Right. Oh, really? That's right. Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are live from the path.

And you're listening to Live From The Path. We're coming to you from the Pathway Studios here in Johnston proper. Hey. You seen that AI generated art with the biblical scenes? Oh, I saw I saw an article about that, but I didn't read it. Okay. It's it's pretty cool. Like, this AI generated art, they're like, here's what you think angels look like. They show a bunch of Renaissance paintings or whatever, and they're like, here's AI generated art. And these angels Eyes and wings. Are epic. The dude with the wheel is super cool. Like, it's just it's pretty boss. You should check it out. It's probably biblically inaccurate. Don't be, like, holding me to some kind of theological point on this thing. But, like, these angels are epic for sure. And, like, the fire coming down Yeah. Like, when they're when they lead them out of Egypt, that's cool. Do not be afraid. Yeah. Like, I think I'm be afraid. Don't be afraid. You were a terrifying monstrous creature.

Okay. Good. Way to kick it off. You're listening to live from the path. Here's what got going on the show. This oh, shoot. We're just we're just looking at Mike. Just heavy. Okay. This is from Ben. Way to kick it off. This is this is show 500 and a half. Whoo. Yeah. So I I don't know. I I can't remember what happened. It wasn't great. Whatever happened last we recorded a show, and then

there was there were audio problems. And, anyway, we're we're just not we're not doing it. So I'm not releasing that one. No. I remember Ben yelled at the room for having bad ideas. The room deserved it. I'm gonna rescue Oh, I do remember that. Yes. Oh, yeah. I'm gonna rescue that clip and and send it out. But, anyway so so, technically, feel like for what we're gonna release is a show of 500 today. Yay. Congratulations, everybody. Woo hoo hoo. Yay. I wish I wouldn't have opened with that AI burner. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway. Anyway That was a real five zero one move there. Apart from the course. Okay. Anyway, so let's here's what I got going on the show this evening.

Wait. Would you had something? Yes. I did have something. Okay. What was it? You're a killer. It's a game. Ben. Way to kick off. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. I we we talked for so long. We had technical problems, and so we've talked for so long. I forgot the stuff we're gonna talk about. Okay. Choice has a new a new game. What's the game? This game is New Age Christian church or a weed store. I'm going to say a name of a place, and you guys have to tell me whether or not you think it's a weed shop Boker weed. Or you think it's a New Age church name. This is gonna be great. I driving across the country, you see a lot you see a lot of names of both weed shops and churches, and then they start to blend together like

billboards in Texas. Yeah. It really is all the same thing. And so it it just yeah. You start to realize, hey. That could be a church or that could be a weed shop. Yeah. And so we're gonna figure out if we could be discerning to figure out if the weed shop names are great or if the church names are rough or vice versa. You didn't come up with, like, a catchy name. What was it, Dan? A Walker Weed. Woke or weed? Woke or weed? Woke or weed? Woke. Woke or weed? Weed. Woke or weed. I gotta be I'm I'm gonna be real honest with you. Have no I don't understand the definition of woke. I see y'all It's ironic because we don't consider you woke. So I don't know what that means at all. I just think we're like You're good. People are like, you woke. And I'm like, I don't know what that means. I feel like it's I feel like it's okay for you not to know. I I I'm you don't have to tell me. I just know that, like, it's a phrase that I've seen a thousand times, and I go

I just can't be bothered to look into it. Speaker You're woke. You know about the culture and the things that are right in the way the world. Old people sometimes still have some weird racism behind half the stuff they say, they're not woke. But if you're like a 18 year old kid that really understands the the intricacies of social understanding So almost as though everybody is asleep to the reality. Right. Exactly. Yeah. Okay. Realize that, like, oh, actually, the drink you got at Starbucks was racist because you ordered black coffee. Yeah. Don't I wanna be accused of that. Yeah. Yeah. It's it's it's akin to Dan saying you can be so open minded that your brain falls out. Yeah. It's that. Yeah. Okay. So, anyway, we're gonna get to we're gonna get to woke woke church or weed woke church or weed store. Yes. Okay. I I love it. We're gonna do that. Also, I got a couple articles for you today. So interestingly enough, there was an article in the Christian Post this week and said evangelism myth number one. You have to build a relationship first. Oh, I've been thinking about this lately. Okay. Okay. So we're gonna hit the hit that up, and then there's a new, can I spread the gospel and not have to know anybody?

Thank you, Lord. I'm gonna say, this answer will be dangerous for Mike because then he's just gonna take it as I could totally stand on a corner with a sign. I I don't have to freaking talk to anybody as long as it's the lord I'm talking. I'm a tell you this. I I have been whatever I watch on look at it on the Facebook, they think I really wanna listen to street preachers. And, like, every one of these is not about a guy sharing the gospel. Every one of these is about street preacher arguing with the police as to whether he can amplify his voice on the street corner. Like and they're like I've never read to be here. What and so what here's what's interesting. Is that, like, they're all headline that, like, street preacher takes on police. I'm like, what? This this is what we're talking about? Like, he's panhandling. He's he's illegal. Here's the deal. I'm actually super I'm interested in the types of conversations guys like that get into. And, frankly, these the they would show discussions with some people, and, like, they're pretty good. Their apologetics work is pretty decent. It's interesting to hear random people and people's

complaints about Christianity are always so shallow. Right? This is why the evangelism question is an interesting one because they're going to tell me, Hey, I don't have to have Every one of these guys who are burned by Christianity are burned by relationships. It's just interesting that

there's a lot of people who go to the mat to defend that the street preacher can go on there and that his religious freedom shouldn't be infringed who don't really value the message nor live it out. They're more fighting it as a as a forum to say It's a liberty issue. Yeah. Take that police. I'm like Please don't run to us. Can we get the right thing the right thing? You know? Copper. Yeah. Is it true that cop means constable on patrol? I'm not sure, but you're responsible for Nathaniel, and that's too demerits for what he said. I can't be responsible responsible for for that. That. You sat next to him. That's your problem. Fine. You knew it when he looked walked in. See? Copper? Yeah. Can't You'll never catch me. I'm a straight bearded Pretty sure. Dog on it anyway. What?

Really? So Oh. She's a busking license. Would that would that save the street preacher? No. The problem the the the issues were around sound amplification. Like,

it's one thing to preach out on the street corner. It's a second to bring a megaphone. I feel like buskers bring amps, though. Well, they can. So, like, generally, there's, like, a decibel question is is Okay. And normal conversation is x. You're probably you're generally allowed to be, like, I don't know, 20% above normal conversation. Whisper into your megaphone, sir. Yep. Yes. Okay. Evangelism myth number one. You have to full colon. You have to build a relationship first. I hear it again and again. So many Christians think they can't share the gospel until they've built a strong friendship with someone over time and earned the right to be heard. They subconsciously bought Satan's lie that the power to save is in the strength of their relationship with the person they're seeking to reach. When do we get a rebut? Holy god. It's not. Oh. Hold on. You gotta wait you gotta wait for his for the home run. Okay. The power's in the message, not the messenger.

It didn't matter that Jesus said it. He didn't say that part. I I I lived. This is why the apostle Paul described the gospel as the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. Building a deep relationship with the unreached people we know is important. It creates opportunities to share the gospel naturally along the way, but many Christians end up waiting and waiting for just the right time that never actually comes. Of course, this doesn't mean we should be pushy, but we should be intentional with every relationship and every conversation. We should look for that natural fork in the road in every conversation to turn it towards spiritual things. Oh, boy. This could come by simply, I'm gonna find that I'm probably gonna agree with this man more than I want to Yep. And then disagree with him strongly on the other side of it. This could come by simply asking questions such as, is there anything I can be praying for you about, or do you happen to go to church anywhere? I've asked questions that's not the gospel I've I've asked questions like these to open countless gospel conversation with friends and strangers alike. Some people start sharing their prayer requests or spiritual background right away. Others don't. Either way, I wanna try to take the gospel conversation as far as it can go without unnecessarily

turning that person off, but it's been my experience that most people are open to talking about God and their spiritual beliefs when approached in genuine kindness, authenticity, and humility. Of course, not everyone puts their faith in Jesus on the spot, but my goal is to, at the minimum, nudge them that much closer to faith in Christ. K. So the messenger doesn't matter unless it's you. Is that what that was saying? Okay. So let let me let's start this way. What do you what can you agree with this person about so far? I think we do hold off on talking about spiritual things, like where God belongs in a conversation where you would like, if I was talking to you fellas, I would mention God whenever God needs to come up. Right? Like, where he's at in my life, blah blah blah, all that stuff. When I edit that out of my conversations with other people because I know they're not Christians, I think that's, doing them a disservice. Okay. Yeah. The message of Jesus, the the the good news, the gospel can be told to a complete stranger. There's power in it. There's absolute power in the message of the gospel. K. K. Good. I I would say I would agree that

most people are open to talking about God and their spiritual beliefs when approached in genuine kindness, authenticity, and humility, but, like, not in the context of rando. Like, I'm not sure I think there has to be something there, but I do but I do I do think that we sometimes work off a presumption that people are closed off to something that they're not necessarily closed off to. We just presume that and so behave as if that's the case. And I think that does otherwise stop people from sharing or hearing the gospel because we kind of presume that they had it all figured out. And I think vast majority of people do not haven't put that much thought into it. The the messenger definitely matters.

Right? Like Paul was a huge example. Right? Like God said, I'm gonna show you what I'm gonna the things that you're gonna sacrifice for this. Right? Like, and and and people were astonished by him when he showed up. Aren't you the guy that was dragging everybody to jail? Weren't you the guy that stood by and watched Steven get killed? Weren't you that guy? Right? And then for him to say, brothers, listen, this is the deal. And then and then and then share the gospel with him. Like, it matters that it was Paul. It totally it totally does matter. Like, in in people's either the the story of the thing that God has got you through or the relationship that you currently have with people. Right? That is your actual end. That is the way the conversation will happen. Like, that's why the street preacher route is so tough. Right? Like, you're like, you tell me all these things. Like, I've got a a a like, Turner Burn or I've gotta hand my life over to Jesus. You don't even know me. You don't even know what I'm involved in. You don't know what I've been through. And you're like, great. I would love to know you because God wants to deal with all those things. Right? But, like, it only starts to matter to people when it gets down to a relationship level, and it can't you can't actually speak into their lives if you don't know them at all. Now you can just straight up preach, though. Right? Because that's the thing is, like, if you look at the the the book of Acts, right, they're just going from town to town, but they go to a synagogue where preaching is meant to be most of the time. Right? They start in the synagogue and they preach. You know? And then, like, when they do preach, like, they it's Paul tunes his message to the people that he's talking to. Right? So there still is aspects of relationship in there. It's not just like a cold delivery and, well, I gave you the facts. I'm out. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. He and Paul was spending a lot of time with those people and, like, building those kind of relationships to be able to have those conversations, though. Right? Yeah. It's it's that's what discipleship is. Right. It's we're called to make disciples. We're not called to make converts, and

that's a different philosophy, everything we're called to do is to disciple people, which requires some sort of relationship. Jesus said, Follow me, and he had guys follow him for three years. It wasn't like, Okay, you got ten minutes. You're done. I got a new group tomorrow.

Was continuation. Do you think we on the side of not bringing it up? Is that what he's trying to get to? Yeah. I I think there is something right about that, that, like, we get well, we get we we kinda stink at the discipleship piece, and then we're afraid of the what what he would call evangelism piece. I'm I actually, I I think it's unnecessary to to make some distinctions in there. We just need to be better disciple makers and and recognize that it's a process to make disciples, like, how how you get to know them. Don't you're not hiding the fact that you're a Christian. I think this is some of the things where I I've taken issue in if it feels like churches are not up front with what they believe because they're waiting for the right time to spring it on you. I feel like you're also a bad friend slash human to do the same thing. Like, if if you're a follower of Jesus and it would naturally come up, it should naturally come up. And so, like, don't basically, don't be disingenuous

with folk because because I do here's the risk. And this is this tends to be in certain, like, Christian circles. But, like, I think you do you you you point them to what you win them with. And so, like, if you if we because we have a disciple making issue, we have a depth problem within the church. People are getting information, and then they're bailing because they didn't actually meet relationship king Jesus. They got a set of facts that seemed compelling at the moment, and then they got competing facts, got confused, bailed. And so, like, I I like, the effectiveness and long term following of Jesus where people are, like, sticking in and out of lives with accusations and and kind of what they feel like good news, I think it has done that with people, but, like, that's anecdotal.

Like, the the permanence in relationships of people who come to Christ not through some sort of relational perspective, but instead as a set of facts that's been handed out to them by a stranger, I'm like, it it happens, but I don't know if that's the broad story of the gospel nor is it how God has interacted with every other person that brought his his message. Prophets, Jesus, pick one. Humans interacting with other humans with messages from God or on God's behalf. That's implicitly relational. Otherwise, he would just write it in the sky. I was gonna say, there's, like, Philip in the Ethiopian eunuch and then maybe two or three other stories where it's like, run up to the dude, get the story of Jesus, get baptized, and the Lord just takes him away. Philip teleports. Even that was relational, though. Think of the the the eunuch is reading scripture, and he's going, how can like, someone needs to explain this to me. Right. He didn't just go, like like On the road. Right. He well, to this point, he didn't read Isaiah and go, I understand all of this. That the preaching is relational in that way. And so, like, I I just it's just I I I understand what he's fighting for, and I think we need a push in some of these areas. I would just be cautious on

on separating that. I agree that the message is powerful, but Jesus like, God chose messengers in this way, and so I just I'd be cautious about what it looks like for us to just basically gospel dump, throw dead cats over walls and go as I hope it will now. It depends on what your aspect what you think the gospel is. Right? I guess a great question to ask somebody is what like, especially Christians, like, what do you think the good news actually is? Mhmm. You know? But, like, God chose messengers to even deliver that to us. Right? Like, the book of Matthew's crafted. Right? It's not just a, like, a straight recording of the of, like, two days worth of stuff. Right? Like, it's crafted. The stories are put together for a reason. Same with the book of Luke and Mark. Like, the whole Bible is put together by humanity through the power of the holy spirit. Right? And so, like, messengers are still crafting the way that you're taking in the gospel. Yeah. And so, like, it's not just a you know? And don't think he's I don't think he's proposing that, you know, like a like a a bland, you know, just drop off of the gospel and run. But still, it it it is all relational. It is all tuned to the audience. Right? It's why you have four gospels. Right? Like, they're they're written towards different people for different reasons.

You also the variable of how much time you're spending with someone doesn't necessarily have as much weight as just loving on people. Like, you can love on somebody hardcore in a thirty minute conversation, and they can feel the love of Jesus from that and then see that there's some real stuff to it. The same way you can love on somebody by, you know, showing up and being a pen pal for somebody for ten years or always being at the homeless shelter when the same guy comes in and making certain he's got deodorant. Like, right? Like, it it it doesn't necessarily have to be it's only a short amount of time or it's only a long amount of time. It's just like you keep bringing love. And, also, you're not the only person that God may have talking to that person. Like, you may be the one hit where you run into Jerry, and you love on Jerry. You'd make sure he's got food and, you know, give him a shirt off your back, whatever. And then Jerry runs into 15 more people over the next ten years, and god's just orchestrated it all to where every one of those little quick hits was someone realizing, dude, my my life has been rough, and one of the only constants that has existed is my terrible choices and people of Jesus loving me. Like, those are the only two things that have been constant in this whole deal. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I think that's one of the key focus areas here then is, like, just just don't be disingenuous about it. Right. Like Yes. If it's a if you got a half an hour, like, be be you. And, like, I I do think sometimes we pull back on sharing good news about Jesus because we're worried about what it's going to do. I think we gotta let some of that go. Like, what have we talked about this, I think, a ton, but, like, I just don't think it's the Christian's job to to psychoanalyze everybody. I think the good news is universal. I think the themes of what God is after, most peep like, people generally do recognize. I think they struggle. Like, what it means to them, I think, is a relational issue, but, like, I don't I really don't think people are gonna be

dramatically affected if you try to present the gospel wrong unless you try to look at them and go, Well, a little dash of this, little dash of that. Let me see what hits them. Just be yourself. Let the gospel be what it's gonna be, But I would say it probably is occurring more naturally than we're allowing it to because I think we are holding it back, and I think that's a risk. Well, a lot of our our worry about the whole we have to build a relationship with somebody before we can do this may be because well, what if they they, like, just freak out about the message because it it it's it angers them or whatever. When most of the time, the well, the anger that they feel towards Christianity or towards God and stuff like that may rarely be actual anger towards God. It may just be towards people that suck, that that have claimed to represent him for a long time. Yeah. And, again, like you said, it's not our job for psychoanalysis there. Like, we don't need to look into the traumas of their life and go, oh, you dealt with this as a 15 year old and a youth pastor. And when you were 22, you went to a church and they kicked you out, blah blah blah. There's still message or there's still power in the message of god in a one hit just the same way as there is power power in the message of god building that relationship with somebody. Yep. It continues. I remember speaker once during

once lecture me at a youth leader event explaining to me how evangelism didn't work in the current culture. A crowd gathered as he went on and on, telling me that people weren't open to hearing about Jesus unless a long term relationship had first been built and firmly established over time. While I agreed that we must build relationships with people, I told him it's weird to bring Jesus up later in the relationships not early on, that it's a bit disingenuous to do so. Okay. I agree with that part. Surprise. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, but that's Jesus. Right? That's an unhealthy suppression, not necessarily an aggression. Suppression's the right word. Right? Like, there ain't nobody that that I've ever met that doesn't know I love Jesus. Not nobody. Right. Right? And I'm not walking around going, bless you, my son. Right? How can I pray for you today? He is risen. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm like, hey. Can you go grab that wrench? You know what I'm saying? But, like, there's just a way that you carry yourself, the way that you interact with people, the way that you talk, the way that you look at the world, it should be really obvious that you love Jesus. Right? You have to be hiding that. That's a little light of mine. You know what I'm saying? You're putting it under a bush. And here's the deal. To to try and teach from the from the flip side, I've absolutely been the person that is hidden it completely. There have been so many people in my life that had no idea I knew Jesus. I was a bouncer for years. I've been a DJ in bars. I've done all that stuff. I've been in some really rough spots. I've been in in crappy places and strip clubs, all that crap, man. Not a single one of them knew that I love Jesus.

And you can bet that if I ever decided to flip on and try and talk to them about Jesus, I looked like a fool. I looked like a flat idiot, the most fake, I mean, bull crap Jesus that I was trying to pedal. They just didn't believe. You can't talk to somebody that you met up at a strip club and you've been buddies for two years. And then out of nowhere, when you decided to flip yourself around, go, by the way, this whole time, I have actually loved Jesus. Yeah. I just I I didn't show you that because we've been in sin together. I was undercover. Yeah. I was undercover. Surprise. Like, this is it's it it it is the genuine nature of how you live this that that has power here. You're not I screwed that up. God didn't mess that message up. I did. Yeah. My sin made that not possible. It wasn't that God's message wasn't strong enough to talk to the dude. If I would've went into a bar, tried to be a light there, and done something real and been an honest Jesus man in that situation, God could have freaking punched through that. Now he still can, but I hindered my own ability to talk to people about Jesus because I wasn't that sin. We don't run stings. Right? Like, you're just there's no there's no upper we're upfront about the gospel. Right? Like, we're upfront about the good news of Jesus Christ. Like, you're never in an undercover sting where you reveal it later. You know what I'm saying? DEA. I love Jesus. So he said what we said actually, he said, after all, you naturally talk about what you love. And if we truly love Jesus, we can't help but talk about him early on. Okay. Agreed. I also pushed back on his assertion that you can't just talk about Christ to random strangers you may encounter in everyday life. Okay. Here's a big one. I pointed to Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Within a minute of meeting her, he had segued the conversation into a spiritual one. In a matter of minutes, she was on her way back to town to share her testimony

with her fellow Samaritans. I will caution that Jesus cheats. Yep. That's what I was thinking. That's gist. He deduced her entire life and told her things no one should know. Did you know that I know about all the adultery that's going on? Don't you think that was the big part of the seller? The fact that he goes, I know that you are not with your husband right now. In fact, you have all these husbands. That and think about that. That, like, that's earthly relational. That's I know something about you that opens up your like, that is not just the creator would know that stuff without that background and, like, months of figuring it out. She's not gonna give that information up. Right. Bad reference. Bad reference. I love you in spite of all this stuff. As this speaker and I bantered back and forth, the crowd of youth leaders grew. They were locked into our conversation because they felt the same tension in their hearts when it came to evangelism. I finally said, okay. I have a challenge for you. Let's you and I go out to the streets of Pittsburgh where we were and just talk to people for an hour about Jesus. I'll do all the talking. You can stand by my side and silently pray for them. We'll see how willing people are to talk about Jesus. It was a flat out dare, which was fitting because I'm the okay. I don't care. He's gonna prop his ministry. Yep. The youth leaders gathered around and started chanting, do it. Do it. Do it. Oh, this sounds like a real frat house. Wow. Do it. After this article, we'll talk about why people don't wanna be part of your evangelism ministry. But this leader was not willing to put his theory to the test. And everyone was clapping. Uh-huh. Okay. I've evangelized friends, family, neighbors, and strangers for forty five years. Some I had a relationship with. Others I met on a plane, in a gym, or at a restaurant and engaged them in a conversation.

I I'm I'm not disagreeing with this actually at all, but that's like, these are natural conversations. Yes. Jesus told us that our primary mission is to go and make disciples of all nations. This assumes that we take the initiative. Are you? Are you praying for an opportunity to share the gospel every single day? Are you seeking to turn your everyday conversations toward Jesus? If not, start today. I actually don't agree disagree with that either. Right. I think we should be doing that. Yes.

For help in sharing your faith and love, check out my five minute crash course on how to share the gospel with anyone, anywhere, at any time. That's me. He runs daretoshare.org. The hard the hard work is is presenting the gospel to somebody and then helping them realize what that looks like in their life. Right? That is a lifetime worth of behavior and a lifetime worth of understanding, like new it's not even new, a grander and deeper perspective of what this relationship looks like. Right? What tell me that you found a guy that you you told him who Jesus was and what the good news is, and then you walked with him as he went through stages of life. That, my friend,

that is some discipleship making. Right? Like, I I I I'm not saying that he's not like, I think Ben's right. Like, it's we're saying that, like, if you're under the impression that a long term relationship has to exist before you bring up Jesus, then you're hiding, you're suppressing the good news in your life. That's foolish. But it's super easy to dump the gospel on people and then walk away. Right? And maybe you're not in charge of, like, walking hand in hand with a thousand people as they get to know Jesus, but, like, that's that's where the work is. You know what I'm saying? Like, I can read I can read Acts and then go out and preach right now and just nail, like and and look at the way Stephen did it and Paul. They both just retold the old testament. That's how they present the gospel to people. They're like, here's what happened to us. And then and then here's Jesus. He showed up as promised, and then we're free of all this. Because you've heard those stories every time. Right? What do you think? Like, what are we what a relational approach. Like, it's a it's a quick relationship.

Like but here's what we have in common. We're all claiming to be Jews. So here's the deal. You know? And then he nails it. So so I I think it's I don't know. It feels like evangelism just for evangelism's sake. Right? Not practical looking people in the eye, knowing them, and and letting the gospel impact their life. Yeah. He's kinda missing the point that, like, maybe Paul shows up and preaches, but then he hangs around for three years.

Yeah. When there's a church, yeah. Sends Timothy if he can't. He's in Ephesus forever. The Bible gives it like a paragraph. Here. I'm giving you Aphroditus because I can't be there, but here you go. Oblivious. I mean, you you you present the gospel, but you do it in the context of of of I don't wanna say doing life together. That sounds so cliche, but but of being involved in a person's life. Yes. And a gospel just comes out because that's what you believe. You're a Jesus person,

and it's not gimmicky. Sometimes the evangelism feels gimmicky to me. Here's my quick five minute, get these tips, and you're selling something. It's like, Ah, you're not selling anything other than, Hey, do you want to have a better life? Yes, that's right. You want to have all your sins forgiven? Yeah. Do you want eternity? Yeah. Do you want everything God wants for you? Yeah. Hang out with me. I'll show you. Right. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's the the well, and and it's very difficult to judge

whether people it's the same same issue with, like, some some we talked about earlier, just, like, church gatherings. Like, are you are we winning them toward a healthy, deep commitment to a king Jesus and a and a good news that actually changes your life, or are are we looking for moments where we, like we we talk to him for five minutes and then, like, we feel, oh, yeah. I shared the gospel. They accepted Christ. I'm like, it's it's actually you know what? It makes me uncomfortable is you go to Christian concerts, like, they'll go, yeah. We were just in Wisconsin, and, like, 38 people gave their life to Jesus. And, like Yeah. Maybe they did. Maybe they did. But, like, I I just I'd be I'm just so cautious about creating people. It feels it feels harder to me that once someone says yes, they get on a high about it, and then they bail. It feels like it's twice as hard to reconnect them back to Jesus because tried that. Yeah. It didn't work. Yeah. Wasn't that the same thing they did at Pentecost, though? Like, didn't Pentecost happen and then they immediately go, like, we counted 10,000 of the number towards Jesus? Yeah. So what's interesting, though, is that, like, the the culture the culture is is different because their Pentecost was Jews. Right? Like, they're talking to a bunch of gathered Jews who are like, they have foundations no longer crushing you. But but think of it. They have foundations of already serving and loving Yahweh. Yeah. This was a this was something that opened their eyes to who Jesus was and what it meant for the future, but you weren't starting from scratch. Okay. They didn't have to be. You're not retraining Yeah. Against the world. And then they hung out from day to day in the temple courts and continued teaching Yes. Until the great persecution and then as things started spreading. So there not not to be contentious here, and I don't think I'm being I'm just maybe I'm showing a little bit of of of, like, biblical Stupidity.

Stupidity. Immaturity. Yep. But, like, is this not a conversation for, like, there are different parts of the body of Christ and then there's, like, different gifts that people are given that, like, you may be just the dude that shows up and and talks one day, and then the Lord has other workers. Can be like, okay. Well, I preached. Now you're a part of this. We got teachers who are gonna continue to build you up, and we got people that are gonna, you know, speak into your life and help you hear and prophecy what you're doing and stuff like that. Like, is this not a a a yes and situation as well in that light? Yeah. So I I think that we talked about that, I think, in relationship to street to traveling evangelists Uh-huh. Right. Similarly. And, like, I I think it is the difficulty is is that, like, did you did you assign yourself the role? Right? Did you say I'm the traveling preacher, and that's how what god has has me doing? Thus, I'm not responsible for the depth. Because, like, who's not gonna sign up for the I just say the thing and the and the glory that comes with the life of Jesus living? Take the offering and how to not do that with some people? So think of it. If if to his point, Jesus says go forth and make disciples, except for Chuck. Chuck just gets to go and not have to make disciples. He just gets to, like, dump words on people. Now do I think someone's do I think it's okay for for to be traveling evangelist? Yes. I do. I think they're encouraging. That's just like I think missionaries, like,

here to there, there to hear are encouraging to people, and I think that's alright. But but here's the question. If if there are differences in that among people, who is who were who was that person to then look at me and go, hey. You should be doing more of my gift? Yeah. I I couldn't presume that. Right? And so so it's the question is, like, if I have to default to something, I'm gonna take Jesus' words at it holistically and say, I'm supposed to make disciples. Is it possible that God has carved out certain people for limited engagements and things like that? I think it's possible, but I'd be real I'd be real cautious about trying to get other people to take that role through my prescription versus the prescription of the holy spirit. Yeah. No. Agreed. I don't think that should ever be the situation. You should do all things through prayer and and allowing god to appoint things in our lives and and stuff like that. So Yes.

Yeah. No. Agreed. I just I was just thinking through that, and I I was reading Corinthians. I think it's first Corinthians. Yeah. Yeah. I just started thinking about, like, the the different gifts that people are given and the different parts of the body and stuff like that. Like, is that part of this conversation as well to say that some people do that kind of work, and then some people are teachers, some people do this stuff, some people are this part of the body? Yeah. I don't think either any of those things coming from Paul would restrict it to what this guy's talking about. Got it. Okay. But here's the thing. I do think we have to contend with certain revival movements. They're just people preaching, straight up preaching. But those are the same movements of which I have a caution of how deep is it? Did it persist?

Or did we sell it, but did invite people into a moment that they got caught up in and then didn't stick because it didn't feel like real life anymore. Vacation. Was It was a vacation from a reality that re hit them without the foundation of who Jesus is. The same reason I have I have difficulty with the whole going off and doing a conference kind of thing because I can remember countless times going to a conference, and I'm embarrassed at how many altar calls I showed up to,

and how many times I gave my life to Jesus and that stuff because I heard a really good worship set and, man, those lights were cool. And then as a 13 year old, I went, yeah. I'm on fire for God and went straight back home and straight back to all the rough and nothing changed. Like, not a single thing changed. But there are plenty of people who've done an alter call at a conference and, like, it changed their world. I it's just where I remain humble, I think, in this area, but I think it's right to recognize the caution. Yeah. Yeah. Mike, I wanna appreciate what you just did. I missed. Alright. Cool. But even like I said before, you know, like, you got the pulse of Paul. He he's an evangelist type of guy going from church to church, church planter. Yep. But he set things up. And, like, you mentioned yeah. Yep. Bring in Timothy. Bring in this yeah. Okay. He he didn't just Yeah. I was there. Fast car and get out of town to the next one. He he stuck around, did some discipleship, trained people, set up elders. Checked up. Everything happened. Yeah. And and then it was a healthy church, and and then he had to check back later. Hey. You're not as healthy. Know? To you because I've been told what you've been doing. Yeah. Yeah. Second can, if I'm out of these chains anytime soon, I'm going to come to you again in my absence here, Timothy. As opposed to evangelists, she's like, yeah. We did a concert and 38 people raised their hand and and never gone. I I have no idea who they were. You know? They added our number one page on Facebook. Yeah. Yeah. So that that we've cheapened it, and and that's that's right here. We have cheapened. I here's the like, the thing that that's easy to grasp about about Paul Paul's ministry and what's harder to grasp modern day is, like, no matter what the situation, Paul's ministry will continue. Right? Like, if no one tithed that night, Paul goes,

no problem. If Paul took a beating and got put in jail, he's like, this is no problem at all. Right? Like, his ministry continues. When people stop showing up to the traveling evangelists, they're like, I think it's time for me to get out of this. Or if there's not enough money to fund the band, then it's time to or we can't find the right venue. It's time to quit. God must not be in this anymore. That's right. God's on his way out. Now granted our economy is different. Like, our modern age does work differently, so you can't completely discount that. But, like, Paul will go to the next town by himself, or he'll go to the next town with five people, or he'll go to the next town on a back of a donkey, or he will crawl his way there with with lashes on his back. Like, it doesn't matter what comes up. Paul will be delivering the gospel to somebody in some fashion. Now I I think that does that that thought then does support the trajectory of what this man is asking, which is to say, like, are you approaching

all your relationships and up and and looking at things as opportunities to otherwise share good news with people? And I I do think we need to blow up our reservation about and I don't know, Dan. I think this came up when we were talking about the last time you got back from Zimbabwe. You know? Like, these guys were just walking around, like, looking to have conversations in ways that I think probably doesn't work here. I think that that might actually be be somewhat true, but it's just curious.

Is this guy's attempt to try to engage with people with Jesus better than my attempt at nothing and my nonattempt because I'm worried about what someone's going to think or like, Hey, if I approach this the wrong way, is it going to tie it off and say, Well, that's an aggressive Christian and I don't want to do it? But here's the thing. If we can approach it naturally,

speak it a bit in the right proportion of which you would normally speak about things, and don't be you make people feel here's the thing. You make people feel used if they can tell when you walk into a conversation that you're just biding your time until you get to pitch them your religion. And, like Right. I I'm confident that Jesus' attack for the world isn't like treat them like a commodity.

Mhmm. And so so but it doesn't mean that, you know, within ten minutes of a there's all kinds of people I know. Within ten minutes of conversation, it'll come to Jesus because that's what they're normally talking about every ten minutes. Alright? And and so, like, I think the prayer here is, Lord, can you can you help me fashion my life where, like, I pray without ceasing and I do not suppress anything that you might have coming out of my mouth or into my mind and help me walk in boldness and those things without fear of how it hits the world because the world needs to change under your goodness. I think if we want to focus under that, I think that's right, and I think that creates some of what this guy's saying without it feeling so freaking fake. Yeah. Yeah. It's not like the phrase is like, I know nothing but Christ crucified. Right? That's what I know. And that doesn't mean that you literally don't know anything else. It just means everything you look at is colored that way. Like, you're it's the source of everything that you have and and everything that you have to offer. Yeah. And so, like, yeah, your life, it it should it should say that on its own. I love hitting my boss with that.

What? He'll ask me a question like, hey. Did you do this? Blah blah blah. Did you email this guy? And I'll say, I know nothing but Christ crucified. Have you legit done that? Yeah. I do it all the time. So I love doing it. Do wanna know what we're talking about here? That is not genuine is what we're talking about. Like, if that is if that is the extent of your no. I'm just messing around. Where are going, Daniel? I mean, I'm that's not evangelism. I just love doing it because it's funny. I read this story about this fella or maybe I'll watch a video. I don't remember. It's been a minute. It was this big old tall

bald guy. And he, for whatever reason, I'm I'm kinda piecing this together from memory here, but he was he was in the air a lot. He was flying around from town to town doing conferences or something, but I don't think he was like it was like Jesus conferences. I think it was like some sort of basketball thing or something like that, but he was a Jesus man. And so he he claimed that he started started each day with a prayer that God would use him however he would be used that day. And he was a big fan of sharing the gospel with people on the airplane because he's like, well, what else am I gonna do? You know, I'm traveling all the time, and I've got people sitting around with me for four hours at a time, so might as well share it then.

And he seemed like a pretty rad dude, and, that seems like kind of something that might be up this this this year's alley, where it's like, if you're if you're legitimately traveling all the time and you're trying to, you know, spread the gospel Yeah. Then this might be up this this particular fella's alley. Yeah. Yep. You could do it at the get and go. Like, you can have these kind of conversations at at the random gas station you go to to buy that Pepsi way too much. Like, just if you start living your life where everything is is just bathed in prayer and kingdom living, kingdom work is your is your goal, this kind of stuff is going to happen. Like, it's awesome. When I'm when I feel like I'm at my best when I'm actually walking in step with the Lord and being led by him, like, this kind of stuff just happens. Like, when I'm living in fake sin or in real sin and fake Christianity, that's when I I struggle and go, well I'm I'm scared of this situation all this different stuff like it just it.

It's friggin it's light and salt you change the the the nature of the places that you're in when you live this way like yeah salt makes crap salty Like, it it it cannot be the same in the presence of that. Why did you why did you say light and salt, though? That's disorienting. What do mean? Said salt and light. Yeah. That's weird. Oh, sorry. It's perverse. Jelly and peanut butter sandwiches. Yeah. That's not how the Latin covered it. That really works. Anyway, you are you are meant to change the situations that you're in. Darkness doesn't live where you where the light is. Don't go to the get and go, though. No. That's the devil's town. I tried to murder Nathaniel over to come and go. Come and go for sure. It didn't work out. Come and go. Less

than half of born again Christians believe Jesus lived lived a sinless life on Earth. Sweet. Is that surprising to anybody? Like, of all the theological things where people have contention, was Jesus sinless for a born again Christian seems to be like I mean, what what do we believe? We should just start doing these surveys with, here's, like, 10 things. Which of these things do you actually believe in? Oh, that'd be that'd be awesome. Is this a new article, Ben? Yeah. I missed it. Sorry. Yeah. Since the COVID nineteen pandemic began in 2020, fewer born again Christians now say that Jesus lived a sinless life during his time on Earth. Am I supposed to connect these two in the presence of COVID? They're like, you know what? I think Jesus was a sinner. No. No. This this thing is a problem. No. Jesus definitely didn't live. I mean, by definition, are you a born again Christian if you think That's kinda one of the main things you gotta get in line with. What do we think the good news is? Right. None of it makes sense if Jesus was a sinner. By the way Like, it just flat out doesn't work. The law can't be fulfilled through him. He can't become a curse that actually makes anything happen. He can't be a sacrifice that covers all sin because he is just another blemish sheep. Like, it just doesn't work. He's barred Jesus. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Don't let me forget. After this article, I thought of four sidebar questions during our last discussion. Okay. Wanna know the answer. Alright. The findings came from the American Worldview Inventory twenty twenty three, an annual tracking study of the worldview of US adults involving 2,000 people. While born again Christians make up about one third of all US adults,

that's interesting, I thought it was more than that. And are considered the backbone of local church activity because of their higher level commitment to the Christian faith. The study shows that between 2020 and 2023, the share of those who say they believe Jesus did not commit sins during his lifetime on earth fell from fifty eight percent to forty four percent. I don't understand this. I also don't trust the statistics in general. It's just it's a weird it's a weird thing to have changed. Like, if you say like, someone says, look. I I think I'm more like more likely to understand if someone goes, look. I don't think there is a god. I get that that changes, but, like, I think Jesus might have sinned while on Earth. Like, I don't understand. What about what is causing this problem? Probably Tiger King.

Yeah. That's what happened during the present. Of the COVID nineteen pandemic and the existence of a Netflix show. It really threw off born again Christians. Before that, batting in the fifties, it's not good. No. I never had a financial recover from this. I think it's the I mean Good morning, all you cool cats and kittens. These are, like, narrow road numbers, and so I guess maybe I'm not surprised. But, like, now you're hyper narrow road because, like, these guys are trying to walk the path and going, yeah. I mean, I'm just another sinner walking behind a sinner. Like, I just I don't understand what your faith is based on. Lead me into the exact same thing I'm in, Lord. Why do you actually, next survey is like, why do you even want to claim to be a Christian? Right. Like, what is in it for you? It's not popular anymore. I'll tell you that. Yeah.

It said the shift in belief among Bordeagan Christians was among six that showed a significant decline in the past three years that Barna characterized as indefensible. Fewer than half of Bordeagan Christians also now believe they have a unique God given calling or purpose. I actually think that one's debated. You could put that one higher for me, and I think it's alright. Like, the the uniqueness of their God given purpose. Mhmm. I actually think, theologically, you you might even be in safe territory to be higher than that. It'd probably be better for you. We can't stop cranking out worship tunes that are focused on people individually. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 66 books that give me a pretty good idea of what I need to be doing anyway. So, like Holy Spirit, speak to me. I wrote a book. Lord, Wheaties or Raisin Bran? Let's see. The share of those who held that belief fell from eighty eight percent to a staggering forty six percent during the pandemic. I don't understand the correlation. Maybe there isn't one. Maybe it's just it's Maybe it's just the time period of the statistic. Yeah. A downward trend was also observed among those who say the Bible is unambiguous in its teaching about abortion. That belief fell from 58% to 44%. Who say human life is sacred fell from 60 to 48%.

Holy buckets. That's even nonbiblically, this is a weird statistic. And the number of born again Christians who say God is the basis of all truth fell from 69% to 63%. I am curious as all get out to talk to the 6% of people. I'm like, What do you now believe?

What is it that you went to? Guess what drove it, but, like, if if God is not the basis of all truth, what where is the basis of all truth? Yeah. Do you need an ultimate truth to follow Or is there not one? And if there is not one, why do you believe any of the other things on the list? Like, people are confusing. This goes back to street preacher. I people have not thought through their worldview at all. That's true. If none of this matters, which basically a lot of that stuff kind of falls down to, like, why does it even matter if you don't believe that? Why don't we just freaking party and life's gonna end eventually? Cool. This is what I'm saying. Like, if Jesus were if Jesus were not god's son, if Jesus were not sinless, like, I'm out. I'm out entirely. The whole thing is gone. Yeah. The only empirical truth then is we die. Yeah. And he died. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Does this include the Catholics?

It's not no. Born again Christians, I think Jen tends to exclude Catholics, but I don't know. What is a born again Christian? It's murky like evangelicals murky. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Alright. Yeah. Say I was like, aren't we all born again Christians? Yeah. Like, did anyone not go through the birth again? May maybe the deal is that during COVID, when they took this

survey, everybody was home except for the evangelists who were out there evangelizing. So they didn't answer the survey. Freaking ridiculous. Right. And they kinda threw things off. Where Christians are are in, like, dangerous situations, and then stuff just happens because of it. Yeah. I don't know. Stuff gets changed. Weird.

I didn't follow anything of what you just said. Tell. Yeah. What? Stuff gets changed. Dan was making sense, and then you cut in and said, I mean, absolutely nothing for, like, ten seconds. Fair. What I meant is is that whatever. It's not worth it. Alright. I'm gonna do the bow out. When it comes to the general population of US adults, Barta said the share of the population that claims to hold a biblical worldview fell from 6% to 4%. I thought it said fell To 4%? Yeah. He said fell from six to four,

while less than half now claim to be deeply committed to practicing their religious faith. He found 33% of adults now say they attend church service during a typical week, which shows a decline, which represents a loss of about 15,000,000 churchgoing adults each week. I don't care about that. Mean, I do, but I don't. How did the survey get to people? Yeah. I didn't answer any questions. Yeah. Right. Like, I don't am I not a born again Christian that I wasn't given the survey? Because I was alive. You guys are not evangelizing. That's what I'm saying. This sounds like it was asked on the coast. This sounds like an East West Coast survey to me. That sounds like a real Midwestern thing to say. Like Yep. This was done out on the coast. Big old city living people. That's talking about Don't even get me started on the entitlement of coast dwellers. I got a list. Yeah. Okay. I it's maybe this this is just

what Last time you saw corn, brother. Mike, what were the what were the four four things? Four sidebars. One, does Paul have a last name? Of Tarsus. I was just trying to think of Paul Robertson Ministries. You know what I'm saying? Like like, I was trying to make the point that, like, Paul Paul doesn't, you know, let his ministry do the the tail wag the dog. You know? He just, he just has at it, but I thought, what would be his blank ministry name? And it's just Paul Ministries.

I feel like his last names didn't really become a huge thing until there was a lot of immigration and people moving around and stuff like that to where they needed to identify more than just in their town. Well, I but you know what's interesting, though, is that, like, no joke, half the people in Jerusalem were named Mary. Like, no joke. Wow. And and Jesus was also Yeshua was a very popular name. Pretty close to fifty fifty on male female. That means, like, all of them were married. There were Marys everywhere. Right? And so, like, it they needed a last name. And and even if you said Mary Of Nazareth Right. Right? Which one? Were probably still, like, 10 Marys, and and Nazareth was tiny. Nazareth over on 7th Street. So was Jesus like Yeshua Josephson?

Yeah. The yeah. They Josephson? Yes. I don't think that happened for another thousand years. I don't think they felt the need to scramble it altogether. Actually, here's what's interesting is that is is in Jesus' day, the people were a lot freer with language. Right? Like, they they it's okay to say Jesus bar Joseph or Yeshua bar Joseph. Right? Like, they they would you would do that. Gotcha. Actually, yeah. Anyway

Just imagine your census taker coming into town. Mary, here. Mary, here. Mary, here. It's awful. Mary, here. Here. Exactly. Which Mary are you? Two. Fantastic. Okay. Yeah. And Paul's ministry is probably something like Paul or Apollos

or Claude or Peter Incorporated. Paul Seebus. Paul wouldn't even have it. Yeah. Paul would just be like Paul, an apostle that is made low low in front of you That's right. Coming to you from this city. It's like, oh, come on. Crucified ministry. Yeah. All I know is I don't know my last name, but I knew no Christ crucified. Okay. That's sidebar one. Sidebar two. Is there any spiritual gifts you wouldn't want? Like like I'm terrified of teaching. The Bible the Bible lays them out as gifts. It says they are gifts, and you read them and go I'm glad I'm terrified. Get that one. I will I've I would not want tongues.

Yeah. I'm with Ben. That was the first thing that came to my mind. Yeah. I feel like I wouldn't and and and but it's possible because, like, maybe I don't want it because I don't have it. Because Paul talks about it in positive terms. He's like, I got it. You could just speak to the lord in angelic tongue. Yeah. And he uses a lot in presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit showed up. People started talking in tongues. Yes. So so I think there I think that I I also would be the calling on your life when you have the gift of prophecy makes me wildly uncomfortable because I know I shared this to some of you fellows already, but freaking Ezekiel, what is it, two or three? Chapter two, chapter three, freaking watchman. And he says, look. You're a watchman, and I'm going to tell you if I condemn a man and he dies in this sin because you didn't say anything, that his blood's on you. Yeah. That's terrifying too. Yeah. Right. That's what I'm saying. And so, like, I think in some respects,

that's for everybody, but in specific respects, that's for a prophet of God where God chooses a man and goes, hey. You need to go share this thing, and he goes, I'm not gonna do it. And god's like, I hold you responsible for his for the blood on your hands. And so, like, there's just a lot of weight to prophecy because I feel like you end up in a bunch of weird situations where you're like, dude, I hate to tell you. Like, god said the following. You know fire's coming, right? Not to be in your grill, but the Yahweh said. I can tell you, sometimes I've always scored high on the little test on the gift of faith, right? Yeah. I just believe God can do whatever he heck he wants. I

have no doubt. It's really frustrating at times because most people don't. Right. Like, Well, we should do this. They're like, Well, we can't. I was like, I don't understand. Know? Mean, it's just feel like I've spent my whole life trying to say, No. God's got this. And people are like, No. He doesn't. They're like, No. He really does. And he always does. It's like, it's just frustrating. People just kinda drag you down. You're like, No. We really can't do this. They're dragging everything. Let's not do this. It's like You cement shoes on my face. Can I miss? Get out of here. I mean, go ahead. I've got these stones. Like, how

can you miss Goliath? Right? Yeah. Just walking around with a bunch of freaking, like, wet jeans walking with him. It's it's it's yeah. Sometimes it's just frustrating, honestly. Pull them down. Anyway, that's it. What is the what what words am I looking for for spiritual gifts? I think it's first Corinthians, what, 13? I tried to look it up, and they're like they have way more spiritual gifts than I thought. There's, like, 12. Seven. Romans 12. Yeah. Nine. 12 of them. I forget. What Mike, did you have one that you don't want? I mean, preaching, teaching,

Like, there's a there's Paul says there's, like, five. One The is it the one you're thinking of? It's got, like, five in it. Yes. Yeah. And, like Ephesians, maybe. It's first Corinthians 12. So what's the difference between preaching and teaching? Signposts. Sorry. What? Are you talking to somebody else? What? I'm talking to Nathaniel. Oh, sorry. I was

Troy said Corinthians 13. Dan said 12. Dan was right. I was I was giving him the bingo finger. So Oh, okay. I thought all I heard was From bringing me low, I was excited that I was in the right book. It sounded like you were making, like, a laundry list over there. What's up? Seven. To each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good, for to one is given through the spirit of utterance of wisdom, to another utterance of knowledge according to the same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, to another gifts of healing by one spirit,

working of miracles, prophecy, ability to distinguish between spirits, various kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues. Oh, the spiritual discerner. The the discerning between spirits would be kind of a fun job. If you're like the Oracle and someone goes, dude, I heard this, and you're like, evil. Yeah. Nope. Yeah. Well, that's that's an immediate, like, rock them, suck them, robot. Right. That is.

Next, we should have a booth where people are like, I feel like the I feel like the devil's really after me today, you go, no. He's not. That's your choices. Yeah. Your choices are behind you. I feel like I feel like we can all pretty much do that. My own my own self is on top of me today. The devil's really after me. Oh, have you done this recently? Oh, yeah. Punch. I mean, it sounds like you're after yourself. Wisdom would be cool. Yeah. Yeah. Knowledge Difference between wisdom and knowledge. Love that. Knowledge would be cool. Preaching, teaching, it falls in the same category to me, but, like,

yeah, that's all that's all fine and good. Yeah. Prophecy, I wouldn't be I know I don't have it. I don't I'm not leery of it, but I know I don't have it because I know people that do. And so, like, I I'm not saying I wouldn't want it, but, yeah, the tongues thing yeah. I don't know. Like, I've seen tongues done very poorly,

and and I didn't feel of the holy spirit to me, and so I'm very leery of it. But I know people that speak in tongues that it is not that way for them, and and so I'm I'm leery of that one. I'm not not on a like, it's a not a good thing, but, like, yeah, I think I'd struggle with it. Well, and that one's more personal. Right? Like, the way Paul talks about it is is is something that's personal versus, like, prophecy, you're going out and you're interacting with other people. Tongues tends to be reflected, I think, at least most appropriately bound by something that feels personal or requires I've I've never seen anybody do, talk in tongues and have someone interpret there. Never. Like, out loud tongues? Yes. Isn't there, like, an inside your head tongues too? Oh, I can't I don't know. It's not it's not happened to me. Well, no. I think I thought that was called out as a different thing. Like, tongues can be either,

like, outwards and needs an interpreter, but tongues can also be speaking to the Lord and the Holy Spirit Yes. Of, like, a like I don't know. The one I'm more familiar with is the one, like, within your within your head. Well, not your head. Like, you talk out loud. Yeah. Right? But but that's just a prayer language, you know, whatever. Like yeah. Yeah. Right. Like, it's a prayer language between you and the Lord. Which I think I think that's what Paul is talking about. Like, when he's well, there's there's multiple but I think that when he talks about his tongues as a personal gift for himself, and that feels like that one, I guess, that's how I always read that Mhmm. Is is something that was that is private to him. I don't think I'd have a problem with prophecy because, like but what I think happens with the gift of prophecy is God tells you something that you're gonna have to yell at somebody about. But, yeah, I was gonna say it's just like, we think future tense, but, like, that's a lot I don't know. Right. Like, a lot of a lot of people think future tense, not us. Excuse me. But, like, that's that's barely it. Like, it's rarely future tense stuff. It's like, hey. This is the lord speaking to you now, like, you're doing currently. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I just I I feel like I don't like the sound of that. I would rather have that than discernment. Wait. The spiritual discernment? No. Because I wouldn't wanna be involved in it. Like, if it's a prophecy thing, I don't have to go I would like to discern what's going on here. I would like god just to go, here's what's going on here. And then I go, okay. I'll deliver it. I'm proud of the confidence of the person who gets discernment as their gift and then acts on it. Yeah. Like, because you gotta really be like, yep. Lord told me that. Especially because you know your track record of being wrong. Right? Like, you're a fallible broken human. And so, like, instantly, when I feel like I've got something discerned where I'm like, this is the deal. I know it's the deal. And then I'm like, yeah. But you've been a boob, like, most of your life. Remember that one time you were wrong?

And then I'm like, oh, man. I better I better weigh in later. I better see what's up. Actually, I I was thinking about and I think about some of these the prophets who had to do the sin acts. Right? Uh-huh. Like like Ezekiel and stuff like that. When you're halfway through, like, cooking your food on a freaking poop dried poop somewhere and you're going, oh, this better be right. This better be doing something. If I heard this wrong, I'd be really upset. Right. Every time I feel like I've heard from the lord, I'd second and third and fourth and a hundred and fiftieth guess that and go, no, you idiot. That was you. That was just you the little freaking voice in your head, and you just felt like you were at a place where the lord might be talking to you. And so you went, yeah, lord. I hear you. This is this is how people this is how people end up doing, like like, wild things is because they have to choose something that they so think they wouldn't think of themselves. Like, I'm supposed to to serve the impoverished in Nepalese wearing a loin cloth because I so don't wanna do that. It must have come from the lord. My dreams. It had to be from the lord. Because I wouldn't do it per let's they eliminate themselves for for anything that could feel like them, and so that's the stuff that they say they have to do. But it is so connected to humanity. Right? Like like when Paul turns around

and pulls a demon out of somebody merely because he's irritated with them following him around. Like it like, the Bible is real specific. It's like, and Paul had finally had enough, and he turned around and said, come out of that woman and pulled the demon out. And, like so, like, it's it is really connected to to human liabilities. And, like like, the Bible does not paint a picture of, like, some, like, enlightened dude on a cloud, like spiritual gifting. Right? It's way more gritty than that. You know, way more way more life stuff than that. Yeah. Actually, I think that's really it's a really interesting thing that we gotta be able to grasp, which is

it's you can know prophets of God who have struggling marriages. You can know Yeah. Like, people who, like, discern and have wisdom from God and then trip over something in the grocery aisle and fall on their face. Or or or Where's your sermon now, Bob? Right. Like like, this it's weird because what I want to say is that, like, a God chose a perfect person to bring his perfect message. And, like, great. I every T shirt meme says that that's not true, but tell me that once you hear someone who's got like, God sent this person to do prophet type of work, I expect them to be nailing all the things that I'm not nailing because God is speaking to them. But, like, oftentimes, God is saying, look. You go tell Ted this. Every other day of your life and time, I expect you to be responding to the Holy Spirit scriptures, and you're just not, or you're struggling with it like a normal human would. Interesting.

Okay. Did you have two more? Well, Dan, what what do are you working on something over there, Dan? Well, I I was just looking at the list some of the Okay. Gifts. Like, I was thinking that the gift of mercy is, like, that's kind of a I don't know. I feel like that's all of us, isn't it? Well, I mean, we're to have mercy, but some have the gift of mercy. You know? In Romans 12, it's like you it's like that you're just, like, hanging around really depressed people saying, you're good. You're good. It's alright. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, it just seems kinda like a downer. Or even even, like, the gift of You're really strong to do that job. Hospitality is a good example. Yeah. Where, like, you figure, oh, everyone has to be should be hospitable. Right. Right. But, like, I was thinking through it, like, that it wears me out. I'm not energized by that kind of thing. I think I want it to be true at my house, but, like, I'm not motivated by it. Half my house is totally motivated by it. They love it. It gives them energy, and so I think, like, it's a gift. I think I I think I have to I have to to to want that and should sacrifice to make sure that happens, but it is not a gift of mine. Yeah. Like your gift. It's not encouragement. Our church was born in our house, and so we had a couple of years of just I mean, they, like, ragged our house. Right? Yep. And and to this day, like, my wife, it's like she doesn't wanna be near our house. Like, she does not have the gift. Right? You you know mean? She's just like, hey. Can we come no. No. Oh, that's funny. So I'm like This is my safe space. Yeah. I was like It was invaded once, not again. Well, I suppose when you have people walking around your house and you're trying to, like, go to the bathroom or something in your underwear and you're like, hey, children. By the way, Ed's here.

How are Ed? What? It's two in the morning. I pee in my underwear, Ted. Back away. Oh, wait. Okay. Does that cover all your sidebars? Paul's last name. Spiritual gifts that you don't want. Yeah. I lost the other two. Okay. The other two are gone. Alright. I hey. Thanks for hanging out with us so far on show 500 and a half. We very much appreciate it. Hey. Where where do we got this thing wrong? One, are you a street evangelist? I I wanna hear

if you are, and you've done this. I I'm interested in your experiences, but, like, specifically, I'd like to hear you speak about the the long term impact and how would you know? Like, is it like, where maybe you can just help alleviate my concerns of shallowness, and maybe that's not the case, and I'd love I'd I'd love to hear it. And so I'd be be curious to hear that from you. Also,

you know, like, are you of the four is it possible do you listen to this show and you think that Jesus was not sinless? I'm I wanna hear from you. I'm just curious. We we may have berated you earlier, but we really wanna hear from you. Like, help me understand. Help I just human to human. I wanna understand what's going on in your mind. These like, if if I believe the thing that you just grabbed onto, we'd be doing live from the sin shack. I just don't understand why I'm holding on to this Christian Path business. From the sin shack. That sounds like a very Debauchery tonight. Why not? Live from Vegas. Yeah. So okay. Anyway, also, if you have comments and feedback on the show, again, in the Path complaint line, (515) 517-0085.

Call or text. We'd love to hear from you feedback about the show. Also, I want you to I want you to talk about your excitement about this new game show, woke church versus weed dispensary. Weed what? What was it? Woke. Woke or weed? It's not close enough. I I it needs it needs refinement. Okay. I mean, yeah, I didn't try and name it. Okay. How many how many do we have? We've got 10. Holy cats. Oh. I think they're gonna go by quick, though. This is gonna be good. Okay. Does everyone get to vote? You get to run the game. Yeah. I'll run the game. Everybody gets a shot. We'll do this we'll do the secular Solomon style. Everybody gets a shot. It's it's 50% chance you get it right or not. To inhale anything before we answer? No. Okay. I'll keep score. Wait. Dave's gonna pass out.

Oxygen. Say he can do air. Not, like, pure oxygen, though. Yeah. Whatever. That'll also kill you. He wants to take in normal atmosphere. You know, back before they came up with the drug, people were like, I'm on the oxy. O two. It meant you were taking in oxygen. No. Nobody said that. That tank from Gideon? Yeah. That's Thanks, Dan. I'll take Andrew off that one. Fantastic. I'm sorry to interrupt you, boys. We're we're we're having conversation about it. I need a I need to sack on. Yeah. It's only a 500 show, and you're having sidebar conversation. Threw a bottle at the corner, Shaq. I didn't hear it. I didn't talk to nobody. Minced garlic.

I'm on oxy. Red potatoes. No. I was talking about taking a hit off my son's oxygen tank. Did you try that? Oh, yeah. What? That was weird. I thought you were kidding about that. You actually took a Was that righteous? Off it? Yeah. I said, I wanna see. I wanna see what it's like. Plus, he's done with them. So I said, you know So you went, daddy's got some now. I already paid for this. How much of that do you got? I've got, like you about to start pedaling o two, Walter White? What's wrong with you? I've got, like, six huge tanks of oxygen. Have you seen any kind of meth lab happening around No. I was just feeling a little sleepy. I said, maybe this will give me a little juice.

And it worked? Oh, yeah. Big time. I was feeling good. A hit of pure oxygen. Oh, boy. Gave you energy. I'm gonna be honest. I wanna do it. Come on over. Okay. I'm being adversary with her. I wanna do it too. Okay. I'm being real about it. Yeah. Come on up. I I wanna Can we call the game left hander or outlander? What do we think? Did you just come up with something that rhymes? Outlander didn't that was right? Yeah. New a new new age church, outlander.

Oh. Why is that an outlander? Yeah. I'm gonna go ahead and vote no on that. Maybe we can spend the rest of the six days we're not doing this show thinking about a title. Sticky leaf or keep it brief. Again, all you're doing is rhyming things. Okay. Alright. We're gonna start I'm ready. Alright. Number one. Can I go first? Toke or woke?

Toke or woke is the highest no pun intended, the highest on my list right now. Okay. Tocque or Woke. Okay. Totally on the complete line. What do we call this game? You guys, (515) 517-0085. What do we call this game? Okay. Go ahead. You can't text in Tocque or Woke. We know your number. Alright. Number one. We'll start with Ben just because he's he asked. I wanna go first. Well Rooted. Do you think that is a weed shop, or do you think that is a church? New Age church or weed shop? Woke or toke? I chose I choose toke. You choose toke. Okay. Ben's in for weed shop.

Dan, well rooted. We're gonna go woke. Oh, okay. Church? Australia. Oh, no. A different game. Australia. Scott Center. Okay. Oh, oh, sorry. Toke. Strip mall. Different. Strip mall in Ohio. Toke.

Alright. Nathaniel, well rooted. Woke. Woke or toke? Woke? Yep. K. Woke. Mike Fuss says woke. Come on. Okay. We got three wokes and a toke. Come on. Come on. That is a toke. Oh, man. Well rooted is a wee chop. Okay. Hey. I'm a tell you this. I was in Moob and I were in Minneapolis this this past past week, and, like, they're opening up after COVID, a lot of the the shops in the Skyway in Minneapolis shut down, like, the restaurants and stuff. And so there used to be a coffee shop called Max's Cafe, and some weed dispensary has set up shop in here. And, like, you should have seen these lazy tokers trying to get open by 04:20. I was there on the morning of 04:20. K? They're not ready to go, but, like, you should see them, like, high as the kite, scrubbing walls, trying to set up these I gotta do it. Trying to set up these shelves and stuff. Like, I could you could see it, friend. You could see it and smell it. And they had these weird doors that looked like you're entering entering, like, a Transylvanian castle

to get into this weed shop. But, like, you get the the panicked, like, contact high from these people for trying to get the store open on 04/20. It was very funny. This is our big day. We smell it from the building over, fellas. Like, if you didn't do it, like, he was gonna ruin the whole thing. It's our one day. Do you wanna watch reruns of the grand prize game from the Bombshell show? What happened to the inventory? Okay. Sorry. Alright.

Number two. We're gonna start with Dan this time. How are the points given? I got it. Mike's up by 10 right now. Yeah. Mike's keeping keeping track even though he was the only one who got he was one of three. Run your mouth. See what happens, man. Yeah. This is a real secular Solomon situation where Mike keeps tracking points. That needs to stay. Okay. Alright. Number two, the source. Dan, the source. The source. Or toke? That's that's toke. That's toke. Okay. Daniel. That's woke. That's woke? Mhmm. Okay. Woke. I'm sticking with woke. Mike's in for woke? I'm in with woke. Okay. We got three wokes and a toke this time. Exact opposite. The source is? Woke. Yes. That's pretty fast. Yes. Percent. Let's go. I'm gonna submit right now. I love this game.

So far, see, I've never I've never, like, had a drug in my life, and I'm not woke. So this could be I'm gonna finish real rough. You don't have any grounds to stand up here. Stabbing in the dark. All Dan knows is Christ crucified in this game. There he goes. Unfamiliar. Go. Not certain. Woke? Number three to Nathaniel. The exchange. The exchange. Woke or toke? Come on. That's gotta be toke. Oh. Exchange. In for toke. Mike? I'm in for toke as well. Mike's in for a toke. Puff puff past. The exchange, Ben. Woke or toke?

I'm gonna go oh, man. I'm gonna go out on a limb. I'm gonna say woke. You're gonna say woke? Yeah. Ben's in for woke. Dan, the exchange. Woke or toke? I'm I'm I'm toke. You're toke? Toke. We got three tokes and a woke again? Come on. This is ridiculous. The exchange? Woke. Yes. Oh, no. I'm so good at the consistency. That even bother me. Three wokes and a toque, three toques and a woke, and three wokes and a toque. I don't even know what that means. What's that supposed to imply? The exchange. I don't know. This is this is by the way, I did not make these names up. These are legitimate names that I have found. I'm not saying that we haven't we don't need to refresh the name. Like, I was I was traveling around town yesterday, and we passed the first apostolic church. I'm like, there's no way you're the first apostolic church. You're the first. That's both you live in a you're a pole building. It's just it's unbelievable. Continue on. Alright. Are we starting with Nathaniel this time? Is that right? Yep. K. Number four,

the good doctor. The good doctor. Oh. Is that woke or toke? Good heavens. Woke or toke, the good doctor. I hope that's not woke. I'm gonna I have to go toke on that for a toke for your own sanity. Yeah. Toke for me. Toke. We got two tokes. Toke. Three tokes. You gotta break the mold? A toke. I'll go toke. Four tokes? Yeah. Oh, boys.

Four tokes in for the good doctor. Uh-huh. You are all correct. Oh, shit. That is a toke. Your sanity is saved. The exchange, though. Yeah. Yeah. I I tried to grab a couple thes because it really is whether or not like, it's it it could very easily be both on the exchange and the source. Alright? Yeah. Like, on the one hand, it feels like it could be referring to Jesus. Right? As a good doctor or you'd think you're Right. First prescribing the left hand, it could be marijuana.

Alright. Number five to Mike. That was funnier than you all liked it. Number five to Mike. As I said. Welcomed Wellness. Welcomed Wellness. Is that woke or is that toque? Welcome Wellness. Toke. Welcome Wellness is toke. Ben, you in for a toke or a woke? Toke. Toke. Two tokes? Ben, welcomed wellness. Toke. Free tokes? Tokes. Yeah. I'll also go toke. Four tokes? Yeah. That is correct. Welcome Wellness is a toke. Noted. Number

six to Ben. Yep. Yep. The Roots. Oh, no. The Roots. Is that woke or toke, Ben? The Roots. Oh, this one is difficult. I'm gonna go with woke. K. He goes in for woke for The Roots. Dan, The Roots. Isn't that Weed shop or place for a dude wearing way way too much denim. I think it's The Tonight Show band, isn't it? Yes. It is The Roots.

He was on one. Former. Okay. Roots. I'm gonna say that it is I'm going to woke. Going woke Roots. We got two for woke. Go I'll go toke. Then you go toke on the Roots. Double down toke. We got two tokes, two wokes. Oh, boys. Okay. Alright. The Roots. Remember what I said.

The the Roots is a woke. Oh, yeah. It's a woke. Oh, man. Yeah. Am. Didn't I? That didn't make any sense. We are the roots church. At least, like, some people name their church, like, New Life Church. You're like, oh, I know what's gonna happen. Come on down to the roots. I mean, even with a definite article like the well, it's like, okay. I get that. Yeah. The roots? What is that? Roots? Just like carrots? Yeah. YouTubers? What's happening? Spuds. Alright.

Where are we starting at this time? Who's that? Probably Dan. Dan. Back to Dan. The High Road. The High Road. What's that? The High Road. Woke or toke? Oh, dear. The high Road. I'm gonna go with toke. Dan goes the toke on the high road. Nathaniel? I have a very strong feeling that it's toke. You think it's toke? Yeah. The high road toke. Okay. If it's woke, we need to talk about some mixed messages here. I'm I'm saying it's woke because I peep I think people are that mistaken. Mike's in for woke on the high road. Ben, round it out. The high road. Woke or toke? I'll take toke. In for toke. Take a toke. Alright. Fellas,

the high road is woke. Oh, no. No. Why? Oh, god. That was a dope triple bonus question. That was worth $1,200. That was a rough one. That broke my streak. I got broke by the high road. We're gonna gonna put that on a shirt like it's a like it's a food challenge. I got broke by the high road in Tallahassee, Texas. Should've taken it. Should've taken the high road. Alright,

Nathaniel. Number eight, higher ground. Oh. Higher ground. Woke or toke? I mean, it's gotta be toke. It's gotta be toke. It's gotta be. Oh, that's that's an all in statement. Alright. You say woke church, like, do they have any biblical basis at all? Often, no. I mean, possibly no. Possibly yes. I feel like the roots is a hair salon. I mean, also the same situation with First Apostolic Church. Could be good be not. You're definitely not the First Apostolic. I read the book of acts recently. I'm on fire. And people are like, this is first apostolic church. There's no way.

Alright, Mike. Higher ground. Woke or toke? Toke. Mike's in for toke. I'm gonna take toke. Toke on higher ground? Yep. Dan, higher ground. Woke or toke? I'm going woke. Woke. Dan goes woke on higher ground. That's toke. Oh. Ground is toke. Back to living. Hey, man. Dan just did like a

He did a real hell yeah, He did a Panama Red over there. Did a Panama Red? Is that one of them marijuana cigarettes? Oh, this could be woke or tok or just a random nightclub. Number nine, renew.

Oh, yeah. Renew. Okay. That woke or toke. I think we're on mic. Woke. You say woke. Woke in for renew, Ben. Yeah. Yeah. With Renew for awoke with two. Yep. Dan's nodding his hand. Woke. Definitely woke. Woke. Yeah. Woke. All four in for woke? Mhmm. Fellas, that's a woke. Yeah. Yeah. That makes could be a nightclub in many places. Or an oxygen bar. Come on come on down to renew the new hookah bar. Alright. Last one. Number 10. K. Ben. Yep.

Vibe. Vibe. Dog gone. Is that woke or I'm gonna be real mad. I think it's woke. Ben goes for woke on vibe. Dan, do you know what a vibe is? It's Pontiac.

Say Why it like you work at Pontiac? Pontiac. What are you a British? Would you like full service on your Pontiac? I believe so that you've had the Pontiac today. That hurts. May I interest you in the Bentley or the Pontiac today?

Oh, no. Dan. Vibe. Is it a Pontiac or a woke or toke? It's a a vibe. I'm gonna go it's woke. Woke. Yeah. Dan's in for woke on the Pontiac vibe. Nathaniel,

which would you say for the Pontiac Vibe? Woke or choke? Vibe. Sounds choke the way you say it. Well, are you gonna head down to Vibe?

I'm just telling you, man. Like, it's 04:20. We've gotta be at Vibe today. Or, hey, man. I really need Jesus in my life. Do wanna go down to Vibe? I think Don't sound right. I think it's Toke. It's Toke. You say toque for vibe. Alright. Mike. For sure. Mike's in for toque on vibe. Fellas Oh. Vibe is a woke. Yes. Dag up. I get the feeling. Alright, Mike. What are our scores on the first ever episode of woke or toque?

In last place was Nathaniel. He was negative five. There's Oh, boy. There's a couple penalties that had to be You've been assessed penalties. Ben came in in third. This is 15. This is manure. Dan came up with an excellent bit of comedy, so he was in at 410. Extra. And then Mike's the winner Mike's the winner. At four twenty. Hey. Oh, boy. Counted counted my fingers. I had nine out of 10. What? Nine out of 10, Mike. Arrogance gets you deducted more points. You did is now the third place winner. Let's

go. You've been doing game shows with him for years. You should know this. Listen to it. You did not the score. You did not know I was arrogant until after the scores were given out. I spelled it on you. You had a vibe. Whatever, sucker. Take your loss. Come on down to the good doctor. Vibe, though, that's a terrible name for a church. Yeah. It really was. As I was looking through some of these, I was like, is this is this woke toque or, like, legit just a bar in, like, a downtown scene? Like, come on down. Like, you just need a verb or an adjective. Anything. Like, literally, come down to nefarious. Let's let's let's go out to, like, shack. It's like, oh, this is a terrible name for a place. You guys wanna go over to vapor? It's like, this is I hate this. There's downtown bars called tonic,

and and all it's waffle. Alright. Hey. Let's maybe shoot us a on the complaint line. How did you do on woke or toke? (515) 517-0085. Alright, Mike. Let's give out some advice. Okay. Dear live, from the path, I am marrying the most amazing man next year. I'm not available. I love when these start this way. We have been together for six years. Mhmm. I've always gotten along with his family and know they will be great in laws. Mhmm. However Yes. As time goes by, I've noticed that they cater more and more to my fiance's older sister.

She's nearly 30, but she acts like she's 13. When she has an argument with her spouse, she calls my fiance and makes it sound so dramatic that he drops everything and runs to a rescue. Invariably, it turns out not to be as bad as she was saying. Mhmm. She also talks so badly about her spouse to her parents that I feel embarrassed for him. If she's sick or home alone, her husband travels for work, she sleeps at her parents' house with her infant son instead of staying in her own home, which is a town away. Her family does, bold caps, everything for her, things that a capable adult should do for herself. Mhmm. Many times, my fiance and I have been on a date or spending time with each other, and then his sister calls, and he leaves me to cater to her. It hurts my feelings when he does this. I know family is important, and I'm not saying he shouldn't help his sister. I've talked with him about this on multiple occasions, but he doesn't seem to understand or isn't interested in talking about it. Am I being unreasonable? Is there anything I can or should do to feel otherwise about it? How do I cope with my feelings about this? I mean, I'm just proud of this person for not putting, like, the marriage up on the on the scale of, like, should I marry them or not based off of their relationship with their sister? Yeah. It's just how should I feel about it. Yeah. And I appreciate that part. It's unfortunate that she's asked a bunch of guys because I'm just going like she's it's just you're just a you're just a jealous, you know, little

I mean, she's just a little petty girl talk girl fight cat fight. Don't Sweet Moses. Boy, man. I was I was getting like, grow up. I could not disagree with you more here. Here's the deal. That family is weird and rough. And I think that comes from, like, if you're all living in the same ZIP code and, like, right next to each other at all times and aren't, like, satellite families that get together but do, like, everything together, it weirds me out. Like all families except for the last hundred years? Yeah. I know lots of families that function super awesome that live close to each other. But this one isn't is what I'm saying. I disagree with Buva a 100% too. Yeah. Nathaniel, say something.

Throw something me. I'm trying to think about this in my own life situation. It seems like this fella, one, maybe should not cater to his sister over and above his wife. Boom. Agreed. They're not married yet. You know? Dude, okay. Sure. Okay. That ruins everything. You've stopped him in his tracks. I was on a roll, Mike. You know how I get. I no longer have advice. Don't disagree. But also,

aside from that, like, I don't think she should really care that much if his parents, like, dote on on his her future sister-in-law. Yeah. You're just It's like, what do you care? Like It's not like it's owed to you Yeah. And it's being missed out upon. They're having a fun little family slumber party. What do you what do you care? I mean, husband running out on a date to help his sister, that seems a little weird if it's happening, like, a lot. But, like, if one of my sisters called me and I was out with my wife, she would, like she would be understanding that I I would have to go, you know, do something, I think. Yeah. Bring your girlfriend with you to take care of your sister. Well okay. So I don't I don't think that's quite the scenario. This isn't happening a time. This the the description is happening over and over again. So, like, if you've got someone who is constantly flying up false alarms

The drama queen. Right. So so, like, the the sister is super dramatic and, like but but doesn't seem to have this is where you get frustrated with people is that, like, there is a there's a complete selfishness to be in a drama queen and, like like, failing to recognize that, like, you called your brother out of a date with his wife. Now the brother didn't have to do it. He's responsible for his own behavior. Yeah. Failing the neighborhood. But, like, but but someone doing that basically goes, look. I'm way more important than you are. I don't care what how I impact your life. I'm willing to go all drama department, and I don't care. I I understand the frustration. Understand that frustration. Sister's insanely selfish. Yes. Family enables it, and it's turned into the brother enables it too. Yeah. So so here's what I would say. I think this is a legitimate conversation with your soon to be husband

about what it feels like to be on the other side. And I know it sounds like she's already had that. Now if he's doing it because he's kind and he's being taken in by a dramatic sister, you just got to figure out whether you can live with that. I think you should learn to live with it. I think it's going to be difficult because it's going to come up continuously for someone who's super dramatic, and you're always going to feel hosed off about it.

It's kind of like giving to a homeless person. Even if it's not the wisest thing, you know the people who are doing it tend to be doing it with the right heart. And so, yeah, I think you continue to work with this pseudo husband of yours and just recognize like, just know what this is probably going to keep happening going into it. I think the other point is that it's none of your business on the rest of the family stuff. It may not be the best thing, and maybe the maturity of your relationship allows you to continue to speak into that, but otherwise, I'd let that go directly. Yeah. That's outside looking in. Leave it at that. Cut a trail. Cut a trail. Cut a trail. Secular says, what concerns me about your letter isn't that your fiance goes running to his sister's side when he gets one of her emergency calls.

What troubles me is that when you tell him something bothers you, he isn't interested in talking about it. If Sissy and her husband feel it's safer for her to spend nights with her parents when he travels and the parents welcome her, I see no reason why you should be critical of her for it. However, that your fiance would cut short a date or some other activity you're involved in together strikes me as over the top if it isn't a true emergency. Sometimes those emergencies are hard to suss out, As but they're I see it, you can either accept this as part of their family dynamic or rethink marrying into that family because they are not going to change. And once the parents pass on, Sissy may need her brother more than ever. I think I'm surprised at the the usage of sissy by secular, to be honest with you, because it feels condescending. Yeah. Weird. But then also, like, it I don't I don't know if I'm so far as to say, like, this is ridiculous. Don't do it. But, like, being a 30 year old person, getting sick, and then going and staying with your parents feels weird. Like, I can't imagine a situation. Right. Married with a kid, like an infant child. That means sick mom and infant child pack up in the car and go stay with mom and dad, grandma and grandpa, when she's sick. Yeah. Think both I think both these dudes need to need to tighten up on their job. Right? Like, one, the long Travel husband? Yeah. The travel like, here's the thing. It's, like, can you make a living traveling for work? Of course, you can. Right? Unless it negatively affects your family and then you need to quit and then you need to find a job that does not do that. Yeah. Some families can work that way and some can't. And like, it's not a good or bad on the wife, whether that can work or not or good or bad on the It's just a fact. Right? If your family can tolerate that and it's a lifestyle that that that both parents can deal with, then, yeah, that's fine. You can have a job that way. But if if, like, your wife can't, it's not her fault.

I mean, it depends. But, like, most most of the time, like, your dynamic that you agreed to marry into Right. Like, she didn't sign up to be a single parent her whole life. And if she's not one of those gals that can tolerate that, then you need to quit. You need to find a job at home. If it doesn't work. Yeah. I mean, he here's the thing. He's in a rough spot because he's probably over the drama. Right? The closer you are, the red the more you like, the fifth time, sixth time you someone's got an emergency in, you know, three months and, like, it's never actually an emergency. They've, like, overplayed their hand about it. Like, it's it's it's boy who cried wolf type of stuff. It's very difficult to discern real emergencies from people who treat emergencies, like, as if emergent things are happening all the time, things that normal people are just, dealing with. And so, like and then you don't know. It puts people in a very rough position because, like, the time that you say, look. I'm not gonna rush because this has never been a real emergency. There's always a risk that something big has happened, and now you're the jerk who didn't go do the thing. Right. K? And so, like, that's why the brother's gonna go. And but if the the husband gets closer to that stuff, he starts to go, look, I've seen this a million times. I'm not I'm not doing it. So he's in a rough spot though because, like, what could be legitimate, which is he's spending too much time away from his home for his job, also may not actually be a problem at all, except for she's turning it into one, or he frankly just doesn't wanna be around. Now he he had had a kid. He doesn't have a choice. He's gonna have to go try to fix this. But like, he's in a tough spot. I think you need to acknowledge he's in a tough spot. Yeah. I agree. I agree. And as far as the as far as the husband is concerned or the fiance,

yeah, he's gonna have to get some boundaries set up. Like those things, like, there there there can be reasonable interactions here, but, like, you you don't get to let someone else control your marriage. Right? And so, like, if you gotta set up boundaries, you need to set them and you need to do it. And so, like, you can always be on the hook for some emergencies if there's emergencies going around. But, like, I I've I've told people before, one of the things that's a nice boundary to put in place is, like, you don't get my attention when you call. Right? So, like, you're always going to voice mail, or I don't have to look at your text message right away. That way, the emergency thing starts to float to the back. You know what I'm saying? I'm not gonna pick up the phone call in a panic every time you call if more than likely it's an it's it's not an emergency. I'll listen to the voicemail. And then if I need to call you back, maybe I will. But like that, that's a fair boundary to set up for folks who do that kind of thing. Yeah. Okay. Here we go.

Last one. K. Your life from the path? I dated a dude long distance for eight months. Whenever he was in my state for work, I'd go see him. Two months ago, he suddenly ghosted me. Two days prior to that, everything was fine. We texted and had a wonderful phone conversation. I'm at a loss. At first, I was sad about it, but now I'm angry. I want answers, which I know I probably won't get. What do you think happened? Everything was not fine on that phone call or those text messages. Mhmm. It is super easy to fake that. When I was in when he was in my state, I went and saw him. There's I mean, this this could go from very innocent to very rough. Like, there's a chance you were not the only one, and you were just Indiana. Yeah. Like, you legit may have been saved in said phone as Ohio. Like, I'm just saying. It could be that things were going great, and then things just got rough, and it's way easier, especially for an out of state boyfriend, to just ghost and just go, Ugh. Like, whatever. If you meant something, I can't imagine what you would have to, like, not mean to somebody for them to just be like, Okay, I'm never speaking to that person again. Bye. So the text message and the phone call that you think was great two days prior to the ghosting was not nearly as great as you think it was. Yeah. Yeah. Fact matter, maybe a new girlfriend or an old girlfriend popped back up that you never knew about. Your only connection with him is is when he was in your state for work, you went and saw him. Yeah. And saw Derek in a few months. Yeah.

Check. His wife found out. Facebook. Yeah. Right. There's a chick. Yeah. Wife found out he's got kids. Like, all kinds of stuff. Yeah. You just got done a a a great favor, friend. You found each other on Tinder or farmersonly.com. He done got done. Persian wife finder. We got do we have any other recommend like, the question was, what do you think happened? Buba insists that Dan piles on and says, the wife found out what was up, and now that's it. W sister has an emergency. You you

here to be. I've life sucks, and you were prob probably a traffic flick. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was. Whether it's a wife, whether he moved on to somebody else in Indiana, either way, you're probably best you're best to be rid of them and to keep yourself out of said situations going forward. And that's here's the deal. Humanly, that sucks. Like, if you thought something with it was there that just flat out wasn't and then no closure whatsoever, it's just gone, I that that's awful, and I'm sorry. We could be really nice to say it was a work phone, and he got fired, and so he doesn't have access to her number anymore. We can we can exist in that world if we want to. Yeah. Regardless, it still hurts. Actually, that's probably exactly the the reasoning that got her in trouble. Right? I feel like she had to have ignored, like, a bunch of facts. Yeah. Yeah. Like, hey. Maybe maybe I should I could fly you out. You could come stay at my place or whatever. Right? All like, hey. Yep. We should we should, I don't know, Zoom chat. I don't know. Anything besides, hey. I text you a phone call once in a while, and then that's it. If I happen to come back, I might go visit you. There's just so much gray area for some rough stuff to happen. Yeah. It's not. I'm sorry that happened. I I think that that right now, the closure you're looking for probably isn't gonna happen. And so I think the thing that you should really do is is figure out how to move on from here.

Build yourself up, grow yourself up so that you're the better the next time that you're you're approaching the launch. And keep in mind, you might be a little naive. How long did this say this went on? Eight months? Yeah. Eight months. That's quite a bit of time. But eight months traveling? Like, just showing up every couple of months, that's nothing to do. Yeah. Yeah. Whenever he was in my state for work, I'd go see him. Yeah. Not he would come see me. Country. Right. I'd go stay at the Motel six in Raleigh when he was there. Yeah. That's a dump. Segular says,

long distance six in Raleigh. Long distance guy may have met another woman and ghosted you because he wasn't man enough to be upfront about it. Another possibility is that he was never available in the first place. This is why long distance relationships can be risky unless you know the person well and why it's a safer bet to focus on someone local. That's a weird thing. Yeah. That's a weird thing to, like, focus on. I I hear people say that ZIP code. It's less likely to be cheated on. All the time in a bar. Hey, man. I'm attracted to you. Are you local? Where do you reside? If I were to try to call your phone, what would be the area code? Alright. You're listening to live from the past. Hey. Thanks for hanging out with us on show 500 and a half. Very much appreciate you. No joke. Thank you guys so much for for listening to Live From The Path. We really, really do appreciate it.

And so, yep, just just thank you. If you got any anything for us regard to the show, make sure you hit up that complaint line. (515) 517-0085. Call or text. We would love to hear from you, and we hope to see you next week on a legit full numbered show. Hopefully, five zero one. I think the silver soldier's coming in. Okay. Sweet. It'd be good to good to have them back. Oh. Yeah. Right on. Alright. In the meantime, be faithful to the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to live in the past.