Live from the Pathway Studios in Johnston Proper. You are Live From Path. Hey. We're listening to you.

Yo. Live from the Path coming to you from the Pathway Studios here in Johnston Proper. It's beautiful to be with you on this wonderful evening. Two two things to tell you just right off the gate here. First of all, I don't know if you've noticed. If you listen to the entire program, the one thing we we don't we barely get anything right on this show. Two things or one thing we get right is the tunes that play at the end of the show. K? They smoke.

Now we've had this the the same same tune for quite a while. I've I've switched within the last two to three months to kinda like a nineties rap vibe. That song is called The Prophet's Cry, and you can find that on Amazon. Buy Live From The Path. Yeah. So It does kinda smoke. Yeah. If you wanna go hit it up, it's it's about the Book of Amos, and it was I used AI. So, you know, if you hate that, also avoid Shofar Show Good, also out there by Life in the Path. Dude, neither one of my kids had heard either one of these songs. What? Really? I'm just out. You know what I'm saying? Like, they're at the age I'm out. Is it on a rap? Yeah. Yeah? Yeah. It's so

now I didn't I kinda cheated because I got the I had the AI generate, like, the lyrics and stuff, but I fed at the baseline. I'd, like, recorded a baseline ten years ago that I thought, hey. This kinda sounds like a nineties rap tune. Oh, yeah. And so I gave it to the AI, and I said, hey. Here's some lyrics about the book of aimless fire this thing up. Actually, I was gonna have you put a tune through the AI. Remember that song we wrote for that movie that never got off the bat off the off the ground? Oh, Soldado. Yeah. Yeah. Soldado. Yeah. We need to roll that through the AI, see if they can clean that up some. Yeah. I did. Did you already do it? Yeah. All good? I'll send it to you. It's okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. It's not bad. Alright. So, anyway, there's that. Also,

I this could be I don't know why. I can't explain this. But like, we had 10,000 listens to the podcast last month, and 5,500 came from Vietnam.

Woah. And it's unclear. I thought, well, maybe maybe it's because we talked to Venek, you know? Like maybe the Venek episode's going wild. It's I mean, it's doing okay. Yeah. But like it's not going wild. And and people are hitting the back catalog, like multiples going out back there. Frankly, this seems like some sort of

a fishing expedition. A bot. Yeah. This feels like bot work to me. We there's not near this many people that probably listen to the program. But anyway, in case you're in Vietnam and you love the program, thank you. Yeah. Thanks for listening to Life From The Path. Welcome, everybody. We also apologize for some of the accents that may be used. Yeah. I yeah. I can't help that. Previous Brand new apologies. Yeah. Okay. Here's what we have going on the the show this evening. I had a I don't remember. I was sitting in the kitchen

this maybe it was last week, and I don't listen. Mike will attest to this. I don't listen to, like, modern Christian music very often. Yeah. If I do if it's modern and it's Christian, it's probably more obscure like folksy stuff is what I'm more likely to listen to.

But anyway, my family has it on. I'm in the kitchen and I there was probably out of the out of a 10 song shift, three of them mentioned something about it being a relationship, not a religion. And so I was thinking about that. I'm like, why? Why is this showing up in these songs all the time?

But then the then there was like the one step deeper question, question, which is like, I think it's not true that it's not a religion. James would disagree. I think we're just defining religion weird in that situation, which I think we've talked about in the past. But my question was or my thought was like, why

do we like that? Like, why do we cling to that? Like, what what is what does that open up for somebody where they're like, ugh, this makes a difference. Yeah. You know? So I we'll come back to that because I've been thinking about it a little bit this week. And there's other phrases like that. And I think that maybe there's something that we're it it says something about this where we're at in our faith that I want it's probably works for I think it's I think it's gonna be Galatians gonna have the answer. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Probably.

Okay. And then the second question was Mike, your question was around, like, access, historical access to the Bible. And, like, is it good that we have as much access as we do? Yeah. Yeah. Like, is there, I don't know, anything beyond I I was just, like, I know quite a few people that they're just starting out on following Jesus. Right? And so, you know, I'm just constantly out of my mouth. You need a rich Bible. Gotta be in the word. You gotta know his character. If you don't know him, then how can you claim to follow him? You gotta know all the things. Right? This is how you know who God is. It's his inspired word. You gotta be in it. Gotta be in it. Gotta be in it. And then I was reading first Kings today,

and I realized that even the three chapters I read, I'm like, I don't know whether any of this stuff is good or bad. Even the study Bible is grateful for it because I kinda lose my bearing, especially halfway through the Old Testament. Like, the first part of the Old Testament kinda matters, but all the names get all jarred up in my head, and I forget why Joab's important. I kinda knew this because I just went through this recently. But, like, I start like they're like, hey, David, you're cold. Let's find you a young beautiful woman just to lay with you. I'm like, what? I

mean, were they out of blankets? Can I find a blanket? Yes. So weird. You know? And then and then but, like and that's the thing is the Bible makes generally very little commentary on itself. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? When situations that I would go, is that a regular? You know, is that a regular practice? It's just like when, like, the polygamy conversation, you know, where they're like, hey. It never outright says it, but, like, you could like, every polygamous, like, multiple marriage situation just was a disaster in all facets when it came to the married life, you know, and not how Genesis would have explained a man and a woman forever. And so, like, I thought this is I'm I'm sending people lamb to slaughter style because I've been doing this for a long time, and I still read it and go, I can't remember whether this is contextually good or bad or, like, Solomon's starting to murder people. David's like, I promised I wouldn't kill him. That doesn't mean you can't go ahead and get him, boy. And I'm like, what? Well, I I don't remember. Is this is David being weird here, or is this a regular retribution thing that David shouldn't have ran his mouth earlier about not killing a guy? You know what I'm saying? And so I thought, I at the end of the day, like, historically, like, we always will point back and go, the early church did this. The early church did that. This is what the early church did. We'll look at the book of acts and pick out five chapters and go, we should be this. Look at its simplicity and the holy spirit moving. But that is not the prescription we give most people when they meet Jesus. We're like, you gotta be in your scriptures all the time. Not to say that like the Acts folks, like their scriptures was the old testament. They were living the new testament, and so that wasn't there. Yeah. So they had the stories of Jesus, and that's and the old testament, that's basically about it. And so I thought, I I don't know. Like, we wondering if we get if we get into a modern rut

based on convenience that goes, you should read your Bible. Yeah. But not it feels like you should be taught through your bible. But at the speed of which is required for you to actually understand what's going on there, you'll never get through this thing in a year. You won't get through this this thing in a hundred years. Yeah. If you actually wanna understand why Joab was connected to, like, seven generations back and why it's a big deal, you're out, dude. You know what I'm saying? Just memorize Luke and call it what it is. That's all you need. You know? It's interesting to think, like, Paul didn't read his bible every day.

Yeah. Like, I I mean, he read something. Like, the man had scrolls, but it's not like he had the old testament with him Yeah. Or something at all times. Okay. Alright. Good. I like that's an interesting conversation. Alright. So let's get to this. Let's talk about the let's talk the religion, not a relationship. Okay. And so I guess what I was thinking was is that like, I think that the reason it was in three songs is because there's something about that that connects with people where they're like, Oh yeah.

Like that and it changed. And I'm not I'm not saying at all that it didn't change something positive for some people. I actually don't I'm not gonna beat up the phrase too much because like people are very rarely like super critical about this type of thing. There's just an idea that got them that allowed them to think of something differently that was helpful to them. And like, you can't just say anything and hope and and and because it was helpful, deem it good, but like, whatever. I don't Yeah. It's not worth an arm wrestling match. But but the question is, as I suppose, is like there are phrases like that. Like simple quotable things that can make a big difference

to people and it kinda made me wonder like, is everybody kind of flying by the seat of their pants and believing things like because someone told them to or because like they want to really, really want to believe and they probably do believe it, but it but like it just takes something kind of small for them to like really reorient.

Like I guess conversely, I there's I can't think of anything that I've heard in a sermon in the last decade or in like a quip like something from a book. Even it was eloquent and it was smart and wise, but nothing went like, oh, I re understand the world now. Like interesting things occurred, but like nothing that would have shifted what I believed. It just like contextualized and deepened kind of. And so I don't know. I I guess I was just thinking about what does that why is that kind of phrase or why is that idea such a turner for some people?

And what does that say about kind of what we what we actually believe? Okay. I got mine's two prong. Okay. One of them is it's it's modern cult it's a modern culture thing. Mhmm. The second one has to do with, like, how they grew up. And so, like, the phrase itself, I think people really connect with it based on how they grew up because their whatever religion or whatever Christianity they grew up in, it was Jesus plus

something. Right? And they usually framed it by whatever church they went to. So Jesus was great, but you always had to wear really nice clothes. And if you walk too fast in the sanctuary, you got yelled at by somebody. That's the religion. Or, you know, it was Jesus was all good, I guess, but, like, you know, you couldn't wear pants, you couldn't dance, and, you know, all these things. That was the religion. The religion's bad. Jesus is good. And so, like, to come to find out that the religion

of, like, being this stuffy, rule based, shame culture that you grew up in, if that's the religion part, then I would much rather just have a relationship with Jesus. Yeah. And so, like, I think that's why that phrase in particular grabs people. Yeah. Also, a modern culture perspective, it grabs them because it's about them.

And, like, the hard the very hard part to take in is because it's not what moves people's heart to want to be in relationship with Jesus. But the cold hard fact is is that he exists and is preeminent whether you believe in him or not. And it doesn't matter. Right? He wants to be in a personal relationship with you. That's definitely true. But he will sustain and run a world whether you believe in him or not. Yeah. And he is king whether you believe in him or not. He is creator whether you believe in him or not. But it changes when you're like, oh, he wants to be in relationship with me. Now this is important. Mhmm. Right? Opposed to the fact that it's just important anyway.

And whether you feel a way or about it, the whole world will know. Everybody go and bow. That's it. Everyone the knees will hit the floor, either voluntarily or involuntarily, to worship a king. And that is not our culture. Our culture does not see authority that way. It doesn't see relationship that way. It doesn't have honor in that way. No one has honor for another human being in our modern culture like that. We have respect. Yeah. We have we have all we we do understand authority levels mostly based on consequence, not because of earned favor or because of high standing due to acts. You know what I'm saying? It's consequence is why we hold authority. Yeah. It's it's actually

it's super interesting because if you lived in a time when there was like a a feudal lord or a baron or whatever or even a king of the country or something, like, it would never occur to you to go, like, that guy's only my king if he has some kind of one on one relationship with me. You would be like, that guy's you will never meet him. Yeah. He's not gonna come to your place. He's not likely gonna answer your letters. You're never gonna travel. And you just have to accept the fact that that man is the king over this area

and you are a subject in his kingdom. Like, that's it. Yeah. And so you're right. It is a bit it is a bit even if not intended that way, the orientation goes, I like this because it affirms my like something about my personal relationship which like an affirmation of like a one on one thing. And the reality is is that like you could to your point, Jesus is Lord anyway even if

he didn't listen to your prayers at all. And even if like none of those things that come with a relationship have to be true for Jesus still to still be Lord. It tells us something very awesome about the God we serve that these things can be true or are true.

But you're right. Like the risk is that we like it because Jesus like, I like Jesus because Jesus likes me type of situation. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's a that's that religion relationship, like, that's been a phrase for a while, you know? Yeah. But, like, I would say if I can speak for, like, the generation coming through, right, like, it's just it means more when he is in relationship with you And, like, the I would probably say, you know, my generation would go I mean, he's god. And so, like, I can feel a way about it. I can be disappointed in decisions I think he's made, what he's allowed, and what but it doesn't matter because god is god. And so, like, that's it. And so it's just it's a change in in, you know, cultural approach for sure. I I I think that the the church has had a habit of saying things that sound really good, really cliche, whatever, but and we all walk away thinking, yeah, that's good, but we don't really know what it meant. Mhmm. Like, you know, hey, just give it to Jesus. Yeah. Give it to Jesus. Then, like, okay. I don't know. Let go and let god. What does that even how do I give it to Jesus? Like, I you know, there's a drug addict going. I what what does that mean? Right? Yeah. Or even this, the relationship thing is I I wonder if if we say that because the the idea is we're saying, get it move beyond I just attend church, but it doesn't affect my life. Mhmm.

Move move to the point where you're reading the scripture and it trans it's transforming you because I don't even know what a relationship with God is. I mean, I know what one is. I mean, mean, but I've been doing this for a long, long, long, long time. Yeah. So I I throw up relationship and then there's layers and decades of prayer and listening and quiet time and and study and and and research and and all this stuff. And the average Joe is just going like, I'm just trying to figure out who God is. And I'm telling you can have a relationship. Like, what does that even mean? Like, I I can never I've never seen him. I can't speak to him. He doesn't speak back. I don't I have a relationship with my coworker or with my spouse. Like, how it's hard to describe to someone, like, what does that even look like? It's an invisible

relationship. But yet it's real. Yeah. I mean, I say it. I use the phrase. I I am in relationship with Jesus. But but that that's that's the trick. But but, again, I think I think the the phrase is the point of moving them beyond, moving someone beyond just, well, I went to church. Yeah. And and it's like, okay. Well, how about engaging in your faith? That that's you know, what what does James say? Religion is like caring for people. It's just doing some. It's action. It's involved. It's not just saying, yeah, I believe people we should help people. So there's there's action and movement involved

that comes from the transformation that comes from reading his word and Yeah. And knowing his heart. Yeah. I don't know if that makes sense, but No. Actually, I find I find Paul challenging, and even Jesus especially in the book of John, Jesus is challenging because he'll say things that I frankly have a hard time translating to like, what does this mean practically? Like, what do I do tomorrow Yeah. In light of this thing? Like, beginning of in the letter to to Colossae, like, Paul, he's like, hey, walk in wisdom. I what do you mean? Like, What is that? Like, and there's things that we talk especially this gets around the spirit, and then people start, I think, like, applying it where it makes most sense to them. But, like, I I there's a practical reality. What did I spend? I bet I spent

three hours on this last Saturday trying to figure out a right way to describe Paul Paul says about Jesus, All things were created by him, for him, and in him. And like in him? What? Like I don't know what that means.

Like, what am I is it and it every every explanation I could come up with in some ways felt too shallow or were just kinda, like, slightly about, like, for him or by him or through him. Like, anyway, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out like, is there a distinction I care about? Now, it's a poem. Yeah. Right. Right. Maybe he's just got three things in a row and like, I think I get it. There's like a there's

there's a relationship between like the world is in some ways a reflection of Jesus created by him for him and in him like there's a there's an ongoing this gets to the thing where it says he holds all things together. There's like an ongoing present in it all. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But like, it's not like you could get real metaphysical with this thing. Like, the world exists like inside of this spirit of a god thing. Like, it's not that. Right. And so, anyway, I gave after a while, I'm like, I don't this doesn't even probably matter practically. Yeah. But I wanted him not I didn't want to presume into it or something. So, like, I actually think they're and maybe this goes into the bible conversation Mike's talking about, which, like, you read a thing and you're like, I don't

Am I do I don't love Jesus? Is that why I can't understand this? Because otherwise, this seems I don't know. Like, I wanna follow it, but I don't know at all what it's trying to get me to do. Yeah. James goes, like, comes down from the father of lights. And I'm like, what? Why would you I mean, I think you're trying to say that's good. I think. Like, from a real Luddite perspective, I'm like, father of light sounds good. Yeah. Things are bright. Sure. Darkness can't be where light is. Got it. Okay. That's enough for me. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This you know, Mike, when you were describing this transition of like, hey, I grew up in a real rules based, like church culture or whatever.

I wonder if there's an element of that that is really unfair because it's more related to your ability to perceive. So like, if you're if you have a if you have a toddler and you're gonna give them green beans in a can or so, like the the mashed up baby food or something like that, The toddler

may only remember that you force fed them green beans. They didn't see you reading the label or spending two months coming to that conclusion. You know what I'm saying? Like or your notion of being a good parent. These are all, like, kid references. But, like, all the kid knows is that you ran and rather aggressively took the hand away from the outlet. And so like, I wonder if there's a matter of

you could be like, look, it's Jesus and Jesus alone. And is it possible that just like at those at some of these ages, like, all you can take in are the emotions? Like, it's the thing you remember, you know? Yeah. I would I mean, I would say even through like your formative years, early teens, you know, stuff like that, that it's when you start to mature that you start to see that your parents might not reflect all that they've postured when it comes to following Jesus. And that's just because they're broken humans, right? It was going to happen anyway. And as you aged, you figured that out. And then sometimes you struggle with them being hypocritical. You're like, hey, we're supposed to be peacemakers, and all you do is like yell

or your temperature is rising or you get you're fired up over the smallest things. You know? And from your from your immature teenage mind, the smallest things are the biggest things. The biggest things are the smallest things. And so to a point, yes, the perspective, I think, matters. But on the other hand, like I went and watched a gal preach this she wasn't preaching. She was just like her she's a senior in high school and she was gonna finishing up her youth group career at this youth group and she was gonna do a talk or whatever. And like she did a great job, really, really good job. And one of the things that she said was is like she's always felt at home at church. And I thought, man, there's just not very many kids that I know that have that perspective. And she's like, I've done it all. Youth group and camps and VBS and like everything the church offered, I was here.

Most likely because her parents were working it or something. Like she always saw the church as a home. Yeah. And I think where it starts to split is where especially the religion relationship thing is like if it wasn't your life, if it was just church, then it's gonna definitely feel like a negative connotation religion. But

if it's your life, then the church is just a reflection of what home is. Right. You wanna be there. And you wanna be there, you know? And so and and most people and I I was was telling someone else this this week because, like, we were talking about, you know, being in we were talking about being in relationship with God and spending time in his word. And I said, I'm gonna be real honest with you. Like, the more that you practice this and the more that you, you know, like, center your life around this, the more you're actually gonna be in a minority in most churches you go to. It's like 10% of the people in that church are like, this is it. This is our whole life. The other 90% are just attending. You know? And so, like, you're gonna start to feel like you felt a community when you walked in off the street, and then you're gonna feel like your community is getting a little smaller because they're not actually doing all the things that that you're doing. And they're not, like, letting these these conversations and these decisions and and having a a life of praying without ceasing and saying, God, if you wanna speak into anything that I'm doing, I'll take I'll take a left. If you say left, I'm left. I won't even answer where ask where. You know? I said 90% won't be doing that. And so you're gonna you're gonna have a easy time finding community, and then you're gonna have a tougher time finding community. And it's weird like that, you know, for for all the reasons because the 90 are running religion. I think they're I mean, they're nice, and they, you know, they're pleasant to be around, and they're not causing a bunch but, like, they're running a religion, which has requirements, which is tithing and showing up and then leaving and then do whatever the heck you wanted until you come back and feel like crap for an hour because the sermon really hit you, and you're like, ah, I should do better. And then you basically forgot it as you watch Sunday Night Football. You know? Right. Right. Well, look look at the difference that happened in Isaiah's life from when he went from religion, whatever he was practice you know, his normal Judaism to when he was, like, in the throne room of God

and an angel passed that coal, you know, on his mouth. And he he he's, like, suddenly heartbroken and, like, his life changes and he's and and and he's like, well, I'm a woe is me. I'm a man of unclean lips. Know? It's like all of sudden, it hits him. When before, he was just doing his life, and now he's like this intimate moment with in the presence of God.

I think that's what we strive for is for people to connect to God at an intimate level. That's like, do you define that? Because as they know him, that it becomes beyond beyond an attendance in a church or an event or whatever. It becomes their, like you said, their life. It's what they do. It's what they breathe and eat and sleep. It's every moment. It's there's no separation in my breath between listening to my father and and figuring out how to live for him and and anything else. And that's where it gets beyond religion. Even and even with the frailty built into that. You know? The the fact that you're not gonna nail it or didn't hear or you were just flat disobedient or something. You know? Yeah.

I don't know. Like, I but but to that same point, though, like, when you said that that, you know, you've listened to sermons last ten years or whatever, can't think of anything that fundamentally changed your life. And, like, this actually happens to me a lot. I don't know if it changes my worldview. Mhmm. But, like, I will certainly grab phrases out of worship tunes or, like, a bible study I've done. I remember going through the I was doing a bible study on Gideon. And and, like, all I could remember is I gotta send the armies home. Mhmm. Like, I keep bringing in, like, this extra stuff for my big plans or, like, here's how we're gonna step, step, step, step. And, like, for I just I worked off it for probably six months. Mhmm. And every situation I'd run into, I'm like, I gotta send these armies home. I just need the lord. That's it. I just need god to go or god to make a plan. Yeah. Need him as part of it. You know? And, like, that stuck with me forever. Right? You know? Yeah. Yeah. And so, like, I would say I I'm probably the opposite. I like that stuff will get burrowed in, and, like, I probably prayed for a year. Like, I just wanna be in the room when you move. Yeah. And so I'm like, I stick that all the time. And it's not it's not a biblical phrase. You know I'm saying? Yeah. It's just a phrase that sticks in there and goes, what do I really want today? I wanna see God moving. That's what I that's what my heart actually wants today. Apart from all the plans I had, that's what I want. Yeah. And so that's what I would pray for. And so, like, it would guide the way. And and it wasn't like that was the key to unlock god to be doing something that day, but it was the key to posture my heart in a way that's looking for it. Yeah. Actually, that seems right to me. Like, I was probably getting at more like, it's fundamentally it feels like a fundamental shift to go, look, this is a set of rules and regulations, and this is a relationship with God. Right? That your orientation toward God changes. I actually think songs in particular,

maybe poetry and those types of things, very very strong in helping to like give a give words to a thing that you're feeling and seeking. Yeah. And like it's a real gift. It's a real gift to be like, be able to articulate a thing that you were feeling but couldn't think of how to say, and then have someone find someone say it or sing it in such a way that you're like, that you can just latch on, and it becomes very, very useful. You can reach back for it, you can say it when you're nervous. Say it like I I have always had like working tunes. Tunes that like when I get a real anxious stomach, I just start to flow through these three songs and they like and they help me. They don't actually they don't cause anything to go away, they calm they calm it down and hold it off until like I can go do something else. And so like, I think that's right. That seems actually like very, very good. And

I, even that hold all things together from the Colossians things just stuck in my mind, like, was very, very helpful to me. Like, it helped me it didn't reorient anything I understand and love about Jesus, but, like, it's a color. It's a color that, like, now it's like putting on the glasses that, like, now I you just start seeing things like through that. Just kind of like the story Dan was talking about before

the show on the covenant exercise that happens between Yahweh and Abram in Genesis chapter 15 and then you start seeing elements of that you know, throughout scripture and it very much deepens something that you already saw, you already believed, you thought was true. Mhmm. But you start seeing it a little differently and a little deeper and it opens up things. And I think that's actually still pretty I think it's pretty awesome. Yeah. Funny

enough, like, I've noticed that most folks miss, like, God speaking in their life or, like, the the output of the thing merely because they weren't looking for it. Like, their heart was not postured in a way to see it. So there wasn't an anticipation

every day of what's God doing around me. That's it. Like, that's the only thought. And most folks, they're like, hey, man. I never like, the scriptures don't jump out at me or I pray and I just sit there in silence and it doesn't feel like God answers. And like I've experienced that and I totally understand the feeling. But normally, like when I used to pray like that, like I actually would not believe he was doing anything anyway. So like I didn't have an eye to look for it, or I wasn't looking to see where God was moving or or maybe to have a a run-in with somebody that I would shrug off and go, well, that's weird. Instead of going, that's just weird enough to be him. You know? It's like people just showing up and be like, hey. Like somebody you worked with and be like, look. I I I I kinda feel like you know Jesus or whatever.

You know? I just feel like I've been real down about my life lately. And, like, I would just let this go and go, wow. I was glad I was able to talk to this guy today. That's cool. Instead of going kinda odd that this dude all of sudden is recognizing his own sin and, like, this feels like a jump in with both feet kinda deal. Like, hey, man. You wanna go have some coffee and, like, talk about some Jesus stuff? You know I'm saying? And so, like, I like, the the relationship part that that makes the most sense to me is is because it's hard for someone to if you say you need to be in a relationship with Jesus, like, to your point, Dan, you're like, what the heck does that even mean? You know I'm saying? Like, we're supposed to go out to Piggly Wiggly and hit an A and W and go bat a ball. You know? That make no sense. Right. But what it means is is, like, is your heart postured in a way that you are looking for him to stop by? Mhmm. You know, like, front door is open, and and you're like, Jesus might stop by today. I just like, I'm gonna leave the front door unlocked and anticipating that he might show. And I might walk by every every time I pass through my living room, I might just look out the window and see if maybe he's pulling in the drive. You know? But if your heart is postured in a way that goes, God doesn't act like that. God doesn't invite me into things. God's not moving in my world or in my life. But there are a set of rules that I can always just count on. And so as long as I'm cool with the the rules or, like, I understand God's heart and I just I'll I'll I'll white knuckle is the wrong word, but, like, I will I will hold on very tightly to the things I know and just make sure I do them, then we should be good. And I think that's, like,

it's not necessarily bad, but you're also just not checking the window every once in a while to see if the Lord's stopping by. We're in we're in such a hurry. You know? Like, I of course, our schedules are just set that way. We, you know, we're we have work all day, then we gotta get the kids at soccer, and then we gotta do this, and there's bible study, and we gotta go to that. And everything, we we have little segments of time we allow for different things. Gotta get some dinner real quick, and and there's very little time saying, I'm just sitting here in my easy chair waiting for you to come up my living room. Yeah. You know, I'm gonna read some scripture and just let it sit here for a minute. I'm gonna pray this prayer, and I'm gonna I'm gonna take a week to just kinda listen. It's like, well, can you do that tomorrow? Yeah. You know, I prayed. You know, where where is it? You know? And we're just we're just going all the time. I I think that hurts us. At least in my life, when I slow down, that's when I really hear so much more and and gain so much more in in the relationship. I really feel more of a of a relationship than than just that that list of, okay. Yeah. Yeah. I did my prayer. Did. I'm doing this. I'm doing that. I'm teaching a lesson. Going over here. Yeah.

Yeah, slow down. It's interesting. And maybe this this segues into our conversation about different times and access to Bible and stuff. But just thinking, if you had a friend in the thirteenth century or something that you used to exchange letters with

or some and you could write a letter and not hear back from them for six months, and it would be fine. Yeah. They could be like, yeah. Sure. Like my friend Or someone at war. You send them. Yeah. Right. Right. Something like that. And so and it's not wild. Yeah. And it just it takes time. And so your expectations and if you thought about your relationship with with Jesus in some ways that that makes sense around our relationship with other people, your expectations about how quickly things are answered or what it looks like to answer or whatever. Like, the the friend that's at war can't do anything tangible for you. They can listen to you. They can respond to you. You can interact with that. And it might be months and months.

But like, it would give you a different notion of like what a relationship looks like just with how fast society moves and have we imported a little bit of our expectations upon Yahweh in this time so like what we're not we're like, oh, God takes a long time compared to what exactly? Yeah. I texted you, why haven't you answered? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And so it's interesting to think like, I wouldn't have a reason to believe that God's like, well, we gotta start responding faster. The times are changing. Like and so is there something about like our expectations, even talking about it as a relationship

that because as the nature of our relationships change, our expectations with Yahweh change a little. I mean, God tells Abram, you're gonna have a child, and it takes twenty five years for that child to come. That's a long time. It's a long time. That that that's why the the the Genesis 15 popped up, and it's like, are you really yeah. How how can I know? How can I really know God? You're really you keep saying you're gonna do this. How do I know you're gonna do this? He goes, alright. You know, let me do this contract with you. Yeah. But, yeah, that that was, like, fifteen years in. So, yeah, we want it tomorrow. We want it next week. And and, yeah, when I say slow down, I wasn't even thinking that slow, but that that's that's Yeah. The nature of god. He he's thinking generationally, and we're take we're thinking minute

by minute. Which is interesting because it does maybe take a little bit of shine off, like, your thought of a personal relationship with Jesus. Like, you have sure. Yeah. But, like, it is it is not wild that, like, the mechanisms of what God is dealing with you are largely not just about you. And so, like, they they they may be with your family or with your generation of people or your church community or something like that. And so like what feels like God responding on some timetable that is most relevant to you,

there's a grander picture and like he may be going, it's important for your church community or the community believers around you less so about you specifically. And yet I'm using you for this, and you just won't see it. Yeah. It it actually makes you wonder to think if if of of the decisions that we make, like, God is good to respond in the things that are consequential

Uh-huh. To him or to his kingdom. You know? So so in between, like, what was consequential to him with Abraham is you're gonna have a son, and this is where the promise is gonna start and start getting some wings. And it's I'm gonna make a big deal out of you, old man, because this shouldn't happen. Yeah. And that was God's movement. And in the meantime, like Abe thinks to himself, maybe I should move tent locations. Lord's like, okay.

Maybe I should buy seven goats. I got a little extra money this year. Maybe I should buy seven instead of the two I was gonna buy because we're really gonna get ready. I was like, okay. I you know? Sure. You know? But God's movement, the invitation that God was making to Abraham was be part of this thing. And the things in the middle that Abraham may have put with big weight, god's like, it doesn't actually carry any weight. Like, you believe you have a big currency here. Yeah. And god's like, in my kingdom, the things that you're talking about carry no currency. Yeah. And so I'm not gonna speak into them. And when and when he rushed to god, it just caused problems. Yes. Yeah. And actually, I was just thinking of that that, like, not only did he do that because he tried to rush a thing that God promised,

but God did not explicitly stop that either. Like, sometimes, like I like like Paul getting stopped at Maija. Right? That I like that story. Right. But, like, he does not stop Abraham from making Abraham from making a really dumb mistake. Yeah. And he he actually ends up blessing both of those things. And he didn't say this is how it's supposed to happen. And so it's just interesting on and maybe the presence of the Spirit makes this somewhat

different. But like Yahweh is obviously interacting with people in some level of closeness in these scenarios. And like just our prescription or our belief of where God will interfere or make obvious to us uniquely and personally, I I I wonder.

Yeah. It kinda makes it like the the another common phrase is when when god closes the door, he opens a window. You know? Yeah. And the thought is take the window. But the biblical prescription is stand by the door. Wait till he opens a vacuum. The door. Yeah. That's the right move. Right? If caught if especially, like, arc style. Yeah. God shut the door, then that means he closed it for a reason. Yeah. And so you stand and wait till he opens it again. Right. If Noah goes bailing out the window, you Yeah. What if what if he closes the window too? You gotta dig through the wall? You know I'm saying? Like, if you're basically like, my aim is to get out of the house, and God goes, my aim was to keep you in. That's why I shut the door. And you're like, I will find any other access out of this house. Wrong thought.

Something you said reminded me of a conversation I had, like, twenty years ago with Buva's dad. Mhmm. We'd started the church, and all you know, we're probably five years in, and and, you know, hell, these goals, all these plans, and all this stuff, and these are what god's doing, and, you know, and rush, rush, rush. Come on, God. Get this done quick. And and probably wasn't going as quick and as fast and wild as we wanted or something. We're we're sitting in a prayer room, I think, or could could have been just a lunch meeting, whatever. And I remember one of us, I think it was him, who said, what what if God really only called us to what we're doing because he's gonna do something through our children? And

it was just kinda like, It was just kind of an interesting conversation. Was kinda like when you're saying this. Like, he's he's he's maybe it's not about you. Yeah. I mean, is about you. Yeah. But it's about your children. It's about your grandchildren. It's about whatever. Some some some other thing. Some other person you're gonna touch, you're gonna rub shoulders with, and and disciple in some way. And I don't know. That was just kind of a neat moment. We're But it's where we would struggle with it. Because when the New Testament says, like, pray about all your things. Yeah. And and really what we're saying is god's like, it's not that I don't care about all the things you're saying, but I do care about my things. You

know? And so, like, our heart goes, woah. Okay. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the picture that we're painting about God then. Yeah. You know? Like, we're close to take it that quick. Yeah. All prayer and supplication, bring all your things. Yeah. But we're also saying, if god says I don't care about death, then you just hang out and wait. You know? I like, it's a it's a it's a hard dichotomy, I guess, if you're trying to paint a full picture of a God that's just about impossible from a human perspective to paint a full picture of. You know? Like to understand that maybe God's like, it's just good for you to hand these things over to me. And I will decide whether they are kingdom moving or whether I'm a dad who just gives good gifts. And so I could just give good gifts, so maybe you should just keep asking. Or the persistent widow that just says, keep coming at me, bro. I'll eventually do a thing. And so

it feels wrong to cherry pick different versions, like different circumstances out of the Bible and go, this is way God behaves. God behaves how God behaves because God is God. And sometimes he is the persistent widow metaphor. And sometimes he is the one that goes, I told you to wait. Sit down on your bum and wait and stop trying to crack out that window. Know? Is where the presence of the Holy Spirit comes into play that goes,

God is a much more dynamic God than that. And you cannot pin him down in your religion. Right? You're not gonna be able because like I could cherry pick Bible verses and disagree with myself on a thing that I want God to do. And I could come to 10 different conclusions based on the Bible version I'm reading and based on where I'm at in the Bible that go, oh, God has asked me to blank based on this story. But God also did not wait over here. And God also dynamically sent someone into someone's life or someone just flat out put the holy spirit in the room and said, boom, here's this. And so the question is is how do you discern all that? Mhmm. There's your relationship. There's where like, you will read a Bible story. I probably read the same Bible stories my whole life. And for some reason, when I read this one today, the Holy Spirit won't let one go Mhmm. And go, oh, this equals this. I'm not letting the armies I need to let the armies go. I don't need 10,000 men. I need 30. And I need which means I basically just need God in me. That's what we're getting at, Lord, isn't it? He's like, yes. Okay, great. I understand now. You know? So where it's hard to look at the whole concept of scripture and then go, this is God's character

because he acts the exact repeatable same all the time. He does not. He acts and he acts godly all the time, which means he will move change based on or have your you you change based on the situation that you're in and based on the situation he needs you or is inviting you into. So he's not predictable in a way, except for his continued faithfulness

to you and his kingdom. Yeah. Alright. You're listening to Life From The Path. Maybe you have some feedback for us. Hit us up on the old Bob Eisenhower Life From The Path complaint line, (515) 517-0085. That's call or text (515) 517-0085 and let us know Did we get no complaints from that denominational

squall from last time we were in here? No. That's how you know 10,000 people ain't listening to this show. Amazing. Love it. I think it's great. That should've riled up at least a couple of them. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I was actually I was kinda curious if anybody came back. He's like, oh, I don't know, man. Maybe we maybe we missed the mark on that one. I don't think so. Although, I think, like, I I think we were it was there's a wisdom in like there's a discernment in those things and like recognizing that like as soon as you hit wherever the barrier crossed like you get to be real firm about it but just not arbitrary like being cautious about division where

you don't have to like, you're protecting something that Paul wasn't concerned about and Jesus wasn't concerned about. And so you better be careful. I think there's a subversiveness to that, but it's still a reality. I just think it like people are trying to do the right thing. It's just not always in practice actually the right thing. I I did. I struggled with one of the examples that we brought up last time and it had to do with the confession box. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And like I thought about it all week. Right? And I'm like, God, have you been screaming at me and my cohorts to be like, get a box. Just get a box. And we're like, no. We won't get a box because they have a box, and I think the box is wrong. And, like, is there is there areas of my life where you're just like, do it? And I refuse

because I picked a side when I was 12. You know? Or, like, have you been yelling at them for millennia? Drop the box. Gotta gotta get rid of this box. You're misunderstanding the thing. And they're like, no. We've always had a box. We built the box. Were we supposed to put a coffee pot in here? It's the box. You know? And I thought, what a weird thing for god. Like, once again, he he allowed Abraham to try to push his stuff. He didn't stop him from doing it. That's not a pro or a con against the box. I'm just saying, you know, like, he's not always gonna step in and go, I need this box situation handled. He's like, kingdom wise, I don't care. Make it out of walnut. Israel cry out for five hundred years. And then it's like, okay. Now I got you. Yeah. Yeah. You know? And and like, this has come up multiple times through multiple conversations over the last couple months about we just don't we're not looking at the same landscape as him. You know? Like, he'll tell you to take a left and you won't understand the left. And what there's on that left is refreshing and renewal. But if you look down the road that he always said, take that left, and you're like, dude, there's nothing but oasis and sweet gas stations on the right. And you're insisting on this left, but you don't miss the the highway robbery that's happening on the right, and you don't miss the oasis of greatness on the left because you simply cannot see it. And so like being able to trust God in his perspective

versus the landscape that you can take in, it puts a lot of timing questions in order. It puts a lot of tugs of the Holy Spirit and like decisions in life that you got offered a job that pays twice what you were gonna make now, and God's like, yeah, I can see ten years down the road it's gonna ruin your family. Stay where you're at. Stay right there. And you're like, this makes no sense at all. Why would I say no to this? You know? And and like, it's just a trusting of perspective. But back to our original conversation, God's not gonna answer that. Then why ask him? And like, is he just gonna be, I got you in ten years. You should have known better. That's not his character. Yeah. So there has to be something in there that's different. There has to be a thing where God says, keep taking your things to me. It can't just be he's not gonna answer them. You know? Like, part of me is is just willing to look out and go, I'm pretty sure that God answers more than I think.

I'm just not expecting him to answer. I have zero faith that he's gonna answer. I have a hope that he will answer. But I don't know that I have faith that he will. Mhmm. And so generally, I will just do my stuff, you know, back and forth, never looking out the window. I think if I feel like I've been guilty of something, it's pouring a bunch of prayers into something and then not expecting him to answer in either way. And so like, maybe he did, maybe he didn't, but like I wasn't I wasn't even looking as if I was just okay with the fact that I got to unburden myself with the thought. Yeah. Alright. Let's talk a little bit about this the nature of the access we have to the scriptures. And I is the is the is the question,

like, around have we have we moved the goalpost a bit on what it looks like to be a faithful follower of Jesus like, due to the access we have to scripture? Yeah. Yeah. I I'm just thinking about even our we were talking about, you know, the early church being the model.

And if you even think about that, you're like, how much scripture are these people actually taking in? Mhmm. You know? And and our go to and I like, it comes out of my mouth all the time. You know? You need to be in your bible. Gotta be in your bible. Gotta be in your all the time. That's all I say. And and I thought, I don't know. I think it's important. I mean, I think it's of the utmost importance because you need to understand the god that you're dealing with. And he put us in this time period

with all of these things available. Now I can't use that for everything that's available. You know what I'm saying? That's like saying, hey. There's there's prostitutes on 2nd Avenue. God knew they'd be available. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's not you can't just use that argument everywhere. But, like, as far as his kingdom goes Yeah. Knowing the culture we were in and the world we would be in, like, there's plenty of evidence and proof for him. And so you'd be a fool not to spend that time. But I don't know if I need I don't need the whole Bible to preach the gospel. I don't even barely need a whole book. You know what I'm saying? You give me half a gospel, I could run on that my whole life and miss nothing. It would be enough, especially if the Holy Spirit's involved. It would be enough. Yeah. I've seen phrases that were like, as far as I ever was concerned in the Bible, they were passing phrases. And people grab onto them. They're like, The Lord convicted me that day. I'm like, No kidding.

I just am flabbergasted. You met the Lord in Deuteronomy. I can't numbers even. You're like, Crazy. You know? But it happens, you know? Because the Lord will do. And so part of me goes, are we just being lazy in our discipleship

where we're like, here's what we need we gotta get you on a program. You need to be on a program. You gotta be in your Bible. You gotta spend some time praying, and then you gotta and then you gotta gotta go out and do some good things. These are the things. Because faith without works is dead. Right? You got no faith if you let sex not actually pouring out of your bones. So you should have stuff pouring out of your bones for other people. And this is the track to put you on, and we'll see what happens. And, like, I I do this a lot assuming that God's gonna deal with them. Right? Mhmm. That's basically my thought is, like, if they get in God's word, then they will they will understand his character. And and, like, the way the Bible's interacted with me throughout my life, that will happen with them, and the Lord will start to deal with them. Yeah. And that's so, like, I'm like, easy. Done. Like, if they have questions, they'll call. Problem solved. And I thought, I what did they do in 200? You know? What did they do two hundred AD? Nobody was carrying around a King James with them. Nobody had the ESV plus the study notes that made that young woman sleeping with David make any sense at all. Yeah. You know? And so did they know more? You did they did they just historically because they were Jewish, like, had heard these stories their whole life and they had a more focused religion, you know, about teaching their kids the mikvah. You know? So, like, they knew the stuff. Or I don't know. I was just walking through that going, am I

and it was probably a question I should be asking God anyway. You know? But, like, am I just being lazy and going put these people on a program similar to what I've been on? Yeah. Okay. Just as a quick aside, it's that that lady, the the warmth woman for David makes me think about sometimes the same way people are reacting to old president Donnie where you're like,

you look at the story of David and are like, is it okay because it's David? Because it seems wrong, but it's David. So, like Yeah. Is this thing fine? I feel like sometimes people have the same reaction. We're like, but but it's it's like I like Donald Trump. And so I know it's wild what he's doing, but, like, is that fine then? Because because Trump did it. Maybe it's fine. Anyway, it just it just it's very similar. Yeah. And you're like, turns out no. No. Turns out no. With that verse about David, it does specifically say he did not do anything physical with him. Yeah. But they said that because he was impotent, not because he didn't want to. Like, he he he was just old. And they're like, you've lost all your virility as king, and that's when his son tried to steal it from Solomon. Yeah. So, like, that wasn't because you know? Anyway, the answer's no. This is no good. There's plenty of ways to keep warm. The fire had been invented. There's no reason for being a in fact, one of his in fact, the son that tried to usurp him tried to take that woman for his wife. And because now when you start sleeping with the king's concubine, you're basically saying I'm king. Yeah. You know? And so I'm like, okay. I knew this was messed up. Took me three chapters to figure it out. Yep. And so I'm like, and what am I I'm putting out these kids to a land of slaughter. They're I'm like, go ahead and read first Kings. And they're like, what am I supposed to be getting out of that? What do I knew that was? David's pretty solid. That means I get to have like a a saucy young lady at the end of my days, warm me in my bed. I'm like, no. No.

I tell my wife when I'm cold. This is what I mean. Dude, his wife was in the room. They're going there to talk to David, and they're like, hey. Hold on. He's being warmed, brother. She got warmed. And, like, this poor young lady is just, like, laying on him. I mean, I don't it's weird. Okay. So so I think it is Martin Luther's gonna roll in his grave in his garden at this conversation. But like almost all of history, interaction

between the the people and Yahweh, there was a mediator who otherwise explained the things. Like people didn't have private copies of their ability to review all these things. Like if

you think about you know eight thousand years, ten thousand years of recorded history or understanding of history, only three the last three or four hundred years has there been some notion of like you could have your even actually the last hundred years you could have a personal copy of a thing. Yeah. The Schofield reference bible is in the early 19 hundred's. The Gutenberg, right, so that's what 16 something. Anyway, it's not that long, right? Right. So the question is like when do you miss something if our first reaction is private

Bible study as like the thing like this is the normative way to take it in. Because like when you were talking, it made me think that like, well, sending something to somebody to scripture to go like I would think God's speaking in there. I know that. Yeah. God spoke and it's right there. Shy of anything else,

this I would go here. So that actually continues to make sense to me. But the personal Bible study, like in some ways I wonder what type of damage may be too dramatic of a word but like even the expectation that you can read some of these things and it's just gonna be like, oh. And you're gonna walk out with awesome theology and you're going to understand all of it and it's going to energize you when it could actually have the opposite effect. You could read a thing and you're like, This doesn't energize me at all. I don't understand it. I have questions now about God's character and I don't know who the crap all these people are. Yeah. And or why or like what this woman is about or like why is Jesus talking in metaphors? They have a legit problem here. Yeah. And it's like I

wonder if it's odd in a time when like there's sermons out there for everything. You could go find a thing but I guess I just continue to think that there is a very high importance. Like God still uses teachers for a reason. It's why

in our house church setting there's a lot of house churches that are like everyone comes in with their own things for the day. I happen to be it but like I also even if it wasn't me, I think it's very important that like you use there's still people teaching who have the gift to do so and that that is vital to the community that it is happening. And actually we're probably doing our communities to a certain extent a disservice or maybe an imbalance if like you're predominantly saying

personal bible study, and if you don't like it, then you've got a a religious problem. Yeah. Well, and to be fair, there's a reason that God gives the gift of teaching to people. You just check the Internet. You're you're one post away from a guy going, actually, John the Baptist was a descendant of queen of Sheba. And Right. If you look the lineage over, blah blah blah. Like, what a shut up. You know what saying? There's no way. But, like, exactly what happens. Yeah. I don't know, Dan. Like, what do you think about that? I don't disagree with you. I I mean, because I I I encourage people to have personal time at bible study. Uh-huh. But but I also

I mean, you you you're right. You can't just we need opportunity for groups to meet together Yeah. Whether it's teaching and discipling going on because there are people further down the road than And you and you you yeah. You really need that because there could there's so many ways you can be confused. Yeah. As mentioned. And god puts discernment people in your community. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Because let's say your teachers waff the wackadoo line. Right? The discernment guy's the check. He'll come in and go, now now hold on. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? I mean, that's that's what even, like, changing a headlight. I mean, I'll I'll look at a a YouTube video, like Yeah. Like, oh, there's a way this guy's done this before. Yeah. It's like yeah. It looks like. Oh, okay. That helps me beyond just looking at the instructions on on the on the sheet. You know? Yeah. And and that's kinda what discipleship is. Like, hey, this is what I've learned about this. Here's here's how this works, and here's how God moves here. And and so that's always been a part of it. Yeah. Like, I think you're like, I don't think anybody's saying, hey, you should stop reading your life. Stop it. Like there's a great blessing in it. Right. Right. And obviously, like you can't you can't create the next generation of the thinkers, discerners, and teachers if people aren't doing the things that get them there. I just wonder if our

like have we set the right kinds of expectations around it so people like I would never want someone to, one, again, you don't have to feel guilty if you don't read it every day. Right. Right. But if you don't understand it, it don't mean that you don't love Jesus and Jesus don't love you. Like, it's not and so maybe it's it's recognizing that although it makes me think of the the Catholic service where they bring the Bible down the thing, and they're they're holding it up. And like, just like the reverence for the

for the words of God, like they should, to a certain extent, be nourishment to the soul. It doesn't mean that you don't look at some of the dishes that are there and go, boy, I don't know. I don't recognize that. Yeah. Yeah. That seems fine. It also goes back to the the, like, the relationship part of it that goes, if this is about you and personal revelation to you, then I think you're misunderstanding why we're devoting this time. Yeah. You know, it's not necessarily for God to speak to you through His word. And He does do that. And I've had that happen. Like, but the time that you're putting in, sometimes it's at a flat obedience because you don't have anything else to offer. And so if you're like, is there worse ways to spend my time than listening to the Lord speak today? Or listening to the thing that God had put together or reading the thing that God had put together

because He said this needs to sustain throughout history until I return. Yeah. So if God said, I want this to to continue, is there is there is there any worry that you are wasting your time Mhmm. Reading that thing? Even if it's just to increase your understanding of the God who wrote it, Not necessarily for him to go, oh yeah, by the way, take that job. Or yeah, hey, by the way, you should go to this school or you need to stop drinking. You know what I'm saying? Like, you'll get there. Eventually, you'll get there. God speaks to the holy spirit in you through his words for sure.

But like our aim should probably not to be, I've been reading my scriptures and they haven't really been doing anything for me lately. What are you talking about? You're literally watching the God of the universe explain how he reacted and interacted interacted throughout history. We we he's not doing something for you. You know I'm saying? Like, you're watching the God of the universe in action. You should humble yourself, friend, so he can cleanse your land. Yeah. Now we're we're we're looking at this through the lens of settings where we are at in our gatherings getting good scriptural teaching. Yep. Yep. My fear is there's so much the modern preacher dangles one or two verses out and sugars it up and spins it around and makes it pretty.

And and I've gone to a church before when you and you think, I know he used a verse in there somewhere, but I don't know what the bible says. Uh-huh. You know? I got a lot of clever, you know, tweetable tweets and and, you know, wonderful thrills up in my spine going, oh, yeah. God's wonderful. But I haven't, like, heard the word of God. Yeah. And that's my biggest fear today is, like, if they're not doing it at home and they're not getting it at church, when do they get it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So so, like, they're probably well, I I suppose

they they yeah. That is the challenge and the same thing if you think about whatever the Bereans or something like Yeah. Yeah. Do you recognizing that there are powers and principalities and just otherwise charlatans and grifters Mhmm. Or people who just like are probably are teaching and shouldn't.

You know, do you need to be careful, and does this give you the ability to recognize, protect yourself against being misled. Yes. Yeah. It certainly does. Yeah. I suppose what's interesting is that like what sometimes people propagate in

arrogance, you may otherwise come to an ignorance on your own. Right? So like you like some guy somewhere if you were the the prosperity band might say, look, ask and you shall receive. Like, you gotta do is ask and God's there. Right? I mean, if if you are otherwise not a great discerner of what you're taking in and very good at looking at some context around a thing, you could just very well read that at home and come to the same conclusion.

Mhmm. And so, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I suppose it's just maybe there's an intentionality in like one, make sure that like because that part is so important, like it's very hard to be, not everyone can just like read the scriptures and like take away all the right things and know all the context. I have to like, don't have it. I have to work for that. I have to do it intentionally and go get all the things and accumulates over the years, but it's not like I just know those things either. Dan doesn't just know those things. But I say that to say is that like the encouragement is,

one, you can probably not lower the expectations, but change, make sure your expectations make sense on like what it means for you to do personal bible study. But it also means how important it is to go, I know that I need teaching. I know that I need, like, I need someone to help. Like the Ethiopian, like the eunuch guy. He's like, how can I know if someone doesn't tell me about it? That yes. That. Be that. He tried to read Isaiah, and he's like, I don't know. I don't understand

what this is. Who's this guy? It does feel like the the miss where we turned a little bit is is we just got focused that it was about you. You know I'm saying? And, like, God is he does very much care for you like the cross. You know what I'm saying? Like, he's in. He love you. But but we turned it into

like, even those verses that that, you know, energize the prosperity gospel, if you would read your bible, like, Jesus is saying, look, you do the things that the father does. Here's the father. I look at the father. I do all the things because that's what the father is doing. He's inviting you into that. Ask to be involved in what the father is doing. The door will be opened to you. Seek and you shall find the thing that the father is doing, and you will be allowed to do that. Not seek the thing you want, and then I'm just gonna let you do whatever the heck you want. That's not what Jesus is inviting you into. He's inviting you into the things that the father is doing. And so if you walk if you approach the scriptures or you approach your prayer time with a thought that's like, here's what I want or here's what I want God to answer for me. Like, you're gonna get you're gonna you're gonna not hear from him because he's like, you're not you don't wanna do any of the things I wanna do. You just you don't wanna do what the father's doing. You wanna do what you're doing. But, like, when you approach the scripture that goes, what is God doing? Right? What did God do? What did he do with his people? What did his people do? Like here's the story of how God interacted with his people. And then here's where Jesus shows up and goes, Look, all I do is look at the father. It's all I do. It's my whole thing. And so like all the things I'm inviting you to, all the things that sound like, just come to me and I will give you, father give you good gifts. He's going to give you good gifts by inviting you into the thing that he's doing because where he's at is where good is. And so like the thought that goes, I want God to pay attention to me.

And it's a wrong thought. You want to be going, God help me, help my soul pay attention to you. Right? Let me see what you're doing. Wherever you're at, that's where the goodness is. I'm not asking goodness to come to me. I'm going, God, what are you doing this good? I would like to go. I would like to go where that is. And so like, it's just a weird I dunno if we're teaching this this way or like it's just a modern culture thing, where it's like, it just feels like God wants to be in relationship with you. He wants to hug you. He wants to show you that you're loved. And the truth is, is all that's true. But He's gonna ask you to get that hug where he's at. You know what I'm saying? He's gonna say, you come with me. I will come I will come 99 sheep you. I will come find you in the woods and grab you, and I'm gonna pick you up and hug you. But we're not staying in these woods. We're gonna go back to where the other sheep are because that's what I'm doing. You know what I'm And so, like, it just if there's, like, a pervasive thing through most modern worship that that gives me the irk a little bit and some of the, like, bible studies that I've read, I'm like, you gotta this seems so self focused. And I think actually all the freedom is is focusing in on him. You wanna be part of something awesome? Do whatever he's doing. You know? Don't try to be like, god, here's what I'm gonna try to do. Will you join me? He's like, I if I was if it if I was gonna work there, I'd already be there. And I'd be asking you to join me. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's where God's doing things. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. Inevitably, any ask that you have of of God to endorse the paths of your kingdom will come into conflict with his. Yeah. And so he's not he's not going to do that. And so and any notion that we give you that a relationship with him requires that, then you misunderstand.

And it will cause you to misunderstand Jesus and probably yourself. Yeah. Yeah. And I think you would also you're gonna have a hard time, like, getting that feeling that you want. Right? The feeling where you feel like God is connecting with you or bringing things to your mind or, you know, like, whatever. Like, all the interactions with the holy spirit and the scriptures and stuff. Like, when you're most of the time when the Bible, like, speaks to me, it's a conviction of sin. It's very rarely nice job, Mike. It's almost always you need to humble yourself so I can cleanse your land.

I can't cleanse your land when you're still setting fires. And I'm like, right. Okay. Mhmm. And so, like, that has been I'm not saying that's the only way God speaks to me, but, like, the scriptures in particular, it has been most revealing to me patterns of my heart that aren't any good. Yeah. And, like, that have gotten David in trouble or that have gotten Saul in trouble or that have gotten, you know, dudes that I thought were heading the right path. Even a well meaning Judas got himself in trouble because he wanted he wanted God to join him in the thing he wanted. And Jesus is like, we ain't doing that. That's not where the good is. Yeah. Yeah. Good example. Okay. Hey. You're listening to life from the path. So if you heard us correctly, one, go buy a prayer box and pray in it. And two Making out a walnut. Each and a quarter. You could give up be reading that Bible every day. There. That'll give something for the AI to pick out for the clips. Anyway, maybe you have some comments on that. I'm kinda curious. Is it like is this something that's happening to you? I will tell you, like, as a guy who teaches

as my responsibility in the kingdom, I I certainly go through there's things I'll read, and I'm like, I don't okay. Like, I didn't I have no reaction to it, actually. And then I'll pray on it, and I usually pray before I read, and I'll get halfway through a thing. I'm like, God, why isn't this is this supposed to do anything? And to Mike's earlier point, it's like I mean, it's not like like, are these it's not performative for me. Like, it's supposed to dance in front of me. Sometimes it's just

taking it in and then what I find is six months later, we're in here gabbing away and like this thing is in my mind. I have it to reference it. Know what? Don't know what that reminds me of is a thing that I obediently got my way through. I'd like to say that I find it delicious all the time. I don't. I just but but like obviously it's I've it comes together enriching and like once something like kind of unlocks and like you start to understand a thing you didn't understand before, you're like, wow. This is great. And then then you can go reread the same thing, and it's awesome. And so, anyway, maybe I'm curious if you wanna hear something about the complaint line, let us know,

I don't know, any of those something sticks out for you on that, any of your circumstances. (515) 517-0085 call or text. Alright, Mike. Let's give a couple of quick advices. Dear, life from the path. My oldest granddaughter will be looking at colleges soon. My son and her mother are divorced.

My parents gave my son, their grandson, money to put away in accounts for his daughter's college. Instead, he helped himself to that money before the divorce. When his ex wife told me about it, I confronted him. I decided not to tell my parents about it because I was afraid it might shock them into stroke or heart attack. They're in their nineties. I've put away some money to help pay for college, but it won't cover the costs. I have kept this secret because I don't trust my son to manage it. When I asked him how he planned to help pay for college, he said he would use the money he now pays for child support. I don't find that answer satisfactory. I feel like a failure for having raised a son who would take money that belongs to his kids. My granddaughter is upset and feels her father has ruined her future. She also thinks I should tell my parents that he stole the money they intended for her. What do you think I should do?

You guys following this narrative? Grandparent grandparents put money away for the granddaughter's school. Right? Yeah. Great grandparents. Oh, great okay. For the for the the the great great granddaughter's school. This woman is the grandma. Yep. Yeah. And it's her son who prior to her divorce from the girl's mother helped himself to the money that had been put away for her education. Yeah. Yep. And so the question is, what what does this what does this grandma mom do about this? Should she tell the great let's start up and take a couple of like, one at a time. Should she tell the great grandparents of the malfeasance? I

mean, I think you know that situation better than anybody else. If you feel like it's an unnecessary stressor for a 90 year old couple and it's nothing there's nothing you can do about it. Like, there's just Yeah. It's just her place. Yeah. It's just I mean, if sold a mower, she wouldn't say, oh, by the way, they stole your mower. Yeah. I mean, if they were trying to give him more money, yeah, it's probably time to step in and be like, nah. Or or do you think is it possible like, one of the questions I suppose is if they found out about it, might they kick in a little extra kitty for the great grand granddaughter? Because it got because it got stolen. Yeah. I don't Be nice to know how much it was. Yeah. Know, was it $2,000?

Was it $30,000? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It does matter. It was a drop in the modern college bucket that's like, that might get me cafeteria food, but, like Yeah. It's like, don't don't hassle. Just just Yeah. You know, he obviously was in a bad spot. Dad was. I would probably like poorly. Yeah. If you if your parents are have all their faculties. Right? And, like, you're not just saying it to to be gossipy, but you think it's important for them to know because of output that they might have in the future, either kicking more money towards the granddaughter to help or stop giving the son money or whatever,

that you should probably tell them. Right? If it's if it's gonna matter in any practical way, you should tell them. But if it's only gonna hurt their feelings and just create more people to hate this dude, I I I don't know. Like Yeah. Do you protect your your aging grandparents from that kind of I I mean, you don't wanna treat them like second class citizens. You know? It was their money to begin with. And so, like, they were responsible with it, but it does feel like if they're aging in a way that it would be damaging to their health or unnecessarily stressful to them, I don't know if there's fruit to be had there. It would have been nice if they had put it in a fund that only the daughter could open, you know, receive from. I don't I don't know how that works with some of those college things. But Yeah. That's not the situation we're in, Dan. Yeah. No. It's not. It's not. It's I mean, because if it's a if it's a ton of cash, it's a legal matter. It's like it's like Right. Stiffed. I mean, yeah. Yeah. That's that's like a serious like,

I'd be talking to the the dad saying, dude, you you gotta put that back. I will be going to the police. Yeah. I mean, you stole $30, 40, $50 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. From your child. His monthly child support payment is gonna cover the cost of college. Yeah. Yeah. The dad's a turd. We're not talking about him, though. I gotta try I was trying to focus. Like, depends on, a, who we're counseling and, two, how much money it is. This is what like, these are the two major points. Mhmm. And maybe that's really for the daughter to do. He stole from her, and she's kinda interjecting herself in. Yeah. My grand my granddaughter is upset because she knows and feels her father has ruined her future. That's not true. All kinds of people go to college without a lick Yeah. Lick a lick a money one. You know what I'm saying? They borrow, and then they pay off. And, like, your future is not ruined. Life is hard. You you're gonna have a hard time having a relationship with your papa, I would say. Yeah. Like, your relationship with him has gotta be ruined. I think we gotta figure out how to have a heart for that. Yeah. He sounds unrepentant, but the point is to forgive them for your own heart, not because he has asked for forgiveness. Yeah. So, like, if we were counseling the granddaughter, I'd be like, hon, you got dealt a bad group of cards with your old man. Mhmm. And he doesn't feel like he is repentant of any of the things. But, like, if you wanna just be bitter at him, it's not gonna help you in college. So, like, let's figure out how to borrow the money and get you get you going to school. Done. Yeah. As far as the the the daughter the daughter is concerned, the one that raised the son, the grand the original grandma,

I don't know, man. Like, it's really hard to control your kids once they leave your house. Mhmm. You know what I'm saying? Like, you gave them all the wisdom you could or tried to and with all the mistakes you made, and then they decide what kind of people they're gonna be. And, like, it's hard not to own the sins of your kids, but I don't you can't own this. You can't control the man. Yeah. You know? You can be real disappointed at him. And when he comes over acting like everything's cool, being like, dude, everything is not cool. You show up here acting like everything's awesome, and you'd stole $30 from your daughter. That would be the hard part for me, I think, is that, like, if if your your son had done something like that and, like, its con its consequences continue and he doesn't care to turn from it, and then you figure out,

like, how to talk to him at Thanksgiving. Yeah. I feel it would have a hard I would have a hard time. And I I I think, like, obviously, you're you're supposed to forgive here for the pertinent reasons that Mike is stating and that Jesus has laid out. But the practical nature of being in a room with this man who's just floating around having done the thing without being impacted by it and it didn't, like, say you're sorry or try to fix it or anything. You'd like, I would have a hard time if I'm supposed to let this arrogant beast sit at my Thanksgiving table. Yeah. Yeah. Without becoming like, and in some ways, you kinda wanna put like, you want it to hurt you want it to hurt him a little so that he comes to his senses. You're like, you can't come to his justice served. Yeah. Yeah. And I'd say, I don't know if that's right, actually. No. I actually, I don't think that it is. Yep. In fact, there's probably been more than one situation where,

like, I had felt that god was really pressing on me, like, you're gonna have to take some slaps to the face here because the relationship that I need you to have in the next coming years will be important. Mhmm. And so, like, if you wanna set the whole world on fire for every slight, you're gonna miss out on the thing that I'm asking you to do. And, like, that's hard to take in. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do do you think it's it's worth hiring an attorney to to pursue things? I mean, isn't that a small claims court, like, case?

Yeah. I mean, maybe like, the thing is is, like, I wish they'd paint a character of the debt. Is he, like, a drug addict? Yeah. Yeah. Aren't they just bad with his money? He's an idiot. You know saying? Things are really tight. I'll get it packed to you. You know? But he never did. Yeah. I mean, did did that did that money he used keep a roof over the daughter's head in the midst of the divorce? You know? Or, I don't know. Let me ask you this question. Do you think are we slightly or is the grandma slightly misleading the situation? Is he saying I'll put my child support to it because he's done paying child support because the kid aged out? Yeah. Okay. And so he's just saying that's how I'll repay it. I'll pay it back. Thought Yeah. That that the age here, it's pretty important. Yeah. I was thinking maybe he had another kid and was suggesting he's diverting his child support. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Know. Too. Yeah.

She's she's graduated out of the child support. He's like, oh, well, I was paying it anyway. I'll just start putting it. I'll give it to you. Okay. I mean, that that's not he's not top of the turd, Pyle. I'm a get that in writing, though. Yeah. Yeah. Can trust me? Can you trust the deal this guy's made? I I don't know. But I let's say let's say they got divorced when they were the the little girl was 12. Yep. There's let's say there's $30 in there, and he's like, hon, I need to borrow some of your college money to keep us afloat here for a little bit, but I promise I'll pay it back. Like, a 12 year old's gonna go, sure. Yeah. You know? Like, so would the let let's say that it was for necessary reasons. He's not a big he's not a drug dealer or he's not doing drugs. He's not a gambler. He's not an alcoholic. He didn't waste the money. He used it for life expenses during a really tough financial time, and the money was just sitting there. Would we find this acceptable for him to ask his 12 year old daughter to be like, honey, it's the only place we have money. Mhmm. I'm gonna borrow this, but I promise I will show you how much I borrowed, and I will show you I'm paying it back. I know none of this makes sense to you. But It's a family emergency. It's a family emergency. We're gonna do this thing. Would we feel like he just went about this really poorly if that was the reason? Do you tell twelve year olds, like, concepts that I I mean, it's not like they don't understand money. Yeah. I would like I would. I would at 12. Yeah. Mhmm. Think I would too. I would too. So but since since it's only getting painted from the mom's perspective, and we're not, like, talking about where what he did with any of this money. It's kinda Yeah. We're left no choice but to think he's a little a little off. Yeah. I mean, he fail like, there's still a failure in there. Like, whatever he did, he didn't return it. And

maybe it's understandable or maybe not. Like, I don't know. Did he get a second job? Like, how important was it that like, some of these things are, like, efforts probably, like, he tried his best and it still didn't happen. And now we're working with a imperfect situation. Okay. I think that's different. It's because she used the phrase he helped himself to the money. Yeah. That's that like, that instant connotation acts like it was lackadaisial and without consequence. Mhmm. Yeah. And so that phrase right there really puts the reader of the question to go, this guy is untrustworthy buffoon. Yeah. May maybe maybe the mom was having an affair and then called the police and and inaccurately accused him of domestic abuse and destroyed him,

and he had nothing to do with it. Right. Mean, had to pay for the divorce. Yeah. Like, it cost him the money. Or, like, when he split the stuff, he had to come up with. Yeah. Yeah. $30. The car, took the house, took the dog. You know? It's a great question, though. Like, during a divorce, wouldn't the courts go, like, does that 30,000 get accredited to the dad, or does get credited to the 12 year old kid? Right. You they're like, these are your assets. He's like, that's not my money. That's college money for this kid. But if it's an unmarked savings account and not a, like, a a, you know, education account, what is whatever they are. Yeah. You know, like Whatever number. You know? I don't know. It's Yeah. I was I agree. I I think it is like, there's a possibility that this is significantly more complicated and much more gray than what we've been led to believe. Yeah. Just based on thinking through it a little bit, like, don't you think if he was some kind of outrageous, you know, ruffian, she'd have said so. He struggled with drugs in the past, or he makes bad finances. She mentions none of these things. Yeah. And the daughter

saying, like, I think he's ruined my life. I don't know. It's an what presuming she's heading into college. She's 18 or 17. Like, I don't know. Is it did she say that, like, very thoughtfully or just, like, she's having a rough go of it because it's not there and she was upset? Yeah. Yeah. Is this a full rendering of the dad? I don't know. And, obviously, he let this go for so long and didn't say, by the way, that money's not there. He waited for it to be a surprise when she graduated high school. That's pretty that's pretty rough. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I suppose maybe she didn't know about it. Like, the only ways in the grandma knew about it is because the mom knew. And so, like, it could be that the daughter didn't know it was there, and then she's told about it only at the time to tell her that it's gone. I mean, it didn't ruin your life then. You already thought you didn't have any money. Yeah. Stole money that didn't exist in your world. Feels like someone let you sniff a million dollars and then took it away, and you're like, I never really had it, I guess. Yeah. Yeah. I feel that way about I don't know if you I maybe you guys don't have this experience,

but I've thought about applying for a job, like a different job at some point. And I knew the money was bigger, and then I I'll decide not to do it. And I'm like, I'll stay where I'm at or something. But, like, I'm like, oh, I missed out on $20. Like, no. No. You didn't. You did not have that job. Yeah. It's like you just thought about it for five seconds. Like, you might apply for a job. Yeah. Yeah. You never had that money. Yeah. Okay. Second so the question is, what do you think I should do? Secular says, I suspect that you didn't tell your parents what your son did because you are ashamed of how he has turned out. That he would steal from his daughter is despicable. I don't blame your granddaughter for being angry with her father for what he did. I doubt that your parents knowing the truth will affect their health.

Inform them about what happened to the college fund in case they have been planning to leave anything in their estate to their grandson. Oh, yeah. Death death money. Good point there. Yeah. Yeah. The but that was our original thought that, like, if it's just a gossip, then don't tell him. But, like, if it has practical consequences, like, hey, man. You know, they they were gonna leave him something in the will or they're, like, continuing to borrow him money, then, like, you should definitely tell him. Yeah. Okay. Here we go. Dear, life from the path.

For the last four years, I've been hosting my son, quotes Dennis, his six year old oh, no. Sorry. Spammy. Here we go. I have I have been hosting my son Dennis's, his six year old son, and his brother's eight year old daughter every other weekend. Dennis brought a puppy, Champ, to go with his house and brings him on these visits.

Champ is nice enough but extremely active. He runs wild and barks, digs holes, has never been trained. The grandkids are cousins, and they are thick as thieves. They love running around indoors and out, but I am worn out. This arrangement caused problems between Dennis and me because he isn't on top of managing Champ as he thinks he is. Also, I'm the de facto dog watcher when Dennis has plans, and that's five or that's four or five times a year for three days to a week. I have told him more than once that he needs to get the animal trained or hire a sitter. He has not. Mhmm. Dennis was going to take a car trip with his brother, sister-in-law, niece, and his brother's dog. Because his brother wouldn't take two dogs, Dennis asked me to watch Champ, which I declined. Yep. I caught heck, and it was stressful, but I stuck to my guns. Wouldn't you know that Dennis will be in town helping his brother clear out a property property for sale, and now he needs me to watch his dog for the weekend? Why is he asking me and putting me right back in the same position? Can I give you some insight? I will pass on the reply and follow your lead. Yeah. I mean, he's tested his boundaries. He you said no once. He's checking to see whether that just whether you're being fickle or whether you're your foot down. Yeah. Just keep your foot down. They got places to put dogs. Yeah. Kendall's for short term. I thought you were being real harsh. You're, like, six feet under this. No. No. It's hard, Dan. You poison the dog. Yeah. No. No. They got places you can Yeah. Boredom for a couple days. Yeah. I cannot think of any time I hate my dogs until people are over.

Like, when no one's at my house, I'm like, these dogs are fine. They cause me no trouble. They roll in stinky stuff every once in a while. I can't find them for an hour. But overall, they're good animals. And then as soon as someone comes within a quarter mile of my driveway, I'm instantly embarrassed of them. Mhmm. I'm like, I let them run amok. They bark at cars. They chase tires. They jump around. They scare the Amazon guy. And I'm like, I hate these dogs. Why do I have these dogs in the first place? They make me look like I'm an irresponsible parent slash dog owner. Yeah. And I wish I never had an animal. And then someone everyone leaves, and I'm like, come here, buddy. You know what I'm saying? We're best friends again. And, like, it's when people have zero realization that their dog's a hellion.

And, like, they just cannot take it in. And I'm like, there's just no possible way. Like, they they make excuses for the dog. They're like, oh, yeah. He just likes to bark at the squirrel. And, you had a bunch of people over, and you're trying to have a conversation, and this dog stands at the door. They won't put the dog away, and then they just yell at it every, like, three minutes. Steven. Anyway, what were you saying? Steven, get off from there. Steven. And you're like, just put the dog away. Don't invite people over and then make them tolerate your terrible animal. And, like, this thing is the epitome of this. Right? Like, you bought a problem, and then you dropped it off at your mom's house. You suck. Like, I don't care how much she watches. You you know that old lady's worn out by your kids. Six and eight. Right? These are rambunctious kids. Right? And it's good for them. No one's mad at the kids. The dog on the other hand, come on. Like, you're gonna bring a dog over to your 70 year old mama's house and let her chase this rambunctious, untrained fool around? You come on. You're a selfish bad bad man. You're a bad man. She's not even saying she won't watch the dog. No. She just has to be trained. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's not it like, it really is not that difficult if you get like, just get the dog. It's gonna cost you a little bit of money and a little bit of time to go to six or seven dog lessons Yeah. Over six weeks, And then you get free dog care three to five times a year. Like, stop being cheap and, you know, disrespectful.

You'd be amazed how much your mom would probably really enjoy that dog's company Yeah. If it would behave itself and, like, sit around and get pet and take treats and do cool stuff. But instead, you let it just run around, tearing the place up, and you're like, come on. No one wants to deal with that. Yeah. That's about the age you get when you like, you have a dog at, like, 50. You're like, when this one's gone, we're out. I'm I'm getting out this. We're out of dog business. We're not gonna do this again. We're no longer sucked in by the cuteness. We know what this means. I have the for this is the second week in a row. This has just happened a couple days ago that I found my dog. The FedEx people pull up, you know, and they're like, oh, crap. Dog's gonna go up and try to talk to the FedEx guy. And two weeks in a row, I found a dog in the FedEx truck. Oh, no. Because they keep coming up and they open up the side door, and then they're digging around for packages. And this fat fool just goes jumping up it because here's the thing. They keep bringing they give him bones. Yeah. Right? Oh. So now he knows that they have bones, and he knows the last time he jumped up in his FedEx truck, they like, oh, that's cute, and they gave him a bone. And so now it can't keep this idiot out of there. Oh, no. He loves it in the FedEx truck. I love that. That's ex I I would take that any day of the week. My dogs will literally, like, bark at tires. Everybody slows down. So now it takes them twenty minutes to get out of the driveway. I'm like, just drive. They'll move. They'll move. If they don't move, I'm willing to lose one of them, honestly, at this point because they're so irritating. They will come balling up from a mile and a half away. They'll hear that the Amazon dude show up, and here they come like it's their long lost cousin and just barking at tires and causes it'll chase them down the road. I'm like, oh, this is so embarrassing. I can't and they don't listen to me. I can't keep them under control. And that or now now what are you left to do? Yell at them like a mom yelling at their two get over here. Stop it. They're not listening to me. My authority is, obviously, I have zero. And so now I'm embarrassed in front the Amazon dryer. I got I got no control over my own dogs. I freaking hate them dogs until you guys aren't around, and then I'm like, come here, buddy. We're best friends. I

love you. Okay. So what we're saying is at the end of the day, you need to need to hold your boundaries with your son. You'd like, dude, come on. Stop. I'm 70. Don't stop bringing these dogs over here. That's it. Yeah. Keep your foot down. Once the dog gets strained, then it won't be an imposition, and you're probably glad to have the dog back. Alright. Secular says, your entitled son is conveniently ignoring the fact that his undisciplined animal is too much for you to handle because he doesn't like your message. He takes for granted that mom won't stick to her guns. For the sake of your safety, please do not allow him to get away with it. This is not a safety issue. This is a principal issue. Yeah. Dennis is an irresponsible pet owner and too lazy to take his dog for obedience training. If he needs a pet sitter, he should hire one or board his dog at a kennel while he is away. Yeah. I agree. Get that dog under control. Don't move your problems around other people. You took on a dog, even if you regret it sometimes, you're like, this is gonna be great. Turns out it's not great. You made a mistake. But, like, your mama shouldn't have to pay for your EDC. Either get the dog trained or stop dropping her off at your mom's house. Yep. Agreed. Hey. You've been listening to Live From The Path. Thank you for hanging out with us. If you got any feedback for us on the show, hit us up on the Live From The Path. Bob Eiseler, complete line (515) 507-0085. Call or text. We'd love to hear from you. In the meantime, be faithful in the means. God will handle the ends. You've been listening to Live From The Past.

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 palace