The Gospel in Challenging Times

Rosenberg is not a preacher but he's got really show as a cure 65 million Americans were struggling with this. They are taking care of the ill special-needs child somebodies had a traumatic event. Somebody's been diagnosed with a horrific disease. Somebody was dealing with mental illness somebody who is dealing with addiction issues. Alcoholism there so many different kinds of impairment. And there's always always always caregiver now that caregiver may be really up close and personal, or that caregiver may be somewhat detached but still there and they are still in involved and engaged, and it is a difficult journey for the family caregiver. How are you doing how are you holding up what's going on with you and this is what were going to talk about again today but in the context of the church, pastoring theologically, doctrinally know what's going on and I've asked very close friend of mine. My pastor for 20 years in Nashville, Tennessee live at Montana but he still pastors me and he is Jim Buckman he is. He takes my calls. You know, usually twice a week. Just out of mercy. I guess glad he does and we kick around ideas and he keeps engaging with me as we tackle this very difficult issue.

We have the largest platform broadcast in podcast two family caregivers in the world and it's important that I have people around me that can help me work through some of these difficult issues and so I my father's minister and I I have a great deal of respect for ministers, particularly those who are his hands on it. As Jim is, and he's the pastor Steve Senior Pastor Stevens Valley church in Nashville, Tennessee. Stevens Valley church.com and it Stevens with a pH Stevens Valley church.com and Jim's welcome to show how you feeling well.

I'm barely marching every night later.

It's happy, to the best holder's older brother and older brother know to break down words their Way straight. You pick me up to the benefit from your ministry a great day waiting look forward to your call that on always taken immediately, but we did connect and your blessed with a wonderful sense of humor, good theology way with words and that I get I get determine ideas from you. So thank you for your ministry. Will you know I didn't and I'm I and it's a mutual admiration society. We both have been through some some heavy-duty storms together and you walked with me through some very, very painful realities and have had the privilege of walking with use through some of those as well and will get into that maybe little bit later. The purpose of this call today. In this conversation you and I have another podcast as is.

We start this new year. We thought that okay we can look at 2020 in the rearview mirror within 2020 turn 21.

I started drinking and set it up where he hit 20, 21 says hold by a beer. You know a kid looking to make this even worse fit and and young people are just unsettled and before we get into a lot of the more current events. I wanted just to give little bit of background with you and update you know we been to the covert world out here almost a year and it is your church you were building this church and then typing just before you get the doors open all right is that you get the doors open to your facility. You guys moved out of a a school that your meeting in and and then boom this thing hit and I am right. So, how long, how if you all fared as a church through this talk about that for bit list of the heavy welfare through this greater you're right we were building a new building in the way for service on March 1 in the crowded crowd will actually March 8 we get the building again. Everything Sheldon and right and then getting 15 and that I want you church is an open site up on 15 May just cannot smatter you people Aaron Obama feeling it was back. I think of that very week at the Bridgestone Arena and watching the first-round games basketball term I like basketball and became on the speaker in half time and said that that the remainder they go and finish the game but the remainder of the term was being canceled and not about Bridgestone by gold 15,003: there were 15,000 for about 10 very, very unhappy, but you just had this feeling that something you know something was happening. Something dark, something destructive once invading our lives so reasonably so, unwelcome, and I was going to change it.

We stayed that way the church stayed closed until the end of my we open sooner than others. When a large church. It would probably get 400 members and guests and visitors. What but it's not is not back to where laws and I don't know close you were still preaching that way we get that right comes our way. We take our services and we went Bridgestone into RAM like a lot of churches and posting them on YouTube and Facebook and I would do it on YouTube but the real doors that demand gradually. People began to come back in actually had the had recovered somewhat say we were maybe 60% fall and then it's an microsecond surge came on and I declare Emily paper may be more frightened now than they were before. Even with the vaccine come out even young people. I would've thought young people would be less concerned about it that we have a mix of people by what we have a lot of older people and front row today were one man is 90 and is washed up there to that young people are frightened and staying alive playing it safe. I don't know a lot.

Just wait the last treatment so it's discouraging slave. I know you like to say that the church is full you like to see a lot of joy grow good good camaraderie and so forth and so, long like everything else.

Apparently kids in school there.

They're having difficulty trying to adjust to them you want to ball games with empty stadiums. How strange is that just been a weird year and hope and pray things get better.

I haven't said that Peter let me know it's been a good year to because we learned the hard way and the best lessons are always a heartlands with her not to take things for granted. So the Lord is teaching us in 2020 will that brings me to my next question for you as a pastor when you started preaching to the teacher and I watched your servants. I was watching you on YouTube. From here, Montana and my got my parents watching you in South Carolina and I know know it was it was very it was very moving because I have watched you preach from 20 years and I didn't see you miss a beat and I knew you were preaching to an empty room of the Eli was a run of the Santa nest that I think you reach into an empty room that had to been very surreal for you wasn't entitled to quiet Easter was quiet to get used to it fairly quickly but certainly not what you prefer and wait. We need each other… Might or might interact with each other and we we believe in the communion of the site hear that phrase… We believe in, fellowship and work to stimulate each other to love a good day did not forsake ourselves together support and yet the viruses is really put up in our style. You might say, and though we just we just take 17 probably move forward and trust God for never returns void.

We added my goodness. We had about 40 new members beginning to blow up mid-September up until the end of the year and there's a nice group of visitors that are waiting in the wings, hopefully to become members here in the next six or seven lakes out even a pandemic that I build my church and nothing just out of the gate of hell and I got stockings out were very gratified by that.

But when we miss the old days. I'm speaker. Every pastor and church members lately miss each other yearn to be back together again for God's praises and worshiping them together will you use also created your virtual membership to get people to want you all over the country now have the world and that's got different to because they are engaging the mean is not like they're just passively watching their communicating back down on the desert communicating to them. It's a different way of: "do use it as a verb to church people to pastor people.

It is a different way to do it but you got time to have have embrace that somewhat better than a lot of churches that I seem to in the house at 1000 don't know what is doing but set of circumstances. A lot of churches have become more progressive theologically and there are some believers that I think play a little homeless will disenfranchised and where conservative church performed that word know you know what that word means that a majority starting to talk about that a lot here. I'm sure you do, and that some people know what they're looking for and they will. I will look long and hard in one of your guests what you had some weeks ago, Dominic. A qualified member Dominic do you do see has been the link so yeah we we got virtual members in Indiana. We got some Florida. Some of the guest George got some friends on Lookout Mountain Leonard virtual members, but they want show the lady in New Hampshire watching our walk watches regularly got her friend lives in Australia. I'm saving 25 years and now you want to than many people do contribute and for the time being.

We are there church that we recognize that it's better for them to find church in their own locale think they recognize that to. These are unusual times were happy that welcome them. They don't have voting privileges or things like that but were still happily As our church family time being well and I think that is part of caregiver struggles isolation. That's one of the big issues that caregiver struggles, even in a crowded room or on a credit pew and now the world is struggling with isolation and you're seeing an uptick in all these kinds of things and this is an issue that I been hammering since I started doing the show. Eight years ago and of the isolation of caregivers. And now, as we all are facing this. It's in. This brings me to another point with you is that what is happening to the collective church theologically and doctrinally because you can't just go out there and just preach the same way when you know the people are closeted away either him to watch virtually did a lot of more are despairing and in many respects that is a picture of what my audience is and struggles with on a daily basis and has for something as long as a been caregivers in I was that way.

I remember many times feeling so sequester way so cut off and you know and I even even one time. I think one of the lowest moments I have ever told you this, one of the lowest moments I had was it Easter service at your former church that it it held. I don't know how many people could fit in that place but it was you.

What well over a thousand, and this was it Easter Sunday. We had there and it was a huge orchestra.

It was just standing room only, and I was standing there but Gracie was at home she was very sick and that we just lived a little bit from the church. I slipped up to go to church. The kids were on spring break and they had gone down to be with grandparents while she was sick.

I was just all by myself and I felt so so disconnected and I think this is this were so many people feel right now and so want to talk about that is meaningful to take a quick break.

I will talk but as we move forward about you connecting people and letting people know that the gospel is still more than ever able to reach him and that this is Peter Rosenberg of Tubman pastor Jim Wagner Stevens Valley church in Nashville, Tennessee. My longtime pastor for 20 years and this is hope for the care and hope caregiver.com don't go away will be right back. Have you ever struggled to trust God when things happen to you. I'm Gracie Rosenberger, 1983 I experienced a horrific car accident leading 80 surgeries in both legs and became questioned why God allowed something so brutal to happen to me in overturning my questions changed and I discovered courage to trust God that understanding along with an appreciation for quality prosthetic limbs led me to establish standing with help more than a dozen years we been working with the government of Ghana and West Africa, equipping and training local workers to build and maintain quality prosthetic limbs for their own people on a regular basis. We purchased ship equipment and supplies and with the help of inmates in Tennessee prison. We also recycle parts from donated lands. All this is to point others to Christ. The source of my help and strength, please visit standing with help.com to learn more and participate in lifting others standing without.com. I'm Gracie. I am staining with help 24 seven emergency support increasing safety, reducing isolation, these things are more important than ever. As we deal with the challenges of covert 19.

How about your vulnerable loved ones. We can always check on them or be there in ways we like. That's why there's constant companion seamlessly weaving technology and personal attention to help push back against the isolation while addressing the critical safety issues of our vulnerable loved ones and their caregivers.

Constant companion is the solution for families today. Staying connected staying safe.

It's smart, easy, and incredibly affordable. Go to www.mycompanion247.com today. That's my companion.

247.com connection and independence for you and those you care about my companion.

247.com I'm alive lift up my voice and do we rejoice in this, and yes there is pain there is part of their suffering. There is so many unsettling things. So how do we find that place where we can rejoice, no matter what's going on and that's that from her CD, resilient, and she is indeed resilient and what the hope of the caregiver.com today and you can see more about her music and I get a copy that CD.

I think yet you find it very very meaningful to you. That's 80 surgeries.

Both legs amputated 37 years of nonstop pain and yet she sing and rejoice and brings in my conversation in heaven with longtime friend and pastor, Pastor Jim Boutin Stevens Valley church national and we talked about how the church is changed ministry people fortitude when we find these things as we are are struggling as his caregivers is just as individual and I think the whole country. The whole world really in real time. We never had a situation where the whole world struggled with the same issue in real time. So a lot of things are moving pieces going on right now in this show focuses on equipping caregivers to better deal with the onslaught of challenges of the week we have them relentlessly his caregivers and I had a friend of mine called me up last week and he said you know where were struggling with this whole thing with the coronavirus all the policy just so much unsettled this in any it occurred to me you would Gracie been dealing with this for decades. How if you have done this and I answered truthfully, we done it poorly and we've learned a few things along the way and have learned that the real battle here, certainly for caregivers is not an caregiver being the verb, the action of caregiving, but it's in our hearts.

There's nothing that I go through the caregiver. I'm in my 35th year. This is nothing I go through that is not dealt with in Scripture on the heart level is far as the real core issue. The fear that spare the resentment the rates they the angst that goes on because that's where the real battle.

This is not about which wheelchair or even sometimes the money.

I know people who have plenty of money and they deal with the same thing that they've that the obligation they did the guilt all these kinds of things and so I thought when I did this so we can speak to those issues and now my longtime pastor and mentor friend Jim Boutin's coming as as a as a pastor's dealing with this significant church and he's had a lengthy ministry in the sea of these collective changes going on across the country and so you know I Jim I just you and I share some things.

One of Ms. were both history buffs and and were equally inspired by those whose faith persevered and helped pave the road for the rest of us wary of you, gone to as you been watching this unfolding across the country who would you come back to read or study about or learn about. That's really, like, you know you known these people that you could maybe revisit what one of those things that you've done. Like you, I… It poorly.

Yet I do like history about Charles Spurgeon. I member when there is a cholera outbreak in his ministry and you know what he did. He just kept on doing what it was always the people and preach the gospel, give her father, Damien, and this went to good colony of lepers and ministers among them for many years so it's time to seek out leprosy himself, and that in dad I don't know everybody has to make their own decision but just believe the Lord is called maybe keep on keeping on keeping on doing what I'm doing Thanksgiving service. We had this year and not I read something out of Daniel. I've never read before that men conspired against him will always pastor that he couldn't write anybody but the Nebuchadnezzar will remember now but what did Daniel do. He went home and nailed Ms. Windows and get down his knees and prayed for Jerusalem three times a day just like he'd always done so. I'm not by no means want to imply that I'm reckless with the virus, but I like delete examples guns, administrated by time drain pan.

I don't think one American problem I had about the love my father in heaven and I respect the decisions of the people make some people just want to become a quarantined lockdown on that. That's find one service and on TV work on the computer but in my case at least, and what ever reason not have the power shut off little left out might affect everybody else's sharing the story how I want to share this selfless. I have really much in the way of symptoms, but Gracie did but I didn't and so it's it to me is still a conundrum of how this thing is almost like Russian roulette. You know how these things can affect and but II know you go hit most of our people had mild cases to most telemark coming out of it.

Now the vaccine gradually getting out. Hopefully things will begin to pray that you think are times when one comes consummated, but are afraid that I might stop living the sample U Lily, this is stop living that we you know. And even if the and I learned I'm actually how I won't just take credit for that because I learned that for my wife and learn to live with extreme challenges you know and she wouldn't. Whatever way she was able to do it and from a wheelchair from a hospital bed whenever and in so I these are things that I have wrestled with and I look at my fellow caregivers and in thinking that somehow okay when when life gets better.

We can go on living in NC know we live today.

No matter how that looks and and and theologically speaking to me, you've coached a lot of teams and and over years you been a bashful coach in baseball coach and so forth with your kids and and with the teams in trouble.

They don't come up with trick plays. I go back to the fundamentals and you know you got a letter if your baseball team. He had learned of it from catch and run and working together as a TV. Don't you don't come up with trick plays and and and I think that those churches that go back to the fundamentals with that and just say okay here's where were going to be able to stay in our laying here and and and this very tight area and and I look at that from a fellow caregivers and myself that you will go back to the fundamentals. There's no trick play when you're dealing with a chronic impairment. You've got to deal with here we are now what does God have to say about trusting him today right here right now and I have an early on was our government, patriot about but I know my begin to define certain things is essential. Know the things is nonessential nebula are essential The badly honest with you I don't ever we have the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

And that's all wound up in how we make a living and how we live life and that you can tell anybody that the way they live the way they work where their worship is nonessential as the arbiter of what is essential is not that is very good question with impact that the next segment with Pastor Jim Boutin seems that the church, Nashville, Tennessee. Stevens Valley Church.com Rosemary this is hope for the caregiver. Caregivers make better caregivers. Today's great start working your help somebody walk the first time I've had that privilege many times through our organization.

Standing with hope when my wife Gracie gave up both of her legs follow this horrible Rick that she had as a teenager and she try to save them for years and if it just wouldn't work out. And finally she relinquished him and thought wow this is that I'm not heavy legs anymore. What can God do with that and then she had this vision for using prosthetic limbs as a means of sharing the gospel to put legs on her fellow amputees and that's what we been doing now since 2005 was standing with hope.

We work in the West African country of Ghana and you can be a part of that through supplies through supporting team members through supporting the work that were doing over there, you can designate Olympus all kinds of ways that you can be a part of giving the gift that keeps on walking and standing with hope.com but you take a moment ago understanding with hope.com and see how you can give they go walking and leaping and praising God. You can be a part of that it standing with hope.com as a caregiver. Think about all the legal documents you need power of attorney will, living wills, and so many more than about such things as disputes about medical bills. What if instead of shelling out hefty fees for a few days of legal help paid a monthly membership and got a law firm for life. Well, we're taking legal representation and making some revisions in the form of accessible, affordable, full-service coverage. Finally, you can live life know you have a lawyer in your back pocket who at the same time is an empty it's called legal shield and its practical, affordable, and must for the family caregiver visit caregiver legal.com that's caregiver legal.com. Isn't it about time someone started advocating for you www.caregiverlegal.com on independent associate wife, a good thing is you can use your own music and that is a great soul from Gracie's CD resilient good copy of that hope for the caregiver.calm hope for the caregiver.com Pastor Jim Buckman is been Manny's been the steady hand on my shoulder for over 20 years and grateful for it.

He's in Nashville, Tennessee, and one of the hardest things a Gracie math did when we moved out to Montana was to say goodbye to him, but we know that the back of that I sent pictures of snow to Jim. He likes it when I do that because it makes you jealous pictures yet.

We will we have we have plenty of that out here and it's it's I'm watching a lot of things going on and one of the things that that happens. I found particularly in the audience and I'm trying to reach some of the show here is that inner isolation and inner struggles or whatever else bad theology can can creep. It wasn't a problem because what you believe is going to affect how you act and respond to what's going on around.

And for whatever reason I have immersed myself in the last several months and some of the great preachers and and in the reformers of our faith to go back only to the 14th 1300s and 1400s, and in these individuals, who stood fast against some some of the most harshest brutal realities and and I look at logical concern right now the sea in the government overreach and all these kinds of things, but it is nothing compared to what Luther Tyndale Huss and Wycliffe with all that just all went through what they went through is astonishing against a state that was held on the second my computer just activated on its voice activated now have an outlier, but it is it is nothing next to what these guys had to deal with with the state that would actually burn them at the stake for going to get in and and so it's it is really astonishing of what is it it is what's going on in the it it it in in the in the country right now more people are being extremely very very distressed discouraged and that they that they're starting to question whether not goodness of God and all the students thanks talk a little bit about that. Well you you mentioned some great examples from history and that people are discouraged, tired, tired of quarantine and log down the basket government to turn the conflict in the government and our country and officially right now. I'm tired of them. We need God. When he got to do work in our country. We need revival and reformation. We need to pray for our leaders were that we were for them or against them. We need to pray for them, the God would have is why the Bible tells us limitations or just a drop in the bucket and that the writers will not bring another that and God. God will get back to the sovereignty of God, which I think is a doctrine that troubles some people but rightly understood. Should comfort people. God is not sovereign responsibility expects that misunderstanding is a source of word I'm looking forward to troubles. People rightly understood started. God doesn't absolve us of our battles full of things rest to pray for those who persecute us to pray for our leaders evangelize share the gospel were shipped love our neighbor black bonded all the time and again there on every page. In Scripture, God's sovereign nations are just a drop in the bucket and he's writing up one leader in bringing down another and that the sovereign Lord. There are many merit molecules after and he still on the throne and I know we said this many times to let God run this world whole lot better DR you just give me a chance. Well, what a foolish thing to say. I don't know what I'm talking about Ashley in a mirror dimly, my mind knowledge is so limited, but what the Bible does tell me is that all things work together for my good and they're all working for his glory. Ultimately I know I don't have and that's all going to shake out, but like a sailor every page of the Bible. He's the king, and he is a sovereign and his purposes will never be forwarded and it's so hard to wrap your mind around it and I appreciate the fact that you help me by admitting that that's hard to wrap your mind you know it it and and so we tweet it's a leap of faith we trusted and yet you know we come to see that not only Scripture but that we have these individuals in our lives who who are or history shown us that I was you and I both a fan of the hymns and the great hymns of our faith and also as much a document any unfading cross fit across the road. Over 10,000 him.

She was one of the most prolific hymn writer of all time, and she's been blind since she was an infant and you know and I I look at her life and the life that she had extraordinary impact on the world and she was blind. Anything and somebody asked him one time since you know how can you write the songs. But Jesus have this faith in Jesus when he let you be blind in her response was oh no you don't understand the next face I see will be his and that you don't come to that point easily. No, no, you don't hear was ever a woman very mature in her face them. I think if I had criticized the church the outside world operates all raw or other American church were soft, spoiled way, we tend to let the culture and dictate our theology to us, rather than vice versa. And if you don't believe in God sovereign who is in charge and nobody is in charge of what we got some more about largest happens in innovative and random. I don't know I might go sleep as well at night but I believe it with the stars in their courses above and I believe is numbered the harassment by yours and exhorting all things according the counsel of his will and that's not all like a lot of things I'm I'm discouraged right now I could I could probably bore you to death with the thing that I'm troubled about these days but, hams and him writing right now the site about John the Lord has promised good to me his word. My hope secures. I believe that such a mess right now but he has promised good to me his word. My hope secures and so we got better things to come and get rid of the bus got pick people of the law. I don't think he was a Christian is a hard-working deceased night Harvard psychiatrist at the fascinating book, but the first three words never forget life is hard to live in a fallen world and we have expectations that are unrealistic were looking for heaven when looking for perfection paradise jungle fallen world. Do you think of virus just happened. God sovereign over that Norris had a purpose and when I believe the latter and I'm sorry people of God from the fluid after a car accident sovereign over all of life are some of life for none of life and much more comfort in believing that God has a plan and that God is omnipotent God is loving. People promise that all things work together for our good.

So you have to be patient. Now we see in the mirror dimly, one day we will understand it all. One of the biggest milestone moments for me the logic doctrinally used to rail against this and never doubted that God could intervene and do stuff. I always railed against God for not intervene, and in particular likely came to Gracie stuff and you know I'm I remember one time a lady was that because Gracie fell asleep at the wheel. She's 17 years old, middle the day she was go see a friend and she just put her head down on the wheel and slammed into concrete about in that story got out there and course been told many times in media and so forth. Remember one lady who was then little bit odd, but it all add that's notwithstanding, but it was the one time I fell asleep at the wheel, he got what we have the time. He was really gracious to me what we happened and I was I was not in a good place theologically and I retorted back to her words that were very cutting and I cringe over Sega but I will say it anyway, is that this would assess it well just got was so gracious to grace and have cringed over that many years because I was there was a flip in my belief that as God watched Gracie slammed that concrete wall. He was still gracious. He never stopped being gracious. We don't understand that in the context of great suffering, but everything in Scripture shows me that he is still gracious and merciful it is, why does the sea's mercy is still loving and kind even in the face of these horrific things. There is no way I can understand that. So have to accepted by faith.

This is something you cut I helped be timidly walked down this path, because as brutal as the cross was that was the ultimate expression of God's graciousness and it's hard to wrap our minds around that it really is that it's hard for my my fellow caregivers that are listed the show when they see their loved one just spiraling out of control were circling the drain or acting out. It just horrific ways are changing adult diaper another another time in the middle of the night if if it's an adult diaper there change they may have to change something else.

It is even worse in their thinking, how can God be gracious in this NSP collectively as believers are watching so much suffering and fear in an and unsettled is going on.

I still can hang my hat on this that God is gracious and the only way I can believe that is because I've walked a little bit closer to the cross. I've been drawn a little bit closer, the cross will be corrected and the closer I get to the cross. I can understand the graciousness of God, even while watching Gracie is a €17 limit to a concrete abutment that is the heart, but that's what everything the Scriptures screams out to me that I miss the mark Erickson to the wheelchair was the best thing that ever happened to look forward to heaven well and I sold some maintenance and bless you, prison for having been in my life. Corrie 10 boom said thank thank God for those please The right yards away from her. So Jim Boyce's mercy and injury and nobody likes to be measurable. I don't mean to make light of it all, but the God's mercy is often revealed to us in the winter suffering fluorescent pain is God's megaphone to get her attention and that's a good thing so sometimes it takes a tragedy to really get my attention. The virus there. Whatever the loss of a job in the Lord being merciful to do to get her attention and drive us to our knees and cause us to cry out to him in prayer. He preached how many times of purchasing this all you need is neat and it's difficult to cry out that you don't think you need and clearly and here we are collectively now seeing that we really have. We are in great need.

We are fragile people and were watching the entire world deal with this in real time.

We never had a situation like this where we could watch it all in real time.

It we got just humans for the break unpack that a little bit.

All you need is neat not lower the words of John Gerstner was RC Sproul's mentor without "what made but all you need is made.

All you must have is nothing on is making is that most people don't have nothing and God can't pour his treasures in the hands already full, and so were blessed really to this morning. I preached on non-blonde part of my story and he cried out Jesus son of David, have mercy on me, and I… Unpack that word is not the way we use the word Crowley leaves it would mean some by shedding tears in the Bible itself into loud voice urgent pleading just out of desperation. Even Jesus himself about the ninth hour cried out with a loud voice, my God, my God, why you perspective, make part of my good place where all of the good place with where miserable enough that we finally cry out to God for mercy, son of David, have mercy on me at the good place to. It's a hard place.

That is a good place and this is where all your team because it it it is paradoxical and in that the thief on the cross, remember me when you come in and he had nothing to offer Jesus and yet in an exchange. Jesus gave him everything. This is my message to my fellow caregivers. This is my message to myself in those low, low moment, this is this is our cry to understand our need is what is seen and I appreciate you and Jim Bob, this Peter Rosenberg. This hope and trust God when things continue Gracie Rosenberger 1983 I experienced a horrific car accident leading 80 surgeries in both legs and became I questioned why God allowed something so brutal to happen to me.

But over time I questions changed and I discovered courage to trust God that understanding along with an appreciation for quality prosthetic limbs led me to establish standing with help more than a dozen years we been working with the government of Ghana and West Africa, equipping and training local workers to build and maintain quality prosthetic limbs for their own people on a regular basis. We purchased ship equipment and supplies and with the help of inmates in a Tennessee prison.

We also recycle parts from donated lambs — is to point others to Christ. The source and my help and strength, please visit standing with help.com to learn more and participate in lifting others standing without.com. I'm Gracie. I am staining with help 24 seven emergency support increasing safety, reducing isolation, these things are more important than ever. As we deal with the challenges of covert 19.

How about your vulnerable loved ones.

We can always check on them or be there in ways we like. That's why there's constant companion seamlessly weaving technology and personal attention to help push back against the isolation while addressing the critical safety issues of our vulnerable loved ones and their caregivers. Constant companion is the solution for families today. Staying connected staying safe. It's smart, easy, and incredibly affordable. Go to www.mycompanion247.com today. That's my companion. 247.com connection and independence for you and those you care about my companion. 247.com and passion behind this show that I started many years ago come from our own journey of this mean this is these are things that I am still working out in their times and I still bang my head up against the wall. I don't say the set of anything I'm saying ever since of accomplishment.

I'm saying out of a sense of awareness of ever going down so many dark past. So my messages don't go down to hear that the pathways have been there.

Is the benefit of making more mistakes than most people will ever make in their life to defend when you are the crash test dummy of caregivers.

The wily Coyote of caregivers. This is the benefit I have of it. But one of things I have learned is that we can reform our thinking.

We can be anchored in something that will sustain us and you never know how important anchor is until you and strong sees and we as caregivers face the strong season out.

I brought in today my friend, my longtime pastor Nashville Jim Bartman, who has bang these ideas out with me have said under his sermons and he's I think he still gets amazed memorize so many things that he said but he was saying them to somebody who was so thirsty to hang onto something so strong that because I was being buffeted about and so every time he preached this no-frills message of here's what the gospel looks like in plain English. The ascending way that I could understand it is in my goal here with this show was to be able to be a good steward of that insane way that you can understand it as a fellow caregiver and understand this message of strength and hope and encouragement Jim in the last few moments we have here again I go back to you in our big history buffs of of of great men and women of the gospel who have done extraordinary things instead to get in extraordinary times and in there always these individuals that seem to come up who face these horrific things and yet just with such power and and and and such. I have know how to say but just so precisely be able to speak the word of God to a generation that needed to hear it to you what you as you look out our generation is worth facing this global pandemic in the American church, particularly what are your concerns and and and and and then what are some things that encourage about how the American church is facing the virus, the social and the political issues that are going on both encouragement and concerns what what are your thoughts on this in the last few minutes my my card is in my power of the Lord to build his church to call people to himself that Christians have always been in the minority leader and the way that's not comfortable.

Now we would like to be in the majority and there was a time in our country. I think certainly there was much more about Christian consensus. Now people say we were a Christian nation, and that there certainly were strong Christian leader, principal, built into built into the documents written by our founding fathers, and so forth were long way. That is, as we all know now think we just have to be addressed in and where God has us at this time and now I'm comforted by the fact that he would destroy Sodom if he could find. What can righteously blame Abraham started neglect for fear that a member, not 50 4030 2010, and it would destroy Sodom so there's hope for America, with the ratio was steered out of thousand versus America commensurate with the but got a delightful show mercy, that's mine. But my concern is that the church is the world and I mean I don't have high expectations of the world are you there not regenerate kind of expected act like unregenerate God's common grace might restrain them, but that might not, but the church Jesus and the law. Salt loses its flavor was a good four and #journey capacity to many churches that I think are just caving on issues with the Bible is very clear about, and I suppose tickling the ears is that Isaiah mentioned will probably back in his diet.

Always been a problem we all want to be popular with all of your daily all say we talk about church leaders. We want the world to like us and it's just just not going to happen. I don't think we're babbling. Spurgeon said that the church that the world loves is certainly the one the God of horse and I paraphrase the thing, but that you know if you're looking to be to get the approval of the secular world. Rest assured you're not can I have the approval of God on this and it does require us to take a stand. It is a minority thing, but it's you you that again we share this common reference and an admiration for these guys and I look at people like Luther Wycliffe and and Tyndale and hummus these others and they were not in the mud majority by any stretch of the imagination, and yet now chance the culture and in and in some cases that the world was changed through them know. Certainly I think you make an argument that through the work of Luther God change the entire world and what Christians are individually don't underestimate God.

God works for the majority need to work like a miniature box.

I had a friend one time tell me more active in his church board.

All in all a meeting – day of judgment. First link sent to hell be all the committees and they were clear individuals and you can church but Israel had to sing the Lord's song in a strange and farmland will they were exiled to Babylon the great picture of the church today. I think we Christians should put too much trust and too much hope in government. I know a lot of Lotta people in my church very disappointed doldrums and when the election and Donald Trump would not be my best friend probably but I did appreciate many of the things he accomplished most of the policy or policies I thought were good for our country. Maybe I'm wrong… Maybe the Lord wants to have her trust in Donald Trump maybe want to will that I think about the people listening here on the show that our in these very lonely, dark places and and they have a loved one that is causing great consternation in their life and they wonder how can God use any of this and and my closing message to you all this is that yes he can and he does and he has a link using broken people and so that that is a lot to live for God. Great plan for life in and that's that's a great story. First, remember that it is really truly not about our circumstances being rosy, but it's about staying true to what he said, trusting him and looking to much time passed church nationally watch library Jim, thank you for being with us if there were greater this is John Butler and I produce hope for the caregiver with Peter Rosenberger. Some of you know the remarkable story of Peter's wife Gracie and recently Peter talk to Gracie about all the wonderful things that have emerged from her difficult journey. Take a listen Gracie.

When you envision doing a prosthetic limb outreach. Did you ever think that inmates would help you do that, not in a million years.

When you go to the facility run by core civic and you see that faces of these inmates that are working on prosthetic limbs that you have helped collect from all of the country that you put out the plea for and their disassembly sell these legs like what you have your own prosody and arms and arms everything when you see all this. What do you make me cry because I see the slides on their faces and I know I know what it is to be locked in place where you can't get out without somebody else allowing you to get out course, being in the hospital so much and so long and so these men are so glad that they get to be doing as as one man said something good family with my hands. Did you know before you became an amputee that parts of prosthetic limbs could be recycled now had no idea and I thought a peg leg.

I thought of wooden legs. I never thought of titanium and carbon lags and flex the sea legs and all that. I never thought about that as you watch these inmates participate in something like this, knowing that there there helping other people. Now walk the providing the means for the supplies to get over there. What is it do to you. Just on the heart level. I wish I could explain to the world.

What I see in here and I wish that I could be able to go and say the this guy right here Denise go to Africa with that.

I never not feel that way out every time you know you always make me have to leave. I don't want to leave them. I feel like I'm at home with them and I feel like we have a common bond that would've never expected that only God could put together. Now that you've had experience with it what you think of the faith-based programs.

The core civic offers. I think they're just absolutely awesome and I think every prison out there should have faith-based programs like this because the return rate at the man that are involved in this particular faith-based program and other ones like it, but I know about this one are is just an amazingly low rate compared to those who don't happen and I think that says so much that has anything to do with me just has something to do with God using somebody broken to help other broken people.

If people want to donate or use prosthetic limbs, whether from a loved one who passed away or you know somebody well groomed. You've donated some of your own for the to have it, how they do that please go to standing with hope.com/recycle staining with hope.com/recycle.

Thanks Grace