1 00:00:05,330 --> 00:00:09,580 Hello, that was a shorter intro than I was expecting. 2 00:00:10,660 --> 00:00:12,639 Welcome tonight to Crowd Church. 3 00:00:12,639 --> 00:00:15,350 It's great to be with you again today. 4 00:00:15,580 --> 00:00:19,900 my name's Dan, and today I'm joined by wonderful Sharon. 5 00:00:20,100 --> 00:00:23,580 Hello, who's talking, and she's here with me in the, in the 6 00:00:23,580 --> 00:00:24,710 studio, and 7 00:00:25,630 --> 00:00:32,090 the wonderful Ade, and he's in his personal studio in 8 00:00:32,090 --> 00:00:36,780 North Wales. Hello, good evening folks. 9 00:00:36,790 --> 00:00:37,310 How are you doing? 10 00:00:38,550 --> 00:00:40,340 I'm doing okay, how are you? 11 00:00:41,130 --> 00:00:43,890 Yes, yeah, good. Enjoying the fact that we've got a bit of 12 00:00:43,890 --> 00:00:46,230 nice weather. We always talk about the weather, don't we? 13 00:00:46,230 --> 00:00:47,960 But it's actually sunny, which is nice. 14 00:00:47,970 --> 00:00:51,070 Ade, with your guitars in the background, I was just wondering whether 15 00:00:51,070 --> 00:00:53,170 you're going to serenade us at any point this evening. 16 00:00:53,630 --> 00:00:57,509 Be honest, I've not actually had the time to touch them lately 17 00:00:57,609 --> 00:01:00,149 and I'm reckoning they are massively out of tune. 18 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:02,600 Okay, we'll have to wait for that one. 19 00:01:02,750 --> 00:01:06,949 Yes, that's for another, another time, another day. 20 00:01:06,949 --> 00:01:12,430 Yeah. so we had, Mike talking last week, and Sharon 21 00:01:12,430 --> 00:01:17,770 do you want to give us a intro, or should we just— 22 00:01:17,770 --> 00:01:19,370 I think just get into it, I think. 23 00:01:19,370 --> 00:01:23,570 Yeah, yeah. this series has just been— it's been great to 24 00:01:25,020 --> 00:01:31,389 just get a little more insights into Jesus's 25 00:01:31,389 --> 00:01:36,090 his, his character and, and all the things that— like, it's Jesus 26 00:01:36,090 --> 00:01:39,690 the Revolutionary— all the things that are countercultural, things that are different 27 00:01:39,690 --> 00:01:41,270 to what was happening at the time. 28 00:01:41,410 --> 00:01:45,430 So, I think without further ado, you're ready. 29 00:01:45,430 --> 00:01:46,750 Yeah, I think I am. 30 00:01:46,750 --> 00:01:48,330 I'll just, let me go. 31 00:01:48,330 --> 00:01:51,890 Yeah, okay. So I want to start with a photo today, and 32 00:01:51,890 --> 00:01:53,450 hopefully it will come up on the screen. 33 00:01:54,100 --> 00:01:57,360 If my lovely assistant can help out. 34 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,600 Ah, okay, that's a slight issue then 35 00:02:02,740 --> 00:02:08,940 because that was a little bit crucial to— okay, okay, something random 36 00:02:08,940 --> 00:02:14,300 happening here. He said the bit that's not working is the— okay 37 00:02:14,300 --> 00:02:16,440 okay, here's my photo. 38 00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:20,620 Okay, so this is— well, you might be wondering what is this 39 00:02:20,620 --> 00:02:22,420 vision of beauty in front of me? 40 00:02:22,420 --> 00:02:24,080 Well, this handsome creature is a pantomime 41 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,860 horse that I made out of scrap material when I was a 42 00:02:28,860 --> 00:02:34,640 kid. So, I was always making things, sewing, drawing, painting, knitting. 43 00:02:34,640 --> 00:02:37,240 At other times, I'd spend whole weekends reading. 44 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:39,880 I grew trees from seeds in pots. 45 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:43,440 I had about 20 until my parents insisted that I plant them 46 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,600 out in a field, or on the edge of a field. 47 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,360 I played piano and a few other instruments. 48 00:02:49,420 --> 00:02:53,360 I enjoyed sports, walking, learning languages. 49 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,360 Honestly, I had so many hobbies. 50 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,939 Anyone else like me with lots of interests, or are you more 51 00:02:59,939 --> 00:03:00,340 focused? 52 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:05,489 Do, as I'm talking, do chuck your comments into the comment section 53 00:03:05,540 --> 00:03:09,040 like, you know, reply to stuff that I'm saying or add your 54 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:10,110 questions. That would be great. 55 00:03:11,900 --> 00:03:14,540 But anyway, out of all these hobbies, there are actually a couple 56 00:03:14,540 --> 00:03:17,900 of hobbies that Jesus tells us to get into that didn't make 57 00:03:17,900 --> 00:03:19,490 it onto my list. 58 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:20,510 Any guesses? 59 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:27,380 They are bird watching and flowers. 60 00:03:27,380 --> 00:03:30,500 So, well, maybe he wasn't talking about them as hobbies as such 61 00:03:30,500 --> 00:03:33,110 but he does tell us to look at these things. 62 00:03:33,180 --> 00:03:35,799 And the question is, why? 63 00:03:35,959 --> 00:03:38,650 In just a moment, we'll read to find out the answer. 64 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:43,620 But first, a bit of context, because today's passage begins with Jesus 65 00:03:43,620 --> 00:03:47,980 saying, "That is why I tell you," or some translations will say 66 00:03:48,620 --> 00:03:51,810 'therefore.' And I've been told that if you see the word 'therefore,' 67 00:03:51,810 --> 00:03:53,449 you need to see what it's there for. 68 00:03:53,669 --> 00:03:58,130 Context matters, right? So the teaching of Jesus we're about to look 69 00:03:58,130 --> 00:04:01,260 at today comes from what's called the Sermon on the Mount. 70 00:04:01,630 --> 00:04:05,150 It's found in chapters 5 to 7 of the Book of Matthew 71 00:04:05,150 --> 00:04:07,000 with a shorter version in Luke. 72 00:04:07,250 --> 00:04:10,890 And in these chapters, Jesus paints a picture of what life looks 73 00:04:10,890 --> 00:04:14,800 like when we live rightly with God and one another.— it's almost 74 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,040 like a manifesto for life. 75 00:04:17,340 --> 00:04:19,680 So if you were in charge of your country, or even just 76 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,320 your workplace, what kind of culture would you create? 77 00:04:23,740 --> 00:04:26,240 How would you want people to treat each other? 78 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,610 Well, in these chapters, Jesus lays out his vision. 79 00:04:30,260 --> 00:04:34,800 Within that, there are 4 short sections about money and possessions, and 80 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:37,000 today we're going to look at the 4th of these. 81 00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:42,800 The first asks, if the treasure, is the treasure we're storing 82 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:44,040 up, is it purely physical, or is it something more lasting? 83 00:04:47,280 --> 00:04:50,860 It gets at that pull we all feel either to keep buying 84 00:04:50,860 --> 00:04:54,159 more stuff or to worry because we don't have enough. 85 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,659 That was true in Jesus' time, and it's perhaps even more true 86 00:04:57,659 --> 00:05:00,220 now with all the advertising around us. 87 00:05:00,540 --> 00:05:03,080 I mean, some things we own are essential, aren't they? 88 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,940 Some things make life easier or more enjoyable. 89 00:05:06,220 --> 00:05:09,630 Some even give us a sense of identity or security. 90 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,680 But Jesus reminds us that these things don't last. 91 00:05:12,990 --> 00:05:18,950 They can be lost through damage or theft or just life-changing unexpectedly. 92 00:05:18,950 --> 00:05:22,529 Now, he also mentions moths, which, as someone with a liking for 93 00:05:22,529 --> 00:05:25,470 natural fibers, I can relate to this only too well. 94 00:05:26,230 --> 00:05:29,890 The second is a riddle about two types of eye, a healthy 95 00:05:29,890 --> 00:05:34,850 eye and an unhealthy eye, and it's looking at stinginess versus generosity. 96 00:05:35,190 --> 00:05:36,650 Don't have time to go into that now. 97 00:05:37,450 --> 00:05:41,230 A third is about how money can end up controlling us 98 00:05:41,230 --> 00:05:44,980 whether that's because we don't have enough or we have too much. 99 00:05:45,810 --> 00:05:50,630 So let's read the fourth teaching on money within Jesus' Manifesto and 100 00:05:50,630 --> 00:05:54,090 see why Jesus is telling us to take up bird watching and 101 00:05:54,090 --> 00:05:55,350 the study of flowers. 102 00:05:55,490 --> 00:05:57,410 How can these things help us? 103 00:05:57,410 --> 00:06:00,890 How are they relevant to the vision of life that Jesus has 104 00:06:00,890 --> 00:06:07,090 in mind? So Matthew 6:25 onwards say That is why I tell 105 00:06:07,090 --> 00:06:09,630 you not to worry about everyday life 106 00:06:10,629 --> 00:06:15,050 whether you have enough food and drink or enough clothes to wear. 107 00:06:15,070 --> 00:06:19,130 Isn't life more than food and your body more than clothing? 108 00:06:19,330 --> 00:06:20,240 Look at the birds. 109 00:06:20,949 --> 00:06:24,450 They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your 110 00:06:24,450 --> 00:06:26,320 Heavenly Father feeds them. 111 00:06:26,430 --> 00:06:29,270 And aren't you far more valuable to him than they? 112 00:06:29,790 --> 00:06:32,670 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 113 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,290 And why do you worry about clothing? 114 00:06:36,500 --> 00:06:38,570 Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. 115 00:06:38,899 --> 00:06:42,060 They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his 116 00:06:42,060 --> 00:06:45,980 glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 117 00:06:46,060 --> 00:06:50,160 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today 118 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:54,940 and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. 119 00:06:54,940 --> 00:06:56,880 Why do you have so little faith? 120 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,540 So Jesus tells us to look at the birds and the flowers. 121 00:07:01,540 --> 00:07:05,739 Why? Because when we do, we start to see something of God's 122 00:07:05,739 --> 00:07:08,430 character. It's part of an antidote to worry. 123 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:11,240 And what do we see? 124 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:15,000 We see a God who is generous and cares for what he's 125 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:19,840 made. He's created a world with enough provision for birds, animals, and 126 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:21,660 also for all of us. 127 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:24,700 Now, if I didn't do anything in my garden, within a few 128 00:07:24,700 --> 00:07:27,390 years it would probably be a small woodland. 129 00:07:27,810 --> 00:07:32,389 As it is, I'm constantly pulling up, sycamore and hazel saplings 130 00:07:32,389 --> 00:07:34,069 to stop them taking over. 131 00:07:35,210 --> 00:07:40,610 Things grow everywhere, often where I didn't plant them, because there's such 132 00:07:40,610 --> 00:07:45,190 an abundance of seeds, and all of that becomes food and shelter 133 00:07:45,190 --> 00:07:46,800 for birds and other creatures. 134 00:07:47,130 --> 00:07:48,550 So that's the birds. 135 00:07:48,550 --> 00:07:50,260 What about the flowers? 136 00:07:50,510 --> 00:07:54,030 Now, I've always loved flowers, and when my kids were little, I'd 137 00:07:54,030 --> 00:07:55,270 often stop them as we were walking along to say, "Stop and 138 00:07:57,190 --> 00:07:59,810 'Look at the pretty flowers.' And now they say it back to 139 00:07:59,810 --> 00:08:01,949 me, probably more to humor me, if I'm honest. 140 00:08:02,610 --> 00:08:04,420 But flowers really are beautiful. 141 00:08:04,630 --> 00:08:07,580 Again, they speak of a God who doesn't skimp. 142 00:08:08,370 --> 00:08:09,809 He could have just made them functional 143 00:08:10,630 --> 00:08:14,330 but instead he put such beauty and detail and a lot of 144 00:08:14,330 --> 00:08:15,620 care into their creation. 145 00:08:16,930 --> 00:08:18,740 So how does this help us exactly? 146 00:08:19,970 --> 00:08:23,570 Jesus is inviting us to look at the evidence around us in 147 00:08:23,570 --> 00:08:28,500 nature for God's generosity and love towards us, to help us with 148 00:08:28,500 --> 00:08:32,879 our daily lives, to help shift our thinking and focus from the 149 00:08:32,879 --> 00:08:36,840 things that we worry about to something far better, to shift our 150 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,879 thinking from where we think we can get our needs met to 151 00:08:39,879 --> 00:08:43,990 the one who is the ultimate source of fulfilling our needs. 152 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:48,440 Sometimes our emotions or our circumstances would lead us to think that 153 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:52,850 God doesn't care Have you ever felt like that, that God 154 00:08:52,850 --> 00:08:54,990 isn't interested? I know I have. 155 00:08:55,589 --> 00:09:00,090 And, and sometimes we can have circumstances in life that can 156 00:09:00,090 --> 00:09:03,670 make us question if God really loves us, or if he does 157 00:09:03,670 --> 00:09:07,990 love us, is he actually powerful enough to do anything about it? 158 00:09:08,100 --> 00:09:10,610 Jesus encourages us that when we look at the birds and the 159 00:09:10,610 --> 00:09:15,150 flowers, we can see concrete evidence that he does care and that 160 00:09:15,150 --> 00:09:19,150 he's powerful. He's the Creator who provides generously for his creatures. 161 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:24,380 Whatever the reason for our circumstances, it's not that God doesn't care. 162 00:09:26,300 --> 00:09:29,300 The passage we read before mentions the word worry, and the Greek 163 00:09:29,300 --> 00:09:32,750 word translated as worry is the verb merimnao. 164 00:09:33,339 --> 00:09:34,780 Not sure my pronunciation 165 00:09:35,540 --> 00:09:39,200 but anyway, this word appears 19 times in the New Testament, and 166 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:43,900 it's sometimes translated as worry, sometimes as be anxious, and sometimes as 167 00:09:43,900 --> 00:09:47,310 be concerned., and it's used in both a positive and a negative 168 00:09:47,310 --> 00:09:50,889 way. It can be an unhealthy concern or focus on the wrong 169 00:09:50,889 --> 00:09:54,350 things, or it can be a healthy and godly concern on the 170 00:09:54,350 --> 00:09:57,650 right things. So the scripture we've just read says not to be 171 00:09:57,650 --> 00:09:59,700 concerned about food and clothes. 172 00:09:59,970 --> 00:10:04,310 On the other hand, 1 Corinthians 12:26 says we should be concerned 173 00:10:04,310 --> 00:10:05,640 about each other. 174 00:10:07,090 --> 00:10:11,370 The next part of our reading today is this: So don't worry 175 00:10:11,370 --> 00:10:14,990 merimnao, about these things, saying, what will we eat, what will we 176 00:10:14,990 --> 00:10:15,790 drink, and what will we wear? 177 00:10:16,910 --> 00:10:22,190 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already 178 00:10:22,190 --> 00:10:23,879 knows all your needs. 179 00:10:24,709 --> 00:10:27,890 Jesus is saying that those who don't know God can be overly 180 00:10:27,890 --> 00:10:30,310 focused on material concerns. 181 00:10:30,310 --> 00:10:33,510 And to be honest, I think those of us who do know 182 00:10:33,510 --> 00:10:35,150 God can also be like that. 183 00:10:35,190 --> 00:10:40,190 But these things consume their thoughts because they don't look to God. 184 00:10:40,190 --> 00:10:43,410 They have to rely entirely on their own efforts for their sense 185 00:10:43,410 --> 00:10:45,570 of security, sense of identity. 186 00:10:46,100 --> 00:10:50,040 And that can lead to living in a state of anxious striving 187 00:10:50,180 --> 00:10:53,260 endlessly chasing material security. 188 00:10:53,260 --> 00:10:56,580 But to those who have accepted his invitation to be part of 189 00:10:56,580 --> 00:11:00,060 his family, he's a loving father who wants to give good things 190 00:11:00,060 --> 00:11:00,900 to his children. 191 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:04,570 So where should our focus be? 192 00:11:04,700 --> 00:11:08,080 Jesus goes on to say, seek the kingdom of God above all 193 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:11,920 else and live righteous— righteously, and he will give you everything you 194 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:12,200 need. 195 00:11:13,570 --> 00:11:16,729 So what is God's kingdom and how do we seek it? 196 00:11:16,729 --> 00:11:18,489 And what does it mean to live righteously? 197 00:11:19,449 --> 00:11:22,330 A kingdom is simply a place where a king rules. 198 00:11:22,570 --> 00:11:25,610 Now, we do have a king in the UK, but the way 199 00:11:25,610 --> 00:11:29,630 our monarchy works isn't really a great picture of God's kingdom, because 200 00:11:29,630 --> 00:11:33,670 here the king reigns but he doesn't really rule, whereas in God's 201 00:11:33,670 --> 00:11:35,370 kingdom he both reigns and rules. 202 00:11:35,370 --> 00:11:38,690 He decides what's right and wrong based on his good character. 203 00:11:39,410 --> 00:11:42,460 So if we want to be part of his kingdom, it means 204 00:11:42,460 --> 00:11:46,409 submitting to him, which may not be a popular concept right now. 205 00:11:46,659 --> 00:11:49,780 It's not about picking and choosing the bits we like, but trusting 206 00:11:49,780 --> 00:11:53,059 his way in every area of life. 207 00:11:53,780 --> 00:11:57,900 It means shifting our focus from trying to meet all our own 208 00:11:57,900 --> 00:12:00,390 needs and instead trusting him as the one who provides 209 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:04,270 because the messages we hear in the world are very different. 210 00:12:04,580 --> 00:12:09,379 The world says, 'Buy more so you'll feel more secure.' Jesus says 211 00:12:09,379 --> 00:12:11,990 'That feeling of security won't last. 212 00:12:12,060 --> 00:12:13,859 Things can be taken away. 213 00:12:14,359 --> 00:12:18,540 Look to your Father instead.' The world says, 'Be someone, get more 214 00:12:18,540 --> 00:12:23,140 followers, climb higher.' God says, 'You're already someone. 215 00:12:23,540 --> 00:12:25,620 You already have value. 216 00:12:25,620 --> 00:12:28,300 You don't need to climb the ladder to prove that, but you 217 00:12:28,300 --> 00:12:32,610 can use your position to serve others.' The world says, 'Look after 218 00:12:32,610 --> 00:12:35,789 number one, hold on to what you have.' But we've all seen 219 00:12:35,789 --> 00:12:37,310 where that leads, haven't we? 220 00:12:37,310 --> 00:12:42,090 Anyone remember, the toilet roll situation during COVID where there 221 00:12:42,090 --> 00:12:44,810 wasn't any? God says, 'Be generous. 222 00:12:44,810 --> 00:12:48,870 What you have isn't just for you, it's for others too.' His 223 00:12:48,870 --> 00:12:52,150 promise is that when we live this way, when we put him 224 00:12:52,150 --> 00:12:55,590 first in all areas of our life, he gives us what we 225 00:12:55,590 --> 00:12:59,750 really need. Having needs isn't the issue, it's how we try to 226 00:12:59,750 --> 00:13:02,280 meet them and where our attention is. 227 00:13:02,950 --> 00:13:07,330 And living righteously simply means living right with God and right with 228 00:13:07,330 --> 00:13:08,080 people. 229 00:13:08,810 --> 00:13:11,150 So what does this look like in real life? 230 00:13:11,150 --> 00:13:15,110 Seeking God's kingdom, living right with him and with others, and trusting 231 00:13:15,110 --> 00:13:16,320 him with what we need. 232 00:13:16,890 --> 00:13:19,910 There are so many examples that I could give, but I've got 233 00:13:19,910 --> 00:13:24,410 a, a couple from one end of the spectrum And then 234 00:13:24,410 --> 00:13:27,170 one from the other end of the spectrum. 235 00:13:27,830 --> 00:13:31,070 So, my friend Sue and her family have had years where money 236 00:13:31,070 --> 00:13:32,530 has been really tight. 237 00:13:32,629 --> 00:13:36,590 She's had to watch every penny, and even then sometimes there just 238 00:13:36,590 --> 00:13:40,810 hasn't been enough. Again and again they found themselves praying to God 239 00:13:40,810 --> 00:13:45,550 to provide, and she tells about one time when she was food 240 00:13:45,550 --> 00:13:49,170 shopping, picking items with the yellow stickers, you know, the like reduced 241 00:13:49,170 --> 00:13:49,590 ones 242 00:13:50,340 --> 00:13:53,570 And she got to the self-service checkout and she just happened to 243 00:13:53,570 --> 00:13:57,390 turn to the woman next to her, a complete stranger, and said 244 00:13:57,390 --> 00:14:01,330 'This is such a blessing.' And the woman asked why, and Sue 245 00:14:01,330 --> 00:14:03,370 said, 'God's really provided. 246 00:14:03,370 --> 00:14:07,130 I've got so much more for my money with these yellow stickers.' 247 00:14:07,210 --> 00:14:10,510 That's kind of like seeing God's provision in everything, isn't it? 248 00:14:10,510 --> 00:14:13,830 Well, the woman replied, 'Well, this is going to be an extra 249 00:14:13,830 --> 00:14:17,760 blessing. I'm going to pay for your shopping.' She said, "I'm a 250 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:20,859 Christian too," and right there in the shop, they gave each other 251 00:14:20,859 --> 00:14:22,820 a big hug, complete strangers. 252 00:14:22,820 --> 00:14:26,459 Brilliant. So another time when Sue's mother-in-law died, they needed to travel 253 00:14:26,459 --> 00:14:29,100 to the Isle of Wight where she'd been living and stay a 254 00:14:29,100 --> 00:14:33,640 couple of nights in a hotel and contribute to the funeral. 255 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:35,860 So it was such a big financial strain. 256 00:14:36,140 --> 00:14:39,460 So friends helped, of course, but then out of the blue, a 257 00:14:39,460 --> 00:14:42,980 man who had once lodged with them briefly and knew nothing about 258 00:14:42,980 --> 00:14:45,620 their situation sent them £100. 259 00:14:45,980 --> 00:14:49,160 He said that he'd simply felt God prompt him to do it. 260 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:53,760 It's funny how many coincidences happen when we pray, isn't it? 261 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:55,999 Now, I'm not saying that Christians are the only ones who are 262 00:14:55,999 --> 00:14:59,600 generous. I know many, people who don't have any faith or 263 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:01,790 a different faith who are really generous. 264 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:05,780 But I believe that when we are generous, whoever we are, that 265 00:15:05,780 --> 00:15:08,340 we're reflecting something of God's own heart. 266 00:15:08,810 --> 00:15:12,080 At the other end of the spectrum, we've got a friend 267 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:15,450 who's called Mark Mitchell, and he runs the Mitchell Group, which 268 00:15:15,450 --> 00:15:17,830 is a really successful car business. 269 00:15:18,090 --> 00:15:20,420 So financially, he's doing really well. 270 00:15:20,630 --> 00:15:24,910 Now, a lot of companies expect long hours, put profits first, and 271 00:15:24,910 --> 00:15:26,669 don't really look after their staff. 272 00:15:26,850 --> 00:15:29,630 Their focus is on the bottom line, and it often leads to 273 00:15:29,630 --> 00:15:30,130 stress 274 00:15:30,930 --> 00:15:37,850 high staff turnover, and sometimes questionable decisions which are ethically 275 00:15:37,850 --> 00:15:41,010 a bit dodgy. But Mark's approach is different. 276 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:42,870 He's trying to run his business in line with God's values 277 00:15:44,570 --> 00:15:48,720 bringing God's kingdom here on earth, just like the Lord's Prayer says. 278 00:15:49,190 --> 00:15:51,230 He'd be the first one to say he doesn't get it right 279 00:15:51,230 --> 00:15:53,410 all the time, but his aim is clear. 280 00:15:53,410 --> 00:15:58,849 For example, the business closes on Sundays, one of the busiest days 281 00:15:58,849 --> 00:16:03,070 for car viewings, because he believes in keeping a day of rest 282 00:16:03,070 --> 00:16:05,640 like keeping the Sabbath holy, as the Bible would say. 283 00:16:05,830 --> 00:16:08,190 It means his staff can be off at the same time as 284 00:16:08,190 --> 00:16:08,890 their families. 285 00:16:09,690 --> 00:16:12,890 And a few years ago, they even shut down a major part 286 00:16:12,890 --> 00:16:14,550 of their business because of contract change 287 00:16:15,290 --> 00:16:18,310 would have required Sunday trading. 288 00:16:18,770 --> 00:16:22,270 So, from a purely, purely financial point of view, that really doesn't 289 00:16:22,270 --> 00:16:25,780 make sense. But for Mark, it wasn't just about money. 290 00:16:25,790 --> 00:16:28,880 It was about putting God first and trusting him to provide. 291 00:16:28,970 --> 00:16:32,110 And there's a verse he really likes in 1 Samuel that says 292 00:16:32,490 --> 00:16:36,910 "Those who honor me, I will honor." And you can also see 293 00:16:36,910 --> 00:16:39,930 something of that in the way that he runs the business. 294 00:16:39,930 --> 00:16:43,870 Last year, out of 106 staff, only 2 part-time employees left. 295 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:48,360 Left when the industry average is closer to 30 to 40%. 296 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:50,110 So why, why do they stay? 297 00:16:50,580 --> 00:16:53,090 It's because people aren't just employees to him. 298 00:16:53,340 --> 00:16:56,880 He's changed their name actually from employees to colleagues because the whole 299 00:16:56,880 --> 00:17:00,400 mindset changes the way he thinks about people, and he sees them 300 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:03,570 as people made in God's image, and he treats them that way. 301 00:17:04,020 --> 00:17:08,000 And as a company, they support over 50 charities, not just for 302 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,220 appearance but out of a genuine care for other people. 303 00:17:12,350 --> 00:17:17,419 So how would life look different if you really believe that God 304 00:17:17,419 --> 00:17:21,479 loves you and wants you to be generous, wants to be generous 305 00:17:21,479 --> 00:17:25,500 towards you? I like to ask myself this question: how would life 306 00:17:25,500 --> 00:17:28,740 look if you made living right with God and other people your 307 00:17:28,740 --> 00:17:32,760 main focus, partnering with God in all areas of your life, doing 308 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:35,680 things his way? Maybe you already do that. 309 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:38,340 It'd be great to hear how you put this into practice in 310 00:17:38,340 --> 00:17:40,680 your life as like an encouragement to the rest of us. 311 00:17:41,330 --> 00:17:45,719 But just all this, sounds a bit like I'm saying, do 312 00:17:45,719 --> 00:17:46,980 this and life will be easy. 313 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:51,950 Listen to how Jesus finishes this little section of teaching. 314 00:17:52,059 --> 00:17:55,899 He says, therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry 315 00:17:55,899 --> 00:17:59,730 about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 316 00:18:00,500 --> 00:18:02,480 Jesus is really real with us. 317 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:04,110 Life won't be trouble-free. 318 00:18:04,300 --> 00:18:06,360 In fact, he's promising that we will have trouble. 319 00:18:06,360 --> 00:18:09,900 Not the particular promise that we like to take hold of, but 320 00:18:09,900 --> 00:18:10,680 he does give us a way to handle it, and that is 321 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:16,180 focus on today. Give God what's going on today. 322 00:18:16,180 --> 00:18:19,159 And that's something I found really helpful last year during my cancer 323 00:18:19,159 --> 00:18:25,480 journey. Instead of getting overwhelmed by everything ahead, it became about what's 324 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:26,379 in front of me today. 325 00:18:26,379 --> 00:18:28,940 What has the doctor said to me, to me today that I'm 326 00:18:28,940 --> 00:18:32,820 struggling with? I talk to God about that, be honest how I'm 327 00:18:32,820 --> 00:18:36,560 feeling, pray it through, and then choose to trust him with what 328 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,820 comes next. And you know what, it really freed me up just 329 00:18:39,820 --> 00:18:42,020 to actually be able to enjoy the day that I was in. 330 00:18:42,206 --> 00:18:44,549 Thinking, okay, what good things do I actually have today? 331 00:18:44,709 --> 00:18:46,426 What can I be thankful for today? 332 00:18:46,876 --> 00:18:52,123 Without letting what could maybe possibly happen tomorrow overshadow it. 333 00:18:53,712 --> 00:18:54,306 So really 334 00:18:55,044 --> 00:18:58,382 this is the invitation to shift our focus away from trying to 335 00:18:58,430 --> 00:19:03,983 carry everything ourselves and towards living closely with our generous, loving Father. 336 00:19:04,528 --> 00:19:07,353 As we put him first and walk in his ways, we can 337 00:19:07,417 --> 00:19:11,530 trust him to provide not just for our physical needs, but for 338 00:19:11,530 --> 00:19:17,170 the deeper things too— for peace, security, purpose, and a sense of 339 00:19:17,170 --> 00:19:17,920 being held. 340 00:19:19,750 --> 00:19:23,270 Okay, I've finished, so I'm going to hand back to Dan, although 341 00:19:23,270 --> 00:19:25,830 I do have another bit of paper with lots of bits I 342 00:19:25,830 --> 00:19:26,690 couldn't fit on on that. 343 00:19:26,690 --> 00:19:32,230 Oh, okay. That's— I love that, Sharon. 344 00:19:32,230 --> 00:19:35,840 Brilliant talk. I think, you might have heard listen to the 345 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:38,590 same podcast with Mark Mitchell. 346 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:42,640 Yeah, if you want to hear more about Mark, he's on 347 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:45,460 the Inspired podcast, a fairly recent one. 348 00:19:45,460 --> 00:19:47,440 So he talks a lot more, he goes into a lot more 349 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:51,620 detail about other different ways he brings— yeah, God into his business. 350 00:19:51,620 --> 00:19:57,380 Yeah, it's brilliant. having no HR department was like countercultural, wasn't 351 00:19:57,380 --> 00:20:01,800 it? ah, that— where, where to start? 352 00:20:01,900 --> 00:20:05,070 And there's lots of comments, and I've written some comments, I 353 00:20:05,070 --> 00:20:09,789 think first, Ade, what— oh, someone got a text. 354 00:20:09,890 --> 00:20:16,009 Ade, what things first sort of jumped out 355 00:20:16,009 --> 00:20:16,939 to you? 356 00:20:18,990 --> 00:20:23,890 I think the basics, you know, just ask, put it in God's 357 00:20:23,890 --> 00:20:26,650 hands, you know, like in Matthew 7 where it says, ask and 358 00:20:26,650 --> 00:20:29,010 it will be given to you, seek and you will find, and 359 00:20:29,010 --> 00:20:30,510 knock and the door will be opened unto you. 360 00:20:30,540 --> 00:20:35,660 Yeah, I think it's important to remember that in fact Matthew 7:7 361 00:20:35,660 --> 00:20:37,960 gives you like 3 levels of escalation. 362 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:40,980 Some things we'll ask for and there'll be an answer pretty much 363 00:20:40,980 --> 00:20:44,980 right away. Other things we're going to have to seek and it's 364 00:20:44,980 --> 00:20:47,830 going to take time and patience and we'll get there. 365 00:20:48,300 --> 00:20:51,980 And then some things again, I'm just going to take really against 366 00:20:51,980 --> 00:20:53,990 the odds, kind of banging on that door. 367 00:20:54,300 --> 00:20:58,380 Let's, you know, let's keep persevering here. 368 00:20:58,380 --> 00:21:03,310 But ultimately those who ask will be answered, those who seek will 369 00:21:03,310 --> 00:21:05,949 find, and those who knock, the door will be opened unto them. 370 00:21:05,949 --> 00:21:11,650 And, it's just having that faith and perseverance at our end 371 00:21:11,650 --> 00:21:14,469 because we don't always get the answer right away, but they are 372 00:21:14,469 --> 00:21:15,930 coming at some point. 373 00:21:15,930 --> 00:21:21,990 Yeah, I love how, obviously Jesus brought it out 374 00:21:21,990 --> 00:21:24,790 in, in this sermon, but then you brought out as well that 375 00:21:25,050 --> 00:21:27,930 the reflecting on creation. 376 00:21:27,930 --> 00:21:29,649 and there's been some comments on there. 377 00:21:29,649 --> 00:21:35,690 Alicia's said how we sometimes can forget the first artist, Jesus 378 00:21:35,690 --> 00:21:39,970 being that first art— or God being that first artist— that if 379 00:21:39,970 --> 00:21:42,670 you do just look at— it sounds funny, doesn't it? 380 00:21:42,670 --> 00:21:44,160 Oh, you know, smell the flowers, look at the flowers. 381 00:21:44,170 --> 00:21:46,810 But they didn't have to have that detail. 382 00:21:47,740 --> 00:21:51,640 It doesn't have to be that beauty, but but there is. 383 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:53,360 And I, I do love that. 384 00:21:53,360 --> 00:21:54,440 It does make me think 385 00:21:55,339 --> 00:21:59,340 oh man, God, yeah, if you do care about these things that 386 00:21:59,340 --> 00:22:03,540 are literally just for, for days— some insects and creatures are like 387 00:22:03,540 --> 00:22:06,119 hours, aren't they? How much more? 388 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:09,120 I was talking to a friend yesterday about this subject of beauty. 389 00:22:09,120 --> 00:22:13,840 Well, it came up actually, I didn't mention this particularly, and she 390 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:18,870 said how even as a child she looked at beauty and it 391 00:22:18,870 --> 00:22:21,650 made her think, oh, there must be a God. 392 00:22:21,650 --> 00:22:23,969 And that made her want to seek God. 393 00:22:23,969 --> 00:22:26,689 Yeah, I found that really in— yeah, it's interesting. 394 00:22:26,689 --> 00:22:30,490 Yeah, I was talking to a friend this week about, if 395 00:22:30,490 --> 00:22:33,029 you watch sort of nature programs, they often talk about that, that's 396 00:22:33,029 --> 00:22:38,990 awesome, that's all, and yet miss the awesome, awesome Creator. 397 00:22:38,990 --> 00:22:42,160 And I just think, oh, you're using that word without knowing 398 00:22:42,910 --> 00:22:45,310 you know, sort of making it so small. 399 00:22:45,310 --> 00:22:48,050 And we can, we can make it small, can't we, and realize 400 00:22:48,050 --> 00:22:48,310 that 401 00:22:49,650 --> 00:22:51,890 he's, he's provided that. 402 00:22:51,890 --> 00:22:54,330 And, and I love how it just leads on to, well, if 403 00:22:54,330 --> 00:22:56,930 he's doing that— and it's not a 404 00:22:57,750 --> 00:23:02,710 it's not an— I've sometimes read the verse that says, why 405 00:23:02,710 --> 00:23:05,430 do you have so little faith, at the end of it, as 406 00:23:05,430 --> 00:23:07,430 a bit of an admonishment. 407 00:23:07,430 --> 00:23:09,270 Yeah, why do you have so little faith? 408 00:23:09,270 --> 00:23:12,730 Yeah, yeah. But when you were saying it then, it just felt 409 00:23:12,730 --> 00:23:15,500 a bit more like 'Look at all those things. 410 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:19,900 Why, why do you have so little faith if you can see 411 00:23:19,900 --> 00:23:22,120 that?' Reflecting back on it. 412 00:23:22,580 --> 00:23:23,940 Yeah, yeah, different emphasis. 413 00:23:24,420 --> 00:23:27,590 Yeah, yeah. Just one— I, I'm aware we need to bring Ade 414 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:31,430 but, just before that, you mentioned the word awe. 415 00:23:31,620 --> 00:23:35,400 So Matt reminded me before that a few weeks ago, Will mentioned 416 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:41,340 something called awe walks, where you go out walking with the specific 417 00:23:41,340 --> 00:23:46,499 intention of looking for things that make you go, yeah, yeah, I 418 00:23:46,499 --> 00:23:48,199 can't remember how he worded it. 419 00:23:48,199 --> 00:23:53,000 And actually there's a study done that shows the benefits of doing 420 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,920 that, like for our mental and physical health. 421 00:23:56,000 --> 00:24:02,040 Yeah, anyway, yeah, before I bring 422 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:05,220 in some of these, comments, Ade, is there anything that you 423 00:24:05,220 --> 00:24:08,580 want to sort of share regarding that, regarding sort of the awe 424 00:24:08,580 --> 00:24:10,300 and the things we've been talking about, this creation? 425 00:24:11,830 --> 00:24:15,729 Yeah, so as you know, I'm a scientist. 426 00:24:16,449 --> 00:24:21,330 So when I look at this, I guess through a data-driven mindset 427 00:24:21,330 --> 00:24:24,370 when I think about what's the greatest thing that us humans have 428 00:24:24,370 --> 00:24:27,690 invented or done, and maybe you'll say, oh, really snazzy robots or 429 00:24:27,690 --> 00:24:32,510 AI or whatever. And you look at that in all of its 430 00:24:32,510 --> 00:24:36,970 ever so modest glory in comparison to the complexity of a human 431 00:24:36,970 --> 00:24:39,980 being. And you just kind of think, well, there's, you know, the 432 00:24:39,980 --> 00:24:44,160 relationship between the creator and the created. 433 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:48,959 Yeah. You know, the creator is much more advanced and complex and 434 00:24:48,959 --> 00:24:49,780 all the rest of it. 435 00:24:49,780 --> 00:24:52,060 So you look at the greatest thing we've done in comparison to 436 00:24:52,060 --> 00:24:54,760 us and think, well, you know, we're nowhere near to being able 437 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:56,510 to create anything like us. 438 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:58,690 So if I'm going to kind of kick that upstairs and think 439 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:05,160 wow, just how much more amazing, you know, is God and 440 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:10,510 how much more complex and powerful and awesome. 441 00:25:11,139 --> 00:25:13,700 And bearing in mind the coolest thing we've done is like, you 442 00:25:13,700 --> 00:25:17,360 know, after thousands of years of research and all the rest of 443 00:25:17,360 --> 00:25:19,680 it, you know, God made us first time. 444 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:23,540 Yeah, well, we'll have you too, you know, pop Adam, bang Eve. 445 00:25:23,540 --> 00:25:27,020 And you know, it's like there was no research and development and 446 00:25:27,020 --> 00:25:29,100 preparation. It was just he spoke and it was done. 447 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:35,860 Yeah, yeah. And it reflected— I love that sometimes, that his image— 448 00:25:35,860 --> 00:25:38,380 we're a fraction of that image, aren't they? 449 00:25:38,380 --> 00:25:42,220 When we look at creation, it's not just a beautiful thing, it's 450 00:25:42,220 --> 00:25:45,480 a reflection of his, his beauty as well. 451 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:49,010 Yeah, yeah. let's, let's get into some of these comments. 452 00:25:50,660 --> 00:25:56,384 so yeah, we're saying before that Alicia said She loves some 453 00:25:56,384 --> 00:26:00,721 of these beautiful anecdotes that you brought across and 454 00:26:02,472 --> 00:26:02,601 how 455 00:26:05,059 --> 00:26:07,195 the early church would have been in that same situation. 456 00:26:07,308 --> 00:26:10,810 So you talked about Sue and people just— that lady just saying 457 00:26:10,922 --> 00:26:12,207 'Oh, I want to bless you.' Yeah. 458 00:26:12,288 --> 00:26:15,147 And I think there must have been a lot of that then. 459 00:26:15,742 --> 00:26:16,834 When we do— 460 00:26:18,167 --> 00:26:21,766 I think sometimes perhaps in our modern life we have to be 461 00:26:21,766 --> 00:26:23,019 a bit more intentional 462 00:26:23,849 --> 00:26:27,440 than— I know where this is true— than, than they did back 463 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:29,909 then, because they lived in such close community. 464 00:26:30,780 --> 00:26:34,960 I feel that you could— needs were a bit more obvious, whereas 465 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:37,040 our needs are still like that. 466 00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:39,820 Yeah, yeah, we sort of hide our needs away, don't we? 467 00:26:39,820 --> 00:26:42,360 We're very isolated, and sometimes it has to be a bit more 468 00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:46,680 intentional. It has to be, let me pay for your shopping, rather 469 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:47,770 than just you 470 00:26:48,970 --> 00:26:53,130 You both walk in to get your groceries together, you know? 471 00:26:53,130 --> 00:26:55,630 Yeah. And as I was thinking about these things, it's like, because 472 00:26:55,630 --> 00:26:58,790 he says if you focus on doing things his way, that you 473 00:26:58,790 --> 00:26:59,970 get your needs met. 474 00:27:00,250 --> 00:27:03,730 And as I've been thinking about these over the weeks, I think 475 00:27:03,730 --> 00:27:06,370 it works on kind of two sort of levels. 476 00:27:06,370 --> 00:27:11,190 One of them is if everybody is being generous and sharing what 477 00:27:11,190 --> 00:27:14,530 they've got, of course, everyone's going to have their needs met, aren't 478 00:27:14,530 --> 00:27:18,790 they? It's only by, because we are selfish or we hoard or 479 00:27:19,150 --> 00:27:21,940 that there's enough for everybody. 480 00:27:21,940 --> 00:27:25,900 The only reason that— well, the main reason that not everyone has 481 00:27:25,900 --> 00:27:30,660 enough is because of the inequalities caused by people. 482 00:27:30,660 --> 00:27:33,099 So there's that one sense, if we just follow his teaching, we 483 00:27:33,099 --> 00:27:33,960 get our needs met. 484 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,960 But also, it's like we don't live in a world where that 485 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:41,520 happens all the time, and God is able to provide those miracles 486 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:43,980 in those situations as well. 487 00:27:43,980 --> 00:27:46,780 not that again, not that he always does. 488 00:27:46,780 --> 00:27:48,879 Sometimes we're, you know, we'd like a miracle and we don't get 489 00:27:48,879 --> 00:27:51,839 one. Yeah. but yeah, I just think it works on two 490 00:27:51,839 --> 00:27:57,200 levels. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 491 00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:00,640 Alicia has also said, I think that partnering with God, although 492 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:04,220 I do it quite imperfectly, helps me to A, feel less lonely 493 00:28:04,220 --> 00:28:09,480 in my struggles, and B, refocus on what's important, and C, give 494 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:12,120 me— give more generously and cheerfully. 495 00:28:12,120 --> 00:28:12,460 Yeah. 496 00:28:13,190 --> 00:28:15,510 Yeah, I am. 497 00:28:17,010 --> 00:28:23,049 Yeah, if our focus is, is on these things, it does— 498 00:28:23,049 --> 00:28:26,330 it changes. If our inward focus is on God and his creation 499 00:28:26,330 --> 00:28:30,550 he's going to provide, then it helps our outward actions as well 500 00:28:30,550 --> 00:28:31,760 doesn't it? Yeah, it does. 501 00:28:32,610 --> 00:28:36,550 Yeah. One of the things that, Mike mentioned last week as 502 00:28:36,550 --> 00:28:42,000 well was this whole thing about that Jewish literature was meant to 503 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:46,800 be meditated on. So obviously we can focus on creation and look 504 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:50,980 at that, but also, the scriptures themselves are meant to be 505 00:28:50,980 --> 00:28:55,560 meditated on. And in each of Jesus' teachings, he'll pick up on 506 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:59,020 one specific point, but then if you put them all together, you 507 00:28:59,020 --> 00:28:59,930 get a 508 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:03,280 but like, if you just focus on one point, it can 509 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:05,770 be a bit like 'But hang on a minute, what about this 510 00:29:05,770 --> 00:29:08,890 situation? And what about that?' But when you put them all together 511 00:29:09,069 --> 00:29:13,830 you get this very rounded view, and then you kind of have 512 00:29:13,830 --> 00:29:16,830 to mull them over, work it out. 513 00:29:16,830 --> 00:29:19,970 It's like, 'Okay, how does that work?' But it's very much about 514 00:29:19,970 --> 00:29:25,370 this continual thinking and chewing it over, discussing with people to get 515 00:29:25,370 --> 00:29:28,030 the full depth of the truth. 516 00:29:28,570 --> 00:29:34,659 I, I was talking to someone yesterday who's actually— he's, he's 517 00:29:34,659 --> 00:29:37,800 been on Crowd and he's done a talk about mental health, a 518 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:40,080 guy called Phil Watson that we both know. 519 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:45,280 And we were talking about, hobbies, or what we'd call now 520 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:48,080 sometimes called mindfulness, you know. 521 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:49,240 Yeah. And you can sort of link the two together. 522 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:55,180 And I just wondered how people's hobbies or mindfulness, is it 523 00:29:56,174 --> 00:29:56,993 This just came to me. 524 00:29:57,057 --> 00:30:00,602 Is it something that you do to distract yourself from life, or 525 00:30:00,602 --> 00:30:02,929 is it something that you do to 526 00:30:04,741 --> 00:30:08,800 help your mind then focus on other things, like looking at 527 00:30:10,132 --> 00:30:12,330 wildflowers, looking at 528 00:30:13,036 --> 00:30:13,966 sort of wildlife? 529 00:30:15,747 --> 00:30:16,902 I suppose you can do both things. 530 00:30:16,950 --> 00:30:19,373 You could just get so in depth with it that you— it 531 00:30:19,597 --> 00:30:20,849 all it is is a distraction. 532 00:30:21,290 --> 00:30:24,930 But you can look at it as well, like Jesus says in 533 00:30:24,930 --> 00:30:30,150 those, in the, those words, that it's, it's, it's mindful in 534 00:30:30,150 --> 00:30:34,469 terms of something to focus your time on, but it's also mindful 535 00:30:34,469 --> 00:30:37,330 in that it directs your focus to Jesus. 536 00:30:37,330 --> 00:30:42,230 Yeah, I just think, is, are the hobbies and the tasks that 537 00:30:42,230 --> 00:30:43,410 we do 538 00:30:44,510 --> 00:30:45,270 are they 539 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:48,700 How, how are they for you? 540 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:50,759 Are they helping you? 541 00:30:50,759 --> 00:30:54,200 Are they mindful? Are they directing you to God, or are they 542 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:58,240 distracting? Yeah, perhaps that's— I always say these things, and it's not 543 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:01,079 me, you know, saying things that you— it's, it's like I need 544 00:31:01,079 --> 00:31:02,700 to look at my tasks as well. 545 00:31:02,700 --> 00:31:06,800 Yeah. Do they, do they help me to, to be mindful and 546 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,460 focus on— it's a good point— I'll focus on God. 547 00:31:12,890 --> 00:31:16,730 I've got a question for you guys. 548 00:31:16,870 --> 00:31:18,570 Ade could start maybe. 549 00:31:19,770 --> 00:31:23,070 just wondering, so I've given a few examples from friends— from 550 00:31:23,070 --> 00:31:28,850 yeah, from friends— about how they've put God first, like partnered 551 00:31:28,850 --> 00:31:32,390 with him and bringing God's kingdom on earth, even when, like for 552 00:31:32,390 --> 00:31:35,310 Mark, it could potentially have been quite costly for him. 553 00:31:35,310 --> 00:31:38,590 Have you got any examples of where you've done that? 554 00:31:38,610 --> 00:31:41,520 Or where God's provided for you. 555 00:31:41,990 --> 00:31:44,409 yeah. 556 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:48,120 Oh, put me on the spot, why don't you? 557 00:31:48,750 --> 00:31:50,969 You've had a whole talk to think about this. 558 00:31:54,190 --> 00:31:59,910 I, so I work for a multinational, and, in fact 559 00:31:59,910 --> 00:32:04,770 I've worked for multinationals for a long time, and, typically they're 560 00:32:04,770 --> 00:32:06,670 very open to what people 561 00:32:07,580 --> 00:32:10,949 think, but you've got to be very careful about what you say. 562 00:32:11,529 --> 00:32:12,130 And as an example 563 00:32:13,869 --> 00:32:17,370 where I work for now, every year we pick what charity shall 564 00:32:17,370 --> 00:32:19,650 we, you know, give all this money we've been saving up for 565 00:32:19,650 --> 00:32:22,650 to. In fact, the last multinational was the same, and it can 566 00:32:22,650 --> 00:32:25,230 be any charity but not a religious one. 567 00:32:25,510 --> 00:32:28,330 Of course, I've always, you know, as an ambassador from Compassion UK 568 00:32:28,330 --> 00:32:31,930 I've always brought that to the table anyway and been knocked back 569 00:32:31,930 --> 00:32:33,970 no, we can't do that, it's, you know, it's not religious. 570 00:32:35,570 --> 00:32:41,570 But I've never shied away from speaking what 571 00:32:41,570 --> 00:32:43,859 I'm thinking 572 00:32:44,590 --> 00:32:47,170 biblically so, in context. 573 00:32:47,210 --> 00:32:50,630 So I've never tried to go out of the way to insert 574 00:32:50,630 --> 00:32:54,770 my faith into a conversation, but I've never shied away from it. 575 00:32:54,870 --> 00:32:56,470 It certainly has 576 00:32:57,530 --> 00:33:00,470 if anything, had people open up to me that I wouldn't have 577 00:33:00,470 --> 00:33:04,320 expected because I've, you know, shown this side of in some ways 578 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:10,100 vulnerability, and not just on the whole corporate, you know, tick box 579 00:33:10,100 --> 00:33:13,740 let's just, you know, do the same dance everyone else does because 580 00:33:13,740 --> 00:33:14,910 that's what we do in the corporation. 581 00:33:17,459 --> 00:33:19,680 That's what I've got being put on the spot. 582 00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:24,880 Okay, well, I'll move over to Dan and then give you a 583 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:25,830 bit more chance to think. 584 00:33:26,690 --> 00:33:28,800 Yeah, I was thinking about that one. 585 00:33:28,980 --> 00:33:34,920 When I was, 16, I went straight from school and went 586 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:38,220 to work for, again, multinational Ford Motor Company. 587 00:33:38,220 --> 00:33:39,599 Quite a, quite a big company. 588 00:33:40,099 --> 00:33:43,080 and it was a, it was a great job, an apprenticeship. 589 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:46,800 And it's, the, like, the guy I started work with on 590 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:49,150 that day, still one of my best mates, he's still there. 591 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:55,439 4 years into it, I really felt I should leave and 592 00:33:55,439 --> 00:33:59,759 go to uni. And, a few people came up to me 593 00:33:59,759 --> 00:34:02,620 and just said— so there was two views. 594 00:34:02,620 --> 00:34:03,190 There was one 595 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:08,420 you're nuts, you know, leaving this is a secure job, and that's 596 00:34:08,420 --> 00:34:10,660 brave, you know, going. 597 00:34:10,660 --> 00:34:16,860 And for me, it was just— I, I knew that's what 598 00:34:16,860 --> 00:34:19,220 I should do. I had a peace about it. 599 00:34:19,220 --> 00:34:22,000 And I was just thinking when, when Ade was talking 600 00:34:23,829 --> 00:34:27,499 I knew it was God, but I'd seen that modeled by my 601 00:34:27,499 --> 00:34:29,888 my parents. They, they lived in that way. 602 00:34:29,959 --> 00:34:35,599 And I'm just thinking, for those of you, listening, have you 603 00:34:35,599 --> 00:34:37,239 seen that, that modeled? 604 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:39,759 Is it— is this something very, very new to you to put 605 00:34:39,759 --> 00:34:42,439 your faith in? So for me, I could see it in my 606 00:34:42,439 --> 00:34:45,879 family, and that really helped me just to have that rest and 607 00:34:45,879 --> 00:34:48,179 that peace. but I understand there's 608 00:34:49,219 --> 00:34:54,059 potentially you, you, this is completely, this is a wacky thought that 609 00:34:54,059 --> 00:34:56,439 you can have that, that rest. 610 00:34:56,439 --> 00:34:58,398 and it's been, it, it's been great. 611 00:34:58,398 --> 00:35:01,259 It's been hard. Like, I look back and think, I was, I 612 00:35:01,259 --> 00:35:06,079 was again talking to Phil yesterday thinking, I could have, I could 613 00:35:06,079 --> 00:35:09,359 be almost retired by now, have this amazing pension. 614 00:35:09,359 --> 00:35:12,739 You know, it was a final salary pension, like a rare thing. 615 00:35:12,739 --> 00:35:14,199 Well, they don't exist anymore. 616 00:35:15,750 --> 00:35:19,980 Wouldn't have had the, you know, finished at 9 o'clock and finished 617 00:35:19,980 --> 00:35:22,249 at 5 o'clock and wouldn't get any calls from customers. 618 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:24,840 Yeah. So it's definitely 619 00:35:26,340 --> 00:35:29,720 you know, I do look back, but I can, I can put 620 00:35:29,720 --> 00:35:31,800 trust in that I've had a great time. 621 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,700 The people I've met in what I do now and the things 622 00:35:34,700 --> 00:35:36,620 I get to do is brilliant. 623 00:35:36,620 --> 00:35:39,980 But I did have to have that, that peace to know this 624 00:35:39,980 --> 00:35:41,160 was what I should do. 625 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:44,270 Yeah. Any regrets? Sometimes. 626 00:35:44,270 --> 00:35:46,949 Sometimes, yeah. Sometimes there are, you know. 627 00:35:46,949 --> 00:35:50,570 The beginning of this year was the hardest time I've had at 628 00:35:50,570 --> 00:35:54,270 business, you know. It was, it was like, God, this is hard. 629 00:35:54,270 --> 00:35:55,190 I need you to provide. 630 00:35:56,270 --> 00:36:00,130 And, yeah, he, he has provided and he is providing. 631 00:36:00,570 --> 00:36:02,470 but it's been hard. 632 00:36:02,470 --> 00:36:05,160 Yeah. Should we see if Ade's got any more thoughts? 633 00:36:05,610 --> 00:36:06,710 Now he's had time to think. 634 00:36:06,710 --> 00:36:08,850 Anything else, Ade? Oh yeah. 635 00:36:08,850 --> 00:36:10,640 I'm going to copy Dan actually. 636 00:36:13,229 --> 00:36:19,430 Similar move. After I graduated from uni with degrees in 637 00:36:19,430 --> 00:36:24,450 engineering and science, I went to work in research in a university 638 00:36:24,450 --> 00:36:28,300 in Ireland and absolutely loved what I did. 639 00:36:28,770 --> 00:36:31,530 It was really interesting. 640 00:36:31,530 --> 00:36:32,610 It was developing. It was going places. 641 00:36:34,450 --> 00:36:39,610 But in my heart, I just, I always knew that Ireland wasn't 642 00:36:39,610 --> 00:36:42,470 my home. Now, I moved there when I was 5, all of 643 00:36:42,470 --> 00:36:44,950 my family moved back, and I kind of figured I'd stick around. 644 00:36:45,929 --> 00:36:47,910 And whenever I came to the UK, I just had this peace 645 00:36:47,910 --> 00:36:49,630 that I never had when I was in Ireland. 646 00:36:50,530 --> 00:36:55,090 And so it was something for a long time I, you know 647 00:36:55,090 --> 00:37:00,502 I prayed about and kept an eye for opportunities, but randomly At 648 00:37:00,502 --> 00:37:01,464 the same time, I 649 00:37:03,307 --> 00:37:05,279 became fascinated in how the human body 650 00:37:06,016 --> 00:37:06,273 worked. 651 00:37:07,058 --> 00:37:09,816 Nothing to do with the engineering or the science I was involved 652 00:37:09,816 --> 00:37:14,176 in. I started, basically I got really into climbing. 653 00:37:14,352 --> 00:37:15,939 I started training to compete in climbing 654 00:37:16,917 --> 00:37:21,101 and then read textbooks on physiology and ended up sitting exams to 655 00:37:21,101 --> 00:37:23,666 become a strength coach and trainer and all this kind of stuff. 656 00:37:24,211 --> 00:37:24,996 But in the midst of it 657 00:37:25,990 --> 00:37:28,186 and I could feel, you know, all these different directions, I could 658 00:37:28,218 --> 00:37:30,783 feel the research trying to pulling me in more and get the 659 00:37:30,863 --> 00:37:34,450 university to fund my my further master's and PhD and all that 660 00:37:34,450 --> 00:37:35,220 kind of stuff. 661 00:37:36,630 --> 00:37:39,710 But there was something in me that just said no, even though 662 00:37:39,710 --> 00:37:42,290 this is kind of like, kind of, you know, your ideal dream 663 00:37:42,290 --> 00:37:47,370 thing. And I stuck to my guns, and before I knew it 664 00:37:47,370 --> 00:37:51,850 an opportunity opened to actually move to North Wales. 665 00:37:51,850 --> 00:37:56,250 I ended up winning a scholarship which had a fully funded stipend 666 00:37:56,250 --> 00:37:58,640 and all your fees paid to go to Bangor University. 667 00:37:59,350 --> 00:38:04,550 And it's not long after that I met Sonya, my now wife 668 00:38:04,550 --> 00:38:06,699 not in Wales, that's a different story. 669 00:38:07,950 --> 00:38:08,930 And yeah 670 00:38:09,700 --> 00:38:13,170 it's all of the things that have happened after that that have 671 00:38:13,170 --> 00:38:14,770 brought me to where I am now. 672 00:38:15,070 --> 00:38:21,870 And I mean, I never imagined I would be involved 673 00:38:21,870 --> 00:38:26,170 in an online church back then, with some things as innovative as 674 00:38:26,170 --> 00:38:29,970 Crowd Church.. But, if I hadn't taken that step, you know 675 00:38:29,970 --> 00:38:32,630 that, you know, that and many other things I've been involved in 676 00:38:32,630 --> 00:38:34,709 over the years, would never have happened. 677 00:38:34,830 --> 00:38:39,010 Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think I've got quite a few examples. 678 00:38:39,010 --> 00:38:42,630 Yeah, go on. But one that comes— it's one of the bigger 679 00:38:42,630 --> 00:38:44,110 ones that come to mind, I think. 680 00:38:44,110 --> 00:38:48,390 One was when I was pregnant with our first child and 681 00:38:48,390 --> 00:38:51,070 I was about to give up work, and I'd always wanted to 682 00:38:51,070 --> 00:38:54,450 be a full-time mom if I ever did have kids. 683 00:38:54,450 --> 00:38:57,670 I know that's not what everyone wants to do, that's fine 684 00:38:57,670 --> 00:38:59,930 but that's what we'd— and we felt that that was the right 685 00:38:59,930 --> 00:39:00,920 thing to do as well. 686 00:39:00,990 --> 00:39:03,869 We also had two lodgers at the time, but we needed one 687 00:39:03,869 --> 00:39:06,610 of their rooms. So we'd said to them, look, one of you 688 00:39:06,610 --> 00:39:08,250 can stay, but one of you is gonna have to go. 689 00:39:08,250 --> 00:39:11,790 And they decided they'd both go, possibly didn't want a screaming baby 690 00:39:11,790 --> 00:39:13,750 in the night in their ears. 691 00:39:13,870 --> 00:39:18,610 so we were losing my income and the income from the 692 00:39:18,610 --> 00:39:24,890 lodgers And then Matt's company got taken over by, somebody else 693 00:39:24,890 --> 00:39:28,810 and it just became really difficult. 694 00:39:29,070 --> 00:39:31,349 We weren't sure from one day to the next whether he was 695 00:39:31,349 --> 00:39:34,470 going to be promoted or fired, and it kept changing and swinging. 696 00:39:34,470 --> 00:39:35,660 It was just really difficult. 697 00:39:36,350 --> 00:39:42,650 so there was this possibility of losing all of our income 698 00:39:42,650 --> 00:39:46,510 as well. But, and it was, I mean, it was especially hard 699 00:39:46,510 --> 00:39:48,730 for Matt because he was having to go into work and it 700 00:39:48,730 --> 00:39:49,550 was just crazy there and all these things were happening, whereas 701 00:39:51,632 --> 00:39:52,947 I was a bit more removed from it. 702 00:39:53,540 --> 00:39:56,024 But even in all of that, there was just this sense of 703 00:39:56,665 --> 00:40:00,689 excitement and a bit of peace, like, okay, all of our current 704 00:40:00,689 --> 00:40:02,869 income is possibly going to just disappear. 705 00:40:03,558 --> 00:40:06,571 But we just had this sense God was going to do something. 706 00:40:07,244 --> 00:40:07,966 And then 707 00:40:08,767 --> 00:40:14,217 we unexpectedly got given loads of money by a friend who I 708 00:40:14,233 --> 00:40:18,032 think probably still wants to remain anonymous, which— it was completely out 709 00:40:18,064 --> 00:40:18,401 of the blue. 710 00:40:19,340 --> 00:40:24,390 And, that allowed Matt to resign from that company and then 711 00:40:24,390 --> 00:40:28,010 just work on his own company for the first year. 712 00:40:28,010 --> 00:40:30,910 Didn't get paid for quite a while, I can't remember how long. 713 00:40:31,470 --> 00:40:35,550 But again, that just felt very much like this is God's provision 714 00:40:35,550 --> 00:40:38,490 in this situation. It's like how he just lines the pieces up 715 00:40:38,490 --> 00:40:39,400 for you. 716 00:40:40,390 --> 00:40:43,810 yeah, I like that word you said there, exciting. 717 00:40:43,810 --> 00:40:45,030 It is, isn't it? 718 00:40:45,030 --> 00:40:49,839 Like Following Jesus is, it's, it's hard, but there's times like that 719 00:40:49,839 --> 00:40:52,479 where there is that, there's that peace. 720 00:40:52,620 --> 00:40:57,159 But I do think there's that excitement as well, that because if 721 00:40:57,159 --> 00:41:00,819 you get to know him and you get to know how big 722 00:41:00,819 --> 00:41:05,440 he is and what he can do, you can go, oh, what's 723 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:08,400 what's he got for me if this is where things are going? 724 00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:11,740 Yeah, yeah. But I, I think, like I said at the end 725 00:41:11,740 --> 00:41:16,839 it definitely there is that excitement element, but there's also that actually 726 00:41:16,839 --> 00:41:19,660 sometimes things can be really— yes, yeah, really tough. 727 00:41:19,660 --> 00:41:20,800 Yeah, in the middle of it. 728 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:24,740 And actually sometimes life can be made worse by following Jesus. 729 00:41:24,859 --> 00:41:28,760 In many ways it makes life better, like from that internal— yeah— 730 00:41:28,760 --> 00:41:32,210 sense of peace. But I guess I'm thinking of the extremes now 731 00:41:32,220 --> 00:41:36,280 like the people who, to— when they decide to follow Jesus, actually 732 00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:38,280 get ostracized from their families and 733 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:42,290 worse for some. Yeah, but yeah, there's all this stuff in the 734 00:41:42,290 --> 00:41:46,390 mix. Yeah, but ultimately God is good and he's generous. 735 00:41:48,630 --> 00:41:53,070 Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think, Ellis has said it can be 736 00:41:53,070 --> 00:41:55,770 difficult when you think you're behind or not where you should be 737 00:41:55,770 --> 00:41:58,110 but it's calming to know that God is in charge and we 738 00:41:58,110 --> 00:41:59,110 can trust in him. 739 00:41:59,110 --> 00:42:03,050 Yeah, again, I was talking with— this conversation I had with Phil 740 00:42:03,050 --> 00:42:06,060 yesterday is perfect for this talk— how 741 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:11,839 the structure that we have with education and stuff is very rigid 742 00:42:11,839 --> 00:42:14,380 isn't it? It's very like, you must be at this point by 743 00:42:14,380 --> 00:42:15,920 this year, you must be at this point. 744 00:42:16,199 --> 00:42:19,760 Doesn't have to be that way. 745 00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:22,060 And I think that does help to know that you can just 746 00:42:22,060 --> 00:42:27,140 put our trust in, in trusting God that something might take a 747 00:42:27,140 --> 00:42:28,040 bit, a bit longer. 748 00:42:28,920 --> 00:42:29,760 Yeah. Yeah. 749 00:42:32,230 --> 00:42:36,149 I think it as well, it's not just— although the, these verses 750 00:42:36,149 --> 00:42:39,970 are talking about physical provision, I don't think it's just about that 751 00:42:39,970 --> 00:42:44,530 either. Like, I go through these cycles of, being really happy 752 00:42:44,530 --> 00:42:47,190 with what I'm doing, and then these little niggles can just get 753 00:42:47,190 --> 00:42:51,650 in, of being like, oh, other people my age are CEOs 754 00:42:51,650 --> 00:42:54,090 of companies and doing this, that, and the other, and what am 755 00:42:54,090 --> 00:42:56,690 I doing? I know maybe I should go and study and get 756 00:42:56,690 --> 00:42:57,110 these 757 00:42:59,990 --> 00:43:04,340 get like more qualifications or— but when I start thinking like 758 00:43:04,340 --> 00:43:08,219 that, it's actually all about making myself look better. 759 00:43:08,559 --> 00:43:11,080 And then it's like when I kind of get a hold of 760 00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:12,469 myself and go, hang on, what are you doing? 761 00:43:13,240 --> 00:43:16,140 Like, re— readjust your focus here. 762 00:43:16,140 --> 00:43:17,320 Who does God say you are? 763 00:43:17,320 --> 00:43:19,640 When I start living out of who God says I am, it 764 00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:23,020 takes off that pressure to have to try and be something big 765 00:43:23,020 --> 00:43:27,280 and shiny. And it means I can just go, okay, God's given 766 00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:29,230 me these gifts to do 767 00:43:30,560 --> 00:43:33,380 so what things, what things can I study that are going to 768 00:43:33,380 --> 00:43:35,960 help me do this better so I can serve other people? 769 00:43:36,240 --> 00:43:40,280 And it's just a very different— it's just that slight, that shift 770 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:43,720 in focus is really releasing. 771 00:43:43,720 --> 00:43:48,780 Yeah. So it's like having that, that peace, that sense of identity 772 00:43:48,900 --> 00:43:51,580 that sense of security that comes from knowing Jesus. 773 00:43:52,030 --> 00:43:55,290 Can just shift all of the things that you do. 774 00:43:55,290 --> 00:43:57,669 And yeah, yeah, you— I wrote it down here, you said in 775 00:43:57,669 --> 00:43:59,709 your talk, you're already someone. 776 00:43:59,709 --> 00:44:03,490 Yeah, yeah. God says you're already someone, and the, the things you 777 00:44:03,490 --> 00:44:08,250 buy and the things you do aren't necessarily your identity. 778 00:44:08,250 --> 00:44:13,460 Yeah, you're someone before all that, over and above, above all that. 779 00:44:13,490 --> 00:44:15,270 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 780 00:44:15,270 --> 00:44:16,530 Any more thoughts from you, Ade? 781 00:44:20,220 --> 00:44:24,239 Yeah, just going back probably 5 minutes now, I just couldn't help 782 00:44:24,239 --> 00:44:28,169 but think of James 1:2 783 00:44:29,020 --> 00:44:32,900 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials 784 00:44:32,900 --> 00:44:36,460 of many kinds, because you know that testing of your faith produces 785 00:44:36,460 --> 00:44:40,540 perseverance." I don't like trials. 786 00:44:40,540 --> 00:44:43,820 I don't really kind of go, "Yay, trials." Me neither. 787 00:44:45,070 --> 00:44:46,890 I see the merit. 788 00:44:46,890 --> 00:44:49,489 I look back and I see how I've grown. 789 00:44:51,149 --> 00:44:55,770 And if I'm honest with myself, yeah, okay, it probably was worth 790 00:44:55,770 --> 00:44:56,820 it. 791 00:44:58,389 --> 00:45:03,330 But sufferings, and I say what we're going through right now is 792 00:45:03,330 --> 00:45:04,530 one of those 793 00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:10,930 but there's a greater plan to it. 794 00:45:11,380 --> 00:45:14,180 You know, we're all going to go through suffering at some point. 795 00:45:14,180 --> 00:45:19,659 You know, following Jesus is not a get-out-of-jail-free card to suffering. 796 00:45:19,659 --> 00:45:22,360 If anything, it invites it because you put a big target on 797 00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:26,510 your back for Satan to go and whack, play whack-a-mole with. 798 00:45:28,060 --> 00:45:32,900 But it changes you if you let it. 799 00:45:32,900 --> 00:45:36,180 If you just accept the situation you're in, hand it over to 800 00:45:36,180 --> 00:45:39,210 God, and not just kick and writhe against it, which, you know 801 00:45:39,210 --> 00:45:40,950 let's face it, we all do from time to time. 802 00:45:41,350 --> 00:45:46,510 But it produces perseverance, it produces character and depth that we would 803 00:45:46,510 --> 00:45:51,890 not have gotten. It produces strength that we wouldn't have if we 804 00:45:51,890 --> 00:45:55,080 hadn't gone through this and if our faith hadn't been tested. 805 00:45:56,130 --> 00:45:58,070 We just don't see it at the time. 806 00:45:58,470 --> 00:46:02,230 Yeah. In case there are people here who don't know your story 807 00:46:02,230 --> 00:46:03,350 are you happy to 808 00:46:04,120 --> 00:46:06,880 give a little gist of what's going on at the minute? 809 00:46:07,879 --> 00:46:14,080 sure. So, my wife 810 00:46:14,080 --> 00:46:19,720 has severe ME, and this means that she 811 00:46:20,440 --> 00:46:22,760 it's kind of a hard one to describe, but if you 812 00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:27,420 imagine never ever having any energy, and whenever you try and do 813 00:46:27,420 --> 00:46:31,730 something, you just want to collapse but you probably can't even do 814 00:46:31,730 --> 00:46:33,580 it anyway because you're that feeble. 815 00:46:33,850 --> 00:46:36,290 And over the last couple of years, I've watched, literally watched her 816 00:46:36,290 --> 00:46:40,930 waste away and, you know, watched her arms and legs look more 817 00:46:40,930 --> 00:46:45,790 like that of someone probably 30, 40 years older than her as 818 00:46:45,790 --> 00:46:47,600 she's not been able to move. 819 00:46:49,330 --> 00:46:52,710 And for a long time, I, you know, I just asked God 820 00:46:52,710 --> 00:46:56,610 why? You know, you've healed her in the past. 821 00:46:56,610 --> 00:46:58,970 You miraculously healed her back like 10 years ago. 822 00:46:58,970 --> 00:47:03,400 That was amazing. But why for this? 823 00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:07,609 And I still haven't got an answer to that. 824 00:47:08,620 --> 00:47:13,320 But I see how, and it's funny because the number of times 825 00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:17,020 people in the midweek community group tell us that we're, you know 826 00:47:17,020 --> 00:47:20,740 they find this, you know, completely inspiring what we do, how we 827 00:47:20,740 --> 00:47:21,800 just get on with it. 828 00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:25,410 I'm thinking, don't feel inspiring at all. 829 00:47:25,440 --> 00:47:26,420 Neither of us do. 830 00:47:26,970 --> 00:47:30,750 But we get a glimpse into the fact that yes, what we're 831 00:47:30,750 --> 00:47:32,250 going through is horrendous 832 00:47:34,029 --> 00:47:40,050 but those around us are drawing strength from it 833 00:47:40,050 --> 00:47:45,710 and inspiration and helping them, you know, view their situations and even 834 00:47:45,710 --> 00:47:48,640 kind of get through some of the things they're getting through. 835 00:47:49,970 --> 00:47:53,220 I, you know, I genuinely hope to God that my wife is 836 00:47:53,220 --> 00:47:58,329 healed and that this is a season and not a life sentence. 837 00:47:58,759 --> 00:48:02,040 But, you know, God heals in his grace and there's no guarantee 838 00:48:02,040 --> 00:48:06,640 he will. There are days when I think, how the heck am 839 00:48:06,640 --> 00:48:09,340 I going to be juggle being a full-time carer? 840 00:48:09,340 --> 00:48:11,000 I'm working full-time till I retire. 841 00:48:11,100 --> 00:48:13,660 You know, I'm in my 40s now and it's hard going. 842 00:48:13,660 --> 00:48:15,250 What about 50s and 60s? 843 00:48:15,640 --> 00:48:20,610 But I just cast that into the future. 844 00:48:20,610 --> 00:48:22,370 That's not today's problem. 845 00:48:22,370 --> 00:48:27,030 So far, God has met all of our needs, not all of 846 00:48:27,030 --> 00:48:31,790 our wants, because we want to see her healed, but we get 847 00:48:31,790 --> 00:48:36,690 through each day. We manage with what we have, and we, we 848 00:48:36,690 --> 00:48:41,650 try to find the happiness in the, in the small space 849 00:48:41,650 --> 00:48:45,450 that is our lives in comparison to before. 850 00:48:45,450 --> 00:48:46,970 Before, we were very active people. 851 00:48:47,250 --> 00:48:53,379 We were big into outdoor sports, we ran a 852 00:48:53,379 --> 00:48:58,279 strength coaching business part-time, we competed in weightlifting, we were very active 853 00:48:58,279 --> 00:49:03,260 in church with Christian charities, with music, all of that, that's all 854 00:49:03,260 --> 00:49:04,090 that's gone. 855 00:49:04,820 --> 00:49:11,060 And we try to quite often just find solace in going out 856 00:49:11,060 --> 00:49:15,560 into nature. And believe it or not, I actually started bird watching 857 00:49:15,560 --> 00:49:17,200 you know, got some binoculars. 858 00:49:17,200 --> 00:49:20,820 We live near RSPB and it just happens to be, it's mostly 859 00:49:20,820 --> 00:49:22,900 wheelchair friendly, so it's somewhere beautiful. 860 00:49:22,900 --> 00:49:24,810 It's in nature, it's quiet. 861 00:49:25,020 --> 00:49:27,460 And after going there a couple of times, I thought I should 862 00:49:27,460 --> 00:49:30,320 probably get some binoculars so we can actually see these birds. 863 00:49:30,320 --> 00:49:33,280 And I couldn't tell you what on earth they are, but there's 864 00:49:33,280 --> 00:49:37,560 something weirdly relaxing about watching birds. 865 00:49:37,560 --> 00:49:40,400 Now this coming from someone who would rather take a polystyrene board 866 00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:43,520 out in a storm and try and ride some waves, you know 867 00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:43,860 it's 868 00:49:44,659 --> 00:49:50,460 I'm surprising myself with, with this, but, yeah, there is something 869 00:49:50,460 --> 00:49:53,530 calming about it. Wow, it's Jesus' top recommendation. 870 00:49:54,020 --> 00:49:54,800 So there you go. 871 00:49:55,159 --> 00:49:57,920 I've got another question for you actually, Ade, if we've got time. 872 00:49:57,920 --> 00:50:03,200 Just— yeah, it's not strictly to do with this, talk, but 873 00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:05,500 I think it's one that's really relevant. 874 00:50:06,020 --> 00:50:10,400 So Ade, you were talking about all this stuff that you're going 875 00:50:10,400 --> 00:50:12,050 through and have been going through for ages 876 00:50:13,330 --> 00:50:16,040 and we're talking about this God of love, a God who's 877 00:50:16,040 --> 00:50:19,580 powerful, who could— who has healed Sonya in the past, could do 878 00:50:19,580 --> 00:50:20,400 it again. 879 00:50:21,660 --> 00:50:24,500 Like, many people at that point would have turned their backs on 880 00:50:24,500 --> 00:50:27,000 God and gone, I'm out, do you know what I mean? 881 00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:31,400 What keeps you going with God even though you know he could 882 00:50:31,400 --> 00:50:32,540 heal but he hasn't? 883 00:50:35,400 --> 00:50:37,200 I know there's no guarantees. 884 00:50:37,360 --> 00:50:38,800 I know he does it in his grace. 885 00:50:39,220 --> 00:50:42,080 I know in Genesis he handed over this planet to us and 886 00:50:42,080 --> 00:50:44,519 said, "Right, you guys have dominion over this. 887 00:50:44,519 --> 00:50:49,070 I'm staying out." I also think 888 00:50:49,999 --> 00:50:52,100 I mean, holding on to my faith is one thing that's helped 889 00:50:52,100 --> 00:50:54,249 me get through this. 890 00:50:56,280 --> 00:50:58,840 And do you know what? 891 00:50:58,840 --> 00:51:00,540 It makes me a better person. 892 00:51:01,000 --> 00:51:04,400 So even if I've got this completely wrong and when I die 893 00:51:04,400 --> 00:51:05,220 there's nothing 894 00:51:06,320 --> 00:51:10,550 or it's a mega party, everyone's invited, it's like spring break. 895 00:51:11,840 --> 00:51:18,180 But if I'm wrong and, you know, there is no God, I've 896 00:51:18,180 --> 00:51:21,339 been a nicer person in this life, and I have benefited from 897 00:51:21,339 --> 00:51:24,020 that in the relationships I've been able to have with people, as 898 00:51:24,020 --> 00:51:26,470 in people like nice people and not not nice people. 899 00:51:27,060 --> 00:51:29,920 I've had a peace that I wouldn't have had otherwise. 900 00:51:30,700 --> 00:51:33,800 So worst case scenario, you know what, this has actually helped with 901 00:51:33,800 --> 00:51:37,170 my existence on Earth right now. 902 00:51:37,870 --> 00:51:41,889 However, the other side of it, and I am right, well, in 903 00:51:41,889 --> 00:51:45,550 addition to all of this, I still know there's something far, far 904 00:51:45,550 --> 00:51:49,470 better and eternal after what we're going through now. 905 00:51:49,470 --> 00:51:51,950 And no matter how horrendous it gets right now 906 00:51:53,170 --> 00:51:57,310 this is a blink of an eye in comparison to infinity and 907 00:51:57,310 --> 00:51:57,960 beyond. 908 00:51:58,830 --> 00:52:00,490 Great. Yeah. 909 00:52:03,380 --> 00:52:07,800 well, thanks for that, Ade. 910 00:52:07,800 --> 00:52:10,240 we're, we're going to finish very soon. 911 00:52:10,299 --> 00:52:13,660 I think Matt's going to put the live lounge details up 912 00:52:13,660 --> 00:52:15,400 so if they're in the comments, so if you want to join 913 00:52:15,400 --> 00:52:19,260 us, afterwards for, for live lounge, just a bit more informal 914 00:52:19,260 --> 00:52:21,590 chat, then, then please do. 915 00:52:21,820 --> 00:52:25,960 I just want to finish with, with this from Alicia that 916 00:52:25,960 --> 00:52:27,560 we, we were talking about, but 917 00:52:28,459 --> 00:52:31,540 'Who does God say you are?' She says it's such a powerful 918 00:52:31,540 --> 00:52:35,870 perspective-giving question. I just want to put that out there. 919 00:52:36,140 --> 00:52:37,860 Who, who do you think God says you are? 920 00:52:37,900 --> 00:52:39,100 I mean, I would say 921 00:52:40,040 --> 00:52:44,040 you know, you're loved, you're precious, you're an amazing creation. 922 00:52:44,120 --> 00:52:47,140 But if you want to get to know this Jesus, you want 923 00:52:47,140 --> 00:52:50,340 to get to know who he thinks you are, how much he 924 00:52:50,340 --> 00:52:54,640 loves you, then just put it in the comments, get in touch 925 00:52:54,640 --> 00:52:57,390 with Crowd we'd love to tie him up. 926 00:52:57,390 --> 00:52:58,190 This is why we do it. 927 00:52:58,190 --> 00:53:01,449 This is why we do it, because we have a glimpse of 928 00:53:01,449 --> 00:53:04,849 what we think he is to us, and we want to share 929 00:53:04,849 --> 00:53:06,470 that glimpse with you. 930 00:53:06,990 --> 00:53:09,630 Yeah. Is there anything else you want to— No, no, that's a 931 00:53:09,630 --> 00:53:11,370 great point to end on, I think. 932 00:53:11,370 --> 00:53:14,790 Well, thank you very much for tuning in, and we will see 933 00:53:14,790 --> 00:53:15,750 you in Live Lounge. 934 00:53:15,770 --> 00:53:17,330 If not, we'll see you next week. 935 00:53:17,410 --> 00:53:18,940 Yeah, happy last.