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The Viral Mistake That Helped Shape Me · B1 Podcast

0:00
Mark: Well, welcome back to the B1 podcast.
0:03
Mark: My name is Mark.
0:04
Mark: This is Blake.
0:05
Blake: Hi.
0:05
Blake: It's good to have you here everybody.
0:06
Mark: Welcome back.
0:07
Mark: We missed you last week.
0:08
Mark: One thing that we did, Luke and I did last week that I'm not sure you're aware of, but we gave away a t-shirt.
0:15
Blake: Hey.
0:16
Mark: Yeah.
0:16
Mark: We created an email for the podcast.
0:19
Mark: And you had to watch through the whole thing.
0:22
Mark: And but we're at the point now where we're bribing people to watch.
0:27
Blake: Well, that's good! Whatever works.
0:33
Mark: But it was fun.
0:33
Mark: We had a few submissions come in, several.
0:33
Mark: Tens and tens of submissions came in.
0:36
Mark: And our winner.
0:37
Mark: I don't remember.
0:41
Mark: Who was the winner?
0:42
Blake: Robin.
0:43
Bryan: Robin Bowling.
0:44
Blake: Robin Bowling.
0:45
Blake: Congratulations.
0:46
Mark: Congratulations.
0:46
Mark: She won.
0:47
Blake: Also, somebody on staff actually applied.
0:50
Mark: Oh.
0:51
Blake: He put his email in.
0:51
Blake: His name is Josh Tolin.
0:53
Blake: He's actually in the room.
0:53
Blake: And hey say hi, Josh.
0:54
Josh: Hi.
0:55
Blake: Yeah, so Josh actually won a t-shirt as well.
0:57
Blake: And it turns out we're not going to give him a shirt because he just became on staff.
1:00
Mark: Yeah, so we gave him a job.
1:01
Blake: We gave him a job.
1:02
Blake: Yeah, so you win, right?
1:05
Blake: Are you happy about that?
1:06
Blake: Yeah, he's pretty happy.
1:07
Blake: Cool.
1:08
Mark: Well, how was your week?
1:09
Blake: Ah, it was great.
1:10
Blake: I um got a chance to go to this conference with a bunch of pastors uh called Firm Israel and uh got to fall in love with a bunch of people that are doing evangelical work in Israel.
1:22
Blake: Eighty-five different organizations are connected to Firm.
1:25
Blake: And man, I fell in love with all of these amazing leaders and pastors because Israel is not saved.
1:33
Blake: They don't know Jesus.
1:34
Blake: Only two percent of Israel are Christian.
1:37
Blake: Did you know that?
1:37
Mark: No.
1:38
Blake: And so uh the the heart to help though understand, and there you know, when you think about religions that hate Jesus, there's not very many.
1:46
Blake: In fact, there's only one.
1:47
Blake: Yeah.
1:47
Blake: And it's and it's the Jews, because they think he was, you know, a rebellious teacher.
1:53
Blake: And so they they are actually think that he is someone that, you know, they they can't stand Jesus.
1:59
Blake: And everyone else thinks, you know, at least he's a good teacher, Buddha, Hindu, right, even Islam.
2:04
Mark: Yeah.
2:04
Mark: They they all said Jesus was a good guy.
2:06
Mark: And so there's one that doesn't.
2:08
Mark: And so Romans 10 1, there's so many teachings from Paul uh in the book of Acts about the importance of loving and fighting for the salvation of Jews.
2:20
Mark: And so, man, I was just inspired to like that's right.
2:23
Mark: We can't stop praying for the salvation of Jews because it's Jews first, then Gentiles, right?
2:27
Mark: We're the ones that were grafted in.
2:30
Mark: And um God still loves the Jews.
2:32
Mark: And so um I just I just have this heart now to want to make sure we are doing a great work amongst the Jews as well to build churches and help grow Christian organizations to help um people understand that Jesus Christ really was the promised Messiah and the Mashiach.
2:49
Mark: And so I I want to help that with that effort more than ever.
2:53
Mark: And um, yeah, I you know just feel this like I am pro-Israel, but the most uh way that I want to say this, I'm pro-the heart for God, the purposes of God for Israel.
3:05
Mark: You know what I mean?
3:06
Mark: Yeah, it doesn't mean I stand with Netanyahu and all the things that are happening that are evil.
3:11
Mark: Of course, Israel's doing evil, they've always done evil, and so they they were always rebellious in the eyes of God, turned from their wicked ways, right?
3:19
Mark: And over and over and over, kings did that, and and so and God has always been at punished though and helped though grow.
3:26
Mark: But and I just think of Jesus like standing on top of Jerusalem, looking down, going, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how how I long to you know bring you under my wings like a chicken.
3:37
Mark: Wait, not a chicken.
3:38
Mark: You know what I mean?
3:40
Mark: His compassion and empathy for his people, right?
3:42
Mark: Yeah.
3:43
Mark: And he wants though to know uh God and to serve God.
3:46
Mark: And so, anyways, I have that same sort of compassion and empathy, and I feel this renewed energy.
3:51
Mark: And I that was a brilliant.
3:52
Mark: I know you were just like, How was your week?
3:53
Mark: It was great.
3:54
Mark: But here's what happened.
3:55
Mark: Also, while I was there, I was reminded that when I'm with pastors uh and they find out that I had a slip of the tongue, people were coming up from all over and they're like, Oh my god, here's the guy that and they were taking pictures with me.
4:13
Mark: And so because we're talking about taming the tongue today, James chapter three, right?
4:19
Mark: I the name of my sermon was You Better Watch Your Mouth.
4:22
Mark: Right.
4:22
Mark: Right.
4:23
Mark: And uh if anybody can speak that message with authority, it would be me.
4:29
Mark: I have had words that stick around and live on forever, never, never online.
4:35
Mark: It's more viral right now than ever before.
4:36
Mark: And I can't believe like I remember um I want to dive into that moment that we're talking about here in just a second, because I want to hear the behind the scenes of how it works.
4:47
Mark: All right, let's go there.
4:48
Mark: But uh I just talked to someone that has attended this church for years, like uh longer than you've been here and didn't know about your this viral moment, and so I shared it with though and they thought it was hilarious.
5:02
Mark: But uh so tell us, for those of us that may not have any idea what you're talking about, tell us what what went on.
5:08
Blake: I was a youth pastor 20-something years ago, 2005, and I was teaching about how bad company corrupts good character, and it was about Abraham and Lot, and he pitched his tent too close to Sodom and Gomorrah.
5:17
Blake: When I said pinch his tit, I whoops, I even did it just now.
5:20
Blake: I was trying to say pitch a tent, and instead I said lot just to pinch his tits.
5:24
Blake: And so back then this was I was embarrassed, I was mortified, and my eyes crossed.
5:30
Blake: You watch the video, you look if you look up Dirty Preacher, you find me.
5:34
Mark: But I want to know like what so you taught that message and just like muscled through the rest of that message.
5:41
Blake: I mean, that was the introduction.
5:42
Blake: This was like so.
5:43
Blake: Last week we talked about right and I went into what we I mean, I was starting the sermon and everybody's laughing.
5:48
Blake: They won't stop up.
5:49
Blake: I'm like, stop laughing.
5:50
Blake: And so I became famous, you know, for saying that and and have been for 20 years.
5:56
Blake: It's probably one of the most viral sermon malfunctions, slip of the tongue, yeah.
6:03
Blake: Pastor, you know, messes up.
6:05
Blake: Like I'm always in those reels.
6:06
Blake: And people are, you know, all those kind of and I always get sent every time somebody messes up in the church service, it's like I'm the first guy to get like 30 emails.
6:15
Blake: And so um it's it's just something that actually um it's kept me very humble.
6:22
Blake: I uh have been a laughing stock.
6:26
Blake: You know, people have have like, oh, you know, like I'm so sorry that that happened to you.
6:31
Blake: And like this kind of sympathetic kind of feel is like, yeah.
6:35
Blake: You know, and I can either just be super sad about it or just go like, you know, it's part of my story.
6:40
Blake: And I think this verse is probably one that I really love, is is ch chapter three, verse two.
6:46
Blake: We all stumble in many ways.
6:48
Blake: Yeah.
6:49
Blake: Right?
6:49
Blake: And so, yep.
6:50
Blake: Yep.
6:51
Mark: Well, I witnessed though, been you know, on a trip with you and witnessed pastors or people that work in church and and found out that you're that guy, and that they say, Man, I watch that video at least once a week because whenever I'm having I'm feeling down, like I just watch it and it it lifts my spirits.
7:11
Blake: Yeah, I think a lot of pastors especially can connect with the fact that they've messed up their words and they, you know, and that's when people meet me, they always want to tell me that story.
7:20
Blake: Yeah.
7:21
Blake: Like, you know, I was trying to say you know something, and they always laugh about I'm I messed up my words and I've heard though all.
7:27
Blake: Uh and so I think it's a funny way for people to go, you know, he's human.
7:33
Blake: And when you watch it, I think that's what you know people they connect with, you know, our humanity.
7:39
Blake: We're broken, we're messed up.
7:40
Blake: Don't take yourself too seriously, just laugh at yourself.
7:43
Mark: Well, I remember um this is uh it was back when the internet was first invented, probably it was 20 years ago.
7:50
Mark: And I remember hearing it first and thought, oh my gosh, that's amazing.
7:56
Mark: And then the video came out after that.
7:57
Mark: I was like, oh dude, this is a And when I got to meet you, it was like meeting Michael Jordan, it was amazing.
8:03
Blake: Well, I've had so many people like, did you make any money off of that?
8:06
Blake: You're right, yeah.
8:07
Blake: You know, and I haven't.
8:08
Blake: No.
8:08
Blake: There's one television show, if you remember the show called Um Caught on Camera.
8:13
Blake: They came and did a story on Allie and I uh when we were at Cross Point in Nashville, and that that one show they paid us 500 bucks.
8:22
Blake: And we're pretty much rich because of that video.
8:24
Blake: But you know, there's so many people that are like, why didn't you like you know start making money on YouTube for all those times it's posted?
8:33
Blake: Like, bro, by the time that was a thing, it had been you know millions of views.
8:38
Blake: And so I don't know.
8:40
Blake: I it was kind of like the cat's out of the bag, and why would I try to monetize something that happened so long ago?
8:47
Mark: Well, what's hilarious though with the backstory to me is like you finished the message, went to bed, and it was like you that was the end of it, you thought, right?
8:55
Mark: Yeah, but somebody was recording.
8:58
Blake: My videographer sent an email out.
9:00
Blake: It started out as an email, and then we got an we got a message the next day from Italy, a missionary in Italy that's like, hey, I saw your video.
9:09
Blake: I'm like, what?
9:10
Blake: What?
9:10
Blake: You're like, Are you serious?
9:12
Blake: And so that's when we knew, oh, this thing slipped.
9:15
Blake: It's out.
9:16
Blake: Yeah.
9:16
Blake: And so it was on the front page of AOL.
9:18
Blake: Do you remember AOL?
9:19
Blake: Yeah, yeah.
9:20
Blake: I love it.
9:22
Blake: And so that's when we were like, oh, this thing has got legs, and it a lot of people found out about it.
9:29
Blake: And yeah.
9:30
Blake: And yeah, I understand the pain of the slip of a tongue.
9:34
Blake: And I think if anybody's listening right now, we've all said something that you went, I wish I could redo that.
9:40
Blake: I wish I could re-say that.
9:42
Blake: I wish be and it and it's because he starts off by saying, not many of you should be teachers because that you'll be judged more strictly, right?
9:52
Blake: And so I have felt that judgment in a very real way as a pastor because I had a I messed up my words.
10:00
Blake: And, you know, I've also had this like, you know, I've been like apologized for it, said I'm sorry, especially to my at the time I was on staff at a large church in Colorado, I'm like, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do this.
10:14
Blake: And, you know, there was a prank on us, prank 316 came in and did this whole thing.
10:19
Blake: And I have felt very bad for that, but it's like I can't take it back enough.
10:24
Blake: You know what I mean?
10:25
Blake: And it's very viral and and it just continues to have a life of its own now.
10:29
Blake: And so it's what I'm known for.
10:31
Blake: But I think each of us need to recognize that we will be judged more strictly.
10:35
Blake: And so sometimes I maybe because that happened to me, I don't know, but I get I get a little righteous indignation when I see pastors that have had some sort of a moral of affair or done something that was scandalous in the church, and then they're promoted and get like a new book deal and traveling, teaching, you know, in a bigger platform.
10:59
Blake: And it's like, God, why did you give though more influence and you know, expand their territory, as it says in the prayer of Jabez?
11:08
Blake: And I'm like, why why God would you bless that?
11:11
Blake: Yeah.
11:11
Blake: And sometimes I have this tendency to be maybe self-righteous, to judge motives of other pastors when I'm like, I know that guy.
11:18
Blake: Yeah.
11:19
Blake: And he is tool.
11:20
Blake: And I can't believe that that people are inviting him to come and speak.
11:24
Blake: And you know, I just know a lot of pastors because of that.
11:28
Blake: And so it has given me privilege to get to know a lot of people because it's kind of like a national stage, and people, you know, I've got to meet a lot of incredible pastors and then some that aren't so incredible.
11:38
Mark: Yeah.
11:38
Mark: Well, I mean, I think having that mindset when when you've done it right, you know, like I'm trying to walk the straight and narrow.
11:46
Mark: I'm trying to love my wife and be faithful.
11:48
Mark: Right.
11:49
Mark: Right.
11:49
Mark: But even when you're showing I'm a good dad, I'm a good husband, I've been faithful in all the churches I've served, and you know, like not perfect, but you know, but what what if that is their reward?
11:59
Mark: Right.
11:59
Mark: You know what I'm saying?
12:00
Mark: Yeah.
12:00
Mark: And so maybe that's what father is looking down saying, Blake, look, they let though have that.
12:06
Mark: Yours is worth much more.
12:08
Mark: Right, right.
12:10
Blake: Well, that that verse we all stumble in many ways.
12:13
Blake: Um I think I always I've kind of had a mantra since I was a youth pastor, uh, and it's from from uh DC Talk.
12:21
Blake: Do you guys remember that song?
12:22
Blake: Oh, yeah.
12:23
Blake: Uh What if I stumble?
12:25
Blake: What if I fall?
12:26
Blake: And I think like, Lord, I did stumble.
12:30
Blake: I did fall.
12:31
Blake: Yeah.
12:31
Blake: And it's public and I'm known for it.
12:33
Blake: I'm kind of mocked by it.
12:34
Blake: And people come up to me and do the most audacious things.
12:37
Blake: They like grab me and pinch my and like and they get a picture thinking it's funny.
12:42
Blake: Right, yeah.
12:42
Blake: No one has had their breasts pinched more than me.
12:46
Blake: And it's like humiliated, like, bro, I don't know who you are.
12:49
Blake: What are you doing?
12:50
Blake: Right.
12:50
Blake: And so in many ways, it's like I've kind of been a laughing stock for years and years.
12:55
Blake: And you have to go, okay, Lord, um, I have stumbled and I've fallen.
13:00
Blake: I've eaten a humble pie, and it keeps me humble.
13:04
Blake: And I think maybe sometimes I go, God, why didn't you expand my platform?
13:08
Blake: Or why didn't you do something great, you know?
13:10
Blake: Why didn't you make me a big deal with influencers and book deals and all that thing?
13:14
Blake: You know, I my head gets that kind of stinking thinking sometimes.
13:17
Blake: And I'll just go, well, maybe God, it's because this is what we're talking about, chapter four, is that you know, pride comes before the fall, and God opposes the proud, right?
13:27
Blake: He poses the proud.
13:29
Blake: And so, um, but he gives grace to the humble.
13:32
Blake: And I wanna I wanna be the one that like thank you for your grace and keep me humble.
13:37
Blake: And if if you know that some kind of blessing or influence or platform is gonna ruin my heart, then and you know that I'm gonna become prideful, then I don't want you to oppose me.
13:47
Blake: No matter what, I don't want to be your enemy.
13:49
Blake: I always want to be on Team Jesus, right?
13:51
Blake: And so, you know, I think about that a lot.
13:54
Blake: It's like judged more strictly to teach and and the power of our words, and that's what this whole text is about.
14:00
Blake: And right after that, he goes into, you know, how powerful our words are and how they stick around forever.
14:07
Blake: And so my video has done that.
14:09
Blake: But think of ways, Mark, that something was said to you and it stuck around.
14:14
Blake: It hurts so bad.
14:16
Blake: Yeah.
14:16
Blake: And it was like a statement that really did traject your life, maybe in a negative way or a positive way.
14:21
Blake: Do you have any stories like that?
14:23
Mark: You I can think of two, one positive, one negative.
14:26
Mark: I remember I was probably in sixth grade, and my Sunday school teacher, we were on a retreat, and he just said, uh, Mark, you're a leader.
14:34
Mark: And I don't I don't remember the guy's name.
14:36
Mark: I just I remember being in Roswell, Georgia, at this Nature Center, and he said that.
14:41
Mark: I just I remember that.
14:42
Mark: I can attest, you are a leader.
14:44
Mark: That's true.
14:44
Mark: Thank you.
14:45
Blake: And our we had this pastor appreciation thing yesterday here at the church, and um it was pretty much judged that everyone on staff agrees that Mark is everybody's favorite.
14:55
Mark: No.
14:55
Blake: You are everybody loves you, man.
14:56
Blake: I'm like, why why does everybody love Mark so much?
14:59
Mark: Bribes, bribes, I bribes.
15:01
Mark: Um but uh and then m uh a friend I was singing in a room I was this was younger.
15:07
Mark: I was probably I might have been seven.
15:09
Mark: And I felt like back then I at least could sing on tune, you know, and I was like not like squeaky and like maybe not the best not Michael Jackson at that age, you know, but like I felt like I had a okay voice.
15:23
Mark: And she came in the room and said, You can't sing, and walked away.
15:28
Mark: Wow.
15:28
Mark: And she loved me like it was a friend, a dear friend.
15:31
Mark: And um but I just remember that hurt, you know.
15:35
Mark: Um we were about five, six years old, you know.
15:39
Mark: How about you?
15:40
Blake: Oh wow.
15:41
Blake: Well, first of all, for those of you that are watching don't know this, Mark is our worship leader and he has a buttery, silky, smooth voice that's just like so talented.
15:51
Blake: And and I want to add to the fact that when you lead, you lead me, probably more than anyone else on our staff.
15:58
Blake: You're always the one that'll be like, Hey Blake, I read your sermon, and uh you probably shouldn't say that.
16:03
Blake: And she's like, Yeah, you're probably right.
16:06
Blake: And I really pay attention to what the spirit puts inside of you, and I trust your voice more than about anybody.
16:11
Blake: And um ways I've been led, you know, is I heard from my parents a lot, um Earth to Blake, Earth to Blake.
16:22
Blake: And I've always thought that I was um head in the clouds, dreamy that my my I was you know, and I was stupid.
16:31
Blake: My whole life I've thought I was stupid.
16:33
Blake: And it's partly because, you know, why are you such an idiot, or statements that, you know, how can you be so stupid?
16:39
Blake: These are statements that stung and went deep in me from my parents.
16:44
Blake: Um but on the same hand, um when I was 19 years old driving home from work, and as I was driving home, this guy flips me off.
16:57
Blake: And when he flipped me off, I got I was like, hey bro, I was with my buddy, we were driving home from Payless Cashway's hardware store.
17:04
Blake: I was with Mark Price.
17:04
Blake: I said, Mark, drive us home.
17:06
Blake: Let's go to John Thomas's house.
17:08
Blake: John Thomas was a big six foot four football player on my football team.
17:11
Blake: Like, let's go to John's house and we'll roll out and you know, bust these dudes in the face.
17:16
Blake: Which I've never really been in a fight.
17:18
Blake: I don't know.
17:18
Blake: Anyways, I was like, they flipped me off, let's go to John's house, he'll fight him.
17:22
Blake: And so um and so we're on our way there.
17:26
Blake: The guy pulls out a gun, shoots at me, and the button on the top of my hat, it was shot off of my head.
17:32
Blake: And the bullet landed in the dash of the truck, and there was a gigantic thing of glass, a hole behind my head.
17:39
Blake: And so I was almost killed.
17:42
Blake: And because of that story, Mark, there the Lord did something in me, but it's because of what the policeman said to me.
17:51
Blake: He gets to the scene, he pulls out my hat, and he picks that bullet up, he's holding it in his hands, and he looks at me and he says, Young man, I think there's a call on your life, and God has a plan for you.
18:02
Blake: And I was like, I think you're right.
18:08
Blake: And because of that, I've had this urgency in my life that I can't explain.
18:15
Blake: That I think is motivated by I don't know if I'll be given another second.
18:21
Blake: I don't know if I'll have another minute in this life.
18:24
Blake: And if that's the case, may every second count.
18:27
Blake: Right?
18:28
Blake: May every moment be lived with this passion and authority and conviction and speak with boldness.
18:35
Blake: And um I just I just like 19 years old, I'm gonna live for you, God, and I'm gonna give everything I've got to help people understand that our lives, you know, are precious and to make every moment count.
18:47
Mark: And so I remember hearing that story from you uh uh uh probably five or six years ago, and um thinking I know uh pastors can sometimes embellish stuff and thinking, man, no way.
19:01
Mark: And Chad Wallace, yeah, uh a friend here at one church, a police officer hunted down that police officer in Oklahoma, right?
19:10
Mark: And flew him out.
19:11
Blake: And to my surprise, guy walks out on stage.
19:16
Blake: I had no idea.
19:17
Blake: It's in the middle of a sermon, right, and here he is, and he's like six foot four.
19:22
Blake: And I'm like, I look up at him, I'm like, it's you.
19:25
Blake: You know what I mean?
19:26
Blake: It was like this, I can't believe you're the guy.
19:28
Blake: And I gave him this big hug on stage that was they caught it all on video, and it was so endearing.
19:33
Blake: I was so blessed by the church to have him come out.
19:36
Blake: Then I had lunch with him that day, and I got to tell him, hey, this is what I've done with my life.
19:41
Blake: And I just felt this like because of your words, you changed me, man.
19:45
Blake: And um, it was really sweet, very kind, but the power of the tongue, bro.
19:51
Mark: Yeah.
19:51
Blake: The power of the tongue.
19:52
Blake: And I think about all the parents out there that are listening, all the dads, all the moms, that you just sometimes flippantly say things to your precious children, and you don't know how deep your words carry.
20:05
Blake: Right?
20:05
Blake: The authority that we have over our children and our spouses, man.
20:11
Blake: Yeah.
20:11
Blake: Nobody can tear me down faster than my wife.
20:14
Blake: And it can just be a look.
20:16
Blake: And I'm sunk as a puddle, right?
20:18
Mark: It might not even be words, it could be you know, just a sigh.
20:23
Mark: You know, but it but that says a thousand words, you know.
20:27
Mark: Yeah.
20:29
Blake: Reminds me of something that's hard to say.
20:31
Blake: But my mom, if I were to tell you one word that I feel when I mo my mom thinks about me, it would be uh I just always felt this like I repulse you.
20:46
Blake: Exacerbating.
20:47
Blake: Yeah, yeah.
20:48
Blake: I'm a problem to you.
20:50
Blake: I'm you I'm nothing but a bother to you.
20:53
Blake: That's kind of how I felt in my home.
20:56
Blake: And so it's affected me.
20:59
Blake: And it's made me want to be the opposite.
21:01
Blake: Like I want everybody to walk away from every conversation that I had they have with me and feel celebrated, loved, encouraged, honored.
21:11
Mark: Yeah.
21:11
Blake: Right.
21:12
Blake: And so I try to say ten words of love and encouragement over the one word of like discipline or when I try to help people correct bring correction, right?
21:23
Blake: And because of that, yesterday we had this um pastor's appreciation.
21:30
Blake: And one of the things that I didn't think would be a byproduct of this, but it is uh in our culture is that our culture loves to celebrate one another.
21:41
Blake: Wouldn't you agree?
21:43
Mark: Oh yeah.
21:43
Mark: Well, and I was gonna say, like, I experienced that firsthand from you, and that's trickled down in your family and on this staff.
21:51
Mark: And I've experienced that firsthand from your lips and your encouragement and your tongue of just speaking words of.
21:59
Mark: life over me or my family or other people on staff or or people that you just meet.
22:05
Mark: I think about what you say it was beautiful what happened yesterday in staff meeting of just there was so much life that was spoken and so much.
22:15
Blake: They just went around like person after person wanted to say the thing to each of the pastors and tell though what they are.
22:20
Blake: Tell though who they are.
22:20
Blake: Tell though who they are.
22:21
Blake: And just like this encouragement of life like life.
22:24
Blake: Extravagant.
22:26
Mark: Like it was kind of like okay.
22:27
Mark: Oh my gosh.
22:28
Mark: Okay.
22:28
Mark: It was it was like stop.
22:30
Mark: You know?
22:31
Mark: But it was so extravagant and so sweet and such life giving.
22:35
Mark: Trevor Burrus But that's our culture.
22:37
Mark: Trevor Burrus It is.
22:38
Mark: But I think again it's trickled down and I've heard you say and I've seen you do it in the in the lobby of tell them who you are.
22:45
Blake: Tell them who they are.
22:47
Mark: is that what you say?
22:48
Blake: God always prompts me is you know I've just preached a sermon.
22:52
Blake: Mark typically I'm insecure and I'm feeling like that was horrible.
22:57
Blake: You know and I'm I'm in my own head.
22:59
Blake: And I think all of us can recognize that we're all living our own lives.
23:05
Blake: We all have our own brokenness and sadness and things we're dealing with the heaviness of our own lives and sometimes you're just living in that and there's like this, you know, thinking that's like you're obsessed with yourself, kind of always thinking about yourself.
23:18
Blake: Nobody thinks about you more than you, right?
23:20
Blake: That kind of thing.
23:21
Blake: And I'll walk out and that's where I'm ahead is and then it's like the Lord says get out of your head.
23:27
Blake: Tell though who they are like be present walk in the spirit stop thinking about you know whether you need praise or need you know whether you need to you know be encouraged just go out there and you know everybody feels the same way.
23:42
Blake: We're all feeling the same sort of sadness and brokenness and despair and like go step into that and give though hope.
23:49
Blake: They came to church.
23:50
Blake: They're here right their their marriages are struggling.
23:52
Blake: Maybe they're struggling with addictions.
23:53
Blake: Go out there and tell though who they are.
23:54
Blake: Tell though who they are.
23:55
Blake: And so I that's probably another big mantra of mine.
23:59
Blake: And it's because this whole verse is about the power of a rudder the power of you know on a ship the power of a bit in the horse's mouth like a Clydesdale.
24:10
Blake: You have this thing that's like a cook and this gigantic monster of an animal is steered because of this one little thing.
24:17
Blake: And that's all he's James is saying a spark of fire right that can become an inferno but but the power of a small tiny little word.
24:27
Blake: And and so I find myself like always out in the lobby and I just am looking in people's eyes and I'm asking God who who are they?
24:38
Blake: Tell tell me who they are so I can tell though.
24:42
Blake: You know and Lord give me words give me words give me words to say the right thing.
24:48
Blake: And um you know something I say a lot I think about how words can be so easily misconstrued.
24:57
Blake: Especially like texts today.
25:00
Blake: Yeah.
25:00
Blake: You know I mean you can't say like my my wife will sometimes reply back to my daughters okay that's all she said.
25:07
Blake: Okay.
25:08
Blake: And they they think that she's saying okay if that's what you want.
25:14
Blake: You know what I mean?
25:14
Blake: Or she could be saying okay you know and it's just like you can't hear tone.
25:19
Blake: And there's so much of our body language that's said with our our body hands, our face, countenance, all that and so sometimes a text is like horrible way to communicate.
25:30
Blake: Email is horrible way to I always say I'm not going to communicate anger or any kind of discipline or over a phone or a email or you write you know these keyboard warriors that send out stuff and and now it's not just texting it's like everybody's offended or mad about something and then they put it online and I'm going to preach more about this in the next week but how chorals you know we just want to be mad and so we tell people why we're mad and then we're like mad that you're not mad about it and we're trying to get an audience to be mad with us and everybody's offended needs to be offended more with us you know and and it's all because the power of words and people you know we we hook a line sinker dragged in and we're like you know what I'm mad too I think I should be upset about that.
26:17
Blake: I'm glad you said that.
26:18
Blake: You know and sometimes pastors have a tendency to jump on trends and they're trying to get clicks.
26:26
Blake: Right?
26:27
Blake: Yeah.
26:27
Blake: And sometimes it makes me mad that because you know come on right here.
26:32
Blake: May they be one is our whole theme here.
26:35
Blake: Can can we just be people that try not to fight, try not to have quarrels when the whole world's angry, bitter, upset, jealousy, slander, gossip, you know, sling in mud, can we not do that?
26:48
Blake: Can we be the kind of people like, man, you can't offend me the only thing I'm gonna show you is grace.
26:53
Blake: I'm gonna show you grace, grace, grace, right?
26:55
Blake: And so in a world where everybody's being canceled and so many pastors say one thing and then all of a sudden they're ousted, maybe that's why I have so much grace for pastors, because I've been the one that's been canceled because I said I slip of a tongue, you know?
27:10
Mark: Yeah.
27:11
Blake: And so there's part of me that that's like I want to give extra grace when somebody's fallen from from you know the church and no longer you know the church hasn't been historically great right at redemption and some sort of restoration process.
27:28
Blake: But like I want to be the kind of a people that like hey you know we all stumble in many ways.
27:37
Blake: And I want to show you what the grace of Jesus looks like.
27:42
Blake: I want to show you what the cross is really about and then when the world maybe has turned their back on you because I it's happened to me.
27:48
Blake: I've said things not not just the slip of the tongue 20 years ago like I've preached things that are controversial you know about abortion once and man you remember what happened?
28:00
Blake: Yeah I mean the whole staff was emailed it was like the left got a hold of this it went viral on Twitter and the whole world was wanting to come after me.
28:08
Blake: And I had a few people that came to me and said hey it's gonna be viral for about 36 hours.
28:13
Blake: I know you feel like you want to die right now but just know that you spoke truth walk in it be bold.
28:20
Blake: And there was like words spoken to me at a key time when I was really sad and and um felt like my world was collapsing but it's just because the power of words and how you know people want to destroy you for your words right words are the most powerful thing that we have Mark.
28:36
Blake: Yeah in fact I love the idea that Jesus is a word in the beginning was a word and the word was God the word was with God.
28:45
Blake: And at the end of the day every revival that's ever started every movement of God that was ever started was because somebody boldly spoke words.
28:58
Blake: And I believe that when we allow the words that are inside of us, you know there's a difference between Lagos and Rima, have you ever heard that Lagos is the written word of God Rima is the spoken word.
29:09
Blake: Not that they can't be one or the other they also can be written you know but however the idea is that when God's word comes inside of us and comes alive, the the word is living and active right and it and it changes people's lives when you speak it with authority and anointing.
29:28
Blake: Yeah.
29:28
Blake: And so um let us be a people if you're listening today that go I know that I have to have words that are directed words that are under my command words that I don't allow to slip out and because it reveals your heart.
29:42
Blake: And that's what this whole text is about.
29:44
Blake: He's saying hey with the tongue we praise God and with the tongue we curse.
29:48
Blake: And not just curse saying bad word because you've made a bad golf shot we curse people and we curse ourselves.
29:56
Blake: Our words they they become our reality you know what I mean and so when we speak words just recognize you are creating life or you're you know destroying right and so have you ever been in the gym and like been working out and you look over at the mirror and see your big belly hanging out and you're like you're such a fat tub of large piece of trash.
30:18
Blake: You know what I mean?
30:19
Blake: We'll say things like that to ourselves that nobody else would say right yeah sometimes my wife will say things about herself I'm like you do not talk to my best friend like that.
30:29
Mark: Yeah well that's what I was going to say is like w we have power to speak words of life over others and over or destruction over ourselves.
30:37
Mark: And I feel like sometimes a lot of times I would say I say worse things to myself than I would ever say I would never call anybody stupid.
30:47
Mark: But how many times do I make a mistake I'm like dang a stupid I'd never call anybody stupid you know but I do it to myself all the time.
30:57
Blake: Mm-hmm well and then he ends this passage with wisdom who among you is wise who among you has understanding and I think that he's trying to make the case at least I believe that those who can control their tongue those who command their words those that have mastery of their speech those are the ones that are wise.
31:25
Blake: And I'll I'll submit it it's a lot of time people that have learned the hard way it's because I'm made so many mistakes I stumbled in many ways that I'm like ah I'm not gonna say that anymore.
31:38
Blake: Right?
31:39
Blake: And I think that's wisdom.
31:40
Mark: Yeah.
31:41
Blake: The wisdom is when you learn from your mistakes.
31:43
Mark: Yeah well I mean there's a proverb that says even a foolish man seems wise you know when he holds his tongue you know I mean power in the words
31:52
Blake: If you keep saying the same destructive words over and over you're not learning from your wicked ways you're you're returning to your mud as it says you know like you're a pig that just goes back to its own vomit and you know mire.
32:05
Blake: Learn to control your tongue.
32:08
Blake: And when you do you will not believe how your whole life will be shaped in a different way.
32:15
Blake: Right?
32:15
Blake: If you wake up and start speaking over yourself, Blake, you are a warrior for the King of Kings.
32:23
Blake: You are you are creating the image of God and you're gonna do mighty things for his glory.
32:28
Blake: I mean it's amazing how much th the trajectory of your life can change when you're speaking life over yourself, right?
32:35
Blake: And you're speaking life over your wife.
32:37
Blake: And when I speak life over my kids man it's like it's a different gear of authority and anointing that God's given us over our children and when we step into it in a way that honors God and honors though man you can just see their little eyes and their face just light up with like my dad he believes in me.
32:58
Blake: You know like my dad knows I can do anything and so therefore I think I can do anything, you know?
33:04
Blake: And so speak words with authority over your children.
33:07
Blake: I just I can't emphasize that enough.
33:09
Blake: And I think if there's anything like maybe people can't relate to being on a stage and you know lights, whatever well I'm telling you the stage that's the most important is the one that's in your you know children's bedroom at night when you're putting though to bed and you're sp you know praying with though.
33:25
Blake: And you're telling though who they are in Christ.
33:27
Blake: Right?
33:27
Blake: And you're speaking words that are just going to make though go, man, if my dad and my mom believe in me then I I actually think maybe I should believe in me.
33:36
Blake: And maybe it's true.
33:38
Mark: I would say even it can even kids can lead up you know my son sent me a reel last night on Instagram and just it spoke so much life to me of um you know some in a generation where people are trying not to be like their dad, I hope that I can just be half the man that my dad is and I was like oh I you know I read that I was like man you've already surpassed me but dude that made that spoke so much life to me.
34:06
Mark: And I also feel like we have the power we just said it but we have the power to speak life over others but I almost feel like it starts with we have to be kind you say it all the time, be kind to your to my friend, you know meaning be kind to yourself.
34:20
Mark: I remember hearing in it growing up in school that um people cut other people down to kind of get though onto their level, you know but if if if you have a better self-esteem and and feel confident in who God created you to be, I feel like you're you're speaking less words of destruction over other people the better that you speak words over yourself.
34:47
Blake: Yeah you know we have in this text talks about hell is in our tongue that your your tongue can be set on fire by hell itself.
34:57
Blake: And when when you think about the enemy of darkness who's the father of lies it's this defeating thought to think man I know Satan's a liar.
35:07
Blake: I know that if he's talking he's lying and what if I was an instrument of his doing his work and his business because he used my tongue to speak hell and death and fire over other people and I set though on fire.
35:23
Blake: How many times have you been gossiped or slandered about how many have times have you gossiped and slandered, right?
35:30
Blake: Yeah.
35:31
Blake: I mean too much.
35:32
Blake: Yeah.
35:32
Blake: We say things like oh I want you to pray for so and so because you heard about you know church language of like and then you're just talking behind people's back telling things that permission to talk about somebody and so um you're right your kids can lead up and I remember this time I came home from when I first moved here to this church and it was on fire.
35:55
Blake: And many bad things not not in a good way.
35:57
Blake: Not in a good it was almost burnt to a crisp and this guy walks up to me and he says you have three months this church is going it's going under in three months time and Mark I believed him and I went home crying to my kids and I'm like girls I'm sorry we moved here I shouldn't have come please forgive me and my daughter Montana she says well first of all you're not listening to God because I know we're supposed to be here God called our family here and he's got a mighty work he's gonna do this is my daughter right and then she says and second of all you don't know my dad come on you don't know my dad and um I just cried and held him and I was like damn I needed to hear that baby and um I was in a season where I'd met with a whole lot of people that had left the church and they only said bad and horrible things and then I'm like I've got to stop doing that.
37:06
Blake: I got to stop listening to all the negativity about this place and I've got to start speaking life over my church and so I started saying things Mark that I didn't even believe.
37:15
Blake: Yeah I didn't I was saying God's hand is on this place his favor is on this place his anointing is on this place this this place is going to come to life by the power of God through the Holy Spirit you just watch families are going to be restored addictions are going to break people are going to be set free and this church is going to change this city and this world because of the power of God that's on this church.
37:36
Blake: I just started like saying things man and would you believe it came true yeah it came true and I'm just telling you I'm living proof that sometimes even when you don't believe it you got to start saying it.
37:52
Blake: You have to start speaking it because there's life and death life and death so when we wake up in the morning you have a choice what's going to come out of your mouth because if you can't learn to tame your tongue then you're not able to tame your life and your life will be destroyed by evil, darkness and hell but if you can control your tongue and you can start speaking life and authority over not just your uh coworkers and your family and the sphere of influence God's given you but you can start speaking life over yourself you better watch out because it will come true.
38:37
Blake: What you say about you is 100% true.
38:42
Blake: And so be kind to yourself speak with power and authority over yourself and God will give you his wisdom and and you'll be able to help be the kind of person that brings reconciliation and you'll be peace loving and this word says you're you'll be full of mercy you'll be considerate right you'll be there'll be good fruit coming from you you'll be impartial and you'll be known as being sincere and that's only because the Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth and when the Spirit of God is inside of his people and it comes out with authority then people understand who God is and so that comes with this heaviness right and that's why you said you'll be judged more strictly because your words if you're teaching and you're leading people astray and you're saying things that are false teachings and false doctrines and you're making people stumble because of your words man you know that's that's when like Jesus said you become twice the sons of hell or you're a brood of vipers you're doing things in the name of God that are not for God.
39:52
Blake: And you're doing it for your own glory, your own vanity or to destroy other people, tear people down and that is not what God wants.
39:58
Blake: He wants us to be a people that are edifying that that build up but don't tear down.
40:03
Blake: And so man, I feel convicted by that.
40:06
Blake: I had so many people after the service that would come up to me like I needed to hear that Pastor I need to hear that right and I was just I just kept saying you better watch him out.
40:14
Blake: You better watch him out right and one sweet mama came up and said I gotta tell you Pastor my daughter said a cuss word she said the A word.
40:22
Blake: And I'm like Well that's funny.
40:25
Blake: She's like I gave her permission to go you know your your kids are gonna stumble.
40:31
Blake: And you get it's an opportunity for correction to love her like yeah we don't we don't say that.
40:36
Blake: We don't say that.
40:37
Mark: Well I mean I know we're going long but I do think about like that a word is in some versions of scripture.
40:44
Mark: You know what I mean?
40:45
Mark: And so it just makes me think of like some words that are cuss words in our cuss words.
40:52
Blake: Right.
40:52
Mark: Yeah yeah and I like I'd say like Christian cuss words like oh shenane you know and I'm like it just I make up words but I feel like it's less I might be wrong in this but I feel like it's less the syllables that are leaving your lips and probably more the heart and the antenna behind A.
41:07
Mark: That's exactly right.
41:09
Mark: And I mean you think I've heard you say like you get you went to a what what you were saying you misspoke in in another country.
41:18
Blake: Yeah I was in I was in uh Africa and I thought I was saying hi.
41:22
Blake: I'm saying hello to everyone.
41:23
Blake: It was in Swahili and I'm going, you're supposed to say jambo, jambo, jambo means hello.
41:28
Blake: Well I got my words mixed up again and I said nyamba nyamba.
41:34
Blake: I'd say nyamba and yamba means fart and so I'm sitting here going fart fart.
41:42
Blake: And when I said that to a group of orphans in uh Nakuru Africa I told though that story that I messed up and they just thought it was the funniest all these little children were laughing and they were going, he said pollutant he said pollute.
42:00
Blake: And so I think all of us you know have have said things you just go, oh I wish I wouldn't you know and you know so I just want to leave today by um saying this because I had another guy come up to me after the service and he was an older man probably you know early 70s and he's like man hearing that sermon today made me regret so many of the things that I said to my kids and I said well here's the good news you're still alive and so before you die you just apologize for what you said tell though please forgive me and then you tell though who they are it's never too late to gain mastery and control of your tongue.
42:47
Blake: And so let us leave today going God what is it I need to apologize for?
42:52
Blake: Who who can I help bring healing to and what is it you want me to say and and act don't just listen act go and do it find somebody and um might I encourage you um that if the Lord is telling you to say something why would you be disobedient I think that's just as bad when you withhold.
43:15
Blake: Stay silent.
43:16
Blake: Right?
43:17
Blake: If you have something to say say it.
43:19
Blake: And um I want to encourage you to start flexing and using a muscle you've never used because the muscle inside your mouth could be the strongest muscle in your body and I want you to I want to challenge you to start using that muscle.
43:35
Blake: Start stepping into your authority and your anointing that God's put on your life and be bold.
43:40
Blake: And Father thank you for everybody that joined us today.
43:44
Blake: I pray blessings on everybody that's listening.
43:46
Blake: I pray Father you would use this podcast to help bring change for the good and for your glory and for your name and for your renown.
43:54
Blake: Holy Spirit thank you for being in this room and using us and speaking through us apart from you we can do nothing nor do we ever want to try.
44:04
Blake: Help us keep from becoming arrogant prideful vain conceit selfish ambition all these things that can so easily corrupt our heart and we pray Father we'd pay attention to what's coming out of us because it's such an indication of what's inside of us may we always examine your heart and may you always have permission to help change shape and transform our hearts.
44:29
Blake: Lord God we love you.
44:31
Blake: It's in your name we pray.
44:32
Blake: Amen thanks for joining us everybody have a great day