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
How to Keep From Falling (Part 7) | Strength from Within (But Not by Ourselves)
In this episode, we're continuing our journey through the seven character traits that the Holy Spirit (via Peter) instructs us to add to our faith in 2 Peter 1:5-7. This time around, David & Phil focus on the quality of self-control, with an emphasis on taking initiative and using our God-given power to choose to pursue and draw near to God. We also tackle the importance of being proactive and persistent in developing a thriving fellowship with God. So grab your Bible and your coffee, and get ready to dig into the scriptures with us as we explore what God has to say about this vital aspect of spiritual development.
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We've been talking about a passage of scripture in 2 Peter, chapter 1, when he lists these different character traits or these virtues of what you should be adding to your faith as a believer. And we've been going for the past few weeks on the different things that Peter lists out there, because he told us that if we would follow these things diligently, pursue those things, he said you would never fall if you add those qualities to your faith. And so this time around we're going to focus on the quality of self-control. So it's going to be a good one. Join us next on Bible Bros and Brew.
Phillip Rich:Hello to the great, big, wide internet. This is Philip and we are on the beautiful podcast known as Bible Bros and Brew. I am glad to be here with my fellow bros who always join us. That would be David to my side over here, ryan down here, john in this direction there, and we are your local crew trying to bring you God's word. Are your local crew trying to bring you God's word?
Phillip Rich:We believe that one of our missions with this podcast is to get you excited about the Bible, get you excited about learning more about scripture. We hope and pray that the things that we share on this podcast will inspire you to go and start studying the word of God for yourself. It truly is an increasing revelation. The Bible is pregnant with revelation, as I've heard one pastor say before, and the more you get into it, the more you see how much you still have yet to learn.
Phillip Rich:And, case in point, we've been in the book of 2 Peter, chapter one, for a good while now, probably about five or six weeks and I feel like we, in a very real way, we've been in the book of 2 Peter, chapter 1, for a good while now, probably about five or six weeks, and I feel like we, in a very real way, we've barely scratched the surface.
Phillip Rich:We've been going through these different qualities or character traits that Peter talks about in 2 Peter 1, when he starts listing out the things that we should be adding to our faith, and so the past few weeks we got a little I don't know what to call it not hung up, but we just kind of hung around in the first two of those virtues, which is, add to your faith virtue, and then to virtue, add knowledge. This time around we're going to dig into the third one that Peter lists, which is in the King James, is called temperance, but we know it to be self-control. So we got a nice one planned for you today, or at least planned in our version of what planning is. Sorry, I couldn't resist man.
Phillip Rich:But, so let's go ahead. Before we get super deep into it, let's talk about what's in the cup.
David McIntyre:Y'all know what we're doing now, do you?
Phillip Rich:We're just rolling man, just you know that's how we do it out here by Bros and Brew man. But let's find out what everybody's drinking tonight. Hopefully everybody's avoiding the alcohol, david, if you don't mind tell us what's in your cup first.
David McIntyre:You got wide open all of a sudden. I don't know what happened.
Phillip Rich:I took a B12 before we started, I feel much better.
David McIntyre:Okay, that's what it is then.
Phillip Rich:Praise God. Hi, I'm David. I'm a Capricorn, I feel much better.
David McIntyre:Okay, that's what it is then. Praise God. Hi, I'm David. I'm a Capricorn, I'm just kidding Tonight.
Phillip Rich:Those internet, those online dating, things from back in the day.
David McIntyre:Tonight I'm still on this K-Cup trip which.
David McIntyre:I've been on for a minute and I don't know why, but tonight I am trying something a little different. It is different it's brown sugar crumble. Actually it's quite tasty. It's weird, right, because one of the things that I try to when it comes to the coffee, I try to stay away from a lot of artificial flavors because that means they're trying to gin it up or dropping drops of stuff into the coffee to make it what it is. I get that that in some cases is part of the game. When it comes to the box coffees, that's just like stuff on the grocery food. You know the grocery store floor where you know there's all these artificial flavors out there. So I don't like it in the k-cups too much, but I have to tell you this is quite a conversational cup of coffee, okay.
Phillip Rich:Okay, that's what we're looking for.
David McIntyre:It feels good in my mouth.
Phillip Rich:That's always a plus.
David McIntyre:That's all I got to say. I'm done.
Jon Dzyuba:David, you've forgotten to tell them the most important part.
David McIntyre:I've probably screwed it up, now that I just said it.
Phillip Rich:What's the most important, Brian.
Jon Dzyuba:That's your nickname. Brown Sugar Crumble, that's what they call you.
David McIntyre:And on that note, I think we should move on to somebody else before all of us get in trouble and get canceled off the air. Who's they?
Jon Dzyuba:We don't even have a name. We all call them that. Oh my goodness, all right.
Phillip Rich:We'll let you run.
Jon Dzyuba:I got the Pete's Major Dickinson's K-Cup and I got a cool new contraption.
David McIntyre:Major who Major Dickinson's K-Cup?
Jon Dzyuba:and I got a cool new contraption Major who Dickinson's, Dickinson's okay. Yeah.
David McIntyre:Yeah, for a minute, there you were just making stuff up Brown sugar crumble.
Jon Dzyuba:We got it. So, this is called the Hyper Chiller, and so what's in here is two chambers of water and I've frozen it. So this is called the hyper chiller, and so what's in here is two chambers of throat of water and I've frozen it, so this sits in the freezer and then you put your coffee, your hot coffee, in here, like this Do a live demonstration.
Phillip Rich:Are we even worthy right now?
Jon Dzyuba:He's got the scientific beaker here. Come on, yes, this isn't just coffee. So you swirl around the hot coffee and it's getting chilled in here immediately and that was hot. I forgot to show you that it was hot. And then I've got my cup of ice here and then you just, and then take note that the ice isn't. It's melting a little bit, but it's not melting much. You can still see it's pretty icy but Nice, melting a little bit but it's not melting much. You can still see it's pretty icy. Right when we started. If you were here for the live taping, you would have noticed I had just brewed this Dude, real good.
David McIntyre:You kind of really want your coffee to go that far.
Jon Dzyuba:And I do. The thing is nothing against the previous weeks, if you've noticed what I've had in the thing is nothing against the previous weeks, if you've noticed what I've had in the previous weeks but it gets expensive and so this is just kind of a way to budget-friendly and it's still just as good, if not better.
David McIntyre:Amen, I'm a fan.
Phillip Rich:That's good stuff, man. I'm jealous and I don't even drink cold brew so, ryan, where can we get one of those cups that you've got the special contraption?
Jon Dzyuba:this very exclusive website called amazoncom hyperchiller.
Phillip Rich:just look for the hyperchiller okay, nice man, good stuff, dude. We should have had a link for that Hyperchiller. Yeah, just look for the Hyperchiller Hyperchiller. Okay, nice man, good stuff, dude.
David McIntyre:We should have had a link for that. We could have gotten 27 cents off of that.
Jon Dzyuba:That's right, that's right.
Phillip Rich:Yes, all right, dude. How about you, john? What's going on in your cup, sir? All right, let's find out. Let's find out together. Ready, I like the Lion. Is it Lion King? Yes, yes, it is Dude.
Jon Dzyuba:I think we just picked up this mode.
David McIntyre:That's a gay Lion King.
Jon Dzyuba:That's what I was thinking I was going to say it, but I feel like. I felt like my credits were up.
David McIntyre:John, what is happening?
Jon Dzyuba:It looks like you know what's crazy. Okay, I need you. First of all, hold on, let me bring everybody back around. I need everybody to hear me out.
Phillip Rich:You know what's crazy about the?
Jon Dzyuba:rainbow. Right, that was God's promise. Bingo, and now the three of these little I can't call you that, but I just want you to know I feel like we're going to go somewhere dark. So this is God's promise in a cup.
David McIntyre:Okay, yes, that's what I'm drinking tonight his promise to the animals of the Lion King, maybe forget what I was drinking for a second.
Jon Dzyuba:it's a Sorry.
David McIntyre:I got to say one other thing. Your wife picked that cup, didn't she?
Jon Dzyuba:She sure did. That is the right answer.
Phillip Rich:Well.
Jon Dzyuba:I was so happy about what I was drinking too. Now I lost my whole train of thought what I was tasting happy about what I was drinking too, and I lost my whole train of thought. What I was tasting in there was a actually no, I don't even want to tell you it was the vanilla brulee, wasn't it? That's right, the little white chocolate, white chocolate, mocha creamer it's really good it's refreshing, john, you're not going to tell them the most important part I feel like he's being baited right now.
Phillip Rich:I don't know how. That's your nickname, vanilla Brûlée.
Jon Dzyuba:Vanilla Bean. That's what we all call you.
David McIntyre:That could actually stick right there. Vanilla brulee.
Jon Dzyuba:But brown sugar crumble.
David McIntyre:Nobody would ever call me that and think to call me that long term, vanilla brulee, that's a first and a last name.
Jon Dzyuba:White chocolate, vanilla, brulee, you know what? Let me update my bio. I'm just going with the vanilla brulee.
David McIntyre:You know what? Let me update my bio. I'm just going with the vanilla brulee. All right, phil. What about you? What are you drinking?
Phillip Rich:We are so far out the frame right now.
Jon Dzyuba:It's unbelievable but that's my fault. I take responsibility.
David McIntyre:You started it at the beginning of this segment. Oh boy so.
Phillip Rich:I've gone back to Old Faithful, not that I ever left, but this is the Peregrine Timberline. It's a fantastic robust coffee. I'd say around a medium roast if I was a guesser of roast degrees. It contains notes of fudge, creme brulee, so we're we're on the brulee theme. And then cherry cola, so another banger from Peregrine. I have no complaints, it is super good, and my wife just baked some shortbread yesterday. So like when you pair that up with this bad boy here, it's just a glorious thing. Oh, and I got a Cracker Barrel coffee mug. Praise Jesus, nice.
David McIntyre:Cracker Barrel cup got a praise Jesus. Right no other restaurant is closer to Jesus than Cracker Barrel.
Phillip Rich:You know who has the coolest job. By way, this is totally a side note the person who has the coolest job. There's a guy who they hire to go out and find all the antiques for all the cracker barrel stores. That's his whole job. He just goes around the country looking for all these different little you know old school signs and tools and stuff like that you see hanging on the wall. I think that's pretty cool. Man, just one guy, yeah, one literal dude. Uh, maybe they have, maybe it's different now, but I read that. It was an article I read a few years ago when he was just talking about this guy and he's like that's the most obscure job ever, but he's like the man for the job, pretty cool. He actually goes to these different little trade not trade shows, but like auctions and stuff like that where you can get estate sales stuff and things like that. He's the man dude. Yeah, it's pretty sweet.
Jon Dzyuba:I pray for this man and his job whenever Cracker Barrel decides to go all modern and gray out all their restaurants.
David McIntyre:It just so happens that Laurie was just telling me that guy is about to lose his job because they decided they're not doing that anymore.
Phillip Rich:No way.
Jon Dzyuba:Wow dude, nothing left forever.
David McIntyre:Just a few days ago, god forbid.
Jon Dzyuba:a restaurant has a personality Right.
Phillip Rich:Right.
Jon Dzyuba:They're considered racist. That's why oh boy, I'm serious. That is the reason why I think antiques are considered racist.
David McIntyre:Why.
Phillip Rich:Boy.
David McIntyre:This is well, never mind. I was about to say something again. Let's jump right into this word so that I don't get into any more trouble. Let's talk about the word Praise.
Phillip Rich:God.
David McIntyre:Y'all not going to get me today. Not today, Sadom, Not today.
Jon Dzyuba:Sadom.
Phillip Rich:Get behind me, don't do it.
Jon Dzyuba:I hate to break it to you, but we've already been demonetized. It's not because I said anything.
David McIntyre:Vanilla Brulee.
Phillip Rich:All right. Well, since we now know what's in everybody's cup, in the most interesting way and more than we asked for.
David McIntyre:Yeah, way more than we ever bargained for.
Phillip Rich:As a matter of fact, but let's talk about what's in the word and what's been in the word. We are continuing our series on how to keep from falling and we're not getting that phrase from just anywhere. It's actually in 2 Peter 1, because what he does is he lays out a list of these things that you should be adding to your faith. We've read, I think in some translations they call them different traits or characteristics. We've read, I think in some translations they call them different traits or characteristics. Some people call it the virtues. Whatever you want to call it, it's basically these qualities that you should be adding to your own walk with the Lord, so that you can eventually fortify your spirit enough, your spiritual life enough to where, no matter what type of temptations come against you, no matter what type of opposition, no matter what type of persecution or whatever else it is that we might encounter in this walk of faith, you'll be solid enough and grounded enough to be able to resist those things and not fall away. And it makes me think of that parable in Mark. Well, not that parable, but the parable of the sower in Mark, chapter four. I think it's Luke eight and Matthew 13 as well, if you ever want to look those up. Um. Jesus talked about how he named these different he's these four types of ground that when he's, when the sower sows the word, it goes into these four different types of ground. And one of the um, I think maybe Matthew. It says that when the word is sown, affliction or persecution arises for the word's sake. Actually I think it's Mark 4. It says affliction and persecution arises for the word's sake. So it's an interesting little I don't know what to call it an interesting kind of a process that happens there. You get the word in your heart, somehow it's been sown Maybe you heard somebody preach it, maybe you started reading the Bible for yourself, whatever. But the word starts coming into your heart and then all of a sudden affliction or persecution begins to come and it says it's coming on account of the word. So it's designed. Whatever that opposition is is designed to steal that word out of your heart. And it says that if it does so, you know, if you don't have your roots deep enough, then you'll bear no fruit or you become unfruitful. And so Peter was telling us hey, here's some things that you can add to your faith to fortify your spiritual life enough to where, no matter what you might face in your walk with God, you shall never fall. You won't be one of those people that fall away due to the opposition that can sometimes come when you're trying to walk this life of faith out. So let's check out 2 Peter, chapter 1. And if you've been following this series and if you have not yet seen any of the previous videos that we've done, I encourage you to go back and look at those and all the ones that have led up to where we are now. Again, how to keep from falling is the theme. What I'm going to do, david, if you don't mind, I'm going to read through the whole thing and then we'll go and start kind of picking through the specific one we're going to focus on tonight. So cool.
Phillip Rich:And in verse five, peter says for this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue and to virtue. Knowledge and to knowledge. Self-control and to self-control. Perseverance and to perseverance. Godliness and to godliness. Brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness. Love. So if you've been paying attention, that's actually seven qualities there, and we know seven is the Lord's numbers. That's pretty cool. And then in verse seven I'm sorry, verse eight it says if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them. They will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Phillip Rich:But verse 9, whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness. That's interesting. Having forgotten that he's been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these things, you will never stumble In. The King James, it says, you shall never fall, verse 11, and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ.
Phillip Rich:So, david, you know, as you know, we've been focusing on those first two on the list, virtue and knowledge, and we talked about how virtue equaled I think it was courage, manliness, valor, moral goodness, moral excellence. Yeah, yeah, moral excellence, yeah, yeah, moral excellence. And then we talked about knowledge and, uh, specifically, knowledge of god is is often what is uh inferred there, when you see that, uh, the word knowledge is talking about the knowledge of god, and that's actually what he says. Um, in verse two, I think it is. It says grace and peace be multiplied unto you, I'm sorry. Yeah, verse 2, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus, our Lord. So there we have, I guess, kind of a parameter for the knowledge that he's referring to.
Phillip Rich:But, then we get down here to verse 3. I'm sorry, David, go ahead.
David McIntyre:Yeah, I was going to say it's having a personal, hands-on, intimate relationship with the Lord. It's not passive, it's not, you know, it's not kind of you know. Just I can quote a few scriptures or I've heard of the Lord and you know we talked about the seven sons of Sceva.
David McIntyre:You know, they were operating in a lack of knowledge about the Lord because when they ran into trouble, the demons said to them Paul, we know, and Jesus, we know, we don't know who you are, and then went about beating the brakes off of them. Exactly. So that's not the kind of that kind of knowledge of God will get you behind, whooped In the spirit realm that will be naturally visible.
Jon Dzyuba:Yes.
David McIntyre:Yes, the seventh skill science is breaking me out every time.
Phillip Rich:It's amazing.
David McIntyre:They took one for the team because they thought that they could just simply say we adjure you in the name of the one that Paul preaches.
Phillip Rich:Yeah, they did, they sure did.
David McIntyre:They thought that that was sufficient, but they didn't know. Paul knew the father, paul knew they'd walk together. There was relationship, there was. You know all of that, all that, not Paul Jesus. You know there was an intimacy and so you know, we, we and we, we laugh, but you know what? It could very easily be us to have these seven sons of Sceva moments, because we're very quick out here in these streets to talk about the God.
David McIntyre:we have no relationship with oh boy determine for him what his intention is, what his will is, and to attempt or effort to speak on his behalf to others when we are unqualified because we lack close, personal, intimate knowledge of him.
Phillip Rich:Come on man.
David McIntyre:Which is what 2 Peter 1 is calling us to.
Phillip Rich:That's good, that's good. And, david, it makes me think of that Second Peter 1.5.
Phillip Rich:Right, right, it reminded me of Matthew 17, when the disciples were trying to cast a demon out of that young boy who was convulsing on the ground and they couldn't do it, you know, and Jesus had to come down. He's like man, how long have I got to put up a jaw, you know? And so he ends up casting the devil out. And they later come to Jesus. They're like how come we couldn't do it? He said well, because of your unbelief. And then he goes into that whole thing about if you have faith, nothing will be impossible to you and things like that. But then he said but don't forget, this type does not come out, but by prayer and fasting. And what I believe he was saying there was you have to really lock into God, you have to know who God is to be able to operate in this level of power. It's not something where you can just be kind of faking it till you make it. You know, you actually have to have an authentic, genuine connection with the Father to be able to operate in this type of power and of the Holy spirit.
Phillip Rich:There's a principle there, man. You know what's that thing? Man, god, almighty. It's like kind of the principle of casting your pearl before swine. You know, there's certain things that God really can't reveal, or can't he's not necessarily, I don't know what to call it. It's like certain amounts of power or anointing won't function in a person who's got a lot of compromise in their life. It's like there's too much contamination, if that makes sense. It's like if you try to have a connection with a battery in the car and the cable has a lot of dirt and stuff and dried up battery acid around it, it's going to be a faulty connection. But if you've got a connection that's solid, that's pure, that's good to go, then the power can flow easily. But if you've got a lot of contaminants, that power can't flow like it's supposed to. I think there's a principle there, david. Maybe I'm maybe I went too deep there.
David McIntyre:But I don't think so.
Phillip Rich:Yeah. So just a thought there, man. I think that we, when we talk about knowing God, there's certain things, like it says, the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him I think it's in Proverbs and he'll bring them into his closest confidence. One of the translations says elements of his character, his nature, his power that really can only be accessed once you've put a lot of things down flesh-wise. All of a sudden things start opening up to be able to operate a little bit more power spiritually speaking. I think it's a stewardship issue, if you want to call it that, but that might be a little bit kind of off to the side here. I don't want to drift too far on that, but just some thoughts there.
David McIntyre:Maybe some food for thought, but anyway, Can I do throw this thought in, just as also a reminder we were, you know, as we dig into these again, I want to remind you that at the beginning of verse five, there it talks about, it says for this reason, the Berean Study Bible, which we've been using a good chunk of, says make every effort. Yeah, I think the King James says with all diligence. Yeah, Right, yeah, I think the King James says with all diligence.
Jon Dzyuba:Yeah, right.
David McIntyre:Yeah, and so I just want to remind you that this concept making every effort, diligence, the concept of acquiring these virtues is not passive. Yes, it's active, yeah, active, yeah, it's not only active, but there is a, there's an urgency to laying hold of these, uh, different virtues, the different in one set still skill sets, but there's a, there's something to the quick acclimation of it and you'll always as we talked about last week, I think it is you'll always be growing in your knowledge of these things yeah, but that we are to spend, we're to intentionally go out and actively pursue these virtues and applying them to our lives.
David McIntyre:Yeah, so don't don't think of it as passive. In um one of the commentaries that I was reading, it says godly.
David McIntyre:It says godly, character does not emerge from passivity or lassitude really that again a godly character does not emerge from passivity or lassitude, and that word lassitude basically means weariness, diminished energy or listlessness or lethargy Wow. So you can't be lethargic and you can't have no energy. You know and just be. You know weary and in the mouth all the time and expect to go out and get these. You're going to be active and energetic to go and pursue these characteristics.
Phillip Rich:That's good. That's good, david, and I think that if anything could characterize or mark the life of a person who's progressing in their faith, it is that active pursuit, it's that taking the initiative, not sitting here thinking that God's just going to sprinkle some magic fairy dust on you and all of a sudden you're going to want to read the Bible or anything like that, is something, honestly, that you have to do by faith. Sometimes you may not necessarily feel like digging into the scripture every day or praying every day or whatever the case is, but the more you practice these things, the stronger you'll get in them. It's no different than if you start hitting the gym and you're trying to bench higher and higher weight. You start off a little small. That way you can get your body used to it and then after a while you can start putting more plates on the bar and the next thing you know you're you're benching your own weight or even beyond that. But it takes pushing through and being willing to I guess, like they talk about all the time break the muscles down so that they can be built up even stronger. You know that that's a principle here. You have to be willing to put forth the effort. That way you can exercise those spiritual muscles to the point where they they become more resilient and after a while you're just able to flow in these things so much easier than uh, so so that it won't feel like such a burden necessarily after a while it just be kind of what you do, because it's the habit that you've formed through active pursuit. So just some food for thought again, and this is something that you, you know, all of us I mean David and me, everybody on this podcast we're all working on it. We're not sitting here in an ivory tower telling everybody you know, this is what we've done and you know I mean we pursue it actively, like everybody else out there who's trying to know more about God.
Phillip Rich:And it's not always easy. The flesh doesn't always want to cooperate. All those things are true. Life happens, we get distracted, we get things come up, Obstacles happen, roadblocks. So the important thing is just don't ever quit. Just don't ever quit. Continue to pursue, even if you feel like you've screwed up or you know, I blew it today, I didn't really get into the word like I wanted to, or whatever. I believe God honors your effort and he said he rewards those who diligently seek him in Hebrews 11, 5. So just make that commitment to diligently seek. It doesn't have to be perfect, it won't be perfect, but just make the commitment to say you know, I'm going to diligently seek and if I stumble, I'll do what Proverbs says a just man falls seven times and rises up again. That's what you have to learn how to do man.
David McIntyre:So can I say something to that Please? I was listening to a podcast or a YouTube thing this morning and it's been something that I've been trying to do in my life and I'm telling you, I'm 50 some odd years old, I'm 50 some odd years old and I got to tell you, for many years of my Christian life, I was so up and down, just so up and down, even to the point I would say, even just being undependable, because you know, I would get to this place.
David McIntyre:I was in a groove where, you know, and if I missed a day of prayer for some reason, or didn't have enough, or, you know, I messed up on my reading for a day or something like that, I just get into a pit and then sometimes I'd go through seasons where I didn't feel like I was praying enough or connecting enough, and you know, or I'd get seasons where I just didn't feel connected to God like I thought I should and I would change how I was doing stuff and so I'd be connected. I wouldn't be connected, you know. I'd feel some kind of way so I'd be less connected and go on through, and so I've had these ups and downs in my Christian life, right, and whenever I'd have the downs, I would always beat myself up.
David McIntyre:And then, in beating myself up, it made my downs more down.
Jon Dzyuba:Yeah.
David McIntyre:Yeah, it'd be harder to climb back up. But then I was always trying to propose to myself you know, on monday I'm gonna start doing blah, blah, blah again, and you know, on this day I'm gonna start doing this and I'm just gonna get right back on track. And you know I was listening to this guy and we were talking about food because I'm working on trying to shed some pounds. And you know he said, if you fail one week, like one day, it's not the end of the world. Just get back up and keep going.
Phillip Rich:That's right.
David McIntyre:And you know I took that to heart, this time in a way that I hadn't before, because I was so ultra judging myself and so ultra I was punishing myself yeah or how I was handling things earlier on and it didn't serve me well.
David McIntyre:And so now I've been doing something a little different this week and you know I've appreciated it a lot differently, because I've had a couple of days where I haven't gotten up quite as early as I planned on and so it kind of messed up my prayer time. You know I was either narrowing my prayer time or narrowing my word time, Right, but you know what I didn't do I did not trip about it.
David McIntyre:But you know what I didn't do? I did not trip about it, I did not trip about it and as a result of not tripping out about doing I was almost being legalistic that the only way that I can have a good relationship with the Lord is if I'm doing these things. At the end of the day, I need to check these boxes off in order to qualify, to say I had a good day with the Lord, and that's not quite what he had in mind. It's not that we shouldn't spend time in the Word and we shouldn't spend time in prayer we do but there's something in make every effort.
Phillip Rich:Yeah, that's good.
David McIntyre:And so you've got to make every effort and do do so. Don't just be lazy which I'm also guilty of and be so guilty of being lazy that the reason you're not connected to God is because you're being just flat out lazy. Yeah, and that's all about you, and now you have a problem with the Lord because now you're dealing with sin. So you have to be mindful, but don't let getting off one day or missing some one thing here or there completely throw you off. Just get up and keep going. That's right, it's okay, it's okay. You'll find that. Then you'll find yourself in a stable place, and if you wonder how you got there, it's because on that day that you messed up, you didn't beat yourself up, you just got up and kept going.
Phillip Rich:That's good, david, that's good. It's such an important thing because we can really derail ourselves with condemnation and guilt and we start feeling like you know, man, I just keep screwing up. I mean, you know, and it just turns into this, this whole beat up session where you're just beating yourself up and feeling horrible. And a scripture that I go back to, because I have dealt with this many, many times Okay, a scripture that I go back to all the time to remind me is that that I don't have to do. That is 1 John 3. He says if our heart condemns us, god is greater than our heart. God is greater than all the feelings we're feeling, all the guilt and condemnation and sadness and frustration and self-loathing and all that kind of stuff. There it is Praise God, thanks Ryan. In verse 20, 1 John 3, 20,. He says even if our hearts condemn us, god is greater than our hearts and he knows all things. He stands outside of all that turmoil that we're dealing with in our own mind and heart. He's on the outside looking in, like I see what you're dealing with, but trust me, I'm bigger and better than all that. And then it says in verse 21, beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us. We have confidence before God. So there's a principle there that the more we try to beat ourselves up and condemn ourselves, the less confidence we have even coming before God. But if we recognize that that's a bad road to go down and it won't lead to anything productive, if we don't allow ourselves to condemn ourselves, then we'll have confidence before him. We'll keep that harmony with him, that sense of fellowship that we know we should have. All that is there, available to us all the time.
Phillip Rich:But we got to make sure that we don't get into and listen to this David. We don't get into pride, because that's really what it boils down to. It boils down to pride. The only reason why I'm beating myself up and sad and mad about not hitting the mark like I should is because I'm being prideful. I think that it's all about what I can do.
Phillip Rich:We have to actually remember there's the grace element that God provides. We provide the ability to choose, because he made us free moral agents. He gave us complete agency over our life, to where we can decide to walk with him or decide not to. That's totally up to us. But the moment we make that decision to say I am going to do X, y and Z. The grace of God is there to help us and to empower us to carry that thing out.
Phillip Rich:So, just, it's a powerful thing, man, and I'm glad we touched on this, david, I know we weren't even thinking we would go this route, maybe for this episode, but I'm glad we're touching on it because I feel like a lot of people could benefit from hearing this man that we're all trying to pursue and get better and be diligent about walking with the Lord. But the road is not always easy. You have the ups and downs of life that you have to deal with all the time, and so achieving consistency is a very demanding task, you know. So we all need to give ourselves a little bit of grace here and just remember that as long as we're striving and have our hearts inclined that way to continue seeking and continue making the effort to pursue God, then we'll be in a good place. He won't let you fall. He won't let you fall.
David McIntyre:I also think it's appropriate, then, that the next word that we bring to the table is self-control.
Jon Dzyuba:Yeah, absolutely.
David McIntyre:Absolutely. That's also part of what we're talking about here. You know, self-control is um, it's, it's an actually it's a very interesting word. So or it this? The berean study bible says self-control. If you look at the king james version of it, it is temperance. So here we are. Looking back again. This is one of the words that we came across when we were talking about the fruit of the spirit. So we know that this is one of those fruit of the spirit and the greek word is in kratia and it. It means both self-control. But when you look at the helps word studies, it means dominion or mastery, properly, dominion within that's awesome control means it's proceeding out from within oneself.
David McIntyre:But check it, but not by oneself. That's good man and it's going to tie here in just a second into what you were saying a minute ago, philip. It goes on to say that, for the believer in k Kratia, self-control, spirit control can only be accomplished by the power of the Lord. Accordingly, in Kratia, true mastery from within is explicitly called a fruit of the Holy Spirit. So it is what Philip said earlier. It is I make the decision, god empowers that decision.
Phillip Rich:Yeah, yes, yes.
David McIntyre:And so I just I love this word. It's you exercising self-discipline, but it's the Holy Spirit giving you the power and desire to do it, but it's the Holy Spirit giving you the power and desire to do it.
Phillip Rich:That's good man, that's good and it's interesting in Philippians, chapter two.
David McIntyre:Ryan, actually, if you could go there, oh yeah, that's exactly where I was about to go, Philip.
Phillip Rich:Come on now, bro. That's what I'm talking about. It's how we flow on Bible Bros and Brew mate. But in Philippians two, it shows you kind of what I like to call or what I've heard a preacher say a long time ago the law of cooperative effort. I love that. It's in verse 12, I think it is. We can scroll down there. Yeah, he said therefore, my beloved, just as you've always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more when I'm in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. And look what happens here in verse 13. For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of his good purpose. So you've got verse 12 that says work out your salvation, but then verse 13, because God's working in you. So you've got your side where you're doing your work and God's side where he's doing his work. The cool thing is is that it truly is a cooperation. You can't do God's part and God won't do your part. Right, that's up to your power of decision for you to go.
Phillip Rich:I want to pursue God. I want to read the Bible. I want to pray more. I want to be a better giver, a better person to the people around me. I'm going to decide to do that. I'm going to start reading I don't know a proverb, a day or whatever it is. I'm going to start meditating on XYZ scripture. I'm going to pray these, however many objectives or whatever for prayer, those are things that you decide to do, and then God comes right on the heels of that decision and empowers you with the grace and the equipping of the Holy Spirit to give you all that you need to be able to do those things he works in you to will and to do Now. The interesting thing is, some of the other translations of that verse 13 say he's the one giving you the desire.
Phillip Rich:So, it's like this is how much God is in our corner. He not only wants you to do these things, you know, because it glorifies him when you do them, but then he gives you the desire itself. And David man I was thinking about the other day. It's like, of course, like before I got saved, I didn't have a desire to read the Bible. You know, I had no desire to be a giver, to help people, whatever. I mean. I wasn't a horrible person either, at life, I guess, but it wasn't something I was actively pursuing. I definitely was not pursuing, like you know. I was actively pursuing.
David McIntyre:I definitely was not pursuing, like you know, holiness purity.
Phillip Rich:I was not pursuing that at all. You know those just like, like you know, back in the day I could cuss somebody and didn't care, you know, and I know now I would feel horrible if I did that, you know. So it's like what changed? It definitely wasn't because I became some amazing person apart from God. No, it's. The Holy Spirit started living in me, started churning and changing those desires in my heart and all of a sudden now I have more of a desire. It's what Ezekiel 38 said. He said I'll put, I'll take away the stony heart out of you and I'll put in you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit in you and cause you to keep my commandments and walk in my ways. You know he's like I want from the beginning. All God's ever wanted is for people to serve him from their heart.
David McIntyre:Right right.
Phillip Rich:And the cool thing is, he gave us the spirit of God to empower us to do just that.
David McIntyre:Right. And the other thing is is that this goes back to what we were reading earlier in second Peter, one that we're called into partnership, into his divine nature yeah, and once again you see an example of that in this word self-control or temperance that it's a partnership that we have, uh, with god to do these things. It's you choosing, the spirit enabling, and that that is, um, that's a wonderful thing. And I will tell you about those desires. God can cook up a desire in you, like nobody's business, and a desire to do good, to want to do good, to want to help people and to see a different world than the one that you may have thought that you had. And you just got to follow him. Follow those desires. They're good. God's desires are good. Usually. Man's own desires, within and of himself, by himself, are typically not necessarily good.
Phillip Rich:Amen.
David McIntyre:One other thing that I wanted to read to you, Philip, is from another commentary. Fill up is from from another commentary um.
David McIntyre:It says genuine knowledge can never exist apart from self-control those who live a godly life, exercise self-discipline and are able to restrain themselves so that they do not capitulate to sinful desires. Wow, right, so we have this knowledge of God. We talked about gnosis and this intimate knowledge of God, and one of the things that self-control helps us to do is to constrain ourselves so that when the opportunity or the temptation for sin and other things come up, we don't give ourselves over to them because we're walking in temperance, we're walking in self-control. Self-control says you know, just because that thing is on the TV, I have the power and ability to change it, or I have the ability or the power to remove myself from it. And what I know of God is he doesn't want that for me. So let me now change the environment.
Phillip Rich:Yes.
David McIntyre:And self-control will guide you and help you to take that action. Because then, when you decide to take the action, first of all God is putting that good choosing in you, but then he's also helping to enable you to move, so that you are not captive to that.
David McIntyre:That's right, and Philip, I know that we're at the end, but another variation of this comes from 1 Peter 1,. If you look down at 13 through 16, it says therefore, prepare your minds for action, be sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance. You see the kind of the opposite. There you are, once ignorance, so don't give up your self-control yeah that ignorant that ignorance.
David McIntyre:But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. In other words, mimic him. For it is written be holy because I am holy so we can see the egg. We can see the opposite of that where we were ignorant before and therefore conforming to our own passions. That's the wrong partnership.
Phillip Rich:Come on, that's the anti-partnership.
David McIntyre:Yeah, and we have this other side of that, which is he's holy. So we're going to be holy because that's what he's called us to and that's ultimately what our heart's desire is. That's awesome, david.
Phillip Rich:It's so cool when you start realizing that the things that you're pursuing are actually the things that God put in you to what our heart's desire is. That's awesome, david. It's so cool when you start realizing that the things that you're pursuing are actually the things that God put in you to pursue. It's like wow man, he really wants me to walk with him. I think that's probably the, if we could boil it down. He really does enjoy fellowshipping with his creation. He really does enjoy fellowshipping with his creation. You know he wants us to come close to him.
Phillip Rich:And the bible says in james 4 I think it is draw near to god and he will draw near to you. There's a principle there, if you'll notice. It takes your action first. It's almost like a chess, a game of chess where you know it's your's, your move, buddy. You know you got to move your pawn over here, your knight over here, but it's going to be on you to make that move. And then God moves in response to whatever you did. Draw near to him and he will draw near to you. And again, it goes back to you having that power of decision to choose to come near.
Phillip Rich:I'm sure that you know if God meant to control all of us and make us robots that only did what he said he could do it. But in his love he decided to make us completely autonomous beings. He said I love you enough to make you fully autonomous, fully sovereign, even as I am sovereign to where you can choose whatever you want to do, even if it means you don't choose me. And that's like a heavy, heavy thing when you think about it. So for human beings to have that ability and that latitude and then then still willingly choose to pursue God, to put away the sins of the flesh and walk with him and walk towards him, believe me when I say he will show up and he will be there to walk with you and to change your life and to bless you, man. I know, David, we really didn't fully, fully exhaust the concept of self-control with this episode, but I know we got to put a pin in here. Maybe we could touch on it again next week a little bit and then move to another one your thoughts there.
David McIntyre:Yeah, that's cool. Just you know. Just one final thought in all of it is remember that there's a diligence, there's an urgency for you to apply as you add these things. Uh, don't don't worry about whether you'll exhaust all the knowledge of these things again. You won't, but do you remember to take the time and start bringing these characteristics to work in your life, and God will do great things.
Phillip Rich:Amen, amen, all right. Well, guys, thanks again for joining us for this episode of Bible Bros and Brew and, as always, we encourage you to go back and look at the previous episodes, not even just of this series, but all the other ones we have on our channel. We've got a library of videos for you to check out on a lot of different topics. We've covered faith, we've covered love, we've covered, I mean, everything I think you know under the sun at this point.
Phillip Rich:It's been a lot of stuff and if you know anything about how David and I flow, you'll find out that even if the video is labeled a certain topic, you still have to dig into it to find out some other stuff we're going to be saying.
Phillip Rich:Sometimes we like to drift and touch on a lot of different things in the episodes that we do, but we would love to hear from you those of you out there listening or watching please leave us a comment, give us a like, subscribe to the channel, all those cool things we're supposed to say as YouTube creators, and so forth. Shout out to our people at Rumble, any other application or whatever you're listening to us on. We encourage you just to interact with us in whatever way that application allows. But if you have any thoughts or suggestions or comments or anything like that, even maybe a topic that you would like to see us talk about, you can email us at gotbrewatbiblebrosnet. Once again, gotbrewatbiblebrosnet. And, as always, we'll be doing these episodes live on our Wednesday nights, and then, of course, we do a bit of an edited version that we put out later. But um and oh yeah, david, tell them about the uh, the, the uh study guide they can download.
David McIntyre:Yep, now you can also get we're doing a study guide that you can pick up. Uh, we. All you have to do is go into the description of whatever tool that you're watching this on and make sure that you find where the link that says get the study guide. Click on that link and sign up for the study guide. We ship them out every Monday morning around six o'clock in the morning so you can have it as a part of your study all week long and it's really good. It'll not only go through some things in this episode, but it even adds some other things, some actions you can take, some opportunities for growth for you. So we encourage you to sign up for that and we'll get that out to you every.
Phillip Rich:Monday Amen, amen, all right. Well, on behalf of David and John and Ryan, thanks for joining us and, as always, keep the coffee brewing, keep the Bible flowing or whatever. Anyway,
