Obedience Through Difficult Times

Give us the grace to apply to our lives over and bring you glory. We love you. We thank you and we ask it in Jesus name. Amen. And amen. Forgive me. I'm going to have to drink some more in my sinus have I really been acting up here lately.

I miss my buddy, I need to jump right on it. I love that boy really do.

But anyway, so In this particular past don't want to give a little bit of context. Okay before I jump into what all this is saying. I want you to kind of see what led up to this. Oh Jesus here is beginning to call men to follow him. So he called Simon & Simon who's call Peter Andrew. He calls John and and Zebedee sun the sun John the sump John the son of Zebedee and James, so he begins his ministry going out calling people to him and Sorry before all that took place. You know, what's always stick out to me is that Jesus never began his ministry until he was 30 years old around thirty something years old. Now. I'm sure there were multiple there were too many things that took place in his life up to that Journey, but around 40 years old when he 30 years old is when he really began his public Ministry and so first he left Galilee and he came to the Jordan River looking for John the Baptist in order to be baptized and we see that in Matthew 3:13. You remember he came and when he did but the spirit came as of dove in and rested upon him and he was filled with the spirit and it says I'm in the very beginning of chapter 4. It talks about how Jesus was led by the spirit Into the Wilderness for 40 days where he overcame the Temptation Of The Devil so that's always something stuck out to me to is that the spirit of the Lord let him there. Tehaleh Jesus to the wilderness. You CNN not so preach on that cuz that's a whole nother message. But the fact is is sometimes those Wilderness experiences or later the spirit. There's things that God does in there such things that God he proves us and he he tests us and he strengthens us in those time. You see that's the only way to learn you say, the only way to ride a bicycle is kirani, right? That's the only way to learn you're going to get hurt but you get right back on and it's the same way when we go through those Wilderness Journeys. God will continue to lead us until we understand it and he won't move us forward until we get home. We might try to go around if we want to but he's going to continue to lead us in that same direction if we file we get right back up. He gives us Grace and we keep moving forward and so in this particular situation the spirit of God Legend Jesus to this he went through the Temptations of the devil you remember saying try to tempt him and tell him and I'll listen if you'll just Bow Down and Worship me I'll give you everything and then Jesus had a rebuke him and say begone say That you're only supposed to serve that one and true God and so all that took place before this game. And another thing to he fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Could you imagine that? That's just hard to even fathom for 40 days of I know I've only know a handful of people and I don't know him personally have actually done that and I'm telling you man. It is I couldn't imagine it may listen. It's hard for me to miss lunch. I couldn't imagine going 40 days that's dedicated. You know, but in that time it was Jesus was emptying himself of all things but the Lord he wanted to hear from God and he wanted to make sure that he was he was being led by him. And so it goes x a fasting listen. I'm not against fasting. I think it's a wonderful thing to do is the time of prayer. It's a time of where your mind is just focused and in a what I do is when I fast is I let the times that I feel hungry remind me to be with him to pray with him to keep my mind on him not to constantly be thinking when am I going to eat? I got two more days left, I'm ready to eat when I begin to feel that hunger pain come up on my dis is why I'm doing this to spend time with the Lord to to meditate upon his promises to to seek him and what he would have me doing. So listen. I am very for I'm really with fasting is a wonderful experience to share with the Lord as long as it's done correctly. As long as it's done for the right reason that it's not just some Spiritual Works. Work that you do to try to earn something. If it's solely to spend time with him to know him that I will bless you in it and I'll tell him if I can testify that I got some wonderful times with the Lord in my time too fast too many things that he showed me so never the last moving for Jesus fasted. He was tempted by the devil. And then from there Jesus returned actually after leaving the Wilderness hair salon in the synagogue in Nazareth where he was when he was out and we was raised up and he read from the scroll of Isaiah to fulfill the prophecy. You see everything that Jesus did had two lined up with the prophecy so that there would be no disputing when the Jews try to come to him and say we are not of God. All they would have to do is look in the very book that they were rated and see the everything he did a lined up with what it said. He never contradicted the Old Testament and so it was important that he did this because it says in Isaiah that he would do that and so he wanted to Remind them this is who I am and you can see you can find that in Luke 4 16 through 21. He raised from them all and then also for their Jesus returns and Luke 4:31. He begins his Teaching Ministry. So now here we are. So Jesus is Walking By the Sea of Galilee and he issued a call several people to follow him. Percy saw two brothers Andrew and Peter castanets fishing into the sea and he called them out and said follow me and I will make you Fishers of Men. This is the reason why he said that stink about it there really wasn't a whole lot of things that they did back then as far as trade were you see the was at welders there won't mechanics who built Motors you so I'm saying there was there was there was only limited think they make tents they pissed that help make buildings. I mean just the the basic things to survive there wasn't you know computer technology and Powerline technician or none of that stuff. It was so he knew that they would understand what he meant when he said fisher of men and it just so happened that it lined up perfectly with what he's actually doing what he is doing what he can to bring me an in from the world and bring them unto him. And so that's why he said I will make you Fishers of Men because they would understand that so much being a fisherman. When did Jesus continued walking along the Sea of Galilee and he encountered another set of Brothers James and John and as they were in as they were in a fishing boat with their father many Nets Jesus called them to follow as well. They to responded by mediately leaving their father and both to follow Jesus Melissa. Think about that. Now, I've kind of done studies the different gospels and there's some scripture that you can read to make you feel like they knew about Jesus that it wasn't necessarily first time I've ever seen him but it was the first time Jesus ever call them to follow him. You see what I'm saying? So wasn't necessarily that he was a stranger that I had no idea who he was but they have never committed himself to him in such a way as far as allowing him to be their teacher to be their master. And so could you imagine in the middle of work He just like the compliment you just drop everything. I think about that Victor had to been something stirring up in the maybe the things that they had seen, you know, John the Baptist have been baptized and all the things that we're going around. It isn't like it was they were pretty in a small piece of land in America right now. We've everything but even though he may not have been doing Miracles and things like that that we know about that time. He went been talkin about Jesus the been those things have been going around specially John the Baptist because he was the one preaching it to everybody repent repent. And so anyway the moment he said that they left right now.

Dad to take some courage think about that and so but thank God that they did a men because because of their obedience we have we have today we have scripture. We have all the testimonies of what Jesus did and it helps build our faith. So anyway, so some to find Jesus as being an apprentice. So what does that mean? It's old is old member Donald Trump. He started it and I think Arnold Schwarzenegger think he done it for a little while. Anyway, I didn't watch it a whole lot. I really interested because I was just a kid back then but the point of a princess and a prince is someone who follow somebody to learn a trade, but somebody who's skilled And that's what we in fact, this is a little bit different of course, but cuz it's so much better. Usually an apprentice of the get paid much they get paid just a little bit but what they're really learning is asked if that's what you're getting paid. And so but the thing with Jesus says it's not a skill that we're learning. It's a life that we're learning. It's a way of life. And listen. Our reward is so much greater than anything. We could ever Nanny job. Think about it when we follow him. We begin to learn how to truly live and in the return we have eternal life. When we get paid good think about it are wages of obedience are wages of surrendering to him and following him is eternal life. And in the process he's teaching us how to live this life here now and so listen, there's nothing like being an apprentice to the Lord is so much greater than what you would think of in a worldly point of view UCS Jesus. I'm his Apprentice in Kingdom living He is showing us how to live here. And now for the future you should think about it when we go to heaven the things that he's his idea of how it should be. Is it going to change? I still don't want us to be honest. It's still going to want us to love one another. He's still going to want us to serve one another he's preparing us for the kingdom to come. This was a prayer say is right. That's what it says in the Lord's prayer. May your kingdom come your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. That's what he's preparing us for to live in a in a community of people who been redeemed by the blood of Jesus to love one another to serve one another with no grade. No personal agendas. No, no anything but just worshipping God in living together in love and in peace. What a wonderful time that's going to be a men you see the world has tried that see the world is still trying that they're trying to make it Utah love you. But listen, it's not going to happen on this side of Glory. It ain't going to happen because they're seeing and there's wickedness and the hearts of men or vow and it's just the way it is.

but until that time comes we just continue to follow him and the Lord prepares us. You see being a follower or prints of Jesus needs to practice the ways of Jesus and order our lives around three different things. Okay being with God. Becoming like Jesus and doing what Jesus did think about another way to put it is this and these are going to be my free points being with Jesus becoming like Jesus and behaving like Jesus. And so I'm going to go through a little bit more and give you a deeper meaning cuz I want to be clear when I'm saying I'm not talkin about thanking it till you make it types of I'm so mad a true transformation of the Lord. Now. Here's the thing when I look at this song. I realized that so many times in my life. I had the same backwards. Because the reality of it is this is the order it should be being with Jesus becoming like Jesus and then we behave like Jesus, right? So my thing is always had a lot of the times in my walk with Jesus. You say I would try to behave like Jesus to become like Jesus without being with Jesus. You can't do that. You can't act like him to become like him if you ain't spending time with him saying it is crazy. But that's what we do. We are Geared for doing things. So we come to church. We give a horse to the Lord. We have a newfound love in Jesus and we begin to love people and the Holy Spirit is changing our hearts. He's Renewing Your Mind with the word of God and all these things are happening and I won't be do we look around we want what everybody else does and we still trying to do those things and we would rather do that and spend time with him and really find out who he is something right here now.

Have you ever have you ever felt like so let me jump ahead. I want to make sure that I'm going through my nose cuz I put it up there for a reason. Romans 12:2 says do not be conformed to the world this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern. What is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect? you say

Being with the Lord is so important. We can't be like anybody that we don't know. This is, you can't be like anybody. You don't know you nobody can have an impact on your life as far as your character things like that. If you don't know who they are know of what they're about as far as molding you as a person. and

Okay. Yeah, I want to make sure I just want to check my nose. So Jesus chose the 12 disciples what you think about is he chose the 12 disciples so they might be with him. It says that 314 that was the beginning process of making them disciples. He wanted them to be with him. That was the most important thing. This is like it's just so that they might be with him and more at 3:14. It says that he has appointed 12 Hemi also named Apostles so they might be with him and he might send them out to preach you say he want his purpose is supposed to be with him to learn of him to to become more like him and he's called us to do in to do what the finish the work that he began. He's not asking us to do anything outside of what he originally started. Which is to lead people to him so that they might be safe to deliver people from seeing to save this world Amen. And so A man named Craig Conway. He wrote unfortunately, we cannot be with Jesus exactly the way Matthew or follow me or Phillip Thomas and the other disciples were we can't run up to him physically and give him a high-five. We can't sit down with him over coffee and ask him to explain all of his creation. Nor can we sit next to him? We can't eat fish with him and laugh together. However, we can be with Jesus anytime through prayer and we can draw near to our Heavenly Father whenever we desire for Jesus, even though Jesus has ascended to the Father in Heaven. He is still with us to the Holy Spirit who is Wales every believer. Think about that you say if you relent and I know a lot of people at man, I wish I could have seen him. I wish I could have touched him. And listen those those times will come will be able to see the nail-scarred in his hands will be able to truly see the one who saved us. But listen right now, we have it better than the disciples had I truly believe that people are man fighting and it would have been so much easier if I was just walk away and I can talk to him he can tell that to me this if they had to find them what I'm saying is they had to be where he was at now. Jesus is where we're at all the time. He's not somewhere off in the Mountain price is right here. He's right here. Any moment you say God is with us and he in Jesus made that possible. You say you could I go but I send a comforter which is the holy spirit. Amen in the Holy Spirit primary job is to testify of Jesus Christ. That's what it says. It's the testified who he is so Now it also he also said that spiritual disciplines are important. So what does that mean? What does it mean? My spiritual disciplines why I mentioned when I'm earlier fast and write prayer seeking him through his word all the things that we've spoken before those are spiritual disciplines and they're important another one that password or actually showing me this weekend we were talking about I'm just spending time with God in prayer and things like that and what they know it's difficult for me and I don't know about you guys. It may just be me, but when I go to the Lord in prayer, I'm programmed to just get things done and have it done and let's go to some go on to the next thing right but when it comes to pray and there's so much more to that. It's not a task. It is a time of worship. It is a time of sidon and spend time with you say if I took my wife out to eat just because she's my wife, right? Why what is Friday that time and so it was good for my wife I got take you out. Open it will work out very well. She see right through the Applebee's I'll sit at the house and eat a sandwich now. But listen, it's the same thing with the Lord. Listen. God knows our heart. We can't fool him. We might can fool everybody else on him. So if you go to pray and you just to all right now, this is something I know I need to do. So, I'm just going to take time for a lord. I pray everything works out good whatever. You know, listen, God knows when you're being that I've been in a rush when I got to be at work in 30 minutes. That's not right. You don't know me, but don't we do that because because we were just so used to being on the go. It's the way the world is. It's not that it's necessarily just because we're mean or hateful. It's just the last hour used to and so share with me getting to my point is that When you when you began to pray and you turn on worship because I love to turn on some worship because what it does is it helps me get my mind off of all the things that are going on because my mind is constantly running about my family about work about the ministry whatever it is, but that that worship music just brings me to a place for not just my mind but my heart is in tune with the Lord and just to sit there and what they he said he began to them and he's probably doing for a while now and he was share with me is before he even begins to pray just sit there. Just meditate on the Lord for a minute. Because what that does is it just you just begin to thank him in your heart. Not just jump straight to the Mews the worships playing so Lord. I pray for such and such and I pray for this but when that music against a player even if you don't have music, I'm not saying you have to have that if you rather just being a solitary place where it's just you where you can get some peace and quiet just sit down for a minute clear your mind of all the ways of this world is one thing I can tell you two ain't going nowhere, right the light bill still do and it ain't one thing for the you pray for 5 minutes and 10 minutes right now. I don't think I can't make a way for you to pay it in that time, but it's still going to be the right. Sorry taking time to truly just sit back and meditate think about the Lord think about where he's brought you from let your heart be saturated in his love let his presents come in those times some of the most wonderful experiences intangible experiences of God is when I said nothing at all. I just sat there cuz the god heard the Cry of my heart and do the Brokenness that I had in the he knew the words and sometimes I don't even know sometimes I'm just bored. I don't even know what to say. All I know is I need you. And just allow him to come and be with you and to spend time with you. So that was one thing another spiritual discipline. That's so wonderful. It's just time of meditation and so me and my hourly in my wall I was so that was weird. Because I always thought meditation was like Buddhist or something. You know what I mean? Like, I don't want to sit indian-style be meditating. That's weird. I don't do that. That's where my thought process went for a long time.

Doesn't get done, you know, but that's the thing. God is doing all the word. You said he's the one in those times of just sitting there being still God is touching the heart is changing the mind. He's we're leaving worries. He's ashore knew that listen. I know you're worried about this, but I'm in control remember that. I'm the one who saves not you. I'm the one who's going to provide. Not you you just trust in me. I will make a a source in a way but I am the mains Amy and I'm the one I'm the I'm the actual Source. I mean, he's the source he will make it means to provide all that we need whether it be Financial spiritual where that be on physical healing. God still does that amen? Listen God still heals? He heals the mine is your soul if he heals the body. Listen God has the miraculous things in my life. And so and he's still doing it to this day. So moving on James 4:8 says draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Think about that. He will draw near to you if you draw near to him he's inviting you to come join me If you come to me, I'll be right here ready? UC What's up, wonderful as I spoke to you about the spiritual discipline drop prayer reading meditation fast and all the different things that come in this walk with a with a Christian as we grow. We do more of it as we grow we do it differently as we grow. We understand it. So it looks different in everybody's life as we walk with Christ what lesson I can do that anywhere Listen to I can be on a rooftop taking off shingles have my heart on the Lord think about that and you can salute you can be at home washing clothes. I can be on my way to work in the car and spend time with the Lord. That's what's so wonderful about it. Now, these disciplines are wonderful, but always remember don't feel like if I don't get this prayer in this morning that I can't I'm done for today. I don't know how I'm going to get up with y'all cuz imma be busy all day. Listen, put your mind upon him. I could be sitting here working and doing different things in the whole time in my mind. I'm thinking about the Lord, you know, Lord, I pray for this person or or God. I pray that you'll make a way in this way. Just know that God always hears and he wants to look at any moment be with us to to his presents. His Spirit has come for his grace. All those things have been paid for their hours and were freely given to us at any moment if we cry out to him. So remember that remember that God has made that way now Jesus speaking to the disciples as he gave the Great Commission. This is Matthew 28:20 says in Jesus came and said to them I was already in heaven and on Earth has been given to me go therefore and Make Disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold I Am With You Always until the end of the end of the age to listen to that last part I'm with always Not even though in this context he was speaking to the disciples. If you're his disciple at this moment. He's with you always amen at any moment at any time God is with you. Remember that now if you will turn to Luke 3842 38 turn to Luke 10 verse 38 I got to slow down here. Luke 10 I get excited. Sometimes it be rolling salute 10. verse 38 the 42

Luke 10 verse 38 or 42 If you're there and say hey Mia, all right, this is what it says. It says now it came to pass as they went that he entered into a certain Village in a certain woman named Martha received him unto her. Into her house, forgive me and he said and she and she had a sister called Mary which also sat at Jesus feet and hurt his word. But Martha was cumbered about with serving and came to him and said Lord durastyle not care that my sister have left me to serve alone. Beat her there for that. She helped me and Jesus answered and said to her Martha Martha that are careful and troubled about many things but one thing is needful and Mary has chosen the good part. We shall not be taken away from her and to the point of making here is this

Jesus it's more important to him that you're with him spend that time with him so we can get caught up in doing doing doing doing doing I got to do this I got to do that. I got to do what she's at my feet. She spending time with me. I'm I'm able to build a relationship with her. She's knowing more about me. And listen. There's nothing wrong with serving. That's not the point that Jesus was made but you see a lot of times we can get so caught up in the serving part that we miss out on the being with the Lord part and listen what happens if you get burn out, You get burn out when you lose sight of why you're serving which is him. Can you get burn out and so right I wanted to make that point as far as spending time with the Lord that that even in you know Martha it wasn't that she was going about trying to be ugly or hateful, but she just had the wrong view of who Jesus was. He thought that he wanted her to do a bunch of things for him. Really just want her. think about now it won't she sorry. Now what are the most important reasons another one I mentioned here I spending time with God is so that we don't lose sight of who he is. I want you to think about what I just said. What are most important reasons is that we are spending time with God is that we don't lose sight of who he is. You say have you ever been in a place where you hadn't read a lot right know how that is. You get busy hating red and you feel like I was mad at you ever felt that way. listen to you outside of guy, you know, why because that's not who he

God's not mad at you for not reading the word. Nellis and I'm not saying it's not important and that it's not vital for our relationship Alyssa. He's not sent that like me and she didn't read her wear today. I want to do her. But I know how we feel sometimes. And it's because we we we got her mind set on what I didn't read and I didn't do this. And other than that, but the whole point is is is it's because we haven't had that time with him not just in the word but where there be our hearts and Minds being on him with me through meditation play whatever it is that we lose sight of who he is you say

Pasadera was sharing with me about a man that was made a video. He was out there would be for the megaphone and he's out on that thing is on me. And you know, I never supposed to crack heads out here. I know I used to smoke weed. Like I'll smoke waiting all these different things who sang, you know, you know and and and there's a hell and all this other stuff. Do you need to repent and I was just hollering at all these people and the whole time these people like he was doing it in a way where he was another Lord. Listen. Those things are true, right if you leave and seeing no matter what it is. There's wages and that wages death. But at the same time there's a different way of going about it. I'm not going to go on a street corner start calling people crackheads and all this other stuff. You don't know me, but think about it. The whole town is happening a young young woman was recording it. It's a think about her perception of who God is because of this man. That's the only thing I've ever seen of God is this man doing that right said a lot man this I don't want nothing to do with that guy who was condemned everybody. Boosie if she knew him if she spent time with him and she had the opportunity to truly be introduced to who Jesus really is she would know. That wasn't right. You see I don't claim to know everything about God there's much that I want to learn to know about you, but I knew that one of the war. Cuz I know his spear I know his w**** I know his character is character is not pointing and you're doing this and you're the one that in fact when the lady who was thrown before him, he said listen if anybody else says it has not seen 34 Stone. That's not the spirit of God, and I know that is so when we me and pasadera, we know he was describing to me. I wouldn't pay that man of mine, but other people don't know so it's affecting him. That's what they feel like God isn't it pushes the amount of the dude that Christian God is to judge Manley so hateful to mean and he wants to condemn and send people to hell all the time.

Sin, is the issue seeing is what caste Us in the hell. He will allow us to choose whatever we want. God Made A Way to Go to Heaven he made a way to be with him, but that's all he's done. Seeing is what leads us to hell and we have that choice. So anyway moving forward. No. Something that will really spoke to my heart. I was thinking about just how much God loves us. Cuz sometimes we have to be reminded of that. We have to remember that no matter how vile and. We may think and all this bull scenes we might saying we're human. I don't care how long you been saved. Somebody pulls out in front of you going to get mad, right? If you don't man, praise God, I hope to get her one day cuz I ain't got there yet. What was something that God showed to me is this not spending time with God will never ever change his love for you. But it will change your love for him. Think about that. It will never ever change his love for you, but it will change your love for him. If you're not with him, and you don't spend time with him, you won't love him the way you should. You said God's perfect in love. If I it says right here in Romans 5:9 and said since therefore we will have now been justified by his blood much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God with while we were enemies think about that enemies at a time. We had no love for God. While we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more now that we are reconciled shall we be saved by his life more than that? We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ to him we have now received reconciliation. Amy I think about that What a wonderful truth. What a what a revelation that is useless and I'll be walking with the Lord for quite a while, and that just went when the Lord showed me that it just broke my heart, but I also give me hope they give me fight because you know at the end of the day, we're not learning to Salvation. We are being saved by the grace of God and we walk and live in the spiritual disciplines that I spoke about prayer and reading spending time with him meditating fast and whatever it is that you're doing because we want to build a relationship with Christ. I mean That's the point that that God really wants us to see and he shows it through his word. Those things are wonderful, but that's not what saves you it's not a it's not a labor that we do to earn something. It's a labor that comes forth because of something. You say I would do anything for my wife because I love her. You know what? I mean because I love her. And that's how we should be that's that's what Jesus is trying to get ahold of her since I will again going back to the hole behind and turn right and I'll finally make it and you know, that's wrong. Jesus is about relationship. He's about relationship. He loves each and every one of us. He knows your darkest Secrets. He knows your worst sins and yet he still loves you. He has forgiveness and mercy and Grace and hope and he gives us all that we need to overcome those things see a lot of the times we're the ones in the way. We have to allow him to have his way.

Sorry. Again, I know it's been a lot of time on this first point as far as being with Jesus, but that's that's what was really at the center of my heart was his first one where it says being with him that is going to be the foundation of how we grow as Christians not the foundation of being saved Jesus died on Calvary. Amen. And then we believe on him and Xzibit fate and repent. We are saved by the grace of God, but now if we're going to grow as Christians, we have to start off by being with him rather spend time with him. We have to make him up not just a part of a lot to make him our life. Let him be the very life that we're living because he is the author of life. There is no other life, but with him now listen to I do this perfectly. Absolutely not. I sleep well, if I cut up I do different things because of my personality. I say silly things and I joke around a lot. But at the end of the day I know who my redeemer is. I know that I've been bought with a price. I don't know that if God calls me to do something. I'm going to do my very best to fulfill that call for him. I want to do that. I'm not saying I can do it on my own but I'm going to pray and ask God to help me to fill his purpose in my life. So now The second is following. Jesus is becoming like Jesus. What does that mean becoming like Jesus? so

My dad that one of the great detail. He's one of a kind and if you got a one-of-a-kind a r i Amy everybody's got a one-of-a-kind are there certain things that your man ain't nobody like my daddy because it is either crazy or is funny or weird or you just aggravating whatever it maybe there's a number of things that we can say. I'm one of them right? I'm going to have some sort of many things I can say about me. But listen because of the time that I had with my dad the times that were there be fishing cooking on the grill cutting grass working. It don't matter what it was because of that time with him. I have become like my Earthly father in some ways. Every way. Thank God for some ways. Listen, I love my father and he is wild but I love them. But it's because of me being with him in and spending that time with him you say there are things about me. That was I want to admit it or not. I just thought my dad and I can't help it cuz I was with him you're so I'm saying I spent time with him. We were together. There's times that we were together certain sayings that I say because my daddy said it first you only saying it started there certain ways. I react to things because we're my daddy and I'm trying to change some of those things. But sometimes more bad some things were good some things that my dad taught me. We're good things as far as being wise and not necessarily believe in everything people say LOL or being cautious about certain things or how to how to haggle somebody, you know gets a little bit cheaper than one asking for you all the things that that people show you to do. Right? I mean, it's just part of life right Hunter Gibson cashew get it and it's the truth right this because of the time of having him. I have become like him a certain ways. And it has a has put up something in my heart and in my mind that I don't necessarily think God intends to change. It's just something that I have to regulate sometimes because sometimes ain't good, you know, whether it be anger or frustration or whatever it is, but it's all the same because becoming it this is what becoming actually means it means so begin to be So following Jesus is to begin to be like Jesus. When you begin to follow him, we're going to be like in if you're truly following him the way you think the way you process things the way you showed mercy and patience and love and all the things that the natural man doesn't want to do. you say there are things in my life that I have had that God has had to do with me the only he could do. and end of time to spend with him there been times where I knew I was wrong and I could call my other father and he can co-sign with me. Add a load is this such-and-such happen. So some sucks did it? This is what I'm thinking. But yeah, let's do it. But I want to spend time with such and such and then what should I do not forgive them? Louisville pray for me

it's hard. I really, Earthly daddy cuz you co-sign with me. Oral flea friend at the point I'm making is I'm not just trying to jump on my dad. But it's just what I'm saying is whoever you allowed to influence you in that way. It's going to be what drives you to be a certain way. And when you put Christ as the one that you follow cuz everybody's going to follow somebody their leaders. There are later to leave the way but eating them have people they look to just the fact and cries is the perfect later. He's the perfect side or he is the perfect example of who we are to be luke 6:40 says The disciple is not above his teacher but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

2nd Corinthians 5:17 says therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away behold. The new has come.

You see as a follower of Jesus. He has changed my heart and I have found a new I have a newfound love for people The World God and even myself.

you say before I give my heart to Christ and I believe everybody here can testify to that maybe there's some people that were better than I was and I believe so cuz now I was something else.

I didn't care about people. I just didn't it was all about me. And if certain people that I like that's it. I didn't like, you know, whatever. I don't want anything to eat y'all care about helping you out. Whatever. I'm just not that way the world even God. I had a belief in God, but I didn't love him. I want to do the whole thing and it started since I felt like I was a GD and things like that. Sometimes I'm still say it and I wouldn't ask the Lord forgive me.

I need to myself you say.

There's a there's a certain type of way to love yourself and what I mean is this there should be a Selfless Love. There should be a love that cares more about others than yourself. And that's something that I'm well it don't come naturally. It just don't we're not born with the kind of love that puts others first. Even those who help others who are not Sailors emotive understand that I'm not saying that this good things that people do that are not saving to my people want to say that the good things that people do wrong. I'm not saying that but it's always a motive in the heart, but you see when God because of change your life and you begin to do things for his glory to give testimony to Jesus. He loves to let people see the love that God showed you now Psalms 37:4 now. This is a scripture that I've read many times and we've talked about this a few times to your says delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Now. This has been a verse that has been disputed in sports what it really means and this is my interpretation of this is what I truly believe because this more of what the heart of the Lord is to me. He says delight yourself in The Lord, of course, right? We Delight in him. We were Joyce in him. We are satisfied in him and he will give you the desires of your heart. One thing about the heart is deceitfully wicked is so tell me that doesn't make sense if you read it quickly, but what is really saying is I will give you I will place in you the desires of your heart. Think about that. You say I'm going to give you the correct desires the right desires. When you Delight in me, you have the right desires. Your desires will be to see people saved your desires will be to love one another to care for one another to serve one another. Those are the things that God is going to give you when you Delight in him and when you become more and more like him and you spend that time with him You saying I have this I had a discussion about this one time with the with the brother. Love them to death. We have different ways of seeing things but I truly believe he's a man of God. I know that God has touched his heart and I love and appreciate them. But that was Alyssa brother. Just a sin the scripture God give us the desires of our Wicked hearts that don't make sense that don't sound like God. and so anyway God will change you may be in the reason of saying that is this you may feel like listen to some things in my life. That are not right. And I've been praying for a long time to help me get through this something needs to change something that God needs to do a work in letting you keep following him. You find your joy in Christ and he will give you those right desires you desire the things he won't you desire to get up and pray your desire to read the word. You will desire to reach out to people that fear that that what do you call that insecurities of going up to random people and just and being a blessing to him or ministering to people reaching out you see someone down if that boldness that comes from the Lord will be there to to lead people to Christ and to encourage them and remind them of a hope. The cross has given us those things will come And lastly following Jesus is behaving like Jesus. So now what is behavior maybe cuz I kind of struggled with saying behaving like Jesus because of the way I feel like it might mean but this is what it really means. If you look it up in the dictionary. This is what it says Behavior means the way in one the way in which one acts or conducts oneself. Especially what others think about that.