A WOW Moment with Mercedes, Theresa and Courtney (Date: October 8th 2020)

Whitten Baptist Church

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Yeah, you could leave. We'll figure it out. We'll wait. You don't have anybody bug out last minute?

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You could be our first. She's going to be our first. It could be them all. And I would make that known.

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Yeah, your phone's on silent, right? Yes, ma 'am. Okay. I just want to be able to listen to questions because I'm being

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Vicky, remember? Yeah, Vicky never turned her phone on silent, so I was just making sure. Then I can turn it off.

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Don't. Because I'll fuss at her just like I fuss at you just like I fuss at her. Hey, Tara. Hey, Bree.

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I mean, does she? Yeah. Hey, Vicky. She said, hi, ladies.

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Vicky, please never go out of town again. I'm stuck with that one.

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Vicky. This one. I bought her Chinese and she's happy to be here. Mercedes, show your happy face.

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It's so cute. All right,

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Courtney. You're being Vicky. Let's go. We're waiting a few minutes. We got three watchers.

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No, you said you're Vicky. I mean, you want me to go ahead? Go ahead. Okay, sure. So, tonight.

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Good evening. I'm not done. I'm not there. I'm not done. Tonight, Miss Vicky Davis is out of town.

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We hope she's having a great vacation. But Mercedes and I are here with our guest,

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Miss Teresa. And we hope you guys are having a good evening. And we are going to get started.

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Vicky says, do you miss me? She doesn't. I do. She's just telling you that. Save me. You act like I'm torturing you.

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We've had laps. Help me. Y 'all ask Mercedes about catfish one day.

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Okay. So, Mercedes. Why she throws the entire stringer into the lake and then sends

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Mercedes to go fish it out. But hey. Okay. So, Mercedes. Courtney.

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Would you like to share with us what? No, it's Miss Teresa's job. What you're going to read. I am, but she's got to tell us what scripture she's reading.

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Miss Teresa, what scripture did you choose for tonight? What's one of your favorite passages?

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First Peter 3 .15. First Peter 3 .15. Okay. Let's see.

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Three. First Peter 3 .15.

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Second Peter. Courtney. I already found it. I had my Bible turned to the correct book before you even got your

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Bible out. Hmm. Yep. Okay.

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So, Mercedes, would you like to read it? Okay. Teresa can read it. No, I'll read it.

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It's my job. Okay. Three. Okay. The honor of the

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Messiah is Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

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Okay. So, Miss Teresa, what is about this verse do you like or do you relate to?

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I think the first time I ever heard it was probably ten years ago.

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And it was, I think it was the catch thing for Answers in Genesis ministry at the time. And it was the

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Answers in Genesis ministry that got me really into, how do they call it, creation apologetics or something like that.

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Or creation evangelism. And so, to me, it just kind of reminds me to always have a way to take current events, whatever they are, and figure out a way to work it into a conversation, if you can, where you can share the gospel.

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Part of it, piece of it, the whole thing, whatever. So, and provide a biblical answer to what the world's telling them.

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Yeah. I like that. I like how it says, I like the next verse especially, too.

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Yeah. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear so that when you are accused, when those who denounce your

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Christian life will be put to shame. And the next one goes like this. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be

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God's will, than for doing evil. I love in verse 15 where it says, be ready at any time to give defense to anyone who asks you for a reason.

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So, that's pretty cool. Yeah, because we don't have to defend scripture.

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No. But we do have to defend the hope. But then it goes like what she said in verse 16, but do this with gentleness and respect.

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There's a way to do it and a way not to do it. Because you usually think of, apparently, not that I'm a big apologist, but there's a lot of people that are very confrontational apologetics people.

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And they love getting just in the argument's sake and arguing with somebody. But you're not going to reach anybody doing that.

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When people try to argue with you, you don't want to listen to it anyway. Because they're just trying to start stuff.

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We have a request to also read verse 14. But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed.

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Do not fear what they fear, or be disturbed. Isaiah 8 .12

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Isaiah 8 .12 -13 Do not call everything an alliance.

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These people say, is an alliance. Do not fear what they fear. Do not be terrified. You are to regard only the

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Lord of hosts as holy. Only he should be feared. Only he should be held in awe.

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That's good. Right, so, like in verse 14, it's in bold in my

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Bible. Do not fear what they fear, or be intimidated. So, we have no reason to fear, or be intimidated.

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God's on our side, and there's no reason to fear.

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I think, even as Christians, it's hard to do that, to not fear. It's human nature to fear.

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Yeah, especially when it comes to somebody who's kind of mouthy, and doesn't like, you know, they've got all kinds of, like Josiah's really good, he'll purposely go and search out things that people will find as the, you know, the conflicts, or the things that, he was talking about this

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Wednesday, or no, Sunday, no, Wednesday night. He was talking about the contradictions in the

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Bible. You know, he'll go to that website, and he'll look for contradictions, thank you, and then try to reason them out.

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And I'm not, I don't have, I'm not quite as good at that. And so, I will get fearful and intimidated if I'm held up.

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But I don't have a lot of time, plenty of time to look at something. Which, my go -to thing also is go to answersingenesis .com,

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find an answer. You know, even verse 13, Mercedes, says, Who then will harm you if you are devoted to what is good?

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Mine says passionate to what is good. So, you know, basically, who, what does it matter?

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Who that matters is going to harm you. 1 John 4, 4 says, You are from God's little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

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Yep. Pretty cool stuff. So, is there a certain time that that verse has meant more to you, like, than others, like a specific time that you can think of?

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Like I said, it probably, I don't know, it's been about 10 years or so when I first went to, like, an

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Answers in Genesis conference, and just kind of got a good idea of, because I grew up in church, and so I, you know, knew what the

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Bible, well, I knew what, I thought what the Bible said, a limited understanding.

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But I was one of those rebellious kids and teenagers that, you know, I was like, y 'all are so, sudden

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Baptist are so lame, and they're so boring, and they don't drink, they don't dance, they don't have any fun, and I was totally about the world, and totally about, you know, what

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I grew up in school learning, and I figured, you know, all the people that believe that kind of stuff were idiots, kind of like, you know, what the world does now.

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And so, like, the first Bible study I ever went to was at a previous church, and they were using a curriculum for Answers in Genesis, where it literally just talked about things, and how the

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Bible doesn't conflict with science at all, you know, and it actually is very supportive.

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And it just, I don't know, it gave me a huge faith in my, a support and confidence in my faith.

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And since then, I just, I love to learn about things. I go against what

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I was being fed my whole life, and bought hook, line, and sinker. So, it probably made the biggest difference then, and then it just, it helps me still when

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I see something that seems to, you know, scream that the world, you know, this is truth, and it's totally against the

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Bible, I go back to note. And it made me believe that, you know, this is the authority, and I didn't have that when

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I was younger. This is the standard. This is the standard. Versus, that's the standard, and this doesn't.

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This hasn't changed. Right. This has never changed. The world's theories have changed, I don't know, how many times since this came out?

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And they'll probably change again, probably in the next, you know, in my lifetime. So, this doesn't ever change.

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Well, and, you know, with you saying, you know, about science, and how it doesn't contradict, you know, if nothing, this proves, science proves this right.

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You know, like, you can tie it together. It's kind of like what Pastor Jeff's, you know, done in Sunday mornings with history.

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I mean, it's all wrapped together. There's no way. There's no way. Yeah, there's not two histories.

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I think it's so easy for people, especially in worldly, well, this is, like, school history. This is, you know, world history, too, or whatever.

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But it's all history, and they're all tossed together, and it's all intertwined. I mean, it's really cool.

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And when I was younger, I didn't think about that either, really. You don't think about it. It's kind of separate.

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Like, school stuff, church, all of that. That's how you learn it. Yeah. I had no clue until I started coming here.

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I was like, oh, I don't know. One of the coolest things,

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I was working with a young lady that went to our church for a while. She was so cute.

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She was in college at this time, and I've known her since she was 13 years old. And we were reading together a scripture, and I think it's in Acts.

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It's where Paul is sent to find somebody on a certain street, and it names the street's name.

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I can't think of it right now. And she was so funny. She was like, it just hit me.

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That's a real street. I learned about it in art history. And I was just like, yeah, isn't that cool?

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It was real. Because you do, you think of it. And that's another thing they really focus on.

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Don't talk about Bible stories. Right, true. Because it kind of, for a kid, that makes it the exact same as talking about Cinderella or Pinocchio or something like that, which you learn is fiction.

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Instead, talk about historical accounts. These are the historical accounts of Noah. These are the historical accounts of Daniel or whatever.

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So it makes it more real for them. Right. Well, it's like with my kids. Not long ago, when we were going over creation with them at home, and I know they've heard creation probably 100 times between Bible school and church,

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Sunday school and home and wherever. But we were taking turns reading verses out loud.

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Genesis 1 with Adam and Sophie and Wes. And we were going over it, and Wes said, so God just said, let there be light in what is light.

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I was like, exactly. He said, so he just like said it. I said, right, he just said it, you know.

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And it's like, well, God just, and then this. Like, yeah. It just, that's how it happened, you know.

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It's hard even for kids to rap. Like, we say stuff, and, you know, it's hard to relate to, but he's like, man,

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God just said it. He just said it. And I said, yeah. And I said, and we got down to day seven.

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And I said, you know, day seven, he didn't create anything. He got to rest. And Wes said, well, that's a lot of stuff.

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I said, yeah, but he didn't need to rest. He said, well, I would have needed to rest. But just his little mom thinking, like, he just said it, and it just happened, you know.

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It's crazy, but it's, I mean, it's awesome that, you know, and like you said with this verse, it just reinforces that,

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I mean, there's no other thing like it is. And it's good to have this as parents because, and know there's resources you can go to because, like,

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I remember learning about dinosaurs in school, and bless her heart, my grandma, she was like, she didn't believe in, you know, the lunar landing because she just didn't believe in it.

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And she didn't believe in dinosaurs because they weren't in the Bible, she said. And, you know what, I just was like, that was kind of the way that I built my adversity to the church views is because y 'all are so backwards.

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Obviously, it's real. There's bones. Genesis, the second edition, it talks about stinking dinosaurs.

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Right, Leviathan, and yeah, and so. The kids in children's church learned about dinosaurs.

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Yeah. And so, anyway, so it's nice to have that, the reason or defense for it.

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For if nothing else, if not for your own faith, if you have that kind of faith, great, without it. But your kids are going to come with questions, especially if they're in any way involved in school, public school systems, or not.

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I mean, they're going to get it in cartoons and TV shows and, you know, you name it, it's going to be out there.

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So it's nice to know those resources and be able to explain why you have that hope and about your faith.

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Verse 15 that she chose, it also reminds me of, you know, putting on the armor of God with your defense.

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You know, make sure you're first plate of six. That reminds me of that because, you know, we have the armor of God on and we're ready and we're prepared and ready to have a defense that's solid, not just, not just surfacey.

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What's that, Angie? You got something? Now you sound like Vicki.

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Yes! Vicki, I've done it! Are you proud,

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Vicki? No, I don't. I don't have anything. Nothing?

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I don't know. Well, you know, I mean, it talks of, like you said with the armor of God, it also goes for having that foundation, having that foundation of Christ.

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It's solid. You know, just like the armor of God is solid. And it's kind of a challenge to me, too, because if you want to be ready with your defense up...

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You have to study. You have to study. You have to pray. You have to want to grow closer to God, which comes by studying and being around fellow believers and...

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Teaching. Teaching. Because you will learn it if you teach it. Teaching. And teaching kids and teaching youth and learning lots of things in case they ask you questions about the things and you're like, ugh.

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So, yeah, for sure. Yes. But, I mean, it's, you know, you're not just going to have that defense by yourself.

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I mean, the spirit of God in you is going to help you have the defense, but you can prepare yourself to be better equipped,

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I guess. But, yeah, I can tell a big difference in working at where I work than where I worked previously as far as just being in the atmosphere of other fellow believers.

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They are all from my church family, but just being in that atmosphere, like writing something on my board and someone coming by and writing a comment about a

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Bible verse that I write. Or if a question pops in their head, you can easily find somebody to say, hey, I've got this question.

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Or Christian music playing in the back of the warehouse. Well, I think, especially that verse, that do not fear what they fear or be disturbed.

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I mean, if you think about probably where you used to work, their worldview, especially in light of today's circumstances and what's going on in the news, they're probably terrified.

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Oh, you know, we're coming to an end. There's so much strife. There's so much hatred. Where if you have, you know, the

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Holy Spirit and you know that you have fellow believers with the same Holy Spirit, regardless of their skin color, regardless of their culture, you all are united in that.

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I mean, when I worked at the bank, they had the news on all the time.

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And that's when COVID hit. And it was like, it was stressful. And now, you know,

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I mean, what was it, the day that Robert was supposed to have surgery? We all gathered in the break room in a circle, held hands and prayed for probably five minutes for Robert, all of us together.

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Like, I've never in my life worked at a place that we all have such passion to do that, you know?

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And it's just a great place to have that atmosphere and that fellowship and that accountability.

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Sometimes we don't like accountability at work, but, you know, Mercedes does, but it's good.

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And it helps you build up that defense, you know? Don't feel like you're on guard all the time,

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I guess. But I like this verse a lot. I've read it a lot before, but it's one of my, it's one of my tops.

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I love 1 Peter, though. Yeah, do we read verse 17?

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Do we go down to 17? For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be

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God's will, than for doing evil. I read that. You did? Yeah. I didn't listen to you.

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Of course you didn't. Me neither. It's fine. It's fine, guys. I don't know.

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People think all the time, I'm suffering, I'm suffering, I'm suffering, but it's better to suffer for doing what's good, if it's

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God's will, than for doing something bad. Even though it may seem really hard to do, if it's

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God's will and in God's plan, it's better to do that and suffer than to do something bad. And, of course, the following verse,

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For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God.

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He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit. So, really, that whole chapter is a really good chapter.

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Well, it's like when you take 18 and you go back up and you read 16, well, if you read 15 and 16 together, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear so when you're accused, those who did not personally put to shame,

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I mean, every single thing that Jesus did, he kept a clear conscience.

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So when the multiple times he was accused of blasphemy and everything else, saying that he was

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God, And he did it with respect. And he did it respectfully.

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And they could accuse him all day long, but they had no ground to stand on with it.

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He did not do anything wrong. Yeah, I think it is.

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I think when you think of the martyrs, somebody was talking about, was it Tyndale, who put the

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Bible in English for the first time. I think it burned at the stake. Yes. I mentioned blasphemy.

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I mean, Not last night. Last night? Yeah, last night. I think it was last night, yeah. So, did you get done with it?

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No. It's been a long week. Anyway, yeah.

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And to me, it's even hard to keep a gentle, clear, respectful attitude over little things.

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But that just shows us, I mean, God's standard is what we're supposed to shoot for. That's our model.

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Now, are we gonna fall short? Of course, because no one's perfect. But that's who we should try to model is

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Christ and God and our attitude and our actions. And when things are stinky at work or at home or whatever, it's so hard to keep a respectful, gentle, chill attitude.

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But then when you look at, I mean, God was whipped. Jesus was whipped.

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He was spit on, mocked. And he didn't blame them.

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He asked for mercy. He asked to forgive. Yeah, please forgive them, because they don't know what they're doing. You know,

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I mean, if that doesn't get your attention, I mean, we go through stuff that we think is so bad here, but it doesn't even start to measure up to what he went through, and it was for us.

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So, it's a good reminder. Kind of a homework. Well, anyways.

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It's a good passage. Very good passage.

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Patience is also something you need. Yes, especially.

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I struggle with that. Oh. Generosity and respect. Respect. Because respect is more than just, yes, ma 'am, no, ma 'am, yes, you know, whatever.

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It's an attitude. Like, respect, I think. Like, first of all,

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I have my husband's birth, not love. Respect. And it is so hard sometimes.

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So, to me, like a lot of people say, you know, be respectful, be whatever, and it's, you know, taken as yes, ma 'am, yes, sir, excuse me, thank you, please, whatever, but it's also a state of mind, like an attitude, you know, how you carry yourself, how you are towards your husband, towards people in authority over you, people at the store, at Walmart, that you want to ride your buggy into.

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But are you one of those people? No. Maybe.

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Sometimes. Miss Teresa, when Mercedes gets old, I can see her driving one of those little, eee, through Walmart.

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Oh, it's not going to be, eee, it's going to be souped up, supercharged. She's going to bring her own.

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Drop by my house and beat your horn. Cross the road with your ice chest strapped to your...

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My what kind of chest? Ice chest. Ice, you said... Ice chest. Shut up.

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I hate you. Hey, Courtney, what's the opposite of love? Right.

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That was for you just now. I hate you. He asked me to ask you that next time.

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Awesome. Actually, he told Hannah to ask you that, so she'll probably be asking you soon.

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Awesome. And you're going to answer her. It's how I say it, man. Right.

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Right. You're saying it to me. Because you are. You're just jealous.

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But that's what helps you sleep at night, Courtney. It doesn't, I'm just being the truth. Anything else?

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I'm good. Do you have anything else? No. Well, thank you for joining us this evening,

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Miss Teresa. We much appreciated it and enjoyed it. Vicki, please hurry up and get back.

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You act like I'm torturing you. It wasn't that bad, was it? Then tell her it wasn't that bad.

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Y 'all have to ask Courtney to explain and maybe demonstrate how, why she doesn't take her own fish off her hook.

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It's very entertaining. Okay, sure. I'll go ahead. I'll take just a minute to explain.

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Because she's perfectly capable of doing it herself. I can. I've taken fish off hooks since I was little.

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So my dear fishing partner right here, raise your hand. She and I go fishing, and we go catfishing, and when

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I roll in my fish, I'm always like, hey, Mercedes, fish, help. And so she comes over there, lays her pole down, and she's like, let me help you.

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And she gets on the floor and she goes, okay, buddy, hold still. Okay, don't move, okay?

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Those are really going to hurt if you stab me. No, no, settle down.

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You quit flipping. You're a feisty one. Hold still. Oh, you swallowed that thing.

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I'm sorry, this is going to hurt. Oh, man, there's a lot of blood,

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Courtney. I don't think he's going to make it. He's a goner. Put him on the line.

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Throw him in the water. Mercedes, I got another fish. Okay. Hey, buddy.

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Sorry, I know this is going to hurt, but don't you flip on me.

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Now you got me all muddy this time. Mercedes is like, I'm more encouraging to fish than I am to people.

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I really didn't know I did this. She speaks to the fish more than she speaks to me on our fishing trips. Now the secret is out.

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I don't take my own fish off the hook because I enjoy your conversation. I literally had no clue I did that.

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So now everyone is going to want to go fishing with you, but they can't get my fishing partner. Or ask you to at least take a video or two.

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In the future, there will be videos. Nice. It's fine.

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Now that I'm aware that I do that. I need to video you because you need to sit yourself. It's really good.

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We love you, Vicki. All right, y 'all. We're going to hop off of here. And I hope y 'all have a great evening.

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And Charissa, thank you again for joining us tonight. Hopefully we can do this again. Vicki, enjoy the rest of your vacation.