WHAT UP, ODB FAM! MY NAME IS DARREN
AND I'M A PASTOR IN SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA,
BUT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, I WAS MOSTLY A LOST DOG
SPENDING WAY TOO MUCH TIME ON THE COUCH,
HAVING A FEW TOO MANY DRINKS SO I COULD SLEEP AT NIGHT,
AND WONDERING HOW I ENDED UP IN THIS PLACE.
AND JUST A SIDE NOTE: DON'T BE AFRAID TO HIT ME UP
IN THE COMMENTS IF YOU'RE IN A SPOT LIKE THAT RIGHT NOW.
I GET IT! SEE, WHEN YOU'RE BROKEN, YOU DON'T WANNA TALK TO
THE PERFECT PERSON WHO HAS IT ALL TOGETHER.
YOU WANT SOMEBODY WHO CAN RELATE.
SO TRUST ME, I CAN RELATE. I WANTED TO GIVE UP.
SEE, AT THE TIME I WAS A FORMER PASTOR.
FIRED, EMBARRASSED, DISCOURAGED, MAD, HURT, CONFUSED,
AND READY TO GIVE UP ON WHAT I KNEW WAS MY CALLING IN LIFE.
SO I DECIDED I WAS GOING TO GO CHASE THE MONEY,
MAKE A NAME FOR MYSELF, AND PROVE MYSELF TO ALL THE HATERS.
YOU EVER BEEN THERE?
SEE, I HAD THIS GREAT JOB AT A GREAT CHURCH,
LEADING A LOT OF STUDENTS. I LOVED MY ROLE.
I LOVED MY CHURCH. I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE STAYED FOR LIFE.
MY TEMPERAMENT STYLE IS FIERCELY LOYAL.
ONCE I'M ON YOUR TEAM, I'M IN THE TRENCHES WITH YOU
AND WE ARE DOING BATTLE TOGETHER.
WHICH IS ALSO WHY IT'S DEEPLY PAINFUL FOR ME TO HEAR
THAT SOMEONE ELSE'S LOYALTY HAS RUN OUT.
AND I KNOW YOU WANT TO KNOW THE JUICY DETAILS
OF WHAT HAPPENED, BUT IT'S NOT THAT SPICY.
I SAID SOME THINGS I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID,
I DIDN'T LIKE SOME OF THE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS,
AND IT TURNED OUT THAT I WAS THE ODD MAN OUT.
MY SERVICES WERE NO LONGER WANTED OR NEEDED,
WHICH WAS INCREDIBLY PAINFUL BECAUSE I'D WORKED SO HARD.
I'D GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND IN WHAT FELT LIKE HUNDREDS,
IF NOT THOUSANDS, OF MOMENTS IN MY TIME THERE.
BUT IN THE END IT WAS ME WHO HAD TO SWALLOW
THE REJECTION PILL, AND SO I WANTED TO GIVE UP.
IF THAT'S HOW CHURCH PEOPLE TREAT YOU
WHEN YOU WORK REALLY HARD AND MAKE A COUPLE MISTAKES,
THEN I WAS DONE WITH THOSE PEOPLE.
I WAS GIVING UP.
BUT GOD WASN'T ABOUT TO GIVE UP ON ME.
SEE, I NEEDED TO GROW.
I NEEDED TO CHANGE.
I NEEDED TO FEEL LOSS. I NEEDED TO ENDURE SOME HARDSHIP.
I NEEDED TO STRUGGLE AND
I NEEDED TO WANT TO GIVE UP AND ALMOST QUIT.
I NEEDED TO FEEL LIKE I WAS KINDA USELESS
AND LOST AND SHIPWRECKED IN MY LIFE.
I NEEDED DISCIPLINE AND THAT'S NOT ALWAYS FUN.
SOMETIMES IT HURTS. THE WRITER OF HEBREWS SAYS IT LIKE THIS:
"NO DISCIPLINE SEEMS PLEASANT AT THE TIME, BUT PAINFUL.
"LATER ON, HOWEVER, IT PRODUCES
"A HARVEST OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE
"FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED BY IT."
AND MAN, DID I GET TRAINED BY IT.
I NEEDED THE DISCIPLINE BECAUSE GOD HAD MORE
IN MIND FOR MY FUTURE.
HE HAD LEADERSHIP IN MIND.
HE HAD A NEW PLACE, NEW PEOPLE, NEW OPPORTUNITY.
AND HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING
WHEN HE ALLOWED MY STORY TO UNFOLD AS IT DID.
TODAY I'M LEADING A CHURCH IN SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THE PEOPLE OF MY NEW CITY, THEY'RE HURTING.
MANY HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES OVER TO THINGS THAT CAN HURT THEM.
THERE'S A LOT OF PAIN AND A LOT OF HOPELESSNESS.
THE VERY THINGS I JUST WALKED THROUGH AND SURVIVED
ARE THE VERY THINGS I'M SPEAKING TO TODAY.
RECENTLY WE DID A FOUR-PART SERIES CALLED,
"FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T GIVE UP."
MY OLDER BROTHER IS AN ARTIST
AND I STOLE THAT LINE FROM ONE OF HIS PAINTINGS,
AND IT'S BECOME OUR RALLY CRY AS A CHURCH
AND I WANTED TO PASS IT ON TO YOU.
AS YOU AND I ENGAGE THROUGH THESE DEVOTIONALS
IN THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS,
YOU'RE GONNA TO HEAR ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO ENDURE,
TO BE STRONG, TO NOT GIVE UP, BUT RATHER,
PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD. HANG ON TO HIM
AND FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DO.
SOMETHING GOOD IS COMING,
AND I AM SO GLAD I DIDN'T GIVE UP.
I'M RIGHT WHERE GOD HAD IN MIND
WHEN HE WALKED ME THROUGH THE SEASON
THAT FELT SO DIFFICULT,
AND HE KNOWS RIGHT WHERE HE'S LEADING YOU, AS WELL.
SO UNTIL NEXT TIME, SUBSCRIBE TO THESE VIDEOS. FOLLOW ALONG.
LISTEN DAILY AND DON'T GIVE UP!