In this third episode in our series on Seasons, Mitchell Buchanan and Matthew Parker discuss the importance of staying rooted in God's word during difficult times, emphasizing the need for spiritual disciplines like prayer and reading the Bible. They highlight the impact of grief, sorrow, and crisis on individuals and the community, stressing the importance of honest friendships and vulnerability. The speakers also discuss the challenges of navigating conflicting perspectives in the age of social media and the need for intentional prayer and reliance on God's word. They emphasize the importance of considering one's achievements and spiritual disciplines as they age, warning against succumbing to societal pressures. Lastly, they share personal experiences of trusting in God and seeking guidance from scripture and community in times of stress and financial strain.
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[00:00:12.24] - Mitchell Buchanan
Hello. Hello, hello. Welcome to the Sermon podcast for the church community for God. My name is Mitchell Buchanan. I am with Matthew Parker today.
[00:00:22.23] - Matthew Parker
today.
[00:00:23.64] - Mitchell Buchanan
Excellent friend. Also on the pastoral leadership team. We're excited to, I think, just talk through Parker's sermon on seasons. It's been a really, I think, unique more than some other sermon series we had, where there's a lot of, I think, just digging into a lot of real life situations that people are going through, and it's like, it's kind of a sermon talking about people in process and how we're responding to life around us. And I think it's been super interesting. I've loved it so far. If you haven't listened to this here before on the Sermon podcast, what we do is just chat through the sermon that we had previous weeks at church, making sure that we have a time to, like, sit down, dig into, like, the reason behind the sermon. Like, what are some things on Parker's heart he wasn't able to share? And then what are some main points? Like, as a church, we can keep talking about the scripture together. So, without further intro from me, Parker, if you want to just kick us off on what was the passage you covered, and then what were some of the main points that you wanted to really leave the audience with?
[00:01:29.73] - Matthew Parker
Yeah. Yeah.
[00:01:30.43] - Mitchell Buchanan
Leave the congregation with.
[00:01:32.68] - Matthew Parker
Thank you for saying that. We're good friends. That made me feel warm and welcomed wonderful hospitality.
[00:01:38.01] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah. I mean, I've eaten multiple Easter meals at your home.
[00:01:43.31] - Matthew Parker
We share resurrection meals together. We
[00:01:45.01] - Matthew Parker
We do. We do. Yeah. So, I preached out of two Timothy four and verses one through five. And I think something I tried to emphasize in the sermon was the context for Paul writing this letter to Timothy. Paul will say throughout the letter that he's gone through a hard time. He's in prison writing this letter. And prior to going to prison, there was this metal Smith who beat him up, and so he got assaulted, and he's in prison. He's asking, you know, telling Timothy also that he has had various friends abandon him along the way, which, you know, when you get in the mindset of a vulnerable person in a situation like that and then lacking the social support, you just really feel for Paul. But even in asking Timothy, you know, hey, bring my parchments. He still had letters to write. He had work to do. But then he also requests his cloak. And then later on in the chapter, Paul makes the final kind of request, hey, try to get here before winter. So, you know, the weather's changing. He doesn't have his jacket. He's beat up, he's in prison. And so for Paul to talk about seasons and being ready in season and out in that context, I think is very heavy. I think when I was younger, I would have read a text like that and been like, yeah, dude, Paul's hardcore. And I would have been a little more simple about it. And I think the older I've gotten, and I think what I would qualify getting older, is having more experiences dealing with the heaviness of life. It would be really difficult to be in Paul's shoes and maintain that kind of resolve without just being like, man, I don't know why God's not doing something. Why has he allowed me to be in this situation?
[00:03:26.43] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah.
[00:03:27.19] - Matthew Parker
And I think that the seasonal conversation does come back to depending on what season you're in, you could be questioning why has God allowed this season to transpire the way it has or the things that precipitated maybe to the start of the season. It could be grief, it could be conflict, it could be confusion, maybe in calling and personal identity. There could be all kinds of things going on. But, you know, if we're not allowing God's word to really be that filter, then we will entertain other ideas. And I think that kind of becomes the crux of this passage, is Paul wants Timothy to protect the church from entertaining these other ideas, these other thoughts and considerations that are going to pull them away from God's word. Because God's word's not. It's not. It's not marketable, it's offensive. It encourages us to suffer. There's a really niche crowd for that kind of message. And I think that's why the way is narrow in that regard, because not a lot of people are like, yeah, tell me about how hard it's going to be.
[00:04:26.67] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah.
[00:04:27.24] - Matthew Parker
So, anyways, I think Paul getting into this letter and encouraging Timothy in that regard, that context, think is really key.
[00:04:34.75] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah, I was thinking through that. If this is a niche message for people, like, just the scripture overall, which.
[00:04:43.43] - Matthew Parker
Is thinking, like, the narrow way. That's what I mean. I'm not saying. I don't know if I'm using the word niche. Niche.
[00:04:51.27] - Mitchell Buchanan
I'm not sure cast with 30 different pronunciations of.
[00:04:54.62] - Matthew Parker
I'm not trying to use it. I'm just saying that it's the crowd that wants to hear this message is going to be smaller.
[00:05:00.14] - Mitchell Buchanan
Right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, no, and I think I. Working through, I think this. And Timothy, you highlighted just the very personal nature of Paul's journey. And then that's immediately we can all, I think, relate to that of, like, not relating to, like, being imprisoned. And I don't have access to my stuff, but I think just we can often paint these characters. Jesus, Paul, Jeremiah, Moses. And I think we can cover passages and texts and then don't really relate where it's like, there are truly ups and downs and not just in a way that is like, high. High church. Or it's like, oh, jesus is going to the cross. And I know what plays out in this text and that this is for a grand purpose. It's like, no, no. Like, we're seeing Paul at his depths of, like, hey, I'm not with. I don't have any support around me. And I think we can kind of get a glimpse into the psychology of, like, what does it look like in this season? I think to almost, you know, part of the seasons is. It is cyclical. You have winters every year, right. And I think we can look at our lives of, like, we go through cycles of like, hey, there's. We're in a really good spurt. My kids aren't sick. You know, which is for bigger families can be a big achievement. Like, my kids aren't sick. Work is going great. That, like, you know, my family is, like, really encouraging. They took us on a trip, or we did this thing together. And I think we have low seasons, and I think when we're in those, our psychology can just kind of skew very easily, which is where this text is going, is, like, into don't believe these myths, because, like, clearly this is a low season for, like, I think, Paul Psyche and even just the promise of his ministry, like, where are you going? Like, he's literally in prison. Like, I'm constrained to doing what God has called me to do, you know, like, and I think it's not as easy for us to relate just as a typical church member, but I've definitely felt that way where it's like, hey, you know, I want to do God's ministry. Why am I caught up? And, like, I can't get caught up at work or another thing broke at my house. I have to mow my yard again the second time in ten days. Like, you know, and it feels that things can constrain you, whether they seem trivial or not.
[00:07:18.75] - Matthew Parker
Yeah.
[00:07:19.58] - Mitchell Buchanan
Every time I think our psyche can get to a place where we start believing in myths, where it's like, well, so and so has it all together. Not me. Or it's like, oh, this is just what ministry is in my life now as a reduced outlet for what I can do for the Lord. And do you want to maybe I think you just share a little bit more dig in of, like, how do we, as church members, keep ourselves rooted in God's word and kind of not just, like, combat those myths, but it's like recognizing for what they are. You know what I'm saying? I think trusting God's word to prevail.
[00:07:54.79] - Matthew Parker
Yeah. I think that the misconception is that good seasons equal good times with God or proximity to God. Close proximity to God.
[00:08:06.17] - Mitchell Buchanan
Right.
[00:08:07.04] - Matthew Parker
And then bad seasons denote the opposite. But I don't think that's the case. I think what I've even been able to observe in our community and people that I work with and my family is that sometimes you could be in what you would perceive to be a good season, but you're still nothing. Seeking the Lord on a daily basis.
[00:08:24.07] - Mitchell Buchanan
Right. You can be far from the Lord. Right.
[00:08:25.81] - Matthew Parker
And so. But you don't need him. So you don't need to access him. You're not hungry, so you're not going to ask for daily bread. And so I think that in the end, though, when you get in a tough season and you want the Lord to be present, if you haven't been humble and honest with yourself, in a way, to be like, man, I haven't really been doing what I should be doing, then it's easy to turn and blame God, which I would think a lot of people were rolling with Paul, like, even these friends that abandoned him. You see the guy that you've trusted all these years, who taught you the word, who encouraged you and built you up, and then now he's in jail, and now you're gonna have, especially if you're in any kind of midlife crisis era or some kind of self reflective time, you're gonna be like, man, is this really what I wanna do? And I think it's played out practically in our ministry with Greg and Tara, you know, getting put in jail. And I think it made people question, like, where are we heading? What are we doing? And without God's word, you know, there wasn't a way to. There's not gonna be another way to reconcile those things with God. That's what he expects. But I do think that we treat sometimes the spiritual disciplines as if there's something that we kinda do when it works for us. I don't think we always do the work put in the. In order to endure. Like this passage will emphasize that endurance that's required by continuing to put in the effort to seek God to read his word. Pray. That's a lifelong struggle.
[00:09:56.10] - Mitchell Buchanan
No, I think you brought up in your sermon, you're like, people, I'll pray for you. And it's like, that might happen, it might not. It's something that's very, very easy to say. And I think I found, like, reflecting back after Sunday, a lot of times, good intentions. I'm like, dude, like, I'm praying for you. And then really, in my mind, that just means I'm going to dedicate my. My thoughts to it. And I don't even think that's a good thing in and of itself. It's like, I think I am trying to be proactive and engage. I think my thought process and my faith to, like, how can I help, you know, the situation? But I think even trusting the Lord and taking the investment to truly set aside time to pray, whether it be for myself, for friends, for family, needs that I know about. And it's like, hey, praying about it isn't. It's not resolved just through my own thinking, even if I'm trying to do so, engaging God's word, it's like they're really. You gave the example of the disciples in the garden. Like, there should be a value that we hold onto of, like, hey, I'm going to pray for Parker. And it's like, I literally have to take the intentionality and the time to pray. Otherwise, I think we're really just filling in so many gaps with our own thoughts as opposed to, is this truly inspired by God's spirit, by the word of God?
[00:11:17.41] - Matthew Parker
And I think that's what Paul wants to protect from because, you know, even the season, like I mentioned, like, everything that Greg and Tara went through, and then, you know, we've experienced death on, like, multiple levels, and people have lost family members. And I think that it's not that we're in a season of that. I think that as human beings, obviously, we're mortal. We're gonna go through seasons, we're gonna lose each other. We're gonna lose family members. And I do think that there seems to be a push in the text to say, hey, man, these seasons are gonna come, and if you're not ready for them, they will end up characterizing you instead of you being the character, developing the character. Like I mentioned in romans five, like, suffering produces character. Character produce or suffering, endurance. Endurance, character, character, hope.
[00:11:59.83] - Mitchell Buchanan
Right?
[00:12:00.25] - Matthew Parker
I. And so it's like, if we don't have that character, then when those hard times come, we do. We get tired, we get annoyed, we blame others, we get defensive. And for me, in my sermon, I think I really wanted to try to combat that, because, man, if there's a time historically where there's voices out there, like Paul will mention in verse five these myths, these cultural perspectives that are being shared that are going to pull people away from God's word. I feel like right now, we're just inundated because of how social media is organized in our lives. I mean, it's a part of, like, everything. It's everywhere. It's so accessible, and it's literally filled with billions of perspectives that are gonna be contrary to what God would tell us.
[00:12:43.50] - Mitchell Buchanan
Right.
[00:12:44.00] - Matthew Parker
You know, contrary to what God would say about finances, what God would say about security, what God would say about loving one another and, man. Like, if we're not careful and intentional to point that out in one another, like, the text will say to exhort and to reprove and to correct. Like, if we're not doing those things for one another, then we will. We'll kind of start wandering in our own little ways and finding the things that make that we like that our ears itch for, like, oh, I like that. I like that idea. That makes sense to me. And then we feel like I'm a man. I should be able to do what makes sense to me. And then we, like, it's all these cultural layers of, like, whatever our masculinity or patriarchy or whatever is gonna, like, infuse in us that's gonna make us feel good about that. And, man, if somebody goes too far down that path and then you want to start tearing those layers off through correction, it's gonna be really hard, and they're not gonna want it.
[00:13:36.37] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah. I mean, I look back. I'm on YouTube a lot. You can just pull up, like, history, and I'll show you videos. So then it'll be like, you know, later in the day, I'll be like, oh, I want to, like, show Bryn this or bring up this thing. And it's. There's so many things I've viewed throughout the day, you don't even realize, you know? Yeah, well, I was gonna connect where it's like, you're, like, there's so many perspectives on everything, and, like, there's. You don't have to wrestle with anything unless you want to, right?
[00:14:06.60] - Matthew Parker
Yeah.
[00:14:06.86] - Mitchell Buchanan
Because literally, on, like, whatever you're accessing, if there's something that's provoking your thought or something that even comes into conflict with our faith. And, like, I don't know how to reconcile that. You could have 567-82-0409 other pieces of content after that. That it's just, like, blazing at you, and it's like. It's hard, I think, to even just sit in something and kind of wrestle with it, which is, you know, should be a practice we have, like, not just accepting anything we view as truth. And it gets to the place where it's like, the things that are, like, sticking with us, you know, the things that we're, like, reflecting back on are really just the things that tickle our ears. I'm like, that was the funniest thing to me. That was what provoked my thought the most, or that was impacted me the most. And it's like, truth is. No, doesn't even have to be in any of that. It's just because I think, you know, before the Internet, we may only have three or four really engaging conversations in the day, or, like, a newspaper article that, like, you know, we read through. There's newspaper can only hold so much. I read through the whole thing. There may be 60 articles in there. It's like we. We can push through that in, you know, YouTube shorts. That could be 25 minutes. I could push through 60 videos. It's like. It really is, I think, coming to a place, I think, in our day, of technology that is making this element of seasons where the cycles are almost just, like, speeding up more and more and more. And it's like, do we even have a time to think through where our faith is in relation to our moment? And it's like, unless you're trying to make that happen, it's like you can easily escape us, and then it feels like we're just impacted by our moments as opposed to, like, hey, with God's word, with, like, this calling I have, I'm interpreting my world, you know, instead of that being, like, kind of pushed upon us.
[00:16:00.37] - Matthew Parker
Yeah.
[00:16:00.74] - Mitchell Buchanan
That's something that I think what you're sharing made me think of.
[00:16:03.41] - Matthew Parker
Yeah. And I think, too, I didn't. I don't know if I emphasized this when I preached on Sunday, but when I was referencing the Luke 22 passage where Jesus goes to the disciples and they're sleeping and he rebukes them, but he says that he rebukes them because they were sleeping due to their sorrow. So it says in Luke 22. And I talked about how my wife made this observation this year, and I had never thought about it before, but, man, like, the power that grief and sorrow can have on a person and on a community, and not to say, like, you ignore it or you pretend like it doesn't exist. That's definitely not the way.
[00:16:37.37] - Mitchell Buchanan
Right.
[00:16:37.84] - Matthew Parker
There's a time for grief, there's a time for laughter. But I do think that we have to be very intentional with how these things impact us so that we can ensure that we're not going to be led astray by the pain of life or deceive ourselves to think, like, because bad things happen, God isn't good anymore.
[00:16:56.61] - Mitchell Buchanan
Right.
[00:16:57.15] - Matthew Parker
And I don't know if that sounds too basic, but I do feel like it's very easy to get there.
[00:17:01.62] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah.
[00:17:03.01] - Matthew Parker
And I think in part, Paul wants to protect the community because Paul was acquainted with sorrow. He wrote about his letters. And then in this moment, I think grieving, I don't think anybody's thinking the culmination of your ministry and your life for God would end in prison. You know, I don't think anybody's like, that's how this story is going to come.
[00:17:21.73] - Mitchell Buchanan
Mission accomplished banner for all day.
[00:17:23.90] - Matthew Parker
Like, that movie wouldn't even sell. I think people would be like, gosh, I hated that ending. But you know, Paul, he's not going to allow it to dissuade him. He's going to push through.
[00:17:34.34] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah.
[00:17:34.81] - Matthew Parker
And I do think in our community, I mentioned, like, for the crowd in like the fifties, sixties and beyond, that's in our community. You know, they need to be looking at us, that next generation after them and then making sure we don't make those, like, midlife mistakes that maybe they made or they saw others make. Cause, you know, it's hard to be aware of all that when you're in it, in your moment. And then for us in that midlife season, like prepping people who are in their twenties and thirties developing capacity and they're out there trying stuff and they're failing, you know, we want to cheer them on because we know that's like the time to do it.
[00:18:05.79] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah.
[00:18:06.06] - Matthew Parker
So that you can have a, you know, something to offer. And then, you know, obviously it keeps going down the line until we're like, you know, looking at the generation that's like five, six years old and we're trying to build them up through the academy and all of these things. But I think that as we go through life and we experience the things, we experience that midlife piece, it's something that even culturally, that we talk about, like the midlife crisis.
[00:18:30.26] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah.
[00:18:31.01] - Matthew Parker
And I think when you combine midlife crisis with a lack of consistency, in God's word, a lack of honest friendships and a lack of a desire to be vulnerable, like, that becomes, like, I think, an equation or a recipe for disaster. And I've seen it in my friends who. They didn't have good friends, that they weren't opening up to them, and they went through a hard season, and God's word was not what was coming out. What was coming out was anger, rage, frustration, defensiveness, like, so many other things. And that person would have felt so validated, and they did. The people that I'm, like, even referencing, they felt validated in that. But, man, like, what needs to be coming out of us is, like, humility and, like, a cry out for God's help so that we can even surround around one another and protect one another. And I don't know what percentage or.
[00:19:22.11] - Mitchell Buchanan
Do you feel like. Cause the median age of our church, there's quite a few people around that age of, like, you know, coming into middle age, you feel like. It feels strong to say, like, how. What percentage are in a crisis? I just think of.
[00:19:37.08] - Matthew Parker
I think the crisis is. I think every. I think every age. Every age range comes with its own crisis.
[00:19:41.91] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah. Or do you feel like a lot of people are coming into that middle age? The imagery I was thinking of as you were talking is, like, I don't. Trying to process, like, I don't know how many people are in crisis, but it feels like, collectively. Covid came. I think, post Covid, I think there was just so many things that our community has hit with. It's kind of like a slowing down of, like, hey, like, you know, what is. What is happening? Are we on the right path? And it feels like, kind of like a big breath that we're all in. This is. I want to get your thoughts. This is my thought. It's like, kind of, like we're all in, like, a collective breath of, like, regrouping and feeling like, hey, are we still good? Like, pushing forward where, you know, I'm 37. It felt like in late teens and twenties, it was just like, hey, there's so much forward momentum on, like, programs or, you know, personal life. The way we're serving. We're moving out to hopewell. There's a lot of things happening. It felt like that's just propelling, propelling, propelling. And then I think, you know, Covid, the last, like, five years, it feels like a deep breath, and it's probably natural where so many of us are in this age gap of, like, 35 to 45, of, like, hey, you know, like, maybe that youthful energy is not there just to be, like, we're still going. And I think we've been battered, like, kind of struck enough times just from life that it feels like, are we, you know, like, ready for this? I think collectively as a church, it feels. I don't think slowing down in a bad way. It feels like we've kind of slowed down in a way where it's, like, very much content contemplatively. You know, we're thinking through, like, what is this moment? Are we all still good together? How are we pushing forward? Is that kind of what you're hitting at on those sentiments of, like, going through a midlife? I think just crisis and, like, how we're trying to work through that biblically?
[00:21:31.91] - Matthew Parker
I think on some level, I'm sure everybody's experience is different. Everybody has access to different little friend groups and stuff like that. I know that the people who I spend the most time with are definitely honest about this moment. And you feel your mortality the older you get. And I think people older than me would be like, yeah, no crap. But, you know, I'm just now, like, you know, getting acquainted with that. Like, I had. My back went out, like, a week and a half ago, and it was really bad. It was probably the worst. I didn't do anything. It was just like, how I slept.
[00:22:06.45] - Mitchell Buchanan
Sneeze in your sleep?
[00:22:07.64] - Matthew Parker
Yeah, but it caused me a lot of pain. It took me, like, two or three days to get to where I could walk around without limping. And I remember I was talking to Scott Sherrod about it, and he's like, getting old sucks, doesn't it? And he was just joking around, but I felt like the. I felt the sincerity of what he was saying. Cause I was like, yeah, it does. But I don't know. When I was younger, I don't know if I would have felt that. So I do think that coming into your mortality or considering your mortality, and then you start thinking, like, have I achieved what I wanted to achieve? I do think that people are having those thoughts, in my opinion, at least from my perspective. I don't hear people having robust, healthy conversations about it. What I at least experience is you get tidbits from somebody, they kind of start opening up, and you want to scratch at the surface a little, but then it's uncomfortable. But I think people are more comfortable talking to, like, their spouse or their roommate. And I do think it's a conversation that needs to happen more fluidly with friend groups. I'm not saying it has to happen publicly. Like, people have to, you know, get up people.
[00:23:10.56] - Mitchell Buchanan
They see you at church. Like, I'm thinking about my life partner.
[00:23:13.70] - Matthew Parker
I mean, I wouldn't mind it necessarily, but I do think that there needs. We have to be honest with ourselves, right? God gave us an amazing vision for our ministry many years ago, and we all joined and came in at different times. And I bet every single person who has come to be a part of our ministry has even thought, like, man, this ended up looking different than what I thought it would. You know, ten years ago, five years ago, however many years ago, when they, like, were conceiving what it would look like to be in an intentional community that's trying to serve God together. But, like, so much has bloomed and blossomed, that's been a result of the work everybody's put in, right? That there's a group of us, and I put myself in that group, who now have to think about the sustenance of that and the making sure that we hand that off to this next generation. And, man, we want to make sure we do it biblically and not through whatever kind of worldly wisdom or cultural perspective that we think would help people make sense of it. And it requires such a commitment to reading and studying. And I would say it's not. I don't think that I've even achieved, like, the level of commitment to my spiritual disciplines that I need. Like, I've tried out different things and, you know, none of us want to, like, wake up and read a Bible verse and be like, I'm good. Like, I don't think we're going to feel good about that. Now. Maybe if you read a Bible verse and you, like, reflect on it for 30, 45 minutes and you, like, let the Lord speak to you, like, yeah, I'm not saying you can't just read a Bible verse, but my point is, is, like, I think we all want it to be more robust, but, like, you know, if you don't get up before your kids get up or you don't get up before work demands start to hit you, or you don't get up and early enough to take care of the things you should have taken care of yesterday, but now you're going to take care of them early in the, you know, it's like the demands of life can be various, but if we aren't going to hold those things accountable.
[00:25:01.59] - Mitchell Buchanan
Right.
[00:25:02.19] - Matthew Parker
And ensure that we make time for God's word, I do feel like the prevailing voices of our culture are going to dominate.
[00:25:09.32] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah.
[00:25:10.84] - Matthew Parker
And I think an area where it's, like, easiest to see it is typically with finances, because those voices are the loudest and, you know, it's like, Dave Ramsey's gonna show up on your algorithm. You're gonna get real estate comps.
[00:25:24.04] - Mitchell Buchanan
What are you saying about Dave here?
[00:25:25.57] - Matthew Parker
I'm not saying anything. I'm just saying he's gonna show up, and then he's gonna make you feel bad about something, and then you're gonna be like, man, I shouldn't have done that. But this is based on something Dave said. And then you're gonna get real estate comps of houses in Tulum, Mexico, and you're gonna be like, holy cow, dude. Like, a five bedroom, three bedroom rooftop garden. I mean, that costs the same as my house here. I could do what I do here, there.
[00:25:49.91] - Mitchell Buchanan
Imagine. I imagine your darkest spot. You just push for. You just do it. You buy it. You get in Mexico, you're on the back porch, and you're so mad at yourself. You would be furious.
[00:26:01.55] - Matthew Parker
But I'm just saying. I'm saying, like, there's. It's such a. It's such a pull to where then, like, when a bill comes up or even, like, we want to do, like, a retreat. As a church.
[00:26:10.23] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah.
[00:26:10.54] - Matthew Parker
Like, we know, like, in planning, that. That we try to make it as affordable as possible for everyone, even to a point where I get a little annoyed with how much we care about everybody. I know that could sound bad, but I do, because I'm kind of like, look, everybody's gonna have to figure this out. We can't figure out every single scenario and how it's gonna impact them. But our pastoral leadership team's not like that. They're, like, very patient, and we try to engage those things, but then still, when we present, hey, this is what's gonna cost. And we're shouldering these things. These things. Still, it causes people stressed, and then they feel bad. They don't have outlets to talk about it, and then they're arguing with their spouse that night about something, and they don't know. It's really just because, like, the stress of finances. And so it's, you know, for Paul, I think he's like, look, man, like, the community is going to go through all kinds of seasons, but, man, regardless of what season you're in, you have to be holding on to God's word. Otherwise, you will hold on to something else. There'll be some other life raft that you'll think will save you, and the grass is green on the other side.
[00:27:09.26] - Mitchell Buchanan
100% like, what we're talking about things that, from the beginning, families have dealt with, because I think I've tried to think through our historical moment of, like, there's never been a real estate, you know, situation like this where it's, like, impossible for a young married couple without a benefactor to, like, purchase a home. And it's like, that may be true to some degree, but just like, thinking back of, like, there's been grumbling in the tents, like, for millennia, I think families and couples have always been pushed of, like, are you able to provide for your family even as you age in a hard toiling job? Are you able to continue to provide for your family? Are you feel confident that where God has led you, he's going to finish that journey with you and make sure you get to where you need to go? I think if we let I think ourselves off so easy of, like, well, the interest rates are this, and it's like inflation, and no one's ever tried to buy a house in this. It's like, I think we all feel those stresses, and I think it's easy to just let those talk louder and louder and louder of like, no, this is a special time in history. You do have it hard. And it's like, I think if we can just kind of breathe a second. It's like throughout the Bible, these, everyone has been dealing with these same stresses of, like, security, family tensions, of, like, what happens when I get old? Will I be taken care of? And it's like, we have to, I think, invest into God's word and turn to those answers where it's like, we know we're not the ones plowing this field alone. It's like we're taking on this yoke of Jesus where it's like we have friends to do it with. We're doing it with the example in the life of Jesus of, like, you know, pushing forward in this life. And I think to do it, otherwise, it becomes very individualistic and competitive and comparative. Oh, the Parkers did this edition. He was able to do that. What the fire's wrong with me at my house, you know? And it's like, like the myths that this talks about becomes very biting. It takes away. It takes from us.
[00:29:13.31] - Matthew Parker
Yeah. And our phones and social media are very much kind of like an orwellian fulfillment of 1984 because it's like this thing in our space that hears us and watches us and responds to us. So it's like, oddly enough, your phone is going to hear the things you talk about, you're frustrated about. And so you're talking about how you're frustrated about your house and you saw, and so do this thing, and then now your phone's like advertising for you, tile patterns for your backsplash. You're like, well, that would be nice. But you know what? It often comes down to that would alleviate my burden. If I could do that, that would alleviate my burden. And I think that's what Paul wants to say here, is that even through the reproving and the rebuking and the exhorting, that that should be the pathway toward alleviating our burden, not achieving some other thing that the world has told us is going to benefit us.
[00:30:04.98] - Mitchell Buchanan
A consumeristic, materialistic choice of, like, oh, this, you know, this purchase will solve this problem, and it's like, never will never happen. Like, there will be more and more problems that you see that you feel stuck under. And it's like it's a rat race that none of us are gonna win.
[00:30:21.79] - Matthew Parker
No. And it's interesting, you know, in those moments when you feel pressed and you feel that anxiety or that sorrow about life and you're reaching for answers or a pathway forward. You know, obviously, we want God's word to be a light to our path. But, man, there's so many other lights we can use to light the way that aren't God's word. And to say that that's going to lead us in a good direction. Biblically, we would say it won't. But I've seen, even in our friends that are in Latin America that I work with, like, there's even been stressors that they've been going through in this last season, and they've been reaching for answers. And some of the answers have been very conventional, like, very just worldly. And then when they invest in it, it didn't work out. And so that's like, that's always a hard moment to be with somebody where they invested in something that now they can see was either inappropriate or unbiblical or, you know, kind of disastrous, depending, I guess, on what level we're talking about, you know? But then to tell them, man, like, you know, you should have seen this coming. Cause this thing, you invested, and it wasn't even connected to something that God would have been leading for you. But, man, to be in those moments and have to trust God when you feel vulnerable, I think it feels impossible. So to hear Paul have so much confidence in such a vulnerable moment, I think, for me, is a challenge. I mean, I had a personal experience a couple days ago. Me and NEFA have had some, like, financial changes, health related costs. We switched over a phone plan. There was, like, some other bill that was abnormal. And, you know, we're typically, we're keeping things pretty tight and just keeping things healthy, but during that, like, couple of weeks, it really strained our budget. So we, like, got, you know, a couple days into the next pay period, neem fed paid our bills, and I came home, and she was working that night, and I was like, I'll just grab some food at the grocery store for the kids. And she's like, well, we only have $30. And I'm definitely not saying this to say I need money or I don't make enough money.
[00:32:21.15] - Mitchell Buchanan
I'm saying you bring the graphic up on the screen here.
[00:32:23.58] - Matthew Parker
I'm trying to say that, just like everybody else, there was a lot that happened, like, the couple weeks before that was abnormal and, like, different costs and different things. So, anyways, when she told me that, I started crying, I was just me and her in the kitchen. And then I was like, what am I doing? Why am I crying? Like, you know, if I can pick my head up, my life is amazing. My kids are awesome. My wife is beautiful. And I mean that, not just physically. Like, she's an amazing woman. I have great friends. I have this amazing community that if I had need, like, if I was like, guys, I don't have enough money to buy food, you know, people would take care of me, right? But, you know, in that moment, if you're not engaging the Lord, which I don't think I was in that moment. I think I was just taking the stress of life. And then I grieved it for a second, and then I, like, caught myself. I was like, man, Parker, do you trust God or not? Like, is God a part of this equation, or is it just how you can figure out how to do what you think God wants you to do to make things happen, right? And I don't think that's what God wants me to do. So I had to, like, calm down about it. And it was a couple hours later. The keggies invited us over for dinner that night, and I was like, wow, this is cool. And then Nipah ended up texting me later. She was like, hey, I was wrong. It wasn't just dollar 30. It was, like, $180 or something like that. And I was like, I really wish you could have been more specific earlier when you said 30. Cause it was like, she was wrong. But at the same time, like, who cares? Like, I learned something about myself in that moment that I need to be careful of. Cause it's like, we get that moment where there's only $30 left or you've overdrafted, or whatever the situation is. And now what's your next move? Is it to the Lord? Either? In prayer, sometimes you just need to read scripture. You just need to dig into it. You don't have to do a Bible study for yourself. You just need to start reading and filling yourself with God's word. Is it through having a biblical conversation with a friend? Like, hey, do you see me making irresponsible decisions? Is there any way you think you can help me? And I know that you've helped people financially in the past and giving advice. And I think for me, in that moment, I had to go to the Lord and be like, God, I trust you. And obviously everything is working out fine.
[00:34:30.88] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah, yeah.
[00:34:31.38] - Matthew Parker
But, man, when we're pressed like that, though, I think it's like we find ourselves in whatever. We get beat up, we're put in prison, and now God's still expecting obedience. But you know, what really is going to come out of us in those moments, I think, can be unknown.
[00:34:44.30] - Mitchell Buchanan
Right.
[00:34:44.65] - Matthew Parker
And then when it does come out, we have to engage it and we have to say, man, I need to. I need to work on this. I need to be somebody who's going to go to God's word. So I'm not reaching for whatever thing ideas out there. It's going to make me feel better about my situation.
[00:34:58.23] - Mitchell Buchanan
Yeah.
[00:34:58.96] - Matthew Parker
Because I bet my algorithm after that would have been like, have you heard about in the. Whatever scheme, you know, and I would have been like, man, if I did get good at that. Or I could start a small business.
[00:35:11.38] - Mitchell Buchanan
If you ever retreat in Niagara Falls, I can wash away all my anxieties. That's amazing.
[00:35:16.17] - Matthew Parker
Hampton and hotel lobby. Dude, that's fantastic.
[00:35:20.07] - Mitchell Buchanan
Well, that's great. Again, I think all the sermons from seasons, I think, are very pertinent in us. Working through, I think, where we're at in this moment and figuring out, you know. Cause seasons are part of, you know, the world that we're in. And it's like being able to recognize your season and then really ground yourself in God's word in the midst of that is, you know, in every sermon, I think that's kind of popped out of like, hey, like, I. We're not just tossed to and fro, like, we. Even though seasons will kind of come. Like, we're grounded in God's word. And that's, like, where we find our strength and find our identity. So, super rich text. Thanks so much. Is there anything else you want to.
[00:36:01.42] - Matthew Parker
No, man. I appreciate you thanks, dude.
[00:36:03.09] - Mitchell Buchanan
I appreciate you. I appreciate Chris as well.
[00:36:05.26] - Matthew Parker
Yeah, we appreciate Chris. He's back there.
[00:36:07.51] - Mitchell Buchanan
But thank you for listening. This was another great time to chat through God's word. Wherever you are listening, there is an opportunity to like something, subscribe to it, to just let us know. Hey, we appreciate this, and this is something benefiting you all. Let us know. That would be awesome. Until then, we'll see you next Sunday at the community church. For God, thank you so much.
[00:36:27.15] - Matthew Parker
Amen.
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