WEBVTT
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Thank you for joining us today.
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At Crosschurch, we believe people need Jesus.
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People need each other.
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People change the world.
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And people leave legacies.
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Our desire is for you to understand, accept, and grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
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Thank you for listening.
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If you would like to know more about Crosschurch, please visit CrossChurch.com.
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All right.
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Well, good morning, everybody.
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It is great to have all of our campuses uh join in this way.
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This is a One Church Sunday where we all link up together and we have one heart, one voice, and one message.
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And today's a little bit different.
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Uh, we're gonna be doing an entirely different kind of sermon today.
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And so if if today's your first day, come back next Sunday.
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All right.
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This this is odd.
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This is different than what we're doing uh normally during this part of the service.
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Uh, I or one of our teaching pastors would open up the word of God and we would share a sermon with you.
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Uh, today is a little bit different.
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I've asked our our teaching pastor and executive pastor, uh Ryan Blackwell, to join me on the stage today.
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Uh, if you're new, uh, you just heard a little bit about it from Jeff.
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But today is Ryan's last Sunday here uh at our church.
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Uh, he and his family will kind of be in transition mode for the next month or two.
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And so you may still see Ryan around here and there, but today's his official last day as he prepares to start at Lifeway here on uh on June 1st.
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But uh Ryan and I have known each other almost our entire lives.
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We met when we were two years old in the nursery at the Springdale campus.
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Y'all want to see some old pictures of us together?
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I'm sure you'd look at that.
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Oh look at that.
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Ryan, give what do you think about all that, man?
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I mean, me and a tie, Nick in a football jersey sounds about right.
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Yeah.
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Uh also, Nick, Nick has had a long affection for white pants.
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Even on Easter Sunday this last year, if y'all were watching, it's in the blood.
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Still wearing it.
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It's in the blood.
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Evidently, Ryan just has a large head.
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Uh, that's also notable right there.
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But uh, we uh we were we were both raised in this church at the Springdale campus, as I mentioned.
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Um we were saved in the same revival at our church in the mid-90s.
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Uh, we were called to ministry around the same time.
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Ryan surrendered to the ministry a few months before I did, and we were sitting in a Sunday night service, uh, kind of in this section down at Springdale, and I remember the Lord just just dealing with me over a call to ministry and like a final surrender uh to walk forward and tell one of the pastors.
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And I'm standing next to Ryan discussing my call to ministry during the invitation while the music's going on.
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And I think even in that moment he encouraged me, I think you should go forward.
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And so I did.
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So we go way back, and uh people people say, don't hire your friends, and I could just not disagree more.
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Uh, we've had a fantastic experience together.
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Maybe you've had a bad one, and if so, I'm sorry for you.
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We've had a great one.
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Um, but a few weeks ago, as Jeff said, Ryan was announced as the new president and CEO of Life Way Christian Resources in Nashville.
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Uh, some of you may hear that and you say, Well, I don't even know what that is.
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We'll talk about that today, here in just a moment.
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But uh, as I said, this is normally the portion where we would open up the Bible, give you a sermon.
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Today we're gonna do that a little bit different because really what I want you to see is this is a sermon lived out in front of you today.
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And we're gonna walk through what does it look like to take a step of faith?
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What does it look like uh to wrestle, even as a pastor?
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What does it look like to wrestle through difficult times, through doubt, through fear, and uh still follow Jesus in the midst of all that?
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And so uh we were scheduled to start a new series today.
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So if you got your journals ready, you'll see that it says we're starting uh a series on spiritual warfare.
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We'll start that next Sunday.
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So this is gonna mess up your journal.
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And that's gonna mess up some of you in a real way.
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And I apologize, but it'll it'll uh mess up a few weeks, actually.
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So um let me uh let me set up today with one passage of scripture.
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Proverbs 16 9 says it this way The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
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Anybody seen that take place in your own life?
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The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
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Ryan, how have you seen that play out in your own life over the last few months together?
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Yeah, I'll I'll get there.
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Let me say one thing first.
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Uh, it really has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to not only serve this church, but to serve alongside my best friend.
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Uh Nick is an incredible leader, and I'm so grateful for it.
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Uh they they say, young in your early days, like who you pick as a friend matters.
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And can I just affirm that?
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Who you pick as a friend matters greatly.
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And I couldn't be more grateful that God.
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We were running that nursery back in the day, man.
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We did.
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Running.
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But uh that verse, it's interesting.
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Uh literally, I think it was about a month and a half, two months ago, I was preaching on this stage and and brought up that verse as a core piece.
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I think we were talking about Joseph's life at the time.
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But what the church didn't know was what I knew is that I was feeling every ounce of the weight of that voice, that verse personally, as we were wrestling with the Lord through this decision.
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And uh, you know, it's the reason I say that is I I would just say I have never desired or aspired to be the president and life of CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources.
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In fact, when one of my trusted mentors reached out to me months and months ago and said, Hey, I'd like to recommend you for this role.
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My first thought was, I don't think so.
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Like, I don't think that's right.
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Not because I didn't respect that the position at Lifeway or the opportunity to make a tremendous impact on the kingdom, but it was really just a sense of that's not my plan.
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You ever been there before?
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That's that's not my plan.
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I I love this church family.
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I love pastoring and teaching and and shepherding here.
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I love working with my best friend.
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My kids are thriving in this season, but that's just not my plan.
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But what we've come to learn really over the last two months specifically is that while it may not have been my plan, God had been establishing these steps a long time before this.
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I look back in my life, and I think sometimes, you know, when you're trying to make a decision, you want to know what's the will of God in front of me.
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And that's a that's a hard thing to do, but you can look back and you can often see, oh, there's the the fingerprint of God there.
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And there's the fingerprint of God there.
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And that's what we look back and see.
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For those of you that don't know my story, we we started out by pastoring in a in a small, you know, traditional church in Oklahoma.
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We then was part of a church plant in our very wealthy part of California, then went downtown San Francisco for a church revitalization, and then to Cross Church, a multi-site megachurch, my home church.
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And a lot of that journey, I kept thinking these things never seemed to go together.
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And now I look back and I'm like, okay, God was giving me a heart for his church in all of its different forms as I was stepping in that role.
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It may not have been my plan, but yeah, the Lord was establishing some steps.
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For sure.
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One of the things that Ryan and I want to take place in your own life today, as you hear his story, we want to connect the dots to your own life.
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Yeah.
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Uh, one thing we both would affirm to you is that often when God wants to move in your life in a certain way in the future, he'll start exercising a muscle way back when.
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And he'll start exercising the muscle of faith.
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And so, Ryan, but before we even get to Nashville, let's talk about it.
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You went to seminary out in San Francisco, came back to Springdale campus for about a year as young adults minister, I believe.
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And then you recalled the first Baptist Church of San Francisco.
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Talk about the next decade or so of your life out there.
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Yeah.
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Uh what Nick says, right, like stretching the muscle of faith that came early for us.
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Um, you know, First Baptist San Francisco was the oldest Protestant church on the West Coast.
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So it was founded in 1849 during the gold rush.
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For context, that's 21 years older than our church.
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Yeah, it's an old church.
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So incredible history.
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But what had happened was the the pastor that was there before me was a very godly man, but got sick and was sick for about six years.
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And so, as you can imagine, was not able to be there.
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And during that time, the the church dwindled down, was facing just a just an uncertain future.
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It was it was unhealthy at the time.
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And so that's what we stepped into.
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And I at the time, I think I was 26 years old pastoring that church.
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And here's what I tell you that the first four years specifically were some of the hardest years of my life.
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Um, personally, you know, the church, again, they didn't have many kids where we were trying to raise kids in that church.
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We were very lonely in that.
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But what I would tell you is this it those four years of hard were God's, uh, I just say his place where he was forming us the most, yeah, helping us to learn what it looks like to really depend on the Holy Spirit.
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Because every day I went into ministry in San Francisco, I realized this: I don't have any idea what I'm doing.
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I don't, I don't know what to do in these scenarios.
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And so just learn to depend deeply on the Holy Spirit's work of my life to give us what we needed.
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And so that was a really special season.
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About five years into that, we began to see a lot of momentum, a lot of salvations, growth in the church.
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And so by the time we left to come back, I mean, we were running about four to five hundred people every Sunday, over 40 different nations represented in that church.
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And so a really special place.
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One of the coolest things was on the front row every Sunday, you'd have the GM of the San Francisco Giants sitting right next to somebody from the homeless community.
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And that's the kind of church it was.
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Showed the power of the gospel to bring people together that otherwise wouldn't have any reason to be with one another.
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So really special church.
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They're still doing great.
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No doubt.
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And you've got some wild stories from your church experience there.
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Um, some of those are not appropriate for a Sunday morning gathering of church, but ask him outside of here, okay?
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Uh, we it's probably not appropriate for us to share some of those from the stage, but they're still funny.
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And uh give them a good San Francisco story before we move on.
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Yeah, I love it.
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So, Nick, anytime we go to dinner with him, Meredith is somebody else.
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This is one of Nick's party tricks.
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He said, Hey, Ryan, just tell the story, you know, tell San Francisco, whatever it is.
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And so I got a lot of them.
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I'll give you one that is just, I think, representative of uh what life in that church was like, especially early on.
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Early on, we didn't have um a great security team like we do here at Cross Church.
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We we grew one later, but on those early Sundays, you just never knew what was gonna happen on a Sunday.
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And so one Sunday in particular, we were doing a communion Sunday.
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So we had the communion table right at the front at the altar.
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I was ending the sermon.
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We were moving into an invitation time where we were going to take communion together.
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And so I said, you know, everybody around the room, let's all bow our heads, close our eyes.
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And so everybody did that.
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And out of the back of the room, I began to see one person stand up.
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He begins to walk down the aisle.
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And here's the only way that I I could describe him.
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He truly was trying to look like Michael Jackson.
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Okay, so like he had one glove, like walking down.
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I was surprised he wasn't moonwalking back down the aisle.
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That would have been even more exciting.
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I would have been.
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But he comes up, and the whole time I'm thinking, oh no, what's this gonna be?
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What's this gonna be?
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What's this?
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No one else is looking, so I'm the only one that sees this happening.
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He gets to the front of the altar, right in front of the communion table, and all of a sudden he just hits his knees and he just does this.
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And so I'm like, all right, my brother's just praying.
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This is good, this is gonna be fine.
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That was short-lived.
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He all of a sudden looks up at me and we make eye contact, and as quickly as he can, he begins to down all of the communion elements.
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So, like, I'm talking the bread, the the juice, like just starts downning it.
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No one else is seeing that.
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And I'm thinking, how how what am I about to do?
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Like, how do I lead through this moment?
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And so finally, I'm I'm I get eye contact with one of our leaders, and I'm like pointing.
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And one of our guys comes up and he puts his hand on his shoulder.
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If you've ever been around somebody that's a little bit out of their mind, you know you don't really want to touch them.
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He touches them, and this person stands up, and by this point, everybody's looking because it was he stands up in a loud way, and there's this little 85-year-old woman sitting on the front row, and at the top of his lungs, he begins to cuss, and then he looks at her and he says, You killed my father.
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Now, what are you supposed to do as a leader of a church in that moment?
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Y'all tell me, like, how am I supposed to go into communion after that?
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We didn't.
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We just uh we picked him up and we carried him out.
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That's just one story of many that I could tell.
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That's great.
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This is the third time I've heard it today, and I still enjoy it every time.
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It's it's amazing.
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You know, Pastor Nick did come out with his book, and I do hope everybody will go out and buy it.
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If I ever buy a book, it won't be on anything spiritual, it'll be about those moments.
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Yeah, right there.
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Bestseller.
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That's great.
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I love it.
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So you're there uh almost a decade.
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And um March of 2019.
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Um I I know some things are happening here at the church.
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I know my dad's about to leave and I'm about to be voted on.
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And so uh I take a risk.
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I'm not even voted in yet, but Meredith and I booked tickets and I fly to San Francisco, both of us fly to San Francisco to try to convince you to come back home and become the executive pastor, also a teaching pastor.
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Um, talk about the journey of faith and really that muscle, again, was being flexed and worked on right there, the muscle of faith to come back home at that season.
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Yeah, it was that was a unique season.
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You know, I think a lot of people thought it was a no-brainer when we came back here.
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This is the church that that helped raise me, our family was here.
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But I what I would just say is like it was the furthest thing from a no-brainer for us at the moment.
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Uh, because you got to think about it.
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For years and years we had toiled and hard work, hard work, and we were just seeing the fruit.
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The church was growing, the church was healthy, like everything that we had been praying for and working for was happening in that moment.
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And that's when you made that first call.
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That's when you came.
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And uh, I'll never forget, we were at a restaurant.
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Nick hands me a list of 10 reasons we needed to come back to Cross Church.
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And and and honestly, and a lot of pride on my part.
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I was reading it, I was thinking, no, I no, no, no, no.
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Like, we can't do this.
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But the guy began to do a process in our heart.
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One thing about Nick that if you've never really been around him, what you'll learn is he is persistent, okay?
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Like every time we would be like, No, Nick, we don't think we're supposed to do that.
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He said, We don't have to say no yet.
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This is just a conversation.
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Let's just keep the conversation going.
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I I got married the same way.
00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:32.480
Let's say you don't have to say no.
00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:35.759
Just we're just talking right now.
00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:38.240
And eventually she wore down and said yes.
00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:40.399
Eventually we wore down too.
00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:40.879
Okay.
00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:44.799
So uh, and so we began to to just wrestle with the Lord.
00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:51.279
And I just encourage you, for those of you who have who are in the middle of trying to make a big decision, the Lord doesn't always speak in the same way.
00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:55.600
So I'm about to share in a moment how he called us to life way, and it was in a very clear way.
00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:58.159
When we moved back here, we really didn't have that.
00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:02.799
We knew two things that the Lord would be with us, and the word from God was just use wisdom.
00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:04.320
Use the wisdom I've given you.
00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:11.279
And so as we wrestled through it, man, we just looked at the opportunity to come back to that home church and pour into it to come next to Nick.
00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:21.600
But also for me, it was I looked at that, some of the other men on this church staff team, and I was sitting in a room with you and those men as we were praying through this, and I just thought, man, I want to become more like them.
00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:23.440
I want to become more godly like them.
00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:26.799
I want to become more humble and gentle of a leader like them.
00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:29.200
And so through all that, God called us back here.
00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:31.759
And can I just say I am sure glad he did?
00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:38.320
Uh, the last six years to get to be part of this movement of God here at Cross Church has been such a blessing.
00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:40.159
I I can't imagine had we not come back.
00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:41.759
Yeah, dive into that a little bit more.
00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:46.320
Just God's movement in your own heart and in the life of your family over the last six years.
00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:53.759
I mean, one of the one of the biggest things has been all three of our kids have have come into a personal relationship with Jesus over these last six years.
00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:57.279
Our oldest is uh 16 years old, son.
00:15:57.519 --> 00:15:59.600
He he gave his life to Christ during COVID.
00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:05.279
Uh our middle daughter Allie, two years after that, and then our youngest daughter, May, uh, just this last fall.
00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:10.320
And so to see what God has done in them has been one of the greatest blessings for Rachel and I.
00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:18.799
Because when I say my kids, they love Jesus like they love Jesus and they love this church and they've served, they pour out their heart in that.
00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:20.080
They've got godly friends.
00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:27.360
And so when I think of one word for our family during the six years back at Cross Church, it's just the word thriving, flourishing.
00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:34.000
Every single one of us to see Rachel move even more into her gift set and the way that God's wired her to be used for ministry.
00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:37.120
And then for me, I just realized I think I was really tired.
00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:42.720
Um, I don't think I fully realized I realized it at the time, but those 10 years at San Francisco had taken a lot out of me.
00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:49.039
And so to come back and just to see what God's done here has just been such a healing, rejuvenating thing for us.
00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:49.840
Really grateful.
00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:50.559
It's great.
00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:52.159
Let's get to Nashville.
00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:52.639
Okay.
00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:58.000
So um many people are wondering, well, why is Ryan leaving for Lifeway?
00:16:58.240 --> 00:16:59.919
And in fact, what is Lifeway?
00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:01.600
People are people are wondering that.
00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:05.440
So give them the breadth and the scope of the ministry called Life Way.
00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:06.880
Yeah, I would say number one, I get it.
00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:09.920
If you're asking the question, uh we've wrestled with that same thing.
00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:15.279
But if you ask your average person, especially here in Northwest Arkansas, you know, what is Lifeway Christian resources?
00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:20.480
Your first thought is probably, I think that's the bookstore that closed that used to be in the promenade, right?
00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:27.359
Like in other words, Ryan, are you going to a sinking ship of a book, you know, uh book place where you can do that?
00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:28.319
Let me just be clear.
00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:29.759
That's not really what LifeWay is.
00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:33.440
That was a piece of what Lifeway did, but but LifeWay is so much bigger than that.
00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:40.240
Um, here's the best way to think about it LifeWay is the resourcing arm for Southern Baptist churches and church leaders.
00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:44.640
And really it goes beyond even Southern Baptists, but that's the core of what they do.
00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:47.359
And so that comes out in a few unique ways.
00:17:47.519 --> 00:17:50.640
One would be um ongoing discipleship curriculum.
00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:58.480
And so we use that here at Cross Church for preschool and kids and women's Bible studies, and many of our adult groups use it use it as well.
00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:10.559
And so uh across the country, there are about 30,000 churches every single Sunday morning that are using LifeWay discipleship resources to help disciple their people, about 3.5 million people every Sunday morning.
00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:13.519
So that that's a big piece of what they do.
00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:16.559
Uh another big wing of LifeWay is camps.
00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:19.200
So camps for students and for kids.
00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:22.960
They're called Centrifuge, Central Kids, uh Student Life Camp.
00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:26.799
You got to realize, church family, you know, Cross Church, we are so blessed.
00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:30.079
We have the ability to do our own camps and throw those ourselves.
00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:33.519
Most churches across America are 200 people or less.
00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:36.240
And so they can't do what we are able to do.
00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:40.480
And so Lifeway resources churches by throwing these camps this summer.
00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:44.160
We have about 125,000 students that will go to those camps.
00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:48.559
Last summer, over 6,500 professions of faith, 900 called to ministry.
00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:50.079
And so that's a big piece of it.
00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:52.240
Vacation Bible School, if you've ever heard of that.
00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:55.519
Also, that was created by LifeWay over 100 years ago.
00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:59.359
Um, last summer, 67,000 kids made a profession of faith.
00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:02.720
And so an amazing resource of churches in that way.
00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:06.640
And then the last way uh would be what you knew as the bookstores.
00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:12.880
So there's a publishing wing, which is devotionals, uh, resources for pastors and church leaders.
00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:17.599
And then the big one is just this way it's the CSB, the Christian Standard Bible.
00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:22.480
Um, they put the word of God out for millions of people every year so that they can hear the gospel.
00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:26.960
And so when you think of Lifeway, don't think of it as the sinking ship, okay?
00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:36.880
Think of it as a behind-the-scenes, disciple-making kingdom pipeline of the next generation of pastors and leaders and ministers and church members.
00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:40.720
That's what I want to give my life to because this church has been passionate about that for a long time.
00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:42.079
Yeah, no doubt.
00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:49.839
So um so Ryan had had brought me in several months ago and just said, Hey, Lifeway called me.
00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:52.960
He said, But I told him no, like, not interested.
00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:58.400
And so we go on, and then I had been out of town, and it was a Sunday night.
00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:03.119
He texted me and said, Hey, I need to run a few things by you in the morning before our other meeting.
00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:05.279
I said, That's fine, it's not abnormal.
00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:09.839
And uh, we sit down and he goes, All right, I need to bring you along on something.
00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:12.640
And my literal response was uh oh.
00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:15.039
Like I just I knew something was up.
00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:22.880
So pick up the ball from there and just talk about in detail really the Lord's call upon your life towards this.
00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:23.359
Yeah.
00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:29.279
When I say it was a wrestle with the Lord, it it has been a major wrestle.
00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:36.000
Um you know, when they approached us, you know, we heard, you know, a long time ago, hey, would you be interested?
00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:39.519
We didn't hear anything back until really November, December of last year.
00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:45.119
And they they said, Ryan, you know, we we know you say you don't want the job, but we'd like you to meet with us one time.
00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:49.200
And so this was a search committee uh on behalf of Life Way.
00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:53.759
And so you said I said, I'll be happy to meet with you, but I just want to be very clear.
00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:55.039
I'm not your guy.
00:20:55.200 --> 00:20:56.000
That's what I told them.
00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:57.759
I said, I really don't believe we're your guy.
00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:00.960
I know you've got great candidates from around the country.
00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:03.039
We're really happy where we're at.
00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:05.119
This is, you know, our plan is to stay.
00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:06.720
And so I went and met with him.
00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:13.119
And honestly, it was the the most free I have ever been in one of those settings because I went in not wanting the job, right?
00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:17.200
Like uh I could say whatever I want to say because at the end of the day, I didn't think I was that guy.
00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:27.200
But there was a a very tangible moment toward the end of that meeting where for the for the first time I thought, oh no, God, God may be calling us to this.
00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:34.559
And so we came out of that meeting, we continued praying, and and really we were still a no up until about what was about two months ago.
00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:38.720
And uh we were ready to give them our final no.
00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:43.119
Um, we were going into the final week, and they had asked us, hey, let's spend one more week praying through this.
00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:46.880
And so we really had that final no on the table.
00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:50.799
And uh we said, Lord, we are trying to be faithful in this.
00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:52.480
I would imagine all of you have been there.
00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:56.160
Well, you you don't know exactly what the Lord's willing to do, but you're trying to be faithful.
00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:57.680
God, would you just speak to us?
00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:59.359
And so we prayed specifically for two things.
00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:02.960
I was going Going on a spiritual retreat with a group of pastors that week.
00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:05.359
And so before I left, Rachel and I prayed for two things.
00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:07.759
Number one, that God would speak to us clearly through his word.
00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:10.319
That's the clearest way that God has spoken in our life.
00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:12.799
So, God, would you speak through the word of God?
00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:23.920
The second thing that we said though, Lord is, Lord, if you'd be in your kindness so gracious, would you send somebody that it doesn't even know that we're walking through this to speak a word of wisdom or counsel to us?
00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:24.400
Okay.
00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:26.480
We thought that was a pretty big prayer.
00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:28.880
If God's going to do that, that would be a little bit miraculous.
00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:30.480
So we're just going to throw it out there.
00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:39.039
And so that Monday, I was about to go on that retreat, and right before I leave, I get a text from one of our church staff members.
00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:42.559
Um, she leads one of the women's ministries in our in our team.
00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:46.000
And she said, Hey, Ryan, can can I meet with you before you leave this morning?
00:22:46.160 --> 00:22:47.039
I was like, Well, sure.
00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:49.920
I thought maybe it was a church situation that she needed to talk through.
00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:52.240
And she comes into that meeting, and I'll never forget it.
00:22:52.319 --> 00:23:06.319
We were in uh Jeff Crawford's office there at this campus at Pinnacle Hills, and she says, I don't know how to tell you this, but one week ago, I was asleep and the Lord woke me up out of my sleep and had a very specific word that I was to give you and Rachel.
00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:09.599
I was like, Oh, okay.
00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:15.279
And uh she said, I've wrestled with this all week long because I've thought it was weird.
00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:16.480
This isn't a normal thing.
00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:24.799
I didn't want you to think I was weird, but this morning, I I literally I cannot move forward without giving you what the Lord uh really has told me to tell you.
00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:29.920
And so she hands me a uh postcard, and we'll keep it forever.
00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:35.599
Um, but here's what the postcard said it says, obedience always comes at a cost.
00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:41.039
Count the cost, but in that obedience, you will bear much fruit.
00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:43.039
And she hands me this card.
00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:50.240
Now, what she didn't realize was the word that Rachel and I had been hung up on for weeks was the cost.
00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:55.440
The cost to our three kids who are in middle school and high school.
00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:57.519
It's not an ideal time to move.
00:23:57.759 --> 00:24:03.039
The cost to a friendship and a church that we love, the the personal cost with everything we'd be losing.
00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:07.200
And so this word, the cost, was over and over again, and this is what she hands me.
00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:11.279
Now, the good news for me in that moment was it did not say go to life way.
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:13.200
Okay, so I felt pretty good about that.
00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:18.400
And it still doesn't say go to life way, but we'll see.
00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:27.200
And so we took that and we just said, okay, Lord, we we hear you, but we need you to confirm it through the word of God.
00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:39.839
And so I went to that retreat, and Gary Oliver was leading the retreat that week, and he said, Hey guys, I know all of you do different things in your own personal times with God, but for this one week, I just want you to jump into something I do every day.
00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:43.279
It's called Lectio 365, and I want you to do it with me.
00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:45.759
And I thought, okay, you know, I'm asking the Lord to speak.
00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:46.799
I'm desperate to hear from him.
00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:47.759
Maybe he'll use this.
00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:51.920
Well, let me just kind of recount the next seven days.
00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:54.319
Okay, I'm not gonna read all the devotionals, I promise.
00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:56.160
But let me just give you a gist of what they were.
00:24:56.319 --> 00:25:02.319
Day one, the next morning I wake up, and here was the devotional heading Jesus the disruptor.
00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:03.599
And it was about this.
00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:11.440
It was about Jesus calling his disciples out of their comfortable boat to join him in the unknown, furthering his kingdom.
00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:13.839
Day two, I wake up the next morning.
00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:16.480
I'm like, okay, Lord, I heard you day one.
00:25:16.799 --> 00:25:20.160
Day two, title was wrestling with God.
00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:26.160
It was about being fearful, wrestling with God, and walking out with confidence in what he was calling you to do.
00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:39.359
Day three was on Luke 9, 57 through 62, about Jesus calling his disciples to follow him urgently into the unknown, leaving behind family and all other matters for his greater kingdom called.
00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:43.440
Now, what you need to realize is both of our families are here in Northwest Arkansas, okay?
00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:45.119
The next day, Genesis 12.
00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:51.599
Now the Lord said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I was going to show you.
00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:55.759
Now, by this point, I'm like, I've had enough, Lord, right?
00:25:56.160 --> 00:26:02.079
Like you've been there, like, God, I I asked you to speak to me clearly, and it's like day after day.
00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:03.519
But here's what I want you to understand.
00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:13.119
I think sometimes you think we as pastors don't struggle with the same things you do: fear, uncertainty, doubt, feelings of inadequacy.
00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:19.119
Like I'm just telling you, when I say I was fearful, during this week, I did not sleep at all.
00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:21.119
I had a weird eye twitch thing.
00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:24.079
Like, like I was so afraid to make this decision.
00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:26.319
But in the Lord's kindness, what did he do?
00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:27.599
He kept pursuing us.
00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:31.680
The next day, Isaiah 42, verse 16 was the verse.
00:26:31.920 --> 00:26:34.720
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known.
00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:37.200
Along unfamiliar paths, I will guide them.
00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:41.440
I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.
00:26:41.599 --> 00:26:43.440
The next day was Esther Ford.
00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:48.079
Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
00:26:48.640 --> 00:26:54.559
All of this culminated with us going to Franklin, Tennessee, which is where we're going to be living.
00:26:54.720 --> 00:26:57.279
The headquarters is there in Brentwood, Tennessee.
00:26:57.519 --> 00:26:59.359
And we're sitting in a beautiful setting.
00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:00.559
We're in downtown Franklin.
00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:02.160
If you've ever been there, you know how beautiful it is.
00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:03.200
It should be peaceful.
00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:06.079
And I'm not kidding, I'm in the car and I'm having a panic attack.
00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:08.079
They've offered me the job by this point.
00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:11.920
And I'm thinking, God, I cannot do this.
00:27:12.240 --> 00:27:17.200
And Rachel looks at me, and she had joined in on the Lectio 365 by this point.
00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:21.039
And she said, Ryan, did you read that one, that devotional this morning?
00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:21.839
And I hadn't.
00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:24.319
I had moved back to my normal what I do.
00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:27.680
And she said, Let me read you what the verse was.
00:27:27.839 --> 00:27:29.359
It was Joshua 1.9.
00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:40.880
Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous, do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is going to go with you wherever you go.
00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:45.839
That is the verse that God had called me to ministry in when I was a teenager.
00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:47.680
The same exact verse.
00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:53.920
And so by this point, church, it was no longer good versus better.
00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:57.759
It was God saying, Ryan, are you gonna obey me?
00:27:58.319 --> 00:27:59.599
Are you gonna trust me?
00:28:00.319 --> 00:28:02.240
Like, are you gonna trust me with your kids?
00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:03.680
Are you gonna trust me with your future?
00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:08.799
Are you gonna trust me with this the riskiness of the Southern Baptist Convention and all that it's walking through?
00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:10.799
Will you trust me?
00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:16.319
And in that moment in that car, Rachel and I said, Yeah, yes, God, we we trust you with all those things.
00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:18.960
And from that moment on, we've had just supernatural peace.
00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:19.440
Yeah.
00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:25.039
Well, I don't know about you, church, but as you hear all of that, I still don't think it's very clear.
00:28:25.200 --> 00:28:31.359
I I don't I text them last night and said, It's not too late.
00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:38.160
You could still um, you know, I I I joke, but this is a big loss for our church.
00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:42.960
And I think if you've been around here, you're you kind of you kind of sense that and know that.
00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:49.759
You so many of you know him for what he does on this stage and our other stages of preaching, which is a powerful part of what he does.
00:28:50.079 --> 00:29:01.599
But even beyond that, the internal nature of what he does for our staff and organization and planning and all that is like a it's just a massive thing.
00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:07.519
And so you you may be here today and you're like, okay, well, you know, I'm listening to Ryan, but what does this mean for us as a church?
00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:13.279
Let me like briefly touch on that, just more just as an FYI in case you're wondering that.
00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:19.200
Uh, you may be wondering even, well, are we gonna add a preacher to the mix uh because of Ryan's departure?
00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:21.279
We don't have that in mind right now.
00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:27.279
That may change, you know, in the next few months, but as of right now, uh, we think we can get by without doing that.
00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:36.160
Um, but internally on the everyday type of stuff, uh, what Ryan does is really gonna be split between four people.
00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:38.960
Uh, and that's the that's the domino effect.
00:29:39.039 --> 00:29:50.079
And so let me let me share with you some men of God that really I think God has been preparing us for at least 18 months, and some of this many, many years before for this moment.
00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:55.759
But uh Ryan serves as our executive pastor, which is my right-hand guy running a lot of the day-to-day ministry.
00:29:55.920 --> 00:29:57.920
Phil McMichael will step into that role.
00:29:58.079 --> 00:29:59.920
You'll see Phil's picture there at the top.
00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:03.920
Uh, Phil was our Fayetteville campus pastor back in the day, right alongside of me.
00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:09.519
He has been working right alongside of Ryan and I, running our campuses, campus pastors, all that.
00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:15.039
So he is well equipped and ready for this uh this job, a godly, godly man and great leader.
00:30:15.119 --> 00:30:16.720
Uh, you see Nick Bethay right there.
00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:20.960
Nick just moved out of the Fayetteville campus pastor role not too long ago.
00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:28.079
He now runs leadership development for our entire team, uh, as well as any new campuses he's been a part of.
00:30:28.160 --> 00:30:33.200
So, like Highway 62, he's been intimately involved in that for the first two and a half months.
00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:37.920
And now he's just now kind of taking a step back to be thinking about what's next.
00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:39.920
Uh, Dave Kinney is right there in the middle.
00:30:40.079 --> 00:30:46.880
Dave was actually raised at Pinnacle Hills and uh called to ministry later post-college uh at our church.
00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:53.599
Uh, Dave was at a church in Houston as an executive pastor that the church just exploded.
00:30:53.759 --> 00:31:00.880
And so we brought Dave back to serve actually in a different role entirely, not knowing that Ryan was going to be leaving.
00:31:01.039 --> 00:31:05.359
And so when we found that out, it kind of shuffled every plan we had for Dave.
00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:10.319
And Dave will now come and he will take over much of what Phil McMichael was doing previously.
00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:17.039
And then you know, Mark, Mark preaches often here, and uh, Mark will also come alongside of us as a next gen pastor.
00:31:17.200 --> 00:31:20.160
When we say next gen, it means next generation ministry.
00:31:20.240 --> 00:31:23.279
So, really birth all the way through young adults.
00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:30.000
Mark will be in the mix with Dave running events for that, VBS, camp, all that kind of stuff.
00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:33.599
Uh, so Mark will move into a bigger role as well.
00:31:33.759 --> 00:31:36.799
So thank God that he's provided for us already.
00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:42.559
Uh, but definitely some dominoes that are falling and shifts that are taking place uh within our own team.
00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:46.240
Uh Ryan, let's uh let's kind of move towards closure like this.
00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:55.519
We uh we always talk about making the local church central to your life, like your best friends being a part of your church and all that kind of stuff.
00:31:55.680 --> 00:32:03.279
Uh talk about how you moving out of the pastorate and being just a Christian family now, yeah.
00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:07.599
Having to find a church, talk about that process, but talk about it quickly because we're out of time.
00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:09.440
Yeah, it's it's it's interesting.
00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:13.599
Uh, this is the first time in our entire marriage that we're gonna be going to church together.
00:32:13.680 --> 00:32:14.880
Even that we're trying to figure out.
00:32:14.960 --> 00:32:15.839
I like to be there early.
00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:18.319
She shows up first song, so we'll see how that goes.
00:32:18.480 --> 00:32:22.079
Um, but like one of the main decisions we were gonna make.
00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:24.559
I think when you move, a lot of times you think, where are we gonna live?
00:32:24.640 --> 00:32:25.839
Where are our kids gonna go to school?
00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:29.920
The very first thing that Rachel and I did was try to figure out what church are we going to go to.
00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:35.440
Because our main goal as a family is to put our kids in what we would just call spiritually fertile ground.
00:32:35.519 --> 00:32:37.519
I think that's a phrase that you've used before.
00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:40.720
And so we wanted the church to be at the center of that.
00:32:40.799 --> 00:32:43.279
And so we're choosing where we live by a church.
00:32:43.359 --> 00:32:46.000
We're choosing where our kids go to school by a church.
00:32:46.079 --> 00:32:47.839
And so it's the central thing.
00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:50.400
We want our kids to be serving, we want to be active.
00:32:50.640 --> 00:32:56.079
I'm gonna be preaching at a lot of churches across the country in my role, but on the weeks that I'm there, I just want to get involved.
00:32:56.160 --> 00:32:59.039
I want to serve in whatever way that that pastor that that church needs.
00:32:59.119 --> 00:33:00.960
And so that's a big piece of our decision.
00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:01.680
I love it.
00:33:01.759 --> 00:33:10.720
I I know one of the concerns you have leaving is really leaving kind of a prayer covering where it's natural for people to pray for you because you're preaching early.
00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:13.839
Talk about how the church can be praying for you in these days.
00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:14.640
I appreciate it.
00:33:14.960 --> 00:33:16.160
We we need prayer.
00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:22.000
Um, I would number one, for me, just pray for uh a supernatural anointing for this role.
00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:23.200
It's a it's a big role.
00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:28.160
I mean, 800 employees, the the reach of this, and here's what I've learned in ministry.
00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:33.839
I have nothing to offer apart from the anointing of God found in my daily walk with him.
00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:37.839
And so, man, would you just pray for supernatural power to live out that task?
00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:40.240
For our family, would you pray for protection?
00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:46.079
Um, anytime you step into a role that you're trying to further the Great Commission, the enemy is going to be on the attack.
00:33:46.160 --> 00:33:50.480
And so, would you just pray for me, my wife, Rachel, and our three kids, Brady, Allie, and May?
00:33:50.640 --> 00:33:50.960
Yep.
00:33:51.039 --> 00:33:51.759
I love it.
00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:54.000
Um, I'm gonna give you the last word today.
00:33:54.160 --> 00:33:59.119
Anything that you want to tell your home church as uh as you depart.
00:33:59.519 --> 00:34:02.960
I I mean, real simple, church family, we love you.
00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:09.039
Like this family, this church family has meant the world to me my entire life, and it continues to be our church family.
00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:10.559
And so I just say thank you.
00:34:10.719 --> 00:34:16.159
Thank you for the tremendous investment that you've made into me and to our family over these last six plus years.
00:34:16.320 --> 00:34:21.440
But I hope today, my prayer for this morning, it's a weird Sunday where you're hearing a lot of our story.
00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:24.880
My prayer for you this morning was that the Lord would turn it on to you.
00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:31.039
Because if anything, here's what I hope Rachel and I and our family has been a picture of living open-handed before the Lord.
00:34:31.199 --> 00:34:33.280
Like, God, what do you want us to do?
00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:36.960
Our yes is on the table for whatever it is that you're calling us to do.
00:34:37.119 --> 00:34:39.920
And here's what I'd challenge you: what's your yes?
00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:47.519
It may not be a big move, it may not be a new position, but what's the yes that God is calling you to do?
00:34:47.679 --> 00:34:49.280
There's a yes for every single one of you.
00:34:49.360 --> 00:34:52.639
And a lot of times I often hear the Christian life is a little bit boring.
00:34:52.719 --> 00:34:57.039
It's only boring if you're living close-handed with the work of God.
00:34:57.199 --> 00:35:02.239
If you will open your life to his spirit and his leadership, I can promise you it will be an adventure.
00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:07.119
And so I pray for you this morning as you hear my story that God may challenge you to say yes.
00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:08.559
Yep, I love it.
00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:10.800
Well, um, Rachel, I'm gonna ask you to come up here.
00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:12.719
Meredith, why don't you come up as well if you don't mind?
00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:18.719
And I'm gonna ask Buster to come up and uh church, we're gonna send them out as a church.
00:35:18.800 --> 00:35:22.719
And so we're gonna pray together over the Blackwells.
00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:24.719
And Buster, you uh you lead us.
00:35:24.800 --> 00:35:25.920
Meredith, why don't you come over here?
00:35:33.440 --> 00:35:34.000
We love you.
00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:35.280
Let me pray for you.
00:35:36.559 --> 00:35:44.400
Today, Lord, we know this that it's not by might or by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord.
00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:54.960
And we know this idea, this whole idea that Ryan would leave the things that he loves to go out and reach the world in a new way is by the Spirit of God.
00:35:55.599 --> 00:36:08.239
So I pray the anointing of God the Holy Spirit would be so evident in their life that they would just walk in the Spirit in a joyful, peaceful, comforting way.
00:36:09.280 --> 00:36:16.960
I pray for their children, I pray for their new school that kids there will accept them and they will become friends quickly.
00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:20.239
I pray for this new church that he's going in.
00:36:20.320 --> 00:36:22.880
Lord, I pray it would be just right for their family.
00:36:23.599 --> 00:36:32.400
And as Ryan, Lord, steps into an incredibly busy and difficult, yes, it's a difficult role.
00:36:33.280 --> 00:36:37.039
I pray that his leadership would just really excel.
00:36:37.920 --> 00:36:54.159
And I pray that as he makes decisions that can affect millions of people, I pray, Lord, that the Holy Spirit would go before him and that every step he takes, he can look back and say, as he has this morning already, God led me there.
00:36:54.559 --> 00:36:56.000
And I want you to go with me.
00:36:56.800 --> 00:36:58.559
And so, Lord, I thank you for them.
00:36:58.719 --> 00:36:59.440
I love them.
00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:04.559
He's been a personal friend, a great leader to me these years.
00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:06.000
And I pray for him.
00:37:06.159 --> 00:37:08.320
And then, Lord, I pray for Nick and Meredith.
00:37:08.639 --> 00:37:17.840
I pray, Lord, that the big giant hole that's left with Ryan leaving this platform today would be filled with the joy of the Lord, yes.
00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:23.920
And the comfort of the Lord, yes, and the confidence of the Lord, yes.
00:37:24.559 --> 00:37:41.920
And I pray, Lord, that the anointing that has begun six years ago, six and a half now, almost seven, here as the leader of our church would excel and would just keep abounding for the presence of God to be here every time he steps on this platform.
00:37:42.239 --> 00:37:49.440
And we pray this, believing that you are the great God of the universe.
00:37:49.599 --> 00:37:52.559
And so what are we to say when you say go?
00:37:52.880 --> 00:37:54.960
And we thank you in Jesus' name.
00:37:55.280 --> 00:37:55.840
Amen.
00:37:56.079 --> 00:37:56.719
Amen.
00:37:56.960 --> 00:38:01.360
Church family, can we uh show our appreciation for the Black Wells right now?
00:38:24.239 --> 00:38:36.960
If you have questions about what you have heard or would like more information about your relationship with Jesus, please email us at info at crosschurch.com or visit our website at crosschurch.com.
00:38:37.119 --> 00:38:44.239
At Crosschurch, our mission is to reach Northwest Arkansas, America, and the world for Jesus Christ.
00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:03.759
Thank you for joining us today.
00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:06.959
At Crosschurch, we believe people need Jesus.
00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.320
People need each other.
00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:09.839
People change the world.
00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:11.519
And people leave legacies.
00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:17.440
Our desire is for you to understand, accept, and grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:18.800
Thank you for listening.
00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:23.600
If you would like to know more about Crosschurch, please visit CrossChurch.com.
00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:29.440
All right.
00:00:30.239 --> 00:00:31.600
Well, good morning, everybody.
00:00:31.679 --> 00:00:34.320
It is great to have all of our campuses uh join in this way.
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This is a One Church Sunday where we all link up together and we have one heart, one voice, and one message.
00:00:40.079 --> 00:00:41.439
And today's a little bit different.
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Uh, we're gonna be doing an entirely different kind of sermon today.
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And so if if today's your first day, come back next Sunday.
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All right.
00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:49.200
This this is odd.
00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:52.799
This is different than what we're doing uh normally during this part of the service.
00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:58.399
Uh, I or one of our teaching pastors would open up the word of God and we would share a sermon with you.
00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:00.320
Uh, today is a little bit different.
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I've asked our our teaching pastor and executive pastor, uh Ryan Blackwell, to join me on the stage today.
00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:09.680
Uh, if you're new, uh, you just heard a little bit about it from Jeff.
00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:13.599
But today is Ryan's last Sunday here uh at our church.
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Uh, he and his family will kind of be in transition mode for the next month or two.
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And so you may still see Ryan around here and there, but today's his official last day as he prepares to start at Lifeway here on uh on June 1st.
00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:29.599
But uh Ryan and I have known each other almost our entire lives.
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We met when we were two years old in the nursery at the Springdale campus.
00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:36.799
Y'all want to see some old pictures of us together?
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I'm sure you'd look at that.
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Oh look at that.
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Ryan, give what do you think about all that, man?
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I mean, me and a tie, Nick in a football jersey sounds about right.
00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:47.840
Yeah.
00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:51.599
Uh also, Nick, Nick has had a long affection for white pants.
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Even on Easter Sunday this last year, if y'all were watching, it's in the blood.
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Still wearing it.
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It's in the blood.
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Evidently, Ryan just has a large head.
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Uh, that's also notable right there.
00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:08.159
But uh, we uh we were we were both raised in this church at the Springdale campus, as I mentioned.
00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:12.719
Um we were saved in the same revival at our church in the mid-90s.
00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:15.360
Uh, we were called to ministry around the same time.
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Ryan surrendered to the ministry a few months before I did, and we were sitting in a Sunday night service, uh, kind of in this section down at Springdale, and I remember the Lord just just dealing with me over a call to ministry and like a final surrender uh to walk forward and tell one of the pastors.
00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:40.319
And I'm standing next to Ryan discussing my call to ministry during the invitation while the music's going on.
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And I think even in that moment he encouraged me, I think you should go forward.
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And so I did.
00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:52.800
So we go way back, and uh people people say, don't hire your friends, and I could just not disagree more.
00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:55.439
Uh, we've had a fantastic experience together.
00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:59.520
Maybe you've had a bad one, and if so, I'm sorry for you.
00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:00.879
We've had a great one.
00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:09.439
Um, but a few weeks ago, as Jeff said, Ryan was announced as the new president and CEO of Life Way Christian Resources in Nashville.
00:03:09.599 --> 00:03:12.240
Uh, some of you may hear that and you say, Well, I don't even know what that is.
00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:14.800
We'll talk about that today, here in just a moment.
00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:19.840
But uh, as I said, this is normally the portion where we would open up the Bible, give you a sermon.
00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:27.039
Today we're gonna do that a little bit different because really what I want you to see is this is a sermon lived out in front of you today.
00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:30.479
And we're gonna walk through what does it look like to take a step of faith?
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What does it look like uh to wrestle, even as a pastor?
00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:42.560
What does it look like to wrestle through difficult times, through doubt, through fear, and uh still follow Jesus in the midst of all that?
00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:45.520
And so uh we were scheduled to start a new series today.
00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:51.599
So if you got your journals ready, you'll see that it says we're starting uh a series on spiritual warfare.
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We'll start that next Sunday.
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So this is gonna mess up your journal.
00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:58.800
And that's gonna mess up some of you in a real way.
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And I apologize, but it'll it'll uh mess up a few weeks, actually.
00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:06.560
So um let me uh let me set up today with one passage of scripture.
00:04:07.599 --> 00:04:16.399
Proverbs 16 9 says it this way The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:19.199
Anybody seen that take place in your own life?
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The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:31.199
Ryan, how have you seen that play out in your own life over the last few months together?
00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:32.480
Yeah, I'll I'll get there.
00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:33.839
Let me say one thing first.
00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:41.839
Uh, it really has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to not only serve this church, but to serve alongside my best friend.
00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:45.199
Uh Nick is an incredible leader, and I'm so grateful for it.
00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:50.160
Uh they they say, young in your early days, like who you pick as a friend matters.
00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:51.199
And can I just affirm that?
00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:53.199
Who you pick as a friend matters greatly.
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And I couldn't be more grateful that God.
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We were running that nursery back in the day, man.
00:04:57.279 --> 00:04:57.519
We did.
00:04:57.759 --> 00:04:58.000
Running.
00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:00.160
But uh that verse, it's interesting.
00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:08.800
Uh literally, I think it was about a month and a half, two months ago, I was preaching on this stage and and brought up that verse as a core piece.
00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:11.279
I think we were talking about Joseph's life at the time.
00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:21.040
But what the church didn't know was what I knew is that I was feeling every ounce of the weight of that voice, that verse personally, as we were wrestling with the Lord through this decision.
00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:32.000
And uh, you know, it's the reason I say that is I I would just say I have never desired or aspired to be the president and life of CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources.
00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:41.199
In fact, when one of my trusted mentors reached out to me months and months ago and said, Hey, I'd like to recommend you for this role.
00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:44.160
My first thought was, I don't think so.
00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:46.000
Like, I don't think that's right.
00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:56.319
Not because I didn't respect that the position at Lifeway or the opportunity to make a tremendous impact on the kingdom, but it was really just a sense of that's not my plan.
00:05:56.959 --> 00:05:58.160
You ever been there before?
00:05:58.560 --> 00:05:59.759
That's that's not my plan.
00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:01.839
I I love this church family.
00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:05.120
I love pastoring and teaching and and shepherding here.
00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:06.480
I love working with my best friend.
00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:12.079
My kids are thriving in this season, but that's just not my plan.
00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:22.560
But what we've come to learn really over the last two months specifically is that while it may not have been my plan, God had been establishing these steps a long time before this.
00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:29.199
I look back in my life, and I think sometimes, you know, when you're trying to make a decision, you want to know what's the will of God in front of me.
00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:35.759
And that's a that's a hard thing to do, but you can look back and you can often see, oh, there's the the fingerprint of God there.
00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:37.360
And there's the fingerprint of God there.
00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:39.040
And that's what we look back and see.
00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:47.279
For those of you that don't know my story, we we started out by pastoring in a in a small, you know, traditional church in Oklahoma.
00:06:47.439 --> 00:07:00.000
We then was part of a church plant in our very wealthy part of California, then went downtown San Francisco for a church revitalization, and then to Cross Church, a multi-site megachurch, my home church.
00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:04.240
And a lot of that journey, I kept thinking these things never seemed to go together.
00:07:04.319 --> 00:07:11.680
And now I look back and I'm like, okay, God was giving me a heart for his church in all of its different forms as I was stepping in that role.
00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:15.360
It may not have been my plan, but yeah, the Lord was establishing some steps.
00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:15.920
For sure.
00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:24.800
One of the things that Ryan and I want to take place in your own life today, as you hear his story, we want to connect the dots to your own life.
00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:25.279
Yeah.
00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:36.319
Uh, one thing we both would affirm to you is that often when God wants to move in your life in a certain way in the future, he'll start exercising a muscle way back when.
00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:39.360
And he'll start exercising the muscle of faith.
00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:42.879
And so, Ryan, but before we even get to Nashville, let's talk about it.
00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:49.600
You went to seminary out in San Francisco, came back to Springdale campus for about a year as young adults minister, I believe.
00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:53.600
And then you recalled the first Baptist Church of San Francisco.
00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:56.560
Talk about the next decade or so of your life out there.
00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:56.959
Yeah.
00:07:57.040 --> 00:08:01.439
Uh what Nick says, right, like stretching the muscle of faith that came early for us.
00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:06.959
Um, you know, First Baptist San Francisco was the oldest Protestant church on the West Coast.
00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:09.279
So it was founded in 1849 during the gold rush.
00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:12.079
For context, that's 21 years older than our church.
00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:13.680
Yeah, it's an old church.
00:08:14.000 --> 00:08:15.199
So incredible history.
00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:21.920
But what had happened was the the pastor that was there before me was a very godly man, but got sick and was sick for about six years.
00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:24.560
And so, as you can imagine, was not able to be there.
00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:29.600
And during that time, the the church dwindled down, was facing just a just an uncertain future.
00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:31.360
It was it was unhealthy at the time.
00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:33.039
And so that's what we stepped into.
00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:37.600
And I at the time, I think I was 26 years old pastoring that church.
00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:43.279
And here's what I tell you that the first four years specifically were some of the hardest years of my life.
00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:48.639
Um, personally, you know, the church, again, they didn't have many kids where we were trying to raise kids in that church.
00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:50.080
We were very lonely in that.
00:08:50.320 --> 00:09:02.879
But what I would tell you is this it those four years of hard were God's, uh, I just say his place where he was forming us the most, yeah, helping us to learn what it looks like to really depend on the Holy Spirit.
00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:08.080
Because every day I went into ministry in San Francisco, I realized this: I don't have any idea what I'm doing.
00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:10.240
I don't, I don't know what to do in these scenarios.
00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:15.519
And so just learn to depend deeply on the Holy Spirit's work of my life to give us what we needed.
00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:17.279
And so that was a really special season.
00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:22.960
About five years into that, we began to see a lot of momentum, a lot of salvations, growth in the church.
00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:31.279
And so by the time we left to come back, I mean, we were running about four to five hundred people every Sunday, over 40 different nations represented in that church.
00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:33.039
And so a really special place.
00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:41.120
One of the coolest things was on the front row every Sunday, you'd have the GM of the San Francisco Giants sitting right next to somebody from the homeless community.
00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:42.559
And that's the kind of church it was.
00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:48.080
Showed the power of the gospel to bring people together that otherwise wouldn't have any reason to be with one another.
00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:49.279
So really special church.
00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:50.240
They're still doing great.
00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:50.799
No doubt.
00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:55.840
And you've got some wild stories from your church experience there.
00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:02.159
Um, some of those are not appropriate for a Sunday morning gathering of church, but ask him outside of here, okay?
00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:06.639
Uh, we it's probably not appropriate for us to share some of those from the stage, but they're still funny.
00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:09.200
And uh give them a good San Francisco story before we move on.
00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:09.840
Yeah, I love it.
00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:12.720
So, Nick, anytime we go to dinner with him, Meredith is somebody else.
00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:13.919
This is one of Nick's party tricks.
00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:17.519
He said, Hey, Ryan, just tell the story, you know, tell San Francisco, whatever it is.
00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:19.200
And so I got a lot of them.
00:10:19.279 --> 00:10:25.600
I'll give you one that is just, I think, representative of uh what life in that church was like, especially early on.
00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:30.000
Early on, we didn't have um a great security team like we do here at Cross Church.
00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:34.639
We we grew one later, but on those early Sundays, you just never knew what was gonna happen on a Sunday.
00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:38.080
And so one Sunday in particular, we were doing a communion Sunday.
00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:40.960
So we had the communion table right at the front at the altar.
00:10:41.120 --> 00:10:42.320
I was ending the sermon.
00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:45.600
We were moving into an invitation time where we were going to take communion together.
00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:49.600
And so I said, you know, everybody around the room, let's all bow our heads, close our eyes.
00:10:49.679 --> 00:10:50.960
And so everybody did that.
00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:54.879
And out of the back of the room, I began to see one person stand up.
00:10:55.120 --> 00:10:56.559
He begins to walk down the aisle.
00:10:56.639 --> 00:10:58.960
And here's the only way that I I could describe him.
00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:01.759
He truly was trying to look like Michael Jackson.
00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:04.960
Okay, so like he had one glove, like walking down.
00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:07.759
I was surprised he wasn't moonwalking back down the aisle.
00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:08.879
That would have been even more exciting.
00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:09.600
I would have been.
00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:13.440
But he comes up, and the whole time I'm thinking, oh no, what's this gonna be?
00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:14.240
What's this gonna be?
00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:14.559
What's this?
00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:17.919
No one else is looking, so I'm the only one that sees this happening.
00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:23.200
He gets to the front of the altar, right in front of the communion table, and all of a sudden he just hits his knees and he just does this.
00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:26.799
And so I'm like, all right, my brother's just praying.
00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:28.559
This is good, this is gonna be fine.
00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:29.759
That was short-lived.
00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:37.120
He all of a sudden looks up at me and we make eye contact, and as quickly as he can, he begins to down all of the communion elements.
00:11:37.200 --> 00:11:41.679
So, like, I'm talking the bread, the the juice, like just starts downning it.
00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:43.360
No one else is seeing that.
00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:46.320
And I'm thinking, how how what am I about to do?
00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:48.559
Like, how do I lead through this moment?
00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:53.039
And so finally, I'm I'm I get eye contact with one of our leaders, and I'm like pointing.
00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:56.080
And one of our guys comes up and he puts his hand on his shoulder.
00:11:56.320 --> 00:12:00.480
If you've ever been around somebody that's a little bit out of their mind, you know you don't really want to touch them.
00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:18.000
He touches them, and this person stands up, and by this point, everybody's looking because it was he stands up in a loud way, and there's this little 85-year-old woman sitting on the front row, and at the top of his lungs, he begins to cuss, and then he looks at her and he says, You killed my father.
00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:21.840
Now, what are you supposed to do as a leader of a church in that moment?
00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:25.120
Y'all tell me, like, how am I supposed to go into communion after that?
00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:25.840
We didn't.
00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:29.120
We just uh we picked him up and we carried him out.
00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:31.679
That's just one story of many that I could tell.
00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:32.159
That's great.
00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:34.720
This is the third time I've heard it today, and I still enjoy it every time.
00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:35.679
It's it's amazing.
00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:39.919
You know, Pastor Nick did come out with his book, and I do hope everybody will go out and buy it.
00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:43.840
If I ever buy a book, it won't be on anything spiritual, it'll be about those moments.
00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:44.639
Yeah, right there.
00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:45.440
Bestseller.
00:12:45.759 --> 00:12:46.159
That's great.
00:12:46.240 --> 00:12:47.039
I love it.
00:12:47.279 --> 00:12:50.879
So you're there uh almost a decade.
00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:54.879
And um March of 2019.
00:12:55.679 --> 00:12:59.440
Um I I know some things are happening here at the church.
00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:02.879
I know my dad's about to leave and I'm about to be voted on.
00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:05.200
And so uh I take a risk.
00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:18.159
I'm not even voted in yet, but Meredith and I booked tickets and I fly to San Francisco, both of us fly to San Francisco to try to convince you to come back home and become the executive pastor, also a teaching pastor.
00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:26.639
Um, talk about the journey of faith and really that muscle, again, was being flexed and worked on right there, the muscle of faith to come back home at that season.
00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:29.279
Yeah, it was that was a unique season.
00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:32.720
You know, I think a lot of people thought it was a no-brainer when we came back here.
00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:36.559
This is the church that that helped raise me, our family was here.
00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:41.120
But I what I would just say is like it was the furthest thing from a no-brainer for us at the moment.
00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:42.879
Uh, because you got to think about it.
00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:48.000
For years and years we had toiled and hard work, hard work, and we were just seeing the fruit.
00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:54.240
The church was growing, the church was healthy, like everything that we had been praying for and working for was happening in that moment.
00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:56.799
And that's when you made that first call.
00:13:56.960 --> 00:13:58.080
That's when you came.
00:13:58.320 --> 00:14:00.320
And uh, I'll never forget, we were at a restaurant.
00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:05.200
Nick hands me a list of 10 reasons we needed to come back to Cross Church.
00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:08.080
And and and honestly, and a lot of pride on my part.
00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:11.200
I was reading it, I was thinking, no, I no, no, no, no.
00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:13.039
Like, we can't do this.
00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:15.440
But the guy began to do a process in our heart.
00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:20.159
One thing about Nick that if you've never really been around him, what you'll learn is he is persistent, okay?
00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:23.759
Like every time we would be like, No, Nick, we don't think we're supposed to do that.
00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:25.519
He said, We don't have to say no yet.
00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:27.039
This is just a conversation.
00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:29.200
Let's just keep the conversation going.
00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:30.720
I I got married the same way.
00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:32.480
Let's say you don't have to say no.
00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:35.759
Just we're just talking right now.
00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:38.240
And eventually she wore down and said yes.
00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:40.399
Eventually we wore down too.
00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:40.879
Okay.
00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:44.799
So uh, and so we began to to just wrestle with the Lord.
00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:51.279
And I just encourage you, for those of you who have who are in the middle of trying to make a big decision, the Lord doesn't always speak in the same way.
00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:55.600
So I'm about to share in a moment how he called us to life way, and it was in a very clear way.
00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:58.159
When we moved back here, we really didn't have that.
00:14:58.320 --> 00:15:02.799
We knew two things that the Lord would be with us, and the word from God was just use wisdom.
00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:04.320
Use the wisdom I've given you.
00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:11.279
And so as we wrestled through it, man, we just looked at the opportunity to come back to that home church and pour into it to come next to Nick.
00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:21.600
But also for me, it was I looked at that, some of the other men on this church staff team, and I was sitting in a room with you and those men as we were praying through this, and I just thought, man, I want to become more like them.
00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:23.440
I want to become more godly like them.
00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:26.799
I want to become more humble and gentle of a leader like them.
00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:29.200
And so through all that, God called us back here.
00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:31.759
And can I just say I am sure glad he did?
00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:38.320
Uh, the last six years to get to be part of this movement of God here at Cross Church has been such a blessing.
00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:40.159
I I can't imagine had we not come back.
00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:41.759
Yeah, dive into that a little bit more.
00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:46.320
Just God's movement in your own heart and in the life of your family over the last six years.
00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:53.759
I mean, one of the one of the biggest things has been all three of our kids have have come into a personal relationship with Jesus over these last six years.
00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:57.279
Our oldest is uh 16 years old, son.
00:15:57.519 --> 00:15:59.600
He he gave his life to Christ during COVID.
00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:05.279
Uh our middle daughter Allie, two years after that, and then our youngest daughter, May, uh, just this last fall.
00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:10.320
And so to see what God has done in them has been one of the greatest blessings for Rachel and I.
00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:18.799
Because when I say my kids, they love Jesus like they love Jesus and they love this church and they've served, they pour out their heart in that.
00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:20.080
They've got godly friends.
00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:27.360
And so when I think of one word for our family during the six years back at Cross Church, it's just the word thriving, flourishing.
00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:34.000
Every single one of us to see Rachel move even more into her gift set and the way that God's wired her to be used for ministry.
00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:37.120
And then for me, I just realized I think I was really tired.
00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:42.720
Um, I don't think I fully realized I realized it at the time, but those 10 years at San Francisco had taken a lot out of me.
00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:49.039
And so to come back and just to see what God's done here has just been such a healing, rejuvenating thing for us.
00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:49.840
Really grateful.
00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:50.559
It's great.
00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:52.159
Let's get to Nashville.
00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:52.639
Okay.
00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:58.000
So um many people are wondering, well, why is Ryan leaving for Lifeway?
00:16:58.240 --> 00:16:59.919
And in fact, what is Lifeway?
00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:01.600
People are people are wondering that.
00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:05.440
So give them the breadth and the scope of the ministry called Life Way.
00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:06.880
Yeah, I would say number one, I get it.
00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:09.920
If you're asking the question, uh we've wrestled with that same thing.
00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:15.279
But if you ask your average person, especially here in Northwest Arkansas, you know, what is Lifeway Christian resources?
00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:20.480
Your first thought is probably, I think that's the bookstore that closed that used to be in the promenade, right?
00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:27.359
Like in other words, Ryan, are you going to a sinking ship of a book, you know, uh book place where you can do that?
00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:28.319
Let me just be clear.
00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:29.759
That's not really what LifeWay is.
00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:33.440
That was a piece of what Lifeway did, but but LifeWay is so much bigger than that.
00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:40.240
Um, here's the best way to think about it LifeWay is the resourcing arm for Southern Baptist churches and church leaders.
00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:44.640
And really it goes beyond even Southern Baptists, but that's the core of what they do.
00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:47.359
And so that comes out in a few unique ways.
00:17:47.519 --> 00:17:50.640
One would be um ongoing discipleship curriculum.
00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:58.480
And so we use that here at Cross Church for preschool and kids and women's Bible studies, and many of our adult groups use it use it as well.
00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:10.559
And so uh across the country, there are about 30,000 churches every single Sunday morning that are using LifeWay discipleship resources to help disciple their people, about 3.5 million people every Sunday morning.
00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:13.519
So that that's a big piece of what they do.
00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:16.559
Uh another big wing of LifeWay is camps.
00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:19.200
So camps for students and for kids.
00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:22.960
They're called Centrifuge, Central Kids, uh Student Life Camp.
00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:26.799
You got to realize, church family, you know, Cross Church, we are so blessed.
00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:30.079
We have the ability to do our own camps and throw those ourselves.
00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:33.519
Most churches across America are 200 people or less.
00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:36.240
And so they can't do what we are able to do.
00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:40.480
And so Lifeway resources churches by throwing these camps this summer.
00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:44.160
We have about 125,000 students that will go to those camps.
00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:48.559
Last summer, over 6,500 professions of faith, 900 called to ministry.
00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:50.079
And so that's a big piece of it.
00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:52.240
Vacation Bible School, if you've ever heard of that.
00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:55.519
Also, that was created by LifeWay over 100 years ago.
00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:59.359
Um, last summer, 67,000 kids made a profession of faith.
00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:02.720
And so an amazing resource of churches in that way.
00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:06.640
And then the last way uh would be what you knew as the bookstores.
00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:12.880
So there's a publishing wing, which is devotionals, uh, resources for pastors and church leaders.
00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:17.599
And then the big one is just this way it's the CSB, the Christian Standard Bible.
00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:22.480
Um, they put the word of God out for millions of people every year so that they can hear the gospel.
00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:26.960
And so when you think of Lifeway, don't think of it as the sinking ship, okay?
00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:36.880
Think of it as a behind-the-scenes, disciple-making kingdom pipeline of the next generation of pastors and leaders and ministers and church members.
00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:40.720
That's what I want to give my life to because this church has been passionate about that for a long time.
00:19:40.960 --> 00:19:42.079
Yeah, no doubt.
00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:49.839
So um so Ryan had had brought me in several months ago and just said, Hey, Lifeway called me.
00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:52.960
He said, But I told him no, like, not interested.
00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:58.400
And so we go on, and then I had been out of town, and it was a Sunday night.
00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:03.119
He texted me and said, Hey, I need to run a few things by you in the morning before our other meeting.
00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:05.279
I said, That's fine, it's not abnormal.
00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:09.839
And uh, we sit down and he goes, All right, I need to bring you along on something.
00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:12.640
And my literal response was uh oh.
00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:15.039
Like I just I knew something was up.
00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:22.880
So pick up the ball from there and just talk about in detail really the Lord's call upon your life towards this.
00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:23.359
Yeah.
00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:29.279
When I say it was a wrestle with the Lord, it it has been a major wrestle.
00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:36.000
Um you know, when they approached us, you know, we heard, you know, a long time ago, hey, would you be interested?
00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:39.519
We didn't hear anything back until really November, December of last year.
00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:45.119
And they they said, Ryan, you know, we we know you say you don't want the job, but we'd like you to meet with us one time.
00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:49.200
And so this was a search committee uh on behalf of Life Way.
00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:53.759
And so you said I said, I'll be happy to meet with you, but I just want to be very clear.
00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:55.039
I'm not your guy.
00:20:55.200 --> 00:20:56.000
That's what I told them.
00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:57.759
I said, I really don't believe we're your guy.
00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:00.960
I know you've got great candidates from around the country.
00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:03.039
We're really happy where we're at.
00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:05.119
This is, you know, our plan is to stay.
00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:06.720
And so I went and met with him.
00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:13.119
And honestly, it was the the most free I have ever been in one of those settings because I went in not wanting the job, right?
00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:17.200
Like uh I could say whatever I want to say because at the end of the day, I didn't think I was that guy.
00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:27.200
But there was a a very tangible moment toward the end of that meeting where for the for the first time I thought, oh no, God, God may be calling us to this.
00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:34.559
And so we came out of that meeting, we continued praying, and and really we were still a no up until about what was about two months ago.
00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:38.720
And uh we were ready to give them our final no.
00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:43.119
Um, we were going into the final week, and they had asked us, hey, let's spend one more week praying through this.
00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:46.880
And so we really had that final no on the table.
00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:50.799
And uh we said, Lord, we are trying to be faithful in this.
00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:52.480
I would imagine all of you have been there.
00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:56.160
Well, you you don't know exactly what the Lord's willing to do, but you're trying to be faithful.
00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:57.680
God, would you just speak to us?
00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:59.359
And so we prayed specifically for two things.
00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:02.960
I was going Going on a spiritual retreat with a group of pastors that week.
00:22:03.119 --> 00:22:05.359
And so before I left, Rachel and I prayed for two things.
00:22:05.440 --> 00:22:07.759
Number one, that God would speak to us clearly through his word.
00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:10.319
That's the clearest way that God has spoken in our life.
00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:12.799
So, God, would you speak through the word of God?
00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:23.920
The second thing that we said though, Lord is, Lord, if you'd be in your kindness so gracious, would you send somebody that it doesn't even know that we're walking through this to speak a word of wisdom or counsel to us?
00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:24.400
Okay.
00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:26.480
We thought that was a pretty big prayer.
00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:28.880
If God's going to do that, that would be a little bit miraculous.
00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:30.480
So we're just going to throw it out there.
00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:39.039
And so that Monday, I was about to go on that retreat, and right before I leave, I get a text from one of our church staff members.
00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:42.559
Um, she leads one of the women's ministries in our in our team.
00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:46.000
And she said, Hey, Ryan, can can I meet with you before you leave this morning?
00:22:46.160 --> 00:22:47.039
I was like, Well, sure.
00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:49.920
I thought maybe it was a church situation that she needed to talk through.
00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:52.240
And she comes into that meeting, and I'll never forget it.
00:22:52.319 --> 00:23:06.319
We were in uh Jeff Crawford's office there at this campus at Pinnacle Hills, and she says, I don't know how to tell you this, but one week ago, I was asleep and the Lord woke me up out of my sleep and had a very specific word that I was to give you and Rachel.
00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:09.599
I was like, Oh, okay.
00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:15.279
And uh she said, I've wrestled with this all week long because I've thought it was weird.
00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:16.480
This isn't a normal thing.
00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:24.799
I didn't want you to think I was weird, but this morning, I I literally I cannot move forward without giving you what the Lord uh really has told me to tell you.
00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:29.920
And so she hands me a uh postcard, and we'll keep it forever.
00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:35.599
Um, but here's what the postcard said it says, obedience always comes at a cost.
00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:41.039
Count the cost, but in that obedience, you will bear much fruit.
00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:43.039
And she hands me this card.
00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:50.240
Now, what she didn't realize was the word that Rachel and I had been hung up on for weeks was the cost.
00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:55.440
The cost to our three kids who are in middle school and high school.
00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:57.519
It's not an ideal time to move.
00:23:57.759 --> 00:24:03.039
The cost to a friendship and a church that we love, the the personal cost with everything we'd be losing.
00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:07.200
And so this word, the cost, was over and over again, and this is what she hands me.
00:24:07.279 --> 00:24:11.279
Now, the good news for me in that moment was it did not say go to life way.
00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:13.200
Okay, so I felt pretty good about that.
00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:18.400
And it still doesn't say go to life way, but we'll see.
00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:27.200
And so we took that and we just said, okay, Lord, we we hear you, but we need you to confirm it through the word of God.
00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:39.839
And so I went to that retreat, and Gary Oliver was leading the retreat that week, and he said, Hey guys, I know all of you do different things in your own personal times with God, but for this one week, I just want you to jump into something I do every day.
00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:43.279
It's called Lectio 365, and I want you to do it with me.
00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:45.759
And I thought, okay, you know, I'm asking the Lord to speak.
00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:46.799
I'm desperate to hear from him.
00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:47.759
Maybe he'll use this.
00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:51.920
Well, let me just kind of recount the next seven days.
00:24:52.079 --> 00:24:54.319
Okay, I'm not gonna read all the devotionals, I promise.
00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:56.160
But let me just give you a gist of what they were.
00:24:56.319 --> 00:25:02.319
Day one, the next morning I wake up, and here was the devotional heading Jesus the disruptor.
00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:03.599
And it was about this.
00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:11.440
It was about Jesus calling his disciples out of their comfortable boat to join him in the unknown, furthering his kingdom.
00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:13.839
Day two, I wake up the next morning.
00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:16.480
I'm like, okay, Lord, I heard you day one.
00:25:16.799 --> 00:25:20.160
Day two, title was wrestling with God.
00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:26.160
It was about being fearful, wrestling with God, and walking out with confidence in what he was calling you to do.
00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:39.359
Day three was on Luke 9, 57 through 62, about Jesus calling his disciples to follow him urgently into the unknown, leaving behind family and all other matters for his greater kingdom called.
00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:43.440
Now, what you need to realize is both of our families are here in Northwest Arkansas, okay?
00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:45.119
The next day, Genesis 12.
00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:51.599
Now the Lord said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I was going to show you.
00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:55.759
Now, by this point, I'm like, I've had enough, Lord, right?
00:25:56.160 --> 00:26:02.079
Like you've been there, like, God, I I asked you to speak to me clearly, and it's like day after day.
00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:03.519
But here's what I want you to understand.
00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:13.119
I think sometimes you think we as pastors don't struggle with the same things you do: fear, uncertainty, doubt, feelings of inadequacy.
00:26:13.279 --> 00:26:19.119
Like I'm just telling you, when I say I was fearful, during this week, I did not sleep at all.
00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:21.119
I had a weird eye twitch thing.
00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:24.079
Like, like I was so afraid to make this decision.
00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:26.319
But in the Lord's kindness, what did he do?
00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:27.599
He kept pursuing us.
00:26:27.680 --> 00:26:31.680
The next day, Isaiah 42, verse 16 was the verse.
00:26:31.920 --> 00:26:34.720
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known.
00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:37.200
Along unfamiliar paths, I will guide them.
00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:41.440
I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.
00:26:41.599 --> 00:26:43.440
The next day was Esther Ford.
00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:48.079
Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
00:26:48.640 --> 00:26:54.559
All of this culminated with us going to Franklin, Tennessee, which is where we're going to be living.
00:26:54.720 --> 00:26:57.279
The headquarters is there in Brentwood, Tennessee.
00:26:57.519 --> 00:26:59.359
And we're sitting in a beautiful setting.
00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:00.559
We're in downtown Franklin.
00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:02.160
If you've ever been there, you know how beautiful it is.
00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:03.200
It should be peaceful.
00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:06.079
And I'm not kidding, I'm in the car and I'm having a panic attack.
00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:08.079
They've offered me the job by this point.
00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:11.920
And I'm thinking, God, I cannot do this.
00:27:12.240 --> 00:27:17.200
And Rachel looks at me, and she had joined in on the Lectio 365 by this point.
00:27:17.359 --> 00:27:21.039
And she said, Ryan, did you read that one, that devotional this morning?
00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:21.839
And I hadn't.
00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:24.319
I had moved back to my normal what I do.
00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:27.680
And she said, Let me read you what the verse was.
00:27:27.839 --> 00:27:29.359
It was Joshua 1.9.
00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:40.880
Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous, do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is going to go with you wherever you go.
00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:45.839
That is the verse that God had called me to ministry in when I was a teenager.
00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:47.680
The same exact verse.
00:27:47.920 --> 00:27:53.920
And so by this point, church, it was no longer good versus better.
00:27:54.079 --> 00:27:57.759
It was God saying, Ryan, are you gonna obey me?
00:27:58.319 --> 00:27:59.599
Are you gonna trust me?
00:28:00.319 --> 00:28:02.240
Like, are you gonna trust me with your kids?
00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:03.680
Are you gonna trust me with your future?
00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:08.799
Are you gonna trust me with this the riskiness of the Southern Baptist Convention and all that it's walking through?
00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:10.799
Will you trust me?
00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:16.319
And in that moment in that car, Rachel and I said, Yeah, yes, God, we we trust you with all those things.
00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:18.960
And from that moment on, we've had just supernatural peace.
00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:19.440
Yeah.
00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:25.039
Well, I don't know about you, church, but as you hear all of that, I still don't think it's very clear.
00:28:25.200 --> 00:28:31.359
I I don't I text them last night and said, It's not too late.
00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:38.160
You could still um, you know, I I I joke, but this is a big loss for our church.
00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:42.960
And I think if you've been around here, you're you kind of you kind of sense that and know that.
00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:49.759
You so many of you know him for what he does on this stage and our other stages of preaching, which is a powerful part of what he does.
00:28:50.079 --> 00:29:01.599
But even beyond that, the internal nature of what he does for our staff and organization and planning and all that is like a it's just a massive thing.
00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:07.519
And so you you may be here today and you're like, okay, well, you know, I'm listening to Ryan, but what does this mean for us as a church?
00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:13.279
Let me like briefly touch on that, just more just as an FYI in case you're wondering that.
00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:19.200
Uh, you may be wondering even, well, are we gonna add a preacher to the mix uh because of Ryan's departure?
00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:21.279
We don't have that in mind right now.
00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:27.279
That may change, you know, in the next few months, but as of right now, uh, we think we can get by without doing that.
00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:36.160
Um, but internally on the everyday type of stuff, uh, what Ryan does is really gonna be split between four people.
00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:38.960
Uh, and that's the that's the domino effect.
00:29:39.039 --> 00:29:50.079
And so let me let me share with you some men of God that really I think God has been preparing us for at least 18 months, and some of this many, many years before for this moment.
00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:55.759
But uh Ryan serves as our executive pastor, which is my right-hand guy running a lot of the day-to-day ministry.
00:29:55.920 --> 00:29:57.920
Phil McMichael will step into that role.
00:29:58.079 --> 00:29:59.920
You'll see Phil's picture there at the top.
00:30:00.079 --> 00:30:03.920
Uh, Phil was our Fayetteville campus pastor back in the day, right alongside of me.
00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:09.519
He has been working right alongside of Ryan and I, running our campuses, campus pastors, all that.
00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:15.039
So he is well equipped and ready for this uh this job, a godly, godly man and great leader.
00:30:15.119 --> 00:30:16.720
Uh, you see Nick Bethay right there.
00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:20.960
Nick just moved out of the Fayetteville campus pastor role not too long ago.
00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:28.079
He now runs leadership development for our entire team, uh, as well as any new campuses he's been a part of.
00:30:28.160 --> 00:30:33.200
So, like Highway 62, he's been intimately involved in that for the first two and a half months.
00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:37.920
And now he's just now kind of taking a step back to be thinking about what's next.
00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:39.920
Uh, Dave Kinney is right there in the middle.
00:30:40.079 --> 00:30:46.880
Dave was actually raised at Pinnacle Hills and uh called to ministry later post-college uh at our church.
00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:53.599
Uh, Dave was at a church in Houston as an executive pastor that the church just exploded.
00:30:53.759 --> 00:31:00.880
And so we brought Dave back to serve actually in a different role entirely, not knowing that Ryan was going to be leaving.
00:31:01.039 --> 00:31:05.359
And so when we found that out, it kind of shuffled every plan we had for Dave.
00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:10.319
And Dave will now come and he will take over much of what Phil McMichael was doing previously.
00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:17.039
And then you know, Mark, Mark preaches often here, and uh, Mark will also come alongside of us as a next gen pastor.
00:31:17.200 --> 00:31:20.160
When we say next gen, it means next generation ministry.
00:31:20.240 --> 00:31:23.279
So, really birth all the way through young adults.
00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:30.000
Mark will be in the mix with Dave running events for that, VBS, camp, all that kind of stuff.
00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:33.599
Uh, so Mark will move into a bigger role as well.
00:31:33.759 --> 00:31:36.799
So thank God that he's provided for us already.
00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:42.559
Uh, but definitely some dominoes that are falling and shifts that are taking place uh within our own team.
00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:46.240
Uh Ryan, let's uh let's kind of move towards closure like this.
00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:55.519
We uh we always talk about making the local church central to your life, like your best friends being a part of your church and all that kind of stuff.
00:31:55.680 --> 00:32:03.279
Uh talk about how you moving out of the pastorate and being just a Christian family now, yeah.
00:32:03.440 --> 00:32:07.599
Having to find a church, talk about that process, but talk about it quickly because we're out of time.
00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:09.440
Yeah, it's it's it's interesting.
00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:13.599
Uh, this is the first time in our entire marriage that we're gonna be going to church together.
00:32:13.680 --> 00:32:14.880
Even that we're trying to figure out.
00:32:14.960 --> 00:32:15.839
I like to be there early.
00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:18.319
She shows up first song, so we'll see how that goes.
00:32:18.480 --> 00:32:22.079
Um, but like one of the main decisions we were gonna make.
00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:24.559
I think when you move, a lot of times you think, where are we gonna live?
00:32:24.640 --> 00:32:25.839
Where are our kids gonna go to school?
00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:29.920
The very first thing that Rachel and I did was try to figure out what church are we going to go to.
00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:35.440
Because our main goal as a family is to put our kids in what we would just call spiritually fertile ground.
00:32:35.519 --> 00:32:37.519
I think that's a phrase that you've used before.
00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:40.720
And so we wanted the church to be at the center of that.
00:32:40.799 --> 00:32:43.279
And so we're choosing where we live by a church.
00:32:43.359 --> 00:32:46.000
We're choosing where our kids go to school by a church.
00:32:46.079 --> 00:32:47.839
And so it's the central thing.
00:32:47.920 --> 00:32:50.400
We want our kids to be serving, we want to be active.
00:32:50.640 --> 00:32:56.079
I'm gonna be preaching at a lot of churches across the country in my role, but on the weeks that I'm there, I just want to get involved.
00:32:56.160 --> 00:32:59.039
I want to serve in whatever way that that pastor that that church needs.
00:32:59.119 --> 00:33:00.960
And so that's a big piece of our decision.
00:33:01.200 --> 00:33:01.680
I love it.
00:33:01.759 --> 00:33:10.720
I I know one of the concerns you have leaving is really leaving kind of a prayer covering where it's natural for people to pray for you because you're preaching early.
00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:13.839
Talk about how the church can be praying for you in these days.
00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:14.640
I appreciate it.
00:33:14.960 --> 00:33:16.160
We we need prayer.
00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:22.000
Um, I would number one, for me, just pray for uh a supernatural anointing for this role.
00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:23.200
It's a it's a big role.
00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:28.160
I mean, 800 employees, the the reach of this, and here's what I've learned in ministry.
00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:33.839
I have nothing to offer apart from the anointing of God found in my daily walk with him.
00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:37.839
And so, man, would you just pray for supernatural power to live out that task?
00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:40.240
For our family, would you pray for protection?
00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:46.079
Um, anytime you step into a role that you're trying to further the Great Commission, the enemy is going to be on the attack.
00:33:46.160 --> 00:33:50.480
And so, would you just pray for me, my wife, Rachel, and our three kids, Brady, Allie, and May?
00:33:50.640 --> 00:33:50.960
Yep.
00:33:51.039 --> 00:33:51.759
I love it.
00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:54.000
Um, I'm gonna give you the last word today.
00:33:54.160 --> 00:33:59.119
Anything that you want to tell your home church as uh as you depart.
00:33:59.519 --> 00:34:02.960
I I mean, real simple, church family, we love you.
00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:09.039
Like this family, this church family has meant the world to me my entire life, and it continues to be our church family.
00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:10.559
And so I just say thank you.
00:34:10.719 --> 00:34:16.159
Thank you for the tremendous investment that you've made into me and to our family over these last six plus years.
00:34:16.320 --> 00:34:21.440
But I hope today, my prayer for this morning, it's a weird Sunday where you're hearing a lot of our story.
00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:24.880
My prayer for you this morning was that the Lord would turn it on to you.
00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:31.039
Because if anything, here's what I hope Rachel and I and our family has been a picture of living open-handed before the Lord.
00:34:31.199 --> 00:34:33.280
Like, God, what do you want us to do?
00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:36.960
Our yes is on the table for whatever it is that you're calling us to do.
00:34:37.119 --> 00:34:39.920
And here's what I'd challenge you: what's your yes?
00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:47.519
It may not be a big move, it may not be a new position, but what's the yes that God is calling you to do?
00:34:47.679 --> 00:34:49.280
There's a yes for every single one of you.
00:34:49.360 --> 00:34:52.639
And a lot of times I often hear the Christian life is a little bit boring.
00:34:52.719 --> 00:34:57.039
It's only boring if you're living close-handed with the work of God.
00:34:57.199 --> 00:35:02.239
If you will open your life to his spirit and his leadership, I can promise you it will be an adventure.
00:35:02.320 --> 00:35:07.119
And so I pray for you this morning as you hear my story that God may challenge you to say yes.
00:35:07.360 --> 00:35:08.559
Yep, I love it.
00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:10.800
Well, um, Rachel, I'm gonna ask you to come up here.
00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:12.719
Meredith, why don't you come up as well if you don't mind?
00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:18.719
And I'm gonna ask Buster to come up and uh church, we're gonna send them out as a church.
00:35:18.800 --> 00:35:22.719
And so we're gonna pray together over the Blackwells.
00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:24.719
And Buster, you uh you lead us.
00:35:24.800 --> 00:35:25.920
Meredith, why don't you come over here?
00:35:33.440 --> 00:35:34.000
We love you.
00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:35.280
Let me pray for you.
00:35:36.559 --> 00:35:44.400
Today, Lord, we know this that it's not by might or by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord.
00:35:45.119 --> 00:35:54.960
And we know this idea, this whole idea that Ryan would leave the things that he loves to go out and reach the world in a new way is by the Spirit of God.
00:35:55.599 --> 00:36:08.239
So I pray the anointing of God the Holy Spirit would be so evident in their life that they would just walk in the Spirit in a joyful, peaceful, comforting way.
00:36:09.280 --> 00:36:16.960
I pray for their children, I pray for their new school that kids there will accept them and they will become friends quickly.
00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:20.239
I pray for this new church that he's going in.
00:36:20.320 --> 00:36:22.880
Lord, I pray it would be just right for their family.
00:36:23.599 --> 00:36:32.400
And as Ryan, Lord, steps into an incredibly busy and difficult, yes, it's a difficult role.
00:36:33.280 --> 00:36:37.039
I pray that his leadership would just really excel.
00:36:37.920 --> 00:36:54.159
And I pray that as he makes decisions that can affect millions of people, I pray, Lord, that the Holy Spirit would go before him and that every step he takes, he can look back and say, as he has this morning already, God led me there.
00:36:54.559 --> 00:36:56.000
And I want you to go with me.
00:36:56.800 --> 00:36:58.559
And so, Lord, I thank you for them.
00:36:58.719 --> 00:36:59.440
I love them.
00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:04.559
He's been a personal friend, a great leader to me these years.
00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:06.000
And I pray for him.
00:37:06.159 --> 00:37:08.320
And then, Lord, I pray for Nick and Meredith.
00:37:08.639 --> 00:37:17.840
I pray, Lord, that the big giant hole that's left with Ryan leaving this platform today would be filled with the joy of the Lord, yes.
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And the comfort of the Lord, yes, and the confidence of the Lord, yes.
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And I pray, Lord, that the anointing that has begun six years ago, six and a half now, almost seven, here as the leader of our church would excel and would just keep abounding for the presence of God to be here every time he steps on this platform.
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And we pray this, believing that you are the great God of the universe.
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And so what are we to say when you say go?
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And we thank you in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Church family, can we uh show our appreciation for the Black Wells right now?
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If you have questions about what you have heard or would like more information about your relationship with Jesus, please email us at info at crosschurch.com or visit our website at crosschurch.com.
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At Crosschurch, our mission is to reach Northwest Arkansas, America, and the world for Jesus Christ.
