The Hope Hotline - Relatives Taking Advantage, & I Feel Invisible

Episode Date: March 19, 2025

The Hope Hotline | S03-E20 | 03-19-2025

We're raring to go. Ready and raring. Hope you guys are having a great Wednesday. It has been beautiful weather this week so far. If you're in Florida, this is why we live here. This is why we endure hurricanes. And if you're in Mississippi, I don't know why you endured tornadoes cause there's not much in Mississippi. I know. To endure that. I know. Except for friends and family.

Right. And oh my gosh, I have prayed for anybody who watches us from Mississippi or has family in Mississippi. We listen after you go through a hurricane and it actually does something to your property before you go, Oh, that's sad until it happens to you and you go, Oh, yeah, that's sad. Right. That's rough.

Yep. Um, and now whenever I see the devastation like that from Los Angeles, the fires to, um, Mississippi, I've watched a lot of footage from that and I feel for a lot of people. But lots of prayers are going that way, including me. I've been praying for those people and you know what? If you're a Christian, God's gonna, as Joe Biden would say, build you back better. True. Thank you, Joe. Joe. Thank you for that. You will. He'll build it. I mean I'm living proof. I don't even know how it happened because I didn't even get, I think I got less than a, I was supposed to get like $270,000 to repair my house. I think I got

a hundred and fifty and somehow, some way, God puts the right people in your path, even when you don't get the money you're supposed to get, because the Lord told me, He goes, I will, whatever you get, I'll spread it out for you. And He did, everything was built back better. And like, you just wouldn't believe, you just wouldn't believe that it works out like that,

but he does. So even if you don't get what you're supposed to get, he'll make sure you're taken care of. So, and these people have like, it looks like they have little toothpicks now instead of house. It's like unbelievable. Have you guys put you guys on?

Have you guys seen what, I think it was only Mississippi that like had major devastation. I can't remember which thing it was. Alabama was supposed to, my brother lives there, but did you ever see anything in Alabama? Because I only saw Mississippi. I don't remember the state. I just, I did see the damage and it was, it was terrible.

Besides Mississippi? Yeah. Besides, was it Oklahoma? It might've been Oklahoma. Oklahoma? There's another state that was hurt. Cause Oklahoma gets a lot of tornadoes too. There's two states. That's where Dorothy's from.

Dorothy. Dorothy. Yeah. They, they, that's, that's pretty rough. It really was. So Ihmm, it really was. So, I mean, it's shocking. It's shocking. I mean, when you see the places that had just, their backyards were all woods and all you see is twisted trees and the tops are gone.

It's like, like what happened to my house in between my house and the neighbor's house. I think it was a water spout off of my lake. Went right in between, it moved our shed which is hurricane, hurricane proofed or whatever. Because you know they make you do all of that when you get those things. So it shifted, I think Tom said it was a foot or two feet our shed. It moved it and it's full of stuff and it ain't light. And it's hurricane strapped down to the ground in the ground. And the tip tips of the tree, some of the trees,

like half of them are gone. Just the tops gone and twisted. We were like, what the heck was that? And our neighbor was building their house and all the bricks like that was destroyed off. That they think, you know, right now they make people, I didn't have to back in the day when that was destroyed off that they think you know right now they make people I didn't have to back in the day when I was building my house they make you get builders insurance so when you're building your

house so they had insurance for that but pretty crazy so just know you got if you're from Mississippi or you have family in Mississippi there are people praying for them and believing for good things. I wish I knew somebody in Mississippi where we could actually give. Usually we're attached to another ministry that is sending things out. I probably should text Pastor Rodney. I bet you he's doing something. We could send some money.

Because normally we play a part in helping when we see stuff like that so I'm gonna check into that I never even yeah we gotta help them yeah we gotta help them go do whatever we can so I guess we can get going I ain't got nothing to say I mean outside of what I just said but even that I didn't have that to say. Go ahead. Do you want to do you want me to go through our things? Yeah, go through our things real quick. Okay. Well, we got a bunch of guys on rumble. So hey, everybody starting out strong. Um, if you could give us a thumbs up and then do a little repose. You can just say, watch us live. Uh, that's what I ended up doing with you guys. And we'll

repost and get the news out that we are live right now and see if we can get up higher on these algorithms. Sometimes depending on where you put yourself in. So we'll do like podcast and like life coaching or life hacks. And we try to like find the right category so people can find us on Rumble. Still working on that.

So if you guys could help us do that, it'd be really awesome. If you have any questions at all, you can put them in the comments on Rumble but also the next slide will show you where you can email it but we'll find them so just keep sending in sending in those questions and if you do put in the live chat we might miss it only because it does disappear at the end of this so that's just a temporary spot for anything that you're posting about but if you're on Facebook before you jump over to Rumble you can can like, share, and comment.

Let us know where you're watching from. We have the option to watch on the Hope Hotline and on Foundation Church on Facebook. We also are available on YouTube, and you can subscribe while you're there. But again, the conversation is in Rumble, so we would love for you guys to pop over there. And just if you do log in and all that kind of stuff,

it'll just be a little bit easier for you to be able to chat and well know who you are. And that's always fun. So our other option is Blackrobe, of course, our own platform and the audio podcast later on today. It will be available for you and easy to share. You can do it on Spotify or any of the places you listen to your podcast.

And then, like I said, you can go to ask or you can send in any of your questions to askhope at hopehotline.com. You can send them through Instagram or any other way, too, but if you want to make sure that you get a response back, we send a little like auto response to let you know that we did get your question. And it's just a great way for me to be able to get it.

And if you want it to be anonymous, just let me know, and I'll make sure that it is. And we are on social media. So we're on Instagram. We'll put some fun stuff and stories and just little reminders of when we're on and replays and whatever else pops up on our crazy minds that we want to share.

And then, of course, we are on TikTok and so is Hope. So Hope is on and she is sharing all kinds of stuff. She's getting random questions answered that we haven't even done on here yet. So you want to make sure that you're following her. Go check it out. You know, we we are tick tock fans. Okay, we just love we love our tick tock. If you talk to Hope, you'll probably have a tick tock at the end of your conversation with her. conversation with her. I hear, Hey, it's hope. I'm like, Hey, hope. I know every time. So yeah, we're answering questions over there. I'll have to do an updated screenshot because we kind of started out with some fun behind the scene stuff. And now we've got some cool questions that were some actually pretty tough

questions too, and good answers. So you'll want to check that out. And then also the whole pot line, we also have our own TikTok and we'll put in all kinds of crazy stuff on there. Sometimes it cross cross. We do it across like the social media media platforms. But sometimes we don't so you don't want to miss out you want to kind of check out what we're doing. It's always something fun. You guys know us. foundation church fl.com you can click on shop and get any of our merch that's available. We are working towards some other stuff right now for you guys too.

Sharon, yes. And then later on at the end of the month, not this Friday, but next Friday, Natalie will be on. So you want to send in your questions. She is one of our favorites. So make sure that you jump on, but send in some questions too. Even if you, again, if you think, if you're not sure we answered it, just send it in.

We'll help process through that and we'll help you guys. You might have to make her like an honorary Hope Hotliner because she's a regular. She is, and I love her. She always like, ugh. That picture of her is so good. I know. It is true.

She is. So when you want to send in the question, same place. AskCope at HopeHotline.com. And then we get it over to Natalie so she has time to look into it. So if you do send it to me, because last time this happened, if you send it to me on Friday at like 1 PM or 2 PM, there's a chance that we might not get to it,

especially if it's an in-depth question. But you can still send it. If you put it in the chat or something too, to let me know, I usually start getting the podcast ready. So I did miss the last one, but I sent it over to her and you were very gracious and said you understood that it might not happen. So, but she always like, hope is the same.

She's on all the time. So we'll save them too, if we need to. Yep. And referencing the TikTok thing, we'll go back to that really quick. Yeah. That is totally different. Whatever we do on whatever I do on Facebook and Instagram is not on TikTok. For hope. Yeah. No, for me. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I like that's a whole, yeah, it's like Vegas. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Exactly.

What happens on TikTok stays on TikTok. Right. I love it. I'm not sharing. I'm not cross-referring. You know what I've seen and I think you sent it to me. I don't know or I just saw it, but like, oh, I, somebody sent it. I saw somebody posting.

They don't want anybody on their Facebook and Instagram accounts on, did you send that to me? On their TikTok. They're like, I don't want you. I want TikTok to be TikTok and my friends over on Facebook and Instagram because it's a whole different world. And I'll be honest with you, I'm not on there enough,

but what I am on enough, it is a whole different, it's like, it's not like Facebook and it's not like Instagram at all. Do you think it is, Sarah? I don't think it is. I thought you were saying, yeah, I do. You thought it was. Like the wild, wild west.

It really is. Unfiltered. Yeah. Yep. But controlled. Now everything I've seen is controlled. Like you talk side, I'm like, do you see what I sent you yesterday? Now everything I've seen is controlled. Yeah, but I do that in my own private time. So yeah, you got to say like on a live and stuff. You got to be a little bit careful.

But but it I mean mine too, like I like I had to catch my algorithm. Some of the stuff it can be a little wild on there. Really? Mm-hmm, yeah, no, mine's awesome now. Yeah, you have to build it. You do have to build it. Oh yes, and I have. And the way that Hope is building hers.

At first, TikTok thought I was schizo, multi-personality. Now it's learning me. Like now it's realizing, I'm not. Right. I just have a method to my madness. Well, shut up. But you like, that's the other thing.

Like TikTok, you have to build your algorithm. Facebook and Instagram, it's like- They do what they want. Well, you only see the people you're friends with. You don't see anybody else. Like I'm finding, I'm finding hoochie mamas all over the place. Right, exactly.

I feel like Facebook is like neighborhood drama. Oh my gosh, don't even get me started. I am not, I'm never on Facebook ever. I'm barely on Instagram and I'll only allow myself for a specific reason, I have a certain amount of time on TikTok, which is very limited as well. Cause all of it is just a pile of hooey. But you are absolutely right, Vanessa.

Like if you want to like, it's like small town thinking on no one and the other reason I don't like Facebook is, is if you have a gossip or a nosy problem, being nosy, Facebook's your friend. Cause you wanna, you're so nosy, you wanna find out what's going on with everybody. And that's your way to find it out. And then whatever they post and you know it's not real, you judge it.

And then you say, did you see what they put on Facebook? Well, it's out in public so I can talk about it. No, you really shouldn't cause you have a gossip problem. Cause you have a gossip problem. If you have a gossip problem, stay put on Facebook. Well, it's out in public so I can talk about it. No, you really shouldn't because you have a gossip problem. Because you have a gossip problem. If you have a gossip problem, stay off of Facebook. Oh, gosh. That was one of the first things. Because I was a gossip.

That was the first thing. I was like, OK, Facebook is not for me. You know what else is bad? The Nextdoor app. What is that? What is that? It's good for business though. But it's also good for trauma.

Oh yeah, I bet. That's what's also good for Facebook and Instagram is great for business. It can be. You can use all this stuff for your benefit. Fantastic. It is. It is so true. It's like when you look at your personality,

my greatest strength is also my greatest weakness. It's like, it's like when you look at your personality, right? My greatest strength is also my greatest weakness. It really is. Yeah, my mouth. I talk too much. And, but that's the thing. It's like this Facebook and Instagram is the same way. It's a great strength.

It has a great attribute to it. But boy, oh boy, can it take you swirming right down the toilet real quick. Sure can, absolutely. If you let it. Right. Which leads me straight to the first question. Yes, let's go.

Let's do it. It says, my relatives always ask me for favors, whether it's money, rides, or help with their responsibilities. But they never offer the same support in return my gosh you know there's one in every fan I mean there's users in every family I swear to the Lord above no like well yeah you can but setting boundaries would be far superior two superior. Next question. Two seconds. She set a record. I didn't even finish the question and I already resolved the problem. Ignore them. Who invited you to

the show? Who invited you to the podcast? Yeah, who did? Now you're stuck. You're literally stuck. Oh my God. It says, I feel guilty saying no, and that's your first mistake. Never feel guilty. No, literally people should not feel guilty when they're being used. True. But it's starting to wear me down. Am I being selfish for wanting to set boundaries or am I being taken advantage of?

I think you already know the answer to that question. You are seriously being taken advantage of and I don't know. I mean when somebody asks me if they're being selfish when they're the only one being asked to do things and no one is giving them something in return, I sit there and go if you're wondering if you're selfish I would, I'm also wondering about how secure you are in yourself that or knowing the value of who you are or are you insecure? You know, like sometimes introverts feel like this, but a lot of times it's, it's, it's a person that feels inferior to others are insecure. So they can't say no to somebody because if they get mad, then that will be somebody that's not in their life and they can't deal with that.

I've literally met people who, when they stand up for themselves, they feel guilty about it. And then when the person that they told no to wants nothing to do with them, then they feel bad about that. I'm like, good riddance, man. Like you just did me a favor

because you just showed me who you are. You are a user. You want nothing to do with me unless I'm doing something for you. Bye bye. But these people like literally feel like that's their worth is being used or being having to do something for others.

Cause if they don't, because that's all they have to offer or they feel like that's all they have to offer to people. So they can't cut the strings because then they'll feel like they have nobody. Do you guys know what I'm saying about that? That's nuts to me. Boundaries, baby.

Boundaries. That's my word for the day for you. You gotta set them. Otherwise, you are like, you feel worn down right now. I don't know how old you are, but if you got another 30, 50, 60 years on this earth, you're gonna feel real worn down. Especially if you're young and it's your parents and they still can function in society, wait till they can't. Right. Boy, oh boy, are they gonna use you.

I don't know. I mean, for me, you have to set the boundaries. You have to verbally set the boundaries. If people say, you know what, I can't handle this, I just don't think we're gonna be friends anymore, like I said, cut the umbilical cords, see you later. And, but the thing is, is if you don't say anything and tell people why you're setting the boundaries and you're not transparent and honest

about it, that when you finally just start saying no, then they're gonna be like, what the heck, what the heck happened. It'd be far better to be transparent. It also would be good for you because it will teach you how to face confrontation, which you apparently have a problem with. Being confrontational is obviously not something you're capable of doing or wanting to do. It'll teach you to do that in tough situations and then on top of that, people will learn, you got a backbone, like you stand up for yourself and they might think twice about

taking advantage of you again. But go ahead, you guys wanna say something to that? Yeah, I agree. And usually what happens is people that do have a hard time setting boundaries, they always look at people that are really good at setting boundaries and they're like, man, I really wish I could deal with conflict like you.

So this is a great question to ask, but when you ask it, actually take what hope is saying and run with it, because it's so easy to be like, yeah, but you know, I'm just, no. Eventually you're gonna lash out. You are. You're like the volcano. Yeah, you're gonna erupt.

And everybody's gonna be like, what, what, what did I do? And you're gonna be like, what do you mean? What did you do? Right, right. I know a couple that got divorced because the husband was just always got to do whatever he wanted. And then eventually the wife just had enough

and she's like, I can't do this anymore. You do whatever you want. And he's like, so? Like, cause he had no boundaries like there's no boundaries there is no boundaries at all and and then she divorced them because she's just fed up well take take take take take right like eventually you get sick and tired to be taken from right and so you have to speak up you have to set boundaries and you have to say no yeah from the jump, yeah, start now. Start now.

Yeah, I mean, be honest, man. Learning to be honest. I mean, there's a right way to be honest and a wrong way. We all know it. We've all done, well, probably not you because you don't really speak up for yourself. But in general, those of us who do, what's wrong, Sarah? Probably not you.

Well, if you're in this position, if you're in this position, the odds are you ain't been standing up for yourself. Right. But people who do tend to do it the wrong way and the right way. Maybe surround yourself with people who are good with boundaries and learn from them.

Right. Yes. Because you become the average of the people that you surround yourself with. That is true. That is true. And eventually you rise to the occasion. You do.

Exactly, you do. You have to be taught, some things you have to be taught. I had a girlfriend. I had a girlfriend. I'm still really good friends. We were roommates and everything. And, ah, really good girlfriend. Do you need that? Hello. I had this girlfriend, we were roommates. If she's

watching, she does watch sometimes. She'll be like, that's me, but I'm not gonna tell you who she is. She probably wouldn't care about it we were roommates. And like, she was, she still is, but she was one of the, she is and was one of the sweetest people you will ever meet in your whole life. We never, still to this day, doesn't gossip, doesn't talk bad about a single solitary person. Didn't stand up for herself though, at all. And she lived with me for a year. I rubbed off on her.

I rubbed off on her. Her future mother-in-law goes, I think you've been hanging out with Hope a little bit too much. And she told me that I was like, good, you need that. Mm-hmm. You need that Cause you know what? That person right there doesn't like it cause they're used to running you over. Exactly. And you know what? The best thing you can do is stand up for yourself. They didn't like it.

They didn't like it because they finally, this person was finally saying, no, no, I'm not doing that. Right. And they're not going to like it cause they're used to getting their way. Yeah. But she started standing up for herself and she felt like, like, this is good.

Right, it does feel good. Yeah, and she would, and still is, like such an incredible person that even with her standing up for herself, she did that correctly. Right, you will, you will. Everybody still, it didn't change a lick about her. People still wanted to hang out with her, still loved her.

And it just helped her to be able to say no. Well, your relationship ends up being better after the boundaries, especially if the boundaries are correct. Like they definitely can grow your relationship to be better, cause I've had that. Yeah. Where I had to set the boundaries

and the person absolutely hated it. But then we're now closer than we were before. And if you handle conflicts in the right way, in the godly way, in the biblical way, then and if it's received, then you've gained the brother. Yeah. You know what I mean? Or and if they, if you haven't, then you are better off without them. Right.

Because all they are is users. They're like what Tom calls spider monkeys. They leech on to you and all they want to do is what can you do for me? Take, take, take, take, take. Who needs a spider monkey? Like you don't need that. Norm is like put me in coach, I'll scream at them. Oh my gosh. No. I got your back. You are break glass in case of emergency. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

Thank you, Vanessa. That's perfect. Last resort, okay. If you can't do boundaries, Norma will go in. I'll set the boundaries for you. It's like kids though. Kids are no different. Parenting, you set boundaries for your kids

and you let them know. They feel very, like it's comforting to know okay this person, my parent says I can do this and after that I can't. That's the way it goes. It actually works out sometimes in your favor when you have friends who want to do things and you don't want to do them and you know your parents wouldn't allow you to do them so you can say I'm not allowed to, my parents won't let me. You would be shocked at how often kids find comfort in blaming it.

I did it too. I did it. I did it. I did. I did it because I didn't really wanna do what they were doing and I knew I'd be killed if I did. So my scapegoat was, my parents will kill me. Yeah.

Yeah. So, yeah. But it works. Boundaries work for everybody. And at the end of the day, you know, the golden rule is the golden rule. Treat others as you would like to be treated. And if people can't do that for you, then they need to go pound sand because that's the best thing that you can do is you know relationships are not 50-50. Marriage, friendships, family, they're not 50-50. They're a hundred percent of each and every single one of us. You give a hundred, I give a hundred. You give all of yourself when you're in a relationship

with somebody. I mean like I don't have a friendship that I'm really good friends with somebody, that they only get a part of me. No, if you're friends with me, there is not pretty much nothing that I won't do for you. Acquaintances are different though. Acquaintances are very different. And then best friends, that's a whole nother level, right? But there's not a friend. If I call you a friend, you're getting 100% of me.

If I call you best friend, then you know me pretty much from the inside out. Yep. So different levels of relationship allows different levels. What? You're an acquaintance, Norma. An acquaintance.

I'm your friend. She doesn't like me. We're too similar that we get it. Oh my gosh, she loves you so much. Oh my gosh. I love you. She loves you like me. We're too similar that we get it. Oh my gosh, she loves you so much. Oh my gosh. I love you. She loves you so much. Does anybody have any two cents, Sarah?

That two cents? I knew you did. I sensed the subtext of this a little bit and I really don't, I don't like the victim mentality. Yup, that's true. That's seeping through this a little bit. Like, well, they take advantage of me

and I don't know what to do. And it's like, then change. Or, you know, like you were just talking about your friends and how you would do anything for them. Like, there's a heart condition here that needs to be addressed. And like, if these are your family and people that are close to you,

why does it feel like that instead of you being like, I'm gonna serve them and I'm gonna do this, you know, sacrificially and I'm gonna do that because that's an act of love instead of, oh, everybody wants me to do everything. And I like- Which very well could be like that. And I never looked at it like that.

Wow, that's a really good point. I like that point of view. Me too. Big time. I just, the subtext to me, as you were reading the question, and that's a really good point. I like that point of you. Me too. Big time. I just, the subtext to me, as you were reading the question, and that's why I kept kind of giggling at some of the things you were saying

because I'm like, listen, either man up or just shut up and do these things. Like, we, that's true. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know we always assume the best in people and we got Sarah down there. Which I don't. I know you don't.

Normally I don't assume the best in people. like I know thank God for Sarah. I know no that's good because it could it could be either way. You have to look at it from both you have to look at it from both angles. I can't let them up the hook too easy. The thing is is if you think about it so true though Sarah because most of the time nowadays people do have a victim mentality. Mm-hmm. Yep. I mean, a lot of people do. It's never their fault. Right.

It's not their responsibility. Hopefully that's not the case. Me too. I like to do things for the people that I love. And I don't, and I would never be like, I do. All of them are taking advantage of me. Could you send us out?

I do, but I don't want to be the one always doing it. And that's the God's honest truth. I don't like that. Because there have been times in my life where I have felt like, like, it's totally one-sided. And I'm like, I'm not up for this. I'm sorry, but you know what?

Go find somebody else to be your doormat or your mini little slave or whatever. I'm not, I'm not up for it. I like myself. Was that like your ministry kind of thing? I have felt that in ministry, I have felt that, I have felt like that in ministry, I have felt like that in high school with different friends.

I have felt that when I worked for different companies, saved, not saved, in real estate, doing deals with another side of, you have a realtor that's working with a buyer, you're working with the seller, and the realtor on the other side wants to do absolutely nothing. They wanna earn a lot of money,

but they don't wanna do anything to earn the money. And so it was so many times that my mother and I did it all. And if my mom was, it was her deal, then she was doing it all, or I was doing it all. And it gets old after a it was her deal, then she was doing it all or I was doing it all. And it gets old after a while. You're like, I'm not up. At the end of the day, you're gonna give me your commission

because you're doing absolutely nothing to earn it. But ministry can be like that too. I could see it in ministry because people have an expectation that you just do everything for free because you're in the ministry. So they like, when there's no money attached to it, people all of a sudden feel like it's owed to them

because you're in ministry. Well, you're a pastor, you have to take care of me. Well, I'll be honest with you. All the time. But I've also felt it when I have been on the other side and the volunteer. That's one of the reasons why I'm very cautious with volunteers and feeling like they get used and abused

and making sure we bless them and thank them because I've been on the other side of it where it's like the paid staff do far less than the volunteers do. And you sit there and go, wait a minute, I work all day. I'm coming here tonight, volunteering. You've worked partial today because you know you're coming back here tonight.

And now you're asking me when you're sitting there on your butt, you're asking me to do a job that you're more than capable of doing, but because you've got a title, I don't like that. I don't like that. No, that's very true. Yeah. I don't like it.

I've volunteered basically my whole life with ministries. And this is like the first time for real, first time that you guys always like, and I try not to take anything in the beginning, you would always bless me. And I was like, no, no, no, no, it's good. You're like, no, take it. And I was like, oh my gosh, she's so aggressive.

Yeah, that's me. But I appreciate it. And honestly, this is the first time in ministry that I've ever been compensated for anything that I've done. Yeah, and that's pathetic. It is. It's pathetic. It really is. And yeah and but like Sarah said you just have a good attitude about it and you just do it and if I felt like I wasn't being taken if I felt like I was

being taken advantage of I would step back and just be like I can't do it this time or whatever you set boundaries like that's the healthy way to do it. Yeah and I just find that literally in all truthfulness and fairness though I just find that sometimes in ministry people that are in ministry have the mentality of, handout, give to us, give to us, give to us. And I literally reminded a pastor one time like, that was friends, I was like, remember, they worked all day. Yeah, that is so true.

You didn't. That is so true. And I't. That is so true. And I wasn't even in ministry at the time. But I was like you didn't work all day because you got to come home you got to go home because you know you're working tonight. They worked a full day, ran home, ate as fast as they possibly could and came here and are giving of their time. you better back up. Yeah. Back off. So true. It's not cool. It's not cool.

So that's one of the reasons why Tom also makes us wear lots of hats here at this church. And we are not to like get a little, we're not to get real comfortable and think certain things about ourselves because a haughty spirit, man, a haughty eyes, not good. So everything should be kept in check and we all should appreciate all the time. And either you are a victim like Sarah's saying, which is a strong possibility, or you are

getting taken advantage of one or the other you really need to evaluate maybe you do have a nice little sit down with the people that you think this is happening with have a heart-to-heart with them get over maybe being a person that can't do confrontation expose some things and clear the air so that fresh and a new relationship can exist. And then maybe you won't have, because a lot of times you begin to resent the very thing that you used to love and the people that you used to love doing it for.

And that's a dangerous thing too, because relationships get ruined. So you guys want to add anything else? Not Norma, anybody else? What? No, just kidding. Anybody else? We're good? Let's do sponsors really quick and then we're going to go to the next one. Real Estate Appraisal Associates of Southwest

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And if you give them a call, you tell them that you heard about them from the Hope Hotline, you will get a $50 discount. If you are listening and not watching, the number for them is 941-743-3700, 941-743-3700. Hanson Automotive Services has been in business since 2017 with 20

years experience. They do everything from oil changes to tires to AC work to engine repair and replacement. They are not just motivated to do their best, they are auto motivated and their business lives by Proverbs 16 3 which is commit to the Lord whatever you do and he will establish your plans. The phone number for them is 941-460-3962. 941-460-3962. You will not be sad or disappointed. You contacted them. All right, let's go to the next question. I think we lost some people. We did. A rapture? Every time. We've been left behind? I can promise you this. If Norma went up and I stayed down, we're in big trouble. Something's wrong with this picture.

That's funny. Kelly's back. We're good. I see Norma. We're good. We're talking about, we thought maybe you guys got raptured. We got left behind. We got raptured. You guys got raptured. We got left behind. We got raptured. Or you guys got raptured.

Oh yeah, cause you guys would be stuck here. Yeah, I was like. She said it makes sense. I'm telling you, ever since that movie Left Behind came out, like I was convinced. It might happen. That it might happen. Oh my word.

Listen. That you might get left behind? Yes. She has plan B. Do you know her plan B? What is your plan B? I think I've heard it. I was gonna be a martyr.

Oh yeah, that's right. Where is that in the Bible though? Listen, I was 12 when I came up with this plan B. She didn't know any better. Okay, so that's not what we're living off of right now, though, right? Thank you, God. I'm planning on going.

You're getting catched away? Right. I'll be meeting the Lord in the sky. That's right. That's the plan. But let me tell you, 12 year old Vanessa wasn't sure. Yeah. 18 year, 18 or excuse me, 19 to 24 year old Hope

definitely knew not. Yeah, you were staying behind. I wasn't not so sure. I was definitely not. You're definitely staying here. Yeah I was getting left behind for sure. I was wearing pants to high school that was like my biggest thing. That's true. Sneaking pants. Sneaking pants. I was gonna get left behind because of. Because of your pants. Because of pants. Because he wanted pants. Like what was that like the first time you ever wore pants? What was that like?

Yeah. I was petrified. He probably didn't enjoy it. And on top of that, there were like my brother's pair of pants. I was gonna say, where'd you get pants from? Did you wear them out of the house? I packed them in my book bag. So you were sneaky.

She was being sneaky. And then I went to school. That's worse than the pants wearing. I know, right? It is. So you had to. She was being sneaky. And then I went to school. That's worse than the pants wearing. I know, right? It is. So you had to wear your brother's pants? So you wore your brother's pants? You were desperate.

She wouldn't have had any pants. Vanessa's rocking a lot of pants. Oh my gosh. That was the ad, you're right. She did have pants suits. I forgot about it. She has a lot now to make up for it. As a 12 year old. It's not that. She has a lot now to make up for it. As a 12-year-old.

It's not about just let her wear skirts. Gosh. Anyways. When you wear a skirt, you get a flashback. Oh, my gosh. She just unlocked a memory. Vanessa, did you feel invisible in every room you went? What?

Oh, my gosh. I'm trying to shift the conversation. Good segue. I feel that. Segue, thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you Tracy. Next question is when I am sitting at church I watch families and friends laughing together. I can't help but to feel isolated in the crowd. Why does this seem like everyone else is connected while I'm just fading into the background?

How do I break through this feeling of loneliness when it feels like no one notices? Okay, I. Maybe you're. Stop sitting in the seat and get up and talk to people. Well, there's a couple reasons. It could be weird to be honest. That's exactly what I was thinking, too.

It could be weird. In all honesty. It could be you're weird. But also, don't be super introverted. Like, go out your comfort zone and go. Don't be weird. Go to those people and try and talk with them. Some of the most introverted people I know,

when they really want friendships, they will get out of their comfort zone and make friends. So either you are very insecure and feel very inferior because there's a difference between an introverted person who is shy versus somebody who is inferior or insecure. Do you know there's a difference? Yeah. Just because you're introverted doesn't mean that you're like somebody who has an insecurity or has any insecurity or feels inferior to others.

Lots of introverted people are very confident people. They're just not ones that just are out there like me, like too much for people. I'm extrovert on steroids. Extreme extroverts. Other people are what? I'm introverted. An extreme extrovert. Extreme extrovert on steroids. Other people are an extreme extrovert. We're two opposites. She can talk to anybody and have no problem.

Me, I'm like, well, she gains energy. I know she actually likes being around. I don't like being around a lot of people. Like you need to relax when you go after you've been with people. She and Tommy are very much recluse. I actually saw a video on TikTok about this. And they studied popular people, especially in high school

settings, because they're very like, you can isolate that group of people. And it turns out they're popular and they're likeable because they like themselves, like the most people. And it turns out they're popular and they're likable because they like themselves like the most people. So maybe that person doesn't like a ton of people and she gives off that energy. Yeah, but I have a good amount of friends.

I mean, I don't know. I think I'm picky with who I'm friends with. It's a what? That's an interesting. Yeah, it's an interesting like take on. That's a TikTok. That's TikTok for you. That was a TikTok.

That's TikTok for you. I kinda like that theory though. I mean, it is a different, I mean, I'm not saying I subscribe to it, but I'm saying to you, that's an interesting thought process behind it. I mean. The most people, so they feel like other people are interested or interesting.

So they like spark conversations and they're like wanting to get to know different people. And no, I can totally get that because there's a part of me that's like that. I love getting to know people. I love asking questions. Me too. Um, and I like myself a lot. Yeah, yeah. I think you have to be confident in yourself to be able to make friends, to be honest. I love asking questions. Me too. And I like myself a lot. Yeah. I think you have to be confident in yourself

to be able to make friends, to be honest. Well, you have to be somewhat confident to be able to walk up to a stranger and just start having a conversation. And I'm not saying you have to be confident because you think that you are so beautiful or you've got the greatest personality. I'm talking about confident

in knowing that you can carry a conversation and that you genuinely a conversation and that you enjoy genuinely enjoy people and that you want to get to know them because some of the most some people that are not attractive at all have been some of the people that I've enjoyed conversating with and they came up to me. I've dated really ugly to like unbelievably gorgeous. Like for me, I'm like everybody's got something to offer. They look better once you get to know them.

No, they were still ugly. That is a thing. No, no, no. No, Sarah, in these instances, I can promise you they were still ugly. So I was like, you're hot. They did not change in being cute to me at all. But their personality was so great. Like that's one of the reasons why I dated Tom

because he was not good looking at all. He was- He was fat. He was fat. His clothes were terrible. He just was a mess. But he was super funny, very funny. And his personality was off the charts. So I first

was like, oh he'd be a great friend, like I have no desire to date this guy, but then I was like, wait a minute, I mean I'm not marrying you and like you're a lot of fun, I could go out on dates with you, like you in bed, but then he got good looking, but other people I've dated they were still hideous man, they were not good-looking, but other people I've dated, they were still hideous, man. They were not good looking, but they are just great personalities. Weren't you instrumental in that? Like, did you help or did it just like-

With helping Tom? The more I liked him, yes, the more, the more I liked him, definitely, the more I was in changing his clothing and attire because I saw him in investment. Whereas other, but he's my second boyfriend my whole life. The other guys I just dated, I didn't like, there was no investment there whatsoever.

I was like, I'm just gonna go out with you without go out with you until, I don't wanna go out with you anymore. I feel like also if you're a very like negative kind of person, like when you're in a conversation and somebody says something, like it's always like a no, or you always shut people down, you know what I mean? Yeah.

Or you're a one-upper. Or you always have to be right. God bless, Sarah bless Sarah that's true too tell you 100% right that's it is when I think there's also another reason why people don't want to go do it it's like I having to start off small like which is like like small talk and it's like the talking phase of like getting to know like your boyfriend no one likes the talking phase I loved it I didn't I boyfriend. No one likes the talking phase. I loved it. I didn't.

I'd rather just know you and then date you. But for people like getting to know the person and having to grow the bond, it seems like work for people. And that's interesting. Spoken like a true introvert. I was going to say, cause that's not me. That's not me at all. Right.

So that it's a thrill a minute for me. That's not me at all. Right, so that we- I'm an introvert, so I understand who people are. It's a thrill a minute for me. Me too. I'm like- But people like you, who are introverts, love that process because you get to talk to- I hate it. I just wanna get, like I was lucky with Kristen, where me and her didn't even go through that talking phase.

We just instantly were friends. But like, most people don't like the work of getting to know somebody and building the bond. Interesting. That is interesting. I get it to a certain extent, but still you have to do it. Like if you want friends, you're gonna have to do that part. Because for me, there is no small talk. Like I immediately like want to know everything about you.

Like, tell me, like, why are you missing a tooth? Why? Tell me the story. Tell me the last. What did you say? When did you poop last? Oh, my gosh. Tell me all the stories. So yeah, so I get that. Cause like if you don't even like want to know

that information, it does feel like work. But I actually want to know. Like tell me. Some people I want to know. Like with everybody here, I instantly had something that I was like, I want to know everything about them. But with other people that I've had in the past

that weren't necessarily like friends, friends I'm like, I could care less about what happened to you as a kid. Yeah. with other people that I've had in the past that weren't necessarily like friends, I'm like, I care less about what happened to you as a kid. Yeah, I also saw another TikTok video. Oh, thank you Vanessa. Okay, bring it. I also saw another TikTok video where it says, everybody wants a village,

but nobody wants to be a villager. Ooh. That's pretty high on the- You know what I mean? Well, that doesn't sit well with me. Hilary Clinton. That's a different word. I said I had to build the village doesn't sit well with me. Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton over there. Yeah.

Like there, you have to put in the word. Yeah, you want a ton of friends, but you don't want to be a friend. Exactly. That better help. Yeah, that's way better. It's still Archie, but it's way better. You want the friend yourself.

It's the same thing with like your relationship with the Lord. Like people just want it to like instantly click. You have all the blessings and all this stuff now, but you don't build anything with it. It's the same thing with your relationship with the Lord. Like people just want it to instantly click. I know you have to. You have all the blessings and all this stuff now, but you don't build anything with it. It's like, okay, you can't have the benefits of having friends if you can't be a friend back.

Yeah. Boom. So, be a villager. It's a toughie, man. Especially if you're really insecure. If you're really insecure or you feel inferior to others. And then you think like, because I've, we don't have this said about us at the church at all.

Like there's, we actually hear more times than not. Like this is the first church they've ever gone to where there was no cliques. Cause Tom will not allow them. There's no cliques. But if you think about it, there's a lot of people that are always looking on the outside going, I wish I was in the cool clubs club.

And the thing is, is the thing is for a lot of times, maybe there are like cool kid clubs. I don't know. But why don't you prove to be one of the cool kids? Yeah. So that you're in the club. Cause I remember thinking back in high school, I was like, I went in my freshman year

and I was like a girl looking on the outside. And I was like, I'm gonna be the girl looking on the outside and I was like, I'm gonna be the girl looking on the inside who's looking from the, you know, looking at the outside. Next year, my sophomore year, I'm changing things. I'm not gonna be looking at who I wanna be friends with. I'm gonna be friends with them. So when I went into my fall year,

when I went in back to school, my sophomore year, I purposed everybody that I thought was one of the cool kids. I was like, they're going to be my friend and like they're going to like me. And I literally from my sophomore year to my senior year, I was friends with the most popular kids to the least popular kids. I really didn't hang around any of like the, the druggies or anything like that. Cause I had nothing in common with them.

And my parents would have killed me for hanging out with them. But I remember my senior year, which was blowing away. We'd like, if you saw me, what I look like, you would sit there and go, that's you. But I remember them coming to me, like the people who counted, you know how they have the prom queen and king

and stuff like that. I remember the people who counted, like the people who were being voted on. And they came to me and they said, like I almost made the court because I, listen, I should have never made the court because I did not look like I would make the court. But I had a personality. Do you know like all these people genuinely liked me.

So instead of you can make decisions in life. Like you don't have to like, I literally said, I'm not looking on the outside. I'm gonna be on the inside looking at the outside. I'm changing things. And you really have that ability to do that, whether you want to or not. How bad do you want to?

Correct. And fake it till you make it. I was nervous going up to some of these kids cause I was like, they're the popular kids. They're the most, the best looking. But they didn't care. They were like me, insecure too in certain aspects of their life.

And they just wanted friends. They just wanted people to like them and to like other people. It's really what it boils down to. Everybody's really the same unless you're freaking weird. And if you're weird, I'm sorry, you gotta get rid of that first. If people look at you like you have three heads

when you're talking to them because you're saying weird crap, take note. For real, actually. No, for real. I was one of those weird people for a while. You still are. I was awkward. Listen, I just would watch people,

like older people around me and be like, wanna proceed? One of them being Nazareth. I'd be like, how does she talk? Okay, I'm gonna copy that. And then eventually- She's a good model. You eventually take what you copied, but make it your own.

Yep. Yep. Copy the good stuff at first, but then your own personality will break it. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, you'd be- 100%. Find a good model, and then just take their words and apply it.

For real. Yeah, take traits of people that you like, and then copy them. I only talked about myself. And put a smile on your face. What is that, Vanessa? I only talked about myself. And put a smile on your face. What is that Vanessa? Put a smile on your face. Look approachable.

Yeah, absolutely. And show up at the things like everybody pretty much. And Vanessa and I started to abide. Almost everybody that came was like, I felt like I didn't deserve to be here. And that was just a lie. It was just a lie. They were told. I know. But it was a constant theme of people that came in. And that was just a lie. It was just a lie. They were told, I know, but it was a constant theme of people that came in. And it was just, they were insecure.

And they felt like I've never had girlfriends. I never fit in anywhere. I'm not gonna fit in in this group, but I'm gonna try. I'm gonna go and I'm gonna show up and I'm gonna try. And then everybody that did, they're here today. They've made it and they've laid down their, whatever lies were in their head. And yeah. Everybody's friends in there. Yep. That's wild. But that was a constant theme

that we heard among people. And it's a foreign thought when you never think like that. Like I just show up and think everybody's gonna like me and not because like, I'm gonna say do anything but I'm like, I wouldn't do anything to not Yeah, I'm not gonna I'm here to like hear you and I want wanna hear your story. Like, why would you not wanna talk about yourself? Like Norma said, she used to talk about herself all the time. That's not a good thing. That's not a good thing.

That's the only thing, if you do that, just ask about the other person, you'll be good. That's a huge key. My mom literally came up to me, that I remember, she goes, you know what's your problem? I said, what? She goes, you only talk about yourself. I was like, that hurt, but it was so true.

But it's so true. It's so true. You won't grow friends if you can only talk about yourself. And I was like, that hurt, but it was so true. But it's so true. It's so true. You won't grow friends if you can only talk about yourself. Good advice, Hope. Good advice, mama. Love you. Hurt me in the moment. I wanted to punch her in the face, but she was absolutely right. Not the first person

I've had to tell that to. Right. I said, it's not the first person I've had to say that to. Cause lots of people, The problem. they've never learned. I mean, there's a lot of people, that's a nice, that is true. There's a lot of people that you don't have friends because you don't genuinely

you're not interested in anyone else. You're just interested in talking about you to other people, selling yourself to other people. People don't want a one side of relationship. They want a relationship where you're interested in them and they're interested in you. If all you want to do is, you know, talk about you, you're going to have short-lived relationships because nobody wants to deal with that at all. I, you know, I think I put this in my notes because I, I, when I think about this question, my mom, I think about my mom, my mom was always the wallflower. She never talked, like never talked. She was super quiet. No, you

wouldn't think that of my mom, but all my life growing up and even when she was dating my dad, maybe if she went to a party, maybe a couple words out of her mouth, otherwise she sat quiet, never talked, very introverted, very, and I wouldn't say the most secure person, which she had no reason not to be but life has a way of Making things change for you right and as you mature this is a hope for you That's all I'm giving you is that you may feel like this right now and use the tools that we're telling you

Because they're good tools and you need to apply them One of the things that helped my mom is she went to work. She got a job and she went to work and it forced her to have to communicate with people because my mom at this job, she would do all of the mail. So she would have to go to every person. This goes from a person who never talked to hardly anybody and lived and worked from home

to working in a photocopy area down in like the first floor where she didn't still see anybody too, then moving her to a different position. And now she's gotta go and talk to everybody. She goes to everybody's desks and she drops off their mail to them. That would be a scary thing if you didn't talk to anybody. And now you're having to conversate.

And so what happens is, is you evolve over time. And if you're a Christian, you're a believer, God knows your heart and he knows that you wanna get out of yourself. So he'll put you in situations that potentially will help you. Well, her learning to do that, my dad and her ended up having their own business,

which she then had to use those skills to create more business. Then she went and became a realtor. She was in the top 2% to 10% of corporate for a real estate, for Coldwell Banker. That's huge. That's a huge company guys. And corporate is like national.

She ran in the top two to five, 10% every year. Do you know how many people you have to talk to? Do you know how many people you have to deal with? All different situations and all different scenarios. And she was a top seller because she learned to overcome feeling inferior if that was it, insecure if that was it, or just being an introvert or feeling like I'm a wallflower

or I'm in a room and nobody recognizes me or sees me. Because trust me, my mom could walk in a room and no one talked to her. She didn't talk to them, so they weren't gonna talk to her. She went from that to being the top of the top in a corporate company selling, being a salesperson. Okay, so let that, take note of that

because just because you're right now in this position doesn't mean it will be where you're always at. And do the small little steps and the little things that God has come your way, like going to a hub, sitting down to someone next to somebody and start talking to them. Going and sitting in the cafe after church on Sunday where there's free food. I mean, how hard is that? Free food. And people are always sitting and asking,

is there a seat at your table that I can sit at? Start talking to them. Get outside of yourself. If you're weird, start working on it. I'm not kidding you. If you're just a person that can't talk, then learn to like saying a few small things, asking a question so the person talks to you, and then asking another couple things so they continue talking until you become very comfortable with that. But learn who you are in Christ. What would you have something to say, Sarah?

If you don't know if you're weird, if you're like, well, I'm not sure if I'm weird or not, come find one of us, we'll tell you. I'll tell you. Find them because you might leave the church if you ask me. It's a little, you know, quirky. Go to Vanessa.

Vanessa will be the nice one. No, you can go to Sarah. Sarah will be nice too. Please don't come to me, Vanessa said. Sarah will be nice, but she's gonna be more... Yeah, Sarah's probably the best one. She won't be harsh, she'll just be blunt. Yeah.

Just don't go to me. I mean... Don't go to me, don't... You can go to Tracy. Everybody's a little weird. I got some weird stuff that I do. I just break out into songs sometimes. People think that's weird.

That's not Okay, sweetie. But it's a vibe. It's like a, I don't know how to explain it. Like you said, it's a vibe. Like when you became friends with Kristen, like it was effortless, right? Like some people are just cut from the same cloth as you. Right.

Like I feel that way with Eden. Like when we're around each other, there's no filter. There's no, it's just like we just click. And so maybe you just need to find your people. Yeah, I think so too. Find your tribe. Find your tribe. That's stupid.

Find your tribe. Find your village. And seek the Lord, because if you are being transformed by the renewing of your mind, then part of that is having community and fellowshipping. Yeah, it is. And I have the best piece of advice. Ask Chachi BT, what are some really great conversation

starters? And then when you sit down, you'll have your little notes, and you have questions in your head. Very smart. I started to ask, but I was talking about hair before that. Right. If you don't know how to start a conversation, and you need help, I'd ask.

Ask Chat GPT. I'm telling you, they have probably some really good ones. OK, but you know what's the most important thing? Jesus. Outside of Chad GPT. Jesus? Yes, Jesus. The Holy Spirit?

I'm going to, you guys, not you guys, not you guys over here. I'll remove myself. If you feel like this, the best thing you can learn, and I know we say this all the time and it's such an archy phrase, but you've got to learn who you are in Christ. Your identity in Christ can change all of this for you. And the stronger you become in knowing who you are, the barriers, the walls, and everything,

even the weirdness, will start falling off of you. I'm gonna give you some scriptures. I'm gonna read them to you. You're gonna write them down, and you listen every single day. You need to read them. You need to meditate on them, and then you need to apply them. And I'm telling you right now, when it's all said and done, you'll have more friends. You're gonna have to beat them off with a stick. Oh, yeah. Amen.

Hallelujah. And you're like, no, that can't be. No, trust me. It can be. OK? 2 Corinthians 5.17. And this is the New Living Translation. So 2 Corinthians 5.17.

Write it down. Says, therefore, if any person is engrafted. Oh, no, this is not in the NLT, this is actually the I did the Amplified Classic, it was better I went between the two, so this is Amplified Classic, therefore if any person is engrafted in Christ the Messiah he is a new creation a new creature all together, which is what Sarah was saying, the old the previous moral and spiritual condition has passed away.

Behold, the fresh and new has come. The old is dead and the new is come. You have to let go of the past. You have to let go of all the thoughts that you have about yourself and walk in who you are now. The past is gone. The new is, like you're creating the new person who you are now. The past is gone. The new is... like you're creating the new person that you are. So make that that new person flourish, thrive, blossom,

and be whatever God's called you to be. Galatians 2.20, this is the MLT, Galatians 2.20, are you writing these down for people, girl? Thank you so much. It says, My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So remember, who is dwelling inside of you? Christ himself, the Holy Spirit. He dwells in you. Like, who can't fall in love? I mean, there are a lot of people that aren't saved that are living in sin. You're gonna repel them because light repels the darkness. But then your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, they're gonna see who is living inside of you. They're gonna love who that person is and they're gonna want to have relationship.

Because remember, the old you has passed away. You could sit there and go, but I've done all these things in my past. And if people find out about it, they won't like me. That person's gone. So start being the new person and they won't even know. You won't even recognize the old you. I don't even know me. Like if I look at who I was before, I'm like, who was that person?

They were crazy. Like they were not in the right mind. But now who I am is like totally different because Christ lives in me. The Holy Spirit dwells. I am His temple, right? And I'm unstoppable because of that. Ephesians 2 10 and this is the New Living Translation says, for we are God's handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. So if you're God's masterpiece, how can you be

a piece of crap? How can you be inferior to anybody? How can you be like, a lot of people do, they feel like I'm worthless. You're not worthless. How can you feel inferior? How can you feel like you're insecure next to somebody else? When you are his masterpiece, when he created you, next to somebody else. When you are his masterpiece, when he created you, he made no one else like you. He broke the mold. Yeah, and he did that because he goes, I can't make this person better

than what they are right now. So you were created with a purpose and you're equipped to do his works, start working in them. The longer you think that you have nothing to offer anyone and you stay the wallflower and you're the invisible one in the room, you're accomplishing nothing.

And you're like changing no life that is around you. You're to win the lost and disciple believers. As long as you stay invisible in a room, that doesn't happen. And Satan has you distracted and lied to. 1 John 3, 1, which is what they were saying about the people who walked in a bide. They walked in and they felt unworthy to be in the room. Are you crazy?

Right. Yeah. Right. That's nuts. That is. Because if you knew all of those girls, you would sit there and go, they're no different than me. Absolutely. And that's the truth. 1 John 3, 1, and this is the Amphi-Fly classic, says, 1 John 3, 1, you have to, like, these are who you are in Christ. You need to write these down. You need to remind yourself. Meditate on these, you know, all morning long. I've been meditating. I've said, I don't even know how many times from six this morning to, like, noon this afternoon. I kept saying, because I've been meditating on the Lord's Prayer, I keep saying so that it penetrates my heart so that I understand what this means. I keep saying, on earth as it is in heaven. On earth, I keep thinking, on earth as it is in heaven. How? Okay. What

exactly does that mean? What does that look like on earth as it is in heaven? So heaven is this and I've meditated on it all day today. You need to meditate on this for yourself. Okay, all of us have different things that the Lord has us trying to learn and work through. This is yours if this is how you feel. 1 John 3, 1, Amplified Classics says, See what an incredible quality of love the Father has given, shown, bestowed on us, that we should be permitted to be named and called and accounted the children of God you are his child okay it's look at

that the quality of love the father has given us I mean nobody loves greater than him and it said is shown bestowed on us that we should be permitted we are allowed permitted to be named and called and counted the children of God. And so we are. It says that with an exclamation point. The reason that the world does not recognize, acknowledge us is that it does not know or recognize or acknowledge Him.

So when they don't see who you are, don't worry about it. Other brothers and sisters in Christ will, because again, the light repels the dark, but the ones that you really want around you will love and accept you the more that you understand who you are in Christ. So you are His child, you've been adopted into His family. Romans 8, 16 through 17, the New Living Translation, Romans 8, 16 through 17, says, For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. And since we are His children, we are His heirs." I mean, do you understand what an heir is? My gosh, royalty of God's glory.

But if we are to share His glory, we must also share in His suffering. So whatever comes your way, you know, it says that we'll face many trials in this lifetime and this isn't one of your trials. You feeling like you're an invisible person in a room, that's not one of your trials, that's not one of your sufferings. You got to get beyond that because once you really start accomplishing his work and you're making relationships with people, you know what, you might suffer a little bit. But that's okay because in this life you'll face many trials and tribulations, but what does the word say? You will, He will deliver you from them all. What are you saying?

If you have friends, you are going to face trials and tribulations. Yeah, but this just made a little noise when you said that. And I was like, are you okay? Because that's life. People have problems and they will have problems with you. But that's okay. So you are co-heir with Christ and you are sharing in His inheritance. And listen, Jesus is the King Kings and that just means that you are royalty. Understand, you're like people who are royal don't hang their head low, they hang their head high. Yeah. They know who they are. They own it. You need to own it.

Colossians 1.13-14. Colossians 1, 13-14. This is the Amplified Classics says, the Father has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of His Son of His love. That right there should make you feel like big as big can be. In whom we have our redemption through His blood, which means the forgiveness of our sins. So in Christ you are delivered from darkness, you're brought into His kingdom, and you have redemption and forgiveness. If that is right there, that should change who you are. That should, your mind

should be totally 100% on it. Okay, let me see. I have four more. Let's keep going really fast. Philippians 3.20, Amplified Classes says, But we are citizens of the state, commonwealth, homeland, which is in heaven. And from it also we earnestly and patiently await the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah as our Savior. So your identity is rooted in your heavenly citizenship, not in the things of this world. So when you want the things of this world, remember you're not gonna stay here. So don't hang on to those things. Don't cling to those things. Cling to only what He has for you and to the brothers and sisters in Christ that you're surrounded with. You'll rise to the occasion.

1 John, excuse me, John 1, 12, Amplified Classics says, But to as many as did receive and welcome him, he gave the authority, the power, the privilege, the right to become the children of God. That is to those who believe in, adhere to, trust in, and rely on his name. So you are a privileged child of God. Remember that. 1 Corinthians 6, 19, these are not just words, guys.

These are who you are if you believe it. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. If you believe these things, your whole attitude and your whole outlook on yourself as well as everyone else will radically change. 1 Corinthians 6, 19-20, Amplified Classics says, Do you not know that your body is the temple, the sanctuary, the Holy Spirit who lives within you, whom you have not received as a gift from God? You are not your own. You have been bought with a price, purchased and preciousness, and paid for, made his own. So then honor God and bring glory to him

in your body. Let me just ask you this. When you look around at almost everyone that you know, most of them are not saved. That means most of them don't have your identity. That means you have way more. If you understand what that scripture just says, do you not know that your body is the temple? So you are a temple when the rest of the people are just walking flesh and blood.

They're not the temple of the people are just walking flesh and blood. They're not the temple of the Holy Spirit. I mean, think about that. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. What an honor and a privilege. Like, that should blow your mind. Right. Then it goes on to say, you were brought with a price.

Everybody else is walking around. They don't accept what the Lord did for them, but you did and you know that you were bought with a price with His own blood and you belong to Him. Like most people reject God, but He did so much. He sent His very Son for you. You accepted Him. I mean, God sent His own Son. He gave up everything so that you can have everything. And for me, I just think about the debt, a debt, the very debt that you owed because you were full of sin, a person that had no sin said, I'll pay that debt for you. Right. He's that good of a friend.

I'll pay that debt for you. When I have no sin, I'll still pay your debt. I mean, you took that. Nobody, I mean, if you think about it, nobody narrow us away, few there be to find it. You are rare. I mean, like you should own it. Own it. Romans 8, 1 through 2 says, "'Therefore there is no condemnation

"'for those who are in Christ.'" Whatever you have rumbling around in your mind that's making you believe that you're less, get rid of it. Because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. So whatever you're thinking, anything negative, anything that makes you powerless, that is dead and gone.

That is not who you are in Christ. A lot of people want to live in condemnation so that they're useless. They're not able to be used. That's a lie of the enemy. There's conviction and then there's condemnation. Condemnation, Satan's famous for it because then you're distracted and you're useless. You're not able to be used. But when you walk in conviction, you fix whatever needs to be fixed. And then you're out there you're useless. You're not able to be used, but when you walk in conviction, you fix whatever needs to be fixed and then you're

out there about his business. There's two different things. Isaiah 55 11, the New Living Translation, this is the last one, Isaiah 55 11 says, it is the same with my word. I send it out and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to and it will prosper everywhere I send it." So are you that? Are you producing fruit? Are you accomplishing all that he has for you? Or are you not?

Because you're all caught up in being the invisible one in the room because you don't know who you are in Christ. Change that today. It's up to you. Again, you can say like I did my freshman year in high school, next year is gonna look different. You can be like my mom and say, you know what?

I'm gonna force myself to talk to people because I have a job that makes me talk to people and I have to work. A lot of people run from things. They'll only do what's comfortable for them. Get out of your comfort zone and be all that God's called you to be. Girls, you want to answer, say anything else to that? That's good. Yeah, I love it.

And maybe like make a note where you see it often. Write down all those scriptures so that every single day you remind yourself who you are in Christ. Yeah, like right now, every day there's a, every day, I obviously I read the Old Testament, I read the New Testament every single day. I'm in both of those, right? But then the Lord has me meditating on certain scriptures for me personally, for some personal growth that He wants to do in me. And it's about 27 pages of scripture. I don't even know how many scriptures. And I meditate on those scriptures every single day. Because if I meditate on them, then I become them.

I operate in them. The same will be for you. It's what Vanessa said right there. Take those scriptures and read them every single day. You'll become what you read. You'll believe what you read. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. You will receive and then start operating in the scriptures. So that's it. Anybody got anything else to say? Because I am 12 minutes over. Sarah, you're welcome back over. You had to exit really quick. Do you have anything you want to add? All right, that's it.

All right, peace out. We'll see you on Friday. And the first question will be the gym whores that are in the gym. No, I'm just kidding. No, it is gym whores. I am not kidding. But it is. The gym culture, really quick. Gym culture is not good. I'm not talking about just girls. I'm talking about guys. I go to a bougie, apparently. I'm all girls. But in the gymsms and somebody just posted that goes to the gym, they were like, this topic is dead on, correct?

If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you don't go to the gym, but it's a culture that you need to know about because you do know people that are going to the gym and it's not good, correct? Correct. So and we are like if you know about the thing is is I you you can say well I don't really need to know about that topic because I don't go to the gym. Here's the thing. You should be going to the gym. Yeah well thank you Sarah because that is true absolutely. Whether it be in your house or at the gym but

you do know people that do go to the gym and these people need to be saved. And you need to be able to speak into their life and understand like it's not good what's going on. And we as believers, like just because you don't experience something doesn't mean that you don't know somebody who is. You need to be alert and know what's going on

in and around the people that you have in your life. So, but the jam is like the bar. And it's dangerous. So lots of things going on in there that people don't know what's going on and it's going on deep. So come back on Friday, we'll address it,

we'll talk about it and then how to handle those those situations so I will see ya when we see ya bye