 We're so glad you're joining us on Hope Today because we are all talking about God stories and we're super excited what story you're gonna hear today. I'm here with Matt and Anna and Matt. We are so excited to learn more about you and your journey. Yeah, you know, usually I'm not good about just talking about myself. But what's so cool is just really when you're forced to reflect on the things and where you've been and who God has ordained in your life and the opportunities or even challenges that he's really helped to navigate through it really blows you away to realize like, wow, only God could have got me to this point. So I'm really excited to just kind of share about different opportunities and people that are along my journey that helped to get me to where I am today. Yeah, it's such a cool privilege to be able to share our stories because it is our God story. Yeah. So the way that we have been able to operate in this lifetime is really all praise and we're lifted in Jesus' higher. Right. And so we're just so glad that you're with us on this Friday. We're like all celebrating right before we went on air the TGIA. So we hope that you're having a good day wherever you are. And remember that next week too is the entire week is the rest of the host God stories. So I'll be sharing on Tuesday but all of our other team will be all throughout the week. So thank you for being a part and just listening to how God has worked through our lives. Yeah. It's like such an honor and privilege when we're able to share our stories because we feel like some of you we don't see you every day but you are so part of our lives and so it's a blessing that we're able to open up, we're able to share. And we hope that as we're speaking about some of the hurdles that we've walked through some of the things we've had to navigate how we've had to hold on to God really encourages you. You know something I was just thinking as Matt and Anna we were talking is just like the fact that like God is a master author. Like does he sit up in heaven and he's just like right now he's having so much fun of like how creative he is and so just being able to listen to the different host stories like I know Amy shared yesterday and her Tom and I was able to share last week. It's just, it's amazing like God is, he's very creative with these stories. Yeah, absolutely. And you know, we're in the middle of our 21 days of prayer too. So you'll want to make sure that you stay with us all the way to the end of the program because we're going to be praying for more of the fruit that we're going to be sharing of the fruit of the spirit in our lives. Like we should be very fruity people and we are in Christ and it's always makes for a fun conversation to talk about like patience and self-control and things like that. Patience being a big one that we all need, right? Especially nowadays. I'm just thinking my two oldest are in school and now that they're learning all kinds of different things, you know, picking up all types of new slaying and lingoes and whatnot. I'm just like, I need a lot of patience, God, to be able to deal with these questions that are coming my way for my kids. So it's definitely crazy. God is with you. So Matt, without further ado, tell us about your journey and what God has carried and walked you through. Yeah, absolutely. So I'll start with some of the basics first. Just to show people where I am today in case for those of you that know me or don't know me or only know so much about me. First off, I'm married, been married for 12 years now and they'll show a picture of three amazing kids. Levi is my oldest, who is going to be eight. Estelle is going to be seven. And Micah, I don't want to say he's the troublemaker. Let's just say he's a lot, very alive and active is our youngest. So they're in second and first grade and preschool. They're amazing. I'm so blessed to have a wonderful family and I'm in the ministry full time. I do marketing, graphic design and I'm a worship pastor. But to get me to this point has been quite the journey and really reflecting on my life and what God has done. It really leaves me in this like all and wonder of how God is so intentional. Kind of like you were saying it's like he's writing this script, but he's so intentional with the details and with the people he put places in our lives, the different challenges that he helps to navigate us through. And so I really want to share on just some strategic people that have been through my life that have really seen something in me that I never saw myself and if I would have walked away from or ignored them I probably wouldn't have made choices that led me to where I am today, right? So, okay. 37 long years ago was born in Virginia and I'll share a picture here of my parents. There they are. My mom's from Korea. My dad's from right here in Pittsburgh. There's my older brother Alan and my younger sister wasn't born quite yet. So, all right. 37 long years ago born in Virginia. My mom always had us go to church, but like many of us just because we're in the church doesn't necessarily mean we're walking with God, you know? So, we moved from Virginia around when I was about eight years old or nine years old and we come to Pittsburgh. Now, when we come to Pittsburgh it was a major culture shock for me and the reason why is a couple of things. First off, I went from a wealthy neighborhood, a private school, uniform and all to the city schools and not so good area in Pittsburgh. So, complete, like just shock from dynamics there. And fourth grade all within the first month of my first year this girl comes walking up to me in the hallway, hands me a note. This letter, I'm like, wow, this cute girl give me a letter first day or like first week of school. I'm like, this is going good. I open the letter and says, hi, I'm your cousin, Cassandra. And I'm like, I'm your cousin. And she's like, I'm related to your other brother. I'm like, hold up. I don't have any other brother. We talk about my brother. Alan, I grew up with at my younger sister, Ashley. Come to find out. I've got another brother from my dad's side. So, all within like the first year of moving a culture shock after a culture shock and shock, you know? So, sounds crazy but it was just one of those moments to where I think my parents had to wait for the right timing to kind of explain that. They didn't know it was going to happen now, right? So, all of the first year, that kind of happens. We go to a Korean assembly at God Church, completely different cultured period. The Korean culture is very different. So, with that, it was just a smaller church, a very traditional type of church. And because it was smaller, the pastor knows everybody by name. So, in this church, it was really kind of thinking back on a defining moment when God really started to reveal a couple things for me. I didn't know it at the time, but thinking back on it was. So, because it was a smaller church, and he knew everybody, he would do this thing during his messages. Sometimes he would call anybody out by random out in the congregation to stand up and read the scripture for his message. Like, would make me sweat. I'd be sitting on the edge of my seat and just be like, please do not call on me. Until one day he did, read the scripture. At the end of the service, I go walking out and we had a guest pastor there that day. She pulls me aside, just out of the blue and she goes, hey, I was listening to you quote that scripture. She's like, you have the voice of a pastor and you're going to be here one day. Doesn't know me. I'm like, gosh, I'm like 10 years old. I kind of look at her and I'm like, yeah, okay lady, whatever you're saying. I've got dreams to be like a super star here. What do you mean I'm going to be a pastor? I ain't no way. So I kind of just brush that off, walk along. That was like one moment, like the first moment somebody had ever really spoken something into me. You know, in regards to being ministry related or not. A couple years later, the drummer of the worship team pulls me aside after service and says, hey, you're going to start to learn drums. For no reason. I don't play an instrument, never showed interest in it. And I'm like out of all the kids here, why in the world is she picking me to play drums? And so she starts teaching me. A few months goes by, I'm on the worship team at the church. I point those out because it's amazing how there was two people already in that church that saw something in me that I never noticed about myself. And if it weren't for that, well, then the next few years, I'm like, okay, well, I feel like playing guitar. So I learned how to play guitar. Then I'm like, I feel like singing. So then I learned how to sing. And so if it weren't for that drummer kind of seeing maybe that gift or that calling or whatever she might have saw in me, I never would have had a desire to pursue after some of these talents that God has instilled in me to use to this day. So a couple more years goes by. We end up leaving that church and going to another church. And when we started sending this new church, I'm in 11th grade. You know how it is being a teenager. Like, you got to leave all your friends. Now you're making new friends as a teenager. It's just an awkward season. And so I finally, throughout my junior year, make some new friends at this new church. My senior year comes around and then there's this thing called Fine Arts. And so I don't know if you guys have ever heard of Fine Arts or anything like that. But if you haven't, it's a big kind of talent competition within the assembly's got throughout the whole United States. And so since it's my senior year, I've never heard about it. Just caught one of them. Like, okay, cool. I'll give it a shot. Sounds fun. I'm going to give them for 10 different categories. Like, large and small ensemble, acting, songwriting, worship, and rap group was one of them for sure. So I joined these. We go through the first set of competitions and then not think anything of it. It ends up going to states. And I'm like, okay, cool. We get the states, go through that competition. It goes, moves on to the nationals. And I'm like, oh my gosh. Like, I was just doing this for fun. But all 10 of the categories I signed up for are going to nationals, which are held down in Austin, Texas that summer. So we get down to nationals. And again, I have no, there's just no, really no goal with like doing this competition besides just signing up for it. We get down there and only one of them makes it to like the top three. Guess which one it was? Rap group. It was rap group. Yeah. Let's go. Let's go. Okay. So which was cool. You know, you get your rewards and certificates. I'm like, well, that was a really cool experience. Well, senior year is wrapping up and probably like many people watching at home. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. You know, so all my friends already had their plans or all like going to college, even my girlfriend at the time is going away to college. And I'm like, okay, golly, I'm literally, I remember sitting there asking like, what am I supposed to do? Like my senior year is going to end here. And I have no plans on what I'm supposed to do. No idea, no desire, no nothing yet. And then long behold, it's again, this is amazing how God uses something for our good. Little did I know because all my categories in fine arts made it to nationals, they earned me like thousands of dollars in grants towards a Christian college. I had no idea. It just randomly came up and I get this letter and I'm like, oh my gosh. Well, God, this, you just helped me with something and used it for an opportunity to now go into a Christian college. So I go to college, go to school, after college, I leave, still not knowing what to do. I'm like, what am I going to do here? So the only thing I do is I go back to some of my roots that I had a desire to do was like, I really want to be in a band. So me and my friends start this band, which I'll show you a picture here. Oh yeah, it's not called NSYNC, but I pulled this up because our band got to be one of the opening acts for NSYNC when they came in town. And so somebody like made this, it was just like a funny like, teaser of the past. So I'm in this band for about four years and I'm thinking like, wow, this is going to be like, God instilled all these talents in me to one day be in this band that's going to tour until one day that comes down to a crashing halt and then just like nothing afterwards. So just like anything when something kind of ends you're left wondering, okay, like God, like literally what is next here? Like what am I supposed to do? And what's so cool is as I'm looking for this job, I'm searching, I'm asking God, I'm like, okay, God, I need a career, but I got a very little experience in anything. I'm working out the gym one day. A guy out of nowhere comes walking up to me. I've met him maybe like two times, barely had any conversation with him. And he goes, hey, by chance, are you looking for a job? And I'm like, God? Like what? Like looking at this guy, like are you serious? He's like, you know, I'm in need of a marketing director for my company and you just seem like you'd be a fit. I've got no marketing experience. No, you know what I mean? Like nothing, like, I don't know, it qualifies me to be in this position at all. So I'm kind of looking at it. I'm like, sure, yeah, why not? I get this job and it was amazing because I learned so many different things within the next eight years of working for this business. I mean, literally this guy yet another person that I meet that God ordains sees something in me that I didn't see myself. You know what I mean? And gives me this position that I feel like I'm not qualified for ends up making me over this department for the next eight years in his company. And I'm just like blown away the fact that this happens. So, okay, so eight years goes by with that business and the grace has kind of lifted off of me at that point. I'm like, okay, I feel like something, you know, there's got to be something more outside of this because I feel like there's got to be something more outside of this. So, after that job ends right before that actually is when my wife and I started to attend a church. And it was like perfect timing because there's like a transition happening to where they needed like a worship lead. So, I'm starting to fill in and help out with worship, but yet there was still like nothing unfolding from it. You know, whether it be a career path or anything like that worship. And then all of a sudden I start getting this desire to want to start so my wife and I start praying for three different things strategically about one, it being like a coffee shop to me running the business and three, looking like something certain for salary. So, I pull up the church one day for a staff meeting and my pastor looks at me and says, hey, I want to meet with you right after staff real quick. So, I'm like, okay, they have no idea what that's supposed to be about. Right after staff meeting, I go to the building, put this idea on my heart for you. And I, he's like, shut it down if it sounds crazy or stupid, just tell me no. And just so you guys know, I never once told him these three things I was praying for, ever had a conversation with him about this coffee shop, me running the business and it looking like X amount salary. So, I sit down and he's like, okay, so we're going to be opening up a coffee and donut shop next door. And he's like, and I feel like I'm in the business. He's like, it's going to be a coffee and donut shop and it will be X amount salary. I mean, I literally sat there and my jaw dropped. He goes, take a couple of days and pray on it. He's like, can you let me know? And I'm like, pastor, you don't understand. I've never once talked to you about these three things that I'm praying for. And yet, you just answered all three of them. So, I have to say yes in this moment. So, I'm going to open up a door to lead to opening up this business. You know, running this business. So that a couple years goes by from there. And again, this all sounds random because I'm a worship pastor now and it's just like, I'm banking and electrical at school and this and that and the other doesn't seem like it makes any sense to where it is today. So obviously I'm always wondering why did I have all these different jobs and opportunities and if it weren't for them, it wouldn't have developed me to getting to where I am today. To be the worship pastor I'm running this coffee shop for about two and a half years. My pastor, he goes, listen, he's like, the church is growing. He's like, we really need a full-time worship pastor. And never once asking them about it, he just goes, would you want to do it or do you still want to keep running the donut coffee shop? I'm just like, pastor, whatever you need to do, obviously inside, I want to be the worship pastor. And then, long behold, a door of opportunity opens up for me to be a worship pastor full-time. And it's amazing how God strategically ordains relationships, opportunities, and situations in our lives that we could either ignore and run from or we can run to them. And I'm like, sitting here, like, what if I would have said no to a lot of these different opportunities? Like, what could have happened? What would have unfolded if I would have said no or ran from a lady speaking into my life saying, one day you're going to be a pastor or this drummer that pulls me inside and I literally would have ignored them. I feel like I would have missed a lot of what God had in store for me, especially up until today. So it blows my mind and I hope that encourages some people just knowing that God will do certain things in your life. And not every opportunity obviously is God opportunity, but when you're open to the fact of realizing that, wow, this might not be my dream job yet. This might not be my desired opportunity. It could just be a stepping stone to set you up for God to get you where you need to be. And thinking back on it, God did that so many times in my life and it amazes me still to this day. That was phenomenal. Thank you so much for sharing that. When you were talking the whole time, it's just like, God, I just think he is El Roy. He is the God that sees me and he used people to say, I see my son Matt and you're going to speak life to get you to the next place. That is truly incredible. God opened the door. Yeah, every one of them. And it seriously sounds crazy, right? And this doesn't have to be for anybody that's just in the ministry full-time, right? Well, ministry can be a lot of different things whether you're a teacher, lawyer, whatever it might be in the banking. The point being is that God will literally open up avenues for you to get you there. It's up to us to realize, okay, I need to say yes to this because if I don't, I may never get to where God is calling me to be. I think that's what highlighted like how you just kept saying yes. Yeah. And did you ever like battle fear and like, oh my gosh, I can't believe I said yes or was it all pretty easy and natural? Okay, so this is what's wild. When it's God, it seems like it's easy. It doesn't mean you don't go through your rough patches, but when it's God, he literally, it's honestly, it's like he's just laid these in my lap. It sounds so crazy to think about and that's why early when I was saying this, it could only be like how is a guy gonna walk up to me in the gym out of nowhere and say, are you looking for a job by chance and not just any job like a job that you don't have any expertise in and now you're gonna be over this part of my company, only God. It's so cool. God is awesome and Matt, thank you so much for sharing your story today. It's powerful and we are gonna take a quick break, but remember, we're in the 21 days of prayer. We've got a scripture out the fur to the spirit. We're gonna pray for more of the fur to the spirit in our lives. So make sure you come back after this. Every now and then, life gets the best of us and we need a reminder to keep calm and trust God. Simple but striking, the keep calm and trust God box of blessings provides messages of reassurance to help carry you through tough and challenging times. 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He is such a faithful God to be working in the details of our lives and so today we are talking about the fruit of the spirit and as believers we have the Holy Spirit working in us to develop this beautiful fruit that is the characteristics of God himself and that the more that they grow and develop in us then they just like as if we have these limbs it just goes off and we can shake this beautiful fruit onto the people around us and the scripture comes from Galatians 5 22 and 23 it says but the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace forbearance or patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness and self control against such things there is no law and you guys each fruit you know I think about love and joy and peace and how our nation our world is so void of these things and yet how much in need our world is of those things and how God wants to use us to be able to share that and to have it overflow you know and as you were just talking about you know our world you know what's not said in here it's like a fruit of the spirit money success influence you name it whatever the world is saying these are the things like these accolades that we have this is what matters is like the things that in our spirit of what we exude and what we show and I just have this fruit you can't I mean it's not about it's you can go and church all you want but it's really about having a relationship with God where you're just in his presence when you're seeking his face when you're reading his word when you have to walk out these things and so just want to encourage you today I think a lot of times in our world we think it's like if I have in all these likes or if I have this that shows the forefront of our mind of really it is plugging into him connecting to the source and allowing him to move in us that's what the Bible says not by power or by might but by the spirit says Lord I was just praying with this couple a couple months ago and she had like forgive what it was she had issued where she had to it was like a brain sorry like a clot like a blood clot and she had immediately going for brain surgery it's scary and it's kind of tragic and so her boyfriend calls me up I go and I pray for them and as I'm just kind of sitting down talking with him the entire time she looks at me at one point she goes you're just so happy and I just think you know even in the midst of like a situation that's chaotic and scary and I just said to her I just said well you know that's just because that's just the spirit of God you know and because I lean on God and out of it is the fruit of the spirit you know joy peace happiness gentleness self-control which is a big one I think we all need you know but the point being is when you're full of God when you're full of the spirit of God when talking about prayer when you have an everyday and a life of prayer and you're continually conversing with God well what's naturally going to happen is you take on a situation you walk into or encounter you're filled with peace despite your circumstance you're filled with joy regardless of how large or difficult the trial might be you're full of self-control no matter how much your flesh comes in and desires that money or that thing you know so it's important to understand if we want to be able to navigate through this life through all the ups and downs good, bad and in between man we've really got to reach but it's by the spirit of God you know which in return has fruit that is everlasting in our lives it absolutely is you know that's such good timing for talking about the through the spirit like I know some of you at home are just dealing with some really hard stuff where your peace is being threatened or somebody is righteous anger within you and yet we need that fruit of the spirit of self-control to know how to respond in those situations because it is not glorifying to God when we lose our temper and we act out and it is through and only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can have that self-control and that when we lay our things down we so want to carry them we so want to have full control and that gives us so much anxiety but if we remember to just lay it at the heart of God at the feet of God that he will take it and in place of all that he will give us his peace he will give us that joy because he is steady even when the world is shaking around us so today pray for the Holy Spirit to infuse you with that fruit just as you were speaking I just heard God saying I'm pruning your tree you know the way that fruit grows I was like you can put all the water and the sun on it but the way that you know you grow the plants is like you gotta sometimes cut off of you I know it's hard I know sometimes you just wanna give up and you're like I am so tired of this but do not grow weary and doing good because in due season you shall reap and it is harvest time and so we are so glad that you joined us on this show of hope today we pray that this inspired you that it encouraged you to draw near to the heart of the Father because he is drawing near to you we love you so much