Welcome to the Gospel Truth Project podcast.
I am your host, Jason. I do not have my co -host
here, Dylan, with me, but I do have another guest
here. Brandon, would you like to introduce yourself?
Hello, everyone. My name is Brandon Kearns. I'm
friends with Jason. We work together. More importantly,
I am not just a Christian. I am a follower of
a Christ on that constant journey to seek out
the truth and to find people along the way that
share my passion. for the word and the gospel
and for our Lord and Savior and to help that
guide and grow me. Thanks for having me, Jason.
Yeah, thanks for being on. It's been cool because
we were talking about it for, I don't know, probably
about two or three weeks. We were like, oh yeah,
we should do a podcast episode together. We should
talk about this or talk about that. And I wanted
to share the story because when we're talking
about it, you're like, just name a topic so I
can study on it, so I can make sure that I'm
speaking truth and not. deviating from a topic
or a subject. And I was like, I agree. So I prayed
about it and I was like, we should talk about
anxiety and trusting God. And you said that that's
a testimony of yours that you've dealt with this
and you've been through it and God saved you
from it. So I was like, perfect. We can go on
to this topic and talk about this stuff. Yeah,
exactly. Yeah. It was a perfect topic, you know,
cause I didn't know where you were going to go
when you brought that up. You know, I think everybody
has their testimonies and the things that they
go through in their life and the things that,
you know, their testimony can kind of be more
specific or drive towards a certain topic. And
yeah, this one, because I had just such a very
specific battle with it, and I found healing
from it specifically from bike walk. with Christ
and my faith. You know, it delivered me from,
you know, probably some of the darkest days of
my life to the point that it brought me to a
place that, you know, scripture says, you know,
if you do it this way, you will come to this
place. So I basically pulled out scripture. I
pulled out the map and said, I don't like where
I'm at. And it said, Well, then you need to jump
on this highway and go and you'll be here. And
sure enough, after a period of time, I arrived
at that destination. Awesome. Yeah, I think that's,
it is in its sense powerful because it's cool
to see God intervene, step in and do something
and show himself. And then you are able to talk
about it and show people like, look, this is
what God did for me. And it's a cool experience
to be able to share with people so that they
can see that God moves and God works. Just to
kind of get into some of the verses, for example,
do you have any verse off the top of your head
that really stuck out for you during that kind
of time? Yeah. I mean, I think there's so many
great ones, and it's interesting as we'll go
in, is how frequently and how much anxiety is
discussed in Scripture, but more specifically,
even how Jesus talks about it, you know, and
the apostles record that, you know. But Matthew
6, 25 to 27, therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life, what you will get or drink or
about your body, what you will wear. Is not life
more than food in your body, more than just clothes?
And it just really got me to realize that you
get so fearful of so many specifics. A lot of
things I like to say, things that make you comfortable
and you start to realize that. you can get really
specific and almost petty about the things that
create and cause your anxiety. And they can be
big, but they can also be small things. Yeah,
it's just, you know, Jesus's words, you know,
in those moments, you know, I really fell on
them and they really helped drive that. in any
of you by worrying at a single hour to your life.
And I remember that one. I was like, what am
I doing? I'm literally trading this moment where
I could possibly be happy and making a decision.
And Jesus said, I didn't have to live like that,
but seek first his kingdom. Yes. Okay. All right.
So that's the thing is it's like my focus is
in the wrong place. Matthew's a really good one
for me. And I love Matthew, especially even in
the TV show, The Chosen. Even just how they have
shown him in that show. And I've realized that
the specificity in his writing and the way he
journaled things was really... Really fantastic.
You know, and he's the one who, you know, wrote
the Sermon on the Mount, you know, wrote down
the Sermon on the Mount for us to really read
it. But yeah, long story short, those were big
ones for me. Like I said, there's a lot of others,
but Jesus's words are in a lot of cases, especially
in those moments when you're just on your knees
are all you need. Yeah, especially with the Matthew
that you mentioned, the Greek word there is merimento,
which that word is like, to draw in different
directions or to divide. Or if you look at the
root word of that, you're seeing it's more than
just I shouldn't care about something in the
sense of like tomorrow, like I'm worried about
tomorrow, but it's to be anxious, to be troubled
with cares, to care for, to look out for a thing
or to seek to promote one's interest even or
caring or providing for within a given context
that you're concerned about it. So it has like
more of a deeper meaning than just, oh yeah,
I'm not gonna, think about that it's not that
it's like you gotta trust god christ first that
he is going to help you through it and guide
you through it because he is the lord of your
life which means that you submit fully to him
you trust in him i think a lot of it comes back
to i think trust and anxiety are both really
similar topics in the sense that you are trusting
god so your anxieties cast upon the lord right
because um Psalms 55, 22 says, cast your burdens
on the Lord and he will sustain you. He'll never
permit the righteous to be moved. So it's like,
it's really important to know. It's like, yeah,
this is what we're told to do. So what does that
look like? Well, and those are great, especially
in some, and you look at, you know, David in
so many of those instances, you know, David had
periods where he was just on a high and just
living and praising God. And then he's in the
valley and he's like, my God, you know, we're
just all insurmountable odds against him. And
I think those are good. a great reminder for
us that praise him, you know, in the storm too,
you know, and remember, you know, that our circumstances
are just that they're circumstances and they're
only temporary. And I think the problem is a
lot of people get so focused and I did too. I
think as human beings, our flesh, we get so focused
on our immediate circumstances. We feel that
those circumstances will never end. Right. And
so. What happens when something, you know, the
fight or flight kicks in, you know, we're all
built that way. You know, most everybody, you
have a fighter, you have a fight. And most people,
when something happens, they're trying to figure
out either how to fight the obstacle or how to
get away from the obstacle. They put their hands
on the steering wheel. They have the death grip
on it. And sometimes, and what scripture continually
reminds us is you gotta loosen up. You gotta
take sometimes the hand completely off the wheel
and give it to him. And your scripture recall
is unbelievable. The scripture where I have plans
for you to do good. Jeremiah 29, 11. Yes. And
that's such a good one too. Yes. And we have
to remember that. It's like God does have plans
to prosper us and to do good, but he's not guaranteeing
that. It's going to be easy. It's not going to
be easy because, you know, we're constantly being,
you know, we're a rough stone and we're constantly
being polished and made better. And our sin is
slowly being knocked off. And abrasion has to
happen and friction has to happen to make you
smoother, to make you basically to the point
where you can accept your salvation and that
you are a sinner and fully accept Christ and
realize who you are. And I think that's the part
where you get more and more polyp and you go
into that rock tumbler. You have to submit yourself
to the rock tumbler, guys. Right. I mean, uh,
reminds me of a first Peter five, seven, right?
First Peter five, seven says cast, casting all
your cares on him because he cares about you
because that written down. That was one of my
favorites. I love that one. Yeah. It's good because
Peter writes that we should take that fear and
cast it, like throw it onto. our father, God.
And in fact, he tells us to take all of our anxieties,
everything that worries us and to give it all
to God who cares so deeply for us. And this is
not like a promise that God will fix everything,
which worries us, but God is not obligated to
follow, you know, whatever script we write for
him, but it's a promise that the mighty God will
receive our worries and care about them and he'll
carry them for us. He is trustworthy to handle
them in the way that is best according to his
will. So Peter's words are a command. It's not,
God's will for his children to continue to live
under those burdens, believing that God is mighty
and cares for us should result in our regularly
handing over our worries to him when they arrive
in our life and stuff happens. Right. I think
me and Dylan touched up on this a little bit
because there's a fine line between God's provision,
which we see in Matthew, like you were mentioning,
and the prosperity gospel. And that's kind of
where there's a blurred line a little bit. Because
the prosperity gospel lies to people by saying
that if you have enough faith that you will never
suffer or feel stress. But we know that in scripture,
like John 16, 33, it says that in this world,
you will have tribulation. You will struggle.
You will have hardship. So discipleship costs
us our right to worry because we following Jesus
means accepting that we are not the protagonist
of our own stories, if that makes sense. He is.
So we must die to the illusion of control. Peace
is not the absence of trouble. It is the presence
of Christ in the midst of trouble. Right. Well,
and he says that, too. You know, in this world,
you will have trouble, but take heart. I have
overcome the world. And I think that's a good
reminder in the sense that he has dominion and
sovereignty over the world. And you aren't guaranteed
it to be easy. And it's not going to be. But
he's saying, come to me. My yoke is light. You
know, you are. whoever is, you know, weary and
burdened. And, you know, it's a good reminder
for people to remember that it's like, hey, you
know what? Life's hard sometimes. It really is.
And to be quite honest, a Christian life isn't
easy. But one thing I can tell you is there is
an awful lot of peace. And there's an awful lot
of joy in it, especially when you realize it's
like, you know what? These circumstances, they're
not that great, but I got a good God that loved
me, that died for me, that shed his blood for
me, that left his heavenly throne to come down
for me specifically, to die for me because he
loves me so much. I'm not worthy of that. but
he loves me so much. And boy, I tell you, when
your days are dark, that's something you can
always hold on to. When everything seems insurmountable
and against you, just remember that the God of
the universe left his throne, came down and paid
for you because he loves you. And so nothing
is ever that bad that you can't remember that
argument for yourself. Right, it's Hebrews 13,
6, where it says, The Lord is my helper, I will
not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
Romans 8, 28 reflects that a little bit, where
it says, And we know that in all things God works
for the good of those who love him, who have
been called according to his purposes. And that's
why you see the Lord's Prayer when it talks about,
we pray and we ask for God's will be done on
earth as it is in heaven, because we are... He
is king. I'm not king. He's king. So I submit
to his throne. I submit to his calling. I submit
to his rules. I submit to what he's called me
to do. And I reflect that to people around me,
or at least to the best of my abilities and relying
on him to show that to other people that he loves
them. He loves me, but I am sharing that love
with others. Yes. Those are great opportunities
too, because when you go through a battle or
you go through a time, even my instance where
I've had my anxiety in the past, I was going
through a lot, but I was saved from that. But
the beautiful thing and the gift that you get
out of that is you get to glorify God by going
and telling somebody else, hey, there's a path,
there's a light at the end of the tunnel and
his name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He can
get you through this. And I think it's that genuine
thing too. When somebody looks at you and they're
like, why are you so happy? How are you so happy
even when things seem insurmountable? Because
you're like, they're just circumstances. And
I got the God of the universe that's pulling
for me. That's the best coach ever, right? I'm
out there. He's calling the plays. I'm just doing
what he's saying. I know we're going to win the
game because he's already won the game. I just
got to go out and play and run the playbook.
And that's what scripture is. It's the playbook.
He told us, he gave us our plan. There's no secrets.
That's why it's the living word too, is because
no matter what you're going through, when you
open up that Bible, scripture hits different
depending upon what it's going to. It's because
the spirit is speaking to you because it's God
breathed word and there are no limitations to
that. That's true. And I think something to emphasize
is that With the priesthood of believers, we
do not need a human mediator or a specific ritual
to find peace because Christ finished work and
every listener here has a bonus to enter the
holy places. That's Hebrews 10 .19. It talks
about that, that we can come before the Lord,
the holy places, because we are confident that
his work is finished. So when people, I talked
to a lot of different like Catholics or Eastern
Orthodox, et cetera. And they're like, you know,
we talk back and forth and I see a Protestant
say, oh, well, that's works -based. I'm like,
well, salvation is works -based and the works
is the works that Christ did, the complete work
of Christ. So it's not like we rely on his work,
what he did for us, rather than my work and what
I. can or cannot do successfully in that sense.
So I rely on his work. So it is works based,
but it's his work. Exactly. The work's already
been done. I mean, it's really, I think it's
what's the script where he talks about the narrow
gate, the narrow door. What is it? Yeah. So I
think that's the thing. It's like. Heaven has
a very narrow door and it's Jesus. He's the only
way through. So all those distractions, all of
this stuff that the world is telling you and
lying to you, you need to do this, you need to
do that. Jesus said 2000 years ago, what needed
to be done? And he said, I am the only way. Nobody
comes to the Father except through me. Don't
listen to any of all that. I think that's another
thing too that drives people's anxiety is they're
constantly reaching out. I need to do this. I
need to do that. Well, you know, yeah, sure.
I mean, hopefully you, you know, if it's helping
somebody or giving somebody money that needs
it and you're feeling driven to do it, there's
nothing wrong with doing that. But I think it's...
Where are you in your spiritual life? How are
you feeling about that? You know, is that something
God's really calling to you? You know, if you're
doing something out of a guilt stance, that's
only going to exacerbate and agitate the anxiety
because you're like, oh, here's just another
place I'm failing, right? And that's, I think
that's so difficult. People are like, you know,
I'm struggling. I'm going to go to church. So
what do they do? They go to a church and maybe
it. It's a church. It's like, hey, the collection
plate's coming around. Make sure you put some
money in there so people don't look at you. And
we need you to do this and you need to do that.
And if you're not doing this, I'll tell you a
story. I was married once and, you know, wonderful
woman, you know, and still love her, you know,
because I believe that, you know, we're to love
everybody, you know, whether you're married or
not or, you know, despite the circumstances.
And she was going through a struggle. And we
lived in Ohio and we went to this church. And
the church was great. There were some great people
in there, but there was a sect of a group, you
know. in that church that basically she was struggling
with some issues, you know, with postpartum and
all of that. And these people were saying, your
faith isn't strong enough and almost putting
the blame of that stuff on her. And it exacerbated,
it made it worse. And for anybody that does listen
to this, I will tell you, if you are hearing
that. That's not right. If you're hearing that,
that you're going through this because you don't
believe, you're not at where you need to be.
That is wrong. That is not what Christ wants
you to think. Christ loves you. He paid for you.
He wants you. He's yearning for a relationship
with you. All you need to do is just start praying
and say, Jesus, I need you. I'm struggling. I
don't know what to do. I don't even, and hey,
I don't even know how to pray. Help me learn
how to pray. And if that's all you do the first
day, that's fine. The next day, say something
again. He's there. He just wants to have that
connection with you. And once that fire gets
going, but there's so much church hurt out there.
And I think people don't go to church and then
they go to church when they get into these times
and these moments where they're struggling. And
we're all built for Christ. God designed us to
not go through this life without. needing him.
So we start to try and fill the God -sized hole
with world -sized things. Then that hole never
gets filled. Then they go to church when their
life is completely falling apart. And what happens?
They get convicted that they're not good enough.
They told, and then what do they do? They're
like, well, that didn't help. I'm not going to
church anymore. And that's, it's a real tragedy.
And so I think that's a difference. And remember
that you and I talked about it yesterday. Marmari
Emanuel said, I'm not a Christian. I'm a follower
of Christ. And I love that because it's like,
it's not saying, oh, I'm a Christian because,
well, I'm not a Muslim and I live in the United
States. And a lot of people throw that word around
and they don't really know necessarily what it
means. But when you say, I'm a follower of Jesus
Christ, that says something. You know, that's
a bold statement. And I love that. Yeah. And
find people that are, find people that are living
like that. Right. Yep. Cause, uh, so for a key
verse on that one is Ephesians two, eight through
nine. It's like for by grace, you have been saved
through faith and this is not of your own doing.
It's the gift of God, not a result of work so
that no one may boast. The word grace there in
original language is charity, which refers to
unmerited favor. Right. Is God giving us what
we don't deserve? Mercy is God not giving us
what we do deserve. Faith is pistils, which is,
this is more like the intellectual agreement.
In the original context, it implies the trust
or allegiance. It is the hand that reaches out
to take the gift. And then... Within the historical
context, first century salvation, which is soteria,
was a term used for being rescued from a shipwreck
or a battlefield. Paul applies this physical
rescue to a spiritual reality. We are drowning
in our own rebellion, and God is the lifeguard.
So we see a threefold reality of salvation, which
is justification, which is God, the righteous
judge, declares us not guilty because Jesus paid
our fine. Romans 5 .1. There he has sanctification,
which is the living process. It's because we
are saved, the Holy Spirit begins to change our
hearts to love what God loves. This is the holiness
of the heart and life. We see that in 1 Thessalonians
4 .3. And then the glorification, which is the
final hope. One day we will be physically resurrected
and free from every presence of sin, which is
Romans 8 .30 talks about. Is living a life outside
of willful sinfulness. It is a constant focus
on Christ and living for Christ and living to
love others and show that love to others. John
Wesley taught it once and he said, perfect love
casts out fear because we become more concerned
with God's glory than our own security. And that's
the idea of casting our anxiety on him is that
we no longer desire for control in that sense.
It is sanctification is the process of the Holy
Spirit surrendering our will to God's. Yes. So
it's a lifelong process. It's not like overnight,
like done kind of thing. It's a lifelong journey.
And that's where it's like, no one's perfect
and we will fall short, but that's the beauty
of grace, right? Right. God's always there, you
know, and he created the universe and he created
us and he transcends time. So he was in the beginning,
he's in the middle and he's in the end. He already
knows all the mistakes we're going to make. And
every misstep that we make, he has a alternate
route to get back on the highway of our life
that he has created for us that gets us. to spending
eternity with him. So every mistake we have,
there's an option to get back on track, no matter
how big or how small. Right. And I think, yeah,
losing... you know, losing track of that, boy,
that's really, I think that's where people get
into that point too, that even people who were
followers, they get so far off the pathway. Man,
I am so bad. I'm so dirty. I can't come back.
You know, he's not gonna love me. And I think
that's the lie that Satan wants us. You know,
the enemy wants us because, you know, really
at the end of the day, I look at it like this.
It's a numbers game for Satan. He's like, I'm
gonna try and steal as many of you. from the
kingdom, from salvation as possible. And why?
Because he's mad because he can't get back in.
He led a rebellion. He can never reenter heaven.
And he's ultimately going to end up losing. And
he knows that. But in the meantime, he's going
to try and take as many souls with him. And that's
why he hates us and works so diligently to destroy
us and to keep us from the most beautiful, wonderful
thing. And somebody, I heard it once, Yeah, they
were like, it's like, yeah, Jesus, that's cool.
You know, he seems like a nice guy. Oh, he's
in the Bible. And yeah, he seemed like a good
philosopher. I think actually it was Bishop Marmari
Emanuele. He's like, Jesus is standing there
saying, I loved you so much. I died for you.
What more can I do? And you really think about
it. What more can anyone or any, has anybody
in your life? taken all of your sin, all of your
imperfections, taken it to the cross and died
for you. And that's what he's saying. He's like,
that's how much I love you. I took and I paid
for you with my precious blood. And boy, I tell
you, that's a big thing, a big pill to swallow,
but it's such a wonderful thing because you're
like, my gosh, like, you know, it's like getting
the best Valentine's Day present ever, you know,
and Valentine's Day, it's like, oh, how much
do you love me? I took her to a nice dinner and
I bought her some flowers. And, you know, I told
her I loved her 18 times, you know, and I think
I did pretty good. Jesus, you know, it's like,
well, what's the most loving thing that's ever
been done for you? Christ died for me. He paid
for me. He took all of that. I mean, you and
I were talking about the pain and, you know,
especially as we're in, you know, in holy season
right now. The pain that Christ endured during
the crucifixion and his trial and the beatings
and all of that and just broken his body in the
entire time. But the thing that broke him and
broke his heart the most was, you know, the sin
that he had to bear for us up on that cross.
It wasn't the physical pain. It was all that
he took with him up. Yep. It's like John 14,
1, right? Where it comes back down to, do not
let your heart be troubled, afraid, or cowardly.
Believe confidently in God and trust in him.
Have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going,
and believe also in me, which is what Jesus said.
And he was telling his disciples in the last
moments before he was arrested and taken. And
I think that's really important to understand.
This is critical. You believe in God. Trust me.
Trust in me. So I think that's a really bold
part. I think the hardest part of salvation is
admitting that we are helpless. Our culture prizes
the self -made success, but the gospel requires
us to admit that we are spiritually bankrupt.
Matthew 5 .3 says that. And we cannot save ourselves
any more than a person who has fallen into a
deep pit can. pull themselves up by their own
hair. You must look up and grab the rope kind
of thing. So yeah, I really enjoy, we went from
going from the anxiety to trusting to salvation,
back to like trusting, back to like an anxiety
and fear thing. So this has been good so far.
Yeah, well, I think so. And you know, for those
of you that are out there, anxiety, don't feel
bad that you have it. Look at the world we live
in. You know, The world was so bad even back
then. At one point, God had to flood it, right?
It was so bad, he had to flood it and get rid
of a bunch of people. And then the world got
so bad again that they were killing and hurting
each other. And heck, even Saul, you know, got
corrupted and he lost his blessing. And, you
know, you get David, the line of David, you know.
Jesus came from. Anxiety and fear and all of
that stuff has been around. That's a part of
our flesh. So don't feel bad about it. And we
live in such a secular world that is just so
full of negativity. And Jason and I were talking
yesterday and I was sending up some of my notes.
And I don't know if you've ever read Seven Habits
of Highly Effective People, but Stephen Covey
talks about a lot of fantastic principles that
I think... All the really good things that really
help us identify who we are, those things really
do come from God because, you know, he gives
us the tools. Anything really that's good in
the world, nothing happens that God doesn't allow.
So when a good thing, because God is good, and
Jason, give us a scripture for that. God is good.
He is the definition of good. Wow, shoot, there's
a lot of them. Yeah, I know, right? Because he
is, and that's the thing. But, you know, give
us a good one, though. You've got... your face
psalms psalms 38 8 or 34 8 there's a taste to
see the lord is good blesses the man who takes
refuge in him yeah that one's one of the ones
that there's worship songs now about it i mean
there's a consistency to he is faithful i think
that is a big part of it and everything good
comes from the father which is big It's huge.
And my point was the fact that there are a lot
of good things that when you do come across a
good information or a beautiful morning, or you
see a beautiful sunset, I think God does a lot
of things to remind us that he's constantly here.
and gives us glimpses of him. And when you notice
something and it just stops you on your track
and it just makes you feel something. Remember,
the good in the world comes from God because
God is good and he created good. And when you
have something negative and bad, you know, that
is the world. That's generally created by the
flesh. So it's okay to experience anxiety because
not everything in the world is good. There's
a lot of negativity. Human will, free will, God
gave us free will. And we're sinful by nature
allows a lot of bad things to happen. So we're
constantly worried about it. So we started talking
about the circles of influence. And I started
to think about, you know, we kind of had those
same types of things, not really with the way
Stephen Covey's talking about it, but the way
that we surround ourselves with stimulus. And
I had the, you know, the world -centered person,
which I consider is a normal person, right? The
world, it's not normal in the world to worship
God, you know, anymore. It really isn't. It's
become, you know, a taboo in a lot of ways. And,
you know, you're seeing this revival because
people were starving for authenticity and they're
realizing, hold on, that's not right. That's
a lie. But your social media, the media, everything
that you see all the way to advertising is to
let, you know, from drugs to art, everything
is letting you know that what you have isn't
good enough. Be fearful. Vote for me, you know,
don't like that person because I'm better. People
were posting pictures, pretty social media feed
of their pictures of what they post as an actual
reflection of who they are in the life that they're
living. It's the life that they want you to believe
that they're living. And think about when somebody
takes a selfie, not one person I think in the
history of humankind has ever taken one single
selfie and then post it and be like, that was
good enough. It was generally a series of. 12
to 24 pictures. They picked it and they edited
it. So everything that we see is false and fake
and it makes us feel inadequate. It makes us
feel insecure. We're told to worry about if you
vote for this person, the world's going to end.
You know, if we don't give money here, then the
world's going to end. And so what that causes
you to focus in on your family and your friends,
and you start creating yourself an echo chamber
of people who share those same anxieties because
misery loves company. It all does. So when we're
miserable, we start talking and we want to find
people that want to talk. You're never miserable
and you're like, hey, I want to tell you about
it. As you tell it and the person says, be quiet.
You're like, oh, that was a perfect response.
That's what I want to know. You're like, oh,
I'm going to go to that person who's going to
listen to me. And then you go to your coworkers
and then it spills over into your spirituality
and your walk and faith or self -help. And you're
trying to figure out how to save yourself, but
you're already a complete mess and you're a wreck.
And you're already consumed, but you've created
these habits and these people. God, everything
with God, his math, everything is upside down
from what the world is. Because it's funny, God
is right side up, but the world is upside down.
So we're living in the upside down, folks. If
you're Stranger Things fans, we are living in
the upside down, okay? So that's the thing, is
we want to get out of the upside down. Christ
is the way to get out of it. If you become a
Christ -centered person, it takes discipline
and it takes constant commitment every day. And
that is to realize I am lost without Christ.
And that drives you to scripture and reading
scripture who starts to tell you more of who
Christ is. And then the Holy Spirit starts to
work into you. And then you start surrounding
yourself with the family and friends. Hey, I
want to talk to you about this thought I had
about God, about Jesus. And that spills over
to your coworkers, which is how Jason and I started
talking about the word. And then that spills
over to your social media and your media and
what you consume becomes different. And so that
anxiety -ridden life of the world -centered that
wants you to constantly be stressed and anxious,
that's a normal reaction because your body is
not designed to be subjected to all of that negativity.
And God designed you for a bigger purpose, and
that is for his kingdom. And you need to seek
him out. But it does, it takes discipline because
ladies and gentlemen, listening to this post,
you're programmed from the time that you're a
little kid in this world to do what this person
does, to watch what this person, everybody's
doing and following and playing the same games
and watching the same TV shows. And you want
to fit in because it's part of that tribalistic
nature that we have, our socialization. But there's
a way that you can wake up in the morning. put
on the armor of God. We got a good scripture
for that, which helps defend you against the
world and will start to allow you to live a life
in a more peaceful manner. This, what I'm talking
about is what rescued me from debilitating anxiety
and put me in a place where I gave Christ complete
dominion over my life. And I just surrendered
to him. Sure, I have to wake up in the morning
and go to work and make jokes with my coworkers
so they like me. But Jesus is in charge every
single day. And if something is challenging,
I give it to him. I'm sorry, Jason, I talked
a lot. No, that's good. So that reminded me,
because you mentioned in there, you touched up
on Romans 12 too, actually. It says, do not be
conformed to the stage. Intentionally, but it
will work. Right. Sorry, go ahead. Paul here
is urging Christians to respond to God's mercy,
his forgiveness of our sin, and his inclusion
of us in his family. The appropriate reaction
would be offering to him our entire lives as
a form of living, breathing sacrifice. But then
here, next, Paul writes that we must no longer
be conformed to the world, and the word world
is often used in the New Testament. to refer
to the world system or the way that every human
being lives by default. And John describes this
worldly way of living as the desire of the flesh
and the desire of the eyes and pride of life.
That's 1 John 2 .16. And by instinct, all of
us chase those things in pursuit of happiness
and meaning. So Paul tells us to abandon the
chase. for pleasure, possessions, and status
to stop living like everyone else. And instead,
he urges us to be transformed from the inside
out. Specifically, he writes that we must be
changed in how we think to have our minds renewed
so that we can begin to understand God's will
for our lives. God may continue to provide us
with pleasure, possessions, and status in various
forms, but he urges us to learn how to look at
life with a new question. What does God want?
for me and what is truly a good acceptable and
perfect use of my life for his purposes right
and not just for my own purposes right and then
obviously the armor of god ephesians 6 10 through
18 if anybody wants to go check that out definitely
recommend reading that because it's it's a good
read those are great points i love all of that
you know it's that reminds me so when you know
again my my ex -wife uh you know god love her
she's just such a You know, she just had such
a good heart for people. And we, you know, she
would always volunteer to get me into things
I wasn't ready for. Listen, I'm not perfect,
okay? I know I pretend like that at work, but
I'm not. I know this is going to come as a total
shock to you. But we had the Mongaza Kids Choir.
And one thing I will say that is truly fascinating
about that is living and growing up in the...
Western society is probably, I think, one of
the most challenging and difficult things to
also have to try and coincide with living a faith
-filled, Christ -centered life. And that's because
Western society is, because it's Hollywood and
everything, everything about our life, we are
in a society of consumerism. And everything about
you, you're a consumer. So everything, you know,
in your life is based upon about consuming. I
need this. I need to accumulate. Why? Because
we're going to spend money. And it's all about
money. And there's something wrong. You know,
I'm not vowing for socialism or anything like
that. I'm just saying we live in a society that
really pushes us towards that. Getting back to
my original point with the Mwangazi kids choir
king, you know, you've got the young kids, right?
And they're coming from Uganda. terrible things
in Africa, you know, with these warlords. And
these kids came over and they sing, they're just
wonderful. And, you know, they had the handlers,
Hendry McGullen, who's actually written several
books. I think he's really fun. That would really
be fun to introduce you to him. I think you guys
would get along, Jason. But they just, they...
Their belief and reliance on Jesus, on God was
something that was truly inspiring. And I'm sitting
here looking at it. I'm like, okay, I'm a pilot.
I think I'm at the top of my profession and I'm
so cool. And I look at these kids and I just,
the faith and the passion that they had and how
amazed and loving they were. But the fact that
all of that stuff that we had, I'm like, wow.
You've got a TV in every room. And wow, you've
got, wow. You know, everything was amazing. It
was, and you're sitting there and you realize,
I'm like, my goodness, we are just collectors
of things. But what they had was something that
I was so envious of, you know, not in a sinful
way, but I was like, I want to have that passion
and that reliance where when I go to bed at night,
I go to bed and I am happy and I am joyful and
I am thanking God, you know, and I have nothing.
And they had nothing. And some of these kids
told me stories about their brothers. They saw
their brothers and sisters taken away and killed
by these African warlords. But they still were
rejoicing and proclaiming Christ. You're like,
my goodness, where does that come from? And you
sit there and you realize you're like, that's
where I was talking about. We live in the upside
down because, you know. That's really what that
God promises. And we think we have anxiety. They're
living with nothing where they don't know when
they're going to get their next meal in a war
-torn country. And they're proclaiming the name
of Jesus and not willing to back down from it.
And that's just really inspirational. And it
makes you realize it's like all this stuff we
accumulate is nothing. Not one person on their
deathbed, their final words that are written
on their headstone is, I wish I had died with
more money. No, people say, I wish I had spent
more time with my family. I wish I had done these
things. I wish I had lived a different life.
They're not thinking about the meeting that they
missed or the car they didn't buy or the fancy
restaurant they didn't get a go to. You know,
once we start to change, you know, our... art
and our mind and our life to the accumulation
of, you know, gathering up more souls for the
kingdom of heaven than the gathering and accumulating
of the things here on earth for our own personal
pleasure. None of that's coming with us. And,
uh, you know, that's really freeing. I talked
a lot again. I'm sorry, Jason. I just, I'm really
passionate about these things. No, that's good.
That's, that's exactly a good point to touch
up on because the difficulty the Western Christian
walks. like walk lies in subtlety where you see
more on the eastern believers are pressured to
deny christ by force but western believers are
tempted to ignore him through comfort and materialism
extreme even extreme patriotism can create dual
allegiances that fracture the soul leading to
very anxiety like anxious stuff, as we discussed
earlier. Like Matthew 6, 24, for example, it
says that no one can serve two masters for either
he will hate the one and love the other, or he'll
be devoted to the one and despise the other,
but you cannot serve God and money is what he
specifies there. And the word for money there
is memunas, which is not just cash, but it refers
to in which one trusts. So it was almost like
personified as a deity of security. And Jesus
isn't just talking about like a budget. He's
talking about a rival throne. in the heart. I
think the hard truth to this is that comfort
is often a greater enemy to the soul than just
conflict, because Jesus warned that it is easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom,
which was Matthew 19 .24. And then discipleship
in the West requires a deliberate daily fasting
from the idols of productivity, wealth, and national
pride to ensure Christ remains the sole master
in that instance. And that's something that makes
it difficult because it's so easy to be in comfort.
It's so easy to look at the bank account and
we're living in what's actually a terminology
is practical atheism where we look at our bank
account as that's the peace, right? Peace is
our bank account. When we are called to honor
our leaders in 1 Peter 2 .17, it does forbid
us from conflating the kingdom of God. God with
the earthly nation, but it says when we wrap
the cross and the flag, we risk making the gospel
a tool for national identity rather than a message
of global redemption. Even the hardship of ease,
for example. In the East, suffering forces a
believer to rely on God. And that's why you were
saying too, like stuff was happening and they
rely on God and rejoice in God because he is
there and they can rely on him in everything
because they... They're pushed into that position
because of their situation. And the West, prosperity
allows us to forget God. The hardship here is
the spiritual lethargy that comes from never
being truly hungry. You see it in Revelations
3 .17. And I recommend, for anybody listening
too, I recommend watching the American Gospel.
It's on Amazon. I think it's on Netflix right
now. The American gospel is very, very good about
talking about this thing in the West that shows
that we tie our idealism of Christianity to not
just nationalism, but how we treat others outside
of the West, which is not godly in that sense,
and what Christians should be focused on and
how we should live a life according to Christ
as him. being king, and that is our allegiance
to Christ alone and making him our allegiance
to Christ alone and what that looks like. So
I definitely recommend watching that if you get
the chance to. Yeah, you can't serve two masters
at the same time. And you have to figure out
who the master of your life is. Wealth can be
a lot of different things. And you look at people
and think about it. When somebody gets their
tax return, what are they putting their money
in, right? It's like, I'm going to go buy a new
car. I'm going to go buy more shoes. I'm going
to buy more clothes. We're going on a, whatever
it happens to be. But, you know, that really
gives you an example that where your money goes
is where the heart is. I mean, quite frankly,
that's because I think money is such a tangible
thing because that's how we accumulate things
on this earth. Like we're just programmed. It's
such a great litmus test of. where your heart
truly is. Where is that money going? And that's
not to convict anybody to giving to, because
that can be a whole other one talking about tithing
and all of that, which is always a sticky subject
because people are so sensitive about money.
And trust me, I get it because the world's not
easy right now. It's very difficult for somebody
starting out a young parent right now to even
make ends meet. And so I don't ever want to convict
people on that. Yeah, you can't serve two masters.
You can't serve the world and God at the same
time. You'll have to choose. You know, going
back to, you know, when we were talking about
the circles of influence and we talked about
a lot of the negativity and the things about
Western society. And these are the things, and
I tried to wrap my thoughts around like kind
of how I reprogrammed my brain. And it wasn't
intentionally like I'm going to reprogram it
like this and I'm putting new code in there.
This was the code that was fed into me through
reading scripture and basically just constantly
praying, you know, to basically have this burden
taken from me. This is more than I can handle.
I put this in your hands. I surrender to your
will. Your will be done. And that's a big one
because his will will be done. We just got to
stop fighting him all the time. But you become
hope -based. I was anxious. I was constantly
fearful and worried about tomorrow and what was
going to happen and where I was going to go.
And it was just worrying about everything. But
when you become hope -based, You just start to
have that faith that God has a plan for your
life to do good. And you realize, you're like,
you know what? God, if I let go here, God has
a plan for my life. And every morning, anybody
who's listening to this, every morning that you
wake up, God still has a purpose for your life.
If you're still here and you're still breathing
and you're still walking this earth, God has
a purpose for your life and he's not done with
you. He's not done. And you know what? I think
that's a really great thing to remember. It's
like, you know what? God still has a plan for
my life. He's given me another. Every day that
you are alive is a blessing. And it's an opportunity
for you to do more or to realize his plan for
your life. And no matter the obstacle, and there's
a lot of obstacles, financial, the world, work,
you know, people, and everything can be a tragedy
to somebody. I'm never going to qualify or quantify
what it is and is not a tragedy because everybody's
life experiences are different. But no matter
that obstacle, Christ overcame the world in death.
And that's the thing. Like when we say like,
this is a finite life. And that's what the world
will tell you. So get your fun out right now.
Go and get everything. It's okay if you take
it from other people because it's about getting
all the pleasure now because there's nothing
after this. That's not true. We're living for.
eternal life. And that's what we're seeking.
And when you start to seek that eternal life
in Christ, and you remember that he overcame
death, this isn't the end. This is just the beginning.
And you have an opportunity every day to have
a relationship with, to be quite honest, like,
you know, I'm single now and I love it. Like,
you know, in a weirdly way, it's because it's
like, I told somebody the other day, I'm like,
the Holy Spirit is my best friend. Seriously.
He laughs at half my jokes. Not all of them.
I laugh at the other half. But you start to see
the world through a different lens. You start
to live hope and this peace. And you know what?
I am. I'm happy all the time. And people are
wondering. It's like, because I'm like, listen,
you know, not a moment. And there's a scripture,
you know, that I think we talked about it in,
yeah, in Matthew where it's, you know, Can you
add a single hour to your life through worrying?
I mean, Jesus said that. And he's like, you know,
what am I doing? And I'm like, it's okay to worry.
You got a big medical procedure. Just at church
before this tonight, that gentleman, he's having
a... a heart monitor put in in the morning. He
has a procedure. He's a little nervous about
it. He's like 68 or 70 years old. I used to hold
a gentleman and serve with him. Doug, please
pray for him. It's at 8 a .m. in the morning.
You know, he's nervous. But we know from the
sense that, you know, from modern medicine, it's
probably just a real simple procedure. The surgeon's
probably like, yeah, I'm going to do that. I'm
going to take this phone call. I'm going to go
get a coffee, you know. But at the end of the
day, you know, you start to see that there is
hope and there are other people out there. And
when you stop focusing about your anxieties and
your problems, and you can start focusing on
others and talking to them and praying for them,
and then you start thanking God for all the blessings
that you have in your life. And that's a really
great thing to do. And Jason, you've probably
done this. When you're having a rough day or
you're feeling depressed, Thank you, Lord. Thank
you so much for my life. Thank you, Lord, for
my parents, that they love me. Thank you, Lord,
for my children. Thank you that they're healthy.
Thank you, Lord, that you provide me a job. Thank
you for always looking out for our family. Thank
you for always being there. Even when I've turned
my back on you and I've walked the other way,
you were there waiting for me when I came back.
Thank you, God, for your hand. You cannot be
sad and depressed at the same time that you're
thanking God. and being thankful for your blessings.
So I think that's a really good exercise. Fear
and anxiety no longer drive your decisions when
you start to get that Christ -centered life.
You gravitate also to those who share your hope
and your belief. You start getting rid of that
negativity and that secular world that you're
like, this is toxic. Yeah, they used to be fun.
Think about it when you're young and you're going
to the bar all the time because you're like,
oh, I'm 21. I can drink. I want to go to the
bar and hang out with my friends. As you get
older, you're like, that's not what I want my
life to look like. So you start to surround yourself
with people who also are sharing your passion
for the Spirit and sharing your passion for the
Lord. Again, I could go through a bunch of different
ones. These were a lot of those steps that changed
me. I changed my friends. I changed my circle
of influence. I changed how I watched things
and what I watched. And I'm not perfect, but
what happened was I started to become more sensitive
to the things that I knew were driving me or
would drive me further away or things that were
sinful that I used to not really think were sinful
because I was like, ah, that's probably okay.
You start to have a different... moral compass,
if you will. And it keeps you, I think, a little
bit more sheltered. It's the same way. It's like
walking down a dark alley street in the middle
of New York City at night in the wrong side of
town. And you're like, you know what? I'm going
to walk on well -lit streets where there's other
people. So you start to take less risky ventures
in your life because you're like, you know what?
My soul matters and my salvation matters and
I'm not going to risk it because I don't want
to risk it because I know the price that was
paid for me and I love my savior and I want him
to know how much I love him and I want him to
know how much I know that he loves me. And I
don't want to jeopardize that relationship. It's
the same way that people who are married, they
don't want to be unfaithful because I don't want
to hurt that person. Same thing, only on a different
level with Christ. Yeah, I think that does bring
up Psalms 34 .1, which is focused on the continuity
of praise. 1 Thessalonians 5 .18 says, give thanks
to him in all circumstances, for this is the
will of God. Christ Jesus for you. I think hope,
a couple points is hope in Christ is the anchor
of the soul. That's Hebrews 6 .19 that talks
about that. That holds firm because it fastens
the historical fact of the resurrection and the
promised return of Jesus. It allows the believer
to endure present anxiety and the pressures of
Western materialism by shifting the goalposts
of the good life from the present age to the
age to come. So much so in 1 Peter 1 .3, it says,
according to his great mercy, he has caused us
to be born again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The
Greek word for hope is elpis, and in secular
Greek, it meant expectation of the future. Good
or bad, it was just expectation of the future.
So, in the New Testament, it is strictly positive
because the object is God. So, Peter calls it
a living, like a zuisen, which is hope, living
hope. It is an active, growing, and indestructible
force. When it comes to Christian hope is that
it is often requires a death of worldly hope
to truly hope in Christ. You must give up the
hope that you can save yourself, that money will
protect you or that your country will provide
ultimate peace. And hope often feels like waiting,
like Lamentations 3, 25 to 26 talks about. And
waiting is painful. However, as there's an old
hymn that says, my hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus. blood and righteousness. So everything
else is sinking sand. So hope is not a concept.
When we say Christ is our hope, and like in 1
Timothy 1 .1, we mean that our future is as secure
as Jesus himself. It's declarative in that sense.
Yeah. I love it. Yeah. If you really just look
at scripture and you look at the Bible, it's
such a... It's kind of like people are like,
I wish there was an instruction manual that I
could have that just could tell me how to live
my life. Oh, that's very funny that you bring
that up because the Bible. Right. And it's like,
listen, I know it's a little bit difficult to
read at the beginning the same way anybody pulls
out a new technical manual. But once you start
reading it, you start listening, you start understanding
it. It really starts to speak to you in ways
that you never really understood were possible.
And God knew what he was doing. And this is,
I mean, all of this stuff, you know, again, you
can tell Jason's amazing recall and how he can
just go with scripture and associate things.
It's a gift. And it's not one that I'm envious
of, but one that amazes me because his brain
is extremely full of a lot of really good information.
And mine is just a bunch of jokes. You know,
it really is. And it's a great way. But I will
say for those of you, because I always think,
you know, depending upon where you are with your
spiritual walk, anxiety, let's talk about the
medical side because Jason and I also work in
a medical field. Anxiety is a medical diagnosis.
It's diagnosed as a mood disorder. Believe it
or not, anxiety and anxiety disorder is the most
prevalent mood disorder that is out. the most
diagnosed. And sometimes depending upon how far
your anxiety is, you know, it's okay. It's okay
to feel the way that you are. You're human, you're
flesh. And we don't know how, what's going on
in your life. There are professionals out there
that can help you. Seek out some professionals.
We're not saying don't seek out the word of God,
but hey, you know what? There are good doctors
out there. There are good professionals out there.
that can help you. You can even find one that
also is a believer. There are Christian counseling
services. I would recommend that you go find
that if you're like, hey, I'm really struggling
because I know what a panic disorder and an anxiety
disorder, what those things are because I studied
them and how dangerous and scary those can be.
And sometimes... you might need something to
help you to get your brain out of that biochemical
thing that's happening in there. So I'm never
going to say don't do that. Listen, if somebody
says you're just not bleeding hard enough, that's
not right. And don't listen to that because we
have to listen to our bodies. And when we have
anxiety, that's because our body is setting off
an alarm because it doesn't like something. And
depending upon how long your fire alarm has been
going off in your body, you might need a little
bit of additional assistance to shut that alarm
off. And that's all I'm telling you. But I will
say this, during the pandemic, during the post
-COVID world, there was a 25... percent increase
in anxiety and depression in the united states
in the western world that's tremendous 25 and
the majority of mood disorders the highest percentage
of mood disorders is anxiety and here's a really
fantastic thing and i want to tell you because
all of this stuff that jason and i are talking
about it's the truth it's the word of god the
word of god is truth but the national institute
of health did a 20 -year study. And here's something
that I want you to know that's really cool. People
who frequently attend religious services, and
I'm going to say, listen, be a follower of Jesus
Christ, but you have a 43 % chance lower risk,
mood disorder, or having that reoccur. So there
is validity, even in the science of what we're
talking about today. You might need a little
bit of help. Maybe you need to come at this and
it's a two -front battle for you. You need to
start by getting some of the physiological effects
because anxiety can be rough. The sweats, the
cardiovascular, the heart palpitations, all of
those things, those things are scary. But you
know what? They give you that lifelong journey
of peace that you want to start down that road.
That starts with... Christ starts with scripture
and he's going to take you to places that you're
going to look back like I do. I'm like, my God,
I was saved from that. Jesus, if you can do that.
You can do anything. Right. I'm done. That's
all I have. You made a very crucial point, and
I do want to agree with you and clarify this
for the podcast, is that we must avoid the spiritual
bypass, which is the idea that if you just pray
enough, a biological or clinical issue will instantly
vanish just because of that. A classic Christian
view recognizes that we are fearfully and wonderfully
made, Psalms 139, 14, as integrated beings, and
we are both dust, which is biology, and spirit,
theology. We could see in like 1 Kings 19, 4
-9, Elijah had a breakdown and he had to process
it. You can see in 1 Thessalonians 5 -14, Paul
tells the church to encourage the faint -hearted.
The Greek word is literally means like small
-souled or those who are withered spirit. The
Bible acknowledges a category of people who are
like... constitutionally or emotionally fragile
and commands the church to support them, not
to shame them. So from this kind of perspective,
from a biblical perspective, we understand that
there's a lens of total depravity and general
revelation that sin corrupted the whole human
person, including our neurochemistry, just as
a believer might need insulin of diabetes or
a believer may need medication to regulate a
neurotransmitter imbalance. This is not a lack
of faith. It's a stewardship of the body. But
I think John Wesley was famous for his interest
in medicine. He wrote Primitive Phys... physics
or something like that. He believed God gave
humans the intelligence to discover healing properties
in nature. And modern psychiatry, when aligned
with truth, like you were saying, there are people
who believe who are psychiatrists, et cetera,
is a form of God's grace to a suffering world.
This is something that we need to understand
that spiritual maturity does not always equal
physical health. You can't just be a giant of
the faith and still struggle with a clinical
disorder. For example, Charles Spurgeon, I don't
know if you've looked into him at all, but he
struggled with deep depression. I didn't know
that. Some of the best Christian quotes I see
online are from Charles Spurgeon, but he suffered
with deep clinical depression. We must stop treating
anxiety as like a... barometer of righteousness
but yes we must be careful not to let medical
diagnosis become our identity because we are
not anxious people we are saints who experience
anxiety so our identity is anchored in christ
finished work not our fluctuating brain chemistry
i think is the way i'm trying to get it across
here it's really easy because i grew up in a
charismatic background very charismatic church
background if people don't know reading and bethel
church acquired a fire or something like that.
These conventions taught that if you're not healed
of something, then you didn't have faith enough
or the person praying didn't have faith enough.
And like Brandon said, rebuke that because that's
not true. You know, there are people who are
faithful to God, follow God, love God, and preach
the word who suffer for things. And that is just
a part of our biology, our humanity, and what
we have to deal with. But the difference is that
we do not find our identity in that. thing. We
find our identity in Christ and that we live
a life according to his will through what we
are living. This is our life. This is what we
deal with. This is what we are in and what we
struggle with, et cetera. But this is how we
rely on Christ and how we go to him is what really
matters in that aspect. So I definitely don't
want to condemn anyone. or make them feel like
maybe I don't have enough faith because I struggle
with anxiety, or I struggle with fear, or I struggle
with this. That's not the case. Don't think that.
It is not about that. It is strictly about knowing
that we can go to God with those anxieties, go
to God with those fears, and go to God with those
things, and continuously... seek him follow him
trust in him and he will give you rest it says
come to me all who are weary i'll give you rest
and it's like it doesn't mean that it's like
instantly gone it's never seen again we will
continue to struggle with what we struggle with
it's just the beauty of it is that we can go
to god with these things as a human being as
someone that he has grace and mercy for I think
that's, I think, actually, I do think that that
is a good stopping point for this episode. Obviously,
like, you and me probably could go on for a lot
longer, I think, in the long run. I know, right?
I know. I think it's something that maybe we
could do a couple more episodes or something,
too, because, yeah, I think this has been very
good in the sense that there's a lot of information
here, a lot of information unpacked. Once again,
I appreciate you being on the Gospel Truth Project
podcast. And yeah, this has been good. I think
this has been really good. And I hope our listeners
found it good. If they want to comment or anything,
join our Discord. You can find our Discord at
gospeltruthproject .com. Our Discord is a school.
of sorts where it teaches apologetics, teaches
you how to interact with people with different
faiths or different backgrounds or different
ideologies. That way, in a loving manner, but
it's also respectful and also intentional in
the sense of you understand where they're coming
from. And that way, you're not going in there
and saying, you're wrong, you're wrong, you're
wrong. You don't know anything. It's like you
can actually discuss and actually have a conversation
that's fruitful rather than building up walls.
And Jason has never told me and all the silly
things I say, you're wrong, you're wrong, you're
wrong. So I will admit that he's true on that.
And Jason, it was such an honor to be invited
and I hope you'll have me back. I really had
a great time tonight. And will you just please,
if you would, I think a great closing out because
I think it's always best like we can put our
closing out. Just I think Psalm 23, just verses
one. through one through four is I think just
a great thing because when you're in anxiety,
you are in the valley. And I think it's, David
was in the valley and I think it's just such
a wonderful way to the closing thought because
I prayed that and I thought that so many times.
Yeah. Psalms 23, that's the Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green
pastures. He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul. He leads me in the path
of righteousness for his namesake. Yea, that
I walk through the valley of shadow of death.
I'll fear no evil for thou art with me. And your
rod and your staff, they comfort me. He's the
good shepherd. He's with you. You're not alone,
even in your darkest times. Don't ever forget
that. Yep. Agreed. So with that, I would say
we're concluding this episode. It was a pleasure
to have you. We'll definitely have you again.
And hopefully you will get to meet Dylan that
time too, honestly. I hope so. I want to. I think
you and Dylan would hit it off pretty well. Good.
All right. Well, good night, everybody. Thanks
for joining us tonight. And Jason, again, thank
you. It was an honor. Thank you. And everybody
else, I'll see you on the next one. Bye -bye.