Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are live from the Pathway

Studios. And you're listening to live from the Path coming from the Pathway Studios here in Johnston proper. It is beautiful to be with you kind and lovely folk here today, and, thank you for doing so. I don't like that at all. You feel like every generation gets their, like, theatrical Jesus?

Like, it feels like there's a lot of them right now. You know what I'm saying? Like, it feels like Jesus? Yeah. Okay. Just follow me here. So, like, when I was growing up, it was the king of kings Jesus. Okay. And then and then Kaviezel Yep. Showed up and did passion of the Christ. And we're like, okay. That's, yeah, that's Jesus. That's it. And then Jonathan Rumi shows up for the chosen. Was just about And I'm like, boy, this is this nails it. I mean It's the one. Yeah. Yeah. And then but then, like, once the streaming platforms felt like the tide might be turning on some of this Jesus media,

that now they're pumping more out. Oh, yeah. It sounds like coming back for extra for extra Jesus for the Paul. Wait. Really? Yeah. I think they're doing the the I I don't I don't know the name of the movie. Yeah. Yeah. The passion of the Christ, the lord returns. The also passion of the Christ. Really? Yeah. But, I mean, I mean, I guess he can't have a big part in the movie. It's just the it's just the resurrection takes I mean, what are they gonna fall him around for forty days? You know what saying? Like yeah. The story the story is a pretty quick end of that end of that part. I mean, I bet it's just one. I bet it's got, like, a hour and a half worth of film maybe just after,

like, post ascension or pre ascension Jesus after the Pre ascension Jesus. Resurrection. Right. Anyway. So so now Caviezel come back for another round, and that's gonna be hard pressed because I thought passion of Christ was alright. But Rumi, I mean, I mean, come on. You know? You're pretty solid. But then now they got a car they got a a couple cartoons coming out, and then they wanna do life of Paul and, like, all this stuff. And I'm like, man Wish Jesus is yours, Mike.

I mean, I can't even remember passion. I can't remember what the king of kings Jesus looks like no more. What is that a movie that I'm not not remembering? It it was Easter. Got it. It's an Easter movie. Yeah. And then I I don't know. I I I think I've settled on the on the chosen, on the roomie the roomie Jesus. I do like the chosen. Yeah. Like, some parts, I'm like, dang it. I didn't do this. Like, this is theatrical, and I get why it exists. Like, I understand, but part of me is like, oh, come on, man. I've had, like, a couple of discussions with some dudes who are like, oh, the chosen, it's this and that and the other. I'm like, it has done more Yes. For, like, telling the story Mhmm. And and and being being authentic to at least the words that Jesus spoke. Right? Like, most of his dialogue, if it's not completely made up or coming from the heart of, like, the Right. Like, the sermon on the mount was it was to say it was word for word. Right. Right. Word for word. Right? And, like and and it uses a lot of like, you can you can hear the bible out of this man's mouth Yeah. Like, as that stuff happens. So, like, I if you want to find something wrong with it, I'm sure you can find something wrong with it. I'm sure they took a theatrical liberty here and there. But at the end of the day, it's god's words out into the world, which is more I can say than most people who have their talent up their butt, and they're, like, telling everybody how much they suck. They have their talent up their butt. Their thumb where they're scrolling through TV. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So that that's yep. You're listening to live for the path. So who's your who's your who's your Jesus? Who's your theatrical Jesus?

I'd have to ask Ann Wilson. I'll be honest. The only like, the I I think of the beginner's bible. Like, do you know that? Like, have you ever seen that Yeah. The kids one? Yeah. The kids one? Yeah. And that was the first bible I read, and I think I was maybe 10 Yeah. When I read that one. And, like, for some reason, as you said theatrical Jesus Yeah. That's the one that kept popping into my head was that Jesus. And I have not thought about that in in twenty years. That's wild. Yeah. That is wild. Okay. Well, that's my theatrical Jesus. Every once in a yours. The guy from the Jesus Christ superstar movie

shows up. Hey. What's that movie about? What it's it's about Jesus. Is it really? Because we're oh, am I confusing it with another thing? I thought it was a Mormon thing. You mean, the the book of Mormon? Mormon place. That's what I'm Superstar. I've never seen Jesus Christ superstar, but I thought it was I I gotta be honest. Everybody said it was really offensive, and I thought I don't know. I I mean, there's parts of it that we can't get along with. It makes some situations that aren't any good. Okay. Alright.

But it nails the pharisees. Right? Does a good job with handling Pilate. And Okay. Yeah. I I didn't think it was actually all that sacrilegious. Is it worth a view? Yeah. I mean, it's old. Like, it's it's from the seventies. And so Oh, I didn't know. The, like, the guy from the the Jesus in the London recording is the guy from what is it? Smoke on the Water. Deep Purple? Deep Purple. He's the Ian McKelley is he's the lead singer from Deep Purple. Yeah. Oh. He rock's hard. But the guy who they got to do is is Ted Neely, something Neely,

who's the the dude in the movie version is way fish. Yeah. I mean, dude could take take off in a breeze. And, like, I don't know. Gee. It's not like Jesus is is gotta be stacked, but, I mean, this guy this guy looks like would take him out. Yeah. Yeah. Really? Yeah. A Narnia reference? We're gonna talk about that. We're gonna talk about this lady Aslan coming out.

What? Okay. You don't heard about that? Okay. No. I've not heard about that. We're get to it. Okay. Alright. So, anyway, the here's what we're gonna talk about on life life and the path today. The the theatrical Jesus done. We're gonna talk about the there was rumors going around this week, very well substantiated,

that the upcoming Narnia movies being done by Greta Gerwig, who did the Barbie movie, and Little Women, though a good rendition of Little Women, is doing the the Narnia movies for Netflix, and the rumor was that she was going to cast a lady for for Aslan, to voice Aslan. Oh,

interesting. Yeah. And so Isn't this it's weird. Isn't that just off the heels of them casting a lady to play Jesus in the new rendition of Jesus Christ superstar? Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. The lady from wicked. Yeah. It was played, like, at the Hollywood Bowl or whatever for a week was playing Jesus for Jesus Christ superstar. It's Meryl Streep is the is the lady who they got. So, anyway, I I I

I don't hate this as much as I want to, but there's some very clear reasons to not do this. Yeah. Anyway, I thought maybe we'd touch on that for a few minutes. Sure. But we were talking before the show about was it to see if I characterized it correctly, was it not, like, abiding a rebuke from a from somebody who is

Yeah. Fruit themselves? Yeah. It's just there's stuff going on in my life that, you know, I've I've been putting myself out there a lot more in in teaching in the world, and and I just I'm surprised from the sources of of rebuke in in which I've been receiving,

and with no substantial, real, I don't know, substance to the rebuke that that can tell me anything real. And I've I've tried to meet it with humility and go, alright, Jesus. Like, I trust you. I trust the holy spirit within me. Like, if this is brothers coming together and iron sharpens iron, like, sometimes that means I get sharpened. And, like, I gotta figure out what that looks like, and and I need to know what it looks like to to hit that.

And so I'm prayerful about it, and it just I'm I I don't think it's, like, a lack of humility in me that I keep going like, I don't know, friend. Like, I just I don't know. It doesn't feel like what you're saying is something that I actually need to take in Yeah. And change anything I'm on because, like, there are there is stuff that I need to take in. Like, I'm confessing stuff in front of people, rightfully so, but, this just doesn't feel like the thing. Yeah. And so I'm I'm I'm trying to navigate those waters, and this is a relatively new space for me to be in. Mhmm. And and I guess more than more than just for the content, which is sometimes why I bring stuff up, I'm I'm really kinda struggling with this. Okay. And so I'd I'd appreciate some thoughts. When do we stand for a rebuke? Got it. Also, we'll do some advice on dear life in the path. Mike, did you check any these out? Oh, yeah. Okay. You did not do that. Not even a little bit. Hey. There was I was I was fellas. Uh-huh. I gotta admit some. Okay. Let's have it. Oh, boy. I didn't look at the dear life from the past like I said just said I did. Oh. Hey, man. I really appreciate that you quickly rebuke like like, hit that up with some confessions. Yeah. I didn't I mean, if you guys were to say something, I would burrow up immediately and be like, how dare you? Show me the fruits in your life. I preach it in the honesty. I'm like, shut up, friend. Show me them fruits you dead stick on the ground. But Remnant. But I'm full of the spirit, and holy spirit has has leaned upon me that I can't I told a lie earlier. Hey. You turned that around pretty quick, though. I'm proud of you for that. That was that was relatively quick. You could have sat on that for a couple weeks and awkwardly come back to us and go, fellas, lied to you weeks ago. You just did it immediately. I mean, mind you, we had already kinda called you out for it, but I appreciate that you brought it up like it was a thing that was completely organic in your heart. Yeah. Good for you, Mike. Okay. Thank you. Alright. Anyway, we got that that's it. I I was also listening to one of the back shows, and there was a segment called for us for us for them. Yeah. Yeah. And but that only happened once. So it's not really a segment. It's more of like a vandalism. It was a good idea, though. I thought it was gonna catch on. Okay. Alright. We'll just keep an eye out for it. What was it about? It would basically, there's a in a bible verse, and how much should we believe it applies to the people that are in directly in the story, and then to what extent does it apply to to other people around them? So Jeremiah twenty nine eleven I was just about to say Jeremiah twenty nine eleven, Philippians four thirteen, all that stuff. Yeah. Yeah. That kind of thing. Matthew seven seven. God created the heavens and the earth.

I've Is that for everybody? Or Wait. Wait. Out of out of thousands of pieces of scripture, you go to the very beginning, which is obviously kind of a, like, cosmological statement meant for everybody, and you're like, yeah. Did it mean for everybody where god said, let there be light? Sometimes I get For everybody? Get irritated when I read Isaiah because I'm like, I know there's stuff for me in here. And the first half of it is, like like, like, judgment against Israel or against Egypt. I'm like, I don't care. Give me the empowerment statements, Lord. In

which parts am I supposed to take that my enemies are in fact the dragon of the Nile? What does that mean for me? Yeah. Actually, this week, it came across that, like, over the last few months, I mean, maybe three to four people, I've heard them refer to Psalm one thirty nine. Oh, boy. And they're like, yeah. Hey. This is this is great. And it's like, search me and know me, oh lord, blah blah blah. And it's all this all this stuff that you find on the postcards and the doilies. Yeah. Totally. And then except for when he says, like, search me, it's right after he goes, like, I hate my enemies like you hate them. I hate them too, Lord. Yes. Search me. Like, check it out. Make sure you see the hate that I also have Yes. Exactly. For your enemies. I'm like, everybody has skipped that part when they were quoting that one. I'm as I'm as I'm navigating the waters of teaching people how to read scripture Yeah. It's astonishing at how many times you can, like, blow people's minds by going, hey. The scripture that's your your life first thing, did you read the rest of the chapter? And did you read the pieces before that? And then they go, well, no. I really kinda just jammed in on that one. I'm like, okay. Being a good bible reader is going, what does this have to do with anything, and and how am I making this now my thing that means everything to me? I'm like, good. Uh-huh. There's some stuff in there you can learn about the character of God, but maybe that doesn't mean that, like, this is the thing that you can stand on that is specifically for person x. Yeah. Like,

you could read the rest of that chapter and recognize that what you just said is completely different from what they were talking about. Yeah. Totally. It's wild. It's people's ability to, like, not not like we say it like it's a pejorative. Like, hey. They're cherry picking. People don't mean to. They just get like so I I think I've told this story. It might've been years ago, but I I was given a a sermon, and it was it was about, like like, sexual promiscuity and like, the

pornography and all kinds of things. And there was just one example where I said something like, you have to be careful who your kids are around and who they're having for influence. Sure. And it was kinda like a throwaway thing to the whole sermon. Yeah. After this it was over. This lady came up to me. She's probably 70 and goes,

hey. I really I like that whole sermon about watching who are protecting our kids and raising them right. Like, I don't that wasn't what the sermon was about at all. You grabbed one statement. Yeah. But you but, like, it's the thing that hit her. She's Oh, totally. And and, like, pornography just does not hit this woman at all. It's like, I might I could be talking about camels for all she cares. Sure. Right. So so it's the thing that that hits you. You know? And so in some ways, you're like, if god takes a highlighter on a thing, that's cool. But, like, it's the minute it's the minute so that, like somebody had said to me a few days ago, they're like, you know, I if I had a name something a title for the group I was gonna do, I would call it Psalm one thirty nine ministries. I said, I feel like I'm gonna have to establish the rest of Psalm one thirty nine ministries. Yeah. To follow you around. Yeah. Right. Exactly. We we gotta figure out which part you're taking. Yes. You you take all the good stuff that you think is righteous, so then I'm just gonna come around going, god, I hate who you hate.

The end. Search me and know my feelings. Search me and know me. I do hate them. I do hate them, Lord. Know it for sure. Alright. That's fine. You're listening to life from the path. So this this this Aslan thing, this was one of the big concerns about having this Greg Gerwig do the Narnia movie. So she signed up Netflix signed up for, like All of them? A reboot of the Narnia. Oh, boy. Okay. I didn't know that at all. And they're probably gonna start with

the magician's nephew. Okay. So, like, they'll start at the beginning of Narnia. Yep. And so I've written none of these. Yeah. Mike. You do? It's great. To your kids? Magician's nephew came from someone asking a question of C. S. Lewis. No. Like, they were like, this doesn't make sense, and he was like, you're right. I'm gonna write a whole book. Care of that. I'll take care of that right now. It's freaking awesome. For bedtime stories, we read the surgeon general's warning on cigarettes. Listen to me. I'm usually a poster boy for for a traumatic childhood. I'll be honest with you. I never got may

cause cancer in those who have those who are pregnant. Now go to bed. Now now go to bed and and and dream of the wispy things from a Marlboro 100. Phyllis, Yeah. I lied about that thing. Put the cigarettes. You are two for two on this coming back on lies. Good job. Did not do that. No. You're missing out. Okay. Couldn't read. I had to read it to him. That's what I'm saying. Patricia's nephew is the first one they're going for, which I appreciate. So, anyway,

the the the rumor this week was that Meryl Streep is the is in discussions to be the voice of Aslan. Mhmm. And there is some up in arms in the Narnia community. Most imagine. Jesus people Yep. Because they're like, but it's supposed to be Jesus, and Jesus was a man. And so there's there's a there's a bit of a hootenanny about this stuff. Bit of a hootenanny. Now what what's what's interesting about it is that, like, it's not like god is not without,

like, feminine qualities. Right. Yeah. And Jesus Lewis himself wouldn't would have said, like, hey. I just don't go shake down your kids and tell them it's Jesus. Like, let it they'll let it Yes. Right. Unravel to them. Yeah. And so, like, on its own, I mean, you can do what you want, I guess. Sure. Yep. Like, the question is is it, like, is it of substance for one? Like, are we is there something that deepens or otherwise enhances the story by some sort of gender swap in here? But there also is they're like, well, it disconnects some of the imagery. You have to change a bunch of the titles. Like, he's a king of the blah blah blah. Right. But they're also but where they've honed in on this is where the literary nerds have honed in. It's on the main itself.

They're like Yep. They're like people, like, for comfort and for stability. Yep. You've got characters who are grabbing the mane, burying themselves in the mane. Totally. And so, like, with a with a lady lion Right. It's absent that particular imagery. Yes. Right. And same thing is, like, there's a in in one of the the final book of the series, there's a guy who, like, pretends to be as it's like a bit of a revelation type of look. Right. Exactly. And he's he's got Donkey. This,

like, costume. Like, he's put a lion skin over him. Mhmm. And, again, the mane stands out. So they're like, oh, it must be It has to be. It's got to be him. A regular lion lady, like, just doesn't have the same Sure. It doesn't have the same vibe. And so, anyway, it's an interesting it's it's there's some people who've, like, done just a very basic, hey. I hate this because Aslan is a dude, and Jesus is a dude, and C. S. Lewis is a dude, and there's these are all dudes, and why would you do it?

From, like, a Thorough argument. From, like, a literary like, how you think about, like, the image of this thing and some of the things that it communicates, it becomes much more difficult. Right. There's, like, imagery of, like, if I remember correctly, the son of the emperor beyond the the sea is one of the major pieces of of, like, identification of Aslan in some of the books beyond line, which is the wardrobe, where you get to a concept of, like, we're in a land that is off from, like, in the Caspian and all that stuff. Yeah. And so yeah. No. I would make that argument as well. And it's funny that you mentioned the the the main thing. I wasn't thinking about that, but that does completely land for me Yeah. Of yes. And I'd be interested. Like, has there been anything about, like, what the motivation is for? Is I and I was wondering because, like, I can under Meryl Streep is an incredible actress. Like, she's a wonderful actress in many ways. She's played She doesn't listen to the show. I'm I'm I'm talking to the people who would or would agree with that statement. I'm not saying that Sheeney's gonna hear this and and be like, wow. Troy is my biggest my biggest complete fan. Line? What is that? BUVA is wonderful. BUVA is one it wouldn't be the first person to text us and say BUVA's the best. Death becomes or is a great fan. But I just yeah. I'd I'd be interested, especially especially with the Barbie movie. Like, if I'm being totally honest about the director. I didn't know about little and I appreciate you saying adaptation of little great or a great great film. I love that, actually. This first time I've only seen That Little Women actually,

and it's wonderful. Yeah. But there's I just I I'm I worry about the concept of like a director who was incredibly politically charged with a lot of the themes of the Barbie movie and how much society has grabbed ahold of that, then getting this project and going, you know what? Yeah. Aslan's a lady. Yeah. Aslan's a lady. Yeah. And, like, so I'd like to know I'd like to know I find this odd. Like, commercially across the board, it's an odd move for Netflix. Right? Like,

there there is whether there it goes in big cycles. Right? But and we're on an upcycle of, like, faith based, you know, movies, shows, books, whatever. Right? Like and and, like, the the Christian consumer

is willing to pay for it. Yeah. And so to take a beloved thing Mhmm. And, like, screw with it seems so weird. Snow bud. Okay. The but this is what I'm saying. Along with the track record Yeah. Of of, like, the, like, the even I thought I really liked the lady ghostbusters. I actually thought it was alright. Yeah. Yeah. But it got critically panned and and didn't and didn't turn, like, near the money they thought it was going to because you took a beloved thing. Yeah. And you're like, it's a it's a new twist on a beloved thing. People it's beloved for a reason. Mhmm. If you'd have twisted it that way when it was original, it wouldn't have been beloved. Right. Yeah. So, like, it's odd to go. There's this great thing. Let's make it not like that. Yeah. Bustress wasn't a testament to the patriarchy. No. Like, the original movie wasn't all manpower, and that's the good things about it. It was just four very good actors Yeah. That were just like was great. To be honest with you, like like I said, I liked the lady of Guilt busters, but I thought it was alright. Yeah. But, like, it it didn't commercially do what they thought it would. So, like, if it if it's a money based thing, which Netflix is like, what like, this is what they do. You know? So, like, to take type of shit. Especially the way that the culture is moving Mhmm. And the the faith based consumer that is most likely to be instantly drawn to Narnia, if not other people too, but, like, it seems like an unnecessary gamble. Yeah. Like, just a weird gamble. You could even especially, like, if you wanted to

swap genders at different other characters in the books, like and maybe you had a good reason for it, okay. Fine. But, like, not only do are people endeared to the character and I mean, here in Liam Neeson, like, he nail he nails this thing. Right? And so and with a connection that people see is like, hey. This is communicating something about Jesus. Totally. To sever what feels like severing that Mhmm. Like, it's just dumb. Yeah. It's just commercially dumb. Like, part whether it would be cool or whatever their thoughts are, like, it's just a weird gamble to take Yeah. At this point in time with that particular piece of literature. Yeah. It's just weird. Yeah. And I'm not like, I'm not angry if they went that route, but I am kinda bummed because, like, just think about a story you wanted to see or a play or whatever. And then if you someone did it, and they just did it poorly. And you're like, oh, I liked the story. I wanted to see someone do something cool with it, and instead they did it terribly. You're like, oh, that's kind of a bummer. Right. Yeah. It's like the the Dune movie from the eighties. Yeah. I hate that freaking movie. Yeah. I have the Funko Pops from it because I love Dune as a series, but that movie just destroyed that book. Was that the source of the rebuke is this Funko Pop thing? What do you mean? Because you have terrible Funko Pops? No. What? What? What? No. I'm just saying, like, I I have all the Dune of a Dune movie that was banned. No. I have all of the Dune ones from the new movies and all the Dune books, and so I collect Funko Pops. So I even got the Dune Funko Pops from the crappy movie That's what I said. Back in the eighties. Sorry. I wasn't understanding what you're saying then. Yes. Yes. I did. Okay. Good. I got the crappy doing ones because I was like, dang it. I freaking hate this movie, but it's still the Funko Pop. You're you're you've got Funko Fomo. I do. I really do. You should see my office. I have, like, a 185 Funko Pops now. It's ridiculous. I'm sorry. I'm not I'm not sorry. Okay. Hey. Hey, Mike. I I said I was sorry

about how many Funko Pops I said, and that was a lie. That was a lie. I'm gonna need to see it as fruit in your life, not just words coming out of your mouth. Probably fair. Alright. I appreciate you. Thank you. Alright. That's it. I don't hey. If you have an opinion on that, I don't care. Hit us up on the life of the past complaint line. (515) 517-0085. Call or text. We'd like to hear from you. Also, just know if you watch the live broadcast, the title of the YouTube is gonna say Aslan interrupted.

But just because after sitting here and talking about this, Aslan wears Prada is a much, much better name. It is absolutely a better name. It is going to So don't be surprised if you see it on the podcast later on, and the name of the show is Aslan wears Prada because it's so much I just didn't have to I didn't know what you're gonna talk about, so I have to guess. Is that a Meryl Streep video? Yeah. It's called the it's the devil wears Prada. So I wonder if there are gonna be people that are roughed out by you saying Aslan wears Prada. This is what I'm saying. Yeah. This is content. SEO. It's like the what was that one? The the bog witch, which looks like the bee Hey. On the on the YouTube. Sweet title.

Yeah. Hey. I I have I have a broken foot, and I was given a a poultice recently, like a potion, basically, to put on on my foot to try and regenerate the bone. Oh, yeah. What was it? And I don't remember what's in it, but it's supposed to be good, and, like, I have people in my life who have used it, and it's been great for them. Yeah. And so I I said something about it, and I joked with my wife, and I said, hey. Can you, like, can you apply the poultice, please? And she goes, what do you think I am? Some kind of bog witch? Get your feet out of here. And I was like, I love this so much. I love this woman with all my heart. She's a freaking pest. I was like, no. You're not a bog witch woman. Stop yelling those words at me. It was great. Also, I appreciate you going, hey. If you've got an opinion about this, I don't care. And then plug plugging in the actual phone number for our complaint line right after that. Well, if you have thoughts about this, I don't freaking care. (515) 517-0085.

Call or text anytime. I found the phrase, I don't care about that, to be very strong and helpful to me. People starting a long story. I'm like, I I don't care about that. You've used it on me more than once, and it's it's completely deterred me from telling you a story that I probably shouldn't have in the first place. So, like, I have to say it does work. That's how you shut down the boiler right there. Okay. I don't care about that. Okay. Alright. Let's let's let's talk about let's talk about this rebuke that you're getting. Okay. So maybe the I will start with the broad question, and I think maybe the details of your situation may be we'll we'll see if they're necessary. Yeah. But, like, is it is it necessary or appropriate to stand a rebuke

from a person who has no no otherwise fruit of following Jesus in their life? No. No. Yes.

You say yes. Yeah. Is it true? Wait a minute. Are you saying stand what do mean stand the rebuke? Yeah. I mean, do you have to abide it? Do you have to take it in? Oh, if they're calling something out that they're correct about the fact that, like yeah. Like, even if somebody doesn't have fruit in their life and they and they see me, like, treating my wife poorly Yeah. Yeah. I have schizophrenic. Yes. I misunderstood the question. It be it could be a meth meth snorting wacky boo. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. And if he's got a good line on you, if he's right, then you'd be like, well just got con convicted for murder, comes up to me and, like, saw me hit a man and goes, hey, man. You shouldn't have done that. Well, you're right. Crap. Yeah. I mean, doesn't even know it came from the murder, you fruitless schmuck. It's still true. Is this one this one centered around spiritual things, Jesus things? Yep. The rebuke. Yeah. And so it's gotta it's gotta pass it's gotta pass a biblical sniff test. Yeah. Yeah. Totally. Yes. Okay. Yeah. So so I think, like but where we came to is slot number one is is it true? Yeah. That's the first thing that matters. True. Like, because Mhmm. And this is an important part because most people pre filter by, do I like this person, and do they like me? But the one of the primary ways of which you grow and become better as a person is be willing to stand a refinement from someone you do not like. That's exactly why I'm asking the question in the first place and the why I was willing to pray about it. Yeah. Because, like, I'm not happy. Like, I'm flat out not happy with this situation. I'm I'm I'm pissed. I'm be real honest about it. Yeah. And it's freaking hurt my feelings, and it's, like, made me sick to my stomach in in multiple situations,

and it's freaking sucks. Yep. But, like, my in my immediate thing was, well, forget you. Like, forget you for this deal. Like, whatever. And then I went, that's not right. Yeah. Like, I can't just go forget you. Like, I have to I have to take a step back and go, one, that's fair. The inventory, is it true? Well, okay. Gotta figure that piece out. But then, two, I wanna be prayerful of if I don't believe it's true, Lord, you got my heart and, like, soften it if you need to. This is a situation where, like, your spirit is the one that, like, teaches me in this and it came through the mouth of that person. Yeah. Okay. Alright. I'm in for that because I'm in to be edified.

Like, I'm in to look to to be a better man on the other side of this. Yeah. Because the risk is you go, lord, I'm willing to have you change me, but only through these people and in these circumstances. I'll be honest. That was my initial reaction. Yeah. I will own that. I I immediately went, oh, forget that. Absolutely not. Yep. And then I went, crap. That's not right. Like, I do not wanna be that guy because I've been that guy in the past. Yeah. And it's just not looked like Jesus. Like, I did not smell like Jesus when I was doing that kind of thing. Yeah. And and I just I I I could not do that again, which is why I even brought the question in the first place and why I was willing to be prayerful about it. And and it freaking sucked. Now the now but here's the risk. Right? Is that, like, when you say I'm willing to accept refinement from whatever avenue it comes, it does open you up to otherwise perhaps being directed by someone who doesn't care about you at all. Yes. Right? And so, like, there's a difference between someone who, like, who is the trigger for you to evaluate. Uh-huh. Hey. Someone said a thing. Okay. If I took it back to Jesus, what would Jesus say? So, like, I took this person's thing that they said as a way for me to go, alright, Jesus. Is that right? Yep. Right. Because if that's right, then I wanna change something. But what I do That's a good line. You're not required to abide Right. Is someone's just, like, opinion on their life. Like, if someone who does not love me, I do not trust is does not appear to be following Jesus goes, dude, I think you're doing a suck job of following Jesus. Sure. Yeah. Now if you let that in and you internalize that and, like, you let that boil you up, like, that's a mistake because that person's not out for your good. Yeah. Right. But if they said, dude, you shouldn't hold and harbor anger against your brother, Well, that you could go, what do you think, Jesus? You're right. Yeah. He's totally right about that regardless of whether that guy loves you or Sure. Yeah. Right. So but but that is the that that is the risk is often people are not very good at, like, opening up the gate for only the right parties Yeah. And and for only the right reasons. The Amazon guy can come in.

Sure. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. But, like so so be let's be careful that that what I'm not saying is is that just because someone has opinion that, like, it can bounce off. But, like, there's, like, a split second where you have to evaluate it. It's just actually what you're talking about about the show when it comes to the emotions of of people around you. Like, if you're able to kind of perceive how other people are feeling, like, the the only the worst thing you can do is take on other people's emotions and then suck them in on yourself Right. And hold them in. It's gonna eat you up. Like so you have to it's but they should trigger an action. A trigger action is, hey. Something's going on here. How do I react to it? Either I dismiss it or I reach out to them and I ask a question. Or in your case, like, hey. Someone's got some sort of rebuke for me.

I'm gonna give it up in a quick evaluation. Is it true? Well, then I'm gonna do something about it. If it's just an opinion, does this person love me? They don't, so I don't care about their opinion. No. And that's totally fair, and I can appreciate that because that's it it was something that I was kinda circling around, to be honest with you, was from the perspective of, like, does this does this person strike me as someone that's been considerate of me in any way? Yeah. Yeah. The answer is no. Yeah. Like, not at all. Like, it's it's been like, I've been used, and I was willing to be that because, like, it's fine. Like, I I'm not hurt by that. It's like, I'm just showing the love of Jesus and, like, there's boundaries, but it hasn't been crossed yet, and so we'll figure that piece out. But, like, this piece was, like, person's never considered me once. Uh-huh. Like, never once went to me and, like, been like, hey, man. As a brother, I'd like to edify you in this situation. And, like, I believe this thing. It's freaking torn me down at almost every opportunity. And I'm like, Ah, I don't know. But is it true? Like, is there any part of this that's true? And I have to take a step back and be, you know, conscientious of that and take

a look at that. But, yeah, no, that's fair because I I don't feel love from this person at all. Yeah. Like, feel judged beyond measure and, like, they've left me in the dust, they're just like, well, since you haven't been able to serve me in this piece, you suck this way, and now we're done talking, and I think I'm out. Yeah. I'm like, what the heck, man? Yeah. Freaking hate this. Yeah. Gave me, like I I I

the thing that bothers me is the fact that, like, I'm I'm a people person. Like, I enjoy people most of the time. And, I like I like being liked by people. That's the broken part of me. That's the honesty of that. But, like, even as I'm trying to turn my life around to be completely following Christ and, like, obedient to his police and, like, I'm safe, not worried about that at all, it still gets at my stomach sometimes where I'm like, Dude, I hate when people hate me. I fucking hate it. I hate when people just are like, Man, that guy sucks, and I just want to be done with that. Because nowadays what I care about is do they hate me and they don't see Jesus now because I represent Jesus. And now that dude just flat out might get a misrepresentation of the father because of me. Now, mind you, I don't think, one, that's not on me as long as I'm right in Jesus and obedient to him and stuff like that. It is on me if I'm flat out not following Jesus for me to go, Oh crap, that guy doesn't know Jesus because I did screw that up. But like, I'm just not trying to take on the weight of that when I am actively trying to follow Jesus and doing my best and confessing sins and walking daily with him and stuff like that. Yeah. I actually had

I think it's I think it's it's good to care to care about how you might have impacted somebody. Yeah. Like, I I I was in a I was in a work thing last week, and I said something to a guy. He'd he'd I started a conversation with me, and I basically responded back to him and told him, yeah. But what the way what the way that you're talking about this is actually quite wrong. It's not right at all. All. And and I explained to him why it wasn't right. And then, like, it he probably ate at me for, like, three or four days. I'm like, I don't know. That seemed kinda it wasn't harsh. It was true what I said to him. But, like,

I I thought, well, I don't know. Did I was I a jerk? I didn't mean to be a jerk, but I was a jerk. So but I don't know this dude's last name. And so, like, I can't I've I'm trying to figure out ways to, like, reach out to the guy and, like, reconcile the thing. Be like, hey. Just so you know, wasn't trying to be a jerk. I'm sorry if I came off that way. Because Yeah. Like Right. You don't want there's you know, if you're leaving a bad impression and you're not intending to and you can fix it or whatever, like or being humble and Sure. Surely. Yeah. Seems great. So I actually think that's probably a good thing as long as it doesn't own you. Yeah. I guess it seems. Right. Yeah. And I'm that's been one of the things that, like, I've been trying to set the boundaries on is, like exactly right. I would not want people to to incorrectly look at themselves because of an interaction with me. Like, I don't I care that much about people's opinion of me from the perspective as long as I'm right with Jesus. If you don't like me for certain things, okay. But, like, if somebody, like, really started hating themselves for something that I said, I'm like, oh, crap. I gotta fix that. And, like, I may have represented the truth, but is there a way that I could have represented that that was maybe more loving and less, like, light a fire to the situation and harshness? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay. That makes sense, and I appreciate that. I think that's a fair it's a fair judgment

call in this situation is one, like, is it true? Take a step back and look in the situation and like, let that be a trigger for an evaluation. I think that's a good way to put it, and that's fair to take that step back. And then two, running it through, does this person love me, care about me, have like my betterment and my closeness with my father in mind here with what they're saying? That's also important to kind of take back. And then three, you know, is this person in any way for me to take in what they're saying like that I would give their words weight for me to want to change something is is one of the least important bits Yeah. Yeah. Actually. Well, and it saves It's important, but it's one of the least important. It saves a lot of time if

that is not the situation. Right? Like, if people who have fruit in their life and they are you know, have an active pursuit of of of god in the in the way that they're living,

then your ears get to open a lot quicker. Yep. And you get to go, okay. Yeah. I'm willing to take this. I might even just make this change right now. I will pray on it, but I'm gonna I'm gonna go ahead and make this move. Yeah. Totally. But, like, after like, I've I've the reason I'm struggling with this a little bit is, like, I I don't know maybe I think that's a mature step. Right? Like, in between where you're at now and then a healthy following of Jesus Christ, I think in the middle,

I think there's a lot of look. There's all kinds of people in my life. I only let x amount speak into it. Do you know what I'm saying? Like, I I think there's a there's a close there's a closeness of, look. I I'm gonna surround myself with people who are either where I wanna be, have the relationship with God who I wanna have, who are the ones that are teaching me scripture or, like, how to live as a Christian, all the stuff. Right? And, like, I I think as I don't think it's as a risk as you are more mature in the way that your faith works. Right? But, like, in the beginning and as you mature, I I just don't have any problem with saying, look. You can speak out into everybody's life, but you need to limit who gets to speak in. Right? Because that's how you get a bunch of really bad information.

Right? And so, like and and without the ability to discern it. You know? Yeah. That yeah. That's why I think the the the first distinction is that, like, you don't wanna chase people's opinions around. I mean, so the thing is is, like, it starts to get difficult because, like, the is it true thing is we can pretty much agree on most things in this room on what's true. That's not true for everybody. Right. You know what I'm saying? Like like, opinions sometimes sound like truth or even biblical principles sometimes sound like truth, which they're they're they're bent in a way or they're they're curved in a way that isn't exactly how god prescribed it. You know what I'm saying? Like, it gets to be more nuanced than that. Sure. Yeah. And so, like, I I was just just listening to you guys talk about it, I'm like, dang. I've given this exact opposite advice a thousand times where I'm like, look. Okay. Don't take rebuke from anybody. Look. I don't use the word rebuke. Right? But, like, do not allow

everyone to speak into your life. Right? Like, you need to allow people who are following Jesus to speak into your life, especially when it comes to things about following Jesus or, like, how you're gonna interact with other people. God says, my principles are love me, love everybody else. Sure. But there are there are there are guidelines to that and principles to that and, like and and nuances that until you are able to discern it, like, don't just start taking in whoever wants to speak into your life. Even if it's a quippy Jesus sounding Instagram post. You know? Like, just stop. Fair. Stop for a minute. You know? Nobody's just taking stuff in just because. Well, and I think this is oh, sorry. Go ahead, man. Yeah. Was as you say, so I I think maybe then is you're right. There's a level of discernment that says, am I capable of doing the triage? Sure. Yeah. Like, so if you're capable of doing the triage, then you should you know, you can see the patient. So that's fine. If you can't At that mature level. Then hold it, and you gotta have someone else help you treat. Well, and that's what I was just about to say is, like, one of the places that that, like, we are thankfully not left out in the dust on is we have community. Like, this is one of the reasons that we have community. Like, find if you're a fella, find fellas that are following Jesus that, just like Mike said, like, are are in a space where they're in a place where you want to be at someday and, like, have community with them and ask questions like, hey. Brought this to me recently and like, What do you guys think about this piece? Can we come together as brothers on this? Ladies, ladies, you know, community coming together and being able to go, Hey, in the realm of all of our

hearts getting together and being able to read through scripture together and discern wisdom through the Holy Spirit and things like that as a group. This is something that has been presented to me recently. What do you guys think about that? Like, can you help me here? Because I don't feel necessarily capable of the triage in this moment. Yeah. You know, and I and I want to get to a spot where I'm correctly taking in edification and correctly taking in, you know, the iron sharpens iron perspective. I don't want a crappy iron coming in and trying to sharpen me when all it's going to do is dull us both. Yeah. I actually and I have the I have it's not the opposite problem, but it's it's it's

going the other direction. I often have time triaging things with my wife, like like, the interactions between my spouse because I

not because she doesn't care about me, but because she does Yeah. She loves me better than anybody I know, then there there are things that I like, I don't always have a good good evaluation.

Like, I have to check. And so, like, those are actually like, if you listen before if you were here before or after the show, like, if I if there's things that I I don't have a hard time sorting out true things I read somewhere on the net, like, I'm pretty good at that kind of thing. But, like, when there's a bunch of emotional stuff involved related to that, I actually generally need help sorting those types of things out because of the other things that came with it. So, anyway, think that's right. I do think you should still be open to changing

based upon and that maybe it's not even untrustworthy parties, but, like I mean, I've I've I've watched or read articles or watched a sermon from a guy. I'm like, nope. This is all crappy. Right. I don't agree with any of this. Same. But there was something in there that I'm like, yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Right. Yeah. That ninety minutes worth of content, I'm a take fifteen seconds of it and go, okay. Which to Mike's point, though, it it is it is a different skill of discernment to be able to go to to go like, I can believe

five seconds of this thing and then totally reject the other, like, ten minutes. Like, not every in fact, most people don't actually interact with stuff that way. Like, they they move in whole ideas. They're like, I can't put all this stuff together. I don't really understand all the nuance. So, like, here's a guy. Here's a book. Here's an idea. I just I'm in. I buy into the thing because it's hard to to niche it out and recognize, like, where you you're right, but you're just not but you're not right here, and here's where you got it skewed. Dang it. And not everyone's good at that. I don't know if it may it I don't know if this is a generational thing or if it's just like I've matured to a to a point recently, but, like, I feel like I flipped that coin very recently. Like,

very within the last year of my life, I've been able to go, like, I trust anything that this person says. Like and if I'm wrong on it or if I don't agree with it, the problem is me. Like, the problem is in me, and I need to change to this thought process. Mark Driscoll, like, for a long time, I was like, I freaking I I agree with everything he's ever said. And, like, he must be right, and I'm gonna take in all this stuff. And I'm not going to talk about anything specific that he said that like it'll get into a long conversation. I'm sure people will want to jump in on it. But from the perspective of very recently, I've been able to like I was reading a book, and then like four and a half hours in this book, something hit me, and I was like, Nope. Nope. That's not right. Whereas before, I would have been like, This is a trusted author. I'm going take in all of this stuff, and this is obviously true. I'm going to hit this piece. But now I'm like, I can Just because I disagree with this point doesn't mean that I have to trash everything that I've heard up to this point. That's right. But it also doesn't mean that I have to completely change everything about my thought process because I must be wrong about this part then because they've been right about all these pieces, as I would hope that someone would do me the favor or the courtesy Yeah. Of going, Troy's maybe or Boob has maybe said some dumb stuff before. Like, he's maybe said something like, he says other good things. This is just something I disagree with. Yeah. Or vice versa of, like, he said awful things before, I can say a good thing and you go, I disagree with 80% of what he said, but like, he just said a nice little nugget of wisdom. Like it's an interesting thing that like very recently I hit where I can go, oh, I can actually take in information on a case by case basis and evaluate it and then determine whether or not it gets set in my file my file folders. Yeah. Yeah. The only the only biblical example I can think of where someone outside of, like, a follower of Yahweh was handing out rebukes and they were dead right was when Abraham kept trying to shill off his wife as his sister. And, like, he got legit rebuked, and they were dead on. They're like, yeah. That guy's definitely right, Abraham. You you a punk. Right. Yes. Exactly. You sucked at this, Abraham. Yeah. And he What the heck? And he was like, why didn't you just tell me? I wouldn't have look what you've done to my people. Look what you've added to me. Like, that was a legit rebuke from an outside of Israelite, and I thought, yeah. That's legit. I was the Gibeonites are kinda like that.

When Josh was, like, what taking over, and they get the I yeah. I don't know. It hits me that there might be a few other examples where sad kind of embarrassment if the people of Yahweh get corrected by people who, at that time, were not of a family. Well, which yeah. It would I think that's the interesting point. I did like, I I was by pattern, I do actually think there are multiple places where Yahweh basically shames his people and their leaders Oh, totally. By having wisdom come out of someone else's mouth. Oh, yeah. Sometimes a donkey. Yeah. I mean, like, I I think I think there's there's there's a right in here somewhere, and it's probably different for for different types of folks. I would say and and maybe it's just as you mature, I think you got and if you where you can be discerning, you gotta be willing to be able to learn Totally. From from other people. Yep.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I just felt like it was a superpower that I unlocked, man. Yeah. I was so freaking excited. I was just like, wait. I can actually take things like, I don't have to just go, yes. This is all good, and therefore I have to change everything about me. Like, it was kind of a confidence boost to go, hey, man. This dude is pretty smart. Yeah. But, like, I don't just hear everything he says and go, this is all good. I have actual wisdom within my own heart that goes, yeah. It's been great. Not that, though. Yeah. It takes actually, it takes some getting over because, like, I found that and I think we've talked about this on the show before. We're like, I'll read a commentary, and I'm like, I'll disagree with it. I've got no grounding to disagree with it. I did not go to any school. I don't speak the languages natively. Like, it's it's but but so it took some time because I was in the same boat. Like, especially, like, the thicker the thing, the smaller the type, you're like, this guy's really Yeah. Right. The surrogate. Smart in here. And it's weird. I never would have thought about it. Actually, this is this this is gonna sound weird because it feels like I'm paying myself a compliment. I never would have said, hey. Like, who do you know someone who's got, like, a a good gift of discernment? Sure. Yeah. I wouldn't have thought, like, oh, that's me. But, actually, I'm pretty good at this. This particular thing of being able to recognize, like, yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. No. Narrowly. Carve that piece out. Yeah. Or yes, narrowly and and why

and then why these things go together and why that's okay. Yeah. Like, it's it feels like a level of self confidence, but it's not really. It's just a it's actually more of a recognition of the fallibility of people around you. Totally. I'm more likely to go, well, this is not a perfect guy. I really like what he's got going on here, but, like, I don't know. You know? He he also spoke too harshly to his wife yesterday and, you know, failed to follow Jesus appropriately in large swaths in his twenties. Like, they're just humans, And so they're doing their best the way I'm doing my best, and they're not inherently going to get everything right all the Totally fair. Alright. You're listening to life from the path. Alright. One of the things we wanna talk about before we give out some advice on your life from the path is I

almost think that we have talked about this before, but maybe it was just in the room and not on the mic. But it was about the shape of recovery ministries tending to be

from more charismatic churches or ministries and stuff. Sure. Like, it's so I don't wanna this is stereotypical,

but, like, it's that way for a reason. But, like, a lot of the recovery ministries tend to come from some, like, charismatic belief backgrounds. Pro life type of stuff and women's stuff, like, often comes from Catholics. Catholic churches have got that. Baptists are hitting up the missions. Mhmm. Like, just to keep you off the street for twenty days type of situations, food kitchens, this kind of thing. Sure. Yeah. And, yes, I I get it. Like, a lot of different churches do a lot of different things. But it's interesting, though, is, like, in what way or is there a relationship between some of the core beliefs of some of these denominations of churches and why they end up doing certain types of things.

But we were talking specifically about the recovery ministries. And, Mike, was it was you like, the question is is it, like, is does because of a charismatic background,

those types of beliefs do tend to, like, look for experience experiences related to following Jesus or the presence of the spirit and that kind of thing, which in some ways is an emotional high. And so are there some risks in that in coming from what is a physical high

and trying to get off that and then what feels like maybe chasing it with emotional slash spiritual highs that, I don't know, that maybe can't be maintained or aren't like the same thing as following just flat out obedience to Jesus. Am I am I framing that right? Yeah. Yeah. That sounds right. I was trying to there's I was trying to think of a and say something. I could keep coming up with the wrong word, but, like,

the like, right off the crack, if you've had an experience with God, it's amazing. Yeah. Totally. And and and, like, no one is saying, hey. You should not have those. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Or you or or we shouldn't be excited when those happen. I think the issue is when you start pairing, like, an experiential

that just sounds bad. When you when you when you pair a walk with Christ that is based solely on experience On events. On events. Yeah. And let's we're gonna call them we're gonna call them, like, mountaintop events. Right? Like, because, like, I can experience God's love and presence just reading scripture. Yes. Right? And, like, it feels like a warm blanket, not like a birthday party. Right? There's there's there's two different experiences there. You know? Yes. And both have a presence of a loving father. Right? One of them has a lot of excitement and a lot of moving parts and a lot of emotion, and one of them just feels like I am loved, and I am I feel comfortable where I'm at, and I and I feel like I'm I'm known and hugged by my father. Yeah. Right? And so, like, those are all equally valid experiences with the holy spirit and with God, and and, like, I think most

Christians have those. Right? Yeah. It doesn't feel the the warm blanket isn't the same as if you feel like God just revealed a thing to you. You know? But, like, some of the more charismatic aspects of the Christian faith, like, they almost point it as if we're chasing, like, the birthday parties around. Like, we gotta feel like, we gotta be dragged to the ground crying.

We gotta be so overwhelmed with emotion in a way that, like, we just can't take it anymore. You know? Like, all these and and, like, I I did not grow up that way, so I don't I don't that's not been my my faith background, so I don't I don't have a whole lot of experiences in that way. But what it feels like is you're trading one addiction for another. Right? We're not saying, hey. Be this is where the word I'm not I'm I'm having a hard time grabbing. Right, but being okay with your circumstances.

Mhmm. Right? We're not saying, like, be comforted and known that, like, it's all gonna point back to Jesus' work on the cross. That's where the foundation of our of our faith is. Right? Mhmm. And, like, that's gonna vary in the way that it hits you depending on some life circumstances and what's going on with you. But, like, on a good majority of the days, it's just a solid foundation to walk through. Right? It doesn't feel like this big thing. Right? But, like, if every like, when you when you are trying to, you know, come off addictions and, like, we're we're gonna put them all in there, even the ones that are legal that are harming you. Totally. Yes. Right? Like, we're just talking about addictions in general, not the ones that get you busted. Right? Comfort in the wrong places. And so, like, you're you're exactly right. You're trying to fill in the comfort in the wrong places. And so, like, the warm blanket feels like the opposite of that. Yeah. Right? That feels like comfort in all the right places. And to give you strength and peace and freedom in the things that you're walking through, the day to day stuff. Right? But, like, there's not a life to be lived outside of recovery ministry that how has you, like, bomb into the ground every day. Right? Like, you have to like, people pay you to come to work eight to five. You can't just be passing out in the bathroom overcome by the holy spirit. Right? Like, there's

there's you know what I'm saying? Like, almost everybody's life outside of that particular setup. Right? Like, the counselor gets to do it, whoever runs the place, the pastor there, they get to be involved in this stuff all the time. But, like, there's 99.993% of the world who of the people who love Jesus that are just has to you also have to live a regular life. Yeah. You also have to have sheep in and sheep out. You you take Moses is a classic example. Right? Like, that guy is just out there after he leaves Egypt. He's just out there running sheep. He don't hear from God for, like, forty years. He's an old man. There was forty years of nothing going on for him except for sheep in, sheep out. Sheep in, sheep out. Mhmm. And then all of a sudden, a burning bush shows up.

Right? And then and then he has, like, this very unique relationship with God as he continues on. Right? But there's still, like, there's still giant portions of your life where, like, you if you expect every day to be a burning bush, you also expect every day to have a high to it. Sure. Yeah. To have a needle associated with it or 17,000 cigarettes or what or whatever else you're trying to bury everything with. Right? And so, like, the burning bush isn't the regular. That's what makes it, like, this huge turning point. Right? But if, like, you're like, hey. We have to experience this every day and every day and every day. Like, it's I I just don't have see a scriptural backing for that. And, also, I don't find it sustainable. Right? Like, people get out, and they get through recovery, and then, like, they're they're not being torn in all, like, all these crazy event driven

Mhmm. You know, ways, and then you're like, well, my faith is failing me, because your entire faith structure was based on these birthday parties. Right. Yes. And and, like, the the warm blanket's the thing that, like, gets you, that gets you through the day the day to day. And so, like, I don't know. I was just talking to a guy earlier this week or last week or something. We were just talking about recovery ministry, and, like, I feel bad even speaking into it because I don't run a recovery ministry, and I think people who are doing the work that God called them to do in this area, it's an amazing thing that you're doing. Absolutely. And it because it's like running a I mean, I don't wanna pair it directly to youth group, but, like, you almost barely never see the fruits. More people leave than stay. Oh, absolutely. Yes. Way more people fail than succeed.

You know? And so, like, you get, like, these little glimmers of hope of the work that you're doing is actually making the impact. But most of the time, it's not just a guy leaves. He gives you the finger on the way out or tears the place up, or you have to see him sleeping in the same car not three days later after you were providing him three hots and a cot and love. Right. Right? And then, like, you're like, he chose to come out and feed this. And so, like, it has to be so disheartening time after time after time and time. So, like, that is that is a blanket. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's that's sustained by the work and power of the holy spirit that people even stay in that ministry. Because, like, if it was just a personal relationship,

you'd be like, screw it. Like, I don't know how many times I have to keep taking people back, keep trying to teach them things, and they keep giving me the finger and leaving. So, like Yes. Whatever. I'm out. You know? And so, like, that's still all god's present stuff. But, like, I just think that that sometimes it gets hyper focused on experience like, big birthday party experiences with God, and it misses out on the character of a long,

patient, loving father that, like, is just as likely to put you to bed, read you a story, make sure you have lunch Yeah. Than he is to take you to the ballgame and order seven hot dogs. You know what I'm saying? Like, all those are are encompass the full relationship of God, but, like, it's not like having a, I don't know, like a like your mom's boyfriend that's trying to win your favor that keeps taking you out places, you're like, what is this? You know what I'm saying? And so, I know what you're about, Doves. Yeah. Stop. Get out of here. There's no way we're eating the real dad burger king 85 times. You know? So, anyway, I it was just something we were talking about. And maybe it's just something to be cognizant of and and, you know, just know, like, when we're we're trying to I I do like the recovery ministries that are like, look. We don't do any addictions here. You know what I'm saying? We're not just gonna let, you know, smoke and go. Right? Because it's still a thing that owns you. Mhmm. So, like, we're not like, the world categorizes

them as good, better, best, you know, as the ones that you can keep, Just like the world does. We're like, hey. It's we're fine if you're addicted to coffee. Mhmm. You know, expensive coffees every day. We're like, yeah. That's fine. It's not fine. Right. Something owns you. Yeah. That's not fine. If you're not on heroin, but you're addicted to pornography, oh, that's okay. Yeah. That's you're not hurting anybody. Yes. You are. It's communal sin. Yes. You're dumping it out into the world, and you're separating yourself from god. It's all bad. Yeah. Here's what's here's what's interesting because I think you're right. I think it's a it's it's something to be mindful of. One of the questions, though, is is, like, why what what is perhaps unique around these types of ministries for charismatic backgrounds?

And I think I think some of the ways of which it is often more like, I I just again, Baptist background. Like, we would just follow you around going, look. You just suck. Yeah. And you should not sin today. Otherwise, God's gonna be mad. Yeah. And don't you're do drugs? That's a sin. Yeah. Wanna think about the porns? Sin. That's a sin. Sin. Yeah. Stop it. Repent. Tell everybody. Do it again. And so I'm not maybe the baptists aren't made for this type of thing. But because, like Yeah. That I tell that brand of thinking dig digs its own hole too. Right. It does something different. So, like, the a more a more like I I don't wanna say spirit led because, like, I mean, these are all all these situations can be that. Yeah. Right. But or charismatic background, one, has a recognition that, like, sometimes it's behavior. It is behavior modification to a certain extent and restraint. But, like, some of the stuff is actually spiritual because of situations

you put yourself in, backgrounds, drugs. Yep. And, like, you ain't gonna find a Baptist in the world who's gonna go, oh, I think there might be some demons. Like, you might have opened yourself up to a spiritual influence of which we, like, we're trying to rethink. You've already done it. And so now the question is, is it, like, is there something spiritual going on here? There's an openness to that. I think, secondly, like, there is a there is a willingness to kind of embrace,

like, to your point, a holistic view of, like, don't just keep the needle out of your arm. You need to refocus. Like, Jesus can, like, legitimately solve all these problems. So do I celebrate recovery works this way, so do, like, most of the addiction types of places. Like, if they're thinking about it from a Jesus background, they're not just going, look. We're trying to detox you. They're like, we're trying to reframe Oh, yeah. Completely around it where, again, like, you know, the Catholics and the but, oh, the well, your more mainline folks are just, for the most part, helping you to stop doing a thing. Right. Yeah. And so, anyway, I I say that because, like, there is something about that faith tradition that I think is actually helpful in some of the recovery ministries

because you actually are going from, like, what feels like a high to not just like a prison Right. But to something that says, how do we redirect that? Yeah. But if it doesn't sit in the right balance, if you end up chasing that thing, you're right. Like, as soon as what is the what there's somewhere local that has this that, like, I don't know, whoever of the people that go into the program, 50% make it to, like, the halfway house. And then 50% of people of that get out of the halfway house, and then another 50% make it the year on their own after that. So, like, by the time you're done, out of a 100 guys, you've got, you know, twenty twenty left Yeah. Or something who's made it through. You're like, well, I don't love those odds. So, like, something is not transitioning quite right. And I think it's probably because you go and, like, you found something, like, you you sucked the stuff out that was controlling you, and you put the spirit and Jesus stuff back in to control you. But then, like, when you had to go back and forth to work and you had to, like, fold your towels and, like, sit with yourself with only basic cable available, like, the the you couldn't gin up these experiences anymore. Right. And the question is, is it like, is Jesus still with me as I sit in those? And if you're not prepared

and you're not embracing life like that with that comfort, you're gonna end up chasing the feeling somewhere or another. Yeah. And, actually, if there is if that is supposed to be the experience, there's a lot of the bible that's hard to reckon with. Oh, totally. Yes. You know what I'm saying? Like, there's a lot of lot of lament. Mhmm. And there's a lot of there's a lot of folks going, god, where are you? Yeah. Totally. You know, like, how long will your hands stay? What is what is the holdup in you showing up and and and, like, come come protect me already or come fight my enemies or all the things that we're leaning on. You know? But, like, they're

they're written down, and they're prayed in a way that's like, it's because he hasn't shown up yet. Mhmm. Right? And he has not done the thing. Yeah. Like Still in exile. Because he will say no, and he will he will plan things out, and he will do things in the right time. And so, like, sometimes that, like, it it just it kinda I just it sucks because it's hard to frame that, like, I've prayed for so many things, especially in the last couple, three years where I'm like, god, I need you to show up, and he's like, no. And he just doesn't do it. Mhmm. You know? And and it's like it's not like it was a time based thing. Like, he needed to show up in x amount of time or the thing that I'm praying on could not come to fruition, and that's the way it went. Mhmm. You know? And not to say that he won't redeem later or do whatever is in his good, righteous, loving heart to do. He's Yeah. He's got the right tick of it. I do not. I'm fine with that. But, like, still, I was just listening to a guy today that he like, he was I can't remember. He showed up. And he basically said,

like, you know, forty years of following Jesus. I'm I've I've tithe every week. I read my bible. I go to church all the Did you see this guy? Yeah. You know? And then he's like, now I got cancer, and now, you know, blah blah blah. He goes, yeah. I don't know about this Christianity thing. Seems like a complete waste to me. Yeah. Today, saw the same thing. Wild. And so, like but the thing is, like, the first thing I thought of when when the guy said, he goes, none of my prayers were answered. None of my this. And I thought, what were you praying for exactly? Do you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm I'm I'm interested to hear what you were praying for. Yeah. And what and, like, what the like, he listed off a bunch of religious markers,

checkboxes. Right? Like, these are the things that I do. God owes me x. You know? Yeah. And, like, normally, what I see is done with the right heart posture. Actually, all those things put you in an experience with god in a way, and you will see him moving. You will see his no, and you will also see his yes. You know? But, like, if you've seen none of that, then I feel like your heart was not sticking where it should have been. But, like, it in either case, like, I I think there's just there there tends to be an inherent danger in believing that you're gonna tell God when to show up Yeah. And and, like, what experience for you to have. Yeah. You know? And instead of going, like, God's gonna do those things when he needs to do those things. He's gonna do them in his good and right timing, and and, like, it almost feels like a like you're trying to puppet him around. Yeah. Like, if somebody didn't, like, speak some wild tongues today or flip out in the on the hallway, then it was a fail of a day because the holy spirit didn't show up. Well, that's happening at that's let's all those things are not happening at 85% of the churches out there. So, like, are all those folks out? You know what I'm saying? Does the holy spirit not visit that place? That seems weird. Mhmm. Mhmm. But, also, like I said, I don't come from a charismatic background. I'm sure there's a lot of stereotypical things in there that I might be saying that I might not understand quite right. But, overall, especially when it comes to addiction ministry, I've only just seen this in a couple folks around me, which is the reason it came up. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I've had that experience too, and it's less it's less like it's less some of the stereotypical stuff, but it's more like the constant

constant description of being, like, overwhelmed with something. Yeah. And you know what's interesting? And, Buva, I I want you to you I think I think you'll take this the right way. Yeah. Please. But, like, it's there's a maturity in

not feeling like you're moving from mountaintop to mountaintop, not just in those experiences, but, like, hey. This is me and god have never been in this place before. Mhmm. And, I say that because, like I mean, just thinking about a decade ago. Yeah. You know, every six weeks, Boo was in here, and he's like, like, we just had a revelation, the lord and I. And, like, something else has happened. And, like, it was it felt like really like, progress types of things. But, like, it came from a need to say, we've we've we've arrived. We've got it. Like, we we finally got over a hump. It was an incessant need to try and pretend like I was okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it was

manufacturing events based Christianity, and it felt like a failure if I was not riding a high. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And

I think that's where I've found closeness kind of in this conversation, has been seeing what it looks like for events based,

high inducing relationship with the Lord just completely fail the majority, because the second that they don't feel like they're at the top of the mountaintop, the only other option is the depth of the valley. And like, it's like, no, no, no, no. There's, you know, there's a middle ground. And like, I could appreciate how long I rode the roller coaster of like I was at the top and I'd go to a

conference or something or I'd go and I'd, you know, be at a concert or there was some kind of event that was so big to me or something was crazy. And then the second that went away, it's like, Oh, no, I'm losing. I'm losing. I'm losing. And it would feel like you're going, like, plummeting. And so you start to manufacture it. You start to go, okay, there's only truth in the height. Yeah. Like, there's only truth in this thing. But, like, where you get to a point where it's a fantastic life to live is like, if I lose my job tomorrow, God's still good. Like, if I if our if our adoption goes through tomorrow, God's still good. If I wait five years till we have a baby in our arms, God's still good. And like to get off of the roller coaster and start just fricking riding, like, I'm just gonna drive this highway. Like it's and yeah, it veers up sometimes and it veers down sometimes. But it's not like these giant monumental swoops of of of like, this

experience with the spirit. Now it's just like, no, I just live with him. Like, I'm just with him all the time. Yeah. And, like, my my being is with him. And sometimes worship music makes me cry my eyes out. But sometimes it's like, yeah, just today was Tuesday and it was great, Lord. Thank you for the time. And so I'm much less likely to be failed, one, by myself mainly, but like also by like not having the experience of other people. And I think that's where I have found this thing to be a bit suspect has been in

the recovery ministries that I've seen. If you're not way out there and loud and big and like, look at this and posting all the videos and saying all the things and everything's on fire all the time,

like it's it's problematic. And then if people don't feel that, they feel like they failed and they leave completely. But then also, if you finally get to a point where you're tired of having to manufacture

this giant bonfire that's happening all the time because it was on you in the first place in most of the situation and fabricated, you then plummet. And so that we get people that are just like out there and are proclaiming all of these things for people and saying like, this is what your life should look like. This is what I've done. This is how this looks. And it just gets like you pull back one layer of the facade and then it's like, oh, no. Oh, crap. That's just another recovering addict that's doing their best to, like, not get high, but they're just trying to make me not be able to see all the crap that they don't want me to see. Yeah. Like, all I'm doing is pulling back one layer of this curtain and then I can see a scared little boy sitting there and go, Oh, man,

you are so terrified of the fire being put out that you have to be a bonfire and you're not okay with being a campfire. Like, you're not okay with just lighting up a little bit and being like, All right, I'm on fire for the Lord, but it's it's a slow burn. Yeah. It's steady. And that's actually if you think about when James is talking about not being a double minded man. Totally. Like, have we created scenarios of which people don't have a choice but to be double minded? Right. Yes. Oh, completely. Yes, exactly. And it's like I've seen so many people, like, explode

in a good way and then fizzle out so quickly because there was no more accelerant. Like, there's nothing to keep the fire going. The oxygen was gone. It snuffed out. And then they look like a failure. And then the people that are on their way up to that high then get scared because they're like, Oh, no, I was keeping my eyes on that dude. I was keeping my eyes on what this looked like. And the second that sin starts to get seen or it starts to get a little bit shaky and everybody just bails and then the whole friggin ministry just plummets. And then everything that they were preaching about, all the pieces that were true about the gospel and the nature of Jesus as the Christ, right? Like, you miss out on the honesty of the situation because you were so excited about the fireworks show that you were there for that the second you stopped seeing fireworks exploding, you gave up on the whole thing entirely. And that goes back to our Nuance conversation.

It was like you could could God have actively working in someone's life? Of course, could. Absolutely. They had a a regression in their recovery. Uh-huh. Does that make anything they said not true? No. No. Of course not. Not not necessarily. Right. And so and but but because you've got room full of what is in, like, in the process of sanctification,

like, it's very difficult not to just go, no. Not only was that not true because that person failed Right. Whatever they were pointing back to may also not be true. God doesn't really do this. And can I believe remember we were talking about was this a few weeks ago we were talking about? It's hard to take in people who seem to have, like, a prophet type of stuff in their lives or even people who are, like, gifted teachers or something. And, like, you just kind of presume that because they have one dominant and very kind of impressive fruit of the spirit, you're like, they must be doing great.

Yep. But, like, know all kinds of people who are like, that person hears directly from the lord, but that behavior is weird. Yeah. Right. That's not right. That has room to grow over there. And so, like, it's it's there's just a new new a nuance to that. Totally. And it's just so easy, though, to create the waves, and then people just stop believing in the tide all the like, well, there must not be a tide maker. Right. And having having the people that are in charge of these kind of ministries be in such a state where they are humbly following the Lord is so incredibly important because like, as you look good from the outside, if all you talk about is how great God is because of how great you're doing, which is true, God is great in that situation. That is the constant and true statement. However,

the second that your facade starts to crack a little bit, it all goes by the wayside. But if there's humble leadership that goes, Don't trust me. Trust God in me. Don't trust who I am and what I do. I suck. I'm fallen and broken, but I'm restored by the living Christ. Like, that's what this looks like. And we get to this point where what happens is you get these leaders that are so gung ho about maybe very recently they were in the same spot as a lot of the people that they're trying to minister to or lead. They are so scared to look that way anymore that it'll become a facade and fake and broken, and you can see through it in a heartbeat. Which is true for like, mean, pastors and And I'm, all

yeah, not just recovery minute. That is every single situation where man is involved. Humans are involved. If there is not humans with humility pointing back to God in everything and confessing sins as they happen, because if somebody looks perfect, I promise you there's stuff they're not saying. Yeah. They're not saying. And that doesn't mean that every pastor has to come to the pulpit every Sunday and go, alright, guys. Here's the inventory of my sins this last week. However, humility in leadership is one of the biggest things. Like, I'm not the shepherd in this. I'm just a sheep that's been with the shepherd a little longer, and I know what it feels like to be very close to him. So until you can see him as your shepherd, just stick close to me. But never never think to yourself that I'm the shepherd in this. I'm just another sheep. Alright. You're listening live from the Path. Thanks for hanging on with us today. Maybe you got thoughts on that. Maybe you're angry. Maybe you're an angry person.

Don't be angry at your at your brothers except the rebuke from here from the voice in your radio. This has been saying, don't be angry. But, maybe we've got something wrong, and you wanna help us, to see that. We're willing to hear it from you, so hit us up on the live from the Path complaint line. (515) 517-0085. Call or text, and you just wanna do hashtag BUVA so he knows it's you that you're it's him that you're mad at, that makes sense to me. Helps me sort out the messages. That's hashtag BUVA five one five five one seven zero zero eight five. Call or text life from the path. Alright, Mike. Let's give us some quick advice. Dear, life from the path? Mhmm. I fell in love with my best friend. When I told her ten years ago, she distances herself.

We were still friends, but she went on making bad choices in her relationships, and I never found anyone who could con compare to her. We reconnected recently and have once again become very close. I still love her, and I always will. She doesn't share the same feelings I have. And while I want to ask her why, I haven't asked because I don't want to lose her again. Am I wrong for settling for our amazing friendship? How can I convince her that we could be much more than just each other's best friend without losing her? Okay. You're not settling. Stop it. You're You have a good friend. An amazing friend. This is like okay. Yeah. So, again, you can't frame it as you've settled for something when the reality that you want to be true is not true. Not the truth. Yeah. You didn't you didn't like, you give up until you force it to happen, but that's under the impression that, like, just a little bit more effort on your part, and maybe she will like you. I that's not your situation, friend. I also refuse to take in the situation where a fella's like, she just doesn't understand the logical path that is I'm the best for her. Mhmm. I'm perfect for her. And she's just making when I hear she continued making bad choices, meaning not choosing me. Me. Yep. Like, come on, man. Like, oh gosh. Sounds like it was literally written by Forrest Gump.

Jenne. Jenne. I wish Jenne would love my But she did love him. She did love him from afar and often in rough situations. She'll come back to you, Forrest. If if this if you're Forrest and she's meant to be your Jenny, the writers will make it so that she's your Jenny. Yeah. I don't I I Honestly be unhealthy, though. Yeah. I think that you should take a step back and recognize that, like, if in ten years,

you've probably either not had a single relationship or you've had a bunch of bad ones in which you've been broken up over and over again, and you just now feel like you're getting back to a space, oh, now Sandra's back in my life, and maybe I can convince her if I can just show her that I'm the best no, dude. You need to take a step back and recognize that, like, there's a reason that you are not with somebody after ten years. Yeah. I I mean, like, it's just this is very immature behavior. Just think back to high school. Like, you just tell me you didn't there's not some lady when you're in, like, late junior high, early high school that you got your eyes on, and you're just like, this is the one. This is the one for me. Mhmm. And, like, you it's not. You're not married to this person. This isn't the person that you're with. As a matter of fact, the next year, maybe two years down the line or you switched you got a job or went to a college or something, and you know what? There's some sort of lady to Google eye there too. Like, they're everywhere. And so how easy it is to jump from some level of, like, attraction slash infatuation, like, it sounds like you just never left junior high Yes. Right. Exactly. In this situation. Yeah. The best thing you can do for yourself is just work on you. And if you get to a point where you are right for this woman, great. And maybe, I hope for you, that you heal so much that you realize she's not even right for you anymore, and then you find the right person. It's a good point, though, that she's she's it felt sounds like she's aware. And so Mhmm. If she thought this was the right path for her,

she she knows where to come. Yeah. Where to come not. Right. Ten years ago, she found out about it. Now she's back. She's not like, I wonder if he doesn't have feelings for me. It is Forrest Kump. I think I wonder if, like, she figures that this has played itself out, and it was just an immature love back in the day. So ten years later, she feels safe to be his friend again. Nope. And he's still Junior high track is holding on. She's had ten years of rough situations, and this is the most recent iteration of her not, like, actually trying to heal herself and find good relationships. Yeah. She's coming back to bestie after ten years. Yeah. I I I don't actually know if it's probably a good idea for you guys to be friends, honestly. Yeah. You should you should pursue the lord. Yeah. I I I don't know if this relationship is like, you're both using it for different reasons. Yeah. You are hoping that it's gonna turn into something, but, like, that's literally like being in relationship with somebody and being

being like, sticking with it because you wanna know the future version of them. And that's not a friendship. Right? Like, that's a that's a you're you're an artist trying to paint a painting. Hopefully, our paths will cross someday, and we'll be in better spaces. Yeah. Hopefully, if just I'll wear you down, and then I'll love you or you'll love me or whatever. And so, like, it's saying that, like, you work you continue to be in relationship with her because you're hoping that it will come to more, which means that her current friendship with you is not enough for you. Mhmm. Which means, like, to be fair, you're shortchanging her. Whether I think that she's using you for a good reason or not is not really the point. But, like, if I were talking to you, then, yeah, that's that's not a healthy place to be for her or you. You're doing her a disservice as well. Yeah. The Hollywood storyline that you're hoping is true is going to be disastrous for you. Yeah. You know what you should do in your free time is stop watching movies and books and then idealizing relationships as if they were not pinned and fictionalized by whatever entertainment you saw. Yeah. You're right. These things are entertaining to you because they're not the norm. Right. Right? That's why people are like, wow. Can you imagine what happened on that movie? That was crazy. Yeah. Hollywood's never put out a movie of a normal marriage that's healthy. Yeah. I like that. That's a boring movie. Nobody wants to watch it. Honey, we need to have a budget conversation. I'm excited about that because I know you love me, and I love you.

Credits. Credits. See you. Alright. Secular says, when a woman distances herself after a man tells her he wants romantic involvement, it usually means she is not physically attracted to him. It doesn't mean she doesn't, quotes, like him or that they don't have much in common. However, it does mean that if you want more out of a relationship, you will have to look elsewhere to find it. Yeah. Yeah. Fair. Yeah. I agree with that. Okay. Alright. Last one. Ready? Yep. Dear life from the path,

My little sister is getting married, and our family is thrilled for her. Mhmm. She's having a small wedding and has chosen not to have a bridal party. K. At first, I was sad because she was the maid of honor in my wedding, but I respect her and her fiance's decision. Uh-huh. My quandary is is that I joked that I'm off the hook from writing a speech since I'm not the maid of honor, but she still wants me to write a speech and give a toast. I don't want to. Wait. Where? At the wedding. At the wedding. At the reception. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Why is that isn't that another woman You've never been to weddings? She's this this woman is saying that she's not the maid matron of honor in her sister's wedding, and that would have been the only situation in which she felt like she needed to give a speech. Oh, okay. And the sister's coming back and saying, I I don't want you to be the maid of honor, not because I don't or I have another maid of honor, but because I have no bridal party. Yeah. Oh. And sister is like, how dare you come to me and ask me to give a speech when you won't give me the title of matron of honor. Okay. Got it. Or maid of honor. I got it. It seems like she wants to have her wedding cake and eat it too. Your thoughts. Just You're shut you are ridiculous. Yeah. Give the speech. What's the imagine how in inconsiderate

of a sibling you are. I I wish she would she would I'm gonna get mean. I'm sorry. I think you should take a step back and realize should drink bug water. Yeah. No. I was just gonna say, like, if you're this inconsiderate about her asking you to give a speech, but you refuse to or feel like you shouldn't have to because she isn't making you the maid of honor, like, come on, man. Really? It's not like she's choosing other people over you. Exactly. She's just like, this bridal party first of all, like, she just saved you $500. Exactly. You didn't have to buy the dress. You didn't have to pay for a bridal shower. You didn't have to do any of that stuff. Plan that stuff. No travel days, all this crap. Just write a speech. It's two minutes. Yeah. Have the AI do it. Literally, I've It's better with you. I've met 30 people in the last year that have had AI write either their vows or a speech, and it's generally gone alright. I know. It's ridiculous. It's the hold on. Hold on a minute. It's the same thing as in nineteen o five going to the library and reading through a book of vows and speeches and stealing. In this case, you're just asking the Internet to give you It is not the amalgamation at all. Thousand books. That's right. The amalgamation and, like, the standard like, you wanted you to start stamping people out if this is the way you guys are gonna be. Cats coming. Give me all of humanity, mold it together, and spew out x.

Like, would you do you not have an original thought? Oh, I guided it with my prompts. Listen to me. Stop it. I would not do it. I'm just saying for the 30 people who Ben would definitely do it. Yeah. Then we're two different people. It's fine. Yeah. It's undistinguishable because you both use AI as your outputs. I I I'm saying I don't, but other people have, and it's been fine. Uh-huh. Yeah. Google Gemini has married 45 people in the last two days based on what you guys are saying.

Alright. What's do you have any additional advice, or what's secular saying? Secular's grossed out by you. In fact, she ran this one through the AI, she says. Okay. It says your thoughts. You're such a niend for thought. AI. Don't you have any original thoughts to have them to hold that everyone has said a billion times? I definitely did not say that.

You would have, though. It's not about you, Perl. Like, what what has become Mike's personal diary? Because I'm better than you for not using AI or anything that has been traditionally said. Such a weird foot to to, like, stomp down on whatever. Ephesians five? No. Isn't there something original we can talk about in this marriage? Secular says, what is your problem?

Why would you want That's that's rough if secular starts out with what's your problem. I'll be honest with you. Why would you want to do anything that would lessen your little sister's happiness on her special day? It appears you weren't joking after all when you said you were off the hook. Heck yeah, secular. My thought is you should be honest with yourself about your motivations, then dismount from your high horse, write the darn speech, and make it heartfelt. Holy crap. Yes. Or you can have AI do it, and then it doesn't matter whether you know this person or not. Here's six random facts I know about somebody and a bible verse I wanna tie it to. Spit me out something classy. You just need to learn how to prompt it better. Okay.

So I'm I'm proud of secular. I feel like that's the the best advice secular's given in a long time. Holy cow. Okay. Alright. Tell her life from the path. How can I get my neighbor to stop buying us pies? Her husband died a year ago. He had Alzheimer's for many years before his passing. We are more than happy to help her with things around the house because we believe helping others is the right thing to do. We don't eat many sweets and don't want the excess calories. Health is a high priority. I've asked her to stop with the sweets, but she keeps buying us this stuff as a thank you. A verbal thanks would be enough. Just be excited that she wants give her the the grace to be giving you something in return, and then give the pies to a food bank.

Wait a minute. Have they have they said, hey. I really love the thought here, but we just we're packing on the pounds. We can't eat all these pies. Doesn't sound like they've gone that far. I would say I would say thanks is enough. Yeah. I would say, don't just say that. Go for it. Yeah. Just take the pies. I'd throw them away. I know you would. That's why I'm saying donate them. I'd say thank you so much. A church and go, can someone use this pie? No one takes home baked pies anymore. It's not true. Hey. I went to a fish fry at a church the the other day. It was amazing. It was an AI fish fry. There was a boova there. There was, a half Oh, is that that text you sent me? I was confused about that. A half boova went through the fish fry line. I I didn't care enough about the fact that I had to have a conversation with you to respond to it. This fish fry was amazing. Like, the desserts with Mike Fuschia. Were giant. They gave you a ton of fish and chicken if you wanted it. And there's the old people ate all the beans, which is fine because I didn't want none of the beans. But everything else was great. It was I love old church fish fry. I went to a fish fry a couple weeks ago. How much was this thing? $13. Yeah. Was it did you go to the one in Altoona? No. Okay. Yeah. I went to this thing.

I they Yeah. It's Melcher. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Oh. Melcher. I'm gonna go there. It's this wasn't good. First of all, everybody in that room gonna be dead in twenty years for sure. And the dessert table was a free world donation. You had to pay an extra buck What? To get to to get desserts. No. It's still good. Yeah. And What a wild thing to walk into a room and go, everybody in this room is gonna be dead in twenty years. I did think that. I looked around, and I thought, like, I'd be I've been to this one multiple years

because with a I was gonna say, I thought you go to one every year. A relative of my wife, my wife's grandma. And so we go over there for her, and, like, I just this means a lot to folks. Like, we put time into it and what whatever. And, like, seriously, no one everyone's gonna be dead in twenty years. Like, no one who really cares about this is gonna be alive twenty years from now. And

and, like, it's I mean, it's not like, it's a bunch of canned green beans and, like, way overbaked potatoes. Oh, this was not my experience. I'm going to melt I'm gonna melt you down. Yeah. This thing was hot. Can we go all together next year? This sounds like a fun one. Yeah. Let's do it live from the live Live from the fish fry? It has been it has been and we've been broadcasting. This will be fifteen years this year. Yeah. And I believe in year one, maybe year two, we did a buffet. The with from the path went to the buffet. Yes. With Eisenhower's gonna come. Yeah. And

Pete Smith. Did we go to the Chinese buffet? Yeah. The it was the the it's a big one over by Merle Hay. No. No. And we went to hibachi, didn't we? Hibachi. That's where was. Hibachi on 86th. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yes. We gotta bring it back. Anyways, this fire is great. Okay. Secretary's advice very quick. Next time your well meeting neighbor brings a pie to your home, remind her that you and your family avoid sweets for health reasons, and a verbal thank you is more than enough. If she persists after that, tell her that instead of the pie, you'd appreciate a fruit salad or a nice zucchini. Yeah. Stab her in the thigh and say, this is what you're doing to me. Yeah. But she's taken orders? I'd like a lasagna. Yeah. And the zucchini salad. These pies, Myrtle.

Maybe you could grow us some zooks. Yeah. I don't know about that. So we're at this fish fry, and we go outside. There's story they never answer. There's these people these people we know from town showed up and had their dog in their car. Mhmm. And so we're like, we're gonna steal this dog. And so they left the window slightly down to because so the dog could breathe. And so we spent thirty minutes out in a parking lot trying to break into this van. And then some old junker shows up, he's like, hey. You you I have a pool cue in my car. Yeah. He want he wanted to help because we've we'd constructed a couple straws together and then tried to stiffen it up at the joint so it could actually press the button, and it wasn't working. The whole thing was failing. And then and then Sanford and Son come right up, and he's like, hey, man. I got some stuff in my he doesn't ask whether it's our van or not. He just assumes it is. And so my wife is like,

yeah. We'll just go home and get the keys, Probably played it off as if it's our van. I'm like, you straight lied to that guy. Woman she's like, yeah. I did. We're just gonna, like, skate past the fact that you were actively trying to steal a person's dog for thirty minutes? I mean, we were gonna tell them. Yeah. We were gonna tell them we stole it. We were taking it home, let it run around the property a little bit, let it have a good time. Seems it seems I'm just I don't know. It just seems wild. The dog was It's super weird. This was a legitimate effort of you and your family to basically steal someone's dog. Yeah. There were seven people in that van. We brought it to the whole neighborhood, and then we're like, we gotta get this dog in here, though. You guys have to scoot over. So we made plans to get the dog, but it never came to fruition. Then we had to leave in defeat, so that part was pretty sad. Again, was this someone you know's dog? Yeah. Okay. I must have missed that part. You said someone from town? I didn't I I heard someone from town. I didn't hear someone that I know.

I thought you were just saying I was in town, and I tried to steal someone's dog. That is what I was operating under. No. That would be wrong. It's a we're great. It's It's a little bit better than it was someone you know. But that junk shop was definitely gonna help us break into this car Yeah. Without having any proof that it was actually our car. Yeah. If you have ever tried to steal a dog or have ever had a desire to steal a dog and you would like to tell us about the experience, you should hit you should hit us up on the live from Path Of Plant Line. Yeah. I agree. (515) 517-0085. Call or text, dear life from the path, I stole a dog. Here's my confession. Tried to steal a dog. Hashtag Mike,

I stole a dog. I did not repent of that. I'm still fine with it. Yeah. Yeah. I Either ways, Mike. Hashtag in

my van. No. All caps. Alright, dear. Let's just end this. You're listening to life in the path. Thanks for hanging out with us. I don't know how the days or weeks will go. I I thought we would do more shows, but, maybe that's a blessing to you. In the meantime, be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to Live From The Path.