Do you want to be inspired to live out your faith to the fullest? If so, you will need to go to the right source. Not surprisingly, Jesus is the greatest motivational leader in human history, and we would do well to learn from his example. In this three-part series, Learning the Art of Motivation From Jesus, Reese Neyland will help us to find inspiration from the example of Jesus through his initial call of the first disciples as recorded in Mark 1:16-20.

Click here to donate to the program

Click here for more Deeper Dive Episodes

OC Church of Christ

Below are the handouts referenced by Reese in this episode.

Suggestions for Knowing Jesus Better

Reese Neyland  

Your foundation should be reading, studying, and meditating on the Jesus of the Bible:

• Read the gospels and imagine what you would do if you were Jesus and compare
• Read the gospels and ask yourself a question to narrow your focus and learn…

”What do I learn about how Jesus loved?”

“What do I learn about the character of Jesus?”

“What do I learn about the relationships of Jesus?”

• Take notes and save them so you will not forget what you have learned

Favorite authors and preachers:

• Philip Yancey
• Andy Stanley
• Timothy Keller
• Dallas Willard
• Max Lucado
• Scot McKnight

Favorite book about Jesus:

“The Jesus I Never Knew” by Philip Yancey

Book about Jesus I am reading now:

“The Emotional Intelligence of Jesus” by Roy M. Oswald and Arland Jacobson

Favorite television show about Jesus: “The Chosen” – three seasons to date with more to come

I would love to hear suggestions you might have as well:  r.neyland@live.com

Why I Am Still Following Jesus

(a personal letter to Jesus)

April 12, 2015

I was barely 23 years old when I decided to follow you, Jesus.  It was just the right time for me.  I felt the emptiness of my life so deeply and I found a large group of people who loved you and were serious about following you.  Their lives inspired me and gave me hope for my own life.  I had never seen that before.   I think you had something to do with that – no, I think you had everything to do with that.  It seemed almost too good to be true and I wondered if it was.  I am sure you remember the hours and hours I spent looking at the evidence to see if I could have a real faith in you.  Thank you for providing all the reasons I needed to believe. (Thank you for providing all the reasons anyone needs to believe!)  You lived and you died on a cross for me.  You were raised from the dead so I could also live a new life.  That’s why I am still following you.

Of course, many years have passed now.  More than anything else, it has been a life of joy and blessing.  But it has also been just as challenging as you warned me it would be.  Perhaps I should say, even harder than I ever thought it might be.  If I am honest, most of the time the difficulty is within me…my own struggle with sin, insecurity, and selfishness.  Even so, you keep loving me even when I have fallen and disappointed you.  Instead of condemnation and retribution, you offer me fatherly discipline, repentance, and forgiveness.  Your grace continually overwhelms me.  Your vision for me sustains me.  You love me even when you get very little back.  That’s why I am still following you.

Since I am being honest, there have been times when your church has seemed to be my biggest problem.  I am not sure why, but I had thought the people in the church would be as perfect as you are.  In the beginning it seemed that way, but that didn’t last.  Sin in the lives of other church members, leaders who were sometimes harsh and misguided, friends in the church who let me down – the list goes on and on!  I guess you helped me with this as much as anything through the years.  I am inspired when I read your story…how you loved and responded to the people in your life who were failing you.  Through the years, you have patiently showed me the hypocrisy of judging other people in your church who are actually so much like me.  About ten years ago, when it seemed like it would be too much to even continue as a part of your church, you empowered me and strengthened me in ways I could have never anticipated.  And now, when I see the imperfection of your church, it just reminds me of how wonderful and powerful you are.  Other people may let me down, but you never do.  That’s why I am still following you.

Now I am coming closer to the end of my days (hopefully not soon though!).  You continue to work powerfully in me and through me.  My life has significance and purpose.  I enjoy more and more freedom – from the power of sin and the fear of death.  You are showing me how to love when I am not loved.  You are teaching me how to not care so much what others may think about me.  You are still showing me how to live.  You still want me even though you don’t need me.  You keep proving that you and your words can be trusted.  You still love me – in ways that I know and perhaps even more ways that I have forgotten or missed along the way.  That’s why I love you.  That’s why I am still following you.

Reese Neyland

Welcome to the Deeper Dive Podcast brought to you by the OC church of Christ.

2

The Deeper Dive Podcast is about going

deeper into God's word, learning new

3

insight and taking a fresh look at

the verses the impact our daily lives.

4

Today we have the honor of

hearing from Reese Neyland.

5

Reese was an Evangelist for over

35 years, serving across the us in

6

Florida, Boston and Los Angeles.

7

He also worked two more years for the

nonprofit organization, HOPE worldwide.

8

Reese is currently the Associate Director

for the Western US for Renew Network.

9

You could check out

their website, renew.org.

10

Reese now resides in Santa

Clarita with his wife, Mary Kay.

11

This episode is the first of a

three part series titled "Learning

12

The Art Of Motivation From Jesus.

13

Not surprisingly Jesus is the greatest

motivational leader in human history.

14

And in this series, Reese will help

us to learn from Jesus' example.

15

All the lessons are based in the initial

call of the first disciples as recorded

16

in Mark chapter one verses 16 through 20.

17

Each episode was recorded

from a sermon by Reese.

18

There are two handouts that will

be referenced in this episode that

19

you can find in the show notes.

20

This first message is titled

"Making It About Jesus."

21

So get your scuba gear and

let's dive deep into God's word.

22

Here's Reese Neyland.

23

Reese: Have you ever noticed, some

of you have been following Jesus

24

or been a Christian for a while.

25

Have you ever noticed how sometimes

people start out their, their Christian.

26

Faith and their walk with in Christ.

27

And they have a lot of enthusiasm

and a lot of passion, a lot

28

of joy, a lot of excitement.

29

And then over a period of

time that that can fade.

30

And, uh, perhaps that's

even happened to you.

31

And, uh, certainly if you've been around

a while in the, in the church and been

32

a part of the church for a while, then

you've seen that happen and it may

33

have happened to yourself as well.

34

And then there's other people that

no matter how many years have been,

35

they just still seem to have the

same, you know, the same fire,

36

the same passion, the same faith.

37

They have a growing faith and, you know,

then, but, but what's the difference?

38

Why is it that some seem to really,

you know, continue and grow and

39

others seem to perhaps fade over time?

40

And, uh, I don't know all the

answers, but I think I actually

41

know the most important answer.

42

Maybe this will help you and

maybe this will help you with

43

people that you know, that might

find themselves in that position.

44

And I wanna share that with you today.

45

Look over in Mark chapter one, and,

uh, we're just gonna read, um, a

46

couple of scriptures today, but we're

gonna dig in there a little bit.

47

So I don't think you'll feel cheated

as far as the Bible concerns.

48

But there's only gonna be one thing

that you need to walk out and remember

49

today that's gonna help you with, you

know, just continuing to be inspired and

50

motivated about your Christian faith.

51

One thing.

52

And we're gonna go all the way back

to the beginning with Jesus and

53

when Jesus started his ministry.

54

And it's in March chapter one.

55

Mark is a man who's recording

this story and he makes sort of

56

a, a summary statement about the

beginning stages of Jesus' ministry.

57

And he says this in Mark chapter

one, verse 16, as Jesus walked

58

along the sea of Galilee.

59

He saw Simon.

60

Now you may know that later on, uh, we

know him as Peter Simon Peter, we saw

61

Simon and his brother Andrew, casting a

net into the lake for they were fishermen.

62

Come follow me.

63

Jesus said, and I will make

you fishers of men at once.

64

They left their nets and followed him.

65

When he had gone a little further,

he saw James son of Zebedee

66

and his brother John in a boat

preparing their nets without delay.

67

He called them and they let their father

and they left their father Zebedee in the

68

boat with the hired men and followed him.

69

Now I'm gonna come back and

summarize and let me just say.

70

Some of you who may have heard me preach

through the years may have heard me

71

say similar things as today, as, uh, as

I've said in the past, but I'm okay with

72

that because this is such a big deal.

73

And in this summary statement, what Jesus

said three different times here, he says,

74

is He's calling people and the same, if

he would call us today to come to the

75

faith to be what we call Christians.

76

What does he say three different times?

77

He says, follow me.

78

And throughout the four accounts

that we have of the life and ministry

79

of Jesus, written by Matthew, mark,

Luke, and John over and over again,

80

dozens of times, what is the call?

81

Jesus says, come.

82

Follow me.

83

So you ready for your one point.

84

You wanna stay inspired, you wanna stay

motivated, you wanna keep on growing, you

85

wanna keep on going, make it about Jesus.

86

Does that seem too simple to you?

87

Make it about Jesus.

88

Jesus made it about him.

89

I'm glad Jesus made it about him.

90

And think about how inspiring

it was for these guys.

91

There eventually ended

up being 12 of them.

92

We call them apostles.

93

They were guys that Jesus specifically

was with for basically three years,

94

and he was with him every day and they

got to know him and they were friends

95

with him and they saw him and they.

96

Spent time with him and they learned

how to preach and teach and how to

97

have great relationships and how to

be connect and be close to people.

98

And they just learned everything

really about what it meant to, to

99

follow God and to be a Christian just

from being personally with Jesus.

100

You ever wish that you

had that opportunity?

101

How inspiring would that be?

102

And it was so inspiring for them that,

you know what they, some later on a man

103

named Luke wrote and what we call the,

the Book of Acts, he said they went out

104

and they turned the world upside down,

with the exception of that one guy Judas.

105

That was a traitor.

106

These guys spent three years with

Jesus and they were never the same,

107

even after Jesus was gone, even after

he was no longer physically present.

108

They could not help themselves.

109

They were willing to go to prison.

110

They were willing to die.

111

They gave up everything.

112

They risked everything.

113

They never stopped believing

from everything we know in

114

the Bible and in history.

115

You know why?

116

'cause for them, it was all about Jesus.

117

It was all about Jesus.

118

I'm gonna keep talking about this.

119

You know why?

120

There's only one point today.

121

I mean, what else am I gonna talk about?

122

But let me go back to this scripture

just a minute, because I wanna

123

make sure you understand something.

124

You know this, if you're reading

the Bible for the first time, this

125

little summary statement here could

seem a little bit strange because

126

Jesus walks up on these guys.

127

It almost looks like he walks

up to these total strangers

128

and he says, come follow me.

129

And he sort of mesmerizes them, you know,

and they just sort of drop everything.

130

And one of 'em even left his dad in

the boat, you know, how rude was that?

131

And, you know, and follows him.

132

Two of 'em did.

133

But what we know from good thing,

we have Matthew, mark Luke and John,

134

we actually know from John's account

chapter one, that he actually had

135

met these guys nine months ago.

136

So this wasn't their first meeting.

137

They had developing a relationship and

he'd been, Jesus had been preparing

138

them for a time when they would

make a decision, not just to follow

139

him, but to, to make a more serious

decision, which was to follow him with

140

the intention of being like him and

continuing the work after he was gone.

141

And so, uh, and then there's a lot more

to this story than just what's here.

142

If you go over to Luke chapter

five, there's a parallel account

143

where there's a whole thing.

144

Some of you that are really love

the Bible may have read it before,

145

but it's, it's pretty fascinating.

146

It's, you know, there was, the

guys were out fishing that day

147

and they couldn't catch any fish.

148

And Jesus shows up with a huge crowd

and, you know, the crowds pressing

149

him, you know, against the shore.

150

And the guys are over there.

151

They didn't even come to church that day.

152

Uh, they had been out fishing

and he says, Hey, you guys, you

153

know, uh, can I borrow your boat?

154

'cause crowds about to push

me into the water here.

155

And they go, sure, yeah.

156

You know, they were friends.

157

He says, yeah, you know, and

they rode out from the shore and

158

Jesus finished his sermon out.

159

'cause none of them could walk on water.

160

That's a little bit of a spoiler alert

for something that happens later on.

161

But anyway, uh, so later on

after he finished his sermon, he

162

said, Hey, you know, guys, how'd

you guys do fishing last night?

163

Not so good.

164

He goes, well, you know, why don't

we, why don't we go try, why don't

165

we, bro, go out and try again?

166

And you know, if you know the whole story.

167

And then there was this big

catch of fish and Peters, go away

168

from me, Lord, I'm a sinful man.

169

And you know, there's a whole story about

this day, but, you know, Mark, he just

170

look at how he summarized that, you know,

it seems to me that, that, that, that,

171

that Mark must have been married because

he's like a lot of husbands, he just gives

172

the fewest details that are possible.

173

Right.

174

At least that's what my

wife tells me all the time.

175

You know, I, I just, you know, I just

give the, she always wants more details.

176

I, I don't know if the other women

are like that, but anyway, uh, but

177

he just cuts right to the chase.

178

Yeah.

179

But the good thing that's helpful about

summary statements is, and maybe that's

180

even the reason Mark wrote this way.

181

Because then you don't

miss the main point.

182

The main point is, and he says it

three times here from the beginning,

183

Jesus said, come follow me.

184

Make it about me.

185

And when you're the son of God,

it's okay to make it about you.

186

Now the problem we have, you already

know what I'm gonna say, right?

187

Is we like to make it about us.

188

Who's the guy?

189

Who's that country singer.

190

It just popped into my head, who's

the country music singer that

191

wrote that song and said, sometimes

I like to make it about me.

192

Yeah, that's a Toby Keith song.

193

Uh, see, I lost 90% of my audience,

but thank you for whoever said that.

194

We like to make it about us,

but it's gotta be about Jesus.

195

Now here's the thing.

196

Are you ready to get down,

down, down and dirty here.

197

Lemme speak to some of you that I know.

198

There's people in here have been a part of

our church, our fellowship of churches for

199

a long time, decades, maybe even sometimes

we start with Jesus, but along the way

200

we get distracted and we get detoured

and it becomes about something else.

201

And sometimes it becomes about the church.

202

Can we be honest here?

203

Oh yeah.

204

I, uh, I've been one of the church

leaders, some of you know this here in

205

Los Angeles, at least for a long time.

206

And, uh, you know, at different

times I'm sort of proud of that.

207

And other times I'm filled with shame.

208

'cause we made a lot of mistakes.

209

One of the mistakes that we made along

the way that we all made together leaders

210

in the early days of the Los Angeles

churches, we made it about the church.

211

We did, we led the church to make it

about the church instead of making it

212

about Jesus the way it needed to be.

213

Because see, there's a problem

when you make it about the church.

214

You know what the problem is?

215

Yes.

216

The problem is the church is made

up of people like me and you.

217

The church.

218

Is destined to disappoint, right?

219

I'm not saying the church is not God's

plan, and I'm not saying it's not a

220

great plan, and I'm not saying it's

not a perfect plan, but it's not gonna

221

be a perfect place and it's not gonna

be filled with perfect people, right?

222

You ever been to a bad church service?

223

Lemme tell you, I've been

to bad church services.

224

You ever heard a bad sermon?

225

The sermon was too long, or it was

confusing, or it was boring or even worse?

226

It was all three.

227

I heard a lot of bad sermons, and that's

just the sermons I've preached, right?

228

No.

229

Oh, thank you.

230

Thank you.

231

That's so sweet.

232

So sweet.

233

No, but I mean, people leave and you

know, I've been around a long time.

234

People leave, you know what, almost

everybody who leaves, leaves because

235

of the church and they may or may

not have a good reason to leave.

236

I'm not saying there's never a reason to

leave a church, but a lot of times it's

237

because we haven't made it about Jesus.

238

And the reason we're no longer

inspired and motivated is because

239

we're too focused on this.

240

This, I dunno if you know what my wiggling

fingers or, or, or, or, or pointing you.

241

It's, it's encompassing you.

242

It's this, okay, we made it about

the church instead of about Jesus.

243

You know what else we

made a mistake doing?

244

I'm just speaking those of you who, if

you can't relate to this, that's okay.

245

Those of us who are part of the

LA church for a long time, I hope

246

I'm not being too honest here.

247

We made it not just about the church, but

about the church leaders and what happens

248

when the church leaders disappoint.

249

I've been disappointed a lot.

250

I've been disappointed in myself.

251

There's definitely things I would do

differently if I could go back and

252

change the last 30 something years,

253

but it's not just me.

254

I'm disappointed in a lot of people.

255

I worked with a lot of people who

are my leaders, a lot of people

256

who were lit by partnered with, but

257

here's the bottom line.

258

I hope you'll join me today

if you're not there yet.

259

And if you need to recognize where you've

gone off and and made some mistakes,

260

then that's what we're here for today.

261

Saved by Grace.

262

I'm sure you're as excited as I

am to be, to be saved by Grace.

263

I was praying on the way over here.

264

Like I said, I'm telling you, the older

I get, the more I appreciate Grace.

265

I'm saying, God, you know,

I'm praying every day.

266

God, you know, so happy that I

can be saved by grace because I

267

see so much the older I get and

the more I see things clearly.

268

And I'm not saying I see things

clearly now the way I need to,

269

but you know, you can see more.

270

I go, Ugh.

271

So glad I could be saved by grace

because it wasn't for grace.

272

I got no business standing up here.

273

I got no business stand up here sharing

the Bible with you if it wasn't for grace.

274

Okay, so let me move on 'cause

we do have one more scripture.

275

But here's the thing, I just

wanna make sure that we get this.

276

I love the church, but I

don't worship the church.

277

I worship Jesus.

278

I love the leaders in the church, but I

don't worship the leaders in the church.

279

I Worship Jesus.

280

And it may sound too simple to

be true and but it's profound.

281

The main difference I believe in

the people who continue to thrive

282

in their faith is that they are the

people who as the years pass, not

283

just maintain, but they keep pursuing.

284

Jesus.

285

Look over in Philippians three.

286

This is written by this,

well-known Christian missionary.

287

Well-known in Christian

circles named Paul.

288

You may or may not have heard of him,

but he's writing this 30 years later than

289

what we just read after the time of Jesus.

290

He's written it 30 years later

than Jesus walked on the earth.

291

Now here's the interesting thing about

Paul that you may or may not know.

292

Paul was this great Christian missionary

and I wrote down some of these things

293

that during his time he was actually

baptized into Christ and started following

294

Jesus after Jesus had already left the

earth and that during these 30 years we

295

know of we, he started over 20 churches

that we know of and he wrote 13 letters.

296

One of these is Philippians to the

church in Philippi that we include in

297

our New Testament when we're trying

to learn about, we believe they

298

were inspired by God and all this.

299

And we regard Paul, many of us do

who've studied him and gotten know

300

him as one of the most inspiring and

motivated and greatest Christian leaders.

301

But here's the thing

that you might not know.

302

Maybe you already figured it out.

303

Paul never met Jesus

in the physical sense.

304

He wasn't one of those guys that

walked with Jesus during those three

305

years that he was here that we read

about in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

306

So Paul is just like us in that

he never had the opportunity to.

307

To rub shoulders and do life with Jesus.

308

Yet he became who he was.

309

And that encourages me because then

I go, well, if it it was possible for

310

Paul who never personally in a truly

physical sense knew or met Jesus,

311

then it must be possible for me.

312

But how was it like that with Paul?

313

So here as you get a glimpse, and

I think it just makes the point.

314

It makes the point so clear.

315

The one point that we've already,

that I've already shared with

316

you, 'cause Paul writes this in

Philippians three verse seven.

317

Now, just again, you may have read

this many times, but consider the

318

context of what I just told you about

who Paul was and it's 30 years later

319

and he's already done so much, right?

320

Yeah.

321

And he's near the end of his life.

322

He's probably, from what we know, he's

gonna probably live about three or four

323

more years before he goes on to be with

Jesus personally and be with the Lord.

324

Verse seven, but whatever

was to my profit.

325

I now consider loss

for the sake of Christ.

326

What is more?

327

I consider everything a loss compared

to the surpassing greatness of

328

knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for

whose sake I have lost all things.

329

Do you see how graphic

and profound that is?

330

He says, whatever good in my life,

before I became a Christian, and just

331

same way since I became a Christian,

he says, there's only one thing.

332

There's only one thing that's driving

me, and you put it in today's context of

333

this sermon, I'm making it about Jesus.

334

I just wanna know Jesus.

335

Isn't that what he's saying?

336

He says, I consider them rubbish,

that I may gain Christ and being found

337

in him not having a righteousness of

my own that comes from the law, but

338

that which is through Christ, through

faith in Christ, the righteousness

339

that comes from God and is by faith.

340

I wanna know Christ and the power of

his resurrection and the fellowship

341

of sharing and his sufferings

becoming like him and his death.

342

And so somehow to attain from

the resurrection from the dead,

343

Paul never physically had the

opportunity to know Jesus.

344

But you know, we know a little bit

about Paul's history and so we know that

345

during the early, he was converted right

after Jesus, shortly after Jesus left.

346

Not that long after.

347

He got to know the other Peter,

James, John, the other guys,

348

they were all contemporaries.

349

You know what I, I, you know, we don't

know all the, we know some of their

350

conversations and all that, but you know,

what I picture him doing is he would

351

get with them and he'd sit down with

them and he'd say, you, you knew Jesus.

352

Tell me about Jesus.

353

Tell me the stories about Jesus.

354

Tell me who he was.

355

Tell me how he lived.

356

Tell me everything you know about Jesus.

357

Don't be like, I don't want to ask Mark.

358

'cause he just gives summary statements.

359

I wanna know details.

360

And then when those gospels started coming

out, Matthew, Mark and Luke and, and, uh,

361

you may not know this, but these were.

362

They didn't, these documents were not

actually formed and produced until

363

they, maybe Mark was the first one

that came out in its official sort of

364

form about the time this was written.

365

But there was these, I don't wanna get

too technical with the academics, but

366

there was these little stories, they're

called Pericopes, but there was these

367

little stories that were written and

oral traditions that were passed away.

368

There were stories that went around

that spread through the Christian faith.

369

'cause they didn't have a new,

they didn't have the Gospels.

370

All these people think about that.

371

All these people that were converted

in the first century, and many of them,

372

thousands of them were willing to die.

373

And you think about the Romans and

the gladiators and you know, all

374

these people that were willing to

go to their death, they never met

375

physically, most of them, Jesus either.

376

But they heard the stories.

377

And they knew and they

made it about Jesus.

378

And that's why when the Romans said,

Hey, you don't say Jesus is Lord,

379

you say Caesar is Lord or you die.

380

And they said, no.

381

That is one thing we cannot do

'cause Jesus, Jesus is my Lord.

382

But these stories were floating around

and I just picture Paul everywhere

383

he went and you know, there were Jews

and there were people who traveled

384

and there were early Christians.

385

And I just pictured Paul everywhere

he went going, did you know Jesus?

386

Have you heard any stories about Jesus?

387

And that people start telling

story, oh, you know, I've heard

388

that one, but tell it to me again.

389

Some people say, well, you

know, I'm so tired of the Bible.

390

I've read it so many times.

391

I keep reading the same

stories over and over again.

392

How sad is that?

393

Because I gotta tell you this,

like these two scriptures today,

394

mark one and Philippians three.

395

How many times have I

read those scripture?

396

But you know what, even recently, if

you just apply yourself and pray, you

397

start to see new things you see, things

you didn't see before, your life can

398

still be changed in your heart, in the

eyes of your heart can be opened to see

399

things, to see truth, and to see truth

about Jesus that you never saw before.

400

Even though, so don't you neglect

your Bible study, don't you

401

neglect Jesus, make it about Jesus.

402

So I've left you a handout today.

403

But I sent these for you

because to me, I wanna be like

404

Paul, I wanna be this person.

405

So on one page of this is something

I wrote, I wrote this on Easter of

406

Twenty-fifteen, the title of it.

407

I'm not gonna read it to you.

408

It's why I am still following Jesus.

409

And I wrote it on April 12th, 2015.

410

It's just something I wrote down

to try to make it personal about

411

why I am still following Jesus.

412

So all I'm reasoning is,

is an example for you.

413

Perhaps you wanna spend some time

and write out some things for

414

yourself or for your prayer times.

415

For your times of communion with Jesus

about why you're still following Jesus.

416

Okay?

417

Just an example for you on the

back, is a very practical thing.

418

It says, suggestions for

knowing Jesus better.

419

This is stuff that I've put

together through the years.

420

It first starts out with some suggestions

about how I study the Gospels in order

421

to get some deeper understanding of

who Jesus was and not just, you know

422

how sometimes you just read a story

and just read it and you go, I don't,

423

I didn't get anything out of that.

424

But if there's some specific questions

that you ask yourself, sometimes you

425

can go deeper and get things, see things

that you didn't see before, you know?

426

So then I, uh, also have a

list of my favorite authors

427

and preachers about Jesus.

428

They may not be your favorite authors

and preachers, but I just like,

429

I search for people that inspire

me when they talk about Jesus.

430

But here's the lesson.

431

See, and this is just me, you,

you can write your own list,

432

but I wanna be like Paul.

433

I wanna be this person who is searching,

combing the universe, looking for ways

434

that I can make it about Jesus.

435

'cause you know what?

436

I'm not supposed to tell you this, but

I'm sixty-eight years old, my wife.

437

Tells me, don't ever tell people that.

438

'cause when you tell 'em that they,

they, they don't listen to you anymore.

439

But I am, you know, I'm, I'm mostly

retired, you know, I'm still active

440

in some ways, but you know, I'm

not a paid church leader anymore.

441

But you know what?

442

I'm not interested in fading out.

443

I may not be a paid church anymore.

444

I'm not interested in fading out.

445

I'm interested in flaming out.

446

Come on.

447

Right.

448

Yeah.

449

I'm interested in doing what

Paul did and so many others.

450

I'm interested in the fire and

there may be many things, but the

451

one thing I know for sure is that

we need to make it about Jesus.

452

In John 12, verse 33, Jesus

said, when I'm lifted up again,

453

Jesus is talking about himself.

454

Not when the church is lifted up,

not when the leaders are lifted

455

up, not when you lift yourself up.

456

Jesus said, when I'm lifted

up, I'll draw men to myself.

457

' cause Jesus is the one who inspires

and motivates, and Jesus is the

458

one who saves our soul, and Jesus

is the one who changes our lives.

459

Marcel: Thank you, Reese.

460

Reminder the handouts that were

referenced are in the show notes.

461

Again, this episode is part

one of a three part series.

462

Our next episode will be

"Made To Make A Difference."

463

If you want to get connected to us

or want to donate to the program, go

464

to our website OCchurchOfChrist.com

or through social media @theOCchurch.

465

Join us next time for part two of

Learning The Art Of Motivation From Jesus.