Ep. 68 - Reset

[00:00:00] Speaker A: We say that ministry is my life, and my life is my ministry. Those aren't the same things. Whatever I do for others and what I'm doing, doing, doing, that's. That's where I find my life. So all these things I'm doing, you know, like a local church, like, oh, I identify with that church, with the pastor, not with Jesus. No, not. Not with Jesus, but with the pastor. But the opposite is this. My life is my ministry. So your life. And I'm. And I'm saying this difference for the listener, whoever comes on, that they realize that, man, your life is your ministry. Like, everything about you is ministry. [00:00:40] Speaker B: Hello, welcome. It's Carl and Zach here with let's Talk life. And we're happy to be here. Talking life in Christ. Ministry. Ministry. Wow. Has been for me. I'll just speak for myself. Yeah, Ministry was my life. That's how I would have said it before. And, boy, God really broke through. Spoke. And I think you've helped put those. That understanding those words into my mind, Carl, that my life is the ministry. And the more that I recognized and learned and understood who I was in Christ. Galatians 2:20. Recognizing Colossians 1:27. You know, that Christ in me, there's. There's the hope, there's. Yes, yes, there's the life that I no longer live. Galatians 2:20. Christ lives in me. Boy, it just changed everything for me. And so today we're talking about godly wisdom. And for me, just coming from a place of asking a question. And I've never been really good at asking questions of other people getting advice. I would probably. My tendency would be to shrink and hide and be afraid or ashamed, like, oh, I shouldn't know this. I should know the answer, and I shouldn't be. So I sent an email to four different men and just asked a question. And we'll get to that. That's what this is coming from, you know, what is godly wisdom? And what does it look like? And. But I love it. I asked these four men, these friends, these mentors, these cold laborers, you know, they each responded. And I didn't ask you, Carl, because we journey. [00:02:26] Speaker A: I think there's a reason for that. I'm just kidding. [00:02:31] Speaker B: Well, we're gonna talk. We're gonna talk about it one way or another. So it's just. It's so neat. And I'll share a little bit about what that all looked like. But I want to start off just by. Let's answer this question. What is godly wisdom? You know, what does that look like? You can take it from there, Carl, as far as whatever. [00:02:49] Speaker A: I mean, there's so much there and so much there. I hope I. I hope I write things down so I don't forget them to bring up. But I want to start back with what you said, because this is a really important difference. When we say that ministry is my life and my life is my ministry, those aren't the same thing. Those are not the same thing. And I got an email from a pastor missionary this week, and it said, ministry is my life. And it sounds great. It sounds like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Until you realize what you're actually saying. What you're saying is, whatever I do for others and what I'm doing, doing, doing, that's. That's where I find my life. And we can replace that with identity. We can replace that with. So all these things I'm doing, you know, like a local church, like, oh, I identify with that church, with the pastor. Right. Not with Jesus, but the opposite. Is this. My life is my ministry. So your life. And I'm saying this difference for the. The listener, whoever comes on that, they realize that, man, your life is your ministry. You work at Walmart, man, that is like, what a great opportunity. You know, you're a mechanic, you're a salesman. Like, everything about you is. Is ministry. So last night, Jeff and I took for a walk. Our neighbor stopped us. We talked for 10 minutes. Guess what? That's part of my life. Right? So instead of looking at as, oh, I don't have time for that. I don't have time for that guy, because I got to go do this, this, this, this. That's on. It's like, no, no, no, no. I just want to respond to who Jesus brings my life. Yeah. So anyway, that's what I wanted to say in. Just to say, man, I used to think the opposite. Ministry is my life, 70 hours a week, and I need to do more, because what Jesus did for me, I need to do this. Yes, man, that's exhausting. That's not a light burden. My yoke is easy. I didn't understand that. [00:04:46] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. No, thank you for clarifying, because I think it's something that we've journeyed into and understood for sure. And it's just good to relay that. Yeah. Message, because I don't know if people [00:04:58] Speaker A: are going back and watching our first year and a half, but you can. Right? So. So going with what you said, I think that it's beautiful, man, being able to ask seasoned ministry, friends, leaders, One of the words I'm going to use later on when we talk more about this in this podcast is experience is a great teacher. So gleaning from older guys, I mean the last wild at heart, you know, you and I were the, you know, the second or third youngest, you know, which, which was awesome, you know, that we were able to be sponges from, from guys that were, you know, 10, 15, 20 years older than us. Right. How beautiful that is. And so I think that's, that's one way, I think scripture, the holy scriptures are one way that. Yeah. You know, and you think about what scriptures are for Paul's writing to Timothy. Right. An older seasoned writing to a younger guy. [00:05:59] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:06:00] Speaker A: Solomon writing to his son about the warnings of things he experienced. Right. So, so you think about proverbs, you know, and so you just think, man, there's so much good stuff, good stuff that taken away the veil of legalism or law based or shame and you start seeing things for the first time. So that's, that's where I would start with, with conversations with guys and then scriptures. So yeah, what about you, man? What do you think of when you think godly wisdom or what do you think of now compared to what you used to think? [00:06:34] Speaker B: Sure, yeah. I mean I'm fully in line with what you're saying and I tell you so even what I gleaned from these guys. And again, I'll get to that even after we answer this question. [00:06:47] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:06:47] Speaker B: But it kind of relates like the way that they even relayed stuff to me. So it wasn't a set of tips and things to do. You know, it's like godly wisdom really is the person of Jesus Christ. And what they gave me. [00:07:04] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:07:05] Speaker B: Was, was here is kind of like this reminder of this is who you are in Christ, this is what you have. And it's even this reminder that the Holy Spirit also the teacher in US, is 100% in total agreement with Christ in me. And so it's really just a beautiful, I would say even a spotlight of the cross and the resurrection and the finished work of Christ. And so like people can even give advice and maybe give you some set of tips and tricks and things to guide what you might be asking, but you're still processing it through Christ in me and the Holy Spirit guiding. [00:07:52] Speaker A: So can I ask you a follow up with that? [00:07:54] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, go ahead. [00:07:55] Speaker A: Because you said I've never been good or maybe this is in your notes, but I thought you said it, it's coming from a place of Asking the question I've never been good at asking. My tendency was to shrink, hide, be afraid, not knowing how to ask, not asking rightly how much of that. Because those are your words. I don't quite remember if you just said it or you wrote it. How much of that was about identity. [00:08:16] Speaker B: It's completely about identity. I wasn't confident for. For most of my life. I mean, up until the last three years, I wasn't confident in me. And so that's what kept me from asking questions. I didn't. I didn't know I was in Christ, but I didn't know what that meant. I didn't know what that actually was. And I wasn't living from my true identity. I wasn't living loved. I was l. As if I needed to please God or serve him better or do better in my life. And so for me to come in to ask a question about, boy, what does this look like? Or why am I not seeing this? To me, that felt like it was going to lead to not being loved. It was going to lead to, well, why aren't you there yet? You need to grow up in these areas. [00:08:57] Speaker A: It's better to be silent and to be thought of as, wow, that person really has a lot of wisdom. Or they know a lot because they didn't ask a. What we think of as a dumb question. Or. Or I. I'm not where you are spiritually. Right. Levels. So. Okay, I get it. I get it. Totally. [00:09:15] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So, I mean, that's where I'm coming off of. Off of. I mean, a lifetime. [00:09:21] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:09:21] Speaker B: You know, 43 years. I was 43 years old when I really stepped into knowing who I was in Christ. And that was 34 years after I got saved. So I. I believed and received from Jesus what. This gift of salvation. But it took me 34 years to even know what that really meant and to really. To walk in that freedom and to walk in that. Like, you mentioned that burden. That burden is light. Anything that is a heavy, weighted burden is not from God. It is not the gospel. It's like, man, you know, it really changed everything. And it's like. I mean, I love it. I was contemplating. I don't know if I even have. I don't know. I guess we. We have time for whatever we have time for. [00:10:05] Speaker A: Right. [00:10:07] Speaker B: But God. God just really opened my eyes to, like, Let me just go to First Corinthians 2. [00:10:15] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:10:15] Speaker B: Because this was so good. This is 10 and 12. 10, 12. But I really want to just. Maybe I'll Just simplify it, because you can all read that for yourself, too. But this is First Corinthians 2:12 says, we have not received the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. I think, man, that's so incredible. The Holy Spirit in me helps to teach and to equip and to remind and to speak into me these truths so that I can understand what God has freely given to me. And I go back to that Ephesians passage where God really. That's where he really grips me. Was he brought that because I was praying and because I was asking, which I wasn't really good at doing. So finally I was in a place of asking God, would you give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation that I may know you? And that was a whole different way to pray for me. But it stepped me into a whole different way of life. Like I was. I actually could step into true, abundant life. And it really. It changed everything about me. Ministry life. It was like that abundant life that I was chasing I now could just sit back and rest in because I had it. [00:11:30] Speaker A: Yeah. In opposite. Opposite of that. Opposite of godly wisdom. I mean, think about that in that verse. Like, the opposite is the Spirit of the world. And so what does the spirit of the world produce? Right. [00:11:41] Speaker B: Fears, anxiety, lots of comparison. [00:11:45] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:11:47] Speaker B: Stride and feeling condemned if we don't get it. [00:11:50] Speaker A: It's like all the. All the work. All the works of the flesh. All the works of the flesh. There's. There you go. You know, all the works of flesh is. Is under the. [00:11:58] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:11:58] Speaker A: Under the spirit of the world. [00:12:00] Speaker B: Right. So. Yeah, I just. I think it's so beautiful. [00:12:04] Speaker A: That's not what you have, and that's not who you are. And so when you know your identity, we can go to other believers and ask questions and for clarity, for their wisdom. Again, it doesn't mean that. What. What they say. Like you said, it doesn't mean what they say. I'm going to do it. But, hey, here's fresh perspective. [00:12:24] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:12:25] Speaker A: There's a fresh perspective on my life, on God, on my circumstances, on what he's doing here. Perhaps someone. The whole point of Second Corinthians 1 is that God's given you grace so you can help others. Right. When they're going through those times. You know, that he's given you mercies and compassion so that you can help others. But how do we know what we're going through unless we're what we ask questions or we're Vulnerable or open. [00:12:50] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, right. Yeah. So it's not until I have been able to process and open myself up and to also go after other people's hearts and like to venture into new territory that I've never really done before. That's when God really started a breakthrough, you know, in my life. So it's, it's incredible. But even. Yeah. That, that verse 30 of second of 1 Corinthians 1 is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. He has become for us wisdom from God. So that just goes back to the first point that I, that I made. That godly wisdom truly is the person of Jesus Christ. [00:13:32] Speaker A: The person of Jesus Christ. [00:13:33] Speaker B: And he's in us. And the Holy Spirit is in us, teaching us and reminding us and pointing us back to the finished work of Christ. And that's, that's the most crucial aspect of the whole thing. So, yeah. Oh, yeah, I want to shift gears, I guess into, you know, here's. Here's the question. Here's, here's what's interesting. Yeah, it doesn't matter. Like, there's part of me that's like, boy, maybe I asked the wrong question. So here's the question. How do I promote. How do I promote my ministry? Going to a conference, going to a networking thing. How do I promote my conference when it's not about self promotion? Like, what does that look like? And here's. Here's something that God really, really gave to me. Like, I'm going to the right people even if I'm asking the wrong. And that's the most important aspect. I'm going to the right people even if I'm asking the wrong questions. And it was just so beautiful. I mean, one of the guys, like, he emailed me back actually right away. This was Frank. He just said, just in the simplest form. He gave me like one sentence and it was just so beautiful of just connect with other saints, you know, just. Just be available, just be there. And he brought up. And he. He mentioned Ephesians 4:16, which I don't have up right here, but just being together, building the body in love. It's just about just having that community, having that connection. And it was just so beautiful. And the same thing for my friend Kyle of, You know, he gave me maybe some more practical things too, but also it was just like just start conversations, just have. Just journey with people. I mean, so both of them really kind of came from there. Wayne, you know, who we both, you know, really connect with and Have, Right. Yeah, man. [00:15:18] Speaker A: He. [00:15:18] Speaker B: He just took me into so many different things. He first of all says, well, it's not for me to answer. You know, it's like that's. That's really a. Yeah. The spirit in you to. To guide you. And. But he took me to. He. He said Luke 14. [00:15:36] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:15:37] Speaker B: Which I won't even go there and read it. It's something I have to. So this is how he said it. I have re. I have rehearsed myself Luke 14 over and again. And God has rehearsed that in me over and again. And he just said this. When you come into the banquet, take the last place. And if you're supposed to be somewhere else, then the master will show you. And so you all just have to go to Mark 14 or Luke 14 and just read that to understand the context. But it's in the middle of that chapter. That's just so beautiful. And so I love what he just followed up with. It doesn't mean that you can't make yourself available. So you go and you just say, I'm available. And whatever that looks like is exactly where God leads you to be. [00:16:20] Speaker A: Yeah. And. And again, James. James, right. [00:16:23] Speaker B: That. [00:16:24] Speaker A: That he. That he exalts the humble. You know, I mean, it's not just James, but all throughout the New Testament, he gives grace to the humble. Not humble appearing, as it says in the true face, you know, high trust, leadership. Course, not the humble appearing, but he gives grace to the humble. And so it's really a mind. A mind shift perspective. Right, right. That going there to make yourself available is actually exalting Christ. You know, it's serving others, which is. Which is what your life's about, you know, and exalting Christ and, and serving others. [00:17:11] Speaker B: That's. [00:17:11] Speaker A: That's a great. I mean, think about this, Zach. How many times in your life. What are you, 40, 39 now? How many times in your life did you go to a pastor and a pastor would say to you. That's. That's not a question for me to answ cancer. Like zero. Right? Zero. [00:17:28] Speaker B: Yes. [00:17:29] Speaker A: I love Wayne, man. [00:17:31] Speaker B: I know. [00:17:32] Speaker A: Beautiful. I didn't. [00:17:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:17:34] Speaker A: I don't expect anything else then, man. Right. That's Christ. That's Christ. [00:17:39] Speaker B: Right. Well, that's. That's the equipping reality. That's. That's what, that's what the true ministry is, is equipping people to recognize and to know who. Who's in them, who is. Who loves them, is going to guide them. And I don't have to give you all the answers. You can trust him. [00:17:58] Speaker A: He's. [00:17:58] Speaker B: He's going to lead you. He's going to guide you. It doesn't mean it's going to be easy. In fact, I think the hardest part is not kind of the mystery and the not knowing what's next. I mean, I'm. I'm journeying with a couple of guys right now that are, like, in a stage of, like, I don't know what's next. And it's like, right, I wish I could give you all the answers, but I'm not here to give you answers. I'm here to equip you to trust the one in you. So I love another guy. I met him last year at the same conference and I was put in touch with him by a guy here in Florida and beforehand, and then we met. So we hardly really know each other, but we connect and follow each other on social media stuff. And so I just was like, I'm going to send him an email to. His name is Larry. His last name is Ice E I S S. But he's. Man, he's just another guy. Just like these other men. They're just. I, I love some of the things that he just shared. He first of all said, you know, because I started off my email like, boy, I've never really been good at promoting myself, right? And he, and he just came from Second Corinthians. He just threw some stuff out. And me says, that sounds like exactly where we're supposed to be. Like, Paul wasn't confident. [00:19:07] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:19:08] Speaker B: The only confidence he. And the only competence he had was from God. And it was like, that's exactly where you need to be. You're in. You're in a good place. So that was the first. That was the first, you know, encouragement. But I just loved a couple of things that he said. He said, stick to your. Stick to your knitting. Which I've never heard that phrase before. Stick to your knitting. But when I thought it, when I pondered it, when I said, God, what is that? What does that mean? It's like, well, it is God who knit me together in my mother's womb. Stick to your knitting. Just be you. [00:19:38] Speaker A: Stick to who you are. [00:19:40] Speaker B: And then he said, like, he followed that up with, you know, for him personally, it was like, I just do whatever's right in front of me. And God brings, yes, God brings the next thing. And that's so good. So. And then I loved one of the last things he said was, follow your good and godly heart. It's like when, when's the last time you heard that from a pastor, too? [00:20:02] Speaker A: No, because your heart's wicked and deceitful. Your heart's wicked, deceitful. Zach, be careful. No, no, that was before Christ. [00:20:10] Speaker B: Right? That was before Christ. [00:20:11] Speaker A: Your heart yearns. Yeah, yeah, go ahead. [00:20:14] Speaker B: As I stepped. As I step into trusting that my heart is new and believing that. Yeah. The more that I can just rest in, I'm okay. Even on my worst day, I'm actually okay. God is okay with me. And so it's. Yeah, it's just so phenomenal. It's so phenomenal because I. Like I said, I started off with, well, I'm not very good at asking. It's like, maybe that's exactly why you should ask. Step in. To do. Doing what? What you don't feel comfortable doing. Step into that. I don't know. It was. It was. It was a great man response, you know, last week. [00:20:56] Speaker A: Right. So how did that shift your anticipation, excitement, purpose, mission of being there or just. And everything? [00:21:05] Speaker B: Yeah, Well, I mean, it totally aligned with exactly what God has really been speaking to me for the last three months. We'll just say since the beginning of the year, you know, going into this fourth is the word simplicity or simplify. Wow. And it's like every time that I would come in and be like, all right, I gotta do this, and I gotta, you know, here, here, the thing. And it's like, I would always hear that word, not just to simplify. It's okay. Like, you don't have to. I. I went to the conference last year and I had, you know, I got a guy here that's got a sign shop, and he's like, oh, I can hook you up with this. And we can do this. We can. You know, so I had banners and I had this, and I just. Then I had to lug it all there and suitcase, and it's like this. This year, I'm, like, looking at it like, I don. Bring all that stuff. Simplify. And so the reality of these guys speaking all these things into me was all just completely relating to exactly what God was already instilling and speaking into me. And so it was just really beautiful. I don't have to complicate it. I can really just simplify the whole thing and just be. Just be available, just be present and whatever that looks like is where God is going to take it. And it's. I don't know, a neat journey. [00:22:17] Speaker A: That's so good, man. I love even a recap of just saying godly wisdom is Jesus. Godly. Wisdom is Jesus Christ. And what would it look like for us to equip and prepare people not to do anything, but to listen to the Father's voice? [00:22:36] Speaker B: Yeah, right, right. [00:22:38] Speaker A: To prepare and equip people to listen to the Father of what he wants in every situation. In every situation. [00:22:45] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. So good. [00:22:47] Speaker A: I. I just want to. I just want to say this. Reading this. He loves me on what. What really happened on the cross. [00:22:55] Speaker B: Wow. [00:22:55] Speaker A: And so the author again, Wayne Jacobson, the guy that you referenced, a friend that you referenced, that you had a conversation with, he says this. You know, Jesus dying on the cross, not calling down a legion of angels. He says, what an amazing act. I don't know that I've ever willfully submitted to the darkest tragedies of my life. I rarely feel in control when circumstances turn desperate or when people with evil motives take advantage of me. If I could have called a legion of angels to fix any of my painful circumstances, I would have. He says, right? Me too. Right? Absolutely. I've endured the painful seasons of my life, not because I chose to, but because I could not do otherwise. Like, we were stuck. It's not. We couldn't change anything. He says this. The only choice I had was whether to respond to them in a godly way or a selfish way. That Jesus would endure such hostility against himself with the full freedom to end it at any weak moment makes me appreciate the cross that much more. And so that's why it's like, man, listen to the Father's voice of whatever it is that we're walking through now, what you say or I say or someone else say, but listening to the Father's voice. And part of that is Scripture, part of that is listening to the Father. Part of that is a trusted brother. Part of, like you said, right. Some trusted brothers. That. And in the wisdom that they pointed you back to Jesus. I mean, just phenomenal stuff. [00:24:23] Speaker B: So good. Yeah. God is so good.