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Our Treasures Are In Heaven · Deep Dive into Joy

0:23
This is Deep Dive into Joy, and I'm your host,
0:27
Gina Rickner. Hey, dear listeners, it's your
0:29
host, Gina Rickner. Welcome back to Deep Dive
0:33
into Joy, the podcast where we talk about our
0:36
testimonies, our everyday life, health and wellness,
0:39
and how God shows up in the midst of our pain.
0:43
I want you all to know that you are not alone.
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Today's episode, I'm joined by Bobby Johnson.
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We're going to speak on what it is to have our
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treasures in heaven. I feel like this is an important
0:55
topic as we go through our disciples. episodes.
0:59
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I want y 'all to welcome back Bobby Johnson to
4:14
the podcast. Bobby, welcome back to the podcast.
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I want to thank you for joining us today. So,
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one of my favorite authors, pastors, and just
4:25
person in this world was Dr. David Jeremiah.
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And I really have learned a lot from him over
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the years. But I try to get his books whenever
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they come out. And I picked one up that was called
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The Promise of Heaven. And it's just such a good
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read. But I came to a chapter called The Currency
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of Heaven. And I wanted to share some of that
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with you and the audience today. The chapter
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started out with a story of a man who played
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the lottery. It was like 1 in 50 million chance
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to win. Well, story short, he won. And he decided
5:02
to go to the dentist and get much needed work
5:06
on his teeth. And while he was there, he collapsed
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and had a heart attack and passed away. Now,
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I don't tell that story to be womp -womp. but
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I say it because it reminds us that our time
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here on earth is so short. Our lives are brief.
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And he went on in the chapter stating, David
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that he said, Lord, remind me how brief my time
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on earth will be. Remind me that my days are
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numbered. And this is why it's so important for
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us to focus on storing up our treasures in heaven
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and not on earth where moth and dust destroy.
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So where thieves break into steel, but we lay
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up our treasures ourselves. We lay up ourselves
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treasures in heaven and that's Matthew 6 19 through
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20. So Bobby, I want to ask you. What does it
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mean exactly to lay up our treasures in heaven?
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And why should we invest in heaven? Well, that's
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a great question, right? And I love that intro
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because we can get consumed with things. And
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it's not to say that things like, you know, having
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good finances, getting our teeth taken care of,
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right, are bad things. But when that's where
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we put our hope. Then we we run into trouble
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and that is the world's way of doing things but
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in that scripture verses 19 through 21 Where
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it does say, you know store up your treasures
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in heaven where moths and rust cannot destroy
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And we we look at that and say but why so if
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you look at verse 21 it says wherever your treasure
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is the desires of your heart will also be and
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Again, this tells us why because when we do lay
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up treasures in heaven then our heart is going
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to follow suit and You know scripture tells us
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that our hearts are naturally wicked and deceitful
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Mm -hmm that we are inclined to follow the ways
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of this world but as believers we're to be kingdom
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minded and when we live for Christ that is where
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our focus needs to be. And, you know, in scripture
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there are many references to rewards for believers
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who follow Jesus faithfully. So I look at Luke
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chapter 6 verses 22 through 23 says that a great
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reward is waiting for those who suffer for Jesus'
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sake. Second Timothy 4 8 mentions many crowns
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that will receive. Revelation 22 12 says that
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when Jesus returns he will bring rewards So these
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are all benefits of following Christ and it's
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not what we shoot for It's not like we're doing
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it because oh, well, I'm gonna be rewarded but
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our greatest treasure is Jesus himself and When
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we live that way, we will commit all we have
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to him our time our gifts our finances And then
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the desires of our heart become kingdom focused,
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right? When we give and we live sacrificially
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by serving the body of Christ and sharing the
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good news with others, this is where this comes
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into play. This is, it's like a cycle, a godly
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cycle. And none of it goes unnoticed by God.
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And again, we are storing up treasures in heaven.
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I do believe that it's important to revisit that
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verse 21 because it reminds us that laying up
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these treasures in heaven will change the desires
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of our hearts, so to kind of go back on that
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and focus on that a little bit more. As I said,
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our hearts are not naturally inclined towards
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godly living. Scripture tells us in Jeremiah
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17, 9, as I said, the human heart is the most
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deceitful of all things and desperately wicked.
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That's ouchy. But that's truth. It's easy for
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us to get caught up in all that this world deems
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as treasure. That's not what we're called to
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pursue. We may come to have some of these things,
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like I said, wealth, the ability to have good
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dental work. Whatever you fill in the blank there,
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it doesn't mean that it's bad necessarily. But
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it's all God's anyway. Right. He gives it to
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us. But if that's our treasure... Yeah. If that's
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the only thing we put our hope in and where our
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heart focuses, it's not what God wants for us.
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His abundance is so much more. Yeah. So only
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two things in this world are eternal, and that's
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God's Word and people. It makes perfect sense
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for us to build our lives around those two things
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that will last forever. In Psalms 119, 89 says,
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forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven.
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He shares in this chapter that the apostle Peter
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wrote, all people are like grass, and all their
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glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass
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weathers and the flowers fall, but the word of
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God endure forever. 1 Peter 1, 24 through 25.
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All the books we learn from now and study won't
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be going to heaven with us. The verses we memorize
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now, those will be what we have and can take
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with us. So one thing that really stuck out to
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me was that the Lord is so delighted when we
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speak about him that he notates our words in
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a special book in heaven. Many times in the book
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of Revelation, we read about the book of life.
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In Revelation 2012, it says, on the day of judgment,
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the books will be opened, revealing the attitudes
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and actions of all humanity. We won't be all
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knowing in heaven, but we will still be able
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to learn and possess knowledge. We will be students
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for eternity. And I feel like this is why it's
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so important to be disciples. So he went on to
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explain, this is why it's important because we
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can lead and help win others to the Lord. And
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this is urgent, especially in these times that
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we are in. We need to help others find salvation
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and find it now. We do this by the testimonies
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we share, the tasks we pursue, and the treasures
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and offerings we invest in the kingdom. Many
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people have devoted their lives to winning people
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to Christ. I know that when I walk through my
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cancer journey, I use every appointment, treatment,
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situation to shine my light of Jesus on the others
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and sharing the word with them. So declaring
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what Jesus was doing for me and healing me. We
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must let our friends and loved ones know we're
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going to heaven and we want to see them with
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us. I know that when I pass away, I want people
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to remember me for my faith, have comfort in
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knowing I'm in the arms of Jesus and heaven is
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my eternal home. Our testimonies can make a difference
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in the lives of others if we simply just voice
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them. Bobby, I want to thank you for voicing
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yours in season four. You had quite the journey
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and letting others know into your story is a
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blessing. Our testimonies aren't just for us,
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but to come for others and knowing they aren't
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alone and we can help them through whatever they
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are walking through. Now, if you didn't hear
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Bobby's testimony, please go back and listen
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to it because it was amazing. It was season four,
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episode 10. We all have tasks and personal ministry
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to pursue. The Bible says, be steadfast, immovable,
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always abounding in the work of the Lord. Knowing
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your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians
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15, 58. Paul wrote this word to ordinary members
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in the sometimes troubled church in Corinth.
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Whatever God is calling us to do, We need to
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do it faithfully, prayerfully, and cheerfully.
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This is going to produce good fruit for the kingdom.
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Now, some people never hear the gospel preached.
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So what if you were the first one to tell them
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about Jesus and then lead and train them up in
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the way of the Lord? Bobby, do you have any task
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or personal ministry you're pursuing? I know
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you do, but I want you to share it. That's okay.
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I appreciate that. And let me just say too, in
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terms of my testimony, I just want to reiterate,
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I guess, and give God the glory for that because
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without Him we wouldn't have a testimony. And
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so I'm just so grateful to be able to share.
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And again, I thank you for allowing me to be
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a part of this because It's a great opportunity
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to share what goes on in life and apply God's
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Word and be a part of God moving in our community.
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So it's just really cool. So, you know, this
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has been a part of it and I am thankful for you
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and for your obedience because in that you're
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allowing other people in, you know, giving them
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a way to share and so... I think those opportunities
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are always around us. As you know, I'm in a season
15:23
of preparing for pastoral ministry. My heart
15:31
continues to be burdened for those in that recovery
15:38
space. We've been through that journey in our
15:44
own family and being able to use that experience
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to walk alongside other people who are experiencing
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the same thing has been one of the hardest things,
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but yet one of the biggest blessings that God
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has brought to my life. And, you know, in that
16:07
space, working with individuals, families, those
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caring for children impacted by addiction. And
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when I say addiction too, I include not just
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substances, but I'm talking alcohol as well.
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You know, more people die every day from alcoholism
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than substance use per se. And yet we tend to,
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that gets overshadowed, right? So it's my little
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soapbox Okay But looking back I think the call
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to being a pastor was really rooted in my work
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with families impacted by addiction and It started
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with the family recovery program that we started
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out of our church and You know and while it was
17:00
a good program. It is a good program. It's a
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faith -based program I kept coming back to the
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main thing that Jesus is where true recovery
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true redemption comes from and that's true whether
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you're impacted by addiction or any form of bondage
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or anything that you're impacted in this life
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so Again coming back to the the main thing to
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Jesus and that no matter what we face and then
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You know, he's there. He is the answer. He is
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where redemption that's he's where healing is
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found And so I kept coming back to that. I still
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come back to that And it was a couple years after
17:50
that I recognized God's call on my life. So,
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you know again it wasn't like in starting the
17:59
support group or working with people in this
18:02
space and becoming involved because it did lead
18:04
to other opportunities where you could share
18:08
and share your faith and the importance of spiritual
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wellness specifically that that only comes from
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Christ. It was it was amazing but it wasn't like
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even in the early times of that that I recognized.
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God's call wasn't until later of my call into
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pastoral ministry. But, you know, even with you're
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still in a season of preparation. So that's that's
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for me. And you and I were just talking before
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we got on here today about, you know, I have
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and I feel like I just need to share this. I
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have times even in this preparation where I want
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to give up. and I have named these times now
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as my walk away weeks because it always seems
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to happen within that time frame and sometimes
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they last even longer those periods of time and
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it's not that I'm losing faith it's just that
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I think I just feel so burdened and ill -equipped
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and just tired wrestling with God you know recognizing
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my call but but really really having a hard time
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and and and frankly those are the times when
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I'm probably you know I'm trying to do things
19:42
myself you know am I not right relying on him
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I don't know but anyhow so that's that's part
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of it You know, I think We can get this viewpoint
19:56
of Preparation or personal ministry and it looks
20:00
very flowery Whitewashed if you will and that
20:06
is at least in my experience that has not been
20:10
the case but that is what I think in the end
20:14
makes it so beautiful and because God ultimately
20:18
is going to use that to come alongside and has
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already used it to come alongside people in really
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dark yucky places so what good would it be for
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me to do that and be called to do that if i too
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am not experiencing that yeah so yeah i can't
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wait to get to have him one day and he just shows
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us what it all was for it's gonna be so cool
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i will take one big sigh of relief yeah i i i
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will admit but it's all worth it So Dr. David
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Jeremiah went on to say that the treasures we
20:56
invest in are also important, which he talked
20:59
about. So we have the joy of expanding the kingdom
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through investing our treasures through tithes,
21:04
gifts, and offerings to the Lord. I think this
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is what Jesus meant when he said laying up our
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treasures in heaven. Now, of course, we aren't
21:13
to neglect our futures or our families. We need
21:17
to have discernment and be wise and faithful
21:19
providers. but we should see it as a privilege
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to further the population of heaven. This could
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be as simple as being a disciple and sending
21:29
Bibles into the hands that have never read the
21:31
Bible or had one in their lives. Your testimony,
21:36
task, and treasures don't need to be perfect,
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says Jeremiah. God's Word and human souls are
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eternal. We can't take much with us to heaven,
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but May God fill our hearts with his word and
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with that message let's determine to take as
21:52
many people as possible to heaven with us. So
21:56
my own personal journey, even if someone you
21:58
love so much doesn't want to hear the word or
22:00
feels as though they need saving, we still need
22:04
to be praying hard for those individuals. You
22:08
don't know where or what those prayers are leading
22:10
to. We don't know how God is using those prayers
22:13
to work on those individuals. I believe that
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maybe people can still be saved through our prayers.
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You know, Bobby, I feel like God speaks to us
22:23
in many ways and we can use that for our own
22:26
personal testimonies and to disciple others through
22:30
our journeys. I think next episode we will go
22:33
further details of just how God speaks to us
22:37
and how we can use that to disciple others. But
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do you have anything to leave my listeners with
22:42
today? Well, I would just encourage Folks and
22:47
this this is actually something a story that
22:50
a friend of mine told me just yesterday And it
22:53
was very encouraging to me in its simplicity
22:57
So I would share it I'm not gonna share names
23:02
and specifics that way because I didn't actually
23:05
talk to this person about Sharing it. However,
23:08
I do think the overall story is incredibly beautiful
23:12
and points to how important it is to just live
23:19
out your faith in the everyday moments and how
23:24
impactful they can be because God puts you where
23:29
he wants to put you. So it's not like you've
23:33
got to have this great plan of I'm going to go
23:35
out and I'm going to minister. I mean it is yes
23:38
to a degree. but to not lose sight of the everyday
23:43
moments where God uses us to be Jesus to someone
23:50
in need. And so my friend was sharing the story
23:54
about how she was out for one of her daily walks
23:57
and she lives out in the country and so she was
24:03
coming up on this older country cemetery out
24:07
where she walks. There was no one around and
24:11
she just saw the single truck there and a man
24:15
standing at a gravestone just sobbing and Now
24:21
mind you they're out like it's very rural, right?
24:23
There's nobody else around it's not like it's
24:25
in town or anything Not that that would really
24:27
matter. But you know, yes this was I think it
24:30
just points to the divine providence in all of
24:33
this but the man was standing at the gravestone
24:37
and he was crying so hard he was trying she could
24:41
see as he was walking she was walking up on him
24:43
that he was trying to wipe his face free of tears
24:47
with his forearms and he was by himself and Her
24:53
path was going about to intersect with him. So
24:55
she's coming up on him and She stopped and she
25:00
said to him You look like you could use a hug
25:04
She did not know this person and he turned around
25:09
and just in his distress leaned into her gave
25:14
her this hug and she said and I mean it was a
25:16
hug like he just so desperately needed comfort
25:21
and that embrace and so she she hugged him stepped
25:29
away from him and she asked him is this your
25:35
wife's grave? and he nodded and said yes and
25:41
she said she wasn't sure what to say but she
25:46
said I'm sure that she's at peace hopeful that
25:51
she would have been and she said the gentleman
25:55
just kind of shook his head back and forth and
26:01
she said she just came right out and said to
26:05
him you saved and he said I honestly don't know
26:11
and so just just pause there for a minute imagine
26:16
this right you're out the middle there's nobody
26:20
around it's a secluded cemetery out in the country
26:23
and here comes this person whom you do not know
26:26
and likewise for her she's coming up on somebody
26:29
like she didn't know him from Adam right and
26:32
Yet God orchestrated that moment and in that
26:37
because of her obedience and just Not because
26:40
of a plan Not because she went out walking that
26:44
day with the intent of evangelizing but because
26:48
God put somebody in her path and She was able
26:52
to literally embrace him share with him and share
26:56
the path to salvation with this stranger And
27:02
it wasn't awkward. It's just God had orchestrated
27:05
just every moment and the timing and all of it.
27:08
And while he did not pray with her in that moment,
27:12
he did allow her to share how to be right with
27:16
the Lord. And perhaps the most important part
27:21
of that, aside from the fact that she led him
27:24
to the opportunity of salvation. But that God
27:28
was made so real to that man that day through
27:33
a person Who loves Jesus who happened to be out
27:37
for her walk? That is beautiful. That is that
27:42
is to me more profound than any Formalized ministry
27:48
program Outreach. I mean not that those things
27:52
aren't beautiful in and of themselves. They are
27:54
but I think Again, what I would want to leave
27:58
people with is to be encouraged that as believers,
28:03
God can and does provide us with those opportunities
28:07
every single day, if we're willing to look for
28:12
them and willing to be obedient in the small
28:15
things. And as it turned out, she did find out
28:21
who that individual was. And she now, because
28:26
she walks on that route, she's already intended
28:28
to leave him some information in a ziplock bag
28:33
there by the gravestone for when he comes back.
28:37
And so, you know, she's planted that seed. She's
28:43
tangibly demonstrated God's love to him. And
28:47
that can only, in his heart, can you imagine?
28:52
that he had to walk away from that and be like,
28:55
wow. Yeah. Like, what was that? Yeah. You know,
28:59
and he cares about me. That's that it's God's
29:04
love. And she demonstrated in a very simple,
29:08
unplanned way, just because she walks with Jesus
29:13
and she wants to do for him. And he provided
29:16
her with an opportunity. It wasn't any more complicated
29:19
than that. So Such a beautiful story. Wow. Glad
29:23
you shared that. Yeah. Glad she shared it with
29:25
me so I could pass it on. And like how sobering
29:29
it is to like the part where he's shaking his
29:35
head because his wife wasn't saved. Like that
29:38
should be so sobering to us to want to share
29:45
Jesus with people because It's interesting that
29:48
you point that part out because actually when
29:50
she was telling me that story, that was one of
29:53
the things that really stood out to me. Like
29:55
that hurts my heart so much. Yeah because that
29:58
to me speaks to God's grace having been working
30:04
on that man's heart. That he was prepared to
30:08
answer that in the most honest way without hesitation
30:13
that there had been some thought given to that.
30:18
And in his loss that God was already preparing
30:21
his heart. That's what I that's what stuck out
30:23
to me in that whether or not That's the case.
30:25
I do not know that yeah, but Because in those
30:29
times, you know when you talk to somebody who
30:31
doesn't know the Lord We know That they lack
30:37
understanding scripture tells us that but Through
30:41
his grace God prepares their hearts and that's
30:44
what allows someone to eventually Come to a saving
30:49
knowledge of Christ Because God allows it in
30:52
that moment through his grace. And so it just
30:54
was a testimony to me that God was working that
30:59
Long before she put her shoes on to go for a
31:03
walk. So cool, you know good stuff So to my listeners
31:08
as this episode spoke to you, please share it
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31:14
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31:39
at 9 a .m. Eastern Standard Time If you find
31:43
yourself wanting to join me on an episode, you
31:45
can reach out to me on socials or email me at
31:48
gmrickner at icloud .com. As always, go out and
31:52
find the joy today. Bye, friends.