The Reality Is
Welcome to "The Reality Is," a podcast where the pastors of Crossroads Community Church gather to discuss the practical application of biblical principles in our daily lives. Join us as we explore how faith can guide us through the challenges and triumphs of real life. Whether it's relationships, work, or personal growth, we're here to help you live out your faith meaningfully. This podcast's premise is about how to apply biblical principles to our everyday lives. Tune in for insightful conversations that inspire and empower you to pursue Christ with every moment of your life.
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The Reality Is
Simple Daily Habits That Strengthen Your Walk With God
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Your calendar may be packed, but your spiritual life doesn’t have to run on leftovers. We talk about a hard truth with a simple picture: when we stay distracted, we end up treating God like social media, scrolling past old highlights instead of building a real relationship day by day.
We walk through practical, doable habits for strengthening your walk with God in as little as ten minutes at a time. That includes daily Bible reading that actually fits into real mornings, praying for nonbelievers in your circle of influence, and learning to “count your blessings” so gratitude starts to replace constant frustration. We also dig into how your outlook shapes your response to hardship, and why the small things you overlook might be the very places God is growing your faith.
Then we get ultra practical about your inputs: what you listen to on your commute, why Christian music and Scripture-centered content can reshape your focus, and how prayer walks turn ordinary neighborhoods and workplaces into mission fields. We close with the power of memorizing Scripture, because what you hide in your heart is what comes out when stress hits, and praying God’s Word back to Him builds confidence and peace.
If you want simple Christian habits for discipleship that you can start today, hit play. Subscribe, share, leave a review, and tell us which ten-minute practice you’re committing to this week?
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What Comes Out Shows The Heart
SPEAKER_02Listen, it's what comes out of that mouth is exactly what's in the heart. And so your word have I hidden in my heart. Why? That I might not sin against you. And so it's so important. Philippians 4, 6, and 7, be anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. So I'm memorizing that. And so I'm rememorizing that when when I want to be anxious, I can say, God, you told me to be anxious for nothing. But with a heart of thanksgiving, I'm making this request known to you. Amen. Look, one thing, one thing's for certain, um, and we've we've both been there with raising kids, right? Um, and uh, so one thing's for certain kids will use your own words against you. Sure will. But daddy, you said. What are you doing? In a heartbeat, right? And and especially when you said it. Right? And and so what's wrong with us saying father in your word, you said. Yeah. And and praying scripture back.
SPEAKER_00The reality. The reality. The real life, it's real fun.
London Bridge In Arizona
SPEAKER_06Welcome to the reality is podcast, where we're here today to talk about real life and real faith. My name is Joey. I'm here with Richard. And before we get started, I want you guys to do us a favor. Would you like, subscribe, share this with your friends, and ring the bell. That way you'll never miss another episode of the Reality Is Podcast. And before we get into today's topic, I always have something I just want to ask you. And I heard this information and I said, I gotta ask Richard, and I gotta do a fact check. And I know you're my fact check guy. So here's a fact check. You've been all over, like all over the world, but more specifically, you have driven your bike, ridden your bike. Sorry, I've been corrected multiple times. Ridden your bike all over the United States, West Coast. Arizona? Yeah, oh yeah. Okay, so I heard this about Arizona, and you have to tell me if this is true. The London Bridge that we sing about London Bridges falling down is actually in Arizona. Did you know that? That they took the actual London Bridge, deconstructed that thing, and they rebuilt it in Arizona. Have you driven over that bridge?
SPEAKER_02I have not, but I will this summer. Oh my goodness. That's a road trip right there.
SPEAKER_06Isn't that the craziest thing? Like somebody told me that. I said, come on, man, I've got to, I've got to fact check that. And I did. And it really is. The London Bridge, the real London Bridge, is in Arizona because they rebuilt it there, which I'm thinking, okay. So here's what my first thought was. I looked it up and went, why? Isn't that a lot of money to deconstruct and then reconstruct there? But it's the original London Bridge in Arizona. So now I've given you a spot that you can actually say you've ridden your bike over the London Bridge. Road trip, dude. Dude, that's great.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. That's great.
SPEAKER_06Go figure. Right. And when are you gonna, because I know you're almost retired from writing. And last week, I think we were talking about on the podcast you were gonna let me have the bike when you're done with it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know, we did say that. Like I've got witnesses in the room that says you by the time you get that bike, you can run an antique tag on it.
SPEAKER_06You're running, I think it to the ground, aren't you?
SPEAKER_02I'm just so dumb. Oh, okay. You it will take a record for you to come get that bike.
SPEAKER_06Fine, whatever. I figure it's the only way I get a bike because my wife's been saying, no, no, no, no, no. But I figured if you gift me one, how can I refuse a gift from the pastor? Yeah. Right? My wife would be like, well, I guess you have to have to have a bike now.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, there's so much I can say to that.
SPEAKER_06Yeah,
Strengthening Your Walk With God
SPEAKER_06but we want to talk about how to strengthen your walk with God today. And and I know it's one of those things we we've just kind of gone through a series of different things right now. We're trying to kind of wrap all this together. And one of the things we always talk about is your walk with God. But one of the important things, and I I think what we can get into today is strengthening your walk with God. Because a lot of times we'll say, Yeah, get into your word, do this, do that. And a lot of people go, Yeah, okay, I do that, but but I don't feel like my walk with God is as strong as it should be. And so I'd like to hear you talk about what it looks like to strengthen your walk with God.
SPEAKER_02Well,
Stop The Distraction Cycle
SPEAKER_02I just I just want you to imagine, okay, if we're sitting here getting ready to do this podcast and and I reach in my pocket and I pull my phone out, and and you're sitting here and and we're talking, and every time it you want me to respond to something, or or in in in the middle of the conversation, I'm just going through social media, answering text, right? Yeah, I'm used to that. Exactly. Not with you, but that's life. But but you know, you're totally distracted. You're you're away from the the you're you're not even part of that conversation, right?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, that's how we treat God.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_02We we say that I'm trying to grow in my wall. Um we say that I'm trying, but we get totally distracted. We we we spend no time, dedicated time to our relationship with Him. And then we wonder why we have a social media relationship with God to where we're just looking at pictures from the past. Wow.
SPEAKER_06You know, and so you know what I love about you and these podcasts, you don't mind offending anybody. Well, you know that it sounds like an offensive statement, but that's a true statement.
SPEAKER_02Right. Well, it is. I mean, it we we do live in the past. So I think what I want what I hope to do with this is break this down into simple 10-minute steps.
SPEAKER_06Okay.
SPEAKER_02A professor of mine when I was in seminary a hundred years ago, uh, Dr. Lawless actually put out a similar article, and and it just reminded me how easy it is for us to take 10 minutes a day and and help people say that this is how I can strengthen my walk. Absolutely. Any of us have 10 minutes.
SPEAKER_06Okay, we all have 10 minutes. If you look at your day, there's no reason you can't squeeze in 10 minutes to actually spend some time with the Lord. So, yeah, I'd love to hear that.
SPEAKER_02Okay, well, we're gonna start in the same place.
Start With Daily Bible Reading
SPEAKER_02Uh wonder what time's gonna be. Just trying to get people to get it. You know what? Spend, just read a couple of chapters of the Bible. There you go. All right. Even the longest of chapters and the slowest of readers, you can read a couple of chapters in ten minutes, okay? Unless it's Psalm 119. Well, exactly.
SPEAKER_06Then we'll read that one.
SPEAKER_02That's a 15-minute read. Just do that one. You know it?
SPEAKER_06But I know what you're saying. It doesn't take long.
SPEAKER_02It doesn't take long. Listen, 1 Peter 2 2 says, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby. Okay. Yeah. So if you really want to improve your walk with God, Joey, you got to be reading scripture. Okay. Yeah. It's not that complicated. It's not that hard. It's it's not some outlandish concept that we're saying, you know, follow these 11 steps. It's it's just start your day with a couple of chapters of scripture.
SPEAKER_06That has honestly changed my life. And I think I remember telling you years back, I went on a cruise with my wife, and my wife said, We are going to start our morning, which is going to go up on the serenity deck when nobody is there, and we're just going to read the Bible together. And from there, I have found a desire every morning. Like it feels so good to get into my word first thing in the morning. Because, and I know you say, No Bible, no breakfast, you know, and and that was a great thing. I remember you saying that a long time ago, and I go, Great. I I really want to start that practice, but I really don't drink, I don't do breakfast in the morning. Right. I do like to drink a cup of coffee, you know, which is really sweet, hot, melted ice cream, but I get it. I get it. I I do that, but then I'm going, okay, but now I've given my attention to something else because as I'm sitting down, of course, now the kids are up, and so they hear the noise. So now I've said, I'm going to first thing, I'm going to wake up and I'm going to get into my Bible study. I have a Bible study that I do every morning. And I love that because now the more I do it, the more I desire to do it. And then I have found myself, and you probably are the same way. I found myself when I missed doing that. I crave it. And I go, I've got to, now I've got to go and find time. I've got to get into I've got to do this. Because for me, it is living, it is breathing, and it is the Lord speaking to me, and we are interacting with each other. And I think that's one of the great ways that you can strengthen your relationship with the Lord daily, but as you would say, the beginning of the day.
SPEAKER_02No, I I believe that wholeheartedly. And and you know, it's it's as as babies desire the sincere milk. Yeah. Okay. And when you think about that, you know, sometimes when you're trying to feed an infant, they'll they'll reject. They'll fight against the nourishment they need. Absolutely. But then when when they quit fighting against, right, then they'll eat. Well, guess what? We fight against the very thing we need. We do. We we're too busy, we oh, it's too complicated, and you know, at the risk of Dr. Link tracking me down when he hears this. But okay, there are sections that that you read through and you're like, okay, this is what went into the tabernacle. Cool. Right? Yeah. I don't know what it is, I don't know why it's there. And and you know, I get that. You're you're gonna hit sections like that and and it's gonna be a struggle for you. But at the end of the day, there is nothing in scripture that doesn't have value. Yeah. See how I say that? Absolutely. Absolutely. Because you know Dr. Link was typing right things going. Oh no, he didn't say that.
SPEAKER_05Okay. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So, but Joey, just just if people could just spend 10 minutes a day, I I I've said this and and I've heard you say the same thing. You start by spending 10 minutes a day, and I will tell you right now, in in in 30 days, 10 minutes won't be enough. It's absolutely it just won't. Absolutely. You'll find yourself saying, I've got to get to work, I've got other things because it it you just begin to really, really take in. And so start your day there.
SPEAKER_06And and I heard a long time ago, and I love this because what you're saying is accomplishable to me. Right. Like start at something that you know is accomplishable, and you can do that. But what you find yourself doing is going, oh, it's been 10 minutes, but uh, I've got a few more minutes. Let me I want to find out, especially because my study this morning is the showdown at the mountain. Like I am going through Elijah right now, and I'm going, Oh, I just love this story. So, so I know my time is up, but guess what? I need to get to the end of this story. Exactly. Like you for people that say the Bible is boring, I don't know how you read the Bible and go, this is boring. Sorry, Pete. There are sections. Yeah, I understand. But but the Bible itself, no, man, it's great.
SPEAKER_02No, it is absolutely and so and you know, we're not saying read the whole book of Isaiah in one setting. No, okay, but what we are saying peel off 10 minutes of your day. Absolutely. All right, and you will see your walk with God increase.
SPEAKER_06Amen.
SPEAKER_02Amen. I love that. So and it is exciting to do that. So wonderful. All right. So I'd say we start there. The the
Pray For Nonbelievers By Name
SPEAKER_02second idea would be pray for some non-believers in your life. It's what we call our circle of influence. Okay. Your circle of influence are those people that God has placed in your life. It could be family, friends, coworkers, that man or woman that's at the convenience store where you stop and get your uh gas and coffee or at that coffee shop where you pay $72 for a cup of coffee. And you know, but but that person that you see by choice, and and that's your circle of influence. And Joey, you should know the spiritual situation of that person if they're in your circle of influence. And and so my walk with God increases as as I begin to pray for specific people. Now, I I'm not just gonna pray that for their salvation, which I am gonna pray for their salvation, I'm gonna pray for God to place someone in their path that can share the good news. And if God allows for me to be able to share that news, my relationship with God is going to grow as I'm praying for non-believers, because as I pray for non-believers, I'm reminded of the wonderful gift of salvation that God has given me.
SPEAKER_06Thank you. It's the gift he's given to you. It's what somebody was doing it for you, somebody was doing it for me. And now here we are with the same opportunity to do it for others. And also, you are praying the heart of God because the Bible says he doesn't want to see one soul perish. No, not one is how the Bible describes it. And so here we are understanding the heart of God, the more we are praying for others, praying for unbelievers. And yeah, there are people that I'm praying for who are not in a driving distance for me. And you're right, I pray the same thing. My wife and I pray the same thing every night. Place somebody in their path. And if we're given that opportunity, let us be the ones who are able to present the truth about who God is. Exactly. And the more you do that, the more that relationship with God is strengthened because I love that. As you say it, we're praying the heart of God.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, exactly. Well, we're we're reminded in 2 Corinthians 5 uh 5 20 that we are ambassadors of Christ. Okay. Yeah. An ambassador simply speaks the words of the one that sent them. Okay. An ambassador has no opinion. Thank you. Right? They they don't, okay. Uh an ambassador's only opinion is the opinion of the one that sent them. That's it. All right. And so I am an ambassador of Christ. And so my role, my responsibility is to share what the king said. Okay. And so when I'm doing that, then I'm going to grow closer to God. And again, I would argue that we we're reminded of that gift of salvation that God has given us, right? Absolutely. And so when I think of where I could be today, and and I think of what I could be facing today on my own with no spiritual connection, no, no, no, number one, no relationship with God. Number two, no relationship with God's people, and and trying to push through this world on my own, right? But I grow closer to God as I pray, and as I'm praying for this person, I can say, God, I just want this loved one, this friend, this this connection. I want them to know the same grace I know. Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_06And and same thing for people who you meet in grocery stores. As everybody has now joked about me. I have a mission field that I go shopping at every week. Right. But it really is my mission field. Absolutely. I have specific people in there now that I am, I don't want to say targeting, but I guess that's a word I could use in the truest sense. I'm targeting them for their salvation. I'm targeting them so they could come to know who the Lord is. And in doing that, I do believe that my relationship with the Lord is being strengthened, and He's also empowering me through the Holy Spirit that dwells in me to be able to do that. Therefore, my relationship here, this direction, is growing stronger.
SPEAKER_02No, absolutely. And and so, you know, we're reading scripture each day, 10 minutes. We're praying for people that need Christ in their life, and and in that it's keeping me focused. And I'm growing. Yeah. Right. I love that.
Gratitude Changes Your Outlook
SPEAKER_02I also believe that we we meditate on our blessings that God has given us, right?
SPEAKER_06Yeah, a lot of times we like to dwell on the problems that we have rather than looking at and meditating on the blessings. But but I want you to to break down what it means to meditate on that blessing.
SPEAKER_02You know, when when I was a kid and and we we used to sing uh an old gospel hymn in church, and and it was uh but but one of the lines in the song was just simply count your many blessings, count them one by one. And and you know, that is literally where we're at, okay? When you stop and you look at at the things that go on in our world, and you know what, I can focus on on all the the problems and of and and issues in the world, or I can look and say, you know, God has blessed me in so many ways. And and you know, the Bible teaches us that gratitude is so important. All right. Now I'm a firm believer, and I want to be careful because I don't want anybody misunderstanding, but but I am a firm believer that outlook determines outcome. Yeah. Right. And now, yeah, let me let me explain because I don't want anybody thinking that I can outlook something differently, okay? But if I look at whatever comes into my life and recognize and understand that for whatever reason God brought this into my life, okay, then then my outcome is entirely different because it doesn't change. I I may still be sick, I may still be broke, I may still be uh struggling, I may have still lost my job, whatever the case is. Yeah, but I can say that a sovereign God is taking me through this. And so it's just the way I look at stuff.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. And I would say don't overlook the little blessings. There's so many things that we take for granted. And I know I've probably even shared this on the podcast before, I'm not sure. But a breath to be able to fully inhale and fill up the breath of life that has been breathed inside of you. Okay. You take that for granted, and here's how I know it's been taken for granted because I don't thank God for every breath, until I was having problems breathing, right? And I have to pull out an inhaler and oh, now I can take a full breath. That breath is from God. Every breath we have is from God. But it's like even the little things like that, I think we take so many things for granted. We take, I know I used to take this for granted too, putting the key in the ignition and starting it up, and that engine starts up right away. Until, and I know this happened to somebody on staff uh probably about a month ago. They were like, my car isn't starting. I've had the same problem. The same person had to come and pick me up to bring me to the staffing because my car wouldn't start. Little things like that we take for granted. And of course, what do I do at that point? Lord, please, I need to go, I need you to. Oh, now now you want to pray over the engine. Now you want to thank me for your car? Now you it's all meditate on the blessings. Don't overlook those things.
SPEAKER_02All those things are uh blessing. Absolutely. And and we look at the most minor things, okay? Uh just literally taking just the illustration you just gave, okay? Do we think and are we thankful that there was someone to come pick us up? Exactly. No, I I can be mad that my truck won't well, I have a Ford, it'll start. But um I I can be mad that that my truck won't start, or I can't, I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_05It's just rude.
SPEAKER_02I am, I am, but I get your point. But I count my blessing, I drive a Ford, okay? And so, or I can be thankful that there is someone to come pick me up and a Ford. I'm just saying. But moving on. It is learning to count your blessings and recognizing that even in the negatives. You know, we we were on family vacation when my girls were little, and we were trying to teach our girls how important it was to recognize that even negative things in our life, God could be using for positive purposes. And we were in Orlando, we had been to Disney, and and we were coming back. And man, there was this car tire. It was like six o'clock in the morning, you know. We're we're on the road headed back, and this is when we lived in Asheville, and and we were driving. And this car tire comes flying across the interstate. Not the car, just the tire. Just the tire, yeah. Right? Yeah. How I missed it, I I do not know. Right. And and and so traffic just comes to a complete standstill, right? And and it took about 20 minutes because both sides, because it did hit another car in front of us. It's a long story, but but there was this this whole both sides of the interstate jammed up, all this other stuff. Well, I'm mad, and one of my girls pop up in the backseat and says, Well, Daddy, you know, God may be in protecting us from something much worse down the road. I wonder where she heard that one from. I said, go back to sleep. Yeah. Uh you know, six o'clock in the morning. And and so, but do we thank God for those things that that honestly seem to have no thankfulness attached to them? Yeah. And it takes just a minute for us to begin to change our focus. Listen, Romans 8, 37 and and through 39 reminds us nothing but nothing but nothing can separate us from the love of God. Right? And and so are we thankful for that?
SPEAKER_06Amen. I love that. God, like she said, could be protecting you from something. I I remember I used to be a very angry driver. Now I'm just a mad driver. I'm getting better. I'm getting much better, much better. But I remember somebody telling me, because I hate traffic. And and in LA, there's just nothing but traffic. You know, and I hate it, I hate it, hate it. And I remember he was, you know, godly man leaned over me and said, You know, God could be protecting you from something to to keep you right here in this moment so that you aren't the one causing that. Traffic that's happening. Ooh. Never, never thought about that. And then I remember we were driving down, and my wife and I were driving down and stuck in traffic. And the song randomly comes on. It literally says, I'm caught up in this traffic jam, but Lord, I don't even care. Because all I do is think about you. And I'm going, okay. Did I agree with it? No.
SPEAKER_01Exactly.
SPEAKER_02But now I've gotten better. You know, Joy and I get stuck in traffic. She says the same thing. You know, maybe God's protecting you from something. Right. And I say, and maybe the enemy, Satan,'s giving me a heart attack. It could go either way. You know? So I digress again. Yeah, please. There's a lot of digressing in this one. All right. So as we look at that, okay, we do count, we do count our blessings. Absolutely. And blessings do come in forms that we don't always call blessings. I
Tell Your Story Of God’s Goodness
SPEAKER_02think another way it takes just a minute. Tell someone how good God's been to you. Share the good news of them.
SPEAKER_06Amen. Amen.
SPEAKER_02Listen, 1 Peter 3.15, we've used that verse how many times, right? But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer. Okay. It is so many different ways. You you you you go back and you look. We just, you know, both of us had a common friend that got broken up pretty bad in a construction accident, right? And room for bitterness abundant, right? But man, two weeks in the hospital and and over and over again, he just kept telling the the hospital people how bad it could have been.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02You know, and and what could have happened. And and and I think we've just got to remind ourselves that man, we just got to tell God how good He is. You know, others how good God is to us.
SPEAKER_06Amen. Just look at your life, and when somebody asks you, guess what? You're able to give the story. Right. And people like, what do you mean by I'll just call it this way? Just tell them your story. What has God done in your life? It's great news. And how many times do we say, God has done enough? Right. Like the salvation alone is enough. But God keeps giving you more. Keeps giving you more. Keeps blessing you more. Tell people about that. And as you're telling people about that, I think you're also reminding yourself about, hey, these are the things that God has done. Wow, I have a great God. My relationship with God is going to grow because I'm now reflecting all the wonderful things that God has done for me.
SPEAKER_02And it doesn't take but just a minute, right? It takes just a minute in that, in that what appears to be a horrific situation that you can speak into someone's life. Love that. As we understand that, we we need to think about, all right, so I'm I'm starting my day with scripture, speaking into other people's life, the goodness of God. I'm counting my own blessings, I'm working through all that. So how do I keep my mind, I would argue? How do I keep my mind in that commute when I'm sitting in traffic? Or how do I keep my mind where it needs to be?
Let Your Commute Feed Faith
SPEAKER_02And you know, and I think you nailed it a moment ago because I would argue that we need to quit wasting our time sitting in our vehicles being mad or listening to stuff that has no purpose in our life. And folks, what's wrong with listening to Christian music?
SPEAKER_06Well, right? Again, that's what was speaking to me. At the time, it would speak to me. I used a Christian song that hit, and I'm like, whoo, okay, God, you're speaking to me. Christian music is so important. And I'm telling you, because I've shared this before, I used to not listen to Christian music. I would listen to my secular music, and I'd be okay with it because I'm just listening to the beat, it's fine. The words are terrible. Yeah, I know they're terrible, but I'm not until you know 20 years later you hear it again and you're able to quote every word in it. If you're listening to Christian music and there's some good ones out there that are quoting actual scriptures, guess what you've now put in your heart?
SPEAKER_02Scripture. But what genre of music can can you say, I prefer this genre of music and not find it in Christian?
SPEAKER_06There's a Christian version of it. There is a Christian version of it. Even down to the music you listen to. Right. That that we talked about one time. I was like, oh, you used to listen to it? You're like, yeah, I was hard according to that music. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Well, there's a Christian version of that. And there is. And so, you know, when you stop and you think about it though, your your mind is a is a bank vault. Okay. Sure is. It never goes away. Okay. And so, so as as it goes in, so when you get stuck in that traffic jam, what comes out is exactly what's in there. Yep. Okay. You know, what's he all saying? I don't know where that came from. Well, Jesus did. He said, out of the heart, the mouth speaks. Yep. Right? And so it's what you've placed in deposit. Yes. Okay. And so if I'm listening to Christian music, if if I'm listening to Christian podcasts, if if I'm listening to things that have value, I mean, there are Christian podcasts out there that deal with current events. Absolutely. But they deal with them from a biblical worldview. There you go. Okay. And when you begin to find these and listen to these and you listen to the Christian music, and I'm just telling you, Joey, it it changes your walk with God. And so if I've got 10 minutes of a commute, all right, and and if I have 10 minutes of a commute and I'm spending that 10 minutes celebrating who God is, growing in my faith, a number of things we could talk about. And so Psalm 100, 1 and 2, make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands. Listen, serve the Lord with gladness, come before his presence with singing. Psalm 104, 33, I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 105 again, sing to him, sing Psalms to Him, talk of His wondrous works. How many times does Scripture have to tell us the value of our focus? Yeah. And listen, music is a universal language. It sure is. I I travel, you know, as you know, I mean, I've been to a lot of countries, been to a lot of places. I may not speak the language, but let me tell you something. I I recognize the tune. Yep. Right? And I don't understand the words, but I can sing my words in English because I know the tune. Right? It's a universal language, man. Focus on doing that. I would just say it. And you got to do something on that commute. Right.
SPEAKER_06And you might as well. You might as well. There's something there. And don't listen to things that make you angry. No. Because like I said, I'm already in a certain heightened state when I'm driving.
SPEAKER_02Right. And so when you really stop and think about that, and you know, look, there are over 180 verses in scripture that speak specifically about singing to the Lord. Now, depending on the translation that you use, that could be up a couple or down a couple, but but roughly 180 verses. Okay.
SPEAKER_06Something we should be doing.
SPEAKER_02Something we should be thinking about. Something we absolutely should be thinking about. I I can tell you, I I find myself, I find myself literally, again, like you say, getting angry. And I mean, traffic does that, right? And and so where is our focus? Yeah. And and that changes our whole focus.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. I'll admit even because sometimes it's not traffic. Sometimes it's just the person in front of you not doing 10 over the speed limit. They're doing the speed limit. And and you're just like, what are you doing? Driving the speed limit and obeying the law. Yeah. Like even this morning. I said, okay, I'm just going to sit here and and I'm going to stay behind. Because I couldn't swerve in and out anyway. And so I said, okay, I'm just, I have to sit behind this person doing 45 in a 45. Right. What are you going to do?
SPEAKER_02What kind of pagan would you do?
SPEAKER_06Yeah. What's wrong with you? Right. But what are you going to do?
SPEAKER_02And that's the whole thing. So think about what you're listening to. Right. And again, if we could just get people to understand that 10 minutes in that car, I'm bad to turn the news on, right? I have satellite radio in the truck, and I'm bad to get in, turn the news on, and 10 minutes later I am furious. Right. So I I can either saturate my mind with that, and and I'm I'm not one of these people who says never read the news, never hear the news. I mean, you gotta know what's going on in the world. But but on the other side of that, dude, I I just I don't want to be a junkie that that's all I do. Okay. I I would argue another thing is take a prayer walk.
Take A Prayer Walk Daily
SPEAKER_02Oh. Right. And if even most people, even on a secular job, they get a 15-minute break or they get a 30-minute break or whatever, right? Think about number one, the the the spiritual advantage. If if I'm working in in a secular job and and I get a 15-minute break, and and so I I step outside and walk around my place of business praying for the people that work there. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Praying for the people that'll buy the product. Absolutely. Uh, whatever the case is. Okay. Absolutely. It number one, it's good for me physically, all right, but but it's good for me spiritually. Yeah. Because during that day, praying, you know, you think about it. In Acts chapter 17, the the apostle Paul walked through Athens. Yes, and and then he saw the the Valley of the Gods, the the Erecopus there that we had all the idols and all the gods. And there he stopped, right, and and preached the gospel. I want you to think about the value of that walking. I I walk through my neighborhood and and you know, I live in a neighborhood that a lot of people walk, ride golf carts around, all that stuff. Joy always says to me, she goes, How in the world do you know all of our neighbors? Right? And and how do you know what's going on in their world? And you know, because I walk. You walk. And and I talk to people. You actually talk to the people. So and and I mean, literally, there are houses that I can walk by that I can't remember their name because you know I don't remember names. Yeah. But but I can walk by and I know that this is going on in that home. Yeah. And and I can pray for that home. Look, it takes the focus off you, puts the focus on them. It it lets God begin to work in your life. Such a beautiful thing.
SPEAKER_06Take a prayer thing. Such a beautiful thing. And and we have started that here at our church where we actually walk and pray over the town. Right. But you can be doing that at your job, you can do that where you live, like what wherever you are. I remember my old manager at Starbucks, he was a Christian guy, and he challenged me. He said, Hey, during our breaks, you know, let's get together, let's go outside, and let's pray for the staff. Because there was a lot of non-saved people where we were. And then that led to the people who were coming into our business. That led to other things. And then that was just a habit. Wherever you go, you could be at a Christian place. Well, it doesn't matter. You can still be praying. I pray over the staff here. Pray over the people that come into our church. Like just be in constant prayer. And that prayer walk. Look, anytime you're communicating with God, that's prayer. Right. Prayer is just communicating with God. Anytime you're doing that, you're drawing closer to Him and you're strengthening your relationship with Him.
SPEAKER_02You know, and I knew a pastor that when he retired, he he went to work at a golf course a couple of days a week just to, you know, just as a ranger on the golf course, got him free golf, right? And but I was talking to him one day and he says, Man, it's the coolest job in the world. He's he said, I I I pray for every person. He said, I I don't stop interrupt their golf game, but he said, I'm riding by and I'm saying, hey, you got to speed it up, right? Because they're slowing down the course. And and or or he says, I help them find where the next toll is. And he said, you know, I I right then I can pray. Yeah for those people, right? Uh just think about that that ability, right?
Make A Thanksgiving Phone Call
SPEAKER_02And and I I would argue another thing just doesn't take just a minute, and it's a lost art in today's world, and that is make a Thanksgiving phone call.
SPEAKER_06You know how many people are shocked by that? I remember doing that to my mentor, and I called him up and said, Hey, man, he's like, Hey, what's going on? Man, I just want to call you and thank you. Thank you for mentoring me. Thank you. And he'd say, What Bible's Twitter are you in, man? Because this is great. You know, I said, man, somebody challenged me to just make a make a call of thanks. You know, who have you called and thanked today? And I said, Wow, that's really good. And I I did that and it blew his mind.
SPEAKER_02Well, and I I just I know in today's world, but I'm gonna say it anyway. Not a text. Don't do a text. Yes, don't do a text. I've gotten to where I hate texting. Don't send an email. You know, right. It it just texting is great for that little short statement, that little short question, but but there's just something lost in. I just want you to know how much I appreciate you in a text.
SPEAKER_06Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02Okay, it's okay at times, but think about Paul said in Philippians 1 3, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. First Thessalonians 5 11. Therefore, comfort each other, edify each other, and listen to a worded it, just as you're doing. Yeah. Okay. And so the assumption to the church at Thessalonica is that you know to do this, so be doing it. Just keep doing. Right? I I would argue that now I I guess, you know, got to be careful with this. We don't want distracted drivers and all that going on.
SPEAKER_06And well, the law here in South Carolina now is you cannot hold your phone and drive.
SPEAKER_02I do not know that. They make mounts. I know that. Well, the nice police officer will let you know that. Yeah, I was about to say, I just did not know that. And and then you can pray for him while he's telling you. Um, and so look, God answers prayers. He sure does. Right. And so, but you know, it whether you're in the car, whether you're sitting in the office, whether you're out for your walk, right? But take that opportunity. Yeah, there's so much value in sometimes you feel like what you do is unnoticed, unrecognized, right? And and and so when you think about somebody calling you and saying, you know, I just want you to know I appreciate what you do. Now I'm talking, I'm not talking about a pastor, I'm talking about anybody. Yeah, right? Yeah. It is so important that you do that and and you step into people's life.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. Calling my boss one time and saying, hey, you know what? I I was because I was, I was in need of a job desperately. This person hired me. And then years later, not working for them anymore, but just calling them and saying, Hey, you know what, man? I'm so thankful that you hired me at that moment because I was really it this I'm telling you guys, this blows people's mind. And they go, How are you like that? And how can I like I want to be more like you? And guess what that gives the opportunity for you to do? Go back to give them the testimony. You can share your goodness again. This just opens up a world of opportunities.
SPEAKER_02It's so
Memorize Scripture And Pray It
SPEAKER_02important. And then finally, I would say memorize scripture. Key. Right? Um not just read scripture, which is important, but memorize it. Psalm 119, 11, your word I've hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. Okay. It is it becomes one of those things that that if you'll memorize scripture in those times, something's coming back. Right. And and so whatever's coming out again, Jesus said it real clearly, it's whatever in the heart. He says you throw the bucket down into the well when you pour it up. It brings out of the well what's in the well. And and so listen, it's what comes out of that mouth is exactly what's in the heart. And and so your word have I hidden in my heart. Why? That I might not sin against you. And and so it's so important. Philippians 4, 6 and 7, be anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. So I'm memorizing that. And so I'm memorizing that when when I want to be anxious, I can say, God, you told me to be anxious for nothing, but with a heart of thanksgiving, I'm making this request known to you. Amen. Look, one thing, one thing's for certain, and we've we've both been there with raising kids, right? And so one thing's for certain kids will use your own words against you. Sure will. But daddy, you said what do you do with that? In a heartbeat. Right? And and especially when you said it, right? And and so what's wrong with us saying father, in your word, you said.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And praying scripture back. Absolutely. Um, memorizing that, holding that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_06I cannot tell you how many times I'm in a bad situation or disruptive situation. A word of God comes to me because I have memorized it, I have studied it, I have hidden it in my heart because that's as I'm going through something. Oh wow, this is a trial. Okay, consider rejoic. Oh no, I'm hey, God has a wonderful plan for you. Oh no, I did something wrong. That's all right, he's gonna work it together for like these are scriptures that I have memorized, and in the situation, it comes back to me. God's speaking truth, his truth, into my heart. I'm not sitting against it. And again, it goes back to the beginning of what you're saying. My relationship with him is strengthened.
SPEAKER_02Right. All of us have 10 minutes a day. 10 minutes. We've named nothing in a list of eight things that you couldn't do in 10 minutes. Yeah. And if you'll just do that, yeah. And how many multiple 10 minutes a day do we have? Uh I I don't, I very few people have less than a 10-minute commute to work. Okay. Yeah. Um, and and very few people um can't say that somewhere in the day that they can't peel out several different occasions of having 10 minutes. Um you got to do something with that 10 minutes. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_06Man, I love that. Okay, I know our time is wow. Wow, our time is up. Okay, wrap this thing up for me.
Mature Faith Uses God’s Promises
SPEAKER_02You know, it really boils down. Do you know what the main difference uh when we would say between a mature believer and an immature believer? Uh, and and uh, you know, think about that. And and I would argue that the the mature believer has learned to claim the promises of 1 John 1 9. If I confess my sin, he is faithful and just to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness, which then allows them to make the most use of their life for the good and for the glory of God. Wow, right? And so um grow in grace and knowledge. That's what 2 Peter tells us. And so we do that 10 minutes a day.
SPEAKER_06And let's just remember that. 10 minutes. You have 10 minutes. Use
Final Challenge And Goodbye
SPEAKER_06it. Use it. Man, thank you so much, guys, and thank you for being a part of the reality is podcast. We are here talking about real life and real faith. Once again, do us a favor: like, subscribe, share this with your friends, and ring the bell. That way you'll never miss another episode of the reality is podcast. For now, we'd like to say, God bless you. We'll see you next time. Goodbye.
SPEAKER_00The reality. Well, real life makes real fun. The reality is a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit.