(0:00)Why I'm done with 'Year of...' declarations
I thank God for 2025 and I'm actually glad it's ending. I'm looking forward to 26. Same. I said to the folks in church that I'm not going to do that. This is our year of or our year of this or our year of that. Because I feel like people many times just get lazy and complacent and they don't seek God for themselves and they're waiting for a man of God to come and say this is the year of this and this is the year of that and then they latch on to that revelation and then nothing happens and then they turn around and say well God didn't do anything. How about you go to God for yourself and seek his face and seek his face for yourself and receive a word for you and anything anybody says becomes a confirmation for what God is saying to you or maybe God is saying something different for you. unfiltered [music] and welcome back to PF unfiltered everyone. I'm Roslin Noha. I'm here with Esther Griffin and we're also here with the PF in unfilter. Why? Why? Okay. Sorry. You guys make me do this thing every time. Okay. Why does she get to say her name and then I don't get to say my own? I can I can say it. We can say it. That's not the problem. Why? I know you can say. Why can't I say it? Okay, we can say. Let's Okay, let's start over. And we're here with the main host. The main host.
(1:17)The struggle of a 'stressful' year
You see, you guys always do something. I think you guys intentionally stem me. [laughter] My name is Fem and he's the lead pastor of New Covenant House Church, the fastest growing church in the Dallas Metroplex. Shout out to today. Can I tell you today if you're watching this episode, I truly [laughter] miss you. I I like like today honestly that whole thing with T-Mac, T- Money, I actually miss it. These guys, oh my god, it's stressing me out. But I mean, this year has been crazy, though. So, it has. It's been an interesting year. Interesting year. I can't believe it's over, but I'm glad it's over. Are you glad? Why are you glad it's over? It's been a stressful year. It is. Tell us why. Where do I start from? Yeah. Yeah. It's just stressful here. Too many things I can't talk about here. Really? But this is P from Filtered. There's still small filter. [laughter] Small filter day. Just a little bit. Just a little bit. A comfier though. Would you say personally or like as a pastor? Um, you know, you started, didn't you start your business this year? No. Oh, you started last year. Okay. Yeah. And it has grown this year though. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It has grown. Yeah. You could say that. Would you say that if we squint? Not if we squint. Oh my goodness. It's crazy. No. Would you say that coming into this year, you imagine that
(2:45)Business: Hobby vs. Millionaire dreams
Barrel Avenue Bakery will be where it is today? Honestly, I had no imaginations about it. I just did it. Right. The thing with business for me is that it's never been my first choice, right? I I I started we started my wife and I became a business because I was always doing it and spending money on it. Mhm. M. So this was just a way to pay for the hobby. Okay. Right. So is it a business? Yes. But it's a business that is designed to pay for itself, not turn me into a millionaire. That's how it started. Now I can see the millions. Okay. Good. Cuz please let's have retire. We will spend the billions. Please, please. No. All the work that you've sewn into our lives, you need to have something that you're taking absolutely. It's it's it's it's growing. Um it's a lot of work. It's But it's growing. It's It's Yeah, it's growing. I'm happy with it. We love the product. The product is really is so yummy. Thank you. I appreciate that. And I know you're not just saying that. I know that the product is really good. And if you were just saying it, it's okay. The product is really good. [laughter] But I know you weren't just saying it. I mean, you just ordered some stuff, right? Yes, I did. Yeah, it's really good. Mhm. She just ordered some stuff. I did. I got some bread. Some three loaves of bread. Yeah. And and and a box of sweet. A box of rolls. Yeah. the producer. She ordered some producers. She ordered some. Yeah. Um Roslin. Yes. She ordered some. I always order whenever the church comes. Like whenever they have it at the at the at She ordered some. Yeah. I didn't even know some of Okay. I can place an order. Order. [laughter] Yeah. Um the best the best bread in Dallas. Breast bread in Dallas. It's really good. Yeah. It's really good. Um to that point, what about you? Did you how was your year? If you had to reflect back on like the year, how would you say your year was? Did you expect was there anything that you expected or didn't expect that happened in 2025?
(4:42)Financial freedom: The 'Every Dollar' debate
Um, I would say that my year went actually started off pretty chill and everything and then I learned a new skill though. I would say that I got a handle on my finances because that was like a big, how do I say, heavy burden on my shoulders. And so when I finally painted a full picture and got it in order, it was like that burden was just lifted and I was just thanking God cuz then I was like, "Okay, this is manageable. I can Did you win the lottery? What happened?" No, I wish. But no, basically cuz I had like a debt and I kept on feeling like I was always paying it off every month and it was not going anywhere. But then um I this is why it's good to have community because I was asking people like do y'all know any financial advisors or whatever and I don't know I feel like this was God but that financial advisor was doing a session for free cuz usually she um charges people. So she taught me this skill for free. taught me how to do my Excel sheet to plan my whole year and then taugh and then let me like put me onto a app so that I can um track my expenses every month and make sure that it's following my yearly plan. What's the app called? Every Dollar app. Every Dollar app. Yeah. So I track every dollar. Interesting. That's really good. Is Yeah. Dave Ramsey. Oh, no. I know. I know. I know. I know. Me. I know. But it's just I just use his app. I just It's just the app. Using his Okay. Yes. Dave Ramsey. [laughter] Anyways, I just use the app and that's there's probably some other apps too, but that's the one I use. I'm sure there's some other apps. Yeah, I'm sure there's looking for them. We're going to discuss this often. [laughter] I need to know this, too. Yeah, me too. But no, like um so I use that app to track every month and then the Excel sheet is for yearly. So, I'm going to be doing my yearly for 2026. And you have to use that app. Like, do you really have to use that app? Can't you find another app? You can. You should use that. Find another app. I mean, I'm just Find another app. I'm used to it. Find another app. [laughter] find another app. Um, okay. Mhm. Yeah. What's your beef with? Uh, yeah, cuz this is really deep. [laughter] But anyway, my producer has wagged his finger. That finger wagging is a don't talk about it. [laughter] So, we shall be discussing it later. Um, but find another appro. Yeah. But no, that's how I I really feel like that was a Let's change topic cuz you have upset me. Um, another thing I'm just I'm just kidding. I'm just I'm just kidding. Is that my relationship with God has been going great also? [laughter] How using that app? So, no, [laughter] actually, yes, I am using an app. It's called the Bible app. Period. Yay. [laughter] I'm sorry. The Bible. Okay. The Bible app. The Bible app is cool. You have beef with the Bible? [laughter] I don't have any beef with the Bible. Yeah. Or the Bible [snorts] app. Okay. I heard they don't make any money off that app. I don't know. Yeah, I don't I never heard of that. Hey. Yeah. Anyways, I heard the CEO talk about it.
(7:37)Reading the Bible: Story vs. Study
Something that I challenged myself was to read the whole Bible. I noticed that in my whole 28 years of life, I've never read the Bible from front to cover. So, this year, from front to cover, from cover to cover. Mhm. [laughter] I'm sorry. I am 25. I'm sorry. I am sorry. I I apologize [laughter] though. Pandora's from cover to cover from a cover to back cover. Yeah, that that thing is so little. It's is the small me. I Guys, please pray for me. I I'm sorry. Amen. [laughter] That one, that one I felt it. You felt it. I'm glad. Anyways, that was my challenge and I'm almost finished and I'm so proud. Where are you in the Bible? So, the way the Bible the one I did is like this one-year plan. So, it gives me um a book in the Old Testament, um Proverbs, Psalms, and then a book in the New Testament. So, right now I'm in Lamentations, a book in um Proverbs, Psalms, and then I think I'm in Titus right now. So, you're going to finish you're going to finish in Yeah. Yeah. Just so we can do like a quiz. Oh, wow. Um a quiz. So, I'm just trying to establish that cuz you know, you can read it but which is No, I feel like I need to reread it again because it's just Well, you just read it. Do you understand what you're reading? No, bridge through it. No, [laughter] no, because there's reading in there and there studying. Yeah, there's like reading and then So, I'm reading it right now. I'm reading like a story and then the next time I'm going to read I need to study like cuz right now I'm reading it to like understand and all that stuff cuz I didn't I I'll tell you. I'll tell you. Okay. Don't ignore me giving you a hard time. It's actually what I did. I read it like a story and I read it again properly. So So you're you're doing great. Proud of you. Thank you. Just that app. I don't know why you have to use that app. Anyway, let's wrap it up. But you're doing great. Thank you. [laughter] My year was good. Um I It was good.
(9:35)Faithfulness in the valley
Yeah. Um and I say it was good because um God was really faithful this year. Amen. Um this year I wasn't faithful, but God was faithful. Um, and coming into 2025, I don't know if I can say I had a plan or like I knew what the year wouldn't take. Like I just came in just like whatever happens happens. Um, and whatever happened happened. I think the lack of planning or like having something to look forward to or like planned for the year was I'm not going to do that going into 2026. Um but this year um and this is it might be triggering for some. I suffered with
(10:13)Dealing with depression and work
depression with work. Um we had an episode a couple of weeks ago um one of our older episodes talking about like just having faith when it comes to your job. And um I couldn't remember before, but as we were talking now, I just remember like that episode was really meaningful to me because, you know, I I struggled a bit, but I got the confidence and I had confidence in my God that he would hold me and he's been holding me. Um and so this year, the word that you gave us last year, even though you're not giving us a, you know, a word for the church this year, um was around like where you where there's no rain, the valley shall be filled. And there was no rain but the valley was filled. And so um amen for that I can like God was really faithful. Um and I held on to I I I would say that's the like the word that I held on to that this year in 2025. So um overall, you know, it was really hard. Uh but God has held me, right? Yeah. So I think for me the the the um 2025 for me is is is one year where I have really not had any expectations in the sense that I've not had a list of things I wanted the Lord to do. My my attitude was you know what I'm just going to rest in the Lord. You know, when you're on a you're on a in a river, right, and you let the river just take you wherever it wants. Yeah. That's kind of like my mindset.
(11:46)Floating on the river of God's love
Mhm. I've kind of been just floating on on the Lord. And I'm not You guys know I'm not super spiritual in any way like that. I just was just going to trust in the fact that God loves me. Yeah. And I would put effort into the things that were already in my hands. Mhm. And the things that he adds to me. Yeah. and you know trust that I will be fruitful. Yeah. Which fruitful? I think so. I think so. I think that this has been a a really fruitful year. Mhm. Um I think it's been a a a tough year. Mhm. Mhm. We the economy has been difficult for people. Yeah. People are losing jobs. You know, people are going through difficult times. And none of it was a surprise. 2024 I kept saying this was going to be a tough year. Yeah. But and that's where that word came from. There will be no you will not see rain or hear the wind but yet the river will be full. Yeah. And that has been the testimony of a lot of people that even though this the prevailing environment has been hostile. Mhm. Yet we have thrived. Yeah. You know, so I I thank God for 2025 and I'm actually glad it's ending. um looking forward to 26. Same. I I I said to the folks in church that I'm not going to do that. This is our year of or our year of this or a year of that because I feel like people many times just get lazy and complacent and they don't seek God. Yeah. For themselves and they're waiting for a man of God to come and say this is the year of this and this is the year of that and then they latch on to that revelation and then nothing happens and then they turn around and say well God didn't do anything. How about you go to God for
(13:30)Your 2026: Take ownership
yourself and seek his face and seek his face for yourself and receive a word for you and anything anybody says becomes a confirmation right for what God is saying to you or maybe God is saying something different for you you know what I mean but go to God yourself so I I don't intend to come and do our year of this or that 2025 was our year of fruitfulness and I believe that we've been fruitful in many different ways in different areas of our lives but 2026 Six is you and God, man. [laughter] This is the year of you and God. Everybody [clears throat] should you hear about it. Yeah. Um in terms of like you're not just like did you have if you think about PF unfiltered did you have any episodes that you can recall that are like your favorite? You know one of the things I find that that happens to me is that I don't remember these things. Yeah. Right. I don't remember the episodes. Mhm. I can go back and watch it, right? Particularly if somebody accuses me of something that you said this and I'll go back and I'll be like, did I really say that? But um I think I remember one where we had a lot of fun. [laughter] Oh lord. Yeah. Well, you had a lot of fun in a lot of episodes. I remember one where I had a lot of fun. Um we're talking about um red flags and petty petty. That that was a funny episode recording. It was funny. Yeah. Um, the one that turned out to be a big controversy, the one about materialistic countries. Yeah, that was funny. They won't [clears throat] even let me forget that one if I want to forget it. [laughter] Um, yeah, I I think the one about depression. Um, the one we've had a lot of really good episodes. I don't know if I would say that one was my particular favorite. Every episode has been great cuz, you know, I work with an awesome team. You guys, I tease you guys a lot, but you guys are fantastic hanging out with you guys. Thank you. Oh, thank you. It's always always the highlight of my week cuz you guys don't I was about to say you guys don't stress me, but I'm not allowed to lie. [laughter] You know, you guys, but you guys are cool. You guys are really really cool and I'm really grateful for this team. Um, not everybody's here in the studio right now, but all of you, I'm grateful for you, including start getting paid. [laughter] Honestly, I like that question. um producer. Why are you turning that way now? [laughter] All the sponsorship that Bar Avenue has done. Alpha [laughter] even bar revenue has not been paid. We we have not we have not gotten one customer [laughter] from this show. So leave bar to this. But but you know I I believe that God has good things in store for us. Amen. And if this podcast is going to be a vessel for him to bless us materally, then so be it. But I think for all of us, and I speak for all of us, we don't do this because of the money. If we did, we wouldn't be doing this. Yeah. You know, it's because we actually think that some of the things that we talk about need to be talked about. It's kind of like a forum. Yeah. To express what we know is on the minds of many people, you know, and and I think that's important. And uh PF has grown. Yeah. You know, 16.5,000 youth subscribers. Are you serious? Yes. No, you're kidding. 16.5K. Oh, wow. Woo. And I think on Instagram, we started off like what what less than 300 and now we're like almost like what? 6K. So, follow us on Instagram, y'all. Follow us on Well, it's doing badly in terms of the followership and subscription. It's growing. Yeah. How many subscribers on YouTube? 16. She just 16. 16. Wow. What about on the Instagram? on Spotify, Apple. We talk about [laughter] subscribe, subscribe, subscribe, subscribe on filter. Yeah. But we we've grown. I mean, when I say we've grown, I'm talking about we've grown, not just in terms of subscribers and followers, but in terms of even the conversation. Yeah. You know, and and and the the the the podcast. I'm really really grateful to God, you know, for our production team. Um they've got funny haircuts, but you know, we love them. Wait, what? I would even say even as people like I've said this before, but I feel like I've really grown as a believer and just like um Yeah. When you when we started you were just you borderline you Jesus adjacent. Jeez. Now you are Jesus ging. Is that so? Yeah. Yeah. You were that's why they brought you here so that you can [laughter] so you can be saved. No, but No, but I actually relate to that cuz I'm such a b I feel like I'm such a baby Christian. But um I really been learning so much from here and I'm so grateful for this podcast cuz um I'm so Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Like so grateful. But yeah, one of my memorable episodes though is that um I also like that red flags thing. But one thing that took away from it was this prayer that you said that whenever you're meeting someone new and they're taking an interest. Um you said that God like this is the prayer and I say it all the time is um God I don't know this person but nothing ever gets past you. Let my eyes see what they need to see and let my ears hear what they need to hear. And don't let my fleshy desires take over. Let your spirit take over. And I promise you that prayer has been so great. So if you want to use it before you go on a first date or somebody's just talking to you. No, no, no, no. There's copyright on that prayer. [laughter] It's a powerful prayer. It like literally just I feel like it just calms you down and you really just go in there with a calm it grounds you. You just go in there in a calm mind and just getting to know the person and just being there. So it helps. But anyways, that's good. I'm glad I'm glad we've been useful. Yeah, we are wrestling to to to abide. [laughter] Labor to enter into his rest. We are laboring to enter. God will help us. Amen. Amen. Um so to that point, I want to know if um like we've talked about, you know, looking back on the year, um the things that we've learned, what it's taught us. Um, I do. Well, apart from what the Lord has done, have you learned anything that was really substantial that you feel like you didn't necessarily think about coming into 2025? For me, I have learned I've always known this and I think a lot of Christians know this, right? It's we've been taught this. What you sow you reap, you know, um, is that karma? H that's another word for it's similar or what goes around comes around. Yeah. What you sow you reap the Bible says sea time and harvest time. Mhm. Right. Um it's it's actually a very profound thing. You know we all understand the laws of gravity. What goes up must come down. We can phrase it in many different ways. Yeah. But there's a law that I I used to think in terms of when bad things happen or when stuff happens. Let say bad things. The devil is trying to get you. God is not happy with you. But if you are in Christ, the devil can't touch you. Mhm. Right. And God can't punish you because he already punished Christ. Yeah. So sometimes when stuff happens, check what you have sown. Right. Good or bad. Yeah. Check what you have sown. And many of us don't realize the implications of some of the things that we do. Right. It's not about God or the devil. M. It's about if you jump off a 10-story building, the devil doesn't need to do jack. And God doesn't have to do jack. Yeah. You will smash your head on the ground. It is what it is. It's the law of gravity. Right. And it's the same thing with the law of seed time and harvest time. What you sow, you reap. And if you sow good seeds, you will reap a good fruit. And if you sow bad seeds, you will reap bad um fruit. The Bible says, "Sow your seed in the morning and do not withhold your hand in the evening." Yeah. Meaning that sometimes you might get away with doing something bad and not experience a consequence for it. Or you might do something good and not experience a blessing for it. Right? But when you experience it, good or bad, you experience it. So it's always better to sew good seeds, right? And that's how I intend to live my life in 2026, right? making sure that and I guess this comes from the whole idea of fruitfulness you know when you're looking to be fruitful you become a lot more intentional about what you are sowing right um if you want to be fruitful financially then you have to be intentional about what you are sowing you know financially and if you want to be fruitful in relationships you want to be intentional about your sewing in relationships right that's one thing that I'm that I'm taking away right and I know that this is not the new revelation so before you come for me and say your day just a break. My day has broken since, but it was highlighted for me in a in a profound way in 2025. Yeah. And I think we can never know it all. Right. To your point, like something there there are things that God may have told us or may have taught us at a certain time, but then you see that thing come back up again. Yeah. Because we need to be taught that thing that thing needs to be embedded into our hearts. Yeah. And [clears throat] it applies to different scenarios. It applies to different things in different scenarios. Yeah. Um I think with God, what I've learned is there's no oneizefits-all. Yeah. And even with that, I've also learned that like multiple like I look at us as like the body of Christ as soldiers in Christ. And I've realized that some soldiers, depending on where you're located, could be experiencing the same thing. Mhm. And so, you know, you're not necessarily alone in that place. there other soldiers that have been sent out with you um to do a particular project or start a business whatever it is right multiple people can be experiencing the same thing at any given time um and so I've learned that yeah like you're not the only one that's going through things other people are going through things oh absolutely it's a it's it's it's it's a level of arrogance I even think to think you're the only person right going through difficulty or going through a blessing Yeah, there are tons of people going through it. You know the challenge we have is to think we are is to live in isolation. If you live in isolation, you will experience in isolation, right? But when you live in community, you'll find out that your experiences are not as profound. Yeah. In their impact on you, right? Because then you see other people going through it and then you may also be able to learn from how they have managed it. Mhm. Right. One of the challenges that we have is we don't get as as as small as the world has become. Mhm. With social media and the internet, you would expect that we're able to learn from other people's experiences. Yeah. So that our experiences, we have a better perspective on them. But the truth is that's not what's happening. No, we're actually more isolated than ever even though the world has gotten smaller. So people are going through things that they feel like they're the only person going through it, right? You feel like you're the only one on this planet suffering through what you're suffering through. But the reality is in your church, [laughter] I tell folks all the time, we have a proverb in in in in Yoruba that says when all the lizards are laying down, right, you don't know the one that has bellyache until it's it's dead. Yeah. Right. And I always say as a pastor, I know everybody that is having bellyache. And I promise you, it's not only you, right? If you're going through trouble in your marriage, you're not the only one. And not just that you're not the only one. The specific kind of trouble you are going through. Somebody else. Someone else is going through it. Financially, career-wise, physically, you are hardly ever the only person going through it. Right. And it's hard. Mhm. When you don't know that, you know, you start to think that God has singled you out. Yeah. For for his displeasure. And then all of us are going through it. I think I've been reminded of that. Like you're not the only one that's going through things. Talk to people. Yeah. Be in community. Yeah. You know, um reach out to your pastors. I I heard that there are people that are scared to talk to their pastor because they feel like their pastors are not like um reachable. Like I I don't understand why you would go to a church, right, and the person who prays for you, right, you can't approach him to tell him to pray for you. Yeah. Or or you go to a church and the pastor is so far from you. Yeah. I I I struggle with that. Your shepherd is not supposed to not know you. Yeah. That's that's how that's how I grew up. That's why I say like you're literally the first pastor that I feel like I can literally talk to. I can come to your office and be like, "Hey, PF, can we talk?" You be like, "Yeah, come in." Like, but that's the way it should be. It should be like that. But I grew up where I had to I couldn't go to the It seemed like the I didn't even know where the pastor's office was. He'll go through one door and it just become closed. [laughter] Can Can I be honest with you? Can I be And then he has his people standing in front of the door like this. I'm like, "Ah, can I can I So, can I be honest with you? It's two things. It's sometimes sometimes, right, it's people projecting their insecurities on the pastor. The pastor has no problems with you being they're not trying to not be approachable, right? Right. It's just people have this dread you know if I go say hi to the pastor he will see my sins right so let me just day my day because before somebody starts to prophesy what I was doing on Friday night [laughter] you know that that's that's one thing then there's also this sometimes a pastor keeps a distance from folks because familiarity they say brings contempt so you kind of stay back because you don't want people to get over familiar because then they don't take you seriously right So it's it's it's problematic from both ends. Um but I think I think it's important that if you are going to pray for me, you have to know me. And if I'm going to pray for you, I should know you. I can pray for a stranger, but every day I'm praying for you as a generic, you know, all the members of my No, I I want to know the folks I interact with. So I I I don't see the need for I don't need you to I don't I don't need that mystery. Yeah. You get I don't I don't need it. Um it's it's uh I don't know. I think folks um folks need to just relax and realize that in this world they're going to have challenges and we're all having the challenges together. Yeah. You know, and we will all come out of it. Yeah. You know. God will help us. Amen. Remy? Um me? Yeah. Something that you've learned apart from the financial part of it, right? Cuz we know you've taken that from it, but like I guess I'll ask what is something you're taking into 2026? Um, something I'm also taking into 2026 is um, not being like over not overthinking slashfear cuz I feel like a lot of times when I want to make a decision, I'm thinking so much about it to the point where like I froze and I don't make a decision and then I'm like thinking about, oh my gosh, what if people say this or what if I fail? But what if I and I just so I want to take it to 2026 of like just do it and see what happens when you once you do it. Not just start thinking about it and thinking what happened the results like you haven't even done anything for the results to even be there. So yeah. Yeah. I I I feel like sometimes we I I'm a firm believer right in when we identify behavioral patterns that are not productive in ourselves before we do this. um resolutions that we do trying to identify why I have that pattern of behavior. Mhm. And then going to God and saying help me. If you don't like the fruit on a tree, sometimes the problem is not the branches the root right and I always feel like if I can get to the root of why I am doing what I am doing. Fear for example, fear is a manifestation of something else. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. So you not trying to do things or you allowing yourself to overanalyze it, right? There's a root to it. There's something beyond overanalysis. There's something beyond what will people think, right? And when you find that and you deal with that, it will permeate. It will touch every area of your life. Yeah. Right. So God may highlight your inability to follow through on a task, right? So that you can get to the root of it. And when you get to the root of it, you will solve more problems than the one you think you came to solve, right? You'll find out that man, this affects everything, right? But right now, he's using this thing to draw your attention to it. But don't miss the opportunity. dig dig dig deep and find out why is it it's not just I overthink it. No, there's a reason why you're overthinking it, right? There's a reason why you overthink it and God wants to get to that reason. And that's the thing I want to say to everybody who's listening today. When you highlight when you when God draws your attention to a character trait that produces contrary fruit, don't be content with making a New Year's resolution. Right? M the reason why they don't last is because they're very superficial solutions to deep problems. Yeah. Right. Go to the root of that thing and if you can get to the root of it with the help of the Holy Spirit, I promise you, you'll find out that it is touching much more than the issue that brought you to investigate in the first place and I it will it will it will it will set you free from a lot more than you think it will set you free from. That's good. Don't be [clears throat] scared what you find. Exactly. [laughter] You know what I'm looking forward to in 25? Yeah. Community. 26. 26. Community. Ooh. Yeah. I I I think that one of the things that from what you said, right, one of the things that is is is missing for a lot of people as small as the world is Mhm. through um the internet is community. So what we have on social media is a fake community. Fake is a strong word, right? But it is not as effective a community as we can have in our relationships in our physical relationships. Church after the pandemic a lot of it moved online. Mhm. And what it then did right was give us a false sense of community. We became spectators. Mhm. Not participants. Yeah. Right. And it's the same thing with relationships and friendships. Right. That we think, oh, we're Facebook friends. We're so Instagram. We follow each other on Instagram. Yeah, it gives you a a taste of it but not the substance of it. Right. And I want us to move away from depending on social media for the basis of community because really it does not fill our souls. Can we specify godly community? Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. Right. But even godly community, right? We we have um um house fellowships, small groups on social media, but people are still longing for community. People they we have that on social media. Every everybody has some community on social media. People that are longing for community, they're also not doing the work. Like they see it as a if something's inconveniencing them. If it's too far, it's like you need to be to create a community, you need to inconvenience yourself. Absolutely. Like you need to go and do that. That's what social media does. No, I agree with what social media does. What what the internet does is that it gives you like it's like an inoculation, right? It gives you just enough to think that you are doing something. Yeah. But not enough to give you the benefits of it. So people Yeah. Right. So people will be on a on a group chat and talk talk talk talk and feel like, "Oh my god, I'm so tired." But they're still so lonely because the group chat has met a need that makes you think the whole need has been met. Right. Right. It's like you're hungry and all you do, right, is just eat one bean or one pee, right? Or one piece of one grain of rice and you're thinking, "Oh, I've eaten." No, you have not eaten, right? You have just gone through the motions of eating, but there is no substance. Yeah. And a lot of people on social media are lonely as heck, right? Christians who do the spectator thing, right? Don't feel like they're spectators. They don't feel like they're spectators. They feel like, you know, I'm looking at the service, but I'm not participating in it. Yeah. I'm watching it and when I'm tired of I don't like what the pastor is saying, I'll flick to the next channel. Yeah. Right. I don't like the song the choir is singing, I'll flick to the next song. Right. And you find out that [laughter] shady, you know. So you you find out that really Yeah. You don't like the folks in this group. You you you you leave the group. Mhm. You know, like Roslin said, uh a form of community without the power, a form of godliness, no power. And that is what is happening now, right? So people are in groups and in communities in quotes but they are still lonely. Yeah. Why? Why are we so lonely with the amount of time we spend on social media? Yeah. All we do on social media is spectate. Yeah. And make comments. People don't know who you are. So you talk nonsense. [laughter] People you know you know. So at the end of the day and filter comments whatever. Honestly if if if you're really upset with somebody and you tell them to their face Yeah. that you're really upset, there's a satisfaction you get, right? Then go on social media and just spout a ton of nonsense at the time. Even after you are done talking all the nonsense that you would never say to their face, you're not satisfied. You even feel stupid. Yes. Because so so you try and stir up the most negative thing you can say, but you're still not satisfied. Yeah. Because that human interaction is critical for humanity. That's good. So I I intend as a as a pastor um to to lean heavily 2026 into community, real community, not spectator community. Yeah. You know, as a as a person, I intend to build my own personal relationships. Yeah. A lot. Um lean into it a lot more than I have done. So you're coming for Thanksgiving 2026. Where? To my house. Oh, absolutely. If you invite me, you're invited. Okay. We have this. You're invited. [laughter] Yeah. Are we going to have real turkey or wings? I'm just I want to know. The turkey wings from my sasson in Salina, Texas. That's what we I like my sass. So my shas Oh, sorry. Yeah. But but my American accent flats are flats. The chicken is I mean the turkey is good. I I I the talk is good but I'm not coming to your house to eat turkey wing [laughter] like my struggle days are over. God has God has lifted me up. Amen. Um but yeah um so just to just to look forward I think u one of the things I'm looking forward to to 2026 is um I'm going to create a plan. I think that's that's what I'm looking at. Creating a plan for what I want 2026 to be. Um, and actually trying to follow the goals that I put in place. Amen. So, I started a business. The Lord has given me a business in 2025. And so, what goals am I going to put in place and actually follow through? Cuz I feel like I'm so spontaneous. I just be going with the flow all the time. Yeah. I be on a river. I need to put That's powerful. You know, that that's really good cuz I used to be the other way around. So, for me, being on the river was necessary. Yeah. So, I have peace. Yeah. You need to get off the river and make some goals, man. Anyway, anyhow, I'm just like here flowing. But I feel like it's important for me to do that. And I feel like God is strategically putting people in my um in my stratosphere atmosphere to be able to do that. So, that's what I'm looking for for 2026. Awesome. Oo. I'm also looking forward to integrating myself into the Dallas community, period. Right. Yeah. cuz I feel like I haven't really been doing that. Why is it a godly Is it a godly community you want to integrate yourself into? You just integrate yourself into anything. Mhm. I'm going to integrate myself into the godly community and then and then have my social circle from there as well so that I can have my friends here cuz all my friends are in Houston. Wait, do you know there's a singles event that's coming up? Yeah, the Christmas event. Mhm. See the way she said it. Did you see the way she said it? And she wants to integrate. You better do better. Do better so you can be better. It starts now. I'm just You are the one that said people don't want to make the effort. Okay. Uhhuh. I need to find an outfit. December. You [laughter] need to find an outfit. Yes. December. You see, that's a good thing. You don't need just come as you are. No. I'm not coming as I am. I'm going to look cute. Thank you. The whole [laughter] thing and pull up. Beat your face. This is not Oh, you mean makeup. Makeup. [laughter] Oh. Oh. Oh, that's where it comes from. Beat your face. Yes. Beat me. Ah, PS, please. I I I I had no idea. I'm the guy that called Lace Fabric. [laughter] No way. I I I I I Oh my god. Ever. No, but No, I'm excited. I'm excited for 2026. I think I feel like 2025 went by so fast, but I think I think 2026, you know, the Bible says that if the days were not shortened, even the elect would be deceived. Say that again. If the days were not short shorter, even the elect will be deceived. We're in the end times. By the way, 2026 is not going to be a cakewalk. Just in case anybody's thinking that because6 quick. I hear the sound or horses and it's not it's not good. But anyway, wait. Well, I guess it's not good for those that are not lab in Christ. Even the very elect will be tested. No problem. As long as we labor to be I'm having hope in Christ that he will keep me. Me and him we just we just became solid like how you have said this thing. What has resonated with my soul is that if I'm in Christ I won't have a problem. Yeah that's what and no here's the here's the point of view this world you will have tribulations. No you will have tribulations. But this is the point of view that I'm I am coming at it from is that the Lord is with me. I'm not alone. And even though it is it may be hard. Yes. But there's hope at the end of the day. Like that's what I'm I don't have to do it by myself. He will kill people. I say I I say this so that people one of the word that we got while we were praying a couple of weeks ago was to put on the whole armor of God. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, if you're a Christian and you're watching this at the end of 2025, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, right? Put on the helmet of salvation. Yeah. The breastplate of righteousness. Carry the shield of faith. Hold on tight to the sword of the spirit. Make sure that you have your loins gathered about with the belt of truth. And make sure that your feet are properly shred with the sandals of the gospel of peace. The Bible says with the shield of faith we quench the fiery dots. There will be plenty in 26. And I'm not saying that to scare anybody. I'm just telling you that it will not be a cakewalk. We have all these expectations. And somehow the church sometimes we expect to be exempt from it. Sometimes God doesn't exempt us for from it. Yeah. We thrive in it. Mhm. But we experience it. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Oh, that's good. One prayer point. Sorry. One prayer point I want you to to pray when you pray for yourself. Ask God to teach your hands, your fingers to war. Yeah. That's good. Okay. Sorry to end on a positive note. That's a good note. A tough note. Yeah. But it's a good note. Yeah. It's a good note. Take my fingers to war. I I think we don't have a we don't God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. And I think information helps us to have a sound mind. Yeah. And and Bible says, "Woe unto them that are at ease in Zion." We're too we're too complacent as a church. You know, we're so wrapped up with our soft life mentality that when the enemy comes in like a flood, we're not even aware. We're not even aware. We don't know that the Lord will raise up a standard, you know, and we're not um we're not even turning to the Lord to raise up a standard. So, sharpen your prayer skills, you know, sharpen your knowledge of the word. They're going to need it. We're going to need it in 26 and the year's coming. Anyway, [laughter] I just want to say this. If you need a place to if you need a church, we're here. If you're here in Dallas, pull up to New Covenant House. Pull up. Um, we do prayers in the morning. And this is just like unplugged. Shameless plug. We do prayers in the morning. Um, if you're looking for community, we have a really, really good community everywhere. People are from different places. so you can find your n your your niche and your people to do life with. Um so we're a safe place here and um we love you guys. Thank you guys for all the support over the last couple of months. We appreciate you guys. Comment, like, subscribe, share, um email um if you want to be a sponsor in 2026. You can reach out to us at sponsorspilter.com. Yep. And happy holidays. Happy holidays. Merry Christmas and a happy new year. What's happy holidays? Which happy holidays? Merry Christmas and happy new year. You people are the problem. What about happy holidays? Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. Happy holidays. Call Holiday. [laughter] Somebody can say happy holidays again. No. No. Merry Christmas. Happy New [laughter] Year. Bye, guys. Is the ramen. It's the ramen. Unfiltered.