1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,000 This is the Real Faith Podcast where we talk about a movie clip, a scripture, and make 2 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:12,580 an application. 3 00:00:12,580 --> 00:00:15,560 We hope these provide encouragement to you. 4 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:16,880 I'm your host Chuck Bower. 5 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:22,600 I hold my undergraduate degree from Johnson University and my master's in historical theology, 6 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,680 Christian literature from Wake Forest University. 7 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:30,680 After a successful church ministry of 28 years, I became a public school teacher currently 8 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,100 teaching high school English. 9 00:00:33,100 --> 00:00:36,040 We hope you are blessed by these episodes. 10 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:41,800 Do you think I'd ever go to Sunday school? 11 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:44,800 Puny God. 12 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,800 I love you. 13 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,800 I know. As you wish. 14 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:57,440 Welcome to Real Faith. 15 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:02,000 I'm your host Chuck Bower and I want to thank the producer Daniel Allen. 16 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:07,120 This is our inaugural episode and we are very excited to bring it to you. 17 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,600 If you know me, then you know I love movies. 18 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,000 I love movies and making a connection to our faith. 19 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,920 This podcast was born out of that desire. 20 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,840 If I can talk about a clip, connect it with a passage of scripture, and leave you with 21 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,680 an application and encouragement, then I've succeeded. 22 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,680 We will release these once a week on Monday mornings. 23 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:32,880 They'll be released on my website, scbower.com, and wherever you find podcasts. 24 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:37,860 Now I've read that 78% of podcasts do not reach the eighth episode, so I'm telling 25 00:01:37,860 --> 00:01:41,000 you now we will do eight episodes and see how it goes. 26 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,640 I don't want to be a part of that statistic. 27 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,920 Alright as my students make fun of me for saying so much in class, here we go. 28 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:53,720 We start off with a little animated film that was released, believe it or not, 17 years 29 00:01:53,720 --> 00:02:00,080 ago this year, Kung Fu Panda, with Jack Black voicing our main character Po. 30 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,760 If you're interested in going back to watch it, the film just left Netflix and I'm not 31 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,360 sure where it will land next. 32 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:12,160 But Kung Fu Panda is about a lovable panda named Po who works in his dad's noodle shop 33 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:15,600 but dreams of being a Kung Fu master. 34 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:21,360 This story follows the hero's journey faithfully, if you know about that, and Poe ends up declared 35 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:25,440 as the long prophesied Dragon Master. 36 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:29,680 Of course at this point in the story, Po doesn't actually know Kung Fu. 37 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:35,840 Even though Master Oogway declares Poe the Dragon Warrior, Master Shifu and the Furious 38 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,440 Five think Po's selection is a total joke. 39 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:41,920 Why would Master Oogway pick him? 40 00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:44,540 Surely this is a mistake, they thought. 41 00:02:44,540 --> 00:02:49,540 So they set out to make his training impossible and totally discouraging. 42 00:02:49,540 --> 00:02:51,160 And they succeeded. 43 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:56,640 Poe is deflated, he's ready to quit, and we get our clip for this episode. 44 00:02:56,640 --> 00:03:00,640 Master Oogway has some encouragement and wise words for Poe. 45 00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:01,640 Let's listen. 46 00:03:01,640 --> 00:03:05,200 So why are you upset? 47 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:13,920 I probably sucked more today than anyone in the history of Kung Fu. 48 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:15,680 In the history of China? 49 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,080 In the history of sucking? 50 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:18,080 Probably. 51 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:19,080 And the Five? 52 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:22,760 Man, you should have seen them, they totally hate me. 53 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:23,760 Totally. 54 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:27,000 How's Shifu ever gonna turn me into the Dragon Warrior? 55 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:31,520 I mean I'm not like the Five. 56 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,360 I've got no claws, no wings, no venom. 57 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:39,880 Even Mantis has those...thingies. 58 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:44,320 Maybe I should just quit and go back to making noodles. 59 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:48,720 Quit, don't quit. 60 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:52,720 Noodles, don't noodles. 61 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,840 You are too concerned with what was and what will be. 62 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:07,080 There's a saying, yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. 63 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:11,080 That is why it is called the present. 64 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:12,800 I love this clip. 65 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:13,920 And you've probably heard it. 66 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,680 I like to quote it to my students, because it rings true, right? 67 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:21,400 Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present. 68 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:25,320 Poe was too concerned of what was and what will be. 69 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:29,360 Master Oogway wanted him to just focus on today. 70 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:33,600 There's a few different scriptures that pop into my head when thinking about this clip. 71 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,520 One of them is from Ephesians. 72 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,240 Paul's little letter to the church at Ephesus. 73 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:42,600 In chapter 5, verses 15 through 17, he writes, 74 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:44,520 So be careful how you live. 75 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,920 Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. 76 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:52,040 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 77 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:57,680 He's continuing his thought here from chapter 4 about living a life worthy of the calling 78 00:04:57,680 --> 00:04:59,400 that you've received. 79 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:03,640 And he gives some exhortations, this passage being one of them. 80 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:06,360 Again, be careful how you live. 81 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:09,680 Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. 82 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:13,680 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 83 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:18,040 Now when he wrote, make the most of every opportunity, that's coming from the New Living 84 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:23,240 Translation by the way, he is saying, redeem the time. 85 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,680 You could translate it, buy up your time. 86 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:31,160 It's a metaphorical way of saying, use your time well. 87 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:37,080 In the few verses that follow, he writes that we can redeem our time, or we can use it wisely, 88 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:43,320 by living by the Spirit, having a worship mindset, and giving thanks to God. 89 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:46,840 Now that sounds like a good way to live the day. 90 00:05:46,840 --> 00:05:51,820 I know some of you had a 2024 that you are glad it's in the rearview mirror. 91 00:05:51,820 --> 00:05:54,420 You're ready to forget it and move on. 92 00:05:54,420 --> 00:05:58,000 Now some of you might have some big plans in 2025. 93 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:02,720 You might have big events in your life coming down the road that you might be worried about. 94 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:07,040 Let me encourage you to live for the day, today. 95 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,560 Make the most of the opportunities for today. 96 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:15,200 Walk in the Spirit, have a God-centered frame of mind, and live with thankfulness. 97 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:20,500 Think about the T acronym, and I don't mean spill the tea, no gossiping here, but every 98 00:06:20,500 --> 00:06:26,520 day you have a finite amount of time, energy, and attention. 99 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:28,680 Be what are you spending it on? 100 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:32,920 I want to challenge you to live purposefully today. 101 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:36,280 Don't be too concerned about what was or what will be. 102 00:06:36,280 --> 00:06:41,480 Focus on what you can do today to make the most of every opportunity. 103 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:46,880 After all, there is a saying, yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today 104 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:47,880 is a gift. 105 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,840 And that's why they call it the present. 106 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:53,240 Use your gift of today with purpose. 107 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:55,120 Be filled with the Holy Spirit. 108 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:59,360 Have a worship in your heart and a thankful attitude. 109 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:01,640 That sounds like a pretty good day to me. 110 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:02,640 Thanks for listening. 111 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:06,480 I'll see you next week on Real Faith. 112 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:11,200 If you enjoyed this episode of Real Faith, please hit that subscribe button so you don't 113 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,800 miss out on future episodes. 114 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:19,800 Remember you can find us at wherever podcasts are found and on SCBower.com. 115 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:23,760 That's S-C-B-O-W-E-R.com. 116 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:27,200 There's also contact and bio information on that website. 117 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:54,200 And if you have a question, or if I can help you out, please let me know.