Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are live from the path. And you're listening to live from the path. It'll be from the Pathway Studios here in Youngstown proper. It's

a it's a fine fine evening here at the studio. So fine. No. Crap. What's the what's the right way to finish that? It's so fine something. What is it? It's as sweet as wine. Somehow it has to mix in with Booba's comb, but I don't know. Yeah. Here's the deal. I've I've not met anybody that is less than, like, 65 that carries a comb in their back pocket. And Boob apparently left one in the studio last week goes, oh, hey. I've been looking for that. He was like, I'm very excited to have found it. You got the fine comb on one end and the thick

Here's the deal, man. My beard gets kinda crazy throughout the day. I'm gonna be honest. Didn't they do that on grease? They did. All of guys. Totally. I have determined Yeah. So of my friends that I'm becoming a hipster. And and I don't know how it it happened. It started randomly, and then it's just gotten worse and worse and worse. To the point where I'll say this on air that way I'm held accountable to it. I I contemplated buying a subscription to a website for beards. Why why is becoming a hipster something you're looking forward to though? No. I'm not looking forward to it. I feel like you're not fighting it though. Yeah. I mean, you brought a comb in front of a bunch of other fellas. Yeah. You're letting it happen. Yeah. Like, technically, I left the comb here. And then now I'm excited to find it. And then brought it to everyone's attention that you left Notice nobody stole it. My man. Alright. Hey. You're listening to live from the past. Mister Colm.

If you have a Colm in your back pocket right now, congratulations on the Social Security or you need to change your weights. Those are your two options. You're listening live from the path. Here's what got going on the show today. First of all, driven eleven is is joining us in the studio. Dominic with driven eleven, and we're here's the deal. This guy does everything. This guy does everything. Like, he wasn't doing origami earlier when we were talking, but I feel like he had an itch for it. Yeah. And that's because he just got everything going on. He's he's he's written a a book. He's got he's got an album out recently.

He he's touring around. He's talking to folks. I all kinds of stuff, man. He's the coolest guy in the room, bar nut. Yeah. Yeah. So we're gonna we're so we're gonna talk to him and make him prove that and and catch up with him and see what's going on in his life. We also got some I got some Pope style advice, and the preview is is that let's see the right way to put this. Alright. The the preview for my pope style is we need to stop setting milestones and start start walking miles. That's my pope style advice. Mike's got some dear life in the past. Mike, do take a look at this at all? Yeah. There happens to be divorced parents have a very cozy relationship, and the daughter is she's itchy about it. She don't like it. She's not we don't care for it, Yeah. Well, I understand. Alright. So we're we will do that advice on Dear Life and the Path. Also, I was at I was with so we're on the Truth Network ninety nine point three FM broadcasting in into Central Iowa just relatively recently.

And they set up and they were broadcasting from the family values family Family leader. Family Leadership Summit. That's what it was. So that was in town. And if you you remember it, if you've been watching the news at all, because this this was the event in which Donald Trump said some considerably offensive things about John McCain, and also was asked if he'd ever repented or ever asked God for forgiveness. And he basically said, blah blah blah blah, no. So so anyway, I was there I was there all day, and there was a guy that recognized me there. And he goes, I'm really surprised that you're here. I wouldn't expect that you would be at one of these events. I'm like, that is correct, sir.

But I was I was there, and, it was interesting to be at a place where I normally wouldn't be. But I do have I do have a reaction to it, to I I I think the event as a whole and maybe some of the stuff that was going on. So, if we have time, I might talk about that. You know, we don't do a lot of political stuff, but I this is Jesus stuff. And so we'll we'll probably talk about that. Is there any chance, even though I did not attend, that you would accept my commentary on on what happened? No. Yeah. I think that's gonna be fine. Yeah. Okay. Excellent. Yeah. Definitely. I'm definitely ready for it. Alright. So a big thanks, by the way, before we get going and ruin the show, to Bob Eisenhower with the Eisenhower team. Go to eisenhowerteam.com for all your home buying and selling needs. Bob is just your man for the job. He does great work. I know a number of satisfied customers. That that's where Mike bought his house with Bob. He's come on the show many times. He's actually coming on the show here in the in the I just I just talked to him this week. Okay. Sweet. So he's coming in pretty soon. In fact, I I had to I had to get ahold of him because I drove past his office, and there's a piece of land for sale next to his office building not being sold by him. That's rough times. And so I took a picture of him. I'm like, Bob, what what's going on? Who is this charlatan, you know? And he goes, yeah. I know him. Of course, he's just a buddy of his or whatever. You know, he's worked for the same company. It's not a big deal. But I mean, was appalled. It's like taking a hotdog cart to the Burger King parking lot. You know I'm saying? Like, you don't set up selling real estate in Bob's backyard. He took it like a champ. I was upset on his behalf. It was unnecessary. Yeah. Bob's a quality guy. You want some hometown gossip or something? He's he's not dishin' out. Yeah. It's not his. I know that guy and he's alright. He's alright.

Anyway, Bob and as a matter of fact, the whole Isle of Our team is a hoot to have at the we had him at the last time we did a Life From The Path buffet night. We didn't do that again. Yeah. We gotta set that stuff up. Those guys are awesome. Yeah. Was fun. Maybe before, Bubba takes off. Oh, man. We'd have to get that in. That's like like directly. I was gonna say that's this week. I leave this week? Oh, you leave Monday. Right? Yeah. Leave a week from today. Yeah. Bubba's leaving the country. That means Bubba's not gonna be on the show for, like, three weeks? Four. Man, what are we gonna do with all the air in the room? I can we get a cardboard cut out of you before you take off? I we can put the Vader in his place. I think I own that, but I feel like you guys should be the ones who get the cardboard cut out because if I do it, I'm gonna get made fun of yeah. Yeah. We'll take care of this. Don't know what we're gonna tell his fans. All the boobies that are out there, they're gonna be of some Really? Well done. Alright. Anyway, sorry, Bob. Shoot. Hey,

Bob Eisenhower with you. I'm Bob Eisenhower with you. Go to eisenhowerteam.com. If you're looking to buy or sell a house, do not call one of us. We have absolutely no skill either in radio or real estate. However, Bob Eisenhower is your man for the job, and get ahold of him. Alright. So here's the here's the deal. First thing I want you to do, Dominic, I need you to explain to me here's here's the show here's the question I asked when he came here. I said, how was how am I to refer to you? Because you remember, we ran into this problem when king when King MC was in. Mhmm. So I like king MC. He's a good friend of the show, but I couldn't figure out if I was supposed to call him, like, the king. Mister MC. Mister MC. Or sir Eric. Yeah. Or his or his name. Right? And so, like, that's I'm not making that mistake again. So I thought, so your ministry is Driven Eleven. You are Dominic. Tell me the distinction between the two so that I might grow wise for it. And then tell me a little about about Driven Eleven. Alright. Well, you know what? Actually, can call me Digger if you want. That was my nickname growing up. I love it. Yeah.

Don't ask. No problem. No problem. Wait. That's what it is. Went through lots of tissues. But Oh, my. So

my name is Dominic Cox. Driven Eleven is ministry that covers me being an author, musician, speaker, or just about anything anyone needs. That's it. There's really nothing more to it than I'm just here to inspire people's faith in action. There's too many stagnant churches out there, and that's what I I we gotta get them moving. How how do we get that way? How did we get that way? Yeah. How did why why are churches stagnant? Sagnant? Because they're not doing anything. No. No. That's the definition of stagnant. That's the stat definition of stagnant. Right? You know, pond, it's just sitting there, it's kind of scummy, water, it flows, you know. That's a has the church never done anything or like how do we get to this point? How do we get to this point? Yeah. There's lots of reasons. We have people that just don't think they can do anything because they've lost self worth or they've lost value or

you know, so you gotta put me on the spot. Like, you know this is the first I've been on the radio in a while and then you just gotta ask these questions. We're an illegitimate radio show. It's not a big deal. I I said boobies. I I just find many people are scared to go. And it could be something as simple as just having a kind word or choosing not to gossip about somebody. It's those little pieces of kindness that we have in our daily lives with everyone around us that is putting our faith in action. It's not musicians going to radio stations like this lovely establishment here. Mhmm. Or You've been fooled on all levels. Fooled on all points. Or or anything like that. It's really the change is through fellowship and with working within your communities

right where you're at. And that's what the great commission is all about is just being active right where you are. And that's what Driven Lemon is trying to inspire. So where's the where's the name come from? Oh, great. You have five hours? I do. Fantastic. Alright. When I first started doing music about eight years ago, I was starting with a group called Driven Worship. It was a local worship band. It was kinda cool. I say kind of because we're doing mostly eighties rock. And So did you just take it up to eleven? I I took it up to 1981. Okay. You know, I so just that's what I did. I just pushed it. It's like hands are coming at me. Got it. You're in the wrong spot, Dominic. Smooth.

So so as we kept on moving along, I wanna make sure that we're hitting audience as well. So we just changed it to driven. Still, message didn't change, just the name. So as things are going along, moved down to Nashville. I became a solo act because all of my members went to different areas of ministry. One guy ended up

going with a mission group and now he's an A and R rep doing that. Had another gentleman went down to Honduras. I'm like, alright, Lloyd. Well, I'm here anyways. Solo act time. Let's do it. And started writing the book, started going to music. And as I was reading through scripture, I caught ahold of Driven 11, which is or not it doesn't say that in scripture. Take that back. I am not trying to blaspheme the word of was Dominic Culver saying Driven 11. Well, I've never seen this before. Hebrews 11. Faith and action to go not even knowing if you're gonna get a reward or blessing rather you go because you're supposed to and it may just be a blessing for somebody else. Mhmm. So that's where the 11 comes from. I don't have any tattoos for that though. Hey, man. I What do you have tattoos for? Yeah. What?

In a way, you I really love that puppy. I really love that. That's all I know. I I mean, I I I think that is I think that's well like, it's a thing that that we definitely need to hear. Because I I think I would agree there's some there's stagnation in the church. And I I think a lot of it is, we we just don't know what to do with ourselves, which is weird because, like, you you feel like Jesus kinda tells you what to do, and it came as a physical example of what to do.

But but I would agree that it that it seems we we sometimes have a hard time putting the finger as if we don't have access to the ability to do something with our lives. I think he nailed it with scared to go. Like, I I think they absolutely nailed it. They're like, they're just scared to go. Like, it like, it all seems like it makes sense, when you're when you're sitting listening to the sermon on Sunday, you're yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I get what you're saying. And then and then the situation will come up when you'll go, you can't really have meant that. Right? Because, like, it seems absolutely ridiculous. I'm I'm scared to to to trust that this is gonna turn out well. Right? I I think scared to go nails it. Right on. Alright. So hey. So tell me a little bit about the different, facets of what you got going on. First of all, you have you released an EP in March Yep. Called Light of the Future. So tell me a little bit about that. Alright. Well, Light of the Future is, I mean, the title song on it is light of the future, oddly enough, I'm not singing tonight. But the the whole course of that is, first was the light, then came the light. We are the light. God, it was the light. He's alpha and the omega was always here. Then he sent his son Christ to be the light for us. But now that he is risen and we are filled with the holy spirit, we are now called to be the light, the salt of the earth. Until he comes, it's our job. And that's the whole premise of the book that we are or not the book, but of, the light of the future of we are light. We're supposed to take action, get involved in people's lives. We're the light. Be the salt. And, man, doesn't that that change if you look at that from that perspective, does that not put into a very direct understanding of

where the light is the the darkness has to flee. Right? So so, like, if you put that on your own account, and recognize the power that comes with what what what Christ has otherwise sent you out to do, like, that's a powerful life. It is a powerful life where that stuff is being taken. And so I but I don't know. Maybe in combination of scared to go, we just don't recognize what thing what can we can do. I mean, I've never known actual light that is scared of darkness, though. I mean, light for the most part just says, oh, hey. It's dark in here. But guess what? Now it's not. And that's what light does. Well, that's true. I suppose it follows itself. Yeah. It it just didn't fade it it evades the room, and it says, okay. Now we're light in here. Boom. It takes over. That's a that's good a good point. That's a good point. Alright. Alright. Cool. Cool. So so that what what what else on the app here? Coming home, passenger, glory to his name. Are you playing any of those tonight? Oh, absolutely. Which one which one have you got on the docket tonight? I was gonna do coming home first. That's actually sort of my my testimony of my my biggest hang up is pride. Like you said earlier, I can do everything, and that that felt really nice. But I gotta remember, gotta direct worship up to him.

That's not about me. I I enjoy playing. I enjoy when people say, hey. You're you're playing nice music, and I do everything I can just to direct that worship back to him because I'm not designed for that. I screw up all the time. That's fair. Do you do origami, though? Do I do origami? Yes. I'm not answering that question. God has has restricted it to humble you. I actually so let's do this. Let's let's hear her coming home, and then we'll pick up more talking with Dominic. I was arrogant to think

I could chase after the wind. Oh, when I get swept away, so I bang my bangs on set encores. Temptations on this world

quickly broke my heart. Learned I'm better off a fool than to have it all without you. As my song grows faint tonight, I'll be running

back to you. Don't hide your love from me. The wind will come. I'm chasing you now. I'm coming home.

I'm coming home. I'm coming home to stay. I'm coming home. I'm coming home. Coming home to stay.

I thought that freedom at a scale mistook my pride for strength, disappointment my reward. Looked at all my hands I've done,

all meaningless under the sun. As my song grows faint tonight, I'll be running back to you. Don't hide your love from me.

Though when we'll go, I'm chasing now. I'm coming home. I'm coming home.

I'm coming home to stay. I'm coming home. I'm coming I'm coming home to stay. There you are with your arms wide open.

Loving me, loving me like I never left. There you are with your arms wide open. Loving me, loving me like I never have gone, I'm chasing

now. I'm coming home, I'm coming home, I'm coming home to stay. I'm coming home,

but I'm coming home. Coming home to stay. I'm coming home, and I'm coming coming home. I'm coming home to stay.

Man, I love that song. Yeah. No doubt, man. That was cool. I'd say it was good, but I don't wanna mess with your pride issues. I don't know if that Yeah. I could give or take it. Probably take it, but I could give or take You know? It's okay. It's like an Oldsmobile. Here's the deal. Like like, the same part of that that scripture that gets me is the same part of that song that gets me. Right? Like the I I I was I was thinking about this while you're singing. It's like, just the repeated chorus of I'm coming home, Like, it seems to mean more every time that you say it. You know what I'm saying? Like, it just seems to be, like, I'm coming home. Like, at first, don't really believe it. And then I'm coming home. Like, I I'm gonna do this thing. And then and then but you're just so resolute that I'm I'm just I'm coming home back to where I belong. And, like and I I know you're gonna be there. And, I don't know. I I really liked it, man. It was it was cool. Thanks. I think one of the things that I'd I'd picked up on and I love I mean, I from the concept of pride like you were talking about, it's funny you keep saying I'm coming home because we're the ones who have to move. We are the ones who need to change it. It's not God that needs to change to us, and it's not God that needs to move to us. We're the ones who need to humble ourselves and go to him. And we need to find ourselves realizing that he's the more important one. He's the he's the stronger one that we need to go to rather than the other way around. I like that a lot. Alright, man. So people wanna pick up that AP.

Where do they go to get it? Oh, iTunes, Amazon. They can go to the website, driven11.com, and it'll direct you right to it. Sweet. You can get it everywhere. How long have you been so how long have you been singing? Like, when'd you when'd you learn to to play guitar and sing and stuff? Actually, I've only been playing guitar for about seven years. I actually wanted to learn how to sing songs to my kids because you can't do it while playing a saxophone. Right. Yeah. I tried it. It's like Yeah. That's enough Baker Street. Yeah. So I actually picked up guitar, started to learn a few chords, got some bleeding fingers, and after about a month, I was able to play some songs for my daughter. Awesome. But as far as singing, I've been singing since high school.

Crazy part was after I got married and I was in the military, music left for like a good eight, nine years. It a back burner, And it wasn't until I started singing with the church that I started singing and playing again. Cool. It's funny it's funny how how how that can happen. Like, especially I I know we've ran into folks who,

you know, kinda were musicians, and they felt like this is what God has for me. And and then have have found their lives to be take kinda taken away from that avenue only to come back at a different time and have it be who who is, who is in here that was oh, shoot. Never mind. I'll think I'll think James Brown. No. Yeah. It is James Brown. Yeah. No. It's it's not. Watch me.

Remember when he was in here? I must be contain himself. Anyway, oh, it was Stevie Sites. Remember? Yeah. He was like, he was he had had some a and r stuff going on, like and things were really moving away. And then he said God basically took him up took him off it. And I think he he started a family, started raising kids, and now he's I was like a decade or something later, and he's back in on it. Yeah. And it was just a deal like God just had he gave him some talents, but he had something else going on. Yeah. That's pretty cool. Alright. So tell me about this book. You got a book coming out called Perception Matters. Yeah. Yeah. Customer Loyalty is Easier Than You Think. So what's where's this where's this book coming from? Alright. So at the end of the day, I am just a ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I am cleverly disguised as a musician right now. Sometimes I'm disguised as an author and all different kinds of things, and we're all disguised as different things, whether you be a carpenter, service. It doesn't really matter. And the books, yeah, that's what it says on the title. But the reality is it's just helping you improve your communication across the board, whether it be with your family or at work. I mean, it's geared more for your work because most of us have to feel those really ridiculous calls that are nuts. And you may work twenty four hours to help somebody, but at end the day, don't feel like they don't feel like you helped them and they just yell at you some more. And there's just some

minor things that we can change in our language and and the way we respond where we can actually work a little easier and people will actually believe and feel that you serve them because you have. That's it. So so, I mean, you're you're right. Does sound like that has broad implications kind of in our life. What are some common communication? Like, where where do things break down at where we we start to go askew unintentionally? You know what? I don't really care about making money in the books, so I'll just give it to you. It's really just five things. First one is repeat the need. When someone has an issue, when you talk tell them back what they wanted,

first, they realize that you're listening, and you can actually make sure that you know what they actually need. Second one would be assurance of a solution. Just let people know that you're gonna help them. Not that you actually have a solution because chances are you don't. You might have to go do some research. You might have to figure something out. Just give them an assurance like, we've got this. Here are some things I'm gonna go through for you. See, I've already forgotten the other ones now I'm on the spot. Actually, the first two are a great improvement over what I normally do. So That's the truth. I've been with Mike at a Panera Bread, and it's really awkward. So the next one would be just a time frame of a response. Let people know when you're gonna get back to them. And when you say it, actually call them back. That's actually step five, integrity. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Yeah. Bummer. And number four, which we skipped over, was say thank you.

Gratitude goes a long way, not just for the person that you're talking to, but for yourself. When you have a thankful heart, you've got a happy heart. Thank you, VeggieTales. No doubt. Right on. So so that translates though even out of corporate America into your marriages and stuff like Mhmm. I don't know. So what are some what are some ways that you people can start seeing impact in those types of things? You know what? I'll give you a good one. This one's right out the book. Imagine this scenario because this scenario never happens. You've got a husband and a wife, no kids, and he wants to take a nap in his hammock because he's had a long Saturday, what mowing lawn. It didn't really matter what he was doing because it doesn't really matter what we do. Touche. But he goes, I love you, honey. I'm serious. I wasn't a dick.

Hey. That's why they called him the deer. By the way, by the way, I've got an amazing wife, Julie, at home that lets me do all these things. She is awesome. So hello, honey. Love you. So he wants to take a a nap on his hammock, his wife's working on something. There's a table there, and it's a glass table, and it's kinda wobbly. And she's like, hey, honey. Can you fix this table for me? And he says, sure. I'll fix that later. And she goes, okay. And then he drifts off to sleep. Four hours later, he wakes up to a crashing table, and she goes, oh, you do nothing that you say you're gonna do. You said you're gonna fix this table, and you didn't. Then the table falls over. It crashes. You fall out of your hammock. You're bleeding. You run up, and you're like, what's wrong? She goes, I hate you. And she runs back into the house and you're bleeding going, I had like seven hours of later. What's going on? And your rest of your night just sucks over one tiny little thing. Right out of my diary, man. I'm telling Oh, that's all of us, brother. It's okay. It's just marriage. I just used that one because most people can relate to that. Now let's let's switch that around. Hey, honey. Can you fix this table? Sure. Do you mind if I fix that around 12:00?

She's gonna do one of two things. She's either gonna say, nope. I need a fix now, which as a loving husband, you'll be like, okay. Sweet. I'm gonna get it done because you love her. Or she's gonna say, no problem. And then you drift off to sleep. She goes works on something else. You come back at 01:00. You fix the table. Everyone's happy. Eat some popcorn. Watch a movie, and your marriage is awesome. Just because of one tiny little ambiguous thing of saying later. No. Give it a time. It clears up everything. Hey, man. The the first one had bleeding and the second one did not. No. Actually, second one is solid. There's a pros and cons list with the way that he handled each situation. And it seems like situation number two was much more beneficial Yeah. By doing and here's the deal, like, that's part of the integrity thing. Right? Like, that's part of the that is what like like, what that your later actually does mean later and that you thought about it and you do mean later. You're just not shoving off and saying, yeah. I'll get to it. Here here's the deal. Like, I I I made a mistake. I wouldn't call it a mistake, but I told I explained to my wife the way that my brain works.

And and I've I've generalized it, unfortunately, very correctly because this is how it work, but, like, I take in a gobs amount information and within two seconds, I've I've categorized it of stuff that I need to keep track of and stuff I don't. And there's a lot of stuff that falls into the stuff that I didn't think was important at the time and I shelved it. I put it somewhere and I don't recall it. The good stuff, I'll I'll I'll file away. Well, unfortunately, that means that, Mike, sometimes what I thought was important and what others think they're important are not on the same intake. You know I'm saying? Yep. And so I have to a, admit to that right off the bat and b, try to distinguish between I just didn't listen to you opposed to I took what you were saying, I just shelved it as something that was not gonna be of consequence later. And and I I think some of the things that you're saying will actually help define the way that I I deal with things just off the bat. Right? Like the way that you take stuff in, the way that you respond to things, and the way that that that that you purposely go out with integrity and and market what it is. I I don't know. I think that that whole process would be helpful. Right. Like, I I think

I think a lot of times we try to get away with vague integrity. Yeah. Yes. Because if I say later and it's like later could be a bunch of different stuff and I can fulfill that and feel like, but I hey. Like, I said later. That yeah. That's the phrase you wanna use with to my kids all the time. Because I was sick. I did. This is getting convicting. Yeah. Yeah. Later. So so, like, it's it's a it's a, hey. We value integrity. We just don't wanna be held real firm to whatever it is. So we so we're real vague about the things that we say, about the things that we promise. And, like, I don't know about you, but I've never been in the situation where I've done something like that. And I felt legitimately vindicated or positive when I said, I know you're upset, but if you recall, I said later, not necessarily this afternoon. Yeah. It's a duality of man of wanting to not be held accountable, but still be someone that you could be looked upon as reliable. Right? Yeah. That's cheap. Don't buy this book. We don't want that word out. Oh, man. Yeah. Shoot. I think I'm guilty of that. Man, I seriously, I don't wanna talk about it anymore. I feel very I I I I did this correctly once today and I failed at it also. My daughter asked me like at 08:30 and I leave for this show at nine. She said, can we do could you wanna play Battleship with me? I'm like, I would love to play Battleship with you. I don't think that we have enough time to do it correctly. I'm gonna I would have to leave halfway through. So do you think we could do it tomorrow night, like after dinner? And she said, sure. So I nailed it on that one. Yeah. The the the other daughter asked me if she if I could sit down and watch some Minecraft videos with her because she was watching Minecraft stuff. And I said, yeah. Yeah. We'll do it later. I'm sorry I don't have time right now. That was vague and I really had no intention of doing it. And it's not that we're be perfect. We're gonna screw up, but we're intentional about it. And the reality is it makes you manage your time better. You realize you're gonna have to say no sometimes. And then you'll prioritize what's actually important in your life and that works at that and then it rolls over to work then. When you tell a client, hey, I'm going to take care of it this time, you can prioritize your entire day based on giving timelines. I like this brand of because here's the reason I like this brand of thinking so much is because it's living life on purpose. Mhmm. Right? Instead of by a whim of of of wind blown hairs. You know I'm saying? Like, it's on purpose. I'm saying yes to this. I'm saying no to this. It's honest. And it it causes you to take, to deal with people and yourself in a little bit more, integrity than you probably have been. That's go ahead. I would say I say yes to everything even though I know I put it on the same shelf you do. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. I would love to do that. I'll probably forget this, but Right. Sure. Maybe. That's it. Sure. Maybe. Crap. You know what? That that is a good point, It's like when you talk about it from a time management perspective. Right? Like, if everything is nebulous, you have no idea how much time you actually have or do not have. Right? But if you're firm about something, I am doing this tomorrow,

not even this week, but, like, this is going on tomorrow. This is happening on Friday. You know, I know whether my Friday is taken up or not. Because, like, I now that now that I'm thinking about this, I got three things that I said are gonna get done this week. I don't think they're getting done this week. I think I know right now that they're not going to happen this week. Mhmm. And, like, either I need to find a place to stick them, or I need to call the guy who's who I said I was gonna do this thing and say, hey. It's not happening this week, man. And at at least that's an honest thing where that guy can actually deal with the reaction for me saying that ain't gonna happen versus just simply a random thing where, like, oh, I might be able to, you know, squeeze it in when I very well know that I just it ain't gonna happen. Yeah. But the sooner he knows that, the better he can plan out his week. Yep. You gotta be successful. Why is this so hard? Get rid of fear. Why do we have such a hard time with this? Like, it's literally the narrow gate to get this done for most people. Yeah. But you're you're taking options away from yourself. That's true. It's way easier to just say yes and not do it. It's way easier. You look The answer conversation, you go on, everybody's happy. No. That's true. You fixed the problem, which was me having to talk about this right now. Right. And you solve that by saying Yes. You know what it is? It's because it's a it it remains it's it's a short term short term gain completely ignoring the long term impact of what we're doing. Yeah. In fact, Chris Roloff, the guy who runs the station, and I were talking on Saturday about about even forgiveness. The peep that part of the message of people understanding the forgiveness of Jesus is being lost simply because people don't know what real forgiveness looks like. Mhmm. Right? They don't like, real forgiveness,

the way that we react to things generally has to do with, like, hey. I'm sorry. Oh, it's okay. Well, no. It's not. Thing that you did was not okay. Like, it caused harm. It caused grief. It's not okay. It is what it is. It was harmful. However, I forgive you. Right? Like, that is way different than something than dismissing and acting like it didn't actually have an impact. And, like, what we've what we've come to look as forgiveness in our our society has largely been things like, it's okay. Like, whatever I've done, I'm just gonna diminish the actual impact of it as opposed to saying, it had the very impact that you said it did or that that I'm feeling right now, but I'm forgiving that, as opposed the other way around. And so, like, the the the thing I think the forgiveness, of Jesus doesn't necessarily ring deep for some people is because they're used to God looking at their lives. They want him to look at and say, whatever you're doing, I'm okay with. As opposed to whatever you're doing is harmful,

but I forgive it anyway. Mhmm. And like and that's the thing is is like the the the core of that message gets missed when we look at forgiveness the wrong way. And it's it's the same basic principle of saying, we we fought for the short term. The short term, I just wanna feel better, so I want you to tell me it's alright, as opposed to the long term benefit of knowing that I have harmed someone. And in deep love, they look back at me and said, I love you and I forgive you for that harm that you caused. I mean, that's that is a law that's a long term perspective and a much deeper thing than just saying, it was a no problem. No prob yeah. Was. No. You know, that's what I'm saying. So, like, I I think it's it's just we we're fighting for, like, short term things to make things right quickly as opposed to make them actually putting them to rights fully.

And and we're missing out on that by by engaging in that level of discussion, engaging in that level of understanding and contemplation about the things that we do. You know, the same probably proves true with that thing that we were talking about earlier, though, about, the stagnation of the church. Right? Like, it's people taking the high c instead of waiting for the grape juice. You know I'm saying? Like like like taking the short term, just to visiting the church. Right? Like, showing up and I'm I'm kinda part of this thing. I'm half invested. I kinda understand what you're saying opposed to, like, applying the principles that that that, you know, Christ lays down and actually letting that joy actually do its work and become a truer and more, integrity driven version of of what Christ is offering. So so this all all actually kinda leads into the the tenor of my Pope style. Somebody introduce Pope style and then I'll take So what has happened recently is,

in the local crawls and in the local bars, a bunch of people have been talking about, the pope being in town and the pope actually living here. And they actually believe that Ben is the pope. A bunch of people have showed up on Ben's lawn expecting him to give some some kind of advice, that the pope would give, and and they're looking for something for him to speak into his life, into their life. And so they've they come upon his lawn, and they're not gonna leave until he gives them something, that pertains to his life, but they can also he they can take away from and, and go be better people. So Pope Ben, go ahead. Just to clarify, Ben is not the actual Pope. The real Pope is not the actual Pope. No. That's a given. I've been mistaken for the Pope. He does wear the hats. Yeah. Yeah. He wears the hats. The Pope doesn't have a hat with the air conditioning like I have. Mine's got mine's got the air here's the deal. So I got this hat for free from the Colorado visitor center,

and I love it. It's one of my favorite hats, but it's get it's junk style. And so, like, I either have to visit Colorado or see if I can you talk to them about giving sending me one or something. I don't know if they're gonna do that. Anyway Hey, man. You're the most street level pope I've ever been. Alright. So so here's my pope style advice. And I give it to you from the like, I've used this phrase recently for when it comes to the church, actually, when it comes to our church. And I was thinking about it as it applies to my own life. And so I'm I'm giving it to you so that you get off my lawn. And here's my pope style advice. It's time to stop setting milestones and start walking miles. Because I think what we run into is we we run into a life where we have we just wanna get a grasp of what we're supposed to do. Like, what how can I think can I think of the right right thing to do, the right direction that my life is to move?

Can I can I imagine what my life is supposed to be, the things that I value? I want a good marriage. I wanna I wanna, you know, provide for my family. I wanna do what God has me to do. And we've got all these things that we're constantly pondering what it is that we want to do with our lives and figuring out what our goals should be and all that. And I think one of our our hindrances to actually showing any productivity in our life or growing the kingdom or even following through what God has for us is that we spend a lot of time setting milestones, and we're never actually walking miles. We we we wanna figure out the we spend a lot of time figuring out the guideposts.

Where where should I be? How do I measure up? Where am I going? And that's great. But if you're not ever actually going there, like, you there's no there's no product. There's no fruit in your life. And so at some point, you have to stop setting milestones and start walking miles. And I I the the reason that hit me this week is there's there's like, I don't know, four or five random things that I have, habits in my life that I I randomly kinda touch touch on every once in in while. While. Feel like, I'm gonna do better at this. I'm gonna get some exercise, or I'm gonna stop drinking caffeine. Caffeine is, like, ravaging my stomach. I'm having nervous, anxious problems, and, like, I have it anyway, and caffeine makes it way worse. And, like, I think I gotta give up caffeine, and I gotta have a I gotta go start going to bed when I'm supposed to and getting up when I'm supposed to, get to work on time. And and and the the one of them was, if I tell someone I'm gonna do something, I actually have to, you keep my promises, similar to what to what Dominic's been talking about. And the truth is is that, like, I've been holding all those in tandem as things that, yes, I'm going I'm going to do at some point. And the truth is I'm gonna be 85,

and I would have had had set some really solid milestones for my life, and I will have walked zero miles. And I want people to be impressed by my milestones. I want hey. Hey. Hey. I'm working on being a good husband. Here's what I'm gonna do. I'm I'm working on following Christ like I'm supposed to, and I'm working on giving up my kingdom and taking on his, and here's what I'm gonna do. But I never actually walked the mile. I never actually fully committed to just doing the things that I that that I know I am to be doing. And so my milestones are worthless

if I'm not walking miles because then I'm just marking nothing. I'm marking the things in my mind of things that I would I would like to do. And I think that's true even in our our life following Christ is as a as a church it kinda goes to thing you were talking about, Mike. If you on a Sunday morning, you soak all this stuff in, and you're like 90% of the church, on a Sunday morning can walk out and be like, yes. I agree with my mouth. Where did my foot take me the next ten minutes? Right? Where did my conversation go the following day?

We set some milestones and said, here's here's the beatitudes, but no one wants to be the be the beatitude guy. No no one wants to hunger and thirst for righteousness. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. We're supposed to to to feed the feed the orphan. We're supposed to take care of the widow. Oh oh, good. 10% of the church is doing that? We're not walking miles.

We're just agreeing on cool milestones that Jesus also agrees with. And we just like to be in agreement with Jesus. And so the the thing is at some point, we've got to we've got to move from saying we really dig and agree on these milestones to just start walking miles. And, and that maybe that's not as flashy. May maybe that's, it doesn't come in a in a package campaign, and we don't get all these things where we get to say, here I'm not saying goals are bad necessarily, but what I'm saying is is, like, I think we're too infatuated with looking at where we're going or marking the things of which we intend to do, and we're just we're simply not doing a lot of mile walking. And we don't get exercise, and we get fat, and we get lazy, and we get tired when real stuff happens.

And that that is very much impacting me in my own life even just on basic habits, some of it in my spiritual life. I I think I we've seen some of that stuff in the church, and I I'm just thinking that it's beyond me even. And so my my pope style advice is to it's time to stop setting milestones and start walking miles. What do you think, fellas? I I feel like you've just described at least half of the meetings I've ever been in where everyone gets together, they all discuss it, and everyone's on the same page. And everyone leaves the meeting, and nothing actually gets done. It's just everyone came to a consensus about what they'd all like to do or they'd all like to see take place, but without any kind of actual tangible action steps and and a breakdown of, alright, here's exactly what what we're going to do, when we're going to do it, who is going to do it, and and just those specific details.

With everything just left out in that nebulous, you know, someday, some some way, somehow Yeah. We just are we'll come back and revisit it the you know, a month later, and it's like, hey. We we still wanna deal those things. Right? Yeah. We want to. Well, alright. See you guys next month, and we'll talk about the same thing. Then we have another meeting to talk about other stuff. And, you know, and nothing ever gets done. Yeah. You're right. Right. Just makes me think about, while you while you're talking and saying, you know, that going the miles rather than setting the milestones. It it just made me think about the when Jesus sends out the 72,

and and I can imagine, like, one dude going, okay. What are our goals for this entire situation, Jesus? Can we sit down and have a meeting about how we're gonna get there and and and what all we're gonna do? And and what exactly do you mean by walk? And and what do you mean by kick the dust out? Like, what what do I need to do? And I find myself identifying with that with my faith a lot is is I'd be the guy that goes, alright, Jesus. I need the 10 step plan on how we're doing this. And they didn't really ask for that. They just It was my demon quota. How many am I supposed to cast that? Exactly. I was like They they kind of just started walking. Yeah. And he said, go go out. Go into the towns and and and tell them that the kingdom is near. And the kingdom is at hand. Go. And and I feel like I'd be the guy that's just like, hey, man. What are we gonna do, Jesus? Can we talk about this before I have You're not shaking the dust off your foot right. I think it's more of a shake a wiggle. Hey, Jesus. I know you How do you like my dough shaking technique? But can we have a meeting about what what our goals are for this entire situation? Rather than just saying, hey, go and walk? I feel like I need a little bit more structure, Jesus. Who's who's the next best example in the Bible besides Jesus for exactly what Ben's talking about? Answer, Enoch. Enoch walks the miles. How many milestones that guy got? His only milestone was he walked faithfully with the Lord for like three hundred years. That was the only milestone he set. Other than that, he was just walking miles. That's true. Enoch walked to the Lord of three hundred years and then I got to see what this guy looks like. Great job, Enoch. Come on up. Yeah. That's it. What did you accomplish? Doesn't matter. I did it faithfully for three hundred years. Come pick me up. And and and I don't know. I think that that talks to one of the things that you were you were discussing, Dominic, was,

you know, regardless of of what comes out on the other end, we we go because we're supposed to go. I think I think a lot of times, we just we think we don't need more than that. But what we're actually doing in our lives, the the the good works that we were saved for, we're waiting for context. We wanna know what Jesus has got going on. We wanna we wanna see the end. I mean, that's that that was what was the Pope's style two weeks ago? Was it like, it's our constant be faithful in means, God will handle the ends. And being faithful to means means that you're you're walking miles. Because that's what being faithful in the means is. You're walking through the means. You're doing the work and letting God kinda take care of whatever goes from there. And and the thing is is, like, it's not like we don't have advice. It's like, jeez, it's it's been the same thing for a couple centuries now. Mhmm. Wait. Not centuries. What what's the thousand? Millennium. A couple millennium. Yeah. A couple At least two hundred years. Literally. Even at least forty eight years Wait. Wait. We've been playing Ever since America was formed, we've gotten this color.

When God's country came. I was trying to go from only when the KJV was printed. 1611. Okay.

So at least four hundred years God's word has been in practice. No. See, I mean, you gotta say it like it's It's not sexy though. Yeah. That's the problem. We we want the new thing. We want the new what's the new fad, the new excitement, and and and that's why we keep going for new goals and new things. And it's like, how about just be faithful? Yeah. Yeah. Pour in spirit. Walk with it. The new exactly right. Like, the new discipleship program from Lifeway Church. Whatever. You know what I'm saying? Like, let's try the old one. It worked for Jesus. It's gonna you know, we don't need a new fancy way. We just need to walk it for what we got. I was thinking that on the way here actually. Was in my mind, I was thinking, you know, like, what what are we thinking? What are we thinking when we're always looking for something new? And it's like, you know, have we tried Jesus' program yet? Like, have we actually tried submitting to the thing that Jesus said to do? Because the thing is, like, some of that stuff is hard. It's hard to say, give up everything in my life and let Jesus do what he wants with it. And, like, have you tried that yet? Because any other ideas outside of that, if you're not willing to do that, I I'm not really all that interested in. But that's the thing is that what you're prescribing is not good for small group attendance. You walk in and people are like, hey. I'm just trying to feel out your church. You're like, here's what we're asking. Actually, more pointly, here's what Jesus is asking. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know if this is for me. You guys are you guys are creepy. Does Jesus have a version version two point o of his plan? It's like, we didn't even try the first plan. We have a we have a What makes you think Jesus feels the need to do 1.1?

Can someone update and improve on this guy? I mean Which is what we've been trying to do ever since we made the printing press. We got it right when we printed the bible and then after that, we just we just came up with pamphlets and new curriculum and here's a new way to look at it. And we're like, well, let's just try the Jesus' way to look at it and see if we get some because what I mean, what's the what's the the the constant worry. Right? That you're spreading the gospel and you're making no disciples. You're telling everybody about Jesus, but but Jesus was able to make disciples, people that lived in the kingdom, people that promoted the kingdom, people that talked about the king. Right? And our worry is is that you're throwing it out to a bunch of deaf ears. But the problem is is like we're not we're not giving people or asking people what Jesus is asking of them. Right? You're giving them less and giving them option to to to set a bunch of milestones and say, well, are you being nicer to your coworkers? Well, you know, I I feel like Jesus will make that change in you. It's not a benchmark for you to make. Your your goal is to follow Jesus faithfully in the me and that and he'll work that out through you. Right? Well, I mean, I I suppose that's the thing though is like if you what what we're giving them are the milestones and they look at your life and like, well, guy's not walking miles. Yeah. What do you know? You're no Enoch. Which which which here's the deal is like, it's not like your it's not like your works save another guy. But the truth is is that if if you tell me that something is true and then I look at your life and say, I don't see anything like, truth impacts you. It changes who you are. It changes what you do. And so if it's true, I would expect it to do something. And, like, that's that's the Ephesians two ten. Right? Like, if you're if you're saved by faith for good works and you've you're saved and you're not doing good works, then the question is, like, what is the act you're believing in that doesn't change your life whatsoever? Yeah. And so if you try to tell somebody else that, yeah, Jesus changes everything and I look at your life and not everything has changed, I'm like, either you're a liar or Jesus is a liar. Pick one. And, like, they, like, it's easier to point a finger at Jesus because they don't know Jesus. They don't wanna call me a liar that we have lunch.

And so who gets the shaft? Exactly. Yeah. I don't end up saving my my neighbors or my friends, but my life gives credibility to the message that I go out and tell them. So if I'm going around saying, hey, God loves you in a in a dramatic and radical way, and I'm only showing them this love that's just so casual and so very commonplace that's expected, then my message and my lifestyle are just in two totally different worlds. Right. And there's no credibility to it. Right. This is actually kind of the message that me and Melinda being on the road have been hearing continually this whole week that it's our salvation is what sanctifies us, but it's

it's justified by our actions. Right. If you don't have that, then Yeah. Where's where's your faith then? Yeah. You know, do you really have it? And then that's oh, that's scary. Well, no. I don't wanna have that conversation. No. No. No. On. But there's a practical implication to it. I mean, yeah. We agree that that you are saved and it's entirely by the works of Jesus, but it's something that should be transformative. And if your life is not being transformed, then it's well, it's entirely in response to something. So maybe there's an aspect of the gospel that is still yet to pierce your heart that you need to be seeking out God and and let him change you, let him transform you because otherwise, you're just living a life that's a reflection of yourself and not a reflection of him.

Right. I mean, you're certainly missing out. Yeah. I mean, that's the thing. Like, take take take the salvation debate off the table. Mhmm. If you if those are the things that you believe and your life isn't being transformed by it, then you're most you're missing out on the experience of living in the kingdom. You just know what it what it's supposed to be like and opine for it. Mhmm. And, like, that's a rough life knowing it. Like, that's right around the corner and all it's whatever is lacking in that turn turning it and actually kingdom living, that's that's rough times to live on the edge. And that's what's weird. It's like so so often these reactions that I think we see in life is people are living the harder life. They're living the harder life because they understand everything and they want they say, I believe that thing. But because of what they're not willing to give up, they're on the precipice of living in a delightful existence within the kingdom of God in which people knowingly and willingly sacrifice their lives to say, the the king knows what's going on. I I I'm willing to do this thing. And and and, like, that's the thought process that can end up with a guy who's living in the kingdom. And we live on this peripheral edge that says, I'm not willing to give it up. And so, like, that's a very weird spot to live your life where you're constantly conflicted about wanting to fight for your own kingdom, knowing that God's kingdom is the right one, and then you're like, that just seems like a terrible way to go about your business. Mhmm. And and, like, you don't really exist anywhere. And, like, that's that's the story of of your of your Matthew. Right? Mhmm. Your tax collector who doesn't live anywhere. He's he's on the periphery of the of the Jewish society because he's a tax collector. And the Rome Rome they're just doing their bidding. They'll find another guy to do it. He doesn't mean anything to them either. He he exists nowhere.

But the man finds, you know, a place where his life actually begins in the company of Christ and doing his work going forward and he's willing to die for it. And and, like, it's just I living on those edges, people I I I think we just don't realize that we're living on those on those edges and that our lives are much harder than they are simply because we're trying to hold to both. When if we just if we can just give up what our kingdom and and move over, your life, that that burden is still light. The earthly consequence may be may be fierce, but the burden itself is still light. And we're carrying a lot more than we have to simply because we we've not we're trying to stand on the edge. Alright. One thing one thing that I found universally true is that everyone, no

matter what context they've had with God, there there's always something deeper that God can call you to. Either you've had no context whatsoever and and you're about to take your first steps of faith or maybe it's something that you've been faithfully just doing whatever God says to do for the past twenty years. But there's always something deeper. There's more more blessings, more something that he that he can call you to. And as you we have this aversion to say, okay, God. I'm not sure I wanna trust you deeper just because it's so new, it's so different, and I'm so used to this old comfortable way of doing things. But we're always being challenged by that of are you willing to step into the deeper things of God? Are are you willing to take deeper steps and and run faster in his kingdom and and just be more dependent on him with your life? And

usually, are uncomfortable steps, but there's something that build upon each other as as we are are chasing after this Christ like life. And it's awesome and scary and wonderful and yeah. I love it. Alright. Alright. Alright. That's the Pope style. Start walking miles. I'm working on it. I'm working on walking miles a day. Yeah. No pot for two days, Pete.

And I reinstituted No Bible No Breakfast. No Bible No Breakfast is fierce. Like it. I could see that saving someone's life one day like, well that man, he gave up caffeine. I believe in Christ. I love Jesus. That's true. You could apply your book principles on delivering the gospel almost right off the bat, like restate the problem, you don't know Jesus. I'll give you a time frame. I can help you. I'm gonna tell you about it right now.

Thank you for asking. What was step five? Integrity. Integrity. Integrity. Actually do it. Tell the truth about the gospel. Don't be making crap up. Alright. You're listening live from The Path. Hey. Thanks for joining us so far. We're we are talking with

with Dominic Cox with the Ministry of Driven Eleven. Yeah. Hey. So you can pick up Perception Matters, if you so if you see him, if you find him in person, if you go to driven11.com, I assume they can find out where you're at? Yes, sir. Okay. Sweet. So if you can see him in person, you can pick this thing up. Wait. Are you out? Are you out of copies? What? Oh, I'm out of the official release of the book is actually August 8 and will be available everywhere. Amazon, Kindles, whatever you want. Right. Right. So you can after the official release release, you can pick it up just about any place. If you see him on the road though, he's he had some pre release copies. No doubt. Yep. You can also go to Tate Publishing. It's the only other place you can get pre released copies. Okay. Sweet. Tatepublishing.com.

You can pick that. You're looking for Perception Matters by Donwin at Cox. And also, can pick up that EP, go to Driven 11, and Everywhere Fine music is sold and distributed. You can pick up the album there. Alright. So, hey, let's before we hit up on a station break, let's let's let's hear one more tune. What what do you got for us? Actually, it's gonna be exactly what we're talking about. It's called Passenger. I'll let it speak for itself. Oh, at that. I got a tune. It's

hot in here. Thank you. I do I do my best. I thought I the only one that made that joke. What was the propaganda? I'd like to help. Thought I knew my way,

I'm just a passenger, and I'm giving you my soul living up control. Oh, I'm just a passenger. Oh,

oh, You took the mess I made, the wreckage that was me, and you gave me freedom. Freedom. Now all I want

is what you want for me. And I'm giving you my life. I want you to enjoy. Oh, I'm just a passenger, and I'm giving you my soul.

Giving up control. Oh, I'm just a passenger. Oh, oh, oh.

And I'm giving you my life. I want you to drive. And I'm giving you my life. I want you to drive. Oh,

oh, oh, oh, And I'm giving you my soul. Here we go.

And I'm giving up my life. Oh. Oh. Good job, everybody. That's Hey. I hope you wanted us to sing along with Oh, yeah. That was awesome. We didn't really ask prior to us doing it. You guys brought in the gang vocals. That's cool. Oh, man. We gotta sing along with this. Alright. Let's We're needed, boys. Here we here's the deal. We we really looked out because we do o o o's on everybody that comes in here. We are chanting. And it just happened to fit the tune you were singing. Yeah. Yeah. It's been really awkward other times. If there's a section of o's, we are on it.

You're listening to live from the path on live from thepath.org broadcasting every Monday night from ten ish to ish. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Here we go. That's sat Saturdays at 7PM on the truth network, nine nine point three FM. If you are listening on the truth network, we've got to let you go. Big thanks to Bob Eisenhower with the Eisenhower team. Go to eisenhowerteam.com for all your home buying and selling needs. If you're listening to the podcast, we'll be right back with you with more from Driven Eleven. Be faithful in the means. God will take care of the ends. Thanks for listening to Live From The Pack. Woah. Woah. See, it doesn't fit everyone.

Oh. Oh, shoot. I should have done I started trying to think of my reaction to that to that Faith Value Summit thing or the leadership Why are you doing it on the podcast, Liam? I should've done it on the radio. So I'm gonna tell you a little bit about this, and then I'll I'll give you my reaction, and then we can go oh, shoot. We we didn't get into the articles. We're gonna have to wait on those articles.

Hey. This is where you've lost your integrity. You do this every week. We're gonna talk about these articles. We're bringing it back full circle. I thought we were gonna get to them, Mike. Make your stuff time bound, man. I had every intention. Here's the thing. The problem is we get to talk about something, and then you slam the side of your arm dress. You go, I'm a tell you something else. And then and then you go, You just need legs. That's the problem. So so I went to this this family leadership summit.

So it does a couple of things. So, like, the the stated goal of the thing was kinda talk about business family issues. Right? Mhmm. Except there were, like, 10 other presidential candidates that were were there that were vying for the Republican nomination. Although the deal was you couldn't it's a couldn't like stump. It was kind of a cool format actually. Like what they did was basically they brought the guys up there and then there was a moderator who was a guy with Fox News that was asking the that was basically helping moderate the conversation. But they they basically went around the audience and the audience got to ask the questions. Like, they didn't filter these guys. You just pick people and then they got to ask questions. And some of these questions were pretty interesting. And that's the one that that got, like I said, got Donald Trump in trouble. And then they'd ask him whether he'd ever ask for forgiveness, and he basically said no. Which, I mean, you gotta know your room, man. Yeah. It's a weird place to say something. You're standing in the middle of evangelical right Iowa. You know what I'm saying? Although, here's the deal. It's there there are people like, I can't believe he he said that in in this in this audience. The But truth is, like, I'd rather he be honest about it. That's truth. Like, he he he said the truth. No. I haven't. Okay? I'd rather than him shilling in front of in front of the whole audience. But anyway, like, one of the things that I noticed, like, there was a there was a lot of people there. There were a lot of guys talking about things that otherwise

that otherwise I would agree with, I think. Generally speaking, I think we agree because I I think they're pointing to say, here's here's what the Bible thinks is important. Here's what our life should look like. Here's the types of moral things that we care about. But I think it narrowed in as to what there was something about that made me uncomfortable. The the the one I was there, I thought, I just I just I don't know if this is doing anything. I don't I don't know if we're actually being productive. And it some of it goes to we're just talking about a bunch of stuff, and that we're not actually, you know, doing the thing making a difference in the things that we're talking about. And I think that came to a head, there was a I heard two or three people. There were some guys out there protesting for plan to defund Planned Parenthood. Okay? Were some also some free thinkers out there who are basically, I am I'm a voter too. Although, I don't they they don't seem to vote Republican. So, like, I I think they were in the wrong area. But they were trying to make the point that keep your religion out of my stuff. I vote too. And so anyway, there are people kinda interacting with these these two groups of people that were arguing. And and people that were coming in that were trying to engage the free and I heard like three or four people goes like, hey, man. Do you engage the free thinkers? Or did you engage the atheists? And I thought, mercy.

And they're like, yeah. Oh, yeah. I love doing that stuff. I'm like, oh, This is this is why. This is this is putting a definition on the things that I don't care for right here. And so I heard people telling stories, and the and the stories were basically, yeah. Oh, yeah. I I love to talk to those guys. Like, they are they're dead in the water. And and like I tell you know, we had a decent conversation, and then, you know, really kinda put him in his place. And and like, I heard I heard numerous stories like that throughout the day. At the end of the day, I, I I I think I can't remember who was talking to, but we were we were kinda talking about that. And I said, you know, like, if my whole takeaway from this is is that, like, we may agree as, for example, that the guy that doesn't believe in God is I I think he he doesn't believe the right thing. Okay. I think we agree there. But like,

are we are we moving the needle at all here? By engaging a guy and be like, You're wrong. And like like, that guy didn't change his mind. He didn't change your mind. That guy doesn't know the love of Jesus. I mean, what did we do? What did we get together and do? When we had this this big this big deal where people are asking questions, we're like, oh, now I know where so and so stands. I'm like, okay. I mean, I'm not saying there's not value to understanding who you might be voting for or like what they believe. But like, maybe it just it maybe fits in with my Pope's style advice, but it felt like a bunch of milestones. People talking about the thing, the place they should be, the thing how they wish it would. Like, there's been peoples, you know, they're flailing about the, about the Supreme Court stuff and, like and and that their ways of solving a problem of people

who aren't listening to a holy spirit. Right? Like, are are basically finding other ways to make the American government their holy spirit. And and that's what we're fighting for. And like, that guy's like, maybe you do that. Maybe you succeed. And that guy still doesn't know Jesus. And I thought, like, we and we've kinda talked about that stuff before. I just it's weird to be in a group of a group of people where I feel like if you were to give us an test on the things that we believe, I mean, damn it. We'd come we'd come dead on. Like, we'd come real close on the stuff that we believe. Alright? But, like, the things that we're spending time and energy and money

to influence that I'm I'm just not confident that we're actually helping people know Jesus. And and that we're we're even following him in the process. And, like, I I say that I've I say that probably a little vaguely because, like, I can't speak on behalf of all those people there. Like, I just can't. But but as a group, I just feel like our output reflects

things that aren't as concerned about helping people know who Christ is. And we're claiming the wrong victories. We put an atheist in their place. Well, Well, as long as their place is hell, I'm glad you worked on it. Right? But I don't want him there. Like, I think, like, he should go somewhere else. Did we do any work to that? Did we make any progress on that guy? There was one of the guys that was, doing the one of the end of the broadcast towards the end of the day, and he was talking about one of his he he goes he he said, do you he says, you wanna you wanna surprise an atheist? You love them.

You care about them. You care about what they have to say. You care about what they think. You you discuss with them things that they find important. He goes, there's a there's a guy there's, like, a I don't know. He's a well known atheist, I think, in the in the South somewhere. And he goes, I go on that guy's podcast, and he comes on my radio show because I care about what he thinks. Yeah. Do I disagree on what he thinks? Sure. Right? But I care about what he thinks because I care about him. And like, it's a people it's a people thing. And so

it's not fair probably to extrapolate that on the event. It's probably not fair necessarily to extrapolate on the people that I like I know some people at the event. I know where their hearts are at, I think. But but I just I just wonder if sometimes we lose a little bit of perspective on the effort that we put into events like that. And then we we talked about you got 10 I bet it's even less of people that are actively engaged in widows and orphans work. Mhmm. That are actively engaged in saying,

look at how Jesus describes people that live in his kingdom. Look at these beatitudes. I'm fighting for that, for me and for the people around me. And and I don't know. That that's what that's what I walked away from. There was just I it was just a little bit uncomfortable with with the time and energy that we're spending that I'm not sure actually accomplishes what I what deep down I think we all want to accomplish. I just wonder if we're diverted a little bit. So that I don't know. That was kind of my reaction for for having been there. Yeah. It is. It's it's kinda disheartening. I I I used to be in the middle of all that myself. And

maybe it's just having a few decades in on the game when you look back and go, none of it mattered. None of it. You know? All the fighting and and the passion and and this guy has to believe this and believe that, and we're gonna get the right guy in, and he's gonna really move the bar for whatever moral issue. And it never gets moved. You know, because because they usually, they're just pandering to the believers anyway. So it's like, why are we even playing that game? It's it's it's it's it doesn't matter. I I it doesn't let let's say they get every law in that that we like. Yeah. Right? It doesn't send anyone to heaven. We've failed. We've completely failed as a church, and we spent all that energy worried about that,

which was good. It was moral. We got some good morals, but but they're not Christ followers. And that's what we're supposed to be making. That's what we're called to do is make disciples, not not change the laws of the land. And and it I don't know. It really hit me just in the recent years, you Yeah. Know excuse me,

where I had I really kinda changed my heart on the whole thing. It's like, well, what a I've wasted decades. You know, isn't that the with that. Isn't that the the grand prize golden apple of the ruler of this world. Right? Because like the beginning the the the new church directly descended from from Christ and and and started by the disciples. Right? Like, they lived in an oppressive kingdom where it wasn't even a thought that they were gonna change the land they live in. Right? They never thought, we need to improve the Roman government.

And if we could just get them to do these things and live this way, things will be better. Different book. Know I'm saying? Stephen's like, if only I were a senator. Yeah. I could straighten this world out. And so and and then you look at you look at what we have and what we have is a secret hope in in the possibility that that the country we live in or or whatever democratic society we're part of will operate

as God's kingdom here on earth until Christ comes back and finally just runs the place. But until then, we will run a smaller version. And and, like, there's an odd hope in every democratic society that the the Christians in that nation that we're gonna pull that off. It's not gonna happen. You know what I'm saying? But we live in that in that. If we can just get Christians in the in the political system, we'll have it. If we can just get Christians in places of authority, then we'll have it. And like, it's it's it's it really is like an odd foolish endeavor that we don't see it for what it is. Right? But if I was if if I was the ruler of this world and I wanted you to think that maybe maybe get your attention off what where it needed to be, maybe I'll I'll say, look, there is an opportunity to set up Christ's kingdom on his behalf. Would you like to do that? I sure would. I sure would. And I'll spend my life getting that set up. I'll do it, Stan. He calls him

Stan. He calls him Stan. The body of Christ has made this just a weird way to do it. If you think about this, it's it's they have decided that or unfortunately, it seems like we've decided that you should own the problem Buva it's you. It's me. Have decided. I have decided. Yeah exactly. Make make more chances for me to say the word I Mike. Great job. So

we've decided that going for a moral America which we've talked about many times in the show. Going for a moral America is the best way to do this. We we've decided that for some reason. We've decided that rather than finding a nation of disciples and a nation of people who honestly and earnestly seek the heart of Christ. We've decided that that is the worse situation rather than finding a nation of people that might lead us out of it by making laws. It makes absolutely no sense. Well, I mean, here's the deal. I mean, give people some credit. Like, I think they're in they're well intentioned. Right? Oh, agree. Yeah. They they they have the idea that that the easiest way to influence something on a broad scale is to impact

the the laws of the of the nation. Right? Agreed. And and there's level and there's there's also don't get me wrong. Within the nation's laws, there's levels of protection here. Like, sometimes, you set laws that people would reject for more reasons that I would still fight for simply for protection. I I mean, abortion laws would be one of them. Right? I care about that. Mhmm. So but but but but ultimately, I I mean, you're you're right. We've invested in the wrong thing to make significant change. We've we've we've invested in building fences and not, you know, helping helping to make sure that, people aren't stealing the chickens within the fence. That's what I'm saying. If we go out and we decide that rather than trying to change the laws and change the infrastructure, we change the people involved in it, we're not gonna have to to to to rally for laws. If we have a nation full of believers that that are that are, disciples and doing Christ centered work, we no longer have to rally for different laws that are gonna be there. It's going to happen. It it it's not something that we need to worry about from from an infrastructure.

Right. It's actually the same it's the same understanding of the the way to reduce legalism of the church is to point people to Christ and let the holy spirit do his work. Yeah. Right? And so it's it's the same basic premise. It's like as a as opposed to spending all our time figuring what guardrails to set in people's lives and making sure we put guys in there to hit them when they get when they get them wrong is is is point them to Jesus and and be a be a community. It's not like there's nothing about being a community. Sometimes your community is your guardrail, and and Christ would push you back on them to do that. But, like, we don't need to be legalists. The Holy Spirit takes care of things like that. We don't have to do that. There's a surprising amount of freedom in in Christ's kingdom as he offers it to us. And and it's something that I would rather be a part of a kingdom where abortion is legal, but no one's interested in it Right. As opposed to a a land where abortion's illegal, but everyone's clamoring for it. I mean,

you know, one's more a reflection of the of the heart of Christ. Yeah. A lot of it is too is knowing where the true authority is. Yes. I love America. I love everything we've got. We've it's awesome that we're here. But the reality is is that the true government, our our true authority comes from God, that starts with the body of believers. So if we start in our local churches and we actually pour into each other and pour into our communities, that's where real change actually begins in my heart. At least that's how I feel about it. And I believe that's where scripture points us as well. Make disciples in our churches Mhmm. And it multiplies naturally. The laws don't even matter at that point because everyone knows what the moral code is. Right. But that's that's harder to do because then I have to actually go and surrender to God. The other one is I get to actually kinda lead the charge. And I'd rather lead the charge up up Washington as long as I get to be in control. You know, surrendering to God, that that's Yeah. But I don't wanna play by their rules. Yeah. I like I'm my authority better of Christ. So about about twenty years ago, my wife and I are in a hospital and she's bleeding to death and she's, has a a child.

She's with child and, the doctors are basically saying, you know, you're both not gonna make this. And so we're having the conversation. Our conversation wasn't, well, what's the law of the land right now? You know, we we had the conversation and Cheryl's like, I've had a good life. What would Jesus do here? Let's give this baby life. You know? And and we basically said, take take the it's it's we're we're keeping the baby. And at that point, it was too late. So, you know, you know, it's one of those it happened. Obviously, Cheryl's still here. You guys all know her. Yeah. Except you. But,

you know, it it we didn't it didn't matter what the law was. We we had made a decision based on what we felt was was what would what would Jesus do, I guess, the best way best way to say that. And because of our relationship with Christ, we we we were going with with life. And even if it meant the sacrifice of another of our own. Right. Right. Of herself. I mean, she volunteered. Right. And that was a you know, that that's what it is. That's what that's it's a I don't care what the laws are. Right.

This is this is what we do. Yeah. This is what we do. It's funny. There's a large amount of messages that come out of out of the church today where where they miss this completely. Right? Like, we spend a lot of our time teaching how to live a Christian life in the world that you live in. How to be in this world but not of it. Right? And where where we really miss the opportunity to say, you know, stop trying to participate in in in what the ruler of the world set up. Right? Stop trying to participate in that wheel. That's not your wheelhouse, man. Like like, understand that the that the the kingdom that Christ said that he's gonna set up is done. He set it up. Live in it. Participate in it. Be there. Like like, do your do your work. Do your job. Do your loving. Do your dying. Do your fighting. Do it in that kingdom and and stop trying to act like like like you have allegiances in both places because you know that the joy comes in the allegiance to this one. Right? And like we missed that. Like it's five steps to how to how to be a Christian at work. Just be a Christian all the time. Right? Like stop stop doing this to yourself. It's just like you were talking about walking right on the on the edge, you know. You're like the proverbial carrot on a stick, man. That's you. Where where you got Jesus in front of and you're just you're just walking around the whole time and never actually tasting the the the the the benefits and the joy of being in that kingdom. And they're like and I and I think it kinda comes back to they're just scared to go. You're scared to live there. You don't know how you act like you don't know what's gonna happen. You know the rules. You know what you know who runs the place. Do you need to know anymore? Right? Like, hopefully, my kids feel safe at my house because I am there. This the part no matter what happens, when the tornado shows up or when someone knocks at the door at night, they're cool because dad lives here. Right? That should be enough for me. Yeah. I should be able to live in a kingdom that Christ set up because I know the guy that runs it and that should be enough. And so that scared stuff which

I buy into, really shouldn't be an issue. Right. And it just and and frankly, that's the thing that kills me is, right, it doesn't make any logical sense to me. You know what saying? If I if I know this to be true and I know the guy that runs the kingdom that I live in, I I have literally no reason to be afraid, yet I am. Yet I am. Because I don't know what you're gonna do with my trust, God. I don't know what you're gonna do with my trust. And that scares me. And so I'd rather have control of that trust and say, I love you. I appreciate what you do. I just don't trust you. You know what saying? I flat out don't trust you. And I suppose that's the truth in any relationship. Mean, we have you have marriages that are you're missing out on this deep love for each other simply because I'm not sure what you're gonna do with it. The more the more that I'm open to you, the more that I the more trust that I give you, maybe I don't completely know what you're going to do with that trust, and so I don't take the risk. And so and you miss out on the connections that are there. Same thing as with our relationship with God. Yeah. We're just not willing to do it. And, you know, I I was thinking I wonder if kinda tie it back into to to all what people's intentions are is is we've kinda bought into the Reaganomics approach. Is that that we're gonna try to influence this thing from the top down and then watch it trickle as opposed to doing the work from the bottom up. And I I feel like the work of Christ is is bottom up work. Is is is that you you you interact with one guy, that guy interacts with two guys and and and that's how things work. We don't we don't Regonomics discipleship. And and I think the the more effort we put into trying to influence government, I'm not saying not participate in it, you have freedom to do such a thing. And to the extent that you can positively influence,

I don't know, putting safety around people from harming themselves, I think you should do that. But the truth is is that if your expectation is that your trickle down Jesus approach is going to impact the masses, it just it just seems like that isn't how it works. That isn't they send out two by two. They don't try to take over the impersonation. No. Yeah. Because we already have one. We have a we have a thing on to talk to the lepers. Do know what I'm saying? The Reaganomics is you stop in the village and say, I'm gonna teach you guys this. When do y'all need to go talk to the lepers? That's not what happened. Right? He's like, hey, boys. Here's the deal. Yeah. Alright. Anyway, that that was it. That was it. I that was my reaction. It was weird. I thought the conference was okay.

You did not even go to the conference. That's why my opinion of it is pretty mediocre. I wasn't a fan. It's kinda right in the middle. I just wanted to disagree with burned me one way or the other. I stood actually, there was this kind of weird moment. So one of the broadcasters was interviewing Bobby Jindal. And I was standing right next to his wife because I was helping with the production stuff. And like, at probably about three minutes, was sitting there. Should I say something to Bobby Jindal's wife? Like, she's like standing right here. And I and I I spent three minutes trying to think of what I should say, and I thought, I can't think of anything good to say. And then I just backed away and sat down. Because I thought, what am I gonna do? It's like, remember that time I said, hey, this is kind of a different kind of life you live here, missus General.

Like, yeah, classic. Yeah. That's a way to make a difference in the world. Thanks, radio man. I sat down. I thought, no. You there's no real like, I don't even know what about me says you should say something. Why? What is what is my impulse to, like, hey, I need to interrupt her day while she's Facebooking to make sure that she heard me ask a dumb question. I thought, no. No. I think we're just gonna let that slide. Alright. Anyway, you're listening to Life From The Path. Mike, we got time for we got time for a dear couple of Dear Life From The Path. Yeah. Yeah. We we could rock it. You ready? Yeah. K. Here we go. No. That one's heavy. We don't we're gonna go ahead and dig on that one. Dear Life From The Path, at 24, I am fortunate to have loving, functional relationships with my mother, father, stepmother of fifteen years, and stepsister. I attribute my healthy childhood to the fact that my mom and dad have always acted as best friends when we're together despite having been separated almost my entire life. However, lately, I've been finding my parents' relationship very inappropriate.

They have been hanging out together often without me and almost certainly without my stepmother's knowledge. I have stumbled upon suggestive texts that imply a flirty relationship and probably more. I don't know whether there are recent developments or if I have just stopped being naive. I never want my stepsister to discover anything about my mom and dad the hard way. I especially don't want to see her hurt by becoming a child of divorce. Would I be overstepping my boundaries if I ask my mom and dad to spend less time together and restrict their relationship to being parents to me and that's all? Hurt child slash woman. How's she again? 20? 24. 24. 24.

Wait. Wait. I'm confused by the question. Yeah. Oh. I I think I'm hearing where her parents got divorced, but now the divorced parents are flirting with each other again. Yes. Right. Yeah. Okay. That's what I thought I heard. After like twenty years. Yeah. Yeah. So what was the what was the question she asked at the end? Excuse me. Did she tell the parents that Would I be overstepping my boundaries if I asked my mom and dad to spend less time together and restrict their relationship to being parents to me? And that's all. Do you think that they actually would though? Yeah. Actually, it's none of your business, I guess. So I mean It's all your business, but Yeah. My instant reaction is is yes. You are overstepping your balance, but I think you're overstepping on what it is that you're asking. So, like, right now, all your information is kind of you're you've gathered from like, they didn't say, hey, we've become a little flirty with each other. You've been peeping, and you found out some stuff. So, like Yeah. I think it's here's the at at that age, do I think it's okay for you to ask mom and dad? Yeah. I think so. I'd bring it up. I think it's a reasonable conversation. Dad, what's going on here? What hey. What's up? What's

This looks looks funky fine. Yeah. But, like, mean, if you're gonna charge in and say, hey, you guys are gonna see less of each other, yeah, go freaking love with that. Yeah. Really. Yeah. I think it's not working. Here's the law with no change. Here's just the law. Obey it. Nah. Yeah. You don't set the laws here. Yeah. So I think you're overstepping to dictate what they do. Mhmm. Would I bring up that conversation? Yeah. Think so. It's okay to say you're uncomfortable with it. Yeah. Yeah. Just say, hey, this kinda creeps me out. But This is little weird. Yeah. What do you guys do? Or does it? It's weird. That's weird. I mean, would creep me out. But Yeah. I would say the worst thing you can do though is to talk about it with everyone else. Yes. I mean, I know you said in the question. Hopefully, one's listening, but that's something that you should address with them directly and just say, hey, this is something I'm noticing. Can I help? Rather than just address it and saying, you know, that creeps me out. You know, if there's something going on, can and I can help out. And you wanna talk about it? Great. But I definitely wouldn't discuss it with any other family members because that's gossip, that's poison, and it would make things a whole lot worse. What if they said, yes, you could help. Can you tell the stepmom that we're we have a bowling league on Tuesday? Yeah. Can you be part of my charade? Be alive for me? Yeah. It's not as difficult as you're making it sound. You say meet the need. So you're saying you want me to come to bowling with you? Yeah.

Exactly. The whole conversation is gonna be awkward because like, well, I was, you know, you know, reading your text messages Yeah. And I hacked your email. So I know I mean, know, I mean That's true.

I'd still bring it up. Here's deal. You shouldn't have been doing that, but you're gonna have to deal with your reality with your apology. Yeah. First, you you need to repent. Hey, dad. I I saw some text messages the other day. I hear what you're saying. But here's what they look like to me. Can you help me understand this? And he'll say, you ask your mother if she still finds me attractive? No dad. No I cannot do that. No I cannot. Get away from me. You know that actually be an interesting approach to say, mom I need I need to apologize because I was going through your phone and your text and I was kinda sneaking around and I'm just sorry for doing that and I I'm gonna make sure I don't do that anymore and see what just comes to the conversation. By the way, dad is flirty, isn't he? Approach it with humility and that you did something wrong and let her come to whatever she wants to come to. Yeah. Is there something you like to say? While we're apologizing for things.

In light that I've gone through all your text messages, care to talk about something? Did you ask dad about his BVDs? Here's what Secular says, If you approach it the way you have written it to me, yes, I think you would offend both of your parents. If you are afraid of your stepsister, maybe heard if her parents separate. Be there to comfort and support her, but do not insert yourself into what may or may not be an explosive minefield. This may be the way your mom and dad have always related to each other. Your stepmother may be aware of it, and you could come across as extremely presumptuous. Yeah. That's true. Here's the deal. Like, I don't know that my I don't know that my kids have any idea of the inner workings of how I speak to my wife on a general basis. Right? They they see us as a front, a team most of the time that we've talked about things in secret. We've come to this agreement, and now we're presenting to you as a parental unit what the deal is. Right? But, like, I don't have any way they don't know how I speak to my wife or how I relate to any of my friends. Right? And so like that those those insights to your relationship there, your kids just aren't privy to most of the time. So she could be being very presumptuous. We were just talking about that the other day. My wife and I,

my my daughters, you know, are both dating guys and and you can't help but kinda compare them to your dad type of thing girls do. And and I mentioned, you know, they have no idea what I'm really like, like in a relationship. Right. With with with my wife. They they they they have a very glorified view. Like, no guy can measure up to to me. I guess I've just always had a public very perfect relationship. That sounds like Cheryl's work there. I think she's been talking you up. Well, no. I mean, what they have observed

in in me, I say things to her in private that I don't say to them Uh-huh. You know, in front of of the girls. Yeah. You're a fool behind closed doors. That's just the way they talk. You know? Yeah. It's not really mean anything. It's a it's a I can see that, but that's still really weird for like her mom and dad who divorced fifteen plus years ago, and there's a good chance that the new stepwife doesn't know about it. Or at least that's her statements. That may not be true, but that's what I'm going off. Well, here's the what what you're afraid of is stuff that we generally try to protect against. I'm not afraid of anything. Well, I would be afraid of something. Fair enough. What you're trying to protect against is like allowing an inappropriate relationship to cause problems in your current marriage. And and so like like we generally in this room have have a a way that we regard talking to members of the opposite sex if you're married. Mhmm. You put in kind of safeguards. You know, you just you you guard that on purpose because the even the smallest possibility is not something that you want to invite. Yeah. And so, like, because we look at it that way,

any type of flirty conversation between you and a woman you're not married to is grounds for, hey, what are you doing? Right? Like, that is not a generally accepted practice in the society we live in nor the culture that we're talking about. And so, like, we're we're just coming at it from two different perspectives. So, I mean, you know, there there's a thing to be seen there. Like, where we would grab on to say, no. No. No. No. No. Shut all of that down. It's gonna cause you trouble in the long run. And and we're we're right in in that on on most regards. Right? It doesn't mean that that's necessarily the way that it's taken. Right? The way that they're talking about it. Alright. Okay. Tony, you got time for one more? Yeah. One more. Dear Life from the Path, my boyfriend, Aidan, and I have been dating for three months. That's an eon of time to be dating this man. I want to tell my parents, but I don't know how. They say I'm too young and immature to date. I'll be 16 in five months. In in about half Here's a year deal. I'll be one year older. When you still mark time by months, you are an immature person. Yeah. I'm 15.5 right now.

Don't let don't say that to moms that say their children are 19 old. Yeah. They're getting sucked back in. Yeah. That's what's happening. So they say Aiden is obsessed with me and they don't want me staying in an unhealthy relationship. My parents think that I'm not talking to Aiden, but I really am. I want to show them I'm mature enough for a relationship. All they keep saying is I need to be realistic and respectful. I'm more respectful than half the people I know. I don't wanna keep this from my parents anymore. What should I do? Holy cats. Alright. Hey. Your your daddy got us some work cut off. You're respectful,

shut up. It's your parents wishes. You are not dating Aiden. Second off, you are sneaking behind their back on this relationship that they say he is obsessive in and you want to come up at this from an a mature perspective. Well, maybe you need to immediately make it come to light and no longer keep it in. That that's the that's your first step. But, no. Your first step is break up. You don't need to be together. Your are are telling you you need to do something and you're openly not doing it. You are being disrespectful to them and not honoring their wishes. She's reached the high bar of being more respectful than half the people she knows. I don't know who she knows. All the other daters.

Yeah. Kinder than I guess. I'm kinder than 75% of a prison population. I'm a 100% certain of, but that does not make me the most kind person in the room. Like that's just That's not how it is. This is a disaster. You know she didn't mention his age for a reason. Yeah. He's 18. Yeah. Yeah. He's 18. Here here's the His name's Aiden. Here's the problem. There's literally no advice that you're gonna offer this this gal No. You need that she's gonna receive. Right? On the other hand, the parents have caused themselves a lot of problems here. And And like we've talked about this, and it is it is hard to swallow, especially at that age, but you have to figure out a way to allow her some freedoms

and still mistakes. And and to make mistakes and still be there to love her. And like so I don't know that I can carte blanche say, yes. You can date Aiden. I would love it. I would say, if you wanna see Dayton, I would more or Aiden, I would be more than happy to have him over here for dinner. We'd love to get to know him. And you guys can hang out here all you want. And I think I can be cool with that. Right? Like, you gotta give him some freedom with some fences somewhere, but, like, if you don't, this is what you will end up with. You will end up a girl struggling for freedom beyond all logical reason. She's taken your counsel and thrown it out the window and says, you don't listen to me. You don't love me. You don't care about me. You just wanna make me do this and write granted all her reactions are outrageous and the parents are probably right, you just have to be able to offer her something in the form of freedom and let Aiden work himself out. He will leave on his own. What if Aiden's 22 with a beard? Yeah. Well, that's kind of illegal. I it happens. Kind of illegal. I'd invite him over anyway. Just you can size him up. Yeah. Here's the deal. It takes a pretty bold 22 year old to walk into the parents' house of a fifteen and a half year Sweetheart, How was sophomore year? Let's go meet your parents. Yeah. Either he really loves your daughter or he's an idiot. Either way, he's gonna get a foot. You know what I'm saying? So it doesn't really matter. Or he's gonna open with how much for the little girl. Yeah.

It's a That is super creepy. Wow. I agree. He's creepy. I don't know if I go as far as foreign accent, how much for the little girl. It's from the Blues Brothers. Don't you don't you recognize it? Oh, yes. Thank you. I did not say That does make it less creepy. But still It's a little bit it is creepy. Still on the scale. 22 year old bearded Aiden is still really weird walking up doing that. Unfortunately, like I said, there's no really no advice to offer her. She's not open to hearing it. Right? Unless you say anything, but I completely agree with you. Your your your parents are modern day Stalins. You're your own woman. Yeah. Then she ain't gonna hear what you're saying anyway. You're your own woman. You can make decisions. That's no problem. You're obviously making great ones so far. I'm more mature than half the people I know. I I hang out with the foot. That's who I know. Okay. Here we go. With the foot? I know three t shirts. That's a That's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Yeah. The the Ninja The like the clan? The

clan. So we have a we have a random Blues Brothers reference on this one, and then we have a reference to the foot ninjas. Have you have you know where to go to Danny? Noah's with me. Here we go. Seculars. I got you brother. I'm so glad this is on the podcast. It's the best movie ever. Seculars says, when parents say a teen is too young to date, they aren't talking about the number of candles on her birthday cake. Zinger. If your parents are worried that Aiden is obsessed, they must have a reason. Sneaking around isn't a way to gain anyone's confidence. True. Teens show they are mature and responsible enough to handle the privilege of dating by being open, honest, communicating their feelings, listening respectfully to the opinions of others, and shouldering responsibility. You start now, you may be able to convince your parents that you're ready.

Dating teens. Here's Dan Hudson, Dale, you just tell your girls that they're not gonna be dating until they're, like, 17. Just get it on the table now. Say it's not gonna happen. Mhmm. And then they don't have to worry about it. Actually, I got a different approach. You can start dating when you're six. Actually, my daughter can date whenever she likes, but it has to be within a certain context.

As they've been growing up, of my kids, even my boys, I tell them, listen, you can date whenever you'd like when you're ready to start looking for a husband or wife. Anytime you want, absolutely. And ask him that question when you're about to date him. Hey, I'm looking for a husband. Are you looking for a wife? And it's got actually kinda cool. My daughter is like on board. And we'll see what happens when she turns 16. But as of right now, that's the context of we're going with is you can date whenever you'd like, when you're ready to get married, and you've you're that's what you wanna do because that's what dating is all about is you're courting for an ultimate end goal. So if there's no end goal, what is dating then? It's ownership and we're not Do you wanna be owned? Oh. It's like, oh, no. No. I don't want I'm like, be owned? No.

Hey, That's where ownership comes in bad, not like in perception matters where ownership is good. I like your approach. I've changed my ways. Do you like to be owned? You don't like that, do you? No. I don't wanna be owned. You like that, mister Parr. Yeah. Look at that guy. He's got a Buick. You wanna be owned by a man who owns a late model Buick? Yeah. He lives in his parents' basement. I think one is Driving a Monte Carlo. Let me tell you something about Buicks. They don't make them anymore. Do you know why? Stupid. Hey. No. Rediscover the Bu I saw a commercial the other day. Buick's coming back out. This is in the future. It's like ten years from now, Bill. Okay. Sorry. The Buick will be canceled. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I think one of the things I like about that is that the relationship starts with a conversation about where it's headed. It's not just two people getting together to just hang out and and kill time together. It's, hey. Here's here's my goal with this relationship. And the other person either have a similar goal or else go find someone else. I mean Yeah. They're just looking for a good time, go find someone else. If you're looking for a serious relationship, then alright. We can talk. It's like Hey, man. In the wrong crowd, you'll get kicked out of a Denny's for saying that though. Like, if you walk up to a lady that's a waitress and just be like, hey, man. You're looking for a husband? You normally get asked to leave. Were you trying to date her legitimately?

Yeah. And she asked you to leave? The manager did. Well, then she's not she's not looking for I mean, I tell you I tell you what. It didn't actually happen to me. I'm just saying. I'm telling you, I have not been the strongest believer in my whole life, and trust me, I do not deserve my wife by any means. I married up, like, way up. But on the second date, I told her, hey, listen. Divorce isn't an option. I'm actually dating for marriage. This is when I finally decided not to do the things that sailors do all the time. Uh-huh. I'm like, okay. I need this isn't working. And it's like, hey,

date two. I'm not I'm not getting a divorce. It's not happening and I'm looking to get married. That's the end game. And we've been married fifteen years. And it's been it's been awesome. Thank you. Alright, Faz. Hey. I guess that I am coming at this at the most like inexperienced person in this room. Every one of you dudes are married and I'm just like, hey, man. I'm the single 23 year old guy. Here's how you should date. I've been going to Denny's to pick up a wife. Yeah. You find the cute waitress at Denny's and go, hey, you wanna get married? Yeah. Eventually? And you tell your manager that's not cool. Yeah. I I want to say the only reason probably he's been married that long is because my wife is extremely forgiving. I I see that quite a bit actually in this room.

Very forgiving and understanding That's right. Yeah. Yeah. That's you know you found the right lady. Alright. You've been listening to Live From The Path. Thanks for hanging out with us on the Live From The Path podcast. Here's the deal. We I had a couple stories. Here's the stuff we're gonna have to get to. Shoot. What am I supposed to do? Next week? Maybe next week? I don't what's going on? Do we have any guests next week? No. No. I think we're open. So we're Yeah. Next week. 10 toxic Christians in the church today. We're gonna try to get to that. Thanks, Kevin Lindgren. Five did you say 10 toxic? Toxic Christians? He got a guy with a with a gas mask on the front. 10 people you need to kick out of the church. No doubt. Yeah. Good. Are we doing are we doing name specific or the types of people? I I I think it's His name's Gerald Thompson list. Yeah. It's generic. Probably. Because Bob Rollins really makes me angry. Number four, Frank Carmichael. Here's

the deal. Frank is a jerk. No other explanation needed. Let's see. Come on. Have you seen We're gonna get to five stupid things the church needs to stop doing to make progress. We're gonna talk about that. Also, oh, I can't believe I didn't get to this tonight. But the adultery site, Ashley Madison, was hacked and the user data was stolen. Meaning, all those all those people out there and let's be honest, all the dudes that have signed up for this site Right. To try to find a a hookup to cheat on their wife, now their names are exposed to a nefarious group of Internet trolls who have nothing better to do but shame you and possibly extort you for money. Mhmm. And so

I don't wanna say you had it coming, but I think there's a lessons in there somewhere. We'll talk about that next week. That's what's going on. And let's see. Also, hey, before I forget, always a big thanks to Bob Eisenhower with the Eisenhower team. Go eisenhowerteam. Hey. You know what? I will contact Bob. We'll see if Bob come in next week. Okay. Yeah. We'll see if he'll come in next week. Okay. Yeah. And we gotta set up that buffet. Dang. We gotta get on that stuff. Yeah. Hey. If here's what we'll I'll post that on the Twitter. Once we get a date set on the Life in the Path buffet, and you guys come out, it's it's completely you're you're buying for yourself? It's Dutch treat, man. Yeah. We don't we don't do that kind of stuff. Ain't no Presbyterians here. Yeah. Yeah. You don't you buy for your own Baptist. Baptist stuff. I

always here's the deal. It's like, we so we went I went to a Baptist church and they always used to say that Dutch treat and I thought, man, the Dutch are harsh. But seriously, mean, somebody could help me out here. Anyway, that's what we got going on potentially next week on Live From The Path. Now that we've take the show, we're gonna have we're gonna have Dominic rescue the thing from from driven 11. Here's the deal before, we're gonna turn over to him to to close the show out with the song of his choice. But don't don't forget, the the book releases in early August. Was it August? August 8. August 8. You can look that wherever fine fine literature is sold to places like Amazon and Street Corners, and that's Perception Matters by Dominic Cox. You can pick that up. Also, you can pick up his EP,

Light of the Future. Go to driven11.com. And also, again, wherever Fine Wares are sold. Again, Fine Wares Anywhere. Dominic is probably producing a product which could be sold there. I picked up a Vase from the Pier one Imports that he had made. No doubt. Yeah. Yeah. He he does that type of thing. The only thing he can't do is origami, and it's a thorn in his side. The Lord is he does what he wants. Ben, I I feel like just a strange need to question your integrity after some of these comments. I run an radio program that you have to have a little bit of a screw loose to think this is gonna be successful. Fair enough. Alright. So let's let's close the night. Dominic, song of your choice, and go ahead. Alright. It's gonna be glory to his name. Our present

sufferings could not compare to the glory waiting to be revealed in us

in us because we are made in his image so let's back to the finish bringing glory to his name.

Glory to his name. He's our god where his people lifting up his banner, singing glory to his name.

Glory to his name, and he has overcome. All of creation waits.

To the be Glory to his name. He's our God where his people

lifting up his banner, singing glory to his name. Glory to his name and be as of that god and be as

of that god. Where are I? God where his people are lifting up his banner, singing

glory to his name. Glory to his name. And he has all that come. And our God has

overcome. He's overcome. My God has overcome. And our God

eyes on back home. That was Dominic Cox with Driven Eleven. Hey, be faithful in the means, and let god take care of the ends. You've been listening to live from the path.