Unphazed Podcast
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Unphazed Podcast
Questioning God's Word ft. Adam Pilota | Ep. 59 | Unphazed
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In this episode Phaz sits down with Adam Pilota from his hometown church, Lighthouse Church of All Nations. They talk about what real faith is—how we walk out Christianity in our lives, and the anointing Adam has as he uses the Word of God to travel the world and preach.
They also discuss Druski’s viral sketch, shining a light on the other side of Christianity we often see on social media.
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Do some preachers drive Bugattis? Sure. Should they? No. They shouldn't. What do you mean you haven't read your Bible through this year? I read it through twice, and I go, well, you're still passing. So, like, what was the point? No, you didn't make it to the NFL. But you know what? God's plan for your life is great. How can you call yourself a Christian if you haven't read the Bible? It's a good question. I think the difference might be.
SPEAKER_00I'm on faith. I'm on faith and I'm on faith. I'm on faith and I'm on faith. I'm on faith and fitness.
SPEAKER_02Welcome everybody to the Unfazed podcast. Um, it's been a journey, um, and uh I'm back home. I'm back home. Not only am I back home in Chicago, but I'm back home at my home church, the lighthouse church of all nations. And um coming back to Chicago, there was I had to really think. I was like, okay, every time I come to Chicago, who is somebody that I can approach, or who is somebody that inspires me? Because I don't want to bring anybody on the podcast. I want to be somebody that inspires me and what their life is and what they're how they're living and what they're doing. And like we talked about in the last episode, doing the thing. So, brother, I appreciate you. I appreciate you for coming on the podcast, man. Baison, it's my pleasure. Thanks for having me. Yes, brother. I think um so when I was thinking about who I wanted to have on the podcast, like coming out here, like I don't know, it just kind of snapped into my mind. I'm like, yeah, Adam, Adam's would be perfect to have on the podcast. And then I looked into your bottom, I'm like, oh, podcasting, because you have a little experience with that as well.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah. It podcasting's a blast. So I don't know. We probably haven't talked in a couple months, but thank you for reaching out to me. And I, you know, I just would have been happy to see you in general and your sweet mom. Exactly. But to do this together, do a project together that will be up on YouTube forever and ever. Forever. Thank you, man.
SPEAKER_02No, no, 100%, brother. And I think um you blessed me with the studio. I get to in the lighthouse. I've never been in the studio. I think I've seen it once or twice, but it's like I've never been in this studio. Yeah, the lighthouse studio. Thank you, Bishop Dan. Very thank you, thank you, Bishop. Um, yeah, man. But I think really the main thing I want to talk about with you, man, is kind of getting the overview of like, we talked about kind of what the podcast is and kind of our journeys, but I think your journey has definitely inspired me. Um, for the people who don't know, you were actually the person who baptized me. You know what I mean? Yeah, a couple of years ago. A couple years ago, and I think that was just like amazing just to have that full circle moment. But um, how would you how have you been? I think that's the main question, first off, man. How long ago did I baptize you? I think it was might have been over five years ago. It might have been over five years, definitely has been over five years because time is fine. Time is fine, time is fine.
SPEAKER_01Well, since then, married now, been married about five years. Yes, and two two small children. My daughter Angelina, she's three and a half, coming up on four, and then my son Theo, he's eight months old. So just being a dad and all the things that come with that. You're not dad yet, right? Not yet. Oh, I can't wait till you become a dad. Oh being a dad is a treat. Yeah, I love my kids. Um, they they run my life though. And then so that's family, but then just ministry. Just yeah, I'm the executive pastor here at Lighthouse and serving with Bishop and Pastor Garland and growing the kingdom of God, reaching people. And that's obviously how we met and traveling a little bit in ministry as well. Yeah, um, getting the opportunities to just preach a lot in Asia, going to Africa for the first time this year, going to Kenya, and just seeing God's hand move all over the world. And I just feel like such a little nobody, but apparently the Lord is using me and um he's using you, and it's really what I've been up to.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and what what do you feel like for you was like that initial calling, like what to get you where you are now?
SPEAKER_01It's a good question. I always bring it back to when I was in high school playing football. Come on now, so I was I played quarterback. Oh, okay. So okay. That's why we have a connection. We do have a connection. Yes.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_01So what always makes me laugh is some of the younger guys here, they don't know me as a football player at all. But I wrestled, I played football, I played baseball. So some of the younger guys, they'll be talking to me about football and the, you know, they don't think I have any athletic ability because that's not what they see. That's not what they see. I just had uh a younger girl come over to my house to help babysit my daughter and she saw me like wear sweatpants and she was just taken aback because she only sees me in dress clothes, right? Yeah, but some of the younger kids, they'll throw the football at me and I'm like, just go. Yeah. Like, no, they go 20 yards. I'm like, no, no, deeper.
SPEAKER_02Go about 60 yards as fast as you can, exactly.
SPEAKER_01And I launch it, and they're like, How on earth? I'm like, because I played sports my whole life, like we had no idea. But I played option quarterback. Oh, yeah. So we ran Navy's offense, that triple option.
SPEAKER_02No, yeah, we ran that at Mount Carmel.
SPEAKER_01See, okay, well, you guys ran it much better than us, much better. But because I went to Stag High School in PLS. Yeah, yeah. You know, we never we we did okay. But um, really going back to my football days, I just my grandma had passed away, and um, I just it broke my heart, and she was at all my games and just a really challenging time for me. Yeah, and the Lord started to pull on my heart, pull on my heart, and I found myself no longer then. This will show you why I wasn't as good as at football as you, because I was smoking weed, I was popping pills, I was drinking, I was just being kind of in high school, yeah, you know, an idiot, I guess.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I just all of a sudden the Lord was pulling on my heart, and my dad was inviting me to church, and the conviction from the Holy Spirit began to set in. And I thought to myself, I'm wasting my life. If there is a God, I would suppose it's Jesus Christ, you know, cultural Christianity in America. And I began to go to church, and then next thing you know, I was praying with my football teammates. Wow. And I was like, well, I can't pray that we would win, but I pray that no one gets hurt and people wouldn't get hurt.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And then I just started to have this pull after high school into wanting to take the Lord seriously. I ended up getting baptized when I was 16. I got baptized in the Holy Spirit when I was 18, 19 years old. And man, I don't know how far you want me to go into this, but really from there, my life just skyrocketed into being a serious on fire for the Lord, man of God, wanting to spend time in the Bible and to know the scriptures, and to really know them for myself, and to be a pillar in the house of God. I never wanted to be a pastor. I just kind of, you know, you any person who's a Christian can understand this. Or, you know, maybe you're you don't know the Lord yet. I'd encourage you to know the Lord, but you find yourself being pulled in a certain direction and the life that I'm living, preaching the gospel, pastoring people, you know, baptizing you, like I just I never thought I'd be doing that, but God has plans that aren't your plans. The Bible says that there's a way that seems right to a man, but that way leads to destruction. But there's a way that's right to God, and He leads you and guides you, and He makes a beautiful life out of what you almost messed up.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_01But in Jesus, you have a new life, and I don't know, I just can't believe where I'm at.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, that's amazing. I think what that made me think of too, there's this quote that was like, because a lot of times where the he's pulling you, that it doesn't feel right or it's hard, right? So they would say, like, the path to heaven feels like hell. The path to hell feels like heaven.
SPEAKER_01Well, that's true. Many people go down the path that leads to darkness, right? Bible says, Many enter in by and few the way of righteousness. But I preach this sermon. It's funny you say poll. Copy me poll. I preach a sermon called Go with the poll. If you would just people always want to know, well, what am I supposed to do? I'm a Christian. What am I supposed to do in life? Yeah, you just go with the pull. It's not that complicated. Yeah, go where the Holy Spirit pulls you, and you just your life develops from there. You don't get the whole picture right away.
SPEAKER_04For sure.
SPEAKER_01But you along the way, God begins to show you his plan for your life.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And you got into this, you that fire set for you pretty early. And I think one of the most inspiring things is just to see, like, when I met you, right? You kind of already had that fire, but to be able to maintain that showed me, like, oh, you know, he's not playing. This is really him. He is really on fire for the Lord. But I want to ask you, I know having that is not the normal, right? So, like, you're doing this in high school. Was there any ever like times where like maybe it got tough or like you were on this path, you're like, okay, I fell off the path, or things like that?
SPEAKER_01Well, I think ministers make a really big mistake of not being real. We are not perfect people. Yeah, you know, the thing that'll humble you more than anything are your children. My daughter doesn't care about me being called a pastor here, she doesn't care about any of it. Yeah, you know, you go to preach summer, they treat you like royalty sometimes. And I mean, that's nice. Football players get a little bit of that. Yeah. But you're really just a guy who is saved by the grace of God, washed by the blood of Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit. And the thing that keeps you is the word of God. It's the word. The Bible says it's the washing of water by the word of God. It's actually, I don't know how much your audience knows. So if we need to take this out, but you're engaged. Does your audience know you're engaged?
SPEAKER_02I'm yes, they do. Okay, they know you're engaged. They do.
SPEAKER_01So the question is similar though. How do you stand fire for God? How do you disciple your wife? In Ephesians, the Bible talks about how Christ washes the bride of Christ with the washing of water by the word of God. The word of God is what washes your mind, it's what changed thought, motives, desire. How do you become a Christian who has beliefs that are completely contrary to the word of God? Because we've all met people who have beliefs that are contrary to what the Bible actually says, and yet they call themselves a Christian and they pray and they go to church. What's the difference? The difference is time spent in the word of God. Jesus Christ is the word of God. The Bible says in the beginning, I'm sorry, I'm a preacher, so I'm a preacher. Preach, preach, preach. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, and that word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus Christ is the word of God. If you want to understand Jesus, you got to know his word. If what's your fiance's name? Remind me. Ginger. Ginger? Yes. Okay, it's a pretty name. So ginger, imagine before you met Ginger, she would have slid you a manila folder and said, This is everything you need to know about me. I like sushi. I don't like to be out past 11 o'clock at night.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I like roses. Yeah, I got the answers to the test. You got the answers to the test. So all you got to do is show up on that first date and make sure you hit those things. Yes. And Ginger probably would have married you within the first week, right? Yes, exactly. You had to find out the hard way, right? You had to date a little bit. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Make some mistakes. You make some mistakes along the way.
SPEAKER_01Oh, you don't like that. Oh, okay. Sorry. Let me go back. Exactly. Oh, right. You don't, okay. You don't like mail, you like cool. Okay. Miracle web. I got you. I got that. Okay, I'll go back in the kitchen real quick.
SPEAKER_02Okay, I'll go back. Yeah. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01It's the same thing with the Lord. In order to understand Christ, you have to understand his word. It's becoming a devoted Bible, not scholar, but studier. When you're reading the Word of God, you're starting to understand your Lord and Savior. You're starting to understand the creator of the heavens and the earth and God Himself. It's to be taken really seriously. What I often talk about when I'm preaching these days is I'm really not impressed with preachers. Preachers are great. I'm a preacher, but I'm impressed with people like you, or um the school teacher who's a Christian, but their daily devotion is the strongest thing in their life. That they wake up in the morning and yes, they pray, yes, they cast their cares before the Lord, yes, they seek God's guidance through prayer, but they know the scriptures. And what the Lord says is He says, if you want to be my friend, abide in my word. We can be friends, but you don't have to totally listen to me, right? That's how most friendships go, right? Or that's manipulation. But in order to be a friend with God, he said you have to abide in my word. So how does one maintain a strong relationship with the Lord? It's through understanding and knowing his word. David said, I hid your word in my heart so that I wouldn't sin against you. It's putting the word of God into your heart, meditating upon it day and night. So I don't know the Bible better than you know a lot of people, but I can tell you what I do strive for is to know the word every day so that I can follow the ways of God. And here's the difference. Yeah, because you could have a lot of different kinds of Christians on here. You can but for me, I believe in the anointing and the presence of the Holy Spirit. When you read that word, the Bible says that the apostle John was dealing with um apostasy, which is like false doctrine and stuff.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_01And everyone's running around the different teachers. So phase on, you're trying to understand the scripture, you're texting me, then you're texting five other ministers. What does this mean? So he's dealing with those people, and he says, You have no need of a teacher, but the anointing that the Lord will give you will teach you all things.
SPEAKER_04Wow.
SPEAKER_01When I spend time in the word phase on, it's the anointing of the Holy Spirit that starts teaching me. And I become changed. I start to cry, I start to just become more like Jesus. My cousin, actually, is a military guy.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_01And he never served the Lord a day in his life. He knew nothing about God. He just knew I was once smoking weed and now I wasn't. He randomly texted me saying that people at the VA, they started to talk about the Lord. Some had a Catholic background, some a Baptist, some Pentecostal, different backgrounds, but the Lord was being brought up. So he started going into the Bible himself. You see the theme, it's spend time in the Word. He started going into the Scriptures and he said what changed his life was he found himself becoming, he called it emotional. He was reading the scriptures, and no longer was it just another religious book. He started to cry. The the the living God through his word started revealing himself to my cousin. And he's now a strong Christian today. Wow. And it's all through the word of God. That's what will keep you. Not just experience, it's the word of God.
SPEAKER_02And I think that that's important that you said that because I've I've had that similar interaction where it's like maybe something's going on in my life, or just something is pulling me to read the Bible. I'm like, okay, just open the Bible and read the Bible. And then it's like I get it, and it's no longer just like another book. Because I feel like a lot of times in my life it was like another book. And I was like, I don't, I really like reading like that. So I was like, I'm not gonna read it. But then when I actually spent some time in it, I was like, I was like, what is this? And then I find myself, okay, reading and going through. But I think the biggest thing for me, they said the Bible is like basic instructions before leaving Earth. That's what some people say, right? So when looking at that, we've had it's amazing. Everything you just said, like take, I'm gonna send that to you so you could clip that, post that. There you go. But um, we've actually I've had a conversation with a couple other Christians on here as well. And one of the main things, a question that I just posed, it was more so like clickbait, but it was like, we're living in a world of like fake Christians, right? And I put this out there because I was like, not only am I saying this to other people, like you're a fake Christian. No, I'm saying, like, oh, I believe maybe I am a fake Christian, in the definition that I was saying, because I've never read the Bible through and through. So it's like I've studied it here and there, but it's like I've never really read the whole Bible. And then I was motivated to start reading, and then you know, things happen and come off, and it's like off and on. So I still haven't had that like time where I actually spent in the Bible. And then I've had this conversation, I've actually put it on my story, and a lot of people respond, and I was like, How can you call yourself a Christian if you haven't read the Bible? Like, you don't you don't know what you don't even know what this is the playbook? You can't go if you if you go on the field and you don't know the playbook, you're gonna mess up. The coach is gonna take you out the game. That's it, you not play again. You have to know the playbook. So I would love to hear because I know you kind of touched on it there, but like, what is how do you feel about that? Like, if I know there are Christians that say, like, okay, yeah, I know this, but you said spending time in the word. But even for somebody like me, just speaking to you like about this, how I know the answer is gonna be like I have to spend time in the word, but is there something that like I could I should be doing or a way I should be acting?
SPEAKER_01That's a good question. I think the difference might be between me and maybe someone else you might ask this question to is I'm very heavy on the Holy Spirit.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_01Jesus said that I'm gonna send the comforter, which is the Holy Spirit. So let me break down some scripture for everyone here. Remember when Jesus obviously died on the cross at Calvary, and then on the third day rose again, we you know, celebrating resurrection Sunday wasn't too long ago, right? But remember, he resurrects and he still gets to spend some time with the disciples, his apostles. And he his lasting message to them is this I'm going to heaven. Do not leave Jerusalem until you receive the promise of the Father. He did not permit them to leave where they were until the Holy Spirit came. As Christians, we have to have a strong fellowship with the Holy Spirit. We need to be people who feel the presence of God, who pray in tongues, pray in the Holy Spirit. You know, this is the background that we have in our walk with God. We are baptized in the Holy Spirit, born again of the water in the spirit, Christians. When I talk about reading the word, it's the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Don't read the word like it's dry toast.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Get the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. Some gently on that time. Come on. Come on now. The Holy Ghost is like butter on toast. I'm telling you. You need the presence of the Holy Spirit. I've read the Bible just completely carnal and I had no enjoyment in it. How can a professor at a university drink scotch and read the Bible at the same time and to the letter know the Bible more than you? Because it can be read in the flesh. But Jesus said, What the Father wants is for us to worship him in spirit and in truth. So when you read the word, when I read the word, what I aspire is for the anointing of the Lord to come upon me and to reveal the scriptures to me. So something you'll learn. I was just reading this yesterday, something the Lord showed me, phase on, that'll help you in your own marriage. This is kind of an example of the anointing teaching you.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_01I'm reading the beginning of Genesis. I'm reading about the Garden of Eden. Notice that Satan, you know, as a snake here, he did not challenge Adam about the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He didn't go after Adam. He went after Eve. Here's a revelation the Lord began to show me in what will help you in your marriage. The way the devil often tries to attack a man is not directly to the man. He'll go through the children. And you think to yourself, that that's not fair. Come at me. I'm I'm the man here. Come at me. I'll take it. Don't go after my wife and children. But the devil doesn't play fair, which is why we must cover our wives, we must cover our children and be the spiritual head of the house. It was like a reminder all over again. That's what I'm talking about. Learning the word of God under an anointing. Yes. God began to show me, Adam, your wife is pretty stressed out right now, laundry's dirty, whatever. You got to cover your wife and prayer. Grab her hand, pray together. Because you may not be overwhelmed, but the devil is trying to overwhelm her to overwhelm you. So you see what I'm saying?
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_01Under an anointing, the scriptures. Open up themselves, and uh you know how many thousands of years ago was that story told and yet it it has fresh life, yeah, because the Holy Spirit breathed on it, and then I was able to receive it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I think one thing that that I was thinking about as you were speaking about that is like Jesus and like the crucifixion. Um, because if you think about and I seen some video, I think it was on Instagram or something, just thinking about like the actual pain. Oh, yeah, that the crucifixion and that whole like us, like it's like a ceremony of pain for us. And then I look at that and man, that is what I would like to go through, so my wife, my family, my mother don't have to go through that. So I think that was one of the things that got me super emotional, just like and understanding, like, okay, what that truly is and what really happened there. But I wanted to ask you this as well is like, so for people that say the Bible in itself, right? Because I think a lot of nowadays, like Christianity, I think a lot of people are correct me if I'm wrong, like I don't know the actual stats, but it's like a lot of people are more spiritual, like saying they're getting away from the church, where it's like they don't like, especially maybe our generation, it's like they don't want to go to church, or it's like more so okay, I'm more spiritual. I kind of have my own relationship with God. I hear that a lot of times, and then the biggest thing I think for me was like the Bible in itself, and I've seen other people break it down, but one thing someone said is like the Bible was written by man. And I know you mentioned like the anointing was there, and then I've seen other videos where they're talking about there's no way all these people could write this thing and it can align so perfectly and how long it's like the oldest living book. But like, what would you say to that?
SPEAKER_01Well, you asked me a few questions, so let me try to pick out the one that stands out to me about how the Bible was actually compiled. It's an anointing. The Holy Spirit, the Bible is very clear. Yes, many different hands did write the Bible, yeah. But Jesus Christ is the word of God. So let me break this down actually what the Bible does say about the written scripture, what the Bible actually is.
SPEAKER_02And before you even start, my bad. I think I'm asking this a lot of this, because like, yeah, for the viewers can see, but I think a lot of the questions I'm asking too are for myself. Oh, that's like as I go through this question, yeah, because I think a lot of this for me, I want to get to the point where there is a fire, right? And I feel like from the baptism, it's like, okay, it sparked a little bit, yes, but then it's like it's like ebbs and flows, and like you go into life, and then I was in this football realm where it's like I'm getting these accolades and everything that I was praised for, like I became, it was me, I was doing these things. Every time I would score a touchdown, make a catch, I was getting praised for that. Now that it was over, it was like, okay, what's going on now? Like, I'm not getting, I need to do something to get praised. But it's like, no, it's like the father is there, he's there, comforting me. And regardless of I've similar to how my mother and our family think about it, it's like regardless if you have a billion dollars or you're on the NFL every Sunday and they could watch you play, or you're on the street, they're gonna love you and they're gonna have they're gonna be there for you. So I think a lot of this that I'm asking is so I can find that fire, yeah, right, as well.
SPEAKER_01Well, we can stay here all night if you want, because you're my buddy. So, do you want me to do the um the question about what is the Bible and then the on fire?
SPEAKER_03Okay, yes.
SPEAKER_01So, this is what the Bible actually is. Jesus Christ is the living word of God. I quoted it earlier, it's John 1 and 1. In the beginning was the word. So before everything, before the earth was formed, before the heavens was the word of God. I know it's kind of hard to wrap your mind around, but it's the truth. In the beginning was the word, and the word was God, and the word became flesh. Jesus Christ is the word of God. So you think to yourself, okay, so when Moses was right, because we just sat through a service together, and our pastor preached out of the book of Exodus, right? Yes, Moses wrote that, but Moses was born before Christ. Like, how does that work? This is how it works. Before God, the word of God robed himself in flesh, it's called the incarnation, the anointing of the Holy Spirit would overshadow a man. Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, and under the anointing or the unction, the guidance, maybe more clear word, not so Christian Christianity wording, yeah, but under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they would begin to write those words. And those words were Jesus Christ. All the Bible points to Jesus. Every single part of the Bible you can find Christ in. So that's what the Bible actually is. It was the Holy Spirit overshadowing, anointing, inspiring men to write the word, which would eventually become flesh, which would eventually die on the cross for our sins, who fills us with his spirit. That's what the word of God is. That's how you can have thousands of years of separation between different men and women of God, and yet the word doesn't conflict, it doesn't go against itself. Prophecies that are in the book of Daniel written in Persia, they align with prophecies that were written from the Isle Isle of Patmos in Greece by John. How does that happen?
SPEAKER_02How is that possible?
SPEAKER_01How does Christ fulfill these scriptures that he was going to be born in Bethlehem? How does that happen? Exactly. How how does the scripture talk about that the Christ would have his beard plucked and it happened to Jesus? How how? Yeah, it's only by God who can see through time. The Bible says Christ was slain before the foundation of the earth. Adam and Eve sitting in the garden did not surprise God. God had the plan before he ever put them in the garden that that word, that the word of God that made the seas, the word of God, I don't know why I'm gonna say this. Penguins. Who doesn't like penguins? The word of God that made penguins and lions, and you and me and ginger and my wife Paris, the word of God that formed us, right? Became flesh and became a man. And his name was Jesus, and he was from Nazareth, and he was God in flesh. And that's what the Bible is. It is Christ. So when you hold that Bible, I'll tell you what does absolutely convict me. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him. That's exceedingly clear.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_01Jesus is the only way. But the Muslims, they look at their book, the Quran. And I don't know if you know this, but they take one hand and they just page by page. They're very gentle with the Quran. Sometimes we just take Bibles and we just throw it, and it's like, whatever.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But that's the that's the word of God. And so I hope that answered the question. But the word is Christ, and he overshadowed everything. And that word, every word that's there was supposed to be there.
SPEAKER_02And I definitely does. And I appreciate that. And why do you think like there is it's so hard to do that? And I don't want to say it's harder than it was like back in the day, because I feel like we've always had like temptations. And I feel like what I've learned is that the devil rules the world. He does, yeah. So I think once I had that realization, it helped me a lot because once you move from that point of view, it's it's easier. You know what I mean? Because now I know, like, okay, all these worldly things, all these things, it's it's not of, it's not what I'm supposed to be doing. Right. Right. But why do you think like it is? It feels like it's harder, or maybe it doesn't feel like that to you. Or it feels like harder for like our generation or to connect or like we're moving away from the church or even Christ.
SPEAKER_01I like to be transparent.
SPEAKER_03Be transparent.
SPEAKER_01Me and my wife got in the biggest fight today. Oh my gosh. Listen, we're not perfect people. Yes. And my wife would laugh if she heard me say this. We got in the biggest fight. The biggest fight. Oh my gosh, the biggest fight. And all I could think of is I gotta go to church and I'm counseling a guy before service, then I'm going to church, and then Baseb's gonna be on his podcast. I feel like a hypocrite. We made up all before I came here. Yes. But listen, many are the afflictions of the righteous. We're human, we're flesh. Temptation does not leave until we get to heaven. That is the reality. Yes. But we're not saved by our works. We're saved by the grace of God through faith, not of works, lest we could boast about it that I'm so holy, God has to let me in. But there are in terms of it being hard, it just when you got saved, did it become, were you more um aware of your sin?
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_01Because you tasted the living water of the Lord, and because you're his son now, the Bible says he chastises those whom he loves. So he doesn't let you get away with everything.
SPEAKER_02And I think from there it became even more like I was more aware of it. And I'm not saying I didn't stop, like I still continued to sin, but um when I spent that time in sin, like I was a knowing that it's like before it's like you would just do it, and maybe it's like ignorance is bliss type of thing. But it's like, no, you know you're doing this and you're instinctually going back to this thing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's not, I don't think that it's it's definitely not harder than what it's ever been before. You know, the old testament, they didn't they here's a good scripture. When in the gospels, Jesus says to them, the Holy Spirit has been with you, but he will be in you. That's the difference between old and new. They had the Holy Spirit who would Holy Spirit would come on Moses, right? But the Holy Spirit never lived inside Moses. He didn't qualify because he he wasn't washed by the blood of Jesus. Now we have the Holy Spirit living in us. So actually, I would I would say that we have an easier walk than what the Old Testament saints had. The difference though is that you know, once you've tasted the water of the Lord, the water of Christ, and you start dehydrating yourself spiritually, it's miserable. Yeah, because you've tasted the Lord. Yeah. And you start, and this can happen to anyone. Yeah, for sure. It happens to me all the time that I might read my spend time with the word. I'm praying, I'm fasting, I'm preaching, and for a month, and I'm like, I'm on fire. I feel fantastic, right? Yeah, I feel alive. And then I go two weeks without reading the word, and I just feel like I'm dead. I feel like I'm a miserable person. I feel depressed, I feel anxiety. What happened? A great example in the Bible is this in Acts chapter two, they receive the Holy Spirit for the first time. It's the day of Pentecost. Three chapters later, they get persecuted, and they all come back together in the same room. And you know what they say? What do they say? Fill us with the Holy Spirit, Lord. It's continual refilling. Yes, it's continual. God, fill me again. Yes, fill me again, wash me with the water of your word. It's a devotion. The American church just needs to work on having a better devotion life. When I go to the Philippines or um, I've been to Pakistan, I've been to India, but I meet those believers, the word of God is so sacred to them. The anointing is upon them, the presence of God is so real in their lives through the word. If we would maintain our devotion life as seriously as we maintain relationships with your girlfriend, your fiance, my wife, if you put your relationship with the Lord first, everything else works out. Because the Bible's clear. You cannot have anyone above God. I can't put my children above the Lord. And I have cute kids. I do. But if I put my my Angelina or my Theo above God, it sounds right, doesn't it? In the word in the world.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_01You should put your kids first. No. The God of heaven is righteous and he loves you. And if you put him first, you'll be a better dad. You'll be a better husband. You'll be a better fiance. I tell my wife all the time, I'm like, if we could just spend more time with the Lord, we'll be better parents.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And we've noticed we're not as frustrated or as um overwhelmed as we would be by our kids when we're spending time with the Lord, because he makes you better. He makes you like him. It's our devotion life. That's so important.
SPEAKER_02The devotion life. Yeah. And how can, what would you say be some ways to like increase or like strengthen your devotion life? Like practical things. Because I and I ask that because I'm big on being practical. Yeah, exactly. Because I ask that because I think a lot of people, especially the people that just that I've talked to and had talks about like religion nowadays, I think a lot of people feel, and maybe it's just like a um, what do you call it, a smoke screen um behind the real problem? But it's like they don't want to go to church like they've been judged, or they don't feel like that's real, or they feel like it's performative. So I would like to know like what would you like some practical ways of like exercising that devotion.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So the Bible says, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then all these things will be added to you. And who Jesus was talking about, he was talking to the disciples, and they're come they're worried about clothing and food. Well, we're all worried about clothing and food, right? But he said, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Meditating upon the word day and night. All these scriptures, right? These are all scriptures I can quote, but being more practical with it. You gotta know yourself. Phase on, do you get flustered throughout the day?
SPEAKER_03Of course.
SPEAKER_01I would suggest your devotion time should be in the morning. Spend time with the Lord in the morning so that He can anoint you for the day. You know, something I do, and it's a little religious, but I like doing it for myself. I start off all my like private prayers, like if I get on my knees type prayer, yeah. Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. I I do the Lord's prayer. Yeah, it's like this, it kind of just um stabilizes me. Yes, it just it's a good foundation for me.
SPEAKER_03For sure.
SPEAKER_01And then I go into my prayer, but I like to start my day that way. And then I go into the word of God and I eat the bread of the word. And I find that works for me. I like the morning. I have a buddy, his name is Matt, and he is a night owl like no other. And Matt doesn't want to do anything in the morning, and that's okay. So, Matt, he can't stand the morning time. So when I hang out with Matt, we're praying like it's one o'clock in the morning, yeah, and I'm begging for mercy. I want to go home and I want to go to bed. Yeah, but you know what? That's what works for him. Yes, the devotion time at night just works for him. So that's the simple thing. Find what works for you. Yeah, if it's morning, great. If it's night, great. That's what I would suggest. I don't suggest middle of the day. Yeah, this is why you're already flustered and then you're about to go into more stuff. Start off in strength or end in strength because even if you pray at night, you'll wake up feeling good.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_01So that's fine either way. But another thing, and maybe this will impact your audience the most. The Bible is actually very clear. Do not forsake the assembling together of the body. Go to church. Yes, it is not an option. People get it twisted, and you're thinking to yourself, well, you're a pastor. Of course, you say that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I may be a pastor, but that didn't happen when I got saved.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I've been serving the Lord for, oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm 30. I guess 15 years now. I became a pastor five years ago. Okay. God groomed me into that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay. I don't make a lot of money. I don't, whatever. Like, I'm just a simple dude.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But I will tell you this: you need to go to church. You need to be around other brothers in the Lord. Fais on, where are we ever going to see each other? Like, are we just going to run into each other in Walgreens? No, exactly. No, we're going to see each other in the house of God.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And you're going to say, Listen, me and Ginger are stressed out about this wedding planning. Can you pray for me?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And then we'll pray together. And then you'll walk out of here feeling like, man, thank God I ran into Adam today. That's my brother.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01You know, when I see your mom, you know, she's had her health challenges, but she's so strong in her faith. Well, when she's able to get here because of her health challenges, she walks away strengthened. It's coming to the house of God. That's the most that's like the simplest thing. If you can get your daily devotion life settled and you're gonna mess up. So just you know, have some grace with yourself, you're gonna mess up. And then coming to church at least once a week, that is what you can do practically. And one step further into going to church, serve. When I first came to Lighthouse, Bishop, who was the pastor at the time, Bishop Dan Willis, he stood up and he said, Who here would be willing to serve in our kids' ministry? We have a need. Who will do it? I stood up.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I have no background with kids. Exactly. Truthfully, I feel a little awkward with little kids sometimes because like I don't know how to talk to them except my own kids. I found myself serving in kids' ministry for three years. And then things just develop, right? It's but you find yourself more planted in the house of God when you're involved in a ministry. Yeah, it could be parking lot ministry, it could be running a camera, it could be running the front desk. Yeah, but serving in the house of God. Because here's something that's really important, Faison. You are saved by grace, but you are rewarded by works. You got to remember that. You are saved by the grace of God.
SPEAKER_04Yes, that's not true.
SPEAKER_01There's nothing you can do to deserve the word of God becoming flesh and dying on the cross and resurrecting himself from the dead that you deserve. There's nothing you can do.
SPEAKER_04Yes.
SPEAKER_01It's grace. But God did set up a reward system. You are rewarded by your works. Everything you do for the Lord. If you're, you know, if you're watching this and you're growing a little weary and well-doing serving, just remember this. One day you'll get to heaven and Jesus will look at you in the face and say, Well done, good and faithful servant. I want to thank you, Faison, for doing this when I knew you didn't really want to. Thank you, because you did that for me. And I want to give you this crown in heaven that you can show me for all of eternity. It represents your faithfulness to me. There's going to be a day that we can't work for the Lord. Jesus said work while it's day. What does he mean by that? He means when you have a choice. We have free will, we can do whatever we want right now. I could throw my my big old Stanley at your camera, right? Yeah. And do something horrible, right? But I also have a choice to live for God. So then when I get to heaven and temptation is gone, sin is gone, and I'm just before the Lord, that's what I get rewarded for. When I what I did today when I had a choice.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think there's something about that. And I think a lot of people that watch this show as well are like, I call them transitional achievers. So people that are very like ambitious and really want to achieve something and just trying to figure out what this world and this society is. But during that time, just specifically for myself, it can be lonely in that pursuit, right? And I think I find myself because if you're not, you're you have a God, whether you believe it is God is God, God or someone else, like whatever it is, whatever your mind and everything is focused on. Like I say this all the time. Like, I think it's m could be money. If the only thing you're thinking about, and I feel like I felt this for myself, where it was like the end of my football career, I was like, okay, yeah, this is cool and all, but I would like to start a family soon. I'd like to do some things, so I need to make some money. And then I kind of got locked in. Okay, like how can I put these pieces together to do that?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But there was no God in there. And then I felt frustrated and I felt like ashamed, and I felt maybe embarrassed for maybe not making the NFL and all these different things. Um, but I think being by myself in that was the hardest part. And I think, like, kind of what you're saying is like you have to be in church, like you have to go to church, you have to be around people and have these conversations. And I think, especially for men nowadays, because you just look at like the rates that men are killing themselves, it's it's it's ridiculous because people are alone, and I think society has built it up to where it's like you could be on your phone all day and just watch all these Netflix and do all this, and that's just the society we live in. So, from that aspect, yeah, but there is something there, and I think me just trying to I feel that pull all the time. Yeah, like I constantly feel that pull, and then I think a lot of times I'm always. Always living, right? Like I have that there, but it's like, no, I need to spend time there. Like, so I can really understand. Because I think I have the basic understanding. I'm not even gonna say I have the basic understanding. I have a very like fundamental like way of okay, I should be a good person in life, right? But I don't really understand. Like, okay, what is the reason that I'm doing this? Or like what does this really say? And I think that's why I kind of identified myself as or I had that whole episode about like fake Christianity because yeah, everybody could say, Oh, yeah, I go to church, I I did this and did that, but it's like, are you just not spending time? You don't know the word, you don't know the playbook, you don't have the playbook.
SPEAKER_01Do you want to hear a cool uh scriptural thing?
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I preached this in Ukraine. Oh wow. Uh, this is before the wars, it's like 10 years ago, and people just wept. But it holds a really powerful truth about you have to let go of your old life and embrace Jesus. So remember when Jesus called Peter and he said, No longer you're a fisherman, but I'll make you a fisher of men. And then that's a bar. Yeah, that's a bar. Uh yeah, my rap career is about to hit off. Um but remember, Peter denied the Lord three times the rooster crows. We all know that story. You probably saw it in a production at your church this weekend, right? But then, right before Jesus ascends, it says that Peter and the other disciples went fishing. And the Bible says that Peter said, I go a fishing. And then the other disciples said, We'll go with you. There's a Greek word there, topago. When he says, I go, that means to retire and withdraw into from what you were previously doing into what you're about to do right now. So what Peter was actually saying is this I had been following the Lord, but now I'm withdrawing myself and I'm retiring back to the fishing business because of his own shame, because of his own guilt for denying the Lord, he was about to walk away from it all. And all of the disciples were doing it with him. Think about how powerful that moment is. Jesus, between resurrection and outpouring of the Holy Spirit, almost lost all of his disciples through just guilt and feeling just uncomfortable and not knowing what's next, right? And then Jesus, he grabs Peter and you read it in the scripture in English three times. He says, Peter, do you love me more than these? Now here's the next revelation. There's two different Greek words there. The first time he says, Peter, do you love me more than these? And Peter says, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. And this is what it actually reads in Greek. Peter, do you love me agape unconditionally? Yes, Lord, you know I Phileo love you. Like Philadelphia. So this is what was really said. Do you love me unconditionally, Peter? Lord, you know I love you like a friend. Second time, Peter, do you love me unconditionally? Yes, Lord, you know that I love you like a friend. Third time, look it up in Greek. Just use e-sort or something. It's blue letter Bible. It's really simple. Actually, do it. It doesn't take a genius, trust me. I'm no genius, but I know how to use the app. The third time, Peter or Jesus says, Peter, do you Phileo love me? Peter, do you love me like a friend? And the Bible says he was broken. He began to weep. He said, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. What Jesus was trying to get Peter to understand was, Peter, leave the old life behind. Embrace the life that I have for you. So often we try to hold on to the old life. We try to be in, you know, there's nothing wrong with being an entrepreneur, but it's a good example of the hustle culture. We're hustling, we're hustling, we're hustling. And God's sitting there saying, Listen, I wash you in my blood. I purchased you out of sin. You belong to me. I don't just forgive you so you can run around doing whatever you want to do. You're my son, you're my daughter. I have a calling on your life. I'm going to use you, but you just got to submit to it. Do you love me more than these? Submitting yourself to the Lord, and you'll have a far better life in the will of God than you ever would chasing your own dreams.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. And I think that's, I think, if I'm being honest, that's the hardest thing for me right now. Because like that, I put a decade into this thing that gave me these accolades, that made me these friends. Yeah. And I've learned so much. And this so many great things that I can take from that. And then not having the success that I wanted to. Right. Then it's like, okay, if I had the success, if I had it planned out, at this point right now, this is just talking. But it's like, okay, I'm a millionaire, right? I got a big home. My mom gets the care she needs, even more importantly, like I'm able to give her the best care, the best doctors, able to make it so my fiance doesn't have to work. So my family and exterior family, my family's family, my family, you know, I mean, everybody is good. So I think it's that shame and that embarrassment and that guiltiness that has forced me into that hustle culture. Yeah, yeah. Of like, okay, I have to do this myself. Like I have to figure this out, I have to do better. Okay. Oh, then then you get sucked in like this person. Oh, I can make$10,000 a month with this course and this plan. Okay, wait, but let me try that. And then if I can do that here and this, that's 20. So it's like this whole thing, but it's like, no, it's like I don't know if I remember, I don't even remember where I got this from, but it's like somebody said it's like you plan and God laughs.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I've heard that saying before. Yeah, I don't know where it comes from. Well, it's probably true. Yeah. Man makes a plan, right? Yes. But the Lord orders his steps. Yes. You know, Faisan, the best advice I could give you is just submit to the Lord. And I think we're wrong when we say, but I don't know what that is. No, you do know. You do.
SPEAKER_02Because you feel the pull. That's what it is, though. You you do. Like, and I and I and I do because there's times where I'm not walking that way and it doesn't feel right. Or I'm in a situation, I'm like, I really shouldn't be here. Or it's like you do something, then it's like after, it's like, what am I doing? And it's like you consistently, how long am I gonna consistently have that, uh, what am I doing?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and and we all go through it. I go through it every day of my life. It could be uh, you know, a frustrated word I say to my toddler or my wife, where I was upset and I said something demeaning to her, and the Lord's like, uh-huh, you you don't talk like that, Adam. You know, no one's perfect, but that's the goodness of God is that He does correct you. You know, you can't your mom, when you were growing up, no doubt, when you did something wrong, said, Boy, don't do that, right? Yeah, well, that's a good mom because a parent who just lets their kid do whatever.
SPEAKER_02Boy, don't do that. What you should do.
SPEAKER_01I didn't want to go that far. Probably. Yeah, but it's the truth. Yeah, God is your father. When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord, God becomes your father. And he does correct you and he gives you instructions on how to live your life. And here's the the cool thing your life will not look like mine. You have a completely carved out path in the Lord for yourself phase on for you and your fiance. And no, you didn't make it to the NFL as of yet, right? Maybe you will in the future, but you know what? God's plan for your life is greater. You want to know why? This life is a it's a vapor. You will blink and be 65, and you know, the thick black hair on your head will be gray or bald. It's just the reality. But when you stand before the Lord and you are faithful to Him, that's that's eternity. That's what matters. We focus so much on this life, and we're supposed to steward our life well. We are, of course we are, but ultimately it's all about what we do for the Lord today for eternity. Yeah, man. It's live your life for the Lord. Yeah, 100%, man.
SPEAKER_02And I just want to say, like, I definitely appreciate you, and I think even speaking to you, it's like like therapy, you know what I mean? So I think like it's the word of God, exactly. That anointing, and I could definitely feel that just when I'm talking to you.
SPEAKER_01You see the difference though, the anointing. Yes, man, you gotta live in the anointing. You have to. That's what it says walk in the spirit, that's what it means.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's literally like we were talking about before, let's let the flow, it's like that flow state. It's like you feel that and that that on fireness for that. And what would be your advice like for me? Um, I think one of the things when I did start reading the Bible, like it was just funny me reading it. Like, I started in Genesis, and then you get to the genealogies, and I'm like, okay, like what I'm saying. And then, so do you have is there a best practice, especially for me or for like people watching as well? Like, what's the best practice would you say for like reading the actual Bible?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, you know, you can start in many different places. I would say the the simplest thing to do before you start reading, you just say, Father, in the name of Jesus, anoint me to understand, make your word alive to me, and help me soak it up like a sponge. In Jesus' name, amen. You know, I've had people tell me, what do you mean you haven't read your Bible through this year? I read it through twice, and I go, Well, you're still cussing. So, like, what was the point? Exactly. I have a problem where I can't get past like one verse sometimes. Because since I prayed that prayer, it just starts becoming real to me. And I'm not so focused on I must read this much. What I'm focused on is spending time in the word and it ministering to me. So wherever you start, I mean, if you're looking for an actual place to start, you're new, you know, you gave your life to the Lord and you're new, the Gospel of John. And you know, if you read that, you know, in the beginning was the word, and you're like, I don't really understand that. Well, say, you know, Lord, if it's your word, can you teach me what it means? And you'll be amazed at how revelation, understanding starts to come. And it's not something that a man taught you, it's God Himself revealing his word to you. That's the best advice I could give. Yeah, is allow the Lord to teach you his own word.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, for yourself.
SPEAKER_01And when you are reading the book of Leviticus or something, say, Lord, help me to understand it all the same. And it will happen. Yeah. I'm gonna preach a sermon one day titled, I don't know what I'm gonna title it, but the scriptures in the book of Leviticus, and this is what it says. It says, When the donkey is stubborn, break its neck. I'm gonna start off this, start off that this is the kind of a like a mic drop to see what people do. And I'm gonna preach on the stubbornness of man and how we have to submit to the Lord. So you can kind of see where I got that from. But like I only saw that because I'm like, Lord, show me what value I can get out of this, and he showed me.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01There's a funny example.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, not 100%. I think what one of the main things that I like I enjoy as well, like even with the podcast, is like, how can I speak to someone and like really get them to feel that anointing? And I know that's something that you're like, you're talking about you're going all over the world and doing this. Have has there been any like I know you mentioned the Ukraine story, but like how has that been just for you like traveling the world and like going across the country and doing what it is that you love, what you feel like you're called to do?
SPEAKER_01I I feel like a servant of God, yeah. It's long plane rides. I don't know if the farthest plane ride you've ever had was Bali was maybe like I think 18. Okay, yeah. So mine was 15, so you got me beat by a little bit. Yeah, it's grueling. Oh my god. Your body's sore. Yeah, your the time zone's completely different. When I go to the Philippines, it's 12 or 13 hours difference. You know, it's a true Lord, in my weakness, I need you to become strong. We rely on the Lord to reveal Himself. That's all we do. We preach the word of God, we don't change it for anyone, we just preach the truth of it in love and we see the manifestations of the Spirit happen. Yeah, it's God's doing, and like the Bible says, and it's marvelous in our eyes. We feel so inadequate most days. We feel uncomfortable, we feel crabby, we feel stinky on planes. We want to just take a shower.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But when it comes down to it, we put ourselves in a position to say, okay, Lord, I'll get on that plane. And I promise not to watch some Netflix show where they're cussing the whole time, so my mind's right. And I promise that when we get there, I'll I won't do something that will dishonor you. And I promise when we get there, I, you know, won't eat a bunch of garbage, so I won't feel bad when I'm trying to preach. Like it's just recognizing I'm a servant of God, you're a servant of God, and it's a privilege to be able to serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. I never thought I would be traveling doing anything. And, you know, the skeptical will be like, well, you're probably getting paid to do those things. Buddy, listen, I'd get paid a whole lot more living for the world than I would be for the gospel. For sure. My what my family's taking care of, but you know, we got a two-bedroom apartment like you guys probably do. We're just simple people.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But to see the tears on people's faces when the Holy Spirit begins to move on them. We baptized people in Pakistan in this hole in the ground, and it was the it was so fungus-filled and bacteria-filled, and cows were behind us. I mean, that's just the truth. But to see the joy on their face, they were slaves, they got caught up in debt, and in that country, they can hold you captive. And we were in one of those places, and we baptized about 50 people there. And to see the joy of the Lord, even in the midst of their horrible situation, it's what you do it for. It's you preach a new life in Christ, and it's the greatest feeling in the world.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Because phase on, even though the embarrassment of not getting to where you wanted to go in sports, and I actually felt that same thing out of after high school because I had a college football scholarship and it kind of just fell through. So I felt that same shame, although not on the same level because you got way further than I did. But to feel that you pleased the Lord is the greatest feeling that I ever feel in my life. Whenever I do something like this with you today, or just helping a church mother across the parking lot, and I feel the Lord say, Thank you for doing that for me. And you're and you love them as I would love them. Man, it just makes me feel fantastic. And that's what we all need to strive for is to get the approval of our Heavenly Father, not through great accolades. Although you would find actually, if you serve the Lord, you get accolades.
SPEAKER_02It comes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So just I just I do it to serve the Lord and to make him happy and to be pleasing in his sight. And I try to do it with a good attitude. Sometimes it's hard, and I just try never to complain and to embrace that I get to do something someone else wants to do, I'm sure.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I appreciate you saying that because I think um it is real, like the fact that you're saying it's we're not perfect. It is hard rather than just saying, no, this is what you need to do, this is the steps. I think that's just even more reassuring to me because I like I look up to you, you know what I mean? And I think it's someone that, like, yeah, I'm still going through it, I'm still struggling with this like day-to-day. I think it's reassuring to see that as well because I think I do. Um, I isolate myself sometimes, and it's just like I said, in that hustle hustle culture, when it's like, yeah, I'm trying to change the situation of like my family, and like I'm trying to be the one I feel called for some reason to be the one to check like help and like update because I I look at the world sometimes and it's like just the lives that like we are living, and just like I think about like I talk about the matrix all the time, like societal things that's like going on in the world, like and why why we people are losing the older people losing benefits, and just like and we know what's going on with like just the politics and everything going on now, like it's just a lot of it. If you really think about what's going on, it's sad, right? So I try to do like my due diligence and like I put so much pressure on myself to just try to be better, but I think sometimes I do to put so much pressure on myself and I don't submit to the Lord.
SPEAKER_01Well, I would I'd probably tell you you have a call of God on your life, of course you do. And don't just try to do it in the way that you think is the right way to do it. Take that same energy and go with the pull.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And watch how quickly God will use you. Because you're so naturally charismatic, you're already so gifted by God that if you just lean fully into what the Lord has for you, I just, man, what the Lord could use you to do is it would be greater than you could ever imagine. And your family will be blessed because of it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And man, what your mom put inside you about the Lord, hold on to that and grow it for yourself and grow it in your marriage that's coming down the road here and your future children. And man, I'm telling you, when I chose Jesus, I did not recognize the sacrifice of it, but the blessing has been far more than I ever imagined.
SPEAKER_02I appreciate that, brother. So, final questions, man. I know we've been here in a minute, man. It's fun, it's fun, it's very fun, it's very fun.
SPEAKER_01I'm built for battle, so we're good. There we go.
SPEAKER_02I appreciate that. Because you need to do the 1 a.m. with Matt, so you you didn't yes. Um, I want to ask you because I think one thing just like pop culture-wise, like I don't know, are you familiar with Drewski? Uh slightly. Okay, so basically he's like a comedian, and one thing that he did, he makes like comedy sketches. Okay, and he did like a pretty viral sketch, and it was basically making fun of or poking fun at like the church, like church and pastors and things like that. He was like in these fancy cars, and he had like the pastor was hanging from the thing and all that. Um, and he was like making fun of like Michael Todd a little bit. Um and I just wanted to ask you about that, like just practically, do you feel like there is a like other side to and I've been to Michael Todd's church because I was in IT. I've never been when I was in um doing the IFL, the arena football league. I was in one of the in Atlanta, no, it was in Frisco, Texas. Oh okay. But then that team um went away and then I went to Tulsa. Oh and his church is out there in Oklahoma. Okay, it's in Tulsa. So I went there and it was amazing, it was beautiful. But I was just saying that to say there's like another side to like Christianity there. It's like, I'm not gonna say like two pop culture or too like, I don't know, there's another side that's not in the word. Do you feel like is there something like that that you see, like for someone that's like in that space?
SPEAKER_01No, man, the church is perfect. No, man. We're all human, we all do very silly things, and we do things that are also disqualifying for ministry. And I'm not saying that because of any one ministry you named, but no, I mean, Jesus has never changed. You know, there's no shadow of turning in him. He's the same Christ, the same standards, the very same, the same call for holiness and righteousness. He's the same, but you know, we get sideways. Do some preachers drive Bugattis? Sure. Should they? No. Yeah, I mean it they shouldn't, you know. I'm not here, I'm never gonna defend um excessiveness. Yeah, I don't especially when my my pastor, my bishop, like he's been pastoring the same church for nearly 50 years. Yeah, he lives in the same house that he raised his children in. I mean, he God, I I couldn't, I would never reveal this publicly, but I've seen the giving statements. My God, my leader gives more than anyone, our church by a lot.
SPEAKER_04Oh wow.
SPEAKER_01Like the the sacrifice for the kingdom of God is unreal financially. Yeah, I'm a tither. Listen, you cannot be a you listen, you have Christians need to tithe, one, but two, if you're a pastor, you for sure need to be tithing. I'm a tither, I'm a seed sower into the kingdom of God. That's what keeps me living right. This this is for the kingdom of God. Is there a lot of excessiveness? Fais-on, yes, yeah, but do not hang your hat on a man or a woman. Yeah, it's on Jesus. When you see the the excessive, crazy stuff, you pray for that person. The greatest way to deal with seeing that and feeling grieved by it, it's not even to call the church. It's that's not gonna do anything. Yeah, the Lord told me to call the church and let you know you're a heretic. And yeah, no, but get on your knees and say, you know, Lord, I I see this minister doing this, and I don't think he's representing you right.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Lord, would you please help him? And what's funny is in so doing that, I've had the Lord go, I am going to do that. I want to help him, but maybe you should do this too. And he checks me. I'm like, ah, man. So yeah, man, there's a lot of excessive stuff and You know, I have been to some of these countries where they're broke as can be, but happy as can be in the Lord. And the United States is a beautiful country. Yeah. We have so many great freedoms. And has the church brought a lot of comedic relief to themselves? Yes. And deserves it. We need to be better.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, for sure, man. I appreciate you. And then the final question that I have for you, man, is like we talk about like just the world, we talk about America. Just for you personally, like I said, I am inspired by you. And I didn't even know some of the traveling and things that you're doing. So I would love to, you know, come more prepared next time and we have a better conversation. Because this is more for me. Like I appreciate it, but this was for me. So I appreciate it. Next time we'll come back with some better questions. But with everything going on in the world, man, how do you continue to stay unfazed?
SPEAKER_01You have to be careful what you take in. Don't bog your mind down with the craziness of this world. We have to make sure we are filling our cup with the word of God. It's the washing of water by the word of God. That's daily. What's it washing you from? It's washing you from a crazy thing a president said. It's washing you from a crazy half-naked girl you saw on Instagram. I mean, can we be real? I mean, this is the real world.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I I just found myself not being on social media. I'm I'm on it and I check stuff. Yeah, like but I don't have it downloaded on my phone because I found my mind was being polluted with a lot of stuff. For sure. You know, I mean, true story. I mean, you got uh Mike Vrabel and he's got his issues, the Patriots coach with some reporter, right? I found myself reading about it. And I'm like, why am I reading this garbage stuff? Like, I shouldn't be watching this stuff. But the way that you keep yourself unfazed is you keep yourself I like you know, unfazed phase on. There you go. Come on. Didn't get past me. I like it. But you you you allow yourself to fill your cup, to fill your mind with things that are edifying to you, things that build you up, things that bring you peace. Yeah. So you with the word of God, yes, of course. But you know, if you are gonna watch a TV show, make it innocent. Not with a bunch of you know obscenities that are gonna ultimately make you grieve the Holy Spirit. I think that's how you do it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I I appreciate that answer because I I connect with that. Because you do everything that you put into your mind, what you listen to, what you watch, it has an effect on you.
SPEAKER_01You see a lot with athletes with music.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_01Listen, you can't. I'm sorry, I'll just say the thing. You can't be a good loving husband and listen to music about beating women. No way. It goes against it. You're you're reprogramming your mind to accept that, and then people get surprised when the person does it. No. If me, if I'm talking to you about marriage, for example, and all I do is sit here and complain about my wife, you're gonna walk out of this room thinking, do I even want to get married? Yeah, like, no. But if I tell you it's hard phase on, but God's gonna bless you and she's gonna be the your best friend and your companion, you're gonna go, man, he built me up. Yeah, because now I'm expecting good out of our relationship, and I'm gonna cultivate that. Yeah, eat up what's edifying.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I don't know you mentioned um like that like weed a couple of times too. Like, I feel like, especially like, I'm not gonna say especially in the athlete realm, because that's like for everybody, but I think that's something that um I I've there's I feel like there's a confusion out there about like what you can do and what you can't do, because if it's not okay, in the Bible, like okay, you cannot smoke weed. You know what I mean? It's like, oh no, I'm fine then. But I think it is, you tell me if I'm wrong, it's something that you have to understand like the effect that it's having on you, and then the reason that you're doing that, and then it's like what we talked about earlier, like excessiveness, yeah, can be it's a problem, addiction, and you know what I mean.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, there's a lot of scriptures that say be sober. I don't believe a Christian should drink at all because even from a practical standpoint, if you were to give me a beer, right, and I drank it but I didn't get drunk, so I technically stayed within the scripture of drink but don't get drunk, but I'm a little tipsy, so that I come on, just the Bible says flee from the very appearance of evil. Here's the reality: we could have this podcast and we felt the presence of the Lord here talking, and then I'll go to Buffalo Wild Wings and you get there 10 minutes after me and you see a beer in my hand. You tell me if you're not gonna look at me different. You would be lying. I'd be lying. You would be like, man, like how did he just I'd be hypocritical? Yeah, flee from the very appearance of evil. And that covers a multitude of things. Yeah. I mean, man, think about it. You can apply that to anything. Anything. Just have a real relationship with God and He'll correct you. If you're not seeing it that way, spend time in the Word, wash your mind, allow the Holy Spirit to talk to you. I find a lot of people do want to debate about weed and they want to debate about alcohol. I I've done both and I felt incredibly grieved when I was still, you know, smoking and drinking. And you know, I feel that I'm more pleasing to God not than I ever was am.
SPEAKER_02Was that hard for you to stop those things?
SPEAKER_01It was hard because I by nature like to isolate myself. And you know, when you think of man, I was just living in the when people say I was just living in the world, you think like like at a club. Yeah, that wasn't me. I was at like home smoking weed in the basement, like wanting to be alone. Yeah, like just being that typical loner type.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But you know, yeah, it was hard. And I had to say, here's the difference, I think. I wasn't trying to quit weed by myself to please God.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_01I said, Lord, I love this. And if I shouldn't love it, could you take the taste out of my mouth? Could you make me view this differently? What does your words say about this? When I started asking the Lord to just help me, and I wasn't trying to do it myself, I started to hate the smell. I started actually my wife laughs. She'll we'll drive past the car and she'll be like, Man, it reeks like weed. I like, I can't smell it. It's like the Lord took the smell. Like, it's it's in like it's just really incredible how God will change you and transform you. And your struggle might not be alcohol and weed, it might be women. Yeah, it could be many, many, many things, right? But you ask the Lord for help, he'll help you with no judgment. Yeah, that's how good God is. You're saved by grace. You have to be able to come to the Lord and say, Lord, you know what I was looking at today, but I want to overcome that. Would you help me? And it's like the Lord is standing there saying, I I was waiting for you to ask. Are you done trying to do it yourself?
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_01Because I'm ready to just help you. That's how you do it, man. It was hard, but when I asked the Lord to help, it was it became not my own thing anymore. It was our thing. It was me and God working this out together. And because he was in it, it did.
SPEAKER_02If you want to shout out anything too, because I know we got the lighthouse, okay. You got your personal, feel free to shout them out. You know what I mean? Get some people here, especially anybody in Chicagoland area, Indiana, Wisconsin, you know what I mean? I'll make it away.
SPEAKER_01We're right off the main highway. So Wisconsin, Indiana, we have from all over, really. So Lighthouse Church of All Nations, Saturday, five o'clock service, Sunday, 8:30 and 11. Wednesday, midweek services at 6:30. If you want to follow me personally, just at Adam Pilata, P-I-L-O-T-A. I'm on Facebook, I'm on Instagram. I dabble in TikTok a little bit. There we go. Uh, YouTube channel, follow me on YouTube, subscribe, but that's really it.
SPEAKER_02My guy, Adam. Um, I appreciate you, man. This means a lot to me. I'd love to have you on again in the future for sure. Anytime. Um, yeah, man. Um, how we end it, we just look in the camera, man. We tell them stay on phase, man. All right. Three, two, one, stay on phase. We out of here.
SPEAKER_00I'm on phase. I'm on face. I'm on phase.
