Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper. You are

live from the And you're listening to live from the Pathway Studios here in Johnston proper. We like that human version of a proper rock. What does that mean? Oh, what's that mean? Yeah. Yeah. Air conditioning in the back. What?

Said that like it was a clarifying statement. Like, now I should be like, oh, yeah. Now I understand now. Air conditioning in the back. All I see is a trucker hat with lips moving. It's horrifying. Sounds like a terrible dream. Tim's oil beacon. Okay. You're listening to life from the path. Here's what I got going on the show

this evening. So I have a this struck me a couple weeks ago, and I I may have shared this with with one of you guys. Maybe I don't remember. But, like, I I I have it's a confession, really. But it occurred to me well, I wanna talk about it. So I have a confession to make. I have a confession to make. I would like to rebut Okay. Based on your rambling nothingness. No. It's I've got a confession

to make. Yeah. That's me. Okay. So and it was I feel like I often don't appreciate the good news in its fullest.

And so and this is the thing I realized a few weeks ago that on paper I would have told you, would totally have agreed to, but, like, I I just had not cognitively tied some things together, and this was very helpful for me. So to the New Year's confession from Ben, so we'll we'll talk about that. Okay. We we I had a question. This is the opening game that that we had just before the show,

and it was about is there something where, like, a product service or something that if so maybe you didn't you didn't feel like there's any value in. If someone were to say, hey. You should try this or whatever, you'd be like, nah. That's stupid. I don't really need or want that. And then you tried it and you're like, I'm never going back or I cannot believe I had I had no idea that this was so useful or good or awesome or whatever. Buva's was a what was it? A a toothpaste dispenser? It's a toothpaste dispenser. It's a thing that you, like, you open up your toothpaste one, you put it in, and then it's got a little thing that you push your toothbrush head onto, and then it puts out the toothpaste, and you don't have to do anything else. It's freaking great. At first, I thought it was really stupid because I'm just like, I don't I never wanna be in a place where I'm so lazy where I go, ugh. I gotta brush my teeth twice a day, but I really hate unscrewing that cap. Right. But then when I got it, I'm like, holy crap. This is fantastic. I love it. You're never going back. That thing. Okay. You never see yourself living without a No. Automatic toothpaste. Freaking easy. It was cheap. I could put it anywhere. It's great. Okay. Alright.

Dan, did you think of one? Man, I was I just kept thinking about it, and and I tend to be kind of an early adapter or is that the word? Early adapter. Adapter. There we go. Knew it sounded funny. It's words. Words. They they have trouble with those things. But so I generally jump on things and have but unless they're too expensive. So I was I struggled. But here's here's the latest thing

probably would be just the the whole streaming world of for TV. Yeah. Like, I finally, you know, got rid of satellite. Uh-huh. And and I really I really waited partly because I'm lazy because I have I hate to call some corporate person and fight with them about why I don't want their service and they'll try to beg me, But I did it anyway, and I already had replaced them. And I I anyway, I kinda enjoy it. I kinda enjoy the streaming thing. It's just, like, a a lot cheaper,

and, I don't watch that much TV. So why am I spending money? And it's it's good. It's clear. Dan, I'm not gonna call you out here. Okay. But are you saying to me that in 2024, you started taking in streaming services,

and you're an early adopter of them? Well, in that case, I well, I mean, like, I've been doing, like, Netflix and all that stuff for a long time for years. Yeah. I thought you're saying, like, I'm finally on the peacock. I know nobody else is. I got my I got yourself a microwave oven. I'm an early adopter. I got rid of satellite in 2024. Sorry. Okay. I was just gotta clarify. A satellite plus, you know, all the All the other things. Yep. And there's a and I thought, I think I'm spending way too much money. Yeah. But I didn't wanna give up, like, my base

Got it. Stuff. And then we we went a few months. I'm like, I'm not even watching this stupid thing. So that's all I could think of. I mean, there's there's probably kinds of gadgets out there that Yeah. I can't think of any. I think I've got an answer for Mike. Okay. It's deodorant. He never thought he'd be one for it. And then very recently, he was like, I'm tired of smelling like roadkill. I'm still fifty fifty on it. I think my this mine's too broad. Right? But, like, mine is

like, in the last couple years, like, I've been very conscientious in buying good things. Right? Like Oh, yeah. I don't wanna chew through five ratchets anymore. I just wanna buy one good one. I don't wanna own eight pairs of jeans that are gonna fall apart. I just need two good ones. Yeah. Right? Like, I tried I tried not to I don't know. And, like, it might just be by the time you turn 40 something, like, we're not scraping the barrel. Like, I I, like, probably could only afford when I was 25 to buy a cheap ratchet and break it. You know what I'm saying? And just have it last you as long as you could. But, like, I'm I'm I'm even buying the lifetime guarantee brake shoes now

opposed to the to the well, good luck. We'll see you in year at brake shoes that I have. Three months, we'll figure out where they're looking at. Yeah. And so, like, I don't know if that's just a a station in life thing, you know, that has changed, but, like, I just I will wait and buy a good thing or I will buy nothing opposed to, like, just buying crappy things. I think one other thing Okay. Is the Target pickup, like, where you can drive up and have them bring out your groceries. Yeah. Like, I always said to myself, if I'm ever in a place where I'm too lazy to walk into the store to get the thing, I no longer deserve the thing. Like, I no like, it's never a place where I'm like, I really don't wanna walk into Target. Yeah. Like, there's never a situation. I just have to go, I don't get that today. Yeah. I get that on a day that I'm willing to walk into Target. But then my wife places 1,115 Target orders a week. Mhmm. And she's constantly either

on her way to or from Target. And then out of nowhere, like, a week ago, I had to get cat food, and I had to get, like, Rice A Roni's for her or something. And, like, I didn't wanna go to Walmart to grab them. So I'm like, I'm just gonna place the order at Target. And I did, and I was like, oh, no. Oh, no. This is fantastic. This is pretty great. I even filled out my car's information. I'm like, oh, no. What have I done? Uh-huh. I you I would never have done this before. I would always say, just go in. Like, you're ridiculous. You're already a big enough guy. You do not deserve laziness. Mhmm. And you do not deserve the situation where you're like, my cats need to eat, but I really don't wanna walk a 185 feet. No. I freaking obligated to help the guy unload?

Yeah. No. But I've I've like, I well, I should say I've never been in a situation where I didn't just reach my hand out and grab the stuff. Oh. Oh, they hand it to you? I asked them to. Oh. Maybe that's my way of, like, suddenly going, well, I haven't given up fully. I'm I don't wanna walk in, but I'll move my left arm for you. I always so, like, sometimes at Walmart, like, we'll do the the order ahead or whatever, and every once in a while, I'll I'll have to go pick it up. And

I I I don't know about y'all. My cars are never in a state of affair where it's obvious of where you should put the groceries. So I've don't Backlift? I don't feel like don't care what the temperature is, whatever. I feel obligated to get out and go, I know. And then point to say or, like, either say, you can set it back there or because I know, like, they have to do what I would have done, which is once you get six sacks in, stuff starts tumbling out because of all the other stuff I got back there. And so I'm like, you just I'll just hand them to me, and I'll do it or I'll load them, because it feels like, I'm I I won't put it on them to have to figure it out and be more careful with my stuff than I would be. I'm like, just throw the peanut butter in. It's gonna be no problem. I like to imagine I'm on a drug delivery.

Like Of course, I do. Show up, you pop the trunk, you put it, you don't make eye contact with the guy, and then you have him shut it, you have him smack the trunk twice, and then you cut a trail. Yeah. Take on off. That's how those work. Don't look on me. That's like, I've been overtly bid on a couple of those. I was wondering why they just popped the trunk. I always help the guy unload. I'm just kidding. I can't help it. I feel obligated like he's already come out there and bundled all the stuff like it's my job to put it in the car. Yeah. Yeah. I thought of a legitimate thing Okay. That's better than live streaming. Okay. Because that was that was that was just a lame thing, but I couldn't think of No. You're good. I just No. No. A foolishly I just could there was I was desperate. Had to I had to think of something. Alright. But but water bottles.

I remember. I I thought who would be stupid enough to buy water in a bottle? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. And then I did it, and I was like, oh, crap. I buy buy the case all the time. Go back. Now I'm trying to, like, get back off of it and, you know, you do you you know? But but still, it's like Dang it. Man. Right. Because they're so freaking handy. Yeah. Yeah. I can throw a whole case in the back of the truck and then And it feels like you're doing something, more responsible because, like, an absence of a water bottle, maybe you buy end up buying something else or you drink more water like you're supposed to. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I can see that. Okay. A total that's yeah. What about you, man? I here's the thing. It's legit I'm asking this question because I I have to give a presentation in a couple months, and I I want an example, and I cannot come up with one that I'm satisfied with. And so, like, the the the thing that popped in my head, which is not it does not work for what I need it to work for, but it was, a voice text, which is he he what's interesting is I hate it. I hate it too. Because it's not right. Like, I noticed mumble. Yes. Right? And, like, all my inadequacies people are very forgiving when you're saying it out loud. They are not forgiving in the written word. But and my wife had done it for the longest time, and I'm like, I hate this. I wish this would just stop. Like, I'd rather you have the two to three word answer.

And then I tried doing it one time. I'm like, wow. This is I use my voice for everything. I do Google searching, and I've taken I was taking some notes for something on the way here, and I just opened up the old record, and I'm just talking away in the truck. And I'm like, I really hate myself for what I've become, but this is really great. I would I I would in fact, I I found myself, I don't know if this has happened to you, but I will call I left a voice mail for a guy the other day, and I kept saying period. Like,

hey, man. Just giving you a callback, period. My gosh. That is hysterical. Yeah. I do it all the time. Oh gosh. I would love to get that voice mail. So anyway but it doesn't fit what I want. So let me let me open it up to you guys there for the New Year. What what is something where you just didn't know it didn't sound it sounded dumb or you had no it didn't even have to be dumb. Because the other thing I was thinking of is that, like, have you ever seen somebody do something and you're like, wow. I had no idea that thing could be solved that way or this was the way to go do that. I've been struggling to figure this out or accomplish it forever, and then you saw a guy do it and you thought, wow. That's that's smart as heck. And it changed, and you'll never go back. You'll never do it a different way because you saw a guy do it.

Like the digital book. You that you love those? I do. Okay. That's a good one, Dan. Actually, I switched over. An audiobook? Like the Kindle type thing. Oh, okay. Gotcha. Yeah. So I used to be staunchly against reading my bible on my phone. Uh-huh. And, like, I have really it's really come into its thing for me lately. Oh. Yeah. Like This is always there. Yeah. It's yeah. Right? Like, be and it's out of sheer convenience. Right? Like, I could just pop into a meeting room and read read my bible for, like, twenty minutes. Yep. And, like, I don't know. There's something about making a big production out of it getting this big old hefty ancient scroll out of my bag. You know? But, like, I can just I can just pop into a room and read and and whatever, and, like, I've I've really turned the corner on that. I really hated that for the long self righteous, though. You have to say, hey. Reading my bible. Look at this. I'm not playing homescapes like anything. Do it. I'm not. It's not homescapes. I love the lord. I do. I swear I'm not on TikTok. Okay. So, anyway, if if you have one, a good example for me, hit up on the live from the path.

Robert s Eisenlauer complaint line, (515) 517-0085. That's (515) 517-0085. Call or text, even voice text if you gotta do it. I'd love to I'd love to hear your example. Hey, man. Robert s Eisenhower? Yeah. S stands for shabob. Yeah. What is one of four US presidents that have been assassinated? What was that guy? Robert s Eisenhower. That's awesome. It's it's it's Bob Eisenhower. Aware of that. I'm just saying Robert s Eisenhower. Bob Shabob

Eisenhower. I'm just saying Robert s Eisenhower sounds like a president. He put the dip in the dipty dipty dip. And that one's for you, boo. Hey, sir. I hate every bit of this. Somebody signed me up on Facebook

as looking for a house in Arizona. Right? Are you looking for something? With the realtor thing. Yeah. I have gotten hundreds of emails, texts, phone calls. At first, thought it Somebody pranked you? Yeah. Yeah. Somebody somewhere. I wish it was me. It's so good. Same. Same. Finally had to start responding going, I'm not looking for a house in Arizona. They're like, oh, we're sorry. But you signed up at blah blah blah. And I'm like, no. No. That was not me. Sure didn't. But they had my my phone number and my name and my email. Dan, you're the only person on the planet that I would not immediately become suspicious of of, like, what websites you've been on.

I know you haven't been on that kind of stuff, and so, like, I don't know who's pranking you. On the black web of realty? Robert s eisenhower dot net. This now that is a super, like, innocent prank. Right. Exactly. Right. Like, people do some very nefarious things. Dan, have you thought through like, there might be a friend where you're like, you know, old Randy always signing me up for, like, Arizona Realty. Yeah. I mean, I've been suspicious a little bit, but not not Do you have any arch enemies? I I'm only one who could listen to the show once in a while, so I won't say the name to give them a a joy. But We're onto you. I blew up everywhere else, though. We know who you are. So I did this to myself once. Like, there was a guy, a friend of mine was selling his house. He was moving back to Iowa, and he was selling his house in South Carolina.

And so he's like, oh, look. You should look at it on the web, but I'm like, hey, man. You wanna see how fast your realtor response? I'll tell him I'm interested, and I need financing options. He goes, yeah. That would be great. Oh my gosh. And so I did it, and it was an onslaught. Yeah. I mean, it was two minutes later. All of a sudden, like, this is We heard you're looking for a house. Veterans Home Mortgage Association. We got the best rates for you. I'm like, you don't have the best rates. Hey, man. Speaking of speaking of pranks Yeah. That that are supposed to be innocent, that are hysterical. Friend of mine had some money owed to him recently. It was a very small amount. It's like $40. Yeah. The person paid him back in dollar bills Uh-huh. Which automatically is funny to me, admittedly. But, apparently,

she put glitter over all the $40 bills and didn't tell him and wadded it up, and he immediately, like, took it and put it in his wallet. And he was at Casey's buying drinks, and he takes out all these ones to start paying, and they're covered in glitter. And so the cashier was looking at him like, what is wrong with you? Like, why do you have why do you have all these dollar bills covered in glitter? And so, like, he gets back in the car. His hands are, I mean, literally covered in glitter, and I'm laughing so hard wondering what's going on. Is he like, what is happening?

Told me that story. I'm like, that's actually a pretty funny thing to do. Like, I might do that to somebody someday. Is the What are you? $10? Okay. Here you go. Here's $10. Why is the dollar bills? Just deal with Is the intent to make it seem like he works at a naughty ditch shop? I think so. I think the thought is, like, the there's a certain type of dance that people would do to get 40 glittery dollar bills. I know. He's dance. Cha cha slide. Yeah. Right. Yes. Exactly. Yeah. In this scenario, he's the dancer, not someone who had, exchanged, money for the dance. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Again, we're talking the cha cha slide. Yeah. Okay. Alright. Now 5155170085.

Just that work. I'd be totally curious of what is your what's the I'm never going back. I was hoping for an example of, like I I I couldn't think of land on one, but it had to do with, car work. Things that I struggle with where I try to go do something, I feel like I'm wailing away on something for three hours and then you see someone who's been around and then they just wheel right in and they do something, you're like, oh, totally, that's how I would do it. Like, I can't believe I struggled so long, but here's what I find is it tends to be I was doing the right thing. I was just doing it like a ninny. Mhmm. I was afraid of breaking something, snapping something off, and then some other guy comes in there with, like, TNT and elbow,

and they're like, that's that's how you do it. Yeah. Didn't realize you was being a sissy in here for three hours. That's a carburetor. Okay. I'm gonna give you a tip right now. Okay. This is how you end up going through for five cheap ratchets and then buying one good ratchet is you go to take something off and it won't move, so you take your top of your jack handle off and put it on the put it on the ratchet as an extendable bar. Yeah. Yeah. That'll give you the torque you need. Yeah. But it'll break it'll break a $25 ratchet every time. Actually, I had that exact thing happen. I was trying to get some exhaust off a car this last year, and I did. I took took the the the jack handle, put it on there so I had some extra leverage, and I probably only had two inches worth of clearance, but, like, you could really wheel it down there. Keep torquing it. The bolt came off, but it did snap the rack. I almost always take off the jack handle. Now I don't even fool around with it. If I feel like it's gonna be stubborn, I just get to I just take the jack handle off. Yeah. There was one moment in my life when I realized that there's a level of of luxury that you're given if you have enough cash to just bypass having to do stupid stuff. Uh-huh. And it was when I was replacing brakes on my f two fifty, and I was at your place actually. And I think me and your brother had, like, nine c clamps on the calipers trying to get them to depress to be able to put the brake pads back on. And, like, after three days,

you said, stop it. Just buy new calipers. And, like, I mean, I kid you not. We were out there for days trying to get these things to press. It's just just being stupid. Just go buy a new set of calipers. You're dumb. It was, a $110. We and the labor that we had spent just, like, literally I mean, I'm on the my hands and knees trying to get these freaking c claims to depress these calipers. So stupid. I was like, you know what? Okay. Fine. Let's go buy them. I hate something like that. Okay. This is not near the elbow grease of a story, but this this week or this past week, someone had, they had, like, a PDF file, and they needed some updates or something made to it. And PDF files are difficult. Like, you get them unlocked and then Right. Like, to try to edit them, either you gotta have a really expensive program or all the cheapies don't do quite what you want. Yep. Okay? And so I probably spent about forty five minutes jacking with this thing, trying to add the thing that they wanted. I'm like, you know what? This is dumb. So I went to Fiverr, and I found Yep. A lovely lady from India who turns it around in forty eight hours, and she wanted $10. And she's and, like, she can I can do anything with your PDF file? I send her the thing. I send her the text. Thirty six hours later, for $10, she did exactly the thing that I asked. Fiverr just opens up your world to realize that there's someone on some part of the planet that's willing to do the thing that you don't wanna do over the next day in five minutes for $5. They're good at it. Yep. It's it's worth it for them to do it. It's not Not even that much of an interaction. Nope. Just like, if you explain the problem, here it is. Yeah. I can do that. Yeah. You know what's not a bad example is, having someone change your role for you. Yes. Like,

there I always felt like there was like, I have I don't know who changed the oil in my wife's fan, but it's usually not me. I'll do it. Like, if I'm teaching the girls how to do it, I'll do it on our own or I do it on my car. But, like, as soon as I figured out that, like, they can basically do it cheaper than I can do it, and, like, for they could get her in and out in, like, twenty minutes. I'm like, this is the this is the plan. Yeah. Let's just have someone else change this oil. Yeah. I don't I don't gotta be down in there doing this. I have never changed my oil in my life. Yeah. Ever. I've done it once, and I broke it. Yeah. See, that's it. I would I would make a mess. I would break it. I'd I'd do all kinds of bad things. The little the little screw, the, like, bleeder bolt or whatever it is that you're supposed to, like, knot super tightly bolt back on. Yeah. I snapped it in half. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yep. Yep. And then my car leaked until I had it impacted. Like you and I are not trustworthy. Yeah. No jack handle necessary. Well, like right. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Don't need the jack handle. I just needed I was up underneath the thing and still had enough power in my hand to snap the thing in half, and I'm like, this is is why you don't get guys like me underneath these cars. Yep. Like, this is a bad idea. Little Chevy Cobalt

side of my shoe. Well, I actually I I did the same thing happen to me. Like, I don't change my I've maybe done it once or twice, but, like, you always end up with all this excess oil. And and, like, they've got big tanks for it. They sell it back to somebody. Like, they've got a program. I just have it sitting $10 garbage. Figuring out where I'm willing to pollute because, like, I'm obviously not dragging it to wherever the recycling centers. Clean water source? Yeah. And I put a well, so I can't dump it at my own place. You should put it on your burn pile. And then when you burn burn burn pile, it'll burn the oil. I've I've What did would it also burn your lungs? We don't stand there taking it in. You fired up and run away. You don't take hits off your burn pile? What are you doing, man? Come on, woman. I'm burning all off the

burn pile. Sounds like a Grateful Dead. Where's my union suit? I'm like Sounds like a Grateful Dead album. Hits off the burn pile. Alright. You're listening live from the path. Go ahead and hit us up with your, yeah, the things that you just can't Many things. You wouldn't go back. (515) 517-0085. Okay. Confession.

Here's the confession time. Here's what I got. So it it occurred to me that everything,

if I looked at my life, I assessed my life right now and I said, what are the things that are good? It would be like my job, my marriage, this radio program, and the fact that I get to be a pastor of a church. Like, I had to pick dad

and to be a dad, so there's five. I have If someone were to hold me to the strictest letter of what it means to be a good employee, a good dad, a good husband, a good

pastor, and good guy who's good at running, especially Christian radio show, I have I have failed at every one of these things. Like, I have my my human fallibilities,

frailties, personal choices, whatever. I I have I would not be allowed to do these things anymore. And it

like, knew this. Right? Like, think if you were to ask, like, do do we are we imperfect people? Of course. Jesus dies for your imperfections, totally. But like, have grown

up and been surrounded by the good news of the grace of Jesus that like the grace, don't, it doesn't have to I think sometimes like there's, this happens denominationally too. We're like, we overemphasize how crappy you are as a person to make sure you don't lose this very thing that I'm talking about. I don't think there's I'm not sure that's particularly valuable for as often as we crank on it. But like, it did not occur to me until like maybe two or three weeks ago

that like, I don't deserve to keep my job. I literally don't. I have at times, I've worked for the same company twenty years and like I could, any given week, I could so my my boss could probably go, look. If I looked at absolutely everything you did, if I had the ability to see all the stuff that you did this week, like you were you were jacking around for an hour on Facebook movies.

Like, I'm gracious with myself. I think, oh, Facebook movies. I'll pick up one here and there. It's incidental. No problem. In fact, those are the terms. And and the thing is is that, like, most people at my job are probably doing something very similar. They're calling burden ten minutes here, fifteen minutes there, whatever. And the whole the grace of all that is kinda built in. We're all kinda gracious to each other because we all do it. But if you were to hold me to what I owe that company for what they pay me to do, I deserve to be fired

for my behavior within the last week, two weeks ago, three weeks ago, most certainly over twenty years worth of time. In my my marriage, my my wife and I are both obviously fallible people, but, like,

could my wife say, look, based upon the standards of what it is to be a good husband, have you nailed it every time? No, I've not. I have not. And so I look at all those things, the things that are valuable and be things I find very important. And it hit me hard

to think about that like if if the people around me held me to the standard of what perfect was in all these things,

all of it would be gone tomorrow. I simply would not be allowed to do it anymore. And that by the God looks at me graciously

in my frailties and fallibilities and even wrong and sinful choices. And not only is that true, but like, because my wife follows Jesus, she is also kind to me and gracious with me. And although my job,

they're not particularly like followers of the Lord, but like there is a built in acceptance

of, well, some people just waste time and sometimes they don't do great work all the time and like we're gracious with each other. Culturally, we are like this because of the things that I think God has put into people. And even on this radio program, like, just pick a pick a shortcoming in my life. Pick a pick a sin that I'm guilty of or whatever. Like, do I have any right to speak and suggest that someone else should listen to something that I say in my lack of perfection? The answer is no. I I I don't. If my life were laid bare, you could easily go absolutely not. Not another word from that guy right there. And most certainly he should not be allowed to get up and speak to anybody as a pastor anymore. And so I know all those things were true, but for some reason it hit me

that like I never really like the the the it felt far off to be like, hey, in your imperfection, you don't you don't deserve like heaven. That felt really far off. But the thought that like if all my shortcomings came to bear in this moment, everything I love,

I don't deserve. It could all be taken away from me, and probably it should be if the standard was you should you should behave exactly as God designed you to behave. And so

that I guess that's my confession. I think I felt the good news more tangibly because I saw, is it the opposite of It's a Wonderful Life? Maybe. It feels like the opposite, like, I I I felt like I could touch a moment of which

everything I loved could be taken away from me and it would have been justified if the standard of what it was to be good and perfect in any of those things I was actually held accountable to. And so I was very thankful in the moment of God's graciousness and forgiveness, but also

how his grace has permeated into the world that surrounds me. The fellows in this room are gracious to me. They're kind to me in my shortcomings. Right? Not only, like, what like like, maybe we talk about the 500 show. I look back and some things that I've regret. Sometimes I use words that I shouldn't. Right? And I'm very kind to myself about it because I'm like, well, I know I understand who I am. I I I I have comings and fallibilities. But, like, if we were to say, here's here are the standards of it is to be a host of a Christian radio show, like, in the presence of, I don't know, all kinds of things that I've said, we can reasonably go, nope. Nope. You don't get to do that anymore. And so, like, God is God is gracious with his people. He is gracious with people who have some sort of influence over over others.

And anyway, I just I just had a very what felt like a very profound thankfulness because it felt the good news felt very tangible to me. Like I felt like I could see it and touch it in such a way that that didn't have the effect of going, dude, you really, really, really suck. Even though parts of that are probably true. It did remind me that God is really, really, really good and he's really patient and kind and he has created and influenced people so that I am married to a very patient and kind woman

because God is very patient and kind to her and I am very patient and kind to my friends and family because that's what God has done for me. And it creates a world of which it's the right way to look about it in our frailties. But I just, I felt like I probably would say that I haven't felt such a tangible view of recognizing

what the mercy of God actually looks like until I had to render it like everything that I cared about in this life in the next second could be gone based upon my own willful purposeful behavior. And so that's my confession. And I dunno know if I'm particularly embarrassed about it, but I thought it's interesting to have followed Jesus for as long as I have and would have agreed to all the things I just said as just pure facts, but to not have it feel

the weight of it until maybe the realization that I had just within the last two to three weeks. I think those are powerful and healthy

moments for a person, honestly. I've had those before where I'll just sit there and just in the quiet, I'll go into a worship space with all the lights off and just sit there and just think like, what the heck? Right. Right. I mean, yeah, I no business

doing any of these things. Anything. Right? But none of us have ever. Right. You know? And we all and then you go through all that, you know. But but to push all that aside, no. No. Really? Really? Really? Right. I mean, yeah. Yeah. I found it very I found it very helpful, valuable

because because the the thing the thing that it points you to is gratitude. Mhmm. Right? Like, we I get it's an interesting way to think about it, but I feel like I I get so used to my own shortcomings that I forget that they're significant shortcomings.

Like, I I forget that they require mercy to live with. Yeah. But certainly by god, definitely my wife, the fellas in this room, the people at my job. Just because someone is gracious with me does not mean I act like, I needed it. I actually needed it. And so I presumed upon that graciousness, think. Not intentionally,

I don't go like, I totally deserve this, but like you get so used to people being kind to you and gracious with you, especially if you're surrounded by Christian communities, like they're trying to be that, that I forget

that I like, I I run the risk of presuming upon it. Oh, it'll be fine. Well, of course, they'll they'll overlook it like everybody watched Facebook movies this week. I mean, okay. But, like, it didn't make it right or good. The fact that they didn't fire me the second, I should I need to be thankful for the work that I have, for the wife that I have, for the friends that surround me. It like, I have a lot to be thankful for and to to be, like, have a lot of gratitude for the life that I have and the people that I have and just the amount that people put up with my my fallibilities.

And I think if you get too too confident and too presumptuous in that, you you don't recognize it like you're you're you don't recognize how much mercy that you're collecting because you presumed upon it. And I think it's healthy to recognize your shortcomings, not because God wants you to know that you suck necessarily. Like, we're we're all clear on that. Like, everybody should know that. But it it's to recognize his goodness. And for me to be thankful for the gratitude of my wife, for that he's surrounded me with good friends and people who will do a radio show with me and be kind even though I said a w word too many times on the air. Like, whatever. Like, I think it's a right rendering. It's a good reminder to point me to gratitude

and maybe that's if there's a theme that I was trying to carry through into this year for me, was that like, what are you not like actively being thankful for that you should be? And like the list probably doesn't end, it's super big and it

goes towards some of the things we've been talking about. We were talking about some of the shows last year where we are thankful and have gratitude for it. We you just don't tend to be of someone happy. Like, you just if you're thankful for the world around you, it's harder to be hosed off at it. And people and relationships or whatever, like, it just puts it in the right perspective. And I presume upon things that then skew how I view relationships and that's a mistake. And so,

Ben's confession. I think that's like, it's a hard perspective to grasp. Right? Because we vacillate between I didn't do acts the things I did or the things that have been done to me aren't really that big of a deal,

you know, and or we vacillate to I'm the worst ever. Yeah. You know? And, like like, it's very it's very hard to get that perspective in the middle, and some of that is the holy spirit, and like, some of that is you positioning yourself to be in line with the way God wants to look at it. Right? And so, like, some of it is, I I found it, like, actually pretty helpful here recently. Like, I started I hate devotionals. And I started doing this devotional, and and, like, I get irritated because they get repetitive.

Yeah. Right? But they're repetitive in, a really good thing that, like like, you recount, you know, like, your day from the start to the end and, like, god, can you just show me where I've fallen short and what I've done either either by accident or willfully or whatever, like, which can you show me where my sin is? Right? And, like, if you have to walk through and recount this, you're like, yeah. Okay. Yep. Yep. Yep. And, like, you're taking it in at its full weight and measure. And then god goes,

okay. You gave that to me now. Now this is gone. Right? So let like, that really helps processing it right where you're, like, you're not ignoring it or acting like it didn't happen or minimizing it and being like, this is wasn't that big of a deal. God's like, I want you to I want you to let me shine light on everything that is going on in your life. Mhmm. And then I want you to watch me take it out of the room and then leave nothing but a room full of light. That's what I want. Because because without that, right, like, do one of two things. You either hold it in your room and think that I'm just the worst ever, or you act like it wasn't that big of a deal. And, like, you can't have gratitude for the weight that God has lifted off of you unless you recognize that it was a weight. Yeah. You know that it was actually there. And like and you also have to know that like, a thing that's been permeating,

like, it's probably just because I've been reading the minor prophets. Right? And well, all the prophets, but like like this the scriptural theme of God's God's mighty right hand. You know, like like when he says, it kills me. Right? Like the if you ever read the prophet straight through, it's nothing but God being like, here's the things that's gonna happen. Like, I am justice, and I'm done with this. I'm done with you guys mischaracterizing me. I'm done with you guys sinning and taking my name in vain and then crying to me and acting like, oh, Lord, well, you didn't show up. And then and he always comes and he says the worst things. Right? Like, I will set all of your fields on fire. No one will live here. I will sell you. You know what I'm saying? Like and you're like, wow. And then he goes, but

if you will just turn to me, then I will put you down beside still waters. You will rest under the shadow of my wings. I will make mountains low. And like he said, like and he's it's always the same thing. It's like, here's all the things that you did and here's all the things they deserve, but if you would just turn to me and like, it it keeps

I I it's it's it's similar to what Ben has said, like, it's it's kept me from trying to humanly scheme to fix problems. Right? Right? Like, he just says, if you will turn to me. That's all he's ever asked. It's all Jesus asked. Even when Jesus has that conversation with Nicodemus and he's trying to explain spirit and water. Right? Like, he's like, this is not a kingdom based on where you're at or what you do. This is a kingdom that exists in spirit

between a spiritual thing. Right? If you will just turn to me and let me do the god things, and I'm gonna show you that I am faithful to do those things. Mhmm. And like, it seems so difficult because, like, even it because it because it wears you down after a while. You become apathetic to it. You're like, god, I've been turning these things over to you, but it feels at this point that there needs to be some human things done. So here's the things I was thinking. You know? And, like, God inevitably will answer, those who are faithful to me

will receive this. This is what it looks like. Right? Yeah. And, like, if you look back on your life, I can look back on my own life and go, have I ever actually been that faithful? To think that, like like, he really needs to be involved in this, and I am not going to try to race him to the conclusion. I'm not gonna try to beat him there. I'm not gonna try to come up with my own scheme.

I'm gonna ask him because he this is he says this in Isaiah. Right? Like, I will I will guide you. If you trust in me, I will guide you to the left and guide you to the right. So you're still doing things, but you're asking him the things to do because he's the one that owns the mighty right hand. You own the nothing. You know what I'm saying? And so, like, once again, you you get into this place of complete gratitude where you're like, what do people do without you? Like, what do people do without god? I, like, I don't I mean, I'm sure they would turn around and look at us and go, look. Like, you you're using this as a big crutch. I'm like, yeah. But it's a crutch that just meters out justice

and loves unconditionally and, like, does all like, you can call it a crutch if you want to, but you've put a crutch costume on the creator of the universe who is faithful with a mighty right hand that when he says if he's gonna lay a mountain low, he will do it. Mhmm. And he and he follows it up and says, I will do it. And these are the things, you know. And so, like, I I I don't know. And, like, it's it's it's an extremely gracious gift that God would give you, right, to allow you to see those things in that perspective and to remind you that, like, you still have like, God's work gets done by God's people, but you you've got to allow him to do the left and to the right, and, like, literally lean on him to be faithful in the things that he promises to be faithful on. And then and then when he does it, like, were just overwhelming with gratitude. You're like, all the things, all the promises that you made are are definitely true. And, like, it's just a stepping stone to becoming more and more faithful

because he is always faithful. Yeah. Yep. Alright. Hey. You're listening to live from the path. Thanks for hanging out with us so far this evening. I think I think we're gonna we're gonna start your year off right where you're like, I I know I heard from some of you guys on the chat. You're like, I I I my New Year's resolution is to not spend more than an hour listening to live from the path. I think that's appropriate. Wow. Yeah. Now I can't promise you that we're gonna cut the show at at an at that time, but, like, we're gonna do

this first one. We're gonna give you a shot to get a check mark. Alright? So we're gonna do our advice now, and we may come in under an hour. We're gonna see what happens. So here we go. Here we go. Dear life from the path. My grandmother and I have lived together for the past twenty two years. She raised me from the age of three. We used to be best friends. However, over the last few years, things have changed. We don't agree on a lot, and we have very different opinions on almost everything. We argue and fight with name calling, threats, and a lot of disrespect. I have suggested we go to counseling a couple of times, but she's never shown any interest. I know I have an anger problem, which I take full responsibility for. I also know the best thing to do in these situations is probably to turn around and walk away, but sometimes she pushes my buttons and I can't help but fight back. I understand this is a problem that needs to be fixed, and I want to, but I don't know how to start. I know you've written a booklet about anger. What can I do what can I do short of moving out?

Yeah. It sounds like it's time to move out. Yeah. So she's like or I'm assuming it's a female. I don't know. Didn't say They're 26? 25. Yeah. Maybe. Somewhere in there. Yeah. Yep. And living with grandma, which is great, but it's, it's time to fly.

It's it's time to spread those wings. Get out of that nest. Yeah. I you didn't really say what you and your grandma are disagreeing on. Yeah. That's what I was gonna ask you. Everything. I mean, if it's like They really hate each other. It's what show to watch in the afternoons. I mean, there's certain things that you can disagree on, and there's certain things that, like, how the house runs or the way that the day to day goes down. Like, if it's nothing but picking and fighting about all that stuff, then it's definitely time for you to go. Well, they're both trying to be adults, and guess what? There's only room for one.

Yeah. Yeah. I don't I don't in fact, I don't know why it'd be interesting to see why you don't wanna move out. Yeah. Right? Like, is she dependent on you in some way? Like, if you're there because your grandma needs you to be there or something, that's a little different. But I'm guessing just by the context that it's probably the other way around that you're still there,

and you should probably be be getting out. Even at this age, yeah, if there is, like, a physical reason for them to be together because of a need, well, you need some boundaries then and separate lives. You know, you're you're you're an adult. You're both you're both adults. You both should be doing adult things with different people. Yeah. And enjoy each other as family, but but there

either needs to be a separation or at least boundaries. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I I I guess I would I don't understand. This seems not to be about your grandmother at all. Yeah. Like, this is like, if if you go, hey. I know I have anger problems, and there's an old lady that's pushing my buttons, like like, this is you.

And so either either you gotta whatever she's since you weren't specific about what it is that's making you angry or making her yeah. Which whatever this woman's doing to cause you. I'm guessing because it's their because you're, it's dumb. Like, you shouldn't be getting angry about it. Otherwise, people tend to defend themselves with specifics when they know that someone's wrong, and so I think you're glossing over it because you're you know you're in the wrong. And so, really, I think you're just going, hey. How do I control my anger? I'm an angry person. And it doesn't sound like they're angry with everyone, though. Yeah. I think they're just It's just the whole point of the relationship. Yeah. I yeah. I I mean, some of this stuff gets hard. Right? Like and and, like, you've she's essentially functioning as your parent.

Right? You know? And, like, as you grow up, like, this is kinda difficult because you you're especially at 25, like, you're at an age where you should be maturing enough to know that, like, if it makes grandma uncomfortable that you come home at one in the morning, right, like and you believe that it's fine that you come home at one in the morning, you should move out and then come home at one in the morning. Right? You shouldn't be mad at grandma

that she finds that distasteful. Right? Like, she's an old lady. She don't wanna be having hearing the door open and close at one in the morning. You know? And so, like, if it's stuff like that, yeah, it's just time to part ways. You know? You come over and help her all you want, have dinner with her, and all that stuff, and all that can still be good. But, like Probably healthier relationship then. Yeah. Yeah. Now if you're, like, busting in the door and being, like, you know, what do you think of abortion or something? And, like, you're just, like, flying, like, picking hot button issues and fighting with your grandma. Right? Then you also have a problem. Like, you should move out and appreciate that your grandma has raised you from the age of three,

and, like, all these things seem ungenerous on your part, I guess, is what I'm getting after. By the time that you're 25, right, you you should you should be getting over the hump. We've extended adolescence way too late into almost thirties nowadays. Right? Like, we expect more maturity out of a 15 year old a hundred years ago than we're expecting out of you. And so, like, you should be adding to grandma, not taking away from her. And if, like, if it's her house and it's running under her responsibility, her steam, her money,

then I don't know, man. You don't have a whole lot of legs to stand on here. Yeah. Agreed. Okay. Secular's advice? Secular says, by admitting you have an anger problem, you've already taken a significant first step in dealing with it. I don't think that's true.

That's true. Yeah. You and your grandmother aren't the only people experiencing heightened emotions these days. We live in an increasingly stressful times that have affected most of us in one way or another. It's general. Because you are now an adult, the nature of your relationship with your grandmother may have changed. As adults, you are entitled to your own opinions. However, reasonable adults don't try to inflict their opinions on the people they love. Recognizing what causes these flare ups can help you avoid taking anger out on each other. It takes self control and maturity to react calmly instead of exploding,

saying, we both feel strongly about this. Can we discuss this at another time? And then going for a walk and help maintain a calmer perspective. My anger booklet contains many suggestions for managing and expressing anger appropriately in various situations. You can send check a money order for $8, and people will give it to you.

Weird. You you know, I I fully agree that there are some things that, like, admitting it is a large portion of the battle. Anger, I don't feel is one of those. Yeah. Or porn addiction. Right. You know what I'm saying? Like, how many some things that's like, you know.

Like, it's not even that big of a deal to admit. But, like, what? I've never heard that applied to if you're an angry person, admitting it is is a big step and is, like, one of the larger things you have to do. I don't know. Do you find yourself angry all the time? You are you in denial about your anger at the all the times that you're raising your voice, yelling at people, and calling them names, and nitpicking all these different things, and you just go, I think I might have an anger problem. Well, actually, I I do think that

it's both sides. To a certain extent, this is super obvious. People know that you're an angry person because you tell them, I'm very angry. Right? Like, it's very obvious. Yeah. However, most people don't diagnose themselves as being an angry person. They say, these people make me angry. Like, they push it off and they blame the person that's doing it. So I think there is a realization that you would say, I am an angry person versus these people just are so dumb. They make me mad. My god. I wouldn't be angry. Yes. Right. Right. Exactly. Like anger isn't the thing you need to admit. I think you might be a little psychotic. I think a lot of it's I think well, I I think But there's something much deeper that you need to admit than just, I guess I'm an angry person then. I think it's very it's a Everyone's an idiot. It's a very human thing to go,

you people make me act this way regardless of what it is. Okay. It's a yeah. It's it's it's a defense there's a defense mechanism in there to go, look. If if I were to take responsibility for all these things, I would look like a real loser. And so as I look out, I go, if I I wouldn't I wouldn't cheat on you if you did this. I wouldn't be so mad and angry. I wouldn't have to go to the bar and drink it away. That's what I'm saying. Blah blah blah. I think the deeper thing you need to admit is you're a loser. That's now Yeah. I mean Interestingly, I decided to check something, and I've I've we may do this randomly because I was just thing I've ever said, by the way. So it is it is dear life from the path versus secular

versus AI. So I asked I took the same question. Okay. And we asked Google Bard. Okay. So the Google's whatever chat GPT equivalent, and I basically copy and pasted the the dear life from the path question. Here was AI's response. And I I I like this particular exercise because it's interesting to see where Yeah. That's good. Where this is going. Yeah. Okay? So it says this is AI says, it's wonderful that you recognize the situation and take responsibility for your part in it. It's also admirable that you wanna fix things while staying with your grandmother. I can't offer specific advice as I'm not a licensed therapist, but I can offer some general approaches and resources that might help. Number one, focus on self regulation.

Acknowledge your triggers. Understand what words, behaviors, or or situations trigger your anger. Yeah. Two, practice mindfulness. Techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and journaling can help you stay present and react less impulsively. Three, develop coping mechanisms. Find healthy ways to manage your anger, like exercise, hobbies, or talking to a friend. K? So far so good? Yeah. Two, improve communication. Use I statements. I feel hurt when you instead of you always.

Two, practice active listening. Hear her perspective without interrupting. Three, seek compromise. Can you find common ground or agree to disagree respectively? Number three, external support. Individual therapy. Therapist can help you understand your anger and develop coping mechanisms. Two, couples counseling. Even if she's not interested, you can still benefit from learning how to communicate more effectively and set boundaries, and three, support groups. I don't know if there's I argue with my grandma support groups, but I in general, I get the trajectory. It provided three three resources,

calm down now, a booklet by Susan Davis, the National Anger Management Association, and the Gottman Institute. And it finally says, remember, change takes time and effort. Be patient with yourself and your grandmother. Celebrate small victories and remember that progress, not perfection, is the goal. If you feel overwhelmed, seek professional help. Here are some additional things to consider. Is there an underlying reason for the increased tension between you two? Has there been a significant life change for either of you? Could there be external factors like stress or health issues contributing to the situation, and can you create boundaries in the living space to minimize contact when emotions are running high? I hope this information is helpful. Remember, you're not alone in this, and there are resources available to help you navigate this difficult situation.

Based off of that, I would feel fine installing AI to most, like, helplines. Right? That was relative like, that Pretty girl. It's not bad. I think the the the all the things under number two came from a communication book that I studied when I was in college. Mhmm. Because I remember the the act of listening and the I statements and all that kind of stuff Yeah. As a part of, like, a a sociological communication book. Yeah. Like, in that order, weirdly enough. But, like yeah. Yeah. It was good stuff. Yeah. It's not it's not it's not bad. AI was way better than secular. Now here's what's funny. It's AI didn't try and sell me anything. I got in an interaction with the AI last week. Like, I was waiting for a kid to get done with basketball or something, so we're just asking it questions. And I think I said something like, I think I'm a I think I'm a dog.

What do you think? Or maybe that was the dog. What do you think? Right. One is the one of the questions basically had it say, oh, I know. I was asking you to hot button things, And it came back with something that I would not have agreed with. Like, from a Christian perspective, it came back and affirmed something that I was like, I don't know. And so,

it it gave an answer and said, you know, you're not a you're not alone in this thing, and you are you know, you definitely are how you feel, blah blah blah. And so I said, hey. You isn't isn't there a certainly another side to this where it's it's not healthy to think the thing that you're saying. And there's a Christian worldview that most people actually would agree with that would say the opposite of this. And it was like, yes. You're absolutely right.

I'm sorry I didn't include that information. Here's some additional detail, and it gave me the Christian worldview. And so then I I I'm dealing with it like it's a person. And I said, don't you think it was a little bit misleading for you not to mention that in your first response?

Like, you you you obviously knew the information that there is a section of people who obviously believe the exact opposite of what you said, and it is actually a majority, and yet you only provided me with this information. I said, why did you do that? And it said, I'm sorry. I'm a large language model, and I'm still working to get get things right. And, you're right. I will try to do my very best next time to get it right. Mike.

I I read some guy recently that that that talks about AI and and some of these hot button issues and how it's kinda actually the like, the ultra liberals that are trying to program stuff is blowing them their their world up because none of it's logical. None of what they're coming up with. Oh, yeah. I can become a woman. I can become a you know, it's like it's blowing up everything, and they have to they have to do all these loops to make AI say things that aren't real. You have to jack with it. Yeah. Yeah. So Troy and I have talked about this at, like,

in our in our work setting, like, were talking about sorry, Jules. Boo. Thank you. It's sometimes What? It's like, who is that guy? Sometimes I'll call him Troy. But, like, one of the things that's that's difficult about this is that, like, as you start to just put all the data and stuff together, oftentimes data will tell us stories that we're actively trying not to tell. And they're running into questions around specifically like crime statistics and things where there's there's narratives around I can't like, we get so touchy about this, but like people's backgrounds, ethnicities, certain

socioeconomic circumstances, and it does not fit the common narrative. And so then someone has to go there and and jack with it. And, like, that's actually one of the big cautions is that, like, if if sometimes information

when put together says things about us that we don't like, and you got two options. You either figure out, like, what do we need to change, what this is saying about us, or you obfuscate it. And, like, that is a lot of, what they're doing. They're starting to scrub things that actually matter, like things where there are distinctions around all the protected classes, whether it's gender or sexual orientation or ethnic background or whatever, like where

there are uniquenesses related to that, we are disturbed as a community and as a country and as a world by trying to scrub those things. Like, they bring some things to light of which we should have to think about and deal with. We'll have health issues that are, think, related that if you're not they're not on the radar, you can they'll die. Oh, totally. Totally. It is harmful. Yeah. And, and I think maybe I've given this example on, on here before, but, like, there was there was something was coming out of work, one day. It was, like, the last we were closing down, the Des Moines office. So And it was the last time I was picking up a bunch of stuff, and I got onto the elevator and there was like a sign there that said, signs of a stroke, and it was for our,

one of the local health organizations within the company or whatever. And there was a right side and a left side, and there was a ladies and there was a dudes. And the signs of a stroke for a dude are different than the signs of a stroke for a lady. And they're fine. They're they're predictable and distinct in this in this way. And there is a blurring of if we think some of those things is not immutable,

that they can change and that we can think about them differently. What you've done is there's a practical problem by not acknowledging that your bones, guts of you is genetically male, genetically female, you could miss the sign of a stroke if we're not allowed to say what it is and how it reacts differently in bodies because they are actually distinct.

Like, we're having to obfuscate that to somebody's harm as opposed to me going, okay. I the the the symptoms are different in ladies. So, like, what are the dude's symptoms? What do you have to do? You gotta smash them together so they're not as clear or act like if someone identifies as a certain gender or something that now those stroke things apply to them. It's not true. They'll die a dude regardless of their proclamation as a lady. I know you have a dress, but you have testicular cancer. Right. I'm sorry. Right. And so like and, again,

AI's agnostic to it. Right? They they like, the data doesn't care about the things that we're talking about culturally. And it's not that we like, whatever. We should be having the conversations of what people are feeling like and born with and all the things. Like, it's it's but but the data will actually point us to some realities of which we are trying to otherwise obfuscate, and it's to our own detriment but not having to deal with realities that are in front of us. Okay. I won't ask AI all the time, but I was curious. No. That is interesting. Although, I I I do find it to be

the the same thing that I sometimes find distasteful about devotionals is the same thing that I find distasteful about some of this some of the answers. Right? Like, where there are they're completely you focused, and, like, the focusing on you is almost what produces most of the problems. Right? Like, you're only angry because your kingdom is being attacked. Right? If you didn't see it that way, then you wouldn't be angry. Right? You would just be, you know, you'd be like, we disagree. Our two kingdoms are not seeing any problem here, so it's fine. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. So, like, some so some of the things where I, like, I I struggle

with the broader view of society and a broader view of the world and especially of God in it, you know, where, like, it it almost feels like for me for like like, the thought is is for me to be able to understand God who God is, it has to be processed through me solely. And, like, that is a really western thought. Oh, yeah. You know what saying? Where we would do it where, you know, the rest of the world will look at it as more communal or the fact that there's a god at all, you're like, that's enough. I don't have to be convinced of nothing. I don't care what I think. You know what I'm saying? Like, the fact that there's a god that has done all this, then I'm good. I'll fall in line. You know? And, like, we we just I don't know. Like, we're almost pointed this way. Like, everything has to be, like, prove it to me. Show me. Do this to me. Make it okay with me. Get me straightened out, and then I can do and then I can understand how this might apply. Like like, even Jesus' death on a cross, we've personalized it so deep.

So, like, it's like, what almost a lot of our our our sermons are pointed this way, you know, to, like, make you feel it. So it can make a change in you. Right? It's not like it's sinful to to to put it in that perspective, but, like, it's almost the only way that they deliver, like, devotional type things anymore is so you focused.

And, like, if there's one thing that has really curbed my joy in life, it's when I get focused on me. You know I'm saying? Like and so this is where God's faithfulness comes into, like, a great epiphany. Right? It's because let's say that I'm I'm I'm, like, I'm praying for all the people, and I'm I'm serving, and I'm trying to do the best I can, and, like, I just if you start feeling it focused on you, you can just focus on him. You know what I'm saying? Like, his goodness, his faithfulness, because those are all the things that are gonna permeate into a world that actually do anything. You know? And so, like, anyway, like, I just noticed that, like, even with the therapy advice, like, none of it was, you need to be more gracious with your grandma who raised you, friend. Right. You know what I'm saying? It's like, well, you know, you could you could do all these steps. You do some calming exercises. You figure out how to get you out of your control. You're doing really good in admitting that you have a problem. Like, all these things are true. Like, they're good.

Right? But they're like a stepping stone into do you stop thinking about you so much? Mhmm. They're like stepping stone for you, like, living a a sacrificial servant life that actually brings joy to you, which I'm sure AI would not be would not wanna speak to. But like, do you know how many industries we have that are that are like solely supported because it has to be it has to be through me? Yeah. Like, all truth comes through me. Otherwise, it's not truth. You you know what's interesting? And like, a way of which we can try to reorient at least the two narrow view of ourselves all the time is, like, you use the language of the Lord's prayer to do it. Like, it's not give me this day my daily bread. It's not forgive me of my trespasses. Like, it's a communal prayer. Like, this is it's intentionally built to be not just solely focused on you. It's like it's you're bringing everybody in. Like, I'm praying that everybody has a daily bread. I'm praying for

forgive us of our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us. Like, it's a it's a communal prayer that is difficult in that. Like, we are often think of it like most of the time, you're just gonna start praying, you're praying about you stuff. The very example that Jesus gave automatically assumed that you're praying for you and the group of people who are around either around you, whether it's your family, your friends, your church community, like, it's us. It's an Us thing. It's about for when he's talking, there's probably you got 12 disciples plus probably a few 100 people hanging around. And, like, this is the way in which you're gonna pray. And so,

like, being reminded that even even the thing where you said, look. If you're gonna pray, pray this and pray this all the time, you're you're not the highlight of the show. So, like like, have you ever prayed for your family like Job style? Right? Be like, Lord, forgive them of their sins, the things that they have done. No. But I was struck well, yeah, I think I have, but no. Not continuously. And I was struck. I read Job two days ago, the first five chapters of Job. And the thought like, hey. I thought one of them may have inadvertently sinned, and so I went and did a sacrifice.

And I thought, not as often as I should, not the sacrifice part, but, like, just thinking about praying, like, so fully into my family or the people around me that that seemed pretty normal. Was like, well, I better go I'm gonna do it. No problem. It's just like, it's very powerful. It's a very powerful consideration.

So, like, I've stopped short of that because I'm like, it doesn't work like that, god. I can't do that. I can't pray for the forgiveness of sins of other people. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. But, like, once again, is, like, is that is that a deeply Western thing? Right? Like, do Christians in other countries have no problem praying that way? I've I've prayed like that like when my kids were young, that their passion for Christ would be higher than their passion for other things. Mhmm. So it was kind of a a preliminary be before they'd made Right. Right. Before I need to make a sacrifice.

That's true. Job's kids were partiers for sure. For sure. They made it sound like it was a great family gathering though. Like, it was all done in good fun and and all in the lord's blessing. Yeah. But if you remember the language, it was like in case one of them, like, spurned god in their mind. Like, it wasn't even like an outward thing where their kids are causing trouble. It's like, maybe they just were thinking something wrong and they took it the wrong direction with God, and so I'm gonna I'm gonna do it. So, like, after the sacrificial system has passed and we're on the on the the new covenant, right, does it does it ring you funny to pray that way? Pray the way Job prayed. It does, but I think it's because we've largely

this you can blame the Germans. It's the German theologians. This is their problem. We've become transactional in our faith. It's why we it's it's the root of a lot of our conversations around, did I pray the right thing? Did I did I do the baptism in the right way? Did I we're we're worried about the technicalities of even the even the Jesus dying on a cross

is a very transactional thing. Like, one for one, his his death, my sin, got it. And like, do I believe those things? Of course I do. But like, we we've got it like it's a like it's a transaction. And most of the people in in scriptural stories are not they're they're not trading. They're not trading pair prayer for response. They're not even trading Jesus's like, if you look at the the gospel writers and even beyond to some of the the epistle writers, like, they think Jesus's death means, like, 50 things, not just one thing. At least Paul does focus like, Paul tends to be the guy who causes the trouble when we get on these lines, but, like, it's not even remotely the only thing that Paul said about Jesus' death on the cross. And so, like,

I I think it is more squidgy, which gets real risky for us because we wanna know. I traded this thing for this thing, this faithfulness, this prayer, this thing, and I got this in response. But, like, it's it's far less of a of an accounting. It's way more of a it's a faith it's a trust thing with God. Like, do I trust God to handle all the things? And so like, if I would otherwise

try to like, if I would ask for blessings upon my family in general because I'm thinking about them and I I want to it never means whatever means it could happen, like, would want my family to be blessed, but maybe I restrict that when I pray simply because, like, I don't know what the transaction is. I don't know what the count is. Like, we've got it wrong. So, like, Job's actually got it right. He's going, look. I don't even he he's not thinking, well, how can it count if I'm trying to do it on their behalf? One, you're talking about the god who does things on people's behalf. So, again, I don't I don't know what it would look like, but, like, whatever it is, I don't think is off the table necessarily, but we're looking for a a definitive

transaction. And and I I don't I think we should be open to the possibilities that whatever that is, like, god is a lot more not squidgy is not the word I want, but, like, I don't know, different than whatever transaction we've boxed him in by. Yes. Because It's a bad theology I've just said because I don't know how to articulate it well, but, like, I don't think it's linear as the way we have it. No. Because, like, like, I would think Yes. Yes. Yes. I would think that God is always faithful to show up, but a human still needs to make a decision to follow him, and I think that's true. Right? But, like, if you can look back through scripture and look at, like, the the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, like, they drug them out. Right? Lot was gonna stay. You know what I'm saying? And the angels are like, you've got to leave. And they like physically drug the man out. And so, like, acting like God

in people's defiance and sinful nature will not show up and drag them. Right? That's just it's it's scripturally just not true. Right? And so, like, it doesn't mean that, like, he turned around and did everything right from here on out. Right? Like, that decision to to trust god with the things that god says, let him be the god and you be the people. Right? That is still a choice that a human has to make. But, like, asking god to show up and intervene in in, like, sin or sin that is being participated in, right, like, I think you're right. Like, I think we get way too caught up on the technicality part. I've I've like I said, I've tried to I've prayed that Job prayer before and I'm like, I can't do this. That's not how that works. But, like, what my heart was asking is the exact same thing that Job's heart was asking

Right. You know what I'm saying? And so, like and, like, if I can look back at a lot of the figurative language that God uses, like, I think groanings of my heart, he'll parse out. Right? So, like, I think I said this a couple weeks ago, but, like, I feel like god is not he's not the god of right words. You know, we're, like, sometimes we put rote things that we need to say or, like, you have to do it in this way, and we do get caught up in that. We're, like, sometimes you're just, like, blech. Here is what I well, god, will you will you cover the sins of all my family today? Will you cover them with your grace and mercy and your forgiveness? Will you do that? Even if they've inadvertently done it, even if they're rebelling against you, God, will you cover them today? And like, whatever I actually want God to do with that information, I have no idea, but that is what I actually want. And so, like, there's zero reason not to say that. There's zero reason not to get caught up and act like, well, how would god want me to say this, or what is the proper way to say this? Why don't you I mean, this is the faithful and the and the relationship part where you just tell him the thing that you that your heart wants,

and he will do a good thing with it because that's just what he does. Yeah. And and and I like that. Right. And I think we could cut the I think to your extent, even if it's not language, it's like, well, how could it possibly work that way? They did not repent personally or whatever. Mhmm. And, again, I I like, I'm subscribing to all our traditional doctrines here. I'm just saying that, like, whatever it is feels like it's probably more expansive than what we understand. And, like, I don't have to there's all kinds of things where I'm like, I don't know how it works. Yeah. Right? And think of the I you know what what occurred to me to fall into this bucket is when Paul talks about,

they're saved through childbirth. Like, we can nobody can we can't answer this. We're like, I don't even we're like twisted and pulling and gummying it around trying to get it to fit Yeah. Into to a box. And do I literally believe, like, all ladies are good and righteous with God because they gave birth to children? No. But, like, it's the thing as we've been talking that I thought, whatever's going on right there, I feel like falls into whatever this bucket is. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm comfortable with it. I prayed many times. You know? God, I I theologically don't know this if it works this way. Here here's what I'm asking. I'm just gonna put it in your hands. Yeah. Yeah. You take care of it. This this is where my heart's at. Yes. And and you do with it. Because because that's that's praying like David prays. Yeah. Right? If you lead David's prayers, you're like, god's not gonna do any of this, David. Like, the things that you're like, what do what are you asking here? He's not gonna crush their teeth. I mean, seriously. You know? But, like,

but but then god says, man, after my own heart, and you're like, why like, like, you can't be this honest with him. Right? Like, because you're you we're still treating him like a person. Right? Like, you have to you to navigate around, otherwise, your relationship might sour. Yeah. Right? And god's like, there's no relationship souring here. There's nothing look at the things that you've done. I'm still here. Right? There's nothing you're gonna do that's gonna cause this relationship to sour. Will you just spit it out? Just say the thing, and, like, I'll parse it out or I'll change your heart so you're not like, if you're praying terrible prayers of things that are not in god's character, like, he will he will work that out with you because he's a good god. Right? Like, so he will work out with other people the things that you're praying for. He will work those things out within you as long as you are trusting him to do it. You're surrendering him to do it. If you're doing that, then I would expect to be seeing God move in ways that you did not ever think were possible because you're actually sitting there waiting for them to happen. You're like, God, I just vomited all this stuff all over you. Now I'm just gonna wait and see what you do, and I'm gonna be paying and my life is gonna be focused on paying attention to how you're answering these things or how I'm seeing you move. And, like, these are the things that, like, it does sound like it's, once again, you focus. But, like, if you want if you want a guy to believe a great story, right, about how Jesus interacted in life, that's why we love hearing testimonies and watching baptisms and, like, I love all these things. But, like, when God does that in my own life, it, like, it it's basically climbing a mountain that you can't ever unclimb. Right? Like, you just you you get to a plateau where you rest and go on like, you set up a, like, a a mind Ebenezer and go, on this day, this was true, and I know this was true, and I will never live as if it wasn't. Yeah. Right? And so, like but you you honestly, you have to be looking for those things. Like, you have to be you have to be all in. You have to be surrendered to it. It's a kingdom of spirit. And so, like, you have to be in the spirit to watch, to to be able to discern the things that god is moving and doing and and speaking into and, like, I don't know, man. I to be honest with you, I think that's where the whole thing's at. We get caught up in the road. Like, I was so afraid to pray the wrong thing or asking god to do the like, god, I'm like like, I want this guy, this bad influence

to go away. I just want him to go away. Can I ask for that? God, is that okay? And he's like, ask for whatever you want. I'll work this out. Right? I've done that before where I have prayed, like, in in the church setting. I'll I'll I'll, like I'll be like, I don't know. I honestly don't know in the spiritual realm, like, what authority I have as a pastor, like or if I have any. If if I'm just another co servant, co laborer, or if there's some type of thing. There seems to be a thing. I don't know. And I'll and I'll kinda say that in my prayer. Like like and I say, if there's a thing here, if I have this authority, so and so is is is is just causing trouble,

I release them. Mhmm. If I have that authority, I just wanna say to you, I release them from this congregation. I can't believe I don't do it like I've never flippantly used that, but there's been a handful of times I have had that prayer, and it is not I mean, literally not long, and they're just, like, all of a sudden gone. They're leaving. You know, they move. They do you know, whatever. Thing weird things like that happen. Yep. And it's just like, okay. I you know, maybe I don't know. I don't know. I really don't have a theological, like, concrete doctrinal statement on that. Right. But But I've had a heart to heart with god. Right. Yes. The sons, the sons of the king don't have to, stay in the lines. They get to they'll wander throughout the lines. And then the king the king will still guard whatever's right and righteous, but, like, you're the you're the son of the king. You get to you get to try. You get to say the things you would to your dad, and, he's gonna do whatever he wants with them. But yeah. You could say, yeah. That's really silly. Yeah. I was like, okay. Okay. Well, good. I said it. That's why you're the king, and I'm not Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. And that's the thing is is is maybe it, like like, in some of our lives, like, we're just not seeing god move, and it's not because we use the wrong words. It's because we didn't use any words. Right? We were so caught up in our own ability

to, like, fire out the right thing or pray for the right thing or prescribe to him how to do it. Use right formula. Yeah. That's right. You're not like, god, I want this guy gone. You're like, you know what you could do? You could probably have some drugs in his disc, or you know you know you know what you could do, god. You know what I'm saying? Like like, you're like, do it in this specific way, and he will never do whatever dumb plan you come up with. Right? But but, like, acknowledging, like like, truthfully that, like, I don't have any control over this, but I know that you do. I'm leaving this situation, but I know at the end result that this needs to change. And and, like, trusting that you can put that in his mighty right hand and let him do that without scheming, without coming up with, like, a deacon's meeting to try to boot the guy, or you know what I'm saying? Like, because you always wanna add, like, I will help God's path along by scheming this thing. And, like, it's just not what he's asking for. And then you feel like you're like, you're not gonna require me to do anything. Like, you're gonna do all of this, And it's and it's just him breaking down barriers in your surrender to what he's do what he's trying to do. And, like, it's such a gift if you can watch it in action. You know? Yep. Totally. Alright. Hey. You've been listening live from the bath. Thanks for hanging out with us, this evening. We are so glad to be back with you. Again, if you have any thoughts or feedback on the show, hit us up on the live from the path.

Robert s Eisenlauer complaint line, (515) 517-0085. Call or text. We would love to, to hear from you, get your feedback on the show, figure out the thing that you're just wowed by, and we'll never go back to doing it a different way, whether it's a service you have, a product you purchase, or just a way of going about something. You can really sit by bacon here. I need a really good example. So hit us up on that complaint line. In the meantime, let's, I don't know if the weather holds out and everyone's hanging around. We'll be back next week. In the meantime, be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to Live From The Path.