Transcription
Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep.
Hi, Saints and Nates. How are you? What's good with y'all?
Um, I just want to say your eyebrows is fleeky. Fleek is crazy. You know, I just want to throw it back. You know what I'm saying? Is it It's probably It's too early for a throwback for the word fleek. Your your eyebrows is what they be saying now.
T: They're just nice.
T: They're They're nice.
That's what women be saying now to te, right?
I don't want you to do that. Okay. Doesn't look right for me.
You're from Chicago. Um I was going to bring this up to you offline, but I was like, "Hey, might might just bring it up now." So, I was looking at the calendar and this happened before and it hasn't happened in a while, but my birthday and Father's Day are on the same day. So, what are we what are we going to do?
Wow. I'm actually kind of fine with you doing whatever you want to do. Like, if you want to go fishing or something and I can just stay at the crib, I'm actually kind of fine with that.
No, we not going to do that. But then I know you you going to feel bad like, "Oh, she home on her birthday." It's like, I'm be 37. It's really insignificant. No, we not. I'm planning something as soon as this podcast is over.
Huh? I really don't want to do nothing.
Okay. That mean I got to listen to you.
Yeah. What we talking about today?
Oh, you didn't want to keep talking? We really could have worked this through.
Mm-
You getting irritated?
No.
Okay. So, I was listening to a sermon by Tim Keller called the principles of Christian growth. We're going to put it in the show notes, so y'all ain't got to ask me 5,000 times what the sermons are. and he was basically talking about Christian maturity. Um, and how to go from like a baby Christian to a maturing Christian because I don't know we ever get like grown grown cuz that's probably when we die or something, right?
But it was just such a fascinating, helpful, challenging conversation um when it came to that cuz I just think Yeah. I think a lot of us are babies and don't know it.
Mhm. Uh, a lot of us think we're grown. Um, a lot of us don't even have the tools needed to grow up. And so, yeah, I just thought it would be a cool conversation to talk about how to how to grow up as a Christian.
Yeah. When you when you brought the idea to me um to talk about this the other day, I don't know if it was yesterday.
Yesterday.
Yes. Yesterday. Um, I thought it was a such a dope topic because uh as I travel more and more, I I I realize that it's such a a broad age demographic who listens to our podcast and people who are in different levels of their faith walk and um because there is different levels of spiritual maturity, I think it's a conversation that can that can be applied to every believer. And so I just thought it was a dope dope dope time.
When you think of a baby Christian, what is that person?
Um, I think a baby Christian is someone who is um new to the faith. Um, who probably just got introduced to Jesus.
Mhm. Um who just got acquainted with the Bible um and the church and trying to figure out um they've become a Christian um by faith by justification but trying to practically figure out how to be a Christian. I think you know and I think you know that it's a levels to that but I think the initial just coming to Christ is kind of like you know
Yeah. because I think I think uh it's wise for scripture to use really I don't know familial terms when it comes to descriptions in the sense of to be a Christian is to be born again. Yeah. And so it makes sense that when you're born again, you are in fact a baby. You are a child. And a part of being a child is you don't know what to do. You don't know how to walk. You don't know how to talk. You don't know how to feed yourself. You don't know how to go to sleep without somebody. Like, you need a a degree of nurture um that sets you apart as a baby.
I think when you met me, I was definitely a baby Christian cuz I was I had probably been been a Christian maybe 6 months.
Yeah. And I think I was uh um probably a toddler. Yeah. Yeah, that that I think that's a I think that's a good description. I was a toddler. I was probably like four in the
Yeah, I was 6 months old and and I and I think a part of that season for me that was so it I it was uncomfortable because you know when you first come to Christ you're trying to lay aside all this big stuff. You know what I'm saying? So you're breaking up with people and you're cutting off this music and you're not watching that and you're not doing this and it's like, "Oh, I got that thought. I just read in the Bible yesterday. I'm not supposed to have that thought. So what am I supposed to do with that thought?" You think, I remember for so long I kept thinking the devil listening to my thoughts. And so it's like I'm over here just stressing out. Is God like I went to a church where, you know, we communicated God speaking to us all the time. So it was like every thought I had, I thought, is it God? Is it not God? Is it? So there was this there was this intense zeal but also incredible instability um because I just didn't know what I was doing.
Yeah, that's good. I Yeah. Yeah. I I had the same similar, you know, um situations when I was a baby. It's interesting that you talked about, you know, how we are a baby when we come to to the faith cuz the first thing that I thought about is how vulnerable babies are.
Mhm um they're just they're just at a very vulnerable state and which is the reason why the scripture talks about guarding young believers um so so much because they are vulnerable >> and I think just being careful about what we digest just thinking about that like because I didn't know like when I when I was a baby I just didn't know what to do >> where to go who to listen to what to listen to and I think a lot of people who listen to this podcast >> I get questions like that all the time. You know what I'm saying?
I think the advantage we had in that season truly is that podcast weren't a cuz this is I met you in 2009, so I was 20. Podcasts weren't a thing like that. YouTube was, but you know, it was us watching uh Soulja Girl, you know, Soulja Girl, like it was stuff like that. It wasn't like long form conversations, right? Um and so there was no Instagram maybe Twitter for sure, Facebook. And so I point that out because we didn't actually have to deal with sifting through all of these teachers, all of these podcasts, all of these books, all of these resources and getting lost in the sauce. We had pastors.
Yeah. Like we we went to church and we listened to our pastors and we listened to the people around us that we knew and had access to. And I think this generation has such a significant temptation to be following way too many rabbis. Like way too many. And it's so like, oh, this podcast is interesting because they tell me the deep spiritual thing and this podcast is interesting because they give me theology. And and that's why people have a difficult time finding a church.
Yeah. Because it's like you're so used to the buffet that the internet offers you that you don't know how to just settle in one church that may not be giving you all the things. They just they're giving you what you need, not necessarily what you want.
Yeah, that's good. That's good. I just came back from Chicago um did an event with Dr. Charlie Dates um and a girl got up on um on the mic and asked me and Charlie um that very same question. She was like, "How how do I know who to listen to?" She's like, "I've been going to this church talking about Pastor Doc Dr. Charlie Day's church, but she was like, "How how do I discern who to listen to?" And you know, Charlie gave her a good answer and I answered secondly, but in my mind, the only thing I kept thinking about is like, man, I don't think you should be listening to all of these people at at once. And I know like I I And so for me, I I think sometimes I can have the temptation to think that way because of how I came up in the faith originally. But the reality is that's where we are now.
It's just where we are now. And so I I I guess my question to you is like how healthy is it for people to have so many voices and what are the benefits of living in a time where people are being discipled really through social media?
I don't know. I I think a big component of wisdom because this is a wisdom question.
Yes. Is knowing your Bible more than anything truly. I think the more you drink the Bible, the more you drink the scripture, the more you spend time with the Lord, it he gives you the language and the lenses to sift through who is necessary and who is not. Um because some people might be good but unhelpful, you know. But I also think with that, if you read through the New Testament in particular, what you're going to continue to come against or what you're going to continue to discover is Paul and Peter's emphas and Jesus's emphasis on the body.
Yeah. The local community.
And so I think the greater question, yes, who should I listen to? I need to discern all this that that type of stuff. But it's also what house do I need to submit to?
You know what? that will make the difference because the the things that have helped me grow, the the the people who have helped me change have not all been people who I don't have access to. It's been people that I know and people who know me. And so I think switch the question to say, Lord, what church do you want me to attend? What leaders do you want me to connect with? How do you want me to be discipled locally? And that naturally will help you not need so many internet resources.
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And I I think local community is so so vital and so key cuz I think as a word go ahead as it pertains to our spiritual maturity. You know a lot of times you know when I'm discipling young men in my local community um often times when young men come to me um I'm finding myself having to kind of like pull them away from unhealthy um people that they listen to on social media, right? And I have to explain to him why this is this is not healthy. Now, I'm not one of those cult leaders where I just I'm doing that because I only want the people I disciple to listen to me.
Yeah. No, but actually not.
Yeah. But I'm but I'm actually pointing them to other people in the in the in the body who I who I do think is helpful because I think unfortunately in today's age, we are actually not like we're naturally not going to like our flesh is not naturally going to go to people online who challenge us. for people who kind of feed our flesh, you know what I'm saying? And and feed our desires in a lot of ways. And I think the local community is a great guide to kind of sift out like and even to question our motives like why are you listening to this person? What is this person like actually giving you? You know,
and knowledge of the word is pivotal because even the church you pick might be unwise, right? even the leadership you pursue might not be helpful. And so I think spending time in the epistles, what is the church? What is a healthy pastor? Let me look at Titus. Let me look at Timothy. Let me let me let me discern through the scriptures and then apply that into all of my questions into my perspect. Like the scriptures has to become the framework by which we discern everything. You know what I'm saying? Like it really is a lamp unto our feet.
Yeah. The scripture that came to my mind is Ephesians 4 uh verse 11 where Paul says, "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry for building up the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God to mature manhood." I'm going keep reading verse 14. So that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful skinks. Rather speaking the truth and love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head.
Look, look, I just want to let you know we was in the spirit.
Look at you.
I was about to read.
Is that my Bible?
Yeah, I was about to read that same verse.
It is It is your Bible.
You feel that leather?
I was about to read that same verse. You threw the leather,
huh?
That That's a That's a
It is. It's really nice. I need
When you get this?
It was a gift. I I need to put it back in in the bookshelf.
Oh, okay.
No, you should use it now. We need We need the word. Um I I say that because Paul is listing these different categories and these different offices that all serve to equip us not only for the work of ministry, but to help us grow up. You know what I'm saying? And so that even is a challenge to the temptation to feel as if what you get on the internet is sufficient to make you mature. It's not. You know what I'm saying? The pastor is in a church. You know what I'm saying? The evangelist should be functioning within a church. Like these offices are church offices and they help produce the fruit that keeps us from being like led astray from all these crazy people.
And I I love the two emphasis on that that scripture. I love that it emphasizes Christ's descension to the earth and I love that it emphasizes the leaders in the local community helping us to obtain Christ and uh in order for us to be mature because one it shows us that spiritual maturity actually doesn't really come apart from God's local community but it also talks about how Jesus coming he is the model of our spiritual maturity not not this podcast necessarily like like and so like if let me ask you this we're talking about a lot of spiritual maturity maturity what is spiritual immaturity what would immaturity well I think that's a helpful question in the sense that I think we think maturity happens because of time when maturity happens because of choice
break that down
I I mean, I'm sure you know somebody that been in Christ for 20 years and they act like they did when they met him. Like, there are still the same character flaws. There are still the same preferences. There are still the same, you know, behaviors that they used to. Like, it's like, why haven't you died to that yet?
So, are you saying are you saying that the choices that we make ultimately help us mature into believers?
Maturity is a choice.
Yeah. So because I know people who have accelerated in their maturity faster than people who are older than them because they are deciding to make every effort to grow. And so I think when you talk about spiritual maturity is maturity ultimately is we are all saved, justified, regenerated, united with Christ, predestined to be conformed into the image of his son. And so maturity is the degree of wi in which that conformity is discernible, right? And so how much do I look like Christ now than I did 5 months ago, 5 years ago, 10 seconds ago? Am I continuing to grow and mature in looking like him? Do I still talk the same? Do I still want the same? Do I still have the same pallet for those things? That is spiritual maturity.
What would you say to the person who would say like like cuz I I do think that there is a particular Christian believer or person out there who believes that their that their choices as it relates to works makes them mature.
Interesting. Yeah. Right. Yeah. And so so when you say choices, I just kind of want to distinguish that from works.
Um, other like rather than you making decisions that will ultimately bring maturity, like how would you
Well, even that's a sign of immaturity.
That's why I asked the question because immaturity says if I just say no to this, that makes me mature. Maturity says I'm saying no by faith. I'm saying no because of love and I'm also discerning the motives behind why I even said yes in the first place.
That's good. That's good. And that's a good distinction because because my my act of saying no actually will produce maturity in me, not automatically make me mature cuz I think a lot of times people judge spiritual maturity off this checklist. I don't do this so I'm mature. I don't do that so I'm I'm faithful. I don't do this. So, you know, this one girl had uh critiqued me because I had like a Kendrick Lamar shirt on. She was like, "You ain't you ain't you ain't you a baby in the in the faith?" I was like, "Oh, because a shirt." And I said, "You're actually probably an infant in the faith trying to act like a giant because you're trying to judge my righteousness about something that I have on now, how I treat people and how how I love God." Right? And so, like, I I think that distinction is is good cuz I think when we make those choices, I think those choices produce faith in us. and produce maturity in us. So that's good.
Yeah. I mean, let's give some examples like what are cuz ultimately what I'm trying to say is that we have to decide to grow up. We we have to we have to decide to do that. And so it doesn't mean that the degree of our decision will also accelerate our maturity because ultimately it's God who brings the growth. But it does put us in the pathway of power uh where God can help us look more like his son. So my question is I guess when you think of your life when you first came to Christ and maybe like the first few years, how did you see God using Yeah. circumstances, different calls, different people to to kind of push you out there where it's like, "All right, now Preston, you got to grow up. You got to grow up now."
Yeah. Yeah. I think I'm I'm going to talk about myself, but I but in talking about myself, I want to just kind of highlight what I think spiritual maturity, immaturity looks like, cuz I uh in a lot of ways, I'm still growing up, but I was really immature in the faith. And I think one of the things that um that my leader um Brian Gary um early on even my aunt who who was very vital in my in my spiritual walk early on um helped me to see was that I knew Jesus but because I was spiritually immature I did not know how to take correction.
That's a huge sign. Yeah. So, so spiritual immature people, they don't know how to take correction. Um, spiritual immature people don't like they're led by their emotions, not led by the spirit or the scriptures. Um, and so like wherever my emotions went, I went with it. Uh, and so I didn't know how to cipher like like I didn't know how to like sift my emotions through the lens of scripture. I I still just acted how I acted when I was in the world. And it was it was mature believers about um coming into my life saying, "Pre, you're a Christian now." Like you don't you don't you don't act like that anymore. And like but like not just telling me, but showing me.
You remember once you I probably told this on the podcast. Remember I I judged you when we were building a friendship cuz we had went to like some event or something and you kind of hit that person car.
Oh yeah. Like you like bumped it, but you hit it. Like you hit it and you was like, "All right, y'all. Let's go." I was like, "You not going to leave."
Oh, no. You you making me sound way better than I actually did. I was like, "Oh, time to go."
Oh, I don't remember that.
I like whipped it. And I'm like, and my but the way I grew up.
Yeah. It's like, it is what it is.
It is what it is. And you was like, "No, like we have to stay here and contact them." I was like, "Oh, that is the Christian thing." But what I said was right, but it wasn't coming from a place of maturity. It was also coming from self-righteousness because I was in a context where you got to do the right thing or you are going to hell. You know what I'm saying? So in my mind, I'm like absolutely not. You got to write them a note or something because God isn't pleased with this. So even probably the way I communicated it had a harshness to it, which I think is also a sign of spiritual immaturity is how you communicate truth is very telling. You know what I'm saying? Like, do you love people? You know what I'm saying?
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Yeah. And so, for me, I just I didn't know how to take correction. Um, I didn't know how to like like sit in um in that rebuke. I just felt attacked and so I I like lashed out at people. You know what I'm saying? Um, and then two, I just didn't know how to submit to a local church body. I think submit like my lack of submission to other Christians, it felt like slavery.
Mhm. It felt like control.
It felt like control. Um, and so I, yeah, I I lacked humility. I lacked, you know, and it was all because I just didn't know Jesus as intimately as I as I should. And I think the more I I I started to know Jesus and the more I started to like because I think al often times when we become Christian, everybody wants to gain spiritual maturity so quick.
Mhm. And I think the I think our flesh tries to make us judge our maturity off of other flawed human beings to say ah I'm mature cuz I'm I'm but it's like no when Christ is actually the standard.
Correct. You see how far you are from spiritual maturity. And so when I start to see Jesus it's like no like Jesus was God in the flesh but he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross. Like, and I'm over here acting prideful with my local church community. Like, even Jesus like submitted himself to to the same people he created. Even Jesus didn't like he didn't even respond negatively when people said he was demonpossessed. You're Christ.
Yeah. For sure. And you got Pharisees calling you demonpossessed. And you ain't saying tomorrow you ain't going to wake up tomorrow. You know what I'm saying? Cuz I'm the son of God. And I'm over here offended because I think I'm so righteous and somebody's critique of me is making me feel like, you know, I'm not who I quotequote am. And so like comparing my life to Jesus was was was the measure of how I started to like grow in my faith.
Yeah. I um I think maturity cuz I am maturing. I'm not going to say I'm mature. Um, maturity for me has taken place through me redefining the metric by which I discern maturity. By that I mean when I first came to Christ, I was was I still am, but I was smart. I was able to read scripture and kind of internalize it and process it really quickly. like I had a really apt I think understanding of complex theological ideas. Not like a lot of depth, but something that it was just like it was really just God's gift. It wasn't my maturity. And I started to think that because I was useful and because I was intelligent that that therefore meant I was mature.
Mhm. And it's like I think that's a difficult thing for people to like um like rid themselves of is realizing just because you know the text doesn't mean you've absorbed it. Just because you understand these really wise ideas doesn't mean you're wise. You know what I'm saying? Like you have to live that thing out. Like let me like I remember the one the one somebody that was walking with me. They was like how are you getting on social media? Are you getting on your phone?
No, I was I was checking time. Okay. I'm listening. They're like, "How you getting how you getting on social media?" Like, "You just got out to work. You jumping on social media to share it before you even applied it."
Mhm. I was like, "You're right." It's like like you're communicating it so quickly. As if Yeah. As if you learn to obey it now. Like you haven't even learned how to obey. You just got out of the book. And so I think it's been a lot of years where God continues to bring me really low uh to show me that you often know more than what you're able to do. And so just your knowledge does not necessarily communicate your wisdom.
Yeah. Or it does.
Yeah. That's good. But I want to encourage you though.
Okay. I want to encourage you because um some years ago, this is when we lived in Chicago. I was talking
your hands together. I don't know what that means.
Yeah. I was talking to this to this one girl who was having some struggles, you know, in her in her marriage and um she she was a smart girl and um yeah, she was brilliant. She loved to read. She knew a lot of scripture and she often complained about her husband to people, you know, and her complaints was my husband is not spiritual spiritually mature. spiritually mature. And as a young leader in the church, one of the things I had to do is I had to challenge her to say, "He's actually probably way more mature than you think he is, and you're way probably way more immature than you think you are." Cuz the fact that you're blasting him publicly shows your immaturity. and and the fact that you know and and so so if if he knows five scriptures and you know 150 and he's applying those five scriptures properly she's probably more spiritually mature than you and and when I told when I tried to communicate to her and granted that was years ago I you know I I struggle having a filter now so I probably could have said it more graciously um but one of the things I realized is not only was she immature she was blind
interesting right and so so therefore or it was a lot of pride even as it related to her immaturity which made it hard for her to grow. And I think that I think that with you I see I'm I'm your husband and so I see all of your your your flaws and all of the ways in which you grow have to grow up in in in the in the faith. But I see somebody who's never blind to their own immaturity and who was always looking to grow and always see like cuz it's it's dangerous when a person don't see themselves.
Oh, horrific. It's it's dangerous.
It's dangerous. And so I when I talk to my my brothers in the faith and they're they're talking about how to help their wives grow, I always make them pay attention to that their wives actually see and how encouraged they should be by that. And I think that's the measure in which we all should uh be encouraged by our own maturity because the Pharisees were actually spiritually immature people but they were also blind.
They weren't even spiritually alive.
They wasn't. They they were spiritually dead. Right. Right. But what I'm saying is they thought that they had great faith because they were blind. And I think that I think that if God has shown us, you know, um um that we are immature one. That that's actually a great that you said that it might be it's be more encouraged that you're alive in in Christ, that you have faith, that your faith is alive because as long as your faith is alive, the Holy Spirit can help sanctify you.
I'm glad you brought that up because I do think the path of maturity is also the path of self-awareness and like the Lord I've said this on the podcast before but the Lord is very patient. There is always more in us than we are even aware of.
Always more. I remember hearing uh Paul Washer say this when I was like a new believer. He was saying the closer you get to Christ, the more sinful you'll see yourself as. And a lot of times you think, "Oh, the holier I am or the more intimate I am with God or the closer I am with God." As if that proximity will give you more security. In a sense, it does. In a sense, it doesn't because you actually see yourself clearer the more close you get to God. It's much like Isaiah 6. Isaiah is like at the throne and he says, "I I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for my eyes have seen the king."
That ain't even like in our minds a deep struggle. Like for him to be like, "Oh, it's just your mouth." And he's like, "No, like I'm I'm in the presence of holiness where even the things you call little are big." And I think that is the difference when it comes to maturity. It's like the more close I get to God, the more clearer I should see myself.
And that's so good that you said that because I think the reason why we see oursel the closer we get to God is because we realize that God does not measure spiritual maturity like humans does.
Absolutely not. Right. And so cuz we measure spirit. He big in the faith. He he prophesying. Y he she big in the faith. She seeing the spirit. It's like, no, if she doesn't know how to not gossip, she's probably not spiritually mature. I don't know. I don't care how many gifts you see her walking in.
We really have to read First Corinthians all the way through. Like, we really do cuz they they were what you would call spiritual monsters. They are walking in all the gifts and not an ounce of love. And Paul is like, "Y'all are clanging gongs." Meaning to God, y'all just making noise. To people, y'all look powerful. to God, y'all are weak.
Yeah. And I I see a lot of that on on the social.
Absolutely. Because like that that you know, 1 Corinthians 13 is quoted at, you know, weddings and stuff like that. It's like love is this, love is that, but it's like it was actually a rebuke to the church. It is saying, "Y'all out here doing a whole bunch of gifts and operating a whole bunch of gifts, but y'all actually are still babies in the faith." And I think the reason why when we the closer we get to Christ, we start to see ourselves and our spiritual immaturity is because God doesn't measure spiritual maturity by works or acts but by the heart.
He judges the the heart. And so the the more you get to close to Christ, it's like ah I'm I've been operating in this gift that he gave me for the last seven years, but my heart is actually the same in so many ways. And that could be a very humbling thing. And this is the reason why Paul called himself the least of these.
Yes. This is the reason why the Apostle Paul, the man who God used to write majority of the of the New Testament, says, "I'm I am the least." Not because he was necessarily the least academically, not necessarily because he was the least when it came to like operating in gifts, because he was in tune with how wicked his heart was. And I think a lot of times we just don't measure spiritual maturity by this. We measure spiritual maturity by like how well we prophesy, how well we teach, and all of the things. And God is like, I'm not looking at maturity in that way.
Truly, the most powerful people are the ones who know they're the weakest.
Yes, that's just a fact. One scripture I wanted to read and comment on that we should all get in our systems is Psalm 139 where David says, "Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." Those kinds of prayers are scary.
Yeah, let me follow this through. It's scary because self-nowledge comes with shame. And I think an element of shame sometimes is pride.
Yeah. Where you realize you're not as dope as you thought you were. So instead of turning to Christ in faith and repentance, we turn to ourselves in pity. And so it leads us to run from accountability. It reads it leads us to run from transparency. It leads us to run from prayer simply because we are running from the truth about ourselves. And that is another sign of either immaturity or levels of immaturity even in a mature Christian. And I say that because the anchoring thing that precipitates maturity is faith.
Yeah. We are growing in deeper faith in God, in his gospel, how he views us, how he sees us, how he died for us, how he loves us. And I've become a little more courageous and praying stuff like that because I know if God shows me, he's doing it because he loves me. Does it make sense? Like it's like he's not showing it me that to condemn me because there is no condemnation. He's not showing me that to to judge me per se. He's showing me that because he's like this is an area in your heart, an area in your life that I actually want freedom for you from. I want freedom. And so if we know that God's aim in my life is freedom and conformity to Christ, that gives me courage to actually pray prayers like that. And I think that that would actually help a lot of us in a lot of different ways to just see who we are.
Yeah. Cuz I that's that's really good cuz I think a lot of times when we think about spiritual maturity, I I think we think about being used by the Lord. But it's like I think God I often say this like it's hard for God to use anybody who don't see themselves. And so what you're essentially saying it's like Lord show me you but also show me me.
Yeah. So I can see myself properly and so that I can be used properly because it's hard for God to to use somebody who don't see themselves. And I I struggle with I still struggle with that if if I'm being honest.
I definitely do. But I'm I'm I'm more prone to say the hard thing because I've experienced too many failures from my own ignorance.
Yeah. I I think when you realize how much ignorance is unhelpful, it makes you like, ah, let me stop doing that. But one thing I was going to say is I really like watching sports documentaries. I don't even like sports like that.
But you love the documentaries.
I love the documentaries because they're so insightful and I think even like comparable to the Christian walk because one thing about these upper echelon athletes, they know every weakness they have. Every single one of them. And I said this before, but we watched this uh documentary about track stars. And one of the trainers was like, "All of these stars run fast." He was like, "So my training of them is not to help them run fast." He was like, "It's to help them run fast." Well, and it was like this subtle, it's like, "No, you already are running fast, but I'm I'mma talk about how your foot is landing or the arch or the way you get off of the the little thing when they shoot the gun." Like, it's these, you need to be aware of the weaknesses so that you can actually discover how to overcome them, overcome them and win the race. And I think that's easier for us to do in sports than it is for us to do in our Christian life. And I think that's why Paul always compares even maturity and all of that to athleticism. It's like run the race that is set before you. How? By laying aside every sin and the weight that so easily entangles. Like I beat my body like an athlete. D. It's like we we got to look at even what God exposes not from the framework of condemnation but from the framework of God is just wanting you to be a better runner.
That's so good. That that is so good. And it's it's lovely encouraged you.
No, it is it's really good because I you know I I see I see young Christians online and I be wanting to like I I be trying not to be that uncle that want to correct everybody.
You are that uncle.
But you know how the uncle to be want to correct everybody. But it's like no, I've actually been where you where you where you are. And I'm actually still struggle with the things that you struggle with. I just struggle with it differently now. You know what I'm saying? It's like it's I'm not better. I just struggle differently, right? right? Cuz I'm more aware of my sin and all of that. But I I I love that you even brought up the the sports things because the the best athletes were the ones who actually absorbed criticism the best.
Yes. And applied the criticism and they became great.
Right. Cuz I think the temptation for the runner to be like, "Man, I run fast. What are you talking about? Why is you critiquing anything?" And I think for us as believers, I think I think our pride, we want to be giants in the faith so fast. We want to feel like we are big in the faith so much, right? And so this is the reason why you got a whole bunch of babies walking around acting like they're giants. And so the moment you you critique them, you you're act you actually are are showing how fragile you really are, the way you take criticism, it's like, "Oo, that hurts." because you're really not big in the faith yet.
But why do you want to be big in the faith?
Because when you are big in the faith, you get really big trials.
But what I'm saying is why is that the goal? That's a part of the the self-awareness here be because that means you want to be somebody.
Yeah. When it's like greatest in the kingdom is servant of all. Paul says no. Like I I asked three times for him to take this thing away. He like, "Yeah, my strength is sufficient in weakness. So when I am weak, then I am strong." And so the pursuit can't be of being big in the faith, but it has to be being low before God. Like that has to be like we have to change our minds about how we view this whole Christian thing because
Sorry to cut you off.
No. Yeah. Yeah. It's like when you came to Christ, you came to a cross.
Mhm. You understand what I'm saying? Like if if any man follow me, he must take up his cross and die. And it's just like it's given. Y'all want to live, but y'all don't want to die. That that's actually the whole thing. And so until we want to die, we will never be powerful or strong or big. And even these these adjectives and verb, they're just weird to me. There has to be something demonic about that because even like
No, truly even Paul, even Jesus One of the temptations he received is for him to
Jump off the cliff so that everybody would perceive him as something because the angels rescued him. He wanted him to grab power in a way that God had actually not designed. And I just, I don't know. I just think we need to be aware of that pride, cuz that's that's >> because I think I think I think >> it's not good. Like even a couple seconds ago, I said, like, you get a lot of attacks when when you're big. But I, but what I'm trying to communicate is, I think the way people judge being big in the faith is how much they're used. >> And I, I think you being useful with gifts is never a way for you to measure your faith, right? Because the b like, notice how the scripture doesn't say, um, in the last day the Lord, uh, people would say, "Lord, didn't I prophesy in your name? Didn't I cast out demons in your name?" yada yada yada. Notice how it did not say, "Lord, I thought I c I prophesied in your name." No, they didn't. I, I thought I I cast out demons in your name. It's like, right. And so they, they actually did, which means that people actually will operate in gifts. >> Yes. >> But at the end of the day, they still don't know Jesus. >> Correct. >> And so gifts can never be the measure of how you measure how big you are in the faith. >> Right? Being like Jesus is the only way you can measure how big you are, uh, in in the faith. And this same Jesus condescended, came from heaven to earth to die for the same people that he created.
Pharisees, I want to go back, cuz I was reading this the other day and I was just like, man. >> Hidden in your heart. Pharisees. >> So you would not sin against. >> Accused this man of being demon-possessed. >> And you going off on people on social media because they said you wasn't what. >> It's like. >> Wasn't what is. >> You know what I'm saying? Like, and so like when we see how, how, how low Jesus became and how he, and how he lived this, this, this human life, that has to be the measure of how we measure greatness. Uh, and if we're not measuring it off of Jesus, I think our measurements are all wrong.
And yeah, there's so much could be said. This been on my mind. I'mma just say it out loud. >> What? >> You know how we got all these people on TikTok that always got a word? >> Oh my goodness. >> They just always got a word. I, I woke up at 3:00 a.m. and the Lord gave me a word. I woke up at 6:12 a.m. and the Lord gave me a word. I woke up at this time and the Lord gave me a word. >> And it's always a word that's going to get you views. >> What? It's always a warning. And I'm like, so God ain't never got nothing nice to say? Like, every, every, everything he got to say is a warning. And it's always a warning detached from the gospel. It's always a warning detached from hope. It's always a warning. Like it. Anyway.
>> What's ironic to me is how differently they seem to move from Paul because in 2 Corinthians 12, >> Paul has a vision and he's trying to detach himself from the visions that he's seen so much that he talks about it in third person. That's one. Two, the Lord gives him the thorn. >> I was looking for the scripture. You got the book in your lap. But >> I just >> I understand. It's 2 Corinthians 12. >> Sheesh. >> I, I just thought I was being ignored. No, I wasn't. >> You see, I responded really patiently and kindly. >> See, I was, I'm trying to follow you. >> I understand. >> I ain't want to be slipping through the pages. >> That's all right. 2 Corinthians 12. >> Okay. Go. >> All right. Chapter 4. Uh, I mean, uh, verse four, verse 7. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh. I just think it's interesting that y'all got all these revelations and y'all don't got no thorns.
>> It's just like the Lord actually sends trials and circumstances and and it's a thorn sent from like, it's a messenger of Satan. So God even uses Satan to keep Paul humble because of the revelation. And I just feel like if y'all was going through that, you probably wouldn't be talking so much. >> Go ahead. >> I just, I don't know. I just be like, "So y'all don't, y'all not getting beat up by the like, y'all? I just, I don't know. I just think >> I think that's good. >> I think intimacy with, you know, people say, well, the prophets and y'all ain't Elijah. Y'all ain't, you are Tesha. >> You understand what I'm saying? You are, you are Kendra. Huh? You are, you are James walking what you are called to. But what I'm all I'm ultimately trying to say is, even the way we posture these gifts is so different from the people who walked in the same gifts in the scriptures. And what I'm seeing is a positioning of yourself rather than a lowering of yourself. Telling me that God don't never tell you to keep that a secret. That I, I think when you are married to somebody, when you are best friends with somebody, when you are intimate with somebody, he's going to say a lot to you that he just wants you to intercede about and not always air out, not even air out within a local body or a local church or a local city, how the prophets function, but online.
>> Yeah, that's so good. That's so good. I, so, so many things are popping up in my head because when you brought that up, I, I'm, I'm thinking about it's hard for me not to think about the character of God and how, and the character that I see on social media cuz it don't, it don't be matching. And what I mean is, is like, God often sent prophets in the Old Testament, but one, one thing we know about God is he's slow. >> Yes. >> To anger. Yes. >> And so even how the prophets moved, they, they, they gave people warnings after God gave people a lot of chances. You making a TikTok about this and it happened that week. It's like, God ain't talking to you. He ain't giving you immediate revelation about every single thing in the news in on social media. It's like, I mean, he sent Moses to set the captives free after, you know. >> I >> After they was in slavery for years and years and years.
Never ever trust a prophet who always has a warning and never preaches the gospel. I will never ever trust a prophet who always has a word of condemnation and never a word of grace. I will never ever trust a prophet who always has something to say and no scripture to back it up with. I just don't, to me, that is, that is how you have discernment is you know your Bible. And when you know your Bible, then you know when people are walking in things that the Bible has actually not affirmed.
>> That's good. >> I'm sorry. >> That's good. >> I'll step off my and I'll say, I ain't saying >> God don't use a prophetic. He absolutely does. But I'm saying Satan does too. And >> so we, we have to be able to discern. >> Yeah. Because I, I think, and I want to address what you just said about knowing the Bible because I think in the past I've heard people say, "Y'all are teachers and these are prophets." That >> Oh my gosh. >> That really don't even make sense. >> About to ruffle my feathers. >> That really don't make sense. It's like, no, knowing the Bible actually helps you to know Christ because this is the way in which he has revealed himself to the world.
The Bible is prophetic. The, the Bible is the most prophetic thing that we can ever read. And I think that when you know Jesus, you know what's not him. And so like, like, like the Lord is slow to anger. He's slow to speak, >> abounding in steadfast, abounding in steadfast love. He's never rejoicing in evil. He's never rejoicing in the demise of other people. He's not, he's not, he doesn't have a word for people with a smile on his face. You know what I'm saying? Like, like he's grieved. >> Jeremiah was the weeping prophet. >> Right? He was the weeping prophet. And so like, I think what we're ultimately saying is, I think as we mature in faith, we, we, we know who to listen to. We, we know not who to listen to. Not because of signs and wonders, even things coming to pass. Because a lot of times that's how a lot of prophets get y'all. They say a word and it comes to pass. But Deuteronomy lets us know that even if a word comes to pass, >> it's because the Lord is testing you. >> Hello. >> And he's saying, "I'm allowing these things to come to pass by false prophets to show y'all y'all actually looking for signs and not me."
And do you know how, how he distinguishes it? He says, "Yet what they said was true, but their character is bad. Therefore, they're still false." >> Yes. And so God is saying, God is saying, "Well, so, so that's, that's the scary part. I actually will allow false prophets to give a word that will come to pass so that y'all will believe them. So in the end, I will say, 'Y'all never knew me because y'all was looking for signs, not the Christ, >> not, not my character.' Not, you know what I'm saying? And so I think that's why people be falling into listening to false prophets all the time is because y'all are looking for signs and wonders. Y'all don't actually recognize the character of God. And so when somebody comes acting like Satan and gives you a word that comes to pass, you follow them.
And let's be clear, it's, it's also false prophets in the political arena. >> Oh yes, it is. Who, who leverage Christian ideals and ethics and passages to promote a particular agenda that has nothing to do with Christ. That has nothing to do with the widow. That has nothing to do with the prisoner. That has nothing to do with not just the unborn, but those who are alive. That too is a form of false prophecy. And so I just, I just think.
I don't know where how we got here. I just, I don't know how we got here, but we're here. Yeah, I think we got here. >> Can I say one more thing since we on this rant? >> I remember u >> How did we get here? >> I don't actually remember. I, I remember, >> you know, I, I see a lot online and I was just seeing a bunch of like rebukes from so-called prophets and stuff. I said, "Why they ain't never sad about it?" >> That's what I'm saying. I just, I said, I said they seemed so content with it. Just seemed like they were so non-affected by judgment. You understand what I'm saying? >> That's what I mean though. >> And I'm like, Jesus, he would weep over people not coming to him. Jeremiah was sad. Paul was like, I would give myself for y'all to be saved. And I think that's an area of discernment where we're very, very weak in is where we don't see how a lack of love even within saying a hard word might actually be be communicating the character of the person that's that's talking. And what I'm thankful about this conversation is that y'all know I'm not afraid to say hard stuff. Y'all know I'm not afraid to confront idols in the culture and do all the things. So obviously I'm not a pansy talking about grace as if grace is a cover-up for sin. The Bible tells us that grace teaches us to say no to sin. But what I am saying is that even how you communicated and the emotional world in which you communicated still says something about your love for people, your love, like if there is a dishonoring of people and not a dignifying of people in these gifts, is something off.
Since S since S since we're here, I'm, I'm just, I might as well just say it. Can I say it? We'll edit it if it's crazy. >> I'm going just say it. I, I think the way I think how we got here is because we're talking about spiritual maturity. And I think in talking about spiritual maturity, we have a lot of people who, who are, who are immature in the faith because they're listening to people who are not actually in the faith. They're just, just listening to people who are actually not in the faith. And I think that when we think about, because listen, I'm, it's, I think it's the truth, right? Cuz I, I think I think the reason why you don't see >> you don't see grief in communicating these these warnings or these prophecies is because the, the reward is actually people believing them. That's their reward. And so that, you, you see a satisfaction. You see, you see, and, and, and, but this is the scary part. The reason why they're confident that their word will come to pass is because they're actually hearing from the spiritual world, but not Jesus. They're hearing from demons. And so, what's happening is y'all are listening to people who are actually hearing. But, but if you are a mature Christian says, I'm not going to pay attention to what happened and what don't happen. I'm gonna pay attention to do you look like Jesus? Knowing what Jesus looks like, you know what he doesn't look like.
And so, and so that is how you know maybe maybe I might be listening to somebody who's acting like a Christian but has an altar in their room. >> Well, that's what uh itching ears is. Is that, you know, when you have an itching ear sense? >> Yeah. Okay. When you have an itching ear, it says you accumulate teachers to suit your own passions. And as I've communicated in in my sermon on it, it's like, you, the only way you can accumulate teachers that suit your own passions, those teachers have to share those same passions.
And so those teachers are submitted to those same things that you two are submitted to. And that's why they teach what they teach. And so I think the responsibility comes back on us to have a self-awareness about ourselves. Our desire for power, our desire for attention, our desire for fame. Even how I think, uh, having a root of bitterness is coloring a lot of this stuff, uh, where we are channeling our anger and our pain through the prophetic, uh, rather than surrendering that to God as a refuge. And so I think when we deal with our hearts, it naturally clarifies our ears and who we listen to.
>> That's so good. Growing in spiritual maturity actually actually helps you not to be, you know, swayed by any false doctrine because you're actually being motivated by the right things and not your insecurities. >> Yes, spiritual maturity and we're going to move on. Um, but even spiritual maturity doesn't just show itself in following. That's why Paul in Ephesians 4, if you remember the verse I, I said is like, as you grow up into Christ, you won't be, uh, tossed to and fro by every wind and wave of doctrine. The maturity keeps you from the deceit. Um, but it's not just following probably the wrong communicator.
Sometimes immaturity is following the right communicator but in a divisive way. And what I mean is in 1 Corinthians 3, uh, Paul says, "But our brothers could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready, and even now you are not yet ready. For you are still in the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, 'I follow Paul,' and another, 'I follow Apollos,' are you not being merely human?"
And so even how we move within the church context, even when it comes to leaders like Paul, who is solid and trustworthy, Apollos, who is solid and trustworthy, that whole, I'm on Apollo, I, I follow pastor this or I follow pastor that, or jealousy and envy and covetousness. When that stuff is present within the church community, it also means that there's immaturity present. But what I was reading this text a couple days ago and what really struck me about it is that the way Paul describes immaturity as is as being merely human.
And I'm like, that's so interesting to say that where it's like, no, like when you came to Christ and you're filled with the Holy Spirit, you are a human, but you are now a spiritual person because you are filled with the spirit. And immaturity is you leaning into the human side more than you lean into the spiritual side. And I just think that's a really interesting question to ask ourselves. I was even asking myself because I was just seeing stuff in my heart where I was just like, "Oh, I'm being just human." >> Yeah. >> I'm just being human. And we use that as a validation of our weaknesses. But Paul is using it as a, as a, as a warning to say like, "No, God has called you higher. He hasn't called you to be less than human, but he has called you to be more." And you can only do that by power.
>> That's really good. That's really good. Well, as we, as we were prep preparing for this podcast, um, I just started to just think about spiritual immaturity, maturity, all the ways I've matured and all the ways that I, I need to mature. And I, I think for me, the, the thing that I've struggled with the most, um, is my anger. I think anger is a huge stumbling block >> from preventing people from being spiritually mature, right? Because we talked about like >> we talked about like not taking correction, not submitting to local authority and all of the things, but I think a lot of times like our, like not having control over our emotions, >> but also like feeling like we're validated. >> Mhm. In how we respond. You know what I'm saying? And so, like, man, like the last couple of months, I just been asking the Lord because I've grown in that area >> significantly. >> Significantly, right? I mean, I'm not chasing people around the store no more. >> Nope. >> Um, but, but I do feel like the devil was always trying to make me go back there. >> Yeah. >> Always. >> Right. And, and, and the thing about my anger at the Lord has always just consistently like my anger has low-key been a thorn. >> It has. >> And the reason why it's a thorn is because the Holy Spirit is always reminding me how, how unrighteous it is. >> I, I am convinced that my anger is one of the most unrighteous things ever. It's like, cuz I don't have a right to be angry. M >> I don't have a right to respond. >> Angry but not sin. Not, not, not sin. Not right. And so like, I don't have a right. >> And even no, even sometimes I don't have a right to be angry. >> Yeah. Yeah. There's unrighteous anger too. >> Yes. Unrighteous anger. So sometimes I have a right, like when somebody disrespects my wife, I need, I have a right to be angry. >> When somebody is tell telling me about myself, I don't have a right to be angry. I need to repent. >> Right. And u I think, I think our emotions are, it's the number one thing that that gets in the way of our spiritual maturity. And so I think, man, for the believer to say, Lord, I see myself >> and I know you see me, help me. >> And so that's just been really my prayer, like, Lord, I'm angry today. Like, some days I wake up and I'm like, this is a spirit. Nothing even happened and I'm angry, you know? And I'm like, Lord, help me, you know? And I think that that honesty with the Lord really helps us to, uh, to grow in maturity because it's like, the Lord love, like, I love when my daughter Eden, she's 11 now. She comes to me and I love how self-aware she is and how much she takes responsibility. And so there is a graciousness that I have when I help her now. >> How much the Lord >> Yeah. >> When we say, "Lord, I'm a mess." >> Yeah. >> Lord, I, I, I'm angry for for no reason. Like, help me. U and I feel like the Lord will, will help if we're honest with him and honest with ourselves.
And talking about thorns, we don't know what Paul's thorn was, which I think is a wise choice by the spirit to lead him in that way. Um, because it means that we're able to see our thorns in that text. I say that because Tim Keller in his sermon, he talks about how, you know, the Lord is growing you up when you don't feel him as much, when you don't hear him as much, and now you are given the choice to have to trust that he's still there. M and he used this metaphor where he talks about, you know, when I got a baby or a toddler, or a toddler, and we're walking across the street, I'm holding the baby's hand. I'm holding the toddler's hand because they need my guidance. They need my nearness. Even my nearness is an assurance that everything will be okay. They were like, "But as, as, as that baby grows up into a teenager, into an adult, they no longer need me to hold their hand. And they know how to walk across the street. >> Right? >> And I think that is a really, really hard season or many seasons of the Christian life. When you feel this shift where it's like, you pray for that to lift and five years ago, it felt like the Lord would just make it easy. And it's like, no, now I got to like fast and and now I got to like cry and now I got like, I remember telling God, I was like, so you just want me on my face all the time? And he's like, yeah, that, that's what grown-ups do. Yeah. >> That's grownup Christianity is that. >> Grownup Christianity is now you are coming to terms with the degree of your dependence >> and you're obeying. >> You understand what I'm saying? And so I think even with you talking about your wrestle with anger, you know what I'm saying? Like, I think I want to help people know that it doesn't mean that you don't know God because you're still wrestling. M What's good? >> It, it doesn't mean. It just means that God is training you to trust him. You, like he's training you. And I say training on purpose. Uh, because that's what a trial is. It's training you. I, I often think about Abraham a lot and how God did not give Abraham the test of sacrificing Isaac first. >> You know what I'm saying? He gave them the, the test of, all right, you going to leave her and you going to go to a place I'm going to tell you to go. So the first test was him sacrificing something he loved to follow God. >> Then he had other tests and he had other tests and eventually God gave him the test of Isaac. That wasn't a new test. It was just different. But it had a degree of intensity that God had already prepared him for. That's what maturity is. That God has already been preparing you to win. It's just us who struggle. So, I don't know. >> Yeah, that's good. >> I don't know if that makes sense. >> No, it made a lot of sense. I think what, what it reminded me of is kind of, you know, the transition that I had when we, when we came to Atlanta. Um, I had been like, cuz I think often times, uh, especially for the Christian who says, "I'm in a local community. I'm in this. I'm that. I'm growing in faith." And now like I'm in this weird season cuz for a long time I had our pastor Brian Dah who had, um, walked with me and discipled me and taught me and I always had him to kind of lean on. But when we went to Atlanta, I didn't have that person. >> And I remember you telling me, it's like, man, maybe the Lord is trying to get some deeper intimacy out of you. And so when I would call Brian and Brian would say, well, you're actually getting out of this discipleship, m >> Kind of relationship with me and you're actually becoming more of a friend. >> But I didn't know how to even adjust to that cuz I'm like, I still need you to tell me what to do. >> And it's like, no, >> God's taking the trainers wheels off. >> Yeah, he's taking the training wheels off. He's basically saying, no. Like, you're actually >> you don't even realize. I think a lot of times even when we are maturing, we don't even realize how much we've matured. >> Cuz it's like, we don't actually see our growth. Like, as, as we're getting taller over the years, we don't, we don't see our growth. We just look up and we like, we're grown. You know what I'm saying? And I think for, for me, it was weird when God started to take the training wheels off cuz it's like, Lord, okay, I, you usually give me a sign through people or and it's like, no, like I actually just want you to fast now. >> I actually just want you to pray now. I gave you a house with a basement >> for a reason, not to watch sports all day, but for you to seek my face. Everything is not going to be, you know, a community of of older believers that's giving you, you know, um, the game all the time. And so, I think for me, the Lord has really challenged me to grow in my faith to say, man, at the end of the day, it's still about me and you, >> Preston. >> You know, how the Lord has Did I cut you off? >> No, I was not. How the Lord has um, taken the training wheels off for me is, you know, like I, the Lord does speak to me prophetically a lot, whether primarily through dreams >> or if I'm praying, he'll, you know, lay something on my heart and my mind, things like that. And the last year or two years, that has lessened. And for a long time, I thought like, am I sinning? Like, is something wrong? And I realized that the Lord wanted me to simply depend on what he already said. And it's not to say that the cannon ain't closed and that dreams are new revelation. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is, is that the Lord was stripping away kind of these mystical forms of communication to deepen my trust in his promises. And it's been crazy to experience me saying, "All right, Lord, I don't know what to do here." And I'll just open up to it. When I say I will open up to a random passage. And by random, it might be Obadiah. You know what I'm saying? And it would be like the Lord would highlight a verse that's an answer to the question I just asked, but it's all been the word. And I think that's why is that who is that that went to the cave? Elijah where he's like, the Lord ain't in the wind, the Lord ain't in the thunder. The Lord ain't in the, he's in the still small voice. And I, I think maturity. >> That's when he fled cuz Jezebel was trying to kill him, right? >> Jezebel is crazy. >> Not Jezebel. >> Uh, not Basha. What was What was her name? >> Jezebel. >> Jezebel was trying to kill him. I'm sorry. I said Jezebel. That's crazy. I be getting them confused. I don't know why. I just feel like she >> I feel like they was both bogus women. >> Basha was not bogus. No, she wasn't. I'm >> She was, she was minding her business on the roof. You understand what I'm saying? King talking about come here. What she going to say? No. >> Is that the story? That's the story you're talking about when, when, um, Jezebel like >> because the prophets of Baal, he came for them. Da da da, exposed them as false prophets and then Jezebel was like, "Okay, I'm going to kill you." He runs. >> Oh yeah. That's when he, that's when he flexed on him and then he did that whole little demonstration like, this is the real God.
I love, I love this Bible study. So he's outside the cave and the Lord basically is like, he's not communicating to him through all of these dramatic means. And mind you, he just did, he, he just put fire down on the thing to show himself strong. But now with the prophet, he's like, he's communicating in a still small voice. And I think some of us might be in seasons where we feel like God is not with us cuz he's not as loud as he used to be. Yeah. Or he's not as, um, quick to respond to our request. And that's why we have to learn how to wait on the Lord. That's why we got to learn how to get in that book. That's why we got to build our biblical literacy because he has spoken. He is communicating. He is talking. But he's doing it through this in ways to deepen your faith and your dependence on him. And it's basically like he's like, "I'm not walking you across the street no more. >> You, you know how to get over there." >> Yeah. I love, I love that you use that example because I think it kind of deepen, like it kind of goes deeper than what, what we're talking about earlier because for the person who looks for like their spiritual maturity looking a certain way based on like how much they're being used, on how much they're hearing. And for you to say, I'm not hearing like I used to >> but God is still growing me in spiritual maturity because he's actually not allowing me to hear. >> Yeah, he is speaking. He is speaking. >> Yeah. He's just not speaking in the way because it's convenient >> to just go to sleep, have a dream, and that give you clarity. I didn't have to work for that. I just took a nap. >> You understand what I'm saying? It's another thing for the Lord to force you on your face like Nehemiah, who prayed for months and months and months and months before the thing is released and before the thing is like, that, that, that produces patience. >> That produces hope. That produces character endurance. Yeah. And those are the things that God is trying to work into us. And so that's why I, I think for those who might have a prophetic bent or for those of us who really need these kind of really >> big flashing lights, if, if, if the Lord has kind of withdrew in that way, it's not that he's not near, it's that he's making you grow up. >> Yeah. >> That's what I'm saying. He's deepening your prayer life and he's also helping you to read scripture more. >> That's good. That's good. Um, do I got something else to say? >> You always got something to say, babe. >> I'll just say this. I was reading this, um, book by Elizabeth Elizabeth Elliott and she was talking about towards the end about trials and circumstances. That's what that's what we need to say. Uh, talking about trials and circumstances and how God's aim is that we would all become spiritual mothers and fathers. M >> And I haven't thought about that a lot because, yeah, I feel like I'm still young, but I do feel like there is a transition where it's like, no, the Lord is like, he's growing you up so you can pour more. You know what I'm saying?
And John 15 is really helpful. "I am the true vine. My Father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit." That text is necessary because ultimately the spirit of God is the means by which we are maturing. So our spiritual disciplines help us. Obviously, they're necessary, but trials, they're helpful. Responding to that. But is God using the spiritual mean or using the spiritual disciplines? God using the trials and the circumstances to do the work of pruning so that we would bear more fruit. And I say that because it, I just want to help us relax and know that if I'm in Christ, I will mature. >> Yeah. >> If I'm in Christ, I will change. If I am in Christ, I will be conformed into. I was predestined for this conformity. So it will happen. >> That's good. >> You know what I'm saying? That's Ephesians. That's Bible. And or is that Romans? >> It's probably both. And so both, both, both Ephesians and Romans talk about being conformed. >> And so it's like, I just want us to relax our shoulders a bit and know that the Lord is our shepherd. You shall not want. He is leading us beside still waters. All we got to do is follow. And the places where we don't follow are the places where we got to grow. >> Yeah. And cuz God is all, all knowing. He's sovereign. And I think what you're essentially saying is you don't have to rush maturity. Um, you have to just be in the right place. >> Yeah. Just rest. >> Just rest. Rest in, rest in, rest in God. Um, dwell within community. And the Holy Spirit will orchestrate conversations, relationships, situations, trials, tests. I love how Tim Keller said, you know, um, something is either a trial or a test depending on how you respond to it.
Um, and I think a lot of times when the enemy throws something at us, it can be a trial if we just move. >> It says a trial or a temptation. >> A trial or a temptation. Yeah. You know, um, and I, I, I think that like God is using every single circumstances to conform us into the image of Jesus, but also to grow us in spiritual maturity, to grow us in faith. And so, just have faith that everything >> is working out for the good of those who love God and called according to his purpose. Literally everything.
So, yeah, that's all we got. Um, we'll have Tim Keller's sermon in the show notes. I really believe everybody should listen to it. I think it is just a really helpful framework for how to define where you might be on the Christian maturity scale. It'll even give you language for how to pray for those around you who might be immature. Gives you a bit of grace and empathy for where they are. And ultimately, we are all just trying to journey on towards home. That's it. >> Yeah. Bye. Peace.