(0:00)Season 5 is officially back
without filter. Welcome to another episode of " PF Unfiltered". My name is Esther Griffin, and I'm here with my amazing co-host of " Tuesday Mandola." What's there? What are you all doing? In season five, we're here to set you straight. So, we present to you "PF Unfiltered". What is your problem? No, my mistake. My mistake. But seriously, just like in season five, we're back. Esther returned. It was a joke because you guys thought we were n't serious, but we are serious. We are back. Esa is back. " PF Unfiltered" is back. The man we came to listen to. I mean, technically. Yes. Greetings. How are you doing? I...I didn't...I thought this long break would help you fix these things. But what have you gotten out of your system during this long hiatus? You...I wasn't the one who needed it, because I was curious, because I just wanted to know if you were doing anything at all ...any
(1:01)Why pastoring never clocks out
work. What are you doing? Yes, like this break we took from... I'm always working on myself, constantly working in the process. Wait, speaking of the break, we took a break. We are just now returning. What did you do during the entire break? Worked. Pf, you don't do anything for fun. You're a pastor, but you don't have any fun things to do. I like my job. When you talk about work, for those in the audience who don't know what you do, what kind of work is it? What kind of work is this? I am a pastor. Pastor of the people. I am a shepherd of people. I preach. I teach. I consult. I...Yes, almost everything. Can people freely book consultations with you ? Booking consultations. Are you booking? Am I a bookmaker? Are you booking a pastor ? Oh, you mean can people... Yeah...get on your calendar? Yes. But my calendar is pretty full. It's a little difficult, especially when you're, you know, leading over 2,000 people. You guys keep adding ... I think, no, I think she's accurate. Let me check this quickly. Yes. Yes, that's about 2,000 or so people. I think it's good if I see 2,000 people donating because I don't see 2,000 people donating, and honestly, that's something I'm just kidding about. No, but to your point, I think there are people who are trying to promote ministry. They just need more publicity. So that's what we're trying to do in the podcast. Appeal to what? To Christ. To Christ. Sorry. I don't understand this. The more we humans become acquainted with Christ, the more they can physically, spiritually, and emotionally contribute to Christ's ministry. Okay, I understand you. Yes. And I think you're doing a phenomenal job introducing people to Christ. In any case, PF apparently told us that he constantly works as a man in process. Yes. Work in progress, dude. Good. What did you do this summer? I was just about to ask what you did during your break. I'll go last. You are the first. Good. So, ladies first. Ladies first. What? The producer produces . Ladies first. Ladies first. Good. What did I do this summer? I spent time with my kids and it
(3:00)What "serving your kids" actually looks like
was fantastic. But I feel like that's not all. Good. I guess that's not all. So, this summer, the topic we're talking about today is service. And so this summer I really dedicated time to serving my children. What does this mean? To be present for them, to engage with them. They didn't run any, um, summer programs. So, um, I got them private, um, swimming lessons. As you can see, I spent a lot of time with them this summer. So now they get used to calling me when I'm not home. That's good. Hmm. So anyway, um, yeah, I spent time teaching them, um, practicing English with them , even though my English isn't that good. Tuesdays are also not a holiday, but you know, we do what we can. And so, um, that's what my summer was like. How was your summer day? Um, first of all, um, I want to thank you for, you know, obviously serving your children. I think this is not the easiest thing to do. So , um, I express my sincere gratitude to you. Actually, I have a question. Tell me. What happens when it's not summer? Who serves them? I still serve them, but this summer I feel like I was very intentional this summer because they did n't do anything. I'm really careless. No, I'm just trying to understand. I'm trying to understand. This is the question I am asking. Can I just not ask? Can I not ask questions? Good. I usually work. Good. Right. So this is the first summer in seven years where I am self-employed and able to control my schedule, and the Lord aligned us, and now I am in entrepreneurship. So now I'm in control of my time, and, you know, I'm in a place I've never been before. That's good. Yes. Good. I just wanted to understand, you know. Do you want to ask about the business I do? No. Good. Good. I mean, unless a business is going to sponsor a podcast , that's a different conversation. By the way, about sponsoring the podcast, Ver Avenue Bakery. If you are interested, first of all, sponsor the podcast. Please contact us. Sorry. I don't know the exact location, but it will be in the show notes. Contact us. Sponsors at pfunfiltered.com. You see, secondly, this episode is sponsored by Baru Baker. Yes. If you know, you know. Mmm. If you want your bread to rise. M. This is disgusting. That's not...That's not a nice way to say if you want your bread. No, because you know, you know what? What does this mean? Because there are people who love...Yes. For example, you know, if it's bread, it means they don't want dry bread. They want bread that rises, that has the fluffy bread of life, the bread of heaven. Some may be financial, perhaps spiritual. Some may be their desire to be resurrected . Jesus is Lord, you know. Um, I suggest you guys, I'm really confused, but please continue . Yes, I suggest you check out Bar Avenue Bakery, sensational pastries. I'm one of those people who doesn't usually eat baked goods, you guys know that, but sometimes when I smell that, I just talk about how they have a subscription model now . So if you're, um, not interested in getting bread from your grocery store where they're doing recalls every 5 seconds. Bear Avenue Bakery has a subscription program and you can receive bread every week. Yes. Are we confirming that this is correct? Exactly. What do you mean? I'm on the subscription list . Like the fact that you... My mistake. My mistake. Um, season five. Fifth season. So, my summer was great. My summer was wonderful. Um, what were you doing? Nothing. I did not serve. Yes. No, no, no, no, no, no. And the summer was wonderful because I had told the film crew earlier that I had fallen in love with Christ again. This is funny. And it was a beautiful summer. And to get to the topic of today's episode, yes, namely service. Yes. For example, how do you work in ministry if you know you are the pastor of a church, one of the fastest growing churches in central Dallas . Yes. You too, you also said that you help people. Yes. Right. Yes. So how could you, can you please elaborate on that when you say you help people? This is what pastoral work is like outside of pastoral work. Well, pastoring for me is not one of those things that you turn off, it's not work, and I'm not trying to be hypocritical or anything, it's literally, um, all-encompassing, it's not something you turn off, it's true, there are times when you're physically tired, emotionally or spiritually, and you just want to take a break, but even then, right? You are very, very locked into the idea that you are a pastor. Truth? You don't
(7:34)A calling, not just a job
... The pastor doesn't say, "Well, I'm on a break." My sheep fall, you know , into the ditch. Yeah, I'm on a break, man. When I get back from break, how about, you know, pulling you out of the ditch, right? » Um, so I spend a lot of time working as a pastor. Um, yes, I talk to the people I go to church with . I study the word with the people I go to church with. I exercise with the people I go to church with. Oh, you're training, PF. Wow. I thought it was a waste of time. I am training. Do you remember this, please? Can you rewind that clip? Calm down. Calm down. I didn't say that exercise is a waste of time. I said I said football is chasing a piece of leather. 22 adult men are chasing a piece of leather in a field. That's what I said, it's a waste of time. But if it's a form of exercise, wouldn't you say now, " Okay, maybe let me give them... Absolutely." But I don't understand why people spend so much money on it and why athletes are paid so much. That's it, that's it , that's it, that's why we talk about service. This is my personal opinion, you know, not to belittle anyone's abilities. Right. Right. Pastoring is not a job for me, is it? This is a calling. Right. And, as I said, I'm not trying to be hypocritical. I'm not trying to be cocky, but that's not something that needs to be turned off, right? It's your whole day, you know. Someone calls you, you pick up the phone. Yes. Of course. If I'm not answering the phone, I'm doing something else. I'm sleeping, eating, or something. You know , I can't sit idly by . My phone is ringing, but I'm not picking up the phone. Do you understand what I mean? Yes. And it's funny that you say that. So one of the feedbacks we got from people who followed the podcast was how practical the podcast is. It is centered around Christ, but with the same level of practicality with which you approach this topic . So we said we'd talk about service time. We'll look at the P service in more detail, but you said something about breaks, and you said that, you know, a shepherd herding a sheep can't just take breaks so the sheep doesn't fall. So what does a break look like for you as a pastor?
(9:40)Why doing nothing stresses PF out
When you say break, I assume you mean rest. Yes. Yes. Yes. Or something like that , if that's how you want to define it, that's fine. Yes. That's the thing, isn't it? I feel like I 've learned to relax , don't you? But some people might have a hard time with my idea of rest. Yes. I'm not very good at idleness as a person in general. So I find things that fascinate me, right? Which stimulate my mind, so you know, um, where I can do things without thinking about them, so I can think about other things, I don't know how to explain it. No, it makes sense, you know, um, um, so I rest, yeah, I sleep, yeah. I try to go to bed every night at 11. I wake up around 5-6. I no longer push my body to the point of exhaustion. I've done that before. I do n't do that anymore. There's no point in beating yourself up , you know, walking until you're tired. So I... I'm taking the break that my body needs. I don't feel the need , and that's going to sound very strange, right? Vacation for me, yes, is a challenge because people literally expect you to go somewhere and do nothing. For me, doing nothing is more work than doing something. I think doing nothing stresses me out. Why? It just stresses me out. That's how it is. So if you went on vacation, would you like to go on excursions or, for example, I'm curious, PF, when was the last time you were on vacation? I was on vacation a few weeks ago. A few months ago, three weeks of vacation. Where did you go? Nowhere. Good. But he didn't do anything. Yes. So let me explain. I don't like the station. Yes. I'm not a tourist, am I ? I'm not going to travel and then , you know, go and look at castles and mountains and, you know, I'm like... If I see a picture, if I read, you know, it creates the same mood. I understand, you know, you know what excites me and what relaxes me, to be honest , is being around people. Yes. Community. Yes. To be in a community with people I can be myself with. Yes. Right. People I can be vulnerable with. Yes. Right. Not people I have to, you know, cross my legs and put dots in my eyes with. So when I'm on vacation, I can go on a trip. Yes. Right. But I'm not going to go on a trip alone and sit on a beach somewhere. Hmm. Right. I don't like the heat. I don't like sand. And I don't like that kind of water. It's interesting that you say that , PF, because I don't go on vacation, unless with people, unless for some event. For example, for some holiday. And that's okay. You know why people act like if you can't sit on the beach, you know, and look at the sun while it's sunny, you know, then you have to use sunscreen . Sunscreen . Yes. Yes. You could get skin cancer. Why do they act like you're some kind of defect? This outrages me. I can go on vacation for 3 days. Hmm. Maximum 3 days. Yes. Whenever my wife and I book a trip longer than 3 days, I try to change my ticket to go back. And I don't envy you. You can go for 2 weeks. It's you. This is normal. I don't think you're irresponsible. Yes. But people look at me like there's something wrong with me because I don't want to sit on the beach and mess with the sand. But if your community was there, you would want to stay. Yes. If my community was there , I would stay for 3-4 days. But after a while, what do we do? It even has a cup. Even this one has... Okay. As I told someone recently , yes, my bed is where I sleep. Yes. I took the time to choose the mattress I sleep on. Yes. I tried different ones and this one fit perfectly. My pillow, right? I must have tried on 20 pillows before I found the one that worked for me, right? And I spent a lot of money on it. My shower, the water pressure in my shower, coming out of my shower, right? You have no idea. It's like someone takes... you know, it's intense . Yes. Why should I pay money to sleep in a bed that I'll be tossing and turning in for the first 5 days, right? A shower is like spit on you. Yes. Yes. Pillow, your neck hurts, right? You pay for everything 2 times, 3 times, 4 times, right? Just to pretend I'm fine, to make everyone happy. Yes. Well, maybe because I do n't think you're excited about the idea of a vacation. I think that, based on the situation where you don't know yourself. You know what you like and what you don't. So, even if we're, say, doing corporate American things, things; and by the way, after all, maybe I have a headache or a neck ache , or I don't really like this place. But it's an idea like, " I need to do something," and I want to tie that into a break, because I think sometimes for me, it's like taking a break or resting, it's a level of guilt that
(15:10)Healing from "you're bone lazy"
comes with, like you have to do something right. So it sounds like when you were talking about the shepherd and the sheep or your flock, is there a time when you rest? I think, man, I can influence someone. I used to think so. I used to think so. I had a teacher in elementary school who told me, "You're lazy to death, you're always trying to barely survive." I was 10, maybe 11, 9, 10. Damn. And this thing stuck in my head in a way that you can't imagine. So whenever I had free time, right? Her words were in my head. And I remember trying so hard to impress this woman, a beautiful young woman, a little boy trying to impress your young teacher, right? But she always came back with that phrase, always trying to escape just barely, right? So that conditioned me a little bit, didn't it? But as I grew up and healed from many of what therapists would call traumas, I realized that I would actually rather be standing in the kitchen making a cake than sitting on the beach enduring the heat. I like it, and it's not out of guilt, you know, nothing, right? I've reached a point in my life where I can do whatever I want, I can make my own schedule. If I want to take two weeks off, I'll take two weeks off, right? If I want to get on a plane and fly somewhere, you know, I can get on a plane and fly somewhere, right? Yes, that makes sense. I don't need to ask Dad for permission , you know? But I actually enjoy what I like and don't enjoy what I don't like. And I no longer feel guilty about it. So now I don't apologize for not going to the beach. I...no, because in my head I think you're the one who's suffering. You'll go to sleep on a bed, pay for a hotel room, and then the bedbugs will finish you off. Ah, by then no one will be staying in any hotel with beds. And then the food...that's not even the point. I mean, rarely, let's be honest. Yes, that's not even the point . Rarely. You know, it's because you guys don't stop at nice places. I don't have money for a nice place to stay. If I had the money to live well, I might change my perspective. But honestly, I've never stayed in a hotel in my life , have I ? Because of this, I felt like I needed to move here. Actually, there are a few I can send you. I don't want to keep them. We...we'll get back to this. They are just as expensive. I want to address the
(17:45)Do you really have a heart of service?
topic of service, right ? And, keeping in mind the point, you know, being a pastor is not just a job, it's a calling. I wonder if it's because you have a heart of service? But this is a bar, man. Whenever you say that being a pastor is not a job, it's a calling, yeah, sorry, I didn't mean to get off topic, it seemed to me that there was something that was... I think, I think that's fair... what I think is right... because like I said, there's a certain level of self-awareness that, by the grace of God, I think I've reached... right... I know I'm not the most selfless person on this planet ... I'm not altruistic in general ... yeah, right, so I know it's something that God has put in me... right... I know that by the grace of God I do it, but I don't resent it. And you? I don't resent the time. I don't resent the energy. I don't feel like I'm, you know, working for a person. Do you understand what I mean? I don't have any, um, negative emotional, um, um, anything. This is a test. So, do I have a heart of service? Well, you know, sometimes it 's hard to put labels on things, right? I am simply serving. Yes. I quickly found this, just because you hear this term a lot ...a heart of service, just from your... that I have a desire to serve or a heart that seeks opportunities to serve ...I guess I don't know if I have a heart of service. I feel that whether I like it or not, whether I want to serve or not, if the opportunity to serve arises, I serve, and I think that's the heart of service...well, I don't know how you define it , people define it differently. I think there are people who don't even... Even if they have the opportunity to serve, they won't do it. Truth. These people are on the path to reinvention. So what I mean is, have a heart of service, whether you want to do it or not, right? As you know, the reason why I...I poked you in the eye a little bit with the kids, right? That's when you say you serve your children, right? For me, it was a little bit, you know, I had to orient my mind to this idea, because I know your kids, you have boys, and boys can be difficult. And I know there are days when you're not thrilled with their boisterous behavior, right? And the energy level, what is it, right? You know, it's just like that, right? You do it. You know, day by day, right? Every mother watching this will attest, right? You do it whether you want to or not, you know, you don't think about the reward. It's like someone needs to wipe their ass. You wiped it, and you, and you start. Oddly enough , I'm thinking about the reward. I think you are a different breed. No. And let me tell you why. I think about every decision I try to make about them. Um, no matter how minor it is, I think about how it will affect them as adults. And if I raise them the way they should go, right? I think that for me this is fundamentally the most important thing. This is the goal – to bear fruit, to multiply, and to raise your children in the way they should go, so that when they grow old, they will not go. I think it's really great. So I think the thing I always think about the most is their salvation, right? For example, about their salvation, about them also being good people, for example, am I raising people so that they can serve their community? Am I raising angels in Europe? Because we know we have some Eurob demons, but am I raising Eurob angels? I…I… I just love…I love to insert. You did so great. I mean, I mean , why should you…why should you go there? I just get it, it's so wonderful. I…I really appreciate what you’re saying and what you describe as intentional. Right. But what I'm talking about is the reflex of service, right? That you don't really think about it. You just do it. Right. The idea behind you doing this is that it will bless the children. The idea behind why you do this is that they will become guys from Europe. Mmm. They are already guys from Europe. They're just guys from Europe. Don't say that, angel-demon boys. Beautiful
(22:00)Being female doesn't make you better
girls. Yes. No. I raise, I raise men who will grow up and be what a woman would call them, say: "This is a good man." Let me say something. What a good guy . Let me say something. And it has nothing to do with service, service, or break. Why don't people talk about raising women to be good wives and good girls? Because we've already done it. We are already good wives and good women. Nonsense. Nonsense. We are already good wives and good women. Let me tell you. Can I tell you why? Can I tell you why? Can I tell you why? Because the people who complain the most are the owners. So, and, and, and, and they have this inherent sense of inherent virtuosity, right? Women think they are inherently good just because they are the best since sliced bread. I agree. I have a wife and two daughters, and I think they are the best thing that has happened to me since sliced bread. But I don't think being a woman makes you inherently better. No, I don't agree with that. This is a plank. Do you think so? No. No. I said I disagree. I don't think that just because you're a woman, I think you're inherently better. Well, that's right. So why don't we talk about when someone talks about how to raise a woman, not how to raise a man. If you want to look at the old way of raising people, the difference between how men and women were raised is that often women were raised to function in the home . No, not in our generation. They raised us to be well- rounded . What is the difference between " excuse me" and "what"? We are, well, we are comprehensively developed. Boys are not fully developed. They are not comprehensively developed. They are not comprehensively developed. Okay, let's continue with " Yes". So, you know, a very quick break. Hmm, we have 21 thousand
(23:46)How serving in community changed everything
subscribers on YouTube. Perfectly. We want to thank everyone who, you know, subscribed, listened, tuned in. So please, we have a goal... Don't try this ...100,000 followers by Christmas. So whatever you're doing right now, well, you know, whatever you're doing right now, I want you to just stop. If you are not driving or engaged in any other activity that is not driving, you can stop. Good. Yes, stop by the side , and, and, and subscribe. If you like conversations, or even if you don't , and you want to find something you can get involved in, subscribe. Everything is fine. Add this to your playlist. Oh, join the love and the hate. That's all good. We turn this into good. So I want to go back to something PF, because, um, ministry, that ministry that you mentioned that you're not sure if you can say you have a heart of ministry. So, there's one great thing they praise for the newcomers' house, which is what they do, which is unification. I know a lot of churches do bonding groups, but I feel like Nuk came out of it in a way that was very focused and community-based, which I've experienced before, and I've seen a lot of bonding groups, and I would never have imagined myself leading a group, for reasons you guys probably know, right? That is, you think you have to be a pastor or you have to be sinless. Yes. I think serving in that capacity was scary because the responsibility of pastoring, whatever you call it, or analyzing the word of God, without having the qualifications... Mhm. It was hard for me, but it was probably one of the most, and my wife and I did it together. This is one of the most enjoyable things we've done in a long time. This is true. But before that I would have had no idea. I said, “No, I can’t do that. "I'm not good enough." Yes. Uh, so outside of the church itself, there are things that we can do in terms of service, somehow , or even if you don't have a heart for service, or I guess you don't define how to serve, what you can say outside of the church, what you can say, for example, in a church setting, that you would say "good," even if it's not an active idea that I'm serving, but it's a reflective service that can be good , yes or no, and I
(26:05)Service is just everyday chances to help
like that question because I think it reflects what proper service is. The example is Christ, isn't it? And the Bible says that when we look at him, we are transformed into the same image, right? And Christ served everyone and everyone. He hasn't, uh, his whole life has been a ministry. In fact, he said to his disciples, “Really? " This is the path to greatness— to serve others." Right? So I feel like life is constantly giving us opportunities to improve someone's moment, someone's hour, someone's day, someone's year, someone's life, someone's life, right? And whenever you see that opportunity, no matter what form it comes in, take advantage of it, right? Take advantage of this opportunity. Take responsibility. You know what? Even if that's all I can give, all I can give at this moment is a smile, right ? This is an encouraging word. This is a hug, right? It's like buying you a cup of coffee. Well, I can't afford Starbucks, but I'll buy you something from McDonald's, okay? I can't afford to, you know, take you to the spa, but I'll pay for your haircut. Right. I can't afford, you know , to buy you a car, but I'll buy you a bus ticket. Yes. Right. Well, I can't pay for your rent, but I can pay for one night in a hotel somewhere so you don't have to sleep on the street. I can't give you a new wardrobe, but I can give you a blanket. Right here. We humans have opportunities all the time , do n't we? make someone's life better, right ? And to the extent that you have the resources, right? You can make a small or a big impact, but the main thing is impact , right? So for anyone who's thinking , oh, I want to serve, I want to serve. I think we make ministry seem like something of an expedition, don't we ? But in reality, every day you meet someone in whose life ...Yes, you can leave a mark. Yes. Right. In a positive sense, just like you meet people every day whose lives you can make worse. Right. And people whose lives you can just ignore. Yes. Right. I think the more we are like Christ, the more we cannot look away from any suffering. Right. And sometimes you see suffering, right? And there's nothing you can do about it. Yes. Right. And in such moments, the burden of suffering, yes, must touch you. Even if you can't do anything about it, they still have to touch you. If you see someone suffering and feel nothing, yes, there is a problem. Something lost for humanity. Yes. Yes. Right. This is how I feel about ministry. Yes. Right. That's why you can't call me with a problem and I 'll ignore you. Right. Because if I can say anything, quote a verse from Scripture. Mhm. Right. Listen to your heart's expression. Mhm. This will make your life better. Yes. Right.
(29:30)You can't do faith alone
What am I doing? Yes. Additionally, I want us to pay attention to the benefits of serving within the body. Inside the body, inside the church. Hmm, and the reason is that this is why I really understood the value of not complaining about this or that, but dedicating my time to something to improve it. And I realized that once I did that, my complaints stopped because I understood some of the things that were happening, and I could be the one to suggest that solution. So, regarding Tand's comment about his ministry, can you, um, tell us a little bit about how you presented that information, you know , generally to people who want to serve? Hmm, yes, can you touch that? Sorry, too fast. There is one way you can serve this podcast by subscribing. Yes. So, PF is going to explain the real truth about ministry, but you can subscribe to it. No, what you just said is not a false truth. This is true. That's true because, and it's not a filter, right? You sit down, yes, and listen to something that does something positive for you, right? Or it enlightens you, it entertains you, it inspires you, right ? That cheers you up, doesn't it? It explains something to you, it teaches you, doesn't it? Sometimes all you can do in ministry is pass on this information. No, that's good. Right. Sometimes it's just sharing a podcast with someone, right? This could indirectly, yes, open a portal, yes, into the mind of God in a way that was n't there before, right? So there are opportunities to serve. We just turn another corner in a different direction. Yes. In church, when you serve in church, for me, that's what I saw. Mhm. This unites you. This helps you build community. Mhm. Community is critical, and I don't want to go into detail, but community is critical to your spiritual formation, right? People think you can be a Christian without community, without a Christian community, right, and that's such a false idea because the Bible talks so much about the body, the body, the body, in fact at one point Paul says how the hand can say, " I don't need the foot." Not quite. Do you understand what I mean? So you, you, you, you, you look at this and say, “Well, you know what ? I don't need to be in the body, right? You already, I think, this is a big mistake. I understand why people say I understand pain, right? And some of the things that people have gone through have made them want to leave the body, but we shouldn't make it seem like that's not the case ." Hmm. Right. Do you understand what I'm talking about? Um, so when you serve in the body, it instills you even more into that community. At New Testament House, our motto is a place to believe, belong, and become. Yes, and we say "believe" because faith comes first . Right. But after belief comes belonging. Mmm. Right. Community. The Bible says that God places the lonely in families, but the rebellious are kept in hopeless places. Right? There is a life that comes from this interaction in service. But service, for better or worse, helps you become who God designed you to be. And when I speak for better or for worse, sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it's nice. Sometimes people will pick on you. Right? But sometimes you need to be robbed the wrong way to realize that you still have problems to solve. Right? We can't have this sanitary ideal environment, can we ? Where everyone is on the same wavelength, on the same wavelength, you know, we are constantly in sync. This is a utopia that exists only in the minds of pseudo -intellectuals. Yes. Right. The reality of life is that when you join a community, you grow within that community. Yes. Right. It's like taking, you know, grafting a branch onto a tree. Hmm. This helps the branch grow. So for me, when I started serving, my faith, my relationship with God, my understanding of Scripture, my interactions with people–everything grew. Yes. So, the number one benefit of service. Yes. Spiritual growth. Hmm. Today, my fellow philosopher here, Zvysno, is spending his summer leading a fellowship group. Yes. Essentially, opening up your home, your time, and your gift to connect with other Christians who are sensational. And then Thun comes along, and the first thing he tells us is that he met Jesus again, right? I draw the line
(34:53)Christianity became a spectator sport
between these two experiences. Yes. Right. And that's the essence of service, right? The more you serve , the deeper and deeper your roots go right into Christ, because it goes deeper into the body of Christ, you know, and you benefit from it because the life of Christ flows through you much more than if you were standing on your own . Yes. And to live independently and do something for yourself. But you know, Christianity has become a spectator sport these days . People are very comfortable just watching from the sidelines, are n't they? And that's the problem. Mhm. This is the format of the church, we have big halls that can hold thousands of people, then there's a podium, there 's an artist, you know, a stand-up comedian , a Ted speaker, you know, he talks to you , there's a band, great music leads the service, great vocals, you know, even the dance steps are inspiring, like the energy when you cut with a knife, and you're just there, and you're having a great time, and you leave. Mhm. You can't do this in a connection group. You can't do this in a connection group. And the church connection group is closer to the original church than this concert that we do every Sunday morning. Mhm. Right. And so for me, um, that's why we had to pray to God to help us build our connection, because I began to understand that we were raising a generation of viewers. Mhm. You know, then the pandemic also legitimized it on a completely different level. So now I'm not just not serving. Now I do n't even need to go to church. Someone was telling me about someone who goes to church, and I'm like, "I haven't seen that guy in years," like, "Oh, no, no, no. " He checks in every Sunday." I mean, no, you know, you know, this is wild, and I know we're going to finish this. Um, great to be back, PF, but I want to properly pin you down because it's funny that I'm not one, I was a little surprised by that too. I don't know of anyone else where PF as a pastor of a church can practically be like, "Okay, this version of church might be a problem." Yes. Does this make sense? the way it's formatted can be very, but it still reminds us that anything that has to do with Christ's past has to be relational, because for me it was a vulnerable zone , where we were all vulnerable, and some vulnerable zones where you're vulnerable but still don't feel safe, you don't go back because you think you're being judged, but because it was Christ's past, I think NCH did a phenomenal job, everyone from the group behind the scenes, there was this Christ's past. So, even though you are vulnerable, but everyone was almost okay, the past was actually Christ's. So we felt safe not because of our vulnerability per se, but because there was this past of Christ, and you don't get that in tradition, well, I don't know, sir, but in a traditional church environment you do n't usually find that. So I just want to emphasize what you said, as a church leader, that
(38:00)A pastor admits Sunday service is broken
this format can be problematic, it's also striking. Very problematic. This is extremely problematic. We know this. I don't think there is any pastor who thinks Sunday service is perfect. I think there is. I don't think so. And I really want you to talk to these pastors too. I think in closing I want you to talk to them. I don't know. I talk to them, but I don't think they're that loud. Maybe they know, but they're not that vocal. So let me explain why I say this. Right. If you have a congregation of 2,000 people, you can't have 2,000 people serving in a church of 2,000 people. Emm. Right. Yes. You can't have 2,000 people participating in conversations. A Sunday service is 2,000 people talking about the Gospel of Matthew 15. That's impossible, right? That's just impossible, right? So how do people interact with the word other than listening to sermons, right? What do they know, how is it being investigated? Right? We have a Bible study. Our Bible study is probably only a few hundred people. And if you come to a Bible study, you know, that's when we say interactive. These are not slides. And yes, for your information, it's every Wednesday. Hmm, it's not every Wednesday. It is seasonal. Sorry. Sorry. It's on Wednesdays, but it's not every Wednesday this season, everyone. It's every Wednesday. And in any other season we've had, it's been on Wednesdays. Wednesday, in the middle of the week . So, for example, right now we are studying the Epistle of James. Right. The Epistle of James has five chapters. Yes. Right. So, we meet for five weeks just to talk about Jacob. And when we're done with Jacob, we'll take a break. Maybe we'll come back next year. Maybe we'll be back in a couple of months. But this study of James is not about you sitting down and someone preaching to you about James. Hmm. I want to know what you think about the first chapter. What did you read in the first chapter? What do you think about the first chapter? What questions does reading the first chapter raise for you? Right. So, we talk about it back and forth . I speak, but people speak, ask questions, and express their opinions. And where someone's theology needs to be corrected, we will correct it. And where we can learn from someone's opinion, we learn from someone's opinion. The body grows thanks to what each joint provides. How each joint provides for 2,000 people, apart from the money they bring in,
(40:22)The church that only works financially
it works financially. That's all. Yes, but he works to support himself, right? We need the money we get on Sunday to pay for the hall so we can have Sunday. Makes sense. Yes. Well, well, I'm probably going to have problems with this song. No, no, no, no. I mean, because if the air conditioner breaks, we'll need the money. Yes, but do we need air conditioning if everyone meets at home? I think. But I mean, there's an advantage to all of us coming together. Absolutely. Of course. There is an advantage. Of course , there is an advantage. And I think that's the advantage of being able to connect in a central location, and then we can use those connections and go back to meeting in smaller locations. There is an advantage, but we could get it in other ways. Yes. Well, we can get an advantage. Well, there are still 12 of us. Still come on Sunday. We have services at 9:00 and 11:00. In fact, there are not many alternatives. We don't have it, God doesn't have it, and so I'm not going to close the church on Sunday, am I? Because I don't see such a flaw in it, I don't see any other way, right, based on human nature, right, that would work. Yes. So I'll do it on Sunday anyway, and we'll do it well. Yes. And we will do it on time. Amen. And one and a half marks. Well, um, you're the first one here. Well, maybe not the first, but you're here anyway. And whatever you do, do it well. Yes. Do good. Right. So serve well, the first episode of season five was sensational. PF, as always, thank you so much for your unfiltered views on the Church of Christ and our world. Esther, please make sure you know the date of the Bible study. What do you mean, when was the last time you were there ? We are finishing. We love you all. Subscribe . See you later. Peace. Peace.