Chrystal Hurst, Priscilla Shirer, Anthony Evans and Jonathan Evans spend an hour with you during this powerful live-stream event, focusing on how to manage life’s lost and found circumstances. Follow Generate Nation in the Facebook Group or Instagram channel to stay connected!
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four minutes four minutes until it’s
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two minutes we are two minutes away from
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yeah only one minute left if this year
but don’t miss it let’s make an impact
together can’t wait let’s grow
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when there’s a disruption it calls your
attention because it’s something that’s
out of the norm and when I want to call
my kids attention a lot of times I’ll
shut the lights off God will turn off
the lights so that you prop your head up
to look for guidance to the one who can
actually see I thought about the Hoover
Dam
that blockage of that body of water
creates a redirection and that
redirection creates power and I’m
looking at our lives right now there’s a
blockage in it but that blockage
redirected will create power that’s not
only for us
millions of people receive power because
of that blockage that that dam has
created those who are feeling fearful
that are feeling anxiety would you
remind them that we are to be anxious
for nothing the Bible says in
Philippians but that we are to bring
everything every care to you I thank you
that for those of us who have placed
faith in Jesus Christ that you have
secured our eternal destiny that no
matter what happens here we know this is
not our home and that every sickness
every disease every need every issue
boughs the knee to the name of Jesus
Christ
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welcome to generate let’s go
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I count on one thing the same guy that
never fails he won’t fail now he won’t
fail me now in the way they’re the same
God who’s never late
it’s working off things out he’s working
not things I
yes I will lift you high
yes
we’ll see
Oh God
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nothing’s working
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Hey
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Oh
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nothing can set the gas
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but nothing
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nothing
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but nothing
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Oh
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oh yeah we are glad you are here we’re
gonna bless his name no matter what’s
going on the words of that song talk
about things being crazy and I’m gonna
bless your name in spite of it and right
now we’re all standing six feet apart
because as you know things are crazy so
we’re gonna worship anyway thank you so
much for joining us and as I always say
we’re not here to worship for you we
want to worship with you and we’re with
you so let’s let’s say
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can go back to the beginning can’t
control what some hour will bring but I
know here in the middle is the place
where you promised me I’m not in less
you will you made me here again
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it’s Holi
will you meet me here again
Oh
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like the shape in the shadow
in my weakness
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unless you
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see it again I’m not I’m not
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Oh
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maybe here
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was in this place the Lord is in this
place come Holy Spirit
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me
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whoa not you know unless you come home
will you meet me here again Oh
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Oh
will you meet me here
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we’re not
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me
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maybe here gets a way to me
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me
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we asked Lord God that she would meet us
here we give you the honor we give you
the praise even in this time we ask that
in this darkness that you would show us
the beauty that can come from moments
where we cannot see the light we love
you with all that we are with all that
we are meet us here teach us something
tonight and your name we pray amen we
know you know this so we want you to
sing it with us at the house while I was
about to say wherever you are but you at
the house so uh so here we go
Powys hallelujah in the presence of my
enemies for her ease
Oh loud offender up Ramiz
Oh my weapon is a melody
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heaven comes to fight me
in the minute
my praises for
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the cameras
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everything
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watch the darkness flee
in the middle of my misery
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yeah
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the Caymans
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Oh
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louder and louder hear my praise wrong
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my crazy
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hallelujah singer with say Harry’s
hallelujah this pandemic has disrupted
our lives our work our play our sports
it is disrupted our gatherings it has
turned what was normal and made it
abnormal it’s a wake up call
one of the ways God speaks is through
allowing circumstances into our lives
and into our world that are not pleasant
the further you remove God from a life
of family and a culture the more chaotic
things will become but if we would allow
God who is speaking who is shaking up
our normality to become front-page news
again God is not interested in only a
pledge of allegiance to elysian he’s
interested in a pledge of allegiance to
himself singing he’s doing this thing
and now here he comes here we’re doing
our thing we’re going for one room to
the next so that we can make sure that
we’re being obedient while doing
ministry you can’t do ministry and be
disobedient so we’re we’re doing that
we’ve got our we’ve got our we’ve got
our distance set up but we’re excited to
have this conversation tonight and we’re
excited to be able to do ministry
together I mean just being able to have
the opportunity to do ministry together
has been exciting for us even though
it’s happening at in a bad situation but
we’re excited about that
but next gen ministry this is generating
nation so I want to welcome the whole
nation to next gen ministry where we
have the opportunity to generate you
generate holiness generate Christ
likeness generate all of those things
that should have been generated in us
all along but sometimes bad things have
to happen for good things to grow and so
we want to take this opportunity to do
that and since we are the next
generation of our parents and so we’re
kicking this off we’ve been doing it
here locally for a couple of years but
we want to take it nationally because
the opportunity has presented itself and
we’re just excited to be able to do
ministry together am i right yeah
it’s great we’re able to do that and so
I wanted to let you guys know of what
this is so the next generation of our
church and my parents and their ministry
our parents would keep blowing my hair
right here we hear you do it and so for
all of you whether your next gen or
whether you have kids who are we want to
make sure that we’re we’re vibrant it’s
not an age it’s about a vibe and we’re
just wanting to do ministry together
with all of you not for all of you and
so that’s why we’re here bringing you
into this conversation we’re going to
have a conversation tonight and we’re
gonna ask some some practical questions
but some hard-hitting questions based on
what we’re all going through and
specifically what we’re going through as
a family and what we’ve been going
through the last two years but we want
to invite you in to that conversation
okay this is about us and so while we’re
having the conversation feel free to ask
questions and we’re going to try to get
to a few of them later on we’ll try to
get to more of them in the comments but
ask questions and if we can get to those
we will and we’ll have a conversation
together this evening if you don’t mind
and I know you don’t because that’s why
you’re here so let’s go ahead and get
started
like you know whatwe met Jonathan oh I
think something’s important to do here
okay what’s important what’s important
is there are a lot of people that have
come because they saw this shared on
dad’s page so they know dad there are
some people that are that are here
because it was shared on one of our
pages and they may be familiar with you
or with Anthony or with Kris Lord me but
they don’t even know they didn’t even
know we were siblings or they don’t know
who our siblings our dad was our dad or
you know saying so I think that it’d be
cool for you to listen let’s start with
the oldest
I’m crystal I’m the oldest person here
she I’m her baby sister so I was second
in the line of what dad was trying to
have boys it was crystal it wasn’t me
yeah I’m Anthony I’m the third child I’m
the firstborn son the namesake the
double portion owner okay we’re going to
have a conversation right now
everybody’s in a season where is dormant
there’s they’ve been sat down benched
yeah sidelined by something that we
can’t control and so and then you talked
a lot about the power of perspective and
the power of perspective that there we
want to add some power to our
perspective because the perspective is
everything as it relates to how you move
forward it may not change the situation
but they can change you in it
mm-hmm and so we want to add some power
to our perspective as it relates to
being dormant so the question is how do
I find my way through a season that is
dormant when I was running you know and
all of a sudden things came to a halt
well what do I do what’s the power in my
perspective what perspective should I
have in a season that’s still I think a
lot of times when things are still I
think we have to understand we have to
redefine what stillness means because
sometimes in our culture especially in
American culture we are like if you
ain’t moving
you ain’t successful you ain’t doing
nothing and I was just uh you know it’s
just it sometimes you have to redefine
it you have to stop to to re situate
yourself a lot of times you have to stop
you can’t heal a sprained ankle can’t
heal if you’re playing on it you know
what I mean like but that means you can
come back stronger and better if you
stop for a second and also I was gonna
say a minute ago when you were talking
about this this thing we’re all in
she’s crazy I’m staying in a newer part
of town and everything being there these
freshly planted sidewalks you know like
just it’s a newer part of town but it
stinks but that’s because it stays if
fresh mulch stinks yeah but that smell
means that something new has been
planted most times that smell means
something new has been planted and right
now we’re in a spot that stinks for all
of us but most times when I smell that I
know that there’s something new that’s
been positioned so God was using the
time where he was dormant God was using
the time where things were still in
order to in order to push him forward to
what his calling is like I’m using this
time where you’re still this time where
you’re spending time with your family
this time where I’m having you writing
and reading a whole lot more than you
have time to do all of those things that
are happening as a season to get you
ready for when things get moving you’re
ready for our friend Christine Caine
says she has a sermon that I will never
forget about the dark room and and
remember that you said like we used to
have real pictures you’ve got an old
number but when they had real pictures
they would develop them in the darkroom
and if you pulled them out of the
darkroom too fast they were
underdeveloped or they were under
developers taken out of the darkroom too
early so if we can readjust our
perspective and know that when we’re in
the darkroom we are being developed then
the darkroom changes the dormancy chain
that the perspective you have when
you’re still completely changes
that’s that was Christine Kane that was
his I can’t take I can’t take credit for
that
I’ll take a little bit of credit hey
Chris I’m sorry y’all go well I I think
we all have this cognitive dissonance
because we want to run we want to hustle
we live in a society where we ambition
is encouraged so we feel like we’re
always supposed to be doing something
doing the next thing so I think it’s a
challenge for all of us some more than
others depending upon our personalities
that when we are made to lie down in
green pastures whether we’re going to
actually look around us and see all the
green grass that he’s actually situated
us in there or whether we’re just going
to be running so fast to move forward we
get we get to the next thing and realize
in looking back we missed out on all
this green grass that he wanted us to
feast off of so I feel like that’s
that’s true for me that when we’re made
to rest like in this situation where
we’re made to be home we’re not running
around as much because nothing’s open to
go to it has required for me this
appreciation for just a new look and a
new appreciation at all of the green
grass that is right around me that he’s
made me lie down in and whether or not
I’m going to take advantage that of that
then becomes entirely up to me that we
get to choose to either miss the whole
season or just go ahead and be in it
just fully engage in the thing so I
agree with what you were saying a few
minutes ago
even when Anthony brought up the whole
planting situation another friend of
mine Alex Ely she said something to me
recently she said that her mother was a
gardener and she always noticed growing
up never really knew why until she asked
her mom about it that she always planted
I mean they had a real garden like
cabbage cucumbers you know vegetables
all that stuff she said there would
always be one that was planted tended
and bearing bearing fruit and vegetables
then there was always a patch of ground
right next to it that was completely
barren
just soil and she asked her mom why
aren’t you planning the whole thing we
could have double the results and she
said her mom’s would say to her that she
had to intentionally leave one area to
sort of feast on itself that there are
things happening underneath the ground
there are nutrients being absorbed and
if you don’t let it lie dormant for a
while then when the produce when the
harvest comes it won’t be flavorful it
won’t be as big and juicy it won’t yield
the kind of results if you don’t really
just let it do the stuff you can’t see
it’s not on the top soil that it’s
happening it’s underneath so that’s the
way I always view dormant seasons and
obviously this is a big one but doesn’t
it happen all the time in our life that
there are seasons maybe where the
invitations you’re not getting invited
to do anything or you’re between books
that you’re writing or between blog
posts that you’re writing or there’s
just something that is just a lull and
you can either look at that as a
negative or say you know what there’s
some stuff happening underneath the
surface let me just relax into this
because when it’s time to to yield a
harvest if there’s gonna be more that’s
not the point of this here broadcast but
that doesn’t mean I’ll always accept the
invitation that doesn’t mean always
accept the invitation
I do but we all need the spirit of no on
us because we need margin we need margin
in our lives really and most of the time
we have to say no to get the margin this
this right here don’t happen all the
time where we’re made to say no we’ve
got to learn the discipline of saying no
having margin and realizing there’s
beauty in dormancy just lying there
letting stuff happen underneath the
surface that we won’t see the results of
until a whole nother season you know if
you don’t choose to accept the season of
rest you will realize that you missed
the beauty in that season of rest
because hindsight is always 20/20
yeah so if you wait to suck up the
nutrients of the dormant season until
you know why you need those nutrients
then you’ll always miss it yeah yeah so
you have to be willing to settle into
nothingness when you don’t know why
trusting that God wastes nothing romans
8:28 he causes all things to work
together and the only reason why we
don’t settle into the rest is because we
don’t believe that if we don’t see
anything happening that’s something good
can come out of nothing but something
always good comes out of everything and
if you trust that then even when you
don’t know why nothing’s happening
you’ll sit with it and instead of saying
I want to get this party started you’ll
say there’s nothing happening and so God
helped me to absorb helped me to see
helped me to learn whatever it is I’m
supposed to learn so that when you need
me to activate some nutrient that I
absorbed I actually have it later going
to happen to the extent that whole
institutions will relax into this law
meaning churches are gonna have new
vision new structure new direction new
innovation as a result of this families
are going to reunite they’re going to
read they’re gonna play games they’re
gonna be introduced again to each other
they’re gonna talk to each other I mean
they’re gonna be whole redirections that
happen in the lives of individuals
passions are gonna be renewed somebody
told me that they took up sewing because
they started sewing something they they
have they always wanted to sell but
never had the time for it so they just
decided to sew something and I thought
it is interesting people are gonna
rediscover passions if will do it if
will stop being frustrated that we’re at
the house and just go ahead and take
advantage of it we have no idea that
innovation that’s going to be inspired
because of this that’s right
that’s right that’s right
to glorify his own oh yeah I’m going to
get the questions that you ask I know
we’re probably gonna move on but we just
so you know the Evans family in general
we all think in pictures because that’s
how our parents communicate that’s
growing up it’s just like this is like
this so while that while y’all were
talking another angle at this whole
dormancy thing is that we grew up in
this part of Dallas where Six Flags is
down the road you know like we all know
the rides at Six Flags that was our
thing and there was a ride called the
shock wave there’s a bunch of them but
growing up there was a ride called the
shock wave that was the big ride and
whenever they had to do maintenance on
the shock wave they had to take it out
of service now most of us are living
roller coaster kind of lives and if you
try to do maintenance while you’re
moving that’s gonna be a problem but if
you don’t do the maintenance and stop I
mean if you yeah that’s a bigger problem
if you don’t do the maintenance on this
roller coaster we are riding called life
so when
you stop realize the danger and
continuing at the pace that you
continued with in not stopping and doing
maintenance if you don’t I just why
we’re talking inside about that if
there’s a danger also in not stopping
yeah was Wilder girls which is a problem
because I’d be spacing out but I’m still
here but I’m kind of zone but yeah
there’s there’s people’s lives are
attached to whether or not they will do
maintenance on those rides and the folks
that come on the days they happen to be
doing maintenance will be upset because
the ride is closed
but if they don’t you wanna you don’t ya
you cuz you don’t want to ride that
thing without the maintenance and I
think that of the lives that are
attached to ours directly because we’re
because of family nieces and nephews
sons and daughters eventually
prayerfully grandchildren there are
people’s lives connected to ours
but there’s whole spheres of influence
that God has given to every single one
of us not just people in ministry we’ve
been entrusted to the folks that we live
around in our neighborhood the people in
your office building they’ve been
entrusted to you their life in some way
is connected to you being healthy and
functional and whole and taking time to
enjoy the rest seasons that God gives
but you did you know is right now many
people are disappointed in that mom went
to heaven but his program one of the one
of the small things I’m as you’re
talking I’m like this probably there’s a
lot going on in my head but one of the
things was whether it’s sudden which is
very unfortunate which we’ve experienced
in the last couple years for those who
kept up with me we’ve experienced every
kind of loss I’m pretty sure that you
can have sudden long say goodbye I don’t
get to say all that stuff as half
in the last two years in our line we
lost seven people yep seven people on
our family in 24 months but 26 months
something like that but I I mommy’s
situation made me realize that you have
to live like you are not gonna always be
able to love on her that way like you’re
not gonna always be able to and and that
helps the blow is still horrific but if
you can look at where you where you
landed and we’re like I did all that I
could every day I acted like this could
be the last day that I have this in my
life this person is this ministry this
whatever when you start acting like that
like nothing is promised it gave me a
just just a different a different
resolve to make sure that my that our
mom knew how important she was to us in
general but especially mm-hmm I think I
would say and I don’t know I’m trying to
I’ve been over here trying to figure out
the right words to try to communicate
what I’m trying to say clearly but I
would say obviously while we wanted our
mom to still be here
it still is a beautiful gift not that
she didn’t die but that she died well
meaning to see someone because we’re all
gonna die we’re all going to come to the
end at some point in some way and to
have watched someone die well with their
faith intact with their eyes still on
Jesus still praying over their children
and grandchildren and wanting to speak I
have a video on my phone of one of my
son’s standing at Mom’s bed and this is
when she was talking but we were having
a little trouble at the end making out
mom’s words because at that point she
was so malnourished because she hadn’t
been eating well and you were standing
in the room next to the bed there
crystal when mom was talking to Jacey
and she’s communicating to him basically
that I’ve lived the way I’ve lived
I have honored God the way I’ve honored
God my life
the part that was really clear to her
saying my life was for your life mmm I I
want you to live well and choose well
cuz I hear she is literally in her last
days and she’s still ministering to to
the to her posterity and I thought
there’s so many things I can glean from
those last months but watching someone
honor God till the end oh my goodness
that to me feels like an incredible gift
that we got to see and have as a mother
such a legacy of faith to show us what
to do when our time comes because it’s
coming I mean I think that the I I think
what I’ve what comes to mind mostly is
that she’s not here but she’s very much
so here because the deposits that we’re
talking about what you’re referring to
she didn’t make those just in the last
days and not that deposits made in the
last days because many of you have had
the thing that you needed to hear said
the thing that you needed to say right
before somebody passed away but there’s
also a beauty in someone doing the right
thing along the way yeah and so when it
came time for Christmas dinner and mom
was not able to cook I don’t think any
one of us can cook everything but when
we came together we were all able to
make a whole Christmas dinner
the way she made it the way she made it
right and so many things are like that
in the deposits that she’s made not just
in us I’ve had so many you know women
email me somebody did today to say you
know the reason why I have the children
that I have is because your mom said you
know prioritize your family and it
changed the trajectory of what I did
with my life so I think she consistently
was pouring herself out over her
lifetime so then when you get to the end
it’s just more of the same you know one
of the things that I
I just said I’ve said it a few times but
I said it to dad again last night and it
was that there are a couple of things I
think I wish I would have asked her but
they’re so minut mm-hmm most of the
things I needed to ask her most of the
things I needed to know the majority of
the things I needed from her I have and
that didn’t happen because there was
this Hail Mary pass at the end it was
because along the way so what you do
little by little along the way it’s not
these grandiose efforts while those are
great it’s the little things that you do
over and over again that that leave this
lasting impression that this situation
has put them in such a dire financial
situation what you talk about the checks
from the government
you’re so often yes so what that will be
helpful and yet there are people or you
know you have this little box by the way
I think it’s in my purse right now have
this little box
I wrote down groups of people that are
that that we might not normally think of
that need prayer as a result of this and
then every day one of the kids draws one
and we pray for them one of the groups
is people that are in dysfunctional
families where they are being abused and
now they are relegated to that house the
the father that they are so glad he goes
to work because he’s abusing his
daughter or abusing his child or the
child that was so glad to go to school
because that was their only reprieve was
to be at school out of their house and
now they have to be there oh yeah all
day every day so there are people to
your point there are folks in situations
right now where your question is so
necessary to be asked how do I find rest
or engage in what God has for me in the
season when literally I am in a
straight-up crisis now that I am you
know in a shutdown community in a
shutdown world I was just thinking so
Maya Angelou her story of course is that
she had a very traumatic childhood and
there was a period of time in her life
where because of that trauma she stopped
talking as a little girl she stopped
talking but during that time where she
stopped talking she she read books
became an escape for her it was a place
that she was able to dive into to kind
of escape her world and because she was
so well well-read as a young girl
totally influenced her life as a poet
and a writer I believe when you when you
know Jesus there’s always a place you
can go it does not mean that the trauma
is escapable it doesn’t mean that
there’s not some things that you can’t
change immediately but I believe that
peace is not external it’s internal it
doesn’t mean that when there are changes
that need to be made
and hard decisions that need to be made
you don’t make them or doesn’t mean that
in this circumstance stuff isn’t tough
but there’s always someplace to go
there’s always someplace to go and that
God can be trusted to take the worst of
things the worst of things and to use
them for some benefit that you can’t
even anticipate or imagine the scripture
that he can do exceedingly above and
beyond anything that we can ask or think
and that he has this way of taking
things that are yuck and flipping them
inside out and you don’t even recognize
them when he’s done and so yeah I was
gonna say sometimes that while you were
talking might be there’s always a place
you can go sometimes that place is his
word and that’s the place where you go
and and Daddy always talks about where
is it when Jesus said let’s get let’s go
to the other side there’s this yes in
the Gospels where Jesus said let us go
to the other side and then a storm
happens and he’s asleep on a pillow
our dad always says I mean he woke up
and and said why are y’all freaking out
I said let us go to the other side so
I’m sleeping you all need to sleep too
because y’all are gonna rest on my word
even in this storm I said we’re gonna
end up over there and that’s what the
scripture says he who dwells in the
shelter of the most high will abide
under the shadow of the Almighty when
you choose to dwell meditate on his word
continually talk to God there’s
something that happens in your heart and
in your mind about where you’re living
where you are living despite where you
are living what’s happening around you
and I think that’s you know when we
think about Dave and be a man after
God’s own heart many of the Psalms David
wrote we’re at the worst times ever but
he let those terrible times Drive him to
be honest with God to cry out to God to
to to express his concern or his
disappointment his frustration but he
let those things continually drive him
to God as his safe place is really we
have a party
I’ll give you rest cast your cares upon
the Lord all those different things is
that God is trying to take it
responsibility but that’s not gonna take
a responsibility unless you cast
compound trust
that’s what there’s a part that we have
to play when we give it to God and and
when we’re able to just the old phrase
let go and let God
mm-hmm is the only time we can really
experience him taking full
responsibility I mean the more I read
the Bible was God says I will bless you
I will do this I will make your paths
straight
I will give you rest I he’s trying to
take full responsibility but a lot of
times the emotional distress that we’re
going to going through is because we are
taking the ownership of something we
don’t even know we’re taking I’m going
through it so because I’m going through
it I own it because I’m holding it in
because you know I’ve heard before Wow
I’ve heard before that if you if you’re
losing your mind is because you
situation is because you’re trying to
fix that are you trying to use your own
hands to overcome it and you step into
god Tara Tori and because you’re not
divine because you’re not God it’s too
much for you you’re gonna blow up yeah
and so a lot of it has to do with are
you casting are you coming are you
interested and I have to just kind of
put a disclaimer on everything we just
said because I kind of set up this
scenario where people could be in
abusive situations and then we said all
of these things that are true and
spiritual and important for everyone but
if someone is literally in an abusive
situation maybe they need to hear us say
that we are not suggesting that you go
read your Bible and continue no we’re
not suggesting that at all there is no
excuse for or biblical premise for you
to continue to be in an abusive
situation so
you know I do a lot of ministry because
sometimes abuse is not over sometimes it
is just a complete withdrawal it is a
complete emotional abuse basically
emotional abuse like if you could see
the bumps and bruises on the children or
the wife or sometimes it’s the wife
that’s in that role of the mother that’s
in that role as abuser as well but there
can be emotional abuse where you don’t
see the scars externally but people’s
souls are just beat up because they live
with someone who is constantly
ridiculing them constantly disregarding
them or neglecting them and that’s just
as important and critical but I do need
I do know we all need to step up because
the culture is falling apart and not
just because of a virus it was already
falling apart because men were nowhere
to be found which is another
well I could say on behalf of a lot of
women thank you for saying that because
yeah yeah I just real quick I want to
say that that’s something well they just
told me that something’s wrong with the
mics I want to make sure everybody can
hear clear at home they just gave me a
little thing so everybody’s good okay
everybody’s good and then to this time
this whole corona time has us y’all
mentioned scenarios where people are
just people are in things that they’re
in voluntarily in or are locked in
scenarios some of us are not at rest
because we have chosen to allow
ourselves to be continually in scenarios
that do not allow us to do that this
whole corona moment is about distancing
yourself from a situation that can make
you sick so take that same physical
distance and create emotional distance
spiritual distance whatever distance you
need to do from whoever it is to not be
emotionally sick because the deal is
that you can fly yourself to Hawaii but
if you’re still close to that emotional
mess you’ll be miserable on the beach in
Hawaii you have to in order to
experience rest in that way for those of
you who are in scenarios you’ve chosen
to be in and you’re like I don’t need to
be in this can you can you describe how
you you know I have watched you do that
that’s why I’m asking the question I’ve
watched you make healthy decisions for
yourself and distancing yourself from
people who were it was just not good it
wasn’t good it didn’t make you feel good
so you just said I’m out but it wasn’t
an easy amount you had to make concrete
decisions to begin to push away from
that table yeah so can you for somebody
that needs to make those choices what
are some of the practical things they
need to do to begin to get themselves
out of a dysfunctional situation the
first practical thing is resetting your
perspective and that’s what the power of
perspective is about it’s about
understanding like growing up our mom
would be cooking a dinner and if the
table was full of stuff she would say
clear the table and if we didn’t clear
the table she wouldn’t put the hot meal
on the table because until we cleared it
so if we didn’t clear that meal that was
compared for us that was hot and ready
would get cold because we didn’t clear
the table once I started to clear the
table and I saw the things God put on on
the placemat once it was clear as I took
a bite of it and realized oh my gosh
this is amazing it was easier to clear
the table so it’s about setting your
mind that was the
first thing was resetting your mind and
realizing that this is it’s going to be
okay I’m so sorry I keep Tide coffee my
siblings hate when I have coffee because
I’m liking another thing but we travel a
lot and I was on a plane we were
circling the runway and they said we
can’t land because there’s something on
the runway so they circled we ended up
getting diverted to another location
because the runway wasn’t clear I
thought while we were being diverted how
many times do I ask God to land peace in
my life to land emotional health in my
life but I will not clear the runway so
that he can land it and he’s circling
like he’s ready to land and I won’t
clear the runway and he ends up
diverting my piece gets diverted to some
to something else because I won’t clear
that space that to me or the practical
steps you clear and God will play stuff
there and then it’s like I’m clear and
everything because what that piece has
come you cannot purchase peace yet you
know a friend and I were talking the
other day about this time for many of us
being like an elimination diet where you
get rid of everything and then slowly
one by one you add things back and the
reason why you go on an elimination diet
is because there’s something that’s
wrong in your system and you don’t quite
know what it is
so you just clean everything off that
would in any way disrupt your system to
figure out what’s the thing that was
throwing your system off kilter and so
right now we’ve been placed on a forced
elimination diet many of us have and the
tendency is going to be when this season
of dormancy comes to an end that we
actually want my questions that I’m
looking at right yeah that we get right
back to all the things that we were
doing before and we don’t learn the
lesson so I think you know to your point
about clearing the runway it’s don’t be
in a rush to move to the next thing or
get back to it take an honest look and
see what God is saying you speak to that
a little bit more what are practical
ways to ensure that once life starts up
again we don’t just get right back in
the same rhythm we’re in well I think
Shelley Shelley asked Thank You Shelley
I think that one thing is as much as you
can because I realized that some of it
is life that we have to live don’t add
everything back at what you were doing
like you got to go back to
okay that’s great but do you have to
reengage full speed in everything that
you are doing not just you but your kids
or your the kids listen yep do you have
to I mean honestly by the time we’re
done with this whatever the sports
season that your kids were in it
probably over mm-hmm so so so don’t add
things back um be intentional about
being still and then I think you were
talking earlier about somebody who had
started sewing you had the room to do
that because something else wasn’t
happening the things that you put in
that you love I’ve seen more people
walking the streets with their kids with
their pets as a family than I ever have
I’m like where’d all these people come
from so I would say the things that you
brought in that are good for you good
for your relationships good for your
health don’t put things in squeeze those
no one of the things that mom said she
said this a lot but but concentrated on
it during you know final months she said
I really need y’all to stop and smell
the roses more she said over and over I
need y’all to slow down and the reality
is if my mom could have gone back and
done some of her life over our mom sorry
she would have stopped to smell the
roses a lot more and a lot sooner she
she would have done things differently
she would not she loved ministry she
loved servants she loved raising us she
loved all that but she also loved
watching the sunrise in the sunset
she also loved traveling she loved
history she loved museums and there’s a
lot of that that she put to the
backburner for what she would say was
too long she would have invested more in
just some of the stuff that brought her
here pure joy so she would look she
looks at us or she would look at us a
lot and just be like what job where
y’all going just stop and just do
something that fills you up and fuels
you up so
to your point what you all were saying
the things that you’re that we’re
finding in this season fill us up fill
our family up fill our marriage up keep
doing those things and the other stuff
that has to be kicked to the curb to
make those things happen
I think when we all get to the end of
our life we will be glad we kicked those
other things to the curb and hung on to
the things that actually fueled us and
filled us and just put a smile on our
face because there were things we really
enjoyed if we have time do we have time
okay cuz this is Miss Honey
Miss Honey asked this question Miss
Honey from the church and she’s sweet
we love Miss Honey Miss Honey said do
you think that we’re gonna miss the
opportunity to see God and his power
during this time because so many people
are operating in fear instead of faith
do you think that fear component is
actually going to keep us from in some
way experiencing God as we should to the
full extent yeah I can’t make a blanket
we can’t answer that with a blanket
statement I think you have the choice
whether you’re going to miss the hand of
God because you were overwhelmed with
fear yeah you personally I’m not talking
to just you Miss Honey but our all the
tens of thousands of people watching you
have the choice in this moment how you
are going to see how are you how are you
going to come out on the other side
yeah and I think that my boys won’t know
this is what it is if I don’t mean the
practical aspect of what’s happening but
they won’t react to it and respond to it
in fear and insecurity unless they see
me and Jerry doing that Judah and I’m
saying that that we get to sort of set
the temperature even if we tell our boys
or even if we explain it you know what
this is a little fearful this is a
little something that we have to be
careful about we need to wear masks
right now if they see that they have
questions about it we’re not ignoring
the reality but if they see us react in
a way that says but this is what God
says this is who we are this is how
we’re gonna pray for others in the midst
of this this is how we’re going to be
responsible with our own health so they
see us being wise but not in a way that
seems panicked and afraid and and
reacting in a way that’s how the enemy
would love us to react right now and
that’s also going to give our
children an opportunity to be prepared
for their kovat 19 because some
something gonna happen in 30 years 20
years 25 years whether in their personal
life or in the world that they’re gonna
have to choose their stance then and
that’s going to be predicated a lot on
how they see the adults in their life
acting and behaving right now I think in
general this is a general answer to that
but that’s like saying why does it take
dynamite to get a diamond out or why
does it take a jackhammer to start the
build start digging for a foundation I
think the value when you’re dealing with
something that’s incredibly valuable it
normally takes something pretty abrupt
to make that value that yeah to make
that value the thing so I’m just saying
no go ahead I mean because it’s a
skyscraper yeah oh sorry go ahead
yeah right I’m tell you yeah until you
see a 10 carat diamond and then you’re
like but and that’s the point until you
see right right and that’s all about
what that’s all what perspective is
about it’s that you choose to believe
something is true even if you can’t see
it that’s what
we can all say it’s not so in all we
just messed one word up acting like it
is so even when it’s not so in order
that might be so simply because God said
so that’s what I think we have to also
be clear that it doesn’t negate the fact
that it’s sad that it hurts or that it’s
disappointing I mean we could go on and
on about that given the even just the
personal crisis yeah that we’ve all
experienced it’s devastating and it’s
sad and you don’t understand why you
don’t understand there’s not going to be
a a clarity that opens up probably on
this side of eternity as to why in our
lives I can speak to why we would why
would the Lord allow seven out of the
blue losses all of a sudden in our
family like that I don’t think we’ll
know why but we we have to make a choice
he’s either God or he is not and we
either trust him and believe in him when
we’re happy and when we’re sad or we
don’t he can’t just be the god of the
good parts and then we kick him to the
curb because negative things are allowed
to happen he’s still the same God he’s
still seated on the throne and you
literally just have to choose am I going
to be a person of faith who believes am
i God or not it’s a choice yeah yeah
because then you can’t make you can’t
determine the superhero without the
villain of the problem
I’m the villain of the problem the
superhero may be super but he ain’t a
hero hero and so I think that our praise
of God is directly correlated to the
mess that we’ve been through has called
us out of we come out of this when you
come out of your issue when we’re coming
out of this season you know I’m always
hopeful yeah you know all right
that’s been our that’s all we’ve said
for the last year I mean Jonathan I will
tell you I think I told Anthony this
that I 2020 okay you know my birthday is
December 31st so the last day of every
year is my birthday and I always get to
December and I’m always writing in my
journal toward my birthday I’m always
looking at okay finishing another year
going into the next year one of my
expectations this was the first year
that I realized as I was writing that
there was a little bit of anxiety that
there was a little bit of am I going to
even make it through this next year
there was a little bit of I noticed it
was tainted and marred instead of being
hopeful and oh this is happening
administrative this is happening with my
family and I’m excited all of a sudden
this was the first time I noticed
something I had to pause and figure out
what is that feeling and it was exactly
what you just described it was we have
lost seven people am i next what’s gonna
happen next are we done are we finished
as if they’re there’s a lot of people
feeling like that oh yeah as a great
ways to corona and everything in life at
this moment
that’s exactly right on because a lot of
people we’ve had past two years of it
some people have had whole lives talk
one thing after the other one thing
after the other
yeah
one thing after another and in in this
season how do i how do I find myself how
do I when people were saying you know
I’m just trying to find myself
mm-hmm I’m just trying to figure out who
I am the crystal crystal is the
practical synonym
I mean she is practical she’s able to
just tell you a B C and D how to
practically just do things which I
appreciate
so but what would you say in this season
crystal about just just finding myself
she wrote a book called she’s still
there
that’s rescuing the girl finding
yourself
yeah that’s it so so well I think it’s
really hard to find you without first
looking at the fact that somebody put
you in you you know you’re not what you
see there’s the soul the part of you
that will live beyond your physical
frame and so to start with the person
who made you and to recognize that
you’re worthy and what he did in you to
make you unique what do you like like
what are you good at what do you love
what is your personality like what do
people who love you say about you what
are what lights you up what are your
passions your gifts your abilities your
interests those are things that are
god-given and we lose sight of that when
we’re busy mm-hmm
we lose sight of that when we’re
checking off the lists and when we’re in
a season where things are hard or things
are still or things are dormant we have
an opportunity to pay attention to parts
of us that we don’t pay attention to
when we’re just moving out of habit and
rhythm and routine and so I think some
of the greatest lessons we learn about
ourselves
yes happen when things are
dillan dormant but I also think some of
the greatest lessons we learned about
who God created us to be happened when
things are hard one because he teaches
us what he put in us but also he teaches
us who he is in us and that all goes to
being a part of that process it’s a gift
to figure it out but it’s also not
always easy yeah but it easy a beautiful
kind of back to your point about the
diamond to go through all the stuff that
you have to go through to find the
beautifully unique thing that there will
never be another of and each one of us
have that as a part of our story there
will never be another and making this
space to appreciate the gift of you in
this world the gift that God gave to the
world when he created you to pause and
appreciate that we have an opportunity
to do that still always yeah clamoring
for something that you’re not that’s
exhausting the hardest thing is to
become popular doing something that
you’re not because you have to stay do
we get to stay being disingenuous for
the rest of your life it’s too much work
it’s way too much work thanks by the way
speaking of authenticity I just thought
this I loved authenticity and
vulnerability in all that stuff as we
talked about mommy I would to go and sat
here quite like and stillness talking
about our mom that’s the first time that
we
done it in that way and sharing it with
you guys I just thought this is a they
need to know that that was an authentic
moment of us sitting around and talking
about what is something you took away
from the passing of your mother two
months through two and a half three
months ago so I just want y’all to know
like that’s what we’re about with you
but that’s why we are here good place
yeah can we just say to everybody in
this corona moment as basic as this
sounds to try to find one lemon because
there’s a bunch of them and just figure
out a way to make something beautiful
out of that to add some sugar to that
maybe a little bit of vanilla extract
and make it like a really great
situation there is something that all of
us can do we’re in different hard spots
but there’s there is something we all
can do one thing too when you were
asking about the hard stuff and why
would God allow and how can we see all
that you know I think about I have had
to think about this a lot because we
were talking about mom that it’s because
life is hard and it’s because stuff like
this does happen that he said I don’t
want this to be the human story forever
which is why there’s the promise of
Jesus the promise of Jesus is I don’t
want this to be hard the only thing that
the gifts that I put in this world have
to look forward I’m giving them
something else to look forward to mm-hm
which is eternity with the Sun and if
you look at that if you if you have no
other lemon that is a lemon when mom
passed away we asked her for Christmas
Day we asked her for Christmas we asked
God for Christmas Day and the first
reaction here her to still be here in
the first reaction was she didn’t make
it to 2020 and then God was like but I
gave you Christmas Day
well Christmas Day Jesus Christ was born
and for all of us we always have
Christmas Day so there’s always a lemon
because of Jesus Christ of something to
look forward to no matter how bad it
gets yeah absolutely
your life you have nothing else to look
forward to other than the life that
you’re in in the ups and downs that are
in it and so finding your identity in
Christ that he came to satisfy the
standard of God that no one can satisfy
the standard of God is absolute
perfection and no one can satisfy it but
he came and he satisfied us so all those
who place faith in Him what Jesus does
is credit to your account so that you
have that then lemonade with the vanilla
extract yeah more than that you have
something you can really look forward to
because the standard of God which has
been satisfied has been placed in you by
faith alone in Christ alone and so what
I’m gonna do is I’m gonna pray and if
anybody doesn’t know that they know in
this season that’s that’s bad you don’t
know that you know that you’ve ever done
the greatest thing and accepted Jesus
Christ I want to help you do that right
now and then after I do that if you can
pray for all of our hardships Percilla
I’m sure after I do that and then we’ll
close out our time so repeat after me if
you’ve never accepted cracked one to do
that right now
Heavenly Father Lord Jesus I’m a sinner
and I’m in need of a savior I want you
to save me right now I believe that you
died on the cross
I want you to say
I’m placing my faith and my trust in you
come into my life and beat my Savior and
then Lord I lift up to you every single
person that has joined us tonight and
those that will watch this this
broadcast in the days and weeks to come
there will be thousands upon thousands
for different parts of the world and
everything that they are facing right
now in our lives it’s hitting us all
differently depending upon the dynamic
of where we are situated in our our
structures and our families and our
personal life so father I lift up each
individual I’m so grateful Lord that
even though we are not the same and we
don’t have the same issues you know
every single one and so father I’m
thanking you in advance Lord for how
you’re gonna see to and tend to and care
for every single individual that is
underneath the sound of my voice I thank
you Lord that you see us that you care
about us that there is no dynamic that
has slipped past your loving tender care
that your eyes are upon us and so father
I’m grateful to you today that just as
your eye is on the sparrow we can be
sure that your eyes are upon us
you see us and you care for the details
of our life I lift every single brother
and sister up to you Lord I lift up
every single financial concern health
concern relational concern Lord I lift
up every single dynamic and parenting
Lord or in marital relationships father
I lift up those that are single to you
father as they navigate this season not
feeling like they are ever ever alone
Lord with the dynamics that you have
brought in their life but even as we
distance ourselves socially that there
will not be one person that does not
know that you are before them you are
behind them you are beside them and that
you are around them father be a friend
to the friendless be a father to the
fatherless a mother to the motherless
Lord gird us with your presence and with
your peace and father when we come out
on the other side of this we’re already
thanking you in advance for the many
ways that we are going to see your
fingerprints operating on our behalf we
already are sitting in expectation of
how you’re going to move miraculously on
our behalf father be a fence all around
us
wall of fire protecting us and the
people that we love in Jesus mighty name
I pray amen
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