 Welcome to another episode of Unfiltered. As you know that we've been going through a miniseries of Leave in the Ministry. This is part two and we hope you enjoyed Unfiltered with Pastor David. But one of the things that you've always instilled in our staff and our ministers here at the church is to love without reciprocating or without expecting anything back. And that can be a tough thing to learn because when we just by nature we'd love in a sense with a little bit of expectation to be loved back or something to be given. And as you've taught us and that we're learning here is that a lot of times it doesn't work like that. And it can be hurtful. And it's to the nth degree of what you've gone through. And that struggle, Pastor, there was a years ago and you're aware of this of a home Bible study that we have. And we had a huge division. And I remember telling my wife, I'm done. I'm done. I don't need this. I'll go back to do this. I'll go back to do that. And as you know, in a greater sense, there's something greater to be done than that. And so what is it, Pastor, like when you have to work through those things or wade through those things, even as you're mentioning now that there's times you do that, is it the Word of God that you focus on to know that who you are in Christ that keeps you going against that strong, I'm done. I'm done. I'm done. You know, in Christianity and Christian faith, it's not the memorization of scriptures. It's the application of those scriptures. And so it's not hard to memorize and to parrot something that you have heard somebody else say. But truth needs to flow through you and into you. It first flows into you, then it flows out of you. And so it's always best to apply the study that you're giving to others to yourself first. And so if I exhort somebody to love, well, the Lord wants to teach me what that means. And so it's just a simple willingness to be placed in a position of learning the lesson that you're giving. And so that's where it begins and ends for me. Now again, I started trying to teach at the age of 23 in 1973. And I've been teaching now for 49 years. And so that's a large amount of time in my life to give myself over to communicating things about the Most High God. And so I don't want to be a hypocrite. I don't want to give a message that's way above my standards of personal life. So I allow the word, I ask the word, God's word to wash and cleanse me and saturate me so that there's no hypocrisy as I share. Now that doesn't mean that that's always been true in the early days. I'm certain there was an awful lot of I wish coming through in the teaching. And it's not as if today I say I know because I have so much to learn. But it's the, I believe, the desire to do those things that are pleasing to God and to be a faithful steward and to communicate rightly, you know, rightly dividing the word of truth, presenting it in a way that that it is understandable and considering within yourself your own limitations and your own incapacities and your own failures and allowing that to produce a humility in you that God will honor. You know, if there's anything that I believe that God hates, it's pride. It's a sin that that got the devil cast out of heaven, you know. I want to be very careful that God keeps me in a place of dependence and humility, even as Paul said, who is Paul? Who is Apollos? We're simply servants. You know, I think we need to remember that. And in an age when people are lifting up pastors as if they're superstars and many pastors, it's just sad to say it, but it's true. They just, they just, they bask in the limelight. They obviously want to be that important. They want to be the center. You know, you're going to hear this here in nowhere else kind of mentality. It just drives me crazy when I hear that. But the sheep, the sheep just follow after that south absorbed shepherd and there's no fruit in their life. I run across people from places that are of that nature and it's just amazing how the sheep become like that shepherd. Maybe the shepherd is attractive because that's their sin too. So you never see your sin in somebody else. You know, I don't know. It's just interesting. But yeah, I really believe that the closer you get to the light, the more your imperfections are shown. Yes. And that's, I was sharing with our Tuesday morning that my sister used to have this light and I would turn it on like the midnight level and, oh, look at this, look at the skin. And then when I turn it on the highest level, I see all the, the pores and all the ugly showdowns. And it was a lot. I don't know. Give me a dimmer light. You know, Pastor, thank you for sharing that because there's a lot of times that discouragement sets in during, during when anybody does the work of God, just let alone walking with the Lord. There's so many things the enemy's trying to pull us from, our flesh is trying to pull us away and the discouragement that sets in. So for people to hear that there's a, that there's a battle still going on with you, even at these many years, seeing that it's real. And I think a lot of people are going to be able to relate to, to that because sometimes it'll be in hardest on myself in a lot of things. I get discouraged very easy and want to just give in, you know, sometimes. And I couldn't only imagine at this level that, that you're at with the teachings and the pressures of the church and, and shepherding our church is what a huge responsibility, the pressure and, and the discouragement that can set in. I can, but you know what my strength is in the Lord. Amen. And the joy of the Lord is my strength. And so now everything we do counts, it counts for eternity. Do the best that you can. Love the Lord with all that you have and leave the rest in his hands, you know, and, you know, the, the results are up to him. I just want to be faithful. And I encourage everybody, just, just be faithful to what the Lord has given to you, enjoying him. This, this life is short and it's going to be passed very quickly. So instead of always being down or down on yourself or feeling like a failure, start strengthening yourself in the Lord and realize that in Christ, you're a new creation, no things are passed away. Understand that God can do marvelous things for you, just yield to him. Amen. And I, I love it. I could be nothing other than what I am, you know, and, and what I am, I appreciate with the, how the Lord is, is fashion me this way. Somebody once asked me, uh, if you could go back and change things in your life, what would you change? And as I think about it, I, I don't know that I would change anything, John. It's not that, that I've enjoyed all the pains or the sorrows or the failures, but those things have contributed to the person I became. And so I can see how even the things that I have had in the past regret over and repented over, uh, have left a mark in my, in me as a person. So I don't want to go there anymore. I don't want to do that anymore. It's, it's actually taught me what is something I don't want and it's helped to contrast, uh, with what I would like to have. And so I wouldn't, more than likely wouldn't change anything. I just have allowed it to create, uh, who I am. God worked all those things together. He's produced me. I don't long for those days, but I learned from them. And so that's, that's the way it works. And then you count your blessings, look around you and see how many people love John. And they do, you know, in the people who, who claim to love their pastor, love me, you know, I'm appreciative of that. I bless the Lord for that. I really do. I thank God for that. Um, the family of Christ is a beautiful family and, uh, it's, it's a great thing to be part of it. And pastor, if I may share just personally, and I don't know what segment this may come on it, if we break this in the two parts, it's going to be the second segment. So then by the time you hear this, uh, Thursday, the 13th or November 3rd, uh, I, it's a little significant for me. Uh, and to see that, uh, just to really quickly, you know, my sister died on that day. And, and you happened to come very near that time. And you and Marie came in and were very significant being there, uh, when they, when they decided to take my sister off the ventilator. And I look back, that's nine years ago. And, uh, and, and now I'm sitting here being able to serve under you. And, and it shows the significance of, I'm thankful that you went through what you went through and didn't give in. Because if you didn't, if you would have the significance and impact that you had on my life and my family's life during that difficult time may have looked different. And, uh, and so personally, I want to thank you for that pastor of always being, uh, faithful and always guiding and shepherding. Cause I was very significant for me. I remember coming around the corner and there you are. You know, all I did was I, I wept on you, you know, and, uh, and so that's always been significant. So this date as we, I look at my sister's, uh, heavenly birth dates always reminds me of the role of you and Marie have always played in my life. And so I want to thank you for that pastor. Thank you guys for tuning in. We thank you so much. Uh, and always remind you that we have our Wednesday evening services at seven PM as pastor David's taken us through first John. And then we have our Sunday morning services at eight 30 and 10 45 where pastor David's taken us through the book of Mark. Uh, this Sunday, you guys, we have our last day to purchase your bundle ticket for the men's gathering. So you guys want to get your tickets to go to that. If you want to get a meal, if you just want to go to the conference, you can get, uh, your $10 insurance fees to the conference up until the conference state. So we look forward to having you also want to remind you that we have our Israel trip coming up. You guys can still register for that. And we look forward to having you pastor. Thank you so much for taking your time and sharing with us. You guys, thank you for tuning in. God bless you and we love you.