HOTLCAST
HOTLCAST
How Do We Respond When Life Gets Hard and God Feels Distant?
In this heartfelt episode of the HOTL Cast, Cyle, Matt, and Mark gather to share updates from their church community, reflect on recent challenges, and celebrate moments of growth and answered prayers. The team discusses the excitement and spiritual battles surrounding their campaign launch, the power of serving and stepping up in ministry, and the impact of new and returning members at the Jackson campus.
They also dive deep into the story of Peter’s denial of Jesus, exploring themes of grace, forgiveness, and the importance of staying rooted in scripture. With personal anecdotes, humor, and encouragement, this episode is a reminder of God’s faithfulness—even in seasons of difficulty—and the value of community, honor, and spiritual growth.
Tune in for inspiring stories, practical faith insights, and a preview of upcoming events, including a new sermon series on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!
Hello and welcome to the HOTL cast. This is Cyle here with
Matt
and
Mark
the producer.
Yeah, well still in the corner.
It's us this week. I don't think he ever won't be. Yes. Cody is actually in the hospital right now and not doing the greatest. So like we're, he's out. So if you're listening to this, be thinking of praying for Cody.
So, uh, yeah, he's been in the hospital twice this week. Yeah. So he's. Been some pain. Hopefully they get it resolved. They'll put him on some antibiotics. Hopefully that'll, that'll start helping but be praying for him and so he's not with us. So it's just the three
three amigos c ceasing your
And we have so much to do this week.
'cause of the campaign dinner. 'cause the campaign dinner. Yeah. It feels
like major spiritual attack this week. Oh yeah. It just does, it feels like. We're just, our church is going through a season of just exciting time and growth and life change, and it feels like man, and the enemy is just after us, like just with my whole year of car situation, health situations.
That's just nuts. So like, yeah. Um, yeah, so it's just, I'm feeling it, so I'm, I'm still positive as ever. So like it's, I've, I know people think I'm crazy. It's super
irritating. We love you, but it is super irritating. Think my exact
words to you guys this morning. We're like, this is what my car situation feels like all week, so welcome to the team.
Yep. I'm like, uh, right. So, um. It to me's a lot more stuff this week. It is fine. We'll figure it out. Sounds good. I hope people are excited to come to Sunday Night's campaign, um, launch. I mean, so it's really our vision launch with our campaign launch and so we're excited about what that's gonna look like and I, I really encourage people if they're here and come like.
One come. Yeah, we're gonna ask people for money. I'm not gonna hide that. That's why we invited everybody. We just told 'em we're not gonna do the, what I feel is the shady church thing where they invite the secret 10% top givers to a meeting. We're just inviting everybody. You wanna come, you wanna hear what we're doing?
Great. Let, let's let us tell you just what we're doing and why we're doing it. We want people to invest in the kingdom, but we want people to like be here and be part of that journey and watch, watch God do amazing things in people's lives. I think that's why we do what we do, why we serve here, and why we offer all the opportunities.
Life change opportunities, Bible studies, groups, you name it.
Yeah, I mean there's, when you talk about the exciting things that are happening here and the exciting things that are going on, it's not just the, the idea of a campaign launching or, you know, we have a few new people that are kind of starting to attend the church.
It's also the stuff that the people that have been here for a long time are getting connected with. Seeing Ryan Craw step up on Sunday and preach at the Jackson campus was amazing. That's awesome. And he did a. Phenomenal job. And it was also great to see all of the people that came from the Brooklyn campus up there to watch him and support him as well.
It was, it was this feeling of comradery that you hope to see typically in a church, but sometimes feels like it falls a little bit short. But everyone was gathered around. They were, you know, celebrating him coming, getting up there and doing that, and he did a really wonderful job.
Yeah. No, and I think just God is moving.
Mm-hmm. Like, it's, it's really true. I had two people, um, this week that, well, last week we did like an anointing service. And so this Sunday when people came back a week later, you know, not, not everybody gets their prayer answered exactly how they want in God's timeframe, but like there were two people we prayed very specific prayers for.
The one lady came up and said, Hey, you know, we prayed that for this to happen by Thursday. And like she wanted like the pain to be out of his, you know, body part and that she's struggling with and she's like, this, I just, I'm miserable. And like, um, so we set up like by Thursday. So like Thursday, like you'll be pain free, healthy before you go to the doctor, have it checked up on, she comes in like you wouldn't believe it, but like by Thursday and like 99% it was all gone.
I was like, I do believe it. Like God's a big God. So, yep. I think God does care about the mundane things in our lives and so this has been an ongoing thing. Had someone else who was just having some, some issues with some anxiety, asked for prayer and you know, it's been ongoing for weeks. Weeks and just said like, I'm just struggling.
So we just prayed to by the end of the week. It just would feel that lift from that and be able to just reengage with people and like came back Sunday was like, yeah, this has been a great week. I just feel like God really answered that prayer. So God does move in people's lives and. We just have to trust that when it's his time for us, he's, he's gonna meet us in that prayer and answer that prayer request for us.
And so we just gotta keep going to him asking. And I think that's why we have to pray singly. Like, there's lots that we could be praying about every day. And so make sure you're lifting up Cody. That's a prayer that we all need to lift up together. Oh yeah. So what, how has your last week been? You gotta kind of, you guys got a week off from preaching, both of you over there.
So what have you seen God doing in in the ministry up at Jackson?
It, it's been an amazing season with seeing people step up and say, I want to be able to help in certain areas because we, we, we talk about God jobs as a church in general regularly. We have, you know, things in the bulletin. We have things that go up on the screens.
We have the pamphlets. We've got all these things that say God job kind of all over the church. It is one thing whenever we stand up on stage and we're like, you know, we really need somebody to fill in the blank. It is totally different when somebody willingly comes up to you and says, I don't feel like I'm doing enough around the church.
Right? I don't necessarily care what it is, but do you have something, anything that might be within my wheelhouse that I can start doing around here because I don't feel like I'm doing enough to serve God. Seeing that growth and that heart. Of wanting to be of service, wanting to be connected. Mm-hmm.
Wanting to do stuff for not just the campus that they're talking about at the time, but the kingdom in general. It is so refreshing whenever somebody comes up and does that, and it's not just because, you know, many hands make light work, which is true and is necessary, but to see somebody kind of start saying, you know what, I don't just wanna be a sidelines Jesus follower anymore.
I wanna step up. I wanna start getting out on the field and doing stuff and serving God in a different way. That is always exciting,
right?
I know for me, like I feel I see the same thing people are asking about serving more people are like, Hey, I want to do more. What can I do? Like I've got somebody on the worship side that's curious, asking questions.
I've got somebody that helped with, uh, children's ministry for the first time this past week, and so that's been exciting to see seeing the growth and the excitement that's been going on. Um. I know I was actually running the children's ministry on my own this week as well, so right after I got done with worship, I wouldn't call it a break.
I, I appreciate the sentiment, but, um, that I was right into teaching actually, and walking the kids through the curriculum, uh, for our children's ministry as well, so, which was fun, which was great.
That's, that's something we could talk about, like,
yeah.
You guys have kind of decided together to change some of your roles up on what you're doing in Jackson to better serve that community.
And Mark, you've definitely, after a summer really doing camp ministry. Yeah. You've really felt like a pull to that. So Mark is launching a youth program. We're getting it started slowly up there. Mm-hmm. To try to really get that going for, for youth. But also you are taking over with, with Brie. You guys are running a a children's program on Sundays.
Yeah. So we have children's program and this is a necessary move for us to continue to grow there. I mean, you've got 50, 60 people some weeks over there, which is awesome. Um, God is definitely moving in a, in a, in a growth way. Yeah. But we have to have those programs and so, uh, you're still preaching, but you've kind of stepped down a little bit from preaching.
Yeah. Let Matt preach a little bit more so you could offer that service downstairs. And so I think it's exciting what we're doing there and seeing people. We also have Ryan over there. There's now, you know, went over and preached to help, help out. Mm-hmm. And so hopefully he'll do some of the more of that.
'cause um, it's awesome to see him grow into kind of a lay leader position in that way. So. I'm just excited about Jackson and excited about what you guys are doing and just having fun working with you guys to figure that all out. Whenever
we had be, because we had people who came up to support Ryan. We had 81 people.
That's awesome. Up at that campus on Sunday. But
I, I wish I was there. 'cause it would've, it would've been packed.
It, it, it really was. We had to bring more chairs up from upstairs. We had to get 'em all set up and everything.
It's been a long time since they've had that many at that campus. It really has. We were talking about it at a bible study, so
Yeah, they said like 2008, 2010, somewhere in there when they were last.
Even in the one hundreds, right? Right. Yeah, yeah. Wow. So it was really funny 'cause I pull, I found Mark standing, you know, he was talking to one of the kids and I kind of pulled him over to the side and I said, Hey, I just want you to come stand in this lobby for a minute and look around. And he's like, why?
What's going on? What, what's the situation? Yeah. I
was like, oh no. Yeah. Like I was like, are we having deal did something right now? Exactly. It was more
so like, what is somebody fighting? Like, what's going on right now? Like, oh no, but,
and, and it was great because I just brought him aside and I said, I want you to recognize that your faithfulness to God.
And to doing the ministry work that you've been doing up here. This is what it's gonna be one day. It's not gonna be where it's a special event where we had, you know, 25 or 30 people come up from Brooklyn, but this is what it's gonna be one day to be able to look at this campus and be like. This is what God has done.
I said, and I wanted you to just take a minute to kind of step aside, look at that from that perspective and look at the people that were in that building. Because at Easter 2025, you know, mark was telling us, you know, oh it was so great. We had, you know, 71 people that came and it was, you know, we've never had that many here before.
Whenever it was, you know, something going on up here. And then now we've blown that number outta the water. Right. And I look forward to whenever we're looking at it in like 81. Huh? That was nothing. Look at what God's done now. Right. So.
Right. No, I think it's great. I
mean,
I would love for 81 to be the number every week.
We'll get there. We're we're, yeah. We're heading in that direction. Yeah. I think we, you guys are doing a great job, you know, just loving people and that's really what it's about. I think the coolest thing is we've really part started partnering. With a local, um, mobile home park, and that's been a really fruitful endeavor so far.
Yeah. Offering some events to their students. We've had, uh, a spaghetti dinner for the community and some people have come out, so we're really trying to be more active and involved up there. And so for those people who are part of Brooklyn who don't get to go up there as much or haven't been up there ever, like, go check it out.
Like, you don't have to go attend the Jackson campus. Just go up one week just so you know what we're talking about, and just support these guys and say, Hey, I'm, I'm praying for you back in Brooklyn. So I want God to, to use you. I want this thing to grow because it is all about the kingdom, right? We're expanding the kingdom by sharing God's love and giving people opportunity to enter into the kingdom and then watch what God does with all that.
And so that's our goal, is to share the gospel in a way that people can, can be part of that. And it doesn't have to be just in Brooklyn and Irish Hills. We can do that in Jackson and watch what God does there. And so I think that's the. That's the, the awesome opportunity of it all. And so that's Jackson, that's the update in Jackson.
Any, any last Jackson update before we go into other things?
Anything from you, mark? Not necessarily. I'm already starting up to do events with the youth. Actually tomorrow we're doing stuff already, so spending time going out in Jackson, doing events, building relationships. This is where I'm at now. One student actually asked about starting a bible study at their school.
Oh, that's cool. That's great. And he's like, he became a student leader and he's like, you should come to my school and like do a Bible study out in Jackson. I'm like, oh, I'm down. Like, let me know, like, gimme details, figure out what you're, what you're allowed to do. And if we can, I'm a hundred percent game for that, so
that's great.
No, that's exciting. Well, um, we're in, we just had a, a series a sermon about culture of honor, which I think we all know the culture of honor and so we, we have to live it. If you're part of our team, it's, you know, we talk about it often, how do you live in the culture of honor? And that was kind of our focus for this week.
We, we are gonna speak about our vision for 2030 coming up. Uh, we're kind of, we're gonna recap in a couple weeks, 2025 and move into that 20, 20 30. We're also starting a new series coming up for the month of October, which we're gonna start a week early 'cause you know. We're in a vision campaign season, but about the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
So people who love Revelations. This is for you, right? This is in time stuff, which is kind of funny. I didn't know that someone was gonna predict the end of the world like a couple days ago. Exactly right. So it really fits perfect with my series like so this this series coming up about the end of the world and the the Four Horseman apocalypse.
And so you probably have heard about the Four Horseman apocalypse through media or movies, but you probably never know what. That is. And so,
or rapture talk as it has been for the last Yeah. You know, two weeks. Yeah.
So we're, there's been a lot of that if you're on social media. So we are gonna talk about that starting this week and then we'll continue, we'll take a week off and continue with the rest of October.
And so I'm excited about that. I've been excited about that all year. So I'm looking, really looking forward to what that's gonna look like. And, uh, I've never actually preached the, for Horseman Apocalypse, so this'll be fun. Nice. Never 27 years. Never. So, I mean, I've. Probably mentioned it, but never ever, it's been a real study.
And so I'm, I've been having fun going through it and studying it, so, uh, it gives me something different to do. And, uh, yeah, I hope people enjoy it or people will be like, this is confusing. It's all good. What, what collar horse was this? Because if you don't know, they're different collar horses, they mean different things.
And it's, it's gonna be exciting to, to talk about in relation to who we are and how we live for the Lord in the now. When we think about, you know, how the Bible speaks about the end, and you know what that means, so.
Um, yeah, so that, isn't there like a fifth one though? Like, well, the Fifth
Horseman apocalypse just inconvenience is in the hospital right now is the, the, the horseman of minor inconveniences.
But, uh, the minor inconvenience is that he is in the hospital right now. So technically he is, he is the fifth horseman. He's fulfilling his That is true. He's fulfilling his role. I'm gonna call him there and say, Hey, you are really the Fifth Horseman a pop right now. Because you'd be in the hospital right now as a minor inconvenience suit to all of us at the moment.
And uh, he'll, he'll laugh
in
certain areas a little more than minor, but you know. Yeah.
Say he'll laugh. He laugh. For
those who don't know, this is a bit that we had from, what was it when we did our halcon hocon at the beginning of the year when we announced all the sermons. Sermons, okay. Justin was
Prince, basically, and he was Justin Inconvenience with an inflatable horse.
Yeah, with inflatable horse. It was the. Hor fifth horseman of, uh, minor inconveniences. So yeah.
And he did things like two factor authentication. You guys know that. Well, that wasn't me, but that's terrible, isn't it?
Yeah. And uh, this, he'll, he'll appreciate this 'cause he was planning on being the. Fifth Horseman Sunday.
But yes, he was, don't think what's gonna happen, uh, at this point. So, um, we can't replace him. 'cause that would be, well that would be inconvenient to replace him though. Actually, if I have to go put a costume on real quick would be inconvenient. Would kind of fit his, his, his gig there. So, um, but no, we're, I think we're excited about just talking about things, the future.
We've got two big Halloween events coming up, and then we move right into the holiday season, which
holiday season.
I love Hot Days. I do. Um, I do love it. You'll have to sing this year. Oh, we should have Matt sing.
We are this song, we have Matt singing song at Jackson campus. You have him sing it. Hundred
not happy Ho Not Happy Hot Days.
What are you singing? Park The Harald Angels sing the Paul Belo version, which is with King of Heaven. We're
having him come up on stage and lead a song with us. Oh, I can't wait. Yeah. I'm so excited.
There's a motorcycle version of that song. What? Yeah. You don't know that Har, the Hot Angels sing. Hot Angels.
Rob Hut would appreciate that. He's so lame
that it is terrible. That that is funny. Yeah.
You know, you're gonna use that next time you see Rob. I thought I, I thought I might, I thought it was terrible. I thought one of
those videos on the internet where they take like in inanimate, inanimate object and make it quote unquote sing a song where they like dub over the, um, audio to have it be, that's a whole thing on the internet right now, where it's like a door closing to like Adele's like, hello?
And so like it's Oh, have seen that. Yeah. The door creaking every time the voice
would be singing like the lady So Stupid. The lady who had a softball thrown at her wrist and it broke it and it went into chandelier. Baia, yeah. That she screamed, screamed outta pain. Yeah, yeah,
yeah. Um, so totally unrelated to all of that.
When I was at Bible study this morning, uh, we were, we were in Luke, we were in Luke 22. We were in first Peter. I don't know how we got to Luke. We got to Luke 22. We were talking and we were just, we, I love my Bible study at 6:00 AM on Thursdays, my men's Bible study. It's like one of my favorite things in the week.
It's always hard to get up for it, but it's always rewarding every time. And like I appreciate, I, I miss it when I don't go. I, I feel like I miss it. Um, so Luke 22, we were going through, I'm gonna pull it up here and uh, gimme one second. It is the moment, I think it was Luke 22. I think that's what we quoted.
When, um, Peter Betrays, that's how we got there. 'cause Peter betrays Jesus in Luke 22. Um, so ge, Peter betrays, betrays Jesus. And it says,
let's see, it's at the end.
Uh.
That's for telling. Lemme see. Where's it, do you guys see the betrayal of, uh, Peter denied Jesus at the very end. Okay, it's like Luke 22 verse verse. Uh, and it's 60. So this is 60 Luke 2261. So Peter's denied Jesus three times. Tell me if you, if you've ever really stuck on this verse. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.
Oh. Have you ever thought about that before?
No.
I mean, I've read it before. I've read that passage many times.
I mean, I've seen it portrayed in movies even.
Yeah. I mean, passion of Christ, but I didn't really think about it. I kind of thought that was a, honestly, I I thought that was just a Catholic interpretation.
Yeah, it did. I mean, it's actually a, it's in the Bible, but, but you can, you can hear about this story in, in different ways in scripture. So, um, but we were talking about today like. And I was like, it's just like that meme on the internet where we were like, I see you,
Jesus.
But like, he saw Peter betray him three times.
Like I, I just, to me that was a profound, I've probably been taught this before, probably heard it before. I'm sure I've read it before, but never really thought about it until we focused on it today when we were talking about similar situations, just in, in thinking about our own lives and our own relationship with Lord.
And it's profound. I mean, yeah, that Jesus knew that one of his closest friends. Betrayed him, even though he predicted it, he watched him do it,
his ride or die. Right. And
reminded him and reminded him. And it says, and Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he said to him before. They're like, that's a moment.
It's like, and we were talking about it, it was like, I've got those moments in my life where I'm like, ah, my kid's gonna mess up. You know, they're gonna, they're gonna have an anger problem right now. I just know it, you know, or a person. Who I'm counseling or just somebody. And you know, you know, you see it coming.
Yeah.
But it comes anyways, and then they lock eyes with you and it's like, yeah. You know? I know, right? Like, it just, that's that moment. And I just, it really was just a, a powerful reminder that every time you look at a scripture, you can see a new truth. Right. And something that you didn't focus on. Um.
Before or haven't focused on in that certain way. But I think, I mean, I think most of the guys that were, like most of the guys in that group have, have read this passage before, but not really ever thought about it. You kinda just skimm through it really quickly. Um, 'cause you know the story. I wanna know the story, just kinda read through it.
But like, if you really think about it, that's, there's a profound, deep, deep truth there about, um, just who, who God is. And then we got the whole discussion like, what do you think? Because we got into, do you think Jesus knew that, that like heard be, be betray him and that's how we, we kind of came to Yeah, he did.
And like, that's hard, you know, it's hard to, it's hard to know someone might betray you. That's, it's even harder to watch 'em betray you.
And you look at the way Jesus lived his life, like even when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane and he knew what was going to have to happen, he knew, but he also still prayed to God and said, you know, if it is your will, you know, let this cut pass for me.
Let this not be how this goes down. Right. And you almost wonder if that same side of his humanity is thinking, you know, Peter, I just told you that you're gonna betray me three times. I know that you're going to do it, but that maybe just that hope would've existed, that he would've thought better of it in the moment kind of thing, you know?
Well then it says in Peter, and he went out and wept bitterly. Yeah. He like locked eyes with Jesus. Like, oh man,
I messed up. He got called out just visually got called out. And how many
times do you think you've probably done that in your life where you've done something, you know that was wrong. Somebody told you you're gonna do it was wrong.
Yeah, you did it anyways and you recognized, oh man, I just really messed up. I really sinned against that person. I really sinned against God. I mean, that's. That's that moment, right?
Yeah. And we all have the, I told you so people in our lives, yeah, there's, there's usually at least one, I told you so person.
But if you're truly blessed, you also have that a person in your life who would've advised you not to do it. And when you do and they end up seeing the outcome of it, and they recognize how bad it is. They aren't the I told you so person. They're the,
I told you you're an idiot, but I love you anyways.
Person. No, that'd be more you and Cody.
Well, that's what Cody did for me when I was in high school. Like I remember I, I made a dumb choice and I was like, like he told me it was dumb and I did it anyway. And I came back and I was, I started by saying, Hey, I know you're gonna say I told you Stone. He's like, stop.
Wait. That's not why I told you what I told you. He said, I told you what I told you 'cause I care about you. Was that dumb? Yes. We both agree. We both know. You don't need me to tell you that. Yeah, no, let, but let's take this and let's use this moving forward. Yeah.
And like, I mean that's like culture of honor, right?
Restoring gently. Yeah. Yeah. You know, having somebody who is in your life that doesn't need to be the, I told you so person, but they're just like, alright, you made this decision. Where do we go from here? How do we, how do we move forward? How do we step beyond this and prepare you to make a better decision the next time through?
Yeah. And that's incredibly valuable.
Yeah, I, I think the Bible speaks such truth about relationships. 2000 years removed from ours still speaks really powerful truth about humans and how humans interact with each other, and how we can learn to do better, to be better based on the example of Jesus Christ.
And so that had to hurt Jesus. I mean, it did. Yeah. Even though he knew it. Mm-hmm. I've had people who I knew were gonna like, betray me or do, do the wrong thing and mess up and still. Doesn't feel good when it happens. Like it's never, I mean, you can't be like, oh Jesus. Like, well, I was right. Like I don't feel bad about me.
This was a friend of his, like, this was a close confidant. The guy's gonna build a church around like,
and he was already feeling isolated because he knew he was about to walk this path, you know, to the cross where it's gonna be miserable, it's gonna be painful, it's gonna be hurtful. You know, not only did he tell Peter, you know, you're gonna deny me three times, but he also said, Hey, can you just stay up outside of the garden long enough to pray.
Yeah.
Tell his, tell his close as three friends. Like, Hey, just. You guys just stay awake, quiet, go pray. And they couldn't do it. Yeah. It's just over and over again. Like this is after the betrayal of Judas. Then it's kinda the betrayal of like, they don't even care about me enough to do what I asked you to do.
Yeah.
Uh, and then like, you, now you, you are gonna betray me, Peter. It's just like, Jesus last, last moments with his closest friends were, were not great. I mean, they on their end, not his, but I think it shows you how, how broken we, we are as sinful people and how much we need to savior like Jesus too. To love us in the midst of our own frailty and sin.
Yeah. And we throw shade at them all the time for the decisions that they made in that moment. But if we actually stopped and looked at ourselves, how many times do we, you know, drop the ball, fall asleep whenever we're praying? How many times do we, you know, say that we're gonna do something different, try and walk a path differently, and we make the same stupid mistakes.
And it hurts Jesus just as much as the things that they did. And yet we still look at them and they're like, well, we're so much better than what you are doing. Right. Yeah. And still we're completely messing it up from time to time.
Yeah. No, I mean, I think, I think these are good lessons for us to learn.
Like, and, and this is why Bible will say today. I had a couple guys just say, like, we were asking like, what, what keeps you from like living a lawless life? You know? And it's really, their answer was like the word, like being in the word. And the problem is if you're not in the word, you're missing out on like the moments when you look at a scripture for the third or 40th time or whatever, and you look on it, you know, uh, and you're saying, wow, I never noticed that in that way before.
Mm-hmm. Like, that's profound. Like you miss that and that doesn't shape you Then. And, and that's the hard part. Like you've gotta get in the word, you've gotta allow the word to shape you. You gotta allow the whole spirit to use those words in you, in your heart and mind to make you more like Christ. And so I encourage, if you're not in the Bible, get in the Bible app.
Download it today. Get in it, read it. Find time every day to do it, and watch how God shapes you through it. Absolutely. Yeah. Well, thanks for listening. I'll be praying for Cody, and we will catch you on the next episode of the HOTL Cast.