A WOW Moment with Vicki, Mercedes and Rachel (Date: January 31st 2020)

We ordered pizza, Josiah walked in with it, and I was like, it

smells so good, I smell good like bread.

It smells so good.

Can I close the blinds?

If you want.

They're warm enough.

If y 'all hear anything, they're warm enough.

They're getting ready for their New Year's service.

Hold on, I'm getting there.

I'm blind.

I can barely read my own.

I'm like, what does that say?

Oh, I didn't send that.

Don't you hate it when you type a text and you don't push send?

And then you're like, why didn't they respond?

Yeah.

I did that last night.

Yeah, you try to take it personally, too.

You're like, man, it's taking a really long time to respond.

It wasn't a very hard question.

Right.

And you're going.

You get all in your feelings.

And then you look at your phone and you're like.

Or the other person gets mad if they think that you ghosted them.

No, I texted you.

Oh, no, I didn't.

Right.

Well, good evening, everybody, and a happy New Year to you.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I thought that was going to be me.

It was her that did that.

She gets the centerpiece.

I was so excited.

She's so excited.

It's New Year's and we're here together.

And so I bought her this.

She's going to take it home so Ava can play with it.

But it's fine.

That's what it's for.

So, everybody, tonight we have Rachel Shipley.

Get your cup off.

See, there she is.

Look at our little cat things.

We're cute.

So, but anyways.

So, welcome to our Bible study.

I'm Vicki.

Everyone knows Mercedes.

And everybody should remember Rachel.

She's been on with us several times before.

Three or four.

I don't know how many.

But I couldn't have thought of a better person to end our year with.

Are you sure you just sit with it and see me in the sanctuary and say, she'll work.

I do.

She lives close by the church.

In case y 'all don't know or haven't noticed, we have really had a really good time for the last 20

minutes sitting here.

That's why we're late getting on.

We've been

very entertaining at the church right now.

Thank goodness we don't run it.

Yeah, you do.

They're doing a New Year's Eve worship night.

But they're warming up their music right now.

So, y 'all let us know if you hear them over us.

Yeah, what am I looking for?

Facebook.

I'm sorry, okay?

Don't worry, we'll be here until midnight.

We're here all night.

We're here all night.

Y 'all look great.

That's gotta be your husband.

Anyways, okay, so if y 'all can't hear us at any time because of their music,

let us know and I'll look down at my phone every once in a while.

How about that?

Does that work?

Is that good with y 'all?

Thumbs up, hearts, smiles, and all that stuff.

Alright, so Rachel, as we all know, is expecting.

And she got here and she said, I forgot my Bible.

I forgot my phone.

She's using the phone as a backup.

I could have went outside and got it.

Well, there's a Bible in there.

So anyways, but tonight, she was so excited when we asked her to do New Year's.

So I put on my bling for the night because we're not going anywhere but here.

And Mercedes has on a New Year's hat.

Very festive.

Thank you.

And Rachel fixed her hair.

Yes.

I didn't know what it looked like.

So anyways, Rachel, can you tell me so I can write down the verses you want to do.

I think Mercedes probably has to find them.

You told me Luke.

Luke 9 23.

And then Romans 12 1 and 2.

9 23.

I think we have done Romans 12 1 and 2.

Once you hear why I chose these, you'll be like, okay, that makes sense.

It's a goodie.

You can go back to it.

Well, the first time we did with you was

Hebrews.

That was with everybody.

This is the pre -record.

Well, that one's a good one.

Can I say who it was with?

It was with Dr. Dana Sneed.

Yeah, we did a pre -record last night with Dr. Dana Sneed.

And when we run it, it will be good.

I haven't listened to that one.

I don't know when we will run it yet.

It will be something that we use when we need to fill in.

Or when we have another holiday or something that we don't meet.

Or somebody ends up with COVID again.

We both had it.

But y 'all didn't have it at the same time, did y 'all?

I gave it to her.

On a Thursday.

I got it two weeks after she had it.

So as soon as her quarantine was up, I went to quarantine.

And your husband filled in for her.

I do remember that.

Okay, now I remember that.

So anyways, again, welcome to our study.

This is going to be fun tonight because we're going to enjoy this.

Last night just really was amazing.

So I have to say that anytime we have Dana in town,

I'm going to try my hardest to do one with her because she's so informative and she teaches

so well.

I miss having her teaching here.

Yes, but after last night,.

I told her, you'll understand when you watch it.

I was like, you have my permission.

I really need it anyways.

So anyways, do you want to read both of these or do you want to read one, discuss it, and then

have her read the other one?

Well, I'll tell you why I picked the two of these and then we can read one, discuss it,.

And then read the other.

So Rachel, why did you pick these two verses?

Well,.

It's New Year's and I noticed that everybody's been reflecting on, everybody does that whenever a new year

comes.

They reflect on what last year was like and of course everybody, 2020 was weird

and rough for some people.

Some people, I think, I don't think any year is ever immune to tragedy.

We live in a sinful world so people go through hard times.

Some people go through worse times than others depending on what you go through in a year.

But there's never a year that doesn't have heartache or hardships or whatever

just because that's our sinful nature and just the world we live in.

But it seems like everybody's labeled 2020 as this was the hardest year ever just because there was so much

change and staying quarantined and just, you know, people losing jobs

and all that kind of stuff.

So it got me thinking though that that Christians I feel like

are our position has not changed regardless of and it never should

regardless of what circumstances are going on in the year or even what 2021's, I mean that could be

worse, like COVID's not gone, we don't know who's going to be in the White House.

So we just, like we don't know, like a lot of people are like oh by 2020, you don't know 2021

might be just as hard and stuff so I picked these two verses

out just to kind of encourage that like if you are a Christian your mindset, like your

goals should not change like you can come up with resolutions and stuff but in reality

your goals and your mindset should not change regardless of the circumstances that are going on in our

world so that's just kind of where I was at that

as people kind of get out of this year and go into the next year and stuff and as

people face different, because you're going to face different challenges this year, there's going to be different struggles and stuff

to just kind of carry this with them that regardless.

Of what's going on in that, that our.

Our goal should still be the same as Christians.

And that's well.

And you're exactly right because it doesn't matter.

What happens.

It doesn't matter what happens tomorrow, it doesn't matter what happens the next day, we still should wake up every day,

give praise to the God that we serve and then go out and.

Speak and preach the gospel.

As we have been.

Called to do and in that sense.

That doesn't mean that you pick up your Bible and you carry it and you go and you try to preach to everybody.

It's in the sense what I'm speaking of is you live

your life as an example of the love that Christ

has given to each one of us and to every one of us that

are Christians and that have received the precious gift of salvation and

sharing that every day.

You can do that in many different ways which is something we can talk about later but you can do just in the way that you live your life, just in the

way that you treat one another, just in the way that you treat a stranger just in the way that you talk to somebody

is several.

Ways that you can show the love of Christ.

I think sanctification is going to happen or it should happen regardless.

And so to me sanctification is

like the Lord is breaking stuff down in you that needs to be better and so.

It is kind of a hard and painful process kind of

very and so.

So I think it's a dangerous mindset for Christians to get into the oh thank

God that worst year ever is over with and next year will be better.

No let your prayer be Lord.

Challenge me more.

Like help me grow more convict me in these areas

and stuff like you want to grow closer and you know we're supposed to be disciples and stuff like that.

Like right you don't.

It would be scary as a Christian to get to the point to where you don't feel that conviction anymore because then it's like wait

a minute where am I at right now.

Right.

Just that kind of mindset of we can read the verses.

What you said.

Because I read 912 923 girl I was like how is she going to tie

that end up.

What are you talking about.

How is she going to tie that end up.

You were intrigued like what is Rachel.

Rachel is really going to pull the cap.

What did you read 912.

I read 9 3 so we and you were both confused for a really hot minute.

Like this is going to be interesting.

Rachel is going to do this.

There must be some context in that.

Alright let's read Luke 9 23.

Then he said to them all if anyone wants to follow after me let him deny himself take up his cross

daily and follow me.

The big part that stands out to me is take up his cross daily and follow me.

You know we're called to follow Christ and like I said

that's regardless of the worldly circumstances like whatever pandemic hits the United

States or even just in smaller stuff that's big scale stuff like whatever.

That doesn't change your position as a Christian and what you're supposed to be doing and what Christ

has called you to do like scripture is still scripture and you're still you have to keep

your goal.

It's supposed to be so.

That is the pick up your cross daily that doesn't mean.

Oh well 2020 we were in quarantine.

So I don't have to do that today like I'm not picking up my cross today.

Like you got maybe last year.

So let me sit it down for a minute.

No.

No you can't ever sit it down.

You need to pick that cross up everyday.

And I think the big challenge was I think I got stuck with you.

I'm sorry.

Can y 'all hear them or can y 'all hear us.

Nobody's saying they can hear.

But anyway sorry

on this first but picking up the

cross.

Even though this year is over and it's like oh we got through it oh I remember when I was going to.

See y 'all didn't get to bring it back so we were having to do a lot of stuff from home like people were having to work from home

and I don't know we started doing wild moments and like we started doing a lot of recorded stuff

just making those changes

even though like we didn't get to come to church if you get what I'm saying like we didn't get to come into

the church building for a while there um I don't know not sitting at home and

moping about that and stuff like we still like reached out to each other and stuff like that.

I think keeping that momentum going and taking care of your church family and stuff.

That's a big deal.

Well to be honest with you this probably would never have started had COVID not hit.

The Lord has used COVID.

We've gained church family.

Yeah through the different interactions we've had to start doing

so.

I mean you know one of Josiah's.

Favorite.

It's not his favorite.

Song it's one of his favorite passages is um

that the enemy will use what man met for evil God planned for good.

There you go.

Genesis 50 20.

Good job.

I knew it was in Genesis.

I was 50 20.

Yeah.

And that's a prime example of of COVID

for me in all honesty because we wouldn't be doing this

every Thursday night.

There's a lot of things that wouldn't be going on with this church.

I have a lot of my family they don't live here in Memphis or people that

for whatever circumstances get not at their home and stuff like that.

They can't make it to all of the Bible studies especially Sunday night Bible study that if

they've got to work on Sunday night and Sunday and so they say like I love getting to watch the Sunday night Bible

study.

I love getting to yes and so it's neat.

The good that has come out of this there's been a lot.

Of weirdness too.

It reminded us how important the fellowship is.

Right.

I know we don't have it.

Yeah.

We're so excited.

Yeah.

It was pretty sad.

We had the family reunion.

Yeah.

Yeah.

We did.

We had a family reunion here.

It was great.

So.

Alright there's something on these glasses and I cannot get it off.

I'm just going to go with it.

Alright let's look at Romans 12 now.

What's the word did you see a smudge there.

What's that word say.

What is that is that the word you meant to say.

I didn't see that.

Therefore

brothers and sisters in view of the mercies of God I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice

fully and pleasing to God.

This is your true worship.

Do not be conformed to this age but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may discern

what is the good pleasing and perfect will of God.

So just that verse about do not be

conformed to this world but be transformed.

Just talking about that ongoing sanctification as Christians

regardless of what's going on within the world there has to be something different

about us.

Like there is something different about us there is change happening within us.

So regardless of the worldly circumstances and stuff like

we should still be progressing as Christians and changing and

growing and.

Still loving like you can still love people even in the ugliness.

Like we should be standing out even more.

So than while the world is freaking out and in fear and chaos we

should be standing out more.

What's the verse about.

They'll know that you are my disciples by the way.

That you love one another.

I don't remember where it's at but that one pops into my mind.

That's how we stand out.

Is our love for one another.

Well you know.

And that's.

The thing I honestly was having a conversation with my husband

one day back.

I came home and he was in the kitchen and I walked in there.

And he goes this is early on in the election.

Right.

It was shortly after the election.

And he goes well now.

Trump's lost for the third time this week.

And I said what do you mean.

He's lost for the third time this week.

He goes well you know they say he wins then he loses then he wins then he loses.

And I said you know honey.

I said there's really no point in having any worry or concern.

I said because the lord already knows who's going to be the president.

And whoever is the president is who the lord intended to be the president of this country.

Whether it's for the good or the bad or whether it's what we think is for the good or the bad it doesn't really matter.

It's already set out it's already been.

I mean nothing surprises.

God that's what I mean.

And every time I think of that I think of oh I was so surprised I didn't know that that was

going to happen.

You know but God doesn't do that.

I love that reminder of his sovereignty though because it does especially when things hit like boom boom boom like when the first

thing hits then you're just like it's okay the lord's sovereign like we'll get through this but then when multiple you

can't help but kind of feed into the chaos sometimes especially if it is stuff going on within

like your own family or if it hits close to home for you and stuff.

So to have that reminder of you know I think it was brother Jeff that said

guys God's not sitting up there saying like oh I hope my I hope somebody's.

Voting for Trump or I hope they're both voting.

For Biden.

Right.

You know I care he's already like.

He's so past that right now.

It doesn't even matter to him.

Well I mean I'm sure it matters but what I mean by matters is is that he is God.

Yes.

So he is the one that has laid out the plan for everything.

And someone wise said this to me last night we know what happens in the

beginning we know how the end is going to happen.

We're in the middle right now so we're just I mean when I when she said

that I said to myself just tighten your seatbelt a little tighter if you get concerned or

worried about anything because God's got it we don't have to worry about the end.

There is no concern.

It already tells us how it's going to play out.

This this right here tells you everything you need to know.

You just need to invest some time in it.

That's what I'm saying.

You just have to actually study scripture for what scripture says not taking

what's going on in the world right now and then trying to apply scripture to that.

It's scripture.

You can't use that to guide you through life exactly going back to what you said about

how we're supposed to.

Not just say that we're Christians and say this and say the right

things but we're supposed to show up by action Matthew 5 13.

14 and really

let's just do 13 through 16.

You were the salt of the earth but if the salt should lose its taste how can it be made salty.

It's no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

You are the light of the world.

A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.

No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket but rather on a lamp stand.

And it gives light for all who are in the house.

In the same way let your light shine before others so that you may see they may see your good works and give glory to

your father in heaven.

It kind of made me think of being that light on a hill.

Yeah because there's a lot of people that and that's the thing too

is so many people.

I've had people come up to me and ask me this.

When I worked in criminal court they would come up to me and they would say

why are you so happy all the time.

I mean you know we work in this.

I mean the office was okay but just in the situations that we were in and hearing about.

And I would just tell them because.

The Lord is so good to me how can I not be happy how can I not be that.

I think as a Christian you can see that only good things come from the Lord.

So when you can see I feel like like in your work situation

you probably see a lot of broken situations and stuff like that.

So that way a lot of times from a non -Christian perspective you'd look at that and be like

like a lot of times how would God allow something like that, like that's such a broken situation.

But from a Christian you can actually see where there is beauty and you're like that's from the Lord, that's a

miracle it changes your entire perspective and so it's neat to be given those

opportunities of like well and then you can give them your testimony about like well here's the broken situation I

was in and here's how the Lord carried me through it right.

And I do that now because I've moved to circuit court and working there.

I actually have more conversation with people and it's amazing.

The people that are hurt.

We deal with divorces and car accidents stuff like that but

there's so much hurt in that you know.

So I try to use every opportunity that I can working for the government.

You're not supposed to mix it.

It's kind of you kind of got to manipulate.

You know I let them, actually what I do is I let them

speak the first few things to me.

And if they start bringing God into it, honey the gates open.

Yeah they have to bring it, well they brought it up so I was just I didn't bring it up.

Just telling my little tidbit of what I had.

You got to manipulate the situation a little bit.

I used to work with oh it was Kathy Nelson.

She used to people would walk in and be like hey how are y 'all doing today, well better than I deserve.

And they would be like I think that's a Dave Ramsey quote but it would kind of make them be like.

And then she could talk about grace and then they would ask questions and she would just kind of set it up for them, she wouldn't even

mention the Lord's name or anything but it was just neat how she would set it up for them.

Most people would just be like whatever but a few people would be like what do you mean yeah.

It's just there are also with us going into a new year

one thing that I want to make sure, this is itching my face.

One thing that I want to make sure of and I just noticed it's a little crooked, thanks Sean.

One thing that I I'm sorry I didn't notice we're at an angle so one

thing I want to make sure of is us going into the new year and for all y 'all that

are watching going into into today do that

one more time us going into the new year do not

set new year's resolutions for yourself that are

nuts.

This is my thing, a lot of people and Pastor Jeff has spoken to this a lot of times, they, the new year hits.

Oh this year I'm going to read the bible, no don't just read the bible, study the bible meditate on it.

Don't go and say this year I'm going to read

a psalm a day a psalm a day let's not do that

let's study what it says and let's learn, if it takes if you read one verse

every single day and it's the same verse every day and it takes you reading that verse every single day

to understand that verse, then stay on one verse for the week it doesn't matter we're not in a race here

but live it out, live it out as well, don't just read it, live it out and if you don't understand

it reach out, I mean you can reach out to us, I mean get on Facebook, our Facebook page

you can ask questions on the Facebook page her husband does a question and answer every Saturday

and he loves it and if you are studying something in the

bible and it's something that you don't understand, get on Saturday, you don't even have to

get on Saturday, don't wait, post it on our Facebook page or send it in a private message

on our Facebook page and he'll cover it or somebody will get back with you and respond to

the questions that you have.

Don't sit there and just wonder because when it comes to scripture there are no stupid questions.

No, never, there's not and there's always, there's going to be an answer you

just got to find it.

So with this new year coming in, let's make sure that

everybody everybody where am I going they are really getting cranked

up in there aren't they.

They are, they're going to be here until midnight, that's their entertainment.

They were singing How Great Thou Art a while ago and it was in Spanish and I was like, it's kind of nice

but I didn't understand the words.

But I know the words.

Yeah, you recognize them.

Yeah, the tune.

So this is my thing this is what I think.

Everybody that's watching or anybody that watches this after today can do it whenever

go to Luke 9.

23 and read it.

And ask yourself what this verse means to you

and if it's not meaning what it says I mean, if it's not meaning that

you need to deny yourself.

If you're not living what it says.

Yes, thank you.

Yes, I knew what you were trying to say.

I was trying to pull it out and it wasn't coming.

If you're not living to what that verse says.

Then the next day, get up and read it again and try it again and the next day, get up and read it again and try it again

and just keep going.

I mean, you've got 365 days in a year in 365 days you should be able to do

that.

This verse makes me think of the other verse that says I must decrease.

So you can increase John.

I think it's John.

Is it 1330?

I forgot what my married name was.

The other day I wrote out my maiden name so

that's where I'm at right now.

If I get it right, I'm going to be so happy.

That's not right.

No, it's not 1330 says.

After receiving the piece of bread, he immediately left.

And it was night.

Look, I'm thinking about bread and sleep, okay people?

Golly.

What is it then?

Maybe 330?

I feel like there's a 3 in there.

Try 330.

That's right John 330.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

See, I was on the right track.

I just knew my other verse about you've got to be dyslexic.

I just knew the other one was about bread and sleep.

Pregnancy pregnancy.

Oh I went to the we went to

a checkup it was like 2 days ago and we were asking

about what to expect out of COVID and the delivery and everything so I was legit stressing, I was like my husband can't be in there

with me it was getting the best of me.

I could feel myself getting anxious which the doctor's appointment went perfect we were

reassured and everything that just I could be in there with me and everything.

Regardless of the circumstances but he's your coach and you don't take any drugs.

My plan is to go natural again and they said that for St. Francis Park that they

only test you for COVID if you have symptoms so if he and I go and there

were no symptoms, then we don't have to get tested we'll be fine.

But anyways that's when I started thinking about this because I felt myself get anxious and it started to dictate

my mindset around birth and having a baby.

Why did we have a baby in the middle of a pandemic.

This is ridiculous and I felt myself getting worried so that's when I thought about this.

I'm moving focused right now.

I don't need to do that.

We're going to be fine, it's just the circumstances are changing on the outside but we can adapt and push forward.

Hopefully everyone can take that encouragement with them as they go into this year that if circumstances change again,

and they will we could go back into quarantine again.

We don't know what next year holds.

We didn't even know we were going to go into a pandemic.

But the encouragement should be if circumstances change, just adapt and move forward.

You still have a goal to keep focused on.

Ours will be getting ready for a baby, becoming a family.

Our circumstances change but God doesn't.

And what he expects you to be doing what he's called you to do.

He doesn't expect you to lose that focus on what he's called you to do.

I told Josiah when we were thinking of births to come up with what I was feeling in this and

stuff.

It was so funny because I was like is there a time in scripture where Jesus.

Is getting mad because everyone is losing their focus.

He goes, you mean the disciples?

That's the whole new testament.

He's yelling at the disciples the whole time, stay focused quit worrying

about everything else I was like, I guess we are.

We're not too far away from them, he's yelling at us all the time.

Please stay focused.

Isn't it kind of reassuring though that the disciples walked right alongside him or

just as hardened as we are.

They're so dumb I love, I forget where it's at where they're pretty much arguing over who's

Jesus' favorite.

And Peter's like I thought I was your favorite.

Right, right.

Yeah we apply on the wall.

Yes I thought I was your best friend.

Hi, I thought you loved me.

Hi I love you the most well.

They're singing how great is our God.

Isn't that amazing.

I was like,

I know this

song.

I was so excited.

That's what I learned today.

Well, I hope that everyone enjoys their new years

and and

just remember that even the disciples got yelled

at for not staying focused.

They made the cut.

They made the cut even though they were losing it.

They made the cut.

So if you're a Christian and you think you're losing it, it's okay.

So did the disciples.

And just keep in mind though and always keep this with you.

Our God is the most awesome God and he's loving and

caring and he's not gonna put you into anything

that he can't get you into.

A lot of people say you gotta put too much on your plate.

Yes he will put too much on your plate but he'll get you through.

So right.

I hope you all have a happy new year.

I hope everybody is safe tonight.

If you're staying home I know she wants to blow it and I keep blowing it.

If you're staying home get to bed and get some good sleep.

So happy new year everybody.

Bye guys.

Thank you Rachel.