Living To Be Spent | Jentezen Franklin

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Living To Be Spent" | Jentezen Franklin at Free Chapel

Date: September 15, 2025
Host: Jentezen Franklin
Main Theme:
This episode is a deeply moving tribute in the aftermath of Christian leader Charlie Kirk’s tragic passing. Jentezen Franklin delivers a message on being “spent” — pouring out one's life in service for others, following Jesus’ example, and inspiring the next generation to rise with courage and conviction. The sermon weaves personal stories, scripture, and current events to call listeners, especially young people, to boldness and sacrificial living.

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Episode Overview

Jentezen Franklin leads the Free Chapel congregation in a reflection on loss, legacy, and the call to serve others selflessly. Using both biblical examples and the real-life testimony of Charlie Kirk, Franklin urges listeners to live lives marked not by duration but by impact — to "spend and be spent" for the sake of others and God’s Kingdom.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Responding to National Grief (00:37–04:45)

• Franklin acknowledges heavy hearts in the congregation, following the loss of Charlie Kirk, and notes the collective spirit of grief affecting the nation and even the White House.
• He recounts being invited to lead a memorial service for Kirk at the West Wing, emphasizing the importance of worship and hope amid sorrow.
• Quote: “The answer to every season of life, to every crisis, to every load of guilt or grief or pain — put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” (00:51, Jentezen Franklin)

2. Remembering Charlie Kirk’s Life and Impact (05:00–14:00)

• Franklin shares personal anecdotes about Kirk’s humility, kindness, and steadfastness even amid physical suffering.
• He recounts granting Kirk’s group free access to the church for a conference, highlighting Kirk's commitment to biblical truth and courage.
• Quote: “He stood up, never missed a beat, preached to a thousand preachers in this room and set the place on fire for Jesus Christ.” (07:49, Jentezen Franklin)
• Franklin underlines Kirk’s winsome approach to dialogue: “He was okay with dialogue... Prove me wrong with words. Not with violence, not with tearing up and blowing up and killing and arguing.” (10:51, Jentezen Franklin)

3. Legacy and Generational Impact (17:18–25:11)

• Drawing from 2 Corinthians 12:15, Franklin challenges the congregation: “I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls...”
• Biblical examples (David in Acts 13:36) and a personal story about a farmer and his grandson are used to illustrate the lasting significance of labor and sacrifice for the next generation.
• Quote: “There are things that one generation picks up rocks for so that the next generation could eat corn.” (23:55, Jentezen Franklin)
• A call to appreciate “the people who cleared the rocky fields so you can eat the corn,” relating to spiritual inheritance and responsibility.

4. Security, Safety, and Courage in Today’s World (14:00–17:18)

• Franklin updates the congregation about new security measures at Free Chapel after a recent incident, expressing gratitude for trained team members and reinforcing a biblical view of manhood and protection.
• Quote: “If you see a child who is being harmed and you sit there and say nothing and do nothing, that is not what a man is.” (15:28, Jentezen Franklin)

5. The Spiritual Call to Be Spent (25:13–31:27)

• Franklin explains how Jesus valued people over possessions, carrying “people in his pockets.”
• He notes how Kirk, like biblical leaders, was willing to be “spent” for others.
• The example of Jesus’ disciples being mostly teenagers is used to inspire young listeners: “Don’t let anyone tell you you’re too young to make a difference.” (29:05, Jentezen Franklin)
• Quote: “God is spending people... Anytime God spends someone, it's because he's buying someone.” (30:35, Jentezen Franklin)

6. Martyrdom, Redemption, and Intergenerational Influence (31:30–39:00)

• Franklin draws a parallel between biblical martyr Stephen and Charlie Kirk. As Stephen was killed, Saul (later Paul) was witnessing — God was “buying” a new leader through that sacrifice.
• Quote: “They didn’t know that God was buying somebody with Stephen’s life.” (36:44, Jentezen Franklin)
• The blood of martyrs “speaks”—not vengeance, but a cry for revival, hope, and a new movement toward God.
• Quote: “I believe that when Charlie Kirk died on that college campus and his blood was shed, it started crying out... give us a move of God.” (39:46, Jentezen Franklin)

7. A Call to the Next Generation (43:13–46:48)

• Franklin mobilizes listeners ages 31 and under to consecrate their lives and talents to Christ, making a generational stand for faith, influence, and positive change.
• Quote: “If you’re 31 years of age and under... get up out of your seat. If you’ll pledge your life to say he has been spent... now it’s my turn.” (45:41, Jentezen Franklin)
• He urges all to refuse to “squander” the sacrifices made by previous generations and instead fulfill the unique call on their lives.

8. Closing Prayer & Charge (47:17–49:00)

• A final prayer, inviting all (especially the young) to surrender fully to God’s will, echoing Isaiah’s “here am I, send me,” and adapting it to “spend me.”
• Quote: “Guide me, lead me, spend me and send me wherever you want me to go.” (48:24, Jentezen Franklin)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Service and Sacrifice:
  “Your life is not measured by duration, it’s by donation...” (44:00, Jentezen Franklin)
• On Loss and Purpose:
  “These things come in life to everybody. And in those moments, what you do is not get bitter against God... You turn it into a submitted, broken spirit that says, ‘Here am I Lord. Send me.’” (47:17, Jentezen Franklin)
• On Generational Revival:
  “This is a call to a whole new generation... My God, church. I want you to get up on your feet and clap... This is amazing.” (46:22, Jentezen Franklin)

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Segment Timestamps

• [00:37] – Acknowledging collective grief, memorial reflections on Charlie Kirk
• [05:00] – Personal stories of Charlie Kirk and his influence
• [14:00] – Security measures, protection, and courage in the church
• [17:18] – Key Bible text (2 Corinthians 12:15), “Spent and Be Spent” theme
• [23:53] – The parable of picking rocks for the next generation
• [25:28] – The lesson of what God truly values: people, not possessions
• [29:02] – The youth of the disciples, influence for change
• [31:30] – Parallels between Stephen’s martyrdom and Charlie Kirk
• [39:02] – The voice of spilled blood — calling for revival, not revenge
• [43:13] – Altar call for listeners 31 and under: commit to a life of purpose
• [47:17] – Closing prayer: “Spend me, Lord”
• [48:24] – Final collective charge, blessing, and commitment

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Tone and Language

Franklin’s tone is heartfelt, passionate, and frequently pastoral, mixing sorrow with hope, solemnity with a stirring call to action. His use of personal stories, scriptural exegesis, and direct appeals foster a deeply emotional and empowering environment. The message is inclusive, at times humorous, and always anchored in faith and community.

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Conclusion

“Living To Be Spent” is a challenging and uplifting episode, serving not only as a memorial for Charlie Kirk but also as a clarion call for listeners, especially the next generation, to embrace a life of selfless service, courage, and spiritual purpose. Franklin’s message is clear: be willing to spend—and be spent—for Christ and for others, so that future generations can reap the blessings of faithfulness and love.

Transcript

[Jensen Franklin]

Hello, this is Jensen Franklin and thank you so much for joining us for this week's podcast. Our goal is to provide you with biblically based teachings that will challenge, inspire and equip you to live for Jesus.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

If you haven't already, I'd love for.

[Jensen Franklin]

You to go ahead and subscribe today to this podcast so you can get the latest updates from us and you don't ever have to miss a new message. Let's go right into the service. Record it at Free Chapel. I believe it's going to bless you today.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Thank you, Jesus. So thankful for the presence of the Lord that I feel in this place today. And I'm so thankful for God's people who are worshiping him in spirit and in truth. That's coming from thousands of people's hearts right now at every campus. They're joining us and we're lifting up high the name of Jesus and all of you online. It's been a week that we will never forget in so many ways. And the remedy the answer to every season of life, to every crisis, to every load of guilt of grief or pain or sor put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. That's a Bible scripture out of Isaiah that a spirit of heaviness rest upon our nation because of Charlie Kirk and tragic taking of his life. But this Christian leader stood strong on the word of God and in his faith in Jesus Christ.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

I believe houses of worship all over our nation. At nine o' clock we were in overflow, running over and here we are again. His death will not be in vain. Just as our Savior Jesus Christ, never write off a child of God. Never say that. Never say that God can't take what.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

The enemy meant for evil and turn it for good for his name's sake and his kingdom. So these praises have been absolutely beautiful and worshipful and uplifting this morning. Aren't you thankful for Jesus today and his peace? His peace to God be the glory.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

I want you to do something. I want you to smile at someone.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Around you and say I'm glad you're here in church sitting by me. I feel good about you. God bless you, cherise and I grieve with all of you. The loss of a great Christian leader, Charlie Kirk. I love that he would target the universities and he would not go with a spirit of hate, with a spirit of anger. It was not who he was. If you knew him personally, you would know that he was one of the kindest people you would ever meet. I met Charlie in back in 2016. I think it was the first time that I met him. And when I met him, I didn't know. I mean, I knew him. I'd say, seen him, but he was so kind. And. And then he was on a date with this. With his girlfriend that night when he came to this gathering in Vegas. And I'd been asked to speak at it along with some others. And he had his little date that night, excuse me. And her name was Erica. And he would end up marrying her, a beautiful girl. And through the years, we kept having our paths cross and been on his program a few times. And he called last year and his people did and said, we want to come to Atlanta, but we can't seem to find a church that is open to us. And could we rent your auditorium to have a pastor's conference to encourage the pastors to courageously stand up for the truth of God's word? And I said, no, you cannot rent it, but you can have it for free. And so they came last year, and Charlie flew in. I'll never forget it. Sometimes it's the little things that you see behind the scenes that impress you about someone. But he had been on the road for three straight weeks and was really missing his wife and family. And he flew into Gainesville and from another place he was. And he had a severe migraine headaches. He would get migraine headaches. And he had a severe one that day, so severe that when he walked into the green room, he could not handle the light. It was just agitating. And he was sick. And as anybody who knows has ever had a migraine. And they found out of all the. It was out of all the rooms, the one room that he could go in. And it was completely dark, no. No light whatsoever, even under the door. They put a towel, and it helped him to rest for about 30 minutes. It was the nursing. The mother's nursing room back in the hall back there. And if you're watching on that extension and your baby's crying, you were where Charlie was. And he laid back there and got to feeling a little better and was able to come out. And you'd have never known it. He was still suffering from it. Stood up, never missed a beat, preached to a thousand preachers in this room and set the place on fire for Jesus Christ and for being bold and courageous, for standing for biblical issues and religious freedom. Religious. Religious faith and all the things that we know and believe. And our hearts are heavy today, but we're rejoicing. We know where he is. And so Thursday Night, I received a phone call from the faith office in the West Wing, and they asked would I come with some other ministers and priests and a rabbi and come to the West Wing? Because most of the people who work in the West Wing are very young people. They're very young people, some of the sharpest, but very young. And they were grieving as a spirit of grief, major on the White House. And so we went, and they asked me to speak, and they gave me about 15 minutes, and the Lord was there, and he moved, and the singing was beautiful, and the people's hearts were lifted. And the President wanted them to have a service where they could take it to Jesus and say, lord, we still worship you. And that's exactly what happened in that place. And I'm thankful for that. I'm honored and I'm humbled. It was a memorial service for Charlie Kirk in the West Wing, especially. What touched me was all those young people, the tears. And then they turned it into worship, and they began to praise the name of Jesus and worship the Lord in their way. And so, in honor of a great patriot and a great Christian leader, a soul winner and a man who was willing to say things that many pulpits in America won't say, but he stood for what matters in God's eyes and in eternity. The thing that I think I appreciate the most about Charlie Kirk was the way that he conducted himself in his. He was attracting thousands and thousands of college students, and most of them were not of his persuasion and faith or anything else. And he was okay with dialogue. He was okay with. It was like Isaiah said, come, let us reason together. And he would hand the mic and say, tell me he had on his tent. Prove me wrong with words. Not with violence, not with tearing up and blowing up and killing and arguing, calling each other names with. With. Come, let us reason together. We've got to get that back in this nation. We've got to get it back in our hearts. We've got to get it back for one another. We can disagree, but nothing can make me not love you and not about you and not share that love in tangible ways. And when you see the world in the condition that it's in. And he was only 31 years old, but what an impact this man had. And we honor him today. And we pray for his wife, Erica, and we pray for his two children and his family, father and his mother and all of his family. We pray for this nation, Lord. We pray for all those that Charlie planted seeds of the gospel into from the President. All the way down, they saw a light in that man. They knew he was different. They knew he was a godly man and a family man who loved the Lord. He was not perfect just like none of us are perfect. But we serve a perfect Savior. And he pointed and that light on Jesus. Lord, I pray that you would use his testimony to raise up a new generation bolder than he could have ever been, stronger and more and more full of you, Jesus, and the power of your word. Do it mightily. God, I pray in Jesus mighty name. Touch Erica today. Everybody. Pray for her right where you are. Let's offer a prayer for her and those children and the family. God is too much to bear. I cannot bear it alone, I believe is the cry of their hearts. So, Jesus, be that comfort and that friend. In Jesus name we pray. And the church said, Amen. Thank God for this congregation. When you walked up, you might have saw some little change that's gone on. We are always conscious of you, the congregation. We had a board meeting about three months ago or so, and we decided that security was the most important thing that we could do for the safety of our children and for our congregation. And we spent a tremendous amount of resources. The same system that is used at Disney World and the same system that is used at the Mercedes Coliseum in Atlanta is the system that we bought and it has been installed. We waited on it and waited on it and waited on it. And it came this week because last week we had a little incident that was very serious here. And it's all taken care of and everything's safe. But it was just a confirmation to me that we're to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, and we're to be smart and we're to be everything. But I guess what I'm trying to say is you are in the safest place to worship God. So. So I hate it. I hate it. That's the world we live in. By this time next week, every one of our campuses, including Orange county, will have this latest, greatest facial recognition. Any, everything you can imagine. This is amazing stuff. It's AI stuff that's pretty brilliant. And we thank God for that and the ability to do that. You know, I. I think that you need to always just. And I. I wondered after that incident last week, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you don't need to know. Just don't worry about it. But we had an incident last, right at the end of the message. And it tore my heart out when I watched the video, when I walked off, I don't always know. I see a lot, but I don't always know what's going on. But this was very real and very serious and it's been handled and it's been dealt with in the highest ways. But I walked back and they showed me the video. At some point I watched. Sharice made me watch it. I don't like to watch some things, but she made me watch it. And when I saw the team, demarco and the security team, the men and women who have been thoroughly trained, they are most of them ex military or ex police or current police serving detectives. We have FBI agents that come to this church. We have homeland Security agents. Nobody's being targeted by no department. They come here to worship. But I'm saying they volunteer. They volunteer to secure our worship. Amen. And I watch them. I watch them run to the situation and stand. And unlike what we saw in the news of that beautiful Ukrainian girl that was killed, murdered in a train and grown men, if you're a man and you see a woman who is being hurt, who is being killed, if you see a child who is being harmed and you sit there and say nothing and do nothing, that is not what a man is.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

A man. If it costs you your life, it cost you your life that you stand up.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

And if you're a citizen and you see someone who has been injured and bleeding and dying and nobody's helping you get involved in that, that's what Christians do. No greater love than to lay down our life for someone else.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

So. And I, I just said all of.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

That to say thank you to our amazing, amazing security team. And we feels like we've got half the police force out here every Sunday and that's the ones you see in the uniforms. But with that being said, with all this new installation, all of the good old boys that, that carry, like me, I have a license and Shareese has a license and she can shoot a whole lot better than I can. That's just a fact. And. But we can't bring them to church anymore. Just like you can't take them to a concert. Just like you can't take them on a school campus. You can't bring your weapon. And what will happen? I'm just giving you a quick update. We're moving into the rest of the, of the service and I'm going to be brief this morning. But this technology is so amazing, you don't have to wait in the line. You walk through it today and if there's something that is not right. That shouldn't be on you in the form of a weapon. It will immediately pick it up, and you'll be asked very kindly to just take it right back where you to your car and put it in there and come on back to church so you're in a safe place. As safe as we can have this day. But most of all, we depend on the Lord. The Lord is our protection, and our.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Life is in his hands.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

How many of you would say amen to that?

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

All right, are you ready to have a word today?

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

I think the thing that touched me the most about the service was.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Seeing.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

So many young people. And I want to preach for just a few moments. And I preached a message in the first service, but I want to go to the book of Second Corinthians, chapter 12 and verse 15 in this service, and you can get. And you should listen to that message. It's extremely important and go online and listen to it as soon as you can. But I want to preach this message to whoever's under the sound of my voice at this moment, because I feel a little nudging in this direction today. In Second Corinthians 12 and verse 15, the Bible says just I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls. This is the apostle Paul who said this. I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved. I thought about that verse strongly when I thought about what happened to Charlie Kirk. He was willing to spend and be spent because. And be despised for what he believed and what he said. The freedom of speech.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Speech that you have the right to.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Believe and say what you want to say and do it in a civil way, not in a violent or threatening or dominating way that overwhelms and says silence every other voice. Acts 13:36 said, and David served his generation. I love that he served his generation by the will of God and then fell asleep. And that is a description of this Christian leader, Charlie Kirk. He served his generation in the will of God. And instantly he died. It is appointed unto man once to die. And after death, then comes the judgment. He fell asleep. It was instant.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Do you know that I believe this.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

With all of my heart? There is appointed unto man wants to die, which means when it's your time to die, you're going to die. It could have been cancer. It could have been a car wreck. It could have been a lot of things, but this was his time to die.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

We serve a God who is sovereign.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Over all Even the doings of evil people. And so do everything that you can do. But you have to have God sovereignty over your life. And he served his generation in the will of God. Do you know that every one of you and every one of us is supposed to serve our own generation? We're called to serve our generation. God has great things ahead of this generation, generation of young people.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

I believe that every one of you.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

31 and under and 31 and over, because that is a generation. We're all a part of this generation, and we need to be serving God and we need to be doing God's will. I heard a story that I want to give you, and I'm going to move quick, and then I'm going to end with something that's a little different. But I believe it's exactly what your ears are supposed to hear today. Now, I'll do this all in 20 minutes. But there was an old farmer who would have his grandson in all summer long. And he would work on the farm, and he lived a meager life. And he just had an old farmhouse and some animals and farmed the land and had one field that was full of rocks. And the son said, all I ever did the whole summer was take a flatbed trailer and an old mill and throw rocks that had washed down by the rain out of that field. He said, all of his childhood, all of his childhood, he would go stay at Granddad's and most of the day would be spent moving rocks and throwing them out of that field. They never could get a harvest from that one field. There's a harvest everywhere else, but not in that one field. And finally the old grandpa died. And this is a true story. The man said that he buried his grandfather on the other side of the road of that field in the old home place, in a little plot, family plot, that they had had for years and generations. And about 20 years later, this man happened to go back home to a family reunion with the rest of the family that was still alive. And he said, they all, after eating and having a good time, said, let's go over to the home place. They had sold it all, sold the farm, everything. And the new owner had it. And when they got there, they were astonished. The old farm place, an old home place, was gone. And beautiful, beautiful home with landscape and gorgeous home. And the old outhouse was gone and the old smoke house was gone and everything. The old barn was gone. And a brand new beautiful barn had been built and fences and everything, just perfect. And he said, the thing that astonished him the most was this one field that all of his childhood, he had picked rocks up with his granddaddy and thrown them in the back of that old. That old wagon. He said it was full of corn and it had corn stalks that were 7ft tall. And he said, I didn't ask for permission, but he said, something came over me and he thought, I have to show this to Grandpa. And he tore down one of those corn stalks and he took a cob of that corn and some of it and walked across the street and laid it on his granddad's grave site.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

He said, granddad, I just wanted you.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

To know that your generation picked up rocks so that this generation could eat corn.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

And we never got to eat it. You never got to eat it. You never saw, saw it. There are things that one generation picks up rocks for so that the next.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Generation could eat corn.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

And it ought to make you thankful.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

For somebody that's come into your mind that has picked up rocks so you.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Don'T have to do that kind of stuff.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

And with bloody hands and with war.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

And with fighting and with calloused hands.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

The, the. The.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

The rocky fields have been cleared so.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

That you can eat the corn and you don't need to squander.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

The same is true for this nation. There are those who picked up the.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Rocks so that we could eat the corn. In Matthew 13 and verse 38, Jesus said, the world is the field in the parable that he taught.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

And God uses people to go into these worthless fields that are nothing but filled with rocks.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

And he says, pick them up and.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Make them into something fruitful, powerful. God lets one generation eat corn if.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Another generation will pick up rocks. You and I are picking up rocks even here this morning so that the next generation can eat corn. Now I want you to lean in because this is important.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Haggai2 said, God said the silver and.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

The gold are mine.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

The problem is, when Jesus showed up in the flesh, he never had any.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Money, even though he said the silver.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

And the gold, all of it is mine. You'd think if you owned all of it that when Jesus showed up, you'd.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Take a few bars and put it.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

In your backpack of gold or silver. You take some diamonds and rubies and put them in your pocket, since you.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Own it all and you. And there's nothing that you don't own.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

He never had money.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

He's like some of your friends, he.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Just never had money. When it's time to pay the bill, he never had money because he didn't carry money.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

In his pockets, he carried people.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

The Apostle Paul said, I'm willing to spend and be spent. He carried people. And it's so important that you understand that who you are, this new generation that I believe what has happened this week is even prophetic in that it is going to have a triggering effect on a new generation to stand up and to do what is right and to take back this nation and love God and believe that we can see a worldwide revival for Jesus Christ of souls like we have never seen.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Do you know that when Jesus wanted to feed the 5,000, he didn't have any money, but he had a person who had three loaves and some fish.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

And when it was time to pay his taxes, not his Herod's tax, this was the temple tax. And the temple tax, as said in the book of Leviticus, was a half a shekel. If you were 20 years of age or over 20 years of age or over. If you weren't there, you didn't have to. Just like you don't have to pay your taxes to you to a certain point, you did not have to pay the temple tax.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

The temple had a tax of half a shekel for each person.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

And Jesus told him. He said, lord, what are we going to do? We don't have any resources to pay our taxes. And there was only two that he was talking about, Jesus. And that was Simon Peter. Simon Peter was the next to the oldest. Jesus was 30 years old between 30 and 33 when this miracle happened. So he was 30, in his 30s, and Simon Peter would have been the next oldest. And he was the only disciple that we know was Mary. This is just a historical fact. He was married. We know he was married because when his mother had a fever, Jesus healed her in the city of Capernaum. The rest of them were single. Unless. Unless we can find no examples of the other disciples.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Being married.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

As a matter of fact, think with me. Jesus said to Simon Peter. You go down and you take a hook and put it in the water. You'll catch a fish. Open his mouth and there will be one shekel. Pay a half a shekel for me.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

And pay a half a shekel for you. Because you're over 20 and I'm over 20.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

But what about the other 11 disciples? I'm telling you that in spite of what the old pictures look like, a bunch of old guys with gray beards.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

And stuff, they were teenagers.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

They were probably 18, 19, 17, they were teenagers. Jesus said, I'm going to change the world with a new generation. And I'm a 30 year old leader and I've got Simon Peter the Rock that I'm going to use. And I'm going to use a bunch of teenagers, a bunch of young people and I'm going to. That's why second Timothy said chapter four said, let no man despise your youth. Don't let anybody tell you you're too young to make a difference. Don't let anybody tell you in your youth that you can't dream and turn. Charlie Kirk has the attention of the nation and the world and he was 31 years old. He started building Turning Point USA when he was 18. He did not have a college education. He did not have everything coming going for him that other people had. He had a brilliant mind, he had a great gift in communication. And he took what he had and he turned it into something that would touch the entire world in 31 years. 31 years. Just like Martin Luther King, just like JFK. God is spending people when God spends someone like Martin Luther King, like Charlie Kirk, totally. Maybe different messages and purposes, but God let them be spent. Anytime God spends someone, it's because he's buying someone. And I believe he let Charlie Kirk be spent because he was buying a generation. A generation that would be strong and courageous, that would not waver anymore and still kind of want to be just like the world and have the morals of the world and the same spirit of the world. We need to be like Jesus.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

I'm almost where I want to be.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Maybe this is the most important thing.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

That I need to say to you. In the book of Acts, we're given a story of if God's going to save or buy someone, he will spend someone.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Stephen was the first martyr of the.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Gospel of Jesus Christ, the first one.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

To be slaughtered, assassinated and killed.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

The story is in Acts chapter six and Acts chapter seven and it says.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Of Stephen and my dear friend Perry.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Stone has an amazing video that he has put up. And I've talked with him by text back and forth. You should go on there and you should listen. You know, he had amazing revival here and we need to get him back sometime. But listen to me, he always sees things in parallels.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Perry has that gift and he points out some things quickly that I'm going.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

To hit and then I'm going to throw my two cents in it.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

But Perry points out, number one, that.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Stephen, the first martyr of the Gospel.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Of Jesus Christ was not a preacher, he was not a prophet, he was not an apostle, he was a Christian leader. As a matter of fact, if you read Acts, chapter 6. It said the apostles appointed seven men.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Full of faith and full of the.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Holy Spirit because they wanted them to do the administration and be secular while they could give themselves to the word.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

And fast and pray.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

So the first martyr of the gospel was not a preacher or a prophet or a pastor or some, you know, spiritual head of the church. He was a Christian leader. Secondly, I want you to understand that this man named Stephen was assassinated in a public gathering outside. And the Bible said in Acts 6, they began to dispute. Another word for dispute is debate or argue with him. In Acts 6 and 8, it says another thing. This is exactly what Charlie would do. But it wasn't like it was a.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

It was a civil conversation.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

It was a back and forth. I hear you. Tell me your point. I'll tell you.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Prove me wrong. And that's what our nation needs. And when we.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

If we can't agree. I still care about you. You're still a human being. I love you. I'm praying for you. People who can get online and celebrate and say insane things and moments like these are evil. They're full of the enemy of their soul and they need to be saved. I'm not mad at them. They need life. The Bible said that they. They began to dispute or debate back.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

And forth, and they became angry. Now watch this. And the Scripture said that. But they could not. This is an amazing verse. They were not able to resist the wisdom by which he spoke. And that was why the enemy targeted this man, is when he spoke, he had.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Whether you agree with him or not.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

If you'll listen to him, you will.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Discover he knows the Lord number one, and he gladly proclaims Jesus Christ.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

But he also is extremely intelligent and. And studied on every issue. And he loved the back and forth.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

And they could not resist. You know why?

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Because it was godly wisdom.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

They could not resist the spirit by which he spoke. I think that happens to me.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

I'm just the old country bumpkin that.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Don'T deserve to be up here. But sometimes you can't resist the spirit.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

By which I speak. Speak. He uses nobodies.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

They plotted his death as he began to expose their lies. And he spoke. His last message was about Christ. Stephen, the first martyr, was about Christ. And then they took him out in a public area, an uncovered area, and they stoned him to death. But here's the verse that I want you to see while Stephen is being spent. They didn't know that God was buying.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Somebody with Stephen's life. And I hope they've Got the verse that I want. But the scripture said, and while they were stoning him, While they were stoning him, I've got it marked in my Bible. I'll do it. The scripture said, while they were stoning him, before that, they laid their coats down at the feet of a man by the name of Saul. Guess who Saul was.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Saul of Tarsus, whose name he would.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Encounter Jesus on the road to Damascus and he would become the apostle Paul. Now, I want you to get this. Stephen is being assassinated. And instead of cursing the people, he.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Says, don't lay this to the boom. There comes a rock, there comes another one. Don't lay this to their charge, Lord. Don't. Knowing that a savior had hung on.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

The cross and said, father, forgive them.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

And as they're stoning him to death, sitting on the outskirts of that stoning is a man named Saul of Tarsus that would become Paul the apostle when God changed his name. Inside of him was 14 books of the New Testament. God was spending a bad man or.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

A good man, I should say.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

God was spending a man full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit. God was spending a good man so that he could buy a bad man who wasted the church, who persecuted the church, made fun of them.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

And mo.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

What we don't understand is if God is spending a Christian leader in our time and he is a Christian martyr, it's only because he's buying a new generation. That Joel, Chapter 2 prophesies in the last days, saith, God, I'll pour out my spirit on your sons and your daughters.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Did you know blood has a voice? Did you know the first murder was Cain murdering his brother Abel? In the Bible, God said, where is your.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Are you.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Where's your brother at, Cain? His blood is crying out from the ground. You know, that's why Pilate said, I need to wash my hands. And the people started saying, let his blood the voice of his blood. Let it be on us and on our children. Doctrine. Blood has a voice.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Even Hebrews 12 said, the blood of Jesus Christ speaks better things than the blood of Abel. And guess what Abel's blood said? Vengeance. Vengeance. I want to tell you what I.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Think is the truth. I believe that when Charlie Kirk died on that college campus and his blood was shed, it started crying out not for revenge, not for hatred, not for riots, not for anger. I believe it started crying out, God on every campus in this nation, give us a revival. Give us a move of God. Give us souls.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

By the millions of Give me an army of young people who Will march.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

With the love of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world. That's my sermon. That's what I came to preach. That's what needs to be heard. And listen to me now look at me. One of our singers text me. And she and her husband are on a little feed with, with. With me and she. And they said we were up to 3am with our sons. They are so stirred. They're so moved. My daughter went into a place to get her hair done. Courtney, she's going to speak next Sunday, by the way. And she came and the girl that.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Was doing the hair, they started talking.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

About all that was going on in this nation.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Young, beautiful girl. And she starts crying and she goes.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Back into a back room. And then the woman that was cutting my daughter's hair said, can you come back here? And she goes back in a back room. And the girl's down on her knees.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Ready to give her heart to Jesus.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Jesus.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Don'T you sense something is different this time? Don't you sense that if he spent one, he's buying others? For God so loved the world that he spent his only begotten son publicly executed in an open space that whosoever, he would buy whosoever. I don't care who you are. I don't care what you've done. I don't care what your background. Nobody cares who. What your nationality. Nobody cares if you're rich or poor. Nobody cares if you're. If you're gay or straight. I. I want you to know what I'm preaching is salvation. Let Jesus change your heart. Let Jesus in your life. Let him take control. Let him have that addiction. Let him have that lifestyle that's destroying you and leaving you empty. Let Jesus have his way in your life. And his son was spent so he could buy you and you and you and you. And so with every head up and every eye open, I want every person in this room. Charlie was 31 years old.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

And in honor of him, I'm going to give this altar call.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

I want every person in this room in overflow and in all of our.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Campuses, wherever you are watching this. If you're 31 years of age and under.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

And you want to say, I.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Will follow you, Lord Jesus, and if.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

You spent him for my generation, to pick up the cross and carry it. I pledge myself my talents, my time, my life. Jesus will be lord of my life. I want to live for something that matters. Listen, I said this the other day when they asked me to speak. Your life is not measured by duration.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

It's by no nation.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

What kind of difference are you making? Whose life are you changing? Who are you influencing for? Jesus Christ. And if you walk down that aisle, you're saying, I want to be a witness for you. The Bible said they overcame by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony. Their testimony is how we overcome. When you get so saved that you can't keep it to yourself and you start testifying and then it says this last part that nobody ever quotes and.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

They love not their lives until the end, I tell you, Charlie Kirk is an overcomer. By the blood of the lamb, the word of his testimony, and he loved not.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

He said, if, if this is God's will, if I have to die for.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

This cause, I'll die for this cause that I might help reach a lost generation. These are not normal times. And they call for unusual, unusual devotion and dedication. And I believe this is one of those services where God will mark you. If you respond, God's spirit will mark you. There are moments that mark us and God will mark you for his plan and his purpose and his call. You don't have to be a preacher to do it, but you will be a Christian leader in whatever field God has called you to or placed you in.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

If you're 31 years of age.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Or.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Under.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Get up out of your seat. If you'll pledge your life to say he has been spent.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

And I love what Paul said. He said, I'm willing to spend and be spent. Now it's my turn. That's what you're saying. This is the turning point. This is the turning point in my life. I'm done with it. I'm done with the lies of the devil. I'm done with the deception. I'm done with the. With the things that they said would make me so satisfied. I'm done with it.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

I'm empty.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

It's left me empty. This is my turning point.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

This is my turning point.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

It's a call to a whole new generation. My God, church. I want you to get up on your feet and clap, clap, clap, clap. Look at this. This is amazing. This is amazing. This is amazing.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

You know, Erica, Erica had no idea that this weekend would come and storm Storybook bride and groom. What a life. But these things come in life to everybody. And in those moments, what you do.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Is not get bitter against God. You don't get angry against people.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

You turn it in to a submitted broken spirit that says, here am I Lord. Send me.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Here am I Lord.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Let's change it just a little spend me.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

I'm willing.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

To spend and be spent for the name of Jesus Christ.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Lift your hands and just say Jesus.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

I give you complete control of my life.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

My choices, my decisions will go through.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

The filter of your will.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

Guide me, lead me, spend me and.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

Send me wherever you want me to go.

[Assistant Pastor or Guest Speaker]

I am yours. I know this is where peace is. This is where purpose is in your will. And I receive it right here this Sunday morning. I will never forget this martyr. He was spent so that I could be saved from a life without purpose. I will serve my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

[Jensen Franklin]

I really want to say thank you for joining us this week. If you haven't already, make sure you click on the subscription button and leave us a review. It helps this podcast reach even more people when you comment when you give us your feedback. For more messages and inspirational materials, download the Jensen Franklin app or you can head over to JensenFranklin.org I want to thank all of you who give generously to help us produce weekly content like this to reach the world with the message of Jesus.

[Senior Pastor or Lead Speaker]

God bless.

[Jensen Franklin]

Bless you and we'll see you next time.