Season 2: Episode 6- who you’re listening to matters

After learning that loving well sometimes means speaking truth. The next question is who’s truth are we allowing to shape us?

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome back to Versuan Filter. Today's conversation is one that feels heavy but necessary. We're talking about what happens when obedience costs you something, when following Christ isn't comfortable, and when faith feels expensive. Because Jesus never promised easy, he promised himself.

SPEAKER_02 0:17

Well, Luke 9:23 says, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

SPEAKER_05 0:27

He didn't say pick up a pillow. He said pick up a cross. He wanted you to pick up something heavy, not light as a feather. Heavy. You have to get rid of something heavy.

SPEAKER_06 0:39

Your life is heavy. Your burdens are heavy. And that's what he wants you to take to him. Not a pillow stuffed with feathers.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 0:57

It's the hardest. I think it's the hardest thing ever in your life. Ever. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:04

It's not easy to do. Well, and it's a it's a constant battle. It's not, I mean, and I I say that it's not like hard and like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 1:14

Well, it's easy to sin.

SPEAKER_02 1:15

You're constantly fighting sin.

SPEAKER_04 1:17

Yeah, it's easier to sin because A, sin's more fun, obviously. Right. I mean, it really is. If you think about it, it's easier. Sin is easier because it's a lot easier and it's more fun. Just admit it. Think about all the sinning you can do and how fun it is.

SPEAKER_02 1:35

That's true though. And it it looks appealing, and the masses do it.

SPEAKER_04 1:41

So and a lot of things are accepted now that used to not be accepted. So that makes it easier.

SPEAKER_02 1:48

And it's weird that we don't accept it according to the world standards. So I mean like, oh, okay, so you don't agree with homosexuality. So okay. You're a whatever bigot, fascist, whatever it is that they call you now because of one, you know. I just, I mean, it's just easy. It's lonely.

SPEAKER_04 2:08

It's really fun of lonely. Yeah, it doesn't feel like that at first, though. It feels all good, and you're like, I'll be okay, and then it starts, you know. You mean like when you first become a Christian? No, when you first like when you start sinning, you're like, oh no, lonely. This is great. And then like, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. It's easier to find out. Does anybody see? Oh no, but mine's probably the worst out of all of ours.

unknown 2:41

I doubt it.

SPEAKER_04 2:42

Oh no, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:48

But no matter how much you have sinned, it doesn't ever take you too far from Christ to be able to come back.

SPEAKER_06 2:57

Yeah, exactly. Exactly right. Yeah. It's always right aside waiting. Yes. It's just you that runs farther away.

SPEAKER_02 3:03

Yes. But that's why he says to pick up our cross. Like whatever it is that is keeping us from him, pick it up and carry it. Every single day. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 3:17

And it may be something different. Every single day. But what's interesting is that a cross wasn't even symbolic when he said that. Like it meant death. It meant surrender. It meant loss of control. And those are all things that as human beings, we don't like to think about. We don't like to give up control. We don't like to think about death. We don't want to surrender the things that we think are fun or entertaining or good. Like all the things. Yes. To follow somebody else and to do it out of love, not because we have to. He doesn't make us do it. No. It's a choice he gives us.

SPEAKER_02 4:01

I was thinking the other day, or not the other day, just every day I think about it because I feel like it's just constantly in my brain, and I'm like constantly battling it for myself. But like sinful acts. So every day you are met with something that is considered right or wrong, right? And you've got your big things, you got your little things, but God doesn't care. Like big or little, right is right, wrong is wrong.

SPEAKER_03 4:28

They're all the same, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:29

Right. But how many times do we run into people who are doing all the big things wrong, but then get mad at us as Christians for getting upset over the little things being wrong? They're like, oh, well, your Bible says this, so why are you doing that? Where they're in like a homosexual relationship. Or, you know, but they're coming to us using the Bible against us as if they've been living a Christian life. You know, and I know that's not like it's obviously not a godly presence. It's definitely like Satan utilizing his word against us as Christians and utilizing people to come at us. But how difficult when it's somebody that like we know or we love, or you know, and homosexuality is just like the easiest thing to jump to when you think of like a big apple versus a little apple. Yeah, like I don't know, homosexuality or like just sexual sin in general. Because that's all just sexual sin. Yes, sexual sin is easy to jump into.

SPEAKER_06 5:44

I mean, there are plenty of yeah, there are plenty of heterosexual couples that are living the same type of life as a homosexual, they're living an adulterous, lustful life and not the way that God intended for a couple to live a life, right?

SPEAKER_02 6:00

These drugs could be a another big go-to, or like alcoholism or lying. Oh my goodness. But then like little white line. Yes, that's what you start thinking of. Then you're like, okay, well, that song I just listened to, like, it was not a godly song, but in my heart, I'm like, oh, it's fine. It's so small.

SPEAKER_04 6:25

Right.

SPEAKER_02 6:25

Or the TV shows that I've watched.

SPEAKER_04 6:27

Yeah, I watch terrible TV shows.

SPEAKER_02 6:29

I'm telling you that we're all and that's what like this sounds really weird. Recently, though, like I've run into a situation or I had run into a situation in the last year, and I like felt like in my mind I was making a deal with God because I was like, please, if you can just like let this happen, like I won't watch these two specific shows anymore. And then that and then it goes my way, and I'm like, oh my gosh, I can't watch those shows anymore. But then you're like, that's not how God works, but like my brain's like, I will never watch those shows again. You're not gonna know. Oh my goodness, no.

SPEAKER_06 7:05

Well, you made a covenant, um you made a promise to God saying I wouldn't do this, so you're keeping your promise.

SPEAKER_02 7:12

Oh my goodness, like it's just creepy. Like, if you think of it in that way, because that's not how God's not how he works today. Like, that's really not, but it's the fact that I did it though, like now I can't not do it. Bridgerton was one and uh Tell Me Lies. Oh man, I know.

SPEAKER_06 7:31

I wanted to get into that one, and I just couldn't even episode.

SPEAKER_02 7:35

It's it is, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 7:36

Oh, is it naughty? Okay, so I just didn't watch it. I was like, I can't I don't watch Landman anymore. I don't watch any of them.

SPEAKER_02 7:42

You don't watch Landman? I haven't watched Landman in a long time. I really don't remember.

SPEAKER_06 7:47

I quit with the Yellowstone, I quit all of them. I was just like, it got too much for me, and I'm like, no, I just can't. Like I would just like I loved the premise of the show. I thought there was some good comedy in it, and I thought there was like some good drama in it. But if you can't leave out certain words and you can't leave out all the sexual stuff, like I'm just not. I started to watch um what is that that hunting wives or something? I didn't know. I got horrible.

SPEAKER_02 8:18

I started to watch it and I was like, holy cow. It's good. Did you watch it?

SPEAKER_04 8:23

I did. I did. Guys, you wouldn't even watch Bridgerton's Oh, it's worse than Bridgerton. I know. I won't. I know. That's what I'd heard. I never watched Bridgerton either. I could tell when something was about to happen, and I was like. Oh man, there's gonna be a second season. It's so good.

SPEAKER_06 8:39

Well, that's the thing I liked about Yellowstone, and I liked about Lamet.

SPEAKER_02 8:42

Like, I kind of liked the story, I liked the characters, yeah, but I just could not handle the language anymore or the like I'm oh you know, so with Bridgerton for that first season, because it's like it's dated back to like kings, queens, whatever. Like watch the first season of Bridgerton. Oh, okay. So here's the thing with the first season, though, it really wasn't it showed stuff, but it okay, but it wasn't like bad in the essence of like showing premarital sex or anything. They got married, but it was how it made you feel as if you were the person, and then you were like lusting after like it, it's how it makes you feel. Does that make sense? Like the sin isn't it's showing, but I think it's how how music, how movies, how shows make you have that, and I hate using the word lust, because like I'm not lusting after the character, but it's almost like you lust after the feeling you get from like I don't know what I was getting at was sin.

SPEAKER_06 9:51

I mean, but it's real life stuff, and it happens in a lot of Christian couples, it happens with non-Christian couples, it happens in heterosexual, heterosexual, and homosexual relationships. It doesn't matter. It's nobody's exempt from being involved in it in somehow. Like, not even if you are the one looking at it or wanting it or doing it. The person sitting next to you may be like, okay, I bet she would be a good replacement for like that person I saw on that video, or you know, like you never know.

SPEAKER_01 10:27

It it some man out there has looked at you or Alyssa and has been like, I think I've seen them in a porno before. I'm not saying that. I know, but that's what it that's what I thought of, and I'm like, she looks like that girl from the porno I watched in 1995. Like this. You know, like you know TV shows where they always allude back. What is it?

SPEAKER_06 10:54

Ursula and Phoebe on Friends whenever Ursula was the porn star, and everybody thought it was Phoebe, and I don't know. You ever watch Friends? Yeah, yeah. I've been watching all the episodes again. That one came up the other day.

SPEAKER_02 11:08

Anyway, even Friends gets raunchy.

SPEAKER_04 11:12

It can like every show out there, and you don't like when you're younger and you watch it, you don't think about it, and then you watch them again and you're like, ooh, what did I watch? Yeah, but I will tell you what a really good show is Modern Family. No, that's pretty funny. It's really not raunchy.

SPEAKER_02 11:29

No, but the best couple is the homosexuality. They're amazing.

SPEAKER_04 11:33

I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_02 11:34

No, they are, they're hilarious. They are shit. But then you're like, I shouldn't be supporting this because it's sinful. But I but like I'm finding humor in somebody's sinful actions. I'm like laughing at them like that.

SPEAKER_06 11:49

But how often do we do that and not even think about it?

SPEAKER_02 11:51

I know all the time. And those are like heavy freaking crosses whenever you add it all up. Like I know it sounds like simple.

SPEAKER_04 12:02

Not ever go anywhere.

SPEAKER_06 12:04

But that's why God gives us grace because he knows we're gonna fall into that because we cannot by ourselves stand against all of that.

SPEAKER_04 12:11

I mean, unless you lock yourself up in a room and you still can't even then.

SPEAKER_06 12:15

Your mind will wander. It will do stuff because you've already been exposed. Yeah. It will do stuff, it will, and even if it didn't leave you to lustful things like that, it's gonna leave you lead you to depression and suicide and all these other dark places that are not any better. Yeah, so you know that's why we're always supposed to be with other people. That's why we're supposed to be with have God there with us. And that's why he tells us to take it up and follow him, stay close to him. Yeah, he's close to us, but we have to choose to be close to him because there's no other way you'll defeat it. You can't be an overcomer by yourself. No, we need people and those dang wooden crosses. Dang wooden crosses.

SPEAKER_04 13:11

Heavy, heavy, heavy. I should have been like born in like the 1800s.

SPEAKER_06 13:17

It wouldn't matter, there was stuff that's in it.

SPEAKER_04 13:18

Oh, it would have been a horror then. We're gonna see.

SPEAKER_06 13:21

Have you ever read Redemptive Redeeming Lungs?

SPEAKER_04 13:23

Yes, I love that movie. Or watch the movie. I haven't watched the movie, but the book, because I've heard the book is better. The book is good. I haven't seen the movie. The book is good. Yay, I would be the one. That would be the best-looking one. And the cleanest, and that's the one cleanest horror. All my cards. Walking me around.

SPEAKER_02 13:45

What's her face?

SPEAKER_06 13:48

You would be the good one.

SPEAKER_02 13:51

Oh, well, the one that helped uh in Jericho. The Rahab.

SPEAKER_06 13:56

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:57

You'd be Rahab.

SPEAKER_06 13:58

She wouldn't be Rahab. She wouldn't help the spas.

SPEAKER_02 14:01

No, but Rahab was so rich, had like the king's blessing, had her own home, had all of her. You know what I mean? Would you give it all up? That's the question.

SPEAKER_04 14:11

Kelly, I don't know if I wouldn't help those. I'm not those. Well, I'm depends on how attractive they were.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

Yeah, she gave it all.

SPEAKER_02 14:23

Sure, hope they were handsome.

SPEAKER_04 14:25

Well, yeah, it depends on what they look like. Oh my goodness. Just kidding.

SPEAKER_02 14:30

Redeeming love is which story?

SPEAKER_06 14:34

It's like an 18 girl. But they reference it.

SPEAKER_02 14:37

Like, I know it's like, I know the book, but like they're referencing it to um which biblical, like it's not Rahab, it's another.

SPEAKER_04 14:48

It's another hoover.

SPEAKER_02 14:50

Uh is it H? It starts with an H. What is her name?

SPEAKER_04 14:54

Hosea's wife.

SPEAKER_02 14:56

Hosea. So Gomer. Gomer.

SPEAKER_04 14:59

But her name Gomer. How many?

SPEAKER_02 15:01

Because Gomer was a whore whore, right? She's a wife. Whore whore. Like. Yes. And like, think about how many like probably married men she slept with. Like. And her name is Gomer.

SPEAKER_04 15:14

But you know what I mean? That was probably a very attractive name. And then it's not an attractive name.

SPEAKER_02 15:19

Well, that wasn't the real name. That's just how it translated in English. Like, that's what you really think that there's biblical Peter and Paul. It's not negative. That's just how it translated into English. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 15:33

And then you're such a hyper baby.

SPEAKER_02 15:36

You're like Peter and Paul, very Eastern.

SPEAKER_06 15:39

That's all the guy. What is it? Last name is Hosea in the in the book.

SPEAKER_02 15:48

In the book. It's a reference. Yeah, yeah. And I knew, like, I know it's not supposed to be like spot on. And it's obviously like 1800s, but like.

SPEAKER_01 15:56

You're just mad because I uh You're just mad because I just made you feel a little funny. Pow. That's what I want to do to you.

SPEAKER_02 16:07

But I'm just saying, like, there was redemption in that relationship. Like, how many of those horrible, I don't know, not adulteress, like she was what made them adulteress, I guess, because she was the harlot that was sleeping with the married men and whatever. But like God called her up. You know what I mean? Like, I think that's awesome.

SPEAKER_06 16:32

God wanted Hosea to marry her. Yeah. Like he's like, you go get her. Yeah, that would be me. I just don't ever want to be compared to a whore ever. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:43

Melissa's like, I am the whore in the story.

SPEAKER_06 16:47

I am the hooker that comes up on top. Whore. But when your husband's been with whores, you have a different perspective on it.

SPEAKER_02 16:53

Okay, yeah. We are right. Because we do get on sexual cinema. And I need to be a little more conscientious.

SPEAKER_06 16:59

That's just how it is. I mean, I don't care. But whoever sees this, if it's in there, which I don't care if you leave it in there, it's just gonna get a real life perspective of what it's like, you know? It's from you, you mean yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I don't I'm not sugarcoated, but we're talking about whores that get paid.

SPEAKER_02 17:20

I don't think it's whore. But I think you made it better though.

SPEAKER_06 17:23

Like I don't really you don't think she got paid? You don't think he took her out? You don't think he I don't mean use our money to like pay for her stuff.

unknown 17:33

Sorry.

SPEAKER_06 17:33

A whore's a whore. Maybe because of where I'm at in life right now, that I feel like that, you know, like I have a heavy cross right now, and that I feel like that I can't give it to him. Or I'm trying to like carry it and say, here, here, God, here. I'm trying to take it every day, but every day it feels like something else gets added to it. It's heavier, heavier.

SPEAKER_04 17:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:57

You know, I think people forget though, like that verse, right? Like you take up your cross, and I think people think of it like, oh yeah, you just pick up something that's like heavy, but like that was an execution device. Oh, you know what I mean? It's like huge, like it was literally a signal of death.

SPEAKER_04 18:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:16

Like when we think of taking up our cross, like we have to think of that as like full on surrender.

SPEAKER_04 18:22

It wasn't just a heavy object.

SPEAKER_02 18:24

No, like you were literally surrendering yourself to a cross.

SPEAKER_04 18:29

And like and knowing knowing what how painful it was gonna be and how yes, well, just the act of them, how they had to carry it.

SPEAKER_06 18:38

You know, you think of Jesus and how he had to take his own cross and how heavy it was, and how most people would have collapsed and died under doing that. I mean you were gonna die from that cross one way or another.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 18:53

If you didn't.

SPEAKER_02 18:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 18:57

And we're gonna die under our cross if we don't give it up.

SPEAKER_02 19:01

Yeah. Yeah. It's about the surrendering. That's why we gotta give it to Christ. Thank you for joining us on Gracefully Unfiltered tonight. We will see you next time.