It's All About God

[00:00:02] Speaker A: Have you ever given somebody a Christmas gift or seen somebody get a Christmas gift that you knew? What an odd like you. You were super excited to give this gift to them. They're gonna be so pumped. They're gonna love this. And they open the box, look at the lg. Thanks. And they throw it to the side. [00:00:16] Speaker B: What a let down. [00:00:16] Speaker C: What a let down. [00:00:19] Speaker A: How does that not mean more to you than that? That was the gift I was excited to get, and I think that's got to be the way God sees us receiving Jesus gift. [00:00:30] Speaker C: No doubt. [00:00:32] Speaker A: Kind of take it as a oh, cool, and I sweater and throw it to the side on. On the pile and say, now send me some more money. Where the toys at? You know? But from his perspective, it's got to be like, that's the only gift you needed. But it's so much bigger than that. We just don't take the time to. To even try to take it in sometimes. [00:00:48] Speaker C: I get it. I get it. [00:00:52] Speaker B: So you're going to keep all those. [00:00:54] Speaker A: Peanuts that Rachel gave you? I think so, yeah. Well, it's. I'm not giving. I'm not giving them to you. [00:01:00] Speaker C: What's in them? [00:01:01] Speaker B: Before we start, I know that the check that guy. It was for everybody. [00:01:05] Speaker C: That's what Renee said is she didn't want to. Want to hear all that munching. [00:01:09] Speaker B: The. [00:01:09] Speaker A: The card says Merry Christmas to Ben and Garrett from Rachel, Brandon, and Ray. That's anything about Kenny, so. I'm kidding. No, it's for. It's for the podcast crew. [00:01:24] Speaker C: Enjoy the peanuts. [00:01:25] Speaker B: She. Yeah, she. She text me. Yeah. [00:01:28] Speaker C: Okay. [00:01:28] Speaker A: Yeah, so she texted you to make sure that I brought them. [00:01:32] Speaker B: He said. She said that you gave her. [00:01:34] Speaker A: You gave. [00:01:34] Speaker B: She gave you a gift. [00:01:35] Speaker C: Are you really gonna do that right now? [00:01:37] Speaker A: I guess so. [00:01:38] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. That doesn't have the pecans, does it? [00:01:42] Speaker A: Yes, it does. [00:01:43] Speaker C: Oh, boy. [00:01:44] Speaker A: You don't like pecans? [00:01:45] Speaker C: No. That's what I'm saying. Wonderful. [00:01:48] Speaker A: Well, I'll take. [00:01:48] Speaker B: I'll take all the pecans. [00:01:49] Speaker A: You got cinnamon and. [00:01:51] Speaker B: What are those? [00:01:52] Speaker C: Pralines. [00:01:53] Speaker A: And then this is. [00:01:54] Speaker C: We got chocolate peanuts, fruitcake, and more southern supreme. [00:01:58] Speaker A: I'm getting to the maple peanuts now. I love maple and I love peanuts. [00:02:02] Speaker B: Oh, boy. [00:02:04] Speaker C: Is that chocolate? [00:02:06] Speaker A: Chocolate peanut, maple peanuts. These won't last. [00:02:13] Speaker C: I know they won't. You open them up right there. That's very good. [00:02:19] Speaker A: Thank you. I'll tell you what, Brandon, Rachel, to. [00:02:22] Speaker C: Me, pecans are wonderful, but what'd you do with those pecans? I gave me. [00:02:26] Speaker B: I still got them. I Put. I freeze them. Whenever somebody gets sick, I make the pie. [00:02:33] Speaker C: Take it down a pecan pie. Yeah. You have you got a good recipe. What kind of syrup you use? [00:02:42] Speaker B: I use ko. [00:02:43] Speaker C: Okay, you pass. [00:02:45] Speaker B: What? [00:02:46] Speaker C: Just want to make sure because you use Cairo syrup, that's what you got to use. [00:02:49] Speaker B: That's not. I don't know if that's syrup, but I just. That's what my grandmother used. [00:02:52] Speaker C: That's what my grandmother used. That's why I was like, if you don't use that, don't even say you got your hands. [00:03:00] Speaker B: But I use, I use the brown. I don't use the white. [00:03:04] Speaker C: No, we use brown. [00:03:05] Speaker B: Okay. [00:03:05] Speaker C: That's what gives it that. That brown color. [00:03:07] Speaker B: Have you ever had it on biscuits too? [00:03:09] Speaker C: I have. [00:03:10] Speaker B: That's, that's. I mean it was cheap. It was. [00:03:14] Speaker C: That stuff is. [00:03:15] Speaker B: It's very cheap. [00:03:17] Speaker C: I used to think it was like molasses or something, but it's not molasses. Near about is now kind of sort. [00:03:22] Speaker A: Of appreciate y' all working women getting here. Oh no, I have one. One small Christmas wish would be that all the schools and all the organizations would just get on the same page when it comes to like delays and going to school, not going to school. I tell. I told Reese last night, good luck. Two hour delays are like the worst of both worlds really. Because if we can cancel school and just have a nice snow day and I mean we were going to do some tree decorating, something like that. I'll have fun about praying for a cancell. But now I get a two hour delay. And Reese said, why don't you like those? I said, well, I'm basically going to drop y' all off. Drop Christian off, come back and pick y', all, go back and get Christian because carpool line takes an hour almost. [00:04:06] Speaker B: So. [00:04:08] Speaker C: No, I will say married to a teacher, they love a two hour. Oh, I bet Renee was loving that. Okay. We don't, we don't have. It's not day to be made up. [00:04:18] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:04:18] Speaker C: Although they've. They've come up with the remote days. [00:04:22] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:04:22] Speaker B: Oh yeah, yeah. [00:04:23] Speaker C: That's great. [00:04:24] Speaker B: Now I remember when we first got married. Yes. And Wake county would wait till 5 o', clock, 6 o' clock and they call it out and, and sometimes they, they waited too long. [00:04:40] Speaker C: Oh yes. And waited too long. [00:04:43] Speaker B: So we were, you know, and I think now they're all. They have gone completely the other direction. [00:04:49] Speaker C: Well, they got in trouble for that. [00:04:51] Speaker B: But now they got one flake. They, they cancel it. [00:04:55] Speaker C: Flake. I didn't Know you gotta have a flake. [00:04:58] Speaker A: I've seen it both ways when I was a kid. I remember one time they canceled school and it ended up being. [00:05:05] Speaker B: Oh, these haven't been touched. Might be melting together. [00:05:09] Speaker A: They canceled school one time and it was about 45 and sunny all day long. Beautiful day. And then I had other days where I remember I was a senior in high school. They didn't let us go until There was about 2 or 3 inches on the ground. And you had a bunch of high school kids driving home in. [00:05:23] Speaker C: I've done it in a mess. [00:05:26] Speaker A: I mean it took me 30, 35, 40 minutes to drive home and I lived 10 minutes from school. [00:05:30] Speaker C: That was the 80s. Yeah, they would not, they would just. They. Snow would have to be on the ground and piling up and then they'd say, all right, go home. And you're like, I'm a 16 year old kid about to drive a car on 401 and it's already covered in snow. Yeah, I was scared to death that. [00:05:45] Speaker B: One time in Raleigh where they waited too late. It didn't snow too much, but it was just icy. Icy. Yeah. School buses out till 3 o' clock in the morning. [00:05:54] Speaker A: Now there were two. [00:05:55] Speaker C: That was one of the worst one. [00:05:57] Speaker A: Was about 20 years ago. [00:05:58] Speaker C: I was in that one. [00:05:59] Speaker A: There was another one though, around 2013, 14ish. Because I, I remember I was working in carry at the time and by the time I left at about lunchtime. [00:06:11] Speaker C: That was a school one. The 2013. [00:06:13] Speaker A: Okay, okay. [00:06:14] Speaker C: 2000 was right. At about 5 o', clock, nothing was really falling. And all of a sudden it got bad and you had traffic. I had to get up Wake Forest because I was taking, I was taking my, my master's exams. That was the worst. Man, I will never forget that. Now said. I said there. It took me three hours to get from here to Wake Forest. [00:06:36] Speaker A: There were stories in the 13 or 14, whatever that was. There were stories that year of people being stranded and I mean well into the night. [00:06:44] Speaker C: Oh yeah, school buses were 3 o' clock in the morning. Some of them. [00:06:47] Speaker A: It took me, it was a. About 20, 25 minutes to get to work then and I left at 12 and got home at like 5. It was, it was nuts how long it took. There were times I wasn't sure if I was gonna make it. [00:06:57] Speaker C: It don't take much for us to turn into, you know, snow apocalypse. No, with the, the old meme with the. [00:07:06] Speaker A: At. [00:07:06] Speaker C: At Walkers on Capitol Boulevard and all. Yeah. Remember that? [00:07:09] Speaker A: Yeah, I remember. [00:07:10] Speaker C: I mean we are we are. I was talking with a guy from Boston today and. And he was laughing about how, man, you guys are counsel over one snowflake in a heartbeat. [00:07:20] Speaker B: You know that one that were just thin layer ice. I was at Crabtree getting an umbrella and it. [00:07:31] Speaker C: You were buying an umbrella? [00:07:32] Speaker B: Yeah. And I couldn't. It was fine. I was a belt when I came out. Then it started getting slippered and I had to go. It was traffic jam in Glenwood. Then I tried Lake Bend Trail, traffic jam there. Wade Avenue traffic jam there. Now I got on Hillsborough because I was going home at this time and it was just. I was just sliding back into the Gaddos. And then the crazy thing is once I got to 401. Now this is taking three hours right here. [00:08:08] Speaker C: Right. [00:08:08] Speaker B: Also I got 401 and 70 where they split. It was a piece of cake. [00:08:15] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:08:16] Speaker B: But I don't think. But it was. It was definitely Raleigh. [00:08:18] Speaker C: I think that's about where the line is. [00:08:20] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:08:20] Speaker C: Actually, I used to think it was right. [00:08:21] Speaker B: People running out. People were running out of gas and just leaving the cars. Yeah. [00:08:28] Speaker A: Oh. [00:08:28] Speaker C: Welcome to Raleigh, William Raleigh Wood. And it's special. Special snow abilities. We got to be laughing stock of the entire country when it comes to snow. [00:08:39] Speaker A: I think we've made national news. At least two snowstorms. [00:08:42] Speaker C: Oh yeah. And they're not even snowstorms. Think about it. Three inches of snow. [00:08:47] Speaker A: That's right. [00:08:50] Speaker C: I was worried about today when I woke up this morning because when I went to bed last night, 11:30, it was snowing and. And I was like, we'll see what we have in the morning. But I didn't see anything. And I left. Left the house at 6. [00:09:02] Speaker B: So yeah, all my truck was covered. And by the way, my truck passed inspection. [00:09:08] Speaker C: I heard. [00:09:09] Speaker B: Oh yeah. [00:09:12] Speaker C: Them ebay parts are paying off. Ebay parts in two months? [00:09:17] Speaker A: You didn't have to graze any palms to that thing. Inspection. [00:09:19] Speaker B: Did you tell him. Tell Nate he's got another two weeks to drive that truck. [00:09:24] Speaker C: I might need it again. Yeah. [00:09:26] Speaker A: Well, welcome to a special snow day and peanuts edition. [00:09:28] Speaker C: Yes. [00:09:28] Speaker A: Another 167. No, no actual snow outside. But it doesn't keep us from changing our schedule. [00:09:34] Speaker C: But we had snow delays and everything else and. Thank you, Rachel. Rachel. Wow, what a great. [00:09:42] Speaker B: Rachel had a hand in it. I think she's the one that bought them. [00:09:45] Speaker C: You think Brandon, did that come back? [00:09:48] Speaker B: He's trying to. [00:09:50] Speaker C: Come on, man. Well. [00:09:53] Speaker A: So Brandon, I gotta. I gotta tell you what being said about you here for y. [00:09:57] Speaker C: Great Brandon, So we're. [00:09:59] Speaker A: Renee was over here. Did she drop you off or she was just over here for. [00:10:02] Speaker B: No, she has stuff to do. Okay. [00:10:04] Speaker A: So Renee was a bunch of things around. [00:10:06] Speaker C: Kenny's. Renee was here. [00:10:07] Speaker A: Kenny's Renee was here. [00:10:08] Speaker B: And we were one of always here. [00:10:10] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:10:11] Speaker A: Like. Yeah, we were inviting her to join us on the show and Ben said she could make history being the first female on the show. And he said, well, except for Brandon. He was on here one time. So didn't get that we weren't recording yet when he said it, so I had to repeat it. [00:10:22] Speaker C: Yes. I said, women I hate to record. Ain't working on that one. That was the best one I've had out. [00:10:26] Speaker A: So just because you send us presents, Brandon, and you know, if you're not here, you are vulnerable and exposed to. To whatever business. That's right. [00:10:35] Speaker C: That's right. [00:10:36] Speaker A: Well, good to see y'. [00:10:37] Speaker C: All. [00:10:38] Speaker A: I got a bunch of notes for today, y'. All. I only took a couple from Sunday, but they were big ones. I really enjoyed the. You're right. And what you said Sunday, Joseph doesn't get a whole lot of love and attention this time of year. And. And I don't know, I'm a question on maybe why that might be just speculating or whatever. I mean, the. Is what. Well, what do you think the reason? If you were trying to tap into God's mind to take a guess at why we don't spend more time on Joseph, what do you think the reason might would be? [00:11:08] Speaker C: I really don't know other than. Okay, if you take a look at. Because it's interesting. Matthew 1, 16 verses deal with the lineage of Joseph and all of a sudden it says who is the wife of Mary? [00:11:21] Speaker A: Right. [00:11:21] Speaker C: And then it was who gave birth to. So it doesn't say son of. You know, his son was Jesus. No, it's Mary then, her son. And so I think it's one of. Okay, maybe I'm not going to make much emphasis on Joseph because. Well, you know, and to be honest with you, once you get past Luke 2, you don't see Mary much. You see her every now and then, but you don't see her doing any major teachings or anything like that. And so, you know, I've always wondered why. Why is there not one single word recorded by Joseph, like saying, whoa, what a dream? [00:11:59] Speaker A: Well, there's not even a whole lot of. Of Joseph's story in general. I mean, he's just not, we don't. [00:12:05] Speaker C: Know, righteous man, obedient after Matthew 2. [00:12:09] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:12:09] Speaker C: Disappears. [00:12:10] Speaker A: Is there. Could it be something to, especially in a patriarchal society at that time, that a whole lot of the emphasis on a person is who their daddy was. May, you know, we didn't. God didn't want a spotlight on anybody but Jesus and who Jesus was. [00:12:28] Speaker C: That's kind of like a stepdaddy. Yeah, in a way that's not the technical term, but I mean, he, he was the earthly father, but no, I mean, you really don't see anything about him. [00:12:43] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:12:45] Speaker C: He's pretty remarkable man, though, because, I mean, the Bible describes him as righteous. We see that two times. As soon as he' told something, he obeys immediately. One is he marries Mary, observes her purity, and then names it Jesus. That's why I consider that one act. Then you go to Matthew, chapter two, and Herod's about to try to kill all the baby boys because he feels threatened because the sun has come. And so the angel warns him in a dream. Joseph, take your wife and your child. Get down to Egypt. Yeah. And what does he do? He doesn't. Him and all. No, he doesn't. You know, I, I know how hard it is to move, man. I, you know, that's difficult, you know, packing up autumn cribs and everything when the kids were. But he goes right straight to Egypt and waits until Herod is dead. Another one comes into place. Now it's safe to go. So to me, I see a man who is very obedient, a man who is in tune with the Holy Spirit and know what to do, when not to do it. So I, I mean, to me, I admire the man because. But he is the strong, solid type. Doesn't say a word. Yeah. [00:13:57] Speaker A: Is this. [00:13:58] Speaker C: He did? [00:13:59] Speaker A: Yeah. Is there. I was thinking about this too, Sunday, that when you look at scripture, there's depending on which book you're looking at, there's a chapter or two, maybe, maybe three. Two or three on the birth of Jesus in Matthew and Luke especially. Luke really gets into that. [00:14:21] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:14:21] Speaker A: Nothing in Mark, I don't think anything in John. [00:14:24] Speaker C: Well, John is. Actually predates the birth. [00:14:27] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:28] Speaker C: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. So, yeah, he's. He goes back to creation. [00:14:34] Speaker A: Right. [00:14:35] Speaker C: Matthew and Luke are the only two that you're going to have some of the nativity type texts. Mark just starts out, there was a man named John. Ba, ba, bam. I mean, Mark is like a. He hits the ground running. [00:14:46] Speaker A: And then other than Luke, I think there's not really anything between the birth of Jesus and The ministry of Jesus. [00:14:54] Speaker C: Yeah, Luke has. [00:14:56] Speaker A: Luke has. [00:14:57] Speaker C: If you count going down to Egypt as part of the scene, then yeah, you're right. Because as soon as you get through with Matthew 2, you then go into the temptation and then Luke 2, after Luke 2 ends, it ends with the chapter ends with him being 12 years old in the temple. And then Luke 3 jumps right into again grown up ministry, John the Baptist, that kind of thing. So that's really the only place you're going to find much about the nativity scene. That's why I oftentimes say one of the hardest things as a pastor is thinking about. Okay, how do you present this stuff? The Christmas stuff, the Christmas story, All that's involved in a fresh way, considering that. Okay, let's say I'm 55. Let's just say I could remember every sermon I've ever heard since I was six, since I've been in there. Six to 55 is 49 years. If you preach on it four Sundays a month. Which advents four Sundays, that's 49 times four. That's 360. Some sermons I've heard on the Christmas story. How do you present something fresh that everybody knows? But now I will say this. It's amazing to me how many things that get added to the story. Bible never says that. There's, there's a ton of those. The, the three Magi. There's nothing about him being kings. That's not, that's not what the word magi means. You know that there were three. We don't know that there were three. The Bible never says there were three. There were three gifts. And so could it have been three? Possibly. We know it was more than one because it's men or Magi. And then at the same time we know that it stirs the whole city up. So I'm thinking, I think it might be more than three. To me. I'm in my mind, I picture three in a retinue of a slew of people. Yeah. You know, could it be comes with a caravan? I don't know. We don't know. And so you, you build into that. How many times do you see Magi at the nativity scene? [00:16:58] Speaker B: Oh yeah, that's biblical. [00:17:01] Speaker C: Well, not, not necessarily. Because it's funny how years later you look at it, Matthew says, and when the wise men found house. Now I've seen people try to define that as well, the manger was where she was born or where the baby was born. They just were able to now get in the house. Well, no, that's not necessarily so. I think they're living in a residence now now that all the cotton population's gone and they are staying in Bethlehem for a while. But you know how old Jesus is when the wise men come anywhere from toddler I would put him as a toddler now that could be but it's. [00:17:36] Speaker A: Not as at birth. [00:17:37] Speaker B: No, I always thought it's two years old. Yeah but. [00:17:41] Speaker C: And that's. That's one. Here's another one. What kind of animal did Mary ride into Bethlehem? [00:17:48] Speaker B: Donkey, I suppose did. [00:17:49] Speaker C: Bible doesn't tell us that. [00:17:51] Speaker B: No, it doesn't. [00:17:51] Speaker C: It never says. She's right. And it could have been. It could have been. She was walking and Joseph said you're going to walk this thing out. I don't know, you know, so there's so many things that we picture or you seen growing up so it is kind of interesting that something you've heard that much if you've heard it four times a year at Christmas. [00:18:11] Speaker B: But it makes story sure it's a beautiful. [00:18:14] Speaker C: It's seeing God's sovereignty. I, I mean I've enjoyed even the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew one tells the story of God's faithfulness of bringing that seed to fruition and everything. I mean it has been amazing to me. [00:18:30] Speaker B: Well here's a question I would like to know and I don't know the answer to it and I Bible don't seem to say is why did they make Bethlehem their home? [00:18:41] Speaker C: Well, I mean they only do it for a little while. [00:18:43] Speaker B: Yeah. Two years. [00:18:44] Speaker C: I'm just assuming take a year or two. [00:18:46] Speaker B: Yeah, I know he was from there but they were in. That was good, you know Border was good work. [00:18:52] Speaker C: Work. He had a lot of carpentry work. [00:18:54] Speaker B: To do there and found out it's better in Egypt though. [00:18:57] Speaker C: Yeah, well it was safer. Yeah and so I don't know why they've, you know, born. Born in a manger there and now they're living in a little house there. Unless it's just maybe there's like kin folk that took them in or whatever. [00:19:10] Speaker B: Well they're coming from Nazareth and then. [00:19:13] Speaker C: They go back after being in Egypt they do go back to Nazareth. [00:19:16] Speaker B: I mean I can't, I don't know why, I just accept it. [00:19:21] Speaker C: Well maybe they just didn't want me. [00:19:23] Speaker B: Maybe there was good work. [00:19:25] Speaker C: Good work or the 80 mile journey was hard enough the first time. It ain't like you can get in a car and drive it. Maybe that's part of it. [00:19:34] Speaker B: And did John know Jesus? I think he did. Don't know. [00:19:43] Speaker C: It doesn't really say. Yeah, we don't know if they had play dates when they were kids or not. Yeah, really don't. Nothing tells us. All we know is in John 1:29, John sees Jesus and says, behold, the Lamb of God takes away the sins of the earth. How many times had he seen him before then? Not sure. I'm sure. I would hope he would have. I mean they're cousins, but at the same time they don't mean. [00:20:04] Speaker B: I think Elizabeth probably told her, told him the story of his birth and Mary's birth. Jesus birth, yes. It's not, it must not be important. [00:20:19] Speaker C: No, it's one of those things we, because we're, we're human and we think about, oh, I wonder how many times cousins got together and all that. And it is interesting to think about. But you're exactly right. In the end it doesn't impact theology or his mission. [00:20:32] Speaker B: And on that I'll have one more of these. [00:20:37] Speaker C: I have another. [00:20:38] Speaker A: Yeah, well, he chomps out. [00:20:42] Speaker C: Yeah, there you go. Two cousins. Yeah. [00:20:45] Speaker A: So one of the things that I was thinking about this week too with it is that biblically we know a ton about a pretty fair amount about Jesus's birthday. And then we know birth and death get by far rightfully so the most attention. His ministry is pretty much what fills up the Gospels. [00:21:06] Speaker B: Right. [00:21:07] Speaker A: So we have a gaping hole in scripture between when he was a child and when he was his ministry 30 years old. So it's easy for me sometimes and maybe others to forget that it wasn't just like an instantaneous time warp that, that those 29 years in between or whatever happened. [00:21:26] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:21:27] Speaker A: So what happened during that time? Not so much in Jesus, you know, what did Jesus do, but in that time frame when he comes, when, when he, when the ministry starts, did the people know who he was at that time? I mean we're not talking about some, you know, a population the size of the United States or anything. This is a pretty, you know, tight knit area. [00:21:48] Speaker C: I mean, Bethlehem, Bethlehem, maybe a thousand people. [00:21:51] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:21:51] Speaker C: Nazareth a whole lot. [00:21:52] Speaker A: And then how far from, how far is it from Bethlehem to Jerusale them? [00:21:56] Speaker C: That's only about five miles. [00:21:58] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a day trip, I reckon. [00:22:00] Speaker A: Yeah. Right. So 30 years later when Jesus starts his ministry is there Sometimes I kind of picture it, I guess as this stranger shows up on the scene and starts preaching. But he wasn't necessarily a stranger. He had been, I mean, I know in, in Nazareth obviously was. [00:22:18] Speaker C: Well, they, I mean they knew Him. Because they even say, well, you know, isn't it. Where did he train? And right. Isn't this the son of Joseph? The carpenter did that. So they know of. And you know, I mean, the, the first miracle would be the wedding at Cana of Galilee. So, you know, there's some folks who knew him or, you know, it's kind of interesting how, how he did get started. I know Luke 4 tells us that he went into the synagogue is. What's his habit of going to the synagogue? So evidently I don't know if he went to the same synagogue or wherever he was at. He went there and basically he stood up and read from the scroll of Isaiah that the Spirit of Lord is upon me to present good news to the captive, to provide liberty to those that have been oppressed, to give sight to the blind, and rolls it up after he reads it and he says, today the scripture has been fulfilled. And so, you know, that. That's pretty, you know, okay, that's pretty alarming for folks to. Wait a minute. Who is this guy? [00:23:19] Speaker A: Yeah, well, did they remember. I mean, I guess to us the, you know, 2,000 years later, the. His birth itself. And you can make the argument that his birth was the first miracle in a way, and. Or his conception was a miracle, but was. I'm sure there was some skepticism at that time that people didn't necessarily believe that she was really, you know, a virgin and that there was a lot of. [00:23:44] Speaker B: Exactly. [00:23:45] Speaker A: But did that story get circulated very much? Do we think that. Do people 30 years later remember? Oh, yeah, he's the one who was supposedly born of a virgin. Or, or was that just two or three people that were close to the. To that. [00:23:57] Speaker C: Go ahead. [00:23:58] Speaker A: I was. [00:23:58] Speaker B: Well, I was going to ask the same question. I think maybe that wasn't well known that he was from a virgin birth. [00:24:06] Speaker C: Yeah, I don't think it was well known. I mean, that's not. [00:24:10] Speaker A: But it's not something you put in the newspaper at the same time. [00:24:14] Speaker C: It was well known. Again, think about a small town, Nazareth being four or five hundred people. I doubt there wasn't too many people didn't know. Did you hear about Mary? Yeah, she sure is showing. And I've heard Joseph don't know whose it is. So I know there was a lot of rumor going around. So, you know, she had shame and everybody looking at her as well. You can't believe you do that, you know, so. And I'm sure Joseph, as I said Sunday had to have been hurt, you know, how could you do this? Mary, you know, at the same time he was willing to say, no, I'm gonna put her away solidly. I'm not going to embarrass her, I'm not going to shame her. I mean, most people, most men, and I think that's another check for Joseph. Most men would have reacted out of anger and that, that. You don't see that in Joseph. Yeah, and I love that about, or. [00:25:02] Speaker A: At least that have hurt if there was, you know, that's. [00:25:05] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, come on, man. [00:25:06] Speaker B: I don't see it where he tried to explain it to people either. [00:25:10] Speaker C: Well, you don't have any. [00:25:11] Speaker A: I don't have. [00:25:13] Speaker C: Yeah, you don't. But you know, there was people talking. [00:25:15] Speaker B: Oh, absolutely. [00:25:16] Speaker C: Had to be. But as far as him having to explain it or any else. Nah. I mean, only, only people I would think he may have to explain it to would be his parents. But I don't even know if he needed to do that. [00:25:26] Speaker B: Do you think the l. The leadership there. Because our, and I can't quite recall where it's at in the Bible where the Pharisees says, our fathers are Abraham, Isaac and Joseph. Right. Do you think that might have been a reference to who's your father? That's a far fetch. I know. [00:25:48] Speaker C: No, because I mean, they consider him to be a Jew too. [00:25:51] Speaker B: Yeah, but who's his father? [00:25:52] Speaker C: Well, God, he was already, if you check that text, he's already claiming that God's his father. [00:25:57] Speaker B: I know. [00:25:58] Speaker C: Yeah. And that's when they're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, you know, and he even goes. [00:26:03] Speaker B: I just wonder if the Pharisees did a lot of research on him. [00:26:07] Speaker C: Well, you know what I, I find most shocking? Herod goes to the scribes and the Pharisees and he says, tell me where the Messiah is going to be born. Oh yeah, they give him the information. Now a wicked king like Herod is asking where the Messiah is going to be born. Wouldn't that kind of stir up some interest if you were a scribe and Pharisee? Yet they have no record of anybody making that five mile journey from Jerusalem down to Bethlehem to search for the Messiah. I mean, this is the one they've been waiting on. And well, the people have. [00:26:42] Speaker B: I don't know about. [00:26:43] Speaker C: No, Israel has. I don't, I don't even know that the people. Because here's the thing. I submit for your consideration that if the whole city was stirred up, which that's what Matthew 2 says, the whole city was stirred up. When these magi show up, I guarantee you they Got to know something's up. And if they didn't know something was up, if they read the newspaper about, I don't know, three weeks later, three days later when Harry cleans house and does one of the most wicked acts ever to be sure, they got to be thinking the Messiah must have come or. But nobody, you don't see anybody making any kind of effort to find him except three Gentiles or more or less Gentiles from the east bearing gifts that go to the Messiah. [00:27:32] Speaker A: Well, that's what I'm maybe started to spark some of this thinking in my mind. This wasn't. This was a big enough event that King Herod, it got to Herod and he was threatened by the birth of. [00:27:45] Speaker C: Jesus and scribes and Pharisees heard about it because he went past them. [00:27:48] Speaker A: So I guess if it was such a big event in, you know, I'm not, I don't know enough about the history to get these dates perfectly right. But let's say at 4, I think, was he born in 4 B.C. [00:27:57] Speaker C: Give or take? Okay, 7 to 4, usually 4. [00:28:00] Speaker A: Okay, so if he's born 4 B.C. if it was a big enough event in 4 B.C. that a king had all the babies murdered to try to make sure they wiped him out, how is it that 30 years later, when now he's claiming to be the son of God and everybody's questioning, especially the Pharisees, they're saying, give us a sign. Give us a sign. Give us a sign. Had they forgotten that sign or did they never know about that sign because it was a big enough event in the beginning that made some type of headlines? If it made it to the king that he was trying to, did they just forget? And I guess the second somewhat related question is for a people who had been so eagerly awaiting the Messiah for all these years, I mean, we're still 2000 years later waiting on his return. [00:28:43] Speaker C: Right. [00:28:44] Speaker A: So eagerly. They didn't seem to really want one that bad. They didn't do a whole lot of homework on him. It doesn't seem like to see. Yeah, this was emotion. 30 years ago. [00:28:54] Speaker B: They brought one of the wrong Messiah. [00:28:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:28:57] Speaker C: And I think the thing of it is, is you're exactly right. Think about what, what they were thinking the Messiah was going to be. And for the average Hebrew, average Israelite. Wait a minute. This is just a little bitty baby. [00:29:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:29:11] Speaker C: Baby can't deliver. Baby's not going to defeat Rome. [00:29:13] Speaker A: Right. [00:29:14] Speaker C: And if he does defeat Rome, how is he going to be? I'm, you know, am I going to be around when he's going to be here to take out. Take out Rome, if that's their mindset, is he's got to free us from Roman oppression. And the angel told Joseph, no, he will save my people from their sins. Not, not necessarily save them from political oppression. [00:29:34] Speaker B: But there was more than just one Messiah claiming. Oh yeah, there's a lot of them. [00:29:41] Speaker C: 12 known after Jesus resurrected. [00:29:44] Speaker B: Okay. [00:29:45] Speaker C: In that time period. There were a lot of people during his time period or after, just after the resurrection. [00:29:50] Speaker B: Okay. Yeah. So everybody claims to be. And probably the Jesus. And maybe some people thought the, the Messiah got killed in Bethlehem, but. [00:30:01] Speaker C: But it, it's just like the enemy, though, to send a, a copy. [00:30:06] Speaker B: Yes. [00:30:07] Speaker C: Of the authentic. That's one of his. His mos. When God does something, the enemy's going to present something that's similar but a fake. And that's why you got to know the truth, because he will deceive you. [00:30:21] Speaker B: I'll be pinning out to that. [00:30:23] Speaker C: All right. [00:30:27] Speaker B: I'll eat to that. [00:30:28] Speaker C: Thank you. [00:30:30] Speaker A: So shifting slightly, something else you said Sunday that in two. I think both of these things that I circled, I think are your words and they're closely related. Sometimes obeying God is not easy. How about Joseph? [00:30:41] Speaker B: No. [00:30:42] Speaker A: And how hard that must have been. And you also said, who you obey shows who you trust. I just think that's a very simple commonsensical thing to say when you say it that way. But. But it's very deep. And when you think about how many times we're faced with any decision, big, small, anything like that, and it's crystal clear what God would have us do. It's scriptural, what God would have us do and how many times we choose what we want to do anyway, even though we know that's wrong in that situation, we're choosing to obey something besides God. It's very basic. If me and a stranger on the street are sitting there telling me, gabe, Christian or Reese, do this, and I'm saying do the opposite, and they listen to them, that is as point blank telling me that they don't trust me as it can be is like a me. And why would you do that? You know, why would you, you know, why would you choose to ignore this or to ignore the one who loves you. [00:31:35] Speaker B: Right. [00:31:36] Speaker A: To do something that a total stranger tells you to do. But that's what we do every single time we follow our own fleshly desires. And, and that kind of brings me to my. I didn't mean to tie that one together. [00:31:48] Speaker C: But. [00:31:48] Speaker A: But One of the things I've been. I've almost hit a. A stall in my reading at Romans 7. I've gotten to Romans 7 and just kind of dug my heels in there for a little bit, because I read. [00:32:00] Speaker C: A couple weeks ago, Roman7 is doing that when you get to the next chapter. [00:32:04] Speaker A: Well, I know, and I want to get to the next chapter. So I read Romans 7 once, and I'm like, man, there's a lot of stuff in there that I want to dig deeper into, but I don't. It was late at night, and I'd been reading for a while. We ain't gonna do it tonight, but I'll reread it later. And I've reread it several times and just been kind of marinating on it, I guess, for a little bit. But it can be an easy one to get lost in, because he keeps saying the same thing in 18 different directions. I do what I want to do, and I don't. I don't do what I want to do. And I believe what I do don't do is what is what I want. [00:32:32] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:32:33] Speaker A: But as I was reading through it the other day, I thought, you know, it's. I. I almost feel bad to keep bringing up golf analogies, but it's just like my golf swing. I know what the correct way is, and I still do it the wrong way all the time. It's not because I want to do it the wrong way. It's because, you know, despite my best efforts, a lot of times I do that right? And just tying that back to it can be so tough for me, for us to not get frustrated with the. The sinful self that, you know, won't go away. But it's at the same time, every time I'm choosing to obey myself instead of obeying God, that's Romans 7 in action. And every time I actually do. But the fact that I even acknowledge this, that God is the one I should be trusting, I just sometimes don't do it. That's where the frustration comes from. Just like I know I don't need to let my elbow get out in my downswing, but I still do it. And I guess the. Okay, so how do I prevent that? Well, in real life, in golf, I practice certain things. There's things you can do to practice that. There's things you can do in the gym to simulate those feelings and drills you can do. Just like in the spiritual sense, there's scripture, there's prayer, there's church, there's discipleship and brotherhood. Walking by the spirit and Walking by. [00:33:43] Speaker C: The spirit and not fulfilling the desires of the flesh. [00:33:45] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. So that's just a lot of. But, but you're right. Obeying. Obeying God a lot of times is not easy, whether it's a little thing or a big thing. [00:33:54] Speaker C: And, and, and even in the. Think about your daily won't. I mean, when, When Jesus. Jesus put some commands out there that are not necessarily. I mean, most people will read them and say, well, that's impossible. Who can love their enemies? Who can forgive those who've trespassed against them? Or somebody that's hurt you so bad. Come on now. To be sure, I'm. I should be able to, you know, be mad at them or not forgive them. No, he says forgive, just as God has forgiven you in Christ Jesus. [00:34:23] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:34:24] Speaker C: You know, he tells us that if you want to gain your life, lose it. He tells us that you must die to self daily. These are not easy commands, by no means. Yeah, well, I mean, you know, I would say they're impossible commands, except I got to have something that. Something that can do the impossible working in me. And that's one of the things that Mary says when. Or the angel tells Mary is, well, how can this be? Is what Mary says. And the angel says, with God, all things are possible. Well, I've got to have that impossible doing God living in me if I'm going to carry that out. And that's the Holy Spirit walking by. The Spirit then is less of me, more of him, less of me wanting my way, which. That's what sin is. Sin is saying, God, I know what you told me, but you know what? I think my way is better. I'd rather have this than you. I mean, that's. And I know that sounds. It puts it kind of on a level of, whoa, do you really go that far? Yeah, that's really what it is. Because God's saying, I'm giving you the option, the best choice. And you're saying, God, I'm gonna go this way. No peanut on that. [00:35:39] Speaker B: I thought I was saying, that's well said. No, but I have wrestled with it. How can you be perfect? Yeah, And I have questioned that. Those impossible things. And it's only through Christ. And remember when the person told Jesus, oh, great teacher. Oh, good teacher. I'm not good. [00:36:08] Speaker C: Yeah, who are you calling good? [00:36:09] Speaker B: But he was saying that out of the flesh, not out of the spirit. So I get what you're saying. It took me a long time to figure that out, man. [00:36:17] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:36:18] Speaker B: How do you do that. [00:36:19] Speaker C: Who can love your enemies? Who can, you know, turn the other cheek? I mean there are some serious things that you, when you begin to really look at this, the commands and the teachings of Christ, they're not just philosophical things he's just throwing out there of oh, that's sweet, you know, turn the other cheek. No, that's what he's telling us that we should do. [00:36:38] Speaker A: I'm not sure if I can unpack this one all the way to anything that necessarily makes sense. One of the things I've taken some comfort in lately, two things I've taken a lot of comfort in lately, but one has been that we talked a while back about God's goodness, His holiness and his love and loving. This all kind of being mutually important and almost like a three legged stool that you need. All three of them paint the picture. And I've kind of thought about this. Almost like a. Let's put me up against God just for a fun little exercise here. Let's just say that what I want what I want and he wants what's best for me. [00:37:11] Speaker C: Okay? [00:37:11] Speaker A: Yeah, well, he loves me too much to let me have the thing that I want that's not good for him. So no amount of begging, no amount of, let's just say there's a prayer or something that I'm wanting that he knows isn't good for me. And I'm begging and begging and begging. He's not going to give me something that I'm asking for that he knows is going to be bad for me if I decide, well, never mind. I don't need his blessing on this. I can do it myself. There's no way I'm ever going to out power overpower him and get that thing on my own. Right. And, and no matter how good I think something is, I'm never going to have his goodness to truly know that. So sometimes just taking a little bit of peace in that and the. But sometimes he's not giving me what I'm asking for. And it's not out of, you know, he's being stubborn and stingy and hard headed and all this kind of, it's just he, he's only gonna, he cares if he gets his way. He's only gonna do what's good for me and what's right for me. Right. I'm gonna mess that up plenty. But if it's, if he has his call, I'm not gonna be able to change his definition of good because he's God and I'm not. And, and I'M not gonna be able to overpower him into doing what he thinks is bad and. Or is not best. [00:38:24] Speaker B: Are you not ready for it or. [00:38:26] Speaker A: I'm not ready for it. Yeah. I mean, it's just. [00:38:27] Speaker B: He have immature. [00:38:28] Speaker C: Yeah, well, and I'm kind of wrestling with that because I like where you're going with it. It's a, it's a great thought process because I'm sitting here thinking about, okay, was there ever a time when, when, when the Lord says, all right, I'm gonna give you what you want? And I think there is, and I think it's scriptural that the, the children of Israel. All right, you've chased after this. I've called you back. I've called you back. I've called you back. All right, I'm going to give you what you, what you really want. And then, then it happens. [00:38:57] Speaker A: Are they the same thing though? Maybe. Maybe they are. I'm. I'm just wondering if it's something that. I'm trying to think of an example, but I read the. With the children of Israel, they were chasing false idols, they were chasing other things. They were, it was, it was sin that they were desiring. What I'm saying is not necessarily a sin. It could be said anytime you are wanting what you want over what God wants, that is in and of itself a sin. But if you may not necessarily think that the thing that you're praying for is, Is sinful, you may be praying for it in a righteous way or for a righteous motivate, or there might be a righteous motive behind that. Not all of our desires are sinful. Some of our mothers. Yeah, well, I mean, no, I think I'm saying that the right way because you can have Godly desires, the heart, the desires that God puts in your heart. It's just sometimes hard for us to know exactly what's of God and what's of our own making. [00:39:50] Speaker C: Or a good better best. [00:39:51] Speaker A: A good better best. That's really what I'm talking about, is a good, better best. Maybe what I'm praying for is a better, it's just not best. [00:39:58] Speaker C: Right, right. Your best. [00:39:59] Speaker A: So I think that's the distinct. And maybe I'm not saying this right, but with Israelites, they weren't looking for good, better or best. They were looking for bad. And he finally said, fine, you want bad, that bad, go ahead, you can have it. [00:40:13] Speaker C: And that's what I was kind of. That's the thing. That's why I was wrestling with it. [00:40:16] Speaker A: Yeah, but if I'm Praying for better and he's not going to give me better if he has best in mind. [00:40:22] Speaker B: Yeah. Prime example that you have is Hezekiah. He was the most I think righteous king. Is that with above there or the most righteous king of Israel. I would thought David. David had had God's heart but he. He was after a certain amount of time I don't remember it was but he was Isaiah told him he was going to die but Hezekiah turned around, prayed and God added Hezekiah. God told Isaiah to come back in there and tell me 15 more years. That's a good motive. That really is but was at the best what God had because his son became the most his son ruled the longest 55 years and his son also was the the most evil king of Judea maybe of all of and his son started to decline in Judea. So God answered his prayer. What you're saying sometimes God gets you what you want. But it wasn't the best thing for Isaiah for Hezekiah to live because after he gave him 15 years that's when the most his son which ruled was born. [00:41:40] Speaker A: He wouldn't have been born if he hadn't gotten the 15 more years. Is that what you're saying? [00:41:43] Speaker B: Yes, he was 10 years old I think when he started to rule or something like that. [00:41:49] Speaker C: Well I think it's one too of you know sometimes when we begin to think yeah all right, so no, no. [00:41:57] Speaker B: I can't have one there. [00:41:58] Speaker C: Well I wanted to try to graduate. [00:42:00] Speaker B: I can only have when yeah I think I might mix them too well. [00:42:08] Speaker C: I think it's one we really start to think about. Prayer is one of those things of. To me it's always been kind of a not necessarily mystery because we don't always know what what is the good, better, best or what we're asking for but that's where that walk again with the Lord helps us to know that okay this is what the Lord wants and and coming to that grips of that at the same times if we did choose and I think there's that. You know I remember seeing a play when we were in New York called if then and what it was was okay if I make this decision then this is what and it did a pretty good job of showing okay I made this decision 20 years down the road. This is what happened Just from one small decision here, there and everything else it's terrible as far as morals I wouldn't recommended the only reason we went to it is they offered like ten dollar tickets to Renee and I When we were in New York, I said. [00:43:03] Speaker A: Yeah, what movie was it? [00:43:04] Speaker C: I mean, Broadway play called if Then. And the girl that did the Frozen singing, I don't know her name, she was playing as the star. And so I was like, hey, she's. She can sing. [00:43:17] Speaker B: So. So she became the star, like, later. [00:43:21] Speaker C: Well, she was a star, but she came like the real superstar right after that. [00:43:25] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:43:25] Speaker C: And it won't cause a lot of play. [00:43:29] Speaker A: Well, the other thing that again, ties in a little bit with that is that I've. I said there are two things that I found some piece in. But the other one is, I think as you. One of the. No matter what you're talking about, whether it's your walk with God or about anything else you can do in life, one of the best ways to mature in something is with experience. The more experience you have, that's going to reinforce and mature you a lot. And I think as I've just had more experience in my walk, there have been so many of these little examples, and we've talked about them before, where I can look back a year later and see things that he was doing a year ago that I could have never seen at the time and say. [00:44:05] Speaker C: Oh, that's why he said, do this. [00:44:06] Speaker A: That makes sense. Wasn't what I was thinking it would be. Or maybe I didn't understand exactly where he was going with it. But now I can see what he was doing, and I've just started to try to remember that and even in my prayer time, thank him for what it. For all the things he's doing today that I'm not seeing yet, you know, because there's just a lot of those things that I don't get. [00:44:27] Speaker C: And I know you're doing it. [00:44:28] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:44:28] Speaker C: That's the thing is. That's the. That's the piece I think of knowing that, hey, I can't see all this going on. Yeah, I can't see the unseen hand, if you will. [00:44:38] Speaker A: That's right. But I know he's doing it, and it's not always. And I don't know if this is an important distinction to make or not, but I'm not even. It's not just bad things that were happening a year ago that turned out for good later. Sometimes it was good things that turned out for better and better things that turned out for best or whatever, but there's just been so many things that I've been able to see. Oh, that's what he was doing with that. That's pretty cool. And I sure am glad That I followed that tiny little thing he told me to do here. And I'm so glad that he put this tiny little thing in my place here. In place here. And you just start to see these things start to add up, like a puzzle being put together over time. [00:45:12] Speaker B: There you go. [00:45:13] Speaker A: And you just start to. Oh, yeah. Perfect sound. There you go. [00:45:17] Speaker B: Time's up. Okay, go ahead. [00:45:21] Speaker A: Somebody told me the other day on a podcast that I got cut off in the middle of. He said, you get your word, Max. They shut you up. Well done. [00:45:30] Speaker C: I like that. The. The bell rings, it. It becomes clear. That's right. The little things that you saw God's hand in, and you didn't even realize it at the time. And just watching how he. He moves and does things, and you can. That's really where that trust comes in of, okay, God, I saw you do it last year. I saw you do it 20 years ago. And that's one of the reasons that one of my favorite sayings is there's a couple things I can tell you about God. He's always been good. He's always been faithful. If I can get to a place in my life to where I truly believe that, that then no matter what life throws at me, I can trust. He's always been good. He's always been faithful. [00:46:08] Speaker B: 15 more seconds. [00:46:09] Speaker C: So the little things today. The little things today. You know, I know he's behind it, and he's good, and he's faithful. [00:46:17] Speaker B: All right, you're up. You're back. [00:46:22] Speaker A: Yeah, I think you're up now. I'm the timekeeper. [00:46:26] Speaker B: I'm the timekeeper. Wow. [00:46:28] Speaker A: But now that's just been a real. I'm back up now. [00:46:31] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:46:31] Speaker A: Yeah. I think that's about all I had on. [00:46:34] Speaker C: Yeah, I have peanut. [00:46:36] Speaker A: It's not. I'm not trying to be too talkative. Y' all just chewing too much. It's got it. [00:46:42] Speaker B: I haven't had very many. [00:46:44] Speaker A: No, but. No, I think. [00:46:46] Speaker B: There you are. You see where all the jars are over there that you do you see anything close to me? [00:46:50] Speaker C: I. [00:46:51] Speaker A: Well, yeah. Yeah, I guess that's fair. [00:46:56] Speaker C: I'm trying to decide which one's my favorite. And they're all good. Good. [00:46:58] Speaker B: They are. [00:46:58] Speaker A: Yeah. Because I'm partial to peanuts, so I'm. I'm chomping away that chocolate, though. [00:47:02] Speaker B: That was a. [00:47:03] Speaker C: That's not right. [00:47:04] Speaker B: Yeah, that's not right. That's wicked. [00:47:09] Speaker A: But I think there's a lot to. In that, because when you can get to that point where you don't Understand it. And you don't have to understand it. You just know that whatever he's doing is good and you can just sit back and. And kind of. Yeah, I can. I. I was even thinking of something the other day. It's like, well, I could see this being good. I could see that being good. It wasn't like a big decision. It was almost more of a hypothetical, you know, mental exercise. But it's like at the end of the day, I'm never going to come anywhere close to knowing what he knows. And, and this is a stupidly simple thing, too. I keep forgetting that nothing surprises him, right? Like he knew every single thing that was going to happen long before I was even born. It's just every day something might surprise me, but I'm just kind of slowly, I'm never going to approach his knowledge. But everything that happens, I'm just getting another piece of the puzzle to my life revealed to me that he already knew and he's many, many steps ahead of me in that. In that planning process. So I do, I do struggle sometimes between the still and. We talked about this a lot before being. I don't want to be lazy to just sit. There's a difference in worrying and working, though. We want you to work but not worry. [00:48:19] Speaker B: That's it. [00:48:20] Speaker C: And, well, that's Philippians 4, 6 and 7, what you just described, though, earlier, that, okay, I don't have to worry about it. I can have a peace. And Philippians 4, 6, 7, says, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your mind and heart in Christ Jesus. That's one of the most precious promises in the Bible. And for the life of me, I can't figure out why so many people live in anxiety, worry. And I know, look, I'm talking to myself too, but I don't have to live in that. That unless I want to. [00:48:51] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm the most content when I live in the moment. If I live in the past, I start feeling guilty or why did I do that? Or I should have known better, or I can't believe I expose myself like that. If I live in the future, causes me anxiety, you know what's going to happen? What's going to happen five years down the road? Am I going to be alive? Or whatever. But if I live moment to moment, is that's where I find peace? Because God said he's going to. He's forgiven the past, he's going to take care of the future, and you just have to live day by day. If I Stay there. Now, that's a. If that's not reality for me, because I ran those past, present, future all the time. Think about, well, I should have did this or should have done that or I should have said that, or about the future. What am I going to do about this truck? And the funny thing about it is I'm still here. The things I used to worry about, I don't really worry about anymore. I'm still here, you know, And I can't do anything about the past. I think a lot of times, for myself, too, we have a hard time forgiving ourselves. Like you said, y' all said, we need to show grace to ourselves. [00:50:14] Speaker A: You know, that's a hard one. And it's. It's a. [00:50:17] Speaker C: Agreement you could. [00:50:18] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:50:21] Speaker A: Good point. [00:50:25] Speaker C: Yeah, I do like that, King. Go ahead. [00:50:27] Speaker A: Every. I struggle with that one, too, because when I try to give myself grace, and. And then I start to. I swing too far back and forth on that pendulum. I give myself too much grace, and then I don't give myself enough grace, and I give myself too much grace and not enough. And it's. And there's such a balance on that. And having kids helps with. Especially kids. My kids age because they're constantly messing up, you know, and it's. I had one with Reese last night where she said something not. It was in her mind. It wasn't that big a deal. And I understand that she didn't think it was that big a deal, but she said just the wrong thing at the wrong time to me. And we were in front of a lot of people at the time, and I about blew up on her, but I said, no, we'll. We'll handle this one in the car. But we got in the car. I was happy that when I. When I said. And I was proud of her, I guess that I didn't have to say too much. She knew it as soon as I said. I didn't even tell her what she did. [00:51:22] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:51:22] Speaker A: I said, by the way. I said, I'll let it slide this time, but don't ever pull that again. [00:51:26] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:51:26] Speaker A: And she said, I'm sorry. She. She knew what she'd done. I said, well, that's good, but I'm glad I didn't have to blow up on her, because that was coming. No. And then Christian gives me a lot of that, too, because he argues with me about every single thing, and it drives me insane. And it's like, kid, I do know a little more than. Than you think I do, but he's the one that gives me the best reflection of myself in. In God and that I. [00:51:51] Speaker C: You see yourself in your children. [00:51:53] Speaker A: That's right. [00:51:55] Speaker C: Gets that hard headedness. I know where that child gets that from. [00:51:58] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:51:58] Speaker C: And it's always the mom. [00:52:00] Speaker B: Yeah. Write this down. [00:52:02] Speaker C: No, I just wrote down something. I gotta go back. I think you made a statement that you were the. That and I think you meant to say when you've eaten four jars of pe. [00:52:11] Speaker B: Well, that was. I was. That's what I was. Want you to write down when I was. That's. Let me say that I'm ready. [00:52:16] Speaker C: I'm ready. You ready? [00:52:21] Speaker B: You know, here, here's. Here's the thing that I, I have come to grips because of Chul. It don't matter what they do. You still love them. And I take that with Christ's love. It doesn't matter what I do. He's disappointed. He might be. I mean, I'm disappointed in some things, but it's. He still loves me. [00:52:42] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:52:42] Speaker B: And that hadn't changed. [00:52:43] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:52:44] Speaker B: And if we can take that and use that and keep remembering that, I think life would be a whole lot easier. [00:52:51] Speaker A: Another thing that I've thought about here with in the Christmas season a lot I was sitting at this last night is, you know, we really don't. In. In our defense, we really can't fully comprehend the gift that Jesus was. I mean, we're not. Our minds aren't built that way. We can't. You know, but you know, when you think about. From. From God's perspective. [00:53:15] Speaker C: Right. [00:53:15] Speaker A: Have you ever given somebody a Christmas gift or seen somebody get a Christmas gift that you knew? What an odd like you. You were super excited to give this gift to them. Yeah. They're gonna be so pumped. They're gonna love this. And they open the box, look at the lg. [00:53:28] Speaker B: Thanks. [00:53:28] Speaker A: And they throw it to the side. [00:53:29] Speaker B: What? [00:53:30] Speaker C: Down. [00:53:32] Speaker A: How does that not mean more to you than that? That was the gift I was excited to get and I think that's got to be the way God sees us receiving Jesus gift. [00:53:46] Speaker C: No doubt. [00:53:46] Speaker A: Because we don't even. Again, in our defense, we can't. I've tried. You cannot fully comprehend what that was. But we just kind of take it as a oh, cool and I sweater and throw it to the side on the pile and say now send me some more money. Where are the toys at know. But from his perspective, it's got to be like, that's the only gift you needed. And you just kind of. Yeah. And y' all are just 99% of us, I don't know. You know, most of us just kind of cool, you know, but it's so much bigger than that. We just don't take the time to. To even try to take it in sometimes. And, you know, I don't know, from his perspective, it's got to be that I just gave you the greatest thing in the world and you just kind of. [00:54:31] Speaker C: Yeah. And you showed no attention to it. [00:54:33] Speaker A: That's right. [00:54:33] Speaker B: Right. [00:54:33] Speaker C: Yeah. Yep, yep, yep. I get it, I get it. [00:54:37] Speaker B: You need me to say something? See? [00:54:39] Speaker C: No. Just know if you want. [00:54:40] Speaker B: Yeah, if I want. Peanut, did you. By the time we edit out on you going to. [00:54:45] Speaker A: By the time I get done editing out the pauses for peanuts, this is going to be the shortest show ever. [00:54:50] Speaker C: Kenny's Jams and Jelly is our sponsor, but I declare we need to contact Southern supreme supreme shout out for their peans and peanuts. And then also, again, double given. I'm telling you, you've done a hurt. You've put a hurting on this for skin. [00:55:08] Speaker B: The chocolate ain't gonna be closer to you than me. [00:55:10] Speaker A: The chocolate's not gonna make it to the end. [00:55:12] Speaker C: Jim Day has nothing to do with it. I think one of the things, too, I wanted to share with you guys today as I'm preparing for this message on Sunday. And again, looking at Matthew 2, you know, we put emphasis on. Oh, man, the star. And we want to know, what was the star? Was it a conglomeration of two planets? Star. We put the emphasis on. Oh, my goodness. We had three people, three magi coming from the east, and who were they and what were they and why did they know and how did they first see the star and then followed it? Not everything. I mean, we put the emphasis on the magi, the star. We want to ask questions about why they're living in the house versus the manger. What. What's the time frame? Then we talk about Herod and. And so many times. I think we need to see that. No, the main player and the main actor in this whole thing of Matthew 2 is God. God's the one who puts the star in the sky. God's the one who. I love how it says, when they got to Jerusalem and they asked Herod, where's the Messiah going to be born or the king going to be born? And then the Bible tells them that the star led them from there to the house. I don't know of any comet or any conglomeration of planets that can do that other than God controls the very stars of the sky in the Heavens, that's amazing to me. Then when Herod asked the scribes, where is he going to be born again? God was the one who prophesied it 500 years before in the prophet Micah saying, oh, you Bethlehem of Ephratah, from you will come one that will shepherd my country or shepherd the nations. I mean, what an impressive thing of God doing the prophecies, the stars. And then also, okay, Herod's going to, you know, lose his cool, wants to wipe out every two year old. Here comes God again, Joseph, let's go to Egypt. I mean, even telling the magi go a different route. I mean, God is the one. And so this whole story, Jesus being born, Jesus son of Abraham, son of David, Jesus, seed of a woman, it is all about God and it's all about God's glory. And then God's glory being shown in that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. These three gentiles traveled I don't know how many miles, thousands, maybe thousands and thousands of miles before there was a plane, before there was a car. And all of a sudden the first thing they do when they see this baby boy is they bow the knee and worship. And to me, that's really what we're getting at here. It is the worship of God through his Son, Jesus. And I love how the book of Matthew starts. It starts with come and see, there's a star magi come and see. But it ends with go and tail the Great Commission. So I've been having a good time looking at Matthew. We're going to have. I don't know what I'm gonna, I don't know how it's going to come together Sunday. I really don't because I've, I'm one day out from gotta have the outline done and I'm still struggling with what's my outlines going. [00:58:26] Speaker B: Well, I like what you, you, what you said. Sometimes we look at things that don't mean anything. We focus on the wrong thing. Yeah. On the star. That has really nothing to do with it. You know, it's like how many times you heard this one, Jesus turned water than wine. Yeah, alcohol's wrong, but you're focusing on the wrong thing. You should be focusing on he is the Christ. Nobody's ever done that. [00:58:54] Speaker C: You know, I had people who thanked me for not going into detail of. Thank you for not having to explain whether it was wine or it was this or that. He said too many people. He said, I've heard sermon after sermon after Sermon as a Baptist that they go to seed on. What's it really? Wine. It doesn't matter. He transforming Christ. He is the messiah that can transform. [00:59:19] Speaker B: That's the only miracle I knew that somebody turned more than a wine. [00:59:22] Speaker C: I don't know if anybody else has done it that I know of. [00:59:25] Speaker B: Yeah. So. [00:59:26] Speaker C: And it probably was peanuts into. [00:59:31] Speaker B: We got it right here. [00:59:33] Speaker C: I've never seen peanut. Although we have on the nut. We're playing peanuts. That was a showstop. [00:59:41] Speaker A: That's. [00:59:44] Speaker C: Oh, my goodness. [00:59:45] Speaker A: Those things are so crunchy. Yeah, those are good. [00:59:47] Speaker C: Yeah, they're good. [00:59:48] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:59:48] Speaker C: We. Have you not been down to per tea lately? [00:59:50] Speaker B: I got a van that will bring them to me. [00:59:52] Speaker C: Me call to man. Ain't me cold, man. [01:00:02] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, I got a play. I got a guy that brings them to me. That's what they were brought to me this time. The last time I brought them. [01:00:09] Speaker C: Yeah, just a little. [01:00:11] Speaker A: I mean, we've. We've talked about this a lot too, but we. We're all can be a little guilty of even with the worst at it. Always looking for the big signs. Always looking for the big things. We always want to see God do the big miraculous things. And he does that sometimes. And those are cool to see when he does. But it's. It was. I mean, real time. I had something this morning. I was dropping Christian off. I was praying on the way back home, and I wasn't paying attention to my email and stuff, but when I look back at it, I got an email literally probably about the time I said amen. That was a small, little. Pretty big answer to one of the things I was praying about. [01:00:45] Speaker B: I thought, huh. [01:00:46] Speaker A: I didn't even realize he was just gonna do that. That's pretty cool. And those are cool when they happen, but it's even cooler, I think sometimes when you go back and you add up all the little things that he did that just. They weren't that big, you know. And the same thing with the story. What made me think of that is the story of the Magi. I mean, it's when you put your focus on what does this mean? Not that it's always a bad thing to look into, you know, some of the deeper meanings in the Bible and things like that. But don't maybe need to work on not putting so much thought on the what does this mean? As opposed to the focus is on God and on Jesus and what he is not. What does the thing he said mean, but what he is and. [01:01:26] Speaker C: Or what does gold and frankincense and myrrh. What does that symbolize? It can symbolize several things, and I think it does represent royalty and then priestliness and then also his death, his suffering. But we put so much emphasis on. I mean, I've heard a sermon preached on why gold, frankincense and myrrh. And I'm kind of like, dude, maybe that's what they had three things they wanted to give. I mean, I like that there's that behind it, but I don't know that the scriptures necessarily putting the emphasis on that. [01:01:56] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [01:01:58] Speaker B: It's like. It's like something hidden in the scriptures. I don't think that. Oh, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, well, we're trying to find something that's not really there, but it is there. [01:02:07] Speaker C: That's almost more Isaac. [01:02:09] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:02:10] Speaker C: Exegesis. [01:02:11] Speaker B: It's like the greatest miracles that. What we want to. What we think is with our eyes, the lame walking. But right here in this room is the greatest miracles that. Three of the greatest miracles ever. [01:02:28] Speaker C: Why are you raised. Raising spiritual life? [01:02:31] Speaker B: Seriously, Salvation is a miracle in itself. And I'm dead to life now. The faith healers and all that. I'm sure that happens and I know it does happen in other countries where they, yeah, they. They have to rely on that kind of stuff. But we're focusing on the wrong thing. We should be focusing on salvation and not necessarily. [01:02:53] Speaker C: Well, even in that we. We put the emphasis on, oh, look at healing. Oh, yeah. [01:02:59] Speaker B: God good. [01:03:00] Speaker C: The God who heals. God, that. [01:03:03] Speaker B: There you go. I mean, oh, it was all a miracle. God, we had a good one last Sunday. No, you had. You've been having good ones every Sunday. Yeah, you just don't recognize it. [01:03:12] Speaker A: Well, and we. I probably never thought about it in my entire life until I don't know which sermon it was or if it was a podcast or what we're probably feeding. The 5,000 is a good example of that story. [01:03:25] Speaker B: 5,000. [01:03:28] Speaker A: That'll be a good outtake. But, you know, we. Everybody wanted to see the miracles. And when he wasn't doing more of the miracles than they want anything else to do with, that was all they were there for John 6. And that's such an easy one to pass judgment on and say, well, that was rotten of them. But that's. We f. We face that every day of our lives. We want to see the big, you know, the big things too. And sometimes it's not, you know, if sometimes the kingdom work, we almost look at as boring compared to the earthly things we want Just like the Pharisees who wanted it. It's so easy to look at them and judge the Pharisees and say you wanted a big military leader to overtake the Romans. And you missed the important thing about Jesus's love and what he really came for. We do that every single day. [01:04:10] Speaker B: I'm guilty of it. [01:04:11] Speaker A: I mean, it's so easy to focus on the things we care about here. [01:04:14] Speaker C: Or what we want. [01:04:15] Speaker A: What we want. Right. [01:04:16] Speaker B: What excites us. [01:04:17] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:04:18] Speaker C: And I think you could almost equate that again. And Matthew 2 seems to be our theme for the day. And part of it's because that's where I'm spending majority of my time right now. But if you compare the people, like I said, the people of Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. There was word that the Messiah had been born. These three Gentiles still went and worshiped. They went to a poor little house. Here's a toddler. And they still bow down and worship his toddler. I mean, to me, that tells me, okay, they weren't there for what they could get. They were there for who he is. [01:04:53] Speaker A: That's it. [01:04:54] Speaker C: Versus the people of Israel. Fast forward 30 years from now, and they are the ones that are saying, give us more bread so we don't have to work to eat. Give us, you know, turn these. You know, give us that. They want that daily bread without any. [01:05:08] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:05:09] Speaker C: And they're. And as in that same taste. Jesus knew they wanted to make him a king, so it was against that. [01:05:15] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, we ain't out of peanuts, but. [01:05:18] Speaker C: Oh, no, I think we're close. [01:05:20] Speaker A: We're getting the chocolates. [01:05:21] Speaker C: Well, I got to get. I know you got me full. [01:05:25] Speaker B: No, I'm just trying to even them out. [01:05:26] Speaker A: I'm not sure if I've ever seen this man full. [01:05:28] Speaker C: Especially that man is eating some peanuts during this time. [01:05:32] Speaker B: Yeah, I ain't eating all these. [01:05:33] Speaker C: For those that are watching by film need to go back and let's see who ate the most. Who ate the most? Most. [01:05:40] Speaker A: I'll tell you what I might do. [01:05:42] Speaker C: What's that? [01:05:42] Speaker A: I can go in there and put a ticker on every time. Yeah, I don't. Yeah, every time. Every time he grabs a handful. I'm going to take that sound clip of his phone going ding, and I'm going have it. [01:05:55] Speaker B: That's exactly right. [01:05:57] Speaker C: I think he set the record, man. [01:05:59] Speaker A: That man. [01:06:00] Speaker C: I'm telling you, your jaws got to be hurt. [01:06:02] Speaker A: That might take me a little while. [01:06:03] Speaker C: To edit, but I know with the. The. Your Software won't do that, will it? What? Like every time he reaches his hand out. It won't do that. It don't do video like that, does it? Because that would be great. Because that's all you'd have to do is do that hand going from there to there. [01:06:19] Speaker A: I don't know. I'm not going to do that. [01:06:21] Speaker B: I mean, I doubt you can. [01:06:23] Speaker A: I'm sure concerned about it. I'm sure AI could do it. [01:06:27] Speaker B: Is that yours? [01:06:28] Speaker A: No, that's not mine. Mine's right here. All right. [01:06:30] Speaker C: Not mine. I don't use that kind of. [01:06:32] Speaker B: You pe. [01:06:34] Speaker C: Bye, everybody. [01:06:35] Speaker A: Appreciate. I just. I just reached for one or two. I hadn't seen your van around lately. [01:06:46] Speaker C: I know, I know. I got to. I got to get it out and get it back in circulation. [01:06:51] Speaker A: Cuz I know it misses me. [01:06:54] Speaker C: You know, the Hyundai is nice, but I feel like I'm riding under the ground. Yeah. And the kids. Kia. Oh, yeah. [01:06:59] Speaker B: Right on the ground. [01:06:59] Speaker C: Yeah. I feel like I'm up in the air on that kid. [01:07:02] Speaker B: Also a chocolate one on that one. [01:07:05] Speaker C: Well, you did a good one. That. That would. That deserved a shot. [01:07:09] Speaker B: I can match him in peanut. [01:07:11] Speaker C: Those green ones. [01:07:13] Speaker A: Maple. [01:07:14] Speaker C: And never pecans, not peanuts. Pecans, Peanuts with the maple. No, no, I. I better not. [01:07:22] Speaker A: This is the most 80 TV show we have ever had. We stopped mid birth. Grab some more peanuts. Just start to. [01:07:33] Speaker C: There you go. [01:07:34] Speaker A: There you go. All right. [01:07:37] Speaker B: I know how to boil them. [01:07:38] Speaker C: Boiling peanuts isn't that complicated. It can be. Well, if you go to the gas station, they're just sitting in a crock pot. [01:07:47] Speaker B: They think they've done something to it. [01:07:49] Speaker A: You. [01:07:51] Speaker C: I mean, I don't think that tastes rocket.