Plugged In Podcast
Plugged In Podcast
Episode 26 - Chicken Plus Jesus
Our March Fatness bracket finally crowns a champion as Chick-fil-A edges out Dunkin' by a mere three votes! We celebrate with a table full of fast food while dissecting what makes these chains so beloved. The secret to Chick-fil-A's success? Operational excellence, consistently delicious chicken, and a drive-thru system so efficient it should run our national elections. Meanwhile, Dunkin' has transcended being just a coffee shop to become a cultural identity marker in New England.
The conversation reveals fascinating aspects of brand loyalty that go beyond product quality. We debate whether Five Guys gives too many fries (is that really a problem?), why Texas Roadhouse surprisingly dominated the sit-down category, and whether Dunkin coffee deserves its popularity. Most excitingly, Chick-fil-A actually responded to our social media post about their victory with "three cheers for chicken," launching a brief but thrilling conversation with the brand.
After gorging ourselves on nuggets, fries, and milkshakes, we transition to weightier matters—Jesus' farewell message to his disciples in John 15-17. These chapters contain his final teaching before being betrayed and crucified, making them particularly significant. Central to Jesus's message is the command to "remain" or "abide" in him, like branches connected to a vine. In our distraction-filled world, the discipline of silence and solitude has become increasingly difficult yet vital for spiritual growth.
As you enter the Easter season, we encourage you to read these powerful chapters and reflect on what it means to abide in Christ. How might prioritizing this relationship produce lasting fruit in your life? As Jesus himself promised just before facing the cross, "Take heart, because I have overcome the world."
hello everyone. Welcome back to the plugged in podcast. This is episode number 26 and we have a special treat for well, not really for you. We have a special treat for us today true we are celebrating the end of march, fatness.
Speaker 2:Just look at this table and you can see on the table.
Speaker 1:We've got some coffees.
Speaker 2:Matt has two coffees. I do have two coffees, one, two Just for A lot of coffees on the table, I see some milkshakes, fries, nuggets.
Speaker 1:I made the horrible decision of getting a sandwich for this show.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:It's awesome.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But the bracket yes, it's awesome. Yeah, but the bracket yeah, we've reached a winner.
Speaker 2:We've reached a winner by a margin of three votes.
Speaker 1:Three votes.
Speaker 2:We have dubbed Chick-fil-A as the winner of the March Fatness 2025 bracket.
Speaker 1:No surprise, thank you for interrupting.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry. I was so excited With your excitement.
Speaker 3:Well, first of all, I think it's funny that this bracket continued as long as it did.
Speaker 1:Wait, can I eat? Yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 3:It was so large. This bracket was so large that it spilled over into April and finally, we found this beautiful conclusion, which I believed from the start was going to be this. Duncan versus Chick-fil-a. Yeah, I thought that I I thought that was going to be, you did just fair warning, nate you are talking I'm trying.
Speaker 2:It's amazing, I'm trying so hard to not chew into this microphone right now, embrace it I know I will not. Um, nate has is going to just go on so many diatribes and tangents today, because even posting the Duncan versus Chick-fil-A he had a lot to say.
Speaker 1:So let's just get ready the more he talks, the more we can eat. That's true. Keep going. So go ahead, nate, tell us about the bracket.
Speaker 3:I was really fired up. But anyways, I think, before we get to where we are right now in this championship showdown which you know, I can hear the chewing.
Speaker 1:It's so funny we need to talk about how we got here right we need to talk about who made it to the final four in those Elite Eight matchups. Tell me about it. I'm going to grab a milkshake. Go ahead, so our final.
Speaker 2:We should just for those who are listening, we should just tell everyone what we're doing. I'm eating a chicken nugget, go ahead.
Speaker 3:Nate. Our final four matchup was our region winner of the fast food, which was none other than Chick-fil-A Chick-fil-A yeah Versus our winner of the fast casual region, which was kind of a surprise. Five guys, five guys ended up the winner over there.
Speaker 2:That was number. I don't like that. I don't like that at all. You don't like that.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 1:I don't.
Speaker 2:I don't Well, because Domino's was Well.
Speaker 1:I mean Is that why?
Speaker 2:Why don't you like it?
Speaker 1:No, I'm going to get off this Domino's hill. I do love Domino's, but we've talked about that enough. There's been too many clips now on the internet.
Speaker 2:Hey, I really liked your Domino's clips yeah but Five Guys.
Speaker 1:I just I don't really get it. I don't. I don't. Okay, I don't know. It takes kind of long to make. They usually give you too many fries, I understand. Is that a problem? But I mean, I don't want to finish all that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1:And then I throw it away. And then when I'm throwing food away, I feel bad, I do. A little bit of guilt, that's true, but anyways, go ahead. Sorry I interrupted.
Speaker 3:Okay, so that was that side of the bracket and then we had on the other end of the bracket we had Dunkin' number one versus our sit-down restaurant, which was also a surprise, in my opinion Texas Roadhouse.
Speaker 2:That I'm annoyed. I don't get it. I'm annoyed, guys.
Speaker 3:I mean, I love Texas.
Speaker 1:Roadhouse. Why did that? I don't know. Why, I don't know? Did we not have enough good choices for Sit Down?
Speaker 2:We had Cheesecake Factory.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Well, Olive Garden, the number two seed.
Speaker 1:So what's the draw? I mean, it has to come from the listeners, but what's the draw for Texas Roadhouse?
Speaker 2:That's my question too.
Speaker 1:Like, are people going for steak?
Speaker 2:Is it the rolls?
Speaker 1:I don't know.
Speaker 2:Is it the rolls and the cinnamon butter?
Speaker 1:I come from the midwest and I feel like steak is like it's legit, it's, it's better there than it is here, yeah, but I don't know, I wouldn't associate, I wouldn't go to texas roadhouse for a steak. I just I don't know. Yeah, what do you go there for burgers? I get ribs, rolls, rolls, okay all right just kidding.
Speaker 3:Well, it gets ribs yeah their um their onion blossom at texas roadhouse is not as good as the one from Outback. I don't know, it's a different bread.
Speaker 2:I want to hear from the voters.
Speaker 1:We need some comments from the voters.
Speaker 3:Well, Texas Roadhouse also went way downhill the moment that peanut allergies became a universally accepted thing.
Speaker 2:Universally accepted yeah.
Speaker 3:Before it was like you know, just launch those peanut shells like a biological weapon, throw them all over the place and if someone dies, if they die, they die. But now, now they die. Now they give you the nice little convenient package, but they don't. You know, it's not like unlimited anymore, they just give you that one bag and it's like don't throw them on the floor, Put them in this little tin.
Speaker 2:Should I ask specifically, like should I call people out who voted for Texas Roadhouse?
Speaker 1:and ask them. That's strong.
Speaker 3:Voting is supposed to be anonymous.
Speaker 2:I didn't know, I had the power.
Speaker 3:You can't go into the polling place and then take a picture of your ballot.
Speaker 2:This is not a presidential election. This is the most.
Speaker 1:March fatness. It's close, march fatness.
Speaker 2:This means a lot to people.
Speaker 3:I want to know. I want to know the why that was our final four.
Speaker 2:Real quick story. When we were young, my dad found out that you could walk into.
Speaker 3:They came out.
Speaker 2:When we were children, my dad found out that you could walk into Five Guys and buy a box of their peanuts, and so he did and brought it home and we had like a 25-pound box of peanuts. But Larissa is very allergic to peanuts and he totally forgot, and so she has held on to that for like 15 years.
Speaker 3:But she survived, she made it she survived.
Speaker 2:But what's crazy is.
Speaker 1:Well, if Nate lived there, he'd be like if she dies, she dies. Yeah, really.
Speaker 2:Tough crowd over here. But what's crazy is she was able to eat Reese's peanut butter cups. I guess there's not real peanut butter.
Speaker 1:What yeah, oh interesting.
Speaker 2:Or it's just Larissa being.
Speaker 1:Larissa Processed. Before Nate goes through the rest of the bracket, can you tell our listeners and corporate? Chick-fil-a responded to you.
Speaker 2:Wait, I keep forgetting we're actually recording because I'm so excited by all what's happening right now.
Speaker 3:But, Chick-fil-A.
Speaker 2:I tagged them in the region winner and they wrote us back. Guys, they wrote us back. And not only did they write us back, we had conversation.
Speaker 1:They probably listen.
Speaker 2:They're probably like this is a.
Speaker 1:Christian podcast.
Speaker 2:Yes, let's tag them.
Speaker 1:Let's write back to them.
Speaker 2:So they wrote back and they said, which I posted on our socials, they said three cheers for chicken. So then I was like we're such big fans. I was like we're fans especially of the Walpole Massachusetts location. And then I was like we're fans especially of the Walpole Massachusetts location, whoop, whoop. And then I was like feel free to sponsor our next episode and then they didn't say it. They didn't respond to that, but they said like have a great day.
Speaker 2:Well, they said thanks for being fans and like an emoji, and I said it's our pleasure.
Speaker 1:Yes, I was so happy with myself.
Speaker 2:I was like like oh, my word, they haven't responded to that yet, but I feel like they're over me.
Speaker 1:But anytime we went back and forth, anytime I go to chick-fil-a I'm just waiting for that. Yeah, are you gonna say it? Are you gonna say so?
Speaker 3:wait, why three cheers for chicken? Anyone know? I know I have a theory hip hip hooray no father son, holy ghost stop yes, too deep, that's too much Faith application man, Three cheers for chicken has spiritual significance, everything has spiritual significance.
Speaker 2:Wow. Anyways, guys, nate is on it today. I don't have anything to say to that.
Speaker 3:I don't know if that's blasphemous, but I feel like God loves chicken too. Okay, All right Well.
Speaker 2:Can you just move on? You're making me concerned.
Speaker 1:You know the story of the two loaves and the five chickens. Or wait, did I mix that up? Yeah, I always mix that up, sorry. So we got to our championship round.
Speaker 3:We got to our championship round, which was our fast food representative, chick-fil-a number one seed, versus Dunk Duncan, which is the coffee slash dessert representative, which I have a bone to pick about that classification. Here we go. All right, here we go, if you will, if you will give me the floor.
Speaker 2:I'm ready with ourselves. We made the bracket.
Speaker 3:I'm about to filibuster.
Speaker 2:You made the bracket.
Speaker 1:So here we go, Filibuster hey let me get show perfect timing.
Speaker 3:Yes, I feel like if duncan was okay, here's a hot take, hot take. Duncan coffee is not that good. It's like it's like a six out of ten, it's like a c plus. Everyone knows this. Yeah, that's not why they get it. So thank you but if you're, if you're the the coffee slash dessert category, right like I wouldn't go there for desserts either. Their donuts are worse than Krispy Kreme. Their donuts are worse than any like.
Speaker 2:Also this is not a hot take. This is not a hot take. Oh, it is spicy. Yeah, it is spicy.
Speaker 1:That's more than usual.
Speaker 2:Thank goodness you got a milkshake.
Speaker 3:Are you okay? Yeah, I'm good Go ahead, okay, so you don't go there for their donuts, you know what I mean. Like you go there because of the convenience. Yeah, you go there because of their app, their app is great. I will say this. I will say their app is great, but I also say Chick-fil-A's app is great as well, in terms of rewards and also just the ease of convenience. They have oversaturated the market. I'm going to throw something else out there.
Speaker 1:Okay, this is a theory that I have with Duncan. We all love community. That's why we like sports teams.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:We all love being a part of something bigger than ourselves, and that is such an identity of New England, it's true, and Boston, yep, I think even if the coffee is not great, even if the donuts are not spectacular, it is like the same thing in New York walking around wearing a Yankees hat, if you're walking around in New England holding a Dunkin' Coffee, you're a part of the team. So I think it's an identity thing. I really do, yeah, like you're just part of the culture.
Speaker 2:And I'm sorry, but if you have not visited their socials, their socials are top notch.
Speaker 1:They are so witty and funny Like they just have it Well the last couple of years, the Super Bowl commercials Belichick and Brady and Damon, they've got everyone, but they weren't good enough to respond to you.
Speaker 3:So that is true.
Speaker 2:I mean, I did tag them. But, maybe this is what brings them to the table.
Speaker 3:All right. So here's my question then If you could improve what, what?
Speaker 2:No, you've spoken a lot. I'm going to stop talking with my mouth full.
Speaker 3:I thought you told me to talk because you guys wanted to eat.
Speaker 2:Okay, keep going, I do.
Speaker 3:All right, so I'm just listening. If you could improve, duncan, what's?
Speaker 1:one thing you would do to improve Duncan. Okay.
Speaker 2:Well, my mouth is full now, but so I have a beef.
Speaker 1:Radio silence. Can't wait for it. The Duncan in Hanover. I have a beef with you A specific call out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, for real. Well, I drop my kids off at daycare and, like I get a coffee every single morning. I drop them off, I get a coffee from my car. It's like probably 30, 40 minutes from Hanover to get to DHQ. Right, it's obnoxious, but I have to have that coffee Recently. I don't understand, but like their current batch of cups leak out the bottom. Every single one of them. Yeah, and I don't understand. Every single one of them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I don't understand like they'll hand me a coffee with, like, clearly a drip running down the side with no napkins and I'm just like guys yeah, there I'm driving my car like I don't want this all over me, but then I'll put it in the cup holder and each time I pick it up it starts pooling up, because it's actually dripping out, the bottom yeah it's the paper we gotta fix that it's the paper cups.
Speaker 1:No, it's true they can do it. That's my beef with duncan. Okay, I'm trying to think I also this. I had this thought a couple days ago and this is truly a march fatness theme. So when you do get hash browns, yeah, from duncan, I just like. I don't have an issue with the quality, they're just hash browns, but I like just give me like two more.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I agree.
Speaker 1:I just want like two more.
Speaker 2:The amount of times I've reached in that bag. The amount of times I've reached in that bag thinking there was another one in there and there wasn't it was a sad day.
Speaker 3:Just give me one or two more hash browns, but they're also like pretty soggy, like McDonald's gives you ones.
Speaker 2:No, sometimes they're nice and crispy Okay.
Speaker 3:I've always had them salty.
Speaker 2:You don't get enough.
Speaker 1:I got crispy ones recently, but now I was just like just one more.
Speaker 3:What's your top donut at Dunkin' Donuts?
Speaker 1:I'm pretty boring when it comes to donuts. I'm like chocolate frosted, just pretty straight. Caleb and Mackenzie right now love Well. First of all, we don't ever really let them have donuts. But if I go through to get a coffee it's like yell and scream like, but they want the uh, the pink strawberry with sprinkles, that's good that's good, but then caleb quote unquote eats his donut is it just the top?
Speaker 1:just tears off the and then like says here you go I'm done, and hands me, like the whole donut, the bottom of it, yeah, 100. Yeah, we usually oh, I don't, I'm not really a donut person.
Speaker 2:I want to like, not I just want I'm done, and hands me, like the whole donut, the bottom of it, yeah Right, a hundred percent. Yeah, we usually oh, I don't, I'm not really a donut person. I want to like not, I just want coffee.
Speaker 3:Is that?
Speaker 2:fair, I don't really like their bagels because they're not New York bagels.
Speaker 1:Like once.
Speaker 2:Once you've had a New York bagel you can't really. This is the danger of eating on the air Best episode and I also just drank, an energy drink, so anyways. But if I had to get a donut, it would be the jelly donut. I don't really waste carbs on other donuts.
Speaker 3:Okay, fair, I'm a blueberry or Boston cream kind of guy. I will say their egg bites are really really good. Yeah, they are good. Adam was talking about their egg bites are really really good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they are good. Adam was talking about their egg bites, but I'm not their their breakfast sandwiches.
Speaker 3:Like they're not as good as mcdonald's in my opinion so chick-fil-a, do you think they have like?
Speaker 1:do you think they're more successful because they have a limited menu but they do it with like excellence? Or is it just the chicken?
Speaker 2:like what is it? That's a fair thought. I don't. Their chicken is just so good. Their chicken is so good. There's definitely a fresh component, and their mac and cheese is good too. Jackson gets that.
Speaker 3:There's definitely like a fresh component to it that it's not like we're reheating a bunch of just like you know stuff that you throw in a microwave. So there's a fresh component to it. I think the service quality, the drive-thru is so impressive.
Speaker 1:Whoever invented the Chick-fil-A drive-thru system needs to run our national elections.
Speaker 2:Yes, I agree, run our government in general.
Speaker 1:You know, on presidential election night when you're waiting for Miami-Dade County hasn't counted their all-over. Whoever runs Chick-fil-A needs to run the elections.
Speaker 2:That is speedy. They have those little pop-up tents that go around their drive-thru personnel. They have thought of everything.
Speaker 3:They have the drive-thru heaters that are warm as you drive through.
Speaker 1:I will say one of my only gripes with Chick-fil-A is if there's a long drive-thru line, now this is a plus and a negative, so someone will come by to take your order.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I'm like you're locked in. No, but I'm like dude, I'm like 10 cars from the board and I don't know what I want.
Speaker 2:yet that's true.
Speaker 1:So you either got to show me your iPad or like I don't know what's going on. But he's just like what do you?
Speaker 3:what's your order? If I had to criticize them Closed on Sunday yeah I'd say I think it's a plus and a minus. It's a plus for the kingdom but it's a minus for my flesh that they're closed on Sunday, right.
Speaker 1:That's gotta be good. I'd be curious to talk. You're ridiculous, I'd be curious to talk to someone who works there. Like for employee morale.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like to have a scheduled day off. Nobody works, yeah.
Speaker 2:It is, it's got to be good.
Speaker 1:I would think so. Yeah, are you?
Speaker 2:eating any of these fries.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 3:I'm sorry, you have not eaten any. Yeah, I will.
Speaker 2:That is true.
Speaker 3:Well, that's all I got to say.
Speaker 2:Let us chew.
Speaker 1:Let us chew All right. Well, any more thoughts about March fatness I know there was some controversy.
Speaker 2:I think it was good. I think in the end I mean in the end we really couldn't have fit anything else on this table, so I think it had to be Chick-fil-A. Yeah, but yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, that's a wrap on March Fatness, we have Chick-fil-A as our bracket winner. Pretty impressive. Now you got the sound effects.
Speaker 2:Why is that the sound effect that you guys make? Have you ever seen?
Speaker 3:Superstore.
Speaker 2:No, parks and Rec, isn't it, parks and Rec?
Speaker 3:Superstore Okay well now we.
Speaker 2:Now, we still don't know.
Speaker 1:Anyways, thanks for the sound effects.
Speaker 3:You're welcome Anytime bro.
Speaker 1:But we're going to wrap up this first segment of the Plugged In Podcast, episode number 26. Kind of another mini episode for you today, but we're going to wrap up this first segment of the Plugged In Podcast, episode number 26. Kind of another mini episode for you today, when we come back from our break, we're going to be talking about Jesus' farewell message and the last thing that he says to his disciples before he is betrayed and executed and then risen from the dead. Easter Epic, it is epic. It is epic. All right, we'll be right back. Plugged In Podcast, episode number 26. Alright, welcome back. This is part number two, episode 26. Plugged In Podcast. We just consumed our lunch. I thought we'd be all hyped. One of us is hyped.
Speaker 2:I'm here, man. Thank goodness for one of us being hyped. I could take a nap.
Speaker 1:Oh, I've crashed. I'm like looking at my Bible right now and I'm just like, oh, the words are blurry Words are crossing. Jesus this and that Prayer.
Speaker 2:I could lay my head on this table.
Speaker 1:So we opened up a study a couple episodes ago called Jesus's Farewell Message and we've kind of referenced it a couple times in the last couple episodes. But this Jesus's farewell message, and we've kind of referenced it a couple of times in the last couple episodes, but this is Jesus really his final words to his disciples before the Easter season?
Speaker 1:So if you have your Bible, open up to John, chapter 15. I think that's where we're starting and we're going to look at chapter 15, 16, and 17 today. So just really basically looking at chapter 15. So in the study with Francis Chan, he uses the word abide a lot. The translation that I have says remain in me, but here are the verses just starting John 15, chapter 1.
Speaker 1:This is Jesus speaking to his disciples. I am the true grapevine and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you Remain in me and I will remain in you, For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. I think you have a thought, Nate. But before you jump into that, when I was listening to Francis Chan speak about this and he used the word abide in me and abide in me and abide in me, he kept on going over and over. It made me think of this. You may know this person, Captain Wani Williams. Yeah, I feel like, well, maybe we all did, but I knew her as Wani Yep and then I knew her as a Lieutenant, Wani Inn.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:And now she's. It sounds very professional, captain Wani Williams, but I remember there was some program we were doing and and she sent me a track that she was going to be using for something that she was putting together. And she sent me the track and the name of the track was like resting in God's presence for five hours.
Speaker 2:And I was like what so?
Speaker 1:I opened up this track. It's massive, it's five hours long, so I was really curious. So I'm listening to it and it's really like just kind of the wash of sound Like peaceful. Very, very peaceful. So I click on the album and then the next track is called Resting in God's Presence for 10, 10 hours.
Speaker 2:So it was like these massive soundtracks. But when?
Speaker 1:I was listening to Francis Chan preach about this section abide in me, abide in me. He's talking about being in such a distraction-filled world that, to truly soak in the message of what Jesus is saying, it's hard for us to break free of that distraction, and so he was just kind of like dwelling on this fact of to truly be in God's presence. What are you sacrificing? Cause we talked about in our previous study, you can't just keep on adding things, can't keep on adding things to your life. So what are you taking away? What are you sacrificing to gain God's presence?
Speaker 3:I thought it was really interesting.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I'm always challenged in this section that the fruitfulness apart from me, you can do nothing. And I think of all the things that I do, or all the things that I produce, and not inherently bad on my own, like good intentions sometimes, or things that I see are helping people or impacting the world, uh, or affecting my family. And then I think of all those things that I do and it's not actually rooted in in who Christ is, and I look back and when I read something that's so I don't know severe as apart from me.
Speaker 3:You can do nothing, nothing. I have to reevaluate. Okay, what? Check my heart, what are my motives, what are my priorities? And I? That's the challenge that I always take away from this, that that we can do good things apart from God. But are those good things going to last? Are those good things what, what God desires for us? Are those the best things? There's the good things, and then there's the best things.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And does it have eternal value? Yeah, or does it show that to me?
Speaker 2:off air.
Speaker 3:Yeah, eternal significance, like yeah, I don't know. I'm always convicted when I read this because remaining like that's an intentional action.
Speaker 2:You have to be intentional to remain.
Speaker 3:It's not just you're there, you have to take. You have to take, uh, take steps to remain Right. Um, someone described it to me as like our relationship with God. Uh, god never moves. Um, like we're the ones who drift, we're the ones who walk away, we're the ones who fill our time and our space with other things, and God is always right there. Who's moved, who moved in the process? Not him. It's us who have drifted away and have failed to remain. And so what a challenge.
Speaker 2:I think it's like when you think about like, abiding, just. We've just been even at home talking about the amount of just noise in our lives. You know what I mean. And I personally, even when I get to the office in the morning, I put on my Alexa and I listen to music or I have something, some music, in my headphones, like I need other things happening. When I'm cooking, I have to turn either a show or music on, like I don't. The silence is is almost deafening in in some ways, and so it's so uncomfortable to sit and remain and abide in silence and total transparency moment. I know I told you guys this, but when I was watching his videos I turned it on like 1.5 speed Cause, like I even in those moments and I thought this is counterintuitive he does speak slow, to be fair.
Speaker 2:He does, it's deliberate and I am so prone to wander in my mind and so I was like, let me just, let me speed this up so I can stay, stay in the moment, but I I still like I even made those, tried to make those faster, and it's just hard, it's a hard yeah it's a hard practice.
Speaker 1:I had to go into the study. To be honest, I had to rewind it several times because I would be like really locked in, focused for two and a half minutes and then I'd wander and then I'd have to go back Somewhere else. Yeah, Christianity, the practice of silence and solitude.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I think we do something like this at Music Conservatory every year, where, in a day filled with chaos and noise and loudness, at the end of the day, we intentionally come together, we'll dwell in God's word, but then we break off and we try to be completely separate from one another for about 15 minutes and there's no I mean there's just noise that happens.
Speaker 1:Right naturally you hear the hum of the room or someone coughs or sneezes, but I mean it's like really really a time to dig in. Skipping down to verse 9 in chapter 15, this is another thing that Francis Chan really, really emphasizes, to not gloss over and normalize this. Verse 9 says I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.
Speaker 1:When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow. In the video series, francis Chan uses this specific verse to say he's like this verse just make you worship. You should just worship him.
Speaker 2:Uncanny.
Speaker 1:No, like I said, I lock into the cinematic moments of it and sometimes he has a little bit of a gravelly voice and I'm just kind of like I clear your throat, man like, but I have, I have the same thing so. But no, he was like uh, I have told you these things, so why have you told me? I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. And the idea here is, if, if you're filled with the joy and the love of the creator of all things, why do you need anything else? Why should you want anything else that should like just be so. Uh, he just kind of hammered home Don't normalize that.
Speaker 1:Don't oversimplify it, because maybe you've grown up with a Christian understanding.
Speaker 2:And it's, it's just the idea and I have this highlighted in my, in my iPad, from a separate study on this chapter but just this idea of joy isn't dependent on our circumstance, and that's something I really struggle with. You know, like it can take one, one thing, one conversation, to kind of just mentally spiral me to a play called like. I was talking to Nate on the phone yesterday and I was like man, I'm just in a, I'm in a, in a spiral, I'm stuck in a spiral and I can't get out of this and I'm just trying to not bring this home. But like, how many little instances can really spiral my mood? Because it's, it's circumstantial, but this idea of joy, like pure joy in the Lord, is not being so swayed by frustration, happiness.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it should supersede it, but it's hard.
Speaker 2:But like in total transparency, it is hard. It is so hard and and it's. I am always just convicted by that verse and reminded about, like this, joy and serving and loving and being in joy and dang. It's hard.
Speaker 3:Well, he talks over and over again about the challenge that we have, as humans, to connect with an invisible God, and not just an invisible God, but a God who spirit and power and might and majesty is so far beyond our comprehension. And so he's continually bringing back in that grovelly voice of just do not miss the fact that the God of heaven wants to reside in you.
Speaker 2:Relationship.
Speaker 3:Take that away, Because there's a difference between knowing what life in the Spirit is on an intellectual basis versus knowing what life in the Spirit is all about experientially and living that. And so he says do not normalize that, Do not gloss over that. You can know that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. But unless you are actively remaining and abiding in God, these things are not going to be a part of you. In fact, everything that you produce is good for nothing but to be cut down and thrown into the fire. But the things that he produces in you and desires to develop in you, those are the things that are going to last.
Speaker 1:That's the legacy that's going to point others to the transformative power of Jesus Christ at work in you, and I think, yeah, I think that we can all just kind of bring that back into perspective. Yeah, Looking at the very end of chapter 15. So one thing that I like to think about he didn't Francis Chan didn't necessarily talk about this in the study, but verses 18 through 25. So this talks about like, if you truly, if you truly know and are filled with the love of God, you will understand the hatred of the world. Now what I like to think about here is so Jesus is saying this to his disciples Jesus knows what his disciples are about to face. It's true, Okay, so once Jesus dies, even after he's raised from the dead, Jesus knows that these people are going to be in life threatening crisis for knowing him, for associating with him, for believing in him. And Jesus is saying the world hated me first, but be ready. If you, if you know my love, you will understand the hatred of the world.
Speaker 1:And so like without the disciples really knowing what's coming. Jesus has the upper hand in saying this, but I just thought I think of that perspective is interesting to think about. Do you want to move on to chapter 16? Yeah, or whatever your. Do you want to move on to chapter 16? Yeah, or whatever your.
Speaker 3:it looks like you got something else. Uh sure, um sorry Well.
Speaker 2:I was going to say, like when, in transitioning to chapter 16, there's just this continuation and you can find, like this thread, even on my diatribe of joy, but there's it's down towards the end. But, um, my diatribe of joy, but it's down towards the end, but in verse 16 of chapter 16, in a little while you won't see me anymore. So he's talked about the Holy Spirit coming, and this is what's best for you, that I go away, so the advocate of the Holy Spirit can come. And then he says in a little while you won't see him anymore, but a little while after that you will see me again. And so he's talking to the disciples about what this means.
Speaker 2:And then there's just this idea about how even our grief and our sadness and the grief that the disciples are going to experience in Christ's death will be turned into their joy. And that just kind of carries over. I mean, think of our lives and think about, you know, grief and think about the sadness and the difficulties that we face, and just just this idea that there's grief is is deeper than like surface value, like like the Lord wants to use that. Um, and I just again, I just I could, I could go on and on about the idea of joy, because it's something I'm so convicted by.
Speaker 2:But the Lord can use literally anything, even our deepest, darkest moments, to be used for joy which is not dependent upon the situation. Circumstance yeah, the circumstance and I mean these disciples.
Speaker 3:They went, like you, think of how their lives ended, these disciples. They went, like you, think of how their lives ended. So many of them, you know, persecuted, executed, scattered, exiled think of John exiled onto the island of Patmos. And just like, like their faith, the faith that Jesus is talking about here was, was put to the test pretty rapidly after he left them.
Speaker 3:And so he's he's very, he's, very clear to say I'm telling you these things that you won't abandon your faith, because there is, there's going to come things that you're going to confront, things that will put your faith to the test. And are you going to withstand? Are you going to cling on the promise that an advocate, the Holy spirit, is with you through it all, or are you going to feel like you're overmatched and you are all alone and you're abandoned? And I mean, there are situations in our own lives where we feel like we're walking through something that nobody else understands my struggle. Nobody else could ever, you know, withstand what I'm facing right now. But we have an advocate who does. You know, Scripture says that he intercedes on our behalf, that he prays the words that we don't even know how to pray for ourselves. And so, when we really wrap our minds around this beautiful gift of the Holy Spirit. We have that companion, that comforter, that peace, but the one who also leads us into things that are true.
Speaker 1:Can I put verses to what you're saying? Maybe Maybe you already read this. So Jesus is right before he prays. Chapter 17 is Jesus' prayer. But right before that, jesus says in verse 28 of chapter 16, yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.
Speaker 1:Now here's a moment of realism. Then his disciples said At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. Now we understand that you know everything and there's no need to question you From this. We believe that you came from God. And then Jesus asked. So here's verses 31 through 33. Do you finally believe? But the time is coming Indeed, it's here now. When you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. When you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me, here on earth. You will have many trials and sorrows, and then this is the best part, but take heart, because I have overcome the world. I've already won. I've already won. I know some crap is coming up, but I've already won. I just got chills I think it's the milkshake, and then we move on.
Speaker 2:any more thoughts on those two chapters before we wrap this up again, I'm always humbled by the fact that even the disciples who witnessed and saw had uh doubts and inabilities to believe, and so the lord has grace for our humanity and so when we have those moments of doubt and when you know the dark thoughts might win, like the lord has grace with us and understanding he gets us, and so that now you get it, now you understand, that's just always a reminder for me. Like I'm, I'm okay, I'm human.
Speaker 3:I'm good, Two things. Two things really stick out for me personally, and that's one um, what separates Jesus from any other God is that he lived our experience.
Speaker 3:You know God with us, emmanuel. He walked where we walk, he lived where we lived. He feels what we feel and because of that he identifies with us in our weakness. And so we have a personal God who knows our experience and comforts us in the midst of our grief. And then I'm also always struck that the week leading up to the cross, you know, jesus's mind and heart could have been anywhere else, but he's spending his time praying for us, like we are on his minds as he's preparing to go to the cross, and we as individuals, but we as his church, as the bride of Christ, we are precious to him and it gives us hope. It gives us hope in a world that is constant chaos and conflict and division. If he's praying for oneness, if he's praying for peace, if he's praying for us to exhibit the love of the Father, that this relationship that they share, if that's his prayer for us, then we have a holy calling, each one of us, and those are the things that are most impressed upon my heart.
Speaker 1:So you just used the word unity or oneness, but that into chapter 17.
Speaker 3:I'm sorry I jumped ahead. No, I mean, that's a perfect segue.
Speaker 1:I mean, if you want to keep talking about it, you can, but chapter 17,. So you just said it, you just said the words, but, uh, before this is all over, he's praying. He's praying for us. Yeah, so he talks about in this chapter, uh, the unity of the church, the unity amongst the disciples, um, and how important this is. Um, I, I lost the verse, I don't. I don't remember exactly where it is, but there's a verse that basically says I don't want to the 21. 21.
Speaker 2:Oh yes, is that what you're talking about? I?
Speaker 1:pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one, as you are in me, father, and I am in you, and may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. Yeah, that's the one. So I mean the idea here. The unity of the church is the proof to the world that this man is the son of God. When people see how we interact with each other, it's that Christian witness of just you don't have to say anything, people see you.
Speaker 1:They see how you live your life, how you interact with other people. Are you different? Is your witness different, outwardly different?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that in the world the idea of unity can be so easily confused with like uniformity and unity is not all thinking the same, looking the same, acting the same. You know that's not unity thinking the same, looking the same, acting the same.
Speaker 2:That's not unity. Unity is all of our creative gifts, abilities given to us by the Lord, all of our languages and everything, being united in the understanding of who Christ is and who we are in Christ, not washing away our uniquenesses and our and like who were who we were creatively meant to be. I think that, uh, can you know, kind of diminish the creativity of our God to think of uniformity, and so I think there's just this, like I don't know this, this pair, this uh misunderstanding of unity being like we all need to be the same, no, like we can all think be different, and that's what the lord wants of us yeah, and think I mean, like, just think of, even in the church, how many different denominations and interpretations there are and, uh, people that say it has to be this way, in this way.
Speaker 3:And what jesus is trying to say, the the unity that he's concerned about, is that we are united in spirit and in truth. But we don't know that truth unless we look back a little bit into verse 17, where he says make them holy by your truth, teach them your word, which is truth. Just as I sent, just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. We have the truth through the visible manifestation of jesus christ amongst us, who live the truth, and because we know jesus, we know the father's heart, and that enables us to carry forth his truth to the ends of the earth. And so when we're talking about this, this unity of spirit and of truth, we need to be people who are remaining in Christ, so that the world can sit back and take notice that there is something different about a relationship with the Lord compared to a relationship with the world.
Speaker 2:Amen.
Speaker 1:Amen. So that's going to wrap up our segment of Jesus's farewell message here on the Plugged In Podcast. Now, obviously, these chapters John 14, 15, 16, and 17,. You know we talked about this in 20 minutes on this episode, maybe another 10 on the other episode. That's not really the point, right? That's not the point of this. The Bible doesn't come out and say like these are the most important things I'm going to tell you in the work of my ministry. And maybe they're not, but situationally it just lends itself to. He's running out of time.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Right, what we? What do you? What are you going to say in your final hour? Yeah, it's probably important.
Speaker 2:What are you going to waste your breath on? Right, yeah, it's going to be the important stuff. I was like that's strong.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so take your Bible. Open up your Bible. If you can access right now media, I do think this study is helpful. But if you don't have that, open the Bible. John 14 through 17,. That can lead you into the Easter season. I think a lot of us are very familiar with what happened after he says these words. That's kind of the much more yeah. I know how that goes, but these are not simple sentences to just kind of like. I mean, we had already admitted we were watching the study in our car.
Speaker 2:That's not the point, not the point. Maybe not you. No, I was, I totally was. I think I did.
Speaker 1:But actually sitting down with the word and trying to digest what this is saying and again, you mentioned this and I really resonate this with this, but allowing yourself the grace to still be confused at some points Like that's okay because God showed it was okay that they didn't understand right at first. Are you going to say something?
Speaker 3:Well, I just said, even in the study there's a section where where Francis Chan's talking about you know greater things, you will do after me, which Jesus says to the disciples. And even Francis is like. I really struggle with this, like how am I supposed to to come to grips with the fact that we're going to do greater things than Jesus himself? And so he even says you know, I don't understand all, all of this, but I trust that the spirit of truth is continuing to reveal this stuff to me as I continue to grow.
Speaker 2:I appreciate that.
Speaker 3:His authenticity there. Cause it's just like you know we need to be able to ask questions yeah. You know, there are some things this side of heaven that we will never truly grasp, it's true, but if we have the foundational truth central to who we are, um, I truly believe that his spirit is going to continue to work in each one of us and reveal his kingdom in us.
Speaker 1:Very good. Well, that'll be a wrap today on the Plugged In Podcast, episode number 26. If you haven't done so, go back to episode 25, our yam special. Maybe one of our better episodes, yeah that was a solid one, guys. It was a good one. The yam overnighter was really great. We might touch on that in the next episode. So one more episode after this Yep, and we're actually going to try to like sign off for the season.
Speaker 2:Let's wrap this.
Speaker 1:It's not going to be like there's an episode and then like a seven-month like just disappearance. Hiatus. We're going to try to have one more episode and we're going to sign off.
Speaker 2:It took two years, but we're getting realistic. Yeah, yeah, realistic yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So we're gonna sign off and then you won't hear from us. Uh, for the summer and then, pending who knows what, we'll be back for another season in the fall yeah, so we'll, we'll see all right. Well, this has been the plugged in podcast, episode number 26, and we will see you next time. Thank you.