The David Alliance

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Awaken the Spirit    Eph. 5: 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, (the god of Dionasis) for that is debauchery (a complete and utter loss, you wasted it), but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,  Debauchery - you wasted a $20 bill. If I burn it, can I have another one? NOPE! At some point the HS says… no more!  **The God of Dionasis - hedonism (sex partying) materialism and power.          Acts 5:32 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”   The verse you are looking for is Acts 5:32. Given GK - Pour into - The act of and effect of obedience.    Obedience GK - (Aorist participle) submit to advice/ To hearken to one, …Did you hear that? You think you heard it… you hearken to it?    Here it is in the King James Version (KJV), which uses the specific phrasing you mentioned: "And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." Context of the Verse To understand the full meaning, it helps to know what was happening at that moment: The Scene: The apostles (including Peter) had been arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish high court). The Conflict: The high priest demanded to know why they were still teaching in Jesus' name after being strictly forbidden to do so. The Response: Peter famously replied in Acts 5:29, "We ought to obey God rather than men." He then explained the gospel and concluded with verse 32, affirming that the Holy Spirit is a witness to these truths—and that this Spirit is given to those who obey God (specifically in the context of believing the Gospel and obeying the command to witness).     The pharisees were keeping the law, they had large portions of the OT memorized. They were the “Christians” of their day - but they lacked the power and witness of the Holy Spirit because they would not “hearken” to the Holy Spirits voice! 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Awaken the Spirit      The Spirit of Michael Jordan…  The Spirit of Jesus “the Holy Spirit” Why don't we live more like Jesus? We lack following the leading of the Holy Spirit     One of the Holy Spirits main job is to redeem… MAKE NEW, BRING LIFE  and he works through us. Extreme home makeover, Overhauling,    The Holy Spirit moves primarily through our words of faith in obedience to his inward prompting.      1 Thess. 5:19 do not quench the Holy Spirit   Eph. 4:30, 31 do not grieve the Holy Spirit   1 Cor. 2:14 the Natural man cannot understand the Holy Spirit.    WE QUENCH THE SPIRIT BY BLOWING HIM OFF…NOT JUST BLATANT SIN!  **In the presence of God, at church, you don't tithe!

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Awaken the Spirit    Christina walking past my door     The river of God… The Mississippi River John 7:38 He who believes in, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water. The very next verse (John 7:39) explicitly identifies this river: "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive..."   John 4:14 a fountain of living water - the Holy Spirit     Why does the spirit dry up - how do we awaken the spirit?   1 Cor. 2:14 But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For, “Who can know the Lord's thoughts?     Who knows enough to teach him?”[h] But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.     **Here Paul talks about how the sinful man/unspiritual can't understand the spiritual realm.  BUT HE GOES ON IN CHAPTER 3… Stating that there are some Christians that cannot understand the spiritual realm due to living in their flesh.  Chapter 3 3 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature.      CONTROLLED BY THE FLESH…. VS. CONTROLLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT  

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Awaken the Spirit    Christina walking past my door     The river of God… The Mississippi River John 7:38 He who believes in, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water. The very next verse (John 7:39) explicitly identifies this river: "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive..."   John 4:14 a fountain of living water - the Holy Spirit     Why does the spirit dry up - how do we awaken the spirit?   1 Cor. 2:14 But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For, “Who can know the Lord's thoughts?     Who knows enough to teach him?”[h] But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.     **Here Paul talks about how the sinful man/unspiritual can't understand the spiritual realm.  BUT HE GOES ON IN CHAPTER 3… Stating that there are some Christians that cannot understand the spiritual realm due to living in their flesh.  Chapter 3 3 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature.      CONTROLLED BY THE FLESH…. VS. CONTROLLED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT  

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    **What You Love Determines Where You're Headed**   At EAST Town Mall in Madison… Reese is 3.5 yrs old. We are all at the food court… he disappears - everyone panics except my mom. There is a series of stores around us - everyone starts dashing through the chairs and tables of the food court - Grandma walks over to the candy store and sees him in there.  HIS LOVE DETERMINED HIS DIRECTION.    **Scripture:** Matthew 6:19 “Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.   WHATEVER YOU VALUE - IS LEADING YOU   Jesus doesn't say *“Where your duty is…”* He says, *“Where your treasure is…”*   Because love always leads.   Illustration: The Compass   A compass doesn't tell you where you *want* to go—it tells you where you *are going*.   Your spending, your schedule, your thought life, your words, your daily choices—those are spiritual compasses.   Application:   * Eternity isn't shaped in one big decision—it's shaped in daily affection. What you repeatedly choose - is it eternal?   Loving temporary things more than eternal things always leads to loss.   **Eternity follows affection.**   ---   Finally Eternity gives illumination to the true value of life.    Lobsters: From "Sea Cockroaches" to Luxury (History/Economics) The Original Frame: Until the late 19th century, lobsters were considered "bottom feeders" and "cockroaches of the sea." They were so plentiful that they were ground up for fertilizer and fed to prisoners. In fact, there were laws forbidding prisons from feeding inmates lobster more than twice a week because it was considered cruel and unusual punishment. The Reframe: With the advent of railways, trains started serving lobster to inland passengers who didn't know its "low-class" reputation. It was marketed as an exotic, rare curiosity from the sea. The Result: By rebranding the abundance as "exoticness" and serving it with butter on fine china, it became one of the most expensive items on a menu.   When you stand in heaven and see Jesus, see the Father, see those that are saved and see those that are lost in Hell…. How will that reframe how you understand life on earth? Wouldn't it be wise to see that way now?  

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    11,000     Paul says, “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen… what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18)     * Feelings are real—but they aren't final. Circumstances are loud—but they aren't lasting. HOWEVER * God's promises are unseen—but they are eternal.     **Eternal thinking stabilizes emotional living.**     Maybe the best question we can ask when at the crossroads of a decision is this “what is the eternal consequence of this?”     **The old saying “if consequences were immediate there would be very few bad decisions”.  One donut, 200 pounds One cigarette, cancer One charge, in debt beyond control One quiet time skipped, backslidden One temper tantrum, in prison One drink, alcoholism One drug, addiction    WARNING: The eternal is not immediate but the consequences are!     2 Your Life Is Short,  But It Is Not Small   **Scripture:** Psalm 90:12   Moses says, “Teach us to number our days.” Not to depress us—but to **focus us**.   22,116 days… that is how many days I have been alive!  So realistically I only have about 11K days left to live.      The Bible says life is:   * a mist * a vapor * a breath   But it never says life is meaningless.   Illustration: The Dash on the Tombstone   On every gravestone there's a birth date, a death date, and a dash in between.   That dash represents:   * your choices * your faithfulness * your obedience your love   THAT DASH EQUALS THE AMOUNT OF ETERNITY YOU HAVE SOWN YOUR LIFE INTO.    Short doesn't mean insignificant.   Application:   * Ordinary obedience has eternal weight.     **A short life lived for God becomes a long story in eternity.**

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com      Paul says, “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen… what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18)   “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen… what is seen is temporary,   Temporary - pros-kee-ross  Fleeting, non important for the task, WHEN I WAS 22 YEARS OLD SHOPPING FOR A CAR. MARRIED 3 YEARS, BUT NEVER BOUGHT MY OWN CAR. … I was looking at sound systems … I was looking at paint color … I was looking at rims and stance MY DAD WAS LOOKING AT … mileage … monthly payment … accident history … gas economy … the dealers reputation…. I WAS LOOKING AT THE FLEETING.      If eternity is real—and the Bible says it is—then living only for the moment- THE FLEETING is the most dangerous way to live.     1  Eternity Is More Real  Than the Moment   **Scripture:** 2 Corinthians 4:18   Paul doesn't say the visible world isn't real—he says it's **temporary**. Temporary doesn't mean unimportant. It means *not ultimate*… NOT THE PURPOSE   Going on a cruise in 2 weeks… my wife “what are you going to pack”. My wife packs for a month if we stay 3 days in a hotel…   Illustration: The Hotel Room   You treat a hotel room differently than your house. You don't remodel it. You don't get a bigger TV for it You don't hang family portraits. You don't panic if something breaks.   Why? Because you know **you're not staying long**.   Many of us are rearranging furniture in a world we were never meant to settle in.

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    I realized the past few weeks why I am so worn down… im not doing what I am supposed to do. I understand that I have a few things in my life that motivate me and give me energy. I am solar powered I need a good book I need music to play or listen to I need affection from my wife AND… I need to be actively sharing the gospel.   The past few weeks I have not been  ***WHICH MEANS I HAVE BEEN LIVING IN THE TEMPORAL!     Living Like Forever Is Real   THE RUBIKS CUBE HAS OVER 4 QUINTILLION CHOICES BEHIND SOLVING IT.  But it can be done in 3.08 seconds if you make the right choices.    Life is filled with choices… but its not the choice itself its the why behind it that matters.    Are your choices eternal?      Big Idea: Eternity is not just where we're going—it's how we're meant to live.*     THOUGHT 1: THE PROBLEM WITH MOST CHRISTIANS IS SIMPLY THIS:  SHORT-TERM THINKING   We live in a culture obsessed with *now*. Same-day delivery. Instant downloads. Microwave patience.   We're trained to ask:   * “How does this make me feel right now?” * “What do I get immediately?” * “What's in it for me today?”   But the Bible keeps interrupting us with a different question:   The child who asks a 1000 questions: why why why why why….  The Bible asks the same question over and over.     -  Is it eternal?  **“What lasts forever?”**   Paul says, “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen… what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18)

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com        Matthew 14:22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It's a ghost!” 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don't be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” 28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” 29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” 32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.     The power was in the word from God… not in Peter, or his hopes or aspirations, NOT EVEN HIS OWN PERSONAL BELIEF… it was in the word of God.      Peter understood authority and submission to it.  Peter is saying, if you command it, I will submit to your authority and follow your words.      **But Peter didn't just walk out of the boat, he didn't just take anyones word… he said “Jesus if it is you command me”.  Look, there are waves, wind, spray, its night time, maybe one lantern, shadows everywhere… who is this? A ghost? A shadow? A demon? A…a…a… is it Jesus.  Before you jump ship - make sure you are following Jesus - and following his command.      The Goal was Intimacy, not Magic Notice the full phrase: "Command me to come to You."    The original phrase in the greek is “if it is you Command me to come to you” - he did not ask to walk on the water, he did not say Jesus I want to walk on the water… he knew safety was with Jesus!      Peter didn't want to walk on water for the sake of a thrill; he wanted to walk on water because that was the only way to get closer to Jesus. The miracle was just the method of transport; Jesus was the destination.

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    A few times I will get an email about all the things I miss in a podcast over a topic or a portion of scripture… Look I only get 7 minutes before you lose your attention… so focus on the seven minutes… and don't get distracted. It's Gods word, focus on that and not on what is not being said…and that's where we are going today!    Matthew 14:22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It's a ghost!” 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don't be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” 28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” 29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” 32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.   PETER DID NOT SAY “LORD LET ME WALK ON WATER” HE SAID COMMAND ME TO WALK ON WATER…. Touch the heavens, speak from the throne of God and make it happen by your words and your words alone.      Peter doesn't know much… but at this point he does know one thing: If Jesus commands it- it will happen. If he speaks the word- it will fulfill its purpose. **THIS IS WHY HE NEEDED TO HEAR JESUS SPEAK THE WORD.        It is important to note that Matthew also includes several "summary verses" (e.g., Matthew 4:23, 14:14) stating that Jesus healed "many" or "all" who came to Him, implying the actual number of miracles was in the hundreds or thousands.However, the specific, detailed accounts recorded up to Matthew 14:28 are as follows:     Cleansing a Leper (Matt. 8:1–4) Jesus commands be healed Healing the Centurion's Servant (Matt. 8:5–13) You don't need to come just say the word Healing Peter's Mother-in-Law (Matt. 8:14–15) Casting out demons with his command Calming the Storm at Sea (Matt. 8:23–27) He commands it to be calm Casting Demons into a Herd of Pigs (The Gadarene Demoniacs) (Matt. 8:28–34) He commands them into the pigs Healing a Paralytic (Matt. 9:1–8 Speaks take up your Matt and walk Healing the Woman with the Issue of Blood (Matt. 9:20–22) Raising Jairus' Daughter from the Dead (Matt. 9:18–26) 10.Healing Two Blind Men (Matt. 9:27–31) 11.Healing a Mute Demoniac (Matt. 9:32–34) 12.Healing the Man with a Withered Hand (Matt. 12:9–14) He tells him to hold out his hand 13.Healing a Blind and Mute Demoniac (Matt. 12:22) 14.Feeding the 5,000 (Matt. 14:13–21) Jesus commands the disciples you feed them.   **THIS WAS THE SET UP FOR PETER! He knew that all authority was subject to his voice, his words, his authority. Nature, Supernatural and Physical.  15.Jesus Walking on the Water (Matt. 14:25–27) 16. Peter walking on Water     Things we learn: Peter did not jump out of the boat on emotion… any emotion he felt would have been fear, uncertainty in the storm. 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com      Matthew 14:22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It's a ghost!” 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don't be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” 28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” 29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” 32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.   WHUH? 32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. WHAT IS THIS TELLING US?  NO TEST, NO TESTIMONY NO MESS, NO MESSAGE NO STORM, NO STORY …SURE YOU ARE IN THE CALM OF THE BOAT WITH JESUS… BUT WOULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN BETTER IN THE STORM?   I had a man in my office a few years ago trying to push a multi level marketing program on me (no problem with those) but I asked him “what are the biggest tests and challenges you have had in life”.  He said I am very blessed I have had none… IF THATS TRUE… WHAT A NON BLESSED LIFE, BORING LIFE!   GIVE ME THE STORY OF THE STORM!    World Series of Poker Jack Straus one chip one chair. 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com      OT Expectation  Psalm 36:7 (The Hebrew word for expectancy) 7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.   **Covenant Culture** The phrase *“LOVING KINDNESS/steadfast love”* translates the Hebrew word **ḥesed**, which refers to **covenant loyalty**, not mere affection. In ancient Israel, ḥesed described God's faithful commitment to His people despite their failures.   UNDER YOUR WINGS * **Intimacy** – closeness, not distant protection * **Nurture** – like a mother bird covering her young * **Divine Presence** – God is actively involved, not passively watching Protection   **Key connection:**   * Psalm 36 describes what God *is* * Jesus reveals what God *does* * Humanity's problem is not access, but **unwillingness - LACK OF TRUST/ OR EXPECTANCY to come under His covering**  

The David Alliance TDAGiantSlayer@gmail.com Garth Heckman Expectations Craig Randall drives a garbage truck in Peabody, Massachusetts. in a garbage container one day, he noticed a Wendy's soft drink cup bearing a contest sticker. Having won a chicken sandwich the week before, Randall checked it, hoping for some french fries or a soft drink. Instead, he peeled a sticker worth $200,000 toward the construction of a new home, reports U.S. News and World Report (11/6/95). What we get out of life depends a lot on what we look for. Are we more likely to see each experience as trash or a potential treasure?     Maybe you've played this game before… Look around and find everything green. Now close your eyes and tell me what is blue. **What are you looking for?     Puppy watching is a life of expectation… is he going to chew my chair, poop on my chair, pee on my chair, jump from my chair… every move he makes is a move of expectation on my part.      Christmas is a time of EXPECTATION  Children expecting… waiting… knowing there will be presents under the tree. I used to get up Christmas morning at 4am!      **have you lost that loving feeling… of expectation       FAITH, HOPE, EXPECTATION Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith… you have faith that in the future you will get married and have a family. YOU GET MARRIED: You now hope to have a baby. YOU GET PREGNANT: you are expecting.        There are signs/evidence you are pregnant. **Living in a state of signs… building expectation.  Eager Anticipation of the Future Romans 8:19 (NIV): "For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.” FULLY REDEEMED. *(This highlights the intense, longing nature of the anticipation for the final redemption.)   Earnest expectation--A single word in the Greek, and a very striking one. It means, literally, a straining forward with outstretched head, just as we might imagine the crowds outside a race-course straining over the ropes to catch a sight of the runners; an eager, intent expectation. The same word is used once again in the New Testament (Philippians 1:20).   God expects us to expect!  Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! 12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.   Expectation creates participation… Expectation creates participation in Gods plan Jesus reveals a principle here: If we truly expect God to act for us, we must be willing to let Him act through us.   If I claim to trust God for provision, favor, and breakthrough, but refuse to be a vessel of those same things to others, then I am not operating in expectation—I am operating in self-interest.   If my faith stops at “God, do for me,” but never reaches “God, flow through me,” then I am not trusting God—I am trusting my own control. Real faith doesn't just ask; it allows.   Option 4: Illustrative and Relational The Golden Rule is not just about behavior—it's about belief. If I expect God to respond when I call, I must also be willing to respond when He calls on me. Faith that only receives but never releases isn't faith at all—it's spiritual entitlement. But when I allow God to use me for others, I demonstrate that I truly trust Him to take care of me.     Expectation without participation in Gods plan is not faith.   **Remember whatever you look for you see, you find- and you can enter into - expectation is looking through Gods spirit.     VERSE 12 “For This Is the Law and the Prophets” This is massive. Jesus is saying: The entire Old Testament ethical vision Every command about justice, mercy, love, and holiness …can be summed up in this one relational principle. In other words: If you get this right, you are living out the heart of God's law. This aligns with Jesus' later words: “Love the Lord your God… and love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt. 22:37–40)

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com      NOW LETS LOOK A LITTLE FURTHER INTO THE TEXT IN LUKE 1 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a shining cloud]; and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing (Offspring) which shall be born of you will be called the Son of God. 36 And listen! Your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is now the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. 38 Then Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said. And the angel left her.     The Whole Christmas story is filled with fear… and Wonder… but fear none the less Angel to Zach “Don't be afraid” Angel to Joseph “Don't be afraid” Angel to Mary “Don't be afraid” Angel to Shepherds “Don't be afraid”   It seems to me that sometimes when God is at his finest work we might be a little afraid when we do not understand how or why!  A PLAN OF EPIC PROPORTIONS… and yet people are still afraid. Wether they know him or not, trust him or not - there was fear they had to overcome.  Zach did not believe Mary did believe - but both came with fear   Both Zach and Mary had doubt… but Zach got zapped… why not Mary? I have an idea… v. LK.1:38 Behold I am a servant of God… Zachariah was a priest… head knowledge, but not much heart knowledge. Mary not much head knowledge, but great heart knowledge.    *Mary did not ask in doubt, but rather with the intent of … ok, so go on, what further instruction do I need to know.  Zach said let me tell you why this won't happen. Mary said… how will this happen? 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com        Catch this first: …The natural mind is speaking into the Supernatural… this never turns out good.   *Rather the natural mind needs to be in line with the supernatural.      The Mahotmetan writers suggest that Elizabeth was 89 years old… what does that say in the natural?    1 Cor. 2:13And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone's judgment.…     What did Zechariah not believe? They would have a baby? It would be a great man of God? He would be filled with the Holy Spirit? In Elizabeths womb?…  He had prayed… maybe it was believable to have a son (or not) Maybe he just doubted the greatness of his son's calling?      **Don't miss the point - they prayed for a son… God is so good, he gives us more than we pray for?      Not just a son - but a son of history!      Eph. 3:20,21 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.   We pray, we ask, we think…. And he still goes above what we even ask for!      He was struck mute… in the greek the word means deaf and mute.   **As a punishment? NOPE - as confirmation that this is real. And to protect him from speaking against God. 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    The Mahotmetan writers suggest that Elizabeth was 89 years old… what does that say in the natural?      Luke 1: 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.  **Blameless but childless Historically in these times it meant that Elizabeth was cursed, a sinner punished by God.   Only God knows your heart, your prayer your need   You can be blameless and wonder to God… what is happening.   You can be blameless and others won't see it.   advanced in years. GK Pro-bay-ee-No elderly saints    8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. There are over 20,000 priests and Zachariah is old… probably has given up on many of his dreams… Being able to go into the Holy of Holies Having a Child   10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, (STARE AT HIM) standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.   He's praying but not for a child… that has long passed!    Luke 1:18 And Zachariah said to the angel, By what shall I know and be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years. 19 And the angel replied to him, I am Gabriel. I stand in the [very] presence of God, and I have been sent to talk to you and to bring you this good news. 20 Now behold, you will be and will continue to be silent and not able to speak till the day when these things take place, because you have not believed what I told you; but my words are of a kind which will be fulfilled in the appointed and proper time.

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Ever have that friend or foe who just always interrupts you? Like they literally can't help themselves. I once had a counseling appointment with a mom dad and son. They were there for their son who was in some trouble. But this dad literally interrupted every persons sentence… every sentence. I finally snapped and said if you interrupt anyone again I am kicking you out of my office… it took 2 seconds…. 2 SECONDS and I had to kick him out. I hate people who interrupt!      SCENE THREE   Mark 5  The Physical    21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?' ” 32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”     V. 33 trembling with fear Here is the secret… can fear and faith work together? TREMBLING GK  TREMOUSA TREMOR.. UNEASY Don't make it about me FEAR GK. PHOBEO Alarmed due to reverence -      ***If you have never seen the grand canyon… and I take you to it and pull the blindfold off of it… the response should be awe in the sight of it - AND NOT YOU ARE SO AWESOME FOR TAKING ME HERE! Our faith is most effective and most powerful when it is about wanting God to get the glory, the attention.  Its simply: Giving God glory, building his kingdom vs. Getting the attention and building our brand/empire

SCENE TWO   Mark 5 The Spiritual 14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.   Fear neutralizes faith… NOT FEAR IN JESUS BUT FEAR IN WHAT IT WILL COST THEM.           MOVING IN FEAR WILL COST YOU!    REPUTATION MONEY TIME FRIENDS

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    This weekend Jt had a baby girl and Luke had a baby boy… congrats!    People Xmas cards, gifts, Not necessary but I feel the love. John B you shouldn't have but I love it I will put it on one of my guns!    Alexa listening… now listening in Singapore…   Mark 4, 5 The natural, Spiritual, Physical Scene one The Natural Mark 4 The Storm Jesus Calms the Storm 35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don't you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”     V. 40 Do you still have no faith?” What does Jesus mean by this statement…. It is so obvious we can miss it.  Jesus: I said we are going over to the other side!  …You don't believe me??? I said it!    SIMPLE BELIEF IN HIS WORD IS STEP ONE!   Reinhard Bonke: what if you pray for 99 people and they don't get healed? You pray for the 100th person like the first 99 were totally healed. - You believe his word PERIOD! 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com  You see the evangelist or special speaker heal the sick, speak words of knowledge, Move in faith you could never imagine so you think its unattainable- ONLY FOR THE SUPER SPIRITUAL - but then you meet someone normal and they do the same… so you think “well you must have to be special or chosen by God”.  …But maybe you get to know them and think they are no different than me really…  You realize its not that its unattainable -  MAYBE -   You just don't understand it.       it just cost you a little more.          Step out of comfort              Risk Failure                 Looked at differently    Hebrews 11 Hero's of Faith? Really?  COMMERCIAL….  Noah, Abraham, Sara, Moses, Joseph, David, Rahab   Mark 4, 5 The natural, Spiritual, Physical

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Psalm 9:1-2: "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds” It says give thanks with your heart, NOT YOUR HEAD OR MIND.     MY DADS STORY… MY MOM SICK WITH RHEUMATIC FEVER…     YOU'LL NEVER KNOW… By this time tomorrow 2 kings 6 & 7 7 Elisha replied, “Listen to this message from the Lord! This is what the Lord says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, six quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and twelve quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver.” 2 The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, “That couldn't happen even if the Lord opened the windows of heaven!” But Elisha replied, “You will see it happen with your own eyes, but you won't be able to eat any of it!” Do you want  YOU NEVER KNOW  Or  YOU WILL NEVER KNOW       Arnold Palmer… and the King of Saudi Arabia. Invited to play at his own private golf course…   God's ways are higher: Romans 11:33 speaks to the immeasurable depth of God's wisdom: "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!". This reinforces the idea that it is impossible for humans to fully comprehend God's plans and motivations.

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Psalm 9:1-2: "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds” It says give thanks with your heart, NOT YOUR HEAD OR MIND. **This verse is in the context of Davids enemies coming to get him.   ??? What does he do he gives thanks and pulls the video of all the times God came through in the past! Recount/play the video   -  I should have died or been paralyzed when I broke my neck   -  I was unjustly fired from a job and it opened the door to a better job 3 minutes from college   -  I was asked to prophecy over 70 college students     How many people talk about having an out of body experience… thats easy - give thanks. Your body your mind does not want to give thanks - IT DOESN'T WANT TO BELIVE GOD WILL DO SOMETHING AMAZING. It has to come from your spirit… your heart.      When did the children of Israel make the golden calf? Waiting on Moses… they were unable to step out of the flesh and into the spirit… so they acted out on their own.  Abraham and Sarah - sleep with Hagar…= Ishmael  King Saul waiting for the Prophet Samuel… makes a sacrifice waiting and God rejects him.     UNLIKE IN JOHN 6 - there are over 10K people hungry. The disciples want to send them away… The disciples… learned to think…”you never know” The storm… The 2 fish and five loaves John 6:1-15 Jesus asks Phillip where we could get food. Because Phillip was from Bethesda the nearest town… he wanted to make a point of human wisdom, critical thinking and problem solving with simple trust in God and his power. 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Key biblical concepts and verses  Proverbs 3:5-6:  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take   Good News Translation Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know.   The message: Don't try to figure it out on your own.   The original Hebrew: Don't build your trust on what you know i.e. see, hear, understand….   **When you have everything you need to know in order to know - you still have no idea!      The Story of Reinhardt Bonnke inviting the World famous evangelist John Bosman. Bosman preaches the first night… meh… and tells Bonnke I am done, I must close the meeting. No healings, no miracles nothing. People are stunned.  Bonnke has to fill the week.  Second night….  Dolphin Monese (INTERPRETER), collapsed under the Holy Spirit's anointing. In that moment, Bonnke heard a divine whisper: *My Word in your mouth is as powerful as My Word in My mouth.* HEAL THE SICK!      Psalm 9:1-2: "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds” It says give thanks with your heart, NOT YOUR HEAD OR MIND. **This verse is in the context of Davids enemies coming to get him.

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    You have no idea!   Alfred W. Fielding an inventor and Marc A. Chavannes a chemical engineer  First sold as wallpaper, then Boat Bumpers to maternity dresses, then greenhouse insulation,  Chavennes flight with turbulence said to himself I need something to better protect my fragile goods… DING!! The light went on!  They hired a salesman Fred Bowers who cold called IBM. At that time IBM shipped their goods with crunched up newspaper and sawdust… not very protective and very messy. In 1963 IBM made a trial order By 1964 it was standard in everything they shipped It grew instantly due to the “POP”. People would take it home for their kids and it spread like wild fire. Next it was used in the food packing industry… It became global in 1971 and has exceeded over 5 Billion dollars and is a fortune 500 company.  It has been sold as “poppable wrapping paper, swimming pool liners, medical equipment wrap, and even art. It has been given its own "Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day" on January 27. And the inventors went into the the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2015. Fielding once said we just kept trying until we found our Happy Accident… YOU JUST NEVER KNOW   I love reading stories like these… because in my head I keep thinking “you never know”.    I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS IN THE INFORMATION AGE IS WE EXPECT TO KNOW EVERYTHING - AND WHEN WE DON'T WE GET IRRITATED.      I live by this phrase… YOU NEVER KNOW.    **I KNOW MY OPTIMISM CAN DRIVE MY WIFE CRAZY… I always try to see things in the positive. You never know… it might be the best thing in the world to have our car breakdown….   Isaiah 7:9:"Unless you believe, you will not understand". It suggests that belief must come before comprehension in matters of faith.      *** “You never know” - I don't say it in doubt, but in hope. FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR! 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Why the follow him.     How Did David attract and train these men?    -  The first men to join David were from his own family. ?? Does this shock you? He was the reject. He was not accepted as a true son of Jesse Now they rally around him?    In fact Eleazor son of Dodo… may have been son of David.     - **Spiritual Reorientation and Praise**: In Adullam, David shifted their mindset from grumbling and self-pity to collective worship. Psalm 34 (attributed to this period) records him teaching them to "bless the Lord at all times" (Psalm 34:1), exalting God together instead of complaining. This built resilience and unity, turning pessimists into praisers who saw God as their deliverer.   David's appeal lay in his visionary leadership and unshakeable faith in God's promises.  

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Keep me running Keep me moving Keep me always on the go   David is on the run… 1 Sam. 22 it is his throne but King Saul is after him.   Hiding in the cave of Adullum… Its been almost 7-15 years between being anointed king by Samuel and fighting Goliath.    He builds 400 mighty men.    - He attracts the unattractive    He had 3, 30, 400 and 600 distress, in debt, or simply discontented with life under Saul's increasingly paranoid rule. These were societal rejects—failures by worldly standards—from diverse backgrounds, including obscure rural towns like Bethlehem and Tekoa, various Israelite tribes, and even foreigners like Uriah the Hittite.   What drew them wasn't wealth, power, or promises of glory, but David's personal magnetism as a God-anointed leader (1 Samuel 16:13) who embodied hope amid rejection. David didn't recruit the strong; He attracted the poor, broken, betrayed etc… he embraced the weak, transforming societal discards into a cohesive band through shared exile and purpose.   Men were tired of King Sauls agenda of seeking the life of David over protecting the Kingdom.    As a warrior-poet, he painted a vision of victory over Saul's enemies, appealing to men's sense of adventure and redemption.     **But what attracted them would not keep them if David would not have been a man after Gods own heart!

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com      What Separates Us From the Animals Do you know how biologists evaluate life? It is in terms of the capacity to experience pain, the more the pain, the higher the life form. A worm experiences little pain, but a dog can actually experience moods. Have you ever noticed that? Haven't you ever seen a dog pout. Dogs can actually grieve over people, and I understand that over at the tracts in West Memphis there are some people who grieve over dogs. I'm not sure. Scientist say that man is at the top of the biological scale because he has the keenest ability to experience pain. What separates us from the animals, I would suggest, is not only our ability to feel pain; rather, it is our ability to feel pain vicariously for others.   But not only that but feel the possibility of pain if we do not change our ways. Have you ever seen an obese parent sitting there at a restaurant and their child is pounding down cookies, soda and ice cream. And you feel sorry for them… The question is not “do you know then well enough to speak into their life… even if you felt tremendous pain for them… the question is would they be willing to listen to you?      Psalm 144:Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly. 4 Do not incline my heart to [consent to or tolerate] any evil thing, Or to practice deeds of wickedness With men who plan and do evil; And let me not eat of their delicacies (be tempted by their gain). 5 Let the righteous [thoughtfully] strike (correct) me—it is a kindness [done to encourage my spiritual maturity]. It is [the choicest anointing] oil on the head; Let my head not refuse [to accept and acknowledge and learn from] it;   Crazy that David would ask God to send people into his life that would be willing to speak into his life things that he may not want to hear. But don't miss the point… he sees this verse in comparison to the previous verses… i.e. God make sure there is someone who speak boldly and bluntly into my life so that I do not end up like the wicked.    Maybe the ultimate betrayal is someone who sees the trail of pain and regret you are starting out on and they say nothing, they do nothing they just let you walk off into emptiness… And if that could be true, why wouldn't you pray a prayer like David and ask for Godly voices in your life. It would be a great prayer… think about it. 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com      If I sit here and talk about all the people I have prayed for and have seen healed, people God has given me words of knowledge for, people I have led to Christ… it can make you think I am bragging…Hold that thought.   *if we were sitting in a group and I told you about all the weight I lost and showed off my abs…what would you think?    **what if I was sharing about all my exploits in war and all the men and women I saved and the battles I was in.       ****What if I told you how much I benched, squatted deadlifted… **-**-**What if I told you about all the times I tithed and didn't have money to tithe but I did, and how God has blessed me and how important it is to tithe….    ***what If told you about all the stories about my kids (Would these conversations irk you, bother you, fire you up, bore you?)   THE RESPONSE GIVEN BY INDIVIDUALS IN ANY OF THESE SITUATIONS DEPENDS ON THE CIRCLE I AM IN.   - If im at a weight watchers you would get excited and marvel  - If I was at a Vietnam vet reunion   -  If Im sitting at Westside Barbell you would all add your own stories and think cool… no but no biggy   -  If Im with other business people, groups of entrepreneurs who all have sacrificed and seen God bless them… fire us up   -  with other parents, we would laugh and share pictures and stories   Are there circles that make you uncomfortable?    WHO PUSHES YOU?   You have heard it said “show me your circle and I will show you your future”. It will also show you your money habits, your marriage, your spiritual depth or lack of, your kids attitudes, your health… etc…     Right CIRCLE: * Encourage your goals, not mock them. * Challenge you to grow, not settle. Celebrate your success, not envy it. PUSHES YOU SPIRITUALLY    Wrong CIRCLE: * Normalize mediocrity or bad behavior. * Drain your energy and blur your values. * Distract you from your purpose.

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Do you remember Bob Hayes, the man who was named "World's Fastest Human"? He was a hero of 1964 Olympics, bringing home the Gold Medal in the 100 meter run, and being clocked at incredible 8.5 seconds in the final 110 yards of 400 meter relay run. After the Olympics, he became an all-pro wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. His college coach said that if there had ever been a kid he wished was his, it was Bob Hayes. Then, in April 1979 Bob was convicted of selling narcotics to an undercover agent. He received two 5-year prison sentences. He went from the pinnacle of success to prison. Then terrible health issues due to drug abuse and the wrong lifestyle. According to Hayes, and those who cared most about him, his downfall was caused by his inability to choose the right circle.     1 Corinthians 15:33: "'Bad company corrupts good character'”. Company - not just friend, but group of friends- your circle Mark 2 2 Jesus returned to Capernaum, and a few days later the news went out that He was at home. 2 So many people gathered together that there was no longer room [for them], not even near the door; and Jesus was discussing with them the word [of God]. 3 Then they came, bringing to Him a paralyzed man, who was being carried by four men. 4 When they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus; and when they had dug out an opening, they let down the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith      **Thats the whole sermon right there!! Let me see your friends faith - That will tell me everything I need to know!        ITS NOT ABOUT THE CHOICES YOU MAKE… ITS ABOUT THE CIRCLE YOU MAKE!    You don't need the right friends you need the right circle. You can't choose your family - but you can choose your circle. You can't always choose your classmates, coworkers, neighbors or those who share your pew at church -  but you can always choose your *circle of influence*. AND YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE WITHOUT KNOWING…     **I was training a young man in my gym. He came in one day all concerned. He said he thinks he has a skin disease… something is really wrong with his hands. - They were callouses. But it happened so slow he did not realize it. The work of our circle is slow at first… but in time it becomes who we are. 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com      1 Corinthians 15:33: "'Bad company corrupts good character'”. Company - not just friend, but group of friends- your circle   Not a bad friend, but bad company.    Ever ask someone the question “so what kind of company do they hang with?”  Oh don't mess with them, they hang with some bad Mamma Jamma's.   That woman there keeps the wrong kind of company… she's broke dried up and used. That Dude… the kind of company he hangs with … they are all super successful or there all gear heads or they are all musicians…   *Corrupts = waste away, shrivel up… to square ones potential.    -  ** Character = life-style (moral habits, behavioral patterns   So it means the people you circle yourself with can shrivel up your potential because they instill in you poor life habits and patterns… Verse 34 which leads to sin!    THEN THE OPPOSITE IS ALSO TRUE: GOOD COMPANY CAUSES CHARACTER TO THRIVE!    A FRIEND WHO IS A PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY PLAYER… HIS BROTHER EVEN BETTER - WOULD OUT PERFORM THE OTHER STARS ON THE ICE… BUT HAD THE WRONG CIRCLE.   JUST THE OPPOSITE FOR HIMSELF: He was average at best, but loved Hockey. He knew he had to get into circles that pushed him beyond what he thought was capable of himself.   AND YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE WITHOUT KNOWING…     **I was training a young man in my gym. He came in one day all concerned. He said he thinks he has a skin disease… something is really wrong with his hands. - They were callouses. But it happened so slow he did not realize it. The work of our circle is slow at first… but in time it becomes who we are. 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Rog and surround sound… he had watched the movie a million times, but now with Surround sound he was going to really enjoy it… it was the bats in the background of the movie… He finally heard what was really going on.    " "Then Moses climbed the mountain to meet with God. God shouted to him at that.."(Exodus 19:3)    - He calls out to remind us of what he has said and what he has done… that we may not forget and that it may build our faith.   There are miracles that I have happen in my life that I routinely remember knowing God still does miracles today.    -God still calls out to people today. MAYBE YOU don't hear from God because you simply do not believe that he still wants to talk to you today. If you don't expect it you won't be listening for it and you won't hear it.     -He calls each one of us to come closer and to be with Him. -God is not finished with us yet – it is not over. -Respond with a willing heart and be ready to hear what He has to say.  

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Psalm 103 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 3 He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the Pit and crowns you with loving devotion and compassion, 5 who satisfies you with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.…   -God redeem our life from destruction . Gives us more than what was taken from us.    -God crown us with loving kindness… people see us coming. Crowns are noticeable, they are gaudy, they are beautiful, they are a sign that we are royalty!     -God tender us in mercies… he does not just give in… oh fine I forgive you, you can have a second piece of cake… NO NO NO he WANTS to show us mercy.     -who satisfies you with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.… Ever feel down in the dumps, discouraged, dissapointed… and a gift is dropped into your lap. Or a financial blessing? Or a great relationship… and it changes your state of mind, your head space… you feel better, more energy, you feel young again. This is what God does.    A youthful eagle… competitive intensity of their high-energy lifestyle. Overall, a young eagle's energy level is like a high-octane engine in overdrive—voracious, explosive, and transformative, turning a fragile hatchling into a majestic predator in just months. This is adapted from observations of bald and golden eagles, the most studied species.

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Psalm 139:7 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?  8 If I ascend to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol- the grave, You are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle by the farthest sea, 10 even there Your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast.…   No matter what gets thrown at us.  No matter where we end up in life. No matter the ups and the downs the ins and the outs. No matter how backwards things end up or how the ending greatly and vastly is different from the beginning… He is always there.   If we end up as far from home as we could possibly be, if we are hopelessly alone, separated from family, friends, loved ones… if our job ends up being the worst thing in our life, or our marriage or our health. If everything we dreamed of, expected and even put our time and energy into… if it all blows up in our face and actually goes completely backwards from what we had planned… God is there.  You know what happens sometimes in life is that life happens sometimes. It happens to all of us. We tend to think that if bad things happen it was God who let it happen and if he let it happen then he surely can't be there with us… right? He is punishing us so why would he stick around to comfort us - what a terrible lie to believe in.  God took the punishment of sin and shame on the cross and he took it so that not only do we not need to take the brunt of it, but he took it so that he could comfort us during those times. I love this Psalm - much like I love Romans 8:35-39. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. But Psalm 139 says it like this - surprise im here. You find yourself in your bosses office losing your job and God says - hey Im here. You hear the dread words You have cancer… God says Im here! God is already there -  more than you might realize. I remember (and I'll admit this probably a terrible example) but an old corny horror flick when I was in High School where this woman kept seeing the eyes of a demon everywhere she went. Her day job, her car, her kitchen, her kids soccer game… they were everywhere… I know stupid, but thats God. He is actually waiting on you in your bosses office when you lose your job. The worst thing going on in your life…he is waiting there for you… he knows when it will take place and he is there just waiting. So don't forget to reach out to him. He is there! 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    1 John 4:4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess [a]that Jesus [b]Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.   1 Thess. 5:21 Test all things and hold on to what is good. 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    ADORE YOU (Written and arranged by Garth Heckman, Spirit Drop Music)  Your bonds are my delight Your death is my new birth Your Love my only escape Hopelessly in love with you   Your grave is now empty Your throne a flame of fire Your love my only escape Hopelessly in love with you   Pre Chorus:  My only desire My only request My only response This Holy unrest   My hearts deepest hunger My souls deepest thirst All that Im craving My minds only verse   Chorus: To know you Daddy To know you more To know you Father Whom I adore   Bridge: I adore you I adore you I adore you  I adore you

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Mark 7:13 13 And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.” Colossians 2:8 8 Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. If you become captured by empty philosophies bad things happen?  Notice the way this verse states it… you allow yourself to get captured. How… you quit staying vigilant - you quit seeking the voice of God. You fail to realize that the best way an enemy captures you is not with Bombs and bullets but by voices of compromise.  When you listen to compromising voices what happens?  Fosters Complacency: Relying on the voices in your circle - be it social media, politicians, friends… etc…  erodes motivation to increase in intimacy.  Hinders Personal Growth: It traps people in comfort zones - what do I mean? One of the keys of knowing Gods voice is that it grows in clarity, focus and detail. But we don't need to grow or act as disciples if we choose the voices outside of the Holy Spirit. Damages your soul with a lack of joy from obedience, testimonies and will ultimately produce a spirit of comparison that will rob you further. Now if it is you that is canceling the word of God you are doing so at the peril of practicing idolatry. You have set yourselves up as God. 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com      When you read the gospels it is so clear that Jesus is just going to do what he is called to do: Promote himself as the messiah, teach, heal, deliver, feed and challenge the religious elite. And he is only going to do what God the father tells him to do… in a sense what I say all the time MGLG make God look Good.  And the disciples are going to tag along… they are going to doubt, argue, question, become arrogant, act confused… because they are. How did this relationship dynamic work exactly. God seems to expect a lot from the disciples… who continue to underwhelm in their attempts to be disciples.  At what point do the disciples see their 92nd miracle and think “you know… he might actually be the Messiah”. How many times did the religious elite come to trap Jesus… the disciples know all about these guys.. they are not to be messed with- they are smart, well connected and large and in charge… and Jesus continue to make them look like fools, even chastising them. Do you think the disciples ever said… well if he can handle pharisees, the Sadducees and the temple priests… maybe he is the Messiah.  When he wakes up from the bottom of the boat and wipes the sleep from his eyes in the middle of a tempest and almost acts annoyed… he commands the waves and the sea to calm IMMEDIATELY, and it does. Do you think the disciples finally looked at each other in the boat and whispered “this guy's gotta be the Messiah”. NOPE, they look at each other and actually ask “who is this guy”. **I find great comfort in the disciples actions. How many times I have seen God at work in my life and in the lives of others and seconds later I doubt God. I think it is human nature and yes we can mature out of it to some degree… but here is what I think the secret is to the disciples. THEY HAD ALL THESE QUESTIONS, ALL THESE GUESSES, ALL THESE HOPES, ALL THESE UNSPOKEN THOUGHTS… But they kept following him. A disciple follows Christ - not up until a question can't be answered…  they follow at all times. They may not understand all there is to know about Jesus… but they keep following.  In Mark 6:6 It says Jesus was amazed at the peoples lack of faith. These were the people in Jesus city that he grew up with…  The CEV version says he was appalled at their unbelief.  That actual word there - many translate it “amazed” actually has the connotation of “Wonder” - as in after them watching miracles and they doubt him… he says “really, even after all that… you still disbelieve…hmmm wow - amazing”. But he never says that about the disciples… he chastises them for their little faith, their lack of faith… but never for their disbelief.  So what's the distinction I am trying to make? Well disbelief does not continue to follow God. But a lack of faith can still follow God. A little bit of faith can still follow God… we may fail, we may be confused, we may feel like we are the worst disciples ever… but the promise is in not giving up. Continue to follow him… what Does Jesus say in Matthew 24:10 - many will turn away. Be encouraged today… you don't have to be perfect, you don't have to have all the answers, you don't have to have massive faith… all that will come as long as you don't quit following Jesus. 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com      THERE IS AN AURORA AROUND PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEARNED TO LIVE IN BIG OBEDIENCE!  BUT HOW DID THEY LEARN IT?  How did they learn BIG obedience?  Ok, seems simple enough but it is through little obedience… small steps of obedience, wether we are talking about witnessing on campus in front a few hundred students or giving up our boyfriend or even stepping away from our beloved career… how did the small steps lead up to that?      Question? Can you give .10 out of a dollar? Lets say you walk into Church and the pastor challenges you… hey you got a dollar? You do! Great… can you give put .10 into the offering today from that dollar… is that a challenge?    Nah!!!  Can you give $100,000.00 out of a million?    IM NOT TALKING ABOUT MONEY OR PROSPERITY!   Does God want you prosperous? -… I have a problem with that prosperity gospel.    Ok, does God want you generous?  How you gonna be generous with what you don't have?   Generosity does not come from you having excess.. it comes from what you currently have. Remember the widows mite? The 2 pennies. That is all she had…not wealthy at all - But God called her incredibly generous.    GOD WANTS YOU OBEDIENT GOD WANTS YOU GENEROUS GOD WANTS YOU!    AOC Alexandria Ocasia Cortez the US representative for NY said recently - that the millennial generation is the first generation to not experience the American dream, the prosperity or wealth that their parents experienced… WHUH?  That is what entitlement will do to you. Actually the most recent statistics that have come out is that these last two generations have more wealth than their parents or their grandparents or their great grandparents had? They just don't see it because they are spoiled… entitled. Its not their fault - it is the parents who raised them. And yes some of it is the society in which we live in. So when God asks you to give 10% it seems like an astronomical undertaking to big to even believe.  Now this podcast is not about giving, prosperity or even generosity… it is about taking small steps of obedience. You know what makes 10% seem impossible to give? Selfishness. You might say oh yea, wow Garth news flash… we know that. But you miss the point. Its not selfishness from the stand point of not having enough… it is selfishness while standing in excess, the ruins of spoil… overflow upon overflow…and you are still selfish… that is why it seems to hard to understand - at least for me and maybe a few more who have some history under their belt.  God is not asking us to obey in war, oppression, poverty, under persecution (at least not in the US - I know I have listeners all over the world…so I will be careful) God is asking most of us to be obedient in the best time of the world and in the smallest of ways… and yet we our so blind or Blond - we don't get how easy it should be. But again - entitlement is poison. Much like exposure to chlorine or formaldehyde are so strong and pungent but over time you get used to them and then at some point you can't smell anything. They have destroyed your olfactory system. Entitlement is that smell… be wary of it. Act in obedience and let not the world poison your ability to see your blessings!  

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Matthew 17:27   Payment of the Temple Tax 24 On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?” 25 “Yes, he does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house. But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?” 26 “They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied. “Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! 27 However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.”   The little things:   But Jesus said ONE FISH is all you need!  …one crumb is all you need. Matthew 15:21 2 Kings 4 “a little oil” A few fish A couple pieces of bread Jn. 6:9   A mustard seed Mtt. 17:20    The widows mite She gave out of total obedience and complete trust Small things done in total obedience and trust ARE GREAT THINGS IN THE EYES OF GOD.   Its the little things - like the rock in your shoe!    Hebrews 12:15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.     **Don't miss the underlying application… Roots start with a seed. A small thing.    The fruit in your life is bitterness… your family is raised on bitterness.    We must be aware of the small things in life.    We tend to look for the meaning in life in the  - - - -    - Grand Gestures   - The Massive achievements -  The Headline Moments -    - Accomplishments due to great personal sacrifice      THERE IS AN AURORA AROUND PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEARNED TO LIVE IN BIG OBEDIENCE!  BUT HOW DID THEY LEARN IT?      Question? Can you give .10 out of a dollar? Can you give $100,000.00 out of a million?    IM NOT TALKING ABOUT MONEY OR PROSPERITY!   Does God want you prosperous? -… I have a problem with that prosperity gospel.    Ok, does God want you generous?  How you gonna be generous with what you don't have?   GOD WANTS YOU OBEDIENT GOD WANTS YOU GENEROUS GOD WANTS YOU! 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Matthew 17:27   Payment of the Temple Tax 24 On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?” 25 “Yes, he does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house. But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?” 26 “They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied. “Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! 27 However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.”       Two other thoughts God takes Peters natural gifting, work and talent and does what he Can't do with them.    Jesus was with Peter and fishing and when Jesus had him fish Peter would catch a lot of fish… but not this time. Jesus says… the first fish you catch - look in its mouth. See if you fish you know that sometimes they are hitting in certain areas of the lake… when you find that spot - its lights out. But if they are not hitting there you move. If Peter was operating in the natural he would have cast his net… caught one fish and thought… nope, not here and moved on. God supplied it, but Peter still had to fish! He still had to do the work! He still had to obey.      Willy and the deck piece that he retired on.      JN. 2 - Christ first miracle.   Wine without planting, seasons, watering, weeding, fertilizing, getting the people to do the work, picking, stomping, bottling, aging and finally pouring…. He skips it all and goes straight to the blessing/answer.    One small act of obedience - Fill the pots with water… And he skips steps 1-20

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Matthew 17:27   Payment of the Temple Tax 24 On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn't your teacher pay the Temple tax?” 25 “Yes, he does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house. But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?” 26 “They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied. “Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! 27 However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.”   Couldn't pay my taxes my first year at my Fathers church… walked in to his office - what am I going to do? I owe $4000. The phone rang… are you still wanting to sell your boat? I will give you 4k for it.      Tax collectors are trying to catch Jesus… How much money did you give for the new sign??? I thought you loved your church and God????     JESUS HAD THE -  Freedom to not pay taxes… but wisdom to pay taxes.  Freedom without wisdom is a stumbling block to others. Any virtue in and of itself is an evil. Aristotle    On this occasion Jesus chooses to not offend… but later he will flip tables in the temple.    There is an intimacy that one requires in order to know which one you choose? LESSON: I no longer question someones motives or actions if I know they are intimate with God.      Graceful compromise… Early on in our Marriage going to her relatives dinner… THE RIDE HOME. Why did you not say anything???   Invited to your spouses family dinner. They are all raving lunatics that hate religion, faith, Trump, puppies and chocolate… You don't need to go, but you gracefully compromise so that you might have a chance to love on them… and not give them a reason to be offended.      You are dining out and trying your best to share Christ with your server… but they are subpar at best… but you tip them generously anyway because you don't want to give them a reason to be further offended at the gospel or Christians.     Someone blows up at you at work… they tell human services you get pulled in and reprimanded. You just take it, smile and ask for forgiveness… because you know righteousness is more important than you being right.  This isn't weakness - its meekness. I could, but I won't!  WE SOMETIMES PROVOKE NEEDLESS OPPOSITION TRYING TO HARD TO BE RIGHT - RATHER THAN LOVING!      When we are right morally we may in fact be wrong spiritually… We can focus on Non essentials, Captious, making mountains out of mole hills.  We attack abortion and not share Christ Love We attack Socialism and not share Christ Love We attack Transgenderism and not share Christ love  We attack their music, clothes, Political stance, their theological stance, even their religion and choices…

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    The Divine Paraklētos We see the ultimate example of this concept in the Holy Spirit Himself. Jesus promised His disciples a (Paraklētos), often translated as the "Helper," "Advocate," or “Comforter"   What do you think encouragement is? A pat on the back, a “way to go buddy”.        -   Encouragement is generous. Acts 4:36,37 Barnabas “the encourager” sold a field and gave it to the church so that they could meet the needs of the poor.    Money is an amazing encourager!  Cancer, chemo…      -   Encouragement can be very prophetic in nature. Hear the still small voice. Speak it into someone and it waters that seed of faith.    "But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort." (1 Corinthians 14:3, NIV)   Acts 13:41 Barnabas was called an encourager and a prophet.    THE TUSH PUSH - Center hikes the ball to the QB and everyone pushes him to the goal line!  MOMENTUM!  When we act as encouragers many times the Holy Spirit will come up in us and push us into a new realm when sharing! 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    The Divine Paraklētos We see the ultimate example of this concept in the Holy Spirit Himself. Jesus promised His disciples a (Paraklētos), often translated as the "Helper," "Advocate," or "Comforter" (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit does not merely send good vibes; He is called alongside us, dwelling within us to provide constant strength, wisdom, and comfort.   Scriptural Example: Barnabas Barnabas, which means "Son of Encouragement" (Acts 4:36). How did Barnabas earn this title? He encouraged the unproven: When Saul (later Paul) converted and everyone was terrified of him, Barnabas called alongside him, vouched for him, and brought him into the community (Acts 9:27). Barnabas's endorsement was pivotal, enabling Saul to move freely among the believers and preach in Jerusalem's name (Acts 9:28). This event marked the beginning of a deep partnership between the two men, WHAT DO WE LEARN: ENCOURAGEMENT MUST BE BRAVE. Unflinching - stand face to face with the devils lies!      He encouraged the young and struggling: When the church needed leadership in Antioch, he encouraged the disciples there (Acts 11:23).   Alongside - Working at the YMCA in Dallas. Every Tuesday night they had weight watchers. The woman leading the group would always have a slide of herself 200 pounds heavier on the screen. One night I was at the side of the room grabbing chairs and I saw the most remarkable thing I had seen in a long time. Everyone had to get on a scale and weigh themselves. There was a woman there who was new, very very overweight. She had not stepped on a scale for years… the leader of the group had to come along side her, calm her down, walk her to the scale… help her on the scale and then calmly told the woman to look at the number… Look she said. Look at it hard… look again… now remember that number because you will never see that number again! Everyone clapped and yelled… the woman now crying tears of joy! And over the months you could see her losing the weight. 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com   

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Do you want to be healed? Why this question?  Well Jesus sees the heart… we know why he asks because the man starts giving excuses… RATHER THAN:Do you want to be healed - YES!!!     The mans problems went beyond physical - they were mindsets. His body was handicapped, but worse his mind was. His excuses we're his real limitations.      WHEN FACED WITH A NEW REALITY/THE TRUTH IT PEOPLE HAVE THREE CHOICES WITH IN THIS NEW INFORMATION IN (COGNITIVE DISSONANCE)  bAccept the truth - Change Distort the truth - Excuses  Deny the truth completely - so you do not have to change your whole identity (the pharisees)        Self Mastery What is it?    THIS IS THE WORLDS DEFINITION - AND THEY ARE NOT WRONG…  They have self mastery   Self-Mastery focuses on internal control and external projection, emphasizing the discipline to align your actions, habits, and demeanor with your goals, even in private moments where no one is watching.   BIBLICALLY WHAT IS IT?  Jesus said I came to do only what my father has told me to do.  John 6:38: "For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me".  John 5:30: "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me".  John 4:34: "Jesus said unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work"     **THE ULTIMATE DISCIPLINE OR YOU COULD SAY DISCIPLESHIP IS DOING THE WILL OF THE FATHER AND NOT THE WILL OF THE FLESH.     No Excuses   Luke 14:18 (NIV): (Part of the Parable of the Great Banquet, illustrating guests making excuses) "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.'"     Prov.22:13 The sluggard says, “There's a lion outside! I'll be killed in the public square!”     We are prone to excuses: Prov. 23:7  New King James Version For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.   The original KJV says “as a man thinkers so is he” **The story line behind this verse: A man invites you to dinner pretending to be generous… but in his heart he is watching every bit tallying up how much it will cost him. HIS ACTIONS DO NOT REPRESENT HIS HEART.      *A Key to understanding people is this:    -  Let me ask you a few questions: **YOUR LAST RELATIONSHIP… WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT? ***YOUR LAST JOB… WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT? ***YOUR LAST SCHOOL… WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM IT?    Here is what psychologist tell us: The longer it takes for someone to find themselves as the problem, the less self mastery they have. When people immediately throw themselves under the bus- it shows great insight into who they really are.   The man gets healed, Jesus confronts his sin… and he runs to the pharisees…'its not my fault - its his fault! 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    People Problems… today we are talking about the person who is your biggest problem.    If you could kick the person in the pants as hard as you could responsible for all your problems, you wouldn't be able to sit for a week.       Jesus was never nice, but he was always kind. We have been domesticated in our Xn walk.   Ex. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to be NICE to the world.       NO NO NO NO to die for the world.      John 5  Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. 2 Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. 3 Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. 5 One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” 7 “I can't, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” 8 Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” 9 Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, 10 so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can't work on the Sabbath! The law doesn't allow you to carry that sleeping mat!” 11 But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.'” 12 “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded. 13 The man didn't know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. 14 But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse (GK same word: the evil spirit will return with 7 more and you will be worse) may happen to you.” 15 Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.  **Many times when Jesus healed the sick he would say and your sins have been forgiven- acknowledging that they believed he was the Messiah and had received their healing because of it- but not his guy. He did not want to be healed, nor did he believe Jesus was the messiah.    **I might add the Pharisees did not hassle this man they went after Jesus - which was typically not the case. HOWEVER I believe that because the man did not receive Christ as the messiah the demons didn't care about his healing and left him alone… the pharisees were obviously motivated by the demonic! 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    ### Key Strategies to Read the Room   Reading the room—picking up on the unspoken mood, energy, and dynamics in a social or professional setting—is a crucial social skill that enhances your interactions and builds confidence. Here are some practical, evidence-based strategies to develop this ability:   1. **Observe Nonverbal Cues Actively**      Start by scanning the group for subtle signals like facial expressions, body language, posture, eye contact, and personal space. For instance, crossed arms or averted gazes might indicate discomfort, while open postures suggest engagement. Practice this by pausing before speaking to "spy" on these cues and decode the underlying emotions.   2. **Listen Mindfully and Tune into Tone**      Pay close attention not just to words, but to vocal tone, pace, and volume—these often reveal true feelings more than content alone. Take time to listen without interrupting, and reflect on how the conversation flows to gauge the overall vibe.   3. **Regulate Your Own Emotions First**      Before assessing others, level out your internal state to avoid projecting anxiety or bias onto the room. A calm mindset allows clearer perception of group dynamics. Techniques like deep breathing can help you stay grounded.   4. **Consider the Broader Context and Group**      Factor in the setting, cultural nuances, and relationships among people—e.g., is it a high-stakes meeting or casual gathering? Attend to everyone, not just the loudest voices, to understand shifting alliances or undercurrents.   5. **Engage and Seek Feedback**      When unsure, ask open-ended questions to draw out responses and clarify the mood, like "What do you all think about this?" Afterward, debrief with trusted friends for honest input on your reads—this builds self-awareness over time.   Practice these in low-pressure situations to refine your intuition; over time, they'll make you more adaptable and connected in any crowd.

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    Rush is going to go on tour again, with a keyboard player and with a new drummer Anika Nilles… only 7 cities named so far in the US…   But with that I once heard someone say the only thing harder to keep together than a marriage is a band…    You don't get married for a Good Time, you get married for a long time.    You don't get married to have kids, you get married to learn how not to be a kid, act like a kid, pout like a kid, complain like a kid,  You don't raise kids, they raise you.      If there is one major flaw in todays world of love and marriage - and trust me you could name a few dozen… but after 41 years of counseling I would simply say the number one major flaw in marriages is that they did not understand the amount of hard work it would take to have a loving successful marriage. It does not come naturally, it does not just happen when you find the right person, it is hard no matter who you marry and every great relationship put in great amounts of painstaking hard work.  Painful communication, lots of compromise, more then you might ever guess as far as having to forgive again and again and again.    So again talking about how we model for our spouse what God models for us to make our relationships work.    ## 4. **Forgiveness **   * *Christ:* 1 John 1:9 — He is faithful to forgive. * *Marriage:* Colossians 3:13 — forgive as the Lord forgave you.   **Teaching Point:** Forgiveness is the oxygen of both relationships.   **Activity:** Share a time when forgiveness restored peace in your marriage.     #5 Grace Grace is the oil to any good relationship. Grace says you made a mistake, but I knew you would when I married you and I still choose to love you and not hold it against you. Christ died for our sins knowing we would still mess up and hurt him. But his loving kindness leads us to repentance. Our love for our spouse when they least deserve it leads them to back into a loving relationship with us. Have you ever hated your spouse back into your arms? Have you ever be grudged your spouse back into your arms? Have you ever punished your spouse back into your arms? HOW DID THAT WORK FOR YOU?    Gods ways are best not only between he and a sinful world, but also between me and a sinful spouse… oh and also for me a sinner as well. 

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com      "We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another,” Luciano de Crescenzo,    I would add - we will only fly as high to God as possible by which we can fly together each with our own wing and arm in arm with the other person.      You don't get married for a Good Time, you get married for a long time.    You don't get married to have kids, you get married to learn how not to be a kid, act like a kid, pout like a kid, complain like a kid,  You don't raise kids, they raise you.        For example, in a marriage, we seem to assume that just because two people get married they must love each other. In reality, people do not get married because of love but in order to learn how to love. To have love in a marriage requires that the couple have intimacy and to have intimacy the two people must psychologically and spiritually grow up and quit being children. Most couples getting married today are doing so while still in states of emotional dependency, which means the marriage is based on neurotic need and not love. To have love and intimacy in a marriage requires that both people first must become adults.     * The same principles that sustain our relationship with Jesus also sustain a thriving marriage.   ---   ## 1. **Covenant, Not Convenience**   * *Christ:* Luke 22:20 — sealed in His blood. * *Marriage:* Malachi 2:14 — a covenant before God.   **Teaching Point:** Both require lifelong, unwavering faithfulness.   **Discussion:** What are practical ways we can treat marriage as a covenant instead of a contract?   ---   ## 2. **Sacrificial Love**   * *Christ:* Ephesians 5:25 — gave Himself up. * *Marriage:* Philippians 2:3–4 — putting spouse's needs first.   **Teaching Point:** Real love is costly and others-focused.   **Exercise:** Each spouse lists one practical sacrifice they can make this week for the other.   ---   ## 3. **Daily Connection**   * *Christ:* John 15:4 — abiding daily. * *Marriage:* Requires intentional daily investment.   **Teaching Point:** Distance grows when we neglect connection.   **Reflection:** What “daily rhythms” can keep our relationship strong?

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    I want to get back to a couple of things I shared in my last podcast in regards to making extra money… and then we will shift gears.    List a 100 things… in any area, but especially money. I have a list on my phone of ways to make extra money… when I think of an idea I write it down. I can't act on all of them, but I keep a list for future options.  Smaller is better - big gym, small gym     Secondly I believe what Bill Johnson says “Lack does not illustrate humility. Blessing and riches managed according to Gods grace illustrate humility.”    Is it easier to sin if you are poor or if you are rich… I know people in both situations.. its the same. I have been in both situations - the struggles are the same. Dependence on God has nothing to do with how much you have or don't have.    Someone asked me do you think God wants you rich?  Does God want you rich? Does God want you to have a great sex life?