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 --> 00:00:15.080 practical ways. Well, hey, everybody, happy Monday. Yeah, and today 4 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:18.760 me and Wesley are the Bible Guys together. Yes, and 5 00:00:18.760 --> 00:00:21.800 that's because Jeff is around the world doing great things 6 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:22.640 like Marco Polo. 7 00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:25.120 Yes, he is doing a lot of traveling. Yeah. 8 00:00:25.480 --> 00:00:28.879 Yeah, so Wesley, this is what is commonly now known 9 00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:30.839 as the Platinum Edition thanks to your nickname. 10 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:33.280 I actually had someone come up to me and say 11 00:00:33.520 --> 00:00:34.679 Platinum Edition. Yeah. 12 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:37.079 Yeah, yeah, that's right. You just kind of came up 13 00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:40.079 the cuff for that, you did. So that's really fun. 14 00:00:40.359 --> 00:00:42.640 So so hey, this week we are the Bible Guys, 15 00:00:42.679 --> 00:00:44.840 and we are in the middle of a series, actually 16 00:00:44.920 --> 00:00:49.320 in the third week of series called Dangerous Prayers, and 17 00:00:49.719 --> 00:00:53.039 these this week has a theme and this whole week 18 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:56.240 is our prayers of calling. Well easy for me to say, 19 00:00:56.280 --> 00:00:59.560 I can't talk yet today, prayers of calling in other 20 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:02.359 words like God calling us out, yeah, and and calling 21 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:04.560 our voice and and so when we feel like God 22 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:07.359 calls us to something, that's that's the vein that these 23 00:01:07.400 --> 00:01:08.120 are all in today. 24 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:09.560 Right, Yeah, this is going to be good. 25 00:01:09.640 --> 00:01:11.319 Yeah, so before we jump into that, we have a 26 00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:15.680 great segment today. Jeff would always say, we scour the 27 00:01:15.719 --> 00:01:18.599 internet for all the best sources of news. 28 00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:20.840 High quality only, high quality, only. 29 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:24.120 For our people. But the reality is is that actually 30 00:01:24.200 --> 00:01:27.640 it's really just the segments of the Babylon Beach. Yes, 31 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:32.719 this is a satire news source. And so anyway, we 32 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:35.560 gave this to Wesley to read because Wesley has a 33 00:01:35.599 --> 00:01:38.400 sickness with this with this topic. 34 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:41.040 Yeah, this is very near and dear to my heart. 35 00:01:41.079 --> 00:01:43.079 I love the waffle house. If you know me, I 36 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:45.879 love waffles. I mean, actually I'm a waffle snob. 37 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:46.719 Are you really? 38 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:49.519 You got to get the ingredients right, you gotta have 39 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:52.040 the right mix, you gotta do all of that. I 40 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:55.519 even looked at buying a waffle house iron. Wow, And 41 00:01:55.560 --> 00:01:57.319 when I saw the price of it and what you 42 00:01:57.439 --> 00:01:58.920 had to do to hook it up in your house, 43 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:02.760 I quickly changed my Okay, they are expensive, are they really? Like? Yeah, 44 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:05.439 a brand new one is like over a thousand wow. 45 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:08.360 Yeah for a brand new waffle iron, Yeah, it could 46 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:09.599 be like twelve hundred bucks. 47 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:10.039 Wow. 48 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:12.199 So I'm like, you know what I think the twenty 49 00:02:12.199 --> 00:02:14.280 dollars Black and Decker is okay. 50 00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:16.759 And by the way, you and I share that in 51 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:19.919 common because I lived in Atlanta for ten years and 52 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:25.039 I was birthplace the birthplace, and I was and still 53 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:29.240 am a waffle House huge, huge fan, Yeah, huge fan. 54 00:02:29.319 --> 00:02:31.719 In fact, every time we go to Youngstown, Ohio, there's 55 00:02:31.719 --> 00:02:34.800 one in Youngstown. Yeah, and I have to go there, yeah, 56 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:36.120 because there are none in Michigan, right. 57 00:02:36.240 --> 00:02:40.520 Yeah. I have frequently gone to Toledo or Perrysburg, Ohio, 58 00:02:40.840 --> 00:02:41.759 to the waffle House. 59 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:42.680 That's hilarious. 60 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:45.680 All right, So this is the title. Waffle House unveils 61 00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:50.960 successful brand strategy of just keeping everything the same forever. 62 00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:54.000 That is the best title ever. That is the best 63 00:02:54.039 --> 00:02:54.520 I ever. 64 00:02:54.840 --> 00:02:57.479 Yeah, and again this is from the Babylon b It says. 65 00:02:57.719 --> 00:03:01.759 Following the public relations disaster Craacker Barrel experienced this week 66 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:06.120 after it introduced its new logo, popular restaurant chain, waffle 67 00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:10.479 House unveiled a successful strategy of just keeping everything the 68 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:14.240 same forever. The twenty four hour breakfast chain sought to 69 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:18.680 avoid the same backlash Cracker Barrel suffered by simply not 70 00:03:18.759 --> 00:03:22.919 ever changing any of its branding, products or decor, and 71 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:27.319 instead maintaining everything exactly as it has been since nineteen 72 00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:30.080 fifty five, and if you've never been to the waffle House, 73 00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:35.280 it's exactly that way. Yes, we're never going to be different, 74 00:03:35.319 --> 00:03:39.319 said waffle House CEO Joe Rodgers. The third. Other restaurants 75 00:03:39.319 --> 00:03:41.960 may feel pressure to change the way they look, come 76 00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:45.080 up with new logos, or occasionally wipe crumbs and grease 77 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:48.159 off the tables, but at waffle House, we pledge that 78 00:03:48.280 --> 00:03:51.240 our customers will never have to deal with that type 79 00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:55.199 of jarring change. While many popular brands have fallen to 80 00:03:55.319 --> 00:03:58.599 the temptation to update their looks and products to keep 81 00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:03.039 peace with the modern world, waffle House expresss expressed its 82 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:07.039 commitment to providing the same environment in services that its 83 00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:10.719 customers have always known. There's no reason to try to 84 00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:14.159 reinvent the will here, rogers continue. We know what we are, 85 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:18.759 Our customers know what we are. When you want to 86 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:21.600 eat a stack of pancakes, a pile of bacon, and 87 00:04:21.639 --> 00:04:25.160 some grits at two am while watching a live fight 88 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:28.959 between some transients who wandered over from the truck stop, 89 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:32.680 waffle House has been and always will be the place 90 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:36.480 to go. At publishing time, waffle House had issued a 91 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:39.959 follow up statement promising that even the oil used in 92 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:44.160 the fryers of its locations would never ever be changed. 93 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:47.439 Ever ever lyric that's really good ever ever. 94 00:04:47.800 --> 00:04:49.519 Yeah, and that places the class. 95 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:51.399 I'll bet you they keep that promise. Yeah. 96 00:04:51.639 --> 00:04:53.199 Yeah, yes, they are amazing. 97 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:55.519 So when I go into waffle House, one of the 98 00:04:55.560 --> 00:04:57.839 things I do, and I know not many people do it, yeah, 99 00:04:57.879 --> 00:04:58.879 which is why I do it. 100 00:04:59.000 --> 00:04:59.319 Yeah. 101 00:04:59.399 --> 00:05:02.240 But there's no music in waffle house oh yeah yeah, 102 00:05:02.279 --> 00:05:05.720 so at least the ones in Ohio. So, uh, it's 103 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:08.680 just silent. And they basically it's almost like they punish 104 00:05:08.759 --> 00:05:11.199 people and they force you to spend the money at 105 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:11.680 the jukebox. 106 00:05:11.759 --> 00:05:12.079 Yeah. 107 00:05:12.120 --> 00:05:14.160 So there's a big jukebox there and uh. And so 108 00:05:14.199 --> 00:05:15.759 the first thing we do is we get in there 109 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:17.639 and I make sure I have to have dollar bills 110 00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:20.079 or a five or at least you know, I usually 111 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:21.879 throw a five in there because I stay for a 112 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:24.480 while and then I just have fun taking place. So 113 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:26.360 it's part of the experience for us now. And so 114 00:05:26.439 --> 00:05:28.399 my son and I have been going to waffle House 115 00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:31.600 gosh since he was three years old, two years old together, 116 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:33.680 sort of our thing. And one of the things we 117 00:05:33.720 --> 00:05:35.680 always do is go up there and say, okay, son, 118 00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:36.079 let's go. 119 00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:36.480 Yeah. 120 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:40.560 And anyway, there's a there's a song on every waffle 121 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:43.839 House playlist that is called the waffle House Thank You Song. 122 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:45.439 Oh I don't know that one. 123 00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:48.000 Yeah. Yeah, so it's actually it's actually it's actually by 124 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:50.839 waffle House. Yeah, and it's and it's like waffle Houses, 125 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:56.000 thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, And it's 126 00:05:56.079 --> 00:05:58.879 and they're thanking you for coming to ye. And I'm like, 127 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:01.839 I'm like, you know everyone, so, I mean not not recently, 128 00:06:01.879 --> 00:06:03.920 but like when we were kids, when he was a kid, 129 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:05.120 we always would play the. 130 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:07.839 Thing, so thank you. So that is hilarious, larious, And 131 00:06:07.879 --> 00:06:09.160 I'm going to have to do that the next time 132 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:10.759 I go to Ohio for sure. 133 00:06:11.240 --> 00:06:13.319 For sure. Yeah. And then and then you'll be sitting 134 00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:15.879 there eating your offles, going really this is what they did, 135 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:19.079 Like I paid for this, yeah yeah, yeah, but it's great. Yeah. So, 136 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:20.959 but there's a lot of pressure, by the way, when 137 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:23.920 you choose the music because there's a diverse crowd in there. 138 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:26.560 It's like you have like your you know, sort of 139 00:06:26.600 --> 00:06:31.160 like your cowboy country kind of folks, right, you know, 140 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:33.519 kind of like hey, walking a waffle house. Yeah, you 141 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:35.800 kind of have that crowd, which, by the way, that's 142 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:38.480 that's true, whether they had accents or not, and everybody 143 00:06:38.480 --> 00:06:40.480 knows what I'm saying, right, And then you sort of 144 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:43.040 have your urban crowd, and then you have like people 145 00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:45.040 like super lame people like me who want to hear 146 00:06:45.160 --> 00:06:46.720 like you know, uh, you know. 147 00:06:46.839 --> 00:06:48.959 Free bird things like that. 148 00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:51.279 Right, It's like it's like you have you know, so 149 00:06:51.319 --> 00:06:52.720 you have to like, like, what are you going to do? 150 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:59.199 So honestly, I feel pressure to pick songs that nobody 151 00:06:59.240 --> 00:07:01.199 can argue with, yeah, because you know, some people are 152 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:03.160 just like, oh, I'm gonna do top forty hits or whatever, 153 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:06.040 you know, Rick D's or you know, Casey Jason, whatever 154 00:07:06.040 --> 00:07:08.439 it is. And I'm like, no, no, no, I'm going to 155 00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:11.959 try to pick like literally like living on a prayer 156 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:15.319 or you know, or you know, things like that stop believing, 157 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:18.839 because I don't think the world can much argue with it, 158 00:07:18.920 --> 00:07:20.040 regardless of who you like. 159 00:07:20.199 --> 00:07:21.120 Yeah, you know what I mean. 160 00:07:21.319 --> 00:07:23.480 So that's what I do. I try to pick super 161 00:07:23.480 --> 00:07:24.040 big classes. 162 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:26.879 Chris has a strategy. So that's the waffle House strategy 163 00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:27.199 right there. 164 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:30.120 Yeah, I want everybody to go, oh, thank you sir, 165 00:07:30.879 --> 00:07:34.279 you know, thank you for doing that. As opposed to right. 166 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:35.920 You know, have you ever done that? Have you ever 167 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:38.639 been in a place where somebody plays their genre you're like, 168 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:39.920 let me leave right now. 169 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:42.160 Or it's like the song that has been played over 170 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:44.959 and over and over again, yeah, and you're like just stop. 171 00:07:44.680 --> 00:07:48.000 It right right? Well okay, well, hey, that was a 172 00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:53.800 very fun segment and and honestly it it caught me 173 00:07:53.879 --> 00:07:54.560 by surprise. 174 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:56.839 Yeah, you can never go wrong with the waffle house. 175 00:07:56.959 --> 00:07:59.360 Yeah. Hey, by the way, you know what else was 176 00:07:59.360 --> 00:07:59.839 the surprise? 177 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:00.639 What was that? 178 00:08:00.720 --> 00:08:01.800 God call him Samuel? 179 00:08:02.199 --> 00:08:05.000 That was a good transition. That was good and it's terrible. 180 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:08.720 I've made it up because that's sent wasn't a surprise, yes, 181 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:12.079 but anyway, yeah, that's what we're talking about today. So 182 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:16.240 in First Samuel, chapter three, verses one through ten, Yeah, 183 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:17.000 so are you to read? 184 00:08:17.399 --> 00:08:17.879 I can read? 185 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:20.920 Yeah, yeah, sorry, we never covered that. Yeah, was Jeff's 186 00:08:20.920 --> 00:08:21.319 the reader? 187 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:22.319 I will be reading? 188 00:08:22.360 --> 00:08:23.000 Yeah? Yeah. Yeah. 189 00:08:23.079 --> 00:08:26.319 So again First Samuel, chapter three, verses one through ten, 190 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:30.160 it says, meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by 191 00:08:30.199 --> 00:08:33.759 assisting Eli. Now, in those days, messages from the Lord 192 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:37.639 were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. Verse two, 193 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:42.159 one night, Eli who was almost blind by now had 194 00:08:42.200 --> 00:08:45.279 gone to bed. The lamp of God had not yet 195 00:08:45.320 --> 00:08:49.000 gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the tabernacle near 196 00:08:49.080 --> 00:08:53.399 the ark of God. Suddenly the Lord called out Samuel. Yes, 197 00:08:53.559 --> 00:08:56.679 Samuel replied, what is it. He got up and ran 198 00:08:56.720 --> 00:08:59.320 to Eli here, I am, did you call me? I 199 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:02.519 didn't call you. Eli replied, Go back to bed, so 200 00:09:02.600 --> 00:09:06.720 he did. Then the Lord called out again Samuel. Again. 201 00:09:06.840 --> 00:09:09.559 Samuel got up and went to Eli here, I am, 202 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:12.559 did you call me? I didn't call you, my son, 203 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:16.799 Eli said, go back to bed. Samuel did not yet 204 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:19.799 know the Lord because he had never had a message 205 00:09:19.960 --> 00:09:23.120 from the Lord before. So the Lord called a third time, 206 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:26.799 and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli here, 207 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:30.159 I am, did you call me? Then Eli realized it 208 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:32.840 was the Lord who was calling the boy, so he 209 00:09:32.919 --> 00:09:35.360 said to Samuel go and lie down again, and if 210 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:40.039 someone calls again, say speak, Lord, your servant is listening. 211 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:43.159 So Samuel went back to bed, and the Lord came 212 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:48.080 and called as before Samuel Samuel, and Samuel replied, speak, 213 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:50.000 your servant is listening. 214 00:09:51.080 --> 00:09:52.559 That's it. We're stopping there. 215 00:09:52.679 --> 00:09:55.360 Huh, yeah, it's not right there. That's pretty good. 216 00:09:55.559 --> 00:10:00.799 Well, yeah, I mean, I guess the dangerous prayer is saying, Okay, God, 217 00:10:00.919 --> 00:10:03.360 I'm going to listen to whatever you're saying. Yeah, So 218 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:06.799 God calls and do we dare to say, okay, God, 219 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:08.720 what do you have to say? 220 00:10:09.240 --> 00:10:12.840 Yeah? That can be a very tough thing, Chris, especially 221 00:10:13.080 --> 00:10:15.080 when it's something that you don't want to do. 222 00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:15.600 Right. 223 00:10:15.799 --> 00:10:18.399 So that's a little different from the context here in 224 00:10:18.440 --> 00:10:21.720 this scripture, But it's easy when it's something you want 225 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:23.799 to do. It's kind of like if God said, Chris, 226 00:10:23.879 --> 00:10:27.879 preach on this this coming Sunday. Well, you normally speak, 227 00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:30.120 that's something you can do. It's not a hard thing. 228 00:10:30.440 --> 00:10:34.720 But what if God says, go forgive that uncle who 229 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:35.600 did something to you? 230 00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:39.879 Ain't nobody got time for that and nobody lots to 231 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:40.240 do that. 232 00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:43.600 So that's the question. Will you be obedient when it's 233 00:10:43.639 --> 00:10:46.320 something that you don't want to do? And I even 234 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:49.519 pose that to the listeners, What is the thing right 235 00:10:49.559 --> 00:10:53.279 now that God is calling you to do that you 236 00:10:53.320 --> 00:10:56.600 know you should be doing that you're just not doing 237 00:10:56.720 --> 00:10:59.320 because you don't want to do it. What is that thing? 238 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:03.399 Yeah? Are you willing to have the response of Samuel 239 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:06.200 and the story, which is, you know, God calls and 240 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:09.120 he's clearly calling you to do something. And in this case, 241 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:12.039 again we've not yet gotten to the story, at least 242 00:11:12.039 --> 00:11:14.320 in our reading, we've not yet gotten to you know, 243 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:16.720 what God wants Samuel to do. But that does that 244 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:20.000 part doesn't matter. So the application, though, is the same. 245 00:11:20.799 --> 00:11:23.799 If God says, hey, I want you to do this, Hey, 246 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:25.799 I want you to do this, and you're like, I 247 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:28.919 don't want to recognize God's voice, there has to be 248 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:32.120 a moment where you're like, Okay, I'm gonna acknowledge God 249 00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:36.679 speaking right, because isn't it true? There are times where 250 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:39.000 we'll go to like, let's just say like church for instance. 251 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:41.159 We could do this almost anywhere, but church is a 252 00:11:41.159 --> 00:11:43.679 good example. You walk into church, you hear a sermon, 253 00:11:44.360 --> 00:11:48.399 and you feel convicted. You feel like God is nudging 254 00:11:48.440 --> 00:11:51.919 you or encouraging you or challenging you something very specific, 255 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:53.919 and it's like you feel like, oh, I really need 256 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:56.639 to do that, whether it is forgiving somebody or giving 257 00:11:56.720 --> 00:11:59.679 your money to something or or giving of your time 258 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:01.879 or you know, or just you know, whatever it is, 259 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:05.200 or changing a bad habit or you know, ending a 260 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:08.320 bad relationship. And if we say to ourselves I'm going 261 00:12:08.360 --> 00:12:11.240 to ignore that, and then and then God just nudges 262 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:13.440 us again and you're like, nope, I'm going to ignore that. 263 00:12:13.559 --> 00:12:17.759 But it's funny how we ignore things that are holy, right, 264 00:12:17.960 --> 00:12:19.840 you know what I mean. It's not like we're ignoring 265 00:12:19.879 --> 00:12:22.639 bad things. We're who else is going to tell you 266 00:12:22.679 --> 00:12:25.120 to do something that is good or that is helpful 267 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:27.399 and that is holy, you know what I mean. We 268 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:29.360 want to ignore those things because we don't want to 269 00:12:29.399 --> 00:12:29.559 do it. 270 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:31.559 But that's it. It's very much like a parent, isn't it. 271 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:33.440 It's like I'm going to ask you to do something 272 00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:35.000 you don't want to do, but it's for your betterment, 273 00:12:35.159 --> 00:12:38.120 it's for you, it's for the good of everybody. Trust me, 274 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:40.879 you'll thank me in the end, right. It's it's one 275 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:43.519 of those things, you know, especially when it's delayed gratification. 276 00:12:43.960 --> 00:12:45.960 You know, hey, put money in your savings account. I 277 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:48.279 don't want to. It's like you'll thank me one. 278 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:50.240 Day, Yes, you'll thank me in about twenty years. 279 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:52.440 Yeah, And so it's it's one of those things where 280 00:12:53.240 --> 00:12:56.759 you know, when God speaks, we have to learn not 281 00:12:56.840 --> 00:13:00.240 to ignore it. Now in this particular case, for those 282 00:13:00.279 --> 00:13:03.080 of you who know the story. The thing that God 283 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:06.559 asked Samuel to do was actually quite bad. It was 284 00:13:06.559 --> 00:13:08.720 something Samuel, I'm sure did not want to do. Samuel 285 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:10.799 was a young man, and what he was basically saying 286 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:13.279 is he was basically saying, Hey, I'm going to bring 287 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:16.240 out all my threats, all my threats that I've given 288 00:13:16.279 --> 00:13:18.799 to Eli, who, by the way, you're working for the 289 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:20.879 old man you're supposed to respect. He's the high priest 290 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:23.720 that's assigned to the temple. He's your authority. I'm just 291 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:25.720 going to let you know, Samuel, as a young man, 292 00:13:25.919 --> 00:13:28.399 that I'm carrying out my threats against him because of 293 00:13:28.440 --> 00:13:30.559 all the different, you know, wicked things that he's done. 294 00:13:30.600 --> 00:13:33.960 And that's a whole other topic altogether. But Eli was 295 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:36.720 not obeying the Lord at the time, and even though 296 00:13:36.759 --> 00:13:39.080 that he was the high priest in the temple, and 297 00:13:39.159 --> 00:13:42.240 so Samuel was hearing news that he did not want 298 00:13:42.279 --> 00:13:45.039 to hear. And then he had to go back and 299 00:13:45.080 --> 00:13:47.960 Eli said, Okay, what did he say? And can you 300 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:50.879 imagine this young man right, like, you know, it's like 301 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:54.320 what young man would have the courage to say, Well, actually, Eli, 302 00:13:54.440 --> 00:13:57.799 it was about you, right, even though I'm like, you know, 303 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:01.200 a young teenager, maybe not even a teenager yet, even 304 00:14:01.480 --> 00:14:04.360 maybe like twelve years old or whatever. However Samuel was 305 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:08.440 and he's speaking to this very old man who's respected 306 00:14:08.440 --> 00:14:10.399 in the community and is in charge and has been 307 00:14:10.399 --> 00:14:14.519 in charge for decades, and he has to tell him, actually, 308 00:14:14.600 --> 00:14:17.039 it's it's God's carrying out negative things against you. 309 00:14:17.399 --> 00:14:17.720 Yeah. 310 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:20.159 But anyway, all that to say, I just think that 311 00:14:21.480 --> 00:14:24.200 you know that there are times in our lives where 312 00:14:25.799 --> 00:14:28.399 this is a really great parallel because you and I 313 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:30.720 we may know what got us to say, whether it's 314 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:33.799 good or bad, and we're just like God, I'm just 315 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:36.039 going to pretend like I didn't hear it. I wanna 316 00:14:36.039 --> 00:14:39.159 pretend like I wasn't inspired, I wasn't moved emotionally, I 317 00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:42.000 wasn't convicted. And if I just ignored long enough, I 318 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:44.000 can go back to doing what I want to do 319 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:46.320 and not doing what I don't want to do. 320 00:14:46.679 --> 00:14:51.039 As if God's going to stop, well, because you don't 321 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:52.960 want to do it. You know, we kind of think 322 00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:56.519 if we ignore God long enough, maybe he'll forget right. 323 00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:58.840 And I'll share a personal story. And I think I've 324 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:02.159 shared this on the Bible guys before, when I was 325 00:15:02.200 --> 00:15:04.600 in college and I was saving up money for a car, 326 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:08.360 and it saved up almost one thousand dollars. I don't 327 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:10.840 know why I had the money on me at that time, 328 00:15:10.879 --> 00:15:13.639 but I went to a Friday night church service. I 329 00:15:13.639 --> 00:15:15.799 will never forget. It wasn't my church. It was a 330 00:15:15.879 --> 00:15:19.000 church in Detroit, on the west side of Detroit, not 331 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:21.799 far from Grand River, a really big church. So I 332 00:15:21.879 --> 00:15:25.200 go there. I'm sitting in service, and I get this 333 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:29.799 feeling to put all of the money in the offering plate. 334 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:32.559 And I said to myself, and. 335 00:15:32.519 --> 00:15:34.200 Back then, a thousand bucks might as well have been 336 00:15:34.279 --> 00:15:34.879 five thousands. 337 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:38.600 Yeah, And I said to myself, no, I am not 338 00:15:38.759 --> 00:15:42.320 putting my hard earned car money in this offering plate. 339 00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:46.120 Then it came to me again, put the money in 340 00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:47.600 the offering plate, and. 341 00:15:47.559 --> 00:15:50.279 The implications of losing that money are he. 342 00:15:50.600 --> 00:15:53.120 Now, just I want the audience to think about this 343 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:55.919 because I want to set the stage. I'm in college. 344 00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:59.080 You know how long it takes to save up almost 345 00:15:59.080 --> 00:16:02.919 one thousand dollars on a minimum wage job, and minimum 346 00:16:02.919 --> 00:16:06.200 wage back then, like when I was in college, minimum 347 00:16:06.279 --> 00:16:08.399 wage might have been I don't know what it was, 348 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:11.279 it like seven, yeah, like it was like seven. I 349 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:14.200 think something when I was so, I saved up all 350 00:16:14.279 --> 00:16:17.279 of this money, and now God is telling me the 351 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:21.039 thing that I loved so much, the thing that I 352 00:16:21.080 --> 00:16:24.279 didn't want to release or relinquish. God is saying, Okay, 353 00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:28.200 give me that, and I said, no, I am not 354 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:31.679 giving that. I don't want to. But eventually, after I'm 355 00:16:31.720 --> 00:16:34.679 sitting in my seat arguing with myself for a while, 356 00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:37.480 I decided, you know what, God, if this is, it 357 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:39.759 keeps coming to me to put it in there. So 358 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:43.240 I put the money in the offering plate. Wow did 359 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:46.240 the sky open up? No? Was there an earthquake or 360 00:16:46.279 --> 00:16:50.960 anything like that. Nope, but something did happen though. Within 361 00:16:51.240 --> 00:16:56.279 thirty days, my boss came to me and said, hey, Wesley, 362 00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:58.879 you're traveling back and forth at the time I was 363 00:16:58.919 --> 00:17:01.679 going to Eastern Michigan. You're traveling back and forth to 364 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:05.359 east eastern Michigan. You're doing this crazy catch a cap 365 00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:09.480 from the Renaissance to DTW the airport, and then you're 366 00:17:09.480 --> 00:17:12.240 going from the airport via shut It was a crazy 367 00:17:12.279 --> 00:17:15.119 commute I had. He said, why don't we just give 368 00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:17.960 you a free company car. You just have to put 369 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:20.359 gas in it and you can use that to go 370 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:24.640 back and forth to school. Wow, why do I believe 371 00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:27.839 I got the vehicle because I was obedient to God 372 00:17:28.039 --> 00:17:31.759 with the money. God didn't need my money. God's not poor, right, 373 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:35.480 But me doing that was an act of obedience, and 374 00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:38.119 God blessed me as a result of that active obedience. 375 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:40.160 And God used you to do what God was going 376 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:42.279 to do anyway, Yes, right, and so, but but you 377 00:17:42.359 --> 00:17:43.519 get to be the one to be a part of it. 378 00:17:43.559 --> 00:17:46.559 So he used your thousand dollars for whatever that church 379 00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:49.759 was trying to accomplish. Yeah, yeah, and so and so yeah, 380 00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:52.440 and then you then you got to witness God in action. Yeah, 381 00:17:52.480 --> 00:17:54.519 So you get to see a side of God that 382 00:17:55.400 --> 00:17:58.440 you know that you that you perhaps would have missed 383 00:17:58.440 --> 00:18:00.240 out on. Right. So here we are, how many years later, 384 00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:02.440 you're still telling the story. You know, it's so great 385 00:18:02.440 --> 00:18:04.039 about it. You said it minute ago as if God's 386 00:18:04.039 --> 00:18:06.680 going to stop, because there are some things where God 387 00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:10.200 will not stop prodding us and nudging us. But in 388 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:13.039 that case, God would have stopped because you would have 389 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:17.000 missed out of that opportunity because that opportunity was limited, right, 390 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:18.720 It was a it was a limited window. 391 00:18:18.839 --> 00:18:21.519 Yeah. The offering period was only. 392 00:18:21.319 --> 00:18:23.559 So long, right, Yeah, there's only a few minutes and 393 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:25.640 so and so. So in that case, God would have 394 00:18:25.640 --> 00:18:31.480 stopped because because it's like, hey, Wesley, here's an opportunity 395 00:18:31.480 --> 00:18:34.519 to experience me in a richer way, to develop your faith, 396 00:18:34.599 --> 00:18:36.960 to grow in faith, to you know, just have a 397 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:41.480 better relationship with me, to understand my dependability, my promises, 398 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:44.720 you know everything else, here's a chance to be a 399 00:18:44.759 --> 00:18:48.359 blessing and receive blessings. And and it's this window. Yeah, 400 00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:52.680 you have five minutes, yes, or lets and go right. 401 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:55.480