Episode 008: How To Find God's Will - Becoming Something with Jonathan Pokluda

Speaker 1 Thanks for tuning in to becoming something where we promise to keep the conversation, honest and real for young adults in their 20s and 30s. Every moment we live is training for a future moment and that's why we do this podcast because we want you to be prepared, for everything that life is going to throw at you. Our hope with this podcast, is that It would help you become all that, God desires, you to be. So with that, in mind, let's Jump Right In to this week's episode of becoming something. What's up Podcast world, it's your boy. JP, in the podcast studio. With my dear friend, Nathan Hill, Gang Camp, what's up, JP? How are you doing the Kathy? Davidson who is laughing over here? Because I startled her with my. What's up? And she has not gathered herself yet. Speaker 2 Hello. Hello. Hello. Glad to be Speaker 1 here. What are we talking about today Nate? Well JP. I am so excited about this week because a couple weeks back, I don't know if y'all remember but you all made fun of me because I didn't know who Vanilla Ice was. So I remember that. I've been trying to get up on the rapper Game, the hip-hop game. So I've been listening to a little bit of Drake. Y'all know who Drake is? Yeah, he's At this song called God's plan. That was listening to this song called God, put called God's plan. I was like, man, what is God's plan? Like how do you find God's Speaker 2 plans drink? What the song Tell You, Speaker 1 Drake will tell you. So I'm going to be completely honest. I never listen to the song. I know the song title, Speaker 2 what you just said was a lie. Speaker 1 You start off a lot of the entire United States of America and some surrounding countries oh man me. Hey all United States of America and some surrounding countries. Will you forgive me for? Misleading. You know you're lying. Speaker 2 Y'all pray for Speaker 1 us. I need help. Okay, so we are talking about. God's will God's plan today. I know for college students and young adults, this is a huge issue, whether you're thinking about who you should date, who you should marry, what career path to choose what internship to take. There's just a lot of major decisions that you have to make in this season of life, where God's will will come up all the time. So, I think the first question we should address here is, is there only Only one version of God's will for your life. Yeah, that's good. And I think I think that there is I don't know, I don't know how deep and a theology want to go. I think there are the you know I've heard a sermon and giving a sermon the two Wills of God where you his first will is to that we would be in right relationship with him that everyone would love him and exist in Eden and Paradise and that will was lost in the fall and now we exist in Second will which is his will is that we would honor him to bring him glory. So I don't know that, that's what you're asking, but that's one idea and then another Aunt second answer would be, you know, do I think God cares if I eat at McDonald's or Burger King and I'm driving down the road and like God is at McDonald's or Burger King McDonald's or Burger King. The answer is neither. Yeah. Exactly. He's like, hey, your body is a temple. Don't put that trash inside of it. No. He's he's just like, hey, I do. You know, I don't care like shoes and as a parent, I see this, right? And so that I talked about in here, the like, the house and the fence and the pool, I don't think so. Yeah, and so like we we lived in this house as we think about God's will, so we lived in this house and I think so often, we think of God's will like the sidewalk like the path. Like I'm walking down the sidewalk. I need to stay on the sidewalk but I think a better metaphor for The will of God is often a fence. And so I think about the backyard of that house, we had this swimming pool in the middle of it, there was a playground, there was a sidewalk that the kids would ride around on their tricycles and bicycles and they would do sidewalk chalk and whatnot. The playground a slide and swings and and all kinds of monkey bars and fun stuff and they say Daddy I want to, you know can I go play in the backyard? Yes it is. My will that you would go and have fun in the backyard and but whatever you do and my kids couldn't swim at the age of like, hey don't touch. Each the pool, don't get near the pool, and they go back there. And then they could be, you know, one of my indecisive children might be like, well, do I slider? Do I swing daddy? Do I slider? Do I swing? Do I slider? Do I swing, I don't care. Like just don't touch the pool and enjoy the slider. Enjoy The Swinging, whatever you do, do it with a joyful heart. I don't care what you do, ride the tricycle around the sidewalk bicycle do sidewalk chalk, do monkey bars, whatever you want to do, but just don't touch the pool. Like will do I slide or do I swing, do I see? Nor do I do sidewalk chalk. Like, you're not hearing me, you can do, you can choose sidewalk chalk, slide but don't touch the pool. If you touch the pool, you're going to die. And I think this is often the way that God thinks about us. He's like, hey, enjoy the things that I have for you in the world. Do them to my glory, enjoy them for your enjoyment, but don't sin because when you send you bring death in your life, will do I date her or do I date her, what you? It's not about, you know? Are they Believers? Are they? 'The following me, can you date them to my glory? Don't sin in the relationship and I don't care if you date her or her marry her or, you know, the this small group of people who follow him, just don't send. And and I think that's a picture of the will of God. So, in terms of like a career path, do you think that you could be doing a different career right now? And that would be within God's will like is where does calling go into this like man I'm called to Ministry or maybe you think God is really called you to date that person. Do you think you could be doing something else right now and still be within God's will? Yeah, I think I can help. Somebody know if they're called to Ministry is. So if anybody's listening, I can say beyond a shadow of doubt if they've been called to Ministry and that was just You like, have you trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation. Have you believed upon his death and Resurrection for the Forgiveness of your sins? Are you a Christian? And if you are a Christian, then you are called to Ministry. Whether you do it at Starbucks, whether you're a teacher, whether you're an engineer, a, you know, you work in a plant, whatever you do, you mow Lawns, whatever you do for a living. That is a Ministry that the Lord has entrusted to you and so you do it. Now, I know the question It's vocational Ministry. Meaning you're paid your compensated by a Ministry or by a church or a 501. C, 3 organization not-for-profit and to that. I think it can be a unique calling but also sometimes that calling looks like you find yourself there. Acts 17 says that God has determined the time and the in the place that you live or that you'd well. And you know in the Psalms it says my boundaries have fallen. My boundary lines have fallen in Pleasant places. It's trusting in the sovereignty of God as we exist for his glory as we pursue him in all things, then wherever we wake up that. That's where we're at. And I have a story about that too. Should I tell it? Yes. Yes. Okay. So I was I was in this job. I was doing door-to-door sales into businesses. It was August in Texas, 106 degrees also a wool navy suit. And I was I was walking down the road. Road and I just, I just walked into a business, I got thrown out this lady, was I get out, get out of here and I was like, oh, I am so done with this job. I hate it with all my heart and I'm walking, I'm like mad walking, I'm walking angrily down the, the side of the street in Dallas and I didn't see a window AC unit, sticking out of the wall, I didn't see. It was about 6 feet 7 inches high and it clipped the side of my forehead and spun me around and brought me to my knees. And I began to bleed profusely from my forehead. That's where I saw my own reflection in my blood and I look up across the street and they think that's funny. I looked up across the street and I see this Burger King and I'm just like, okay I'm going to go into that Burger King and and I am and I just I go in there. I like doctor myself up, you know, get a napkin for my forehead and I order a brownie with some ice cream on it and I sit at this table for two and I'm just like hating life. I'm honestly just think Think about how much I hate this job, and this guy comes and sits down at my table. Like true story. This man comes and sits down and I look up and, and he's like, you having a bad day and I'm, like, man don't even talk to me, you know, like what I don't know what's going on right now. But any, and he goes, and he proceeds to share the gospel with me, and I'm like, I'm a Christian, I'm a Believer and he goes, well, what's wrong? As I just don't know what I supposed to do with my life. And he says, well, are you in sin? And he and I said, what do you mean? He said, do you have unconfessed? Send your life. I said no. And he said, are you pursuing God? I said, yes. And he said, well, that I know what you're supposed to do with your life. And I said what, and he said exactly what you're doing. He said, because this is where you are today. And so your support, this is where God has you. And so pursue God here today, and I think that we are so optimistic or capitalistic would be a better term that we're looking for more money and better opportunities in the reality. We need to consider and prioritize. Where does God have us in? Are we? Successfully doing the ministry that he has for us where he has us. And if we're not, that's what we need to change our Focus to so Kathy you might need to take back your application from that church down the street. Okay, please stay stick around, did you have Speaker 2 something? Oh yeah. I was gonna say that. Just made me think a lot of the conversations I've had even kind of the way I used to believe about God's will was that there's like this one path and like, man once you're on it like God has you know this Restaurant ordained and this job and this summer opportunity and this guy and this x y&z lined out for you. I think the danger is that is that we're always looking for the next and we're not, you know, just what you were saying. We're not content with where we are right now and we're not being faithful to the areas that he has called us by constantly looking for something else. So that's just, I think the danger in getting so trapped up in, what does God want me to do with my life? That were asking that question. So often that we're not doing what he has. As for us, in this moment, which is being present and living out the life that he's called us to sow Speaker 1 and JP. You've been doing College Young, Adult Ministry for a while. Now, do you think over the 15 years we've been doing it, you think college students, young adults have been better at being content at where they are or Worse? Have you seen any change there? Yeah. So for 12 years and I think that we are getting worse and the reason why I believe is social media, I think just comparison is the thief. Joy has been well said, comparison is the thief of joy and so I think as we just continue to see and have the highlight reels of so many other people in our life that we compare ourselves to, then to them, to their job, to their boyfriend, girlfriend, their Hawaiian vacation, or whatever it is. And we just feel bad about ourselves and we don't realize it. It's hard like, very rarely I think is someone sitting on their beds flipping through Instagram celebrating their friends lives. Like oh wow man. That is so great for her. Lord. Thank you so much that you gave her that guy and oh, look at her job, that's the best job. God, you're so kind to her, let me just pray prayers of gratitude for my friend but instead we just flip, you know, Flip Flip. Flip Flip next next. Next next I hate you hate you hate that hate you hate you, you know, and it doesn't feed anything good, in our hearts. I think you're seeing the highest levels of depression, highest levels of anxiety, the world has ever seen, and I think that is a culprit, not the only one, but a culprit is The social media game. So I don't think we're getting better at the contentment, so people might be listening right now and they're thinking, okay? But I do have a decision to make. I do have to decide if I want to date that person or that person or I am graduating college, I have to decide. Do I want to move to Minnesota or Texas? The answers. Texas Minnesota is cold. Yeah, I'm from Minnesota. That's right, from experience. But what if it's like, California or Texas or I know when decisions have to come What do you do? How do you seek God out in that? How can, how can God help you make decisions? Yeah. What would you say Kathy? Speaker 2 Wow, you kind of answered it with your question. You seek God out in that. I think sometimes God leaves us in this like place of not knowing what to do, because it drives us to our knees more than any other times, right? So the first thing is to seek God. So spend time in prayer spend time, listening to God, which I know sounds weird. I feel like we just haven't developed that skill. Allure that spiritual discipline of just listening for God allowing him the time and space to speak to us reading the Bible. And then I think seeking Godly wisdom from people that we trust, who are walking with Jesus, Speaker 1 I love that. I think I think she's dead on. I'm a preacher. So I'll try to put it in a an acronym, if you are. And so, if you will, so I am not good at directions. Like I'm directionally challenged. I know some guys don't stop and ask for directions, like I have to otherwise I would never get to where I'm going. So I'm just like, I got I got in on the GPS, game early. And so, as soon as you could purchase a car with a built-in navigation system, that I got one, I like splurged for that. And now it's on our phones. And so, I use the Apple Maps and Google Maps, all the time to get anywhere. My wife's amazing at directions, like, you could put a bag on her head, like spinner in circles, and she'll tell you, which way is North, that's a game we play. But, but for me, I just get lost as an Easter egg. And so I use the GPS. And so, you think about that whenever Or you're looking to figure out which way you need to go, you get, you go to the GPS like even when I get lost, the first thing I do is I put in the address. I put in a location where I want to go and then I'll follow the GPS. I'll do what it says. And so the first thing that I would would give you, I'm gonna give you three things. The first one is your group. And so that's your life group, your small group, your homegroup, your cell group, your community group. It's a consistent group of people who are in your life, who know you, who can help you discern, the will of God, the only criteria. For you is that that they're all there. So you're not having one-off conversations that, they're all present, and they all have the Holy Spirit that they're Believers. And hopefully it will benefit you. If they have some understanding of the word of God, the scriptures Miss so that, if, when they give you advice or not, just giving you the best advice from Cosmopolitan magazine but they're saying, oh yeah this is what the scriptures say and they're helping you understand the scripture so that that first word is group. Who are the group of people there's about 16. Proverbs that say wisdom comes from the Council of many plans fail. For lack of counsel but with many advisers, they succeed, who are the people speaking into your life, get them in a room, get a whiteboard. Give them all the necessary information, ask them what you should do and then be quiet sit on your hands and listen to their Council. So your group the second one Kathy is set as well is prayer. We have to go to God and seek his will and prayer. A lot of times when we don't know what to do, what we need to do is spend a lot of time listening to the Holy Spirit. It says, in Isaiah, that he can be this subtle voice behind us whether Turn right or left. You know what, what to do? And so we need to a lot of times for me. All out asked everybody else to pray. Hey, will you pray for me? I don't, I need to make a big decision where you at? We pray for me. We pray for me and sometimes the Holy Spirit Will convict me is like, hey, you haven't prayed for yourself, right? So, so pray, so group prayer. And the last one is is scriptures. You go to the word of God so that the the spirit of God will make known to you, the will of God through the word of God. And so You're reading through the scriptures, you're asking God, what is it that you would have me do, and this leads into the other two. As you pray, you pray through the scriptures as you gather with your group, you have them speak scriptures in your life. If they say something say, is that in your opinion, or do you feel like that's backed by the word of God? You can ask that question. Hey, do you have a verse to support your opinion? And so you're seeking God's will in the scriptures but let me caveat. This was something very important because I think so often God will make known to us his will through this. Sure. But we forsake that because we're looking for the mysterious will like you said should I live in Minnesota or text as well? Obviously the scriptures aren't going to say that right? They're not going to make that that decision clear should I go to you know am or Baylor the scriptures not know you have a strong opinion on this. Please don't go to college station. So so the scriptures aren't going to decide that for you but with the scripture does say is it says a lot of what God's will is. For example, if you go to 1st Thessalonians, 4 verse 3, Ooh 5 it says it is God's will so okay the scriptures are about to tell Scott's well it is God's will that you be Sanctified. Okay that I grow in the faith that you should avoid sexual immorality. That's a challenge. For some of us that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is Holy and honorable not in Passionate less like the pagans who do not know God. And so in all of the scriptures, God takes time to say, hey, there's several it is God's will statements. There's about seven of them if you will somewhere around there. And so one of the seven It is God's will that you would be pure and yet some of us look at our own lives and we're not pure and so. But we want to say, well God, College Station, or Baylor, College Station, or Baylor, College Station, or Baylor. And if I'm God, I'm gonna be like why would I tell you? Because you don't listen to me. Why would I make known to you? My mysterious will if you forsaken, my revealed will, if I've told you in black and white in the scriptures, what I want for you, but you don't care. Are the, why am I going to give you more instruction? And so it never fails the person who knows? And understands the word the most and does what it says is James says and does what it says. I think those are often the people that have the clearest understanding of what God wants for them. Once them to do in life, who should they date? Where should they go to school? Where should they work? Those kinds of things. And so group, prayer, scriptures, that is my GPS group prayer, scripture study. GPS on making decisions seeking the will of God go into the group seeking, his will in prayer and seeking his will in the Speaker 2 scriptures. That's good. Speaker 1 JP said some in the scriptures point that I don't want to miss, I don't want our listeners to miss. You said the spirit of God reveals the will of God through the word of God. Is that what you said? Yeah. The spirit of God makes known the will of God, through the word of God. And that's how I want to write that down if you're listening, write that down, because that's fantastic. How? How much do your desires overlap with God's will? Like when you're trying to figure out what your next step should be, how important is what you want. She just totally toss that to the side and say, God I'm going to move to India and serve the poor, even if you really don't want to how much do you just say, hey, how much emphasis should I put on on my own disaster? What would you guys say to that? Speaker 2 Well, I think God has given you, your interests and your gifts and he's given, you free will. So as long as it's not in sin, if you're deciding between two opportunities that are going to glorify God, if you've gone to GPS and all signs are a go for both options. Take into consideration. What do you like doing? How has God, why are you? How is it gifted you? Where, where do you light up? What brings you the most Joy? Because I don't think that that's by accident. And then maybe listen to that, that could be, you know, that could be the direction you're looking for. Speaker 1 There's actually a verse is, some 37 verse 4. It says that God gives you the desires of your heart, right? And so do you guys know what the caveat before that is? So it says, so everybody wants to talk about well, yeah, and God gives you the desires of your heart. It says something before that though, it says delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. It says. And so essentially, we think about is like, when God Is My ultimate Obsession then, then my desires are conformed to his will and he's fulfilling my desires through my relationship with him as I Delight. So a lot of us. Like the problem in our faith is that we don't enjoy God, you know, as we think about the things that we enjoy, we enjoy our relationship. It's become an obsession or or an idol. We enjoy money. We enjoy a job. We enjoy Hobbies. But As in the short form, we don't enjoy God as evidence by the amount of time we spend with him. And so he's just saying, Hey, I want to give you the desires of your heart, but delight yourself in me, like, learn to find Delight in my relationship to you. And I will give you the desires of your heart. I think so many of us are afraid that that God is trying to rip us off. He's trying to keep something good from us. He's not, God has never and will Never withhold good from you. Ultimately he's he desires to give us good things like James says, every good and perfect. Gift comes down from the father of heavenly lights. He's desires to give us good. Jesus says that the father, you know, is that even Wicked father's on Earth. Give good gifts to the their children. So much more does our heavenly father? Give good gifts to us. He desires to give us good. You can trust him and so you should seek his will even if you really really, really want Something and it's not good. Don't be afraid. Trust him in that trust that he has something better for you. I would just say on that sometimes I trust myself the very least when I really really want something. When I really really want a relationship or when I really really want that when I'm talking about when I was single or when I really really want a job or really, really want money or really really want a thing because I'm a master justifier. And so I think that God made us emotional beings. He's given us desires. Those desires play. Yeah, roll. But they shouldn't be the first thing that we trust. Because, you know, as Jeremiah says, our heart is wicked and deceitful and Beyond cure who can know it, who can trust it, you know. So in in y'all's experience, how have y'all heard from God? I know JP. I know you've got a really, really interesting story about how you got into Ministry. Should we expect to hear from God loud and clear? Is it okay to maybe not know the answer and to walk forward? Anyway, what does that look like? Every season of your life. Have you had 100% confidence moving forward or sometimes? It's like, yeah I'm about like 51 percent confident and can move forward has. God made things totally clear to y'all before or not. Speaker 2 I go through my life about 51 percent confident of what I'm doing. I will say it different times. It's been different things, right? Like my call into vocational, Ministry was a series of God giving me sign after sign after sign the literally like almost verbally. He Hearing him say Kathy you are called to do this, right? That has happened, one time in my life, the decision to go to college, which college should I go to? I didn't hear necessarily like a word from the Lord. I just kept pursuing him and pursued. What I was interested in and eventually they aligned even the decision to marry Matt. It was just kind of the most obvious decision in my life. It wasn't something. I like strenuously Port over and over and over in prayer. It was just so clear, what God had for me, but There have been little times in between where I have like heard. Like I said, directly from God other times where it's just been, you know, go to through the GPS and then just kind of keep walking forward and eventually the path is made clear. But yeah, I don't know different times different ways. What would you say? Speaker 1 Well, I'll just share that strange story. Nate was talking about. I get an email a week. At least about, you know, how did you get into vocational Ministry? So I'll share the story here. I was, I was working for a large Telecom company and I had just Landed in a new spot and I was processing, like okay, is this what I want to do? You know what, I think I want to do and everything was going. Well, like sales were on cruise control as an account manager, and I came home. One day was completely exhausted. And Monica said, did you have a hard day at work today? And I said, I didn't do anything for AT&T today, you know, I actually, I was discipling, this guy was disciple by this guy. I met with this guy at lunch, to talk about Jesus, I was studying the scriptures here. My crews are on my sales were on cruise control like Everything's great but I just didn't really work hard for AT&T today and I had heard you only do ministry if you can't do anything else and I thought that men if you're not gifted enough to do anything else and really it meant. If you're so distracted doing Ministry that you're not effective at something else. That's I went back, the next day I was sitting at my desk I was studying got questions dot org which is an amazing Wix website I commend to you I was on got questions dot-org and I heard the audible voice of God say you're going to come work for me. I mean it was like Like Soul starter startling II, you know, I remember it. Like, if you were right next to me, like, you would have heard it and I don't know, I can't say that in fatica lie but at experientially that's what it seemed like. Like I heard God and so much so that I closed my laptop at one in the afternoon, I go to my car and I call a friend who is going to Ministry but was at his job and I said, can you meet me at my house? He's like, I'm at work. I'm like, hey, can you please leave your job and meet me at my house so that we can talk about this. And so he did at 1:30 in the afternoon, we got to my house, I had never considered working for the church ever, never dawned on me. So I thought, you know, I'm going to work for a Ministry, some sort of parachurch organization and I was kind of entrepreneurial. And so I thought, you know what, I'll start a nonprofit organization. So I just get an attorney, like, on the web. I'm looking for an attorney that and he's like my friend Bo. He stops music. Hey whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. If God called you into Ministry, because that's why I told him, I said, well, I think I've been called to Ministry and he was like, that's not crazy. You know, I can see God doing. Your life. He said, if God did call you in a Ministry, he said he's going to open a door or something, you should pray about it. And so I prayed for five days, God, put me where you want me and help me find contentment there, over and over God put me where you want me and help me find contentment there. And on the fifth day, this guy, Rick calls from Watermark community church. And and that's where I was attending and he said, hey, I have a job. I want you to consider and I was like you want me to serve somewhere? Like volunteer. Like what do you mean he goes? No, I want you to interview for a position. I said a position where he Said at my church I like what it's like. Dude this you caught this is Jake Peavy like did you call their own number? Like what are you talking about? And he goes, I know it's crazy but as I was praying through this position, I just sense the Lord. Put you on my heart that you would be great at this job. I know it's a big shift for you, change for your family, but I'd love for you to consider it and I was just blown away five days earlier. I called a friend and said, hey, I feel like I've been called into vocational Ministry, I think I heard God, and as I pray through at this door opened. Now, I will tell you That's the short version of the story, believe it or not. And I will tell you, that's I've been in Ministry now for 12 years. That's not the norm. Most people did not hear or have this road to Damascus experience and I don't think you need it to be in Ministry, but the Lord did something unique there. He opened a door and allowed me to walk through it. And and I would say that, that's not normal, like I don't hear the voice of God, all the time. I heard A wise man once say, you know, if you want to hear God speak read. The word out loud because it is the most confident word of God is the scriptures and so I believe God can speak to us. I also believe that we need to proceed with caution. When we feel that spiritual prompting, when we think that's the Holy Spirit people come up to me all the time and say well God said well God said well God said I should date her will God said we should break up. Oh God said I should work there and a lot of times they're just dragging God into their junk and I'm like I'll just respond I said well how do you know and I'm not trying to be antagonistic to the Saying that God said I'm trying to get them to really look at the situation and say this is how God said you know, was it in his word was a confirmed by Community, was it a spiritual prompting and prayer was it writing on the wall like was it a fortune cookie? Like how did God say? And you know, was it just clues or open doors closed doors, those kinds of things. How did God say? And when we understand that, I think that helps us as we, you know, do the GPS, Us as we go to our group pray and seek his will in the scriptures. Speaker 2 One thing I'll add this could be like heresy so y'all can stop me. They Speaker 1 probably I went to Seminary, I can help ya. Speaker 2 Here's to Art Speaker 1 School. What are you doing Speaker 2 in here? I don't know if this is true. So I'm just going to say it anyways. But I wonder if like you know people are so concerned about missing God's will like missing like JP what if you hadn't you know could you do anything else if you weren't here? Well, yeah, but God specifically wanted you here so he made a way, right God. For some reason really wanted me to know that he was calling me to Ministry. So like he made that so clear that I have zero doubts to this day that I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. I think sometimes we need that extra nudge and push like God is going to give that to us. And then other times, when we're, you know, seeking his will. And there's two good options, we could just go forward and the way that we want to, and I think we're not going to miss out on what God has for us. Because if he needs us to be in a certain position or a certain place, he will make the way clear. Speaker 1 It's not here. Sure disagree. No, I think I mean, I think absolutely we walk by faith not by By sight, and God is not a god of Confusion. And so sometimes he's just saying, choose how you swing or slide sidewalk chalk or tricycle, don't touch the pool, you know, but shoes and I don't care what you choose. Honor me there, that's what we most of us. Miss like, you're just God, should I work at ABC company XYZ company wherever you work? Make sure you're on minused. You're on Mission. Make sure you're doing Ministry there. Most of us, a lot of people a lot of listeners right now. There Doing Ministry and and so God's like Hey we're work somewhere, where you're going to do ministry like meaning where you're going to be on mission, where you're going to see that as your mission field, like do his work there and so where we don't have Clarity, we walk by faith and I think that can honor God to. I know it can. Hmm. Yeah, Cathy to bounce off of what you said. I think we can get so concerned that we're in make the wrong decision, but I think it comes down to who's more in control of the purpose in your life you or God. God like I don't think God's up in heaven going like dang it. I can't believe he or she walks through that door like now the whole plans like that, like Jeremiah 29:11 groans doesn't work anymore. Like I don't know, the plans I've got for you, they're not the Prosper anymore, like you're in trouble, like you're good. Like Speaker 2 God still, got you Speaker 1 control totally and like man, I'm so screwed up, I'm jacked up, but I feel like now I'm at a point in my life where I can look, back I go. I'm so stupid. But God has brought me here. Here, like how like I get to work with Kathy Speaker 2 Davidson here. Like it's Speaker 1 amazing. Like I get to work with JP's awesome. I'm married to a delete. It's amazing. It's not because that truly is a miracle, and it's not because I'm some genius. It's because God is just guided along the way through my mistakes, but you are a genius. So, how do you know, What? What he goes. He goes Wade, I am a genius. Let me show you my GPA like unbelievable. Okay, I do have one more question. Okay, fine. Is it illegal or immoral or heresy to ask God to show you signs like Kathy. And I were talking before you came in, we were talking about this. We're like, man, is it okay to say God, if you want me to marry her? Have a billboard say Jennifer on it? Like it is that wrong to do that or or is that a way that God can work? We have a crazy story of Gideon with the fleece, right? And he says, specifically the sign is a miracle that there would be all the do on the fleece, not on the ground and then I'll and then I think he praised the opposite. It's been a while since I looked at it but he then he even goes one more right? And but then Jesus says in the gospels is no, other sign will be given to you except the sign of Jonah, which we know as the the resurrection after three days in the Tomb. And so I think that I think it depends on, it depends on what your heart is. If you have, you know, looked at the GPS, if you've, if you searched for it in your group, you've prayed you've sought out the scriptures and then you need to walk in abeyance Ecclesiastes. 5 says, don't be Hasty to enter into an agreement with God and so if you do the sign thing, I mean just just proceed with caution there and I would not make light of That God Give Me A Sign where they eat it, you know, McDonald's or Burger King. I just I would proceed with caution there and I think that the New Testament and I know it does it warns us against that. So I'm not in a place where I'm ready to say hard and fast don't ever do that, but I wouldn't do it lightly and I don't know that that's going to be your go-to way of making a decision. I would start with the GPS that we talked about earlier was GPS. If you're, if you're, if you're forgetting Groups prayer and scripture, Kathy of anything else Speaker 2 that? Yeah, you know, I did. That made me think Jeff. We have the one time I felt God speak to me was through a series of signs and looking back and like Kathy, you're so dumb like you should have known God was you know like you didn't need that blah blah. But here's what I'll say is. Like God knows. He's God. He knows that we're humans, right? He has compassion on us like his dearly loved children. He knows, we do not know what in the world we are doing. And I think that he can work with us through that. So just remember who knows you best and who has the best for you. But he also understands that we Don't know what is going on and we're just doing the best we can, and I think he has compassion on us for that, at least, I hope. So, I'm claiming it. Yeah. Speaker 1 If you've been listening to this podcast, you're like, wow, this was the least helpful thing, I don't know what to do. Like, I'm still struggling, I don't know who to date. Specifically, just date, Mary. Nah, I'm just kidding. I don't know who Mary is, why are you looking at me? I was like, you know, Sign from God, if you are thong, all Speaker 2 married, if JP just says, just Speaker 1 a merry, all Mary's are nice and Believers. Everybody knows that when a bad Mary and if you were thinking, should I venmo Nate Hill, Gang Camp always show. It's always about you, man, just because you're a genius. You think you could say crazy stuff? I can play with people's heads. It's amazing. No, you can't. Okay. So if you're, if you are wondering, what should I do? Let's end with this first Thessalonians 5:16 through 18. It says Rejoice always. Pray continually give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. So if you are wondering what's God's Will Rejoice. Pray give, thanks and you're good. And we love you all so much and we can't wait to see you right back here next week. Why do we always say that was the can't see them. We'll talk to you. We'll talk to you next week. Bye bye.