Latest / THIS IS THE LIFE PODCAST / THE PORCH LIGHT

Transcript

THE PORCH LIGHT · THIS IS THE LIFE PODCAST

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  Speaker 1: Good morning thank you for joining us today welcome into
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: our this is the life podcast we get ready for
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: our morning moments with jesus time today this morning i've
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  Speaker 1: been kind of in a reflective mood and just kind
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  Speaker 1: of thinking about over the last six years or so
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  Speaker 1: of this podcast and just all that we've been able
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  Speaker 1: to enjoy together all the things that we've shared together
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  Speaker 1: and especially the word of god as it's come to
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  Speaker 1: us each and every morning so this morning i kind
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  Speaker 1: of entitled this uh devotion time, the porch light. And
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  Speaker 1: it comes to me out of Matthew chapter 5 and
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  Speaker 1: verse number 16, a verse that many of us know well,
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  Speaker 1: but it says, let your light, your light, so shine
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  Speaker 1: before men that they may see your good works and
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  Speaker 1: glorify your Father which is in heaven. Now that's very
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  Speaker 1: important to me that we are commanded to let our
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  Speaker 1: light shine before people that they may see what we're doing,
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  Speaker 1: but also the reason why we're doing it. And then
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  Speaker 1: that work is to illuminate or give opportunity for us
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  Speaker 1: to shine the light on the one who really deserves it.
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  Speaker 1: And that's our Father, which is in heaven. When I
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  Speaker 1: began this Life is This is the Life podcast many
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  Speaker 1: years ago, I wanted to share what God was teaching
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  Speaker 1: me and perhaps encourage someone else along the way. That
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  Speaker 1: was the primary motivation for this. I always pictured a conversation, though,
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  Speaker 1: like I was sitting on the front porch. And that's
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  Speaker 1: why you hear me make mention of that so many
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  Speaker 1: times during these devotions. I just always pictured this conversation
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  Speaker 1: of us just sitting on the front porch and talking
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  Speaker 1: and honest words, just a little room to breathe before
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  Speaker 1: the day begins. And maybe a reminder that we do
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  Speaker 1: not have to walk this journey alone. Not only do
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  Speaker 1: we have the Lord Jesus Christ, but we have each other.
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  Speaker 1: And today, I got this word last week from YouTube. Today,
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  Speaker 1: I'm grateful because the YouTube portion of our podcast, and
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  Speaker 1: we're available on many different platforms now, but the YouTube
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  Speaker 1: portion of our podcast is now among the top 1%
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  Speaker 1: in the world when it comes to uploaded materials. Now,
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  Speaker 1: I'm not talking about views. I'm talking about just uploaded
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  Speaker 1: material that's available to people. Just over 1,700 views. Total devotions, messages,
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  Speaker 1: and songs are available on our YouTube channel. Now that's
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  Speaker 1: more than I ever imagined that we would be able
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  Speaker 1: to do when this journey began. But see, the numbers,
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  Speaker 1: even though they're important and they kind of set benchmarks
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  Speaker 1: for how you're progressing in things, numbers cannot tell me
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  Speaker 1: who is listening when they're having a difficult day. Or
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  Speaker 1: who needs a song at just the right time of
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  Speaker 1: the day? Or who found the courage to trust again,
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  Speaker 1: maybe after hearing a devotion? That's where we all come in.
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  Speaker 1: Because as I have thought about all of what this means,
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  Speaker 1: all this devotion time, all this podcast, all the things
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  Speaker 1: that we do, all this Front Porch Fridays and things
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  Speaker 1: that we do, one phrase has always stayed with me.
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  Speaker 1: And that is this. It has always been about the
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  Speaker 1: porch light more than the spotlight. I want people to
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  Speaker 1: find hope here. Whether thousands of people are listening or
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  Speaker 1: just one person who needs a place to pause and reflect,
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  Speaker 1: it's worth this time together. And that is why I
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  Speaker 1: encourage you sometimes to take an active part in what
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  Speaker 1: happens here. It's why I appreciate you taking the time
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  Speaker 1: to comment on a particular devotion and maybe how it's
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  Speaker 1: touched you because that is how it actually encourages me.
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  Speaker 1: But also, When a devotion brings someone to your mind,
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  Speaker 1: send it to them. When a song expresses something that
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  Speaker 1: you've struggled to say and you think about somebody else
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  Speaker 1: with the same struggle, then share it with them. And
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  Speaker 1: when a message helps you see God's faithfulness more clearly,
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  Speaker 1: pass that along to someone who might need that same reminder.
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  Speaker 1: Because you know people I may never meet. And you
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  Speaker 1: know the burden some of them carry, the questions they
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  Speaker 1: may be asking, And even the moments when they could
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  Speaker 1: use a word of hope. And so sharing one of
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  Speaker 1: these devotions, that's just a simple act of ministry. And
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  Speaker 1: that's your part in this ministry. And you may never
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  Speaker 1: know what God does with that message after you send
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  Speaker 1: it to that person. But you can trust that God knows.
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  Speaker 1: And He has already told us that His Word shall
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  Speaker 1: never return void, but will accomplish what He sets out
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  Speaker 1: for it to do. So as I think about the
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  Speaker 1: direction of this is the life here, my heart keeps
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  Speaker 1: returning to the same front porch thought process. See, I
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  Speaker 1: love writing devotions. I love making music. I love sharing
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  Speaker 1: the things that God places on my heart. And I
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  Speaker 1: want these messages to reach more people and also remain
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  Speaker 1: sensitive to just the simple thoughts of the day because
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  Speaker 1: that's not just where it starts. It's just my whole
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  Speaker 1: philosophy is somehow built around nature and simple thoughts and
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  Speaker 1: just simple conversations with people. So if this leads to
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  Speaker 1: new opportunities to speak, to travel, to share songs, then
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  Speaker 1: I will always be open to follow wherever God opens
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  Speaker 1: a door for the future. And not just me, but
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  Speaker 1: I pray that you will as well. So I just
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  Speaker 1: want to take your time this morning. Like I said,
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  Speaker 1: as I've been in kind of this reflective mood and
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  Speaker 1: taking an active look on where this ministry, this part
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  Speaker 1: of my ministry is heading. I want to thank you
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  Speaker 1: for sitting on this front porch with me all these years.
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  Speaker 1: And if something you hear might help someone you love,
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  Speaker 1: invite them to join us here. Together we can keep
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  Speaker 1: the light shining and give God the glory for every
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  Speaker 1: life that He touches. Because once again, He said in
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  Speaker 1: His Word, Today I want you to listen to this
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  Speaker 1: verse and take it to heart. Let your light so
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  Speaker 1: shine before men That they may see your good works.
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  Speaker 1: And glorify your Father. Which is in heaven. Today you
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  Speaker 1: be safe. You be strong. And you be blessed. And
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  Speaker 1: I want you to be encouraged with the fact. That
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  Speaker 1: you mean so much to me and this ministry. And
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  Speaker 1: I want to thank you for it. Lord's will we'll
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  Speaker 1: see you back here again tomorrow. And until then. Have
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  Speaker 1: a great and wonderful day.