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Transcript

Commuter Church · The Reformatory

0:00
[SPEAKER_04]: What do you got for me?
0:02
[SPEAKER_04]: I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do, but I don't know what to do
0:32
[SPEAKER_04]: As long as I'm not for me, we're going to have the benediction right there, that was so good.
0:36
[SPEAKER_02]: What's going on everyone and welcome to the reformatory, the podcast for the local church and by the local church and
0:44
[SPEAKER_02]: We are your local churchman.
0:45
[SPEAKER_02]: My name is Josh and I'm here as always with the man that Neeth know introduction.
0:49
[SPEAKER_02]: Look in absolutely dapper dude wearing his Sunday best podcast today The captain Jack Barry in the coho sea my friend.
0:59
[SPEAKER_02]: I had court today.
1:01
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, oh, that was I was gonna say man.
1:03
[SPEAKER_02]: I like I feel
1:05
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm just special and no scrub, you know, you're showing up looking amazing, but it's apparently not for me.
1:11
[SPEAKER_02]: So, I'm in the Canadian Tuxedo right now, I'm in the walk in the flannel.
1:16
[SPEAKER_01]: I had to dress up for the magistrate's Josh, the magistrate's.
1:23
[SPEAKER_02]: That's right, you had to have your day in court, yeah, still so surprisingly yeah more we'll talk about it on the podcast like very interesting day today very positive But very interesting good good yeah, yeah, hopefully yeah, yeah getting getting past all of those all those fun court proceedings for sure So yeah, yeah, yeah, it's good it's good
1:48
[SPEAKER_02]: Life's good, man.
1:50
[SPEAKER_02]: We just we finished our series in second Timothy.
1:55
[SPEAKER_02]: It was a bittersweet sad to see that go.
1:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, we got
1:59
[SPEAKER_02]: A pastor David, he's back from sabbatical now, all refueled and recharged and amped up and he's ready to go.
2:07
[SPEAKER_02]: So he's all fresh and starting first Peter last Sunday.
2:14
[SPEAKER_02]: So I got young adult starting coming up today, actually.
2:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Our group is starting up again, we're talking about spiritual disciplines.
2:23
[SPEAKER_02]: going to be awesome.
2:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Life's good.
2:25
[SPEAKER_02]: Life's good.
2:25
[SPEAKER_02]: I got a vacation coming up finally that I am massively looking forward to coming up here in about a month and I got to say this month is pretty heavy for me for pulpit fills.
2:39
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm actually preaching at a church open thug in you.
2:42
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm open thug in thug in thug, man.
2:44
[SPEAKER_02]: I know.
2:44
[SPEAKER_02]: I know.
2:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
2:45
[SPEAKER_02]: I am.
2:46
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm preaching at a church down in West Seattle.
2:50
[SPEAKER_02]: I think it's Redeemer Bible Church.
2:53
[SPEAKER_02]: I think it's what it is.
2:55
[SPEAKER_02]: really looking forward to that that's going to be a lot of fun.
2:59
[SPEAKER_02]: I love pulpit fillin.
3:01
[SPEAKER_02]: I love pulpit fillin.
3:03
[SPEAKER_02]: I love pulpit fillin.
3:06
[SPEAKER_02]: You guys, if anyone ever listeners know of either your pastor or your local church that needs
3:11
[SPEAKER_02]: Need to break or someone to come feel the pulp it hit me up.
3:15
[SPEAKER_02]: I will I will pretty much travel anywhere Like I you know, I say like I I preach for free if you can get me there That's all I that's all I ask just just just just somehow get me there and You know, I'll preach for cigars, you know, I'm a cheap I'm a cheap preaching date
3:34
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, but yeah, but yeah, but yeah, anyway November shaping up to be great coming into the holidays and feeling good feeling good about that But Jack my friend.
3:47
[SPEAKER_02]: It is we've got a lot talk about today a little melancholy
3:51
[SPEAKER_02]: Reformation month is over.
3:53
[SPEAKER_02]: It was fun.
3:54
[SPEAKER_01]: It was fun while it lasted.
3:55
[SPEAKER_01]: All right.
3:56
[SPEAKER_01]: I say this right now.
3:57
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm seeing way too many papers moms on the Instagrams and I am I am Dude, and I'm getting I'm gonna get out the nails.
4:07
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm gonna get all the hammer.
4:09
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, everybody catching these these dudes all of our all of our algorithms were deeply affected during Reformation month
4:17
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
4:18
[SPEAKER_02]: Now that's all.
4:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
4:19
[SPEAKER_02]: It's our Catholic cringe now.
4:21
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
4:22
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
4:23
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, we're going to get back on track this episode, Jack.
4:26
[SPEAKER_02]: We've got a lot to get to for sure, but we're going to leave some of the Catholic cringe behind and get back to some good old fashioned Protestant Tom Fulberry.
4:39
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh.
4:40
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
4:40
[SPEAKER_02]: Exactly.
4:43
[SPEAKER_00]: The favorite segment of the show don't forget to eat your Instagrams.
5:04
[SPEAKER_02]: this is don't forget to eat your instant grams and remember kids it's not here see if you believe it hard enough that's how it works jack i've got some good ones for you today like i said we're we're hopping off the uh we're given we're given the Catholics a break we figured you know we burned them enough all right all right uh we're good sports back at the court hitting at the old uh baptize your baby's people or what uh no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no
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[SPEAKER_02]: I love my, I love my present brothers and sisters too much for that.
5:34
[SPEAKER_02]: No, no, no, no.
5:35
[SPEAKER_02]: We're getting into some, we're getting into some unique territory here.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Okay, we're gonna start off with
5:41
[SPEAKER_02]: Do some crazy stuff going down in Africa.
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[SPEAKER_02]: I don't know what's going on.
5:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Okay.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, yeah, some of the churches down in Africa right now are insane in my algorithm.
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[SPEAKER_02]: My algorithms kind of full of them right now.
5:54
[SPEAKER_02]: So I'm going to show you this one.
5:55
[SPEAKER_02]: We've got this one, this church sent their pastor off in style because they believe that he was truly and finally ascending into heaven through a hole in his roof.
6:10
[SPEAKER_03]: So for our audio only listeners,
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[SPEAKER_02]: you have you have this pastor that's dressed in all white and he's been hoisted by a bed sheet
6:50
[SPEAKER_02]: through the room and the thing is it looks like they only like they only like took out like one section of the ceiling.
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[SPEAKER_02]: So there's this tiny little square where he's kind of swinging back and forth and whoever's pulling him's got to make sure that they hit they hit that angle just right because they got to get him through the room without a student.
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[SPEAKER_03]: But it is
7:15
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's worth it.
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[SPEAKER_02]: It's worth popping over pop and over to the YouTube for that.
7:22
[SPEAKER_02]: Jack this one's gonna this one goes out This one goes out to the ladies All right ladies here's the thing There's a lot of advice going on on social media right about women right their place in in church How they should be addressing
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[SPEAKER_02]: the men folk.
7:43
[SPEAKER_02]: All right, in their day to day dealings with them.
7:47
[SPEAKER_02]: All right.
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[SPEAKER_02]: This man, I think speaks for all men across the board.
7:52
[SPEAKER_02]: Ladies pay attention to what this brother has to say about how you should be addressing us men.
8:01
[SPEAKER_05]: Never allow your woman to call you honey, it's demonic.
8:06
[SPEAKER_05]: How can you be a bi-product of a bee?
8:09
[SPEAKER_05]: The Bible calls you If the demon needs entities that are trying to get your wife to lower your value, By calling you honey, baby, honey, baby, no!
8:20
[SPEAKER_05]: The Bible says lot!
8:22
[SPEAKER_05]: I'm not a father, I'm a baby, I'm a... No!
8:27
[SPEAKER_00]: Dude, he worked.
8:29
[SPEAKER_02]: Strea, I am not a bee.
8:31
[SPEAKER_02]: I am not a bee.
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[UNKNOWN]: What?
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[SPEAKER_02]: Ladies.
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[SPEAKER_02]: You need to be listening.
8:38
[SPEAKER_02]: He's dropping some absolute knowledge on us here.
8:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's continue this brother.
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[SPEAKER_02]: As the kid say, this brother's spitting.
8:49
[SPEAKER_02]: He's spitting.
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[SPEAKER_05]: So we may know the moment they stop calling you Lord and calling you honey baby and all this you think it's love But the devil has stripped you away.
9:01
[SPEAKER_05]: How is it that you can just do what the Bible says shut up when the Bible is talking The Bible says be like your mother Sarah will say today
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[SPEAKER_05]: Lord!
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[SPEAKER_05]: No!
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[SPEAKER_05]: Baby!
9:15
[SPEAKER_05]: Lord, record your ex boyfriend.
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[SPEAKER_05]: Your former boyfriend is Annie.
9:21
[SPEAKER_05]: Your other one before that one was Baby.
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[SPEAKER_05]: I'm also Baby and Annie at the same time.
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[SPEAKER_05]: Stick to the way.
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[SPEAKER_05]: I am Lord.
9:31
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, yeah, I am Lord.
9:33
[SPEAKER_02]: Get out of here.
9:34
[SPEAKER_02]: There it is.
9:35
[SPEAKER_02]: There it is, it lead advice.
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[SPEAKER_02]: It lead elite evapos.
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[SPEAKER_02]: I do.
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[SPEAKER_02]: I do want this as a ringtone though.
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[SPEAKER_02]: If I can somehow get this shut up when the Bible is puckin' and do that to someone shut up when the Bible is stucking dude.
9:52
[SPEAKER_02]: I have to I'm gonna see if I can
9:55
[SPEAKER_02]: You know what I'm gonna do.
9:56
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh my god.
9:57
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm gonna isolate that audio and somehow get it in here in our systems so that I can pull that out When when when you know you maybe you drop some something awesome, right and I'm just who I did I was like, I got something when the Bob was talking That gave me after that's good stuff anyway ladies.
10:19
[SPEAKER_02]: We hope that that helps
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[SPEAKER_02]: Um, we hope we hope that that that.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, bring some insight We're listening to some listeners after today.
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[SPEAKER_01]: It's a it's over Josh.
10:29
[SPEAKER_01]: All mail.
10:30
[SPEAKER_01]: No, it's a pop out Yeah, the female listeners are gone Josh.
10:35
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's all the anonymous and we lost them Yeah, that's all the anonymous all the anonymous males on Twitter They're gonna be listening.
10:42
[SPEAKER_02]: They're they're listening to this and they're like a men this brother This brother knows what's up
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[SPEAKER_02]: Anyway fun stuff fun stuff.
10:54
[SPEAKER_02]: Wow.
10:55
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, do you miss the Catholic cringe yet?
10:59
[SPEAKER_02]: Jack my friend enough enough of the Tom Foulery enough of the shenanigans We're gonna get into talking about our topic today and
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[SPEAKER_02]: This is a really good one.
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[SPEAKER_02]: This is one that a listener sent in asking us about.
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[SPEAKER_02]: And it's one that I think pertains to, I'm sure all of us have experienced this at one time or another in our lives, right?
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[SPEAKER_02]: Basically what we're talking about today is what do we do when we have members or perhaps we are the members, right?
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[SPEAKER_02]: We can attack it from both angles.
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[SPEAKER_02]: that are geographically farther away from the rest of the membership, from the church.
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[SPEAKER_02]: And it's harder for those individuals to be as, be as, as, what do you say?
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[SPEAKER_02]: As consistent in their attendance in maybe extra, you know, extra opportunities for service or fellowship or community other than on the Lord's Day, right?
12:05
[SPEAKER_02]: That's a reality, I think every church has those, we have those brothers and sisters coming to Redeemer.
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[SPEAKER_02]: We've got a few of those families right now who are just set a situation like this in my local church.
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[SPEAKER_02]: So I think it's pretty common.
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[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, I think it's more common than people think, especially, especially, and this is what I found.
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[SPEAKER_02]: And this might be an issue, and I'll
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[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe the P and W, because of perhaps how scarce good solid biblical churches are out here.
12:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
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[SPEAKER_02]: The vast majority of churches that I have attended are what I guess you would call commuter churches, and that like not a lot of individuals.
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[SPEAKER_02]: that a 10 to that church live within, you know, 5 to 10 miles of the church itself.
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[SPEAKER_02]: You're having a lot of people.
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[SPEAKER_02]: commuting, driving into a 10, 10 services.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Now I think there's a couple of reasons for that.
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[SPEAKER_02]: I think one is what I've already stated.
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[SPEAKER_02]: I think, you know, good biblical churches are hard to find.
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[SPEAKER_02]: So when you find one, you make sacrifices for it too.
13:22
[SPEAKER_02]: The second is because things are expensive out here, you have a lot of individuals that are maybe not as affluent as others, right?
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[SPEAKER_02]: So they'll live in certain areas of the state.
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[SPEAKER_02]: that is a determined factor.
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[SPEAKER_02]: I know that's how it was for my wife and I, right?
13:42
[SPEAKER_02]: We for a while commuted, it was like 30, 40 minutes to church.
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[SPEAKER_02]: I mean, the church that we're at right now, it was 55 minutes.
13:53
[UNKNOWN]: Yeah.
13:53
[SPEAKER_02]: One way, you know, we did that for over a year because we couldn't afford to, you know, move.
14:00
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
14:00
[SPEAKER_02]: So there's a lot of reasons.
14:02
[SPEAKER_02]: But I want to throw it over to you.
14:05
[SPEAKER_02]: First Jack, you say that you, you guys kind of experience or have experience at a near local church too.
14:10
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so we had a deacon who was with us for a very long time, years, and him as wife for just great examples of the gospel, fostering kids, some kids who were not wanted during pregnancy, and they were adopting them or fostering to adopt, and they lived
14:32
[SPEAKER_01]: They lived out there from South Tacoma area, and they made the decision to finally just start to go to a local church in the town that they're in.
14:46
[SPEAKER_01]: And it was hard because he was a deacon.
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[SPEAKER_01]: He was very connected within our local church.
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[SPEAKER_01]: He did men's morning Bible studies with us.
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[SPEAKER_01]: He did a lot of things.
14:58
[SPEAKER_01]: But I think the problem is that when you were just
15:02
[SPEAKER_01]: and out like, I don't even know if it's an hour, but I'm just going to say hypothetically an hour, because I'm just basing that off of, you know, your experience.
15:11
[SPEAKER_01]: If you're an hour or maybe 30 plus more minutes away from things, that's a tough, that's tough.
15:21
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm just going to say that right now.
15:23
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's tough, because especially when you know that the local church
15:31
[SPEAKER_01]: There needs to be some decisions that are made, like either we trust the Lord that he's going to move us closer here or maybe there's a local church being planted in our area that's maybe a better, you know, fit for us or we go there.
15:52
[SPEAKER_01]: But I would say the the hardest things are is that
15:57
[SPEAKER_01]: You are, I mean, I know for both you and myself, what we left our local churches because of the toxicity of the climate there, in that church.
16:11
[SPEAKER_01]: trying to find another local church is probably the hardest or deal to go through, and it being in the proximity of where you're at is even harder, because sometimes that just doesn't work out.
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[SPEAKER_01]: And so, yeah, I think with our former deacon, he really wanted to any felt that the Lord was calling him to plant or to go to a local church in that
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[SPEAKER_01]: town that he's in right now.
16:40
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
16:41
[SPEAKER_01]: And then kind of go from there.
16:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, but yeah, it is a difficult undertaking because, you know, for us, there are, I mean, there's a few blocks away from us.
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[SPEAKER_01]: There's a family, maybe five or ten minutes away from us.
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[SPEAKER_01]: There's more families.
16:58
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a very different environment than being 30 plus more minutes away from people that you know you love and care about, but right It's just a hike to do it.
17:09
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, absolutely absolutely yeah, and that's and that's
17:13
[SPEAKER_02]: The hard thing is that there's really, there's no clear cut answer to it.
17:20
[SPEAKER_02]: It really does come down to a lot of individual factors, right?
17:23
[SPEAKER_02]: But something to keep in mind if you are in the scenario, right, is something that we've had encouraged before, is what is the local church for?
17:34
[SPEAKER_02]: right what should our what's our mentality be toward the local church?
17:37
[SPEAKER_02]: Well first first and foremost prime primarily you should be gathering with the Lord's people on on the Lord's day right that's that's what it's for right so
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[SPEAKER_02]: if you're not able to do that consistently, then I think that's your answer.
17:54
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so that's the, that I think is the, the first priority item A on the agenda, can we faithfully attend on the Lord's Day in a way that in the way that we should be attending, right?
18:12
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
18:13
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
18:15
[SPEAKER_02]: So that's your first question, right?
18:17
[SPEAKER_02]: can you do that?
18:19
[SPEAKER_02]: If you can't, then I would say that, yeah, it either means one of two things.
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[SPEAKER_02]: Either finding a local church that is closer to you, G of graphically, that you would be able to attend faithfully, where you'll be able to be involved in the community, life, and be, you know, a disciple and sit under the word and all the things that come from, you
18:47
[SPEAKER_02]: or it means that you pack up and you move and you relocate to where that local church is that you want to attend.
19:00
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, both of those things are pretty drastic.
19:03
[SPEAKER_02]: I understand, but I would
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[SPEAKER_02]: I would counter maybe some of those arguments with, well, where you go to church, where you attend on the Lord's Day, who you decide to commit yourself to, is going to affect or it should affect every part of your life, and it should be positively.
19:27
[SPEAKER_02]: So the local church should be of those utmost importance, right?
19:33
[SPEAKER_02]: I think we should be looking at where we're going to be going to church before we look at, you know, what our employment is going to be before we look at, you know, where in the country do we want to move?
19:44
[SPEAKER_02]: Well, the one of the first questions should be, well, is there a local church there?
19:48
[SPEAKER_02]: Is there a good local church there?
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[SPEAKER_02]: Just too many people.
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[SPEAKER_02]: just put that local church and kind of one compartment and figure okay I'm gonna get the housing figure out I'm gonna leave the job figured out we're gonna move there let's actually get there and then we'll figure out a church when when we get there yeah no no no no no no that's backwards yeah that's backwards because you could have a great job you could have an awesome house
20:13
[SPEAKER_02]: And if you don't have a local church that you can pour into and that can pour into you, both of those things are going to be meaningless because you're going to be spiritually fatigued and empty.
20:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
20:24
[SPEAKER_02]: And too many Christians, I think, buy into the Americanized understanding of what the church is.
20:31
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's very individualistic instead of corporate.
20:35
[UNKNOWN]: Yeah.
20:37
[SPEAKER_02]: So you get decisions like that, right?
20:40
[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah, you have to ask yourself, can I faithfully plug into this church bare minimum on the Lord's Day?
20:46
[SPEAKER_02]: Let's just start there, or is the distance going to be a factor day to week after week to where I'm not consistently.
20:56
[SPEAKER_02]: able together.
20:58
[SPEAKER_02]: You got to ask that.
20:59
[SPEAKER_01]: You got to ask that question first.
21:00
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
21:01
[SPEAKER_01]: And I can give a prime example of this as well too from my own life.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So I lived in Fort Knox, Kentucky area.
21:13
[SPEAKER_01]: and I found a local church in Louisville.
21:17
[SPEAKER_01]: That was really good.
21:19
[SPEAKER_01]: It was not, it was back in my non-particular Baptist days, but the Lord drew me to this church and I really found good community there.
21:33
[SPEAKER_01]: I really found a group of believers that wanted what was best for me That prayed for me during my time when I was at Fort Knox.
21:44
[SPEAKER_01]: I would make the hike.
21:45
[SPEAKER_01]: I would make the hike on the lords day I would make the hike for a community group and I was a good
21:53
[SPEAKER_01]: 30 plus minutes away from from that area.
21:59
[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, it took some, it took some sacrifice and all of this while I'm going through officer basic course for the armor course, which is that's an additional cost to it as well, too.
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[SPEAKER_01]: So
22:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, there's going to be some cost to those things.
22:16
[SPEAKER_01]: As a single guy, though, I was kind of like, uh, whatever.
22:19
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll do this.
22:21
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's definitely, definitely, I'll be easier when you're not having to think about a, you know, wife and kids for sure.
22:26
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
22:27
[SPEAKER_01]: So it's a, it's a different way if you're single versus yeah, if you have a family.
22:32
[SPEAKER_01]: There's going to be a cost to that too for sure, but I do remember those days and I and I honestly I look back with them like with a lot of nostalgia because when we would I get weekends off I would go and we would watch a Premier League soccer in this Irish pub Nice in Louisville and then we would get pizza after church on Sundays we were hanging out
22:57
[SPEAKER_01]: There'd be a lot of stuff.
22:58
[SPEAKER_01]: So I felt like the Lord was leading me there, and I really prayed about that to be quite honest.
23:04
[SPEAKER_01]: I had prayed about that before I left Ellen'sburg where I was a Army ROTC recruiter for that program as a brand new second lieutenant in the army.
23:17
[SPEAKER_01]: So, yeah, that was something that was interesting.
23:21
[SPEAKER_01]: Uh, I will say that coming to Marcel from that church, well, it's out of not the greatest life choice.
23:30
[SPEAKER_01]: But sure.
23:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Sure.
23:31
[SPEAKER_01]: But absolutely.
23:33
[SPEAKER_01]: Anyway.
23:33
[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, there's, but I, I look on that time and yeah, like I was making that conscious decision to drive 35 minutes out of my way or more to a place that I knew it would take time.
23:46
[SPEAKER_01]: It would take road time.
23:47
[SPEAKER_01]: It would take my energy.
23:49
[SPEAKER_01]: But I knew that I had good community with believers there, and I knew that the word was a part of our fellowship, and I knew that we were casting our burdens upon each other, but then ultimately giving those burdens to the Lord.
24:09
[SPEAKER_01]: Yep.
24:10
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
24:11
[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah.
24:11
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and I would say if you're in that situation and you are able to attend consistently on the Lord's Day, you've got that down, okay.
24:20
[SPEAKER_02]: Then yeah, you have to ask yourself, what sacrifices are we gonna make, right?
24:25
[SPEAKER_02]: Because we've talked about this before and it's true, the Lord's Day, although that is primary and of most importance, it is not enough.
24:35
[SPEAKER_02]: We need to be involved in our brothers and sisters' lives throughout the week.
24:40
[SPEAKER_02]: We can't just treat the local churches the thing that you do on Sunday morning and then you have no interaction, no integration with it whatsoever for the rest of the week.
24:51
[SPEAKER_02]: We need the accountability.
24:53
[SPEAKER_02]: We need the community.
24:54
[SPEAKER_02]: It's what we are designed for and that's what the local church does for the believers.
24:57
[SPEAKER_02]: So we need to find ways to make sure that we are integrating into that community the best that we can.
25:04
[SPEAKER_02]: And if you live far away, yeah, it's going to be harder, but that might mean that you make some sacrifices.
25:11
[SPEAKER_02]: That might mean that you have some less free time, less nights free, your gas bill is going to be a little bit more expensive, right?
25:20
[SPEAKER_02]: Because you're making the local church a priority, right?
25:22
[SPEAKER_02]: If that local church is where you have chosen to covenant with that you got to invest.
25:30
[SPEAKER_02]: Yep, right?
25:31
[SPEAKER_02]: And I would say this too, I would say this too, don't just be content with where you are geographically, right?
25:44
[SPEAKER_02]: And look.
25:46
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm not coming from some pi in the sky, pi is positioned here.
25:52
[SPEAKER_02]: I understand how hard it is to move.
25:55
[SPEAKER_02]: I've done it way too many times, right?
25:59
[SPEAKER_02]: I took Jack knows how many times we have had my wife and I've had to move.
26:04
[SPEAKER_02]: He knows how long we were trying to get up to Cedar Woolly, where Redeemer is, we were trying for a long time.
26:12
[SPEAKER_02]: I understand that it's difficult.
26:13
[SPEAKER_02]: So I'm not saying, if you're not doing this within a couple weeks, then you're doing something wrong.
26:20
[SPEAKER_02]: I understand how hard it is.
26:22
[SPEAKER_02]: But if that is where you want to be, and those are the people that you want to be in community with,
26:29
[SPEAKER_02]: My suggestion is for your health, for your good and for their good.
26:35
[SPEAKER_02]: You want to get as close as you can.
26:38
[SPEAKER_02]: And maybe that does mean switching jobs.
26:41
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe that does mean switching apartments.
26:43
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe that does mean putting some things in place where you're able to be closer to that local church.
26:49
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's the thing that I think the American church today doesn't comprehend.
26:53
[SPEAKER_02]: Be like, wait, you're like, we move, there's lots of things that we will move for.
26:59
[SPEAKER_02]: We'll move for work.
27:01
[SPEAKER_02]: We'll move to a cheaper, you know, to a cheaper place, a cheaper house, a cheaper apartment, a cheaper state, right?
27:08
[SPEAKER_02]: We'll move for family, right?
27:10
[SPEAKER_02]: We'll move for health, personal reasons.
27:13
[SPEAKER_02]: We'll move simply out of convenience because we like the shade of green that this grass has versus this grass.
27:21
[SPEAKER_02]: But we won't move for the church, and when you attempt to encourage somebody that maybe that's something they should consider, they look at you like you're growing a third eye.
27:33
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, why want to move for the church?
27:36
[SPEAKER_02]: A church is our diamond dozen.
27:38
[SPEAKER_02]: I can find a church anywhere I go, right?
27:41
[SPEAKER_02]: And we treat churches like picking a new coffee stand.
27:45
[SPEAKER_02]: It's like, well, you know, I moved away, but I'll find one.
27:48
[SPEAKER_02]: No, that's not how we treat the most important thing in our lives.
27:55
[SPEAKER_02]: The thing that God has given us for one of our primary means of sanctification, the way that we stay encouraged, the way that we're convicted, the way that we have the community that we need.
28:06
[SPEAKER_02]: We don't treat it like another coffee stand.
28:08
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
28:09
[SPEAKER_02]: And I think that's foreign to a lot of folks.
28:12
[SPEAKER_02]: And it shouldn't be.
28:14
[SPEAKER_02]: It shouldn't be.
28:17
[SPEAKER_02]: If it's far, consider making us sacrifice.
28:22
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
28:23
[SPEAKER_02]: Consider the move.
28:24
[SPEAKER_02]: Consider how can you get closer because yeah, it's going to be good for you.
28:30
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, start praying about it too.
28:32
[SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely.
28:33
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what that looked like for you guys.
28:35
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm sure you guys were praying.
28:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, I do enormously for just like open up something more.
28:41
[SPEAKER_01]: You got it.
28:42
[SPEAKER_01]: And again, and again, like I understand it's hard.
28:44
[SPEAKER_02]: It took us over a year.
28:46
[SPEAKER_02]: We commuted.
28:47
[SPEAKER_02]: We commuted for a year.
28:49
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and that was one of the most like it was one of the most like
28:54
[SPEAKER_02]: like juxtaposing.
28:58
[SPEAKER_02]: I can't think of the word, but that we've ever been true and that our church experience was wonderful.
29:03
[SPEAKER_02]: We loved the church.
29:04
[SPEAKER_02]: We loved the people.
29:05
[SPEAKER_02]: We hated where we lived because we were isolated.
29:07
[SPEAKER_02]: We were alone.
29:09
[SPEAKER_02]: We hated it, right?
29:11
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
29:12
[SPEAKER_02]: But the Lord made away and we didn't let up on the gas.
29:15
[SPEAKER_02]: That's the thing.
29:16
[SPEAKER_02]: We didn't change the goal.
29:18
[SPEAKER_02]: We didn't let up on the gas.
29:21
[SPEAKER_02]: and the Lord made it happen.
29:22
[SPEAKER_02]: And I believe He's faithful to do that when we seek first the kingdom, right?
29:27
[SPEAKER_02]: This isn't some prosperity gospel.
29:29
[SPEAKER_02]: This is getting our priorities straight.
29:31
[SPEAKER_02]: See, first the kingdom and God will add all of those things.
29:34
[SPEAKER_02]: He'll take care of the details.
29:35
[SPEAKER_02]: You keep what is supposed to be primary and watch what God can do.
29:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
29:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
29:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
29:43
[SPEAKER_01]: So true.
29:44
[SPEAKER_01]: No, I was reminded of that verse a lot, especially when you get laid off and you are going through anxiety about where where is provision going to come from.
29:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, and then you see those and then you see those sweet little promises that Jesus just drops on you and Matthew and like You don't need a word consider the willy's man.
30:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, consider the bird.
30:07
[SPEAKER_01]: You don't need to worry about those things.
30:09
[SPEAKER_01]: Don't worry about tomorrow.
30:10
[SPEAKER_01]: Let tomorrow worry about itself.
30:12
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah
30:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, those things I think are, you know, what you said Josh is really important because I don't think our minds want to go to that.
30:24
[SPEAKER_01]: No, of seek first your kingdom, seeking his righteousness.
30:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
30:31
[SPEAKER_01]: Our minds are like, what do I get out of this?
30:33
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
30:34
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
30:34
[SPEAKER_01]: What do I get out of this deal?
30:35
[SPEAKER_01]: What have we done for me lately?
30:37
[SPEAKER_01]: It's kind of like our juxtaposition.
30:39
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, and so yeah, we have to, you have to regulate your emotions and you have to steer them into or you have to put up some sort of mechanism, some sort of goad to goad yourself.
30:56
[SPEAKER_01]: that you know that that goat is set up to go towards the Lord in this way.
31:00
[SPEAKER_01]: Right.
31:01
[SPEAKER_01]: Right.
31:02
[SPEAKER_01]: Because, yeah, if you don't, if you don't do those things, if you don't kind of self-control yourself in this way, yeah, you're going to be seeking after any little, you're going to spiritualize anything.
31:18
[SPEAKER_01]: So then it's going to be,
31:21
[SPEAKER_01]: You're going to start to spiritualize places and people's and times and things versus, okay, wait, is this a calculated thing that the Lord is doing?
31:32
[SPEAKER_01]: Because I'm praying about this, or is it just me wanting to superimpose my own will onto the situation?
31:40
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's a fine line sometimes that if it is a fine line and as we as we look to close the app I'd like to I'd like to come at it from a pastoral position as well.
31:51
[SPEAKER_02]: I'd like to encourage the pastors.
31:53
[SPEAKER_02]: If you have members in your congregation that are in this situation that are in this in this scenario.
32:00
[SPEAKER_02]: I'd like to encourage you in two ways.
32:02
[SPEAKER_02]: The first one be patient
32:07
[SPEAKER_02]: because it is very possible that the local church where you pastor is providing something for them that they have never experienced before in terms of maybe the community life, the biblical teaching, what have you.
32:23
[SPEAKER_02]: It's very possible that your local church is an oasis in a desert for them, right?
32:36
[SPEAKER_02]: be intentional about reaching out, be intentional about seeking those individuals out because they're not gonna be, you know, top of mind awareness for you because of how far they're at, right?
32:50
[SPEAKER_02]: Out of sight out of mind is a real thing and that can happen with congregants as well.
32:55
[SPEAKER_02]: So be diligent in seeking after them, caring for them, checking in on them, and helping them with kind of that hard situation that they're in.
33:07
[SPEAKER_02]: I would say with that, obviously with grace and in a pastoral way, encourage them to make those sacrifices that we were talking about.
33:25
[SPEAKER_02]: because we don't want to be content with our sheep living outside of the pen.
33:33
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
33:34
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
33:34
[SPEAKER_02]: You can't be part of our past year if you're in another pen.
33:38
[SPEAKER_02]: That's just, that's, that's, that's not just not how it works.
33:41
[SPEAKER_02]: It's not feasible.
33:42
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
33:42
[SPEAKER_02]: I need to be around you.
33:44
[SPEAKER_02]: I need to be involved in your life.
33:46
[SPEAKER_02]: I need you involved in the other people's lives here.
33:49
[SPEAKER_02]: And it's hard to do when you're so far away.
33:53
[SPEAKER_02]: So how can we get you up here?
33:56
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
33:56
[SPEAKER_02]: I think should be the primary conversation.
34:01
[SPEAKER_02]: And if those conversations don't produce fruit and they're a heaven and a haunt, and again, this is where it gets difficult, but I think it's important, right?
34:10
[SPEAKER_02]: Your goal for those people should be that they are in a place where they are getting what they need spiritually.
34:20
[SPEAKER_02]: One of the hardest things that a pastor sometimes has to come to grips with is maybe that's not at your church.
34:29
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it might not be, and sometimes, because we love the sheep, we have to press in on the hard topic of hate.
34:44
[SPEAKER_02]: Maybe this isn't the place.
34:46
[SPEAKER_02]: Can I help you find somewhere where you'll thrive where you'll get what you need?
34:52
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
34:54
[SPEAKER_02]: And that's a hard conversation, because often it can be like, what, what, you don't want me coming to your church?
34:58
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, no, that's not what I'm saying.
35:00
[SPEAKER_02]: I want what's best for you.
35:02
[SPEAKER_02]: I want you to be spiritually nourished.
35:04
[SPEAKER_02]: I want you to have community around you, brothers and sisters that love you and care for you, that you're in a daily consistent life with.
35:11
[SPEAKER_02]: That's what I want for you because I love you.
35:14
[SPEAKER_02]: And I'm struggling to see how you're getting that here, right?
35:20
[SPEAKER_02]: You have to be willing to have those conversations, and it comes out of love, not obviously malice or frustration.
35:29
[SPEAKER_02]: Like, well, if you're not going to move up here, then we don't want you.
35:31
[SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely.
35:32
[SPEAKER_02]: That's not the mentality.
35:33
[SPEAKER_02]: It's, if you can't move up here right now.
35:36
[SPEAKER_02]: Right.
35:36
[SPEAKER_02]: And again, I'll say this, then I can throw it over to you to close.
35:40
[SPEAKER_02]: Take your time with that.
35:41
[SPEAKER_02]: I'm really glad that the elders at Redeemer time to walk with Lauren and I, you know, after like one month, be like, well, you guys, you guys aren't moving up here.
35:51
[SPEAKER_02]: So, you know, we, we're just, we're cutting ties.
35:54
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
35:55
[SPEAKER_02]: They were patient.
35:56
[SPEAKER_02]: they took their time, they understood.
35:58
[SPEAKER_02]: They saw that we were trying and taking steps.
36:01
[SPEAKER_02]: Look, if I see somebody striving and somebody like making it a priority, I will walk with you for as long as it takes to get up here, right?
36:11
[SPEAKER_02]: But if it's not really seeming like a priority, then yeah, that's where the conversation changes, right?
36:16
[SPEAKER_02]: So it takes grace and time and discernment to get to that point, but don't be afraid to get to that point, passively.
36:23
[SPEAKER_01]: yeah i mean it just remind it's a reminder to us like in the in the pierce county area at large like we need a lot more church plants um... we need a lot more gospel preaching churches and there was if you if you go from to coma and go west
36:42
[SPEAKER_01]: No, not West East, excuse me, more towards like Mount Rainier.
36:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Start to get into the hinterland, the kind of rule areas.
36:53
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't consider that rule.
36:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Josh, I know what's rule.
36:59
[SPEAKER_02]: I don't consider this side of the mountains.
37:01
[SPEAKER_02]: You're going to call rule get out.
37:02
[SPEAKER_01]: So I don't consider Bonnie Lake rule, but the amount of good Bible churches in that area is pretty low Sure, and so when there was a church that started to plant and is planting and some of my friends are going there Right now even even some of our pastors are like, hey, I know some of you who are in Bonnie Lake
37:24
[SPEAKER_01]: And if you guys want to go there, like, let's have conversations.
37:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
37:29
[SPEAKER_01]: Because ultimately.
37:30
[SPEAKER_02]: Ultimately.
37:31
[SPEAKER_01]: Ultimately, like, you, we don't own you.
37:35
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
37:35
[SPEAKER_01]: We, we're not here to like renew your contracts.
37:41
[SPEAKER_01]: We are here to shepherd you through this thing called the Christian life.
37:46
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
37:46
[SPEAKER_01]: We are here to guide you as best as we can.
37:48
[SPEAKER_01]: And if that's somewhere else, then then let the Lord do that.
37:54
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah.
37:54
[SPEAKER_02]: Let the Lord do that.
37:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
37:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Let the Lord do that.
37:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
37:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
37:57
[UNKNOWN]: Yeah.
37:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think that's the attitude versus It's not so much about if if it's all about numbers if it's all about member how many members you have and stuff like that Yeah, let's go back to majoring on the majors then it really isn't about the kingdom at that point Yeah, well, it's not about caring for the sheep.
38:19
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah
38:20
[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah.
38:21
[SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely.
38:22
[SPEAKER_01]: But yeah.
38:23
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a huge thing when you can gather when you can partner with other local churches, when you can partner with local church plants as well too, and know that those people could be a absolute gospel impact for that church as members.
38:41
[SPEAKER_01]: versus maybe hoarding them just at your local church.
38:45
[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, absolutely.
38:47
[SPEAKER_02]: Yep, 100% of the green man.
38:48
[SPEAKER_02]: Yep, make the local church priority.
38:50
[SPEAKER_02]: Sacrifice to be there, strive to be there.
38:54
[SPEAKER_02]: And don't be afraid to make life changes for the local church.
38:57
[SPEAKER_02]: That's one of the, it's one of the few things that it is absolutely worth it.
39:03
[SPEAKER_02]: That's worth it for.
39:04
[SPEAKER_02]: So yeah.
39:05
[SPEAKER_02]: Jack, my man, once you get us out of your brother,
39:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, if you appreciate Josh and I spoke this year on the form of story to make the local church central to the believer's life, you can follow us on the sociables if you will, you can follow us on the Metaverse, Facebook, if you will, the ZXI, I don't know what else you call that.
39:25
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39:44
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39:44
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39:49
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39:53
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39:57
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40:00
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40:02
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40:02
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40:06
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40:14
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41:33
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