Finding Your Calling With Confidence

The fastest way to lose hope is to stare at the whole mess and forget the person right in front of you. That’s why this conversation with Zach, Bella, and Hannah hit so hard: they describe a kind of leadership formation that feels less like hype and more like honest, daily discipleship that changes your trajectory.

We talk about the Patriot Institute at Patriot Academy and what makes it different from typical “leadership” programs. Yes, there’s serious training in apologetics, communication, constitutional education, and biblical worldview. But the deeper story is relational: roommates and friends who love you enough to call you higher, mentors who push you toward God’s best, and a culture where your faith stops being abstract and becomes personal conviction you can actually live out. If you’ve ever wondered how to find your calling, this is a roadmap built on consistency, courage, and conviction.

We also get practical about impact. Politics can feel like a big, scary machine, but Zach reframes it as a series of small, faithful interactions that create a domino effect. Rick ties it together with stories like “feed the mouth in front of you” and the starfish lesson on making a difference one life at a time. And if a full academic-year program isn’t possible, we point to Leadership Congress as a shorter on-ramp where you can practice speaking, fail safely, grow fast, and build confidence.

If you know a young adult who needs purpose, community, and a reason to hope, share this with them, subscribe for more, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Transcript

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Rick Green [00:00:07] This is the WallBuilders Show where we take on the hot topics of the day from a biblical, historical, and constitutional perspective. Appreciate you joining me today, Rick Green, America's constitution coach, normally here with David and Tim Barton, but we've got a couple of special episodes for you remaining this week. Yesterday and the day before we had Zach and Hannah and Bella with us learning about the Patriot Institute. And I've asked them to stick around for two more programs so we can talk a little bit more about the things that made their experience so special because I know there's a ton of young people out there. Looking for an opportunity like this, and we wanted to introduce our WallBuilders audience to it and get you to spread the word. So go to our website at wallbuilders.show and share today's program with your friends and family. Let's jump back in with Zach and Bella and Hannah. We were talking about really the most important thing I think that happens here, which is your relationship with God, figuring out what God's calling you to, what that perfect will is. I've always said, you know, we can easily end up in God's permissive will where we're doing something that's good. But it just doesn't feel like that's where I'm supposed to be and I always use the story of Eric Liddell where he talked about, you know, he was an Olympian and he said God made me fast and when I run, I feel his pleasure. When I run, I feel no one's pleasure not God's, not mine, no one's. So running is definitely not my purpose or I know I'm not in God's perfect will when I'm running which is why I don't run. That's my excuse for not exercising. You know or at least not using that as my form of exercise. Okay, but finding that perfect will, finding that purpose where when you're doing it, man, you feel God's pleasure. I know I've seen that in some of the things that y'all have done here, not saying this is where you'll be for the rest of your life, of course. I know you're still finding what that thing is you want to do for the for the next of your life, but maybe you will be, but I know that sometimes you get to do things around here where you get feel God's pleasure. But most importantly, during the time you were a student as an Institute student, how did you start to find some purpose and start feeling like you were starting to line up with, God made me for this, or at least I'm in a place where I'm moving forward in that journey of finding God's purpose. Does that make sense? That was a lot. I know I threw a lot into that question. Does that makes any sense? Any of y'all wanna jump in on that? Yes, no, maybe? Zach. Zach, go for it. All right. 

Zach [00:02:22] All right.. 

Rick Green [00:02:24] Funny that you said chivalry last week and Zach didn't let the ladies go first. I'm kidding, man, I know the pressure was on for somebody to step up, so you stepped up. Go ahead. 

Zach [00:02:33] All right, all right. I would say just for fine purpose, building the faith aspect of it. One of the coolest things, which I had never found anywhere else, was the true brotherhood side of it that's here. I have older brothers who are absolutely phenomenal people. They are my role models in almost everything, along with my dad. But it is different between having that versus having people who are actually walking through the exact things you're walking through at the exact, at the same time. One of probably my favorite experiences that was a turning point in this, the institute when I took it, was my roommate, Tate, phenomenal guy, just pulled me to one side one day. I was like, hey, I'm noticing that in this regard, you could just not be doing that or gonna be doing better here. 

Rick Green [00:03:27] He was calling you out. 

Zach [00:03:28] Yeah, and that was like one of the, because I've never had close friends who would do that for me. Who saw there was a problem and wasn't just like, yeah, whatever, but I actually just noticed that. 

Rick Green [00:03:38] So wasn't an old guy like me, like trying to tell you to do better, was somebody right there, a true peer. 

Zach [00:03:43] It was just like I know you and you can be better. And that and just that level of just the caring and taking time to do that and invest in me is phenomenal. That was the community aspect really just, it was amazing. I've never experienced anything like it, but just having people who are always there to just continue just to draw you up. And keep asking more of you and just to do better. And I'd say probably I was one of the key things of really helping finding purpose and just helping out with just my faith walk. 

Rick Green [00:04:13] Love it, love it. What about even just your worldview? Just being able to have these kind of conversations y'all were talking about last week on the program and dive into those kind of subjects. You know, y’all all grew up in Christian homes, so you already were exposed to a Biblical perspective on a lot of those things, but being immersed in it like that and kind of broadening your idea of your purpose in life with regard to worldview. And as you were saying last week... You know, lifted up the culture, essentially, and being that positive influence into the culture. Speak to that a little bit, just whether it was the topics that you learned or just being able to find your purpose within a bigger picture and knowing that God's using y'all to literally save a nation and turn your culture around. 

Bella [00:04:58] So, yes, growing up with a big family that really sought to grow me bigger than what I could be and to teach me and to give me that foundation. Coming here, it was realizing that, okay, even though this is what I was taught and these are good things, I have to figure out what I believe and why I believe them more importantly. And realizing that there is a lot out there. There is so much worldview and different opinions and we dive through all different kinds of cultures and just learn from them. But realizing that in order to stand strong, in order stand fast I have to know why. I have to know why I believe this and what am I gonna do with this belief? Like once I form my opinion, once I form, according to wise counsel and according to the Lord's Word, what am I going to do with it? Am I just gonna sit on that there's my life? Or am I gonna constantly challenge that within other people and challenge that with myself to push it to a new level? And to realize that that's what true discipleship is. Because once you know why you were created, once you find your true identity and your true purpose for the path the Lord's taking you on in life, finding those moments of joy and actually listening to His Word and just really being intent with the Holy Spirit, You come along a line of I was created for more than this. And he has so much in mind for me that even I could ever imagine. And watching that be just spilled out, you're learning it through different interactions with different people. You're learning through making something for someone, making it better, and realizing that that's who I am in Christ. And getting to then be His disciple and do what he's called me to do, that really helped just all the conversations, the late nights, the intense studies of people pouring into Lord's Word, those practicalities of becoming who I am, it really shaped me to be like, okay, this is what I'm called to do. And that looks like living everyday life. Like it's not something that has to be so big and so wild. It can just be diligent in what you're given. And that's something that persistence taught me. And one of the things Mr. Krish said was, like there is joy in differences, but there's also the mundane that teaches you a lot. And so just being consistent, being diligent in what you've given on each day and just having that grow you. 

Rick Green [00:07:37] Tell me if I heard correctly, because what I heard in all that was very much that even though you came here again from a Christian home and you were taught all these great things and your parents did a phenomenal job, I love your mom and dad, by the way, coming here, even though you come here to be part of a group, you were able to find more of your personal calling. It was like all of those things that happened throughout the year, you weren't singled out for this purpose but it allowed you to find your singular purpose. Does that make sense? It's like, you're individual. I could just hear that in what you were saying. You really got in, you know, you connected with the Lord on a level that gave you clarity for here's how I walked this out. I've been discipled to do this, not just me and my siblings together or me and the group of Institute students together, but somewhere in all the conversations and the classes and everything else it became personal. Is that? Is that? That's what I heard anyway 

Bella [00:08:34] Finding an individual reality to what I've been called to, it's definitely a process of working through and walking through, but knowing that it's for something bigger, and it was just so cool because if I don't take the time to pour into it, I'm not gonna get a lot out of it. And so really being like, this is what the Lord's called me to, and take that next right step, and really just being more in one with Him. It's not that I'm getting rid of or that I am losing anyone else beside me that is warriors with me. It's that I gaining something that's more valuable is a personal relationship with Him. 

Rick Green [00:09:15] Okay, so same topic to you guys before we switch topics, and we don't teach Walt Whitman at this school, but I'm thinking as you're saying that of Dead Poets Society and when Robin Williams says, you know, the meaning of life, that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. To me, that kind of sums up what you're – it's like you're seeing yourself in the powerful play of God's creation and what He's doing, but you're getting to see that wow I get to, I get to do a verse. I get to, I get, here's my part of being, you know, and like you said, it doesn't have to be this great. You don't have to be president to make a difference. It's even in the daily serving of other people. It was just beautiful. Okay. Either one of y'all want to chime in on that, maybe the individual kind of purpose thing or even just the interaction with the other students and the bigger picture of what Patriot Academy is doing with the culture. 

Hannah [00:10:07] Yeah, I think this was all making me think of a analogy that you guys use all the time with Nehemiah and the building of the wall. 

Rick Green [00:10:15] Yeah,. 

Hannah [00:10:16] And every individual person in that's in the story of Nehemiah had to build their wall. And they had a purpose in that and it was it was a universal over purpose. They were all here to rebuild the wall. But it wasn't just Nehemiah's passion. If Nehemiah had been the only one who was passionate, if he had said, man, this is my passion and I'm gonna force you guys to do this or you're gonna jump on my boat and you're gonna do this with me, but it was every individual person finding this passion in and of themselves to protect their wives and their children. And they said this is worth building the wall with one hand and carrying my sword with the other. And I think that wall-building mentality is something that we see over and over and over. And, what Bella was saying and what you see in the scholars is just this mentality of okay well I have to be passionate about the building of the wall and it's this I it's like a 

Rick Green [00:11:08] It's not enough to just be part of the group. 

Hannah [00:11:11] Yes, it's not enough to say, well, okay, like, Nehemiah's really passionate about this, so I'm gonna jump in and help him. So then when the first attack comes, and they realize, I'm not just building this wall, I'm also having to hold my sword in the other hand. If it had just been Nehemiah's passion, sorry, dude, like you protect your own wall, I'm going to go hide in my house. But it was their, each individual passion, and they all had different skills, and they came together and they said, well, I am really good at laying bricks. Well, I really good of doing this. Let's join together and let's build this wall together and let all be willing to sacrifice for this cause. And we see this, you talk all the time about a brush fire of freedom going across the nation. And I think that there is a, specifically right now, I think there's so much happening in our country that, yes, there has been a dryness for years, but now there's not only just a dryness where the generation is ready to just be ignited like that, there's also been gasoline that is getting poured over everything. And they're saying, man, this is gonna, this'll get them, this gasoline's gonna kill them all, but what they're doing, this oil that they're spreading over my generation, this is gasoline that they saying, man, that's gonna look, they're gonna lose all hope. Instead it's like, oh. 

Rick Green [00:12:14] It's actually making you burn brighter. 

Hannah [00:12:16] I'm gonna burn brighter and faster. Yeah, and this isn't just a brush fire. This is a long term fire this is like a bonfire where the logs are getting placed on every single day and everything that's happening in our culture is another log that's placed on the fires of the hearts of my generation. And I think something that I really realized this year is purpose and passion are often times, as Bella was saying, fueled by consistency. One of the most amazing things that Reagan taught us during our year of the Institute is he starts it off with a talk on what is character. 

Rick Green [00:12:47] Yeah,. 

Hannah [00:12:47] It's one of the first things he does and he says character boils down to three things. It is consistency. It is courage and it is conviction. If you have a good godly conviction to then give you the courage to go forth into any situation and battle the unbeatable odds. And then you are consistent in the tiny moments of training for those battles. Then that is what it means to have good character. And so, what Bella was saying is like, what she built this year was she built a good character. Because she was getting God-convictions that were then giving her the courage to be bold in bold moments and consistent in little moments. And that right there is the passion of I really think of Patriot Academies to build men and young women of character who are courageous, convicted and consistent.  

Rick Green [00:13:37] That's good. 

Hannah [00:13:38] Because if they were only courageous and they said man, it's really gotta be like a like all of the enemy has to be there and I have to be in this moment of like, okay, well, there's hundreds of them and one of me and that's my courageous moment. It's like okay, well, why are there hundreds of then looks because you weren't consistent in the little moments and picking them off one by one 

Rick Green [00:13:52] Or they're charging every hill because they're just courage all the time. Yeah, it's they're not being wise and they're not, they don't have the right conviction. Yeah. It's good. Okay. Wait, we got to take a break So when we come back and I have a feeling something's burning on Zach right now. He's got something he's gonna say when we go back I could see him just like shifting over there as you were talking. And so anyway, we're gonna take a quick break. We'll be back in just a moment Rick Green America's Constitution coach and we're talking about the Patriot Institute So one more time the website Patriot Academy.com/Institute.  PatriotAcademy.com/Institute. You've got time, but only a few days. Tell the young people in your life, 17 to 25 years old. Tell them to go check it out today, PatriotAcademy.com/Institute. We'll be right back on The WallBuilders Show. 

Rick Green [00:15:40] I'm Rick Green, America's Constitution Coach. Thanks for staying with me. We're continuing our discussion of how the next generation is stepping up to stand in the gap. God is raising up a remnant. I am so blessed to get to work with these young people. Part of the reason people always ask me like, how do you stay so optimistic? And, you know, don't you know the world's falling apart? And nothing's working and it's a uni-party and we're never changing it. And people are so depressed all the time. They're like the 10 spies that came back from the promised land. And they're, oh, it's too hard. Giants too. I can't stand that. They just, you, know, they can light up a room by leaving, and I wish they would. I wanna be Joshua and Caleb, and part of the reason I get to be Joshua and Caleb and be talking about, yes, there's giants in the land, but God's given us land is because of these young people like these three that have joined me today on At the Core, I get work with them all the time. So I see what God's doing. I see the hope that is in them. I see that passion and the purpose. I see a light bulb coming on all the the time, and then I get see them living it out. And see even them at their young age starting to pass the torch to others in their generation. That's one of the coolest things that I get to enjoy. And so with me in studio today, Bella, Hannah, and Zach, they've all been through the Patriot Institute, our one-year program here at Patriot Academy. It's a one- year academic year. I always have to clarify that. It is nine months on campus at the Patriots Academy campus in Constitution City, Texas, doing master's level training in apologetics, communication, constitution, life purpose, all that good stuff. You can find out more at PatriotAcademy.com/Institute. Okay. As, and by the way, just a few days to apply. I know I said it before the break, but you might've just turned on the radio in your car, only a few days left and I have scholarships burning a hole in my pocket. People have contributed so that you can come enjoy this program. It's 20,000 a year. Normally I have $15,000 scholarships. Um, so get online, apply today. I said before the break, Zach was burning with passion over there to say something. I don't know what it was, but I just noticed the way you were shifting around. I was like, you wanted to chime in with something that Hannah was saying, I think. Zach does what I don't do, he thinks before he speaks. See, I just speak. And I can tell, like, as soon as you're ready to say it, you go, okay, I wanna make sure I'm saying this right. And then boom. Okay, so give us the boom. 

Zach [00:17:55] All right, I'll do my best, do my rest. I think a lot of people, when they hear people talk about this or go to programs like this, they think of politics as like this big scary monster, you don't really know what's going on. It involves, it's so massive. There's so many different people. There's many working parts to it. And I definitely had that view when I first came into a Leadership Congress. And... One of the biggest things Patriot Academy has given me is a shift of perspective on that. I really went with the reclaiming of our generation and building something beyond just the chaotic dumpster fire that so many people in culture want to make what America is. What Patriot Academy has taught me is that it is just, none of that matters. All that matters is just the one life that's right in front of you. 

Rick Green [00:18:53] Yes. 

Zach [00:18:54] And that's where you're making the change. That's where we're making a difference. With whether it be a leadership congress, whether it's the student who's too nervous to go present a bill, or whether it is at an institute just noticing one of your good buddies is down. It's those small interactions over time, which impact lives and change everything drastically, just listening to it when I need to go find a Patriot Academy student, you know Kenny Chauve, I need go track him down because I was talking to a good friend of mine and y'all, Landon Zizos, when back originally when I first came to Leadership Congress in '23, I was pretty down. And we know no one can really tell I was very well put together person, but I was pretty down I didn't have a lot of hope 

Rick Green [00:19:51] You could put on the show on the outside. 

Zach [00:19:52] Exactly. And yet, it was just one small interaction with and a little bit of time with Landon that drastically changed all of that for me. 

Rick Green [00:20:01] Wow. 

Zach [00:20:02] And then I went back and I found, I talked to Landon this year about it. And before coming to the Leadership Congress that changed my life, he had the opportunity, he would never have had the opportunities if he hadn't first talked to Kenny Shove. It was Kenny Shrove who just made one offhand comment that made him to continue to come. And be at that Leadership Congress. 

Rick Green [00:20:24] He had the kind of experience you had with him. He had that experience with Kenny.

Zach [00:20:27] Exactly, yeah. And it's just that domino effect that so little of us see and that's what's gonna make the massive shift in the culture. It's not you don't have to go fight or slay the big scary monster. It's just the consistent acts of courage of just having good character over time. 

Rick Green [00:20:43] I love that, man, because somebody taught me that a long time ago. We were going to help tornado victims in, I think it was Oklahoma where we went, and these friends of ours have this ministry, Cowboys and Angels, I'm sorry, Angels in Cowboy Boots, and they basically put these buckets together of food. And so you're basically doing rice and beans and stuff that people can prepare when everything's been destroyed and they had to be able to cook, right? And so we were, we took our bus and they took a trailer and we had all these buckets of food and we're just giving them out to people. And we go to dinner later that night and the guy's name was Monty. And I said, Monty, I understand why we're here to do this, but you know, we need to do this in the culture and we need to change this in government. And we would solve this problem and this kind of stuff wouldn't happen. And I'm doing all this policy stuff. And Monty just goes, Rick, stop, stop. Just feed the mouth in front of you. Just meet the need of that person in front of you right now that is wanting you to hand them that bucket and take care of the need that's right here in front of you and I get chills even thinking about it because I get too caught up in the big picture and what's gonna happen 20 years from now. And those are important to do at times but what you just described is where the real difference is made. I mean, the difference that was made in your life because that conversation with Landon, the difference it was made in his life because Kenny was willing to speak to him and now you've been able to do that in other people's lives. I mean, in fact, I was telling my grandson this story the other day because, and y'all may think it's cheesy, I don't know if I've ever told this in any of my talks, but it's the old story, a lot of our listeners will have heard it probably, but Zig Ziglar used to tell it. And as the grandfather walking with his grandson on the beach and all these starfish have washed up and they're gonna die because they're not in the water. And so he's bending over and he's picking one up and he is throwing it in the water, he's bending over and picking it up in the... His grandson's like, what are you doing? He's saying, well, if they don't have water, they're gonna die, so I'm throwing them back into the ocean, and the grandson looks out at all of them on the beach, and he goes, grandfather, there's so many of them, how can you possibly make a difference? And the grandfather bends over, picks up another one, throws it into the water, and he says, son, made a difference to that one. That's exactly what you guys are doing. One at a time, you're making a difference when you. 

Zach [00:22:56] Hundred percent. 

Rick Green [00:22:57] That's what we mean when we say passing the torch. I mean, you are literally passing the torch. You're igniting that brush fire of liberty you were talking about in that one person's heart. I think that's just absolutely beautiful. I don't know where to go from there. That was too good. Any ideas? Anything else about the institute or live? What about Leadership Congress? We're gonna be expanding to some new states next summer. If a student can't come to this one-year institute that we're talking about that you guys all got to do, which, by the way, if you do wanna do that, PatriotAcademy.com/Institute. Got those scholarships. I wanna give them out in the next few days. So go get your application in, 17 to 25-year-olds. But let's say a year's just too much, right? They're not ready for that yet, or they're committed to college, or whatever it is that they can't come. Our entry-level program is Leadership Congress, and that's three days with us in a state capitol across the country. What about that? What about coming to that? What do y'all recommend for young people that might be, even like you were saying, maybe you're depressed about whatever's going on in life, you're down, and maybe you think, I don't want to go to something like that. Or. I know for you, a part of it, too, was just having to speak in public. 

Zach [00:24:02] 100%.. hardcore introvert. 

Rick Green [00:24:05] Yeah, so if you're if you've got somebody listening right now about that, how do you talk them into coming? 

Zach [00:24:10] Just do it hundreds and just do it. It's the biggest thing that's helped me with that is go ahead and stand up there fail miserably. Because you will at some point and here's there's the best thing. 

Rick Green [00:24:22] Embrace failure. 

Zach [00:24:23] Yes, embrace it because every time you do that the next time it's a little less hard. It's little bit just a little bit less difficult. And every time you get that's there is a massive win for you. Every time when you overcome just the..Every time you just want to sit back and just not do it and just kind of live in the apathy that you were talking about earlier and not changing something that is hard or difficult for you, just make that change. Go do it. You will not regret it. And Patriot Academy, I mean, the reason why it's so amazing is the community and culture here is, if you fail, no one will care because we've all been there and people are, actually, I take it back, they are going to care. They are going, we are going to encourage you and, if you fail, all right, we will help you improve. And honestly, if you failed, no big deal. You are better for it.

Rick Green [00:25:15]  I'll never forget and I can't remember. I can't remember what it was. I'll ever get what happened, but I think it was right before you came to the Institute, we were sitting on the floor in the in the chamber here at the at the campus, you came over and sat down and we were talking and you told me the story of Bailey. 

Zach [00:25:31] Yes. 

Rick Green [00:25:32] And how that impacted you. Bailey's another one of our Institute grads. And in fact she's up at Dallas doing the Moms for America event with John Voight and having a good time with some of our other students but- but, um... Tell that story because that really impacted me and it was another one of those kind of passing the torch things, but not necessarily something she said directly to you. You just saw the change in her. All right folks out of time for today. We're going to pick up with Zach and Bella and Hannah tomorrow. And that'll be the conclusion of our opportunity to talk about the Patriot Institute. Chance for you to share it with your friends and family. Be sure and do that by sharing today's program. Encourage those young people 17 to 25 to apply to the Patriots Institute. Now, if you've been listening to WallBuilders for a while, you know, Patriot Academy has been doing the Leadership Congresses for nearly 30 years, I guess, 25 years now. And we do that in state capitals around the country. That's only three days or one week at our National Academy that we do at the Patriot Academy campus. The Institute is a full academic year, totally different animal, absolutely amazing program. Check it out today at patriotacademy.com/Institute. We'll have Zach and Bella and Hannah with us one more day tomorrow. Thanks for listening to the WallBuilders Show.