Ep 112: Don't Fly Solo (w/ Paul Spurlin)

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What can the flight pattern of 
geese teach us about the 

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greatness of the Lord's church? 
Well, our guest this morning is 

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going to tell us all about that 
in just a SEC. 

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Welcome to the show. 
I'm Daniel Dalp and this is for 

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your Sunday morning drive where 
the short podcast with the goal 

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of providing some motivation, 
Dr. and encouragement and 

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helping you recenter your mind 
on those spiritual things on a 

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hectic Sunday morning. 
As I said, we do have a special 

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guest on the show today. 
Joining us this morning is Paul 

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Spurlin. 
Paul is the connections minister

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at the Piedmont Rd. 
Church of Christ in Marietta, 

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GA. 
If you've listened to the show 

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for any length of time, you know
that our podcast is brought to 

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you in partnership by the 
Ministry League network of 

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podcasts. 
Well, all also serves as the 

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president and CEO of Ministry 
League. 

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Speaking of which, all asked me 
to mention that Ministry League 

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has a new app. 
It's been redesigned from the 

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ground up can now be found in 
all app stores by searching the 

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ministry network. 
All also hosts his own podcast 

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and is the Co host of the coffee
conversations with Less and Paul

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show. 
I'll be sure to link to all of 

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this in the show notes of 
today's episode. 

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I found Paul to be a great 
servant of the church, and he's 

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also served our country in the 
US Navy on the aircraft carrier 

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JFK during Desert Storm and 
Desert Shield. 

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All thank you for your service 
and both capacities and for 

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being on the show today. 
Well, let's go ahead and get it 

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on the road. 
This is episode 112. 

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Don't fly solo. 
Let's go to church. 

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One thing I noticed on our way 
to church each morning, we see 

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these birds flying in the air, 
these geese, It's interesting 

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how they, they always seem to be
in a perfect arrow as they're in

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the sky. 
And I can look at these, I'm 

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counting 12345678, almost 20 
geese and the leader is pretty 

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strong. 
What I've noticed is though, 

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there's rotation of the leader, 
the front of the of the of the 

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group of geese. 
If he starts to falter or as his

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wings start to fail or he gets 
tired, it's almost like he's 

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tapped and they rotate out and 
someone else takes the lead and 

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they see to the needs of the one
that was in the lead and they 

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rotate around. 
They move in a formation, they 

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share the strain, they rotate 
the lead and they stay together.

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1 bird helps another bird to 
keep going. 

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This is not by accident. 
This is God intended, and it's 

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also what God intends for His 
people, His church, the family 

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of God. 
You see, too many people try to 

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live the Christian life like a 
solo flight. 

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They want Jesus, but they don't 
want the church. 

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They want strength, but they 
don't want accountability. 

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They want encouragement, but not
vulnerability. 

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They want prayer, but for some 
reason they just don't want 

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people. 
God did not design His children 

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to make it in this world alone. 
This journey is to be with the 

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community, with the village, 
with the church, with the family

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of God. 
Too many folks treat Christian 

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life like a like a buffet. 
Take all the things you like, 

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live all the things you don't. 
How do you live that way? 

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How do you? 
Look forward to eternity that 

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way. 
I look out this window as we 

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drive into church this morning 
and I noticed what a beautiful 

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day it is. 
And it's beautiful to see the 

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nature of God, the power of God,
working every day in our life, 

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whether we see it or recognize 
it or not. 

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You see, so often it's not 
because some folks want 

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isolation, not because they 
don't love God, but because 

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they're trying to obey Him while
staying disconnected from God's 

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people. 
You can't do that. 

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That's why we're on our way to 
church. 

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We're to be with people. 
The inspired writer Luke gives 

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us a perfect example of this in 
Luke 15 verses 4 through 7. 

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Of course you got three of the 
lost in in Luke 15, but four 

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through 7 is the sheep. 
Why does the shepherd leave the 

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99 to go get the one? 
I'll give you 2 good reasons. 

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Number 1, he don't want anybody 
to be lost. 

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They don't want anybody to go 
astray, but #2 he doesn't want 

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anybody to be alone. 
Who's going to help that sheep 

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when it's nowhere near the rest 
of the flock? 

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You see, a Christian isolated 
from the church becomes easier 

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prey to sin and discouragement 
and bitterness and deception 

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that the evil 1 old devil will 
try to throw it our way. 

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Some are separated because of 
pride, because of hurt feelings,

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because of shame, and some 
because they think they can just

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do it on their own. 
I do not understand that because

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Scripture presses back on this 
thinking. 

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God, he says, talks about 
strength that it's found in 

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faithful, loving, transparent 
community. 

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What does God want from his 
family? 

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He wants us to be with one 
another. 

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Ecclesiastes chapter 4 starting 
in verse 9. 

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He says 2 are better than one 
because they have a good reward 

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for their toil. 
For if they fall, one will lift 

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up his fellow, and woe be to him
who is alone when he falls, and 

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has not another to lift him up, 
woe being to him. 

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I think that's a great 
translation to you. 

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Better not do it. 
You better not do it. 

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Don't find yourself being alone 
in this world. 

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We need each other. 
We need to recognize each other 

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and our hurts and our 
celebrations to be there for us 

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no matter what. 
Paul talked to the Roman church 

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and told us it's important to 
weep with those who weep and 

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rejoice with those who do 
rejoice. 

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God makes his people stronger 
together. 

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The Bible message is clear here,
and as as God makes his people 

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stronger together in 
Ecclesiastes 4 as He gives us 

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wisdom, Galatians 6 verse 2 
about bearing one of those 

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burdens gives us responsibility.
And Hebrews 10/24 through 25 

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when He gives us the practice of
being together. 

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This is what He wants. 
He loves us and he wants us to 

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be together because alone in 
this world, they become isolated

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and hurt. 
That's why we're to be stronger 

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together. 
Because when one person grows 

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weary, another says, keep going,
let me help you. 

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When one falls, another one 
lifts him up. 

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When someone forgets hope, 
another reminds him, Jesus is 

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still worth it. 
And ultimately the strongest 

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cord. 
Going back to Ecclesiastes 4, 

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the strongest cord is not you 
and me. 

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It is Christ woven through us 
all. 

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I appreciate the thoughts that 
Paul shared with us this 

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morning. 
Now it's time for you to share 

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yours. 
Our discussion questions for 

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this week are, why do we 
sometimes struggle with 

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relationships with our brethren?
What evidence do we find in the 

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Bible that informs us that 
Christians are Better Together? 

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And what can you do this week to
lift someone up? 

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Hey, thanks for listening. 
Thanks Paul for being on the 

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show today. 
Don't fly solo. 

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If you need encouragement, find 
someone that you can talk to. 

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And if that needs to be us, 
reach out. 

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I hope you have a blessed day 
and I'll see you Sunday.