Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper. You are live from the Path. And you're listening to Live From The Path coming to you from the Pathway Studios here in Johnston Proper. It is it's lovely to be with you this afternoon. Evening.

I don't I don't know what time of day that is. Hey. I listen. I know most of you don't listen, like, on the YouTube or whatever, but I've positioned the thrift store priest, So he looks like he's got devil horns. Oh, man. Oh, yeah. I gotta fix him. Yeah. Set. Yeah. Yeah. Set him up right. Okay. Hey. There's okay. We got a smattering of stuff guitar. Going on this evening. But I'm gonna I'm gonna kick you off with the thing. I'm gonna tell you the surprise. This is the big actually actually, I've got two big surprises. Oh, man.

I'm gonna give you one tonight, and then the next one, I think I can give you in maybe two weeks. But I'm not gonna tell Mike and Dan what it Oh, man. I'm a tell everybody. So they're gonna yeah. Because Mike's Christmas bonuses. Yeah. So they're gonna figure they're gonna find out the same time you guys you guys find out. But the big, okay, big reveal is the live from the path mobile app. Oh. Oh. What? This one Hey.

Up, Mike. I told everybody. Okay. So here here's here's the deal with this mobile app. I wanted somewhere where you could there's there's all kinds of, like, podcast apps. I get that.

But it's kinda like a centralized place where you can get the Life From The Path podcast. You can kinda mark your favorite episodes so you can get back to them. There's a section there where, like, we'll indicate some of our favorite episodes. And so there's a section where you can go kinda find the stuff that we say, hey. And these are the ones that we dig on so you can listen to those in case you're interested.

It's got the ability to find and search our YouTube clips. So either full episodes, clips from the bands that have been on, secular versus Solomon, all kinds of fun stuff in there. And then there's some games. There's just two games. Oh, I've played both these games. They're awesome. Yeah. So you can play secular versus Solomon on the mobile app, and you can play thrift store hoops. And thrift store hoops, basically, you get to be you're a basketball player, and you get to act as the thrift store priest and see if you can win at the old just shooting it's you're shooting the ball at the basket, but the basket moves. Yeah. And so good luck. I'm gonna give you a quick couple quick pointers on here because, like, I tried to I played this game. I've been battling been all day, and I'm getting schooled. And it's because,

like, basically, you have to time it so, like, the thrift store priest throws the basketball right when the hoop is passing by. And I thought it was a swipe. So, like, when if you swipe up on the thrift store priest, he'll throw the ball, but, like, it turns out I swipe in a curve no matter what I try to do. The the key is you just gotta tap him. Yeah. You just hit the you just give tap the thrift store priest. There we go. And then he'll throw it straight every time, and then all you have to do is worry about timing of the hoop itself. That's some inside information right there. Yeah. So don't be don't be swiping it. Just give it a quick tappy, and he'll fire that ball right out straight. And then you just gotta time it out for the hoop. Yeah. Mike messaged me today, and he's like, boy, this is real hard. I barely got to level two. Yeah. I'm like, I'm burning up. I generally get to between level six and level seven. One time, I got to level eight. Yep. And I'm like, boy, you really suck. Yeah. I thought, dude, this game's hard. No one's gonna play this thing. And then I figured out I was doing it wrong, and I'm like, oh. Okay. Now but here's what here's why I'm telling you this though, is to to get to get onto the app stores on both both iOS and for Android, I have to do testing.

And so if you want in at the first cut of of beta testing on the live from the Path app, I'll do it. Okay? I got I got a limited number of spaces. But, like, if you wanna be you can provide us feedback on the app, make sure it's working how it's supposed to, and then kinda suggest features and things. I I'm I'm gonna let you guys on the inside track, but I need your information. So this is where you're gonna use the complaint line. 515577

excuse me. (515) 517-0085. Don't call me on this one. I need the text. (515) 517-0085. I'm gonna have your phone number because you texted me. I'm gonna need an email address,

and then I need to know your operating system. So, like, whether you're Android or iOS. K? So if you can send me that on the complaint line sometime over this week, I will I'll get you a notification out where on a way that you can download the tested testing live from the Path mobile app, and you can get us some feedback and stuff. And then hopefully, we can get it legit in the in the stores sometime in the next four to six weeks. It's a little bit of a process. But, anyway, I can get it to you so you can you can test it out, but I need your information. Yeah. It would be helpful while you're testing this thing out. Excuse me. It'd be helpful because, like, you'll use it on different devices, like different versions, iPhone or different Android phones or whatever. And, like, there's some nuances that we won't know. And we'd hate to have, like, people dislike the app because, like, we missed some minor functionality thing. Yeah. You know, like, the search bar wasn't didn't come down like it was supposed to, or you can't find the right button to do x or whatever. Like, it's there's a lot more in the back end of figuring out how each operating system, like, treats those things. So if you could, like, honestly put it through its paces, you don't have to listen to a bunch of shows, but you should listen to a little bit of a show, pause it, close the app, come back, and see if it kept you in the right place. You know? Just stuff that you've grown accustomed to that would, like, maybe we didn't catch. Yeah. So stuff like that would would be real helpful while you're testing. Yeah. Yeah. So anyway, (515) 517-0085.

Give us a text message. And again, I need your I I think I do have to have an email address, and then give me your the the operating system so I know which to sign you up for. But that's anyway, Life From The Path mobile app. I'm really excited about this. The games are fun in addition to being able to get to the Life From The Path episodes. And I will tell you that, like, one of the things I found myself doing as I was testing this is you can do the filter by season.

And, like, there's just tons of back content with if you're scrolling through a podcast app, like, you're never gonna make your way back to 2014 or something. And so I've been trying to update some of the podcast art, and I don't know. There's every once in while, there's a real good show in the Beale Backlog. Boy, I bet some of those are pretty embarrassing. That there's some of them that are stinkers for sure. For sure. Okay.

Anyway, big reveal. So but there is another big reveal. I don't think it's quite as exciting as that, but it's it's pretty exciting. And so, hopefully, in the next couple weeks, I'll able that. With the app? No. No. It's completely separate. What could it be? Does it have to do with that dance routine we've been working on? I mean, a little. Oh, yes. A little bit. This could be good. Sounds scandalous to me. Okay. Anyway, you're listening live from the path. Thanks for hanging on with us. We get we do have a smattering of things this week, and a lot of them have to do, I think, with stuff that we've seen on social media over the last number of weeks. Some of it stemming from

the the Charlie Kirk assassination, and I think some things just cultural stuff going on. So I think I think maybe we're we'll try to clean up the old social media type reactions this week and then do some advice, and then we'll we'll kinda send you on your merry path. Yeah. And so I'll I tell you what. I'll start. And, like, I boy, I just was hoping that this would leave my mind and that I would just let it go, but it didn't. And so I'm gonna I'm gonna mention it here. I had

probably a half dozen, if not more people on my social media feed on this Monday or so after Charlie Kirk was killed,

basically calling out pastors who didn't talk about the Charlie Kirk assassination. And I I I got a little pissed at that, to be honest with you,

because what I was thinking about was if on a Sunday I preached Christ crucified,

and then you brought me into principal Jesus' office, and you were gonna accuse me of something, what exactly would it be? As a pastor of a church, if I did not mention if a pastor didn't mention this particular assassination, what is the accusation that you would say, Jesus, this man is guilty of

what exactly? That I should like that you would not only you would call it out, you would call it out publicly in front of lots of people, Christian, non Christian, as if that man was a what? A coward? Someone who's afraid of what exactly?

And so I think if I'm I know the heart of it, I think. I think we're worried about people who didn't say anything because they're worried about offending somebody. Yeah.

Okay. I get it. But, like, one, I think you should go find the guy you're worried about. I'm not sure that's necessarily like a public call out type of situation. And I I just don't I think it's very ungracious, I think, to stacks of people who may or may not have talked about that thing. I don't decide what I'm gonna talk about on a Sunday morning as to how hot it is on either culturally surrounding me or my social media feed. I'll be honest with you. Like like, we did I didn't teach on it. Why would I teach on it? I didn't teach on it. We prayed. I remember that weekend. We we prayed for the shooter. We prayed for his family. We prayed for the country. Because I think we like, obviously, these are things going on around us, and we have my church allows for a time. We're just all praying together. That's fine. Did I teach something different than what I intended that Sunday morning? No. No. I I didn't do that. And so I guess

I was less Is the thought that people are like like, is there a camp that goes, this is a turning point for Jesus in America, and if you did not say something about it, you're not joining it?

Like, to even just saying, like, calling out, like, cowardly preachers who are just didn't wanna stir no waters. They're like, this is god doing a thing. You need to jump on board with it. Maybe? Yeah. I I think that that it is people, pastors who are so passionate about

what happened and and and their admiration for Charlie Kirk and Yep. And and the things he did that they just can't fathom someone not talking about it. Yeah. But the issue there is that I don't know that other pastor's congregation. Yeah. I don't know his sheep. May maybe he has a bunch of people that have never heard of Charlie Kirk until the news. You know? And they're like, boy, that's really weird. Yeah. Know? Mean, they think that's awful, but but, you know, it doesn't affect them as much as maybe a congregation full of people who who really have watched his videos, followed him all these years. Yeah. Right. When Billy Graham died, there's a certain, like, congregation that's gonna go, this is horrible. I feel so sad. And, like, the then the same like, a generation three generations in, they're like, I don't know who that is. You know? I should be sad maybe, I guess. I don't know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's right, Dan. And I and and here's what I'm not saying. I actually think that it was it was a great opportunity. I think you the it is a good time if the thing that is on your community's mind and you're helping them understand it or how to think through it, I I think that's great. So I have zero problem. I would actually I would encourage you to talk about it. It just felt and, it wasn't even one I saw it a lot. And so that's the part that rubbed me wrong, which is like, that's pretty ungracious to people who you don't know their individual circumstance. And it did feel like you will talk about this thing that a lot of people are talking about or I have it feels like social media pressure on what I'm gonna talk about on a Sunday morning. I'm like, you get out of here with that noise. Yeah. Now I think I think, honestly, though, it was a misread

of pastors who didn't address it at all in in in a congregation because of they weren't reading the the culture that was responding. I mean, the churches have swollen, and they've grown 25%. Sure. I mean, it's just we just I I I walked to Sunday. I was walking around thinking, I don't know so many of the people in my building right now. Yeah. You know? And then they're they're already connecting. They're all, like, getting involved, doing things. They're they're just like so so I'm not saying they're wrong. I'm just saying maybe they misread

where people were at and how the the culture has affected because people who were totally as far away from god as you can imagine have been buying bibles and going to churches, and and and I've heard all kinds of stories. Doesn't mean it's happening in every church, but but and I don't think it was an an error for them to not mention it. I think they just misread it. They didn't understand because they weren't that effective. They thought, well, my people aren't either. Maybe they weren't, Charlie. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's a so I think I think that gets to the point, which is, like, it's possible they misread it or it's possible they handled exactly how they should have. Mhmm. I don't care for the presumption or the what the implicit judgment on another man That's pretty rough. Who could be preaching Christ crucified. And, like, I I also will say there's a boundary of the influence. I saw a couple guys kinda respond and they'll and actually saw read an article this morning about thousands of Nigerians who have died at since the start of the year under Christian persecution. And, like, we're not barreling down the doors going, dude, if you don't preach on this, you suck. Well, I'm also not going to Zimbabwe and saying, if you guys didn't teach on Charlie Kirk, then you don't love Jesus. And so, like Yeah. We implicitly, you recognize there's some sort of boundary to it, but I think it kinda proves the point that, like, you can preach Christ crucified and have no idea what's going on around you, and you're not weak and suck as a dude. And I just be real cautious, especially at a broad scale.

It feels it feels like you're taking a strong stance, like you won't be pushed around, but, like, you just put a bunch of dudes on blast that I'd be real cautious about. Well and we're about to go to the next wave here in the next week or two of I can't believe you didn't teach against Halloween. Yeah. Yeah. What kind of pastor are you? This is satanic and evil. It's like, oh, okay. I mean That's exactly right. That and that's probably the thing more of as a pattern I'm cautious of, which is like it which which feels very social media ish, which is if you don't speak about this thing because I want you to Yeah. Then you are a coward, sir. I'm like, I don't know. I'd be real careful on it. Yeah. I do look. And if if I don't know. If that was you or you saw it and you liked it, I don't I get it. And and again, Dan's right. I respect the passion of it. I I think I think there's something you may have missed an opportunity if if you didn't talk about it in any means at all because your community is trying to digest it. Yeah. You didn't need to have banners up or anything, but but at least mention it. You know? Yeah. But but I'd I'd have been super cautious on approaching it in in the way that I sometimes I saw. And be honest. Sometimes it just came from people who were, like, sitting in their office or whatever. I'm like, I don't I just don't know about what we're talking about here. Yeah. The thing is is it's littered with arrogance.

It is. You know what I'm saying? Like like, there there they're see social media brings us out, especially the worst of it in pastors where they're like, well, I I have this this, like, group of people that God has put me to pastor over, and I am also the nation's pastor.

And so I will I will speak to, like, all of Christianity and all of individual towns, communities, and and and folks. And, like, if your pastor isn't like me in this way, then he's probably not faithful to the gospel and a heretic. And, like, especially if it's not in tune with the cultural mores of whatever's going on or or or or even, like, majority political party that makes up your church. And, like like, it's most of all, it's like, it feels like it's trying to be helpful,

but you're basically saying, well, Jesus is asleep at the switch on yelling at these dudes, so I got it. I will start the rebuke. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. And, like, I think you gotta be a little bit I I don't know how every time I feel like I like, god is leading me to rebuke somebody, I am fearfully in prayer. I'm like, God, this feels like it could be so me because I'm irritated by this. So if this is not you, you have got to help me shut this down because this feels like I just wanna go in there and tear it up. You know? And so like, they're just it feels like there's there's a it calls for a repentance. Right? Like, got be people be, rebuking people over the net that you don't know. Like, that'll smell nothing to me like Jesus. Like, pretty bold. You know? Yeah. Okay. Anyway, I did that one. I just had a hard time letting go. It bothered me. And there. Yeah. I said it.

Yeah. Alright. Mike, we we were talking about speaking of, again, social media stuff, you were you're getting these holy spirit fellas. Yeah. So so I was watching

a couple videos came up this today when I when I was just scrolling about on Instagram, and this dude is like this super holy spirit filled guy as far as he, you know, explains it. Right? Like, he he was a he was he was moving drugs and, like, he had an incurable disease, and there's something else. Oh, he was also like a stage two warlock. I don't know how many stages of warlockism there are. But he said it as if there's, like he was getting up in the upper echelon. It doesn't take much to move up, really. Yeah. He's he's not like a visiting warlock, you know, who just, like, got a pamphlet today. He was in. You know? And, like, God shows up to him and, like, just any like, he would describe it as he had an encounter with the holy spirit, an encounter with the living God. You know? And, like, it changes everything. He gets out of it. Right? He cleans up God helps him clean up his life, and now he just walks around street preaching. You know? And so I'm like, this is cool. Like, I this is I have zero problem with this. Yep. I get I start to get a little bit itchy when people, like, bring a microphone with them and record

them doing God's work. I start to get a little itchy there, but that might be my age. We'll get to that. So the thing that caught me was he he like, there was a couple of things where he was, like, going to talk to somebody and he's like, man, I feel like the holy spirit is telling me this about this person. Or like, there was a group of two people where he's like, hey, I feel like you guys are both battling depression and you have a suicidal spirit in you. And they're like, yeah. And they're like, it's familial.

And they're looking at each other like kind of freaking out. And he's like, it was your dad, wasn't it? And they're like, how did you know that? You know, like, totally freaking out. And he's like and he's like, let me I'd I'd like to pray over you. Like, God is not done with the things that you're doing. And, like, he wants that spirit off of you. He does not want you involved in that and doesn't want what are you doing out here on this street anyway? Well, we're out here clubbing. He goes, you need to go home. They've got God has nothing here for you. You need to leave, but we're gonna pray over you first. And you have got to start letting God do the things he wants to do. So he prays over them, and they cut a trail. They go home. You know? And then, like, the next video, same thing with, like, a gal that's out with a bunch of club goers, and he's talking to, like, these gang dudes and and this gal, and he's like, hey. Hey. Like, I don't know. What's out here for you? Like, you guys claiming you guys know who Jesus is? They're like, oh, yeah. I go to church all the time. He goes he goes, do you love Jesus? And he's like, oh, yeah. I love Jesus, man. And he goes, what's this say? And he's like, if you love Jesus, do his work. He's like, are you out here obeying his word? He's like, no, man. My life don't look nothing like that. He goes, what are you doing out here? You know? So he's like, he's not saying anything I would disagree with. I love that. Yeah. Retells the story of how great God is. He's like, y'all need to go home. You're not gonna find anything here. Yeah. But, like, the the last one that got me was he's like, hey. I'd like he's he's talking to his buddy, the camera dude, he's like, feel like the holy spirit's telling me there's a guy who's a pastor's kid in here. He's an African American gentleman, and, like, he's he's he's not had an encounter with God. Like, he knows religion. He doesn't know God. We're let's let's go in and sit and talk to him. You know? He just rolls in. He's like, are you a are you a pastor's kid? He's like, yeah. He's like, you know, you've been hanging on to your dad's faith forever. You've not met Jesus, have you? He's like, no, man. I haven't met him. I just you know? And, like, just nails it. You know? And so, like, I instantly start out praying. I'm like, god, am I afraid of the holy spirit? Like, you actually do this. You know? And, like, I my my heart is not prepared for it. Like, I I I would normally say, yes. I believe God does these kind of things, you know, and that the holy spirit does provide this kind of stuff. I I start to get real leery when it's in front of a camera, and, like, the guy can cut it in any way he wants to to make it either seem effective or less effective. I'm sure he's not airing the ones where it didn't work. Yeah. You know? But it's like, is that is that pulling hope out of a situation that goes, well, the holy spirit bombed that one. That didn't happen. You know what I'm saying? So, like, I I don't believe that's true. If the holy spirit's doing the talking, it works. You know? And so, like, I I I just thought I was praying about it, and then I thought, I don't actually know how I feel about this. Like, I really wanna be excited. And then I I was asking God to change me in a way that, like, if I am, like, so freaked out or, like, not comfortable with the holy spirit in a way that, like, I would love this. If this is a gift of the spirit of where you, like, you tell people stuff and they get to walk in and say, I feel like god's telling me these things about you, and he wants this stuff off you. Let me pray for you and get this demonic presence away. I'm like, I don't really think I want that. It's it freaks me out a little bit. Like, what a cool gift. Do know what I'm saying? That, like because people are like, god showed up. He knew every it's like the woman at the well. He knew everything about me. He called it what it is, and he said, hey. I want you out, dear daughter. Come hang out with me. This is where freedom is. You know? And I'm like, you know how much easier that would make bible studies and me going to talk to dudes if god just like, bam. This is what we're gonna talk about. It hits him right at the heart, and we walk out with someone who wants to know Jesus instead of like, hey. I'm gonna casually mention Jesus for, like, six, eight months, see how you're at, and then maybe check-in with the bible verse every once in while. I'm like, that takes forever. This holy spirit, like, whamming people is awesome.

But do I actually think this is happening? And I'm like, I don't know. I just don't know, fellas. I don't know what to make of it. I don't know how to pray through it. Right? Yeah. If I knew the guy personally and there was no camera and there was no sound guy and he just told me the story later, I'd be like, that is awesome. And I'd accept it. Point blank. No problem. Yeah. But, like, the fact that it's on social media and there's a guy recording it all of a sudden throws me off like, man, I don't know. You know? Like, is that a correct caution? Am I am I afraid of the holy spirit? You help me. Dana, have you ever had a situation where you felt like God sent you to talk to somebody and, like, say a specific type of thing?

Oh, boy. I mean, how do I say generically? Yes. I mean, I think there's been times I've felt an urge to to boy, I need to say something to someone. Yeah. And but then my problem is I'm always struggling. Is that the holy spirit or is that just me knowing they probably need to hear this? Yeah. Right. You know? And that's my own internal battle. Yeah.

I mean, it's it's certainly a scriptural idea. You know? Philip and Ethiopian eunuch. He was like, hey. Go to that desert. You know? Yep. There's a specific place. You'll know what to do. So so it's not like god doesn't do it, and it was recorded for us to read. Yeah. You know? That's a really good point, actually.

I'm like I'm like it's not like you're like, oh, well, maybe someone's doing this just so a 10,000 people will read it. The Bible is the most highly read book in the whole world. Right. Right. We recorded this. Guess I I would ask questions like, is this guy looking for money? Is he, like, getting, hey you know, pointing to, hey. Come to my church. His church is the street. I guess he's not. Yeah. Is it notoriety? You know, are there are there any red flags that would make you lean against this being a a total god thing?

Yeah. I mean, I I didn't catch any right off the crack of things. Yeah. I don't know. A couple of things that he said that, like, I I decided that I would not be so bold because I don't know that either the holy spirit has equipped me to know a thing or be able to speak like a hope into somebody. Like, he'd be like, God has put a spirit of evangelism in you to be able to preach the gospel, and like He wants you to have a husband and family, and He wants that for your life. And I'm like, even that, which is a simple, probably pretty simple truth that God built you to testify how great He is, and that He has a has a family

structure that he created and loves, like, those aren't prophecy, really. That's just kind of biblical Yeah. Yeah. But still, I don't know that I would be so bold to say it because Paul's like or yeah. Because Paul's like, you could be single. That would be helpful. You know what I'm saying? Right. And so I these two like like, I can take two truths from the Bible and not know which one the Holy Spirit is applying to somebody's life. Yeah. And so I would never be so bold just to prescribe a generic blood of somebody. This dude just fires it out. You know? And and and and I'm like, either the holy spirit is actually, you know, like, giving him the ability to know that stuff or he's like a psychic. Like, I I say that in the most gracious way in a way that, like, generic good applies to just about everybody. And, oh, just like generic hurt. Like, psychics can be like, you have family hurt. And everybody's gonna be like, oh, he's got me. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like Right. So, like, you can say pretty generic stuff and people are like, they see into my soul. And so I don't know whether he's

I don't I hate that I think this way. Basically, I see a guy that's doing good things as far as I can tell. It sniffs and looks like it's all good work of the holy spirit. And my instant thought is, are you a con artist? Because I have not seen, I guess, or it has not worked in my life that way where I have felt so emboldened to speak a future truth about somebody. Mhmm. You know? Yeah. That's that's really hard. I mean, I I my biggest fear in a situation like that would be let's say I have this urge. I need to tell them you need a chocolate ice cream cone. I'll be thinking, if god really wants vanilla? You you know what I mean? Like, I I don't I don't wanna put words in god's mouth and be wrong. Yeah. You know, maybe get get eaten by a bear, you know, or something later, you know, like Old Testament dude. I I wanna represent god

truthfully if I'm gonna say something that authoritatively. And I also would say that most of us, probably 99.9% of us, do not live the full potential of our faith. Yeah. Yeah. And and the full indwelling of the holy spirit the way he would love to work through us. Yeah. You you know, I mean, I I put barriers up because of my

inferior inferior, you know, fear of of But it's I think that's the that's the thing where I get caught up is it's not our fear of looking dumb. I don't care about that at all. Oh, yeah. I mean Or being wrong. But, like, if we're wrong, I know it wasn't him that was wrong. And now I've put myself in a real pickle because I misrepresented god and, like Yeah. The scriptures are not kind to that. Yeah. See, it would be hard for me to say, hey. Cut your or what what what was I'm trying to think of the worst of barriers of Baal. You know, like, calling

fire down. Yes. Like, that's that's a pretty bold thing. Yeah. Know? It's like, come on. Five more buckets in there. Yeah. Come on. Let's do it. You know? It's like he had to really, really, really know God was gonna do something big there. Yeah. You you know? Yeah. And, like, I I do like, once again, it's it's fruits of the spirit stuff and, like, and and,

you know, eyes and ears and and and arms and stuff. Like, I think God gifts people differently, and I don't think it's healthy to look at gifts of someone else and go, God loves me less, or he's not using me to the thing because I don't have the same gift to this other person. I think that's that's okay. I I think that maybe the thing that I was maybe trying to pray through is like, god, if this is me blocking this coolness, like, you gotta teach me how to not do that. Because, like, I am so afraid of misrepresenting

you Yeah. That that maybe I'm afraid to say a thing that, like, comes to my mind or my heart as I'm talking to somebody. I'm still like, I have a my own filter where, like, if the holy spirit comes comes upon you, it feels like you should just open all the doors and go clear path. Go. And and maybe a a way to approach that is I've never really thought of it this way until now, but but the is to just say, hey. I I I feel like I should say this. I don't know if this is the holy spirit or if it's me, but let me tell you what I'm thinking. I have done that. Okay. Yeah. That's that's the first thing that that's like, you're just being honest. Like, I'm still deciphering for myself the origin of this, but I think this is an important thing you need to know. Yeah. Yeah. And then if someone goes, hey. How can I tell if the holy spirit or or or me? I'd be like, I don't know. You gotta talk to somebody else. I just preface with that phrase all the time. There's a guy on the YouTube that might be able to help you. Yeah. I don't have discernment in this area. Actually, you know what's interesting about that is that, like, the real issue is probably to your to the thing you said earlier, if you knew this man and you and you saw the other fruits in his life,

you wouldn't have a problem believing it. Yeah. For sure. And so the medium itself is difficult. So the Bible is fine. You don't have to know any of these people because you have a standard belief that God has affirmed all the things in here are from him. Right? So so then we look at it and we go, okay. Well, then I can trust that. If someone was right next to you that you knew when you saw them, you met their family, you know that they don't kick their dog or whatever, and this this is consistent or an outpouring that makes sense in their life, you wouldn't have a hard time believing it at all. It's the fact that, like, you are being exposed to someone who's behaving or doing this thing, and you do not have any other means to validate it, or you don't have an experience, which is a unique phenomenon. Yeah. It's new for sure. Yeah. Like or at least the speed or extended the exposure. Like, you could be dealing with newspaper clippings, I guess, if you were in the eighteen hundreds and said this thing happened, and you would go, I don't know. Because it's like, you don't have any way to connect with it, and you're probably a little bit cautious on what you're seeing. And so

that's the I think that's the the right caution is to go this has neither been given to me directly from God nor do I have personal experience to otherwise some contextual information about this person and these things to otherwise validate it. And so I am neither in a place to say this that God is definitely behind this or that he is not. I affirm that he is capable of it. I am using it as an opportunity to make sure that I am otherwise not restricting the holy spirit from doing whatever he wants in my life, that I'm open to it being true, but it is simply not on you to particularly vouch or validate it. It's god's to do so. So now so now in that vein,

is it is it irresponsible for people to know like, if let's say that I'm a shepherd and I know that the way that that sheep will act, is it irresponsible to basically put out nuggets of wisdom like that knowing that they can't validate you? Do know I'm saying? Like, are you putting the people in a position that you, like, if you were a wise

shepherd, you would go, look. I would love to speak this thing into, like, a million people, but the truth is they can't validate me, and I would ask I would ask that of them if it was not me. So, like, it feels like the wrong position to put people in as a person who leads people. Yeah. Yeah. That is oh, boy. It's gonna feel real weird what I'm gonna say. But, like, if I think about how the church grew without the means to say one person or one experience gets to be taken in without having to see it as evidenced through numerous other people. Right? No one got to watch the crucifixion and the resurrection on television.

They had to hear the story, and then they saw it validated that, like, the reality of the situation by local things that were happening in front of them. People being healed, demons being cast out. Like, there was something about the transmission of that, and I don't wanna say I think it's very risky to go the only holy way to do it is a first century way to do it. I think that's not right.

But there's things of which it's it's not risky. Like, it's not risky, for example, to to share a sermon taught by someone that you do not know and can't validate because either the stuff matches the scriptures or it doesn't. Right? There's no there's there's there's not a doubt in there about that. Evidences

of spiritual activity are a little bit different because there isn't just one source of of spiritual activity. There can be multiple, and they can otherwise

masquerade or otherwise become from different sources that you're not close enough to be able to validate. And so I think that's a little bit trickier. I don't think that I don't think that line is super binary. I think it's a little gray, but, like, it is different to me that someone could be

either either making up the situation. You can fake a healing. You can't fake I taught on a scripture. Right? You could otherwise, a miracle could be performed in some ways based upon a not a spirit from Yahweh. Although I wanna get away from the the spirit of things I don't follow. Yeah. He talked a lot about that, and that's not language that I would normally use. So I'll just preface with that. Like, I don't call it spirit of, like, suicide or spirit of depression. Yeah.

But what that come that's not even like, you've read the bible all the way through. Yeah. I've also read it. Dan's taken it in. It's kind of a charismatic thing. I mean It is. It is. But, like, I think, like, maybe it's maybe people being more precise than the Bible is. Right? Like, obviously, it's like there's not a spirit named depression, but, like, demonic spirits can, like, change the way that, like, your mind is taking things in or the way that you take in the world. Like, the dude in the Gaterenes is, like, bare nudes, like, chained up and acting like a complete madman. Yeah. Right? The the presence of a spiritual influence

does bring with it like like, brings with it chaos. Right? Yep. If it's not come from god, god is order and peace. And like the opposite of that is chaos and death. And so like, obviously, a spiritual influence is gonna bring chaos and that can bring depression and anxiety and suicide that comes from pressure and anxiety and all kinds of like paranoia and all this mess. Right? And so like, maybe they're they're trying to help a modern society who has taken the time to now categorize mess into a lot of different buckets. So like, I guess what I'm saying is like, I don't find it anti biblical. I just don't. It's being more precise than the Bible is on, like, spiritual stuff, I guess. I think you can have you can have those situations true

without an active force. It could simply be the absence of your obedience. For sure. Which these things are permeating. Wait. Wait. Which is the risk, I think, in calling things like that for a couple of re actually, we're talking before the show that, like, things that seem okay in the moment and maybe deal with the event that you're in, but otherwise have a

it can it can jack with your theology after that point. But I think that I think the question still stands. How do you how do you ultimately do you respond and take that in? Do we believe God can do those things? Yes. We do. Is there do we know one way or the other whether this thing this man is doing is either of God or not of God? No. Not necessarily. Where it's pointing back to Jesus, like, that it may be simply the thing regardless. It is otherwise connecting people with God until, I don't know, until the guy gets becomes an adulterer or something. For sure. Then it blows up. These are the risks. Yeah. Like, what the the the risk is to me as an established dude that follows Jesus is I'm like, god's doing super something super cool, and I can't even enjoy it. You know I'm saying? I'm robbed of the joy and, like, amazingness of, like, the the movement of the holy spirit and, like, all the things I'm actually praying about. God, will you encounter these people? Will they run into you today in like a way that they can't deny you? Right. You know? And then and then here's a guy out doing it, and I'm like,

I don't know. I think that's biblical, though, the the whole trust but verify. Yeah. You know, you're testing the spirit. You're always verifying scripture, and and and because there are wolves in sheep's clothing, you know, so you you just have to be on watch. Yeah. I think, you know, and that's been it's been sticking with me a lot to, like, recognize that, like, there's not a New Testament writer who didn't go, you gotta watch out for the false teaching. Right. You gotta watch out. You gotta watch out.

They're everywhere. That's right. And so, like, it's not a surprise that it's there. And sometimes false teaching is out of ignorance. Sometimes, like, when they find the the Apollos and and old Priscilla and Aquila are like, hey. Let me let me help you out there, bro. And so it's not always particularly nefarious, but, like, it will look like good teaching. That's why you had to warn people against it. And so without being I think you're you're you're on the right thing, though, which is like you don't want to be so cautious of false teaching that you simply miss

the movement of God in front of you. That's the Pharisees' mistake. Right? That they don't recognize the way in which God is moving because it does not fit in their prescribed belief on how it was going to happen. And so you better leave some room for God to be, for the things he said to come true and be true in ways that you didn't otherwise anticipate or maybe not even comfortable with, like, you should certainly be open to that. It's what makes false teaching compelling. Yeah. You know? Because it does a thing outside the normal, and you're like, woah. Cool. You know? Yeah. So so, actually, I think the tension that you're hitting is is absolutely right. Like, that's actually the right reaction. Lord, help me not to miss it if you're moving. Help me not to be taken if it ain't you. Yeah. And so I need you to sort it through in my life because I it's not mine to sort. Do you find it like like like the the maybe the the more self centered prayer? I'm like, god, I would like to see this in my life. Not for me to do it necessarily if that's not what you would have me do. But I would like to see other people that I can legit vouch for because I just like to see the holy spirit out doing cool stuff. Yeah. And so, like, maybe if maybe if you're opening my mind to the possibility that I don't have to mistrust everybody that calls out weird spirits, you know, but that I can go, this is so cool. And I know that guy. And I know there's fruit on that tree. And so I get to just go, man, God is cool Yeah. And does awesome things. You know? Where it's once yeah. Like, it's just hard to validate some dude in Fresno doing the same crap and, like, I'm I'm like, I just wanna be so excited for it, but I can't. So maybe it's not so like as as far as the Bible's laid out, like maybe it's not so selfish to go, God, if I could see the power of the Holy Spirit in those around me, I would love to be a part of something like that. Teach by heart to be able to take that in right. Yep. Mhmm. Mhmm. Yep. I've always thought it'd be so great to have like the gift of healing. You know, I would love to go into a children's hospital. Matter of fact, every time I walk on the Bottom Floor

of our local hospital has a children's hospital, and I'm walking between one hospital to the other, and you know above you are a floor is full of Yep. Children in hospital beds, I always pray for them. Lord, I don't know. Hey. If you can empty these rooms right now if you want to, let it let it happen. They don't have to so it doesn't nothing comes back to me like, oh, damn, the healer, but but just this this power of god. Would I love to sit there and watch the elevator just start dinging with all these kids coming out and saying, man, I feel great. You know? So so actually that brings up a question for me is like, do you think some of our unwillingness like, I mean, could the could the the opposition be that crafty? Right? Our unwillingness that people might accidentally attribute a healing to Dan,

and we aren't willing to step out and do because like Paul's like, be like me. You see what I'm doing? Do what I do. Those things that I did, God is great. God did all the things. I went out there and did it. You know I'm saying? Like, Paul almost seems like even when I read it, I'm like, well, I mean, come on, Paul. You know, like, be like me. I would never say that. Yeah. Never in my whole life would I say, like, follow me as I follow Christ. Do what I do. To see what I'm doing, act like me. I'm like, don't act like me. I'm a broken mess. You know? God will do better things for you. You know? Yeah. And so, like, part of me thinks too is, like, like, it's a it's what feels like a good healthy fear of God, like a respect fear, not a fear fear, but like a respect honor fear for God, like, can be twisted a little bit where we just don't take any

you know? Like, we just can't don't feel like we're willing to go out and do a thing because it might be accidentally attributed by the wrong guy to the wrong person. I'm like, that's a risk in everything we do. Yeah. You know? So I don't know. It's super hard line because you see people screw this up all the time. And our like, my approach would be just stay away from it. If the line is 10 feet over there, this is very pharisaical. Let's if we stay at 15 and don't claim to ever, like, have the healing power through me or or prophecy or discernment or, you know, all this stuff, if I don't ever claim any of that stuff, I can't ever be wrong and, like, misrepresent God, so I'm gonna stay out. Yeah. Yeah. And you know where that you know, the health of it comes from is,

like, it's a way the way the Bible says to root out a false teacher is like, I don't know. Were they wrong? Like, once? Like, you you they don't go like, well, I don't know. On average, he's right most of the time. They're like, if the dude claims to be a prophet of Yahweh and he's wrong one time, he ain't a prophet of Yahweh. Right? And so you're like, boy, there's no room for knowing whether, like, to to throwing it out there. Yeah. And so That's the thing. It's like, what if you revere scriptures in the way that we do, you're like, well, I will be making no predictions. I'll tell you that right now. I I mean, like, I've I've been in in funerals before where I I am sitting quietly in my little chair, and I am praying. I I believe 100%

with all my everything that I am that God could raise raise that person from the dead. And he's done it before. You know? You know? So this won't be the first time. And but I'm not gonna pray that out loud because I'm not gonna force his hand Yeah. And make him look bad and me look stupid. Not that I'm worried about me, but but just like that just makes him look I'm misrepresenting him if I were to do that. Like, god, you can heal him. You can bring him back from the dead. And and it's like but I had prayed it quietly, and no one ever knew it. But I thought, wouldn't that be so cool if in the middle of a funeral, the dude got up from the casket after being, you know, there for three days and, know, all the all the stuff and and and was like, man, that was a good nap. You know? But

but, like, what that's the thing. It's like, if you prayed it out loud and it happened, they would go, to god be the glory. This was a movement of god. If he did it without it, they'd be like, what a creepy What happened? You know what Like, I yeah. Boy, I'm starting to be slightly convicted that not that we're changing anything tomorrow, but I feel like I really need to pray differently in a way that, like, I am so afraid of of, like,

forcing his hand that, like, did did did the ball situation, did he be like, tell him to put on a bunch more water. I'm gonna do a thing. Or he's like, oh, I know my god will do a thing. Yeah. Did he force god's hand? Like Yeah. And god is like, what water is good idea? You know? And so I'm like, is that guy bold? He's not forcing like, no one forces god's hand to do anything. But, like, is that guy go, I know my god so well. I don't care how much water you put over Moses strikes the rock and the water comes out even though god didn't say, hey. He actually said quite the opposite. Yes. There are times

I see the thing you can't do is get together the next morning and go like, alright, boys. We're gonna take some holy spirit risks. Let's see what you do today. You know? Like, they can't just be a human thing that goes, we're gonna do it. You know? Like, it has to be. But but it does, I think, have to this sounds so weird permission based stuff. But, like, God's like, I I you have to open your eyes to the thing I'm asking of you before I'm gonna lay lay a responsibility on you. You know, like, if I said, God doesn't do that or God doesn't use me for that, then he's certainly not gonna do that and have me misrepresent him. But but I feel like if you're if I don't know if I believe what I'm saying. Catch me theologically, boys. But, like, you know, if I feel like it wouldn't as as God sanctifies you and stretches you into being more like him that you go, you know what? I actually yes. God, I would be willing to be used in this way. I think my heart is now aligned to understanding enough that I could I would like to walk boldly. Can you help me to do that? You know, it still can't be a I've asked and claimed it thing or like I've tried real hard or read Jeremiah 10 times. But it just feels like if you're asking God to stretch you in a way to be used

more than you were previously, I think he loves you and would and and would accommodate. Yeah. I I think it's pretty it's practical even. Is you know, you didn't know that they made the 2025 Chevy Blazer in some sort of purple.

And you see it one time, and then now you see it all over the place. You're aware of it, and now you recognize it when it comes by. Like, oh, there's that purple Blazer again. Even though that may have driven past you a million times in the last six months, and you didn't notice it at all. And so I think the practical thing that you're talking about, which is, like, of course, God could do whatever he wants through you. But when you as you go, God, I believe and that this may be a thing of what you might do, you start recognizing situations for what they are. Whereas, know, God can be tapping you on the shoulder on a thing and, like, you're just you're simply not looking out for the opportunity and you see you shake it off. You don't recognize what it's for or what's going on. And God has agreed or, like, seems to limit himself to work through the

practical use of your earthly body. And so, like, it does require your participation. It requires your awareness, and it requires your obedience. And it's the awareness part that, like, sometimes you just don't have. And so if this otherwise opens up a thing where it goes, Lord, if if I recognize this could be a thing, I'm I'll I'll jump on it if you if you say I should, then maybe you'll recognize it a time before. The thing is if it was prevalent, no one would be a preacher.

You know I'm saying? They're like, hey. Do a bunch of studying and then slog out an hour sermon all the time. And then this dude just shows up. He's like, you got woundedness from your past. I called out the spirit of woundedness. Walk walk in the holy spirit. And he'd be like, I wanna be that guy. I don't wanna be this other dude that's counseling stupid marriages where no one will repent. That sounds terrible. I don't know. I've I this guy has got to have approached somebody somewhere and go, like, I know this about you, and then he gets decked. Or like Yeah. It probably helps that he used to move heroin or something that he's like, go ahead. Yeah. Yeah. You know I'm saying? Like, yeah. Maybe maybe we're not built for this. Alright.

You're listening live from the path. Hey. Maybe you got your thoughts on that. (515) 517-0085. Call or text. Let us know. Are we I don't know. Any other recommendations

here, or do we run a risk of limiting the holy spirit in our lives? To what extent is the caution valuable? Have you seen places of which lack of caution has been destructive or or vice versa? I guess just curious on what your experiences are. You know what? My my number one example of why I'm, like, hesitant to this is there's a song, like, called Ring and Robe, I think, by Bethel, they put it out. And on the live cut, there's some dude in there and he's like, I'm a prophesy today. And I'm like, okay. I'm a and this goes out to billions of people. They buy the song individually. It's like he obviously has no idea who's buying it. He's just assuming everybody. But he's like, your loved ones are coming home. Like, you're gonna get a phone call today. I prophesy it. And I'm like, I've listened to that song probably 50 times, and I've never received a phone call.

And I'm like That's really awkward. Pretty freaking bold dude. Yeah. Like, I don't wanna be that guy. You know what I'm saying? Giving people hope that there's a thing gonna happen, and, like, it just feels like God has got to be like, I'm gonna do this. You know? And then I'll say, God's gonna do this. But then again, I might just not be gifted as a profiteer No. Or a profiteer. A prop a prophet. Yeah. I do I do think that the, the breadth of which people can communicate makes this more challenging.

Maybe God is leading that guy to say a thing to an audience of people that he's singing to that does not necessarily apply to, like, whoever's gonna buy the tune.

And, like, now he has to be cautious of that in the moment that they're in. And frankly, I'd be, you know, I'd be careful to make sure you're actually doing something, not just something where the crowd gets excited. Like, God better have put it on you. But, like, again, we're not we don't just get to exist in moments anymore. Our moments can be purchased and replayed and persist a hundred years from now. And then the question is, is it like to what apply it's actually the same biblical interpretation question we're still dealing with. Which applies to the moment they're in, which persists beyond the moment they're in. Like, Paul's got some stuff where you're like, boy, I really think that that's in that moment because otherwise, I don't know how to no one you gotta can't cut your hair ever. Right? Yeah. And so there's things where, like A bunch of dudes walking around with right hands missing, and a bunch of people are like, I'd pick up a mat and leave, but I didn't even have a mat to start. Right. What am I supposed to do, Jesus? Is it biblical to only sleep on mats? And so, like, it's one of those things where we we've had to work through and discern as time has passed, how do we take these

snapshots of people interacting with God and with Jesus and with people. And now you're trying to discern active movement of God through things that are like persisting way bigger than what the Bible has been. And so as if it's on a level playing field, and I think it's difficult. And so the Holy Spirit has got to sort it out. But, like, I think my first caution would be not to presume that the reach of any given spiritual activity

is meant to apply to the 3,000,000,000 people that could download or watch it. Like, that seems like a burden that's very difficult to carry, and I'm not it's not that God couldn't use that, but I I think the medium and its pervasiveness has made this a bigger challenge than perhaps it's been in the past.

Yeah. Because you feel like Paul comes back and was like, I was over by Asia Minor. And on my way there, I talked to, you know, a 150 people who now love Jesus, and you report it back to the disciples in Jerusalem. They're like, dang. That sounds awesome. Yeah. I love the movement of stuff going on in a place where I'm not at. That's so cool. And, like, the social media makes it difficult because you're like, I'm watching this in real time. This guy did this yesterday. You know? And you're like, I think that's I think it's good. But, like, there's the same amount of people on social media, like, interrupting festivals and, like, trashing people without god's truth and love in the same hand. And you're like, why don't you shut up in Fresno? Stop saying that stuff to people. You're misrepresenting god entirely. Yeah.

Yeah. It's a tricky wick. It's a tricky wick. (515) 517-0085 if you wanted to do the do the app test. I got one more. Okay. I got one more. It's I don't know if it's a question. Yeah. It was probably a question. Yep. So, like, Forrest Frank Yep. Rolls out today. Maybe it's today, yesterday. I don't check the time stamps. But he's like he's like, I tell you what. This is summarized his speech. He did this better. But he's like, I don't know. I'm I'm not gonna go to award shows anymore and accept trophies on behalf of worship music. He's like, the trophy is salvation. And, like, it feels like really not right to be accepting accolades as a purveyor of worship music that is solely about God's goodness. The songs that he gave me that I am, like, putting out into the world and, like, it's his glory that should be celebrated and not mine. So I you know what? I will not be attending,

like, award shows of this world anymore to be accepting, you know, awards any I'm out. Yeah. And I thought, one, that's freaking cool. Yeah. I'm really excited about that. I think that's great. And then I thought, is it is it great, though? Like, we we struggle with this, like, even on local level. Like, if you've ever played in a worship band or, like, preached, you know, and taught, and someone said, you did a great job preaching today. And you're like, I don't know how to take this compliment in.

Like, it was I I was basically given all the material. I just framed it in a way or, like, you know, packaged it in a way. Or frankly, if I'm a lazy preacher like Ben, I just read it. I just read the thing that was there. There you made some qualifiers so you could understand it in its own context and how it might tie into other stuff that we've already read. Hey. I just I I never thought about this for I'm a bible DJ. Yeah. Yeah. I just play the hits. Yeah. Except for you don't ask for requests. You're just like, this next one, track eight. Yeah. Boy, I love this. I'm a Yeah. It makes me happy. Ben, you organizing your CDs? No, man. They're they're they're in order.

Sometimes there's pauses between songs there shouldn't be. Yeah. But other than that but but, like, overall, like, I would look at a guy that says, you know, glory be to god. I I just I don't need these man made trophies. That seems like pieces of tin. I'm not interested. And I think that's super cool. And then I thought, well, I mean, Jesus

even goes, prophet in his own town is without honor. We honor people differently in modern society. We're trying to honor a guy with a trophy that says, hey. You're out doing a good job with the with the gifts that God gave you to glorify God, especially, let's say, the dove awards, like Jesus centered awards. Yeah. You know? And this dude's like, yeah. I don't know. I don't need those kind of accolades. I'm gonna pass. Yeah. You know? And like we were talking about a little bit before the show, it was like, does this apply like, it seems to apply more to, like, creative art stuff because no one's like even the Martin Luther example where he's like, what what would I do to honor God as a shoemaker? And he's like, make good shoes. So, like, if you were to ask Forrest Frank the same question, what I do to honor God as a Christian music artist? He's like, make good music. You know? And but when it came time to award the shoemaker, it's not like you'd be like, no. No. No. It's all for the glory of God. I I sew this leather. I will accept no chamber of commerce award this year. You know what I'm saying? But on a big platform, especially with worship music that's centered to be you know, remind us of God good God's goodness, he's like, I just can't take it. So, like, do you is this actually good? Like, is it necessary? Is it

I don't know. Over are we overplaying the hand? Just accept the word. Be gracious and go, thanks. Appreciate what you guys are saying. Oh, boy. You know, I've always had a hard time accepting praise,

accolades, and all that. Especially for sermons. Your shirts, you're like, I picked this out. I mean, yeah, like, I think, well, it's my job. You know? It's like Yeah. This is what I do. You know? I was like, I mean, sure, do it do it well. I try to do it well. I I I put my best into it and everything. But I I remember as a student in college,

the president, one of the professor he was a professor at the time too, just said, just just just say thank just just accept it. You know, like someone gives you a gift or someone does, you know, heaps praise on you, just accept it and go on. Don't make it awkward. Just Yeah. Say thank you and move on. And that that was really helpful to me. But but I also resonate with this guy who who says, hey. Just stop it. Yeah. I'm not gonna go I'm not gonna go to this award thing. I could totally I really like that. Yeah. Because then it can just get the ego gets so weird. You know? We're so fragile. One way, we're crushed because people didn't praise us. The next minute, we're think we're better than everyone because they did praise us. You know? And he's trying to keep that in check. Know? Just I'm just I'm just out. You guys play the game, and I'm gonna just keep doing what I do and try to honor god the best I can. I I like that. That resonates with me. Yeah. Like, I I it sniffed good to me. Right? Like, I'm like, I really like this guy. Yeah. You know? But I started thinking about it in a little bit of my own context because, like, I always ask my wife how it went whenever I teach something. You know? I'm like, how did it go? You know, I don't want her to go, you're so good at preaching. I think it the message really resonated with the kids. Basically, I just wanted to say it didn't fail terribly.

Right? I just need to make sure that I'm my my eye is so not, you know, out of focus that I'm just something. Am I blindsided? I'm flying crap out there. No one's willing to tell me. You know? And so, like, I thought I you know, like, it's hard to do it at a local level because this dude influences, like, millions with his Yeah. Music. Right? Like, we might get 45. Me me on a good day is 30. You know? And, like, Dan's preaching to one fifty sometimes. You know? And so, like, it just feels like it like, the scale it probably scales differently and requires more

like, you don't promote, like, Pathway Church, but, like, I'm Dan Hudson from Pathway Church, like, seven times a day on Instagram. You know, it's just like, look, we're a church. We preach Jesus. Like, our fruit will bear. Show up if you want. You know I'm saying? And so, like, his is different because it he's like an also an influencer in a way. So I I don't know. I I I think he is I think he's in a tougher spot. Obviously, I think the creative arts tend to get a little bit more accolades because people who are creative

people are like, I can learn to be a mechanic. I can learn to build a house. I can learn to do electricity. I can learn to shovel snow. Like but I couldn't I couldn't kick a song out of my bones if I sat there and tried real hard for fifty years. Yeah. So creative arts, people who paint or sculpt or dance, you know, people are like, yeah. I I just I ain't got it. You know? I can get all the technique down, but it doesn't put out the thought or the compound different

perspective of looking at the world that arts tend to do. And so, like, arts get put in a different category where people are like, wow. You know, we should acknowledge that your your mind just works differently as as the way that it comes how you put out art. And so most people will just kinda let that go and go like, sure. I'll I'll just say yes. You know? So, like, once again, I I think it sniffs fine. I got zero problems with force, Frank. I think it's a pretty bold move, and I kinda like it. You know? But I just thought, like, I don't know. Could people take that in poorly? Or, like, is it over posturing maybe in a way that says, let's just say thanks for the award and then, like, thank God in your speech. Tell him it's all because of his glory and go, I'm a keep putting out tunes as long as he lets me. I love you. Thank you for the appreciation. I'm out. Yeah. I mean, the I think the if you stretched it to its harshest end,

would you would you say would it be fair to go, look, if you attend the Dev Awards or the Grammys on a Christian album, then you've done something wrong. Yeah. Is his implicit decision being like, now what are you gonna do everybody that goes? You know? Yeah. And I would not I don't I don't think that's right. Right. I think it's okay. I do think the caution is rightly acknowledged in the same way that I think the caution is rightly acknowledged for people who are famous for anything that otherwise was intended to serve Jesus but runs the risk of pointing people to them.

Like, it's like, I would say I I look at it as more of a deferral of a removal of risk. Like, if I thought I wrote a really whiz bang book that people would really adore, like, I just put a different name on it. Because why? What do I care? It doesn't have it like, if the book was important, unless my name was carrying the reason people read it, although, like, that's Forrest Frank's situation. Right? Yeah. If you wrote the diary of Ben and it was right by Greg or something, you're like, that's weird. That would feel weird. Right. But, like, you know, if if to say, is it necessary?

No. Does it protect in some ways from an inflation or a risk of people putting you higher than they ought and missing your message? Because that's the other thing. He could be totally you can be totally earnest in some of these situations, and people will still do a goofball thing.

Right? Remember remember it's an act where, like, those I think it's when those guys identify Paul, and I don't remember who he was which which the bros was with him at the time, but they're like, hey. It's the Roman gods. Like, Paul's this guy. And they start to worship him. And it's like, no. No. And it's not like Paul asked for that. He didn't do anything that would have, like, told them it was that, but they saw a thing. They recognized, like, the stories and things that preceded these guys, and they still ended up trying to worship them. And so, like, is there something about going, I'm gonna try to eliminate as much of this as possible so that people cannot misunderstand

me? Yeah. I think you do gotta be cautious around how people behave. And if this otherwise keeps them from doing it, I think that's good. And I saw actually, it's similar over the last week. I heard I think it was Corey Asbury came out and said he's reckless love fella. And he came out and said, look. I signed up with my record label. I'm I owe a country album. I wrote, like, 80 songs. I'm gonna produce this. It was not a gospel album or anything. I just was I signed up to do a country album, and he goes, it's just not right. It's just not right. So I told him I ain't releasing it. Like, we're getting we're doing gospel. We're going back to I got Jesus tunes flowing out, and I'm gonna release those. As a matter of fact, I think him and Forrest Frank are plotting to do a

a competing halftime show for the Super Bowl. Yeah. Did you see they got in, like, a feud, like, a month ago or something? Oh, yeah. There was there was beef because for Forrest Frank oh, that seemed like a relatively I don't know how miraculous it was. It kinda seemed like it like a back recovery from a back problem. And, like, a number of Christians dudes dudes did kinda like parody videos of, like, being in their beds and complaining. He was complaining about, like A vasectomy. A vasectomy. That's kinda funny. Yeah. I think Ford's Frank took it to I don't know. He seems like he was a little harsh, actually. He said I took it overly sensitively. I maybe I'm being too sensitive, but to be honest, like, he was pretty outright about it. Yeah. But, like, at the end of the day, they're like Corey's like, you know what, dude? I yeah. I didn't mean to offend you. You know, I'm sorry. And then they're like, they're on their butts, and they're, like, hanging out. And I'm like, it's about time. Yeah. You know? This is pretty cool. But anyway but the point was is that, like, you know, within a few different weeks, you get a few couple guys who are like, there's these are paths to, like

I don't know. You release a country album. Maybe there's more fame to it. You know? You reach reach a wider audience, and you could totally go, look. The more people I reach with this album, they start to listen to the old cuts, the gospel cuts, and, like, can't Jesus win? But and then the point is I actually think that could be true. I don't have just like if Dan, you know, wrote a fiction novel, and then they go back and revisit revisit his sermons in god's top 10, and, like, suddenly the gospel is preached because they met him on a fiction he wrote. That's not a problem if you're listening to the holy spirit. And so if if Corey Asbury goes, like, is god upset if he cuts a country album? Probably not. But if god's telling him, don't release that. I got other stuff that you're supposed to do. Well, then you better dang well do it. And I think the same thing if I think about Forrest Frank's reaction is that, like, is it is it wrong to take an award if someone, you know, gave you one at the dove thing for your Christian music? I don't know. Probably not as long as you're not doing it on a healthy way. But if god told you to let it sit, then you better doggone let it sit. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You gotta listen to Jesus on that thing. Yeah. Here's the thing, boys. I just feel like we need to be praying for

like, the holy spirit needs to be involved in a lot of stuff. Yeah. And and if and if we're blocking it in a way or, like, just traditional in a way or, like, just stuck in our ways in a way that's not allowing that to happen for all the things, like, that's just a prescription for the whole Christian nation. Like, I mean, just the holy spirit sounds like he's just the coolest. You know? Like, just does awesome things and, like like, discerns and helps and heals and all the stuff. You know? So, like, maybe that's just an invitation not to, like, come up with some canned weird way of calling on it or something, but, like, gotta will you stretch me in a way that helps me see the things that you would like to do in my life that I'm missing? Yeah. I think that's a fair prayer. Yeah. Yeah. Well, actually, I'm a pray on that. Father, I love you. Hey. Thank you for the time spent here with the fellows. And, Lord, you know if we've got anything that's blocking us here, anything that's keeping us from recognizing

the work that you're doing around us, anything that we may believe theologically or within our experience that otherwise is skewing how we're taking in the work of your spirit. I pray, Lord, you would heal that in us. Like, let it go. Don't let us tie us back. We don't wanna miss out on the work that you're doing. We wanna take part in it. We wanna be part of it. We wanna be part of the the things that you're upending and changing and transforming in the world. And if our cautions are your cautions, may they be steel.

If if our cautions are simply places where we're not comfortable because it's you moving and we're not ready for it, then I I'm asking that you would prepare our hearts, clean the things out, and let us fully embrace the work of your spirit in our lives for your glory and for the the the love of the world around us. In your heavenly name, amen. Amen. Amen. Alright. You're listening to life from the path. Alright. Let's do this. Boy, yeah. Look at the the the hours gone by. You want advice? Yeah. Let's do some advice. I got it. Okay. Dear,

life from the path, Every year like clockwork, we receive a holiday card from friends, which the wife addresses only to my husband. It is always a jolly card filled with their family adventures and achievements for the year, and it invariably leaves me wondering why she thinks it's okay to leave me off the envelope. My husband and I have been together for more than twenty years. Yeah. She knows I exist. We have met. I went to her wedding. Our husbands are dear friends.

Last year, my husband finally mentioned to his friend how much it hurts my feelings to be left off the card. He seemed surprised his wife did that, but said he'd fix it before the next cards went out. I was excited at the thought of her changing her rude ways when their next card arrived. But like every year before, I was left off again. This really bothers me. I have felt left out enough times in my life, and it stings at the core. I feel like she's a grown up mean girl, and I can't figure out why she would intentionally not include me. Part of me wants to send a card to everyone in her family and leave her name off. Boy.

What do you think? I think she wouldn't care. Yeah. Boy. I don't know why she's doing it. But, I mean How old is this woman? Is this a real traditional thing where, like, you address stuff to the dude at the house? She said twenty year I was kinda waiting for her to say we've been married for forty years so I could just go, I don't know. They're 60. They just behave this way. Yeah. But, I mean, if it's a 45 year old woman, this I mean, I I don't give a a rat's behind whether it's intentional or not. Of a list of a 100 burning things going on in the world, I put this at number 2,586.

Yeah. You should go, that quirky old camel, she should knock this off. I'd bring it up. I'd make jokes about it all the time. I'd start referring to myself in front of her as the husband's name just because it's funny, but I wouldn't take it put like, there's no reason to allow this any presence in your life at all. I mean, unless you think something like you think she has a crush on your husband or something. Right? If you think that's deeper than this,

like What a weird way to court a married man. She's just writing to the family. Yeah. I my my my wife goes to the doctor, and then later on, they send the bill. It's it's it's written to her name. I know they're inviting me to participate in paying that bill. Mister Hudson, please pay this. You're all invited to make sure this gets paid. Same same things. I mean

Yeah. Yeah. I you gotta let this go. I would just add my name on it when it arrived. And Laura. This right. Wait. Here's the thing. And you could apply this across any other situation of what you're running into that which it applies. But, like, if this was meant to bother you, you're letting it succeed by allowing it to bother you. Like, this could just be a stupid thing that this person does with no consequence if you just decided to treat it of no consequence. And so, like,

whatever. Stop letting the communist win. Yeah. Don't care. So and think about it how innocent this is. Right? Because, like, I do this all the time. Like, when I say we're gonna go to somebody's house, I I will invariably list it in a way that is probably offensive to whoever lives there. Right? Like, when people say they're coming to my house, almost everybody I know says, we're going to Jared's house. Right? That is my wife's name. And so, like, no one's like, we're going to Mike's house. I'm like, hey. It's my house. It's not me. You know I'm saying? I'm like, I I know where you're going. It's not a big deal. You know? And so, like, I will say we're going like, half the people I know say we're going to Ben and Amanda's. The other the other half says we're going to Amanda and Ben's. You know, like, someone's like, well, I should be first when people listen list our home for a possible destination. I'm like, this is outrageously dumb. Yeah. You know? So you gotta let it go. Yeah. Agreed. Alright. Secular says, I think that because expecting your husband to intercede for you didn't work, it's time to pick up the phone. Tell this clueless woman your first and last name and ask her why she seems unable to address her greeting cards so that they include you as well as your spouse. If after that she continues to forget, you will know beyond a doubt that she's not only clueless but classless, and avoid whatever exposure you must have with her as often as possible.

Wow. Can you imagine that phone call? You get every bit of that advice. Just swap all that out with go buy some coffee, and then go home and go about your business. Alright. One more. Ready? Okay. Dear life from the path. When my lifelong friend Cheryl and I would talk once a week to catch up with each other's lives, She'd describe her other friends' woes in a really animated way,

including a loud voice and extremely vulgar words about those friends. She even talked about her recently departed mother this way. Her mother had not been part of her life for more than fifty years, but when she reentered the scene, she had developed dementia. Her mom's habit of vulgar talk was probably where Cheryl picked it up. The funny thing is when we talk in person, Cheryl doesn't do it. It's only on the phone. I recently had a falling out with an elderly friend, Louise, over a similar situation, but it was politically fueled. Louise would call me, inebriated,

shouting nasty stuff about my political stance. I finally hung up and blocked her on the phone. Louise is 78 and an admitted alcoholic. Cheryl and I are not. We are in our mid sixties. I decided to text Cheryl, asking her not use such vulgar language when we talk because it upsets me. I grew up with a father who cursed and yelled a lot, and I vowed not to talk that way. I'm not a prude. Talking with these two women triggered memories of younger years. Cheryl has now ghosted me. My text wasn't mean or brutal. Is there anything I can say to her to get my friend back or my block forever? You gotta fight fire for fire. You gotta use the vulgaritas. Yeah. It's gonna get it's gonna get her attention.

Beep, Cheryl. Yeah. Answer my beep text messages. I mean, you you get to tell someone that, hey, man. I just don't appreciate the way you talk, but you also gotta face the consequences that they may just stop talking. So kinda goes with it. I mean Yeah. Yeah. I mean, here's the here's the thing is you can't

if you want something to change, to Dan's point, you gotta be ready for the consequences of whatever that change is. Like, there's not only one response to, hey. Will you change your language? It might be, no. I won't. And I'm mad of you for bringing it up. Yeah. How far like, how specific do people's, like, triggering of, like, past traumas have to be? Right? Because, like, let's say, for example, it wasn't about vulgar language. Let's say it had to do with whole milk. Like, my dad was a complete turd to me, and he drank whole milk. And every time I see whole milk in your house, it reminds me of my terrible dad. Will you not keep whole milk in here? Yeah. Now granted, I think vulgar language probably is because it tends to be, like, increase in volume and have some aggression to it. And so I'm like, that's an unfair comparison. You know? But at the end of the day, like, I don't think you gotta be real careful

on, like, trying to force people to, like, color their world differently because yours was colored that way. Right? Some of that is a little unfair. She's probably been talking like that her whole life. Yeah. You know? And all of a sudden, you're like, we can't be friends because you drink whole milk. You know? And, like, that sounds so stupid when you put it next to it, but to her, it's probably the same thing. Some some people that have a colorful language palette, like, it doesn't even register to them that it's colorful. Right? They're just like, this is how I talk. This is how my friends talk. We don't mean anything mean about it. It's just the words that come out of our mouth. Yeah. So, like, they don't get to live in that type of complete ambiguity either. But I I'm just saying, like, I feel like it's we have to be a little careful when we start prescribing, like, our past stuff and, like, what it reminds us of. Just because you had a bad experience when someone played Tiffany in high school doesn't mean when Tiffany calls is on the radio, you call the radio stations to go, you're triggering all my dramas. Don't ever play Tiffany again. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's that's hard to take in. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the question is is that, like, are you are you is the friendship valuable to you in the way that you are willing to work through a bumpy way of getting to a better space, or are you walking into a situation

self righteously and saying, it's it's I want this my way, and you shall respond that way. Otherwise, I won't deal with you anymore. Because, like, lasting and and improving relationships, iron does sharpen iron, and you you have to go through bumpy spots to otherwise get to a place of common resolution. And so,

you know, I think, like, I think about my one of my kids, I don't know, has got a quite a few friends who got some salty language on them. And they know that she's like she'll say, hey. You should tone down that salty language. And it it takes, you know, three or four rounds where they now they start you know, they use a salty language and they look over and they go, oh, sorry about that. Yeah. Right? And, like, it's gonna take it takes some time for people to change behavior.

And if you care about them, then you work through their what it takes for them to start then acknowledging you and the thing that you prefer in that relationship, or you go up and you give an ultimatum and you'd be kind of a turd about it. And I would prescribe that actually there's a number of marriage problems that follow the same deal as going, look. I here's someone who's close to you. They want a different reality and are gonna say, let's work together to get there. Or you go, I dictate that this reality changes directly.

Otherwise, I'm offended and don't deal with you. Well, I mean, that's a recipe for not change for changing your reality to a separation. And so, like, if you're invested in the friendship in the long run, then, like, generally speaking, I'd say you have to tolerate this and then gently remind them that you're looking for something different. The problem you have now is is that however you approach it the first time, by your own estimation, which was not rude,

they don't wanna talk to you about it anymore. Now I will I will say, though, they could be embarrassed. People don't people don't behave themselves when embarrassed. They people are at their worst when brought up something that they feel ashamed about. I tell you what, I am I'm I am, like, my least good as a husband when my wife says something that is right that I am embarrassed or ashamed about. Like, hey. You didn't do a very good job on, I don't know, cleaning something or other. And the reality is is I'm probably aware of that, but I don't like that it got called out and that I'm not responding in a way that in a humble way, in a way that, like, says, you're probably right. How can I do better? The types of things that you probably should do. And then you get defensive, and then you're feeling a little exposed, and then you start just being a jerk about it. And so, like, I I would it's not that you can't say things that otherwise cut people to the quick a little because, like, sometimes that's how the resolution comes. But, like, I go I mean, she don't listen to the show because she's too young. But, like, one of these kids of mine, I swear, that that kid turns into a real monster when she gets when she gets said told, hey.

You did not behave correctly in this situation. Like, it probably takes two hours to get that kid back off that angry defensive horse till we can actually talk about she's a sweet kid except for then. Yeah. And she's real beast about it. And so I'm just saying that don't don't overinvest in the current reaction that this person is having. Just let it cool down for a while. You gotta play the long game when you're trying to change behavior, and whatever it is, lit a fire or give it a little bit of time, and then keep trying to peck away at it. Don't give up the thing. Like, if you still want the behavior to change and you don't want her to use the salty language, I think that's fine.

I'm just saying be for the person and then know that you've got probably a little bit of time until it resolves in the way that you want it. Yeah. And your relationship should be more than one disagreement deep. You know what I'm saying? If it's one disagreement deep and they're out, I you know, I don't know. You weren't that close. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Segular says, because you couldn't handle Cheryl's language, you were right to tell her how it made you feel and why. As long as she's blocking you, there's nothing you can say that will get through. Perhaps it is just as well. In my view, folks who ridicule others are really not very nice at all. Wait a minute. The the writer ridiculed others. Like, the person who asked the question said, you need to change your language. It was a ridicule.

Interesting. What a what an odd what an odd advice. Alright. I don't yeah. I don't know about either of these two secular advices. This is I don't I don't care for it. Alright. Tell I don't know. Tell us what we got wrong. Maybe you're the person who wrote this thing in. You say you don't know the half of it, fellas, and you're gonna straighten us out. Do so on the live from the path. Bob Eisenhower complaint line. It's (515) 517-0085.

Call or text, and you're gonna tell us if you got feedback on the show, if you got some contention on how we are talking about this holy spirit business. And three, maybe you want in on the beta testing of the life from the path mobile app. I need your I need your email address, and I need to know what operating system you're on. And then I'll I'll get you the deets, and you can help us out for then. In the meantime, be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to Life From The Path.