Balancing Family and Ministry

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:06.400 I Am Yours, I am yours, I am yours and me Lord, 2 00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:11.470 I am yours, I am your. Welcome to the Gospel Center pro life 3 00:00:11.509 --> 00:00:14.869 podcast. In this episode we're going to talk about how to balance family and 4 00:00:15.029 --> 00:00:18.149 ministry. This is a very important subject, so please stay with us. 5 00:00:18.510 --> 00:00:28.219 Me Lord, Send Me, Lord. I felt show passish, touch your 6 00:00:28.780 --> 00:00:38.770 heart. Use Me, Lord. Welcome to the Gospel Center pro life podcast. 7 00:00:38.850 --> 00:00:43.530 Appreciate you guys tuning in and we will jump right into our subject. 8 00:00:43.929 --> 00:00:47.810 It's an important subject and hopefully, because this will be coming out, or 9 00:00:47.810 --> 00:00:52.479 actually recording in the old year, but this will be coming out in the 10 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:56.600 new year. Let's see, Star Twenty one. So first recording for the 11 00:00:56.719 --> 00:01:00.560 new year, if it will be. Yes, so good to see you 12 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:06.069 guys this year. Yeah, but I think it's an important topic that we 13 00:01:06.310 --> 00:01:11.189 have dealt with with our I'd say our sidewalk missionaries, also our local sidewalk 14 00:01:11.189 --> 00:01:15.069 volunteers. It's a constant thing that comes up, that with personally in my 15 00:01:15.230 --> 00:01:19.980 life. You've dealt with this personally in your life? Yep, in one 16 00:01:19.019 --> 00:01:23.219 of our sidewalk counselors here locally. Actually, kind of, I guess, 17 00:01:23.219 --> 00:01:26.659 spurred me on to talk to you about doing a podcast. You write an 18 00:01:26.700 --> 00:01:34.170 article that will go long with this podcast about balancing family and ministry, and 19 00:01:34.650 --> 00:01:41.489 so I thought some of the principles that I have employed as a minister and 20 00:01:42.530 --> 00:01:45.969 even a pastor in my past, had been a pastor for about nine years, 21 00:01:46.489 --> 00:01:49.920 and then some of the things, strategies and Biblical concepts that you've employed 22 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:53.879 and being out on the sidewalks would help you, guys that are listening. 23 00:01:53.840 --> 00:02:00.640 And so we want to jump into this subject, balancing family and ministry. 24 00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:04.269 Yeah, both are important. Both are critical parts of my life, for 25 00:02:04.430 --> 00:02:08.389 sure, any dedicated, committed Christians life. Yeah, so, and it's 26 00:02:08.430 --> 00:02:13.669 one of the most commonly voice struggles is how do I balance the demands of 27 00:02:13.830 --> 00:02:21.259 family and ministry, because they're both important, they're both their intensive. You 28 00:02:21.659 --> 00:02:25.060 need to devote a lot of time or you can lose one or the others. 29 00:02:25.259 --> 00:02:31.889 So, yeah, how do we balance and and prioritize? And it's 30 00:02:32.009 --> 00:02:38.409 it creates a tension. I think it's one of the most common tensions voiced 31 00:02:38.650 --> 00:02:43.490 by our counselors and that we get questions about how do you do it? 32 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:47.560 So yeah, the I think, as in all things, I will say 33 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:51.759 that, as we were even going through this article and just kind of honing 34 00:02:51.840 --> 00:02:54.520 in what are the points that we wanted to touch on, we came to 35 00:02:54.599 --> 00:03:00.030 realize that there's some tension here, even in our own lives, I mean 36 00:03:00.069 --> 00:03:02.550 the tension between you guys will see in some of the points that we share. 37 00:03:04.469 --> 00:03:08.150 Keeping God first, but also your first ministry being to your family. 38 00:03:08.229 --> 00:03:12.509 There's our first two points. So there's a tension there because, as will 39 00:03:13.060 --> 00:03:17.939 as we go along, you guys will see sometimes you can use family tension 40 00:03:19.020 --> 00:03:23.620 and struggles in your family to justify not obeying the Lord. Right, right. 41 00:03:23.699 --> 00:03:25.060 So how do you balance that? How do you how do you get 42 00:03:25.060 --> 00:03:28.810 through that struggle? So we're going to talk about how you do that. 43 00:03:29.090 --> 00:03:32.090 Hopefully we're going to give you, guess, some principles to to employ yourselves. 44 00:03:32.490 --> 00:03:37.490 Yeah, and probably leave you still with some biblical tension. Yeah, 45 00:03:38.009 --> 00:03:40.479 we're not going to be figuring it all out for you and checking all the 46 00:03:40.520 --> 00:03:44.479 boxes for you. You got to seek the Lord Yourself. You've got to 47 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:47.080 find out what the Lord has for you and for your family. So let's 48 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:51.400 jump into it, and I think that helps, knowing that the struggle and 49 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:54.120 the tension is universal and is real. Yeah, and and it's not going 50 00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:59.069 to be resolved by this podcast. I can be resolved by anything, because 51 00:03:59.830 --> 00:04:04.389 they there are competing interest and so that I think that these can guide, 52 00:04:04.789 --> 00:04:10.460 but they're not going to completely solved. Yeah, that are eliminate that tension. 53 00:04:10.539 --> 00:04:14.460 So the first one, our first priority is to God. Yeah. 54 00:04:14.699 --> 00:04:17.420 Yeah, and of course, I mean if you're a Christian, you realize 55 00:04:17.500 --> 00:04:21.459 this as a biblical concept, right. Yeah, we're called to love God 56 00:04:21.939 --> 00:04:27.610 above everything else. Yeah, what's the Great Command? Love the Lord, 57 00:04:27.689 --> 00:04:30.129 your God, with all your heart, art, mind, soul and strength. 58 00:04:30.410 --> 00:04:33.930 Yeah, so right away, Potensi love God first, and right away 59 00:04:33.970 --> 00:04:39.079 the tension is created. Okay, your focus, your priority, everything is 60 00:04:39.279 --> 00:04:43.360 on God first. And yet you've got a baby at home. Yeah, 61 00:04:43.879 --> 00:04:46.879 you've got a wife at home or husband at home, been there, got 62 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:53.350 dogs that need feeding and and so so there's there is only so many hours 63 00:04:53.430 --> 00:04:58.110 in the day, so much energy and emotional strength that any single person has. 64 00:04:58.709 --> 00:05:04.189 How do you make sure that God is your priority without neglecting other things? 65 00:05:04.230 --> 00:05:08.980 So we have a good verse right. Yeah, it's probably a verseity 66 00:05:09.139 --> 00:05:12.660 that you, guys, as soon as I mentioned this topic, or at 67 00:05:12.860 --> 00:05:16.939 least this point here under this topic, that came to your mind is he 68 00:05:17.060 --> 00:05:20.730 who loves father and mother more than me is not worthy of me. He 69 00:05:20.850 --> 00:05:25.209 who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. He 70 00:05:25.490 --> 00:05:28.930 does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 71 00:05:29.490 --> 00:05:31.529 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life 72 00:05:31.889 --> 00:05:35.360 for my sake will find it. Yeah, and so we're called to lose 73 00:05:35.399 --> 00:05:40.439 our life for the sake of the Gospel. We're called to serve the Lord 74 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:45.920 above all other things, above all other people, including our parents, including 75 00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:51.069 our children, including our wives. And so that's a biblical reality that we 76 00:05:51.149 --> 00:05:55.269 have to do with. God is first. God is supposed to be first. 77 00:05:55.350 --> 00:05:59.189 God is first, even above your wife, even a of your husband. 78 00:05:59.589 --> 00:06:03.740 Goddess first, right, but under God being first, I believe the 79 00:06:03.899 --> 00:06:11.699 next point follows that our first ministry is to our family, priority, first, 80 00:06:11.779 --> 00:06:15.899 priority, God. YEA, that our first ministry. So it is 81 00:06:15.060 --> 00:06:21.569 to because God is first, those things that are most important to God should 82 00:06:21.569 --> 00:06:26.449 be most important to us, right. Yeah, and I think this point 83 00:06:26.529 --> 00:06:30.410 is established in First Timothy, Chapter Five. Yeah, that's good one, 84 00:06:30.689 --> 00:06:35.639 and verse eight. M and it says if anyone does not provide for his 85 00:06:35.720 --> 00:06:41.199 own especially for those of his household. He has denied the faith and is 86 00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:46.389 worst than an unbeliever. Yeah, the context here is providing physical necessities and 87 00:06:46.550 --> 00:06:50.430 things and talking about those who are widowed and and all of that. So 88 00:06:50.470 --> 00:06:55.470 if you have widows that that need to be cared for, if you have 89 00:06:55.550 --> 00:06:59.509 a grandmother who's widowed and needs to be cared for, you shouldn't be casting 90 00:06:59.990 --> 00:07:04.060 the responsibility off on the church or anyone else. That's your responsibility. But 91 00:07:04.100 --> 00:07:08.980 I think this concept can carry through to just be on physical I mean, 92 00:07:09.019 --> 00:07:12.459 if you think of a man who doesn't provide food for his family, doesn't 93 00:07:12.459 --> 00:07:15.370 provide he goes off and, you know whatever, gambles or does drugs or 94 00:07:15.410 --> 00:07:18.490 whatever, you think that guy's just a scumbag. Right. He's not providing 95 00:07:18.529 --> 00:07:25.610 the basic necessities. But your children also need oversight, your cheating children also 96 00:07:25.689 --> 00:07:30.439 need discipline. Your children need be on food, they need their father to 97 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:33.360 be near to them, to give them God, I'm they need love, 98 00:07:33.560 --> 00:07:36.839 quality time, quantity time. Yeah, kids need all of that, and 99 00:07:36.920 --> 00:07:41.959 so I think this, this concept here carries through with all of those different 100 00:07:42.439 --> 00:07:46.149 things that we're supposed to provide for our children, but also that we're supposed 101 00:07:46.149 --> 00:07:50.069 to provide for our wives. So we're supposed to provide protection for our wives, 102 00:07:50.110 --> 00:07:54.069 we're supposed to be there for our families. Yeah, and so I'll 103 00:07:54.069 --> 00:07:58.149 say, because God is first, the what God tells us to put first, 104 00:07:58.620 --> 00:08:01.899 we need to put first. Our First Ministry is to our family. 105 00:08:01.980 --> 00:08:05.579 One of the things the Bible says, Mark Eight, verse thirty six. 106 00:08:07.540 --> 00:08:09.699 What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his 107 00:08:09.819 --> 00:08:13.329 own soul? Right, that's that's yeah, Biblical reality. Right. I 108 00:08:13.410 --> 00:08:16.370 would say, though, what does it profit and minister if he or she 109 00:08:18.170 --> 00:08:22.129 gains the whole world but loses their own family? Right? Yeah, you 110 00:08:22.529 --> 00:08:26.329 hear about pastors. I've read about pastors who have poured themselves out. As 111 00:08:26.329 --> 00:08:28.839 a matter of fact, going through this subject and going through the points that 112 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:33.559 you laid out, I read several articles from different pastors that talked about their 113 00:08:33.639 --> 00:08:37.279 experiences and neglecting their families and how God dealt with them or what they've seen 114 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:41.789 other pastors lives, how they neglected their family to go win the world, 115 00:08:41.509 --> 00:08:46.669 and these are tragic stories where these pastors pour themselves out for ministry. They 116 00:08:46.750 --> 00:08:52.309 pour themselves out to minister to their congregations, or build their churches or or 117 00:08:52.389 --> 00:08:56.220 whatever. Yeah, and it goes into the corporate world to where people try 118 00:08:56.259 --> 00:09:00.019 to gain the whole world. They try, they maybe try to win everybody 119 00:09:00.139 --> 00:09:05.259 to Jesus. Are you try to whatever, win that corporate title or whatever 120 00:09:05.340 --> 00:09:07.860 it might be, and you lose your family? You fail. Yeah, 121 00:09:09.259 --> 00:09:11.610 but the balance of work and family is universal. In this case we're talking 122 00:09:11.610 --> 00:09:15.769 about the work being ministry, but it I think it's true of everyone on 123 00:09:15.889 --> 00:09:20.129 earth that that holds down a job and has a family at home that there's 124 00:09:20.169 --> 00:09:22.529 going to be that that struggle, yeah, between making time for your family 125 00:09:22.610 --> 00:09:28.679 and and time for the ministry. Yeah, so, and and you know, 126 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:33.279 if you're not teaching your family about the word of God, then you 127 00:09:33.399 --> 00:09:39.149 know you've lost your very first ministry that God has commanded. I mean, 128 00:09:39.230 --> 00:09:43.269 think about it. you go out to in our ministry context, it's the 129 00:09:43.350 --> 00:09:46.509 sidewalk out an abortion center and you win souls for Jesus and you see people 130 00:09:48.029 --> 00:09:50.950 getting saved, you see baby saved, and then you come home and just 131 00:09:52.070 --> 00:09:56.019 completely neglect to teach your children the Bible. Yeah, completely neglect to spend 132 00:09:56.059 --> 00:09:58.620 time with them. And yet you're spending time out on the sidewalk. You'R 133 00:09:58.860 --> 00:10:03.779 more people that you don't even know. Right, yeah, Biblical truths that 134 00:10:03.059 --> 00:10:05.779 you've had sown in your heart, and yet you don't. So there's biblical 135 00:10:05.820 --> 00:10:09.850 trees in the hearts of your children. Are you really are you really doing 136 00:10:09.929 --> 00:10:13.610 what God has called you to do? So, yeah, if you have 137 00:10:13.730 --> 00:10:18.529 to neglect your family to minister to other people, then your balance is way 138 00:10:18.570 --> 00:10:22.559 off, right. Sure. Yeah. Yeah, and and one of the 139 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:30.759 things I think it isn't important to say that is that you should not forego 140 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:37.470 ministry when they are imperfections in your family, because there is no perfect family 141 00:10:39.029 --> 00:10:43.710 and you are not going to perfectly strike this balance. No one will, 142 00:10:43.990 --> 00:10:48.190 outside of Heaven. None of us will perfectly strike that balance. And so 143 00:10:48.909 --> 00:10:54.419 that leads then kind of into our third point. Yeah, right, yeah, 144 00:10:54.860 --> 00:10:58.940 the third point is don't use family struggles as an excuse for an action 145 00:11:00.100 --> 00:11:03.059 in ministry. And we've seen that. Yeah, I've been tempted to be 146 00:11:03.139 --> 00:11:07.450 there myself. Yeah, what can happen? So our first ministry is to 147 00:11:07.529 --> 00:11:11.730 our family. If we have to neglect our family family to do ministry, 148 00:11:11.809 --> 00:11:18.009 Whatever that ministry might be, especially in ministry, as necessary as being out 149 00:11:18.009 --> 00:11:22.600 there as intense as been out, they're on the sidewalk and again, we're 150 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:24.879 not doing what God has called us to do if we have to neglect our 151 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:31.200 family for that. However, this is a very important ministry, right. 152 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:33.950 This is a this is a necessary ministry and we've been called to it. 153 00:11:35.110 --> 00:11:37.870 We've been called to it and we're talking life and death right. So, 154 00:11:39.110 --> 00:11:43.029 just because there's some struggle with little johnny at home because he's not doing his 155 00:11:43.190 --> 00:11:46.259 homework or, you know, whatever it might be, or even misses you, 156 00:11:46.379 --> 00:11:50.139 or maybe missages you because you're not there for, you know, all 157 00:11:50.259 --> 00:11:54.700 the hours that Johnny really wants you there. Again, there's that tension. 158 00:11:54.899 --> 00:11:58.539 It is that there's that tension. I mean, I've had I'll just share 159 00:11:58.620 --> 00:12:03.529 personally that when my oldest daughter was really young, she did softball and she 160 00:12:03.649 --> 00:12:09.649 had softball and I think it was most Saturdays she would have softball games. 161 00:12:09.090 --> 00:12:13.970 At that point I was working a fulltime job doing hardwood floors ry, but 162 00:12:15.129 --> 00:12:18.639 also on Saturdays I would come out and do ministry on the sidewalks and at 163 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:22.360 that time there was very few Christians out there on the sidewalk, very few 164 00:12:22.360 --> 00:12:26.440 people that were there, and there would be some days where there would be 165 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:30.830 I don't know, Sixty, seventy people there for an abortion, to kill 166 00:12:30.870 --> 00:12:33.990 their babies, and you would have you we're almost the only person. There 167 00:12:33.029 --> 00:12:37.629 were times when it was just me and another guy. Yeah, there were 168 00:12:37.710 --> 00:12:41.230 times when there were more than a handful of people there and I praise God 169 00:12:41.269 --> 00:12:43.750 for those times, but there were times when it was just me and one 170 00:12:43.789 --> 00:12:46.940 other person. It's like there's these babies are going to die with out a 171 00:12:46.980 --> 00:12:50.299 voice, and there were times in conversation with my wife where I let her 172 00:12:50.299 --> 00:12:54.500 know I've got to be there. I just can't. I can't leave those 173 00:12:54.539 --> 00:12:58.539 babies, but that of without a voice, but I'm going to miss my 174 00:12:58.570 --> 00:13:01.370 daughter's softball game. Yeah, that was tough. That was a tough decision. 175 00:13:03.009 --> 00:13:05.370 Now, there were times when I was able to go and I went 176 00:13:05.529 --> 00:13:09.330 every chance I could get. If I had to leave maybe thirty minutes earlier 177 00:13:09.409 --> 00:13:11.850 than I would normally leave from the sidewalk here to go to a softball game, 178 00:13:11.850 --> 00:13:16.360 I would do it like I wasn't just negligent in that in that way, 179 00:13:16.519 --> 00:13:20.120 but somebody had to give these babies a voice and I made sure that 180 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:22.720 was very intentional about explaining to my daughter why I was doing what I was 181 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:26.360 doing, not trying to guilt trip her and making her feel bad, you 182 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:28.870 know, for from want me they or anything like that, but just explaining 183 00:13:28.950 --> 00:13:33.190 to her while I'm going out there on the sidewalk rather than coming to her 184 00:13:33.230 --> 00:13:35.309 game, and of course, soon as I got home I would ask her 185 00:13:35.549 --> 00:13:39.029 how, when you know, I mean hits, did you get things like 186 00:13:39.149 --> 00:13:41.740 that. I'll be as involved as possible, but I just share that as 187 00:13:41.740 --> 00:13:45.659 a personal experience. Maybe you could fault me for that. Maybe I should 188 00:13:45.659 --> 00:13:48.059 have went to every softball game and shouldn't have went to the sidewalk. I'm 189 00:13:48.259 --> 00:13:52.019 sure people would could fault me either way, but I did the best I 190 00:13:52.179 --> 00:13:56.250 could in conversation with my wife, talking it through with my daughter, to 191 00:13:56.049 --> 00:14:01.169 do what I could to minister and also minister, to my family. And 192 00:14:01.210 --> 00:14:05.210 I think that's a really key, really important point that you talked it over 193 00:14:05.330 --> 00:14:09.159 with everyone involved and so that there was a clear understanding of there's only one 194 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:13.759 of you and there are these very strong competing forces and you were called by 195 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:20.559 God, got to be out there. So communicate with with everybody, yeah, 196 00:14:20.279 --> 00:14:24.990 people in Ministry and with your family about the that tension and how can 197 00:14:26.190 --> 00:14:28.710 how can you meet the needs. I know when I came on to to 198 00:14:28.870 --> 00:14:33.070 help out with with cities for life, one of the things from the Gecko 199 00:14:33.190 --> 00:14:37.190 that I said was I'm I'm going to be a new grand mom and I 200 00:14:37.389 --> 00:14:45.139 had aging parents and I knew that those family obligations were critical and important and 201 00:14:45.620 --> 00:14:50.820 I voiced the concern immediately and graciously was it. Was Given the time to 202 00:14:50.940 --> 00:14:54.009 go attend to those family needs when I had to, but I did try 203 00:14:54.090 --> 00:14:58.330 to limit it and probably limit it more than if I didn't have a ministry 204 00:14:58.370 --> 00:15:05.809 obligation. So there there is always a tradeoff in a payoff. But we 205 00:15:05.889 --> 00:15:07.320 are all kind of just struggling to do our best. But, and I 206 00:15:07.399 --> 00:15:11.399 think it's useful for us to remember that and to know everybody, everybody shares. 207 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:16.879 Yeah, this this struggle. Absolutely, but but don't, don't use 208 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:20.870 the family issue as an excuse. Yeah, and be and I think that 209 00:15:20.950 --> 00:15:28.990 that requires prayerful discernment, does wisdom from others being in the word yeah, 210 00:15:30.070 --> 00:15:33.309 and and knowing when you're using it as as just an excuse to avoid what 211 00:15:33.509 --> 00:15:37.779 is difficult. Yeah, there are certainly times when there's issues in your family, 212 00:15:37.860 --> 00:15:41.100 things that are going on, in times when you need to minister to 213 00:15:41.220 --> 00:15:43.220 your wife, your husband or kids. Yeah, that you can't be out 214 00:15:43.259 --> 00:15:50.009 on the sidewalk, you can't be involved in some capacity. And certainly as 215 00:15:50.049 --> 00:15:52.370 far as we're concerned with our local volunteers here, we understand that. We 216 00:15:52.529 --> 00:15:56.809 never want people to be guilted in to coming out there whatever. We understand 217 00:15:56.809 --> 00:16:00.210 that their first ministries to their family. Yeah, but again you have to 218 00:16:00.289 --> 00:16:03.720 gage it before the Lord whether or not it's becoming an excuse because, listen, 219 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:08.600 if there's any like, if there's any ministry where you'd want an excuse 220 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:11.559 and not be out there, to be able to give yourself a pass, 221 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:15.559 yeah, it'd be this ministry because it can be really intense and be really 222 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:22.190 heavy, expecially on those cold cold days or those hot hot days or, 223 00:16:22.990 --> 00:16:26.070 you know, with all the struggles that are out there. So it so 224 00:16:26.190 --> 00:16:30.549 be careful of that that you're not using your family as an excuse. But 225 00:16:30.389 --> 00:16:37.860 kind of another counterpoint to that is that, because you see maybe division and 226 00:16:38.299 --> 00:16:45.019 in a family or struggles in a family, it might not be due to 227 00:16:45.139 --> 00:16:49.490 there's a problem with an imbalance with you and ministry. Yeah, it could 228 00:16:49.490 --> 00:16:55.289 be due as something entirely different. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Well, 229 00:16:55.370 --> 00:16:59.450 I mean I've seen situations, and I know you have to with even local 230 00:16:59.490 --> 00:17:04.039 volunteers, where maybe we have a younger volunteer whose parents are not necessarily cool 231 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:07.240 with them being out on the sidewalk. Maybe their pro choice, their pro 232 00:17:07.279 --> 00:17:11.759 abortion people. Yeah, or maybe the flip side. I know we've had 233 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:15.910 some folks that come out who have children who are older children, maybe in 234 00:17:15.910 --> 00:17:18.910 their twenties or whatever, and have gone the way of the leftists. Yeah, 235 00:17:19.269 --> 00:17:22.710 and they don't like their parents be out there. It's embarrassing for them 236 00:17:22.829 --> 00:17:26.950 for their parents to be out there whatever. Yeah, and so there's some 237 00:17:26.230 --> 00:17:30.900 some tension even with them being out on the sidewalk in their families. And 238 00:17:30.140 --> 00:17:34.059 Yeah, and Jesus talks about that. He says, you suppose this is 239 00:17:34.059 --> 00:17:38.099 Luke, chapter twelve, verse fifty one through fifty three. Do you suppose 240 00:17:38.140 --> 00:17:41.660 that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you no, but 241 00:17:41.779 --> 00:17:48.930 rather division. From now on, family members in one household will be divided, 242 00:17:48.410 --> 00:17:53.250 three against two and two against three. There will be divided father against 243 00:17:53.289 --> 00:17:57.640 sons, son against father, mother against daughter, daughter against mother, Motherin 244 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:00.160 law against daughter in law, daughter in law against mother in law. So 245 00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:04.279 there's going to be some division following Jesus is not always easy. As a 246 00:18:04.279 --> 00:18:07.279 matter of fact, he said in that previous verse that we read that it's 247 00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:12.430 like taking up across and following him. Yeah, yeah, it's it's crucifixion. 248 00:18:12.509 --> 00:18:17.509 Sometimes it's painful. Yes, painful in your family. It's painful with 249 00:18:17.549 --> 00:18:22.430 the tension that it can cause and with the necessary struggles that you have to 250 00:18:22.549 --> 00:18:26.299 go through to obey the Lord. Yeah, and how do you and what's 251 00:18:26.339 --> 00:18:30.259 your guide there? Well, if God has called you, you certainly should 252 00:18:30.259 --> 00:18:34.980 never be disobeying God because a family member is unhappy, yeah, with what 253 00:18:36.140 --> 00:18:41.690 you're doing. And and so are you following God? Are you listening to 254 00:18:41.849 --> 00:18:45.369 God? Are Are you faithfully doing what he has called you to do? 255 00:18:47.009 --> 00:18:52.650 And if there is struggle and division and your family over that, then that 256 00:18:52.210 --> 00:18:56.960 is what you still need to do. On the other hand, Satan can 257 00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:04.519 be the cause of family struggle and and he, I think often does use 258 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:11.549 family struggle to prevent effective people from being out doing the ministry. Yeah, 259 00:19:11.589 --> 00:19:14.630 that God has called them to do. Absolutely, the devil's going to try 260 00:19:14.630 --> 00:19:18.710 to get in and so discord and confusion and try to neutralize us as much 261 00:19:18.750 --> 00:19:23.740 as he can. The devil does not want people out on that sidewalk bringing 262 00:19:23.779 --> 00:19:27.420 a voice for those babies and bringing the Gospel to that place of darkness. 263 00:19:27.819 --> 00:19:30.140 And so he's going to try to use all kinds of things. And it 264 00:19:30.220 --> 00:19:34.099 can be division within your family, it can be family struggles, even husband 265 00:19:34.140 --> 00:19:40.930 and wife struggles. I mean being out in ministry like this is it's a 266 00:19:40.970 --> 00:19:44.369 conversation you need to have with your husband. I mean, hopefully. I 267 00:19:44.450 --> 00:19:48.490 don't know of any volunteers currently that we have who's many of them are ladies 268 00:19:48.529 --> 00:19:52.759 whose husbands are in disagreement with what they're doing. I don't think there's any 269 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:56.559 and I don't know how any could. Yeah, I mean certainly may not 270 00:19:56.680 --> 00:20:03.160 be out there themselves, but to actively disagree with with their spouse, that 271 00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:07.630 would be a very hard path. That would be a tough thing to do 272 00:20:07.829 --> 00:20:10.990 with. And Yeah, and so if that's the situation with a person, 273 00:20:11.109 --> 00:20:14.630 I would say that mean that needs some serious prayer. You still have to 274 00:20:14.750 --> 00:20:17.309 obey the Lord. Let's say, you know, if you're you get a 275 00:20:17.349 --> 00:20:19.950 husband who's not walking with God, who doesn't understand why in the world you 276 00:20:19.990 --> 00:20:23.099 would be out on the sidewalk at an abortion center. I mean that's that's 277 00:20:23.099 --> 00:20:27.099 quite the struggle to have yeah. However, does that necessarily mean that you 278 00:20:27.140 --> 00:20:30.220 shouldn't be out there? I don't think so. No, not if God 279 00:20:30.259 --> 00:20:33.259 has called you to be out there here in obedience to God, I think 280 00:20:33.299 --> 00:20:37.849 that takes precedence over family. Yeah, hard as that is. Yeah, 281 00:20:38.009 --> 00:20:45.089 and and, and I guess being able to figure out is, is this 282 00:20:45.289 --> 00:20:49.680 what God is calling me to do? And if he is, am I 283 00:20:51.079 --> 00:20:52.839 is? Am I doing what I should be doing? Because the Bible is 284 00:20:52.920 --> 00:20:57.119 very clear that we are wives to submit to husband's yeah. Well, but 285 00:20:57.160 --> 00:21:00.720 if your husband is saying don't do this, yeah, don't, becomes that 286 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:04.990 become well, don't do this, submit to me, yeah, and then 287 00:21:06.069 --> 00:21:11.349 that becomes again this tension of it feels like a conflict in in what God 288 00:21:11.509 --> 00:21:17.869 is is trying to say to you. Do I obey God? Do I 289 00:21:17.910 --> 00:21:22.619 submit to my husband when they are at odds? Yeah, and what do 290 00:21:22.700 --> 00:21:26.019 I do then? And I think that kind of leads to our next point. 291 00:21:26.819 --> 00:21:30.140 That and I know I have felt to the breaking point at times out 292 00:21:30.180 --> 00:21:33.529 here. I think you have. I think all of us have at once 293 00:21:33.690 --> 00:21:37.730 some points, because it's such a difficult ministry. But God will never ask 294 00:21:37.849 --> 00:21:42.049 of you more than you can give. Yeah, you know, and this 295 00:21:42.769 --> 00:21:47.519 kind of ties into something I always want to try to touch on as I'm 296 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:52.480 dealing with new volunteers, bring a new volunteers out, is that if we're 297 00:21:52.519 --> 00:21:56.720 driven by guilt, oftentimes we will take ourselves beyond what God wants us to 298 00:21:56.759 --> 00:22:02.269 do. And so we really have to check our motivation for ministry because if 299 00:22:02.309 --> 00:22:07.750 guilt is our driver, will know real quickly because we'll stretch ourselves beyond what 300 00:22:07.829 --> 00:22:10.430 we can actually do it. Now, I know you've seen it when you 301 00:22:10.470 --> 00:22:14.430 have a new volunteer come out and they say this is a great ministry, 302 00:22:14.430 --> 00:22:15.180 I need to be involved in this, I'm going to be out here every 303 00:22:15.180 --> 00:22:18.380 day, and we always tell them, hey, put the brakes on for 304 00:22:18.420 --> 00:22:21.460 a second. Yeah, we don't want you out here every day. Right. 305 00:22:21.500 --> 00:22:23.099 We actually one day is good. What? When? When? Is 306 00:22:23.339 --> 00:22:29.500 Good? That's enough, because the spiritual warfare, the play on your mind 307 00:22:29.619 --> 00:22:33.849 and your heart, your emotions of very emotional ministry to watch moms go in 308 00:22:33.930 --> 00:22:36.490 there and kill their children. Know, that's the reality it's having right in 309 00:22:36.529 --> 00:22:40.490 front of your face. Yeah, anyway, the point is when somebody takes 310 00:22:40.569 --> 00:22:45.039 that I appreciate the zeal. Well, somebody takes that kind of mentality that 311 00:22:45.079 --> 00:22:48.400 I'm going to be out here every day. To me it's an indication they're 312 00:22:48.440 --> 00:22:52.119 probably driven by guilt rather than a love for the Lord and they will quickly 313 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:56.240 burn out and they will go from being filled with zeal to being broken pretty 314 00:22:56.240 --> 00:23:00.630 quickly. I think that that often happens in they're the ones that melt away. 315 00:23:00.950 --> 00:23:06.430 So there's there's a wonderful verse in as Ay of forty two three that 316 00:23:06.509 --> 00:23:11.430 I know is a verse that that you have quoted often. Yeah, and 317 00:23:11.309 --> 00:23:15.500 you want me to read that one? Yeah, a bruised read he will 318 00:23:15.539 --> 00:23:18.579 not break. In a faintly burning wick he will not quench. He will 319 00:23:18.660 --> 00:23:22.940 faithfully bring forth justice. So a bruised read, he will not break. 320 00:23:22.980 --> 00:23:27.809 We can. We can be stretched. God will stretch us out on and 321 00:23:27.970 --> 00:23:30.609 I think that's an important point. We're not saying that. You know, 322 00:23:30.690 --> 00:23:34.730 there's this. It's a biblical mentality. The Lord never puts on you. 323 00:23:34.849 --> 00:23:37.490 You know, the Bible says God it will not allow you to be tempted 324 00:23:37.529 --> 00:23:41.680 beyond what you can bear. Right. That's a biblical reality. And some 325 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:45.000 people will say God will never put on you more than you can handle. 326 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:48.960 God will put on You more than you can handle in your own strength, 327 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:52.599 but he won't put on You more than you can handle in the strength that 328 00:23:52.680 --> 00:23:55.519 he supplies. Right, yeah, yeah, one of the things I say 329 00:23:55.640 --> 00:23:59.789 that God is not an Egyptian task master telling us to make bricks without Straw. 330 00:23:59.789 --> 00:24:02.910 All right, you know the story in Moses time, the Egyptian task 331 00:24:02.990 --> 00:24:06.829 masters told the children of Israel and make bricks without Straw's impossible, like you 332 00:24:06.869 --> 00:24:10.700 can do that? Yeah, and so God's not asking you to do that. 333 00:24:10.859 --> 00:24:14.299 God's not asking you to come out on the sidewalk every day of the 334 00:24:14.420 --> 00:24:18.339 week because of some wonderful thing that you have in yourself. I mean, 335 00:24:18.380 --> 00:24:21.859 first of all, we have to put ourselves in our place. We're not 336 00:24:21.980 --> 00:24:25.289 that wonderful, right. We need a race of God. The case at 337 00:24:25.329 --> 00:24:27.089 Lea, it's outside is the Lord. We're not wonderful at all. Yeah. 338 00:24:29.369 --> 00:24:32.009 Now, God's grace is on you if you're a Christian and God's Word 339 00:24:32.130 --> 00:24:34.009 is in you, right, and you want to bring his word to that 340 00:24:34.170 --> 00:24:40.839 place of death and destruction. But the point here is that we oftentimes can 341 00:24:40.920 --> 00:24:45.400 put things on ourselves, or other people can put things on us that make 342 00:24:45.480 --> 00:24:48.559 us feel like we should go beyond what God's really called us to. So 343 00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:51.000 if you're out there on the sidewalk, you know, let's say, like 344 00:24:51.160 --> 00:24:53.470 many of our volunteers, you're a homeschool mom and you're trying to teach your 345 00:24:53.470 --> 00:24:57.750 kids and you want to teach them effectively and you want to teach them all 346 00:24:57.789 --> 00:25:00.990 the things that they need to know. And yet you're going to be out 347 00:25:00.990 --> 00:25:04.029 on the sidewalk because you're driven by guilt, five days a week. How 348 00:25:04.069 --> 00:25:07.339 are you going to do that? You know, you putting more on yourself 349 00:25:07.500 --> 00:25:11.140 than God's actually put on your first ministry to your family. Do that and 350 00:25:11.299 --> 00:25:14.299 then, like one of our volunteers, she brings her kids out on the 351 00:25:14.380 --> 00:25:17.299 sidewalk with it right. Yeah, and they serve together. She does that 352 00:25:17.619 --> 00:25:21.339 really faithfully. Well, so week it's something she can do. I think 353 00:25:21.420 --> 00:25:25.890 what she's doing is actually a good example of being stretched by God, because 354 00:25:26.009 --> 00:25:30.329 it is not easy being out there with three young children on a street where 355 00:25:30.450 --> 00:25:37.680 traffic is so so she's stretched, but she she keeps it to a reasonable 356 00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:40.960 amount of time so that she is not broken, it does not become too 357 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:44.799 much. She can still minister to her family. But I think we kind 358 00:25:44.839 --> 00:25:49.230 of blended into check check your motivation? Yeah, absolutely, because if guilt 359 00:25:49.390 --> 00:25:52.950 is what's motivating you, then you will be broken. Eventually, you will 360 00:25:52.950 --> 00:25:56.829 be broken. You will not want to be out there anymore because it does 361 00:25:56.910 --> 00:26:00.670 not sustain yeah. So what is our motivation? We our motivation first and 362 00:26:00.750 --> 00:26:03.500 foremost should be a love for God. Yeah, that's God to be our 363 00:26:03.500 --> 00:26:08.220 driving motivation and we hit that that point home with our sidewalk missionaries, we 364 00:26:08.259 --> 00:26:12.460 hit that point home with our sidewalk volunteers, we hit that point home with 365 00:26:12.579 --> 00:26:17.099 ourselves. Right, we've got to be driven by love for God, and 366 00:26:17.140 --> 00:26:19.690 that's why I think we did a podcast some months ago, maybe even the 367 00:26:19.730 --> 00:26:25.170 beginning of doing podcasts, where we talked about this dynamic, that we can't 368 00:26:25.170 --> 00:26:29.529 be driven by hatred for abortion, we can't be driven by hatred for plan 369 00:26:29.650 --> 00:26:33.759 parenthood, we can't be driven our motivation cannot be the horror of abortion. 370 00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:37.480 It has to be the glory of Jesus, has to be our love for 371 00:26:37.559 --> 00:26:41.400 him. Out of that flows our love for our neighbors who we can't even 372 00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:45.240 be driven by our love for our neighbor, for these babies and for these 373 00:26:45.279 --> 00:26:48.670 MOMS, we have to be driven first and foremost by love for God and 374 00:26:48.789 --> 00:26:52.349 it keeps things in their proper order. Yeah, and when you're saying you 375 00:26:52.430 --> 00:26:55.829 can't be driven them by guilt in ministry, I think that is true. 376 00:26:55.869 --> 00:26:59.390 Also, you can't be driven, for spending time with your family, by 377 00:26:59.430 --> 00:27:03.059 guilty either. And again that sets up tension, because I think guilt does 378 00:27:03.220 --> 00:27:08.460 come as we feel like I should be spending more time with with my answer 379 00:27:08.579 --> 00:27:14.059 or husbander's or wife or whatever. So, but but the same principle applies. 380 00:27:14.380 --> 00:27:18.369 Guilt is not what should be your motivator in your time with God or 381 00:27:18.450 --> 00:27:21.450 in your time with family or in your time with ministry. It should be 382 00:27:21.769 --> 00:27:26.009 an outflowing of love. I will say, because I'm not one to say 383 00:27:26.769 --> 00:27:30.559 I know modern Christians kind of say this sort of thing, that guilt is 384 00:27:30.599 --> 00:27:33.400 a bad thing, guilt is such a good thing and that the guilt should 385 00:27:33.400 --> 00:27:37.000 never be employed or whatever. I'm not want to agree with that. Yeah, 386 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:41.400 I will say, and you can disagree me with me if you want 387 00:27:41.400 --> 00:27:45.509 to, but I think you'll agree that guilt can be a good initial motivate. 388 00:27:45.670 --> 00:27:47.670 Can get you out there, it can get you out on the Sune, 389 00:27:47.750 --> 00:27:51.309 get you beyond your comfort zone. Yeah, to start with, when 390 00:27:51.349 --> 00:27:55.430 I think you stain you. Yeah, it's maybe a good initial motivator, 391 00:27:55.470 --> 00:28:00.019 yeah, but it's a horrible sustainer. Guilt cannot sustain you. If you're 392 00:28:00.099 --> 00:28:03.339 sustained by guilt in any ministry that you're involved in, but especially this ministry, 393 00:28:03.819 --> 00:28:07.180 then you're going to crash and burn. Yeah, you're either going to 394 00:28:07.220 --> 00:28:11.019 go completely off the rails and go berserk or just going to be completely neutralized. 395 00:28:11.099 --> 00:28:14.369 Guilt cannot sustain you. So it might get you out there and listen 396 00:28:14.529 --> 00:28:18.730 the reality that we've murdered sixty five million of our own children in the womb 397 00:28:18.769 --> 00:28:22.410 in the United States of America and the Church of Jesus Christ had been largely 398 00:28:22.450 --> 00:28:27.359 checked out on this issue for the past forty what, almost five years? 399 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:32.359 Forty five years or so. Yeah, that should make us feel guilty. 400 00:28:32.400 --> 00:28:36.960 Pastors should be guilty for not should feel guilty for not saying something about the 401 00:28:37.079 --> 00:28:41.710 issue of abortion. But that guilt should lead to action and that guilt should 402 00:28:41.710 --> 00:28:45.910 not be what we take as our sustain or it should be maybe an initial 403 00:28:45.950 --> 00:28:52.509 motivator, but our sustaining power, are sustaining focus should be a love for 404 00:28:52.589 --> 00:28:55.309 God. Yeah, and it's also to me, when I was saying guilty 405 00:28:55.430 --> 00:28:59.500 is good. I do believe that guilty is God's method of getting our attention 406 00:28:59.819 --> 00:29:03.619 and saying something's wrong here and you need to do something about it. And 407 00:29:03.700 --> 00:29:07.460 and so guilt can be very useful if you pay attention to those feelings of 408 00:29:07.539 --> 00:29:11.089 guilt and if there's something you can rectify, you better. Yeah, but 409 00:29:11.890 --> 00:29:18.089 but don't let it be what what keeps you continuing on in any ministry, 410 00:29:18.170 --> 00:29:22.009 for family or for God. So check your motivation. Check your motivation for 411 00:29:22.329 --> 00:29:26.240 for ministry. Yeah, this, this next point actually was a point that 412 00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:30.400 you had voiced, I guess, probably when I first asked you to come 413 00:29:30.519 --> 00:29:34.960 on with cities for life and kind of a full time capacity. Yeah, 414 00:29:36.119 --> 00:29:38.789 you talked about some boundaries, right, and setting boundaries, and one of 415 00:29:38.789 --> 00:29:41.710 the things you told me is, and tell me, correct me if I'm 416 00:29:41.750 --> 00:29:45.990 wrong with this, but you said I'm just a boundary upset with me and 417 00:29:45.069 --> 00:29:48.029 my husband and my family, is that if a mom needs a place to 418 00:29:48.069 --> 00:29:52.859 stay, we cannot have them living at our house. Yeah, we can't 419 00:29:52.900 --> 00:29:56.220 do that, because I know that I can't. I can't do it now. 420 00:29:56.259 --> 00:29:57.940 Other people may be able to. Yeah, but you a again, 421 00:29:57.980 --> 00:30:02.140 correct me if I'm wrong, if I'm speaking for you, but I can't 422 00:30:02.180 --> 00:30:04.779 do what I'm doing out here on the sidewalk and be able to minister to 423 00:30:04.859 --> 00:30:10.769 these women effectively in my home. Yeah, I need kind of myspaceet. 424 00:30:10.890 --> 00:30:15.609 I reeded, a place where I knew I could let it all go and 425 00:30:15.970 --> 00:30:21.289 and that without that I would literally lose my mind. I knew that. 426 00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:25.279 Yeah, that was never an issue. I said other boundaries to I said 427 00:30:25.319 --> 00:30:30.079 I would never do Saturdays. Yeah, I let that boundary go. But 428 00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:33.559 but other I mean there are physical boundaries, as you know. As I 429 00:30:33.640 --> 00:30:38.309 get older, there there are definitely things I can't do that I could do 430 00:30:38.509 --> 00:30:42.190 when I was younger, physical things, just like lifting the speaker. Yeah, 431 00:30:42.190 --> 00:30:47.710 I just can't do it. And that is part of our our ministry, 432 00:30:47.869 --> 00:30:49.740 and someone has to do it and if I don't, someone else does 433 00:30:49.940 --> 00:30:53.180 have to do it. Yeah, and that could cause guilt. But I 434 00:30:53.339 --> 00:30:56.980 thought that's why it was this was such important point to make. There is 435 00:30:57.220 --> 00:31:02.700 reality, yes, Andy, and you need to know your boundaries and your 436 00:31:02.819 --> 00:31:07.369 limitations and you need to be open about them and not be fearful that they 437 00:31:07.450 --> 00:31:11.569 will not be received. The the of course, the last place where you 438 00:31:11.609 --> 00:31:17.049 should be fearful that that your realistic boundaries would not be received in a it's 439 00:31:17.170 --> 00:31:21.920 in a Christian ministry. You would hope that people would be understanding and receptive 440 00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:26.279 to so. But I think it is very important as soon as you're becoming 441 00:31:26.319 --> 00:31:30.319 involved in ministry, set those boundaries, tell whoever you're being involved with, 442 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:34.829 whoever you're over serious whatever, that this is what I can do and these 443 00:31:34.869 --> 00:31:38.750 are some things I just really cannot and I think that does play into what 444 00:31:38.829 --> 00:31:42.549 we talked about just a few minutes ago and the amount of days that you 445 00:31:42.589 --> 00:31:45.509 can actually come out, because I know that, if you know, if 446 00:31:45.549 --> 00:31:49.059 I had somebody, we've got a couple of volunteers that come out multiple days. 447 00:31:49.099 --> 00:31:52.779 Yeah, and I don't tell them not to. They seem to be 448 00:31:53.619 --> 00:31:56.740 doing pretty well coming out like they do, and I don't see them being 449 00:31:56.859 --> 00:32:01.410 spent physically, emotionally or mentally or whatever, and they seem to be doing 450 00:32:01.450 --> 00:32:05.089 well. So I'm not going to tell him to stop doing that. Right, 451 00:32:05.490 --> 00:32:07.210 but I know in ministry, when you got people that are willing, 452 00:32:07.329 --> 00:32:10.849 it's like, if you're willing, I'll well you share, put your feet 453 00:32:10.890 --> 00:32:15.250 out there on the sidewalk, and so you've got to even set those boundaries 454 00:32:15.289 --> 00:32:19.079 in your mind and you're coming out in volunteering or you're coming out into ministry 455 00:32:19.119 --> 00:32:21.880 and some kind of full time capacity, you've got set those boundaries in your 456 00:32:21.880 --> 00:32:24.640 mind, talk about it with your wife or your husband and then make sure 457 00:32:24.680 --> 00:32:29.359 that those are voiced right up front with the leadership of the ministry. Yeah, 458 00:32:29.480 --> 00:32:31.269 I can only do one day a week. I know that it might 459 00:32:31.309 --> 00:32:36.349 seem, I mean, especially if you're a retired person or whatever, it 460 00:32:36.750 --> 00:32:38.990 might seem to have all this like have all this extra time on my hands 461 00:32:39.029 --> 00:32:43.190 and maybe I should be out here more than I then then I am, 462 00:32:43.750 --> 00:32:45.819 but this is as far as I'm able to go right now, and so 463 00:32:46.019 --> 00:32:50.180 just setting that as an expectation right off, right off the bat, I 464 00:32:50.220 --> 00:32:52.779 think, is hell. Yeah, I think or two and and when I 465 00:32:52.859 --> 00:32:55.099 mentioned this Saturday thing, I actually mentioned that for a reason. Well, 466 00:32:55.700 --> 00:33:00.569 later on I discovered, you know, Saturdays are not as bad as I 467 00:33:00.769 --> 00:33:06.490 thought and I actually have come to again with some boundaries on how much time 468 00:33:06.490 --> 00:33:09.210 I'm out there on Saturdays. Now I do do Saturday's Saturday. So setting 469 00:33:09.250 --> 00:33:15.759 boundaries from the beginning doesn't mean that those boundaries might not shift or change sure 470 00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:19.559 down the road. And you know, give yourself license to do so, 471 00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:22.319 but it helps from the get go if there are actual limitations, that those 472 00:33:22.400 --> 00:33:25.880 have been said. One know, one of the things you talking about Saturdays, 473 00:33:27.150 --> 00:33:30.990 on Saturday mornings. One of the things that make Saturday's difficult is the 474 00:33:30.029 --> 00:33:34.309 fact that our teams get out there so early. It's so cold. Yeah, 475 00:33:34.589 --> 00:33:37.630 I get out there on Saturday mornings about forty five to try to get 476 00:33:37.670 --> 00:33:42.619 set up. The birds aren't even yeah right, the abortion clinic opens at 477 00:33:42.700 --> 00:33:45.940 seven on Saturdays. So it's cold. And for you that's just one of 478 00:33:45.980 --> 00:33:51.140 those physical limitations that you have. Cold weather doesn't work so well in your 479 00:33:51.619 --> 00:33:55.569 in your circumstance. Yeah, the we your body operates. I guess some 480 00:33:55.769 --> 00:34:00.329 excuse that you make there, I'm sure. Well, also, it's five 481 00:34:00.410 --> 00:34:05.289 hours. That that's the other thing is the the seven o'clock people. At 482 00:34:05.329 --> 00:34:08.250 least you and I are there for at least five hours, sometimes six. 483 00:34:08.369 --> 00:34:14.760 That's a long time to be in the cold and and but you know, 484 00:34:14.920 --> 00:34:17.519 sometimes it's okay, sometimes it's okay and I've learned that. Okay, this 485 00:34:17.599 --> 00:34:21.800 is a boundary I can bend a little, not not regularly, but I 486 00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:27.070 can bend it a little. So so learning to say no and being comfortable 487 00:34:27.110 --> 00:34:31.429 saying no and that that falls on leadership to yea that have have we made 488 00:34:31.590 --> 00:34:37.389 our volunteers feel that they can say, I just can't do that. And 489 00:34:38.539 --> 00:34:43.820 as as a volunteer, and now I'm in a leadership position, but I 490 00:34:44.500 --> 00:34:49.780 have been and still am a volunteer for for quite some time and I know 491 00:34:49.900 --> 00:34:54.210 I never, I was never put on a guilt trip or all I ever 492 00:34:54.369 --> 00:34:59.769 heard from people in charge, which was you, basically was okay, that's 493 00:34:59.769 --> 00:35:04.250 fine, thanks for letting me know. And so that made it easier to 494 00:35:04.289 --> 00:35:08.199 say no when I had to say no. So, but then the counterpoint 495 00:35:08.239 --> 00:35:13.639 to that, if God is urging you say yes. Yeah. Learned to 496 00:35:13.719 --> 00:35:16.480 say yes to and don't let fear, I think, is usually the main 497 00:35:16.599 --> 00:35:22.989 reason in our ministry when people don't say yes, is they're afraid of what 498 00:35:22.150 --> 00:35:28.230 that will entail. Sure. So, if God's telling you to, then 499 00:35:28.510 --> 00:35:32.829 learn to say yes. Yeah. So our next one. So the next 500 00:35:32.909 --> 00:35:39.420 point is to be intentional about reserving time for family. Yeah, and because 501 00:35:39.420 --> 00:35:45.099 we're talking about balancing family and ministry, and then again we're dealing with an 502 00:35:45.099 --> 00:35:51.050 intense ministry, there is the ability, I know, just for me coming 503 00:35:51.090 --> 00:35:55.090 home from ministring out on the sidewalk. On Saturdays, especially in Saturdays, 504 00:35:55.369 --> 00:35:59.530 are the days that most people spend time with their family in particular. You 505 00:35:59.610 --> 00:36:01.489 know, you're working during the week or whatever. It's easy for me just 506 00:36:01.610 --> 00:36:05.280 to come and lay on the couch and check out, and I actually do 507 00:36:05.400 --> 00:36:09.000 do that a lot. However, there are times when I just need to 508 00:36:09.079 --> 00:36:13.920 spend time with my family. There are times when one of my son's, 509 00:36:13.960 --> 00:36:17.119 my youngest son, actually wants to come up to me and play with Legos 510 00:36:17.199 --> 00:36:21.550 and I really don't want to, but I make myself do it. Your 511 00:36:21.789 --> 00:36:25.349 prime activity and I'm so worn out and engage in my mind and something other 512 00:36:25.429 --> 00:36:30.789 than just taking a nap or whatever, just mindless. Is Really, really 513 00:36:30.829 --> 00:36:34.860 hard, but I try to be intentional about doing that. Yeah, but 514 00:36:35.019 --> 00:36:37.820 not even that. I mean lengthy time with your family, taking a vacation, 515 00:36:37.860 --> 00:36:43.340 spending some time away from ministry can be very important. Jesus did that 516 00:36:43.659 --> 00:36:47.090 himself. Yeah, in Mark Chapter One, I think in Luke Chapter Five, 517 00:36:47.130 --> 00:36:51.730 it talks about the same thing. And this is Mark Chapter One. 518 00:36:51.809 --> 00:36:54.409 This is right after like a boatload of people were coming to Jesus want to 519 00:36:54.489 --> 00:36:59.650 be healed, demons cast out, all this. So he has ministry opportunities, 520 00:36:59.730 --> 00:37:02.880 right, he's got people knocking at the door to come and or for 521 00:37:04.519 --> 00:37:07.679 him to do ministry to them, to Minister to their needs. And he 522 00:37:07.760 --> 00:37:10.079 always did. I mean he always did. He always had a ministry need. 523 00:37:10.599 --> 00:37:15.949 Yeah, so it says it in in the early morning, while it 524 00:37:15.030 --> 00:37:19.389 was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went away to 525 00:37:19.469 --> 00:37:22.150 a secluded place and was praying there. Now, you might ask, what 526 00:37:22.269 --> 00:37:25.710 does this have to do with family? Well, Jesus didn't have a wife 527 00:37:27.230 --> 00:37:30.260 and kids, but he did have his heavenly father. That's the relationship that 528 00:37:30.340 --> 00:37:35.739 he was cultivating, his closest relationship. Your closest relationships should be with your 529 00:37:35.780 --> 00:37:38.619 family. And so he goes alone, even in the midst of ministry needs. 530 00:37:39.460 --> 00:37:43.500 So again we're talking about balance. Even in the midst of ministry needs, 531 00:37:43.980 --> 00:37:46.329 Jesus slipped away, yeah, and spent time with his heavenly father. 532 00:37:46.369 --> 00:37:50.570 Yeah, and it seems like it was the regular pattern. Right, Jesus, 533 00:37:50.730 --> 00:37:57.090 and I think a very important point here is the word intentional and thinking 534 00:37:57.650 --> 00:38:00.960 being intentional. Will Look at look at in that verse. In the early 535 00:38:01.199 --> 00:38:06.159 morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up. You know, 536 00:38:06.320 --> 00:38:07.960 Jesus had to be tired, I assume. I don't know if God got 537 00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:12.559 tired, but I was good. I mean he was human God and he's 538 00:38:12.599 --> 00:38:15.989 got a human form. So you know he's been tired. He's been ministering 539 00:38:15.190 --> 00:38:20.590 to the multitude, and yet it was in the early morning, while it 540 00:38:20.710 --> 00:38:23.110 was still dark. When he gets up to pray to his heavenly father, 541 00:38:23.150 --> 00:38:30.659 he intentionally sacrifice sleep time, yea, in order to spend time with his 542 00:38:30.860 --> 00:38:34.500 father. So, in this case, to spend you could really look at 543 00:38:34.500 --> 00:38:37.099 this both ways, in order to spend time with his family and in order 544 00:38:37.139 --> 00:38:40.650 to spend time with his ministry, because they were really in Jesus's case. 545 00:38:40.929 --> 00:38:45.769 Yeah, kind of one in the same. But I know that for me 546 00:38:45.090 --> 00:38:52.170 to be able to do all I need to do to prepare spiritually and physically 547 00:38:52.250 --> 00:38:54.409 to be out on the SIDEBOOK, I have to get up while it's still 548 00:38:54.409 --> 00:38:59.079 dark. I get up at five, and I didn't used to, but 549 00:38:59.159 --> 00:39:01.519 I do now. I get up all the time out even now, even 550 00:39:01.519 --> 00:39:06.639 when I'm not going to be out here, and so I'm very intentional, 551 00:39:07.320 --> 00:39:10.710 not so that I've time for my family, but so that I've time for 552 00:39:10.949 --> 00:39:15.750 ministry that later on these things I'm doing in the morning I won't have to 553 00:39:15.869 --> 00:39:19.909 be doing later in the day, yeah, when I could be spending time 554 00:39:19.989 --> 00:39:24.500 with my family. So I think it's it is important to schedule time to 555 00:39:24.739 --> 00:39:29.460 really do management. Isn't bored. Yes, and if you are not intentional 556 00:39:29.860 --> 00:39:37.460 in your scheduling of time with family and with ministry, it will invariably be 557 00:39:37.780 --> 00:39:42.889 encroached to pop yeah, absolutely so. I love checklist. checklists are the 558 00:39:43.010 --> 00:39:46.730 way that I remain intentional. Yeah, and the checks of my time. 559 00:39:46.969 --> 00:39:51.010 Doesn't it help? It does help. Yeah, helps you prioritize things, 560 00:39:51.090 --> 00:39:52.320 it helps you to take care of those things that need to be taken care 561 00:39:52.360 --> 00:39:55.360 of and put off those things that don't. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, 562 00:39:55.400 --> 00:39:59.880 it tick lists or helpful, but the intentionality, like you're talking about with 563 00:40:00.079 --> 00:40:02.559 family, yeah, is important. It's not the motivation of the check mark 564 00:40:02.639 --> 00:40:07.550 in the box. It's the motivation of I have just made time, I 565 00:40:07.989 --> 00:40:13.150 have made intentional time, yeah, available for for what really matters. Yeah, 566 00:40:13.269 --> 00:40:17.670 absolutely so. The our next point is that ministry often can complement family. 567 00:40:17.710 --> 00:40:22.539 We've kind of talked about about mostly up into this point. That guish 568 00:40:22.619 --> 00:40:28.940 ministry takes away from family, but that certainly is not always the case and 569 00:40:29.420 --> 00:40:32.699 and in some cases there's fan whole families that do ministry together. Yeah, 570 00:40:32.940 --> 00:40:37.130 yeah, absolutely. I mean I believe that this ministry, the ministry on 571 00:40:37.210 --> 00:40:39.969 the sidewalk out an abortion center, as crazy it might sound, as it 572 00:40:40.010 --> 00:40:45.210 might sound as some of you guys, is actually an opportunity for family discipleship. 573 00:40:45.250 --> 00:40:49.809 Yeah, you know, we talk about with our kids that we should 574 00:40:49.969 --> 00:40:52.239 love our neighbor as ourselves. We should love God love our neighbor. We 575 00:40:52.320 --> 00:40:55.719 talked about the issue of abortion and how terrible it is that lives are being 576 00:40:55.800 --> 00:41:00.199 destroyed through abortion. And then our kids know that abortions are taken place. 577 00:41:00.519 --> 00:41:05.230 And yet, as Christians, if we're not doing anything about it, we're 578 00:41:05.309 --> 00:41:07.550 really given a mixed message to our kids. So if we bring our kids 579 00:41:07.590 --> 00:41:10.789 out to an abortion center, I know I met a couple of weeks ago, 580 00:41:10.869 --> 00:41:14.030 and I'm not sure if you were out there was on a Saturday, 581 00:41:14.230 --> 00:41:16.869 this wonderful family that came along. I think they had five kids or so, 582 00:41:17.389 --> 00:41:22.019 and they brought their kids out. They saw in social media what's happening 583 00:41:22.059 --> 00:41:25.300 out there, what our ministry is doing out there, even the prayer walks 584 00:41:25.340 --> 00:41:28.460 and all of that, and they wanted to bring their kids out and their 585 00:41:28.500 --> 00:41:34.210 daughter has actually a burden to even volunteer out there now. So families like 586 00:41:34.329 --> 00:41:39.250 that bless me because they're using that this ministry is an opportunity to disciple their 587 00:41:39.289 --> 00:41:43.289 kids. And my family we do the same thing. We bring our kids 588 00:41:43.289 --> 00:41:45.730 out on a regular basis. Recently we have not in the past couple of 589 00:41:45.769 --> 00:41:50.480 months. With covid and with our crazy pro abortion friends that we've can head 590 00:41:50.519 --> 00:41:52.280 out there. Lately we've not brought our kids out, but I plan to 591 00:41:52.320 --> 00:41:57.679 bring them back out. It's a regular part of ministry in our family. 592 00:41:58.239 --> 00:42:00.789 It's my wife actually ministers on the sidewalk as well. She's one of the 593 00:42:00.829 --> 00:42:06.030 nurses on the mobiultra sound unit. Yeah, but my kids have come out 594 00:42:06.110 --> 00:42:09.789 and held signs, even handed out literature. They've done other things in ministry. 595 00:42:09.789 --> 00:42:13.989 They've helped out even here in the office with certain things. Yeah, 596 00:42:14.070 --> 00:42:16.860 and they help put together some of our literature. So as a family we 597 00:42:16.980 --> 00:42:21.219 can disciple our kids. As parents, as MOMS and dad's, we can 598 00:42:21.260 --> 00:42:23.500 disciple our kids, but bring them that on the sidewalk are involving them in 599 00:42:23.579 --> 00:42:27.820 some kind of pro life ministry to help them grow in their walk with the 600 00:42:27.900 --> 00:42:30.329 Lord. Yeah, you're living the Gospel with them and and the wonderful thing 601 00:42:30.489 --> 00:42:36.010 is they that removes a little bit of that tension of family time versus ministry 602 00:42:36.090 --> 00:42:39.690 time, because it's both all and one. Absolutely so you and and it 603 00:42:39.809 --> 00:42:45.400 can. I think I have seen many large families like yours, the mets 604 00:42:45.440 --> 00:42:50.480 kers come to mind, that do minister as a family out at the abortion 605 00:42:50.639 --> 00:42:58.320 center and it seems to be a bonding element for those families. It's something 606 00:42:58.400 --> 00:43:02.789 that they all gather around and believe in and it unifies. It's a joint 607 00:43:02.829 --> 00:43:09.989 family purpose before God. So I think it's a really wonderful dynamic when that 608 00:43:10.070 --> 00:43:15.300 happens. It doesn't happen with all families. Sure I think you're really blessed 609 00:43:15.460 --> 00:43:20.739 that it's true of yours and I'm we don't want to make families where that's 610 00:43:20.780 --> 00:43:22.659 not the case feel bad. Yeah, I mean I think that's something that 611 00:43:22.900 --> 00:43:27.449 before the Lord, that a husband and wife need to decide. I know 612 00:43:27.570 --> 00:43:30.449 there are people who they don't want to bring their kids out and have them 613 00:43:30.449 --> 00:43:34.210 exposed to the craziness that happens on the sidewalk right. I don't get them 614 00:43:34.329 --> 00:43:37.050 for that. Yeah, I don't fault them for that. You know your 615 00:43:37.130 --> 00:43:39.449 kids better than I do. You know your family dynamic better than I do. 616 00:43:40.010 --> 00:43:44.480 I do think it's a good opportunity for family discipleship, but maybe some 617 00:43:44.599 --> 00:43:47.880 families just aren't there, like they just don't see that fitting into their their 618 00:43:47.920 --> 00:43:52.159 dynamic and and all of that. So, you know, bying, no 619 00:43:52.320 --> 00:43:57.949 condemnation as far as that's concerned, but I do do encourage people to of 620 00:43:58.070 --> 00:44:00.710 course, step beyond your comfort zone. We're not called to live in our 621 00:44:00.750 --> 00:44:04.389 comfort zone. We're called to live in obedience to the Lord. So if 622 00:44:04.389 --> 00:44:07.670 it's just a comfort zone thing, I would say that would be something I 623 00:44:07.750 --> 00:44:10.139 would check my heart about. Right, because this is a good opportunity for 624 00:44:10.860 --> 00:44:17.539 for family ministry and for discipleship. And I know many youngsters in a pro 625 00:44:17.739 --> 00:44:22.139 life family that all common minister together can't wait to be out here. Yeah, 626 00:44:22.380 --> 00:44:27.690 so they see the importance, they see things that they really are drawn 627 00:44:27.849 --> 00:44:32.849 to in ministry and I think it's such a wonderful way to have a child 628 00:44:32.969 --> 00:44:37.090 grow up in the Lord. Yeah, for for some families, like you 629 00:44:37.210 --> 00:44:40.079 said, not for all. Yeah. So there's a scripture and you guys 630 00:44:40.159 --> 00:44:45.079 listen probably know this scripture about Heart Deuteronomy, chapter six, versus six and 631 00:44:45.159 --> 00:44:49.599 seven, and this is the Lord's command to the children of Israel to teach 632 00:44:51.079 --> 00:44:54.630 the men in particular, to teach their children the ways of God and the 633 00:44:54.670 --> 00:44:59.710 Law of God, and says these words, which I shall command you today, 634 00:44:59.750 --> 00:45:01.190 or which I'm commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You 635 00:45:01.269 --> 00:45:06.150 shall teach them diligently to your sons and you shall talk of them when you 636 00:45:06.269 --> 00:45:08.179 sit in your house and when you walk by the way, when you lie 637 00:45:08.219 --> 00:45:12.860 down and when you rise up. So basically, wherever you're gone, you're 638 00:45:12.860 --> 00:45:15.539 supposed to be teaching the word of God. So, whether you take your 639 00:45:15.539 --> 00:45:19.820 kids away and you're intentional about having some time away with family, still need 640 00:45:19.860 --> 00:45:22.610 to be teaching your kids the word of God. Right you're sitting at the 641 00:45:22.849 --> 00:45:24.650 dinner table, still need to be teaching your kids the word of God. 642 00:45:24.730 --> 00:45:28.690 When you take him out to the abortion mill, you should be teaching them 643 00:45:28.730 --> 00:45:31.010 the word of God. And these are different yeah, these are different scenarios 644 00:45:31.050 --> 00:45:36.320 in which you can teach different facets of God's Word and God's truths. Amen. 645 00:45:36.719 --> 00:45:38.000 So the last one, ten, I don't know if you've been keeping 646 00:45:38.079 --> 00:45:42.840 count. Yes, it's number ten. Is like ten, good round number. 647 00:45:42.880 --> 00:45:47.920 Yeah, it is so. So don't take responsibility for what you cannot 648 00:45:49.119 --> 00:45:52.989 control, and that, I think, eliminates a lot of the stress of 649 00:45:53.150 --> 00:45:58.150 ministry and of family. There are things you just really have to let go 650 00:45:58.230 --> 00:46:02.030 of because she can't control them. There are sometimes so many hours you're going 651 00:46:02.070 --> 00:46:09.699 to be happying to put towards ministry and there are often limitations and how much 652 00:46:09.739 --> 00:46:13.980 time you can spend with your family. Yeah, so you control which can 653 00:46:14.980 --> 00:46:19.369 and the others you give to God. Yeah. Yeah, and I'll say 654 00:46:19.409 --> 00:46:22.730 this too, as far as in light of family struggles and all of that 655 00:46:22.849 --> 00:46:25.889 other stuff, because I know there are some fathers and some some mothers who 656 00:46:27.210 --> 00:46:30.010 have kids maybe that have gone astray. Yeah, maybe they're not walking with 657 00:46:30.090 --> 00:46:34.840 the Lord and you might feel like well, if I can't, like I 658 00:46:34.920 --> 00:46:37.239 said earlier, if you if you lose your kids, what does it? 659 00:46:37.519 --> 00:46:39.960 Does it matter if you gain the whole world and lose your family? Right, 660 00:46:40.039 --> 00:46:43.599 so, maybe you're in that state and that hit you a little hard 661 00:46:43.639 --> 00:46:45.039 and you're like, well, my kids aren't walking with the Lord and so 662 00:46:45.199 --> 00:46:49.829 therefore I'm I'm like worthless. No, I'm not saying that and I'm not 663 00:46:50.070 --> 00:46:53.789 trying to with that statement, trying to to let the enemy use God's word 664 00:46:53.869 --> 00:46:58.630 to neutralize you. Because you need to pour in your kids, you need 665 00:46:58.670 --> 00:47:01.539 to do everything you can to bring your kids, bring your family to the 666 00:47:01.699 --> 00:47:06.820 Lord, but you don't have control over their hearts. Like, I know 667 00:47:07.099 --> 00:47:09.940 good families. I know families who poured into their kids. They did everything 668 00:47:09.980 --> 00:47:14.940 they possibly could to pour in their kids and their kids went astray. MMM, 669 00:47:15.730 --> 00:47:17.610 and I'm not going to say just because your kids went astray, you 670 00:47:17.650 --> 00:47:21.489 can't be out on the sidewalk. To me, that's just not right. 671 00:47:21.530 --> 00:47:27.969 I don't think it's biblical either. So you don't take responsibility for things that 672 00:47:28.090 --> 00:47:30.840 you can't control. If you're a horrible parent, okay, that's one thing, 673 00:47:30.920 --> 00:47:34.719 but if you did everything you could within your ability to bring your kids 674 00:47:34.760 --> 00:47:37.760 to the Lord, that doesn't disqualify you for ministry. I mean, think 675 00:47:37.800 --> 00:47:42.360 about it. God himself the best father of all. I was just going 676 00:47:42.400 --> 00:47:45.989 to bring this up, the best father of all. Yeah, Lost Adam, 677 00:47:46.030 --> 00:47:50.909 right, the first man that he created. Yeah, went astray. 678 00:47:51.309 --> 00:47:53.829 Yeah, and didn't didn't walk with him, rebelled against him. The only 679 00:47:53.869 --> 00:47:59.019 command he gave him and he broke it. Adam and Eve both straight from 680 00:47:59.179 --> 00:48:01.579 from God and, believe, the devil over over the Lord. It's two 681 00:48:01.659 --> 00:48:06.260 first kids. Yeah, said they they walked away, yeah, from his 682 00:48:06.539 --> 00:48:10.820 clear command. So there's a dynamic and there's a real biblical importance for us 683 00:48:10.860 --> 00:48:15.050 to focus on our families and to teach our children the word of God and 684 00:48:15.170 --> 00:48:20.170 so in their lives the truths of God's word. But that doesn't mean we're 685 00:48:20.170 --> 00:48:22.329 responsible for their souls in the sense that we can change their hearts. You 686 00:48:22.409 --> 00:48:27.159 can't make your kids give their hearts to Jesus. You can't make them continue 687 00:48:27.199 --> 00:48:30.280 to walk with God. As much as you want to, you can sow 688 00:48:30.320 --> 00:48:34.360 into them the principles of God's Word and ultimately it's between them of the Lord, 689 00:48:34.440 --> 00:48:36.639 whether or not they walk with God. Yeah, and the way that 690 00:48:36.800 --> 00:48:39.519 honors him. God could have forced Adam and Eve to follow him, but 691 00:48:39.559 --> 00:48:43.789 he didn't. He give them free will. He gave them the opportunity to 692 00:48:43.949 --> 00:48:50.510 rebel and to choose not him and and they did. So that that's true 693 00:48:50.550 --> 00:48:54.030 for all of us as as parents. We do our best and our children 694 00:48:54.190 --> 00:48:59.420 our free agents. There they have a free will and they can choose to 695 00:48:59.579 --> 00:49:02.579 follow or not to follow. Yeah, so we can't control that we can't 696 00:49:02.619 --> 00:49:07.980 control what what they will ultimately choose, but what we can control is is 697 00:49:08.579 --> 00:49:14.610 that we have done all that we can, under God, before God, 698 00:49:15.650 --> 00:49:19.170 that he has commanded us to do, with Damn and with ministry. Yeah, 699 00:49:19.210 --> 00:49:22.969 and then leave the results to God. Yeah, absolutely well with that. 700 00:49:23.400 --> 00:49:27.440 We'll wrap this thing up. Sound good? Yeah, all right. 701 00:49:27.519 --> 00:49:30.599 Well, guys, we appreciate you tuning in and we appreciate if you, 702 00:49:30.679 --> 00:49:35.920 guys, would share this podcast with your friends. Let folks know what you 703 00:49:36.079 --> 00:49:39.829 heard, share some feedback with us. Maybe there's subjects that we haven't covered 704 00:49:39.869 --> 00:49:43.909 yet that you would like for us to cover, maybe subjects that we've all 705 00:49:44.070 --> 00:49:47.909 already covered but we didn't cover thoroughly enough for things this, questions that you 706 00:49:47.949 --> 00:49:52.110 have about podcast that we've done in the past, we'd love to hear from 707 00:49:52.190 --> 00:49:54.019 you. You can reach out to me, Daniel at Love Life Dot Org. 708 00:49:54.539 --> 00:49:58.460 You can reach her at Vicky at Love Life Dot Org. We'd love 709 00:49:58.539 --> 00:50:05.980 to hear from you, but until next time, God bless give me our 710 00:50:06.300 --> 00:50:17.489 love for love, give me our love for gratitude. I know it will 711 00:50:17.650 --> 00:50:27.119 cost me my life. Nothing's too precious and some you