A WOW Moment - August 27 2020

Greeting the Audience and Settling In for the Livestream

What are you doing over here? She's having issues. Alright, where am I now? Oh, there we go. Yeah, you were safe at the time. It was still limiting. Oh, thank goodness. You got yourself a lot of room.

Oh, yeah. Because it was funny. I was trying to adjust my leg because it was asleep. And it didn't work out very well. Alright, I've got to turn it. Turn down now.

I've turned it down. Across the room. We give it a few minutes.

We do this right during the time people are cooking dinner.

Yes. Because I'm normally cooking dinner as I'm watching you guys.

So, we don't always have a lot of people that watch at the moment.

But usually by the time we go to bed tonight, everybody's done calling up.

Which is fine. They can catch up while I'm getting ready for bed. We've done our due. They can laugh at me later. Honey, if they haven't found things to laugh at me about by now... Oh! I need to change my folders.

Because sweet Alayna gave me a new one last week and I haven't changed it out yet. Because this one is just... Nicely used. Oh, yes. Excuse me.

Alright. I think we're about ready. We're going live and Tara's sending us messages.

You know we can't read it right now. I have to put my phone on. Do not disturb. Because I get random phone calls.

She does. I can put mine on so you can look at comments. I got it.

It's right over here. If I can see the comments, I'll just read them all.

Welcome to Bible Study at Jennifer Pickler’s House

Alright. Good evening, everybody. I'm so happy to see you guys tonight. I hope everybody's in and out of the weather. Because it looks like it's going to get kind of choppy after a while. Tonight, I want to welcome you to our Bible study.

We are in Olive Branch, Mississippi. Down here where they don't wear shoes, Pastor. She has no shoes on. I have no shoes on. That is an ode to you. My name's Vicki, as you all probably know. Everybody remembers we're saints.

Tonight, we're at Jennifer Pickler's house. For all of you that watch Bible study on Tuesday nights or question and answers or anything like that, Jennifer usually has a comment or two. Or Pastor Jeff will usually call her out at some point in time.

If you come to Whitten, he definitely will call her out at some point in time during the sermon. This is the famous Jennifer Pickler.

So, Jennifer, how long have you been.

Coming to Whitten for about guestimation? Because not everybody knows exactly.

It's been almost two years. Really? Wow, time flies. Almost two years.

But I didn't join until church opened back up after COVID in May. That very first Sunday back is when I joined. Gotcha, gotcha. And then you and Seth were baptized this past Sunday. Yes.

That's great. Especially you shared it with. I'll say that moment. Because it's a very intimate moment, really. Or day, I guess you could say. Y 'all probably made it a day.

It was very special to me. Which it would have been anyway. I'm just proud of him. But it was nice. Of course, I came straight home afterwards.

And he hung out with all the boys.

And girls from the church. I didn't see him the rest of the day. It wasn't as special to him, but.

I'll carry the memories forever. They do that every Sunday, though. I know they do. And it's good. They hate each other. He'll appreciate it later when he's my age and old. Right. When he sits back and remembers mom.

Right. Didn't his head catch the baptism a little bit? Jeremiah kind of.

Slammed him down a little hard. It was pretty funny. When he was on his way down, I was like, yeah, he didn't scoot down far enough. He's gonna hit his head. Hunter had the microphone there so he could hear the little buzz.

Not Hunter. Andrew. Andrew was laughing. I guess I missed that. You can go back and watch the video on my page. You can hear it?

You'll see. It wasn't as loud as when Mickey hit. When Mickey hit? But it was still audible. It was funny. Well, Jennifer, I'll have to say that since you've been at Witten, I have really enjoyed getting to know you.

And.

I really enjoyed watching you grow spiritually because I have seen a lot of changes just in the way that you carry yourself. Because I used to, when you would come in a little late, you would sit in the very back.

Now it's like, I'm gonna go over here.

I'm gonna sit up in here.

It's home. That's my second home.

I felt like a visitor for so long until I realized that it was my fault that I didn't let it feel like family like it was. It is. We're pretty tight. It did. I just felt like, you know. Well, now you don't feel like a visitor.

Now it's not at all. Good. Because you took a bath in the tub. Well, even before the bath. Anyway. That was the first bath I've had in a long time, by the way, Bro Jeff. Thank you for that. You missed the soap.

Next time, bring some shampoo. So funny. He's gotta really wash me clean. I know. I know. But anyways. So anyways, we're very... How many times do I have to say anyways? We're so glad y 'all are here.

Because we're going to enjoy this. We hope y 'all enjoy this. Because I already know the scripture that's been picked for the evening. And Mercedes does too.

And it's just really going to be. It's just a good one. So, Jennifer, what verse have you picked for this evening?

I picked James 112. Is this.

Your go-to verse, or is this a verse that you just picked for the evening to study?

Um... It's actually my favorite verse. I wouldn't say it's a go-to. I don't go to it all the time. But it's definitely my favorite one. It's the one that has helped push me past some of my hang-ups.

Spiritually. Some snags. I've been through a lot. And you know, when you're on the fence about your faith, and you're not really sure. You know, you don't understand why you've been through so much. Why is this happening to me?

When you're in that kind of mentality. It held me back for a long time. And when I came across this particular verse, it helped. It helped me understand, and pushed me through. Pushed you over the fence.

Mercedes, will you just read the scripture, please? A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

So, you've endured several trials. And we're not always pretty when we come out of them. No.

But I think the main thing is that most of them, I didn't go into them pretty either.

Therefore, come out even worse on the other side. Mercedes, how do you feel about that? Yeah. I mean, it's true. You're already beaten and broken and ugly, and then you go through something else, and you think, my gosh.

Yeah. I can't take anymore. Why is this going on? But in hindsight, you look back and you realize that this was God's way of.

Teaching me the lessons I needed to learn. He was pushing me.

Towards Him, even though I was resisting. I think that's why I had to endure much more than I probably should have if I wasn't so hard-headed. It's so much easier when you don't go kick in the shoe. And when you finally submit and you can look back, you realize He was shaping me to be strong enough to be the single mother that I've had to be for almost 10 years.

I would have never made it this far by myself. And I know that He was with me, even though I was not in that frame of mind at the time. I've always believed in God, but I didn't understand or I didn't understand it correctly or how it worked.

I had a big issue when I was going through.

So much of. If God loved me so much, why am I dealing with all this? If He cared about me as much as.

This book says. He does, then why am I dealing with this? I went through one of those. I'm a decent person. I don't go out of my way to cause harm to everybody. Why is all this crap going on? This person who just gets.

Away with everything doesn't have anything. Their life's a bed of roses, right?

Yeah. It may be too personal. I don't know. I used to be embarrassed, but now it doesn't bother me to share because it may help someone else. Mine started on my 8th birthday where I walked in on my dad trying to guilt my mother into staying and he was in the kitchen laid out and he had cut his wrist and was bleeding everywhere.

I was there. It was my 8th birthday. All I knew was my dad was dying, so I thought.

But it was superficial. But that's kind of where a lot of my stuff started. My mom was raising us in Jehovah's Witness.

And then she got out of it because of issues between her and my father because he didn't believe in it. So I was just confused in so many.

Different ways. Stepdad.

Come in a week after my dad was gone. I'm like, who are you? Are you telling me what to do? Oh, wait. Yes. I was.

Raped at 15. My story is everyone has their um. Everyone has their demons. Everyone has their skeletons.

Everyone has their trials. I'm not saying mine's any worse than anyone else's because it's not. But in my mind at that time I struggled for so many years and I didn't understand why. So it was hard for me to move past that.

And look at you now.

Look at you now. Now I'm able.

To say had I not experienced those things, I could have ended up the first man that showed me attention after my divorce and ended up with the same cycle with my children. But God didn't want that for me.

Trials, Temptation, and the Goodness of God

Verse 13 says, No one undergoing a trial should say I am being tempted.

By God, for God is not tempted by evil. He himself doesn't tempt anyone.

Each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. Then after desire has conceived it it gives birth to sin. And when sin is fully grown it gives birth to death. So don't be deceived.

My dearly loved brothers, every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. With him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning.

But by his own choice he gave us a new birth.

By the message of truth so that we would be the first fruits of his creatures. That's that.

First fruits of his creatures. I had to go through and like I was saying before wondering why me.

I finally figured out why me because I wasn't where the Lord wanted me to be for him and with him. So he had to break me down and get me and my selfishness out of me before anything else was going to change in my life.

So that's where my comes from when it comes to trials. If you ask Mercedes she would probably tell you I have anger issues. Only when there's flip flops in your hand. But you know in endurance.

We get endurance through those things that we've gone through so that when the next wave hits we're a little bit stronger and when that next wave hits after that we're even more stronger. And we will rely more each time on God to get us through and each time.

You're not quite as.

Stubborn and reluctant to just let it go and let it happen. He wants you to be more and more reliant on him and lean on him and stop trying to worry about the outcome and try to fix yourself. And that was a big thing for me is I kept trying to.

I thought that I could fix myself and my own problems and I just wouldn't submit to the truth. That was very hard-headed apparently.

Are you kidding me? I'm so surprised. But it also has changed my mindset. I'll say that where.

Before I was saved it was a why me mentality which is what most people are. Most people feel that way. It's easy to feel that way. You want to internalize it. What did I do? Why me? Whereas now I can honestly say that I can see the difference.

It doesn't. I don't allow it to weigh me down like it used to. I do put it on him and now I have the mentality of okay. I know I'm going to get through this. I know you've got my back. I'm not going to worry about it.

I pray for him to let me know what I'm supposed to learn from this. Instead of praying for it to be over like I would have before God please take this away. Please. I don't know why this is happening.

Please make it go away. Now it's a okay. I understand that I'm meant to go through this for some reason. I'm going to tough it out. I'm going to be okay. What do I need to learn from this?

That's what I pray for now. My life has just changed so much. Because now you're not allowing that to put that stronghold on you anymore and you're not allowing yourself to be entrapped within yourself.

No. Because that was where I was. I was stuck in that place for so many years and the devil was having his way with me. I had no idea. The whole time I thought I'm a good person. I believe in God. I'm going to go to heaven.

In my mind I truly felt like even though I was stuck in that place that I was okay until I came to Witten. Until I listened to Brother Jeff. Until I was convicted and I knew that I was totally wrong. And that's the first step though.

Of you having to admit that. Because.

Being control freaks that we try to be. Not me. Well, okay. I get it. But I mean, we do. And to be able to sit there and say no. Just show me where you want me to go. Teach me what you need to teach me.

And don't leave me, dear.

I let him know every day that I trust his plan for me. I'm all in. I know that whatever is going to happen has already been laid out and so I'm not going to fight it. I'm not going to fight the current.

I'm just going to go with it and I'm going to learn whatever I'm meant to learn from it. It's like getting on that float in the ocean and just go. Yeah. Ride the wave. Don't fight it. That's probably the biggest mental and spiritual change for me is that.

It does get scary though. Like when you get way, way out it can get really scary. Well, there's things that still scare me now. The trials that I'm going through that some people know about. You know, with my daughter.

I'm going to go to the doctor here. But there's a lot of stuff and it is scary but I can't let it weigh me down like I was. I mean, I was letting it weigh me down. I was so scared of what if this.

Happens? What if that happens? What am I going to do?

How will I survive this? Until I finally just said I've given this to you. I'm meant to learn something from this. Use me however you need to use me to bring her closer to you and that's what I have to do.

I have to trust that if something does happen that was his plan. I can't.

I just can't. It seems like once you finally relinquish the control that you already don't have and you just go, alright God.

I'm done. It's yours.

Take it. It seems like at that moment things start falling into place. Yes. And you go and.

What? Like if I was just.

Doing this sooner. Right. But it is. As soon as it's like.

At least for me. Yeah. As soon as I've done that things start falling into place and happening and things are.

Going well. It's.

Like there could be complete chaos around me but I feel like I'm at complete peace about it. Right. It's the weirdest thing but it's true. It's like I know when everything finally settles down and lands it's going to land right in place and so I just don't worry about it like I did.

You're playing on the right team. I used to attribute that to my medication but now I know that it's not that. It just takes the edge off.

Right. I haven't given mine a penny. No. And this is kind of what we talked a little bit about with Elena last week was endurance and hope and when I read this verse that you had sent us my brain immediately went back to Romans 5 Romans 5 Romans 5 3 and not only that but we also rejoice.

Actually actually let's just go.

Let's just do one through Romans 5 1 through 5. I'm going to flip like you now. Almost.

Except for X. Yeah.

That's what she tells me every time. Except for X. Oh my bad. I'm bad with numbers. Don't tell my boss.

Your secret's safe with us. Therefore since we have been declared righteous by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. There's that peace. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God and not only that but we also rejoice in our afflictions because we know that affliction produces endurance.

Endurance produces proven character and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the.

Holy Spirit who was given to us. There's that word grace. Amazing.

It is amazing grace. And rejoicing in our afflictions.

Endurance. Endurance produces. You know that's one thing that a lot of people don't have anymore is character. That is true. That is very true. I don't know why I said a lot of stuff. I can't say these words without them.

Um, there was another there was another scripture I was going to, you know,.

I'm not even going to try. Because I lost it. I'm right as soon as I started to flip to it.

What was that? Psalm 51 which is one of my favorite psalms. It says let me hear joy and gladness let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Again, rejoicing in affliction. And this was from David who lost a son.

You know, came to repentance and, you know, was praying for restoration.

They talk a lot about enjoying the trials and tribulations in there. I noticed it's once you look at it.

As a positive thing instead of a negative thing. Once you realize that he's trying to cleanse you to be more of a reflection of him instead of looking at it as a negative, I'm being punished. Once you your frame of mind and your frame of thought switches to that and then you realize he's doing it out of love to pay you of what is still there then it really helps you.

Pray for the right thing. Yeah. You know, and it's I've gone through stuff and I've had people say good will come of this and I go.

How can anything good come of this? And then.

Like last night I had a miscarriage and I was being told hey good is going to come of this and I'm like.

Okay sure I don't know how, whatever.

And then fast forward to last year. I think it was this year early this year.

I had a friend of mine end up having a miscarriage and I went, wait I can.

Help her with this, I know what those thoughts are probably going through her brain and I've been there and I know how all this plays out and so I went, oh this is part of the good that's coming out of that is I'm able to step in beside her and go, hey I've been there this is what helped me, you know this is probably what you, this might be going.

Through your brain, this is not truth. Just like James Williams. James Williams says consider it a great joy my brothers, whenever you experience various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

But endurance must do its complete work so that you may mature and complete.

So that you may be mature and complete like nothing. That's what it does, it matures you it grows you, it's chipping away a little bit more at that.

Stubbornness. When did we stretch our legs out? That's what I was just doing when I looked crazy. I'm sorry guys that felt good, I'm sorry my legs are asleep.

Oh wow. Circulation to the legs circulation to the hips but yeah.

That's what they do, it chips away at you and it starts breaking down that I've got everything handled. I can do this on my own stubborn and I also feel like it's.

I've watched some videos on the book of James because it is my favorite book in the Bible. It's so raw and real and brutally honest which is a trait that I love. But I was watching it and he was explaining it like if you don't go through any hardships if you're not going through any trials if you're not going through any tribulations then how are you going to develop a testament to help other people.

Because then everything's always good so you can't relate to anyone that truly needs to know the love of God and the grace that he provides. So that's another reason that I've come to actually.

I don't.

Regret anything that I was put through. I wouldn't actually and I wouldn't change it for a long time. I thought I would love to change all the things I've been through but now I realize that if it hadn't been for any of those then I wouldn't be where I'm at right now and I wouldn't trade where I'm at with my relationship with the Lord for anything at all.

Well if we don't go through those things then the sanctification process can't really happen. I mean you wouldn't. If you didn't go through anything I mean your faith wouldn't grow. You would fly a line you'd be stagnant.

And growth always happens in the valleys.

And you would never know that he is actually helping pull you out of these situations because you wouldn't realize you were in a bad situation.

To begin with 1 6. But let him ask in faith without doubting for the doubter is like the surging sea driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not accept. No that person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

I always chose that verse too.

I like that one as well. That's what we're talking about. And they were all from James. All three are the ones that I was thinking about. Do you ever when you finally get to the point where you go. Alright.

I'm done it's yours do you ever. Because I mean God already knows what's going to happen he already knows that you're going to get to that point where you're just like alright I'm done it's yours but when it happens for me I'm sitting there going.

I wonder if he's like finally like child.

Why are you like this. No let me tell you he already knows how hard headed I am. So with that being said there were. I was living a way I shouldn't have been living many years ago. Many years ago when I was in my 20's that's like five years ago.

Right. Thank you I love you so much. But um right. But still I had to basically be body slammed by the Lord. I mean.

If you've been body slammed or if you've ever been right.

Taken to the woodshed. You don't ever want to go back to the wood. The Lord's woodshed is not a good place to be because you come out and you're whooped.

But you know what God punishes those he loves.

It's not fun but at least you know that he loves you. Girl you must really love me like a whole bunch because I've been in the woodshed more than once more than 10 times.

You know. And what was that. I was going to say something.

I don't think I've forgiven someone before.

I haven't I'm sorry I just love the station. Um she's losing her mind.

I wonder.

And this is just me wondering. I wonder if he just kind of like he already knows what's going to happen obviously but I wonder if he's sitting there going. Alright I'm just going to wait. I'm just going to wait until you decide to do this so I can start.

Implementing the things that I have planned. Well he already knows how long it's going to take you to do what he wants you to do or how long it's going to take you to. He already knows all that but at the point that you're talking about I understand why you would feel that way.

Because you yourself are going.

I should have done that a long time ago.

When things just start falling into place you're like oh that's all I have to do right. And then you're going. You could have told me the whole time he actually is he was like hey hey hey exactly. Do you get tapped a lot?

34 years now.

And I'm 42. Yeah yeah since my 8th birthday that I can remember plain as day. Since that day I have been tapped on non-stop I've been punched in the face yeah.

This year and 8 months has been rough. I've seen it. She comes out with a black eye.

I've lost two as well so I know that part too so she's not a lot that I haven't experienced.

I would say unfortunately but maybe it's fortunately we were so hot. Kenny wanted to get in. I'm sorry he's back there. He likes to get up there and clean himself. That's what he's doing right now. He says it's my house.

It's fine as long as he doesn't attack our heads. We'll be okay. Yours is sticking up.

As long as the wind's not.

Blowing it where it looks like something he wants to get involved in. I mean I could. He's already dragged me across the room. That was hilarious.

The Value of the Trial in Producing Testimony

Well anyways so this scripture is great. I think this ought to be a scripture that hangs on your mirror in your bathroom. It definitely is. I mean it's really something that you need to be thinking about every day.

And it's like you were talking about trials and testimonies. The thing is that the first part of testimony is the word test. And if you don't have any tests you don't have any money. You don't have no money.

That's the second time that I've been able to crack that joke and it gets to you every time you don't have. If you don't have the test you only have the money and that's the same look you get. I'm sorry y 'all.

I'm really sorry.

Deja vu? I mean she said it too I know and that's great but still if you don't get put through any tests then you don't have any testimony. You don't have any testimony.

These two do not need and they had to drive a long way to get here.

It's been well worth it. It's been well worth it. But anyways what time is it? Oh it's time. Um it has been a. I'm telling ya when you get started it's like boof you're done. I feel like we've been talking.

This all started because I used to study every Sunday and we would meet either at 5 o 'clock or we'd meet at 4 o 'clock or 5 o 'clock because then after that I would have a nursery and she'd come by to study or whatever.

Accountability or whatever. I know we have accountability at 5. But um and we started studying together because she was wanting to make sure that she was accepting what was being shown to her through the word of God the right way.

So that's how the study had started. Well then COVID hit. Good ol' COVID. Here we are. The traveling bible study. That's what I call it.

And see there's good in everything.

Exactly exactly because I get to spend every Thursday with her and then we get to.

You're not happy one time. Most of the time. Yes. And more people get to enjoy this than just the one sitting here laughing. It's great.

Yeah I mean I understand and realize we don't. We cannot sit there like Pastor Jeff does or like Pastor Josiah does and sit there and look at the phone and talk to it because I get tired of looking at myself.

So that's why I told Mercedes I can help with that part I said. I told Mercedes we'll just do a bible study. We'll just invite people to our bible study and it helps allow.

Our guests to share a part of their testimony and that's why you know I told Vicki I said I'd much rather let them pick because a lot of times whatever verse they're picking has got to do with something that they've gone through that has helped them get through that and so there's a piece of your testimony right.

It's a very personal yeah it would be hard to think that someone just grabbed a verse at random just.

Picked it for no reason because you know you can read this over and over again and come out with something different something new every time that you've learned or that you've come to understand sometimes depending on what it is that you're going through depending on your day.

And that's. What's cool about the word of God is that it's got layers.

I'm gonna make you cry when you realize how awesome it is. I like crying.

You didn't cry this time. I cry often but when I do it's not pretty well then my feelings are hurt because you didn't cry. No you don't want me to cry trust me you don't believe me. Just ask some of the women at church they've seen the ugly cry.

Oh. I try to hide my face but it doesn't work all the time like last Sunday.

That's what I did last Sunday. Last Sunday we were praying.

We were praying and I got touched really deep about somebody that we were praying for. Oh yeah. And all I could do was just bend over because I just felt this rush of emotion. And I know that emotions aren't good but it's just my heart breaks for them.

So I couldn't even pray.

But when I bent over I immediately started praying for this person and Tara the next thing I know I look down and Tara's under there and I'm like.

I can't get Gwen to pray and then everybody's like Vicki. Are you okay. What's happening. I'm about to fall out but it's just you know.

Sometimes people spring a leak and it just sometimes we need a plumber.

Closing Remarks, YouTube Information, and the Bake Sale

But anyways again I want to thank you for having us out here tonight. The drive was not that bad. No it's really not. I did have somebody that talked to me on the way out here tonight so it was nice. It was a nice drive.

Actually when we do Thursday nights is about the only time Mercedes and I can actually have one on one conversation about women's ministry and not get interrupted by the telephone or anybody else when we're in my car on Thursday nights.

So we get a lot of planning and a lot of talking done depending on how far we drive on the trip. Because last week we were in Fayette County and we got a lot of chatting done during that too. Because it's hard at church because we want to talk to everybody.

But then again everybody wants to talk to us like you get pulled every which direction. It's because you're popular. Because you change hair colors every week. I wish I could keep up with her. She's just like the cool kid I'm just gray.