to be with you guys. 58:50.808 --> 58:51.727 Thank you for what you do. 58:51.728 --> 58:52.787 You're a great gift. 58:52.788 --> 58:57.428 And I love the mantle you carry and the messages in your heart. 58:57.728 --> 58:59.888 You've been a tremendous blessing to us today. 59:00.028 --> 59:02.248 And I know the viewers and listeners are going to get a lot out of it. 59:02.868 --> 59:03.307 Thank you. 59:03.308 --> 59:04.067 It's been an honor. 59:04.068 --> 59:14.068 Really enjoy it.