Bible, Bros & Brew
Bible, Bros, & Brew is all about helping you navigate your relationship with God in practical, real-life ways. Hosts David and Phil dig into scripture—'chopping up the word'—and bring it to life with insights you can actually use every day. And while they’re at it, they share their favorite 'brews'—don’t worry, it’s not booze! Just a solid lineup of classic coffees and teas to keep the conversations flowing.
Bible, Bros & Brew
Pride, Pleasure & Power: Three Things That Can Take God's Place in Your Heart
Ever wonder why the heart is often called the seat of our emotions? Join us on this captivating episode of Bible, Bros & Brew as David, Ryan and Phil unpack this idea with inspiration from 1 John 5:21. We also share a caffeinated moment discussing our eclectic coffee choices, such as Phillip's Malted Maramyva and David's beloved Black Rifle Pumpkin Spice.
Next, we shift gears to tackle the thorny issue of pride and the essential virtue of humility in our spiritual journeys. By referencing scriptures like 1 John 2 and Proverbs 16, we explore how pride can lead to one's downfall while humility invites God's grace. We also analyze the often deceptive world of societal values reflected on social media, emphasizing that true worth comes from a humble relationship with God, not materialistic gains. This candid discussion aims to offer a fresh, faith-based perspective on the importance of humility in today's pride-driven culture.
In the latter part of our episode, we delve into the pursuit of fleeting pleasures and the issue of power dynamics. Drawing insights from 1 Peter 2:11, we discuss how temporary thrills and the need for control often lead to internal conflicts and misguided priorities. We share personal stories, including overcoming a "Messiah complex" as a youth pastor, and examine the pitfalls of seeking control and recognition in various aspects of life. The episode wraps up with a prayer, asking for God's wisdom to guide us in aligning our lives more closely with His will. Don't miss the heartfelt reflections and practical wisdom shared by David, Phil, Ryan, and John in this thought-provoking episode.
David's Coffee: Pumpkin Spice Roast Rounds (blackriflecoffee.com)
Phil's Coffee: Burundi: Malted Maramyva - SPECIAL OFFERING - Peregrine Coffee (peregrineroasters.com)
gotbrew@biblebros.net
Hey everybody and welcome to this episode, this very episode of Bible Bros and Brew. I'm David. With me tonight, philip, as always, over in the corner is John. We don't know what he's doing, but he's twitching and it looks like dancing. We don't know how to handle that, so we'll just leave it alone. And then with us again is the illustrious, the one and only Ryan Holderman. It feels like we should applaud for Ryan. Yes.
Speaker 2:Too kind.
Speaker 1:Over the last few weeks we've been talking about our thought life and we kind of wrapped up. Well, we wrapped up with a Q&A, but we started talking about a heart-mind-mouth connection and we decided that we needed to tackle a little bit more around the area of the heart. So tonight we're going to be talking about the heart in a really important scripture in 1 John 5, verse 21,. That's going to set off our conversation. Philip, I don't know if you remember this, but I called you last week. It was, and it's something interesting that I read, and it basically said that when you think about it, the heart is the seat of the emotions.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:The heart is the seat of the emotions. Yeah, the heart is the seat of the emotions. So we're going to talk about the seat of the emotions, or how Philip thought about it. Which I thought was brilliant was how, when you think about how cities are built, you know there are. How did you say it, phil?
Speaker 3:Every city has the seat Like a county seat, you know?
Speaker 1:Yeah, every city has the like a county seat, you know, so like a county seat, like where the main business of the town takes place.
Speaker 1:You know something like that that's the part I love, where the main business of the town takes place, and your heart is where the main business of your personal life town takes place. So we're going to talk about that more tonight on Bible Bros and Bro. All right, everybody, welcome again to the podcast. We're glad you've joined us. As you heard, we're going to be talking about the heart and something very specific with it. But before we do, let's catch up with the fellas and let's see what everybody's drinking tonight. Phillip, what's in the cup?
Speaker 3:Oh, man, peregrine has debuted a brand new coffee known as Malted Maramiva Maramiva, something.
Speaker 1:He's making it up again, folks.
Speaker 3:It has notes of chocolate, malt, cherry wood, merlot. It is aged in rye whiskey barrels. It is non-alcoholic I do want to say that, but it is aged in these barrels, so it gives it an amazing flavor. But it comes in these cool bottles, so it's fantastic. I just had my first cup. Well, I'm having it now. No complaints here. It's been awesome.
Speaker 1:Good, good. How about for you, Ryan? What are you drinking?
Speaker 2:I've got the old Pete's here, the Dark Roast again, bringing it back on the cold brew over the rocks.
Speaker 3:Ooh, yes, sir, yes, sir. I felt that in my spirit.
Speaker 1:He's so fancy with his over the rocks. John, what you drinking on tonight?
Speaker 2:I am sticking to Old.
Speaker 3:Faithful tonight with my Black Rifle. There we go, black Rifle, there we go. Black Rifle, espresso Mocha it gets you through anything and it does everything for you. Oh, my goodness, all right. How about you, david? What's going on in your cup?
Speaker 1:Well, tonight, I am breaking fall wide open. Yes, this is my task. Am breaking fall wide open. Yes, this is my task, and to do so, I've bought none other than Black Rifles.
Speaker 3:Pumpkin Spice Ooh nice.
Speaker 1:To the table. This is, hands down, my favorite fall coffee. Yes sir. This bag will be gone shortly In my In All Things, give Thanks cup Let me tell you I tasted it again for the first time and I realized that you know what hits me on it? It's the spices.
Speaker 1:The spices kind of hit your mouth first and then everything else just kind of rolls in. It's nice. It's kind of hit your mouth first and then everything else just kind of rolls in. And it's nice, it's kind of smooth, so it's one that you really enjoy. You'll find out about the coffees we're drinking and all of that in the description, after we finish, of course, with the podcast Beautiful All right, that's what's in the podcast. Beautiful All right, that's what's in the cup. Now let's talk about what's in the dome. As the rappers say and as you can tell I'm not one, because it took me a moment to think about that word it's all right, we still love you the same, david, thank you, thank you, you're welcome From one fellow non-rapper to the other.
Speaker 2:I do just a you know, a personal confession.
Speaker 1:I've always prayed for the, the gift of rapping ryan, and I've gotten neither one I can't wrap a christmas gift or a rhyme ryan, first of all, I want you to know that you're speaking to my heart right now, because, as a man of color, I too have prayed that I might one day be able to, as the kids say, drop a dime.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 1:However, the only person in this room who can drop a dime and y'all will y''all. His flow is phenomenal. And that is the one and only Philip rich, fill up kid, as they say, spit, and he's nothing to play with. So if you you know, just put it in the comments. We want a dope rhyme, so if you you know, just put it in the comments. We want a dope rhyme, go into the studio and drop a dime, just for you guys. But Phillip is, when I say Phillip's nice, phillip's nice.
Speaker 3:You're too kind.
Speaker 2:David, matter of fact, I feel like maybe next week. We need to do a little freestyle next week.
Speaker 3:I was gonna say can you give us a free sample right now, like keep talking this big game. Let's see what that peregrine do. Come on right, come off the dome with it. I'm I'm an mc in retirement right now. I'm coming out of retirement maybe, but uh yeah. So I gotta. I got to dust off the cobwebs. Dude for sure on the old flow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that flow is nice though. I have personally experienced it and I want to tell you God is good.
Speaker 3:Taste and see. The Lord is good.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes. Well, tonight I want us to start off in our conversation. I think we're going to start just right in the Word, If you would join me in 1 John 5, verse 21. In 1 John 5, 21,. I'm going to use the New Living Translation. We'll come back and use the King James another time because we're going to use the New Living Translation. We'll come back and use the King James another time because we're going to use them both. But 1 John 5.21 says Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your heart. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your heart. And we know that we live in a world just like. I find it interesting that you know this is thousands of years ago now that John wrote this, wrote this, and here we are. I was thinking that when he wrote this, there were clearly things that were in the world that would try to take God's place in the hearts of his children.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And we live in a world now where that still exists. It's something that hasn't changed, and so we thought we would spend a little time talking about the things that are trying to take God's place in your life, because if we don't set guard up against those things, unfortunately that means that we would be subject to those things, and anything could come and pull us off track from our plan and even our intent to guard our hearts, if we don't know what exactly we're guarding our hearts from. When you hear that scripture, philip, what comes to mind? What registers with you about it right off the rip?
Speaker 3:I think it's so interesting, first of all, that it's the very last scripture in the book of 1 John. It's like he kind of capped it off with that thought you know, little children, keep yourselves from idols or guard yourself from, you know, anything that could take God's place. The thing that I think of immediately it kind of ties in with Matthew 6, when Jesus said wherever your treasure is, that's where your heart will be. And when you think about what treasure even means, it's basically something that's highly valued. If you just break it down, it could be diamonds, it could be gold, it could be whatever people consider to be treasure, but at the end of the day it's because they have esteemed it valuable or they have assigned value to it. And so I think about that. It's like he's saying keep away from anything that could take God's place in your heart. So he's saying watch the things that you value. You know.
Speaker 3:Think about those things like have you placed or assigned value on something above how you esteem and value god? You know it could be a number of things. It could be, um, maybe on on the side that seems more neutral, like your career. You know that's not a sin to have a career, but sometimes people will sacrifice everything for their career. It may not be that same that have that same zeal towards God or the things of God.
Speaker 3:And then you've got, um, things that are more on the on the negative side, like drug use, you know, or something like that, where there's an addiction in play, and so that's something that maybe people feel the hooks in their flesh to where they don't feel like they can get away from it, and so in one sense, they value it higher, because, I mean, we've all heard stories of people who will do anything to get their next hit. They might steal something, they might rob their own parents or whatever else it is to get, you know, to feed that addiction, and so that's something that could qualify to take God's place in your heart, you know. So, in other words, just if I could kind of summarize it, it's what have you esteemed valuable? What have you determined is something that you will direct your time, your energy and everything else towards, possibly more than you would towards God.
Speaker 1:That's good, philip. How about for you, ryan? What stands out as you hear that scripture?
Speaker 2:first, Well, you know, if you back up to verse 18, I think it's kind of interesting that it says we know that God's children don't make a practice of sinning, for god's uh son holds them securely and the evil one cannot touch them.
Speaker 2:We know that we are children of god and that the world around us is under control of the evil one, and so kind of is uh interesting that that the world around us, that that, even though you have changed, you know, in other parts of the scripture it talks about you know you change your citizenship and that whole, that idea that you've changed but you're still in this world, it's a very real reality and you know, walking with Jesus, it's so easy to compare yourself to say, well, you know that's what they're doing, so it's OK for me and justify and make it OK for you.
Speaker 2:You know, you see that over and over again, even in the Old Testament, where you know the Israelites would be doing something or they'd be going or walking through the wilderness, and then, well, because they did it, well, now it's okay for us to do it and make a justification for making these idols Well, and we can make these justifications Well. Well, idols are an Old Testament thing. It's not something that we do today, but if you go back and he's laying out the case no, no, no, we're children of God, but we're still surrounded in this world it's a very real reality, and so I think it's important to go back there as you talk about this idea of idols in your heart. That it's kind of an old school term, but it's a very real reality that we have to make a conscious effort to make sure we're not putting those things in our lives.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, I want to remind us of scripture we've been talking about lately, and that is taking us back to Proverbs, chapter four, where it tells us to guard our hearts with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues or the forces of life. So that's such a life teaching Scripture and a life ordering Scripture. So we thought tonight that one of the other things that we would do is we would give you three things in the form of kind of overarching themes, three things that would try to steal God's place in your heart. And they're these One, pride, two, pleasure, and three, power.
Speaker 1:Pride, pleasure and power will try to steal God's place, or take God's place in your heart. So I want to look at each one of those for just a few minutes each and let's just talk about what they are and what they mean, and let's start with pride. I think that with each of these, where we'll start is we'll start by defining what each one of those words means and then we'll dig into each one of them with a little bit of conversation. So when we look at the word pride, what we're talking about is undue confidence in and attention to one's own skills, accomplishments, state possessions or position Some of the synonyms of pride include arrogance, presumption, conceit, self satisfaction, boasting and high mindedness. It is the opposite of humility, undue confidence and attention to one's own skills, accomplishments, state possessions or position. Bill, run with that for a moment. See what you come with.
Speaker 3:Wow, that's an excellent definition, by the way. I remember reading oh gosh, I remember reading it. Don't know where I read it, though, but it said that the word pride could also mean assurance in one's own resources, and it's one of those things where you're sitting on the throne of your life instead of God being on the throne of your life. You, deep down, it really is all about you. I think that's probably the basic definition of pride is deep down, it's just all about you. And you see there, like the prideful man man, it's very, very difficult for that type of person to trust God. It's difficult for that kind of person to humble themselves, you know, and walk with God, because they feel like I got this, I'm good to go, and a lot of times they don't realize that you know, your next breath is determined by the mercy of God. You may not know that, but it's true. So, to me, when it comes to pride, it makes me think of the scripture in 1 John, chapter 2. I don't know if, john, if you got that ready. Yeah, here it is. Do not love this world, nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. And then here's the one that really gets to me, for the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world, and so to me that's like the essence of pride is look what I've accomplished, look what I have. I'm better than this person because I have more money than them, I have more status than them. It's always kind of a comparison game when you get into pride, and so to me it's kind of a game when you get into pride, and so to me it's kind of a well in proverbs it nails, uh, the issue with pride it's. It talks about this.
Speaker 3:I know we've famously heard the seven deadly sins, uh, and one of them is a haughty look. I think maybe that's the way it's putting king james a haughty look, and it means like a prideful disposition. But there's also another scripture in Proverbs, I think it's Proverbs 16. John, if you don't mind going there, yes, perfect Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall. And it's become a famous saying, even for folks who don't necessarily read the Bible. But they've heard that saying before, even for folks who don't necessarily read the Bible, but they've heard that saying before pride goes before the fall, you know, and there's a lot of truth to that, because at the moment that you think that you're unstoppable, invincible, untouchable is probably the moment where things might begin to fall apart, you know.
Speaker 3:So I believe the better approach and the biblical approach is to humble yourself and realize that you know, without God we're nothing. Apart from him, we can do nothing. Oh yeah, that's great. James 4 nails it perfectly. It said and he talked about God he gives grace generously.
Speaker 3:As the scriptures say, god opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Now what's interesting is the word opposes there. If you look in the King James, it says God resists the proud, and when you study the Greek word out there, it means like he actually sets himself against those who are prideful. It's almost like a military position, like you've entrenched yourself and you're simply not going to let that person get any further. So I'd rather not be on that side of God's situation, I'd rather be on the side of receiving grace. So I'm going to do my best to humble myself, and it's just a better approach, man. But as soon as you start to get too confident in your own resources, in your own status, your own possessions and all the stuff like that. Jesus said a man's life doesn't consist in those things. Realize that your next breath is dependent on the mercy of God. That'll help you kind of keep things in perspective.
Speaker 1:You know, ryan, I'm sitting here thinking. I keep things in perspective. You know, ryan, I'm sitting here thinking. We live in a world that that literally calls on us to be prideful. Don't you dare climb that corporate ladder without shouting to the world you're climbing, you know. So everybody knows that you're, you're going up for yours, don't you know? Don't be quiet about your achievements and successes.
Speaker 1:When you've got a new car, new, this new, that you need to boast about it a little bit. Those people who take opportunity to slide into a conversation anything new and great that they've done, regardless of what the conversation is about. And it seems like the world is wired for us to be prideful and boastful and to be arrogant, and particularly about what we have. Yes, and particularly about what we have.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:And when we don't have it, it seems like we're always out working trying to get what the neighbors have, so that we can kind of one-up what's your take?
Speaker 2:Yeah, our culture is set up that way because if we're putting somebody's worth and value in how many followers, how many views, how many likes they have on social media right, you know in in house and how successful they are dependent on all of those things, and that's not always necessary. It's not the case in the kingdom of God. God doesn't put your value on those things, but, but. But how do you gain those? The traction to be an quote, unquote influencer, more followers, is that you post more about yourself, whether it's true or not. You post the cars, you post the outfits, you post the trips. You post the outfits, you post the trips, you post the food and all of that stuff to gain more and more traction, to gain more and more perceived value in our culture.
Speaker 1:And if you're not Can I throw something at you really quickly? Come on, I literally just saw this last night Two football teams in Colorado and one started talking junk about one guy, started talking about junk about a guy on the other team and at the end of the game, when they're supposed to be going down the handshake line, they would. One guy wouldn't shake the other guy's hands and then says you know you, you only have so many Twitter followers, instagram followers, wow. Oh, boy, yeah, but you can talk about me.
Speaker 2:It's an insult.
Speaker 1:Did we just go to Instagram followers after a big game?
Speaker 2:And that's. That's the thing, davidid is like when you live in the kingdom and you have a revelation of who christ is. All of that is like what you're saying is like.
Speaker 2:That's so pointless, like to the world it does mean a lot and you know, going back to what he says in verse 19 in the world like that, that has meaning and and, but when you have a revelation of your heavenly father, all of that becomes so superfluous, like it's like, there's so much more meaning to life than than than living on the internet. There's so much more meaning to life than than than gaining the approval of other people, whether it's on the internet or otherwise. Right, there's so much more meaning to life than than than getting in the newest car or having the nicest shoes or uh or whatever, because you realize you're just doing it to gain the approval of other people and really that is so meaningless in a grander your eyes and your spirit is open to a grander scheme of things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you know, if I could just say one thing about this part, the pride part, you know he says dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts, and I would. I would just say, if you're thinking well, nothing is going to take the place of God in my heart, Well then it probably is. And what we're getting at is that you have to be on guard. You know and this is how John's capping like you have to be on guard that there is a war, ephesians chapter six. Right, and sorry, john, I didn't, we didn't bring this up, but I was thinking about it. You know that. I think this is really what we're talking about is, is this whole idea in Ephesians 6, 11, put on the full armor of God?
Speaker 2:so that you'll be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil, for we are not fighting against flesh and blood. Okay, the you know we're not fighting against the other football team and insulting their Instagram followers but, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in the dark world and against the evil spirits in the heavenly places that there is this war going on to dethrone God from your life.
Speaker 2:The moment that you place God on that seat, that there is this all-out war going on to dethrone him in your life, and if you think that it's not going to happen to you, then you be dealing with pride goodness man, that's good right that's really, really good.
Speaker 1:Wow, let's take a look at our next word, our next of the three, and that is pleasure. The word pleasure it comes from the Greek word hedon, from hedos, meaning pleasurable to the senses. Properly, it is sensual pleasure, what is enjoyable to the natural, physical senses. It has a strong negative connotation, generally referring to pleasure that has made an end in itself. That is a satiation of bodily desires, lust at the expense of other things.
Speaker 1:Wow, and it is also the root of the words hedonistic that we use well, that some people use in their vocabulary today. And just take us back to that 1 John 2. And in 1 John 2, it says For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure. What are those physical pleasures? It's things like eating, it's things like sex, it's things that you can touch and feel. It's all about the physical. It's about shopping.
Speaker 1:There's something you may not have thought about that goes on, but it's all the physical realm things that are all about your touching and feeling. And you know, at the time that we're in, we were seeing a case go down right now where we see that somebody has given himself over to physical pleasure and now it's costing him and that's peat-hitting. You know, not only him. But, truth be told, when it's all said and done, I think there are going to be a line of people, some of your favorite celebrities, even maybe some of your favorite preachers, who are going to be in line, having given themselves over to those physical pleasures that are they really are life destroying.
Speaker 2:I'm just mad, I'm just mad, David, that I didn't invest in the baby oil stock.
Speaker 1:You are so wrong for that.
Speaker 3:Oh, my goodness Wow.
Speaker 1:A lot of it off the shelves these days.
Speaker 3:I'm going to leave that right alone. It's not proper English, but yeah. But this is one of those things where it's such a, it's such a easy trap to get into, because we're talking about you know we live in a physical body and our bodies, you know. They are the method or the means by which we understand the world period. You know everything that you learned about life. It came either through your five, it came through your five senses period. You're seeing, you're hearing, you smell, you taste, you touch. That is the way you contact this whole world around you.
Speaker 3:So, along the way, as most people know, you also learn that there's things that can affect you physically that are pleasurable. You know it could be sex, it could be drugs, it could be other stuff like that that provides a good feeling for the moment. But not everything that feels good is good, right, um, that is, it's one of the the truths of, you know, and so some of these things that seem to be hey, it's just, I'm just blowing off steam, I'm just having fun. There's nothing wrong with this. You know, everybody's got to get their kicks every now and then. What you don't realize is some of those very things, like David said, they're actually soul destroying, soul-destroying, and in 1 Peter I think it's maybe 1 Peter 4, he says I beg you to abstain from fleshly lusts, that war against the soul, right?
Speaker 1:Can you just talk about that again for a moment? The fleshly lusts, that war against the soul. Yeah, talk about that for a minute.
Speaker 3:Dude. Here's the thing about it. I had another scripture that just popped in my head about it too, in Proverbs, when it says hell and the grave are never full and the eyes of man are never satisfied. The problem with trying to pursue physical pleasure at the end of the day is that as soon as you do it, you want to do it again. There is no point where it actually will stop. It's almost like if you had a campfire going or whatever, or a fire in the fireplace If you keep feeding that thing wood it's going to keep burning forever.
Speaker 3:Theoretically, it could burn forever if you had enough wood, right? The only time that it would ever die out is if the wood, if you stop feeding it. So same thing with these pleasures of the flesh. You know, the cycle seems to be like this like you get tempted by some physical pleasure, you yield to the temptation and you end up doing whatever it is. And then, once you're done, okay, you had a good thrill, you know. Good for you, kudos. But then all of a sudden, as soon as the thrill is gone because it never lasts, it's just temporary Then all of a sudden, now, man, I want to do that again. You know, whatever it is, the only thing that you get out of it is the desire to do it one more time. Now think about how crazy that is. That's a hamster wheel. You're just on this thing and there's honestly no way to get off apart from the help of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 3:Let's just be honest about it. It could be a pornography addiction. It could be some of the stuff that's coming out about Diddy, with the crazy sexual escapades people have gone on and things like that. It's always something designed to make you feel good for the moment, but then, once the thrill is gone, you're going to be pursuing the thrill again and that is a recipe for just constant futility.
Speaker 3:That's what wars against your soul. It creates a conflict in your mind because part of you if you're doing things like that a lot part of you knows, at least somewhere deep down, that this might not be right. You know this is probably not good. Uh, you know, speaking as somebody and I'm about to get kind of kind of put my business out for a little bit but there was a time in my life, a long, long time ago, where I was addicted to pornography, like straight up, and I remember even in the midst of me being addicted to it and watching porn and all this stuff like that. There were times when I would, in my own mind, go this isn't good. You know, I would seriously have moments like I'm kind of a degenerate right now.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying and so it was one of those things, like it got me, and even though I would still, you know, yield to temptations after I had those thoughts, but there was something in me that knew this isn't really right. I feel out of control of my own life. You know what I mean, and so that's what that war against the soul is all about. It's it's something that's telling you okay, I might be going a little too far, I know I'm not in control. I feel like this thing is actually controlling me and not the other way around. So that, to me, is what that war against the soul is all about.
Speaker 1:That's really good. You know, ryan, this is even true when you talk about social media. You know everybody's looking for the dopamine fix. Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just like I mean. Yeah, it could be something as perverse and and you know, even with as crazy as our culture is like, even still, like pornography still has kind of like a negative tint to it. But you know, social media is widely accepted. You can do it right out in the open, right, um. But I was you that I felt convicted, phil, while you were talking, like you know, just even because it's wherever you're getting your happiness from and god wants to be our source of joy but we're finding those dopamine hits.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay, from pornography or sex or whatever. But we know now that social media and the endless scrolling on Reels or TikTok or whatever is designed to give you that dopamine hit. And you know, I felt convicted like, oh, I'm finding my source of, you know, temporary peace and happiness from doing that.
Speaker 2:And we got you know, just a reminder, like, hey, god wants to be my source of joy and and peace in everything.
Speaker 2:Because you know, we use that, we use binge watching a TV show, I use binging TikTok to tone out all the craziness and stress and anxiety, uh, in my life, and I have to be reminded that God wants to be my source of taking care of those things. You know, maybe just in conclusion of talking about you know the pleasure, part one and maybe we can talk about this more later because I think there's so much here but Romans, chapter one, and at the end of it he talks about how everyone can know God. Just by looking at nature and you can know God. And in verse 21, he says, yes, they knew God, but they didn't worship him as God or even give him thanks, and they began to think up foolish ideas about what God was like. Wow. As a result, their minds became dark and confused and I think that that one scripture right there just describes our world really perfectly that we think that we know who God is and we've come up with all these foolish ideas and we've become dark and confused.
Speaker 1:Verse 22,.
Speaker 2:Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools and instead of worshiping glorious, ever living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. And in verse 24 is uh, where I, where the conviction comes from me. So god abandoned them. Other translation says so god turned them over, uh, to whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile, degrading things to each other's bodies, and so I think you just have to be going back to what we said earlier, like if you think that nothing can take God's place, you just have to be very, very mindful and very humble and meet to know that it can, and be very mindful that you're not just doing whatever you want so that God just hands you over. Because it sounds to me when I read this God hands you over, god turns you over. Because it sounds to me when I read this god hands you over, god turns you over to whatever degrading, vile things that are happening in your life, and you become dark and confused.
Speaker 2:You don't even realize it if you're not careful like you think, and then you've made up this idea of who god is in your own mind. So you just have to be very humble and sensitive to the holy spirit and say show me what's in my life that does not belong. And I believe God will show you and you have to just be obedient to repent of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. John we pull that verse back up for us, because there's something else interesting there, and it's in 25. It says they traded the truth about God for a lie, so they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise. Amen.
Speaker 1:So, instead of you know when you think about, I think about men and women who are addicted to porn. But what I see happening right now is not only are people addicted to that stuff. See, happening right now is not only are people addicted to that stuff, but now they've been given avenues on the internet to go and be creators of it, and only fans good lord and so those who were once addicted to watching it are now out, creating it and benefiting financially from it.
Speaker 1:And it's all dirty money. And it's like inevitably one thing when especially when god turns you over one bit of darkness leads you to another bit of darkness, leads you to another bit of darkness, until you're just swimming in darkness and you have to realize that the attack comes and it always happens the same way. Satan seeks to isolate you.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because once he isolates you, he has you to yourself and to himself, and from that point he just goes and picks you apart until he destroys you. So we've got to begin to realize now what John was asking, what John was saying in that. One little verse is significant.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for sure it's a significant request.
Speaker 1:Let's look at this last one that we have, and it's power. Now, the definition for the word power is the ability to act or produce and affect, the possession of authority over others. Power is a. Power is a big thing now because you can have you literally. There are some people who crave power. They want power above everything. Some, because they have been, you know, I can think of some people that we've even worked with. You know, people who've been abused are put in situations where they were powerless and have said in their hearts I will never be powerless again.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And so they crave and they thrive in and strive for power. And don't get them to try to let it go because that's just. You want to talk about a fight for your life right there, because it's set in their hearts I'll never be powerless again in my situation and my circumstance. And so, philip, people are out there craving power, yeah, and for various and sundry reasons. What are we to do about this?
Speaker 3:It's interesting, man, Like I think about the current state of politics and I know this is a hot-but button issue, but when you think about Tell the truth about it now.
Speaker 1:Don't lie.
Speaker 3:Across the board. Across the board. Whether it's Republican, democrat, the thing that seems to be the common thread is that we have many, many sociopathic people in office that are willing to do anything to not only get power but keep power, keep it, and typically when somebody manages to lay hold of power, they are not going to try to give it up for anything. You know, it's that thing, was that famous quote by Lord Lord Acton? He said power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts Absolutely. You know.
Speaker 1:I can think of a politician right now, and if I named her name, some of you might be mad at me and others of you be like yep, yep, the woman is a thousand years old. At this point you should be retired and enjoying your grandkids. She's busy puppeting how things are going right now yeah and doing so successfully, and refuses to let go of power even though she's not in a position of power and to me. That's when you really know you have power. You don't have to have the title in order to execute it.
Speaker 3:Wow, wow, see, and that's the other side of the power equation. It's like that definition said the ability to do something. And some people, I mean, they're drunk on that idea. You know that I have control, and I think that's really the underlying motive for power. It's not even so much power for power's sake, but power for control's sake. They'd like to know that nothing's going to catch them off guard, that they're going to be the ones that can manipulate situations, manipulate people and make life exactly as they please and as they would like it to be to benefit them. And that, to me, is it's a disease, honestly, it's a disease of the soul. It's disgusting, you know, but I mean, dude, we could go for hours talking about how many power hungry people have got, have gained positions of power all through history. We could be Stalin, it could be Lenin, it could be Mussolini. We go on and on and on. The story doesn't change that. It could be pastor, so-and-so. It could be mussolini. We go on and on and on. The story doesn't change.
Speaker 3:Man, it could be pastor, so-and-so it could be pastor so-and-so, exactly right, you need you need to talk about some therapy that needs to happen here right no, that's not the truth now, yeah but. But yeah, I mean it's, it's, it's, um, it's honestly I'm trying to think of the word for it it's like you're trying to control everything and manipulate everything to benefit you and to make sure that you're the one that's the gatekeeper for all things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that can turn out to be something that's done at other people's expense, and that's the problem, well, and you know, the evil thing about that is, if you do that, you can get away with it for a long time.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And, and I mean I mean decades, yeah, and, and, and. Just all the while in the, in the wake of the manipulating and the controlling and all of it, you've left a lot of people in the ditches behind you. That's right. And, man, you just got to be very, very mindful, very, very mindful that you're not trying to be the one that's in control and taking credit, and I think that's really a good thermometer is like, if you're just being honest with yourself who in all of it? Because I guess bringing it back to like down from DC to kind of a more microcosm level is if you're being honest with yourself who do you really want to get credit for everything that's going on in your life, wow, wow, and. And I got to be honest. Like that's going on in your life, wow, wow, and.
Speaker 2:And I gotta be honest like there was a point in my life where there was I was wanting the credit and I was doing it for the glory of God, I was doing it under the guise of being a youth pastor. I wanted the credit and someone sat me down in a very loving way and said Ryan, uh, you have a Messiah complex. And I said well, what do you mean. They said you're trying to go around here and save everybody. And I didn't want to believe that. But she was absolutely right and she told me in the most loving and caring way and I, and that changed my life and it freed me honestly and took a lot of weight off my shoulders. She said you know you're not responsible for saving these people.
Speaker 2:And I, but I wanted to be responsible because, I wanted people to say, wow, look at what he's doing, look at all that work. But that wasn't right and I was going to hurt a lot of people if I didn't listen to what she had to say. Wow.
Speaker 3:Good stuff, Ryan.
Speaker 2:That's heavy.
Speaker 1:Wow, good stuff, ryan. Yeah, that's heavy, but so we're seeing that power is a thing that runs all up and down the system, from politics to churches, to the workplace, and it's even in your own household. Are you trying to have all power over your family?
Speaker 2:are you trying to have all power over your family? Yeah, talk about David, talk about being a parent, you know, because I think that's a major, major thing.
Speaker 1:It's a. It's a. It's a tough thing because we parents are, we come. When our kids come into the world, I think we already start with a little bit of a power complex. You know, these are my children and because I have the responsibility of protecting them and training them, that means I also have power and authority over them. But the word says to train them up in the way that they should go, not dominate their lives so that they'll go your way, and that's it's. It's such a significant thing Cause I there've been. I can be honest. There've been times in my children's lives where I've tried to be Jesus.
Speaker 1:I've tried to be Lord over all things and my no is my no and my yes is my yes. And little teaching in the midst of that. And they needed the teaching. They needed to understand the why.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 1:I didn't feel like I was obligated to give them to them because I was in charge and I had to break free from that and allow my children to grow and ask questions, recognize that I have authority from God and I have to exercise that authority. But exercising authority and being the thumb over their lives are two very different things.
Speaker 3:Wow, wow, that's good, david. Yeah, it's made me think of something that I forgot who said this, but it really stuck with me. He was talking about parenting and he was talking about how, even if you have, like, let's say you have a couple of kids, the first child may have a personality completely different than the second child, like they could be night and day personality wise and he said this.
Speaker 3:He said you're called to shape their character, not their personality, and that really stuck with me. I was like it's true, you know, like cause I remember as my kids started getting older uh, I've got a 16 year old, 18 year old so as they started getting older, I it was shocked me that, wait a minute, they don't like something that I do like. Shocked me that, wait a minute, they don't like something that I do like. You know what?
Speaker 1:I mean, what's the matter with these people?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like really Like my oldest. She loves sour stuff, like those sour patch things and all that, or even Granny Smith apples. You know I'm not a fan of any of that stuff. So it shocked me like, wow, her taste buds are different than mine, you know. So you start realizing, yes, yes, they're a lot like you, yes, they have your dna, all that good stuff. But then there's also a part that they're completely different.
Speaker 3:They're their own person god made them that way, you know, and so you have to learn how to appreciate that. And, like david said, you know, there's that balancing act of okay, I'm here to train, here to you guide and set boundaries and things, but I'm not here to force them into my mold necessarily.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and Ryan, you'll appreciate this because you know we, lori and I, teach the personalities and one of the things that causes kids and adults even to put on a mask is an overbearing home life an overbearing parent that basically forces them to wear a mask that is different than who they naturally are. Wow, and so that's a. It's such a dangerous thing. Again, it's, you know, it's even. Why do people get divorced at times? And it's because of their power struggles.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:In the house who's going to be the alpha? The man says I'm going to be the alpha because I'm the man and the woman's like oh no, you're not. He'll be married long enough, right? No, you're not, he hadn't been married long enough, right, and so they go to war with one another rather than working out how to best walk and work together. Because you know what you can have a strong husband and a strong wife and personality type and they can both thrive together if they want to and if they're willing to do the work.
Speaker 1:Well, folks, we have covered a lot of ground, yet we've only scratched the surface. Just remember that three things that try to take God's place in your heart pride, pleasure and power. I think we're going to talk about some more of these things in the next episode of Bible Bros and Brews, so we hope you'll join us. We hope you've enjoyed this episode. We hope that you got some inspiration from it, whether that's to make a change, that's to have a conversation or to do something different that helps you to have an improved Christian walk.
Speaker 1:We would love for you to join us on social media. You can find us on Instagram, on Facebook soon to be X but we would love to connect with you. You can look for Bible Bros and Brew all one word or all one at sign in both of those places. And, hey, we want you to subscribe to us, follow us, friend us. We'd love to have you there and we'd love to have a conversation with you there. So if you have any questions or comments, you can comment or question on social media for us and we'll get to you. But you can also send us a note at gotbrewatbiblebrosnet. That's gotbrewatbiblebrosnet. Or you can comment in any of the podcast platforms or YouTube or any place that you're listening to this episode. One final thought from you, ryan.
Speaker 2:I want to just take it back to James, chapter 4, verse 6,. But he gives us more grace. That's why God says he opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. I feel like we were kind of heavy and we talked about some pretty heavy things, but I just want to remind you that God gives you grace and he gives it more generously. So if you find yourself in one of those spots, just remember the grace of God is sufficient for you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if I could just add to that remember, conviction isn't the end. It's meant to be the bridge that turns you around and allows you to start walking to the place you were always intended to be. That's good.
Speaker 3:That's good, man Phillip final thought and allows you to start walking to the place you were always intended to be. That's good.
Speaker 1:That's good man.
Speaker 3:Phillip. Final thought Dude, I can't follow that up, man, Both thoughts from Ryan and you. I just say ditto because I agree it's good stuff, man.
Speaker 1:That's all I got. Well, Phillip, why don't you take an opportunity to pray for everybody before we go?
Speaker 3:Perfect, perfect.
Speaker 3:Father, thank you for this podcast and just thank you for the Holy Spirit and his help with everything.
Speaker 3:Father, you said in your word that you're the vine and we're the branches, and cut off from you and apart from you, we can do nothing. Lord, I pray over every person that will hear this podcast speak to their hearts individually, give them wisdom for their own life as far as the areas that they need to fine-tune to come into alignment with you more and more. Bring that conviction of the Holy Spirit, not to beat them over the head or to make them feel bad about themselves we know that's not your heart but to bring that sense of okay, I need to change this, I need to adjust this, and thank you, father, for walking with each of us in that way so that we can continue walking that life, striving and pressing towards the mark. And we just give you praise, father, that you have never given up on us and you never will give up on us. You began a good work in us and you will continue to perform it, and so we give you praise for all these things in Jesus name, amen.
Speaker 1:Amen, amen. Just remember, guys, if you're feeling convicted about something we've talked about tonight, it's a great opportunity to say Lord, I give this thing to you, I need your help. Help me and he will help. He is our father and he loves us and he will always give us help when we ask him for it. So feel free to do so Until next time. I'm David, he's Phillip, he's Ryan. Back there making things move around is John, and we are glad you're here until next time. Peace out.
