1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,360 Speaker 1: What are things that are meaningful to you? And what 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:16,080 Speaker 1: are things that you're just trying to make more money? Well, 3 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: what's up everybody? Welcome back to the podcast. This is 4 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: episode two three, and I am answering your questions. You 5 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: email me Grangersmith podcast at gmail dot com and we'll 6 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:29,479 Speaker 1: walk through them, like we're sitting around the campfire, Like 7 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: we're sitting in the cab of a truck, and you say, man, 8 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:36,520 Speaker 1: can I run something by you? Like something's been kind 9 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: of irking me a little bit and I'd love to 10 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 1: just walk through it. Not that I'm an expert, and 11 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: not that I have any notes sitting out here or 12 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: anything like that. More so, we're just talking as friends, 13 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: and it could be about any subject. In fact, I've 14 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: got some queued up right here, and these are random. 15 00:00:54,800 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: First question says subject line rest. How to achieve this? Hey, Granger. 16 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: First off, it goes without saying I love the podcast, 17 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: love you and Amber and the kids and all that 18 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: you do, eeyee, liveyee and all the sorts. My question 19 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: is how do you achieve rest? I'm not talking about 20 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: spiritual rest. I have your verse you wrote for me 21 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 1: last fall tattooed on my arm I'm talking about physical rest. 22 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: I'm writing you because I struggle to get adequate rest, 23 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: as I know that a lot of people do. I 24 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 1: work for a heavy construction equipment dealer, and that is 25 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: number one. That is the number one most mentioned thing 26 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: between my clients and co workers. I'm tired. I work 27 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: long hours because of the shortage of labor and staffing, 28 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: which I know isn't an excuse, but it's just the facts. 29 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: I personally work sixty hours a week Monday through Friday, 30 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: on top of my other duties as a husband at home, 31 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: trying to study for seminary workouts, admittedly not as often 32 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 1: as I should. I run a small business and a 33 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: hobby to try and supplement some income for our increasing 34 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:14,320 Speaker 1: economic cost and I try to stay updated on the 35 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,640 Speaker 1: Smith's in your podcast to take and read podcast and 36 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: playback of after midnight. I've tried, unsuccessfully to get proper 37 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: amounts of sleep, and I just can't seem to get 38 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: a full rest so much as to the point where 39 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: I've had to point people. I've had the point where 40 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: people point out my tattoo and ask, how does that 41 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: work when you look so tired. I believe he's talking 42 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: to be talking about Jesus saying, come to meet all 43 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 1: you are weary and burden and I'll give you rest. 44 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: This is incredible, incredibly convicting. Sorry for the link the email, 45 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: but you mentioned in Like a River in your podcast 46 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 1: numerous times how busy your life is and how early 47 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:00,480 Speaker 1: you wake up, and I would love your insight on 48 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: how you get physical rest. I'm gonna take a nap now. PS. 49 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: I hope you enjoyed the Irish soda bread recipe in 50 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: God's Hands Michael Kennedy, Hey, Michael, thank you brother very much, 51 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: and I appreciate you emailing and talking about a subject 52 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: that is that's it's not easy to answer and and 53 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 1: I'll try to walk through it with you. Absolutely. One 54 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 1: thing to say is the easiest thing right off the 55 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: bat is you're gonna have to if you want to 56 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 1: get physically, get more rest, more sleep, you're gonna have 57 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: to cut some things out. Unfortunately for me, the first 58 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: the first thing that's gotta go is your consumption of 59 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: dismiss and the take and read podcast and playback of 60 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: after Midnight. You're gonna have to at least get rid 61 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: of something. And come on, you know, I'm serious. If 62 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: I'm asking you to not consume as much of my 63 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: media as you are right now. Another thing, another way 64 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: to look at this is, well, there's several Another way 65 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: is do you really need as much sleep as you 66 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: think you need? Because I Amber and I we just 67 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: we survive on about six hours, and I know that 68 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 1: the doctor is going to say you need eight, and 69 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: you're you're not functioning correctly, You're risking memory loss and 70 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 1: things like that with less than eight. I understand, that's 71 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: I get it. I actually function pretty good with seven. 72 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 1: But you know, I monitor everything with my watch. I've 73 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: got one of these garment watches, and I monitor my 74 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 1: sleep and I usually get about six six fifteen, six 75 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 1: twenty six thirty. That's pretty average for me. When I'm 76 00:04:55,400 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: on tour, it's more like five. And I just I 77 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: have a lot of I have a lot of things 78 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 1: that are meaningful to me. So I would start to 79 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 1: discern in your life what are things that are meaningful 80 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 1: to you and what are things that you're just trying 81 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:18,919 Speaker 1: to make more money, and then ask yourself why, like why, 82 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: let me see, let me go back to you what 83 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:24,480 Speaker 1: you said. You work sixty hours a week Monday through Friday, 84 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: and then you run a small business hobby to try 85 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: to supplement some income in your increasing economy cost. That's 86 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: what you said. Why why are your cost are you? 87 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: Are you talking about just the national economy is rising, 88 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:46,920 Speaker 1: inflation is rising. Does that require another job? It's a 89 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: serious question. You have a family, you have a lot 90 00:05:51,560 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: of things going on here. Seminary, I don't know why 91 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: you're doing seminary. That's that's a completely different story. I'm 92 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: confused at why you're doing seminary and a sixty hour 93 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 1: heavy machinery job and a small business hobby to make 94 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: more money. That's I don't. I don't know that. I don't. 95 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: I'd have to sit with you on that. So so 96 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: there's a lot of dynamics here. One is you're gonna 97 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: have to give up some stuff, probably social media or 98 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: podcast that you listen to, or figure out a way 99 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,720 Speaker 1: that those fit in your commute times so that you're 100 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:29,799 Speaker 1: not taking extra time to listen or watch. You're actually 101 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: adding that to your time to work. Right, listen to 102 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: this podcast on the way to work, so you're not 103 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 1: sitting around at home. Minimize your social media time like 104 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: that should be the number one thing to go. If 105 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 1: you're on Instagram, if you're on Facebook, TikTok, get rid 106 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 1: of it. That is a time sucker. That's hands down. 107 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: I would really think about this hobby small business thing 108 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: and ask you why why are you doing that? And 109 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 1: you're doing seminary. What's something's got to give here? If 110 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:08,279 Speaker 1: you're doing seminary to equip yourself, why are you also 111 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: in a season of wanting to make more money? And 112 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: if you say if your answer is, man, I'm trying 113 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: to make more money because we're in debt, then I say, oh, 114 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: that's a different conversation. Now we need to talk about 115 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: why your family is spending so much money that it's 116 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: gotten you into a situation where you're adding to your 117 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: sixty hour a week job with another job. I would say, 118 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: because I think heavy machinery that usually makes pretty good money. 119 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: So I'm gonna say, what's going on? We need to 120 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: talk about this right. Another way to look at this 121 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 1: is I live on my reminder list on my phone. 122 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 1: I've got an iPhone and it's got reminders on it, 123 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 1: and I'll go through at least in the mornings. I'll 124 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 1: get up at five five point thirty, and that's the 125 00:07:58,080 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: first thing is going to be my coffee and my 126 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: Bible reading, and that's usually gonna take me about an hour. 127 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 1: I'm gonna study the word. I'm going to go through 128 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: my mix shamee plan read my four chapters and nothing 129 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: is going to compromise that time. But right after that, 130 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do my quick journal entry. I'm gonna do 131 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: my social media posts on what I learned, my takeaway 132 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: from my Bible reading. And then I'm going to go 133 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: into my reminder list and I'm gonna look at my 134 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: reminder list what's left, and I'm going to add new ones. 135 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 1: So it's going to say it's going to say record 136 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:39,840 Speaker 1: Monday's podcast, right, and so I'll know that I need 137 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 1: to knock out the podcast. I'm talking about this one. 138 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 1: I need to record the podcast, and I'll do that 139 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: if I know I'm leaving out of town and I 140 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: need to get it done today. So then it's on 141 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:53,959 Speaker 1: that list, and periodically i'll check that list during the day, 142 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: and I'll also put the easy things on there, like 143 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,840 Speaker 1: I'll say take the kids to school, it's an easy one. 144 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:08,440 Speaker 1: I'll say, read ten pages for seminary. I'll say make it. 145 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 1: Make social media post, right, So I go into those 146 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: easy ones and on Apple, those reminders, it's a little 147 00:09:15,520 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 1: dot and I hit that dot and as soon as 148 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:21,160 Speaker 1: I hit that dot, it fills in the space and 149 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: it disappears, and there's there's there is there is a 150 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: dopamine effect of doing that. It's like done, and the 151 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:35,319 Speaker 1: list gets shorter. Right, So my list is going to 152 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:41,439 Speaker 1: say things like Monday after midnight, Tuesdays after midnight. I'm 153 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 1: not talking about that's when I do it. I'm talking 154 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 1: about the actual show itself. It's going to say podcast 155 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 1: eight twenty eight or whatever, and it's going to say 156 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,679 Speaker 1: interview with so and so. So when I finish that 157 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: after midnight, I record it, finish it, I I pull 158 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 1: out my phone. One of the first things I do 159 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: is I hit that button and he goes disappears. My 160 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 1: list gets shorter. Now, when you sit down and you 161 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 1: have the tendency to watch YouTube or check out social media. 162 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: Instead of doing that tendency, you pull out your phone 163 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 1: now and you look at your reminder list and you go, 164 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: all right, I've got I've got forty five minutes right now. 165 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:26,680 Speaker 1: So this is me. Let me speak for myself. I 166 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 1: would say I've got forty five minutes before the kids 167 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:34,959 Speaker 1: get home. What could I do in forty five minutes? Oh, 168 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: I could knock out that social media post that I 169 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:42,120 Speaker 1: needed to do to promote Like a riverbook. Okay, because 170 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:46,200 Speaker 1: the publisher said, Amazon is now offering this week three 171 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 1: dollars off for your book. Will you post about it 172 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:50,679 Speaker 1: sometime this week? Okay, cool, I got forty five minutes. 173 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 1: I'll do that now. So I go in, pick up 174 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:55,080 Speaker 1: my phone, talk about the three dollars discount on Like 175 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 1: a River, and the first thing I do go back 176 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: to my reminders, Boom, hit that button. It disappears. Now 177 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:03,200 Speaker 1: there is a dopamine hit that I get when I 178 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: do that. I love it. So that's very important to 179 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 1: be able to time manage and then understand your own 180 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 1: body clock, because understand that there's certain things that you 181 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 1: can do on your to do list and certain things 182 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 1: you can't depending on the time of day. For instance, 183 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:27,000 Speaker 1: I'm pretty worthless after about five o'clock five pm. I 184 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: need to start doing the more mindless things on my list. 185 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:33,319 Speaker 1: At five pm, I'm pretty good. At like nine ten am, 186 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:36,439 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sharp. So it's better for me as y'all 187 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: might know to record a podcast in the morning than 188 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,360 Speaker 1: it is when you've heard me do podcasts at ten 189 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:43,559 Speaker 1: o'clock at night and I'm just kind of like mad 190 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: and grumbling through it. So yeah, be aware of where 191 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 1: your brain is on that time of day. These are 192 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: really helpful things for me, and I don't know how 193 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: helpful it is to you, but this is the income thing. 194 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: That's a family conversation. And so email back and see 195 00:12:02,280 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 1: if this makes sense. And Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a 196 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,679 Speaker 1: speech he did one time, he said, I think maybe 197 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 1: you should just sleep less. So maybe just get used 198 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: to in this season of your life, Michael, and that 199 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: everything in life is a season. It's going to pass, 200 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 1: but in this season you might just be sleeping less. 201 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: Let's move on here. Next question, Sebie Cline says divorce 202 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 1: with a narcissist email says, Hey man, I've been battling 203 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:44,680 Speaker 1: my faith when what's going on my divorce in this 204 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: is I'm gonna read it exactly like it says it. 205 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:50,360 Speaker 1: Hey man, I've been battling my faith. When what's going 206 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: on in my divorce and child custody issues? Do youI 207 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 1: have an episode that deals with any of this. Thanks Chris. 208 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 1: All right, Chris, I appreciate you man. And this is 209 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:09,439 Speaker 1: an interesting, interesting thing one one I think I should 210 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 1: probably be building this podcast more towards episodic themes. I've 211 00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 1: actually been talking about talking to ant Man, my friend 212 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:22,520 Speaker 1: and producer of EU Radio and after Midnight and just 213 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:24,440 Speaker 1: talking to him about Man, you want to come in 214 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 1: and produce the podcast and well, and you take over 215 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: these questions and kind of lump them into groups so 216 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: that when I release an episode, it could be all 217 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 1: one group, Like I could do one podcast that's just 218 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 1: about time management, one that's just about battling with your faith. Right. 219 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,360 Speaker 1: So comment below if you're on a platform that can comment, 220 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:51,199 Speaker 1: and let me know or hit me up on social 221 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:53,120 Speaker 1: media and let me know if that's something you'd be 222 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: interested in. That's beside the point. The other thing is, 223 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: in our culture, this is what we do in twenty 224 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: twenty three. We look and this is the same way 225 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: we read the Bible. We like to read the Bible 226 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: in a way where we want to find what we 227 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:15,080 Speaker 1: need in our situation and move on. Just give me 228 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 1: the answer quick. I'm struggling with my faith right now. 229 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: Show me the part in the Bible that says that, 230 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 1: so I could read it and move on, like give 231 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 1: me the cliff notes, I need to move fast, and 232 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 1: it just never really works that way. What's going on 233 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: When you are saying I'm battling, I think what you 234 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 1: mean is I'm struggling. I'm feeling like my faith is 235 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:50,640 Speaker 1: failing me because of the season of going through a 236 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 1: divorce and child custody issues. What you're saying is, here's 237 00:14:55,160 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: what you mean by that. What's happening is adversity in life. Struggle. 238 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: Suffering in this way is revealing to you that your 239 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 1: faith wasn't worth anything. That's what it is. And that's 240 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: so it's so interesting, right because this is what the 241 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:29,680 Speaker 1: apostles talk about. This is what oh I mean? Really, 242 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 1: the Old and New Testament are both going to talk 243 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 1: a lot about the testing of the faith, testing it 244 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 1: as if a precious metal in a fire. So you 245 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: can test a precious metal by by heat testing, right, 246 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: and it's not a precious metal. It's gonna disintegrate at 247 00:15:55,120 --> 00:16:00,640 Speaker 1: a certain level of heat if it's not worthy. We 248 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: could say it that way, and this is the same 249 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: way with our faith. Your faith is nothing during good times, 250 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:14,600 Speaker 1: during happy you know, nice comfortable times, your faith is 251 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: worthless to me, and it's worthless to you. You can't 252 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 1: convince me or yourself more importantly, that your faith matters 253 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 1: at all. When life is good and you're comfortable. You 254 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: know what your faith is made of when you put 255 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: it in the fire, just like a precious metal. So 256 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:37,160 Speaker 1: you're going to know gold when it goes through a 257 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: very heat pressured oven, and you're gonna know what your 258 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:45,480 Speaker 1: faith is. Is it real gold? Is your faith gold? 259 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:49,120 Speaker 1: Is it a precious metal or is it just aluminum 260 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: when you put it into a heat pressured oven. So 261 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: you're in this oven right now, divorce, child, custody battles, 262 00:16:56,960 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: and you're going, Man, I am melting like foil my faith. 263 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: I don't even know if God's up there at all. 264 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: In fact, I thought I used to think I was 265 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: a Christian. Now you know what, I don't even know 266 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:13,439 Speaker 1: what I am. Why Because you're through the testing of 267 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: your faith, you're finding out it's worthless. Look, that's not 268 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:21,680 Speaker 1: all bad news. The testing of the faith, the result 269 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: of it, whether it's good or bad, it's all positive 270 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:29,879 Speaker 1: because at least you know you're learning now, so you 271 00:17:29,920 --> 00:17:32,199 Speaker 1: can go one of two ways you can go my 272 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,439 Speaker 1: faith was worthless, it was tested by this divorce, and 273 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:39,160 Speaker 1: I guess I'm not even a Christian. Or you can 274 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:43,359 Speaker 1: go uh oh. Through the testing of my faith with 275 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:46,919 Speaker 1: this divorce, I'm realizing my faith is not a saving faith. 276 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: I better figure this out. And I say that in 277 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:53,040 Speaker 1: a way that you're not going to figure it out 278 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: in terms of pleasing God or being worthy of God 279 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:01,119 Speaker 1: or working towards God's favor. You need to figure it 280 00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 1: out in terms of your responsibility to respond to the Gospel, 281 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 1: to repent and turn away from your sin and turn 282 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: towards God. When you repent and turns towards God, your 283 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:17,000 Speaker 1: faith begins to grow. So you believe, and you repent 284 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 1: and you turn to God. In turn, your faith starts 285 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:23,920 Speaker 1: to grow. And then through more testing of your faith 286 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:29,200 Speaker 1: and it withholds the oven, it doesn't melt like aluminum. 287 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,920 Speaker 1: You start to gain more confidence than your faith grows 288 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: from there. So right now, Chris, your faith sucks because 289 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:47,680 Speaker 1: it's being tested. Repent, believe, turn to the Gospel, Turn 290 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:52,680 Speaker 1: to God, your creator. You're created in his image. Turn 291 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:56,199 Speaker 1: to him. Whatever this divorce is, whatever's going on with 292 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 1: this child, custody, don't harbor anger, forgive and turn to God. 293 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 1: Watch your faith grow. That's one choice, and it is yours. 294 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 1: Or you could flounder way and melt like a luminum. 295 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: We'll take a break and be right back. Do you 296 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 1: have my book like a River yet? I hope you do. 297 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: I hope you have a copy of it. Plus have 298 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:26,679 Speaker 1: you heard the audio book? Because there are lots of 299 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:29,920 Speaker 1: extra things, little commentaries here and there. As I read 300 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 1: the book the manuscript, I would add a few commentaries 301 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:35,919 Speaker 1: here and there as I was going down, just to 302 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: help give a better perspective. And I just did that 303 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 1: on the fly. And then there was a long interview 304 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:45,399 Speaker 1: It's about an hour long at the end, with just 305 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 1: Amber and I kind of asking each other questions and 306 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 1: reflecting back on the book. So I would encourage you 307 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 1: to listen to all of that and you could knock 308 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:58,360 Speaker 1: that out. I think it's like five hours forty five 309 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:01,919 Speaker 1: minutes is the entire thing, And you could do that 310 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 1: and just like a week of work commutes, so on 311 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: your way to work, on your way back from work, 312 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: through that three or four days, and I'm assuming you 313 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:11,239 Speaker 1: could knock it out. I would love to hear what 314 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: you have to say about that. The book is still 315 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 1: doing really great, like on top of the Amazon charts. 316 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 1: And how you could help me is by reviewing it. 317 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 1: So say you buy it on Amazon or Barnesennoble or 318 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 1: Walmart dot com, wherever you buy it if it's online, 319 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:29,879 Speaker 1: go ahead and leave us a five star review and 320 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: tell me what you think about the book. That would 321 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:36,400 Speaker 1: be tremendously helpful. And ultimately the goal is to kick 322 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,959 Speaker 1: it up the algorithm so that people who don't know 323 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,479 Speaker 1: who I am never listen to country music in their 324 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:45,160 Speaker 1: life and they could come across this book is something 325 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:48,480 Speaker 1: they've never heard of before because of the algorithm you 326 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:52,640 Speaker 1: kicked over to them by leaving the review. That's how 327 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: it works, and so I appreciate that so much. And 328 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 1: that also reminds me thank you for all of y'all 329 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:00,680 Speaker 1: that have been posting it on x or instance or 330 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 1: threads or TikTok and Facebook, all the different social media 331 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 1: platforms I've seen y'all posting it, and that means the 332 00:21:08,640 --> 00:21:11,440 Speaker 1: world to me because a personal testimony to the book, 333 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 1: if it's mattered to you and you tell your friends, hey, 334 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 1: this book has been really impactful for me. That matters 335 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:21,160 Speaker 1: so much more than anything else. I could tell them, 336 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:25,840 Speaker 1: a personal testimony counts so much more. So thank you 337 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:28,879 Speaker 1: for all that, and thank you for ultimately just consuming 338 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:31,719 Speaker 1: a book that is so personal to me. This is 339 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 1: really up until now you could say this has been 340 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:37,880 Speaker 1: my life passion project. I just didn't always know it. 341 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,400 Speaker 1: But it's the most important piece of media I've ever 342 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: put out. Hey, if you want to get a hold 343 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,119 Speaker 1: of me as always, check out cameo dot com slash 344 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:47,959 Speaker 1: Granger Smith or download the Cameo app and search for 345 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,919 Speaker 1: me Granger Smith. I could leave you through that a 346 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:54,920 Speaker 1: personal video message from my phone to yours. You ask 347 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 1: me to say whatever it is, happy birthday, to my son, 348 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: to my daughter, to my space whose happy anniversary, Maybe 349 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,159 Speaker 1: some words of encouragement, maybe it's just to you. Whatever 350 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: it is, you just write in what you want me 351 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: to say, and I'll sit here on my phone and 352 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 1: record a video and send it back to you. It 353 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 1: super easy. Once again, Cameo dot com c am eo 354 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 1: slash Granger Smith. Let's get back to the podcast. Well, 355 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,560 Speaker 1: back to the podcast. Answering your questions, You could email 356 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:29,480 Speaker 1: me Grangersmith podcast at gmail dot com and we'll put 357 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 1: it in a queue. If you have not considered, I'll 358 00:22:35,280 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: put it that way, If you haven't considered my book 359 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 1: like a river, I would ask you to consider this 360 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:45,479 Speaker 1: book because I would hope that if you're interested in 361 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 1: this podcast, then it would matter to you and you 362 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 1: would be interested in the book because I have poured 363 00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:57,160 Speaker 1: so much of my life into it. And it's the 364 00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 1: story of lose and riv our son in twenty nineteen 365 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:07,359 Speaker 1: and me floundering around, and as the last email said 366 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 1: about faith, I figured out that I had a worthless 367 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:19,400 Speaker 1: faith in twenty nineteen. And through that testing and through 368 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 1: the revealing that my faith was not a saving faith 369 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:28,000 Speaker 1: and that it was worthless, that caused me to dig 370 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:32,479 Speaker 1: in and soak up the Gospel and repent and believe 371 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:39,639 Speaker 1: and everything after that. This is the delight of my 372 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:46,159 Speaker 1: life to sit here in a chair and tell people 373 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:50,880 Speaker 1: about the one that saved me. That it is truly 374 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:54,199 Speaker 1: as busy as I am, as much stuff as I 375 00:23:54,200 --> 00:24:00,199 Speaker 1: have going on, I love what I do now of 376 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:06,399 Speaker 1: talking in a microphone about Jesus and about people that 377 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:10,320 Speaker 1: might be stuck, people that might think they're Christians that aren't. 378 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,760 Speaker 1: Because I was that, And it's the delight of my life. 379 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: It's a joy, you guys, remember Matthew thirteen. The parable 380 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 1: of the Hidden Treasure, says Jesus says, the Kingdom of 381 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:25,719 Speaker 1: God is like a man that finds a treasure hidden 382 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:29,560 Speaker 1: in a field, and he finds it, covers it up, 383 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:34,439 Speaker 1: and then goes in his joy with joy and sells 384 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:40,359 Speaker 1: everything he owns to buy that field. That's me. It 385 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:44,119 Speaker 1: is worth it. It is so meaningful. I sleep so 386 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:49,679 Speaker 1: good at night knowing that I get the honor and 387 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 1: privilege of speaking about my Savior in a way that 388 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:58,880 Speaker 1: I can't possibly do him justice. But the fact that 389 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:05,399 Speaker 1: he had mercy on someone like me, y'all, someone like me, 390 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:11,360 Speaker 1: just a worthless country singer, all wrapped up in himself, 391 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:14,719 Speaker 1: all worried about himself and worried about his image and 392 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:18,000 Speaker 1: his name and his chart position with his latest single 393 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:24,000 Speaker 1: a Wretch. The fact that the Lord had mercy on me, 394 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 1: a wretch stuck in my own ways, turned me around, 395 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 1: grabbed a hold of me, and pulled me in. The 396 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:37,359 Speaker 1: fact that he did that is pretty remarkable, And that 397 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 1: is why I would encourage everyone to check out the book. 398 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:46,160 Speaker 1: Like a River and Suit what you think. Yeah, let's 399 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 1: get to the next question. Subdecline on this says fear, 400 00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 1: and the email says, Hey, mister Smith, I'm a big 401 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: fan from California emailing to ask you some dating advice. 402 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:02,239 Speaker 1: I am a sophomore in high school and I have 403 00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:05,720 Speaker 1: a really big fear of not finding a wife one day. 404 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 1: All of my friends who have girlfriends are making me 405 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 1: very self conscious. I trust that God has a plan 406 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:17,600 Speaker 1: and he knows my future, but that fear of being 407 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:22,239 Speaker 1: a fool is all over my heart. Any thought on 408 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:24,479 Speaker 1: how to get past this? Thanks for your help, Wyatt. 409 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:31,639 Speaker 1: Whyat let me read this again and make sure I 410 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:34,000 Speaker 1: know that you're saying what I think you're saying. You 411 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,160 Speaker 1: are a sophomore in high school. That's going to make 412 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 1: you fourteen fifteenth, fifteen, sixteen sixteen. You're about sixteen, and 413 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 1: you have a really big fear of not finding a 414 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:48,400 Speaker 1: wife one day because all of your friends have girlfriends, 415 00:26:48,400 --> 00:26:54,280 Speaker 1: and it's making yourself Whyat, stop it, bro, stop it, man? 416 00:26:55,640 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 1: Would you stop and just be a sophomore? And first 417 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:03,239 Speaker 1: of all, you're better off without a girlfriend Like all 418 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:06,480 Speaker 1: your friends I have, You're better off without a girlfriend 419 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,560 Speaker 1: doing the things that a sophomore in high school does 420 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 1: like schoolwork, like a hobby, like hobby, including maybe be 421 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:21,240 Speaker 1: playing on a sports team, doing something that you enjoy, 422 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:28,199 Speaker 1: whether that's a drama team or a chess team, or 423 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: choir or a country music dance team. Y'all believe it 424 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: or not. This might be crazy to even say it 425 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:39,760 Speaker 1: out loud, but when I was in high school, when 426 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:41,919 Speaker 1: I was a sophomore in junior in high school, I 427 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:47,239 Speaker 1: was on a country music dance team called the Wildcat Wranglers, 428 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: and I liked it. I wanted to learn out of 429 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:52,760 Speaker 1: two stuff. And it was like a you know, it 430 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: was pretty stupid, but we wore boots and wranglers and 431 00:27:56,560 --> 00:28:00,159 Speaker 1: buckles and button up start shirts with cowboy hats, and 432 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:02,199 Speaker 1: we each had a partner and we did all the 433 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:04,959 Speaker 1: spins and the flips and you know, danced around and 434 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: went and we traveled to the White House actually one 435 00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:12,480 Speaker 1: time and performed. It was it was kind of weird. 436 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:16,560 Speaker 1: But my point is there's something you can get involved 437 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:20,040 Speaker 1: with that's better than having a girlfriend, because you're gonna 438 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 1: sit around and you're gonna just waste your life away. 439 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:27,160 Speaker 1: Your precious high school years could be wasted away by 440 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 1: dealing with the drama of having a girlfriend. Don't get 441 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:33,879 Speaker 1: caught up in that you're better off without it, And 442 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:37,159 Speaker 1: that does not correlate you having a girlfriend right now 443 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:40,800 Speaker 1: your sophomore year in high school does not correlate to 444 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:43,760 Speaker 1: if you're gonna get a wife anytime soon or not. 445 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 1: Some of these guys that are dating right now that 446 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 1: have girlfriends and their sophomore year in high school, some 447 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 1: of these guys are gonna continue dating through their twenties 448 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: and thirties and still not be content. That doesn't mean 449 00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 1: that they're gonna find wives. And some of the guys 450 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,240 Speaker 1: that don't have a girlfriend at all and don't date 451 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:06,120 Speaker 1: at all, suddenly they're twenty four to twenty five and 452 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:08,280 Speaker 1: they go on their first date and they fall in 453 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 1: love and they end up actually marrying that girl. He said, 454 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 1: there's no correlation, rhyme, or reason at all. You're not 455 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:20,280 Speaker 1: needed to date when your sophomore year so that you 456 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 1: could have a wife one day. So your fear, as 457 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:24,719 Speaker 1: you say, you have a really big fear of not 458 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 1: finding a wife one day, needs to stop. If I 459 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 1: was with you in person, I would say, bro, stop, 460 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:38,800 Speaker 1: be sixteen. Do you have a driver's license yet. Have 461 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:41,320 Speaker 1: you saved up to buy an old truck or something yet? 462 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:45,960 Speaker 1: Do that? Take that truck, muddon, and then you're gonna 463 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:50,719 Speaker 1: have to deal with cleaning all the mud off the undercarriage. 464 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 1: Take it from somebody who knows. I love being sixteen, man, 465 00:29:54,960 --> 00:29:57,400 Speaker 1: and I don't want you to waste it by worrying 466 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 1: or having a fear of a wife. It's just not valid. 467 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 1: Stop it. Next question, Subsecline says, like a river McShane, 468 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:17,360 Speaker 1: Hey Granger, I am what you call a dog tag Christian. 469 00:30:17,880 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 1: I finished reading your book Like a River, and it 470 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: spoke to me profoundly. Thank you for that. I want 471 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:27,240 Speaker 1: to do the McShane daily Bible readings that you spoke 472 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:30,360 Speaker 1: about in your book. How should I start it, though? 473 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:35,719 Speaker 1: Start the readings now but with January readings or start 474 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 1: on the true date of today in August according to 475 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:46,040 Speaker 1: his calendar. Thanks Ashley from Nebraska. Okay, okay, I like this. Yeah, 476 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:51,360 Speaker 1: there's an easy, super easy answer. The dates associated with that, 477 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:58,000 Speaker 1: like January one. Starting a Genesis one that's merely a suggestion, 478 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 1: and I personally have never done it ever. Lined up 479 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 1: the dates with what I'm going to read I started 480 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,440 Speaker 1: when I first learned about the McShane plan. It was 481 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty and it was probably like, I don't know, April, 482 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 1: and I just started on the first the first reading, 483 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:26,720 Speaker 1: which was I don't remember Genesis one, Matthew one. I 484 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:29,400 Speaker 1: don't remember what the other ones are, Acts one, maybe 485 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:35,600 Speaker 1: so Ezra or something I don't remember, but yeah, just start, 486 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:40,240 Speaker 1: just start today and start at the beginning. You're not 487 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:44,520 Speaker 1: you can't jump in in the August reading, whatever that 488 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:47,200 Speaker 1: might be. You need to start at the beginning and 489 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:51,720 Speaker 1: make this your your starting point. And for everybody that 490 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 1: doesn't know what she's talking about, I advocate personally for 491 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:59,480 Speaker 1: the McShane Bible Reading Plan, but there are many, many, 492 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:03,000 Speaker 1: many many others. So this is just an example of 493 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,560 Speaker 1: what I love. I think it's put together really well, 494 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:09,120 Speaker 1: and it is. It gets you through the New Testament 495 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:12,280 Speaker 1: twice in a year, the Psalms twice in a year 496 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:15,760 Speaker 1: in the Old Testament. Once it gives you, it sets 497 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:20,640 Speaker 1: up your reading daily and it's usually one chapter, sometimes two, 498 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:24,120 Speaker 1: from four different places in the Bible, so you're going 499 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 1: through at least four, sometimes five or six chapters a day. 500 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 1: And it's about even if it's two chapters in one section. 501 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 1: It's about the same length. So you're doing the same 502 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 1: amount of reading every single day, and before you know it, 503 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 1: a calendar year goes by and you go wow. Half 504 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:45,400 Speaker 1: cruise through the whole Bible once, New Testament twice and 505 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:52,000 Speaker 1: the Psalms twice. It's pretty cool, all right. Next question, 506 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 1: subject line says like a river question. Hey, Grangeer, I've 507 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 1: loved your music for years. I grew up in college station. 508 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:00,880 Speaker 1: I'm an Aggie fan as well. I've been following your 509 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:05,440 Speaker 1: family closely since twenty nineteen, and y'all's story of faith 510 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 1: has inspired me. Especially because your book. I've been more 511 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:12,120 Speaker 1: present and patient with my children, and I've been more 512 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:15,440 Speaker 1: motivated to getting back into the Word of God because 513 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:17,080 Speaker 1: of your words. Thank you so much for what you 514 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:21,640 Speaker 1: have done. My husband got me like a River, and 515 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:23,920 Speaker 1: the day it came in, I could not put it 516 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:26,600 Speaker 1: down until two am when I finished. It was the 517 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:28,719 Speaker 1: perfect message I needed to hear at this point in 518 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:31,280 Speaker 1: my life to make sure I was doing my part 519 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 1: to be a good example to my kids and honoring 520 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,600 Speaker 1: God with my time. Because when you don't feel like 521 00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:39,400 Speaker 1: you need God because you live a comfortable life. Hey, 522 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:42,200 Speaker 1: we talked about that a few questions ago. Your faith 523 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:46,080 Speaker 1: is not tested when you're living a comfortable life. That's 524 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:50,920 Speaker 1: perfect that. She said that. I struggle with prioritizing studying 525 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:54,440 Speaker 1: the Bible, but I want a firm foundation for my 526 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,160 Speaker 1: family and to grow my three kids to serve and 527 00:33:57,280 --> 00:34:01,280 Speaker 1: live a purposeful life. There are ways that my husband 528 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 1: and are trying to control our lives instead of following 529 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:06,960 Speaker 1: and surrendering to God, and your book reminded me of that. 530 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 1: So anyways, I have questions, two questions, and I did 531 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:14,279 Speaker 1: just start listening to your podcast, So if you have 532 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:17,680 Speaker 1: any of them already answered, just ignore it. You know 533 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:20,759 Speaker 1: I never do that. I don't mind repeating things. First 534 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:25,080 Speaker 1: question is how did your wife find that she needed God? 535 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 1: Or when did she begin her relationship with him? Was 536 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,319 Speaker 1: it before or after you? And did one of you 537 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:34,440 Speaker 1: help or inspire the other? I'll go ahead and read 538 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:38,520 Speaker 1: the second question. A lot of people I care about 539 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 1: aren't saved, and the big reason is they believe the 540 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:45,520 Speaker 1: lies about the Bible. They believe the lies about the 541 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 1: Bible not being trustworthy or being written by imperfect people. 542 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:53,400 Speaker 1: I know the truth about God having his hand in 543 00:34:53,440 --> 00:34:58,120 Speaker 1: it and all the miraculous details lining up. And I 544 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:00,680 Speaker 1: even went to the library to I even went to 545 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 1: Liberty University and took an apologetics class, and I can't 546 00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:07,160 Speaker 1: figure out a good way to word it to them. 547 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:10,120 Speaker 1: So if you can give me some advice, that would 548 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:13,000 Speaker 1: be great. I appreciate you and all you're doing in 549 00:35:13,120 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 1: your positive effect you've had in my life. Stevie Dillard. 550 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:20,000 Speaker 1: All right, Stevie, let's dive into your questions here, and 551 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:21,640 Speaker 1: I'm going to start with in order and go to 552 00:35:21,719 --> 00:35:28,640 Speaker 1: number one. Let me read back just a few things 553 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:35,440 Speaker 1: I want to know more about you. You are inspired 554 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:40,560 Speaker 1: by the book. Thank you for that. It's the perfect 555 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:45,799 Speaker 1: message you needed to hear. Good, good, good. You went 556 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:48,279 Speaker 1: through a time when you didn't feel like you need 557 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:51,360 Speaker 1: God because you lived the comfortable life, and now you 558 00:35:51,400 --> 00:36:03,839 Speaker 1: struggle with prioritizing the Bible. Okay, all right, Stevie. First 559 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:14,720 Speaker 1: of all, I would be m you are. You're searching 560 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:18,960 Speaker 1: right now, and you're asking the right questions. And I 561 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:25,360 Speaker 1: would be if I was your friend and we're, you know, 562 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:30,719 Speaker 1: sitting around the campfire having this conversation, I would be 563 00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 1: concerned with you. If you don't have a desire to 564 00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:47,720 Speaker 1: prioritize studying the Bible. I do know Christians that struggle 565 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:50,120 Speaker 1: with this. So I'm not saying I'm not saying you're 566 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:53,120 Speaker 1: not a Christian, but I'm saying it's always a little 567 00:36:53,120 --> 00:36:56,719 Speaker 1: bit of a red flag to me for someone that says, yeah, 568 00:36:56,760 --> 00:36:59,160 Speaker 1: I love God, and I just don't really you know, 569 00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:01,040 Speaker 1: like going to church, it's not really a big deal. 570 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:06,520 Speaker 1: Don't really care about reading the Bible. My prayer life. 571 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:09,040 Speaker 1: I could tell you your prayer life is probably not 572 00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:13,320 Speaker 1: great if those other two things aren't lining up. The 573 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:20,320 Speaker 1: fruits of a Christian, of a changed life, of someone 574 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:28,440 Speaker 1: that is reborn and completely reshaped by Jesus in the Gospel. 575 00:37:29,719 --> 00:37:33,400 Speaker 1: The fruit of that is you want to seek him more. 576 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:36,840 Speaker 1: You want to know him more. You want to be 577 00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:40,000 Speaker 1: around other people that are talking about Him, that know 578 00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:43,520 Speaker 1: him more so that you could start to imitate him. 579 00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:46,239 Speaker 1: That's the ultimate goal of what you want. And that's 580 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:48,879 Speaker 1: why we read the Bible really is because we're transformed 581 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:52,640 Speaker 1: by the Word and we want to know more about 582 00:37:52,719 --> 00:37:57,040 Speaker 1: who God is so that we can imitate him. Not 583 00:37:57,160 --> 00:38:00,440 Speaker 1: so that we know exactly what his rules are, but 584 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:03,920 Speaker 1: so that we know exactly what he would do in 585 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:08,520 Speaker 1: a situation because we've learned him so well. Then at 586 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:10,560 Speaker 1: that point you don't need to know all the little 587 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:14,400 Speaker 1: tiny rules. They don't need to exist. You have a 588 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:17,520 Speaker 1: heart like him, You know how he thinks, You know 589 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:21,279 Speaker 1: what he loves, you know what he hates. That's the goal. Now, 590 00:38:21,280 --> 00:38:25,720 Speaker 1: that's called sanctification, and it takes our entire life before 591 00:38:25,760 --> 00:38:29,560 Speaker 1: we could truly imitate Christ. It will take our entire life. 592 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:33,840 Speaker 1: But at the beginning, you should feel a desire that says, 593 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:40,000 Speaker 1: if anything, if anything, I really want to go plug 594 00:38:40,040 --> 00:38:43,440 Speaker 1: into a local body, a local church. I really want 595 00:38:43,480 --> 00:38:46,360 Speaker 1: to get to know some members and some other people 596 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:52,680 Speaker 1: in my community that are seeking and through that encourage 597 00:38:52,719 --> 00:38:56,279 Speaker 1: each other to what read the Bible, to increase your 598 00:38:56,280 --> 00:39:00,600 Speaker 1: prayer life, to deepen your relationship. Would be a little 599 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:05,640 Speaker 1: bit worried before we even get into the questions. And 600 00:39:06,239 --> 00:39:08,040 Speaker 1: the reason I even said any of that is because 601 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:12,040 Speaker 1: there's a Here's where I got the indication the way 602 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:15,200 Speaker 1: you worded the first question, how did your wife find 603 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:18,520 Speaker 1: she needed God? Or when did she begin her relationship 604 00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:31,040 Speaker 1: with him? Let me just say, by God's grace, we 605 00:39:31,040 --> 00:39:34,960 Speaker 1: were on the about the same path. We were about 606 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:41,759 Speaker 1: the same path together. But we all need God. And 607 00:39:41,320 --> 00:39:44,560 Speaker 1: it's not because it's going to make us have a 608 00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:47,799 Speaker 1: better life, or because it's going to make us more comfortable, 609 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:51,200 Speaker 1: or it's going to make things easier. It's because, as 610 00:39:51,360 --> 00:39:55,239 Speaker 1: image bears as his creation, when we go apart from 611 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:58,040 Speaker 1: him and we're separated from him, when that ambilical cord, 612 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:00,279 Speaker 1: as you could say, is cut between us, us and 613 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:05,920 Speaker 1: our creator. When that happens, we lose our identity, We 614 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:09,239 Speaker 1: lose our reality, in fact, so much so we could 615 00:40:09,239 --> 00:40:13,200 Speaker 1: lose reality so much that we start saying absurd things, 616 00:40:14,239 --> 00:40:16,959 Speaker 1: things that don't even make sense in science itself. Right, 617 00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:21,719 Speaker 1: It's very interesting, and you could it doesn't take much 618 00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:23,160 Speaker 1: to go down the rabbit hole of what I'm saying 619 00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:26,560 Speaker 1: here question number two. A lot of people I care 620 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:32,520 Speaker 1: about aren't saved. And before we get into that, Stevie, 621 00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:36,520 Speaker 1: I want to make sure that you are right. A 622 00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:38,239 Speaker 1: lot of people I care about aren't saved, and the 623 00:40:38,239 --> 00:40:41,120 Speaker 1: big reason is they believe the lies about the Bible 624 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:46,279 Speaker 1: not being trustworthy or being written by imperfect people. I 625 00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:49,480 Speaker 1: know the truth about God having his hand in it 626 00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:52,279 Speaker 1: and all the miraculous details lining up. I even went 627 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:55,600 Speaker 1: to liberty University and took an apologetic class, and I 628 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:58,000 Speaker 1: can't figure out a good way to word it. That 629 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:02,000 Speaker 1: class was worthless. Then I'm sorry. I'm preaching at Liberty 630 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:06,560 Speaker 1: University in September. But it worries me. I'm kind of 631 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:08,200 Speaker 1: ragging on you a little bit, and I'm sorry, but 632 00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:09,759 Speaker 1: that kind of worries me. How did you take a 633 00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:14,560 Speaker 1: class on apologetics and you couldn't answer this in the 634 00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:20,600 Speaker 1: most basic way. What did they teach? That's interesting to me. 635 00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:28,520 Speaker 1: The good thing is your love for the lost and 636 00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:30,839 Speaker 1: your concerned for the lost. That is a good thing. 637 00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:34,960 Speaker 1: That is a good fruit, a concern for the lost 638 00:41:35,160 --> 00:41:41,200 Speaker 1: around you. But if they're saying the Bibles, we'll start 639 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:46,040 Speaker 1: with that the Bible is not trustworthy. Well, it's twenty 640 00:41:46,080 --> 00:41:49,120 Speaker 1: twenty three and there have been over twenty five thousand 641 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:56,000 Speaker 1: archaeological digs that we have brought up mountains of ancient 642 00:41:56,080 --> 00:42:00,480 Speaker 1: manuscripts from the Old and New Testament. I have been 643 00:42:00,520 --> 00:42:04,160 Speaker 1: to the History of the Bible Museum in Washington, d C. 644 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:07,839 Speaker 1: Which is awesome, and they have all kinds of old 645 00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:13,880 Speaker 1: Bibles there, including I think it's P. Fifty P fifty 646 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:16,680 Speaker 1: two I think is the name of the manuscript they have. 647 00:42:16,760 --> 00:42:21,359 Speaker 1: They're currently on display, but it's a small section from 648 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:26,600 Speaker 1: the Book of John from early second century. And so 649 00:42:27,640 --> 00:42:34,800 Speaker 1: we have manuscripts that date back to the Apostleistic Apostolistic age, 650 00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:40,160 Speaker 1: and we could then see from the apostles themselves and 651 00:42:40,239 --> 00:42:42,920 Speaker 1: the scribes that followed them, and the early church fathers 652 00:42:43,000 --> 00:42:47,520 Speaker 1: as they had writings about each other and as they 653 00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:52,240 Speaker 1: validated each other in the late first century early second century. 654 00:42:52,680 --> 00:42:57,360 Speaker 1: We can look at this and gather this information and go, okay, 655 00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:00,880 Speaker 1: we know that these writings are accurate to what we 656 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:03,640 Speaker 1: have today. That's my point. We could look at our 657 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:07,000 Speaker 1: Bibles today and we can go, okay, this is accurate. 658 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:10,640 Speaker 1: We have many different translations, but if you put them 659 00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:13,160 Speaker 1: together and you read them together, which you probably should, 660 00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:17,759 Speaker 1: you could see through these different writings that, okay, well, 661 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:21,200 Speaker 1: this word, for instance, I'm writing a sermon for Ohio. 662 00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:26,160 Speaker 1: The word iniquity in the ESV is translated into guilt 663 00:43:26,640 --> 00:43:31,640 Speaker 1: in the CSB. So ESV has iniquity. Guilt is the 664 00:43:31,640 --> 00:43:35,880 Speaker 1: word they use in the CSB. But regardless, it's coming 665 00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:40,880 Speaker 1: from the same Greek and the same Hebrew. And you 666 00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:44,799 Speaker 1: could see that Greek writing from manuscripts that they have 667 00:43:44,960 --> 00:43:48,320 Speaker 1: found ancient ones. So you can go, well, there's the 668 00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:50,160 Speaker 1: Book of John, and there it is in Greek, and 669 00:43:50,440 --> 00:43:54,760 Speaker 1: translate it this Greek however you want, with your Greek 670 00:43:54,800 --> 00:43:57,000 Speaker 1: translator app on your phone, and you could It could 671 00:43:57,040 --> 00:43:59,439 Speaker 1: say iniquity, or it could say transgression, or it could 672 00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:01,960 Speaker 1: say sin, or could say guilt, or it could say shame. 673 00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:05,120 Speaker 1: But we get the point. It doesn't change the meaning 674 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:10,359 Speaker 1: of the sentence itself. Does that make sense? So the 675 00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:16,400 Speaker 1: trustworthiness of the actual manuscripts are there to deny, that is, 676 00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:28,640 Speaker 1: to deny any creditable historian right, And that the scripture 677 00:44:28,719 --> 00:44:34,319 Speaker 1: will testify against itself for itself, through itself, by itself, 678 00:44:34,719 --> 00:44:37,960 Speaker 1: that it was written by humans inspired by the Holy Spirit. 679 00:44:39,719 --> 00:44:44,120 Speaker 1: So the fact that it even exists at all, and 680 00:44:44,160 --> 00:44:46,720 Speaker 1: that Jesus said it would exist, and that the gates 681 00:44:46,719 --> 00:44:49,200 Speaker 1: of Hell would not prevail against it, and that his 682 00:44:49,320 --> 00:44:55,480 Speaker 1: word would prevail and it would last. The fact that 683 00:44:54,960 --> 00:44:58,160 Speaker 1: that has happened, and the fact that it exists and 684 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:01,840 Speaker 1: we know humans wrote it and we know they were inspired, 685 00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:08,920 Speaker 1: testifies for itself. And so the idea that someone is 686 00:45:08,920 --> 00:45:12,160 Speaker 1: going to reject the Bible as not being trustworthy is 687 00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:16,120 Speaker 1: not the Bible's problem. That's their problem. If you were 688 00:45:16,200 --> 00:45:18,120 Speaker 1: to look at it this way, if you were to say, 689 00:45:18,920 --> 00:45:23,640 Speaker 1: let's test the Bible in the same way that we 690 00:45:23,680 --> 00:45:27,000 Speaker 1: would test any other ancient document, which is never happens 691 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:29,160 Speaker 1: because there's a bias when it comes to the Bible. 692 00:45:29,480 --> 00:45:36,680 Speaker 1: But say you get some ancient writing by Plato or 693 00:45:36,719 --> 00:45:40,200 Speaker 1: Aristotle or Homer, and you take the Homer the Iliad 694 00:45:40,480 --> 00:45:43,120 Speaker 1: ancient writing. Are we going to look at that and go, 695 00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:48,520 Speaker 1: I don't think Homer wrote that. I don't I think 696 00:45:48,560 --> 00:45:51,440 Speaker 1: that's impossible that he actually wrote that. No one says that. 697 00:45:51,480 --> 00:45:53,480 Speaker 1: Everyone goes, yeah, of course it was Homer. He wrote this. 698 00:45:53,520 --> 00:45:55,960 Speaker 1: He wrote this. No one doubts that. But then you 699 00:45:56,000 --> 00:45:57,440 Speaker 1: look at the Bible and you go, I don't know. 700 00:45:58,000 --> 00:45:59,960 Speaker 1: I don't know if the apostle Peter wrote that letter. 701 00:46:00,640 --> 00:46:02,880 Speaker 1: You know, when we can actually trace it all the 702 00:46:02,920 --> 00:46:08,440 Speaker 1: way back and find other people that were eyewitnesses to 703 00:46:08,560 --> 00:46:11,840 Speaker 1: Peter writing it. As the Church starts to affirm it 704 00:46:12,280 --> 00:46:17,840 Speaker 1: early second century, way before Council of nicea way before Constantine. 705 00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:20,520 Speaker 1: This is a long, long rabbit hole, and it really 706 00:46:20,560 --> 00:46:26,879 Speaker 1: doesn't matter. The apologetics to this don't really matter as 707 00:46:26,960 --> 00:46:30,440 Speaker 1: much as the fact that people don't want to give 708 00:46:30,520 --> 00:46:32,920 Speaker 1: up their sin. I was like, man, I got a 709 00:46:32,960 --> 00:46:35,640 Speaker 1: good life. I'm enjoying my life. I don't want this 710 00:46:35,719 --> 00:46:38,680 Speaker 1: Bible thing to ever be true because if it's true, 711 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:41,520 Speaker 1: it's going to convict me of my sin. It's going 712 00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:44,879 Speaker 1: to tell me that I've rejected God, I've turned away 713 00:46:44,880 --> 00:46:47,360 Speaker 1: from him. So it can't be true. It's just written 714 00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:51,560 Speaker 1: by imperfect people. It's not trustworthy. Jesus didn't exist, he's 715 00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:54,400 Speaker 1: not a real historical figure. All that stuff has made up. 716 00:46:54,600 --> 00:46:57,800 Speaker 1: Constantine put together the Canon of the Bible, the Council 717 00:46:57,840 --> 00:47:01,879 Speaker 1: of Nicia, they decided that there was the trend, etc. Etc. Etc. 718 00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:05,799 Speaker 1: It's all false because we have archaeological evidence to prove 719 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:09,440 Speaker 1: against that. To go two hundred years before Constantine and 720 00:47:09,560 --> 00:47:13,000 Speaker 1: see the Bible can and being put together before, to 721 00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:15,919 Speaker 1: see the four Gospels being put together before, we could 722 00:47:15,960 --> 00:47:18,520 Speaker 1: go down that rabbit hole. But that's not what this 723 00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:22,640 Speaker 1: is about. It's about people going, nah, I really like 724 00:47:22,719 --> 00:47:24,200 Speaker 1: my sin, So what do we do? What do you 725 00:47:24,239 --> 00:47:26,839 Speaker 1: do with that? You don't worry about that rabbit hole, 726 00:47:26,880 --> 00:47:29,160 Speaker 1: You don't worry about the historical documents, you don't worry 727 00:47:29,160 --> 00:47:34,960 Speaker 1: about the mile high pile of ancient documents that we 728 00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:37,600 Speaker 1: have found. You don't worry about it. Instead, you tell 729 00:47:37,640 --> 00:47:40,279 Speaker 1: them the good news. You tell them the gospel. You 730 00:47:40,360 --> 00:47:44,680 Speaker 1: say that Jesus came to save sinners. He took on 731 00:47:44,719 --> 00:47:47,880 Speaker 1: the wrath of God himself. He was killed, crucified on 732 00:47:47,960 --> 00:47:54,279 Speaker 1: the cross for your sin, to give you life, to 733 00:47:54,400 --> 00:47:58,960 Speaker 1: give you eternity with him, to forgive you, to have 734 00:47:59,120 --> 00:48:02,520 Speaker 1: mercy on you by his grace, a free gift. And 735 00:48:02,560 --> 00:48:05,080 Speaker 1: then three days later he rose from the dead, proving 736 00:48:05,120 --> 00:48:10,480 Speaker 1: to the world that he was indeed God. And that's 737 00:48:10,480 --> 00:48:13,759 Speaker 1: who we worship, the spotless Lamb that took on the 738 00:48:13,800 --> 00:48:17,160 Speaker 1: sacrifice for our sin so that we didn't have to 739 00:48:17,360 --> 00:48:20,719 Speaker 1: live with that guilt, so we didn't have to live unforgiven. 740 00:48:21,560 --> 00:48:24,160 Speaker 1: That's the gospel. So we preached that, and we don't 741 00:48:24,160 --> 00:48:27,200 Speaker 1: worry about the apologetics unless we really need to get there. 742 00:48:27,520 --> 00:48:31,880 Speaker 1: Does that make sense? H That was a lot And 743 00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:34,480 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, Stevie. I love you, and I want you 744 00:48:34,600 --> 00:48:37,000 Speaker 1: to continue to seek, and I want you to plug 745 00:48:37,080 --> 00:48:39,520 Speaker 1: in a local church, and I want you to cultivate 746 00:48:39,560 --> 00:48:42,719 Speaker 1: that desire to read his word. God give me a 747 00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:46,120 Speaker 1: desire to read this inspired word. It made it all 748 00:48:46,160 --> 00:48:48,000 Speaker 1: the way to my door. It made it all the 749 00:48:48,000 --> 00:48:52,520 Speaker 1: way to my table. This Bible, against all odds, it 750 00:48:52,560 --> 00:48:56,400 Speaker 1: has made it through centuries to me. God, give me 751 00:48:56,920 --> 00:49:00,520 Speaker 1: the insight, give me the wisdom, show me how precious 752 00:49:00,760 --> 00:49:05,319 Speaker 1: this is the life on these pages. That's a good 753 00:49:05,360 --> 00:49:08,359 Speaker 1: prayer for you. Appreciate you guys. All y'all, and we'll 754 00:49:08,360 --> 00:49:10,640 Speaker 1: see you next Monday. I thanks for joining me on 755 00:49:10,680 --> 00:49:13,799 Speaker 1: the Granger Smith Podcast. I appreciate all of you guys. 756 00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:16,799 Speaker 1: You could help me out by rating this podcast on iTunes. 757 00:49:17,120 --> 00:49:20,160 Speaker 1: If you're on YouTube, subscribe to this channel. Hit that 758 00:49:20,200 --> 00:49:23,279 Speaker 1: little like button and the notification spell so that you 759 00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:27,000 Speaker 1: never miss anytime I upload a video. If you have 760 00:49:27,040 --> 00:49:29,120 Speaker 1: a question for me that you would like me to answer, 761 00:49:29,520 --> 00:49:34,279 Speaker 1: email Grangersmith Podcast at gmail dot com. Yi