I AM the Way

[00:00:00] Good morning, ladies.

[00:00:03] It's a treat to be here this morning with you all and I'm excited about

[00:00:09] This has been a fun season with our ladies gatherings of studying all of the IM statements and

[00:00:19] Just being reminded

[00:00:22] Of who God says that he is

[00:00:26] And this morning before we get started well the IM statement we'll be looking at is

[00:00:36] When Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life

[00:00:41] but before that

[00:00:44] You know I grew up here in Monterey and

[00:00:48] one of the nice things about Monterey is that it's

[00:00:51] Relatively easy to find your way around and that's because we have all these big

[00:00:58] Landmarks that's coastal landmark if you look at the ocean

[00:01:02] You know that that is most likely West which means that behind you is East that way is north this way

[00:01:09] South so anywhere that you are if you look at the ocean. It's like okay

[00:01:14] I think I can get my bearings so growing up here. I never really ever got lost

[00:01:19] I always could like find my

[00:01:22] True West kind of because it depends on where you're at in the Bay, but most for the most part and then I could find everything else

[00:01:31] But that changed when we moved to Georgia. It was different. There's a song about

[00:01:37] Georgia there's a lot of songs about Georgia, but one in particular. It's called tall trees in Georgia and

[00:01:44] They ain't lying

[00:01:45] There are a lot of tall trees in Georgia. In fact when we moved there

[00:01:50] I would be driving down the interstate 85 and

[00:01:54] would get totally disoriented because

[00:01:57] The the interstate was lined with these

[00:02:02] Tall trees that were covered in kudzu so it created this blanket and

[00:02:07] There was no visibility past and so I couldn't see like is this next exit

[00:02:12] Is there gonna be a gas station there is like

[00:02:15] Are we in the middle of nowhere or are we in civilization and mind you we lived in the suburbs of Atlanta?

[00:02:21] So I knew there was civilization

[00:02:24] there, but

[00:02:26] It was just I couldn't get my bearings and so we in order to familiarize ourselves with the area we got a

[00:02:34] Thomas guide

[00:02:38] Anybody raised your hand if you know what a Thomas guide is

[00:02:42] Okay, keep your wait wait wait keep your hands up if you've ever used a Thomas guide. Okay, so

[00:02:49] We are dating ourselves because this well first of all this was like 20 plus years ago when I lived in Georgia

[00:02:57] And it was pre cell phone pre GPS navigation system

[00:03:01] So for those of you who are unfamiliar

[00:03:04] Tom a Thomas guide is this it looks it's thick like a dictionary

[00:03:09] But instead of words you have maps and

[00:03:12] In the back of the book of maps

[00:03:15] There's an index of all the streets that are on those maps

[00:03:19] And so what you would do is you'd get this Thomas guide and you'd know your

[00:03:25] Location of where you're at you'd find that on the map

[00:03:28] You look in the index to find the address or

[00:03:31] Cross-section of where you were going and you'd find that on the map

[00:03:34] And then you would navigate and plot your route to get to your destination

[00:03:39] So we had this Thomas guide in Georgia

[00:03:42] And it was supposed to be this great help for navigating and find learning our new new home town and

[00:03:51] Manny's mom lived there and we were picking up her up from work one day

[00:03:55] And so from the house that we were at to her

[00:03:58] Office was a 20 minute drive

[00:04:01] But we weren't familiar with the road so I grabbed my trusted Thomas guide

[00:04:06] Manny hopped in the car as the driver and I

[00:04:09] was the GPS and

[00:04:11] I had my Thomas guide and I had the location

[00:04:16] or address and

[00:04:19] So we get in the car and we start driving because we know the general direction and it's like okay her

[00:04:26] office is on

[00:04:28] peach tree Boulevard or

[00:04:32] Is it peach tree?

[00:04:34] Avenue

[00:04:35] Wait a minute. It might be drive

[00:04:41] Wait street

[00:04:43] Road way lane circle place court parkway

[00:04:49] the city of Atlanta proper has

[00:04:53] 71 roads

[00:04:55] variations of peach tree

[00:04:57] Roads that's Atlanta City, but we were in the suburbs

[00:05:01] But apparently they decided to follow suit because

[00:05:05] This this book of maps was for the county

[00:05:09] That we lived in and so it was like Atlanta and everywhere else around it and

[00:05:15] so

[00:05:19] if

[00:05:21] well

[00:05:23] It took us hours. It was a 20 minute drive that took

[00:05:27] hours

[00:05:28] To get to where we were going and at that point I found myself asking the same question as John mayor

[00:05:38] Why why Georgia why?

[00:05:44] So has life

[00:05:47] Ever thrown you a curveball like that taking you down the wrong path

[00:05:52] When our map for life fails us, where do we turn?

[00:05:56] Is there a better way to navigate?

[00:06:01] As I said before our I am statement is found in John 14 6

[00:06:07] Where Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life

[00:06:14] Since our time is limited this morning, I'm actually going to be zooming into the first part of the statement

[00:06:20] I am the way. What does that look like? What does that mean?

[00:06:24] But first we're gonna get a little context

[00:06:28] so our statement is found in the book of John the Gospel of John and

[00:06:33] He actually presents in his book a curated

[00:06:38] curated accounts of Jesus's life and ministry and

[00:06:42] The purpose for him writing his book was first to his audience the Jewish people but then of course to us because we're

[00:06:50] recipients as well, but the point was

[00:06:53] That they would believe in Jesus as the Messiah the Son of God and that they would find life through him

[00:07:00] And in the passage that we're gonna be looking at in the Gospel of John

[00:07:06] Jesus is sharing his final words with his disciples during the Passover in Jerusalem

[00:07:12] This is hours or maybe day a day or two before his death

[00:07:17] The mood is somber tender and filled with hope, but Jesus these are his last words

[00:07:24] So this is like he knows he's going and

[00:07:28] What do I need my disciples to know?

[00:07:32] so this is these are like the

[00:07:35] the main thing if there's anything he wanted them to know this is where he says it and

[00:07:41] Imagine the scene here. It's at the Passover Jesus has just washed his disciples feet

[00:07:49] Judas is departed Jesus knows he's going to betray him and

[00:07:53] Then he turns to the his disciples to prepare them for his impending death

[00:08:01] Chapter 14 verse 1 it says do not let your hearts be troubled

[00:08:08] Trust in God and trust also in me

[00:08:12] There is more than enough room in my father's home if this were not so

[00:08:17] Would I have told you that I'm going to prepare a place for you?

[00:08:21] When everything is ready, I will come and get you so that you will always be with me where I am and

[00:08:27] You know the way to where I'm going

[00:08:32] No, we don't Lord

[00:08:34] Thomas said we have no idea where you are going. So how can we know the way and

[00:08:41] Jesus told him I

[00:08:43] Am the way the truth and the life

[00:08:47] No one comes to the father

[00:08:50] except through me I

[00:08:53] Love Thomas's honesty

[00:08:56] Jesus we have no clue what you're talking about and in his response to Jesus

[00:09:03] There is a twofold question. He says we have no idea where you're going

[00:09:08] So how can we know the way so two questions Jesus? Where are you going and how do we get there?

[00:09:14] so first

[00:09:17] Where are you going?

[00:09:19] What is your destination Jesus and

[00:09:23] Jesus answers in

[00:09:25] An unexpected way

[00:09:27] Jesus says you have the destination

[00:09:30] It's not a place

[00:09:32] It's a person

[00:09:34] Now physical locations were an important aspect of how the Israelites encountered God

[00:09:41] Think of any story in the Old Testament and there's usually a place

[00:09:46] Associated with it. I bet you guys can figure or remember the stories if I just tell you the place so the Garden of Eden

[00:09:53] The Red Sea

[00:09:55] the promised land Mount Sinai

[00:09:58] Jerusalem

[00:09:59] The Jews were expecting their Messiah to set up his kingdom in

[00:10:04] Jerusalem

[00:10:05] So when Thomas asks Jesus, where are you going?

[00:10:10] He's expecting a

[00:10:12] physical location

[00:10:14] But Jesus responds to him with an even more vague answer than when Jesus had first started talking at the beginning

[00:10:22] He says I'm going to prepare a place for you and my father's home so that you can be with me. Okay

[00:10:28] Where

[00:10:29] Where is that Jesus? What address give me the address and Jesus is like

[00:10:34] Me what Jesus was was he trying to be evasive or mysterious? I

[00:10:42] Don't think so

[00:10:44] You see earlier in the Gospel of John

[00:10:46] There are some clues we can find the Samaritan woman at the well asked Jesus

[00:10:51] Why the Jews claim that the only legitimate place to worship God is in Jerusalem

[00:10:57] But the Samaritans believe it's at Mount Gerizim

[00:11:01] And so she's wanting to know well, which one is it Jesus?

[00:11:04] But Jesus says the time is coming

[00:11:07] When it doesn't it won't matter whether you worship the father on this mountain or in Jerusalem because true worshipers will worship the father in

[00:11:14] spirit and in truth and

[00:11:17] Then in Luke 17 21 Jesus also says you're not going to be able to see the kingdom of God with your eyes

[00:11:24] It's not a visible place the kingdom of God is within

[00:11:30] So Jesus is saying to Thomas and the disciples

[00:11:34] Guys, I need you to get this before I die

[00:11:38] You need to know that the father and his kingdom is

[00:11:44] Wherever I am and I am with you

[00:11:50] therefore

[00:11:51] The kingdom is with you

[00:11:54] The father in his kingdom cannot be limited to a physical location

[00:12:00] The destination is not a place

[00:12:04] It's a person that was the first answer or the first part of Thomas's question

[00:12:12] Where are you going?

[00:12:14] The second how do we get there?

[00:12:18] Jesus answers

[00:12:21] Me

[00:12:23] I'm the way the only way to get to the father

[00:12:27] The Greek word for way is hadas

[00:12:31] Literally, it means a road or a path

[00:12:35] Figuratively it means a course of conduct a manner of thinking feeling deciding a way of life think it's a lifestyle

[00:12:43] and in this

[00:12:46] metaphor that Jesus is using he kind of

[00:12:49] plays on both

[00:12:51] Both of those definitions

[00:12:53] And he says the way to God the father is not

[00:12:57] How or what but God's way is a who?

[00:13:02] The path is a person

[00:13:06] Up until this point the disciples understood the way to God was through adherence to the law

[00:13:12] think stone tablets and

[00:13:16] The way we was obstructed because no one could keep the law

[00:13:20] But now Jesus is disrupting their narrative. He's saying it's not through the law of stone

[00:13:28] It's through a person me

[00:13:31] flesh and bone

[00:13:34] Jesus's statement I am the way

[00:13:37] reverses the reversal of the fall

[00:13:40] back from rules to

[00:13:43] Relationship from law to love now that's not to say that the law is irrelevant

[00:13:50] But that Jesus came to fulfill it and

[00:13:53] Show us God's purpose for it the law itself actually points to God's intent for restored

[00:14:01] Relationship with us towards him and with us towards our fellow man

[00:14:07] In the parable of the Good Samaritan the lawyer asks Jesus which law he should follow to have eternal life and Jesus answered this

[00:14:15] You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and

[00:14:22] Your neighbor as yourself

[00:14:25] You can't get more relational than that

[00:14:29] And Jesus he's the ones that showed us he fulfilled the law by showing us

[00:14:34] What does loving God and loving people look like what is that law fulfilled?

[00:14:40] look like

[00:14:42] so

[00:14:43] What are the implications of Jesus's answers to Thomas's?

[00:14:49] question

[00:14:51] The question of where are you going and how do we get there?

[00:14:56] If the destination is not a place but a person if the path is also a person then what

[00:15:02] Did that mean for the disciples and what does it mean for us?

[00:15:09] So I can see

[00:15:14] three

[00:15:15] implications for us to consider this morning

[00:15:19] Regarding Jesus as the way

[00:15:22] The first one is that the way of Jesus is

[00:15:28] exclusive and

[00:15:29] I mean that in two ways first

[00:15:32] Exclusive and that it's the only way

[00:15:35] Jesus says no one comes to the father except through me. So it's the only way, but it's also

[00:15:43] One of a kind in other words like there is no other way that even compares

[00:15:48] There's nothing like his way. There is no one like him

[00:15:52] So exclusive in both of those ways

[00:15:54] Isaiah puts it this way when the Lord says my thoughts are

[00:15:59] Nothing like your thoughts and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine

[00:16:05] He's just like when when you compare your ways your thoughts your plans all of that

[00:16:11] Like they don't hold a candle to Jesus and his way

[00:16:17] So the first implication is that Jesus and his way is exclusive

[00:16:26] now

[00:16:27] When you think of that, it's no surprise that Thomas didn't understand what Jesus was trying to communicate if you read

[00:16:36] Jesus's final words in their entirety. That's chapters 13 through 17 and in the Gospel of John

[00:16:42] You'll see it actually wasn't just Thomas. It was all the disciples that

[00:16:48] responded to Jesus's last words

[00:16:50] There was just every time it was Philip and Peter and Thomas and there was another that I can't think of the name of right now

[00:16:57] But they all chimed in and were like either asking a question or responding to what Jesus said

[00:17:02] And it's like they just were on totally different wavelengths

[00:17:07] and there was a disconnect because the disciples understanding of what Jesus was saying was

[00:17:16] filtered

[00:17:18] Through their own

[00:17:20] Expectation of the way they believed the Messiah would establish his kingdom

[00:17:24] They could not comprehend that the kingdom of Jesus or that Jesus was bringing would transcend earthly kingdoms

[00:17:33] It was more than just their imaginations

[00:17:36] That it was more than their imaginations could conceive in that moment

[00:17:40] And it wasn't until after Jesus resurrection that they began to see the extent of God's redemptive plan

[00:17:47] And so it's not just Thomas that was an understanding. It's not just the disciples

[00:17:52] but we also are prone to understand underestimating and misunderstanding God because it's part of the human condition because

[00:18:03] God's ways are not our ways his thoughts are not our thoughts

[00:18:08] And I can think of so many times in my own life

[00:18:14] Where I have had an idea about how I thought God either should work or would work and how this

[00:18:22] Situation was gonna unfold and it turned out totally different

[00:18:29] I'm sure you probably can think of a few of those times yourselves

[00:18:35] So

[00:18:37] the first implication of

[00:18:39] Jesus as the way is

[00:18:42] That his way is exclusive

[00:18:45] The second implication is that the way of Jesus is relational

[00:18:52] There is no path to the father and his kingdom apart from relationship

[00:18:59] and

[00:19:00] if the thought of

[00:19:01] God as our father our dad like

[00:19:04] Father-child relationship if that doesn't clarify this idea that God is relational

[00:19:11] We can look at Hebrews and see

[00:19:13] Where Jesus says or Jesus doesn't say it says by his death

[00:19:18] Jesus opened up a new and life-giving way

[00:19:22] and a little further down in in that chapter it says

[00:19:27] so

[00:19:28] What that way should look like is your drawing near to God and then you're spurring one another on towards love and good

[00:19:36] Works, this is the community thing. This is a relational thing

[00:19:40] This is a connection to you and your God and and your fellow human and if God is relational in

[00:19:47] Who he is and?

[00:19:49] He's made us in his image

[00:19:52] We cannot follow his way alone

[00:19:56] We were meant to live connected to God and our fellow man in community

[00:20:02] So first implication is that Jesus and his way is exclusive

[00:20:11] second

[00:20:12] Jesus is relational and his way is relationship and

[00:20:18] community and

[00:20:20] third is kind of a

[00:20:22] subcategory under the second

[00:20:25] But it's that the way of Jesus is

[00:20:28] Specific this relational way this community way. It's not just like whatever community looks like to you

[00:20:35] You know, you just go have at it

[00:20:38] Whatever that however you interpret it. It's no he gives very specific parameter as to

[00:20:45] How to live in community what that looks like so it's specific

[00:20:49] It's a narrow way and it is the way of apprenticeship

[00:20:56] apprenticeship is actually synonym for discipleship and

[00:21:01] I just I wanted to use this word and the reason is because

[00:21:08] There is a distinction between how we in our modern-day American Christian

[00:21:14] culture

[00:21:17] Understand discipleship and there's a way that the disciples back in Jesus day and their culture

[00:21:24] understood it to be and so because

[00:21:27] Discipleship has set is so colored by our personal and current culture. I

[00:21:32] Wanted to just use a different word that doesn't have as much

[00:21:36] baggage attached to it so

[00:21:39] But they are connected and they are their synonym so

[00:21:43] But from going forward if you want to think like okay apprentice is also discipleship

[00:21:48] Apprenticeship is more than a set of theological beliefs or a code of ethics or a to-do list

[00:21:54] It's an overall way of life

[00:21:58] Being an apprentice means

[00:22:01] Reordering your entire life around following Jesus as your undisputed top priority

[00:22:08] over job over money over reputation

[00:22:13] everything

[00:22:14] It requires proximity over a long period of time

[00:22:19] it isn't so much formulaic but it is

[00:22:24] Progressive in other words there are kind of certain there is a certain order if you will

[00:22:29] and that order is first

[00:22:33] You come and you just be with Jesus you just get to know him

[00:22:38] Who is he? What is he like? You're just around him

[00:22:41] and as you get to know him and as you're just

[00:22:47] Sitting at his feet

[00:22:50] then

[00:22:52] gradually

[00:22:53] You start to become like him and

[00:22:56] Then eventually it's like it. You can't help it

[00:23:01] You just begin to do the kinds of things that he did

[00:23:04] I mean you can probably think of examples in your life

[00:23:10] I there's growing up in the family that I grew up in

[00:23:16] Through through just being with those people I

[00:23:22] Have become like them. In fact a few weeks ago

[00:23:27] Manning I go on a walk every Thursday morning and sometimes we stop at Paris bakery on the way

[00:23:33] In the middle of our walk and we've gotten to know the gal that works there at 6 30 in the morning

[00:23:39] So we're like the only ones hanging out there

[00:23:42] But the other day we were there and she says oh I met your sister

[00:23:48] And I'm like

[00:23:50] How tell me about this she said as soon as she walked in like your mannerisms

[00:23:56] You guys like I just said do you have sister named Denise?

[00:24:00] And she said yes, how did you know and

[00:24:03] And so that's what this is talking about you are around someone so long that you just you rub off on each other and become

[00:24:13] similar and then this is that's what

[00:24:16] That's what this idea is in apprenticeship is that you

[00:24:22] Spend time with someone and become like them the disciples

[00:24:28] They had Jesus in the flesh

[00:24:32] So apprenticeship was pretty straightforward

[00:24:35] Like following him actually literally meant

[00:24:40] Following him like he's walking that way. Oh, nope. He's going that way

[00:24:44] You know it was like following Jesus

[00:24:47] Apprentices

[00:24:48] Apprenticing him meant I don't even know if that's a word

[00:24:51] Yeah, you know nowadays we make up our own words

[00:25:00] But it was a physical thing they literally followed him around and spent time with him

[00:25:07] Over the course of his ministry

[00:25:09] But the shift that's happening here that Jesus needs to and wants to communicate with them is the fact that he's

[00:25:17] He's not gonna be there physically present anymore. So something is changing

[00:25:21] And he wanted to let them know what how that was going to look this whole apprentice thing

[00:25:30] In his physical absence and so later on in Jesus's final words and in John to the disciples

[00:25:40] Jesus says that the father is gonna send a helper the Holy Spirit

[00:25:44] Who will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance everything that I've said to you and they'll guide you

[00:25:50] The Holy Spirit will guide you in all truth. So Jesus was actually telling them that his

[00:25:59] He was providing them and all access pass to the presence of God

[00:26:05] Through his death, but one of the other things about apprenticeship it although it happens like almost

[00:26:19] I won't say automatically, but it happens

[00:26:22] Almost like through osmosis like just being around

[00:26:27] It changes who you are

[00:26:30] But it doesn't happen by accident

[00:26:34] It takes intention and it takes effort

[00:26:37] John Mark Comer in his book practicing the way he summarizes

[00:26:42] The idea of apprenticeship to Jesus in this way

[00:26:45] He says apprenticeship to Jesus that is following Jesus is a whole life process of being with Jesus

[00:26:53] for the purpose of becoming like him and

[00:26:57] carrying on his work in the world so

[00:27:03] Three

[00:27:06] implications that we can see when Jesus says I am the way

[00:27:12] He the way of Jesus is exclusive the way of Jesus is relational and the way of Jesus is

[00:27:23] specific

[00:27:25] So I want to take a moment

[00:27:28] including

[00:27:30] To kind of unpack that a little bit. I was finding so

[00:27:35] Christina's gonna give a

[00:27:37] resource

[00:27:38] Book that that I would recommend to everyone we had

[00:27:43] his mom

[00:27:46] Diane Comer speak

[00:27:48] Let last year's women's conference and his name is John Mark Comer. I just quoted him

[00:27:53] But he just wrote a book called practicing the way and it's all about apprenticeship so

[00:28:00] Christina tell more you tell you more about that

[00:28:03] but this is just like a little

[00:28:06] surface-level snapshot of

[00:28:09] What apprenticeship to Jesus looks like so

[00:28:16] First it's behold where it's moment by moment. We're redirecting our awareness

[00:28:22] to Jesus

[00:28:24] we're being reminded and soaking in his delight in us his love for us

[00:28:31] His care for us his greatness his glory just who he is

[00:28:36] We're just letting that

[00:28:38] Letting that

[00:28:43] Settle in our minds and our hearts a quote from his book that actually I think he's quoting someone else, but I can't remember who

[00:28:52] Says so many Christians simply have no idea of the staggering

[00:28:58] immensity of God's love for them and

[00:29:01] Of that loves power to transform them into people of love as

[00:29:06] Well as bring them great happiness and lasting peace if they knew they would undoubtedly

[00:29:13] Do whatever it takes to make time to be with him

[00:29:20] So that I think is such a good picture of what that means when we say apprentice be with Jesus

[00:29:26] How do I be with him? He's not physically present anymore. So this is

[00:29:31] is

[00:29:33] being with Jesus but as as you're being you're becoming because we allow those things to soak into our souls they permeate our minds

[00:29:41] Our hearts our bodies even and we become like him and

[00:29:46] Then we start to do what he did and if we look at

[00:29:54] The entirety of Jesus's final words to his disciples

[00:29:59] He just goes in to

[00:30:01] Here's what he says when he when he washes their feet

[00:30:04] It's all about him reminding like look at me like this is what I do

[00:30:09] Like soak that in and then now you guys go and do what I do and so he washes their feet

[00:30:15] And then he tells them

[00:30:17] Do what I've done for you

[00:30:20] He tells them I'm leaving. I'm giving you a new commandment love each other

[00:30:25] Just like I've loved you when we love you when we love others. We're showing them what Jesus looks like

[00:30:35] so

[00:30:37] If I'm

[00:30:39] Apprenticing Jesus in this way, I'm beholding

[00:30:42] him

[00:30:43] I'm becoming like him and then I'm doing what he did in lovingly

[00:30:51] Serving others

[00:30:53] In fact that idea of lovingly serving what did that look like well? I think oh, that's kind of like summed up in that

[00:31:01] That Bible verse that we all know

[00:31:04] for God so

[00:31:06] loved the world that he

[00:31:09] gave

[00:31:10] He loved his expression of love was service

[00:31:14] The sacrifice it was giving

[00:31:18] So that example that he gave us what happens is when we are that to each other the world around

[00:31:25] We're basically like you want to know what Jesus looks like

[00:31:29] It's when I love you you see Jesus and what happens when you see Jesus. Oh, man

[00:31:38] When you get to encounter Jesus and behold Jesus

[00:31:41] Oh, then you start to become like Jesus

[00:31:45] And when you become like Jesus then you start to do what Jesus does and Jesus

[00:31:53] Jesus lived in a way that to his fellow man that

[00:31:58] Everything that he did was an act of self-giving love

[00:32:02] And so if we operate in that manner then then again then that those around us who experience that they're seeing Jesus

[00:32:10] And then when they see Jesus

[00:32:13] They're beholding him they're becoming like him and when they become like him they start to do what Jesus did

[00:32:22] And it's like this cycle

[00:32:25] This upward cycle where we're traveling on this path in life to where finally

[00:32:31] In my life or your life when we're at the end of it

[00:32:35] And we're coming and knocking on the door to meet Jesus face-to-face when he opens that door

[00:32:41] It's gonna be like we're looking in a mirror

[00:32:45] Because what like I?

[00:32:49] Transformed like I look like you like I recognize you

[00:32:54] It it's so familiar and we're looking in a mirror. It's so familiar

[00:33:00] That we will recognize what Jesus was trying to tell his disciples which was

[00:33:07] We hold eternity in our hearts the kingdom of God is within and

[00:33:13] All along the path we were taking it was Jesus

[00:33:20] We were taking with Jesus and we were becoming more like him and then

[00:33:36] The destination is here and guess what?

[00:33:39] It's Jesus

[00:33:42] That's what Jesus was trying to tell them

[00:33:46] Where are you going? Jesus?

[00:33:51] Follow me my way

[00:33:56] But how do we get there?

[00:33:58] me

[00:34:00] my way

[00:34:07] second Corinthians 3 18

[00:34:10] says we all

[00:34:12] with unveiled faces

[00:34:15] Beholding the glory of God are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another

[00:34:25] When Jesus says I

[00:34:30] Am the way

[00:34:32] The truth and the life no one can come to the father except through me

[00:34:37] Jesus is

[00:34:39] both

[00:34:40] the means to the end and the end

[00:34:45] He's the path and he's the prize at the end of the path and that's it

[00:34:56] That's it

[00:34:57] That's life. That's that's Jesus's way of life and

[00:35:05] I would love because

[00:35:10] There's something that happens to me when I talk about this. I just it's like

[00:35:16] It's longing

[00:35:18] For that to just become more real

[00:35:22] Every day in every moment to see more clearly Jesus and that the world would become

[00:35:30] Le I

[00:35:32] Don't know the word to say but just that Jesus would become more clear to me in everyday life

[00:35:41] But sometimes that clarity comes with

[00:35:44] Seeing other people's lives and how God is transforming them

[00:35:48] And so I'd like to invite because we have a panel of people that are going to give a few

[00:35:54] Examples Christina and Sandra and Vanessa

[00:35:58] And as they're making their way up, I just want to pray really quick

[00:36:03] and then we'll

[00:36:05] We'll talk with them and hear what they have to say

[00:36:09] Father. Thank you

[00:36:11] Thank you that you are our way

[00:36:15] That you are both the path and the prize at the end of the path

[00:36:21] God help us to understand

[00:36:26] Maybe even not to understand because can we really understand your ways that just feels weird to even say that

[00:36:33] Help us to accept to trust to believe in you

[00:36:39] To know that your ways are far beyond our ways that your thoughts are far beyond our thoughts and yet

[00:36:46] To settle into how great your love for us is even if we can never fully understand it

[00:36:55] Let that settle into our hearts let it permeate

[00:36:59] Who we are and what we do?

[00:37:05] Thank you for being our way

[00:37:08] And Jesus name

[00:37:10] Amen. Oh

[00:37:32] Do I need which did you grab a mic or did I do I need to grab one?

[00:37:36] Okay, and so we should be good

[00:37:43] So

[00:37:44] We've been doing this

[00:37:48] Panel thing

[00:37:50] For a while this year of our gatherings and I just I love because of one of my things

[00:37:57] I just I'm a

[00:38:00] Biography autobiography like don't just tell me don't just give me a teaching of the to-dos like show me

[00:38:05] But I look like in real life

[00:38:07] So I love our panels because I get to hear people's stories of what God is doing in their life

[00:38:13] how he they're becoming and being and

[00:38:17] living out the way of Jesus in their own journey and

[00:38:23] So it's exciting. This is my favorite part of of our gatherings. It really is

[00:38:30] So this morning we were taking two questions

[00:38:35] The first one had to do with our first point of that Jesus is

[00:38:41] Exclusive he's other and he's there's no one like him

[00:38:46] Which means he does things different than we do we think he thinks things different than we think

[00:38:52] Which means a lot of our lives are spent

[00:38:59] Kind of scratching our heads saying oh god that that didn't work out how I thought

[00:39:05] Right that that was unexpected

[00:39:09] And so the question I believe are the prompt that was given. Oh, thank you

[00:39:14] We're gonna have it on the screen. Yeah, okay

[00:39:17] So the prompt is can you share about a time when you had expectations that God would work in a certain way and

[00:39:26] Instead he did something different

[00:39:29] Maybe you were praying about a certain need or trial and God and God's answer was different than what you expected or hoped

[00:39:38] How did that work out for you?

[00:39:41] So we're gonna go down

[00:39:43] I

[00:39:44] Don't know if you all have an answer or if each of you has an answer for each question you do you go?

[00:39:51] Okay, good then I you got the mic go for it. We can just work our way down

[00:39:56] I'll start

[00:39:58] You already know me when you guys go make sure you share a little bit

[00:40:05] I just want to mine is sort of like a

[00:40:10] Yeah

[00:40:11] Not a super heavy thing

[00:40:13] There have been so many times

[00:40:15] I feel like probably like you're saying

[00:40:17] Probably more often like if we had to like put my life in percentages

[00:40:22] The amount of times that God has worked in a way that I didn't expect versus the amount of times God worked in a way

[00:40:28] I did expect it's like 75 25. I don't know he's always working in ways. I'm not expecting

[00:40:35] But like specifically one incident in my life is was a long time ago, but it was very

[00:40:42] It was a big deal for me when I was 18 and going off to college graduated from high school

[00:40:47] I had planned and dreamed and worked super hard and

[00:40:52] Had my destination which was a very specific college and I was like over the moon

[00:40:59] All about this one specific school with the certain people that were going to be there and

[00:41:05] I don't know why but I just had my hopes very much set on that

[00:41:10] Well, I do know why but anyway, my hopes were very much set on that and

[00:41:15] We went through all the hoops and did all the things and not only did I get accepted

[00:41:19] but you know like I got the roommates and I bought all the gear to go to school there and

[00:41:24] Had my bags packed by the door

[00:41:27] no joke and

[00:41:29] I

[00:41:31] Three days before we were supposed to go my parents were supposed to drive me there

[00:41:37] We got a call from the financial aid office and

[00:41:41] They said I'm not kidding. This sounds unbelievable, but it really happened. They said we're so sorry

[00:41:47] but the financial aid package that we offered you we made a mistake and

[00:41:52] We only are offering you this very small amount of money

[00:41:54] And it was a very expensive school and there my parents did not have money

[00:41:58] So there was no way for my parents to make up for the money

[00:42:02] That that would be due to go to that school and so at 18 it felt like

[00:42:09] Life earth shattering it felt like the ground pulled out from beneath me

[00:42:13] I was really ready to like get out of San Jose

[00:42:16] That's where I grew up and go and do big things and learn big things and I was super

[00:42:22] against

[00:42:23] For my own identity going to community college. I really looked down on it and thought that was for

[00:42:32] People who didn't get their stuff together and all that I just was so snobby about the whole thing anyway guess where I ended up

[00:42:40] Yep two years at community college and like the just like but it was so earth shattering and I was like God

[00:42:46] What are you doing? Like I worked through it was a Christian college

[00:42:50] I went I wanted to learn so I could go serve you like it was this whole thing

[00:42:54] It was so so earth shattering for me at that time definitely not at all what I expected and then honestly for many years after

[00:43:02] six years it was like I

[00:43:06] Didn't know or understand why I didn't know or and for a lot of people

[00:43:10] It's like it's just college for heaven's sake

[00:43:12] But for me it was like there was so much identity wrapped up in that and also there was so much future

[00:43:17] Wrapped up in that my plans my dreams my hopes and it just all of it was shot

[00:43:22] And here I was in San Jose and community college and then living with a friend and her family's house and blah blah blah

[00:43:29] but

[00:43:30] somewhere at the six-year mark I

[00:43:34] Let's see 96. Yeah, anyway in 2002

[00:43:38] I married Nate and I met him here

[00:43:41] And I would never have come here if I hadn't had the ground pulled out from beneath me

[00:43:46] and I don't think that marriage is the final destination but

[00:43:49] The the life that we have gotten to live the ministry that we've gotten to

[00:43:53] Participate in the way the people I've gotten to know here in monitoring none of that would have happened

[00:43:59] without God saying

[00:44:01] redirect and what you thought was a terrible awful really horrible bad thing and it was super sad

[00:44:08] He had a plan for that was so unexpected that I never would have known and I'm so grateful

[00:44:12] So that's just one time where God's leading was not what I expected and hindsight took a while, but now I can see

[00:44:26] Good morning everybody, I'm Sandra Cantel

[00:44:31] Mine reaches back a lot of years

[00:44:34] 33 years ago to be exact

[00:44:36] I became a single mom of three kids and

[00:44:41] I it was not you know, I was not expecting that I expected my marriage to last forever

[00:44:46] Right we get married to to laugh, you know to be married forever. So

[00:44:52] As a child my parents sent us to Sunday school

[00:44:55] It was there were five of us and so part of it was probably peace in the house for them

[00:45:00] But it was a good foundation for us and went and so when I went through

[00:45:05] This trial now as a single mom

[00:45:07] I remembered my foundation because I had accepted the Lord Jesus in my life when I was nine years old and

[00:45:14] He drew me back to himself

[00:45:18] My life verse

[00:45:20] Was Elizabeth's declaration over Mary blessed is she who believed for

[00:45:27] There will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord

[00:45:30] And so I wanted to believe that his promises, you know were for me as well

[00:45:39] I was not alone because he was always with me I

[00:45:43] Could pray in the moments of stress and anxiety and he would give me peace

[00:45:47] And he provided just as he provided for the birds of the air, right?

[00:45:53] So, you know, I was a single mom for 30 for 15 years 13 years 15 years

[00:45:58] And looking back he provided all the time

[00:46:03] We were never without and you know my adult children have said that to me

[00:46:07] We were never we never felt as if we were without

[00:46:09] And so, you know looking back

[00:46:16] It certainly wasn't what I expected but he drew me near to him

[00:46:20] And I remembered that foundation that my parents gave to me sending us to Sunday school

[00:46:26] and

[00:46:27] These people

[00:46:33] Hi ladies, my name is Vanessa Kava and

[00:46:38] My most recent recent experience was this past October and

[00:46:43] For those of you who don't know me

[00:46:46] I'll share just a couple things because it kind of ties into what what my experience was

[00:46:52] so in my past I struggled with addiction and

[00:46:56] In that dark time of my life

[00:46:58] I had gotten pregnant like knee deep in the middle of it and I ended up having an abortion and

[00:47:06] I

[00:47:08] Really that really tormented me for many many years

[00:47:13] fast forward a bit

[00:47:14] the Lord came into my life and met me in that dark place and

[00:47:19] Just poured out his love and his grace and there has been so much healing in my life and those

[00:47:26] These last six years of my sobriety in a couple weeks actually celebrate six years in sobriety, so

[00:47:37] This last July I got married and

[00:47:41] We quickly found out that I was pregnant and

[00:47:46] I was super super happy. We were both just overjoyed praising the Lord for

[00:47:53] Blessing us with this beautiful gift of life and

[00:47:59] There was a moment where I thought

[00:48:02] This is total redemption from my past and

[00:48:07] So a few days after we got this good news. I had a miscarriage and

[00:48:14] I really went through a season of confusion

[00:48:18] And

[00:48:19] I thought something could be wrong with me

[00:48:22] I thought maybe I had done damage to my body in some way

[00:48:28] and I really question God because

[00:48:32] did he not want to redeem me from this and

[00:48:37] I

[00:48:39] Really grappled with this for quite some time and I

[00:48:44] quickly

[00:48:45] realized that this way of thinking was

[00:48:48] Just an attack from the enemy and I really had to speak God's truth over my life during this time

[00:48:56] because I knew he had forgiven me I knew he had healed me and

[00:49:03] More importantly, I knew that I wasn't redeemed by a baby

[00:49:08] That I was redeemed by the blood of Jesus

[00:49:11] And so I had to remind myself that it wasn't a

[00:49:16] baby or a thing or a situation that I was

[00:49:20] Redeemed by Jesus and Jesus alone. And so that's what really got me

[00:49:25] Remembering those truths is really what got me through this very difficult situation

[00:49:30] Yeah

[00:49:34] Thank you guys

[00:49:39] Okay, just so like I said I learned

[00:49:43] Like I I listened to people's stories and I'm like, oh

[00:49:47] I hear that I hear that I hear that one of the things that you guys all said was

[00:49:52] The unexpected happened and then over time and then over time and so I

[00:50:00] was just thinking

[00:50:01] One of the things we talked about today was

[00:50:04] The whole idea of apprenticeship is its proximity to Jesus

[00:50:08] overtime

[00:50:09] That the unexpected and he unfolded what?

[00:50:13] and

[00:50:15] And we don't understand it right now. In fact, that was the disciples experience too

[00:50:20] Like what is going on? Jesus just died like that's not Messiah that we expected, huh?

[00:50:26] And then over time

[00:50:28] Like they and so I think that to me just as I'm listening to you guys

[00:50:33] Thank you for sharing but that's for me. It's like the reminder of like

[00:50:38] Just trust Jesus

[00:50:41] Over time

[00:50:42] Like let him be God

[00:50:45] Do what you don't understand?

[00:50:48] So thank you for sharing. We have another question and that second one

[00:50:55] To set it up we had talked about that God is relational and that when we talk about

[00:51:01] change happening or

[00:51:03] so often it's it's out of the beholding first and

[00:51:09] Then we become and then we do so that that cycle and that progression of

[00:51:16] Apprenticeship

[00:51:17] But talk about an instance in your life

[00:51:21] When you shifted from trying to find out and do God's will

[00:51:26] In a certain situation to simply resting in and being in relationship with him and what were the results?

[00:51:34] So let's start the opposite way if you oh, how did we get two mics?

[00:51:45] Yeah, so for this question I thought about my husband and I's most recent

[00:51:51] shift in ministry

[00:51:53] Like I mentioned we had just got married

[00:51:56] I thought a baby was gonna come quick and

[00:52:00] He had this really great job

[00:52:04] At chomp, which is was like recovery related

[00:52:08] And we're both pursuing recovery ministry

[00:52:11] We have these hopes and dreams that will run our house of our own one day

[00:52:17] And we've just been super intentional with the work that we've been doing the connections that we made the people that we've poured into

[00:52:25] So like this is God's will for our life, right?

[00:52:30] That's just a no-brainer

[00:52:32] for me and

[00:52:34] This last December we started having different conversations about

[00:52:39] Possibly pursuing something in a different way, and I was completely caught off guard

[00:52:45] And I'm like this is not the plan

[00:52:51] But instead of trying to figure out what God's will was or what God's plan was for our lives

[00:52:59] We just decided that okay, we're gonna

[00:53:03] Submit ourselves afresh to the Lord's leadership in our life because in this process

[00:53:09] I realized I will speak for myself and not my husband that I

[00:53:15] Was taking the reins a little bit and so I decided that we would

[00:53:22] Submit our plan to God and yeah that

[00:53:28] We would just be in prayer and be spending time with him and just wait for his leading and

[00:53:35] Yeah, we just really had to walk by faith because we didn't know what

[00:53:41] How things were gonna go what the right decision was for us

[00:53:44] But we really just went through the season of like total dependence on the Lord and I'm really glad we got out of the way because

[00:53:53] Yeah, I just think about the

[00:53:56] First in Ephesians 3 20

[00:53:59] Sorry my mess up here where it says for him to who is able to do far more abundantly

[00:54:05] Then all that we think or ask according to the power at work within us, and I just feel like

[00:54:12] Any plan that I had for myself God has just done more and abundantly

[00:54:19] All that I could have thought or asked for myself

[00:54:22] So I'm really grateful the way everything kind of played out

[00:54:47] This one I think will always be a process

[00:54:50] As long as we're always on on this side of heaven

[00:55:14] This is gonna be a process and so I'm sharing a

[00:55:18] Most recent process

[00:55:21] I

[00:55:22] Remember Nora Brasleton went shared that this is why we're called children of God

[00:55:29] We're always growing and we're always learning

[00:55:33] So

[00:55:36] My son Ben went to be with the Lord almost 15 months ago

[00:55:42] And that gave me two choices

[00:55:48] I could dive back into becoming busy

[00:55:52] Working doing keeping busy being that child of God

[00:55:56] Or be the child of God that sits at his feet and

[00:56:03] listens and rests and

[00:56:08] Breeds and praise

[00:56:15] It seems like an easy choice right

[00:56:18] But it's not an unsteady ground right

[00:56:22] So my perspective had to shift to Jesus

[00:56:29] Remembering his promises I I got to

[00:56:33] Revert back to his faithfulness, you know all of these years in my life

[00:56:40] Remembering that who he is to me personally relationally, you know

[00:56:48] He is truly a provider of peace

[00:56:54] And it's not

[00:56:57] It is a piece that passes all understanding and you have to grasp it and you have to hold on to that at times, right?

[00:57:09] He's a comforter

[00:57:11] You know he he never leaves me

[00:57:14] He's with me every single day every moment sometimes sometimes it's moments

[00:57:21] He cares for me

[00:57:24] He's close to the broken hearted and my heart was broken

[00:57:30] He's unchanging in this ever-changing world

[00:57:35] And he's good. He is a good God

[00:57:39] and so

[00:57:41] You know, it hasn't been easy

[00:57:43] by any means

[00:57:46] And and I I know that even when I wander or flounder in this grief

[00:57:56] I

[00:57:57] Can never wonder from his love for me his love for me is great

[00:58:02] You know his kindness his kindness

[00:58:05] We always say he's a kind Lord, but he is kind to me, you know

[00:58:10] So if we can hold on to that person and have that relationship with him it really

[00:58:18] Is life-saving

[00:58:20] It really is life-saving and so it's it's he has been faithful, you know, and he will continue to be faithful and

[00:58:30] The questions are there

[00:58:33] But I loved what you said

[00:58:37] The

[00:58:39] Destination is him

[00:58:42] Especially when we don't know where that destination is

[00:58:52] For me, I'll just share a little practical one I

[00:59:06] Have three daughters they're

[00:59:09] 2018 and 16 now

[00:59:11] but

[00:59:12] Probably at every age and every stage starting from the beginning I have so desperately

[00:59:19] wanted a

[00:59:21] checklist to do list instruction manual on how to parent and

[00:59:27] And I I love being a mom. I love it

[00:59:32] So I don't mean to make it sound like it's this terrible task, but

[00:59:36] and

[00:59:37] Scripture is so full of

[00:59:43] That in one way

[00:59:46] but you have individual children and

[00:59:51] They go through

[00:59:52] unique

[00:59:55] Seasons and times and as a person who they are and who you are

[01:00:00] I mean it has just put me in a constant place of going like I see and hear and know your word God and

[01:00:08] I need that to instruct and inform my parenting, but I need you Jesus

[01:00:16] By your Holy Spirit as I'm in relationship with him to help me see how that

[01:00:23] Goes here with this daughter and how that in this what do I do with that truth in this?

[01:00:30] moment for this child

[01:00:32] It has been parenting has been so much about

[01:00:37] Me being in relationship with Jesus, of course I get it wrong a million times, but

[01:00:42] If I ever get it right it's about me being in relationship with Jesus

[01:00:47] Leaning into the Holy Spirit filling myself with his word, but providing the opportunity for his spirit to actually

[01:00:55] Help me to see how his word

[01:00:58] Applies to each daughter at each age in different stages and different circumstances

[01:01:04] What do I do right now Lord?

[01:01:07] How do I help her how do I?

[01:01:09] Train her. How do I?

[01:01:11] discipline her how do I?

[01:01:13] Comfort her like it's all unknown until I'm in relationship with Jesus and he is taking his word by a spirit and

[01:01:21] Applying it to them so that's been one for me

[01:01:27] Thank you

[01:01:29] Actually pass it on to you

[01:01:34] Um

[01:01:36] Well, my final words would be thank you

[01:01:39] Thank you each of you I again

[01:01:42] I just think it's such a real gift that you guys would share your stories with us and allow us to peek inside of

[01:01:49] You know in a room of this size

[01:01:53] You know, we don't know all know each other and

[01:01:56] We don't know each other's stories in and out and so it's I think it's just invaluable to be able to hear

[01:02:02] How God is working in each of your lives how we can really take the truths that we learned in the Bible and put skin and bones on them

[01:02:12] So, yeah, thank you