The Buddy Foy Jr Show
Buddy Foy Junior Show: A powerful blend of faith, truth, and boldness in today’s complex world. Hosted by Buddy Foy Junior, this podcast explores the deep intersections of Scripture, culture, and personal growth. In an era where government and big business are increasingly intertwined, Buddy emphasizes the importance of staying vigilant—reminding listeners that we must actively speak out and stand firm in our convictions.
With a background as a serial entrepreneur, TV reality star, and advocate for small business rights, Buddy shares insights on leadership, perseverance, and patriotism. Each episode encourages you to live with purpose, embrace faith, and take action—because real change starts when we step up and speak out. Whether you're seeking spiritual inspiration or practical wisdom, this show inspires believers and entrepreneurs alike to carry the torch forward.
The Buddy Foy Jr Show
Two Stephens and the Weight of Time
Life is short. And sometimes it takes loss to remind us just how fragile time really is.
In this episode of The Buddy Foy Jr Show, Buddy reflects on the recent passing of a childhood classmate and what it revealed about time, grace, and legacy. Growing up in a graduating class of just eleven students—and now having lost three—makes time impossible to ignore. It’s no longer a concept. It’s personal.
This episode is dedicated to Stephen Baker, a man remembered not for status or noise, but for steadiness, kindness, service, and grace. Through Stephen’s life, Buddy explores what it truly means to steward time rather than simply spend it.
That reflection leads into Scripture and the story of Stephen the Apostle from Acts chapters 6 and 7—the first Christian martyr—who lived with bold faith, deep grace, and forgiveness even in the face of death. Two men. Same name. Different centuries. The same lesson.
This is a sober, honest conversation about:
- The brevity of life
- Time as stewardship, not currency
- Grace under pressure
- Living faithfully without needing a platform
- What kind of legacy we’re building—right now
You don’t need perfect theology. You don’t need a microphone. You just need to show up, live with intention, and steward the time you’ve been given.
Because none of us know how many days we have left.
But we do get to decide how we use today.
Scripture referenced:
Psalm 90:12 | James 4:14 | Acts 6–7
As always—don’t take the bait.
This is the Buddy For Junior Show — where faith, truth, and courage come together. Join us as we explore life’s deeper purpose and carry the torch of conviction. The show begins now.
Follow Buddy @BuddyFoyJr
Welcome. Welcome to the Buddy for a Junior Show. I appreciate you all being here today. Quick favor before we start, please hit the follow or subscribe button wherever you're listening. And if this episode resonates with you, please share it with one person. That's how this grows. And it truly would be a blessing. Thank you. Today's episode is different. It's heavier. It's more sober. I'll say this right out of the gate. Life is fleeting. Life is short. Every time I attend a funeral, thankfully not often, but every time I do, I try to take something from the life we're honoring. Not just the sadness of the loss, but a lesson of the life. This past week, I attended a funeral of a classmate of mine. We went to school together from third grade through graduation. We graduated in 1989. There are 11 of us in that class. I joke sometimes that I graduated in the top 10 out of 11. Small school, small town, tight community. And now three of those classmates are gone. Three out of 11. That's nearly 30%. Put that in perspective. If you graduated with 500 people, that would be 150 gone already. But I'll stop you in your tracks. Stopped me. Because when you're graduating classes 11 and three of them are already gone, you don't talk about time like it's a theory anymore. You feel it. Last week, I talked about time as we entered the new year, and then Steven passed away we weren't close adult friends, but we grew up together. I knew Steven. And I always respected something about him, his grace. Time really is a mist. So today, I want to dedicate this episode to Stephen Baker, a childhood friend. Steven passed away suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 54. That's far too young. When I was talking to a friend of mine, someone who had only known Stephen for a couple years, I said something that stopped me in my tracks. I said, by the time school started in the morning, Steven had already put in hours of work. And I wasn't exaggerating. Stephen was a hard worker. He always had been. A hardworking kid who became a hardworking man. That work ethic followed him into adulthood as a volunteer firefighter, as a builder, as a husband, as a father, as a brother, as a man who showed up. Then my friend said something to me that really hit me. He said, you could spend all day trying to come up with something bad about Steven, and still you'd come up empty. Folks, that's rare. That's grace lived out. Now, I don't know Steven's full faith story. I don't know how often he opened the Bible or whether he did. I don't know exactly where he was on his faith journey, but I do know this. He lived it. He had more grace in his pinky than I have in my entire body. And I say that as a confession, not as a criticism. Stephen had something many of us struggle to have. Steadiness, kindness, presence, and a never-ending smile. Stephen Stewarded his time well. Not chasing attention, not chasing ego, not trying to prove anything. He served his family, he served his community, he served people. And sometimes that service was just a smile, a calm word, or a steady hand. And something else hit me. The first Christian martyr in the Bible was also named Stephen. So today I want to talk about two Stevens. One from my childhood and one from Scripture. Because I think they both teach us something powerful about time, about grace, and how to live it. The biblical Stephen, he appears in the book of Acts, chapters six and seven. And here's what's important Stephen wasn't one of the original 12 disciples. He wasn't part of Jesus' inner circle during his earthly ministry. Stephen shows up later, after the resurrection, when the early church is forming and growing rapidly. He wasn't chosen because he had influence. Acts chapter six says Stephen was a man full of faith in the Holy Spirit. And that's why he was chosen. That's why he mattered. He began serving in practical ways, helping care for people in the early church. And that matters. Because sometimes we think God only uses platform people. Stephen wasn't a platform guy. He was a faithful guy. But Stephen didn't just serve quietly. He also spoke truth. That truth got him killed. He stood before the religious leaders, the same system that crucified Jesus. And he spoke boldly, not arrogantly, not with ego, but with conviction. He reminded them of Israel's history, of God's faithfulness, and he called out something they didn't want to hear, that they kept resisting the Holy Spirit. They didn't like that. So they dragged Stephen outside of the city. They stoned him. As Stephen was dying, he didn't curse him. He didn't rage. He didn't call down fire. Acts 7 says Stephen looked up and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Standing. And his final words were, Lord, don't hold this sin against them. Does that sound familiar? That's Jesus on the cross. That's grace in the face of violence. Stephen lived like Jesus all the way to the end. Two men, same name, same legacy, different centuries, different lives. But same thread. Stephen Baker, the men I grew up with, and Stephen and Axe. What they both show us is something we often forget. Life isn't mainly about how long we live. It's about how we steward the time that we're given. Stephen Baker, he stewarded his time through service, presence, kindness, and grace. Stephen the Martyr, he stewarded his time through faith, courage, and truth, even when it cost him everything. Neither lived loud lives, but both lived meaningful ones that touched people. And that's what we're chasing, right? Meaning. Here's what I keep coming back to. We talk about spending time like it's currency, but scripture talks about stewarding time. Psalms 90, 12, teach us the number of our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. James 4, 14. We are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes, then vanishes. A mist. That used to scare me, but I'm learning it's meant to focus me. Because when we realize time is short, when we stop wasting on bitterness, ego, division, and nonsense, we stop staying in the rooms that drain us. We start giving, we stop giving people control over our peace. Stephen Baker didn't waste his life judging others, chasing attention. Both live in grace. Let me bring this back to where I always go. I'm still in my Jesus gym. Still learning. Still sore. Still drop the weight of my foot. More than I like to omit. But this week reminded me of something important. I really do need to stir up my time better. I really need the Holy Spirit to lead me to grace. Faithfulness. And I need to keep showing up. Stephen and Axe didn't live long, but his witness changed history. Stephen Baker didn't seek attention, but his life touched everyone he knew. That's the goal. So here's my takeaway this week. I want to steward my time better. I want to live more gracefully. And I want people, if they're honest, to know that I'm not perfect. But that I am intentional. That we are trying because we surrendered. And here's a question I've been sitting with. If today were my last day, what would my legacy say? That question isn't morbid. It's clarifying. So this episode is for Steven Baker. Thank you for showing us what grace looks like in real life. And it's for Stephen and Max. Thank you for showing us what faith looks like under pressure. Boy, that's something I could learn. And really, it's for all of us. Because none of us know how many days we have left. But we do get to decide how we use them today. So let's steward it well. Life is short. God bless you. I'll see you next time. And as always, don't take the bait. Don't take it.
