So did the former congregation move to a larger building? Nope. They just closed the doors. It's like a lot of the younger members they just went down the road to Victory Church. It's the biggest church in town by a long shot. It's like where all your big names and so called popular people go in town. That and a lot of your older members they just died off. And didn't have enough base comin' in to support the overhead expenses. Oh, that's too bad! So now the bank owns it? Yes, sir. They're pretty anxious to start collectin' some money on it, too. Victory Church. Hmm. You go there? (Snort). Nah. I am not a church goer. Besides, I end up doing real estate 7 days a week. Oh! Tough gig! OK! I have to pray about this,
before I make a commitment, you know? I don't have a congregation
to pay the rent, So I need to make sure
that God is in on this decision. I understand. Not really. Look, you've got my contact information. If you need to reach me, just give me a call. Will do. Thank you so much. Thank you, Pastor. Financial blessings are a gift from God. Jesus came to give us abundant life just as was spoken in John 10:10. The abundant life includes
peace and joy, love, wisdom, health, weight loss, confidence, success,
super intelligence and most importantly
financial abundance. Just as a farmer expects a harvest when he sows his seed into the soil, you should expect, have faith in, a harvest when you sow your seed, your financial seeds into my ministry. Now look, Our pledges have been down a little lately. Some may think that financial sowing is a one time thing. Not true! You don't plant your seed and then walk away. No! Continue to sow! It should be a lifestyle! Name your seed and you create that as a harvest grows as a lifestyle. After your first financial harvest comes in, sow another one. Your harvest will be bigger the next time. And bigger. And bigger. The bigger you sow, the bigger your harvest. Until it ushers you into your wealthy place. Plant more seeds! Reap bigger harvest. Gain the victory! God bless you all! Fred! Man, great to see you! You're lookin' sharp today in that Armani. Yeah. Hey, another great sermon, Luke. Why I'm ready to get up tomorrow mornin' go out and make more money! Which no doubt you'll be thrilled to contribute to our building fund? Oh, a hefty chunk of it for sure. Now don't you worry none. Now we gonna have us a facility we can all be proud of. You can certainly count on me to do my part to make the dream come true. Thanks, Fred, thanks! Hey Pastor (nervous hemming and hawing) Listen, we'd really like
to help you with the new building, but we barely make it as it is. But me and my boy here, we could do some work on it. Ah, that's very kind of you to offer, but, ah, for this project we're gonna be using real professionals. OK. Alright. Pastor, I have a chicken in the oven. We'd love if you and Lukey could join us for lunch? Oh, please! Ahhhhh, sorry, I already have lunch plans. Oh, goodness, look at the time. I've gotta run! OK. Blessings, Pastor! That was rude! Oh, Steve! Am I glad to see you. Hey, you free for lunch today? Absolutely! And then I'm headin' to the golf course. You got time for 18 or more? Of course. Of course, yeah. I need to get some exercise. I've been sittin' a lot lately. You've been workin' hard, huh? No, not really. I got me one of those new 4K curved screen TVs. What a picture! We watch a lot of shows! Good deal! Don't want our pastor
working night and day and wearing himself out. I'll drink to that! But not until after that golf game, of course. I sure don't want to give you
any competitive advantage and risk losing that
100 bucks we normally wager. Oh, by the way, I just about finished the architectural plans for the new church. It's going to be the gemstone of the community. Something for everyone in town to be proud of. Victory has a very bright future! Everything's goin' my way right now. Well, except for one thing. Anita? Exactly. You know it's time for her to accept my long standing proposal and become, take her place as the first lady of Victory. Well, she can't hold out forever. She's too smart to pass up the best opportunity she's ever had. Flattery will get you everywhere! You stick with me, buddy! You'll be the only architect in this town. I am the only architect in this town. Hey, who's got your back, baby? (Laughter) So where's Anita today? Eh, I don't know. Beats me. I'm playing hard to get, so she doesn't take me for granted. Isn't that manipulative? Absolutely! How else are you going to get
what you want in life if you don't pull a few strings? Our pastor isn't very friendly. The pastor's a busy man. Too busy for the likes of us. He treats you as bad as the kids in the youth group treat us. Well, you never complain. We were trying to give them
the benefit of the doubt. But I'm getting tired of it. Me too. They're supposed to be our brothers and sisters in Christ, instead they treat us
like we have lice. Maybe it's time for a change. Victory is not the only church in town, just the biggest and fanciest. You know,
it's like the inn at Bethlehem. There's no room for Jesus. (Church bell rings) Who's that over at
the Old Rugged Cross church? I don't know. What are you doing? Well, the Lord just told me to pull in here. Why? I don't know yet. Hi, there! Oh, hi. You thinkin' about rentin' this church? I've been prayin' about it. You're not from here? Nope, I'm out of Kansas. Well what brings you here? You're not gonna believe this story. God told me to start a church. I said, "Where?" He said, "Pack up your car and drive East until I tell you to stop." I was just approaching
the exit to this town and the word to halt came down and here I am. Well, I actually will
believe that story because God just told me to stop here
and talk to you. There you go! So, ah, did you leave a church in Kansas? No. I was working a secular job. Ah. Yeah. Well, I used to go to this church. It's ah, been vacant for maybe a year now.
Oh! It's a shame too. It's not a fancy church, but it sure is solid. Just what I'm lookin' for. Rock solid. You know, my assignment is to contend
for the faith against some false teaching
that's happening in this town. After the service
I attended this morning, I know at least where some of that false teaching's coming from. Where's that? Victory Church. (laughter) You know it's interesting
that you should say that. Listen, Would you be interested in having some home cooked chicken with me and my family? Serious? Yes! A guy from Kansas
eating home cooked chicken? That's an offer I can't refuse. Absolutely. Would love to have you! Hi, Ralph! Well, hey, Anita! How are you? I'm good! Just out getting some exercise. Excellent. Well, I'd introduce you to my friend here, but I don't know his name. Pastor Evan Shephard. Well, Pastor, this is Anita Rock
and I'm Ralph Jensen. Pastor! So nice to meet you! The pleasure's all mine. Well, Anita, Pastor is gonna join us for some home cooked chicken. Would you care to join us? Oh, Ralph, that's so nice of you. I'd love to, but I'm kind of waiting and hoping that Luke will call me for lunch. Oh yeah. I understand. I understand. Well, I gotta go. Nice to meet you. Ditto. Nice gal there. Um, This Luke fella, is that her husband? Ah, nah. He's the pastor at Victory Church. Nah, he's after her, but she's playing hard to get. Oh. Well, it's really none of my business. (laughter) So, about that chicken? Yeah, man. I'll follow you home? Absolutely! Come on over. Alright. Come on over! Hey, Pastor! Hey. Great to see ya. You too! Well, it needs a little work. Yes it does, but, you know what? God has provided me some people that are willing to put in some time to spruce it all up. Here's the deal. I gotta have a
six month or less lease. OK? If you can make that happen,
I'll take it. That's not a problem at all. I got the paperwork right here
for you to sign. Cool! So where you plannin' on livin'? Well, I'm just gonna fix up a room in the basement and sleep in there. It's really nice that someone installed a shower in the facility. So, where's the dotted line? One here and another copy below it. OK. I can do that. There you go! I really hope
this works out for you, Pastor. I really do. And I really appreciate your business, too. Here's your copy right here. And here is your first month
and security deposit. And I got your key. Thanks very much, sir. I appreciate your business. Thank you. And if you ever want to do
any business with God, you know where to find me. OK. Well, hey there new pastor in town. Looks like you're getting ready for a grand opening. Knock Knock. Who's there? Anita. Anita who? Anita few people to show up for my first service on Saturday. Saturday? Why do you worship on Saturday? Well, I think we should
worship God every day. But, why do other churches hold their services on Sunday? Well, that's the day the Lord
rose from the grave. Yeah, but He rested
on the 7th day, and He proclaimed that day would be the Sabbath forever. So you're saying we have to worship on Saturday? I'm not saying anyone else has to do that. But that's just what God's
led me to do and Did you realize that the early Hebrew Christians would go to synagogue on Saturday and then they had home church on Sunday to honor Jesus? Well, that's interesting. I go to Victory - on Sundays. Yeah. I know. By the way, I'm not here to steal sheep
from other shepherds. So don't expect me
to ask you or anybody else to change your church affiliation. Well, you know the good thing
about this is that with you having services on Saturday, I can visit here. And still go to Victory on Sundays. True! You know, if you do show up, we'll have at least five people here because Ralph Jensen and his family are coming. They go to Victory. Hmm, past tense. They decided to find a new church family. I thought you weren't gonna steal sheep? Hey, they asked me if they could come. I'm not here to poach, But if somebody's going to ask me and they wanna come here, I'm not gonna turn them away. Well, that makes sense. Do you have a piano player? Not yet, but, you know, God will provide. I play. I could fill in
until you found someone permanently? Oh, my. That would be wonderful! Ten A.M. Alright. So I heard that the Old Rugged Cross church is opening up again. (Laughter) Who would do that? I don't know. Some new guy from Kansas. He's gonna find out real quick that he's not in Kansas any more. That old building should have been turned into a museum or something. A tribute to the church of the past. Oh, and get this. They're having their services on Saturday mornings. Saturday mornings? Well, I'd like to go down and check out his style, but Saturday morning's a sleep-in day. After that golf or huntin' or fishin'. Oh, hey, I gotta run down to the store. You know I'm having those candy showers at my youth group meetings now. I gotta get a bunch of sweet treats. Do you want anything? That is a great strategy. No, I'm good. but when you come back, I might want to snitch a few of those sweets. No problem. Hey, the Bible does say the oxen who works the fields should not be muzzled. Amen, Son. Music plays (Sweet Hour of Prayer) Oh, you scared me! I know I'm scary looking. I'm sorry. You are not! I am too sorry! No, I mean you're not scary looking. As a matter of fact, you're very distinguished looking. Distinguished? Must be a euphemism for old. Oh, my congregation is poring through the door now. All four of them. I'll run back and say hi. It's been nice talking to you. You too. Thank you so much for coming to play the piano for us. Hey, what if, after the service, maybe we could go to lunch and talk about the seventies? Really? Yeah! I would love that! Though I'd probably prefer to talk about where I'm going as opposed to where I've been. OK. Catch you later. Alright. It is well with my soul. It is well. It is well, with my soul. Some people think that the composer of that song was extremely happy at the time he wrote it. In actuality, his four daughters had just drowned in an accident at sea. A short time before that, his son had died. And all of his valuable property along Lake Michigan had gone up in flames in the great Chicago Fire. Yet he wrote, all is well with my soul. He chose to praise God when he probably felt like questioning Him. Or maybe even cursing Him. I'm not gonna give a sermon today. The Holy Spirit has told me that I need to pray with each one of you individually because not all is well with your souls today. Barbie and Billy, would you come up here, please? You have suffered abuse at the hands of your peers. Your love for God and your desire to live pure in His sight have brought you persecution. I want to remind you of the refiner's fire. In order for a chunk of gold ore to be made into a piece of gold workmanship, it must go through a super heating process in a smelter or a crucible. And have all the impurities removed. And then it can be polished after it's been molded and formed into the image of what it's going to be. You should count it all joy as you go through this process, because you are in that crucible right now. And you are being formed in the image of Christ and you should count it all joy! You will be lighthouses in the darkness. And if you remain on fire for Him, you will bring many of your peers into a solid relationship with Him. including some of those who mocked you. Thank you, Lord! Hallelujah! Thank you. We needed that! Thank you! Connie and Ralph. Your turn! That was quite a moving service this morning! How did you know about Fred Olsen? And the chronic illnesses that he's suffered from for years? I didn't. God did. So you're telling me that God told you about all those people today? Yeah! I never met half of them until they came up for prayer. I didn't have a clue about their story. That's amazing! Why? You know God is omniscient after all. Oh, yeah, I mean that's true. Did you realize that you forgot to take up an offering today? Nah, I didn't forget. We have a box in the back with a sign that instructs people to give as God directs them to. Well, that's an unusual approach. I mean, don't you think that people would be more apt to give if the plates were passed? Wouldn't God bless us for being more generous to the church? God will bless us for giving, but not necessarily in the way some people expect. And God is nobody's Lotto ticket. He sees into the hearts of people. If they give just to receive recognition or to get back from Him, they're not really giving. They're just working a system. Well, Pastor Wolfe says it works for him. Yeah. I know it works for him. He's on the receiving end of those seed offerings. You know I really think it's a conflict of interest for him to solicit funds for his church using those promises like that. Pastor Shephard, did you realize that Pastor Wolfe and I are seriously dating? It's been brought to my attention. Yet, it doesn't matter to you that you're offending me? That's almost the last thing in the world that I want to do, Anita! But the very last thing I want to do is offend God. That requires me to speak the truth, in love of course. Let's switch to a more pleasant topic. OK. Do you have a family? Ouch! Did I hit a nerve? Kinda. I had a wife and two daughters. My wife divorced me and I think my daughters wish they could. They hardly ever speak to me. I'm so sorry. It's OK. That situation actually prepared me for this ministry. If I won't bend my principles and beliefs to try to win my daughters back, I am not gonna cave in to the siren call of lesser temptations. So, your daughters, they don't share your faith? In their eyes, I'm a fanatic They only want about three shakes of Jesus seasoning in their life. I want Jesus to be my life. OK, enough about my family. Why don't you tell me about yours. Well, I have my parents and a brother and two ex-husbands. Oh. Divorce: the hidden epidemic in plain sight. Sometimes divorce can't be avoided. Yeah, I suppose. I guess I learned that from first hand experience. But it just seems that Christians should realize before they say I do that when they exchange those vows with their spouses, they're actually making a covenant with God, too. Christians, Christians are just human too. Are they? There's no divine spark infused when the time someone's born again? What is it with pastors? I mean, you always have to talk shop. I really just wanted to come and have lunch, have a good day. Talk about fun stuff. Sorry I'm such a wet blanket. Can you tell me about your dreams? I have no room for personal dreams. This is the way I live my life. I try to do just like Jesus did. I only do what the Father tells me to do. Through the Holy Spirit. Wow! You're an unusual man. I'm not sure if that was a compliment or a put down. I really don't know what to say. I mean, Luke serves God, but he still has big dreams. Yeah, I know he has big dreams, but is he really serving God or is he just using God so that He'll help serve Luke to make those dreams come true? I'm tempted to be insulted and, you know what, I think Luke would be highly offended at this conversation. Well, I'd rather offend someone into Heaven than flatter them into Hell. Are you saying Luke's going to Hell? Hold on. I didn't say that, though I'm not rulin' out the possibility. I know it's going to be hard for some people to accept but I want to give them an option. to some of the stinkin' thinkin' that's being passed as the gospel of Jesus Christ today. Give them a choice. Why don't you just let your hair down and tell me what you really think? I know, I'm pretty blunt. You know, I don't live for the praises of men or women. So I'm not afraid to speak what's on my heart and risk being ostracized. Ostracized? Is that more than super sized? (laughter) You're joking, right? No? OK, I'll use a smaller word: rejected. You get rejected? Oh, wow! Jesus said that if the world rejected Him, it was going to reject his followers. I consider it a privilege to be looked down upon for my faith. Wow! It's not hard to see why you haven't remarried. Yeah. Not too many women interested in marrying John the Baptist. I guess washing and ironing those animal skin shirts and serving up a steaming pile of locusts and wild honey is quite a challenge. I really hope that I haven't offended you. It's no problem. Hey, I really appreciate you playing the piano for us this morning. I do hope you come back. I'm gonna have to think about it. So, what do you feel like today? I don't know. You know I was here yesterday with Evan. Who? Evan. Evan Shephard, the new pastor in town. I played piano for his worship service. You did what? You know I love to play, and he didn't have anyone and I didn't have anything to do, so I played for him. Why didn't you tell him no when he asked you out for lunch? He didn't ask me. He doesn't look like the kind of guy that would grab a girl by the hair and drag her down the street. Funny! I asked him. I thought you were my girl? You say that like you own me. I thought we were a couple. Because you asked me to marry you? If you remember correctly, I said no. You said maybe later. Well, now is later. Don't you wait until it's too late! What's that supposed to mean? Look, there are plenty of beautiful women in this town that would love to marry the pastor of Victory Church. Oh, my goodness! Have you been on that Christian gold diggers dating site again? You're awfully feisty today. About that piano gig, I'm asking you not to play there any more. Are you asking or commanding? Just don't do it! Are you afraid he's going to woo away more of your tithe payers? (laughter) Yeah, right. More? The Ralph Jensen family is going there now. Oh my goodness! Big deal! They're not the kind of people that I want to attract to Victory. I wanna minister to those who have something to offer. The rich. The intelligent. The beautiful. The talented. Those who make me feel good about being a servant of the Lord. And quite frankly, I like interacting with the, people like you. Well, I might qualify for everything except rich. You will be when you marry me. I was so afraid you weren't gonna make it. It was a last minute decision. I've been waffling all week, and I prayed about it and I just felt like I needed to be here. Well, I sure am glad you are. I was just worried that That what? That Pastor Wolfe told you that you couldn't come back. No one tells me what I can or cannot do except God. OK. You'd better get to the piano. Alright. Good morning, Dad! Hey. I hate to break it to you, Dad, but, rumor has it that Anita's playing the piano at that old church. Still? I told her to stay away from there. How do you know that? Well, I ran into the Morris family. They went to church there last week. Morris? Frank Morris? Yep. That's the one. Why? He's been going to Victory Church for years! I know. You know, they think that they can actually start a youth group program there. And Anita, she's thinking about helping out with it. Seriously? What am I gonna do with that woman? You know what, you could just tell her that she can't play at this church if she's gonna two-time you over at the rival church. Guess I could. That may be what I'll have to do. Force her to make a choice between us. You're talking about the churches, right? Of course. There's no way that she'd be considering romancing the pastor over there, so I wouldn't consider him a rival for her attention. Yeah. It's not really a rival for the church members either. Well, that's true. We probably need to make a little visit over there next Saturday find out what they're doin' to steal my thunder. Peace, peace, wonderful peace coming down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit forever I pray in fathomless billows of love. The Lord has given me a message today on grace. Is there any word bandied about more than this one in Christian circles? The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:9 salvation is of grace through faith so that man cannot boast. How many times have we heard that passage in a sermon? Now I'm gonna quote one that you don't hear very often. Also Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians 9:27, "I discipline my body some versions say buffet or pommel my body and subdue it, lest I after having preached to others am disqualified." Isn't this interesting? Paul, the man who put the word grace on the map is afraid that he can walk away from that grace and have his name erased from the Lamb's Book of Life even after he's preached to others. Because he let his body have dominion over his spirit. Some people operate under the delusion that Jesus Christ died so that we can have diplomatic immunity and and the legal right to sin. Far from it! He died to give us the grace to overcome sin, not be slaves to it like so many professing Christians are today. They kind of have an excuse. Teachers and preachers write books and tell sermons about grace - grace - grace. Without ever mentioning the fact that grace is not a license to sin! God hates sin! Is God's grace working in you today to take away even the desire to sin? If not, you're not walking according to the Spirit and you need to have a little talk with God and adjust your relationship. God does not ... One moment. Son, the Lord has given me a word for you. You're to study First Samuel chapters two and three. He has work for you to do, but you must listen to His voice and harken onto His command before it's too late. (Whispered) Let's get out of here. Thank you, Father. Glory, glory, glory! Thank you. Come on, let's get outta here. Dad, why we leavin'? Because I've seen and heard enough. That guy is definitely trouble! One of those charismatic crazies who thinks God talks directly to him. What's in First Samuel, anyway? Oh, it's nothin'. Just some Old Testament stuff. Exactly! Can you believe he had the nerve to pull that stunt? He better never show up at my church! He'll regret that day if I have a chance to dress him down in front of my congregation! You know, maybe you should just forget it. No way! It's pretty evident now he's trying to torpedo us. And I think it's time for us to fire a few rounds of our own. Here's what I want you to do. I want you to dig into that Shephard guy's past and come up with all the dirt you can on him. OK? Alright, but what if I can't find any? Well then, we'll just make it up! Have you seen how fast a rumor can travel in this town? Alright. Yeah. Alright, let's get outta here! Well, that was an interesting service today. They always are when God shows up. What was the spiel you gave Lukey about First Samuel? You know, I'm not sure. I don't have the Old Testament indelibly etched in my memory circuits, but if I remember correctly, that's the passage about Eli the temple priest and his two sons. Oh yeah, the ones who were sexually messing around in the temple and ended up dead. Yeah! That would be them. Well, what does that mean? I think that it means that it's none of our business. It's between God and the Wolfe pup. Oh! I get it. Well, I gotta go. I'm having lunch at the Jensen's today. So am I! Awwww! I hope my presence doesn't ruin your appetite. I think I'll survive it. I hope so. Let's go. Oh, Connie. That was an awesome meal! I'm so stuffed! So good! Well, I hope you saved room for pie. Because I have one coming out of the oven in about 20 minutes. Oh, you're tempting me. Have you ever heard of Warrior Fest? I haven't. What is that? Well it's a conference for kids, teens really, where the focus is on acquiring the fire of the Holy Spirit. Being on fire for God. That's what I see for our youth group, you know! I envision it being a small group of kids, but totally sold out for Jesus. That sounds awesome! But how do we get there? Pretty simple, really. Jesus said if you ask for it, you'll get it. Amen! Anita, are you going to stay and help with our youth group? Please do! That'd be super awesome! Aw, kids, you gotta remember, technically I'm still a member at at Victory Church. I've just been helping Pastor Shephard out on piano until he found a more permanent worship team. You're too good for Victory! Amen! We pray that you'll join us. Kids, kids, you know I really want Anita to be part of Old Rugged Cross too, but I can't pray that she'll make that decision. If it's God's desire that she be with us, He needs to reveal that to her. We can't manipulate her through whining or even prayer. Does that make sense? It makes sense, but I don't like it. I want her here with us. Aw, that is so sweet! I can't tell you how that just touches my heart. Hey, Pastor, have you heard of the ministerial prayer breakfast? No! What's the scoop on that? Well, every Saturday morning at seven A.M. the pastors in the town get together and they eat and pray and basically talk about church stuff. Sounds like a worthwhile endeavor. Yeah. I'd hate to go alone though. I could go with you. I mean all the pastors, they bring their wives. Uh huh. Who's ready for a sweetie pie? A piece of pie? And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God. (phone digits pushed and dial tone) What's up stud muffin? Listen, you gotta stop callin' me that. OK, we have to cool it with this physical contact! Why? It's a long story. I gotta lay low for a while. How long is this while? Listen, I have no clue. Maybe until my sixteenth birthday, so I won't be jail bait? Listen, I said I don't know! OK? I have to figure some things out! OK? Goodbye. Hey hey, Lukey boy! What's up? Dad, are you drunk? I am a sophisticated man of the cloth, sir. I do not get drunk. I might fall get inebriated on occasion, but I do not get drunk. Don't you dare go anywhere in that condition. Since when did you become my boss? OK, I'm just saying that you need to stay home because you shouldn't be driving like that and you know what you shouldn't let people see you acting like an idiot! For goodness sake, half the people in this town are probably wasted by now. It's Saturday night! What else is there to do but get plastered? You're not suggesting that I'm sinning are you? No, OK? I didn't say that. Well, good, because there is no commandment in the Bible that says thou shalt not drink. And I'll drink to that. OK, but Paul said that drunkards would not find a place in Heaven. Are you getting legalistic on me? What's gotten into you? Did something that false teacher said to you this morning in that Pharaphony Pharisaical church impact you? Dad, you know what, just forget it! OK, there's no sense in talking to you when you're like this. Like what? I am perfectly in control of my senses and have you done that research for me yet? Yeah, OK. I did. Yeah? There's not much dirt there though. I did find out that his wife divorced him and he was once accused of inappropriate conduct with one of the women at his church. Accused? Yeah, but he didn't touch her. But she tried to seduce him and he declined the opportunity. By the time she confessed, he was already out of town. Well, maybe that's enough! Maybe that's enough. We'll just we'll just leave out that unimportant part about her making it up. Maybe the Jensen's won't be affected by dirt like that, but surely Anita will not play the piano for a tainted pastor. Right? Maybe so, Dad. OK. Here's what we need to do. We need to plant a rumor. We need to plant that rumor. But we gotta be very subtle. Oh, I know! Ms Blevins We'll get Ms Blevins. You need to get her in a casual conversation and just let it drop in during the course. OK? She will make sure it goes viral! Have a nice day, Ms Blevins. Another great sermon, Luke. Thanks. You must have spent all last night getting prepared? If only you knew. Hey, I hate to bring up this topic, but I think I need to. This pastor Shephard has apparently enticed a few families away from Victory. With the building project in need of major support, we can not afford to hemorrhage here! I would hardly call this a hemorrhage, Steve. Just a little leakage. You know there is always a few malcontents looking for the next band wagon to jump on. You know that! I do. But these families were not that type! These were good solid folks that you need to build a foundation. Alright. Your warning is duly noted. But trust me, steps have already been taken to correct this situation. That's what I like to hear. Be proactive to gain the victory! Exactly! And you know that I'll do everything I can to avoid losing. OK. Alright, Thanks. Have a good day. Thank you so much for dinner! That was delicious! Aw, you're welcome. We need to talk. We do? You know I care a good deal about you, right? Well, I figured that when you said, "Will you marry me." Right! The thing is, I'd like for us to get back to the way we were before the bad shepherd arrived in town. You've just been so distant since he interfered with our relationship. He hasn't done one thing to interfere. A lady like you is too much for him. You want the finer things in life. He's content to be a poor church mouse. And he's way too old! A beautiful lady like yourself, you need a younger man, someone-like me. And handsome. And charming and witty. And humble. If humble is what you're looking for, Shephard just might be your man. He certainly has a plenty to be humble about. Here's the deal. I've been very patient with you. But now it's time to draw a line in the sand. We can't have entangling alliances with our key people at Victory. If you want to continue being the pianist at my church, you have got to stop attending that other church! How long do I have to decide? It shouldn't take much. This is a no-brainer! Here's the deal: if you show up over there on Saturday, don't bother coming to Victory on Sunday. I already have a replacement waiting in the wings. For your piano or your wedding ring? Or both? You know that you're the only woman in town that I have my eye on. Have you talked to Ms Blevins lately? No, why? I don't know. She just seems kind of down in the dumps. I think a call from you would go a long way towards encouraging her. Well, now, that's so sweet of you to care about Ms Blevins. She is such a dear soul! Yes, she is. And I care about all the dear souls in my congregation. Well, that's good to hear. There are some who think that you're not interested in being a pastor at all. But rather you're interested in selling wool. Who said that? We're not gonna go there. Oh, thank you. And thank you for talking to me. I really didn't know who else to talk to about this. Oh, it's my pleasure! I hope I can help. Oh, well, I talked to Ms Blevins today. She told me that she heard it from a really good source that Pastor Shephard was dismissed from a pastoral position for sexual impropriety. What? Are you sure? Yes. I mean, I was right in the middle of trying to decide you know which church I was gonna go to and I was just about to throw my lot into your church and then I found this out. I just felt like I had to run. Well, if you really wanted to run, you wouldn't have asked to talk to me. Yeah, I guess that's true. But, I really don't want to be Luke's trophy. You know, whether it be his wife or his pianist. Well, I think you need to pray about it. You need to remember a couple of things. Just because a man sinned a long time ago, we can't continue to punish him after God has forgiven him. And the enemy loves to take out key members of the opposition through friendly fire. You know, the grapevine, lies. Have you talked to Evan about this? I think that would take a lot of courage. Yes. It will, but I think you need to summon it up. You need to find out the truth from his lips. I think you owe him that much. How would you like it if Ms Blevins told him that you- OK, OK, OK. Good point. I get it. I get it. I've messed up a lot and made a lot of mistakes. Girl, we all have. The important thing is that we get right back on the right path. Yeah. That's true. Maybe I'll talk to Evan about it, I mean Pastor Shephard. His name is Evan. I know, but it sounds disrespectful to call him by his first name. I don't think he'd mind. In fact, I think he'd like it. You do? I'm not sure I should say anything, but it's pretty evident when a man looks at a woman with more in mind than just friendship. So, it wasn't my imagination? You knew? Well, I suspected it, but from the way he talked it was like he was trying to persuade me that that he was no match for any woman in the 21st century. (laughter) Well, you know, the man has a call on his life. And I just, I don't think he's gonna throw away that call on some girl who's not as dedicated to that calling as he is. Yeah. I'm just really not sure that I'm that women. I'm not really even sure that I wanna be that woman. I mean, I understand why I'm attracted to Luke. I mean he's handsome and he's witty and funny and he can provide an upgrade in my lifestyle. God will help you sort it out. Pastor Shephard shared a quote with us from Leonard Ravenhill. It said, "If you want to live the Christian life, be prepared to be lonely. Pastor Shephard's prepared to be lonely, but I think it would be really wonderful if he found a woman who could share the call with him. Who's been single because she's been looking for just that right man of God. Anita! I didn't know you were comin'. Come sit by me. I'm here with Pastor Shephard. Oh, really? Well, you can still sit by me and there's two seats here. You can keep him from going after my throat. As president of the ministerial association, I will open us in prayer. Dear God, thank you for this day. Thank you for the food that's coming, Lord. Bless it. Amen. In the name of Jesus. Amen. OK, ah, first order of business here today is to introduce the newest pastor in town, Pastor Shephard, perhaps you'd like to tell us a little about yourself? Well, that won't take very long. You know, there's nothing about my personal life of any consequence, so I'll spare you the boring details. My constant prayer is that God's will be done in my life. And in the lives of all of His children. And future children. Thank you. How interesting! OK, um, food's running a little late today, so I'll go ahead and fill you in on what's going on in Victory Church. We've had 52 members, 52 people pledge to become members this month. Our youth service was running over 200 last week alone. And we passed the one million dollar mark in pledges for the new building fund. If we keep going on at this rate, we will be breaking ground very very soon. Luke, I was wondering, did you get a vote from the congregation before you allocated such a large sum of money? Pastor White, my congregation is fully behind what I'm doing there. No vote was necessary. OK, does anyone else have anything they'd like to add? We had two funerals last week. We're having a potluck dinner this Friday night. OK. Um, anybody else? Pastor Shephard, perhaps you'd like to stand and tell us what's going on at your church? How many are attending? First of all, it's not my church. It belongs to Jesus. And we don't keep statistics. I'm not a pastor by numbers kind of guy. Um, E.M. Bounds, the guru on prayer, once said, "The evangelist who preaches eternity is not great on numbers. He is not apt to count hundreds of converts where there is no restitution, no confession." (Whispered) He probably can count 'em all without using his toes. So are you criticizing us for keeping statistics? I'm just saying that I don't put any stock in it. You can suit yourself. But you do put stock in humiliating people, don't you? Excuse me? There is no excuse for shaming people in public! I understand that your altar calls are just a little bit unorthodox. You have the people come down to the front of the church and confess acceptance of Jesus right there in front of everybody and even have them repent of their sins in front of everybody else. Yeah. If someone wants to follow Jesus, I explain to them that they are promising to live the way Jesus taught us to live. and they're making a covenant with Him and they have certain responsibilities. You know, if they can't take the heat of confessing in front of a church, what are the chances of them not denying Christ when they get out on the streets? You know finding Jesus as your Lord and Savior and surrendering to him should be the highlight of a person's life. Why would you find that humiliating? Well because everybody will know that before they came down that they weren't a Christian and that they are a sinner. So what? You know, I was a pastor for several years before I truly made Jesus the Lord of my life. If people come to Jesus with their lips only, what does it profit anyone, except maybe the money changers. I've heard that sometimes you don't preach a sermon? I think a quote from Charles Finney is appropriate here. He said, that great sermons lead people to praise the pastor. Good preaching leads the people to praise the Savior. If God lays a sermon on my heart, I'll deliver it, but if not, we fill our time at church with what He does want. Are you teaching that people who pray the sinner's prayer are not saved? Well, first of all I can't find that sinner's prayer in the Bible anywhere. I've looked high and low. You know, that prayer is uttered by the lips. The Bible says that Jesus looks upon a man's heart. What does the great commission say? Go ye therefore into the world and make disciples of all nations. It doesn't stop there. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you. Well, thank you, Anita! Brains and beauty all in one package! What a dynamic duo! Now, Pastor Shephard, I understand that you tell your converts that they have to be baptized in order to be saved. You're adding to the gospel! Adding to what gospel? You know that passage that Anita just quoted is Matthew's version of the Great Commission. It mentions baptism, but Mark's version is even stronger! He says go ye therefore into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whosoever believes and is baptized will be saved! He who does not believe will be condemned. It does not say there is condemnation to those who are not baptized. You sir, are a legalist! You kind of remind me of WC Fields on his death bed. Pokin' through the scriptures. What's that supposed to mean? Ah, yes, he was looking for loopholes. (laughter) Yeah, some of you people think that legalists are people who pour through scripture, trying to find the things that will be pleasing to God and actually do them. I think legalists are the ones that search scripture trying to find a way to avoid responsibility. Jesus said if we don't take up our cross daily and follow after Him, we're not worthy of Him. Where does that cross fit into your theology? You have the audacity to judge me? I'm not judging you. I'm judging your theology. If I was judging you, I'd say something like, "Hm, I fail to see the mark of the cross on your Brook's Brother's suit. OK, OK, hold on here! I need some clarification. So you're really saying that just asking Jesus into our heart is not enough to be saved? Jesus did. Where? He said that we must forgive others or our sins would not be forgiven. And so I forgive you, Pastor Shephard for coming in here and trying to make all of us feel guilty for not seeing things the way that you do. The Bible says there is no condemnation in those that are in Christ Jesus. You know, there's more to that passage too. And that would be? who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. So you're teaching works at your church? That people have to do something to be saved? Some of you modern day pastors seem to want to lower the standard on being a Christian so it'll be tempting to those people who want Heaven but they don't want God's government. Have you heard the terms heresy and blasphemy? Oh, yeah. And I try to avoid those like the 7 year itch. And now the Holy Spirit is telling me that my time is over. Good day, everyone. Wait up, Evan! Well I guess if we can't talk to him, we'll have to talk about him. (laughter) Well, I've run into these holier than thou types before, before, but this guy really takes the cake, candles, frosting, everything! Boy, that's the truth! Evan, wait up! You sure don't go out of your way to make friends! Do you? You know, a man who speaks the truth is bound to offend just about everybody at some point in time. Yeah, but you seem to enjoy having people dislike you. Do you have some kind of a martyr complex? You think I like being unpopular? You know, every fiber in my natural being cries out to be loved and accepted. But I know that's not what God's called me to. You know, I used to be popular when I thought and I acted like Luke Wolfe. Then God got a hold of me, shook me up and showed me I had one leg in the kingdom and one in the world. And so now, you're all in for the kingdom, in poker terms. Exactly! Now, was there something else you wanted to talk to me about besides my need to read Social Skills for Dummies? Yes, there is. Was there an incident in your past about a sexual problem? Just about everybody has done something wrong sexually in their past. Maybe you could be a little more specific? OK. Was there a woman who accused you of improper advances? Where'd you get that info? Does it matter? Is your question a confession? No! Alright, I confess that a woman made such an accusation. Accusation? You're familiar with the story of Joseph and his master's wife, right? Yes, the one who falsely accused him of raping her. Bingo! You know, that kind of behavior is not confined to the Old Testament times. So, did you get fired? I resigned and I left town. Why would you do that if you were innocent? It's hard to explain. I guess I was burnt out and and I just didn't trust God to defend me. And I took the easy way out and ran. Maybe I made the wrong choice, but you know, through everything through that whole wilderness experience God has blessed me to bring me out to the point that I am today. So with that, I want to thank you for bringing me to this stimulating event. But I'm gonna walk home and I'm gonna have a long talk with the Lord while I'm doing it. I suggest you go back in and enjoy the rest the breakfast with your friends. Bye. Bye! It's my distinct privilege today to present to you the newest member of our congregation. And our official pianist, Anita Rock. Now, as long as we have Anita up here, I'd like to have her give a little bit of a sales pitch for a group of people that really could use your help. There's a pastor that I've befriended on Facebook. He has an orphanage and a widows' home. He shares his tiny house with his wife, two children, and 27 other people. They really need a new building. Now I encourage you to keep giving your tithes and offerings to this church, but if you can spare anything extra, we'd like to send money to India to help these people. Thank you. Thank you, Anita. You know one of the high school students, who was crippled, supposedly got healed last night at that Old Rugged Cross youth group meeting. They said she was running around the sanctuary afterwards. Do you know the kid? Yeah. She was in my youth group. You know, they've been telling the kids that God still does miracles today. And that God can work through them the way he did the disciples. That's that Charismatic crock for you. They're a bunch of crock pots. Get it? Crock pots. Crack pots. I crack myself up. Dad, come on! That's not funny! Don't you ever wish your ministry was more like Jesus? He walked around in sandals on dusty roads and didn't even have a place to lay his head! He died so I don't have to live like that! Why are you acting this way? You've just become so discontent since that preacher spoke over you. I don't know. I've just been doing a lot of thinking, I guess. You know, I can get a lot of kids to come to my youth group meeting with candy and games and good times, but what lasting impression am I giving them? You're keeping them out of trouble! Yeah, I guess, but isn't there more to being good than just avoiding trouble? Look, being good is just a concept of those holiness freaks who think everybody should run around trying to live like saints. You need to stop doing so much deep thinking and soul searching. It's only going to frustrate and confuse you. You need to chill out! OK? (whispering) Pastor Shephard. Can I talk to you somewhere private? I never speak alone with a female. Would it be OK if Anita chaperones for us? Sure, I guess. Is that OK with you? Sure. OK, we can do it. What are you doin'? I want to talk to you. I hope you realize I pulled you into
this room, so I wouldn't be alone with a female behind closed doors! Are you afraid because of that last incident? Partially, yeah. Come on. Open the door. I want to talk to you alone! Anita! I'm a pastor! There's a certain protocol I have to follow! Especially since there's a group of impressionable young kids on the other side of that door. Look at Angie, who we just found out has been taken advantage of by someone she trusted. How does a person get to talk to Evan Shephard the man as opposed to Evan Shephard, the pastor? Oh. Oh! I guess outside somewhere where everyone can see there's nothing improper going on, but too far away to eavesdrop. City park will work for that. What about tomorrow at 2:30? You're on. Now can we get the ... Thank you! You're welcome. By the way, who was that young man who was worshipping so demonstratively in the front row tonight? Oh, that was Tommy Patterson. His dad Steve is the architect for the new church building at Victory. And one of Luke's best friends. You sure know how to stir up a pot, don't you? Luke is not used to being crossed. I was wondering what your intentions were toward me. My intentions? Well, as a member of my congregation and a sister in Christ, my intentions are that God's purposes are fulfilled in your life. But what are your intentions toward me - as a woman? Who said I had any? Your eyes. My eyes! So, why do you ask the question? Because you just caused a bunch of emotions in me that I don't understand. And I need to know. I need to know what, if anything, you have regarding me in the future. This is rather embarrassing. Well, for me too, Evan. I mean my whole life men have told me how beautiful I am. And they treat me so special. And you hardly say anything flattering to me at all. And yet, your eyes don't lie. You know, I try to avoid flattery at all costs. It's a tool of manipulation. So, you think my eyes are telling you that you're a beautiful woman? That's how I interpret it. At least they're saying that I'm a desirable woman. Are you manipulating me by playing hard to get? Anita! I don't play games like that! Look, I'm not getting any younger. My beauty is not going to last forever. I'm gonna be like one of those Valentines day roses that just dry up and get thrown in the trash. You know, that's why you need to quit looking for a man who finds you attractive on the outside. Find someone treasures you for what's inside. Someone who loves you for who you really are. That man will not dump you into the trash! OK, is it my outside or my inside that your eyes are not lying about? Well, if I have to tell the truth I guess both. Now we're getting somewhere. Time out! I gotta tell you this right now! God has not given me permission to marry again. Remember, I only do what God tells me to do. So now I'm not only risking being rejected by you, but by God also? Anita! You're not being rejected by anyone here! I think very highly of you. In fact in a former life I'd have been thrilled to hear the question you asked me today. But I'm just not a normal man! This sounds like the song Mary Magdalene sang in that Jesus Christ Superstar. I don't know how to love him. I don't see why he moves me. And yet I don't understand why I've rejected Luke's proposal. Sounds like a God thing. Why would God want me to love someone who can't love me back? Anita! Just because God won't let me marry you doesn't mean I don't love you. You're drivin' me crazy. I'm sorry. OK. Let me ask you this. Are you asking God if you can remarry? I'm askin'! Believe me, I'm askin'! (Knock on the door) Hey, Steve. Come on in. We have a bit of a problem! What's up now? Or down in this case. Let me remind you that the money we have for the new building is in pledges. We haven't collected that yet. Some families are telling me that they're retracting their pledges! Why? I told you Pastor Shephard needed to be dealt with. You told me you had things under control! I had him on the ropes! Anita jumped in the middle of it and got him off by countering my tactics. He's got some new fundraiser to put a building in India. India? Who wants to give their money to India? A few families that moved to his church from here! Last week we lost a few more! And my son Tommy went to youth group last week. What? Why did you let him do that? Asking forgiveness is easier than getting permission. He didn't tell us until he came home gushing about he felt God's presence. He wants us to try that church. We have got to take counter measures! He's stolen Anita from me. And now he's trying to blow up my dream church. I need to put out a contract on him. What? You know, bump him off. Maybe just scare him out of town by rearranging his face a little. Are you crazy? You're a pastor, not a Mafia don. Got ya, didn't I? Made you think I was totally serious. Yeah, ah, whatever. In any case a couple of the families that have approached me say they want to have a meeting of the church members to talk about the future of the new building. What's there to talk about? Canceling the plans. They can't do that! This is my church! Without a congregation, you have no church! New or old. Thank you, Steve. Lukey, get in here. I've got a job for you! Look! We have got to do something with this pastor Shephard guy! Or our futures are in jeopardy. I'm sending you on a mission. A spy mission. Spy? Where? Old Rugged Cross youth group. I want you to find out what they're doing over there to mesmerize those kids. They're doin' something to abuse them! We can file a lawsuit. Yeah! File a lawsuit. OK, now you know Anita is involved in their youth group. So, what's your point? Well, she might get hurt in some way. Again, what's your point? Look! Is there some girl some young girl, 16 or under, in your youth group whose parents could use some money and they really don't care how they go about coming about it? No, I don't think so. Oh, wait! There's that Frederickson girl. Yeah, OK, and I know she only comes to my youth group meetings just for the guys. OK. OK. Yeah. Oh, and her dad, her dad just got out of prison. Perfect! Uh huh. Between the two of us, we're gonna nail this jerk. Give me some! Let's go! Yes! Let's do this! Why how are you? I'm great. How are you? Oh, I'm doin' good. Hey, Anita. Um, I was just wondering. Can I sit in on your youth group meeting tonight? I just wanted to get an idea on how to improve mine. Well absolutely. We would love to have you. Thank you. Oh, hey Angie. What are you doing here? Hi Lukey. Tammy Frederickson, right? Uh-huh. That's right. It's nice to meet you. It's nice to meet you too. Hey, can you come up here with me? I've got something I want to show you. Yeah, yeah, of course. Yeah, can I get you to introduce me to Pastor Shephard tonight? Sure! He always hangs around after the meetings to talk to the kids. OK. That's great! Thank you! You're welcome. I sense the wind of the Holy Spirit blowing through this building tonight. Some of you are feeling the breeze right now. And some of you need to feel it. Some of you are suffering from thoughts of suicide and struggling with addictions and sexual promiscuity and some of you just feel hopelessness. Jesus is calling your name tonight. He's there for you! Thank you. Father, I come to you to pray for these people and the people all across America. And the young people who struggle to find purpose in this life that You've provided. Father, I ask that you lead, guide and direct them. Pour out Your Spirit on them. Touch and renew their lives. Thank you, Lord. Glory glory glory! We give you glory, Lord. Thank you, Father. You are the mighty king! Touch the hearts of these young people tonight. I want to follow Jesus! Thank you, Father. Praise, the Lord. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Lord, we lift Angie up to you right now, Father. Thank you, Jesus. Fill her, Lord. Fill her. Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah! Angie, I am so thrilled for you! Thanks, me too. Awww.
(Intentional Coughing) Oh, Pastor Shephard, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Tammy Frederickson. Oh, there's my ride. I've got to go! I love you guys. Bye, Angie. Good night! Hi, Tammy. I was wondering if I could speak to you a moment tonight? I have a problem kinda like most kids do. Anita, can you chaperone? I'm sorry. I've gotta go. OK. Sorry. Alright. Bye. Bye. How about we do it right here? I was just wondering if we could use somewhere a little more private? Like maybe your office or somethin'? Oh, I never speak to a female behind closed doors. Please! It's really important! OK. Come this way. Umm, no! No, no, no. I can't this. I've gotta have a chaperone when we speak. How about my mother? I'm sorry but maybe you can come back Saturday after the service? No, that's not gonna work. I need you tonight, so Houston's mom's here. I'm sure she'd chaperone. No thanks. I better get goin' anyway. So. Hey, Tammy, God loves you. Yeah, right. Well, hello, Sleeping Beauty. Did you sleep here last night? Yeah, I guess. Why? I did a lot of prayin' last night. Praying? What about spying? Dad, the only secret they've got is the Holy Spirit. Nothing funky is going on there. Alright. It didn't work out with the Frederickson girl. She never could get the Shephard guy alone. Maybe we'll just have report him anyway. See what happens. Did you ever stop to wonder what God thinks about what you're doing? What are you talking about? I'm covered by God's grace. It doesn't matter what I do. When God looks at me, all he sees is Jesus. Are you serious? Do you really believe that God is gonna be played like some naive sucker at a rigged casino table? Are you questioning my wisdom? You know what, Dad? It doesn't matter what I think. What God thinks is all important! Where are you getting this stuff? You sent me to spy. I got lots of information! Things that made me question my own salvation. Maybe you should try it? OK. What have you done with my son? Dad, did you ever stop to think that I'm also the son of the Heavenly Father? And he takes precedence over you? So you're deserting me too? Like Anita? You know what? If deserting you means that I don't have to do any more of your dirty jobs, then yeah. I'm deserting you. OK, Pastor Shephard is not your enemy! You are! Get out of here! I guess I'm gonna have to find a new youth director to take your place. So you're deserting me? Do unto others before they do unto you. Dad, you're sick! Maybe you could talk to Pastor Shephard and he can pray for you? You're gonna have to find new living arrangements as well. I want the keys to this church. I want the keys to my house and I want you outta there by tonight! (Knock on door) Hey! Come on in. Can I help you? I sure hope so. Take a seat. My name is Luke Junior. My friends call me Lukey. Ah, you're Luke Wolfe's son. I used to be. Honestly I don't even know what my status is anymore. He fired me and he kicked me out of the house. Ouch! So, why'd you come to see me? I had no where else to go. And, I don't know, you just always seem to have it together. But of course my Dad did until ... Until what? Well, until you came to town. Well, if I do have it all together, as you say, it's because I built my house on the rock. I'm afraid your father built his on the sand and now those storms of life are crashing in on him. Yeah, him and me both. Listen, I wanted to confess something to you. Angie already told me about you two. She did? Wait, no, no, no. That's not what I wanted to confess. My dad has been trying to torpedo your ministry. And he's involved me in all of his schemes. God already told me that. Serious? What don't you know? Well, I don't know exactly how this is all gonna play out. But I do know that God is working through it. So you haven't found a play to stay? No. Not yet. And to be honest, I've never lived on my own before. I just feel like I'm going through an emotional earthquake. Been there. Done that. Don't want to do it again. If you knew about my father, why didn't you blow the whistle on me and Angie? You could have totally destroyed us. And you know what? We would have deserved it. You know, it's not God's desire to punish you. Or your father. He wants to raise you up. His desire is my desire. How can you be so calm and compassionate? You got a couple of hours to hear the story of the extreme makeover of a man who went from being a carnal pastor to one that some consider hyper holy? Yeah. What happened? Well, Reader's Digest version God shook up my life, showed me that being born again is an actual change. It's not just an idea. It's one that requires total surrender. I had to die to self. I had to give up all that I had, which was me. And you did? I did. You know, I struggled though with some of the doctrine and some of the questions about faith. And does my behavior matter? So, how did you figure it out? Well, couple ways, but this book here which I just happen to be reading, was very instrumental. A.W. Tozer wrote these words that touched my heart. Here it is: "Rightly understood, faith is not a substitute for moral conduct but a means toward it. The tree does not serve in lieu of fruit but as an agent by which fruit is secured. Fruit, not trees, is the end God has in mind in yonder orchard; so Christ-like conduct is the end, or the goal, of Christian faith." So faith is the means to the end of being like Christ? There you go! Got it. You know, being a disciple requires discipline. You know, but we can't live a disciplined life without being led by the Holy Spirit. Can I borrow that book? Absolutely! Here you go. How about we go check out one of my empty offices? See if it will work for you for temporary living quarters. To be or not to be. That is the question. Whether tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them. Mr. Shephard is an ocean of troubles. He is an evil man! Surely God doesn't want a scumbag like Shephard representing Him. It's time to take up arms. One more shot of liquid courage. And I'll be ready. Over the lips and past the gums, Lookout, Shephard, here I comes. Hey. What are you guys doin' here? We've been prayin'. It's about an hour now, isn't it? Really? I've been born again. Lukey, that is wonderful! I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just coming here on some business for India. Hey, it's no bother at all. Ah, we're just gonna head out for some dinner. You wanna join us? Oh, I would love to ... Oh, how cozy and how convenient. All the important people in my life in one place. Dad, what are you doing here? Are you drunk again? You are so observant, Lukey boy! I'm on a little mission of vermin control. Luke, we don't want any trouble here. Yeah, I know! But I'm bringin' it! Now, Wonder Boy, can you outrun a bullet? Dad! Have you gone crazy? Crazy? Why would I go crazy? This false preacher teacher man waltzes into town and steals my girl half of my congregation blows up my building project and alienates my son! Why would that make me go postal? Luke, put the gun down. For me, please. Do you love him? What? Do you love him? Yes. Do you want to die with him? Now wouldn't that be romantic? Dad! Put the gun down! OK? You don't want to do this. You're wrong. I've never wanted to do anything more in my whole life! How will shooting him get your dreams back? My dreams are gone! It's a good start. Shut up! A man without dreams is nothing! He's dead! Yeah, I used to think that too until I gave my dreams and my life away to someone who has even bigger dreams for my life. Are you making an altar call to me? I've been talkin' about Jesus for years! Maybe you should try talking to him instead of just about Him. His altar is always open. How would you like for me to open your mind? Literally! Dad! Put the gun ... I should have known. You've stolen everything else from me. Now you've stolen my gun. Go ahead! Use it! Blow me away! I'm not gonna shoot ya. Kill me. I have nothing else to live for! Steal the one last thing that I've got. My blood! Lukey, would you escort Anita out of here? And take this gun with you, please. Are you sure? God's got this under control. Luke, how would you like to turn back the clock to before I came to town and get everything back the way it was? What do you think? Well, you're not gonna be able to get everything back. You can get back your church and your son and maybe even your girl. But you can't get back that arrogance and pride and selfishness. What are you talkin' about? If you want to keep those things that are important in your life, you're gonna have to give 'em away to God. You're gonna have to surrender them. But that will not allow you to keep the arrogance and the pride and the selfishness. So to get them back, I have to give them away? That's it. Who are you? Are you the devil? Are you an angel? He's neither. He's a man after God's own heart. What do you know about that? I'm one, too, now. Lukey, why don't you just let me handle this. OK? No. I'm sorry to disobey you, Pastor Shephard, but this is my dad! And I'm going to be a part of this. (sobbing) (sniffling) I love you, Dad! I want you to know that the acorn is an insignificant little nut that falls to the ground and from it springs a mighty oak tree. You can be that oak! OK? You just have to surrender. You have to die to yourself. How do I do that? I thought you'd never ask. Hey. Are you OK? Yeah. I didn't know whether to call the police or not. Did you? No. I prayed about it and I just didn't have a peace about doing it. That's good, cause we didn't need the police here. The judge has already stepped in on the case. Why do you always speak in riddles? What does that mean? Pastor Luke Wolfe was sentenced to death. And that execution was carried out today. Spiritually speaking. And now, I'd like to take my son and go home. This has been an exhausting day. What am I gonna do with this gun? Oh, I'll take that. We could possibly trade it in at the pawn shop for some A.W. Tozer books. There you go. Anita, I'm so sorry for everything that I've done. Can you please forgive me? I forgive you. I'm gonna suggest that we take all the building fund money and send it to India for those pastors over there that have no building at all to worship in. Wow! That's really nice! Yeah it is. Thank you! You know that I was a wolf in sheeps' clothing. But you came along and helped me find my way back home. What can I possibly do to repay you? You know, as you continue walking with God, you're gonna run into somebody who's just like you. Show them the way. When he wants to thank you, just tell him the same thing I'm telling you. I think that's called 'paying it forward'. Of course. Now, you can drive. I think we've have enough excitement for one day. Yeah. See you later. So now what happens? I mean with the church and everything? This just gonna get swept under the rug? Oh, no. He's gonna confess to his congregation and ask for their forgiveness. But what about you? He pulled a gun on you. Hey, just like street basketball, no blood, no foul. But you know, the man who pulled a gun on me is dead. OK. Did you see the light in his eyes? Oh yeah. I noticed. When God does a makeover job, He does an extreme one. So now you can get back to running Old Rugged Cross church in peace. I'm afraid not. What? While Lukey was talking to his dad, God was talking to me. He's given me a new assignment. In Pennsylvania. Apparently someone there needs my help ASAP. It's so sudden! My work here ended suddenly. Is there any chance that you would take me with you? Oh, Paul was right, you know. Paul? In the Bible? Yeah. He said that it was better to be single to do ministry. You know, I'm a mercenary for the Lord. Have Bible Will Travel reads the card of this man. I can't settle down unless He tells me to. I'm not asking you to settle down. I'll go anywhere that God tells us to go. I won't be a burden. I won't hold you back. I won't be a millstone. Please! Oh, Anita. It's no use. What am I supposed to do? Give it to the Lord. Look around town at the women we have who have no husbands and don't have the physical attributes to attract them, like you do. How do they cope? Well they eat or drink or give their bodies away. I meant cope in a Godly fashion. Oh. Trust the Lord, I guess. Good guess! You just throw yourself into doing God's work and He just might bring along that husband of your dreams while you're doing it. And it could be Luke. Luke? After what he just did? That was the old Luke. Give him a chance. I think you're gonna like the new him. Besides, that thing that attracted you to me he's gonna have that now too. You'll get the whole enchilada. You think? Well, I'm not sure that things will work out between you two, but I know that if you totally surrender to God, He's gonna work things out for the best. I'll always love you, you know. You are truly a special man, Evan Shephard. That's only because I let Jesus live through me. The old me was as bad as the old Luke Wolfe. Well, almost. So, when are you leaving? Sunday. I want to tell my congregation goodbye on Saturday and introduce the new pastor. Ralph Jensen, if he'll take the job. Good morning, Church. Today I'm here to start a new chapter. No, a new book, in my life. And hopefully in yours too. In the past I've talked a lot about what it means to gain the victory. And now I'm here to tell you the truth. That all I counted for gain, I now count as loss. Your pastor is supposed to be a shepherd. Watching over his flock. I've not been a pastor here. I've been the CEO of a well oiled pride and money machine. That time has come to a crashing halt. As a pastor, I should love you all. I used you for my own purposes. And had disdain for you at the same time. I've repented. And I ask each one of you for forgiveness. To show my new found humility, I wish to do something that Jesus did with his disciples the night before he went to the cross and died for our sins. He washed the feet of his disciples. I know that might sound strange to you. Please bear with me. I'm not too proud to do this. Some of you may feel a little uncomfortable. If you do, you might need to speak to the Lord. If you need some help on that one, trust me I've had a lot of practice at that in the last few days. So now, if you would accept my request for forgiveness, I would ask you to come forward now and allow me to wash your feet. Are you sure he's comin' back this way? He has to. His car's right there. I know he will. OK, I'll take your word for it. I hate goodbyes. Oh, there he is now. You hate goodbyes? It makes me sad. Aww. I'm sorry. That was a nice touch with that foot washing ceremony. I'm sorry your congregation didn't respond more favorably, but you know give them a little bit of time. You know, I gotta get going, but I just wanted to stop by and say goodbye to you before I left town. How ironic! A week ago I wanted to run you out of town. Now it's breakin' my heart to see you leave. Well, you know, broken hearts aren't always a bad thing. But, I gotta get goin'. Walk me to my car? I'm there. Me too. OK. Are we gonna keep in contact? Sure! We could use Facebook. I can post all the those exploits that God leads me through. And you can post pictures of your dogs. Can I get in on that action? Absolutely! I'm gonna be real curious where God takes you. Besides I want to be there in case discouragement strikes you, and believe me, it will. The devil has a way of really hammerin' on a guy when he's doin' God's work. Well, this is it. You know, long goodbyes are like pulling band-aids off slowly. I think I'll just spare the hair here, and jump in my car and drive off into the sunset. I thought you were going to Pennsylvania? Right! So I'm gonna head into the sunrise. Pastor Wolfe. Pastor Shephard. I'll miss you. I'll miss you, too. God bless you guys, real good. God bless you. Bye. If I stay any longer, I'm gonna start crying. Safe trip! Awww! We're gonna miss him. I know. So, do I get one of those? One of what? Bear hugs. Not yet. Goldilocks is not ready to let a bear in her heart. Well, I'll wait. Everything in God's perfect timing. So, where you gonna go to church now? Well, I'm thinking that I could go to both churches now. Perfect.
