Valley Gospel
A Pentecostal church experience.
Valley Gospel
A New Life
Have you ever purchased a new, high-tech appliance only to leave it sitting unused because you never bothered to read the instructions? According to our latest message from Valley Gospel Church, many Christians approach their new life in Christ the same way—accepting salvation but never consulting the manual on how to operate it.
Through a powerful, relatable washing machine analogy, this episode challenges our fundamental understanding of Christian living. It's not about fixing our old life but building an entirely new one. In this episode, Ted Gardner vulnerably shares his own struggles with putting his old life to death, admitting that despite being surrounded by church family, he still finds himself stumbling—or as he candidly puts it, diving headfirst into old patterns.
What makes this message particularly striking is the revelation that personal transformation isn't even the ultimate goal of our salvation. While freedom from destructive habits and inner peace are wonderful benefits, they're merely preparation for our true purpose: building God's kingdom. With refreshing honesty, Ted Gardner confronts how rarely most believers think about reaching the lost, often praying for God to save others without offering themselves as instruments for that work.
The episode draws from powerful scriptures in James and Peter that emphasize the importance of not just hearing the Word but doing it—continuing to add virtues like self-control, perseverance, godliness, and brotherly kindness to our faith. These qualities keep us effective and productive in our knowledge of Christ.
Perhaps most compelling is the call to community that concludes this message. We're reminded that Christ designed us to function as one body, supporting each other through challenges. Brother Gardner pushes beyond Sunday morning pleasantries, challenging listeners to develop deeper weekday relationships that sustain spiritual growth.
Ready to stop letting your spiritual "washing machine" sit unused? This episode provides practical guidance for reading the manual, building your new life, and becoming an effective kingdom builder. Listen now and discover what happens when you finally plug in to the power source God has provided.
But not because of you, but because he is good and you will not have room to receive Him. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, Woo.
Speaker 2:Hello, welcome to Valley Gospel Church. We are a non-denominational Pentecostal church located in Springdale, pennsylvania. Our sole mission is to present the living truth of a risen Lord Jesus Christ to a remnant church and a lost world. So let's go into the service recorded live at Valley Gospel Church.
Speaker 3:Every time he asked I said no, and my life is so up and down at times I think the Lord impressed on him to kind of like get him back up on the saddle. You know what I'm saying. I fall off this horse quite often and so, anyways, if you know me, you know I'm not a deep person. It's not going to be a deep message. I mean, I spend most of my time down there with 9 and 10-year-olds, so pretty much that's probably about the way I'm going to speak to you this morning. The thing about those kids downstairs, though, it's difficult. It was really difficult when I first started. You can hold their attention for about five minutes, unless you're talking about video games or something, and then you'll lose them. I hope to do better than that up here, I hope, but it was difficult in the beginning and I don't know how I got into that position.
Speaker 3:With Daniel down there we take turns and I said I don't even know where to begin, and the Lord kind of spoke to me and said bringing the Bible to anyone 10 or 110, begins the same way with all of us Most of us when coming to the Lord. I'm going to read this scripture and I think most of you have heard it before For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son. Whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him, and whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only son. Speaking to a 10-year-old about this, I said I need to get you to a point where you'll proclaim that you believe in Jesus. And they go yeah, okay, okay, yeah, well, even the devil believes about Jesus, amen. But the question that comes up what do you mean? That I'm condemned already? Why am I condemned before coming to Christ? What did I do? And I said well, adam and Eve, that ain't my fault, I didn't do that. Adam and Eve did it. And I explained to them that when the fall happened, it opened up this door for Satan to come into this world and to be a ruler over this world, and that we have to come to Christ because we're already condemned and if we need to be forgiven, we need to come to Christ. So I explained this to these 10-year-olds and they seemed to get it. So now I got them proclaiming the name of Jesus as their Savior, explaining to them that that's just the first step.
Speaker 3:The next step is I'm trying to explain to them that now that you've done this, you've walked into a new area of your life. No, you've walked into a new life, totally. But these 10-year-olds don't know any other life but the 10 years they've been alive amen. And most of us haven't known any other way but the way that we've lived. John been alive amen. And most of us haven't known any other way but the way that we've lived John for years, amen. So I tell them you have this new life.
Speaker 3:Paul says in Romans that if we live by the Spirit, we'll put to death the misdeeds and desires of the flesh. I have to tell these young kids, and maybe even I have to tell some of you you have two lives. You know, by accepting Christ you've walked into a new life, but you have 70 years of the other life, or 40 years of your other life. That kind of needs to be put to death, or not kind of, but it does. It needs to be put to death.
Speaker 3:How this works was a mystery to me. Ted has been so in control he thought he was in control of his life for all these years. I didn't realize, and they don't realize, that you never have control. You know you're either serving God or you're serving the devil. And you say well, what if I'm self-serving, then you're still serving the devil, amen. But I'm trying to explain to these kids about a new life, and I talked about it this week with my co-workers.
Speaker 3:I've got to put it in a way where I understand and I said you order a new, fancy, innovated washer for your house and the delivery guy brings this washer over and brings it in there for you, hands you the manual that goes with it and then he's gone. You run up and you get your dirty clothes, pack them all into that washer, go back upstairs. You come back four or five hours later. Clothes are still dry, they're still dirty. I don't understand why it's not working. Leave them in there two more days, come out there. Their clothes are still dirty. They're still in the washer. This washer is no good. Why doesn't it work? We all know why the washer don't work. You didn't read the manual. You got to read the manual.
Speaker 3:This new life that we're living comes with a manual. It's not a repair book, trust me. It ain't to fix this life that you've had for 70 years with a manual. It's not a repair book, trust me. It ain't to fix this life that you've had for 70 years. It wasn't to fix my drug-addicted, alcohol-addicted life. That's not what the manual was for. All that is your old life. You've got to figure out how to walk in this new life. I don't think that a lot of us have fully understood that. The manual is there, it's sitting on the coffee table or it's on that dresser in the back of my bedroom.
Speaker 3:And I continue to walk in this new life without ever opening the manual. And then I wonder this Christianity thing just ain't working for me. I don't get it. I got this new life in Christ but yet I continue to live like I never even accepted him. And I said why is that as much trouble as I've had trying to walk this new life? It's not hard to see why there will be stumbling blocks. If I go two days without the Bible, one week without church, a week without the Bible, a month without the Bible. The troubles increase as I'm going along.
Speaker 3:You say well, that seems simple. I'll just start reading the Bible more. Read the Bible more every day. If the Bible is what it takes to keep from something whoa, I'll just stay in it. I'll carry it with me everywhere I go. But no, this world doesn't allow us. We fall into this world and the requirements for? You can stay at home and read your Bible all day, but your lights will be off if you don't go to work and get some money and pay the bills right. You can sit at home and read your Bible all day, but your lights will be off if you don't go to work and get some money and pay the bills right. You can sit on your porch and read your Bible, but it's not going to fill your gas tank. We're almost pressured to have to go out there and participate in the world. And you know that's the enemy. You got to do this, you have to do that and the enemy makes you feel like that.
Speaker 3:This new life in Christ. I wish it was one and done. I remember in 1986, I said yes, I realize I'm a sinner. Yes, I realize I need a redeemer. Yes, I'll accept need a redeemer. Yes, I'll accept Christ as my Savior and don't hand me the manual. But this is about Christ. This ain't about me. My reading ain't going to make any difference.
Speaker 3:One and done, it's finished. My whole life is going to get better now, but it doesn't get better then. It's a building process. It's still a building process, and I read the Bible and I come to church as much as I can. I work with a pastor. I live in a brother's house who's part of this church. All my friends, all the grasses I cut, are people that are in this church. I couldn't be any more connected than if I tried. Do I still stumble? No, I fall. I usually dive in head first. I'm an extremist. I don't mess up a little bit, I mess up a lot.
Speaker 3:I want to read a couple of scriptures that go along with this, though, and you don't have to turn to them because there's only 28 of them. No, I'm joking. I'm joking. The first one I want to read is in James, chapter 1. Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks in his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard by doing it, he will be blessed with all that he does. 1, peter, I'm reading from chapter 2.
Speaker 3:Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. Amen. And one more from Peter, for this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness and to goodness, knowledge and to knowledge, self-control, perseverance and to perseverance, godliness and to godliness. Brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in an increasing matter, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted, blind, has forgotten that, he has been cleansed from his past sin. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be all the more meager to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things, you will never fall, praise God, and you will receive rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen, amen.
Speaker 3:Pause for a commercial break. This is how we go about building this new life. It's really good advice. No more expecting Christ to come into the basement and to click that washer on right this takes. Building is a process, and we all have to get involved in it, you know, and we have to read a manual to know what we're supposed to be doing. It's important, isn't it, for us to learn how to not fix this old life, but to build this new life, so that we can have a relationship with Christ, we can be at peace, we can keep from doing all those things that hurt us so bad. Isn't that right? Isn't that wonderful? You know, christ went up on that cross and shed that blood so that we can have a better life. Is that it? No, that ain't it. That ain't all. That's just the. He needs to fix my life so that he can use me to build, but not my life, though. I've spent 70 years trying to build my life and haven't put one day into building the kingdom. Building the kingdom of God. That's what we were called to do. Fixing your life was just the benefit of it all. I got to get you cleaned up. I got to get you the tools. I got to get you the hammer and the nail so that you can build something he wants, not something that we want. Amen, building the kingdom of God. It gives me chills.
Speaker 3:On the day of Pentecost, peter went out. Well, even before that Christ was leaving, he said look, I got to go. Stay up in this room now until I send you power from above. Stay in this room. You know me, you've walked with me, you've been saved, you believe You're not condemned, but don't go anywhere. Yet. They had their teaching right from the masters. They had masters degrees, they're well trained, but don't go outside until you receive power from my heart. But the day of Pentecost, peter walked out there. Now, this ain't a guy that went to seminary school. He was sitting up in the upper room waiting for this message. He comes outside, gives his sermon and 3,000 were added unto the church. Quite a builder, equipped though, equipped with the Word of God, equipped with the Spirit of God, and effective. You think he planned on adding 3,000 unto the church.
Speaker 3:He was probably like me, up here, shaking, you know, because it's hard. It's hard to get in front of crowds and to share. It's not that the message I mean. I got the message, but can you deliver it? That's the thing about the gospel. You know the gospel Can you deliver it? Isn't that what you're called to do? How much time do we spend in our old life and how much do we devote to a new life? The building process.
Speaker 3:I get wore out, man. I get wore out trying to think that I take one step forward and four steps back. And I'm working on it and I'm trying, and I'm going to go to heaven. I'm going to be a little dirty, you know. I don't know how to get that any better, but His plan for us is to help to build this kingdom. Amen. Commercial break. I want to read you something. Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 3:Without faith, it is impossible to please God. It is impossible to please God, you must first believe that he is and he's the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. And I try to get to the kids and I'm like there's some rewards in this. You know, not a new video game, but there's some rewards in this if you'll diligently seek him, trying to get them to want to get into the Word, trying to inspire a 10-year-old to get into the Word of God, and they'd rather be on laptops and all that kind of stuff, right, but doesn't it take as much encouragement to try to get us to get into the world, to put down that phone, to put down those things that you've been doing.
Speaker 3:You're not called just to come here and get your life together. God wants your old life dead. He wants it dead. He don't want any part of it to still be active. Honestly, is any of our old life still active? Have we put it to death like that? I mean, it's really the only life you really knew, because you haven't experienced a new life anywhere close to the time. You've experienced the old life. It's hard to kill it. Nobody even likes the thought of killing my old life. I can't imagine somebody like Reinhardt Bunkie that goes to Africa and spends his whole life sharing the gospel with people that half of them can't even understand what he's saying. He's trusting in the Holy Spirit to do this.
Speaker 3:All these people that we've read about and years ago we heard about a lot of evangelists that were concerned about the lost. You know how many times a week that I think about someone being lost in the world. I don't, I don't. I mean I get inspired sometimes when Carl Adler will say the harvest is plenteous and the laborers are few and I say, well, they'll find a couple of them somewhere to go out there and do it. How many of us have these great plans for being an evangelist Now?
Speaker 3:I know that a lot of times there's not a person here that won't take the opportunity when asked why are you so happy? How did you get your life together? How did you get over your addiction? Well, answer any questions. Is that what God wanted? Stand there and be ready so if somebody passes by and asks you a question you can share, hey, I'm gutless.
Speaker 3:I don't go out sharing the gospel. I read it all, see it all. Thank God for it all. Lord, go out there and help the lost. Oh, you want me to do your laundry too. You want me to do your laundry too while I'm at it. You want Jesus to go save the lost. That's why we come to Jesus.
Speaker 3:Diligently seek, go, save the lost. That's why we come to Jesus. Diligently seek God, and there'll be rewards. Well, that seems a little selfish. No, they're heavenly rewards. He wants you to have them. He loves you. These are heavenly gifts from God for diligently seeking him. I encourage you be selfish, be diligent, be faithful. I try to teach this to the kids. Better, go get them rewards while you got a chance. These rewards that come from God, I think, are like spiritual gifts, like tools to help you get your life together so you can help building. Then you go out there and you share that power and redemptive love of God to the lost world and there are lost out there.
Speaker 3:But now let's go all the way back to the beginning. Why have I said any of this? What am I trying to get you to do? Open your manuals. There's nothing else. I can stand up here for weeks. I can listen to this message myself, and it's all about one thing You've got to open your Bible.
Speaker 3:This life that you're living in, if it hasn't been turned over to Christ, means nothing. This life is nothing, you say. Well, I don't really know how to get that involved. And what should I do? Should I come to church more? Should I go tell people more? Don't do anything while you're living in this life. If you haven't begun a new life, you're ineffective. You know you got to get into the manual. You got to learn what it says. Get your new life in Christ built first. Open your manual. The Bible gives us everything that we need to build. This new life gives us everything that we need to build this new life.
Speaker 3:We always there's something else to this on my mind. We always say that without Christ I can do nothing. Jesus says without each other you can do nothing. We're one body here, a lovable body. I love good cooks and everything here.
Speaker 3:That was a really good meal on Wednesday too. Thank you and Dan, it was your meat that she put in them. It was really good. But anyways, he says, without each other, I mean, we're all part of one body. Bob Tall is all about that. We have to operate together. Before building the kingdom, we need to build ourselves up as a body. We need to make sure all the parts are working. If you're the head, fine, make sure you don't have a headache. If you're the leg, get it fixed so we can get walking. But we're supposed to be here together. We're not supposed to ever walk alone. We're supposed to be here for one another.
Speaker 3:I won't how do I say this? The people that God has put in my life, when I get in trouble and make some trip-ups and I fall and whatever, I've got people like Jeff and Bob and Kevin that will come along. They don't take me by the hand, but it's just like that. They're there to kind of take your hand and pull you forward. We need to keep going forward, we don't need to stop anywhere. But I think we stop a lot of times. We pause. I'm going to pause for a station identification. I'm going to set that down there and hope that I might get it back up in a week or two.
Speaker 3:Amen, if you're not digging into the Word, is the Spirit not drawing you to read more? You're not being convicted. Trust me, I've been convicted many times by state, local, federal governments. But I've been convicted many times by state, local, federal governments. But I've been convicted by the Holy Spirit daily, amen, saying are you going to work without opening your Bible? I don't want you to, like many people, say, well, just read a verse, he wants me to dig a little deeper than that. Diligent doesn't mean one verse, it means to dig deeper. You got to make time. We need to make time to get in the Bible, to read the manual and then come back in here and learn how to bond together.
Speaker 3:I'm always talking to Jeff or Bob or Collette or Jamie. I talk to these people outside of this church. Do you have any outside relationships with anybody here. Do you need one? Give my phone number. I don't care when you call 3 in the morning, I'm always there If I'm not locked up somewhere.
Speaker 3:Anyway, no, I'm joking. I'm joking, but we need to get a little deeper, not just with the Lord, but with one another. I mean, it's great to see y'all come in here on Sunday morning and hug one another, but are you there for one another during the week? Do you need a ride somewhere? Something happened, you know. Let's get into the manual, let's get right, let's build our lives and let's be there for one another so that we can be ready to go out there and be there for somebody else. There's a lost world out here. I don't care if it took all of us to reach one, jesus would be happy, but we just sit up in here and, like man, whatever you know, you've done real good. I didn't lose you like the 10-year-olds. Carla, can I get you to pray us out please?
Speaker 2:Thank you for listening to this week's podcast. We pray it was an encouragement and a blessing to you. You can contact us at Valley Gospel Church, 1069 Butler Logan Road, springdale, pennsylvania, pennsylvania, 15144. We invite you to listen to this week's worship service that follows and tune in for next week's podcast.
Speaker 4:Jeremiah 33, 11 says the sound of joy and gladness, the voice of myrrh and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing as they bring thank offerings into the house of the Lord, saying give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good. His steadfast love endures forever.
Speaker 1:Ha ha. Now listen to me, devil, I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. You walked on me long enough, so now I'm gonna walk on you. Now listen to me, devil, I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. You've walked on me long enough. I'm gonna walk on you. I'm so tired of you saying you had me bound too long. I was bound too long. I'm gonna raise my hands toward heaven. I'm gonna sing me a victory song.
Speaker 1:I wrote this little message. I wrote it just for you. I wrote this little message. I wrote it just for you. I wrote this little message on the bottom of my shoe. I'm so tired of you saying you had me bound too long. Oh, I was bound too long. I'm gonna raise my hands toward heaven. I'm gonna sing me a victory song. Oh, I'm so tired of you saying you had me bound too long. Oh, I was bound too long. I'm gonna raise my hands toward heaven. I'm gonna sing me a victory song. Hey to heaven. I'm gonna sing me a victory song. Hey, I'm gonna raise my hands toward heaven. I'm gonna sing my victory song. Hallelujah. I'm gonna raise my hands toward heaven. I'm gonna sing me a victory song.
Speaker 5:Oh, give thanks unto the Lord For he is good. Yes, he is good. Sing it again. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord For he is good. Yes, he is good. Sing it again. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord for he is good. Yes, he is good. Yes, he is good For he is worthy, worthy For he is good. Yes, he is good For he is worthy, worthy For he is good. Yes, he is good.
Speaker 1:Hallelujah to the Lamb. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Speaker 5:Lord for me.
Speaker 1:yes, he is good, I will clap my hands before Him and praise Him all day long For he is good.
Speaker 5:Yes, he is good For he is worthy Worthy For he is good. Yes, he is good For. He is worthy Worthy For he is good. Yes, he is good, yes lord.
Speaker 1:Thank you, give him all the praise. Yes, lord, great is the lord and greatly to be praised, oh, give thanks unto the Lord for he is good.
Speaker 5:Yes, he is good. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord for he is good. Yes, he is good for he is worthy. Oh, worthy for he is good. Yes, he is good for he is worthy. Oh, worthy for he is good. Yes, he is good for he is worthy. Oh, worthy for he is good. Yes, he is good For he is worthy. So worthy for he is good. Yes, he is good.
Speaker 1:You threw the Hebrew children into the flaming fire, but they came out the winner and you came out the liar. I'm so tired of you saying you had me bound too long. Oh, I was bound too long. I'm gonna raise my hands toward heaven. I'm gonna sing me a victory song. If you're one of God's children and you're tired of being bound, well, raise your hands toward heaven and pull that blessing down. I'm so tired of you saying you had me bound too long. Oh, I was bound too long. I'm going to raise my hands toward heaven. I'm going to sing me a victory song. Oh, here we go. Yes, we've got a right to shout. Yes, we've got a right to sing. We've got a right to raise our hands and praise Jesus' name.
Speaker 5:We've got a right to shout, shout it out. We've got a right to sing. We've got a right to raise our hands and praise Jesus' name.
Speaker 1:I'm so tired of you saying you had me bound too long. Oh, I was bound too long. I'm going to raise my hands toward heaven. I'm going to sing me a victory song. Yes, lord, oh, I like this verse. I wrote this little message. I wrote it just for you. I wrote this little message on the bottom of my shoe. I'm so tired of you saying you had me bound too long. I'm going to raise my hands for heaven. I'm gonna sing me a victory song. Oh, let's sing it again. I'm so tired of you saying you had me bound too long.
Speaker 5:Oh, I was bound too long. I'm gonna raise my hands for heaven. I'm gonna sing me a victory song.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna raise my hands toward heaven. I'm gonna sing me a victory song.