Family Testimony Night with Troy and Rebecca Warner

Troy and Rebecca share their heartfelt stories about faith, love, and ministry, reflecting on their journeys from childhood through marriage and parenting while navigating the challenges of full-time ministry. Their conversation highlights the importance of authenticity, trusting God's provision, and the unbreakable bond that faith creates even in the toughest seasons of life.

• Reflecting on childhood church foundations and influences 
• Troy's journey from youth group to ministry 
• Rebecca's late acceptance of Christ and its impact 
• How the couple met and discerned their call together 
• Trials and blessings during their early marriage in ministry 
• Insights on raising children in a faith-centered home 
• Navigating the dynamics of caring for elderly parents 
• Emphasizing God's unwavering faithfulness in every season

Chapters

• 0:02 Childhood Paths to Faith
• 13:48 Finding Godly Partnership and Spiritual Leadership
• 21:06 Young Marriage and Ministry Challenges
• 32:51 Journey of Faith and Ministry
• 44:21 Parenting With Faith and Consistency
• 55:27 Lessons in Caring for Aging Parents
• 1:01:17 Trusting in God Through Life's Seasons

Transcript

Intro: 0:02

You're tuned in to Friends and Family, a God's Way Radio exclusive where we introduce you to some amazing people. In John, chapter 15, verse 15, jesus says I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you. That's our aim that God would be made known to you. Stay with us until the end of our conversation for more information on this program and other unique offerings from God's Way Radio.

Zak: 0:27

Troy and Rebecca, if you want to share a little bit, maybe just on your childhood. If you guys always grew up in a Christian home, if you guys were always saved since the moment you were born, or how did that work for you guys?

Rebecca: 0:39

No, I was not.

Rebecca: 0:40

I was raised with a mom and a dad an intact family. Not, I was raised with a mom and a dad an intact family and we went to a church traditional church when I was very young, but we stopped going when I was very young, six or seven. I have a few memories of that, but not am I doing that. Is that me? Do I need to do it? No, keep going, okay. And so we stopped going, for whatever reason, and then just kind of went through my childhood until I was just about to start high school and I had a girlfriend who was preaching the gospel to me and I got invited to a youth group and she just kept sharing. I was exposed to people who who talked about Jesus and who sat in a circle at girl, you know, at a girl's house, with a sort of a girl's fellowship, and they were just talking about the Lord like he was their friend and it was super new and super weird for me and but I loved it. I was so, so pulled into the idea of the family and the I don't know, just the peace that they had and the purpose and the comfort and the strength and so the sisterhood. And anyway, long story short, that youth group went to Calvary Chapel, costa Mesa in Southern California, which is where I was born and raised, and the gospel was given at a Saturday night concert and I went forward to the altar and gave my heart to Christ and I was a pretty good kid.

Rebecca: 2:10

I wasn't really involved in a lot of stuff, but I always say I didn't know how lost I was until I was found. I didn't know how blind I was until I could see. And every time, my goodness. I'm 58 years old and that's been a while since high school, and yet it still moves my heart because the Lord is so faithful and he just pulled this young girl who knew nothing about the Lord. I mean, I got saved and I thought Ezra was a woman. You know, I didn't know that Ezra was a man he's probably so insulted in heaven, going whatever, but I didn't know the stories of Daniel and Joseph and Esther and Mary and I didn't know anything.

Rebecca: 2:49

And so, gosh, all of it was so brand new to me, everything I remember going to church and reading verses out loud, you know, to share, and it was literally John 3.16. And I'm like you guys listen to this and all of the people like him who were raised in the church were like, yeah, and I was like, but that's amazing. And so, anyway, the Lord just flipped my life and, yeah, gave me purpose and strength and peace and hope. And I was very zealous in high school to preach the gospel at my public school and, yeah, the Lord just began to work in my life and so that's when I came to Christ, like 15 years old, 14 years old, right at the freshman year. So that's kind of the beginning of the work of the Lord in my life.

Zak: 3:36

And so, yeah, Troy if you want to take us through childhood up until high school and youth group as well.

Troy: 3:49

Yeah, so I was very blessed to be born into the family that I was, two parents that love the Lord. They love each other and they actually live with us now, and so we are blessed to have them still very close and involved in our life. But I was raised in the church. I never can remember a time when we were not in church. I can't remember my life without the Bible or Jesus. It's as common as anything else. And yet there was a time I was six years old and there was an evangelistic week taking place, a revival week taking place. We were living in Palm Springs, california, and so, because we were out there every night that week, my parents let my sister and myself kind of sit over with some of the younger kids. So, uh, I got up and I kind of snuck down to the altar because my parents were like they wanted me to be older. So, as I don't really remember this part but they tell, this story is that I got up and I started walking down the aisle and I turned around and looked back at them and just smiled like I got away. And so, yeah, six years old, in kindergarten, I gave my life to the Lord at the Jimmy Nettles Revival. And so, yeah, they told me I needed to share the gospel. So I went to school the next day and got up for show and tell and I told everybody that they needed to believe in Jesus, otherwise they were going to die and go to hell and burn forever. My practicing Jewish teacher did not appreciate that, and so they had a parent-teacher conference and said you need to tell Troy, he can't say those things. And my parents were like we're not going to tell him that, and so that just was the kind of home I was raised in.

Troy: 5:47

Still in kindergarten I then took my evangelistic efforts out into the playground and we were out there eating lunch and I had we all came. Some of you remember I was born in 67, so, whatever, that would have been like 73. You guys remember our metal cartoon lunch boxes and I had what is it? Hr Puff and stuff, is that? Yeah, I had HR Puff and stuff, and this became a prop for my preaching, and so I began to share the gospel with Peter, dickie and Marley, and as I shared with them, peter and Marley gave their life to the Lord, and Dickie did not give his life to the Lord, so I tried to persuade him that he should do that. So I opened my lunchbox and I said put your hand in here. And he put his hand in there and I slammed it. I said hell's going to be a lot worse than that. Nobody taught me those things.

Zak: 6:50

They're just kind of fire and brimstone.

Troy: 6:54

So you know I was blessed to grow up in a really godly home and his parents shared the gospel and the grace of the Lord with that Jewish teacher.

Rebecca: 7:03

They didn't just say you know too bad, he's going to say it. I mean they shared with her and loved on her. And just to wrap that up so that you didn't think wow, okay, yeah.

Troy: 7:15

And another part of my story, which I don't know how this really ties in. It kind of ties in, but it's just, I'll share it. So I was probably in third grade, so that was kindergarten, and, um, yeah, peter did not I mean sorry, dickie did not receive the Lord. Um and uh, we were getting ready to move out to Orlando, actually from Palm Springs, and so my parents were all out here looking for a home. We were back in California, um, staying with my grandmother, um, in San Diego. If you've ever been to San Diego or Southern California in the summer, especially like June, it's called June gloom or May gray. You don't see the sun in sunny California until probably about noon. And so it was one of those days and I looked out the window as third grader and it was very cloudy and I said the plane is going to crash into the side of the mountain. And my grandmother did not appreciate that she goes why would you say that? I'm like I don't know. You know, it's just a little boy.

Troy: 8:15

And we get to the airport and and I was a handful I, I know I was a handful as a little kid and so she was ready for me to go fly back to Palm Springs on this little commuter flight. And so we're in the San Diego airport and I'm riding my skateboard all over the airport. She's ready for me to go. And they said go ahead and get on the flight. And with my sister, who was older, four years older, but my mom had said do not get separated from your brother under any circumstances. And so that point, we don't get on that flight, with much protest from me, because only there's so small of a plane, only there's only enough room for me to go, I was gonna be able to ride in the cockpit. I didn't ride on that plane. That plane did end up crashing into the side of the mountain and dickie was on that flight.

Troy: 9:02

So I've often wonder if there ever was something that happened with that little guy. And it's in that time which will come back maybe later in my story that my mom and dad were out and my mom said we've got to go back to the hotel and pray for Troy. So they lined the time up and it was right at the time that my sister and grandmother were battling whether Troy was going to get on the plane or not, and so my sister I mean, you know, seventh grader prevailed over grandma and I didn't get on that plane. But it was at that moment that, as my mom just felt a deep concern for me and my well-being, that the Lord said to her Troy will be fine and I'm going to use him in ministry. I have many plans for his life which they never told me until I told them I was called into ministry. So they held on to that.

Troy: 9:54

So, yeah, it's a little bit of my early years. I ended up moving from Orlando out to Sunshine Ranches, not far from here, and then we moved to Texas and then eventually back to California and went to Calvary Chapel, costa Mesa. And that's where I'm then having a call of God in my life, sensing it as a young man, 17 years old, to be in full-time ministry. My parents wanted me to be at Calvary Costa to Mesa. So bad to see that ministry um as a model, and so that's um where I grew in my faith. So you know, my teen years were not the, the, the greatest uh for the, the kingdom of God, or my walk, and that's eventually where we ended up. Meeting was on a missions trip and in the youth group.

Zak: 10:43

Yeah, but if you want to tell us how you guys met, was it love at first sight? She?

Troy: 10:48

was totally swept off her feet. Go ahead.

Rebecca: 10:58

No, I, um, I fell deeply in love. I'm still deeply in love, but, um, when we met, we, um, I'm a year older than he is I know it's scandalous a year older, he doesn't let me forget it either. So I was a senior, he was a junior. We had the same group of friends, we were in the same youth group it's a big youth group, but we had good friends. And so it was after we both graduated that we started being around one another more, because we both stayed around to be counselors in the youth group, in the high school group there at Costa Mesa.

Rebecca: 11:33

And so then my car broke down and we had the same college class, and so he started giving me rides and I just the Lord started putting a spotlight on him. And, you know, I had broken up with a boyfriend who, you know, just the Lord had somebody else for me and for him. And I had just told the Lord, you know, I don't want to date, I don't want to do this, I just want the person that you have for me, lord. And I really had sensed, even in my high school years, even without having the spiritual pedigree that he has, that I was supposed to serve the Lord, you know, and I began. You know you're setting up chairs or you're running and fetching or you're doing whatever you need to do just to help. You know anything for Jesus, it doesn't matter how little it is, if it's for him, it matters, and he sees that.

Rebecca: 12:20

And so, anyway, I knew somehow I was going to serve the Lord, but I knew nothing about missions and Bible, college and you know, all these kind of things. It wasn't in my world really until around this time, as I was older. And so, anyway, so we I had just told the Lord, I don't want to have a boyfriend, I want to just wait for the guy that you have for me. And so, just a few months later was when we started, you know, hanging out more. And then he, you know, we started to, yeah, to get to know each other, and we went out for a Coke. He asked me if I would go out for a Coke. You know it was generic, it was one of those.

Troy: 12:57

Big spender.

Rebecca: 12:59

We were going to. But you know, we both kind of knew that there was something, you know perhaps, and it was sort of an evaluation and a talking, and you know he just was like listen, god's got a call on my life and I'm never going to be wealthy and rich and I'm not going to be, you know, doing these things. I'm going to seek the Lord and I know that I don't know what that's going to look like, but I know it's going to be service and he's like, you know, hopefully you're, you know that's what you're all about and might be going different places for the Lord. And I was just signed me up because by then I was like I really like him and I felt like the Lord was the one, you know, making that happen. And so, within six months of that time of me saying about six months, you know, Lord, just bring the guy. Then it was like, within like two, three weeks, it was like I knew for sure it was going to be him.

Rebecca: 13:48

We didn't get married until a little bit later but it was like, oh, this is great because you know, and here's the thing for you, men, and it works for both of you, if you're the man. Lead her spiritually. Hear the voice of the Lord, seek the Lord, learn the voice of the Lord, know what he's saying and leading you in. Know that the Holy Spirit wants to speak and lead you. You're that male that God has put in that relationship. And, ladies, look for the guy that's doing that and encourage your man. If he's doing that, help him to do that, Encourage him to seek the Lord. And, yeah, if you're single, be the woman that that kind of man is going to be attracted to. And, men, be the man, be the leader. Recognize that a godly woman is going to have to follow and submit to you, and so she's going to want to know that you're hearing from the Lord. And it doesn't mean it's going to always be perfect, you know. But you can say I believe the Lord is leading this way and we're going to make this decision for our family, for our kids, for our marriage, for our finances, whatever it is, and she can follow that. And that was the thing with him, that it was just like, oh my goodness, he knows where he's going, he knows what he's doing. Praise the Lord. That's what I want too. Let's go. So that's kind of how we right? Am I leaving anything out? That's important, Except your mom? That's kind of important, except your mom? That's kind of important.

Rebecca: 15:08

We were getting ready to go to England with the youth group for a short-term missions trip and we were having a meeting beforehand and there was worship and it was kind of a lively song and I'm clapping and worshiping and we're just all there and visiting and Troy's mom leaned over to her husband, to his dad, and said, pointed at me, and said I want her for Troy and he was like Zell. And then they get home and tell Troy and he's like, oh, she has a boyfriend, they're probably going to get married. But then of course that's not what happened. And so now we've been married 36 years and she takes all the credit for that. She said I picked her out, I picked her out, I knew it was, it was gonna be.

Zak: 15:44

So just a fun little thing that the lord did so so a quick question, growing up in costa mesa, so for some people that have been around coverage chapel, they hear costa mesa, they hear chuck. I think you guys are there towards the tail end of the revival and some people can think like, oh, I missed out, I missed out on a great revival, being missing on a great. Is there a difference in the air or in the building or in the Bible study there compared to whether it's at Calvary Chapel Lynchburg or Calvary Chapel Miami, calvary Chapel Philly? Is there a difference there? Or what would you say, almost as a word of exhortation, to those that are here today at a Calvary Chapel and thinking, man, I missed it, or what is God going to do with me?

Troy: 16:25

Yeah, that's a great question. We definitely loved our home church and Pastor Chuck and our youth pastor, richard Cimino, and Valerie his wife and all the people that poured into us and we loved that. And she was there a little bit earlier I didn't get there until 84, and you started going in 1980.

Troy: 16:44

no-transcript so she was even a little closer and so, um, while you didn't see the same kind of uh Jesus, people kind of thing taking place, um, I think what you, what I noticed uh coming in, was that, uh, there was still like I guess the wave from that was still, you could still sense the presence of the Lord and there's still a lot of people were getting saved and stuff. But for me, coming from the background, that I did, although I was saved and called into ministry and baptized and discipled in this denomination. When I went to Calvary, costa Mesa, I went to the youth group. I was not happy to be there. We moved in my second semester of my junior year, I was not happy to be moving at all and so we went to this church and, of course you can imagine, I had determined I was not going to like anything except for where I was. I was going to meet a new friend. I didn't want to go to a new church, I didn't want to go to a new school. I didn't care about any of that. And, yeah, when I walked in and I saw people my age worshiping and lifting their hands, and I remember this one guy who became a good friend of mine, actually just bowing down and his hands lifted up For me, what really hit me. I wasn't thinking in terms of revival, I just remember thinking that's not like the church I've gone to and I remember just saying to the Lord I can't remember the message, but I can remember the worship and I remember saying to the Lord I don't know what that guy knows about you, that I don't know, but I know I need to know that and I want to do that. It's just a rededication of my life.

Troy: 18:38

So there's many great things that were going on and I mean our, the youth group was. There's so many of us that are in ministry. Some of you may maybe know Jim and Christy Gallagher down at Calvary Chapel, vero Beach. She was in our wedding. We were taught home fellowship together. Jim and myself started teaching home fellowship together. So there's a lot of people that God was doing a great work and then raised up in ministry and sent out.

Troy: 19:00

But I mean, I can just tell you where the, wherever the word of the Lord is, is preached and wherever um fellowship is taking place and wherever people are willing to respond to the Lord, that's the place you want to be and um. So I don't think we should ever long for what the Lord has not put us in. Um, you know, and and kind of like I missed out, since I think we can pray for it and want it in the sense of I missed out if I wasn't there, I think I don't. Yeah, I think the Lord is bigger than that and probably the majority of the church throughout her history has lived in a non-revival time. That's where most of the church has lived.

Troy: 19:40

And even if you look at you know 28 chapters in the book of Acts they say there's about one amazing thing for every I'm sorry, over a 28-year period, that there's about one amazing thing that took place in every one of those years in the book of Acts. So over 28 years, if you will, one amazing thing happens. So then we can read the book of Acts. So over 28 years, if you will, one amazing thing happens. So then we can read the book of Acts and think like every single day something off the charts was taking place. I'm sure there was more than what's recorded, right, but I think that's instructive because I mean, was it 40 years this church been here?

Zak: 20:17

Yes, in 1989. So 30, 35 years. 35 years 35 years.

Troy: 20:23

So I bet if you were to write down a history of every amazing thing that God has done at Calvary Chapel, miami, I bet you'd come up with 35 of them. You see what I'm saying. And then, if you were to write that and record that and begin to talk about the good works of the Lord, you would stand back and say I want to be a part of it. And yet here you sit, you are a part of it. And yet here you sit, you are a part of it Amen, amen.

Zak: 20:44

So what was it like after you guys met, once you got married? Early marriage life? What was that like? Was it surfing in Southern California, listening to the Beach Boys? What was that?

Rebecca: 20:53

like there was a lot of Beach.

Zak: 20:55

Boys, we did listen to the.

Rebecca: 20:55

Beach.

Troy: 20:56

Boys yeah, we did.

Rebecca: 21:06

So in that youth group we had been dating for, you know, I guess about a year, and that summer that same youth group went to australia on a short-term submission trip, which he went on. I didn't go on that trip, I stayed home and um, so while there the, the pastor, um that had organized that missions trip, um wanted to leave his denomination and start at Calvary Chapel. So he asked Troy and a buddy to come back and help him. These young guys right. And so he's planning and praying through that.

Rebecca: 21:28

And then it's about it's during that sort of prep time when we were at Christy Gallagher's house on a Friday night in a prayer meeting and I was sitting there going, lord, what's going on? I thought for sure we were supposed to get married, but now he's going to be gone and I don't know what's going to happen. We haven't finished school, we haven't, we don't have careers, we don't. You know, just kind of um I will say interceding with a dash of whining, but it but it could have been the reverse, it could have been the whining with a dash of intercession, but I was just being honest with the was Cause I was like what's going to happen? I don't know, and I just felt like in flux and, you know, because of the call of God on my life and the call of God on his life, the Holy spirit spoke to my heart. I mean, he might as well have just been speaking audibly. He just said he belongs to me before he belongs to you. He's my man and I have a plan for his life that's going to take him other places and if you are not on board with that, then you need to break up with him right now. And it was like the Lord, just you know how someone, when they're two-year-olds on the ground and they just kind of pick them up when they're having a tantrum and set them on their feet, that's kind of what the Lord did with me spiritually. He was just so clear like I'm not playing with you, I have a plan and a purpose and for you and for him. And so, anyway, I spent the second half of the prayer meeting repenting and saying, oh Lord, thank you, and giving the relationship back to him and saying, lord, I really want what you want for him, I want what you want for me, and spent that time and said, lord, just get us ready. Plan, you know, show us what the plan is, and so I could then release him from ministry, and I can tell you honestly over the you know. So we got married, um, so he stayed for the fall.

Rebecca: 23:02

And then that after that Christmas I went for a visit um, this is all Reader's Digest version and then in January, um, while I was visiting them, him in Australia, we got engaged, went back to California in April and then went back together as a married couple for a couple of years, just under, to help start a Calvary Chapel. We, we were 21, very young, and you know, but that was God's plan for us. And so, yeah, we started our marriage on the mission field. We know nothing of marriage without service. Really, our whole relationship, even before marriage, it's about the Lord, it's about the kingdom, you know, and I'll tell you what. There's a scripture that's pretty shocking and it says even if you're married, you should live like you're not. And that doesn't mean, oh, I should ignore that. I have a spouse like that guy that you mentioned this morning, like that coach that said, well, I have this other goal, so goodbye. It's not like that. The point is you're yoked together for the kingdom of God and he has purposes for you, and so I can't allow that to over the relationship or the person or what. I want to overshadow the kingdom, and that we need to be living for the kingdom first. And so, um, honestly, in the entire 36 years, I can only think of maybe a couple of times that I've ever said don't don't go, I need you to stay, or don't don't do that thing.

Rebecca: 24:16

Um, because I really feel like a wife is like Jonathan and his armor bearer. Remember that when they're sitting there with the Philistines and he goes hey, it may be, you know what, the Lord doesn't need a whole army to defeat them. He can do it with one or two people. He goes hey, man, how about you? And I go up and see whether it's going to happen. And you know what the armor bearer didn't say You're crazy, what are you kidding? He said do all that's in your heart. I am with you, and I think that's a model. Really, I use it as a model for marriage, because women, that's what we should be standing there with them and going I'm with you, honey, let's go see, cause we live by faith, don't we? So in those years, I feel like there's only been a couple that I can think of.

Rebecca: 24:54

It's not always been easy Russia, Yugoslavia, nepal, israel, all over the place for the Lord, and it's been great to send him. And then now, of course that we're a little older, I get to come with him. But so, anyway, you know, the ways of the Lord really are the best. They're full of joy, they're full of purpose, they're full of just that sense that don't you love, that when you're in that place and you do something and you go, that was that pleased the Lord. I feel so content in my spirit right now because I know that was what the Lord wanted me to do. And boy, we can live in that peace when we live with the mindset of not my will, lord, but yours. So, yeah, we started off on the mission field and it was not always an easy thing. On the mission field we had things that we went through planting a brand-new baby church, as young people, you know, helping anyway. But anyway, we learned a lot and we're still learning as we go.

Zak: 25:45

So, troy, what was that like being you guys got married at what? 21. Then being married at 21, leaving from California all the way to Australia. I think some of the Hispanic moms would pass out if their kids did that. Was it easy going with your parents? And then, what was that like? Providing for a wife while also doing full-time ministry, while also being in a foreign country? You know how did you handle that and how would you encourage some of the young men that feel like they need the full career, the full perfect house, the full perfect insurance before they could get married and provide for a family?

Troy: 26:21

Yeah, I think you got to hear the voice of the Lord and if the Lord is calling you to go, then you can't. You know, you don't run it through to. You know some, you know quicken to see if, if you know, you can fund God's plan. I mean, you just got to go and do what the Lord is calling you to do. And so, uh, yeah, my mom got to go and do what the Lord is calling you to do. And so, uh, yeah, my mom and dad were very supportive. Again they, when I told him I felt called into ministry, they said we know, um, when this came up, they also knew that I've been praying for at least a year, if not longer, about going to Australia. So they were supportive of the idea.

Troy: 26:59

But then, when we were going back as a married couple, my mom said I'm so sad that you're going so far away. Sensitive, young, 20-year-old, 21-year-old says well, you know what the Bible says mom, leave and cleave. And she goes yeah, it says that, but you don't have to do it that far away. And I'm like, well, yeah, that's true, but they were supportive, they were very supportive. And I'm like, well, yeah, that's true, but they were supportive, they were very supportive. They are supportive to this very day, I mean after every Bible study.

Troy: 27:32

You know, son, that was the best Bible study I've ever heard Every every Bible study, and so mom, dad, mom's not allowed to come to a lot of the not allowed come to a lot of the not allowed. She's she's allowed, but her health does not allow her to come to a lot of the church events, so she listens online. But, yeah, dad, the same way, so super supportive in in all of that. As far as providing for my family, um, let me just say this I didn't, I didn't, I couldn't make money. My visa did not allow me to make money over in Australia and all I was able to do was to get money from the startup church that was really, really tiny, and so they, when I got there, a check for 22 or,000 or $24,000 was written yeah, australian dollars and 30% to 40% less than US dollars and more expensive over there to live. And so this guy wrote this check, he handed it to me and of course I'm 21 years old, I'd never seen a check like that before and he says here is your money. This is for the next two years. You spend it all. You don't get anything else. My encouragement to you is to take this and put it in a savings account and go and take out what you need for that month, each month, and don't touch the rest. And that's what I did.

Troy: 28:57

And so, yeah, we live really lean. It was very lean. We watched the Lord provide for a lot of things and so for the first while you know people giving us meals, we didn't buy new clothes. As a matter of fact, we came back one time for a visit, and probably about a year into it, and people noticed you're wearing the same clothes when you left. I'm like we are. And they said did everybody need new clothes? I don't remember who said that to us, but we probably shouldn't remember, but we do remember that, yeah, and we just didn't have anything. And we had food and we had a place, anything, and we had food and we had a place.

Troy: 29:48

I mean, when we got there, the flat that myself and my, my good friend, had, which was all borrowed, all borrowed, everything in that house, I mean everything. We didn't own anything. And when we got back there, all, all of it was gone. And so we come walking back to this flat of borrowed stuff and there's nothing in there. There's not a refrigerator anymore, there's not a couch anymore. There might have been a table still a really rickety old table. Yeah, there's no bed, there's nothing, and so we had money from the wedding. So we just went in the car and went down to this furniture store and just said this is all we have. And I told him the story and, yeah, he, I think he hooked us up big time and so they even might have delivered it that night, I think, and so. But you know, we just spent everything we had because that's all there was.

Rebecca: 30:47

But we learned about the provision of the Lord. You know, I mean it's such a good thing. We read all the stories in the Bible about the provision of the Lord and we're like isn't that wonderful? But we don't want to be put in that place of need sometimes because we want it to be comfortable and provided. And so I mean, and we did too. I mean we want to be comfortable too. It's not like we're weirdos, but it's just nice that the Lord, who promises to take care of us, is going to do that. He's good to his word.

Rebecca: 31:12

You know, and we read these wonderful biographies and autobiographies George Mueller, the Lord providing for hundreds of orphans and they have no food. And he's like what do I do? You know, lord providing for hundreds of orphans and they have no food. And he's like, what do I do? You know, they're like we don't have anything. He said, well, sit the kids down at the table, you know. And then what happens? He goes to pray and then ding, dong, the door bell rings and the milk truck had broken down. Hey, I have all this milk. It's all going to spoil in the summer. Do you want it? Thank you, lord, you, lord. And so we love that story, but do we want to be in that position?

Troy: 31:45

So, anyway, we began to learn and we still are learning but, God is providing all of the time for us, that's true, and I think there was no panic, there was no worry.

Troy: 31:55

I was out of my mind, excited that I was in full-time ministry. I couldn't believe it. I mean, I was in full-time ministry, I couldn't believe it. I mean, you know, I was like we're missionaries and we're newly married and this is in front of us, so all of that stuff we just didn't worry about it, you know, and both of us came from our families, weren't rich, but you know, we're definitely, you know, middle-class America and never had want. And you know, you know middle-class America and never had want and, you know, had probably more things that you know we wanted and didn't need given to us, and so it's not like we came from nothing, but we I don't remember having a moment of anxiety about not having that- and you know the funny thing is we were there for, like I said, about two years and our very first check that was from the church for us came the week or the month, the week, right the week we were going back home.

Rebecca: 32:51

So something had happened to where the Lord was like, no, no, the provision is not going to come from what you expect and what you want to rely on. You're going to learn to rely on me and you know quick story too when we were in fast forward a little bit, but when we went from Australia back to California for a period of time, had a baby and then another baby, three years old, six months old, the Lord called us to Virginia. You have to then walk out that whole faith thing again. Now we're starting our own fellowship with little children and very little, small church, small funds, all those things. And I remember there was the next year. My daughter was the little one and it was like, well, she's going to need clothes for the next season and there was no money. And I was like I've heard the stories of your provision, lord, and I'm just going to seek you. I'm not even going to tell Troy, I'm not going to say we've got to charge money, we've got to call your mom, we've got to call my mom. I was like, lord, I'm going to go in the secret place and I'm going to seek you and I want to see you do those things in my own life. And these are your promises.

Rebecca: 33:50

And so I sat before the Lord and I prayed. Lord, she needs clothes. You know she needs clothes. You love her. You want to provide?

Rebecca: 34:03

Next, like a week I mean within a few days we are at a t-ball practice with our son and I'm just sitting there. I know nobody We've only been in the town for about a year and so I'm just sitting there and this woman comes over oh hi, how are you? You know? Oh, you have a son. Yeah, my son's on that team too. Oh, yeah, that's great. She goes, my daughters are. And then she looks at me and goes does she need clothes? And I just about fell off the chair. It was like, uh-huh, she does. And she said well, I have twin daughters that are just a little bigger than she is. Would you like some of the clothes? And I was like, yes, I would Thank you, lord Jesus.

Rebecca: 34:33

And I gave glory to the Lord and said I have prayed for this thing. And she showed up at my house with boxes of clothes and she didn't dress her twins the same, so it was a ton of different clothes. And the Lord goes I hear you, I see you Give the Lord that opportunity to provide for your life, for what you need. And so I was learning Again. I'm still learning, I still have faith issues. I don't always have perfect faith now because of those things, but you know, I can look at those things and go. Lord, you've been so faithful. You hear me when I cry and if you're starting out, or in faith and you're older, or if you're young and you're starting out, trust the Lord, know that his promises are true. So these are the things we've been learning along the way, right.

Zak: 35:12

Yeah, so, troy, if you want to take us from Australia through the ministry route to when you planted the church in Lynchburg.

Troy: 35:20

So, after spending a couple of years in Australia, we're coming to the time where we either had to, our visas were coming to an end and I either needed to renew the visas and or come home. So it was, it was decision time and and I think even the whole visa thing is just so amazing. Before we went, you know I wanted to go. I'm young, I'm naive, I just know I'm supposed to go to Australia and so I, you know we're living in Orange County, so I drive down to LA, go to the Australian consulate, I walk in and I said, hey, I need to get to visas for two years. And he said, well, for us, we'll be doing this. You want work visas? I go, yeah, and the guy goes. The lady said hang on a second. So the guy comes out, the manager, and he goes what is it you want? And I told him he goes. You can't just do that. He goes, you can't just come down here and get visas. I said, okay, well, what do I have to do? He goes, it doesn't work like that. I said, well, how does it work? And I'll do that. And he just said, well, you have to do this. And he's like I can't even believe I'm helping you. And so we go through this whole thing and we get the visas.

Troy: 36:38

And now a friend of ours, some of you may know, uh, bill and joy welsh. They also went to australia afterwards and it was a nightmare for them to get those things. And, um and the lord just goes before you and just provides. So now we're in this visa thing. I still don't know. It's hard to get a visa at this point in my life, um, and so we're just like well, what do we do? And we had a strong call to come home and we got home and that first support check was at the house by the time we got there. We surprised family. We didn't tell them. And I get back and they're like hey, you got a support check.

Troy: 37:13

I'm like, oh, 100 bucks, this is awesome, we need this. And I thought, ah, and I was meeting with Pastor Chuck that week and I was like I better tell him that we're home. I don't know if I should cash this check or not. So I was in the meeting. I went to his office and met with him and I said, hey, we got this check. So first support check came. He goes well, I guess you won't need that anymore. And he took it. I remember thinking, yes, I do. I'm living in my house, sleeping in my old bedroom with my wife. Yes, I think I need that a hundred bucks. Well, he just said to me you need to go. You need to find somebody that you can be on staff with. I think you have a lot more learning to do. He was 100% right. And so the Lord led us to go on staff at Calvary Chapel Vista. And so the Lord led us to go on staff at Calvary Chapel Vista. We were on staff there for four and a half years and Pastor Brian had a huge heart to send guys out all over the world to go plant churches. And he, yeah, there's a whole. I don't know how much time we have. It is an amazing story of how the Lord led and he guided us.

Troy: 38:21

At that time I was a missions pastor and we had gone, we're doing I'd gone on a missions trip to Ukraine, I'd gone to a missions trip to Hungary and missions trip to Subotica, we're doing conferences as we went along. And so this is. You know, when I met Rich Chafin and and so so I remember sleeping on the kitchen floor in Hungary, and we're about now to depart and go home and the Lord said you've come and you visited your friends who are pastors and missionaries here planting these churches. It's now time for you to go home and it's time for you to go plant a church somewhere. It was very clear. And so then I come home and the young man who had borrowed my guitar left a note in the case that was waiting in my office. He said hey, if you ever go to start a church, let me know. I'm your worship leader. I thought, well, that's interesting, tony.

Troy: 39:16

And so then Pastor Brian said hey, tell me about the trip. So he called me into office and I began to just run down how the mission trip went. And he says I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but he goes. Well, you were gone. The Lord told me it's time for you to leave and I said I know it. And so I told him that I went and got the note and I laid it out in front of him and he said, all right, well, now we know where you're going. Where are you going, like I don't know? And so there's just super neat confirmation that the Lord gave to us, and eventually we found out about a need in Lynchburg, virginia, and the only thing that really was on our list of what we wanted to do was we wanted to go somewhere where there wasn't a lot of Calvary chapels.

Troy: 40:00

So I wanted to go somewhere where yep it just it wasn't there. I wanted, I wanted to bring the experience of what I had at Calvary Chapel in the worship and through the word, and I wanted to bring that into a community that didn't have it, because I often looked back and thought how would have I lived my life, what would have my Christian walk been different if I would have been in a place where I was being fed and taught like that? So that was kind of pretty much. Our only standard was we had to get away from other Calvary chapels, and so Lynchburg, virginia, sounded dangerous, and um, it's really not, it's named after a guy by the name of John Lynch. But it sounded dangerous and there were no Calvary chapels within hours of that, and so we made our way out there Did you know anybody in Virginia when you guys went out there.

Troy: 40:53

No, we didn't know, any Well, take that back.

Troy: 40:56

Joey Buran had been on staff at Vista with us and so he had gone out to start a church in Virginia Beach and I knew it had gone well and I knew a family was looking to see a Calvary Chapel get started there. I called them. They ended up calling Joey because Joey was driving four hours out from the beach to do a Bible study with them. Because they were looking and they told, say hey, do you know Troy? And he's like like, yeah, I know Troy, so Joey calls me. So we had all these kind of cool connections happening, but not among that group, yeah, not in Lynchburg. So we packed up and as we were going and started to go, the church really supported us, I mean financially and I mean in so many different ways. I really got behind this and super blessed by the generosity, and then people started funny out. They're like, hey, we want to go with you, we want to go with you.

Troy: 41:49

And so the Lord put together like this team of people we had a worship leader and a guy that was going to do youth and a guy that was going to do the evangelism. And yeah, I mean some of these people we didn't know. Some of these people we met for the first time and they followed us out. A married, you know older couple followed us out. He was assistant pastor and she and we're still like very close and some of them have gone with the Lord. One guy is falling away from the Lord. Most of these people are just still a part of our life, and so the Lord put together this like launch team, but that was before the days in which anybody knew what a launch you know, church planning team would even be it just like, yeah, let's go, let's go, let's go.

Troy: 42:29

And so we had a team that came with us and there was about three couples okay um that were there so about 12 minutes left.

Zak: 42:38

So what was it like raising three young kids going cross country from California to Lynchburg not knowing anybody, with two little ones? So what was it like raising young kids in ministry? Low income parents aren't nearby, family's not nearby. What was that like for you guys?

Troy: 42:55

That was definitely tough, not having family around, because we're a close family, so not having anybody around made it difficult. But what the Lord had was a lot of other families that were moving into Lynchburg From California At that time and a lot of them had gone to Calvary Chapel and they didn't have family either.

Troy: 43:17

So these people that were coming into the church With kids the same age Became like our family and so we did Easter and Christmas and birthdays and all kinds of events like this. And so there was just this tight-knit group and it was obviously a very small fellowship, so small that when we did, when church was over, I'd say, hey, who wants to go out to the restaurant? And we all would go out to the restaurant together and very sweet times, very, you know, wonderful things. So the Lord really provided, just within the body of Christ that you know that. And yeah, finances were tough. Sometimes she would work part-time, you know, sometimes I got a job, I was delivered newspapers and became affectionately known as Pastor Troy, the paper boy, whole story and all that. But the Lord provided and the Lord has blessed us. The Lord has blessed us, you know Was it easy raising kids?

Zak: 44:21

Did they always walk with the lord, three angels, three saints?

Troy: 44:24

I know you guys in your story not necessarily walking away from the lord or anything well, I did have some years, although my parents, if they heard this, would find out for the first time that I was not. Um, I asked, I told my mom, she says one day. She said you know what she was. We're so proud of you, how you have followed the Lord. And I said mom, I don't think I was as good a kid as you thought I was. She goes, and I'm not as naive as you think I am.

Troy: 44:49

I said well, let's leave it there, she goes. Why don't we leave it there? So, so, um. So I had some years um, but I never turned my back on the Lord.

Rebecca: 45:00

All before he got from Texas to.

Troy: 45:03

California, that's right yeah.

Rebecca: 45:04

Once he got to California and got in that youth group, that's when the Lord really got a hold.

Troy: 45:10

Yeah, big time.

Rebecca: 45:11

So from 17 on it's not been that long.

Troy: 45:14

Yeah, there's not been that, so, yeah, so we, our kids, we're, we're just very blessed. They may say, well, there's stories that you don't know about mom and dad. And I might say, well, we're not as naive as you think we are and we leave it at that too, but it's been a joy and a blessing and our kids have not had rebellious years. They have not turned away from the Lord. I'm sure all of them had their own trials and testings and they had to work things out, but as a decision of their life or as a season of their life, they never denounced or walked away from the Lord. And we are just so super blessed by that. And even to this day I think I mentioned it maybe, maybe this morning but our kids are still walking with the Lord and they're married to spouses that serve the Lord and they're raising their kids in the ways of the Lord, and it is the greatest joy of our life.

Zak: 46:18

Yeah, any specific nugget or mindset that you guys had raising kids? Because a lot of pastors kids aren't so fortunate or aren't doing so well, a lot of them grow bitter at the ministry or bitter at the Lord. Was there any specific mindset you guys had in in raising them? Said, hey, let's, let's try this a little bit different? Or a certain burden the Lord put on your heart?

Troy: 46:39

I don't think we were that intentional about trying to avoid our kids from being shipwrecked because we were in the ministry. I don't think it ever crossed my mind that that would happen Again. We were so young when we started in ministry and I want to answer that question very carefully, because I don't know that we did things that other parents didn't do, and so in offering up what we did, I don't. I think it's more like a proverb, it's not a promise. Right, these are principles and so, but I would say this and I'll let you speak I think the one thing maybe this is too, we'll see that was most important outside of the obvious things like you know, like raising your kids, having devotions, spending time with them, and devotions like family devotions, are the most chaotic thing on planet earth. You know, do them, try, good luck have, just keep trying. But you're probably going to have the conversation in the car. That's my conclusion. I would give myself a C for family devotions and an A plus for car ride Bible time. So yeah, of course, all of those things right, get them in church, get them in the youth group, get them serving, teach them to get themselves away. All of those things right, get them in church, get them in the youth group, get them serving, teach them to get themselves away, all of those things.

Troy: 48:09

But I would say what I think is probably the most important was that I was not one man in the pulpit and a different man at home. I was the same person, certainly not perfect. I apologize to my kids a lot for, you know, not handling things properly and said, you know, daddy got angry and I shouldn't have, or you know, this was not right or that was a stupid rule I made. Let's just burn it up and not do that again. There's all kinds of things like that.

Troy: 48:36

But the one thing I was, I was consistent with the person I was. I was honest. When I missed the mark, even in front of them, I would, I would apologize, but I loved their mama and they really loved their mommy, and so I loved her, still love her, respected her and served her, and so I think that a lot of times, um, that can just ruin kids, you know, especially when they have this, this, uh, you know, christian ideal that's put in front of them. And so I think that me loving her and her loving me, um, I think that went a long way, but I don't know if there's anything you add to that.

Rebecca: 49:20

So we had the two when we got there and we had another one two years later. So we ended up with three, a son and two daughters. And, uh, so think I want to say first of all, I think the ministry and I think church gets blamed for a lot of stuff. Oh, it's the ministry and I think we're just trying to find a reason why somebody doesn't want to walk with the Lord. And we can call it church hurt, we can call it you know different things that people say and I think that you know what that people say and I think that you know what. Jesus didn't hurt you. Jesus will never hurt you and he's the one that we're following, and so I kind of want to sort of put that out there.

Rebecca: 49:57

I think ministry gets blamed for a lot of things because you know what we're all in ministry.

Rebecca: 49:58

I mean it looks a little different in our lives than yours, but you're walking in faith, you're taking steps of faith and pressing on and seeking the Lord for his will, for your life and for your kids and maybe your grandchildren. Now, so, yeah, I think you know loving them, speaking, you know, you know he was gone, like I said he would, he would leave for a couple of weeks at a time and I had to choose what kind of woman I was going to be. Am I going to be the woman who just complains? I'm taking care of all these three kids and he's gallivanting all over the world and he gets to do all the fun stuff and I'm home wiping noses and, you know, mopping up floors and all of those things. Or I could go hey, kids, daddy gets to serve Jesus. Let's pray for Jesus, pray for your dad, that Jesus would just fill him and that great things would happen. And let's pray that daddy's safe and let's have, you know, pancakes for dinner. I was the hero.

Zak: 50:50

You know.

Rebecca: 50:50

So you can either just really resent where God has you or you can choose to say, man, we get to be a part of what God is doing and this is our part. You know my part and I loved that part. I loved being a mom and raising my children. Was it hard when he was gone? Did the dog get sick and the kids miss the bus and the refrigerator breaks down and you know all that stuff happens because there is a whole warfare aspect, isn't there, of walking with the Lord. But, man, I had to make that choice of saying you know, I love that he gets to do what he's doing and I'm so a part of that and he was so good at making sure that we knew that this was our thing we're doing, even though we were in different places for those days. So, you know, I think it's choice to do that and to try to model that. I tried to model that for my kids.

Rebecca: 51:37

Serving Jesus is awesome. You know, it's not like we got to go to church. You know, come on, you better act right. You're the pastor's kid. Never did that come out of my mouth to my kids. You know, you better make me look good. You know.

Rebecca: 51:49

I used to tell them this though when you go to someone's house, use your good manners. Leave the bad manners at home. Take the good ones with you. Please don't embarrass me by how you eat, you know, or whatever. But I never wanted to pull that on them. Of that. They had a responsibility. It's the adult's responsibility to model for children. It doesn't matter who their parents are, and so we never pulled that on them either. It was just like you know what they're a kid, and we're going to point them to Jesus as best we can and love each other and have a home that was.

Rebecca: 52:15

Jesus was at home, you know, and, like I said, I did not come from a Christ-centered home at all. We had a really big fat Bible on the table, but we never talked about Jesus. My parents were not born again until much later in their lives, and I'll tell you what. When I was 15 and went to the beach and got baptized, my parents were like you did what? Oh my gosh, what are you doing? I mean, sat me down. Me and my sister both had a big talk, what are you doing? And I was just like no-transcript me to say it. Whatever it was, find me later and I'll think of it, but, um, anyway, doing um our best for the lord and and for the children and just loving them and and uh yeah yeah, it's just a blessing to do anything for the Lord.

Rebecca: 53:07

It doesn't matter Again if you're setting up chairs, if you're on the mission field, if you're, oh, teach the children. You know, I mean, if you're doing whatever you're doing, it doesn't matter how young you are, how old you are. You can do something for the Lord, you know, and just honor him with how that looks. And so, anyway, I don't know. There's so many things to talk about from now we're. Now we're like empty nesters, but we moved in to a house with his parents, which is just glorious and fun. But you know, adult children, adult. You know, parenting adults, that's harder than three year olds. I'm just warning you, those of you who have little ones, when they are adults, that's when it becomes challenging. But anyway, I told him, I said I taught you to follow Jesus, but I meant follow him here, but they all followed him. No, I want them to follow the Lord. Anyway, I'll shut up, okay.

Zak: 53:56

So, then, I mean just wrapping up within our church family in this season, we have a lot of couples that are now taking care of their elderly parents or a spouse having taken care of their spouse as they decline in age. Is there anything the Lord's been showing you guys as now those roles begin to reverse, or, if they've already reversed, just an exhortation or just something the Lord's been showing you guys, as now you're ministering to and caring for your parents your mom not always being able to be healthy enough to be at church any specific exhortation there?

Troy: 54:29

Yeah, I think this is they're still able to take care of themselves, they're still taking care of things, but we know that them being in their mid-80s, things can begin to change at any time. So we try to be alert to that, try to serve them, try and take responsibilities off of him that are just too much, try to find ways to involve him. You know, because he did everything right. I mean, he didn't pay anybody to do anything. That's why he had me and that's why, you know. So we did everything. You know, we painted everything, we fixed everything. We, you know, that was my dad and he wasn't going to pay anybody to do it. So now and you just mentioned this, he's got, you know, all of these tools and all this stuff that he really cannot use the way he used to, and so that's changed. And so that's changed.

Troy: 55:27

And to make certain that, yeah, you know, my sister called me and she's, you know, because dad was out doing something. She goes. I heard that dad's out doing. She lives in Colorado. I heard that, you know, dad is out, I don't know, mowing the yard or doing something. I go, yeah, he is. And and she said what do you think that's a good idea. And I said do you mean, do I think he might get hurt? And she goes, yeah, and I said, yeah, he might. I said, but it's going to hurt him even more if I tell him not to do that, so let's let him just do it. So. And then there's other things that I'm like I'll step in and say get off off that ladder, well, I can do this. He said, no, you can't. I said, because if you fall, you have not helped me. So I can talk to my dad like, all right, big guy, you know I'll get off the ladder, you know, so I can talk to my dad like that, it's not disrespectful. So I think that you know I'm learning to.

Troy: 56:22

You know, find ways. Although there's very self-sufficient, there's certain things physically that they can't do. But I also have to be careful that I just don't yank everything away from them and still give them that opportunity and find the things that I can involve them. Him, really, I mean, he's the doer of stuff. So so you know, hey, dad, can you do this for me? I could do it. But you know I'm looking for those ways and it truly is helpful to me as well.

Troy: 56:46

But rather than just doing it running. I try to involve him with those things. And then also, yeah, they get forgetful. As you get older, you get forgetful and so there's no reason to get frustrated with that. And so I had to say again, or I had to repeat myself again, and well, I don't think anybody likes doing that, but you know, we were even talking about this. I said, why do I feel like I've got to remind him that you've already told me that or I've already told you? That accomplishes nothing. It's not going to move the ball down the field at all. I just need to just tell them again or just listen to the story again. And so I think, just walking in patience and love and not allowing things to irritate they put up with me, they still puts up with me.

Rebecca: 57:44

Yeah, I think there's that kindness. And I just want to say one thing about the elderly. Thing is so my mom became ill, had a stroke-like event that they could never verify, but she became bedridden for three and a half years and she didn't live near me, we were in Virginia and she was in just outside of Memphis, tennessee, where my sister was, so she had the brunt of it. My sister did trying to figure out care for my mom. So you know it was three and a half years of regularly me driving all the way 11 hours one way and one, you know, back and visiting and trying to alleviate for my sister and minister to my mom and be there for her and honor the Lord. Because it wasn't easy with my mom. She was not an easy woman. She became harder and harder as time had gone on. It was prickly and hard and painful and insulting and all these things. But this is my mother and I'm a Christian woman who wants to honor the Lord and the word of God tells me to honor my mom. So I'm going out there.

Rebecca: 58:42

My dad had already passed and so I would have people in my fellowship who love me and are praying for me and they know that it's not easy and that she's ill and that's painful to know she's going to go soon and not knowing how long she would linger, and they would ask me how's it going? How's your mom? How can I pray for you regularly, like probably weekly, at least once during one of the services, whatever? And and I was tempted at the beginning, you know you want to give information, but then when you start feeling it and it can, when a trial goes longer, you get trial fatigue a little right. And I was like I start, I found myself saying, oh, it's really hard. I wish the Lord would just sort of take her home and relieve her and relieve us.

Rebecca: 59:22

And it's hard to see her like that and it's hard to get out there and everyone's compassionate and kind and you know, and the Lord again spoke to my heart and went you need to stop talking, because you're complaining about my will for her life, the number of days I have for her and what I've assigned to you for this season. You need to be quiet and watch your words, because what we say about our circumstances reflects on who our Father is and God is never not good. He is always good, he is always loving, he never does anything outside of love and he allowed my mom, for whatever reason in her own life, to suffer for a while, and now she's in glory, she's not suffering anymore. And I just needed to just say, all right, lord, I'm just going to be quiet, I'm going to pray, and when someone asks me, I will say, oh, oh, it's a little, it's hard to see her like that. Yeah, just pray for her, pray for us. And then how about that weather or you know whatever? Just so, try to change it from. Oh, it's so hard and I make the Lord look bad when I speak that way, and so you know, um, it's.

Rebecca: 1:00:24

That goes for many different things in our lives. You know, speaking well of the Lord and it's, yeah, I just think, being careful about what we're saying, because it's not an easy thing to watch anybody you love decline and having to care for them and feeling the pull between all the other responsibilities that we have, responsibilities that we have. So, anyway, that was one thing the Lord had really was teaching me was just to be quiet and not complain, which is so biblical. I mean, the Bible tells us, right, do all things without complaining and murmuring Like, oh, was that what I was doing.

Rebecca: 1:00:59

I thought I was just sharing, yeah no, no, I was complaining about the situation and making you know, really just sort of impugning the Lord with being unkind, and God is never unkind, and so, yeah, that's one thing that I would say I would share If you get to that place with someone in your life. Yeah, just be careful what you say.

Zak: 1:01:17

So, in closing, is there any one nugget that comes to mind, or one overarching theme or scripture that the Lord has sort of reminded you in the different season of life, that you just want to let the flock know about as we close up?

Troy: 1:01:33

I just I think the that the Lord is faithful in all those seasons. Whether it's you know, you know Troy in the airport skateboarding around, driving grandma crazy, he's faithful to protect. Or whether it's having a family and not having provision, having to deliver papers to put food on the table, or whether it's any season of life, the Lord is faithful. You can trust him and you learn to cling to him and rely upon him. And the psalmist says all day long. I know I've waited upon the Lord and I think we're good sometimes for maybe about 30 minutes, but the idea is not even like 12 hours or 24 hours. The idea is I'm not looking anywhere else except for the Lord. And so, yeah, let the Lord show up in your life. And so sometimes you're gonna have to endure need and you're to have to endure the unknown or discomfort, but that's when you get to see the Lord show up, that's when you get the stories, when you get the testimonies and you're able to pass them on.

Intro: 1:02:37

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