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Love Bears All Things
Episode No. 30

Love protects has as much to do with protecting people from our insecurities, control, and issues as it does with protect them from external enemies. Love is the constant choice to take the hit, but that love is attractive and not see in our world today. It is the love Jesus loved us with.

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Resources

Verses – 1 Corinthians 13.
Verses – 1 Peter 4:8.
Resource – BestSelf Icebreaker Cards.

Transcript

Josh: Hello. Hello. Hello. We’re just two normal dudes trying to live this jesus’ life. My name’s Josh. 

Andrew: Hey, I’m Andrew. And we are this Jesus life podcast. Hey, Oh, Josh droughts are doing my friend. I’m doing good. 

Josh: Huh? Fantastic. Uh, we just spent the last 10 minutes talking about our beauty routines. Noticed that smell on the podcast.

Andrew: Well, that started because I was saying I have huge bags under my eyes right now. Cause my brother could not sleep well last night. So I didn’t sleep well last night. And you’re like, Dude. I got some stuff that can fix that. So 

Josh: yeah, that we got one conversation like, cause we’re old now and it’s just three hours the other, and we can embrace it or we can cry herself to sleep.

I don’t choose to cry myself to sleep. 

Andrew: But yeah, before we started, I had five cookies. This was post-lunch five cookies dipped in coffee. They’re like these like ginger snap style cookies. So good. So I’m doing good. I’m maybe 

Josh: Janet put on her Instagram. 

Andrew: These are actually store bought ones. Um, I’ve been eating the ones Janet made too.

Uh, but I’ve been eating a lot of cookies in the last couple of days. Um, and I’m going to eat many more. I know, dude. It’s I love cookie season. I’m about it, especially when you have coffee to dip it in. So yeah, man, I’m just a ride into sugar. Have I been feeling good for sure. Oh, 

Josh: nice. Not bad at all. More cookies the better.

This is what I always say. I have to give her said that day in my life, but it’s still, Oh man, how are you doing things are good weather. What’s the weather like out in PA right now? 

Andrew: You know, it’s, uh, it’s cold, but beautiful. It’s been like close to freezing for the last couple of days, man. I’ve been having, so we have a fireplace that, um, for awhile had like a propane insert in it and I pulled that out.

Uh, cause I wanted to be able to burn what through it. I’m going to put this wood-burning insert in there. Long story short, we’ve been having like an, a killer fire each night and it’s like the best totally puts me in Christmas spirit. Cause we have our mantle decorated watching football or whatever’s on, you know, but with the nice roaring fire going.

So it’s been good, man. It’s like the start of winter officially here and I’m digging it. What about you? Sometimes, 

Josh: sometimes I tell my home, I had to play the clay fired where it sounds. Um, which she rightfully does. My dog does not like it. And I’m not really sure what his issue is, but he just stares at the mud hole pods near my front door, just stares at the front door.

Slider’s going, gonna break. There’s so many things 

Andrew: that Jack has just paranoid about and. To this. I know you can’t see, but Josh made a few sweet pictures behind him. Like as his zoom background in one he’s just Jack and like an awesome, like a, Oh gosh, it reminds me of that. Zach Galifianakis between two ferns.

That’s like Jack’s between two ferns pose. 

Josh: Oh, for it. He’s got that one ear up the Jack yet classic Jack bones. They’re like cartoon cartoony looking phone. I was like, if you actually looked at my clothes, Um, they’re like, you can see the, like they’re like, they look like very drunk. Oh, that’s cool. I was actually downstairs in my living room as well, but yeah, no, my dog is right now at my feet because the dogs in the backyard are barking, but not my boots and the neighbor’s dogs and Jack wants nothing to do with it.

Andrew: So antisocial, Nan, just rude. 

Josh: He’s a handful of that one. Yeah. Yeah. I call him a pansy. I’m going to go to basis and tell him to man up, grow some balls. 

Andrew: I ended up 

Josh: the balls

Andrew: and he looks at you like, 

Josh: yeah, probably don’t have any form. I would assume. I’m not sure. 

Andrew: Uh, I haven’t heard anybody call anybody a pansy in a Wong long time. That’s really 

Josh: good. That might have been socially acceptable anymore. 

Andrew: I don’t know. I don’t know if that’s the 

Josh: answer might be related, like to related to, and I’m not trying to offend anyone, but it might be too related to being gay.

Maybe like that’s. It’s like calling someone homo, like who would ever do that? That’s just ridiculous. 

Andrew: Isn’t pansy a literal. Um, is it, why did you, 

Josh: why didn’t you bite my, my statement? 

Andrew: You what? I just kept going. I don’t know. Listen, uh, I ran it all right, but I love to do 

Josh: scolded by the editor becomes he comes Como.

Andrew: Yes, I did 

Josh: language. I told him, I told him, Hey, just leave it in. Um, and just quote around it a, a, a fat check and just say, you know, some news sources do report that Como he’s a married man. He is a married. He’s a married heterosexual man. 

Andrew: Yes. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Yeah. So. I should’ve made bill no comment around panty.

I knew it. The second I said that I’m like, Josh is going to turn this out. He’s going to flip it around. 

Josh: I don’t know if it is. Maybe that’s why people don’t use it. I’m not really sure, but no, there’s definitely panties on both sides of the aisle. 

Andrew: Yeah. I mean, some dogs are panties, you know, as you said with Jack, like he’s 

Josh: scared of everything.

Andrew: I have some chickens that are pansies and sums that some that are rave, you know, and, uh, like some, I just walk up to and they go and they like get down and like submit and others are just like, I don’t care. 

Josh: But they made that noise. I was like, that’s so weird. I tried to get my dog to submit by biting his ear on a regular basis, just to remind him who’s in charge.

That’ll tend to really phase him. I shouldn’t bite harder. He 

Andrew: just probably thinks like, Oh, this is just something we do. This is like a 

Josh: special 

Andrew: thing between me and Josh, 

Josh: me and dad it’s like those like stories here are people who have like, um, the answer question, like what is, what was weird about your family?

And they didn’t know, it was weird until you told somebody and they’re like, that’s strange things. You, I was like, wait, this your dog, your owner, doesn’t just bite your ear while you’re laying on the couch. That’s weird. 

Andrew: You guys don’t do that. What the heck totally is that? Oh man. Okay. Josh, would you rather have your ear bit by a stranger?

Um, like, you know, like you’re in the movie theaters and, and it’s not like it’s a painful bite, kind of like what you do, Jack, you know, would you rather have that happen? Like a stranger leans forward while you’re at the movies and just bites your ear, um, and then forces you to submit to them. Or would you rather do that to somebody at the 

Josh: movies?

Oh, that’s where you 

Andrew: don’t know what’s happening 

Josh: before I do it to somebody else. I don’t know what’s happening. 

Andrew: I know you do know, but you find out right before, you 

Josh: know? Yeah. Ma’am, 

Andrew: that’s what you have to do now. And you do have to first submission as well, like physical 

Josh: spit. So I kept buying. So they like you 

Andrew: buy it and then you probably got a wrestle and things 

Josh: keep biting 

Andrew: weird.

Yeah, 

Josh: it is 

Andrew: weird. I know. But would you rather have it happen to you or, or do it to 

Josh: someone?

Uh, I’d probably rather do it to someone I don’t want to, but if I had to choose between the two, I’d rather do that. I think my brother’s bitten my ear once. Um, my ears are sensitive. That’s what I’ve learned. Now you touching my ears. I get weird. Um, now my brother, I’m pretty sure he’s bitten my ear, like when we’ve called and he’s like, it’s like, it’s thing that make you uncomfortable.

It worked, I was uncomfortable.  comfortable and somebody else. Uh, so yeah, I’m sorry for the next person. I sit next to them here, but I’m biting down. I never put in a breath mint beforehand. So the restaurants, but I’m biting now. 

Andrew: You’re not pulling a full Mike Tyson or anything, you know, you don’t have to touch your teeth, 

Josh: imagine that, Oh, you’re in your mouth.

But that’s the only way that works. We got to spit it out. 

Andrew: Yeah. 

Josh: Yeah. Cool. 

Andrew: I would, for the record, I’d rather have it, have it happened to me and didn’t have a serious, good fight because of him, like. You know, I’m not the one being like arrested guy. 

Josh: You’re not the guy where you’re like he bit my ear, you know?

I guess that’s fair to you. I don’t know. I just, I don’t want people touching me ears. It’s weird. It’s gross sphere. What’s what’s one food injure that you would absolutely under. No circumstances eat. 

Andrew: Oh 

Josh: man. Oh, I got one.

Andrew: I have zero desire to eat Rocky mountain oysters, sheep balls, 

Josh: testicles, dude. 

Andrew: Like, I don’t think there’s any wet unless I was starving. And that was the only food available. I should just, I would kind of always passed on that.

They’re not attached to your like fried 

Josh: rice. Okay. 

Andrew: What about you? What’s the one food that’s like, 

Josh: that’s up there. I’ve never eaten them. Uh, but there’s a place called raw hide in Phoenix. It might still be there. I don’t know, um, that we used to go out as a family all the time. For whatever reason, it was like a Western town.

Um, but they had a restaurant in there that served rattlesnake in Rocky, Mount oysters, and my little brother like that freaking rock Hill, all the streets, man. He pack his mouth full of balls. Um, but I wanted nothing to do with it. Never had him, uh, if it came down to I’d probably eat them. If I had to. I bought a what?

I’d never eat. It’s one of those like Chinese X and it was like thousand year old egg. Yeah, no, no part 180. Like you can give me a million dollars of money. That’s disgusting. 

Andrew: Yeah. Those are, those are nasty. Nasty. That’s fair. Yeah, man, 

Josh: my friend, well dude. Huh? What’s uh, one more question for you. Yeah. Yeah.

As I scroll through all these questions and quickly find one, I’m going to stall just for a second. Just for a moment. I want to just check out and look out the window. Maybe you’re driving right now. Maybe you’re not sitting in your home office. Maybe you’re sitting kitchen table. Maybe you have kids around you screaming.

Um, We would assume you probably do have kids around your screaming because most of our listeners are women between the ages of 70 and four years 

Andrew: or whatever, 

Josh: they knocked that demographic out of the window. 

Andrew: Yep. 

Josh: Uh, but yeah. Um, Josh, you rather be ugly and a genius or good-looking and stupid, not like, not like.

Below average, but like straight up don’t. 

Andrew: Oh 

Josh: man. 

Andrew: I, I would rather be ugly, 

Josh: like buck teeth coming through your top lip. 

Andrew: He got 

Josh: weird hairs growing out of your face. Just a goalie 

Andrew: shoot. Oh man. 

Josh: You know what? That’s smart as can be 

Andrew: God. That is rough. 

Josh: And good luck in life everywhere you walk into both women and men turn their heads are like, damn.

That is one good looking man. Okay. All 

Andrew: right. I think I would just go. I don’t know if there’s benefits to both be genius. Like you, you know, you can invent something or be some crazy scientist or whatever, and then it’s like, you can eventually just find a wife cause they’re like, well, at least he’s rich 

Josh: and he’s got a good soul.

Andrew: Yeah. Okay. Then I would take dumb and good-looking because I would, I think I’d rather just like. Naively be like, well, I’m going to be a model. That’s what I’m here for or something. Yeah. Yeah. Just, you know, there’s a level of, of happiness. That’s easy to have if you’re way less intelligent. So you know, why 

Josh: not?

That is true. There’s definitely a naive minus a that makes life easier. If you’re just one smart enough to figure it out. I think I’d rather go the other way. You probably wouldn’t carry the way. Cause you wouldn’t know any different. So like I’d want to accomplish things in life. And I just feel like if you’re just dome, you’re not gonna accomplish anything, but you wouldn’t know that anyways, either way, but you would just live in the benefit that you have.

You’re just like, I’m the smartest guy alive. I can walk into every meeting and think to myself, I’m the smartest guy in this room and like,

yeah. 

Andrew: And you would actually be, 

Josh: Oh man, 

Andrew: you’re bringing the quotes back.

Josh: Killing me, kill me. I apologize, 

Andrew: but fine. You’re fine. No bad blood 

Josh: dude. What are we talking about? 

Andrew: You beat me to it. Uh, I was going to say. What are we talking about Josh, but, um, we’re talking about, but you 

Josh: did the intro, so 

Andrew: that’s true. Love again. Um, shocker, but today we’re talking about love, always protecting, um, and we’re going to take a couple angles on it, but if you’re listening, this is out of first Corinthians 13, one through eight.

We’ve been on this for a while. This kind of season about like 

Josh: loving patient 

Andrew: kind. Doesn’t envy. Doesn’t boast. It’s not proud. It does not sound it. Others is not, self-seeking not easily. Angered keeps no records of wrong. Doesn’t delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. Now we’re on, it always protects.

We got a few more, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, but, um, we are. Uh, actually rerecording this sour, our first run at it. We kind of got stumped, I think on the idea of protects. Cause it’s just like, it seems like you’re either protecting or you don’t or you’re not. So, um, we decided we’re going to have this conversation again and see if it goes a little bit better.

Um, and I don’t know, Josh, you did a little more research, um, kind of, or just spent more time looking things up before. Uh, jumping into this. So what is the, I don’t know, what’s the way you think we should interpret love, always protects 

Josh: today. I was hoping you’d have an answer. I came to the table, nothing, correct.

Just hoping he carried the show and I just throw in some snide comments and. Be the entertaining one. 

Andrew: Perfect. Cool. Thank you for listening. We are this 

Josh: Jesus, just kidding. I forget what our outro is because it’s all pretty recorded. If you haven’t noticed at this point, it’s the same thing to anybody. I don’t actually remember it.

I should probably listen to the end, but I’m as guilty as all the other people in our statistics and show really, we had no other contact. Yeah, I know what this has got to say. Uh, but that’s the part where we say, please, Sharon’s tell us, tell your friends, get the word out. If you learn something here, do us a favor and post what you learned and then give us a credit that you learned from this.

Use my podcasts and some tour website or wherever you listen to your awesome podcasts. Cause you name the, you name the provider in a world 

Andrew: where we are 

Josh: including Amazon music. Uh, I heart radio Pandora. Tune in right, which is 

Andrew: podcast.gov, 

Josh: podcast.com. Uh, Trump big fan of our podcasts. So he put us on there on the gov one, we assume we’ll keep us there.

We’re good buddies. Um, we’ll see. No, I’ve always protected. I want to read this at the beginning. Well, let’s give some background on these versions. So like these verses, as Paul writes them, um, we call them the love verses. You’ve probably heard these verses. Uh, read it at a wedding or probably every wedding you’ve ever been to.

Um, these verses are probably read, or maybe they’re in the program if weddings still be programs. I don’t know. Um, but it comes right after, um, Spiritual gifts in verse chapter 12, right in the four kind of church structure and stuff in 14. Um, but essentially it’s these leadership verses. And then all of a sudden, there’s this love first.

And, um, our argument is the arguments made by a book called the most excellent way to read about Perry noble is that their leadership versus leadership simply influenced and we had influence over people. So we think the relationship versus as well. Um, that’s kind of how we’ve come at them, but I think it’s important to, to point out that you are just coming out of all these spiritual gifts and there’s some spiritual gifts that people look at and say, Oh, those are more important than other spiritual gifts.

Those are more up-front center, fancy, flashy, whatever they happen to be, or however you want to describe them. And then he goes into these verses and I think this is important. Um, cause he starts this chapter with him. I speak in tongues of men or of angels, but do not have a lot of, um, a resounding gong or a clanging extent.

Um, if I have the gift of prophecy, um, I can speak to the future, uh, and confab them all the mysteries and knowledge. Um, but most of the, most of all wise, and if I have faith that I can move mountains, but I do not love. I’m nothing. If I give all my possessions to the poor, if I give over my body to the hardship that I may boast, but I do not love.

I am nothing Ms. Simply I think Paul’s just trying to demonstrate his love is like 100% love is the key. He can be the greatest communicator. You can be the greatest connector in terms of people, you know, getting people to connect with one another. And you’re a great, uh, extrovert that just loves people and wants to be around people constantly.

Um, but if you do not love you’re nothing and that’s, I think that’s the point he’s trying to make here is, um, Rob is the key and I know people in my life, I was thinking about this today while I was pooping, because between pooping and showering 

Andrew: best place, I do great linking actually happens. Yeah. 

Josh: And it really is.

Um, I was thinking, I was like, there’s individual in my life. That from a theology standpoint, they may be lacking understanding about certain things. And my tendency is to critique. My tendency is to correct. My tendency is to think less of them. And that’s hard to say, but it’s true. Um, but they love extremely well.

And kind of circling around about around this topic of love always protects, or they do it extremely well. Um, and. If Jesus commands to a saying the greatest commands, the most important thing about this life and how we live it is to love God with all of our being and to love others as we love ourselves.

And I know about myself a lot, so that the standard is pretty high. Um, and love is the key. How will I love God and love people? Is that the definition of whether or not I’m doing this life well in line with Jesus’s ways and there’s people that maybe a theology is lacking. Um, from an understanding perspective, they don’t understand the same things that I understand about scripture and about how it’s designed and built what’d you use is trying to say through it.

Um, but they love a thousand times better than I do when it comes to the game. If we put it in game terms, they’re winning the game, they have more points on the board than I do. Um, but when love always protects, I think it’s hard to. And in the verse can be translated this way. This is why the NIV did it this way.

He’s loved protects, but I think there’s, man, it’s hard to portray what Paul is really trying to say with, with the choice of words that are used when it’s just protect. And this is probably, I think, where we got stumped. When we tried to record this episode, the first time is, what do you say about it?

Like, Hmm, you didn’t protect, you don’t protect, like you said. Um, and. I like how it used to be. You put, set the message, puts it in a similar way as he paraphrases it. But at the ESV there’s others in there. I think the NASB no more will translations, uh, take it to this place. But this says, love, bears, all things, things it takes on the weight of the relationship.

Yeah. And I think that’s a big thing and the message puts it puts up with, with anything, which is man, is that hard? Right? Like. Um, we all want people to love us in spite of the good and the bad about us. We want people to believe the best of us even we’re at our worst. Yeah. But when the table gets turned out to do that for somebody else like Thanksgiving and I come with a lot of excuses at that point, well, it’s not healthy.

Well, yes and no. Um, the stay active, you know, side by side of the relationship, if it’s unhealthy, but I can still love from distance. Like that’s still a thing. Um, so I think there’s that piece of, of love bears, all things, um, that I think was worth dissecting and kind of digging into, again, as we look at these, as we look at this specific element of how do we love people?

Well, Yeah, 

Andrew: absolutely. And, and I think that’s a good road to go down. And I don’t know if this is, I guess we’ll just talk about both. Right. Always protects. Um, always bears, all love, bears, all things always protects similar ideas. Like come, they come from the same place. Um, one thing that I was reflecting on kind of last week to this week in this idea is like, I think maybe one of the most.

Simple ways that we can protect others is not just like, did I close the deadbolt at night is my, is my house protected? And are the people in safe side or inside safe? You know, like there’s the super basics, but I was. I was watching football last night, Monday night football. And, uh, and man, there was a, there was an awesome play where a receiver ended up making a really, really good block, you know, receiver.

Their whole job is catch the football. Um, and they made a great block and they got kind of smacked because of it. Like they got hit pretty hard, but they opened up a, a path and a running back, went past and ended up getting a touchdown, you know? Um, and it was just to play where this offensive player made a really good defensive move and.

A little bit hurt from it. Um, I know this is a sports analogy, but it just, it, I think it w the literal protection of I’m willing to take a blow so that you can succeed or so that you can do something better, like all take the debt, you know, and, and like, that’s that doesn’t just apply in sports, like, and it doesn’t just apply.

In, you know, locking your house at night time, but it’s like, that’s applicable in a lot of places. Like it’s applicable at work out, uh, at our normal nine to five jobs it’s applicable. Um, you know of, no, I’m not going to throw Josh under the bus. Um, I could, but I was a part of that project too, even though it failed as a part of it, I might as well just represent that.

And I’ll be the one to say no, like there were some things that went wrong, but. Here’s where I messed up. You can blame me, you know, or you can put that on me or whatever, but like just being willing to take the literal kind of hit or the metaphorical hit for somebody else. Um, regardless of whether they, regardless of whether they’re you think they’re worthy of that, you know what I mean?

And it don’t mean go around and just be a punching bag all the time, but, um, I don’t know, like being willing to take the hit for somebody. And then I think the other thing of like, so I have a two year old, you know, this and uh, sometimes she throws total temper tantrums and they usually have, 

Josh: we’re going to try and do 

Andrew: I know it’s weird.

It’s weird. They usually happened when I’m trying to like. Do something for her. So I’m trying to get her some food or trying to give her a bottle and put her down to bed or whatever it is, you know, but I’m trying to do something that’s in her best interest. And then for whatever reason, chill, chill, you know, have a temper tantrum.

Cause she’s too. So sometimes that results in her, like literally hitting, you know, and, and that’s something. That like, I never hit my daughter in any way. We never use used violence to teach a lesson at all to her. Um, but it’s, it’s tough to sit there and literally take a hit, you know, to the face or shoulder or whatever, because it’s not like it hurts that much.

Like she’s tiny, but the reality is it’s like it’s, it’s. It makes me mad. I’m like, don’t do that. You know, like we don’t do that. Um, and I just try to stay calm and like, correct. But, but taking that hit, like the reality is nine times out of 10 in the next two minutes, she’s going to be hugging me and saying, I love you daddy.

Like, it’s not like she’s going to keep that up. But protecting her is like, I won’t let you do this to me. I’m not going to retaliate against you, but that’s not an okay thing to do. Um, but I’ll take that hit in a very literal way. Um, and then help correct behavior after that. No, like love always protects.

And for me, that is kind of a form of like, I’m going to protect you because I want, I need to teach you this behavior. Isn’t okay. But I also need to teach you you’re safe, you know, like I’ll take the hit. But then I’ll try to correct it in a good way. You know, I’m trying, I’m working towards her best interest all the time in that.

So I don’t know, just to keep things about like, from my football last night of just like literal people taking hits for others that, you know, didn’t have to, uh, but taking it for their best interest. 

Josh: No, that’s good. I think that’s a good statement to write on a sticky note put somewhere. So you see it all the time of.

Just remind yourself of now I’m going to take it like, well, it takes the hit and I’m going to take it. And this could be so many that it can, from a practical standpoint, it can play out in so many different ways. Right? Like, you know, maybe you’re your, it’s not your child punching you or slapping. Um, it’s, it’s your spouse, um, um, uh, doing something and I know easily, you are doing something that you think is.

Unhealthy or doing something that hurts you in some way. Um, you know, maybe it’s the way that they refer to you or how they address you. That just feels like now I’m not saying sit in that forever, like have conversations about it. Um, cause that’s important, but um, in the moment it might be, I’m going to take, um, like that’s my posture.

I’m going to take, um, you know, she’s criticizing me right now and it’s just, Oh, it’s boiler in my blood. Then I’m going to take her. Yeah. Yeah. I’m gonna take the hit right now in the moment. Cause that’s what’s right. Or, you know, my wife leaves the strap around that, the bananas bananas, and instead of being annoyed in the moment and lashing out at the stupidity of doing that, um, I’m gonna just take the hit.

Andrew: That’s funny. All right. Serious question though. You’ve dude, you’ve been in ministry on a church staff, many, many years of your adult life. Like, I don’t know. Do you have some examples of like now I’m going to take the hit as the, as the youth pastor, as the person who’s on that mission trip? Or I don’t know, like.

Um, I’m putting you on the spot entirely, but I’m sure you have lots of examples of being like, no, it wasn’t that I did that, but I’m the leader of this team. I’m the head of this ministry and whatever, you know, I’ll take the hit. Yeah. Um, 

Josh: yeah, that’s not fun. No, it’s not. Especially when something fails that a lot of time has been invested in and gets a public failure.

Um, and you gotta take the hit for that. Like that’s hard. Um, And it depends on the culture. Some cultures may want accountability so bad, like that’s that they may want to know exactly who did it. So it’s hard to take the hit, um, you know, to stand up and generally fight to protect them. Um, because you know, somebody else wants to come down on them.

Uh, the first thought that came to mind was, um, I hosted an event. I don’t know if I shared this story before or not, but I hosted a band. I was a junior high pastor in Phoenix. Um, and we hosted a Dodge ball tournament. And this is like when the movie dodgeball was super popular. So all of our branding was built on that.

And, um, you know, it was a ministry model of, um, putting on really cool events and lots of kids will show up, which was true. I don’t know how many kids were there, but it was a decent amount. And, um, we. We built this massive cage on the basketball court. There’s an outside basketball court because Phoenix and inside things.

Yes. Um, and I’m like, it’s so it’s all in clothes. It looked free and cool. I spent a lot of time on that, on that, uh, project. And, uh, we pulled out the big speakers. We had commentators to funny nudes. How much have you got everything, you know, throughout the thing, just to be entertaining for those that aren’t in the game right then and there, but, um, Uh, a neighbor of the church came over.

This is a Saturday afternoon. She is, they bid like bid, um, and ran into the middle of, of the basketball court and like had to go through like our little entrances, um, and certain yelling at, you know, the two individuals that are just doing what they’re asking. Do you accommodating on the event? And in that moment, I could just, I wasn’t like right there so I could have snuck away.

How’s the guy in charge, but like, I could have hit it, 

Andrew: but you weren’t in his 

Josh: mind what was going on those moments of no, like I’m going to take the hit and I’m not going to try to correct the lady. She’s right. She has a right to her opinion. Um, and it just kind of took the hit. So she let her yell at me for 10 minutes and then she eventually done and left.

And, um, we went on our day. Uh, we turned down the music a little bit, but we still planning to change it. No. So there’s like those kinds of moments of that. I know that’s a silly example, but, uh, there’s plenty of other examples of like, my boss wanted to get rid of one of my staff members, um, on numerous occasions and you gotta take that.

Um, now this was on me, like firing me, but I’m not firing him or her. Yeah. So those kinds of 

Andrew: conversations, that’s a hard stand to have, you know, and I remember at least one story like that. Um, Where it was like, no, I’m, I’m fully unwilling to fire that person. Um, but you could fire me. That’s something, dude.

That’s like a that’s intense cause like, you know, having a livelihood to say, no, you can take that. You could take my job away, but I’m not, I’m not doing, I’m not firing this person because of that, you know, like that’s a yeah. That’s a line in the sand to take, that’s not a small thing because losing your job as a huge, stressful thing, you know?

Josh: Yeah. Yeah. And I think, and this goes with anything like shirting draw lines in the sand to protect people or people you care about people that God has just called you to love well, um, including your enemy. Um, but if you’re living in such faith with Jesus, that you’re just going to trust that he’s going to take care of those kinds of things.

That if something did happen to you, you know, someone calls you on your, on your, your line, in the sand, uh, and fired your ass. Um, then, then you just have to trust that God’s still in control and he’s going to provide as he provides. And in my experience in this life, Jesus always provides, um, like 100% impressively.

So he is extremely faithful and we’ve talked about God being faithful in the past, but he proves it over and over again, even when you’re not being faithful to him. He’s still painful. That’s the beautiful thing about Jesus is. So I think there’s confidence that comes from that faith and that relationship as you foster that relationship with God that, um, he is brought over to you versus like this, that we’re called to protect.

And I’m not worried about my well-being in this moment. I’m worried about the people I’m trying to protect in this moment and I’m going to protect no matter what that looks like. And then there’s, don’t get me wrong. We tell these stories and we’re like, Oh, look at us. We’re so awesome, Tom. But we have plenty of stories where we do like, not protecting when we should have protected.

And, um, like I, I remember, uh, this was a couple summers ago. Uh, I just, I just thought about this a couple of days ago, but, uh, my brother and I, and his wife, and I think my step-mom, I think it was the four of us in the car and we’re driving my brother’s driving I’m in the passenger seat and the car in front of us, like.

The dude was beaten on his, on his girl, in the car. I didn’t see it happen. I wasn’t paying attention to that, but my brother did and we’re at a light and my brother just jumps out of the car and he’s like, he’s like, he’s hitting her. That’s all I hear. So I jumped out of the car with him. I don’t know what’s going on, but here we go.

Uh, and it’s like those kinds of moments of like, what would I do? And in that situation, if I noticed it would I have like, pretended that I didn’t see it. I’m not going to protect them this moment. Well, my brother took the posture. You may have heard that those people didn’t know who they are. He doesn’t have to dudes like, cause I’m thinking all the bad things could happen.

You could have a gun you’re gonna get fricking shot, uh, Duke, like all these, what have you, you know, getting an actual fistfight and he’s, he pulls out a knife and stabbed you in the gut seven times. Right? All these things were running through my head and he’s not thinking of any of those things. And he’s just, I’m gonna beat the shit out of this guy, teach your lesson, which.

Yeah. If you win right story, if you mus horrible story, 

Andrew: not 

Josh: a story about action. It’s a story about love. Like in that moment, I’m going to protect this girl. I don’t know this girl. I’ll probably never see this girl again, but I’m a protector. Um, we didn’t get to the car fast enough to do realize we were walking up, up or moving up in the car, running up in the car and he took off, um, right past a cop to cop.

Didn’t do it. Okay. That’s where he goes. Mom was like injustice where you’re just like, what do you do? It is what it is. And you just gotta be okay with it or at least let it go on. Um, so things like that. So there’s quite a moment in my life where like, I probably wouldn’t have protected probably should.

Andrew: Yeah. Yeah, 

Josh: yeah. I’m not, 

Andrew: I’m not sitting here trying to say, you know, I’m perfect, uh, man, far from it, you know, I think that’s just. Less related to the always protects thing, but more, just a note on living this jesus’ life. The reality is if 

Josh: you, 

Andrew: if you fail one time less and you end up sending or, um, or not looking the way Jesus looks that’s okay.

You know, like this Jesus life is filled with grace and, uh, and we’re all trying to. Trying to have this kind of year look a little bit more like Jesus in our lives then than last year. But the reality is there’s a lot of ups and downs. You know, we did that episode, the mountains valleys and the hike between or something or the path between something like that.

And, uh, I dunno, like it’s shit. It’s not always up into the right. It’s not always like, yeah, I performed a miracle today. No, like I haven’t performed any miracles ever that I know of. Um, you know, but maybe in my life I’ll get to see somebody miraculously healed or some ridiculous thing happened from the 

Josh: dead.

Andrew: That’s a bucket list, you know, like raise somebody from the dead. That is a definite bucket list situation, you know, but I’m just saying like in business, 

Josh: because let’s be honest, I had given him the credit, like sure. Externally, maybe. 100% stealing 

us 

Andrew: journalists 

Josh: and letting everybody know. Yeah. That’s probably why he’s like, I should’ve never going do that.

Andrew: Yeah. That’s like Josh, you would tell everybody on your podcast and you would, 

Josh: uh, no, no, you’re never going happen for you, 

Andrew: but no, I’m just saying, but there’s nothing wrong with like remembering the moments where you did something that did honor God. Well, but yet we all know that there’s plenty of moments that, uh, that.

More that way or that, that weren’t the ideal. So yeah. I never hear our examples as like, this is the, this is just too, Andrew is, this is just to Josh’s. I promise it is not so, uh, but we’re trying, we’re trying, 

Josh: I think there’s been, as we talked about, like this love, bears, all things, it was always protects it.

I think there’s two kind of camps that who else protects him. I think there’s the internal camp. So I’m going to protect you from me. Um, so my garbage, my junk, I gotta deal with it internally, so you don’t have to deal with it. And the other side of it is I’m going to protect you from the outside sources, right?

Um, so like, where’s that mean anger, discouragement being hyper-critical. Those are all things I’m going to protect you from from me. Like, I may be thinking all these things. I may be experiencing these emotions, but I’m going to keep my mouth shut. I’m going to take the hit because it’s better for you in this moment.

So I may look at your life and say, Like, this is pissing me off. This is making me angry. I need to point all these things out that are wrong with this guy, but with this gal. Um, and instead of doing that moment, because it’s not helpful to anybody I’m going to take me, I’m the shut up, whether I think I’m right or wrong.

But I think 

Andrew: dude, I like that take a lot. That half of it is protecting those from the thing, the simple things within you. You know, the things that broken parts of you. I won’t even say it sinful, just the broken parts of you protecting others from that intentionally, because yeah. Part of that justifies things like.

Having an accountability partner spending time in prayer, like, eh, no. I’m thinking external, having an accountability partner go in and seeing a therapist, if you need to, um, confessing things, being quick to apologize to others, like all of that, it, it justifies that because if you’re going to love well by protecting people, then half of that is you going to protect them from yourself?

That’s from some of the things in you, you know, that’s, that’s a good take and that’s really cool. And I thought of 

Josh: it like that. And we do this for a variety of different reasons, but like we’re so quick to point out people’s shortcomings, um, and not focus on the good that’s going on. Like, you know, I come from pastor world.

I work with, with church leaders and pastors and administrators in my job now. And, um, how quickly we are to point out the things that are wrong about famous preachers, famous, whatever. And you. Have issues with them being famous or not. That’s not the point of the illustration. Um, but like you, you can look at CarLotz.

We talked about a couple of weeks ago. Um, Carl Lentz had an affair and all the affairs 100% wrong, but does that diminish or change the impact that he’s had for the kingdom over the last decade or two decades? How long he’s been in ministry? No, it doesn’t. Does it hurt it? Yeah. It hurts it to some extent.

I know, like he’s, he’s done it. You know, he’s the damage to his influence, but it doesn’t change what, what he’s done, but we as Christians so quickly sever ties. Alright. I like the guy, no, forget that guy. Like he should never be a pastor in the first place. What, like, are you fricking kidding me right now?

Like, that’s what you’re going to like, but that’s, that’s often we attack rather than protect. Like we want to expose wrongdoings rather than to cover them in protection. Um, like, and I’m not saying hide sin. That’s not. Like, do we need to bring all sin out to the open? No. Now if it’s getting dealt with, I don’t think we do.

Um, do we need to address sin in the people that we have influenced with 100%? Because since destructive, I want to protect them from that sense. So why wouldn’t I bring it up? I’m not going to bring it up in a judgemental way. It’s out of deep care for the individual. Like if you know, I had a brother that was having an affair, like.

Yeah, I’m going to bring it up if I’d hope about it. Yeah. Like I’m going to, I’m going to help him deal with it because that’s not okay. Um, it’s causing damage, not just to him, but to those that was him. And that’s 

Andrew: you literally protecting, even though in the moment it’s going to cause hurt, it’s going to cause pain and be uncomfortable and might hurt your relationship.

But the thing to do and love is a to bring it up to not sweep it under the rug, you know, to not say there’s nothing here. Yeah. 

Josh: Yeah, but are often are put, as soon as I’m going to expose all this, I’m going to bring it all out into the open because that’s the right thing to do. It’s not sorry. Um, it doesn’t change behavior when we do it.

It just shames. Um, and that’s not, that’s not the Jesus way. Um, yes, we want to deal with sin, but we want to, we want to protect, not, not attack. We want to cover people in protection and not expose them. Um, I feel like that 

Andrew: that public shaming is like the modern day scapegoat. Know what I mean? Like, like in biblical times I think I have this right.

Tell me if I’m just totally wrong, but wasn’t the idea of escape to go like back in the day earlier Israel, like they would, it would like pick a goat and metaphorically, put all their sin on it and then send it out of the city or out of the village, like far into the wilderness basically to go die. Like.

Get 

Josh: out before. 

Andrew: Yeah. I’m pretty positive that this is real. We can look it up and you can fact check 

Josh: sacrificially. Like you would find the perfect go without any blemishes. And that was the representation of, um, 

Andrew: I think there’s a story where they like, sit it, go down, would send it out to die. But I don’t know if that’s the Bible or like some myth or what I’m mixing it up, but.

Bye. Okay. So even just taking a goat to sacrifice, like we know this relates to it a lot, even that you take this, this literal thing and you say  yeah. Like a lamb could be birds. They did all kinds of animals, but, um, you, you put your son on that thing and you externalize it, right? You said like, no, my sin is there now.

Like, and it’s going to go be sacrificed, it’ll die. And it takes kind of the blame for me. Um, I think maybe our modern day, like, uh, sacrifice, I guess, or externalization of sin is like just saying, Oh, how bad they are horrible. They are like, I’m not that bad. So like, you know, I don’t struggle with that thing.

Yeah. And I know we’ve talked about this before, but like, you know, in the affair situation, um, like everybody can point fingers and say, well, Should have never been a pastor to begin with, or I always knew as ministry, it was fake or whatever you want to say, but you, you externalize it and say, no, no, that’s far for me.

Um, but the reality is men. Yeah. Th the kind of your take on it is maybe there were a lot of people who could have protected him way better. Um, and maybe they did, maybe they’ve done well. 

Josh: And 

Andrew: maybe there’s a lot of readership. Yeah, go ahead. 

Josh: Like the leadership of Hill city, sorry, Hillsong long church Hillsong.

Like I think they did protect, uh, yeah, like, yeah. Yeah. They, they, they, they released him. They fired him like that had to be done. Um, influence was, was damaged. Um, but they didn’t come out and say, Hey, this is what happened. Here’s all, here’s all the details about it because they know it’s not our place. We can let people think, whatever the heck they want to think.

Like it was Wednesday. Brought it all out into the open shared what happened. Um, so I think there’s a piece of that that I think Hillsong did protect, which was protect rather than to expose. And yes, like when you have such a high profile leader, you do have to notify people that he’s been terminated.

Right. If you can’t get around that, no, they left it up. Here’s our statement. This is all it’s being said and we’re moving 

Andrew: on. Yeah. I just feel like I didn’t finish my thought. Very cool. Coherently, but the you’re right in that with the Hillsong thing, I’m not trying to dwell on Hillsong and not trying to beat up Carlin’s at all.

Um, but, um, Like, there’s the, there’s the I’m going to choose to protect you. I’m going to choose what’s. Right. Um, and, and do that, whether it be confronting an individual, um, in private or having to take a public, um, notification like that, which nobody wants to do, um, there’s that, which is actually protecting behavior or there’s the, the finger pointing that happens from a lot of people who are on the outside and the finger pointing of like, Well, that’s so bad or that person’s so bad or maybe deep down, I was always jealous of the platform they had anyway.

So I’m glad to see them fail. Um, there’s that too, you know, but that’s not protecting, that’s like scapegoating, that’s like saying, you know, this sin is external and everybody can see it. So it’s, it’s way worse than what I have going on in me, you know? Um, it’s that’s the whole point I was trying to make, I guess.

Josh: Yeah. No I’m with you and I, and the only reason I may make mention is I just want to give Hillsong credit where credit Steve. Uh, totally. But yeah, I think, I think oftentimes that’s our posture that we take. Like we wet, we’d rather point in expose a sin that we see it. One of two reasons, either our own insecurities.

Um, and you know, we’re not protecting other some ourselves at that point. Most of these are, we’re not protecting others from ourselves. Uh, and the other are the other is like you said, jealousy. Um, which also plays into and jealousy for a variety of different reasons. One because of the platform they had, or they seem to be more successful than I am, whatever happens to be, or it’s jealousy, if they got to do what I actually want.

Right. Right. Yeah. They got that. Yeah. The affair. And I’ve just been flirting with for so long. And I know I can’t do it and I’m not giving into it. I think there’s that piece of jealousy too. That’s really twisted in weird, but either way I’m, I’m no longer protecting, um, People for myself in this goes like, we’re, we’re talking about a large scale issue.

Like bring it into your own personal life. Like this happens, you know, lives as well with, with coworkers and family members and, and people we do life with and people around us and of all of those different areas. Like we have the same opportunity now, am I going to take the hit and shut my mouth? Or am I going to take what happened?

And like share it with the world? Um, not, not in a public sense, cause that would be wrong. But. Do you have some of the warning be like, Hey, I know you’re trying to. To work with so-and-so or you want to do that project with so-and-so. I just want you to know that this is what they did in their past, and it might not be the that’s not okay.

That’s not protecting them from yourself. That’s just throwing your crap all on them because you haven’t dealt with your own crap yet. Like there’s that piece of it too, that we have to be. And I think this is the more harder, the more harder I don’t, I’m not doing much better. The mobile in away. I think there’s some word that’s going away too.

To protect. I think the other side is easier to see right. Protect people from outside attack. Yeah. I can see that. Yeah. Makes sense. It’s easy. It’s this stuff. I think it’s harder for us to identify, um, because we take the truth piece, right? Like. Um, and I know we talked about this before, but we like, we weaponized truth, but this is the standard that God has called us to live.

Um, but we forget that it’s a standard inside of love. Like you said earlier, like it’s a journey I’m not perfect today. I’m probably never going to be. I say I’ll probably never, I’ll never be perfect in this life until Jesus returns, unless 

Andrew: you’re from the hole. And then the day I might be thinking of Josh, SCUP his thing figured out, 

Josh: right.

I think that’s why Jesus will never let me do it because that’s what I’m going to think too. I’m like I got to sleep. Okay. I’ll do whatever the hell I want because I’m right. No.

Um, and I know my own health, so I know exactly that’s exactly happening.

I’d beat it, but, uh, yeah, that’s what you use it on your, on behalf. And that’s okay. I’m I’m content. Uh, but yeah, like I think these are the harder things to identify. Um, because when we see something that’s wrong, we feel that we have the right to correct it and I’m going to argue against it. I don’t think you do.

I don’t think that’s protection. I don’t think, um, I don’t think you’re doing it out of love. I think you’re doing it for a variety of other reasons and loving 

Andrew: Josh. So actually not, not a question as much as I think, but the. The thought of like, it’s harder in the moment to protect people well, from the, from our, from what’s going on in us or what we see going on in them.

Um, right. Because that, that leads to uncomfortable moments, uncomfortable conversations. But, but the reality is if we’re in, if we’re the one in the, in the thing that’s about to be made public, you know, the thing that a year from now, it could be made public to where. Yeah, they, this person walked in the sin.

And because of that, they’re no longer a part of this organization or church or this, this role or whatever. Like the reality is we want people in our lives. We should want people in our lives who are going to call us out when it’s a lot less painful. And when we’re allowing for a lot, when we’re not as far down the road, you know, like, so I don’t know, good friends are, can be.

Hard to come by. I guess our good friends, just good relationships take work. They’re not necessarily hard to come by. They just take work and they take real stuff like this. So I don’t know. I I’m thankful to have you and some other friends in my life who I would expect would 100%. Call me out personally, if I was in the wrong.

And if you saw this, you’d protect me from me, you know, uh, maybe a year in advance, you tied crackled time in a little bit and be like, dude, this is going to lead to some bad stuff. If you don’t correct it, you know, I’m thankful to have good relationships like that in my life. And the reality is I think we all want that because none of us and like nobody wants to be the person who’s being pointed at.

Nobody wants that. Like, Oh, they’re the bad person. They’re the one who’s so bad. Sucks to be them. I’m glad I’m not, you know, nobody wants that. Like, yeah. And that’s one of the maybe uglier sides of, of this jesus’ life is that our United States churches maybe can be too known for that, but maybe should be known for not protecting well enough to begin 

Josh: with while I think we get there because we.

We’ve allowed moralism or being right. What is compared to what is wrong to be the same that we’ve put on the altar? Like this is the most important thing being without sin is the most important thing. This is very clear. You’re a sinful being, being without, since not part of the equation. Like you’re going to have sin in your life.

It’s going to happen. It’s going to be a part of it. This is why Jesus went to the cross to forgive that sin because he knew it was going to, he was going to take control, right? Like, and Jesus was clear. Like what were the greatest commandments with love? Love is the greatest commandment. Love God with all of your being and love your neighbor as yourself.

Those are the greatest commandments. Love. God love people. Um, the greatest commandments are not. Make sure you keep all my, keep all my, my, my, um, commandments make sure that you don’t send ever for any reason. No, that that’s not, it it’s love. And you know, as Peter says, um, I think it was Peter when we find the verse first, Peter four eight above all love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sin.

Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. Love for. Well, love did forgive sins, but it’s not our love to it. It was jesus’ love and him going across the desert, like a sacrifice had to be made for sin to be, um, uh, overcome. But in this moment, like it’s now when I choose to love you, you’re going to sin against me. Like I.

I, I have a buddy. I love deep. I love him with all of my be great friends. Um, but he also does things that drive me nuts. And we’ve been on trips where he’s done things that drive me nuts. Um, and our normal posture is matters. Get rid of it, whether it’s sin or not like cut it out. Like that’s not okay. I’m done with this relationship.

But that’s not love. Love is I put up with his quirks and weirdness so I can love him. Well, because he looks at me and says the same exact place, like brick and jobs constantly, constantly Christian yachts. Uh, BOMA love him anyways. And that’s why we’re still friends today, because love is the thing that’s covering over the multitudes of our sin.

I mean, we’ve probably sent multiple times against each other probably, uh, in ways that, you know, we may not even realize right now. Um, but in all reality, love covers over those things. And it’s, it’s my marriages as well. If you want to go on a romantic route, like when love exits the picture, then it’s really easy and it picks everything that’s wrong with your spouse.

And if there are things wrong with your spouse, 100%, there’s things wrong with your spouse. There’s unhealth there, sin there’s there’s ugliness, but in you gonna focus on those things, you’re going to focus on the great things about your spouse. Yeah, right? Like this applies to all different types of relationship and applies with your boss.

It applies with your coworkers. It applies with teammates and I’m gonna apply as a friends that applies with those that you do life with, uh, inside the church. Like this is it. Like they’re going to do things that are sinful. They’re going to do things that are unhealthy. They’re going to do things that hurt you and her people around you, but you’re going to choose to love anyways, like that’s protecting, right?

Like I’m going to invest in this relationship because I’m going to protect. This relationship, um, even when they’re annoying you, when I drive me batshit crazy, uh, I’m going to love anyways, and I’m going to choose that posture. And for me, like, this is a new experience for me, because this has not been my experience part of my upbringing, part of the way I was raised in the church.

Um, I’d love to cut you out. Mike cut you out of my life so much easier than dealing with you. And that just seemed like the right thing to do. I’m telling you it’s not, I was 100%, um, that is not the right thing to do. We choose to invest in relationship. And the only way we choose investment relationship, um, no matter what kind of relationship it is is we choose to love.

And at times that means we’re going to choose to see the best in people when they’re at their worst. And we’re going to choose to focus on the good about who they are rather than the bad. And we’re going to choose to encourage and lift them up. Even when we think they’re being a dumb ass, uh, and causing harm, we’re still gonna lift them up because it’s just the right posture we should take.

And yes, that friend is angels. That’s what I’m talking about. 

Andrew: And that’s me. 

Josh: Uh, it’s funny 

Andrew: now I’m sure there’s things I do that drive you nuts. Um, yeah, 

Josh: but I don’t know our relationships easy. That’s the best part of it all. Like. Maybe we need deeper relationships. We see more shit about each other. I don’t know.

But 

Andrew: yeah, 

Josh: doesn’t take work. 

Andrew: Do you find a literal bear and just poke it and see 

Josh: new? Does 

Andrew: I still get that episode? Cause I like to listen to every once in a while, and that had me laughing pretty hard, um, where Nike’s into the woods, but. Yeah, man. I think there’s something here and, and I like the, the idea of protecting others or bearing all things kind of from the literal.

like you see somebody running at them with a knife, you see a car driving towards them that they don’t see and you move them. You protect them. Very literal. Since, you know, but, but then there’s the, and that’s, that’s like quick, that happens and it’s done and, and you move on. Um, but there’s the protecting them from the, the parts of you that, you know, you need to work on that, you know, you need God to work on, you know, that you need help with.

And, and I think that’s a lot harder. It’s not as exciting. Um, but it is very important. Long-term so I just. I dunno. I think that’s cool way to look at love. Always protects as 

Josh: no 

Andrew: go and do those things go and protect others because it’s worth it. And it’s a vital part of loving people. Well, especially when you’re talking long-term relationships, longterm friendships, marriages, whatever it is.

Um, just coworkers, like love always protects, uh, not summertime. Yeah. 

Josh: Yeah. I think your, your, your phrase of all take the hit. I think that’s. I think it’s powerful. Um, like just look at a book in a coworker situation, you know, you’re, you’re working on a project at the same time, and I know you saw this, but I’m just going to re heat it.

Um, and you know, you’re working project, your, your partner screws up royally on this project. Um, it’s gonna make you bolts look bad. Um, and in that moment, you’re going to, just to protect you in that moment, you’re gonna take the heat. You’re gonna take the hit, um, And rather than throw your partner under the bus, because love matters more in this relationship, but who’s right.

And who’s wrong. Um, isn’t it important that they know the mistakes that they made. So they’re not made in the future 100% sure. But that’s a conversation between you and them. It’s not a conversation between you and your supervisor. Like you take the hit. Here’s what I did wrong. This is what I could’ve did better.

I’m sorry. And hate 

Andrew: relationship wise. You do that once for person, they will never forget it. You know, like you, you build a actual relationship in that moment, um, you know, for better or worse, whatever it is. I think it’s always for better because you’re, you’re the one saying, no, take the hit. I’ll, I’ll be the face of this failure today.

Um, you know, but, but that person knows like, You took that for me. Like you could have thrown me under the bus. You know, I was already on a short, short leash at work or whatever that would have ruined me. You know? It’s like somebody took the hit for you and that people don’t forget that stuff, you know, it’s not, they don’t forget that.

Josh: No. And you build a culture like that and just think how strong that culture, where everybody. Yeah. Like, it’s just not you doing it. It’s excuse me. It’s the culture, right? Yeah. I, I work for an organization right now and, you know, we merged with another organization. So our, our core values are changing kind of, um, one of our values was we build a team and family spirit, and the way that that gets defined is I’m going to back my coworker before I back our customer.

Hey, there’s a, there’s a piece about that of culture. That’s 

Andrew: a big choice to say I’m going to be for my, my teammate first. Like that’s a big, wow. 

Josh: And that’s opposite of a lot of businesses, a bought of churches, right? Like, well, my teammate was wrong, so I’m gonna, I’m gonna, I’m gonna defend you now. I’m gonna choose my teammate was doing their best.

So they possibly could with the information that they have and the decision that they made was what they thought was the best decision. And I’m going to support that. Um, And that like, that’s a change in your behavior, but it creates a unity, a carry it’s a family spirit among your team, because you all know that we have each other’s backs that I’m not gonna throw you under the bus.

And then I’m going, I’m going to take the hit for you because that’s the right thing to do. So piss off customer, I’m just gonna take the hit. I’m not going to say, Oh, this was Andrew’s fault. Andrew did this. Andrew needs to deal with this. No, I’m just going to let them go. Let them vent. And I’m going to take that.

I’m going to let my coworker know. Not for the sake of my own. Like, Hey, like, look how awesome I am. But like, Hey, I just want you to know first, first, um, what can we do to help? Like, there’s that piece, um, that I think is, is like, there’s a culture that can shift and change. And like, you just look around you.

Like, those are the kinds of communities you want to be a part of. Like, you don’t want to be in a friend group. That’s constantly at each other and nitpicking each other, like who wants to be a part of that? You’re a part of it because you has to be, cause you’re around it all the time, but like, that’s not what I want to be a part of.

That’s not the culture I want to do. Um, so you start building this culture of I’ll take the hit. Like I think there’s something to it. I might steal that phrase and use it in future projects. 

Andrew: Please do I’ll take the hit. 

Josh: Like it will make a sticker out and put it somewhere. That’s right. Yeah. I think it’s, I think it’s a good word of, you know, how do we protect?

We take the hit. Um, that means internally. We shut up, get healthy, uh, choose not to say certain things. And I keep things for itself. Um, especially things that don’t really matter. Um, and that’s the posture. And then externally, we’re gonna take the head. We’re going to protect those from the harm that could come at them from external sources, I’m going to step between them and whatever that harm is.

Um, because it’s the right thing to do. Um, and that’s how I love people. Well, I’m going to take that 

Andrew: dude. I got nothing to add. I feel good about that. Thanks for listening to our show. It really means a lot to us and we hope that it helps bring you closer in your relationship with Jesus and with other people.

Josh: And also helps us out if you rate our podcast or leave us a review on whatever platform you’re listening on and go, so follow us on Instagram and the Facebook. Now sharing this with your friends. Isn’t just to get the, we’re not of the podcast. We believe that we have the message of hope that’s found in the gospel of Jesus Christ and you sharing.

This has the ability to transform the lives of the people around you. 

Andrew: We want to hear from you. You can email us@helloatthisjesuslifepodcast.com. You can message us on Facebook and Instagram, or you can just visit us@thisjesuslifepodcast.com. But seriously, thanks. .

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