WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:03.680 You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a 2 00:00:03.720 --> 00:00:06.440 couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun in 3 00:00:06.559 --> 00:00:13.199 practical ways. Hey, everybody, we are the Bible Guys. I'm 4 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:14.720 Chris and this is Jeff Man. 5 00:00:14.839 --> 00:00:17.719 We are gonna look at the two psalms that we 6 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:20.239 talked about yesterday Some one twenty six and Psalm one 7 00:00:20.359 --> 00:00:23.280 forty seven. Some one twenty six is very personal and 8 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:26.000 how God rebuilds ruins and Some one forty seven is 9 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:30.519 like this cosmic gods so great and he restores souls. 10 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:32.479 So it's it's really cool. It's gonna be cool. 11 00:00:32.759 --> 00:00:35.479 Yeah, I agree. And uh. Before we jump into that, 12 00:00:35.560 --> 00:00:38.920 we have a segment that desires put together. Uh and 13 00:00:38.960 --> 00:00:43.759 it's called Manes So you went we hired. 14 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:47.320 It's the only only only secon we have with the 15 00:00:47.399 --> 00:00:50.719 jingle yep, although we're trying to get the segment. There's 16 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:51.960 the theme songs. 17 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:55.640 Yes, yes, well here it is. This is written in 18 00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:59.640 by Alex d Bye Alex, and he writes this, have 19 00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:01.840 you ever had a mentor who changed your life? And 20 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:03.320 what do you look for in a mentor? 21 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:05.439 Wow? What a good question. 22 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:08.400 Yes, and by the way, we would love to hear 23 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:11.519 your questions. If you want to write into us, send 24 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:15.120 us an email simply at info at the Bible guys 25 00:01:15.159 --> 00:01:17.840 dot com. Yeah, or you can comment on any of 26 00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:21.200 one of our platforms. We would love to get those 27 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:25.640 and use them. So you want to take a shot 28 00:01:25.640 --> 00:01:25.879 at that. 29 00:01:26.599 --> 00:01:31.879 Yeah, I've Yeah, I've had a few mentors. I would say, 30 00:01:31.879 --> 00:01:34.120 my dad really, what it means to be a dad, 31 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:38.400 what it means to be a man, a Christ follower. 32 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:42.079 He just went to heaven a few weeks ago. And 33 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:48.480 then I had Stan Will was my trumpet teacher. He 34 00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:50.680 was the only one of I had a couple of 35 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:52.519 school teachers who took an interest in me, but most 36 00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:54.519 of them were repulsed by me because I was such 37 00:01:54.560 --> 00:01:57.439 a bad little kid in school and it was just energy. 38 00:01:57.480 --> 00:01:59.480 It wasn't that I was bad kid, it was just 39 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:01.519 that I get my school work done very quickly and 40 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:04.319 was bored to death in a traditional school environment. But 41 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:07.400 Stan made a big difference in my life. Introduced me 42 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:12.520 to music, and that set up my run towards college 43 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:15.719 and how to pay my bills for school. Made me 44 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:19.680 believe when I was a kid, a teenager, that college 45 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:21.520 was possible because we didn't have any money how was 46 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:22.439 I ever going to go to college? 47 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:22.719 Right? 48 00:02:23.400 --> 00:02:25.199 But began making me think, hey, there might be an 49 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:27.240 opportunity for you to get a scholarship if you had 50 00:02:27.240 --> 00:02:30.280 worked at it. So that's what I did. And then 51 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:33.199 I had a couple of mentors through college that wound up. 52 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:35.280 They were professors that I just kind of leaned into 53 00:02:35.960 --> 00:02:39.520 and I learned a lot about what to do not 54 00:02:39.639 --> 00:02:43.680 to do from them. And then I would say in 55 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:48.680 ministry long term, Rick Warren had a big impact on 56 00:02:48.759 --> 00:02:53.080 me from AFAR For a long time, I read the 57 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:56.280 purpose driven Church, not the purpose driven life, but the 58 00:02:56.319 --> 00:02:59.560 purpose driven Church twice a year for the first five 59 00:02:59.639 --> 00:03:02.960 years I was in ministry, and it made a big, 60 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:07.319 big difference in my view of the paradigm that I 61 00:03:07.479 --> 00:03:12.479 felt called to try to build and lead in. And 62 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:16.199 then you know, we wound up becoming friendly and so 63 00:03:16.240 --> 00:03:17.479 that was kind of cool. I got spend a lot 64 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:22.439 of time with him and a few others. David Elms, 65 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:24.240 I would say, is my other one with regard to 66 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:27.919 global missions and that kind of thing. So, yeah, what 67 00:03:27.960 --> 00:03:33.120 do I look for in mentors? People who are wiser 68 00:03:33.159 --> 00:03:37.360 than me. That would be one. People who have the 69 00:03:37.400 --> 00:03:42.520 ability to articulate their ideas clearly. And I always have 70 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:46.759 been attracted to people who build systems always, so something 71 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:49.319 that I can see, not just these vague ideas, but 72 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:52.199 I can figure out how to apply them in my life. 73 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:54.520 And I'm kind of a systems guy, and so finding 74 00:03:54.520 --> 00:03:56.599 a structure, a system, a paradigm that I can figure 75 00:03:56.599 --> 00:03:58.719 out how to begin implementing was important to me. And 76 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:01.120 then accessibility is important. And do you have access to 77 00:04:01.159 --> 00:04:03.199 him like Rick? I didn't for years, but I had 78 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:06.879 his book, and so I think books, you know, have 79 00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:10.719 been a great opportunity to have, you know, mentored me 80 00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:12.680 when I couldn't have access directly to the person. 81 00:04:13.080 --> 00:04:17.160 Yeah, yeah, yeah, So I mean, well that's first of all, Wow, 82 00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:19.079 that's a lot. I didn't expect you to list all 83 00:04:19.079 --> 00:04:21.759 your mentors, or at least a lot of them. I 84 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:24.759 was maybe thinking one for me, So I'm feeling pressure 85 00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:27.920 to come on to multiple But I would say, I 86 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:30.839 would say my dad didn't become a mentor for me 87 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:34.639 until later on in life. So and then, and none 88 00:04:34.680 --> 00:04:36.639 of my brothers, although I loved all of them and 89 00:04:36.759 --> 00:04:39.079 I was close to them, never considered any of them 90 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:43.639 as a mentor. So I was mentor less until I 91 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:47.480 went to church and when I became a Christian, my 92 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:51.439 first mentor type person. And I would even say even 93 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:53.879 I was in baseball my whole life since T ball, 94 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:55.680 and I would say, there wasn't even like a really 95 00:04:55.720 --> 00:04:58.199 like a good friend of a coach there. I didn't 96 00:04:58.199 --> 00:05:00.879 really have a mentor until I was about maybe fifteen 97 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:05.680 or sixteen, and I had a pastor named Jamie, and 98 00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:09.160 he was a goofy kid. He was a goofy person. 99 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:12.680 He was way way less athletic than I was, so 100 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:14.800 in that way, he was artsy. So I liked that 101 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:17.240 side of me because I had an artsy side, but 102 00:05:17.480 --> 00:05:19.240 he didn't have the athletic side, and I sort of 103 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:22.920 had both. And and you're kind of cool that way. 104 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:24.959 I'm kind of cool that way. I'm like Zach Cafron 105 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:26.519 huh in high school musical. 106 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:28.560 Oh you brought it on your own self? I did? 107 00:05:28.680 --> 00:05:33.920 I did. But anyway, the point is is that he 108 00:05:33.959 --> 00:05:35.519 was a mentor to me. And you know what, now 109 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:37.439 that I'm talking this out loud, I'm not sure I've 110 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:40.680 ever even thought about this until just now, But my 111 00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:45.319 strongest mentors have been those people who are are gifted 112 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:49.519 in communication. So people who have really looked up to 113 00:05:49.800 --> 00:05:53.560 and tried to model after are people who amaze me 114 00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:56.560 with their ability to communicate. 115 00:05:57.040 --> 00:05:57.439 Yeah. 116 00:05:57.519 --> 00:05:59.519 Yeah, So I would say, I would say the three 117 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:02.519 that come to my mind, or my pastor Jamie growing up. 118 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:06.959 And then I would say from afar, Andy Stanley is 119 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:11.800 one of the best communicators in terms of ability and 120 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:14.720 style and clarity that I've ever heard in my life. 121 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:18.680 He's one of my favorite ones. And then I would 122 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:24.920 also say Dave Wilson. So Dave Wilson was probably the 123 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:28.879 only three of that group who not only was a 124 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:34.160 mentor to me in terms of communication, but also mentored character. 125 00:06:34.759 --> 00:06:41.720 He mentored humility and character, probably maybe more than anybody 126 00:06:41.800 --> 00:06:42.240 that I know. 127 00:06:43.399 --> 00:06:45.399 So I would say that's one of the things I 128 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:50.079 look for, quite honestly, is look for character. Success is important, obviously, 129 00:06:50.120 --> 00:06:52.319 you want to build, you know, you're trying to figure 130 00:06:52.319 --> 00:06:54.639 out how to build your life and to climb higher, 131 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:57.120 and so you're looking for somebody who's successful. But there 132 00:06:57.120 --> 00:06:59.959 are lots of successful people who don't have any character, right, Right, 133 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:03.879 And that's why so many people say don't meet your heroes, 134 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:07.600 right is because most successful people don't have a ton 135 00:07:07.639 --> 00:07:10.720 of character in all the other areas of life, maybe 136 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:12.720 in the area it took to get to that successful place, 137 00:07:13.240 --> 00:07:15.560 and so that was something that I was always looking for. 138 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:19.199 My dad was very balanced with his character and a 139 00:07:19.319 --> 00:07:24.439 very disciplined person and hard worker and all those things, 140 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:27.639 and really grew in his faith. That was important. Stan 141 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:31.800 was funny but kept me in line, and that was 142 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:34.399 it was hard to find somebody who was entertaining and 143 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:36.839 captured my attention as young man, but also made me 144 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:40.079 obey the rules, keep me in line, and he motivated 145 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:42.240 me in a lot of ways, and so that that 146 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:44.680 was great. And then he began. Stan began to cast 147 00:07:44.680 --> 00:07:47.399 a vision of what could be right. Maybe you get 148 00:07:47.399 --> 00:07:50.720 a scholarship, and so in that one then it wasn't 149 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:53.079 always just that Stan gave me everything I wanted. Stan 150 00:07:54.040 --> 00:07:57.240 made me laugh and being funny and laughing is important 151 00:07:57.240 --> 00:08:01.759 to me, and our thinking was similar. But he also 152 00:08:01.800 --> 00:08:03.759 began to try to show me the future. But he 153 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:06.399 kept me in line. That discipline thing, that character thing 154 00:08:06.480 --> 00:08:09.319 was important. I think a couple of my professors that 155 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:11.360 I looked up to didn't have the character. They just 156 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:15.199 had this knowledge and parent wisdom, didn't have character. That's 157 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:19.360 why I didn't name them. And then you know, Rick 158 00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:22.040 had that character that I was like, man, I want 159 00:08:22.040 --> 00:08:25.319 that in my life. That forty years of ministry, never 160 00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:28.399 an accusation with regard to moral issues or anything like 161 00:08:28.439 --> 00:08:35.799 that really carried a great model for me, I think personally. 162 00:08:35.879 --> 00:08:38.840 And then David now, same thing, seventy years old or 163 00:08:38.840 --> 00:08:42.279 whatever now and just walking with the Lord and a 164 00:08:42.360 --> 00:08:44.759 man of character really get it done, hard work, ethic, 165 00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:48.000 that kind of thing. And so I would say, if 166 00:08:48.039 --> 00:08:53.960 you're approaching a mentor you want be respectful. The best 167 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:56.120 way to get my attention when people come to me 168 00:08:56.440 --> 00:08:58.159 clearly trying to figure out how to get like when 169 00:08:58.200 --> 00:09:05.480 you came and wanted me to mentor you. That Usually 170 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:07.600 the people who catch catch my attention though, are the 171 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:10.080 ones who say, hey, I've noticed this, I've seen this. 172 00:09:10.759 --> 00:09:14.080 They ask really compelling questions, right, not just would you 173 00:09:14.120 --> 00:09:17.399 mentor me, but they start digging and going, why how 174 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:19.759 do you think when you made decisions? How did you 175 00:09:19.799 --> 00:09:22.480 come to that conclusion? How did you learn this thing? 176 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:25.559 Where are you finding this information? And then usually I'll 177 00:09:25.559 --> 00:09:27.960 give them material and say hey, go read this, and 178 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:29.840 it's when they come back and go I just read that, 179 00:09:29.960 --> 00:09:31.919 like in a week. I read it. I'm so excited. 180 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:34.840 I got this question, this question that kind of eagerness 181 00:09:34.840 --> 00:09:38.320 and hunger catches my attention. What about you? When people 182 00:09:38.320 --> 00:09:39.799 are coming and saying, hey, would you mentor me? 183 00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:46.000 Well, I would definitely say, uh. I always try to assess. 184 00:09:46.039 --> 00:09:48.840 I feel pretty unworthy sometimes and so I always think 185 00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:51.399 to myself, what can I offer this person? Right, But 186 00:09:51.879 --> 00:09:54.679 if they're asking me to mentor them, then it You know, again, 187 00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:56.840 this is an Amy Stanley quote, right, It's not my 188 00:09:56.960 --> 00:09:59.639 job to fill your cop it's my job to empty mind. 189 00:10:00.679 --> 00:10:03.240 So the idea of like, but what captures my attention 190 00:10:03.320 --> 00:10:07.279 would be, I guess the same thing. Somebody who I 191 00:10:07.320 --> 00:10:12.360 feel like I could gel with, who really wants everything 192 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:14.879 that I have to offer. And it doesn't really matter 193 00:10:14.919 --> 00:10:18.240 whether that's competency ministry stuff, or whether it's character stuff 194 00:10:18.279 --> 00:10:21.720 or leadership stuff, because I've sort of had niches of 195 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:24.279 all those kind of things. Right, Yeah, but I would say, yeah, 196 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:26.399 the same thing, just an eagerness to learn, and then 197 00:10:26.519 --> 00:10:29.000 whether they gel with me and whether that would be 198 00:10:29.080 --> 00:10:31.519 something that I feel like I would enjoy doing. 199 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:35.720 Yeah, the mentor relationship mentor mentee relationships. There has to 200 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:37.720 be kind of a friendship in that, and so you 201 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:40.240 can't force that. You can't just kind of schedule that. 202 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:42.799 Yeah, And by the way, that's what I was referring 203 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:44.200 to on whether or not I was going to say 204 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:46.679 yes to the mentorship, right, hey would be my mentor. 205 00:10:46.919 --> 00:10:49.840 My yes is going to depend on a long term 206 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:51.200 relationship with that person. 207 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:53.840 For me, Like with Rick Warren, I didn't have access 208 00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:57.080 to Rick, but I read everything he wrote. I listened 209 00:10:57.159 --> 00:11:02.759 to everything he said on recordings. I showed up at conferences, 210 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:04.919 and I just decided he was my mentor, whether he 211 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:07.919 knew it or not. And then he noticed later on 212 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:10.159 his team began to notice, Hey, this church is really 213 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:11.759 doing something, and they wanted to figure out who we were. 214 00:11:12.039 --> 00:11:14.759 I just mentioned, hey, Rick's been my mentor from you know, 215 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:18.919 three thousand miles away and just for ten years. And 216 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:23.000 so that's it is collecting and getting paying attention to 217 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:25.759 everything that that person says, everything they write, and to 218 00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:27.399 figure out how it applies to your life. Begin putting 219 00:11:27.399 --> 00:11:30.919 in an application rather than expecting that they're going to 220 00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:33.600 give you the time. Then as the Lord opens the door, 221 00:11:33.639 --> 00:11:37.600 man sees it so towards the end, I had a 222 00:11:37.639 --> 00:11:40.320 list Chad Asthma as my executive pastor, and I went 223 00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:42.080 in one day and said, hey, these are my four mentors, 224 00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:44.279 and we never say no to them. If there's any 225 00:11:44.360 --> 00:11:46.039 way for us to say yes, we'll say yes. So 226 00:11:46.120 --> 00:11:48.639 David now almost comes raising money. We give money. Rick 227 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:51.399 Warren says, hey, would you go to Rwanda? We canceled 228 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:53.200 like three things and went to Rwanda with him. Right, 229 00:11:53.240 --> 00:11:56.919 We said, okay, if we want access, we have to 230 00:11:56.919 --> 00:11:58.480 be sitting at the table. We have to show up 231 00:11:58.519 --> 00:12:00.240 and when they give us that opportunity, walk through the 232 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:03.080 door and do that. And so it turned out proximity 233 00:12:03.159 --> 00:12:04.759 gets causes invitations. 234 00:12:04.840 --> 00:12:05.600 Yeah that's right. 235 00:12:06.120 --> 00:12:08.840 So yeah, I think that's a great one. I think mentors, 236 00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:13.240 the whole idea of being of finding a good mentors important. 237 00:12:13.320 --> 00:12:15.279 But then you have to get in stick with the process. 238 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:17.919 And I would say, don't go a Lakhart. Well, I 239 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:19.639 like what this mentor says. I don't like what that 240 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:22.720 mentor says, right, right, So I only had one mentor 241 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:24.639 in each of the key areas of my life that 242 00:12:24.679 --> 00:12:27.240 I really paid close attention to. I looked around, I 243 00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:30.600 shopped around, I tried to find other opportunities, but I 244 00:12:30.679 --> 00:12:32.440 found the one that I said, Okay, this is what 245 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:35.879 I'm going to build after, and I'm not going to 246 00:12:35.960 --> 00:12:39.639 go and compare his opinions to somebody else's opinions. I'm 247 00:12:39.639 --> 00:12:41.960 just going to run with this one. So there's something 248 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:44.320 to that. Anyways, we mentioned we're going to read these 249 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:46.480 two chapters. We took a long time on that. When 250 00:12:46.519 --> 00:12:48.639 we had the time, I think, because you're going to 251 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:50.960 find out that these two chapters that we're reading, we 252 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:52.279 didn't do a transition. 253 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:55.720 You know, speaking of mentors, you know who's the best mentor? God? 254 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:58.080 Oh there you go, very good. And he wrote a 255 00:12:58.080 --> 00:13:00.159 book and spent some time in his book. That's right, yea, 256 00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:03.320 And eventually he's gonna invite you. It is joining there, 257 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:07.679 it is okay. So some one and some one forty 258 00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:11.240 seven were written, we believe by people who were heading 259 00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:15.279 back to Jerusalem during this Ezra and Nehemiah esther time right. 260 00:13:15.320 --> 00:13:17.360 Yeah Israel chapter one, yeah, time. 261 00:13:17.159 --> 00:13:19.879 Prasing Cyrus timeframe. So here's what it says. In some 262 00:13:19.960 --> 00:13:22.559 one twenty six, when the Lord brought back his exiles 263 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:25.159 to Jerusalem, it was like a dream. We were filled 264 00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:27.480 with laughter, and we sang for joy, and the other 265 00:13:27.559 --> 00:13:30.639 nation said, what amazing things the Lord has done for them? Yes, 266 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:33.000 the Lord has done amazing things for us. What joy? 267 00:13:33.559 --> 00:13:37.080 Restore our fortunes. Lord, as streams renew the desert, those 268 00:13:37.080 --> 00:13:39.679 who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. 269 00:13:40.519 --> 00:13:42.799 They weep as they go to plant their seed, but 270 00:13:42.919 --> 00:13:45.759 they sing as they return with the harvest. What a 271 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:48.320 good one? I like them? Six verses yep, And then 272 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:51.480 in one seventy says, I praise the Lord. How good 273 00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:54.360 to sing the praises of our God. How delightful and 274 00:13:54.399 --> 00:13:57.240 how fitting The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the 275 00:13:57.240 --> 00:14:01.320 exiles back to Israel. He heals the hearted and bandages 276 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:04.240 their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them by name. 277 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:08.200 How great is our Lord. His power is absolute, his 278 00:14:08.279 --> 00:14:11.960 understanding is beyond comprehension. The Lord supports the humble, but 279 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:14.879 he brings the weak down into the dust. Sing out 280 00:14:14.919 --> 00:14:17.360 your thanks to the Lord. Sing praises to our God 281 00:14:17.399 --> 00:14:19.679 with a harp. He covers the heavens with clouds, and 282 00:14:19.720 --> 00:14:21.919 provides rain for the earth and makes the grass grow 283 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:25.000 in the mountain pastures. He gives food to the wild 284 00:14:25.080 --> 00:14:28.000 animals and feeds the young ravens when they cry. He 285 00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:29.840 takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or 286 00:14:29.879 --> 00:14:32.320 in human might. Nor the Lord's delight is in those 287 00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:35.120 who fear him, those who put their hope in his 288 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:39.919 unfailing love. Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem. Praise your God, 289 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:42.639 O Zion, for he has strengthened the bars of your 290 00:14:42.679 --> 00:14:45.279 gates and blessed your children within your walls. He sends 291 00:14:45.320 --> 00:14:48.000 peace across your nation and satisfies your hunger with the 292 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.679 finest wheat. He sends his orders to the world, and 293 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:54.039 how swiftly his word flies. He sends the snow like 294 00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:57.279 white wool. He scatters frost upon the ground like ashes. 295 00:14:57.600 --> 00:14:59.919 He hurls hail like stones. Who can stand against his 296 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:03.360 freezing cold? Then at his command it all melts. He 297 00:15:03.399 --> 00:15:06.960 sends his winds, and the ice thaws. He has revealed 298 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:10.240 his words to Jacob, his decrees and regulations to Israel. 299 00:15:10.440 --> 00:15:12.799 He has not done this for any other nation. They 300 00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:15.080 did not know as regulations. Praise the Lord. 301 00:15:17.639 --> 00:15:21.960 So these two chapters are written in rejoicing, and they're 302 00:15:22.039 --> 00:15:25.879 just acknowledging that God is good. And dude, what an 303 00:15:26.039 --> 00:15:30.639 unbelievable picture where it says, those who plant in tears 304 00:15:30.679 --> 00:15:34.000 will will harvest in shots of joy. They weep as 305 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:36.919 they go to plant their seed, but they sing as 306 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:40.679 they return with the harvest. You know, for a person 307 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:44.279 like you who grew up planting and harvesting, you know, 308 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:47.279 it's it's a it's just a word picture of you know, 309 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:51.840 like at the beginning there was sorrow and now they're 310 00:15:51.840 --> 00:15:54.759 they're reaping the benefits of joy, and it's a picture 311 00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:56.960 of the exile to the return. Right. 312 00:15:57.159 --> 00:15:59.399 Do you know the ministry bearing precious seed? Do you 313 00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:02.240 remember that from our our old days? 314 00:16:02.440 --> 00:16:03.480 I don't think so. 315 00:16:03.480 --> 00:16:05.799 So they used to use this this passage, and it 316 00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:08.159 was in the King James, he that goe with fourth 317 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:12.120 bearing precious seed, so doubt uh, he who goe with 318 00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:17.360 forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing. 319 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:21.519 I was talking that it's a bible printing ministry, Okay, 320 00:16:21.519 --> 00:16:24.240 that they did, and they for free they print bibles 321 00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:26.559 through churches and then they for free send them all 322 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:29.039 around the world to missionaries and places that don't have 323 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:30.960 any Bibles and stuff. But that's that's what they use. 324 00:16:32.200 --> 00:16:35.399 Yeah, yeah, kind of yeah, well, that's that's amazing. It's 325 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:38.120 pretty neat and uh and yeah. So it's pretty clear 326 00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:42.120 that that these chapters would have been written. And let's 327 00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:46.039 remind ourselves that these were actually songs, right, because all 328 00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:48.480 the songs were songs. So this is these are these 329 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:51.639 are things they would have sang. And it's possible that 330 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:55.279 they could have sang this on their journey to Jerusalem. 331 00:16:55.399 --> 00:16:57.039 These kind of songs are like, you know, now in 332 00:16:57.039 --> 00:17:00.000 our days, we're singing waymaker, he makes a way, Yeah right, 333 00:17:00.840 --> 00:17:03.279 all that kind of stuff. That's how they'd be singing 334 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:06.680 this man. Stuff was hard, we had tears in our eyes, 335 00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:10.200 and God restored us right, and all these things. The 336 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:14.000 other thing I think is really interesting is, hey, God 337 00:17:14.039 --> 00:17:17.640 provides for us. There's this clear idea that God, he says, 338 00:17:17.799 --> 00:17:20.880 you know, restore our fortunes. The author rights, but it's 339 00:17:20.920 --> 00:17:27.480 interesting it says, where did it talked about wheat? Remember 340 00:17:27.519 --> 00:17:31.519 that wheat? Yes, the finest week. Oh yeah, he sends 341 00:17:31.559 --> 00:17:34.359 peace across our nation and satisfies your hunger with the 342 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:37.519 finest wheat. It's interesting they didn't have an expectation that 343 00:17:37.559 --> 00:17:40.839 God just snapped his fingers and do miracles. They saw 344 00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:43.279 his deliverance as the miracle. But the only way you 345 00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:47.000 get wheat is you till ground, you plant seed, you cultivate, 346 00:17:47.400 --> 00:17:51.240 and then you harvest. Right, And so they're not saying, hey, 347 00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:53.160 look at this miracle that happened and all we have 348 00:17:53.240 --> 00:17:56.119 everything we always wanted. They're saying, God gave us the 349 00:17:56.200 --> 00:17:58.960 opportunity to seize the moment, and that's the miracle we 350 00:17:58.960 --> 00:18:01.200 were looking for. And then they went and were willing 351 00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:03.480 to do the work to make it happen. Right. 352 00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:08.000 Oh, yeah, there's a sermon in there, it yeah, and 353 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:11.160 it says who can stand against the cold? His commanded 354 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:14.200 all melts when he sends his winds the ice thoss. 355 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:17.200 He also says he takes no pleasure in the strength 356 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:19.119 of a horse or human might know, the Lord's delight 357 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:22.240 is in those who fear him. Isn't that great? Yeah? 358 00:18:22.279 --> 00:18:25.039 So God's not impressed, right with our own efforts and 359 00:18:25.079 --> 00:18:30.039 our own strength. God's impressed with those who fear him 360 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:32.279 and put their hope in Him and his unfailing love. 361 00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:36.519 So once again it's just a reminder that God's God's 362 00:18:36.559 --> 00:18:38.680 not going to be like, you know, the way we 363 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:41.960 think we think it's you know, we think the most 364 00:18:41.960 --> 00:18:45.079 thing that impresses God is you know the things we 365 00:18:45.160 --> 00:18:47.640 can do or you know the strength by our own hand. 366 00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:49.559 And it's like, no, the only thing that matters to 367 00:18:49.640 --> 00:18:52.319 God is that we love him, we trust in his 368 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:55.640 unfailing love, and we fear Him in the healthy way. 369 00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:56.000 Right. 370 00:18:56.599 --> 00:18:59.200 Yeah, And by the way, that's true today. Right, that's 371 00:18:59.240 --> 00:19:00.559 just as applicable to today, is it ever? 372 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:00.799 Was? 373 00:19:01.559 --> 00:19:03.519 Right? So, the fear of the Lord is the beginning 374 00:19:03.559 --> 00:19:04.200 of all wisdom. 375 00:19:04.359 --> 00:19:04.599 Right. 376 00:19:05.559 --> 00:19:05.720 You know. 377 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:07.880 One of the things I love about how clear the 378 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:09.880 Bible is, Like in verse seven, it says, sing out 379 00:19:09.880 --> 00:19:15.240 your thanks to the Lord only on Sundays. Don't don't 380 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:17.000 you like that? Isn't it amazing? 381 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:17.799 It's so clear? 382 00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:21.799 Yeah, yeah, it's amazing to me how many Christians only 383 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:25.640 praise the Lord and song on Sunday, right, Like for 384 00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:27.720 that twenty five minutes on a Sunday morning we sing 385 00:19:27.720 --> 00:19:29.839 a few worship songs and the rest of the week 386 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:33.960 the song of their heart is pretty fleshly yeah, right, 387 00:19:34.359 --> 00:19:36.559 And there is something to that that, Hey, you know 388 00:19:36.599 --> 00:19:40.400 what your heart art reflects our heart. And so he's 389 00:19:40.440 --> 00:19:42.599 always saying sing to the Lord, sing thanks to the Lord, 390 00:19:42.640 --> 00:19:44.680 saying praise the Lord, be grateful to the Lord, sing 391 00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:48.160 praises to the Lord, and in this one. Yeah, so 392 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:49.160 I was being silly. 393 00:19:49.559 --> 00:19:52.240 Yeah. So do you play music when you're in the 394 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:52.720 shower at all? 395 00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:54.519 Yeah? Sometimes I do. 396 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:57.480 So I do this thing where I work out of 397 00:19:57.480 --> 00:19:59.960 the church because we have a gym at our church, right, 398 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:02.240 a fitness center, ye, and then there's a shower there, 399 00:20:02.279 --> 00:20:04.279 and so I always get my phone and I always 400 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:07.880 play songs. And I would say about half the time 401 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:10.519