A Church is Born - The Brief Story of WCF

We want you to understand the transparency. We want you to know what direction we're going. We're not pastors that are aloof and we go sit in a green room. You know, we're and that's one of the things I'm kind of amazing when I go and travel and speak and they're like Okay, we got a green room for you. Then you can like no, I want to pray with people I'm going to be with the people. Are you sure? I mean that's going to be draining and yeah, it is but it's that's the heart of shepherds and to really minister to people And so I don't want to be in a hurry and I don't want to talk too much about things that aren't really relevant But I want to give you an idea And you can actually find my testimony on youtube You can find morgan's testimony on youtube And if you're listening to this one in the future on youtube, you can just look in the description and it'll be right there So this isn't my testimony We did a 10-year anniversary video that you can watch and hear hear testimonies about people What west side has done over the over the last 10 years in their lives, but this is a little bit different This is how god Uh, I think the title is I forgot the title. I didn't write it down Oh, yeah, there we go A church is born the brief story of west side christian fellowship And then our hope is to also let new people listen to this on a regular basis every month like okay Here's here's what west side is about. Here's what god is doing And then I think when you can paint that picture we can all understand and be on the same path But again, you can text questions I answered with pastor abram an hour and 40 minutes of questions last night at the men's study so everything from theology to uh, the the graven images to Uh, can you listen to heavy music heavy metal music to all kinds of stuff? So there's a lot of questions you can you can question and answers you can listen to uh when you get a chance So i'm not going to really talk about that I'm going to just tell you about the church that you are calling your home church at least for now Well god has you here and want to tie in some practical application And so here is a snapshot of what god did often god will use a person that let's say the lee pastor And he'll take my disposition whether right or wrong, you know, my character flaws my character Or benefits or however god designed me and that's usually what the the shape of the church will take take kind of you know If if the pastor is passionate about certain things the church will be passionate about certain things and so I could see that god Early on was was wanting west side to be a little bit different And he often uses the least likely amen So let that be an encouragement to you because I know a lot of believers are like, you know, god can't really use me Well, you should have seen me 22 years ago, I mean talk about Just nobody's more surprised than me and I run into people even people come here and like I can't believe you're doing this Like I can't either I should be dead I should be I mean it was just the I was the partier the guy that would never amount to anything And kind of stupid, you know from from the farms of oklahoma My dad came from and so god often uses the least likely because he gets the most credit uh and What happened is I was actually born in cortzill Have never moved right now. I live a quarter mile from the house. I was born in And so just I love california. I'm not I mean if god does move, you know us in the future. That's up to him There's no plans. We've never talked about it. There's no desire And I just have a heart for this area and I I like to be where god wants me Um, I remember we traveled to and there's nothing gets moving. I think god people move all the time. It's good. It's healthy It's obviously we have to move but you want to be make sure you're in the center of god's will and I remember visiting texas remember I was we were up in idaho up in uh star meridian for a week and I was just Like I just miss home, you know, and so god's got me here to minister to this area um And so what happened you can again list my testimony all the good the bad and the ugly To how we got here, but in 2000 really it was 1999 Uh 1999 was the year god said enough of this Uh, i'm gonna break you So men or women if you're being broken, it's a good thing Uh, I would encourage you don't fight it Because it just it gets harder And I remember god was breaking me and i'm like I wouldn't listen. He's breaking me. I wouldn't listen And uh, it was a very hard year and then 2000 is when I really said, okay i'm all yours, um And I think it was a 1999 started but I would go back anybody go back into their old life you know i've been set free praise god i'm going great and then My old man the old man calls back and and you get hooked in that and then now you're depressed because you're not where you want to be and And I was going back and forth vacillating for a year Um, and I remember my friend actually at the time he was coming here. He doesn't come here anymore Uh a couple months ago he was coming here and I told him You know, we're on our way back from laughlin with jet skis and corona and I said i'm done with this I can't keep I can't keep living this going back and forth and that kind of separated our friendship and brought it back recently um And that is where the turning point was because I I think In my opinion unless full surrender takes place. It's hard for god to to put you where he wants you to go Because without full surrender you're kind of kicking and screaming and wanting to go this direction god says no go this direction You're fighting the whole time and really kind of miserable You're not really sensing god's lead and you're it's life's kind of challenging. You've got an attitude You've got you're angry and and I struggle with that fine. Okay, whatever wherever you want me I don't need to make a lot of money. I don't need to live in a certain area. Just bring me a nice wife, please And um, um funny story many of you have heard it but I think it's so funny I'm laying on the couch hungover Doing what I always do listen to great american country Boy, that can make you really depressed And uh, craig morgan, do you have any of you heard of him? His very first video was something to write home about And morgan got the part to be in it And so it's on and i'm watching like look if you could just bring me someone like that You know that that's you know, and of course, you know, don't pray that because obviously that's not that's not often a good thing But god knew what he was doing and I met her ran into her and at the gym and we started I go into church and long story short You know, we we met and started dating but this is 2000 before I met her I really started to dig in and god would give me a passion for theology And that's why with this church. We we love sound doctrine We love proper theology because you have to have a gauge on which you gauge Behavior you have to you have to have a plumb line a contractor has a set of plans so without that And that's what when I talk about hyper charismatic churches, sometimes they throw out the plans and just build the house But the plumber's putting something here the roofer's doing it over here and it doesn't fit because they They have to get back to the plans. What does god's word say? And so just a love for theology And in that though Liking both sides pretty interesting I would read the different debates and the you know, because there's different sides out there on the non-essentials You know this calvary chapel would believe this the reformed theology would believe this And I just wanted to know what does god's word say? And just a desire to hear about the different views out there and then unwavering on the essentials Which is a it's a non-compromising thing that we did. It's even in our bylaws with the elders We on the essentials we we're unwavering We we but with with in the non-essentials things, you know, um gifts of the holy spirit, uh, the the um, there's so many things end times eschatology um, uh Church politics meaning, you know govern a leader by elders or plurality or a plurality of elders or the man the main pastor leading How you handle communion all kinds of things and so we don't want to argue over those But the essentials were critical and then for some reason again, I believe god I didn't have any of these desires Before I was just following the world and then all this changed and then there was a desire for revival and repentance And because I was reading a lot of things like david barton who spoke Actually started reading a lot of his material about america and how far we've drifted and to read about the founding fathers And and what they wanted for our nation and my mom even though I talked with the mayflower Mayflower compact society, I think this is some mayflower society My lineage can be traced almost to puregroom white the first baby born in the mayflower cape cod bay And my great grandmother said that the prayers were that the grandchildren would be you know Take god's word into the next generation. They were part of the methodist circuit riders So maybe that has something to do with my passion for this area And revival and all my books on revival would stack up high because I love that theme because it is biblical It is very biblical and I don't like when people give it a bad name you know do weird things and it's like Revival is probably one of the most powerful things that can happen in the life of a community and a church and a nation Because it awakens it awakens And that's kind of what happened with me in my 20s I was a christian I gave my life to the lord I remember it's pretty Significant event up by I think it was mountain high. Um I remember the exact name up there I'm actually going to preach at a men's conference for a few days up there the same spot I believe and that's pretty pretty cool and uh, but then My dad wasn't a christian. He was from oklahoma And a hard hard dude, you know The guy's a weathered skin out in the sun all the time and just don't not real emotional and just you know Walking on eggshells at home and kind of thing and he would not uh Raise me in the fear of the lord. It was you know, did you did you meet a girl tonight kind of thing? And uh, they gave me my first drink. Of course, I remember on avenue m2 by that library Uh, it was it was not paved. It was a dirt road. It was a it was a contractor and uh My dad thought I wouldn't like it never have it again instead had the opposite effect like this is this banquet is pretty good And that was 12 years old and that kind of started the process of and being led in that direction Then my mom came out of roman catholicism And I was an altar boy And I would go and do all the the sacraments and help the priest And it just dead as can be though. It was just not relationally Into a lot of works just a lot of things that you know I mean if you read the bible a lot of it's just not biblical to go to a man of confessional uh, mary perpetual virginity of mary and the Immaculate conception and purgatory and I could just keep going the papacy They they won't say it but it's up there above the bible, you know, that's the final authority and in rome rome is uh, and so My mom became a born-again believer gifts of the holy spirit were very evident I mean her prayer meetings were powerful people still tell me about them 35 years ago in our house in court sill and people being delivered and set free uh, very powerful prayer warrior gifted and um uh I didn't like that stuff Because my dad's influence and hanging in with the wrong crowd and we would go and um Right where courtsill is courtsill mountain There was no houses so that we called desert parties and we bring our four-wheel drives out there And I just I talked to a friend of mine henry marvin. He comes here. He knew me back Then he had a dodge ram charger, uh that one of the bigger dodge rams and we would race and uh, It was just you know, just it was that time and then so drawn away from the lord Miserable and then god brought me back in 2000 And also the focus not only on revival, but there was a focus on worship and prayer and the surrendered life So often you see a lot of those same themes in the ministry and Not everyone prefers my style and I got it. I don't prefer their style. I mean, right we have preference That's why I put up there just because it's not your calling doesn't mean it's not my calling And so god has uniquely gifted people you all of us for certain areas And that's what began to take on the form of west side christian fellowship even before it was a church And so I would go and travel And i'm going to speak about that in a minute But a couple I want to put up some scriptures that when you say leap out from the page I think we've got them there in jeremiah and luke These just jumped out and I knew god. Have you ever read something where you're like, yep, that's for me That is my life verse or that is god just wrecked me I put the bible down began weeping sometimes And he's talking jeremiah and usually when I these scriptures leap out. It's an issue. I'm struggling through The lord said to me do not say I am a youth for you shall go to whom I send you and whatever I command you You shall speak do not be afraid of their faces for I am with you to deliver you says the lord Then the lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth and the lord said to me behold I have put my words in your mouth to root out and to pull down and to destroy And to throw down and to build back up into plant And I I just really resonated with that and also jeremiah 29 Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name. Have you ever been so beat down? That you're like forget it This is this is a hard battle this woke culture is Is taking over and we can't even keep our kids Away from these predators and all kinds of things, but his word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones I was weary of holding it back and I could not in other words God's word was bubbling over in our heart in my heart and it can be in your heart as well That fully surrendered life getting into his word getting to run the heavens and letting the spirit of god just bubble out of you It's powerful It is it's life changing Once you have you don't ever want to go back The enemy tries to tempt you to go back if you've ever ever fallen. How miserable is it? Miserable sucks. That's a good word It's like man, he got me again I bet the key really is to get back up and continue fighting and of course luke 3 16 John answered saying I indeed baptize you with water But one mightier than eye is coming whose sandal strap. I am not even worthy to lose he will baptize you with the holy spirit and fire and i'll never forget that was just Lord, what is the fire? What is that? And that's what happened in 1999. I remember the couch. I remember getting off the couch and just almost falling to the ground And not really being able to get up for a while and just weeping and weeping Over the condition and when the prodigal son comes home It's messy. I destroyed everything my marriage my life my finances my reputation my you know and just weeping and weeping and and god began to just fill me with his presence and and and then joy unspeakable followed It's like i'm In the worst spot ever, but i'm so happy what happened? I remember driving down rancho vista boulevard Uh, you many of you know palmdale just just oh just weeping for so much joy, but i'm going through hell This doesn't make any sense And then I can't wait to read god's word spending hours in the morning. Just whoa. Whoa. Whoa, how did I miss this? Whoa, and then you had to kick country to the curb and put on back then it's hill song. We were darling check Shout to the lord These are the days of elijah and all those man. I'm just man. This is powerful michael w smith I think started back then too and and so god was just changing my heart and so that began the process and now I've got this fire burning in my belly and here's the thing Many people in the church can't relate to you when you've been radically changed by the spirit The spirit-filled life full of the spirit. Not everyone is most people aren't and so you look you look like they people Settle down You know just you know, it's you don't have to get that excited about god You know the old times would even tell me that I remember like just kind of you know Just because they've lost that fire or they've never had it And then god began to have me go and speak i'm like, ah Do not like speaking. I was I would actually get out of public speak. I never did it in school I was always sick or got out of it somehow And just you know it and I did have a stuttering problem a little bit more back then Uh more just you know, just really just really nervous and didn't like it But god would begin to open doors, uh for that I actually spoke to the homeless at grace resource center about about health and fitness and taking care of themselves better and things like that And and little doors here and there and then those little doors turned into bigger doors And then I wrote my first book which is silly because I couldn't even write Well, my mom had to edit it edit edit edit it But it was it almost actually got to oprah because a friend of mine who lost like 500 pounds Joy was her name. She was friends with her and that's why I finished it But then she that that fell apart Uh, but then here not that that's a good thing to be on oprah necessarily now I couldn't go on She wouldn't probably have me on there But it it opened the door so people would read it and the first guy who read it was a pastor And he said hey, would you come speak at the vineyard? They won't let me speak there anymore, but 20 years ago 20 years ago Uh, jim girdleston on a wednesday night Said hey, but I want you to speak about your book. I want you to speak about chapter one changing from the inside out It was my very first sermon And I pre I should see if I even have the cd. That'd be interesting and I preached it with all of my heart and gave just that call to respond and like 80 80 hands went up like oh, I probably didn't understand what I said You know you kind of repeat like, you know If you really need to fully surrender and get your heart right with the lord you and it was just response was incredible And then a pastor friend of mine was there and said why don't you speak at our church on father's day at hope chapel? I hope chapel and um I did that and the father's day message. Uh, it was it was I remember that night or that morning and then they took the cd and they duplicated it and promise keepers in canada Made 10 000 copies of it and sent it out everywhere. I don't even know how they got it actually and so that kind of opened the door to where you know, you kind of you got to get your feet wet on dealing with um crowds and speaking in Different places. I remember I was in wisconsin speaking at the at the uh, The the american baptist association their annual conference is a huge hall like out past the street and people start getting up and leaving Like in the back and then one lady came up and she started she goes I gotta stop you right now from speaking out against homosexuality. He said well, hold on. Okay. Hold on my time up. It's not okay Appreciate it and I just kept on preaching this way And I said i'll talk to you later and just people, you know clap i'm like what is going on here Come to find out they were voting that weekend on on embracing same-sex marriage or not and they didn't let me know And all I said was the court system the supreme court what they're allowing now would have never been allowed 50 years ago They would have laughed this agenda out of the courtroom You know, there they go there they go there they go there and here comes this lady up and trying to tell me to stop And uh that kind of opened the door. I spoke at grace chapel to their men's group. I spoke at uh, central christian Uh to their men's group and we'll go to a lot of men's events. And so hearing The heart cry of men and knowing what men struggle with i've seen thousands of men over those years Some large conferences some smaller and um That's where that's kind of why I shoot people straight That's how I was raised. I think that's the only way i'm not a beat around the bush drives me crazy You know, I say just get to the point, you know, what are you trying to say? What do you what do you you know, tell me the truth and so that's and I would really see men rocked Like i'd be preaching, you know, like I do and he's crying he's crying He's crying he's coming to the altar like god is just moving and moving and moving and breaking Confirming what he wants me to say, obviously And then traveling more I went to calvary chapel here in town. Uh, pastor mike. There's a friend of mine And then they would have me go speak at different calvary chapels tachibi hispania yucca valley North edwards and and so i'd be a traveling pastor for the week for the weekend and so god I could see he's he's using all this experience Uh to to finally eventually launch west side christian fellowship, but I needed seven more years to prepare Seven more years to prepare and that's where I started writing the articles. Uh, the passion for the church is developing and When I left calvary chapel, we didn't we were kind of confused like what is god doing? We didn't I didn't even know what he was doing really And we left just as that. You know what i've got to do what I feel god's put on my heart And more extended times of worship, uh, no offering box more prayer No announcement prayer, you know Just just really a church a revival type church seeking the heart of god and it's not for everyone And people apologize. I say hey if it's not for you, I understand you have to apologize This is what god's called me to do. Some people want to go some don't I I don't I mean I have to answer to him not you and so That type of church Is what god was wanting to plant with west side christian fellowship and there's other great churches around there But he'll take different personalities and upbringing And have them launch that church. I believe if they're truly called of god. There's a lot of people calling themselves Uh that aren't really they think oh, it'll be fun to pastor. I like people No, it's it's it's a nightmare and a huge amount of demonic attack if you're not called because the enemy will take you out and so Over a series of events and time, uh, just seeking the lord Um, that's when the articles I started to write the articles My mom would continue editing and so that got that got everything out there kind of nationally And so I would speak a little bit more in texas and different places and then people begin to ask, you know Have you considered planning a church? Uh, and I said no, I don't I'm not gonna do that. I'm not a pastor. That's a little that's a little wimpy And it's kind of wimpy I thought you know because i'm in construction and and uh, and Ah, those those guys are like they wear glasses and they're all nice and you know quiet like uh, uh Uh, but the more people begin to ask and I say, okay. Well lord all all I'll consider it, you know that's why I believe in the gifts of holy spirit, especially the You know gift of prophecy or when somebody has a prophetic word for you because I was struggling like big time I'm like lord. I is this you because if you want me to say all this stuff It's man. This is gonna go this is gonna go over like a bull in a china shop in the american church Like that jeremiah that that boldness and it's like I wasn't hearing that a lot of churches like lord, are you sure and he would I was in a I was at a church in lancaster and uh, And i've got it on audio tape. It's really old and he said He he just read my mail And he just answered everything I was praying to god that week And even some of you might know billy nettles at the highlands before he was at the highlands He was at a different church and the whole church is there, you know There's 300 people i'd say and everybody's up front and he goes you two shane and morgan, you know our names He he lays down he goes god is calling you to the ministry People say well, he just he just got it, right? No, that's not The only time the only person he mentioned and i'm already asking god for um For wisdom in this and i'll share that prophetic word. It was mario morillo I don't know if you've heard of him. He was at a church 20 is 2003 I'm in construction. I'm digging ditches. I'm going to work monday uh, and he had me stand up the only one the whole meeting And he said god is is is calling you. He said it's not arrogance. It's boldness Now I want to tell you something This is a very unusual moment. I want you to help me if you will my brother I want you to walk over to this very tall individual And I want you to lay your hand on him for a moment And this sir so far transcends physical healing that i'm There are aches and pains and illness that god is going to take away But that isn't nearly what this word is about You have a gift my friend you have a gift from god that's extraordinary And you've got to understand that I appreciate your humility and so does god but god has said that it's time for boldness God said I appreciate your silence and I appreciate your calmness and I appreciate your humility But it is time for boldness now In order for you to fulfill your destiny Some kind of a shell you have to come out of That's what god said you got to come out of a shell And there is a kind of a and you're so young that retirement's not even on the radar screen Okay But there is an attempt by the enemy to put a retiring sense in you Well, i'm going to wind things down buddy. You haven't even wound things up yet And everything you've been through in your life has been a setup for this moment Now my brother would you lay your hand on his back And then I want you to know sir. God is healing you in your body But the lord said that the healing of your body is so secondary To the inflaming of your passion to do a great thing You see you're afraid the lord's saying this to me. You're afraid That the boldness of your vision is arrogance and god said it is not arrogance It is god And men of god have got to be bold and they're mistaken I mean, you know, holy confidence can be mistaken for arrogance, but it is not arrogance because if you fulfill your vision You're going to help so many people And you can help them in a way that nobody else can help them. Somebody clap for jesus And I just told morgan that week. I thought this is so it's people are going to think i'm arrogant How's god And he said it's not it's boldness. It's god And he's giving you this gift to be bold Like how was that? How do you just that just happens? Exactly what you're praying for and struggling ministry See, that's what the that's what the gifts of the holy spirit are for to go and compliment and to help us in our journey Not to get weird and out there and taken advantage of and get all Kind of you know in la la land But to help god's people Get through this journey of life the gifts of the holy spirit for the edifying of the body And so I experienced the power of the holy spirit When I came back, I all the all the gifts i've seen before i've experienced it But because I had the john macarthur study bible and I was conservative I didn't want to share it with people And god really convicted me and I shared it. I think a couple years ago. You can watch it online Um, I kind of repented of that keeping all this silent for 18 years on what god did in my heart and uh but i've also seen the damage that Um abuse can can when that when abuses occur too And so that's why I often say the cemetery or the circus Is And trying to find that balance because i've been in so many cold dead churches and I I kind of like the excitement of The city a little bit better You know the the energy and and worshiping and pursuing god And so that's why what we believe and the elders support this and pastor abram With with the role of the holy spirit and the gifts of the holy spirit. And so we finally launched the church september 2010 as a new church. How much do you talk? I'm shane eidelman, by the way, and this is West side christian fellowship. What what is what is he calling me to do? What what does he want out of me? What's his will for my life? So I just thank you all for coming our worship was, you know Like a blessing helped out, you know back to when we were in lancaster and it was more um, like what it is now is just a A good 30 40 minutes of just worshiping and getting our hearts, right? And I remember it was it was challenging for people, you know Hey, I come from this church and we like to greet each other You know after the second song and I come from this church and we really like to pass the plate for a while And I I like when the person goes up there and make makes announcements And so we tried all that And I remember i'll never forget i'll send this to randy. He was with us from the get-go He left I think about two years ago now. He was our treasurer and um Ronnie Was actually leading worship and I said, okay guys, we'll try announcements. So he's leading worship and I think it's like one of those songs where you're just broken And you could just camp out there for a while And so he stops and the guy comes up. All right, let's go over everything we have going on for 10 minutes like Talk about a buzzkill If you don't want that is that's okay But randy afterwards goes. Yeah, that's we're not gonna do announcements anymore All right. Now we'll make some now and then just but to to this service. It's where it doesn't mean announcements are wrong Doesn't mean passing the plate is wrong But for where god had us really pressing in worship the word and prayer and that's been our theme for 12 years And continuing doing that same thing and so um When that happened levy can relate probably We had a guy named garrett and he got the website going. He's like we got a good video I'm, like i'm not gonna go on video and all this he goes. Yeah, that's a wave of the future like Video cameras back then we had uh, I think it was cds and recorders and things you make copies of cds I'm, like i'm not gonna go on video and worry about a camera on me the whole time He goes. No, that's if you don't do that You know, let's say you're not going to reach people and then you know, I get talked into podcasts and video pod and so You see though that god uses different platforms to get the message out there and so That once the video started getting better quality then other places picked it up And we would hear from people and that's where I started to realize. Oh, okay God's doing something. I mean just about every state in the united states, you know people being man That message wrecked me or I went home and repented my I mean we're talking I don't know how many emails over the years now. It's just facebook twitter instagram people I mean just even today a guy called in and and just just God's getting the message out there So see that's why we're a little bit different too. Not everybody Every pastor gets you know has that calling there's more maybe focus Just on the local level And when you look at the message is going out nationally on the radio Um, that's where god has us. And so again when I say these things trust me my heart i'm not boasting But we are to boast in what god is doing. I think it's amazing. Absolutely amazing what god is doing And breaking and and humbling people And uh, yeah, I just got a text yesterday too that like Charlie kirk, you know is reading the articles We're seeing the sermons turning point usa is showing a lot of the things and then uh other leaders in the christian community The articles I know were sent to president trump 22 years ago friend of his and said you got to read this guy And so god is getting that information out there. So now I have to I have a responsibility not only locally But god, what are you doing even nationally? And so that's why west side is a little bit different. And so we're open for constructive criticism, but not everyone is going to Understand or line up especially if they have a different heart. I remember man. We had a it was like pulling teeth with these certain individuals for a while because You know, they they wanted to be a missions church and only focus on missions, but that was their heart So i'm like go for it do it we'll support it but no you need to you know God needs to tell me what I need to do He's not telling me to to to change my whole directory to trajectory or whatever. That's called you handle the missions We'll support him. We'll do it. I'll mention it. But but here's where god has me And not everyone you need to go. I remember one guy. He was so mad. He used to sit there Why don't you go on the 40-day? Marches with this around planned parenthood and always talk about abortion and get these signed things and and go do this and go to La with this for the training i'm like that's i'll support you, but that's not my wheelhouse That's not where god has me. Here's here's where he has me Well, why don't you get you know, it's just like people want you to do certain things Even in politics they wanted me to run for certain things in office and get mad when I don't i'm like that's that's not Where god has me and so maybe that's encouragement to you is to find out where god wants you And and stay within that that that That that that framework state now, of course we have to do other things But I think when we juggle too many plates we end up dropping them all And focusing okay lord, what do you want me to do? And the first two years were rough. I don't know if I put that up there Uh, the first two years were rough Uh rough for everyone because god chips off the hard background Uh, especially when you're pastoring or when you're getting in ministry, uh, the thing about ministry is You don't have employees. Uh, many of you know, I had 20. I oversaw 24-hour fitness center. I had about four different gyms Santa clarita victorville palmdale I opened up east palmdale and west palmdale which both closed down now I promised people they wouldn't look what happens when you're gone and then lancaster. I opened that one in lancaster Uh before before it came, uh, well, we signed 20 year leases. I think it was rent was about 20 grand a month I remember that and um And I had 150 employees that I was over from payroll and budgeting and profit loss statements and eeo sexual harassment, uh working with you know, Doing things the right way and policies and procedures board. I go to board board meetings at irvine Uh, very very high up people were there and we talk about you know shane you got to beat last year by six percent What's your goal? What's your monthly goal? And then I break it down to each department and tell retail they're responsible for this supplement You're responsible for this personal training. You're responsible for this sales department We need this and just boom boom steamroller and that was my job And so you can't do that when you're past You know, it can't be the steamroller. You got to be the nice gentle flower Because you have volunteers Not employees and you can't be you know, you have to you just have to you just have to change So the first two years were difficult because god is chipping off He's preparing me as much as he's preparing others and remember my dad, you know, oklahoma My mom from from southern california down by the beach. So it's an interesting combination there And I I remember i'll never forget. It was actually joe walker high school. I was 12 And a guy by the name of john reamy, he actually his parents live in over here in leona valley His dad passed away recently. He popped me Just first time i've ever been hit bam left-handed I was like and my dad said you need to learn how to fight back You know, that's what I was used to and he when he played football, you know, you just get angry You get angry and you just run them over and that's you know, that's how we That's how I was kind of raised that mentality and that's you get things done it's it's hard it's abrasive uh, you get back up you keep fighting you don't cry and so Now pastoring You know, god's god's changing me and changing my heart. So the first two years were rough come to sound the alarm We have got to become a praying church Listen the church is mocked the church is ridiculed the church used to pray Yeah The church used to petition god the church used to know what all my prayer meetings man But brokenness and humility and full surrender now We want to talk about blessings and boasting and jockeying for position god says I don't want any of that humble yourself If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways Will I not hear their prayers heal their land and forgive their sins? And then the next four years I got into the flow of things our church got into the flow of things our Identity was forming and we did something that was actually I don't know how many churches have done this before But we were able to add a second service on saturday nights We were already meeting at 5 30 the church. I think in hope chapel seats around 220 people And it's a capacity And uh, we talked about opening another service and we did 4 p.m And wouldn't you know it it grew as well So now we got 4 and 5 30. Nobody starts a church on saturday night You know how many people told me it's not going to work. You don't chart You don't start a church on saturday night shane people are going to think you're some weird cult and And you got to get started first on sundays And well, I don't know we have a we have a free building on saturday nights My friend said we can use it and so that just really grew and and and flourished. Um, I rarely took time off Um because I was keeping another job down while I was pastoring and so one of the great things about bringing pastor abram on Is able to take it take time off and it's funny how people go boy. You've taken a lot of time off You know what? I've i've spent 38 years not taking any time off Yeah, i'm gonna take a little time off because my kids are not getting any younger And um, and so you had to I had no guest speakers and I had to just kind of fulfill this myself and so the church is growing and then we get to um Six years into it We were approaching the move here in leona valley And joe lindeman one of the elders here was traveling to lancaster And one day he said hey, we're looking for a pastor and you're looking for a building Would you consider praying about going up to leona valley? And I said, oh, I don't that's a little too far I don't think so. But thank you Would you pray about it? Hmm Man, yeah, i'll pray about it. Okay, and so me my wife started drive up here, you know, and the drive is I mean Wow, I mean look at there's no Most churches are like a concrete jungle, you know everything around and so we were like, oh this this is pretty This is not that far of a drive and um, and we just kind of fell in love with the area And uh, it was a small church, uh, probably 40 people in attendance No kids ministry the balcony had been closed for years And uh, it was it was For lack of better words. It was a dying church Uh, but there were some people who wanted to hold on to the dying church And didn't want to let it go Uh, it's the first time in my life i've ever i've never seen modern day pharisees until that moment very challenging six months Very difficult very ugly Uh, I thought I was coming up here to sell the building or take over bring all these city people up here It was just sad like what are you talking about? I'm just trying to follow god's lead Sell the building I mean Wow And it was just all the gossip even the town got a little upset at me And it was just a mess, but then finally they voted and they voted 96 To actually dissolve and become westside christian fellowship. It was totally a god thing And so we wanted to steward the building correctly. We paid it off. I think like three years ago We wanted to honor, uh, you know, it was a lot of older crowd And so we want to honor that uh, and and and here, you know a lot of Um what their desires were I mean we had for a while we had the organ And the hymnals and the speakers for the for the organ a lot of tapestry. You see the big tapestry in the back That was along the whole wall And it was hard to get some of it down. Let me tell you I was the devil for a while But i'm like hey change is good, you know soundboard's okay, you know, but I understand them It's their church. And so I totally respected that it was it was it was hard to mesh those two together um But that's we finally ended up up here And then more doors began to open the radio station the radio program got picked up by more and more stations About three years ago pastor abram. I reached out to him And asked if he would come speak He said he couldn't speak because his denomination wouldn't let him speak at my kind of church Like oh, what kind of what kind of church is that? I don't know. What kind what kind of church is that? Well, it's not like us Okay Hmm, well you pray about it. I think something like that and so he finally said, okay I'll come out and speak and I think him and erica you never forget that first day of worship. They're just like wow You know god is moving here and still long story short They moved back to lancaster started working here part-time and they also worked at joshua memorial Mortuary and uh, he's praying about it and just waiting for the right time. So why don't you just come on full time? And that was about two years ago now or two and a half maybe three years ago three years ago full time And uh, just a blessing ever since and that's where kind of then, you know that grew Even more, um as many of you know, it was the only church I think to actually grow during covet that i'm aware of You know most churches lost a lot. We lost a lot of people 150 to 200 people moved in the last two years That's a that's a whole that's That's like a couple churches I mean it was like every week gone gone gone gone gone deacons elders friends family gone My sister my mom my was like, whoa, what's going on here? It was like just shell shock and then god was bringing other people who are hungry for the truth and What happened is we were on a conference call and uh when president trump asked, you know Hey, would you guys just alter just let's just let's just shut down for a while 15 days to slow the curve which turns into two years, right? So we shut down and um i'm talking to nurses ucla, I mean I shouldn't say the name of churches places, but They're like there's there's some shenanigans going on here. I mean, there's no more flu. There's no more pneumonia Everybody's getting covid sixteen thousand dollars per covid patient thirty thousand if they're on a ventilator Uh, we got some shenanigans fauci saying this and that and it's like after a while you realize The death rate what? 90 98.5 success rate mainly older maybe mainly morbid obesity underlying health issues And you see and now i'm driving around and the pot shops are open planned parenthoods open liquor stores and donut shops are open Hmm We have to close For how long? Oh, we'll let you know And so we met with the elders and said okay and we actually I planned on going to jail Asked morgan and abram. We're like, okay. Well, here's the plan Because it was pretty bad there for a while. I don't know how many of you followed Uh with la county and um our local officials right over the hill We're not happy with me and they wanted me to put a big plexiglass here and been preaching a mask It's like we have lost our mind We have lost our mind and I lost friendships, you know, people think i'm disobeying romans 13 I said I obeyed her for a while until you find out the shenanigans and the And the and the actually I think it's an evil agenda that was starting to manifest itself And we begin to in love the more time I spent with god the more bolder we became Jack hibbs texted me and said what are you sensing? I said i'm thinking we need to open soon Maybe march I think it's 31st pentecost sunday says me too Let's do let's get on a conference call with people and then a lot of our churches You know opened and a lot of people who I thought were going to open didn't So i'm like, oh I think we're the only ones one of the only ones and And uh after a couple couple weeks even the mask and the distancing. It's like I can't live like this Um, but people don't realize You know trust the science right trust the science until you can't sue pfizer or madera Uh, but so I looked into the mra mra messenger. I looked into the death ray I looked into the morbid obesity and the natural causes and the transmission and Even if you investigate the mass The reason they don't work is the cloth can't stop it If to do it, right you have to have n95 suction to your face and wearing gloves and don't touch anything if you really want To to so I would see just all this. So what point does the church say? Hey guys enough is enough Uh, this isn't working And then started to get bolder. We had about 250 Thousand views each month on facebook and facebook shut me down which still shut down two years now Not shut down, but it's called shadow banning So you just maybe a few people see it. I think facebook will youtube will be out of youtube jail tomorrow I think so. Okay, so But see you see when you start to see all these false narratives And you hear doctors saying hey, this is working for covid. In fact, she says no, it's not We're not going to go that way natural things the malaria medication's been around for 60, you know, and you see the government kind of really It's it's an evil plan. So I think at that point that's when the church says, okay We submit but when we find out now you're actually going against god And god's called us to stand up to these kind of things. Look at the book of acts Hey, we can't stop doing what god has called us to do and so it wasn't out of rebellion Which like I studied, uh, even when it came through the church and people got sick, you know, and just And and nobody has the flu anymore No one has pneumonia Nobody it's like just so many things I can't even remember I mean they die of a car accident alcoholism and they put them down as covid death I mean, it's just all it's everywhere. It was it was running rampant and um even recently I don't want to go into a lot of things now i've been following a lot of what's going on and I think if If what happens in the midterms, you know, they're going to really expose what happened with Fauci and gain of function research and the uh What a lot of the they're trying to have the coroners not Report a lot of what they're finding in the autopsies and things like that and that there'll be more that will be coming out And so we see if it was man-made it if it came out somehow And then it was also definitely employed it to they used it to shut down the church. Maybe that wasn't their agenda Maybe it was a lot of it's out of fear But the idea to shut down the church and newsom was going to shut down the church Big time back then in the department of justice william bar. I actually they read the letter. I was in a conference call He sent him a letter and said you will not shut down these churches in california. That's why he didn't do it Remember he shifted gears there You see how important the right leadership is guys. The right leadership is huge the right judges Is huge. I mean, this is like what we're leaving for our children our grandchildren And so that's what's really got us here to where we are today um 12 years now Uh still anchored to our foundation Of jesus christ. We look back a few a few months ago We talked about the core principles You know about westside christian fellowship and we we feel like we're still on track and then one of the questions that actually came in was Um, where do we see this going? We're open to what god wants to do Now god may open a larger campus that's more central or he may want us to stay here or he may do both We don't know we don't i've never went out and looked for anything I want to be right where god wants us to be he'll open doors when he wants to open doors Maybe he won't open doors. Maybe things will get really challenging. We're kind of glad we're hidden back here in a corner You know, so it really depends on what god wants to do and so that's really what got us to here and at this point usually in the Q a for the meet and greet I would ask if there's any questions And that's when people usually ask about what we believe theology wise From women pastors and I don't want to waste your time tonight But I know it's important to hear about the church that you're a part of You know, where are we going? What direction are we heading? What's what's the heart of the leadership? And if I don't get to all the questions, uh, then i'll answer them in a special video as well But a few that came in I want to just are very important. Um One of them It's kind of funny God has a sense of humor When we signed up for the texting system, right? about a week in some people are texting me like why is it asking male female non-binary i'm like That's a good question. I didn't realize they did that those little stinkers And so they're down in santa monica I called them because oh, yeah, you can change that You know the next quarter we'll come out with the feature. Well, he's not returning my calls and um And so that's why they do that number one Number two is I never thought about this but one of our elders said you know what? It's a great way also to identify people are struggling with that So we've been able to see if somebody puts that then we can reach out And help that through that struggle. So it's like well, that's not a bad idea either So the thing is have patience. We didn't we feel like you believe there's other other genders. No, we believe in two But the stinky system after we get hooked up to it now, we've got 700 families hooked up to do we switch now again? And so that's why that non-binary is there. It's just so funny because it made me so mad Yeah, you got me good guy, didn't you? um And then another question comes in this is really good, especially where right now What are my thoughts about being slain in the spirit? I'll let abram answer this one Because there's another question about let me maybe I can time in Is west side christian fellowship getting more charismatic or staying? Conservative, how do you find that balance? What's the greatest struggle? So my my initial thought on this was in my mind. We haven't changed in 12 years What I believe 12 years ago is exactly what I believe today On all the gifts of the spirit now The only thing that might have changed is the the people that are coming when I first planted the church We are known as man. That's a that's a guy who speaks the truth and I got a lot of mean people Who like the truth? You know those modern day pharisees. Ah, we want the truth like that was a hard crowd the first year too It was like man these guys Uh, and so but the you've changed a lot. You're you're more hungry You're you're wanting to more worship more services. And so I see so in that sense we have changed And there's a deeper pursuit for god Because the people are hungry And so what we always try doing we you've got some solid elders one of the elders David these actually went to john macarthur's church for a long time. He was involved in ministry down in that area Same with joe lindemann. He's uh, he's the president of firefighters for christ And very solid guys brian hobbs very solid theologically And uh, so we run we talk about these things And so getting more charismatic or more conservative. We try to what does the bible say? What what is what does the bible say? And it's very conservative and it's very charismatic And cares I should probably define that Charismatic the the term comes because people ask me. Are you charismatic? I'm like what the bible says I really don't label myself. The bible comes from bestowing spiritual gifts the word charisma charisma bestowing spiritual gifts first first corinthians 12 13 14 And from that word comes Charismatic charisma. Do you believe that those supernatural gifts of the holy spirit are still evident today? So you take someone like john macarthur who I reference often Doesn't believe they are that those signed gifts are no longer valid today I for the life of me can't find that here 22 years later looking in the bible. I I can't find that I believe that they are and i've experienced them profoundly and powerfully and genuinely And once you experience it see it's not that you're interpreting your the scripture through your experiences I'm running my experiences through scripture. Oh paul paul experienced that paul said that that happened on the When they're in the upper room the fire of god fell I can relate to that And so you just to me it all lines up with scripture You actually have a harder job proving. They don't exist than I do proving they do Because you have to take out scripture and move things around Well that which is perfect comes out and in part will be done away with well now we have the bible We don't need the gifts But paul said now we look through a glass dimly But when that which is perfect comes we will see as we see face him So we see better than paul now because we have the bible I don't think so. We still look through things dimly because that which is perfect has not come yet that being jesus christ And so to answer the question I don't think we're getting I think we're getting more desperate Maybe more deeper uh pressing in. Um But still because here's here's the challenge I'm getting don't worry. I'm getting to the slain in the spirit in a minute some of you Have your own life you have Everyone has their own life, but you have a deep you have a deep Relationship with the lord you do you do things a certain way? Maybe your worship time is different than ours Maybe you know you do things differently And then we have to be careful because now you you might come and you want the church to do that But I I can't do that because now I have a responsibility for the whole body of christ I have to answer to god for what I allow here What we allow to take place so I can't be like well just do whatever if it's odd, it's god Just go crazy go crazy guys When the bible also says let all things be done decently in order And so that balance is hard to find. So the word slain in the spirit was is Um, not really an old term It's when Probably even back, you know 100 years ago and then of course you see on tv with benny hinn and different people whether just you know kind of walking by and Blowing you over and moses you got to fall over This isn't working Heidi you want to fall over lori? No now Not mocking it When god genuinely moves and he confronts sinners Things happen I remember i've seen stories. My mom's told me stories. I'm sure you've seen it where I mean people are just like god is moving and even the babies respond You can't a baby can't be faked When the baby just kind of conks out like what what is that? The baby's not being influenced something is going on and so reading throughout all of revival history in when Genuine revivals like in the upper room when god visit the people in the upper room if on a night here during worship You feel just just something god is moving in a tangible way That's why some people Maybe just get excited and they're they're they're just joy filled and they're kind of can't contain themselves Others are being broken at the altar because when human flesh encounters the living god in real and profound ways. It's not real tidy It's just not And i've experienced it. I remember at a men's conference i've talked about often for the rock church Um up in up by san diego. I mean I gave an altar call 150 of the 300 men came forward And it was just man you would it was if somebody just walked in and be like what is going on but you got these you know guys gangbangers and stuff just crying out to god and I I right before I went up and spoke I could I was in the back I literally could not get up and the guys are praying over me and i'm like just weeping and weeping Like what is wrong with me? oh, that's oh I would give anything to preach that sermon again because the fight you were just Just but the fire of god was so and he was showing me who I used to be and how I almost lost my life to the prodigal living And then he showed me where I am now and I just I couldn't I couldn't stop weeping and weeping Like they had to just do an extra song because I couldn't go preach. I said I can't go up there right now What was that? Well, that's just emotional. I don't know what it was, but it was real It was genuine and the fire of god was very evident And we've had time. I think ronnie was there He was leading worship where I just came up said guys. I can't I can't go into this next service We got to just keep and worship just kept going for like three hours And the altar was full and I remember at hope chapel I was preaching and the first service ran to the second the ushers had to come get this guy who was just weeping and people through it sounded kind of weird like preaching and and just Talking about communion. I began breaking down too and and you just hear people kind of weeping throughout the congregation Coming to the altar. It's like What is so see you that you can't put god in a box. Well, that's just emotional. That's kind of weird Yeah, it's a little interesting As a conservative guy who likes, you know I like things clean and tidy and nice and lord. What exactly are you going to do? Can we be done by eight? But when god begins to work in human hearts You know and so i'm careful on I don't say I don't say slain in the spirit because I think some things are fake Some things are phony some things are manipulated But some things are genuine Some things are genuinely genuine and i've been i've been where um, I don't remember exactly where it was. I was younger Um, I don't think I met morgan yet, but in prayer like it Usually these little churches like 80 people just hungry for god and up there in this pastor is praying for me and I literally just Like I just could not stand up anymore Like I just had to just lay down the altar and just oh my god And just because my life was falling apart and god and I just literally could not get up if you paid me to get up So, what do you what do you do with that stuff? I mean golly I went home filled with the spirit of god I went home. Just loving the lord even more god met me. He broke me. Oh praise god And when god breaks you it's not pretty and so the quick the the the The answer really is to be open to what god wants to do but cautious To not hinder the work of the spirit, but not to encourage hysteria And it's a hard balance to find and not everyone agrees with this my position or the church's position they go here on either side Oh, you're not open enough. You're too open Well, what is it guys? Come on What is it and so See, but but what happens is and I used to go this before I do this before he's passing I would want the church to do things my way This is how I worship. We should be doing this This person wants this this person wants this this person wants this and that's why his leadership. We just have to to the best of our ability Steward this environment that god has given us And when god is moving so is the enemy And you might see somebody being disruptive Like you might if the altar like too loud like this sir, you know, could you can we take that into the prayer room? Can some of the prayer team come and help them and we might have to steward that? And I remember a lady shouted out during my sermon in lancaster. She said son of david you didn't like ma'am I just I can I talk to you afterwards? And just totally just talk about I I don't remember what I like Where was I like at a very powerful point? And that is when you have to take authority over the demonic realm And she didn't like it. They never came back She they got up and left and see you look at the heart and so we have to steward this that god is giving us What about if somebody just starts speaking in tongues? Okay Is it is it does it go with the flow of the service? What are we discerning here? There's no the bible's clear if there's no interpretation You know, so then do you lovingly rebuke the person in public? See see how difficult this is or do you say well, thank you anyone can interpret or If you don't even know the person and you just allow that to happen because paul also said here's why it's challenging Do not forbid tongues so you people who believe in it and this but he also said I would rather you speak five words that people understand Than 10 000 words of a tongue because an uninformed person is going to walk in and they're going to think you're out of your mind You can't dismiss that You you've got to as leadership. We have to look at both of these and answer to god and so there have been times where we've got to Maybe interrupt someone or or allow something to take place Uh that maybe we feel that god is doing so that's that's kind of our stance is to be open cautious But at the same time, you know, the lord knows the lord is and he can he convicts me when I you know Snap at my kids He's going to convict us if we're quenching the spirit Trust me. Oh lord. I shouldn't have did that. I i'm sorry But often i'm praying lord. What do you want to do? Show us what you want to do, but also we have to steward and understand that there are demonic influences at work I don't know if you guys were here on that sunday where that guy I don't know if he cussed at me But he's sitting right there. He's never come back yet because we talked to him But remember he cussed at me or said something and he just started walking out that way See we we can't have that going on And we will address it and so it's it's just it's my my thought is bear with us Pray for us. Let's have grace. We're not trying trust me. We are not trying to stifle the holy spirit I pray i've been praying big time lord. Would you heal people? Would you set them free? and Also, though preaching at different churches I'm, just going to shoot you straight. All right, some of you might not like this But the hyper charismatic churches where I say I don't care how high you jump I want to know how straight you walk when you come down don't have their lives in order a lot of times They've got a lot of deep prophetic this and that but they are they don't have a lot of character Uh, they don't have they don't have a they they they're sneaky. They've got a bad attitude critical spirit And so it's not all about emotion. You have to have the power of the spirit along with the sound doctrine And then you have the sound doctrine who's like just dead dead right straight as a gun barrel but just as empty And so finding that balance is the mission of the church, but I i've i've got hyper charismatic friends And they have not grown in 20 years Same kind of stuff. What are the prophets saying what's going on and they're so caught up in this stuff. There's no stability And i've just noticed i've seen that over the years And so we want to be careful in this area Um, I like this question Because it comes up often We shouldn't be guilt-tripped into coming to early morning worship Or coming to the altar or going to the prayer room We must be spirit-led and time and location doesn't make that any more effective This person's thought this one through So without a shell of a doubt right off the bat and again i'm just i'm gonna shoot straighter this person's got an attitude No, I mean that's I Is that you don't you don't you don't ask questions? You don't frame things like that. You think i'm stupid I've been reading people for 50 years or I'll say 40 years I mean you can tell No, I don't think they go here. So that's why I think it just came in from somewhere else maybe online or something, but I would say this We don't guilt trip you into coming but I do encourage you It could be conviction It could it could be the conviction Conviction conviction is what is Hitting home here Guilt trip. Give me a break My mom never came to morning worship once ever And she never felt bad about she said you keep telling them you keep encouraging them. Praise god for that so I think this person's convicted And I think time and location does matter sometimes Joel said call a sacred assembly Call the people into my house and cry out to me the disciples gathered in an upper room Came together corporate prayer and worship sounds like this person just doesn't like the altar the prayer room or morning worship If I were to be honest And again, i'm not saying any of this jokingly or in anger or sarcastically or arrogantly, please understand that i'm just I'm speaking the truth in love and pastor abram can confirm this the last six times i've answered this question last two years It's always come from hard-hearted individuals modern-day pharisees Why because you're challenging their lack of spiritual fervency And they're a fair they've got it down they have sound doctrine They don't want to be challenged to the deeper life. These people often won't fast They won't go to all night prayer meetings. They won't go to worship mornings. They won't seek the deeper life the deeper things of god Without a shadow of a doubt I can pick out this person. My wife doesn't come She's going, you know You you need to stop guilt tripping me I'll watch the kids sometimes and she'll come but i'm just encouraging you Because I hear people saying that's the best thing i've ever happened to me That's better than the 9 in the 11 a.m Service that restored my marriage now i'm here with my spouse now My prodigal son wants to come home that prayer. I brought my prayer and laid it on the all see I hear all the positive feedback. I want to encourage you So if it feels like a guilt trip, it's a conviction alert It's not a guilt trip at all because you can't guilt this in this sense the person is right You can't guilt someone into it and make them. Um, uh do something And I did that once and I and I apologized. I made someone feel like they had to be here I was like no don't don't feel that way. You have to just come with the right reasons for sure um And then somebody asked what is there ever a time for national physical confrontation? Basically civil war, right? Oh, there's some claps here. Okay. Well Here's here's here's why this is challenging. Um, You know because people bring up the revolutionary war in great britain. That was a whole different time frame And um, what happened there is a lot of people don't know this But great britain we had leaders here and the leaders decided to rebel and and and it's called the the The law of lesser magistrates, so it wasn't a bunch of farmers with pitchforks rebelling It was actually governing officials who said we can't keep This is not going in a good direction And that's how they handled things back Then the british actually fired the first shot many times killed lots of americans and they finally had to respond and so now If you come now to the left and the right, I mean, what does that look like? I mean so I Hope it doesn't come to that. Um, I believe obviously in the second amendment I believe a person, uh can defend themselves and home defense and so if it comes to those kind of things I think this is just right now a very um, A very difficult conversation. It's not a place you want to go just yet you know, what does that look like you're shooting people that that Don't now agree with you or they're trying to break in your house. I mean this I don't really know Uh what the what the person's asking so I don't I hope I don't see it going in that direction Um now if it does then obviously it will make sense when it gets here. I think god will give confirmation Uh, just but I think obviously the christian's position is that of unless it comes to defending your home And defending, you know others and things like that Um, then, you know, our position is to to love our enemy and to not Want to just always get the sword out and fight but there comes a time and a place where You know, let's just say if one side's going crazy and they start I don't know if you saw the guy that it looks like he almost died. He was canvassing in florida for De santis or mark mark rubio marco rubio and they just about beat him to death Because he's a republican So republicans aren't welcome in our neighborhood and just beat him to it was pretty bad And you're going to see more of that and the left just hates hates the right and It you know, it could get pretty interesting now if they're going to start shooting and you know So i'm just careful on this question. I wish I could answer it better I would just say err on the side of not worrying about it right now Err on the side of grace if you want to be prepared. I think home protection is fine You know somebody's going to come in and cause my family damage then they better be ready to meet their maker I think it's biblical i've taught on that before Um, you know that there is self-defense now you can lay down your life, but if you're guarding others If i'm to guard my family I don't think it's it's it's wise Uh and manly in my case to just you know, what just let's just die for god If well if we're dying for god truly But if somebody's breaking your house, there's a whole you guys got me on a whole rabbit trail on this one But you know i'm saying let's on that one. Let's give it Let's give it uh some more time. See how things unfold. Uh, let's see. No questions on the texting. Okay one or two um cremation or um Burial Uh, I mean obviously biblically speaking um They they were buried, but I don't think god is going to Not be able to fulfill his plans and purposes if you are cremated, you know, I think that's that's an option for sure personal opinion That resurrected bodies and things like that should just happen. I mean god will be able to bring things back From from nothing I believe so to me that's not