Q&A Market Place Ministry - Treg & Luly McCoy

So Treg and I are curious because we thought Pastor Peter's Approach to Christians in the marketplace was very very interesting And so we just want to ask maybe a couple of people out there Like what was your main takeaway like what hit you that had not hit you before about? This particular idea of being a Christian in the marketplace anybody Mary One second Mary, we're just gonna bring you a mic There was just one thing that hit me towards the end in regards to what you just said That's how nations are discipled as we go out we have our sphere of influence and How God gave us the gifts that we have in them in the marketplace and How we are to use those gifts with accountability and with with his wisdom and his guidance and That we are to multiply those gifts and use them responsibly To Influence our circle around us now Mary. I know you're a teacher So when you go out there teach every day, do you think you're discipling nations? I Did not have that awareness I didn't think so. It's a totally different point of view. Yes, and It's just such a refresh Refreshing point of view Perspective that he gave us. I'm so grateful for it No, it's funny because when Louie asked you the question because I knew you were a teacher too But I had to say I have watched this video four times. I Heard it very differently tonight Then I did the other three other four times Because there's something about what God is trying to speak to us

Just what you just said I didn't see myself that way as a teacher because what caught me tonight and I think as He started in one place and walked us through this It was the idea that you that the book of your rock the book book of your life was written Before you were born. So the idea I mean honestly just to be Transparent I get nervous to do stuff like this and I don't like being up here. I don't like this There's parts of this that I struggled through but when I realized Tonight is already written Everything about to every single one of you that is here is here by purpose So there's a reason why you're here There's a reason why Mary is teaching in the school that she's teaching in living in Riverdale doing everything that she's doing daily Everything and daily a kingdom purpose and a kingdom because one of the things that I think pastor Peter Brings is we all think Christian in the marketplace. This is about how I stand and this is about I am a witness This is about what I do. He has nothing to do with what you do. It's who you are Which was already written by God So what what I loved about what he did with Christians in marketplace is he's saying you have to know who you are It starts with identity Before you were born before you existed he Decided that you were going to have this calling this destiny this purpose in your life And sometimes you're at work thinking what am I doing here? I hate this job You know and God knew you were gonna be there on that day, but now that you know that That your your attitude in that place is gonna be totally different It doesn't matter what you do. You could be the janitor in that job, or you could be the CEO But he wrote it before you were born You know and even think about what he was when he was talking about David because to me David is a great example because Man after God's own heart all these things, but when you think about the sin When you think about the things he did The same things those were written as well

It wasn't like those pages were inserted. They were written before So even when you realize like Louie's saying where you feel like you're failing where you feel like you can't like I was talking to Somebody last week about the this sin that I can't get over. I keep doing the same thing, and I know that it's wrong I don't want to do that That's also written. You know so but there's a critical thing to a site Mary. We're using you as an example This was not scripted, but is the idea that when you he said something really important you You're chosen, but you choose to be chosen That was a huge If you caught that, that was huge, huge. But here, anybody else have something to say? And he brings that whole many are called, but few are chosen, which we all had thought it was something completely different. Like some are lucky, and I am not. Because why do we think God operates that way? But anyhow, there's someone on this side. Can someone tell us what takeaway, what hit you about what Pastor Peter taught about the marketplace and being a Christian in it? Anybody? Push it up, Debbie. Testing. There you go. That's good. Well, I'm not so young anymore. But I'm a professional. I work in cybersecurity and IT. And what really kind of resonated with me was there's a lot of pressure with people getting laid off by the tens of thousands. And you think you have this incredible pressure

to pry open opportunity and pry open your future because you feel like, oh, maybe I've been forgotten about, that I'm not chosen. So I know I'm saved, but am I chosen for a specific purpose? Especially for myself, where you grow up and you think, certainly God has a plan for my life. And so it was really refreshing to hear from Pastor Peter because it wasn't like this abandonment. In fact, it's a promise. It's a promise. It's Jeremiah 29 11. Because the interesting thing is, Pastor Peter said, you come with a destiny, a gifting. In other words, he gives you a destiny, and he equips you. So he gives you the gifts. And those gifts are going to be manifested throughout your life. Like we had a friend who was telling us her story about, as a six-year-old or something, watching something happening in the Middle East and getting a heart to help. And she told her mother, I want to help them, but I want to help them as a doctor. That was already the spirit of God beginning to form that in her. So you have to listen for those clues because God gave you an identity. And like Pastor Peter said, either you walk in that identity or you don't. You choose.

We are something that he decided we are, that he created us to be already. And that's what I think it's like. If you don't, and if you're feeling like, who am I? What am I doing here? Go back to the Lord. Go back to the source. And just really sit at his feet and listen. Ask him. He's always willing to speak. And just to piggyback, the person, just to finish the story of the little six-year-old, I think she was watching her mom at a beauty salon and reading a magazine. But as she fast-forward 30-some-odd years later as a doctor, getting ready to go do work in the Middle East to help people, I mean, you realize that those are the things where it goes from here to here. And really, there's no way that this woman could have really understood then that was this little thought in her heart was something that God was really going to use her for in her future. But you are no different than she is, just like you are no different than Jeremiah. You're no different than King David. You're no different than Pastor Tim Delina. We all have a purpose that God has put in there. And just like you in cybersecurity and not working right now, take advantage of the time that God has given you.

It's a consecrated time. Exactly. It may be your wilderness time. Look at the other people in the Bible that had a wilderness time. Time in the desert, where he's forming you for the next thing. Paul had it. David had it. Moses had it. Almost everybody had it. Jesus had it. Jesus had it. The amount of time is the only thing that varies. Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days and Moses for 40 years. And if you get caught in that idea of this has to be like this, or I have to go here, or the expectation, the world puts expectations on us that are not realistic in God's kingdom. Because if you hear what Pastor Peter was saying about the kingdom principle, who are you even influencing in your non-working season? Because all of the things that he's talking about with kingdom is all relational. It's all about discipling the nations. The nations are no different than Pastor Tim's vision. How do we reach a billion? How do we reach a billion? All of you tell me.

One at a time. Exactly. How are you gonna reach the one at a time if you don't talk to the one next to you? That's Kingdom Principles at work, and it isn't ministry the way that we think of ministry, which is what I love about what Pastor Peter was saying. Ten percent of the people will be working in ministry. This is not what I was thinking I was ever going to be called to do. Thirty years working here was not the plan in my life. I was an artist doing something else. I've landed in this place because I was being sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and these issues that God was dealing with in me, but that's part of the journey. So take advantage, not to pick on you either, but take advantage of this season, and God will move you through to something, and He will start to show you daily the purpose and plan that He has for you, because I believe that each day is its own. We've never been promised tomorrow anyways. And nothing is wasted in God's economy. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Every part of every day that you're just waiting, He's doing something in you that's preparing you for the next step. Magdana. I see her hand up. So what prompted me in the thought of Adam and Eve is the command for them to rule the earth, to rule. I feel like the Lord was saying that He's going to redeem. His call for us as humankind is what Christ did for us was to redeem and to give us a purpose. So what He was doing from the beginning, from Genesis, and even now as we're born, He was redeeming that.

So for me, when Pastor Peter said that God's intention was for Him to rule the nations, but it starts with us discipling, with the church discipling us, the saints. So I don't know. That was profound to me because in order to be in a workplace, in a marketplace, we first need to know what it means to be a disciple, to be fed, and also now to feed. So for me, that was impactful, that the Lord was redeeming what Adam and Eve, the sin, what happened there, but He restored it in just telling us, hey, our purpose, despite of anything that may be holding us back, our call is still to disciple and to glorify the Lord. So yeah. He was talking about restoration, that He was going to restore it all because that identity that He gave us is going to operate in eternity. That's what we can't see because we're so short-sighted, but God is seeing for eternity. So it's like when He said, it's a destiny, a gifting, a calling, and a reward. And I've always loved those scriptures where He says, where Jesus says, and I bring my reward with me. And the Son, just like all of us, because we're children of God, we bring our reward with us. It's already part of who we are. Just think about that for a second. When you look at your life and you think it's added up to nothing, and God is saying, you have no idea, no idea. Talk to me when you're a billion years old and tell me. I didn't know what to expect coming tonight. I was looking forward to coming in here, Peter, and I'm glad I came. It could have been about business and what you can do in business. It's not about business. It's about God's will for us. And thank God that we know it's about the renewal. He talked about at the renewal of all things before Christ comes, that's God's heart.

That's what's written is going to be, is a renewal right now happening. And that the best way that could happen is for us to do what God called us to do and which he already knows he made us to do that. He created us to do that, Greg, to do his will. And it's built inside each of us to carry out that vocation or that gifting or whatever it is. It can be a thousand different things. And so it's not about a business seminar with all these things we can do. It's about letting God do what he already wants to do in us. And in so doing, we're going to glorify him and souls are going to be saved. And we're going to bring in the kingdom, the kingdom of God. And that's good because sometimes we can get an attitude of survival. How am I going to make it till Christ comes back? How am I going to make it till the rapture? Life is hard. But if you have purpose, if we have purpose, it makes us stronger. things a whole lot better because we're in the midst of that purpose carrying out, we have a self-worth for the glory of God, a self-worth that keeps us going on, that gives us a good healthy feeling and a good love for Jesus Christ. That's what I think is good, but anyway, hallelujah. So, oh, I'll take this question over here, sorry, and then we're gonna move to something else. When you spoke about Jeremiah, did you hear me? Okay, I thought about in 2001, there was a lady that used to go to a nursing home and she said, I need you to go and translate because I don't know how to speak English, so I said, okay, I thought this was one of those things that you do for God, and one day I was translating and the Spirit led me to pray for someone, right, and she looked at me, she said, are you sure you don't want to work in this place? I was like, no, I don't even know if they paid enough, you know, I just said it like that, it's a joke. 25 years after, right, COVID came, it closed, they had another director, they didn't want no one to bring the Word of God. 2025, Pastor Carter

was talking about God has a name, God has a name, and I went to the altar, and I was right next to Pastor Patrick, and I heard Martha, and I said, did you hear Martha? He looked at me like, I'm trying to pray, but I heard Martha, and of course, I'm always gonna go like, oh, Martha didn't spend time with Jesus, she was always working, that's me, I need to change, God is not, oh God, I don't want to be Martha, I want to be married, and I went to my closet prayer, and I was like, God, please speak to me, because I'm really sad, because I don't want to be Martha, I really want to talk to you, and I thought that everything that I was doing is because you called me to do it, and he said, my servant, I was like, wow, I just heard servant, so the next day, I was speaking to the lady that took me to the nursing home 20 years ago, and I said, do you still go, because I heard servant, right? She says, I don't go, but I'm gonna give you the phone number to call, and I called, and he says, I'm Jewish, but I'm gonna allow you to come once a week to do a Bible study, so I started a Bible, God started a Bible study, I didn't start it, he started it, so every Tuesday, I would send a printout, like a email, so he could print out, so he would know what I'm gonna, I was gonna talk about, so he said he was reading Exodus, I want, I'm praying for him to get saved, so I was like, okay, but I'm in John, so he's in Exodus, and I'm in John, right, so um, one day, I send him my email with the Bible study, and he doesn't respond, and I'm like, okay, God, maybe I'm not doing it right, you know, here goes Maria again, doubting herself, and he says, oh, I'm sorry that I didn't respond to you, we was having a meeting, because there's five gentlemen from that group, they used to go to anger management, but they'd be going to Bible study, and they don't need anger management no more, and he said, the pastor that we have, that does the assessment, right, because I was asking, would they allow me to go upstairs, because it's 90 clients, and I wanted to go to each room and pray for, but he only gave me Bible study, which is in the lounge, so he says, you know how you asked me that you wanted to come in and go around rooms and do assessment, he says, well, I have a position for you, do you want to be a pastor here, I said, pastor, what, oh Lord, so I called Elder B. Key, I prayed, you know, and last week,

two weeks ago, I took Reggie with me, my son, and she was like, I don't think that Reggie is what the doctor said, she said, Reggie, I need to speak to you, this is the assistant director, and I was like, okay, so I went to do the assessment, and my son stayed with her, and when I came back, she said, I just offered him a job, if he wants it, I'm gonna give him three months of volunteer, you was talking about the awards, right, how he has a reward, so Reggie's going with me now, and we're doing Bible study together, and I just thank God that I heard Martha, and I follow his commandment. No, but what I love in that story, too, is the 25 years of the call, or the idea, what was in her heart, what she wanted to do, way back there, but then all the way over here, God not only does one thing, but he multiplies that effort, so thank you for sharing that story, that's beautiful. Thank you. Yes, so we're gonna move on to... What we had thought of before we came into this group was—and honestly, I like the discussion that we've been having—but what we had thought about, too, is that a lot of times we don't recognize the way that God can use us. And I mean, maybe I'm speaking for myself, but when you think about evangelism or working, you know, like being a Christian in the workplace, you feel this pressure to perform for God to do something that is proactively—I'm going to—you know, there's all this stuff that you think you should be doing when really what God wants you to do is just be you, which is what Pastor Peter was talking about. If you know who you are and just be who you are, then you'll find yourself doing things in the workplace. And we had a couple of little what we called case studies of examples of people that found themselves in situations in their workplace, and one of the ones that I had started with was this—there's a doctor, and he was a resident in his fifth year of residency and as a surgeon. Those are things that you're working in a hospital, and he happened to be at Yale up in Connecticut and was doing this thing, had been working hard, was at the end of his residency, and what happened was the surgeon that was over the entire program—I think there were like 200 different resident surgeons in the group at that hospital—and the overseeing

doctor had decided, I want that guy fired. And so he was going to somebody else that was working with him and said, you know that doctor? I want him fired. Get rid of that guy now. And the other doctor said to him, honestly, you can't do that. You have to give him a warning first. And so he says, okay, give him a warning, but get rid of him tomorrow. And they said, no, no, no, no, the warning is a three-month warning. So you have to give the guy a three-month warning. The guy that was from here, he said, no, what happened was he said, after that, I was so rattled and I was so nervous, I actually left the room and started crying because I was so shaken by what was happening because this is the end of my career, essentially. If I get fired now, I'll never be a surgeon, ever. And so this was a critical moment for him, but he decides the next morning, I'm just going to quit. Instead of getting fired, I'm going to quit. So he says, he goes to turn his pager in, and the guy that was the other doctor was working with him. You know what? No, no, no, no. Just don't quit today. Just keep your pager. Just keep it another day. And he says, no, no, no, no, I'm quitting. I can't live under this pressure. I don't want to live with this idea that I'm going to be fired. So he's like, I'm going to quit. But the guy says, please don't. But the guy goes, and he calls his pastor at the time.

And he calls the pastor, and the pastor happens to be on vacation, but the guy had put his pager up on a tree so he'd get reception and actually gets the guy's call and says, what is it that's going on? And so he explains the story. The pastor says to him, he said, honestly, you can quit whenever you want to, but just don't quit today. Just give it one more day. Just go back to work today. So the guy decides, all right, I'll go back to work today, and I'll quit the day after. He goes in, and as he goes back into the hospital, there's an emergency. And they bring this guy in that has been shot right here. And there's an artery that runs in your leg right up into here. And he said, it's a critical shot, because what happens is blood comes out onto the sidewalk on one side, but from the inside, it starts filling you up on the inside. The guy had just performed a surgery earlier on another man with exactly the same issue. A gunshot here, a gunshot here. The second one that he was dealing with happened to be the former mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut. So it was a big case. But the guy, when he had done the other guy, he followed the case by the book. He had done everything by the book to do the surgery. The guy dies. So here he is with the second person. He's like, inside, he's like, oh my goodness, what am I going to do? So he says a prayer. He quickly prays, has a surgery, and actually the guy survives. The reason why this was so important was the reason why the guy that wanted to fire him in the first place, a girl had come in from an accident, a car accident. She was on the table, she had brain surgery, they were dealing with her, and what happens to her is that she's suddenly sitting there and there's nothing they can do. The family gathers around the bed, they all hold hands, and he starts praying for this

girl. So the family is praying with him for this girl to hopefully heal her. That's what the surgeon had the issue with. He goes, I don't want that people praying because why? The guy wanted to pull the plug because the girl was practically brain-dead, and the family didn't want him to pull the plug because they were believing that she was going to be healed. So that's why he wanted to get rid of this doctor, because he was praying for people. So as it turns out, the prayer for this thing, he gets in the news, he's on the radio, the newspaper does a story about him saving this guy's life, and this thing, but it was all over prayer in the workplace. And all he was doing was what he felt was the right thing to do, and how God vindicated him, he took it upon himself to pray a prayer of forgiveness for this surgeon. Ultimately what happens is the other surgeon loses his job, this guy gets resident doctor of the year two years in a row, and honestly runs the hospital, but learned a valuable lesson as well. He said, what I did learn was prayer in the workplace is not a problem. But he said, it's how you do it. There is a way to be discreet, there's a way to do it where you're not doing it in front of everybody else. And so he took that as a way for him to learn something for himself, stand for what he knew was right, honor what the people that were over him had told him to do. So a great little case study of just workplace. And it's something, the lesson in terms of prayer is because sometimes as Christians we walk into a space thinking, well, I represent God, so I can do it however I think I'm going to do it. And we come across as very pushy, overbearing people. We can pray, but we also have to respect and honor the authority and the people that are there, not just come in like, well, my God is God. So that was for him, even though he had such a great, and the Lord rewarded him, essentially, for honoring him.

He still learned the lesson of like, yes, we need to know how, like Jesus was King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but he was humble everywhere he went, he never threw that position or that role or that power that he had around, so it's just something to remember. Any thoughts about that story? I'm looking at the microphone, he's running. I just feel there was another lesson as well. How not to rush, when you feel that rush to quit something where it's just like, there's an offense in the heart, or you feel a rush to quit to do something, there's something that you're about to miss, because that just happened to me on my job where I got a little offended by what my supervisor had did, and I was like, well, if she doesn't need me, I'm going to go home, I'll enjoy my summer. But I was like, Lord, no, you have me here, you know, get rid of the offense. And it turned out that day we were going to the Met, and I was looking at a bunch of pictures in my home, and I looked over where I used to work for a deaf school, and there was a woman that came to my mind, and I was like, I couldn't even remember her name. So anyway, long story short, we go to the Met, and I see all these hands flying, and I'm like, wow, there's deaf children here. And so immediately this woman that I was thinking of three days ago, that I couldn't remember her name, was right there in front of my face, and I ran to her and jumped, I was like, do you remember me? You know, because it was my first time working in a deaf school, she was so helpful, and I hadn't seen her in years. And I'm just thinking, if I had have gotten offended and didn't stay, you know, I would have missed that, you know, and I think God is just trying to teach us that many times the enemy will use offense, will use, and when we feel like there's such a rush not to, rush to do something, to take a step back and say, hey, wait a minute. And I loved how, you know, he got two confirmations, just wait a day. Yeah. And he sought counsel. Yes.

Yes. From his pastor. Anyways, so let's go to another. And I'm going to read it so I don't take too long telling the story. Sorry, that was, I'm a storyteller, so. Yes. I wanted to piggyback on what you were saying about us walking into the workplace and feeling I'm God, I belong to God so I can do. The Bible also lets us know that we have to obey those who have rule over us or those that are in authority. We have to honor them as well. And as you say, sometimes we have to just wait. And a person could want you to pray for them, but you have to use discretion always. Because people in the workplace don't know God and a lot of people now really don't want to know him. We've gotten away, people have gotten so far away from God. So we have to also respect them. We have to respect our workplace and the people that are in authority. And God will always give us an opportunity, no matter what. He will always give us an opportunity in his time. His timing is not our timing. And if we honor those, he honors, because he put them in authority, then that time just by, I mean, being a Christian is about being a witness, but it's not about what you say, it's how you live that through. And that's what the Lord taught us when he lived on earth. It's how you live it. Eventually people will be coming to you just because of the way you speak and say, hey, can you pray for me? Because that happens all the time. So anyway, I'm going to read this second case study.

It's one of my favorites, so I'll read. Now this person served as Deputy Borough President in New York City. He was known for his professionalism and strong relationships, and he had never faced serious workplace tension until a personal expression of faith stirred controversy. One weekend, he and his fiancee attended Alive from New York, a public worship and pro-life event. He posted a photo on his personal Twitter affirming the sanctity of life. By Monday, the office received press inquiries from Gay City News questioning why a public official would support what they called an anti-LGBTQ group. The person clarified the post reflected his personal beliefs, not the office. The Borough President stood by him, asking only that he add a disclaimer on his profile, which he did immediately. Still, the newspaper read an article accusing him of promoting homophobic messages and tweeting past tweets from Christian pastors. What hurt most was the reaction inside his own office, co-workers saying that they felt unsafe around him, some suggesting he resign. Rather than withdraw, he offered to meet with the entire staff. Nearly 50 people joined a tense, emotional meeting where some questioned why he was even hired. Strengthened by prayer and supported by family and believers fasting on his behalf, he spoke with grace. He shared his convictions about life and marriage, but he also emphasized that because of Jesus' teaching, he loved and respected his co-workers. Over time, strained relationships healed. He even gave a Bible to a colleague curious about God. When his term ended, he left on good terms, even with those who at once opposed him. So now, this is a person in a high place, a public place, so does anybody have a thought about that particular testimony? Yes. I have a comment.

I think one of the things I know that I'm learning is that God, there's such an emphasis on doing ministry in the church, quote-unquote the church, but one of the things I've learned is that God chooses where each of us goes, and our ministry could be in just what that person is experiencing. We don't know the giftings that God has given to us. We don't know exactly where God is going to put us, and so I think the critical issue is also about obedience because we have this idea, well, I want to do ministry, I want to do ministry, it has to be in the church. But ministry could be in that lawyer's office, could be in, as that person indicated, in the borough president's office, it could be anywhere. We have to be open to what God desires for us to do, and to be obedient when God calls us out of our comfort zone and places us in somewhere that can be very tense. Yes. I want to ask someone, what do you think? Think about the way he approached his situation. Now, it was both private, his co-workers, and it was also very public, to be called, essentially, you know, names in media. Okay, I had my hand raised before you asked the question, but I'll take a stab at the question as well. So, in my workplace, I kind of struggled in a similar situation about just the controversy between the policies that were pro, there were more left and less conservative, and I worked in a OB-GYN department, so, and this specific hospital is very, they had, you know, Colors of the Rainbow pretty much everywhere, and I was working in research, and I had to put together research opportunities for the PIs in the department,

and on one specific occasion, I was asked to put up an opportunity for a research around abortion, and I really struggled with it because I'm pro-life, and it's something that doesn't align with my faith, and I've also encountered a number of instances where we were all asked to wear pins that were, you know, saying, oh, Colors of the Rainbows and everything, and just sort of like affirming, you know, all of that, and thankfully, God gave me wisdom on how to not have to wear the pin. I just found a way around it, but I think what I struggled with is, you know, confidently talking about the reason why I choose not to, you know, indulge in those activities, and just hearing this story in a way was encouraging because I think what was very keen in the midst of everything was that he had people praying for him throughout the process, because I feel like that was very instrumental to the outcome of everything, because holding that kind of position in the public eye, you know, like, while I was there, I really couldn't talk a lot about what I believed in as much as I would on my socials because I struggled with what that would look like, you know, in terms of what that meant for my job, essentially, you know, and so, and just hearing some of the comments

that people made about not feeling safe, you know, around the person, and it really gets twisted, and so I think that having people, you know, I think this is where community is so important, having people that, you know, believe in God, and you pray with them, and, you know, somewhere God just gives you wisdom on how to approach the situation. In some instances, you have the opportunity to meet with folks, you know, you have that platform to share your faith and still affirm that the love of God is enough to meet everyone where they are, not necessarily, you don't have to agree, but it doesn't mean that I hate you, you know, and so I think that that's how I see it, and it just really resonated with me because I've seen myself in that situation so many times, and it was something I struggled with how, you know, handling it and really standing for my faith, but at the same time, recognizing that these are authorities above me. And one characteristic that I noted, that for me, this is a very powerful testimony, is his approach is humility. If you notice, he didn't fight, he didn't offend. It's very hard to hear someone call you something that you know you're not, and to call it publicly and not do anything about it, but to just pray, and in humility,

continue to serve, continue to stay there, even while people were saying, people that he had previously worked with without any issues called him unsafe. So what I wanna... Just to quickly add, so when you were asking the question about what we took from the story, the one thing that came to me from his approach was, you know how in scripture, there was a place where Paul was telling Timothy, a meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, and for me, that was it. It was the meekness of it, it was the approach, it was that I'm coming to you with love, I'm coming to you with the message of what I believe in, and not with an aggression of, oh, you're against me, you're against God, you're against everything I believe in. And so that was what I just wanted to add. Yes, there's a scripture that says, don't answer the fool in his folly, but answer the fool lest he thinks he's wise. It matters not to be right, but to be righteous. He was righteous. So I want to introduce Matthew Washington. He was the deputy borough president of Manhattan when all this happened. Matthew, can you tell us what is, what's your main takeaway from that situation?

Sure. Thank you all for listening to Luli talk about me on my favorite topic. Um, you know, one God's people look good because when gay city news put out an article, they had a good looking picture of me in there. So that was, uh, that was lovely, you know, but I think that the main takeaway is God is with you, uh, through all of it. You know, this wasn't, you know, in the first story we heard about a doctor who was praying in the workplace. I wasn't praying in the workplace. I wasn't telling people you need to read the Bible. You know, my fiance now wife at the time, we were just hanging out on Saturday, you know, standing for life. Uh, and so even casually God had a plan and he knew that he was going to use this to give an opportunity to talk about the Lord, you know, in the workplace with almost all of my coworkers. And so God's plan is greater than our own thoughts and our own ideas. And so that's what really resonated with me because, you know, there wasn't a time, especially in New York city government, um, you know, the things of the Lord are just not welcome. Uh, but here was a forced opportunity or one that my coworkers, they wanted to know what I had to say. And I told them about Jesus. And so I thank the Lord for that. And one of the things that that's important in all of this, you know, I remember before I was meeting with my coworkers, um, you know, I was thinking, I was like, I was just talking to the Lord. I just said, Lord, I don't, I don't, I don't know what I'm going to say at this meeting that's coming up. What, what should I say? And then it was like 10 minutes later, my younger brother who I was living with at

the time, he came to me and he said, you know, I think I have something for you. Uh, I thought it was dinner, but, uh, then he said, the Lord put a scripture on my heart and it was, uh, Matthew chapter 10, uh, verses 18 through 20. And Jesus is sending out his disciples. And he says, they're going to put you before governors and Kings for my namesake. He says, but you know, don't worry about what you're going to say, because the spirit of the father will speak through you in that very hour. And so it's just that, that comfort that I didn't have to worry about what I was going to say, because the Lord was going to speak through me and I just had to be willing to be used by him. And thank you, Matthew. Thank you. You know, I, I, the, I love these kinds of stories and I could listen to it more and more and more, but because we're running out of time already, you know, one of the things that we kind of wanted to wrap this up with was somebody that Lulee and I had, I mean, I have loved this character and as you know, you look at people in the Bible that you just want, would love to be Daniel as one of those people to me, I love Daniel and I love the book of Daniel, but as a character, that was something that we were thinking, Daniel's entire life was in the workplace, but when you look at how God used him in the workplace and really where he was able to be in the workplace, this guy managed to three administrations or like three different Kings that he worked under, but always managed to be in a position where he was revered, he had power, but he was humble. He stood for his convictions and I'll let Lulee fill in the gaps. Well, I just wanted to point out something that if, if you're ever discouraged about how things are working out for you, think about Daniel and the fact that it wasn't anyone but God who called him into that marketplace. He and his family were called to Babylon to the most pagan, most secular place. And God called him there not to be a survivor, which is what John was talking about, because we are not called to be survivors.

We're called to be conquerors. And so he called him to rule. So now picture his parents taking their 15 or 16 year old into Babylon. And there, there must've been the way he was raised and the way they taught him and the way he learned about God that by the time he was in Babylon, he was not only polite, well-mannered, humble, intelligent, educated, he was also completely loyal to his God throughout his entire time as ruler in, in Babylon. Daniel remained loyal to God and he protected his relationship with God. And because of his relationship with God was persecuted. So that's something just that we want to leave you with, that the most important thing that you take with you into the marketplace is your relationship with God. So spend the time because without the knowledge of God, without knowing who you're serving, he who gave you the identity. to put you wherever He so desired, whether that be as an accountant, or a lawyer, or a doctor, or a CEO, or a scientist, or an astronaut. You got to remember the one who put you there. So just remain loyal, consistently loyal, in your daily devotions, in your reading of the Word. Pursue the knowledge of God above all things, all things. And I'm telling you, He's so faithful. He will give you the other knowledge you need. He will give you how to do that presentation. He will give you how to do that surgery. He will give you how to treat that difficult kid in class, because you've spent time with Him. And that is like, there's so many testimonies of people I know in the workplace who just pray and say, Lord, I don't even know what to do. But help me, you know?

So really, I was going to drive the same point. This all starts with your personal relationship with the Lord. So if you don't read your Bible, if you don't have a prayer life, these are the critical things that only you can do. The investment with God is you. No one can do that for you. You can listen to every story from here to eternity. But if you have not taken the time yourself to invest in your relationship with God, that's where you're going to hear that intricate difference. Because like Peter was saying, and I was thinking before he said, I was thinking of the leaves, I was thinking of the sand. I was even thinking of the snowflakes, because there is not one snowflake that is the same as another over all of the centuries of snowflakes. And if God is that unique in what He's doing with that, that means He's got something specific to you, and you are the only one that can hear it from Him. So you remember, there's some things. I think Sibi's going to send you some notes. We just encapsulated some stuff that Peter talked about, just as bullet points, so you could think about them. Because to me, the steps from the kingdom principle, the kingdom principle of God, to the before you were born part, then the destiny, calling, and gifting, things to think about, and then choosing to be chosen, critical. So who are you and your sphere of influence?

And feel free to ask God, why have you placed me here? He's dying to be asked the question. He really is. He really is. What you may consider the most menial job, or the worst thing you could be thinking of doing, there is a purpose. Ask Him why. And then wait to listen. Don't ask your neighbor. That's the thing. So with that, I'm just going to pray, and then Sibi is going to come and close this out. But Lord, we just want to thank you, God, for your faithfulness. One more night with these En Garde series. God, it is great to see what you're doing in your people. Lord, you want to be real to us. You want to be day to day with us, moment to moment. You have a plan. Lord, I love what Pastor Peter was talking about. And God, I pray that all the things that each one of us needed to hear, stamp that on our hearts. God, let it stick so that we leave here and start to think about what he's talked about, and thinking about where do we fit? What is our role? What is my identity? What is this calling and gifting that you've given me? We all have something. Lord, you have not left one of us out.

So God, I pray that as you seal this work tonight and you take this away, God, I pray that you would take us away from here with an excitement in our hearts that you have a plan and a purpose, that we can be people that will advance the kingdom of God in this nation and in the nations that are around us, God. Use us for your glory. So God, we thank you for tonight. We pray your protection over this group tonight as they go home on the subways and into their neighborhoods. Be with them, and Lord, just take this word and seal it in our hearts in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.