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Humanity has a Problem
Episode No. 65

Life can be tough and trials can be long and difficult, yet Paul tells us not to lose heart. As we foster a relationship with Jesus and place our focus on his purpose and his plans, hope can be found. Circumstances might not change, but we can change how we face them.

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Josh: Hello. Hello. Hello. We’re just doing these, trying to live this Jesus life. My name’s John. 

Andrew: Hey, I’m Andrew. And we are this Jesus life podcast. Josh. We are back in episode 61 

Josh: 61, who would have thought that we would have made the 61 flipping episode, dude, that’s pure 

Andrew: calm day. It’s it’s crazy, man. It’s crazy.

How do you feel, how are you doing today on this, uh, this Thursday? For 

Josh: episode 61, I’m doing well. Uh, other than it’s been hot now, Colorado hots, like high eighties, low nineties, but it’s pretty miserable for us. I like to say we’re much closer to the sun than the rest of you folk. Uh, and that’s why it’s worse for us, 

Andrew: right?

That’s fair. 

Josh: Well, when I lived in Phoenix, we used to tell people it was just, it’s just a dry heat. That’s how we justified it. Flip it off. 

Andrew: Anytime in the summer is horrible. I’ve been to Phoenix a few times in early summer and why to so many people live here, what are you doing? Like, unless you have like breathing problems and you need that hot dry air, dude.

I don’t understand why so many people live in Phoenix, but. God bless him. You know, like they can do that. Let me just say the, their water smells and tastes horrible out of the tap. Like that’s one thing about no, really dude. Yeah. I’ve noticed I’m like, this smells like eggs, like straight up, like there’s sulfur in the water a little bit.

I’ve noticed that about Orlando too. I’m like, 

Josh: wow. 

Andrew: Uh, when I noticed that I was like very close to downtown Phoenix. 

Josh: Oh, that’s interesting. 

Andrew: Yeah. Yeah. For the big 

Josh: Hillsong things like out east. Yeah. Um, I can’t remember the name of the city. Isn’t it? Mesa and queen Creek, but no Phoenix. I think all of Arizona water, I don’t know where the water comes from, but it all is just gross.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, we used to have to, like, we used to take high school students to Arizona every year. Right. Um, and we had to after like trucking water for them because you wouldn’t drink.

It can’t be that 

Andrew: that’s funny, man. Well, when you’re used to Colorado water, you know, it is, it’s a big change that’s for sure. Um, yeah man, it’s been, 

Josh: oh, water. People would like fill their glass up from the faucet and you’re like, what are you doing? You don’t, you don’t want frigid water. You want filtered water.

Andrew: If you guys you’d like your 

Josh: water, my water here at my house is it’s not bad, but it’s not great. 

Andrew: Really my water here at my house is better than the Colorado water I had when we lived there, um, straight up, but that’s cause I live, I have a well, but I have like a treatment system it runs through. So it’s like, it’s not pure, well water it’s filtered, you know, but, um, two distinct and good it’s really good.

Um, I’m a big fan, so no complaints happy to drink it out of the tap here, but it has been super hot here too. Like this morning I got up a little bit early and as soon as my front yard was dry enough, I went out there and mowed for a little bit. Cause like it’s getting really long. Um, but uh, I do not want to sit on my mower at like 4:00 PM or 5:00 PM and do that today.

Sweat to death, you know, it’s been like close to a hundred the last couple of days or mid nineties. Yeah. And it’s human, but we have a pool. So like you can jump in the pool and it’s not too bad, but yeah, man, 

Josh: it’s pretty rough. Do you, do you take turns, like, do you do a little bit of a mowing jump in the pool, do a lap, jump back on the mower, do a little bit more.

I have, I 

Andrew: have man, I’ve literally taken like, all right, I’m going to mow for 10. And jumped straight to the pool and then mow for 10 more minutes and it works out, you know, it’s all 

Josh: good. It’s all good button. There you go. As long as you eventually gets done, right. Make it an adventure, right? 

Andrew: Make it fun.

Yeah. Yeah, man. So little chicken update from us. Uh, we still have 13. No, no, it’s good.

Well, that’s the, that’s the bigger update we actually started with 17 we’re down to 13, but the 13 are going strong. They’ve been, they’ve been solid for 

Josh: at 16 for a long time.

We’ve lost. Bri, where did they 

Andrew: go? Well, there they’re no longer with us. They’re uh, they’ve passed. So one shows bad till if you’re new to the show, we started with 17 chickens as chicks one before she was big enough to like lay eggs, um, plus to go, right? Yeah, no over a year ago. Over a year ago. One died before she reached, like egg-laying like maturity.

Um, and then it’s cause she was the dumbest chicken and choke to death on food. Um, is my estimation, another one, uh, got her head stuck in the fence and. I’ll leave out the details, but was decapitated, um, just really bad. It was really bad, 

Josh: but then like odd to death from the inside, right? Oh, the chickens were like, Hmm, you guys want some chicken?

It 

Andrew: was a real horror show. Like it was your real, I don’t feel bad about eating chickens because of that. I’m like, I know what you creatures are. Like, I see what you are, you know? Um, then the another one got sick and just like died in her sleep one night, which was really sad. Cause she was like a super nice chicken, but I tried to give her all these like chicken, probiotics, antibiotics, all this stuff.

And she still, she passed. So I think like she wasn’t acting right. Like all the other chickens would go out. And she was like shivering inside, like alone, like acting all weird, but yeah, man, you start to, uh, be able to read chickens pretty well. You know that, uh, I think that was all. I feel like one more died.

I think we had 17 to start and we’re down to 13 now. I don’t know, dude, 

Josh: if you just wandered off and you didn’t even realize it, you said two minutes. It’s like when you get like, it’s like when you have too many children, when does eviction wanders off? And we hang up 17 kids at one. I couldn’t believe we didn’t mean we did start with 16.

Maybe, maybe we’re okay.

Andrew: Wake up in cold sweat from the middle of the night, like a home alone style 

Josh: home in, yeah. Oh, oh. Because he peed the bed. Well, his cousin beat the bed. 

Andrew: I meant like his, uh, his parents, like they’re on a plate and then they wake up in the Wolf the night in London and you’re like, oh, damn. Yeah, 

Josh: that’s gotta be whew.

That’s gotta be a rough. Like if you’ve locked it. And I assume every parent has lost their child at some point, not for like a long period of time, but like I got lost in a mall once. I do remember that it felt like an attorney, but it was probably only like five minutes. Yeah. So I assume everyone goes to that experience, but like, that’s gotta be a terrifying moment, 

Andrew: dude.

It is. I’ve only done that on really small scales, but like, I think both Janet and I, Catherine will just like wander off and do her own thing, which is cool, but it’s also like terrifying at moments like, and we lived in the country, so she can’t wander off very far. Um, Without us knowing, but dude, I’ve had moments where I’m like, I thought she was like, you know, 10 feet from me.

And then I start looking around and like calling her name and can’t find her for like three minutes and it’s just immediately like, oh no, what’s happening. You know, like your heart rate goes up. It’s like, yeah, it’s a horrifying experience. So I can not imagine if you flew to a different country and literally realized you left a kid at home, like home alone.

The worst, 

Josh: the worst, I assume like that ha that has had to have, that has had to have happened before, which is like, that’s the mind blogging part, like in a movie. Yeah, funny storyline, but like in real life, I want to meet the family that they left a child behind. I just want to know more about the story, like all of those things

that had been rough. 

Andrew: Oh yeah. Yeah. So do you, what, uh, What are we talking about? Is it hopeful? Is it pessimistic? Um, is this the, are we going to conclude the hope series by doing the, uh, the, I dunno, pessimistic series, the lack of hope 

Josh: halfway through, you would shift it of like, you know, this whole thing is not working.

It was just hard to be pessimistic. And angry and then let everybody else know that we’re pessimists, like we’re angry and that life is not turning out the way that we hoped. I think that would be the best solution to this whole problem. And if we can do that, then, then I think we’ll actually help people.

Just kidding. I think hope is the only way to live this life, because any other way, it just sounds miserable and exhausting. Um, but yeah, we’re in the middle of the hope. Yeah. Um, we are week like, ah, episode like six, maybe into it. I don’t remember off the top of my head. Um, and the hope series is, is all designed to help you find hope and more importantly, keep it, um, when we think that hope is found in Jesus and his way of doing life, which is in relationship with him in relationship with others.

Um, and the hope study is hopeless. That he’s goal is to teach people how to do that so they can, uh, Find hope. Find life, get life. Giving environments find joy, even if life is hard. Um, even if it’s not turning out the way that he hoped, even if you’re losing. Things that are dear to you, uh, and all those things.

Um, but we’ve done, sorry. I’m also trying to pull up the thing and talk at the same time. Uh, so we started with the preamble. Um, we talked about grace changes everything. We talked about the gospel and its impact on our lives. Talked about faulty attributes, things that we apply to God God’s character.

That, that just aren’t true who God is. Then we dug into it. Uh, relationships, uncensored, uncensored. I’m talking about just vulnerability intimacy and how do we foster relationship with Jesus specifically? Uh, and then we dug into last week and we’re going to continue, uh, on this kind of, uh, topic, but we talked about emerging from the Fox.

Um, so how do we actually embrace this new life that we have? And though it is a battle at times, um, and we’re definitely in a spiritual battle, uh, for sure. Uh, then we don’t have to be all buggered out in the Fox hole that we get to take, take ground. So how do we pull ourselves or emerge out of the Fox hole, um, and really start taking her.

So last week we talked about, uh, adding meek to your vocabulary, really to your behavior, but, um, how do we practice humility? And then we talked about obedience. Uh, being a scary word, but how important it is for Christians to live and obedient life to Christ. Um, and I think too, and I think we said this, but just to clarify too, if you’re, if you’re listening for the first time and you’re still playing catch up, we talk about medians.

We’re not talking about, you know, um, No distant God. That’s a jerk that just wants you to do what he wants when he wants you to do it. We’re not talking about that. When we’re talking about obedience, that helps you fully live out the life that Jesus has for you. Um, as Jesus embraces you as he loves you, um, as it guides you, um, he’s going to give you.

Uh, action steps, things that you need to do, conversations, you need to have, um, behaviors that you need to start changing. Um, as he guides you through how to change those behaviors. Uh, I was in a I’m in a community group that we met last night and we were talking about, um, uh, obedience. And, and what does that look like?

And, um, how do you actually. Um, change if Jesus tells you something’s wrong. Um, and I think oftentimes we have this idea in our heads that, um, say it’s I was going to say anger, but I feel like we always use that illustration or at least I do. That’s my that’s my go-to emotion. So that’s why, but, um, We’ll see some, uh, maybe the way that you’re treating a coworker, um, God kind of reveals or convicts.

Hey, the way you’re treating them, you’re not loving them. You’re demeaning them. You’re devaluing them. Uh, you’re hurting relationships, right? And then oftentimes I think we think, well, once Jesus convicts, then it’s our job to fix all that behavior. Um, and yes, we’re an active participant in fixing that behavior, but it’s not up to us to how to figure out how to do it.

Right. Like, um, our step would be like, Hey Jesus. Thank you for convicting me on this. I’m so sorry. I need to apologize to that person as well. And I’ll do that, but how do I fix it for the future? Like why do I treat this person this way? What’s the underlying issue that I should probably deal with. So I don’t keep doing this with that individual, because I think so often we’re convicted of that thing, but then we take the reins back and take control back and we take the lead and then we try to fix it and we can never fix it.

No, we’re just never going to get along with that person. And that’s okay. Instead of saying, digging into conversation. Yeah. So digging into the conversation with Jesus of like, how do you like, w what, what’s the thing, what’s the, what are they doing that triggers me? And why is that triggering me? Like, does it remind me of somebody has remind me of a situation?

Is there unresolved, uh, hurt? Is there an resolve, whatever going on that I need to deal with whatever those things happen. Um, I’m more than confident. Jesus is more than happy to walk you through that stuff, um, to dig into it. But another big piece, and this one we’re talking about today, but another big piece of emerging from the foxhole or embracing this new life that Jesus has given you through his death and resurrection.

Um, and our faith in that, um, is resting in relationship. Um, how do we rest and relationship Andrew, when you hear rest and relationship, what does that mean to you? 

Andrew: I think, well, I know we’re going to go through, 

Josh: sorry to interrupt you, but I’m looking at the video you right now, and I’m seeing the sparkle and blue eyes.

Um, but are you wearing your, are you wearing your physical education shirt from high school, 

Andrew: from college, from college? It was, as you noticed, I have not had any. I mean he’s yet. So I have my Indiana Wesleyan physical education. T-shirt on, man. I love this tea. I think it was five bucks. It was like part of the, uh, the class.

Like you had to get it for the weightlifting class. And it was an elective at any way. Yeah. I, uh, I rep this thing as often as I can. I’m proud of it. Um, 

Josh: it’s pretty good. It’s a nice one though. Mine was bright purple. And then it had the big white bar on it that you wrote your name on. I don’t know where it ended up, but definitely wasn’t wearing it.

Andrew: You just wear a shirt that, oh, it’s like a permanent name tag where it gets bumped. Like Josh, like written really badly huge, 

Josh: just like property of, or something, something weird. Like property of the high school. You have to write a name on it. That’s funny. 

Andrew: I, uh, this one, you know, they didn’t care about my name.

They just wanted to make sure I matched everybody else. Um, 

Josh: which isn’t weird. So weird college. Yeah. 

Andrew: It’s super weird. No man. Resting in relationship. Um, I know there there’s this scripture we’re going to go through in this, but I’ll give you just my thoughts that aren’t necessarily related to that, uh, yet, but.

I think about it. Like when you’re not resting in a relationship, just a normal relationship with a person, friendship, marriage, whatever coworker, like we all have a lot of relationships and, um, When you’re worried about one, when you’re feeling uneasy about one, at least for me even being a, an Enneagram eight, who’s comfortable with conflict, man.

I really value the relationships I have. So when one feels off, it really bothers me. Like it’s hard for me to rest in anything in my life. When I feel like something is really off in a relationship. Um, Like I said, whether that be friendship, marriage, like work, whatever. Like, I don’t like that. And, uh, so for me, I think rest resting in a relationship is like, there’s a level of trust.

Like, we’re good. We have a mutual understanding. We, we both have good expectations of one another. Um, know what to expect, I guess, uh, to, to some degree. And then when you take that to resting and relationship with the Lord, it’s like, there’s a level of, of trust that goes deeper. My circumstances might not look like I should have peace or hope or joy, or like any of the fruit of the spirit.

Like my, my life might seem a little chaotic and unbalanced and whatever, but I have trust that goes deep enough that I can just rest and this relationship, I don’t have to worry about something being a skew in my relationship with the Lord. I don’t have to worry that like God looks at me and is like, I’m not sure about that, Andrew.

Like, I don’t know when he said this, I got the wrong impression. It’s like, no, like. You just trust, like God knows my heart fully and he’s not going to change based on how my behavior, you know, so there’s a level of, of comfort in that. Um, for me, at least that I can just rest back and or lean back and like kind of rest in it.

Like everything else can be going nuts in my life or in my circumstances or in our world, you know? Let me just pause in our world. Like you watch the news for any extended amount of time. There’s going to be a level of anxiety that can easily build up in you because most of the stories are salacious and like that’s how they get people to keep paying attention.

It’s like, there’s a murderer on the loose, like a bomb went off like blackouts. Like COVID like all the things, you know, it’s always hyperbolic. Um, and a lot of that is because like, There’s some bad stuff going on for sure. But all the biggest, bad stories are what make people go like, oh, I got, I got better check for an update on that.

Better pay attention, better share this story better, whatever, you know, it’s, uh, it’s the hyperbolic stuff that makes you focus on it, but it can throw off your peace. It can throw off your ability to have peace. If you re. Not rest in that if you focus too much in that, you know, so I just feel like there’s a lot of, a lot of forces in, uh, in this world, whether they’re, you know, spiritual or just man-made that, that want you to not necessarily rest or have peace, um, but to be paying attention and be really concerned or really upset about something, um, w whatever that something is.

So. Rest is, is not necessarily like peace and trust and rest. Those aren’t necessarily easy things to like, hold on to, I guess, is what I’m trying to say. 

Josh: Yeah, no, that’s good. That’s really good. Um, and I had a thought and then I lost it. Sorry, my dog just walked in and he’s like, Jack, he might tell her something.

I don’t know what he’s doing. Um, he hangs out in my office a lot more. Yeah. Um, well, that’s cool. Which I think he’s just terrified. I think he’s scared of the dogs. He’s hearing them barking, so he’s like trying to get away from them and he knows I’m home. So usually if I’m not home, he hides underneath the kitchen table.

I don’t know. But that’s where I find it. What I call them. But I’m home. So I guess he’s just going to hang out here. He’s he’s really cute right now. He’s tried 

Andrew: to rest in that relationship and also bonus on the, on the side. He’s trying to get a little bit of that burrito. You’re eating. He’s like, I smell it, Josh.

Where is it? 

Josh: It, but he knows I don’t share my burrito. So right now he’s like, ah, it’s a burrito. I’m not getting any of that. It’s just helpful, man. He’s still share that good. That good tastiness, uh, Yeah. I don’t know where we’re going. I forgot that. Um, Resting in relationship, um, kind of is built on, on this verse in Matthew 11.

And this is being quoted by Jesus or Jesus being quoted here. Um, in the verse 28, he says, come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I’ll give you rest, take my yoke upon you and learn from. Um, for, I am gentle, humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light light.

Um, the crazy part of this, this, these verses that I think we often miss because you know, our Bible has been broken up into. Sections and chapters. Um, so we, we kind of lumped what’s in that chapter altogether. We forget what’s going on around it. Um, but right after this, Jesus is approached, um, by the Pharisees and they’re taking shots at him because their disciples are doing what is unlawful on the side.

Hmm. And he kind of walks into, um, what rest looks like, what the Sabbath was created for. Um, and then the fact that he is the son of man is Lord of the Sabbath that he is in 100% control of the Sabbath. Yeah, I think all too often, I think he even said he even quotes. I don’t remember where it is, but he says something like, um, If you only understood what was written, um, you know, desire mercy.

I desire mercy and not sacrifice. Uh, actually let me just go to the next chapter. Jose Jose, a six that he quotes. And I think all too often that we, we legalize too many things. So like Sabbath for us is just a legal thing of like, well, I have to sacrifice doing anything and just focus on Jesus for the day.

Um, and, and you know, that wasn’t exactly what Jesus was looking for. Like, he’s looking for relationship. He’s looking for us to be spending time with him and focusing on relationship and foster relationship with him. And I think that’s where, um, That rest dude, easy. 

Andrew: Let me jump in on the, on the Sabbath idea, because like, It’s easy to, to have that view of Sabbath, you know, like I can’t do anything on one day of the week, like, except for pray and spend time with the Lord.

Maybe I go to church, maybe I conveniently slot in my Sabbath on Sunday. Isn’t like this my God day, you know? Um, but then like your dog has to go out and take a poop and like, you’re like, I gotta get a bag and pick it up and like, shoot. Little voice in your heads, like, well, but you’re kind of doing work, uh, to some degree, like, you know, you, that’s the level of work.

Like you’re picking up your dog’s poop and you’re like, I’m also hungry. Like I didn’t cook enough food to where I can just pull stuff out of the fridge and you got to cook and it’s like all the, like if you try to take a day and you religiously, and I say religious on purpose, like say the only thing I’m doing today is praying.

Reading my Bible. Um, and, and spending time with God, you know, then inevitably there’s going to be like 40 little things that crop up. And it’s like, got to cook, got to wash those dishes. You got to pick up your dog, poop, got to do whatever. Then you have a kid and it’s like 400 things crop up, you know, like you gotta do that.

And that, and that. And then you realize like your view of, of what Sabbath was. Wasn’t the, the intent, you know, like I think if we talk a little bit about intent of Sabbath and rest of, of what Jesus meant in Matthew 11, like you were talking about, it might be a really good thing to unpack a bit because it’s, it’s way too easy to just have religious view and be like, no, I read Genesis.

Like God created the world and everything in it. And in seven days or in six days, and on the seventh day he rested. So. My job is to rest one day a week, which it is, but that doesn’t mean just kicking your feedback and like praying quietly all day, necessarily. That could be a great use of Sabbath at some point.

But, um, for me, and, and I think for most of us, that’s not a, that’s literally not attainable for a whole day, once a week, you know? So it’s like, how do you rest? And honor God. Um, With at least a day of your week and then more, how do you, how do you obtain rest throughout the busy-ness and the demands of, of your week?

You know? Um, yeah. What are your thoughts on all that? 

Josh: Well, I think too, like when I read this first, I think unfortunately for most Christians, the verse 28 is more true. Um, We’re burdened. Um, we’re weary and we, we want rest. Um, and I would argue like, if that’s where you’re living, um, like you feel weird or you feel burdened, you feel tired, you feel exhausted.

You feel like, you know, rest is never going to come upon you. I would argue. You’re probably doing life. Um, and I would argue that because Jesus just set it right here. Like there’s another way we don’t have to be this way. And I think it takes work for us to get to that place. So that takes intentionality and it takes, uh, to some extent, sacrifice in the sense that like you’re going to cut things out of your life and that’s okay.

Um, you don’t have to do everything. Um, and you don’t have to take on burdens the Jesus and ask you to take on, I think that’s another big piece of it. Like we think, you know, going back to what you just said about Sabbath, like we think there’s burdens that Jesus has asked us to take on, like, you better keep the Sabbath and don’t work at all.

Like no, no, grace on the Sabbath, don’t lift a finger. Live it exactly this way yet. Don’t turn on a light. Don’t do all those things. No offense to our Jewish friends. Leave your faith. Um, It’s unnecessary burden that we’ve placed in herself where Jesus, like I never asked you to do those things. Um, and that’s probably true.

It’s so many different things in our life. Like we, there are good things in our eyes, in other’s eyes, there are good Christian things to do, um, to avoid certain things or to, um, uh, do certain things. However that plays out. But they’re burdens that Jesus probably like, what, what are you doing? Like I never, when did I ever ask you to do this?

Like, why are you putting so much stress on yourself? I didn’t ask you to take the stress on, um, I think that now there are stresses that you are, Jesus, 100% asked you to take on, like Andrew said, like you haven’t kids, Jesus asked you to take on a level of burden and stress. Right. Um, but in the midst of that, I think there’s a way to.

Um, that, you know, it can feel easy. It can feel, you can find rest in the midst of it. The burden will be, will feel light. Um, and I think if we unpack this for there’s a lot packed into this verse, like in a little matter of two sentences, what Jesus says is pretty, pretty freaking remarkable. Um, like even so like he, so he sets it up of like, oh, come to me all who are weary and burdened and I’ll give you rest, which in all reality, the audiences speaking.

Probably 100% of them are relating to that statement. They’re like, what? Yeah, that’s me, what do I need to do? And then he tells you what he needs to do. 

Andrew: We’re an agricultural workers to some degree, like involved in farming. And they’re like, yeah, I work my butt off all the time to put food on the table.

And there’s no paid time off. It’s like, you know, this is what I do always with my life. And if I’m fortunate, when I’m old, my, my sons and daughters will do the same and take care of me so I can have a little rest before I die. You know? So, sorry, keep going. But it’s like, that’s the context. 

Josh: Yeah. Yeah, no, that’s good.

Uh, Then he says, take, take my yoke upon you and learn from me, which is a, is a farm, I guess. Are, are those that plow? Yeah. They’re putting fields. So it’s a farming term. Um, I was thinking of the oxidant in that picture, but like something that we miss, because we’re just not in that culture, you know, like Andrew just described the culture that, you know, they all understand the farming world.

Um, even if they’re not a part of it, they like it’s, it’s a pretty big. Economic moneymaker. So, um, they’ll know about it, but take my yoke upon you and learn from me. Well, as a young oxen, as they’re training to power fields, they usually tie a young oxen to an old, the oxen with a yoke. So the old, the oxygen can teach the young, young oxen how to do it, but also to carry a majority of the burden as that person’s learning how to do it.

Right. Right. So here’s Jesus say, like, learn from me. Let me take the other side of the yolk. Let me take the burden of it all. And just walk with me, walk with me, walk with me in this and let me show you how it’s done. Um, you know, I’m extremely gentle. I’m very humble in heart and you’ll find rest in your soul.

Like you don’t have to carry all the stresses and burdens of life on yourself. Like you don’t have to like, like, let me take some of those burdens off of you. That’s pretty hard to do. It’s easier said than done, right? Like stress is ingrained in us. We feel like if we’re not worrying or burdened about something that we’re not doing anything enough with enough passion, we’re just don’t care.

But there is a way to walk with Jesus in this and to lay those burdens on him. Um, so you can feel, you know, easy yoke, you can feel light. Um, that I think are easy or it is easier said than done, but I think it is actually easier than we think it is, um, as well. Um, and I think it really comes down to like, you, you always hear it said like, um, just give it to Jesus.

Like, oh, you’re stressed about that. Worried about, just give it to Jesus. And in all honesty, looking back, I had no idea what. Hmm. Like people said, like I had no idea what that meant. Does that mean like, oh, I pray about it and oh, I know what I need to do. I need to open my hands and I need to point them towards the sky.

Cause it’s like me giving something away. Right. And I’m not bashing that like doing physical things like that will help you. Yeah. With certain things, but like, is that, is that it? And I just let it go and it like floats up to Jesus and we’re good. Or like cross laid at the feet of Jesus and don’t pick it back up.

Right. Like add that little caveat. But even that, like, what does it mean to lay it at Jesus’s feet? Do I, do I imagine it in my hand? And then I’m like placing it at the feet of Jesus, which would be hard 

Andrew: on the paper and burn it, burn it with the candle. How do I do that? 

Josh: Yeah. Yeah. How do you do it? Um, and what I’ve learned over the last couple of years is the way we do it is in relationship and conversation with Jesus.

Um, and it’s not just a Jesus. Um, yeah, I’m stressing about work. I just want to give all that to you at give it to you now in the name of Jesus, it is yours. Um, I lay it at your feet. Uh, I opened my hands and release it. I know I’m going to stress about it and I’m not going to pick it up. Well, we’ve probably all done that.

Uh, and we all know that, you know, an hour later, five minutes later, uh, sure. This is back where he goes back. We’ve we’ve completely forgotten. We give it to Jesus is if I let it all out. So God, here’s what I’m stressing about. Let me walk you through the facts. Yeah. Um, then it’s Jesus, let me walk you through the emotions.

Here’s what I’m feeling. Here’s what I’m thinking. Um, God, now let me walk you through all the worries and the fears about it. Um, why am I stressing? I’m like, what’s the real root of it all. Um, and talking about that, God, I want this, and I know that this is going to help me get there. And if. Excuse me do those things.

I’m not going to get there, um, right. Go through all the stresses and worries. And I have found when I practice that and I let it all out. So you’re not talking a minute conversation. You’re talking a substantial long conversation because it takes a while to let it all out. Um, that I. I feel what it feels like to not have worry and burden.

I feel what it feels like when I let Jesus lead. And then even in those moments it’s conversation. So there’s going to be things he’s going to tell you to do. So he thinks he’s going to reveal it and explain to you in those moments that you’re going to learn from them, then you’re like, oh, okay, gotcha.

Yeah. I was trying to do it this way and I should have did it this way. Uh, I was trying to control everything and all my circumstances and put all this effort into it. When in all reality, Um, I’m going to be okay. Like I don’t have to worry about those things. They’ll be able to take care of my family.

I’ll be able to, whatever the worries are that they’re taking over, but you gotta let all that stuff out. You’ve got to tell Jesus about it. Um, and I think there’s a big piece in that that you’re like, oh, this is what it means. I pictured this way. So like here’s big oxen. We’ll say like 5, 5 50 easy all muscle rocks.

I don’t know how big they are, but that’s a big deal. They’re big, big, old horns. And then there’s like little, you what’s that movie. It wasn’t an option. I think he was a bull Fernando or Ferdinand, Ferdinand, the bull. I kind of picture like, you know, we’re Ferdinand. So like this little like bouncy bull, that’s just like, yeah, yeah.

Laugh is so fun. And then something happened like, life is miserable, this sucks. Um, and then you like walk up to this big burly, um, oxen and you’re like, Hey. Um, and he’s like, let’s go plow the fields. And you’re like, what? Um, you’re like barely even touching the yolk. He’s like doing all the work for you.

And then as you grow and learn the skills, like you’re taking more of the Oak and then eventually you’re on your own, just pulling it by yourself. Like, it’s that kind of thing that’s happening. And I know it’s a silly illustration, but, um, 

Andrew: the coloration though, man, you’re not on your own. You, once you get there teaching someone.

Yeah, you got somebody else and you’re like, showing them how you do it. You know, it’s like, Hey, ride my coattails in this. And like walk with me, you know, basically like Jesus is saying like, no, no, in this season, your job is to just show up. Eventually you’ll be pushing. But in this season you just gotta be present and start walking in.

Trust me, that goes back 

Josh: to. Yeah. And this is where it goes back to what we talked about last week, you know, add meek to your, your vocabulary, like humble humility and also obedience. Like if you’re not, you’ll never see yourself as Ferdinand the bull, right. If you’re not willing to humble yourself, right.

You’re like, no, I’m like the fricking ox. Like I can do this. I don’t need it. Yes. I know you so desperately need it, even if you don’t and if you don’t think you do, you desperately need it more than the rest of us that know we do. Right. Um, like you’re in a rough spot. Um, and so I think there’s that piece of it too.

Like this isn’t going to work unless you take on humility, meaning you don’t know what’s I think of like solid. So there’s a, there’s a story, um, where God asks Solomon, I’ll give you whatever you want, just ask for it. Um, you know, whatever it happens to be, and, you know, God has got, so he knows what he’s going to decide, but even in that moment, you’re probably thinking wealth.

More power, bigger, bigger, bigger I’ll leave things. And what he asks for is wisdom. Um, and I think there’s a lot of humility in that. Like he didn’t ask for knowledge, he didn’t ask for more information and he didn’t ask for like, I want to know that everything, no. He asked for wisdom. So in wisdom, there’s humility in wisdom.

There’s, uh, understanding, uh, the sound 

Andrew: issues. 

Josh: Certainly there’s so much inside of wisdom that play out. There’s humility that, and then God’s like, because, because you asked for something so like remarkable, um, like I’m going to give you everything anyways, which if you’re selfish and gender, just always ask for wisdom.

No matter when you ask for something, I want wisdom, wisdom, uh, 200 for three. So the wisdom, but in all reality, like, and I think you don’t see this when you’re young. I didn’t. Yeah. And I probably don’t see it even fully now, like talk to him in my sixties and I’ll probably even have a better appreciation for wisdom in our lives.

Um, discernment, um, good judgment, um, knowing what, you know, knowing what’s right and wrong, but more importantly, knowing how to do what’s right, and how to avoid what’s wrong, especially in relationship. Right. All these things that we don’t, we’re not going to learn. Magically, like it’s not going to just happen.

Oh, it’s Lottie. All your kids are naked today. Everyone that has come on screen today. I 

Andrew: told you it’s like 90 something it’s super hot already today, even though it’s not late. Yeah. But keep going. Yeah inside, but outside. No. And they were out by the pool, so, 

Josh: yeah. Oh, that’s weird. I thought everyone had 

Andrew: outside here.

You don’t have outside. I would do that. I haven’t been asking for enough wisdom to where I get the, the wealth to have an outside area.

Yeah. 

Josh: There’s something to asking for wisdom. Like there’s so much humility in that statement because you’re recognizing that you don’t know enough. Right. You don’t know how to do it. Um, you don’t know how to, uh, to fix it. You don’t know how to flourish or thrive in it. Um, and you’re just asking for wisdom on how to do those things.

Like what a gift for God to give wisdom to Solomon, like pretty incredible. Now we all know the Solomon’s story and how it ends up playing out. It does a lot for Israel, the country, but eventually walks, you know, pretty far from God. Right. Um, or at least in God ways. But yeah, I think there’s, there’s something to that as well in our, in our own hearts of like, you can’t think, you know, at all, you can’t think you’re going to figure it out.

Um, just take the humble position and be like, geez, I don’t know. I think this is what I need in my life. And that’s why I’m asking you for whatever this is, but I don’t. Um, but I do trust you or do trust that you’re going to guide me in the right direction and then do trust. You’re going to teach me the right things.

Um, as long as I stay focused in on you and that relationship with you. Um, so I can have those conversations because if you’re not focused on fostering relationship, you’re not gonna have those conflicts. Right. That’s just the reality of it. And I think all too often, um, Christians want like those big, booming voice moments, like we’ve talked about this, right?

Like I’ve never, I got, I got to ask this last night, like, um, you know, when I got called to ministry, I felt this, this like an echoing of the ages type of voice in my soul. I can hear audibly. I had no doubt who it was. Um, and the question was like, how often does, like, how often does guy talked to you in your life?

And you’re like, Like, like that maybe twice. Um, but like talking all the time, like, okay. Timing. Yeah. It’s other seasons. It happens less because I’m not fostering the same. Um, but there’s seasons that it’s it’s every day, multiple times a day. Um, I’m hearing hearing from God and I don’t say that to say, oh, look at Josh.

He’s so spiritual. He’s uh, he like, he’s on the upper echelon of, of, you know, people that God loves. That’s not the case at all. Very little of the case. The only difference is I’m fostering relationship with Jesus. That’s the only difference. And I think too often, Christians don’t want to put in the work of foster relationship.

We just want to be really simple and easy, and I get the desire for that. Um, but yeah. To, to know the voice of God means you have to spend enough time to recognize the voice of God. It’s like Andrew’s chickens. Are they injured? Never went out to the chicken coop, but then he went out there and he was like demanding them to do a bunch of things.

And they’re like, I don’t know who that, like, I don’t know who this guy is ever heard him before. Like, they’re not going to have any idea. Now this is a different kind of, yeah. Do the chicken over 

Andrew: time. They seriously have. They truly know my voice and if I just walk out and then when it’s time to put them back in, I just walk out and I start talking like full, full volume and they all start emerging and like coming to wherever I am and they’ll follow me to their coop.

And it’s great. But it is a good analogy because you know, I look at you 

Josh: because your wife has sent me videos. Andrew does act like mama chicken. And he like does the clucking and the wings and walks was like, I mean, you know, sometimes you got to change it up, but he is talking during last, 

Andrew: like straight, no.

Like, I look at the chickens and I’m like, you know, like they’re pretty dumb. Like they know just enough to get it through life, but they’re not as smart as you and I, but God looks at us and he’s like, he has infinite knowledge, you know? And he’s like, yeah, you kind of like chickens, but like, You have my spark you’re made in my image.

So, but higher value to God where a lot higher value to God than chickens are, you know, but there’s a reason where compared to like, when God talks about worry and anxiety, he’s like, listen, I know when every Sparrow falls from the sky, how much more do I know and care about your needs? You know, don’t worry.

Um, that’s a little earlier, I think in Matthew when Jesus talks about that, but, um, Yeah, man. Like God, you slowly get to recognize God’s voice. And we’ve talked about this a lot. I, uh, Two thoughts struck me that weren’t related to the chickens. But last night I was holding Lottie. Um, in the middle of the night, Janet woke me up at about four 30 in the morning.

She had already been up with her for a while, you know, but like that quiet hour of the morning, um, where a lot of he was just up for whatever reason, it was really cause she had to have a huge poop, which she did about about five or five 15, but, uh, You know, I was just up and I’m like, I could just sense, like, she’s just needs to play for a little bit and then she’ll let out gas or whatever it is.

So I was just like praying and I had no volume going on, anything. It was just quiet. I could hear birds waking up outside. Um, but realistically it’s like, that’s the quietest, uh, portion of my day is going to be, so it was just like, Hey God, like, do you want to say anything? Like, do I need to hear anything from you right now?

And it was just crickets, you know, it was totally quiet. And I think that was just like the, oh, sorry. Um, I think it was just a moment of like now just like rest, like it’s just quiet, enjoy the quiet, you know, I think that’s all he wanted to say to me in that moment. And it was cool. So here I am talking about it and sharing about it, but yeah.

It was good. Cause I don’t get a lot of moments of, of just rest, you know, like lean back, listen, enjoy it. But that’s a good one.

Josh: Um, I just think of, um, Jesus saying, we were talking about knowing the voice. Um, um, I don’t know. I think it’s just recorded in John. When Jesus talks about the sheep, knowing my, like they know my voice and I know them and they follow me, I think it’s sorry. Let me just Google it. I don’t know 

Andrew: John or not, but yeah, like a shepherd analogy.

Like my sheep know my voice. 

Josh: Um, Jesus, Jesus responds to somebody. Um, Sorry, I’m seeing what they’re, he’s responding to you. He’s at the temple courts. Uh, somebody asked him if you are the Messiah, just tell us plainly, um, and Jesus’ response. Um, jeez answer. I tell them, uh, I did tell you, you do not believe the works I do.

Uh, in my father’s name, testify about me. You do not believe because you are not my sheep, my sheep, listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me eternal life. They shall never perish and no one, uh, will Scott snatch them out of my hands. Now he’s talking about specifically salvation here, but, um, Uh, knowing the voice of God like that.

That’s a, that’s a big deal in Christian faith. Um, and the only way it’s going to happen is you pursue it and practice it, like read the recorded word of God, because you’re going to get, you’re going to understand what God says and what he won’t say. Um, you’ll understand how he says certain. Um, and I would say I would argue, start with the gospels.

Um, the beautiful thing about majority, we have our modern Bibles is red letters. Um, so you’re going to get a good taste of, of, of Jesus by reading what he’s going to say. Um, and then start conversation with Jesus. When you start those conversations with Jesus, it’s going to feel one-sided 100%. It’s going to feel like you’re talking tool.

That’s normal. That’s okay. Because you’ve got a practice skill of being able to hear the whisper, right. Like, and then you’re going to have a moment. Really? Yeah. Did you use it? Just answer my question. Was that 

Andrew: me or somebody else? Does that mean you’re him? How 

Josh: do I know was just what I was thinking or it was like, uh, and then I would say, well, whatever he said, do you take it back to scripture?

And the beautiful thing is we live in the 21st century or 20. Are we still in the twenties? Yeah, we’re still in the 21st. I’m sorry. I get the century thing. Cause it’s always named for the next one. So confused. So confusing. Um, but you have Google, so Google the Google, what you feel like he’s saying and type verse behind it.

And there’s a really good chance something’s going to come up. I don’t say I won’t say, just read that one verse that does come up, read the whole chapter, read a couple of chapters around it. If you’re still confused as Jesus saying this to me, and it may be something stupid and small, um, take it to, uh, to someone that’s been journeying longer with you longer than.

Then Jesus, someone that loves Jesus and loves you in that order and ask them, let them help you discern it together. And then if you guys all come to the conclusion that, yeah, I think that might be Jesus telling you to do that. Go do that. Then you’re going to start to practice. I’m like, okay, I’ve heard it for the first.

I’ve heard it now. Now what do I do with it? Right. Like, well, you’re going to keep doing those types of things until you get to the place where we’re like, I know this is what the voice of God sounds like in my life. And the hard part is that it does. I think it does sound different. For other people, like when I describe what I feel like God says, and for me, it’s a whisper for me.

It doesn’t sound like anyone does sound like my dad. I know that I’ve heard that it doesn’t sound like me. Um, it just, it’s just a statement that gets said. Um, and typically it’s not loud. It’s not audible. It’s not like Josh to your soul. This is the thing. Like it’s nothing like that. Not Morgan Freeman.

It’s, it’s a simple statement usually, and it’s not long. Um, usually the beautiful of who God is and the ability for him to speak. It’s not this long dialogue of like, let me give you everything. It’s like this one second. Whatever happens to be, could just be a truth. I need to be reminded of a verse. I got reminded of it could be, um, a behavior I need to change or something that I need to do or a conversation I need to have, or maybe it’s like, uh, I get this a lot in, in recent days, uh, which is telling me about it.

Sometime about whatever, and Jesus goes, tell me about it. And you’re like, oh yeah, I’m just talking about the facts. I’m just talking about the head knowledge about it at all. Let me get into the heart and like really tell you about it. Um, and then that changes, at least for me, it’s changed my conversation drastically.

Um, and when I get out of that rhythm, Like it takes a little bit of time to get back in the rhythm, right? Like when I’m out of, you know, I haven’t spent time with Jesus in a week, um, in, at times even longer than that, uh, in my life, like. Like it takes a little bit time to get back to it because I’ve let so many other things, um, kind of distract me from it.

Um, and if you’re one of those people, like you are 100% going from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM every night. I mean, you’re just busting it, right? Like evaluate your calendar, evaluate your schedule and figure out where are the moments that I can just have time. Uh, yeah. Whether it’s, I’m going to get up 10 minutes earlier.

I’m going to get up an hour earlier. You know, instead of doing this specific thing over a lunch, um, I’m gonna do it this instead. Or, Hey, I go to the gym for 45 minutes it’s um, in the afternoon, uh, I’m going to keep doing that, but instead of, you know, black blaring music in my ears, I’m just going to have conversations with Jesus while I’m working out.

Like, just look for those small little moments that you can just start to foster a relationship with Jesus. Don’t worry. Like it doesn’t need to be. And I think that was always my biggest struggle growing up was like, I wanted it to be like this big, like, everything is perfect. The worship music playing at just the right level, right.

To pull my Bible out. And it’s like, whoa. So like, you’re like, I don’t have enough time for that today, so I’m not going to do it. Um, and like, you’re just not foster relationship. Jesus. Like, uh, I would say it this way. If you’re married, think of it this way with your spouse. Um, like at times you’re in busy seasons and you got to find that little time, right.

To fit it in to relationally connect that you’re not talking about to-do lists or here’s all the things we’ve got to do with the kids, or here’s the kids’ schedule. Like you gotta be intentional and sometimes it’s quick little moments, but those quick little moments are so important, um, for your relationship to keep fostering that relationship relationship is relationship and relationship with human beings.

You know, with Jesus, he is Jesus. Um, so we, we have some other characteristics at play, but like it’s still relationship. Like I foster a relationship with Jesus, just like I foster a relationship with Andrew. Like, I’m gonna, I’m going to dig into things. I’m going to share parts of my life. I’m gonna ask questions.

I’m gonna, um, uh, ask him to better understand, you know, his character and, and what he’s trying to accomplish. And what is, where is he at work right now? And, um, what is he working on? Um, which is a weird question to ask Jesus, because. He’s omnipresent. He’s working on a lot of things, but like in my vicinity, Jesus, what are you working on right now?

Um, like all these different things that we could be asking. Cause it relationships, relationship. And I think all too often, um, we, we just miss it because it’s not going to live up to the expectations we wanted, so we just don’t do it. And then life happens because life happens to all of us. Uh, we get burdened and we’re, we’re exhausted and weary.

And then you’re like, ah, like that should be assigned. Something’s wrong. Like, if you’re exhausted, if you’re weary, something’s wrong, it doesn’t have to be this way. Um, something’s not going right. And it’s worth digging into Jesus and ask him what what’s wrong. Like what’s going on, Jesus. Why do I need to focus in on, um, what am I need to stop doing that I am doing?

Like, where do I need to change? Uh, and this is where, you know, I know Andrew and I were both impacted by, um, the Relu ruthless. Purse note, Ruth elimination of her elimination of very, I always want to say the ruthless pursuit of hurry and you’re like, no, I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think we’re pursuing this wrong.

I’m not sure.

Just the way that he kind of walks through just one, the human condition that we like to be busy. Cause it makes us feel important. Um, but also too, like how do you actually practical practically start to eliminate hurry from your life. Um, so you can be fully present where you are. Um, wherever that happens to be fully present people sitting in front of you fully present with Jesus and you’re spending time with Jesus.

And how are you being fully present in this place?

Andrew: Dude, I, I got to run. Um, but, and I’ve been on mute because I’m holding baby. Who’s like close to nap time. I’m getting loud, but I just wanted to say it like, I think rest and, and like one of the things that’s so helpful in remembering what God said to you is grateful. You know, taking moments and thanking him for what he said to you in the past and what he taught to you in the past.

So that’s, that’s maybe my final thought is just, uh, if you’re sitting here, like, I really want to hear from God today. I want to hear it for a minute. I want to force his hand to speak to me or whatever. It’s like, no, just maybe like start with like thanking him for all the decisions he’s led you in and things he spoke to you in the past.

That’d be my encouragement. 

Josh: That’s good. And if you’re sitting in worry, um, you’re sitting in bed and right now, like my guess is you have to drive somewhere today. And that drives probably going to be longer than 10 minutes. Um, there’s 10 minutes right there that you can talk to Jesus about that worry in that burden.

Um, share it, not from a factual level of like, this is what’s happening share from a heart level. How are you feeling about it? And what’s scaring you about it. Um, and let that. Throw it all over Jesus. He’s more than capable of helping you carry the burden. He’s more than capable of walking you through that.

Uh, and then ask them, is there anything I need to do about it and see where it leads in the midst of that? You may be shocked. He may speak to you in a way that you you’re like, whoa, I wasn’t ready for that. Um, and then this Congress, this relationships officer off to the races. Andrew, my buddy as always is good to see this shit.

Andrew: Good to see you. My friend Dr. Soon, man. 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 others. 

Josh: And it also helps us out. If you rate our podcast or leave us a review on whatever platform you’re listening on, you can also follow us on Instagram and the Facebook.

Now sharing this with your friends. Isn’t just to get the word out 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 it. 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 for this. .

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