1 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:07,464 Welcome to Heaven Earth Church. 2 00:00:07,512 --> 00:00:09,416 My name is Ross Stackhouse. 3 00:00:09,448 --> 00:00:12,680 I'm the founding pastor of Heaven Earth Church. 4 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,632 From the beginning, our heart was to be a church for people who 5 00:00:16,656 --> 00:00:18,696 don't fit neatly into church. 6 00:00:18,888 --> 00:00:22,712 Our heart is to meet people where they are, to learn their stories, 7 00:00:22,856 --> 00:00:24,072 to honor their stories. 8 00:00:24,136 --> 00:00:27,568 Because in every human story is God's story. 9 00:00:27,744 --> 00:00:31,120 In this podcast, you'll hear more about the people who now call 10 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:32,768 Heaven Earth Church home. 11 00:00:32,824 --> 00:00:36,800 Their stories, in many cases of misfits who are discovering or 12 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:38,096 rediscovering faith. 13 00:00:38,208 --> 00:00:41,808 If you want to know more about us, you can go to heavenorthchurch.org 14 00:00:41,984 --> 00:00:45,340 Otherwise, we invite you now into the story. 15 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:48,448 Hello, good people. 16 00:00:48,504 --> 00:00:53,402 Brad Miller here, the producer of the Heaven Earth Church podcast. 17 00:00:53,576 --> 00:00:57,142 One of the main benefits of being a part of the Heaven Earth 18 00:00:57,206 --> 00:01:03,254 Church community is our Sunday morning conversations taught by founding 19 00:01:03,302 --> 00:01:05,850 pastor Ross Stackhouse. 20 00:01:06,430 --> 00:01:11,450 You can watch and participate in the Sunday morning conversation 21 00:01:11,790 --> 00:01:20,490 this Sunday morning, 9:30am Eastern time at YouTube.com heavenerthchurch. 22 00:01:21,190 --> 00:01:26,174 The audio version of the Sunday morning conversation is available 23 00:01:26,262 --> 00:01:31,118 here on the podcast, which you can find at Apple Podcasts, Spotify 24 00:01:31,294 --> 00:01:39,758 and on the website, which is heavenearthchurch.org here now with 25 00:01:39,814 --> 00:01:46,282 part five of the Lenten Dead Man Walking series, New creation 26 00:01:46,446 --> 00:01:50,950 and new selves, is Pastor Ross Stackhouse. 27 00:01:52,730 --> 00:02:04,750 Lord, I ask that you would awaken us, that you would guide us 28 00:02:05,130 --> 00:02:10,990 and help us to hear what it is that you have to say to us. 29 00:02:11,610 --> 00:02:14,570 In Jesus name, amen. 30 00:02:15,070 --> 00:02:15,446 Hey. 31 00:02:15,478 --> 00:02:20,582 At this time, I am so excited and she's a little bit nervous, but 32 00:02:20,606 --> 00:02:22,650 she shouldn't be because she's awesome. 33 00:02:23,150 --> 00:02:28,330 Today I want to, as a part of our conversation, I want to invite 34 00:02:28,990 --> 00:02:30,454 Cassie Jared up. 35 00:02:30,542 --> 00:02:31,558 So come on up, Cassie. 36 00:02:31,574 --> 00:02:32,890 Give her a round of applause. 37 00:02:38,110 --> 00:02:39,252 Oh, thank you. 38 00:02:39,366 --> 00:02:40,312 Ah, there it is. 39 00:02:40,336 --> 00:02:41,272 Thank you, Emily. 40 00:02:41,416 --> 00:02:43,320 And then Adam. 41 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:50,020 I'm going to give her mic four after I get the clip off. 42 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:53,780 Two clips off. 43 00:03:04,730 --> 00:03:08,994 I could have been prepared for this beforehand, but I'm not. 44 00:03:09,082 --> 00:03:11,790 So Cassie is. 45 00:03:12,170 --> 00:03:16,946 We have two leaders for Recovery Church, and Alicia Bledsoe 46 00:03:16,978 --> 00:03:17,870 is one. 47 00:03:18,730 --> 00:03:23,710 Cassie very recently is our other. 48 00:03:24,330 --> 00:03:26,950 So I'm so excited. 49 00:03:27,770 --> 00:03:30,050 I'll tell this part of your story, then you get to tell the rest. 50 00:03:30,090 --> 00:03:30,562 Okay. 51 00:03:30,626 --> 00:03:35,862 So our sign has stayed the same for, like, months out there, 52 00:03:35,886 --> 00:03:36,502 if you even know. 53 00:03:36,526 --> 00:03:37,926 We have a church sign out there. 54 00:03:37,998 --> 00:03:40,170 It advertises Recovery Church. 55 00:03:41,230 --> 00:03:42,342 Actually, no, you tell it. 56 00:03:42,366 --> 00:03:45,462 How did you first come to Recovery Church tell that story? 57 00:03:45,646 --> 00:03:49,650 Well, I actually saw the sign. 58 00:03:50,750 --> 00:03:53,250 I was one of what we call the sign people. 59 00:03:53,870 --> 00:03:58,294 And I had driven past a few times and I was skeptical For a minute, 60 00:03:58,342 --> 00:03:58,662 you know. 61 00:03:58,686 --> 00:04:02,274 And so I kind of did my research online a little bit, and 62 00:04:02,442 --> 00:04:08,082 because I was nervous, and I just decided, let's just take that 63 00:04:08,106 --> 00:04:08,402 leap. 64 00:04:08,466 --> 00:04:13,170 And to be fair, I did bring my mom the first time because I was 65 00:04:13,210 --> 00:04:18,590 nervous, but it ended up being one of the best decisions I've made. 66 00:04:24,250 --> 00:04:25,794 It's such a cool story. 67 00:04:25,882 --> 00:04:28,110 So today we're talking about. 68 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,536 There's a phrase that you're going to see in a minute from Romans, 69 00:04:32,568 --> 00:04:33,080 chapter six. 70 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:37,060 It talks about, we get to walk in newness of life. 71 00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:40,632 We've been in a series called Dead Man Walking, and we're asking, 72 00:04:40,696 --> 00:04:42,184 like, how. 73 00:04:42,272 --> 00:04:44,120 Like, how does Jesus save us? 74 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:45,780 Like, what does that really mean? 75 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:47,992 Like, why did he die? 76 00:04:48,056 --> 00:04:49,720 And why does it still matter for us? 77 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,340 We're talking about walking in newness of life. 78 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:57,660 And I invited Cassie here today because she's a person who's. 79 00:04:57,820 --> 00:05:01,852 I've walked alongside Bennett, and she's walking in newness of life. 80 00:05:02,036 --> 00:05:06,092 And I'm learning from her, and she's very willing to be vulnerable 81 00:05:06,156 --> 00:05:07,436 here today and share her story. 82 00:05:07,508 --> 00:05:12,892 So I wanted to ask you to start out, Cassie, what did hanging 83 00:05:12,956 --> 00:05:16,108 on to your old self look like for you? 84 00:05:16,164 --> 00:05:17,356 Like what? 85 00:05:17,428 --> 00:05:19,340 What were the stories you told yourself? 86 00:05:19,420 --> 00:05:21,040 What were your justifications? 87 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:30,144 I think my justifications for it were I had a lot of fear of moving 88 00:05:30,192 --> 00:05:31,420 forward and of change. 89 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:39,900 It was a lot easier to just be in the place I was. 90 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:42,900 It was going to take work, a lot of effort. 91 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:51,320 And so I think letting go of a lot of that control, too, was scary. 92 00:05:52,860 --> 00:05:59,588 Admitting to myself, you know, when I was sober, you know, admitting 93 00:05:59,604 --> 00:06:06,980 to myself the things that brought me shame and guilt and not 94 00:06:07,020 --> 00:06:13,600 feeling like I was worthy of forgiveness at the time, I think 95 00:06:16,390 --> 00:06:16,654 so. 96 00:06:16,662 --> 00:06:19,902 I think that I just kind of stayed stuck in that place because 97 00:06:19,926 --> 00:06:23,770 I felt like that was what I deserved after so long. 98 00:06:24,230 --> 00:06:24,894 Wow. 99 00:06:25,022 --> 00:06:25,886 Yeah. 100 00:06:26,078 --> 00:06:29,966 You kind of spoke to this already, like, about, like, what 101 00:06:30,038 --> 00:06:33,886 drove you to the old life or to cling to your old self. 102 00:06:33,918 --> 00:06:34,894 You kind of already spoke to that. 103 00:06:34,902 --> 00:06:36,926 But I think it was more comfortable. 104 00:06:37,038 --> 00:06:44,334 I think it was just a place of my own space, you know, And I was. 105 00:06:44,422 --> 00:06:47,918 I was fearful to break out of that with what came with that. 106 00:06:47,974 --> 00:06:51,614 You know, I knew there were going to be a lot of flooding emotions 107 00:06:51,662 --> 00:06:54,530 and feelings that were going to be uncomfortable. 108 00:06:54,950 --> 00:07:05,956 And so I just kind of stayed in my little bubble in that shell. 109 00:07:06,118 --> 00:07:07,448 But it was pretty lonely. 110 00:07:07,544 --> 00:07:11,128 So you can share as little or as much as you want. 111 00:07:11,264 --> 00:07:14,340 What did a day in the old life look like? 112 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:24,952 It was a vicious cycle of negative Truthfully, I mean, I had 113 00:07:24,976 --> 00:07:27,300 a pretty severe alcohol problem. 114 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:30,500 It was life. 115 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:34,982 Whether I was doing it from the time I woke up, it came to the 116 00:07:35,006 --> 00:07:37,574 point where I was at work, you know, it was. 117 00:07:37,742 --> 00:07:38,726 That was life. 118 00:07:38,798 --> 00:07:41,730 That was how I got through my day to day. 119 00:07:42,990 --> 00:07:47,478 And I think it was due to a lot of not wanting to unpack things 120 00:07:47,534 --> 00:07:54,694 that were really going on, you know, past traumas, things like that. 121 00:07:54,862 --> 00:07:58,294 And then it just. 122 00:07:58,382 --> 00:07:59,510 It wasn't pretty. 123 00:07:59,670 --> 00:08:00,486 It wasn't pretty. 124 00:08:00,518 --> 00:08:05,352 And like I said, it was just a vicious cycle, and I didn't progress 125 00:08:05,416 --> 00:08:06,792 in any way whatsoever. 126 00:08:06,856 --> 00:08:08,312 It was no way to live. 127 00:08:08,496 --> 00:08:13,140 There was no living, I guess you could say it was just me and 128 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:15,260 drinking. 129 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:16,552 Your life, kind of. 130 00:08:16,576 --> 00:08:17,496 That was the center. 131 00:08:17,608 --> 00:08:18,168 That was it. 132 00:08:18,224 --> 00:08:19,620 Yeah, that was it. 133 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:26,200 What did it take for you to surrender and step into newness of 134 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:26,820 life? 135 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:33,740 We discussed it, and in all fairness, it took me going to jail 136 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:44,680 for my mistakes, and even then, I didn't surrender. 137 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,432 Then you would think when, you know, you're at the bottom there, 138 00:08:47,456 --> 00:08:50,060 that would be rock bottom, you know, you're sitting in jail. 139 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:57,800 Unfortunately, that was not enough for me to change. 140 00:08:58,260 --> 00:09:01,040 I changed for a little bit, and then I relapsed. 141 00:09:02,260 --> 00:09:04,840 And it really took me losing everything. 142 00:09:06,100 --> 00:09:10,492 My home, my place of shelter, you know, not having a job, not having 143 00:09:10,516 --> 00:09:14,396 a car, literally having nothing and realizing, like, there's 144 00:09:14,428 --> 00:09:16,200 one of two ways this could go. 145 00:09:16,580 --> 00:09:22,508 You know, I can either do something about it and take that 146 00:09:22,564 --> 00:09:27,040 leap that's gonna be really uncomfortable, or, you know, this 147 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:32,780 could end up being a life or death situation or in just being 148 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:38,032 incarcerated situation, you know, I had to make a change and 149 00:09:38,056 --> 00:09:39,020 make that decision. 150 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,520 And so I finally kind of released the control that I thought 151 00:09:43,560 --> 00:09:49,690 I had over it, you know, and kind of what they. 152 00:09:49,730 --> 00:09:51,882 What they say, you know, Jesus, take the wheel, like, just 153 00:09:51,906 --> 00:09:55,002 kind of gave it to him, because clearly what I was doing 154 00:09:55,106 --> 00:09:56,150 was not working. 155 00:09:58,050 --> 00:10:02,122 My justifications were silly. 156 00:10:02,186 --> 00:10:02,890 I don't know. 157 00:10:03,010 --> 00:10:04,250 So I just had to. 158 00:10:04,370 --> 00:10:05,994 But at the time, they made really good sense. 159 00:10:06,042 --> 00:10:09,130 They made perfect sense at the time, you know, like, oh, I got an 160 00:10:09,170 --> 00:10:11,034 argument with somebody, so why not drink? 161 00:10:11,082 --> 00:10:15,482 Or, you know, like, you know, some bad things happen in life, you 162 00:10:15,506 --> 00:10:16,458 know, so why not? 163 00:10:16,514 --> 00:10:17,350 You know. 164 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:22,944 They talk in recovery. 165 00:10:23,072 --> 00:10:25,072 There's a phrase like the gift of desperation. 166 00:10:25,136 --> 00:10:26,380 And you kind of. 167 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:30,300 You received that gift and you. 168 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:32,720 You shook off your denial. 169 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:34,000 You mentioned it a little bit. 170 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:36,000 Like, how has. 171 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:38,448 How has faith played a role in this? 172 00:10:38,504 --> 00:10:43,100 Maybe both in the old oldness of life and the newness of life? 173 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:46,016 I mean, I would say in the Oldness of life. 174 00:10:46,168 --> 00:10:48,512 My faith really just revolved around. 175 00:10:48,616 --> 00:10:51,900 I mean, during time period, which was around seven years that 176 00:10:51,940 --> 00:11:00,076 I battled this, it was more of begging to just get through, like, 177 00:11:00,148 --> 00:11:02,412 say, withdrawal or things like that. 178 00:11:02,596 --> 00:11:07,244 Whereas now it's developed into, you know, I want to have a 179 00:11:07,252 --> 00:11:09,340 deeper relationship with God. 180 00:11:09,500 --> 00:11:11,320 I want to. 181 00:11:12,180 --> 00:11:14,140 It's more of a personal relationship. 182 00:11:14,220 --> 00:11:17,330 It's almost like for me, I don't know. 183 00:11:18,830 --> 00:11:23,142 Whereas in the past, like, I might go to church, go through the 184 00:11:23,166 --> 00:11:31,330 motions, you know, and not really process and think deeply about 185 00:11:31,870 --> 00:11:34,810 the word of God and everything and how it applies. 186 00:11:36,510 --> 00:11:42,504 So I just feel like now it's much more personal, deepened relationship, 187 00:11:42,552 --> 00:11:50,792 and I just want to continue to learn more and help other people 188 00:11:50,896 --> 00:11:51,592 too. 189 00:11:51,776 --> 00:11:54,648 I think God's kind of led me that route clear, you know, with 190 00:11:54,704 --> 00:11:56,260 leadership now and everything. 191 00:11:56,560 --> 00:12:02,600 So one thing I can say about Cassie is that what is enriching 192 00:12:02,680 --> 00:12:05,976 her life and our lives in the meetings is that she has the beauty 193 00:12:06,008 --> 00:12:07,380 of a beginner's heart. 194 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:10,980 Every meeting, she shows up like a beginner. 195 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:17,152 And it just helps me to remember that, like, that's what 196 00:12:17,176 --> 00:12:18,300 I want to be too. 197 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,120 Lastly, hey, what's exciting about right now? 198 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:22,140 What's going on? 199 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:24,060 All kinds of things. 200 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,192 It's amazing the doors that opened when I actually let go of 201 00:12:28,216 --> 00:12:33,500 that control and allowed God to really lead my life. 202 00:12:34,930 --> 00:12:37,946 Most exciting for me, I'm finally engaged. 203 00:12:38,058 --> 00:12:41,710 I'm having a baby, which is really exciting. 204 00:12:42,050 --> 00:12:46,954 I've never been more excited about something and really felt like 205 00:12:47,042 --> 00:12:48,138 ready for it. 206 00:12:48,194 --> 00:12:49,162 I don't know. 207 00:12:49,346 --> 00:12:53,946 This whole journey is actually, I think, really prepared 208 00:12:53,978 --> 00:12:58,150 me for these moments that I've been wanting for so long. 209 00:12:59,260 --> 00:13:04,676 And you just got your one year token not too long ago, so. 210 00:13:04,828 --> 00:13:05,860 16 months now. 211 00:13:05,900 --> 00:13:07,240 16 months, yeah. 212 00:13:08,380 --> 00:13:09,640 Super exciting. 213 00:13:12,060 --> 00:13:13,120 Thank you. 214 00:13:15,660 --> 00:13:17,060 Well, thank you, Cassie. 215 00:13:17,140 --> 00:13:18,132 You did it. 216 00:13:18,316 --> 00:13:18,996 Thank you. 217 00:13:19,068 --> 00:13:19,764 Thank you, everyone. 218 00:13:19,852 --> 00:13:22,004 All right, you can take a seat and give a round of applause. 219 00:13:22,052 --> 00:13:22,640 Again. 220 00:13:35,860 --> 00:13:39,500 Everything I will say for the rest of time is just commentary on 221 00:13:39,540 --> 00:13:39,740 that. 222 00:13:39,780 --> 00:13:41,640 That's basically the sermon today. 223 00:13:42,260 --> 00:13:43,240 That's it. 224 00:13:44,820 --> 00:13:47,532 And no, it's not just a cop out because I was on vacation and 225 00:13:47,556 --> 00:13:49,084 I didn't have much time to prepare. 226 00:13:49,132 --> 00:13:57,046 Okay, what does that stir in you? 227 00:13:57,118 --> 00:13:58,290 Hearing that story? 228 00:14:06,190 --> 00:14:09,014 I think about the things that I'm doing right now that aren't serving 229 00:14:09,062 --> 00:14:09,862 me or working. 230 00:14:09,966 --> 00:14:15,398 And it reminds me to go back, that I keep failing at something 231 00:14:15,454 --> 00:14:15,724 to. 232 00:14:15,782 --> 00:14:18,540 To be a beginner, then start again. 233 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:24,688 And just thank you for reminding me that I need to. 234 00:14:24,824 --> 00:14:27,104 The things I'm doing and continuing. 235 00:14:27,152 --> 00:14:29,072 If you aren't serving me, they're not working. 236 00:14:29,176 --> 00:14:31,024 So I need to remember that. 237 00:14:31,192 --> 00:14:33,900 And so it was just a good reminder of that. 238 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:38,880 Yeah, Tran's just saying, like, it's a good reminder, like, 239 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,296 and she's thinking about the things that she's doing that aren't 240 00:14:41,328 --> 00:14:44,318 serving her, but maybe telling herself a story that they are. 241 00:14:44,464 --> 00:14:45,250 Whatever. 242 00:14:45,410 --> 00:14:46,082 What about you? 243 00:14:46,106 --> 00:14:47,550 What's this stirring in you? 244 00:14:51,770 --> 00:14:54,430 Every person is a child of God and you matter. 245 00:14:56,330 --> 00:14:57,270 So true. 246 00:14:58,010 --> 00:14:59,666 What's that stirring in you? 247 00:14:59,818 --> 00:15:00,750 What's that? 248 00:15:01,690 --> 00:15:03,070 All things are possible. 249 00:15:04,810 --> 00:15:09,106 Hey, we're starting a series called the recovery is possible speaker 250 00:15:09,138 --> 00:15:09,330 series. 251 00:15:09,370 --> 00:15:10,270 Did I tell you? 252 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:12,192 All right, sorry. 253 00:15:12,256 --> 00:15:12,656 What else? 254 00:15:12,688 --> 00:15:16,100 What's astir in you, Bobo? 255 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:27,140 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 256 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,880 It was bring your mom to recovery church night, and she came 257 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:32,380 on just the right night. 258 00:15:35,570 --> 00:15:36,106 What else? 259 00:15:36,138 --> 00:15:37,258 What's this making you think? 260 00:15:37,314 --> 00:15:38,950 What's it making you feel? 261 00:15:40,370 --> 00:15:41,110 Hope. 262 00:15:43,090 --> 00:15:44,070 Me, too. 263 00:15:44,690 --> 00:15:48,230 Like, man, so much hope. 264 00:15:49,410 --> 00:15:52,650 And, Cassie, really quick, you have no pressure to, like, give us 265 00:15:52,690 --> 00:15:53,098 all hope. 266 00:15:53,154 --> 00:15:53,930 Okay? 267 00:15:54,090 --> 00:15:58,346 You did it by just being you, by just showing up. 268 00:15:58,498 --> 00:16:01,590 And you just give me hope that, like, if I keep showing up 269 00:16:01,910 --> 00:16:06,910 and I seek help to let go of my denial and I keep trying to step 270 00:16:06,950 --> 00:16:11,570 into surrender, like, it's going to be okay. 271 00:16:13,430 --> 00:16:14,370 Katie. 272 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:32,392 Yeah, See, I was weird because when she said I thought, like, she 273 00:16:32,416 --> 00:16:35,620 was the only one who struggles with control in the room. 274 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:41,000 She led this meeting. 275 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:42,456 It was her first meeting. 276 00:16:42,608 --> 00:16:45,032 She talked about the difference between surrender and 277 00:16:45,056 --> 00:16:45,980 compliance. 278 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:51,608 And, like, how for a while, she was just in compliance mode. 279 00:16:51,704 --> 00:16:54,620 Like, doing just enough to not be in trouble. 280 00:16:57,350 --> 00:17:01,278 That is what we're trying to mature into in faith instead of just, 281 00:17:01,334 --> 00:17:03,850 like, being compliant religious people. 282 00:17:04,310 --> 00:17:08,766 Like, experiencing the beauty of, like, falling into the ocean 283 00:17:08,798 --> 00:17:13,850 of grace, which takes a lifetime of learning how to do. 284 00:17:14,870 --> 00:17:15,810 Charles. 285 00:17:19,999 --> 00:17:30,539 Radiant life and feels less lonely. 286 00:17:30,879 --> 00:17:32,859 Yeah, in many ways. 287 00:17:35,439 --> 00:17:39,991 But not really had, like, an addiction, substance issue ever. 288 00:17:40,175 --> 00:17:42,487 But there's also. 289 00:17:42,543 --> 00:17:44,823 There's a lot of times where there's things I'm feeling that I 290 00:17:44,831 --> 00:17:45,789 don't want to feel. 291 00:17:45,959 --> 00:17:46,710 Yes. 292 00:17:47,770 --> 00:17:48,710 Yep. 293 00:17:55,530 --> 00:17:56,390 Yep. 294 00:17:58,330 --> 00:18:01,522 Charles talked about feeling glad, but also sense of not feeling 295 00:18:01,586 --> 00:18:02,754 lonely, but feeling connected. 296 00:18:02,802 --> 00:18:06,610 Because while he hasn't had a substance use issue, he, too, can 297 00:18:06,650 --> 00:18:07,346 relate to. 298 00:18:07,418 --> 00:18:11,932 Like, there are things that I don't want to feel, and there are 299 00:18:11,956 --> 00:18:13,852 feelings that I know I'm feeling, but I kind of. 300 00:18:13,876 --> 00:18:14,760 I want to. 301 00:18:15,060 --> 00:18:16,840 I want to go away from them. 302 00:18:17,220 --> 00:18:17,692 Yeah. 303 00:18:17,756 --> 00:18:29,116 Anybody else today? 304 00:18:29,188 --> 00:18:33,900 What I want to talk to you about, I just put up a reel about 305 00:18:33,940 --> 00:18:34,520 it. 306 00:18:35,300 --> 00:18:37,916 I need some social media help from people who understand. 307 00:18:37,988 --> 00:18:40,508 Every time I feel silly doing social media, I don't know what I'M 308 00:18:40,524 --> 00:18:41,174 doing. 309 00:18:41,372 --> 00:18:44,402 So if you're out there going, like, Ross looks like an idiot, come 310 00:18:44,426 --> 00:18:45,410 talk to me and help me. 311 00:18:45,450 --> 00:18:46,150 Okay? 312 00:18:46,730 --> 00:18:48,418 I'm looking at the young people. 313 00:18:48,554 --> 00:18:49,430 Okay. 314 00:18:52,010 --> 00:18:55,778 Social media started with the facebook.com for me. 315 00:18:55,914 --> 00:19:03,314 So, anyways, I talked in that reel about how most of the Christianity 316 00:19:03,362 --> 00:19:04,690 we've been talking about this in this series. 317 00:19:04,730 --> 00:19:07,074 Most of the Christianities we've experienced in our neck of 318 00:19:07,082 --> 00:19:12,482 the woods shrink down salvation to a formula that, at the 319 00:19:12,506 --> 00:19:16,210 end of the day, has something to do with what happens after you 320 00:19:16,250 --> 00:19:16,870 die. 321 00:19:19,370 --> 00:19:22,310 The problem with that is that it shrinks your view of God. 322 00:19:22,650 --> 00:19:27,362 Just as we can't selectively numb emotions, so if we numb our 323 00:19:27,386 --> 00:19:29,270 pain, we also numb our joy. 324 00:19:30,250 --> 00:19:33,350 If we numb our loneliness, we also numb our peace. 325 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:37,984 If we shrink down our view of salvation, we can't help but shrink 326 00:19:38,032 --> 00:19:40,240 down the other things that are related to it. 327 00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:44,336 We shrink our view of God, we shrink our view of other people, 328 00:19:44,408 --> 00:19:46,100 we shrink our view of ourselves. 329 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:50,880 And what we've been talking about in this series, Dead Man Walking, 330 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:54,112 is that the good news is that when you look at the accounts of 331 00:19:54,136 --> 00:19:57,740 Jesus life in the first movement that was born after him, 332 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:02,940 salvation according to Jesus is not shrunken down. 333 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:10,688 It is big galactic, bigger, brighter, more beautiful, freeing 334 00:20:10,704 --> 00:20:12,580 and mysterious than we've ever heard. 335 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:16,928 Basically, what I've been talking to you about is like Star 336 00:20:16,984 --> 00:20:21,392 wars or Lord of the Rings or some of these movies and books do 337 00:20:21,416 --> 00:20:24,912 a better job of, like, giving us this really big cosmic view of 338 00:20:24,936 --> 00:20:26,934 salvation that we see in the Bible. 339 00:20:27,112 --> 00:20:32,522 According to the Bible, Jesus comes as the light of the world to 340 00:20:32,546 --> 00:20:37,162 do battle with the forces of darkness that have taken over the 341 00:20:37,186 --> 00:20:37,750 world. 342 00:20:39,490 --> 00:20:41,642 Ross, that's too mysterious and confusing. 343 00:20:41,706 --> 00:20:42,602 Well, get used to it. 344 00:20:42,626 --> 00:20:46,710 Faith is mysterious and confusing, but it's beautiful too. 345 00:20:47,650 --> 00:20:49,710 Why did we shrink down salvation? 346 00:20:50,210 --> 00:20:51,590 We wanted control. 347 00:20:52,940 --> 00:20:55,080 We wanted the comfort of certainty. 348 00:20:57,180 --> 00:20:58,240 Give it up. 349 00:20:58,540 --> 00:21:00,000 The mystery is better. 350 00:21:01,260 --> 00:21:02,320 So much better. 351 00:21:03,100 --> 00:21:04,020 Harder. 352 00:21:04,180 --> 00:21:04,900 Oh, yeah. 353 00:21:04,980 --> 00:21:05,800 Harder. 354 00:21:06,860 --> 00:21:10,196 Jesus comes to bring the kingdom of light and glory. 355 00:21:10,308 --> 00:21:11,204 That word, glory. 356 00:21:11,252 --> 00:21:13,172 I'll give you a Cliff Notes version of what we're talking about 357 00:21:13,196 --> 00:21:13,652 at Easter. 358 00:21:13,716 --> 00:21:14,440 Glory. 359 00:21:15,900 --> 00:21:16,564 Now, don't. 360 00:21:16,612 --> 00:21:18,260 I'm not coming because I already know what it's about. 361 00:21:18,300 --> 00:21:19,680 I already know what glory is about. 362 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,100 I'll stay home, get my ham ready. 363 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:24,744 Come to Easter anyways. 364 00:21:24,792 --> 00:21:26,100 It's gonna be a good time. 365 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:30,456 He comes to bring the kingdom of light and glory into collision 366 00:21:30,648 --> 00:21:35,240 with the spiritual forces of death and evil and sin to deal with 367 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:36,280 them once and for all. 368 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:39,460 There's something about how I don't yet understand this. 369 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:42,008 I'm still trying to figure it out. 370 00:21:42,144 --> 00:21:43,672 I'm thinking through your questions. 371 00:21:43,736 --> 00:21:47,020 Next week is Brandon's question, why is death the mechanism? 372 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,104 What's all this stuff about blood in the Bible? 373 00:21:52,232 --> 00:21:55,300 Why did this Jesus fella have to shed blood for it to happen? 374 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,672 I don't get it, but something about his life and his death and 375 00:21:59,696 --> 00:22:02,780 his resurrection initiate a new creation. 376 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,288 Revelation 21, Behold, I am making all things new. 377 00:22:09,344 --> 00:22:13,666 Does that sound like shrunk down to you on making all things 378 00:22:13,738 --> 00:22:14,350 new? 379 00:22:14,730 --> 00:22:16,470 That's not a formula. 380 00:22:17,690 --> 00:22:21,282 It's the restoration and reconciliation of all things to the 381 00:22:21,306 --> 00:22:22,306 light and glory of God. 382 00:22:22,338 --> 00:22:24,910 Including and especially you. 383 00:22:26,170 --> 00:22:27,550 You are the point. 384 00:22:31,130 --> 00:22:32,750 Justin, you're the point. 385 00:22:33,690 --> 00:22:35,870 Cassie, you are the point. 386 00:22:38,100 --> 00:22:42,360 Heather Harris, you are the point and you're not the point. 387 00:22:44,980 --> 00:22:46,668 Am I the point or am I not the point? 388 00:22:46,724 --> 00:22:47,360 Yes. 389 00:22:51,060 --> 00:22:56,108 His invitation to us is to become new creations, who with him 390 00:22:56,164 --> 00:22:57,600 build the new creation. 391 00:22:58,580 --> 00:23:02,920 2nd Corinthians 5:17 says it this way. 392 00:23:03,550 --> 00:23:07,030 So then if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the 393 00:23:07,070 --> 00:23:08,230 new creation. 394 00:23:08,310 --> 00:23:13,334 The old things have gone away and look new things have arrived. 395 00:23:13,462 --> 00:23:20,502 That's why I featured Cassie like her story in every single one 396 00:23:20,526 --> 00:23:25,574 of our stories is about like whether we seized upon the opportunity 397 00:23:25,622 --> 00:23:30,464 and the invitation to let the old self die and be buried with Christ 398 00:23:30,552 --> 00:23:32,940 so the new self could be raised with Christ. 399 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:37,024 Paul says in Romans 8, if the Spirit who raised him from the dead 400 00:23:37,072 --> 00:23:39,456 is in us, will we not also be raised from the dead? 401 00:23:39,568 --> 00:23:41,264 Resurrection is weird and mysterious. 402 00:23:41,312 --> 00:23:43,260 Ross, there's a point today. 403 00:23:44,360 --> 00:23:46,912 Give up the certainty and control. 404 00:23:47,016 --> 00:23:48,900 Step into the mystery and beauty. 405 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:52,240 When I think about newness of life. 406 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:54,180 I'm going to show you this scripture in a minute. 407 00:23:54,610 --> 00:24:00,234 I think about how there was my life before I had children. 408 00:24:00,322 --> 00:24:01,210 I've talked about this before. 409 00:24:01,250 --> 00:24:03,590 And then there was life after I had children. 410 00:24:06,850 --> 00:24:12,550 I thought I understood how to do marriage and then I had a child 411 00:24:13,170 --> 00:24:15,870 and I had no discretionary time anymore. 412 00:24:16,930 --> 00:24:20,618 And now all my stress tendencies became much more possible 413 00:24:20,754 --> 00:24:22,310 every single day. 414 00:24:22,860 --> 00:24:28,640 So there was a newness of life that was beautiful and really hard. 415 00:24:30,940 --> 00:24:33,360 Not getting sleep is not fun. 416 00:24:34,460 --> 00:24:37,524 And trying to show up in life without sleep is not fun. 417 00:24:37,692 --> 00:24:39,520 And here's the crazy thing. 418 00:24:42,140 --> 00:24:46,292 Part of what I want to talk to you about today is that like facing 419 00:24:46,356 --> 00:24:53,646 our denial, like looking our denial in the face, looking our egos 420 00:24:53,678 --> 00:24:58,590 in the face, confronting our old self is not a one time thing. 421 00:24:58,630 --> 00:24:59,198 Am I right? 422 00:24:59,254 --> 00:25:00,130 Cassie? 423 00:25:02,230 --> 00:25:06,810 Somehow I had had two children and we had a third on the way. 424 00:25:08,070 --> 00:25:11,054 I was with Ashley one day working and I said, do I strike you 425 00:25:11,062 --> 00:25:13,262 As a person who's about to have another child, she said, no, 426 00:25:13,286 --> 00:25:14,254 you do not. 427 00:25:14,422 --> 00:25:16,382 And I could tell it was stressing her out. 428 00:25:16,566 --> 00:25:17,810 Love you, Ashley. 429 00:25:18,950 --> 00:25:21,086 I was just, like, running, running, running, running, running, 430 00:25:21,118 --> 00:25:21,550 running. 431 00:25:21,630 --> 00:25:26,158 Not listening to any stuff that was going on in my psyche, which 432 00:25:26,214 --> 00:25:30,382 I had from COVID from being a first responder, chaplain, from some 433 00:25:30,406 --> 00:25:30,846 other stuff. 434 00:25:30,878 --> 00:25:33,998 It was sitting there and I was just working. 435 00:25:34,134 --> 00:25:36,970 I wasn't, like, drinking, but I was working. 436 00:25:37,670 --> 00:25:39,214 I was going to my drug. 437 00:25:39,302 --> 00:25:42,608 Ambition, achievement, perfectionism. 438 00:25:42,784 --> 00:25:46,272 And I was using that drug every day and getting a hit, and 439 00:25:46,296 --> 00:25:47,660 I was numbing everything. 440 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:50,752 Didn't matter that Juniper Claire was on the way. 441 00:25:50,776 --> 00:25:52,880 I was still going, man. 442 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:55,820 I worked right up until the moment I stepped into that hospital. 443 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:57,660 And I thought I was good. 444 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:01,380 Mmm. 445 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:06,660 And then the fact that I'd been dancing around with my old self, 446 00:26:09,970 --> 00:26:14,710 dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight, as the joker says. 447 00:26:15,810 --> 00:26:19,510 I was dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight for many days. 448 00:26:21,490 --> 00:26:23,990 And I walked into a storm because of it. 449 00:26:24,610 --> 00:26:27,866 And this church took care of me through that storm. 450 00:26:28,058 --> 00:26:29,190 You all did. 451 00:26:30,770 --> 00:26:33,950 And I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. 452 00:26:35,980 --> 00:26:37,200 But guess what? 453 00:26:37,500 --> 00:26:41,764 It was an opportunity yet again to step into newness of life. 454 00:26:41,932 --> 00:26:43,240 A new depth. 455 00:26:43,660 --> 00:26:47,332 New depth in my spirit, new depth in my mind, new depth in my 456 00:26:47,356 --> 00:26:50,740 emotions to wake up again to the beauty of Christ. 457 00:26:50,860 --> 00:26:56,452 I haven't figured out darn near anything except that I need 458 00:26:56,476 --> 00:26:57,524 a power greater than myself. 459 00:26:57,572 --> 00:27:00,400 I'm back to the basics, as Joanna said. 460 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:05,568 So in just a few minutes, I'm going to ask you what that looks 461 00:27:05,584 --> 00:27:07,840 like for you, but I want to point back to a scripture really 462 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:08,464 quick. 463 00:27:08,632 --> 00:27:12,647 I asked you one time to read Romans 5. 464 00:27:12,712 --> 00:27:13,008 6. 465 00:27:13,064 --> 00:27:16,032 PT was the only person who did the homework because I asked, did 466 00:27:16,056 --> 00:27:17,392 anyone read Romans 5 and 6? 467 00:27:17,416 --> 00:27:18,460 All of you were, like. 468 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:22,080 You were, like, looking at the stained glass windows to behold their 469 00:27:22,120 --> 00:27:23,300 beauty for a minute. 470 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,396 And PT Was like, yes, I did. 471 00:27:27,528 --> 00:27:29,800 He was the only guy looked me straight in the face. 472 00:27:30,820 --> 00:27:40,124 Thank you, PT when you think about this cosmic view of salvation 473 00:27:40,172 --> 00:27:43,468 that Jesus comes to bring the kingdom of light and glory like a 474 00:27:43,524 --> 00:27:47,164 big bang, in confrontation with the spiritual forces of darkness 475 00:27:47,212 --> 00:27:50,972 and evil, to renew all things, that's salvation according to the 476 00:27:50,996 --> 00:27:51,600 Bible. 477 00:27:52,740 --> 00:27:53,596 It's big. 478 00:27:53,668 --> 00:27:56,892 It's about the renewal and restoration of all things, including 479 00:27:56,996 --> 00:28:00,890 you, Kirsten, including everyone in this room. 480 00:28:02,150 --> 00:28:04,974 So when you think about that view and then go back to read some 481 00:28:04,982 --> 00:28:07,182 of these letters that you heard when you were growing up in 482 00:28:07,206 --> 00:28:10,622 church and they got shoved into this formula, I want you to 483 00:28:10,646 --> 00:28:12,766 read them again, but I'll Help you today. 484 00:28:12,838 --> 00:28:13,690 Look at this. 485 00:28:14,310 --> 00:28:16,010 So what are we going to say? 486 00:28:16,630 --> 00:28:18,094 Should we continue sinning? 487 00:28:18,142 --> 00:28:18,670 So grace. 488 00:28:18,750 --> 00:28:20,078 This is Romans, chapter six. 489 00:28:20,134 --> 00:28:21,730 So grace will multiply. 490 00:28:22,150 --> 00:28:27,442 Paul's basically saying, if you think that grace, this idea that 491 00:28:27,466 --> 00:28:31,106 God just pours out love upon us, God makes the first move to save 492 00:28:31,138 --> 00:28:34,546 us and come near us and bring this kingdom of light to us, that's 493 00:28:34,578 --> 00:28:35,190 grace. 494 00:28:36,490 --> 00:28:40,578 If you think that the way it works is that if you just sin, more 495 00:28:40,634 --> 00:28:41,922 like, more grace pours out. 496 00:28:41,946 --> 00:28:43,390 You've already missed the point. 497 00:28:45,290 --> 00:28:50,790 Cause sin is not just your individual thoughts, words, and actions. 498 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:54,480 Sin is this force from which you've been released. 499 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:57,020 It's this force that's ruling us. 500 00:28:57,560 --> 00:28:59,872 Jesus comes so that a new force rules. 501 00:28:59,936 --> 00:29:00,944 What's that force? 502 00:29:01,072 --> 00:29:01,860 Grace. 503 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:06,432 He wants our lives to be ruled by grace. 504 00:29:06,496 --> 00:29:10,544 Like, we got a new leader in our lives, and our leader is Jesus, 505 00:29:10,672 --> 00:29:12,688 King Jesus and his grace. 506 00:29:12,864 --> 00:29:16,176 So that we've been transferred from our allegiance to this kingdom 507 00:29:16,208 --> 00:29:20,270 of darkness over this kingdom of grace and light and glory. 508 00:29:21,810 --> 00:29:26,026 So Paul's like, if you think that, like, if I just keep sinning, 509 00:29:26,058 --> 00:29:26,874 grace multiplies. 510 00:29:26,922 --> 00:29:27,994 Grace can't multiply. 511 00:29:28,042 --> 00:29:28,650 It just is. 512 00:29:28,690 --> 00:29:29,354 It's abundant. 513 00:29:29,402 --> 00:29:30,350 It rules. 514 00:29:32,290 --> 00:29:33,354 Absolutely not. 515 00:29:33,442 --> 00:29:36,030 Like he's saying, all of us died to sin. 516 00:29:38,050 --> 00:29:39,910 How can we still live in it? 517 00:29:41,810 --> 00:29:45,290 If sin is your just individual thoughts, words, and actions, that 518 00:29:45,330 --> 00:29:46,830 sentence makes no sense. 519 00:29:48,810 --> 00:29:53,150 No, it's a force that's been, like, put to death. 520 00:29:54,650 --> 00:29:57,826 Don't you know that all those who are baptized in Christ Jesus 521 00:29:57,858 --> 00:29:59,538 were baptized into his death? 522 00:29:59,594 --> 00:30:00,950 Doesn't that sound exciting? 523 00:30:01,530 --> 00:30:03,030 You want to follow Jesus? 524 00:30:04,250 --> 00:30:05,270 Yippee. 525 00:30:06,730 --> 00:30:10,610 It's so beautiful, though, and mysterious and freeing. 526 00:30:10,770 --> 00:30:16,842 If we give up the control, that's what baptism is a symbol of. 527 00:30:16,866 --> 00:30:21,242 Did you know when we go under the water, it's. 528 00:30:21,306 --> 00:30:27,750 We're buried with Christ, Our old self buried with him. 529 00:30:30,450 --> 00:30:32,790 And the new self is risen up. 530 00:30:35,410 --> 00:30:36,810 So I'm done growing when I get. 531 00:30:36,850 --> 00:30:39,658 So you're saying, ross, when I'm done, when I get baptized, it's 532 00:30:39,674 --> 00:30:40,250 all done right. 533 00:30:40,290 --> 00:30:41,150 I'm finished. 534 00:30:42,150 --> 00:30:44,446 The new creation project's all done right? 535 00:30:44,518 --> 00:30:49,710 No, to go back to the birth story instead. 536 00:30:49,790 --> 00:30:53,742 Actually, it's like we're babies when we come up out of the 537 00:30:53,766 --> 00:30:55,370 baptism water. 538 00:30:55,750 --> 00:30:57,850 We got to learn to walk and talk. 539 00:31:01,750 --> 00:31:03,850 We got to learn life all over again. 540 00:31:05,430 --> 00:31:06,830 We got to choose every day. 541 00:31:06,870 --> 00:31:08,414 We said yes once in baptism. 542 00:31:08,462 --> 00:31:11,390 We got to say yes a thousand eighty three more times. 543 00:31:11,430 --> 00:31:12,970 Or actually way more than that. 544 00:31:14,420 --> 00:31:17,084 We got to keep saying yes to the kingdom of grace. 545 00:31:17,132 --> 00:31:26,380 We got to keep saying yes to letting grace rule so that therefore 546 00:31:26,540 --> 00:31:30,520 we were buried together with him through baptism into his death. 547 00:31:31,940 --> 00:31:34,892 So that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the 548 00:31:34,916 --> 00:31:38,920 glory of the Father, we too can walk in. 549 00:31:44,020 --> 00:31:46,524 So that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the 550 00:31:46,532 --> 00:31:49,000 glory of the Father, we too can walk in. 551 00:31:52,100 --> 00:31:54,440 That's what this whole thing is about. 552 00:31:56,100 --> 00:31:58,524 That is not a shrunken down reality. 553 00:31:58,572 --> 00:31:59,756 Like, this is big. 554 00:31:59,828 --> 00:32:06,598 The renewal of all things, the renewal of you, the restoration of 555 00:32:06,654 --> 00:32:11,302 you, but also the restoration of everything. 556 00:32:11,406 --> 00:32:14,730 To go back to what we said as the whole. 557 00:32:16,110 --> 00:32:18,198 His invitation to us. 558 00:32:18,254 --> 00:32:24,598 Evan, you and me, every day is like, keep growing as a new creation, 559 00:32:24,774 --> 00:32:27,850 who with Christ, builds the new creation. 560 00:32:29,710 --> 00:32:31,666 Everybody has a part to play. 561 00:32:31,838 --> 00:32:35,910 Everybody has a role in this thing. 562 00:32:37,970 --> 00:32:38,826 That's the thesis. 563 00:32:38,858 --> 00:32:39,530 We already did that. 564 00:32:39,570 --> 00:32:41,270 I'm about to turn it over to you. 565 00:32:45,970 --> 00:32:47,066 I already said that. 566 00:32:47,138 --> 00:32:47,910 We're good. 567 00:32:48,210 --> 00:32:49,274 Ah, that's it. 568 00:32:49,362 --> 00:32:53,350 So is salvation instantaneous or is it a lifelong process? 569 00:32:58,620 --> 00:33:03,480 Yes, yes. 570 00:33:05,580 --> 00:33:07,684 Everybody's salvation journey is different. 571 00:33:07,772 --> 00:33:09,840 Everybody's recovery journey is different. 572 00:33:10,940 --> 00:33:12,292 Somebody sometimes will hear. 573 00:33:12,316 --> 00:33:15,076 Someone like, I had a light beam down from heaven, and Jesus 574 00:33:15,108 --> 00:33:16,420 spoke to me, and then I was saved. 575 00:33:16,500 --> 00:33:16,900 And they. 576 00:33:16,940 --> 00:33:19,204 And for whatever reason we heard that, and we were like, shoot, 577 00:33:19,252 --> 00:33:20,228 that must mean I'm. 578 00:33:20,324 --> 00:33:21,960 I'm on the chopping block. 579 00:33:22,710 --> 00:33:23,690 I'm out. 580 00:33:24,950 --> 00:33:26,490 I've never had that. 581 00:33:27,270 --> 00:33:30,990 I don't have some story where, like, instantaneously, boom, I was 582 00:33:31,030 --> 00:33:31,650 saved. 583 00:33:32,710 --> 00:33:36,526 I have moments in my life, though, where there is life before 584 00:33:36,598 --> 00:33:38,330 it and life after it. 585 00:33:38,950 --> 00:33:42,126 I've gone back to the very parking spot where I was sitting 586 00:33:42,158 --> 00:33:47,134 in my car where it happened when I was in the depths of depression 587 00:33:47,182 --> 00:33:48,782 and anxiety disorder and. 588 00:33:48,806 --> 00:33:51,850 And I'd lost the thing that mattered to me most at that time. 589 00:33:52,630 --> 00:33:54,558 And I felt Jesus whispering to me. 590 00:33:54,614 --> 00:33:56,030 Was it Jesus or my brain? 591 00:33:56,110 --> 00:33:56,850 Yep. 592 00:33:58,310 --> 00:33:59,610 Can't deny it. 593 00:34:00,870 --> 00:34:03,930 It's the experience that led me to this place today. 594 00:34:06,230 --> 00:34:08,510 So I want to end with you. 595 00:34:08,550 --> 00:34:09,774 You gotta finish the sermon. 596 00:34:09,822 --> 00:34:12,286 Cause I was on vacation this week and I didn't have time to finish 597 00:34:12,318 --> 00:34:13,050 it all. 598 00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:16,180 What's this actually look like, though? 599 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:17,992 Like, how do you. 600 00:34:18,096 --> 00:34:22,344 Like this is all, like, wonderful, beautiful stuff that we're 601 00:34:22,392 --> 00:34:26,200 part of a new creation, not just some formula of salvation. 602 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:31,432 God comes to make all this new revelation, says, death will be no 603 00:34:31,456 --> 00:34:31,640 more. 604 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:33,688 He will wipe their tears from their eyes. 605 00:34:33,784 --> 00:34:37,140 Everything risen up, restored, made new. 606 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:38,872 What does it look like? 607 00:34:38,896 --> 00:34:42,709 How do you actually step into newness of life? 608 00:34:45,009 --> 00:34:45,545 Good luck. 609 00:34:45,577 --> 00:34:47,269 I hope this sermon ends well. 610 00:34:48,049 --> 00:34:49,369 What's it actually look like? 611 00:34:49,409 --> 00:34:50,249 How do you do that? 612 00:34:50,289 --> 00:34:54,389 How do you actually step into newness of life. 613 00:34:55,649 --> 00:34:58,229 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. 614 00:34:59,009 --> 00:35:00,029 Patty. 615 00:35:29,660 --> 00:35:30,836 Thanks for sharing that, Patty. 616 00:35:30,868 --> 00:35:35,582 Patty was baptized when she was 9, but it wasn't until 23, 24 617 00:35:35,686 --> 00:35:37,210 that she stuck with it. 618 00:35:37,670 --> 00:35:42,126 So 14 years later, of showing up, like, where there was this awakening 619 00:35:42,158 --> 00:35:46,050 about, like, this is actually true, that God loves me is true. 620 00:35:46,710 --> 00:35:50,830 And then continuing on, she said this, I didn't. 621 00:35:50,910 --> 00:35:56,030 That through being alongside me and my growth and awakening, that 622 00:35:56,070 --> 00:35:59,198 she kept experiencing shifts. 623 00:35:59,374 --> 00:36:03,374 So it's this continual process of, like, being open to learning 624 00:36:03,422 --> 00:36:03,838 and change. 625 00:36:03,894 --> 00:36:04,286 What else? 626 00:36:04,318 --> 00:36:05,290 How does it work? 627 00:36:08,390 --> 00:36:10,090 What's it actually look like? 628 00:36:10,550 --> 00:36:11,822 The room needs help. 629 00:36:11,926 --> 00:36:14,126 We can't just keep it in the abstract today. 630 00:36:14,278 --> 00:36:15,854 Got to get to some concrete stuff. 631 00:36:15,902 --> 00:36:16,610 Joey. 632 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:25,144 Choices. 633 00:36:25,192 --> 00:36:25,512 Yeah. 634 00:36:25,576 --> 00:36:32,180 That are seemingly mundane, like scroll on social media or. 635 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:34,312 Yeah. 636 00:36:34,456 --> 00:36:37,768 And then, then there are bigger choices that are bigger life 637 00:36:37,824 --> 00:36:42,648 choices that affect you and maybe others over the course of month, 638 00:36:42,784 --> 00:36:44,460 couple years or whatever. 639 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:50,946 And really, it's just understanding those choices. 640 00:36:50,978 --> 00:36:54,270 That you're making, how they affect you and others. 641 00:36:55,530 --> 00:36:58,950 But just relying on God. 642 00:37:00,490 --> 00:37:01,270 Yes. 643 00:37:08,730 --> 00:37:09,590 Yep. 644 00:37:10,010 --> 00:37:11,762 For Joey, absolutely. 645 00:37:11,906 --> 00:37:15,730 Walking into stepping in a newness of life is ultimately about 646 00:37:15,770 --> 00:37:16,194 choices. 647 00:37:16,242 --> 00:37:17,512 There are big ones. 648 00:37:17,706 --> 00:37:20,748 Like, you could make the choice, like a big choice, like, 649 00:37:20,884 --> 00:37:23,740 I'm going to receive the gift of Jesus and be baptized. 650 00:37:23,820 --> 00:37:24,284 Big choice. 651 00:37:24,332 --> 00:37:25,724 But you're not done with choices. 652 00:37:25,772 --> 00:37:33,452 Then I had somebody who called me Friday because they wanted to, 653 00:37:33,556 --> 00:37:34,620 like, get some. 654 00:37:34,740 --> 00:37:38,160 Have a sounding board for a job that they were considering. 655 00:37:38,500 --> 00:37:40,700 So we talked for 30 minutes on the phone. 656 00:37:40,780 --> 00:37:44,694 That's walking into newness of life instead of just making a choice 657 00:37:44,742 --> 00:37:47,290 that you feel in your head discerning. 658 00:37:47,870 --> 00:37:48,614 Right. 659 00:37:48,782 --> 00:37:52,710 Taking time, making a choice to be wise rather than just like 660 00:37:52,750 --> 00:37:54,006 jumping or leaping to action. 661 00:37:54,078 --> 00:37:54,422 Yeah. 662 00:37:54,486 --> 00:37:54,886 What else? 663 00:37:54,918 --> 00:37:55,254 What? 664 00:37:55,342 --> 00:37:56,170 Michael? 665 00:38:00,430 --> 00:38:03,730 For me, it's not a linear process. 666 00:38:04,190 --> 00:38:05,894 It's kind of going forward. 667 00:38:05,982 --> 00:38:09,220 But while we're doing that, going forward backwards. 668 00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:20,768 Yes, yes, yes. 669 00:38:20,944 --> 00:38:22,420 It's not linear. 670 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:26,112 Pete Scazzero says Americans like things that go up and to the 671 00:38:26,136 --> 00:38:26,700 right. 672 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:33,488 We just want progress, growth, linear discipleship. 673 00:38:33,584 --> 00:38:33,888 We. 674 00:38:33,944 --> 00:38:35,472 The formula told us it goes like this. 675 00:38:35,496 --> 00:38:35,696 Boom. 676 00:38:35,728 --> 00:38:37,182 You say, yes, you're saved. 677 00:38:37,336 --> 00:38:40,514 Now immediately flip on the switch where you don't do the thou 678 00:38:40,562 --> 00:38:41,666 shalt not list. 679 00:38:41,818 --> 00:38:43,106 Don't do that list. 680 00:38:43,258 --> 00:38:45,470 Now you've been transferred over to this list. 681 00:38:46,730 --> 00:38:49,154 So you walk in, you carry your Bible into church. 682 00:38:49,202 --> 00:38:51,458 You don't curse, you don't drink. 683 00:38:51,554 --> 00:38:55,230 If you do, you do it secretly so they don't see it. 684 00:38:57,290 --> 00:38:57,842 No, man. 685 00:38:57,866 --> 00:39:00,050 That's grafting fruit onto the tree. 686 00:39:00,210 --> 00:39:03,346 Newness of life is about growing tree fruit from the inside. 687 00:39:03,378 --> 00:39:03,950 Out. 688 00:39:04,470 --> 00:39:05,250 Heather. 689 00:39:08,790 --> 00:39:24,398 Today would have been my brother's 42nd birthday and I'm just 690 00:39:24,454 --> 00:39:29,992 really grateful that back to him. 691 00:39:30,016 --> 00:39:35,736 But my life and my family, my feels as he's gone is a reminder 692 00:39:35,768 --> 00:39:42,776 to just like I got salvation five years ago because I realized 693 00:39:42,808 --> 00:39:44,940 that every day you got to live with a purpose. 694 00:39:56,490 --> 00:40:00,790 Heather, thank you so much for sharing that, Heather. 695 00:40:01,930 --> 00:40:04,470 Heather just made a choice to be vulnerable. 696 00:40:06,970 --> 00:40:09,538 That's what it takes to walk in the newness of life. 697 00:40:09,674 --> 00:40:10,550 Partly. 698 00:40:11,210 --> 00:40:14,850 Heather shared online about her brother, who would have been 699 00:40:14,890 --> 00:40:16,030 42 today. 700 00:40:18,250 --> 00:40:19,990 Thanks for sharing that, Heather. 701 00:40:21,700 --> 00:40:23,560 Yeah, go ahead. 702 00:40:44,740 --> 00:40:45,520 Yes. 703 00:40:50,510 --> 00:40:56,102 Yeah, dad, let me tweak it real quick. 704 00:40:56,126 --> 00:40:56,966 I can do this to my dad. 705 00:40:56,998 --> 00:40:57,942 I can't do it to the rest of you. 706 00:40:57,966 --> 00:40:59,750 Dad said you hope to be better every day. 707 00:40:59,870 --> 00:41:02,370 Dad, I think you hope to surrender every day. 708 00:41:03,070 --> 00:41:04,758 Some days you might take a step back. 709 00:41:04,814 --> 00:41:06,890 That doesn't mean that you didn't make progress. 710 00:41:08,190 --> 00:41:08,930 Right. 711 00:41:10,270 --> 00:41:15,628 Like Mikey said, it's not get better every day discipleship looks 712 00:41:15,644 --> 00:41:17,040 like this, doesn't it, dad? 713 00:41:21,940 --> 00:41:23,596 But Jesus is in all that. 714 00:41:23,748 --> 00:41:25,840 And you're like, sweet, this is okay. 715 00:41:26,180 --> 00:41:27,360 It's okay. 716 00:41:28,420 --> 00:41:30,380 And then eventually one day we'll wake up. 717 00:41:30,420 --> 00:41:31,960 This is the glory of it all. 718 00:41:33,300 --> 00:41:34,620 And I believe this. 719 00:41:34,660 --> 00:41:35,692 God help my unbelief. 720 00:41:35,756 --> 00:41:40,214 One day we'll be sitting in a faraway kingdom, but actually it 721 00:41:40,222 --> 00:41:41,650 won't be all that far away. 722 00:41:42,430 --> 00:41:45,210 It'll be here on this earth where all things are restored. 723 00:41:45,630 --> 00:41:48,890 Our questions will either be answered or they won't matter anymore. 724 00:41:54,350 --> 00:41:55,210 Charles. 725 00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:06,860 My life is like doing for being. 726 00:42:07,640 --> 00:42:10,940 And it seemed like faith, a lot of doing. 727 00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:19,792 But maybe in recent years I've come to realize that being is part 728 00:42:19,816 --> 00:42:20,688 of that process. 729 00:42:20,824 --> 00:42:21,456 Yep. 730 00:42:21,568 --> 00:42:34,858 So like being able to just show up with my and serve clients 731 00:42:34,954 --> 00:42:38,938 or whatever, that's part of this renewal process. 732 00:42:39,074 --> 00:42:39,870 Yep. 733 00:42:43,570 --> 00:42:44,430 Yep. 734 00:42:50,210 --> 00:42:52,470 That doesn't sound formulaic at all. 735 00:42:53,570 --> 00:42:55,930 Charles is talking about the difference between like, doing and 736 00:42:55,970 --> 00:42:56,550 being. 737 00:42:57,560 --> 00:43:01,152 A lot of Christianity we've experienced is all the weight is 738 00:43:01,176 --> 00:43:04,300 on doing and not doing. 739 00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:08,768 Being, like just being present with God. 740 00:43:08,944 --> 00:43:11,888 The thing I hear the most from people like Ross, I can't sit still 741 00:43:11,944 --> 00:43:13,008 for five minutes with God. 742 00:43:13,024 --> 00:43:13,712 I just can't do it. 743 00:43:13,736 --> 00:43:15,420 My brain doesn't work that way. 744 00:43:16,040 --> 00:43:16,832 It does. 745 00:43:16,936 --> 00:43:19,460 You're just beating yourself up for the distractions. 746 00:43:21,800 --> 00:43:24,784 Every distraction is an opportunity to turn back to God. 747 00:43:24,832 --> 00:43:28,920 Like learning how to be is like the thing of our times. 748 00:43:29,780 --> 00:43:31,600 Over here, Alicia. 749 00:43:38,660 --> 00:43:41,040 The difference between compliance and surrender. 750 00:43:53,310 --> 00:43:57,830 So when you do compliance, you know the end result because you have 751 00:43:57,870 --> 00:43:58,758 complied. 752 00:43:58,934 --> 00:44:07,526 Yes. 753 00:44:07,558 --> 00:44:08,630 You know your results. 754 00:44:08,750 --> 00:44:09,190 Yeah. 755 00:44:09,270 --> 00:44:11,062 And that is satisfying. 756 00:44:11,206 --> 00:44:14,294 Surrender is not always satisfying. 757 00:44:14,422 --> 00:44:15,130 Oh. 758 00:44:15,470 --> 00:44:16,530 Oh, no. 759 00:44:21,130 --> 00:44:22,190 Oh, my. 760 00:44:23,610 --> 00:44:24,562 Compliance. 761 00:44:24,706 --> 00:44:26,370 We want compliance because we. 762 00:44:26,490 --> 00:44:28,690 Oh, Lord, help me. 763 00:44:28,810 --> 00:44:30,110 This is my whole life. 764 00:44:30,810 --> 00:44:33,938 I want to do the compliance thing because I know that I can control 765 00:44:33,994 --> 00:44:34,750 the result. 766 00:44:35,450 --> 00:44:36,802 I can get the result that I want. 767 00:44:36,826 --> 00:44:39,150 Go ahead, music team, if you want to step on up. 768 00:44:43,780 --> 00:44:44,760 What's that? 769 00:44:45,540 --> 00:44:47,548 Oh, Ellie's changing the song. 770 00:44:47,724 --> 00:44:48,636 She's surrendering. 771 00:44:48,668 --> 00:44:50,000 She's making a choice. 772 00:44:50,900 --> 00:44:52,680 Walking into newness of life. 773 00:44:55,220 --> 00:44:55,884 Compliance. 774 00:44:55,932 --> 00:45:01,132 I can control the outcome that I want, but I also take out some 775 00:45:01,156 --> 00:45:03,160 things that might be beautiful to experience. 776 00:45:03,860 --> 00:45:09,734 Surrendering, as Alicia said, like, it can be right and hard at 777 00:45:09,742 --> 00:45:10,726 the same time. 778 00:45:10,878 --> 00:45:11,570 Right. 779 00:45:12,590 --> 00:45:14,770 Really quick, before I want to. 780 00:45:15,070 --> 00:45:18,450 Ooh, before we go to that song lyric, this is the last thing. 781 00:45:20,590 --> 00:45:21,574 Nope, not working. 782 00:45:21,662 --> 00:45:25,606 There's a slide in there about how we're going to have to confront 783 00:45:25,638 --> 00:45:26,646 our old self. 784 00:45:26,758 --> 00:45:27,926 Oh, it's back. 785 00:45:27,998 --> 00:45:28,850 It's back. 786 00:45:29,630 --> 00:45:31,382 It's come back on my phone. 787 00:45:31,526 --> 00:45:32,330 Sweet. 788 00:45:32,910 --> 00:45:33,890 Right there. 789 00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:38,440 Practically for me, I'm going to have to accept that for the rest 790 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:39,460 of my life. 791 00:45:40,640 --> 00:45:43,608 Like I tell you guys, when I get up to go to work in the morning, 792 00:45:43,664 --> 00:45:45,620 my ego is ready to go with me. 793 00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:49,832 My old self, although I'm endeavoring to let it die and be 794 00:45:49,856 --> 00:45:54,340 buried with Christ, my old self is still like, hi, how are you? 795 00:45:55,440 --> 00:45:59,752 So I have to be hungry and humble and willing to keep deal like, 796 00:45:59,776 --> 00:46:02,862 to keep doing the confrontation with this oldness of 797 00:46:02,886 --> 00:46:05,770 life, I have to want to see it. 798 00:46:06,790 --> 00:46:09,822 The problem with those of us who aren't in recovery is we have 799 00:46:09,846 --> 00:46:10,334 the luxury. 800 00:46:10,382 --> 00:46:13,902 And by mean luxury, I mean the poverty of being able to hold on 801 00:46:13,926 --> 00:46:14,622 to our denial. 802 00:46:14,686 --> 00:46:16,090 And it won't kill us. 803 00:46:17,830 --> 00:46:21,246 Like Cassie said, if she held onto her denial, it would have killed 804 00:46:21,278 --> 00:46:21,850 her. 805 00:46:23,590 --> 00:46:26,650 If we hang onto ours, it's kind of killing us, too. 806 00:46:28,230 --> 00:46:32,210 But the good news is that, like, if we're humble, hungry, willing, 807 00:46:32,950 --> 00:46:36,610 and we say, like, God, I just want to abide in the vine. 808 00:46:37,590 --> 00:46:41,006 I just want to abide and let you prune some things so the newness 809 00:46:41,038 --> 00:46:41,774 of life grows. 810 00:46:41,822 --> 00:46:43,054 It will happen. 811 00:46:43,222 --> 00:46:43,662 It will. 812 00:46:43,686 --> 00:46:49,730 And it'll go like this, but it'll be beautiful, freeing, mysterious, 813 00:46:50,390 --> 00:46:52,170 and it matters for all of us. 814 00:46:53,840 --> 00:46:58,312 Thank you for participating in the conversation happening at Heaven 815 00:46:58,376 --> 00:46:59,736 Earth Church. 816 00:46:59,928 --> 00:47:05,540 Your next opportunity to do so live is this Sunday morning, 9:30am 817 00:47:06,240 --> 00:47:10,824 Eastern Time, either at the main campus at 309 East Main in Whiteland, 818 00:47:10,872 --> 00:47:15,096 Indiana, or online at YouTube Live. 819 00:47:15,248 --> 00:47:24,930 That's@YouTube.com the audio podcast is always available at Apple 820 00:47:25,010 --> 00:47:28,130 Podcast and on Spotify. 821 00:47:28,290 --> 00:47:32,802 You can help others find out about the Heaven Earth Church podcast 822 00:47:32,946 --> 00:47:37,746 by going to Apple Podcasts and or Spotify and leaving a five star 823 00:47:37,818 --> 00:47:39,710 rating in your review. 824 00:47:40,090 --> 00:47:44,400 Instructions on how to do just that and links are in the show notes. 825 00:47:44,900 --> 00:47:50,636 You can always find out more by going to the church website heavenearthchurch.org 826 00:47:50,748 --> 00:47:51,020 we. 827 00:47:51,060 --> 00:47:53,292 Want to thank you for spending time with us today. 828 00:47:53,396 --> 00:47:56,940 My name is Ross Stackhouse, the pastor to Heaven Earth Church, 829 00:47:57,100 --> 00:48:00,428 and you may think out there that your story is over, but in fact, 830 00:48:00,484 --> 00:48:03,692 your faith story may just be beginning. 831 00:48:03,836 --> 00:48:06,556 If you want more information about our church or you're interested 832 00:48:06,588 --> 00:48:10,660 in a next step, you can go to heavenearthchurch.org Otherwise, 833 00:48:10,740 --> 00:48:13,844 we look forward to being with you next time at the Heaven Earth 834 00:48:13,892 --> 00:48:15,080 Church podcast.