Growing up, I always feared making big purchases, especially when it came to buying a car. But one day, I found myself in the intense world of car negotiations, armed with nothing but faith and a strategy. This episode is a deep dive into living by faith instead of fear, especially in today’s world riddled with uncertainty. Global events like inflation and geopolitical tensions can easily shake our confidence, but through personal stories, we highlight how recognizing fear’s grip and choosing to lean on faith can transform our lives.
We venture into the nuances of overcoming fear in high-pressure situations, where understanding shared human experiences can be a game-changer. Reflecting on my own experience of negotiating between car dealerships, I illustrate how recognizing the fears of both buyers and sellers can level the playing field. Confidence, strategy, and a healthy dose of faith can not only lead to better deals and savings but also empower you to stand firm in situations where fear often dominates.
Key Takeaways:
- Fear is a natural but detrimental habit that can be broken through cultivating faith.
- Faith empowers individuals to face challenges without intimidation or doubt.
- Real-life scenarios, such as purchasing a car, can test one’s faith-over-fear mindset.
- Emphasizing faith over fear leads to a more rewarding and stress-free life.
- A sound mind, coupled with faith, allows one to navigate life’s obstacles with confidence and resilience.
Where To Dive In:
00:00 Living by Faith in a World of Fear and Change
02:16 Overcoming Fear with Faith in Everyday Situations
07:10 The Real Cost of Car Payments and Hidden Fears
09:16 Overcoming Fear and Intimidation in Car Buying
13:00 Negotiating Car Deals Through Strategic Dealer Competition
17:00 Overcoming Fear with Faith in Everyday Decisions
23:26 Living Debt-Free Through Faith and Financial Discipline
26:41 Overcoming Fear Through Faith and Trust in God
About the host:
Steve Gray is the founding and senior pastor of Revive Church KC. He has been in the full time ministry for over 40 years and was launched into national and international recognition in the late 1990’s as the leader of the historic Smithton Outpouring, and again in 2009 when he lead the Kansas City Revival which was televised nationally on the Daystar television network. Steve is also a veteran musician, songwriter, recording artist and published author. His books include When The Kingdom Comes, Follow The Fire, My Absurd Religion, and If You Only Knew.
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Transcript:
0:00:00 – (Steve Gray): So ready to help you today to learn how to live by faith over fear. Because fear is a habit and I’m going to help you learn how to break it on the next More Faith, More Life podcast. Hello, everyone, and welcome to another More Faith, More Life podcast. I’m enjoying just sitting here with my wife Kathy. We’ve been chatting about many things, many spiritual things, and now we’re ready to talk to you. What do you want to talk? What are we going to talk about today?
0:00:26 – (Kathy Gray): I think we need to talk about something that’s really prevalent all around the world, is that fear. The kind of fear that paralyzes people and stops them from moving forward or being able to think right or make right decisions or anything. To follow the Lord or to speak up. There’s a kind of a fear.
0:00:46 – (Steve Gray): I’m glad you brought that up because what an interesting time we live in in our world today because a few months ago, our nation and part of the world was in fear. There’s a lot of fear. Let’s look what it was. Inflation, money, inflation, economy. World War.
0:01:04 – (Kathy Gray): Yes.
0:01:05 – (Steve Gray): Third World War already. War is going, but is there going to be a World War 3 pandemic? Health, environment, a lot of people. It just seems like everybody’s nervous about everything. Well, now we’ve flipped it. And obviously the government and Canada’s change, they’re changing. They’re making changes in Mexico. Others are the attitude in Germany and France and the UK Other countries, it’s flipping and they’re flipping to a different attitude.
0:01:38 – (Steve Gray): But what happened now all the changes are happening. Well, in our country. Look at all the changes that are going to happen in the next days ahead as we have a new administration, all those. But now the fear people are still coming out. It’s just the other side. See, before it was the fear people were going like, our country’s going the wrong direction. What’s happening to our school system? Oh, crime, school shootings, inflation, gas prices. The shelves are empty.
0:02:05 – (Steve Gray): What are we going to do? I can’t pay my bill. There was that fear. Now we’re flipping. And now it says maybe we’re going to enter the golden age of America. I don’t know if we are or we aren’t. I hope so.
0:02:16 – (Kathy Gray): Yes.
0:02:17 – (Steve Gray): And now, what do you know? Now the fear from the other people. Like what? We’re not going to be progressive. What, what are we going to teach our. We’re not teaching our kids sex education anymore in schools. What, what about these alternate lifestyle people? What. And now they’re bringing out. So people are Comfortable with fear. So you brought out about fear. And we want to talk about faith over fear.
0:02:41 – (Kathy Gray): Right.
0:02:42 – (Steve Gray): But fear, first of all, fear is paralyzing. It grips them. But people are fearful because. And Christians should not. I’m going to guarantee, if God shows up and starts talking to you, the first thing he’s going to say is, stop being so afraid. Stop that fear.
0:03:01 – (Kathy Gray): Yes.
0:03:01 – (Steve Gray): Cause you’re missing God because of fear.
0:03:04 – (Kathy Gray): Yes.
0:03:05 – (Steve Gray): And have to get into the faith. But anyway, so fear is paralyzing.
0:03:11 – (Kathy Gray): I said that. I was just picturing, since we’re just kind of getting into this, I was picturing all the times that you have over the years said that to me. You know, I’m throwing a tizzy maybe about something, and I think it’s this thing or that thing. And then you’ll just stop and say, stop being afraid. Just stop it. And you just cut right through to the root.
0:03:35 – (Steve Gray): Sometimes I do that. I look at it un-wifely, and sometimes I just say, stop. Just stop. Just stop, stop, stop, stop. Yeah. Well, here’s the problem. We. You. People like us and people listening. Hundreds and hundreds of people, they want to be people of faith.
0:03:52 – (Kathy Gray): Yes.
0:03:52 – (Steve Gray): So we got to get. They want to be. First of all, I think people don’t realize they’re not in faith, they’re in fear. Because fear is familiar to humanity. Yes.
0:04:06 – (Kathy Gray): Fear.
0:04:07 – (Steve Gray): Even in the Garden of Eden, when the serpent is tempting Eve. Now, she didn’t. The devil didn’t make Eve afraid. Now, that would have been smart. Where’d she make her first mistake? See, you wouldn’t have made her mistake. You know why?
0:04:28 – (Kathy Gray): Why?
0:04:28 – (Steve Gray): Because you’re afraid of snakes. You’d have never done that. You’d have run for me. Hold it. You don’t serpent. Get away from me. I don’t talk to snakes and evil. I’m going to get my husband. That’s what she should have done. Okay. But he did use fear. But he didn’t use fear where she’s afraid of the snake or afraid. He used fear. You’re being tricked. God is tricking you. Isn’t there a strong fear of being tricked or fooled?
0:05:03 – (Steve Gray): I’m suspicious, Right? Like some people, they can’t. Like, are you? I don’t know. Yeah. You would do this? Let’s say we go on a car lot. We’re going to buy a new car.
0:05:13 – (Kathy Gray): Yes.
0:05:13 – (Steve Gray): Car dealer comes out and starts talking. Talking. Oh, they’re just talking.
0:05:17 – (Kathy Gray): They’re good talkers.
0:05:18 – (Steve Gray): I can tell you right now, Kathy’s going to be suspicious immediately. Yeah. She just going to let him talk now. I’m there with you.
0:05:26 – (Kathy Gray): Yeah.
0:05:27 – (Steve Gray): Am I suspicious?
0:05:29 – (Kathy Gray): Well, of course.
0:05:30 – (Steve Gray): No. Oh, gave you the wrong answer. You’re fired.
0:05:36 – (Kathy Gray): Oh, no, I just. Why am I not me on you?
0:05:40 – (Steve Gray): I’m not suspicious. That’s right. I know you want see you as well. When she gets nervous. When she gets nervous. She wants me to be nervous. Right. She likes to us to be a team.
0:05:52 – (Kathy Gray): Exactly.
0:05:52 – (Steve Gray): We’re one be as fearful as me. I go, no. Okay. I am not. You are very suspicious of everything they’re saying. Yes, I’m not suspicious. Why?
0:06:04 – (Kathy Gray): I don’t.
0:06:04 – (Steve Gray): Because I don’t have any fear. So therefore I don’t care what they say.
0:06:09 – (Kathy Gray): That is true about.
0:06:10 – (Steve Gray): I don’t care what. It doesn’t matter what they say. I’m walking in, I already know I’m not going to be fearful. They’re not going to intimidate me. And so the people that don’t understand that, they go and the first thing they try to do is they say, how much would you like? We’re off. We’re often on the subject. How much would you like your payment to be? Okay.
0:06:30 – (Kathy Gray): Yes.
0:06:31 – (Steve Gray): So they’ve already got. They’re already in your court making you comfortable with your fear.
0:06:38 – (Kathy Gray): Oh my word.
0:06:39 – (Steve Gray): And here’s your fear, I won’t get that car. First fear, I’m afraid I won’t be able to get I. If you like the car. Okay. First fear, I’m afraid I won’t get that car. Second fear, I’m afraid I won’t be able to afford that car. Oh, now they’ve taken care of my fear. They said I can get you in that car for the amount of payment you want to make. My fears are gone. I can have the car and I can afford it because I can afford that payment.
0:07:10 – (Steve Gray): The downside is what? You don’t buy a car according to the monthly payment. You buy a car according to what it’s worth because you don’t want to pay. If I have a fear, I’d have a fear. I don’t want to pay more for this car than it’s worth. Even a brand new truck, those beautiful trucks that come off the line, they got the car. There’s 100 trucks sitting there in that car lot and they’re all beautiful and great four wheeler and that and all the great trucks with all the stuff they have. Now as you can have this, you just got to pay for it for six years.
0:07:43 – (Steve Gray): Six years. You will pay three times the amount. My fear is I’ll pay three times the amount it’s worth my fear. If I have fear, I don’t because I’m not going to let it happen. But if I have it, I’ll be paying for six months. I’m going to pay. That thing’s not going to be worth it. My fear is what if that transmission only lasts four years? Now they’re going to. I’ve have to tack on $2,000 or more. Two to four thousand dollars worth of transmission if it goes out or the four wheel drive goes out or that little camera shows up on the dash. And I have to pay a thousand bucks to get that, see.
0:08:17 – (Steve Gray): So I have to make sure that I’m paying what it’s worth if it breaks down or it doesn’t follow through, even if it’s new. But six years, a long time. What if that car is not made to go six years? What if a car manufacturer is smart enough to say let’s make a. Let’s make a. Let’s make a transmission that only lasts four years and sell them a car for six years. They’ll be back, there you go. And they’ll probably. They may want to trade it in. In four years and then we can tack it on. Now they owe eight years worth of car payments on the six year or whatever.
0:08:51 – (Steve Gray): So you have to go and say I don’t. I want to know what I’m only going to pay, what this is worth. That’s what I’m going to pay. Because I’m fearful if I step out beyond what it’s worth Because I don’t want to have to want that. I don’t want that out of fear. So people are more familiar with fear. So they don’t realize they are dealing with their fears. Here they are having a good time. They. They’re on the card lot and they bring.
0:09:16 – (Steve Gray): Would you like something to drink? Yeah. Here. That. Well, come in my office and sit down. Well, let’s take a ride or whatever. Hey, drive. This thing drives pretty well, doesn’t it? And fear sets in that I won’t be able to get it.
0:09:28 – (Kathy Gray): Wow. That is.
0:09:29 – (Steve Gray): While I’m smiling, I’m having a great time driving it. But fear is. I don’t think so.
0:09:34 – (Kathy Gray): They play. So a great salesman plays on your.
0:09:37 – (Steve Gray): Fear that you won’t be able to get what you want.
0:09:40 – (Kathy Gray): Get it?
0:09:40 – (Steve Gray): Yeah. And that’s when you begin to finagle and that’s when they can now manipulate you. So Eve got fearful.
0:09:50 – (Kathy Gray): Yes.
0:09:50 – (Steve Gray): And what was the fear? What? No, God doesn’t want you to eat of that tree. Why? Because you’ll be like him. You’ll be. I’m throwing in a few extra words. But you’ll be like God. That’s what he said. And like God she saw. Well, he’s glorious, he’s powerful. He gets whatever he wants. He’s God. You’ll be like God. Well, what was the deception? As you know, God created them already in his image. They were already like God as much as they needed to be.
0:10:19 – (Steve Gray): But he said, you’ll be like God. What? I’m going to miss out Fear in an unusual way. Not afraid of the snake or not afraid of the serpent. Not afraid of the devil.
0:10:31 – (Kathy Gray): But you’re revealing this.
0:10:33 – (Steve Gray): Yeah, actually, the fear was I’m going to miss out. The fear is I’m being tricked. The fear is I’m no dummy. I don’t let people pull. Nobody pulls the wool over my eyes, which is stupid, of course. They do all the time. But people don’t realize that. But okay, so a simple lesson in walking on a car parking lot without any fear. I’m not afraid I won’t get this. I’m afraid I’ll pay more. More than what it’s worth, because I want it more than I should.
0:11:06 – (Steve Gray): So I’m going to operate in faith, all right? You’ve seen me. You see me get on those car lots by faith, and I operate on their. If. Okay, I don’t want to say fear, but you were one that coined a phrase. You intimidate the intimidator.
0:11:21 – (Kathy Gray): Correct.
0:11:22 – (Steve Gray): Well, who’s the intimidator?
0:11:23 – (Kathy Gray): The. The car salesman?
0:11:26 – (Steve Gray): No, the devil. I’m going back to the Garden of Eden.
0:11:31 – (Kathy Gray): We’re back to the Garden, but the.
0:11:32 – (Steve Gray): Root of the root. Intimidator. The devil likes to intimidate you. I’ll miss out. I’ll be tricked. They’ll take advantage of me. They’ll tell me what to do. I won’t be the boss. I won’t get to eat what I like. I don’t get to live the way I like. I know what I like. I know what I’m comfortable with. All those fears that I’m going to have to live in an environment I’m not happy with or whatever. So we’re so familiar with all those things.
0:11:59 – (Steve Gray): So you said we intimidate the intimidator. In other. Intimidate. The devil said, no, sir. Resist the devil. He’ll flee from you, make him uncomfortable. Worship, praise. I got full of faith. I don’t. I. I don’t fall into fear. Okay? So if I can use the intimidator, I don’t want to say I play on the car salesman’s fear, but I did because. What’s their fear?
0:12:25 – (Kathy Gray): That you’re not going to buy from me.
0:12:26 – (Steve Gray): Not going to buy it. And they also. They’re human. They’ve got bills, maybe they have a wife, they got kids. They’re trying to pay the. They have the same.
0:12:36 – (Kathy Gray): They’re selling by fear.
0:12:37 – (Steve Gray): Yeah, they’re selling, I have to sell this car because I need the money. Of course things are tight, so they’re nervous. They’re willing to say, and they’re nervous. They’re going to go, let me go talk to my boss and see if he’ll take this deal, you know, and they don’t. They’re trying to be real happy, but they’re nervous. They’re fear. So what I did, I’ve done, and it’s hard to do. They won’t let you do it now because of me.
0:13:00 – (Steve Gray): They changed the whole way. You buy a car because of me.
0:13:03 – (Kathy Gray): I’m sure, at least in this case, just you. Yeah, Carvana.
0:13:09 – (Steve Gray): Because what I did. See, they used to let you.
0:13:12 – (Kathy Gray): Not that many years ago, you outsmarted them.
0:13:14 – (Steve Gray): Yeah, but they used to let you say, do you want to drive it? And they let me. And you get in the car, they give you the keys and say just. And say, just take it around the block or whatever. We’ll just drive. I’ll be right back. You’ll floor it and that. And when they’re not looking, you’ll drive it harder and maybe. And then you come back and you say, whether you want it or not. Yeah, well, they won’t let you do that now. Now they drive with you. Do you know why they drive with you?
0:13:36 – (Steve Gray): Because I messed up car sales all over the world. So they don’t know. So our daughter wanted to buy a van. She picked out a van. Yeah, she brought it to me to look at.
0:13:48 – (Kathy Gray): This is how you And.
0:13:49 – (Steve Gray): And I. And they let her drive it to me. So can I go show it to my dad? Well, she didn’t want that guy, whoever it was, sitting in the back seat. He said, sure, okay. So she came, picked me up. We’re taking a drive. You like this van? All right, so now I’m going to play on the sales person fear that wants to sell that thing. So we’re in a brand new van. I think it was. Was it a Dodge or Chrysler van, whatever.
0:14:14 – (Steve Gray): And I said, well, you want to buy a van? Yeah. I said, well, let’s go get the best deal. How are we going to. How this is what they said they’d sell it for. Oh, we can do better than that. Well, how can we do Drive over to the Dodge dealer. We got more than one. There’s one over here. Look, there’s one over there. 10 miles away, 5 miles away. So we. I drove that van on the parking lot of the other Dodge dealer or Chrysler, I remember. Yeah. And they get out and they say, well, how can I help you? And they like what? I said, well, she wants to buy a van today, but.
0:14:47 – (Steve Gray): And she’s going to buy this van that’s from the other dealer. She’s going to buy it unless you got a van that you like better than she might like better, and you can sell it cheaper. His. All of a sudden he sets in. I want. Somebody’s going to buy a van. I don’t want to lose this sale. I want to get it. But they’re already in that van. So they made a deal. Then I get on the phone and I call the other guy at the other dealer and said, listen, we’re down here at the other Dodge dealer.
0:15:16 – (Steve Gray): And they. I got a van a little bit nicer than yours and they’ll sell it for the same price and she gets more features. What do you want to do about that? This went on for an hour then. At least. Yeah. And so he talked to his boss.
0:15:29 – (Kathy Gray): I can tell you this first. While you were doing all that, I was getting fearful.
0:15:34 – (Steve Gray): Yeah. Nervous and fearful.
0:15:37 – (Kathy Gray): Yeah. I was nervous like, what, Steve, what are you doing?
0:15:41 – (Steve Gray): Yeah. And so finally I had to confess. So finally I talked to the guy at this place and we’re still got the new van from the other place. And I thought. I said, listen, I don’t know, we just got to get the best deal. I want to get the best deal for you. He said, I’ll be right back. You know what he did? He went and called the owner of the dealership, which happened to be a woman who had inherited the dealership.
0:16:02 – (Steve Gray): And he said, they’re going to buy from this other place, but they’re here and they’re on the lot with it. And I got a van they like to, she told me, said, do whatever you got to do. Sell it at my price. Not there. Not the work, not the people that work there. They get to sell it at my price, the owner’s price. So they sold us a brand new loaded van for Bobby at their price. The only downside was a little fear.
0:16:31 – (Steve Gray): Bobby had to take the other van back and said, we’re not buying.
0:16:34 – (Kathy Gray): You made her You?
0:16:35 – (Steve Gray): Yeah, I made her drive back and then I went and picked her up. And then we went and bought the other man. So. So we decided we’re going to get it at the price that works for you. And we’re going to intimidate the intimidator. Cause we’re the people of God. And so fear. Isn’t it interesting how we brought this out? How fear dominates our lives without us being fearful in the traditional sense?
0:17:00 – (Kathy Gray): It’s amazing.
0:17:01 – (Steve Gray): Like I said, I’m fearful. I won’t get that.
0:17:03 – (Kathy Gray): Almost every decision people make then almost.
0:17:07 – (Steve Gray): Daily, is out of fear.
0:17:09 – (Kathy Gray): Based on fear.
0:17:10 – (Steve Gray): Yeah, it’s out of fear and intimidation and weighing it out. What’s the chances are I’ll gain? What’s the chances are I’ll lose? What? The chances are they’ll win and I’ll lose. Or they’ll get the job. I won’t. They’ll get the bonus. I won’t. What do I need to do? So my fear sets in rather than my faith. And the reason it’s important for my faith to set in is. Listen to this. Now get it. So let’s put us in a job situation where there’s a bonus or a raise or a promotion.
0:17:41 – (Steve Gray): Right? And I want it because I could use the money. But my friend over here, he wants it. Or she wants it too. She could use the money. So now I’m fearful that I’m not going to get it. And my friend is fearful and we’re kind of competing that we’re not going to get it because we could both use the money. Which one is going to win? I am. You know why?
0:18:05 – (Kathy Gray): Why?
0:18:06 – (Steve Gray): Because I’m not going to go to fear if that person gets the bonus and I don’t. It’s all right. I can afford it. My faith will turn to another. My faith will open another door. My faith will bring me other blessings. My faith can afford to see somebody else blessed. There’s enough in this system of God that I can afford to enjoy somebody else’s blessing. Because I’m rich in God. So I don’t have to go to fear. I’d like to get it. I’d like to get the promotion. I’d like to be, you know, the boss of the department or I’d like it.
0:18:44 – (Steve Gray): Yeah. But I’m not fearful. I’m not going to go into fear. And if they get it, that’s okay. I got God on my side. I’m a person of faith, and faith is going to produce for me. I’m not going to go. I’M not going to paralyze it there. And go. And go to the faith thing because as you know, that the Bible says God doesn’t give us a spirit. Thus depends on the translation. But I like God didn’t give you his Holy Spirit, Kathy, so you can walk around in fear. That’s me, but that’s pretty good interpretation.
0:19:16 – (Steve Gray): So you could walk around in fear and go on a car dealership wanting to buy a car, and yet you’re fearful that they’re going to be taken advantage. You’re fearful that you won’t get enough trade in. By the way, don’t trade it in, sell it. But anyway, what if I get. I don’t get to trade in. What if it’s a lemon? What if I’m making a mistake? What if I spend more? What if it’s more pay? What if I want this car? But the payments, I know they’re going to be higher than I can afford. All this is going on inside of you.
0:19:44 – (Steve Gray): But Paul wrote to Timothy and his was. The application was in the church being a pastor. But Kathy, God didn’t give you the spirit so you can walk on that car lot in fear. Or that you go to work and you’re afraid they’re going to get the promotion, they’re going to make more money and then I am and they’ll get, you know, people are going to really think they’re something and I’m not going to feel special and I’m going to feel like a loser. I don’t want to.
0:20:08 – (Steve Gray): Right. I don’t know. God does not give you the spirit so you can walk around in fear, but he gave you the spirit so you could walk in power. Right?
0:20:19 – (Kathy Gray): Yes.
0:20:20 – (Steve Gray): Love. Love says, I’d like to get this, but if my friend gets it. Good. Good for you. Let’s keep going. Power, love and a sound mind. And that sound mind is important. That’s why you don’t have to go into a tizzy.
0:20:38 – (Kathy Gray): Help me, husband, help me.
0:20:40 – (Steve Gray): You don’t have to sit in the van saying, what is my husband doing? No, you, you don’t have to. No, you have a sound mind.
0:20:45 – (Kathy Gray): I don’t have to.
0:20:46 – (Steve Gray): You have a sound mind. So your mind is going to want to go into fear. Because we are a culture in humanity through the fall of mankind. Adam and Eve, she ended up being comfortable with fear.
0:21:02 – (Kathy Gray): Wait, Eve, what did you just say?
0:21:05 – (Steve Gray): She got comfortable. Interfere. Got comfortable in her fear more than in her faith. Because she said, you’re right, I might be tricked. I don’t want to risk being tricked by God. I’m going to eat it. Even though it was against what God said, actually Adam made the big mistake. He went the other direction. He should have had fear. He didn’t have the fear of the Lord. He may have had fear that he missed out or she might have had fear she was going to miss out or whatever fear people have.
0:21:36 – (Kathy Gray): Many have had fear of Eve. Was that already beginning then? That’s where. Right there. Fear of Eve. Uh oh.
0:21:45 – (Steve Gray): I shouldn’t tell you this.
0:21:46 – (Kathy Gray): I’m convicted.
0:21:47 – (Steve Gray): I shouldn’t tell you this. I had a person come up to me two days ago.
0:21:51 – (Kathy Gray): What?
0:21:51 – (Steve Gray): This is the truth.
0:21:52 – (Kathy Gray): Is this about me?
0:21:53 – (Steve Gray): No. But it could be. I don’t know why. I don’t know why this person told me this. So I was reading my Bible. I just feel like I got a word from the Lord. He said, Adam, no. Abraham listened to his wife, that’s what he said. And started laughing. Abraham, listen. He might be, he might listen to this pod.
0:22:11 – (Kathy Gray): I don’t.
0:22:12 – (Steve Gray): What do you mean? Who you think I’m going to tell you? He, he said, I got, I heard the Lord. I, I read the scripture and I heard. Abraham listened to his wife and then he started laughing. I don’t know what that means. Apparently he was afraid of his wife. But.
0:22:26 – (Kathy Gray): Yes, but then he’s implying then because he listened then. Now we have all the wars in the Middle east that we’re having right now.
0:22:33 – (Steve Gray): Yeah. So in the Bible we’re promised that fear doesn’t work. We can overcome fear because fear doesn’t work for us. Fear doesn’t really work for anybody. Fear is a terrible decision maker. As I’ve said. Don’t buy a car because you’re afraid you’re not going to get it. Well, actually I’ll give you some wisdom that Kathy gave me this a long time ago. When we first started out, we didn’t have hardly anything.
0:23:00 – (Steve Gray): And remember the house we rented that when we got filled with the spirit, saved and filled with the spirit, spoke in tongues and all that stuff. And we were living in a retirement home and we found a house nearby to rent just a little, but it wasn’t air conditioned, but it did have a 220 outlet. And so we decided our first purchase, we might have bought a refrigerator first, maybe, but we might have bought. We might have an old one.
0:23:26 – (Steve Gray): And we bought anyway. We bought a big 18,000 BTU was big for me. That fit in the window.
0:23:34 – (Kathy Gray): Yeah.
0:23:35 – (Steve Gray): You know, and we decided we’re. We’re going to buy that thing. And, you know, how we going to do it? What are we going to do? And we decided right then we. We’re not going to be fearful. We’re going to walk by faith, and we’re just going to save up some money and buy it. And we just bought it. And all of a sudden there was no fear in it because we don’t owe anybody. We didn’t owe any. We didn’t have to make payments on it. We didn’t have to worry about it.
0:24:05 – (Steve Gray): And that’s how we started our lives out was that way, by not making decisions by fear, but making decisions by faith. And we had nothing. But we’re going to start out. We’re going to walk by faith. And so we believed God for it. I think we got the refrigerator second and we went. And I remember buying that refrigerator.
0:24:27 – (Kathy Gray): That was such an amazing, scary thing for me.
0:24:31 – (Steve Gray): Yeah. Because we had.
0:24:32 – (Kathy Gray): Well, it was a challenge because, you know.
0:24:35 – (Steve Gray): But I saved for it.
0:24:37 – (Kathy Gray): Yes.
0:24:38 – (Steve Gray): Because I might have been fearful if they had told me what the payments were going to be. So I don’t want to make payments. I. I just. I wasn’t used to payments. I’m a saver, you know, I like to save money and then invest it like that. So. So we are so accustomed to fear that we’re. We’re afraid we’ll miss out. We’re afraid we won’t get it. You can tell. Like, I don’t. I don’t even think. I. I don’t even think. How many times have we ever sat in a bank and got a loan?
0:25:09 – (Steve Gray): I don’t. I mean, we don’t owe anybody now debt free. But we went. When we bought our house, we had to go through the finance because we didn’t have money then when we bought a house. And so that’s pretty scary, right? And I remember that’s a big life decision. Yeah. Do you remember I was so poor one time that I needed to buy two stereo speakers. And they were special. You might remember them because we were married then. We were married, but we still.
0:25:39 – (Steve Gray): And there were special stereo speakers, a special brand that I needed to have. Beautiful. A guy had them for sale. They were used. And he said, I need $200 a piece for him. And I thought that was a lot. I didn’t have $200. I thought, well, maybe I just walk into the bank where I had a checking account, and I’ll see if they’ll. Maybe they’ll loan me 400 bucks. $400, come on, I’ll pay it back. I’M sat there and I’m talking about how I needed those speakers and how they were going to help me and what I needed them for in the music business and all that stuff.
0:26:14 – (Steve Gray): And I’m watching him and I could feel this wave come over me. You know, he’s not going to loan me the money and he didn’t. And I could feel my face. I’m smiling. I could feel my smile kind of going away way, you know. And I could have got fearful. What am I going to do? This is the end now. I’m never going to get the. But I got him. Yes, I did get him. I found a way. I used my faith. This is not my only way to do it.
0:26:41 – (Steve Gray): So I’m not going to go into fear. I’m not going to lose my mind over it. I got a sound mind. I have the power of God. I can walk in love, so I can power. God benefits me.
0:26:53 – (Kathy Gray): Yes.
0:26:54 – (Steve Gray): And others love benefits everybody else. And then a sound mind keeps me on track so I don’t fall for fear because I don’t have to go. God will supply in God’s time. Everything is in his hands. My biggest trouble is keeping myself near him and keeping myself loyal and not getting distracted and not compromising. That’s my. That’s what my sound mind is telling me. So therefore, when it comes to cars and paying bills, I have a sound mind.
0:27:28 – (Steve Gray): I will not fear. Therefore I will not fear God. Remember I used to say thousands of times I’ve said it, God is my refuge and God is my strength. A very present help in trouble. Therefore I will not fear.
0:27:44 – (Kathy Gray): I will not fear.
0:27:45 – (Steve Gray): I can. Yeah, I can like everybody else. Because fear is natural to our humanity.
0:27:51 – (Kathy Gray): Yeah.
0:27:52 – (Steve Gray): But it is opposite to the spirit of God.
0:27:55 – (Kathy Gray): You know. Thank you. Thank you, Steve for sharing this. You know that second Timothy 1:7 and I’ve never heard a much better practical, faith filled explanation of that verse and how, how you. We need to apply it constantly in our lives.
0:28:13 – (Steve Gray): Yeah.
0:28:14 – (Kathy Gray): Thank you for explaining. That was rich.
0:28:17 – (Steve Gray): Oh, thank you. Yeah, I appreciate that. And I think the application of just seeing how many times fear is making decisions for me.
0:28:27 – (Kathy Gray): Yeah.
0:28:27 – (Steve Gray): You know, and just faith is needed. Yeah. Faith in everything.
0:28:33 – (Kathy Gray): Everything, everything and everything, everything, every decision.
0:28:37 – (Steve Gray): So thank you. You know, even, you know, driving on the highway, you can get in a lot of situations where cars and. And all of a sudden fear might come like. Or it snows, it ices and you’re caught out on the highway. Well, that’s not good. There’s a reason to be cautious.
0:28:56 – (Kathy Gray): Yes.
0:28:57 – (Steve Gray): Concerned, maybe, yes. There’s no reason to be fearful. People without fear drive better than people who are fearful.
0:29:04 – (Kathy Gray): Hallelujah.
0:29:05 – (Steve Gray): Right. You get behind one of those fearful people, what are they doing? Like it’s snowing. They’re just pumping the brakes and they’re pumping the brakes and everybody try. You know, cautious is not this. Being cautious is not the same as being fearful. Being wise is not the same as being fearful. You can analyze the situation and be wise as serpents in it, but you got to be innocent as doves and doves. If to stay innocent, you can’t be fearful.
0:29:30 – (Kathy Gray): Trust the Lord.
0:29:31 – (Steve Gray): Yeah, trust the Lord. But fear comes natural. It’s very easy. It’s easy to us. Trusting in faith is not so easy. But. But we can make that decision. I will not fear. I will trust in the Lord. My help comes from the Lord. Well, I get. Well, if nobody else got any help today, look how much help Kathy got today just sitting around visiting.
0:29:49 – (Kathy Gray): Thank you.
0:29:50 – (Steve Gray): Yeah. So. So we want to do. If we want to live by faith, it’s going to produce more life. And we’re not going to let fear take over. So our faith is going to override our fear. Whether we just opened the bill, water bill, parking lot, buying a car, we had a flat tire, we didn’t expect. We’re not going to let fear take over and let faith. Now what is faith saying to me? And then we’ll be okay. Faith walk. So more faith produces more life. So tell your friends, be sure and tell your friends about this. Subscribe and follow and do all that kind of stuff they do and just tell everybody, because if it helped you, it’s going to help other people too. That we get our faith walk going.
0:30:34 – (Steve Gray): Because faith, if we, if we get more faith, we’re going to get more life. And look at Kathy. Look how alive she is right now. Till next time. Bye.