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And you're listening to Live From The Path, company from the Pathway Studios here in Johnson Pepper. Alright. It's good to be with you this week. Here's the I'm afraid of Nehemiah. That's the deal. I got you're what? What? I'm afraid of Nehemiah. Afraid?

Like, he's in the guy or the book? No. Well, I'm afraid of the guy because of the book. Here's the deal. So I'm reading Nehemiah this well, I was on an airplane, and I'm reading Nehemiah. Okay? The Ezra and Nehemiah combo. And I'm reading through it, and and, you know, it cut apart for the course. You generally get the the gist of Nehemiah, the rebuilding.

And towards the end, chapter 13, the last chapter of Nehemiah, like, takes a serious turn for the worse in, like, the last half of chapter 13. Alright? So so he's he's describing that there's some problems here. People have been intermarrying, and it's causing a a rift. There's a mass divorce in Ezra trying to separate from these foreign wives that people have kinda got gotten themselves involved with. But, like, as you read through the end of Nehemiah,

there's there's a part, let's see. I'm trying to think if I can if I can pick you up where it's at here. Alright. So this is, 1319. Nehemiah thirteen nineteen. As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. But I warned them and said to them, why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you. Hey. That's an old school Hebrew threat. That's what I'm saying. There's gonna be trouble. I'm gonna take note of that one. Alright. So so from that time on, they did not come on the Sabbath. It was obviously enough to keep them away. Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, oh my god, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love. Alright. Here's the here's the deal. In those days, also, I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people. And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair.

This guy's a southern baptist. Right? He does not take any grief. Continuing. And I made them take an oath in the name of God saying, you shall not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin on account of such women? Among the many nations, there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his god, and god made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless,

foreign women made even him to sin. Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women? And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Elishaeb, the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore, I chased him for me. Remember them, oh my god, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. Thus, I cleanse them from everything foreign. I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work, and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times and for the first fruits. And Nehemiah ends it. He ends his his book with this. Remember me, oh my god,

for good. Heart, Nehemiah. And here's the deal, is I didn't give you much of context. I didn't give you a lot of context because the first 12 chapters of Nehemiah contain none of that. No rousting. No, like, hair pulling, no beating of other people. Yeah. Actually, with that snippet that you read, it seems like Nehemiah Nehemiah is a man of action. And, you know And passion. He's a guy that gets things done. You know I'm saying? Yeah. If hair pulling is necessary, it's not beyond him. It's now now the thing is is that a lot of times when churches bust out Nehemiah, they're trying to build something. K? We're gonna build something. Do the Nehemiah campaign. You know? Yeah. He was sent back to build the thing. And so, like, we always focus on the first, know, few chapters where he's building stuff up. Nobody does the ark? Because I feel like the ark was pretty impressive.

Oh, you mean for a building campaign? Yeah. I mean, they fill up, a boat with the marker and stuff. Like, we're almost there. It's got a downer into it because it's a you'd anticipate a flood in god's judgment, which actually is probably the more appropriate picture. Yeah. Yeah. We're building something. Israel didn't really come out on top after the, you know, four hundred years from there either way. You know what mean? It's kinda hard to pass that through city council too. Oh, no. God gave us plans. Yeah. Don't you worry. We'll be all good and rot creatures. Anyway, I I'm just saying, like, when you're reading the old testament, pay attention. Because here's the deal is I've read Nehemiah twice at least before this, have gone through that, and never do I recall him with such fierce beatings of folks at the end of it. And my guess is I walk to it into it the same way every other sermon series is presented. It's like, oh, yay. Build the temple.

Reset it up. And then you're like, oh, man. Pulling the hair and beating the face. I think a lot of how you take that in depends on where you're at in life. You know what I'm saying? Like, if you read that very stoically, you're like, and I pulled his hair and I beat him. You know, like and and and if you do it in a in a very calm way, he seems more scary. You know? But if you think about there was a guy in the news recently that had his his picture in the paper for he would had a knife in between his teeth, and then he went rampaging through a part of that guy. And so, like, his mugshot is literally him grinning ear to ear. And you could and and, like, so if you're saying it like that guy, now you're just in the crazy bucket. No one's really afraid of you. But if you say it in a very calm manner, like, listen, you're not gonna do business here. If you come back, I will beat you and pull your hair out. You know, that's that's a man to be dealt with. You would say a man threat. He's calculated it. He said, look. I I know what I'm capable of, and this is what we're do. Well and he he must be physically impressive because he was able to chase people away. Like, if I initiated a chase at a group of dudes, I feel like they're just gonna stand there. Yeah. I would just be doing Yeah. An unpleasant

You know? But, like, he gave chase and they kept running. So he must have So not only did he say, Shoe, go away, he physically ran them down and put them I chased them, it said. And put the beats on them. I chased them away. Don't know. Nehemiah I'm just I'm just getting a different picture of of, Nehemiah than I thought. You know what saying? That makes me feel pretty wimpy when I say, like, I really wanna encourage you guys to really follow god. Yeah. Yeah. That's kinda like yeah. Whatever. Or you're not chasing people away from the gates on the Sabbath, man. Or I'll I'll hit you with my boot. Like, I'm gonna take it off my my my foot and just hit you with it. I gotta change my ways. That's right. That's right. I call this boot the gospel. What's his what's his fiance's name? Ash Dodd? Well, yeah. I'd like to do some counseling What with what language does she speak? I'm about to lay my hands on you.

Yeah. That's I I love, I love going back and rereading books that that I've read multiple times before and then finding stuff that I just did not pay attention to. Yeah. One of the biggest ones was for me was, when when you choose your own adventure, and you said, oh, I died. And then you put your finger at the at the mark so you could go back. Right. Exactly. So I could go back and be like, oh, well, this is a much better story. I guess I didn't really want to think one of the most, most recent ones that I ran into that kinda threw me off was, reading, in Luke about, the resurrection and, or not Luke. Excuse me. Reading about the resurrection and then the saints being risen and then walking into the streets. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I I had read that multiple times. I just read right on past it and did not pay attention to the fact that, oh, wait a minute. Woah. Wait. Wait. Yeah. So you're saying What was that like? Jesus died. Okay. And then saints just kinda kinda came out of their of their tombs and just started walking around. And it even says they were seen in the in the cities, I think. Yeah. Yeah. And and so that means that dead dudes were walking around like,

yeah. He's back. That was him. And and in that culture, within one year after their death, they would go in and and and they were so decomposed. It was just bones. And they would put their bones in a box and put it so when the next fellowship came, know Right. They laid the body on on a slab. And and so I've always wondered. So how long have these been dead? Are they saints from ten years ago, five years ago, six months ago? I mean, they they came not only grew back their flesh, but they came out of their the box. I mean, yeah, you can really put your mind that what happened there, that is

fantastic. Yeah. I mean, that It's quite the deal. That yeah. I was listening to a bible teacher on, and it was he actually gave the best explanation for what I ever heard. And he said, I don't know. See, that's I quickly realized the crazy sounding stuff, I just don't know. Yeah. I'm like, that's a solid bible teacher. Everyone else is making up stuff. You know? People coming out with the clothes on, no clothes on. Yeah. Jangling going to people's houses they used to know. Hey, John. Either way, if uncle Fred comes comes back and you're like It's What do it's you. It makes it a little bit more creepy if they're, like, completely stoic and don't even look at you like, there goes aunt Ethel, you know, and she's just kinda trolling on the street. Looks at you as she passes and then just kinda keeps rolling. Hey. We buried you. I know it. Yeah. No. I'm I'm realizing very quickly that's exactly who I want to be, is the guy that's more than happy to say, yeah. That's a pretty cool question. But I don't know. I don't know. That's one for that's one for Jesus. Like Moses, at least. Doesn't

seem like it's in there too much, so I'm gonna pass on answering that question. I think that's a good question to have, but I don't know. Definitely. Maybe Mark felt like he was losing his audience. You know? I mean, none of rest of them put it in there. So I feel like he was just like, hey. You think they'll give me a kickback on these people coming up and walking about? Anyway You know, I I think the one thing I took from kinda reading through that, thinking through the Nehemiah thing is like, what the what happened? That's a man that takes the purity of God's people seriously. Very serious. You know what I'm saying? Seriously. And and and and when you're reading through Jesus and he's when he's talking, you know, on the on the sermon on the mountain, he's talking about the upcoming persecution as you get a little bit farther. And, like, there's people that took God's kingdom

seriously. And I feel like there are times, especially in our culture, we just you know, we take it like as good information. Mhmm. It's a it's a perspective of which to look at the world even if we believe it. But I'm just not sure that we take it seriously. We don't wanna hurt your feelings on this. Mean, you know, if you disagree, that's okay. Or even people that are like, no. No. I believe this is totally true, but you still don't take it seriously. You know what I'm saying? Like, there's a difference between saying I believe that thing and, like, you know, I believe it and it it changed something about how I live. And there was there was an article

on on the gospel coalition today, and it was called failure is not a virtue. And it goes a little bit like this. It says, Christian, you cannot obey the law. Your certain failure is a means to show forth the grace of God when you repent. We don't need more lists of how to be a better spouse, parent, Christian. We need more grace. My life strategy for today, fail, repent, repeat. Sounds good, doesn't it? These sorts of statements compose a growing body of commentary that regards the law of the Bible as a crushing burden, not just for the unbeliever, but for the believer as well. Enough with Checkbox Christianity, these voices tell us. No more how to's on righteousness. In the righteousness department, you are an epic fail, so toss out your checklist and your laws and cast yourself on grace. In recent years, church leaders have rightly spoken out against moralistic therapeutic deism, which is really just a fancy name for legalism, the idea that we earn God's favor through external obedience to a moral code. Moralistic therapeutic deism, as in the days of Jesus, pervades our culture and even our churches. It's as harmful today it as was when Jesus spoke against it two thousand years ago. As a response to this skewed view of law, some have begun to articulate a skewed view of grace,

one that discounts the necessity of obedience to the moral precepts of the law. I call this celebratory failureism, the idea that believers cannot obey the law and will fail at every attempt. Furthermore, our failure is ultimately caused to celebrate because it makes grace all the more beautiful. These days, obedience has gotten a bad name, and failure has gotten a makeover. Interestingly, Jesus battled legalism in a different way than the celebratory failureist does. Rather than tossing out the law or devaluing obedience to it, he called his followers to a deeper obedience than the behavior modification the Pharisees prized. He called for obedience in motive as well as indeed, the kind of godly obedience that is impossible for someone whose heart has not been transformed by the gospel and the power of the holy spirit. Rather than abolish the law, Jesus deepened his followers' understanding of what it required and then went to the cross to ensure they could actually begin to obey it. So I think the the and there's more to this. But, like, the the basic deal is is is we are buffering up against what seemed to be two extremes.

You have the person that says, you are not capable of being perfect, which which sees the law rightly and probably sin correctly, but it is a bit of a celebration of that. You know? I I'm I'm a sinner saved by you lead with I'm a sinner saved by grace, But your life is also lived under that banner, which is making ultimately making excuses for for your lack of obedience because of how you see sin and your ability to to, to not sin. On the other side of it is a is a legalism that says, God is primarily concerned with how you behave and whether you are

and his offer of grace is contingent upon what it is that you're doing and how you act. So so I I don't know. What's what's your experience? Do you feel like we're we're buffering up against one or the other? Actually, I find it odd, and and maybe I just haven't looked at it from this perspective much. But, like, people generally do say, hey. Jesus came and abolished the Old Testament laws. And really, like, if you're actually looking to what he did, he took those laws and then he added intent. Like, did he took he took the like,

very similar to our conversations from a couple weeks ago, where the, the the ways and means is is what God is after, is what Christ asked for, not just the end. And the Pharisees were plugging the end and missing the means. And and Jesus basically took the the what was the endgame of the Old Testament law and added to it where your heart was while it was going down. Yeah. And so I find it funny that most say the Old Testament law has been abolished, and then they see they they they breathe a sigh of relief as if things are now unburdened from you. And and and really, you know, he just made it more clear, that I don't want, I don't want a painted picture of a man that does the right thing. Right? I want your heart in the right place. Yeah. And therefore, like, your actions, people say this all the time when they say,

you know, when you find a person that's struggling and having a hard time in life and not really understand where they fit in the kingdom of God, people always say you need to let Jesus help you make those decisions. And people are always blown away by that. They're like, by doing what? You know what I'm saying? Like, get on the phone, have a talk to them, and they don't understand it, and they don't they don't get what's happening. And and and really, how that transformation takes place is is that you read the Bible, you read his endgame, you know, throughout the Old Testament and what and what he expects of his people. And then you listen to Jesus start to talk and say, this is the reason this is how the endgame is produced, through this heart and and and this way of living. And then, basically, when your heart gets into a certain relationship with Christ and you understand God's heart, then your decisions almost become inherently okay because they're coming from God's heart. Right? And then it's not, hey, do I need to, you know, phone a friend and see what I need to do here? You know, you put it through the filter of what's God's heart with the end result that he gave us plus the the means in which Jesus provided, and then you can start making some solid decisions. And I I and I and I think people that they really back off from that. They look at the at at the God's heart thing and totally ignore the endgame completely,

which which means that, like, if I feel, for example, they always try to try to say that that Christ is love. Right? So if I feel love in a certain aspect, it's obviously good, godly, righteous love. And that is not the case all the time. There's good, godly, righteous love for things that you shouldn't have in your life. Yeah. I mean, I'm sorry. There's love for things that you shouldn't that that that you shouldn't have in your life, not good, godly, righteous love. But but just the fact that there's love existent, people will say that has to be from God because God is love. Right? And that's that's not a correct interpretation of the way that the scriptures read. So I wanna make sure that I'm I'm understanding it, not necessarily the argument, but the opposing forces. So one being that, that we're inherently going to fail, and therefore we should just accept our failure and realize that God's got grace for that. Uh-huh. And the other side being, yes, we are going to fail, but we need to take up against that and fight against that failure and always continue to strive to be more Christ like. So the complete opposite is the person that says that that

God's God's favor is completely dependent on your ability to to obey even though he knows that you cannot. So you're saved by your own works? Is it like a legal it's basically like a pharisaical legalist type of type of yeah. So there's scripture specifically stating against both of those points. Correct. You got I think it's both Paul. You've got what is that? Romans? So something where Paul says oh. Romans six? Yes. Say where we're talking about, you know, if we're if,

I can't remember specifically what it's basically, even if it is is, you know, we are we have grace and things like that, we are saved from our sin. Does that mean we just give up and do what means? By by no means, you know, is grace abounding? Things like that. And then, you know, against it that we're not saved by our works. Of course not. You know, we're not saved by who we are and what we do. Both of those sides are wrong. You you've got the concept of you're not supposed to live in failure. You know, we've been saved from sin and we've been pulled out from sin and and of the muck and and whatever you want to call it. Do not go back into it. Paul talks about not going back into the mud once you've been taken out and cleansed. And at the same time, he also talks about the fact that we can't just rely on our works. That's not what gets us to heaven. That's not what gets us God favor.

You have to find you have to find a different route, which is is the concept that Jesus Christ died for our sins. They're completely forgiven and fulfilled. Yet we are still called to be more Christ like and be called to to be moved by the Holy Spirit to be more Christ like and always fighting the sin in our life and eliminating as much as possible. Don't give up because failure means more grace. And don't just, just give in because, you know, we're never gonna get it. You have to find the middle ground where you're always striving to be more Christ like eliminating sin from your life, knowing that you will fail, but at the same time not giving up because of the fact that that's what God God expects us. I think what both of you described is what Paul writes later on in in Romans 12, where to be living sacrifices,

to die daily to ourselves, to die to our will, and so forth, to be not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewal of our mind. And that's how you know God's perfect will. It is the more you know Christ and the more you are following him, the more you're in the word. You just know his heart, and it you naturally make godly decisions. So, I mean, it's kind of the Yeah. And, actually, that that has to get wrapped up in a big old comfy humility blanket too. Right. Right. Yeah. There are there are a good share of of, of Christian leadership that will go, look.

I speak for the Lord. Right. You know, my heart is the same as his. It's obvious. So if I've said something, that is the deal. Yeah. And and and How do argue? And you will watch that pillar fall. Like, it only stands for so long and then it falls. But but, like, I I I think I kind of agree with the article that if, if I had to be honest, the good share of of, men that I talk to, they are more than willing to admit sin.

And and then that is their glorification. You owe them to their to their, you spruce them up and to their astonishment, you know, their I can admit sin all day long. But but the actual change and the repenting of it and the, attempting to walk away from it doesn't really seem to get near as much, boot work. Yeah. What what I think is is ultimately the point is to say we, we've come to a point where we accept,

seeing or seeing your inability to, live in complete obedience rightly as some sort of justification on its own. Where I can say, man, I know I know I'm a sinner. Just just like you, man, I'm a sinner. Well, may that might be true, but, like, that's not a foundation.

That's, like, your pursuit of obedience should be fierce. Yeah. Where's your holiness being set apart? Like, oh, I can't do that. Yeah. You know I'm not set apart on my own. Yes. You are. And look, I mean, look at the look at the major mouthpieces for the gospel in the in the New Testament. Like, Paul mentions it. Peter mentions it, but it is not his cornerstone argument. You know what saying? It is not the way he presents the gospel. It is it is absolutely, you know, brought up and and and at least told. But, like, I mean, there's there's there's book after book and letter after letter where that is not the main heading, you know? The fact that you're a sinner is not the big deal. Jesus Christ is the big deal, and transforming life is a big deal, and having a heart like God's is a big deal. And, like, they hit that way more than just the fact that, look, it's obvious you're a sinner. That's why Jesus died. Right. Why don't we talk about it anymore? Because he's ultimately calling you to something. Right? Like, he's not just calling you out of your sin. He's calling you into a life with him. And and we get stopped at the they called called me out of my sin, and I remember that part of the story and casually ignored what what is to follow that. And I and I I'm willing to be wrong here. So so stop me if I if if I'm not thinking of this correctly. But, like, when we say things like, as if we can what we do curries God's favor, I feel like it does. It may not buy your salvation. Christ alone bought that. No matter what you did, you have no way to bridge that gap. But, like, if you're talking about,

you know, even looking in Revelation, like, the very end of Revelation, and he's like, behold, I'm coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay each one for what he has done. It seems to matter what it is that you do. Well, I I and he actually list those out in the in the first, two or three chapters of Revelation when it comes on how he's dealing with the seven churches. He talks as if you will you let let that that you will be dealt with in the in the way that your works have have have gone. Right. And so it's it's it's foolish to say, and and that's the thing. I think we get caught up in in salvation arguments. And and a lot of that is because I think we like to think that that, we're very open and new to making new Christians, which, which, frankly, we we stink at most missional work anyway. Yeah. You know, as as the church western culture body. Right? But, like, we like to format everything we have in that in that lens. So really, all we're ever talking about salvation. We're not talking about, the kingdom and where you're gonna fit in it after you're done here and after Christ decides he's taking the place back over. And because those conversations are much more serious and much more, have much more broad implications throughout your eternity, say.

Yeah. And so and I think that ultimately is a risk that I think the article is is is is pointing out, but I I think we need it's a call that we need to heed, which is it's not that I would disagree with the person that says, I am a sinner, and I and I cannot live a perfect perfect life. And through the law and the rules of Christ, or in the like,

what what Jesus has taught when he was here, I can recognize that even fully, even more fully. Right? But that is not, but admitting that and understanding that, does not negate his call to obedience in that way. And and we have become far too comfortable with looking that as if identifying the truth of that is in itself a virtue as opposed to pursuing holiness and pursuing the life in the kingdom that we have otherwise been called to as opposed to focusing personally and often selfishly on specifically

what am I personally being saved from, not where Jesus otherwise saving me into. So then let me ask this, because I got some real world application that I gotta ask about. I'm dealing with a guy right now that is is throwing me this. He's saved Christian, know, been baptized and everything like that. But is right now, from what I can tell and what he's told me and what he's talked to me about is kind of just in in a weird rebellion stage. And is is kind of running away from God even though just a couple months ago, he was fully fully engulfed in his relationship with God from what I could see even outward works.

Now we have been to having the the pre premarital sex argument. We've been talking about why it's not okay. You know why it's why it's a situation that's not obedient to God and all this different stuff. He pitches me well you know having sex means that we're married in God's eyes so I'm technically married to this girl. How many girls does he married to? Yeah I know that No. Throwing that part out entirely. Okay. I I asked him about that. Was like I'm really committed tonight. Yeah. Exactly. I'm like, I I don't think that's what God meant. You're you're just kinda looking at the physical portion of it, not the I'm in a covenant with the God of the universe with this woman being my wife and meet whatever. So I think he's missing that portion, but he's telling me, you know, it's not worth it because I'm already I'm already in the muck. I'm already dealing with with this sin,

and I've already done it. So what's the point in stopping? And he says, you know, I've already dealt with this sin. I'm going to sin no matter what. Why should I even care? Why should I even try knowing that I'm going to fail at this? First Peter one, but he who called you is holy. You also be holy in all your conduct since it is written, you shall be holy for I am holy. And if you call on him as father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, as Ben was saying, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile knowing that you were ransomed from the future excuse me, futile ways inherited from your forefathers,

not with perishable things such as silver. Anyway, he goes on, and we were bought with the precious blood of Jesus. We're called to be holy. I mean, we just we just are will we fail? Yes. Periodically. And you go, you repent, you you go back, and you ask for forgiveness, and then you start over. You're a square one with a commitment and desire to be holy. And holy means to be set apart. I am different than everybody else.

Well, I I think I think Dan Dan nailed it. The the very word repent exists specifically for a situation. Right? Yeah. Like, the word repent wouldn't be necessary if you were always stuck in whatever it is you're doing. Either you're always holy or you're always not. Right? Mhmm. The word repent specifically exists for the man that says, I've done the wrong thing. Mhmm. I need to stop doing the wrong thing and turn to something else. Like, if if the word repent, didn't exist, then I I suppose I can see the understanding. But right? But, like, if you're following God, you have a rough idea of what the word repentance means, it seems to be created specifically for the circumstance in which he's talking about. Yeah. I I I and and I think,

maybe this analogy will make sense too, but, like, I always saw sin like that, like like the one that he's talking about, like a long sleeve shirt. The first one that you put on is very is maybe comforting. Actually, it kinda feels different than you had before. It actually feels, you know, like you could live this way. And then you put it on another, and then you put it on another one, and then you put it on another ten one, and times in, now it's very uncomfortable and hot and burdensome and not the same as it was when you were just wearing in the one. You know what I'm saying? Like and and some people some people get in a sin like that that they feel like, look. I'm I'm already doing it. I don't see any reason to stop. You know, I'm it's it's like it's like the the prodigal son. You know what I'm saying? Once you leave town,

it doesn't matter what happens when you leave town. You know what I'm saying? Like, the sin will ensue. The point is is that I'm separated, and I've separated myself, and, I'm out of town. And, really, what what was there any reason for me to change my ways while I'm out of town? I can I can always come back later or wait till I come back, or there's gonna be no good for me changing my ways when I'm not back home with Christ, my father? And and really, it turns out to be folly. Right? And it's only because,

the Bible describes, you know, the kingdom of God and your relationship with your creator much, much differently than you're saying. Like, you're you're telling a story in a way that that that that shines a light on your sin and that says, look, it's it's And there's no reason to stop it as as a way that I'm living. But, like, God doesn't describe life that way. He's he didn't say that's the way life was meant to live. And, like, some people have ears to hear, you know, that bit of information at the time and somebody some people won't. Right. Absolutely. I I appreciate those answers. That's something that, like I said, I'm actually dealing with a guy specifically in my life and and He's wearing 12 long sleeve shirts. He's wearing 12 long sleeve shirts, and it's very uncomfortable. Yeah. No. It's just it's interesting because I I've I've said things along those lines. I didn't specifically call out first Peter. I appreciate you sharing the passage with me though. But, yeah, I've been talking. It was just like, dude, it's it's not just it's it's not like you get to run away now and you're in the sin that means that, well, I should give up entirely and I'm always going to fail no matter what. It seemed like that kinda tied in with, with that article there. So Yeah. Yeah. And and I I think from from that circumstance is like, what what you will not have is an excuse in front of God and say, you know, I had a special circumstance

and, I didn't it wasn't quite clear from your word as to how I was best to respond to it. That simply doesn't exist. Right. You know what I'm saying? It's just not there. Something that really boils down to an authority, like like God as God you know, Christ is king, you know, authority issue. Right? Like like, he won't be mocked. You know what I'm saying? Like, you can't you can't show up with that stuff and be like, look. I didn't really check your word, but I felt like it was gonna be fine. You know what I'm saying? Like, when push comes to shove, like because they like to paint the the the bring the children to me Jesus is like, that's twenty four seven Jesus, and that's the way it rolls. But, like, he's a very dimensional god. You know what I'm saying? Like, there's not you can't just paint him on a two d screen and go, that's him.

He works in he works in an all encompassing way that that that makes his character what it is. And I and and and I think most people are under and this is me a lot of the time too, are under the impression that, like, you know, you're gonna mock him. You're gonna show up with an argument that you can kinda talk your way out of, and you didn't really understand what was going on or at the time my mind wasn't in the right place. Mhmm. God says, you know, I I laid it out. I put it in a book. I I sent people to teach you. I sent preachers out there. I put friends in your life. I put people to to speak into your life. You ignored them. It's not like, you know, you were you're unaware, and that's very unfortunate for you right now because the buck does stop where Jesus say it says it stops. Yeah. We like to make ourselves the authority. We like to make ourselves the god. Well, I I know the bible says maybe something, but I wanna do something else. But if you really think about it, we're not very good gods. I mean Oh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, I I've never created anything. I can't destroy anything very well. I don't I don't even know what's going on at my house right now. So I'm not, you know, I'm it's not like I'm that smart. I can't stop sinning even though I really want to. I mean yeah. So you're gonna lift yourself up as god? That's kind of a pitiful god. Yeah. That that's sad. And the worst part is you're following yourself. Yeah. Like, so yeah. You're a bad worshiper too. Man. You can't even discern. Yeah. You know what? Sorry, Boob. I I feel bad about this, so I'm gonna I'm gonna let it out in the open right now. When you said you were dealing with this guy and what you do with him, about what I wrote down in my notes was pull his hair. Chase him. That's what I felt from the wall. Just I'm just gonna Just give his hair a touch. Here's the deal. If I'm running at somebody, I'm a physically intimidating man. I can see myself being able to pull that off. I call it the Nehemiah solution. Yeah. You gotta you gotta wear a t shirt that says Nehemiah. Yeah. Exactly. But not with a huge sword. Lay your hands on it. Don't worry. I will help rebuild. So

Just break down a wall real quick and then run-in Nehemiah style. I forgot to mention this, but, like, I I looked up the the book of Nehemiah to try to get some, information about it. And, one of the things it said in here was it was talking about the, the authorship. It says, the combined book Ezra, Nehemiah of the earliest Christian and Jewish period was known as Ezra and was probably attributed to him. According to rabbinic tradition, however, Nehemiah was the real author but was forbidden to claim authorship because of his bad habit of disparaging others. That's rough. Winner. That's rough times. This guy. Ghost writer. You know you know you know what I was thinking, though? I was reading this today, and I and I thought just the pervasiveness

of our inability to properly ward off sexual sin, especially in the church, is just astounding. There was on christianpost.com,

there was an article from two days ago. Oklahoma mega church pastor resigns after admitting infidelity. K? Now when you read news stories, there's always, like, a suggested stories of similar stories. K? Left hand sidebar, here we go. Arizona megachurch pastor resigns after confessing to alleged affair. Megachurch pastor David Loveless resigns after admitting to past affair. Pastor Isaac Hunter of Summit Church resigns after admitting affair. Wow.

And that's that's not that's not everybody. There was a guy in Florida just, like, whatever, two months ago. It's just it's Bob, something it's just like, it's outrageous. It's sad. Yeah. And we just that that seems to be the one that brings down the type a church leader guy is some sort of infidelity. And and our churches, we really need to pray for our pastors

because that you know, if you're the enemy, you're gonna go after them. You strike the shepherd, the the sheep will scatter. You know? So especially these mega mega pastor guy mega church pastors. Yeah. You know, if if you got 10,000 people coming to your church, man, go after that one guy. You can affect 10,000 people Right. Right now. You know? So I think they probably have a higher temptation than average people or even like myself. I'm not a megachurch guy. I'm just this, you know, blot on the on the screen compared to those guys. If I were the enemy, I'd go after those guys pretty hot and heavy. Yeah. And and so we we really should be praying for those guys. Even if we did there's guys some of those guys I I would disagree with doctrinally, but it doesn't matter. They represent Jesus. Yeah. And and we need be praying for those guys. Yeah. I agree. I I was just it was just sad. I was reading the article, and I saw the suggested. I'm like, the related articles. I'm like, oh, man. Like, what a bummer. Yeah. I mean but but look at look at the look at the the way that that historically, the way that Satan,

keeps a group of people away from the gospel. Right? Like like, look at all the major societies that have risen and fallen, and usually, if they center around the pervasiveness of open sexuality

and cash and money. Right? And so, like, to be honest, if you're looking at the the society as America stands right now, he's not even working. He's not even breaking a sweat here. You know what I'm saying? Like, both are completely available. If you wanna see naked ladies, it's free on the Internet. I mean, free of charge. It takes no time at all. You're literally thirty seconds away if you wanna be. And likely and and not you don't have to be tied to a computer anymore. Right? You can just do it on your phone. You can I mean, it literally anywhere you want Yeah? It is accessible to you. And and so, like, I mean, these this is gonna sound kind of charismatic on my end, but, like, these developments alone,

I mean, it's just it's he's taken all of his efforts away from here. You know what I'm saying? I I don't know that for a fact, but I'm just guessing. Here's what like, and and I was listening to Guy talk about this a little bit earlier today, but he was talking about church hopping. Like, people having preferences in worship music and and, you know, and and and how how the service was run or what kind of carpet they picked out. And he goes, do you know where that doesn't happen? China. Do you know why? Because the gospel is exploding in China, and they don't have time for that crap. You know where that doesn't happen? Darfur. You know what happens in America?

They're worried about that. He goes, I would literally like to see the American church drop worship. Just get rid of the whole thing and stop it until we can do it right. He goes, you know where those those conversations don't happen? In in in communist China, where where the the Christian religion is exploding because people are suffering for it, and it is the number one thing that they live their life to be part of the kingdom of God. And he goes, it's just that they're just Satan just don't happen to work that hard here. We'll destroy ourselves

on our own. And I'm like, it's embarrassing. Right? But but how does how does, you know, the the the church of Jesus Christ survive in that atmosphere? We can't change where the the culture's going. I I it's it's under God's direction. It's under God's control. He if if America succeeds or does not succeed, it's solely in his hands. Right? And so, like, in that given in that given environment, you know, maybe instead of fighting the culture so hard, we just fight for our position in the kingdom of God and and and and live that way. Because I feel like the fight in the culture and the, like and and the attempt to to to meet them on their level is a social seduction that we will lose. You know what I'm saying? It's like it's like playing inside the playing inside the playground that you don't belong in until you end up now now that's where you are. You know? And and I don't know. I I I was trying to mold through that in my head, and and I related a lot to those guys that do that run the the xxxchurch.com. And they're guys that that that specifically minister to the porn industry. Right? There's there's a select, as far as I'm concerned, a select handpick group of fellas that can do that job.

Because 98% of the church cannot do that. 98% of the males cannot be anywhere near that playground because they won't survive it. They will lose their faith on their way out. And so I sometimes I think the exact same thing when we start to dabble in waters that have to do with meeting the culture where they're at. And I'm I'm I'm not against I'm not against that. I'm not against ministering the the, you know, the the gospel to people who don't know it. That's not what I'm saying. But, like, when you do it in their terms, in their voice, in their costume, you end up living there. Right? And then and then you've lost it. Right. It's hard to propose that you're offering something different when you're not. You know what I'm saying? When your life looks just like theirs, you're not offering them something different. You're telling a story. That's right. You know? And if and if and if all you have is a story, well, there's plenty of stories to go around. Yeah. Yeah. And I I mean, I don't think that equals, you know, you know, suffering on purpose with no rhyme or reason without the hand of God in it.

But I don't know. I I I just feel like there's there's difference somewhere, and writing genuine and relevant on your pamphlet does not equal genuine and relevant. You know what I'm saying? It just equals a pamphlet that says those things. And I I I don't know what I think that looks like, but I feel like I don't see it. You know you know actually, I was thinking about that within the last couple days. You know what I think it looks like? Question is is how if I think of the all the things that the moral types of issues, k, the things that are otherwise culture classing between the church, I can count on one hand the people I know that are struggling with those things,

that are not otherwise pursuing a a life with Christ. I don't know enough people that are struggling. You know what I'm saying? Like, I know enough I know I know my much of my life is knowing other Christians who are trying to follow Christ and who are struggling with it

with some of those things. But how many how many people outside of the faith do I know well enough to know the things that they are struggling with and I'm close enough to be able to to talk to them or do anything about it? It's it's a very small amount of people. It's not near enough. And so that that's what it looks like to me is is pick your pick your big culture class issues. Know five or more guys that aren't in your church that are struggling with that. Whether they agree it's struggling or not is irrelevant to the point. Right. Right? Find five or more people do you know five or more people who've had an abortion? Do you? You know what I'm saying? Like, are you close enough to anybody that lives in that world? Or, like, are they are these are these people that just who who struggle with those types of things and they do it so far on the periphery that I can yell it from the mountain, but I don't live anywhere near anybody that's got that problem. You know? How many how many people do I know that are that are, I mean, straight up stealing?

How many thieves do I know? Now granted, this starts to break down because some of these people will belong in prison. Right. Right? Like, if I know that there's I know where to find them. There's a shackle of pedophiles somewhere, like, I don't need to hold on to them just so I can meet my five. But but the the question is is, like, outside of the church, am I close enough to anybody who's struggling with those things? How many how many people are dirt poor do I know, not know of, but, like, I know them? You know why that's funny? It's because the it's evident in the reaction that most of the churches take.

And this includes my reaction on on some occasions. Right? But, like, when we wanna do something for the poor and the widow, we go to the homeless shelter. Because we literally don't know anybody that's poor. You know what I'm saying? We we know the faceless poor that the truck serves on Tuesday morning at 5AM, and that's where we put our time and effort. We bandwagon onto another group of poor that someone else has found. That's right. That's right. But we literally can't help the people that are that are poor because we don't know them. We we tried this. We we we have we have groups, like small groups, community groups at the church, and we're like, okay. We we we need to be doing something. Hands you know, feet feet to the pavement. Right? So we we test, like, all these all these groups and said go out and and serve. Serve.

And like, we went about three months and and what we kept getting back was, we don't know what to do. We don't know what to do. And I thought that's outrageous. And then I thought and I thought, I don't know what to do. And I thought, that's pathetic. That's pathetic. And that is exact like, what you were asking about, that's what it looks like. It's like, we we don't know what to do. We couldn't even help we couldn't even like, you got eight guys in a room who are like, how will we help people? Well, let's find someone else who's helping people and kinda get in on that because, like, personally, I have no idea. I don't know anybody that's in any type of trouble. I don't know anybody that needs the gospel. I don't know anybody that needs their yard mowed. Like, we don't know we don't know anybody. If if that and if that's all the people we know, we gotta change. We gotta change your life. We don't know anybody. Yeah. Yeah. And you know what? I mean, look at the social outcasts in most churches. They're the people that are considered to be doing crazy things. You know I'm saying? Like, they they have random people staying at their house all the time. They're they're weird Christians. You know I'm saying? They they'll take weird people in. They'll go on trips. They'll they'll skip Christmas. You know what I'm saying? Like, no one skips Christmas presents. And this family's like, you know what? No Christmas presents this year. We're we're we're gonna go help somebody. You know? And everyone's like, well, that sounds like the heart of Jesus, but totally unnecessary. I mean, you don't have to do that to be a Christian.

You know? And every and, like, they're the social pariah at the church, you know, because they do weird questionable things Yep. With their faith. You know? But, like, if we're being honest, I mean, could your life stand to be a little bit more questionable? Could it be a little bit more out of the out of the realm, out of the norm that people are like and Ben was talking about this a little bit on Sunday. He tell he'd heard a guy talk about this and and that we were kinda mulling it over, but, like, man, if if that if that's gonna be my new accountability question, but, like, how is your life a little bit questionable this week? Yeah. That people are like, you know, if they can tell Well, that's easy. Yeah. That's awesome. Here's the You mean spiritually. There's a there's a there's a quote. It's one of my favorite quotes. It's not a not a Christian quote, but, like, it certainly applies here. It's by a guy named George Bernard Shaw, and he said, the reasonable man adapts himself to the conditions that surround him. The unreasonable man adapts surrounding conditions to himself. All progress depends on the unreasonable man.

Everybody that's that's that's stuck to the status quo will continue to perpetuate the status quo. And so so, like, if you wanna see any progress in the world, you you cannot be like the other people who are perpetuating that status. And so if I if I if you look around, there are a 100 people pursuing Christ, but not making any impact outside of their own personal walk. Like, progress in that means you don't look like those people.

And think about this practically, when you look at the prophets, these were weird people. These were weird people doing weird things. True. They're all hiding out. Like, there's a particular wilderness spot where in in in Israel where these people are, like, drafted up and then spit out somewhere. Yeah. And, like, they're just they're just different, and they're not countercultural. They're not, like, trying to be weird. They're just, like they they they see the world differently, and they live the lot their lives differently. And progress happens by the guy that doesn't live like everybody else because that's how you get people to follow that. But, like, if your job is to meet people where they're at, and you say don't leave them there, but if your version of don't leave them there is to just, like, let them stay what they're doing, but just give it like,

put put Jesus into it. Like, if if nothing substantially changes about your life and things don't continue to change about mine, then, like, I'm actually doing them a disservice because all I am is bringing a branded a branded life. K? I wanna take your your your lifestyle,

and I just wanna have a brand it with some Jesus stuff. And I'm not saying that you're not honestly pursuing a relationship with Christ, but the fruit of that means your life will change. It will significantly change. And to a certain extent, what I think has happened, especially in our in in the American, the Western church, is that we we've gotten comfortable with the church status quo. My life did change, but, like, look at all these people, and it hasn't changed all that radically. That must be the level. I feel like I've kinda met that. Like, I didn't have to give up much, even though I know we're called to, but, like, all these people can't be wrong. All these people have to be following Christ. They they profess faith. I know they pray. They do all these things. And so the the the western church status quo has been a very, very low bar as far as how much life change God is asking us to do, but we get comfortable with it because it's the status quo. And we can say, like, seriously, how can I pass judgment on these 100 other people that I'm going to church with? Surely, they're not all hitting a low bar and have gotten comfortable with there. But the guys that we run into from a show perspective. Right? Like, you can tell the guy that has blown past that bar and like you and Dave were talking about that smells like Jesus. Yeah. You know I'm saying? Yep. And that guy's not the status quo. He's not. And and to a certain extent, like, we have perpetuated that. I personally have perpetuated that. I've looked and said, like, what needs to change about my life? And I can look around people that I respect, and I think they have a healthy faith. And I say, but but but status quo, I think I think

you know, I don't wanna go outlandish, not because I'm not willing to for Jesus, but, like, I don't trust my own mind. I don't know what outlandish is supposed to look You know, I don't wanna you don't just move to Darfur for the wing of it, like, unless God is actually calling you there. And so but but I think what we've what's become very dangerous, however, is what we've accepted as the spiritual status quo from Western church when really, like, deport half of your churches over to to Cambodia for thirty days and come back and see that status quo shift. Because you've been around people that are in your five that,

that have those handful of things where they they simply live differently than you do. And you are not close enough to anybody to know what they're struggling or or what the gospel means to in their life. All we know is what the gospel means in my life. And I personally have been mulling that over for, like, the last six weeks, and I've I I was very dangerous. But I I it was three days ago I prayed. I said, I I'm not. I know I'm not seeing this clearly. I'm not seeing people the way you see them. And if you have to do it to me personally for me to get it, do it. Because I feel like it's that important that that I'm missing it. And I I really should have consulted my wife before I said that. Here's the here's the deal, hon. The Lord made me effort. But but I'm I'm I, like, I so meant it. Like, I meant I'm asking for it because I know that, like, where I'm at, we live in a in a fluent society in general, but even where our church is at, even in the life that I live, make a very reasonable amount of money I I want for very little. And, like, I have I have put our society encourages that type of blindness because you can't completely eliminate that

without otherwise being dependent, like, now being dependent upon the society. But, like, it's a very big risk in my life, and I know it. And I'm I I whatever it takes to make sure my eyes are open in the way that God wants to use me in life, I need to be there. And I feel like that's a significant risk to my lifestyle. But but I think it's a a broader risk to the American church. It's like we've just got used gotten used to a status quo that is very dangerous, for progressing the gospel. Yeah. You know, I think the other thing that that fellow I was listening to was talking about, he goes, here's what you're gonna wanna do. When you get up to heaven because salvation is not what we're talking about. We're talking about the kingdom of God here. When you get up to heaven and meet some of those people who started the underground

illegal, we can kill you for this Chinese, version of Christianity church. Right? And you walk in there and they said, you lived in America. That means that there's there's more money available, and it was it was allowed to freely happen. You know, how did it go? What did you do?

And then you're sitting there I bought a new car. That's right. You have nothing else but say, well, I I made myself comfortable. We looked really nice when we went to church on Sundays. That's right. And they go, you made yourself comfortable. I mean, that's what is oh. And so, like, that's very like, that's extremely embarrassing

that that you have to try to explain yourself on what you've done with your with your relationship with Christ and the and the, the things that you've that you've been given, the tools you've been given to do it, and you literally did nothing. Right? And that seems very embarrassing. But then on the other hand, like, the kind of organic stuff and the kind of, you know, feet to the street stuff that that that that we're talking about, it can't ever be done from a leadership level. You know what I'm saying? Like, it can't ever be done. You can't have, the pastor of the church stand up and say, we're gonna implement a more organic thing and organize it for you and then push it down to the small groups, and your community leaders are gonna help you do this because they won't do it. Right? Because then it's lost its organicness. Now it's a corporate push again. And so, like, that has that has to come through the conviction of of of individuals. Right? Like, the church will never accomplish anything collectively that they won't accomplish individually.

And I think that's kinda where we're stuck at. Like, what they do is most individuals point to the church that they go to and say, this church is not doing this and this and then this without saying, I'm not doing this and this and this. Right? And, like, missing it completely. Mhmm. Yeah. Actually, I've fallen into that trap myself in the last couple years is is for a long time, I was going to the church and and I was there Sunday morning and everything like that. And I was like, yeah. And then I'd leave. And I wouldn't be involved in the church. I wouldn't try and get any I wouldn't get in any ministry. I remember you doing that. Yay. Yay. I'm a Luckily, you guys have dealt with that. Yeah. Hey, Troy. You're gonna stay? No. No. I'm good. And then walk away. I I thought that the church was there to serve me. And I think that's the mentality that we have as an American church is the pastor is there not as as a shepherd to help us to get better and to to to to, you know, keep us facilitating,

lives that are that are moving towards Christ, but they're there as our manager in our faith. And they're there as as as the one who's our leader, and then we have to be subservient to that person and just follow along with what they say, listen to their message on Sundays, then leave. And we don't have to have a faith of our own. We don't have to have a life that has works of our own. There's nothing that has to smell like Jesus for us as long as our we go to church. And it's so ritualistic and it's so easy to fall into that trap. And that's what's killing us. It's dragging us down is that mentality that we're here just to be shepherded into a building and then walk out and we're done. And that is our fight faith. That is our life. And it's ridiculous. You will not find a single portion of the bible that tells us that. You will not find a single passage that that God said, that Christ said, that calls us to be the people that sit in church on Sunday mornings and then leave.

It's ridiculous. And it's sad. And I'm sad that I've fallen into that. And I'm trying as hard as I can to get out of that. I'm trying as hard as I can to explain to people when I'm talking about God, I'm talking about my relationship with Christ, when they say, well, if I go to church, is that is that what it is? And the fact that it's it's as long as I'm herded into that building, is that my relationship? I will stand on my on my principle that that bringing a new people to church is a terrible idea. Absolutely. I I just think it's a bad three people this week that said, well, you know, are you gonna invite me to church? Yeah. I can. But why don't we just talk now? Yes. Well Yes, Bubba. Yes. It's just like it I'm not trying to talk myself up, but it's ridiculous.

And it makes me so sad that I have to defend the fact that your relationship with Christ doesn't just happen in church. The status quo Ben's talking about. You don't want him there. No. They'll get poisoned there. Yeah. Exactly. Know what saying? You gotta get them in love with Jesus. It's like all you're gonna do is you're gonna go in there. You're gonna stand. You're gonna feel uncomfortable. You're gonna feel like you're making me happy, then you're gonna walk out. I don't want that for you. I want you to have a relationship with Christ, and that starts with you and someone else, you and God, not you and a building. But you gotta be careful, though, because, like, ultimately, you are calling them into a community. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Don't take a whiz on the church. I'm not I'm not No. Hold on. Hold, boob. You hold tight. We're fine here. We're not we're not saying that they can't go to the community of the church, but, like, you don't bring them as as as a member. They're not in the community yet. They have no idea what's going on. Agreed. You know what saying? So, like, you talk to them about Jesus, and you get and and and you you love them, and, like and once they decide that they're they're gonna accept to to be in that community and that then you take them. But, like, until they do, it's there there's there's nothing for them there. Well, don't know. It's it's it's it's and both. I mean, cause you look through the book of acts and there were times It's like me and boover saying and and zero like what you're saying. No. Because you you read through the book of acts in the bible that that Jesus wrote that Was that a name drop?

Was that a Jesus name drop? Okay. Luke wrote it. Alright. Stepping back. Okay. There were times people were attracted to Jesus because of the community. They saw what the community was doing. They were feeding the poor. They were helping the people out. Helping each other out. And, you know, call that going to church. It's being the church. It's hanging out with the church. Oh, okay. That is it. In. If that is it, then, yeah, I can understand bringing stuff. Yeah. But I don't think that's why people are bringing people to church. That is not what our church looks like. No. Our church does not look like the church from Acts. It's the we have a through the book of Acts. We look exactly like No. We are holographic. We have a show that we put on on Sunday mornings as the American church. We have a show, and we invite people to that show. We don't invite people to the community that is supposed to be the hands and feet of Christ,

of the body of Christ. Here's the thing. We invite them to have We're setting it up to fail, though, because anytime it's corporately done, we will like like, from the attitude that you and I are taking, it will be carded as disingenuous and not on an individual level and and the hard you know what I'm saying? Like and so, like, that's it's unfair to characterize it completely that way because it almost sounds like it just like no. I maybe I agree with that. I don't know. It almost sounds like it like it can't corporately be done Right. With integrity. And I'm I'm I know. It it that's the truth. Can. I the risk is that is that you turn people over to a process. Right? The risk is that Right. That that is that it's something that I will admit to have had in my mind within the last decade

was I just need to get them into the church, and then the mechanisms of the church will take care of that. Sweep them up. Yeah. And exactly. And that's They'll be conqueror. False problem. Right? That that's the that says, if I get them into this building, whatever the the the processes and the methodology and the institution of the church that I had built up in my mind, that will take care of that. And it takes the place of spending time and actually being community. Like, it was it's it's it's a it's a misidentification of what community actually is and turning someone over into a process. That has been the failure of how we're looking at things. It's not the the the church itself. Now it is an awkward place to take somebody unless they're seeking Christ. And then being in a being as part of a community of people that love Jesus, even if you don't, still has comfort to it. Still it's still a way to learn. It's still a way to create relationships. That's all fine. But, like, the the question is, what are you inviting them into? Are you trying to bring them into a community, or are you actually just trying to turn them over into a process into an organization that's the risk. If you take that tact, though, that I think I think what you're what you can preach on Sunday is way If instead of being a visitors meeting and how to get acquainted,

you know what I'm saying, that, like, it changes the way that that the message is brought. No. No. No. And that's exactly right. But you actually shouldn't change. There there shouldn't we'll talk about this. We had to hit a break. If you're on KTA, we gotta let you go. You can listen to the rest of the podcast on the website. Go to lifeinthepath.org. We will see you next week. Have a good week. Pull his hair.

Nehemiah. I'm just just once. Just Well, I see you went to church. You're missing some hair. Remember me, oh god, for my good. Nehemiah haircut. So so we were talking before the break. We were talking about

what so what you preach on Sunday for people that if people are there that don't love Jesus. Alright? And here's here's where I think we failed, is that oftentimes we treat the person that is interested in in in the relationship with God differently than the person that has one. And that's a mistake. Like, that's a marketing deal. That's a get them in a little bit so that we can eventually get them in all the way. That seems completely unnecessary. Right? Because then you're inviting him to Like, sometimes it's not it's that's not misleading,

but it tends to be half. It's not all of the information. Right? Like, there are increments in the in the modern Christian faith that says, we will we will release information to you slowly. And then but because we built the foundation that you believe, God is who he says he's in the Bible is, written by God, then you have to believe that and turn it over.

In fact, I was reading it. There was an apologetic on the on the Old Testament and talking about the Old Testament law, And it said that that I don't have the same problem with, say, what an atheist would on some of the barbarism that other otherwise, like, people's so called barbarism in the Old Testament, the killing of the Canaanites, the the way women are treated, that type of thing. Because I believe I know I believe that I know God's character and that the Bible is written by God, so somehow this has to be alright. Right? And so I don't struggle with that the same way some guy who's looking at it who doesn't necessarily believe that about God, he looks at that and said they're they're killing children.

Like, ay? You know what I'm saying? And so and and to a certain extent, I think he's probably right about that, but it shouldn't be that way. But but the reason is because I I've been I've been fed things incrementally. We you slowly turn things over where, like, hey. Welcome. Jesus is to save you from your sins.

And you get to that part and you get to baptize and say I'm gonna repent, and then we start explaining to you about the life that you have to lead. And the kingdom, by the way, he might spit you out if you continue half heartedly. Exactly. And so so I I I guess that that is a risk. If you were trying to there was a, like, a a thought that if people were seeking that you would talk to them differently than someone who's actually following Christ, and I I actually don't think that's the case. I don't think that should be happening. It's you might as well just be upfront with people for what it is. Like, the Bible doesn't say, hey. If you're a seeker, start here. You know? And then we'll kinda introduce you later on to some of the other things. We we've we've kind of got that mentality because we always start people in the New Testament. Now that's frankly, it's the quickest way to understand Jesus, which is where we want them to be. But, like, we talked about that before is where we get a kind of a skewed view of the Old Testament as if it can be disregarded and doesn't represent the heart of God because we wanted people to get as fast as possible to the information

that we others wanted to share with them so that they would raise their hand or say the prayer and move on as opposed to actually embracing the god that runs the kingdom that we're otherwise asking them to join. No. That's that's true. And I I I think it's a huge dose dose of reality. If you're gonna read the bible cover to cover, start the beginning, come to the end, basically, you get like, okay. I think I'm kinda getting how this god operates. And then Jesus shows up and you go, he seems like a different kind of cat. And then revelation shows up and you go, oh, there's god again.

Okay. I I think I got this. He comes back in at the end. It's like a it's There's like lot of murder going on in here. There's God. I was actually reading the book of revelation this week, and I and I, like, for the life of me, I could not marry the two versions of Jesus. Like and I I I I know it's the same God. I know that. Right? But, like, I'm I'm I was we just got done studying through Luke, and so, like, I have this picture in my head of of and the mannerisms of Christ, and then the the the mannerisms and picture in my head that I have in Revelation is completely different. And it's done that way for a reason, because it's it's it's it's basically two folds of a story. It's a slain lamb and the coming and the and the coming king. Right? And so they are it is a dichotomy to be played on purpose. But, like, I I I I just I knew when I was reading it that I was not marrying it in my head that it was the same Christ. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, I I wasn't putting it together, and I I prayed on it. I'm like, I'm not I'm not seeing you the whole picture of you right now. I'm getting two halves of Jesus, and they're they're not the same animal. And I don't and and I want that to stop. But

I don't know. I I I I don't even have a point. I just kinda drug out. Yeah. No. I got it. I got it. It didn't. So I got it. I don't know. I I I guess just something to be praying about is, like, what have we accepted as normative in our culture that is not normative for God's kingdom? Right. You know? And where does that need to move? And where does that start? Because, like, if it if it starts because one guy out of a 100 starts living a different life, looking for what the normative God's kingdom looks like, you're one guy. Good. You fit the criteria. Make it happen. Yeah. And and, like so and to a certain extent, like, as I was thinking this to myself, thought, I don't even know where to start. Like, I literally do not know what to do. I need I need God to provide me some some sight

so I can see things differently. And and because, like, I'm in that culture. Right? I've I'm I'm part of that normalcy that is is blind to what it looks like to see something different. And it's God that has to kinda peel that back and say, want you to see things differently than than you do. And it doesn't imply, by the way, that that necessarily

all the normal the the normative things in the in the Western church are implicitly bad. Like, that's not necessarily the case. But but I do think we've taken good principles and and and good the things that that Christ has called us to do, and we've just we've allowed a cap. We've allowed how far we're we will let it permeate, and then that becomes normative because everyone kind of agrees on the cap. Plus, it's because we have limited our definition of church to that event on Sunday morning. Yeah. Right. As opposed to this is my life,

and that's where we miss the community. And that that's where we start having this debate. Do you bring them to church or not? Well, well, yeah, you bring them to church. But that's not I mean, it's it's you're discipling them. You're it's your inviting them into Jesus and into your community of faith. The church is a part it's a small little piece of the puzzle. But it's it's valuable and Absolutely. Important piece. That's something that I that I was gonna talk about as well, is I'm not trying to bash the church in any way shape or form. Obviously think you were. I I It was very obvious, but Yeah. I promise I'm not trying to bash the church in its in its intention. Don't mess with the pride of Jesus. I To pull your hair out. I think that if that's if that's what it was and if that's what we have as a church today, I'd be very happy to be involved in that. And I think that I am involved in a portion of that, but I think that we're still missing quite a few pieces. My biggest point is the fact that I think that we use church as our only form of discipleship.

And I think that's the biggest deal. As a lot of people like Ben was talking about is we bring people into the institution that is the church, and then we think we're done. We back out once they're in the church and they've come to church. God's gonna take it from there, and the institution is gonna handle it. We don't have to do things. It's like sneaking someone at the end of the disciples line. Right? There's 12 guys following Christ, and you're like Right. You're interested, Chuck? Go walk behind that guy. Jimmy. And you're like, phew. Done. Yeah. Got him in the line, Lord. Guy in front of me. Yeah. Exactly. Well, see how I brought my friend in the doors, Lord? Go ahead and take care of him now. I'm gonna go back home. Is that okay? No. It's ridiculous. What we do not end there. On Monday nights is what you're talking about. This is just our little community group hanging out. We happen to have microphones and little cameras, and then it goes on the radio or on a podcast or on the Internet, but it's just us doing community. We're just hanging out talking Jesus, and and it's not on a Sunday morning, but it's it's just as valuable. Right. You couldn't do one without the other. Or more. You know? Yeah. I mean, it it's all part of the puzzle, part of the pie. Yeah. Think that's the right thing is is the church is not meant to be Sunday mornings, and that's it. It's meant to be the community and all the works and acts of the community spending time with each other in fellowship. Yeah. Think that's our error. It's not our Sunday morning. It's it's we skip the rest of it. Right. No. That I I apologize if that's what it seemed like I was saying. I I agree that we need the big mass community together and spending time and and worship with God and everything like that. I think we need to make sure we're hitting all of the other pieces though.

You're humming. Are you making like a revving car sound? What? I don't know what that was. I was seeing if I could derail you. Enough. Okay. It works. It's just I think that that that we're at a at as a whole is the the whole church if you want to look at it from the western civilization church. We just we don't hit all of those pieces. You have people that say I go to church and therefore I'm a Christian. And that's the problem. They don't have a faith because they think the church is 9AM, 10AM on Sunday morning and that's We're so busy we compartmentalize

our faith. Don't know if you go to both the nine and the ten, you feel like you're a solid. Yes. Thank you for thank you for making that legalistic of, you know, went, well, I went to both services. Lord, I gave you two hours this week. Yeah. Because that's what he called you for. And I think, you know, one one of the things to to maybe maybe think about is is, like, when I say I I wanna peep I want to bring someone to church, like, do I do I generally just like I generally want them to know Christ because that's who I go to in times of trouble. Do I generally want them to know my community? You know what I'm saying? Do I say, man, I I can't you really need to get to know these people. You know, look because of what's going on in their lives, because of what God is doing. And I think I think that's probably our block because when we miss the one thing, right, when we're not living

as a church, as a community, when we're when we're going to the event, like, you know, I don't even know people well enough to say, hey. Whether they should I want them to know my community or not. Like, that's the risk that you run as opposed to, I know these people. Boy, I can't wait for you to meet Bob. And I I really want you to meet, you know, Darren and his wife, and they're awesome. And, like, you know and and not just because they're great, like, worldly people, but because it's a community that you want people to be a part of. And and if we don't foster that type of community as a church, like, we make it very difficult for people to say, hey. Come on in. By the way, these people really are are are they probably don't love you,

and and they're they they're probably not gonna extend a hand to you, and that guy's a little grouchy. And, you know, like, who wants to invite someone into that? Which means as as a body, not as an individual, but, like, as a body, if we don't change that, like, we're representing God's community, his kingdom incorrectly. And, like, hey, man. You want in? I'll pass. That looks crappy.

So it's a risk that we run as, like, a responsibility as a community, not not just individually. Because, I mean, you might rock, but you wouldn't take yourself in some kind of crabby community. You know? Good luck getting that guy to hang around. I don't care how great your community juice is. Right. Alright. You're listening to life from the path. Alright. We're gonna have to skip the advice tonight.

Aw. Let's see what's trending. We've given out an hour and fifteen minutes worth of rambling advice. I think it's fine. Alright. What's trending with Dan? Alright. Trending with Dan. Wait. Wait. What's happening? What's happening with Dan? Alright. Virginia proposal would limit size of gatherings in private homes. Alright. There's a plan to ban frequent

and large gatherings at neighborhood homes. It's being proposed in Virginia. The proposed zoning ordinance limits group assembly at

residences to 49 people a day, and they cannot occur more than three times in a forty day period. So you kinda you're gathering that. County officials say they've received complaints about the group meetings and homes. However, the total number out of the thousands of complaints they receive each other was six.

There were six complaints in reality. Right. Ordinance would affect church groups, scouting organizations, realtors were early, it would even hurt their open houses. Yeah. So some people believe they're trying to shut down the house churches. What's going on? Uh-huh. Here's the question. If it became illegal to attend church in America, what would you do? A, secretly meet with fellow believers anyway,

b, openly meet in large groups and pay the consequences, or c, I don't need a church to worship God. I'd worship him on my own. Mike. Dang.

I feel like I like a and b. I just can't decide. I feel like one is appropriate most of the time and one is appropriate every once in while. I'm gonna go with a. See secretly meet with people? Yeah. I can still talk to people about Jesus in my day to day. I just can't meet with a large group. Is that the deal? But you're gonna do it in secret anyway against the laws of the land. Yeah. Hey. Kinda like in China, the house church, you're gonna you're gonna You know how much I love the China house church. Okay. Alright. Buba. Yeah. I'm gonna I I was kinda wrestling with with a and b as well, and I'm gonna go with a. I think that it's against the laws of the land, but I don't care. I so I I think I'm I'm kinda partially where Mike's at. I a, I think, would be my primary mode of operation,

but it depends on whether God's kingdom can be furthered with b. Like, if there's if there's something about the circumstances that says not if you meet just because you're being stubborn and wanna say screw the man, but like Like a Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego. Yeah. Like, if there's a justification for for doing b, I'm not certainly not opposed to it. C is out because I I don't think God just simply didn't call us to that. I mean, I suppose there's some guy that lives up in the Himalayas that's gonna have to do it on his own. Yeah. But I I don't know. Is he under obligation to travel? Is that a fair cynical cynical question?

I think it is. Hit the sled, boys. I need a buddy. Yeah. One or more are gathered. Yeah. Yeah. I would say mostly a, partially b, depending on the circumstances. Yeah. I think I think you see examples of this in scripture both both ways. Depends on the circumstance and the situation. What are the consequences? I mean, you know, I don't I don't know. I just kinda made the question up. But, yeah, I I think you would see a mass exit of the church in America if it became illegal.

I wonder if I wonder if that's a I wonder this is gonna sound wrong, but what if there's a positive filtering process to that? That's a is that a wheat from chaff moment? I think so. Yeah. Yeah. I think so. I'm gonna cancel gatherings. Do it in secret. Don't do it at all. Now now I would it be wrong to force the hand on this thing and kinda advocate for it? You know, I think we have some preachers out there pulling people's hair out that's probably forcing it. Who was one of the Roman, the Roman government fellas, but, like, he was purposely arresting Christians and saying deny Christ or or I'll kill you, knowing that, like, they won't do it and then he gets to kill them. Or if they do do it, then they're not a threat because they won't cause an uprising because they're weak liver. It was like, Pliny was doing that. Pliny the younger or Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And and, like, that's that's kinda what we're talking about here. You know I'm saying? Like, if you're committed to Christ, you'll be like, you know, Jesus told me that's the best you were gonna do was kill me. So, you know, swing an axe, But

on the other hand, you know, if I deny Christ, then, you know, I'm I'm literally not a revolutionary threat to Rome. They're like, he's too yellow bellied even to to do anything. So we'll just free him, and then we're fine. That's why revelation was written because the Christians were being snuffed out one at a time, and they were one given a choice. Because they were yellow. Don't let me get my hand on your hair. Don't rip it out. They were yellow. They they were getting killed. Alright. How many points? I just just good conversation. Oh, no points, though. Okay. No points. I mean, you know, it's I'll take 10. Thanks. Give me What's happening? 10 points. What's happening? Don't say it wrong. I just said it even better. No. You didn't deal with it. Supreme Court says opening prayers at council meetings are constitutional.

This was I think this was today, maybe. Today. Yep. Yeah. They upheld a right of of local officials to open council meetings in local towns with prayers saying it doesn't violate the constitution. Even if they routinely stress Christianity, it's just been around for a long time. It's endured. It's a good thing.

It's basically what they said. So here's the question. What do you think of the supreme court's decision to allow prayer at civil meetings? A, who cares? Most of the people don't actually believe in God anyway. B, this is awful. People who don't believe in God shouldn't be forced to pray. Or c, it's a great day in America. God rocks and so does prayer.

I'll go first. A. A. Yeah. It's a it's a it's pomp. Yeah. It's pomp. I mean, here's the deal. I I hope that the guys that are leading those prayers, like, truly mean them. Most of them probably do. And and I and we should be playing for our government for the processes within them. We we are not permitted to just bail on those things. However,

I I think it's I think it's a show for more than anything else. It's just the thing people get uproiled at, and they're not really doing the work of Christ. So, yeah, I'm with a it kinda makes us feel good to think at least they were they're acknowledging the existence of God, but but most of them don't they're not followers. Yeah. But they're not. Yeah. And and really and the ones that are, like, they have their they have their kingdom of God position and their their kingdom of America position so intertwined that you couldn't separate them if you wanted to. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's kingdom of God first, every everybody else distant second. And, like, that's not the way that a lot of those mouthpieces, like to set it up. Like, it's god and country, and they're they run to a a two horse chariot. And that is not what the kingdom of god looks like. It just doesn't. And so, like, you're fighting you're fighting a a pagan culture, and then and, like, you're shoving God in it with a with a shovel and a hammer. And, well,

what do you expect pagans to do? You know I'm saying? That's the way they act. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think I I from a base level, I agree with the constitutional analysis of it. I mean, they simply cannot separate it out. That that was one of things they were concerned about is is, you know, having to make people to run through some sort of criteria or ban it altogether. Those were those two their two options, and they didn't feel like either were palatable. And so that that's kinda where they ended up. And so, like, from a law perspective, but, like, as a as Christ follower, I'm not really invested in it. There was two people on the on the that were suing,

and one was an atheist and one was a Jew. Yeah. And I thought, you know, the the woman they had the woman on the radio that was that was the Jewish person, and and she was like, I just feel like I can't like, they're not praying to my god, and I just feel persecuted, and I just don't wanna continue to live life this way. And I thought, re really? I mean, really? I mean, I just

maybe maybe maybe I don't know as much about Jewish culture as I thought, but I was fairly certain we were, like, neck and neck on the same page on the Old Testament god here. And and most prayers in civil they're not like, oh Jesus Christ of the New Testament. You know what I'm saying? They're like, dear god. You know? Like, I I just feel like you're not as persecuted as maybe the atheist, but I It's also not a persecution. Hey.

Those words those guys were saying I don't believe in, Bannett. That's right. It's like someone going It's a personal front. You know, dear mohair jacket in this guy, please give me everything I want. And I would go, how dare you not mention Jesus in your prayers to Mohair? The the atheist woman, by the way, looks like Edgar Winter. Like, seventies rocker Edgar Winter. Nice. Just something to think about. Boo oh, boo was up. I'm sorry. What? Were you taking a vacation over there? No. It's just I was leaning back and listening.

I I'm obviously gonna go with b because Jesus calls us to be comfortable at no. I'm kidding. No. I agree with a. I think it's it's ridiculous that we're making even a deal out of it. Straight Fonzies. I've I've had many opportunities where I'm asked to pray in a civil type of situation. A chamber of commerce banquet or, you know, that type of thing, a school setting, whatever. And it's uncomfortable for me as a Christ follower thinking I'm praying to my Lord in the name of Jesus Christ, and several of the people in this room I know don't believe in him, certainly don't follow him, but they're doing it as a

we just do this. Yeah. So I feel awkward as a guy doing the prayer. You know, like, I even kinda like you're careful with how you word things because, like, oh, god. Help us to be living sacrifices. Well, no. Never mind. God. I'll I'll I'll pray for, like, real generic things. Lord bless the conversation. Thank you for the food. You know, that kind of thing. Frank Smith is just phoning it in. So lord be with him. Yeah. I'm about I'm about to pull this guy's hair out. Forgive me for that. Remember the good. Okay? But

Go in Nehemiah. You feel like you should stop doing that, Dan? That you should just bow out? Well, I I I I what? I I will intentionally we do it. You're censoring your prayers to God, the the closest, you know, relationship that you have. Every Tuesday morning, I have a Kiwanis meeting, and they open every week with prayer.

And I am intentionally a couple minutes late. So you don't have to do it. So that I might miss that because because I'm the preacher. They're like, oh, hey. You better pray. You know? Yeah. And I just feel awkward. Now those guys happen to be believers, but I don't know what level or except. Basil, I just feel like it's different than, like, being in your small group. We're all gathered together. We love Jesus Christ. We're all trying to figure this journey out together, and and we're legitimately praying to God. It's a whole different thing than than a civil type prayer. It's it's almost like like whether whether churches are remain in the marriage business. I mean, to a certain extent, it's like, I willing to do a what is ultimately a show that has to do with the civil authority? Or, like, do I keep to the church's work and, like, you know, I I I won't pray at your deal? So you gotta find somebody else to do it. It's I mean, I'm not gonna deny them. It's like, yeah, I'll pray and I'll represent Jesus Christ there and and but but it's a it's just

we're not all praying to the same person. Wouldn't it better for you to be thrown out as the guy that's like, we should be living sacrifices? And I'm sorry there's people that believe in other gods here, but lord be with them. Yeah. No. Wouldn't it better to just be Chuck publicly if, like, he really stood for Jesus? Like, we can't we can't even get him to tone it down. But here's the thing. And that's this is this is the the double edged sword Yeah. Is I'm not talking to them. I'm talking to God. You know? So so I probably do say some things that make some people uncomfortable or, you know, I'm I'm you're not you're not my audience. You know? No. That's hard, though, because, like, you meant like like like your example was, like, living sacrifices. That's what you meant to say. Right? But you can't say that for everybody. Yeah. Yeah. But but you would mean it for everybody if that was the case. Like, that just seems a that's a tough row. Yeah. That's a tough row. I think I think you go out guns a blazing or bow or bow out. Although, like, there there's some there's some disingenuances there because, like, you know reasonably, you know why they called you in there. You know what I'm saying? Like,

they didn't call you in there for guns a blazing. I I I I think I think turn it down. You know, if I were to go into a legislative type thing and they're about to vote on an issue of morality of some way, I I bet my prayer would be a little bit slanted to God. There's some people here who don't believe in you. You know? Smite them. No. Wouldn't. Don't Go wanna and send Nehemiah. Help us to do your will. Make their hair glow so I can pull it out. Should we call down the thunder?

Exactly. Lord, do you want us to call down the thunder on them? I'll wait. But see, I've heard preachers use that as an opportunity to preach, and I think that's inappropriate as well. Just came out the audience. Yeah. Yeah. God's supposed to be the audience. Anyway No. No. I no. I that's a good solid point. Like, it is not an opportunity to, like, have a three way conversation between you, the guy that you're pissing match with, and the lord. Just slip in some guns. Yeah. You know, it's like, no. Jesus Christ. The democrat ticket has behaved this way.

That sounds about right. They took you off the platform and snuck you back in. Super passive aggressive. Lord, help the dude that's obviously wrong in this conversation. My left could be your right or left. I don't know where you're at. I don't know if you're stage left or stage right or what. But you're omniscient. You know Steve. He's known to go to he's known to go to the right or to the left. You you obviously know my opponent. Okay. Last one here. Teenager

takes his great grandmother to prom. Have you heard about this? No. Hey. It's pretty cool. Dolores Denison never went to her high school prom because times are tough back when she was in school. But if she'd gone to her prom, she would have worn a lovely dress, danced with a handsome young man, would have probably heard the band playing Frank Sinatra song, How I Love the Kisses of Dolores. But those days have long passed for Dolores, who's now 89 years old. Youth has given away to heart trouble and stroke. The handsome young man who was the love of her life, passed away many years ago. So Austin, Dolores' great grandson called her a few months ago, invited her to go to prom with him. She brought a body prom dress, which was difficult because they dress a little differently now than they did back when she was young. Oh, yeah. A bit. Alright. Austin's dad chauffeured them to an elegant dinner at the local Bob Evans.

They were taken off to the high school. They were introduced at the grand march at the prom and and and received a standing ovation. And one more surprise, Austin escorted his great grandmother onto the dance floor to the song from Dolores' past, how I love the kisses of Dolores. There's actually a pretty cool story in there, and and and he he's actually sounds like a pretty outstanding guy in a lot of other areas too. Here's the question. What does this say about the upcoming generation? A, it's a sign of hope that a high school senior would give up his last prom to hand to hang out with his great grandmother.

B, it shows how selfish this generation is that this kind of story is so rare it makes national news. Or c, it doesn't say anything. It's just a cool story about a guy honoring someone special in his life. Bo, you're up on this one. See, I don't think we can we can tell the the way the generation is gonna go just by one person. What is your thoughts on the generation, Bo? What? The upcoming generation? Yep.

I think that that I I honestly can't speak to to individual people, but I'm hoping that it's it's coming back to Hey. Do not you can't bow. Didn't say I'm not trying to bow. About not individuals in the coming generation. Here's the deal. I don't know. You're prognosticate. That is the forum of our radio show is to bloviate for ninety minutes. But what do you know those words I have seen in general in the people coming up? Yeah. So I can see the the general consensus of of our generations that are coming up is awful. They they are moving further away from God because their parents aren't with God. Their parents parents weren't with God. We're moving completely away I think from you claim to speak on a whole generation like Yep. Going to. I think that that that societally,

we're we're completely running away from God. And if that's our bar to stand on with with how generations are going, we're just running further and further away. It makes me completely sad and that's why we pray for God to continue this. Do you make us do this, Ben? I'm sorry. It's fun. What do you mean?

Whatever. I don't care. Yeah. So I I think Hold on. Hold on. You wanna do you wanna hear my impression with Abuba? I would love to hear your impression of me. It's fun. He'd go, that's ridiculous. Something something something. It's ridiculous. Something something something. That's dead on, isn't it? Yeah. Oh, no. Absolutely. That sounds exactly like me. Thank

you, by the way. That was that was flat that was flattering. Hey. Listen. Good stuff. I meant to mention this By way, that was ridiculous. While we were on the KTIA broadcast, but I staved it off. I know that you do corporate training for a job, but you thanking people for their answers around here is real it's gotta come to an end. It's awkward. What do you mean? Like, time someone says something, you're like, you know, no. I appreciate what you're saying, and and thank you for saying that. You know I'm saying? Like, every time Ben says something, you thank him for saying it. Every time Ben says something? Yeah. Every time Ben got done saying something or even looked at you, you go, and and no. No. I didn't think about it. They went and thank you for saying that. I think I said that once with the scripture. Always made me feel special. Yeah. Dan Dan will go back and check the tape, but I I I bet it's four times. Bet it's thanked Ben? Yeah. Specifically? You thanked people in general. That is pretty corporate there, Nacho Buba. To thank people? Yeah. Yeah. It's it makes people feel awkward because it's not it's not normal behavior amongst four guys just sat sitting about. Why? I don't know. It just seems out of place. It seems out of place, but you're you don't really have anything to ground to stand on of it being out place. Hold on. That this is solvable. Ben, is it out of place? It's out of place. Ben? Yes. Does that happen in most conversations where you sit with four guys? Do you thank each other for their input? If they're polite. No.

Do you do it? No. Okay. Fine. Well, thank you for bringing that up. Well done. I will stop thanking you guys for for saying things that that I'm going to use at some point in No. Thanks. Thanks, Boova. No. Hey. Thank you, Mike, for bringing that up. That was an honest point. I'm gonna appreciate if we all get back on the topic. See.

This is no indication at all. Dan has taken a balloon and filled it with his own air. Thank you. No. No. No. No. Thank you for that. Thank you, buddy.

Dan. It's pretty great. Cool to eat, Dan. What do you got, Ben? Didn't I answer already? I don't think so. Yeah. I don't know. That was a pretty sweet deal. I I it probably can't speak for the whole generation. I think it is probably it is getting rarer,

but yeah. Probably C is a safe answer. Thank you for that. I appreciate that that thought there. How how many how many people really would even consider that, honestly? I I didn't go to prom. I had a girlfriend and she didn't really Actually, I did have a I did have a crude question that I wrote down as you were talking. Did he have a lady friend? Like, did he have an option to take I mean, or is grandma kind of the last resort? I mean, it's like, he's a he's a he's a good looking guy. He's a he's a church guy. He's an eagle scout. He plays in the football, basketball teams. He's a pretty active guy. Is the big school? I mean, is the basketball team crappy? I I can't answer that. Guys are in an Eagle Scout troop? Does he actually have a girlfriend? Yeah. These are the things I wonder. That went through my mind. No one's but he's an attractive guy. He's, you know, he's he didn't look like me or anything. So Don't you find it suspicious that, like, people that we would look at and say as, like, thirties, forties go, he seems like a pretty stand up guy. It's pretty much the Poindexter. He was like, he seems very he can't cause me any harm. Yeah. He's safe for my daughters. He's a cool man. He's not gonna steal my stereo. He seems to be get good grades. That's cool.

What was the right answer, Dan? Yeah. Yeah. You're probably pretty right there. It doesn't really say anything, but it's a cool story. Alright. Thank you for listening to Live From The Path. Let's see. Next week, we we might have some guests in next week. We'll see what we'll see what shakes out. You can catch us during the week at lifefromthepath.org.

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