Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are live from the Path. And you are listening to live from the Pat. We're

coming to from the Pat Lloyd Studios here in Johnston Brothers. No. This song this song makes me wanna just Mick Jagger around. I love this song. You should never do that. I don't care. I want to. Doing it, though, and I like it. I want to. Dan seems to be amenable to some very weird things tonight. He is in a jovial mood. This isn't right. That's a very valid pun. It would have been. Guy. I dig that. After being offered no discount, Dan insisted on paying full price for a mechanical bull. Yep. Alright. You're listening live from the path. Here's what we got going on the show tonight. That was great, Ben. Sweet. What do we have? So

sorry. I was looking at the Let me read real quick. I was looking at the monitor and, like, it would seem to be a half a second behind. And for some reason, my I thought if I talk slower, would catch up with the video. That's not how life works. Yeah. Yeah. No. That doesn't make any sense. It was it was working in my head. Okay. So, hey, there was a there was a story in Christianity Aces. He got high and broke into a church. Months later, he was baptized there. Right on. You're good buddy. That seemed like a sweet story. So we picked that one up. How do you feel like that guy got away with the best of both worlds? You know what I'm saying? People are always like, hey Getting high and then getting Jesus? Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like, he got all tuned up and then he broke church, just living on the other side of the tracks. And then Jesus is like, you know what? I could use you on this side. Yeah. Sounds good. And he walked away and then that's it. Now he loves Jesus and everything's great. People usually have to hit rock bottom, not this guy. He gets all tuned up, rolls into a church, that's it. Wham bam.

That's the way to go, Yeah. I mean, getting high and breaking into a church is is pretty bad. I feel like you've not been doing life right, Buva. When's the last time you tried that? I've never tried that. That's right. You're not e knocking it. E knocking it as in walking with the lord is getting high and breaking into the church. Like like marijuana joe here. I I think I think you're the morning. That wasn't part of the headline. Kinda glorifying. That's hey. That's great. I wish I could have done that. That's what the headline basically says. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Everybody Yeah. Sin is still a bad deal, Mike. Let's see Can we all fully engage in sin and then repent? That's what I'm saying. Let's see if the article is just misleading because the headline makes it sound like he just does whatever he wants. Well, Jesus takes sinners, but it doesn't mean you should all go out and do it all first. He didn't know that. He had not given a reason. He had no idea. Hold on. We don't know what he did. Let's check it out. For 02/28/2019

was one of the worst days of 23 year old Britain wins life. Wow. That's a bad day. The headline was misleading. He said, but it paved How did he know? It paved the way for one of the best. Angry at God after he relapsed from an addiction to methamphetamines despite spending time at a faith based recovery program. Wynn knew nothing about Central Baptist Church of Conway, Arkansas when he broke in that February evening. Why was he angry at the Lord? So he wasn't smoking weed, he was on meth. Okay. That's different. Yeah. High on drugs. I mean, this is a very Christian way of saying this. Yeah. You're on drugs. You say you I mean, you're tweaked on meth. You're not high on meth. That's how it I would yeah. Yeah. I wouldn't know that.

Yeah. Are you I'll give him credit. They should they should find the druggie and ask him. I wouldn't judge them. You should Google question mark on meth. Okay. High on drugs, win win on a rampage, and destroyed a $100,000 of church property. Wow. Sweet Moses. That headline was The story is changing, fellas. Let's see. Including laptops, cameras and other electronics. A $100,000?

He remembers little of that night except that he felt desperate. For what? Carnage? Anger. Yeah. Anger. Anger, I could get. I'm really desperate. But he's mad at God. Because he relapsed. But he he just picked a random church. Okay. Six months later, Wynn stood in a baptismal pool at Central Baptist as Mike Leffler, the church's associate pastor of ministries, celebrated the young man's decision to follow Christ through baptism.

As I'm starting to understand how God works, I realized I didn't pick the church that night. God picked me, Wynn said. If it had been any other church, I think I'd be sitting in prison right now. Wynn grew up in what he calls a god fearing home, in quotes. His mother and stepfather attended a Church of Christ congregation. At 14, he started experimenting with methamphetamines. By 16, he was taking drugs every day. Before I knew it, had a full blown drug addiction, he said. From the time I was 16 until a few months ago, my life was nothing but chaos, suicide attempts, and brokenness. In 2016, Win went into a two week faith based recovery program. Eight weeks. Two weeks? Well, that's optimistic. That's hard you can't really get off a I was gonna say, you haven't even broken the I'm still on the titties. Yeah. You haven't broken the habit of biting your nails in two weeks. Right? Let's see. That's That is boot camp. For a year, he stayed off drugs and got a job at the local Lowe's store. Wow. That's pretty good. But in September 2017, his cousin committed suicide. Devastated, he fell back into addiction. By last February, when he broke into the church, Wynn was homeless and desperate.

Wynn's journey from a jail cell in February to a baptismal pool in September began when Central Baptist senior pastor, Dawn Chandler, talked to the prosecutor the following Monday. Chandler knew the godly response to Wynn would be to offer forgiveness rather than judgment. That across the board, we feel like not, you don't ever prosecute a man for stealing. No. I don't I don't feel that way. You're like, the insurance gonna pay? That's true. It's the freest forgiveness available. Right. Covered from the insurance. Yeah. Not grace filled insurance forgiveness.

That's how we run. Okay. Anyway, here's what, d Chandler says. You can't preach something for fifty years without practicing it, especially in front of your whole church, Chandler said. Had we not shown some grace to him, everything we've talked about and encouraged would have gone by the wayside. It was simply the right thing to do. This was not a hardened criminal. This was a young man who had made some mistakes. He was on drugs and alcohol when he did what he did, but he was redeemable. I mean, alright. Why does it matter if he was a hard criminal? Like, we're really trying to break this down to be, a thing, Danny, like faith and forgiveness and things like that. Why does it matter if it's hard? I mean, well, you might be tweaking too much on his language.

It's like Do you Are are are we Is the implication that if he also would have killed an usher, then he would have been a hardened criminal? I mean, what if he had would have been a bank robber for the last twenty five years and he just happened to get caught at the church? I think that's what he's saying is, like, if he had committed to a life of crime Oh, yes. So actually, that's a weird pit if if you turn that into our the way we look at mercy from from God's perspective

I think Boov was getting at that, like, I mean, wouldn't the bank robber still be a redeemable cap Correct. Who we should offer forgiveness to? Yes. That is what Boov was getting after. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. But Mike Mike agree? Disagree. Yeah. I I don't know. It's it's actually starting to make me think that I may twist the gospel into however I need it. Right? Because like I've I've I've said to people, look, man. Look, there's forgiveness in Christ for your sins but there's also earthly consequences to them that you'll probably gonna have to pay. God never promised he's gonna take those away. And there's also folks where I've said, look man, God's got this thing covered. You don't worry about your comfort, your peace or anything else, you just follow him. He will handle all these things. And so I've spun it both ways, like, hey, man, consequences are coming, you that's not God's fault. I mean, for you to personally forgive them is not taking away their consequence, that's a state issue. Correct. You broke a state law Right. We're gonna punish you. They said a law, you broke it. We can say, hey, man, we love you. Yeah. And we forget we'll visit you in So limit So didn't that pastor talk to the prosecutor about eliminating any No. Criminal offenses? No. No. So he said, over the next year next few weeks oh, wait. Say, Chandler mentioned that that day to the prosecutor that the church would like to see Wynn get help.

One of the church's partner ministries had been Renewal Ranch, a faith based residential recovery ministry just outside of Conway. James Lloyd began the it doesn't matter. Over the next few weeks, Chandler, the prosecutor, and Wynn's lawyer continued to discuss the best way to help Wynn. Case's judge, who at time had been a board member of Renewal Ranch, gave Wynn the option. He can either go to jail where he was potentially facing twenty years of incarceration or he could voluntarily choose to go to Renewal Ranch. Yeah. He chose the ranch. So I think that's not the same as no consequence, it's not like, hey, we're not prosecuting, good luck in the world. Right. You go go with God and our forgiveness. There was that goes to the conversation we were having just before the show started. I think there there had there's a means of which it's not just a a wide open forgiveness, it's an investment. It actually says, look, I'm invested in this really good. Help you out. Yeah. We forgive you. The best option though is for you to come to Jesus. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. This is over the next few weeks, chain blah blah blah. Renewal Ranch is a twelve month program based on biblical principles.

Wait a minute. The other place A lot more than two weeks. That's a better value. They saw they yeah. They saw us two weeks. I really feel like that two week thing is just a complete I mean, those aren't a court issued thing. Yeah. I mean, two weeks is not an addiction based nothing. Well, the dude said he'd gone a year without being on meth that much. That's crazy. Right. Well, it's it's impressive, I suppose, more so because he probably made it on his own steam. Right. Like, two weeks is probably enough to get you kinda jazzed up and, like Yes. But for detox. But your effort will run out in the face of something, and that makes sense Like a crisis. Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. It says it's a twelve month program based on biblical principles. For the first six months, participants are housed on a 102 acre property where they are given their lodging, food, and program materials for free. Every week, local pastors and volunteers lead fifteen plus hours of bible study. Participants also have access to trained biblical counselors and are required to do three hundred hours community service. In the second six month phase of the program, participants live in off campus apartments operated by the program, work at jobs, continue to go through the Renewal Ranch program. Since 2011, 300 men have come to faith in Christ through the ministry. God bless you. That's that's great. Guy says, our goal of this program is to make reproducing disciple makers for Jesus Christ. Alright. Says Loy, who's the ministry's executive director, I tell people my goal is not for them to be absent of drugs and alcohol. I want that for their lives. My main goal is for these men to fall in love with Jesus through that personal love relationship. There's freedom from the bounds of addiction. Because Winn accepted Christ as the savior after one of the bible studies at Renewal Ranch read up bible study. Winn and other ranch residents attend church at Central Baptist on Wednesday evenings. Winn chose to be baptized at the church on one of those Wednesday nights. They gave my heart to Christ that night. I used to think it was a coincidence that I chose to break into the church that night, but now I call it confirmation that God is real and he answers prayers. What was weighing on my heart was that I needed a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Lynn still must finish the program in order to avoid jail time. Once he completes the program, he will likely still spend a couple years on probation. We're challenging our members to continue praying for this man because the story is not over, Lefler said, and that's true for every one of us. God is a beautiful story of grace in every one of our lives. That's an awesome story. I was gonna say, I totally do dig on the way the church handled that. Yeah. And I suppose one of the questions is this is not just for us, although it is for us. I guess if we're listening, right, it's like, hey, that sounds great. Does that exist? Does that exist around here? Do we have a way to do that? You were to run into a similar situation, would you know where to go? So actually, it was burning through my mind here a couple weeks back. I was gonna ask you fellows about it but, like, I was about half tempted to start a website of like like a local website that said, look, if people wanna help somebody,

where where? Where do I go? Who do even talk to? Right. Right? Like, and it's just based on categories, right? Like like homeless, going to be homeless, like future homeless, drug addiction Mhmm. Alcohol addiction, whatever, spousal abuse Yeah. Like pregnancy. Who are we turning to? Can I vouch for any of these people? Do we know other Jesus people in town that are doing this on a scale to the point because I can't handle like, there's certain things that you and your three kids at home is not a good idea for you to get involved with. Right? But there are other people that are doing this. Right? And so, like, you know, can we get that all put in one place so people know who to call? Because I mean, how many these programs are being under underutilized? Right? Like, I wish someone would have called us, we totally could have taken this person in. We have a 102 acre ranch that can, you know, that'll put up with them for a year and get them tuned up and on the right way. No, that's a great idea. We get I mean, we have a site, we have a website that no one uses. Yeah. We could do it there. So people could continue not to use it? They're like, if only I knew life from the path, like, offered me all these resources. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I mean, I can buy like, iowachristianresources.com. Can't we can't we buy, like, helpaguy helpaguy.combackslashdm?

I need help. Because who's gonna Yeah. Or To do help, I need somebody so whenever anyone tries to Google Beatles lyrics, they get it. Yeah. I need help.combackslashiowa or whatever. Like, we just have chapters pop up in states. The problem is is, like, I was worried that, like, what if we vouch for the wrong place? And then they did something dumb and then our whole site is ruined. You know, we we got a bad reputation with everybody just because one guy went off the rail. Risk. I feel like it might be worth taking. Yeah. Right. Which actually goes by and I've done a terrible job of this

this year. But if we believe the the the the gospel is good news and and that there's everyday impacts to it, we should just start trying a bunch of places out. Come in here. Tell us about your ranch. Okay. Great. You're on the list. Yeah. I agree. You know what? Great. You're you're not very good. I don't find you encouraging. You're not on the list. I think I think people would be more apt to get involved in some things if they didn't think that it had to land on their shoulders. Right? It's the same reason like people say if if people will come up to you and say, look, you need to install you need to put a new electric panel in your house. You're like, man, I don't even know where Yeah. Can I just call a guy? I need some help. This is above what I know how to do. Right? The same is true when I run into somebody that had that is battling a lifelong alcohol addiction. Right? Like Angie's list, we need Angel's list.

Very Baptist, Dan. Very Baptist. Yeah. I'm trying to support what Dan said without actually agreeing agreeing with with what what Dan Dan said. Said. Principle, I like what to what you said. But you're marketing on the That's why I said Barry Baptist could go either way. I mean, you could take Go ahead. Bubba. And I'm I'm I've been, like, we'd my way through a question here after Mike brought this up. So if we're to understand the church in

in the the the view of the first century, right, like the way that the church was set up, the way that acts did church, all that good stuff. Right? Isn't that like, as a church, not just the organizations. Like, isn't that just on people who are meeting together that, like, when somebody walks in their door, they just take care of that person? I heard you say about forty minutes ago that you don't think you should invite people to your place. No. I'm not talking to your individual house. I'm talking, like, just as a just as a group of believers. Says we can't handle That's right. Well,

that's what I'm asking. Excited that's that's what I'm asking about. It's like just saying. Right. And there's like that's the thing. It's like there's definitely there's not a guy that's a that's that's hand feet. Right? His hands Right. Yeah. I know. Feet. And there's what, like so whatever so, like, it's like, is it is it safer for let's say that that that a kid comes up to adoption that's been in the system for the last ten years and has a history of sexual abuse. Right? Yeah. Is it a good for you to bring a 12 year old boy to live at your house with your three daughters who's been in the system and has that proclivity? No. That's just not a good idea. Does that mean the church as a whole says, hey, we can't take care of them? No. It just means that I can't do it. Right? And so so what we're saying is is, like, there are resources and there is big capital c church, God's church, is set up to do all kinds of stuff. Yeah. And there's all kinds of people that love Jesus that are actually really good at dealing with people with that have an addiction. Where it would it would derail your entire family, where if you were to take them in and let it wreak havoc with your children and your grandma who lives there, maybe the better form is to go to a 2 a right? Help and then come back out of it. I think Dan's right though. Like, we we should talk about it in both end. That's what was gonna say. Are we doing that?

Like, we're we're talking about it in the both end. Is the church doing that? Well, we are. But you're talking about because there's all kinds of all kinds of ministries out there, the hundred two, Hickory, Ranch, you know, all these different things. You're talking about just communicating, here's how you can find it. Yeah. Here's I how know what it didn't know that ranch was there, you know, and and I need help. Mean, here's the I can tell you right now that every guy in this room has has someone that was close to them that is battling addiction. No matter how many times that you talked to them and prayed with them and walked through it with them, they were still addicted. Right? They didn't accept what was going on and and and their life continued to be ruled by that addiction.

There has to be things where you say, look, I know that God is sovereign. I also know that I'm not him and I don't have to it turns out to be most for most Christians, it turns out to be a pride thing, where you to say, I will be Jesus in this scenario. I will bring the gospel and the healing to these people. Instead of saying, the gospel and the healing is not does not only come through me. God works through all of his people and maybe they're at the 102 acre ranch and not have to be a part of a 3AM sit down with meat. I think that's just humility and using what God has created as the entire body of Christ. Doesn't mean that you don't ever take the 3AM talking to but, like, I mean, if you have a track record of of trying to help somebody and it's not working out, you probably aren't the best resource for whatever's going on. Yeah. So so I think to Buva's point, I there's a there's a risk on either side. I think there's a risk in trying to take it all on yourself when you're simply not capable of doing it. There's there's a there's a there's the hero means. The second one is is to say, your job you are always the facilitator. Your job is just to pass people off Right. To other things and they're like, it doesn't involve you ever having personal interaction or relationship with folks. That's unrealistic. Silly. Who thought that? Who would even think that?

Plenty of people. No. You think that there's not plenty of people that know a resource wouldn't immediately pass that person off? I think plenty of people act like that. I think most people wouldn't think like they wouldn't categorize themselves as doing that. But there is a reality in that says, look, never get involved with anything because there's too much risk to my life, my time, my treasure, my whatever. Right. And so they yeah. So I think so so, again, back to Dan's point, I it's a bothand. It's, like, if you feel like you have no personal responsibility in otherwise discipling people, which is that's basically what we're talking about here, then you are very gravely mistaken. But if you also believe that you have a personal responsibility to disciple everybody,

you're also mistaken. Like, neither of those two extremes are true. Well, that's the thing. It's, like, if there if if if there was I mean, I I can't people come all the time. Hey, man. I I got this gal and she's about to become homeless. Do you have any idea what programs we could point them to? I'm like, I don't know. She can come live with me. That's pretty much the only thing I can come up with. Right? Now, it doesn't mean that's not the answer but, like, there are people that love Jesus that are running a program to help facilitate exactly that. And so there'd be no reason not to say, hey, let's look at it together. I'll drive you down there. Well, because, like, there is a there is an extent where it's that's act that's better for them. Right? Like, you may have a place but that's actually not a way forward, it's not a resource to help them find a job.

You're actually not capable of all those things. Right. Whereas, this this program, I very will be to do it. Now, here's the thing, the program's run by Jesus people. It's not like you're you're, like, passing people down the line. You're finding other people who go, hey, we wanna help. Yeah. We think our problems are solved through the gospel. That's how they're thinking the same thing. Yeah. Because I I can't I can't address certain things. Like, we were talking about the myth myth myth guys, like, I don't know anything. I've known him. I wouldn't it could be on the plate in front of me and I'd be like, oh, what's that? Oh. Cottage cheese? Mean, see, can't even tell you what it looks like. Mean Seems awful milky. I'm probably gonna speak into that guy's life, you know, I'd very just say stop it and it didn't work. That's right. But there's other stuff I can do. I'm helping a guy with a porn addiction right now that is actually going quite well. It's worse. Yeah. So we all have different gifts in different areas and you've got organizations that they do all day long, every single day. They they they they can I can be lied to in a and I'd never know it, you know, but they can get lied to and that, yeah, that's a load of crap, buddy? Right. You know? And Yeah. Because they know it. They speak the language. Right? So yeah. Yeah. I think we think we should there's no reason we can't we shouldn't be comfortable with a both And, like, that's not a that's not a modern thought. It's not a modern thought to say certain people do certain things. That's a biblical era thought.

And they very quickly, Christian communities, organized for certain purposes, certain groups of They always know, there was always an understanding that, like, it's that it's a both end. And, like, I think the risks on either side are noted,

but neither extreme proper. Yeah. So, I mean, here's the thing is is what I'd what I'd like to see is and and, obviously, this has to do with the capital c church. Everybody getting along a little bit better than we currently do. But, you know what I'm saying? That's like saying, hey, man, by the way, there's a killer drug addiction stuff going on at the blah blah blah Church of Walk E. Right? They're really great at this. They seem to have a lot of people in place. Let's go check it out together. Let's go. Right? Any place that sell has Celebrate Recovery, I think, does great jobs with stuff like that. Right? Like, there's all kinds of resources being run by people who love Jesus that if you just knew where to point them to, I think you'd step in a little bit more. Opposed to just being overwhelmed by it and go, I don't know how I can help. Where you at, booba? What's the what's what's sitting on your mind? Pass. I'm just thinking. Okay. Agree. Not angry.

Just thinking I don't know. I I I'm I'm I'm super jaded on this. There's a great assembly of god anger program. Man. South of town. You should go there. I'm gonna stay out of it. What I'm fearful of is is people that would use that opportunity as something to say that the institutional fixes

these people's problems, like being good at understanding drug or being good at understanding the resources to get somebody a or how to get their their pieces of identification are the more important part of that story than just helping them find Jesus. Yeah. I mean, here's the thing. At its core, you still have to have a heart for God and a love for people. To that you don't have that, your excuse is bogus anyway. You know what I'm saying? Like like, no no no earthly truth,

like like, this type of situation, no earthly option or earthly resource, is is a valid excuse to otherwise not serve well in the kingdom. And so if someone is using that as a justification, there's a there's a different heart problem. It's not the the fact that you shouldn't live on either extreme, is not acceptable to the lord, where he's like, well, you know, you're in a real pickle. Perhaps doing nothing makes sense. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's a that's a that's a Christian heart issue. The voting for either extreme doesn't change the underlying heart problem.

I'm mystified on what's causing this trouble. I don't understand. Yeah. I'm working through it too. I'm just I'm asking questions because I'm trying to figure out where, like, it just I don't know. It's weird. It's just sitting on my heart weird. I don't know why. I can't explain. I wish I could because it's better radio when I can. But yeah, no. I I don't know. I would say so so, I mean, if it helps at all, I would say the the wrong search is one I mean, I don't think there's a line. I don't think there's a place like, it's a it's a blend of what God has given you the ability to do, what God has gifted you ability to do.

I frankly, I I think there's a there's always a pending thing that you can more. There's, like, that's what maturity looks like in anything, certainly in Christianity. As you continue to mature in your faith, you get bolder in the types of things that you're willing to be part of and do. But that boldness does not always extend to you being skillful and being the right person to do one thing or the other. And so, like, yeah, the only thing I would caution is that, like and I I I think we can pretty easily come to the conclusion that it cannot be either extreme. And so where and what individual situation lives within the middle of that, I think starts to become individual. But either extreme, think, is not mature or helpful with Gospel Coalition released a, a list of the top 10 Christian albums in the two thousand tens. Yeah. I read this article.

I recognized one album. So I recognized two and then a few of the artists. Oh, wait. No. Wait. Wait a minute. That's the top 25. Oh, yeah. It's lengthy. Anyway, did you see this article? No. I did not. Number one, top album of two thousand ten's Josh Garris, Love and War and the Sea in Between. Hey. That's a great album. I'm super excited about that. Congratulations to Josh Garris. Fantastic

album. Here was here was their quick review of it. Embracing the neo folk movement of the early two thousand tens while injecting his songs with elaborately crafted soundscapes, hypnotic hip hop beats, deep theological truths They're making it sound worse than it is. Yeah. Josh Garrals took the Christian music scene by storm with the sixth record, an album made possible by early crowdsourcing. Garrals gave the entire work away for free on noise trade with any tips going to world relief. Oh, gone that guy. I like him. The exposure led to the document oh, there's a documentary, The Sea in between and interviews with NPR and Huffington Post, standout tracks, farther along, slip away, the resistance, red wine. All are fantastic. That is a fan that is a great album. I I know like, here, they don't this doesn't make it sound like I listen to this this music constantly and know all 25 albums. I happen to know this one. Yeah. And it's the top one. And it's the top one. And I think it deserves to be. It really is. It's a it's for for a non worship Christian artist,

he's great. He just he really is good. He puts out solid tunes, they're well written, they're well crafted. I don't know if if they're if they're everybody's cup of tea but, like, they're they're just they're really good at them. Well and we so it was interesting, Mike, I don't think you're here at the show but we talked about we were talking about Josh Garriles for a a pretty lengthy amount of time and the show we recorded, like, five weeks ago, and it was one where I had neglected to to record the audio. Yeah. So it was, like, half an hour of us just kinda moving our mouths around. That's when we sung it. Right? That's yeah. Yeah. Did We sung the whole show. Three part harmony about Josh Garriles. Anyway, we so we're kinda talking about his his new album as well and, like, one of the things that that I talked about was I just I look I like this guy and his music's good and his theology's good. And so I I'm always afraid of Christian artists disappointing me. Like, coming out with a new album that, like, moves farther to the left of from from a theological perspective and it starts to become some nebulous, like, earth worshiping sounding thing because, like, I mean, eight out of 10 have done that to me. And, like, his his new album came out, I'm like, oh, I was super worried about it and it's freaking dead on. It's still great. The theology is great. I don't like the tunes, all of them, as much as love the war on the They turned they're kind of spacey. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Vibing. They got the like, people trying to create the holy spirit by echoes in the guitar tones. Yeah. Hate that. Freaking hate it. Yeah. So there was some of that going on but, like, there are some standout tracks and, frankly, I they're growing on me. The more I listen to them, the more I like them but Butterfly specifically is the next So anyway, I I bring that up only to say if you're not digging on Josh Garris,

please do. Yeah. Love and War what's it called? Love and War and the Sea in Between. Yeah. That album's good. The the second one was Sandra McCracken's Psalms. I actually I do like that album. Whole again, the instrumentation isn't something I love entirely, but, like, there's a song called Mighty Gone on it that's very, very so that's that's an excellent album. Amber Amber Peterson. Mike. Sandra McCracken opened for who who'd we help set up at at that Valley Church? Oh,

All Sons and Daughters. All Sons and Daughters. Yes. Sandra McCracken opened for Sons All Sons and Daughters. And I don't remember any of it. No. Nope. Nope. Sure don't. Terrible. Okay. Number three was Andrew Peterson's Counting Stars. Andrew Peterson runs a very cool, like, arts collective and he wrote some books. I'm gonna forget the names of them. Don't worry. Boven and have read the entire bibliography. Yeah. We know all it. Anyway, they're excellent.

I would agree entirely. They were excellent. They're phenomenal. Children's books. Solid read. They're good. Okay. Anyway, if you haven't heard if you hadn't heard of hey. He runs some kind of arts collective that, just so happen to be a part of being an artsy fellow. Okay. I've read all 14 of his books. I I read the the unedited versions. Yeah.

They had an abridged one, and I I wrote them and said, me a little of bridge. If you consumed his media on on some kind of electronic device, you just you're really missing out the feel of the pages in your hand. I bought the book on kaleidoscope. It was phenomenal. Around. Yeah. I asked him to send me his writer's notes of his first, second, and third editions, and they're just phenomenal. Hey, man. Ain't nobody like you in this room, Ben. Ain't nobody like you. Alright. Every I I don't by any means know all the people on this list, but I do know everything they've ever worked on. Yeah. I went ahead and asked Andrew to write his entire book again in old English so I could take it in. I actually wrote it. I I read a paper of his from junior junior high. It was great. It's just it's just constant that you can trust. The fitting of a number three. It's so accurate.

I can't oh, man. It's like my biography. Anyway, it's called the wing feather I entered it and and decided that my grammar was no good. Full colon.

Go go with the rest of the list, man. Yeah. Let's let's try number four and six things about him. I don't I don't know number four. Lies. Or five. Lies. Six. Dan knows them. What's the name of the people? Dan, are you familiar with John Van Dusen? No. Oh. How about, Liz Weiss? No. About Rivers and Robots? No. Rivers and Robots did a great job one time on a song called Let It Beat No. It started out in the eighties and no dancing on the no parking on the dance. They went for a fusion called electronic funk. Mike, have you heard of Show Baraka? No. Yes. I have. Here. Eight, King's Kaleidoscope? Yep. Alright. They're in for number eight. Whoo. What was the what was the standout song from that? Buba, the album is King's Kaleidoscope becoming who we are. I couldn't tell you album stuff, but I was to them a lot because Worship album that plays a victorious kingdom bringing anthem. Standout tracks are I Know, one thirty nine, Fix My Eyes, Defender. I'm not familiar. Yeah. And nope. Cray,

solos, Beautiful Eulogy, Triple E. Yes. Beautiful Eulogy. Uncle. Okay. Citizen. Oh. Who was excited about Beautiful Eulogy? I brought number three, read 14 books. Whoever wants to know about number 13. No. I you in on the last one, and you didn't know anything. I know Beautiful Eulogy through Andy Minio. Okay. That's all good. So And Josh Garrals did some stuff with Beautiful Eulogy. Yes. That's true. So this was the 2017 album Worthy.

Or it was that Beautiful Eulogy or retarded? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So I just I got in on them because of Josh Garrals. Oh, yeah. Right on. Who's Citizens? Aren't they from they Seattle? Weren't they Mars Hill? That sounds that sounds right. Or Citizens States? I don't know. I don't know. Yeah. Rachel and John John Markman Poehlen pulls in number 24 with the medicine. Okay. Anyway. That was it. I love John Markman.

He has a voice like a freight train. Name three songs by John Markman Pillen. He sang A Heart Runs. He sang Did he spell it like a southerner like you said it? Heart. Heart runs. Heart runs. Heart won't stop is another one by him, and then him and his wife sang a song like John

Mark Macmillan or something? That's the name I said. Yeah. Oh. It's the name Ben said too. Okay. Because I totally heard it differently. Where did you I don't I don't know what I heard, Dan. I just thought I don't recognize that. Nope. No. Number 24 is John Verma. You're not with that one either. You say John Verma? Okay. Yeah. Think he had a ton of good ones. It's Dan Hudson with the remake of days of Elijah. Yes. These are the days of Elijah. These are the days of Elijah. Oh. I don't know what happened around here. Yeah. You do. Yeah. You started it, Ben. No. No. You don't. No. No. Full calling. Leave me alone. End quotes. I I

just need You can't just read an article, Ben. And now I've this for ten years. Fastest growing game show. How many times it hurt. Secular or solemnly? Yeah. Semicolon. I just said Alright. You you can't find America's fast destroying Internet game show, secular

versus Sullivan. If you're not familiar, here's the premise of the game. I'm gonna give you a, a proverb, a bit of wisdom. And you need to tell me whether it is a secular bit of wisdom or was it from scriptures. Basically, you know, do we know where our wisdom is coming from? That's the big question. Not for many of books been read.

Alright. Go arts collector. Go over there. What do you mean? You're not allowed to look at stuff. I can't and that's why I moved. I can't see what Alright. Here we go. So I'm gonna give you, I'll give it to you. And if it's secular, we need to know where this nefariousness is coming from. So I want a I want a country of origin. Okay? Alright. Here we go. Secular versus Solomon, starting off with Buva. K. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. You scoff, you alone will bear it. Secular or Solomon? Solomon. You're gonna take a shot at the chapter? Oh, I always do. Sorry. Proverbs 12. Proverbs 12. Dan. Yeah. That was that was

Semicolon? Yeah. It has it's per bisque. But Why is it Right? Like, it's a it's gonna be gotta be Ukraine.

Stands in with secular Ukraine. Mike, if you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you scoff, you alone will bear it. Right. It I'm gonna call it Solomon. Mike's in for Solomon. Alright. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you scoff, you alone will bear it. That is indeed Solomon, Proverbs nine twelve.

The Ukraine's did not offer any wisdom. Here we go. Secular or Solomon, Dan. Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. Oh. Gladness stands in with Solomon Mike. I like it.

Yeah. Barely seen on the stage. He's usually the sad mess. I'll go with Solomon as well. Box in for Solomon Bubba. Solomon, Proverbs six Oh, man. Alright. Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. It is indeed Solomon, Proverbs twelve twenty five. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But we were wrong on both accounts, by the way. That first proverb was proverbs nine. That was also not 12. Hey, man. Hey, can we be part of that? Daddy's a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. When's the last time you were guilty of spreading a good word intentionally?

Oh, I don't really do that. That's a gift. Here's the deal. I find gonna sound terrible. I find that because I am fairly honest, then my compliments go farther. I agree with that statement.

Yeah. Because I weigh on Mike's compliments way too much because over the last fifteen years of knowing him, most of it's been man for You need to straighten this up. I I figure any compliment has a hidden insult in it. Ah. Dan's always looking for a compliment, man. That. No. It's waiting for door number two. Walk in and be like, hey, man. You seem like you're having a sweet day. What's going on? And they give a man a compliment about something. Man, you don't have to have that And I've had this happen both with my kids and people at work, when I pull somebody aside and go, hey, man, I gotta tell you, that thing you did, it was awesome, it was right on. I can't tell mean, was just perfect, so thank you. And then I'll walk away and people are mystified, they don't even know how to deal with me. Because they're usually I come up and say, look, man, that thing that you did, we gotta talk about that. Yeah, exactly. Disaster. It was an absolute dumbest thing I've seen. And so, the more honest you are, the farther you're con No, I think that's true. I mean, I suppose you try to keep compliments in the right balance of criticisms.

No. I like to weigh them. They have very big weight to me because I use most of criticisms. Like, goes with the big stick approach. Yeah. Alright. Alright. So, you know, let's bring a glad word, fellas. Put that on the docket of things. How can I bring a glad word to my situation? Do it rarely though. Yeah. Don't overuse it. That's totally the other part of that proverb. Here we go. Secular or Solomon. A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh but envy makes the bones rot. How? A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. Mike, secular Solomon. Solomon? Mike's in for Solomon. Buva. Secular.

Egypt. There's some calcium problems in Egypt. I mean, doesn't that mean the bones don't rot? No. You don't understand mummification. Do the bones rot in mummification?

Whole colon. Hey, man. They find skeletons all the time. The bones don't rot. What? Oh, it isn't? There's no solid rot. None of it. No one goes That's the man who said gravas a month ago. I don't wanna hear anything about what you're saying. No one looks at the banana and goes, that banana's rotten because it's petrified. Yeah. It's obviously soft and not petrified. Petrifies after it. Wow. Learn your mum.

Maybe you need to recognize a hole on how to stop digging. Maybe Dan could go. Hey, boys. Give me a shovel. I'm almost out of this hole. Alright, Dan. I'm going with Solomon. Dan's going for Solomon. As a tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. Is indeed Solomon. Proverbs 14.

Yeah. Also known as the Egyptian chap. When he was some time He was backpacking through Egypt. He spent time spent time with the queen of the South and learned a lot about mambo you fellas. Alright. Maybe you should pray for wisdom. Appropriate to the recent conversation, the secular Solomon Buva, the pencil of God has no eraser. The pencil of God has no eraser. I am. Secular or Solomon? Hollywood.

Secular Tell me this doesn't sound like something you'd find on a Christian calendar you Absolutely. Alright, man. Secular Christian bookstore. LifeWave, bankrupt for a reason. Dan. Well, that's something crazy to say, secular LifeWave. There's no eraser. Don't even make any sense. About my past seat. Right? He remembers them always.

He didn't he didn't write your sins. No. No. That's true. He can't. He erases other people's writing. Maybe you should give glad words more often. He's a terrible ghost writer. Like, takes stuff everyone else has written. He goes, this needs to go. Full cold. Full cold. Crap. Semicolon. Genius. I only needed a comma. Satan created the English language, not I. I speak Hebrew.

Alright. Pencil of God has no eraser. Dan. It it it is secular. That that sounds Egyptian. Don't they have a lot? Erasers? Yeah. Totally. When they wrote on papyrus, they used their rubber erasers. They're no collabing. The hieroglyphs. Yes. That's what I'm trying to say. Cave drawings were constantly redrawn. Boy, I'd be interested in seeing the hieroglyph trying to depict the pencil of God with no eraser.

Like a pencil down there and a guy going, It's not going away. And a a cloud in a in a bush that's on fire going. Alright. Sorry. Buva, what, did what country did you say? India. Mike? I'm gonna go with secular and, Russia.

The pencil of God has no eraser. Outside of being flatly untrue, that is secular Haiti. Oh, man. Haiti? That explains the spiritual warfare in Haiti. Pencil of God has no eraser?

Yeah. I mean That's already been written. It doesn't seem very helpful to me. Book of life. Secular Solomon, a man of violence entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good. A man of violence entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good. Secular or Solomon? Dan. Solomon. Ends in with Solomon. Mike? I feel like Solomon got halfway through that one and then one of his wives interrupted him. And then he's like, yeah, I'll get to the garbage or whatever. Woman, go away. And then he goes, leads to not good. It's not good?

Things that aren't good. Crap. I had a thought process going here. Good one. I'll tell you that's Solomon. K. Move it. Solomon proverb. A man of violence entices his neighbor and lead him in a way that is not good. That is indeed Solomon proverbs 69. Yeah. And here we go. Secular or Solomon Mike, coffee and love taste best when hot.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's Spanish. Talk to me. Thank you. Yeah. That is secular spaniard. I'm gonna go secular Italy. They do coffee and I

can't do it. What is happening? Do Can the can you roll your r's? Oh, I can't. What are you trying to do? That's not Roll up your r's. I can't do it. Roll your r's as Enrique. Yeah. See, I can't do that. Wait. I sound like an Afghani calling in the goats. I can't do it right. Go I would not have ever guessed you were trying to roll your r's when you went, the recall is l, Mike, not an r. Alright.

I'm changing Mike's answer answer to yodeling chihuahua. Tan coffee and love taste best when hot. That is a secular and El El El Salvador. Gonna be it's gonna be a South American continent, I think.

What the what are the countries? I mean, there's some big ones like Brazil. Brazil, Colombia. Chile. Patagonia. Oh, Chile. I'll go Chile. Yeah. Patagonia is a country? I think so. The region. I suppose that is just the mountainous region. That would explain all the all the hiking gear. Patagonia. It is it is a hiking region and it is a

fashion Oh, man. So your guess is really really don't say anything positive about the high waisted suspended folk from Denmark. Yeah. No way. That is a Denmark quote. Who don't love coffee and have love when it's hot. No. Coffee and love taste best when it's hot. It is Solomon's Song of Songs. No way. You are lying. Everybody gives up on Song of Songs.

They're like, I shouldn't read this in the daylight and this is what's in it. No. That is secular Ethiopia. Yeah. You need to stop doing that. That sounded like a terrible Chewbacca impression. It's culturally offensive. I

can't do it. I can't why can't I roll my arms? What do you have to do? Roll your arms. Tell me how it's doing. I I don't know how to explain it. Give me a week. I'll figure it out by next week. The voice No. You're not doing me on that. Yeah. Yeah. Do it. Wait a minute. You went to a voice teacher to learn how to oh, like you were singing. A voice voice lessons. Yeah. I also thought you were saying you went to a voice teacher. Teach me how to roll my arms. I would like to be Latif. But to be more sexy. You sound like a pirate. And they bring the most stereotypical Spaniard out of the closet. Would you like a burrito?

Alright. Heckular or We've all turned into Dan. Maybe we're Finally. That goes on the resources. We call that discipleship. What's let's bring Let's bring somebody in. Yeah. Somebody who can help us roll our arse so that we're not culturally offensive. Got it. We gotta reach the nations. This is not working. Secular Sullivan.

Poor men seek meat for their stomach. Rich men's a stomach for their meat. Poor men seek meat for their stomach. Rich men, a stomach for their meat. Secular or Solomon? Ova. Ova. I'm gonna go I'm gonna go secular and I'm gonna go

Democratic Republic. Makes a lot of sense. They're capitalists. Oh. The point Listen to the point of the proverb. Poor men are looking for meat for their stomach. They wanna feed themselves. Rich rich men are looking for a stomach for their meat. They're trying to sell their meat. They're looking for a stomach to buy it. There's lot of side of the road.

Yeah. You're right, Max. On. Your logic is We we can Ben, you have the opportunity to just My logic is undeniable. It doesn't violate any of the three laws. Dan, poor men seek meat for their stomach. Rich men stomach for their meat. Did you just say the three laws? Yeah. Like the three laws of robotics, you nerd? Yeah. Okay. Just checking. It was in the Will Smith movie. Damn. I'm going secular

and I have I have been in a market in where there was lots of meat in there and looking for stomachs by it. Dan Dan Ceeser. Dan, that story could have been edited with mostly any country.

Right. I know. I've experienced You could ad lib that with I was walking the streets in blank. And there were plenty of I was in Indus the other day. A cat carcass just sticks with a man. Alright. Mike, portmen seek meat for their stomach. Richmond, stomach for their meat. Secular? Ireland.

Oh. Getting closer. Yeah. Getting closer. Better go for a picanko. Okay. Nice job, Mike. If you can't find a stomach, then you can't sell your meat. How can you find and sell your meat if you don't find a stomach? Poor men seek meat for their stomach, rich men stomach for their meat. That is secular England. Yeah. Thus the pink flu. Right? Secular England. It's best to pair Earl Grey tea with lemon.

Secular, Mike. I learned that from Tom Hanks. I'm preparing it with sugar. That's another Tom Hanks movie. Yeah. Yeah. What's that movie with the with the Da Vinci Code? Da Vinci Code. Yeah. That would be Da Vinci Code. It's totally different. Oh, yeah. When he's with Sir Ian McKellen.

Yes. Put the Sir in there all the time. I say that old man from the Marvel Hey. His name is he's been knighted. He's Sir Ian McKellen. Like that kid that was a Sir. Remember when he was in the grade school? Yeah. Yes. And I totally told you to not call him that. And you must respect it. When it's a sir, it's a sir. Agreed, boob. I mean, here's the thing. That's not even I have a lot of respect for that dude because I love his acting and his name is Sir Ian McKim. I mean, he spends his whole life pretending to be somebody else. Why is that applauded? I don't understand. We all You just said you watched the movie or you're giving it Yeah. But I didn't sit back and go, yes. Yes. Very convincing. I just said I like the guy's work and you think I'm sitting in the theater going, Yes.

Wow. Would Cerian McKellen, you did a great job there as both Magneto and Gandalf. Alright. Yeah. Listen here. We all agree with Buva that you should call that little kid's turd. Now, let's move on. Oh, no. Secular or Solomon. Buva, don't no need to argue. We've all come to your way of thinking. Secular or Solomon, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Secular or Solomon Dan? It is, secular. Whole world. Oh. Well, I was once going I wanna go to The United States. Dan said it's, US. Mike? Secular Greece.

Secular Greece. Move. Secular Turkey. That related to the Greece guess? Yep. Like Greasy Turkey? Yep. Mediterranean as long as Mike and I don't wanna guess the same. Okay. Secular Sullivan, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Reach him teach a man a fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Also, very likely to show up on a Christian desk calendar. Right. But just from the old It was China. You're in Europe. Here we go. Final. Secular or Solomon.

Call on God, but row away from the rocks. Call on God, but row away from the rocks. Secular or Solomon Mike? Secular and Switzerland.

Mike says to the Swiss, running into a lot of rocks in the john boat. Booba. Secular Libya. Definitely. The left field guess. Dangerous. Ed Hudson. Secular and from Taiwan.

Right. Yeah. Specific there, Dan. The one. Secular hepcid. From the gorge people. Gorgians? That rocks. Call

on god but row away from the rocks. It is indeed secular India. Yeah. Nailed it. India. Mike, how do we how do we do? Final tally. Buba came in dead last at negative four. What the hell? Oh, Buba. That's awesome. Rocked this round, came in at positive 55. Mike barely inched the wind for 56.

Pretty excited by the fact that I was that close to zero. That was pretty tight. Almost out of the hole, boo. Right? That's the first time I've gotten that close to zero in a long time. Hey, man. Let's see you really dug on that game. That's you can check out more iterations of Secular versus Solomon on the website, live from thepath.org with a yet to be created list of helpful resources. Yeah. Angels list. It's good. It has to exist. Hey.

Seriously. There's an 83 year old Baptist woman from Chattanooga, Tennessee running a website that looks as up to date as the judge report that's called Angels list of which she posts things. But it's on the intranet from a couple servers in Chattanooga. Alta Vista. Gotta do it. Yes. Fablefish. Alright. Okay. There we go. Hey. Real quick.

Some advice on dear life from the path. So I I had one that is that was a carryover from, from a few weeks ago that we never got to, so I wanted to handle it this week. Says, dear, life from the right from the path, do you have any advice on feeling lonely? I'm 22 and feel out of place at my church because everyone my age is either engaged or dating. I feel very distant and isolated. I'm tired of looking at this emotionally. Please give me some insight on the spiritual link. Hold on. Boob, I'm gonna suck all the air out of the room.

I would do more if I had a throne. I wanna hear I wanna hear more from. Advice on feeling lonely. Everyone's getting engaged or dating, feels distant and isolated. But first of all, that's just the stage of life he's in. Whether he's at the church or at work or whatever, that's the stage of life he's on. He's 22. Could be some getting married, some who aren't. I mean, it's that.

So it calls for patience. It calls disciplined exercising of your being engaged. I have to try a little harder. Seem like forever, but before you know it, that time will someone literally see ever when

So, yeah, keep find your identity Christ and hold you to age in the community of the church as much as possible. That that is a strong thing. Yeah. That's my thought. Yeah. I think

Like, loneliness stinks, man. Yeah. There's no one There's no denying that that is It's a motivator. Right? Like, it motivates you to to maybe color some things in a different light that not it might not be a 100% true, right? Like, from a from the standpoint of loneliness, you just I don't know if that because what you're not saying is that you're not surrounded by people. Right? You're not actually lonely in the in the way that, like, you're isolated or by yourself. You don't have, say, this one person that you could share

majority of your life with. Right? Things that you don't share with everybody. Right? Like, when people get married or people start dating or whatever, they start to take on this relationship where it says, look, most of the world gets to see 30% of me. You get the 100% stuff. Stuff that I was thinking in the background and didn't say. You know, I can talk about my problems with you and work this out on since you know me well, what is where my base character is and where I'm getting confused and where I'm not. And like all these things that are really integral parts of how a marriage would or a very to become one type operation which is what, you know, obviously God does. But you don't have that. It doesn't matter if you're standing in a room of a 100 people. You'd still feel lonely because there's a 100 people that know you like 50. So there's no doubt that that is a palpable, true feeling and it's it it totally exists. Right? It totally exists. So, I I think if

if we're giving advice and this is obviously coming from a guy that's been married for quite a while now, is I can look back on that time when I was single and I thought, there's a lot of things, especially in the Christian world, that I cannot do as a married man. I can't move very fast, I'm not near as flexible as as a married as a single guy could be. Like with your time. With my time, with, you know, with my finances, man, I can remember mean, even when I was younger before I was married, I went I was rich and broke within days.

Right? I you'd get a paycheck and then it's all gone. And then you'd survived on $20 for like four days and you're like, no problem. You didn't even sweat it. You're like, down to 20. Okay. Stop eating. We have to make some adjustments. Put it around and ice cubes for win. That's right. Pretty sure I can swing by mom's at least once. I think I can stop by aunt Rosie's twice and That's the truth. Hopefully, the cafeteria's got it's pizza day Friday. Where's I I get this covered. You're good. Single and broke when you start tallying up all the Exactly. Right? Like, now as a as a as a almost 40 year old man with like two kids and dogs and wives and whatever, you're like, $20. Oh, man. We in the streets. Right? Definite definite problem time, right? So, like, what I'm saying is is like, when you have The loneliness is true and you're not gonna solve it with these things, right? But the thing is, as Dan's right, this loneliness will go away, right? Like, you will meet this person and you will have people to share this with. But in the meantime, don't waste the meantime. That's the advice, right? Don't waste the time that you have now sitting in a church full of of of other people who are couples, right? If there's a time for you to go hang out in a orphanage in Africa, now is the time. Or an orphanage in your own city. Or an orphanage in your own city or heck, go be homeless for two months. Hang out with the homeless people if you want to. Try to understand them better. Right? Like, can do million things right now that you will not be able to do once you carry the responsibility

of who becoming one. Right? Like, when it's just one becoming one, it's you and Jesus and then everybody else and you go, what do want me to do? I am completely open to whatever what needs to happen. I had I had a thought that what adopt a senior citizen. Perfect. I mean, because these are people on the other end of the spectrum. Yep. They've been married. Maybe they've been married fifty years. And now they're and you'd wanna talk about lonely. Right. Being married to someone for fifty years and then have that spouse die. And they're sitting there and no one talks to them. They're they're they've lost their couple friends. They've lost just the things they did as couples now. Now, it's just some little old ladies sitting in the back of the church quilting or something. And it's the people you ignore. It's the people you walk by and they go, Crappy old people. Maybe it's because they're really super lonely. Yeah. This fulfills both of your needs. You don't have to get weird. Just just I mean, I'm really just The doctor was, hey, we're gonna gonna take you out to eat once a week. Right. And and they will have wisdom that you will

it it would be insane. Correct. We started doing monthly meals for some seniors in the area And and I had people saying, like, outside of Pathway saying, you know, not really target, I was like, no. None of them will come to this church. That's not the goal. We're not trying to get them to come to church. They're lonely people. Alone in apartments. Nobody. Give them conversation meal.

And they man, they look Why? Because we can. Just because we can. Yeah. Exactly. Adopt a senior. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, overall, I I think what we're getting at, and Dan kind of nailed it, right? Like, it's true of all life events that there's Not everyone's gonna be firing on all cylinders all the time. Right? There's things that are gonna be disappointing, things that aren't working out for you.

Frankly, this is even true with a persistent fit in your life that's been beating you up. Right? Like, that you're losing to. And as soon as you let it wear the captain's hat and drive the boat, then you're you're donating everything to it. Right? So the thing that is true is that you are lonely. That is true. And no one no one can say that that's not true. And there's no reason to minimize it or act like it's not there or act like it doesn't hurt and it doesn't hurt your heart because it does. Right? Those are all true. But bullying us doesn't get to drive the boat of of of Sean today. Right? Like Sean's got a whole other boat of stuff going on and Sean can go hang out with some senior citizens, Sean can go hang out with some at risk youth, Sean can become homeless if he wants to, Sean can go Africa. Sean can get three jobs if he needs to to help support whatever he wants to support. There's all kinds of things you can do and the more you spend time with Captain Lonely, the more that nothing else is gonna go on in your life and it will consume everything that you're doing. And so without minimizing it, don't let it drive. I That's the advice. Just don't let it drive. So I've been in a place

I've I've I've been in two places before. One is loneliness without following Jesus. Okay. Sucks. Sucks pretty bad. And

ultimately, what you try and do, at least what I did, was I tried to fill that loneliness with whatever I could. It presented itself as a whole. Right? And a thing in my heart and in my personality, brain that I had to fill. And decided to fill it with everything I could that wasn't Jesus. I I filled it with I mean, it's just plenty of stuff. Crappy vices, crappy people, crappy experiences, just stuff that just doesn't need to be. And I never really filled it. It it took up the hole for a second and then it disintegrated. And then I've been in a place where I've been lonely with Jesus.

And my I I never fully did it and still haven't, but my my attempt and my goal and my life was to fill that hole, and a relationship with him and and actually doing that right. Loving him. It

works better. Like, it just flat out works better. And so I I I'm weary of of the statement of, you know, I'm 22 and in this church for a long time. If you are in a place where you're loving Jesus and you truth call him by name and truthfully understand that and our words that as best you can, good for you man. It's awesome. I I could I urge you to continue that way and make sure in your loneliness you don't fill that hole with things that are are are different than him. But if you're in a place where you're just saying that I'm 22 and in the church and I don't feel that way, and you really don't know who Jesus is your Lord, you don't call it right, find him. And I know that seems like very simple and and cliche advice that's that's me taking a hands on approach, I'm not to. But seriously, loneliness without Jesus is incredibly difficult. It really is. It sucks. And it's it's hard to fill it. And you find yourself in a

spot. And no amount of of actions or relationships are gonna fill it right. That's just the nature of Jesus. He fills our hearts best and he stays. And it's not something that is that is contingent on anything, it's just him. Yeah.

I think there's a lot of I think there's lot of good practical advice there. Like the overall, it it is something that is maybe true in your life, but it doesn't define you. It doesn't define your relationship with God. It doesn't define your it doesn't even define your relationship with other people. The truth is the more that you are That you can find, use the time Here's here's nobody does this. Everyone gets everyone gets older and looks, man, I really wish I used time better when I was younger. I could have I could have done much better with wasted so much of it. There's not a miracle that because of your singleness that you're not gonna walk the same path, but, like, it presents itself with a very unique opportunity for you to make a difference in a way that the Bible very much reveres

singleness. Yeah. And I'm not saying that, like, necessarily God has called you that forever. I suppose it's possible. But, like, because of that very thing, like, they're like, relationships bring with it complications. And, like, I love my marriage and my wife, and I'm I'm blessed to be in it. But like, I wish do wish that prior to that, like, I had the opportunity to grow in my faith and my obedience to to really deepen relationships

with with different groups of people, young and old, and then serve and and and have extra money that I could just give. You could Mike's right. I had so much money. It's ridiculous. I have built a well within six months when I was 17 years old with money that I'd used on stupid stupid things and people could be drinking water to this day because I built a well with stupid money that I could've well, that I that I'll never see again. Like, I'll never have any chance of making that kind of free cash. It's devoted to four children and houses and dogs. And so this this isn't an attempt to say, well, look at the bright side. It the the reality is a bright side, and it's tough to see it in that in that realm. And I would say, like, if you want if there's if you need any help, like, hey. What does it look like? Like, I wanna pursue Jesus in this thing. I don't wanna I wanna if I'm gonna be lonely, I wanna be be lonely with Jesus and you need help with that. Hey, man. Let us know.

Buva's walked that. You know, he's walked that recently. And so I feel like that's something that he can be more than glad to help with and we can, you know, we'll be praying for you. Because, like, all these things, you know, this is all right advice. I believe it's all true. It doesn't mean it's easy. It doesn't make it the way that your life is feel instantly better just because there's opportunity on the other side of the door doesn't necessarily put a smile on your face. But it is a reality. I do believe, honestly, that as you as you force yourself to kind of walk in some of those things, the way the kingdom comes with the work of the king. Like, as you start in I mean, it's gonna be it's gonna be different to invite someone to an old lady to say if you could take her out to lunch. It's gonna be different to volunteer at a bunch of different places, but, like, not only get the like doing God's work brings with it God's joy and God's peace. But like, it'll start to fill things that you had otherwise thought only could be filled in one way or another.

You could yeah. That that does that. But then also like it just helps develop you into the person that you wanna be, you know, or wanna be able to offer to someone when you have them to share their life with. And so it's it's not a false bright side. There is there is a good side here. There's a great opportunity to continue to under the best you that's available in the king. And so from I think from a group of guys who look who look back and say, boy, we we we we have handled that better. And I kind of wish there was someone going, hey, man. Look at this. Could have built a well.

And then I would have listened. You know, may maybe that's your opportunity. So I'm excited. I'm excited for what that looks like in your life, and and we can be praying for that. Yeah. Right on. Okay. Hey. Thanks for submitting that question, man. There's no this wasn't, actually, there's no secular advice. Oh, that was that was for us and we appreciate you asking and trusting us with help if we can. Alright, Mike. What else we got? Okay. Dear life from the path. I am a college freshman. I've decided I want to get a job so I can support myself, pay half the rent in the apartment my mom resides in.

I've always been shy because I don't really know how to talk to people. Every interview I go on, I never get a callback. How do I get connected at school and manage a job? How can I have more confidence in myself or job interview? Boy, that's a tall order, friend. Keep doing them. I mean, that's how you get better, practice. Every Just as a whole, like, they're afraid to job? No. It just says you should No. They're going to the interviews, they never get to call back. They present themselves very well. Okay.

How do I get connected at school and manage a job? Self job interview. Not really sure. You're asking a couple questions here. It sounds like they've never had a job. Yeah. So you should get out more. I would I would start with something that, there's very there's a very low bar of getting. I was gonna say, I would start with fast food. Yeah. Yeah. I would literally go to every fast food within 10 miles of you, buy for every single one of them. Every one of them. Fire up the chick fil a. They hire they hire 15 year olds and 16 year olds that that walk in and make fart jokes. Like Yeah. They will hire you. Yes. Yeah. Not everyone. That's why I'm saying go to all of them within a 10 mile range. You know they're on every Agreed. You just gotta do it. It's in a college town. I'm surprised they don't there's no college jobs. It's usually college Right. Yeah. They In a more practical place, your college probably has a career center Yeah. That can actually walk you through some practical stuff. It's gonna be super cheesy.

I went to college. Not really. I do. Why? At this point. Yeah. It's they're just looking for a job to work during. Yeah. They don't need a job in their field. Well, here's what I'm saying accounting. As if your field is like entertainment lawyer,

I'm saying you might wanna skip that Right. And get a get a degree in something that puts you in a lab by yourself. I'm pretty sure their field is, yeah, numbers. Crunching numbers. Correct. And it does No. This is this is this is a person in graphic design. Possible? This is a person that that is is really good at drawing aerial a 150 times over and again every day. And so they need to go get a job at Disney and sit in a corner of an illustrator's booth. Those people don't talk to any. Yeah. I don't know what to say besides apply for a bunch of You're either applying for jobs that you're not qualified for, you know, or you are just extreme terrible awkward in these interviews.

We'll hire you. Right? They can't even hire you at McDonald's to run the cash register when people say, I'll have a number five. Yeah. Just stare blankly at their chin. Go do the fries. For hours? You do not need to talk to do the fries. Go do the fries. Fries done? Yeah. Did the beep go off? That's all you need to know. You don't need to know if you're talking to somebody, when your manager yells at you for doing it wrong, could put your head down and just flip fries. Okay. Flip the basket of fries. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. I was thinking flip burgers. Was like, wait a minute. Sorry. Making sure I'm Innovation in the fried fried street. Basket. I did work three and a half years at the Burger King.

I know you did. Well, your people skills are strong, man. That's right. He graduated from fry Fry Flipper. I worked all the way up to do the cash register. Listen, we need We need him talking to people. So I stopped at a Burger King once on the way to Colorado. They said that I'll have the Whopper and they go, hey, there's no burgers to the broiler's down. Want you want some chicken? I said, your sign says Burger King.

I think when the burgers stopped working, I'd just shut the lights off. I'd be like, you know what? Just shut it down today. What are you guys today? King. Yeah. I also stopped at a cooker fried chicken at 11:30 in the morning and they said, we don't open till noon for lunch. I go, what? Yeah. It's 11:30. It's it's lunch eating hours for everybody. Everyone gets here at 11:30. No, man. We don't open the lobby until noon. I said, oh, I'm sorry. So the drive thru is open. No. Drive thru is also not open till noon. I go Wow. I don't know how you're in business. This is the most ridiculous Kentucky Fried Chicken I've ever stopped at. Give me a burger. Holy cow, give me a burger. Burger chicken burger? They're running a house of ill repute between the hours of 7AM and noon. Boy, and here's the thing. I was up there the chickens. I watched six other people walk up there while I'm talking to the guy that I work with about how the KFC's not open. Here comes another car pulls in, they start I'm like, hey, they don't open till noon. And he goes, you gotta be kidding me. And then he's angry, he kicks a rock and gets back in his and an old couple shows up. That was a show. They were there for the brothel. Yeah. He said, oh, they thought I was here for the chicken. That that surprised. Oh, god. Oh, man. They're not open to Oh, ridiculous. There's no password. Don't worry about it. Here's what secular gives advice to this young man. People convey confidence by looking others in the eye when they talk to them, being conscious of good posture.

Dead lie. People who look me dead in the eye creep out. You better be roaming the roaming the room while I'm talking. Yeah. Weird eye contact as an interviewer is creepy. Yep. No good. When you apply for your next job, when you think you would be suited for, k, obviously, you made mistakes here already, write down and memorize five reasons why the company would be lucky to have you. Recite them for the interviewer and this too will convey confidence. You pretentious joke. Don't do that either. Don't bring a mission statement, you creeper. It's weird. Answer those questions specifically. Literally give a reason as to why you did something versus your team slash your company. Give a reason as to why you were the one who made it successful. Yeah. You do stare. What what do you think you work here at the Burger King?

I breathe. Yeah. Right. Exactly. Yeah. Dulce in and out. If you walk in and they ask you, hey, why do you think you'd be good at Burger King? You go, well, I've been the CEO of four companies so far and I've made them more profitable than ever were before by 300. No, you did not. Stop lying to me. Just say, hey. I won't stab anyone who works for you, and I won't take a dump in the corner. I'll show up on time. Hire me. Done. Hey. Actually, if you walk into the Burger King and the guy who runs the place goes, tell me your qualifications for working here. He's pretentious. Right. You don't wanna work for him. He has an interview guide he shouldn't be reading. Yeah. Yeah. How do you feel about showing up on time? Good. You're hired. Just say you're reliable and not an idiot. Every time? Hold on. The advice continues. Okay. Sorry. If you are not hired, rather than blame yourself, accept that there's a lot of competition out there. So don't beat yourself up if you don't receive an offer from every company you apply to. Ask interviewers who don't hire you, what you can do better. Alright. This makes perfect. Each interview should get easier.

Hold your r's. Yes. That's right. What's your name? Enrique. I'm here for Burger King. Wow. Hold on. The advice continues. Oh, dang. As to getting connected at school, join special interest groups that you have time for between your study and work schedule. Chess club. Your time may be limited, but these groups offer an opportunity to meet new people with whom you have a common interest. We're not gonna give you a job. You know what? Secular should start a website called outoftouch.com. Right. Yes, I'm listening. This sounds like a career developer from 1985 that's coming in. You gotta stare right in the eyes and have great posture the whole time. That's right. You know how I make friends? Moncola. I

start a I start a Moncola group. Sometimes we pay fuck a wreck. And have you done this sweet videotape dating thing? It's awesome. Yeah. I've heard about a game called Pong. Keeps you occupied for hours. Two lines hit a circle. Alright. Alright. Terry. Maybe you should meet him down at the dance hall

and you can all jive together. They're having discos today. There's plenty of practical stuff you can do. Go to career center. Go to your state's workforce development office and they'll have pamphlets that'll say the exact Singular was not listening ever given. No. Not at all. If you get no callbacks, it's not high quality. You what? Also, just a heads You're like an idiot. Just a heads up to this person, I'm proud of you for wanting to get a job during your schooling and to help for half the rent. That's cool. I'm not. I'm disappointed in you that you don't have one already. I'm that's fair. But I'm astonished at how many people like that does not happen for. Good for you for wanting to be better than than a college student that's gonna go to school full time and and not keep that are around you. Right. Like, the last year's late. Right. Yeah. You don't get to live off of everything here. Everyone everyone else started working when they were 16. Right. You didn't. Be productive. You sat around doing nothing. Mike, this is one of those points where you can give a good message. Groups. You have no friends in school. You have no networking I don't know what you did in high school for the last five years. Give a Every guy I know that is unsociable was working because he was unsociable. Didn't invite no parties, wasn't on a football team. That's good point. Right? He was doing work. All the unsociable guys I know at one point in time worked in an auto body shop. That's where they go. You know you know what this man sounds like to me? Pew pew pew pew pew pew pew pew. Playing online No. It doesn't. There's only one left. Do know why? Highlander's working. High Highlander stopped. Yeah. High Highlander stopped before the term online became a thing. I'm

just saying, you're giving this Duncan MacLeod never went online. Secular has given him a lot of pause here, and all I can do is see a a 19 year old kid who's never had a job and has no special interest, which means I don't know what you did the last six years of your life. Well, who cares? They're trying to get better now. Help them. No. He's not. He's trying to blame the eco socioeconomic society around him for the fact that he's a bad interviewer. Trying to find trying probably trying to get a job above them. Yeah. Exactly. I agree with that part, but come on. At least help don't belittle him like this. Help him. Now, he's been he's been fluffed to his whole life. You gotta bring him down? How many friends and parents have said, hey, man. You're 17. You don't have a job. You don't play football. You don't have a chess club. You don't have a marching band. You don't do do nothing but play online Highlander. And people hug him and tell him he's great. And this is what produces this guy right here. Alright, Mike. Ben agrees. Alright. Online Highlander. You listen to life in the past. You know, you should be working. Alright. I don't even know why you got time to listen to this show. Oh, sorry. Boov insists that we do a joke from the Christian jokes. Get it. Here we go. Category. Here's the old Boov favorite clean death jokes.

Oh, yes. My favorite. By the way, christiansunite.com doesn't keep a very close eye on their advertisements in my far left menu bar. There's an advertisement for 2,019 sexiest bikinis on the Christian site for the whole family. Good. I was tired of buying the unflattering one.

Here we go. Bubba's favorite joke. An old preacher was dying. He sent a message for his banker and his lawyer, both church members, to come to his home. When they arrived, they were ushered up to his bedroom. They entered the room. The preacher held out his hands and motioned for them to sit on each side of the bed. The preacher grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, smiled, and stared at the ceiling. For a long time, no one said anything. Both the banker and the lawyer were touched and flattered that the preacher would ask them to be with him during his final moments. They were also puzzled. The The preacher had never given them any indication that he particularly liked either of them. They both remembered his many long, uncomfortable sermons about greed, covetousness, and avaricious behavior that made him squirm in their Finally, the banker said, preacher, why did you ask us to come? The old preacher mustered up his strength and then said weakly, Jesus died between two thieves. That's how I wanna go. Booba loves that one. What? What was Yeah. That was alright, dude. Okay. Okay. Hold on. Nope. That's not gonna work. Hold on. Hold on. What you got, babe? That's it. Yeah. I wanna hear one more. Keep it in the death though. Okay. Alright. Here we go. On opening on opening his new store, a man received a bouquet of flowers. He became dismayed on reading the enclosed card that had expressed deepest sympathy.

While puzzling over the message, his telephone rang. It was the florist, apologizing for having sent the wrong card. Oh, it's alright, said the storekeeper. I'm a businessman, and I understand how these things can happen. But, added the florist, I accidentally sent your card to a funeral party. Well, what did it say? Asked the storekeeper. Congratulations on your new location, was the reply. Oh, nice. Boob, I don't know why you like these jokes. I think they're great. Alright. You've listening Live From The Path. Thanks for hanging out with us. We do very much appreciate it. We're glad to be, you know, putting on a show every once in a while. And so, anyway, if you got anything for us, shoot us to the email at [email protected] or

just call the complaint line. (515) 517-0085. That's (515) 517-0085. That's for complaints or, you know, congratulations on something. Text that too, can't you? Yeah. Yeah. You could text that up. Yeah. Let us know. Maybe we had such a stellar program that you can't keep it to yourself. Give us a glad word to warm our Yeah. That's right. Give us Don't a give Mike a glad word. Life on our flesh. Let him know why that you're mad he doesn't have six jobs. I'll get more jobs. You can't you can't stop me. Alright. Be faithful to me. It's God will handle the ends. You've been listening to life in the past.