Latest / The Worship and Leadership Podcast / Would You Rather…Choose Joy?

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Would You Rather…Choose Joy? · The Worship and Leadership Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Immediately after incredible guest speaker or immediately speaker.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: I'd rather preach after Would Would you rather deal with a Sunday morning technology failure or a Sunday morning volunteer shortage?
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Tech failure.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: If I if I have enough people, we'll work through it.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: Would you rather have every meeting start on time or every email get answered within an hour?
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: Man.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not a fan of meetings.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: So let's start that mug on time so we can get the moving out.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: Get done.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: Would you rather preach when you're sick or lead a meeting when everyone else is exhausted?
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: I've done that.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's easier to do that.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: If everybody's exhausted, they ain't tuning in, but they didn't check out.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_01: Alright, one more.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_01: Would you rather would you rather be known as a great communicator or a great developer of people?
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'd rather be known as a great developer of people.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: That is much more fulfilling and fun, to be honest.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: And long and it's it's more life to it.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, there's more life to it.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: There's some longevity there.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I don't think you'll always be a great communicator because I think that's about mental clarity and sharpness.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: But you you can always be a great developer of people because that's about who you are and infusing who you are in the name.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, that's cool.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: I think we're started.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: I think we're we're we're live.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, what's going on, everyone?
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Worship and Leadership Podcast.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Elmer Kañez Jr.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: with a head cold, and this is Willie C.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: Simpson Jr.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: What's up, man?
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: What's going on?
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: That was a funny intro.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: I've had junk, bro.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: Just trying to get get better and healthy for Sunday, you know.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: In Jesus' name.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus' name.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: It is that time of the year.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: It is.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: Folks is getting a crud.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's the crud.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: I had it earlier, so yeah, we just we are, you know, we just share, we just sharing the germs.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: Aren't you glad you could just hear our voices and watch our faces?
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Lord.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: You don't get them through the camera.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, God, that germs cannot be transmitted electronically.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yet.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: No.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: No, we're not gonna get there.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: But all right.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: So we you you caught us mid uh would you rather?
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: So Elmer was asking questions or you know, basically ministry-based questions.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: Would you rather so it's just a fun, lighthearted take on things.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: Would you rather Elmer, I got I have a would you rather for you?
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, yeah, I you didn't ask me.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: I was about to be offended.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: Would would you rather have your instrument?
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: Matter of fact, your guitar string break mid-song or live mix shut down right before service.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: Live mix shut down.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: Because I don't use it.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_01: I I use it in air pack.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: Live mixes for the musicians that are stationed and they they're not.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Oh man, it's like you're telling them, sorry guys.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Just follow me.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Would you rather would you rather have to sing every word or whisper it?
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_01: I you know, it's sing.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: Whispering is hard.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, whispering is hard.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: And singing softly is probably one of the hardest things.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_01: People people think that belting and singing really loud and and high and stuff is hard, but it's actually can having that breath control, it's it's a lot more difficult.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_01: So whispering can interesting.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: And it'd be weird.
• 3:54
  unknown: Like Mary had a little laugh.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but it would be weird singing everything too.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: Can I get a number four?
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: With cheese.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: Let's do it.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Let's do it.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Today.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: How about you whisper?
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, sing.
• 4:31
  unknown: Okay.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: I whisper and you sing.
• 4:33
  unknown: Okay.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry, guys.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry, y'all.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what this episode about.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: You said it was fun.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: I am having fun.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: Man.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um hey, listen, guys, you you gotta choose joy.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Okay?
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Your ministry is hard, ministry is a grind.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: And thankfully we get to ju we get to choose joy, right?
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: We do.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: Proverbs 1722 says that laughter is like medicine for the soul.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: And it really is.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, you know, joy, it's not, it's not, I think sometimes people tend to think of joy and laughter as being like irreverent and being disrespectful or dishonoring, specifically of like of the Lord.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I always find that, I've always found that laughable because joy is part, joy describes who the Lord is.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: The joy of the Lord is our strength.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: The Bible says that the Lord sits in the let in the heavens and he laughs.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: Joy.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's a part of our spiritual walk, too.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: Man, it's a part of spiritual character.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's it's right who we should be.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's who we should be.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: We should be joyful.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: Joyful.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_01: There and there's there is a difference, a distinct difference between being happy and being full of joy.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, there's a lot of people that could be going through difficult times, like you might be facing something difficult in the season, but you could be filled with the joy of the Lord.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: And people could see it.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: And it actually it's contagious.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: Happy can be very temp temporary.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: The word happen, the word happy itself is derived from the word happenstance, which is where we get the word circumstance from.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: And so, yeah, if if I have a good day, if I get good news, I'm going to be happy.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: If I get bad news, if I have a bad day, I'm going to be unhappy.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: And so joy, though, is actually resistant to circumstantial change.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's what that's what sets joy apart, is that it's not rooted in circumstantial changes or shifts.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: Joy is actually rooted, it's a confidence that we have in Christ that no matter what we face, like He He will see us through it.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why that scripture, the joy of the Lord is my strength.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's so vital for the believer because you got to understand life is going to life.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_01: You know, and things are going to happen and circumstances will change, and every day holds its different things.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: Jesus told us, you know, you will face tribulations in this earth, and that's where we hold on to the joy of the Lord.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_01: And truly, it is the strength that gets us through a lot of the difficult times.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: And so one of the values that we have here at church at Life Point is we choose joy.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: Come on.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: And so every morning you wake up, make a decision right now, as you're listening to this, as you're watching this, make the choice.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, I'm going to choose joy.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_01: I'm going to choose the joy of the Lord.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_01: Because it's going to make a difference in my life and the life of those around me.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: Emerson, that's your question.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: Why, why are you your scripture is full of circumstances and situations where we see people rejoicing, but then we also see joy as a command.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I think about Philippians.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: Philippians 4 says to rejoice always.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: Why are we commanded, do you think, to rejoice?
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: Like, why does God have to command us to rejoice?
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: Because you think it should be something that would necessarily come kind of easily, like to just be joyful.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I think the command to rejoice, and correct me if I'm wrong, but at least in the way I see it, is it's a it's a posture.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's a posture, it's an attitude, it's something that you pick up again.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: We choose joy.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: And we could easily wake up.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_01: It's very similar to gratitude.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: Like we're called to be thankful in all things.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_01: You know, be grateful in all things.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_01: And but it's easy for us to wake up like and moping, wake up and be be upset about things or or let the little things annoy us and just drag us down.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_01: But to be commanded to rejoice, it's it's a reminder that this is our posture.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_01: This should be our posture.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_01: The Lord wants us to live in a posture of rejoicing, in a posture of thankfulness, a posture of gratitude, because it it sets everything else up when you're not in in that posture.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_01: Everything is aggravating.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_01: Everything is annoying.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_01: And because it's if it's not self-serving, if it's not building you up, if it's not like you know, addressing your needs, then all of a sudden it becomes an irritant.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: I think, you know, I I I I compare rejoicing.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_01: For me, the opposite of rejoicing is it's not just not rejoicing, yeah, but it's almost like being like irritable.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's a lot of times people see it like being sad, but it has nothing to do to do with sad.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_01: I think rejoicing, the opposite of that is is almost like irritable.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_01: Like, like if I see you and you're you've chosen joy today, like compared to you woke up this morning and you're just like, I can't even talk to you because you're irritated by everything, you know, I think that's different.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's not so much sad that people see you walk in sadness, but it's that people can't even approach you.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_01: And so when we're commanded, hey, rejoice, and again I say rejoice, you know, like kind of get in that posture of like, hey, I'm I'm you know, I'm exactly the way God wants me to be.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm yeah, no, I'm happy profins kicking in.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: No, I I like that piece about the the irritability.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: And here's why, because you know, if we're not careful, you know, we'll we'll allow the enemy to condemn us for for feeling sad, like for having moments of like true and deep, like profound sadness.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh or even like if somebody's you know struggling or walking through you know the depressive you know seasons or even a depression diagnosis.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: So because those feelings are legit, they are valid.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: Right, and appropriate.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, if you know, if a loved one passes away, sadness is the appropriate response that Jesus wept, right, at the death of Lazarus.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: And so, but I I I appreciate the piece about the irritability.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: It almost kind of speaks to me about having this sort of complaining or murmuring heart or my or posture.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: I love the word posture because I can choose whether or not I remain irritable.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: Something can happen that displeases me or that unsettles me, but I don't but irritability is a choice, that's a posture that I'm choosing.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: That's good, man.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: That's something like like several times my wife saw me, you know, joking around, maybe like, hey, like you need to check your attitude at the door and then come back in, type thing.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I know you've said that.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_01: And and that is a thing that when you walk into spaces, when you if it's your house after work, if it's you're stepping into a meeting, you show up to church on Sunday after a difficult car ride with the family, you know, once you get out of the car, once you step through the door, it's a choice, it's what's your posture, you know.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: But I think it you shouldn't wait until you're in public.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_01: That's a decision you make in private.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: Come on.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_01: Because it's hard to hear from the spirit of God when you're irritable.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: And so, like to show up into a place and all of a sudden turn on the switch, yeah, you know, you're being fake.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: And so I I really think the Spirit of God wants to speak to us, obviously in private, so that we could be the person that He wants us to be in public.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: But that means we have to check our heart and we need to choose the joy of the Lord.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: We need to rejoice, yeah, and and restrain from being irritable.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that that's so true.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: So, Emmer, let me ask you this, man.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: What's the what's the fine line between you know being transparent about like how you're feeling and choosing this posture of joy?
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: Like for those of us that lead teams and oversee teams, it's specifically in a in a ministry context, because I remember a few episodes back, you know, you had talked through the importance of not putting a mask on and hiding like your true authentic self when you're struggling in wrestling, but then also having wisdom to recognize, hey, I don't I don't need to leak out onto my team.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: So, so so then man, that I that's I think you've really touched on something important because I, you know, I there may be some listeners today who say, well, I oversee teams and I I want to choose joy, but I don't want to be fake.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: Like if I'm frustrated or or I am maybe quote unquote irritated, you know, how how how can I express that or you know, choose joy in the midst of it without you know feeling or looking like you know a hypocrite?
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, well, you know, Jesus spent time alone with God with the Father, and I think it's it's one of the things that we need to learn to practice more.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_01: And if it's not it's not a daily practice where we're we have our devotional with the Lord, it it has to.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_01: But on top of that, there is moments and seasons in life where what you're carrying might be too heavy, and so that's why it's important to have leaders that you can trust around you.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_01: Jesus had his his 12 and he had his three.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and and I think it's important to be able to always always go up, obviously.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we we go to our pastors, but if you still need to lead in the moment, yeah, but you're scared of like I don't want this to kind of get out of hand, yeah, you confide in in those that you can, and then you step away.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_01: And if it if it means, hey, I need to take some time off, I I need to I'm not gonna be at rehearsal tonight because I'm not in the right headspace, but here's what I want to happen.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_01: And that's happened a lot for me, just being busy with other things, several things at the same time.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_01: It's like, hey guys, I I can't make it tonight, but here's here's what the night should look like.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm entrusting you to lead.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_01: And so you're you're being a leader by empowering other people, and at the same time, you're protecting them from the things that are you're you're struggling with and you're wrestling with, and then you go into your private space with the Lord, or you call your your mentor, your pastor, the person you're accountable to to help you navigate and just kind of get through those thoughts that you're you're struggling with, or speak with your spouse, you know.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, not whenever your heart's not in a great place, it's it's it's important not to leak, not to not to put yourself in a place where you it might come out.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_01: And a lot of times as leaders, as we're dealing with stuff, things are said.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, we we will say things, and and I'm not saying go hide and never show your your weakness.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_01: I think the strength of a of a leader is being vulnerable and but knowing when they should be vulnerable.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and so a lot of times we're tempted to just be like, hey, hey guys, I'm not showing up because of this and that, and I I don't know what I'm feeling, I don't know what I'm thinking, you know, and and you might overshare too much.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you could easily say, Hey, I'm not gonna be there.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_01: I need I need prayer.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_01: I am struggling with something, I need prayer, but we're gonna continue tonight and we just lead with vision.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_01: So-and-so's gonna be in charge.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we it's gonna be great.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you guys for for serving.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for leading and doing all those things.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_01: So you can still lead people with vulnerability without exposing everything.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's good.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I love that.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I just the reason I was asking is because you know, as a leader, you know, we serve as the the thermostat and really help to shape that culture.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: And again, we say here at Life Point Church, you know, culture is what leads, and our culture here is Jesus.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: And so I I really appreciate, man, that that especially that phrase that she used in about, you know, the appropriateness.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: Like, hey, there they're and I just think that's just wisdom.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's just wisdom, which again, let me just say this.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's important too, why we need to have community around us as well, so we can appropriately share and seek out help, and and we can confess and we can be prayed with and prayed over, and probably even be challenged on some things, be even corrected on some things, so that we can continue to lead our teams effectively.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: So then, Emmer, let me ask you this.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_00: I just feel like I feel like this is like I'm interviewing Elmer.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he's interviewing.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, what's happening here?
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: This is good.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: I I like this.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you keep answering my questions, I just keep asking.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_01: Keep asking, yeah.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um tell me about one of the most joyous times in your life.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: One of the most joyous times one of the most joyous, slash, joyful, slash joy-filled times of your life.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_01: Oh man.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, getting married.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the day I got married, when my kids were born.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I think back to moments in the presence of God just where he did special things in my life, just things that marked me.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_01: What else?
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: And all of those are so vast that you know it would take a long time to just go through everything.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: But that seeing people come to the Lord, I think that there's there's not there's no greater feeling than to than to know that people are choosing Jesus, yeah, you know, and laying and laying everything else down to follow him.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's it's it's one of the things that drives me as a human, you know, and in ministry and in life.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: I I would think more recent, just hearing my kids talk about the Lord, you know, just the conversations.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: Last last Wednesday after students, uh, my daughter got in the car and we're heading home, and I'm like, what did you learn?
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_01: And she she started sharing what Pastor Dere had talked about, and I'm like, What did you get out of it?
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what did it mean for you?
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_01: And she goes, Man, like I it really answered a lot because she's like, Now I know how to respond to people at school because they're always asking me those same questions, and it helped me with language, and just the fact that that mattered, yeah.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I'm like, okay, yeah, yeah, you know, like I don't know, like things like that, that they're becoming their own individuals and they have their own relationship with God.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I I think if there's anything that in the season has filled me with joy, it's it's that.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, seeing them walk in that.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_01: How about for you, man?
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that definitely the day Carolyn and I got married, that that was a very special day, just because there was there there was just there was resistance to that day just from outside parties and and folks who just were not in support of it.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: So it really made it a special day.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: And then the day that Destiny was born, because we you know we call her our rainbow baby, because she was born after we lost our first child to miscarriage.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: We lost our first pregnant to the miscarriage, and so man, that was a hard season.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_00: And then, you know, in 2010, the Lord blessed us with Destiny.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: I call her my love bugs, and and my other nickname for her is you know, she's she's my twin because she's just like me, this female form, right?
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: And then two years later, 2012, the Lord blessed us with Trey.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I just remember I was talking, it was funny because I was talking with Trey about that last night and just telling him, I said, you know, son, when you you came into this world, I just remember holding you, and I mean I'm just crying, crying.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, I was crying more than you.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, I just remember telling her about my son is here, my son is here, you know, and yeah, for for for sure.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, and then I would say another sweet moment was when I got I got a chance to baptize both Destiny and Trey.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: This was I know Carolyn, she'll remember the date.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: It was it was when we did the river baptisms, we did them at an older site, and I want to say it was in 2008, 2008 or 2009.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm I'm getting old, man.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_01: My memory just not eight, two thousand eighteen.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_01: One year married.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: 2018, not 2008.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: See, see, memory's just gone.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: I baptized them in the past and then in the future.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: So that's I think it was 2018, when I when I baptized them.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I that was just, and I remember they, you know, they came to me and Carolyn and they and they just said that they wanted to be baptized, and we're looking at each other, tears streaming down, and we're just having a conversation.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, do you know what it means?
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: You know, all of this.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: Do you do you, you know, are you giving your life to the Lord?
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: So that that that was a a really sweet moment, man, for sure.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: I would also say another joyful moment was when Pastors Mike and Stephanie are or ordained me here at the church.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: That that was sweet.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: Because that was we were out in Gatlinburg at a staff retreat, and that that was a a sweet moment.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: And then, yeah, just yeah, there's there's there's so there's so many more.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_00: I remember uh the first time I jumped off the diving board and I didn't drown, I was overjoyed.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_01: You landed in the water.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: I landed in the water and I came back up.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: Because I I I don't know.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I can swim.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_00: I just, you know, I don't know.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not like I'm not like an expert swimmer.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: I just you know, I just like you know, do whatever.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: Doggy paddle.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, I mean I I can swim.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just not like an Olympic level swimmer.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_00: I ain't Michael Phelps.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, I'm I'm more like Michael Phillips.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_00: Come on, Jacob.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, we we gotta figure out how to get a third camera in here so we can have a fourth one.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_00: We got 64 cameras, need a 65th camera, so we can have one on Jacob too.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_00: Because he's as much a part of this show as anybody.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_01: I know.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_01: No, no, but it's important to choose joy and and would you rather choose joy or suffering?
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: My Lord in heaven.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, that's a good one.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, okay.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: See, if I choose joy, I get to walk in joy and experience it and everything.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: But if I choose suffering, that I become more Christ-like in suffering, right?
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_00: Because Jesus identifies with us in our suffering.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: Come on, Elm.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_00: I would say I'm I would, you know, I'm gonna choose joy.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_00: I would choose joy.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if I want to choose suffering.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: What about you?
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_01: Probably both.
• 22:42
  unknown: What do you mean both?
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_00: You're gonna choose both joy.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_01: I won't suffer forever.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_01: Like, so just it's a season, right?
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_01: Just fair about it.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_01: But it's it's what we do for the Lord.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's true.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_01: Suffer as he suffered.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that that's true.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_01: And so so, hey, this has been fun.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_01: This has been fun, man.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_01: And we apologize if it feels like we don't know what we're talking about, but we really hope this is spoken to you and that you choose joy today.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, and that the Lord fill you with his love and presence and all the good things.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: Till next time, y'all.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_00: Peace.