1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: Just one of these examples of just a tough situation, 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: and I'm so sorry that you're in it. 3 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 2: What's up, everybody? Welcome to the podcast, Episode one eight four. 4 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: Thanks for being here. It's been a crazy week for me. 5 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: I have announced to the world something that I've known 6 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 1: for a while now, that I am leaving touring country music, 7 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 1: getting out of touring completely and focusing on ministry. 8 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 2: What does that mean for me exactly? 9 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:44,840 Speaker 1: Well, that doesn't mean that I'm starting a church tomorrow 10 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: or I'm starting a revival on What it does mean 11 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: is that I'm going to serve my local church lower case, 12 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: with my family and sit under the teaching of my pastors, 13 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: have them disciple me and pour into me. I'm currently 14 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,479 Speaker 1: attending seminary and so as I continue to learn and 15 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: grow in knowledge, then then that the pastors around me 16 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: at our local church, which is a pretty small church, 17 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 1: they can then affirm for me around me the next 18 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: steps in glorifying God best from my platform that way, 19 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: and the reason I say it that way is so 20 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: important to articulate it that way so that I'm not 21 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: being self deceived, right, so that so that I'm not 22 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: I'm just not just announcing my calling from God that 23 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: I'm I'm going to the ministry now, and and so 24 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: I'm gonna go and start the yeee church or whatever. 25 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,919 Speaker 1: Come come one and come all, yeee church is now open. 26 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 2: You know, it's not it's not what I'm to do. 27 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: That to me, that's equivalent to a young freshman football 28 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: player on a college team declaring for the draft, the 29 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: NFL draft, and everyone thinks, no, don't, you're don't go 30 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: into the draft. You're not ready yet. You need to 31 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: learn under this the current quarterback or the current coach, 32 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: and you need to learn how to how to be 33 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: under leadership, how to serve. And that's similar to what 34 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: is happening here. So that that might take ten years 35 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: of me just serving the local church or more. That 36 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: time is not up to me. And I believe that 37 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,799 Speaker 1: God provides us with local churches with pastors and elders 38 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: so that he could equip the believers for ministry through that, 39 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,800 Speaker 1: so that he's not writing messages on a cloud or 40 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: shooting lightning down and writing in the sand saying you 41 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: are called no offense to Moses here, you know, but 42 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: I don't think the burning bush doesn't happen anymore. Okay, 43 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: all that being said, this is the most elaborate intro 44 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: I've ever done for the podcast, but I felt like 45 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 1: I need to say it because a lot's been going 46 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,239 Speaker 1: on this week, and this is the first podcast I've 47 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 1: done since that announcement. Here's something interesting though, Now that 48 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: music touring will. 49 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 2: Go away, this will be the last tour. 50 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: I'll fulfill the rest of the dates and play the 51 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: rest of the tour dates out and then when they 52 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 1: finish up around Labor Day, I have a book coming 53 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: out called Like a River, comes out August first, so 54 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: then so then my focus will be on that and 55 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: I'll have all that time freed up from music touring. 56 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: What if during that time we do some kind of 57 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: minimal city podcast tour, get out to your town, do 58 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: a live podcast, you know, to a live audience, and 59 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: you ask questions from the audience. 60 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 2: I think that'd be pretty cool. 61 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: The format of this podcast, by the way, if you're 62 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: new to it, is I answer your questions, you email 63 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: me Grangersmith podcast at gmail dot com, and I walk 64 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: through without notes without reading your email beforehand, which, by 65 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: the way, would That's why it would be interesting to 66 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: have a live one where you just stand up, we 67 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: hand you the microphone and you tell me your story, 68 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: and then I could ask another question, because like one 69 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: of my problems here with reading your emails is I 70 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,600 Speaker 1: don't get to ask the follow up question like how 71 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: old are you? A lot depends on how old you are, 72 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: you know, something like that. Enough of this intro, Let's 73 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: get to the meat of this podcast, what you came for, 74 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: and that is answering your questions. Let me get to 75 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:38,360 Speaker 1: the first one, the subject line, which I have not 76 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: read any of these yet. The subject line on this 77 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: first one says I need some advice, says Granger. I've 78 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:48,600 Speaker 1: been married for twenty years. I've given everything i've got 79 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 1: to try and make this marriage work, but I just 80 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:53,600 Speaker 1: can't do it anymore. Since the first few months of marriage, 81 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 1: my husband has been abusive physically and verbally. Let me 82 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: read that again. Since the first few months of marriage, 83 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: my husband has been abusive both physically and verbally. The 84 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: physical abuses have only happened a handful of times, but 85 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: the verbal abuse has gotten worse and worse over the years. 86 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: At first, he would apologize and vow to change. Now 87 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 1: he doesn't even bother to do that. On a good day, 88 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: I'm ignored and it's like I don't even exist. But 89 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,359 Speaker 1: on a bad day, the verbal assaults, the put downs, 90 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:32,040 Speaker 1: hateful talk is almost unbearable. For years, I have stayed 91 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 1: in this marriage because God hates divorce. I also got 92 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:39,040 Speaker 1: married when I was eighteen, so I have never been 93 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: out on my own. I finally got to the point 94 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: that even if I have to get out because this 95 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:47,480 Speaker 1: isn't sustainable, I feel like I am trapped. 96 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 2: He controls all the money and I can't even afford 97 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 2: a lawyer. 98 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 1: The abuses left me with diagnosed PTSD depression and anxiety, 99 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: and a myriad of others their health issues which have 100 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: left me unable to work outside of the home for years. 101 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: I'm trying to push past my anxiety and get out 102 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: in public more and more, doing some instacart orders, et cetera. 103 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: But I'm not even making a dent in the cost 104 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: to retain a lawyer. Part of me just wants to 105 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: leave and figure it out later, but I have kids 106 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,160 Speaker 1: and I don't want to make a quick decision that 107 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 1: will leave us in a worse scenario, So I'm trying 108 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:29,239 Speaker 1: to wait until I can save up for a lawyer, 109 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: but I don't know how much longer I could do this. 110 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 1: Any advice message comes from anonymous, and so I will 111 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: keep it anonymous. And and all of us listening right now, 112 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,280 Speaker 1: me and then everyone listening to this podcast are just 113 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: kind of giving that resounding sigh for you, because this 114 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:56,719 Speaker 1: is just one of these examples of just a tough situation. 115 00:06:56,839 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 1: And I'm so sorry that you're in it, and and 116 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:03,119 Speaker 1: I'm glad that you emailed. I'm glad that you feel 117 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:05,919 Speaker 1: like you could have this podcast to grab an email. 118 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,720 Speaker 1: Maybe maybe you're desperate, maybe you've emailed a bunch of people, 119 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: But I am honored in a way that you have 120 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 1: shared and been so vulnerable. And I want to back 121 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: you up on your thoughts here. I mean, you're not crazy. 122 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: The thoughts you're having about this are normal. I think 123 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: it's an appropriate reaction in every way to everything you're 124 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: going through. I think you're kind of processing this and 125 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: you're saying I was young when I got married. I've 126 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: been married now for twenty years. I've never been on 127 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: my own. He abuses me physically a handful of times, 128 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: verbally all the time. But I've got a lot to 129 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:44,240 Speaker 1: think through. I don't have much money. I don't have 130 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:46,679 Speaker 1: any skills to have a job. I can't afford a lawyer. 131 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: I've got kids. You're thinking through all this, and that's good, 132 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: and that's good. As you know, there's not a quick 133 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,560 Speaker 1: answer to this, so me just telling you that I 134 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: agree with everything you've said is a good starting point. 135 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 2: But I'm gonna tell you something. 136 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: It's ironic that I started this podcast by talking about 137 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: my plans to go into ministry. And it's important that 138 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: we could relate my story to your story. 139 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 2: In one way. We need community, we need wise counsel 140 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 2: around us. 141 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: I heard a very interesting thing. I was visiting my 142 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: younger brother, Parker, who is an intern at HBC in Washington, 143 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: d C. That's Capitol Hill Baptist Church, and he's working 144 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: as an intern under Pastor Mark Dever, and I was 145 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 1: sitting in for the week with them, and I sat 146 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 1: in on an elders meeting. And in this elders meeting, 147 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:56,560 Speaker 1: they have a church body where membership is looked after, 148 00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:02,439 Speaker 1: intended like a flock of sheep, and they guard the 149 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: defenses of their sheep, of their flock, and the elders 150 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 1: sit like under shepherds and watch the flock and help 151 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: the flock, and encourage the flock, and protect the flock, 152 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 1: and rebuke the flock when necessary. But it is a family. 153 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: And I heard a conversation in the elders meeting as 154 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:28,560 Speaker 1: they're going through conversations about people struggling in marriage, and 155 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 1: I heard something said that I thought was so profound. 156 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: But I heard them say. One of the elders said, 157 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,600 Speaker 1: when you're a Christian, divorce is not. 158 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 2: A private matter. Wow. 159 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 1: That's so profound and so provocative, and in some circles 160 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:58,960 Speaker 1: disturbing and intrusive, and in other circles it's so comforting 161 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: and so fulfilling knowing that we don't have to walk 162 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: through this kind of stuff alone. All that you're going 163 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: through right now is indications that you are alone, and 164 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: you're needing to make decisions alone. And I'm here to 165 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:18,720 Speaker 1: tell you I don't think you could do it. Sure 166 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: I could. I can encourage you to be strong and 167 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 1: and and stand boldly against your husband and find a 168 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:30,240 Speaker 1: way out, or you stop this abuse and find an attorney. 169 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: I could say all that, it's just meaningless if I 170 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:37,079 Speaker 1: say it, First of all, it's not true. And second 171 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: of all, it's just not It's not possible without me 172 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,439 Speaker 1: knowing you and hearing your story and walking through this 173 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 1: with you, side by side with you like an elder 174 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: would or a pastor. I can't speak into it, but 175 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:56,200 Speaker 1: what I can say is that wherever you are doesn't 176 00:10:56,280 --> 00:11:02,240 Speaker 1: say there's a local church. And this is when it 177 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 1: gets This is the most difficult part of the conversation 178 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:05,240 Speaker 1: right here. 179 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:08,199 Speaker 2: It needs to be a faithful church. 180 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:14,199 Speaker 1: Faithful in the sense of what they teach, how they 181 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:18,719 Speaker 1: teach it, and how they shepherd their flock, Like is 182 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: the flock too big for anybody to shepherd it? Do 183 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: they guard the fences? 184 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:23,800 Speaker 2: Like? 185 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:27,359 Speaker 1: Just thinking metaphorically on this, do they guard the fences 186 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: of their flock at your church? Or do cheap just 187 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 1: roam to and fro however they want? Can they come 188 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: and go? Can they disappear? Can they do good things 189 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,880 Speaker 1: and never be rewarded? Can they do bad things and 190 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:45,199 Speaker 1: never be rebuked? Is that just how it works? Or 191 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: are they closely guarded? Which one do you think is biblical? 192 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:53,199 Speaker 1: Out of those two scenarios, one of those churches, there 193 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 1: is a church like this with a tightly guarded fence, 194 00:11:57,880 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: And that does not mean that they don't accept people 195 00:11:59,880 --> 00:12:01,679 Speaker 1: to come in the door. That is not what we're 196 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 1: talking about. We were talking about the members that are 197 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:06,800 Speaker 1: that are the good standing members that have that have 198 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: invested in the church and gone through membership with the 199 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: church that are then could be protected by the church 200 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 1: body itself. I'm not talking about people walking in on 201 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: Sunday morning and they're not allowed in there. It's not 202 00:12:18,520 --> 00:12:21,839 Speaker 1: what we're saying. Okay, So there is a church like 203 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 1: this in your town. Maybe you go there, But if you, 204 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 1: I don't think you do, because I don't think you 205 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 1: would have said this in your email. You would have 206 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:31,480 Speaker 1: acted so alone. But there is a church that I 207 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: would encourage you to go to and lean into and 208 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: tell them this and walk through this with them. Don't 209 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 1: walk through this alone. Don't walk through this. I gotta 210 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 1: find a lawyer's thing. I gotta figure out what I'm 211 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 1: gonna do with the kids. Maybe I was too young. 212 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:48,320 Speaker 2: Is this abuse verbally or is it not. Don't walk 213 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 2: through that stuff alone. 214 00:12:50,840 --> 00:12:53,080 Speaker 1: Walk through it with with your elders, walk through it 215 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:56,199 Speaker 1: with your your church congregation, with the members around you. 216 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 1: And the only reason I'm saying all this is because 217 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 1: you said one little sentence and it mentioned God. It 218 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,679 Speaker 1: said for years I stayed because God. You put quotes 219 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: around this, God hates divorce. You mentioned that God is 220 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:11,319 Speaker 1: involved somewhere. That's all I'm saying about it. I'm not 221 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 1: gonna I'm not gonna comment on whether or not God 222 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 1: hates divorce, but I'm gonna I'm gonna lean into the 223 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: fact that you believe he's involved. You believe he has 224 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 1: a say in this, and I believe you're right, and 225 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:27,959 Speaker 1: I would lean in through the body that He has 226 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: ordained that He has given us the lower case. See 227 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: church in your town. Lean into that walk with them. 228 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:38,959 Speaker 1: If you don't know him yet, if you haven't met 229 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 1: him yet, now's a good time. It wouldn't be a 230 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 1: bad thing to just meet him and then go right 231 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: into your problems. 232 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 2: It's okay, did you know? 233 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 1: That's why they exist to walk through brothers and sisters, 234 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: walk through life with them together, finding out finding out 235 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 1: how you can best glorify God from your position in. 236 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:00,200 Speaker 2: Your life life. 237 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 1: Do the good and the bad. That's what I'm gonna 238 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:16,559 Speaker 1: recommend here. Let's go to another another email. Subdecline on this. 239 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:19,680 Speaker 1: This is interesting. Subdecline says allergies. Hello Granger, Please keep 240 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,560 Speaker 1: me anonymous. For all of my life, allergies have been 241 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: a part of me. I always have egzema, hives, stomach aches, 242 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: and reaction to gluten and dairy. I'm fifteen years old. 243 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 1: My brother has had the same allergies as me, and 244 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 1: my mom is even more sensitive than both of us. 245 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 1: Last August, someone from my church told me that when 246 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:42,200 Speaker 1: he was a kid, he had the same problem, but 247 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 1: he prayed to God to take it away and it worked. 248 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 2: He told me that if. 249 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: I truly believed that God could take away my allergies, 250 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: and if I truly wanted them gone, I could ask 251 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,280 Speaker 1: God and if it was in his plan, he would 252 00:14:56,320 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: take them away. In the end, I was completely healed 253 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:04,200 Speaker 1: of my allergies, Thank the Lord. Now I'm wondering if 254 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 1: I should tell my mom, whose reaction to gluten are 255 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 1: much worse than mine, or should I just not tell 256 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: her as she thinks that I have grown out of 257 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: them me personally, would I be hating her not to 258 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 1: tell her about what truly took. 259 00:15:21,200 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 2: My allergies away? 260 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: I love my mom so much and I would like 261 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 1: to see her react to gluten and be and it 262 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 1: be my fault. 263 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 2: I'm sorry. 264 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,080 Speaker 1: I might have read that last part wrong, but it 265 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: says sorry for the long email, love your podcast, love 266 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 1: your music. Okay, Anonymous, fifteen years old. I'm not going 267 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: to go into extreme detail here, but it sounds like 268 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:53,359 Speaker 1: you're you're you got this information from a maybe Pentecostal 269 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: church something like that, some kind of charismatic healing church 270 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:00,520 Speaker 1: where they like fall in the carpet and get picked up. 271 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: You're fifteen, and so that's gonna be part of my 272 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 1: answer is based on you're fifteen and not thirty. But listen, 273 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: God is gonna heal when God's gonna heal, and we 274 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: should always ask, We should always pray, we should always 275 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: pour out our heart to God. 276 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 2: We should always. 277 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 1: Ask him for our request. But we don't expect healing 278 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: in this kind of charismatic way, as if it's some 279 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 1: genie in a bottle. And that's a little bit what 280 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: this email feels like, like, Hey, I know a secret. 281 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 2: I prayed a secret. 282 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: Prayer about my allergies, and God healed. He didn't heal 283 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 1: because he wanted to. He healed because it was a 284 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: secret prayer that I truly believed that I. 285 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 2: Wanted gone or you know something. However you worded that. 286 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:09,439 Speaker 1: We need we need to be very careful with stuff 287 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,800 Speaker 1: like that, because it starts to get weird. It starts 288 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:14,439 Speaker 1: to get a little weird, you know, it starts to 289 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: get like TV evangelist type stuff when we start saying that. 290 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 2: God gave me. God healed my allergies because I was 291 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 2: sincere in my prayer. 292 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:25,879 Speaker 1: And if you do this, if you say this magic 293 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,640 Speaker 1: prayer and you're sincere about it, he will heal you too. 294 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 2: Brother. 295 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:32,679 Speaker 1: It's starting to sound a little weird, and we need 296 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: we need to go to the Bible. And reason I say, 297 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 1: you're fifteen, it's this gets a little gets a little deep. 298 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:41,160 Speaker 1: But you can be reading your Bible and we could 299 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:44,520 Speaker 1: start to get an idea of who God is. You 300 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 1: said one little thing in here that I loved. You said, 301 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:51,640 Speaker 1: He told me that if I truly believe that God 302 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:53,879 Speaker 1: could take away my allergies, and if I truly wanted 303 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 1: them gone, I could ask God and then this one 304 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 1: little part right here, and if it was in his plan, 305 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 1: lean on that, lean on that effect, make the prayer 306 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: about that, Stop making the prayer about what I need 307 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: to make me breathe better. It's okay, but don't make 308 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 1: that what it's about. Instead, make it about what's in 309 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,439 Speaker 1: his plan. God, I want to I just want to 310 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:18,160 Speaker 1: live in your plan. 311 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 2: I hate these allergies. These allergies bother me. But maybe 312 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:25,280 Speaker 2: these allergies are in your plan. 313 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: I don't know what, why, or what, but maybe God, 314 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:31,560 Speaker 1: maybe you need me to have allergies right now. Have 315 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 1: you ever thought about that, like, maybe I need to 316 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 1: have allergies for some reason. But God, let that be 317 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 1: your plan and not mine. If you could take them away, 318 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 1: do it. If you could take moms away, do it. 319 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:46,040 Speaker 1: It's annoying and I hate it, but let me live 320 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:48,160 Speaker 1: for you. Let me live for your purpose and your plan, 321 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 1: not mine. You know, Paul had the thorn in his side, 322 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,960 Speaker 1: and he prayed and prayed and prayed for God to 323 00:18:55,000 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 1: take away the thorn, but he didn't. He says, is 324 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness, 325 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 1: So through your weakness, his power is perfected. Remember that 326 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: when you're praying for healing, then don't expect it. Expect 327 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:18,920 Speaker 1: his plan to happen, but not for your allergies to 328 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:23,480 Speaker 1: go away. You could still ask, but remember his plan 329 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 1: is the purpose. 330 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 2: Of the prayer, not yours. Let's take a break. This 331 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,399 Speaker 2: podcast is sponsored by Better Help. You Know. 332 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:39,120 Speaker 1: Getting to know how you react to certain situations, why 333 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: you feel certain ways, depending on certain things that you're 334 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: dealing with in your life can be a lifelong process. 335 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 2: In fact, it. 336 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:51,880 Speaker 1: Most likely will be because we're always growing and changing, 337 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,399 Speaker 1: and therapy is all about deepening your self awareness and understanding, 338 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: because sometimes we don't know what we want or why 339 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 1: we react the way the we do until we talk 340 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: through things. Better Help connect you with a licensed therapist 341 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: who could take on that journey with you wherever you 342 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: are in life. Therapy helped Amber and I significantly just 343 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: being able to talk through things in a different way, 344 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:17,640 Speaker 1: sometimes with a different perspective that we hadn't thought of before. 345 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: That helped us communicate better after our loss, and that 346 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 1: was a really important process for us. And if you're 347 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:28,359 Speaker 1: thinking of starting therapy, you should give Better Help a try. 348 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: It's entirely online, which is great. It's the designed to 349 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 1: be convenient and flexible and suited to your schedule. Just 350 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: fell out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a 351 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 1: licensed therapist, and then you could switch therapist at any 352 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: time for no additional charge. Discover your potential with better Help. 353 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 1: Visit better Help dot com slash Granger today and get 354 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 1: ten percent off your first month. That's better h e 355 00:20:52,200 --> 00:21:01,199 Speaker 1: LP dot com slash Granger. Back to the podcast, All right, 356 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: back to the podcast. Thank you guys for being with 357 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:06,879 Speaker 1: us this morning. And you know, if you want to 358 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:08,760 Speaker 1: know how you could help this podcast out, you could 359 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:11,199 Speaker 1: just send it to a friend. You know, word of 360 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,119 Speaker 1: mouth is so much better than anything else when it 361 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 1: comes to like marketing things. 362 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:16,600 Speaker 2: So that's all I really. 363 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: Care about is if you feel like this podcast is 364 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 1: meaningful to you, just share it with a friend, Just 365 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 1: text him and be like, man, I get a lot 366 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:26,159 Speaker 1: out of this podcast comes out every Monday morning, and 367 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:28,680 Speaker 1: you could ask a question too. Or if someone's struggling 368 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: with something and you go, hey, man, I don't know, 369 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:34,679 Speaker 1: but you could ask Granger Grangersmith podcast at gmail dot 370 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:36,160 Speaker 1: com and then check out his podcast. 371 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 2: That would be helpful to me. 372 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: That's all I ask, really when it comes to this podcast, 373 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 1: that's all I ask. I'm not selling anything. I just 374 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:48,480 Speaker 1: want you to listen. Let's get to the first question here. 375 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: Subject line says should I date him? Hey, Granger have 376 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:55,680 Speaker 1: been going to try. I'm going to try and keep 377 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 1: this simple. I've been talking to this guy for five 378 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: months now, and I really like him. We both mutually 379 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 1: like each other, but his parents won't let us hang out. 380 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,680 Speaker 1: We've tried countless times, and his parents always say no. 381 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: I don't know if I could be in a relationship 382 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 1: with someone that I can't see them. And on top 383 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:16,680 Speaker 1: of that, let me say that again, I don't know 384 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:18,639 Speaker 1: if I could be in a relationship with someone if 385 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: I can't see them. And on top of that, he's 386 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:24,400 Speaker 1: had his phone taken away for like three weeks now, 387 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:27,399 Speaker 1: little to no contact, and I don't really know what 388 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 1: to do. Any advice, Yeah, this comes from Millie and Millie. 389 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,160 Speaker 2: This is super easy, super simple. 390 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 1: Super super This would be the easiest answer I've ever given. 391 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 1: If he is over the age of eighteen, then you 392 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: need to have a serious conversation about this with him. 393 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:52,119 Speaker 1: If he is younger than the age of eighteen, a 394 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 1: relationship's done. 395 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:58,200 Speaker 2: Okay, that's it. 396 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: He's got to honor his parents, and you have to 397 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: honor that he's honoring his parents. Next question, subject line 398 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 1: says eighteen and confused with religion. 399 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 2: There's that word religion. Hey Grande, I'm eighteen years old. 400 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:16,120 Speaker 2: I've been raised in a very. 401 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:19,920 Speaker 1: Catholic household my whole life. I choose not to get 402 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:22,880 Speaker 1: I chose not to get confirmed this year after finishing 403 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 1: my religious education classes because I felt like it, because 404 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: I felt like I would be going through the motions 405 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 1: and not actually committing myself to the faith. My mother 406 00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 1: is very upset about my decision, and I feel bad 407 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:40,720 Speaker 1: about making her so sad. I believe in the Christian faith. 408 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 1: I just feel like I should attend services with other 409 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:47,399 Speaker 1: denominations before committing to one. The difference in the faith 410 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:52,480 Speaker 1: has caused problems between my mother and I for years already, 411 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: and I don't know, and I don't want to ruin 412 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: our relationship. I also feel it would be wrong to 413 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 1: keep practicing the Catholic faith just to make her happy 414 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 1: and to continue a family tradition. Any advice on navigating 415 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:09,440 Speaker 1: the situation, thanks all right. Question comes from Jenny. Thank 416 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:12,480 Speaker 1: you so much for the email. Jenny, I am not 417 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 1: going to I think it's probably best if I don't 418 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:19,439 Speaker 1: like get into Catholicism versus Protestantism and all that. Right now, 419 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:22,199 Speaker 1: I don't think we should do that, and I've done 420 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:24,000 Speaker 1: that before on this podcast. I don't think that's what 421 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:25,919 Speaker 1: this is about. So I'm gonna try to stick with 422 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:26,960 Speaker 1: what you're asking. 423 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 2: First. I want to say your intuition about all of 424 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:33,960 Speaker 2: this is correct. 425 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: I want to affirm your intuition. I think that you're 426 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: approaching it from a very very shallow sense, which is okay, 427 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:47,720 Speaker 1: it's fine. I think if you want to get into 428 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:50,359 Speaker 1: the deep water, you gotta start shallow. Right we're walking 429 00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 1: out into the lake. It starts very shallow, and that's 430 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 1: where you are. You're standing in toe deep water because 431 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:59,879 Speaker 1: it gets very deep after this, Jenny, And that's okay. 432 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:03,199 Speaker 1: When I was eighteen, I wasn't asking deep questions. But 433 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: what I want, what I want to dig into here 434 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 1: is your I want to affirm your feelings on a 435 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:15,119 Speaker 1: couple of sentences. I feel it would be wrong to 436 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,440 Speaker 1: keep practicing the Catholic faith just to make her happy. Yeah, 437 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:23,440 Speaker 1: good call, continuing a family tradition, that's a good call. 438 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:27,480 Speaker 2: What else did you say? 439 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:31,760 Speaker 1: I believe in the Christian faith. I just feel like 440 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 1: I should attend other services before committing to one. I 441 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 1: kind of affirm that too. And what else here? Oh? 442 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:44,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah. 443 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 1: I chose not to get confirmed this year after finishing 444 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:51,399 Speaker 1: my religious education classes because I felt I would be 445 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:54,639 Speaker 1: going through the motions and not actually committing myself to 446 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:58,080 Speaker 1: the faith. Yes, I confirm all those things. Okay, so 447 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 1: I think you're you're you're thinking great, you're in toe 448 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 1: deep water, which is totally fine. You're way ahead of 449 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,680 Speaker 1: the game of where I was probably at eighteen. And 450 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:10,120 Speaker 1: now let's dig a little bit more. 451 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:10,560 Speaker 2: Okay. 452 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:14,720 Speaker 1: So, so many times when I get emails like this 453 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 1: and we're talking about religion and faith, those two words 454 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:20,760 Speaker 1: come up a lot, and they're usually tied together, religion 455 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 1: and faith. It sounds like and it feels like we're 456 00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:32,400 Speaker 1: talking about a good vibe lifestyle. It sounds like we're 457 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:41,920 Speaker 1: talking about a club or a like a fraternity or sorority, 458 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:48,399 Speaker 1: or like a like a master's class or something like. 459 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:50,400 Speaker 1: I've been really thinking about, like what if we looked 460 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:52,639 Speaker 1: at it as a master's class that you bought online. 461 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 1: I'm thinking about committing to this master's class because my 462 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 1: mom did it and she thinks it's great, and I 463 00:27:00,280 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 1: see that there's great benefits from the master's class and 464 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: it's pretty cool, and in fact, I want to raise 465 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: my kids with the idea of going to this master's 466 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:11,040 Speaker 1: class because it's going to make us smarter, and it's 467 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:13,159 Speaker 1: gonna just make us a little more peaceful and a 468 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:17,240 Speaker 1: little more relaxed or whatever. Like put any definitions or 469 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 1: any adjectives in there. That's that's kind of what this 470 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 1: email feels like. And I don't blame you for it. 471 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:24,720 Speaker 1: And I think that's what a lot of people look 472 00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:27,639 Speaker 1: at when they think about those two words, religion or faith. 473 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:31,600 Speaker 1: You choose yours, whatever floats your boat, whatever makes you happy, 474 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 1: whatever's a good vibe for you, whatever gives you tranquility, 475 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 1: whatever gives you peace, whatever, whatever gives you, whatever equips 476 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:41,640 Speaker 1: you to be able to kind of navigate life with 477 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 1: less anxiety or something. Did you know that that's just 478 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:49,960 Speaker 1: that has nothing to do with any of that. Did 479 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,920 Speaker 1: you know that that's just not the definition for any 480 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,240 Speaker 1: of that stuff. But that's kind of what we've gotten 481 00:27:55,280 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: into now in the modern age. We think that the 482 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 1: Christian faith is a good vibe. It's like a master's class. 483 00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:08,360 Speaker 1: It's like something you do because it's a family tradition. 484 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:10,480 Speaker 2: So just kind of follow it. 485 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 1: And just like repeat these words and drink this cup 486 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:17,679 Speaker 1: and say these things and kneel here and then go 487 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:20,159 Speaker 1: back into the world and like touch your chest a 488 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:24,000 Speaker 1: couple times and wear this and say that, and in 489 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:28,440 Speaker 1: return you just kind of you're just kind of living 490 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:32,119 Speaker 1: out fulfilling a family tradition and making mom happy and 491 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:38,680 Speaker 1: it feels nice. That just has nothing to do with 492 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 1: the Christian faith. The Christian faith is a relationship with 493 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. 494 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:47,040 Speaker 2: That's what it is. 495 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: We're saved by faith, right, So if you're gonna mean saved, 496 00:28:57,800 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: if you're being saved from. 497 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 2: Something, what's the alternative death? 498 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: So you're being saved by grace by the way, you're 499 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:15,360 Speaker 1: being saved by grace through faith. That faith is the 500 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 1: mechanism that God's grace uses to save you belief, repentance, 501 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: and belief. So if you're being saved through faith by grace, 502 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: then that means the alternative is if you're not if 503 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: you don't have faith, if you're not believing, which is 504 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 1: similar to saying faith is saying believing. If you're not believing, 505 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:42,560 Speaker 1: then you're dying. Not like bad vibes, not like I'm 506 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 1: I'm I'm losing a groove, I'm a little anxious, not 507 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: like I'm out of the family tradition. I'm talking about 508 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 1: you're dying like eternal death versus eternal life. 509 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 2: Now, that's what it means. This is not me. I'm 510 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 2: just the mess here. I'm not making this up. This 511 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:02,640 Speaker 2: is not an interpretation. 512 00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:05,680 Speaker 1: It's not like a translation error or it's not like 513 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 1: something I'm just picking up. This is what the Bible says, 514 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 1: and this is what has been taught for two thousand 515 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: years in the faith. 516 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:15,520 Speaker 2: You can go back. 517 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:19,000 Speaker 1: We could read writings that go back thousands of years 518 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 1: in this faith. That is what they're talking about. Is 519 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 1: not a good vibe. It is not a tradition. It 520 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 1: is not something that we continue to make our kids 521 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: happy and raise them up in it so that they 522 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: can have a nice, happy life. 523 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:37,960 Speaker 2: That is not this. But somehow that's where we have gotten. 524 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 1: I am no, I'm simpile to get my mouth gets 525 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 1: ahead of my brain. I am not blaming you for 526 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:50,240 Speaker 1: thinking this, because I understand what it's called is cultural 527 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:56,080 Speaker 1: Christianity in your case, cultural Catholicism. And I'm not blaming you, 528 00:30:56,560 --> 00:31:00,600 Speaker 1: but it is a trap. And what I feel like, Jenny, 529 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: because I feel like you might be elect and I 530 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: feel like you might. You might feel the draw right now. 531 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:13,080 Speaker 1: I feel like Jesus is drawing you. I could be wrong, 532 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,520 Speaker 1: but I feel like Jesus is drawing you, and he's 533 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:20,960 Speaker 1: opening your eyes slowly, It's okay, He's opening your eyes 534 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:25,960 Speaker 1: to some stuff here, like, hey, mom, this sounds great 535 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:27,400 Speaker 1: and I've studied these classes. 536 00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:29,760 Speaker 2: But I kind of feel. 537 00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 1: Like this isn't the right way to do it, Like 538 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:33,680 Speaker 1: I feel like there's more to it. 539 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 2: I feel like I need to. 540 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:39,240 Speaker 1: Go to another church or to or read an article 541 00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:42,120 Speaker 1: or book or two, or talk to a couple other 542 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:46,880 Speaker 1: people that might give me a different perspective. I feel 543 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:49,520 Speaker 1: like I need to go out because why, because I 544 00:31:49,520 --> 00:31:51,400 Speaker 1: don't know. Because something inside me is kind. 545 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 2: Of stern a little bit. 546 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:57,080 Speaker 1: I would call that a draw. 547 00:31:57,320 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 2: I would say that your Savior is drawing you. 548 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:02,680 Speaker 1: Once again, I could be wrong, because I'm not you, 549 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 1: and I don't want to I don't want to falsely 550 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: affirm you in anything because I don't know you and 551 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:11,200 Speaker 1: I don't know the rest of your story. But I 552 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 1: just want to point out that this sounds interesting that 553 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: you're now. You're kind of the blinder is kind of 554 00:32:17,360 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 1: coming off around you, and you're going hm. Bible says this, 555 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 1: we practice this. I don't think these two things add up. 556 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 1: Maybe there's more to the story you email me. I 557 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 1: tell you this, do with this information what you will. 558 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 1: But I would say, lean in to the draw, go 559 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: find out. 560 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:47,880 Speaker 2: All right, I'll still let's hit another one here, man. 561 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 1: I'm a lot of these questions are about religion, So 562 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, y'all. Maybe I shouldn't apologize, but that's just 563 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:59,960 Speaker 1: kind of where this podcast has gone lately. Next question 564 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:04,240 Speaker 1: says subject line Heaven. It says, Hey g, when you 565 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:07,959 Speaker 1: close your eyes and think of heaven in your own mind, 566 00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 1: what does it look like? Please describe? It comes from Lori, 567 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:17,080 Speaker 1: who's a longtime fan of mine in the music from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Lourie, 568 00:33:17,080 --> 00:33:19,520 Speaker 1: what's up? Thank you for the question, and let's oh. 569 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:25,240 Speaker 1: I love this question. M We can kind of connect 570 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 1: it to the last question as well, and I want 571 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 1: to make that connection, but let me repeat it because 572 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 1: it's super short. 573 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 2: Hey gee, when you close. 574 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:34,240 Speaker 1: Your eyes and think of heaven in your mind, what 575 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:35,160 Speaker 1: does it look like? 576 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:36,320 Speaker 2: Please describe? 577 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 1: And instantly we think of like country music songs and 578 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 1: we think about I hope heaven has a bass fish 579 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:51,440 Speaker 1: and pond and a creek that's just bubbling with fish 580 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:55,840 Speaker 1: and deer in the meadows, and I hope that all 581 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:59,040 Speaker 1: my loved ones are there and we're playing you know, football, 582 00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:02,800 Speaker 1: like it's Thanksgiving afternoon and the weather is beautiful and 583 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,720 Speaker 1: I could fly and and I really hope that they 584 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:08,919 Speaker 1: have you know, this and this and this and this 585 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: this and then we give here. You know, countless country 586 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:16,280 Speaker 1: music songs about this kind of thing, and people people 587 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 1: will describe it in ways that it's like, man, I 588 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:22,359 Speaker 1: love mountains, as I just hope there's just incredible mountains there, 589 00:34:23,200 --> 00:34:25,960 Speaker 1: Like I hope they're just snow capped mountains, and and 590 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:28,800 Speaker 1: there's game in the woods and then and there's beautiful 591 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 1: villages with streets of gold and pearly gates and there's 592 00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 1: no tears. You know, we just kind of we think 593 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:38,680 Speaker 1: of this and we kind of go down this this 594 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:43,960 Speaker 1: long like dreamlike journey through our minds thinking about heaven. 595 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:45,440 Speaker 2: Now. 596 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:50,440 Speaker 1: I don't think that's a bad thing, but I think 597 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:58,480 Speaker 1: it's an immature Christian thought. And Laureate, this is this 598 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:01,319 Speaker 1: is not on you, Okay, this is this is not 599 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:03,520 Speaker 1: this is not a knock on you. This is not 600 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:06,640 Speaker 1: a knock on anyone that has imagined that Heaven hopefully 601 00:35:06,719 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 1: has bass fishing. This is not I just I want 602 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:13,680 Speaker 1: to say that I think that's an immature Christian thought. 603 00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 2: Here's why. 604 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:21,920 Speaker 1: Here's why, because when you hear the Apostles talk about heaven, 605 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:27,759 Speaker 1: they're talking about one thing, one thing being in the 606 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:35,719 Speaker 1: presence of Christ, being in the presence of God himself 607 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:42,239 Speaker 1: with unveiled faces. That means, right now, our faces are 608 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:46,400 Speaker 1: veiled to Christ. They're veiled to God because. 609 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:47,520 Speaker 2: We can't possibly see. 610 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:51,920 Speaker 1: We can't see something so bright, so beautiful, so perfect, 611 00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:55,120 Speaker 1: our eyes cannot comprehend it. We're going to be in 612 00:35:55,120 --> 00:36:01,239 Speaker 1: heaven with Him with unveiled faces. Can you imagine for 613 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:03,880 Speaker 1: a second everything that we've mentioned about heaven, everything that 614 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:07,040 Speaker 1: you've thought would be in heaven, because you've seen it 615 00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:09,359 Speaker 1: on earth and it's like the best version of what 616 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:11,640 Speaker 1: you've seen on earth. You've seen you can imagine that 617 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:15,200 Speaker 1: being in heaven, right, So imagine everything you want to 618 00:36:15,280 --> 00:36:19,279 Speaker 1: see in heaven because it's perfect on earth. Imagine the 619 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:23,680 Speaker 1: creator of all of that stuff. Imagine the creator of 620 00:36:23,719 --> 00:36:27,399 Speaker 1: that stuff is there. And I fully believe that once 621 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:30,480 Speaker 1: you're there you're not gonna want to see anything else, 622 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:34,000 Speaker 1: and not in a boring way and not in a methodical, 623 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:36,600 Speaker 1: weird way. But I think when you see the creator 624 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:40,680 Speaker 1: of everything, and you see the creator of that embodies 625 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:46,000 Speaker 1: love and perfection and art and music and bass fishing 626 00:36:46,239 --> 00:36:48,560 Speaker 1: and whatever else, all these streets of gold and green 627 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:52,360 Speaker 1: grasses and fish in the waters and game in the forest, 628 00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:56,239 Speaker 1: when you see the creator, the visionary, the poet of 629 00:36:56,320 --> 00:37:02,000 Speaker 1: all of that, You're gonna want to be at his feet. 630 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:04,520 Speaker 1: You're gonna want to be right there at his throne 631 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:08,360 Speaker 1: and and just soak that in and just say, guys, 632 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:10,840 Speaker 1: I want to be here, and I just want to 633 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:13,480 Speaker 1: worship you, and I want to gaze on you with 634 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:17,960 Speaker 1: unveiled face and just stare at you and that this 635 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:20,959 Speaker 1: is not If you don't understand what I'm talking about, 636 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:23,720 Speaker 1: then you might be an immature Christian. 637 00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:25,879 Speaker 2: Then it's not a knock on you, because I've been 638 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:26,560 Speaker 2: there before. 639 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:28,719 Speaker 1: Most of my life, I had a veiled face and 640 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:32,200 Speaker 1: I had blinded eyes to this. But I think you 641 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:34,440 Speaker 1: could look at it like the equivalent of going to 642 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,719 Speaker 1: your favorite band, go to the concert of your favorite band. 643 00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:40,959 Speaker 1: George straight for me right, So I'm sixteen years old 644 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:43,360 Speaker 1: and in the height of my fandom for George Strait, 645 00:37:43,600 --> 00:37:46,680 Speaker 1: and I go see him at the stadium, and I 646 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:47,440 Speaker 1: have tickets for. 647 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:48,440 Speaker 2: The front row center. 648 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 1: Right hypothetical speaking, I go to the front row Center. 649 00:37:52,239 --> 00:37:55,480 Speaker 1: I got the tickets there, and I'm holding the tickets 650 00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:57,200 Speaker 1: and on my way to the stadium. 651 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:02,479 Speaker 2: What am I talking about? Man? I wonder what's gonna 652 00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:07,120 Speaker 2: be in here. I hope there's popcorn. I hope they 653 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:09,920 Speaker 2: I hope they have Doctor Pepper. 654 00:38:10,080 --> 00:38:15,560 Speaker 1: On the fountain. I hope they have huge uh, Sonic ice. 655 00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:18,520 Speaker 1: I love Sonic ice. Oh you know I love Sonic Yeah, yeah, 656 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:21,840 Speaker 1: Sonic ice and a big plastic cup and doctor Pepper. 657 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:24,319 Speaker 1: And I hope they pop Oh maybe they're gonna have 658 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:27,600 Speaker 1: hot dogs. I wonder what kind of merch they're gonna have? 659 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:29,160 Speaker 1: T shirts, hats? 660 00:38:29,960 --> 00:38:30,759 Speaker 2: Oh, you know what else? 661 00:38:30,800 --> 00:38:33,759 Speaker 1: I think about the chairs. I bet those chairs are 662 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:36,320 Speaker 1: so comfortable. I can't wait to see the chairs. 663 00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:38,279 Speaker 2: What else? Oh? The lights. 664 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:40,759 Speaker 1: The lighting is gonna be so cool. From up at 665 00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:45,440 Speaker 1: the top, They're gonna have light. Seriously, No, that's not 666 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:47,080 Speaker 1: what goes through the mind of a sixteen year old 667 00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:48,520 Speaker 1: and he's walking in the stadium. 668 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:49,640 Speaker 2: He's thinking, I. 669 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:52,640 Speaker 1: Can't wait to see George straight. I can't wait to 670 00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:56,640 Speaker 1: see him in all his glory, standing there holding his guitar, 671 00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 1: singing to me. That's what I care about. Everything else. 672 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:02,279 Speaker 1: This is going to be there, but it's secondary. I'm 673 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:03,799 Speaker 1: not worried about it. I'm not thinking about it. I'm 674 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:05,120 Speaker 1: not envisioning that. That's not my dream. 675 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:08,960 Speaker 2: I'm thinking about just him. And that's the way I. 676 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:14,319 Speaker 1: Think of heaven, Streets of gold, pearly gates, bass and 677 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:18,279 Speaker 1: the rivers, game in the fields, I've got, you know, 678 00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:19,480 Speaker 1: flying ability. 679 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:20,000 Speaker 2: Whatever. 680 00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:24,480 Speaker 1: I'm thinking about, standing in the presence of my Creator, 681 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:32,799 Speaker 1: standing in all of his glory, hands raised, soaking him in. 682 00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:42,520 Speaker 2: Forever. That's seven. Love you guys, See you next Monday. 683 00:39:42,760 --> 00:39:45,759 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining me on the Grangersmith Podcast. I appreciate 684 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:47,960 Speaker 1: all of you guys. You could help me out by 685 00:39:48,080 --> 00:39:51,880 Speaker 1: rating this podcast on iTunes. If you're on YouTube, subscribe 686 00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:55,319 Speaker 1: to this channel, hit that little like button and notification 687 00:39:55,440 --> 00:39:59,280 Speaker 1: spell so that you never miss anytime I upload a video. 688 00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:01,560 Speaker 2: If you have question for me that you would like me. 689 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:07,040 Speaker 1: To answer, email Grangersmith Podcast at gmail dot com. 690 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:07,200 Speaker 2: Ye