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Life Community Church
She Wakes | When Routine Becomes Worship And Fasting Becomes Formation
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Folklore Weather And Winter Whiplash
SPEAKER_02You believe we're halfway through February already? That's gone a little fast. It's well, February has. January felt a little long.
SPEAKER_00I just had an image of the groundhog, you know, where we keep sitting here recording and then nothing, we just keep doing it over and over again, but nothing happens.
SPEAKER_02You know the thing about the groundhog is so dumb. What? We have six more weeks of winter, no matter what he sees.
SPEAKER_04No, it doesn't. No, it does not matter.
SPEAKER_02It never comes. It comes at the same time every year.
SPEAKER_04It's just a distraction from winter. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_04There are some things that I think, well, you know, I love like the prairie people and the old times. But there are some things like if deer are darker, it's going to be a colder winter. Okay. I guess. Yeah. So there's things like that. Someone just told me, I think it was Amanda. She said she heard if the squirrels' nests were higher that it was going to be a longer wind.
SPEAKER_02Did you see a squirrel nest?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's like you might think it's just a giant bird's nest. It's just a big mess, like up in the tree. If it looks like a big mass of stuff, it's a squirrel's nest.
SPEAKER_02Really? I didn't know that. I didn't know that either. I didn't know they made nests. You know the woolly um little caterpillar things that crawl across the street. Like they'll say, if you see them a lot, it's gonna mean something for winter. But I see them every year.
SPEAKER_04I actually haven't seen them in a while, but I I mean they're always in the fall. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02They are in the fall, like I see them every fall. And I feel like the winter's just always the same.
SPEAKER_04I've heard something about the color of those two. Like if they're if they're black.
SPEAKER_02Or the color. Okay, that makes sense.
SPEAKER_04Sometimes they're black.
SPEAKER_02And then the persimmons, right? Is it the persimmons? It looks like a spoon or a fork or something.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So there are ways. I feel I'm in the dark. I don't know persimmons and I don't know woolly things.
SPEAKER_02Pay attention next fall to the caterpillars walking across the roads. How do you think? On the bad though. You gotta have you gotta go to the country road. But we're not prairie.
SPEAKER_04We're not prairie people, so we don't need to know these things because we can just go weather app. Yeah. And it really doesn't matter. But back in the day it meant whether or not you're gonna have food or how long you needed food. Anyway, we're so thick.
SPEAKER_00Well we're in February to 50 degrees, so I know.
SPEAKER_02I'm not complaining about it. I know. Which probably means March is gonna be cold and gloomy.
SPEAKER_04I know. I don't mind. So when I lived in Minneapolis for school, you get your first big heavy snow, like October, and it stays. It doesn't go away. It is wintertime until wintertime is over, and then you can kind of acclimate to it. But like they have trucks everywhere. Yeah, they have trucks that like take the snow to certain places for when it melts because it's like so much snow when it melts, it like backs up the sewage in the city. So trucks from Iowa would come through like towards the end before spring hits to like take the trucks out. But you know you're in the snow, like for the next four months. We are in the snow. I feel like this season it's gone, it was 80 on Christmas. We were at Silver Dollar City, 80 degrees, 8-0. I'm not exaggerating.
SPEAKER_02No, it's crazy.
SPEAKER_04And we're sweating in shorts, and then it goes back down to like 12. Negative two. I'm like, just pick one and just stay. I just need to acclimate and stay.
SPEAKER_02I guess that makes sense. If you live where it's snow all the time, you're just used to it. You know, like when the snow is here, I can't wait for it to go away. I like it, but it needs to be gone the next day. Yeah. Right. Because then it's gross. Last snow when it sold. It was like, wait, you're supposed to have been melted already. There's still massive piles around. The twins are like, why is there still snow on the ground? I'm like, well, the massive piles are gonna take a while, even though it's warm outside. And then the ground's muddy. I don't like the soggy. It's the soggy.
SPEAKER_04No.
SPEAKER_02That's when you three should be lucky because you don't have a dog.
Mud, White Carpet, And Cleaning Fails
SPEAKER_04Well, I have animals going in and out worst. And we are realizing now, everyone's like, that's a terrible decision. I'm like, no, it's beautiful. We picked white carpet for a basement, and I was like, it's so pretty. And they're like, it's it's got this new material, it's so easy to clean. If you just shampoo it once a year, you'll be fine. It's great. You don't have pets, it's not a high traffic area. I was like, the carpet guy says it's fine. We got it. Hayden was like, Have you been downstairs recently? And I was like, no. He's like, there are like perfect mud footprints just straight through the room. And I was like, whose? And he's like, whose do you think? And I was like, Summit. And he's like, Yep, his snow boots are sitting right on the other side of the room. He just came in from outside, walked up all the way across to the couch, took his little boots off, and there are just perfect mud prints. He's like, Maybe the white carpet was a bad idea. I was like, did it clean? I actually still have not gone down there. I was like, you know what? I'm not gonna look at that for now, but we are gonna get him cleaned at some point. That's really funny. I always had white carpet in the basement too. And it was fine, right? Okay. Did you shampoo it sometimes? Yeah. That's what I did. But it washed wood.
SPEAKER_02I mean, and you let them eat food down there?
SPEAKER_00Always.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00The only thing that didn't clean up was red juice, like from a Christmas party or something. Someone like spilled, you know. So yeah. But generally we did not have red things to drink. It's a normal way of life.
SPEAKER_04The hardest thing for me to get out, now it's turning into a cleaning show, sorry, is the juice from cuties. Those little oranges. That doesn't come out. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_02From the actual fruit.
SPEAKER_04If you are listening to this and you know how to get that, so when it drips on the floor clear, but when it dries later, it's like neon green. I thought the kids broke a glow stick down there. Oh wow. What? And it turns out it's from orange. So some it would sneak oranges and he sits behind the couch and like sucks the life out of them because I'm always like, wait till it's snack time. I cannot figure out how to get that out of the carpet. It's just bright yellow dots. Wow. It's so weird. I've tried vinegar. I tried bleaching little spots. I tried the blue dawn dish soap that I learned from Matea's mom.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, blue dawn dish. My mother-in-law swears on the mixture of blue dawn peroxide and baking soda mixed that.
SPEAKER_04I need I do need to try that because I've done that on other things and it came. I made a paste, it came out. So I did that on uh blood that wouldn't come out like on a kid's shirt. Came right out. Blood. Blood's hard to get out. It is peroxide, though. That's how you get it out. Yep. Bubbles it out. Oh yeah. I don't have peroxide.
SPEAKER_01I learned that from birth. Yes, you did. She did.
SPEAKER_02You gotta be prepared. Okay, so we have She Wakes is coming up quickly. The conference, sorry. This is She Wakes. Yeah, it's coming up. Podcast. I know. Like a month from now. A month from now. Oh. A little over a month from now. And you guys do not want to miss it because we're gonna have so much fun.
SPEAKER_00It's gonna be fun. You know what I was wondering? Do we even need a Bible or a notebook on Friday? No.
SPEAKER_02I mean you should bring it anyway. You should bring it in Friday. That's the holy thing. I don't know. I always have mine because we're holy and set apart. Yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_03Maybe you need to write it down.
SPEAKER_02I want to write it down. And I'm sure that Hope will open her Bible. I hope so. I see a lot of artists do that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Okay. So if you don't know, Friday night is a worship concert. Yeah. I don't know how much are we telling? Just tell it. Oh, oh, I see what you mean. Like the first part. Oh yeah. Uh sure.
SPEAKER_02I don't know.
SPEAKER_04So there's a first part that's gonna be really fun. Inside, outside. There's an outside part, and then there's we're finishing the night is a big worship concert. So we're hoping it's not winter still. Right.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we are hoping that it's not. But if it is pretty much I mean we're the end of March, maybe we shouldn't be, but we're still we're do or die, though. We're do or die for sure. No matter what the weather, we're going outside. Unless it's a torrential downpour, that might be a problem. But that'd be kind of fun, actually. Yeah. You don't want to miss it. We promise you you do not want to miss it.
SPEAKER_00Well, because it's what you said. We've heard from we have heard to yeah, every all the and we're hope.
SPEAKER_02Well, we think we're delivering. If we don't, you guys can let us know. But we are we're delivering. Yes, we're pretty sure. I think, I think, I think we are. So you don't want to miss it. Get your tickets, they're on sale now until I mean you can buy them at the door. You can buy them at the door, honestly.
SPEAKER_00So we are in Should we tell them what to wear?
SPEAKER_02Oh, I don't know what to wear. What to wear? I mean, like what color? I mean, they don't have to wear that color. Yeah, it'd be fine. Everybody? You want everyone in the same color? Everyone in hot pink, please. Hot pink or orange. It's the theme. Hot pink and orange. Yes. Any shade of pink. We're gonna force spring. I would say any shade of orange, but there is a specific shade of orange. I mean I don't wear, I don't even own orange. I don't even have orange or pink.
SPEAKER_04So this is wig.
SPEAKER_03Matea's coming in orange. Is it as long as your hair? No, no, no, it's a bob.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, those were cute. That was cute. You gotta you have to wear that. Matea's gonna be in an orange wig.
SPEAKER_00Then you'll know who our moderator is. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Our host.
SPEAKER_01The mystery girl.
SPEAKER_02So we are in a spiritual journey right now as a whole church for the month of February. And I was just wondering where you guys are. Like, talk a little bit about what you're doing. You can talk about what you're fasting if you're fasting, and then things that you have heard from the Lord or that he's doing in your life. Who wants to go first? Well talk about what you what are we fast? What are you fasting?
SPEAKER_00I am fasting the gym. Oh yeah, which has been so weird for me. Yeah. Um, you know, like I kind of took like the Lent, the Lent approach where you like give up things that you love.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
Announcing She Wakes: Worship And Plans
SPEAKER_00And so I love going to the gym. But like in Corinthians 6, we don't like let our loves lead us. We don't let our loves um dominate us. And so if I take the things away that I love, who am I still? Well, I love him the most. And so that's where I really feel like my days are just oriented around him because I'm not going to the gym. I am not having coffee. I am eating fruits, grains, and vegetables, you know, so I'm not getting comfort from yummy food. Um, so yeah, the days really do feel different for me. They definitely feel slowed down, um, just because like all of my routines kind of like guide my days, and all my routines are disrupted. I was talking to my daughter-in-law, one of the things that I love about my week is um making sourdough. You know, so it's like, okay, I've got to prepare my sourdough, and then I'm doing this with my sourdough, and then I'm making my sourdough. All that schedule is off. So it just feels like a different I'm in a little different world, and so it feels really focused. And I'm glad to be focused on it because, you know, I was I've said this story to a couple people, but um, Lisa Yao, a missionary in India, she had a vision from the Lord, and she's doing works, you know, in India. The kingdom is expanding, and so she's like planting churches and feeding orphans and ministering to lepers and creating schools and like doing all these things. And she had a vision of the Lord. He's in the woods and he's like in the trees and he's shouting and he's jumping and he's raising his hand. He's like, Lisa, I'm over here, I'm over here. And she just really felt the Lord saying, like, I'm doing something in the world, Lisa. Do you want to join with me in what I'm doing? And so I just really feel like life community church, the Lord is moving here, he is doing something here. Do you want to be a part of it, Jody? Don't worry about what you want to do. This is what I'm doing. Join in with me. And so I feel like these 21 days is just like, okay, not about what you want to do, but what is he doing and how can I partner with him? Yeah, I love that.
SPEAKER_01My fast is a little similar. I'm eating really boring food. Can I tell you something funny? Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I asked Jeff, or the kids asked Jeff, like, how's your fast going? And he said, Well, I feel like I'm in a foreign country eating foreign food, and I don't like the country, and I don't like the food. Apples.
SPEAKER_01It's just living without sugar.
SPEAKER_00Mostly.
SPEAKER_01But it's like you don't have many options. It's the same thing. I know. But and I'm giving up coffee.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01That actually has been harder than the food. I don't I didn't realize.
SPEAKER_02How many times do you drink coffee a day? Twice. One in the morning and the afternoon?
SPEAKER_01Um probably average one a day.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_01Depending how my day. If my day was really good, another one, or if it was real bad, another one. So two. I mean, you're a new mom. You do that. You do that little up in the afternoon. Yeah. But so that's been harder. But the Lord has been revealing like um how much I actually like how much food and drinks gave me comfort. Yes.
SPEAKER_00And comfort. I think that's it.
SPEAKER_01Like I went to them for kind of like I to be so would make or get a coffee for a mood change.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Like, or if I'm happy, oh you know what? Today's a good day. Yeah. I need today's a bad day. I need to go get a coffee.
SPEAKER_03You know, like we deserve it. Yeah. Oh, I've earned this.
SPEAKER_01I need a diet coke real bad. And it's like everything. It's like getting it, making it, drinking it, holding it.
Churchwide Fast: What We’re Giving Up
SPEAKER_00All of it. It's just so lovely. Oh, it's so and not that those are bad things, but where does our comfort come from? Exactly.
SPEAKER_01And it revealed like I I get embarrassed saying this because I'm like, oh my goodness, you're a psycho. But I would go to bed thinking about my morning coffee. Or I'd be like, oh, I can't wait for another one. And I'm like, I don't think about God that much that way. Like, you know, oh, I can't wait to do my reading in the morning. Like, I don't think like that. So it's like changed my perspective. And I said this on my uh devotional, but um I there was one morning that I was like, oh Lord, I really miss it. And I was like just you know, missing coffee and yeah, and a good breakfast. And he was just like kind of reminded me of like fasting isn't just giving something up, but it's replacing it with time with God in prayer. So that I mean if I wasn't doing this with God, I would have cheated five times. I know.
SPEAKER_02Because it's like it's kind of mind over matter, and then you get like a reality check, and you're like, oh yes. You're like, why am I doing this? Coffee is not my lifeline. You are my lifeline.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_04Well, Amateya, you're really good at making drinks.
SPEAKER_02I was gonna say you must be very good at it because she is.
SPEAKER_04You should see the cute cups and like her own foam, like that she brings in two.
SPEAKER_02Yes, a green thing and a coffee.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. And so I think part of it isn't just that you want like a yummy snack for selfish, but it's kind of like a mental sourdough. Sourdough, yeah. Creating something, like working on something. Some people it's meal prepping, some people it's working out, some people it's whatever it is, running, walking, scrolling. Like we all want some sort of disconnect. And so I think that, which again, it's good that you are good at crafting drinks, but right now you're stepping away from something you want to put your mind on to put your mind on him instead. So it's not just like your mouth wants it. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01Oh no, yeah, it's the whole thing. It's the whole day.
SPEAKER_04And it's interesting. So Matea and I were talking the other day, and I'm a little bit opposite of you, Jody, too. How my focus during the fast is like opposite of Matea's a little bit like well, I can't remember exactly how. Mine is not to have less of my routine to make me uncomfortable. I've actually been praying to have a little bit more of a routine in my home. Cause and it's probably the ages of my kids and just stuff that's going on, but like we are struggling. It's me. Like, I am the what do they say? Like, not the keeper of the room. You're the leader.
SPEAKER_00You set the tone.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, like I do. I set the temperature in our home. And like, it's if I wait until one of the kids wakes me up to get going and then we're late, it just like starts off bad.
SPEAKER_02And I know that's so talk to Robin O'Daniel.
SPEAKER_04I know. I mean, yeah, I have actually. Like, I've asked her about what she was doing, but um, I am trying. So one of the things, and God actually told me this so clear two years ago, and it was a time we were struggling with some it, like just rest.
SPEAKER_00And I was so that was when he was born, right? Um he's almost three.
SPEAKER_04But so he was probably one, almost one. And it was during a staff devo devo. I think it was Caleb, but I don't know, he might correct me. But someone had us like be quiet for three minutes and ask God what he wants us to surrender. And I was just kind of enjoying the quiet time because I was like, there's literally nothing I could possibly surrender to the Lord. And because I'm like, I don't really have much right now. And I heard clear as day like surrender rest. And I took that to mean, oh, God's gonna give me rest. Like I'm just hearing a different message in this time of, but I heard it clear many times like surrender your rest, surrender your rest. And in my mind, there was a picture of me getting up even though I was tired. And I was like, no, it means God's going to wake me up at 5 a.m. and I'm gonna want to get up and I'm gonna feel not tired. I'm not gonna desire my bed. And this time of fasting, it just kind of hit me like a successful fast does not mean that you just magically aren't hungry or don't want those things. You do still want them and you are still tired and you are still hungry and you are still craving things, but you're teaching yourself like that's how your soul should long for him. Like I think it's choosing to feel uncomfortable. But now that I am waking up, so I have my morning, we've been getting to school. Like, we're never late for school, but I'm not like yelling for people to find shoes. It's been so smooth. I can sit and read them a book. We've been like singing songs. I'm like, what do you do you want to pack your own lunch? Like we've been there having time. There's time for me to be nice. And so I've been nicer. And then it's stressful, and you have to be mean when you're on a time crunch. And it's not, they don't know what late means. I'm like, we're late. They're like, okay. You're driving. Yeah. But then Hayden and I are also fasting. We'll like snack on like fruits and vegetables throughout the day, but we're not having meals until dinner time. We're having our regular meals. So I'm hungry and looking forward to it. So I've actually been like, oh, I need these things from the store. Like, there, it's just there's been a lot more order in our house, even though I'm not choosing to turn to things I want. But yeah. And then our whole, our kids, we're all fasting sugar. So anytime they want sweets, I'm like, we're not. I mean, like, I give them toast and honey, and I'm not giving them the honey right now because I'm like, did anybody tell them at church last night? What? Uh no. Okay.
SPEAKER_03She told me.
SPEAKER_04Oh yeah. I was like, oh, remember we're fasting.
SPEAKER_00I'm trying not to be like hard on her about it. But the difference is fasting with a purpose. Otherwise, we're just like an exercise of self-discipline.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. Right.
SPEAKER_04You know, like that's kind of what it is for my kids right now. I'm just like sometimes we just abstain because we want we're different. Yeah. Yep.
SPEAKER_02Uh we're fat. Well, the first week we did liquid only. So we were doing smoothies and obviously liquids. I we did not give up coffee. I mean, Jamie drinks decaf. I'm like, that's like, why even drink it? If you drink decaf coffee, I just do not understand. What's the point? Anyway. Comfort. So that was rough. And by Thursday, I was like, I can't, I cannot have one more smoothie. I'm gonna throw up. I'd rather just not drink anything at all. I was like so over it. It was just they tasted good, but it was like the consistency of like the protein you're chewing. Yeah, and yeah, maybe that. I was like, I cannot do it. So, but we knew like I knew on Friday we were switching to vegetables only. So I was like, I cannot wait for me the best vegetables I've ever eaten. But on the so I started on the Monday. So on Tuesday, I was like, I am starving. And again, like something about me is I usually don't eat during the day and I only eat once, but all of a sudden I'm hungry all the time. I'm hungry all the time. All the time. So last Tuesday, I was like, I am starving. And I was listening to a podcast and they were talking about um a drought in Africa that lasted for like 18 months. And one of the ladies went and asked the neighbor, like, oh my gosh, how are you doing with the drought? You know, blah, blah. And she's like, uh, God is so good. And she's like, What do you mean God is so good? We've been in a drought for 18 months. And she's like, No one has starved to death. Wow. And I was like, Yeah, I'm not starving. Yeah, I'm gonna be fine. We'll be okay. So it's like that perspective, like, no, there are literally people in the world that are starving to death still to this day, and it's not me. I'm not gonna starve. Yeah. So what would it literally take to starve to death?
SPEAKER_00I mean how many days? Seven.
SPEAKER_02No, you can go without food for a long time. You can't go without water for very long time. Yeah, but if no food and And water wouldn't hit you. You're like brain three without water.
SPEAKER_04You guys ever watch the show I shouldn't be alive?
SPEAKER_02Yes. Never. I mean, I haven't seen it a lot, but I've seen it.
SPEAKER_04Hayden will not watch it with me. He's like, that's stupid. Oh, I'll watch it with you. And I was like, well, if I'm ever lost on a mountain, guess who's gonna know what to do and what not to do? Not you. I'm gonna have to carry us home.
Comfort, Coffee, And Reordering Love
SPEAKER_02Figure out how to find stuff. So that so now we're just doing fruits and vegetables. Or vegetables only, sorry. And it's not even like the food part is not that difficult for me. But I learned something about prayer over the weekend, which I already know this. You know, when you know something, but then you're just reminded of it, just like sinks deeper into your soul. And this is a very stupid example, okay? And it's just is, but it taught it reminded me of a good lesson. Truth, yes, thank you. So you guys know that we had the state cheerleading uh competition this last weekend, and every year Columbia can win every year. That I'm not that's not a lie. They're always that good. There's two teams there, they're always that good. Any one of them can win. And cheerleading is a finicky sport, and one thing goes wrong, and it just happens if you're not anyway. So, and you also know that I don't pray for sports, but well, I don't pray to win. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I've been praying, I was praying over the girls. There's lots of Christian girls on the team. Like, I would just pray for favor over them and like their eyes, their vision to be clear. You have to cut, you're you know, things are flying everywhere, you gotta catch them, you gotta know what you're doing. So I so day one, we do fine. So day two, that's the day. Like that's the day you need to be on, right? So something happened in the routine that has never happened, like literally has not happened, and one of their sons fell and it fell all the way to the ground. And that's like devastating in cheer world, like that you're done, you know. And so it was very sad to watch. And everybody's like, what just happened? And you keep going, like you just gotta finish. Was anyone hurt? No. But it's just like it just never happens, you know. So they're all anyway, so it's so like whatever. And then everyone's in mourning. We're kind of still in mourning. It's just like you can't even think about it, you know. And the thing is, like, it's so stupid, right? Like, we get wrapped up in like these silly things and we think they're silly, but the the fact is though that we can also enjoy things on earth. We get to enjoy things. And like one thing that I love as a parent is watching my kids do their sport or their activity. I actually don't care what it is. I would watch if my kids enjoy watching paint dry, I'm gonna sit there and watch paint dry with them. Like, yeah, I don't care. But it's like brings so much joy to your heart to like get to see your kids accomplish something, and then for that to be like taken away, it was like devastating, right? Sad. So I'm thinking about it, and I know nothing, none of my prayer over the girls is to keep them safe. Was answered. It's not to make them winners. Yeah. Even if I did pray, God, you know, because I'm sure there are people that pray. Help us win. Oh, yeah. I'm sure that is. So then I'm sitting thinking, like, wow, if I didn't really know the truth of who the Lord is, that could really wreck my faith. Like, I prayed to win. And then it's like, hold on, like, but Jesus is not a genie in a bottle. And I think that's how we treat God a lot. It's like, I asked you this and you didn't do it.
SPEAKER_04I've literally heard someone say that before. Like, I only asked you this. I've had the one thing in my life and it never happened, you know, they're not in.
SPEAKER_02I could see it where it could wreck your faith a little more with like healing. Like you've been praying for someone who's sick, and you're like, God, why did you not answer that prayer?
SPEAKER_00But we forget that no is an answer.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but I think we also forget that prayer isn't to get our way. Right. No. Prayer for God to speak to us to tell us what we should be doing. It's one part petition. Yeah. I mean, it's like we prayer is for us to hear from God and then to go forward. It is and you do, I mean, there are those scriptures, knock, seek, and knock, and you will find me. But that's like finding salvation. Yeah, right? Asking for salvation, asking for wisdom. Or like you give me the desires of my heart, and you know, people are like, God, you're gonna give me the desires of my heart. But it's like you have the wrong desires. And it's it's a false gospel, right? Like I think a lot of people think like I, you know, I believe in Jesus now, I'm gonna pray for him. He's gonna give me the desires of my heart. And sometimes it does. I mean, sometimes he does give you the desires of your heart.
SPEAKER_04I think he ch Yeah, I think he adjusts the desires of your heart. Yes, that is a good point. Because it's like what do you actually want? Do you want that person out of your life forever? It's like, no, ultimately you're saying you want peace in your life.
SPEAKER_02Yes, and it's and my desires are probably 99.9% selfish. Right. Yeah. So no, you're not gonna give me the desires of earth because they're not about me. And if I'm and they're not ultimately good for you. No, and if I'm just being a bot of like part of the body of Christ, I should only be concerned about what God's doing in the earth. Yeah. And how I can be a part of it. So it was just a good reminder. I mean, I knew I got, I know I'm not praying to win because you're not gonna answer that prayer. I know that. But it's like that could really wreck some people.
SPEAKER_00Well, and like you said before, there's another team praying the exact same thing.
SPEAKER_03So somebody's gonna get the answer no.
SPEAKER_02But even so, like, I would still go with if you're the winner, God still didn't answer the prayer that you were the winner. Now, you guys can correct me if I'm wrong. But like, even like the Super Bowl, you know, I'm sure there are wives and moms and whose sons are playing and they're it's just dudes watching. I really just don't think God's like, you know, like let's answer the Seahawks prayer today. Like, yeah, I don't know.
SPEAKER_04Well, and I think I've heard I I don't know if I've heard someone say this. I feel like I have, but if you think about it, like say you have a big tournament game or something or a wedding coming up and you're like praying and praying, please for good weather, please don't let it rain. But then there's like a farmer whose livelihood depends on the rain and he's begging for rain. So it's just not how God plays. Yes. And I went through kind of a prayer crisis when several years back when we were new here and there was like a tragedy, and I 100% believed that we were gonna see a miracle. Like church came together, we prayed, we prayed, we prayed, and the outcome is not what I believed, I truly believed is gonna happen. And I felt foolish. And I was mad and I was like, what? I went on this huge journey, like, okay, we can pray for forgiveness, we can pray to know God more, we can pray to hear his voice, I can ask for wisdom, I can ask for, you know, guidance with other people. You, I should not be praying about things I want or a situation or healing or the and I went through this, I was like, I'm not praying, and I just wouldn't. I was like, I'm not praying for that because then I'm not gonna get it and I'm gonna be stupid. Like it was stupid. And I had this thing in my mind like, what if our church was praying and like a hundred people gathered? But what if another church was praying and they had 400 people gathered, so they won. And I'm like, maybe, maybe that's and then I was just like, no, God does not play games, He's not playing games with me. It's it has to be something else. Because in the Bible, we are told to pray for healing. We are told to bring our needs and our wants before him and ask him who gives generously. So I'm like, okay, there's something to this. Yeah, we are invited to engage with him in prayer, but it doesn't mean we get where we want to forcing his hand or getting what we want. So what is it?
Hunger, Perspective, And Prayer Lessons
SPEAKER_02But I'm gonna come and bring my petitions before you, but then I need to sit and listen to what you want me to do with them. Yeah. And that's probably the part that we miss out on the most. Yeah. So we have what, a week and a half left. Are you gonna go back to your coffee? Oh, are you are you still looking forward to that Sunday? It's funny.
SPEAKER_01I had a rough night of night sleeping. Oh and I woke up and I was like, oh. I go, Jesus. A large ice coffee would be nice right now, but I'll read Psalms instead.
SPEAKER_03Was it your cute baby's fault that you couldn't sleep?
SPEAKER_01Um yeah. He's so precious.
SPEAKER_03Those little stinkers sometimes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So um, are you sticking to it? Do you switch your like we've been doing something different every week with our fast? I should also say I'm not spending money. Like I'm not buying anything but food. Oh yeah, we're not eating out too, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00No, we're just hanging through the whole thing.
SPEAKER_02How's Jeff doing? Is he hanging in there?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, he hates this country and he hates his food.
SPEAKER_02Here's the thing about I know about Jody Miller's house, though, is Jodie Miller might be eating vegetables, but those vegetables taste good. You're cooking them, right? He just likes meat. Jeff likes meat, yeah.
SPEAKER_00And sugar.
SPEAKER_02Like, I know it always blows my mind, actually. He's a sugar hound. Sugar hound to kill. Did he have like a massive headache? Like the sugar.
SPEAKER_00No, he actually didn't. He said he didn't. Interesting. So, yeah, I don't know how that worked.
SPEAKER_02I know. You always hear people like felt like they have the flu for a few days because they stopped eating sugar. But holy smokes. Maybe he doesn't eat a lot of sugar. Like you might think he does, but maybe he really doesn't. I don't know. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I mean, I just know for me, if I wouldn't have weaned off coffee, I would have been feeling sick. And so maybe he weaned off or is tea caffeinated?
SPEAKER_01Sometimes it is, but not all the time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Depends. Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_02Is he drinking coffee still? He doesn't drink coffee. He drinks sweet tea. Oh, yeah, it has caffeine. Oh, it does? Not at my house, but yeah. Oh, I do. I think decaf coffee is stupid, but I drink decaf now. Also, this is why I switch because I used to buy regular, but the twins like it, and I don't want them to have caffeine, so I switched back. I used to do it like when I was pregnant, and then I switched back. Which I'm sure the process is the same as coffee. Everyone's like, it's actually worse because it has to go through like Whoa. Sorry. The chemical process to get out the caffeine and yada yada.
SPEAKER_00I did ask him last night because years ago we did whole 30, and that was when I was cured of coffee and cream. I can't go back to cream in my coffee ever since then. Like it just tastes so thick.
SPEAKER_01I can't eat a regular chocolate chip cookie anymore.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01It's too sweet. Too sweet. Yes. So it's a Zar bought one.
SPEAKER_02Or what do you mean?
SPEAKER_01Homemade is just too sweet. Too sweet. Because I gave up sugar a while ago. And now if I eat anything with like I'll do like um like coconut sugar or honey and that. But I'm not doing that right now. So I made him these little out of my life.
SPEAKER_00I made him these little date almond tahini balls.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah, that sounds good.
SPEAKER_00And they're um they're really good. And but they're not super sweet. And he's just like, you know, I hate them. I said, babe, maybe you're gonna be cured of cookies forever. He's like, no, no, no, no.
unknownSo funny.
SPEAKER_00I'm like, babe, this isn't just an exercise and discipline. Seek the Lord. Yeah, oh yeah, true. Yeah. That is just like suffering.
SPEAKER_02What I think uh we hope that everyone learns through this too is like that we are all the body of Christ and we all have a part to play. Yes. And that it's not just because your pastor called you to fast. Like this should be something that you put into practice in your life all the time. And all that's not the only thing we're doing. What else? We have prayer walks, we have 24 hours of prayer, we have daily devotionals. I'm not missing the 250 daily. Oh, yeah, pray at 256, which I'm gonna keep my alarm on. I've all the time, like from now on.
SPEAKER_00I loved what Pastor Jamie said though, you know, like for loved ones that you have been wanting to come to Christ forever. You know, Jesus said some things only happen from prayer and fasting. And so it really should be a part of our regular life because there's always gonna be deep things that we're seeking the Lord about. And so it's not like it's if it's a habit, if it's part of your life, you can always rely on that day, you know. This is my day where I'm seeking you, Lord, for my family for my lost, you know, my loved ones.
SPEAKER_02And I think too, like, I this my heart for our church. I'm sure it's all of yours.
SPEAKER_00Oh, hang on, but I had just one more thought with that. So when Jesus said, like this can they the disciples came, they're like, hey, we prayed, and how come nothing happened? And Jesus was able to accomplish it. Well, it's because fasting was part of his life. So he hadn't been like, okay, hold on, pause. You're gonna have to wait here. Uh give me a day, and I'm gonna fast and then I'll come back to you. It was a part of his life, and so he's able to meet that need because he's been fasting. Um, I forgot my transition.
SPEAKER_02I was gonna forget mine, sorry. I'll come back.
SPEAKER_04I do want to invite everyone in case we need clarity for the 24 hours of prayer, because I'm actually very, very, very excited for that. I've never done one before, 24 hours, and I don't plan on being here for the entire 24 hours. You can if you want. You are welcome to come for the whole 24 hours, but we have um people will be guiding like in two hour chunks, but it doesn't matter what time you come. It's from 7 a.m. on the 20th, 21st to 7 a.m. on the 22nd when we're praying for like service. It's usually when our volunteer prayer is um on at 7 a.m. on Sundays, is when all the teams on Sunday come and pray together. So that's kind of what's gonna wrap it up. But I really I think it's gonna be a special time.
Prayer Isn’t A Vending Machine
SPEAKER_00So and I'm glad you said that because that means you know, families are welcome to, you know. So if you have kids, bring your kids, even if you stay for 30 minutes to pray for our church, to pray for our community, to pray for, um, to pray to God, to worship him. And so 24 hours is open to everybody, all ages. Um, but of course your kids are with you. But then I do want to just say like one to three and five to seven are particularly family friendly. Family friendly. And we'll post that. One to three and five to seven.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think it's gonna be good. I think it's just we're trying to like our heart is like everyone engages in something.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02It's like if you're not doing all of them, that's fine, but like your heart that you're engaging in something and just like learning new disciplines in your life so that we aren't just doing it this month of February, but like you know, whatever else comes up the rest of the year, you're like, oh yeah, I need to go back to fasting. Like I remember what it was like in February and how close I felt to God, and yeah, I need to go back there. Like a call to remembrance, kind of too. Um, but then to actively have the whole body doing something and engaging in the work of the ministry. Like, I think that we get real we can get caught up in the American church very easy. I don't know. I only say American church because I don't know about this, about other countries, obviously, but um, that it's the work of the staff to move the gospel forward.
SPEAKER_04Well, it's become like a consumer event. Yes, like and it's the the opposite. Yeah, like oh, we like the the look and feel of that church, or we like the music at this one, or we like the this better at that one or this. And it's and I'm not saying those are bad things. Like if I was looking for a church for my family right now, kids' ministry would be first important, worship would be next important because that's my department. I want to love it. So, but there's this book, uh, How to Worship a King. There's a quote in here. He says, Um, he talks about like wanting to be a tool that God can use. And he's like, But who do you want to be used by people? Like, do you want to be used by the government? He's like, No, nobody likes that. Um, God didn't create you so that he could use you, he created you so that he could know you. And he's talking about like setting up camp in your skill set, like what you can do, what you can perform for God. And so that is your identity. So if if I can sing and play, obviously I can offer singing and playing music for church. If that's not your skill, then you think that's my job and you watch me do my job. And like, I'm not good at, you know, preaching, so, or I'm not up there doing that, or I'm not a door greeter, or I'm not working at kids. And so I watch you do your job rather than all of us engaging. And so the other quote he had was religion teaches us to view ourselves as tools. If we perform well, we are pleasing and useful to God. If we perform for poorly, we are of no use and we're put aside or thrown away. And it's just like it's just not what God designed us to be. He designed us all to be engaged when we're here, like leaning in together, worshiping together, encouraging each other. It's not like I'm gonna watch all these people do their their skill. Yeah. And so yeah, there is everyone has a role when they walk into this building and leave.
SPEAKER_02And leave. I think that's the most important part. When you're you have a role to play here. Yes, yeah. This is supposed to be like the place you just get some more fuel. And like, what did you say last night? What's the word you use last night? I wasn't community. You said it so well. I don't know. But it's just it's not like a one, it's not just like a stop on the day of your week. Yeah. Like you're coming to be together to build up the body of Christ so that we all can go out and do the work of the ministry the other six and a half days of the week that you're not. I mean, you're two hours on a Sunday morning is not.
SPEAKER_00I think I said this last week. You know, like it seems this consumer culture is we come to church so that we can become better versions of ourselves.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And that's our endpoint. And that is not God's endpoint. God's endpoint is that we come to church to grow in our faith so that we can share our faith with other people. It's so that He can work through us. It's not so that we're just this best version trying to live our best lives and our best self. The other thing that I was gonna say, the body of Christ is so important. And I felt this yesterday at our um Wednesday noon prayer. You know, we're all kind of doing these spiritual journeys separately in our day-to-day life. And so you can forget that other people are on this journey with you. And so you're like, why am I starving? Why am I doing this to myself? And then you come together to pray and you heard other people praying for the church, other people praying for families, other people praying for our community of believers. And I was, and they were all such excellent prayers offered to the Father that I left like I needed to hear that. Jody needed to hear that. So if you weren't there today to say those words, then I'm still feeling not encouraged, you know. But that gave me like more wind in my sails. Like, okay, yes, I am part of a body of Christ, and we are all striving to make him known. You're not the only one. Yeah, it's good.
SPEAKER_02We are doing uh Jody and I are walking through First Corinthians in our Wednesday night small group. And this is actually was part of Matea's uh devotion, but I don't know if you I think you got to this verse, but I'm not sure. But Paul is speaking obviously to the Corinthian church, and he's saying, Do you not realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? And I think sometimes it's easy for us to forget that we are all corporately the body of Christ, like we all have a role to play, and so and you hear this a lot like the hand has to be the hand, and if the hand's missing, then there's no hand, you know. But every single person that's a believer in Jesus has a role to play in like the grander scheme of ministry. And I think we can get real zeroed in our like, well, that's like that's your ministry, like Jamie Bridges. That's your ministry, like Life Community Church, and that is not true. No, yeah. He is just the shepherd of the ministers that are supposed to be going out during the organizer, you know. Yeah, we are the ministers, yes, and I think that we kind of have that a little, not kind of a little, a lot upside down in America.
SPEAKER_04So I'm we told and I I actually want to do, I want to cook this thought a little more, and I actually want to do a teaching on it someday. I don't know what that means or where or what, but the the main, the initial purpose of gathering is to minister to the Lord. Like our fuel stop, a Sunday is not necessarily where we meet with God. Yeah, it's not you're like I had to stop at the gas station, that's church on Sunday, and I think that's how most of us see it. That should be like in your private time at home, you're fueling yourself. And we gather because I can't raise my voice with a hundred other people at home on my own. And the Bible talks about God wanting to hear us all together, thinking on the same wavelength, like during the message, praying the same things during prayer, singing the same things during worship, learning, like one voice, moving your body. So So we gather to minister to God and we can't do it without a congregation of people. So it's not even just please come so we can encourage you to go out and bring more people or like go save people. Our first heart is to minister to the Lord. That's excellent. And then because of that, people are drawn to what we have. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because of the presence of God that falls in that environment.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. I think I'm just really, and I again I don't know how to articulate, but I'm so passionate about people knowing, and I say this as the worship leader. It's so important to me that people know they have a role to play on Sunday. Like I'm there's nothing I am doing or offering that's to serve people. Yeah. I mean, there is because I also want to stay engaged and lead us towards that. Yeah, but it's because I want us all going this way. Like I'm trying to, like, we all need to do this together. And so it's like, how do you break the line between platform and seats? Like, don't feel that. Like, yeah, get it off. Let's look together.
Fasting As A Lifestyle, Not A Month
SPEAKER_00So I just had an image of you and you're facing God. And so all of us are behind you, and you're like, we're going into the throne room now. All right. Ready? We're gonna sing three, two, or no, one, two, three, four. You know, so it's like you're leading us. Like you guys were going in in front of the king.
SPEAKER_02Like, have you ever heard people be like, well, I I was late, I just missed the first 15 minutes. I just missed the music. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah. I used to hear that a lot. Well, then you also hear the reverse. People don't want to miss the music and then they be careful.
SPEAKER_02It's like we forget that that's an important part.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. I do, I have yeah. I have people that are very encouraging and share. And then I also have people that don't like some certain songs. And I'm like, just listen to the words, like just write down.
SPEAKER_00Or bring an offering, bring a sacrifice of praise.
SPEAKER_04It's a it's a sacrifice. It should not just be like, oh, it's my personality to like wave my hands. I'm like, well, it's kind of commanded in the Bible. We are told to raise our voice, raise our hands, move our body. And we're actually instructed to bow more than clapping, singing, or raising hands.
SPEAKER_00That is a strange one.
SPEAKER_04But it's in there that word. Well, it's anyway, it's one of the Hebrew words of praise, but you're instructed to bow on the ground more than raising your hands in church. And I'm like, I don't bow more than I raise my hands. So I've started doing it at home. Like I try to lay on my face and pray. I'm like, you want my body in this position? Prostrate. I don't know why, but like meet me here, you know. So give him everything. Is bow different than prostrate? Yeah. So there's kneeling before the Lord. Um, that's the one that's the most. And then prostrate is another one too. Got it. I always think of bow like bending in half. I know. I do either. I find it more comfortable to just be all the way on my stomach than being on my knees for a long time. So I think he appreciates both. We're down here. I just want to be low so I can like you know, I just I don't know.
SPEAKER_02I just want to be low.
unknownI don't know.
SPEAKER_02So hopefully you guys are encouraged to stay on that journey for the next week and a half or week by the time this comes out. But also then take those practices beyond just February. Like um, maybe take, you know, still a day a week and do your fast or something like that. But you just put more better practices into your routine, which I can be really bad about that. Like keeping, I'm really self-disciplined in some time things, but like a routine in my day, that's not where I'm disciplined at very much. And so that's what I'm gonna try to do to just keep like you. Like, I mean, my house runs pretty smooth. I'm not yelling at kids in the morning anyway anymore. But you know what? It's I think that's just age, yeah. Too, you know. Plus, I don't have to drop them off at school. That's also if you have to do it all, that's to the moms out there that are screaming every morning. Give yourself some grace. You we can give shoes. Where are they? Our shoes do stay in the same spot. I'm very particular about where the shoes stay. But it's the getting on of the shoes that we can't cannot figure out. I know. Just wait, Matea. There's so much great stuff coming for you with that sweet baby Manny. Where are those shoes? So, but this encourages you to stay on and then um also continue on and know that you're part of the body of Christ and that you um have a very important role and that every one of you that attend LCC or attend another body, it doesn't you have to attend here, um, that you that God wants you and wants to engage with you and He wants you to be on mission every day with Him. So would you like to pray for us? Jody.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I want to, Lord, we love you. We do, and we offer you these meanly sacrifices of what we're giving up because we want to show that you are the one that we love. We actually cannot live without you, and so you are our comfort, you orient our days, you bring us joy, you bring a routine, you bring everything. So, Lord, I just pray that we would um be reminded and I pray that you would work in this body. We know that you are. Would you continue? Just like that in Corinthians, we talk about that little bit of yeast that spreads to the dough, you know, that those are fasting, those are praying, those that are engaged in this 21 journey, that it spreads, that it's catching, that all want to be a part of what you are doing on the earth in this area, in this region, in this church. Because you are waiting to return until every knee will bow and know that you are God. And it's our heart's desire too to see you lifted up. So I pray that you would help us in our community in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.