Season With God

Ah, Portugal. There's so much to do, but so little I feel like I have to do when we are here.

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Services are provided by Vanguard Advisors Inc., a registered investment advisor. Hey, this is Mike Zwick from If Not For God Podcast. Our show, Stories of Hopelessness, Turned into Hope. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just seconds. Enjoy it, share it. But most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing the Truth Podcast Network.

This is the Truth Network. The heart of every man craves a great adventure, but life doesn't usually feel that way. Jesus speaks of narrow gates and wide roads, but the masculine journey is filled with many twists and turns.

So how do we keep from losing heart while trying to find the good way when life feels more like a losing battle than something worth dying for? Grab your gear and come on a quest with your band of brothers who will serve as the guides in what we call the masculine journey. The masculine journey starts here now. Welcome to the masculine journey.

We are glad that you're with us today. And Rodney, can you tell us what we're continuing on the pillar series? Oh, no, just messing with you.

Just messing with you. We're not talking about that anymore. Ah, no, we're at a new topic. Last week we had a new topic. This week we have a new topic. And this week's topic is an exciting one. I'm excited to hear what everyone in the room has to say. I'm excited to know that you're going to be thinking about how you would answer the question out there.

But the question is, what is God doing with you or for you during this season? Robby? What he's doing for me is, apparently I've been replaced by Keith.

Because Keith now speaks Hebrew. Did you hear the, it's unbelievable. Yeah. And so I guess I've been replaced.

I don't know what's going to happen. So, but anyway, there's other things going on in this season. I thought I'd mention that because he does such a good job with the joy ride, right?

Yeah, the joy ride's amazing. He does. And he's totally ignoring you, which is also a strong scriptural and spiritual thing. As I said last week, it reminds me of being married. Just kidding if you're listening. Sort of. Ish. Ish. David, David, you're back.

We missed you last week. Yep. Yep. I definitely missed it. Listened to the show the other day.

Definitely appreciate the shout out on there about my clips. Yeah. Yeah. Well, clips. Yeah. We can say that.

Or like clips that haven't ever been played. Yeah. They're still new. Yeah. And we're going to be posting them on the Facebook page at some point so everybody can just listen to them and fill in the blanks.

Yeah. And we'll just go back and read the comments on, wow, I can see why you didn't play that one. David, back to you. You weren't here last week when we talked about the Word of the Year. And so in the kickoff of this show, even though this show's about what God's doing for us in the season, one of the things he's doing for us in the season is working with us individually on our Words of the Year, which we talked about last week. But you weren't here to give us an update.

So please give us an update. Absolutely. So my Word of the Year was relinquish or letting go. And it took a little while to get to that point. Notice through the season that I'm in currently or continuing on from multiple seasons, one of the biggest things was he worked with me on letting things go. And I would fight it and the battle will get harder, things will get rougher. And then finally, I just gave up one day and was just like, you know what? This is what you want.

You can have it all. And definitely things changed in my life almost instantly. One of the biggest things I was able to relinquish and let go was my Splenda addiction.

So definitely cut that back. That's good. That's good.

I was going to say, I was hoping you'd kick that one. And you also said the word was. It still is your Word of the Year. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, this one's probably going to carry around with me for a while because I still have hiccups here and there where I still try to hold on to something. I'm like, no, no, God, you're right. Let it go. Let it go. It could be your Word of the Decade.

I know it would be for mine. It continues to be in that vein. I just have to continue to relinquish.

Anyway. Well, thank you, David, for sharing that. And I think this is an actual first. Is this a first? Have you ever had the first clip?

No, I've only had, I think, two clips and they're usually on the After Hours show. Oh, that's right. Kind of towards the end of it too.

So there's not a lot of time to talk about it. Yeah. Yeah. David, just tell us your clip. All right. Thanks.

Like Sam didn't know that. Yeah. I just wanted to see. But you do have the first clip this week. So you want to tell us a little bit about your clip and the topic again is how God is working in your life. What's he doing with you during the season?

Yeah, for sure. When I started looking up, you know, how the clip was going to work for me or what clip I was going to use, it really ultimately relates back to my Word of the Year relinquish. Because ultimately during the time of me trying to let go of things or not let go of things, no matter how many times I said no, or I'm not going to do this, or this is crazy. Like God didn't take no for an answer.

Like he didn't. And it was quite humorous because sometimes, you know, in the middle of work, being like, nah, I'm not going to let that go. And, you know, he would throw some kind of joke up there and you just have to sit back and laugh and be like, yeah, that's pretty funny. So we'll listen to my clip and then we'll come back and talk about it.

So what's going on in the clip? Oh yeah. That's right.

I probably need to do that. See, I'm not used to having the first clip. Oh yeah. So it's from, from Evan Almighty. It's when he finally, you know, has his interaction with God. It starts off with subliminal messages of Genesis 614, which is, build an ark of gopher wood.

And ultimately, you know, it's, it's Evan. He's pushing back and, you know, he's modern day Noah and he's pushing back, pushing back. And finally, you know, basically God tells him what's up and the clip continues on. It's a really long clip, but we cut it back.

But the whole purpose behind it is just to show you that he's not going to take no for an answer, no matter how hard you try. Dad, what are you doing? I'm watching this. Genesis 614. Gen 614. John, do we have a Bible anywhere?

Genesis 614. Make an ark of gopher wood. Gopher wood.

Get it? Go. Well, it's not really gopher wood. I just like the word play. No, it's pine and maple.

It was clear cut from this valley to make room for all those houses. Excuse me. Do I know you?

Not as well as I'd like. I see you got my housewarming gift. That was you? You sent those?

What are they for? Hey, Genesis, chapter 6, verse 14. I want you to build an ark. You want me to build an ark? Yes.

So that's why the tools and you are responsible for the wood. All right. Well, let's just start over. Hello. I am Evan Baxter, born June 15th, 1962, eight pounds of Evan else's mother's Carol Ann Parker, father Eugene Evan Baxter. You have internet access. Very impressive.

Do you also have cable? You're a clean freak. You care much too much about your outward appearance.

Your left nipple is a quarter inch higher than your right nipple. And when you were a little boy, you were afraid of Gumby. Who are you?

I'm God. So, listening to that clip, it really took me back to, again, one of my first boot camps. I've only been to two. But my very first boot camp, I was discussing it with Sam and Robby the other night through text message.

And I'm sure Sam would agree with it. He told me for the first time that after meeting me, he wasn't 100% sure I was even going to stay for the first night. And honestly, I wasn't. I was like, what is this?

This is crazy. What's going on here? And so, I ended up getting to Wayne's fire and David, which is a seasoned boot camper, actually called me out first and said, hey, why are you here? And so, I told a little bit about my story. And at that immediate moment is when God started coming after my heart and really opening up what was going on. And then my first covenant silence, I mean, I almost had a conversation with him, just like Evan just had. And I was like, who are you? Do I know you?

And he was like, not as much as I wish you would. So, I just prayed on it and worked on it. And what God's really doing in the season of my life is working on letting things go and really sharing my story more because there's a lot of men out there that are similar situations and at a point hopeless like I was when I walked into the first boot camp. And prayer, the Bible, get a band of brothers, email us, whatever it takes. You're not hopeless. You're more than enough. You have what it takes.

Don't let go and keep hanging on. And you're not alone. And for his first clip for the first time, that was splendid. It was. It was splendid.

I took tips from Danny. We have a private message going on. It was sweet. Anyway, we have time for, I think, my clip. I don't know that we can get Robby's in and talk about it.

So, I'll go ahead and play mine. This is a clip that explains really well what God has been doing for me for this last season. It's been a rather long season.

You know, I think back probably about a year and a half that he's really been coming after me with this message. That being said, it was my least favorite NFL commercial of all time, I think. I really didn't like it. I love it for this message.

I don't like it to play, but I'll go ahead and play it and then we'll talk about it. Bring it in! Today, nothing else matters. As long as those besides you and those behind you know that you got they back. Who got my back? I got your back. Who got my back? I got your back. Who got my back? I got your back. Who got my back?

We got your back. Who got my back? Who got your back? Who got my back? Who's got your back?

Know this... if only we've got each other we can't be broken. So I ask you... Jim, you want to say something? You said this was NFL players. No, it wasn't. It's an NFL commercial. Oh, okay. I was wondering why half of them sounded like girls.

Well, who knows? The whole premise was it was a bunch of different teams, right? And so you had the Rams fans and all this kind of stuff and who's got my back. And what I really liked about that, one, I look around this room and I know all these people have my back and God's put you each in my life and you've all demonstrated that, except for maybe Rodney, that you have my back, Rodney included, very much so with Rodney. But more importantly, God's had my back and it's in him fathering me as he constantly comes after me. And I've said it before on the air, regardless of the situation, if I ask him about it, as long as I hear the words, it'll be all right. I'm okay with that.

Again, I have no idea what that means. It's his version of what is all right. But I know eventually, even if it's not what I want to go through or not the path that I would choose, it's eventually going to be the best thing for me. And he's really shown me that he has my back and it's been in finances, relationships in my own troubles and trials, you know, that I know he has me, you know, and he's there for me. And then he surrounds me with a group of people like you and with Andy, who's not here, Wayne, that's not here. Just it, man, I just know, like you hear all those people at the back screaming, I got your back. That's the way I feel. And I feel that with you guys and I feel it most importantly with God.

And so, I like the commercial better now, what I equated to that, and I do understand it, but it's been very much my season. And when we come back, we're going to learn more about the seasons of everybody else in here and including Art, who's going to share with us tonight, looking forward to that as we hear his story today of God sharing in his season. And we do have a boot camp coming up. It's coming up November 17th through the 20th, and that's coming up, what, about three months from now? Is that about right? September, October, November.

Yeah. About three months from now. But before that, we have an entrenchment coming up, September 30th and October 1st. It's in Reedsville.

Go to maskongourney.org to register for either one of those. And Robby, the most important thing about the entrenchment other than God will be there? It's F-R-E-E free.

It is free. We'll talk with you after the break. For me, describing boot camp, when I heard the stories from the stage that the other men had, and then during my prayer time, I'm getting a download from God on where my life is and how I have wounds and I have a place in his story, to know how I heard from God is one of those things.

He really does communicate with us. Register today at maskongourney.org. One of the things that's been a true joy to me is having my sons go with me to boot camps and watching them get an understanding that I wished I would have had at their age. It took me several years, and I'm still probably learning it a little bit as we go, but watching them get a good foothold into manhood and understanding what's important, what their role is, and how to stay away from the enemy, to receive healing and restoration in a way that you love on others.

Register today at maskongourney.org. Welcome back to Masking Journey, and David, that's Ryan Ellis, is that right? Yeah, Heart of the Father. Heart of the Father. Yeah, Heart of the Father.

And what a great song. If you never heard the whole song, I know Danny said that they sang it at one of the churches. They keep kicking him out, so it's hard to tell which one he was at at the time. Did you want to respond to that, Danny? Well, I'm scared I'll get kicked out of this.

No, no, no, no. As he changed churches, they used to play it at your old church, is what you said. And David has talked about it, and I just absolutely love the song.

And as it talks in there, Jim mentioned before the shows, we were playing some of the clips and listening to the bump. It's one of the few songs you hear that, just in the chorus, it includes the whole Trinity, you know, and the role they play in bringing you back to the Father. And so as we're talking about this topic this week of the season, what's God doing with us in the season or doing for us in the season, it's all going to be driving us back to the heart of the Father. That's really the goal. When Jesus came, that's the whole deal, right?

To bring us back to the Father. And so a pretty cool song. Please check it out. Ryan Ellis, Heart of the Father. But Robby, your clip is next, and do you want to tell us a little bit about your clip? Yeah, it's from the movie Fast and Furious.

Apparently Fast and Furious 6, which I've not seen. However, I saw this clip and I was like, oh man, that really speaks to my soul. I think probably to yours too, Sam, as we both share this loyalty, especially to family. And it talks about that every man should have a code. And Vin Diesel pulls this off really well, in my opinion, as he's challenged about his code.

And so clip speaks for itself. He has a weak spot. We all got a weak spot. You know, when I was young, my brother always used to say, every man has to have a code.

Mine? Precision. The team is nothing but pieces you switch out until you get the job done.

It's efficient. It works. But you? You're loyal to a fault. Your code is about family. That's great in the holidays, but it makes you predictable.

And in our line of work, predictable means vulnerable. And that means I can reach out and break you whenever I want. At least when I go, I know what it's for. Well, at least you have a code.

Most men don't. And you know, that season really has been on me for a lot of years. Where I had this come up time and again, I think pretty much Satan has my number as faithful. And he knows where I'm going to come down in certain things. And so I continue to have those challenges, which makes you very vulnerable. It probably led to one of the biggest blow ups Sam and I have ever had. Not between Sam and I, but just the ministry kind of, you know, again, being faithful to my friends and faithful to different people.

And even in the season with my family at times being faithful, Satan sees that coming and it makes you vulnerable. But I love, love, love what Vin Diesel says there. At least I'll know, you know, that it came from someplace that that was what was important. What was most important to me is that that sense of I stood, you know, having someone's back, which, you know, to me, what I loved Sam's clip because, you know, recently I've been studying the Song of Solomon, as you may know. And there's this line where it says, behold Solomon's bed, three score, that's 60, valiant warriors, valiant men of Israel, each has a sword trained in war for the fear of the night. And it's strapped to their side for the fear of the night.

I left that part out. Well, when you have a sword strapped to your side, I don't know if you've ever thought about it, but in scripture several times, your side is your flank. And anybody who understands the military knows that what are you always protecting your flank?

Because your, your force is always what's in front of you, but it's your flank and whatever that's your weak spot, right? And so realizing that Sam's weak spot is here in that area of loyalty, or, you know, as we begin to know each other and really walk with each other, that the term having your back really means I have your flank, I see where your weak spot is, and I'm coming into that spot. And it's amazing to me, it's amazing to me how many times God has allowed me the honor of being in that very spot where apparently I was the one standing in the gap for a particular individual, you know, that, that was going to cause, you know, a lot of chips to fall. And unfortunately, sometimes that's right within your very immediate family. And in the season that I'm in right now, you know, he gave me that.

And then he also, he had my back in that and, and, and, you know, it's, it's just really cool. Yeah, it's the enemy likes to force you to try to pick, to have to pick between people that you want to be faithful to both or faithful to a multitude. And he likes to put you in those positions to where it feels like you can't win. You know, if you pick this way, then this person's going to be mad at you. If you pick this way, then this person's going to be mad. And so he makes it very difficult. And the only way to navigate it is to walk through with God, right, Robby?

Yeah. And he will give you that. And you know, I remember one of my favorite prayers of all time. I just learned how to do the covenant of silence by myself. And I had the situation between the two people I love most in the world and they both were telling me I had to pick. And I was about to have a nervous breakdown because that was about the worst thing you could do to Robby Dilmore.

And I prayed and prayed and God came to me in a covenant of silence with him. And he said, Robby, you don't have to choose. This isn't your choice. If one of them wants to choose to leave, that's their choice, but you don't have to choose. And when he told me I didn't have to choose, I don't know that I've ever been more relieved in my life.

Like somebody took 20 billion bricks off my, just because somebody says, you have to choose between so and so and so and so well ask God, you know, he's, he's got a different word for you. Thank you. I was, uh, and listening to that, your clip and what you were just saying, God always has everybody's back that is hearing this message. Even if you don't know him, like he wants you to, he's got your back.

He's going to watch out for you. But while you were talking, I came pretty close to tears because I was thinking there probably a dozen people in my life that I feel like will always have my back. And more than half of them are in this group and I appreciate you guys. Thank you, Jim. Art, we are excited to have you on the show.

You're here with us every week. Well thank you. I am ready to speak tonight and I hope I don't mess up too bad. You're going to do great. This is my first time.

You're going to do absolutely awesome. So what's God doing with you in this season of your life? When this season, God gave me an opportunity to do some small good in this world, some favor to some old friends, and then he repaid me exponentially. And I'm talking about Mr. Dyer and Mrs. Dyer, Harold, as you know, and Harold's wife had sent me a message and asked me to ride along to this show with Harold to maybe help with the driving after dark or when it was raining or whatever. And I said, sure, I'll do that. I knew the Dyers. I met them when I was a child in the church and I thought a lot of them.

And so I didn't know what I was getting into really, but I did and I got repaid. It turns out that to me, I've made a new best friend. Harold is my best friend right now.

He's just a wonderful, intelligent Christian man, and we ride together and have talks and enjoy each other's company. You can refer to him as an old friend. Okay. Okay. My old friend, Harold.

And I'm assuming when you were a child, he was still an elder in the church, obviously. Probably. Probably. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Anyway, and of course the other thing is I got to be a part of this program and to make a lot of friends of all the people in this group and to learn from y'all and to just enjoy the company and the show and the insights that y'all have and talk on the radio every week. All right. Thank you so much. It was great to hear more about that and we appreciate that.

We love having you here and we're very grateful that Harold brought you into the group and that you're part of it every week. Yeah. I always refer to him as wherefore art thou. Yeah. And so tonight he was writing art on the radio. He was. And I thought he handled it splendidly.

He did. It was, yeah. Splendiferous. Yeah. Splendorific. I mean, it didn't... Yeah. Yeah.

What is makeup words? David, you got any input on that? I mean, I can't make up any words on that. Usually I'm pretty good at that. But you caught me in a train of thought. But I do want to point out from when I was talking earlier how sometimes things, you know, God puts us in a path with people or things, I mean, I know the masculine journey was definitely in a path for me, which started with Jim in a counseling session in his office on one Sunday afternoon. He'll drive you to that. Yeah. I mean, it's the same thing for you.

I mean, Art, you said that you originally said, you know, I'm going to drop Harold after dark if need be, you know, and look what God's put in front of you. So definitely blessed in that area for sure. Splendilicious, David. Splendilicious.

I'm trying to bask in my splendor. Thank you. Yes. There you go. Now you're back. He's back. Yeah, you're back. It just took a little while. Just no fish comments, please. I mean, that took a far left turn on that one. Yeah, exactly.

Exactly. Anyone else have anything you'd like to add? We're getting ready to wrap up this first show.

Anything you'd like to add to the topic before we go into the after hours? I just think, as you guys have already said, it's something to really get intentional about and understand, well, what is God doing with me in this season and reflect on that as often as you can. There's no way you can over-reflect on what is God doing with me right now in this season, whatever that happens to be.

So I just say, heavily pray into the situation. Yeah. Jim? Well, and I don't use half of this word very often except to refer to God, but I think this was a Splindawson. Splindawson? Okay, there we go. Yeah.

If you don't know the definition of those words, reach out to us at masculinejourney.org. You can say David. No, not David.

Robby. Don't email me. Don't email David.

We talked about not emailing Jim. But yeah, no, thank you for joining us this week. And if you want to go to the masculinejourney.org and download the After Hours or listen to the After Hours podcast, or you can get it at Spotify, any of the podcast locations. Also register for the upcoming bootcamp coming up November 17th through the 20th. And also the entrenchment, October 1st and September 30th, September 30th, October 1st. This is the Truth Network.