Greater Women: Wisdom Is a Lady
by Stacey McBee
May 20, 2026 · Cornerstone Apostolic Church (Chattanooga, TN)
Kind: teaching
Scripture: Genesis 35:14, Genesis 28:18-19, Exodus 13:21, Proverbs 9:1, 2 Chronicles 23:13, Proverbs 9:10, Psalm 127:1, Isaiah 62:3

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/stacey-mcbee--greater-women-wisdom-is-a-lady
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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Lord, we thank you, Jesus. Lord, for another opportunity, Lord, to be in your presence. Lord, you're such a good God. You're a mighty God. You're a holy God.

Lord, and we thank you, Lord, for this place of worship. Lord, I thank you for this group of ladies that's here tonight. Lord, I thank you for my church family. God, I thank you for your word. I thank you for your promises.

God, I thank you for what you're going to do in this place tonight, throughout this church, and every class. Lord, when we gather together for worship, God, I know that you're going to meet with us, dear God, and that is why we're here, Lord, to lift you up and to give you praise tonight. And we want to worship you. We want to praise you, dear God. We want to exalt your name forever, Jesus.

You are so worthy of our praise. You're so worthy of our praise. Let's just clap our hands right now. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. >> >> Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Oh, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, ladies. You may be seated.

Isn't it great though? Isn't it great to come together? We can have a roomful or we can have just a few and I know we're scattered throughout CAC tonight. We're we break up into so many different classes and I think that's a great thing. But I'm glad that we don't have to have a set amount of people in the room for God's presence to fill this place.

And that makes actually it makes me emotional. Because isn't our God so merciful and so good that he shows up? All it takes is us lifting our hands and worshipping him and he comes right in. And I love that. I love that.

We are going to continue our lesson the series of lessons that we're in wisdom is a lady and I'm pretty sure the first night that sister Sloan talked she clarified that wisdom is it's for all genders. It's for both genders. It's male and female. Okay? This is not a a gender specific study.

It is for everyone. We should all be seeking godly wisdom. We should and in the book of Proverbs reading that throughout like just one chapter a day it there's a lot in that. And oh and then sister Lauren, you know, she did a beautiful job last week and and and pulling out like the things that God hates and the things that God loves and how we apply those things that are life cuz don't we really want to please God? I mean above all else we want to please God.

I'm going to go ahead and get started with the scripture. Genesis chapter 35 and 14. It reads, "And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone." Now, we've been talking about pillars. Now, I got a little tickled when I was studying this and reading this because when you're in the South and you're in maybe Tennessee, you might have heard some people refer to their pillow as a pillar. Well, let's be I want to clarify.

Just because we're in Tennessee or in the South, when we're talking about a pillar, we're talking about a column, not that pillow you put under your head. I digress. I got a little tickled because I've actually heard some people refer to their pillow as a pillar. That's okay. That's fine, but I got a little I got tickled when I was reading the lesson and and every time I would say pillar, I thought, "We're in the South.

We need to clarify that." No. But anyway, tonight, >> >> a little funny, a little funny. But pondering our pillars, um Jacob in the story of Jacob, I love that uh story of Jacob. But pillars or columns, they were uniquely fashioned. And they were used to mark the place of meeting and covenant with God.

And it so they served a specific purpose. Uh granted, yes, you can see a pillar or or buildings today that they still have those big columns. You know, they can be very intricate and very fancy. But biblically, when you look back into the Bible, they served a purpose, a specific purpose. And here, uh so pillars have been around a long time and they range from quite simple to very ornate in their construction.

Uh example, in a an iron pillar was raised to Vishnu, which was a Hindu god. In Delhi, that was over 1,600 years ago. Native American, they used the totem poles. Now, as a child, I'm going to tell them myself a little bit. Once again, certain parts of the country, it's very common for you to have Native American in you.

Well, I found that out when I was single digits, okay? I was a very young girl. Well, all of a sudden, Sister So, I found out that I, you know, there was Native American in my family somewhere along the way. Well, I thought, well, I I became so interested in all things Native American. I wanted I wanted moccasins.

I wanted all the things that I read about in the history about a Native American. And I was intrigued with the totem poles. But, the totem poles, uh for Native Americans, they were carved out and they served a purpose. They told a story. They weren't just carved to be pretty.

It was actually something that was it was going to be passed on and would tell tell a story from for generations to come. So, we're still talking biblical pillars here. But, this just gives you an example over uh in our history and over a span of time going way back, uh pillars served a purpose in different cultures for different reasons. Um you think about Rome. From Egypt's pyramids to Rome's Colosseum, their columns were used to to hold up and and the the buildings, the massive buildings that they had, these vast complexes, uh you had bridges, aqueducts, amphitheaters, temples, palaces.

And those, you know, those big arches, those big triumphal arches that they would use. Well, those uh pillars, those columns would hold that up. So, there was a purpose for a pillar. Columns and pillars are a part of human history since ancient times and in many cultures. And in this lesson tonight, we're going to look at the purpose and construction of pillars as recorded in scripture.

So, we're not going to be just talking about pillars from Rome and and totem poles, okay? We're going to go a little deeper than that. But, before we look at the pillars of wisdom, let's look at some of the the pillars that are mentioned in scripture. Okay, if you want to read along, it's Genesis chapter 28 and verse 18 and 19. Actually, actually, does someone Can someone get that for me?

I'm sorry, I don't have that with me. I thought I had that one. That's Genesis chapter 28 verse 18 and 19. >> And Jacob rose up early in the morning and took the stone that he had put for his pillows and set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

>> Okay, so here you have uh Jacob, he's had an encounter, an experience with God. And he marked that place with a stone. He He He memo- memorialized that place. Then Jacob, later on, he sets up a second pillar where he met with God and God affirmed his covenant with him. This pillar marked the place Jacob received God's blessing.

So, what that is to me and and I think it's beautiful because here he's had an experience with God, God's presence. Have you ever had an experience with God where it was very memorable? Like it stood out among I'm not saying that all of our experiences aren't wonderful, but there was something special or something very different that might have you encountered him on a different level and you didn't want to forget that. Well, that's what Jacob's having right now. He's having this experience with God and he wants to remember this.

And so, if there's a place in your life where God has met you, there's I think there's one regret and I'm I have many regrets in my life. If I look back, I've got regrets. But, there's one when it comes to this study and I was thinking that if I had a regret when it comes to my walk with God, it is not uh taking better notes. Not writing down more things that I thought I would I would go never forget the date. You'll never forget the time.

You'll never forget certain things, but the more that happens and the more time that passes, you may remember some things, but if I could go back, I would be keeping notes of every encounter where something special really, really happened. Or where I heard God speaking and I know that God was moving in a special way. I wish that I would have done that. So, we're not going to be like Jacob. We're not going to grab stones and we're not going to every time we have an encounter with God, we're not going to go build a pillar and we're not going to build altars and things like that physically.

But, somewhere you should make it a point to say, "You know, this is something I want to remember." For yourself personally and also children, grandchildren, those around you. Something that they can gain from your experience. And then look here with Jacob, he goes back in a second time. See, the first time he has that encounter, the second time it's like he received God's blessing. So, sometimes you know, you receive a promise.

This is what's going to happen and then you go back and you have another encounter in God with God and that's where that promise is fulfilled. You need to remember both experiences. And that's what Jacob was doing here. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone. Again, that's our the verse we started with in Genesis 35 and 14.

So, if I would give you any advice is what I just told you. Take really good notes of your encounters with God because you're going to look back and there are things that have happened that there is no way there were absolutely no way that I'll forget them. There are encounters that I've had with God and I may share something with you uh but I know I can't remember the exact dates, Sister Pam, but I do remember I remember where I was. I remember what happened and for me they're etched they're etched in my memory and I hope they never go away because although I've not shared a lot of experiences because I always felt some of them were more intimate and personal between me and God but they're so powerful. But then maybe God wants me to share.

Maybe he wants you to share. So, let's make take better notes of those encounters with God. Um look at uh the pillar of God during the time of Moses. God revealed himself to the Israelites as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Exodus 13 and 21.

And that it reads, "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light to go by day and night." Um this to me this scripture here once again, a pillar that's a cloud and a pillar of fire. A pillar that serves a purpose. Um not only uh is that amazing, but I'm also thinking it's a prophetic scripture because we go when you jump into the New Testament, we find out that Jesus is the light. And Jesus is the way. And that right here it talks about how a pillar of cloud was there for them during the day to show during the day to show them the way.

And then that pillar of fire at night. Uh because he's the light. And I just thought, you know, I love how the Bible from the Old Testament to the New Testament is always pointing towards Jesus. And I love that. But these pillars of cloud and fire were the very manifestation of God.

And again, these pillars marked the place that supernatural broke through uh to the natural. It's like heaven coming to earth. And isn't that what we desire? When we have a prayer life, and when we're we're talking to God, isn't that what we're doing? It shouldn't be just a ritual or just something we're doing out of a habit.

Uh something that we're doing for a checklist to say, "Okay, I got that accomplished today." But heaven to earth, I'm praying heaven to earth. I want heaven to open up and I want God's presence. Just like we talked about when we opened up earlier, we don't have to have a room full of people. When we begin to worship, you can feel God's presence be ushered in, and that's amazing. But what's even more amazing is I can be alone.

You can be alone. And those are when those intimate times with God. There's nothing like it. There's nothing like it. And you don't have to have this big platform.

You don't have to have this big crowd. God's not waiting and and expecting fanfare. All he is looking for is for a heart that is open to him. And and when we worship him. But when something begins to happen in us and there's an experience there, take note.

There's a purpose for these pillars. Uh even like for Moses, the pillar of God. In the tabernacle of Moses, pillars grace the inside of the holy place. It was on the pillars that the veil was hung that separated the holy place from the most holy place, the place God dwelt among his people. Again, we're looking at the presence of God.

These pillars represent something. It represents the presence of God, you your encounter with God and what you are experiencing when you're in his presence. In Solomon's temple, two pillars marked the entrance to the holy place. Again, the place where God dwelt among his people. So, pillars are built where God meets his people.

I want to meet Jesus. Now, granted, yes, one day we want to meet him face to face. We want to hear him say, "Well done." And we want to be in his presence forever. But while we're here, we we can still enjoy the benefits of his presence. And that should excite us.

That should be something that we want to share with everybody, that you don't have to wait. You don't have to wait because one day we get to just be in his presence forever and ever and ever. That's why That's what we're striving for here. That's what we're building here Is a a life, a relationship with him so we can be in his presence forever. But here in the Old Testament, there were opportunities and these pillars represented his people being in his presence.

And that's what we want. For him to meet with us. Wisdom, and remember we're still talking about wisdom, built her house with pillars raised on holy ground. In places where people experienced divine and that intimate, personal contact with God. Personal pillars.

That means that you and I, it's our responsibility to have our own personal pillars. Did you notice um Will somebody read Proverbs, I know I gave this to them, but Proverbs chapter 9 and verse 1. Um >> Wisdom >> Yes. >> hath builded her house. She hath hewn out her seven pillars.

You want me to keep going? >> Uh just the 9 and 1. >> That's it? >> Yes, thank you. Thank you very much.

So, here she is, wisdom built her house. The scripture doesn't say she built a a house or the house or his house or their house. She built her own house with her own pillars. Uh in 2 Chronicles 23 and 13, we find that the king was standing at his pillar. Um That says, "And she looked and behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king and all the people of the land rejoiced." So, the king stood at his pillar.

So, that lets us know that we have a responsibility to have our own pillar. So, wisdom she had to make her own pillars and she had to use what she had, the materials that she had. Sister Sloan could build her pillar. I could look at her pillar and I could be like, oh, look. It's so beautiful.

Look at all the detail. Look how gorgeous it is. And I could go stand by it and I could go look at it, but that's Sister Sloan's pillar. That's her experience. That's her experience of being in the presence of God.

That's what she's encountered with God. Sure, I can be blessed by looking at her pillar. I can be inspired. I can admire it, but unless I have my own experience with God, if I'm not encountering his presence on my own, her pillar can't get me into heaven. Her pillar can only inspire me or encourage me.

But, it needs to inspire me and encourage me to build my own, my own relationship with God, my own experiences, my own opportunity to get into his presence. And then that's what we're talking about tonight, getting into the presence of God. So, here we are. So, we got responsibility. Each one of us have a personal responsibility.

So, she works with the materials that's available with her own hands. She hewed out her pillars. Now, when you And that I think was mentioned in the very first lesson. Sister Sloan talked about how the the carving had to take place. And the word hewn does mean to dig, divide, make, cut out, dig out, or cut down.

Now, if you've ever look when you think about carving and cutting out or digging, you're not going to be able to pick up this plastic bottle and dig on stone. It's not going to It's not going to happen. Tools that are required to dig and cut out are going to be sharp. And there's certain tools that only certain tools will work. And sometimes when our own pillar is being built with experiences with God, there's some things that we're going to have to remove.

We're going to have to take those sharp tools, God's word. We're going to have to take his word and we're going to have to apply it to our lives. Those things that God hates or those are things that God loves. We're going to have to search our hearts. Sister uh Lauren talked about that last week.

We want uh the experiences that we have with God, we want to be pleasing to him. So, when we search our heart and we start finding things that mhm that's kind of a hindrance for me getting into his presence. You know, when I'm thinking this or saying that or I'm not doing this and I don't feel the connection that I need with God. Well, that's when we get the tools out. That's when we get the word of God and we start applying and we start digging out.

Now, when you dig something or you cut something, there's a really good chance it's going to hurt a little bit. Have you ever cut yourself? Oh my goodness. Can I tell a story? A little short.

You know, I've always got something funny that's happened to me. I don't know why. Anyway, Mother's Day. I came in here hobbling last week because on Mother's Day, I have a 20-month uh old niece and I'm terrified of her because when I get out of her sight, she screams. So, I was trying to leave my parents, but without [name redacted] knowing that I was leaving.

So, pizza box in hand, mind you, I'm 56. The first thing wrong with this picture is I was running. >> >> So, and I'm running around my parents' house with a pizza box in hand from a 20-month-old child. And my parents have these stones, these flagstones as a walkway. Well, the next thing I know, I've stumbled.

I'm hurt. I look down and there's blood gushing off my foot. And I'm like, "What in the world?" All over a 20-month-old That I digress. That's beside the point. But, that stone, that hurt.

And I hobbled for almost a week because of that. So, when we start cutting, when those when we take those tools, we take the word of God and we start applying it. There's some things that may not feel very good. You know, I'm walking better today. The scar is starting to heal up.

I don't have the bandage on. So, it's all it's getting better. Same way with our walk with God. There's some things that may hurt a little bit to begin with. Oh, I kind of wish I could still do that or I wish, you know, this or whatever.

But, it is about getting into the presence of God and having those experiences with him that are life-changing. But, so, it is well worth taking his word, dissecting it, and let it become a tool that starts to cut away, dig out some things. And you think, "Oh, that hurts and that's this and that's that and oh, I that's so painful." And and and but when it's all said and done, you're going to be able to stand back and you're going to look at your pillar and all of a sudden, it's got a lot of design and so on. It's intricate and it's got detail that's oh, that's very pretty, and because God, when he has someone that's obedient to him and that's going to take his word, and it might not have looked pretty in to begin with, but when you step back and you look at that experience in God's You've allowed him to carve some things out and change things here, and you look back one day, and you're going to stand, and you're going to see that all of those experiences, all those things that happened, all those things that I cut away and changed, just to be obedient to him, just to be in his presence. What a beautiful thing that has been created.

What a beautiful thing. Uh so, get the tools out. Get the word of God. Let's apply it to our lives, and we never reach a point where you that stops. Never.

You can be raised in church I was raised in church. Apostolic. Uh from birth until now. I I did step away from church for a season, but I've had some experiences, but you never ever outgrow growth, getting closer to God. You never reach a point like, "Well, I don't need God to search my heart, because I've plateaued.

I'm in a good place." No, it needs to be a daily a daily thing that we do is we ask God, "Check my heart." God, show me, and when we get into his word, he will show you. He shows me. I'm like, "No. No." Sometimes sometimes, if I'm going to be real, it's like, "Okay. Okay." But, the rewards The rewards are great.

So, anyway, going back to the pillar. So, the word we talked about healing. It's We're digging things out, and and to build with what we have been given, we must take those tools the Lord gives us, and start scraping out those things. Because when we do, we carve away the excess. And we create something lovely, a functional pillar for our our buildings.

Um and that's a unique process. Uh creating pillars does not just happen. Building requires intentional, diligent work. Now, in the natural, to hew a pillar, we would begin with a big piece of stone or wood. And that would be shaped with great effort in a purposeful design.

Now, every pillar in the physical, in the natural, has three parts. That's the base, a column, and a capital. Um Okay. I'm sorry, I skipped a place. Okay.

Uh the base of the pillar, Proverbs chapter 9 and verse 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Now, to me, and in this study, uh that is going to be the base of your pillar. And of course, fear here is talking about a reverence of God. It's not like, "Ooh, he's so scary.

I'm going to go hide." It's not that type of fear, and I know that we we all understand that. Um people that are new to the faith, or maybe they don't have an experience with Jesus, they may read something like that and think, "Oh my goodness, he's this big scary God, and I'm supposed to be afraid of him." But we understand that there's a reverence. And we need that fear of the Lord. That needs to be the base and the foundation. If you've ever built anything, uh if you've got children, had children, grandchildren, and they build with Legos or Lincoln Logs or anything, you've got to start somewhere.

You can't just start building my little skinny pieces all the way up. You imagine a column being built with no base, with no foundation. It's going to topple over. And not only that, if it's being built up to hold arches or a building, that support isn't going to be there because you don't have the base, you don't have the foundation. So, our foundation is the fear of the Lord, the reverence, and understanding that we serve a holy God.

That's the beginning of wisdom the base of our pillars. Then you've got the the top of the pillar. And yes, I know, I've skipped from the bottom to the top. But, we're going to do that for just a second. In the Bible, the top of a pillar is called a chapiter.

In modern vernacular, we call them capitals. The capital is the most distinctive part of a pillar. It's crown and it's glory. Now, um Psalm 127:1, it reads, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it." So, we have to be willing to submit to him daily, putting our lives in his hands every day. And when we do this, we become we.

Say me. Point to yourself and say me. That's me. We become a crown of glory and bring glory to God. And you can read that if you want to if you're making notes of scripture, Isaiah uh chapter 62:3, "Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord." So, that's that's the top of the pillar.

It's the crown and the glory. And just to think that we can become that when we are living a life that's completely submitted to him. Now we're going to move to the middle of that pillar. Now that's the column, okay? You've got your base, you've got your foundation, and that and then you've got the top part, the capital.

Now the middle of the pillar, now that's where that's a lot of stuff and that we're going to talk about that for just a minute. Excuse me. >> >> That's the big middle part of a pillar, the column or the shaft. Now in the Bible we see that pillars were built where God met with men. We talked about that at the beginning of this lesson with Jacob and and Moses and the Israelites.

Now based on this example, it seems reasonable to conclude that your column is going to be unique to you. Mine will be unique to me. And remember that wisdom built her house. I must build mine. And you must build yours and we do that with the help of God.

We do that. Wisdom is always seeking out what God wants and that's what we do. So your columns are going to be formed from your life experiences. Um and maybe just take a minute and uh think, we talked about this at the beginning, those times that you've had an encounter with God that you thought, you know, this was life-changing or it did something for your faith. It did something for you personally.

And maybe it wasn't something it was, you know, you were completely by yourself, you were alone and nobody else knew but it was just a intimate time that where it just you and God and something amazing happened. Something detailed. Something that you personally needed and you grew from that. Um personal experiences and I know we all have them. I um I debated on whether or not to share this.

But guess what? >> >> If you didn't guess, here we are. Um I've had several experiences, okay, with God. Encounters. And I know we all have.

And sometimes I'm I'm hesitant to talk about some of them because you feel like, well, you know, I'm not sure how will people view me or I don't want to ever come across like, oh, this is what happened or, you know, this is, you know, how this is, you know, how God came and talked to me. I don't want to come across that way. So, please, please. But I was a very young child. The Uh I meant to ask my mom, actually.

It's been a while since I talked to only a handful handful of people know about this one. Um but I was single digits. I'm going to say I'm I was between the ages of 5 and 7. And uh I would have always been an early riser. Uh I'd wake up so early as a child.

And I can remember being in my bedroom and I the light was just barely I was still kind of dark outside, but there was enough light coming into my room and I was awake. But I was waiting patiently because I knew that nobody in my house was up. So, I was young and I just thought, well, I'll just lay here. And I remember I was laying in my bed on my back and there was a vision. And like I said, I'm hesitant I try to talk about these things, but uh and I was young, so young.

And at first the first thing that happened to me was fear. I thought, what is that? And then I remember rubbing my eyes. I knew I'd been awake. I'd been awake.

And you've got to understand this, too. I was a little girl that loved Jesus. Oh my goodness. I didn't get the Holy Ghost until I was nine. I thought that was too late.

I just thought something was wrong with me because I was 9 years old. My sisters got it at 7 and 6 and I was kind of bitter about that for a while. I got over it, but >> >> but I couldn't understand cuz I loved Jesus and I loved everything about church and the whole experience to me was wonderful and I was always just oh, I just want the Holy Ghost. I just want to see Jesus. That's what was on my mind.

Going to make me emotional. Um so I laid in that bed and I kept looking and even pinched myself. And I remember seeing a hand and it was almost the length of me. Of course at 5 and 7 I wouldn't have been that tall, but anyway, it was just and it was just hovering over me. And the fear finally I just I remember and I remember this.

I remember there's a lot of things in my life I don't remember that have happened, but I remember this. So detailed and I remember the hand was just scarred and and I just remember it being hovering over me and the fear I took a deep breath and I thought, I don't need to be afraid. Don't need to be afraid. So I focused on that hand and I started talking to Jesus. And I felt this peace come into my room.

And then the the the hand disappeared. This little girl got up out of bed because she heard somebody in the kitchen and she went on about her day. I did tell my mom later on I told my grandma Hedges and I've told Jordan, my daughter, maybe a couple of other people. That's been it up until tonight. Now I would think about that throughout my life.

And there were times when I'd forgotten. But then I would go through some experiences as I grew up. Got the Holy Ghost, lived for God and then I walked away from God. And ever so often when I'd be in just the pit I would recall that hand hovering over me. And I am convinced that that that was real.

>> Oh, yes. >> It was real. And that hand has kept me. Now, you jump to the year um Let me get this right. Ooh, this is going to make me feel Okay.

2000 I'm sorry, no. Not even 2000 No, no, no. 1992. Jordan was My daughter was not quite 2 years old. She was not 2 years old yet.

No. And I had and some of you know this uh Crohn's disease. And I had been diagnosed with Crohn's disease when I was 12 years old. And progressively had gotten worse through the years. Well, I had also in my late teenage years, mid to late teen teenage years, I started straying from God.

And backslid. And in 1992 uh things had gotten pretty bad. Not just physically with the disease, but also in my personal life. And backslidden, not living for God. We were living in Nashville.

And the disease had uh it had just wrecked my body. I was in so much pain. And I remember being in that apartment. And the living room seemed as big as this and it was not, okay? It was not.

And I remember being on that couch and I was in so much pain that I could not move. Could not move. And I remember feeling this desperation. I wanted to pray. But Sister Lana felt so unworthy to even say the name Jesus.

I thought, who am I? I can't. I can't talk to him. Look what I've done. I've backslidden.

I've not been living for him. And and and my life is a mess. Why? How could I even say his name? And took a deep breath and barely got out the words, Lord, if you're there and you see me, let me know.

And I sat on that couch and immediately my eyes went to a bookshelf. And there was a Bible that I had not touched in I say this with shame, years. But I carried it with me and it would go on a shelf because, you know, it's a Bible and everybody should have a Bible. And I saw and my eyes went immediately to a Bible that I didn't even realize was there. And I had not touched in forever.

But I was in so much pain that I could not get up and walk. And I remember crawling crawling because I knew I thought, okay, there's a Bible. And I crawled on the floor, hands and knees, to get to that Bible. And when I did, I didn't have the energy or the strength to get back to the couch. I sat on that floor and I opened up the Bible.

I didn't go searching for scriptures and yes, I it was one of those moments where you just open up and you read what's there. And I won't read it, but you can if you want to it sometime, but it was Psalm it chapter six. And I began to weep because my answer was there. Because God knew that where I was. I was weeping and I felt alone and isolated and my life was a mess and God let me know that he was there and then I remembered the hand.

And I am convinced that that hand that was that I saw as a young girl had carried me all the way through all those messes that I had made, all the health issues that I had, all the things that had transpired in my life and had brought me to that apartment in Nashville and that hand was still there on me. Those are those experiences that that pillar, that column is making. Those experiences, those are things that I will never forget and I know that you've got some experiences. Your experiences may not sound like mine, but that column, that pillar that's being built, that carving away in those life experiences, we are to share those with somebody. I can stand if you want to know the story.

I stand here healed of an incurable disease that I was dying from in '92. Did I have to still got Did things immediately get better? No. There was a marriage that was dissolved. There were relationships that ended.

There was I still had to go through some things with my health. I had to go through some scary things, but I got back in church and God took me back and God is good. So, all of those things, that pillar, that those pillars that we're building, it's our experiences. It's about being in the presence of God and the same way in that apartment, a backslidden girl that was racked with pain, that emotionally was distraught, her life was a mess, everything was just I I felt so ashamed. God's presence moved into that room.

So, let's be encouraged by that. That that is what we're doing. We're we're trying to be obedient. We're trying to build. We're trying to get into his presence.

We're trying to remember, memorialize those places. That's why I said in the beginning, I wish I would have taken better notes, but those are two two experiences that I've had that I don't think will I will ever forget. And let's just take those experiences and learn from them. And what time do we end? >> I think 7:40.

>> Oh. Okay. Okay. I'm I'm never quite sure. But uh So, a life of obedience.

We want what we're building. We want the wisdom of God. And everything that you go through, all those experiences, like I said, things that I went through in '91 and '92, very ugly. Not pretty at all. But it was building a relationship with God.

And now I can look back and I can see Oh, that carving there, you see that? That's when I was dying. And that right over there is when, you know, uh God touched me and God healed me. That's when God mended my broken heart. That's the all the things that you go through personally, that's what's happening right now.

That's what's happening. And God's presence moves into every situation and he helps us build those things. Because we are we're trying to please him. We're trying to be obedient to him. That a life of obedience.

Um I have those questions, but I don't know that we actually have time for questions. Is there anybody that wants to share anything briefly about an encounter, something that happened that transformed you, briefly, anything, anybody? >> Well, I was in the backyard um doing what I love um and digging in the dirt. >> Mhm. >> And I don't know if I have it here or there.

I don't think I have. Um And um just working away and just out of the blue this uh prompting came to my mind and it said um "You are wasting your time." And what I was trying to do was um uh there was a cinder block up under a shed. We had one on each side and I was trying to push dirt, build it and fill it in, push it pack it. >> Right. >> And I said to myself, "Lord, if that's you uh say it again." But he didn't.

What he did was immediately took away the desire to do what I was doing. >> Wow. Wow. >> I picked up my things and I was even surprised at myself because I that's what I love. But he took the desire that day >> Wow.

>> away and said, "You're wasting your time." >> Wow. >> So, I went inside, didn't know why and then, you know, the story continues. >> Uh-huh. >> But that was a turning point for me. >> Right.

>> And um he really did and that was 6 years ago. Show me uh I was wasting my time on things that did not matter. >> Right. >> Let the shed fall. >> Oh, yeah.

Oh, wow. Yeah. And that's something that does distractions can keep us from the presence of God. We have to prioritize things and God always needs to be first. You know, distractions will come and keep you from getting into his presence.

And that's where our rewards are. That's where our answers are. That's where everything we need we find when we create a place where we can meet with God. And that's what God's longing for. That's what he wants from each and every one of us is to commune with us.

So, and I'm thankful for those opportunities. There was nothing wrong with gardening. That's not a sin. There's nothing wrong with that. But he's saying to her, "I want your attention over here.

I want your attention." And maybe it's for a season. Maybe there was a reason for that. But God knows. God knows when there's something that it may not be a sin, but it could be a stumbling block from your focusing completely on him and getting into his presence and what he wants you to do. So, let's just let's just be obedient.

Let's make ourselves available to him, seek his presence, and seek godly wisdom. And God's going to equip us. And we can share our testimony and others can learn from that and be encouraged by that. Can look at your pillar and be like, "I'm inspired by that. I'm encouraged by that." So, let's just be encouraged.

And now, ladies, let's just stand up. And let's end this the way we opened it up and that's just with praise before we go into the sanctuary. Lord, we thank you for your word. God, we thank you, dear God, for your sweet presence. God, we thank you for every opportunity that we have to come together to worship you in spirit and in truth.

God, we're trusting you tonight for all things, Jesus. Go with us to the time of worship tonight. We know that you're here, Jesus, and we praise you for your presence. We praise you for your goodness. And we thank you, Jesus.

In Jesus' name. Thank you, Jesus. God bless each of you and you are dismissed. Let's go to the sanctuary and worship.