Live from the Pathway Studios And you are listening to live from halfway halfway It's good to see you this evening. Glad we're hanging out with you. Hey, just hey, quit staring at it, Mike. Don't know. Quit looking at it. A bit surprising. It's gonna take a little it's gonna take a little to get used to.

I freaked out by this. It's a little disconcerting without the sound in the studio. Yeah. So so here's the deal. It's like, welcome to our fancy intro. So I created a new intro this week, and I realized that the quality of it is to the extent where, like, the computer that usually runs it can't keep up. And so we can usually hear the audio, the same audio that you guys hear when the show starts. And then so you we can't hear that at all with the with the new intro. Like, you can see it and hear it, and we can't and so it's pretty awkward in here. It just fires it up talking. I've started making side comments, because I hadn't realized it had started. He did. Something something booba booba. Yeah. Booba finally makes the credits, you know, his his big face finally gets on the hill on there, he's nowhere to be found.

Alright. Welcome to Life From The Path. Hey, if you've never joined the show, thanks for coming. You've made mistakes in life. This is one of them. We're about honest faith, fierce grace, and donkeys. Meaning, we are just some guys in a room who love Jesus and like to talk about it. Sometimes that means we are we're working on a relationship with Christ. Sometimes it means we're upset with how someone else is doing it. Sometimes it means Never. The church is causing problems. And we had a long discussion after the show last week about how Billy Graham is mad at something. And we're gonna make a series of Internet posts about it. So anyway, that's what we got going on the show. I hope you guys enjoyed. Here's what got going on the show this week. Dan's got some What's Training with Dan. This is some stuff going on in the world, and we need to figure out the right reaction. Dan, give us a heads up on What's Training. Alright. I have two things this week. One is a a man received

a never ending pasta deal from Olive Garden and he went out and used it on homeless people. And that was kinda cool. And then one is the Disney Channel blocking the word God from some deal they were doing with Thanksgiving. Oh, tricky. Sounds like tricky stuff. Dave Herrick Dave Dave's been been running through some things that are like

I don't know, curious things that Jesus has said. Things that that we have to react to one way or the other. What what do we got this week? Yeah. Okay. This week, we're we're taking a look at some of the comments Jesus made about wealth. And they're a little bit easier to understand, but a little bit harder to to live out and and to play out. And so the discussion will be less about what what is Jesus talking about is more of how do we do this. Okay. I feel like that segment should be called how to shut up Mike and Booba for twenty minutes. No. Yeah. I think that makes a lot of sense. And then we also have some advice on dear life from the path, and you can jump in on that. If you hey, if you ever need some advice, like, you're having troubles in life, and and you've absolutely exhausted every legitimate advice giver in your life, and you want something that is not at all helpful and potentially harassing to you, shoot us an email, [email protected].

We'd love to help you out with some advice, and and then and see if we can, I don't know, better your life or at least get some good entertainment? I think we give awesome advice. Yeah. Hey, what's our what's our Twitter handle? At life from the path. That's the best. You know what I'm saying? There's no confusion in there. No. No. No. That's that's Mhmm. Straight up Are we on Instagram? No. Do we Snapchat? No. We don't do that. What else do we participate in? We're Pinterest. We're we're Facebooking. Do we Pinterest? Hey, here's the deal. I signed up for Pinterest account under Life in the Path once Mhmm. Because John Acuff said you should do it. I did too for the same reason. Forgetting Acuff. I kept forgetting. Yeah. And then I couldn't figure out a good reason to use it. Acuff Acuff told me I should follow my dreams. I ignored them completely, and

I ended up here. Alright. So check this out. I saw this article this week. I I just thought this was funny. I I know that Christians are reacting crazily to this. I just think this is funny. So the American atheist launched provocative campaign in religious Deep South. Atheist activists are taking their campaigns to the Bible Belt this Christmas with a provocative billboard campaign that is expected to stir controversy in America's religious heartlands. The giant advertising hoardings in the Tennessee cities of, Memphis, Saint Louis, Nashville, and Fort Smith, Arkansas show a mischievous looking,

young girl writing her letter to father Christmas. Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is to skip church. I'm too old for fairy tales. Okay. That's the atheist campaign. Wow. And wait. What is the what is the base level irony with this advertising campaign? They're writing to Santa Claus. They're writing to Santa Claus. I feel like Hello?

I mean, I get it. I I I there had to been someone these are these are solid, free thinkers. Right? There had to been someone that say, fellas, this is gonna come off wrong with with what we've decided to say here. When I say I'm too old for fairy tales, and we proposed a girl writing a letter to Santa. For for people who who claim to not believe in God, they obviously do. They're just angry at him. Because everything they do is anti god. It's it's not like I'm just gonna ignore god. It it's it's it's I don't like god. Well, here's the thing. And like, I have a friend who's an atheist. He's a buddy of mine on the Facebook. He's gotta be one of the funniest dudes I ever met. Right? But he's a straight up atheist. Atheist. And

struggle every week. I'm like, we should invite him on the show. Like, really just wanna have him on the show. He's an alright dude, you know. And and but what it boils down to is is you're you're you're devoting your life being against something. You know, like, there's a million things I'm against of which I spend no time advocating against. Yeah. Right. You know, I'm against a lot of stuff, but I feel like there's really no reason to waste my time advocating to others that I'm against it. And usually, if people if you take the the the love of Christ out of a lot of situations, who who am I to stop you from being foolish? You know, like, I mean, if couldn't I just leave you on your own if you wanna, I don't know, love on the Beach Boys? And I don't really like the Beach Boys. You don't see me knocking on your door talking into your life being like, I can't believe you're wasting all your time on a Beach Boys. Better get me a billboard. It just had to let you be. You know? Boys. You're fine. And and so that I I never understood atheism to the point where they I mean, I get it. They they believe that it's ruining the world in in because of the way that the collective

followers of Christ think. But like on the whole, I just can't imagine spending that much time on something that I'm against. It's weird. They they in a side here's what they they said. In a sign of hostility, the advertisers are expected to generate, American atheists said that it had failed to secure a single billboard site in Jackson, Mississippi

after leasing companies collectively refused to offer space, fearing a community backlash. And here was the quote. I thought this was an interesting response by them. The fact that billboard companies would turn away business because they are so concerned about the reaction by the community shows just how much education and activism on behalf of atheists is needed in the South, added Danielle Moscato, the group spokesperson. Now here here's the thing. Is it we're we've we've talked about this before, kind of with the Monster Energy drink I run into on the other side, where, like, people are are willing to the the backlash of what their what advertisers are willing to take by by advertising one thing or the other. Okay? And so

what I don't understand is their the response is completely devoid of any thought process. Right? If if if the company says, we're afraid people won't support our company, and that's their livelihood. That's who they buy things from. It's how they make money. If if I'm gonna upset people that buy things from me, it's in my best interest not to do that. And their reaction is to say, well, it's because they're they're religiously ignorant, and simply need more atheist education, so that people will continue to buy from like, they won't have this type of reaction. Billboard is the route to education? Was just saying, it doesn't make any sense. It's actually a foolish argument in itself. Right? That's like me saying,

the fact that you all deny that there's a half man, half donkey walking around shows just how lack of educated you are. And I need to I need to increase my advertising until the half man half donkey that I'm purveying is believed. You know, like, it's just that's just foolish. If they say it enough, eventually it'll become true. That's that's both. Kind of their philosophy there. I don't know. I don't understand atheism. I I I honestly have no ill will. I just don't understand it. Like as a whole, as a grasp, I I just it it floors me. I just don't I don't get the I don't get the thought process, the life it's the lifestyle that I don't get. The thought that you believe there's no God, I you know, I could see how you eventually came up with that based on some logic. Sure. But but like the lifestyle choice, I just I it it boggles me. There's so much anger. Remember that time, that was a few years ago now when the National Atheist Convention was here in town, and we we rented a room just to pray. We didn't interact. We didn't, at least, we didn't interact as Christians trying to convert them. But it was interesting as observers because we went in stealth. We could, like, eat breakfast there and and they just assumed we were one of them. So we were all buddies, you know. And but it was interesting watching the Christians come in and just try to argue them, you know, into Jesus.

And and it was interesting also watching the atheists, like, they had their costume night, they were all dressed up as priests and nuns. And I mean, it was There was a Moses hanging around. It was biblical character. Yeah. They're like, we're mad at you, God. And actually, I say, they're that's not that they don't believe. They're mad at him. They've been hurt by the church at some point. So many of them have. They were like unbaptizing. They had a big unbaptizing Yeah. Yeah. Mhmm. And I was just like, well, why don't you just if you think it was worthless, just forget it and and have your conference and and talk about how to do the next billboard or something rather than mock everything. Actually, you know what's so interesting there? If it if looking back at the church, so what they're doing is their atheistic response to the church basically reflects

the worst Christian response to atheism. Yeah. Like, that's what they've done. They took the church's worst response to people that don't know Jesus, that don't show them love, that just react in it in a very a very harsh manner, unloving manner, And they're basically just mimicking the church's response, the unhealthy church responses coming back the other direction. We've created that to a certain extent. Like, we've created and said, this is how you deal with people who don't agree with how with what you think. You're you're angry. You you you mock them.

You hold big events. You invite a bunch of people there. You get together and, you know, like, we we've done that. We've I mean, we didn't do all of that. But like, for the very things that I'm that I would say, like, that's that's dumb. Like, that's a weird way to interact with people. Like, you can certainly find the fringes of of Christianity stronger at more sometimes than others that have that have reacted that way, and, like, they've they've taken the cue. This is how this is what we're going to do. Mhmm. Well, that's disappointing. Well, I mean, the thing is they're both upset. Both groups, the the extremist church view and the atheistic view, they're both upset at a fallen world. You know what I'm saying? Like, most most atheists when you talk to them, they're they're more upset on the way that, God's people act. Right? That's a byproduct of a fall of a fallen world, not how you were created. It's it's how the world is is because of sin. And so they're they're more upset at the fallen world. And you know what? I'm not a real big fan of it myself. Yeah. Very good. I feel like the Lord's gonna redeem it. Everything's gonna be great at the end. But, you know, I could probably give or take without my sinful nature. And so I feel like we're mad at the same stuff. They're just directing it differently.

Alright. Anyway, I I thought that was I thought it was an interesting premise. You take everything else out of it. You know, dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is to skip church. I'm too old for fairy tales. I mean, somebody someone in the ad review section had to throw up a finger and say, hold on there, boys. I feel like we our our message is gonna be obfuscated, because we brought up fairy tales and a letter to Santa. You know, I feel like I could come up with way better atheistic atheistic slogans and billboards. I might work on that. See if I can't come up with a couple that I think are, I don't know, better organized or at least Mike's better atheistic billboards. Write a book.

Alright. If you guys are gonna help me, that's fine. I'll do it I'll do it on my own. I'm not saying I'm gonna pay to get them put up, but I just feel like a logical mind could put up something better than that. Yeah. I mean, if you were gonna I don't know, start an entire affront, especially in the South, I feel like you could have done a better job. They put could have put a little bit more effort into it. There's way sillier things going on in the church for you to make fun of, you know. So yeah. Alright. Let's find out what's going on in the world. Dan, what's happening? Alright. Let's see here. We got a man who received one of I I I didn't quite get this. If it's a promotion or, a contest that people won, because there were 1,000 never ending pasta pass cards that Olive Garden gave out. But you had to pay a $100 Okay. And it lasted seven weeks.

So it was a a closed deal. But anyway Mhmm. Here's a guy that paid a $100, got seven weeks every single day. He could go out and get as much Olive Garden pasta as as you wanted. So, you know, if you've eaten there before, you you that's that's like two meals. I mean, two if you take your your family. So it's it's a great bargain either way you look at it. So he's he got the okay from the chain because he wanted to make sure he thought, I'm gonna take these to go. So he he called the chain and and did whatever he had to do, jump through the hoops, and they said, yeah, you can take it to go. And so he'd go in, he'd get his meal, he'd take it to go, and then he'd walk through Salt Lake City, which where he was from, and he handed out meals to homeless people throughout this project he named Random Acts of Pasta. And he just he made a blog and he put a YouTube channel up and and just all these stories of of feeding people and thought it was pretty cool. At the end of the seven weeks, says he gave away a 125 meals, surpassing his original goal of a 100,

and he only ate 14 himself. Put you on Still found time to sneak one in. Luke ate one for me. Good man. Did you put that in your blog? This is good. Here's the question. If you had unlimited if you had unlimited Olive Garden for seven weeks, what would you do with it? A, gain 15 pounds eating like a king. B, I'd do what this guy did and take it to the homeless. Or c, I'd make a lot of new friends by taking him to dinner every night. Is there an all of the above option? No. Dang.

You have to choose the best. Alright. What That you honestly would do. That's a tough I got I I'm struggling between b and c. Right? Because it's easy to get stuck in the mindset that your job on this earth is to only help the disenfranchised. But like people who have homes also need the Lord Jesus. And that can be accomplished through a community gathering of having some food and having some getting to know a guy and having some conversation with him. And so

I feel like now wait a minute. Do each of us get this deal? Yeah. You get the deal. Okay. I'll take the homeless guys, Ben. Okay. Alright. I'll do c. Eric I'll invite you to do I guess that leaves me a. Eric's gonna be fat king on pasta. Take that, Dan. Spoiled again. I knew I needed a d.

D. No splitting amongst your friends. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's I think that's a great idea. I think I'd skip the blog. Mhmm. Why? I don't know. Eric agrees, but why? I I don't know. I just I maybe because it's it's so overused, is I'm just begging someone to do it without

without the recognition. Like, here's what they do. They'll put it under the banner of I want I want everyone to know so they can help. Really, they said, want everybody to know it was me. Did you notice what I did here? Here's the deal. It's there are people out there who are who are want to bring awareness to the situation. Yeah. And and I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but it's way too much of the other that it's refreshing to see someone who's like, I I just I don't want you to know it was me. I don't care if you yeah. I'm anywhere in this thing. I just want it to be to happen. Mhmm. So I've been struggling with something lately. Well, maybe struggle is not the right word, because I don't know whether it's wrong or not. But but I find myself becoming more and more

uncomfortable in circumstances where I feel like people are overreaching beyond their their perspective influence. Overreaching how? So so plotting for an audience that does not yet exist.

The the if you build it, they will come. Whether it be a ministry thing, whether it be a just an attempt to influence society in a way, in an influence that you do not actually have. But you believe that you will attain if you go about it. Like like an Internet radio program? Here's the deal. We No. We have no delusions about the size of our audience. That is the truth. I don't I do not think that if we spend more money and more time, things will get bigger. This is the world wide win. We got one retweet this week, and I called Ben. I'm like, who retweeted? Oopsie.

But so like, I I've and I like I said, I don't know if this is bad. I don't know if this is putting that there could be a symptom that says, put God in a box or don't overreach because if you do, maybe God failed you. And maybe it's a lack of faith. That's possible. But but I think I'm struggling with the thought process that, like, we we live in a society because of the access that we have to people, be it with social media, be it with even this. Right? Even our radio show is a good example. No one should be listening to this conversation. No one probably does. But, like, even the facade that someone does is a little bit of a it's it's a it's fakery. Mhmm. So

so maybe the thought process is that like that there's an overreach that says, wanna keep building more and more and more for an audience. When really I I wanna pull back. I'm I'm feeling more and more that I wanna pull back and just be faithful in means. And then as you're faithful in means, it will resound in the way that it is to resound. And that could be 10 people, it could be a 100, it could be a thousand. And you have to react to as you start to legitimately have that type of influence Mhmm. You have to react to that and use it appropriately. You can't act like it's not there. But like, it's the posturing that says, I can influence 10,000 people or it is my desire to, even though you really influence 30. Yeah. And like, focus on your on your 30, and and and it's I don't know. There's something that in my back of my mind that says you're you're cutting something off. Right? Because people with when you when you when you aim high, you you tend to you're more likely to hit high than if you don't aim at all. I get that. That's there's some truth to that. I'm just I'm I'm struggling as to whether that's actually legitimate God truth, is it just like a business truth, a corporate truth that is accurate. Look at the people that God really used in the scripture. They they tended to not be people looking for it. That's true. Yeah. You know, David was out doing sheep and and and and

Samuel was looking at his brothers, you know. And it's like, well, there's there's there's one more. I remember when the Lord showed up, I was looking at my brothers. You know. How about Jesus? Well, Jesus was the son of God. I mean I mean You're not allowed to use him as an example, Eric. He's a great example of everything.

But I mean, Moses, you know, wasn't out there. I mean, he for a while, he kinda thought, you know, he he did he failed when he tried. He was hiding due to his murder of someone. Right. That's what I'm saying. He was hiding. That's when he was trying. He he he messed up. So when he went off to hide, that's when God finally showed him and said, alright. Now, come on back. I'm ready to use you. Yeah. It wasn't because he's self promoted for forty years in in, you know, the wilderness doing sheep. It was God finally prepared the people and the timing. And I think that I think that's like are we more concerned with the kingdom work or with

presenting a new king? Yeah. Yeah. And and and maybe the the the phrase is like, hey, I wanna get the word out and maybe I'm I'm struggling with no. I I want you to get the action out. And the word will the word will then happen. The word will will come from there when you're doing the thing. And and there's just like well intentioned people that I think get caught. Actually, I I mean, I'll be honest, like, I've run into this even for the radio program. Right? Like, I would kinda half joke that no one listens to a radio show. I can probably prove, like, 10 people. Generally speaking, it's not it's not a large it's not not something I can count. Like, radios terrestrial radio is different. You can't count heads. Yeah. But, like, they're just it's just not that many people. That's the truth of And so, I mean, there have been times like, okay, how how is this done? How how do you do this? How do you grow this? How do you get people to listen to what you're doing? Mhmm. And and I I there was probably a time like two years ago, where like, I spent I spent quite a bit of effort trying to figure out other people that were doing the right things that caused them to grow. And like but all it was is is taking somebody else's circumstance and saying, if I if I do things this way, then then people will listen and people will come. And I I I just got disenfranchised with it, because one, it really wasn't working. It could mean because we have a poor quality show. Very nice. Optional. Right? That's me. But

but some of it is just like, I'm trying to hey hey, it makes it look like we have a thousand people listening. Well, do I care whether it looks like I care how many people are listening. Like, I'd like to have conversation with those guys about whatever's going on in their life or what we can talk about that otherwise furthers that conversation. And, like, whether it's 10 people or 10,000, I'm not sure that really makes a difference to me. Yeah. I'm here anyway. Yeah. Yeah. And so so there's, like, to what benefit is it? Is it a facade that says, oh, hey, we we broadcast the thousands. I don't freaking know that. I don't think that's probably true. No. It's definitely not true. And so and so I I don't know. I just let that go. And I it hasn't occurred to me since to be concerned about it. And I think for the we think if we're saying good things, it should reach more people. Churches run into that same deal too. You got is there a guy that's been faithful to the Lord Jesus preaching to 90 people for the rest of his life? Is that guy failing?

No. Now, is it possible that his church isn't growing because he's not like, there's there's things that could improve that is causing him to stay? Well, yes. That's very possible. But, like, sometimes I I think we have this arbitrary measure that says it has to be you gotta have a a thousand people, otherwise, you're failing. Or you have to have this many people listening. You have to have this much action. If if if you say if you had some level of influence, and with that influence, five people were interacting with,

orphans and widows and homeless in ways that they weren't before, Is that not the work of the kingdom? Is that not a success? I'm not saying I don't want you to set a low bar, but I don't want you to set an arbitrary high bar either. Yeah. I just want you to do kingdom work, and I feel like stuff will work itself out. And I've just noticed that a lot, like, there's just been some things that have been been around and been associated with where there's there's just some posturing. And, like, I I get it. It's good ambition. It's it's a it's a worthy goal. But I think, is that is that really the kingdom work? Is the posturing the kingdom work? Or is this, like, just the work of the kingdom, and then God will do what he does, and we have to react to that? Yeah. Did did did Jesus send out the the 12 or the 72 either time and say, okay, I want 25 miracles and 17 converts Right. Or or don't come back or did he just Don't say come back. Here's the work. Go do it. Some will work and some won't. Yeah. You might fail. Then just shake off the dust to your feet and keep going. And you know what you know what stinks about that? It stinks because the guy that's working hard and doing exactly what he's supposed to do for the kingdom can have the exact same impact as the guy that sucks at his job. Yeah. And who's not doing keen work, and frankly could be doing a lot more, and have a greater influence what's going on, but he's lazy. Or he does it poorly. Those are like, that could be the truth, but it's not it's not relevant.

It's not relevant. And and how do you even measure, you know, success Yeah. In in in ministry and discipleship? You know, let's say we have our we put a video out that that and we're thinking, hey, we really want geez people to hear about Jesus. Yeah. And let's say it hits, you know, a million hits. Well, so did the little kitten that that threw up, you know. Yeah. Exactly. Did that change anybody? I mean, you know, I mean, you know, it might have done some good. Maybe we we put a little bit of of Jesus out there, but I don't know. I don't know how to measure that. Until people say, hey, that changed my life Yeah. And now I'm following Jesus, and before I wasn't, I was I was an angry atheist. Yep.

And now I'm not. Then then it'll be like, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That was worth it. You know, I I find like I feel like the the biggest measure that you can find and it's not a tangible numbers measure. Right? Yeah. But but when people know when the people in your life or the people that you're connected to, when they have

when they have something going on in their life and they come to talk to you because you offer God's perspective, you're doing it. That's it. That's what you're doing. You're doing it correctly. Right? And it doesn't matter what else has come out of your mouth or or or that you've not evangelized on top of a milk crate at your workplace. But when push comes to shove in the end of the day, somebody walks up to you and says, hey, I got some stuff. Do you have a minute? You you, sir, are doing it correctly. Yep. And take comfort in that. Thank the Lord that He's given you the peace and the ability

to proclaim his kingdom through your life, that people know that they're not just getting your opinion on something or your thought process, but they're getting the love of Jesus when they come to talk to you. You, sir, are doing that correctly. And you know, I I wonder if the root of some of that, of some of the posturing and some of the facade is a marginalization of the Holy Spirit that says, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing. So I I I'm gonna try to to do what it is that is ministry related or Jesus related, in in the most, in the way that we know how to do things, which is corporately. Here's how you advertise. Here's how you do this and that. Here's how you get garner people. Here's how you generate crowds. And and we know how to we know corporations can do that. So we take that, we put it on the church, we say this is how things are done. And it's not that things can't be accomplished that way, but like, I think we we have marginalized or or are not listening or have a mistrust of whatever the Holy Spirit is doing to say, but it won't be big enough, Lord Jesus. Like, yeah, they can't if you don't do it this way, this is how things are accomplished. Mhmm. And so

and I I think that's that's some of that has existed in my life, and I think it it's kind of a broad American issue where, like, we think we know how to do things, so we do them that way. And there's not enough room for the Holy Spirit to say, no. No. This is how it's gonna get done. And, like, you can you can look at a a religion that is basically established out of, you know, three guys, 12 guys, 70 guys, and and dominates the world, and that happened with what? Marketing in Jerusalem? Like, how did it happen? It's because people were doing work. Who are the who's who are those people that are picking up those babies that were set out to die, of exposure because, they nobody wanted them. But who are those guys? Christians. Like, walking walking billboards. And and here's what I like about that story. That's not, hey. Hey. I'm interested. How can that improve my life? It's like, who the hell is that guy? Yeah. And why is he picking that baby up out of the curb? Exactly. That's the question. That dude is weird, and I wanna know why someone would do that. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, maybe

it's a broader marketing campaign for who the hell is that guy? I just I I I don't know. And it's it's been kinda running around in my head for for a while because I'm just I'm struggling with I I think I know there's there's things that I that I have going on and and things that we interact with. And the show's even one of them were like, I think I know how to do something the right way. I just don't know if that's what God has going on and whether it's worth doing that way. And I think that is a continual battle within the church. I mean, I I I have always thought this and and and the pendulum kinda swings. You know, one minute you're like, we're gonna let the holy spirit do his thing. This is his church. He's the God. He's the head. He's the one. And I we're just gonna serve and do whatever happens happens. And the next minute, you're like, woah. But the other church, they're serving omelets for breakfast. Yeah. Right. We're only doing We're losing all the omelet crowd. I know. What are we gonna do? You know, and and then and then you wanna react. And and and that's part of our flesh. And think I we have to continually battle that and and continually step out of the picture and keep God in the center of the picture. Yeah. It is a continual battle. I mean, for and it is for me anyway. Maybe I just have an ego. But No. It it it's very common. I I I know very few pastors especially who who don't struggle with this this

relationship that they have with their audience and with the crowd and and wanting to see numbers grow. And and it reminds me of two times when Jesus really had a huge audience. One time one time was right after he fed 5,000 people, everyone came back because I mean the guy's given out bread. So yeah, of course. And so he's got probably a good 15,000

plus people in this at this one forum. And he uses this opportunity to to throw out probably his least popular speech. It was the sermon on the bread of life. At the end of it, he actually gave an invitation to people to leave. Why don't you guys go ahead and depart? And I'm they left by the droves. I mean, he he threw out some of those statements that are just really hard to digest. Yeah. No pun intended. Dang. I say, guys, you did there. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. And by the end of it, he he's

surrounded by only the the 12 apostles. And he looks at them and says, hey, do you guys want to go too? And Peter gives just an awesome statement. But that's one of the things that Jesus does with with that stage. So this quest for the larger stage, here's how Jesus handled it. He threw it away. And he got rid of it. The other one that that comes to my mind is one of those three temptations when Satan takes him up on top of the temple. He's in the center of the largest city on top of the biggest building, and this is huge temple religious building. And Satan says, hey, just jump. You know, the angels have to catch you, and so there you'll be hovering mid air for all of Jerusalem to see, being supported by the these angels. Everyone's gonna listen to you after that point.

That's what's going on. And so Jesus replies to that, he's like, no, this is not the way. This is not my way. Yeah. So I I look at his pattern. I I like what Jesus how he handled it. It's it's I think where the where the other pull comes from is to say,

if, like, with whatever you're doing is is kingdom work. Right? Like, if you're if you're spreading truth like, let's say if somebody goes down to the church down the street because they're serving omelets, you're like, who's stickle omelet people? Like, don't they understand they're missing Jesus? I wish to fight for them so they may speak into their life. I mean, there like, there's some there's some selfishness in there. I think there's some ego that that's associated with some of that. But, like, I think I think a lot of it's rooted in simply, I want them here Mhmm. So that we can speak with them. And it's not because, hey, it's because this is the best this is I'm like, you're the only person that can speak with them. Right. But, like, if you're otherwise speaking what God has you to speak, shouldn't more people hear it? That's easily it easily gets pulled Laffy Taffy style. But, like,

I I I think Dan's right. I think there are there's, like, legitimate processes where, like, you're fighting for the right thing. The heavy question is, are you fighting in the right way? Are we fighting for what Jesus wants in the way that Jesus would fight for it? Or we're trying to circumvent that to to try to dictate the outcome. No. I I and and I think that's probably a 100% correct. Like, what's the reason that that when your child does something they're not supposed to, why is why is it the reason that you wanna be there? Right? Why is it that you wanna be the person that talks to them about them, leads them through it, and and because you know they're loved, and you know you're gonna correct them in a way that points them back to Jesus. That's why you want that job. And the same is true. If you if that's what your heart is for the people around you, then as many that come, come. You know? But as long as that's your heart, like, not that you wanna take them away from something or you want your place to be full or or whatever, but if you want them there because you have the father's heart towards them, that you want them here because you know they'll be loved here, and they and you know that they'll get the gospel here. If those things are true,

then, you know, the Lord will send them Yeah. In in whatever capacity that you're able to handle them and love in the way that he loves. And as soon as you're not, he'll he'll divert them somewhere else where that can be done. Alright. Alright. We solved the pasta problem. What's We up, may have we may have drifted a little bit. Okay. Here's here's the second one. And and I'll I'll say upfront, sometimes I I my questions at the end, I I go kind of broad thinking of a wider audience, And then I get up here and I think, I know what everyone's gonna answer because it's the obvious answer to to this group. But it's not so obvious to other people. Okay. So I will play I will play the man who writes atheist billboards. Alright. Alright. You be the atheist billboard. You could be the booba. This the Disney Channel recently wanted to to know what people were thankful for. You could like tweet them or whatever,

you know, send them a message. And so a 10 year old girl typed in her answer, god, my family, my church, my friends. And a message came back. Red letter popped up on the screen, please be nice. She's like, what? And so she tried it again, same thing, same warning appeared. So then she talked with her mom and they tried the same message without the word god and then they approved the message, the Disney Channel did. I thought that was odd. So they called this other guy who's a big blogger and he tried the same thing and Disney again prevented him from posting in the message that included the word god. So he reached out to Disney for an explanation, was told that god was not intentionally blocked from this channel's website. However, at this point, they're not quite sure why it happened and they assure they get a team on it and figure it out right away. Yep. So here's the question. What do you think about this? Was it an innocent mistake by Disney to block the word god? That's a. B, the world hates Jesus so they hate us too. It was an intentional discriminatory

act to block god. Or c, who really cares? Saying the word god on the Disney Channel does not move the bar. It's more important to make disciples of people we know. Alright, atheist man. Here's the deal. I'm just happy that there's free thinkers in power at the Disney.

It's about time they got someone who could look into themselves and decide what's best for him or her. Mike, I would counter that I'm I'm not sure that you can label someone who cannot even stand the sight or presence of the word God as a free thinker. Seem to be in bondage to something. Alright. And now I'll disagree with Ben, because I think it was just an innocent mistake. A lot of people will start off by saying God comma and make that as an exclamation of something.

And so in that case, they're they're using it in a in a very salty way. So Yeah. It's it's possible that me and my free thinking buddies were trying to keep you from using the Lord's name in vain Exactly. On a public forum. I'm trying to protect you because you believe in a fairy tale. Santa will rescue me from you. Okay. I've done this now. Si. Si. Strong c. Yeah. I I do think it was intentional though. I'm not sure in a nefarious way. Mhmm. I I I think I I think it was to keep peace on a

on a forum. Well, especially if it was a computer generated thing. I mean, there there are particular words they have to type in there. Yeah. Somebody has to tell you what to not accept. He doesn't just randomly say, no, not the word grass. Yeah. But this is ridiculous. Like, it's that time of season when you know that the particular of of God will get fired up and use the word God every once in a while. It's not like when Ramadan comes around, I get all gassed up looking for Islamic words going, hey, now. I'm not gonna you know what I'm saying? It just happens that time of year. Hashtag Mecca. Go. You know what saying? Like, it's you have to be foolish to not know when a major holiday, which we consider to be, you know, whatever thankfulness towards towards the Lord of the gift that he's given us is the same with Christmas regardless of whether it ties to a traditional,

Jewish holiday or not. That's what that's how we arm it. So is it a conspiracy to just be thankful generically and not thankful to God? To take us away from the root of being a thanks to God type thing? Just I feel think they were trying to avoid trouble. That that's all. Mhmm. I think that I think if I if I were to produce an open forum and I wanna keep fights, if you stop politics and religion, one of the way you do that is you ignore God. If you if you not let someone talk about God, and then I I don't feel like those types of kids are firing up conversations about the effectiveness of Clinton's second term. So I feel like you've covered your entire swath. Well, and and if they truly let the message

without God through, if she does mention church. Yeah. Can you put in Yahweh? Because I feel mean, I I I just feel like they were just trying to keep peace. It was it was ill advised, but I think they were just trying to keep peace. This guy thought, please be nice. That's a weird God, my family, my church, my friends. Be nice. Fine. Take the friends off.

Don't like my friends. That was a lie. I don't even like them. That's why I think it was being filtered as an exclamation of god, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, who does that? What are you thankful for? GD. Like, what? I don't understand that. It's probably a general filter, not not specific to mean, what GD. Conde Kennedy. Now here's the thing. And and people do this all the time with their crazy whack conspiracy theories. Right? They assume some guy is so invested in this stupid search engine or whatever the message board Mhmm. That he spent ten hours coming up with it, thought of every possibility that someone could maybe mention God, and then said, I'll filter it out. Don't want a trouble. And probably what happened, they put the intern on it on disney.com and said, set up a message board. We're gonna we're gonna just filter them out. And they set it up, and they use the same filter they use for everything, slapped it on there, and said, go. We'll see what comes up. Oh, yeah. It took them half an hour to set that up.

It was it was it was just ill advised. It was like that when those people that do Bill Cosby's stuff sent out the the meme generator, where you can, like, use a picture of him and and write a phrase to it. And people, like, did it, I mean, all over the place with rape jokes. Of course, they would. And it was like, yeah, that was ill advised. That's not a good idea. You have to control your message. That's the point of you being hired by Bill Cousins. Like when they upgraded the electrical system at the Super Bowl, like, a week before the Super Bowl. And then all the lights went out. That's poor. That's poor decision making. Good advice. Okay. That's what's going on in the world. What's

happening? Alright. Dave Herrick, Jesus says some stuff. Alright. We have to deal with it. Go ahead. Alright. Cool. So here's here's some of the things that Jesus said about wealth, and so the question is what what do we do with So let me read off a a couple of his comments. He said, blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God.

He also said, the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field which a man found, he covered up, and then in his joy, he goes, he sells everything that he has in order to buy the field. So think about that for a second. A guy sells off all his possessions to enter the kingdom of heaven. Then Jesus was talking with a rich man and he says, hey, go and sell all that you have, give it to the poor, and then you'll have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me. And again, tell you, it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for rich man to ever to enter the kingdom of heaven. So he says an impossible scenario is more likely than a wealthy person entering the kingdom of heaven.

So here's here's kind of the the question of what's going on. First off, what do we do with these verses that that Jesus is describing

in terms of our lifestyle? How do how do we follow them? How do we be obedient to them? And what is this what is his message to our culture? What do you what would you say is Jesus's summary and and how would he describe wealth, to an American culture?

I'd say he wants us to live our best life ever. And and now What does that look like? And right now. I'd say he has lots of promises for us and blessings and wealth. Here's here's here's the deal. I feel like it's, it's it's what any good father does and says, look, I will give you these things to use until you use them inappropriately.

And then, I you need to get rid of them. Right? Like I I mean, I can give my kids toys all over the place and and as long as they can use them appropriately, they can continue to have them. You'll be attached to them more than you are me. Yeah. Yeah. I'm still your dad. If I mean, if they're gonna if they're gonna cause their own ruination or or hurt others then, you know, it needs to go. And I I've now there gets to a point where your kid gets to be old enough where you can't where you don't take it from them if they insist on holding on to it. But like the truth of matter is the advice is is like it's just not what's best for you. Please don't please don't it's it is just a tool not a lifestyle. Don't put it above where it needs to be. Do you think it's kinda like given

a Game Boy or or whatever that with the current, you know, an iP leave willing to give that up me back. Yes.

I mean, I think with wealth with with us at times is are you willing to give that up? I mean, it's it's here. It's all his. It all belongs to him. And then he blesses us with some, you know, as as he sees fit. You know, here's the deal. It's like, love that thought process. But like, do I have any biblical words out of out of out of Jesus where I can keep keep my money? You know I'm saying? Like, I can throw together broad general principles. Mhmm. But, I mean, I feel like he talks a lot more about you not keeping your money than he does about you hanging on to it for his glory. Mhmm.

I know. Because he talked to a lot of wealthy people, though. He didn't tell all of them to sell everything they have. See, and I always just like to point at the guy that he says that to and say, look, god Jesus knew that this was a struggle for that man Yeah. And he just pressed the button. He goes guy in the back seat who couldn't get his eyes off his Game Boy. Yeah. I'm willing to go wherever you wanna go. And Jesus says, alright. Well, I need you get rid of that money first. You're weighing us down. He's like, well, I didn't really mean that stuff I said earlier about going wherever you wanna go. But I mean, I feel like I can skate through a lot of life like that. You know, I can be like, well, the Lord wants me to provide for my family and be comfortable at least. That's a it's a motivation and a holy spirit problem. Right? Like Yeah. Mhmm. Like, the the the basic nature of the deal is is like, you can't be benevolent if you don't have anything to give. That's that that's the truth. Now, can you go can you use that and say, okay, so I'm to be be comfortable,

so that I may be prepared to give to other people? Yeah. But the the problem isn't that you have money and your thought process, it's your motivation. You're not saying how can I be faithful to Jesus with his money that I am carrying around in my pocket? You're saying, how can I find a way to keep what I have so that I can meet my needs, and then I can figure out a way to justify that I can then, like, kinda distribute it out slowly? Here's the deal. Could could the holy spirit be saying, yeah, that guy's good with money. It's his he's he's got a lot of it, and he gives a lot of it, and he all always also lives what we would consider a home like a comfortable lifestyle? Sure. That could be a holy spirit deal. Some people are just gonna be that way. Solomon was rich. God gave him riches. I feel there's the parable of the talents. And you know what I'm saying? There's there's numerous examples of guys that are like, hey, man. He was the or the or the the dishonest manager. These are people that, you know, they they they girded their money correctly, and the Lord said, yeah. That's fine. Yeah. So so, like, there are there are exceptions. Well, not acceptance is not the right word. The Holy Spirit will do what he wants in your life. But the the question is is, like, are you fighting to control your money? Or are you is it God's money and you're doing whatever he has you doing with it? That's the question. And most of the time most of the time, when you're talking about what what he would say to our culture, most of the time, we're the guy that won't give it up. Like, that's the truth. I've had recent conversations with a guy who who gives out his money like water. I mean, hands it up. It was the weirdest conversation I've had in, like, years. Because everybody else I've met, like, has the complete opposite problem. They're they're working for their own comfort. They're working to keep all their own money, and then give it away as to, like, their comfort level as opposed to, like, giving and and sacrificing in the way that the Bible would otherwise imply we have some responsibility to do. And this guy was, like, recklessly throwing his money out the window to people. It for the benefit of others. And I was having to call talk to this fellow about, hey, maybe you have to be more careful. You have to be faithful with the money God gives you, and that includes, you know, not spending it foolishly,

and like saying, thank you God for your provision. I will use it as opposed to saying, don't trust you to take care of the people. Weirdest conversation I've had in years, this conversation. The truth is, it it like, it's still just as true for that guy if he's not a responsible steward of God's money that God is giving him to to take care of his own needs, as it is for other people to act foolishly. But the truth is is that the the side of the teeter totter like, we're the fat kid. The the kid that's weighing down the teeter totter, where there's 99 of us, and then the one guy straggling up top that happens to be giving a bunch of money out. The other 99 are sitting down holding the thing up, holding on to their money in their own comfort. Yeah. Like, that's the truth. It's just more apropos, those parts of the stories. They mean more to what our actual problem is. I just Jesus wasn't running into a bunch of guys that were having the problem of giving their money away. So it didn't come up as often as the guy who is, you know, holding their money selfishly or building their own kingdom. That's what that's I think. Alright. So let's say I'm one of those 99 guys who's who's weighing down the other side of the teeter totter, and I read Jesus statement saying, hey, sell all your possessions, give to the poor, and I I read that and I go, gulp.

Alright. Yep. What advice would you have for me? Because you said gulp? Yeah. Gulp. As in I'm I'm hearing this and it's like, okay, Jesus, I don't want to do this. I'm looking for a caveat. No. I would say Driver wrote out. I would say that gulp replies that shows me that you understand it correctly. Congratulations for reading the scripture.

And it's not our job to try to lure you Mhmm. You know, they were to sell you on the kingdom. Mhmm. It was Jesus didn't even sell the kingdom. He explained it. Right. And I think that's our problem. That's our that's our rub. We wanna we wanna we we don't want anybody to walk away from it. Yeah. Right. So so is it so we try to so we do we craft caveats to that. Yeah. Here's the deal. That guy's gotta deal with that that phrase the same way I gotta deal with that phrase. Yeah. What does that mean? The same way that guy that Jesus the guy that Jesus was talking to had to deal with that phrase. Yeah. Think I that's what we've done the last couple generations. We've made church and grace so cheap that we keep widening it down going, well, don't wanna offend, you know, just shake someone's hand and you're in, you know, and and and see you at judgment day. No. That's true. Every sermon I think I've ever heard on that particular passage always says, now now Jesus was talking to a specific man about a specific sin, he was tarding his sin, you know? Never never including the fact that, like, that might be you too. It might not be you. That that But it might also be you. So that I think that's the appropriate distinction because the truth because that's true. Like, all that's true is a specific man, it's a specific thing. And say, the the problem here wasn't that he had money. It said he was loving money. And that's that is an an unnatural, but but effective caveat that people carve out. We really should spot follow that explanation with, by the way, you love money. Like, in case you're having trouble coming to that conclusion, I will tell you for as a favor to you and your family and friends, you love money. You are in this man's position. No. That's true. In fact, you should just caveat that. They should they should put an intro into the bible. Like, every time you read a passage and you think, that guy's lame, that's you. You know what saying? You read the Pharisees, you're like, yeah, I can't stand those guys. That's probably you. Every time a guy steals something or kills a man, that's probably you. You just gotta put yourself in that position. I've had a a talk with my my youngest daughter recently. She's getting ready for college and making those choices of what am I gonna do when I grow up and that type of thing. And she has a pretty serious boyfriend and they're looking at marriage, you in the future.

Who knows? But that but it could happen. Anyway, they're they're they're putting they're adding things up and they're looking at what they're gonna do and they're looking at the potential annual income if they follow the route they currently have both chosen together. And they'll make more in one year. It takes me ten probably eleven or twelve years to make what they'll make in one year. Right? Bonus. And and I'm and part of me says, hey, don't forget that, you know. But then I also have given the big warning, be careful that that's not your goal on life. Yeah. You know, be careful that that isn't your pursuit. Don't ever, you know, love that more than Jesus. Mhmm. Because that's fleeting. It's fleeting. It it will be gone. You're gonna leave that to your kids someday. Mhmm. And and and you you gotta be ready for eternity. You you know Yeah. Or you're gonna earn it and give it away. Exactly. Talked about that's exactly why we went I brought her to the missionary convention this year. I thought, I got one more chance to get her

on fire for what God's doing all over the globe. And and she was all excited Yeah. You know, about stuff. And was it was warm for me. And it was cool for me. Sorry. I got all excited here. I think it was yesterday, Cheryl, my wife, was telling me that that that she had taken some stuff off that my daughter had taken some stuff off the homeless Christmas tree Yeah. We have. And I didn't have any clue she had done this and and she was asking like, now now, like, what size are these? And blah blah blah. Like and and this is like, she's she's not she didn't get it for me to buy. Yeah. She got it for her to buy. Right. She's gonna go get some stuff. And I'm like, oh, that just warmed my heart. It's good. Yeah. Worn in me. And I just like, oh, yeah. So someday, she will have probably plenty to share. Yeah. Right. But I think she will. Yeah. And and that is not, you know, against the kingdom of God. You know what I'm saying? But here's the deal is I I think it's it it is the Holy Spirit's job to regulate that. And if you trust the Holy Spirit to do it, it will do it. And and it will sting every once in a while because that I mean, I was I was talking to a guy last week, two weeks ago

about, you know, the way he was living. And he goes, I feel like just things keep coming up and keep coming up. And I said, here's the deal, like, you know, God will hit you with a fairly big bat if you ignore his small bats. Like, he tries to get your attention with a small bat and you're like, you know

That's all you got? He loves you enough to hit you with a bigger bat. And so, like, I understand what you're saying. I understand your struggle here. But, like, be thankful that the Lord loves you enough to hit with hit you with a big bat. And and, like and and money seems to almost have to be a big bat. Like if you if you send the mosquitoes, people will will waft them off like they're not causing you trouble until he has to burn you. And he loves you enough to do that to you to say, look, you've got your priorities crooked. And if you're talking if you're if you're asking the Holy Spirit and praying about your situation, God will make it very obvious what needs to leave your life and what needs to stay. And, you know, like, I I I think we we sometimes we try to solve these solve that in weird ways. I so I I ran into this about two years ago, is I thought, I'm just I'm not I'm keeping too much of my own money. Like, I need to give more of this away. Mhmm. And I need to trust God that things will be fine. So I did. I upped the amount that we were that we were given for, like, two months. Said I'm I'm I'm go I was shoot 10% is an easy target. Right? So I go full 10% is what we're doing. It took me nine months to dig out from that. From the overdrafts, from the credit card and interest payments.

Like, it took me a long time I remember this. To dig out of this particular problem. And I was about three months into that, digging that stuff out, and I thought, what did I I missed it. I missed something. Right? And I I think it was it was the deal where

I I wasn't really asking God, like, what what do you what do you have for me? Like, what what is it that you did that I'm supposed to be doing? Maybe he's not saying give more, he's saying cut. Like, what why you you don't even need all the stuff that you have. Like, there has to be there was something there. And I think there's there there still is for me. But, like, whatever I do was complete disaster. And,

like and the way and the way I solved for those things was like was not a faithful in the means. Right? Like, I gave I gave more. I simply did not have enough money to meet the obligations that I that I made. Right? And so that I I had to put stuff on credit cards. I'm like, this is not the right answer. This is not holy spirit living. This is solving my own problems. Like, I've failed here. The holy spirit's rubbing the back of the guy at Chase Manhattan Bank. We got him, buddy. Don't worry. Don't worry.

Oh, no. And and so and here's here's the thing. It's like, do not take from that story that I've created some sort of niche in what what Jesus is saying. But what what I wasn't being was faithful to Holy Spirit. What I wasn't saying was, God, help me to make the right decisions with your money. Okay. What I was saying was arbitrary limit, check the box, this is what I give. And, like, that was that was the wrong answer. Yeah. That was the wrong answer. So the the thing is is, like, if you are

if you follow Christ, you get to do whatever you want to. He's just he's gonna change the want to. Right? He's gonna change what you do with your money. You don't want to keep your own money. You do what you want. You know what I wanna do? Give him my money. I'm in the I'm in the place now, and I think Mike and I were talking about this is like, like, I'm motivated to create more money so that I can give it to somebody. Like, there there just there's people around me that need that could use some help. And I simply don't have anything more to give them, and I think, what? I've got to change whatever I'm doing, so that I am not so leveraged that I can't do more than what I'm doing. And that's not a bias thing. It's not a I wanna feel good about myself. I just feel like like that is what is needed in my life to give me some perspective on what I have. We we've been talking about homelessness and stuff lately and and helping a lot of people. And I know you guys have been really heavily involved personally with that, which has been really cool. But I've seen that in my own life too, is I'll go to the store and and things that in the past I would have just purchased. It actually went to the filter of, you know, wait a minute. There's a dude out in a tent right now

that is, like, cold. Yeah. And I'm gonna buy whatever it is, you know. I mean Creamed corn? See something of Today. Less importance, you know, some plastic gizmo or something. Yeah. What whatever it is. And excuse me. So, like, last week, I went out and I'm I'm looking at these tents and and these sleeping bags and I'm thinking, I can I can buy a guy a house? Yeah. I mean, I realized it's a temporary house and everything but it was like, that's gonna shelter him. And then I'm like, well, I don't have money for both that and a sleeping bag. So I went with a sleeping bag thinking, well, either way, he needs a sleeping bag, you know. I I don't know. But it was just three months ago, that wouldn't have even been on my radar. Yeah. I would have been like, hey, I got you know, I'm gonna go get me a new hubcap, you know, because the other one's dirty or whatever. Just some silly thing. You you wanna know the the hardest thing that I have to do with with getting material for the homeless? And this is sad, really. But, like, I pay for nothing full price. I generally get everything that I own for free. Right? And so, like, I go out to look for tents and stuff for homeless people and that I'm gonna buy. And they're, like, they're like $50. And I'm like, I wouldn't even buy a tent for myself ever at that price. Yeah. This is outrageous. I'd waited out for ten months before I'd I'd pay for it, you know? And I thought because it always scares me that that, like, when people donate crap, it is crap. It's literally stuff they didn't want anymore. Yeah. And I don't do that. Like I I won't donate or give something to somebody that I didn't either want or or I thought was up to my standards and stuff to have. Right? But the truth is my standards are in the toilet. Like I I don't pay for nothing, you know. And then I thought, well, and so I'm trying to figure out how to be generous and then get past my look, I'm not paying full price for this tip. I'm not I'm gonna find them on sale. I'm gonna find a place going out of business. I will certainly not pay full price for this tip. And it's been an epic struggle at my house. It's it is interesting. That's why, like, we've talked about some of the roundup events and stuff with some of the thankful leper things that have been going on just in the area.

And and generally, our encouragement is is is bringing this stuff down. And here here's the truth. Here's the truth. God does not have every single person who run-in the streets, dropping stuff off and ministering to people. Like, it it just doesn't. And like, I can't be upset with that. Like, however, I I think when when we talk about widows, orphans, homeless, those people that aren't you, that

is not like the understanding of the issue, understanding of how God looks at those people, and what that what that means for us as people that follow Jesus, you are no one is exempt from that. No one is exempt from that. He may have your feet walking somewhere else to do other work for other people that he loves that may not be those people, but you do not have an excuse to not care in some way or the other for orphans, widows, homeless, like, like, all all these people are. You don't get to check a box and say, I only I I I get to focus on the corporate clients. And maybe that's where God has you, but, like, you do not have an excuse to be ignorant about about where these people are at. Because they're your brothers and sisters, and you wouldn't find out that your brother and sister was on the freaking street and, like, well, that's not really my business. I only talk to uncle Jack because he's rich and we we meet on this level. And so I I was thinking about that because I I I think there's there's there's sometimes

this push that says everyone has to help in this way, and that's not true. Maybe you're the money guy. It's completely appropriate to be a money guy Yeah. Who says, I don't I don't walk there. I but I I give money to that thing. But, like, ignorance is still not not appropriate. You do not get to be ignorant as to what's going on. It's the same question as the money question. Right? When when God says, look, drop everything you have, and and he goes he goes, you know, sell everything you have and follow me. It's the same questions. Like, you know, when you tell Jesus, look, I will I will help the homeless, and he says, want you to go down there. Well, you know, I don't know. I don't know about that. Right? Like, it it's it's what's on the table. Right? It's just you if you're deciding that that everything is on the table for God to use except for your ability to go down there, and that's what he wanted, now you got a problem. Yeah. Yeah. Alright. You've been listening live from the Path. Hey, if you're listening on the Truth Network ninety nine point three FM, we've got to let you go. Big shout out to our sponsors, Bob Eisenhower with the Eisenhower team. Go to eisenhowerteam.com.

Hey. Vote for him in the City View best realtor. Yeah. Get out. I shared that stuff on the Facebook. Make sure you vote for him. Also, with Westfield Veterinary Hospital, westfieldvethospital.com. You can also vote for those guys. Best vet clinic. I say vote for both of them because I believe it. They are the best. Hook up with those guys. Tell them thanks for their sponsor, Live From The Path. And if you're on the podcast, we'll be right back with you. Thanks for listening to Live From The Path. You

know, it's tough to fight for the right nuance. You know what I'm saying? It's like we were talking last week about balance with with what what you understand about scripture, how Jesus has called you to live. And and by balance, do not misunderstand me as meaning safe, comfortable. That's not what I mean. I just mean is is taking in the full counsel of God and recognizing that both things can be true, it's a puzzle that you have to we have to work to try to understand. Let the holy spirit guide you on how those things go together. Mhmm. But like,

it's just that the balance is sometimes difficult to to do the when you when you know the things are the right thing. The question is is like, does God have you do them? And and underlying all this, I I think remains a misunderstanding or mistrust or maybe a disbelief

on the work that the Holy Spirit does. And like that is within me. I know that. I know that. That there is a it's not not a distrust, but it's like I don't maybe it is. Maybe there's things like I don't know if you're gonna handle it. I don't know if you've got this under control. Am I being faithful in the way that it should be so that you will be faithful in things you should be? And like that's not even right. And so but but all that is to say is that if if the same if this what's what's the Tim Timmons? Right? If the the same holy same spirit that was with Jesus

is is the same spirit that's alive and working today, and he got that stuff worked out. Can I trust that when someone looks you in the eye and says, there are people that are are dying in the in the vet's hospitals, someone needs to minister to them? Can I look at him and say, if the holy spirit is saying that's you to say, alright, I'm I'm all in, Then I'm changing whatever I'm doing, and I'm doing the work of the holy spirit at the vet hospital? Or if that guy with tears in his eyes looks you in the face and says, someone needs to minister to them, and the holy spirit doesn't have you do that. Can I say, that isn't what God has me doing? That's You know I'm saying? And like all that is rooted in, do I trust the Holy Spirit to guide that? Or am I am I strung by the by the sympathies or like whoever can tell the worst story

that would get anybody, even even Santa love an atheist man? No. No. That's that's the truth. And you know what? That happens to the most honest open hearted Christians that I know. They get bounced around all over the place and never actually accomplish anything because of that exact thing. There's there's I've and I promise you because I've experienced this. There's nothing more comforting than knowing exactly what the Holy Spirit has you doing because it makes your nose very easy. You know what I'm saying? Like like What did you what what was the phrase? It makes your nose very easy? It's easier to say no to someone if he's asking you to volunteer It's actually you have a body part. No. You have a red irritated nose. Did everybody catch that but me? The Lord clears up all all all your facial problems. Okay. Sorry. Go ahead. It makes your ability to say no very easy. And like, here's the deal. It will make the people around you very uncomfortable. Yeah. The especially especially the Christ followers around you that are like, hey, we're gonna go down there and do this. And we want you to be part of this because you're involved in this, and it's gonna be great. Good Christ like thing to do. Why would you say no? And you're like, no. No. No. I can't make it. And they're gonna want an explanation. You go, no. No. Yep. And you gotta stick with that and love it. And you gotta love that no. And you know what you know what I really hate? What what the big struggle is, is that, like, the minute you create that caveat

it was not a it's an appropriate thing. It's appropriate reaction. But the minute you you you bring that to light Mhmm. Out of a 100 guys, there's 80 that are gonna latch on like, yeah, the God just doesn't have me doing that. And in truth, what they're saying is God doesn't have me doing anything. He has me sitting in my place. Yeah. He has me sitting in my place and, you know, playing the Atari and watching a little TV and coming in on Sunday. And, like, the the truth is is that the, the things that are true, are the motivation for the faithful, and they are the excuse for the unfaithful.

And I have to be comfortable saying that we will say the truth regardless, even though I know that those who are not really following Christ, who are who are unfaithful in the means, will use it to say, no. No. No. I can't get involved with that. My family is top priority. Say, I hear you, buddy. But, like, your family is top priority because that's the reason that your family is at home, and you wanna be home, and you don't wanna really wanna do anything. And, like, yeah, your family is like, ministering to your family is awesome, but I feel like that's not really what you're doing. And so the thing is is we have to fight we have to fight in the weeds. Got out the gap. But, like, we that's that's where our discussions are. That's where that stuff belongs. Because, like, anybody can get on a pedestal and say, hey. You're supposed to feed the homeless. Yeah. I get that. Definitely. But, like, does God have you feeding the homeless? Because I I think most of you yes. Yes. I think he does. Like Yeah. I could look out, and I I could tell you in any given church, you might have I'm probably being generous here. 15% of people that are, like, are motivated doing kingdom work and fighting for God's perspective on the matter. And the rest of them are not doing into that and feeling guilty about it.

Like, that that's where we're at. And so, you know, I I just and those nuances things, I can't I we have to embrace those. We have to understand that when Jesus says one thing, if he if he can if God can bless a Solomon, and he can have, Joseph of Arimathea, like, can have these people who have wealth,

we have to understand what that looks like compared to the guy who wouldn't give up everything and follow Jesus and say that this has to fit together. What does it mean? And we can't jump on either one and say, well, Solomon's supposed to be rich, so it must be cool if I have it. Mhmm. You know, like, the other guy existed. And so we we have to deal with the nuance that that Jesus speaks in as opposed to painting in broad brushes and saying, good, bad, right, wrong. Holy here's the deal. The Holy Spirit makes those distinctions. That's his work, is to is to discern where we can't discern. It's to take the things of God Mhmm. And help them be understandable by man. And if we don't understand, follow, listen to, obey the Holy Spirit, we we get in broad brushes, broad strokes, and we then we're dealing in guilt and piousness. Yeah. You pull Holy Spirit out of the equation, and Jesus is just reduced to another set of rules that we have to apply. It's basically the Old Testament all over again. Just it's the new Old Testament. Right. Yeah. And and Jesus is just a bunch of platitudes, a bunch of rules. And once again, we're we're back in our rule based religion, but it's now with a new fresh Christian coat paint on it. Fresh Christian set. Yeah. And and that's not what we're called to says the confused Job. You know what I'm saying? Like Yeah. Rich man, everything's gone. Yeah. This has turned out okay. I'm gonna bless you with 10 times your riches. That's confusing. Jesus says no wealth for you. You know what I'm saying? Like Yeah. I mean, that's that you can't put those two together and say that they're that that there's a hard fast black line that applies to everybody. And and and think that what happens with those conversations is is we might say, you know, God said give up your give up your wealth and follow me and do these things. And what what people will do is they'll come back with the Solomon's

Solomon answer not as a way to to add perspective, but but as a justification to keep doing what they want to do. Yeah. But God, let Solomon be rich. Well, yeah, he did. He said both. Now work with that. Not just like, oh, but but but but Yeah. Dear Lord, can I be the Solomon? Yeah. Well, and then he wrote Ecclesiastes. Yeah. Right. That guy's got Meaningless. That guy's got troubles. Yeah. Man, it was a bummer. If you're the guy looking for the escape clause, then you're probably the guy that really needs to be giving away your wealth because it's it's a problem. It's a priority in your heart, and it needs to be removed. And there's basically three ways that that can happen. Either you can give it away, or God can come and burn it away, or else you just end up worshiping that and you've replaced God. And guess what?

There you are. That's right. That's the sad day that the Lord put down the big bat. Yeah. And you forever missed out. The other two are better scenarios. The one where either you give it away or God burns it away. Either of those are far better than ultimately you keeping it. Yeah. I'm open for that. Like, seriously, like, it it it's a it's a good way. You should be praying dangerous prayers. Like, you should be praying dangerous things. Things were like, if God does this, it will drastically change your life. You have to be willing to pray dangerous prayers. Like, once every six months, I'm like, God, take it from me. And then I'm like, oh, God, take it from me. Do it. And like, there's there's a very heavy part of me when words are coming out of my mouth. It's like, I want this to happen. But, like, there is still there's there's the human sinful bin that says, yeah, but say it slow. Say it slow.

Maybe God will stop you halfway through the sentence. You know? And but but but, like, every like, I've never I've never regretted any of that, but there there's there are there's just parts of me that says, like, if you're if there's not a point in your life, if you're not praying things that you're like, this is gonna be wild if this goes on. Like, if that's not what's coming out of your mouth, feel like you're not understanding prayer correctly. There should be some dangerous prayers in your life. Ben, what's some dangerous prayers that you've pray prayed recently? I've I've recently prayed. We went through a building project, and I and we were halfway through it, and, like, money was money was getting tight, as money does. And and the time was dragging on. Mean, things were like there were the weather was not cooperating, and things were just were not going well. And stuff with the city wasn't great. And, like, I'm like, are these am I to recognize these things as as mistakes? Like, these signs to me to help me understand that that we have not chosen the right thing? Like, we said, God, this is what we we think you want, and then we did it, and we just miss it. And so I prayed. I said, God, look,

if if this is the wrong thing, if this is not gonna serve your kingdom, if this isn't what you wanted us to do, burn the building down right now. Well, not like right now, like prove to me or otherwise, but said I said, take it away. Do what you have to do to destroy this. Either if it's if it's me, take me out of it. If it's the building, like, have it catch on fire. Send a endangered species to live in the rafters. Like, do whatever has to be done for us to stop this process to whatever embarrassment or whatever is thing that I think is going to negatively be impacted by that, but, like, take it away. Do what you have to do if this does not serve your kingdom, because I don't want to have made a foolish decision that we simply are protecting for the posterity of the local church. So I prayed that. I have also prayed,

like, do whatever you have to do to get my attention in am I do am I doing the right work? If if because I I am I am a guy that is likely to I'll stay I'm more likely to stay. Like, yeah, God has to force me to go. I'm not looking to to leave anywhere. Like, I want to be wherever he wherever I am. I've worked at the same job downtown for the two two years beyond a decade. The the job before that, I think, was three years. Like, I've never worked a job less than a year. Even like the menial jobs that you chuck away. And so it's like, I will get comfortable here. I like the people I work with. I like the work I do. Like,

do whatever you have to do to get me out of here if I need to leave. And if that includes me getting fired or doing something foolish to do it, like, whatever you have to do, because I will I'm afraid that if I will make my own decisions, I won't make your decisions, so if I don't see it, take it away from me. I I've I've I've I've I've prayed similar things when it has to do with even being here. Like, I I I I here's the deal here's why I don't care if 10 people listen to radio show. I like it. I like coming here. I like I like talking with you fellows. I like talking about things of Jesus. It's good. It's just been very healthy for me. But like, would I be willing to not do it? Like, I feel like I would fight God on that. And so I prayed before,

take down my idol. You know, remove this from me. Like, do whatever you have to do to take this away from me if I'm missing it. And here's the deal, is the posture of those prayers isn't always right. Because it doesn't say, God, help me to do whatever whatever things you have going on. I'm more saying, like, I I'm proposing a God that only takes things away. And that's not the right characteristic of God. Mhmm. But it's the but they're the things that I think that are dangerous in my life. Where I may miss the forest for the trees, where I will not be faithful. I will just be obedient to something that was it's an obedience to something that was true three years ago, but not to say that it's true today. And so, I don't wanna carry around a legacy obedience. So, like, there's probably dangerous prayers that come out of my mouth in all major things in my life besides divorcing my wife, because I feel like God's not gonna do that.

But, like, every other thing is pretty much on the table at least once every three to six months. Because I feel like I'm likely to miss it. I'm I'm the foolish guy who doesn't see the holy spirit correctly and doesn't listen what I'm supposed to and have to be kind of beat over the head. And so I have to say, God, get out the bat if that's what is necessary, and I have to be be faithful or trust that he'll do that. I've prayed almost I've prayed a lot of the same prayers, but then also attacked on at the end. I need you to talk to my wife. Because we gotta we kinda gotta be on the same page. Well, I think that makes sense. No. I meant that one, please.

You ready? Yeah. Go ahead. Dear life from the path. My mom's has this odd habit that my younger sister, Sarah and I, don't agree with. It's only the three of us in our house, and Sarah and I are in high school and college. Our mother forces one of us to sleep with her in her room every night. Sarah sleeps in mom's room more often than I do, and I rarely get and and rarely gets a chance to sleep in her own bed. On the few occasions when Sarah is sick, I sleep with mom. But if we're both sick, she picks one of us anyway. Life from a path, this has persisted for years. I've tried many times to convince my mother to let us sleep in our own rooms, but she ignores me or accuses me of not loving her enough. She says the same thing to Sarah. I'm worried about my mom. I feel as though she's depressed or worried about being abandoned. At the same time, I don't wanna sleep in her mom's bed forever. We have our own lives and rooms. What would be the best thing to do in this situation?

I feel like that is too deep of a problem for like a for like a pithy answer. Because, like, I mean, how hard have you tried? Right? I mean, was she dragging you in there, Neanderthal style? Well, I mean, she lays down the old guilt trippy. Okay. You say, well, that's That's a real problem. Yeah.

Right? So, like, there there's something rooted in the fact that you have to guilt trip your kids to the extent that they had to come in there and sleep in your bedroom at the high high school and college age level. There's also something a little off with the request. I mean Yeah. Of all the things you could do to assuage any depression or something you have going on Yeah. Like that's a weird Yeah. Yeah. There there I think you're right. There are some some deeper things going on. Mhmm. She needs to seek some counseling. Of course, this is the daughter asking. Yeah. So she can't tell her mom, hey, you go to counseling. I mean, she could tell her that. But Well, if not now, when? Yeah. Yeah. Right. True. I mean, things will be forever changed. Like, once you put your foot down,

life will no longer be the same at that place. Say, look, we're we're not gonna do this anymore, Ma. We're done. Mhmm. It it just it will never be the same like it was. And so if you're prepared for that moment because it's what's best for her and what's best for you, it's probably time to, you know, cowboy up and get her done. But, you It's just kinda fair to at least pause and say, hey, mom, this kinda creeps me out a little bit. We're a little old for this. Yeah. You know, every single night, it's just a little bit too much. I yeah. And it does represent a need that's that's, I don't know, it's just odd. Like, I love my kids, but, like, I can't sleep with them heater beasts. Mhmm. You know what I'm saying? They come in there, they stink the place up, they lay parallel, they pump out like a 150 degrees worth of heat, they slobber, some of them pee. Yeah. That's not I mean, fuck. Get your own bed. That's why I have the bed Get in in there. There. She's get her mom a puppy. Yeah. Something. A big one if need be. Yeah. So I think base level, I I think our our advice would be

she she's got some some deeper issues in, a simple situational. Here's the etiquette of how you handle this type of thing. I think she she needs to talk to somebody, like, the the root of this is more than I think was otherwise addressed in the question. And you need to take whatever steps you can to help her recognize that, and maybe there's a if if it's talking to a trusted friend or or relative or something, if you feel like you can't get the job done. I mean, you could you could firm this up and say, mom, we're not gonna do this anymore, but, like, that doesn't really solve her problem. It just solves your problem. Like, your your issue is that you're involved in it. But, like, the root of the issue is that she is needing this in one way or the other, and that's that's an issue that she's otherwise gonna have to address. And I think it's it's more of a long term thing than just, hey, how do I handle this? Here's secular advice. Your mother is an adult who should long ago have learned to sleep alone. She should not be trying to guilt you and your sister into sleeping with her by accusing you of not loving her enough if you don't spend the night in her bed. The two of you should ask her together why she's doing this. You ladies are old enough to simply refuse if you would rather sleep in your own rooms. But breaking this habit may not be easy for your mom. So if she says she can't sleep without one of you with her, volunteer to stay with her until she falls asleep and then go to your rooms.

Okay. What? Falls What? Oh, wait. Sorry. Stay in the room until mom falls asleep and then make your exit. That doesn't really solve any problems. I've seen adults. I heard of adults doing that with children, but that seems kind of I was gonna say, do that with the kids every once in a they got nightmare or something. Helps with the transition.

Well, wait, is that did she say it? To to transition out of it? Or does that that's just a permanent solution? Okay. Sorry. Yeah. I don't know. Man, here it comes. It looks looks like another heavy one. You ready? Yeah. Yeah. We're ready. Dear life from the path, I am divorced after a thirty eight year marriage. The divorce was the result of an affair my husband had. Needless to say, was and still is very painful. The betrayal almost killed me. I've been seeing a therapist who has helped me immensely, but I wonder if I will ever fully recover from the hurt. My ex has started a new life with this woman who is almost thirty years younger than we are, and he acts like, oh, well, it's over. Even though I have moved on, starting a new life at 60 wasn't easy. It's is it unreasonable to still have lingering pain and anger as a result of the lies and deceit I experienced from a man I loved and trusted? I can't seem to pretend that nothing happened. No. That's a weird expectation.

Yeah. No. That's I don't know how you could how you could ever do that. That's pretty right on, man. It's fairly healthy. Yeah. The vows are till death to your partner. There's a there's a a bond that's that's created in marriage that he broke and he hurt her deep enough that, yeah, it'll never go away. It might be it's softened. I mean, she'll be able to, you know, function, but it'll never be total pain free. Yeah. Like like it never happened. That's a Yeah. That's not even a reasonable expectation. That's a shadow of its it's a shadow of itself and like it's it's not in in full technicolor, but you can still recognize your husband's shadow. You know I'm saying? Like, it's it's gonna be there. I don't have any good advice for you. No. No. I mean, that's a rough spot. But if if the basic question is, will this go away?

No. Yeah. No. No. And and it's it's it's a it's a difficult and and ultimately wrong expectation to feel like it should. Like, you are not failing to process it well by evidence that it lingers. Like, that's not the right thinking. Right. That is a that is a reasonable reaction. I mean, there's there's unhealth if you're if you're dwelling on it or I mean, the truth is that that is what happened, and there's a reaction to what happened. But

but yeah. Yeah. I mean, what just because he's moved like, it's not he's not healthy because he's let it go. He's unhealthy because he's let it go. Right. Like, that's there's a there's a lack of health in the way that he's responding to it. He is not a good barometer as to whether you're handling No. Your circumference. You look at the one guy who did completely the wrong thing and say, why I'm not like that guy. You know what saying? You should be like, heck yeah. I'm not like that guy. There's something wrong with that man. He's scoutless himself. Yeah. Yeah. That's not and that's not healthy. If somebody somebody cuts your arm off, eventually, you'll stop bleeding, and you'll start learning to do to do things differently. But your arm's still gone, and that's what she's dealing with. I mean Yeah. It's easier for the one who left than it is for the one who was left behind. Yeah. And the husband left the relationship emotionally. Yeah. So it his transition is going to be easier because Well, frankly, was under his own volition. Yeah. You know what saying? He decided he made a conscious decision. Here's what he was gonna do and he did Yeah. And and and yeah, that's that's different than having something dropped on you. Yeah. So here's what secular says. Secular says, I think your feelings are normal. Something did happen to you and it was cataclysmic.

The question is, to what degree are you willing to allow this to rule your life? You shouldn't pretend that nothing happened, but it's important that when your thoughts drift backward that you make a conscience effort to steer them back to the present. Devote the same energy that you spend nursing hurt and anger to focusing on the future and what makes you happy. Will yourself will yourself to stay in the present and keep moving forward. That's spot on. I like that. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I like it. You guys want to hit up on more? You done? Yeah. Let's do one more. Okay. Hang on. Holy cow. It's about a widower. Hold on. We're go find something. It's gotta be something. Do you have anything lighthearted in there? I'm I'm looking for it. Something happy. I had comedy on the first one. You guys are like, this isn't a good situation for comedy. I'm like, crap. What am I what am I gonna say?

Okay. Here we go. Couple can agree on twenty fifth anniversary celebration. Alright. This sounds awesome. Dear life from the past. My husband and I are approaching our twenty fifth wedding anniversary. I think it's quite an accomplishment since many of the couples we know have called it quits. I'd like to celebrate with a wedding themed party with our friends and family renewing our vows in front of them. In addition, I'd like my girlfriends to wear a bridesmaid's dress from a wedding they have been in and stand with me. My husband thinks the party would be showing off and that we should celebrate quietly, just the two of us. I'm surprised we could be married for so long and not be able to come to agreement about this. How should we celebrate this big day? Both. Yeah. Have a big ceremony and then also have a your own quiet personal Does he have the option of not attending the big ceremony? No. No. Because I'm with him. That sounds like it sucks. No. Here's the deal. That bridesmaid thing sounds just terrible.

Like, who's who's gonna be excited about showing up in the twenty five year party wearing bridesmaid dresses from past weddings? Here's the thing. Like, my usual advice to the man is like, look, if you love your wife, you're gonna do this thing. But like, I've met couples that have been married twenty five years. You stop indulging your your your spouse on their ridiculous behavior after like, you're 18. You know I'm saying? Like, man, don't wanna go to no crazy party with a bunch of brides in maze dresses. Well, you know you know I wouldn't wanna do that. You're suggesting that purposely knowing that I would hate every minute of And so I feel like if you love me, you wouldn't make me go to this dog and pony show. I don't know. There's no amount of truth to that. Right? Like, what better way to celebrate our marriage to each other by something that I know my husband will hate? That's pretty rough. Yeah. Instead of being like, husband, I need you to meet me halfway. You're like, hey, you need to meet me 90% of the way because we're gonna do this ridiculous charade that you don't wanna be a part of.

Far far in places what? You know what? You're not going, so forget it. I think you do both. I think you do both. I think you try to talk her out of that bridesmaid thing. I mean, don't have a lame party.

Like, deal is when you show up there, people well, I don't know. Maybe they've known you long enough. They don't assume I mean, can they have us that that many divorced couple friends that they're like, maybe they that that the man really feels that way? You know, that that he feels like he's they're they're showing off and rubbing in other people's faces. That's his reasoning. Is stupid. Oh, although, like, is it different because they're putting it on? Like, as opposed to someone else Yeah. They're throwing their own party? I don't know. It's like that how a wedding is usually done? It's like, hey, we've decided we're gonna get get together. Yeah. But the parents put it on and then, you know Yeah. Yeah. Sorta. It's kinda like throwing your own birthday party. I don't even know how mine got put together, be honest with

Yeah. Somebody did it. Yeah. That's tricky. It would be better if there was at least a facade that someone else was putting on for you. Yeah. You know what? That's a weird arena anyways, throwing yourself your own party. That's like me throwing my own birthday party as a single man at 25 and inviting a bunch of people over. Maybe that's what their children can can be doing. They wanted the children to be in the bridesmaids dresses so they're old enough to be doing wedding things. So Yeah. Let the children play in it and then mom and dad can sit back and enjoy and it's it's, you know No kids, Dan.

What? They said no kids? I thought the kids were the ones in the bridesmaid's dresses. No. That's her friends. No. The wife's friends. So his his reasoning is stupid. His reasoning to not throw a party because it might offend someone else's dump. Yeah. What what his real reason is? Well, he doesn't wanna go to the lame party with the bridesmaids. Now that that I get. That that I think I understand. And I but but if that's the root of the issue, I think, yeah, you just need if your wife will enjoy it, what's the ticket? What do When's the last time that your wife brought something up and you got to give a honest answer like, I don't wanna go because that's stupid, hon. No. Yeah. I say that. Man. I'm not saying it's effective in a healthy relationship,

but I have said things like that. I wanna do this and this. No. That's stupid. Oh, that's dumb. Let's not do that. Well, they've been married they've been married long enough. Gotta they need to keep having At some point, they'll they'll they'll figure this out. They've they've figured bigger things of this out before in twenty five years. Maybe they haven't. You know, I mean, so so keep talking about it and and they they've mastered some form of compromise to make it this far. Or

t or she wears the pants in the family. Yeah. And this is a good way to live twenty five years of stress free. I suppose I should Make make a decision for me. Yes, dear. Alright. What's the secular advice? Secular says, unlock. It's not showing off to renew wedding vows on significant anniversaries. Many people do and silver anniversary definitely qualifies. A party would be appropriate, but rather than expect your friends to dig up old bridesmaids dresses out of their closet Let's see. If they even have them, would it be more considerate to give them the option of wearing cocktail dresses that they feel comfortable in if they wish? Hey. They focused on the same problem.

If they would've left out that detail, I think we could've got to the root of the matter. But that's bridesmaid dresses are a real distraction. Yeah. That's the problem. It says, hopefully, most, if not all of them, are also happily married. And if that's the case, I'm sure your anniversary party won't seem like one upmanship upmanship to anyone. It might, but, like, I don't know that that's your problem. Yeah. You can't deal with people I got divorced. I hate you because you live like, maybe, but, you know, I don't know. Deal with it in a healthy way. Be happy for somebody. You selfish selfish person. You know, well, that's the thing. It's like, is every time someone makes a mistake in their life, do I gotta make that same mistake just so they feel better? You know I'm saying? I didn't change my oil. My car broke down. Well, crap. I'll do the same thing. I don't want you to be alone. Yeah. Right. Can you never Stupid. Can you never have a have some sort of acknowledgment of your retirement because some other guy got fired three years before? Yeah. And plus that other guy is still working. You know? That's terrible. You rubbing in Wendell's face.

Take that window, you under I mean, you currently employed boob. Alright. You're listening to Life in the Path. Hey, thanks for hanging out with us. I don't I can't say that I love you because I've not met you. But I feel like I I would if we came together. So thanks for hanging out with us. Follow us on Twitter.

Not in the biblical sense coming together. Did that come out wrong? If we met each other. How about that? I can't even say if I know you. You're absolutely live with the path on liveofthepath.org. Good night.

I haven't said my piece.