Latest / 4-Freedom Podcast / 97. RFP Crossover Event with the Starving For Truth Podcast Part 2

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97. RFP Crossover Event with the Starving For Truth Podcast Part 2 · 4-Freedom Podcast

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I found my freedom, welcome to for Freedom podcast.
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This podcast exists to bring the freedom of the gospel for every
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day Christians, with everyday issues.
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Now, here are your hosts, John Holland, build, and James
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Seifert. What kind of shallow person you
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want to become recovering from fundamentalism or something?
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They're everywhere. I'm thinking to myself.
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Well, you were just stupid to begin with if there's such a
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word you're stupid, or now don't get flooded that like us and all
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you flubbed up people, you come home flub up together.
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Are you have to? I don't have no but I can get
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that. What is number three?
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What does for freedom mean? James Tague.
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Yeah, let's jump into it. So basic are our premise, our
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mission statement is we exist to bring the message of Galatians
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5:1 which you read earlier Christ for Freedom crisis.
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That is free stand firm. Therefore do not submit yourself
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against the Yoke of Slavery to those in the body of Christ to
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have been trapped in the legalism of the ifb.
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It's our goal to expose legalism help those who have been abused
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by legalism and encourage them to grow in God's grace and to
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accomplish all these things through the word of God by
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expounding the scriptures. So that's our basic premises.
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We want to help those who have been hurt in any form of
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spiritual abuse, whether that's in the ifb, whether that's in a
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another organization. We want to help those who have
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been hurt through this abuse and if so often I was talking to my
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wife just the other day, About this about how we as people love
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to be in this. This only slavery but in this
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yoke of bondage, it's easy for us to live in a life where
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everyone dictates everything we need to do because it's an easy
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accountability system, it's okay.
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If I'm doing this I'm living right if I'm not I'm not right?
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And so we fall into this category of slavery and Christ.
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Admonishes us to this and says don't be in the slavery of what
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you were in. But Be under the Yoke that
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Christ has given us and to get off of that slavery and to be
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under his guiding hand of scripture.
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So that's sort of our thought there.
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John anything else? I know we've we've pivoted our
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podcast a little bit from legalism and spiritual abuse to
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how we can help those who have been hurt and address specific
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topics. So John want you to talk on that
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for just a moment. But yeah and I would say that
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that still doesn't change with Galatians 5:1 because he is
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talking to to all believers in that that even whether it's
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legalism or some type of sin, like James was saying, if we,
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it's real easy to venture off into being under bondage, by
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something else, but he's, he's given us freedom and we need to
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stand firm and freedom and, and, you know, there's a, there's an
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attitude out there that we need to be sort of soft and loving
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where Christians were, you know, we need to be Lay down or so.
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And that's not the language used here.
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The language used here is stand firm and it's almost it's almost
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a fight. Yeah, it's a he's like, you
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know, this is not something and if you read it if you read the
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whole book of Galatians in Chapter 2 you see Paul doing
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that very thing. Yeah he's getting Peter's face.
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Yeah. You know and so this is
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something that like were called to its freedom must be contended
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for. Yeah and it's one of the I think
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that scripturally you look and you find it scripture lays out
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different purposes for our Salvation.
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The ultimate purpose of our Salvation is the glory of God.
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One is laid out for us. I think of John chapter 4 with
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the sorted, the woman at the well.
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He says that he is come to create worshippers.
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Yeah. I think Paul is giving us
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another purpose here for our salvation, for us to be free.
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Yeah, it's good. Yeah.
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So my story, Dorian. James seems like, they're kind
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of similar where we just came to it almost peacefully came out.
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I mean, I look back on my final days and I have good memories.
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I don't agree with everything of course I had objections, but I
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have I don't have no abuse happened and to me personally,
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but like not directly and but there are, there is a need there
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for those that have been abused because that often pushes them
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almost off the edge. If not off the edge and there
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needs to be people there to catch them.
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Be like, hey, it's okay. There's actually you can
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actually use the scripture as a prodding staff and not a sword
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to beat you with and it can, it can help us be a comfort and
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you'll you all seem to be filling that void where people
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catching those people that have been hurt and abuse and that
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type of movement. It's good.
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Well alright, you guys are up next number.
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I will ask them question on right, John?
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Yes, yes. Alright, so next Number four, I
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believe it is where we're at. I've lost count as well has
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fundamentalism negatively impacted your own Pursuit Of
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Truth. Well, I think I'll take that
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one. I didn't grow up in the church.
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I was a pagan of pagans you know, and fundamentalism helped
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me so much at my conversion to understand the The seriousness
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of trusting the scriptures, you know, so like at my church that
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was always reiterated to me, is trust the scriptures.
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Trust the scriptures where they're hurts from my church.
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Yeah that's that's part of being in a fellowship or a community
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where they're weird things or weird doctrines taught.
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Yes. There was but I think as a whole
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fundamentalism help me understand that I could trust
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the Bible and it actually pointed me to be where I was.
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I'm at today because I believe the doctrines that I hold to
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come from the scriptures. And so, the great thing about
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fundamentalism was like being your Bible, even if it was being
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your King James Bible, I was there, I was reading it.
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And by the illumination of the spirit, I was understanding it
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and I was growing in the knowledge of Christ.
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So as a whole fundamentalism, help me out, extremely there to
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trust what God has said, the negative aspect of the
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fundamentalism was, is I became very A legalistic because as a
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young man, when you are given these rules, you want to obey
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them because this is all new to you and being converted later on
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in my teenage years. So I was like I'm going to hold
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to these roles. However I had deep-seated rooted
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heart issues that I could never get freedom from because I would
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come to the the pastor and it was more of like well it just
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pray about that just cover that up and it'll go away someday and
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These were, these were deep sends.
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These were routed things. I know God, had converted me
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yet. I wasn't getting freedom from
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them. And then I started branching out
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from my Christianity, from just the fundamentalist movement, and
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I started seeing biblical counselors.
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I started seeing that I could find Freedom and that freedom
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came from Christ. Then it came from the knowledge
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of the scripture. And so I started trusting in
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that that Christ has Set Me Free.
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So therefore I can live free and I'm not bound to To that, that
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sin or that slavery of sin. I have a new nature that's now
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come from Christ and I can trust in that.
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And so on one hand fundamentalism, really helped me
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get to where I'm at because I said, trust the scriptures on
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the other hand, they never had the answers with the scriptures
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when I would come and ask the hard questions, like, how does a
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young man overcome pornography? And they would be like, well,
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just trust the Lord and you overcome it.
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And so. So there was a lot of these
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these deep-seated. Rooted things and, you know, to
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the first time I saw pornography, I was 5 years old,
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you know? And it was like every day I
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would go back. And I would find that magazine
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that my dad had. And so this was a deep-seated
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thing that was habitual over time.
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And by God's grace, you know, he's removed that from my life.
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But I didn't have the answer to that so fundamentalism, help me
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out greatly to trust the scripture, but they never had
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the answers when I came to them with, with the heart of
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repentance, that's And I don't, I'm not gonna try to, and I
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would get sidetracked on the whole subject.
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But yeah, and I'll tell you one area that I've seen that handled
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in fundamentalism is let's all lay hands on you.
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Yeah. Pray over you and when you get
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up, God should have given you the victory.
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Yeah. And when you go back to it how
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defeating? Yeah.
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Well that that's the Prosperity Gospel exactly.
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That's what it is. Exactly.
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And I've heard Heath Lambert who used to be the director of a see
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You see now pastor of First Baptist Jacksonville.
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He said that he believes that there's a lot of young men and
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women out there today, that genuinely want to repent of
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pornography and lust. But they can't get past that.
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Because pastors, do not know how to help them the, it'll be a lot
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easier. If that kid just went out into
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the woods and had a surreal experience with God, and never
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had that problem again, and rather than me having to counsel
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him. And hold his hand along the way.
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Yeah, whether they get into this mess, I mean, yeah, that's
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that's what it is. When you get into counseling,
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you're getting into a mess and some counseling sessions,
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they're messy for years and and you, you guys know it better
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than we do. But when you, when you get into
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those counseling sessions, your you're going to the root of the
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issue, you're not just pruning the fruits.
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And you know what that takes for pastors its work and I think a
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lot of times in the fundamentalist movement pastors
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don't want to work, they just want to get up.
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And then we want to preach on Wednesday.
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And go Soul winning on Saturdays, preach on Sunday, and
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then it's feed me feed me, feed, me?
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And, and as pastors, we should want to labor and work for the
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Vlog. My brother-in-law, don't think
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you might be sharing this. He was in the military saw, a
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lot of his buddies die on the battlefield and came back home.
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Went back to the ifb church and was really battling with
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depression, some suicidal thoughts and went to the
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leadership there. Truly needing help needing truth
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and he was given the same answer.
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So, Remind me, he was just, they just told him just pray about
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it, just pray about it and he said that was no help at all.
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In fact, it made it worse. Is he felt like it wasn't
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helping so there must be something wrong with him.
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So there was no biblical truth given to him.
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It was just this, just pray about it.
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Answer. And I think there are a lot of
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people even struggle when she pornography, but those that
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struggle with depression and suicide, they need help, he
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pastors the council with them, and we're not saying that that
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prayer does it do. Anything.
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Yeah, what we're saying is the the actual understanding of what
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Austin, just a Biblical truth applied to the situation and
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proper understanding of how to pray in the situation even
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praying scripture. Yeah, in the situation.
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But like you were saying that takes work.
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Yeah. To get in and understand know
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how to how to minister that it takes shepherding.
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Yeah, you just dismiss someone say I'll just pray about it but
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but a pastor, you're right. It takes work.
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They have to counsel and be there.
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You think about a shepherd, and he's going out and in the flock
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and you're walking like, I've walked their pastures with sheep
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or cow, sometimes you step in a cow poop Patty.
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You know, you get a little poo on your shoe, you know?
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And so it is he always left. But I do this stuff, these My
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analogies. This is how my brain works
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pretty well on the shoe. So you're walking through this.
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This fold and you see a sheep that's when a stray and you're
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calling them back or you see a sheep that's been battered and
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beaten up by a wolf and you're mending.
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Those wounds you see somebody who has struggled over time with
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this sin and you see that they want repentance, but they don't
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know how. And so we offer operate in the
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ministry of reconciliation. You reconciling people back.
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Their wives or husbands back to the Weiss Weiss back to their
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husbands or wreck. The ultimate goal is wrestling
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with Christ, and so, it's a lot of work.
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It takes time. Like they're at when I was
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running the boys home. There is time to 3:00 or 4:00 in
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the morning. I had a kid.
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Call me and say, I'm about to go jump off a bridge, true story
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and then I would have to leave. Go get this kid, he's detoxing
13:27
from drugs, I'm getting him off the drugs and making sure he
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staying alive. Like am I going to the ER, my
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not, you know, these things. Are going through my head and
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it's a lot of work as a pastor and we're called to that were
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called to this work of reconciliation, and we need to
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step in some Cow Patties. Every once in a while and get
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dirty in the ministry so there's no probably the work there
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chance. It's time consuming and it's
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exhausting. Yeah and too many men just say
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you know it's easy for me just to say hey we're passage of
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scripture and pray and you'll be fine because It doesn't it
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doesn't require any any anything of me to say that but when
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you're in the thick of it, with someone it is exhausting and it
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is what God has called us to do. So and I do love the analogy of
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poo on the shoe. And I also say at this that it
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in a way it's easier to tell somebody do this, do this do
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this and have a good day, but you're missing, you're missing
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the fact Like, and I think, I think Chance was alluding to
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this, or even said this, but the issues the heart.
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If you go to the New Testament, Jesus said, you know, you guys
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have built a system where you said, well, somebody's committed
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murder. They broke the law, I tell you
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that. If you've, if you hate your
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brother in your heart, you've murdered them already.
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You say, well, if you've committed adultery broken the
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law, but I tell you if you've lusted after a woman, you've
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committed adultery in your heart.
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Yeah. All through the New Testament.
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Aunt. He's pointing back the heart
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heart. The heart James for.
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Why are you guys having a conflict wires of corals West
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rice? Is it not this your passions are
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at War within you? Yeah, it's your heart that I
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think Paul trip, I read this the other day.
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Paul trip said your horizontal struggle is because you have a
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vertical problem. Yeah, that's good.
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And we should smash the idols of the heart.
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Calvin. All right, number four.
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Can you guys tell us some stories of how you have impacted
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the church with your podcast? Yay.
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Yeah. So the brother of John.
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Yeah. You know in my life you know
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I've come from a public school background and so I've got some
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friends from public school that you know, aren't Christians and
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stuff. Been a blessing, just be able to
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share some things for them. The coolest things that our
16:07
podcast has done to help is there's a guy that's in Texas
16:11
and he reached out to us and said, hey we love the podcast on
16:14
what's going on. Can we can I start a sort of a
16:18
church service a small group in Texas in one of military bases
16:22
and call it the for Freedom Chapel almost and that's been
16:26
great to see the effects of the podcast being able to break down
16:32
these walls of legalism and be able to impact.
16:35
Some specific people, I know John specifically has had
16:38
several people from the area where he's that that have moved
16:42
to the area and even attended his church now because of the
16:45
podcast. And so that's been a blessing I
16:47
know for him and so it's been great for me.
16:50
Personally, the impact of the podcast has been practically
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helping my own life out, and helping me out in issues, where
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maybe I wasn't fully firm on and been able to study through an
17:00
issue that John today, we're going to do an episode on, has
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helped me and helped my preaching Style.
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In a lot of ways. And it's been a been a blessing
17:08
for me to be able to do this John.
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Yeah, I was going to mention you mentioned, the people.
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We've had some people come to my church through that.
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I've actually through the podcast.
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I've had people reach out to me and started to counseling
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relationships with them. So, I've counseled a couple, a
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couple of people that have come through the podcast.
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As I was something else, I would go to see if I just went, I feel
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like yes. But without doors and said, hey
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that you know, we did an episode on psychology and PTSD and he
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said, I've struggled that. And that I appreciate your guys
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thoughts on that and just the health of that gave me.
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Yeah, yeah. And there was one episode to
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still to this day, the most, listen to episode.
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We had was, yeah, still in the earlier days.
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Was on modesty. Oh really and just a Biblical
18:06
take on modesty, we had to shout out to Amy Miller.
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Amy Miller was was our guest on that and I've one couple that
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actually counseled said that, that she that episode was so
18:19
good for her that she has shared that episode to like several
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different friends of hers that through had gone through
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fundamentalist circles. And so but you'll recorded that
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so we didn't have to Yeah. John number 5 will come to them.
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All right? What what is the result?
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Okay, so this is sort of a world view type of situation question.
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What is the result when the truth is removed?
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Or we can say the truth is absent?
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I mean I think you just get a trail of bodies.
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You get Christ her nose like we were talking about it before how
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there's churches, where that's the case.
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Ace and you see all these people that are left broken from that
19:07
church. And you're told it's because
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they had rebellious, they're going liberal their
19:12
compromisers, whatever the case may be, you don't get the story
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and then when it happens to you to you you realize oh wait.
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There's something going on here. Those people left for good
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reason and when you don't have the truth, people still are
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hungry for it and they look for it.
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And when they find it, often it they get blackballed.
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It pushed away and the save face and keep appearances.
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But you it hurts people when truth is removed it.
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It's deeply affects others and we must be vigilant as if we're
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in leadership to, to be speaking the truth.
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I just think of again how my wife was like I this passage is
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amazing and it it's because they're being fed the word of
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God. Yeah.
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We need to be sure to feed them truth and we're living in a
20:05
culture where absolute truth is being attacked.
20:07
Like, what is a woman? You know what, what is, what is
20:11
truth and what is not? So when truth is removed and we
20:14
can't honestly say this is true. Everyone is confused.
20:18
There's no order. There is no need to say
20:21
something. No, I'm toasting to you.
20:23
So I think it's when truth is removed chaos.
20:26
Post-modernism, yeah, beautiful. Radio voice Austin.
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Yeah, I think it was Wilson. Who said you get Christ, you get
20:36
chaos. And, and I think that's true.
20:38
And you see that in our culture it's a roading where we've
20:41
abandoned truth, you get absurdity, you get chaos.
20:45
You get drag queen Story Hour, you get, you get the things that
20:51
are paraded in the street. I mean it is June right now
20:55
there's an entire month of the rainbow and it doesn't mean what
20:58
the rainbow was established that mean.
21:00
And so so are Ultra roads in a roads because of the the church
21:06
is not marching on with the truth.
21:09
We've given fluffy messages, whether they're from Joel
21:12
Olsteen or whether they're from Jack Hills.
21:15
And so you have two extremes and what we need to be is balanced
21:20
Christians. People who submit to the
21:22
authority of the scriptures and the authority of Christ.
21:25
And we go on and we march on with this truth whether it costs
21:28
us, that's okay. I mean the first century Church
21:31
grew like Wildfire, when they were persecuted, they were
21:36
burned at the stake and and I I truly believe that the modern
21:41
Easter are the modern American Church would be so much better
21:47
if there was some sort of persecution that we had, you
21:49
know, like I always joke around say, oh, your persecution.
21:51
You got put in Facebook jail, you know, in the light of
21:54
Eternity what does that even mean?
21:56
It doesn't. And so so I think a lot of times
22:00
where there is no truth. There's chaos All right I say
22:03
absolutely where there is no truth there's chaos and you get
22:07
Christ, you chaos. Yeah.
22:09
At I just watched that that documentary.
22:12
What is a woman and I'll be honest with you, I thought I
22:15
highly recommend it. It's uncomfortable, but I think
22:18
Christians need to watch it. Yeah.
22:21
But think about this. And I've told her I told her
22:26
church for years. You think about the sin that
22:30
Satan committed, Go to whether I know theologically we get a
22:35
debate on whether Isaiah 14 is actually talking about Satan.
22:38
I know there's some people that say that's not saying or Ezekiel
22:41
12 but but Satan's it was it was Pride.
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Yeah. I will be like the most high.
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Hmm okay and I say this you are no more satanic than when you
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are letting Pride rule your life.
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Now when truth is removed, We have a nation that is
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celebrating. Yeah, the sin.
23:05
Hmm. That Satan was eat up with that
23:08
then had him cast out. Well.
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Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.
23:12
And you see what we're gonna get off the Rabbit Trail here
23:15
because this is his picture, it is June.
23:19
So we have to take a picture of this and send it with the throw
23:21
some stuff in there. But you see what Pride does to
23:26
the culture? What happens when you
23:28
homosexuality rages in the culture?
23:30
There's Not a generation to come.
23:32
It can't sustain itself so there's so much ramifications to
23:37
your culture. How did Rome fall?
23:39
I mean Tyler wants to say something no, you said the what
23:43
is woman documentary? I just watched it as well, and
23:47
maybe on purpose for him. On his part, he does come from a
23:50
Catholic Christian worldview but even in the documentary that the
23:55
question isn't answered and it can only be answered through the
23:59
truth of scripture. We have the Answers for the
24:01
truth. And that's all I was thinking
24:05
about when you're saying that is that we need to again be
24:08
pointing the world to the god of the Bible unashamedly saying and
24:11
not giving them just questions, but giving them answers as well.
24:16
Yeah. So we could just say the truth
24:18
is, in the beginning, God created male and female genders.
24:23
That's what Jesus said as well. So yeah, so and God doesn't
24:26
contradict himself from the old to the new exactly.
24:31
It wasn't assigned at Birth. It was assigned in Genesis 2.
24:35
Yes, our Genesis 1. Yeah, exactly.
24:37
Yeah. All right, we're on number five.
24:39
Now, how has good theology impacted your practical life
24:46
James, you want me to go? First you go first.
24:48
I'll go first and I'll be short. I'm not long with like you are
24:54
practically speaking of my life. The one of the first moments of
24:59
my life at this happened About six years ago, when I went to
25:04
the, my first together for the Gospel Conference and on was
25:07
there. And I woke my pastor who
25:10
invested so much Theology and me and just challenged my thinking
25:14
as John said in his same way as having a pastor in him, I
25:18
remember sitting there and you know, just one of those first
25:21
aha moment in theology where you're just like holy cow.
25:25
I didn't I didn't realize how to for sake of a better word, how
25:29
starving I was How hungry I was for truth and Kevin, the young
25:33
got up and he preached a message called the immunity of the
25:36
immutability of God. And I remember sitting there and
25:39
taking note and writing things down, and I got done and I
25:43
thought, holy cow, I don't know, understand almost a word that he
25:46
said it was so far above where I was at.
25:50
And in that moment, I realized I went to Bible College.
25:54
I'm a pastor and I'm has been a pastor for, you know, six seven
25:58
years now. And I am so far behind theology
26:03
was where I need to be at and I'm so unversed and unread on
26:09
some practical areas of who God is, what I what I believe in the
26:15
basic areas of Christianity. And that right there was a
26:19
moment where I said things have got to change in my life
26:22
personally and things have changed my life practically
26:25
speaking in my preaching. And so that's a one, one main
26:28
area in my life where the Ecology has greatly greatly
26:33
changed John. Go ahead.
26:34
What James and I like to rag on each other quite a bit.
26:37
And and so I just want to say this watching him and being
26:44
close friends with him through, I was there with him whenever
26:47
whenever I remember that message and even today and there it has
26:52
impacted him. I mean, he's not the same person
26:55
he was in 2018. He has, I mean, it's so cool
26:59
whenever you have work. Close with somebody and then you
27:02
stop for a moment. Take a look back and see man.
27:05
Look how Christ has formed him. Yeah, you know, and it's so
27:08
encouraging that that question. How is the ology impacted
27:13
practical? My practical, it's it, is, it is
27:20
my practical life. I mean theology is I said this
27:25
way, what you believe, determines how you behave, you
27:28
can say with your mouth that you believe this.
27:30
This you believe this ability of this, let me watch your life and
27:33
I'll tell you what, you believe. Yeah.
27:35
And whenever you believe certain things about deep Theology and
27:39
you are committed to the truth of scripture, it shows up with
27:43
how you respond it shows up with that.
27:46
Now it's it is a process. It takes time to put things off
27:49
and to put things on, but oh yeah, it changes how you respond
27:54
to situations to people to, you know, you have a robust just An
28:01
example, you have a strong robust grasp and hold of the
28:06
Theology of the sovereignty of God.
28:10
And then watch what happens when you get a phone call.
28:13
That shakes your world. Yeah.
28:16
It affects you. Yeah.
28:17
Yeah. You're not.
28:19
You don't end up. Just coming to me.
28:21
Is it hard? Oh yeah.
28:23
Does it. Does it.
28:24
Does it hurt? Oh yeah.
28:26
Are you didn't despair? Oh no yeah because it's not
28:30
random happenstance. It's in God's hands.
28:32
Yeah you can you kind of walk through it knowing that the
28:35
creator of the universe is going to guide you through it.
28:37
Yeah. How about this?
28:39
How does Theology of affect your practical life?
28:42
Ask job? Yeah, he's the prime example of
28:46
how theology at works is practical like yeah.
28:49
Lord gives the Lord takes away. Shout, shall we accept good from
28:53
God and not bad? Yeah.
28:56
That's a guy who had a robust theology.
28:59
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I think what you were saying
29:02
about your theology and packs your practical life, your
29:05
practical living. We have a, I would be careful on
29:08
how I say this. There's a, there's a gentleman
29:10
here that was converted a while ago and he's going through
29:13
probably the roughest time of his life and I've seen him curse
29:16
that time at the beginning. And now I see him trying to seek
29:20
reconciliation of those things. And so you see this gospel just
29:24
transforming his heart. Every time I talk to, And he'll
29:27
have a tear in his eye. And he will say God's working on
29:29
me here. And when the gospel really gets
29:32
a hold of you, it's transformative, it's not just a
29:34
simple profession but it's a sanctifying work of true
29:38
justification leads to sanctification and in in our
29:43
world we only focused on justification get him to do
29:47
this. So they can say that they are
29:48
Justified. But what we're going to say is
29:50
your faith will produce works like what James says.
29:54
And so practical theology. Or how you know good theology
29:57
has impacted means the same thing.
29:59
It's like when I see an issue and I know that I have the tool
30:03
or the tool kit from the scripture to address it, I'm
30:06
like I can Bank on this and I'm going to trust God's Providence.
30:10
I'm going to trust God's sovereignty and I'm just going
30:12
to go forth and I'm going to live, absolutely.
30:18
James. We're on our last one with for
30:20
them. Yeah yeah.
30:22
So if you stayed with it this long, if you're still holding on
30:24
to the podcast I want to give to my last questions.
30:29
One for them one for us just sort of cut out practically
30:33
apply these things practically apply how this looks like in
30:36
your life and so men does the pursuit of Truth, provide hope
30:41
in an everyday life of someone's life.
30:46
Yes, I would kind of I meant mirror.
30:50
What chance was talking about with that man in our church.
30:53
Oh my first met with with this individual last fall and at that
30:57
point in time there wasn't hope he was crushed.
31:00
But since then he's been growing in the word pursuing truth.
31:05
It's a see him now. He's full of Hope, yeah, it
31:09
changes everything. Yeah, I said in this office a
31:12
couple days ago and just maybe one of the we pass, he just
31:16
living out the Christian Life. I think of them the passage in
31:21
Hebrews, chapter 12 and verse 26, it says at that time, his
31:25
voice shook the Earth, but now he has promised.
31:28
Yet once more, I will shake not only the Earth but also the
31:31
heavens and then it says this phrase, yet once more indicates
31:35
the removal of things that are shaken.
31:37
At is things that have been made in order that the things that
31:40
cannot be shaken. And may remain.
31:43
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving receiving a kingdom.
31:46
That cannot be shaken and thus let us offer to God except
31:49
acceptable worship with reverence and awe for our God is
31:52
a consuming fire and it just makes me think, like, if you're
31:57
not grounded in Christ, you're going to be shaky.
32:01
Yeah. And even to the point, if you
32:05
are not in Christ, you will be shaken off.
32:08
Be cast off yet when we are hope is cry.
32:11
Still grounded in truth. And we have that intimate
32:16
relationship with our Lord. Even the hardest things that
32:19
come. That seemed to shake us.
32:21
The world being shaken all around us.
32:22
We know that we're receiving something that cannot be shaken.
32:26
No matter what happens? I think that's the hope that we
32:28
have in Christ and being grounded in him.
32:32
And and I think our hope also helps with our practice.
32:36
So like we build for the future Kingdom to come.
32:41
And so we're building with a hopeful Kingdom.
32:45
You know, I know MacArthur says we lose down here, but I don't
32:49
think we do. We're advancing the kingdom
32:52
where when we're winning the hearts of God's elect and so my
32:56
hope and what we do is not to build a social gospel or a good
33:01
Christian school, or a good Social Club on Sunday morning.
33:04
But my hope is that God gathers, the elect here at his church and
33:08
God's kingdom advances through writing on the hearts of the
33:11
Believers. Leavers.
33:12
And so good. Theology and hopeful theology as
33:16
best practice as you proclaim the gospel knowing that it's
33:20
going to convert people. Yeah.
33:21
Knowing that the truth of God is going to march on regardless, if
33:26
we're burnt at the stake, or we live fat and happy all our life,
33:29
God's truth will march on. Yeah.
33:33
What they're asking volleyball. Come once I'm going to Q&A like
33:36
what is your hope in you know, reformed theology and he said
33:39
guaranteed success. Amen.
33:42
And yes, so yes. Yeah, produces hope.
33:46
And I was the Bible is just the truth.
33:49
The scripture is just filled with hope.
33:50
Yeah. It's every other versus local
33:53
versus yeah. And I'm this one has been on my
33:56
mind lately in Philippians 1. And you talk about go back to
34:00
our we're discussing a little bit about people that are
34:02
struggling with sexual addiction to pornography.
34:06
I mean, you're working through somebody, that's this struggle
34:09
with that. And what is what is one of those
34:10
lies that they feel, I'll never be able to conquer this, I'll
34:15
always be a slave to this. Well, Philippians 1:6.
34:18
Paul says, I am sure of this that he Christ who began a good
34:23
work in you. Yeah.
34:25
Salvation, sanctification will bring it to completion.
34:28
Completion at the day of Jesus. That is a hopeful promise a man
34:33
who are not going to stay there. Yeah.
34:35
And that's not, that's not Prosperity.
34:36
Gospel. No, it doesn't say that.
34:38
It's gonna be easy, but it's saying, listen, he's not leaving
34:43
you where you're at. Yeah, he will finish what he
34:45
started. Absolutely.
34:46
Yeah. So if we have a hopeful gospel,
34:50
all right? We're on our last question for
34:52
you guys. What does being free in Christ?
34:56
Look like from a Biblical perspective.
35:00
Being free in Christ. From a Biblical perspective, I
35:03
believe is is walking a life. That is biblical, that's sort of
35:11
sound circular, right? But being free and Christ is is
35:15
having a a walk, a state of mind, a heart, it's contentment,
35:21
it's okay. Let me go back to the
35:22
Philippians. Sorry I'm using my phone here.
35:27
We're going to go 27, Philippians 4 Rejoice, verse for
35:34
rejoice in the lord always. And again, I say rejoice, let
35:36
your reasonably reasonableness be known to everyone.
35:39
The Lord is at hand at hand. All right.
35:42
What was the question again? What is freedom in Christ?
35:45
Look like in a Biblical perspectives, verse 6.
35:48
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by
35:52
prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, Let your request
35:56
be known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all
36:02
understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ.
36:05
Jesus, finally, Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is,
36:08
Honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
36:11
lovely, whatever is commendable if there is any Excellence, if
36:14
there is any worthy, praise think about these things, what
36:18
you have learned and received and heard and seen in me
36:20
practice these things. And the God of Peace will be
36:23
with you that That is freedom in Christ.
36:26
Yeah. From a Biblical perspective, you
36:28
are walking a life following the biblical principles following in
36:32
the the shoes of Christ walking with Christ and you're letting
36:36
the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
36:39
And he is transforming you. Yeah, you want to tell me that
36:43
having the Peace of Christ reign over you is not Freedom.
36:47
Yeah, the verse 27 says, only let your manner of Life, be
36:50
worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come and see
36:53
you or absent, I may hear that you are Standing firm, and one
36:56
spirit with one mind side by side for the faith of the
36:59
Gospel. So yeah.
37:02
And you go back to the work that you guys do especially Alston
37:05
here at this church. I mean, people are starving for
37:11
this and they're they're not getting expositional preaching
37:15
going through those passages like going through the entire
37:17
book of Philippians. Yeah.
37:20
What and your sink you guys are seeing this.
37:23
In this church, you're seeing the impact of whenever you are
37:26
unpacking, the scripture that way the impact that it does on
37:30
people. Yeah, whenever they're getting
37:32
at and it is free. Yeah.
37:34
Yeah I think I think it's incorrect things where it says
37:36
the washing of the water of the word how--where how--where does
37:38
sanctify our wives. And I think that's probably
37:41
there's applicable in this of the word, washing.
37:43
The look of my, I can't even say that right person washin washin
37:48
the hearts of men. I fit in right around here in
37:52
Kentucky. So, so it's such a beautiful
37:58
thing to see the word of God just make clean the hearts of
38:01
the sinners in front of the eye in preparation for this.
38:07
I came across this quote is not a matter of what you want
38:16
without cultivating the right wants.
38:19
And Living in obedience to God's will.
38:22
In other words, Freedom results. When I won't align with God's
38:27
will, right now, I'm studying through the book of habakkuk
38:31
with our youth, and we're going to finish it up next week, but
38:35
looking through habakkuk chapter 2, and the waiting that habakkuk
38:39
has to do in order for God's will to be done.
38:42
And he makes that famous verse that, we know of that one only
38:46
versus we know out of a back, is the just shall live by faith.
38:50
Freedom in Christ is living by faith.
38:52
Yeah. Freedom in Christ is making our
38:55
won't line up with God's Will and saying God, no matter what
38:59
happens. I'm going to live in a way.
39:02
That's according to what you want me to do in a way that is
39:05
only honoring you, no matter the outcome, no matter what happens
39:09
in the end. I know I'm doing this because
39:11
it's what you are wanting me to do with my life and I think
39:15
that's what being free in Christ.
39:17
Looks like it's not just the, the freedom to just Live any way
39:20
that I want to live and there's no repercussions, it's living
39:23
away that lines up with what Christ wants us to live up with
39:26
your, a your freely bound to Christ.
39:29
It's what you love? Yes, being wrapped with servant
39:33
to Christ. I think, I don't remember who
39:35
gave this illustration of this. All right, is a person more free
39:40
when they sit down and they just look at a piano and they just
39:43
start hammering it Keys. Oh, I'm not bound.
39:46
You can't tell me how to play the piano.
39:48
It's like oh that's terrible. But if they are going through
39:52
the chord structures, the notes and they are just following that
39:57
and you just let them go on the piano, they're making beautiful
40:00
music and that's the freedom Jenna James, brought up that
40:04
that aspect and this is what I've been preaching in our
40:05
church, just a short series into our other, Pastor gets back and
40:09
preaches, the famous and the Westminster Confession of faith,
40:13
I think summed up the purpose of man from scriptures.
40:16
So eloquently about hundred fifty years ago, the chief end
40:20
of man or the purpose of man is to glorify God and enjoy him
40:23
forever. And then dear pastor and saying
40:27
of God in the 80s, I think sort of took that.
40:31
And I really do believe that God was was helping him sort of some
40:36
of these things for us today. And he said that, the, the
40:40
outflow of that is that God is most glorified in us when we are
40:45
most satisfied in him. That's John Piper?
40:49
Yeah. Okay.
40:49
And Desiring. God.
40:51
Psalms 37:4, I think I got that right.
40:54
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of
40:57
the heart. What do we always do with that
40:58
verse? We always our minds, our eyes
41:01
always go, right? To the second part of it.
41:03
The desires of my heart. Yeah.
41:05
And even somebody might get combative and say, well, I've
41:08
done all the things I've lived way I should, but I still don't
41:11
get what I want. That verse is not true but
41:14
you're missing the first part. Yeah Delight in who God?
41:19
Yeah. Is God your Right now, watch
41:22
this. If God is the desire of your
41:24
heart, Your delighting in him and you have the desire of your
41:30
heart. It's good.
41:31
If you have God as your Delight. Yeah.
41:36
Are you satisfied in him? And that's when he's most
41:38
glorified and you're fulfilling your purpose.
41:40
Yeah. Yeah, awesome.
41:44
Well guys, it has been 70, Baht and 79 minutes.
41:47
This has been a great episode enjoyed, having you guys on
41:50
James. Thanks for joining us and John
41:52
it's been good hanging out with you this week chance.
41:54
We got some closing. Yeah, we have a A few
41:56
announcements. So we're going to have the
41:58
starving for truth conference. That's going to be next year is
42:00
going to be July 8th and 9th. June June June, 7th and 8th
42:04
right. June 7th and 8th.
42:05
Okay, sorry, I guess I was thinking of something else,
42:08
that's what I'm going to be in. California beating up somebody.
42:11
So my brain works scratch that it's going to be June, seventh
42:15
inning, seventh of the 80s. There we go.
42:17
Thank you. My name is Friday and Saturday
42:19
Friday and Saturday. So JC is going to be here in
42:21
Athens going to be here. And we're going to go on to
42:25
Mike's about the Explosion. That guys mic fell over its
42:28
right. He's off are now and then we're
42:32
going to be seeing. We can get some more of the RFP
42:34
groups, to be a part of it as well.
42:36
So that's developing. If you have any questions,
42:40
please shoot us. A text or shoot us a message and
42:43
we have hotels, that are be cheaper, things of that nature.
42:47
And then the ladies are planning something for the ladies as
42:50
well, because the men have a secret spot that they're going
42:53
to that we can't talk about And then also chance and my wife are
43:00
starting a podcast chance. Chance chance his wife and my
43:04
wife or wives, are you should chance in my wife.
43:12
So it sounded like I have, I have your attention now so that
43:14
worked we're starting a podcast soon called feminine faith and
43:18
they're going to be launching in July and so we're looking
43:20
forward to them jumping on here and it's kind of the same void,
43:24
you know. There are also ladies that are
43:25
starving for Truth is I did for them to start that, that I got
43:28
your attention now. So, yeah, I think they're gonna
43:32
do, they're gonna do one a month.
43:34
We also, we also just launched our website and we have a
43:37
membership perk. There has ten dollars a month,
43:40
it helps with just the podcast equipment and running the
43:43
podcast. But also, I want to offer the
43:48
ability to help you set up your own website, your own podcast to
43:52
kind of build a bigger Network. So if you want to be a part of
43:55
that, Please join up but I think this is going to clue or
43:59
collude. We gotta end episode guide
44:03
makeover, check out for Freedom podcast so good, having them on
44:06
here with us. Make sure to listen to them and
44:08
we'll see you guys next week. Thanks guys, I appreciate it.
44:19
See you, you got continue to hang My face when I found my
44:32
begin. Thanks for listening to the for
44:54
Freedom podcast. If you enjoyed the content of
44:56
the podcast, please do us a favor by liking subscribing or
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