Latest / Goodlife Church Formation Podcast / Heart For The House
Transcript
- Jack: All right, welcome back to another episode of the Good Life Formation Podcast. Pastor Dave, welcome. Where on earth is Rebecca Connor? Dave Connett: Where on where on Earth is Rebecca Connett? Well currently she's somewhere on the Mediterranean, between she left yesterday from Istanbul and should wake up in Santorini in Greece. That's where Rebecca Connott is. Jack: There you go. I assume this is a work a work trip, st study tour, is that what is that what pastors call it? Dave Connett: Look, some pastors call it that. this is a hundred percent holiday and Rebecca Connett will no doubt be studying. She's got this she visited Ephesus in the last week, so she was we were FaceTiming saying, Look at that spot, that's where Paul would have made his tents. Look at that spot, he would have been preaching publicly, look at that spot, he would have been you know, wrestling d the discussions with the local luminaries and Like I was just I I was actually touched. I was actually watching this and then just going, God, do it again. Let the same happen in our lifetime. Let there be pauls rise up. Anyway, so that was that was fun. Missing my wife, but I'm I'm crying more in regards to God do it again on some FaceTime call to somewhere in Turkey. Jack: Ha Well, if she's if she's a true pastor, she'd be looking for a preaching gig while she's on holidays. Isn't isn't that what you're supposed to do? Find preaching gigs wherever you go. Is that how pastors do holidays? Dave Connett: So yes. It depend it depends. It depends. some pastors some pastors do that. Rebecca Connett definitely does not do that. Jack: No, she doesn't strike me as that. Where on earth are you, Dave Connott? Dave Connett: No. I'm in I'm in Canberra. I'm in Parliament House today, sir. Jack: Okay. Where we're it like somewhere where prestigious in the house, I'd imagine. Dave Connett: I'm I'm on the mezzanine floor. I'm in I'm in the prayer rooms, the prayer and meditation rooms. And as as one of my colleagues brought me up here and he's like, I've been working in this place for years and I've never been to the prayer room. And I'm like, Well, isn't it good that you don't have to go to a prayer room to pray? So yes, just trying to find a private spot around here can be quite interesting. I have done meetings like this or Zoom calls from the courtyard, like in between all the different fingers of offices. You have these beautiful gardens and and I can be on the Wi-Fi there. But let's just say in Canberra today, it is freezing. It is a frozen wasteland this morning. So yes, I found an indoor private space. Jack: Mm. No doubt. Well I'm glad the prayer room is is open to all faiths. I've I went to a prayer room in a airport recently and it seemed geared to the prayers of a particular faith rather than multi faith. I thought that was very interesting of the airport. Dave Connett: Look, this is this is very nondescript. There's no real there's no symbols, there's no anything. There's three little booths where you can kind of sit. and there is definitely the only sign in here, apart from emergency exit signs, is a tiny little sign pointing in the direction of where to find Mecca. Jack: that was my question. Dave Connett: It's just over here. and just to let you know, I'm currently facing the opposite way. Jack: how how spiritually defiant of you, Pastor Dave. All right, all right. Well we we are coming off the back of our our series Raiders of Lost Ark and we are what thirty hours away from our Heart for the House celebration party festival, whatever you want call it. what was the w yeah, yeah. Dave Connett: No, it's just the only way to sit this thing up. Uh-huh. I know. I know, I know. I know. Hey, j Jack, Jack, J but before you before you ask your question, I'm I'm gonna cut in. When we first started this, I mean you you've you've you've you've been yeah, I mean you've you've publicly stated you don't always like the the names of series. And obviously we're talking about the Ark of the Covenant and the and the tabernacle and the tent of meeting and the temple and going through all that and then we utilize the thought of You know, that movie with Harrison Fort, the great, great movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, to cut you know, to utilize as the as the name. Have you have you come around? Are you still disparaging or have you you know have you is your heart warmed, strangely warmed? Jack: no, my heart is quite cold. Dave Connett: You are wow. Look. Jack: I have not I have not seen an Indiana Jones movie. I am still trying to figure out what the movie connection is to the series, but I am glad that we have we have taught and preached through the the Ark and Temple and the Covenant and all those wonderful things. Dave Connett: Basically they wanted the pres they they wanted the power of God but didn't actually bow their knee to the presence of God. So it was the whole thought of actually wanting what what God gave them, not just wanting God. But yes. But that's that's that's okay. Jack: Mm. No, I'm I'm happy to I'm happy to assume my role of translator of the sermon titles, the series titles. I think there's one coming up where it's just like, why don't we just call it Romans? But it has had has it has a name, doesn't it? Dave Connett: No, it does have a name. Yep. I c I mean I can tell you. The the the title is This Changes Everything. Jack: Yeah, I have no idea. Yeah, please. Okay. So I get to interpret that as well. Dave Connett: I look, I'd love to hear your top three interpretations. Jack: I think I'm Well, I'm preaching week one, which is about ten days away, so I will interpret it for the masses and those listening, you're welcome. I'm I'm here to be a clarifier and happy to assume that role. Dave Connett: Yes, yes. Well c clarifier, party pooper, look whatever you call it, I'm easy. Jack: Look plain and s plain and simple. Keep it plain. All right, well, you know, i mean look, there's nothing plain and simple about Pastor Nat Taylor, that's for sure. She preached didn't teach, preached on Sunday, and worked her way, meandered her way through the end of the the sermon series. So what was your cliff notes? What was the the headlines that you took from Pastor Nat yesterday? Dave Connett: Ha ha ha. Look, I think the great link from first of all understanding the journey of everything in the the the tent of meeting, the tabernacle, the temple is that whole thought of through the Bible wholesale it's from tent to temple to us. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that we're called to be carriers, to have the indwelling of the presence of God. And then what that means. I loved that. I she she came from about three different angles to talk about being a son and not a slave and the spirit of sonship and what that does if we actually live that way. And then coming into Heart for the House if we learn to give out of sonship, it's a trust in your father. but to get there talked about, well, you actually have to let go of your slavish ways to be fully immersed, fully committed. To that journey of being a a son and to live as a son and a daughter of the most high God. You've got to let go of everything else that's alternative, that's slavish. and you do have to let go of things that you might have hung on to for a for a long period of time. That's complete freedom. And in that complete freedom, you can walk in trust, you can walk in faith. And and then she ministered off that and I I just I had so much fun. What a great, great Sunday. Jack: Mm. Yeah, it's huge. I don't know. I particularly love your I guess closing remarks on the Heart for the House season in a way of Yeah, do you wanna say more about what you spoke to of, you know, we can give to need or we can give out of a place of agreement or ascension. but there's there's something else and we give from a place of faith, right? Dave Connett: Yeah, look, we look we do I suppose we do present the the opportunities. I've and so in in one way we do have to communicate what we're giving to, what the plan is going forward. It's not just an a a bucket of money somewhere in a bank that we give to. we are giving to a cause and we do articulate what that is. We are giving to a vision and it it there are steps towards that vision. but I I I suppose I took the time to delineate from the aussi there's three levels of giving and the third one requires faith. But the first one is Aussies usually give to a need. if there is a yum some kind of crisis around the world, Aussies give to that and and it could be some form of natural disaster, a bushfire or yum. It's some kind of something's happened. And yeah, many when when someone puts up a GoFundMe, Aussies are fantastic at that because they see the need and they go, Yeah, I can give. And a lot of people give. And so it usually adds up to a lot of money if if we have those causes. People love to give to a cause. I mean, I'm I I'm I'm competing in a higher rocks competition in a couple of weeks. And so I've put up these and I'm I'm raising money. The part of the deal is I'm raising money for for mental health initiatives. And so I've just put it up in my gym. People just keep on giving to this thing. Like it just keeps on adding up. And there's a lot of people giving forty, fifty bucks. And so because they want to give to a cause. and so that but that's the first thing. Giving to need is not faith-filled. You if you just give to need, you'll be a sucker for an emotional ploy and a a slick campaign. The next one is people give to a cause that they agree to. Jack: Mm-hmm. Dave Connett: So here's the details. Do I agree to it? And so we we do articulate what we're giving to. There are two areas we give. We give to next gen ministries, which could be from everything through from reaching through to discipling through to developing through to releasing then young people to change their world. And there's a range of different ways. Jack: Deploy deploying was the Pentecostal rhyme that you were looking for there? Dave Connett: I I missed it. And I do appreciate that you've helped me out with this, Jack. You're you are you're you're a man amongst men. so w we want to do that. And then also we've got the the the building fund and and how we're going forward there. We've we've just articulated that vision. but then if if so if the first one touches my heart, the second one touches my mind, and God gave you a heart and a mind for a reason. But it's not faith. Same again. It'll be a slick campaign. Do I agree to those terms? Do I agree to those details? is it enough detail for me? and so we'll we'll give to need or we'll give to something that we haven't a mental assent to. the third one is giving to a cause that outlasts us. And so it's it's sure our hearts can jump at something like that, but it's actually got to be faith. It's faith that we're building something long-term and something generational. And so, With that cause, that's how we've presented it. I said, look, it without faith it's impossible to please God. And Hebrews chapter 11, verse 1, in the New King James says, now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. So I've got to get a vision and let my heart jump at that vision, let my spirit jump in faith towards that. And it's a now faith word. I can't go on yesterday's faith. I'm going on a now faith word to get a seed today. It's a now faith word that helps me sow a now faith seed for a future harvest, both personally and and for the church. And so that's what we're going with Heart for the House. We've done the there's videos and there's brochures and there's all sorts of things that we've done to explain. But really, what sets this apart is a faith offering, not just a mental ascent and a and heart strings of being pulled. It's a vision that outlasts us, is the thing that's worth giving to. Jack: Yeah, I mean it's interesting. I've I I've said a few times, and I'm interested in your perspective on this, I've said a few times, in on one hand, I'm very across the details, you know, I have a responsibility in my role and function to be across the details, but by the same token, I don't care about the details because I'm not giving to details, I'm giving by faith. And so I I live in this dualism of being very particular on the details, but also not giving to the details. giving to the kingdom, I'm sowing seed for generations, I'm giving because that's what the scriptures say to do when I trust in God in my stretch and our church's stretch. What do you say to that, having that kind of dualistic tension of knowing the details, but also not giving to the Dave Connett: Look, I think it's knowing what's the priority. So the details are important, but the vision is more important. The vision is what we do. I suppose it's I mean, your role as a member of the committee management, but also as the treasurer, is to not come up with the vision. That's actually my role. That's a God given role to the person in my chair. and so it's the role of then of the committee management to then say, Well, how could we make that happen? And What's the best way that we could manage and steward our resources to get there? And so on one hand, you are across the detail in a certain role. also you wanna you wanna give to that. And so you might want to be like, well, I want to make sure this is done very well, but you should steward those resources, not because you gave to it. You should steward those resources because that's the role as treasurer and as a member. And so it is understanding the large vision, it is understanding the detail and knowing. when to focus on which one. So as a Christian, as a good lifer, as a member, as a giver, we give to that vision. I do that as well. so I I I will give to the, I mean, I could I could give my own personal tithes or offerings to certain causes that I want to happen because I can't get it past the committee management. I'm not doing that. I'm actually giving it my tithes and offerings into the general account. Then on another day I put on my chairman of the committee management hat with that team and then go, let's work this out. Let's actually steward this really, really well. So it's actually working out what hat I've got to work at, what time and having full faith and full diligence when I'm doing those things. That's how I'd suggest to do it. Both are important. Just got to know which hat you're wearing at which time. Jack: And so when you think about coming to tomorrow not what is tomorrow night the time of recording or our Heart from the House celebration festival party, how how would you encourage good lifers to both come to that, you know, in the next few hours leading in, but also in the days and weeks that follow? Yeah, maybe what's some of wisdom or what posture would you encourage people to take up? Dave Connett: look, I think it's a there's there's a couple of principles to it. It would be what's the everyday principle? It's that I'm it's that I'm sowing a seed in faith. I want to continue in faith. So if I go to Malachi chapter three, there's plenty of promises, and they're all through the Bible, but Malachi chapter three outlines it very clearly. When I give tithes and offerings to the storehouse, here's a range of promises. So I would, when you've got an opportunity or an obstacle, Stand on faith on the seeds that you've sown. Here's my seed of sown it. And so when opportunities come my way, God, I'm I'm declaring there's an open window of heaven. God, you're gonna favor me. You're gonna open windows of heaven, that his favor is for you. So I I declare it when there's an opportunity and I'd say, God, lead me, guide me, I'm trusting you. But when there's an obstacle as well and there's difficulty, I'm standing upon those principles. So it's an everyday faith kind of thing. now you got to know that your pastors and a bunch of leaders in a part of the a bunch of the team at Good Life are standing alongside with your seed, believing for a harvest as well. So that would just be every day. And I think if we can get our heads around that, then when we come to the offering time, now it's a fresh season, it's a fresh seed. I'm believing for a fresh harvest. So I've got a current harvest because of previous seeds that have come forth. But now. What am I trusting God? And so I present before God, here's what I'm believing for. Here's what I'm trusting for. This is what I've got faith for, both in my life, for my future, maybe for my business, for my church, for my city. This is what I'm believing for. So I would say, have a personal, have a personal list of here's what I'm believing for for breakthrough. And I'm giving trusting God for the breakthrough at His perfect timing. Also. Make sure that you've got just as much faith for the corporate vision. God, this is the vision you've got for our church. And I'm giving towards that. And so God, I'm trusting you for breakthrough right there. So I wouldn't just have a a personal, potentially quite insular and yeah, I mean, me centric list of things I'm believing for. What am I believing for in my church? You're believing for more souls to be saved. Are you believing that we would look that we would prostate where I'm believing that when it comes to the Geotech reports, there'd be favor. I'd I'd be I I'd have that daily faith that comes from knowing the word of God and standing on it, but also a seasonal. It's part it's r it's sowing seed time. I'm putting the seed in the ground. I need to have faith for that seed and for where it's going, both personally, professionally, and then also within my church and what God's doing there. Jack: Yeah, I agree. For me, some of those follow up like yes, investing our seed into the house is key and bringing our first fruits, you know, t bringing our offering to the house. But then it's attaching our faith alongside that in the weeks and months coming. F for me, it's being a part of those prayer meetings. Or if you can't get there in the flesh, it looks like staying in touch with those who do. And what are we praying for? It's yes, it's praying through your own prayer list and those things that you're believing for. But what are we believing for specifically as a church? Where are we looking for favor and influence and the building program and what what spiritual strongholds are we, you know, are we going after together as a church? There's a unique calling and mantle on our church under your leadership. And and so as a as part of the church, I want to be coming under that authority and coming alongside and attaching my faith to yours and to ours. For mine something that really shifted when I s change my language from what is the church doing or what are they doing to what are we doing? And how can I play my part in what we are do there's no they. The church isn't them, the church is me. And so I'm gonna defend her and pray alongside her and come together with others and it will be served and contribute. I want know what's happening around the place because this is my home. Dave Connett: Are you are you at a sorry sorry Jack. Sorry, Jack, are you at a racetrack? the what's the that was Is that there's that your hot hot hot car? You're doing some hot laps right there? Jack: there there was some noise. Yeah, yeah, Ben Perry, maybe Phoe Perry actually, just cut and laps behind me. Jeff Jeff Jeff Orwood ripping past. No, I I'm out on the road at the minute. But for mine that's what that's what that's what attaching my faith to the vision of our church. Dave Connett: Fee Perry. Fee Perry's lighting it up. Right yeah. Can can I ask with that attaching your faith with vision of the church and then changing that language, what has that done? Like what's the result of that? How does that how does that play out? Jack: Well I mean some of it looks like y you know, y you've often taught us that when we pray we play from pray from a place of authority. We're praying from heaven, we're not necessarily praying to heaven. And so f when I'm praying and interceding for our church as a as a corporate body or for the members or for our pastors, I'm I'm praying from that this is my church and and praying alongside those visions and those people. It's not just praying for something out there, but it's praying for something that I'm a part of that I defend her and stick up for as if it is my own family. That this is not this is not i in one sense it is Davenbeck's vision, but it's mine because I'm a like it's my name on that church as well. I've I've been adopted into this house and I don't own the family, but I'm a part of the family. When I look Dave Connett: Okay. Yeah. Jack: through the car park or through the auditorium. They're they're then my family's furniture and that rubbish on the ground is on my ground. And the the spiritual authority and dominion that we have is a corporate dominion that I'm praying from. I'm not just going to war on a in a solo sense, but I'm stepping into the army that is Good Life Church. And alongside that authority and anointing. So i it's placing myself as a part of our Church. I'm no longer just an individual with an individual calling and an individual anointing. I'm part of the corporate so much. Dave Connett: Yeah, look, and I think that's I look, there can be a perspective that for me, because the I mean I'm the I'm stewarding the role of senior pastor i in this season and into the future, and also because I'm on wages, that that that's potentially self serving to a ask that or or but you're talking about the same kind of life that I've lived well before I was in that kind of role. It was always my church and and my pastors. vision that I was serving. for me to say to people, yeah, you should serve the vision of the senior pastor, can sound a little bit self-serving, but it's actually biblically quite right. And there's a bunch of blessing in that to be in alignment. How can two go together unless they're agreed? and in that journey, Jack, and I I mean I don't know if you want to actually open this is not the direction I was seeing this podcast go, but I think it's a rich vein. submission isn't submission, I've said, until it's actually, until you disagreed. and so that navigation of those difficult times when you disagree, what to do with that is a significant part of the journey to get to the point of having unity through that biblical notion of submission. I mean, I I don't I don't demand that, but I've I s I certainly feel that from you guys and you you and Christina certainly have a position of trust because that's the way that you live and gives you actually more room to speak into the process as well. So How do you how do you navigate that when you disagree? Jack: Mm. Well well, yeah, I mean there's a couple of things that come to mind. We've we've chosen to be adopted into this house. It was a choice, and but we we are sons and daughters of this house. We're not the mother and father, that's your role, and you've got to account for that. But we had we've chosen to play the role of sons and daughters of this house. But it's interesting, there is a there's something that we've had to, I guess, be wary of that we've noticed come up in ourselves because we you I'll in inverted commas, take ownership of of our church as if it's our own. Sometimes there's that little voice inside you that goes, Yeah, but if it was me, I'd do it differently. If it was actually mine, I'd do it. And that that is straight up pride, right? That is that is not my role. My role is not to if I was running this show I'd do it differently. And so we've got to make sure we yeah, sure we can talk about those things and I've brought a number of those things to you guys over time. Dave Connett: Ha ha ha. Jack: But ultimately that is not my authority or my responsibility. I could table it as a topic of conversation, but you're the father of this house and I'm the son. And I so when I know my place and my identity, I can I can pray, I can contribute, I can lead from that place of identity, not not a misplaced identity. Dave Connett: Mm-hmm. Okay, so there's gonna be things where you disagree and you do it differently. At what point do you just go, Yeah, this isn't this isn't a deal breaker? Or at what point do you go, this is a deal breaker? Jack: Well, deal breakers are are biblical if there's if there's a clear violation of something that is black and white in scripture and would be confirmed through a multitude of counsel and for us in INC, if there's something that I doesn't sit right with me and that I've taken to you personally, one on one, and then with one or two others, and beyond that upline to our chains of authority through INC, that's where it would be a deal breaker. but beyond that we we talk, you know, you've always ha made time for me where there has been points of contention and usually it's just a lack of context or a lack of yeah, a lack of awareness on my front. And so usually I'm coming just to seek to understand or or from a place of curiosity to begin with. But but there's also that principle, Dave, of like most things are just disagreements on style or approach, and so You know, a principle that I've learned to live by y there's probably a proverb to to back it up. I don't have it on hand, but that principle of disagreeing and committing. And so you and I might see things differently, but if if if it's not black and white, you know, a violation of scripture, then sure we can disagree. But I'm going to commit and I'm going to own that thing as if it were my decision. And I'm not going to throw it back at you other than, you know, from a friendly place of of banter. Dave Connett: Yeah. Jack: But I'm gonna own that thing, own that decision as if it were my decision. I'll defend it as if it were my decision. I'm gonna disagree and commit, and this is where we're going, because ultimately you're the one responsible for that decision, and I'm responsible for how well I serve and submit to that vision. Dave Connett: I look, I also appreciate the fact that the way that you go about presenting things gives me the best chance of actually understanding. I want to lead with people who are willing to go, Dave, I think you're missing it here. I think we hear some scriptures or have you considered this? Or I like the way that you come asking for context. Hey, I don't I'm I'm not involved in everything. I don't know everything. So can we talk about this? Can we talk through the scriptures? And and and for me, if if if I can be taught from the scriptures that we should be doing something different, I'm all in. You just have to convince me. So coming at me never works. Like never works. Not w and no no person gets through that. so you come with a, hey, can we talk this through? from that you just quoted Matthew chapter eighteen in regards to dealing with conflict through the Bible. So I think that's really, really interesting. I like, even if we we could wrap that back towards what Nat was talking about on Sunday. You talking about you sorry, you've spoken about, you talked about, how about I get the English right? so my mother would be proud of me. so you've spoken about you've chosen, you you're adopted in. You're a son of your son and a daughter of the house, you and you and Christina. You're not the mum and dad. And so it's that spirit of adoption which in in scripture it's a spirit of adoption to the father, but also a spirit of adoption to the house. And from that point, we give as sons and daughters when it comes to offering time. I'm not giving because I have to or because I'm trying to perform or I'm trying to be on the big givers list or I'm trying to tick boxes or my heart was twisted. No, I I own this vision. I'm a part of this and I'm willing to actually give a faith-filled offering towards the completion of a vision that's going to outlast us. and I think that really opens up the really opens up the the the trust, the lines of communication. And that's a faith-filled position that it's very strong. It's a very strong position to give from. Jack: Yeah. Yeah, I love it. Well, what a what a stellar season it has been and looking forward to celebration tomorrow night. Dave Connett: Mm-hmm. Love it, love it, love it, love it. Uncle Dutch's gourmet hot dogs. You're gonna love that, Jack. Make sure there's enough room in your macros for those ones. Jack: no, there you go. Well, Yes, I'm assuming they're not gluten free, so I'll be able to eat for two. How good? Dave Connett: Yeah, yes you will. Smash it down. Yeah, no, there's I don't think we're doing gluten free. Haven't even thought of that. Maybe we should consider that. Jack: No, I don't bother. That's we'll be fine. We'll be fine. thank you, Pastor Dave. You enjoy the halls of Parliament House and I'll see ya on another episode. Dave Connett: Cheers, mate. Cheers, man. Bye.