Two Friends Talk Saints, Scripture, And Finding God | EP. 121

Two friends talk about Catholic tradition, non-denominational worship, and the difference between religion and a relationship with Jesus. We share testimonies, challenge “good person” theology, and press into repentance, Scripture, and a welcoming Church that holds conviction.

• modern devotions, deliverance, and discerning spirits
• liberal Christianity and twisting Scripture
• being good versus following Christ
• reading the Bible to test teaching
• saints, rosary, penance, and praying in Jesus’ name
• testimonies of the Holy Spirit and changed lives
• church hurt, welcoming culture, and conviction
• pride, ego, marriage, and daily repentance
• small miracles, gratitude, and answered prayer
• urgency of faith: where do you stand today

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Transcript

Sponsors And Show Kickoff

SPEAKER_00 0:09

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Modern Belief: Santa Muerte And Deliverance

SPEAKER_03 0:56

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SPEAKER_00 1:21

But man, I watch them do all that stuff and they go out of these areas, and uh I mean I've seen them even go to like these witches, these brujas or these uh those uh you know like those Santa Muerte. That guy, um that guy Sparza, yeah, he really goes to a lot of these places and he's like like Santeria and all that. Yeah, and he goes to a lot of the concerts like in Dallas. I think he's from the Dallas area. Yeah, and he'll talk to like young people and a lot of them do, man. Like it's crazy. You don't think, but a lot of people do believe, and they have the Santa Muerte uh oh they believe food.

SPEAKER_03 1:49

There's a lot of people that believe fiercely in Santa Muerte, bro.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

Yeah, and then they don't realize that it's a a demon. This guy would literally try to like he'll put their hands and he'll start like like putting this demon out, this jizeb, or whatever they like. And I'm like, dang, bro, like it's crazy, man. Like, and you see like this guy, I don't know, he started coughing.

SPEAKER_03 2:05

It's because that's for that's for people whose souls are already cooked. Yeah, they they have no choice, yeah. They have no choice, so they they they they gotta they gotta get something, you know what I mean? They they they're they're used to their evil ways. A lot of cartel members and shit, they that's where they go because they've already murdered so many fucking people.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

And then you have to give it, you have to give sacrifices.

SPEAKER_03 2:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

Uh and it's like that's weird too, because you're like, dang, you gotta actually sacrifice uh like either you give money or you gotta sacrifice. It's crazy, bro. Like I don't know, man. I I I've been uh I just I like to read stuff, you know, and then like what I'll do is also is I'll like check other things and then see like what was he talking about? You know what I mean? Like, I don't know, man. It's uh it's it's uh it's it's cool to I love doing stuff like that, but I don't know. I I can watch that stuff all day. Anytime they got a new video out, they just got one out really I can't wait. It comes out Sunday, it's a Jubilee, and it's uh one Christian, or I don't know how they said it, but it's verse 20 liberal Christians, Christians. And uh honestly.

SPEAKER_03 3:03

Oh, so he's doing that.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

It's a lady that's uh conservative, I guess you would say, or not, she's just she's not even conservative, bro. She literally just follows the Bible, but like you know, you got 20 liberal Christians that are gonna try to say.

SPEAKER_03 3:14

Well, yeah, they do that bullpen style shit. I love that. Yeah, it's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

And uh yeah, they got a good one coming out this uh weekend, and uh I'm excited to watch it. I I watch a lot of that stuff, but I mean stuff like that, especially like b uh biblical, like man, it's just I don't know. Like I I I can I can watch that all day, bro. And then you see how the how the left, like I don't want to say left, but well, I guess you can say the left. But like the liberals in general, like these churches, and how they like uh bounce around um the book itself and then they swit they twist the words to where and then and then they they even won't acknowledge some of the sayings in in the Bible, bro. It's it's weird, man. I don't know. I don't know how you Well that's the whole point.

SPEAKER_03 3:51

That's that's the whole point. They're trying to they're trying to erase it if they can. Yeah people's minds, so they use their own fucking logic.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

Exactly. You lie to yourself, yeah, for sure. It's just like whenever you're like living a sinful life, you'll be like, you'll you'll lie to yourself and like it's okay, Jesus, uh my sins. It's good. I'm okay, you know. And and but you're really not, and you're really damning yourself, man. And that's why I told like um, you know, they say that you will uh if you lead people astray, you're gonna you will pay for it whenever you have to come to the Lord. And and that's always scared me, bro. Like, uh like I don't think I do that.

SPEAKER_03 4:24

We're all gonna we all have stuff that we had to answer for. Everything that we do, we have to answer for.

SPEAKER_00 4:30

Everything in the dark will come to light. Right? But you know, you have G if you you know, if you give uh give your life to him and you live through him, then you you know, then you have your sins are forgiven. But I think like people who lead people astray and then they never accept it, that's the worst. You know, that's whenever God says, uh, even if you do follow him, but then you don't you don't really live his through his word, or you live the other way. What does he say? Uh be gone, uh, I don't I don't know you. And uh he tells that to people, like you know what I mean, and it's like dang, dude, like that's deep, bro.

SPEAKER_03 4:58

Like Yeah, I mean it's it's uh it depends on it depends on um each person how they decide to live their lives. I mean, nobody could tell you how to live your life. The only one who's trying to help is God. Yeah, it's free will. So you have to the choice is yours, right? Everybody has your everybody has their thought on how exactly that's supposed to go, um, and everybody has their interpretation and all that. It just for me is real simple. It's like you have to be a good person, just be a good person, follow, follow the right path, follow the right path, because it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter how many times you go to church, how much how many times you read the Bible, how many, all that, nobody can be a hundred percent. Nobody's gonna be a hundred percent.

Liberal Christianity And Twisting Scripture

SPEAKER_00 5:54

It doesn't just take being a good person, you know, because you can be a good person, you can give all this money, you can uh be the good guy, never do any crimes or hurt anybody, but if you don't believe in Jesus Christ and you don't follow him, then that still doesn't make you okay. You know what I'm saying? Like, you gotta think I think people get confused with that too, like, hey, I'm good, I'm a good guy, like I'm gonna be okay. Because a lot of people do think that, and I used to think that too. Like, uh, I'm good, I'm I'm gonna be alright, like, you know, I don't do nothing bad. I provide, I I do everything I'm supposed to do. Like, yes, I do some things, but not bad, you know. But but you got to think too, is that Jesus says, too, if if you you have to live with me, live through me, and that and follow me, you right? And that's what you have to do, like I think, like, and that's what it says biblically. And yes, you're right. Like, people who go to church, there's people out there that go to church every day. There's people that read the Bible, yet they don't live it or they don't preach it. I mean, they don't practice what they preach, in other words, and I think that's uh that's a big thing too, you know what I'm saying? Like, I'm not gonna say that's not right either, but it doesn't take just also being a good person. I mean, because that's that's been told through the Bible, but Paul himself will say that. But I think uh I think that's where I think a lot of people get that confused, bro. Like, and it's sad. I think it is because they either don't really know it, or it's not they don't know it. I don't know. It's like it's like hard. Like you have to read, I think. You have to read it, and you have to uh you have to understand it, because when you understand it and you literally follow them, I mean that I mean I'm talking you put away all your sins and you literally turn, you repent, and that's where it changes everything. Because if you don't repent, then it's not for nothing. You know, it's I don't know. And Jesus says all the time, you gotta bear your own cross, right? So it's just one of those things I feel, man. Like it's a weird, it's a it's a it's not I don't know. I get I get really uh I get really emotional talking about it. Not emotional, but it's like, I don't know, man. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 7:40

Like, yeah, I mean it's but but people but people can't be like you, you do it your way. Just like any other person will tell you. I'm I'm sure, and this is a problem that Christians have. This is the truth. The problem that Christian ha that Christians have is that so many people have their interpretation, and for whatever reason, they think that their interpretation is right. Catholics, Chris, uh every type of Christian, right? That's where non-denomination came. But I could say the same thing in non-denomination, it's a glorified party, or what have you, right? Many things have been said about that. So yeah, I get it. I I I understand 100% where you're coming from. Like you your interpretation of what you should do and the people that you talk to, and the people that you study with, and the people that you do all that uh with um your interpretations are still your interpretations. Now, if I if I say my interpretation is I'm gonna do it this way, um you still it's completely your right to not agree with this way.

SPEAKER_00 8:47

But who's right? Well, I think that's when you have to go to the Bible, and I think you have to follow the Bible, right? Because that's the way you look at it. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 8:56

But that the Bible has to the Bible's interpreted in bad ways just as well as good.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

But that's yeah, that's for sure. Like some people can twist some some parts for sure. But I think if you read the whole sermon and if you are a following Christian, there's a lot of things to back up what is right and what is wrong. And I think that if you stay, and that's why they say stay in your Bible, stay in your word, so that you know when somebody's twisting the words. You know what I'm saying? And I think that's how you gotta look at it. Like, and that's when we're talking about these liberal, these liberal uh like churches, they'll twist the words. That's what they're doing, right? They're twisting the words, and that can happen another way. People can twist the same words the same way, and this happened through history. You think of uh slave owners, they twisted the Bible itself to try to hold slaves down, they wouldn't show them certain parts, especially whenever they would uh, you know, whenever they left Egypt and stuff, like I think uh I think you have to look at that way. But that's why they say read your Bible, stay in your book, because that's when you know. But I do think that's a difference, like, yes, uh, I get that. There are some non-denominations that'll that really are just uh fun party. But I think if you have a good church that follows literally just the word, I think that's where you're good at. Because that's where it comes down to. Yeah. Don't matter what what what it is. If you're a following Christian, you can be a Catholic, you can be a non-denominant, you can be a Baptist, everything. But if you have to follow the word, yeah, and I think that's what it comes down to.

SPEAKER_03 10:11

Yeah, but that's that's what I'm saying. Like in in in Christianity, period, uh, there's so many different churches, and not all of them are guilty of this, right? But I I see I see it happen all the time. This is the way you should follow, not this way. Forget about the rosary, forget about saints, forget about this, forget about that. This is the way you should follow, right? So I've seen it, I've seen it so much, and why Christians go after each other, I'll never I never really understand that, but but they they somebody decides, you know what, I'm I'm starting this church because I'm reading the Bible and I don't read or see what this church is teaching. So I'm gonna go over here and start a start a church. That's why there's so many churches, man.

SPEAKER_00 11:02

No, I know that. I mean, you think about the Lutheran church. I mean, you know how that was started. A Lutheran left the Roman church, he didn't like what they were doing, and yeah, I kind of get that part too because he was um it was that during that era where I you know purgatory's always got me because purgatory is not in the Bible once. Yeah, and I don't I didn't know that till now. But you know, back then they would charge people money uh to for a priest to pay for uh their loved ones, and he would get out of purgatory. And I think that's where Lutheran kind of didn't like that, and he left. And then they didn't want America, they didn't want regular people to be able to read the Bible, they only wanted to interpret it and spread it the way they want, and they were mad, and then Lutheran didn't want that. So, you know what I mean? It's like that that those those are things too, though, that are weird. And like there's always good reasons for it, right? I get it. In the in the rosary, yeah, for sure. In the rosary, I feel like it's it's a little like people I think people get confused with that. Like, yes, uh Rosary is not mentioned once in the Bible, but it is a practice. It's a praying tool. It's a it's a it's what the you know, and I'm okay with it I don't care about that, you know. It's a prayer. If that helps, my dad does that, my grandma does it every morning. It's like that's that's what they do, right? But like uh, but you know, the only thing that always got me was that I never read, I never was ever I think I never was ever able to read the Bible. I never read it, I was never told to, I never even tried it. And I think a lot of Catholics don't read it. And I think you should read it because if you want to know the word, you but you have to that's tough, man, because when you were a Catholic, you didn't practice.

SPEAKER_03 12:24

Well you uh you you you really started practicing when you started the church you're in now. Yeah. In in Catholicism, it's a choice, just like anything else. They have Bible groups, they have Bible study, they have CCD, where they read by uh their Bible verses and then talk about it. They have all the same stuff that's going on over here.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 12:52

Now the only difference is maybe you guys have more Bible study than than the church does, and the church does more of a of a classroom style uh thing in in Catholicism.

Good Person Vs Following Christ

SPEAKER_00 13:06

Well, I will tell you this. I haven't took one Bible class yet over there, like at all. Yeah, I do think that I didn't hear Jesus as much as I did uh going to a non-denomination, and I felt God there. Like I had never felt God before. And I think that's what got me. It was like, and then and then that feeling that touch, feeling that Holy Spirit, that's what got me to really start looking more into it. And it's a slow walk, it's not a fast walk. It takes time and you'll stumble. But I think that's what got me to really start looking into the word and start following word. It wasn't it wasn't my church telling me to, it wasn't, it wasn't like uh, and we do have we do have studies, we have stuff like that, you know. I and I took a class once, but it wasn't it wasn't a Bible study class. I thought it was gonna be, but it was more like on um, I don't know, like uh uh uh gifts and stuff that people certain people have, you know, and uh it was really uh you know it was I mean it taught me a lot, but though the only issue I have, and that's not even an issue, man. Like I think anybody should when it comes to Christianity, if you if you get God out of it, man, do it. If that works for you, great. But I feel like a lot of people have don't get they don't get it, like they don't feel it, they don't know it, and uh I feel bad because it's like man, I know they want more, but they can't find it there. And you know, that's the way I look at it. Like, if if if Catholicism works for you, great. But the only problem I had with it was that you know, you think about it, they say, uh do your penance, right? Uh pray to the priest, uh pray to the Virgin Mary or to the saints, right? So that means you have and I never like okay, fine, but I never was ever like go to Jesus Christ for it. Like, I don't know, man. I was like, I had to go to the priest, then go through saints, then go to the Mary, and then and then you know it's like, and I I just never really was, I don't know, like it just never really I don't I can't really I can tell you this anytime that I've ever done my penance, I've never once prayed to a saint.

SPEAKER_03 14:56

Just never, yeah, okay never, ever, ever.

SPEAKER_00 14:59

It's always to it's always to God, right?

SPEAKER_03 15:01

It's to it's to God, and it depends on what the issue was or what my confession was to where I would have to do pray to the Virgin Mary, yeah, pray uh our Our Lady or whatever, whatever the prayer was, right? Um but I've never once been told to pray to a saint when it came to penance. Never, never, not once, and my I've been a Catholic my entire life, yeah. So that does not happen. People who pray to saints is for a particular reason, right? They're a patron of that reason. For example, the people that are uh praying to God for a lottery win, there's a saint for that. Why? Because that's not something you pray to God for. Okay? So there's a saint. If you're having money troubles, if you can't find something, if you can't, if there's a problem with animals, um there's many problems in the world um that are very uh I'm not gonna say I'm not gonna say menial, uh, but they're not as important as other things. For example, uh the stress of feeding or providing for your family, or the stress of yourself believing in yourself or being depressed or anything of that. I put the loads like that on God and I talk to God directly about those problems. Now, if I lost my glasses and I can't find my fucking glasses, right? I pray to Santa Elena. Santa Elena apareceme loseme los lentes por favor, tengo un problema. And there's a patron saint for this stuff. Saint Jude, which is a big one, right? Saint Jude, San Juditas. Uh Mexicans have a big relationship with San Juditas because he's a patron saint of lost causes, right? He's a patron saint of for protection and stuff of that nature. That's why Mexicans are really, really tied to San Juditas. But I could tell you this, it's not we don't have like a whole church specifically for that saint. Um stuff happens where where in that area or in that mountaintop or in that this that and the other, they'll put up shrines depending on what somebody saw. We we're a big big believers in signs. Big believers in signs, especially in the in the Spanish culture, the Mexican culture, big believers in signs. If you it and every time we see like a weeping, a weeping tree that looks like uh uh the Virgin Mary or something of that nature, we're big sign people, right? And so stuff like that will happen, but there's records on sainthood, right? So it's also another thing where you have to educate yourself, right? And when you're coming up, like when I did my confirmation, you're you're asked to um study the sainthood of the saint that you're gonna choose as your patron saint through you know through that journey, the journey that you're taking towards God um in your confirmation, right? And um part of that is studying up on how they became a saint, what were if they were a martyr, or what miracles they performed that were documented to make them a saint, right? So uh that's one thing that has to be kept straight. I hear it all the time. Um I hear it all the time. Christians have an issue with um with saints, man, and I hear it all the time, and um I there's people that do great things and people um want to follow them. I for example, look at Charlie Kirk, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:02

Yeah, but but that but you don't like you know, you think like Paul himself, uh Paul wrote himself that he would get mad at people who are trying to praise him and pray to him, and he's like, Don't pray to me, pray to Jesus. Right. But that's I think that's where people get confused at is because it looks a little idolatry. If you just I'm just saying, like, because you are praying to somebody else besides praying to Jesus himself, right? And that's where it comes, I think. But guess what?

SPEAKER_03 19:26

After you pray to anybody, Satanhood or anything like that, what do you do?

SPEAKER_00 19:31

What do you say, amen?

SPEAKER_03 19:32

In what name do you pray? In Jesus Christ? That's correct.

Interpretation, Denominations, And The Bible

SPEAKER_00 19:35

Yes, but uh shouldn't you just pray to him? You can. But that's what I mean.

SPEAKER_03 19:40

Like that's But you're praying in His name. But yeah, for sure. You can pray. Everything in His name. You talk to any Catholic, everything is in His name.

SPEAKER_00 19:48

Oh, 100%.

SPEAKER_03 19:48

But Gracias adios. But but That's the first thing you're gonna do.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Jesus always said to come to Him. Right? Like, and and they don't like He don't they never liked idolatry, right? Like it was always to Him and His Father. He says I'm the pit, I'm the way and the path through the light. So I think that when I think that's why it gets confused because yes, you can say it, you can pray, but you're at the end of the day, you're still praying to somebody. Right? I mean that's what it looks like to other people, like yeah, and I didn't know that's that either till later, but like I think that when you look at the Bible itself, it never says to go through a saint. And then Paul is a Paul wrote 40 books in the Bible.

SPEAKER_03 20:24

It definitely does not say to go through a saint or any of that nature, but everything that we do or say or or anything good, um in anything is in the name of God. For sure.

SPEAKER_00 20:38

Anything, but people and everything people kill in the name of God too, right? Like 100. It's just like I think you can say the name of God for sure, but is it is it biblically accurate? That's the way I look at it. Like, and for me, that's what I've I've like, I don't know. I just go like, and I think that's where I always got ups, like for me it was always like I would go to I always look I always liked St. Michael a lot, like you know, uh, and always would always look at that a lot. But I mean, I think I I never was really like, go to Jesus with it. Pray to and I'm I mean, yes, they say it for sure. And I don't want to I'm not trying to bash anything about Catholicism. I just I just felt like there was a lot of steps to go before before going to the Father himself. Like for me, you know what I'm saying? Like that's just how I looked at it. And uh I don't know, man. I just like that's where I think there's some people out there where it clicks and some people it don't. But you know, and I I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 21:26

But everything that this is the thing, everything starts and ends with God's. We ends with God's ends with God. Everything starts and ends with God in in anything that that is done, even in Catholicism, right? Everything starts and ends with God. Um praise praise for certain things, like I said, certain certain very specific things uh in in sainthood. Um that's that's all in the name of God. These people, for example, martyrs gave their life for God. Um should they be forgotten? I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 22:05

I don't think they should be forgotten, but I mean, I just think that I don't know about praying to them. Like that's that's just how I look at it. Like, and like Paul, like I'm telling you, Paul said himself plenty of times in the Bible, like he was mad at people for praying to him, and he's like, Don't pray to me. Pray to the Father himself, don't turn me into an idol. Like, and uh, you know, I don't know. I I look at stuff like that and I read it. But but I'm you know, I don't want to, I'm not trying to, you know, because I I I respect the Catholic culture a lot too because it has a lot of traditions and it has a lot of uh and that's why it was so hard for me to leave. Like I mean, my dad, I did what my dad did, I did what my dads did, and and and think that's and then the families all around it, but I just felt like for me it was just I don't know. I just man, I didn't ask for it. I just went somewhere and then it happened to me, bro. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like I uh and if I never went to that church, I would have never uh I would have never left, you know.

Catholic Practices: Saints, Rosary, And Penance

SPEAKER_03 22:54

Yeah, I think I think the whole point of this is the whole point of this and having this conversation, and this was impromptu, by the way. Yeah. Um uh this was not we just started talking and and having uh the normal little debates that we have before we start, and this came to fruition. But I think it's important I think it's important to say that no matter what you get out of um any any Christian religion, like no matter what, it's honestly it's honestly for me, it's all good. I'm not here to say that that his his specific church, and we'll say church because this isn't about religion. I believe what Ricky believes. Um do we pray the same or whatever? No, I don't think any two people pray the same, to be honest with you. Um now you can get in groups and pray and everything, but when you go home, when he goes home, when I go home and we have our things going on, he has something going on, I have something going on. We're playing, we're praying very differently, very differently. Um, and so the thing about it is the thing about it for me is that and why I had I brought all those things up about the Catholic religion is because we spend too much time, we spend too much time nitpicking um each other's churches, right? And what the the the practice is, but I really don't I really and I haven't really cared. I've never expressed to you any issue uh with that. The only thing that we'll express an issue with is like the delivery, right? Um uh Ricky likes the way he the word was delivered to him and he felt it and it was and like he said in in the place where he was where he felt it was in that church, and that's the church that he chose, rightfully so, because it's what's moving him uh towards God and what moved him towards God. Um and I think the the mistake that um Christians make, like I said before, is that they go to a church and uh judge the church before listening, before um trying to feel and accept and whatever, and you're you're you're losing out. You're losing out because you it's there's a possibility that you may at that point feel the Holy Spirit and you may feel the elation that it feels. I told you before it happened to me during um a retreat that I had for my confirmation um at my church. Um and it's uh it's a it's a beautiful feeling and a very real experience, a real coming to coming to experience that you have um when you feel the Holy Spirit, you feel moved, you feel moved to think about God before you do anything, talk to God before anything moving forward. You feel moved to do these things, not not pressured or not um not forced or anything like that. So it's a beautiful feeling, it's a beautiful feeling, and and wherever it comes, you know, wherever it comes natural for you to do it, you're 100% right when you say traditions, right? Because the Catholic Church has a lot of traditions that it does. Um and whether it's the church traditions, uh, from that specific church or another church or whatever, I do believe that a lot of those traditions are beautiful. Um and it's it does really shouldn't matter if one church like your church has its own traditions if you're following the word of the Lord, right? If if you're if you're following God, I don't personally have any issues with any Christian uh church because you guys like those traditions, like what's happening in that church, so you choose to follow, and that's where you felt the Holy Spirit. So yeah, that's great. That's I don't have an issue with it, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 27:12

For sure. And I think I think that's where I I think I like I heard somebody say once, and it really uh stuck on me. He said, Um, if you love Jesus so much, why not get to know him? And I'm and I and I I don't know, it just stuck on me. And I'm not gonna sit here and say, I read my Bible every day, I read it every week. You know, I I you I you know what I read it a lot when I'm out of town, and I read it probably once or twice a week, and I should read it every day because I feel like if you read it enough, it it you don't man, that's all you need is the word. And I feel like that's what I want to say to people, like if sometimes if if something's not working for you, you you've never felt something, man, you never and you don't know what it is, go somewhere that you can. And I don't know, just turn to Jesus Christ, man, because when I did that, it just changed me, bro. And like, yes, for sure. I f I I am uh we go to non-denominational, but I think what we I think what I really look at to now is that I follow Christ Himself. That's all I do, like and that's all I read and I look at and I follow. And I've I struggle with like everybody else. Like, you know what I'm saying? It's not a and you are gonna struggle, you're gonna fall, and you're gonna have to come back up. Like it's it's not a it's it's not gonna be an easy work, uh, easy job, right? But I mean it's gonna take time because God's gotta work in you. And I think I've seen this before where somebody said, like, you know, don't judge the person in church because they need help too. And on top of that, God's working in them. You don't turn, you don't change in one day. It takes time, dude. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like those desires you have have to die slowly, and then and then you turn you you have to turn from them, right? You have to repent. And that's I think that's what people have to understand is that when you repent, when you stop making your sin okay, repent, man, and it it changes a lot because you're sacrificing. And then and then when you sacrifice, you have to lean on somebody, you have to lean on Jesus Himself, and I think that's where it comes down to, right? Like, but like you said, like look, I mean, I mean I I I respect the the Catholic tradition a lot. That's why it was so hard for me to leave. Like, I mean, I I mean my wife leave, you know what I mean? To be a Catholic, bro. Like I told her, nah, you're gonna have to be a Catholic to get married with me. I even have Father Bridges there, and I meant that, but I didn't know God at all, man. And I and I think that's where uh you know, and I I that's what it got me. It was like that was my journey, that's my testimony. Like I did not know him, but I yet I brought my wife to somewhere that she didn't even know him at all. Like, and I took her from that, and you know, but it turned back around, you know what I'm saying? But it's just like and nobody pressured me, bro. Like I've I went and I felt it, and then that was it. And my daughter was like, I don't know, I just knew what she wanted, and she's the one that kind of got us to go, bro. You know, but I man, I you know, I'm gonna tell you this, I feel I feel like I feel the Holy Spirit like almost every weekend, bro, at church, praising the Lord, worshiping. And uh, I don't know, man. It's uh it's uh it's a great feeling. And I just think that you know, somebody you know, if you're out there, if you're a Catholic, you're uh just a non denounction non denominational Christian, then uh go somewhere that that speaks to you, that you feel God. Do it your way, yeah. Okay, but do it God's way.

SPEAKER_01 30:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:02

And I mean, I'm honestly, man, get in your book because it it'll it'll change you, bro. Like, you don't, and then I've read a single you read the Bible once a day or something, it'll it like you have over 400,000 percent that you're gonna turn to that live that life, and it really is nicer, man. Like, I'm not I'm not just lying to you and I'm sitting here lying. I mean, I think you've seen, I think people have seen that you know, especially when it comes to stress in your life, and I will tell you this much sometimes the devil will come for you if he sees you falling away because he's gonna want to try to push you back your way to where you depend on yourself or you look at other things, and uh when he sees when he's losing a soul, he's gonna come after you. I feel you know what I'm saying? And I think and he lost a whole family, bro, because the whole family has turned to Christ, right? But uh, you know, that's just that's just my theme, man. Like, I I don't know. Like I told my grandma once because my grandma, she's very uh very hardcore Catholic, right?

SPEAKER_03 30:50

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SPEAKER_00 31:59

Hey, Haas Hustle Hacko, guys. Don't forget about it. You know, they're uh sponsoring us, our merch sponsor. Uh man, we're proud of it. They got the best stuff, the greatest gear, dude. I love all of it. So uh, you know, if you're watching our videos, uh you're gonna see it. If you're watching our clips, you're gonna see it. So uh, you know, check them out. They got nice hat, shirts, button-ups, long sleeves, outerwear, decals, accessories. Man, they even got cowboy gear. How Texas is that, dude? So check them out. Don't forget, man, it's at Teha's hatco.com if you're looking for it. And uh you can't figure it out, look at the description on the bottom. We'll have the links. I'm just gonna and she told me, uh, are you sure that you felt are you sure you felt God in that church? And I told her, look, if uh if I'm reading the Bible now and I'm listening to worship music all day, I said, I think that whatever that was not doing the job it's supposed to do, because I'm gone the other way and I'm I'm reading the Bible now, I'm following Jesus Christ. And uh she was just like, okay, that's good, that's hard. You know, because like some people get they feel weird about like people getting rebaptized, right? Like as a I used to make fun of it. I used to make fun of as a Catholic, I would make fun of, and I was I was uh hardcore Catholic, I was like that guy, we my grandma would be like that, throwing stones at people, bro. You know what I'm saying? Like it was just like that, but I would make fun of people like that, and I think people they'll they'll look at it weird, like, why are you getting baptized again if you were baptized as a child? But you know, Jesus got baptized when he was 33 years old, and he says to die to yourself to come in, and and people would laugh. I'm like, How are you gonna come out of your mom's womb again? But to be reborn, it's like it's and and to signify in front of everybody that I am a follower of Jesus Christ, I don't know, it's just uh it's different, man. You know what I'm saying? Like uh for me, it was just it it I don't know, it's it was a lot, it meant a lot, you know. Yeah, but it's it's different, you know. It's it's it's it's cool, man. It's a great, it's a great conversation we're having. You know, like I said, I I love everything you do, and uh uh you know you're you're a good friend of me, like a brother. So you know, and and I think uh if you're a Catholic and Catholic works for you, hey, more power to you, bro.

Personal Testimonies And Feeling The Holy Spirit

SPEAKER_03 33:47

Yeah, for sure. You know, I think I think we gotta get the the thing people gotta the things that people gotta get is that we need to be more welcoming, man. And that's that's it's always been an issue. It's always been an issue in Christianity, no matter what church you're in. I think non-denomination does a good job of that. And that's that's the truth. I think that non-denomination has does a good job in welcoming uh people that in other religions may be may look or be unsavory, which is um something that has always plagued um our our religion. It's it is what it is, right? But people people who have full sleeves tattooed or uh people who act or have uh a different way of speaking or walking or being or anything, right? It's none of our business. It's really none of our business what people do in their private life. That's they're they're crossed to bear, and and they're they should be allowed to worship if they feel they want to worship, right? And that's something that Christianity has uh always had an issue with, right? And it's it's it's been an issue with religion in general, right? Certain people are unsavory, and uh but those are the people God wants, man. Those are the people that God wants, those are the people that God serves, right? And He He loves the unsavory and loves the people that are down and out, and uh and and that means everyone, man, and that's that's something that I know about um God. Yeah, that's something that I know without a doubt, it doesn't matter what you're uh what how unsavory unsavory you are or what you've done or who you've done it to or what you practice in your private life and all that God loves you, man. So if you if you feel like one church over the other is more accepting and better for you and everything, that's that's great. More power to you. I think Christianity as a whole needs to be more welcoming that way, and um, you know, that's why some of the things that are interpreted um can be interpreted very harshly, but at the end of the day, it's very clear that if you're looking for God, um you don't have to go far to find him. No, you don't have to go far to find him, he's there for you, and it maybe one church is is not as accepting as another, and uh, you know, uh for me that's wrong of the church. Everyone should be, and I so as far as as far as church goers go, um, you're always gonna have those who are there just for the church and those who will speak badly or be bad, uh bad representation of the church. It's just gonna happen.

SPEAKER_00 36:50

Yeah, and that's what they call a church hurt in ways, right? I mean, and I think that's you're right about that. And I think but people have to understand is that at the end of the day, we are all men. We are all people who are sinners who are so like that's right. A church can bring you great things, and if something somebody's leading it, does something wrong. Look, man, that's just that for sure. Don't follow it. Go somewhere else, do what you gotta do. But and and or you know, say what you have to say. But I do think that if follow your book, and on top of that, remember that it's look, man, people who are gonna make sins no matter what doesn't mean Christianity is wrong. You know what I'm saying? That's why I look at it. And and you think, like you're saying about testimonies, right? I mean, you think about Saul of Tarsus, who is Paul. I mean, the guy literally killed Christians, Jesus came to him, asked him, Why are you persecuting my people? And he changed his whole life. Now there's all 40 books in the Bible over him. And I mean, the man speaks love and truth, man. It's just everything he has on there, man, when it comes to Ephesians, Corinthians, uh Philippians, I mean, everything. It's just uh Rome, like it's so good. His letters are awesome, but he used him through his testimony to reach people, and it worked, you know what I'm saying? And you think about it now, like you see these people like you're saying, who look rough, who uh who, you know, they they're have done things they're not proud of, I'm sure. Yeah, and then they come to Christ and they change, and people see that change in them. Yeah, and I think that's what it comes down to is that look, man, we can all look to people and you can see them doing great, but at the end of the day, they are just humans and they're gonna fall and stumble also. But for you to look to Jesus Christ himself, because he's the only way. And I think uh, you know, and you're right about the church, man. I mean, like, look, man, read your that's why I I say it a lot, but know your Bible, and I and I gotta do it, I gotta take my own my own thing too, because I gotta read it more. But I do say you have to read it because then you'll know if your pastor or somebody's saying the wrong things. But you know, I I feel very lucky that we started off somewhere. I mean, that's the only one we've ever been to, and all of her family's there, and uh, you know, uh not all of them, but some of them, and uh, you know, it just they preach the word, and I think that's the thing too. Like, look, somebody's gonna preach the word, and if the word offends you, uh, you know, that's God's here to tell you the truth, that's it. And you can take it the right way, or you can take it the wrong way. But I think that um, you know, you have to understand that that that God is truth, man, and that's it. And yes, it might hurt your feelings, it might, and you might feel convicted because you know that you are wrong, and you know you are doing those sinful things, and you might not want to accept them. And we gotta fight against our own nature, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:08

That's that's the truth of the matter. Our own nature is lustful, man. Our own nature wants to do these things, and we want everything. We want everything, and um, we all have that to fight against. Um, we have our sexuality to fight against, man. We have our our egos to fight against. Um stuff like that becomes habit, and it's tough. It is tough, but nobody is beyond, nobody is beyond God. Nobody, nobody is beyond God to where they can't come to God. There's Satanists all over, all over that have turned to God, right? Maybe they need it a little bit more uh convincing or they needed their eyes opened or whatever, but there's a lot of Satanists, and I see a lot of Satanists now online uh um praising God, and it's it's a beautiful thing, and it happens all the time. So if you think that you've gone beyond help or beyond the help of God or the love of God, you're wrong. And that's that's really the only thing we can we can go on about the many different ways to to find your way to God, but the fact of the matter is you just have to want to and and find your own relationship with God. Ricky and I have different relationships with God, and it's alright. But you if you can take anything away from this, like we're speaking about each other's religions respectfully. Why? Because I love him and he loves me and we're brothers, and it's okay for us to think differently, to practice differently, or whatever, but at the end of the day, I know that if we had we just before we got on here, we had a disagreement. I know that I feel like if I disagree with him, we can talk it out, and at the end of it, thank God for the conversation. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? And then we're making that a big deal uh on the podcast now is thanking God for these conversations that we're having. Um so I mean, if anything, that's that's a little bit of the message of of this one. So Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 41:23

And I think uh I think um I think it's good to hear people to hear this, man. I mean, uh you know, for me, like you said, when people say, Oh, um, you know, that you feel if you feel like you need uh you want God, dude. I felt it for years. I just couldn't do it, couldn't pull the trigger, and uh and I knew I wanted something, I just didn't know. And you found your way to it. I did, and uh and I bought it for that. For sure, man, because you know it was uh you know, I think that's the thing too, like you said, uh lust and all that stuff, but pride is a killer, bro. Like I didn't realize it. I didn't realize it. And you said ego, so that's the same thing. But I think pride is really what it gets you because you know, like for me, I always tell people all the time, like I think that's what always got me was that with my, you know, like I would get prideful with my kids and my wife, and they would like my wife would say something, and I'm like, what's she trying to talk down to me? Or what is she saying? I ain't doing enough. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And that can and that brings out ugly, you know, and that's whenever and then and then that's when the devil gets you, bro. Like he messes with you.

SPEAKER_03 42:11

And we all can we all can attest to that because especially men, right? And we uh obviously we're speaking from uh the men's side of things, right? Um so we're not trying to to we're not trying to minimize anybody else's uh Well that's that goes both ways for sure.

Welcoming Churches And Church Hurt

SPEAKER_00 42:27

Yeah, it does, it does pride is uh but you know, like um like you said, you know, we're you know, one thing that I thought I was talking to Courtney about this today, and it was about Paul, and Paul wrote one time he said, uh, you know, for some men, maybe it's best to be single because when you are married, you have the s the stresses of life, yeah, of the world that come to you, and that brings you farther from God. And I never un like when I read it now, I'm like, dang, that is so true, because you know, we f we worry about finances, we worry about the the image that we have for our family in the world, especially in this world now, exactly. And it's not it's uh it's things of the world, right? That's what they say of the world. And it's like uh, you know, like and it and it can, it can take you away. You get man, I'm I don't know, man. You know, I used to even be very uh um uh spiteful, like why do they have that and I don't very vain and dude I'm I'm what am I doing? Why are you punishing me?

SPEAKER_03 43:15

But we all did that, man. We I can you can think back on instances, and I think that's what people there's a there's a real problem with people being able to think back and be like, fuck, I why was I like that? And and there's a real problem with people not being able to look back and say, Man, I was probably wrong, you know what I mean? And I think I think when you're okay, when you're okay with taking some of the responsibility for the stuff that you know is ungodly and is is not something that God would approve of. When you're okay doing that, man, you've taken a huge step. Yeah, you've taken a huge step to be like, man, I yeah, I was wrong for that, and uh, I feel ashamed for that. I feel ashamed for that, and I have to tell God that I'm sorry. Oh, yeah. And if you get to that point, like that's a huge step. It's a huge step. Um, and we all I everyone including me have done something and I just kind of try to that shit didn't happen, and I don't I don't address it, and I don't address it with God, um, and I just you know, and and and I could tell you, it's not like I'm going um and it's not like I'm going and doing confession every Saturday or anything like that. No, I'm not, but I am asking God for forgiveness when I know it's something that He would not have wanted me to do or say or be or whatever, right? And I it's it's not that difficult to ask for forgiveness and pray um for forgiveness. And I understand that, like for instance, Catholics, we have our practice of confession and going through all that stuff, but if anything, that's a teaching, right? Confession, yeah, you someone you're someone's supposed to hear your confession, but it doesn't mean that that's the only time that you confess and repent, man. It's okay. It's okay to do it on on your daily, you know what I mean? Because we we we mess up a lot, man. We do. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:17

And that's weird, and I think uh people under I think people get discouraged because they think like when they mess up bad or they fall into those bad ways, they're like, Oh, I'm I can't go to him. Like judgment has already been rained down, right? But it's like, dude, he knows you struggle and you know what I'm saying? But you now now you have to now you have to repent from it. You have to say, you know, go to God with it and turn away from it again and hold and and and look to him to help you get away. Because I pray for that every day. I pray, you know, please, please, Lord, help me, like, help me turn from my my desires, my my sinful desires, Lord. You know, and it is hard. Every day you fight with them, bro. Like, you know, it's not it's not gonna be easy. And one thing that I've always like, I don't know, man, like I've always thought was that like you said, we have our relationships are different, and everybody does. But I think at the end of the day, just like you said, we have to go to Jesus Christ with it, talk to him about it, and he will be there to comfort you because he's waiting for you. And like, I I don't know, man. Like, I've just I've seen how we've like, you know, we started off a lot different than we are now. And it's like, you know, and it it's just and I think that's let me ask you a question. Do you feel like as a Catholic, grown up Catholic, just like me, do you feel like we're very we were very uh I don't know, like quiet in ourselves? I'm not I'm not gonna I'm not gonna let nobody know what I'm doing. I'm talking to God right now, and it's like a very private kind of uh thing. Uh do you feel that way?

SPEAKER_03 46:34

I I I'm definitely like that. I've always been like that because I've always felt not because of of Catholicism uh per se, but me personally myself, I've always felt that I don't need to push my religion on anyone, right? I've always felt that and it's not I'm not ashamed of my religion by any means whatsoever. It doesn't have anything to do with that, with me personally, anyway. Um but I am not trying to convince anyone, right? And um yeah, maybe that's that's not a good trait for for uh some followers. Uh for me, it's been a good trait. It's it's not I mean, I'm not saying it's been a good trait. For me, it's just been a good practice to not um push anybody away, right? Um, but that's in my younger that was that's in my younger uh self, mind, whatever. At this juncture in my life, um, even though I'm still not super outspoken, I I do it here and everybody knows where I stand with my religious beliefs, anybody that knows me anyway. Um But I always have been very tolerant. I'm always I've always been a very tolerant um guy when it comes to religion. My mom kind of instilled that in me. I had I had friends growing up that were that had different churches, right? They were Christians, but at that time it was almost shown to me like they practice in a different way, right? Now I've thinking for myself, um it's the same, it's the same. There's there, yeah, there's nuances and little differences here and there and stuff like that of how they practice, uh, but it's all the same. We're all trying to head in the same direction. Um, but back then, like my mom instilled a lot of tolerance in me, like, hey, um, I'm supposed to go to a to a wedding here or a quincinera there or this, that, and the other, whatever. And people obviously have their own churches. Yeah, go to the church. Um, and I would always be told, like, don't do the sign of the cross because they don't do the sign of the cross or this that their practices and be respectful. Um, and I took that lesson of being respectful for other people's churches and the way that they practice, and I took it upon myself to be respectful of other people's lives in general.

SPEAKER_01 49:10

Yeah.

Pride, Ego, And Family Life Pressures

SPEAKER_03 49:10

Um, so I don't think that it's uh a Catholic thing because I know people that are very gun ho for Catholicism, and if and they have problems just as uh some uh uh Christian churches there's so many denominations, right? I won't go into all of them, right? Have their issue with Catholics um and the Catholic Church and the way that they practice and stuff like that. So they're outspoken on both. Um I think that as of late, as of late, I've I had I feel like I've seen a change as of late um where Catholicism has kind of taken a step a step back on being um being very vocal as to we're practicing the right way and we're like you know what I mean? Um I think they've taken a step back from that from what I can see I don't think but I don't think it's something that's like um super prevalent. I think it's just I think it's it's at the time it's not and this isn't and I'll I'll admit to it at the time like when we were younger and stuff, it's not cool to be religious. Yeah. And that was a and that was a deal. But if anybody knows me, especially at Lee High, right? If anybody knows me, they know how I feel about my religion. Believe me. The administrators from my time, the kids there from my time, or whatever. And we'll tell we'll tell the little story. At the time when we were, I don't know if I was a junior, I believe I was a junior in high school, there was a group of kids who decided they're saintness, and they would walk around the school ripping pages out of the Bible. And uh at s at a point, I I it always angered me. It always angered me, but it was always away from me enough to where if they decide they want to dance with the devil, that's their problem, right? But it always bothered me as a Catholic, as a Christian, it always bothered me. I never thought it was right, and I think a a thing that Christians have is that we've taken a step back from standing up for our religion. We have now that's kind of changing again, right? But anyway, at the time, um, and this must have been like 2006, um, we had a whole group that would sit around ripping pages out of the Bible and saying, you know, that they were Satanists carrying around the Satan, the the satanic Bible, and um they were allowed to do this shit, like they were allowed to do this, the uh the teachers don't get involved, the administration didn't get involved, even if they disagreed. Yeah, and I took it upon myself to start taking those Bibles away, and at the same time, not just them, but other people would stand up and say, Well, you gotta give it back, you gotta do this and the other. And sometimes you have to just stand up, and that's what I would do. So I've always I've never I've never hid from my religion. I took those Bibles back, the ones that are ripping in pages, and 100% I was ready to impose violence on anybody who had an issue. I can tell you, Ricky will tell you, and I wasn't shy about it. I wasn't shy about it. You disrespected something that I care about, yes, and I will I am willing to impose violence to protect it. And this is and this the true story, this happened, um, and anybody who knew me back then knows this happened. Um I talked to teachers in my senior year who saw my name when I came into their class, they thanked me for doing it, they want to stand up, but as administrators and having their job and stuff like that, they couldn't stand up. So stuff like that happened.

SPEAKER_00 53:11

So But um I'm gonna ask you this. Like, I know what you mean. Like you you'll stand for it. But I guess what I'm trying to ask you is do you feel like as a growing up Catholic the way we are, or you know, even I deal with it still, I guess you could say. I was you know, it was um I was really shy with saying the Lord or praising him in front of people or praying or even talking about God to other people, right? Like for me, like I and that's a battle I have to this day. Like I it's hard for me to pray, like my wife, hey, pray for us, and I'm like, I'll pray, but I feel really I feel like I'm supposed to be by myself. You know what I mean? Like, I don't know. It's just and um it's I don't know if you feel the same way.

SPEAKER_03 53:47

Yeah, it depends on what, right? Like praying out loud, um, impromptu in front of other people, um that you don't know whether or not they believe the same thing as you believe. Um yeah, 100% I agree. Like it's it, I was definitely I was definitely a little shy in that regard, uh praying out loud and being okay to pray out loud and not uh not feel any shame whatsoever. You can call it what it is, right? Yeah, shame is what it is, shame in what in your beliefs is what it is. And um uh yeah, of course. I I think I think anybody, uh even if you're not Catholic, I think uh uh you can be from anywhere and feel that that shame, right?

SPEAKER_00 54:29

For sure. I just feel like for me, like, I don't know, I guess when I see like my family, and it was like very you know, like I went, you know, Courtney's family. I remember uh we d uh her mom went to uh her aunt went to uh surgery, and we were all here midland uh at the hospital. And um I remember they all stood together and everybody prayed. It was like 60 of us, bro. And it blew me away. And I was just thinking, I was embarrassed, like, dude, like I ain't never you know what I mean? Like, but they were like nothing, like, hey, we're gonna pray. We're gonna praise God, we're gonna I'm gonna ask him for help us. And and I was just like, you know, for me it was really weird because I was always so and I I see it with my father, I see it with my family, it's very uh very tight-knit. And uh, you know, and I'm you know, and then the Bible says, you know, Matthew 28, 19, um, go out and preach the word. And saying, and uh, and uh look, I only know that because of uh Pastor uh Michael Anthony, uh Philip Anthony Mitchell, I'm sorry, and uh it's from his church, uh, you know, 2019. But you know what I mean, but he says that, and I I just could not do that, bro. And it was hard for me, and I still kind of you know, I I'm battling it, but as I'm doing it, you know what I'm saying? And uh it's a little hard for me, man. Like, and I just didn't know how you feel. Like, do you feel like because I feel like I see my dad and them and they're they're the same way. Like I talked to my dad about God, he gets a little tight, like he feels a little uncomfortable. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? And I just you know how you like if you think that way. Man, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 55:44

I as far as having those conversations with my family, maybe it just it depends, right? But even now, even with family members that I know um have a hard time believing, um, I don't uh yeah yeah, I don't I tell them to pray. And like I it doesn't it never has bothered me.

SPEAKER_00 56:01

It doesn't bother me. It's just like it's like one of those things where I can see people at church, bro, and they're like going, or they can talk to me about God like nothing, or like you know, well, just see my wife's family. Talk to me like nothing.

SPEAKER_03 56:12

I think I think maybe it's a little bit of a uh of American culture to where there's so much diversity and you don't know what you know it at church or when you're in a in like this space where we know what that we're okay talking about these things and we're not gonna be uh like judging each other or anything like that. But I think people do, and I include myself, do worry about judgment, right? They worry about judgment in in groups of people that are religious. Um, and it really it's crazy. But you learn this later on in life that the people that are religious and you're around talking about religion and maybe where you messed up or or where you had an issue or whatever, they're they're a lot more tolerant than you think they are. Um it just it just so happens, man. Of course, you got these old school, these old heads that are very uh intolerant to certain things, man. But I used to be like that. Yeah, but I honestly think that's I honestly think that's more cultural than religious, right? Because um now the culture, like for instance, tattoos is a big thing, right? The culture with tattoos has changed completely, and I feel like because our culture in the United States has changed to be very accepting of people having tattoos and stuff like that, people are less shy about going to church or praising God or even getting religious tattoos and stuff like that because it's become culturally accepted, and there's really yes, you can interpret, you can interpret not destroying your temple in very many different ways, using drugs, eating too much, being a fat pig like me. Um doing many other things, tattooing yourself, piercing your body, stuff like that. And I feel like you can interpret it in very, very, very, very different ways. Um, so that's one of those things where I talk about like interpretation uh to some people, uh uh a certain interpretation to some people becomes the letter of the law. And like Ricky said, why don't you read and you decide um um how you interpret that? And if for you, having a tattoo is not you destroying, but making your temple more beautiful or expressing yourself, or it you know what I'm saying? You have your interpretation, you read and you decide that. Um, but that's I think it was a cultural thing, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 58:40

Uh it helped it didn't definitely didn't help that our culture was very like well that's what I was about to mention because people say that uh American, like they say American Christianity or whatever is like it can be very liberal and that that causes a lot of people to go astray. And I and I do feel that way because you see these churches that are like that, right? There's one down by my house. It's like a freaking propaganda wing, bro. Like liberal. And it's like politically, but they use uh like religion in some way. They have witchcraft and all this stuff there too. It's really weird. But like, but you know, I think that that's what I'm asking. Like that, like, yeah. And I used to be very uh hateful, kind of you know, that's the thing too. Like, real there's I feel like religion and then there's relationship. And I I feel like I have uh I gave uh like yes, non-nish is religion, but I feel like I have a relationship, you know. Yeah, I think that's what you have to say. You know what I'm saying? Like I agree.

SPEAKER_03 59:29

I think that's what's uh we agree with each other in that sense, very much so, because I have my own relationship with God.

SPEAKER_00 59:34

And and people get lost in religion, I feel, and uh and that can go both ways, whatever way you're at. But I think like uh for me it was like that too, because I think like I mean, I I would uh Courtney's family would go to church and I would not let my kids go. I told Courtney, you're not taking my kids there. Yeah, my kids will not go there and I will not go there. And the only reason why I went to that last church was because of my wife's aunt pastor, and that was her church. And that's what changed my life, bro. It took four years, but then I was back. But like, you know, like I think that um I think that's the thing, like.

Repentance, Daily Struggle, And Private Faith

SPEAKER_03 1:00:00

it's like uh people you know what I mean like you have to understand like it's there's a relationship and then there's religion but you know you gotta have that relationship and I think uh you know I was just curious about that because I feel like for me it was uh yeah man I get I get shy I get uh a little embarrassed I would you know and I still feel those feelings bro like you know like I I think it's happened to anybody who who anybody who is maybe is maybe like standoffish about the people currently around them maybe I I could still feel that way today depending on who the people are around me at the time and yeah stuff like that but I I I don't feel I don't feel ashamed at all about my my religious practices or my loving God I should say my relationship with God I don't feel no problem with that at all now it it it's it's hard to it's hard to uh express that express it and still feel like you're part of a certain community that happens a lot right it maybe maybe the certain community you're in uh doesn't express that way and and you want to express it a certain way you're gonna feel that and and I think I think yeah I I felt it for sure when you talk about it and it's cool to say that right because other people probably feel that uh feel that you know and and it's uh it I think it's okay I think it's okay like I said we have man there's so many hurdles there's so many hurdles to follow God there it there really is right but that's what makes it special yeah that's what makes it beautiful journey man that's what makes it beautiful and and you think about all the hurdles you got to go to to go through uh to speak with him to praise him and then all of a sudden he answers your prayer yeah think about how beautiful it it feels when that happens right because of all all everything that you have to go through um just to get it just to get uh to a place where you're comfortable with God and you have that relationship with God but then he answers your prayers and it like it just oh yeah you see the smile on my face because it like when I talk about it I think about it. Yeah and I think about like it could be something very small to me. Like being in pain for instance is a big thing for me right I'm a very I have a very high tolerance for pain. And it pain doesn't have to be uh it doesn't have to be physical I'm just going physical that way it could be mental it could be a spiritual whatever but pain is a big one for me right and and I've there's been times when I've been really sick really sick like physical manifestation of of stress and and and just hurting right and I don't I get to a point and I don't need to I know this is wrong wrong of me that I need to but I always I'm like no I could take it I don't I don't need to ask God to help me but it's it pain is really humbling. Pain is really humbling because you get to a point where you're like I'm in serious pain and I'm supposed to be the strong one and I have to do it for my family and I and and it becomes that pride that Ricky was talking about. I take pride in being I have to be the alpha for my family and whatever but eventually when you when you're in pain and it's humbled you to the point um of asking for help and I say humbled because you you I say humbled because it's my personal experience and you don't have to be humbled to go to God right but I get humbled to the point of so much pain that I ask God and I wake up feeling well. Those things and I talk about it and I smile about it because it's been in some cases where I it I'm at the end of my rope and right when I'm at the end of my rope God ties a knot and gives me another length of rope to to survive with it could be something small. It could be something small getting better but I think where people have problems is logically attributing that to something else right like oh it's because I slept this way or because I uh um or because I ate a certain thing yeah or those yeah those are all good things to take care of yourself but when you're in deep pain and you ask God to help you and he helps you just acknowledge it yeah because it's so much it's the truth he answered your prayers but sometimes people decide not to see it as prayers. Maybe it's coincidence or maybe it's a drug that you took or maybe it's this that and the other I used to be like that too.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:51

I used to like and then you bring up you bring up God I'd just deny it. I don't want to hear that bro like no that's not that it's because you know I mean like it was weird but I think you're right like uh you know I'm I'm a part of um every Friday I get uh on a zoom or you know we can go there but this guy named it's a guy named Ray Belcher and he has a group and uh we they talked about this the other day actually Friday and it was about that how God answers your prayers and you don't know it. Yeah so like for me I feel like that happens too like you you can be at a point in your life where you're looking you're asking God I need I need help I don't know what I'm doing and it don't look like it's gonna take a minute but then when you look at it the reward you get out of it is not going to be maybe financial it might be spiritual. It might be uh you know your family coming closer or you even yourself learning how to look to God for guidance instead of trying to rely on yourself and giving it all to him because that's what a lot of us have troubles with is giving it to God because yes we say it do we mean it when you worry like at the end of the day when you worry you're not trusting God and I and I tr I I I struggle with that you know I'm saying but like that's the truth. If you worry you don't you don't trust in God because you're worried you're you're worrying about oh God's not going to help me but God does have a plan for you right and I think that's what I I think that's what you mean like I think that's what's awesome about it man is that you do man and you have to thank them. I think a lot of times people don't thank them.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:04

I wake up every morning I thank God every day because you know like you don't realize it but like before man I you know whenever I bought my house I bought all this stuff like you know I would never thank God and Courtney would say well what did God do I'm like you didn't think no I did this I think he didn't do that I did it and I it was ugly bro I was full of hate bro you know I'm saying and but now I think God even it's smallest thing bro like you know I I I think I think uh I thank God for giving my my mother the strength to teach me the things that she taught me yeah because my mom very early in life very early in life made it very clear that it's not us it's God yeah and to this day everything at work hey how you doing good thank god yeah and every single thing that happens to me that I am grateful for I am grateful for to God and that's something that's something for for me that man and I'll turn like even at home it's funny and like man I'll turn to Erica and I'll tell her sometimes and and this ain't saying that I'm some holy this and the I swear I swear I'm not and I fall a lot I could have a conversation with my wife in here and she can pinpoint all the ways that I fail um which she doesn't thank God for her right she doesn't and she's very tolerant of my uh shortcomings and and uh but she will I bet she will attest that we get we get some impromptu impromptu$20 bill you better you better believe I'm thanking God for that$20 bill you better believe I'm thanking God for uh we we're late to a game there was a short delay thank God yeah he knew I was running late he knew I was stressed out about it and God helped me in that moment and those are the small things that make that make your relationship uh uh very bright because this is the thing about humans humans um and I say humans because it doesn't matter what you believe in or what this is just human humankind we're very uh um what have you done for me lately people and in any i the to the very bare form like um yeah if you haven't given me why should I thank you or why should I think um that that was you or if you haven't done anything for me why should I do for you or you know what I mean and and humanity's just like that period we're very much looking out for the get and and that's me that's everyone included in the world right uh and so sometimes um when you're not looking for the small stuff or or if you don't count the small things that God does for you every day um it's very hard for you to feel like he's giving you responses or that you're getting anything out of your relationship with God which in my eyes I don't need to get anything from God. He's done amazing things for my life um and that's what it is and I don't need anything else but I get blessed every day every single day whether that's a five minute delay for something you know what I mean that's how much he loves you.

Culture, Tattoos, And Interpreting “The Temple”

SPEAKER_00 1:09:26

Yeah and that's what people out there saying like he loves you that much to bless you with things. You know what I mean like it's crazy man yes you might and you might be going through a rough you know think of Job when we brought this up last time you know he lost everything but you got to keep your faith in him like I mean that and that's what that's what it comes down to. I mean and sometimes struggle things are too hard for us to handle because we we can't like you know I've no I can say that like 100 bro I'll you know it's hard man but like I think uh you know I think that's what it comes down to is uh faith and uh you know putting it all on him and uh I think that's we had we had a great conversation about it man great conversation man and this this just happened very naturally we just pushed the report button and kept it very natural so hopefully you guys enjoy it um we'll be back to our regularly scheduled uh programming don't worry like it's uh we have other stuff but uh yeah we're we're putting our religion to the forefront and hopefully you guys appreciate it uh I want to thank God for this conversation and the fact that we had it and were able to have it um and yeah it's it it's been great and hopefully you guys enjoy it and it was it's it interesting enough even if whatever your religious beliefs are um it's hopefully it's an interesting conversation and if um hopefully it turns you to Christ I think and that's one thing I always like to say is uh he is the way his path is light and I truly mean that and uh you know and if you and if you need to find him you gotta he's right there you don't need to look for him he's right there and uh and that's one thing I have to say is that um you know yes we're um I love everybody but I do think Jesus Christ is the only way and I mean that 100% and I would be lying to you if I didn't say that right so like I just want to you know yes if this is burning your ears I get it I was there once I get it yeah uh but I will tell you this much you will have a here a good conversation on both uh ends of it wherever it comes from but at the end of the day we still come together and uh we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and uh you know um it was really good having this conversation uh man I'm I love it because we never really talk like this me and this guy you know and one thing I could say about Jesus is that Jesus has always been strong in his values strong with God like I mean this guy would turn down a lot of things that I think a lot of other guys wouldn't and uh and he and I didn't you know myself we it was just I would look at him different and I never understood it but you know when I got closer to Christ I started realizing how strong he had his values and his like he says you know his mom put it in him and that's great and I think that that should be that way and uh you know I try to put that in my kids and my wife does it too and I feel like if you're a man of a family I think you should bring your family to Christ because that is your job that is your role and if you're not doing it I get it I didn't do it for years and I think that today is a day to start and today's a time to to move it's never too late man. No it's not and I think it's important because that's what we're supposed to do. And you know this is all coming out of me out of nowhere you know I mean to say don't think that you're a bad person because of these things.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:12

Like I said it's never too late uh to make an adjustment in your life and and and find the path to God like Ricky said and it's no hate and no no anything towards anybody else. He's speaking his truth and what he truly believes and what we believe right we do both believe that God is the way Jesus Christ is the way and uh that's just what we believe but you know we I I feel I feel and I think Ricky feels the same way that there's no time limit there's no there's no buzzer that's gonna go off nah I mean that's I will say this let's talk about the rapture we're not gonna talk about the rapture but I will say this if today was your last day where would you stand?

SPEAKER_00 1:12:58

There you go because that's what's important and I think a lot of people think I have time I can change I can change but what if you don't have that time and today is your last day where would you stand? And you know in your heart where you will stand. And I and even that me I follow God a lot I'm not and and I doubt myself too but you know I'm trying my best and I'm going you know and one time I had a guy put his hand on me and he said God knows you're trying right and it meant a lot to me because I was just like dude I am trying you know what I'm saying but you know we all fall but that's what I have to say is if today was your last day where would you stand? Just like my man Nino said once if today was your last day where would you stand? And that's the truth man and that and it hits hard. It is hard if you don't know because you know what I'm saying like you don't know some people don't people be like I don't I don't I'm a good guy. You know but hey man you'll know for sure. But you know it was a great conversation.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:41

I know you got to go and uh you know it's time but uh you know everybody we'll be back next week with somebody else uh appreciate you guys for listening but uh hey great episode and we'll go from there man appreciate it thanks everybody appreciate you guys this episode is brought to you by underdog wireline um these guys handle everything in wireline we've been talking about them every week and we mean everything we say we appreciate their support and if you need anything in Wireline Works you give them a call at 43280395. Brandon 14 Hotshot Services LLC uh they offer Hotshot work ESP spooling ESP technician service and heavy Holland Sandmice currently um you can give them a call at 432 638 1755 another local company backing us up so back them up Titan Sales and Services uh is one of our new sponsors they're a relatively new company so we want to back them up like they're backing us up uh they're running out of crane Texas and some of the stuff that they have available is uh Russ About maintenance and construction crews uh trash trailers porta potties combo trailers forklifts and they're adding new services and rentals every day uh so give those guys a call at 432307 1960 if you need anything uh I know their pricing is gonna be competitive uh help them out thank you