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#20220914 - Newark Missions Update · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's word recorded live at Calvary
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Church in Aurora, Colorado, to learn more about the many
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resources available, through abounding Grace, Media, or to
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tune into our live stream Services.
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Visit us online at Calvary. Co dot church or download our
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free Calvary Church app now. Let's open our Bibles and study
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God's word. God, we're so thankful.
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I am so thankful for this team. So I think about all that.
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You did it stirs, it stirs my heart.
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God to see your faithfulness. I pray that this time would be a
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time of remembering, God all that you did all that you're
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continuing to do within our hearts even right now.
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God has you continue to stir God?
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What you started maybe in Newark or even as we were preparing and
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you're continuing to do now. We pray for this time that you
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would use it would effectively to communicate your love to
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communicate, Lord Steps of Faith.
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To communicate to this church and Beyond the blessing of
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cooperating with you when you would stir and lead to take
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steps of faith in obedience. What it looks like how you use,
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just ordinary people who are available.
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You give ability to those who are available to do great things
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and We Are Tonight testimony of you doing great things.
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Outside of our own strengths. It's ëletís would fill us with
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your spirit. Would you glorify yourself Jesus
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here in this place? It's in your awesome name that
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we all pray and everyone said amen.
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Well the first picture we wanted to put up, there is Pastor Ray
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and Rafi. They Pastor The Rock Christian
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Fellowship in Newark. New Jersey, Ray has become a
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dear friend someone that I can just talk to you on a whim.
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Encourages me and is a huge blessing to just be around.
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I know this whole team, five of the six that went last year are
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also on this team and a big part of that is Ray and Ruthie and
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just how welcoming they are the testimony that they are.
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And so this is Ray and Ruthie and go to the next Picture.
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This Is The Rock Christian Fellowship in Newark New Jersey.
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This is the the church building. I think it was it was built in
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the 1800s. So it's been there for a long
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time and now they are entrusted with overseeing a building that
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people come to and hear about the good news of the Gospel of
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Jesus Christ, and go to the next page.
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This is the inside of that church building.
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They've done a lot of renovations to it.
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They have just an amazing job keeping it in a place where it's
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usable for the gospel and for Fellowship.
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Alright, the next next one. All right, so this is zebb and
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Avi, if you look at, if you look at that ground, that ground was
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with was filled with grass and mostly Weeds about waist high.
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So if you can pause it there. Matt, we were delayed.
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We our flight was canceled. We were supposed to fly out on a
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Tuesday at 5:45 a.m. and on Monday evening at 10 p.m.
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You almost said the airline, I'm not going to say they're line.
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They On canceled our flights at 10:00 p.m.
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And so that meant myself and my wife were scrambling, trying to
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get 14 of us on the same flight to Newark and that didn't
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happen. So what ended up happening was?
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There were 14 of us on many different flights flying in on
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what early Wednesday morning and so we were we essentially lost a
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day of ministry and so we got there around and 8 a.m. it took
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about a couple more hours by 11 11 a.m. is when we got our
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rental cars and by 12 p.m., we were all at the church went and
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got lunch. And by about 120 p.m. these guys
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were already hard at work, helping with a project that
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Pastor Ray asked us to do. And that was to build a patio
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for their church. And so by 1:20 p.m. this is what
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it looked like. There was Weeds about waist high
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and they were, they were busy working.
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And so throughout the week, different people went back there
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is that was back there. The whole time, just plug in a
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way, getting things done is about sixty, sixty percent
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humidity about, I would say, high 80s, mid 90s the whole week
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and so they were working. They were working and so you can
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go to the next one. This is what it looked like.
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I would say maybe three o'clock four o'clock that same day so
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they got it all leveled out. Yeah.
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So as you can see, there was just a lot of work, as we hit
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the ground running, all right? You can go to the next one.
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This is most of the team in, in our 15 passenger van.
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Don't mind the, you know, the, the five people in one row, we
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were, we did things legally, we did things correctly, I think
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they were just taking a picture for this right team.
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Yeah, right. All right, all right, next
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fixture. So one of the projects that some
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of the team did was they organized the kitchen in the
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church and so this is a great picture of Lisa just organizing
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and getting stuff done, right? You can go to the next one.
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This is our group preparing, we had a we did a meal, every
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night, what we did for the whole week was we did a leadership
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training servants and Leadership training for their volunteers
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and further, pastoral team, and their, their leaders.
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And so, every night they would come about 6:30 p.m. and we
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would have refreshments and food For them to just come in and be
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able to receive and to be blessed.
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So they didn't have to worry about anything that have to
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prepare anything. Our whole team, essentially
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worked all day prepared right before 6:30 meals and
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refreshments for them. And then when they got there at
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6:30, they were able to Fellowship have some food and a
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bye-bye, about 7:15, we did some training, some teachings and
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worship and then a Q&A every night from Wednesday to about
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Saturday, So we were there to kind of just really encouraged
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and Bless the people at that church.
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All right. You go to the next one.
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This is Callie yet. And this is her sleeping.
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She worked hard as young as she is.
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She worked hard and we all worked hard.
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We all, we all felt this when we when we saw her doing that, we
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were like, oh and then everybody got their cameras out and
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started taking pictures. But we felt this we had we had
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long nights and early mornings and so we we understood so it's
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not it wasn't just Cal. Yeah, you can go to the next one
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and you can see it wasn't just Cal yet.
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This was Davi. He's supposed to be watching the
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kids and he put a video of VeggieTales on and and he just
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went to sleep. Avi was also working really
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hard. I can't say it enough.
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I've said it to this team, but I want to, I want to say it to
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you. Our fellowship family, I am so
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proud of this team with the, with the, with our flight
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cancellations, with everything that was thrown at us.
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They just kept the right perspective.
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They had the right attitude and it challenged me.
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Because when I saw that flight cancellation, I was like,
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someone's getting someone's about to get something and and,
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you know, they just kept the right attitude.
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Maybe maybe God wants to do something different.
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And, and it's super challenging for me.
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I'm so proud of them and all that they did.
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And so even, you know, Avi falling asleep, we give them a
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hard time. But, you know, for me was it,
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was he needed it. He's a young, he's a young man
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growing, and he needed to sleep. All right.
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What else do we got? Their man?
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We threw them a servant appreciation party.
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So we had a, we had a morning service on Sunday.
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We had a two hour turnaround to transform their building into a
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luau. And so this is what they walked
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into, as they came back into church, you can go to the next
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one. This was Bri setting up some
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flesh fresh flowers for them for their tables and go to the next
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one. This was Stephen and carry
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setting up some some some pineapple and watermelon.
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Skewers. Okay, go to the next one, we
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were just busy all the whole time.
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This is what their Sanctuary looked like during their servant
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appreciation party that we threw for them.
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We got to just to just bless them, we made them a bunch of
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food, bunch of Hawaiian food. We just gave away a bunch of
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stuff for them to encourage them and bless them.
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Yeah. Alright, the next one.
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Alright so here's some more pictures of that back patio.
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Here's Keegan overseeing right? That's what you're doing.
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You're overseeing what was going on.
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Alright, the next one, So this is what it started to look like.
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Okay, here's here's the pergolas going up.
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We had to, we had to teach a lot of the people there.
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What a Pergola was, they don't know what a Peugeot was.
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And so, all right, you can go to the next one.
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And here, they are taking a taking a break, Avi was eating
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most of the time. Also, if he wasn't sleep, that's
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cake. Yeah, that's chocolate cake.
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If he wasn't sleeping, he was eating. and, I'm sure Avi will
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comment on that when he gets the Mike.
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Alright next picture. And this is what it look like.
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Yeah. So so from Wednesday at 1:20
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p.m. to about Saturday so about 3 p.m.
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Wednesday, was that picture right there on the on the left
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of the picture and on the right? That's Saturday.
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So from Wednesday to Saturday, that's what that's the
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transformation. Yeah.
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Really cool to see what the Lord was able to do with with these
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guys right next picture. And this was our team.
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This was our team plus, some of the people from The Rock, This
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was Sunday evening. I don't know why we decided to
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go out late at night. We were exhausted.
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You could tell by the picture, but we took a picture.
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That's the Empire State Building, right behind us.
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Just really, really great time together.
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I think that's it. Yep, that's it.
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So Why have an update for this trip?
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Well because again we use the language of ministry, right?
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You as the church we're just as much a part of this trip.
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As we were going you know we couldn't have gone if we weren't
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sent and so we want to share with you the blessing of what
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God did. The Book of Revelation, 12:11
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tells us this they over came him.
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Speaking of the Devil by the blood of the lamb and the word
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of their testimony and they did not love their lives to the
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death. So it's important for us to be
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able to share or to testify what God has done.
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So having these nights where we get to share our testimony,
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share the goodness of God. Part of the life of the believer
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is God's testimony in our lives. In Steps of Faith and obedience
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to the call of God, offers to us a deeper testimony of God's
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faithfulness and I'm sure every CH one of these people on this
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stage with me would say that they have a deeper testimony of
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God's faithfulness because they went on this trip.
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This trip is a step of faith in obedience and now God's
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testimony in. This group is is something that
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we can testify of. We can share that God is working
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today. And then he is worthy to be
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magnified because of all that he's done in each one of our
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lives. And so I wanted to share, we
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wanted to share, open it up for questions.
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I'm going to ask some questions and want to offer some time for
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these guys to share what God did, how God stirred them?
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And so the first question is, how did God speak to you on the
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trip? And what specific thing did?
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God do to grow you in that? And so we'll start with Steven.
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So I would, I would say for me I can remember the I don't know if
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it was the first day we got there or when we started to
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first meet the people of the rock Fellowship, I just felt
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like God really impressed upon my heart.
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This is what it's about. This is part of of why you're
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here is to serve others to take that step of faith.
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And for me, this was my first mission.
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So just being able to experience that meet those people and just
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seeing the smile on their faces, just for us being there.
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I think you told a story about how one of the mass like oh you
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guys came back type of thing and so just to be a part of that
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just to be able to share love and just to take some weight off
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of their shoulders for a week or however, long we were there.
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It was really good. So I just felt like really God
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was just telling me this is this is what it's all about.
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Keegan. Yeah, they'll share.
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And if you have your Bibles, I want you to check out second,
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Timothy chapter 4, check out 2nd, Timothy chapter 4 because
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when the end Pastor, you invited me on the trip, it was because
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Pastor Jay Jay was no longer able to fulfill the his initial
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desire to go back. Because when pastor and said
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that five of the six from the trip in 2021, went out there all
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six of them wanted to go back, it was Pastor Jay.
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Jay that was unable to for some other commitments that he Back
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here in town. So Ian asked me if I would, if I
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would join the team and during that stage and season of when he
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asked I was I was really resonating.
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Yeah. The camera is not moving to you.
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So it doesn't like me. That's okay.
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That's all right, it's Joy back there.
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Joe you don't want it. She doesn't want to see me.
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That's all right. Nobody in second Timothy chapter
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4 is really what the Lord had impressed on my heart as I I was
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praying through, if I would go on this trip or not and so
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here's what it says. It says preach the word be ready
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in season and out of season, convince rebuke, exhort with all
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long-suffering and teaching and it was a quick.
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Yes for me to go on this trip and even though it wasn't a
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youth-focused trip it was definitely something that I knew
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that the Lord would have me to go on and it's really
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interesting how that verse played out to be ready in season
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and out of season. Whether it's convenient or
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inconvenient favorable or unfavorable What pastor and
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didn't expand on, is when we left when our flight got
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canceled, the all of the, all the layovers and all that, for a
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bulk of us, except for a little brother.
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Avi over here, all of us were on, you know, had layovers.
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And I think for most of us, it was Phoenix Wright.
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And so, and then we leave Phoenix to go to Newark.
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And it was like, I literally didn't sleep like that night
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like that. Tuesday into Wednesday was like
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very little sleep. So we, when we hit the ground
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running, we're hitting the ground.
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Running with no sleep but just be ready in season and out of
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season that first Wednesday, I was that was my scheduled time
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to share for the servants and leaders.
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And again, I'm just on the kind of in this fog from travel from
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the rental car, counter was a whole Fiasco but be ready in
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season out of season and I think the word went forth and and the
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Lord use me the next day I wasn't they had not part of my
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responsibility was really in. It asked me if I would help out
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with the Wednesday teaching and a Saturday break out that was
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what my Initial assignment was and, you know, I knew like,
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okay, coming on the trip is one of the pastors with the church
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is going to be more than that, right?
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But it was it was the Thursday, they do.
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You think that's when they do their youth group and the pastor
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pastor's wife Ruth? He asked me if I would, if I
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would take on the the youth that night and it was it was one of
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those where she kind of warned me.
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So she said well, some of the kids are pastors and leaders
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kids, some of them from the community, you know, they're,
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they're kind of hard. Hard.
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They don't necessarily receive people from the outside very
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well, so they're not there unchurched.
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So I'm not sure how they're going to respond if they're
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going to stay, if they're going to listen, you know.
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And it was one of those that Thursday night.
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Let me just tell you in short went really well and that verse
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that, Ian Sheridan, Revelation 12, I just shared my testimony
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and I shared with them where I was at in middle school and high
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school. As a young adult how I came to
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the Lord and it was cool testimony to that particular
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night. Was on that Thursday night is
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Ruthie, came to me after the youth service.
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And she said there were three kids in particular that usually
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just pop in and leave before the teaching.
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She said they sat there the whole time, they were listening
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and they and, you know, it's just it's just kind of a cool
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part of that testimony but be ready in season and out of
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season. And then that night, you know,
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it's late and Pastor Ray. Pastor Ray says he can.
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Do you have another one in your pocket and what he was saying is
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who I have another teaching and he was asking me to teach the
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son. Day service for the church and
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even laughed. It was his laugh was hilarious
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because he did kind of warned me.
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Although I wasn't planning on teaching he's like I think
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pasture-raised going to ask you to teach and sure enough I
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should have been ready, right? I should have already but I
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prepared a teaching there on one of those days and all the while,
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you know, we're doing these things at night and working with
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brother Zeb, and Avi and Mike during the day out there on the,
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on the patio. So it was just really cool.
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Then the, you know, the course, the Saturday breakout session
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Lord. Is me to talk about youth
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ministry and children's ministry and then I taught on Sunday.
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So be ready in season and out of season.
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I really just saw how that played out so the Lord really
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ministered that and taught me the importance of just being
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ready to answer the call to be ready for Ministry and just
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always being ready and it's a picture of abiding to.
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So anyway yeah anybody else have something they like to share as
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well. Yeah, Bobby.
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I think the Lord used me. But like service just kind of
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helping out that first day with the patio and not really,
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knowing what I would get into. But it wasn't till like two days
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later when I actually started talking to people because I'm a
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bit shy and awkward like that. And so I actually was able to
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talk to like grown-ups in their community and then also, like
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young adults and even talking with the kids, that I ended up
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watching over at the night when I wasn't sleeping, I was like,
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when I really started to notice, this is why I was here because I
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already feel like I have that service heart.
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And so like helping out what tasks isn't much for me.
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But I know as soon as I cross that bridge to like talking to
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people and Up and really having those meaningful conversations.
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That's when God is like, okay, that's what you were here for.
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And so, I was able to have quite a big bit of talks with, like,
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three individuals. I can think of, and I was just
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like, they're still Impressed in my heart.
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And so, and I I knew that that was how God was using me, not
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just through the things I was doing that during the day, or
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even at night. And even with the kids, some of
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the kids we only had like three but then one night we had like
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six and so that was just like able to talk with the kids and
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so that was That'd be the conversations?
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I ended up having. Yeah.
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Exoti. Can you guys share some of the
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highlights of the trip? Look.
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Something that man, they'll just impacted you packed your heart.
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Something that was just unexpected.
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That was really amazing that the Lord did.
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Let's start. Let's start with them.
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Have no one's making eye contact with me now, let's start with
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Bree. Yeah, let's let's do it.
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Bri So just highlight just I don't know for me, going back in
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there. Just it's like walking and
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walking into here walking back home.
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So yeah, just getting into the church.
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Seeing the people that I got to serve with last year and just
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the biggest highlight for me. I mean I'm a I'm a servant
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generally so I enjoyed that kind of stuff but it was just such a
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blessing for me even though last year we served alongside them
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doing VBS but this year just serving them Not letting them
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cook food and prepare things or get things ready, but really
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just being there and I don't know, I like to surprise people
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so just for us to get it all done and all put together and
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then for them to walk in and just see this beautiful food and
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all these smiling faces and people just excited to talk to
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them and and serve them and that kind of thing.
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So it was good. Lisa, you have any anything new
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had probably along the same lines of what, what Bri was
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sharing. I think the biggest highlight
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was just meeting the people because they're on fire for the
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things of the Lord and just their love for each other in the
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community. But it was so cool to just come
23:00
in and just be able to take some of the weight of ministry off of
23:05
them. Just serve them in their own
23:09
home. It would be like someone coming
23:10
into your home and taking care of your house, serving you your
23:14
meals and you know reading your Bible to you and like just
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serving you and it was just it was just really really cool.
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I mean every night we had a different theme meal that we
23:27
laid out for them and it was just a surprise every night and
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then I mean the the luau was off the chain if you ever been to
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any of our servant, appreciate it.
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Servant appreciation parties. It was like that like tenfold.
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It was just it was just such a blessing too.
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Just freely, give everything that the Lord had prepared us
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for. And for us to just lay it all
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out for them, that was probably my biggest highlight.
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It's gone this time. You want to share something?
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Alright, Keegan, you know, I think one of the biggest
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highlights in the trip where the connections like life, like it
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was much more than just a short-term trip.
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Because I feel very connected with so many the people that we
24:22
got to minister with and to. And it was one of those things
24:24
that's like I knew God was going to use me and he was going to
24:27
use the team. They're on the trip, but I also
24:30
like I had this since I got had something for me.
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God had something for us and a big part of that was just having
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that personal connection with Pastor Ray and his wife, Ruthie
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Pastor, Greg and his wife, Michelle Pastor Israel, and his
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wife Tori and all their kids. And then so many in their
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congregation like there were just I have in my notes.
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Just people that I was reminded on our last day.
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They're like, I've got to write this, some of these things down,
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write down names, remember the little things to pray for and,
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you know, there was a brother Sal.
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So if he's watching highlight to sow converted him to the Broncos
25:03
by the way. So all the, you know, Bronco
25:04
fans, I know we're not starting off well, but had one One
25:07
conversion for Broncos, many salvations.
25:09
Now, you know, it's just, you know, Sal and I had a good
25:15
connection and just his his testimony was just deep and I'll
25:18
spare that for the sake of this. But just a deep testimony and
25:21
just hearing some of the things that he had been through than a
25:24
young brother. His name is unique and was what
25:27
school is like, you know, he his number was shared from Pastor
25:31
Ray. He called me yesterday, we were
25:33
talking and he's asking for some additional prayer for his life
25:36
and You know, he's like, hey, I want to come out to Colorado and
25:39
wise. We're talking, he's like books
25:40
of flight and I'm like, Hey, will host you, you know, and so
25:42
he's coming out in November, you know, Shawn brother Shan one of
25:46
the guys there at the church. I come into a, thank you letter
25:49
from him and I'm sure some of us got that letter as well, just
25:52
really cool. So by the big highlight was
25:53
those connections were more than just a short-term connection
25:57
that they're really, really lifelong like the body of Christ
26:00
is just, just expansive. It blows my mind to think of the
26:03
brother and Sisterhood we have and how quick we can make those
26:06
connections. So, it was really good.
26:08
Yeah, it's so good. I think one of the things that
26:10
really stirs me on for mission trips for short-term mission
26:14
trips is just remembering that the Church of Christ.
26:19
The Church of Jesus Christ is bigger than the four walls that
26:23
we meet in. And so, when we gather together
26:26
with different Believers in different places were reminded
26:29
that God is doing a great work all over.
26:33
And when we have that connection Point, those relationships can
26:36
go. Really deep really quickly and
26:39
we can do that here, right? We can do that within these four
26:41
walls, we can do that with just meeting someone that was sitting
26:44
next to and just saying like, hey, I want to be able to have
26:48
you invest in my life and also me invest in your life and those
26:52
those relationships can be just as deep as quickly as the ones
26:58
that we make on mission trips. But yeah, one of the things that
27:01
I love about leading mission trips short term mission trips
27:03
is just being able to see what God is doing.
27:07
Doing tangibly, be able to see what God is doing in different
27:12
areas of the world and even in the u.s.
27:17
Kya how about you share any, what's a highlight for you?
27:26
I gotta say, hey, get out with the teeth on the porch where
27:32
they call it stoop. I never heard that before.
27:37
So I learned something, but that was fun hanging out with kids by
27:43
age this stoop at night and just hanging out and talking has been
27:53
my first doing that. So I gotta say that was my
27:57
highlight. Yeah, I think another highlight
28:00
was my friend Carrie here. She learned what a bodega was.
28:05
She could never say what a bodega was, but she learned what
28:08
a bodega was. What's a bodega?
28:11
It's a store that you can know. Not a Pergola obvi.
28:16
It's the store that you can get water from water and ice is
28:21
where we play. Yeah, Amanda.
28:23
You have a highlight. And so, I would just say my
28:33
highlight was really just seeing the, the fruitfulness of
28:38
obedience and having gone there last year, just my husband.
28:43
And I, we went again this year, and we took three of our five
28:49
children. And that was really challenging,
28:54
but I'm talking about highlights.
28:56
So, it was challenging just serving together as a family.
29:00
And the extra Dynamic that that brings.
29:02
But it's also incredibly fruitful to see that.
29:07
So many of the things that we jumped into after we came back
29:11
from New Jersey. Last year, really prepared us
29:14
for what we did this time around.
29:16
So we really had been preparing all year long and learning what
29:21
it looks like to serve together to tolerate one another to but
29:27
on public faces. When things are a little grumpy.
29:30
Be inside but still serve with that authenticity and and so it
29:37
was just so good to see how the Lord had preparing us and we
29:43
didn't even know it. And so that's a highlight for
29:46
me. I think a highlight for me was
29:53
just being able to get to know these guys.
29:55
As we prepared, we spent about two months preparing and and
30:01
just getting ready. I got to know some of the great
30:04
qualities as we preparing and some of them not so great
30:08
qualities as we were there. As you know, you get grumpy and
30:12
you know you haven't slept for a day, your flights get cancelled,
30:17
but Team made that trip this team, made that trip what it was
30:23
and so I highlight is just each person.
30:26
Michael, who's not here with us included, you know, just being
30:29
able to, he went on a trip last year being able to go with him
30:31
again and just to see how God was hand, picking the right
30:36
people to go, you know, whether it was Zeb like that, that patio
30:42
and that pergola, I could never have seen that from seeing the
30:48
The weeds right? We got there and they said could
30:51
you build us a patio and we open the door?
30:53
We're like nope. Nope and and Zeb had a totally
31:00
different picture in his mind and what we saw in that picture
31:04
was a big part because of Zeb and how God brought stirred Zeb
31:09
do on this trip. But I'm on this team.
31:12
You know another thing that we got to do to me that was a
31:16
highlight is Saturday was a long day.
31:19
We had breakout sessions, a lot of us from the group taught.
31:23
We had we serve them a meal, just we're serving Zeb.
31:28
And the, and the team finished, the patio and the pergola.
31:33
And we, as a team decided, you know, what obvious been talking
31:37
about Carlo's Bakery? Have you guys know what Carlo's
31:40
Bakery is? Yeah, buddy.
31:43
He's a, he's the Cake Boss, right?
31:46
It's in Hoboken. New Jersey, which is like,
31:48
Thirty minutes from where we were at.
31:50
And so as a team were like, we need to just bless Avi tonight.
31:56
And so Avi, I think Javi went on this trip because he was he was
32:01
trying to get to, to that bait to that Bakery.
32:05
And so we were tired. We, we were working all day and
32:10
we were like, let's just do it. Let's just drive up to Hoboken
32:14
and we didn't tell Javi. And And man to see the smile on
32:21
obvious face. When we got there, two minutes
32:25
before closing, And and and just ordered a bunch of cannolis.
32:34
It was such a it was such a blessing.
32:36
That was a highlight just to see man.
32:39
You get to be a part of a team, you work your heart out, you
32:43
serve your heart out and the Lord just blesses you with
32:45
little things like that was such a huge highlight and yeah, just
32:51
being able to see all that God did.
32:54
Was a huge highlight for me going to see Ray and Ruthie.
32:58
That was a huge highlight relationships where another
33:01
highlight. I know for some of you guys it
33:04
was our first mission trip. What were some of the
33:08
expectations you had and how to actually turn out?
33:10
I think Stephen wants to share first and then maybe we can have
33:15
somebody else share. So yeah, it was my first mission
33:20
trip and I remember in the meetings leading up to it.
33:23
I think it was very last meeting if I'm not mistaken you asked
33:26
us, are we nervous about anything?
33:28
And my answer was I'm nervous about doing it, right?
33:31
Because I've never been on a mission trip.
33:32
I don't I don't know what doing it right, looks like and I think
33:37
like I said earlier the moment I got there and we got to meet the
33:39
people in there. There's not like a blueprint for
33:43
this. I just think it's about what's
33:44
in your heart for God. And are you willing to serve and
33:47
just be Phone it it just made me think of you know Isaiah when
33:51
he's saying you know Here I Am Lord send me and that's just
33:54
what I wanted to be so I think doing it right is just being
33:58
available, being ready to be used by the Lord in any way you
34:02
know whether that's coming off of little sleep like he can see
34:06
Keegan said being ready in season and out of season.
34:08
Are you willing to to do it through the bad times?
34:11
When your flight is canceled, you have to fly the other way
34:14
and then go to the destination or Getting up early going into a
34:20
hotel that smells like cigarettes all the time in the
34:23
the issues we had there. But are you willing to die to
34:27
yourself and get through the hunger?
34:30
And you've been standing all day and the physical pains?
34:34
So I just think, you know, for me it was just really rewarding
34:36
to be able to go out there just to be able to be used by God,
34:40
how I was able to Lobby want to share.
34:45
This was actually not my first missions trip.
34:48
When I was a youth, I went on a you trip.
34:52
So the Portland but my expectations were kind of really
35:00
open actually I was I wasn't nervous about going on a
35:05
missions trip as self, I was just nervous about being
35:07
someplace new and so as soon as I am someplace new, I can
35:12
usually assimilate really quickly and so just kind of the
35:16
message all summer was like be available be available and The
35:22
Mission Street became a possibility and then I just
35:24
jumped into it. And so I was actually super
35:26
excited because I was like, well what am I waiting for?
35:30
I figured it out. And then just like, once we got
35:35
into the, once I got into the airport, I was just kind of
35:40
sitting there for a while and I was thinking I was like, okay,
35:43
well now I'm here and it's not so so different.
35:45
Why was I being worried? And then that was just like,
35:49
calm the nerves and so just my expectations ended up being like
35:53
blown out of the water because just growing with this team was
35:58
just like easier like in a bigger team, we are all doing it
36:02
together and it just like seemed significantly easier.
36:07
And so my expectations were minimal to begin with but they
36:11
were just like, also, like dissipated really quickly
36:14
because of How God used us on the trip.
36:20
UBS have like expectations that they went on the trip with, but
36:24
then God totally just shattered that expectation.
36:30
Anybody have something to share because this was your first trip
36:32
to, right Kari? All right.
36:34
Yeah, it was my first trip and just similar to Stephen.
36:38
I didn't know what to expect. In fact I was thinking to myself
36:42
so am I going to be used? How can I be used?
36:46
Will I be effective? And and and the thing that
36:50
Coming to me was, of course, second Timothy be ready in
36:54
season and out of season. And I think even leading up to
37:03
the day of our flight. I couldn't sleep.
37:06
I probably slept a half hour and then I heard my phone ping ping.
37:11
And there it was our flights were canceled and I just thought
37:14
to myself and I'll back up a moment because I did pray, I did
37:19
pray and say, You know, I'm I'm going and I'm going to do this
37:23
God and and and I know I'm going to do anything that you need me
37:28
to do, just lead me to it. And, you know, just show me
37:33
that, you know, that that this is all going to be.
37:36
Okay? And and just calm my nerves,
37:39
just just help me rest. And that's when the pinging
37:42
happened, and I just thought our flights were canceled, and I
37:44
started laughing, and I just thought, wow, you've got a sense
37:47
of humor. And so, I mean, I It kind of
37:51
actually made me relax a little and say to myself.
37:55
You know, what I can do this. I'm going to be used and
37:59
although I didn't know what to expect, I think what was really
38:02
valuable is the people we went with the people that had already
38:07
gone, having our conversations, during our meetings, with Pastor
38:12
Ray and and Lindsay. And I felt like that was just
38:19
great and And and helped kind of calm that, you know, oh my
38:24
goodness. I'm nervous.
38:25
And what am I going to do kind of thing?
38:27
So, yeah. that's, My my testimony awesome from this
38:36
trip, how has God sturdy after taking this trip.
38:41
What's got been doing? What's God has been speaking to
38:43
you. I'm going to start with Lisa and
38:47
then I'm going to go from Lisa to Matthew.
38:49
I'm gonna give Matthew some time.
38:50
We the team knows. Matthew needs time to process.
38:53
I'm going to give you some time. Matthew.
38:56
How has God stirred you from this trip?
38:59
So, Lisa's going to answer. And I'm going to give Matthew
39:02
some to Matthews going to go next.
39:05
So this trip for me was just the Lord showing up just in his
39:12
faithfulness and there's been a verse that he's been shaking out
39:16
in my life over the last year. And He just used this trip to
39:23
just really like put that verse in to Neon Signs in my life.
39:29
And the verse specifically is Romans 12 for through five, and
39:32
I'll read it and the NLT it says just as our bodies have many
39:37
parts and each part a specific function.
39:40
So it is with Christ's body and we all belong to each other and
39:45
then it continues on to talk about the spiritual gifts, which
39:49
Pastor Ed has just gone through Um, but the part that the Lord
39:53
has really been speaking to me about is that we all belong to
39:59
each other. And so, this this kind of has
40:06
come out of a season, we're just because of some trials and some
40:11
sickness in my life. I've been kind of more isolated
40:14
and just unable to do things the way that I used to.
40:18
And it's been a year of recovery.
40:23
And so, when they talked about Pastor Jay, Jay, so, Jay, Jay's,
40:25
my husband, and he was pumped that this trip was coming up and
40:31
he was so excited to get to go. And he was like, Lisa, you've
40:34
got to come with me on this trip and I'm like, all right, let's
40:37
go. Like, if you want me to go we'll
40:38
go. And then, like in was sharing as
40:43
we started preparing for the trip, he had to bail out for
40:46
some, some commitments that came up that he had to tend to.
40:49
And it was just like, All right. Well, am I still going to go
40:54
like I was going because my husband was really stirred up to
40:58
go and he wanted to share in this with me and so I really had
41:01
to wrestle before the Lord like am I still going on this trip?
41:08
And the Lord was a yes and it was because of this verse.
41:12
It was the idea that we all belong to each other, we all
41:15
have some gift something that the Lord is working in us and
41:20
through us. That only we can give to other
41:23
people and after having spent kind of a year in kind of a kind
41:31
of, I don't want to say isolation but like I just really
41:35
had to step down from a lot of things because I just wasn't
41:38
physically able to participate or to do things.
41:41
Sometimes I couldn't even get out of bed.
41:44
So just in the last few months, have I even regained some pretty
41:49
significant stamina, So the Lord was like, yes, you belong, and
41:55
I'm going to use you. So I had a lot of concerns going
41:59
into this trip which were mostly like physically.
42:04
Am I even going to be able to keep up?
42:06
And as you guys have already heard like this, for me, this
42:10
was a very, very physically grueling trip.
42:14
But I know that it was also just part of the The Warfare because
42:18
the Lord made it clear that I was going to go.
42:22
And I also got the opportunity to do one of the breakout
42:25
sessions for the women and teach and I had a lot of anxieties
42:30
around like you know we weren't necessarily given a topic.
42:34
We were just told, hey, you're going to teach the ladies and so
42:39
this verse was my inspiration motivation for what I taught and
42:45
and even in this like the It showed up faithful because I
42:49
didn't have a whole lot prepared before I left because I just
42:53
sensed from the spirit that like you're not going to know what to
42:56
teach until you meet the people. So it was once we got there and
43:01
started interacting and connecting and just really
43:04
getting a feel for who they were.
43:07
And what the Lord was up to in their in their Ministries and in
43:10
their church, and in their community that he was just
43:14
faithful to give me what I needed in the moment. so, yeah,
43:21
so that's That's entry Matthew. Mr. Matthew Cadena.
43:31
So for me was this is the second year that that I went last year
43:40
last year was more of, let's say, both vote for more of the
43:45
same. You know, we've received a lot
43:47
from them just as just as we can give to them.
43:50
I mean we've got we've got we've got to fold back, you mean, it
43:55
was just, it was just an encouragement from from the
43:58
leaders there from from the married. bows and seeing how
44:02
their family works with the Israel and Tory, Greg and
44:11
Michele Ray and Ruthie odds. Well, and seeing seeing how
44:14
their family functions and how they, how they how they serve
44:18
and give their time. And their efforts is it has
44:22
encouraged as current has encouraged us to well to
44:26
continue to continue. So, last year, was more of a
44:31
Said it. I was more of like a was more of
44:35
like a you know being jumped into a gang and then this year
44:38
was like I'm not I'm not getting out, I'm not allowed out now.
44:41
So it was It was just me showing me showing an endurance.
44:50
Me being shown, just just being an all-around Tradesmen.
44:56
You know, I'm in the trays and just being, you know, what they
44:58
say is. Yeah, your What do they say?
45:07
Jack of all trades and a master of none.
45:09
And that's, and that's kind of, that's kind of the way, you
45:15
know, serving and Ministry works as well.
45:18
We can we can stick to our things that were good at and
45:21
what we know best and or even or even being up here.
45:24
Speaking speaking in front of people like that which which he
45:27
and does was really well and he's a good, he's a good leader
45:31
and host and I appreciate having him having him walk us through
45:36
that and lead us to New Jersey and but, you know, there's
45:41
there's there's a, there's a time that, you know, you know,
45:44
we may be called to do the same thing and, you know, and so what
45:51
I've got what I've gathered from them.
45:53
And as just, just to the endurance, just endurance and
45:57
and, you know, not to give up, you know, we can see people, you
46:00
know, especially I mean for most of Of us.
46:02
We can look at athletes and say, oh man, had that guy had all the
46:06
gifts, man. He had all the talent and he
46:09
didn't. He didn't live up to that
46:10
expectation that we had in our mind for him and for her and and
46:16
the same here, like we may seek me may have these gifts.
46:19
We may we may have a nice things that we may not even see in
46:23
ourselves and know that is there.
46:27
But you know, it's two groups like this is through the church
46:30
family and seeing others. No.
46:33
Do it before us that we can we can just like we are I may not
46:38
know where I'm going or what that looks like but as we as we
46:42
continue to press in and just be available, just like Stephen
46:47
said, you know, there is no blueprint but we just trust in
46:50
the Lord that that he's you know, he's gonna he's gonna he's
46:53
gonna see us through it, you know, it get does get difficult
46:56
as it as it as it should and and that just makes us even
47:00
stronger. To be a to be more developed be
47:04
more ready. When, when when Well, we're
47:08
asked to teach, you know, two times in one week and, you know,
47:13
be be up in his blood. Be up here on stage where you
47:17
know, where we may not feel comfortable.
47:19
We not been in front of the congregation like this before
47:22
and but as a as it as it as we continue to just put ourselves
47:31
out there to be in be the thing to be involved in the things of
47:35
the Lord, what he has. What he has right in front of
47:38
us, you know, whether that's at, you know, at in the church or
47:41
even in our jobs, those people he puts out in front of us as
47:45
well. And, and to minister and love on
47:47
them, you know, just show them that, that, that, that that same
47:52
love that that we show, you know, Believers Believers alike.
47:57
You know, we do it to them as well.
47:59
And as we remember, just lastly, share something on our way over
48:05
here are three year old We were he was he was really, you see,
48:11
he was really talkative, but he on his way over here.
48:16
We're talking about. What do you learn in class and
48:18
all he said you know, I had and I love Jesus and and and he's
48:25
like, oh yeah really? And he said, yeah God God likes
48:28
that when you do that and that was his.
48:32
That was just, you know, just really small reminder and looks
48:35
real simple. You know, God does God does want
48:38
us to love Jesus? And and just make that our
48:40
first, you know, our first mom mindset. like how how we're to
48:47
go about our day and just check in with him and and just give
48:53
them, you know, make them those phone calls daily, you know,
48:56
throughout the day, you know, even if it's even if its snows,
49:00
not much to say, you don't have nothing to say at all.
49:02
Just just just to check in and to to say that I'm still here
49:09
and that. And that that we want to we want
49:15
to, we want to do them proud. That's what I have that.
49:20
Thanks I think that what, what Matthew shared I think really
49:24
ties in as we kind of wind this evening down.
49:27
You know, I view as you've heard these testimonies tonight, I
49:31
wonder how God might be stirring you to take steps of faith and
49:37
obedience. Wonder how God might be stirring
49:40
you in. You a deeper testimony of his
49:44
faithfulness, his provision, his timing.
49:48
And now it may not look like going on a short-term mission
49:50
trip like this. Although it could be but maybe
49:54
it's sharing something God has done or is doing in your life
50:00
with someone at work this week. Maybe that's what faithfulness
50:04
taking a step of faith and obedience looks like for you,
50:08
maybe. Sharing God's faithfulness to
50:10
one of your neighbors or your crows close relatives.
50:13
Maybe that's what it looks like to take this step of faith and
50:16
who and obedience but tonight this group is is a testimony of
50:22
just how God is working, how God is moving, and how God is
50:25
stirring, you know, how has God been working in your own life?
50:29
How can you testify of God's goodness?
50:33
You see what was challenging for me on this trip.
50:38
Was cancelled flight at 10 p.m. For hours on the phone, trying
50:45
to get 14 people to Newark around the same time.
50:50
It was flight delays even after the cancellation, right?
50:54
We were delayed. Every flight that we were I was
50:56
on was delayed and yet God had appointments for us each time we
51:02
lost a day of ministry in Newark but we gained was time together
51:06
as a team experiencing the same thing.
51:10
I ended up meeting someone that comes to this church.
51:12
At the airport in DIA, who had her family had just gone through
51:17
something traumatic and I was able to minister to her and pray
51:20
with her in the moment. Pastor Bob sent me an
51:23
encouragement as we're talking about these difficulties about
51:27
cancellations and delays. He said God's timing is somehow
51:32
involved with all of this. And I'm reminded of Acts 16
51:38
where God the Holy Spirit, forbids Paul to go to Asia,
51:43
right? And so he ends up meeting this
51:45
lady named Lydia. It says her and her household or
51:49
saved. And then God uses Lydia and her
51:53
household to proclaim the gospel.
51:55
And then they, they end up Shackled in prison right there
51:59
beat, they're taking these steps of faith and obedience and then
52:01
they end up in prison him and Silas Paul and Silas, right?
52:06
And then we read in Acts 16. This account is great account.
52:10
We're at midnight there, singing These Psalms and hymns and the
52:16
walls begin to shake and their shackles are loosed.
52:20
And the guard there is about to kill himself, because he knows
52:23
that, if these prisoners Escape, it's his life and they told him.
52:27
Wait, don't don't, don't do that, right?
52:30
And then we see this account full, as it unfolds.
52:33
That not only does this guard, give give his life to Jesus, but
52:38
his whole household is saved, and it's just these steps of
52:43
Faith, even if they don't look like, what, Expect them to look
52:47
like these steps of faith and obedience always lead to
52:50
Victory. I want you guys to understand
52:54
that as a church, God is calling you to take steps of faith and
52:58
obedience. And as you do that, they may not
53:01
look like what you expected. They may be difficult and hard
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and very challenging, but these steps of faith and obedience
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will always lead to Victory because God will always do
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something great with someone who is available and ready.
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We heard it so often in this group ready in season and out of
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season and I want to encourage you and exhort you to just be
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available. Be available.
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Share your testimony be available to say.
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God it's me. I'm the one that needs to go.
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I'm the one that needs to do this as your LED and filled by
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the Holy Spirit. God is going to do great things
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in the steps of faith and obedience that you take.
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Can we give it up one more time for this team?
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As they as they leave the stage? And as a, as a worship, team
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comes back up. I'm going to hand it over to
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Pastor Keegan, and he's going to close this service.
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Awesome. As we as we wind down, if you're
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able to turn in your Bibles to Isaiah Chapter, 58, We're going
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to go into a time of worship and just kind of closing off but it
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was something something interesting.
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I haven't shared this with many people but I was I've been
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having a hard time sleeping since I've been back from from
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Newark, which is kind of a bummer.
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I was sleeping really, really good for a long time, right?
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And but you know, I wake up in the middle of the night part of
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it was just like jet lag and up early, all of the lack of sleep
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and things like that. But what was really cool this
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past Sunday is I was I was woken up but like kind of been a
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dream. State where the I just kept
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hearing this word repairer of the breach and it's found right
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in scripture. It's Isaiah 58:12 and it says
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that those from from among you shall build the old waste places
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you shall raise up the foundations of many generations
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and you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the
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restorer of the streets to dwell in.
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And, you know, just it was something that I'm still praying
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through and processing, but I just share that Ed with us as a
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church. That God is calling us, far
55:10
beyond these walls, but to be the repairer of the breach and
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the restorer of the streets to dwell.
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And just knowing as I look out here in the crowd of many
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familiar faces, many brothers, and sisters in the Lord.
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It's a challenge for all of us as the challenge of how were
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being ready in season and out of season, it's a challenge to step
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out for the sake of Jesus. Step out as Pastor.
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Ian was saying in faith in an obedience and God has Isaiah
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would A here. I am.
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God send me and so would you pray with me as we close off?
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I want to pray for our hearts for those in Christ and also
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want to give an opportunity for those who don't know.
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The Lord is personal, Lord, and Savior and part of being that
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repair of the breaches. I just want you to understand.
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And acknowledge today that there's a separation between you
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and your creator, you fill it, you know it and maybe today
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whether you're here in this room, you're watching online,
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you know that God has been drawing.
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Ooh, to himself. And you hear testimony of what
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God has done and you know that today's the day.
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So let's pray first for our hearts is followers of Christ
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and Heavenly. Father, we come before you today
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wanting to be stirred and hearing testimony got a knowing
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that each and every day. You're working that testimony
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out God for our good and for your glory.
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And Lord, I pray for us as the body of Christ is the body of
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Believers that we go forth. God that we that this message
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tonight and this testimony tonight.
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Spread like wildfire got in our city and we're grateful for the
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work you're doing in Newark. God were grateful for Pastor Ray
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and all the wonderful brothers and sisters up there and we pray
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that you continue to do that for lighting work there.
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But we're praying for Aurora tonight.
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God, we're praying for the metro area.
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God preparing for the people in our jobs and in our homes, got
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an inner lives God that you would use us.
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And here we are Lord, send us. And is we're in a posture of
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prayer. God, I just want to pray for
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anybody in this room. Room or anyone that can hear
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whether right now in person or even at a later date, got an
57:12
Aegis know, it's time to get right with you got that they
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would acknowledge that they've made a mistake before their
57:20
their creator that they have sinned before you got that they
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recognize that they're in need of a savior and Jesus, we know
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that you came and lived a perfect life that you died.
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A substitutionary death for us on the cross.
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That Jesus, that you were buried but you didn't stay.
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There you rose again from the grave.
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If you Proclaim that, anyone who confesses onto me and believes
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unto me shall have life, and life Everlasting.
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And so, Lord, whoever you're drawing into personal
57:45
relationship. I just pray that right now, God
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that they would acknowledge that that truth and acknowledge you.
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Jesus is Lord that they would believe in their heart that you
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are risen from the grave got and they would anticipate in prayer.
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God of all the things you have in store for them.
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So, Lord, we take up the call today to be repairers of the
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breach, and restores of the streets.
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And It's name. We pray.
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Amen. We pray that you've been
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encouraged by this Bible. Study delivered live from the
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sanctuary of Calvary Church for prayer.
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Call us at 877, 30 Grace. That's eight 77304, 2:53 to
58:25
listen to this message in its entirety or to join us for our
58:28
live stream Services. Visit us online at Calvary co.'s
58:32
Church or download our free Calvary Church app.
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Be East is you worship Jesus this week.