"I Pulled the Trigger... God Spared My Life | Matthew Headden on The Rooted in Christ Podcast Ep. 215

[2 Speakers Detected] [Total Utterances: 122]

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[0:00 -> 0:43] Speaker 1: love your neighbor as yourself, but we mess it up. And so I ended up treating myself like I didn't matter and like a monster and everybody else like they were disposable and like I was a monster. And so God eventually, you know, through the alcohol, through the drugs, through me putting the gun in my mouth, pulling the trigger, it not going off. Like I still had a worldly successful life, right? Like dating beautiful girls, 6-figure career. But what it eventually took was this honesty in myself. And he came to me and all he was waiting for me to do was just say these magical words of, I surrender.

[0:43 -> 0:54] Speaker 2: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Rooted in Christ Podcast. It is Monday. It is 3 o'clock. We are live with Matthew Headen, my brother. How are you doing, sir?

[0:55 -> 0:58] Speaker 1: Man, I'm blessed beyond all belief, brother. I appreciate it, man.

[0:58 -> 1:24] Speaker 2: I hope you are. Man, I can't complain. I can't complain, man. I just want to get a chance to tap in with you. Um, thanks for reaching out and responding back on PodMatch. I mean, they've been, they've been solid with me. So I just wanted to give the audience a chance to get to know you and hear your, hear a little bit about your story. Cause you know, you survived combat, you survived addiction, obesity, suicide attempt. Like there is so much overlap in your story and mine. Like, how did God rebuild you from rock bottom?

[1:24 -> 3:45] Speaker 1: Oh man. Um, I'm just really glad that God factored in my stupidity. Uh, you know, uh, I am so glad for not just for mercy, but for grace and that he doesn't give up on us. Um, I know that sounds like church speak, but you know, like you alluded to, man, like it, it, God was constantly trying to pull me back and I was constantly, I feel like fighting him more. Um, the biggest thing, and you said it, man, like I enlisted 10 days before 9/11. Um, buried a lot of my friends, a lot. Now 13 to suicide. Um, I've had, you know, taken people's lives, had people die in my arms, ended the wrong people's lives. Anything you can imagine, I've been there. Um, Watch children die. Just, man, it's, it's there. Like, you know, my buddies getting their arms and legs blown off. Like, we can go into our individual little traumas, right? Little traumas. I'm not trying to diminish it. We all have our struggles. But at the end of the day, what happened there with me, bro, was that I ended up like so many of us feeling like I didn't matter and feeling like I was a monster. And so kind of like Jesus said, love your neighbor as yourself, but we mess it up. And so I ended up treating myself like I didn't matter and like a monster and everybody else like they were disposable and like I was a monster. And so God eventually, you know, through the alcohol, through the drugs, through me putting the gun in my mouth, pulling the trigger, it not going off. Like I still had a worldly successful life, right? Like dating beautiful girls, 6-figure you know, career. But what it eventually took was this honesty in myself. And he came to me and all he was waiting for me to do was just say these magical words of, I surrender. And I think we want God to deliver us without ever surrendering our life to him. And so that's what he needed from me was me just to go, I can't do this on my own. I'm not strong enough. I'm not good enough. I need you. And that's when he was able to start really working in me.

[3:45 -> 4:51] Speaker 2: It's, it's crazy that sometimes we want the, the blessings without, without like what comes with that, you know? And, you know, you nailed it. That surrender piece is— and it's, it's total surrender. And you think it happens once just at the point of salvation, and you start finding out other things. It's like, no, this is sanctification. So yeah, this is death to self, dying to self daily. And this today, it was, I've given my life to you. Then, you know, for me it was, now I have to stop smoking and now I have to stop drinking and now I have to deal with this issue of rejection. It is constantly sur— and then you start finding out, you know, talk about, I mean, you called 'em little battles. I don't, I mean, like, but you, then you start finding out what these other things are that you thought were so small and it's like, this is actually been a bigger deal in my life than I thought, and this has actually been hindering me more than I thought it would, you know. So, um, I appreciate you sharing all that, man.

[4:51 -> 4:52] Speaker 1: Yeah, man.

[4:52 -> 5:02] Speaker 2: So what was the turning point where you realized, like, your health wasn't just physical, but it was also— it was a spiritual battle too?

[5:02 -> 5:24] Speaker 1: Oh man, that's a great question. And You know, for context, I mean, I've been in the fitness industry now 17 years, you know, graduate level education in nutrition, graduate level education in behavioral psychology, 17 certifications in training and holistic health. Like, I can probably read your blood work much better than your general practitioner and figure out what's going on, right?

[5:24 -> 5:25] Speaker 2: I would agree with you.

[5:25 -> 6:53] Speaker 1: Yeah, probably, right? I like, I like to joke and say that you may be washed by the blood, but I still need to see yours. And, and I've trained people in person for years and now everything we do is online and, and, and going into churches and things. But it really hit me, man, when I used to be the trainer behind people, you know, I would be doing a lot of coke behind people's back while I was training them. So like, I understand hypocrisy. I ain't out here to judge anybody, just help give them the truth and help them see, help them have ears that can hear and eyes that can see. Right. But after, you know, I really leaned in and surrendered, I was still training the world's way, as we call it, using this gamut of vanity and ego and this swing of guilt and shame. And then the other triangle piece, which is just complete neglect. And after I met my wife, I was leaning in and I was like, hey babe, like, I've left God out of this fitness thing. I've helped hundreds and hundreds of people, but like, I've never included him in this. And I was like, why wouldn't he want to be in this area? Like, and so it led to this discussion and digging into God's word of, does God even care? That's a silly question. Like, what area doesn't God care about in our life?

[6:53 -> 6:53] Speaker 2: Right.

[6:54 -> 7:08] Speaker 1: And so then I started adding scripture into the nutritional science and things. And then I realized he's still not first. And I realized in my life, and I know you have too with your journey, brother, and I've enjoyed listening to your show.

[7:08 -> 7:09] Speaker 2: Well, thank you.

[7:09 -> 7:29] Speaker 1: Is if he's not first in your life, then we've completely missed the point. And so he won't— he's either the Lord or he's not. And because we look at Judas, right? Everybody else said, is it me, Rab? Is it me, Lord? And he said, is it me, Rabbi?

[7:29 -> 7:29] Speaker 2: That's what—

[7:30 -> 7:34] Speaker 1: and so what I realized was it was scripture first.

[7:34 -> 7:34] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[7:34 -> 8:13] Speaker 1: And the Bible is very intricately woven with how we're supposed to steward our health. And so then I realized, as always, science always supports scripture. And so now it's all biblical first as a perspective of stewardship. And man, when we, when we take it off of us, and that's what helped me too. What really got me was when, I'm sorry, I'm going around about here. I was getting ready for a photo shoot and brother, I was ready for GQ, like Men's Fitness. I could, you could plug me on there with no editing. And I called a buddy of mine and I'm like, I feel like I look like crap. I got veins popping out, like coming down, you know what I mean?

[8:14 -> 8:14] Speaker 2: In my hands. Yeah.

[8:14 -> 8:25] Speaker 1: And I hated the way I looked. And I had to call somebody and I'm like binge eating over it. And he's like, God finally whispered, because you did it for you, bro.

[8:25 -> 8:25] Speaker 2: Come on.

[8:25 -> 8:50] Speaker 1: Like, you're not the point, right? This isn't your temple. This is my temple. And I'm the point in everything you do. And then I realized, well, man, like no wonder so many Americans struggle with their health and struggle with their weight. Because it's the one area we left them out of! So that was a long-winded roundabout answer. So—

[8:50 -> 9:27] Speaker 2: I think you and I could probably get on a podcast, whether yours or mine, and talk for hours, especially when it comes to the idea. I don't even bother telling people I work out anymore. I'm training. I'm always training for something. That is what it is and at this stage of my— I said, I'm now training for the Lord because I'm trying to— I heard Kobe Bryant say it and I stole it from him, but I'm trying to age well. That's exactly what, what I'm doing. And it's because I started, you know, you and I talked about that a little bit offline, but to anybody who's listening who knows, like, I lost 115 pounds.

[9:27 -> 9:27] Speaker 1: Come on, bro.

[9:27 -> 9:38] Speaker 2: You know, I, I, I'm probably walking around about 215 right now. I'd like to get back under 205 ASAP. I may be one of those people calling you for some of this weight loss stuff in my 40s right now. So don't be shocked. Don't be shocked you hear from me when this is over.

[9:38 -> 9:39] Speaker 1: Yeah.

[9:39 -> 9:50] Speaker 2: Um, but I had to really say, like, what am I putting in? I noticed that what I was putting in was affecting me, not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally.

[9:50 -> 9:51] Speaker 1: Yeah.

[9:51 -> 9:59] Speaker 2: You know, I've even got down to notice, like, the effects that, like, sugar started having on me mentally the older and older I got.

[9:59 -> 10:00] Speaker 1: Yeah.

[10:00 -> 10:16] Speaker 2: So I, I hear you, man. This, this is literally his temple, and I'm trying to keep it together as best as I, I possibly can because I was blood-bought, blood-purchased, and I need to be as healthy as I can to do the things he's calling me to do.

[10:16 -> 10:42] Speaker 1: We could, we could jam about this for hours, man, and it would be great. Yeah, it'd be longer than a, uh, you know, a daggum Rogan-Huberman podcast, but it really would be. But it's so— it's such a beautiful thing, man, when You know, just a great example in our academy. That's one way we coach. But a lady said, well, what do you do when the scale doesn't move? So the same thing I do when it is moving.

[10:42 -> 10:44] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[10:44 -> 10:46] Speaker 1: I continue to worship the Lord.

[10:47 -> 10:48] Speaker 2: Right.

[10:48 -> 11:47] Speaker 1: And it's such a foreign thing to think about, but it's, it really is to your point. As Paul says, I train myself for godliness and people use 1 Timothy 4:8 out of context all the time. You know, physical training is of some value. It doesn't say no value, right? It's, it's just our life is short compared to eternity. But we know physiologically that there's a book called The Body Teaches the Soul. It's a great book. You would really like it. But we can't just think thoughts. We have to move them out. And if you go, I'm going to be better today and I'm going to worship the Lord more today, but you don't take any action, it can't solidify and it has no basis. It's do not so deceive yourselves. Faith without works is dead. And it's not that being healthier is going to make God love us more. It's that loving God and God's love should make us want to live a healthier life.

[11:47 -> 11:52] Speaker 2: I have yet to hear a sermon on gluttony.

[11:52 -> 12:01] Speaker 1: It's not very often. And it's, it's— I think there's a lot of reasons. It's the societally accepted sin.

[12:01 -> 12:03] Speaker 2: It is.

[12:03 -> 13:36] Speaker 1: We know for a fact— so I don't know if you've dug into the numbers here, but it's one that I really have because we work with churches. It's a beautiful thing, and it's— I understand it, I get it, I got it. And it's one where we have allowed this low-level, uh, grade of Gnosticism, the ancient heresy of the body is bad and doesn't matter into the church. But we know that in women specifically, this has been studied, there are lower levels of alcoholism, drug abuse, things of that in the church compared to the secular world. But we also know that there is a higher level of obesity in the church compared to the secular world. Well, why might that be? Well, after working with hundreds of Christians and dozens of pastors, I've realized, well, if I'm in the church and you see me out as a brother in Christ at Wild Wings and I'm just slamming back beers, you're gonna be like, hey bro, like, what are you doing? If you see me out there like smoking up before church, you're gonna be like, hey bro, what are you doing? If you see me doing a line, you're going to be like, Matthew, let's have a chat. What's going on in your life, dog? If you see me walking into a strip club, you're gonna be like, bro, bro, we need to talk. But eating and feasting in itself is a beautiful thing, but it's also propagated in the church. And so it's the one thing we have left where it's like, I can feed my flesh here.

[13:36 -> 13:37] Speaker 2: Hmm.

[13:37 -> 15:12] Speaker 1: And nobody's gonna bat an eye. I can use this to numb from the pain of the world and nobody's going to bat an eye. And if a pastor speaks about it, which they're 15% more likely to be overweight than their congregation, but then I've offended 74% of my congregation because 74% of Americans are overweight or obese. So I do get it. I understand it. And we really just don't understand because pastors don't understand. The church doesn't understand. Like, 95% of your serotonin and dopamine is made and stored in the gut. That's your peaceful neurotransmitter, or excuse me, serotonin, dopamine, your joy chemical, your joy transmitter, gut, immune system, gut. Like this isn't about weight. It's about being able to hear God clearly. It's about being able to serve the widows and the orphans. It's about being able to be around for my grandkids and pick them up and take them to church. It's about showing that my wife is also my wife's body and what I do to mine, I do to hers. It's about taking care of God's temple and what he's given me. It's about all of those things. Weight is simply a byproduct. And then there's emotional eating, which to me is more so— it is about, like you said, denying the flesh every day, denying your cravings. We don't even really fast as fasting is supposed to be done. Which is just no food. Not, okay, I'm not gonna like touch Instagram today. That's not it.

[15:12 -> 15:14] Speaker 2: I deal with that with people all the time.

[15:14 -> 15:40] Speaker 1: Yeah, it's, that's an abstinence, not a fast. The Hebrew word for fast means to close your mouth. So there's a lot of layers to it. And I think we just also don't understand and we don't realize that like One of the biggest struggles is when we're stressed and we're tired, we go to the pantry. But that's God's job, and that's why we never break free.

[15:40 -> 16:19] Speaker 2: I'm gonna— I want to share this. I hope, like, this is something I've started doing this year. I've set aside time 1 or 2 days a week, and as of right now, it's 1 day a week to fast. and it's just liquid. Because I've actually said this from the pulpit, that when I'm talking about fasting, I'm talking about food. Um, those other things that you need to starve your flesh from— I'm not denying that maybe you need to take a break from those things, but when I want to hear from God clearly, I'm removing that comfort to tell my flesh, you are not in control.

[16:19 -> 16:20] Speaker 1: Yeah.

[16:20 -> 16:40] Speaker 2: I have set aside scheduled time to die. on a weekly basis. Because like every Christian church, or most Christian churches in America, in January this year we did that 21 days of prayer and fasting. And when that fast ended, I was literally sitting in my basement and I was working on something. I was— matter of fact, I think I was working—

[16:40 -> 16:42] Speaker 1: I know where this is going, dude.

[16:42 -> 16:49] Speaker 2: I might have been working on a sermon with a cartoon playing in the background. Like, I don't remember what I was doing. I was sitting here and I felt my flesh start to rise back up.

[16:50 -> 16:50] Speaker 1: Yeah.

[16:50 -> 17:39] Speaker 2: Like straight Romans 7. Like, I'm like, where are these thoughts all of a sudden coming from? Like, why? And the fact that I could feel it told me a couple things. One, the fast worked, because I'm, I'm aware of exactly what is happening in my body right now. Number 2, I was— I sat in that moment and I prayed. I said, nothing about my surroundings should be causing anything that I'm feeling right now. And I said, God, we did not come this far in these 21 days to move backwards for for literally no reason. I'm— we've been praying, we've been reading, we've been praying together, we've, we've been, we've been checking all the boxes. Like, I'm not saying this is a checklist, I'm just saying there was no reason why I felt my flesh start to rise back up like that, other than maybe God allowed that to say, let's keep this surrender a lifestyle.

[17:39 -> 17:40] Speaker 1: Yeah, come on.

[17:40 -> 18:01] Speaker 2: So that is what I have been doing because I I hear from him clear. I, I get clear instruction. And from an overall health standpoint, I mean, you and I can easily talk about what happens when you are just fasting from food for 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, what it does to the body.

[18:01 -> 18:02] Speaker 1: Mm-hmm.

[18:02 -> 18:13] Speaker 2: Now, of course, this society has named it everything imaginable other than what— other than, hey, this is in the Bible. Like, But it's, it's amazing the effects that it, that it has had.

[18:13 -> 18:35] Speaker 1: No, it's so good, man. It like, we could jam about this for days. And what we, what Leah and I have done is we have set aside the Sabbath to fast. But if ever I feel like we've already had this discussion that, okay, it's now the Sabbath and I have to fast, then I'm going to move that day.

[18:40 -> 18:40] Speaker 2: Hmm.

[18:40 -> 18:48] Speaker 1: It needs to be a natural rhythm. If it feels like a checkmark, then I'm doing it for the wrong reasons. And that's legalism. Yeah.

[18:48 -> 18:48] Speaker 2: Right.

[18:48 -> 19:48] Speaker 1: And so it's, no, I love you so much, Father, and you are the bread of life. You are all I need to sustain me. And when that craving comes up for A cheeseburger. I— fasting, I think, simply put, to people that don't understand the point of it, it is this: it's the most basic human need that we all need, that and water. And that's why God specifically said, I am the bread of life and I am the living water, because I'm what you need. It's why Satan used it in the garden, and it's why he used it again to tempt Jesus after 40 days. He takes something that's inherently good and twists it because he can't come up with his own stuff. And it's just saying, I love you more than I love food. I need God more than I need this.

[19:50 -> 19:50] Speaker 2: I—

[19:50 -> 19:55] Speaker 1: it's literally taking our most basic need and saying, You don't hold any power over me.

[19:55 -> 19:56] Speaker 2: Hmm.

[19:56 -> 20:28] Speaker 1: And I think we do. I've done the same thing, man. Like at the end of 21 days or at the end of 7, or we're starting a God food challenge on Monday, this, which this episode's probably going to be out after that, but where we only eat God food, single ingredient, whole foods for 14 days, no sauces, no sodas, no nothing. And at the end of 14, you can feel it come up because your subconscious has gone, I only have to do this for 14 days and then I can go back to doing what I was doing before, which completely misses the dadgum point.

[20:28 -> 20:59] Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I'm with you. So I, I'm, I'm telling you, I was actually shocked. I was, I was caught off guard by it. I wasn't— and I'm grateful because it shows spiritual, the spiritual growth of it, that, hey God, you've made me aware of this thing, you've given me the grace to be aware of this. But I said, this awareness isn't going to be enough. Like, God, we have to do something. about this. And that's one of those things where you realize, like, you know, God's in all he's going to do. I think I need to, I need to surrender on a different level now, you know? So, yeah. Oh man.

[20:59 -> 21:03] Speaker 1: Yeah. And we have to do it in community. Like, we have to.

[21:03 -> 21:04] Speaker 2: We—

[21:04 -> 21:19] Speaker 1: one of my spiritual mentors, his, his doctoral thesis was on the Sabbath. And he's like, bro, like, I cannot get religious leaders and pastors to do a consistent Sabbath to save my life. Unless they do it in community.

[21:19 -> 22:03] Speaker 2: I— it's funny you just said that because God also put on my heart— I grabbed 3 guys who, who go to my church and I said, God told me start pouring into them. We all have similar things in common, so I put us on a group text without asking any of them, and it's working out just fine. Holy Spirit for the win on that one. But when— but I've, I've got, um, as of right now, today, one of— like, I— when I want to fast, like, hey, do you guys want to do this with me? I'm asking them, hey. And I'm, I'm, I'm sending devotionals out. But one of the things that I now have, to your point, is my wife and I have a Sabbath day and a day of rest, and it's a non-negotiable.

[22:03 -> 22:04] Speaker 1: Got to be.

[22:04 -> 22:24] Speaker 2: It is a non-negotiable because I need it. I need it. I'm like, we don't— do we have to go to the girls? And I'm not saying that this is for every— like, but do we have to clean the house today? Do we have to go to the grocery store today? I'm not saying to make your Sabbath this legalistic thing. I'm saying figure out what your point of rest is, man.

[22:24 -> 22:47] Speaker 1: It's— and it's— I think— oh man, this is— my wife and I just had this conversation, just had this conversation 2 days ago, and I was like, babe, um, I know like I tend to clean that— I know you— we like the bathroom clean and all this stuff clean, and I'm doing it on our Sabbath. And I'm like, that's not it. Like, that's not it. That's the Sabbath is to commune with our Father.

[22:47 -> 22:49] Speaker 2: Right, exactly. It's—

[22:49 -> 22:57] Speaker 1: that's why I fast on my Sabbath, because it's like, no, I'm not even going to focus on this food. Like, it's just you. Am I saying I'm not going to play a game of Madden with my 13-year-old?

[22:57 -> 22:57] Speaker 2: Exactly.

[22:58 -> 22:59] Speaker 1: No, I'm not saying that.

[22:59 -> 22:59] Speaker 2: Right.

[23:00 -> 23:27] Speaker 1: Because that's a great time for he and I to talk without me being lectured at. But at the same time, like, What does it also look like? It can also look like me cooking the food for my family and actually abstaining from it and cleaning up all their things and not being on my phone. It's literally leaning in and not reading something like The Body Teaches the Soul that my brain can twist into work.

[23:28 -> 23:29] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[23:29 -> 23:32] Speaker 1: John MacArthur, who I got to really pay attention to.

[23:32 -> 23:37] Speaker 2: Yeah. And I've, I've accepted that I enjoy working.

[23:37 -> 23:37] Speaker 1: Yes.

[23:37 -> 23:52] Speaker 2: And that's, that's what, like, I enjoy. I enjoy, like, literally getting things done and checking those things off my list. So for me, am I really focusing on God now while I'm cleaning this entire house? Probably not. That's me though. You know what I mean? That's me.

[23:52 -> 23:52] Speaker 1: Right.

[23:52 -> 24:03] Speaker 2: Um, but it's, for me, it's a matter of, like, let's stay away from the vocation stuff. Let's just stay. So work is like my actual job not happening on, on that day. Like, that, that's not happening.

[24:03 -> 24:04] Speaker 1: Yeah.

[24:04 -> 24:27] Speaker 2: Let's try to get as much done during the week as we possibly can so we can actually focus on rest, focus on God, focus on anything we need to deal with as, as a family. And literally, what does recharge look like? Now, for my wife, that recharge is going to be we need to go bike riding, we need to go to the gym, we need to go do some kind of hiking. Other than the hiking part, I mean—

[24:27 -> 24:35] Speaker 1: Oh, see, that's like my favorite, man. Like being outside, my wife and I, we're just like, we're all good. Now I'm not talking one of these numbers. You know? Yeah.

[24:36 -> 24:41] Speaker 2: Yeah. I'm not really sure what number she's talking. I'm like, I'll just, I'll watch you from a safe distance. Yeah.

[24:42 -> 25:20] Speaker 1: I like, I love communing in nature. It's, it's one of those things where like God created that outside, out there, that earth. And it's like, we're, man, I can't hear him. You're under fluorescent light that he didn't create that throws off your circadian rhythm. Never going outside, staring at a screen to feed your dopamine levels and then wondering why you can't hear him. Like, no, we should, man. Like, the average adolescent spends 4 to 7 minutes outside a day. Like, we can hear God more clearly in his creation, typically speaking. Now, I'm not saying I'm going to hike like Devil's Canyon or something, right? But I can go chill by a lake.

[25:20 -> 25:49] Speaker 2: I, I literally use my bike as, as worship. Like, when I'm on— if it's— if I'm riding by myself especially, I'm praying. It's— to me, it's an act. I mean, our lives should be acts of living worship. I want to be very clear about that. Um, but I— when I'm on my bike and we're bike riding, I'm talking, I'm communing with him. Like, it is because I enjoy— I finally found a hobby, and that hobby has brought me closer to him, you know? So—

[25:49 -> 26:10] Speaker 1: That's so good, man. Like, that's my wife. I know her favorite— she's listening to a lot of a pastor named Joby Martin right now. While she works out. Like, for me, I'm listening to 12 Ordinary Men by John MacArthur while I'm working out. And so it is worship. It's living out Romans 12:1.

[26:10 -> 26:19] Speaker 2: Yeah. I'm gonna— man, okay, we should— I should probably let the audience continue to get to know you, but I can talk to you 24 hours, it seems like.

[26:21 -> 26:28] Speaker 1: Um, man, you got to join us. I— you don't have to, but seriously, Monday we're starting our God Food Challenge. Like, I think you would really like it, bro.

[26:28 -> 26:39] Speaker 2: Let's touch base right after this. Let's touch base because my— I just finished the, um, my boy Chad Posh just did his 40-day, uh, men's challenge. So I just wrapped that up with, with him. So let's, let's talk when this is over for sure.

[26:39 -> 26:40] Speaker 1: Yeah, sure.

[26:40 -> 27:13] Speaker 2: Absolutely. So that leads me to, to this, because a lot of people like myself, they saw their weight fluctuate up and down, which for me saw my health fluctuate up and down. In, in that case, I was probably facing a heart attack in my late 20s, early 30s, because I can gain weight very quickly and very— and not healthy weight either. Yeah. So how can someone— and I would say, what does this— actually, I'll rephrase this. What does discipline look like when motivation is completely gone?

[27:13 -> 27:28] Speaker 1: The questions— I'll never forget a great one. And it was in a coffee shop and somebody's like, hey man, ask you a question. I was like, yeah, what's up? And he said, what's your motivation? I said, for what? Even though it's the same for everything.

[27:28 -> 27:30] Speaker 2: Yeah.

[27:30 -> 29:10] Speaker 1: He said, to stay in such good shape. I said, I don't have any. It, which is so confusing. And, or I said, motivation is not my driver. Motivation comes in spurts. But motivation follows action. And I said, well, have you ever heard the phrase, your body is a temple? And he said, yeah. I said, well, that's actually wrong. It's his temple. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, for don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? We ended into that. I said, so when I work out, when I exercise, when I eat well, it's not for me. It's because I realize that this is God's dwelling place. And he kind of looked at me. He goes, well, I'm not a Christian. I said, God loves you. And like, God loves you, bro. Like, may I ask like why you stopped, if you've ever gone to church? And he said, well, yeah, but this happened. I was like, cool. Are you open to talking about that? Next thing you know, we're having coffee and I'm sharing the gospel with a nonbeliever. And we're talking about church hurt, which is real. Let's acknowledge it. But it was a great conversation. And I don't know where he is now. I should have got his info, but it's, it's a great combo with other believers, which is what we're doing. This is our way of making disciples of all the earth. But what, what a great way to reflect Christ and God, which patience, kindness, faithfulness, self-control to the rest of the world. Not because you're jacked, but because you're exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit.

[29:10 -> 29:10] Speaker 2: Right.

[29:10 -> 29:17] Speaker 1: And the fruit of the Spirit is not optional for a believer. It's proof of salvation.

[29:17 -> 29:30] Speaker 2: Man, I feel like I could talk to you for weeks, and we're gonna have to probably get you back on here. And if you ever happen to need a podcast guest, you could call me.

[29:30 -> 29:39] Speaker 1: We actually, uh, we have guests in our academy, bro. Yeah, in our paid, uh, in our paid thing, man. Yeah, we gotta jam. We could—

[29:39 -> 30:13] Speaker 2: let's talk, man. Yeah, yeah, yeah, let's do it. So this is the final segment of the podcast. This is the Let 'Em Know segment. So I want to specifically dive into this, um, because I want you to share this with the audience because I don't want to gloss over this. Because my— some of my testimonies, I had my own 9mm to my head, and thank God a pastor at our church stepped in and called me in that moment. But for your story is you had the gun in your mouth, you pulled the trigger, the gun did not fire. How did that moment change your understanding of God's purpose for your life?

[30:13 -> 30:14] Speaker 1: It didn't.

[30:15 -> 30:15] Speaker 2: Hmm.

[30:17 -> 31:24] Speaker 1: It didn't. I went back out. I was with my ex-wife, went in there, acted like nothing happened. And the next day I was hammered again. It didn't. I would love to be able to tell you that that saving moment of God's grace just changed my entire life, but I'd be lying to you, bro. I didn't get clean and sober until like 8 years later. Now it helps because it shows like, hey man, this is a process. Things do not happen overnight. But God will, He will protect us from, to a point, from ourselves. But it didn't, it didn't. There was other things that I just had to come to grips with first. And by God's grace, I'm not dead. Should I be? 1 billion percent. But yeah, it didn't.

[31:24 -> 31:32] Speaker 2: Man. So for somebody else who might be in that situation, then what would you say to them?

[31:32 -> 33:10] Speaker 1: I'm going to go very counterculture here because that's what we're supposed to do, right? Willpower is not enough. And for a Christian listening, willpower is self-worship. Get rid of it. If you're relying on willpower, that means you're doing it without your Father. So get rid of willpower. He'll give you the strength that I might boast in Him. That's the point of it all, whether it's weight, whether it's addiction, whatever it is, period. It's Him, not willpower. You are not enough without Him. You were enough for Him to die for, to come into you, Give you that strength, give you eternal salvation, give you strength, overwhelming grace upon grace. But without him, no, you're not. That's the point. And surrender any area that you find yourself struggling. I don't care if it's weight. I don't care if it's porn. I don't care if it's lust. I don't care what it is. That thing that you're craving is simply an area that God is trying to fill. And if you let him take it from you, there's nothing you can't do. But the key is to this: prayer without action makes God your genie. He will not deliver you from something you will not let go.

[33:10 -> 33:17] Speaker 2: Brother, would you mind praying us out before we get out of here?

[33:17 -> 34:24] Speaker 1: Father, we love you and we are so, so thankful for you. We're thankful for your grace and your mercy. We're thankful for This incredible mind that You have given us to create, that allowed us to communicate across the country, to fellowship, Lord God. Lord, we ask You for forgiveness for trying to do things on our own, for the areas that we haven't yet surrendered to You, for our pride and arrogance. But Lord God, we know that You are here for us and that we are new in You. That You love us more than we could ever imagine. Before the stars were born, You knew our name. Lord, we thank You. And we pray that whomever hears this that needed to hear one piece of it gets to rely on You more. And we pray that everything we do is salt and light to the world, that they see us.

[34:24 -> 34:25] Speaker 2: Amen.

[34:27 -> 34:40] Speaker 1: Not at all, but you. And we pray that the person that is struggling, that they know they are loved by you and by both of us. It is in Christ Jesus' name we pray.

[34:41 -> 35:31] Speaker 2: Amen. And Father, I just thank you, um, for just bringing my brother and myself together. Lord, show us how you want us to work, um, collectively and individually for your honor. Your praise, your glory, so that your will, your good and perfect will, your plans and your purposes can, can come to pass, Father. And Lord, for anyone who's listening who wants to follow you, Lord, I pray that they pick up their cross and carry it, Father. I pray that they turn from the things that are separating them from you, that they confess their sins, that they admit that they've fallen short, they admit that they need you, Jesus, that they need a Savior, that they need someone to lord to lord over their life, not out of, not out of control and regulation, out of, out of love and, and just genuine care for the creation that you made, Father.

[35:31 -> 35:32] Speaker 1: Hmm.

[35:32 -> 36:08] Speaker 2: So Lord, I pray that anyone who is praying that right now, Lord, that they are recognizing you as, as the Son of God, that you were, that you were born, that you were crucified, that you rose again so that we may have eternity in heaven with you. So I pray that heaven is rejoicing right now for that person who's praying that, for that person who's giving their hearts to you right now, Father. And Lord, I pray that even if they, if they feel alone in their walk, I pray they reach out to either one of us, Lord, to get plugged into maybe a church in their community, to just have more community, Lord, to just to answer any questions they may have, Father.

[36:08 -> 36:09] Speaker 1: Yes.

[36:09 -> 36:13] Speaker 2: So I thank you in advance for what you're going to do. We just pray these things in Jesus' name.

[36:13 -> 36:22] Speaker 1: Amen. Amen. Yeah, we could jam for hours, man. I kept wanting to go down these tangents and then I would have to pull myself back. Where are you? Where, where are you?

[36:22 -> 36:39] Speaker 2: Where are you located, bro? We're— I'm in Cleveland, Ohio, but we're about to connect right when I— right when I stop recording this. Believe me, we just getting started. Thank you for being on here, and if you have been enjoying our content, please like, follow, share, and subscribe to the Rooted in Christ Podcast. We're on all major podcast platforms. We'll be back next Monday with another one.