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Matt Edmundson: Welcome to this
week's Crowd Church service.

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We are a digital church on a
quest to discover how Jesus helps

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us live a more meaningful life.

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We are a community, a space to explore
the Christian faith and a place

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where you can contribute and grow.

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Our service will last about an hour
and in a few seconds we will start

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with a time of worship after which
you will meet our hosts for our

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service who will introduce today's.

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Let's talk.

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After the talk, we head into Conversation
Street, where we look at your stories

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and questions that you've posted in the
comments throughout the live stream.

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I want to invite you to connect with
us here at Crowd Church, and there are

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a few ways that you can do just that.

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That's that.

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Firstly, you can engage with crowd
from any device during our live stream.

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And if you're up for it, why not
invite a few friends over and

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experience the service together.

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Church is all about connecting with
God and connecting with others.

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And one of the easiest ways for
you to do that is to also join.

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One of our mid week groups where we meet
online together to catch up and discover

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more about the amazingness of Christ.

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You can also subscribe to our podcast
called What's The Story, where we

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deep dive into stories of faith
and courage from everyday people.

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More information about all of these
things that I've mentioned can

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be found on our website at www.

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church.

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org.

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www.

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crowd.

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church or you can reach us on
social media at crowdchurch.

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If you're new to crowd or new to the
Christian faith and would like to know

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what your next steps to take are why
not head over to our website crowd.

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church forward slash
next for more details.

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And now the moment you've
been waiting for is here.

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Our online church service starts.

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Good evening and welcome to Online Church.

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Beside me in a, with a very different
background is the beautiful John Harding.

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John, how are we doing this evening?

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I'm doing

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John Harding: very well, thank you, Matt,
and it's always a pleasure to be able

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to connect into Crowd and to chat to
you and join with all the lovely Crowd

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people, so good evening to you all.

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Matt Edmundson: Yeah,
good evening, welcome.

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Crowd is an online church.

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If you're not sure or not been
here before for your first time

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with us, then welcome to you.

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Great to have you.

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Do say hi in the comments, let us
know where you're watching from.

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Be great to chat.

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Be great to hear from you.

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Now, it is fair to say, John, the
last few months we have been doing.

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The live stream from the studio, but
alas, we are not doing that today for

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for reasons which will probably become
obvious the more people get to know you, I

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John Harding: would have thought.

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Indeed, we are as a family just in some
temporary accommodation right in the

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shadow of the Anfield Stadium whilst our
house is having major building works.

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So yeah, we've squashed
into a little room.

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I've got a mural on the wall of Virgil van
Dijk and, I've got the dog sat on the left

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of me, I've got my youngest lad sat on the
right of me, so they're all engaged with

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Crowd Church this evening in that way.

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So yes, I'm not in the studio and I'm
not in my usual sort of office where

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I normally connect into, so hopefully
everyone can forgive me for the chaotic

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Matt Edmundson: background.

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I'm sure and it's not usual to
actually have a Virgil van Dijk

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painting behind you either.

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It's probably fair to say.

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John Harding: No, this is the Virgil
room, and if each room has got a

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different mural on the wall, , they
only close out the sort of supporters

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that come the, that come, yeah.

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Yeah.

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To the game

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Matt Edmundson: and the Airbnb.

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Yeah.

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And can you hear the stadium
from where you areye?

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Yes.

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John Harding: Almost.

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You could certainly like, wander down
and get the sort of match day vibes.

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So yeah, but we won't be here for too
long, so those of you who are praying

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people, pray that my electrician
and plumber and builder all keep

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cracking on with the work so we
can get into our place in the not

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Matt Edmundson: too distant future.

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Yeah, or keep doing what they should be
doing no, it's good that you're with us.

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Now, welcome to those in the comments,
I'm just looking down the comments

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here, we've got Ashton in the comments.

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Hi Ashton, hi Andy.

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Andy's with us, Tobias is with us.

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Hey Tobias, how are you guys doing?

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Great to have you along with us.

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Now, today we have Dave Conley chatting
to us carrying on our journey through

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the book of Acts and just short.

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I was, John and I was talking about,
it's a bit of a short talk, so

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we're going to get straight into it.

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And then John and I will be back
for Conversation Street afterwards.

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If you don't know the Book of Acts,
we've been working our way through it.

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It is a brand new, I say brand
new series, it's entirely wrong.

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It's not brand new at all.

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We've been doing it for an
inordinately long amount of time,

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it feels we've been going through
Acts, I think, since it was written.

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It's probably the, it's the
right thing to say but we are

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coming to the end of it now.

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The last few weeks, Dave's starting
to bring it all in for us, we've got

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Peter, oh, the guys are in from Spain.

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How are you doing guys from Spain?

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Warm welcome to you.

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Great to have you.

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I just noticed in that in the comments
they normally join us on Facebook.

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You've thrown me cause you're on YouTube
tonight, it seems warm welcome to you.

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But yes, Dave, he's going to be carrying
on the journey through the Book of Acts.

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The Acts is the Acts of the Apostles,
the book is called, isn't it?

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It's the official title,
John, and it is, although

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John Harding: I prefer to call it
the Acts of the Holy Spirit, if you

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want to be pedantic about it, because
it's about the power of the Spirit

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at work through the Apostles, you

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Matt Edmundson: know.

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Yeah, absolutely.

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So it is.

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And so we are working
our way through that.

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And then yeah, we will be
back for Conversation Street.

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So if you've got any questions,
any thoughts, any comments.

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Let's write them in the comments below,
whatever platform you're watching this on.

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If you're watching it live, if
you're watching on YouTube, you

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can write in the YouTube comments.

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If you're watching on Facebook,
you can write it in the Facebook

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comments and we will see them.

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John Harding: Questions,
comments, reflections.

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We'd love to engage with you, interact.

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And I really encourage you, Dave
Connolly is an absolute a legend, a man

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of maximum integrity who really walks
the walk, a real pastor to pastors.

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So I'm looking forward to pressing
into what Dave has to say.

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So I'd really encourage everyone
to just really have an open heart

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to what Dave brings this evening.

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Matt Edmundson: Absolutely.

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Yep.

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So we're going to get into that right now.

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Like I say, John will be back.

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John and I'll be back after this.

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We'll see you in a few minutes.

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Welcome,

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Dave Connolly: lovely
to be with you today.

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Today we're going to be looking at
Acts chapter 25, starting at verse 13.

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This portion of Scripture is
entitled Paul before Agrippa.

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It's a significant portion of
Scripture we're going to look at today.

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And we're just going to reference it.

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I'd like to encourage you to take
the time to read it for yourselves.

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I just want to use my time
to draw out some highlights.

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Highlights that I believe
can be of help to us.

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We read that Paul is still in custody.

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Paul makes his defense with
Festus, a Roman official.

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Festus goes into Jerusalem and
he met with the chief priests

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and the leading men of the Jews.

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They were complaining to him about.

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Paul and all that Paul had said and done.

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They said it'd be best if Paul was brought
to Jerusalem to stand trial because after

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all, he'd violated their religious laws.

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They were actually trying to set up an
assassination attempt on Paul's life.

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It's at this time Paul appeals.

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to Caesar.

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A little while later, King Agrippa and
his sister Benice arrive and they're very

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interested in what's been taking place.

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They decide to see for themselves.

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They bring Paul before them.

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Paul must have been naturally
fearful at this time.

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Surely, he was thinking,
What's going to happen to me?

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Will God protect me again?

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What happens if I'm found guilty?

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I'm sure these were just a few of
the questions that were swirling

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round his mind at this time.

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It must have been challenging for
him, with all that was going on,

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to put his trust in God's plan,
to lay down his own anxiousness.

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and Trust Jesus.

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Have you noticed that when we're
called to take faith steps, it's

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not always easy to take those steps?

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Choice is always required.

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My friends, we may never be in Paul's
exact situation or circumstance.

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Only God knows that.

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But here is what I do know.

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We often feel on trial.

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We often feel like we're
being judged by others.

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We feel misunderstood.

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We feel persecuted.

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When we take a stand for Jesus,
we can feel like an outcast.

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We feel isolated.

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When we stand for the truth of
God's Word over cultural ideology,

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we are put down often, or mocked.

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As I read through this story, I asked
myself, What can I learn from Paul and the

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way he handled himself in these verses?

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What stood out was not to rush to
defend myself, do what is right and

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trust God with the consequences.

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And we see that referenced
in verses 1 to 12.

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Paul did not put up an elaborate
defence of why he was innocent.

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He was honest and truthful.

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But he didn't go on.

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And on.

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Will you read with me verse 10 and 12?

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Paul answered, I am now standing before
Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried.

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I have not done any wrong to the Jews.

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As you very well know, if, however, I
am guilty of doing anything deserving

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death, I do not refuse to die.

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But if the charges brought against
me by these Jews are not true, No one

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has the right to hand me over to them.

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I appeal to Caesar.

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Paul says, if he's guilty, he
would accept the consequences.

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Paul did not waver in
his words or his actions.

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He stood in confidence because
he trusted in the plan of God.

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There is so much to learn
from the life of Paul.

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We can be confident in our stand for
Jesus because it's Jesus we answer to.

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Let's be clear on what we're
standing for in verse 19.

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It says this, They had some points of
dispute with him, that's Paul, about

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their own religion and about a dead man
named Jesus, who Paul claimed to be alive.

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When King Agrippa and Bernice's sister
came there, there was no wondering

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about what Paul was standing for.

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They knew clearly, he
was standing for Jesus.

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He was not standing
against their government.

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He was not standing
against their leadership.

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He was standing for Jesus and he
had said this with great clarity.

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I'm sure you know that we are
known for the things we stand

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for and for what we're against.

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When we take a stand for
Jesus, do it with clarity.

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It's my experience that when we stand
well, It leads to open doors to share

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Jesus, open doors to share our story of
Jesus and how he has impacted our lives.

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It did for Paul and we read that
in chapter 6 verses 12 to 32.

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My question for us today is, will we rise
up to the challenge of taking a stand?

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That means to take a stand
with confidence, clarity.

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Respect, honour, boldness,
gentleness, kindness, love.

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We will truly be shocked about how many
doors open when we take a stand for Jesus.

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Even though people will disagree
passionately with us, there

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is something about someone who
takes a stand with these values.

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Don't expect to be loved by everyone.

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Jesus wasn't, so why should we?

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But be true to Jesus and
stand in his redeeming love.

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Today, more than any time in
history, God's people need to

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take a stand on God's word.

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And to take a stand in the
power and the love of Jesus.

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My prayer is that we would be
prepared to rise to the challenge.

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We are called to take a stand amongst
all those people where God has placed us.

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To take a stand with the message
of Jesus, in the love of Jesus.

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My friends, take your stand, wherever it
is that God has placed you, with whom,

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God has placed you and see the doors
open for you to share his amazing love.

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God bless you.

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Matt Edmundson: Welcome back.

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The thing about Dave is, John, he packs
so much in such a short space of time.

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Yeah.

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There's so much to cover,
so much to get on with.

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John Harding: It's the
challenge, isn't it?

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It's not just a talk.

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Think about if you really
put that into practice.

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Yeah, I'm just sad that I think
it's a Dave Connolly ism, isn't it?

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He says, if you can't
say, amen, say, ouch.

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Challenging, isn't it?

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In today's world, in today's culture
to have that, that call to us

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Matt Edmundson: as well.

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Yeah, no, it is.

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It is.

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There's a few things that he said,
though, that I want to unpack a little

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bit for those that might not be familiar,
maybe with some of the terminology.

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He uses this phrase, he used the
phrase towards the end, didn't he,

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we need to stand on God's word.

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Just unpack that for
us a little bit, John.

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What does Dave mean, or what do
we mean in church when we say,

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take a stand on God's word?

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I think

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John Harding: the one thing you won't
find in your Bible is your opinion.

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Matt Edmundson: Such a good
phrase, love that yeah.

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John Harding: I've got to come to it
recognising, I would just say to people,

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you're either going to reject it, or
you've got to believe it is what it

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says of itself, which is revelation
from the heart and mind of God.

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And so when Dave says take a stand
on God's word, you hear people

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giving all sorts of perspectives,
which they're entitled to.

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All sorts of opinions, which they're
entitled to but not all opinions are

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equal and not all perspectives are equal.

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I'm trying to measure people's opinions
and perspectives against God's word, which

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I believe is true in a unique way, in a
way that does not have any other equal.

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And I try to do that with myself and
my own opinions and perspectives.

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So when Dave says, stand on
God's word, what he's saying is.

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People over here may be telling me this.

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People over there may be telling me that.

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I'm measuring it against
what God's Word says.

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Because that is truth.

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That is truth.

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That is the foundation.

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That's why we can stand on it.

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Jesus himself tells a little
parable, Wise and Foolish Builders.

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00:15:25,129 --> 00:15:30,519
Whoever hears my words and puts
my words into practice is a wise

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builder, their house will not
be shaken in the storms of life.

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So we're standing on a foundation
that's firm as opposed to a sinking

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foundation when it's based on our own
opinions and whims and perspectives.

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Matt Edmundson: Very good.

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Miriam's put here in the comments
it doesn't mean to stand,

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literally stand on the Bible.

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00:15:48,924 --> 00:15:49,994
She's put with a crying emoji.

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In fact, I can put this on the screen.

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I think, there we go.

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00:15:52,144 --> 00:15:55,494
It doesn't mean stand on a Bible,
but to rise up when you read it

294
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and make your own decision about if
you want God in your life or not.

295
00:16:00,294 --> 00:16:02,434
Which is, I think it's
interesting terminology, isn't it?

296
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And it is interesting how, yes, we can
think, you hear things like standing

297
00:16:07,374 --> 00:16:08,404
on God's word or stand on the Bible.

298
00:16:08,404 --> 00:16:11,344
You literally stand on no, we're
taking a stand on the basis of that.

299
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And you're choosing to believe it.

300
00:16:14,454 --> 00:16:16,734
As your ultimate source
of truth, aren't you?

301
00:16:17,644 --> 00:16:18,394
And Dave took that

302
00:16:18,394 --> 00:16:24,584
John Harding: one step further,
which is to put that into a voice.

303
00:16:25,614 --> 00:16:28,014
And I think that we live
in a very pluralistic word.

304
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You do.

305
00:16:28,524 --> 00:16:30,984
You I'll do me, you do your truth.

306
00:16:30,984 --> 00:16:32,124
I'll do my truth.

307
00:16:32,854 --> 00:16:36,424
And so it has become
really quite unpopular.

308
00:16:36,834 --> 00:16:39,894
The idea that you would say, I'm
sorry, I don't agree with you.

309
00:16:40,074 --> 00:16:43,404
I think you're wrong because what you're
saying is different to God's word.

310
00:16:43,454 --> 00:16:48,404
And in one sense, like I get that, but
in another sense particularly because

311
00:16:48,404 --> 00:16:53,294
Dave's speaking as a leader and a
prophetic voice, I do agree with him.

312
00:16:53,454 --> 00:16:57,614
I think we're called to make
a stand in society saying,

313
00:16:57,834 --> 00:16:58,984
we don't think that's right.

314
00:16:59,444 --> 00:16:59,734
Yeah.

315
00:16:59,764 --> 00:17:03,039
We don't, this is how the world should be.

316
00:17:03,329 --> 00:17:04,879
Yeah, and call people into that.

317
00:17:05,139 --> 00:17:10,049
Unfortunately, when you do you, yeah,
when you do that, you run the risk of

318
00:17:10,049 --> 00:17:13,599
ending up like Paul, rejected persecuted.

319
00:17:13,949 --> 00:17:17,099
But I think, yeah, I think
nonetheless we're called to

320
00:17:17,099 --> 00:17:18,689
do that and speak that truth.

321
00:17:18,759 --> 00:17:22,869
Unfortunately, a lot of Christians
don't speak the truth in love.

322
00:17:23,409 --> 00:17:27,779
And they get caught up in sorts of endless
arguments and debates because they think

323
00:17:27,799 --> 00:17:29,399
they're making a stand on God's Word.

324
00:17:29,789 --> 00:17:33,799
And they want to use God's Word
to correct other people, which is

325
00:17:33,849 --> 00:17:35,129
not what it's there for, is it?

326
00:17:35,129 --> 00:17:39,829
It's there as a mirror to look
into, to call us into truth

327
00:17:39,889 --> 00:17:41,559
first and to model that then to

328
00:17:41,559 --> 00:17:41,999
Matt Edmundson: others.

329
00:17:42,849 --> 00:17:44,119
It's an interesting one, isn't it?

330
00:17:44,139 --> 00:17:48,249
Because an evening Nicola welcome
to Nicola and John let me carry on

331
00:17:48,249 --> 00:17:51,789
with this conversation, but don't let
me forget to come back to Ashton's.

332
00:17:52,099 --> 00:17:52,689
Question.

333
00:17:52,699 --> 00:17:55,129
We've got a, there's a question
that Ashton's asked that I need

334
00:17:55,129 --> 00:17:56,979
to come back to about football.

335
00:17:57,849 --> 00:17:59,039
So we'll come back to that one.

336
00:17:59,459 --> 00:18:00,599
But it's interesting, isn't it?

337
00:18:00,599 --> 00:18:03,649
Because you, there is this
real tension then, isn't there?

338
00:18:03,649 --> 00:18:06,959
For Christ, as Christians to go,
I want to stand on God's word.

339
00:18:06,989 --> 00:18:08,569
I want to hold fast to that.

340
00:18:09,849 --> 00:18:15,716
I guess how do we how do we
understand the boundaries?

341
00:18:17,221 --> 00:18:21,141
Someone makes some kind of comment
that's not popular in the modern

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00:18:21,771 --> 00:18:25,081
world, for example, and you go it
could be even simpler, couldn't it?

343
00:18:25,081 --> 00:18:28,051
It could be just like somebody is
gossiping about somebody else in

344
00:18:28,051 --> 00:18:29,631
the workplace, for example, right?

345
00:18:29,991 --> 00:18:33,671
And I sit there and I hear it and I go
I'm not going to get involved with that,

346
00:18:34,051 --> 00:18:36,481
but should I speak up against that?

347
00:18:36,491 --> 00:18:37,041
How do we know?

348
00:18:37,636 --> 00:18:39,076
Where those lines lie.

349
00:18:39,076 --> 00:18:39,376
John Harding: Yeah.

350
00:18:39,616 --> 00:18:41,086
I mean it's very challenging, isn't it?

351
00:18:41,086 --> 00:18:46,516
Because in one sense I don't think
the church is very good when it's

352
00:18:46,516 --> 00:18:49,246
pointing out to non-Christian.

353
00:18:50,521 --> 00:18:54,061
Who do not have the Holy Spirit living
within them to empower them to follow

354
00:18:54,061 --> 00:18:56,161
God's Word, how they ought to be living.

355
00:18:56,291 --> 00:18:58,471
We just undermine our
witness in doing that.

356
00:18:58,641 --> 00:18:58,861
Yeah.

357
00:19:00,421 --> 00:19:08,021
So I think it needs us to be as wise as
serpents, innocent as doves, to make sure

358
00:19:08,021 --> 00:19:11,181
that all of our speech is grace and truth.

359
00:19:12,081 --> 00:19:14,521
We were chatting a little bit
earlier, weren't we, about my mum,

360
00:19:15,001 --> 00:19:20,201
and she's 89 and a Yorkshire woman
and very forthright and outspoken.

361
00:19:20,641 --> 00:19:24,021
I think she can get away with it,
in one sense, because it comes from

362
00:19:24,051 --> 00:19:26,611
such a heart of love for people.

363
00:19:27,671 --> 00:19:31,231
So if there's no cost to what you're
saying, if it's not coming from a heart

364
00:19:31,261 --> 00:19:36,551
of love And you probably should show
up, you, you, like I am a pastor in

365
00:19:36,551 --> 00:19:41,621
a, working in a church, you, your day
to day job is in business, isn't it?

366
00:19:41,631 --> 00:19:46,091
So you must find all the time that
you are faced with choices where

367
00:19:46,091 --> 00:19:48,441
you could go one way or another way.

368
00:19:48,751 --> 00:19:56,171
And one of those ways may well be more
aligned to God's truth and God's word,

369
00:19:56,701 --> 00:20:00,441
how you use your finances, for example,
how you treat clients, for example.

370
00:20:01,696 --> 00:20:02,786
Matt Edmundson: Yeah, no, totally.

371
00:20:03,106 --> 00:20:07,116
We had and I may have used this example
before on Crowd, but just one of those

372
00:20:07,116 --> 00:20:11,756
things that's really stood out to me
over the years is we, years ago, we were

373
00:20:12,151 --> 00:20:14,801
When I had a bookkeeping, an accounting
business, this is going back a little

374
00:20:14,861 --> 00:20:16,041
while, I don't have this company anymore.

375
00:20:17,291 --> 00:20:20,901
We were asked by an agency
if I would do an interview.

376
00:20:21,201 --> 00:20:23,221
There's this one guy
who couldn't get a job.

377
00:20:23,811 --> 00:20:25,081
And they're like, we don't
understand what's going on.

378
00:20:25,081 --> 00:20:28,801
Would you interview him for
the role and give us feedback?

379
00:20:28,801 --> 00:20:30,911
Would you let us know why
he's not getting the role?

380
00:20:30,911 --> 00:20:32,361
And I'm like, sure, totally, why not?

381
00:20:32,451 --> 00:20:36,391
And we came in, we had him come in for
an interview for a job that we had going.

382
00:20:36,961 --> 00:20:41,771
And I sit there with a person
and I go, listen I want you to

383
00:20:41,771 --> 00:20:43,641
know this is my company, right?

384
00:20:43,681 --> 00:20:45,381
And I am a Christian.

385
00:20:45,711 --> 00:20:49,531
And whilst I don't expect you to
have my beliefs, I expect you to

386
00:20:49,531 --> 00:20:53,781
uphold my, the principles of those
beliefs in this business, right?

387
00:20:54,011 --> 00:20:55,181
So for example.

388
00:20:55,816 --> 00:20:57,486
We don't lie to clients.

389
00:20:57,506 --> 00:20:59,736
If something, if we do
something wrong, we admit it.

390
00:20:59,736 --> 00:21:02,056
If there's a mistake we've
made we fess up to it.

391
00:21:02,946 --> 00:21:03,856
We just don't lie.

392
00:21:03,916 --> 00:21:06,426
We just, we come out with
the truth and we do it well.

393
00:21:06,426 --> 00:21:11,476
We don't, it's not like we do it
uneffectively, but we do it well.

394
00:21:11,836 --> 00:21:14,606
And the guy said to me, and I
quote you word for word, and I can

395
00:21:14,606 --> 00:21:16,096
still remember this conversation.

396
00:21:16,136 --> 00:21:18,056
He said to me, he said
okay, not a problem.

397
00:21:18,356 --> 00:21:21,556
If you have trouble lying to
people, Because you are a Christian.

398
00:21:21,816 --> 00:21:22,546
No problem.

399
00:21:22,796 --> 00:21:24,136
Just give me the phone.

400
00:21:24,476 --> 00:21:27,186
I will lie to the clients for
you and it'll all be fine.

401
00:21:27,726 --> 00:21:31,396
And I was like, I think
you've missed the point, bro.

402
00:21:34,816 --> 00:21:36,086
I think you've missed the point.

403
00:21:36,096 --> 00:21:42,891
And it is that case of, I think
sometimes Trying to understand these

404
00:21:42,971 --> 00:21:45,361
boundaries in which we operate,
like where should I speak at?

405
00:21:45,361 --> 00:21:46,321
What should I say?

406
00:21:46,601 --> 00:21:49,031
No, actually, this is,
what's wrong is wrong.

407
00:21:49,031 --> 00:21:51,691
And I agree.

408
00:21:52,121 --> 00:21:52,471
Yeah.

409
00:21:53,321 --> 00:21:54,511
And I've got, I've

410
00:21:54,511 --> 00:21:57,861
John Harding: got, I've got, I'm going
to do the final talking acts on Acts 28.

411
00:21:58,011 --> 00:21:58,371
You are.

412
00:21:58,371 --> 00:22:00,691
I think it's first 13.

413
00:22:01,011 --> 00:22:03,611
It just says from morning to
evening, Paul talks about the

414
00:22:03,611 --> 00:22:06,031
kingdom of God and who was Jesus.

415
00:22:06,201 --> 00:22:10,731
And I think like, when it comes to
what we talk about as Christians,

416
00:22:10,731 --> 00:22:14,141
let's just keep it focused on Jesus,
Ashton makes a really good comment

417
00:22:14,151 --> 00:22:18,961
about the complexity of how different
denominations interpret the scriptures.

418
00:22:19,331 --> 00:22:23,351
I think it's worth saying the crowd
is non denominational in the sense

419
00:22:23,351 --> 00:22:26,131
that we connect to lots of churches.

420
00:22:26,291 --> 00:22:30,351
You may have a denomination that says
this is a particular teaching, or

421
00:22:30,351 --> 00:22:36,531
that's a particular teaching, I think
just read God's Word in community with

422
00:22:36,531 --> 00:22:40,721
others, and humbly try your best to
understand it and put it into practice.

423
00:22:41,261 --> 00:22:44,661
That would be my advice to people,
even if there's a cost to it or

424
00:22:44,661 --> 00:22:45,521
Matt Edmundson: a fallout to it.

425
00:22:45,991 --> 00:22:46,861
Yeah, absolutely.

426
00:22:47,161 --> 00:22:49,741
If you want to know more about this
and dig deeper into it, check out the

427
00:22:49,741 --> 00:22:54,901
talk we did called "Grace and Truth"
and it's a real interesting line we

428
00:22:54,901 --> 00:22:57,891
have to walk as Christians, that we
live a life of grace, but we also

429
00:22:57,891 --> 00:23:01,381
live a life of truth and understanding
how those two things function side

430
00:23:01,381 --> 00:23:03,351
by side is really quite powerful.

431
00:23:04,091 --> 00:23:06,621
John Harding: Hey Matt, Nicola wants
to know if he ever got the job.

432
00:23:06,621 --> 00:23:08,311
Yeah,

433
00:23:08,311 --> 00:23:10,151
Matt Edmundson: No we I actually
ended the interview right

434
00:23:10,151 --> 00:23:11,071
there and I just said dude.

435
00:23:13,221 --> 00:23:14,811
There's no point in carrying
on, is there really?

436
00:23:15,271 --> 00:23:18,261
And so we give the feedback to the
company, but no, he didn't get the job.

437
00:23:18,761 --> 00:23:20,911
I can tell you about another, it's
nothing related to anything that we're

438
00:23:20,911 --> 00:23:23,871
talking about, but as it's just popped
into my head, I may as well share it.

439
00:23:24,371 --> 00:23:26,591
We did this one job interview where.

440
00:23:26,851 --> 00:23:32,481
We were advertising for a marketing
role and to, when the way we do it,

441
00:23:32,481 --> 00:23:34,901
when you apply for a job at our company,
you have to fill out an application

442
00:23:34,901 --> 00:23:39,121
form and the application form could
care less about your education, but it

443
00:23:39,121 --> 00:23:41,031
does care about your character, right?

444
00:23:41,121 --> 00:23:42,471
And what you value.

445
00:23:42,841 --> 00:23:46,281
And so we ask really bizarre questions
where there's no right or wrong answer.

446
00:23:46,311 --> 00:23:48,131
We just ask them to see
how you answer them.

447
00:23:48,761 --> 00:23:53,501
And One of the questions is, if you were a
superhero, what would your superpower be?

448
00:23:53,971 --> 00:23:57,901
We give them a little box to draw
like a superhero costume and we've

449
00:23:57,901 --> 00:24:02,081
had, everything from sort of stick
men to full on, paintings in that

450
00:24:02,081 --> 00:24:03,471
box when people have applied to jobs.

451
00:24:03,981 --> 00:24:05,851
Anyway, we had one person apply for a job.

452
00:24:05,871 --> 00:24:07,861
They sent their friend
down with an application.

453
00:24:08,821 --> 00:24:12,041
They made their friend dress up as
Batman and came with a tray of cupcakes.

454
00:24:16,431 --> 00:24:18,901
John Harding: I can weave that into
a story that relates to what you

455
00:24:18,901 --> 00:24:22,011
were just saying about speaking the
truth, because back in the day when

456
00:24:22,011 --> 00:24:28,861
I was a school teacher, 11 to 18 year
olds, I looked after the the pupils

457
00:24:28,861 --> 00:24:32,131
that struggled to be in school.

458
00:24:32,676 --> 00:24:35,646
And access the curriculum
because of their behavior.

459
00:24:36,456 --> 00:24:39,726
And I was teaching a little bit
this class about how to fill

460
00:24:39,726 --> 00:24:41,766
in an application form in a cv.

461
00:24:42,496 --> 00:24:46,276
And and there was a section
that said over qualifications.

462
00:24:47,016 --> 00:24:51,956
And so one of the girls said she would've
been 16, she said, Hey, sir what'd

463
00:24:51,956 --> 00:24:53,486
you put in this other qualification?

464
00:24:53,486 --> 00:24:55,886
So I said to her, have you
ever done anything that

465
00:24:55,886 --> 00:24:57,326
you've got a certificate for?

466
00:24:57,646 --> 00:24:58,906
She said, yes.

467
00:24:59,906 --> 00:25:04,516
I passed, I had an anger management
course, I said don't put it

468
00:25:04,576 --> 00:25:08,546
on your CV, that you'll make
me go on an anger management

469
00:25:09,206 --> 00:25:11,246
Matt Edmundson: course,
and I passed, yeah.

470
00:25:11,516 --> 00:25:14,116
And I'd get that CV and I wouldn't
know what that means, does that

471
00:25:14,116 --> 00:25:15,866
mean you know how to be angry?

472
00:25:18,476 --> 00:25:18,726
That's

473
00:25:18,736 --> 00:25:19,256
John Harding: really funny.

474
00:25:19,266 --> 00:25:22,756
Bringing it back onto the topic, I
would love to know what you think about

475
00:25:23,136 --> 00:25:31,276
Paul's appeal to Caesar, because, here's
Paul as a thoroughbred Jew, a Jew of

476
00:25:31,306 --> 00:25:36,826
the Jews, but somewhere along the line
his father or grandfather must have

477
00:25:36,966 --> 00:25:40,446
earned the right to be a Roman citizen.

478
00:25:40,846 --> 00:25:45,456
So Paul is born as a Roman citizen,
that means that some of the ways they've

479
00:25:45,496 --> 00:25:47,636
treated him were actually illegal.

480
00:25:48,256 --> 00:25:52,606
And so Paul, actually I noticed someone
was on from Spain, saying hi from

481
00:25:52,606 --> 00:25:56,476
Spain, Paul's intention is to get to
Spain that's what he wants to do but

482
00:25:56,636 --> 00:26:01,866
the Spirit has told him he'll end up
in Rome, so he appeals to Caesar, the

483
00:26:01,866 --> 00:26:07,166
highest authority in the world at that
time, he has a right to have a trial

484
00:26:07,166 --> 00:26:10,356
and an audience with Caesar and he
uses it, he says I appeal to Caesar.

485
00:26:10,666 --> 00:26:10,896
Yeah.

486
00:26:10,946 --> 00:26:15,916
And I've often wondered what that feeds
into in terms of Our rights and how

487
00:26:15,936 --> 00:26:23,266
we use them or not, or insist on them
or not as followers of Jesus I often

488
00:26:23,276 --> 00:26:28,756
think around the importance of defending
people's freedom of expression of

489
00:26:28,786 --> 00:26:33,456
conscience, whether I agree with their
perspective or not, because if that

490
00:26:33,476 --> 00:26:35,956
gets eroded as it is being eroded at.

491
00:26:36,516 --> 00:26:40,026
The ability to be able to talk about
our Christian faith and we wouldn't

492
00:26:40,056 --> 00:26:43,356
be able to do this sort of stuff
and broadcast in this sort of way.

493
00:26:43,356 --> 00:26:47,396
So I would not necessarily say, Oh,
we should be street preachers with

494
00:26:47,396 --> 00:26:50,596
megaphones preaching in the city centers.

495
00:26:50,626 --> 00:26:56,936
But I think it's important to uphold
people's right to do that because

496
00:26:57,006 --> 00:27:00,716
it's the freedom of conscience that
allows us to share Jesus freely as

497
00:27:00,716 --> 00:27:03,096
opposed to a part of the world where.

498
00:27:03,666 --> 00:27:06,476
There's persecution and people
are not allowed to do that.

499
00:27:06,536 --> 00:27:10,386
So just wondered what you thought
about, some people say Paul shouldn't,

500
00:27:10,486 --> 00:27:13,726
in fact, I think Festus and Agrippa
are like, why did he do that?

501
00:27:13,726 --> 00:27:15,456
We could have let him
go if he had done that.

502
00:27:15,866 --> 00:27:18,616
So did he do the right
thing appealing to Caesar?

503
00:27:19,101 --> 00:27:19,541
Maybe not.

504
00:27:19,581 --> 00:27:20,831
I think you did, obviously.

505
00:27:20,951 --> 00:27:24,781
But I wonder what you thought about that,
Matt, what folks thought who were sort

506
00:27:24,781 --> 00:27:25,501
Matt Edmundson: of tuning in.

507
00:27:26,281 --> 00:27:27,581
It's an interesting one, isn't it?

508
00:27:27,591 --> 00:27:32,351
Because you're right, there are
times when I, if I look back over

509
00:27:32,351 --> 00:27:37,021
my life, there are times where
I have been wronged in some way.

510
00:27:37,461 --> 00:27:40,321
Something was going on that
should not have been going on.

511
00:27:40,341 --> 00:27:42,151
And you're faced with a choice.

512
00:27:43,001 --> 00:27:47,176
Do I take this to the Courts, for example.

513
00:27:48,106 --> 00:27:51,836
Do I appeal to a higher part of
authority in this land to try and

514
00:27:51,836 --> 00:27:53,156
get this matter resolved, yes or no?

515
00:27:53,806 --> 00:27:56,546
And it's not because I was persecuted as
a Christian, I'll be totally straight.

516
00:27:56,546 --> 00:27:58,326
This was maybe one of them was actually.

517
00:27:58,696 --> 00:28:00,878
But it's one of those where you go.

518
00:28:01,486 --> 00:28:02,316
Could I do that?

519
00:28:02,316 --> 00:28:02,986
Yes or no?

520
00:28:02,986 --> 00:28:07,136
And I don't know, John, if I've got
a hard and fast rule that actually

521
00:28:07,146 --> 00:28:10,536
sometimes I felt God say, yes, do that.

522
00:28:11,066 --> 00:28:14,696
And I felt sometimes God say,
no, you don't need to do that.

523
00:28:14,696 --> 00:28:17,436
Now, I know in the news this
last week, there was a guy.

524
00:28:18,051 --> 00:28:23,891
Who was a, who was arrested by the police,
I think, and charged with hate crimes

525
00:28:24,051 --> 00:28:29,721
as a street preacher and the Christian
Institute came across his case, there

526
00:28:29,721 --> 00:28:33,411
was no evidence, they appealed his case,
they lost the appeal, and they took it

527
00:28:33,411 --> 00:28:38,261
to the high court, and I think they won,
and the police have had to pay, I don't

528
00:28:38,271 --> 00:28:43,531
know, a shed load of money in damages And
he's obviously gone to the High Court.

529
00:28:43,571 --> 00:28:44,881
I don't know what's above the High Court.

530
00:28:44,881 --> 00:28:47,001
I'm sure there's
something, we could go to.

531
00:28:47,021 --> 00:28:49,421
But the High Court is one of the
highest courts in the land, isn't it?

532
00:28:49,431 --> 00:28:53,321
So they felt it was right to
take it that far as Christians.

533
00:28:53,331 --> 00:28:57,116
And I think it's quite interesting
because not everything I would

534
00:28:57,116 --> 00:28:58,406
suggest has to go that far.

535
00:28:58,476 --> 00:29:00,106
I don't know if that answers
your question, but it's a really

536
00:29:00,116 --> 00:29:01,076
interesting one, isn't it?

537
00:29:02,696 --> 00:29:05,846
John Harding: It is and someone
said about being led by the spirit

538
00:29:06,096 --> 00:29:08,816
I think that's really important
the discernment of the spirit.

539
00:29:09,256 --> 00:29:11,756
I would say as a pastor the
discernment of the spirit in

540
00:29:11,756 --> 00:29:15,156
community It is really valuable.

541
00:29:15,206 --> 00:29:20,336
Paul is making this decision to go to
Rome, and if you remember the story of

542
00:29:20,336 --> 00:29:24,756
Agabus, the prophet who takes the belt off
and binds his hands as a prophetic symbol

543
00:29:24,756 --> 00:29:31,106
of what will happen, there's that mutual
discernment in community together, and

544
00:29:31,106 --> 00:29:34,816
so you and I will meet up every so often
for breakfast, talk about some of the big

545
00:29:34,816 --> 00:29:40,413
decisions we're making in life, what do
you think, so I would be nervous about

546
00:29:40,413 --> 00:29:44,278
someone saying, oh, I just felt the Holy
Spirit say to do this or not to do that.

547
00:29:44,688 --> 00:29:48,918
We, the question I'd be asking is
who are you mutually concerning

548
00:29:48,918 --> 00:29:50,878
that with in community?

549
00:29:51,038 --> 00:29:54,538
Romans 12, 1, we often know that
verse, I urge you brothers and

550
00:29:54,538 --> 00:29:59,058
sisters in view of God's mercy
to present your bodies as living

551
00:29:59,408 --> 00:30:01,358
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.

552
00:30:01,398 --> 00:30:03,058
This is your spiritual acts of worship.

553
00:30:04,333 --> 00:30:07,453
Rarely do we quote the next verse
that says, then you will be able

554
00:30:07,453 --> 00:30:12,173
to test and approve the good,
perfect, pleasing will of God.

555
00:30:12,863 --> 00:30:16,623
And so if someone's trying to work
out something as big as, do I take to

556
00:30:16,663 --> 00:30:20,633
court, do I appeal to Caesar, whatever
version of that we have these days,

557
00:30:21,003 --> 00:30:23,313
I'd be saying is it surrendered to God?

558
00:30:23,543 --> 00:30:27,013
Yeah, have you got your own axe
to grind here or is it like,

559
00:30:27,023 --> 00:30:28,603
Lord, I'll do it or I won't do it.

560
00:30:28,603 --> 00:30:32,913
It's entirely up to you and I'm not sure
how you can really get to that point

561
00:30:32,913 --> 00:30:36,663
of surrender if you're not bringing
in a few trusted friends and mentors

562
00:30:36,663 --> 00:30:38,663
and you could say, what do you think?

563
00:30:38,683 --> 00:30:41,483
And do you think I'm doing
this for the right reason and

564
00:30:42,043 --> 00:30:43,183
Matt Edmundson: questions of each other?

565
00:30:43,723 --> 00:30:46,853
Super powerful because I think for
me, if I think about the instances

566
00:30:46,853 --> 00:30:48,123
where I've faced those decisions.

567
00:30:49,083 --> 00:30:52,983
I'm very emotional at this point, usually
quite angry, because I usually feel like

568
00:30:52,983 --> 00:30:58,643
there's a sense of injustice and so you
the counsel and the wisdom, like Dave

569
00:30:58,673 --> 00:31:01,733
Connolly has talked me out of going to
court on a few occasions, because it's

570
00:31:01,733 --> 00:31:06,143
actually Matt, I don't think you should
on this occasion and just having that

571
00:31:06,193 --> 00:31:11,053
with, that perspective has been super,
super helpful, because, especially because

572
00:31:11,053 --> 00:31:12,723
they're emotionally charged events, right?

573
00:31:13,118 --> 00:31:13,338
Yeah,

574
00:31:13,568 --> 00:31:14,178
John Harding: exactly.

575
00:31:15,548 --> 00:31:18,528
The other thing with the illustration
you used about the street preacher, I

576
00:31:18,568 --> 00:31:22,328
think that we're just going to be careful
that we don't, come back to standing

577
00:31:22,408 --> 00:31:24,198
on God's truth for others opinions.

578
00:31:24,678 --> 00:31:27,868
We're just going to be careful
that we don't get the impression

579
00:31:27,868 --> 00:31:30,608
from the world around us that
we're not free to share our faith.

580
00:31:31,358 --> 00:31:35,958
You really are, in this country,
have massive amounts of laws.

581
00:31:36,568 --> 00:31:41,288
The, it's enshrined in law that freedom
to communicate your Christian faith.

582
00:31:41,838 --> 00:31:44,628
Whether a police officer,
does great job in societies

583
00:31:44,878 --> 00:31:46,348
interpret that correctly or not.

584
00:31:46,398 --> 00:31:46,698
Yeah.

585
00:31:47,148 --> 00:31:52,688
Invariably those people will will be
cleared, but no one can go through that.

586
00:31:52,688 --> 00:31:56,578
But I think in the spiritual
warfare that we're in, I think

587
00:31:56,838 --> 00:31:59,358
it is intimidation really.

588
00:31:59,818 --> 00:32:04,598
And I would encourage everyone
to speak frequently of Jesus.

589
00:32:04,978 --> 00:32:07,198
To the people around them and living away.

590
00:32:08,013 --> 00:32:12,823
That doesn't annoy people, if doesn't
upset people, don't be an idiot.

591
00:32:13,203 --> 00:32:17,387
Don't be like, if you're going to
speak about Jesus in the workplace and

592
00:32:17,387 --> 00:32:20,483
you don't want people to get annoyed,
make sure you're the best employee.

593
00:32:20,773 --> 00:32:21,313
Yeah.

594
00:32:21,893 --> 00:32:26,043
If you're going to speak about
Jesus in a community, make sure

595
00:32:26,043 --> 00:32:27,523
you're serving that community.

596
00:32:27,773 --> 00:32:31,093
That's the way to avoid probably
to avoid people that, that sort of,

597
00:32:31,283 --> 00:32:32,973
that situation that Paul ended up in.

598
00:32:33,713 --> 00:32:34,593
Matt Edmundson: Yeah, absolutely.

599
00:32:34,753 --> 00:32:35,723
Top advice.

600
00:32:35,933 --> 00:32:37,933
Top ad vice.

601
00:32:38,213 --> 00:32:42,633
So when Dave talks about then standing
on God's Word, we understand a little

602
00:32:42,633 --> 00:32:43,823
bit more about what that means.

603
00:32:43,843 --> 00:32:48,123
And he also talked about taking it's, he
said it's not easy to always take a step

604
00:32:48,123 --> 00:32:50,103
of faith or to take the step of faith.

605
00:32:51,153 --> 00:32:55,818
And I wrote that down and I just wondered,
one, let's just dig into that a little

606
00:32:55,818 --> 00:33:00,518
bit more and explain what taking a step
of faith means, and probably let's throw

607
00:33:00,518 --> 00:33:04,638
a few examples out there of what that has
actually meant for you and for me as well.

608
00:33:05,478 --> 00:33:05,628
John Harding: Yeah.

609
00:33:05,628 --> 00:33:07,008
It's a christianism, isn't it?

610
00:33:07,013 --> 00:33:07,758
It's a bit of jargon.

611
00:33:07,758 --> 00:33:08,538
What it really mean.

612
00:33:08,538 --> 00:33:13,088
I believe the phrase that leap
of faith was coined by Sur

613
00:33:13,088 --> 00:33:14,918
Kegar, the Danish philosopher.

614
00:33:15,758 --> 00:33:21,488
And I think he talks about it quite
effectively in terms of like logic, the

615
00:33:21,488 --> 00:33:27,668
rational mind, but the following God
requires us to do something beyond that.

616
00:33:28,138 --> 00:33:28,568
Yeah.

617
00:33:28,668 --> 00:33:31,528
You may well be standing on God's
word, you may be knowing God's

618
00:33:31,568 --> 00:33:35,768
words, you may be being obedient to
God, but there are times where you

619
00:33:35,768 --> 00:33:37,358
just have to take a bit of a risk.

620
00:33:37,598 --> 00:33:40,528
You have to say, I think this is the right
thing to do, I'm just going to have a go.

621
00:33:41,228 --> 00:33:46,668
And Hebrews 11 is a really
important way of defining what

622
00:33:46,708 --> 00:33:48,348
faith actually looks like.

623
00:33:48,368 --> 00:33:55,148
Faith is the substance of what is hoped
for, the certainty of what is hoped

624
00:33:55,148 --> 00:33:57,458
for, the substance of what is not seen.

625
00:33:57,628 --> 00:34:03,168
And I'll Talk myself into examples in
a moment, I'm sure, but the times, like

626
00:34:03,218 --> 00:34:09,708
for example, where you look at your bank
account, and you think that God is telling

627
00:34:09,708 --> 00:34:14,518
you to be generous towards somebody,
makes no rational sense whatsoever,

628
00:34:15,198 --> 00:34:21,288
and It's impossible to give away money
and not have less money initially.

629
00:34:21,288 --> 00:34:21,858
That's very true.

630
00:34:22,148 --> 00:34:22,848
Matt Edmundson: Yeah, it's very true.

631
00:34:23,428 --> 00:34:24,878
John Harding: That works
so you will have less.

632
00:34:25,388 --> 00:34:27,188
And yet you feel God's
called you to do it.

633
00:34:27,218 --> 00:34:31,168
And so you take a step of
faith, you take a leap of faith.

634
00:34:31,198 --> 00:34:35,128
You could think I'm going to do it
because I know that God will catch me.

635
00:34:35,128 --> 00:34:36,608
I know that God has got me.

636
00:34:37,008 --> 00:34:40,508
I'm standing on God's promises
to say I'm standing on his word.

637
00:34:40,508 --> 00:34:41,968
I know that he'll provide for me.

638
00:34:42,228 --> 00:34:42,488
Yeah.

639
00:34:42,528 --> 00:34:46,128
We've had that in our lives over
the years in all sorts of ways.

640
00:34:46,138 --> 00:34:51,708
When I left teaching to lead a church,
that was a step of faith because it

641
00:34:51,708 --> 00:34:57,088
meant I went from a very stable job
that had a very stable income, that had

642
00:34:57,088 --> 00:35:02,548
a pay spine and pay scale that I could
progress through over the years into

643
00:35:02,598 --> 00:35:04,288
an environment that wasn't like that.

644
00:35:04,758 --> 00:35:08,338
Now that's because I felt God
clearly speaking to us about it,

645
00:35:08,348 --> 00:35:10,138
but it was still a step of faith.

646
00:35:10,878 --> 00:35:11,248
Matt Edmundson: Yeah,

647
00:35:11,958 --> 00:35:15,678
John Harding: interestingly, when
we're talking about faithful friends

648
00:35:15,728 --> 00:35:22,348
and mentors, it was Dave who was
like, do you know, are you certain?

649
00:35:22,778 --> 00:35:23,788
How certain are you?

650
00:35:24,028 --> 00:35:27,958
So people that ask those sorts of
questions, but you must have had that many

651
00:35:27,988 --> 00:35:32,623
times in life as well, where You're taking
a step of faith because there's a risk

652
00:35:32,723 --> 00:35:38,953
where it's either God comes through for me
in this or it all goes, it all falls flat

653
00:35:38,953 --> 00:35:39,733
Matt Edmundson: on it's face.

654
00:35:40,153 --> 00:35:42,953
Yeah, absolutely, and I've always, the
way I've always thought about this.

655
00:35:44,068 --> 00:35:46,418
I don't know if it's entirely
helpful in every situation.

656
00:35:46,418 --> 00:35:48,748
So don't, please don't form
a theology out of it, folks.

657
00:35:48,748 --> 00:35:52,048
But it's one of those things where
I've always believed that God can

658
00:35:52,048 --> 00:35:55,538
handle my failure much more than
he can handle my disobedience.

659
00:35:56,268 --> 00:35:59,358
And so I'd rather fail at having a go.

660
00:36:00,673 --> 00:36:00,913
Yeah.

661
00:36:01,123 --> 00:36:01,873
Something.

662
00:36:01,873 --> 00:36:05,813
As in, I think God has said this,
I'm fairly sure, let's have a go, I'd

663
00:36:05,813 --> 00:36:08,953
rather get it wrong and fail than I
would be the kind of guy that just

664
00:36:08,953 --> 00:36:12,383
sits there and goes I'd rather be
Peter getting out of the boat than

665
00:36:12,383 --> 00:36:13,673
the other eleven sitting in the boat.

666
00:36:14,323 --> 00:36:15,063
Does that make sense?

667
00:36:15,888 --> 00:36:16,128
. 
John Harding: Yeah.

668
00:36:16,428 --> 00:36:18,168
I mean you, and again, sorry.

669
00:36:18,168 --> 00:36:21,198
I met up with Dave earlier
in the week, , for a catchup.

670
00:36:21,198 --> 00:36:24,948
So I'm like quoting Dave all the time,
but he's oh, John, why do these people

671
00:36:24,948 --> 00:36:26,658
wanna keep putting a fleece out?

672
00:36:26,663 --> 00:36:27,678
A fleece after a fleece?

673
00:36:27,683 --> 00:36:29,178
You know that story, putting a fleece out.

674
00:36:29,328 --> 00:36:29,628
Yeah.

675
00:36:30,288 --> 00:36:32,088
Think if it's wet in
the morning or whatever.

676
00:36:32,358 --> 00:36:34,638
Dave says, put fleece out
the end of being fleeced.

677
00:36:37,338 --> 00:36:40,848
I would just say that if you want
to actually really mature as a

678
00:36:40,848 --> 00:36:47,508
Christian, start to look to be rapidly,
instantly obedient in little things.

679
00:36:48,798 --> 00:36:52,028
I think that when people say they
can't hear the voice of God, often

680
00:36:52,028 --> 00:36:55,188
it's because the little nudges
of the spirit they've ignored.

681
00:36:55,468 --> 00:36:55,958
Yeah.

682
00:36:56,488 --> 00:36:57,368
Time after time.

683
00:36:57,958 --> 00:37:03,918
So take a little, take a real little
step this week where you, I'm sure

684
00:37:03,938 --> 00:37:07,768
the Lord will say, go and say hi to
that person, make that person a cup of

685
00:37:07,768 --> 00:37:12,468
tea, give that person a phone call, or
send them a message to encourage them.

686
00:37:12,848 --> 00:37:15,838
You've got a choice in that moment to
think, oh, I've probably just had too much

687
00:37:15,838 --> 00:37:21,098
cheese the night before, that's not God
Or, oh yeah, just do it and practicing

688
00:37:21,098 --> 00:37:24,508
that little bit of obedience and stepping
out and taking those little steps, I

689
00:37:24,528 --> 00:37:28,978
think aligns us to take bigger steps
and bigger risks in God, knowing that

690
00:37:28,978 --> 00:37:31,438
he's absolutely always faithful to us.

691
00:37:31,518 --> 00:37:34,458
Matt Edmundson: Yeah, that's
super, super good, it's super.

692
00:37:35,428 --> 00:37:36,728
You're right, it's the little things.

693
00:37:36,728 --> 00:37:40,798
He who is faithful in the little will
also be faithful in the much, right?

694
00:37:40,798 --> 00:37:46,168
And I think it's one of those things
where I remember someone saying to

695
00:37:46,198 --> 00:37:49,568
me about faith once, faith is like a
muscle and it needs to be exercised.

696
00:37:50,268 --> 00:37:50,468
Yeah.

697
00:37:50,688 --> 00:37:55,538
And sometimes we feel like You come
to Christianity, and it's I need

698
00:37:55,538 --> 00:37:57,218
to have faith to raise the dead.

699
00:37:57,398 --> 00:37:57,818
Do you know what I mean?

700
00:37:57,818 --> 00:37:58,748
It's that kind of thing.

701
00:37:59,238 --> 00:38:01,038
But there's this whole
journey along the way.

702
00:38:01,038 --> 00:38:05,028
And I remember years ago, the very first
time this sort of clearly happened to me.

703
00:38:05,028 --> 00:38:11,263
So I remember standing in my
room at university where I had,

704
00:38:11,263 --> 00:38:12,905
do you remember Walkmans, John?

705
00:38:12,905 --> 00:38:15,816
This is how far back we're
going over 30 years ago.

706
00:38:15,816 --> 00:38:19,601
John Harding: I think this
is a different generation

707
00:38:19,601 --> 00:38:21,223
Matt Edmundson: to me, Matt.

708
00:38:21,223 --> 00:38:21,764
Whatever.

709
00:38:21,764 --> 00:38:25,715
So I had a Walkman and I had, and there
was this teaching series, this tape

710
00:38:25,715 --> 00:38:28,585
teaching series, because we used to have
to put tapes in our Walkmans to listen to

711
00:38:28,595 --> 00:38:29,975
people who couldn't stream it back then.

712
00:38:30,685 --> 00:38:33,135
And I had these tapes and I
really wanted to listen to them.

713
00:38:34,100 --> 00:38:39,150
And they were on the topic of faith,
but the, I got my Walkman out.

714
00:38:39,615 --> 00:38:42,015
Ready the night before, and
I was gonna put it in my ears

715
00:38:42,015 --> 00:38:42,915
and I was gonna walk to uni.

716
00:38:42,915 --> 00:38:43,875
It's a 45 minute walk.

717
00:38:43,875 --> 00:38:46,695
I thought I can get a tape in before
I get, before get to my lectures,

718
00:38:47,235 --> 00:38:49,845
but the batteries were flat on my
Walkman, so they stopped working.

719
00:38:50,775 --> 00:38:53,295
And so I remember standing
in my room going, this is

720
00:38:53,295 --> 00:38:54,255
really interesting, isn't it?

721
00:38:54,255 --> 00:38:56,805
Because I, I remember hit, I
had this phrase in the back of

722
00:38:56,805 --> 00:38:59,705
my head, about how Christians.

723
00:39:02,340 --> 00:39:05,280
Want, they try and believe God for the
raising of the dead, but they can't

724
00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:06,990
believe God for a pair of new socks.

725
00:39:07,140 --> 00:39:10,140
Do you know what I mean, it was that
kind of ideology, and I thought, this is

726
00:39:10,150 --> 00:39:13,520
interesting, so I remember praying, God,
I would really like some new batteries

727
00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:17,510
for this Walkman, just praying, just,
a bizarre thing to do in a lot of ways.

728
00:39:17,740 --> 00:39:20,735
And I just remember going, God I,
I cast a carry this over onto you.

729
00:39:20,735 --> 00:39:21,485
Didn't think about it.

730
00:39:21,485 --> 00:39:24,815
Went to bed, woke up the next day,
put the Walkman on my belt, put

731
00:39:24,815 --> 00:39:28,645
the headphones around my neck as
you did, and walked out my door.

732
00:39:28,675 --> 00:39:32,125
And they're right on my, on
the wall outside our house.

733
00:39:32,155 --> 00:39:34,465
'cause we were in one of these terrorist
houses in Liverpool where they had

734
00:39:34,465 --> 00:39:38,305
you know, walls in front of the houses
right on the wall outside my house was.

735
00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:44,070
Two AA batteries, brand new, in the
pack, there was a pack of four, they left

736
00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:50,230
two, brand new, Duracell Plus, proper,
not cheap, but proper AA batteries.

737
00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:54,330
I just put them in my Walkman, listened
to the tape, walking to university,

738
00:39:54,330 --> 00:39:57,260
I was just praising God and I just
remember thinking, it's the little

739
00:39:57,270 --> 00:40:01,200
things, it's the simple little things
and the delighting yourself in those as,

740
00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:03,160
as much as it is the big things, right?

741
00:40:04,700 --> 00:40:05,320
Absolutely.

742
00:40:05,845 --> 00:40:06,475
John Harding: Absolutely.

743
00:40:06,775 --> 00:40:08,065
Peter's put trusting.

744
00:40:08,065 --> 00:40:11,395
God comes to mind and faith is
really about that, isn't it?

745
00:40:11,395 --> 00:40:13,825
People say forsaking all, I trust him.

746
00:40:13,885 --> 00:40:15,235
F-A-I-T-H.

747
00:40:15,565 --> 00:40:19,975
It's just saying, Lord, I look to you,
I'm, I, you can try and meet your own

748
00:40:19,975 --> 00:40:22,375
needs, make it happen for yourself.

749
00:40:22,845 --> 00:40:25,690
We, we can't be passive in
this Christian life, but.

750
00:40:26,420 --> 00:40:28,700
Faith is about saying, God,
I'll look to you to provide.

751
00:40:28,700 --> 00:40:33,040
I'm going to take a step of faith, and
that is how it always works in scriptures.

752
00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:35,699
You think about the feeding of the 5, 000.

753
00:40:36,230 --> 00:40:39,830
First of all, you've got a young
lad who surrenders his packed lunch.

754
00:40:39,990 --> 00:40:41,240
That's a step of faith, isn't it?

755
00:40:41,290 --> 00:40:44,290
Yeah, you've got this, the miracle
happens in the disciples and they've

756
00:40:44,290 --> 00:40:46,170
got to break it and hand it out.

757
00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:47,940
They'd have looked stupid at that point.

758
00:40:48,310 --> 00:40:51,380
You think about the widow's
oil that multiplied.

759
00:40:51,800 --> 00:40:55,825
People have to You know, if you
want to walk and walk, you've

760
00:40:55,825 --> 00:40:56,815
got to get out of the boat.

761
00:40:56,855 --> 00:41:04,395
That faith is like taking an active step
in God to demonstrate that trust in God.

762
00:41:04,885 --> 00:41:06,935
And it's in that hope that
God proves himself to be

763
00:41:06,935 --> 00:41:07,615
Matt Edmundson: true to you.

764
00:41:08,005 --> 00:41:09,425
Yeah, no it is, totally.

765
00:41:09,775 --> 00:41:11,855
And it'll be in the small things
and it'll be in the big things

766
00:41:11,975 --> 00:41:13,515
and it's just the way life goes.

767
00:41:13,865 --> 00:41:17,025
I've always I, it's a bit self helping
in some ways, but I, it's a very, it's

768
00:41:17,025 --> 00:41:20,965
a very simple truism, you always miss
100 percent of the shots you don't take.

769
00:41:21,435 --> 00:41:24,335
And I think this is Michael Jordan that
said that, and it's that kind of thing.

770
00:41:24,335 --> 00:41:24,854
Is that

771
00:41:24,855 --> 00:41:26,455
John Harding: on a poster in your office?

772
00:41:27,555 --> 00:41:28,375
Matt Edmundson: It used to be, yeah.

773
00:41:30,085 --> 00:41:30,515
It's true though.

774
00:41:30,785 --> 00:41:31,785
It is totally true.

775
00:41:31,785 --> 00:41:34,155
You always miss 100 percent of
the shots you don't take and I

776
00:41:34,165 --> 00:41:36,245
think that's what faith is about.

777
00:41:36,245 --> 00:41:38,735
It's about going, God, I think I've
heard you on this and I'm going to

778
00:41:38,745 --> 00:41:42,305
take a shot and just see what happens.

779
00:41:42,565 --> 00:41:43,525
God, I think I've heard

780
00:41:43,525 --> 00:41:46,685
John Harding: you on this, so
I'm going to stop striving.

781
00:41:47,435 --> 00:41:47,965
I'll stop.

782
00:41:48,795 --> 00:41:49,235
Do you know what I mean?

783
00:41:49,235 --> 00:41:51,585
That sort of, I'm going to rest in you.

784
00:41:51,885 --> 00:41:53,445
There's always an action.

785
00:41:53,825 --> 00:41:56,605
I think you can look at the
prophetic words of the Bible.

786
00:41:56,605 --> 00:41:58,965
You can look at the prophetic
actions of the Bible.

787
00:41:59,525 --> 00:42:02,115
There's some way of stepping
into it, and activating

788
00:42:02,115 --> 00:42:02,255
Matt Edmundson: faith.

789
00:42:03,475 --> 00:42:04,445
Yeah, absolutely.

790
00:42:04,675 --> 00:42:09,165
If you're a small businessman, one of the
hardest things to do is to actually stop

791
00:42:09,165 --> 00:42:12,705
working, and maybe God's calling you to
actually just have a Sabbath day, just

792
00:42:12,705 --> 00:42:14,435
enjoy a day of rest every week, take a day

793
00:42:14,435 --> 00:42:18,225
John Harding: of rest, trust and
believe that in that simple act of

794
00:42:18,225 --> 00:42:22,055
taking a day of rest, God will make
the next six days more productive.

795
00:42:22,415 --> 00:42:22,705
Yeah.

796
00:42:22,755 --> 00:42:23,524
So it's faith.

797
00:42:23,525 --> 00:42:24,465
It's a step of faith.

798
00:42:24,845 --> 00:42:25,015
Yeah.

799
00:42:25,045 --> 00:42:25,945
But what about work?

800
00:42:25,945 --> 00:42:27,115
I won't get done exactly.

801
00:42:27,115 --> 00:42:27,905
There's a risk.

802
00:42:28,270 --> 00:42:29,660
You might get less work done.

803
00:42:30,050 --> 00:42:32,420
Or by saying, Lord, I trust you.

804
00:42:32,500 --> 00:42:34,370
I believe I'm being obedient to you.

805
00:42:34,370 --> 00:42:35,790
I believe that's what your word says.

806
00:42:35,790 --> 00:42:36,890
I'm going to rest.

807
00:42:37,690 --> 00:42:43,310
Maybe God will be true to his promises
and multiply your work in the rest of the

808
00:42:43,330 --> 00:42:47,559
time, which I would not, maybe absolutely
would, but that's the point, isn't it?

809
00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:48,220
You don't know till

810
00:42:48,220 --> 00:42:48,750
Matt Edmundson: you try.

811
00:42:49,070 --> 00:42:49,920
Yeah, exactly.

812
00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:53,270
And coming back to what you said
earlier, same with finances.

813
00:42:53,270 --> 00:42:54,800
I know we don't really
talk an awful lot about.

814
00:42:55,340 --> 00:42:59,470
Finances in some respects on crowd,
but there is this, you and I would both

815
00:42:59,480 --> 00:43:04,060
hold the belief that actually tithing
and being generous or giving 10%, at

816
00:43:04,060 --> 00:43:09,680
least 10 percent of your money to the
gospel to your local church, to, giving

817
00:43:09,690 --> 00:43:13,200
10 percent of your money, 10 percent of
your income is a sensible thing to do.

818
00:43:13,630 --> 00:43:13,850
Yeah.

819
00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:14,130
God

820
00:43:14,130 --> 00:43:15,100
John Harding: doesn't need your money.

821
00:43:15,440 --> 00:43:17,200
Actually, the church
doesn't need your money.

822
00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:19,290
I as an individual need to give.

823
00:43:19,605 --> 00:43:22,765
Because what it does is it breaks
the power of consumerism over my

824
00:43:22,775 --> 00:43:27,694
life and it helps me to, like it
says in Malachi, it helps me to

825
00:43:27,695 --> 00:43:30,534
prove God in that step of faith.

826
00:43:30,535 --> 00:43:33,785
So I believe Lord, if I'm, I, as
an, because you promised to provide

827
00:43:33,785 --> 00:43:36,889
for me, I'm giving away this money.

828
00:43:37,330 --> 00:43:41,600
Committed regularly, whether I feel I've
got it or not, that's what I'm doing to be

829
00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:46,630
obedient, because I believe that you will
multiply, magnify the remainder of it.

830
00:43:47,240 --> 00:43:49,960
That's the step of faith
financially, which is a great.

831
00:43:51,755 --> 00:43:52,695
Matt Edmundson: Yeah, absolutely.

832
00:43:52,925 --> 00:43:56,305
You've always told the story of of when
you were a kid around that, haven't you,

833
00:43:56,305 --> 00:43:58,155
where you saw that with, was it with food?

834
00:43:58,835 --> 00:44:00,795
John Harding: Oh yeah, we
were the poorest kids around.

835
00:44:00,795 --> 00:44:02,865
My dad had died shortly
after we were born.

836
00:44:02,915 --> 00:44:05,615
We were in a mining town
where there was no jobs.

837
00:44:06,015 --> 00:44:07,465
My mum brought us up on her own.

838
00:44:07,495 --> 00:44:10,565
We were the, everything we had
was secondhand, but I, I remember

839
00:44:10,565 --> 00:44:14,355
on two occasions distinctly
like being no food in the house.

840
00:44:15,100 --> 00:44:16,300
And we sat at the table.

841
00:44:16,350 --> 00:44:21,360
My mum sat us at the table, which the
way I think about it, the way I think is

842
00:44:21,770 --> 00:44:23,310
exactly what we're talking about here.

843
00:44:23,320 --> 00:44:27,545
She said we're going to pray, So we
prayed and there was a knock on the

844
00:44:27,545 --> 00:44:30,775
door, went to the door, there's a
bag of food on the door, doorstep.

845
00:44:31,355 --> 00:44:35,975
So in one sense, we all have different
challenges as what faith steps are in.

846
00:44:36,575 --> 00:44:37,384
Do you know what I mean?

847
00:44:37,385 --> 00:44:40,045
There are different things that would,
some people, for some people it's

848
00:44:40,065 --> 00:44:44,945
money, for some people that's time and
lots of different areas that God might

849
00:44:44,945 --> 00:44:47,445
call you to take a risk and step out.

850
00:44:48,735 --> 00:44:51,745
But for me, that's just
That's yeah, God will provide.

851
00:44:51,745 --> 00:44:52,485
He always has done.

852
00:44:52,775 --> 00:44:53,635
He always will do.

853
00:44:54,235 --> 00:44:57,375
Because he's a good father and he's

854
00:44:57,395 --> 00:44:59,765
Matt Edmundson: promised
to do yeah, absolutely.

855
00:44:59,775 --> 00:45:05,455
But full disclosure, it doesn't,
God doesn't always provide in the

856
00:45:05,455 --> 00:45:07,145
way you think he's going to, right?

857
00:45:07,185 --> 00:45:11,535
And it's and it's actually, I think
faith is going, yes, God will bring

858
00:45:11,535 --> 00:45:16,025
food to the door, but it's actually
accepting that it might not be

859
00:45:16,025 --> 00:45:17,475
how I think it's going to happen.

860
00:45:17,945 --> 00:45:19,685
And I can still trust
God with that, right?

861
00:45:20,255 --> 00:45:20,925
I remember another

862
00:45:20,925 --> 00:45:27,075
John Harding: occasion that, that
happening and we had it was someone

863
00:45:27,085 --> 00:45:31,535
doing a survey in the town centre
saying, hi, we just opened up a new

864
00:45:31,595 --> 00:45:34,735
we just changed a menu, a pub menu.

865
00:45:34,975 --> 00:45:38,655
We're looking for some people who come and
try the food and give us some feedback.

866
00:45:38,745 --> 00:45:39,715
Would you like to come along?

867
00:45:39,715 --> 00:45:42,415
Two very different, when
I say two memories of God

868
00:45:42,555 --> 00:45:44,135
doing that at a time where.

869
00:45:44,505 --> 00:45:45,345
We didn't have that.

870
00:45:45,505 --> 00:45:45,625
Yeah.

871
00:45:45,625 --> 00:45:45,835
Yeah.

872
00:45:46,045 --> 00:45:48,445
And so now we're like, yeah, we
wanna have people around for food.

873
00:45:48,445 --> 00:45:49,405
We wanna be generous with people.

874
00:45:49,455 --> 00:45:52,515
, it's quite exciting putting cash in an
envelope and sticking it through someone's

875
00:45:52,515 --> 00:45:54,405
letter box and not letting them know Yeah.

876
00:45:54,675 --> 00:45:55,725
I still enjoy doing that.

877
00:45:55,900 --> 00:45:56,190
Yeah.

878
00:45:56,415 --> 00:45:56,685
Yeah.

879
00:45:56,955 --> 00:45:59,220
So it's not that money's
the main thing at all, but.

880
00:46:00,335 --> 00:46:05,715
In today's world, they say the last part
of a man to be sanctified is his wallet

881
00:46:05,815 --> 00:46:15,505
and his right foot, the accelerator
pedal on the car, so we do want to talk

882
00:46:15,515 --> 00:46:19,145
about the challenging stuff as well,
don't we, but I really want to bring

883
00:46:19,145 --> 00:46:23,945
it back to Dave's point, which was, In
all of this, there's also that risk,

884
00:46:23,955 --> 00:46:30,335
that challenge of speaking about Jesus
and the risk of saying to someone, Hey,

885
00:46:30,385 --> 00:46:32,405
would you like to come to church with me?

886
00:46:32,405 --> 00:46:35,735
Or, can I share with you
how God has changed my life?

887
00:46:36,300 --> 00:46:40,860
Or, can I give you this little flyer
or can I give you a Bible or when you

888
00:46:40,860 --> 00:46:43,360
said before about someone gossiping,
I'll tell you for me, what I think is

889
00:46:43,360 --> 00:46:47,100
a more challenging example for me when
I was in the workplace, when someone's

890
00:46:47,100 --> 00:46:53,189
saying they're sick and you think,
Oh, I think the Lord might be saying.

891
00:46:53,420 --> 00:46:54,460
Offer to pray for them.

892
00:46:55,280 --> 00:46:58,320
So you're going to take that leap of
faith and say, can I pray for you?

893
00:46:58,320 --> 00:47:00,330
I believe that God still
heals people today.

894
00:47:00,600 --> 00:47:02,890
Would you mind if I prayed for you?

895
00:47:02,890 --> 00:47:04,460
And let's see if God does something.

896
00:47:04,900 --> 00:47:10,070
And so I think Dave rooted it in that
idea of Paul being a witness for Jesus.

897
00:47:10,510 --> 00:47:15,766
And I feel like that's a good place to
bring it back to that, that idea of taking

898
00:47:15,766 --> 00:47:18,336
that risk to share Jesus with people.

899
00:47:18,876 --> 00:47:19,866
Matt Edmundson: Yeah, absolutely.

900
00:47:19,956 --> 00:47:20,856
No, that's very good.

901
00:47:20,856 --> 00:47:22,596
Very good to bring it back to that John.

902
00:47:22,936 --> 00:47:26,561
And a good place to, to bring
Conversation Street to a close.

903
00:47:26,561 --> 00:47:26,951
I feel.

904
00:47:27,341 --> 00:47:30,311
I do want to answer this one question
of Ashton, though that came up.

905
00:47:30,761 --> 00:47:32,906
And it goes like this.

906
00:47:32,906 --> 00:47:36,896
How does Liver, how does, or how
do Liverpool people decide whether

907
00:47:36,926 --> 00:47:38,666
to support Liverpool or Everton?

908
00:47:39,026 --> 00:47:42,151
I always wondered as my city has
only one great team in New Castle.

909
00:47:43,501 --> 00:47:45,661
John Harding: Both Matt and I
would say, I'm not the only Eskimo

910
00:47:45,661 --> 00:47:48,231
in a great team, but he is an

911
00:47:48,231 --> 00:47:52,131
Matt Edmundson: Evertonian, he is, bless
him, no one's perfect though, John, right?

912
00:47:52,261 --> 00:47:55,881
John Harding: Yeah, no one's perfect,
you just have to go with how the Lord

913
00:47:55,881 --> 00:48:00,101
leads you, but I do believe he has led
Matt and I into all truth absolutely.

914
00:48:02,181 --> 00:48:02,901
Matt Edmundson: Absolutely.

915
00:48:03,261 --> 00:48:06,141
It's one of those things where I think
Ashton, I would answer that question.

916
00:48:06,181 --> 00:48:09,161
It depends how much depression
you want in your life, really.

917
00:48:12,881 --> 00:48:14,331
It's one of those, there's some evidence.

918
00:48:14,331 --> 00:48:17,561
In fact, there's one lady, in
fact she's been on crowd actually.

919
00:48:17,561 --> 00:48:20,201
If you get, if you listen to her
story, what's the story, Jenny Oliver,

920
00:48:20,231 --> 00:48:21,701
she did a story on the podcast.

921
00:48:23,216 --> 00:48:23,996
Lovely lady.

922
00:48:24,406 --> 00:48:29,946
She was a Liverpool fan, married an
Everton fan, and then had to convert

923
00:48:30,246 --> 00:48:33,706
to save her marriage form for better
expression, so she's now an Everton fan.

924
00:48:34,036 --> 00:48:37,726
And she's actually probably the biggest,
strongest, raven Everton fan in.

925
00:48:38,686 --> 00:48:39,436
in the office.

926
00:48:39,456 --> 00:48:42,186
And there's a few of, a few
Everton fans in our office.

927
00:48:42,186 --> 00:48:45,036
I think the Liverpool fans have now become
the minority, which is a bit of a shame.

928
00:48:45,086 --> 00:48:49,936
But but yeah I genuinely, I think a lot
of my experience, Ashton, with Liverpool

929
00:48:50,006 --> 00:48:51,566
is a lot of it is down to family.

930
00:48:52,026 --> 00:48:54,826
And then if you come into Liverpool,
which both John and I did, we're

931
00:48:54,826 --> 00:48:59,166
imports I came to Liverpool because
of the football team because I was

932
00:48:59,166 --> 00:49:00,536
always a lifelong Liverpool fan.

933
00:49:00,536 --> 00:49:00,766
Yeah.

934
00:49:01,711 --> 00:49:07,531
John Harding: I grew up mad about
the rugby and a little bit ambivalent

935
00:49:07,541 --> 00:49:09,581
about the football, if I may say so.

936
00:49:09,651 --> 00:49:13,481
Rugby and cricket were my
sports growing up and it was my

937
00:49:13,481 --> 00:49:15,381
boys that dragged me into it.

938
00:49:15,401 --> 00:49:19,251
So I've had one of them here watching
the Liverpool game whilst we've

939
00:49:19,281 --> 00:49:23,061
been enjoying the four I probably
shouldn't say, but enjoying the goals.

940
00:49:23,061 --> 00:49:24,661
Matt Edmundson: It's too late now.

941
00:49:26,141 --> 00:49:27,601
And to be fair, full disclosure.

942
00:49:28,041 --> 00:49:31,331
I may have had it, I shouldn't actually
put the, we don't publicise betting

943
00:49:31,331 --> 00:49:35,111
companies here on Crowd because betting is
just nonsense, but yes, I've been watching

944
00:49:35,111 --> 00:49:40,811
the football, which is why I've been
occasionally glancing down, just looking

945
00:49:40,811 --> 00:49:44,151
at the score, so well done Liverpool,
that's why we support Liverpool,

946
00:49:44,471 --> 00:49:46,851
because we like to win, but yes.

947
00:49:46,891 --> 00:49:47,051
What's

948
00:49:47,571 --> 00:49:48,061
John Harding: happening next

949
00:49:48,061 --> 00:49:48,491
Matt Edmundson: week, Matt?

950
00:49:49,291 --> 00:49:52,911
Very good question I don't actually
know I am gonna, I'm gonna pull

951
00:49:52,911 --> 00:49:54,501
it up and I'm gonna find out.

952
00:49:54,826 --> 00:49:55,416
We're hoping,

953
00:49:55,476 --> 00:49:57,546
John Harding: It's great to have
everyone join us this evening.

954
00:49:57,546 --> 00:49:59,116
I've really enjoyed seeing the comments.

955
00:49:59,346 --> 00:50:02,406
I can't quite type back in the
comments, but thank you everyone.

956
00:50:02,406 --> 00:50:03,946
You could see some new names as well.

957
00:50:04,266 --> 00:50:07,636
Yeah, we hope that we're gonna
keep joining, keep connecting in,

958
00:50:08,556 --> 00:50:12,416
particularly off the back of what we
talked about how you discern what God's

959
00:50:12,416 --> 00:50:16,306
saying to you, the value of community
to do that and others to do that.

960
00:50:17,036 --> 00:50:18,466
So yeah, thank you
everyone for joining us.

961
00:50:19,266 --> 00:50:19,566
Absolutely.

962
00:50:19,606 --> 00:50:23,256
Matt Edmundson: And on that note, let
me just put that on the screen, www.

963
00:50:23,306 --> 00:50:23,556
crowd.

964
00:50:23,746 --> 00:50:25,366
church or on social media at crowdchurch.

965
00:50:26,556 --> 00:50:30,636
You can connect with us you haven't
done so already, subscribe to the email.

966
00:50:31,391 --> 00:50:33,681
We'll send you an email out every
week letting you know what's going on.

967
00:50:33,681 --> 00:50:36,441
If you want to know more about the
midweek community groups and getting

968
00:50:36,441 --> 00:50:38,851
involved in a Christian community,
if you're not involved in one already

969
00:50:39,291 --> 00:50:42,041
even if you're not what you profess
to be a Christian, that's fine.

970
00:50:42,041 --> 00:50:42,491
Come join us.

971
00:50:42,491 --> 00:50:43,041
We'd love to meet you.

972
00:50:43,041 --> 00:50:43,671
We'd love to connect.

973
00:50:44,131 --> 00:50:47,241
Then we do those on a
Wednesday night via Zoom.

974
00:50:47,521 --> 00:50:49,211
If Wednesday nights don't
work for you, let us know.

975
00:50:49,211 --> 00:50:51,331
We can try and make other
community times other.

976
00:50:51,526 --> 00:50:53,806
Times for the community to work for you.

977
00:50:54,136 --> 00:50:55,591
We would just love to hear from you.

978
00:50:55,596 --> 00:50:59,536
You can get in touch with us through
the website, www dot Crowd Church.

979
00:50:59,536 --> 00:51:04,216
Get in touch with us and we will
let you know all about those groups.

980
00:51:04,221 --> 00:51:10,646
Now, coming up next week, we have
Dan and Ruth Orange hosting Crowd.

981
00:51:10,901 --> 00:51:16,786
That'll be back in the studio with the
legendary Pete Farrington, who is talking

982
00:51:17,166 --> 00:51:19,806
about Acts 27 versus one through four.

983
00:51:19,806 --> 00:51:20,311
And if Pete.

984
00:51:20,706 --> 00:51:23,876
It's gonna be good because
Pete is just a legend.

985
00:51:24,276 --> 00:51:25,426
Love the bones off that man.

986
00:51:25,806 --> 00:51:28,026
And so yeah, come join Dan and Ruth.

987
00:51:28,026 --> 00:51:30,126
Brother and sister, Dan and Ruth Orange.

988
00:51:30,146 --> 00:51:31,686
Come and join them next week.

989
00:51:32,176 --> 00:51:33,416
They're just awesome together, actually.

990
00:51:33,446 --> 00:51:34,046
Really funny.

991
00:51:34,106 --> 00:51:36,936
Ruth just gives Dan loads of grief,
which I think is just probably deserved

992
00:51:36,936 --> 00:51:37,706
as well, if I'm honest with you.

993
00:51:38,246 --> 00:51:40,096
Haha, so yes.

994
00:51:40,626 --> 00:51:41,076
Awesome.

995
00:51:41,076 --> 00:51:42,576
John, anything from you in closing, bro?

996
00:51:43,951 --> 00:51:47,201
John Harding: Guys, everyone watching,
just pray that the Lord will bless you

997
00:51:47,431 --> 00:51:52,641
and pray that you will press in deeper
into Jesus and his word over this coming

998
00:51:52,641 --> 00:51:52,931
Matt Edmundson: week.

999
00:51:53,411 --> 00:51:54,411
Yeah, absolutely.

1000
00:51:55,141 --> 00:51:55,621
Very good.

1001
00:51:56,071 --> 00:51:57,431
Thank you so much for joining us.

1002
00:51:57,431 --> 00:51:59,111
Thanks for joining John and myself.

1003
00:51:59,421 --> 00:52:01,621
Have a very amazing week.

1004
00:52:01,631 --> 00:52:03,131
Just hope you hear God's voice.

1005
00:52:03,481 --> 00:52:06,681
If you are new to the Christian faith,
or if you're wanting to understand it a

1006
00:52:06,681 --> 00:52:10,441
little bit more, again, any questions,
any prayer requests to send them to

1007
00:52:10,441 --> 00:52:12,971
us through the website or through
WhatsApp, the WhatsApp numbers on the

1008
00:52:12,971 --> 00:52:15,271
website, we would love to hear from you.

1009
00:52:15,301 --> 00:52:16,521
And there is an alpha course.

1010
00:52:17,076 --> 00:52:19,686
An online alpha course, which we have on
the website, which you can work through.

1011
00:52:19,686 --> 00:52:22,066
And we know many people
work through that as well.

1012
00:52:22,066 --> 00:52:25,586
So a lot of questions answered there,
but honestly, any questions we would love

1013
00:52:25,586 --> 00:52:30,146
to hear from you and we'll try our level
best to help you get to grips with it.

1014
00:52:30,206 --> 00:52:31,776
Because Jesus really is worth it.

1015
00:52:31,776 --> 00:52:34,586
Really does help us live a meaningful
life, as we'd like to say here on crowd.

1016
00:52:34,956 --> 00:52:37,716
One is full of meaning and
lots of laughter along the way.

1017
00:52:39,146 --> 00:52:39,566
Awesome.

1018
00:52:40,136 --> 00:52:43,526
That's it from me, that's it from
John, God bless you, bye for now.

1019
00:52:46,076 --> 00:52:51,846
Thank you so much for joining us here on
Crowd Church, now if you are watching on

1020
00:52:51,856 --> 00:52:56,396
YouTube make sure you hit the subscribe
button as well as that little tiny

1021
00:52:56,396 --> 00:52:58,506
bell notification to get notified.

1022
00:52:58,856 --> 00:53:03,386
The next time we are live, and of
course, if you are listening to the

1023
00:53:03,386 --> 00:53:08,536
podcast the live stream podcast, make
sure you also hit the follow button.

1024
00:53:08,836 --> 00:53:14,216
Now by smashing the like button on YouTube
or writing a review on your podcast

1025
00:53:14,586 --> 00:53:19,676
platform, it helps us reach more people
with the message that Jesus really does

1026
00:53:19,676 --> 00:53:22,146
help us live a more meaningful life.

1027
00:53:22,211 --> 00:53:23,601
and Purposeful Life.

1028
00:53:23,961 --> 00:53:30,131
So if you haven't done so already,
be sure to check out our website www.

1029
00:53:30,201 --> 00:53:30,551
crowd.

1030
00:53:30,871 --> 00:53:35,471
church where you can learn more
about us as a church, more about

1031
00:53:35,481 --> 00:53:40,461
the Christian faith, and also how to
connect into our church community.

1032
00:53:41,191 --> 00:53:46,526
It has been Awesome to connect
with you and you are awesome.

1033
00:53:46,676 --> 00:53:51,716
It's just a burden you have to bear
and hopefully we'll see you next time.

1034
00:53:51,886 --> 00:53:52,636
That's it from us.

1035
00:53:52,786 --> 00:53:53,506
God bless you.

1036
00:53:54,146 --> 00:53:54,626
Bye for now.