Bonus Episode w/Pastor Jonathan

The last bonus conversation of the season gets personal fast. Pastor Jonathan flips the format and interviews us, which means you hear what usually stays off mic: what each person brings to the table, the moments that made us laugh so hard we could not start recording, and the parts of this season that honestly changed us. It is funny, it is sincere, and it is a real snapshot of young adults trying to live what we talk about.

Transcript

Welcome And Farewell Bonus Episode

SPEAKER_04 0:14

What's up everyone? Welcome back to Kids in a Calling Podcast. We're none of us are kids, but we all have a calling. And that's to point people to Jesus. I'm your host, Audrey Lajo. With me is Hudson Walton.

SPEAKER_06 0:23

Hey guys.

SPEAKER_04 0:24

Andrea Crater. Hi. Ramsey Pavlou. Hey. Lincoln Society.

SPEAKER_06 0:27

Hey guys.

SPEAKER_04 0:28

And our special guest today, Jonathan Walton.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

What's up?

SPEAKER_04 0:31

So this episode is going to be a little different because it's a bonus episode, but I'm going to hand it off to today's somewhat host, Brother Jonathan.

SPEAKER_01 0:40

Thank you for that awesome handoff. So, yeah, we're going to do things a little bit different today. I'm basically going to ask questions, interview style, and you guys are going to answer. And hopefully, we're going to give the listeners a little bit of insight into some behind-the-scenes stuff, some thoughts that you've had, some experiences you've had, some things y'all shared that you don't typically talk about in everyday episodes. And I've got to be honest, don't cry, Audrey. I'm a little sad because this is the last episode. And I have a confession. I have edited, as you know, every single episode this season. And sometimes when you're editing, you don't really listen for content a lot because you're trying to catch all the little small things and cut those out. So I also, this is my confession. I also, every Thursday, would listen to the podcast just as a normal listener, not as an editor or something like that. And I have to say, I'm a huge fan. Uh, and I really do mean that. You guys have a way of putting things in perspective and saying things that really get me. And I'm I'm a minister here, I'm a pastor here, I'm a I consider myself a word guy, I've studied the word for a really long time, and y'all still bring stuff out all the time that wows me. And so uh I'm a huge fan. Oh love you guys.

SPEAKER_05 1:55

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Uh before we get started, uh we normally have a warm-up question, and you guys are gonna hate this warm-up question. I know it already. Oh boy. But, and I kind of hinted to it earlier uh when in our pre-meeting when I said I hope you guys love each other. Y'all just kind of remember. But uh, yeah, so you're you're probably not gonna like this, but this is what

Warm-Up: What Each Host Brings

SPEAKER_01 2:16

I want to do. I think each of you are unique and bring something special to the podcast. So I'm gonna say something that I think one of you brings to the podcast, and then I want the rest of you to say what you think that person brings to the podcast as well.

SPEAKER_06 2:28

Okay, fire.

SPEAKER_01 2:29

So, Audrey, we'll start with you since you're the host. I think you're the perfect host. You're funny, you're witty. I've laughed at I've laughed at stuff that you have said this season a lot. My favorite quote of the entire season was such a funny quote to me. I laughed at it a lot. Was somebody was talking circles and and just saying a lot of stuff and going round and round about it, and then they stopped, and you said, just out of instinct, you said that was beautiful, like a dog chasing its tail. And I just died laughing at that. I'm like, what a perfect way to describe that what we just experienced. Like, I never would have thought of that.

SPEAKER_05 3:08

But it was was I talking in circle. I did it with me. Oh, that's hilarious!

SPEAKER_01 3:13

Yeah, so yeah, really funny stuff, but in the middle of all the funny, you do bring a lot of of heat when you talk, and uh, it's been amazing amazing. So, um what do you guys think Audrey has brought to the table?

SPEAKER_02 3:27

Yeah, definitely the bubbles. She's like the comedic release.

SPEAKER_03 3:32

She's so bubbly, and you are the bubbles, sweet, and so she brings the bubbles. Yeah, she brings a very different um, like at least from my thinking, she brings a different like uh thought process. Like the way she thinks is like that. Always polar opposite of me, and it's always interesting to hear. Oh, thanks, Scott.

SPEAKER_06 3:47

I agree. I think you're a uh I think you're a perfect host uh for this podcast. You're really exuberant, you have a lot of charisma and wow, big words.

SPEAKER_03 3:54

Big words. Sorry.

SPEAKER_06 3:57

Did you guys go to high school?

SPEAKER_02 3:59

He's graduating college, let him be.

SPEAKER_06 4:01

Yeah, dude, I can speak big now. Um but yeah, you're um you make me laugh a lot as well. You like Ramsay just said, you have a lot of really good points. Um, you're perfect for a host.

SPEAKER_03 4:11

Thanks, guys.

SPEAKER_07 4:12

I agree. The comedic relief, you can be funny when you need to be funny, and serious when you need to be serious. Yeah, it's pretty fun to be part of.

SPEAKER_05 4:19

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 4:19

Yeah. All right, so we'll go to Hudson. And Hudson, you've been the perfect host when the host wasn't available, which happened a little bit more than I wanted to happen this time. Twice.

SPEAKER_05 4:31

It happened twice.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

Three times, I think. Okay, whatever. But uh who's counting? Who's counting? You are and and some of my favorite Hudson's uh moments. Hudson is and and I say this probably because I'm dad, but uh has been listening to your explanations of deeper, over uh-arching concepts throughout the book of Proverbs. Like I've really enjoyed that, and your insight at times has has really left me wondering, like, why in the world did I never think of that? Like, I've Proverbs is one of my favorite books. I've read it probably more than any other book in the Bible, and some of the things you you brought from it were like, man, I've read it so much and I never saw it that way, and that that's really cool to experience. And it's a really true, truly a beautiful thing, the the way you have of of seeing the word of God and putting it into a perspective. So I really enjoyed that this semester.

SPEAKER_04 5:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:20

So, what did you guys think?

SPEAKER_04 5:21

I think like every time you say something, that's it. It just like it always like astounds me how like deep you think into things. Like he was saying, like, how deep you go in proverbs and stuff. It's like you say things that I would never think of, like pretty much what he was saying, but I'm saying it my own way. Like, it's just you say stuff, and I'm like, that is so intellectual. Like, I love that. And then your your humor is like different from mine, like we have very different humors, but they're both funny. Like, that's why like it brings something new to the table that we can giggle at. Yeah, like you'll have like the brain rot type of humor, and it's just so funny every time.

SPEAKER_07 5:51

Yeah, I admire your honesty. Like, we've talked about a lot of things that people struggle with, and you've been open about ones that you've struggled with, and it's been able to relate with other people who deal with the same problems.

SPEAKER_03 6:01

So that's that road rage really gets him. Yeah, and arson. Arson, apparently.

SPEAKER_06 6:06

Big arsonist over there. That's still working on me.

SPEAKER_03 6:10

Yeah, I I kind of I agree completely with what they said. Like it would just be repeating. You do bring like deeper understanding to things that I would like I've never thought of.

SPEAKER_02 6:20

I like your examples because your examples are well, they're very real lifey, but they're also like funny, yeah, but they're also like really relatable. So it's like all of the above, like into one example. Yeah, you know what I mean? Yeah, pretty nice.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

That's perfect. So, Andrea, you always have something great to bring and you say it with such conviction that it's it's believable. Like it's not just somebody saying stuff because they're trying to look smart, like the way you say it, the way you come across, it's like it's like very honest, very sincere, and it makes people want to dig deeper. Uh, you're very authentic and you don't mind letting people know exactly what you believe and and how you believe it, and that's a great asset. So don't ever lose that conviction about God and his word because it's truly a beautiful and a powerful thing to see. So don't lose that. I I truly value that about you.

SPEAKER_03 7:04

Yeah. I love how excited you get about like talking about it. It's just like you like it, literally brings me so much joy when you're talking. Like sometimes I just look over and you're literally so ecstatic, just like talking about the word of God, and it's so fun to watch.

SPEAKER_06 7:16

Like, if we had a camera in here, you'd never see someone with their mind blown so many times in the standard. And it's all because she's like you just said, so authentically in love with the word of God. It's really awesome to see. I love it. There's just good.

SPEAKER_07 7:30

Oh, she's like a firecracker. Yay! Every time we come here, there's she's bound to explode about something.

SPEAKER_02 7:35

Yeah, but arms always go up.

SPEAKER_06 7:37

Yeah, and then just like not just that you're a great reactor and we can see how authentic you are, you also bring really good points. Like you think things out. A lot of the stuff you had you've said has made me think about it really deeply because you always bring really good stuff.

SPEAKER_04 7:48

Yeah, you're so passionate about what you talk about, and like you can hear it when you're listening, and like obviously just talking to you and knowing you. It's like anything you talk about, you are passionate about, and you like truly just want to know more and you want to like share what you know, and you are always like willing to learn. And I love that about you.

SPEAKER_06 8:03

And like you can tell this is coming from you because like I'll say something, and it's completely different from the way you say it, because when you say it, you're talking with real like passion, like you're excited to talk about it. It's really cool to see.

SPEAKER_02 8:15

Thanks, guys.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

So, Lincoln, uh, I've watched many times you sitting over there when I was here, especially early in the semester, and I would see uh other people would be talking, and you could just like see the wheel spinning uh in your head, and you're sitting there and you're thinking and you're processing, and and I've learned just okay, what's he thinking about? Where's he going? What's he and if you just wait long enough, then you're always gonna come up with something to kind of tie it together. And and I love the fact, because I'm kind of the same way, I love the fact that you will throw things out there, like not just stuff that you've thought of, you do that too, but then you also say, like Brother Jeff Arnold said one time, or you bring up some younger guy on the other end of the spectrum, some younger guy that I've never even heard of because he's so young, and I'm I'm more old school. And so it's like you you you're a word person and you listen and you you bring all that, you incorporate it, you put it all together, and I just love that. That's a really cool thing that that you've brought to this podcast. And I think anytime you can step outside of just your experience and not try to be the smart guy in the room, not saying anybody else is, but yeah, sometimes we can have a tendency to do that when we have so much knowledge about things. I love the fact that you can bring other people's knowledge into it and it makes everybody stronger, makes everybody better. So I I really love that.

SPEAKER_07 9:24

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 9:25

Yeah, I like all your one-liners. Yeah, because like Lincoln will just be sitting there, and then he'll say the most diabolical, earth-shaking, bible-breaking thing. And it's like, and he just leaves that there. And then he's like, Yeah, I'll leave it there.

SPEAKER_06 9:39

Yeah, and then he just doesn't say anything, he just says it, and then he's like, All right, like the wheel turns, he says it, and he's just like, All right, bro, move on.

SPEAKER_04 9:44

That is, I know I think it's just like exactly what you were saying. Like, you could tell that he's really processing what's happening, and like he's not the type to just jump in. Like, all of us, like, it'll get like, oh, you have the next thing to say, and so you jump in and you're ready. But it's like Lincoln lets it like not linger, but like he lets it, yeah. Like he waits for the right time and then he brings it in perfectly. And I'm like, wow, that'd be great to have.

SPEAKER_06 10:05

Yeah, like how intentional you are and how well thought out what you bring is. Like you really sit there, you like you just said, you marinate and then you you connect it, and then you come out with a banger point like every time. Yes, yeah. Thank you all. I like the way you uh think through it.

SPEAKER_03 10:18

Yeah, I think I tend to get stuck in like the vein of like kind of what our focus is, but you always bring out that like outside, outside like knowledge, I guess. Yeah, yeah. It opens up the horizon of our conversation.

SPEAKER_02 10:31

Yeah, that's a great word.

SPEAKER_01 10:32

And and Ramsey, you were a lot more talkative this season, I think. And I I mean that in a sincere way. Uh but and I kind of alluded to this in the last podcast, but the more I listen to you, the more I really do mean it is that uh when it comes I'll say, let me clarify this, especially in this podcast, like it listen to what she has to say because what she's having to say, she may sit there and only say two or three sentences, but every word in that two or three sentences is like, wow. Like you say it with such directness sometimes that it's like, man, it's like dropping a bomb right in the middle of the conversation. And it's like, what do you say after that? Like it was just everything was like, man, and uh, I really love that aspect because it's like sometimes it's brutally honest, but sometimes brutally honest is the only way to get through. And uh other people can kind of dance around the conversation, and you just have a way of just like slicing right through the middle of it, getting to the heart of it, and it's like, okay, there you go. She's always been a little bomber. Yeah, so I I love that. I love that aspect.

SPEAKER_03 11:30

I think it's an awesome huts in the fire. Thank you.

SPEAKER_06 11:34

Yeah, arson isn't a bomber, man.

SPEAKER_04 11:37

Obviously, I'm like the first one to say that like your goofiness is like me and Ramsey's goofiness matches. If if you don't know by listening, speed off of each other. Yes, me and Ramsey are like two P's in a pod. Like we just goof off, and I just love that. But it also also like when it when we need to get serious, we mostly can. Honestly, not in our eyes. In our eyes, we can. Um, it depends on what other people say, but yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 12:00

After four takes I'm back.

SPEAKER_06 12:03

Oh yeah, when bro's being silly, you have no idea what's gonna come out of that mouth, bro. It's genuinely like a like a firecracker. You just don't know, it just explodes. But when you're locked in, it's a yeah, you you bring really good stuff.

SPEAKER_02 12:16

Yeah, yeah. I like the perspective that Ramsey brings because like me and Ramsay, I think we think differently. Yeah, and so what she has to say, or like what she finds, like I don't find. And so it's very cool to see like how we differ in our thought processes, but then also the stuff she says, and she says it and then it's like and so if you ever want to end the conversation, just talk to Ramsay. Wait, what? Like, well, no, because like she'll say such good things because you won't let me know. That like you won't have like anything to say afterwards. You won't have a rebuttal. Like, if you don't know how to say a point, just ask Ramsay. No, like, yeah, and then Ramsa just say it perfectly. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 12:53

My mom buzzes at me for being too direct sometimes, but apparently it's a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 12:57

But you I think in this context, it's it really brings something cool to the table. So and I wanted to do this. Uh I know y'all, some of y'all don't like like this kind of thing, open it up a little bit, whatever. But I wanted to do this not to just like try to build each other up, but I a lot of the listeners like tell me stuff about y'all that kind of relates to stuff like this. Like, I love when Hudson says this or Lincoln or like different ones of you says, and so I hear that from a lot of people, but I thought it would be good for the listeners to hear from your perspective what what each of you brings to the table. And so I thought that'd be a cool thing to do.

SPEAKER_04 13:28

So I like it.

Why Peer Conversations Grow Faith

SPEAKER_01 13:43

So we're gonna get started with some uh questions I'm gonna ask. And basically, this podcast is teens and young adults that just sit around a table having a conversation about the word of God, about personal God moments, and about life in general. So, do you feel that's it's important for teens or young adults to do this in a what I will call a non-podcast life? Like just sitting around a table, sharing the word of God, sharing thoughts, sharing life with each other. Is that important for teens and young adults to do? And if you think it is, why? If you think it's not, why not? Dan Ramsey. Oh, go ahead, go ahead, Lincoln.

SPEAKER_07 14:18

I definitely think it is. Um, in Deuteronomy chapter six, Moses is telling the Israelites, and he tells them, like, the Lord our God is one Lord, and then he goes to saying you should teach this to your children diligently. And so they made a point, like you talked about it every day. It was something that was discussed. And one way that you grow, especially with your friends, is talk about God. Um, your iron sharpens iron, yeah. So just make sure it's a steady thing you're talking about. Um, and you'll definitely see growth. I know I have. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:47

I think it's really crucial like to talk about God and like the Bible and things of that nature with people that are your age because you can learn so much just from your peers. Like, I know just from sitting at this table talking with my peers, I've learned so much. But then, like on the bus rides at NAYC or like at school or just in car rides, like some of the deepest conversations are like some of the most revelations I've gotten about God's word is from talking to people my age. Yeah, yeah. I completely agree with that.

SPEAKER_06 15:18

Yeah, then just the more you talk about it overall, like like you were saying, it strengthens you, it strengthens your faith just to talk about it. And if you just have people in your life that you're talking about it with, that builds everyone, it builds you, it makes it more normalized to speak about it in your life. It stops becoming something you just if you never talk about it, it's only something you think about. And yeah, you pray about it, but you talk about it with people in a community, it be it just becomes a part of you, it becomes something you speak about normally. Yeah, that's where you want to be.

SPEAKER_02 15:44

But then also like it lets you know that you're not alone, you know what I mean? Because like, especially in today's kind of like culture, we have this tendency of just to isolate ourselves and just to like eh, I'm only the one dealing with this. Yeah, but whenever you get to talking about the Bible or things of that nature with other people, you realize like, oh, so-and-so is actually dealing with this too, and like I'm actually not alone. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:08

Do you find that talking with uh people your age challenges you to go to a higher level because you connect with people that are obviously pulling sometimes a little bit below you, sometimes a little bit higher than you, and does it does it make you want to learn more and and do more?

SPEAKER_04 16:23

Definitely because like a lot of times, like if I'm talking to somebody who's kind of like maybe getting like new, like walking in their faith and stuff, obviously they have a lot of questions, and I don't have every answer. So it's like you do have to do your research and you do have to learn more. And then sometimes I'll talk to people who are wiser than me, they know a lot more than me, and not really just because I don't want to feel stupid talking to them, but also because I want to know what they're talking about and I want to have my own input in the conversation. You have to learn more.

SPEAKER_02 16:49

But then also like I'll come up. So for me, I'll come up with the most risk like crazy questions that I don't necessarily have the answers to. And so, like, I'll go find someone who does not have or who may have the answer or may have a very good going way about going about that answer. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 17:07

I think Andrew asked me one time, do you think God's favorite color is green?

SPEAKER_02 17:11

Like it was blue, actually. Okay, let's think about it. There's so much blue on this planet, the sky's blue, the water's blue, like two-thirds of this world is blue. So, like, he has to have a favorite color. And brother Jonathan's wearing a blue shirt, so like I think that was God ordained. That's not really but yes, talking to other people who are quote unquote like higher in the faith than you are, like have more knowledge, I think it's very important.

SPEAKER_07 17:40

Yeah, I really enjoy talking to people who know more than I do. Yeah, just because I just sit there and listen to everything that they were saying, and then I can go and tell somebody who might know less than what they know or less than what I've just learned, and I can pour into them. So it's like it's just a constant flow of information.

SPEAKER_06 17:56

Yeah, I completely agree. I think it helps uh keep you grounded in where you are in your walk. Because if you see someone like Audrey, like y'all guys were just saying, um, someone that's either new or they're struggling, uh you want to be that person that they can come to and you can help them, you can share the gospel with them, you can you want to make sure you're ready for that. So seeing that for me, it makes me want to be at the level where if they need Jesus, they can get Jesus through me. Yeah. So I want to be at that level. I agree. And then knowing there's people that are that know more than me, that are at a higher level than me. I can go to them and I can learn more from them. It's good for me, it's good for my faith. And I I like that there's people that know more than me.

SPEAKER_02 18:30

Yeah, and there's so much to know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:33

I really love that perspective uh coming from younger people because it's it's so easy sometimes, I think, especially in this culture, for young people to try to have their own voice and make their own way and be the smartest people around. And they try to project that in some sense. So I love to hear from you guys that you don't always have to be the smartest person in the room, that you want to learn from others and stuff. And that that's a really encouraging thing. So thank you guys for being that way. Um let's go, Audrey.

Fun Memories Behind The Scenes

SPEAKER_01 18:59

What has been your favorite moment or memory from this entire season?

SPEAKER_04 19:04

Uh like, do you mean in the podcast? Like our favorite my favorite thing in the podcast or like behind the scenes type of thing?

SPEAKER_01 19:11

Yes, either one.

SPEAKER_04 19:13

Okay, umny ones?

SPEAKER_01 19:17

Anything, any any favorite moment you had.

SPEAKER_04 19:20

Honestly. Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

We're gonna have any favorite moments.

SPEAKER_04 19:23

Well, it's kind of like there's just so many. Like, okay, so some like behind-the-scenes ones. I like when like Andrew, we we made Andrea laugh too hard before starting one, and she had to break out the nebulizer.

SPEAKER_02 19:34

For those of you who don't know, I have asthma. And so whenever I laugh too hard, I have to take my medicine or else I can't talk. Yeah. But it was just funny.

SPEAKER_06 19:44

My favorite isn't funny at all. Well, not really funny like that, but it's uh it you guys wouldn't know because you haven't been, we don't have this live, but we've been doing these podcasts like in the dark for like a we have, and it's because like in this new room we're in, obviously there's lights in a room. Yeah, everyone but me was like, Yeah, we should cut the lights off. And for the first few episodes, I was like, Are y'all crazy? But then eventually I was like, All right, we can just turn the lights off. So we've been doing these podcasts in like the dark.

SPEAKER_04 20:13

And so all you see is like those screen lights.

SPEAKER_07 20:15

Yeah, that's why when we when we looked at Andrew, we just see smoke of her going on.

SPEAKER_06 20:22

But yeah, so that first time when we turned the lights off and it worked somehow and it made us connect, or I don't even know why it works. We did good. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:32

No, it was so funny whenever Ramsey, like she hadn't been here for like a few weeks, and then she comes back, and then it took us like 45 minutes to get started because we were just laughing so hard. And then Ramse goes, I'm back.

SPEAKER_06 20:46

But it was like a chain smoker settings. Yeah, I'm bad.

SPEAKER_03 20:51

Y'all we had I couldn't lock in, like it was one of those moments where like I was laughing and it was done for, and so I was like holding in a laugh, and it sounded like I had been smoking for years.

SPEAKER_02 21:01

Or no, this one was hilarious. Her hands are up, by the way. Do y'all remember the time where the computer broke and we all we were all sitting and Audrey was studying and I was studying, and Lincoln was watching the video? Oh my god, and we were all talking in our mics to annoy Lincoln.

SPEAKER_03 21:13

Yes, I have a video, it was absolutely they were all talking to themselves, they were all like, okay, and this means this and this and this, and they were they were like wrapping it to themselves in their heads oh my gosh, it was chaos.

SPEAKER_04 21:23

And then you hear like praise breaking in the background from Lincoln, cut it off.

SPEAKER_07 21:30

Her study in biology, Audrey asked me questions about law, criminal justice.

SPEAKER_03 21:35

Oh yeah, you just had to take a moment to worship the lore. That was funny. That was funny.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

Any other favorite moments?

SPEAKER_03 21:41

I mean, I still sometimes refer to the ants from Andrea. Like, I don't know, like if I'm just really like excited about something, I'm just like, ants. Yeah, and it just like it brings me joy.

SPEAKER_07 21:52

That's a good moment. I think the I'm back one from Ramsey was probably the funniest one.

SPEAKER_06 21:56

Probably the funniest thing.

SPEAKER_02 21:57

Yeah, I feel like there's so many we can't remember. Yeah. Like there's so many that happen and then we forget that they happen until they actually happen again. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_07 22:06

Wait, what? Also, the one that Audrey said about a dog chasing his toe is beautiful. That was awesome. I forgot about that one. That one was really funny.

SPEAKER_01 22:14

And it just came out of nowhere. That's why I was I was literally in that moment. I was editing the podcast and I was listening to it was Andrea. So she always said it was Andrea. And Andrea was talking, and she when she gets excited, she starts to talk a little fast. And so she was talking real fast. And as soon as she stopped, there was like nobody said anything. And then you just you you just looked at her and you said, that was beautiful. Like a dog chasing his tail. Like there was this pause in between. It was like such a such a funny. And I just I I busted out laughing right there in front of my computer. I just lost it. And then I I actually hit listen to it a couple of times and just laughed every time. It was possible.

SPEAKER_05 22:51

That was funny.

SPEAKER_01 22:51

So we'll go to a more serious question.

Hard Topics: Boundaries And Forgiveness

SPEAKER_01 22:54

Lincoln, was there any discussion that you guys had here that stayed with you after the recording ended? Something that just stayed on your mind?

SPEAKER_07 23:02

Yeah, when one of the earlier episodes we were talking about boundaries for something, and Hudson brought up the point of like cutting off if sin is a if you're being tempted with a certain type of sin, like don't even open the door for it to sneak in. And that challenged me because I know there's certain sins that all of us get tempted with, and that's personal to each different person. But the way that he had like mentioned that um, you need to keep the door closed really really challenged me to make sure that I'm not even giving it the opportunity to breathe.

SPEAKER_03 23:33

Yeah, that's good. Yeah, I forgot what message it was. It was like I don't know, but I remember that one too. I forgot the title, but I remember that was a good one.

SPEAKER_06 23:41

Yeah, it's gonna sound like I'm still on your answer, but I mean I'll like you're getting that from me. When I was speaking that on the podcast, that was like a revelation to me as well. But I mean, like the because I agree, we all have our own problems, and for a lot of us, especially for me, for a while, I had the mindset of and it wasn't like a conscious thing, it was like a subconscious thing, like I'll deal with this problem once I get to it. Like I'll deal with the with this temptation when I'm actually in the moment of the temptation. But going through Proverbs, it showed me that you can deal with that all the way at the beginning, and there's a trickle effect, and you don't actually get to the point right before you commit the sin until you get to that point, but you can prevent it by setting proper boundaries. So that was revelatory to me as well.

SPEAKER_01 24:25

Yeah, and I love how Hudson How you said in that moment, because uh I want to reiterate this to the listeners because I I have had listeners still that come to me and ask, How much of the podcast do you give to them? How much is theirs versus how much are you giving them? And uh the answer I always tell everybody is I don't give them anything, like this is their podcast, and uh it is a it's a true conversation, like Hudson Hudson mentioned, they do bring notes, but there are things that they're talking about, and they're it's it's live, it's happening right here at the table. And I think sometimes God starts moving, Holy Ghost starts speaking, and y'all start really flowing. And you mentioned flow state. I think it it happens sometimes. Y'all really get in the flow state, and and uh a lot of good things have been said in the spur of the moment. And so I applaud you guys for that. It's a really cool theme. So, Andrea, was there a topic that you were nervous about discussing during this season?

SPEAKER_02 25:32

Yes. Okay, so right to the point. So Pastor Jared preached a message in his simple question series. I forgot what it was called, but it was called something, and he talked about forgiveness, and so we had to talk about forgiveness here, but then forgiveness is so like broad because so many people go through so many different things that are very traumatic, and so we had to somehow come at that, and so I was very nervous to talk about that.

SPEAKER_03 26:02

I remember I was kind of nervous about it too, but I think if we did, I think it went pretty well.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

I think I did a great job with it.

SPEAKER_03 26:07

But it was like a uh one of the heavier like topics to talk about.

SPEAKER_02 26:11

Anytime we have to put a trigger warning in there, I'm nervous to talk about whatever we just trigger warned about. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

Matter of fact, I think if I remember, I'll have to go back and listen. I think I removed the trigger warning. I don't think I left the trigger warning in because I felt like it was effective. Uh I could have left it in there, but I think I I I toyed with the idea of removing it because I thought y'all did such a good job of talking about it and balancing it that the trigger warning wasn't necessary. It's a real part of life, and it's it's stuff that uh you know we we have to talk about. And I'm I'm glad y'all had the courage to do that. It was it was cool.

SPEAKER_05 26:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:45

Anything else? Any other anybody else got nervous about any other topics?

SPEAKER_04 26:48

I mean, not big ones, like in Proverbs 28. I don't remember which verse it was, but it was talking about like like rejecting the law and something something about justice or whatever. And I was scared to talk about it because I didn't want it to sound like I was saying like if you disagree with the law, you're an evil sinner. Like I didn't want it to like, but I also had to say justice is justice and like justice doesn't care about your opinion without saying I remember that no one cares about your opinion, you know what I mean? Yeah, it was like I didn't want to step on toes.

SPEAKER_03 27:16

Mine was kind of Proverbs too, because I didn't start Proverbs with y'all. I jumped in like I think like chapter, I don't know, not one though, but it was like I was more just worried because I didn't want to ever get mislike spoken or like taken out of context or take scripture out of context. But I don't I think I I don't think I did, but I was nervous towards the beginning of like maybe taking something out of context. Yeah, yeah, that's so yeah.

SPEAKER_06 27:40

I agree. There's no like big specific moment for me, but it was always the slight worry in the back of my head am I getting this wrong? It's my own interpretation.

SPEAKER_03 27:47

Or like, am I saying something that sounds wrong?

SPEAKER_06 27:49

Am I actually just way off?

SPEAKER_07 27:51

Yeah, and you don't want anything you say to feel targeted either.

SPEAKER_04 27:54

Yeah, oh exactly. Like there were some episodes what was it? There was one specifically, I don't remember which one it was, but like we were talking about stuff, and I was like, I really hope this doesn't sound like we're talking about like certain people because it's like we're not.

SPEAKER_03 28:05

And when I'm talking about mine, it's just like you'd be talking about yeah, it's so specific sometimes. It could be like they're thinking about someone, but like I never was personally.

SPEAKER_04 28:14

Yeah, I'm nervous for this question right now, actually.

SPEAKER_02 28:18

This question has made me nervous.

SPEAKER_06 28:20

The real way around it is to just target yourself so you can target anyone else, just it all yourself, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:25

Yeah, well, I I love the fact that y'all have to wrestle with that sometimes because I I can tell you as a as someone who who preaches uh from time to time, it's it is something that you do wrestle with because sometimes you have knowledge of things, sometimes you don't have knowledge of things. Most of the time you don't have knowledge of things, but you're always thinking about but what if there's something going on I don't know about? What if this person would get offended? What if like and so you're constantly it's this tug of war, but at the end of the day, I like the fact that the word of God I mean it is what it is and it stands alone, and you don't have to be you're gonna be nervous as a human, but you don't have to be afraid to speak the word of God with love. And again, I just thought y'all did a great job navigating those those things, and it's cool to hear because a lot of times when you talk to young people who do stuff, they don't even think on that level, they're just like spitting it out and just saying stuff and not really worried about who it offends. So it's cool to hear that y'all, you know, did kind of wrestle with that a little bit. That's awesome. Uh, we talked before we even started the podcast at the beginning that uh you have to live what you're talking about, like you can't just talk it and then not walk it. Was there anything that you talked about that caused you to pause and then kind of reconsider uh how you've been thinking, how you've been acting, how you've been living at this point in your life? And let's go with Ramsey for this one.

SPEAKER_03 29:37

So it wasn't it nothing really specific, I guess, just from this semester, but I think it may just be because I was also I've been under pressure like that my whole life. Yeah, but it's definitely like ups the level of when you're speaking your own words and like your own opinions. It like it's like you have to stand by what not only the word of God, but like what you're saying about like what your beliefs are, yeah. So, like, yeah, but nothing really specific, just like the whole in general like idea of it, yeah, that you're being listened to. Yeah, so I can see that.

SPEAKER_06 30:07

Like for me, it was the mindset shift that me and Lincoln were kind of talking about earlier the uh being intentional about boundaries. Like, uh even up to this podcast, I can be honest and say that I've kind of had the subconscious mindset, I'll deal with this problem when I get to it. But Proverbs is very adamant that you should set boundaries, you should be able to see these things coming and be preparing for them long before the opportunity even arises. So just the idea of being inten like wisdom is intentional, it doesn't just happen. Yeah, like being wise is being intentional from way before deep. I'm glad you're agree.

SPEAKER_03 30:42

Yeah. Being wait, what did you say? Having wisdom is intentional, or like, yeah, like that I'd that was just a really good sentence. Yeah, so that's a mindset. I liked it.

SPEAKER_07 30:51

I think I think the one that challenged me the most, and I'm sure there's other people who couldn't agree with this one, is forgiveness. Like we talked about, um, forgiving people is not always easy. Yeah. So, but if you're gonna preach forgiveness, then you're you're almost expected to practice forgiveness. Yeah, and so that's been something I've had to do, even though if it wasn't comfortable or didn't feel like it was justified, it was still the right thing to do.

SPEAKER_03 31:14

Yeah, yeah, that episode got me because like the forgiveness one is such a big thing. It's like Jesus forgave us for so much, like, why should we even be wrestling with this? But like it is just such a human thing to wrestle with. That that one did get me for a long time, the forgiveness one.

SPEAKER_02 31:27

Yeah, for me, it was like the lady wisdom, lady folly, like compare and contrasting, because you don't realize like how much of your day-to-day life are based upon those type of decisions until like you study it, and you're like, Oh, and so like basically just how I view wise and unwise decisions in my life, but then also in other people's lives, because we all look at how other people live, like that's that's a fact. Like, everyone is observing everyone all the time, and so it's also helped like me and my subconscious to be like, Oh, well, they actually have a reason, like not me judging people, like not not like that, but also just like helped my thought process, if that makes sense, kind of shifted how you think initially. Yes, that's a better word for the word that I was wording.

SPEAKER_04 32:12

Oh, I love that. Yeah, I think that um for me, I was kind of just gonna, I was kind of just thinking, like, in general, what happens after every episode, and like you go home and you're like, wow, good stuff. Like let me live different. But honestly, I think let me live different.

SPEAKER_03 32:29

I wouldn't even try to be funny. It was really good.

SPEAKER_06 32:34

I should live different after you're gonna be like, convicted during the podcast episode.

SPEAKER_04 32:37

Well, like, I think one that like is I took really serious, I guess, or I didn't before, but now I do, is how much I saw Proverbs talking about pride, and how much I was like, it must be more prevalent than I really thought it was in life because the amount that it's talked about and like the severity of it and the way that it's talked about is like wow, we all must be struggling with it internally. And I'm like, I guess it's true though. Like everyone does struggle with some sort of pride from time to time, and it's important to watch out for that. So I'm I mean, it just kind of was like an eye-opening thing to be like, okay, is this prideful or like is this gonna lead to something prideful? Oh, that's that's wow.

SPEAKER_03 33:15

And she just proves our points about her like every five minutes.

SPEAKER_01 33:19

Yeah, I love the book of Proverbs because it does deal with so much life and and so much real world things that people struggle with, and then it tries to put those things into perspective and and give insight and wisdom on uh, as Hutchin mentioned, how to deal with those real life issues before they become an emergency. And uh I like it because sometimes in life you you find yourself coasting along and you find yourself just not really actively being intentional about things. And uh this this whole season has been just a reminder of sometimes you got to slow down and you really got to process what am I doing on my journey? How am I in my relationship with God? Am I being prideful about certain things? Am I forgiving those that I should, even when it's hard? And and Proverbs come makes you come face to face with the reality that there's difficult choices that we have to make. Yeah, but the word of God is arming us with how to do that. And so um, I feel like this was a really valuable uh tool, not only for y'all to learn your among yourselves as you studied it, but y'all really had a cool way of breaking it down and putting a lot of really good truth and and information out there. So to people who hasn't listened to this series, they need to. Uh, I would strongly encourage you to do that. And um, for those of you that have, I'm gonna go back and re-listen since I'm not gonna have any new episodes to listen to because there was there was just so much to catch and hold on to that that y'all brought out.

Wisdom As A Daily Choice

SPEAKER_01 34:44

Um Andrea, if anyone listens, if they tell you I'm only gonna listen to one episode, I'm gonna give it a shot. What's the episode you would recommend and why would you recommend it?

SPEAKER_02 34:55

So for me, it would be the Lady Wisdom or Lady Folly episode. So March 12th. Yeah, the March 12th. And so for me, this one, this topic of like Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly has stuck with me like this entire episode, um, not episode, semester, season, whatever the word is. Um, and I would recommend it just because it had so much impact on my life, but also whenever you study it and you really understand like what it's saying, it can impact your life too. And I really saw this. So we went to POA's like Messiah production, and whenever they brought out the adulterous woman, like threw her at Jesus' feet and was like, Let's stone her. Um, and the thought really came into my mind and was like, the lady, the adulterous lady is like folly. It's like she's being thrown at the feet of Jesus, and Jesus is like wisdom, and he's like, I'm not gonna let you die because I'm gonna save you. And so in my mind, that was just like a really mind-blowing moment of like whoa, this is so crazy. God is so cool. Yeah, and so it just draw it just draws like the a perfect line in between wisdom and foolishness, and everyone needs to know it.

SPEAKER_01 36:00

So we're gonna go to the answer. Yeah, that is cool.

SPEAKER_04 36:02

I was thinking, like, I think another good one would be Lions on the Road. I don't know what the day was, but like obviously what we covered in Proverbs that episode was like a lot of like good, like well thought out stuff. But also just I think umbrellas was probably my favorite, like unironically, one of my favorite sermons on this um season. And I think even just us talking about it is so like it was good because that was a good sermon.

SPEAKER_03 36:25

Yeah, me, I agree with the umbrellas one, like kind of uh like I didn't think about it that way before how like the blessings could be pouring all around you, and you just put the umbrella up and like you're like, why? But it's really just you the whole time. Like, I had never like never connected the dots in my brain.

SPEAKER_04 36:41

I'm telling you, every time it's rained this last couple weeks, I haven't put my umbrella up.

SPEAKER_06 36:45

Good job, bro.

SPEAKER_04 36:46

Let the spirit flow.

SPEAKER_06 36:47

Bro definitely took what you needed from that message. Oh that's great.

SPEAKER_04 36:51

That was the point.

SPEAKER_06 36:52

I would either say uh umbrellas or my probably personal favorite from Pastor Jared's uh the Primal Question series, the am I wanted.

SPEAKER_02 36:59

Just that was a good one.

SPEAKER_06 37:01

Or uh yeah, just knowing that you're wanted simply because God created you. Which episode was that? Do you nominate it?

SPEAKER_03 37:07

I think it was one of the first ones from the the Primal Questions. If I'm yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 37:11

I like Lady Folly and Lady Wisdom one. Yeah, just because it really screams like there's two choices, you have two decisions. Yes, it's all up to you. It's not gonna be forced on you. You have the free will to either be folly or to be wise. Yeah, so I really like that.

SPEAKER_02 37:25

And especially like the compare and contrast that it makes for folly, it'll come looking for you, but then wisdom, like you actually have to go look for it, and that blew my mind.

SPEAKER_01 37:34

I was gonna I was gonna bring that up, is that was one of my favorite moments. And y'all had several moments where you could tell in the middle of y'all's conversation, some of you hadn't seen it that way before, and then you you I could hear, I wasn't in the room, but when I was editing, I could hear when the light bulb went off because you could hear the and that just and and different ones of you did it, and y'all were like, wow, that's so amazing. And it was cool, and that was one of those those moments. And that was something that I I thought of after the fact, just listening to y'all talk, is like it's so true, we don't have to like plan to destroy our lives. Like life is trying to get us, the enemy's trying to get us, and that's why we have to be so intentional about making sure that we're not falling into these traps and stuff, and so it was a it was a really cool perspective, and uh that was a fun moment. So I I loved it. Um, Hudson, how did the season change the way that you look at wisdom in general and and how it applies to your life?

SPEAKER_06 38:41

I mean, basically the culmination of everything we just talked about, that we all have choices, and there's there's never a choice that you just make. It's either a wise choice or an unwise choice. And it's always intentional. Wisdom. Um, before this, I kind of didn't really understand what wisdom was. Like I knew wisdom means you're smart, you make good choices. But for me, going through this, wisdom is something you have to intentionally seek after. You don't just stumble across it, you don't just happen to make a few good decisions in one week and become wise, and just on accident, it has to be something you intentionally seek after. And so that's how it changed it for me. That I wake up now and I try to tell myself every day, like I'm gonna have decisions throughout this day, and I need to make sure that I'm not just making these decisions and they're just going by. I have to be intentional about this. Yeah, that's how it's changing. I love that.

SPEAKER_03 39:34

Yeah, yeah. This one, um, like just like I mean, I've read it, but like rereading Proverbs, it always just brings out more things, and it's like talking about it with y'all too. It like it it opens up so many more like doors to each scripture. Yes, and like like different like thoughts and perspectives from each thing of like how you read it or like what the context was when you were like thinking about like I don't know, just all the scriptures. And it's like it also just shows like how value like how valuable wisdom is and like the fact that we have access to it and that we're so blessed to like be able to read Proverbs, but also know so many people that all we can learn from their wisdom. And it was like I'm like, I don't know, it was just like I was really glad, but it was like I don't know, just yeah, it was I don't know the words to put, but there was like I realized how valuable our like having access to it was.

SPEAKER_02 40:23

Yeah, that was cool. Because like before this, I side with Hudson, like I knew what wisdom was, like I didn't really like know what wisdom was, and so I didn't realize like how many components there are to wisdom because like so many factors go into wisdom so you can actually be wise, and then if you're not wise, then and it did like such small things too, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:45

Like it was like in the most minuscule yet also the most drastic things like ever Jurassic.

SPEAKER_04 40:50

I always say that word wrong.

SPEAKER_03 40:52

Drastic. Yes, I always say that word wrong, but it was in like they were such opposites, but it's in everything in between two.

SPEAKER_01 40:58

Yeah, yeah, that really was cool. Hudson, you mentioned something, I forget which episode it was, but you said something about uh when we when we make choices, um, or we always look at things uh in in right or wrong or heaven or hell, but uh the way we should look at them and the way Proverbs looks at them is not is this right or wrong, is this heaven or hell, but is this wise or unwise, and we should make decisions based off of things like that. And that's something that really stuck stuck with me as well is that um we would find ourselves a whole lot better off in our relationship with God and in our relationship with other people, yeah, if when we made decisions that impacted others, if we looked at it from that perspective, is this a wise choice? Is this a not wise choice? Because there are some things we can do that wouldn't necessarily be wrong, but in the context, they would probably not be wise. And um, I I think that's a really cool perspective, and I think that's really the heart of what Proverbs was getting at is let us make better choices. Um what is the funniest or most fun moment about this season? And it can be something that was happened live or something that happened behind the scenes that other people don't know about, so you can give us some insight, and let's go Ramsey with that one.

SPEAKER_03 42:08

There was so many, I probably can't remember them all, but like one that happened like quite often is like just a fun moment is we'd always go eat Mexican, or not always, but a lot of times we'd eat Mexican, and it was just like the most random stuff would happen, but it would be fun. But like, even just during like podcasts where things had to get edited out of producer Brian, it's like I can't even count how many things happened, but it was great. So many things we thank you for it for the laughs that it brings. Like, what was it like last week? Yes, or like the last episode we did when he was like looking for a pin, and like as Hudson mentioned, it was pitch black, and so he turned on his flashlight and he's over here just searching for a pin while we're talking.

SPEAKER_06 42:47

And so, like the panel me and Audrey sit across from each other at the table. If you've seen our picture, and in between us on the table, the panel where our mics plug into the table, producer Brian comes up with his phone right in front of both of us and it's shining a flashlight while we're like live. So I tried, I think I was talking. I tried so hard to stay locked in, but I think I failed in the end.

SPEAKER_07 43:08

We have to stop for a second. Yeah, and then he just banged the table and all the mics like rattled.

SPEAKER_03 43:13

Apparently, you couldn't hear anything, but like we saw it all.

SPEAKER_04 43:15

It was so like distracting. And it was all just to tell us something, anyway. He was trying to write a note to tell us like talk louder.

SPEAKER_06 43:22

Yeah, he was trying to find a pen, I think.

SPEAKER_04 43:23

He was trying to write it, he was gonna write a note down for us. Is he trying to tell Lincoln and talk louder?

SPEAKER_07 43:28

I was like, producer Brian just pointed out whatever when he was talking to.

SPEAKER_04 43:32

I think some of them love PB. I know some of my favorites were just like before the podcast starts, like before the stress locks in, you have to be serious. We're just goofing off, or like like last time, I think it was last podcast, me and Ramsay walked in and there was a mini trampoline in the lobby. We were just mini trampoline jumping around filming ourselves jumping on the trampoline. I know. And it was just like stuff like that. Like, also, I think I like the way that like not even think, but the way we named some podcast episodes, like it. Like,

SPEAKER_07 44:00

Insecure questions or um two plus two plus two equals kaboom.

SPEAKER_02 44:04

It was two plus one plus one equals kaboom two.

SPEAKER_04 44:07

The math schools were mathing. One of my favorites was the I think it was the last one when us three randomly decided to make fake podcast names. Y'all, we I don't know if y'all found it funny, but we were laughing so hard in this. Our personal podcasts. And like it was so funny.

SPEAKER_01 44:25

Yeah, I got a random text during the middle of that episode, or right at the end of that episode, saying, please don't delete the intro. Okay, because he wouldn't. Oh gosh, what did they do?

SPEAKER_02 44:34

Oh yeah, we knew you'd be like, Because we said something funny one time, or we thought it was funny, and then Pastor Jonathan was like, that's actually not funny, and he cut it out. Yes, and we were like, sir, you're depriving the masses of our hilarious.

SPEAKER_00 44:48

It only happened once.

SPEAKER_07 44:49

No, no, no. We used to say ye haul after episode. Oh, yeah, we we did. We're bringing it back up.

SPEAKER_06 44:55

And then that one time where we had like two choices between an episode name and we all chose one, and then he chose the secret third choice.

SPEAKER_03 45:02

It really wasn't even an option. He was just like actually never reminded me.

SPEAKER_06 45:06

It was like a secret third choice none of us knew about, and he chose that one. Well, I thought of it later.

SPEAKER_03 45:10

We had talked about it for a while. He was like, What should the podcast name be? And we all gave him the answer, and he was like, nah.

SPEAKER_07 45:15

X in the group chat was like, Who even said this?

SPEAKER_02 45:18

We were like, What? I love that. No, one of my favorite ones was whenever we were talking about Audrey's brother Logan, and somehow like the prodigal son got brought up and Audrey says he's not a prodigal, he's just in Hawaii, guys. I forgot about that.

SPEAKER_01 45:32

That was funny.

SPEAKER_04 45:34

That is funny.

SPEAKER_01 45:35

All right, so give me your top three favorite thoughts from Proverbs.

Favorite Proverbs That Convict

SPEAKER_01 45:39

Uh Hudson, let's let's go with you. Are you wanting all three like quick fire? No, you can just do one and then someone else.

SPEAKER_06 45:46

Um, we already kind of talked about like intentional awareness a lot, so I kind of want to leave that one up in the air. But um, my other that I'd say was my top favorite thought would be kind of what a fool really is when you look at Proverbs. Um originally, when I hear a fool, I just think of bluntly a stupid person. Like that's what that's what I think a fool is when I hear that word. But going through Proverbs as we went through it, you see that a fool isn't in Proverbs a matter of intelligence. It isn't someone that doesn't know something and does something, you know, foolish and commits sin. It isn't anything to do with that or your awareness, even. It's more what do you do after? Do you keep coming back to it? Um I think it's Proverbs 26 and 11 that says, as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness. Um nasty but true. But yeah, Proverbs uses the imagery to show you how nasty it is if you're a fool. You're just like the dog. You you vomit uh with quotation marks, you vomit, and instead of being like, Okay, what caused me to become sick? How do I not do this again? You go back to it and you blick it right up. Like that's disturbing imagery, but that's what it's like. You a fool is someone that doesn't do anything about it. You see the foolish. They don't try to better themselves. Or you see that maybe you could, you know, set a boundary way earlier, but you don't. You just the fool is the person that just keeps going through life and deals with the things that happen when they get to them.

SPEAKER_04 47:18

After they get to them, actually.

SPEAKER_01 47:20

Yeah, or or you do something that that causes the like you said, the vomit, and you just you the the vomit would be the repercussions of what you did. Uh that the sickness that came because of what you did, but you just keep going back to it and you keep doing the same thing over and over, knowing that you're getting not good results, you're still getting bad results, but you just continue stuck in a cycle, and I think being stuck in that cycle is and then you get really sick because once you're sick for so long, you literally die, so you die spiritually.

SPEAKER_04 47:48

Whoa. I mean, together he is right, connecting the dots.

SPEAKER_06 47:53

All right, yeah, that's uh that was my other biggest takeaway. What a fool really is that it's not a matter of intelligence.

SPEAKER_04 47:58

Wait, say that again?

SPEAKER_06 47:59

It's not a matter of intelligence in Proverbs.

SPEAKER_07 48:02

I liked Proverbs 1 a lot. Um, Solomon's writing about how um God like calls us, and it says, Because I have called you and you refused, I've stretched up my hand and known regard, um, because you disdained on my counsel and had none of my rebuke, I will laugh at your calamity and will mock when your terror comes. And so, and then it goes down and says, They will call on me, but I will not answer, they will seek me diligently and they will not find me. And so it's like through our whole life, God is just He's like calling our name, calling us to do greater things and and to follow Him and to be wise. And it's if we keep pushing Him off and keep disregarding everything that He's saying, He's like, When you when your consequences come up for your actions, that's that's you You made those, and you're then whenever you need help, you're gonna be like, God help me, how do I get here? He's like, You did this all by yourself, Bubba.

SPEAKER_04 48:49

Yeah, you're Bubba, Bubba. That was a pre-podcast. That's my that's I call everybody Bubba lately.

SPEAKER_02 48:56

Yeah, I mean, no, I agree, Lincoln, that was a good one.

SPEAKER_06 48:58

I was gonna say the consequences may be like what happens to you after you pass, your eternal consequences. Yeah, you may live one way your entire life, and then you finally get to the gates and you're like, God, please, I'm sorry. And he's like, It's too late, bro.

SPEAKER_03 49:10

Yeah, you did so. On the like same note, Proverbs talked a lot about um laziness and like discipline in general, which is like I guess making wise decisions, unwise decisions, whether you're not gonna do anything or if you're gonna try and get up and do stuff. But like, yeah, I I just saw that point a lot throughout it, and it was it just stuck out to me because I'm like, it talks like in 24, Proverbs 24, it says those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest. And like that one just like was one of those scriptures that just like stuck out to me like continuously. Like, I think about it, so it's just like if you don't do anything, you will not like you'll you'll reap what you sow, but if you don't sow in anything, you won't get anything. And then like Lincoln was saying is they'll they'll be begging for it, but they won't get it because they didn't do anything to help yourself, so why should others help you? Type of thing.

SPEAKER_06 49:57

Yeah, God's not gonna let you take some a harvest just because you're begging for it. Yeah, yeah. You know, plant your own.

SPEAKER_02 50:02

Speaking of laziness, in Proverbs 6, 6 to 8. Oh boy, it says, take a lesson from the ants, you lazy bones. That one was funny. But um, it's it talks about learning from their ways and like being intentional with your life. And so that was one of my things is just learning to be intentionally, really intentional with my life and with my time. But also another lazy one was like a lazy person has food in their hand, but they won't even pick it up to their mouth to eat it. Yeah, yeah. Imagine being that lazy to where you have it in your hand and you just don't eat it. That's right. I can't imagine.

SPEAKER_03 50:35

It's like being given to you, and you're just like, no. Nah, you can feed it to me, actually.

SPEAKER_02 50:39

Like what? But yeah, but that was one of my things.

SPEAKER_04 50:42

I really like um Proverbs 18, 21. And it was like talking about the power of words. And I think it's just always good to like talk about and remember that like your your words really do have the power of life and death. Like what you say to somebody sticks with them for so long, and it always sticks with them way longer than it sticks with you.

SPEAKER_03 51:00

It's like you could forget it the next day, but they're like, they're like, Man, they said that about me.

SPEAKER_04 51:04

Yeah, honestly, positive too. Like a compliment, you're like, wow, they really liked my hair that day.

SPEAKER_03 51:08

Like makes you wear your hair more like that, or like that dress, you wear it more, or like, you know.

SPEAKER_04 51:13

But if they said you stink, then you just really stink.

SPEAKER_03 51:16

I would hope that you would go start taking showers more.

SPEAKER_02 51:19

We're deodorant. That's constructive criticism. But the thought of you stinking might like really play bad on your self-esteem. Even if they were joking.

SPEAKER_03 51:27

Oh, I was talking more about like you talk loud.

SPEAKER_00 51:30

You talk so loud. Waiting on the moment. I knew it was coming.

SPEAKER_03 51:34

Weak.

SPEAKER_00 51:34

Yeah, that was a prepocket.

SPEAKER_04 51:36

We're not giving anyone context on that one. No, because no, Brother Jonathan was a bad critical.

SPEAKER_01 51:41

Uh, wordplace abuse going on. I will edit this one as well, so you can say whatever you want.

SPEAKER_03 51:45

No, you know. A girl has the right to talk however loud to I wasn't gonna like I wasn't gonna add like any context to it, but I think y'all might be able to tell who it was.

SPEAKER_01 51:55

He's cutting in the so which proverb do you think brought the most personal conviction to your life? That would be Audrey.

SPEAKER_04 52:24

I'd say the one that brought the most conviction for me was like Proverbs three. It was five through six. Um, because it was convicting me to stop relying on myself for everything. Because I'm very I like to be in control of things, not in a toxic way necessarily, but like I can't stand when things are out of my control, you know. Like I don't like like when some sense I I'm spontaneous and like to go with the flow, but sometimes I need things to go exactly how I plan them, exactly how I expect them to go, or else like I'm gonna go crazy and I need to have a plan for the rest of my life. But I know that's not how life works. Like, God's not gonna go by that. God's like, no, no, no. If I want you in Africa in 20 years, you're going to Africa. And so it's like you really gotta just you gotta submit.

SPEAKER_02 53:07

I agree. Because like mine was Proverbs 16, one, because like it says we can't make we make hold up, Proverbs 16.1. We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer, and like throughout Proverbs, it talks about like how God is the best judge and how he plans it out, and we just need to submit to him, and we don't need to question what he does. I like Audrey. I like I'm I'm a very good planner, I like to plan things out. I have like Excel spreadsheets of and they're color-coded of like what classes I need to take and like all the things, and then God changes it up because God doesn't give you everything, he just gives you like little snippets. Yeah, and I don't like that. I like to know what's gonna happen, and God's like, that's not how that works.

SPEAKER_03 53:46

Yeah, that was a theme throughout Proverbs, like the whole He's in control. Yeah, I forgot what verse it was, but it was like you may roll the dice, but he determines how they land. But it's a go with it. And it's just like you can you can think you got this all down, but like in the end, it's what he decides. And it's I that was a good that was a common theme throughout the whole book. Yeah, that's cool.

SPEAKER_04 54:03

I need one of those t-shirts that says let go and let God.

SPEAKER_02 54:06

That's that's amazing. We need to make one, like a church merch. Church merch. Church merch, let go like God, whatever proverb, point lace.

SPEAKER_01 54:13

I thought you should make a t-shirt that says God is so cool or whatever that is you say all the time. Is it cool?

SPEAKER_03 54:18

Oh yeah, kind of so cool.

SPEAKER_01 54:19

Yeah, that'd be a cool t-shirt.

SPEAKER_03 54:21

It's with the emphasis on it too, like God is so cool, an italic smiley face.

SPEAKER_01 54:26

Yeah, yeah. So, Andrea, was there a proverb that you didn't originally understand but then liked once you did kind of get what it meant?

SPEAKER_02 54:35

Yes. So, reading in Proverbs 26, 13 through 14, the first time I read it, I was so confused. I read it like six times and I just skipped over it until podcast came. But I'm gonna read it for you. So in Proverbs 26, 13 through 14, it says, The lazy person claims there's a line on the road. Yes, I'm sure there's a line out there as a door swings back and forth and it hinges, so the lazy person turns over in his bed. So that's two verses, but there's no like separation between them. And so I thought they were the same thing. Like, there's a lazy person saying there's a line on the road, and then he's laying over in bed expecting to die. Like, that's what I thought. And then I was just confused, and I was like, you know what? Hudson will probably explain that tonight. And so I I just didn't look into it until I came to the podcast, and then Hudson actually very well, very explained it very well. He very explained it very well, he explained it really well, and so I was so confused until Hudson was like, No, guys, it's two separate things. I mean Audrey were like, You're getting.

SPEAKER_03 55:38

Yeah, Hudson just be pulling them out of his back pocket, like the most like crazy intellectual, like scripture fun facts about things. I'm like, dude, I would have never, I would have never. I would have never. She might have never. She might have never ever. I factually would never.

SPEAKER_01 55:55

Yeah, no, that was a that was a really cool one. And uh, I I have to be honest, I hadn't read that one in a while. And so when y'all first started talking about it, I thought it was a L-I-N-E line in the road. And so I was like, what is the big deal about the lion in the road? And then when he brought out it's a lion in the road, then I was like, Oh my gosh, how does that what am I even thinking right now? It's a lion's in this room, bro. That was a funny moment. I had him on the room. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 56:21

No, because we we and Audrey were so confused. Yeah, yeah, and then we weren't confused anymore.

SPEAKER_06 56:25

That's true. After like five minutes of the city. Even me, the first time I read it, I was like, bro, what? Because, like, I see a line in the road. Yeah, I'm sure there's a line in the road, and it just moves on. I was like, okay.

SPEAKER_02 56:36

And I'm just gonna like lay in my bed as a lion comes and get me because the door's swinging back and forth. Yeah, but that's not how it worked.

SPEAKER_06 56:42

It's like that verse was written with sass.

SPEAKER_02 56:45

It's like if it's like if I I wrote a verse, it would sound like that. I'm just thinking we cut that out. No, no, we have to keep that one. No!

SPEAKER_00 56:54

I'm leaving that one or something like that.

SPEAKER_01 56:56

So, Lincoln, every culture has its battles or issues that it has to overcome, and that this generation has more noise and and distraction than probably in a ger any generation before, because there's so much competing for your attention.

Pursuing Wisdom In A Noisy Culture

SPEAKER_01 57:08

So, what are some practical ways that a a young adult or teen can pursue wisdom in a culture that is as busy and has as much noise as this one does?

SPEAKER_07 57:17

Uh, I think most importantly, you need to be grounded in the word. Um, you need to really seek after God and make um a set time for him, whether that be reading and prayer. Uh that's what I try to do every day is make sure I'm reading and praying.

SPEAKER_05 57:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 57:32

Um, also think before you speak. Yeah. Uh that's another one I've had to work on, is because even though I'm not always saying something that's wrong, it's still the wrong thing. If you know what I mean. Yeah, you can all it might not be a wrong thing to say, but I shouldn't have said it in that moment. Um so those two uh I think can really get you out of trouble. The Bible's full of wisdom, yep, and um your tongue is something that James said in James, you you can't you can't control it. Your tongue's full of poison. So if you're thinking about speaking through the lens of what the word of God says, you're gonna start speaking wiser and um hang around people who are wiser than you. Yeah. Um I've personally been doing that a lot, and I've seen a lot of growth in just the way that I think, the way that I've like been walking and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_04 58:24

Um Yeah, you have more of a strut to you now.

SPEAKER_07 58:28

There's the comedic rubies always talking.

SPEAKER_02 58:31

I can't you have a little pep in your step, you know what I mean? Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 58:34

Yeah, no, I uh I completely agree. Like what you just said, the beginning of wisdom. Uh if you're just trying to start to get wisdom now, that begins with you're grounding yourself in God. I mean, Proverbs says it directly in 9 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. So literally, the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. And I mean, we literally talked about that on the podcast. That's not being scared of God, but it's pushing yourself in humility. It's realizing that God is wisdom. I'm kind of foolish. So you pray about it, you get in a relationship with God, you be intentional about his word. And those are like the the big step, like right off the bat, you should be doing that no matter what, you should be intentional about the word for a more practical sense. Like you just said, get mentors in your life, whether that be your pastor, youth pastor, um, people that are on a higher level than you, and good friends, a good community of people, like we talked about earlier, you can discuss with, you can discuss what you find in the word, discuss what God's doing in your life. Um and yeah, do those things, and it comes down to being intentional.

SPEAKER_03 59:35

Yeah, that's like agree. A big one is like being intentional with what you're doing with your time. Because especially in this world full of distractions, where your attention is everywhere else but God most days, like it could be easily distracted to everywhere else but God, it's like I heard this somewhere, I don't know where, but it was that you like you could say you worship God, but you're worshiping what you put your time into. So if you're not putting your time into God and His Word and building a relationship with Him, I'm not saying you have to do it 24-7, but if you're putting more time into like just not Yeah, like movies or just fleshly desires of any sorts, bad or good, or like anything, you're worshiping that over God, you're putting that before God. And so I feel like in this world it's just too easy to do that. So you have to be really intentional.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:22

Yeah, and I really like that because it's so easy to just get on your phone and like scroll Instagram. Like I've had to set screen time for myself because of how easy that is. Literally, literally, it can be bad. But yeah, I like being intentional with your time. Um for me, uh prayer can sometimes be, especially if I'm really distracted, it can be what's left over at the end of the day. Yeah, and that's not wise for my relationship with God for my spirituality, and that would go for anyone. So it can't be something that's just left over after I do what I want throughout the day. I've had to really work to make it more intentional. Um, I'm not just leaving what's left over for God. God's I have to insert him throughout the day.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:00

I heard one, I think I think he was a preacher, I'm not sure. But he said, like he was talking about praying throughout the day, and he said, I might not pray for 20 minutes at a time. He said, but I won't go 20 minutes without praying. Yeah, yeah. And so it's just making sure like you're keeping a consistent, you're constantly talking with God and and commuting with him. Um, I've made it an effort here recently, like every morning before I get out of bed, I pray, God help me to walk after the spirit, not the flesh. Yeah, like help me to let everything that I'm doing glorify God. I don't want to do unwise decisions, which I mean I'm human, so it's gonna happen. Yeah, but I pray like limit them if possible.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:34

Yeah, and like on an embarrassing note for me, have y'all ever heard y'all's mom in the car just like, Lord, protect us as we're driving? Like, I don't feel just anything just in the car over anything. Like, I've like low-key becoming that person for Emery. Like, Emory driving, and I'm like, and it's like kind of like a stressful situation. I'm like, Jesus, protect us on the road. And I'm just like, and I'm just like just going, and I like I don't even realize I'm speaking out loud, but like Emery's like, what are you doing? And I'm just like, just leave me alone.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:59

I did that, I did that. I was babysitting someone's kids, and I had to go pick up one of them from school, and so I had a four-year-old in the back seat, and we're driving to go pick up the one at school. And before we I don't like to drive, if you know me. And so, like, there was this really big turn, like I had to turn on the road, and so I was like, Lord, like stop all the cars, like keep us safe. And then the four-year-old goes, We don't normally do that. I was like, I'm sorry. But that's just to say, you know, inject the inject into invite the Lord into everything, inject him in your vein. Inject him. No, my words weren't wording. That's a theme tonight. That's funny.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:40

One of one of the major themes that I picked up on that y'all talked about a lot. You didn't put it in these words, but it's it's the words that that I think of every time I hear y'all talk about it is the the idea of wisdom over impulse. And I think so many times we do fail a lot, or when we fail a lot, it's because we're putting impulse, just what what I want to do right now, what does my flesh want in this moment? And we're as humans, we are very impulse-driven, and we just kind of give in to our desires without giving it any second thought. And all through Proverbs, as I listened to y'all talk about different verses and things, that kept coming back up is you can't give in to those base impulses, you can't give in to your your common desires, you can't fall to your everyday wants. Like, be, as you said, intentional about making wise choices to offset those impulses. And so I thought that was a really cool, uh, really cool thing.

Modern Proverbs For Social Media

SPEAKER_01 1:03:31

Okay. Um, let's have a little bit of fun with this one. So if King Solomon was alive today, give me some proverbs that he would say to this generation in particular. And uh Ramsey, let's start with you on this one.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:45

I'm scared. So, um, this one when I first, I'm not even gonna lie, I was like, what is he talking about? Like, what where did where do you want us to go with this? And so I was thinking, and I really couldn't think about very much, but like what I'm so scared right now. But like, okay, so this isn't the perspective of like y'all know there's those few proverbs that are like really direct. They're just like, bro, what? Like, that's so this is clear as day is okay. Y'all, this is the clear as day one. Ready? He would have said this living through others' lives will never get you anywhere in your own.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:18

I like that.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:19

There it is. That's his direct, and then that means that living through other people's lives will never get you anywhere. Wow, I was so confused at first.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:28

Thank you. You really cleared that up for me. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:30

Yeah, yeah. I just thought I needed to add the meaning of it.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:32

But that was one of those Bible things where in the Bible, if he says the same thing twice, like you really have to pay attention. So that was emphasis. That was really good. It was biblical emphasis thing.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:41

I think that was great.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:42

Yeah, but I love that. Yeah, no, I think that really applies to social media. I mean, we're all taking it.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:46

Yeah, like the whole like you live vicariously vicariously. Is that the word? Yeah, through everybody else's lives, just like within like the 60 seconds while you're scrolling on Instagram or something. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:56

And you got nowhere in years.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:58

I think one that like a good one that would be for this generation is like guard your screen to guard your soul.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:05

Like I was like, I mean some like some bankers, man.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:10

Like, watch what you like. Seriously, what you listen to, what you watch, what you like you said, but you put your time into like what you let your eyes and ears see and hear plays a big part in life, and just like what you do that day, what decisions you make, who you are, how you think. And it's like guard your screen to guard your soul, my brother.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:30

So I I made the one, like I wrote the one that I just said, but I I looked up a few just for like ideas after, and this is the one that this was this one really stood out to me, and this is really good. Ready? The tongue once started wars, now thumbs do it faster. I was like, why is that so good? I had to put it and then it's a meeting was a careless, a killer's common on the line can spread conflict instantly. So yeah, I I made the other one, but that one I looked up because I I was too funny to not.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:00

Funny. That's really cool.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:01

Even fools are thought wise if they don't comment. Because you know, if they keep silent. Yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:07

I like that. Very nice. I think Ramsey said it all. So much wisdom.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:15

Say that one again.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:16

The thumbs one? Yeah, the thumbs one. The tongue once started wars, now thumbs do it faster.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:20

Yeah, that's really cool.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:21

Because like you can type really fun to the series. These people were going to wars on like horses and shields and stuff, and we're like on a phone. Keyboard warriors there. No, no profile picture. No profile picture.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:33

I know that you guys take notes and you like quotes and all that kind of stuff. So give me some of your takeaways or your quotes from all the messages that you heard discussed this semester. And Andrea, let's go with you first.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:45

I got you. So I love quotes personally. And so one of my favorite ones was from Pastor Jared's Primal Question sermons about Am I Am I enough? And so this one he said, Am I spiritual enough for this? Which whatever you're facing, like, Am I spiritual enough? Like you put in the blank, like, am I blank enough for this? And this one was just really like spoke to me because you can fill in your personal what you're struggling with, and then it applies to your life. But also, one of another one was when Jesus calls me beyond myself, I have to rely on him.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:23

Because, you know, in the Christian way of doing things, God mostly always calls us beyond ourselves into things that we are not comfortable with. Because Pastor Jared said that God doesn't like to keep him comfortable, and he probably won't get comfortable until he gets to heaven. That's another quote for you. But um thinking about lifting.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:41

That was a good one. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:42

Yeah, but you just gotta get out of your comfort zone.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:45

Yeah, I like that. Anyone else have any quotes?

SPEAKER_04 1:07:48

Um I did. Oh, I literally did. I'm gonna say mine while you while you didn't. My purpose is to be faithful. Um, I liked from Umbrellas, you said it. Um you said being right and being righteous are not always the same thing. Love when people say stuff like that, because it's like so true. And it's like seriously though, like being right doesn't mean that you're living in alignment with what God wants. And it doesn't mean that just because you are factually right doesn't mean you're spiritually right.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:22

Yeah, that's kind of what Lincoln said the same thing or something like that earlier, like this episode. He was like, I don't remember what was, but it was along those lines of oh, it it may be right but not wise for that moment or something like that. And I'm like, Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:34

I think my favorite from this entire uh past semester we did was in one of um Pastor Jared's uh his messages with the Primal Questions series, and it was you don't obey God to earn love, you obey him because you are loved. Yeah, that's really uh uh that was a mindset shit for me because sometimes we can and me personally I can get in the mindset of if I don't do this, God's gonna be disappointed in me. So I have to do this so he's not disappointed in me. Like I kind of gotta earn that approval, but that's not how it is. God already loves me from the beginning.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:03

Yeah, I really liked if you never fight the enemy, you're no good to God. Like, um Where was that one from?

SPEAKER_03 1:09:08

Who said that?

SPEAKER_07 1:09:09

This was from fact checking.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:13

No, I'm curious.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:14

427-26. Oh, okay. Um, he said, if you never fight the enemy, you're no good to God. And I feel like as Christians, yeah, like it's all it's always good when we see it or we hear angels are helping you or this and that. But if you're gonna see a demonstration of angels, you're also gonna see a demonstration of the demonic. And so if you're if if demons are attacking you and spirits are coming against you, that means they're threatened. And so it should we should feel honored that the devil is mad at us for serving God. Yeah, it's good.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:42

Because like, what why would he need to like fight you if you're already doing what he wants? Yeah, so like if you're doing if you're getting fought back one, it's probably because you're doing something he don't like, the devil.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:51

Yeah. Another one of my favorites was it's not a quote, but it was what happened during church. So I was watching online this day for umbrellas because we were we were coming back into town and my internet was not very good at all. And so it's the picture, like it the recording of Pastor Jonathan speaking, and then all of a sudden it's zooming out, and someone from the front row stands up and opens an umbrella, dude, and I'm like, I literally said out loud, someone just opened an umbrella in church. There was so much and my mom was like, What? And then it pans out, and I was like, Oh, that was actually real. Never mind. It was a bit. Yeah, that was shocked. It was a thing. I thought like someone was opening an umbrella in church.

SPEAKER_07 1:10:34

I was sitting on the front row and I heard you just looked like everywhere.

SPEAKER_06 1:10:38

I just want to say, I'm glad our security team was made aware of what was gonna happen to be.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:42

No further comment. Right against all this.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:47

My favorite, my favorite thing about that was I didn't tell Pastor Jared or Jen that what was gonna happen. And so he almost jumped off the front chair. Yes, he was like, he put mom down.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:56

He was like, What's happening, y'all? He was ready to fight. He hates the prize he was ready to like fight.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:02

In my defense, I forgot that umbrellas make that noise when they pop open, and so I was expecting just everybody stand up calmly and umbrellas appear. It literally shocked me because I was sitting there and I was looking down, and then all of a sudden, and I'm like, wow, that was pretty impressive. Like it happened so fast, they did a great job. So, yeah, it was pretty cool. But anyway, I digressed.

Quotes That Stuck With Us

SPEAKER_01 1:11:43

Um, I know one really cool story that came from this season is uh Hudson had a friend who started talking, he started talking to about God and church, and she started listening to the podcast first and really connected to a lot of what you guys were saying through the podcast, and from there started watching our services online. And uh this whole thing kind of helped start a personal journey in her life toward God or back toward God, and that's just a powerful testimony of something that came from something as simple as a podcast. And honestly, things like that is the reason why we started the podcast to start with. I was talking to Phillip Spence about this, and we this is from eight years ago, we started it, and you know, we both arrived at the same conclusion at the same time. Like, if all of these episodes that we did for all these years is just for a moment like that, then it was worth it just for that one. And so that's that's where this was born from. And so the question that I have for you is since that's the reason why we kind of started it, and it's encouraging to hear stories like this, that it's impacting people. Give me a reason that you like being part of the podcast, and why is it important to you that your voice be heard uh for others? I know I know you guys, so I know it's not just, oh, I just like to be heard. So, what is your motivation for doing this? What drives you to keep doing this?

SPEAKER_06 1:13:00

I mean, for me, obviously, I could use the cop-out answer and say, you know, someone that I know personally, my friend, uh, is experiencing a relationship with God because they started connecting with the podcast. I could say that, but that wouldn't be just that moment. It's the idea that what we're doing here on this podcast is real and it affects real people, and there's a chance for God to reach people out there who are struggling or lost or whatever, or just to grow them just through the things we say in this room. And that's uh something I don't take lightly. I mean, especially now that um with the story he just brought up, the testimony, but it's it's real to me that I like doing this because God can use just the things we talk about and may not even think about in the moment. It may just be something we say in passing. Yeah, but someone out there can hear it and it could lead to changing their life, and you may not even know it. Yeah, that's powerful. That's really good.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:52

I think another thing is like just like you see a lot of like Christian influencers who are like, you know, mid to late 20s or whatever. Like they I don't really see many of our age people doing podcasts like this. And I know it's like you have to take my word for it, but like I know that what we are saying is real, like I know that our personalities aren't lying. We're not coming on this podcast and we're just lying to the listeners and to each other, saying, like, oh, like we should probably forgive people, and then not even trying to live that way. Like, I know each of you, and I know that what we say is something that we truly believe in, and that like we are trying to live and learn like what we are speaking.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:28

I think it's important to be genuine in everything that we do, and that's one of the reasons like what I come to this podcast with is me trying to be as genuine about the word of God as possible because people are looking for like real reactions and like real experiences and just truth in life. And also, I know I have different perspectives on a lot of things than other people, and so it's very cool to come here and like hear everyone's different perspectives and how it ties together into the one big hole of the Bible. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:01

And kind of like with Hudson's friend, is like you kind of mentioned it, it's like podcasts is so much less daunting than maybe going listen to a sermon, or like just like and it like opening up a sermon either old, even like old to new, it could just be a little more daunting because you may hear it like something that you're doing wrong, or like they may be talking about something that you're struggling with, and it may feel like an attack, though it isn't. It may feel like one just because this is your first time listening to anything. And so listening to something like a podcast is like so much easier to build a lot of things. It's more chill.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:32

Yeah, it's so much easier to like preachers can get like loud and like yeah, like preachy in a good way, but like if you're new to it, somebody yelling in a microphone can be a little intimidating.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:41

Yeah, and but like this is just like a chill conversation between a bunch of youth group people and friends that are just talking about what they believe in and what they know their knowledge about, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:51

And I think that's one thing that kind of sets this apart too with you guys is it's not just some podcasts I listen to and it's just one person behind a microphone, and you're getting that one perspective. Yeah, and you either take it or leave it, whatever, it's your choice if you like it or not. I love y'all's because it's it's not just one person dictating what they think, it's a true conversation, and it is some back and forth and it's some give and take. And I love that. I think that's a really cool uh thing, and I think people it people connect with that in a in a more real way because it is authentic and it is true, and it is it's you can feel the chemistry in the room sometimes, and that's a really cool uh dynamic.

SPEAKER_07 1:16:28

Yeah, it's uh in March, I believe, we had our statewide youth rally, and our um youth director, brother Drew, he preached a message safe to be sent. And uh I feel like that really applies to what we're doing up here is we've all been saved. Uh God has all been gracious to us and has saved us, and this is a way of our voice being sent into the world. And so while yeah, we're sitting around a table with a headset on, a microphone in our face, like there's people out there, like Hudson's friend, who just met somebody online and then now she's having her own walk with God, yeah, and that's powerful. And um, that's only one person that we know of. Like, there's gotta be others out there. And so um, it's very encouraging and very it's it's awesome to see, it's beautiful. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:12

I also just like love how much it's affected my life too. It's just like going over and talking about it again, only it refreshes my brain and like my mind of like what the word was just spoken on Sunday, and then it also it like talking through it with y'all, it gives me different ideas, like it gives me different things because it's not just one person, like you were saying. And it also, it like just the the whole concept of it being a part of my life is just it's just been like I don't if it's like it I've grown through because of how much more I'm connected to it. So it's like I'm so glad that it's helping other people, but like it's I'm also blessed that it's helping me.

Why We Keep Doing This

SPEAKER_01 1:17:50

And that's a perfect segue into the last question that I have for you guys is how has this podcast over the and unless it's not this season, but over the past couple of seasons, because I've seen growth in you, and part of that is because you were younger teens at that point, now you're you're older, so there's naturally going to be some growth that took place. But as it relates to this podcast, how do you feel like since you started from first season to now, how have you, and I want to look at it from two perspectives. How have you do you feel like you've grown personally? And then how do you feel like it's helped you grow spiritually? Let's look at both of those, and anybody can go.

SPEAKER_06 1:18:22

On a completely personal level, um, it's helped me be a better uh like public speaker. I've had a ton of presentations, especially uh because I just graduated for school, and after being on a podcast for I don't know, like what a year now? Like presentations are like nothing now. Like I come in here and yeah, there's nobody in my face and not a room watching me, but I'm still speaking to a public audience. Yeah, it's made it a lot easier.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:45

I am go ahead. I was about to say it's like me too, and it was so weird. My mom was it was so weird. My mom was um, she was going to speak for Mother's Day, and it was like I almost found myself being like, isn't it so scary to have to like speak your own words? Like I was giving like her advice, and I'm like, what am I doing? But I like it was just but it's just like it's grown my confidence in now speaking as well. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_07 1:19:12

It's grown me both ways, but more so spiritually for sure. Cause whenever you're doing this when we're preparing our notes and stuff, we're really having to study, yeah, and we're really having to pray and and hear the voice of God. And so for me, it's learn it's helped me to learn God's voice, and it's also helped me to not just look at a book called the Bible that's a bunch of words on a white piece of paper, but I've I read it and it speaks to me and I break it down, and so that's that's one big way that it's helped me.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:40

Yeah, I like that.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:41

I think that obviously, like kind of we all have the same kind of personal one because it's like we're just talking, like we're talking, so it helps us all, you know, talk better to other people too. But I think spiritually, like for me, the whole reason like I kind of really started to even you know, like join it was because I had recently, I don't know if you remember this, but I had recently said to you as well, I was like, you know what, I'm gonna just start what did I say? I was like being available. I think somebody had just said something about being available, and I was like, I'm gonna just start being available. And then like the next week, Brother Jonathan was like, okay, podcast, like idea for a podcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:12

It was a message Pastor Jared had preached.

SPEAKER_04 1:20:14

And I was nervous and I was like, I don't know. And he was like, You just talked about being available. And I was like, okay, I'll try it. And like it all really started because I just was like, I'll be available. And then like that was already its first stepping stone. And it's like, God kind of showed me, like, if you, if you're willing, like I will, I will help you and I will let you take the next step and I will like hold your hand through it, and I'm not gonna just leave you stranded. And it was like, I was like, I one day I said, God, like, I'll I'll do it. I'll be available if you want me to do something, I'll do it. Next day, he's like, Hey, so podcast, host, host of the podcast. I was like, Oh, that's awesome. Thanks, God.

SPEAKER_06 1:20:48

Yeah, no, spiritually, it's definitely um being more intentional about the word and having a deeper understanding of it. Like Lincoln just said, Um, I'll hear a message and then I'll study for the podcast. And through that study, I get revelations that I never would have got otherwise. And just learning to be more intentional about my walk with God and you know, reading the Bible. Like, I like how Lincoln just put it, it's not just a book I read, it's I let it speak to me. I try to break it down and learn from it now. So it's grown me there.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:16

Yeah, for me, like it helps me to remember the sermons in a more vivid way on Sunday and help me to apply them more to my life. I thought I wasn't applying them before, but it's in a more vivid way now. But then also, like spiritually, um, like Audrey said, it helps me do what God wants me to do because I have a speech impediment, I stutter a lot, and so one of the things I told God whenever I was little was like, I am never talking in front of nobody, like I'm not doing this. And then if you look at me now, you're like, brother, what? Because everything I do in ministry is speaking in front of people, it's insane, and so this podcast, in a way, is helping me to overcome like my self-limitations and being like, okay, God, you know I can't talk, so like you're the one that's gonna have to help me, even though I talk a lot. So contradicting. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:09

It's a very contradicting predicament, but yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:13

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:14

Along, like, one more thing is like along with like how y'all are saying it, it makes y'all intentional. I think having to go over and prepare for the podcast makes you think about how you can apply it in life because because you have to maybe come up with an example that day, or just like something along the lines of that, it makes you not just like say, Man, I'm I'll start doing that. It makes you think like the next time I do this, I'll do that. Because of it, like it makes you plan out like situations where you would have to, and not just like next time it comes to your brain, you're doing it type of thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:42

So yeah, yeah, but it also gives me like a really a more a bigger understanding of just like the word of God in general as a whole like big picture problems, not problems, but like things, and then like little picture zoomed-in type things. Yeah, it's just a lot of understanding another way.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:59

So when we first started the podcast originally, the original thought behind it was we we were kind of toying with the idea of messages are preached, and then so many people hear the message, and then after a day, you just kind of you forget about it and move on with life. And we were how can we fix that problem? And the podcast was a cool way that we could do that. And um, I know I've mentioned something like this before, but I really want to tell you guys again that I've had people this season or come up to me and talk about how the podcast, their kids listen to it, it impacts their kids. And I've had people that are in their 70s come up to me and like like uh she mentioned her her grandma is a huge fan, and there's other people that are in their 70s, 60s, 70s that are like, uh, I listen to this all the time. So y'all are bridging like a huge gap, and I think that's a really amazing thing, and that you're keeping the word fresh, you're keeping people excited about it, keeping people wanting to dig into it more, learn more, and that's you can't go wrong with that. So I just I really appreciate the fact that you guys are doing

Goodbye To Andrea And Lincoln

SPEAKER_01 1:23:59

that. Um, we're coming to the end of the podcast. I'm about to step aside from my part, but um it is with it it's bittersweet because we are coming to an end, and I do have some bad news. We are going to say goodbye to two of our podcast hosts. Uh we talked about growing up and and maturing and God using us and things like that. And Andrea and Lincoln both have decided to spread their wings and uh fly and fly back. We need to mute her mic. Somebody sing it.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:37

Fly away, old Lord.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:41

That wasn't exactly what I was thinking about. Gosh, but okay. What do you think of it? I was not thinking I'll fly away.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:51

But okay, but anyway, they are uh they're they're moving on, they won't be part of the the podcast. This is goodbye, but just for now. They'll be back anytime they're back that we have things available. They'll they'll definitely you'll you'll hear from them again. But um next season's gonna look a little bit different because of that. And uh, I just want you guys both to know we believe the best for you. And uh thank you so much for everything you've put into this. And uh we really value your voice. You've put some great stuff out there, and we really do appreciate it. Much love, much respect. So thank you both. And uh, I'm gonna turn it back to you, Audrey.

SPEAKER_04 1:25:26

Well, um, you basically summed up that part of it, but this has been a great semester. I think we've all agreed. We kind of summed it up a little bit last um podcast episode as well. But we will obviously be back for another season next semester, another semester next semester. In the fall, whatever you want to say. Yeah, in the fall. And we'll keep you updated on um new people or what happens with that. But for now, thank you for listening for this season, and we really appreciate it, and we hope that you learned as much as we learned. And we love you all.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:59

Bye, everybody.