Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston proper. You are live from Pathway. And you're listening to Live From The Path coming from the Pathway Studios here in Johnston proper. It's lovely to be with you. Here's where I'm a start you up. I don't understand why the apostle Paul was never arrested

for his crimes against the church. Oh. Like, as far as we can tell, this man, like, when he says he stood for like, was gonna vouch for the execution of Steven. If you look at the other things he said, like,

it kinda gives the impression, like, he was involved in other things beyond that. Yeah. Father Holmes. Yeah. Jail. Yeah. Yeah. But who'd you expect to arrest him? Like, the the temple guard? Well Not the Romans. Right? He's a Roman citizen.

They're gonna be like, we can't we're not gonna fool with this guy. The civil guard wouldn't be I mean, they're for him. They also don't want Yeah. Hold on a minute. I can't hear Dan. Dog on it. Oh, man. Dan, can you Best thing I ever said. Can you switch to this one over here? Over here? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know what's going on over there. Let's try that. Speak into that one.

How you doing? Okay. Alright. Good. So, Dan This one's straightforward, or has it go up and down? No. No. You're good there. Okay. Okay. So the question yeah. So so did he do so the question is, did he do anything that would otherwise he where he could have been arrested by Roman authorities? So just because you're a Roman doesn't mean you can go shaking people down and beating them up. Yeah. But, I mean, if a Roman is oppressing and beating up the lower class citizenry of the of, you know, Judea,

they're like, meh. They didn't really care. Yeah. I don't know I don't know if that's true because they because remember, the highest, if you're a Roman ruler, the thing you're most concerned about is is peacekeeping. So, like, you don't you don't general rabble rousing is you're not for. And so, like, in fact, that's part of the reason you get Pilate at times being trying to pacify the Jews. Same thing. Herod had done the same thing is that, like, they weren't a powerful force. They didn't really have a standing armor or anything, but they could cause trouble. Okay? And so alright. But I I it seems so obviously, he wasn't arrested as far as we know. So, like, this this it could be perfectly plausible that part of the reason is is that no one pressed charges, or if they did, nobody cared. And and the church was a very small minority. They had no I mean, who what what can they do? Yeah. You know? They can shout all they want. Who cares? Yeah. Maybe they didn't

yeah. Although, wouldn't it wouldn't have been like, the the the martyrdom of Stephen should have been a thing. Right? Rome's like, hey. Nobody puts people to death but us. Yeah. We'd never get a record that actually anybody had a reaction to that. Or, like, was there a Roman reaction to it? And did Paul have to stand and justify it? Yeah. We never heard. He was high he I was I was reading in I was reading Galatians, and I was I was reading through Romans, I think, a little bit this week too. And for some reason oh oh, I know. It was it was at the start of in Galatians, like, two one end of one, end of two. He's talking about, like, remember, I persecuted the church. Like, I I he's like, I violently went after people. And I'm like, why were you not held accountable for this violence? And so here's the other thing is that, like, ultimately, though, the other question

is that, like, if it doesn't happen in the moment, like obviously there's a hesitance in the church after Paul comes to Jesus. It's probably is why his ministry happens in Arabia, South Of Jerusalem, like quite a bit south. And then he moves like way north. He's up in like Cilicia and Galatia and stuff kind of Antioch and further further west. None of it is in this Jerusalem ish area. He makes a cup a few trips down there, but like he's not there. And reasonably, I suppose you could go, well, mean, there might be still people that are hosed off at him. Or But he's culted the Gentiles too. So He is. Although we see his pattern and act. Like he's obviously going to the synagogue. So like Yeah. Just like Peter also kind of does both but has a primary Yeah. To the Jews. We see that with with Paul to the Gentiles.

But it also probably if you think about it, the people who he interacted with in a harmful way as Christians have to reconcile like now what did we do? Because we would say, hey. Just because you found Jesus doesn't mean your earthly consequences necessarily

go away. He could still be held accountable to those things, and we'd have to go, well, yeah. I mean, I guess if he shook people down and violate like he was violent or something with people. But it also means that, like, the the churches or, like, the the Christians and stuff who may have been on the other side of Paul harassing also may have gone, well, if he's turned the page, like, we're good then. I'm gonna let that go. I suppose like the the it comes down to a question of practicality. I remember a guy came to me, I don't know, maybe fifteen years ago. And like like he had been shoplifting,

just stealing crap from Walmart left and right or whatever. And like he had come to know Jesus and he's like, I gotta like I just wanna give my life to Christ. What do I do now? And I said, you need to go tell Walmart you stole all that stuff. He's like, really? I'm like, yeah. Just go I mean, I I doubt they will prosecute you, but if they do, you earned that. Yeah. So, like, I feel like you should and I thought now that think about it fifteen years later, I'm not even sure that was the best advice. Like, I don't know. Like, if you got away with something, you know, back in the day, it depends on really what it is. Like, I suppose if you, like, you know, like, killed a guy or something like, you look, you have to turn yourself in. Like,

have to face up to the stuff that you did, you know, but, like, is every justice required on earthly existence? You know? Like, you gotta go write every lie you told. I mean, I I forgotten half the lies I've told Oh, yeah. That I probably owe apologies for. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And so, like, I don't know. Is that a holy spirit question? Like, we leave it in a bucket that goes, look, God's gonna start bringing up the things that you need to go, like, create earthly justice for. Like heavenly justice was already accomplished on the cross. So like God's not gonna say you will not be in my presence forever because of this thing. He said that's covered. But on earth, you caused this amount of wreckage and you sir are gonna have to like tolerate some justice here on earth for it. I suppose you'd have to kinda pick and choose, like, the big big stuff. You you know? Yeah. I slapped you every time I walked by the last ten years. Maybe I should say, man, I'm really sorry. Yeah. I shouldn't have done the slapping stuff. Oh, no. Here comes the slapper. Dude, who would be known as that guy? Like, he just takes an open hand every time he comes by. I would start going on your offhand. Do you know I'm saying? Like, you're right handed, I'll be like, hit me with your left then.

I yes. I I would say look. If again, if Paul is to be believed, he's like the new the new law is the example of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. And so if there is no other clear prescription from like a have to do

to to follow like the idea what it is to be a a person of God, then, yeah, it's totally up to the holy spirit. And I will say that in my personal experience, it will happen. I will go I like and sometimes not even like directly. I'll be like, Lord, I just wanna repent and clear slate and help point out me all the things. And sometimes something will come up. And then, like, five years later, something that was fifteen years before that, God's like, okay. You need to go talk to this person. I'm like, doggone it. Had that figured. Yeah. I thought I had judiciously dealt with this, and I could get rid of it. But, like, in god's good timing and purpose, he's like, no. Now's the time to go bring that up. Yeah. So okay. I I've heard it said before, like, and I've talked with people that have been in issues that, like, say say a husband has an issue with pornography. Yep. And then he repents, and he's like, he he legitimately is done. His wife never knew about it. And I've heard people say, well, you need to go talk to your wife about that. Mhmm. And I've always hesitated to tell people to do that. I think why create an issue that that is been has been dealt with? You know? Maybe with this past tense away, you could say, man, had struggled. Just so you know, I struggled. But but I I've

always heard it said that's, like, part of the healing process. And and I don't know. That's a tough one because I because I've seen marriages blow up when the wife finds out. And like, I can't forgive you and it's over. You've been unfaithful and so forth. And I think, man, that's a I think there's a lot of marriages that would be in trouble. Yeah, probably so. I I think I I the reality is is that pornography is one thing. Deceit is another. Yeah. And so if it feels like I think not telling them

feels it's you'd be you're now running into a deceit issue. Like, I think especially women who love Jesus like this, that will hurt to find out that, like, you've struggled, you've looked at things you weren't supposed to, especially if it was perpetual. But, like, I think hiding it from them does it actually deprives them of the ability to in some ways support you and to recognize that this is a risk to to now your whole marriage. And now

I I do call I am cautious about making your spouse like your accountability person. Yeah. Because I do think that is that puts a weight on them that I'm not sure is actually the most appropriate. Like you kind of what you need is someone who is for you and supporting and sometimes your accountability person needs to be the slapper. Yeah. It shouldn't be the same like that particular sin, you've sinned against God and you've also sinned against them. And so you're asking them to play like it's almost two separate issues, right? Like you need to take this to God and you need to figure out roots and pathways and problems and all the things. You need to get that right before God. But you've also severely sinned against this woman. And God

is going to hold her on account for being forgiving and understanding of sin to a certain extent, right, and to support you through a struggle. But asking her to be that same person that, like, watches it continually happen, like, the being having the the person that you're sinning against be your accountability person, I like, I'm not saying that you shouldn't ever do that because for some people, that's the thing. Yeah. The fear that this person would find out where the dude would be mad at you, slap you around, but you're like, I can take a couple beats. I just don't wanna have to have this tough conversation with the person I've sinned against. But like the false gnomer is like, you are always gonna have to have that conversation. And you're a Calgary person, it's it's they're on the hook for making you, like, have that conversation unless once again, like, I think that's I think that's a a thing where you're like, it was ten years ago, you screwed a thing up or something. You're like, is there really any reason to come back and create a bunch of hurt and mistrust? And part of me is like, yeah, it happened. Right? We don't run from things. You know, you're not like an opportunist guy that like, I hope they never ask me because I'm gonna have to tell them the truth. You know, like, that's no good. You know? So like, I don't know. That feels more like a holy spirit driven thing too. Like, you can start, like, dropping off sins from when you were 14 too. You know? It would be like, just so you know the kind of person I am, I also stole this from my grandma. You know? Yeah. Right. I I don't I don't know. Like, I would never lean on the side of lying to your spouse, obviously. Right. Even by omitting it. Right? That's no good. I don't think that's God's heart because God says you two are one, so you don't get to keep those secrets here. Yeah. But the question is is, like, is there

I don't even know. I would almost always go with yes. You need to tell them. Okay. Let me ask this question. Let's say you've been married hypothetically for, like, fifteen years. And the second year you were married, you stole a granola bar from a get and go from a from a gas station. Yeah. K. Do you have to tell your spouse about it? No. I'm gonna go with no. Here's the thing because My my goes, I almost always say you should tell your wife. Well Except for this Except for the granola bar. Granola bar. Well, I'm not I'm not saying that That's natural. Yeah. This is where I'm gonna get caught looking like a turd no matter where I go after. Because now I feel like I'm in a trap. But, like, that stealing the granola bar was not a sin against her. Mhmm. That was a sin. I think you should go tell Git and Go. Yeah. And I think you should repent of it and let Jesus clean it. Yeah. Right? But I I think you owe Get and Go $6, and I think you should pay it. And they're gonna say, no. We don't have any mechanism to accept your $6 fifteen years down the road, sir. I feel like I owe the Ben Franklin some money from fourth grade. Yeah. But, like, once again, I think I think I think Ben's right. I think the holy spirit will bring that up. If that's a a thing for you, I think like, I've had God, like, have me, like, replace a a $40 tool that I took from work that we they had a thousand of them. And, like, after five years of not being there, God's like, you took that tool. I want that rectified. And I'm like, okay. But there's also I stole an ashtray from a bar when I was 17. I've not been paid restitution for this in Panorah. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. And, like, God has not asked that of me nor brought it up until right now, which makes me feel real suspicious that I wish I wouldn't have said that. I can't believe you mentioned stealing something from your grandma. I took a hymn book from grandma one time. I, like, was was playing, I don't know, when the saints go marching in or something, and I had this this small hymn book in her basement. And I put it in my bag, and I stole it from grandma. Oh, And

I think my mom and she was so mad and disappointed in me. And I thought, I don't know if people were gonna steal something. Isn't this hymn book like a thing where you're like, you can't steal it because I gave it to you. Like It says amazing grace right here. But I so here here's the in a different context, was actually thinking something about this on the drive here. And it was about there's such Paul would talk about it as freedom. There's such freedom in living not under the law but under

the spirit. But it does mean that you better be listening and paying attention and like actually responding to it because like there's a freedom you could go, well, there's nothing by a law from God that says I have to go make a restitution or I have to say this to a person. But like freedom, like if the spirit is telling you, like prompting you to go do this and sometimes you like, oh man, it's just guilt. I'm like, I don't know. It could I often think guilt is God holding on to me and I don't think negatively, but people are like, oh, God doesn't do guilt. I'm like, God does warnings. I don't know why you would think of that as any different. The things like, ah, it just keeps reminding me and reminding me and it's guilt. I'm like, No, that's probably Jesus saying Doctor. That's not guilt, it's conviction. Doctor. That's right. You should go do the thing.

And why wouldn't I want that? I of course would want that. And so like I was thinking about in the context of like just things that like, if I had to say Paul's description of what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus, do you have to go to church every Sunday? No. No, it's not. I mean, it's not in there. It's not like the church people have always done it. I don't know why you wouldn't wanna do it. But like, is it a prescription to go you follow Jesus or you don't based upon whether you would church attend the church services every Sunday? No. It's not that. But here's the thing I would be real cautious about. If I'm choosing to do something else with my time that isn't gathering with the people of Jesus, bride with of Christ that he thinks is important to be mutually encouraged and called and praised with people together. And I'm like, wow, It's because the dance competitions are like every week for twelve weeks and then basketball and then hockey and then the crocheting club. I'm like, did you really pray on that? And are you listening? Because like, it's it's not that the holy the spirit can't actually find like, that there won't be situations where, like, it just doesn't look like everybody else. And I think we gotta be careful that you don't over bake that looking for a new law that looks like your life.

But I do think that, like, a lot of times where people are going, you know, the I I I got this thing and it doesn't look like a nora like a pattern that seems prescriptive from the New Testament, but it's because like the I'm doing this other thing and god's it's okay. I'm like, I don't I'm kind of curious. It can be okay, but, like, sometimes people say that and really, like, you no. God actually told you. He put it on your mind. You just pushed it away because you wanted to do something else. And here's what's interesting is in in where the where the new relationship is under the spirit, your rejection of what the spirit is telling you is of a far greater consequence than whether you stole in the old testament because you would just do a sacrifice on that. Like you could there was a way to recompense for falling a shortcoming of the law. It is a much different situation when you reject Jesus as king and he tells you to do a thing and you go, nah,

I don't wanna. It's not the same thing as like being a fallibly human. It's not same thing as like having some shortcomings here and there. But if like Jesus is like this he gave you a spirit and is pointing you to thing and you refuse it, that actually I think is of a higher consequence than some of the other things. And so like I just just with the freedom comes the listening to the voice of God and obeying it because Jesus is Lord. And I'd be cautious that you don't use it just to dismiss it and go, you know, maybe I'm just gonna do what I wanna do because I have the freedom to do so. I actually have seen people like they like God was impressing upon them something like that and they didn't wanna do it or they didn't agree with God on it. And they literally had to separate from God

because it wouldn't stop. Right? Because the Holy Spirit will continue to go be like, listen, this is this is a block for you. It has to happen. Mhmm. And, like, instead of ever acquiescing to the thing God was asking for, they're like, my only choice is to separate myself from being in a relationship with God for this to go away, not to resolve it how he asked. Yeah. I just need it to go away. And if it's either resolution or separation, I'll take separation. Yeah. That's wild. It's freaking wild. And it sucks too. Because like the because ultimately, it's a lack of faith of of what God was going to replace that with. Like, God is not arbitrary and he's not a stern rule based father. Right? He's not just going do this because I said so. I wanna see if you'll do it or not. He's like, this is this is harmful to you, son slash daughter. Yeah. Like, I'm asking you to do this because. Yeah. And and, like, you might not even get the because

because he might it might be a thing that's gonna that's gonna resolve itself ten years down the road, or he's gonna need your heart in a heart posture that trusts him in a way that says, even though you're gonna go out on a limb and you're gonna look like a total horse's behind on this thing, And and you're gonna actually lay out some of the worst things you've ever done in front of other people and sit in judgment in front of them. Still then, I'm gonna ask you to do that. Because, like, who knows? There could be literally one guy in your neighborhood ten years from now that's going through the same thing that is gonna need to hear that story to see Jesus correctly. And he will walk your faith through that. So it walks into steadfastness. Right? And has and it's a thing that lasted over time that you could point back to and go, Oh yeah, I've been where you're at, buddy. Let me tell you a quick story. Yeah. You know? And so like, we were talking about this a little bit before the show started. It's like, you don't get a map. Like, God does not say

like, even when James is talking about putting you through tests and trials. Right? Like outside forces that are causing your faith to wonder if you should put weight on it or not. Right? Or like there's inward stuff coming out of you, like your own desires and thoughts, you know? And you wonder how much of that needs to go through a filter of faith and how much weight gets put on that. And like, you really want an explanation of why. Why did you allow this? Why do you allow me to I've asked him this, why do you allow me to be so broken? I'm so tired of having the same conversation with you about my brokenness. It's like a broken record over here, you know? And like it does have

When the output of those two things is taking that weight and leaning it on your faith, God goes, Yeah, that's gonna create steadfastness. Because a steadfastness is a time based measurement. Steadfastness is not you've been steadfast for a day. You know what I'm saying? Like, sir, have steadfast streak. Yeah. Because both faith and steadfastness, they have a built in time to them. Yeah. Right? Like they have to have lasted a time. Otherwise it wasn't faith, it was just a reaction. Yeah. Right? Same thing with steadfastness. Neither one of those things, like if you were to sit down and write them, no one would go, that man has been faithful.

And you're like, all he did was skip the gas station today. You know what I'm saying? Like faithful goes, it had time to it, and it had depth to it, and it had a root to it. And like that's steadfastness in faith. And so like, we so much wanna know the answer why. And God's almost like the answer that covers almost everything is because it produces faith and steadfastness in you. If you didn't ever take that and put the weight of that on me, can't I ever show you that I'm good to put weight on. Yeah. Yeah.

So now should I had that guy tell Walmart he stole $4 worth of random crap over six years or something? I would say I I would tell him to pray on it. And, like, I would say you'd be fully open that if God says you gotta go tell him, you go tell him. I because there is a there is and there's a reason that, like, some of the recovery programs have you do this kind of thing. Yeah. I was thinking the recovery is part of it. Yeah. Yeah. And and I mean, there's obviously something in it. I will say like some of the especially the stuff with your spouse. Here's the reality is that like if you can't give them your full self because you're holding something back, then you need to tell them. Like and I and what that may do I only tell you that it's like, yes, I want you to trust the spirit, but like sometimes, like, there's some there's just like prompts or things that you can run through your mind. Father, like, is there anything that I'm holding back that I that that I should tell my wife? Okay. That's a really big thing. It's like, well, I I snuck a 12 pack of Shasta and I have it hit my shed for like the last month and my wife didn't know about it. And so like maybe it's that. But like or you could say like is there anything that I am holding back from my wife because I'm embarrassed about it? I'm ashamed about it or for my husband,

and I don't wanna tell him, but it's actually meaning that we're we're supposed to be one. We're not acting that way because I'm holding a part of myself back. And like, what it'll be like, sometimes you don't like it because it feels like you're putting a burden on them. They're gonna have to worry about something, especially when it comes to, like, stuff like pornography. Is that, like, it it it does place a burden on them. Now they know or they're aware that this is something. And frankly, it's a hard society to be in if you got trouble looking at things you're not supposed to because the stuff is everywhere. And and like, just to make sure to take it out, like, it could also just be, like, you're worried that it will change their perception of you. Sure. Maybe not even the the the sin against them problem, but like you don't want them to know that you're you're weak. Oh, sure. In a way. You know, or like like you didn't handle a thing right. And you're like, they think of me this way. And if I tell them these stories about the way reacted poorly or I didn't do as best as I could at my job or I got in trouble for this or, like, someone called and I, you know, I let my mouth run or something. Right? You're like, I don't want our relationship to change because now you know that I screw stuff up. You know what saying? And like sometimes, like dudes are especially are are are really good at trying to hide a lot of that, you know, because like for some reason you look at your wife as not a safe place to be a broken dude. Yes.

Actually, that that was the the the thing I was thinking is that, like, it it sometimes Dan, to your point, sometimes this thing actually blows up a marriage. And I'll be honest with you, like, it it's it's some of it's over pornography or something, but some of it's because like in the presence of a significant fallibility like that, you do actually find out whether someone's love for you is unconditional, whether your spouse is actually

a safe place. Like realistically in your most vulnerable, this is the only person who's like implicitly should be trusted with that. I should like I where else you go between Jesus and this person you're married to, like these are the people who, like, you can be you should be able to be completely honest with. And it is actually pretty difficult if you open yourself up and show, like, what your shortcomings are and this person, like, misuses them

or doesn't react in a way now you gotta recognize that like if you've harmed them, you've harmed them. You're gonna have to space for sure. But like if you find out that like if you're not the facade of yourself and that this person is only here for the facade, like that is kind of a reckoning in a marriage and that is pretty difficult. And so like a lot of times it tests marriages but not just because of the thing. It's like how do we react to each other in this thing? So it would be the same it's the same comparison that James is making too, like with you leaning on your faith so it can prove out that it is steadfast.

Right? The same thing is true with your marriage relationship. Right? You're hiding all these things and you're actually missing if the mechanism how God created it actually gets to do its work of what it feels like to actually be that broken person because you told them the stuff and they stayed. You know what I'm saying? And like and and like you set the pattern that says, I'm going to do this and I'm gonna keep I'm gonna put my weight on this covenant and this promise that we've made between each other and between us and God, that I'm gonna put the weight on it like God designed and then actually let it be something where, like, all the things that you are were afraid of turns out you let time pass, and then you just tell them all the time because you know they're not going to leave. And they're like, and that covenant, that promise meant something. And so that marriage does have some thick oak holding it up instead of like perceived, you know, pillars that are hollow inside. Yeah. Yeah. And it does. And like one of the things it does, and it's hard to get there. It's like it's a very mature marriage space

to to be able to be a spouse on the other side of somebody's significant shortcoming and not and recognize it as something that they are suffering through. Right? Like if you're married to a kleptomaniac, they're just stealing crap all over the place. And they have to tell you because they're embarrassed. This is hilarious. Porn, serious and terrible. Stealing, comedy sins. It does

does feel kinda funny. Who doesn't steal a few things? Everyone steals. What a children's crime. Shoot. I did I did make it sound like that, actually. But, like, like, if it is it depends on how, like, mature your your relationship is in, but, like, something that is that someone feels guilty about, like, they're carrying a weight that in some way hits you. But to be able to look and go, well, that has to suck to be them to be to have the shortcomings they have and have to tell me for me to hear about it.

And like to get to the place where it doesn't it's less about how you how hurt you feel and more about, boy, it has to suck to be you to have participated in it and now have to out yourself in it and how can I help that? Like, it feels like you're just letting it go, but you're not really. It's just like it's a very Christian way of handling it. It's just very virtuous and difficult Yeah. To see it that way. I think probably times I have seen

marriages really go through a crisis in this time is they were already in a crisis. Mhmm. And now this was an excuse. Yeah. Now I have something I can Yeah. Put my thumb on you. Yeah. I mean, I'm I'm it's kind of a guess. But I'm sitting here thinking, okay, what have I been hiding from my wife? I and I thought of something here, like, I mean, we've been married forty years. Like, in the first couple years of marriage, there was there was a couple that lived a few down doors from us, and I would I would spend a little extra time watching looking at his wife getting into the car. Mhmm. And I thought, boy, I never I never said anything at the time that, hey. She's kind of attractive. You know? Yeah. Yeah. I mean but it was also far enough away. She could have maybe not been attractive. I never actually spoke to her. I don't know her name. I don't know. I made sure not to go that direction.

Yeah. But I remember I was like, oh, I wonder what that that looked kinda interesting. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And that's pretty bad for, like, a newly wed, you know, guys. Should I should be not thinking those kind of thoughts. Yeah. I I yeah. I've been built on a lie. Forty years of lie. Actually, you know, like, I mean, I probably have said this to to plenty of to plenty of dudes, I guess, but, like, you're not I don't I don't feel like God is holding you accountable for every passing thought you have. I think God is gonna hold you accountable on what you hold. You what I'm saying? And so, like, there are there are some things that, like like, you you can't walk out into this broken world and take in some stuff that's gonna screw up the way that your brain,

like, looks at all situations. Like, we almost, like, breed these poor dudes. You know what I'm saying? To, like, look at things away and, like, you're fighting with everything you have. And so, like, I know I know I know great dudes that, like, you're still gonna have a passing thought, you know? And then but, like, the difference is is, like, does that thought get slammed to the ground, put on your faith, and go, I see what you're trying to do. Get out. Or I wonder. You know what I'm saying? And, like, like, I I I think that, like, maybe we overswung a little bit maybe in the last twenty five years on beating the the tar out of these dudes. And, like, this is weird coming for me because I'm the beat the beat the dudes tar thing. Like, this is this is where I live. But, like, like, at the end of the like, if we can accept that God can look down and go, you you're my broken humanity here that I had to come and rescue. Don't think that you're gonna break the mold and be the only unbroken one. You know what I'm saying? And then turn around yourself up before you drag yourself tattered in front of the throne. Skip all that. Just go right to the throne.

Just go walk right in the door and go like, I did the thing that you probably would have expected out of me. I just don't want it to hang on me, and I don't wanna wanna live apart from you. So God, you gotta help me figure out how to do this better. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I like the very same function within the brain that like causes you to have like a brainwave, like all of a sudden just something pops up and you're like, hey. Hey. That might be the thing. It's the same thing that just, like, randomly shoots out poison. Yeah. That goes, you know what? What would it be like to stab a guy? You're like, I don't Yeah. The same thought that goes, I could put my finger in this fan. Yeah. And then you're like, I gotta take this somewhere else because, like, this fan idea is still sounding pretty good even three seconds in. Okay. I'm a tell Like, this feels dangerous to me, but, like, I I I work in a shed that's outside my house that's pretty well it's it's like remodeled and stuff. So it's like it's my home office. And I have a fireplace in there, wood burner. And I've been burning the crap out of this thing for the last two weeks because it's cold out there. And so I probably twice a day just have this inkling, kind of the same inkling if you've ever walked by a railing that goes off for a very deep chasm, and there's just like a split second where you go, I wonder what it be like if I just flung over the thing. Yeah. You're like, I would never wanna do that. But some bit now I'm worried that my body just have an impulse and go flying over. One of these days. Yeah. And so, like, it was the same. I, like, I keep looking at this thing, and I could just keep imagining me pay putting my hand on it and holding it there. I'm like, why are you even thinking about this? That's dumb.

But no joke, twice a day for two weeks. Like, this is in my head for half a second. I'm like, I don't know. How do I how do I reprogram? How do I get that out of there? I stove and hand aren't going anywhere. So, like, this is the thing. This is literally just trying to look at ourselves honestly. Right? Like, there's about 50 comedic reasons that, like, your brain just fires the thing out, and you're like, I don't know. And and, like, it feels like you've been thinking on it for minutes. You've been on it for literally, like, three milliseconds. Your brain is firing out so much crap. This is how I actually don't know how ladies do it. I think they fire out three times as many thoughts as we do and, like, and are actively engaged with all of them. Yeah. Right? We're like, I will cut and shuffle down to one thought. Yeah. And, like, this is all I'm gonna I'm just gonna focus on this But,

like, and it's because all the other ones are, you should stick your head on that stove. You don't know what that feels like. I'm like, what's wrong with you? You're not gonna do that. And, like, it's that kind of crap. And, like, I I think there is, like, exact like, there are brainwiring differences between the sexes for sure. Right? That I think God has designed in in a way, which is not universally true, but it's pretty darn close to being universally true. We're like, dudes are fighting off these stupid thoughts all the time. They're like, I bet I could run over my hand with this truck. I bet I could run it over and not even know. I don't know. Yeah. It is surprising how many just plain or just evil thoughts. Like, yeah, I just got, like, stab that guy or or whatever. It's it's Yeah. Those thoughts that go through your head. And and maybe some of the mental illness out there, some of these people do it because they don't have the filter to say, yeah. That's actually a bad idea. Yeah. And so maybe that kinda helps you understand with There is. Everybody's thinking that stuff. It's it's so now here's what's wild too. Like, it it just has a sympathy about it. If you're being fair about your rendering like,

you know, have I ever seen a lady or something and then had like an impure thought and it took a second for it to fade away And you're like, well, I did not wanna think that about this person at all. And it's just like the first thing and you're like, oh crap. What can I possibly put in there? What poison am I putting in my life that that's a thing that happened? But you know what? I've read zero books on putting flesh on a fireplace. Yeah. And that seems to show up as a thought. Right. And so like, okay. So you think it's just an impulse and you don't hold onto it, Mike. And I think you're right about that. Like, think the things you dismiss and you let go or what I'd be careful what you put in there because you do like Yeah. It don't help. Yeah. It doesn't help what you feed it. Yeah. But but then if you think about, like, just crimes people commit or things that people say, and and we've even talked about we're not gonna get into this. But, like, we're talking this a little bit about the show of just, like, the decisions people make in moments in in some of our current environment where, like, oh, people made some really terrible decisions or whatever. And you're

some of these are just impulses and, like, your ability to sort some of things out. They were they were talking about I was listening to something, a podcast or whatever, and they were talking about guys who were like mobsters or something like that. And the discussion was kind of around, like, if you were to meet these people and just talk to them, they seem like really, really normal people. And then you find out that, like, they were once involved in like a a murder or something like that. But, like, some of these crimes are, like, thirty minutes out of someone's whole life. Uh-huh. And and, like, there there's an impulse in there. Like, so like, there's is there does it just happen that there's a thought that doesn't get let go of? And then could they go on I'm I'm sure that just changes you, of course. But, like, you know, like, to to your point,

are we how do we think about the how you how do you think about people when you recognize that everybody in some way is fighting off impulses, random thoughts and stuff. Some some like like you didn't if you saw a guy and you thought, oh, man, I'd I'd kinda like to punish that guy. A stupid face or something. Yeah. And, like, that's one thing. Now if you pile a bunch of stuff into your mind and you're angry with someone, like, can now I think that your impulses look a little bit where it's it's easier for it to come to fruition, and then a moment happens and you take back you you do or say something that can't take back.

And then I think to myself, like, okay. How many people who are in prison right now are there because, like, they just position their life to go, I'm just gonna I'm I'm after me, and I'm after evil, and I'm gonna do whatever I damn will please, and that's whatever. Mhmm. And then how many people are there because they lost a moment? They just also probably lost a bunch of moments up to that point to make the threshold easier that their moment had a knife or a gun in their hand. Sure. But, like, it just our our lives are a bunch of moments sinewed together and your ability to like keep them in context, not allow them to build up, have some center that like and the spirit that guides you to not have one take control over the other. I just like this is where the phrase, but the grace of God go I happens. Right. It's that kind of thing. And it should create a level of not like, hey, it's okay for people to lose their impulse controls. I'm just saying I have a little bit more sympathy from people when I recognize that like, am I

five layered emotions and impulses away from maybe doing something that I can't take back? You know what would really suck is to find out we're the only three people that think this. Right. That'd be awkward. You crazy bastard. Like, people are are listening to the show, and they're like, I have never like, my mind does not do this. You crazy folks. I thought about high fiving a stop sign as I rolled past it. This is the same idea that makes you think,

I'm going to start a business sandblasting, and you know zero about it. You're like, you know what? I could get a sandblaster, and I could start a sandblasting empire. There's people that like feed that thought and it turned out to be great. He does start a sandblasting empire. But from my lowly position of owning like one small sandblaster that can maybe fit like a foot by foot something in it, I'm like, I could sandblast for money. I could be the sandblaster everyone turns to. Like, if I need something sandblasted, I get ahold of Mike. I'm like, these are literally the thoughts I had when I got a sandblaster. I'm like, I'm gonna be so great at sandblasting. It's not reasonable. You know what saying? I was on my way into town

to a hardware store this morning at about about 07:30. And I got behind, left a stoplight, and I got behind a person. The speed limit was 55. This person for some reason is going 53 in the fast lane. And so I eventually go around them and then they pull end up pulling back behind me. And then I think to myself, you know what I could do? I should slow down to like 50.

That'll show up. And then I thought, why? This is not rational at all. They were going slower than you wanted them to. You easily went around. You're going about your day. Why would it like, this is not it's detrimental to you not getting any faster to your place because what? Hoping they come by so then I'm gonna do what? Give them the bird or something? Like, this this whole this whole stream of thoughts. Like, I'm as it's happening Yeah. I'm also digesting it going, this is the stupidest idea ever. Why am I even thinking of this? It is no practical good. But it's just there. It's just there. And like, I've had like, driving I'm not an angry driver at all as far as I can tell. But like, there is impulse control that someone goes by, and I just think I should give them a piece of my finger. Why? Yeah. There's no reason to do that. I'm not mad.

I did they didn't do anything wrong. Why would I even have that thought? Yeah. Yeah. It's crazy. You're listening to life from the path. Hey. Here's what you can do. I'm kind of curious. If you want to share, you don't have to provide your name if you don't want to. But if you're you wanna hit up the complaint line, I'd kind of be curious on, like, what what input like, what Randall thought has have you had over the last, I don't know, three weeks or something where you're like, this is just wild, but it occurred to me, and you wanna share it with the world. I feel like I should start writing these down. I had a scheme to make a tuxedo out of a at a squirrel out of squirrel pelts

a couple days ago. I could that I entertained that thought for probably fifteen seconds. I'm like, I bet you could get You take a lot of squirrels. And that's what I thought. I'm like and then I was about to Google it. This is the problem with our modern age. Right? It's like, it's easy to feed the thought. Like, no like, even put this fifty years ago. If a guy wants to make a squirrel tuxedo, you're gonna have to meet some new people. You know I'm saying? I can't validate validate if if this this is is a a great great idea, idea, if it's already been done, and about how many squirrels it might take. But with the with the Google and AI, I can be like, about how many squirrels do I need to make this tuxedo squirrel pelt I wanna make? And it's like, well, we think it's about 17. I'm like, alright. 17 squirrels. If I ever run into a situation,

you know, and I'm like, like, maybe our our our modern, like, frame has not helped this because you can feed every you know how many questions that, like, go answered that were left unanswered not fifty years ago. You'd wonder a thing and no one in your family could get it. You're like, what's the capital of Turkey? And everyone's like, man, I don't know. And then we left it at that. We're like, turns out no one knows. Oh, well. But then now you can look it up and find it and you're like, oh, well, good. Now now we know. And then nothing happened there either. You know, what what worries me sometime is, like, in in preaching, it's amazing the thoughts that go through your your mind that have nothing to do with the sermon. Right? I mean, you probably have Oh, yeah. You know, I mean, that are completely unrelated, like, well, that shirt's a little low. Like, I wish that, you know, child had a different shirt on or whatever. Just completely unrelated to anything. And I suppose my

people will know I've got dementia when I start saying them, and they'll think, what? What? Like, I don't know. Like, I wish the neighbor would have mowed their yard. You know? And it's like, what is it has nothing to do with what we're talking about today, but, you know, some thought comes out or Yeah. You know? Yeah. I find that true when I'm trying to write the thing that I'm teaching about. Oh, yeah. Like, I just like, I get off on and, like, here's this is also where I think Google has not been helpful to like the preaching community. Like I was talking to a guy earlier this week and I'm like, I think it's perfectly fine. We were talking about youth curriculum and I was just, for some reason I was on some kind of tangent on how much I hated it. Right? I'm just like, if God has called you be a preacher teacher for a group of people, that means he knows you and he's called you to do that. So do I think that you should study your bible a thousand percent? Do I think you should read that commentary by MacArthur? Yeah. Do I think that you should take all those things and then preach how God gifted you to preach because he put you in charge of these people? Yes. That's what I actually think.

So like but like, instead of knowing, like I will get a half a Bible verse in my head and I'm like, that ties into this why, why, where. And I just Google it until I like, I don't have to know where it's at. Yeah. And I don't even have to know the context of it. I'm just like, there's a half a Bible verse in my head that ties to this, now I gotta go find it. Yeah. And I feel like it's created laziness in my attempt. I don't have to write scripture on my heart because I have scripture on my phone and in paper. And so whenever I need it, but it's gonna be a second. I can't readily fire it out as if it's ingrained in my sinews anymore. I'd be like, I know half of that. I don't even remember what book it's in. Let me take a look for a second. Let me Google it and get back to you. I was thinking about that the other day. I I have very little scripture memorized. Like, I used to have a ton of it, but I just don't yeah. You just yeah. You just look it up. Yeah. Or I know, well, it's in chapter 12. You know? There it is. You know? Yeah. Or I get the general idea. And a lot of it's because everything's digital. I've been kinda trying to work my way back to just paper. Yeah. You know, good old paper bible

and just because I got lazy. Yeah. I mean, here's the thing is, like, you could probably chalk that up too. It's like, look, man. Like, we're in a modern age. Like, everybody was raised this way. Like, there's no extra points for being a Luddite. You know? But on the other hand, if, like, I have to write down my cousin's name on a cheat sheet because I don't wanna learn their name, and every time I run into them, like, then that's Bill. You know what saying? Like Good. Yeah. Does that have more implications than just that? Yeah. I think it does. Yeah. You know I'm saying? Like, you put important it's not like I have to look up my own kid's name every time they walk in a room. You know? Like, I've got that one memorized because it's important, and it means something. So, like, I I it does kinda mean something. You know I'm saying? It's like repetition. You you see that child every day. Know? The name's always there. You're not looking at the bible every day, so now you're like, I don't remember where Joel's at. Yeah. It's like somewhere toward the Ish.

Dude, I get so embarrassed. I know where Galatians is, kinda. Yeah. I know where James is, kinda. Yeah. Like, I got a quadrant down. I know about where it's at. I can't tell you the book before it or after it, but I know it's not Revelation. It's gotta be before that. Right. Right. You know what I'm saying? And so I'm like, once again, like not to swing with an overly religious, like cloth or swath here, but like, come on. Like there's things that are important that they're ingrained in you. Like, most of the the the dudes I see having conversations about Jesus out in the wild, like, I'm not super impressed if you're pulling scripture and missing heart. But if you're pulling God's heart and you can scripture, I'm like, hot dang, dude. Yeah. Yeah. Come on. You know what I'm saying? I'll listen to you talk all day. Yeah. Yeah. Alright. You're listening live from the Path. That's (515) 517-0085. Call or text (515) 517-0085. That's the live from the Path Bob Eisenhower complaint line. And this week, it is open for your what's that random thought that you're like, I can't believe that popped into my mind. I I mean, keep it clean.

Whatever. Like, I don't I don't need to know whatever scandal you're involved in. You should probably tell your husband or whatever. But, like, other than that, up to putting your hand on a stove seems alright. Like, if you wanna share that, that's fine. Anyway, (515) 517-0085. Call or text. Alright. I think we were talking I don't know. Wait. Let's see. That that conversation went on a little bit longer than I thought. It's, like, forty five minutes. Mike, we were talking before the show a little bit about maintaining

hope. Yeah. Yeah. And I can't remember where we well, it took a couple turns, but it has to do with a question that I struggled with when I was younger was I I never struggled with God being good. Right? But I always struggled with God gives people free will, and if they don't choose him, then what's what does it matter how good God is? Mhmm. Right? If this if the if if Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and says, look, come one, come all. I've paid the price. But he's not ever going to make you do it, and people can still choose to say no,

then how can I have hope in someone coming to know him? And I struggled with that for a really long time because I'm like, it doesn't ever take God's goodness out. But I've known these people for years and they keep doing the same stupid crap. And they keep not acknowledging the life that God had set out for them and the sacrifice that he made for them. So how can I hope that they're ever gonna figure it out? Because God's not gonna force it. And boy,

bet I did that for a really long time. And I think maybe that I have come to think about it a little bit differently. I have never seen God change someone's free will, but I have seen God descend on them in a way that opened their eyes to his goodness. Right? Like what I was asking for that they would make the conscious choice to acknowledge Christ as their savior, and he wasn't going to force him, but he's going to sure make a stark comparison on what the offerings are. And I've seen him do that. And I thought, okay, actually, that puts a little bit of hope back in my prayer. Right? Like, it's hard for me to go, God, will you just change the mind of this person? Because he's already said in his scripture, he's not gonna do that. So, you know, that's not gonna happen. But like, can I say, God, will you open their eyes to you in a way that they've never seen you before? Or that they see their own life in its correct perspective compared to the freedom and the peace and the joy that you're offering.

And like, I think he has been faithful to that. But all that being said, the first thought was mired in having like, I don't have any basis for having hope. The whole thing is based on humans not being stubborn or giving up their own free will, I'm screwed. People don't do that. Like, people have made choice after choice after choice against them and the people around them, and that includes me. You know? We're like, I've I had to be compelled in a way that both equal the heart posture and and even factual

representation of truths for me to go, Oh, I do choose this. But without that thought, it's just like this hopeless position. And then we started talking about a little bit, like, what's it look like to actually have hope in some

of things that we're praying for and actually some of the people around us. And I was reminded of a conversation we were having about even our political dispersion in the country at the moment or forever ever since it was accepted, I guess. Right? As Christians, we draw these really hard lines about political affiliation, and we start looking at the other half as if they're our enemy. And that's

not even a Christian thought. That pulls every bit of hope out of it that God would not reveal to them in a way not to agree with you politically, but to actually have their eyes open to freedom and joy and love. Is it possible? Instead of seeing these people are against me, like we would be looking at them and going, dear Lord, would you open their eyes so we can be together as a people that know you? Right. Right. That's my future brother-in-law right there. Yeah. Like it's that kind of thought. Like, do you look at people like that or you go, no. That guy's what first of all, whatever separation you made, you're always putting yourself on the right side of it. Yes. Which there's a bit of an arrogance too.

Yeah. It just works out that way. Yeah. She's I don't mean to be black and white, but that we are separated and that guy, of course, is wrong. Yeah. Right. Right. And so like and like, I was just talking about this with someone today. It was like like, I have to be equally open to the fact that I have some things wrong too. And so, like, your prayer would be more hopeful in a way that goes, Lord, would you just reveal, like, truths to me and them? Would you would you reveal in a way that, like, our whole goal as a humanity is to see you and and understand the the the gift that you've given us and wanna be in your presence. And so, like, if you can if you could reveal that to me and to them, that's actually my prayer. Don't make the I'm I'm not trying to say, well, you just agree with me. Right? Because I see God. Right? I'm like, I'll take God. The more I see of him and the more I understand of him and the more the wisdom that I get in that area, that's actually what I want. And I want them to come with me, even though I think they probably hate me right now. I get accused of this a lot is like people will do terrible things. And the first thing out of my mouth tends to be, what do you expect out of them? They don't know Jesus. Like, that and I and I actually believe that. Right? I find it very difficult to hold people accountable to anything if they don't know who the god of creation is. Even even, like, social mores or, like, they're being mean to me. I'm like, they're unhappy people. They're not walking in freedom or joy. I don't I don't know. That's what comes out of a bucket of unhappy. You know? And so, like, like, I this is where I get it wrong is because I lack empathy for the people who've been hurt by the action. I'm just like, I don't even understand why you're upset. What would you expect out of them? They don't know Jesus. You know what I'm saying? Why are you mad at the slapper? He's got a rough home life. Exactly.

Like, I like this I I do this incorrectly. Right? Like like, sometimes kids will tell me that, like, you know, this kid's being real mean to me at school, and I'm like, they're not happy people, dude. Like, like, their words shouldn't mean anything to you. And I see that they do, but they don't know Jesus, and they don't know what happy is, and so they're taking it out on you. You gotta let it go. You know? Like, that's a little unfair to the person whose feelings were hurt or whatever. But, like, it's my general answer. And, like, I I still do believe that in almost every occasion. I'm like, they don't know Jesus. What'd you expect out of them? So actually, find that to be a question for having hope in other people. I have a hard time holding people accountable to their actions who don't know Jesus. But I also have a hard time having hope that goes like, to to to tell the offended party, it was like, like, we need to pray into that. We need to have some hope that, like, God will intervene in their life. Because part of me starts running math equations and goes, not everyone's gonna be not everyone's gonna take them up on the offer. Mhmm. You know? And I don't know the odds, and I don't know who's gonna do it and who's not gonna do it. So having blanket hope seems like a logical fallacy.

Yeah. Yeah. No. That's true. The so the here's I suppose here's the question or the very probably a terrible comparison came up to my mind. But, like, if you shouldn't even say this. That's what I thought of. I'm sorry.

If you had if you had a road and there were a 100 frogs just, like, going down the road This is sailing. For some for some reason. I wanna finish it because I started it. And there's, a steamroller coming down the road. Right? Would it be and you could reach in and

you could get one, would you? Or would you be like, I mean, 99 or like, most of they're all gonna die anyway. And so I might might as well not even bother with the one frog. Okay. Hold on. Just to just to relivize your example, though. Yep. I can't have hope for all hundo. No. Is my hope misplaced? No. The no. The hope is not misplaced. You would still go and you would say whatever effort I might would put into it would be valuable to whoever I might be able to reach and help. Yeah. And, like, the the the problem with my example in addition to being crude and unhelpful

is that, like, the the frogs have no volition. They don't actually get to choose. Like, they're just blindly hopping down the road, gonna get run over by the steamroller. And we're also like, in this example, we're talking about a 100 frogs that, like, I don't I'm not invested in. Right? When the truth of the matter is there's a frog in the third row, the eighth row, the tenth row, and then row 37 Yep. That I love very much. Yes. Yes. Yeah. And so the but the question is is it like well, one, maybe if we start from the other direction, is is it is it right to not have hope that if well, part of the constraints of hope is time.

It's like is to look at the current situation, to look at the frogs going down the road and go, well They will always go down the road. They will always be down that road. There's a steamroller coming. They're heading right towards it. Damn. Like, the situation is dire. Yeah. Right? But the reality is is that, like, some of those some of those frogs will jump out of the road without you doing anything at all. Mhmm. Other circumstances will go they'll see a fly and they'll jump after it. They'll just decide that that someone else they're gonna go hop in somewhere else. Like, they will simply get out of the way, and it didn't require any effort on your behalf. There are some who, like, they are your they're they're actually the people who are influenced by you. And, like, you stood and yelled and told them to move, and they refused to do it. And then you turned around and walked away. And then before the steam room, like like, a block away, they're like, oh, you know what? I am gonna do thing that that guy said. Yeah. I was right. And like the question is is that like, is that crazy? Is there a is there a reason to believe that people because because think of especially who you're dealing like most of you're dealing with is like the formative teenage years. The reality is, it's the opposite is probably a little bit harsher reality for most people in the churches. They go through these the youth groups and they're like, yeah, good. We got them booked in. These kids are following Jesus.

And 60% of those folks are gonna bail by the time they get through their first biology class at the community college. Yep. Yeah. Like, whatever confidence they had, like, that wasn't real anyway. And then but over time, there are there are great reckonings that draw people back to have to deal with the realities of life. You can blend them all you want to, but you start having kids. You start looking at like the political environments that we're in. You start thinking about the world and seeing the things around you. Or frankly, you just run into the people of Jesus,

whether it's you or somebody else. Like, are people coming to Jesus had they after they had not formed that opinion or even rejected it when they were 16, 17, 18 years old? Yes. Yes. And so the question is, is it like what value would it be to not have any hope into that? It is happening. Now is it everybody? No. But given that you don't know which one of those everybody's is going to say yes,

like, what other practical output is there except for the hope for them all? Yeah. Actually, it's it's the arrogant thought that hope is under your control. Right? Which actually, that's the exact opposite of what hope is. Right? Like, you know, you're asking for a thing or you're having a feeling in a way that says, have if if if it was under my control, I would just do it. Right? Like, hope is like re like having a reaction that goes, this is actually out of my control. My deepest want is that something shows up to make this different. Mhmm. Right? And that's actually what hope is compared to the things that you could practically just get done. Yeah. You know? So, like, at the end of the day, I suppose the thought that says, if you were to pull hope out because you didn't feel like it's doing anything or you didn't or you're the odds weren't in your in your favor,

then you're misunderstanding the basic definition of hope in the first place. It has you're not even in the equation. That's why hope is there. Yeah. Yeah. And it does it does actually it does put it puts the notion of faith to a test. Like, it's not right. It's not hope if you can control it. If you can control it, then it's just whether are you good at controlling it or not. Hope is a thing like to your point, if it's something that you can't control and you're gonna say, like, Jesus, I'm going to have to trust

you with this. I I physically can't do anything. The And reality is that this is I think the the crux of what you're getting at that's difficult, which is to go, I do trust Jesus, but he Jesus could make the greatest offer in the world, which he has, and someone could still say, no, I don't want that, and he will allow that. And so as a broad thing, you can think about it and goes, oh, okay. I mean, I guess I understand. You get people got free will and you wanna force them or whatever. What you don't want and what's hard to reckon with is the odds that there are five people that you really, really care about. And you're like, I want the 100% to be the five. Yeah. I want the person that's gonna say no to be the person I don't know and that I didn't spend time with and I don't love dearly and like whatever

and like god at least made it. But then you also know that if the odds of the people that you love is all of them, I don't know, somebody somebody loves is gonna say no Yeah. To Jesus. Which I mean actually goes back to scripture and puts me at the persistent widow. I'm like, it matters that I keep asking for these five. Yeah. Do know what I'm saying? And like, don't I know. The Bible is pretty clear that like if God can be in the business of changing a heart of stone to a heart of flesh,

right? Then like there's not then your prayers matter. Right? Their prayers matter. Yep. And and like, God is not unfair, you know, to those that like, maybe that's the thought that it's now changing too. It's like, God is not unfair to those who don't have someone praying for them. Right? Like, he's not like, well, no one asked for Tim today. So I guess no no proof to you, Tim. Like, go on with your happy self. Right? Like and even Paul will talk to this is like, you should be able to look out in creation and know. Right? So like, this isn't hidden from you in a way. Like, you may have surrounded yourself with people that will support that it's hidden, that it should be hidden from you. But at the end of the day, you freaking know. You freaking know. So now let's talk. You know? And so like, I think God is is continually faithful in in in the prayers that you that you pray with hope for other people. And, like, it's always doing more than one thing. It's doing an edifying of your soul. It's putting weight on your faith so it can be steadfastness.

If you don't trust God to bring those around you that you love in a place where they can see him accurately, correctly, and the hope that is in him, then you're not willing to put any weight on your faith. Like, at the end of the day, it's all we really have, that God is good and can and he knows that you love other people, and that is why you continually ask for him to get involved. And if you're like, he will ignore this for some kind of grand scheme plan, you know, and, like, your prayers only matter as, like, a petting of a dog, not a actual doing business up in heaven, that that is not the picture the bible paints. The bible paints your prayers go up. They are read, understood, and actions are taken. You know? Maybe not the actions you wanted in the time period you asked for, which your perception hope is very much based on a preset amount of time that you're not willing to admit you've already set. Okay. I'll be honest. It's the vision. We talk about the vision of the prayers flowing up to heaven. Right? And this is I know this has a bit of a mix of like of like a Zeus. But like,

you know, it's to your point, prayers go up and then heaven hears them and then there's a reaction. Right? But traditionally, we go, look, God is gonna say yes, no, and not yet. And so it's just the force of the like wafts up and then he takes it in. And then it's like a like a very forceful not yet. Not yet. Throws it down. Wait. It's just it's a funny sorry. God only reacts at eleven. I fire hard all the time. It's a funny thing that was like, yeses and noes seem firm, it's like, and Mickey was Throws it down. Sorry. Was in my mind. Which is a which like, that's funny too because, like, I would actually probably picture the same thing. And then I would think as a dad, do I react that way? Do I fire Mike hot all the time no matter what my kid asks? You know what I'm saying? Hey. Can we go get ice cream on Wednesday? That's the movie. I yeah. I think

is I actually, I think this is paramount to the health of our faith to fight for hope when it's hard. Like, it's the one thing that like the Christian view of the world and the recognition of the of the applicability of the rescue of Jesus,

like, I I there's no other place where hope comes from except from that. Is there a difficult rendering that says there's there's folks who just don't want it? They don't want they know the difference and don't want it. That's hard. That hurts your heart because like, why? Like, how could it possibly be that way? And that's hard. But I but even even like this is where being encouraged both from like actually, you know what's interesting is that the Bible doesn't have a ton of

story. Outside of Paul, You just don't have a lot of stories where people are like against Yahweh and then for him. Like the conversion stories. It's a more it's a more those are like more unique. I mean, they're they're they're in our culture. You see them a lot. They show up. They're probably worth rejoicing and remembering about. It's like the thing that you thought, no. Not that guy ever. And then all of a sudden, it's that guy. And you're like, wow. I just didn't. And maybe someone thought that of me. I don't know.

Like, when I wasn't really following Jesus that closely and like, nah. I don't I don't think so. And, you know, and so you just or Dan when he had a bunch of patches in his hand or like Yeah. He's hogging women and stealing stuff from supermarkets. Well, you know. Wife find myself attracted to a blurry woman. I'm sure she was attracted. I'm sure of it. Maybe. I'm drawn down to focus ladies. Hey. That's actually a product of growing up in the seventies and eighties. The TV was not crisp. Accepted

all things as blurry. All Charlie's angels in four eighty p. So yeah, so I do think it is. It's not like you have to bounce around hopeful like a buzzing bee because like there's you recognize the there's something about that's motivating I think to recognize what's at stake. I think that's good. I think that's healthy.

But like given the things and recognizing what's outside of our control, don't find if I'm able to think about it logically and practically that there is no value at all of not having hope. It's it can't pass it won't it's one thing actually. I've been talking to one of my kids about this very thing. Like, this lovely individual

just tends to be pessimistic about things and has a belief that they know what's going to happen. And it always it tends to bend negative, like negative reactions to her or the situation's not gonna go the way that they expect or whatever. And it just kept coming up where, like, you know, if you're going to to to be pessimistic like that, it's almost gonna guarantee by your own behavior that the situation ends up being what you prescribed it to be. So you're gonna be right ultimately but very lonely

and sad. And so like but that's the cost of being right in your pessimism is like very justified in your correctness and you're lonely and sad. Or you can be optimistic about the thing. You can decide that you have some humility that says, I don't really know how it's all gonna work out. I might as well play it for the best I very can to try to make

the hopeful things happen. And then, like, I actually don't think you're gonna be as often as disappointed as you believe yourself to be simply because when you saw hope in it, you acted in a hopeful manner. And that means you did not you did not double down on division, and you didn't double down on disappointment. You didn't double down on shortcomings. Like, because if I thought, like, it was a steadfast, some decision somebody made was going to be forever and it was basically a screw you to me, then I'm gonna feel more justified going, well, screw you to you because there was no hope of it reversing. But if I had even a modicum of a thought that like there's still something here to hold onto, rescue is still possible,

it would be foolish to blow this up. Well then, hope caused you to act differently, and so it just is not of any practical good. And you often need the spirit's help in this thing to go, Father, help me embrace the day with hope because I'm struggling. It's actually the thing that like after after the gospels and the start of the church in Acts, all the letters are basically,

this is how we live based on the truth that we know. Mhmm. Right? And, like, almost all those letters are the exact same thing. Like, you need to put weight on the faith that you have in Jesus. You need to start piling things on there. And, like, it's not even it's not a filter. Like, you're not you don't filter it through your faith. You store it there. That's where it goes. Like, it has a destination.

And, like, it's like having a it's like having a pickup truck, and no one ever saw you put a couch in it. You never moved nothing. You know what I'm saying? And people are like, do you even use the truck for what you have it for? And you're like, oh, yeah, all the time. Have you ever put anything in the back of it? No, I don't do that. You know I'm saying? Like, that's Paul's Paul's push on faith. That's James' push on faith. That's Peter's in second Peter. Like, these are all the like the push that goes, look, now how do we live? We live by Jesus has shown you every card to show you the gift and trajectory for what God's plan for humanity was. Now I'm asking, do you believe that? And how does that look like on how you act on a day to day basis? And if your outlook on life is lacking hope, then you do not understand the mechanism of what Christ did. Because it was like the ultimate hope thing. Yeah. But I think that reiterates though is that, like, that is the practical implication

of what we believe. It doesn't mean that every morning you're gonna wake up with your guts feeling that. No. And that you're not gonna see situations around you that are hard for you to be hopeful hopeful about. God, I don't see a path here. And and it will hit the limits of your own personal ability and your practicality. Father, there's not a lever I can pull to make this situation any better than what it is. And there's not a word I can say that will make this situation any better than it is. And so when my where the reach of my hand stops, can you yet remind me that my hope was never about the reach of my hand? Yeah. That's hard. And I I I think it's I just I guess why I wanna reiterate that it's completely healthy. It's nor well, it's normal to have that reaction.

And what you should do with that is push it right back where the hope comes from because you didn't have it you to to have anyway. You're a dealer of hope. You're not the manufacturer. That's right. What what is awesome is sitting on a couch in your living room. What sucks is loading it in the back of the truck and then unloading it when it got there. Yeah. And, like, what you're not in control of is the destination between loading it and taking it off the truck. Right? Like, the hope is the couch will eventually get to your place. You know what I'm saying? And, like, the work and the the the heaviness in the middle is like, now we gotta load this thing up, three flights of stairs into the truck. And now it's gonna rest in God's hands while while he drives it around or does whatever. But your hope is that truck will eventually show up at the house that you were that you really wanted that couch in. Yeah. Yeah. Alright. You're listening to life from the path. Thanks for hanging out with us this evening. We're gonna give you some quick advice from the random parts of the Internet, and then we're gonna cut you loose. Can go about your day. It's a marriage one dear life from the path. My husband and I have been together thirty plus years. When our love was new, it was all smiles, hand holding, and thrills when we saw each other after a long day at work or school, and I guess that's normal. Now three kids and three grandkids later, we're edging past our mid fifties, and there isn't much left. There are no more smiles and no more hand holding, only two sad adults. We still love each other. Neither of us wants to be apart from the other, but we don't know how to bring back happiness. We hardly touch, and neither of us remembers the last time we smiled or even really laughed. We sit in the same room living two completely different lives. I am partially disabled, so there are no more long walks or outside activities, which we used to do twenty years ago. We are now wondering, is this the rest of our lives? Are we going to spend the next twenty plus years in a depressing marriage in which we love each other but no longer have anything in common?

Youngest daughter is youngest daughter is eight, and our youngest grandson is five. We watch the kids fifteen, nine, eight, and five in the evening so our eldest can work. Is there any hope for us? Our youngest daughter is eight. Wow. Does that sound right? I mean, it happens. Okay. I hear people have sex clear under their fifties. Yeah. I mean, so you know how to There there's a rumor.

I mean, it does sound like you know how to do a thing that otherwise keeps some of the spark alive. Sounds a little happy. Yeah. Dan, I don't know. First first reaction. For first reaction to to me is, yes, you're destined to to keep it going unless you change course. You gotta change course. Do something you've gotta do something intentional that you don't normally do. Maybe you can't go on a walk. Go on a cruise. You just sit on a ship and sail around and eat and have fun and eat ice cream. Or do you know, it's a three day thing or a seven yeah. Whatever. I don't know what your budget is. But but do you gotta get out. You be creative. You gotta be intentionally man, I'm I'm a little bit beyond that age wise. And and and if we're not careful, my wife and I, when I'm not looking at the neighbor down the road,

we'll sit there, and she'll look at the pimple popping videos videos on her iPad, and I'll watch the news, and we'll both be not say a word. And so every once in while, like, I turn off the TV. It's like, hey. Let's go do something. Let's go for a ride. Let's go do let's talk. Let's do whatever. Yep. And and it has to you have to do that because we're lazy. All of us are. At some point, we'll we'll just float into oblivion, and and you can do better than that. Yeah. Yeah. So Yeah. I think, like, if you'd have thought about it, you would realize that, like, some of this is logical,

right? Like you're by twenty years into marriage, like they've heard your stories. You're not gonna wow them with the new thing. They're like, did I tell you about that time in high school that yeah. Yeah, you did. Yeah, you did. Yesterday. You know what I'm saying? So like the the the longer that you are with a person more than you ever been without them, right? Which is what happens in a long term marriage. Right? Yeah. Most of your memories are made with them. Yeah. And so you're not regaling them with stories that they haven't heard from you from your past anymore. So like to Dan's point, like you're gonna have to make new stories. And like you have to be intentional about them stories because they're not gonna make themselves. You know? So like, I feels like like the both of you, like, you've you've given up before the races even look like it's ready to be called. You know what I'm saying? Like and maybe you're just a little sad. And like, marriages go through this. People go through this. This is not the decider of the rest of your days because this is how you feel about it today. It's only the decider if you go, this is a crappy course, let's stay where we're at and keep doing the same things. That's just outright foolish. You should have been able to whether this snuck up on you

or you're like, you're just realizing it now. At the end of the day, like no one sits around and goes, how can I make my marriage better in fifteen years today? It is a thing that when it hits you, you go, oh, okay. We're gonna have to make a change here a little bit. And so, like, I I think you're putting way too much weight on this. Yeah. Think you realized you have a problem, and that's a gift. That's great. Not a burden. You know? Like, take it as a friendly wake up call that goes, if I wouldn't have known anything was wrong, then we were headed towards disaster. Yeah. And I don't wanna do that. We will every so often, every five years or something, we'll go off just and spend a couple, even two or three days, it doesn't have to be long, and just sit down, like, what's all the stuff you want to get done in the next five years? And we'll just write everything down. And then we'll kind of prioritize. Well, okay, now we'll go backwards. What's first, second, third? And then every so often, like, we're gonna do it again in March, and we're gonna because we knocked off a few goals early, actually, and was like, okay. So now let's look at this again. What do you wanna do next? And then some of it's projects. Some of it's trips. Some of it is just goals, family stuff. I mean, just do it all. So you have something to look forward to, so you have something to work toward. Otherwise, you just sit around and everything falls apart around you. And so we always wanna have something as a couple we're working toward

as a as a in in our family, in our home, grandkids involved, you know, all the things. Yeah. And and so so it's a plan. You know? And if you don't make it, okay. So we'll get it the next The next five years. We're here. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But at least it gives us a a direction, and we can say, oh, look. We did something. Yeah. I like that. Like so a few few key things sounds like, one, talk about what you want from your lives. Yeah. And because, like, uniquely, you guys can dream and plan together and figure out how to do that. Two, don't give up so easily. And three, I I mean, just do sexy stuff. Like, there's only one person in the world you get to do sexy stuff with. You want that you want that relationship kindled? I mean,

it's not gonna feel it's gonna feel awkward now because y'all done, like, standing at a distance. You don't know how to reengage in it. I'm just saying you best you best get in on it. Yeah. Okay. Segular says, you say that you and your husband love each other. There is hope for reviving your marriage if you agree to go to couples counseling together. Marriage involves more than smiles, hand holding, and thrills. It is a deep and caring partnership. Few couples can sustain the excitement of their honeymoon years. You and your husband have already done that hard work. Now you need to find your way back together. You didn't really say anything, secular. No. I actually think that, like, the stuff that she's talking about, I they they probably already do. That's why they don't wanna leave each other. Like, they're the deep stuff is already there. Like but so you spent your time crafting

this core connection. And now actually, you gotta rebuild the thing that you had at the beginning. And so I actually think it's the opposite of what she's saying. I bet they're not struggling with that part, but but they're not actively fighting for the lives that they want now. Yeah. Do you know how crappy you can make the the later years of your marriage by trying to recreate the early years of your marriage? Mhmm. Right? Like, they were a bit of a mystery. You didn't know everything about them. Now you know the guy shakes his leg every time he pees. And, like, he has to go through three toothbrushes because he brushes with the hard bristles in the morning and the soft at night. The mystery is gone and that's okay. You don't need to separate yourself and create mystery.

You're do a thing that most people don't get the privilege of doing, which is building a life completely together after you straighten all that stupid crap out. You know what I'm saying? It's like, stop shortchanging what could be just an awesome position to be in by actually moving through life as one and making memories as one and, like, starting to recreate, like, you were there in the first five years of your marriage. It was terrible. Right? You fought over stupid stuff. You both were running at tens over dumb things. You were fighting with your own, like misconception of who you were gonna be and what you were gonna do. And like, yuck, I would never go back to that. You know what I'm saying? It had fun parts, but most of it, right? That was two people trying to figure out how to live together. Now you're twenty years in, thirty years in. Right? Like, you know how to do that. Take advantage of the cool position you're in. Alright. Secular says oh, no. Here's the question. Dear life from the path,

my husband and I were dining with friends at a high end restaurant. The food was great, and so was the conversation. My husband leaned close to me and whispered, she's brushing her teeth. I glanced to my left. I had thought the gal at the next table was just using a toothpick. Nope. She was vigorously brushing with a full sized toothbrush.

After about a minute, she placed the toothbrush into a cosmetic bag and pulled proceeded to insert and adjust her retainer. We were flabbergasted. Never in all my years have I seen such appalling table manners. Perhaps we shouldn't have been staring, but it was one of those moments in which you are frozen to the spot. Life from the Path, that restaurant has very nice bathrooms. What is happening to our society?

What the what the heck? I have never been frozen to a spot. Been like, Egads Harold. Have you ever seen one participate in dental care in a public space? I mean, it's odd. Yeah.

I mean, if I saw someone whoop out some old spice deodorant and start putting it on at the table, I'd be like, come on, dude. Is it equivalent to a guy shaving? I don't know. What if it's one of those single use toothbrushes where it doesn't create a bunch of trouble? Like a wisp? Not well, okay. Kinda like a wisp. But let's say that it's a full size toothbrush that does the same job as a wisp. Okay. I think it's weird. I I I would just say it's an odd thing to happen. I don't know. But, like, this feels like an anecdote that you tell, like, the next three people that you meet. Yeah. And then otherwise, don't think about it again. I mean, at least you're doing cleanliness things. You know? Oral hygiene's good. I mean

Good, Dan? I mean, not like they're putting in wart remover or something. She didn't take a shirt off, put deodorant on or something. Is it a is it an earmark that society has fallen so far? No. No. This guy I mean, person doing it is a little abstract. A little socially awkward. They could yeah. They could've used the restroom. Maybe they just got it talking to by the orthodontist, and they're they're on it. They're like, quick. As soon as meals are done, you need get them teeth cleaned to get this retainer in. I mean, here's okay. Here's where it's hyper dramatic. Right?

This they didn't mention that anyone else did it or that they've ever seen anyone else do it. And so to brand society as some sort of on its way down because some yahoo decided to, like like, scrub his yellows in the middle of the thing. Like, it's not a societal problem. It's a unique person and an interesting situation, and you should leave it at that. I suppose you should be upset with me doing my toenails. Yeah. In a high end restaurant Oh, yeah. With fancy bathrooms. I figured that's a great place to do it. The chairs are the right length. And you don't have to clean it up afterwards. Yeah. Somebody else takes comes up. That's the hardest part about clipping toenails is you can't predict where they're gonna go. They just go flying. Yeah. I find that. Now clipping toenails in a gross bathroom is way more dicey situation than brushing your teeth in a gross bathroom. Yeah. But they You're not required to touch any of that stuff. Yeah. She's brushing right at the table, Ben. I know. But, like, what does the fact that there's nice bathrooms have to do with anything? I mean, I think she's saying, like, if you're gonna do something like that, you could go to the bathrooms. Yeah. You don't have to worry about setting your toothbrush down on some kind of dirty counter. Place is high end. Yeah. I'd say overall, she seems more flabbergasted that other people weren't flabbergasted.

That's that would be a society problem. Having a weird one off yahoo in there is, like, unpredictable. But if society as a whole was not flabbergasted at their behavior Oh. Then I think she's disappointed in everyone else's lack of reaction. There's no public shame. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Where's the utter shame in it? Why didn't yeah. Why didn't someone else speak to them? I didn't, but someone should've. Yeah. And society sucks because of it. Yeah. Society tolerated this teeth brushing, and there was not equal outrage amongst patrons. And that is where that's what I think her true thing she's actually upset about. Well, I mean, I I would say it's hypocritical at the very least because she also didn't say anything. And so she's like, why didn't everyone else do it? I also didn't. Yeah. She has never seen anything like that in all of her years. Yeah. This is good to know because I think it's Thursday. We're headed to the Embassy Club with my daughter's birthday, and she's

through her work, they have a membership, whatever you have there. Sounds is the Embassy Club high end? That's high end. That's, like, big time. Yeah. It's like a dress code and everything, so I have to make sure Don't brush no teeth. Brush there. Yeah. Yeah. Shoot. I mean, would it have been grosser if it was not a single use toothbrush if you, like, brought the Colgate out and then put it on like, did did she say the water or something? Say it was single use? No. Just said used it, put it away, put out put on the retainer. Oh. Didn't even use toothbrush toothpaste. I mean Yeah. That's why I think it's the built in single user. It's already got the paste in it. Man, leave that on your plate. They'll take it up way. Yeah. No. I don't think that's well, now what if it was an electric toothbrush? Yeah. Battery. That's probably Is it a water pick? Yeah. Sir, do you have an extension cord? Yeah. Right. There's a dude over there, like, pumping a water gallon thing trying to keep this thing up with pressure.

Yeah. That would have been outrageous. I think at the end of the day, you're missing out an opportunity to find a bunch of joy and comedy in this thing. Yeah. If I turn it into something to be, like, all grimaced about. Right. I would have been like, you can't you're not gonna believe this gal that we saw at this high end restaurant. Right. I saw a guy at the same hardware store, and it's one of those places that gives out free popcorn. Oh, yeah. And this guy must have taken six bags, seven in the morning. Yeah. It's like, you know, somebody made that. That six bag's probably gonna sit there till 10:00. Not this guy. He picks out six bag and just walks out with, like, didn't even think about it. Oh, yeah. I found this very funny. And the lady who obviously mans the popcorn didn't seem to enjoy it. But like, I wasn't outraged. I didn't inspire outrage at the lady at the counter. I'm like, that's great. Well, popcorn Paul was in here. Take it six. In some ways, wanna be him. You're like Yeah. I wish I didn't give a rip. Yeah. Two and a half. That guy lives freedom over there. He's like he goes, spirit didn't say no. Yeah. Right? He's probably out handing out popcorn to all kinds of people. I'm like, thought of you today. Here's some popcorn. Thanks, Paul. I mean, you can you can use a toothpick, can't you? Yeah. That's totally normal. I maybe it's the vigorousness that got to her.

I don't know. I mean It is kind of an intimate a toothpick seems like discreet. Yeah. Like, going to town and brushing your the stuff with your teeth out like this. Hey. Mouth. Hey. Actually Yeah. Gross. Hey. What if something came out? Your daughter's in the dental care field. Yeah. There's a rumor going around that I've been brushing my teeth wrong these whole years that you're supposed to brush your teeth, and then you can get rid of the excess, but you don't wanna rinse the toothpaste off the teeth. You wanna let them sit there. The toothpaste gotta remain, and that's the strength. Well, my my dentist daughter would say you also want to water pick after brushing your teeth. So that would be in Yeah. That would be contention. Yep. I I found the way my teeth are, I I can brush my teeth for three minutes, think and rinse and rinse and do everything,

and then I'll water pick, and, like, stuff comes out. I'm like, what? What have I been missing all these years, Oh, yeah. I like Yeah. Must be just all these old caverns, whatever I have. Caverns? I was gonna say cavity, then a cavity. You gotta go in more often, man. I have a I have a electric toothbrush nowadays, and it has some kind of built in like, it'll it'll go for a certain amount of time, and then it'll go

and then it'll keep going. And I'm like, I can't tell I don't know what that does. Is that telling you you're dead? Like, I've never I don't know. I've never let it go to its full fruition. I like it'll do it, and I'm like, maybe that's encouragement to keep going or like, hey. You're one minute down. Good Good job. I have no idea. Just just think of saying good job when you hear that. Yeah. I decided there's some things I don't wanna know. And I don't know what this toothbrush is trying to tell me, and I don't wanna find out. I'm just gonna keep brushing my teeth to what I feel like the adequate amount of time. Yeah. Okay. Secular says, before we get mired in this. Oh, yeah. Yep. I understand why this woman's performance stopped you cold, but please don't blame Societe for her ignorance of the rules of etiquette, which dictate that to avoid grossing out those around us in public, we should excuse ourselves from the table and take care of our oral hygiene privately in the restroom if needed. I don't know. Who are we fooling? Everyone knows a tooth gets brushed. What's the problem? Okay. Everyone knows that most people wear deodorant. You still don't do that at the table. You you don't use the toilet paper at the table either. Also agreed. Yeah. Alright. I mean I forgot this earlier. I I there's a difference between the toilet paper. Oh, shoot.

I completely forgot. Don't mind me. Alright. You're let's go stand. There's a there's a line somewhere, I guess. May have crossed it. Alright. Alright. You are listening to

live from the math. We appreciate you hanging out with us today. And let's see. I was I oh, yeah. On the complaint line, you had the option of calling in and letting us know what some random thought you had. This is the outlet you have. (515) 517-0085. Call or text. We'd love to hear from you. Go ahead and share with us. Like I said, have some discernment. Alright? In the meantime Yeah. Be faithful in means. God will hand to the ends. You've been listening to live from the path. No check.

Hey. Tremors in the hills. The lion roars loud. Echoes in the valley. Judgment in the cloud. Plowshares turn to stores. The harvest going sour. The merchants wait to seed stack and greed by the hour. The shepherd from Ticcoa, no crown, no gold. Just the staff in the vision that the heavens foretold. Locust in the fields fire licking the stream. The plumb line drops straight, no bending the beam. Justice rolls down. Trees we vineyards scream ash, the feast turns bitter bread, turns to trash. The rich hoard wealth pour crushed to the dust walls built on lies, foundations of mistrust. You build your ivory towers, sit on gilded thrones, but the lord sees all. Even hearts of stone, woe to those at ease who sing out of songs. Your palaces crumble. You've been wicked too long. The lion