All right now, if we're honest, reading the Bible consistently can be a challenge, but it's never

too late to start and we're in this together. This is the Join the Journey podcast.

Hi, everyone. This is Christy Shermack, the executive director of Watermark Health, back in the podcast

studio, subbing in for Emma. And today, my friend, Jelani Rainey, is in the room with us. Welcome, Jalani.

Hey, Christy. Great to be here. So Jolani and I have the chance to be a part of Watermark South Dallas together. And fun fact, we're actually in the same community group with a handful of other people. And Jolani, you've been on the podcast before. So people have heard your testimony. but there's some big life changes going on with the Rainy family.

Why don't you catch everyone up a little bit on what's on the hur. podcast before. So people have heard your testimony, but there's some big life changes going on with

the Rainy family. Why don't you catch everyone up a little bit on what's on the horizon for you and Jenna?

Yeah. So me and my family are moving. And so we are sad. We are leaving South Dallas and the

incredible families and people that we have gotten to do ministry and life with down there,

including yourself. And we're headed up north back home, and I'll be taking on a new role with

FCA and just to be closer to family up that way. So we're excited, but it's truly bittersweet.

We loved the community and people of Watermark. And so we're going to miss everyone here.

That's awesome. So everyone that doesn't know, Jolani's been the associate pastor of Watermark South Dallas for the last two years. And so yeah, it's a big loss for our church team, but excited for what's next with FCA, which is the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, get to do discipleship ministry there. and so excited for what's on the horizon for you guys and glad that we got to get you in the podcast

studio one. Christian athletes, get to do discipleship ministry there. And so excited for what's on the horizon for

you guys. And glad that we got to get you in the podcast studio one last time before you make that

change. And today we're going to be covering Luke 17 and 18 together. So hopefully everyone's had a

chance to read or listen to that already. But we're going to jump in. And I know we've got a

couple questions to kind of think through Jolani. So one of them in this section is the story where you see a tax collector and a Pharisee in the temple. And one is worshipping in a way where they're kind of exuding this, hey, I'm better than everybody else. I'm glad I'm better than everyone else. And the other is beating their chest, it says, I wouldn't even look to heaven and was kind of in more of a repentant state. And Jesus says the tax collector is the one that leaves in a better position in his faith. And so, yeah, just kind of walk us through that. Because, yeah, usually tax collectors would have been a very unliked group of people at this time and age.

And so what's going on in that little story? Yeah. So, I mean, it's the beauty that Luke does when he presents a parable of Jesus, he really tells us who and what the parable is for. And so he kind of lays that out. He's like, hey, this is for those who trusted in themselves and were righteous, and we're treating others in contempt. And so just like you said, like, hey, there's two people, tax collector, Pharisee, they go into the temple, things start great. The temple is a good place to be at. Right. They're going to pray, also still going the right path. And the Pharisee begins his prayer like, hey, God, I thank you, which any acronym we've put together to help people learn how to pray has thinking God in it. But unfortunately, it does go downhill from there.

And he just proceeds to, you know, be condescending towards those that are not like him

and becomes boastful in his own works and is talking poorly about the tax collector beside him.

And, you know, you read this and then, like, I think there's a danger in here for us as believers, even though we can clearly see like, hey, the moral and character this person here is not right.

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