Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper. You are live from the path. And you are listening to live from the path. Coordinating for the Pathway Studios here in Johnson Proper.

It's gonna be a lovely evening. I hope that you're ready for it. I'm excited for it, Ben. I've been waiting all day in your pajama pants. They're comfy. Seriously, Dan. Nobody can see them.

Thanks for bringing that up. Alright. So here's the deal. It's good to be back on live from the past, and we got a ton of stuff to talk about tonight. Here here's what we got going on. So for starters, my I wanna know that if you were setting up a a boot camp, a Jesus boot camp for dudes,

what type of information would you needs to be in it? Alright. So, like, you were the you're the you're the camp director, if you wanna keep it this way, of a boot camp, the boot director of a of a boot Jesus boot camp for guys, and you got, I don't know, six hours with them. Six hours? Yeah. Oh. Four I don't know. Maybe maybe four. Maybe they can't take more. I was hoping for longer. No. No. No. Not longer. You gotta squeeze it in. Anyway, so, like, what what what's gonna be in this Jesus boot camp? I guess, first question, we're also gonna do some secular versus Solomon. I will give you a proverb. You tell me whether it is a biblical proverb, a bit of wisdom from Solomon, or whether it is a secular, worldly bit of, wisdom. And, if it's a worldly bit of wisdom, where did that originate from? And there are a couple in here that are just rife for Dan's, I don't know, harassment of indigenous peoples.

Oh, no. I call it the broad paintbrush, where Dan says something that is most certainly offensive by the country that he guesses. Also, I I just thought it'd be interesting to talk about, like, I don't know. What what's something that that we struggle with? Something that you personally struggle with in your faith? I mean, there's there's gotta be something that everyone has that's a that's a and it doesn't have to be, like, something that gnaws at you. Right? But, like, it could just be from time to time, you know, what is where is there a struggle in your faith? Because, like, maybe maybe by talking about that, maybe there's someone else that kinda go through the same thing and kinda see where you were,

see how they can relate to that. Because I I know I have one. It's a pretty deep one, actually. And so I'll, I'll I'll kick it off with mine, and then you guys can kind of follow-up with that. Okay. That sounds alright. Alright. So we'll we'll talk about, things you struggle with in your faith. Also, I got three things that I learned in Manila. I've been in The Philippines for the last six weeks, and, I'm gonna give you three things that I learned, a couple of Jesus, one knot, about being away from my family, being away from a church, being based by myself, doing some corporate style work in in The Philippines. And so I'll I'll give you the three things that I learned in Manila and also do some advice on Dear Life From The Path where, we will, we'll take the pressing questions of the day and then try to give out, appropriate Jesus advice about 25% of the time and and illegitimate, Just Life From The Path advice about 75% of the time. Yeah. And you know what? I also feel like I have a small discussion. My wife's got in a semi Facebook battle with some with some, dress standards for churches.

Uh-huh. And, I felt like she held her own a little bit, but, we're gonna talk about it real quick and and see if, maybe we can meet somewhere in the middle here. Actually, you know, I'm glad you brought that up because there's there's a number of petty things that I ran into within the last two or three days. They're like, I'm having a lot of problems showing grace to Christ's bride. Like, I am having a lot of problems with, like, looking at other people who's who love Jesus and are just I mean, fighting in the ball pit with petty things that got feces on the ball and their kid took a whiz on it. They wanna throw at each other for a while. Oh, man. It's grossing that. That's embarrassing. It is. That's not the bread of Christ at all.

I've seen there's there's been some examples. This like, even today, I saw an example and I thought, this is just this is ridiculous. And I I it was I was reading a story on a website, and I kinda hit this felt stupid because I hit my eyes as if someone else is reading the same story I am and gonna identify me as the guy that loves Jesus. I thought, they're gonna think I'm like that guy right there. Well, and I'll tell you what it was. Let's see if this past the KTA censors. So, the the the guy from Mars Hill. Right? Post, there's a a a record that that's coming on there, a Mars Hill music label. And there was a secular site that reviewed it and said something to the extent of, like,

we're excited for this damn record or something like that. Right. So we got to we got the word damn in it. Okay. And, like, you'd have think that they would have posted the picture of his dead mom onto Facebook the way these people were reacting. Oh, good. And I'm like, what is the what is the deal? I mean, as far as offensive words, that that's probably not on the highest list. You know? It's all real a, it's really low on the scale. Yeah. B, it's not a it's not a swear word. Right. I mean, some I could see how some would would call that offensive. I I don't use it for that reason, but it depends I mean, really, it's the context on how you use it. I mean, it's offensive if you use it improperly. It's just Correct. Weird if you use like, the way that they talk version uses it. Yeah. Correct. I mean, it and, like, actually, in the context that they used it, it doesn't even make sense Yeah. To be offended by it. You know what saying? And so but but, like, watching this this discussion about, I I let my kids see this and on the Facebook, and I can't believe that you you why can't we use a positive message? I thought You know what? I'm I'm a tell you something. I'm tell something. Uh-oh. He's winding up. So so we met an artist, at one of the concerts that we went to. And, he was an extremely, cool guy. We watched his music set, he came back for an interview, and we were talking to him. And, and frankly, he was just one of the most refreshing dudes I've I've talked to in a while. We were talking about the church, and, we were talking about evangelism, and and whatever. And he just had a heart for people and a heart for God, and he goes and and and something came out of his mouth, and he says, you know what? I'm just tired of all the church beep. And there was an expletive in there. And I looked at him, and I thought, you know what? I just love your passion. Like, may I mean, he's sitting in a room of of of three or four Jesus guys, and and we're talking about, you know, having a having a a heart for people. And and and and what he's describing is is where sometimes the church falls into just a random pattern of weird

ball throwing, feces ball throwing. Right? And he's like, I'm just tired of the church bowl. Beep. And I thought, you know, I don't know that I'm really offended. I'm just kinda excited that you're passionate about what you're saying, you know. And and and and is it is I mean, does this fall in the same line? Is it really that that big of a deal? I'd rather meet a guy that is that passionate about the bride of Christ and throws a swear word in every once in a while, than a guy dressed to the nines, you know, serving himself in a in a pew somewhere. I don't know though. Can can't does it have to be either or? Can't it be a guy who who's just a common guy who believes in Jesus that doesn't swear? Maybe. I mean, I don't know. I I read a blog the other post the other day on worship, and it was really very intriguing. I and it was just it was just good stuff. And he threw a couple cuss words in there, then one at the very end, and I thought, he just lost all credibility to me. But it's almost like he wanted to throw his word in, but it it didn't even hit the context. Well, see, that I think that's different, though. Like, if you're if you're using that language to be relevant or using that language to try to fit in, I think that's a huge mistake. Yeah. That's a big sometimes big situations need big words. Sometimes small situations need small words. I feel like I'm not that I I don't know. And maybe that's just me, but, like, it's not like his whole conversation was peppered with profanity. Yeah. It's not like he was he was, you know, taking the Lord's name in vain or or swearing anger type of thing. Like, was more like Jesus in the whip as far as I could see. But I don't think he was swearing. I mean, brood of vipers was not a kind word. Well, it wasn't kind. Mean, he wasn't he wasn't a a pansy. I mean, you gotta you gotta you put it into the context. So, like, our our swearing are, like, are just words that we chose to be particularly offensive at. There's a there's a d word that's not the that's the same as penis, but I'm not a you know, I'm not offended if someone said penis. We're never gonna make it on KTA, the show. Sorry. Yeah. We've just been censored. Sorry. Them boys said the penis. Aside from the path. I know what to you you know I'm saying? But, like, I mean, we chose what to be offended Yeah. Yeah. As a as a culture. And so but I guess the broad thing was is, like, I'm not saying that that that's what I would lead with or that I that I feel like, hey, that's appropriate language. That's you should be using that all the time. Like It takes away from the point. But, like Generally. It depends on what you're willing to be distracted by. Again Yeah. You're talking to a a faithful people of faith. Yeah. I but, Generally. Like, that's that's a that's that's a playing in the in the ball pit for me. Yeah. Like, you you're choosing to to be petty, and it's unnecessary. Yeah. You know what saying? Like, you you choose what Sheep are petty. Well well, agreed.

But that's, not all sheep are petty. Right? I'm a sheep. I'm not I I I that doesn't bother me. Bobby, you're also a shepherd. Man, I can do what I want. Damn. You just wanna leave petty sheep in some kind of petty rebellion. I I'm saying you gotta you've got to, kinda respect where they're coming from. And and That that's that seems wrong, though. Then then you're letting the sheep dictate the terms. They're bullying you with their pettiness. Hey. Come join us in the ball pit, Shepard. I I mean, Paul said, will not eat meat if it's offensive to someone.

No. No. No. No. No. That that was way too you're you're using that way too broadly. He was way more specific than that. It's not because meat like, you could I would eat meat at a vegetarian's table. It's meat specifically from a guy who, like, is is used to worship a god where the meat was sacrificed. Right? Not because, like, hey, I don't care for meat. Right. But the point was the people were offended. No. No. No. It's not offensive. It's it's a stumbling block. We're a stumbling block. Okay. But that's that's that's the worst thing of another god, though, not just because your feelings are hurt. Yeah. That's not the same thing. My ears feel dirty because I heard that word. I saw it onto Facebook. I'm just saying, it's like, it is it is a it is a consistency in in the Christian community to fight in the ball pit with feces on it. Actually, that's a that that was the that was kind of realm of this Facebook. Yeah. So so Okay. Give the context. So here's here's the gist of it. As as a guy I I gotta leave all these names out. A guy had posted something about somebody had written an article about going to church and and dressing up, and why is it appropriate, why you should be, you know, dressed to the nines if you're gonna walk into to to God's God's home, you know, basically. And Yep. And, my wife has took somewhat of offense to it. You know, she thought, you know, like, you know, she's she's didn't grow up in a church, know, her whole life. And so she's, you know, fairly young to the faith, I guess, as as far as you'd see it. And like, it was just an unnecessary, I guess, bash on people who, I don't know, didn't wear a suit. And she's like, you know, and I think she wrote back that, that I, you know, I I you know, if you're gonna come into presence of God, you know, I do I do that in my pajamas when I wake up in the morning before I start my day. I do it in jeans and a t shirt with my my kids in the back as we sing worship tunes in the car. You know, are are are are you telling me at all these points that that God is disappointed in me because I'm not in a suit and talking to him? And and and the funny part was it kinda went downhill after that, you know. And like, here's some of the responses is is someone wrote, I've been to a few of those come as you are church services when we have been on vacation, and we were unable to find a truly Christ honoring church, and the atmosphere showed it. Shorts, t shirts emblemed with logos of one kind or another, dresses that would embarrass a hooker, and a carefree coming and going throughout the service. A carefree coming and going. The only thing missing was a snack bar out in the lobby, and some churches are are getting awfully close to that. You don't just stumble into the presence of a holy god with a pat on the back, how's it going, pal attitude. The Bible hardly hides the tragic and sometimes fatal consequences of that kind of attitude.

Here's the deal. I made a, for breakfast. For breakfast, I had a, I had two eggs with, like, a piece of, deli turkey kinda tore it up and put in there. And then I made a tortilla wrap thing. I put you know, I grilled it up or whatever. And then I rolled it together, and I ate it. And I dropped some egg off the side. And Jesus could see all of it. I mean, he could all of it. The whole thing. And I was like, I wasn't dressed to the Like, he was there. Yeah. And, like, he still loves me. Well, here's here's what it actually boiled down to is is I I I was actually pretty proud of my wife. I would have stayed out of this completely.

But but, like, basically, what it boiled down to is she said, look, I'm just gonna put this out across the board. You go ahead and tell all those people in t shirts and the hookers that they're more than welcome to come to our church, anytime. You know I'm saying? And and they backpedal a little bit. They're like, we're not talking about people that don't know Christ. They're gonna act that way. But once you get to know Jesus, you can hardly show up in a t shirt, in the presence of a holy God. And I'm like, you know but my and basically, my response was is is if your only interaction with god with the god of the universe is on Sunday with a bunch of other people that are dressed super nice, maybe you should put that tie on. Because you're totally missing the point. Right? Like, if I'm if I'm if I'm living my life and having, you know, adequate time in in in the word and and and praying to God every day, And I feel like our relationship is growing in a one on one atmosphere. Sunday is, nice, because it's corporate worship, but, like, it's not the whole thing. And really, I you know, it helps I don't know. There's teaching involved, which is great, but, like, relationship is built with me and him throughout the week, and it really doesn't concern you. You know what I'm saying? I I don't know I don't know how Jesus could possibly be baptized by a guy in camel hair suit.

Yeah. No doubt. Right? Like, was With a scraggly beard. He wasn't uptown at all. He probably had honey in his beard. Repent, he said. Yeah. I I don't know. It it was a it was a really awkward conversation to watch. Right? Because I I wish that I wasn't on the Jesus team as it was going down. Right? Yeah. Because I saw representatives from and here's the deal. Like, I stepped back from it a little bit, and me and my wife were talking about it. I'm like, okay. We have to make sure that we're not being pharisaical the other way. You just we go to a church that's casual and, you know, we do snack bar. We do have the snack bar. Oh, no. An emblem T shirt. You know? Sweet Moses, which I hope the Lord isn't mad. You know? I'm like, are we showing too little reference? You know? And I thought, okay. Well, well, let's think about that. You know, we decide what clothes are uptown. You know what I'm saying? Like, society decides that a suit is is fantastic. And so, like, it's it's like, all these things have been decided by society of what nice dresses and what's Well, and is is the reverence supposed to be your life, or is it supposed to be the clothing you put on? Are you a whitewashed tomb? Or I mean, you know, what what's the deal? Well, and I I I think that's that's what what what Jared and I came out to. It's like, look, if if if you want to go to church and put your suit on, and and as long as you're not putting tying your worship in in your clothes, if if it's just something you like to do, it it it is a Paul thing. Right? Some may be. Some don't need me. You wanna wear a suit? Wear a suit. I think that's great. So you can swear as long as you have your suit on. Yeah. I mean, put the swear out. But I I I think the long story short is is, like, are you are you at are you taking a a a good thing and making it a god thing? Right? Is it a good thing to wear nice clothes? I guess, if you want to. You know, is it a God thing? No. You're writing extra laws in there. You know, like, it's I I I don't know how people look at that and don't see the pharisaical tendencies to it. Yeah. The thing is, when do you know when to stop? How do you know when to stop? I I was my very first church out in college, and I was preaching in college, there was a a group of people within the church who not only believed you should wear a suit, but you should button the jacket. If you're gonna be in the sanctuary of the Lord, you'd better button the jacket. I thought and I remember thinking, wow. I mean, that's like going an an extra extra step. Yeah. I mean, it's it's bad enough if you're wearing a tie without the jacket. But then if you put the jacket on and you don't button the button, you must not really love Jesus. And I sat there and look at him. I'm like he designed them, but he hates bellies. Yeah.

I mean, there's always another step. Well, if you don't have a tux, what's wrong with you? You know? Yeah. I mean, I don't know. What what's the ultimate clothing? I I don't know. Well, that's the deal is I really wanted to go to this church. Right? And I wanted to show up in my skirt ball jeans and and and see how long it would take before, like, they think that I know Jesus enough that I need to upgrade. Like, is it six, eight weeks where they're like, listen. We think your relationship is progressing enough. You need to put a suit on. Oh, I mean, the movie stars wear tuxes and and nightgowns or night you know, whatever evening gowns. And and, we better show more reverence than I feel like since the Holy Spirit lives in me, he would be fighting me more when I reached into the closet. Well, like, I go to you know, like, he's jerking back or something because, like That's a print teacher. Too close to me. It would well, here's this is what so so up to this point, it's just some kind of bantering back and forth by appreciate their opinion. Yeah. I I like I said, I get what they're saying. If they wanna dress nice, I think that's great. Go for it. But, like, as soon as you bust out the finger and start pointing at everybody and going, you guys, you know, those those

the I've never been to a church like that, a true Christ honoring honoring church. That stuff Because you come as you because you come and go during here's let let me ask you this question. Do you think that no one ever stood remember the what's the story when they find the when they find the the law? Is it Josiah? Who, like, reads I mean, they read it for, like, talking about. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Are are you telling me those guys never got up and walked around? Like, they sat there and went then their legs went numb, listened to this guy read the law for three days? Nobody went to the bathroom? Yeah. He just they just kinda did Nobody ate. You know? Where's the ball pit? Let me take care of myself. Come back. You know? Like, it's just it's not likely. Jesus' sermon on the mount. I mean, how about the one where people are on the boats trying to mean, know, it's yeah. It's it's we've added There just seems to be a lot of a lot of evidence that, like Man made. It's okay if you wanna wear a suit. Don't get me wrong. You wanna wear a suit. It's a tradition at your place. Whatever. I actually and and I'll I'll tell you this. I went to a church when I was in The Philippines, and, like, all the guys in the worship band had the same color on. It looked sharp. Mhmm. Oh, yeah? I mean, mean, you you felt you felt like something was happening there. There's something to say about doing that, about about, like, taking care of yourself and, and presenting yourself well. I just I don't it's not a salvation issue, and it's not a whether you love God or not. Yeah. Right. So this is where it took a turn for worse for I did this is the part why I didn't like it. Is, somebody wrote, the direction I was aiming to steer the the bus was to acknowledge the corrupt nature of our flesh.

The flesh profiteth nothing and is exceedingly wicked, but is still, allowed to make decisions in our lives each day. The flesh can cannot and will never be conformed to the image of Christ, so each decision we face, each day becomes a battle of the wills. Do we seek God's will on the matter or let our flesh run the show? Any issue can be boiled down to dependence and surrender, Spirit filled or flesh filled. Walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. So now the issue becomes, will I ask the Lord first on the matter or listen to my flesh? Pride. You're basically saying that I have not talked to the Lord about this, and if I had, I would be wearing the suit. That is Wow. That is a bit far, isn't it? I mean, is it just a bit far? And I'm like and and and, like, all of a sudden, my, you know, my wife and I both are like and my wife was more upset. She's like, I I it's not those people.

I'm praying for their kids and the people, the visitors that show up in this church. Right? Like, that is not the heart of Christ, the things that you're saying. You know? Like, I it's it's just not. I feel like they're missing it. And so, like, are we gonna battle it out? You know, we're call them, you know, like, no. You know, these are my suggestions. I'm like, I wanna sabotage the place. Like, I wanna go dressed as a hobo and and claim that I know Jesus because I do. You know? And we'll talk about it in my clothes. And I thought, you know, I'm not this is not beneficial to the kingdom at all, but I'm still very upset. You know? Yeah. And so anyway, my wife held her ground real well, and I'd I'd stayed out of the whole thing, and I was kinda glad that she she wouldn't give up. They'd come back, and she's like, just I can't take it anymore. And back in she went. And so but I I don't know. It's just it was a frustrating it was a frustrating conversation because I'm like, I just I feel like you're missing. You're missing it. Right? The suit? Sometimes Christians are just silly. Ah, the suit. I I you didn't talk to the spirit. The spirit would tell me to wear the suit. Really? Isn't that exactly what Jesus was talking about? The whitewashed tombs who had all the right stuff, the right outward appearance. They had the right clothes. They had the right words. They said the right prayers, but they were just on the inside. Yeah. Dark. I mean, you know, and it's it's like it's not everyone's gonna be a missionary in Zimbabwe, but, like, not everybody has to wear a suit. It's just it's not an issue. It's not a deal.

Yeah. Well The presence of a holy God. Only in the sanctuary at your place. Right? Is he not going to break room? Is he not allowed in the kitchen? That that doesn't that point back to the conversation we had a while back, which was, like, a a miss misappropriation of what the church is? Well, Jesus lives here in this in this little area when we turn off the lights on him and leave him there during the week by himself. Right. He roams the place and organizes the microphones. And he he can't wait until the organ fires back up the next Sunday, like And the blue smoke rises. It's time to go in. We tried he set that up, and then he also destroyed it. Remember that when he said, that's it. We're not doing the temple anymore. I'm done. I'll I'll go where I want. You know? Crack. That's disappointing. Life from thepathonlifefromthepath.org. We're talking about, swearing and apparently the dress code at the church today.

Sweet Moses. People have just gotta wonder what who in the world we are. We we we bounce all over the place as far as I mean, there's yeah. I don't know if you can really define us as the conservative or liberal or, you know, just theologically speaking, because we kinda we bow we cut I try like myself, I try to just be biblical, which I don't really care what group that falls in. Would probably say that if you like like, I I it's it's two sides of the fence. Like, Bible wise, we're fairly conservative. Right? Like, we take it as God's inherent word and you follow it the best you can. As far as the worship part goes and the style of church, look. I mean, if you're trying to love Jesus, we got people to help. That's basically it. You know? I don't know what else to do. You know what mean? I don't see any any reason to put on airs about it. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. You listen to Life From The Path. You can check us out at lifefromthepath.org. During the week, you can check out clips of the show, past interviews with folks,

special special projects, and, sign up for the podcast. Link's right there on the top right hand side. Also, the chat, if you're you're on the live show here on Monday nights at lifefromthepath.org, you can be involved in the chat. Look in the bottom right hand corner, and, just join on in, and we'll, we'll try to talk back to you, and, and have you engage in the conversation. Alright. So my question was is, like, what would you put in a dude's Jesus boot camp? You had the opportunity to be in a room full of guys. Let's call it a 100 dudes. They already love Jesus or not? Yeah. They love Jesus. K. K? But but based upon your experience with running into dudes that love Jesus, what types of things are you gonna talk about either practically,

spiritually, whatever, over a four to six hour time period? What kind of what what what would be the essentials of a Jesus dude's boot camp? Okay. So first, there's a couple verses that we have to get out of the way that are gonna establish the the the the Jesus funnel. Okay. And so that's the first Peter three seven, I think, and then Ephesians What? Five? Ephesians five. Yeah. Right? So these are two verses that basically are are gonna are gonna give you biblical direction on your marriage if you're a married man. If you're not a married man, I don't know. I feel like this is not the boot camp for you. This is more of a dude family thing. But, like, it's all that is is to establish,

what I call the Jesus funnel. And, basically, it's a it's a it's a decision tree, right, like the a cheesy one that they try to give you at all your, call centers. But, basically, it's just a big funnel like this, and it goes through three or four steps until it gets to a little tiny thing on to help you decide, you know, ways to live your life and things that are gonna be acceptable. Right? And so, like, the biggest part is let's say you have a decision coming up, and the biggest part is the Jesus part. And it says, is God okay with this? Yes or no? If he's okay with this, it goes a little farther down the funnel, and it goes to your wife. Is this honor your wife? Is your wife okay with this? Is this making it beneficial to her? You know, is it is it in your own selfish motives? Is it gonna be good for your marriage? If the answer is yes, it continues on. If it's no, you're back out of the funnel. You just know already. Number three is your kids. Is it is it helping you to take responsibility for your kids? Is it helping to nurture them, to grow them, to disciple them? Is it beneficial to them? That seems to pass. Everything seems okay. Great. Four, your job, your employer, the guy who keeps food on your table. Table. Right? Is it honest? Is there integrity based in it? Are you taking something that doesn't belong to you? Is it is it beneficial to your employer? So far, you're good. Right? And now you start to go through the skinny part of the tunnel, which basically comes down to you. Do you wanna do this or not? So so there's there's if there's one big idea that I think you could really hammer home to dudes is is is you if if if Jesus was the

incarnation of if he was the god man and he was our example of the man that we wanna be, you don't have to be big. You don't have to be tough. Right? To follow Jesus' example, you take responsibility because that's exactly what what Christ did. Right? Like, he took he took responsibility for our sins, died for them to give us a life. And, like, they they weren't his fault. Like, Jesus our sins are not Christ's fault, but he took responsibility for them and he carried that burden and he died for it. And so if you take all the things in your life and you put them above you just like Christ did and take responsibility for for your relationship with God first, followed by your relationship with your wife, followed by your relationship with your kids, followed by your responsibilities to your employer. Even even, you know, on a on a small leverage, go down the the funnel, like, within your community or within your city or, you know, any type of government responsibilities or charities, whatever. Right? But it has to start it it has to go in that order, and you are I mean, you're down there. You're not as soon as Do do you wanna do this is is is way at the bottom of the funnel. Question five or six. You know? Like and and and that goes down to even the simple things like there's a football game on Sunday. Well, is God okay with it? Yeah. Probably. You went to church. You know, you got a strong relationship. Not a problem. Right? Have you been spending enough time with your your wife this week? Like, good, solid

discipleship or hanging out, loving, you know, intimate time with your wife? The answer is no. The football game's out already. You're only on question two. Right? Is God against football? No. Question one passed. It was fine. God's okay with football. Yeah. But question two, where you didn't get a chance to any time with your wife because of other responsibilities, it's gone. Right? Like, your interests are way down there at number five. And, like, that's a hard pill to swallow for some for some dudes. But, like, the Bible it it lays it out like that. When when when it says love your wife like Christ loved the church, that doesn't put your wife at question five. It puts her at question two right behind the Lord. Right. And and it's set up that way for his glory and your joy. And it doesn't seem that way. When you look at it, you're like, but I wanna reorganize my iTunes library, and I wanna download some apps, and I'm getting really awesome at Candy Crush. You don't understand? That's still at number six. And so if if your relationship with God is strong, if your relationship with your wife is great, and she feels loved, she feels cared for, and she feels secure, and if you've spent good quality time discipling your kids, talking to them about Jesus and and just enjoying their company and you're doing a good job at your work and, you know, you spent some other time talking with other people about Jesus, then, you know, play Angry Birds all you want. That sounds great. Yeah. But, like, those five things have to come first. And to be honest with you, you'll be exhausted after after four. Four.

You like, you seriously, you're just gonna be exhausted, especially if you're in your, you know, say say twenties to forties or your kids are still with you, you know, and and, like, you should be dead tired. You shouldn't need anything to help you sleep at night. About 11:00, which you won't make, you will not go to bed at eleven because you have other things to do. It's not time for you to sleep yet. Right? But by 12:30, you should be wiped. And and and and most of all, you should have had no opportunity to cause some kind of crazy, sinful lifestyle because you're so burdened with the joyful responsibilities God have gave you. And, like, I think if you can nail that home, you can see some some men that are taking responsibility for their walk with Christ, their relationship with their wife, their kids, their job. I see a society that can can do a lot of good and bring a lot of glory to God. Because the first step is still it's still Jesus. It's never anything else. But you start inverting things like that. You put the kids above your wife, you got problems. You put your job above your kids, you got problems. You put your job above your wife, you got big problems. And you put anything above the wide mouth,

part of the funnel, you got you you don't even have a funnel anymore. Right? You just got really big problems. Yeah. And so, like, it has to be in that order, in descending importance, just like that. And and I'm telling you, you could see some dudes with that can really get some things done. Yeah. I feel like that takes care of your boot camp right there. I think that's a pretty good boot camp. It's just you, and I think maybe maybe show them practically what that looks like. Hey. I'm having trouble with my finances. Okay. You know, what does that what does that look like? What does it look like here? Yeah. Like, so let's go down to let's go let's one, are you doing a job that that is honoring to God? Yeah. It's honest. No problem. Right? You feel like you spent enough time with your wife? Well, I'm out of town six, you know, whatever, six months out of the year, and and I'm having a hard time with my relationship. What you need to consider either quitting jobs or,

you need to you need to figure out a way to strengthen this up with your wife. Then we can move on to question three. You know I'm saying? Like Yep. It it it really does go in that way. And the thing is if you give guys passes because you understand where they're coming from, you'll lose them. They'll take advantage of you. They're squirrelly. I mean, they're very squirrelly. As soon as you think it's like, you know, I'm I'm really try I'm really succeeding at my job. I'm trying to get that management position, and blah blah blah. Everything 's going great. How's your wife doing? Well, she's having a hard time with the long hours, but in the long run, we're gonna make more money. She'll be happy when I make that money. I'm doing this for her. Fail. Right? Fail. This is not an eventual, you know, we gotta go through this season in life. You don't. You just don't. Right. Well, we need more money. No. You need to quit spending as much money. Right? Like, if you give them an inch, they'll take a mile. That's true. I I suppose even the the basis of the problem isn't right. Because I say, hey. I'm having money problems, but, like, that's even the the the my my basic well-being is is lower on the list. Yeah. And so, like, I I mean, money problems might also translate into into wife kid problems. Right? But, like, depending on how I prioritize that, that might even that that could be a legitimate problem, but it's really it's not the biggest of my worries. No. It's it's it it really it really isn't. Right? And as soon as you

I mean, I it's not like I've got this figured out. Right? Like, I still do I still have money problems. Yeah. And not it's none of it is because I don't make enough money. I could make half of what I make and make plenty of money because I I because I I would learn to steward it better. Like, none nobody's money problems are because they don't make enough. Well, some people's are. But most of them is because they spend it foolishly. Right? Like, you you set an expectation for what? Right? And it's because somewhere down in the funnel, you expected that you would have x car, x boat Yeah. You know, x sized house and and and x sized security. God didn't promise any of that. Right? But what he did guarantee is that if you follow him, love your wife, love your kids, you will produce glory for God and joy for you. Right? Though that that's the basically, the deal that God has struck. He makes no other promises apart from that. And he will bless you as he sees fit, or he will help further his kingdom however he sees fit. But, like,

no other no other guarantee is made in the Bible except for those. I think I think part of your boot camp has to be to to teach men to be honest. Because we're we're we're conniving, guys. We we will justify things. You know? We'll we'll twist things. And like I said be before, like, well well, this this is for my wife. She needs the money, or this is for my kids. They need a college education, whatever. That's why I'm away from home with so much work in, or that's why I'm, you know, pouring myself into whatever. And and to to teach men how to be completely honest and objective, I think that's kinda hard. That that that's the part where you gotta drive in the people. That's that's true. It does it it because it does take some discernment. Like Yeah. Not everyone's gonna have some kinda forty hour week job where you leave at seven and come home at 03:30, and then that's it. You know what saying? Like, there's everyone's gotta have a job, and everyone's got sometimes you're gonna have to work overtime. Sometimes you're gonna have to go out of town. You know, it's it's gonna happen. But I promise you that if you're following the funnel, it's it's the it's the people that don't that end up with problems. Right? When you leave a wife that you have not been attentive to and leave for, you know, a week out on business, it's gonna cause a rift in your marriage. But if that wife knows that she's loved and that your eyes are only for her and that and that you're following Christ while you're gone,

the love will grow while you're gone. You know what I'm saying? Not the animosity and not the I can't believe you did this to me. And, you see a lot of that with with marriages where they have, you know, where there's time apart and they get upset at each other and they're like, I don't know what's going on. And and like, really, you if the if if the woman knows that she's loved and loved like Christ loves the church and the man is striving to follow Jesus, you know, you you miss each other instead of, instead of creating animosity while you're gone. And so, like, it's and that that's true, Dan. Like, you have to be able to create objectivity. You you know, you can't let your you can't let your wife take over that funnel either. You know, some wives will wanna take the wide mouth God position and say Right. You know, I want you home more. And and when it by more I think God wants. Yeah. By more, I mean, you're only gonna work twenty hours a week. Yeah. You know, like, that's not gonna happen. You know, you got you gotta have some some biblical basis here. And frankly, a lot lot of that stuff could be, sliced and diced in prayer. Yeah. You say, God, I'm thinking about taking this job. It's gonna be a little bit more time, out of the home, but here's where I think the benefits are. I need you to straighten my thinking out. Am I thinking, am I thinking of out of the funnel, am I thinking in? You know? Or even that,

Christ following objective accountability person. Yeah. Every guy really needs to have something like that in their life because because we we have blind spots. You know? And and that, the third person or second person, whatever, really helps, I think, enlighten you a little bit. After you have self justified all of these things oh, no. This is really this is really god wants this, and it's best for the family. Yeah. And then they can come and say, you're you're lying. You're lying to yourself. Yeah. You know that's not right. Yeah. That sounds that sounds That's ridiculous. Yeah. Especially if it's another dude, he can say it's dumb. Like, this is dumb. What you're saying is dumb. And who you know, hey. We all do it. We all do dumb things. It's that that I tell you what. That's what I like about it. It's not program. It's not a there's not a book that goes along with it. You know what I'm saying? It's it's simple. It's easy to remember. And and and, really, if you're being honest on the decision making,

man, just makes things easier. Because frankly, the decision's out of your hands. That's my favorite part about being a Christ follower. Right? I don't even have to make hard decisions. Christ has already made them. You know what I'm saying? Like, I don't have to juggle a bunch of a bunch of ladies on the side. I don't have to decide whether I'm gonna I'm gonna, you know, put down that I worked more than I worked and figure out if that's gonna help out with my Christmas buzz. God just said no. Yeah. And so the answer is no. You know? Yeah. And so I don't have to worry about it or think how I'm gonna play this or talk to that guy or manipulate this guy. God just said no on that stuff. And so I go, well, okay. And it just saves me a lot of hassle. You know? So I that's that's what I would do at the Boot Camp. I'd do the funnel. I'd put the funnel in action. See, I was gonna get all biblical. I I was thinking of, first Timothy three where, Timothy talks about Paul, excuse me, talks about elders, and I thought that's that's really the character that all men should be striving for. But but your funnel thing hits everything of it everything in in the list here. Must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober minded, self controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome,

not a lover of money, manage his own household well with all dignity, keeping his children submissive, you know, and so forth. That that all that fits the funnel. Was hit every single situation Yeah. And go through. It's just And there's then there's obviously there's nuances there. Right? Like, there's a lot of sub points under the Jesus funnel. Like, you have to actually read the Bible and submit to the Holy Spirit You know, and and pull that off. And the verse in and and that section of Timothy is really speaking to, like, a that's obviously not an exhaustive list. Right? It's it's a character. It's to paint somebody's character. Yeah. Yeah. You know, like, you can't be all of these things and then be and be like a drunkard. Like, those do not those do not mesh. Like, it's it's a picture of what the character of a man should look like. And if a man is is pursuing those levels and and honoring them as they go, you know, then I I don't have to be like, you know, even if I didn't know even if the Bible didn't speak to drunkardness. Let's just say it didn't. Alright? Right. You know, it wouldn't pass the wife part of the funnel. It wouldn't pass the kid part of the funnel. Right. You know what saying? Like, because of what what Christ has called us to be and how to serve, both our both our spouses and our kids, like, even places where the Bible doesn't speak, that

call to serve them speaks very clearly on what behavior is okay and what isn't. Right. You just flat out don't have even enough time to be a drunkard. Yeah. You just don't have time. You know? I'm disappointed in this in this list of character traits. Not once is is like a suit and tie mentioned. Yeah. You know, that's funny because it should be. It just it just occurred to me. This is why we're not on the bookmark, fellas. If only. Alright. You're listening to live from the path, and whether you realize it or not, you have stumbled across America's fastest growing

Internet game show, secular or Solomon. Kind of. Maybe. Okay. There you go. And now for America's fastest growing game show. Amateur.

Secular or Solomon? If you're not watching the live show, you're really not getting the benefit of the graphics. It just sounds hey. Hey. Mike, have you ever listened to have you ever listened to, like, a Christian radio and, like, you happen to turn it on when they were playing some kind of music, and you were disappointed when the Jesus guy came on and started talking because, the tunes were good? Actually, I've had that happen quite a bit. I mean, it makes you feel a little bit sinful.

Because you're rocking out to whatever their bumper music is, and the guy starts coming back in. He's like, trouble in the church. And he's like, oh. Oh, man. We could just shut up, turn the tunes back on. But I do like to move it, move it. Alright. You're you're fishing the black from the past. And and you're you've stumbled in America's fastest growing Internet game show, asterisk not proven. And, here's here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna give you a a piece of advice, a piece of biblical wisdom or, excuse me, a piece of wisdom and a proverb. And you need to tell me whether it is a secular bit of wisdom, whether it's from the world, or whether it's a biblical bit of wisdom, whether it's from Solomon or from the Bible. If it is a secular bit of wisdom, also need to tell me the country of origin, winner gets a lollipop. Chat ready? And everybody in the studio ready? Yes. Yes. Here we go. Number one, secular versus Solomon.

There is no wise response to a foolish remark. There is no wise response to a foolish remark, secular or Solomon. Mike. You know, I'm gonna go with secular. And from where?

I'm gonna say French Guiana. French Guiana? No wise they keep their mouths shut when there's fools a talking. Dan Hudson. Oh, boy. It it sure sounds Solomonisk,

but no. I don't know if it sounds Solomonisk enough. So I'm gonna go secular, and, I'm going to go Bolivia. There is no wise response to a foolish remark. Would have been Solomon if he were Romanian. Secular Romanian.

You know, that's a flat out not true. Like, god talks to he tells us to talk to anybody, and most people are fools. I feel like that's against Bill Cook County. You're not supposed to say you fool. Rocker. No no rocker. You fool. You know, I got in trouble with that when I was a little kid. I called somebody a fool, and my grandma just about had me in a sling. The bible says don't call somebody a fool. And, like, later, I'm still not even certain that I could still do it. Like, am I is that really are you against that? I mean, is is is that a direct don't call people a fool? I think there's a bigger context to it, but still, if I ever say that or think that, I think, oh. Oh, I know I spoke directly to it. Like, maybe you shouldn't do that. There's a he was he didn't specifically say anything about damn. No. But but fool was specific. I I, for that same reason, don't say rocka. Exactly.

Here we go. Secular or Solomon, be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. Secular or potential quandary. Dan Hudson. I'm sorry. Was I was just distracted by a spider that was literally coming down in front of my face. And and so something about the violence and no. That was the spider. Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. Okay. I'm gonna I'm gonna

I'm gonna call that a secular, and, it's gotta be Italian. They have anger. The angry Italian. Like,

by Dan Hudson. My goose. I'm going to Solomon. Solomon, be not quick in your spirit to become angry for anger lodges in the heart of fools. It is Solomon. Ecclesiastes seven nine. The angry man of God. Now now hold on a minute. Solomon appears to be calling someone a fool here. A group of people. That's I'm saying. There's a bigger there's a bigger context than just That's being foolish. I feel like you can't call a man out directly as one fool, but if you're calling a group of fools of fools Is it is it is the is the problem, like is it more specifically, like, that's a log, the log in your eye type of thing? I think it's a deeper anger, bitterness, hatred thing than than just, you fool. I mean, know, I pity the fool. Talk to It's it's it's a it's a And you are predictable at the at the least. At the very least. I

should have put money on it, but the Lord's against gambling. Yeah. I've got 20 on pity the fool. He's gonna do it. Know. You see my new haircut. Here we go. Secular or Solomon, the ear that listens to life giving reproof will dwell among the wise. The ear that listens to life giving reproof will dwell among the wise, secular or Solomon. Mike. I agree with that either way. I'm going with Solomon.

Dan Hudson. Yeah. I'm going Solomon too. That's, the ear that listens to life giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Proverbs fifteen thirty one. Solomon Yeah. Was banging. Yeah. I I that's piece of something we're talking about just before the show started. The guys who didn't wanna who didn't wanna reproof, they will dwell among the nonwise. Here's it is it is the hardest thing as back on the dude camp. Right? And this is me included.

If you can get if you can get a guy to honestly accept reproof, that is a man who is striving to be a better man. Yeah. As soon as the man shuts down and and and says that that, how dare you? You have no right to speak to me this way. That's a lot of men. Right? That's me. It's on some on, well, a lot of occasions. But, like, that is a man that has given up on seeking any type of the the the Lord's counsel or anyone else's counsel. Yeah. And, like, as soon as they get stuck there, they're impossible to deal with. Impossible. You know, and and it's kinda cutting it's it's cutting God off and saying,

like, I will not let you use anybody to teach me something. Like, let me just see someone as like, even bad examples. Like, someone who's acting like a doofus. And you're like like, that's I can pin I know why he's acting like that, and I know why the consequences in his life are that because he's not doing you know, he's not living the way God has asked him to live. And, like, I can learn from that. I can learn from anybody. I like, there is there is anybody's life can speak into my life if I'm willing to look at it from a vivid perspective. You'll start seeing it when you look at people's situations. You're like, that's a lot like that one dude, you know, who read scripture for three days and wouldn't let anybody take a whiz. That's what happened. You know? So, you know, yeah. Like, it's it's it's just it's just goofy, but, like, it's a it's a big it's a big pride thing. It's a big you know, you your life will not show me anything. I will I will know all in my presence. And it's it's kinda gross. I hate guys like that. Yeah. No. No. It's only it's a it's a mirror is what it is. Alright. Here we go. Secular versus Solomon. A cat goes to a monastery, but she still remains a cat.

A cat goes to a monastery, but she still remains a cat. Secular or Solomon? Where where does best do it? Secular. I'm gonna go with secular, and I'm gonna say where's the what what where's Nepal?

Africa? I don't know. I it I'm going in the country wherever Nepal is located. Himalayas. Isn't that isn't that isn't Nepal it's a it's a Democratic Republic Of Nepal. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, sorry. South Asia. Bye. South Asia. Oh, okay. I'm going South Asia. I'm I'm going Egyptian. It's an Egyptian, secular. They like the cats.

Nepal arrests 14 over rhino poaching within the last eleven hours. Yeah. It should've. Nurse nurse in mad dash from Nepal after snake bite. They have a lot of animal problems down there. Now Kathmandu is the that's the capital. Holy cats. I learned a ton about Nepal today.

Sorry. A cat goes to a monastery, but she still remains a cat that is secular. Ethiopia. Oh, no. Ethiopia. Oh, no. Boy. Boy, that is totally apropos, though, of that of that discussion about the guy in the suit tie. Right? He walks he's he's kind of a weasel, but he's he's he's got you know, it's it's where I'm at, though. I walked into the joint, so now I'm something to do something to deal with. And he's got the tie on when he walks in. Mad about it again. He's still a cat in the monastery. I think I think an African image of a cat is different than my image of a little fluffy cat. No. No. He so here's the deal. Here's the deal. In in The Philippines, the cats know when it's payday. It

it's it's it's generally found, like, that people don't save a lot of money in The Philippines. Like, they get it, they they go out to the malls, and they spend it. And the cats know when people got money, because, like, I was walking the streets. I got about a a three quarters of mile or so walk between my the hotel I was at and the place where I was working. And, like, if it was after the fifteenth of the first, the cats were out in droves, man. They were herded out waiting for people to chuck stuff. And they were all real skinny, and they all had a baritone. You'd walk by and they're like, meow. You know, I mean, it could be tight. You know, you think they wouldn't have much to them because they were they were skin and bones. Right? But they look at you, meow. And they were fierce to deal with, man. You don't you don't go near those guys. And they said they warned you. They said, you know, don't feed that guy. Because, like, he'll follow you all the way back to your hotel and, like, wait for a day and a half for you to come back out. That's creep style. Because they, you know Yeah. They know they know where the food comes from, and they know they don't got it. So they'll hang out and wait for you. But but, yeah, man, cats are cats are fierce in those those lands. Well, that's good to know. I don't wanna be no baritone street cat. Yeah. Meow. Alright. Here we go.

A good name is better than precious ointment and the day of death than the day of birth. A good name is better than precious ointment and the day of death than the day of birth, secular or Solomon. Dan Hudson. Solomon. Mike Foust. I'm also going Solomon, although it has an interesting point to it, it seems. Yeah. That is Solomon. Ecclesiastes seven one.

Yes. What is the a good name is better than precious ointment. Like, but none is good. Like, I don't have a good name. What do they mean by that? Reputation. Among,

the day of death better than the day of birth. Why? Why why actually, guess my question is why is that coupled in the same proverb? Yeah. Is are, like, are they tied, or is this just like a Tourette's proverb? I feel like they're, he's he does do Tourette's proverbs, actually, every once in a while. But, like, I feel like they're polar opposites. You know, like your reputation should very to have very little to do with how you're being healed,

you know, with how your how your health is being done, I guess. And same thing with with birth and death. And so I I don't know. What what struck me about that is the, you know, usually, when when when people try to describe living a life for Christ, they don't they don't really esteem thyself. You know what saying? Like, I have a good reputation. Unless you have a good reputation as being a guy that submits to Jesus, then that's completely okay. Right? That's what we're after. Right. But he didn't it that didn't seem to make mention of that. It's just like, I have a good reputation in general. Well, and the day of death and the day of birth, maybe that's to speak to, you know, at the day you were born, you there wasn't a good name to celebrate. But, like, at your death, if you had an impact on the on the community around you, there's something to to celebrate a life that was lived by a man with a good name, I think. I think you look at at the in the context of Ecclesiastes, he's looking back on life saying, hey. Life is full of hardship and toil and vanity. You know, you're better off dead than ever being born,

especially for a person of faith. Hey. The day I die is the best day of my life. I get to go be with my father. That doesn't tend to be the contact. Like like, the context in a lot of those a lot of the proverbs and and even Psalms and stuff too is is more Hades than, presence of creator. Mhmm. It's better to go let's put it in context. Seven one, a good name is better than precious ointment in the day of death and the day of birth. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind,

and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, For by sadness of face, the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is the house of mirth. This is also a blah blah blah, also vanity. I here's the deal. I don't understand him sometimes. He's above my head. He was in a bad mood. I would like to philosophize about what he said, but I sometimes I just read it and I go, holy spirit, you do with that what you what you see fit, because I'm not I'm not it's not flowing to me. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not getting it. Alright. Secular versus Solomon, the lazier a man is, the more he plans to do tomorrow. The lazier a man is, the more he plans to do tomorrow. Potentially offensive, Dan Hudson. There are proverbs that sound very similar to that, but I'm gonna call that a secular one.

And, boy. Who's lazy? Who's the Polox? Are the Polox? I'm lazy. I I'm going to go, boy. That's who would have to say something like that?

You know, I I'm, we we only have an hour program, so I'm gonna I'm gonna just say Germany. I have no reason. I'm also gonna go with secular, and I'm gonna go with, Rwanda. The lazier man is, the more he plans to do tomorrow, Secular

Norway. Norway. That's pretty close. Secular versus Solomon. I'm gonna give you the proverb. You're gonna tell me whether there's secular, bit of wisdom, and tell me the country of origin. If so, or whether it's a biblical biz bit of wisdom. The question is, can you tell the difference? You have a fancy calendar on your desk that gives you words of wisdom? And you're like, oh, I think Jesus might have said that. But, really, it was Thomas Edison or put some poor Rwandan man. Here we go. Secular Solomon.

Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. Secular or Solomon. Mike. I'm gonna go with Secular on that and I'm gonna go Taiwan.

Taiwanese walking in the road, Dan Hudson. I'm I'm gonna go Solomon. Dan goes Solomon. Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. It is indeed Solomon. Ecclesiastes ten three. Fail, Mike. Jesus or Taiwan. Mike loses. Here we go, secular Solomon. The sparrow flying behind the hawk thinks the hawk is fleeing.

The sparrow flying behind the hawk thinks the hawk is fleeing. Secular or Solomon. Damn. That is a secular proverb from the Native American tribe of the oh, I just just left left me. Who was in Kansas? The Iroquois?

Sure. Okay. Navajo. Mike. Secular Solomon. Sparrow flying behind the hawk thinks the hawk is fleeing. I'm gonna go with secular on that one, and I'm gonna go with, Canada. The answer is secular Japan. Man, right next to Canada. Japan. In Japan?

Not anymore. They were fleeing. They were under America. Here we go. Wrapping her up. Woe to the house where the hen crows and the rooster is still. Woah, Beth Saida, to the house where the hen crows and the rooster is still.

Also potentially offensive secular. That's the reverse photo from Chile. Mike's in with reverse funnel from Chile. Dan Hudson? I wanna say that as secular San Francisco. Woah. The house where the hen crows And the bait goes out and catches one. And the rooster is still secular

spade. Yeah. Spade. That's what I said. That's that's where the hen is a crow and and the rooster is still that is They're mixed up. You know, there are, there are quite a few households like that where the rooster is still because he's lazy and because the hen is a crowing, and he won't do you know? That's because the rooster won't move. He's he's I know he's resigned himself to being a doofus. Yeah. And, he just he he just handed her the funnel and said, here, you handle it. And pretty much every TV show they've put out in last ten years. They do this some kind of asshole doofus, man. Boy. That stinks.

You've been listening to And now for America's fastest growing game show, Solomon. That was America's fastest growing Internet game show, secular Secular versus Solomon. You could go to the website at lifefromthepast.org and check out past,

iterations of Secular versus Solomon. I don't know why you do that, to be honest with you. No. That's a long time to commit. In fact, here's the deal. If you're appropriately following the Jesus funnel, you do not have time to visit the website. I don't even you don't have time to watch this show. Yeah. Yeah. You should be getting bed right now or, like, serving your wife or husband or kids in somewhere or another. That's why you podcast it. Yeah. There you listen to it all the way to work. There you go. You listen to it in the car. If you you need to take care of yourself so that you are there to serve your your, spouse and kids. You wanna exercise, put the life in the path on the podcast, I can dig on that. Yep. Yeah. Yep. Yep. My my kids are in bed. See, I get to Yeah. That's I right. Get to bail on them. That's right. Alright. There you go. Let's see. What what do oh, shoot. What do we got time for, Mike? I don't I'm not sure we got time for the other stuff we got on our list before we gotta let the the folks go. You got time for the three things you learned in The Philippines, or Squeeze it in. No. No. I don't think I'm gonna have time. So, here's what I have to tell you, is I want you to definitely check out the podcast this week. If you're listening on ninety nine point three KTIA, here's the deal, is that we gotta let you go. We only pay for a certain amount of time. And believe

me, they wouldn't let us on for free. And so, and and we're of limited means. So, we're gonna have to let you guys go. But if you check out the podcast, you can listen to the rest of the show. We're gonna talk about the three things that I learned in Manila, a couple of Jesus stuff, one one just kinda personal thing. And we also we we haven't got to the advice on dear life from the path. And I also wanted to talk about things that you struggle with in your faith. Things like the guys in this room have either currently struggled with or have struggled with in the past and, and kinda where where to go from there with the struggles that you have in the faith. So, we're gonna do that if you wanna check out the podcast. You go to livefromthepath.org. You can sign up on the right hand side of the page. Top right, there's a bunch of flowing pictures down there. Lots of other clips going on. And, we do always appreciate you listening. And, big thanks to our sponsors, the Eisenhower team. Go to eisenhowerteam.com, and, they can help you out with all your real estate needs. And you wanna buy or sell a house, those are the guys to do a Bob Eisenhower's,

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and they can help you out with that stuff. And even if you don't need their services, please get ahold of both of those, folks and say, hey. Thanks for sponsoring Live From The Path. I appreciate your help. Keep them on the air. We gotta let you go on ninety nine point three KTA. Have a good week. We'll see you next week. Okay. Thanks for hanging out. Okay. So three things, three things that I learned in three things that I learned in Manila.

So, I here's the first one. So I went to I got there, and one of the things that I wanted to make sure I did because I was there for for six weeks, and I wanted to make sure that I found a church to go to. Because, I don't know. I just need that type of grounding. I'm not I was by myself. My family wasn't there. You know, I didn't have any other friends or whatever that went along. It was kinda just me. And so, one of the things I I think I learned is that, boy, it's just good to be among people that love Jesus.

It was very, very cool. I I, it was it was the second Sunday I was there, and I went walking around the streets. And, I didn't really wanna take a cab anywhere and, but I I I couldn't didn't find a local church. So I just started walking around the streets to to see what was going on. It's pretty pretty dead on a Sunday morning, in in industrial part of Manila, is where I was at. And so I was just kinda walking around. No nobody's really open. There's nothing no coffee shops, no places to buy food or whatever. I was walking around for about an hour and a half, and I started to walk back to the hotel a different way than I had gone. And, I saw this sign, and it was advertising,

fellowship on Thursday mornings with coffee. And I thought, fellowship? That's a propaganda word. Jesus, people use that word. And so I thought, well, you know, what's going on around here? So I I kinda walked a little closer, and there were some signs about, giving out free coffee and stuff to the neighborhood Thursday. I think it was Thursday evenings at, like, seven or whatever. And then right next to it was another pillar that had, like, another sign for what was like a youth group. And then there was adult, like an adult a men's group, and I thought, hey, man, I wonder where this stuff this is good. There's gotta be something close. And I looked up and I was standing in front of a church. And, you know, no steeple or anything. Was like an industrial building that they converted into a church, and it was about five stories high. It had an auditorium that was on the, like, the 4th And 5th Floors. So you had to go up three stories to even get to this auditorium. And I looked at the sign,

and they they run five services a day. One of them's in Tagalog, which is the, one of the languages in The Philippines. The other four were in English. And there was a service in, like, twenty minutes. And I I wasn't prepared. Like, I hadn't dressed again, talking about dress, I hadn't been dressed to go to church. I was wearing jeans. I had my backpack with me and stuff. Had a hat on. It was just kinda scurvy. I didn't shave the whole time I was there. And but I thought, you know, I, like, I really wanted to go in, and so I just kinda went in there. And I sat down, and it was just it was just awesome. I knew most of the songs that they sang. The guy, you know, he preaches out of the same Bible that, you know, everybody else preaches out of. They were in the he was he was preaching they've been preaching through through Mark, and so he was kind of towards the end of the of Mark's gospel. And, like, it was just great. And and it occurred to me at the time that, like, I can go anywhere in the world to a a bible preaching church and, like, I'm I'm home. I'm I'm within a community of people who, like,

who who who, like, I can be I can be home with and who we share a lot of knowledge. We share a lot of stories. We share we share in in a one great hope. And I thought, boy, that's that is just cool. And, like, yeah, some of the music there, like, you know, it's not really my deal. And that that was the second thing I learned, and it had to do with with worship stuff. It's like, and we've talked about this quite a bit, so I'm not gonna spend a ton of time on it. But, like, you know, shut up with your worship problems. Just love Jesus. Will you like, I I I knew like I said, I knew most of these tunes. Some of them performed really well. Some were, like, cheesy cheesy instrumentation.

Some were awesome. They took, like, a really slow tune and turned it into some kind of hot samba. It was great. And, like and I was sitting there singing along and and and especially to the one I didn't know, and it felt like it was from, like, 995. And I thought I thought, what? I don't care. I don't care. I do not I didn't care at all. And, like, I like, I can be critical at stuff like that. And I thought, I was so glad to be in there singing with a bunch of people that were singing loud and clapping along and loving Jesus. And I thought, who who gives a rip what this deal is? Like, that this may not tickle my fancy. You know what tickles my fancy? I'm singing Jesus songs with a bunch of guys that I'm surrounded by in a country that I've never been, you know, and I don't know anybody else in this room. That's that is what tickles my fancy. And so I care what song. Call them up. Call everyone where I'm like, oh, not that one again. Oh, they're gonna think that our church is outdated. Oh, they're gonna think that we're cheesy. Oh, that's too popular. Nobody plays that anymore. It doesn't have any edge to it. You know what? I don't care. I'll I'll sing whatever. I just, you know, I there's there's I get it. I get it. There's there's reasons to think that way, but, like, there's not near as many as you think there are. Just just enjoy. And, get use theologically correct lyrics, like, don't be singing tunes that make promises that God doesn't. Be careful with your lyrics. But other than that, like, just just enjoy the tunes. And that's and that's true. Maybe maybe that's why I got irritated this week with the,

you know, the the Christian ball pit. It's because I feel like there's it's like, which people fighting about just just dumb things. It just just be quiet. Let it go. Whatever it is, let it go. You know, you you're gonna be the righteous guy who's gonna set up the pillar and shine the light around and point at everybody. And, like, it's not that you don't have to call sin a sin, but, like, you know, just bitch back it down just a hair. And so, anyway, that that was that was the other thing. And then finally, and this this is kind of a spiritual thing. This is kind of a broad thing. But it's like, everything that you are that you wish you could do,

like, it doesn't change when your circumstances change. The things that you commit your time to are always gonna be things that you commit your time to. Like, you're always waiting on the, like, the magic, life ferry that's gonna give you more time or more money or more patience or more whatever grace for people. And and you think it's just gonna change and then everything's gonna fall into place. But the thing that you really should be doing in your life that you're not doing and that you have a bunch of excuses for, you're not gonna do when you have the time either. Because here's the deal is I went over there, and like I said, my you know, I have no family, no friends. I I had to work during the like, on the an overnight shift. And then, I I slept, tried to sleep during the day, and I thought, man, I'm gonna have all this time, and I'm gonna get, I'm I'm gonna be able to double my bible reading. Gonna be awesome. Like, I'm gonna be able to read more. Got some studying that I wanna do. I had, like I downloaded four lecture series from from a guy that are doing, like, college level classes. I thought, I'm gonna I'm gonna get be able to read through these and take some notes and stuff and prepare some stuff.

And and and I did have that time. It's not as much as I thought, but I still had the free time, and I read about the same as I always do. You know what I'm saying? Like, I just it's the the time that I spend is the time that I spend. It it isn't I'm not gonna magically use it appropriately just because I have it. And just because the the other is it's it's weird to think that I can be by myself somewhere for six weeks and be and could be doing whatever I want with it, and I read the bible the same amount that I that I wanted to read that I that I do at home when I have two jobs, two kids, two dogs, one wife, and a lot of stuff to do. And I got I got the exact same amount of bible reading done. And the thing is is, like, it it comes down to kinda where you prioritize stuff. People say, know, I'd like to do this, but I, you know, I just can't commit the time to it. If only things were different. Well, things aren't different because you don't change them. Things are the same because you let them be the same. And you maintain some sort of excuse, and like, whatever it is that you think is gonna rescue your life, that big job, that like, all that money, all that extra time, the the wife that really loves you, the kids that are not so nasty, like, that's not gonna change your life. You're you're you're sitting in the in the pool that you created, and it will change when you change it. And and and god has given you the power to change it, and frankly, the wisdom contained within his words to do it in a wise way. And you you do you just have to do it. And and and so, like and and maybe I've extrapolated that too far, but, like, that was kind of my I I thought that when I was flying on the plane, it was like a you know, it's eleven hour it's total like a fifteen hour plane ride. And I'm thinking on the way home, I'm like, I didn't do the stuff that I wanted to do. You know, I actually I got some exercise in. I I went to the treadmill, but not as much as I should've. I watched some of what I ate, but not as close as I should've. You know? And I had full control of all that. I can go I could use the treadmill anytime I wanted to. I could crack open the Bible anytime I wanted to. There was stuff that I meant to do to, like, send back to people at home. And, like, I didn't do it as often as I should. I had the time. I could have done it. I simply didn't. And that's a that's a me, and that will follow me everywhere I go. That will follow you to your next wife, to your next job, to the new kids that you thought would be different, to the the pay raise that you thought would change everything. Wherever you go, there you are. Yeah. You are the you are the consistent issue in your life. That is largely true. There's probably of out of pockets of, like, 100,000

men, there's one guy where it's his circumstances, the environment around him is actually the problem. The 900 or 99,000 999 other guys, they are they are influencing the environment that's around them and causing that problem. And, like, you're not the one guy. You're just not. Dang. So there it is. Those are my three things from Manila. Things that I ran to while was there. So I think that last one's pretty, I don't know. It's pretty timely. Because, I mean, it's always true, really. That's why it's timely.

Alright. You're listening live from the path. Alright. So I don't know why I thought I thought of this in the car. Like, I was praying on the way here, as I usually do to say, like, lord, please rescue the show. You know you know how it is. Step in and do something wise with it. And, for some reason, like, right after that, what I thought was is, like, what do you what do you struggle with? Like, what what what are some the the things in your in your faith, in your spiritual life, in whatever,

or have you struggled with? And and, you know, I don't wanna say, like, give me something salacious, something major, but, like, like, what's a what what has really been a struggle for you? And, and so I'll give you I'll give you mine. I'll give you mine.

And this probably happens to me I don't know. Probably good once every three months, three or four months is I will have a moment. I'll have a moment when, like, something will pop into my mind and I'll say, you could you're easily you could be fooled. You could have been fooled, this thing that you believe.

And and I think and I know the source of it. The source of it is is not is not a mistrust of of who God is. It's it's in the health of understanding who God is. It also rightly puts me in the place where I think, look at all the other people that are fooled. Look at all the other people that have bought into lies that aren't God. Look at all the other people that are following a God that is not real or or mythical stories that'd be like, you know that doesn't make any sense. There there's no there's no moral foundation in that. There's no historical

act, you know, evidence of any of that. And I'll think, you know, look at everybody else that could be fooled. And if I have a right view of myself as a human, I have to recognize and say, you can be easily fooled too. You're subject to being misled. You can be the guy on the other side of the coin that thinks he's got it right and is willing to die for it. How many how many people that have have had a belief and have been willing to die for it and they're and they weren't right? Like, according to what I believe, they were just dead wrong, but they were dead wrong with gusto.

Mhmm. And they were fooled. And and probably every and and every once in a it's it's for, like, a split second. And sometimes it'll linger around. It'll be like it's it's not that I think God isn't who he says he is, but what's going through my mind at the moment is you you could be fooled. You could be the fool. And not because I don't wanna be embarrassed, but because I I'm I'm a fallible human being that is that is is subject to being able to be fooled.

And so that that is probably a struggle in my faith that is is not so much a a struggle with God. It's a struggle with, well, mean, ultimately, I guess it is. But, like, it's a struggle with me thinking that, you know, who who are you that you get it? Who are you that you understand it? And there's people, smart people, people that have knowledge that that are fooled by something else. And you're saying, you know, like, what I believe is correct. It doesn't say anything about me. It says more about God, but, like, who am I that I can I'm the guy that's that's not fooled when there are wiser people that are. And that's that is something that I think just that will pop into my mind once once every every once in a while. And and I'll and I'll it'll just kinda stew around there for a while, and then just go away. And then I, you know, I won't have that thought again for another, you know, few months or whatever. But, like, I would say that it's something that consistently kinda pops up, and it's it's, yeah. Yeah. It's it's it's I it's not a struggle with my faith, I guess. But, like, it's it's something that happens to me that makes me, at least for a split second, I think, you know, who why do I who even thinks that? I love Jesus. What what is the deal that this stuff is even showing up in my mind? Yeah. You know? So yeah. I don't know. That's mine. That's that's the one. Well,

it was it was Saul's falling out. Right? Like like, God had sent him to conquer somebody, and he said, don't don't take the plunder. You just you just kill him, and then you come home. That's it. And Saul took the plunder. And and God says, you know, I've I I I've made you king and you've disobeyed me. You've done what you shouldn't have done. I told you specifically not to do that. Now I'm gonna dethrone you. I'm gonna I'm gonna go ahead and have Samuel anoint David. David's gonna become the next king. Right? And, like, for some reason, that story

I don't know. It always sticks in my head, and I can never quite get my relationship with Jesus put into right perspective. Right? Because I continually do what God has told me to do, you know. And I'm waiting for

the consequences of that. Right? Because God didn't put up with that with Saul. You know, he said, I told you not to do this, then you did it. And I'm like, am I I don't know. Like, I I have a hard time living under grace and knowing how to act back.

You know what I'm saying? Like, without feeling like I'm stealing grace or obtaining it without integrity. You know what I'm saying? Like Yeah. How do you how do you how do you return back to a God with a when you're receiving grace and love that I cannot I I just can't fathom it. Right? Like, people say that a lot, like, God with a with a love that is unfathomable. And then they close their eyes and they look up and they, you know, it's a big heavy moment. I'm like, I seriously can't

perspective what you're saying. Right? Where where I'm continually forgiven for for disobediently, and and and

with gusto Yeah. You know, saying, I, you know, I hear what you're saying. No. Well, you know, I'm gonna I'm gonna do this. You know? And then it comes time for me to pray. And I'm like, I don't are you I feel like you should be mad at me, and that I should feel some kind of penance. You know? And, like, I understand that, like, Jesus has paid

that pro that penance, and it would be unjust for you to punish me and him. I get that. But it's awkward coming back and talking to him. Feel like you should have that scarlet letter or something Yes. Walking around. Yeah. And, like, I don't know. I don't know. Like, it's not that I don't believe that Jesus paid. I do. I I I know he did. Right? And then that's that's a done deal.

But it my I think it I think where it affects is my prayer life, the way that I speak to God. Because, like, I don't it's like walking to a room where you know you've been busted, and you're trying to feel it out to see if you're gonna get yelled at some more. Is he cool with it? Is he Like, is it wrong for me to say ask for things now? Or Well, you know, I I can't imagine,

like, cheating on my wife in the first place. But let's say you cheat on your spouse, then I can't imagine just walk. How do you how do you face them? You you walk in the room, and you you can't act like, hey. You know? Yeah. I had a good day. Like, nothing happened. Right. And in in the Bible, it our relationship with God, it's it's viewed that way that that like, when a nation of Israel, you know, turned their back on God, was it's considered adultery. And, I I say I think sometimes we don't keep in the forefront of our mind the seriousness of sin. And then there is that flesh, and then and we do things like you say with gusto. You know? And then we're like, oh, man.

Yeah. Then you have you have to just keep reminding yourself. It's it is grace. I mean, that's what's so amazing about grace. Well, that's that you know, I think that's where that, you know, they say that that you're either gonna be crushed by his wrath or crushed by his mercy. And like, it it is I don't know. It just feels like I I haven't gotten it right yet, where I can where I can

live a life confident in in in the grace that I've been giving it been given because I fall behind my own guilt. Mhmm. You know? And, like, I know that's not what we're called to do, but I feel like if you could you could make his grace you can't make it cheap, but you could view it cheap. Yeah. You know, like like the like the you know, heading to confession once every six months and saying, here's what I did. Call it good. I'm gonna I'm I'll be back next week. You know? And Yeah. And, like, I don't the thing is is I I think that's that's that's honestly where my struggle is is I I I edge too far

in the crushed by his grace. Right? I don't move. You know? And I do. You know, I try to move, but, like, it it sucks joy out and and puts me in a perpetual state of, trepid. That's not what I'm looking for. Like, treading light. Yeah. Yeah. Know what saying? Not not bold. Not bold stepping, not, you know, confidence. Because I know when I'm talking to somebody else about Jesus that I know the words of the Bible are true, and I know that I can, you know, with all confidence say, the Lord has grace for that. He will forgive that. He has better things planned for you. Yeah. But, like, the truth of the matter is that in practice, I don't it's it seems like it's an odd teeter totter to live on. Right? Like, I know where I've been purposely disobedient. I know that God has has has sent Christ to forgive that, and I know I'm forgiven. And know I appear as white as snow, and I'm still thinking,

are you sure? It's I feel like you're here's like and and this is gonna sound blasphemous, but like, I almost sometimes I fall in the mindset that God's a fool. Like, I'm fooling him. You know what I'm saying? That I'm that I've tricked him into forgiving me because he's already said that, and he can't go back on his word, I've got him. You know? And like and I know that's not true, but like, I feel like that sometimes when I walk up in my prayer life. And that's not what you're thinking in the midst of sin, though. No. And that's what Romans six Yeah. Is talking about. You know, shall shall sin increase so that grace may increase by no means? Right. You know? That's what I was talking about. Don't don't use that as your get out of jail free card, you know, going in to sin wide eyed open saying, hey, God. Don't forget me. Whatever. You know, I I've I I will there have been times in my life where, like, I have eyes wide open sin, but it was not. It was never in the back of my mind. It's like, yo. Yeah. Yeah. Like, I'm taking advantage of this. This will make God look good. Yeah. Yeah. Like yeah. Yeah. I've never tried to pass it off like it was like I was doing something noble to glorify him. Yeah. No. And it's it's you know, I kinda know what you're talking about because it it using Danny's example, if it'd be weird if, like, one day, you know, you got caught cheating on your wife, and then the next day, you went to a carnival. You know what I'm saying? It's just be like Yeah. There's just something real like, it's not right. It's you something you feel is not I I can't be having joy. How can I have joy? I've hurt someone that I love. And how right is it could it be that the next day that I can have joy in this life and and and be able to move forward?

And and and sometimes it's the same thing with with sin. You're not you're not earning no one's trying to earn their salvation with your guilt. But, like, you've you know that you've hurt someone that you love and caused them pain with your actions. And it's it's kinda difficult to move on from that regardless of how gracious they are about it. You could have the most understanding wife in the world. And, like, if your head is screwed on straight, you should feel like crap for having done that. Mhmm. And it's it's sometimes it's it's it's difficult

it's difficult to react appropriately to the grace that that God is capable of giving that we largely are not. Because we've never been in a situation to be able to to to do that. Like, it's it's supernatural to give that grace. And I think it's I think there's probably something supernatural about completely being able to respond to it, you know, appropriately. And I don't mean, like, respond to it in the from a salvation perspective. I just mean, you know, what was it feel like? How does it how does it feel to sin against a holy God and then come back and know that he's gracious, but you're still, it's still there for you. And you know that you've hurt someone that you love. Like that, being able to respond in that way coming from his perfect forgiveness, that's just a it's a weird thing to navigate. It's a and not not that he's impressed by your navigation, but just how it feels

and how to move on and accept that level of grace. Yeah. I I I I feel like it's it's it's a evolving part of your faith. Like, I I feel like Yeah. I'm hoping, anyway. I'm hoping I'm hoping as as you get older and and and, you know, as as your relationship with Christ grows that that that part becomes a little bit more sure footed, you know. And and I I think the only response I come back to is is, it might be in Luke three where where, they're talking about John the baptizer, and like, keep up with, with the fruits what is it? Keep up with fruits in the in the in path of repentance. You know I'm saying? And and and, like, maybe maybe that's it. Maybe that's that's really all I can bring is is,

you know, is the fact that I walked back in, that I came back. You know what I'm saying? That I came back and said, here's what I did. You know? I'd like to keep up with I I'd like to keep up my fruits in in in in ways with repentance. I I I wanna stop this thing, and that's why I'm back. I'm I'm not leaving, you know, and you know, I came back because I wanna be back in relationship with you. Right? And that, like, that's really that is all I have to offer. It's literally it. What we're talking right now, we have a discipleship group group that is meeting on Saturdays and and, this this last week, the whole topic was on growing to the point where our we understand that all

any worldly pleasure out there is a secondary pleasure to the pleasure of of being in relationship with God and getting to the point where where God brings the most pleasure in life. And and and we kind of discuss that. Well, how do you get there? You know, how do you get to the point where, you know, boy, I I really need to have four pieces of cheesecake. That would make me feel good. And it's like, well, no. That that is a secondary. That is a false,

fake pleasure that, if you wanna settle for that, whatever, but there's a greater pleasure in life, and that's that relationship with Christ. And I think that's part of your maturing as as a disciple and a follower of Christ. Getting to that point where the ultimate is being in communion with him and a community with him and, it becomes you still have the flesh of of your your body that to deal with, but but the longer you're in relationship and have a genuine relationship, not a religious, you know, ceremony, weekly thing, but when you're really in walking

with Christ, you get to the point where where sin it and the pleasures of this world begin, your heart kinda turns against it. You know? It doesn't have the appeal that maybe it did before. And that's, I think, the process of maturing as a disciple. I don't if anybody ever gets here fully, you know? Right. Or or you'll have lapses or whatever, but that that that's

an incredible thought to me. Yeah. It's you know what? And and actually, it's it it tends to lead to my favorite phrase, which is, to his glory and our joy. Yeah. And, like, and it it it really is. And and I think what it boils down to and and this I have this conversation a lot with people who have grown up in the church or whatever, you know, where I feel like maybe they've become a little stagnant, as they grew up in the church. And and and now, I I I think the the question was about boils down to if you can truly answer, do you believe that a life following Christ will produce more more joy than a life without? And like if you really think about it and look about look at your actions over the last say x number three weeks or whatever, do your actions show that you believe that, you know, more joy it would benefit you in a joyful lifestyle

if you trusted Jesus. And and like, obviously, you don't. Look at your last I don't care what you say. Look at your last three weeks. Look at my last three weeks. Right? If I trusted that that that more joy would be produced by giving glory to God, then I do that. Obviously, I don't trust that. Right? And so I have a a gap, and I'm probably always gonna have a small gap. But, hopefully, it gets smaller and doesn't continue, you know, where it is today. It just Yeah. It's it's movable. You know? It's it's that that growth maturing process. But that's that's that's mine. That's that's mine. It's an ethereal, you know, relationship style. Yep. Cool. Hudson. I I think my biggest challenge that I have as a believer is

I I've always had this idea, an ideal idealistic idea of of I will do whatever God wants. You know? I don't care what you say. I'll just do it. You know? You read the scripture. You see these guys and women who who just they'll just do anything, incredible crazy things. You know? Yep. And you think, okay, God. You tell me what to do, and I'm in. I don't care what it is. You know? I'll go to Alaska. I mean, think that's a bad thing. I mean, I was thinking of living in an Eagle Ford. Hawaii instead of a beach if it's a if I have to. The cruise ships, they all need Jesus. You know? I'm just saying, you know, I'll go wherever. You know? I'll do whatever. There is no sacrifice I will not make for you. But the the challenge is truly discerning God's will. You know? And, whether it's in in, like, the big thing like that or or just even in the small things, you know, it's just how

do I I'm so afraid of of not doing what he wants that sometimes I'll freeze. You know? Because I'm thinking, what does he want me to go left or right? You know? Does he want this or that? And and I that's also realizing some things he sometimes he doesn't care. You know? Go left. Just honor me. Go right. Whatever. We don't care. But sometimes he has some direct things he wants he wants. And, and I'll sit there, and I'll I'll hem and haul, and I'm like, are you sure, God? I mean, not that I doubt God. I doubt myself. Yeah. You know, I've doubt my ability. Am I am I injecting my own personal desires? And this when we moved here to start a church, it took us a year and a half of praying, and I kept thinking, I really wanted to do this. And I thought, is it is it my own whatever goals, my own hey. I always wanted to plant a church. Is it you know, what is it that's driving this? Or truly was it an open door that God had put there? Or did God put that desire in my heart in the first place? Yeah. You know, you you just go around and around and around, and and, you know, finally, obviously, we may just said, we're just gonna do it. You you know, we would just feel like it's a God thing. We're gonna honor God if we stayed where we were. We'd honor God if we came here. We're just gonna honor God. And that's probably the answer, you know, really.

But I think there are some defining moments when he he truly you read you know, we're reading through the book of acts right now. There are there are times when the holy spirit says, go here. Do this, do that. And those are the times I'm I'm doubting. Is that my voice or his? And that that that's probably my biggest I think that's that's that's kinda funny because the first thing you're telling that story, and I'm thinking, like when king Saul was told to do something, and he disobeyed halfway through it. He did half of a good thing and then ruined it. You know? And I'm like, I do that all the time. That's my biggest fear. I I don't want to be the disobedient one. Yeah. And and I guess, I'm I'm hoping that God will obviously knows my heart, he says, well, okay. You know, you're you're just an idiot. You know? Yeah. But then I think, well, then that's not good either. I'm not I'm not cultivating that relationship. I'm not listening well.

And Right. God plus one equals no idiot. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. So it is it is hard. It's easy to say, I'm just gonna let God lead me. You know? And it's another thing to actually legitimately do it, you know, and back out as much as possible and and let him take the the lead. So So I I let me ask you a quick question while we're talking about this. Right? So these are three fairly heavy heavier things, you know, more in-depth parts of your relationship. I don't generally ever talk about this stuff with other people because after I get done telling it, they offer, like, a two sentence words of encouragement. Yeah. And I get really irritated. I'm like, it wasn't Some little bumper sticker they read while I do Just keep praying and and bring the faith, and you will just be filled with the holy spirit. Like, don't give me wings like an eagle. I that is not helpful to me. Actually, like, the whole time, the like, when you were talking,

and and and I actually I kinda thought it actually, I I think it fits with all three. Like, there's just certain voices of people that I can hear. Like, it's more like what they would type. But, you know, like, as if you misunderstand grace, if you don't understand Jesus, you don't understand salvation, you don't understand, like, whatever it is. It's like that's not it's not the issue. Like, it it isn't. And and sometimes what you understand and, like, what that what that looks like and what you feel is not like, that's where the marriage is. And, you you know, I I've been one of the things that I've that I've been humbled quite a bit lately is is listen to I did get a chance to listen to some of the teaching that I wanted to listen to. And, like, you know, as making caricatures of people's theology is very dangerous. Mhmm. You know what I'm saying? There's people that I just flat out disagree with, but they have real appropriate

substantive reasons for believing what they believe, even if I think that they're wrong. And and sometimes, you know, and sometimes when we disagree with someone, like, you do it like you would politically. Right? You just start to character, you you bake them into cartoons. Like, oh, these foolish guys believe this thing, you know. And and, like, even whatever, like, Catholics tend to be a punching bag in in evangelical circles. Like, some stuff that I feel like is outrageous, like the persistent virginity of Mary. But, like, the reason that's there like, there's a

I don't agree with it, but there's biblical foundation for that. They're protecting something. They're protecting what is a character of Jesus or a character of Mary that they feel like is has a biblical stance for it. Now, again, whether you agree with it or not is really the case, but, like, you're you're doing a disservice to the discussion by, like, generalizing people and acting like they misunderstand certain things. They understand it differently than you, and they very well could be wrong. But, like, that's that's part of the reason Christian commentary really irritates me. But, like, just as as we're talking about, like, legitimate things, things that might happen in somebody's life and say, you know what, boy? That does that does kind of occur to me sometimes. And it's a and it's a legitimate it's not a struggle. You're not doubting this. I I when I said that that it pops into my mind that thinks, maybe you could be fooled. I never doubted the existence of God. I don't doubt the the sovereignty of God. I don't doubt, like, who God is and what he's done and and what that means in my life and what his grace means and what Christ dying on the cross means. I don't doubt any of that stuff. But there's momentary parts where I think, Ben, how could you be so pompous to think that you're not fooled? That you're not you're not a guy among the masses that that could be fooled into a lie? Like, that's on me. That's a thought about me. But my my my the response that I'm certain that I would get to that is, you know, you know, you will always, he will abide in you as you abide in him. It's like, I know. I I'm not saying I don't know that. I'm not saying I don't know what it says. I'm saying right at this moment, in in a matter of seconds, I'm not I'm not feeling I'm feeling disconnected from that idea. And that doesn't mean it's not true. It doesn't mean that I'm not saved. It doesn't mean that God isn't who he says he is. But in this moment here, like, that's what I'm feeling. You know? And and the same thing, like, I'm having trouble like, right now, I don't feel, whether I feel that the holy spirit has given me clear direction. And and I can think that, and that doesn't mean the holy spirit does exist. It doesn't mean I don't believe in him. It doesn't mean that I'm, you know, no salvation. It just means that right at this moment, like, that's where I'm at. There's no assignment. Yeah. Yeah. Just keep doing what you're doing. Just yeah. You know, I've I've I I will often

I I I have often been in situations where where people are in their last hours of life, you know, or sometimes up to the last breath. And, I've been with believers who are just at this incredible peace about everything. I I was with a gentleman here just a couple weeks ago that we we read through scripture together, vast portions of Revelation, you know, the whole story and and, Psalm 23 and some of us those favorite verses and stuff. And, he was just peaceful and singing some songs and stuff. And

sometimes a thought will go through my mind. What if I get to that point, and I suddenly think, what if the the whole Yeah. What if I've been fooled? Yeah. What am I gonna go this? I mean, I believe with all my heart. Yeah. All this stuff. But, you know, what if one of the other people What if the rubber meets the road? Yeah. I'm like Would I don't know. Would I be the guy? Yeah. Would I be the guy who's like, am I capable of of rejecting or bailing and saying, you know what? No. I don't this is not true. Maybe I'm wrong. I mean, I can't imagine that someone as their ending in life is is just like, I'm gonna put on this last big show. Yeah. I mean, because who do you have to impress? Right. Yeah. You're about to breathe your last. You know? I mean, I I think that God gives you is, just a he he there's something spiritual there, some holy moment, you know, when you depart from your flesh. Yeah. And, that God

assists in that. And I mean, that's I'm just saying that out of Experience. Experience, I guess. And, yeah. But that's always been a thing of mine. It's like, what if? What if? I get there and you know what that is? That's that's that's not a I don't trust God. It's like, I don't trust me. Yeah. Like, what happens what happens when they put the screws to my head and they start and they drop me in the pit and start stoning me? Like, I've I've done cowardly things in the past. I'm certain it's literally not beyond me to be like, well I can't put up with a toothache for any more, like, twenty minutes, and I'm bailing on all reasonable expectations. You know? Yeah. And you think of, like, the guys like that, like the pastor that's, you know, locked up in Iran somewhere, and that guy's got, you know, no vision of hope or whatever. Yeah. And he's still rocking for Jesus. And I think I I really hope. I and I think that Jesus would sustain me, but, like, I have no faith in myself. I I could bail it. I mean, like, you just it runs through your mind. Think of the stuff that you've done. Even, like, within the last week, you're like, boy, that was pretty sad. That's a pretty sad maneuver. Oh, yeah. No. I kinda wanna go clean the kitchen. I'm kinda tired football game.

You know what I'm saying? Like Yeah. That's what it it's it's just, like, it's always a mistrust of myself than it is a mistrust of Jesus. And then, you know, okay. Go ahead. Theological heavyweight, probably, well, you know, Jesus will sustain you through those things, and you won't act like that. I was like, I I know. I know, but it's what it's just what you're feeling. Yeah. Yeah. It's just what you're feeling. And and maybe it's those that that's what those fiery darts of Ephesians six is talking about. Yeah. You know, the the fiery darts of the enemy. You know? That's you know what scares me, though? You know what scares me is is, why didn't it scare me? But, like, it's I I I don't know. I may maybe I'm wrong here, Dan, but, like, my my reading of scripture says that, Satan has no control over my mind. That's mine.

Yeah. It's I think it it could be nudged. Yeah. Well, I could be influenced, but, like Yeah. Like, though but those those thoughts are down. I I you know? Mhmm. Like, I I don't know. Again, my reading is that is that he's just it's not it's not within his capability to, like, brainwash me. I have to allow those types things. Yeah. You know? And so, like, when things just pop into my mind, it's just like a synapse in my mind that's just freaking broken. I'm like, I don't this is I don't like this. I didn't do this. Yeah. And, but sometimes I'm like, if if if Satan doesn't have the ability to do that, then, like, that's just in there. That that means I do. That's just in there hanging around every once in a while. Hey, Ben. A little fallen Ben. You know? Yeah. Alright. Yeah. You know what? We're gonna have to call this thing a show, Mike. Okay. We're gonna have to get to the advice later. Yeah. I hear you. You're listening to Life in Thanks for hanging out with us, and, we will definitely see you next Monday.

What time? Yeah. Oh, man. Yeah. Yeah. We gotta go. We gotta go. It's way too late. Yeah. So we'll see you next Monday, ten, ten to 11PM at lifeinthethepath.org, or you can catch the, the show on ninety nine point three KTIA on Saturdays at seven. Make sure you check out our sponsors. I the Eisenhower team. Go to Eisenhower team dot com. Make sure you get a hold of Bob Eisenhower. He can help you sell your house or or help you buy a house. And, and, Westfield Veterinary Hospital here in Johnston for all your, your bird, cat, dog needs. Loose. Those guys are awesome, by the way. Like, they're just cool to deal with. They take great care of your pets, and, make sure you check those guys out. Thanks for listening to Live From Path. I hope you have a good week. If you need to get ahold of us, send us an email. [email protected]. We'd like to hear from you. What do you struggle with? You got any questions, need some advice, or, I don't know, maybe you're not getting along with your spouse. You just wanna talk to somebody about it. Maybe you don't want any spiritual heavy advice, and we'll just say, okay. Yeah. Sometimes that's nice. One Jesus man to another Jesus man. Here's why I'm struggling. Okay.

Yeah. Just good to know. Or I actually, you know what else I would accept? Let's say you got that thing that you really wanna say to somebody, but you really shouldn't say it, and you just need to get it out. Send it to us in an email as if it were directed at us Yeah. And see if we deal with it a biblical manner. Yeah. That sounds alright. Let's do that. Alright. Thanks for listening live from the past. Have a good week.