Speaking Scripture to Combat Depression: Finding Joy in the Busyness of Life w/ Andrew McLennan

Have you ever felt the tug of yearning for deeper spiritual roots amidst the chaos of your day-to-day life? Andrew McLennan, once a sheep farmer and now a city pastor, joins us from Faith Boost - Ancient Secrets for the Modern World podcast to share his compelling transformation and how the timeless wisdom of the Bible can fuel our modern existence. Together, we examine how to thread God's Word throughout the intricacies of our busy lives, finding solace in faith over life's distractions.

Our conversation with Andrew takes us on a journey through the richness of Scripture, as we tackle complex issues like gender identity and the essence of male and female partnership, illuminated by the Creation narrative. We hear about the profound impact of Biblical teachings on individuals in remote areas, highlighting the power of faith in combatting isolation and mental health struggles. The talk is a potent mix of personal testimony and practical advice, emphasizing the importance of prayer, worship, and community in nurturing our spiritual walk, even when our calendars are bursting.

Wrapping up our time together, Andrew draws parallels between the guidance athletes receive and the mentorship we can find within the church. We discuss the vital threefold relationship dynamic - with mentors, peers, and new believers – and its role in personal growth and furthering God's kingdom. Emphasizing actionable steps like carving out specific times for Bible study, seeking accountability, and consistently attending church, we aim to empower you to fortify your faith life. It's a heartfelt exchange, full of encouragement, leaving you inspired to embrace a day filled with the joy of faith and the simple pleasure of Scripture.

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Transcript

Ellen Krause: 0:04

At the Coffee and Bible Time podcast o ur goal is to help you delight in God's Word and thrive in Christian living. Each week, we talk to subject matter experts who broaden your biblical understanding, encourage you in hard times, and provide life-building tips to enhance your Christian walk. We are so glad you have joined us, hi, welcome back to the Coffee and Bible Time podcast. This is Ellen. I am excited today to talk to you about this topic that I know all of us can relate to.

Ellen Krause: 0:38

If you're struggling to maintain a strong connection with God amidst a busy schedule, you have come to the right place and you are not alone.

Ellen Krause: 0:49

Many of us find it challenging to prioritize our spiritual life among the hustle and bustle of daily life, and in this episode, we are joined by Andrew McLennan, who is the host of the podcast Faith Boost Ancient Secrets for the Modern World, and he is going to share with us how we can reconcile our busyness by incorporating the word of God into our lives daily, for that renewal that we so desperately need. So stay with us as we discover how to nourish our relationship with God even in our hectic lifestyles. Our guest, Andrew McLennan, has a passion for seeing people turn to Jesus and discover their new identity in Christ through prayer, worship, fellowship and the Word of God. In addition to doing missions, Andrew birthed a church in Australia that started with just five people and, for 18 years, grew into a vibrant, healthy congregation. Today, Andrew is not only a podcast host and pastor, but also a presenter on Australia's largest nationwide Christian radio station, and that is where Andrew and I first met, during an interview that he had with Coffee and Bible Time. So I'm so pleased to welcome Andrew.

Andrew McLennan: 2:21

Hey Ellen, how you doing.

Ellen Krause: 2:29

Fabulous and I'm so thrilled to talk to you again when you're in America. You just have to love that Australian accent. I'm just saying.

Andrew McLennan: 2:34

Well, I'm glad you love it, because I lived in England for four years and the English don't love the Australians as much as Americans do, so that's why we love Americans as well, because we feel at home with you guys.

Ellen Krause: 2:45

Oh well, good to be talking with you again, Andrew

Andrew McLennan: 3:03

Yeah, my family were ranchers I think you guys call them in the States we call them farmers from many generations ago, and we were sheep farmers and wool farming in Australia used to be very profitable. It was the backbone of our economy. In fact, the state I'm living in, now, Queensland, the infrastructure was largely built during the US Civil War because the demand for wool was so high by the soldiers fighting in the Civil War that we couldn't get enough wool to America, and so my family did that for a long time.

Andrew McLennan: 3:27

And then, after seven years of drought when I was a kid and wool prices started collapsing new materials were used to make clothes, et cetera not as much wool anymore my dad and grandfather sold the family farm. It was quite a good farm, one of the best in the district, and we moved to the city, just like the Beverly Hillbillies, and completely changed all of our lives and bought a place on a cliff overlooking Manly Beach in Sydney one of the most beautiful parts of Sydney, overlooking a beach. So I went from being a country kid who loves shooting and hunting and riding trail bikes and horses and having big open spaces, to being a city kid on a beach, and it was quite a transition for all of us open spaces, to being a city kid on a beach, and it was quite a transition for all of us.

Ellen Krause: 4:13

I can't imagine going from living in the country to living in a big city like that. Well, so you were in the city getting adjusted there.

Andrew McLennan: 4:28

Yeah, so in Australia, especially in the part of Australia I was from the outback area we were from there weren't many Christians. The town I was born in, where our ranch was nearby, had a lot of pubs, honky tonks, bars I don't know what you guys call them Just like in Crocodile Dundee, where all the men drink after work. And that was really the culture I came out of, and so there was no faith in our family. We never went to church except for weddings and funerals, and moving to the city was not good for my dad. He already loved drinking, but city life didn't agree with him. He went from being a landowner that hired other people to work for him to getting a job in the government, and he became an alcoholic and our family was torn apart by his addiction.

Andrew McLennan: 5:07

And so I had this beautiful view of the beach from my bedroom window. I'd wake up every morning and see this beautiful landscape. I'd go surfing most mornings with my friends, but on the inside I was broken and I was hurting, and so, like a lot of people in Australia do, I turned to the party scene. You know drinking. You know mild drugs, obama style drugs, just party drugs. You know nothing too serious but just girls, the whole thing. The party scene was big when I was a teenager in Sydney and I turned to that, hoping that that's where I'd find happiness and peace and joy. And as many of us know, Ellen, it didn't bring that at all it brought momentary happiness and then a big headache the next day.

Andrew McLennan: 6:08

So how did you come to know Christ at age 17? Yeah, well, at that time in Sydney there was a lot of Christian surfers and they were organizing competitions and they were very aggressive evangelists and they were witnessing the people putting on surfing competitions. And you know, some of my friends were professional surfers or turning pro and you know, we kind of thought we were better than everybody else. So when these Christians would turn up on the beaches with their Christian surfing competitions, we'd go down there to laugh at them and mock them. But they started witnessing to us and, like the Bible says, the word is a seed. It gets planted in your heart. And over a several-year period, god just started convicting me and drawing me to himself.

Andrew McLennan: 6:43

And the harder I went in the party scene, the more unhappy I was and I just reached a point where I literally felt like I've got to become a Christian. I've got to try God because I know in my heart there's something real about this and I'm living a lie with my friends. I'm pretending to be happy, I'm pretending to be one of the cool kids on the beach, but I wasn't happy and I finally just had to yield myself to God. Ironically, through a professional surfer who became a Christian.

Andrew McLennan: 7:08

He was at a Bible study one night I was invited to. I went along in someone's home and he just nailed me with the Bible, nailed me with his testimony and he said, andrew, you need to receive Jesus. And I said I will, I will, and I prayed a simple prayer, and my heart changed just radically, dramatically. My heart changed instantly. I opened my eyes and I felt I know it's a cliche, but I felt like this weight was off my shoulders and I was standing up straight for the first time in my life and I I just felt like God had done something.

Ellen Krause: 7:39

That's so, so beautiful and just so powerful. The the personal testimony of the person who had witnessed to you and reminds us all right that when we share our story, there's no one who can say anything against it, because it is our story. Well then, you went on to do missions. Tell us about your experience doing missions.

Andrew McLennan: 8:07

Yeah, I'll briefly touch on that. I've spent a year in Papua New Guinea, which is a country north of Australia. I've spent a year in Nigeria West Africa after that, when I was young and single and very enthusiastic for the Lord. And I've also done stuff in Eastern Europe. You know, I've spent four years in base in England going into Eastern Europe and Africa all across the Pacific. In the last few years especially, we've done missions in countries called Vanuatu, new Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, which, if there's any history buffs listening, that's where the Battle of Guadalcanal was fought with. The Marines defeated the Japanese. The first time that's in the Solomon Islands.

Andrew McLennan: 8:40

But you know, Ellen, I want to go back to my story. So I became a Christian and I was saved and I was in church and I was reading my Bible and I was praying. But there were days where I would just be down at the beach and it was a sunny day, a beautiful day, and I just felt like this dark cloud would come over me and I was a Christian. So I really want to go there today and talk about how God got me out of that Because, looking back now, I had depression. I didn't no one talked about depression when I was a kid it wasn't a thing. It is now and I was clinically depressed and I didn't know why and I didn't know how to get out of it. It was, it was horrible, horrible.

Ellen Krause: 9:15

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that I can relate to you because I know I've experienced it as well. This experience that you had with clinical depression really impacted what you're doing now with this podcast and how you are trying to help people get into the word. Just the busy culture that we're in and you kind of decided to tackle an issue so many of us face right Busyness and how it distracts us from regular fellowship with God. Tell us why you decided to address this topic through the podcast.

Andrew McLennan: 9:59

Yeah, because, like I said, I was living in what is probably considered paradise, on a beach in Sydney sunshine, sand, surf you know we're young and everything should be, you know, going for us and it just felt like this dark cloud would come over me and, even though I was a Christian, I'd be with people and even if they were Christian people, I'd sometimes just have to say I'm just going for a walk, I'd have to walk away. Though I was a Christian, I'd be with people and even if they were Christian people, I'd sometimes just have to say I'm just going for a walk, I'd have to walk away because I was embarrassed, because I felt so sad. I couldn't laugh, I couldn't smile like everybody else. I just had this like a dark cloud on me. And so, thankfully, I was in a church and it's such a key to being a Christian, you know, being in a church. I know Christians today think they can survive with just them and God and their Bible and listening to podcasts like ours or, in my case, listening to Christian radio in Australia. But we need a local church and I'm so glad.

Andrew McLennan: 10:44

I went to church one Sunday and someone was preaching about this and he said you know, when I got saved. I needed more joy in my life. And he goes. I just started to confess that I had joy and I started to speak against sadness and depression. And he talked about scriptures, talked about speak to the mountain, confession. There's power in our words. You know the word of faith that we preach, as Paul described it.

Andrew McLennan: 11:05

And so, Ellen, I started to apply that. Whenever that feeling of depression came over me, that dark cloud would come over me, I'd go for a walk but I would start fighting it and I'd start speaking against it and I'd start declaring in the name of Jesus, I'm joyful. In the name of Jesus, this sadness is going, and I'd use the word of God and I'd quote scriptures about joy and quote scriptures about God's power. And I'm not just saying this to hype it up, Ellen. After a few months, that depression lifted it left, and here I am, a few years later I don't want to say too many, but a few years later and it hasn't come back, Ellen, like I've literally been set free by applying the word of God to my life, confessing the word, believing the word and just standing on the word and resisting everything that came against me to steal my joy.

Ellen Krause: 11:57

That's a very powerful testimony, Andrew. Thank you for sharing that with us. How are you then sort of applying what you learned through this experience, how the word of God transformed your life? How are you translating that to the people that will be listening to your podcast?

Andrew McLennan: 12:22

Yeah. So what the podcast is? It's five minutes and I release three a week and it's called Faith Boost and it's designed to boost our faith. It's designed for busy people. Many of us are so busy now we're driving to drop the kids at school, or we're going to work or we're going to the gym and we don't have half an hour to listen to a message. But we're going to work or we're going to the gym and we don't have half an hour to listen to a message. But we want something to boost our faith because our world is a world of distraction now. There's so many distractions out there. So it's designed for busy people.

Andrew McLennan: 12:48

And so I get an old testament story. I've been working through abraham. I mean you won't believe how many different angles and takes I've had on abraham, uh, and. And now I'm onto Noah and I've done Enoch. I've even done a few on Enoch, the guy in the Bible who only gets a couple of verses but so much depth to his story. So I pull out an Old Testament story and I find a New Testament truth in their story and I talk about how we can apply that.

Andrew McLennan: 13:12

So the podcast is designed to do a number of things. Number one to inspire people to read their Bibles. You know, part of my journey, ellen, of being set free from depression and that sadness, was discovering the Word of God and reading the Word of God, meditating on the Word of God, and I just love the Old Testament. I love the book of Genesis, I love the book of Judges and Joshua, 1 and 2, samuel, the stories of David, the Psalms you know it's all the Word of God. And of course, I love you know it's all the Word of God. And of course, I love you know Matthew, mark, luke, john and the book of Acts as well. So I'm using fairly obscure stories Well, obscure in the sense that they're Old Testament stories as the platform for the podcast, hoping and praying that people will go wow, that was a really interesting one.

Andrew McLennan: 13:50

I'm going to go and read the book of Genesis tonight. I'm going to read the whole book of Noah, because as a preacher, Ellen, I've preached all around the world. People need more than my preaching. They need a love for the word of God and they need to read their Bibles for themselves. And that's what I love about Coffee and Bible Time. You guys are all about people delighting themselves in the word of God, because I tell you, what if I'm stuck on a deserted island? I want a Bible, Ellen, and I want to be able to read that Bible and meditate on that and use that as the basis of my connection to God.

Ellen Krause: 14:20

Absolutely essential, that is for sure. You had subtitled your podcast Ancient Secrets for the Modern World. Is that what you're referring to when you talk about pulling from the Old Testament, or did you have other things in mind as well? No, just the Old Testament.

Andrew McLennan: 14:39

It. You have other things in mind as well. No, just the Old Testament. It's obviously just to gather people's interest, because you know we live in a world that is so progressive that you know we are just. It's Australia, it's America, it's Britain. I mean, the Western world has just gone mad. We need courts and judges now to tell us what a man or a woman is. I mean, we've just progressed so far from our traditions.

Andrew McLennan: 14:58

So what I'm saying is these are ancient secrets. Well, the ancient secrets are just the Bible and Bible truths that have been around for thousands of years and they actually work. And an example of that is God made man in his image and he made them male and female. He created them. That's the ancient secret.

Andrew McLennan: 15:15

Right there for the modern dilemma of gender issues, it's like God made man and woman and they're both wonderful. They both serve an incredible purpose and when they're together, when they're united, as Adam and Eve were in the beginning, they can have dominion, they can rule the earth, they can bless the world, they can harvest the crops and they can grow their own food and look after the animals and take care of the earth. That was God's early design and look after the animals and take care of the earth. That was God's early design, so that's an ancient secret right there. So it is a bit of a play on words, because all I'm really trying to do is say, hey, the Bible is the answer for today's world. We don't need any new ideas or new approaches to life.

Ellen Krause: 15:51

Thank you for that. You know that's such an interesting way of putting it ancient secrets. I'd never thought of it but, like for people that have never read the Bible before, they really don't know what's in there and the guidance and direction that God gives in the Bible for us to lead our daily lives. What kind of feedback have you heard from people who are listening or even that you've just encountered with how the word of God has transformed their lives?

Andrew McLennan: 16:26

Yeah, I've got a great video testimony on my Facebook page at the moment actually from a rancher, a farmer, who's from way out back as well. Great guy, christian guy, and he's been listening to the podcast because you know these farmers. Sometimes they're in you know machinery or tractors or-wheel drives for hours in a day, you know working, and they just like listening to things that are going to boost their faith. He's a Christian and he's just saying he's been sending it to a lot of his friends out there, a lot of the other ranchers and farmers out there who are Christians. This guy's a great guy, ellen. He, of his own initiative, would get about a hundred ranches from within 500 kilometers, about 300 miles, and he would get them onto his property once a year and they would camp out together and talk about the word of God and pray. And he just really touched a lot of men out there because in Australia we have a lot of issues with depression and even suicide in our rural areas, especially among men, because they're so isolated often and the Australian man I don't know about the American man traditionally doesn't talk much.

Andrew McLennan: 17:24

We sort of used to get on with life and just deal with things and it was almost a sign of weakness to talk to someone else and ask someone for help. I don't know if you remember that movie, crocodile Dundee, but when the lady in that movie said to Crocodile Dundee, do you have a therapist? And he's like a therapist, you know. We just go down to the pub and tell our mate at the pub and then they tell the whole town and that's our therapy, you know. And so you know that's your classic Australian way, like we don't really open up to people and ask for help, and so we have a real problem in those rural areas.

Andrew McLennan: 17:55

So this gentleman has been listening to the podcast and just saying it's really been encouraging him. He's been sending the podcast a link to friends and family members out there to encourage them as well, and he even blessed us, like financially he wanted to help support the podcast. So that's probably one of the best uh pieces of feedback I've had. Now he's begging me for more. He wants me to do more and I'm like, well, I'll just do three a week, I'll release three every week and that's a doable goal for me. But he even wants more than that. So we'll see how we go. We might do more later.

Ellen Krause: 18:25

That is the neatest testimony. And knowing, I mean, it sounds like he's just craving more and more. Right, that's God's word at work in his life. He's wanting to know more and more and more his life he's wanting to know more and more and more. Well, in addition to the Word of God, you also have, like it's been important in your life that you also focus on prayer and worship and fellowship within the body of Christ. Tell us how a busy person can also take part in those things as well and how it would help them.

Andrew McLennan: 19:06

Yeah. So obviously you've got to make the time. And I say this to people. You know we don't hear the terminology much anymore, but you remember about 10 or 15 years ago, time poor was the cliche that everyone is I'm time poor, I'm time poor, but you know the funny thing is everyone in'm too, I'm poor, I'm time poor, but you know the funny thing is everyone in this world has the same amount of time. So I don't think anyone is time poor. We all have 24 hours a day. You know, your president, um, has 24 hours a day, and, and some person living in the outback in Australia, living on their own, has 24 hours a day and and. And those two people, one may feel they don't have enough time to do their job and another may feel they got lots of time, you know, because they're out in the middle of nowhere on their own, but the reality is we've all got 24 hours a day.

Andrew McLennan: 19:46

So it's just a case of prioritizing your time, and I think for busy people, what works for me is getting up early before your day starts and don't check your phone. Technology is a wonderful thing, but it's also. It's just complicated and cluttered our lives, you know. Hence me doing the five minute podcast. So first thing in the morning I think you got to get up early and you've just got to get out there and pray and don't check your phone, don't check your text messages or your Snap or your Insta or your Facebook, whatever your poison is, your online poison and just hook into God and put Him first. And that's what I do. Ellen, and even you know I don't know about you, but my life has not been immune from challenges, even in the last few years, and I faced some real challenges in my family and the only way I got through that was get up in the morning, put my headphones on, put my worship playlist on and walk and pray and just seek God on my own for at least an hour a day.

Ellen Krause: 20:43

Yes, you know. I concur just that prioritizing it first thing in the morning If it's, you know, possible within your schedule. Certainly if you're not a morning person, you can do it anytime throughout the day, that's. All that matters is that you are being intentional to spend time in God's word. How about the part of being part of a local church? You started to touch on that a little bit earlier, but why do you suggest that and how is that component helpful in the word of God growing in people's lives?

Andrew McLennan: 22:20

Gee, that's a great question, Ellen. I could talk about that all day. So I think by going to church, what we're saying is many things which are biblical. Number one it's a form of humility. The Bible is all about humility. If we haven't noticed, God resists the prayer, but he gives grace to the humble. Satan's biggest error was his pride. So we have to be humble people. And by going to church what I'm saying is I can't worship God on my own like I can at church with these wonderful people who've come in early and practiced the songs and they prayed and they're really trying to lift God's people. I don't know everything. I need someone to preach to me, I need someone else to open up the scriptures to me, because I can't do it on my own. And also I need friends who are God's people. I need Christian fellowship, and I find that in church as well. So going to church is actually a form of humility. It's a way of saying you know what I need. Your help, God. And I'll give you an example.

Andrew McLennan: 23:14

Just Sunday just gone now and I went to. I'm a church addict. I went and I've been a Christian 30 years, so I'm not some new Christian who's got nothing better to do. I went to three church services on Sunday. Well, I went surfing in the morning early, really early, 5.30. And then my friend was playing guitar in his church it's this booming new church and he's part of the world and so he was playing worship. I went and watched the worship half an hour. I worshiped God with him. I had to leave to get back to my church, which starts at 10 o'clock. Went there, heard a great message from my pastor, just really encouraged me because I got a bit of a need going on at the moment which I'm believing God for the answer, and that message spoke into that need, gave me real faith. I was soaring in the worship.

Andrew McLennan: 23:53

And then that evening I went to another church in the city my church doesn't do a night service and I took four people who are not really living for God right now with me. Two of them are friends. One's actually my son, who's 17, who's on a bit of a journey, as we say, and there's this other guy there who's a complete non-Christian, who's a friend of my friends, went along there. The pastor there preached just an amazing message. Two of those four put their hand up to respond to Jesus and give their lives to him.

Andrew McLennan: 24:18

Now, everything I experienced on Sunday, Ellen, I could not have done that on my own. So I need the people of God, I need the church and it's just a blessing. And you say, oh, but you know people will say, but I've been hurt in church, Ellen, I've been hurt in church in ways you wouldn't believe, especially as a pastor. Betrayal lies, you name it. You know rumors, gossip, people using you. We've all been used and hurt. Okay, We've all been discouraged. But, like I say to people, if you're a football fan or a baseball fan or a basketball fan, you know you can't write off the team because there's a fan in the grandstand or the stadium with you who's a bad person, you know.

Andrew McLennan: 24:56

Are there bad people in church? Yeah, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. Are there bad people in church? Yeah, Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. There's always been bad people in the church. Don't focus on them, Don't make yourself vulnerable to those people, but focus on the good ones, Focus on what God's doing in your local church and just go there by faith every week, Hook in and allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life, because we all need God and we need his people, and that's expressed through a local church.

Ellen Krause: 25:22

Absolutely, and it's a place where you can get connected. I really applied to you, Andrew, for just being so intentional about, you know, grabbing people and taking them to that evening service, and you raise a great point in that we are all busy, but look how many options there are now for churches, right, we've got, you know, morning, mid-morning, Saturday nights and Sunday evenings, and so there's got to be a time slot that you can set aside and make it a priority, and then you get the opportunity to live in community, and I know it's been so incredibly valuable in my life, and especially when it comes to like being part of Bible studies and having the church community help holding you accountable or explaining things that you don't understand.

Andrew McLennan: 26:26

There's just so. I mean, the benefits can go on and on for sure. Yeah, and there's a war against the church in the West and COVID didn't help that because a lot of people got out of church in COVID. But I say this to people about church there's three types of relationships we all need in a local church. Number one the mentor. And that's why I love you, Ellen, mentor mama for the girls on Coffee and Bible Time and you've been a real part of the girls' success on this.

Andrew McLennan: 26:46

It's a ministry. It's not just a podcast. It's a ministry because they've got that older, wiser person in their corner, just like the greatest boxer in the world. Arguably it was Mike Tyson. I love Mike Tyson. I also love Sugar Ray Leonard as well, but they all have coaches. None of those guys stepped into the ring alone. They weren't training themselves. They were trained in a gym by a great coach. Even Rocky had Mickey Ellen. I'm sure not many of your listeners would be Rocky fans, but I sure am. You know, everyone needs a coach, and so church provides us with a spiritual coach. It can be the pastor, it can be a small group leader, the youth leader, the young adult leader, the worship leader. Whoever it is, someone who's further down the journey than you are. We all need that. I need that.

Andrew McLennan: 27:23

I have intentionally got great older men in my life, older pastors. One of them is a guy in Texas actually, pastor Olin Griffin. He goes to the Gateway Church. He sent Pastor Robert Morris to start that church many years ago. Pastor Olin is a mentor of mine. I love him so much because he's older than me, he's wiser than me.

Andrew McLennan: 27:38

I've got many men like that I've intentionally formed relationships with. Then I've got my peers in church who are just like me similar age, similar journey in God. We encourage one another, we love one another, we fellowship. And then we've got the new believers in church, helen, and this is the other reason why people withdraw from church. In a way they're bearing their talents because we've all got a gift, we've all got love, we've all got hospitality, we've all got faith. And there's someone there right now in a church somewhere that's been saved a week or two a month. They're kind of similar to you similar interests, maybe a similar age and they need someone like you in their world to encourage them through a friendship, just being their friend and just having a coffee with them after church. So there's three types of relationships in a local church that all of us need, and the truth is, god needs us to hook in there to these three types of relationships because it grows the kingdom.

Ellen Krause: 28:29

It sure does. Yeah, I can't speak highly enough about it, that's for sure. Well, andrew, as we start to wrap things up here, how would you encourage someone who's listening to this feels like they're struggling, either prioritizing or just struggling to get into God's word? What would you suggest to them?

Andrew McLennan: 28:57

I would suggest commit to a time, as we said. You know, I think morning is the best because it's the start of the day and there's nothing else going on and if you're not a morning person, just set the alarm and wake up and slam that coffee down. But hey, we're all busy people. I've had three kids in my life and I know what it's like having young kids in the house and you've just got to find that time for you to commit to it. It's amazing how we commit to work. If we work you, you can't just sort of not go to work most days because you're busy. You know we commit to work, it's a priority. Make it a priority.

Andrew McLennan: 29:29

Um, the second thing is that, yeah, make yourself accountable to somebody. You know. Like I said, we need those mentors in our lives. A christian who's a little bit further down the track than us if we're struggling with prayer or the word of God or even church, ask someone to help you. The Bible says in the Old Testament come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of our God. We need someone to help us on that journey.

Andrew McLennan: 29:50

Interesting that Jesus chose 12 and he connected them together. The church was founded by 12 men in relationship. There was no self-made man in there. There was no one president or founder of the church. There was 12 men doing life together, journeying together, praying together, seeking God together.

Andrew McLennan: 30:07

So, yeah, make yourself accountable to someone and make a commitment to set aside a certain amount of time and also make a commitment to church that it's a non-negotiable in your life. I just go to church and if you've had a bad experience or you've been hurt, I really feel for you and I genuinely mean that. I'm sorry that it happened to you, but there's lots of other churches out there. Just find another one. You know there's lots of great churches out there. And if you just need to sit out the back for two years and just worship and just hear the word and leave at the end because you're still working through, that's great, that's fine, is really happy to have you there up the back for two years, rather than at your own place at home on a Sunday, trying to work things out on your own, because God didn't design you to work things out on your own. We all need someone to help us on this journey.

Ellen Krause: 30:50

Agreed, Andrew. How can people find out more information about you and the podcast?

Andrew McLennan: 30:57

Well, the Faith Boost podcast. If you go onto your normal podcast platform, spotify Apple Podcasts are the most popular and just search Faith Boost, that's B-O-O-S-T. If you don't understand my Australian English, I should pop up there. You should see my melon, as we call it in Australia, that's our word for head on there and it'll say Faith Boost and Ancient Secrets of the Modern World. Click on it, subscribe to it. I'd love you to listen to it. If it encourages you, share it with someone else.

Andrew McLennan: 31:22

We've just started putting videos on YouTube, ellen, those shorts, those 60-second shorts. So again, my name is Andrew McLennan. That's M-C-L-E-N-N-A-N. Pastor, Andrew McLennan. And we have a website as well i2aw, that's I, the number two, aworg. It stands for Into All the World, and we launch our podcast from that website. We also do mission trips into the Pacific, as I said, and I'm about to start doing really long interviews as well long-form interviews like an hour or two and really dig into people's stories, and I believe people will come to the Lord through those stories as well, as I just dig deep into people's personal testimonies and their walk with God. So look out for those long-form interviews as well. So, website is i2aworg, but search for the Faith Boost podcast on your platform, faith Boost. Right now it's the only one on there. Shouldn't be too hard to find.

Ellen Krause: 32:15

Awesome. We will also include links to those in our show notes. Well, Andrew, before we go, I want to ask you some of our favorite Bible study tool questions that we always ask our guests what Bible is your go-to Bible and which translation is it?

Andrew McLennan: 32:33

Yeah, I've got a New King James version of the Bible. That's the translation. When you say go-to, you want like, want, like. Here it is here, this big bad blue one here. I love it. It's my bible. Um, I don't know what. What is that? Is that all the information you need? It's a large print. It's a large print edition, ellen, so that my eyes stay nice and healthy, you know, you understand in case you forget your glasses.

Ellen Krause: 32:57

That's awesome. Okay, do you have any favorite journaling supplies or anything that you like to use to enhance your Bible study experience?

Andrew McLennan: 33:06

No, I'm a simple guy, ellen. So I just read the Bible and, as I said, I try and apply the Bible and I think the biggest key for me was speaking the Bible, confessing the word of God. So, like I said when I was struggling with that sadness when I was a young Christian, just finding scriptures about joy and speaking those scriptures as part of my Bible study. And Joshua 1, verse 8 says meditate in the Word of God day and night. That word meditate means mutter.

Andrew McLennan: 33:34

In the ancient Jewish culture they would mutter the Word of God. In other words, they would speak the Word of God. And by speaking the Word of God over our emotions, over our minds, over our bodies, over our circumstances, God created a world. By speaking. He said let there be light. And I believe, by speaking the Word of God over your life, over your emotions and your mind, your body, whatever it is you're going through, there's creative power in the Word of God. So that's my journal, ellen. I speak the Word of God. I'm a simple guy. I don't actually write journaling. I'm not against it, I just I just, that's just not me.

Ellen Krause: 34:03

No problem, okay, I love that tip, though. What is your favorite app or website for Bible study tools?

Andrew McLennan: 34:11

I can't get past Coffee and Bible Time, Ellen. It's just got to be one of my, one of my faves, but it actually is. I love it. I love your story story we interviewed you on radio across Australia encouraged a lot of people because I see the hand of god in it and I genuinely love it. Um, I think there's a couple of girls in la who are doing something called girls gone bible. I love that as well. I think my my 70 oh, she's 19 now my daughter she's been watching them and she's also on a bit of a journey. I think they're doing a good job.

Andrew McLennan: 34:38

There's there's so many tools out there now. There's so much good content. Vision Christian Radio in Australia if you want to look us up, there's an app that's called Vision Christian Media. You can listen to us 24-7 through the app. We have lots of Bible study tools and podcasts as well. But I think it all just goes back to that key idea, doesn't it? We've got to commit to a time where we allow God to speak into our lives and encourage us through whatever Apple tool we choose to use.

Ellen Krause: 35:05

You're absolutely right. Absolutely, Andrew. Thank you so much for just taking the time out of your schedule to encourage each one of us through the noise of the busyness in this life. Thank you for being so authentic and sharing your personal journey with us as well. We appreciate that so much.

Andrew McLennan: 35:26

Thank you, Ellen, for having me Love you guys, Love what you're doing and I honestly believe that Coffee and Bible Time is going to keep growing and developing and God's going to keep using you guys to touch people, not just in America but all over the world, because everyone in the world today needs some coffee and they need some Bible time.

Ellen Krause: 35:43

Oh, thank you, Andrew, for our listeners. Tune into the Faith Boost podcast with Andrew. Five minutes, that's all you need, and you will be so encouraged by God's word through Andrew's podcast. Well, thanks again for listening. We love you all. Have a blessed day.