1 00:00:00,792 --> 00:00:05,213 I believe God is more interested in you knowing his will and than you 2 00:00:05,213 --> 00:00:09,801 or I are like, if he created you for this, he's going to want you to know. 3 00:00:10,051 --> 00:00:13,013 But again, the hold up is our lack of surrender, 4 00:00:13,013 --> 00:00:15,265 and our lack of surrender comes from a lack of trust. 5 00:00:15,265 --> 00:00:20,145 And our lack of trust comes from a lack of just understanding God's character. 6 00:00:20,228 --> 00:00:22,814 He's a good God who's a good shepherd. 7 00:00:22,814 --> 00:00:24,482 He's got good plans for me. 8 00:00:29,946 --> 00:00:30,905 So Rick 9 00:00:30,905 --> 00:00:34,826 Rhodes, you've, served in missions in Grenada. 10 00:00:34,868 --> 00:00:39,914 You were in Asia for 11 years at IGO, and you're back in the States 11 00:00:39,914 --> 00:00:42,917 now doing a lot of Bible teaching and things like that. 12 00:00:43,334 --> 00:00:46,671 I'm guessing a lot of people know you from your sold out 13 00:00:46,671 --> 00:00:49,674 conference and, and other such things that you're involved in. 14 00:00:49,758 --> 00:00:52,719 But today there's there's this particular topic 15 00:00:52,719 --> 00:00:55,138 when we were messaging before this and figuring out 16 00:00:55,138 --> 00:00:56,723 what are we going to talk about in this podcast. 17 00:00:56,723 --> 00:01:01,728 And, one that came right up is about God's will and how do we find God's will. 18 00:01:02,020 --> 00:01:05,023 So I’d like to dive into that today and, 19 00:01:05,648 --> 00:01:08,401 probably just the first one is, you know, what is God's will? 20 00:01:08,401 --> 00:01:09,611 Let's define what we're talking about 21 00:01:09,611 --> 00:01:12,614 and anything else you'd like to say by way of introduction. 22 00:01:12,655 --> 00:01:12,947 Yeah. 23 00:01:12,947 --> 00:01:15,992 So, when I think of God's will, I think, of God's plan. 24 00:01:16,618 --> 00:01:18,995 So when we say I want to find God's will, 25 00:01:20,330 --> 00:01:21,623 what's his plan for me? 26 00:01:21,623 --> 00:01:24,626 So that's how I would define it. 27 00:01:25,168 --> 00:01:27,295 And it's a common question that comes up. 28 00:01:27,295 --> 00:01:28,880 So how do I know what God's will is? 29 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,423 How do I know what God wants me to do? 30 00:01:30,423 --> 00:01:32,467 So it's his plan for us. 31 00:01:32,467 --> 00:01:35,178 That's the, 32 00:01:35,178 --> 00:01:37,764 that's the terminology that I would put to it. 33 00:01:37,764 --> 00:01:40,016 And it's like, you hear about this all the time, right? 34 00:01:40,016 --> 00:01:42,352 I mean, people going to, they, you know, they got to figure this out. 35 00:01:42,352 --> 00:01:43,269 I got to, you know, 36 00:01:43,269 --> 00:01:46,272 or I'm putting, you know, put out a fleece or whatever, you know, so, 37 00:01:47,273 --> 00:01:51,319 okay, so then the obvious question in my mind is, how do I find it? 38 00:01:51,319 --> 00:01:53,279 Like, what's what's the secret sauce? 39 00:01:53,279 --> 00:01:55,240 What's the secret for all this? 40 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,243 So what I think is so interesting, this. 41 00:01:58,535 --> 00:02:02,247 So we label this and we say, I want to find God's will. 42 00:02:02,789 --> 00:02:04,624 And when you say you want to find something. 43 00:02:05,708 --> 00:02:06,084 Okay. You. 44 00:02:06,084 --> 00:02:09,045 So you're looking for it. 45 00:02:10,130 --> 00:02:13,800 But the I have, I have come to find for myself 46 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:17,512 is you don't find God's will for looking by looking for it. 47 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:20,723 You find it by submitting to it. 48 00:02:21,099 --> 00:02:24,102 In fact, I think that often, 49 00:02:24,352 --> 00:02:28,731 the conversation between myself or someone who's trying to find 50 00:02:28,731 --> 00:02:32,026 God's will in regards to a certain situation can be okay. God. 51 00:02:32,235 --> 00:02:34,279 God, what do you want me to do? 52 00:02:34,279 --> 00:02:35,155 God, I want to serve you. 53 00:02:35,155 --> 00:02:36,072 What do you want me to do? 54 00:02:36,072 --> 00:02:38,950 And, And then God says, 55 00:02:38,950 --> 00:02:41,494 well, are you willing? 56 00:02:41,494 --> 00:02:44,497 And then we're like, well, what do you want me to do? 57 00:02:45,081 --> 00:02:48,084 And then God says, are you willing? 58 00:02:48,126 --> 00:02:51,129 And then we're like, well, what do you want me to do? 59 00:02:51,462 --> 00:02:55,133 And what happens is, is we don't want to commit 60 00:02:55,633 --> 00:02:57,760 until we know what we're committing to. 61 00:03:00,013 --> 00:03:03,433 And I believe that is why this is such 62 00:03:04,767 --> 00:03:07,896 a needed topic to address because so many people struggle with it. 63 00:03:08,563 --> 00:03:10,982 Because we are going about it in the wrong way. 64 00:03:10,982 --> 00:03:12,192 We want to find God's will. 65 00:03:12,192 --> 00:03:13,651 So we say, God, what is it? 66 00:03:13,651 --> 00:03:16,654 And I'm going to wait to commit till I know what it is. 67 00:03:17,238 --> 00:03:21,284 Now, when we have that approach to it, and that perspective, 68 00:03:21,951 --> 00:03:24,954 we're trying to stay in charge. 69 00:03:25,205 --> 00:03:27,582 And we're saying, and the reason we won't commit 70 00:03:27,582 --> 00:03:30,585 before we know is, oh, what if I don't like it? 71 00:03:31,252 --> 00:03:34,422 What if what if God's will is some going 72 00:03:34,422 --> 00:03:36,758 some place doing something that I don't want to do? 73 00:03:36,758 --> 00:03:38,301 I don't want say yes to that. 74 00:03:38,301 --> 00:03:41,137 So with that mentality that, well, 75 00:03:41,137 --> 00:03:44,307 God, before you, before I commit, you got to tell me what it is. 76 00:03:44,974 --> 00:03:47,477 We're staying in charge. 77 00:03:47,477 --> 00:03:49,354 When Scripture says he's the shepherd. 78 00:03:50,355 --> 00:03:51,564 Sheep follow his sheep. 79 00:03:51,564 --> 00:03:53,149 I mean, sheep follow the shepherd. Right. 80 00:03:53,149 --> 00:03:55,485 So we're trying to stay in charge. 81 00:03:55,485 --> 00:03:58,613 And when we say we're not willing to commit till we know. 82 00:03:59,113 --> 00:04:00,907 So what are we going to do if we don't like it? 83 00:04:00,907 --> 00:04:02,575 We just do our own thing. 84 00:04:02,575 --> 00:04:06,037 So I believe you find God's will not by looking for it, 85 00:04:06,204 --> 00:04:10,583 but first by submitting to it and saying, yes, God, I'll do what you want me to do. 86 00:04:11,668 --> 00:04:13,628 And then 87 00:04:13,628 --> 00:04:17,382 the second step that follows that is being faithful. 88 00:04:18,091 --> 00:04:21,386 So the first, the first step, if I want to find God's will, 89 00:04:21,678 --> 00:04:24,681 I need to say, yes, God, I'll do it. 90 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,727 And then while I wait for the confirming of what it is. 91 00:04:29,727 --> 00:04:32,897 Because often that doesn't happen the same day you say, I'm willing. 92 00:04:33,064 --> 00:04:36,859 Sometimes it's a week later, sometimes it's a year, sometimes it's five years. 93 00:04:37,318 --> 00:04:39,028 What do you do in that meantime? 94 00:04:39,028 --> 00:04:40,071 And that can be the big question. 95 00:04:40,071 --> 00:04:42,031 So okay, I told God I'm willing to do whatever he wants. 96 00:04:42,991 --> 00:04:44,117 Now what I do while I wait. 97 00:04:44,117 --> 00:04:47,120 You're faithful. You're faithful. 98 00:04:47,370 --> 00:04:49,247 I am confident 99 00:04:49,247 --> 00:04:53,584 that these two steps in discerning God's will. 100 00:04:54,919 --> 00:04:59,924 Are right in, in, in to me, the only way to go about it. 101 00:05:00,216 --> 00:05:04,012 Because when is it wrong not to be submitted to God? 102 00:05:05,555 --> 00:05:07,473 Like, how can you go wrong in saying, God? 103 00:05:07,473 --> 00:05:08,224 I'll do whatever you want me to do. 104 00:05:08,224 --> 00:05:11,227 You can't. Right? Then the next one is. 105 00:05:11,853 --> 00:05:14,022 It's always right to be faithful. 106 00:05:14,022 --> 00:05:15,315 It's always right to be faithful. 107 00:05:15,315 --> 00:05:18,484 So when I take the approach to God, I'll do whatever you want me to do. 108 00:05:19,235 --> 00:05:22,530 And I'm going to be faithful where you have me now. 109 00:05:22,613 --> 00:05:25,616 What I'm doing now, you never going to go wrong. 110 00:05:25,616 --> 00:05:27,785 And God's a good communicator. 111 00:05:27,785 --> 00:05:29,495 So he he will show you. 112 00:05:29,495 --> 00:05:31,039 He will show you what's next. 113 00:05:31,039 --> 00:05:36,753 And then I believe that it's the peace of God that confirms his will. 114 00:05:37,295 --> 00:05:40,131 It's the peace of God that passes understanding. 115 00:05:40,131 --> 00:05:41,758 In fact, Paul says like this. 116 00:05:41,758 --> 00:05:44,802 Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. 117 00:05:45,261 --> 00:05:49,057 And the word rule is the same word for umpire. 118 00:05:50,183 --> 00:05:52,477 So an umpire at a softball 119 00:05:52,477 --> 00:05:55,688 game, he makes a final call if somebody is safe. 120 00:05:56,606 --> 00:05:59,192 You can slide into home and you think you're safe. 121 00:05:59,192 --> 00:06:03,279 The catcher thinks he tagged you in time, but nobody celebrates 122 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,616 until the ump makes the call, because that's the final call. 123 00:06:06,824 --> 00:06:12,455 And that's how that's what governs what I do, where I live, all that. 124 00:06:12,455 --> 00:06:13,581 It's the peace of God. 125 00:06:13,581 --> 00:06:16,584 So the peace of God rules in your heart, in your mind. 126 00:06:16,584 --> 00:06:19,796 And I don't think we get there without saying God. 127 00:06:20,004 --> 00:06:21,589 I'll do whatever you want me to do. 128 00:06:21,589 --> 00:06:24,717 So the way I came to this 129 00:06:25,218 --> 00:06:28,721 belief, this conviction that this is how you find 130 00:06:28,721 --> 00:06:31,724 God's will was just through my own struggle. 131 00:06:32,225 --> 00:06:35,311 I was teaching school in northern Minnesota, and, 132 00:06:35,853 --> 00:06:39,524 I had moved up there as 19, taught for a year, 133 00:06:39,524 --> 00:06:41,984 and then got married, and my wife and I taught together and, 134 00:06:41,984 --> 00:06:44,987 ended up being there for eight years before we went to Grenada on 135 00:06:45,071 --> 00:06:45,655 the mission field. 136 00:06:46,823 --> 00:06:49,075 But during that time, 137 00:06:49,075 --> 00:06:52,745 there came a time where I felt this burden to go to Grenada. 138 00:06:52,745 --> 00:06:56,499 We'd went there on water one summer between school years, my wife and I 139 00:06:56,499 --> 00:06:59,168 and and our daughter was a year old, then went to WATER and, 140 00:06:59,168 --> 00:07:02,130 and then we took a turn at SMBI a few years later. 141 00:07:02,130 --> 00:07:03,589 And the course, you went to Grenada again. 142 00:07:03,589 --> 00:07:06,259 So had another opportunity to be there and and really enjoyed it. 143 00:07:06,259 --> 00:07:09,178 And both those times we were asked to come back and serve, 144 00:07:09,178 --> 00:07:10,680 but we just didn't have a peace. 145 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,933 We felt called to northern Minnesota, to the mission church and school there 146 00:07:14,267 --> 00:07:19,272 and and then when winter began to feel this burden to, to go to Grenada 147 00:07:19,772 --> 00:07:22,859 and at first, like, you know, of course it's winter. 148 00:07:23,234 --> 00:07:25,778 Who's not going to dream of going to the Caribbean right now? 149 00:07:25,778 --> 00:07:26,737 Right? 150 00:07:26,737 --> 00:07:29,532 And let's just hang it on God's call right? 151 00:07:29,532 --> 00:07:30,324 Yeah. 152 00:07:30,324 --> 00:07:33,661 having visited northern Minnesota in the winter, I can understand. 153 00:07:33,661 --> 00:07:34,704 Yeah, yeah. So? 154 00:07:34,704 --> 00:07:36,706 So at first he's kind of dismissive, but just like that, 155 00:07:36,706 --> 00:07:38,791 it just stay there, like, feel like. 156 00:07:38,791 --> 00:07:43,212 Okay, so I told my wife, I said, honey, what if God's calling us to Grenada. 157 00:07:43,212 --> 00:07:46,591 And she was hesitant to get excited because she felt called to the foreign 158 00:07:46,883 --> 00:07:51,512 to foreign missions as a young girl and northern Minnesota's where she grew up. 159 00:07:51,512 --> 00:07:52,346 I moved up there. 160 00:07:52,346 --> 00:07:54,765 We get married and we're staying here. 161 00:07:54,765 --> 00:07:58,686 She had she had to wrestle with laying down her dreams and saying, 162 00:07:58,686 --> 00:08:02,023 okay, God, I'm willing to stay at home if this where you want us. 163 00:08:02,565 --> 00:08:05,568 So when I said I think God might be calling us to Grenada, 164 00:08:05,651 --> 00:08:07,695 she's kind of reserved, you know, get excited. 165 00:08:07,695 --> 00:08:10,865 But as we've been to pray about it, you know, is this what God wants to do? 166 00:08:11,699 --> 00:08:15,203 And it came to the place where I wanted to go, 167 00:08:16,245 --> 00:08:18,080 but I wanted to stay. 168 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,292 And I even remember making the statement, I wish, I wish I had two lives. 169 00:08:21,292 --> 00:08:24,295 God, I would give one to you here in Minnesota. 170 00:08:24,879 --> 00:08:27,882 It it was a mission school that was going to shut down. And 171 00:08:28,966 --> 00:08:31,969 in June, they found me. 172 00:08:32,053 --> 00:08:33,930 You know, I said, I'll come. And it was, 173 00:08:33,930 --> 00:08:36,933 you know, that's kind of a bizarre story, how that all came about. But, 174 00:08:37,517 --> 00:08:39,477 12 students, the basement of a church. 175 00:08:39,477 --> 00:08:40,311 I'm a 19 year old. 176 00:08:40,311 --> 00:08:41,354 They were crazy to hire me. 177 00:08:41,354 --> 00:08:43,523 And yet this, you know, this worked out. 178 00:08:43,523 --> 00:08:45,233 So we're there. The school. 179 00:08:45,233 --> 00:08:47,902 The school doesn't shut down. It grows. 180 00:08:47,902 --> 00:08:50,029 We're invested now. 181 00:08:50,029 --> 00:08:52,448 It feels hard to leave. Were needed there. 182 00:08:52,448 --> 00:08:53,658 So I didn't want to leave there. 183 00:08:53,658 --> 00:08:56,327 And yet I wanted to go to Grenada. The needs there. So. 184 00:08:56,327 --> 00:08:58,037 So what do we do? And I said, God, you know, 185 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:00,039 I'd give a life here. 186 00:09:00,039 --> 00:09:02,083 I'd give one there. But God said, no, I made one of you. 187 00:09:02,083 --> 00:09:04,585 That's plenty, you know. And that's how it is. 188 00:09:04,585 --> 00:09:08,422 God doesn't have two places where I'm to be serving him. 189 00:09:08,839 --> 00:09:11,509 So I am going to have to come. 190 00:09:11,509 --> 00:09:13,094 I'm gonna have to make a choice. 191 00:09:13,094 --> 00:09:16,430 And as I wrestled, I couldn't come to a peace, 192 00:09:17,515 --> 00:09:18,015 and I didn't. 193 00:09:18,015 --> 00:09:22,228 I didn't understand this, I hadn’t studied God's will and how to serve this. 194 00:09:22,228 --> 00:09:25,731 So one evening, I'll never forget this. 195 00:09:26,357 --> 00:09:29,610 I was taking water out to my chickens and little chicken house 196 00:09:29,694 --> 00:09:32,697 and walking through the trail in the snow, the bucket of water. 197 00:09:33,155 --> 00:09:36,158 And I just set the buckets down and I said, okay, God, 198 00:09:36,909 --> 00:09:39,161 whatever you want us to do, I'll do it. 199 00:09:39,161 --> 00:09:43,082 If it's Grenada, I'm willing to leave to trust you to take care of this school, 200 00:09:43,082 --> 00:09:43,833 this church. 201 00:09:43,833 --> 00:09:46,168 I'll go if you want us to stay here, 202 00:09:47,211 --> 00:09:50,006 you'll take care of Grenada, whatever it is. 203 00:09:50,006 --> 00:09:53,175 And when I said that, there was just a peace 204 00:09:53,467 --> 00:09:56,470 that came over me that it's going to be alright. 205 00:09:57,013 --> 00:10:00,141 And where God wants me to be, that's where I want to be. 206 00:10:00,349 --> 00:10:03,352 And if if we're leaving Minnesota, he'll take care of that. 207 00:10:03,352 --> 00:10:06,355 Or if it's not Grenada, he'll take care of that. 208 00:10:06,814 --> 00:10:09,817 And it was after I said yes 209 00:10:10,192 --> 00:10:14,322 that we got the peace as to what God had for us 210 00:10:14,905 --> 00:10:17,908 and what's, 211 00:10:19,118 --> 00:10:21,996 I think back to an earlier time in my life 212 00:10:21,996 --> 00:10:25,708 where I made a monumental commitment. 213 00:10:26,792 --> 00:10:31,422 I was 18, I was at the AC International Student Convention in Denton, Texas, 214 00:10:32,298 --> 00:10:36,677 and there was a a mission message that Daniel Howard preached that night. 215 00:10:37,345 --> 00:10:39,889 At the end of the message, he gave an invitation. 216 00:10:39,889 --> 00:10:44,602 If you're willing to go wherever God wants you to go, I invite you to come. 217 00:10:45,144 --> 00:10:47,897 And I knew in my heart as an 18 year old, that's what I want. 218 00:10:47,897 --> 00:10:50,483 God, I just want to do whatever you want me to do. 219 00:10:50,483 --> 00:10:52,902 I had no idea what it was, but I'm in. 220 00:10:52,902 --> 00:10:56,906 So I went forward that night and I said, God, I'll do whatever you want me to do. 221 00:10:57,239 --> 00:11:01,118 And I, in a sense, surrendered my future to God. 222 00:11:01,118 --> 00:11:01,994 I'm giving it to you. 223 00:11:03,162 --> 00:11:05,122 Hey, I had peace about that, you know? 224 00:11:05,122 --> 00:11:05,998 What do you do from there? 225 00:11:05,998 --> 00:11:08,417 You go back home and you continue doing what you were doing. 226 00:11:08,417 --> 00:11:10,711 It's like nothing really changed. 227 00:11:10,711 --> 00:11:13,923 But God knew in my heart that I was serious. 228 00:11:15,007 --> 00:11:18,010 And so God ordered my steps. 229 00:11:18,260 --> 00:11:22,306 And at that time, my dream was to go on gospel echoes 230 00:11:23,182 --> 00:11:26,143 travel and sing in in prisons. 231 00:11:26,560 --> 00:11:28,938 I love to sing, play guitar and 232 00:11:28,938 --> 00:11:31,982 play basketball with prisoners, witness like it's a ministry thing. 233 00:11:31,982 --> 00:11:34,151 And I wanted to do it. 234 00:11:34,151 --> 00:11:35,194 So that was my dream. 235 00:11:35,194 --> 00:11:37,947 So I come away from there, I put an application 236 00:11:37,947 --> 00:11:39,115 and this is going to happen. 237 00:11:39,115 --> 00:11:42,118 And I'm excited about this. And, 238 00:11:42,493 --> 00:11:44,537 but God had other plans. 239 00:11:44,537 --> 00:11:49,375 And what I have come to realize is, like some people say, 240 00:11:49,875 --> 00:11:52,128 to surrender to God, say, God will do whatever you want me to do. 241 00:11:52,128 --> 00:11:53,295 It's a sacrifice. 242 00:11:54,797 --> 00:11:57,800 But here's the trade off. 243 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:00,761 You can stay in charge of your life 244 00:12:01,011 --> 00:12:03,973 and make decisions, 245 00:12:03,973 --> 00:12:06,976 and your decisions are going to be made based on. 246 00:12:07,393 --> 00:12:09,895 You can look back to where you've come from in life, 247 00:12:09,895 --> 00:12:11,355 you know, okay, here's where I was born. 248 00:12:11,355 --> 00:12:14,358 Here's my past experiences where here's where I am now. 249 00:12:14,692 --> 00:12:18,863 And then as I make decisions in the future, I don't know what's ahead. 250 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:20,948 I don't know where my end is. 251 00:12:20,948 --> 00:12:23,993 I don't know all these things. But. 252 00:12:24,410 --> 00:12:25,244 So that's how I look at 253 00:12:25,244 --> 00:12:28,247 we look at our life from where we are now to the future, not knowing. 254 00:12:29,415 --> 00:12:30,958 That's our perspective. 255 00:12:30,958 --> 00:12:33,961 If we stay in charge, God's perspective is this 256 00:12:33,961 --> 00:12:36,964 he looks at our lives from the end, back to beginning. 257 00:12:37,131 --> 00:12:39,884 God formed us. 258 00:12:39,884 --> 00:12:42,970 He knew us before we were born or, Jeremiah, you know, 259 00:12:42,970 --> 00:12:46,932 before you formed, I knew you, he knows my whole life. 260 00:12:47,224 --> 00:12:50,686 And he's looking at my life from the end, back to the beginning. 261 00:12:50,895 --> 00:12:53,564 So he sees what's ahead of me. 262 00:12:53,564 --> 00:12:57,443 So do I want to be in charge and tell God what I'm going to do 263 00:12:58,527 --> 00:13:00,863 or do I want to say, God, you 264 00:13:00,863 --> 00:13:04,617 who created me, you who know my end from the beginning. 265 00:13:05,242 --> 00:13:07,912 I just want you to order my steps. 266 00:13:07,912 --> 00:13:09,830 To me, that's a no brainer. 267 00:13:09,830 --> 00:13:13,334 And when when I look at my life in that way, saying 268 00:13:14,126 --> 00:13:16,504 God, you just order my steps. 269 00:13:16,504 --> 00:13:18,798 He will, he will. 270 00:13:18,798 --> 00:13:19,799 So what? 271 00:13:19,799 --> 00:13:22,510 To me, what was just amazing 272 00:13:22,510 --> 00:13:24,720 is God never let me go on Gospel Echoes. 273 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:25,888 That's a dream I had. 274 00:13:25,888 --> 00:13:29,517 I think it's a good dream, but God never let me do it because he knew 275 00:13:29,517 --> 00:13:33,604 as a 19 year old, I wasn't ready to be on a stage. 276 00:13:34,230 --> 00:13:37,358 He knew my he knew my struggle with pride. 277 00:13:38,067 --> 00:13:42,154 And if if I would have, maybe I couldn't handle, I don't know. 278 00:13:42,238 --> 00:13:45,241 So instead of letting me go on gospel echoes, 279 00:13:45,241 --> 00:13:48,202 he sent me to the basement of a church 280 00:13:48,202 --> 00:13:53,582 in northern Minnesota, where it's winter, 12 months of the year. 281 00:13:53,582 --> 00:13:54,416 It seems like, 282 00:13:55,835 --> 00:13:58,838 where I was, you know, I'm doing a 283 00:13:58,921 --> 00:14:01,215 with with 12 students who, you know, 284 00:14:01,215 --> 00:14:04,218 the morale of the school wasn't good. It, 285 00:14:04,718 --> 00:14:06,762 it was a hard job, 286 00:14:06,762 --> 00:14:09,765 and I needed to be faithful there. 287 00:14:10,599 --> 00:14:12,601 Eight years there, it brought. 288 00:14:12,601 --> 00:14:15,604 Then God called us to Grenada. 289 00:14:15,771 --> 00:14:18,315 And as we were to go to Grenada, it's like, oh, 290 00:14:18,315 --> 00:14:22,778 these eight years prepared me to do what we did in Grenada. 291 00:14:23,279 --> 00:14:26,282 So we're going to Grenada and, 292 00:14:27,157 --> 00:14:30,160 we're there in Grenada for four years. 293 00:14:30,369 --> 00:14:31,954 Four years in Grenada 294 00:14:31,954 --> 00:14:36,333 prepared us for 11 years in Thailand with the work of IGO, 295 00:14:36,834 --> 00:14:39,753 being a missionary pastor on the foreign field. 296 00:14:39,753 --> 00:14:43,173 When Val came to us in, 2003 297 00:14:43,173 --> 00:14:46,802 and he told me his vision for IGO, and would you be my assistant, help us start, 298 00:14:47,469 --> 00:14:50,306 the first thing I told Val is I said, well, 299 00:14:50,306 --> 00:14:52,391 I've said I'm not going to Asia because everybody's going to Asia. 300 00:14:52,391 --> 00:14:54,810 Back in early 2000, that was a place to go. Yes. 301 00:14:54,810 --> 00:14:56,145 Right, right. 302 00:14:56,145 --> 00:14:59,982 And I had told my wife, I told people I'm not going to Asia. 303 00:14:59,982 --> 00:15:02,985 So that's the first thing Val, Val I’m not going to Asia. 304 00:15:03,402 --> 00:15:06,405 But then I said right away, because in my heart, this is 305 00:15:06,822 --> 00:15:10,117 this is the perspective that I live out of. 306 00:15:10,367 --> 00:15:11,660 If God wants us there, we'll be there. 307 00:15:12,661 --> 00:15:14,705 And when he shared his vision of training 308 00:15:14,705 --> 00:15:17,791 young people in missions, like, I couldn't help but get excited. 309 00:15:18,417 --> 00:15:21,629 And I drove back from the ministers meeting 310 00:15:21,629 --> 00:15:24,757 where Val and I were and where he asked me, and told my wife, 311 00:15:25,591 --> 00:15:30,554 and it was just like, yes, this is this is what God wants us to do. 312 00:15:30,554 --> 00:15:33,724 And it was that peace of God that passes understanding. 313 00:15:33,724 --> 00:15:35,351 He's like, just confirmed it. 314 00:15:35,351 --> 00:15:38,354 We never been to Thailand, never been to Asia. 315 00:15:38,479 --> 00:15:41,482 We committed to going there without ever having been there. 316 00:15:42,816 --> 00:15:44,985 So when we flew there in October 317 00:15:44,985 --> 00:15:49,198 of 2006 with Val, like it was first time, had never been there. Wow. 318 00:15:49,365 --> 00:15:54,203 That's a lot of there's a thread here of just, trusting, right? 319 00:15:54,203 --> 00:15:57,206 Like trust and faith and. Oh, my. Yeah. 320 00:15:57,247 --> 00:16:01,043 And that is and and as people think about discerning 321 00:16:01,043 --> 00:16:05,381 God's will and finding that to me, that's got to be the underlying. 322 00:16:05,381 --> 00:16:07,758 Our basis is a trust in God. 323 00:16:07,758 --> 00:16:09,843 God's my creator. 324 00:16:09,843 --> 00:16:11,512 He knows who I am. 325 00:16:11,512 --> 00:16:13,514 I can trust him with my future. 326 00:16:13,514 --> 00:16:16,517 And so when we went to Thailand, 327 00:16:16,850 --> 00:16:19,478 in being there, I would look back on my life. 328 00:16:19,478 --> 00:16:22,731 You see, that's why he had us in Grenada. 329 00:16:22,898 --> 00:16:24,608 That's why Minnesota. 330 00:16:24,608 --> 00:16:29,530 That's why I was in the school in the in the family setting in Iowa growing up. 331 00:16:29,655 --> 00:16:35,202 And and as I look back on my life, it makes sense as to where God has me now. 332 00:16:36,453 --> 00:16:39,456 But if I stay in charge. 333 00:16:40,749 --> 00:16:43,335 I don't know the steps ahead. 334 00:16:43,335 --> 00:16:45,879 And, And the reality is, 335 00:16:45,879 --> 00:16:48,882 is how much can we really stay in charge of our lives? 336 00:16:48,882 --> 00:16:50,426 You know, I can pick where I'm going to live. 337 00:16:50,426 --> 00:16:51,677 I can pick what I'm going to do. 338 00:16:51,677 --> 00:16:54,680 But there's so many things that are out of our control in life. 339 00:16:55,764 --> 00:16:57,516 And when we 340 00:16:57,516 --> 00:17:00,519 when we try to keep the controls in our life, 341 00:17:01,812 --> 00:17:04,815 we bear the weight 342 00:17:04,982 --> 00:17:06,525 of our decision. 343 00:17:06,525 --> 00:17:09,528 So it's a big deal to move my family 344 00:17:09,987 --> 00:17:13,032 from northern Minnesota to the island of Grenada. 345 00:17:14,783 --> 00:17:17,786 What if it doesn't go well there? 346 00:17:19,079 --> 00:17:21,957 That makes us really wrestle. 347 00:17:21,957 --> 00:17:24,960 Okay, at least I know Minnesota. 348 00:17:25,502 --> 00:17:26,503 I don't know Grenada. 349 00:17:26,503 --> 00:17:29,256 I mean, a little bit, but what's it going to be like for our family there? How? 350 00:17:29,256 --> 00:17:31,467 You know, so you wrestle with that? 351 00:17:32,676 --> 00:17:35,179 And that's what causes us to wrestle with God's will because we're trying 352 00:17:35,179 --> 00:17:38,182 to make a decision, figuring out what is best 353 00:17:38,682 --> 00:17:41,060 and we're staying in charge. 354 00:17:41,060 --> 00:17:45,481 But when we say you submit, it's saying, okay, God, you're in charge. 355 00:17:45,481 --> 00:17:47,441 You know what's best for my family. 356 00:17:47,441 --> 00:17:48,776 I'll do what you want me to do. 357 00:17:48,776 --> 00:17:51,779 And then we're just faithful where we're at. 358 00:17:52,362 --> 00:17:55,365 To me, that's the secret of finding God's will. 359 00:17:56,325 --> 00:17:59,578 And then what happens is, when we get to Grenada 360 00:17:59,578 --> 00:18:02,998 and it gets hard, it's not like, why did I pick this? 361 00:18:03,540 --> 00:18:05,876 It's like, okay, God, you led us here. 362 00:18:05,876 --> 00:18:07,086 You got to get us through this. 363 00:18:07,086 --> 00:18:09,338 You got to, because it's on God. 364 00:18:09,338 --> 00:18:13,717 My my plans where I am now is on God, not on me. 365 00:18:14,009 --> 00:18:15,094 And that's how it should be. 366 00:18:16,386 --> 00:18:18,430 I'll let God deal with... 367 00:18:18,430 --> 00:18:20,432 You take responsibility for where you have me. 368 00:18:20,432 --> 00:18:21,725 I'm going to be faithful where I'm at. 369 00:18:21,725 --> 00:18:22,392 You're in charge. 370 00:18:22,392 --> 00:18:24,978 God, it's like driving a car. 371 00:18:24,978 --> 00:18:26,855 If I'm at the wheel, I'm responsible. 372 00:18:26,855 --> 00:18:28,982 I got to know which turns to make. I got to drive. 373 00:18:28,982 --> 00:18:31,985 See if I got to navigate all this 374 00:18:32,319 --> 00:18:33,612 and that. 375 00:18:33,612 --> 00:18:35,697 It's. It's on me. 376 00:18:35,697 --> 00:18:37,825 But when I don't know the future 377 00:18:37,825 --> 00:18:40,577 and God does, why not just let him 378 00:18:40,577 --> 00:18:41,370 take the wheel. 379 00:18:41,370 --> 00:18:44,748 And I'll sit beside him and say, okay, God, you just take me to where I want to 380 00:18:44,748 --> 00:18:49,837 be. And I have found that God just knows what he's doing way better than I do. 381 00:18:50,337 --> 00:18:52,548 So that's kind of my, 382 00:18:52,548 --> 00:18:56,009 my testimony and, and, you know, so now we're we have moved to 383 00:18:56,093 --> 00:18:57,511 to Reading, Pennsylvania in December 384 00:18:57,511 --> 00:19:00,848 will be seven years since we're here doing full time ministry here. 385 00:19:01,390 --> 00:19:04,101 And I look back and God used the time 386 00:19:04,101 --> 00:19:07,062 in Thailand to prepare us for what we're doing now. 387 00:19:07,729 --> 00:19:11,108 And as I look back through my life, I'm just so grateful 388 00:19:11,567 --> 00:19:15,028 that as an 18 year old, I said, yes, God, to whatever you want. 389 00:19:15,362 --> 00:19:16,905 And I didn't know what it was going to be. 390 00:19:19,074 --> 00:19:20,784 But God ordered my steps. 391 00:19:20,784 --> 00:19:24,371 And even though I didn't know, like, here's a secret to finding God's will 392 00:19:24,955 --> 00:19:27,708 when I continue to come back to the surrender, 393 00:19:27,708 --> 00:19:30,294 God always led, God always led. 394 00:19:30,294 --> 00:19:33,547 he's a good shepherd. And I can trust him. 395 00:19:33,839 --> 00:19:37,676 And so his faithfulness as you look back is just so affirming. 396 00:19:38,260 --> 00:19:42,014 And I think one of the reasons that that people can wrestle with 397 00:19:43,390 --> 00:19:46,226 living with passion, 398 00:19:46,226 --> 00:19:47,936 is because 399 00:19:47,936 --> 00:19:50,939 they're not confident they're where God wants them. 400 00:19:51,106 --> 00:19:53,442 And it's hard to be passionate when you don't know if you are 401 00:19:53,442 --> 00:19:56,445 where God wants you to be and you're doing what he wants you to to do. 402 00:19:56,862 --> 00:19:59,865 And when you try to stay in charge, you're not going to have that 403 00:20:00,616 --> 00:20:02,075 that confidence. 404 00:20:02,075 --> 00:20:04,995 But when you surrender, say, okay God, up to you, 405 00:20:04,995 --> 00:20:07,164 I'll go wherever you want me to do, I’ll go wherever you want me to go. 406 00:20:07,164 --> 00:20:08,290 I'll do whatever you want me to do. 407 00:20:09,541 --> 00:20:11,084 And then 408 00:20:11,084 --> 00:20:14,004 while I wait, I'm going to be faithful. 409 00:20:14,004 --> 00:20:15,714 You can just have a rest. There's a rest in that. 410 00:20:15,714 --> 00:20:20,177 And you're free to be confident and passionate about about what he's doing. 411 00:20:20,636 --> 00:20:22,054 So that's. 412 00:20:22,054 --> 00:20:23,805 hmhmm 413 00:20:23,805 --> 00:20:26,934 the, the angle of submission 414 00:20:26,934 --> 00:20:29,978 being step one essentially I really I really like that. 415 00:20:29,978 --> 00:20:32,439 I don't know if I've heard it phrased quite like that before. 416 00:20:32,439 --> 00:20:34,066 And that's, that's really powerful. 417 00:20:34,066 --> 00:20:37,694 There's another one I had heard, when you think of like, faithfulness while we're, 418 00:20:37,694 --> 00:20:41,657 while we're submitted and waiting, it's kind of like patience is figuring out 419 00:20:41,990 --> 00:20:44,993 what to do in the meantime while you wait, you know, almost or something like that. 420 00:20:44,993 --> 00:20:46,119 You know, I mean, that's I'm not 421 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:50,666 maybe that's not perfectly in line, but that's, that sense there. 422 00:20:50,666 --> 00:20:53,877 And at the same time, acknowledging that that's hard 423 00:20:54,127 --> 00:20:55,671 in, you know. 424 00:20:55,671 --> 00:20:58,632 So as we as we think about this, right, 425 00:20:58,882 --> 00:21:02,344 as we've talked about submission and faithfulness and trusting God, 426 00:21:02,970 --> 00:21:05,681 well, let's, let's look at this from a different angle. 427 00:21:05,681 --> 00:21:09,017 What are some common misconceptions people have about God's will? 428 00:21:09,017 --> 00:21:12,020 Because you will hear a lot of different opinions about this. 429 00:21:12,187 --> 00:21:14,731 So yeah, I'd love to hear you address some of those. Yes. 430 00:21:14,731 --> 00:21:16,024 And a great question for this. 431 00:21:16,024 --> 00:21:18,652 So what are common misconceptions? 432 00:21:18,652 --> 00:21:21,488 The first one that comes to my mind is that God doesn't want me to know it, 433 00:21:23,031 --> 00:21:23,949 because this is 434 00:21:23,949 --> 00:21:27,828 something that so many of us wrestle with. 435 00:21:27,995 --> 00:21:29,371 And whenever there's a big decision, 436 00:21:29,371 --> 00:21:31,915 we want to make sure we make the right decision. God, what is it? 437 00:21:31,915 --> 00:21:35,085 And because we want to know 438 00:21:35,085 --> 00:21:38,088 before we commit, it makes it harder. 439 00:21:38,797 --> 00:21:42,175 So, one of the misconception we have is God doesn't really want me to know. 440 00:21:42,801 --> 00:21:44,094 And that's wrong. 441 00:21:44,094 --> 00:21:47,389 Like if God created you and I believe he did. 442 00:21:48,181 --> 00:21:50,434 And if you are unique, there's no one else like you. 443 00:21:50,434 --> 00:21:53,979 And that's true, then surely God has plans for you. 444 00:21:54,479 --> 00:21:56,898 Like God doesn't work through chance, through accidents. 445 00:21:56,898 --> 00:22:00,694 So if God created one, me, he does everything with a purpose. 446 00:22:00,694 --> 00:22:02,362 Then he's got plans for me. 447 00:22:02,362 --> 00:22:04,740 So why doesn't he just tell me what he wants me to do? 448 00:22:05,782 --> 00:22:09,369 The holdup isn't in God's lack of ability to communicate. 449 00:22:09,369 --> 00:22:11,204 God is a good communicator? 450 00:22:11,204 --> 00:22:14,207 The holdup, I believe, most times, 451 00:22:14,333 --> 00:22:17,336 is in our lack of surrender. 452 00:22:17,419 --> 00:22:21,006 So the first misconception I see is people thinking, God. 453 00:22:21,381 --> 00:22:23,383 God does want me to know. And. 454 00:22:23,383 --> 00:22:28,722 And because unless we come to a place of surrender, often 455 00:22:28,722 --> 00:22:31,725 we don't find it. 456 00:22:31,808 --> 00:22:34,227 And I have this saying that 457 00:22:34,227 --> 00:22:37,230 I think summarizes this topic. 458 00:22:37,272 --> 00:22:40,275 Those who try to find God's will for their life 459 00:22:40,609 --> 00:22:43,612 usually spend their life trying to find God's will. 460 00:22:44,237 --> 00:22:45,405 Let me say it again. 461 00:22:45,405 --> 00:22:49,076 Those who try to find God's will for their life 462 00:22:49,785 --> 00:22:52,412 usually spend their life trying to find God's will. 463 00:22:52,412 --> 00:22:54,790 And that's out of this picture of God. 464 00:22:54,790 --> 00:22:56,750 What do you want me to do with my life? 465 00:22:56,750 --> 00:22:59,836 And very few times does God say, okay, here's your life. 466 00:23:00,379 --> 00:23:03,382 What God does do is he gives us the next step. 467 00:23:03,799 --> 00:23:07,344 So when when the peace of God confirmed that, yeah, I, 468 00:23:07,969 --> 00:23:09,346 I can go to Minnesota and teach school. 469 00:23:10,389 --> 00:23:13,392 I had no idea it was eight years okay. 470 00:23:14,684 --> 00:23:17,270 God didn't tell me that, 471 00:23:17,270 --> 00:23:20,273 I didn't know that Grenada was only four years. 472 00:23:20,941 --> 00:23:22,401 And that after that would be Thailand. 473 00:23:22,401 --> 00:23:24,111 I didn't know those things. 474 00:23:24,111 --> 00:23:26,530 And God, God just gives us a step at a time. 475 00:23:26,530 --> 00:23:29,032 So when we say, God, what's your will for my life? 476 00:23:29,032 --> 00:23:31,076 And we try to find God's will for our life, 477 00:23:31,076 --> 00:23:34,538 usually we spend our life trying to find God's will in yeah. 478 00:23:34,538 --> 00:23:37,457 It's almost like you're looking for like, where's the checklist? 479 00:23:37,457 --> 00:23:40,460 Or, you know, show me a chart or something. 480 00:23:40,585 --> 00:23:43,672 And that's not really what you're saying is the case here. 481 00:23:43,755 --> 00:23:43,922 Yeah. 482 00:23:43,922 --> 00:23:46,925 So, so to me, that's a common misconception is, 483 00:23:47,134 --> 00:23:50,554 you know, God doesn't want me to know, or I need to find God's will for my life. 484 00:23:50,554 --> 00:23:52,722 He just shows a step at a time. 485 00:23:52,722 --> 00:23:53,765 Another one is. 486 00:23:53,765 --> 00:23:55,559 Well, God doesn't have plans for me. 487 00:23:55,559 --> 00:23:57,936 They're special people that God does. 488 00:23:57,936 --> 00:23:59,104 You know, when I look at 489 00:23:59,104 --> 00:24:01,731 when I look at it, think about the topic Finding God's will. 490 00:24:01,731 --> 00:24:05,360 I look at the story of Moses, great story on how God had a plan for him 491 00:24:05,569 --> 00:24:07,988 and how God ordered his steps. 492 00:24:07,988 --> 00:24:11,324 You know, he supposed to be thrown to the crocodiles in the Nile River. 493 00:24:12,242 --> 00:24:15,954 Why did his mom think I can put him in a boat in the river? 494 00:24:16,121 --> 00:24:17,706 And he's going to survive that? 495 00:24:17,706 --> 00:24:20,041 That's wild right? Yeah. 496 00:24:20,041 --> 00:24:23,628 How does it work out that Pharaoh's daughter comes to the river 497 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:27,591 at that time, and he's in there crying like 498 00:24:28,508 --> 00:24:31,219 God is in that story. So 499 00:24:32,888 --> 00:24:33,472 what we can tend to 500 00:24:33,472 --> 00:24:36,475 say is, well, that was Moses. 501 00:24:36,558 --> 00:24:39,019 But I find that way in everybody in Scripture 502 00:24:39,019 --> 00:24:42,898 that God was working through, like God ordered their steps. 503 00:24:43,106 --> 00:24:46,151 And Moses was just an an ordinary 504 00:24:46,151 --> 00:24:49,112 baby who God used. 505 00:24:49,321 --> 00:24:50,906 David. 506 00:24:50,906 --> 00:24:53,492 Just an ordinary 507 00:24:53,492 --> 00:24:56,495 young shepherd boy that God used, 508 00:24:56,828 --> 00:24:59,372 I think a Paul 509 00:24:59,372 --> 00:25:00,457 like. 510 00:25:00,457 --> 00:25:02,292 And we're we're no different from them. 511 00:25:02,292 --> 00:25:03,585 We're ordinary people. 512 00:25:03,585 --> 00:25:05,295 And that's that's all God has. 513 00:25:05,295 --> 00:25:07,255 That's what God uses. 514 00:25:07,255 --> 00:25:10,800 So some people think that God doesn't have a plan for it's not true. 515 00:25:11,176 --> 00:25:13,094 God's got plans for every one of us. 516 00:25:13,094 --> 00:25:15,847 So to me that would be a misconception that God doesn't have a plan for me. 517 00:25:15,847 --> 00:25:17,599 The other one, and this is a big one, 518 00:25:17,599 --> 00:25:19,476 and this is where it can get to be in debates. 519 00:25:19,476 --> 00:25:21,811 And I used to be more argumentative on debating this, 520 00:25:23,104 --> 00:25:23,647 and that 521 00:25:23,647 --> 00:25:26,650 is that God's will is like a smorgasbord. 522 00:25:27,484 --> 00:25:30,403 You can choose what you want. 523 00:25:30,403 --> 00:25:31,363 Okay. Yeah. 524 00:25:31,363 --> 00:25:34,699 So and this I think this is probably the more popular one. 525 00:25:34,699 --> 00:25:35,534 Yeah. 526 00:25:35,534 --> 00:25:39,579 And I used to say, you know, smorgasbord or specific will? 527 00:25:39,579 --> 00:25:42,457 And I, I knew God had specific plans for me. 528 00:25:42,457 --> 00:25:43,542 So I championed this one. 529 00:25:43,542 --> 00:25:47,337 And I'm going to argue the smorgasbord when, I don't really argue that anymore. 530 00:25:47,796 --> 00:25:48,588 Here's my approach. 531 00:25:48,588 --> 00:25:51,341 Well, first, let me talk about the smorgasbord. 532 00:25:51,341 --> 00:25:55,512 So the the view that God's will is like a smorgasbord. 533 00:25:55,512 --> 00:25:59,641 I can pick and choose and and God blesses as I choose. 534 00:25:59,641 --> 00:26:01,810 Well, okay. 535 00:26:01,810 --> 00:26:04,771 Here's why I think that's a misconception. 536 00:26:05,397 --> 00:26:07,983 You never find that in Scripture. 537 00:26:07,983 --> 00:26:11,945 God never called somebody and said, up to you. 538 00:26:13,780 --> 00:26:16,449 I just need somebody to do something. 539 00:26:16,449 --> 00:26:20,203 No, God tells Jonah, I want you to go to Nineveh to preach to him. 540 00:26:20,370 --> 00:26:21,997 He don't want to go. Okay. That's fine. 541 00:26:21,997 --> 00:26:22,497 No, no. 542 00:26:22,497 --> 00:26:23,498 You know, God calls Moses. 543 00:26:23,498 --> 00:26:26,209 I want you to go back to Egypt to lead my people out. 544 00:26:26,209 --> 00:26:28,503 Moses doesn't want to do it. 545 00:26:28,503 --> 00:26:33,508 And when Moses gives God these excuses, you know I can't speak good. 546 00:26:33,508 --> 00:26:35,885 Okay, I'll have Aaron speak for you. You know they won't believe me, okay? 547 00:26:35,885 --> 00:26:37,012 It gives you signs. 548 00:26:37,012 --> 00:26:38,013 I can't speak good. 549 00:26:38,013 --> 00:26:40,265 You know, he has all these excuses. 550 00:26:40,265 --> 00:26:42,976 Then finally, he just tells God, send somebody else. 551 00:26:42,976 --> 00:26:46,730 Now, if I'm God and I've got somebody that's supposed to go back into a job 552 00:26:46,730 --> 00:26:48,607 and they make excuses, I give them 553 00:26:48,607 --> 00:26:52,861 miraculous signs to show the people, and they still say, send somebody else. 554 00:26:52,861 --> 00:26:56,072 I'd be like, fine, Moses, stay in the desert, chase your sheep around. 555 00:26:56,448 --> 00:26:59,117 I will get somebody else who wants to be there. 556 00:26:59,117 --> 00:27:02,120 But instead of that, God got angry at Moses. 557 00:27:02,203 --> 00:27:03,079 He said, go! 558 00:27:04,456 --> 00:27:07,459 Why? Moses was a man for the job. 559 00:27:07,500 --> 00:27:09,169 God had created him for that job. 560 00:27:09,169 --> 00:27:13,340 So when it comes to a smorgasbord, I find no support for that in Scripture. 561 00:27:14,215 --> 00:27:16,885 And what I find is contrary 562 00:27:16,885 --> 00:27:20,221 to the scriptural principles of God. 563 00:27:20,221 --> 00:27:22,182 Being a shepherd, 564 00:27:22,182 --> 00:27:23,808 a shepherd leads his sheep. 565 00:27:23,808 --> 00:27:26,436 The smorgasbord I'm leading. 566 00:27:26,436 --> 00:27:29,439 I'm saying, God, this is where I'm going to serve you. 567 00:27:29,648 --> 00:27:32,275 This is what I'm going to do now. Bless me. 568 00:27:32,275 --> 00:27:34,444 I don't find that in line with Scripture. 569 00:27:34,444 --> 00:27:37,864 The approach that, and rather than championing, 570 00:27:37,864 --> 00:27:40,742 God has specific plans for me. I don't I don't champion that. 571 00:27:40,742 --> 00:27:46,039 Now, what what I stand on is I need to submit and then be faithful. 572 00:27:46,748 --> 00:27:51,419 So when I say I'm going to stop saying God's got this smorgasbord 573 00:27:51,419 --> 00:27:54,422 I need to pick from, I'm going to stop saying, I've got to find it. 574 00:27:54,798 --> 00:27:57,092 I'm going to say, I need to surrender. 575 00:27:58,343 --> 00:27:59,469 Then that puts me 576 00:27:59,469 --> 00:28:02,806 behind Shepherd so he can lead me. 577 00:28:03,765 --> 00:28:05,517 And he's the one who created me. 578 00:28:05,517 --> 00:28:07,852 He's one who has plans for me. 579 00:28:07,852 --> 00:28:09,646 He'll lead me, and he's. 580 00:28:09,646 --> 00:28:10,772 He's a good shepherd. 581 00:28:10,772 --> 00:28:16,194 So the smorgasbord approach, I find no scriptural support of it. 582 00:28:16,194 --> 00:28:18,780 I don't find, Yeah. 583 00:28:18,780 --> 00:28:19,989 I just don't find examples of it. 584 00:28:19,989 --> 00:28:24,285 And it's contrary to to God being our leader. 585 00:28:24,661 --> 00:28:26,371 And we as sheep following him. 586 00:28:26,371 --> 00:28:29,666 So to me, that's that's a, a misconception 587 00:28:29,708 --> 00:28:32,711 in the smorgasbord approach. 588 00:28:32,794 --> 00:28:35,755 It keeps you in charge. 589 00:28:35,755 --> 00:28:36,506 Yeah. 590 00:28:36,506 --> 00:28:39,342 Yeah, because it puts it, puts the individual as like, 591 00:28:39,342 --> 00:28:42,345 okay, I can make all these grand decisions and. 592 00:28:43,513 --> 00:28:45,140 And so, 593 00:28:45,140 --> 00:28:48,768 for an audience of people who love God and want to serve him, 594 00:28:50,061 --> 00:28:53,523 you have many opportunities like there's always 595 00:28:53,523 --> 00:28:57,110 needs for, for men and women who love God and are willing to serve him. 596 00:28:57,569 --> 00:29:01,614 And so what can happen is, is we can get overwhelmed with the, with the needs. 597 00:29:02,365 --> 00:29:03,742 So where do I go? 598 00:29:03,742 --> 00:29:05,952 So, you know, I could have went to New York City and serve God. 599 00:29:05,952 --> 00:29:08,246 I could have went to Grenada. I could have went on Gospel Echoes. 600 00:29:08,246 --> 00:29:10,248 I could have stayed in Iowa, where I grew up, 601 00:29:11,458 --> 00:29:12,542 could have went to, you know, Minnesota. 602 00:29:12,542 --> 00:29:15,170 I have all these options. We can just be overwhelmed. 603 00:29:15,170 --> 00:29:19,674 And the smorgasbord approach allows us to stay in charge, 604 00:29:20,425 --> 00:29:24,012 but then it forces us to bear the weight. 605 00:29:24,012 --> 00:29:26,806 Like so I pick Minnesota. 606 00:29:26,806 --> 00:29:27,932 What if it doesn't go good there? 607 00:29:27,932 --> 00:29:29,184 Then it's on me. 608 00:29:29,184 --> 00:29:32,187 I should have stayed in Iowa or, you know, I should have. 609 00:29:32,187 --> 00:29:35,190 I should have went to New York City when I was asked to go there. 610 00:29:35,273 --> 00:29:38,610 But when we say when we take the surrender 611 00:29:38,610 --> 00:29:41,613 and faithful approach, it's on God. 612 00:29:42,781 --> 00:29:46,326 And I would rather have the weight of my future. 613 00:29:46,493 --> 00:29:49,496 And then, you know, especially in moving a family, 614 00:29:49,496 --> 00:29:52,540 I'd rather have that be on God who sees the future. 615 00:29:52,874 --> 00:29:55,084 I'd rather have him be in charge in him. 616 00:29:55,084 --> 00:29:57,295 Bear that than me. 617 00:29:57,295 --> 00:30:00,548 God, you know what this is going to do to my family? 618 00:30:01,382 --> 00:30:03,968 And and something that's amazing. 619 00:30:03,968 --> 00:30:05,178 So I'm 50 now. 620 00:30:05,178 --> 00:30:07,931 I have, my wife and I blessed with eight children. 621 00:30:09,057 --> 00:30:09,641 Three at home. 622 00:30:09,641 --> 00:30:12,894 Yet we have moved our family. 623 00:30:13,394 --> 00:30:15,522 So our family started in Minnesota. 624 00:30:15,522 --> 00:30:17,524 We had three children. We moved to Grenada. 625 00:30:17,524 --> 00:30:20,527 Our oldest was six, and then we had three year old and one 626 00:30:20,527 --> 00:30:23,571 and a half year old and moved to Grenada there for four years. 627 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:27,784 Came back to Minnesota for 16 months in between going to Thailand, 628 00:30:27,784 --> 00:30:29,494 knowing we're going to go there. 629 00:30:29,494 --> 00:30:32,497 Then we moved to Thailand. 630 00:30:33,289 --> 00:30:36,125 And they're there for 11 years. 631 00:30:36,125 --> 00:30:38,169 Then we moved to Reading, Pennsylvania. 632 00:30:38,169 --> 00:30:40,505 That's a lot of transition. 633 00:30:40,505 --> 00:30:43,508 And transitions are difficult. 634 00:30:44,342 --> 00:30:46,886 what did that do to my children? 635 00:30:46,886 --> 00:30:50,807 You know, I can say I know God led me each step of the way. 636 00:30:50,807 --> 00:30:52,767 He's been in charge. 637 00:30:52,767 --> 00:30:54,269 I'm so grateful for that. 638 00:30:54,269 --> 00:30:56,145 But what about my children? 639 00:30:56,145 --> 00:30:58,982 What I find amazing 640 00:30:58,982 --> 00:31:02,610 is that my children have no regret 641 00:31:03,027 --> 00:31:06,906 or bitterness towards the steps that God led us in life. 642 00:31:09,325 --> 00:31:10,702 They're normal, like all of us. 643 00:31:10,702 --> 00:31:12,078 They have, you know, struggles, wrestling. 644 00:31:12,078 --> 00:31:15,623 But they none of them have said, I wish dad, 645 00:31:15,623 --> 00:31:17,667 you never would have went to Thailand or we never. 646 00:31:17,667 --> 00:31:19,085 We went to Grenada. 647 00:31:19,085 --> 00:31:22,505 They loved the life that that we had. 648 00:31:23,673 --> 00:31:26,134 There can be other difficulties, struggles 649 00:31:26,134 --> 00:31:29,971 that can come up from having grown up mostly in another country. 650 00:31:29,971 --> 00:31:31,055 And then you come to the States 651 00:31:31,055 --> 00:31:34,726 where you look like you should fit in, and yet you you know, you don't because. 652 00:31:34,934 --> 00:31:38,563 So there are some been struggles like that, but none of them have said, 653 00:31:39,314 --> 00:31:44,193 we wish you wouldn't have followed God in doing these things. 654 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:47,363 We're glad for what we had. 655 00:31:47,405 --> 00:31:47,739 okay. 656 00:31:47,739 --> 00:31:50,867 So we're getting some principles here and you're outlining 657 00:31:50,867 --> 00:31:53,870 maybe some misconceptions or misconstruing. 658 00:31:53,953 --> 00:31:54,996 I think the, the points 659 00:31:54,996 --> 00:31:58,958 that are sticking out, especially to me when we're thinking God's will is. 660 00:32:01,002 --> 00:32:01,794 Being careful that 661 00:32:01,794 --> 00:32:04,839 we don't put ourselves in the center of everything and and make it about, 662 00:32:04,839 --> 00:32:08,259 oh, this look at this amazing decision I made and, you know, all of that. 663 00:32:09,010 --> 00:32:10,595 I think that's a huge piece. 664 00:32:10,595 --> 00:32:13,556 So pulling those pieces of together 665 00:32:13,556 --> 00:32:16,267 someone listening to this and they're like, okay, what do I do now? 666 00:32:16,267 --> 00:32:20,480 What is one practical step they can do right now towards God's will? 667 00:32:20,480 --> 00:32:23,191 Yes, yes. Excellent question. 668 00:32:23,274 --> 00:32:24,984 My answer to that is this 669 00:32:24,984 --> 00:32:27,779 take a step of faith, 670 00:32:27,779 --> 00:32:30,823 and what I define as a 671 00:32:31,032 --> 00:32:33,743 a true step of faith is this say yes to God 672 00:32:33,743 --> 00:32:35,161 a true step of faith is this say yes to God 673 00:32:37,038 --> 00:32:39,165 no matter what. 674 00:32:39,165 --> 00:32:41,834 Again, a misconception kind of go back to the last question. 675 00:32:41,834 --> 00:32:44,504 A misconception can be in discerning God's will. 676 00:32:44,504 --> 00:32:47,423 Sometimes you have to step out in faith and we even call it 677 00:32:47,423 --> 00:32:51,010 you're going to step out in faith in what we what we mean by that is 678 00:32:51,219 --> 00:32:54,222 you're not sure if God's calling you here or there. 679 00:32:54,305 --> 00:32:56,766 So sometimes you just got to step out and do it. 680 00:32:56,766 --> 00:32:57,725 Okay, okay. Time out 681 00:32:58,810 --> 00:33:00,979 for me just to say, okay, I don't know. 682 00:33:00,979 --> 00:33:03,940 God, if you want me to take my family here or if you want me to, to 683 00:33:03,940 --> 00:33:06,901 to do this ministry or to start this business, I don't know. 684 00:33:06,901 --> 00:33:07,527 So I'm just going to take 685 00:33:07,527 --> 00:33:10,530 the step of faith, and I'm just going to plunge in, do it. 686 00:33:10,530 --> 00:33:12,699 I don't really think that's faith. 687 00:33:12,699 --> 00:33:16,285 That's me taking the lead and not being confident it’s 688 00:33:16,285 --> 00:33:19,455 what God wants me to do to me, a step of 689 00:33:19,455 --> 00:33:24,627 faith is saying, yes, Lord, before I know what I'm saying yes to, 690 00:33:25,211 --> 00:33:28,214 and you can do that. 691 00:33:28,423 --> 00:33:30,591 Because you know who you're saying 692 00:33:30,591 --> 00:33:33,594 yes to, we don't have to know what we're saying yes to. 693 00:33:33,636 --> 00:33:35,805 We just need to know who we're saying yes to. So 694 00:33:36,931 --> 00:33:39,225 a practical step the audience can take, 695 00:33:39,225 --> 00:33:42,645 take a step of faith and say, God, I do whatever you want me to do. 696 00:33:42,645 --> 00:33:45,565 I'll go wherever you want me to go. 697 00:33:45,565 --> 00:33:47,108 That's a step of faith. 698 00:33:47,108 --> 00:33:48,776 And then 699 00:33:48,776 --> 00:33:51,487 what do you do after you make that statement, after you make that commitment 700 00:33:51,487 --> 00:33:54,699 and you can't just say it, you've got to believe it. 701 00:33:56,159 --> 00:33:59,203 And by believing it it doesn't mean that there 702 00:33:59,412 --> 00:34:02,290 you may not have some wrestling there, but God sees our heart. 703 00:34:02,290 --> 00:34:05,168 And so if you can surrender in your hearts, okay, God, I'm willing. 704 00:34:05,168 --> 00:34:06,461 I'll go wherever you want me to go. 705 00:34:06,461 --> 00:34:08,337 I'll do whatever you want me to do. 706 00:34:08,337 --> 00:34:09,797 God knows. 707 00:34:09,797 --> 00:34:11,090 And he will lead us. 708 00:34:11,090 --> 00:34:13,176 He'll, in a sense, show up on time. 709 00:34:13,176 --> 00:34:14,802 God's never early. 710 00:34:14,802 --> 00:34:16,888 And that's one of the common struggles 711 00:34:16,888 --> 00:34:19,432 that we have in this is we want God to show up early. Okay? 712 00:34:19,432 --> 00:34:20,516 God doesn't do that. 713 00:34:20,516 --> 00:34:23,478 And here's one reason why is we get distracted. 714 00:34:24,187 --> 00:34:29,400 So the the opportunity for us to go to Thailand 715 00:34:29,650 --> 00:34:33,946 while we were in Grenada, it it came at the exact right time. 716 00:34:33,946 --> 00:34:36,324 If it had been early, would distract us from what we're doing. 717 00:34:36,324 --> 00:34:39,827 But it was at a time where we're where we were at like 718 00:34:40,369 --> 00:34:43,372 Grenada doesn't fit like long term for our giftings. 719 00:34:43,748 --> 00:34:44,499 So what do we do? 720 00:34:44,499 --> 00:34:46,959 Well, the natural thing is you go back home, okay? 721 00:34:46,959 --> 00:34:47,877 So you go back with Minnesota. 722 00:34:47,877 --> 00:34:50,338 We were actually in Minnesota for extended time, 723 00:34:50,338 --> 00:34:53,132 and my wife was having difficulty with when the pregnancy. 724 00:34:53,132 --> 00:34:55,259 So we were sent back, back for the birth of the child. 725 00:34:55,259 --> 00:34:57,929 And and you know what? God's probably going to have us back there. 726 00:34:57,929 --> 00:35:00,807 And our time in Grenada was to prepare us to come back 727 00:35:00,807 --> 00:35:02,517 and being leadership at home in the church. 728 00:35:02,517 --> 00:35:03,059 And so on. 729 00:35:03,059 --> 00:35:07,772 And, and we had, you know, we had circumstances, we had counsel 730 00:35:07,855 --> 00:35:10,858 or people that were saying, that's what, you know, we should be there. 731 00:35:11,526 --> 00:35:15,154 So the longer we were back in Minnesota in that time, 732 00:35:15,154 --> 00:35:19,075 the more it became evident to us, no, this isn't what God has for us. 733 00:35:19,492 --> 00:35:21,494 And then we're like, so what is it? 734 00:35:22,954 --> 00:35:24,664 And then I go to Lowen Minnesota 735 00:35:24,664 --> 00:35:28,167 to a ministers meeting and Val says, Rick, can I talk to you little bit afterwards? 736 00:35:28,584 --> 00:35:33,589 And then he says, I have this vision for IGO, with the timing. 737 00:35:33,714 --> 00:35:36,676 God shows up on time, on time. 738 00:35:36,676 --> 00:35:39,887 So after you surrender to God, 739 00:35:41,347 --> 00:35:43,850 be faithful where you're at, continue where you're at 740 00:35:43,850 --> 00:35:45,601 because God can take you from anywhere. 741 00:35:45,601 --> 00:35:47,353 So just keep being faithful. 742 00:35:47,353 --> 00:35:52,483 Your waiting is not inactive like our waiting on God. 743 00:35:52,525 --> 00:35:55,653 I'm going to be faithful where I'm at until you show me the next thing and God 744 00:35:55,653 --> 00:36:00,324 will show up on time and show you what what's next? 745 00:36:01,075 --> 00:36:04,996 So we want God to be early on even with us. 746 00:36:04,996 --> 00:36:07,999 God calling us from Thailand to the States for ministry. 747 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:11,419 You know, God showed us enough time that 748 00:36:12,587 --> 00:36:15,590 that we can work out deals, you know, finding a place to live that 749 00:36:15,590 --> 00:36:18,551 but not too early, like God just is on time. 750 00:36:18,551 --> 00:36:22,930 So we need to we need to to trust his timing in that in 751 00:36:23,931 --> 00:36:26,559 and then again allow 752 00:36:26,559 --> 00:36:29,687 you want to get in the peace of God and then stay in it. 753 00:36:30,563 --> 00:36:33,399 So that's the confirming factor. 754 00:36:33,399 --> 00:36:36,402 Almost backing up to the misconceptions is one misconception 755 00:36:36,402 --> 00:36:39,405 would be that circumstances confirm God's will. 756 00:36:39,822 --> 00:36:41,741 Yeah, that's a big one. Yeah, yeah. 757 00:36:41,741 --> 00:36:44,202 And it's not always so 758 00:36:44,202 --> 00:36:46,245 or even common sense. 759 00:36:46,245 --> 00:36:46,662 Okay. 760 00:36:46,662 --> 00:36:49,665 Now I'm not speaking against common sense, but but when God called 761 00:36:50,124 --> 00:36:54,045 Noah to to build an ark, what would have common sense told him, 762 00:36:55,129 --> 00:36:57,465 okay, 763 00:36:57,465 --> 00:36:58,633 that's foolish. 764 00:36:58,633 --> 00:37:00,927 In fact, the people with the common sense were the ones that mocked him. 765 00:37:00,927 --> 00:37:04,639 Like you're building a boat for something that it's never what's what's rain. 766 00:37:04,847 --> 00:37:08,559 Okay, so, what we need to do is say, 767 00:37:08,559 --> 00:37:11,979 okay, God, I'm going to trust you. 768 00:37:11,979 --> 00:37:12,813 And even if my 769 00:37:12,813 --> 00:37:16,150 circumstances don't line up, sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. 770 00:37:16,609 --> 00:37:20,404 Even if counsel is saying, yeah, we think you should, we think you should. 771 00:37:20,780 --> 00:37:23,491 You can get a variety of counselors and it can be confusing. 772 00:37:23,491 --> 00:37:23,991 The overriding ruling 773 00:37:23,991 --> 00:37:26,744 The overriding ruling 774 00:37:27,370 --> 00:37:30,373 in knowing what God wants you to do is his peace. 775 00:37:30,373 --> 00:37:31,791 It's his peace. 776 00:37:31,791 --> 00:37:35,253 The circumstances may line up before they may line up afterwards. 777 00:37:35,461 --> 00:37:37,546 And it's worked both ways for us. 778 00:37:37,546 --> 00:37:40,716 Sometimes in big decisions we made, circumstances didn't 779 00:37:40,716 --> 00:37:42,843 line up and didn't make sense until later on. 780 00:37:42,843 --> 00:37:44,345 Sometimes it all lined up. 781 00:37:44,345 --> 00:37:46,055 We're like, oh yeah, this just makes sense. 782 00:37:46,055 --> 00:37:48,182 But don't rely on circumstances. 783 00:37:48,182 --> 00:37:51,769 Don't rely on just input or counsel. 784 00:37:52,311 --> 00:37:54,522 Get in the peace of God and stay in it. 785 00:37:54,522 --> 00:37:57,984 In fact, kind of it gives me pictures is if you're on a stage 786 00:37:58,067 --> 00:38:00,528 and you have a stage, lights are shining down on you and 787 00:38:00,528 --> 00:38:03,531 and you're staying within that light, okay? 788 00:38:03,823 --> 00:38:07,868 And if an opportunity comes up, explore it, you know, 789 00:38:07,868 --> 00:38:11,038 hey, we'd like you to come serve here or here's a business opportunity for you. 790 00:38:11,038 --> 00:38:11,580 Do you take it, 791 00:38:12,665 --> 00:38:14,750 go for it, ask questions. 792 00:38:14,750 --> 00:38:16,460 But when you bump up against the peace of God 793 00:38:16,460 --> 00:38:19,463 as you're pursuing that opportunity, you're checking it out. 794 00:38:19,672 --> 00:38:22,633 If if you lose that peace, stay back in the peace. 795 00:38:22,758 --> 00:38:24,510 You know, I just don't have a peace about it, 796 00:38:24,510 --> 00:38:27,638 so I'm not going to do it, or I do have a peace. 797 00:38:27,638 --> 00:38:28,431 So we're going to pursue it. 798 00:38:28,431 --> 00:38:33,102 So you, as you take that step of faith, in saying, yes, God, 799 00:38:33,102 --> 00:38:36,605 there will be a peace that comes in that and then just stay in that peace. 800 00:38:37,064 --> 00:38:40,651 The peace of God that passes understanding will keep your hearts 801 00:38:41,235 --> 00:38:43,696 and minds to Christ Jesus. 802 00:38:43,696 --> 00:38:45,031 And then that gives you 803 00:38:45,031 --> 00:38:48,451 the freedom to be confident and passionate wherever you're at. 804 00:38:48,617 --> 00:38:50,703 And you know that God's God's in that. 805 00:38:50,703 --> 00:38:52,663 So that's the practice. 806 00:38:52,663 --> 00:38:54,165 That's that step of faith. 807 00:38:54,165 --> 00:38:58,252 There was another piece in there, a section that you mentioned that 808 00:38:58,252 --> 00:39:02,340 I hadn't thought about and how sometimes we want the circumstances to confirm it. 809 00:39:02,340 --> 00:39:06,260 And he said sometimes that comes after, not before. 810 00:39:06,552 --> 00:39:07,636 And that's huge. 811 00:39:07,636 --> 00:39:10,639 Like I have not I hadn't thought about it in those words before, 812 00:39:10,723 --> 00:39:13,184 but I'm thinking back to maybe some things in my own life. 813 00:39:13,184 --> 00:39:14,894 I’m like huh, that's that's true. 814 00:39:14,894 --> 00:39:17,980 Like before, it's like it's the circumstances actually 815 00:39:18,022 --> 00:39:19,065 would say otherwise. 816 00:39:19,065 --> 00:39:22,068 Be like, I think I should, you know, take that step and then afterwards 817 00:39:22,068 --> 00:39:25,529 you can look back at, oh, I see, you know, that's huge. 818 00:39:25,529 --> 00:39:27,531 And then there was another one where you said, it's about, 819 00:39:28,741 --> 00:39:29,533 who you're who 820 00:39:29,533 --> 00:39:33,412 you're putting your, your trust in, not what or it's not like you're waiting on. 821 00:39:33,412 --> 00:39:34,455 What is it that you're waiting on? 822 00:39:34,455 --> 00:39:36,624 It's it's all about who? 823 00:39:36,624 --> 00:39:38,834 God. And, 824 00:39:38,834 --> 00:39:41,379 Wow. Those are those are some those are some, 825 00:39:41,379 --> 00:39:44,965 significant pieces that I think could, could deserve a lot of thought 826 00:39:45,132 --> 00:39:46,342 for people as I hear that. 827 00:39:46,342 --> 00:39:47,259 That's that's. 828 00:39:47,259 --> 00:39:48,052 Yeah. 829 00:39:48,052 --> 00:39:51,305 When you mention, you know, it's who we're putting our trust in. 830 00:39:51,972 --> 00:39:54,975 A misconception that I should have said earlier is, 831 00:39:55,101 --> 00:39:57,686 that if I surrender to God, 832 00:39:57,686 --> 00:40:00,815 he's going to make me go somewhere and do something that I don't want to do. 833 00:40:02,775 --> 00:40:05,569 And that's a lie from the enemy. 834 00:40:05,569 --> 00:40:08,572 why would God create me 835 00:40:09,073 --> 00:40:12,910 and then plan for me to do something that I don't like to do 836 00:40:12,952 --> 00:40:14,078 where I don't want to be? 837 00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:18,290 We may spend time doing 838 00:40:18,290 --> 00:40:21,293 things we don't like to do, or in places where we don't want, 839 00:40:22,253 --> 00:40:24,922 because it's a part of God's growing process. 840 00:40:24,922 --> 00:40:29,969 And he's stretching us, you know, I think of Joseph, he didn't like being in Egypt. 841 00:40:30,177 --> 00:40:31,095 He didn't. 842 00:40:31,095 --> 00:40:34,640 It wasn't like, oh, I dream of being a slave to Potiphar, no, 843 00:40:35,015 --> 00:40:37,017 his years in all these things. 844 00:40:37,017 --> 00:40:39,728 It wasn't like in a sense, you could say, see, look what God did. 845 00:40:39,728 --> 00:40:42,731 But no, God was working towards something. 846 00:40:42,731 --> 00:40:46,026 And so there may be times in our life where we are somewhere 847 00:40:46,026 --> 00:40:49,280 where we don't want to be, where we are doing something we don't want to do. 848 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:52,283 But if we're surrendered to God, 849 00:40:52,408 --> 00:40:56,996 he is using that to prepare us for the next step. 850 00:40:56,996 --> 00:41:00,166 And ultimately, when when we're doing 851 00:41:00,166 --> 00:41:03,169 what God has created us to do, we're going to love it. 852 00:41:03,294 --> 00:41:05,796 In fact, I think we're going to be energized by 853 00:41:05,796 --> 00:41:10,050 the work he's called us to do because he's gifted us, according to his calling, 854 00:41:10,342 --> 00:41:14,013 the giftings and callings of God go hand in hand, so to say. 855 00:41:14,096 --> 00:41:15,055 I don't want to submit to God 856 00:41:15,055 --> 00:41:16,849 because he's gonna make me do something I don't want to do. 857 00:41:16,849 --> 00:41:18,726 Go where I don't want to... no. 858 00:41:18,726 --> 00:41:21,604 Because I've so heard people say that, though, it's like, 859 00:41:21,604 --> 00:41:23,939 it's almost like this fear of like, oh, boy. Like what? 860 00:41:23,939 --> 00:41:25,774 What what is God going to make me do? 861 00:41:25,774 --> 00:41:27,151 You know, I was like, well, 862 00:41:27,151 --> 00:41:30,488 it seems like maybe there's, some attitude that needs to be worked on there, 863 00:41:30,488 --> 00:41:33,908 you know, or I'm not even sure the right wording, a perspective of God. 864 00:41:33,949 --> 00:41:35,159 Yeah. So. 865 00:41:36,243 --> 00:41:38,370 Would a good god. 866 00:41:38,370 --> 00:41:40,039 Create me without plans? 867 00:41:40,039 --> 00:41:43,083 No. Would a God create good God create me with plans. 868 00:41:43,083 --> 00:41:44,543 And it's something that I won't want to do. 869 00:41:44,543 --> 00:41:46,045 No, that's not who God is. 870 00:41:46,045 --> 00:41:48,380 Like, 871 00:41:48,380 --> 00:41:51,509 God is so good and so loving. 872 00:41:51,509 --> 00:41:53,469 And, you know, one of the misconceptions we talked about 873 00:41:53,469 --> 00:41:55,804 is that God doesn't want me to find his will. 874 00:41:55,804 --> 00:41:56,430 is that God doesn't want me to find his will. 875 00:41:56,680 --> 00:42:01,310 I believe God is more interested in you knowing his will and than you 876 00:42:01,310 --> 00:42:05,898 or I are like, if he created you for this, he's going to want you to know. 877 00:42:06,148 --> 00:42:09,109 But again, the hold up is our lack of surrender, 878 00:42:09,109 --> 00:42:11,362 and our lack of surrender comes from a lack of trust. 879 00:42:11,362 --> 00:42:16,242 And our lack of trust comes from a lack of just understanding God's character. 880 00:42:16,325 --> 00:42:18,911 He's a good God who's a good shepherd. 881 00:42:18,911 --> 00:42:20,704 He's got good plans for me. 882 00:42:20,829 --> 00:42:22,748 I'm going to say yes, and I'm going to follow. 883 00:42:22,748 --> 00:42:26,460 And during these years of preparation, that may be difficult. 884 00:42:26,460 --> 00:42:27,211 I'm going to stick with it. 885 00:42:28,212 --> 00:42:31,131 And God's got good plans for me. 886 00:42:31,131 --> 00:42:32,258 I can trust him. 887 00:42:32,258 --> 00:42:36,011 Saying yes to God is not going to be a hardship, 888 00:42:36,554 --> 00:42:39,557 a hardship, you know, a hard life is 889 00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:42,601 saying, God, I want to be in control of my life. 890 00:42:43,185 --> 00:42:45,229 That's one that I don't want to bear. 891 00:42:45,229 --> 00:42:49,066 I don't want to spend my life being in control, 892 00:42:49,066 --> 00:42:50,401 saying, God, this is where I'm going to live. 893 00:42:50,401 --> 00:42:52,653 This is what I'm going to do. 894 00:42:52,653 --> 00:42:55,531 And then I give account to God for my life. 895 00:42:55,531 --> 00:42:58,534 And I and I don't know if God would do this. 896 00:42:58,993 --> 00:43:00,578 He might. 897 00:43:00,578 --> 00:43:02,871 And where God would say, Rick, 898 00:43:02,871 --> 00:43:06,041 this is what I had for you, but you wouldn't do it. 899 00:43:06,584 --> 00:43:08,711 You wanted your own way. 900 00:43:08,711 --> 00:43:10,629 I don't I don't want I don't want to hear that. 901 00:43:10,629 --> 00:43:14,842 Like, I want to come to the end of my life 902 00:43:15,634 --> 00:43:19,847 knowing that I was surrendered to wherever, whatever, 903 00:43:20,598 --> 00:43:25,394 and no trusting God as a good communicator and then following him. 904 00:43:26,478 --> 00:43:27,855 And then when you get to the end of your life saying, I'm 905 00:43:27,855 --> 00:43:31,066 glad I gave my life to you, God did what you wanted me to do. 906 00:43:33,652 --> 00:43:34,278 That's. 907 00:43:34,278 --> 00:43:37,239 Yeah. That's powerful. 908 00:43:37,239 --> 00:43:40,242 It really is. And 909 00:43:40,659 --> 00:43:42,620 All of this 910 00:43:42,620 --> 00:43:45,623 that you've been describing seems to me that it's, it's 911 00:43:45,623 --> 00:43:47,458 about pulling the focus off of ourselves. 912 00:43:47,458 --> 00:43:53,464 It's just, I mean, just not wanting to we, we get so fixated on ourselves. 913 00:43:53,714 --> 00:43:54,214 Yeah. 914 00:43:54,214 --> 00:43:58,719 And, and, and the other part too, about circumstances sometimes 915 00:43:59,011 --> 00:44:02,097 just coming back to that, like sometimes it's afterwards that we see 916 00:44:02,139 --> 00:44:04,516 how the circuits, like Joseph, see how the circumstances 917 00:44:04,516 --> 00:44:06,226 were part of this process. 918 00:44:06,226 --> 00:44:08,687 And that's another piece of saying, 919 00:44:08,687 --> 00:44:12,232 pulling ourselves out of the center of all of this and making this all about me 920 00:44:12,232 --> 00:44:14,777 and how I feel and all of that, if that makes sense. 921 00:44:14,777 --> 00:44:16,195 that's a theme throughout scripture. 922 00:44:17,321 --> 00:44:19,740 Poor Joseph, I mean, you can imagine, you know, through that process. 923 00:44:19,740 --> 00:44:21,825 But then afterwards you look back like okay. 924 00:44:21,825 --> 00:44:23,077 Yeah I see that. Yeah. 925 00:44:23,077 --> 00:44:25,871 And you know, Joseph, 926 00:44:25,871 --> 00:44:27,247 I believe, 927 00:44:27,247 --> 00:44:30,250 there's three foundational beliefs that Joseph had that 928 00:44:31,543 --> 00:44:33,545 God is sovereign. 929 00:44:33,545 --> 00:44:34,880 God is with me. 930 00:44:34,880 --> 00:44:37,174 God is working for my good. 931 00:44:37,174 --> 00:44:38,258 God is sovereign. 932 00:44:38,258 --> 00:44:40,803 God is with me. God is working for my good. 933 00:44:40,803 --> 00:44:45,099 You know, every time in Joseph's story in Genesis, when something bad happens, 934 00:44:45,099 --> 00:44:48,060 then you have this phrase, But God was with him. 935 00:44:48,644 --> 00:44:49,645 Yeah. 936 00:44:49,645 --> 00:44:52,648 And we tend to think, if God's with me, everything is going well. 937 00:44:52,898 --> 00:44:57,778 But God was with Joseph through his difficult times 938 00:44:58,320 --> 00:45:01,490 and it brought him to back to his calling 939 00:45:01,490 --> 00:45:04,660 that he felt as a young man, I'm going to someday be in leadership. 940 00:45:05,285 --> 00:45:07,121 I'm even going to rule on my own family. 941 00:45:07,121 --> 00:45:10,124 He had no idea the extent of that calling. 942 00:45:10,207 --> 00:45:14,253 You're going to just rule over your own brothers, and your family. 943 00:45:14,294 --> 00:45:16,422 You're going to rule over all Egypt. 944 00:45:18,716 --> 00:45:20,259 God had that in. 945 00:45:20,259 --> 00:45:23,220 But he had to be faithful, 946 00:45:23,429 --> 00:45:26,223 along the way in that. 947 00:45:26,223 --> 00:45:29,226 So as we wrap this episode up, 948 00:45:29,435 --> 00:45:32,438 what is a piece of advice you would like to leave with the audience? 949 00:45:33,397 --> 00:45:36,400 Trust God. 950 00:45:37,192 --> 00:45:38,527 I'm guessing 951 00:45:38,527 --> 00:45:41,405 our audience all would believe that. 952 00:45:41,405 --> 00:45:43,949 That God is sovereign. 953 00:45:43,949 --> 00:45:46,702 God has created you. 954 00:45:46,702 --> 00:45:51,957 So choose to agree with the truth about who God is. 955 00:45:51,957 --> 00:45:53,208 His character. 956 00:45:53,208 --> 00:45:55,711 He's a good God. He's got good plans for me. 957 00:45:55,711 --> 00:45:58,505 I can trust him with my future. 958 00:45:58,505 --> 00:46:00,090 And whenever you're wrestling with that, 959 00:46:00,090 --> 00:46:01,925 say, okay, well, who do I want to trust you? 960 00:46:01,925 --> 00:46:03,385 Do I want to trust myself. 961 00:46:03,385 --> 00:46:05,971 Who doesn't know the end from the beginning? 962 00:46:05,971 --> 00:46:09,808 Or do I want to trust the one who created me sees the end from the beginning? 963 00:46:10,642 --> 00:46:14,188 Get your focus off yourself and say, okay, God, I'm going to trust you. 964 00:46:14,521 --> 00:46:19,485 And I think Moses, the conversation that Moses had with God 965 00:46:19,485 --> 00:46:24,156 at that, at that burning bush, is one we need to pay attention to. 966 00:46:25,949 --> 00:46:28,118 When God said, Moses, I 967 00:46:28,118 --> 00:46:31,079 want you to go back to Egypt and to lead my people out of Egypt. 968 00:46:31,205 --> 00:46:34,208 Moses said this who am I? 969 00:46:35,542 --> 00:46:37,169 And what Moses is doing is what we tend to do. 970 00:46:37,169 --> 00:46:39,296 We look at ourselves, say, how can I do that? 971 00:46:39,296 --> 00:46:42,132 God, who am I? 972 00:46:42,132 --> 00:46:44,384 God could have 973 00:46:44,384 --> 00:46:46,887 said, Moses, you're the man for the job. 974 00:46:46,887 --> 00:46:49,598 I created you for this. That was true. 975 00:46:49,598 --> 00:46:52,935 God could have said, look at this, you are a Hebrew, so you can go back 976 00:46:52,935 --> 00:46:54,978 and bring the Hebrews out of bondage. 977 00:46:54,978 --> 00:46:57,648 You were raised as an Egyptian. 978 00:46:57,648 --> 00:46:58,941 You look like an Egyptian. 979 00:46:58,941 --> 00:47:00,692 You talk like an Egyptian. 980 00:47:00,692 --> 00:47:02,152 Smell like Egyptian, whatever. 981 00:47:02,152 --> 00:47:05,322 You know, you, you you spent 40 years in the desert. 982 00:47:05,322 --> 00:47:08,283 You're gonna lead my people, like you. Everything's in line. 983 00:47:08,283 --> 00:47:09,076 You're the man. 984 00:47:09,076 --> 00:47:11,161 But that is not what God said. 985 00:47:11,161 --> 00:47:13,288 God's answer to Moses question. 986 00:47:13,288 --> 00:47:15,624 Who am I? Is this. 987 00:47:15,624 --> 00:47:17,793 Certainly I will be with you. 988 00:47:19,294 --> 00:47:21,338 Now you stop and think about the question. 989 00:47:21,338 --> 00:47:22,923 Moses said, well, that doesn't answer the question. 990 00:47:22,923 --> 00:47:25,259 God, who am I? 991 00:47:25,259 --> 00:47:28,846 But the who am I question keeps us in focus. 992 00:47:28,846 --> 00:47:30,514 Who am I? 993 00:47:30,514 --> 00:47:33,517 And God says, no, don't look yourself. 994 00:47:33,600 --> 00:47:36,603 The question is am I going to be with you. 995 00:47:36,687 --> 00:47:37,771 And I'm gonna answer that for you. 996 00:47:37,771 --> 00:47:39,606 Certainly. I'll be with you. 997 00:47:39,606 --> 00:47:43,402 God says that to other people in Scripture that he calls. 998 00:47:43,402 --> 00:47:45,153 I think it's Jeremiah's quote where he said it to. 999 00:47:45,153 --> 00:47:47,823 He says, certainly I will be with you. 1000 00:47:47,823 --> 00:47:50,826 That's what I want everybody to take away from this. 1001 00:47:51,034 --> 00:47:54,037 Well, when we surrender to God, 1002 00:47:54,329 --> 00:47:57,332 it's taking our focus off of ourself and saying, okay, God, I'm going to trust you. 1003 00:47:57,875 --> 00:47:59,459 And while we may feel, 1004 00:48:00,586 --> 00:48:01,378 un capable 1005 00:48:01,378 --> 00:48:04,381 for what's ahead of us or may feel unqualified 1006 00:48:04,965 --> 00:48:07,968 if we surrender to God and God's calling you in this, 1007 00:48:08,135 --> 00:48:11,096 just remember his words to Moses, and they're the same to you. 1008 00:48:11,096 --> 00:48:12,806 Certainly I'll be with you. 1009 00:48:12,806 --> 00:48:14,600 And if God's with me, I'm. 1010 00:48:14,600 --> 00:48:15,976 That's where I want to be. 1011 00:48:15,976 --> 00:48:18,437 I want to be where God is with me. 1012 00:48:18,437 --> 00:48:22,733 And to me, that is in a surrendered heart. 1013 00:48:22,733 --> 00:48:23,942 I'll do whatever you want me to do. 1014 00:48:23,942 --> 00:48:25,861 And then a faithfulness. 1015 00:48:25,861 --> 00:48:28,864 I'm going to be faithful. 1016 00:48:28,906 --> 00:48:30,866 Those are powerful words 1017 00:48:30,866 --> 00:48:33,869 to wrap this episode up with. 1018 00:48:33,994 --> 00:48:35,829 Thank you so much for sharing today, Rick. 1019 00:48:35,829 --> 00:48:38,832 This is I think going to give our audience a lot to think about. 1020 00:48:39,082 --> 00:48:40,667 So yeah, thank you for your time. 1021 00:48:40,667 --> 00:48:41,168 You’re Welcome! 1022 00:48:42,419 --> 00:48:45,339 Thanks for listening to this episode with Rick Rhodes. 1023 00:48:45,339 --> 00:48:47,716 If you enjoyed this, you might want to check out the episode 1024 00:48:47,716 --> 00:48:48,884 we did with Val Yoder. 1025 00:48:48,884 --> 00:48:51,803 Rick referred to the story of how IGO started in Thailand, 1026 00:48:51,803 --> 00:48:54,348 and we were able to talk to Val about that story. 1027 00:48:54,348 --> 00:48:55,891 I think you'll find it encouraging. 1028 00:48:55,891 --> 00:48:58,101 It's linked in the description below. 1029 00:48:58,101 --> 00:49:01,730 Anabaptist perspectives is made possible by supporters like you, 1030 00:49:01,730 --> 00:49:03,482 and we greatly appreciate it. 1031 00:49:03,482 --> 00:49:06,485 We have an email newsletter you can subscribe to on our website. 1032 00:49:06,693 --> 00:49:10,447 And if you could, please leave a rating on your favorite podcast app. 1033 00:49:10,530 --> 00:49:13,033 It helps people find this podcast. 1034 00:49:13,033 --> 00:49:16,078 Thanks again for listening and we'll see you in the next episode.