Focus Brings Fruit - Episode 15

This is Part Three in our 3-Part Forgiveness Friday series.

The transformation happens when you start to notice the fruits in your life. 

First is the planting.... then comes time.... and then the harvest. 

This is a process and it is not always an easy one.   But it is worth it.

Your freedom has come, your focus has been changed, and now you will reap the rewards of your efforts. 

Transcript

Episode 15 - Forgiveness Brings Fruit

[00:00:00] Justin: Hi everyone, this is Justin Olbrantz and this is Don Schaefer. And you are listening to the wise and the wandering podcast for those who know the way and for those who are led astray. And if you feel like you fall into either of those categories, Then you're in the right place So let's dive in

[00:00:31] Justin: So don, what are we going to talk 

[00:00:32] Don: about today? 

[00:00:34] Don: Hey, justin good to be back with you I think we're going to be talking about forgiveness brings fruit 

[00:00:40] Don: forgiveness brings 

[00:00:41] Justin: fruit. Yes Okay, so we spent the last two weeks talking about forgiveness Right. So just to just to refresh right so we had forgiveness brings freedom and then we had forgiveness brings brings focus, and now forgiveness brings fruit.

[00:00:58] Justin: That's right. What kind of fruit? [00:01:00]

[00:01:00] Don: Well, I tell 

[00:01:00] Don: you various types of fruit, but you know what? We talked about the last couple weeks. We talked about the freedom, you know, see, with forgiveness comes a lot of things. You mean it's, it's the pattern. It's. It's the, , design that God has given us as far as reaching out to him and, uh, also reaching out to our fellow man, because if we can't forgive our fellow man, we can't get close to him.

[00:01:22] Don: Right. Right. But, , today we're going to be talking a little bit about fruits. This is what becomes of all that. You know, if we have truly gotten into a place where we've asked for forgiveness, got forgiveness, and can forgive our fellow man, you know, all of a sudden we got a freedom, you know, You know, we've got liberty and all of a sudden we see things in a different way, which we talked about last week 

[00:01:43] Both: Talked 

[00:01:43] Don: about how jesus is the light of the world.

[00:01:46] Don: Once we connect with him We see things we get out of darkness But it all bears fruit and that's what it's kind of like, uh in your car or a lot of ways you test certain things to [00:02:00] see if certain things are happening and um,, If if there is no fruit That's where you should be questioning things, Justin.

[00:02:06] Don: Yeah, 

[00:02:06] Justin: so the 

[00:02:06] Don: fruit 

[00:02:07] Justin: is, the fruit is basically the proof that something good is happening in your life. 

[00:02:11] Don: The process is working. 

[00:02:12] Justin: Yes, and I like that so much. And I think that when it comes to, when you think about fruit, okay, the fruit comes from a source, right? It comes from a tree, comes from a plant, right?

[00:02:22] Justin: And now in the process of planting a tree, or planting a garden that takes planting seeds. Yes, it does. And I think at the start of your forgiveness, you can start to plant fruitful seeds into your life. Yes. Something that is going to bear fruit, something that is going to , that is going to be, um, Beneficial for other people.

[00:02:45] Justin: Beneficial for yourself, but beneficial for other people. In the last episode, I used a quote in the show notes, and it said, You can't help other people until you help yourself first. Right, right. And that's true. And the forgiveness gives you, it's kind of that catalyst [00:03:00] into getting you into being, getting you to a state Of mind where you can help other people that's where you can help yourself but breaking out of that.

[00:03:09] Justin: So now you can start planting seeds growing that garden you want growing. 

[00:03:15] Don: Yeah, 

[00:03:15] Justin: you know, like I said that , That orchard, you know that you're looking for but 

[00:03:19] Don: right 

[00:03:19] Justin: to get that fruit but putting your all into it Because it's going to bear fruit. You know, what's going you know, what's going to Provide for yourself, you know, what's going to provide for other people, you know, what's going to inspire people and you know, what's going to It's only going to help people and I think that's honestly what we've been doing here is helping people That's kind of our purpose here in the world is all to help people.

[00:03:43] Justin: That is 

[00:03:43] Don: true That is true. And I know in what your analogy with the seed I I remember one time I gave a um A talk on, on the seed. And I had a kernel corn. You know, and I gave it to everybody. And I says, you know, it's nice looking, nice yellow kernel corn. Yeah. But I says, it isn't unless [00:04:00] that seed dies.

[00:04:01] Don: That it can produce fruit. That's true. You know, and I mean, you can put that on a shelf and you can look at it for 20 years, but, , and forgiveness is part of that. It's like dying to yourself where you're saying, you know what, you know, maybe I've done some things wrong.

[00:04:14] Don: Maybe I need to get my life in a certain way, but all of a sudden, Because we do that our life can be planted and once our life is planted Then our life starts to affect the people around, you know, all of a sudden we become fruitful, 

[00:04:29] Both: you know 

[00:04:29] Don: And , we reach and touch people's lives and that's the beauty, you know myself I don't know.

[00:04:34] Don: I love a good apple once in a while. I love a good peach. You bite into this stuff. It's tasty It's good, you know, but things that are sour things that you know, don't taste good. Whatever. I don't like that Yeah And God has 

[00:04:48] Justin: created us to bear good fruit. God has created us to bear good fruit, and I think that, I like what you said there about, about getting planted, because I think that's something that we need to do. [00:05:00] Yeah, something dies from us, our old self, our old ways, maybe dies in that forgiveness process, but something else is born out of that.

[00:05:08] Don: Yeah, 

[00:05:09] Don: yeah. Kind of the 

[00:05:09] Justin: way we are. that, that planting process works. And I think that's kind of where your, your mind frame has to go. Um, in understanding that, uh, , understanding where you want to be, not necessarily where you are right now, because just like in your planting seasons, , every part of that time period has its own process.

[00:05:30] Justin: So There's a seed, there's a time, and there's a harvest. Right? So everybody wants the harvest. That's right. In between that planting that seed there's time there's things that need to be done There's habits that maybe need to change there's processes that need to be followed 

[00:05:47] Don: Yeah, 

[00:05:47] Justin: um, maybe there's like we're saying there's people that need to be forgiven and then there's also Seasons that you might go through of suffering that are in there, right?

[00:05:57] Justin: It's all part of the process exactly it but [00:06:00] at the end is that harvest You know, and if you're planting something the right way if you're following directions, you know, if you're doing things if you're actually working to improve yourself the way that you want to be and you're giving it Your all you're really putting your all into it.

[00:06:17] Justin: You're going to see a harvest. That's right going to bear good fruits Yeah, you know the bible talks about , there being fruits of the spirit. 

[00:06:26] Don: Yes, 

[00:06:26] Justin: and those fruits are love joy Patience, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control have them all written down here. So, so those are the fruits of the spirit.

[00:06:42] Justin: So when you allow, you know, the spirit to work in your life, but when you really are getting rid of all those like toxic trades, toxic behaviors and repenting, um, you know, which is just a fancy word of saying, you know, doing things the right way and not doing them the wrong way anymore. 

[00:06:57] Both: Yeah. 

[00:06:57] Justin: And when you start walking that way.

[00:06:59] Justin: The fruits of the [00:07:00] spirit You get the fruits of the spirit in your life. 

[00:07:03] Don: That's right And and it does great things. I know when you see the fruits of the spirit you you love these people I when I when I see the love joy peace long suffering patience all that stuff kindness I love these people and I know like in the bible jesus talks about he says you will know them by their fruits You know a lot of people claim to be this and they claim to be that you know And you're around them long enough And you start to look for the fruits and when they're not there you say, I don't know if the connection I don't know if this forgiveness process has truly worked in this person's life, right?

[00:07:37] Don: Because they haven't gotten themselves in a place where they can bear the fruits But you see people as you're saying justin they can go through the suffering and the pains and whatever And still have a smile on their face And still have the right attitude and carry themselves in a special way.

[00:07:53] Don: They've got some fruit. And you can see that, and I know myself when I see that in people. You know, even going out to the [00:08:00] stores and stuff. Sometimes the people you run into across the cash register, their attitudes and stuff. I mean, when they're joyful, or, see you next time, you know. I mean, a lot of these people are taught to be fruitful.

[00:08:12] Don: But you know, when you see them in and out of working projects, You know, you can really get to know them and you can see the fruits and myself a lot of times I I say to people this guy sounds like a christian sounds like somebody has been connected with god Because I can see the fruits in that person's life.

[00:08:28] Don: They really care when I talk to them They really care. They seem like they have a genuine love You can connect easy with these types of people, but then there's some people you can't You can't get close to him. They got an attitude and you can sense that you can sense 

[00:08:42] Justin: that and I think God works through people Um in the sense that he'll send people to you to say things to you to do things for you And there's been moments in your life Where there have been seeds that have been planted they were planted in you, but you weren't you didn't have what was [00:09:00] needed to fully bear that fruits to get that, that, um, that harvest to come in your life.

[00:09:06] Justin: So those, those seeds might've died or those seeds didn't nurture the way that they needed to. And so it's getting yourself to a point where when those seeds come, you'll be ready for it. So getting forgiveness out of the way. Is a large task to do but once you have that out of the way, you're ready.

[00:09:25] Justin: You're ready to start planting You're ready to start looking for all the ways that you can really Improve in yourself. Yeah, because that's what it's really about. That's what it's really important is is is finding what is god calling you to do? What has god placed inside of you the gifts that he's put in you?

[00:09:45] Justin: The talents that he's put in you, What are you destined to do? I know you have this series, which is going to be great, about discovering destiny. What are you supposed to discover? Because your journey after forgiving somebody, it doesn't just end. [00:10:00] The fruits come, but that's, that's part of the process.

[00:10:03] Justin: We're all going through the journey. 

[00:10:05] Don: Yeah. 

[00:10:05] Justin: I'd say that once you have the fruits, your life becomes a lot easy. Right. Your life becomes a lot easier, because it's easier to now live With having accepted love and joy in your life, and it's easy when you're somebody who can abstain from What the flesh wants all the time and you can be someone who is Demonstrating the fruit of the spirit like you were saying somebody that can always Be content and have the smile on their face going through the suffering.

[00:10:37] Don: That's right 

[00:10:37] Justin: going through the setback the temporary obstacles 

[00:10:40] Don: Yeah, 

[00:10:40] Justin: and once you have that patience and that kindness and that self control , these are our graces that have been given to you 

[00:10:48] Both: that when 

[00:10:49] Justin: You know when you're under the control of the Holy Spirit, these are the graces that you show off.

[00:10:54] Justin: Yeah, you start to embody this and you become I would say Inspirational for [00:11:00] others because they want what you have that guy's , that guy's got peace I see it on him that you know that woman she has peace that girl's got peace in her life I want that too. 

[00:11:09] Both: Yeah, 

[00:11:09] Justin: and people want those fruits.

[00:11:11] Justin: That's right Oh, 

[00:11:12] Don: yeah, and that's the 

[00:11:13] Don: beauty of life because you know You When you're really walking in the place you need to and you're bearing the fruits nobody can hurt you anymore, 

[00:11:21] Both: right? You know, 

[00:11:21] Don: I mean it doesn't matter what they say to you or what they call you or whatever might be, you know Because you've got the fruit working inside you and that's the beauty because that is attractive because I know um, You know as I said before, you know by the fruits you shall know them, but you know As far as god is concerned, you know, they call it the gospel It's the good news and we talked about the fact the good news is that You Forgiveness is in the midst of that, uh, God has given us an opportunity to be forgiven by him, but also to forgive our fellow man and that opens us up so that God can start to work on us.

[00:11:55] Don: And that's where the Bible says that I am the vine, you are the branches, you know, and whoever [00:12:00] comes unto him, he trims those branches so they can bear much fruit. And a lot of times, you know, we have to realize we get into God's hands. Once we give ourselves over to him, you know, we're going to be tested.

[00:12:11] Don: We're going to be banged around. Anything that's dead in our lives, that's not producing anything, is going to be cut off because God wants us to be fruitful. And the beauty of being fruitful, it does attract people. And that's where, uh, the Bible talks about going into all the world and preach the gospel, the good news, to everybody.

[00:12:30] Don: And it's actually a fruitful, Word that God is wanting us to share. He's wanting us to share the beauty of the fruits And this is the thing that attracts people to people, you know, when I go to places and people got smiles on their faces I'm attracted to them. I feel comfortable when I see people You know receptionists and stuff like that.

[00:12:50] Don: I man I I've many times you can spot the bad fruits from the other side of the store You can and I get on the phone. Sometimes i'm talking with [00:13:00] somebody and I tell him I said You know what? You are good at what you do. You make me feel good on the other side of this phone Yeah, just by talking to you I just feel so happy inside, but then again you talk to other people and you feel like you're a real bother, you know They don't have any good fruit and they have a hard time, but it doesn't mean they can't have it It's just that the forgiveness process is a part of all that 

[00:13:22] Both: and 

[00:13:22] Don: that's the beauty of this podcast right now because we're talking about the impact that just forgiveness alone 

[00:13:28] Both: and 

[00:13:28] Don: you know and that's and that's a gift.

[00:13:30] Don: I know I talked about that one time you know it's a gift of God to be able to repent or to be able to ask for forgiveness and do it in the truest sense of the word you know because a lot of times people want to be forgiven or they repent of something in their life because it costs them something you know I'm hurting whatever but when I come to a place where I say Lord, you know, I know I want to be with you.

[00:13:52] Don: I know you are the answer You are the whole source of living and I realize that someday i'm going to be with you for a [00:14:00] long time , and this is a process and I want you to forgive me. I want you to work on my life I want you to trim anything that isn't going to bear fruit and I want Fruit to grow on my limbs in the beauty of fruit.

[00:14:14] Don: You can take an apple I once heard this you can take an apple you can count the apples on a tree But you can't count the the apples in a seed because the seed continues to bear, 

[00:14:25] Don: you know 

[00:14:25] Don: It continues to bear that's good. So you give out fruit you touch people's lives and it doesn't stop just with you And that's the beauty of what God is wanting to do He's wanting a beautiful world and I know this world right now.

[00:14:38] Don: He said 

[00:14:38] Justin: beef Fruitful and multiply 

[00:14:40] Don: that is true in the natural as well as in the spiritual here And you know, we look at our world right now with all the struggles and everything that's going on You can't see a lot of fruit in some of this stuff, you know The anger the bitterness all this that goes on, you know, there's a process that's missing There's a message that people are not [00:15:00] hearing.

[00:15:00] Both: You know, 

[00:15:00] Don: this is in This is life and death that we're talking about and I know myself there was a period of time I was a little bit fuzzy and all this sort of thing But you know, I used to look at people and you could say there's something special about them, you know I mean the things that bother me doesn't bother them You know what what seems to be wrong because I know the bible talks about a peace that surpasses all understanding, 

[00:15:22] Both: right?

[00:15:22] Don: You know 

[00:15:22] Don: the outside world doesn't understand it But it is part of the fruit of walking in the things of God. And 

[00:15:28] Justin: we ourselves don't even understand it. No, we 

[00:15:30] Don: don't. No, we don't. 

[00:15:31] Justin: Because it comes upon 

[00:15:32] Don: us as a gift, 

[00:15:33] Don: right? Oh yeah, God gives us with that. You know, it's a beauty in life because there's so much to life that God gives to his people.

[00:15:41] Don: He sets up a pattern because he really does love us. He really does want to take care of us. He wants the best and that's where I know in the bible It says, you know, , the father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples So he's saying basically he's glory you show great glory that you bear fruits that your apple [00:16:00] tree has lots of apples on it That's great.

[00:16:02] Don: Glory to god and to prove that you are connected with him You know, because, you know, thorn bushes don't bear apples, and, uh, you know, so when we're connected to him, he allows us to bear the fruit that we were 

[00:16:16] Don: designed to bear. 

[00:16:17] Justin: Yes. Yes, he does. And I think it all starts with forgiveness, that topic we've been talking about for three weeks now.

[00:16:24] Both: Yeah. 

[00:16:24] Justin: And I would even say, I'm thinking of an analogy here, and that analogy is There's something blocking you. There's something blocking you from getting that marriage. There's something blocking you from getting that job that you want. There's something blocking you from maybe getting that friendship that you want.

[00:16:42] Justin: Or there's just something blocking you from getting to where you want to be in life. And I think of it as like a hose, and the hose has a kink in it. And that hose has a bad kink in it, and it's spraying, but it's not spraying much water. And maybe you're trying to, you know, You're trying to water your [00:17:00] seeds, right?

[00:17:00] Justin: You're trying to water the seeds that you planted in your life and you're not getting much water because there's a kink in it. And that kink is that unforgiveness that is in your life and is hindering you and stopping you from getting to where you need to be. And that's where this all goes back to, is getting that kink out of your life.

[00:17:17] Justin: Because then that water is going to come flowing freely. And it's going to come, like you said, maybe a, The piece that surpasses all understanding, you're not even going to understand the abundance that's coming to your life by just getting rid of that, what you've been harboring and what's been kind of eating away at you, what's been toxic, just sitting in your life, what's been controlling all of your thoughts, which what's been ruining all of your good memories that you could have had that were ruined because of maybe thinking about past memories and stuff like that, or maybe Pulling you back into your past not allowing you to move forward 

[00:17:55] Don: get the kink 

[00:17:57] Don: out get the kink out That's true because [00:18:00] there's something here and you're on to something here Justin because you know what?

[00:18:04] Don: Life in itself is all about what Jesus came to do. You know, he died on the cross He died for us and I know there's The scripture in the Bible said, had the devil known what he was doing when he crucified Jesus, he wouldn't have done that because he gave an opportunity for us, Justin, where we can have a new birth.

[00:18:24] Don: And what's birthed inside of us is Jesus Christ himself. And forgiveness is part of that process. We have to be forgiven and we have to learn how to forgive because otherwise our hose does have a kink. But once Jesus can enter into our life, it's no longer a sin. So much us doing a lot of things in our life.

[00:18:44] Don: It's he living inside of us So the fruit that's coming from us is actually the stuff that came out of jesus when he walked on this earth It was total love, you know, they could say and do whatever they wanted to, you know He'd say forgive them father for they know not what they do. He knew the [00:19:00] power of forgiveness And , you know, we got to keep as you're saying justin that hose flowing You know, we have to keep the spirit of god working in our life And that's the opportunity, and that's the beauty of what each of us have an opportunity in, in the fact that if we can allow ourself to be birthed, where we allow that seed to enter inside of us and grow inside of us, all of a sudden, Jesus has an opportunity to reach many people and the love can reach many people and there is nothing better than running across someone who has went through that process because they can't be offended.

[00:19:37] Don: They don't get angry with you. They are very patient with you. They will love you in good times and in bad times. They will have smiles on their faces when they see you. They will laugh at your jokes. They will treat you well. You know, and I love people who have gone through that process. Because you can hug them any time.

[00:19:54] Don: You know, you just can't get enough of these type of people. And that's what Jesus wants to birth in this world. And that's [00:20:00] where each one of us are. is a vessel that he can use to do that, if we allow that. 

[00:20:04] Justin: Yeah, if you allow it, if you're willing, if you'll believe. But like you said, he wants that of everyone.

[00:20:09] Justin: That's right. Everyone. 

[00:20:10] Don: Every one of us. And 

[00:20:11] Justin: every one of us wants, uh, those fruits. You know, everybody wants. Love. They want joy in their life. They want everybody wants patience. That's right. Um, not necessarily saying that they want to go through the things that create getting patience, but everybody wants patience, kindness, goodness, we do faithfulness.

[00:20:30] Justin: So it takes getting rid of those blockages. Yeah, we've called it bondage and previous episodes. Yep. You know that mental slavery or , just those things that are, um, those interferences, I would even say, that are stopping you from truly being who you want to be. You know, this podcast is about helping you fulfill your purpose and finding your gifts.

[00:20:56] Justin: And the best way you're going to be able to do that [00:21:00] is to is to have no unforgiveness in your heart. Yeah. You got to get rid of all that. That's right. And this is, you know, this is part of the process. It is a process and it's, , this is something that might just take three episodes, but it might take somebody a long time to do this.

[00:21:16] Justin: Right. But like you said, it's, this is an action message. Yeah. Each one of these. Yeah, is an action message. You've got to put the action behind it, and it might be slow, but you got to start it. At least if it's just one person, you have to forgive if it's just one thing that they did out of many that you have to forgive.

[00:21:35] Justin: You have to start somewhere because you're stuck and you're not going anywhere and you're you have that hose cranked all the way and you think that's all the water that you're ever going to get out of it. And you're wrong. You don't realize what's waiting for you on the other side.

[00:21:50] Justin: You don't realize, you don't realize the, the power of flow that you can have through that hose, through that vessel, through that life. If you would [00:22:00] really be willing to put These things into practice and by the help of God not just doing it alone That's the beauty of the gifts as it comes as we partner with God.

[00:22:09] Justin: It comes as we don't do it in our own strength That's right. We're so used to just being stuck and thinking that we'll go nowhere because we do everything in our own strength Yeah, once we have that Trust once we have the faith, you know, once we put our things And and it sounds sounds kind of simple, but it really is.

[00:22:28] Justin: Once we have that faith and that trust and we know that God is not going to let us down, he's going to get us through this. This is going to be a process, but he's going to see us to the end. That's true. 

[00:22:39] Don: And I know when, , getting into that, Justin, you know, we talked a little bit about the hour I first believed, once we become a believer and we believe this stuff, because that's, the whole element that God uses is our belief.

[00:22:53] Don: Process inside of us. So we believe a message in the fact that we need to be forgiven and we need to forgive [00:23:00] others It opens up something inside of us and then we our life completely come into 

[00:23:05] Don: agreement 

[00:23:05] Don: with it. That's right And there's there's certain things too and I want to share this here because I um, yeah, this is pretty good Um, there's elements to this too like worry You know, , the Bible, Jesus talked about it.

[00:23:17] Don: He says the Gentiles, they worry about food and they worry about clothes and all that stuff. But he said, I, God takes care of the birds of the air. He takes care of everything. They don't have to worry one thing about it. And, uh, I know myself. 

[00:23:29] Justin: How much more will he clothe you? That

[00:23:31] Don: is right. You know, and that's where he does, one of the fruits we have, we don't have food.

[00:23:36] Don: And I know I was with a checkout girl this weekend and, uh, I did something and I apologized for it. She said, no worries. And I says, you know, I got an idea here. I says, I think I'm going to take all my worries and put them into Monday. So that's all I have to do is worry on Monday. The rest of the week, I don't have to worry.

[00:23:53] Don: I says, that's a pretty good idea, isn't it? And she said, yeah, I think that might work. You know, but in reality, we shouldn't have to worry [00:24:00] at all. We really shouldn't. 

[00:24:01] Justin: Yeah. That, that is, that is a really good idea. Actually, if only it were that easy to put all my worries into Monday, it'd be a miserable Monday, but the rest of the week would be great.

[00:24:10] Justin: Oh 

[00:24:10] Don: yeah. I probably stay home on Monday. 

[00:24:13] Justin: That's just a good perspective change though, because worrying does nothing for you. 

[00:24:18] Don: And 

[00:24:18] Don: that's what God gives us a perspective 

[00:24:20] Don: of seeing things the way they really are.

[00:24:22] Both: Yeah, you 

[00:24:23] Don: know and this is a process and this stuff does work, you know It's just a matter of us getting over ourselves and believing it.

[00:24:30] Justin: Yeah 

[00:24:30] Justin: and having a 

[00:24:30] Justin: personal relationship with god. 

[00:24:32] Don: That's right 

[00:24:33] Justin: Oh, yeah, 

[00:24:33] Justin: I don't like to be you know, I i've often said like on the podcast. I don't like to be too preachy So i'm not talking about Specifically religion when I say things like this or when we talk about this stuff. It's having a personal relationship with God What can he do for you right now?

[00:24:49] Justin: What can you bring up what can you look into your heart for right now and open up to him about yeah That maybe you haven't opened up to anybody about why keep that to yourself. Why not give that [00:25:00] to god? Why not just give that to god and see where it goes. You've already forgiven him, right? You've already forgiven other people You've already forgiven yourself You Just give it to him and see where he can take it.

[00:25:11] Don: That's true. 

[00:25:12] Don: That's true. That's where we need to Abide in him the bible says that he abides in me. There's much fruit You know So he wants us to make our dwelling with him make make him our life And I know at one time for me that was very strange fact is when people told me to pray You know, I used to take a sheet of paper and read it off a piece of paper, you know, that's my prayer.

[00:25:35] Don: And I'd say this over and over and over again, you know, and thinking that this is a good thing. But somebody told me I just talking to God like we're talking right now in this prayer. And the first time I did that, the first time I had a good conversation with God, you know, I mean, it was a little one sided because, you know, I was doing all the talking, but, uh, but I could feel something.

[00:25:53] Don: I really could, Justin. You know, it seemed like from that point on, things started to change, you know, and that's the [00:26:00] beauty of 

[00:26:00] Justin: what God is wanting to do in our lives. Yeah. And that's one, one of two things. I think there's an agreement there. You're coming into agreement with him, but there's also, there's a trust there because once you start opening up, to God as your therapist, essentially, right?

[00:26:13] Justin: There's a trust there. I'm now trusting you with these things that it may be are sensitive to me, these things that have maybe caused trauma in my life. That's right. But I'm choosing to go a different path. 

[00:26:25] Don: Yeah. 

[00:26:26] Justin: I'm no longer wandering anymore. I'm done wandering. I'm, I'm so sick of wandering down different paths.

[00:26:33] Don: Yeah, 

[00:26:34] Justin: I'm going to choose the narrow road, the narrow way. That's right. And I'm going to go, I'm going to follow and I'm going to follow it for as far as it'll lead me. Because that's where the fruits are. The fruits are at the end of the narrow way. 

[00:26:46] Don: This is true. And he's there for us. He says the cast are cares upon him because he cares for us, you know I just brought a thought to my mind here, you know, you look at psychiatrists and stuff You go to these guys and they put you on a couch, you know, and they want you to [00:27:00] talk You know, and then you talk and they're just good listeners.

[00:27:02] Don: They're good listeners, you know, and what better listeners than would be would we have than God himself? You know, to be able to have every day you go with whatever issues you might have or whatever circumstance, sit down in an area and find a place where you can just talk. 

[00:27:16] Both: You know, 

[00:27:17] Don: and the Bible says that he's closer than a brother.

[00:27:19] Don: He's listening to every word. We're talking 

[00:27:21] Don: right now. God is 

[00:27:22] Justin: in the middle of all this. Yeah. And if you necessarily, the Bible can be a little intimidating for people that haven't maybe not read the Bible before. So It's it's good to get the word into you. Um, it's good to have the word by you, but you don't necessarily need it You can just have have that heart to heart make that declaration.

[00:27:41] Justin: God is my therapist Just start talking to him about your problems and then trust that they're going to be resolved Just like you would for the you know, their psychiatric services. You're paying a fee. You're you're expecting a result, right? 

[00:27:53] Don: Right 

[00:27:54] Justin: put that blind trust out there And I promise you it'll pay off.

[00:27:59] Don: Oh, [00:28:00] yeah. Yeah. God is wanting to show up in our lives He really does and a lot of times I look at this god wants this more than we do, you know We think that you know We're the guys that gotta want it But god wants us to get to this point more than we do because he's created us to get here He set the path.

[00:28:17] Don: He put the pattern he gave us the word He's done everything, you know, I look at the bible as an owner's manual, you know, it's the Book that tells us how we are to live, he's got the answers, you know, a lot of things that we have in life come with an owner's manual. My children didn't, you know, they were born into this world.

[00:28:34] Don: There was no manuals, but God has gotten a manual for us. And it's just, it's a manual that takes care of our spiritual side, you know, and those who take the time to work the manual, to work the life, to live the life, They bear fruit. You know, you can see it in their life. They are happy. When things go bad, it isn't hurting them that bad.

[00:28:56] Don: Because they got fruits, they got the,, they're able to [00:29:00] handle themselves and be happy and comfortable with who they are. But people who are separated from all that, and no knowledge of God, They tend to fall apart, you know, it becomes very serious and sometimes very ugly. 

[00:29:14] Justin: And their, and their branches wither away.

[00:29:17] Don: They do. But guess 

[00:29:18] Justin: what? 

[00:29:18] Justin: The tree is not dead. No. The tree is not dead. And you can always be restored. You can always be saved. You know, things can always be salvaged. That's right. And that's also important to understand. The source is there. The fruits, the fruits are on, the fruits are at the end. The fruits are on their way.

[00:29:34] Justin: Yes. Yes. God has got good things for us. Well, I think that wraps it up for today. This was a good one Justin I think so too. Hey, we're glad you guys found your way here today And we hope you can join us again next week for another good word until then stay blessed by the best See you [00:30:00] guys