WEBVTT

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You're going to love this story. Matt Antis wasn't

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chasing Jesus. He was chasing a girl. He was

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living for the world, full tilt, into the college

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party scene when she dropped a question that

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wrecked his comfort. What's your relationship

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with Jesus like? Then she handed him a Bible,

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told him to come to campus crusade, and walked

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away. So he followed her. Not to Jesus, at least

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not yet. The first visit, he thought they were

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nuts. Guitars, raised hands, smiling faces that

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felt suspiciously sincere. But by the third time,

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something shifted. A preacher's voice rang out.

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Why put off what you can do today? That was the

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moment. Matt gave his life to Jesus and was radically,

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visibly transformed. He didn't even understand

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what had happened until that same girl explained

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the Holy Spirit had answered her prayers. This

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episode is wild, redemptive, and real. Matt's

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journey from college party guy to campus pastor

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to the voice behind Steadfast Men Unscripted

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will stir your heart and strengthen your hope.

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Listen now, be encouraged, and if someone you

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love is wandering or weary, share this, because

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no story is too far gone for God to redeem. Hey

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there, welcome to the God's Goodness podcast.

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We are your hosts, Josh and Shelly Hankins, and

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we're here to share real stories of God's power,

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stories of hope, healing, and miracles that will

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strengthen your faith. No matter what you're

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walking through, we want to remind you that God

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is good and he's still moving today. Let's dive

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in. Today's guest is a full circle moment that

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only God could orchestrate. When our friend Ben

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Hinton, who by the way has sent us some powerhouse

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guests, reached out and said, Shelly, you need

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to hear Matt Antis' story. I trusted him instantly.

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But then I remembered the name and paused. It

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sounded so familiar. And sure enough, Matt and

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I actually went to the same church over a decade

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ago. Isn't it just like God to reconnect lives

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at exactly the right time? Matt Antis is someone

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whose journey will wreck you in the best way.

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He's walked through things many would crumble

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under, but he didn't just survive it. He carries

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testimony. His story is raw, redemptive, and

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filled with God's fingerprints in every twist

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and turn. So lean in. Whether you've been holding

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on by a thread, waiting for a breakthrough, or

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just needing to remember that God still writes

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the best stories, this one's for you. Let's welcome

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Matt Antis to the God's Goodness podcast. Thank

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you for being here man. Thank you Shelley and

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Josh. Thank you. No, it's an honor. Would you

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open us in prayer? Yeah father in Jesus name.

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I thank you for this podcast Thank you for each

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and every person that listens to this podcast

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I pray that every word spoken here today is gonna

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glorify you and it's gonna point people back

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to you Ultimately, that's the goal for everyone

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to come to know you as their Lord and Savior

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their personal Lord and Savior Lord We thank

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you for all these things in Jesus precious name

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everybody said amen thank you for that yeah thank

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you for having me now matt when ben hinton told

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me you had a story i needed to hear i had no

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idea it would turn out to be such a full circle

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moment for both of us but before we get into

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all of that can you take us back to the moment

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where you first knew god was doing something

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bigger in your story even if you couldn't see

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the full picture yet Yeah, I think I told you

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that before the episode started we were talking

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about there's so many things That have happened

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in my life Especially since becoming a Christian

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that can point back to God and the goodness of

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God So I feel like I could sit here for three

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hours and tell you many different stories But

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to answer your question probably how my wife

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and I met is probably Whenever I first obviously

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started hearing from the Lord and being directed

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by the Lord and everything I did a lot of you

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know In the Christian circle, it's not recommended

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to be unequally yoked. As the Bible says, we

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should be equally yoked in everything we do.

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And my wife and I are an exception, I guess.

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We are an example of not being equally yoked.

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And then it actually ended up working out. So

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when I met my wife, I was not a Christian. She

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was. And so... We met on a college campus, Slippery

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Rock University, and she had just recommitted

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her life to the Lord, and she met me, and you

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know, things hit, we hit it off, but I was living

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for the world, I was fully engulfed in the college

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life, and so I was trying to do my best to drag

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her into that, and so basically she broke it

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off after a couple weeks and just said, look,

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I'm a Christian, you know, if you want anything

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to do with me, here's a Bible, and come to Campus

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Crusade for Christ, and... See you later, basically.

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Right before that, you know, we were in the car

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going somewhere or whatever and she asked me,

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she's like, you know, we're having a good time.

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She's like, hey, what's your relationship with

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Jesus like? And I was like, man, why'd you, you

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really, that's a really downer. Like, why'd you

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bring the conversation to that? We're just having

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a good time. But thank God she asked me that

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question because she was the first person in

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my life at the age of 20 that ever asked me.

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what's your relationship with Jesus like? At

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the time I was raised as an Episcopal, church

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-going kid who walked the cross up and down the

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aisle and did good things. That really made me

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think she broke it off. I went to Campus Crusade

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for Christ, thought they were all nuts, thought

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they were crazy. They were raising their hands,

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playing guitars. Guitars don't belong in church.

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Where's the organ? Things like that. I thought

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they were nuts. However, the first time that

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I went there everybody was so kind and loving

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they were so kind and loving you know instead

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of like going to a college party where like the

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dudes are sizing each other up and you know he's

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the toughest dude in the room they were like

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hey what's your name like do you want to hang

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out do you want to things like that so did it

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feel disingenuous to you like to meet so many

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people that were like yeah really into you they

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were really nice and you're like hmm are you

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though honestly yeah actually thinking back it's

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like Why are you being so nice? Why are you being

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so interested in my life right now? Yeah, it

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took three times though. First time, I felt like

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that. Second time, I'm like, okay. Third time,

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I just once again went because I'm looking for

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Laura. You know, I'm chasing a pretty girl on

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the church. And the third time though is when

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there was an evangelist, a preacher, David Falk,

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who actually is local to Pittsburgh here too.

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He came up. laid the gospel out better than I've

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ever heard in my life. John 3 16 asked everyone

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to give their life to the Lord and at 20 years

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of age that's when I raised my hand and and I

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asked God to forgive me of my sins and Laura

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peeked out of her eye and saw me give my life

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to the Lord and I felt different instantly and

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actually she was the one that had to like explain

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to me what I did because I felt so different

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the next day. Like I felt horrible for swearing,

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I felt horrible for drinking, I felt horrible

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for like everything. Like the next day I was

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like, what happened to me? Not often is it so

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quickly that you get convicted of those things.

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No, that's why sometimes I say it. It was like

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a radical, like a radical... transformation in

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my life, you know. So yeah, I remember talking

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with her and just telling her, hey, things are

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different. I don't know what's happening, but

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so she gave me a Bible and yeah, the rest is

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history. Just like Matt experienced a shift in

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his spirit, I've seen shifts in my body too,

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especially with the right tools that support

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God's design. LifeWave's X39 patch has honestly

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been a game changer for us. I've noticed my skin's

00:07:59.389 --> 00:08:02.339
smoother. firmer because it actually helps your

00:08:02.339 --> 00:08:05.300
body produce more collagen. Josh has even seen

00:08:05.300 --> 00:08:08.220
new hair growth, which has been wild. And we

00:08:08.220 --> 00:08:11.759
both sleep better now. Deep restful sleep. The

00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:14.620
patch doesn't do the work for you. It just reminds

00:08:14.620 --> 00:08:17.399
your body how to do what God created it to do

00:08:17.399 --> 00:08:20.220
in the first place. If you're curious, check

00:08:20.220 --> 00:08:22.399
out the link in the about section. We'd love

00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:24.439
to see you get started on these life changing

00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:29.839
patches too. You deserve it. We dated for another

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year and got married the age of 22. She was 23

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and Yeah, been married this February be 13 years.

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So two kids. So she must have absolutely been

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worth it Yes for the non the non -equally of

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non -christian to be yeah following her Mm -hmm

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solely for her. Mm -hmm, and she led you to Christ

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and then completely Different outtake on all

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of it. Yeah, I mean she and she even told me

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later. She was like, you know, I Really prayed

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for you for those couple weeks because I saw

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you coming in the auditorium. I saw you sitting

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there I could tell it was weird for you. But

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she's she told me she's like I was praying for

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your heart to just Lord take his heart, you know,

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and yeah, thank God for for David who I've connected

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with since who just preach the gospel, and that's

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why I have a big heart for campus ministry. I

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think that's such a transitional time in kids'

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lives. They're away from home for the first time

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in their life. They're away from their mom and

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dads. They have the option to make a choice about

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all kinds of things, but especially for faith.

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Without the influence or the disappointment of

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a family member. Right, yeah. Mm -hmm. Yeah,

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so, I mean... So I don't know if that answers

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your question, but that's just like one little

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story in my life of God getting hold of my attention.

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Sure, it's like your origin story. Yeah, it's

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my origin story. And it's not a villain story,

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it's a hero story. It is, yeah. Perfect. We don't

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want the villain arc. Yeah, I understand when

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I first went to a Christian church as a non -saved

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person, it was the most bizarre thing I had seen

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because there was the hands in the air. There

00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:08.639
was a one -armed guy that was preaching in tongues.

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And another guy beside him, again, I've never

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been exposed. And this is what I got my first

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chance. You know, they might as well be passing

00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:17.480
around snakes. And another guy was literally

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speaking English, but like translating for said

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one -armed man. And when he was done, I was sitting

00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:25.379
like close to the front, right? I was in the

00:10:25.379 --> 00:10:28.120
second pew, but there was nobody in the view

00:10:28.120 --> 00:10:29.799
in front of me. And so he leaned on with his

00:10:29.799 --> 00:10:31.460
right arm, or his left arm, was all he had his

00:10:31.460 --> 00:10:33.120
left arm. He leaned forward, he looked right

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at me like, that's some powerful preaching, wasn't

00:10:34.779 --> 00:10:37.649
it? I was like, I don't know. I don't know what

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I just saw. I don't think a listen to have it

00:10:41.730 --> 00:10:45.389
is just bizarre. I don't know if any of it stuck.

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And it was the most awkward thing I'd ever been

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through in my life. So I get it. I understand

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that kind of. You don't want to go jumping in

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the deep end if you've never experienced Jesus.

00:10:55.789 --> 00:10:57.690
Well, maybe you do. I don't know. It might be

00:10:57.690 --> 00:11:00.269
good for you. For me, it was kind of like a sink

00:11:00.269 --> 00:11:01.950
or swim and I decided not to get back in the

00:11:01.950 --> 00:11:04.830
water for a while. Really? Oh, yeah. Oh, man.

00:11:05.169 --> 00:11:07.789
I'm not for that. Yeah. That was a little bit

00:11:07.789 --> 00:11:10.649
too much for me. Interesting. Going to wait a

00:11:10.649 --> 00:11:12.809
little while. Yeah. For me, like when he just

00:11:12.809 --> 00:11:15.450
said, he's like, why wait until tomorrow? Like

00:11:15.450 --> 00:11:19.230
those words have stuck with me ever since 2011.

00:11:19.409 --> 00:11:21.570
He just said, why put something off that you

00:11:21.570 --> 00:11:25.679
can do today? And that was it for me. So, yeah.

00:11:25.879 --> 00:11:28.120
I mean, I like procrastination. That's probably

00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:31.059
my answer. It's like, Lord, you created me, you

00:11:31.059 --> 00:11:34.000
know. Right. I got some more time. I'm a procrastinator.

00:11:34.539 --> 00:11:39.019
Yeah. Oh, man. Yeah, no, that's like my origin

00:11:39.019 --> 00:11:41.960
story. And then since then, we've been through

00:11:41.960 --> 00:11:44.519
all kinds of different things. We have a schoolteacher.

00:11:44.679 --> 00:11:46.340
My wife and I are both schoolteachers here in

00:11:46.340 --> 00:11:49.740
Pittsburgh. I sold real estate for a few years.

00:11:49.899 --> 00:11:51.980
My wife and I were both in the military. I did

00:11:51.980 --> 00:11:54.639
seven years in the Air Force. My wife is still

00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:58.039
in. There's tons of stories throughout that time

00:11:58.039 --> 00:12:02.379
of God directing me, leading me, providing for

00:12:02.379 --> 00:12:05.639
me. And then recently I worked for a very large

00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:08.720
church in Pittsburgh here as a campus pastor.

00:12:09.740 --> 00:12:13.809
And yeah, saw a lot, been through a lot. In every

00:12:13.809 --> 00:12:16.169
season, especially when you're juggling family

00:12:16.169 --> 00:12:19.250
and calling, health matters. That's why I partner

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link in our about section. I've wrestled with

00:12:56.240 --> 00:12:58.500
him many, many times, as I'm sure you could probably

00:12:58.500 --> 00:13:02.340
relate. Yeah, any hip pain? Yeah, no hip pain,

00:13:02.779 --> 00:13:06.620
but tons of less. Just wrestle a little bit more,

00:13:06.820 --> 00:13:09.980
you'll find out. Oh, man. So yeah, plenty of

00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:12.820
stories, though. And now you have your own podcast.

00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:15.639
Yeah, and now I have my own podcast, which actually

00:13:15.639 --> 00:13:18.220
kind of happened where I came from. Like I said,

00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:22.019
I was a campus pastor of a large church, and

00:13:22.019 --> 00:13:24.840
I just started to see a lot of things. There's

00:13:24.840 --> 00:13:27.659
many reasons of why we chose to resign that I

00:13:27.659 --> 00:13:30.960
could go into, but I probably won't. So, but

00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:34.320
I just, I remember whenever I got that position

00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:37.899
as a campus pastor, I took one of the guys, our

00:13:37.899 --> 00:13:40.639
church congregants out for lunch. And he said,

00:13:40.779 --> 00:13:42.600
we were in the car driving. He was like, all

00:13:42.600 --> 00:13:44.500
right, so a question for you. He said, as a pastor,

00:13:44.620 --> 00:13:46.980
he said, what's more important, listening or

00:13:46.980 --> 00:13:49.240
speaking, you know, or like preaching or being

00:13:49.240 --> 00:13:52.840
a listener. And At the time I said listening

00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:56.580
because wasn't the preacher like I was the campus

00:13:56.580 --> 00:13:58.500
I was like the boots on the ground to pray with

00:13:58.500 --> 00:14:00.419
people and to be with people and yes I taught

00:14:00.419 --> 00:14:02.279
discipleship class and things like that so there

00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:04.360
was a little bit of speaking involved but at

00:14:04.360 --> 00:14:07.240
the time that was my answer and and to be honest

00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:09.659
other than preaching on Sundays and teaching

00:14:09.659 --> 00:14:11.879
and things I still stand by that answer I think

00:14:11.879 --> 00:14:14.960
listening as the Bible says be quick to listen

00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:17.960
slow to speak slow to anger right and so on the

00:14:17.960 --> 00:14:20.460
drive back home when my wife and I were resigned

00:14:20.460 --> 00:14:23.519
we moved our whole family back home back to Pittsburgh

00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:26.379
here I was doing a lot of talking with God, obviously

00:14:26.379 --> 00:14:29.620
in the car, and just thinking, man, I love ministry.

00:14:29.860 --> 00:14:32.059
You know, the reason of why we resigned from

00:14:32.059 --> 00:14:34.240
those jobs is not because we did not like ministry,

00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:36.120
not cut out for it. We absolutely love ministry.

00:14:36.259 --> 00:14:38.460
I love praying with people, talking with people,

00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:41.139
doing life with people, ministering, teaching

00:14:41.139 --> 00:14:43.759
the Bible. You know, I love that. And so I was

00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:45.860
like, what? I was like, Lord, what do you want

00:14:45.860 --> 00:14:49.769
me to do? You know? And so he... In my opinion,

00:14:49.970 --> 00:14:52.750
the Lord was showing me and reminding me of that

00:14:52.750 --> 00:14:54.490
conversation that I had with that gentleman,

00:14:54.730 --> 00:14:56.929
Jeff Hoyt. If you ever listen to this, love you.

00:14:57.090 --> 00:15:00.210
Great guy. But he reminded me, like, Matt, you

00:15:00.210 --> 00:15:02.490
have a gift of listening. In my opinion, a lot

00:15:02.490 --> 00:15:05.269
of people sometimes don't. A lot of people want

00:15:05.269 --> 00:15:07.789
to be heard. They want to talk or whatever. Even,

00:15:07.850 --> 00:15:09.889
for example, this, like me coming over here,

00:15:09.929 --> 00:15:12.389
in my opinion, like it's hard for me not to default

00:15:12.389 --> 00:15:15.720
to, like, ask. both of you, everything about

00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:18.720
your life, because that's, I naturally, I'm like,

00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:20.259
hey, tell me about your life. Stay in your lane,

00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:22.759
man. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And on the drive over,

00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:24.000
I'm like, all right, they're going to be asking

00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:26.279
me questions because I have to talk, so. But

00:15:26.279 --> 00:15:27.860
anyway, I felt the Lord showing me like, Matt,

00:15:27.879 --> 00:15:30.379
you have a gift of listening. You know, you have

00:15:30.379 --> 00:15:33.799
a gift of making people comfortable and in other

00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:35.940
people's words from people that have told me

00:15:35.940 --> 00:15:38.240
this. I'm not trying to just be arrogant and

00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:40.440
say I have a gift, but I think I do have a gift

00:15:40.440 --> 00:15:43.039
of listening and encouraging people. And so I

00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:46.000
thought to myself, Well, I'm just gonna do what

00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:48.379
everybody else does sometimes when they're looking

00:15:48.379 --> 00:15:50.620
for something to do I'll start a podcast and

00:15:50.620 --> 00:15:53.659
I was like and I'll focus it on men and Because

00:15:53.659 --> 00:15:55.639
I always had a heart for men's ministry which

00:15:55.639 --> 00:15:57.740
goes back to the church that we met at I've always

00:15:57.740 --> 00:15:59.460
had a heart for men's ministry and I thought

00:15:59.460 --> 00:16:02.159
I'm just going to start at men's ministry where

00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:05.340
I interview people interview guys biological

00:16:05.340 --> 00:16:09.039
men and I'm going to ask them to just share their

00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:11.000
story. I want to know how they came to know Jesus.

00:16:11.340 --> 00:16:14.240
I want to know how they father. I want to know

00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:16.340
how they husband. I want to know how they take

00:16:16.340 --> 00:16:18.259
care of their house, go to work each and every

00:16:18.259 --> 00:16:21.960
day. And I want to hear from those guys because

00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:25.000
one, I can listen to them and I can make them

00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:26.919
feel comfortable and I can get them to open up

00:16:26.919 --> 00:16:30.840
about their life. But two, I want them to share

00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:33.379
their story so that other men in America and

00:16:33.379 --> 00:16:37.340
in the world can hear. the goodness of God and

00:16:37.340 --> 00:16:42.179
how everyday men do life, you know? I'm a 35

00:16:42.179 --> 00:16:44.879
-year -old husband -father. taking care of my

00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:47.840
house, you know, doing all kinds of stuff, I

00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:50.000
don't know everything, nor do I claim to know

00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:53.580
everything. But I want to learn from other guys

00:16:53.580 --> 00:16:57.340
who are Christians who are doing the same thing

00:16:57.340 --> 00:16:59.259
I'm doing. I personally, I just think there's

00:16:59.259 --> 00:17:01.779
a lot of wisdom in that. You know, I try to act

00:17:01.779 --> 00:17:03.659
like you got it all together, like you know everything.

00:17:04.140 --> 00:17:06.440
So that's just what the Lord on my drive home,

00:17:06.440 --> 00:17:08.200
He just showed me. He's like, start interviewing

00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:12.099
guys. You know hear their story hear what they

00:17:12.099 --> 00:17:14.940
go through. How do they deal with? Being married

00:17:14.940 --> 00:17:17.119
having kids taking care of the house working

00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:20.200
a job each and every day being consistent and

00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:22.900
see what they have to say So it's called steadfast

00:17:22.900 --> 00:17:25.960
men unscripted. It's on YouTube Spotify Apple

00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:30.160
podcast and feel free to check it out So awesome.

00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:32.779
Yeah, have you interviewed someone that had such

00:17:32.779 --> 00:17:36.539
a profound story? That it impacted you change

00:17:36.539 --> 00:17:39.700
directions for you or help or help define who

00:17:39.700 --> 00:17:43.700
you are now I can't pick one. I think i've interviewed

00:17:43.700 --> 00:17:47.779
nine so far i'm on episode nine and I have learned

00:17:47.779 --> 00:17:49.740
a lot though, and I was actually thinking about

00:17:49.740 --> 00:17:52.740
doing a video about that just i'm kind of more

00:17:52.740 --> 00:17:57.220
just shocked at At guys stories and what they've

00:17:57.220 --> 00:18:00.680
overcome, you know, like so many different guys

00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:04.180
I don't think 50 % of them out of the nine, but

00:18:04.180 --> 00:18:06.099
a lot of the guys didn't grow up with a dad.

00:18:06.299 --> 00:18:10.480
That was a common trend. A lot of guys just been

00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:12.859
through crazy stuff. And like, I know we talked,

00:18:12.920 --> 00:18:15.700
like you were an EMT. So I want to interview

00:18:15.700 --> 00:18:20.140
you eventually. We'll get to it. But just different

00:18:20.140 --> 00:18:23.059
professions, you know, former cops, former military,

00:18:23.859 --> 00:18:27.059
speaker, author, you know, IT got anything and

00:18:27.059 --> 00:18:29.440
everything in between. So I think I've just learned

00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:32.059
and been shocked. to answer your question just

00:18:32.059 --> 00:18:35.019
by the things that men have overcome and so then

00:18:35.019 --> 00:18:39.400
it to me it encourages me to just keep doing

00:18:39.400 --> 00:18:41.799
what i'm doing you know and to band together

00:18:41.799 --> 00:18:43.940
because that's what i believe guys need i believe

00:18:43.940 --> 00:18:46.740
guys need iron sharpens iron right we need to

00:18:46.740 --> 00:18:49.380
band together and encourage one another now are

00:18:49.380 --> 00:18:51.220
you able to draw out of these men because i know

00:18:51.220 --> 00:18:54.200
that us men can be very reserved we can be very

00:18:54.200 --> 00:18:56.099
guarded yeah are you able to draw out of these

00:18:56.099 --> 00:19:00.960
people these men Facts or do they try to skirt

00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:03.839
around certain things and soften the blow? So

00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:06.180
to speak, you know you ask them a question instead

00:19:06.180 --> 00:19:08.180
of answering directly they kind of dance around

00:19:08.180 --> 00:19:11.480
it Giving you an answer but not a direct answer.

00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:14.299
Yeah, I honestly the guys I've interviewed have

00:19:14.299 --> 00:19:16.640
been pretty open -booked which has been very

00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:18.740
helpful, you know, like before the interview

00:19:18.740 --> 00:19:20.940
starts I've I've just told them like listen is

00:19:20.940 --> 00:19:23.240
there anything before we start this it's unscripted

00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:25.480
for a reason so but is there anything that you

00:19:25.480 --> 00:19:28.180
don't want to talk about you don't want me to

00:19:28.180 --> 00:19:33.069
touch on and Think all but one just he had something

00:19:33.069 --> 00:19:35.230
that just his him and his wife personally just

00:19:35.230 --> 00:19:36.890
didn't want to share which I totally respect

00:19:36.890 --> 00:19:39.990
You know, but no, I mean in my opinion most guys

00:19:39.990 --> 00:19:42.890
have been pretty pretty good at just opening

00:19:42.890 --> 00:19:46.009
up and and Sharing their heart which has been

00:19:46.009 --> 00:19:49.369
very helpful because I want them to do that Not

00:19:49.369 --> 00:19:52.789
only for their sake to talk but for my sake and

00:19:52.789 --> 00:19:54.470
then every guy that listens to this because if

00:19:54.470 --> 00:19:56.170
they try to skirt around it Then it's like well

00:19:56.170 --> 00:19:57.829
then what's the point of doing this? We got to

00:19:57.829 --> 00:20:00.200
be able to share. Mm -hmm In your opinion, do

00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:02.539
you think it's because you have a safer space

00:20:02.539 --> 00:20:05.039
or because they're Christian men and Christian

00:20:05.039 --> 00:20:07.279
men are more used to being vulnerable by being

00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:09.259
intimate with God and expressing themselves that

00:20:09.259 --> 00:20:11.460
it's easier for them to open up to you? Yeah,

00:20:11.460 --> 00:20:13.339
that's a very good point. I didn't think about

00:20:13.339 --> 00:20:16.319
that. Maybe there's something to that. Maybe

00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:18.700
just the fact that they're that they have that

00:20:18.700 --> 00:20:21.880
we all have faith in common might be, you know,

00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:25.559
might be something. Do you notice like a common

00:20:25.559 --> 00:20:31.779
thread that all men Have a struggle with I haven't

00:20:31.779 --> 00:20:36.099
got to a particular issue. I guess so to speak

00:20:36.099 --> 00:20:39.019
That like, you know, one of them's like confessing

00:20:39.019 --> 00:20:41.599
or anything like that But I think the common

00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:46.259
thread is just how do we be better husbands better?

00:20:46.779 --> 00:20:49.980
Fathers are we being present with our kids? Are

00:20:49.980 --> 00:20:53.099
we holding each other accountable? So just I

00:20:53.099 --> 00:20:55.880
think that's like the common thread in my opinion

00:20:55.880 --> 00:20:58.690
and that was the point of why I wanted to do

00:20:58.690 --> 00:21:02.089
this. Like I said, one thing I loved about the

00:21:02.089 --> 00:21:04.849
military is the camaraderie. You are there with

00:21:04.849 --> 00:21:07.309
your brothers, you are doing everything together.

00:21:07.829 --> 00:21:10.450
You're on a team, right? And I miss that about

00:21:10.450 --> 00:21:13.390
the military, and so... In my mind, I was like,

00:21:13.410 --> 00:21:16.009
all right, by me doing this, starting this podcast,

00:21:16.430 --> 00:21:19.049
I'm gonna one by one just start picking off guys,

00:21:19.049 --> 00:21:21.809
you know, that come onto the show. But then I'm

00:21:21.809 --> 00:21:23.670
not just gonna like never talk to them again.

00:21:23.730 --> 00:21:26.309
Like I want them, yes, to come on the show, share

00:21:26.309 --> 00:21:28.789
their life story, talk about whatever they want

00:21:28.789 --> 00:21:31.410
to talk about, promote their business is another

00:21:31.410 --> 00:21:34.230
thing that I really like to do because, you know,

00:21:34.349 --> 00:21:37.279
there's everybody, I just think that's... That's

00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:39.140
what you should do. You should promote each other,

00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:41.400
especially Christian business owners. But oh,

00:21:41.559 --> 00:21:43.599
so to not to never talk to them again, but to

00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:45.200
just stay in touch with them. So like that's

00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:46.720
why I started. Then every person that's been

00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:48.700
on the show, I get their email and just stay

00:21:48.700 --> 00:21:50.460
in touch with them. Just do like a once a month

00:21:50.460 --> 00:21:52.839
email where I'm just encouraging them, adding

00:21:52.839 --> 00:21:55.940
them to the group. And then my goal is to then

00:21:55.940 --> 00:21:57.960
at the end of the year, have like a culminating

00:21:57.960 --> 00:22:00.339
event. You know, let's just have a bonfire, roast

00:22:00.339 --> 00:22:02.700
a pig or something like that. Yeah. Just, but

00:22:02.700 --> 00:22:05.079
then by doing that, like if I do one a week,

00:22:05.079 --> 00:22:07.769
right. So 50 year. let's say other than like

00:22:07.769 --> 00:22:09.750
Christmas or you know I'll take a couple weeks

00:22:09.750 --> 00:22:11.890
off but at the end of the year then I have a

00:22:11.890 --> 00:22:14.650
group of 50 guys that even that just live here

00:22:14.650 --> 00:22:16.630
in Pittsburgh that are strong Christian men and

00:22:16.630 --> 00:22:18.150
denomination is the other thing like I don't

00:22:18.150 --> 00:22:20.910
I don't care what denomination or whatever because

00:22:20.910 --> 00:22:24.269
I'm so sick and tired of of people not talking

00:22:24.269 --> 00:22:26.599
to certain people church denominations, but that's

00:22:26.599 --> 00:22:29.119
a whole other side thing. Right, yeah. It's silly

00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:31.000
when you come down to it. You're going to argue

00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:33.539
about, you know, which body part of Christ you

00:22:33.539 --> 00:22:35.859
are, and that's the most important line. Oh my

00:22:35.859 --> 00:22:38.539
gosh. I could be a hair follicle for Jesus. I'm

00:22:38.539 --> 00:22:41.480
in. Yeah. I could be his toe fungus. I don't

00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:43.720
care. As long as I'm in the body of Christ, I'm

00:22:43.720 --> 00:22:46.180
in. Full send. Let's do this. And let's agree

00:22:46.180 --> 00:22:47.740
on that. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the

00:22:47.740 --> 00:22:49.420
light. Let's agree on that and band together.

00:22:49.799 --> 00:22:53.079
So the goal is to have 50 guys together in a

00:22:53.079 --> 00:22:56.029
culminating event. And in that way, they all

00:22:56.029 --> 00:22:58.970
network together and get to know each other.

00:22:59.029 --> 00:23:01.250
And then little by little, that group grows and

00:23:01.250 --> 00:23:03.849
grows and grows. So that's what the Lord put

00:23:03.849 --> 00:23:05.490
on my heart. That's what I'm doing. I'm trying

00:23:05.490 --> 00:23:07.710
to stay consistent at it and keep it rolling.

00:23:07.710 --> 00:23:10.170
And so you're only nine episodes in. Nine episodes

00:23:10.170 --> 00:23:13.410
in, yeah. So you just started. I just started,

00:23:13.569 --> 00:23:15.869
yeah, a couple months ago. Well, congratulations.

00:23:16.009 --> 00:23:18.369
Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it. And you

00:23:18.369 --> 00:23:20.309
mentioned kids? You have kids? Yeah. My wife

00:23:20.309 --> 00:23:23.130
and I, we have two young boys. They'll be five

00:23:23.130 --> 00:23:26.859
and seven this summer. And I love being a dad

00:23:26.859 --> 00:23:30.200
and my wife and I love raising them up to know

00:23:30.200 --> 00:23:33.160
the Lord each and every day. It is a treat. I

00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:35.319
can attest to that. It is an absolute treat,

00:23:35.480 --> 00:23:38.440
especially boys. Girls, ouch, that's harder.

00:23:38.900 --> 00:23:41.440
And the enemy hates it because you have that

00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:45.750
strong foundation to build off of. and Josh didn't

00:23:45.750 --> 00:23:48.450
have a strong foundation. He was raised by Buddhists.

00:23:48.950 --> 00:23:50.470
I might as well say I was raised by wolves. No

00:23:50.470 --> 00:23:52.349
way. Oh yeah, yeah, my parents were Buddhists.

00:23:52.710 --> 00:23:55.250
Really? I think they still call themselves that,

00:23:55.250 --> 00:23:57.150
but I think they're starting to believe a little

00:23:57.150 --> 00:24:00.390
bit more. They coming around? It's hard to say.

00:24:00.450 --> 00:24:02.890
I got my dad to finally admit that it's not that

00:24:02.890 --> 00:24:04.869
he didn't believe in Jesus or God, he's just

00:24:04.869 --> 00:24:08.400
mad at him because of Vietnam. Interesting. That's

00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:11.119
good. I mean, that's a good step to admit. It's

00:24:11.119 --> 00:24:12.579
not that I don't believe in you. It's just I'm

00:24:12.579 --> 00:24:15.960
just mad at you. And you're not going to hurt

00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:18.720
his feelings. He's God. He's got a lot of shoulder

00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:21.519
to cry on. That's like when people make fun of

00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:23.559
him. You're not really offending him, but you

00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:26.619
think you are. He's a big guy. He can take it.

00:24:26.839 --> 00:24:28.859
I don't defend God. People will trash him. He

00:24:28.859 --> 00:24:31.500
can defend himself. Let's get to the root of

00:24:31.500 --> 00:24:34.720
it. Yeah, it's it's pretty funny interesting.

00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:37.140
He had a miracle happen to him So when we go

00:24:37.140 --> 00:24:39.579
visit next week and we're gonna record that yeah,

00:24:39.619 --> 00:24:42.700
so stay tuned everyone tune in for that man That'd

00:24:42.700 --> 00:24:45.000
be awesome. We did a video last year. It's a

00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:49.119
four -minute video last july, but He had a miracle

00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:51.680
and he wasn't even praying for it. Wow, praise

00:24:51.680 --> 00:24:53.980
the Lord. And to be honest, we weren't either.

00:24:54.140 --> 00:24:56.380
Not that specific thing. We were praying for

00:24:56.380 --> 00:24:58.819
a lot of specific things, but not that one and

00:24:58.819 --> 00:25:01.380
the one he appreciated the most. Wow, that's

00:25:01.380 --> 00:25:03.400
crazy. Of course, God knows. Yeah. We have no

00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:05.619
clue. He knows how to get people's attention,

00:25:05.720 --> 00:25:07.960
man. That's what I always say. And like going

00:25:07.960 --> 00:25:13.759
back to my story in college, that's what I always

00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:16.660
say just about myself is like God knew how to

00:25:16.660 --> 00:25:18.599
get my attention. He knew that he was gonna get

00:25:18.599 --> 00:25:21.859
my attention through a girl because. He could

00:25:21.859 --> 00:25:23.960
poop some eye candy in front of you. Oh my gosh,

00:25:24.220 --> 00:25:26.819
yeah. But not just any, but one that was fiercely

00:25:26.819 --> 00:25:29.200
devoted to him that wouldn't just let you win.

00:25:29.940 --> 00:25:32.180
Because growing up, and what's so interesting

00:25:32.180 --> 00:25:35.880
is after that time in my life, after I gave my

00:25:35.880 --> 00:25:39.079
life to the Lord, I looked back on like. all

00:25:39.079 --> 00:25:42.099
of the times that God was trying to reveal himself

00:25:42.099 --> 00:25:44.319
to me and all the opportunities that I had to

00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:46.519
give my life to the Lord. And I didn't, but I

00:25:46.519 --> 00:25:49.160
was just so focused on playing basketball and

00:25:49.160 --> 00:25:51.819
chasing after a girl. So, you know, but that's

00:25:51.819 --> 00:25:54.359
why I was just not to interrupt what I'm talking

00:25:54.359 --> 00:25:56.599
about. But he has a way of gaining people's attention,

00:25:56.759 --> 00:25:58.240
I think is kind of like what we're talking about.

00:25:58.819 --> 00:26:01.500
If you've been feeling stirred, but unsure how

00:26:01.500 --> 00:26:04.339
to move forward, you're not alone. That's why

00:26:04.339 --> 00:26:07.450
I offer faith based coaching. Sometimes God wakes

00:26:07.450 --> 00:26:09.630
something up in us, and we just need clarity,

00:26:10.049 --> 00:26:12.349
accountability, and a Spirit -led voice to walk

00:26:12.349 --> 00:26:15.289
with us. If that's you right now, I'd be honored

00:26:15.289 --> 00:26:17.750
to help you take your next step. Check out the

00:26:17.750 --> 00:26:21.710
link in our About section to learn more. You

00:26:21.710 --> 00:26:26.710
know, Honest is a similar story. is after I had

00:26:26.710 --> 00:26:29.130
been saved, and I didn't have that radical moment

00:26:29.130 --> 00:26:31.509
where I was just upset with all my sin, but what

00:26:31.509 --> 00:26:33.730
I did have was I had conflict that I never had

00:26:33.730 --> 00:26:35.990
before, because then I would say something I

00:26:35.990 --> 00:26:37.250
shouldn't have said, and I would feel bad about

00:26:37.250 --> 00:26:38.690
it in that moment. And I was like, well, I never

00:26:38.690 --> 00:26:41.450
felt bad about that before. So it wasn't about

00:26:41.450 --> 00:26:43.750
looking at the past, but as I was going forward,

00:26:44.410 --> 00:26:48.569
it just really hit me like that. And so as I...

00:26:48.599 --> 00:26:52.680
got older in my faith and I started messing up,

00:26:52.779 --> 00:26:54.920
like something dumb. And I would say, you know,

00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:56.619
Lord, forgive me. So, you know, if only you'd

00:26:56.619 --> 00:26:58.680
have been there for me when I was younger, maybe

00:26:58.680 --> 00:27:00.680
I could have avoided this. You know, I could

00:27:00.680 --> 00:27:02.380
have been a better father. I could have been

00:27:02.380 --> 00:27:04.079
a better husband. I could have been a better

00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:05.940
person, a better son to you, a better son to

00:27:05.940 --> 00:27:08.279
my dad, right? If only you'd have revealed yourself

00:27:08.279 --> 00:27:10.920
sooner. And I had that prayer on and off for

00:27:10.920 --> 00:27:13.940
maybe two years. Not constant, but usually when

00:27:13.940 --> 00:27:15.819
I screwed up something big and I was, you know,

00:27:15.940 --> 00:27:19.099
having the big feels for myself. One day he literally

00:27:19.099 --> 00:27:22.279
said he didn't like sit me down But I he revealed

00:27:22.279 --> 00:27:25.200
to me almost instantly every moment in my life

00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:28.920
where he was with me And I rejected him. Hmm,

00:27:29.079 --> 00:27:31.900
and it was very humbling and I mean right down

00:27:31.900 --> 00:27:34.460
from birth Yeah, right my my have an older sister

00:27:34.460 --> 00:27:36.839
my dad out of a sect me after she was born and

00:27:36.839 --> 00:27:39.619
he healed from it And here I am Wow. Yeah, so

00:27:39.619 --> 00:27:42.599
from birth God showed me where he was in my life

00:27:42.599 --> 00:27:45.440
and I mean all the way up I mean every instance.

00:27:45.440 --> 00:27:48.390
Yeah, and I was like no no Nope, nope, nope.

00:27:49.470 --> 00:27:53.069
I didn't ask that anymore. I felt pretty humble.

00:27:53.970 --> 00:27:56.789
Kicked that stool out from underneath me. If

00:27:56.789 --> 00:27:58.950
only you would have done something. If I had

00:27:58.950 --> 00:28:00.930
done something, if only you would have listened.

00:28:01.750 --> 00:28:07.670
Yeah, you got me. Got me big. Once men and women

00:28:07.670 --> 00:28:11.650
just turn their hearts to the Lord, it changes

00:28:11.650 --> 00:28:16.279
their whole life. For sure. I grew up... knowing

00:28:16.279 --> 00:28:18.920
Jesus, but I didn't build that relationship until

00:28:18.920 --> 00:28:21.359
after I met Josh. And so he's like, we should

00:28:21.359 --> 00:28:23.619
go to church together. And so we started the

00:28:23.619 --> 00:28:28.420
church that we met you at. And I built that relationship

00:28:28.420 --> 00:28:32.039
with Jesus. But there were a bunch of red flags

00:28:32.039 --> 00:28:34.259
that would have made him run normally. Oh, so

00:28:34.259 --> 00:28:38.200
many red flags. It was like a carnival. I was

00:28:38.200 --> 00:28:41.000
telling the girls at breakfast this morning that,

00:28:41.059 --> 00:28:43.680
thank God, I'm not the same person I was back

00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:46.579
then. my old roommate from college, she would

00:28:46.579 --> 00:28:49.720
be so proud. Yeah. I was her crazy American roommate.

00:28:49.720 --> 00:28:52.200
She was from Tokyo, but I would do the craziest

00:28:52.200 --> 00:28:54.220
things. And then it got even crazier when I met

00:28:54.220 --> 00:28:58.059
Josh. And it was, I did a lot of drugs, making

00:28:58.059 --> 00:29:00.619
out with girls. Well, girl, and it was just nuts.

00:29:00.779 --> 00:29:02.559
Like you wouldn't picture me doing that kind

00:29:02.559 --> 00:29:05.759
of stuff, but God just does a work in you. And

00:29:05.759 --> 00:29:09.480
it's so gradual too. He's so gentle. And it's

00:29:09.480 --> 00:29:11.599
bizarre because I would have left immediately.

00:29:11.880 --> 00:29:13.920
but there was something drawing me to her, like

00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:16.779
a familiarity, like I knew her, and I never forget

00:29:16.779 --> 00:29:19.660
a face, and I could not pull myself away, and

00:29:19.660 --> 00:29:22.000
I can't explain it to this day, what it was,

00:29:22.160 --> 00:29:25.180
but after about a year, that feeling started

00:29:25.180 --> 00:29:26.920
going away, but she was also done with all that

00:29:26.920 --> 00:29:31.259
nonsense. It was literally, yeah, we got married,

00:29:32.059 --> 00:29:35.019
but it was the most bizarre thing, you know?

00:29:35.970 --> 00:29:39.170
clearly it was clearly God rooting me in right

00:29:39.170 --> 00:29:41.470
and this is this is the helper I chose for you

00:29:41.470 --> 00:29:45.849
and Had he told me up front. I'd have been like

00:29:45.849 --> 00:29:49.690
no. Yeah, you're out of your mind You have no

00:29:49.690 --> 00:29:51.970
idea what's going on. Like you have eyes. Yes

00:29:51.970 --> 00:29:55.569
use them. Yeah Look like that's ridiculous. I

00:29:55.569 --> 00:29:57.569
don't want anything to do with that But then

00:29:57.569 --> 00:29:59.930
he would say I don't like you doing that and

00:29:59.930 --> 00:30:02.490
then I would just quit. Yeah Yeah, it was real

00:30:02.490 --> 00:30:04.630
simple to get her to stop doing it. So I just

00:30:04.630 --> 00:30:06.009
told her I didn't like it and she would stop.

00:30:06.089 --> 00:30:08.549
Yeah. And so, you know, I'm very grateful that

00:30:08.549 --> 00:30:11.049
God isn't just the God of the present, but he

00:30:11.049 --> 00:30:13.029
sees the past, present and future all together.

00:30:13.029 --> 00:30:15.529
Amen. And he saw her future and he saw my future

00:30:15.529 --> 00:30:17.730
and he sees your future because he stands in

00:30:17.730 --> 00:30:19.589
the future at the same time as the present and

00:30:19.589 --> 00:30:21.869
the past. So there's nothing new to him. There's

00:30:21.869 --> 00:30:23.950
nothing that needs revealed. He already gets

00:30:23.950 --> 00:30:26.450
it. And so I'm very grateful that he was there

00:30:26.450 --> 00:30:31.289
for me and her knowing that if he had told Revealed

00:30:31.289 --> 00:30:34.170
to me in the present, I would have said, no,

00:30:34.650 --> 00:30:37.029
absolutely not, Lord. I'll be single my whole

00:30:37.029 --> 00:30:40.650
life before that, no. And he just rooted me in

00:30:40.650 --> 00:30:43.289
place because he knew what plans he had for me.

00:30:44.049 --> 00:30:46.130
He knew that there were plans for good and not

00:30:46.130 --> 00:30:49.289
for evil. He knew. And if he'd have told me,

00:30:49.369 --> 00:30:53.369
I'd have been like, mm. Jesus, I love you, but

00:30:53.369 --> 00:30:58.009
this is no. He has a way of leading us each and

00:30:58.009 --> 00:30:59.970
every day. Many of the plans in the man's heart

00:30:59.970 --> 00:31:02.029
best the Lord's purpose that prevails as one

00:31:02.029 --> 00:31:03.950
of my favorite verses and that's kind of what

00:31:03.950 --> 00:31:07.789
made me start the podcast, Steadfast Men, but

00:31:07.789 --> 00:31:11.210
the unscripted, right? Because like my story,

00:31:11.589 --> 00:31:15.069
like, you know, I planned to go pastor the church

00:31:15.069 --> 00:31:18.920
or I planned to go do this or that. but sometimes

00:31:18.920 --> 00:31:21.619
things don't work out, right? But yeah, he always

00:31:21.619 --> 00:31:23.960
has a way of guiding us, directing us, leading

00:31:23.960 --> 00:31:27.940
us, getting our attention. It's amazing. Is there

00:31:27.940 --> 00:31:30.180
a moment that you're like, thank God that did

00:31:30.180 --> 00:31:32.640
happen, because if it wasn't for that, all this

00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:35.700
other stuff wouldn't have happened, besides the

00:31:35.700 --> 00:31:40.420
Laura thing? Yeah, I think for my, I don't have,

00:31:41.359 --> 00:31:45.309
I think for work in my... My work history and

00:31:45.309 --> 00:31:47.410
things like that. There's many things that happened

00:31:47.410 --> 00:31:50.430
that looking back It's like well that happened

00:31:50.430 --> 00:31:53.130
because and that led me to that opportunity So

00:31:53.130 --> 00:31:55.490
when I left teaching full -time teaching that

00:31:55.490 --> 00:31:57.910
let me into real estate what you know in the

00:31:57.910 --> 00:32:00.269
military I ended up getting out of the military

00:32:00.269 --> 00:32:03.529
at the seven -year mark during kovat and you

00:32:03.529 --> 00:32:06.849
know, I was upset at the time getting out during

00:32:06.849 --> 00:32:10.769
COVID of the military. But if that didn't happen,

00:32:10.890 --> 00:32:13.170
then I probably wouldn't have gone to Bible school,

00:32:13.170 --> 00:32:16.529
you know. So after I went to Bible school and

00:32:16.529 --> 00:32:20.109
did two years there, then I got hired as a pastor,

00:32:21.089 --> 00:32:24.430
which was very recently. And then, you know,

00:32:24.549 --> 00:32:27.029
things that started to happen, I started to see

00:32:27.579 --> 00:32:30.019
You know, when you work for a ministry, you see

00:32:30.019 --> 00:32:32.980
a lot more behind the scenes and you hear a lot

00:32:32.980 --> 00:32:35.759
more behind the scenes. And so, yeah, I think

00:32:35.759 --> 00:32:39.400
even just recently in my personal story, there

00:32:39.400 --> 00:32:42.119
have been many things where I'm like, God, why

00:32:42.119 --> 00:32:44.660
did that happen? Or like, why did I like come

00:32:44.660 --> 00:32:47.880
on? But it's because of those experiences in

00:32:47.880 --> 00:32:51.099
my opinion that are leading me to my next opportunity

00:32:51.099 --> 00:32:54.519
or job or starting the podcast and things like

00:32:54.519 --> 00:32:57.079
that. So. Yeah, I'm thankful for that. I mean,

00:32:57.180 --> 00:32:59.779
even going back to like buying our house, you

00:32:59.779 --> 00:33:02.119
know, like we wanted we looked at so many houses

00:33:02.119 --> 00:33:05.220
and thought thought that we found the perfect

00:33:05.220 --> 00:33:08.190
house, you know, but. they all fell through,

00:33:08.329 --> 00:33:10.009
someone else bought them, we were devastated

00:33:10.009 --> 00:33:12.049
every time, you know, but like the house that

00:33:12.049 --> 00:33:15.630
we own today ended up happening. It's just another

00:33:15.630 --> 00:33:18.829
God story, you know, it was off market deal and

00:33:18.829 --> 00:33:22.890
it's the house that we always wanted, everything

00:33:22.890 --> 00:33:26.069
about the house, the two -car garage facing the

00:33:26.069 --> 00:33:28.529
back, like we were very on a dead -end street,

00:33:28.549 --> 00:33:31.089
like we were so specific and all the things and

00:33:31.089 --> 00:33:34.009
that's why I love the verse. It says, take delight

00:33:34.009 --> 00:33:35.789
in the Lord and He'll give you the desires of

00:33:35.789 --> 00:33:38.690
your heart. And so that's why Laura and I, I

00:33:38.690 --> 00:33:40.730
believe, just chase after God each and every

00:33:40.730 --> 00:33:43.670
day. We just try to keep pursuing God. Matthew

00:33:43.670 --> 00:33:45.750
6 .33, seek first the kingdom of God, and all

00:33:45.750 --> 00:33:47.309
these things will be given to you. You know that

00:33:47.309 --> 00:33:50.930
verse, a lot of people do. So yeah, just keep

00:33:50.930 --> 00:33:55.390
on pursuing Him. Things happen. and he works

00:33:55.390 --> 00:33:57.490
it all out. So I don't know if that answers your

00:33:57.490 --> 00:33:58.710
question. It's like a big adventure. Yeah, it

00:33:58.710 --> 00:34:00.589
is. You mentioned you were sad to get out after

00:34:00.589 --> 00:34:03.410
seven years. Were you forced out? Or, I mean,

00:34:03.490 --> 00:34:04.569
because you can always, because I was in the

00:34:04.569 --> 00:34:07.089
military. Oh, really? Yeah, I was in the Navy

00:34:07.089 --> 00:34:08.949
for four years and the Army Reserve for six years.

00:34:08.949 --> 00:34:11.469
So much to talk about. You're coming on my show.

00:34:11.469 --> 00:34:13.710
I've had more jobs than Barbie. Really? Just

00:34:13.710 --> 00:34:15.889
about. He's coming on my show. I didn't know

00:34:15.889 --> 00:34:18.409
this. Yeah. So what forced you to not re -enlist?

00:34:18.449 --> 00:34:19.809
Was it like COVID vaccine mandates? Yeah, it

00:34:19.809 --> 00:34:22.710
was. Yeah. So just being honest, I was in, I

00:34:22.710 --> 00:34:25.230
did a six year enlistment. And then I signed

00:34:25.230 --> 00:34:28.070
an extra year to get me to my seventh year. I

00:34:28.070 --> 00:34:30.849
was working an AGR job at my base in Pittsburgh

00:34:30.849 --> 00:34:33.909
here, full time. What's AGR? Active Guard Reserve.

00:34:34.110 --> 00:34:37.090
Thank you. Thank you, Barb. I got you, Sam. Yep,

00:34:37.090 --> 00:34:40.389
yep. Yep, so I was working that. I was E5 staff

00:34:40.389 --> 00:34:43.530
sergeant, doing really promotable to E6, doing

00:34:43.530 --> 00:34:45.750
really well. And yeah, my boss came to me and

00:34:45.750 --> 00:34:48.269
was like, hey, let's do another tour. I'm like,

00:34:48.389 --> 00:34:50.849
sweet, sign me up. Another 90 day clip or whatever

00:34:50.849 --> 00:34:55.019
it was. But at the time, that was in 2022. And

00:34:55.019 --> 00:34:57.780
you know, if you guys remember anybody listening,

00:34:57.800 --> 00:35:00.659
you remember COVID and the COVID vaccine and

00:35:00.659 --> 00:35:03.579
the religious exemption. And my wife and I denied

00:35:03.579 --> 00:35:06.739
the shot or to get the shot. And we both had

00:35:06.739 --> 00:35:10.019
religious exemptions in place with the chaplains

00:35:10.019 --> 00:35:11.699
and everything like that. And they were just

00:35:11.699 --> 00:35:14.000
giving us the run around. So yeah, my boss came

00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:15.699
to me and said that. I was like, sweet, sign

00:35:15.699 --> 00:35:17.059
me up. But I was like, you know, I'm not getting

00:35:17.059 --> 00:35:19.099
the jab. And so he was like, all right, I'll

00:35:19.099 --> 00:35:21.179
see what I can do. And so that was in the morning.

00:35:21.230 --> 00:35:23.949
And then by that afternoon, I was like, hey,

00:35:24.070 --> 00:35:26.369
sir, where are my orders? You know, you said

00:35:26.369 --> 00:35:28.449
I got it, where are my orders? And he's like,

00:35:28.570 --> 00:35:31.030
sorry, we gave it to somebody else that like

00:35:31.030 --> 00:35:33.949
didn't have that. Yeah. And I was just, that

00:35:33.949 --> 00:35:37.030
just was enough. And so then I was so angry at

00:35:37.030 --> 00:35:38.610
that time. I tried to fight it, tried to get

00:35:38.610 --> 00:35:40.869
my first sergeant. It was just one big loop that

00:35:40.869 --> 00:35:43.880
came back around too. The guy that made the decision

00:35:43.880 --> 00:35:46.900
and and my direct supervisor man. I love the

00:35:46.900 --> 00:35:49.000
guy. He's he's an amazing guy He wasn't the one

00:35:49.000 --> 00:35:50.800
that made that decision. I knew it came from

00:35:50.800 --> 00:35:52.940
higher above But anyway, I was at the two I had

00:35:52.940 --> 00:35:54.840
two months left on my contract when that happened

00:35:54.840 --> 00:35:57.920
I was just like well, I know the future I was

00:35:57.920 --> 00:36:00.000
like, well, I'll just I'll just dip out at the

00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:01.539
time I was selling real estate and I was doing

00:36:01.539 --> 00:36:03.260
pretty well so I was like, well, I don't need

00:36:03.260 --> 00:36:06.880
this but Yeah, I was angry getting out because

00:36:06.880 --> 00:36:10.239
like I said, I love the camaraderie. I love military.

00:36:10.639 --> 00:36:12.280
I can't believe I didn't know that you're a veteran.

00:36:12.539 --> 00:36:15.059
I mean, yeah, I'm really disappointed in you

00:36:15.059 --> 00:36:18.480
right now. I almost asked you to leave. Oh, man.

00:36:18.980 --> 00:36:20.780
Yeah, now we have a whole lot more to even talk

00:36:20.780 --> 00:36:23.639
about. So that's yeah. It was one of the things

00:36:23.639 --> 00:36:25.940
I was looking forward to in EMS, you know? You

00:36:25.940 --> 00:36:29.079
got a team, you're doing things together, you're

00:36:29.079 --> 00:36:31.639
wearing a uniform. That's not like it at all.

00:36:31.659 --> 00:36:33.960
Oh, really? No. I mean, for the most part, there

00:36:33.960 --> 00:36:35.659
was a little bit of it, but for a lot of it,

00:36:35.719 --> 00:36:37.539
it's still just petty people doing petty things,

00:36:37.539 --> 00:36:40.500
and you'll get that at any job. But in the military,

00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:42.780
your life was literally in someone else's hands,

00:36:42.820 --> 00:36:44.980
and they treated it differently. You didn't have

00:36:44.980 --> 00:36:47.920
a lot of that, at least from my experience. You

00:36:47.920 --> 00:36:50.119
had prima donnas, and you had babies that would

00:36:50.119 --> 00:36:52.719
lie in their bunk all day. At the end of the

00:36:52.719 --> 00:36:54.380
day, they got up for the sergeant. You know what

00:36:54.380 --> 00:36:58.559
I mean? That's what you do. If I can backtrack

00:36:58.559 --> 00:37:00.679
real quick too, because I know that the religious

00:37:00.679 --> 00:37:03.159
exemption vaccine is such a touchy subject. I

00:37:03.159 --> 00:37:06.139
don't care about anybody who got it. And I just

00:37:06.139 --> 00:37:08.159
want to make sure my listeners know that too.

00:37:08.420 --> 00:37:11.539
My wife and I were very, in my opinion, I wasn't

00:37:11.539 --> 00:37:14.639
going around telling everybody you guys are idiots.

00:37:15.179 --> 00:37:17.980
In my opinion, I just want the freedom of choice.

00:37:18.500 --> 00:37:22.590
I believe in having a choice. We made our decision,

00:37:22.909 --> 00:37:25.750
it didn't work out. My wife is still currently

00:37:25.750 --> 00:37:28.030
trying to navigate that as she is still in, she's

00:37:28.030 --> 00:37:29.650
trying to navigate that. So hopefully that all

00:37:29.650 --> 00:37:32.369
works out. I believe it will. God has done a

00:37:32.369 --> 00:37:35.909
whole lot for her in that, so. I'm flabbergasted

00:37:35.909 --> 00:37:39.469
at certain people that if you don't want to get

00:37:39.469 --> 00:37:42.449
that one vaccine, how they would mark you as

00:37:42.449 --> 00:37:47.929
anti -vaccine, right? And I get it. But I hate

00:37:47.929 --> 00:37:50.329
generalizations. I hate when people point fingers

00:37:50.329 --> 00:37:52.829
and and you know, as long as you're not hurting

00:37:52.829 --> 00:37:56.110
anybody Yeah, which that's you right is not anybody

00:37:56.110 --> 00:37:58.710
else then who cares what you do. Yeah, and I

00:37:58.710 --> 00:38:01.539
mean that against Christians and non -Christians

00:38:01.539 --> 00:38:03.219
alike, if you're not hurting anybody, I don't

00:38:03.219 --> 00:38:05.500
care what you're doing. This is their world,

00:38:05.679 --> 00:38:07.940
this is not my world. I'm just kinda like a whale

00:38:07.940 --> 00:38:10.340
in the ocean, right? I'm gonna die in this environment,

00:38:10.480 --> 00:38:12.579
but this is not my home. My home is somewhere

00:38:12.579 --> 00:38:15.500
else. I get sustenance from outside of the environment

00:38:15.500 --> 00:38:18.719
that I'm in. And so I don't care what they do,

00:38:19.320 --> 00:38:21.519
right? If you guys wanna make a law that says

00:38:21.519 --> 00:38:24.940
that you guys can go topless while driving. then

00:38:24.940 --> 00:38:26.980
I'll just try to pay attention more to the road.

00:38:27.960 --> 00:38:30.980
It's crazy, but it's your world. I can't escape

00:38:30.980 --> 00:38:34.159
it without coming into heaven. I got a question.

00:38:34.260 --> 00:38:37.099
So I noticed at one point when we had got our

00:38:37.099 --> 00:38:40.179
own studio, the spiritual war kicked up a notch.

00:38:40.460 --> 00:38:43.460
Have you noticed any kicking up of that spiritual

00:38:43.460 --> 00:38:45.960
war? In my podcast and things like that? Since

00:38:45.960 --> 00:38:49.039
you're making God more known to the world. Yeah,

00:38:49.079 --> 00:38:52.239
I'll be honest. I think just encouragement, staying

00:38:52.239 --> 00:38:57.219
encouraged. Like, for example, yesterday I deleted

00:38:57.219 --> 00:39:00.579
one of my interviews and one of my podcasts before

00:39:00.579 --> 00:39:03.739
I ever got to edit it, right? Not on purpose.

00:39:04.059 --> 00:39:07.460
So I wiped some, I had some from my podcast,

00:39:08.300 --> 00:39:09.980
interviewed them, had a wonderful interview,

00:39:10.420 --> 00:39:14.199
and I deleted it. Out of stupidity or out of

00:39:14.199 --> 00:39:16.619
just lack of knowledge, you know, so like and

00:39:16.619 --> 00:39:18.440
whether you want to blame that on spiritual warfare

00:39:18.440 --> 00:39:20.480
or not or whatever, you know, like personally

00:39:20.480 --> 00:39:23.579
and if you ask me in my opinion because I've

00:39:23.579 --> 00:39:26.219
from pastoring and counseling a lot of people

00:39:26.219 --> 00:39:28.559
and things like that, I would oftentimes have

00:39:28.559 --> 00:39:32.570
people come into my office or whatever, and sometimes

00:39:32.570 --> 00:39:35.269
they would always point to spiritual warfare.

00:39:36.010 --> 00:39:38.190
I hope we're on the same page. I understand spiritual

00:39:38.190 --> 00:39:39.889
warfare. The Bible clearly talks about that,

00:39:39.909 --> 00:39:42.449
but for me in my personal life, I just try not,

00:39:42.530 --> 00:39:46.429
I try to magnify God bigger. That's all I'm trying

00:39:46.429 --> 00:39:51.070
to say. So to answer your question, yes, I do

00:39:51.070 --> 00:39:53.610
think that there's just been dumb things that

00:39:53.610 --> 00:39:57.329
have happened. in my process of podcasting, whether

00:39:57.329 --> 00:40:00.010
it's my own dumb fault or whether it's spiritual

00:40:00.010 --> 00:40:03.250
warfare and things that are happening and scheduling

00:40:03.250 --> 00:40:06.469
conflicts and me editing, my software crashing

00:40:06.469 --> 00:40:08.929
and things like that. So yeah, sometimes I'm

00:40:08.929 --> 00:40:11.170
like, Lord, I'm trying to get your word out here.

00:40:11.210 --> 00:40:14.949
I'm trying to glorify you. Whatever's happening

00:40:14.949 --> 00:40:18.510
here, I need you to really take control. But

00:40:18.510 --> 00:40:21.110
yeah, I just try to really magnify God and everything

00:40:21.110 --> 00:40:24.460
like that. To answer your question. Yes a little

00:40:24.460 --> 00:40:27.400
bit, but I'm staying consistent. That's it. It's

00:40:27.400 --> 00:40:30.969
a good actual position to be on instead of focusing

00:40:30.969 --> 00:40:33.389
on the problem or focusing on who's causing the

00:40:33.389 --> 00:40:36.829
problem. Whether it's you or an outside source,

00:40:37.349 --> 00:40:40.289
it is better to focus on God. 100 % wholeheartedly

00:40:40.289 --> 00:40:42.369
agree. Greater is he that lives in me and he

00:40:42.369 --> 00:40:45.170
lives in the world. So that's what I remind myself

00:40:45.170 --> 00:40:47.170
of. I think people need to remind it that we

00:40:47.170 --> 00:40:49.869
are also those that live in this world. And that

00:40:49.869 --> 00:40:51.750
means we're not that great and he is still greater.

00:40:52.690 --> 00:40:54.769
Amen. A lot of us get a little bit big on our

00:40:54.769 --> 00:41:02.179
britches. Yep. Amen. Yeah, so Okay. Well, thanks

00:41:02.179 --> 00:41:04.260
so much for coming on our show today. Yeah, we

00:41:04.260 --> 00:41:06.659
really appreciated having a talk reconnecting

00:41:06.659 --> 00:41:09.920
I actually do remember you quite well when you

00:41:09.920 --> 00:41:14.079
were still courting Yeah, your wife and and her

00:41:14.079 --> 00:41:16.300
dad. I remember having some men's studies with

00:41:16.300 --> 00:41:19.219
him Yeah, and you were just this, you know a

00:41:19.219 --> 00:41:22.840
skinny little kid smile. Yeah, you haven't changed

00:41:22.840 --> 00:41:24.940
much Yeah, yeah, you're just not a little kid

00:41:24.940 --> 00:41:27.489
anymore And so it's really good to reconnect.

00:41:27.650 --> 00:41:29.849
It's really good to know that. And I didn't know

00:41:29.849 --> 00:41:32.269
that you weren't a Christian when she first took

00:41:32.269 --> 00:41:34.989
you out of the pond. I was also a Slippery Rock

00:41:34.989 --> 00:41:38.050
alumni. Oh, no way. One thing after another.

00:41:38.570 --> 00:41:40.969
And so I didn't know that she had pulled a rock

00:41:40.969 --> 00:41:42.769
out of the river and then polished it to this

00:41:42.769 --> 00:41:45.150
point that God could use you the way that He's

00:41:45.150 --> 00:41:47.010
using you. And I was really glad to get to hear

00:41:47.010 --> 00:41:51.079
that and connect with you because... just hearing

00:41:51.079 --> 00:41:52.860
your story, you would have assumed that you were

00:41:52.860 --> 00:41:55.840
raised in a church, that you were raised with,

00:41:55.840 --> 00:41:57.739
you know, like what dad's a pastor or my mom

00:41:57.739 --> 00:41:59.199
is, you know, on the staff or, you know, you

00:41:59.199 --> 00:42:02.480
would think that just by how you are now. And

00:42:02.480 --> 00:42:05.260
to my untrained, I didn't go to, you know, pastoral

00:42:05.260 --> 00:42:07.460
schools tells me that you've really leaned into

00:42:07.460 --> 00:42:09.809
him. because there's only one way to get there.

00:42:10.389 --> 00:42:12.590
You know, it's not something you can fake. You've

00:42:12.590 --> 00:42:13.869
heard the thing, you know, fake it till you make

00:42:13.869 --> 00:42:16.010
it. That's not true. You cannot do that. God

00:42:16.010 --> 00:42:18.429
knows. So I really appreciate you coming on our

00:42:18.429 --> 00:42:20.210
show. I appreciate you sharing your story. I

00:42:20.210 --> 00:42:22.829
appreciate your candor. And I really appreciate

00:42:22.829 --> 00:42:25.989
that you have a heart for God. And if I can encourage

00:42:25.989 --> 00:42:28.769
you, you're doing a great thing for him. Thank

00:42:28.769 --> 00:42:30.550
you. And you will continue to do great things

00:42:30.550 --> 00:42:33.670
for him. And I know this. Thank you. Thank you.

00:42:33.710 --> 00:42:35.809
I appreciate that. All glory to God. Thank you

00:42:35.809 --> 00:42:38.309
guys for having me on the show. Now before we

00:42:38.309 --> 00:42:41.510
leave the listeners, would you leave our listeners

00:42:41.510 --> 00:42:44.429
with a Bible verse that's been like your anchor

00:42:44.429 --> 00:42:48.869
verse? Oh yeah, absolutely. Proverbs 4, I wish

00:42:48.869 --> 00:42:51.769
I could tell you the verse. Proverbs 4, above

00:42:51.769 --> 00:42:53.730
all else, guard your heart from out of it flow

00:42:53.730 --> 00:42:56.929
the issues of life has been my number one verse

00:42:56.929 --> 00:43:01.650
for a few years. So the heart man, it's very

00:43:01.650 --> 00:43:04.360
important. You gotta guard it. You gotta guard

00:43:04.360 --> 00:43:05.440
it out of the abundance of the heart and the

00:43:05.440 --> 00:43:07.940
mouth speaks. So much in the Bible that points

00:43:07.940 --> 00:43:11.059
back to a person's heart. So, if I can encourage

00:43:11.059 --> 00:43:13.059
any of the listeners, just protect your heart.

00:43:13.199 --> 00:43:15.599
Above all else, guard your heart. Out of it flow

00:43:15.599 --> 00:43:17.659
the issues of life, how you treat people, how

00:43:17.659 --> 00:43:20.000
you're treated, back, where the Lord takes you,

00:43:20.019 --> 00:43:22.179
where He can take you, how He can use you, everything

00:43:22.179 --> 00:43:25.280
like that. So, that's it. Thank you for that.

00:43:25.400 --> 00:43:28.900
You're welcome. We'll list your podcast link

00:43:28.900 --> 00:43:31.829
in the show notes. Awesome, thank you. And we

00:43:31.829 --> 00:43:34.190
hope this has been a blessing to the listeners

00:43:34.190 --> 00:43:36.889
and we ask that you pass it along and rate it

00:43:36.889 --> 00:43:38.650
and all this stuff and we'll talk to you next

00:43:38.650 --> 00:43:41.710
week. Thanks for tuning in to today's episode.

00:43:42.170 --> 00:43:45.030
Listen, let's stay connected. Come follow us

00:43:45.030 --> 00:43:47.289
on all the socials at God's Goodness Podcast

00:43:47.289 --> 00:43:50.010
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00:43:50.010 --> 00:43:52.550
a really great way to stay in touch. Many of

00:43:52.550 --> 00:43:54.570
you have asked how you can support the show.

00:43:54.829 --> 00:43:57.190
You can make donations through any of the links

00:43:57.190 --> 00:43:59.809
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00:43:59.809 --> 00:44:03.030
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00:44:03.030 --> 00:44:06.650
on social media and iTunes. Your heartfelt feedback

00:44:06.650 --> 00:44:09.730
always reminds us why we do this. Until next

00:44:09.730 --> 00:44:12.590
time, remember God is always working, miracles

00:44:12.590 --> 00:44:14.750
are real, and your breakthrough could be just

00:44:14.750 --> 00:44:17.730
around the corner. Keep believing, keep expecting,

00:44:17.889 --> 00:44:20.070
and don't forget to share this with someone who

00:44:20.070 --> 00:44:22.489
needs help today. We'll talk to you next week.

00:44:22.840 --> 00:44:23.539
you