Video Transcript: The Equipping Leader

Well, this week we are talking about the equipping leader. Okay, it's about equipping people.  And we just have to remember that the goal in our gatherings, one of the goals anyways, is  reproduction. So it's not about training people to be dependent on you, but really training  them to be independent of you in a lot of ways or maybe even interdependent. And this is this is huge, because, okay, this was not, again, this is another one of those things that you see  are so core in Scripture, like, this is so obvious, it's so clear, this is what's supposed to happen in the church, like, like the leaders are supposed to equip the other people for the work of  service. But this was not at all in my mind. When I first started the church. 20 something  years ago, I wasn't thinking about reproducing or equipping people. See, I thought, and this is  just the way I thought back then, because I think this is the norm, that success, I thought  success was getting as many people as I could, in a room to hear the Word of God. And sure,  there's an element of some success to that. But like I thought, okay, that's the goal. Like right  now we'll just start with a small group, and then maybe we'll get bigger. And then pretty soon  1000s of people come in a room and listen to me teach the Word of God. And once you hit  that point, man, that's success. And everyone will tell you that successful and then people  start asking you, man, will you come speak at our conference, because you're so successful,  because you got so many people in a room. But the more I studied Scripture, the more I  realized that success is how many people you can get to leave. Okay, how many you can  equip, and then send them out to do their own thing. It's reproducing yourself, not getting  them dependent on you. It's, it's very much like parenting. The goal, my goal is not to have all my kids live in my house for the rest of my life. Okay, the goal is to get them out successfully, and where you've trained them up well, so well, that they can stand on their own two feet,  and get their own job and start their own families and start the whole thing again, where  they're teaching their kids and training. That's the goal. That's the end goal that we  understand that as parents, but I think for years, we haven't understood that in the church.  And we just go, man, look how good I am. All these people come to listen to me every Sunday. And there's actually a sense of failure in some ways. When all those people are so dependent  on you. Your goal is like, man, I've trained them, equip them so well that if I were gone, no big deal. They're good. They're good. Just like my children. It's like, okay, I want to raise them up,  knowing that I'm not going to be here forever. I have to reproduce myself, I have to get them  prepared for life beyond me. And that's a great dad that can pull that off. And that's a great  pastor that can pull that off in the church, to say, Wow, that's cool. Look at how many people  with so just just start having that mentality? Like, when am I a successful leader, when Am I  successful pastor, it's not when I get them in the room, it's when I can get them to leave. And  while they're leading off, that's awesome. I mean, that's my dream, I would love to see, you  know, if the Lord decides to let me live that long, I'd love to see all my kids have their own  families and them teaching their kids and then starting that process all over again. And that's  what we want in the church. I mean, when that'd be so cool. Like, think about all the people  that are part of your gathering right now. And imagine them all leaving your church to start  their own churches to make their own disciples. Like, where you go, Wow, that's so cool.  That's so cool. Man, it was a blessing. Having Raph over at my house, gosh, I was months ago  with his discipleship group, you know, that him leading, you know, 5, 6, 7 guys, and it's like,  man, that's so cool. You know, I just remember when he first came in, Berto brought him in  and it's like, okay, who's this guy? You know? And then a month, you know, a year later,  suddenly, he's mentoring other people, and he's got his disciples and I'm going, This is it. This is so cool. This is the dream. Okay. So keep that in your mind. The goal is not collecting  people. The goal is getting rid of them and reproducing them. and having them start their  own families. Paul tells Timothy and II Timothy 2:2 he says, what you have heard from me, in  the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.  Okay, you remember II Timothy2:2, II Timothy 2:2 see the pattern. II Timothy 2:2, it just just  keep this in mind. But but it there's some really interesting things in that verse because he  goes what you heard from me, in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Okay, so So what is our goal? It's like, whatever you hear  here, right? Now, as I'm teaching you, in your mind, you should be thinking, who are the  faithful ones? who are faithful ones that I can pass this on to? And they will teach others. It's 

like four generations in this one verse. Paul goes the things you heard from me, Timothy,  teach it to other people who will in turn teach others. Okay, so think in your mind who's  faithful to God? Who do I know right now that if I teach them something, they'll actually pass  it on. That's why so I love this group. Okay? Because there's many places where I speak and I  go, I'll say this, and they may clap and go, Oh, that was good. But it stops right there. You  know, here's like, Okay, I know what you guys are about. And whatever I teach you, it's not  wasted, because you're gonna pass it on to the next guy. And I love that, you know, and that's the way it should be. So you think to yourself right now, who are the faithful people in my life, that if I tell them something, they'll actually pass it on to someone else. And Paul's telling  Timothy, that's who I want you to focus on, is find those people find a reliable ones. Because  the goal is not just making disciples, it's making disciple makers. Okay, I want to make  disciple makers. And we do this by giving people responsibility, not just tasks. I talked about  this a little bit last week, where those people that are in your church in your gathering where  you go, Okay, I think these three, or these two guys I know are faithful, then you tell them,  Okay, then you pass on what I teach you to these other guys. Okay? That's your job, okay?  Because I'm not going to talk to those other guys. They're your responsibility. You be their  spiritual parents, and just give them that type of ownership and saying, Look, I'm relying on  you, I'm depending on you, because I see you as one II Timothy 2:2 people in our church,  where if I pass it on to you, you'll pass it on to them, so I can count on you for that, you know,  it's just giving them that responsibility to say you have to raise up leaders. Otherwise, this  thing's going to stop. When I first started meeting with the pastors, I told them, Look, just just  assume, I don't know if I'm gonna move or die. But just assume I'm going to just assume that  you're the only group that I'll Shepherd, you're the only group that I'll disciple. So then it's  your job to pass this stuff on. And not that assume that I'll just be here forever to teach the  next group and the next group and the next group. No, that's not the way Jesus did it. He  looked at his 12. And he goes, Look, I'm not going to be here forever. So it's through you,  you're going to make the disciples and you're going to pass it on. Later in II Timothy 2:15, he  says something, it's very important for all of us. He says, do your best to present yourself to  God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of  truth. So to be a good teacher, you have to be a good student. That's what he's saying here.  That all of us in this room, we should be students of the word. You know, you may right now  go Gosh, I don't know enough. I don't know. That's fine. That's fine. The idea is, where are you going to be a couple years from now? What's what's the, the trajectory of your life right now?  Do you see yourself one day going? Yeah, pretty soon I'm not going to be ashamed of my  Bible knowledge. Because I'm getting into it. I'm studying and so so don't don't don't feel like  okay, I'm the leader now. So I stopped learning. No, man, I got to constantly learn and if  you're like me, I don't have a great memory. You know, I forget what I learned. And so it's like,  Man, I I spend my whole life like relearning the same things that I learned a year ago. So even even reading through the scriptures every year, I'm like, Oh, that's right. I read this last year, I totally forgot about this, we have to just constantly be these learners. But but one of the  critical passages I wanted to focus on was Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4, because this again  explains what leaders are supposed to do. Ephesians 4:11-16. So when you think what's,  what's my goal here, as a leader, verse 11, and he gave the apostles, the prophets, the  evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints, for the work of ministry, for  building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and the knowledge  of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,  so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by  every wind of doctrine, by human cunning by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather,  speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him, who is the head into  Christ, for whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is  equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up  in love. I just think this is so critical that it gives us this picture of how the body is supposed to work. So you do have these leaders, okay, we do believe in leadership, we do believe that  there are certain people that God has gifted, okay, but what is the point of their gifting their  gifting it says is to equip the saints for the work of service. Okay, for many years, we haven't 

looked at church this way. We feel like, okay, the guys up front, do the ministry, their staff, we  pay them to minister to us. That's a mentality of a lot of people that attend churches. They  think, well, I tithe that pays for the pastor. And so the pastor equips, or teaches me, he takes  care of me visits me in the hospital, I pay for the youth pastor, the youth pastor, teaches my  kids, disciples, my kids, in this mentality of the staff, really ministers to the church. But if you  look in this passage, who's doing the ministry, it's the actual saints, it's the people in the  church. It's not the it's not the pastor. It's not the evangelist, it's not the Prophet, their job was to equip the saints for the work of service. So again, what is failure failure is when everyone's  still dependent on the leadership. Success is when the leaders have equipped you to actually  do the work of service. So again, when you look, again, at your congregation at your church,  you know, when you pray through those names, which I hope you're doing now, every week,  and you're praying for these people to look at them and go, How am I doing with equipping  him? How am I doing with equipping her? Is she now ministering to other people? Because  you're only going to get so far until you start teaching someone else. Right? You guys know  that. It's, it's a lot of you once you had that responsibility that you have to teach someone,  suddenly you learned it, suddenly you got it. But if you spend your whole life just taking,  taking, taking, there's only so far that you can go. It's only when you become a giver, it's only  when you've been equipped. And so that's our job. We're preparing these people, we're  equipping them and say, Okay, what do you need? Because right now, you're not helping  anyone. You're not serving and when you're not using your spiritual gifts, so So let me let me  think through Let me love you in the right way and prepare you for that. In in I Corinthians 12, is a passage you guys are all familiar with. I Corinthians 12. It talks about how we are all a  part of a body, right? I just really want to challenge you to take this so seriously as as literally  as the Bible takes it. Where you look at everyone here and go I need them. They have  something to offer the body. In verse 21, where he says, the eye cannot say to the hand, I  have no need of you, nor again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you. On the contrary,  the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable. Just again, think about  everyone in your church right now. Let's be honest, haven't there been times when you  thought, I don't really need her? I think we might be better off without her, right? Let's admit, it's just human nature. This is this is a way we think we did. That was Paul's point in I  Corinthians 12. He goes, there's going to be those parts that you think are more important,  then there's other ones that you think I could do without them. I don't really need them. And  this is a hard passage. Because in our country, in our culture, we're taught to be independent. Okay, so I want to make sure you understand this whole message I'm giving yes, we're  preparing people to where they can stand on their own feet lead their own congregations, you know, so God wants that he wants us to equipping people. So they're not just blown and  tossed by every wind of doctrine. But at the same time, he also wants to create this body,  where there's this unity, and everyone's looking at each other and going, Okay, I can't look at  any of you and go, well, we don't really need you. Or we really need you know, all we see, this is, oh, this is terrible. But this was my mindset. When I led the church for 15, 16 years, was I  thought to myself, again, it's that independent spirit, where I just thought, you know what, as  long as I show up and teach, I'm good, I can get people in the room. And that might be true,  as far as getting people in a room, but to accomplish what God wants to accomplish. I used to tell my staff, I go, Look, you guys can all leave. In fact, I want you to leave. You know, I had  like, 60, 70 staff at one point, I go, it would be great. If all of you left. I believe God would  bring new people in and everything else and, and you guys go so. So there's a truth to that,  like, yes, go because I want you to experience like, what it's like when it's just you and God.  It's like, wow, I'm in charge of this thing. And a lot of you now that are leading your own  churches. There's a wait, but it's a good wait. It's like, wow, this is heavy Lord. And this takes  some faith. I mean, people are coming, and I'm supposed to be like, their spiritual parents.  Okay, God, I gotta be right with you. And you've got to work through me. It's you and me, you and me versus you know, it's like the first time you left home. And you thought, Man, I got to  pay rent. I got to wash my clothes, I got to cook. I got to do this, this this? Like, it's crazy. You  know? And then for those of you who became parents that can you bring that kid home? It's  like, whoa, none of the nurses are coming. Like, it's just me like that. This is it. Like, I've got to

figure this out. And man, is that a pressure but it's a healthy pressure. It makes you grow up.  And in the same way, when you've been entrusted this group of people. It's like, Okay, Lord, I  need you so badly. Because, you know, our churches about to, you know, turn into two  churches, and they've asked me to lead and you know, are my husband's gonna be leading  this and everyone's going, all the ladies are gonna be looking at me and oh, man, this is  overwhelming, but it's a good thing. Just like when we got our kids, it scared us to death, but  you figure it out. You know, they're more durable than you thought. It's like, oh, I dropped her  again. You know, it's just we drop them. It happens, you know? But you, you it's just, it's just  part of the process. And so, yes, it's true. You want to recreate and there's independence. And yet how do we keep in mind too this idea of everyone's got this different part of the body and  and there's this interdependence that he wants. And there's times when we just need to  repent of our independence because it's not a healthy church. And that's what I was wrestling with. was I had built a church that was over dependent on just my gift. And when you built a  church where you only need one person's gifting, that's not a godly church. That's not what  he asked for. That's not the steak, right? We got a bunch of people in the room. But his desire  was that everyone would use this manifestation of the Spirit's power. I mean, that's what he's  saying there. In I Tim. I mean, I'm sorry, in I Corinthians 12. There are a variety of activities,  verse six, but the same God who empowers them all in every one, verse seven, to each is  given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Okay, sometimes I just feel like,  here's my goal is to get everyone to believe this, about themselves and about each other. I  want everyone here to believe that about themselves and about the others around them. This isn't arrogance here. Okay, we're not talking about you believing in your own power. Okay, so  sometimes we think, oh, you know, I just want to be humble. So I'm not a very good teacher.  I'm not this. I'm not this. I'm not this. I'm not. That's not being humble. Okay, that's not  humility. Humility is just, it's sometimes that's arrogance. And it's pride that does that. You  know, because you don't want to look bad. And so if you, you know, preface it by hey I'm, not  a very good teacher, but I'm going to give it a shot, then if you actually do good, I was like,  Oh, good job. Or if you don't do good, it's like, wow, okay. Here, he told us, you know, so it's  just like, I don't want to look bad. So let me let me preface this by saying I'm not this, I'm not  this, I'm not this, just be careful of some of this. Because I remember talking to one worship  leader, who said, you know, she says, You know, I used to think I was being humble. I'm not a  good leader. And she was I realized, it was my pride. I didn't lead because I didn't want to  make a fool of myself. I didn't want to look stupid. That's my pride. But what I want you to  believe, is in the Holy Spirit of God. I mean, this is God's word. So I have to believe right now  that Almighty God says that in me, there's this manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Like, because  I'm a believer in Jesus Christ, and because the Holy Spirit dwells in me, that there's some gift I have for you. And when I exercise it in the power, the Holy Spirit look out, like, it's like, it's  awesome. Like, it's incredible. Because God doesn't just give you some mediocre spirit. You  know, it's like, no, this is the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead lives in me. And  then he says that he gifted me because he gives every one of his believers with something  from the Holy Spirit that says, bless everyone else. And so I go, Okay, God, I want that, I want  that. So I'm not going to get up there. And it's not going to be just if my gift is teaching, and  this isn't going to be just, oh, it was an OK message. No, I want to say stuff, God, that will  change your lives, where they think about it all week long. Because it wasn't me in the flesh.  Just forcing something like this is a spiritual thing that's happening in the Holy Spirit of God is  moving through me and, and it's going to change your life and impact you. Okay? Like, like  now? It takes a lot to remind myself, Oh, yeah. Because I get scared. I get to places I go, What am I going to teach them? Man, I remember sitting in front of a bunch of, you know, people in  India that have been persecuted, who watched some of the relatives, tortured to death,  people beaten and everything else. And then God calls me to speak to them, 1000s of them,  like, I just don't want to want to say God, what am I going to say? Or are you get in front of all  these scholars who can man dissect this, this book way better than me? And then there's just  like, God, what am I going to say? These guys are all smarter than I am. Now, I have to remind myself a second thing about me being smart enough, or me in my experience, the Bible  Promises me that he put me in the situation and the Holy Spirit's gonna give me words to say,

and there's this man, and it's just walking up here. Like, I'm not alone. Like I have to remind  myself like like God is here, you know, Jesus is with me, and the Spirit is in me. And because  otherwise, it's like, you're just going to be terrified. And so once I get that in me where I have  to constantly remind myself no, the Word of God says, I've been given a gift by the Holy Spirit  and manifestation of the Holy Spirit for the common good. Now my job is to remind each of  you that and to look at you and and to remind you, and to sit, you know, you, you've got  some crazy, like, scary, scary gift. Like, the Holy Spirit would just flow through, like he's  getting, you know, like, like, Acts 2 tongues of fire coming down from heaven, to where we  look at you and go, Man, that that girl like, that's, that's not her, whatever it is, whether it's  the way you pray, the way you encourage way, I don't know what that gift is. But man, if you  start really believing this of all of your people, I mean, think if we all exercise that, and that  was the that's the dream, is when you don't just look at one person's gift, and all come under  that. It's when everyone starts believing this about themselves, and about the Word of God  and you start believing in other people, to where you can't say to anyone, I don't need you. To where I I would never say, you know, it's like Kevin, I see the Holy Spirit of God and you I, I  need you like, like, I this is what we have to start saying to our congregations. You know, for  those who are an active, it's not just kicking them and go, man, dude, you've been sitting  here forever, do something. Sheez, you never sign up for a meal unit. You know, whatever it  is, like, come on, like watch the kids or anything. That that's not. I mean, there's a time for the high probably. But more than that. It's the sense in which you look at someone and you go,  man, Jonathan, I, I need you like, according to the Bible, there's something like, it's like  missing an eye, like like, I can't hear it's like, you're maybe you're the ears and it's like, I'm  walking around, I'm deaf, and the body there's something, there's something you know about  you, that man needs to be out there, or we're not going to be complete. Like, do you look at  every person in the church, say this is, this is what Christ he says, Man, I made a body. Okay?  And you're not all going to act the same. You're not all going to have the same gifts. And I  think sometimes we do take this passage and go, Well, I don't need him. I don't need him. Or,  or sometimes we just think how come he's not like me? How come she's more not? Not more  like me? And truth is we don't want her to be like you. You know? And it's like, Man, I get it. I  talk, okay, that's what I do. Um, but if we all had my gift, what a mess. Right? It's like shut up,  you know, everyone is trying to talk like him and love to go fingers. You know, it's just what  it's just okay. That's what I do. And man pray that I use that that gift but but now to really look and go, Man, this is a body. This is an extension. Amen, start praying for each of your people.  And it's your job as the leader to go, how can I equip them for the work of service? Let me sit  with them and figure out what that gift is because I need them. I need you. I need you on the  team. And I don't want to say to anyone I don't need you, anyone that's got that Holy Spirit in  them that has a spirit of God, they've got this spiritual gift. And so man I'm just challenging  you right now. Do you really believe that about yourself? Because Satan will tell you lies you  know that one of the most meaningful times in my life was when I went away in the woods  one time just by myself alone with God and and just one of those times where I just thought  let me just see how long I can just stay in the woods just with me and God and you know, and  just for a few days, just need the Bible and some water and just I didn't want to see any  humans and and we're just opening up the Bible kind of one of those wherever it falls, which I  don't really like to but you know, just felt right? And it worked. Okay. And but it was that  passage in Jeremiah one where God just says to Jeremiah, look, before I formed you in your  mother's womb, I knew you came before You were born, I declared that you were going to be  a prophet. And it's like, really, God, you knew me before you even made me before I was even born, you knew me. You had plans for me before I even was out of my mother's womb. So you knew my mom was going to die giving birth to me, but you wanted me on the earth because  there's something I was going to do. You know, but then in that passage, Jeremiah says to  God, oh, I'm only a child. And God says, Don't say I'm, only a child. And I'm going to put these words in you. Again, Jeremiah did the same thing. Okay, I know I'm created by you. But I'm  scared. I'm this. This isn't God that says, no, no, don't you? Don't you say that? Don't you be  like Moses? Why don't talk? No, I made your mouth. See, Moses was not being humble. You  got to remember that Moses was not being humble when he said, I don't speak real well, 

because God looks at him and says, Who made your mouth? You say, I screwed up. So I  screwed up when I made your mouth. Now you're saying, Moses, look at me. You say I  screwed up. It's just one of those. It's just see, that's not humility. You're downplaying the  creation of God, and you're downplaying the power of His Holy Spirit. You're blaspheming him. I'm blaspheming the way you created me. And I'm blaspheming the power of your Holy Spirit.  When you told me you made me. And I go, God, you know what, then you made an amazing  creation. Just like, like, like David says, right? I was fearfully and wonderfully made. God, I get  it. You say this about me. So this is true. And how dare I say, Oh, I don't really have anything  to offer you guys. No, you know what the Holy Spirit of God is in me, I've got something to  offer you. And I've got to figure that out more and more. And now I got to figure that out in  you. And you've got to figure it out in your people and go, Okay, if we're going to be a healthy body, let's figure this out. Okay. Because in the flesh, we'll get mad at each other. And we'll  get frustrated that you're not like me, I'm not like you. And it's like, no, that's not what God  wants, what a champion each other would remind each other, you've got some sort of gift.  And we can't do without that. I need you. I need you. I need you. See, I think what I love, I  there's so many things I love about our church right now. But one of the things I love the most is how very few people are wasted. Now, like, like, very few people are like, like, unused, you  know, because this would this would frustrate me so bad. You know, it's like, I have all of  these people. And I see them in the workplace like they were CEOs or this or that. Or they'd  be at parties. And they're the life of the party so much that they're doing out in the world. And yet on with the church, they just sit there. They show up and sit. And I knew I'm like, Man, I'm  being a bad steward. Like I'm being a terrible manager. Because I have so many if all of these  people possess a super supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit, and I'm the only one  using my gifts. I'm really wasting a lot of God's resources. Okay, that's that got so convicting,  you know, was like, Oh, I'm wasting all of these people. God, I'm not, I don't even know what  to ask them to do. I'm just asking them to show up right now and, and maybe give 10% of  their income. Like, I don't know what I'm asking them to do. I these are your people like and I  love serving Him. That's my, that's my thrill in life. Like, there's times when I'm done teaching, and I walk off the stage and I just go, that was awesome. God, like, that's the whole reason  why I'm on this earth. Like, that's what I live for. Like those moments where you go, I wouldn't  use my God, what I was created for, and the gift that he gave me. And it wasn't even me up  there. It was like, Oh, the words just came out. You know, you know, those moments when you when you ran into someone, you had a conversation with them, and you walk away going,  Hey, that was awesome. Like I said, things I didn't even know beforehand. And it just came  out and I was so powerful, you know? Like, that's what everyone's supposed to be  experiencing that rush and now I realize, Wow, all of these people, they're not experiencing  that. They're just experiencing my gift. Maybe two or three other people's gifts. And we are  wasting wasting wasting a lot. You know? Just think about your church right now. And just your room around the room, maybe even next Sunday, just looking into the eyes or, or this week  as you're praying for each of them. And going God, okay. I know in Aaron is a supernatural gift of God, Lord, help me help me figure out a way as a pastor to get him just released, you  know, and whatever it is, and to just start going around the room and doing that. Because  right now I that that's what I do love is I'm seeing fewer and fewer people being wasted. See,  you know, I was explained to Jonathan, you know, that the people in our gatherings right now  and I just got excited as I start just naming leaders. Because I think, you know, I go man,  there's this guy, Marcus, you know, Bailey, like, he would just be sitting there in church, if we  didn't do it, but now he's responsible. He's got these people that he's over, you know, Aaron's  here, you guys would just be sitting there. You know, just watching Listen to me did give a  sermon or whatever. But it's like, no, now you shepherding this group of people. That's crazy.  That's huge. Chas, man, you would just sit listening to more, Brian listening to more. And I  just think, man, what if all these people just came on Sundays and just listen to me teach and  go home? Like how empty that would be. But instead, like they're being stretched, and they're responsible for other people. And they're growing way more than they were just by sitting  there under someone's teaching every week, week after week after week, because I just go  man, I tell people. When I talk to I go man, it's fun, because now it's like, sky's the limit with 

some of these guys? Where I go, I have no idea. And they may do way more than me,  because that's the dream of all of our children, right? is like, wow, I want them to take it  another step. I want them to jump off and let me be there, you know, not their ceiling, but  their floor, right? It's like, okay, I want you to take, you know, everything I can give you. You  know, I want to give it to you early, then you can build upon that. You know, it's fun. Someone asked me this morning, I was speaking and someone goes, Oh, your wife, she has the most  amazing voice. And I just still remember the worship leaders. Great worship leader too. But  she was talking about your voice. And she man does she still sing, not really. But I go because our girls, they're better than her now. And she knows it, but she's cool with it. And you know it because they play instruments and they sing. So they got her voice and a play and and then  they're so young. And so yeah, isn't that awesome? Like, that's the way it's supposed to work  is like, okay, it's not let me keep them under me. Okay, it's like, just remember, hey, I'm  queen singer here. You know? It's like, okay, Madonna your times over. You know, it's just, it's, you know, so try. Why do you keep trying? You know, it's okay. It's that next generation. And  so, man, I when I talk about our church, I just I brag about a lot of you and I just go man, I I  can't wait to see what God does in their future because they're getting things at this early  stage that I didn't get to so much later. And remember, that's what you want to do with your  people is not just see yourself as the ceiling. But as the floors like let me just, I can teach  them everything I know. Probably take a month. And then, man, I hope they surpass me. I  hope they do so much more when I'm gone. See, that's my prayer right here is like I go okay,  God, I was praying that today. Oh, God, I hope they take it to another level. Robert, I hope you do so much more than I've ever done. Man. I hope that I hope that man this start that you've  had which has been insane. I mean, how far in this year it's like, Okay, we got to get him  leading. We got to release that guy because he's gonna do some crazy crazy things. You can  reach people that I can never reach. Marcus, you only been around for like a month. But it's  like, Man, I see something in you. It's like man, I hope you take it to another level. You know?  Man I talk about you a lot Aaron but man I think the world of you I think there's a gift. There's  something about you, man that it's not just follow someone's example. But like God has  something special where you set the example and take it to another level. I really believe that you know Steph, Tony there's something there that is not just, you know, even even the text I  got from you Steph about, you know, some of Bob Gough and like, okay is a guy you look up  to, but I, I kind of read and I was like, Yeah, but even know, like how awesome she is. And  that's even know that as I Bob Gough is kind of weird, you know, it's just, I love him, but you  know what, you're different. You're something else and it's like boom to use that, you know.  And Tony, that's how like faith like you gotta take it. You know, there's something that's just  screaming to get out. And don't look, you know, we look at people in the Bible, like they're  unattainable. And then it becomes people on the earth like, ooh, if I could beat this guy, right  and go, No, the Spirit of God is inside of me. And there's something huge Kiana angel like,  Man, I don't know what in the world God's doing through you. But I just, I believe there's this  future with you too, that I don't understand. I go man, what is it? The way you parent, you  know, with your kids, and the closeness and all the changes that God's used in your life. It's  like, Man, I don't want you under me or my teacher. It's like, man, there's something there.  When we hear you speak. It's like, whoa, that's crazy. That's crazy. That's why it's on Sean. It's like when he started pastoring like, oh, my gosh, how did he know that? Like, God wants to do something new. Man, Marcus, I tell people about you all the time. Just like Man, there's  something he's going to do. I don't I've told you before. I don't even know what God wants to  do through you. You know, and it's, it's just like I don't know. Next, TD Jakes and Eddie Murphy flown in one. Now you inspired, okay. But you know, it's just like, I just, you know, it's just this  group. I mean, that's what Jesus was saying when he left the earth, right? He goes, Man, just  wait, watch. When you depend on the Holy Spirit. This is something I couldn't even do this is  to your advantage. This is to your advantage. When you stop looking at me doing everything  for you. And you depend on the Holy Spirit. You're gonna do things you were never able to do  with me around. And for you to believe that and go that's in me. Okay, God do something  great through me. This is not arrogance. This is trust in the Word of God going up on you 

destined me for greatness, because of your spirit. And we believe that and never take credit  for it.