Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Panel Discussion

I want to finish up the teaching on faith next week after we get back from Tennessee, Lord willing-just begin to see that the walk of faith isn't calling fire out of heaven and walking on water, but just the ability to trust God every day, to rely on His goodness to us, all of His provisions, and to be able to walk in that peace and that assurance of His provisions is about as supernatural as it gets. It's contrary to everything that's in all of our natural ways and thinking, so we're going to spend a little more time on that. Let me share real quickly just a few words from Tony, I think it will be a blessing to you. He just says-I love his writing!

"There are no words we could find to convey how affected we are, Pastor, by the times of speaking to you on the phone. We're so grateful for you as our Dad; so mindful of us, all of your children here in this place. We feel that you set a compass for us again to reach that next marker, and though we pass through turbulent winds and waters, we are assured that we are on the right course that has been set for us. Thank you, again, for taking the time to preserve through all the communication problems, to share that wisdom and counsel of God for us and all the churches. [Between my call backs and different disconnections and couldn't hear him and everything, I think I had to-somewhere between eight and ten times had to call him back over a period of an hour and ten minutes to be able to get our conversation completed, so I told him if I didn't know better I would think he was living in Africa! We finally did get it communicated.]

It's been a wonderful week returning back to Eldoret after our mission to the west. Marvelous times in the Sunday services ministering to our sixty young people that we now have in our youth group. We had prayer meetings with all the faithful saints. The mid-week services continuing as we're teaching on the goodness of God, then to spend all day Thursday being early in our Pastors' meetings with Forbe and James, ministered through the lunch hour meetings, and then on to the discipleship teachers' staff meeting and finishing late in a great time with our deacons. A long, full day, but God provides great peace to our hearts seeing the Lord continually helping us in the building of His Church. [Talks about meeting with the Young Adults in preparation for a number of marriages that are pending. Said that there have been three additions from their lunch hour meetings that are beginning to take place. So that's an exciting thing. Now let me see if I can-some of you think we have you on a schedule here. Let me see where that is.]

Overall the flock is growing well. The lunch hour meetings continue on, twenty-three meetings this month as well as follow-up and organized outreach into many homes of the visitors. We're just longing that Father would provide us with property for the church. We're very grateful for the facilities we have, but limited, and looking for our own property. We desperately need this, for our kids especially. Resting in the Lord, but believing for this need to be met. [So that's something that we can all continue to pray about.] In Busia, after the former overseers came and disrupted our purposes in the last meeting. We have begun our new church in Busia. Officially launched this weekend, sending Chris and James for Friday and Saturday with an open air crusade; Karen and I will pass through on Sunday to recognize this as an official ministry of Calvary Temple and then we're going to shut down for a couple days, as you've directed, and get some rest. We're much looking forward to beginning the new work here in Eldoret and the building for the training center. [We are going to put up a temporary quarters on a piece of property we're leasing there that will house these pastors as they come in for instruction and preparation for a some of the other ministries, so that's an exciting thing. We now have, I think -officially I don't even know-what is it Chuck, twelve churches over there now? It's somewhere in that area that are official and I don't know how many unofficial, but a lot of things that are going on and exciting to see what Father's doing. Let's see if I can finish this up.]

Thank you, again for all the wisdom and counsel shared. We're much at rest now having talked to you and know what to focus on. I really needed to hear your heart at this time. I pray that you are feeling well. [He heard about our rock-kidney-built upon a rock.] I pray that you are feeling well again and continuing to pray that the Lord will strengthen you in spirit and empower you in all that's before you. Love you much, your children, Tony and Karen."

So that's a blessing that things are going great there and just encourage you to continue to hold them up.

Here is a letter from Aggrey that I haven't even had a chance to look at yet, it just came in, but they have started Discipleship Training (DT). He says,

"Thanks for all of your concerns, grateful for the flock in Sterling, for our Apostle, his love and care. We're having a more clear and proper direction on what to teach since having received the books that you provided for us. Thank God for the faithful brethren that have given toward these needs. It humbles us to see the manner of love that we don't deserve and it is appreciated so much. Thank you for your continued encouragement toward my family; we're growing strong and we learn every day how to pastor the children of God through your guidance. [And so Tony and those are doing a tremendous job in helping them out.] The health officer who came by the church is not yet come back since the time we talked to him of what we are doing and we later realized he was brought by a Moslem. One of the leaders in a nearby mosque came to ask and said we must have all transfer letters for children that are in our school. He is also one of the officials in the primary schools around this area. There is still resistance, but quite a silence from my father's previous persecutions who had even gone so far as to convince one of the parents of a faithful boy in the church [let's see what's it saying], even promised to buy him an uniform and send him to join the public schools, he's refused and is attending DT.

So those are some things they're going through a number of different trials and persecution on every level so just continue to hold them up. Every soul like that just-it's amazing isn't it every soul-here's this young boy and somebody comes in, could care less, and hears he's going to go to be taught the Word of God and now steps up to buy him an uniform to go-Satan is after every soul. It's a war for every soul that we come in contact with every day. Let's not lose our focus, our faith for every one to reach one this year, amen? Are you praying about it? Has it become a reality? We were talking about faith; use your faith to believe for that opportunity. Call things that are not as though they are. Being to declare it, praise God! If you need more boldness, begin to speak toward that and just thank God that the righteous are as bold as the lion, amen. Make that declaration about yourself and begin to let the light shine. We're a light set upon hill and we're not going to put any type of bushel over it, praise God!

If the Pastors would come, we'll go ahead and share a few things. Let's turn to Ephesians for a second. A couple of points-oh, I meant to say something this morning about the cheerleaders, and I want to make comment on that, but as you know we're headed to Tennessee. The guys and girls basketball teams are going down. They get a lot of recognition and the cheerleaders don't always get as much recognition, and yet they're at every game and working hard and supporting the team. We're just real proud of our young ladies and they went to a competition for the first time, had just a few weeks to prepare; others had been preparing for, I think, quite a long time, and our girls prepared for just a couple weeks and went down made a great showing. A lot of character and ministry that we believe has gone forth there and the girls just did a great job and we're really proud of them. Worked hard on a routine and the night before the competition, two of the girls got sick, couldn't show up, they had to totally redo the thing in one night and set up a whole other routine and went down there and nailed it, did a great job and so just wanted let you girls know we're really proud of you. They showed a lot of character in preparing for that. Our girls did a great job in cheering. I-it was brought to my attention that in the grading process-one of the things that our girls are best at, in this whole grading contest of this cheerleading competition, they had no points for cheer. It was a tumbling/dance competition, is basically what it was, so, I guess if one of our girls had fallen and rolled over then we would could have got better points for tumbling or something. Anyway, we're proud of you girls; you did a good job and we're excited about that!

The trip to Tennessee is going to be a good opportunity to minister at this Christian basketball tournament. We understand there's-this year they are allowing Mormons, so at least there will be some more ministry that we can do down there. It's a sad thing to watch the deterioration of any type of contending for the faith, but we'll go down and just try to share the Lord the best that we can. I really believe that this is going to be a great opportunity. Our boys are going down probably in some of the best shape we've been in. I'm talking about just as some-as a team and many of them are doing well in their own spiritual lives, and so I think this is something that we need to emphasize. The reason Father's blessed us here is not to go down and win a basketball tournament, though that would be nice, but just want to encourage you young men and ladies on the team: go down there believing for souls, go down there to be a witness. That's our first priority for going. If we win, praise God, that will be great, but we can't lose if we go down there with the right motives. If we go down there to be an example of the believer, if we go down there to really lift hands up. There are nominal believers that need to be inspired, that there's something better in the kingdom than what they have, and they're going to go back to their particular churches. We're not trying to get them here, but we're trying to get people excited about the Kingdom of God, so that's an opportunity. There will be some that need to be reached with the Gospel. We're putting together literature to hand out at the hotel and the mall. There's usually an eatery there that the young people go to at the mall, and to get tracts out and minister there, so be prayerful that the outreach will be successful, and if in the process we get to win some basketball games, that will be great too, praise God!

Well, let's look at Ephesians, and a couple of points in the teaching that we did on walking in the light that I want to re-emphasize and speak to if it wasn't addressed and-that's the responsibility that each of us ha, and I've mentioned it time and time again-we're members in particular and we're intertwined and Father has involved your life with people that I may not get to speak to as much as you do. That makes you responsible. That means that God put you there to be light, to be salt, to be that iron that sharpens, to be able to be that light that brings the reproof and the testing through this refining process of what carat we are; the testing to find out how pure we are in our lives. In Ephesians 4 of course, that's where it's spoken toward. Let's look at that again real quickly and we'll speak toward this and then just see where we are in the practical applications if there's any questions about it. But in this very familiar passage in verse 15 of Chapter 4 where he says, "But [we're to speak] the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things [speaking the truth in love], which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together [we've talked about that so many times, it means to be framed up properly, to have the proper organization and structure] and compacted [united, knit together, intertwined like that rope that we've talked about is what the word in the Greek means] by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part [every part-that's you; we all have a job to do, we all have to do our jobs properly for the whole body to grow and edify and to be strengthened], maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." That's our responsibility; it's not the pastor's responsibility, it's not just the deacon's responsibility, the captains' responsibilities, but every joint, every one of us, every member the body edifying itself. So what are we saying? Don't step back and wait for someone else to do it. You see it, you address it. It's your responsibility. It's your ministry. That's why God put you where you are in this body and how you relate to those particular individuals, so when you see those particular areas that are in need, then go ahead and address them as we saw in Chapter 5. What did it say here? Speaking the truth, say it, "in love." We're not coming critically, we're not coming to put people down, we're not coming in a spirit of self-righteousness, but the Scripture tells us in Galatians, in a spirit of meekness. When we see a brother overtaken in a fault we come in a spirit of meekness (Galatians 6:1). We have our faults; people are going to be coming to us, so we come in that spirit of meekness. Our desire is for corporate edification, Paul said here in Ephesians. Our desire is that it is no reproach on the Lord, that it's not once named among us as becomes saints (Ephesians 5:3). We're looking for a standard of purity and holiness and as Paul's dealing with these issues here, we address and speak toward these things as ministers of the light. One of the things that I shared with the men in breakfast yesterday, and I'll share with all of us again is: the best way to approach these things and to bring light on a subject is not to come with a judgment, a verdict already arrived at and pronounced. Remember what the Word is about. It means to expose or to test. When we are talking about reproving here in this particular passage, it's talking about that aspect. We are putting these things to the test, we're exposing different areas. You will find that one of the best ways to do that is to approach a brother or sister and say, "You know, I've been seeing some things and I just wanted to ask you, Are you seeing this? I'm observing this and I don't know; what you are seeing in your life right now. This is what it appears, what are you seeing as it pertains to your actions? How is it that you are relating to this situation these particular circumstances? Do you see this as something that is bringing edification to the body of Christ; growth in your life? How are you seeing this?" You present your observations for them to make observations as we're putting these circumstances to the test. Now it's something where they don't have to become defensive. You're not giving them any way to wiggle out of this thing when you come and say, "You know [and we address this the other day], you know I'm seeing this in your life brother [or sister]," and you give them ten things. You might be a little bit off on one of them and natural man is going to gravitate toward that one and say, "No, you're wrong here." The whole purpose is going to be lost in trying to justify this one area that you might not be exactly right in that you're addressing. Let them speak toward their own hearts. You speak toward your observations and ask them, "How are you seeing this in your life?" I think you will find that's going to be a way that produces a better environment for people to be ready to hear what you have to say with your input into their lives.

PASTOR SCOTT: What do you guys-go ahead and share along these lines some of the other things that we addressed that it might practically let us get these things involved in or applied in each others lives.

PASTOR LAROCK: Just on what you're saying right there and the means of approaching it-it's a humble way to approach it. A lot of times when we confront people it's not-we're really not seeing everything there is to see. There may be sometimes where someone's involved in an obvious, clear-cut thing where you would approach it maybe a little differently, but a lot of times, a lot of what we're talking about is interacting with brothers and sisters to help us to be the best. It's not that we're just like inches away from falling into a-falling away from the Lord, but just helping one another to be the best. When you approach it that way, you also give the person an opportunity to share maybe some of the thoughts that they've had about this particular thing. You show some respect that there is a pursuit in their life and they've-"You know, well, yeah. Thanks for sharing that with me. The Lord showed me this and showed me that...," and it gives you an opportunity to contribute. You're not coming up as the "answer man" setting them straight and acting as if-and approaching with an understanding or the attitude that you have all of the illumination that they need on this subject, but you're recognizing that they've probably heard some things, too, and you're going to add. When you approach it that way, without bringing a final judgment, saying, "These are the facts and this is the judgment and this is what you need to do. Now, what are you going to say for yourself?" If you approach it that way, it really doesn't-it's not really conducive to conversation. It doesn't show a lot of respect for their own pursuit, what they have heard from God, and probably it won't be as fruitful.

PASTOR SCOTT: Right.

PASTOR LAROCK: It takes a lot more character to be to respond well. It takes a lot more maturity, and some people can respond even if they are approached in a way that's not the best. They can respond and grow from it and do well, but we're talking about doing it the best and trying to find the way that's the most effective, the most conducive; even if, in the case where the person approached kind-of in the cold hard judgment type way, the person that hears it may change and do better, but it didn't do a whole lot for your relationship. And really, what we're looking to do in addition, is to build relationship with one another so that communication can pass between one another real freely.

PASTOR SCOTT: I try to do this most of the time, and it's been something I've trained myself in and it's not just a ploy to be able to get to people. I truly understand that I don't know everything. I don't see this, so when I come up I'm not going to pass a judgment. I'm going to say, "Here's what I'm seeing. Am I missing something?" And, "Are you seeing this?" And, "What are you seeing?" Because we're working this Scripture here, and the mandate in Ephesians 4 was that we're working together to get this thing edified, the whole body, and I think that's the spirit that we want approach it in.

PASTOR HEGLUND: Something along those lines for me too-and it came up in the breakfast, was just having to confront people often as part of a being in the body-is remembering that we're in it for the long haul. Like Chuck was saying, and like you've always admonished me but, and still, I'm not very-I don't feel like I'm as good at this as I could be, but when you're confronting somebody making sure that you may feel you're right, you may perceive you're right, and you may be absolutely right, but kind of going with the understanding that at this time God may only be showing them the ten percent of what you are saying. They may only get ten percent of it. You may see a lot of these things in their life, or I can remember being a young pastor and hearing you talk about things and needing to go confront that person and going, "Man! Why can't they hear what's going on?" And feeling like I need to get out a bigger hammer and they don't hear that, and a bigger hammer, and like Chuck said, all you did was discourage them. Then, now they don't want to hear the one part that they could kind of hear, and they are just frustrated, and I think part of it just remembering to go, say it, try to use the littlest hammer possible and realize they'll just get maybe that five percent even, but the Lord's revealing to them. Remember how patient the Lord is with us as we're talking to them, how long He's been dealing with us in one area and how little we've seen. I mean the Lord knew about our life the whole time that we were that messed up. In the body here, we have people at all different levels of spiritual maturity, you know we can see, some people can see other and go, "Man! They're really messed up!" Well, you go and speak to them and realize, "I'm probably going to have to speak to them in another three months, or six months or..." And sometimes you get to do it for twenty years and you've probably had to do it for much longer than that. When you have a question-because I can remember just in my own strength trying to do things and being frustrated-well, I don't feel like they even got the point of what I was talking about. You can just take your little hammer and you don't even think anything happened, then in the body we have people we can go to and I can come back to you, Pastor and say, "Well, I talked to this person, and it seemed like they were listening and they seemed to go, "Yeah, I didn't even think of that," but, they missed, eighty percent." And it may be that you say, "Well, why don't go back and try a little bigger hammer," or, "Well, that's good. They are going the right direction and we'll see what they do with that," and then, "That's what life is all about. We're going to be here for them and they're probably going to make that mistake again," just like we all have, but I think that's real helpful and can bring a lot peace, especially to those of us-most of us in this room. We really want to do what's right and we really want to help people. We need to confront people more, obviously, but just really being patient as we do. Not, not doing it, but realize that it's going to be that process.

PASTOR SCOTT: Yes, and that is an important part until we all come to the unity of the faith (Ephesians 4:13). It's an ongoing process. We've always said that if somebody is wanting to change, if they're making an effort, it's like the old illustration that we've shared in the past. You don't have to be running a hundred miles an hour. You don't even have to be capable of taking a step, but if you'll just fall in the right direction or roll your eyes that way or something, make some kind of effort, we're going to help, praise God! Your brothers and sisters are going to help because we are in the same war, but what we can't do ever is lower the standard. It can't be once named among us, so we can't ignore it, we can't-it's not love to say, "Well, we're going to be patient and just kind of..." No. It has to be addressed because otherwise it becomes leaven. Satan moves in darkness. We are going to bring it to the light. It won't get fixed immediately in many cases, some it will-some it can be changed almost instantly, and yet there's-we all have whole lives to be fixed. How many feel like it's never going to get fixed? Does anybody ever feel like that? You should, because it isn't. That's how you should feel because, until glorification, we are going to be involved in the process of sanctification. It's an ongoing-it never ends. Sanctification never ends until glorification, so praise God! Therefore be teachable, change, and be patient with those that are in the process, but don't allow it to be named once without being challenged, because that's what brings glory to God. We're jealous for His holiness, for His glory!

PASTOR SCOTT: Any questions to this point just along these lines?

MAN IN CONGREGATION: If you see something in someone's life, where do you draw the balance with the timing in addressing it?

PASTOR SCOTT: Many times we can let things-timing is waiting to see when we might speak to where they are most receptive, if it's something that is just internal. But if it's influencing others, and endangering others, then we have to address anything that's endangering others. Because if it's left unspoken to and its seeds that are sown, now what we're doing with all the time that goes by, we're allowing-now we've got a lot to chase down. So, when it's an internal problem, let me see if I can give you an example. You've got some Young Adults or whatever, and you've got relationships that aren't exactly in order. Two guys are liking this same girl, and one of them is not approaching it properly, is putting a rush on them and putting some pressure. "I believe God told me. I received a vision from the Lord that you're supposed to be my wife." Now she's confused, and this other guy says, "Hey! I like her! This guy is doing this, so now, I've got to have a dream and a vision and oh..." somebody's got to talk to that, okay, because it's going to get worse. Now, say this guy is having trouble with pornography, and he's seeing something on the Internet that he shouldn't see, and you became aware of that. Okay. That could be something that you might want to speak to instantly, but that's just-that's him; him and God. He's not trying to put it off on anybody else, whatever. You become aware of it and you go, "Father, You know. Give me the wisdom. Let me speak into his heart. I'm asking You to deliver him." Believe he might come to you if you have a good relationship, or whatever. That may not be a great example, but that kind of shows you. One is just as self-destructive. God's timing is perfect. He is not going to let anybody be destroyed in the process, but there is a timing. The other begins to be anywhere from leaven to predatory wolf-type stuff; toward getting into false doctrine being propagated. Those things have to be addressed immediately when it begins to be harmful outside. Does that help? Good.

Any other questions along these lines of applications or whatever in bringing reproof and instruction and correction? Like I said, when you go, go in the spirit of meekness. You don't know all the circumstances. You don't know everything. You have observed some of these things and you ought to go in fear and trembling. If you're going with bold-"I'm the great prophet of righteousness in our midst here!" then somebody's going to be talking to you real soon about the subject of pride, so those are some things that we need to be aware of too because, you are not "it". Okay? You are part of a community, and the instruction for everybody's life in this room doesn't come through you, and so that's something that you need to come to grips with.

MAN IN CONGREGATION: In the list of the several things that are brought to us, if we would focus on one thing, and God will take care of the others. We try to overemphasis what needs to be done with all these number of issues instead of crux of the matter. Correct?

PASTOR SCOTT: Right. And that's why, if you can approach it the way we're saying to come up and say, "I'm observing...," and you address a couple different things. "What's Father speaking to you? What's going on in your life right now?" Many times they'll nail the core issue of, "Well I'm just bah...,"and there it is and then you can speak toward that and these other areas don't even have to be addressed because they've revealed their core situations. They're revealing their heart. Why? Because now you're there and they sense a vulnerability; they sense the love, you're not challenging them of being pagan, they're just a brother that's needing help, and they're seeing these areas and they're much more apt to speak their hearts to you and then we can help people. So I think that's pretty important. But when we're observing these different areas, and part of what we're talking about, we're conscience in the lives of some. Let's say this brother, now that I become aware of, and he's got this situation and I'm praying, and I'm uncomfortable in my spirit, and now I can see their countenance is changing, they're depressed, they're irritable, they're starting to separate themselves. I need to go-whenever I see that it's not getting better, then that begins to be my timing to go and say, "Hey, I've been observing some of these things, and what is it?" Not, "Hey, I passed," [let's say it's a roommate], "I was walking by your room last night and I saw this thing on your screen. What are you doing watching that stuff? We-you don't approach that way. You come and say, "I see that you've been struggling. What's going on?" Let them confess their sin, they're faithful and just. Confess your sins one to another that you can be healed. But, if nothing is confessed and you say, "Look, it's obvious you are struggling. You just don't have the joy of the Lord. You're not in..." Well, now there's nothing, you say, "What about this?" Now we're in the light with that kind of thing, so that can be a practical scenario.

PASTOR SCOTT: Anybody else? Any observations along these lines or questions along these lines that might help in bringing-remember what the word means: to expose or to test; reproving. It doesn't just mean to come up and hammer somebody and rebuke them, "Thus saith the Lord, you're going to hell if you don't repent." We're testing this thing. We're testing our own hearts. We're testing this fruit in our lives or the lack of it. We're testing the purity of the gold. That's what the fire is for, the refining process, so that's what this is. It's a test to find out where their hearts really are. Are there any other questions along the line of walking in the light? How about, we talked a number of months back about establishing here in Ephesians 4, those that were being knit together with. We talked about some of the old-timers had bosom buddies, people that you really could get close to and share your heart with and some of your struggles. For spouses, that ought to be your best buddy. Ladies, you shouldn't be finding other ladies to confide in; your husband is your confidant; your wife is your confidant. Those are the people that you can trust with your lives and if they're-I'm talking about if they're believers and growing together. If that's not built, than there begins, many times, to be a lack of confidence and a breach that Satan can come into there. Then things are not addressed and spoken to, and the Scripture says "don't let the sun go down upon your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26). Speak these things and get them dealt with, bring it to the light. Share your heart and Satan doesn't have any power over you if you can be that vulnerable and that much in the light. These are very humbling things to do many times, but you're not fooling anybody but yourself, so you might as well be truthful, and [that's] very important. Any of you guys have any comments along?

PASTOR LAROCK: That's so important what you're saying right now. I want to share something from Ephesians here as well, but so important, especially with your spouse, to be open, and it provides such a great degree of safety when you're not living your life to yourself and having liberties that you may have that only you know about. You really open yourself up for deception and destruction, and there's so many ways. We're really denying the wisdom of God when we live to ourselves, and we think, "Well yeah, I can handle this and I'm dealing with this and nobody else really needs to know about it. It's too humbling or too embarrassing to communicate it but..." We're just-it's just pride to do that and we're just loving ourselves more than we're loving the glory of God, because we're denying what He clearly says in His Word, that we need one another. We're saying, "I don't need anybody else. I can do this myself," and it really is denying God's wisdom and robbing Him of His glory in our lives and putting our own souls at peril. But another thing I wanted to just mention from Ephesians was how it says whatever makes manifest His light (Ephesians 5:13), or another way to say it would be expose, whatever exposes is the light, and how we're to be the light and just how we can be light without saying things, and we should strive to that as well as we're thinking on this subject, of reproving one another and exposing deeds of darkness amongst our friends. I'm challenged and reproved sometimes by the lives of my friends that are sitting here on this stage, and by my wife, without anything being said, but just seeing your hearts, your pursuits, your treasures, what's in the abundance of your heart. Sometimes I've been challenged many times by the light that's in your lives to a-it's been turned up, and just by being around you. That's just something that is available to us that one, we should strive to be that way, that just by our lives we would expose darkness in other people's lives, and then two, we should be aware of that. The Bible-what we're talking about is being an example, and Bible talks about examples and patterns and imitating a whole lot, and so to really glean from that, to really take notice of those that are really serving God, that God's talking to. I've spoken to actually both of you just recently about things and saying, "It seems like God has really done a work in your life in this area recently. What is it that He has done? It just seems like God's speaking to you, there's been a visitation. What is it that He's done?" So, to really draw on that with one another, to observe it and to try to glean from it. If I hear-if I see somebody's hearing from hearing from God and God's visiting them a special way, I want to hear what's going on.

PASTOR SCOTT: Yes, that's a good point of that illumination in being just that relational, and observing those things, and seeing the peace in their lives, seeing good decisions being made, seeing a relationships being built, and all of those things, because the one thing you can tell when somebody's struggling is, they're always going to pull back, they're going to move back toward the dark. They're going to want to get people out of their lives, and that's one of the first danger signs to look for as you're loving your brothers and sisters; those things that each of us know: the divide and conquer tactics of the enemy. Be aware of that, it's very dangerous. We talked about that husband and wife thing. Women have much more of a tendency to want to confide in women. It's like women-I need a woman to understand what I'm going through. No, there's neither male nor female in the body of Christ. We all just have to relate to the Word of God. In these areas another woman will not make you complete. A relationship with a man, and this is a guy thing, that's not going to make you complete. It takes a man and a woman being one to be complete. That's complete. All the rest of that is a lie. You've got to be aware of that because you make up for those things that are lacking in one another, in perspective, and in the way that we approach these areas. It's very important in these relationships to understand that aspect of it. If your husband or wife isn't there to where you can really relate to them in the way that you think, and your judgment of them is, "Well, they're just not spiritual enough," or, "They're not in a condition to be able to help me," then win them through your chaste conversation (1 Peter 3:1). Love them more than you've been loving them if you're the husband, so there can be a confidence there in your care for them and in your judgments, etcetera. That's all part of how we relate one another in this walk in the light.

MAN IN CONGREGATION: The balance of having a bosom buddy to share things with and ask them to hold you accountable, but they are dealing with the exact same thing, and taking these things up to a higher level for council and input, where there is greater accountability because you can share in greater depth in certain areas that you might not be able to share with a bosom buddy, and the balance of each of these.

PASTOR SCOTT: This is a big part of it as we're all members in particular and trying to encourage one another at whatever level, but when it's obvious in a situation that the need isn't being met, and here we are two high school guys, and we're both struggling with wanting to goof around, not get our homework done, and we're struggling with all the typical adolescent things, and we're trying to hold one another accountable and it's kind of weak. At that time, one of us should go to a young adult, or to our-always to your parents, to one of the deacons, and just say, "I'm really wanting to have God move in my life. What's working in your life? Can you help us understand a little more in these things, and if you see something, could you speak toward it?" The mature will take that particular tack, because that is the wisdom of God, and reproof is a way life. We need that instruction. Its part of our growth process, but the point you're making is real, and so when we see that it's really not working, then yes, get somebody else that will speak and hold you accountable and that's a little more mature than yourself. The biblical principle is to comfort with the same comfort (2 Corinthians 1:4). You're really looking for somebody that's been through it and can speak of the victory in the process of it, so that's important.

PASTOR LAROCK: As he was asking the question I thought it would be good to clarify that accountability is not the end, that's a means. In other words, it's not enough that you're accountable; you want to be accountable to somebody that's really helping you. That's the whole-the key is to get help from someone that's helping you, not to just comfort yourself in the fact that, "Well, you know, I'm being open with so-and-so about this. I haven't had any victory for it, and neither has he for fourteen years, but I'm accountable. I'm not just keeping this to myself." The whole goal of being accountable is, someone is calling you to account for your actions and you have to give an answer for them, and that's what the word accountable means. The objective is that behavior would not be named once. I just thought that would be good to clarify that because sometimes we hear that word accountable, and especially maybe for the young people who don't really understand fully what being accountable is; the objective is.

PASTOR SCOTT: That's a good point. Any others? Yes.

WOMAN IN CONGREGATION: How do you walk it out when you or your bosom buddy gets married and you aren't able to spend as much time with them and to encourage them to build new bosom buddy relationships?

PASTOR SCOTT: This is one thing as you get married, you're a newlywed and the tendency is to isolate, and we know the Scripture speaks of that year to cheer up your wife and the different aspects of that, but at the same time we are a body, and as you do get married and you tell your spouse, "I had a very special relationship with this person and God was using us. Now, I can be a better friend to them than ever because I have your perspective, male perspective," or in the other, the female perspective, and what they become then is, they don't become now a threat to your relationship. They become a joint ministry. Then you talk to your spouse and you say when certain things arise, "Here's what I'm seeing in their life and here's what they need. What's your wisdom?" Then, you look for that opportunity to go speak, and you're still able to share and have some interaction in balance and in agreement with that spouse. You're actually able to be a better friend than you were before. It's not in the amount of time, it's in the quality, and what's spoken, and the awareness that you're there for them even when things change it's, "I'm still here. We're not going to hang all the time together, but if there's a need, I'm here." Those are things that are available to our brothers and sisters, and it goes across the body. Those are some things that are vital, so we don't have to bail on them. Those are some things that are important, and for young people, depending on what the difference is, as you're helping people, whether they're singles, there are different schedules, different responsibilities, etcetera, but genuine needs are considered, but then they have to realize that you just can't hang, that there's that opportunity in the body of other singles, but, "I'm here for you. Friends are always friends." That's the way that it goes. I think that's important to perceive. Are there any other questions? These are all good questions that relate to the subject. Anybody else on this area: walking in the light, sowing into each other's lives, holding the standard up to make sure that it's not once named among us. We can't give place to any of this in our midst. Is everybody doing pretty good?

MAN IN CONGREGATION: In respect to joint ministry, we have a friend that is dealing with an issue and how much do I share with my wife in respect to the situation they are dealing with?

PASTOR SCOTT: We've got to guard against gossip and these different areas, but in most of these circumstances, you two are one. You're not gossiping when you're talking to yourself. These are things that as we're one and that again, the role of your wife is your helpmeet, and if you're going to effect your ministry to that individual properly, you need all the help you can get. That's what God gave you. These are things that give you, again, that perspective. Our wives see stuff that we don't see, and when they speak that, then we can go and appear to be smart and share what they saw. These are different areas that God has gifted us in to have these ministries, the helpmeets that are there. Always though at that time, and you know your wives, and if you can't trust them then that's something you need to be ministering to and working on, but they need to be very aware that this is something that you've been placed in, this information has been placed in your hands as confidants and it can't go beyond there. These are things that have been entrusted to you. These are very precious, valuable things: trust; these things in our brothers and sisters lives that can have eternal consequence. These things aren't to be taken lightly. When something's put in your confidence, you keep it there. The only place it can ever go is up, and from that, if you and your wife are working together and then all of a sudden you get into a little bit of a snag and you think, "This is beyond us," you don't go to another family in your group and say, "We're trying to help, so what do you think?" From there, the two of you that are privy to that information, you take it to one of the pastors and you say, "Here's where we are. What do we do from here?" You can't gossip up as you're going into the body of Christ and trying to care for other individuals. Hopefully that-does that help? Any other questions? Was there anything else we were going to? Can anybody think of anything we forgot? Let's see if there is any others and if not, we'll get ready to shut it down. This is what keeps us safe when it's in the light. Satan works in the darkness; that's his arena. He can't work in the light. There's no truth in him. There's no light in him. Everything that-all of his ploys, all of his tactics are in the dark, they're deceptive, they're lies, it's shadows, it's innuendoes, it's suspicions, it's accusations. God is in the light, He's just, it's up front, it's peaceable and it's easy to be entreated, and so that's how we discern the difference, praise God.

PASTOR SCOTT: Father, we do thank You for Your love and Your mercy to us. Thank You for the body of Christ, the family that is here with us, that stands with us. All of us in different times have received not only Your love, Your compassion, Your mercy and Your forgiveness, but that of brothers and sisters. We've gone and asked forgiveness and it's been given to us so freely. Forgiveness has been asked of us and it was given by Your grace as we've received it. We're here to help one another, to edify one another. What a great gift we have in Your body, Father. We thank You for it, in Jesus' Name, amen! Before you go, turn to somebody next to you and say, "I just wanted you to know I'm thankful for you! Praise God!" Amen! I'm thankful for you guys! What a blessing!

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