The C.A.S.T.
The C.A.S.T.
We're BACK! Navigating Faith and Family in Modern Life
Can balancing the demands of modern life, faith, and family truly coexist harmoniously? Welcome back to our cast after a 316-day hiatus, where we share updates and personal stories that demonstrate the answers to this question. Mike and Garth both celebrate the arrivals of their newborn sons. As we gather, we revisit the significance of our acronym CAST—Calling, Accountability, Scripture, and Transparency.
Balancing the responsibilities of parenthood, marriage, and professional commitments while maintaining faith might seem overwhelming, but we've discovered strategies that help keep us spiritually grounded. Join us as we share personal struggles and victories, offering practical tips for integrating daily spiritual practices like morning Bible study and engaging in discipleship series with our spouses. From navigating the unique pressures of small business ownership to the real estate market, we emphasize disciplined time management to ensure that faith and family remain at the forefront of our priorities.
In a world bursting with distractions, prioritizing God and family sometimes requires us to hit pause on our professional ambitions. Discover the importance of stepping back and letting God guide us, leading to a more fruitful season in life. We reflect on the lessons from Romans 12:2 and the story of Martha and Mary, illustrating how to keep our devotion to God strong amidst everyday busyness. This episode is brimming with heartfelt reflections, practical advice, and entertaining moments that are sure to resonate with anyone juggling faith, family, and modern life's demands.
Welcome to the cast. Well, today is a very special day. Welcome back to another episode of the cast. I'm Jarrett, I'm Garth, I'm Mike and I'm Trey, and it is a very surreal day. Here around the table, the guys are back together. We back, we are back. You know, I decided to we're back and some things never change. Thanks, mike, never will.
Speaker 2:Thank you, sir, thank you.
Speaker 1:You know, I decided before we did this today, I wanted to look at the last time that we released an episode, because it has been a while, and it was October, the 1st of 2023. And that means that there has been 316 days that have went by since we have released an episode 316. Almost a year released an episode 316. Almost a year, 316. 316. Mike does 316 mean anything to you.
Speaker 3:You know what I think? There's a scripture, let's hear it. Who knows? That scripture Isn't your middle name John.
Speaker 1:No, it's August. Look at that, look at this confirmation. We're starting back in August I guess no For any first-time listeners out there. We just want to say thank you, guys for tuning in For all of our faithful followers. We apologize for the break, but we're going to talk a little bit today about the break and why we did it and why it was needed. But you know we started this thing.
Speaker 1:That's true. We're ready to get this thing back rolling again, but we started this. You know. I should have looked up when our very first episode was released, but it was back in 2022, I would imagine I think so.
Speaker 1:And so we're going on almost two years since we started this thing.
Speaker 1:But we started it with the acronym of the word CAST, meaning Calling, accountability, scripture and Transparency, and the heart behind everything was to just have a platform where we have us four guys that come on here and just talk about different topics and try to tie those in but also have a little bit of fun while doing it with some halftime show games and just different things that make this a little bit of a different podcast.
Speaker 1:But as we start this season for season three we're going to call it as we start this today we're going to talk about just some life updates as we said, it's been 316 days since we launched an episode but then also tying into kind of balancing your faith in modern life. We are all dads, we all have full-time jobs, we all do things on the side, we are all, I would say, pretty busy people and because of that busyness and everything that's went on, it's kind of led to why we took this break. But before we go any further, we always want to open up an episode in prayer. So I'm going to ask Trey if you will kick this episode off with a word of prayer.
Speaker 4:Father. We thank you, lord, for the chance God to come back together after such a long break. Thank you for the platform, lord, that you've given to us. God, we thank you for our listeners. Pray, father, that the discussion we have today, lord will be edifying to you and Lord will be beneficial to the listeners. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.
Speaker 1:Amen, amen, all right. So we said we wanted to talk about some life updates. A lot can happen in 316 days, so who wants to go first and give a little brief recap of kind of your life update since the last time we released an episode?
Speaker 3:I can go, as everybody's looking at me. Yeah, I'll go. Um, let's see, uh, since October, uh, we've gotten a minivan uh swagger wagon hashtag goals. We actually got it in October of last year. That's why we had it.
Speaker 4:He went into a deep depression after he bought the one-star van yeah.
Speaker 3:And part of it is because Jessica was pregnant. I don't know if we had mentioned that on the last couple of episodes, but the baby is now here. He was due in February, february 8th, I'm pretty sure. If I'm wrong about that date, jessica will let me know it's not when he was due, you're pretty sure you're wrong. It wasn't due that day. That's when he was born.
Speaker 4:He came early.
Speaker 3:He came about a month early. He is happy, healthy. He is doing really well. There's a couple other things, but doctors are pretty confident, things are fine, he's doing good. He's a little chunky monkey, chunky monkey, he's good. Good baby. His name is Wyatt August.
Speaker 4:Where did that middle name come from?
Speaker 3:It came from my name, which came from my dad's, my grandfather's name.
Speaker 4:Which came from the month?
Speaker 3:No, not at all. It's German, it came from August month? No, not at all, it's German.
Speaker 1:So no month. It came from Augusta, georgia, and they dropped the other A off and just forgot.
Speaker 3:Augusta. So, anywho, that's a little bit about my life. It's been pretty busy.
Speaker 1:My life be like ooh.
Speaker 3:I've got some business opportunities on the side that Jared's been involved with. That's kind of taken off. So things are going good. Great, god's good.
Speaker 1:Thanks, Mike. Speaking of babies, we'll keep it rolling around the table. Hi, this is.
Speaker 2:Garth.
Speaker 1:Hi, my name's Garth. You can't see me.
Speaker 2:We had a baby boy. He was born in March.
Speaker 4:Congratulations, Garth. Thank you.
Speaker 2:When was his due date, baby boy. He was born in March. Congratulations, garth. Thank you, when was his due date? So he was due.
Speaker 1:March 22nd, the day after my birthday.
Speaker 2:So that means your birthday is March 21st. Affirmation I can, yes, but on March 13th I went to work and set up on a job and Whitney texted me that she was going into labor. So I left work and walked into labor and delivery and Dr Harding walked up to me and said hey brother, it's going down today.
Speaker 1:I'm like All right.
Speaker 2:Let me go get some coffee. It was like right around the midday, like 12, 1 o'clock, something like that. He was born around the midday, like 12, 1 o'clock, something like that. He was born Praise the Lord, and it was successful and he's an absolute unit. He's a big boy. He's like four months old wearing nine-month-old clothes. He's a big boy. Oh, he's going on five months. Yeah, what is today, august 7th? Just shy of five months. Profession, uh, professionally, I'm still a suburban lumberjack you have a minivan.
Speaker 2:Uh no, I have a suv that we should. We need a van um so tate's baby number seven, seven, no, um, still, yeah, still cutting trees for work, um, still doing men's ministry and still trying to conquer the world.
Speaker 4:My turn. Go for it, trey. Well, my wife and I have not had any babies in the last 316 days like these two guys. Our one baby, who's not much of a baby anymore at the time of recording he will be seven in three days, so we're getting ready to start first grade.
Speaker 3:Happy birthday Spencer.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, he'll be seven by the time everybody's listening, I think. Right, yeah, yeah, yeah. But for me, the last 316 days. I did have a really cool opportunity. At the beginning of this summer.
Speaker 4:I went on a missions trip, first one I've ever been on out of the country. I've done a couple inner city things in the United States, but I got to go to Mozambique, Africa. It was an absolutely incredible experience, just to experience a different culture, a different way of living I came away with. Their life is a lot harder than ours but, man, their life is so much simpler. It's the. I know it sounds kind of like like a weird thing, but it's just. You know they have to work a lot harder but they don't have as many distractions. Right, and it was. It was just a really, really cool experience to see how the the church, you know how operate differently than we do. I don't know. It was a really cool experience that I got to share with a couple guys from the church and, yeah, like I said, everybody else just had been super busy. A lot of stuff going on Just came out of VBS for the summer.
Speaker 2:It's just a lot going on.
Speaker 1:Another episode we could talk about missions. Yeah, you could kind of share your experience, Mike. I know you've got some.
Speaker 3:you know the yeah, missions is great, I love missions that could be another this is great.
Speaker 1:I want to do missions all right, I'll put that down. Future topic right there, missions. Um, I guess it's my turn, like trey. No, no babies for my family either, but our little girl will be turning two here and uh just about a week and a half. Uh, so that's crazy to believe. Um, I did have a birth, though. Birth to kidney stone hey, congratulations when was this?
Speaker 4:due date uh, not soon enough there's three and a half weeks.
Speaker 1:Three and a half weeks, that was a great experience overdue it was yeah, well baked, well overdue, um well baked, not fun, not pizza brother, I'm trying to think what else happened. Fun yeah, mike talked about some business experiences that we've had. Uh, that's been been good. Uh kept us busy. Yeah, did pick up a hobby uh, pickleball.
Speaker 2:Got some pickleball it's taking the world by storm.
Speaker 1:It is. It is. We started what in April, end of April, something like that. Yeah, yeah, we started unplugged at a youth retreat. We had no idea what we were doing, playing like ping pong rules, and then we showed up to a place where they didn't know what they were doing Like what are you guys doing?
Speaker 4:That would be tennis, but that's okay. Every time we played, we learned a different rule.
Speaker 1:We did like we had and every time we went we learned, yeah, everything. But man, if there's any, any pickleballers that are followers of the cast, let us know, because it is. It is a great hobby. If you never played before, I would highly recommend it. Pickleball is a ton of fun what Jarrett really?
Speaker 4:he picked up a hobby. I mean, I think at this point it might be a small obsession.
Speaker 3:I think so how many paddles you got?
Speaker 4:I can't count that high. Well, I mean he also purchased a visor.
Speaker 3:Yes, I saw that in his car.
Speaker 2:That's how he asserts his dominance on the pickleball court. When he puts the visor on, you know it's on. You need to get him pre-booked for the nursing home.
Speaker 4:His next step is shuffleboard. Listen, guys.
Speaker 3:I didn't want to wear. I play shuffleboard, it's fun.
Speaker 1:I didn't want to wear a sweatband. Is your prostate okay? Or a headband?
Speaker 3:We'll be taking a break so you can go to the bathroom, way out of line.
Speaker 1:Luckily I got a bathroom just 10 feet away.
Speaker 4:He also has the tennis shoes that were made just for pickleball.
Speaker 1:They are tennis shoes.
Speaker 2:He is the lethal edge of the sword man.
Speaker 1:He's coming for you. I've lost 20 pounds playing pickleball. I'll be honest, I'm a little jealous of that. I've lost 20 pounds playing pickleball, I'll be honest, I'm a little jealous of that.
Speaker 4:I'm a lot of jealous Of his skill or his weight loss, his weight loss or his visor.
Speaker 3:I saw the visor I was like what is this?
Speaker 1:The visor wouldn't work well for Mike. I can rock a visor. Here's the reason I can rock a visor. Here's the reason I can rock a visor. There's a rationale behind it, the rock of ages.
Speaker 4:It is a very absorbent visor so it keeps the sweat from coming down to my eyes.
Speaker 1:But I also don't want to wear a hat, because this way it lets the heat escape out of the top of my head, so I stay alert.
Speaker 4:Well that is the science behind the visor. I just think it's correct. I just thought it was funny. Do you want me to wear a hat and have a heat stroke? No, I don't want that.
Speaker 1:Alright, so let's get back to the reason why we're all here, guys Trey's in trouble. I'm kind of glad Jerwin lasts. I thought we had a pack to pick on, mike who broke out the visor comment.
Speaker 4:That would be me, that would be, trey, that would be me, trey had that one.
Speaker 1:I did hey, guess what.
Speaker 3:This is a new and approved cast. We're going to get to pick on Jared. Of course, mike, he's going to chime right in.
Speaker 1:You know, the next time I'll play I'll be wearing a visor.
Speaker 4:I'm probably going to order another one, some two visors. Your words have no Social media in here. He needs as many visors as he needs paddles.
Speaker 1:I'll wear a visor and record an episode of the cast. I have no problem with it.
Speaker 2:No shame in my game. No heat strokes in here, buddy.
Speaker 1:All right, so let's get into this Life updates check.
Speaker 1:Let's look at where our lives were in October to where they are now.
Speaker 1:A lot of life updates, a lot of different things have happened. But one of the biggest reasons we kind of hit pause on recording these episodes was time. When it looks at being a dad, being a husband, working jobs, doing different things, all of those things require a piece of your time and we all have the same amount of time in one day, and getting four guys in one room at one time was difficult, and so we just decided that, as life got really busy and things started happening right man, we can't, we just weren't able to make this work. Whether that was right or wrong, it was a decision we had to make. I know for me, with the T of the cast of transparency, I miss doing this because in a lot of ways, this 30 minutes to an hour that we spent together was actually a time of accountability for me, with whether coming prepared to talk about a topic or staying in the Word in different ways in like a personal study, like it was a deeper level of things. It challenges me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'd agree with that statement.
Speaker 1:And so I've missed it. I'm glad we've decided to bring this back, but the reason we took the delay, the break, is the reason we're talking about the topic that we're talking about today of balancing our faith and modern life, because I believe today and we've probably talked about this in previous episodes but the reality is we could talk about the same topic months apart and we may have different perspectives because of the season of life that we're in Hands down and so what we've experienced over the last several months, what would you guys say when we look at our life updates and we look at everything that's went on, how are you balancing your walk with the Lord, but also the roles of a husband, a father, an employee, business owner, all those different things, and doing them all in a way that is honoring and pleasing to God?
Speaker 2:This would be a good chance to be accountable. But I went guilty. I went through a real dry season for a month. It's been nine months but I struggled with the time, you know, to be able, with the baby, you know, to commit that reading every day, um, and, and meditation and prayer, you know, and it just it wasn't happening like it had been. And you know you start to notice like man, I just feel off and I had to sacrifice more time so that it's easy to start your day like, oh yeah, I'll get to it in the evening. And then evening comes and it just doesn't happen.
Speaker 2:So I had to literally take my Bible and put it at the end of my dining room table and leave it and it's waiting for me every morning. So that's the first thing I do in the morning is go get in that Bible. And then Whitney and I have started a discipleship series. We're doing the Navigators 2-7 series and it's been really good and I do that combined in the mornings and I've been able to consistently do it. Is that designed for husband and wives? It's meant for small groups, but I've just been so burdened Like I really wanted to like work with Whitney, like I can go out and save the world, but if I don't, do it with my wife then what's the point?
Speaker 2:And um, so I floated the idea buyer and she was all for it. You know like she didn't even hesitate. So we've been doing it and it's been really good. I would highly recommend it to anybody, anybody that wants to. You know the, the, the high priest in the house, you know the actively trying to do it for real at home and not just faking the funk. And you know being a cultural Christian and then going to work.
Speaker 1:Right, right. There's still that, that aspect of it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, after all that, though, that's first thing, that's the priority, yeah.
Speaker 1:How has or has you know, in the season of dryness and different things, how does work affect everything else? Because for you it's different than the three of us, because we are all at a church full time.
Speaker 2:So for me, like the small business, like it will consume your life if you allow it. Like the phone is not going to stop ringing, the emails are not going to stop. There's always something you can do it. Just so with that you just you got to cut it off. You know I'm not answering the phone, I'm not answering that email, I'm not going to look at that, I'm not worried about that. Like, this is family time. It's hard to shut it off and there's a lot of my peers and, um, I know there's a lot of people that don't like people that work real estate. I don't know how they do it because it never ends, ever. All my friends that work in real estate are constantly you know it's doesn't end Yep, always on the phone or always at a property.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, it's it's, it's hard. You know you have to discipline.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Your time for family, for God, for church, you know you have to prioritize things and just learn when to.
Speaker 3:I think for me, like when you, when you said prioritize, search, you have to prioritize things and just learn when to.
Speaker 3:I think for me, like when you said prioritize, like sometimes, like I know I needed the break because I feel like in October things I can't really remember everything, I can't remember what I did yesterday, but I know, yeah. So I just know that, that, like I like I welcomed the break, especially when Wyatt was born he came early, that was nerve wracking and and so I think, just you know having a break, and I think that's okay. Like I think sometimes that we all I mean if like to be a hundred percent honest, like I know that I go, go, go, go go, but if I don't start removing certain things, then I'm just going to be bogged down and you're going to keep pushing God to a corner, right, you're going to keep pushing your devotional time to a corner, and I know that I've missed the cast because to y'all, just like you guys said that it is a form of accountability to ensure that we're on our A game.
Speaker 1:Hold on, guys. We do have that recorded. Mike did miss us.
Speaker 3:I missed the cast. Thanks, joe, maybe not the people. I'm at the end of my rope with time. I think at that point that I realize, like, hold on, something's got to give, because there's been several times, especially when you know Garth was talking about real estate and we dabble a little bit in real estate and I think that there was moments where I was like you know what, I'm not going to go and do that and that may have pushed my timeline of my project down the road, but at the end of the day, it's money, and so if I have to give up a couple hundred dollars today to ensure that I'm spending time with my family or spending time with my kids or my wife, or doing something fun that just allows me to unwind, um, then I'm going to do that.
Speaker 3:You know, like, like I, like I need to and I'm really hard. It's. It's difficult for me to stop um and just and do fun stuff, you know and. But I also like working, so I think work's fun for me, um, but I think just being able to hang out with my kids or jump in the pool or whatever A balance right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's the key it's hard, man it's hard.
Speaker 4:Well, it's like our priorities should be God first, family second, and then, if those two things are not happening, you have to look at what else you're doing and if those things that are not the most important are getting in the way, like while the cast is and was very important to us, it was necessary for us to say, okay, we're going to set it aside for a season because we have to do the things we have to do the things that are most important.
Speaker 1:Well, not only that, but we all have grown, I would say, since October You've lost weight, so you didn't grow. You know what I mean, but spiritually, but just things like that but I feel like we've learned to manage things better as well, like even though, like life has been faster than ever, it's not slowed down.
Speaker 1:We're still here, back there's no shortage of things competing for our attention Right, but we have made this as a priority because, just as everybody has said, we've realized that, hey, we did miss this and the reason we missed it was a spiritual reason, because of the accountability and the different things.
Speaker 1:So we said, okay, hey, we do need to make this a priority for us to get back into it. And so I think that to say you know that we have all grown, we have all matured, we have all changed I think that's important to recognize as well that in certain areas of your life, you may have hit pause on certain things because it just wasn't the season for it, and when you went through that season and God has helped you and grown you and all of those things there's time to bring certain things back, and he will bring them back if it's going to be a fruitful season. And so I look at it, too as those things we've learned and we've grown over the last 300 plus days of not doing it, to get us back to where we are today.
Speaker 2:It's been like. Coming out of this dry season has been. If I had to put it one way, it would be like God's way of showing how to die to self, how to surrender to Christ.
Speaker 1:I want to ask a question as we talk about just the busyness and everything let's just talk about for a second. You know, because in our lives, with our families and our jobs and the people that we talk with all the time, we hear a lot of things, and so let's just talk for a second. You know, how do we hear and respond to God's call in today's busy world? As we've looked at the busyness of things, you know, how how can we, you know, balance our faith and our daily responsibilities? Yeah, it is a tough task, um, but how can we do this right? And how can we help some listeners that are listening to struggling and feel is the same way we feel? You know, how can we do this?
Speaker 3:I think I know, like I think a lot of times specifically for me which I would imagine is for other people is that I'm like when we just started talking, I'm just reminded of Romans 12. But then it's Romans 12, too I've quoted quite a few times, but it says do not conform to the patterns of this world. But the second part here is is but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what's good, what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will. And I think that a lot of times that we just have to just stop, pause, renew our mind daily. And stop, pause, renew our mind daily, and just so that way we're in the will of God.
Speaker 3:Because I think the distractions of life and the distractions of the TV and what's going on in our world, I think that can get us going down like some rabbit hole that doesn't bear any fruit. And I think that, and even just busyness I think you know sometimes the devil's in the details, right. So I think there's just keeping us busy from what God has called us to do. And to your point, you know it's God first, family second, and if we're not careful, like you know. I mean scripture says he's crouching at the door, you know, and we just have to, we just got to be on our A game. So I think for me just being able to renew my mind daily to ensure that hey, I am, that I'm pursuing God because he is our first priority, and a lot, but there is times like I'm, I will confess, right now there are times where he doesn't feel like the first priority. You know, especially if I'm in that season, I'm thinking why do I feel like I'm out of whack?
Speaker 4:Well, it's because my priorities have shifted. I think what Gar said a minute ago about doing it first If you say you're going to wait and do it later, nine times out of ten, you're not going to do it later. You have to start the day that way, at least for me.
Speaker 3:I've been committed to walking a mile every day. At the end of the day I had done it.
Speaker 4:It's such a commitment.
Speaker 1:Can day at the end of the day I had done it, it's such a commitment, you know, can you?
Speaker 3:so I need to do it.
Speaker 4:Relevant to this no no, if I did it in the morning, I would get you done. You don't push it at the end. That's where it's relevant.
Speaker 3:At the end of the day, you've gone through everything I know, so I hope I got a mile in my steps right.
Speaker 4:Last thing you want to do is have another task well, you know I was.
Speaker 1:It was funny, as you said thatth, and you said that earlier, I was reminded of Psalm 5 and verse 3. It says oh Lord, in the morning, you hear my voice? In the morning, I prepare a sacrifice for you. And wait, there it is and it's like just even that. You know, david in this psalm, you know, is saying hey, in the morning, lord, you hear my voice, which right there, is saying hey, he's spending time with God in the morning and something that's so, it's so simple. It's so simple. We've all done it, we've all said it, we all know it. But just seeing that again I was like man, you man, that's really, really powerful.
Speaker 1:And another scripture that I think is relevant to this is in Matthew 6, verse 33, where it says but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. If we seek those things it says seek first, again, I think of in the morning, seek those things first. If you're going to be able to do that, I think that that's when we really start to see I'm not going to say everything's going to be easy and everything's going to be okay but even in the midst of our daily task that if we can practice those things and seek Him first and we give Him our day. When's the last time that you've honestly woken up and said God, today is yours. Every meeting I have, every conversation, I have, every thought I have Lord. Today is yours. Every meeting I have, every conversation I have every thought I have. Lord, it is yours. Help me live through it in that manner.
Speaker 3:And I think a lot of times that it's more of a, that sometimes we see him as a 911 God like oh man, I know it's going to be a tough day. God, help me get through today. Well, help me get through those days that aren't tough, so that way, when the tough days come, it's just a layup, like it's easy.
Speaker 1:So in the busyness right, I know we said in the morning, but like in the busyness of our daily lives, how can we be intentional or how can we hear from God or be directed? Be led by the Holy Spirit, be directed be led by the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:I got a scripture that's kind of summarized this season that I've been in. It's Luke 10, verses 40 through 42. And it's about at the home of Martha and Mary, and Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.
Speaker 2:She came to him and asked Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me. And Jesus said Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed, or indeed, only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her. Martha's problem wasn't Mary, it was Martha, right, she's the one that put all this stress, all this preparation. Jesus said only one thing is needed to sit at his feet, to wait for him, to spend time with him.
Speaker 4:And it's not that Jesus was saying the work was bad. Right, the work is good. You do need to have a clean home and prepare it. But it's the timing of the work. Right, but don't miss your opportunities. Don't be so focused on the tasks.
Speaker 1:Don't prioritize that work yeah.
Speaker 2:Don't blame other people for your problems.
Speaker 3:Right, that too. There's so many scriptures that talk about just waiting, or just wait on the Lord. Seek God. I mean, god tells us, just put me first, watch and see what everything else is going to lay out, and I think there's too many times that we don't we're just like oh well, we're afraid to totally trust him.
Speaker 1:I love that. Martha and Mary, that scripture is one of my favorite stories of looking at that to just see. You know, man, that's a prayer like help me be like Mary to be able to block out, because that's what she did is to block out everything else that's going on to truly focus on Jesus. And here's the reality, too, is some people need to practice that on a Sunday morning during a worship service.
Speaker 1:To be more like Mary yeah yeah, and I'm not saying for anyone that's a volunteer at church, I'm just saying a regular attender in church. So many times we're just, you know, during worship, where people watching or we're on our phones or we're so distracted when we've came or hopefully we've came to the house of the Lord to worship, but we're sitting there during praise and worship or even during the message and we're thanking or responding to emails, text and doing all these different things when we're being like Martha, when we should be being like Mary. So I think that was a great scripture to tie into this, and something that we always need to try to reflect on is you know, who are you being in that situation? So I think that was a great scripture to tie into this, and something that we always need to try to reflect on is you know, who are you being in that situation?
Speaker 2:So I think that's great. Yeah, Jesus said few things are needed, Indeed only one thing is needed, and when you boil all your life down, you know everything you're doing that one thing that you got to do is is to sit at his feet.
Speaker 1:you know, yeah, I love. In 1 Kings chapter I believe it's chapter 19, when you have Elijah and he's fleeing from Jezebel and he's up in the cave and he's seeking out to God and he's trying to hear from God and God calls him out on the cliff and he's waiting and the wind comes him out on the cliff and he's waiting and the wind comes. All these great signs come, but he doesn't hear from God in the ways that he thought he would. He doesn't hear from God in these loud, demonstrative ways to demonstrate the power, but he hears from him in a gentle whisper. And I think that that is a testament to us as well. In our busyness, in our busyness, we want god to show up in a loud way to get our attention. Want the burning bush, right, but, but god's wanting that gentle whisper, but. But we do like okay, god, I'm doing all this for you. We will rationalize everything that we're doing and saying yes is for God.
Speaker 3:God give me a sign and I'll do that All right Now. If a yellow bus drives by right now, then I know.
Speaker 1:And it's the middle of summer, right Exactly.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:But that's how we are. I don't see a burning bush, so I guess it's not going to happen. Yeah, we like God on our terms. We like God on His terms.
Speaker 4:We want Him to like hey, God, speak to me, Speak to me. Well, you have His word.
Speaker 1:Yeah, don't read it. Literally Him talking to us. Yeah, no, I think those are all very practical ways and it's not rocket science. I think so many times I've been guilty of this. You're always looking for a book or something that's going to tell you how to do these things. Solomon says it best there's nothing new under the sun. Yep, and I mean, there's not going to be another way. There's not going to be. You know, we are always looking for something that's easier and quicker.
Speaker 3:Yeah, although this sounds like it's a great plug for your new book, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1:I'm just waiting for Mike to write my forward, and then I'm going to release it, so it'll probably be a while.
Speaker 4:Sure you want him to do it.
Speaker 3:I can chat to you.
Speaker 1:Oh dear Lord, I thought Jared was good Pretty good, pretty good.
Speaker 3:He's got through the first page. It's great, great book. How do you?
Speaker 4:spell great.
Speaker 2:GR8. Smiley face. Which leads us into accountability.
Speaker 1:But no, I mean, I think that some of us need to have that reality check that there isn't going to be, you know something on a bestseller list or this process, or somebody's going to come to your rescue or you're going to sit in a Bible study or you're going to sit in a small group and it's going to tell you and change your life on exactly how to do it. No, there's some things that are just that simple of just spending time in His Word, spending time in His presence, hitting pause on some things that are not important, removing things in your life that are not godly. I think that's a great place to start and going down that road of evaluation of if you're always feeling stressed, if you're always feeling that there's not enough seconds in the day evaluating that time. Where are you spending that time?
Speaker 3:Yeah, there was a period just recently where I was like, okay, what is wasting my time? And and writing it down. And um, and I think that's important, like if you write down what all your time killers, like, what is your what's, and then what? And then the other side is, what's producing life in your life? Like what are the things that are good?
Speaker 3:Um, and I remember one time I was walking through Lowe's and I was like it's going to be worth it. It's going to be worth it. It's going to be worth it, because it was like the 15th trip to Lowe's and it's like I know the payoff, I know the payoff is going to happen, but I had to sit down and look at, okay, what's wasting my time, I can't do it anymore and and what's not really honoring God in some of the things, and so, and slowly back away, because you can't drop everything. I mean you could, I can't, I can't drop everything at once, but I can prioritize my time better and say, no, I'm not going to give this time and energy, because it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1:No, that's good, I'm going to. Just because of time, I'm going to ask one more question and then we've got a little fun game that we'll do at the end. Okay, Sounds good? No-transcript.
Speaker 2:Help them with how they're processing and how they're feeling you have got to read the Bible every day, and it's got to happen. The statistics on Christians that don't read the bible blow my mind, but you're gonna have to get up early in the morning and make time for him in god's word, before anything else, and then you need to run with some other people that'll hold you accountable and that are also christians. Yeah, that's good, mike. Love god. Love God, love people.
Speaker 3:I would say write down your priorities and it's like your big rocks. What is some non-negotiables and for us, I know in this room, god is a non-negotiable and so make sure that you surround yourself with people that are going to have the same similar visions, you know, and so make sure that you surround yourself with people that are going to um, have the same similar visions, I guess um with you know, with your priority. So I would say right, write down your priorities and if it's not a priority, or if you think it's a priority, but say in in in other people have challenged you that it's not. You listen, listen to to some wisdom and and be sure to get rid of it.
Speaker 4:I think one of the biggest lies of the enemy is that you're the only one dealing with this, and I just want you to know you're not. There are so many believers Us in this room have dealt with it at times. You're not alone, but that doesn't mean that you stay where you are, and I think what these two guys before me just said you have to evaluate your priorities, but then you have to make a decision that you're going to change it. You have to commit to it like Mike's smile every day. You have to commit to it and make a decision in your mind that this is what's most important to me, and what is most important to me will receive your time, yeah, and I think to.
Speaker 1:to add to all of those things is perfect is once you've got those priorities right. You take it a day at a time. Um, it's a marathon, not a sprint. And one thing I've always learned is you know, somebody told me this years ago when I hold true to it every day, is you're going, is you're going to miss a day, but don't miss two. And if you can make that a priority in your life, that I know I'm going to miss a day from time to time, but if I miss one I'm not going to make it two. And I think if you can get that right, you'll start seeing that consistency. It's like going to the gym If you show up every day, over time you're going to see results.
Speaker 4:But it at the gym, if you show up every day over time you're going to see results, but it does take sacrifice. It becomes you Yep, all right, trey, all right. What the game be? This is a different game. It's going to require a little bit of creativity from you guys, mike, you ready.
Speaker 3:Creativity is my middle name.
Speaker 4:I can already smell the smoke coming out of Mike's ears. So, since this is a podcast, and there is no visual to this. It's all sound. We are going to play a game of sound charades. So the way this is going to go is you are going to come up, we're going to go back to the turtle noise yeah. That was a throwback to episode one or two yeah.
Speaker 4:Yeah, long time ago. You're going to come up with a sound and you are going to make the sound into the microphone and the other two guys are going to try to figure out what sound you are making.
Speaker 1:So you want them to get the sound. Yeah, we come up with it. You're not telling me.
Speaker 4:No, I'm not telling you anything.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm just going to hit this.
Speaker 4:The you're not telling you're not.
Speaker 3:No, I'm not telling you anything. Okay, I'm just gonna hit this the person making the sound. It's the goal to embarrass them.
Speaker 4:So we have to make a sound. I will, but I will try to figure out what the sound is. I'm gonna say I'm gonna make a rule here, because I'm sitting here thinking like y'all could just do a bzzz and that's a b.
Speaker 2:So no animals, oh no animals yeah, oh, so we come up with it. Yeah, yeah, that's why I said you gotta use your, so we come up with it ourselves.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's why I said you got to use your creativity, you got to come up with it on your own. But I was just thinking, man, this could be so easy.
Speaker 1:Okay, no animals. Who's first?
Speaker 4:We'll let you go, first Jarrett, and if whoever gets it right, you will get a point, and then you and we'll say the first person to what Three We'll roll with it, play by ear. That's what we do on podcast.
Speaker 2:Play by ear. That's the name of the game Ready.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Garage band.
Speaker 2:Clock, clock, garage band. You know it's like when you hit record.
Speaker 1:It's like the beat, all right.
Speaker 4:There's a clock. Good job, garth, got that one. All right, garth, go ahead.
Speaker 1:Motorcycle Chainsaw.
Speaker 3:Chainsaw.
Speaker 4:I said it first Chainsaw. Who said motorcycle?
Speaker 3:I said chainsaw, he did. I said chainsaw.
Speaker 1:I said motor chainsaw.
Speaker 3:I said chainsaw.
Speaker 4:A motor chainsaw? Is that a thing, gar, of course you did, Mike.
Speaker 3:We'll have to go back to the tape on that one. It was chainsaw. That's what it was going for. We'll let Mike get it, no no.
Speaker 2:I want.
Speaker 1:Mike to get it, because I want him to go.
Speaker 2:I'm excited for this. It sounded a lot like a motorcycle, though At first it did, it was pretty bad.
Speaker 3:Ready Wind it was the wind Heavy breathing.
Speaker 4:Mike after playing pickleball.
Speaker 3:No, that's like it's Mike walking his mile that he.
Speaker 2:I'll tell you that's about to be the most balkanist man you've ever met in your life.
Speaker 4:I'd rather come up to you, walk your mile today. No, so we are tied one to one, to one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we gotta do it again.
Speaker 4:It's your turn, Jarrett Eating. It's not your turn, Mike. I know it's not.
Speaker 1:Sucking, drink it through a straw.
Speaker 3:Yes, you suck through a straw.
Speaker 1:I said sucking.
Speaker 3:This'll take that point. No, that one goes to Jared, all right, I know we had to be specific. I will have my cabin, that's all right.
Speaker 1:That's good, I know we had to be specific. We'll let Mike have it, that's all right, that's good.
Speaker 4:I don't have a sound. I don't believe you After that masterpiece of. I have no sound.
Speaker 1:All right All right, I got a sound.
Speaker 2:I got a sound. Go ahead Concert.
Speaker 3:Cheering, yeah, it's cheering, but it's yeah, it's cheering.
Speaker 4:Why are yours always so muted?
Speaker 3:You went, you're really letting us down. Mike, it's like a sound. I don't say All right, Jared, go ahead.
Speaker 1:Can we do animals now?
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Since it's all like Just no bees.
Speaker 3:Okay, garth got one from like one of the person I was using, the turtle. Was it the turtle's maiden? It was a quail, it's a hummingbird.
Speaker 1:All right, Jared, go ahead, Ribbit See this is why we don't do animal sounds.
Speaker 2:I couldn't think of anything else?
Speaker 4:Ribbit, ribbit. See, this is why we don't do animal sounds.
Speaker 1:I couldn't think of anything else. Ribbit, that's the first thing. Horse.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 4:Mike, you do one more sound. This is going to be the last one, moo.
Speaker 2:That's perfect. Let's move on.
Speaker 1:All right, well, well, that was a. It was a game.
Speaker 4:I don't know if we'll do that one again, but next time I'll come up with a sound you have to make.
Speaker 1:That would be better because you just showed it to us and we had to do it on the spot.
Speaker 4:That would probably be less thinking on our end.
Speaker 1:One y'all came up with the most easy one because it was the first thing that came to our mind. We're simple people, man.
Speaker 4:The creativity was not there.
Speaker 3:We're not children's pastors, that is true.
Speaker 1:Well, guys, first episode of season three after our extended break is in the books. We hope that you have enjoyed it. We appreciate you guys for tuning in, as always. If you will, please just share our podcast wherever you're listening from, help us get the word out. But thank you guys for listening and tuning in and stay tuned for our next episode, as we're going to be talking about defending your faith in the current culture. So I believe it is going to be a very good episode. Don't want to miss it. Mike, would you close episode one out in a word of prayer please?
Speaker 3:Absolutely, heavenly Father. We just thank you, lord. We thank you for our listeners, lord, I thank you for just the men in this room. Lord, I thank you for allowing us the ability to be transparent and vulnerable. Lord, I pray that you will just go before us today. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.
