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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. Darrell Bock Welcome to The Masculine Journey. We are very glad that you're with us this week, and we have a surprise for you this week. And no, it's not Jim coming out and making another announcement like he did a few weeks ago, but it's a surprise that God has in store for you, I think. Darrell Bock Yeah, during his prayer, he said brothers and sisters.
Jim Green Yeah, he did. Sister. It was singular. Yeah. And this is a room full of guys. So the unveiling continues.
So just stay with us here on Masculine Journey. Darrell Bock And it was out of left field, I'd have to say. Jim Green It was out of left field, yeah. Today's show is about God surprising us. We're calling it out of left field. It's one of those times that God kind of sneaks up on you and just kind of surprises you out of the blue. You know, and the way I would describe it, you know, maybe you're watching a TV show or a movie and there's something in a scene that really just brings you a considerable amount of emotion, joy, or sadness, or uncertainty, just emotion comes up in you or a song. Darrell Bock Right. You hear a song, you got to pull over on the side of the road because you're just like, man, it's just, I'm falling apart here. Jim Green Exactly.
You know, that's where we'd say that's where you got to ask God to kind of lift up the hood and see what's going on underneath in the heart there and letting us know what's going on. And so we're going to be talking about out of left field moments and when God's come up and surprised us from nowhere. Darrell Bock Like Sam. Jim Green Like me. Darrell Bock He usually hits Andy out of left field. Jim Green He does.
Well, Andy spends his time in left field. Darrell Bock Yeah. I did play the outfield back in the day, so, yeah. Jim Green You weren't a catcher? Darrell Bock I was a catcher. Jim Green Well, I thought you'd be. Darrell Bock But then they moved me to the outfield. Jim Green You weren't a good catcher. Darrell Bock Yeah, exactly.
They surprised me by moving me to the outfield, so. Jim Green Right field? Darrell Bock Yeah, that's it. I just was happy to be on the field. Jim Green Sorry.
We were just laughing at your expense. Go ahead, Andy. Darrell Bock Exactly. I got nothing. I guess it's the clip next, right? Jim Green Yeah, you have your clip.
You're up first. Darrell Bock Okay. So this clip is from Evan Almighty, and we've been all around Evan Almighty lately, but this one I don't think we've played, but it's when Evan actually meets God, and God gives him the assignment of building the ark, and there's quite a surprise there, obviously.
It's before he starts growing facial hair and all that stuff, but let's listen to the clip. Evan Almighty Genesis 614, Make thee an ark of gopher wood. Gopher wood. Darrell Bock Gopher wood.
Get it? Evan Almighty Gah. Darrell Bock 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. Evan Almighty Excuse me. Do I know you?
Darrell Bock Not as well as I'd like. I see you got my housewarming gift. Evan Almighty That was you? You sent those?
What are they for? Hey, hey. Darrell Bock Genesis chapter 6, verse 14. I want you to build an ark. Evan Almighty You want me to build an ark?
Darrell Bock Yes. Evan Almighty 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. Darrell Bock Evan Baxter. Born June 15th, 1962. Eight pounds, 11 ounces. Mother's Carol Ann Parker.
Father, Eugene Evan Baxter. Evan Almighty You have internet access. Very impressive.
Do you also have cable? Darrell Bock You're a clean freak. You care much too much about your outward appearance.
Your left nipple is a quarter of an inch higher than your right nipple. And when you were a little boy, you were afraid of Gumby. Evan Almighty Who are you? Darrell Bock I'm God. Evan Almighty You're God?
Darrell Bock Yes. And I want you, Evan Baxter, to build an ark. Evan Almighty Okay.
You know what? This conversation is a little thing I like to call over. But I got to get going because, frankly, I have an ark to build. Busy, busy, busy, busy. Nice meeting you.
Take care. Darrell Bock So, yeah, I guess meeting God the same day that you get assigned to build an ark is pretty sudden. And I just think that's cool because, you know, I think a lot of us do meet God.
He introduces himself. And it can be rather sudden. But as far as my experience, you know, I really feel like God has surprised me.
I think that's something that's in his heart, just like I was talking earlier, that as a father, I love surprising my daughter with gifts or, you know, surprising her just showing up or surprising her with a text. And I think he likes to do the same thing for us. Sometimes it's with a mission in mind. Sometimes it's with healing in mind. But sometimes what I was talking earlier about is just in the daily.
What I mean by daily is just, you know, I was given an example of just being in a regular Bible reading and then reading other sources. And then, you know, the very thing that you're getting ready to come up on in a Scripture reading is the verse that you see outside of that. And it just kind of lines you up. And it's like, okay, there's some emphasis that he wants me to see in that Scripture as I'm doing the regular passages. Surprising to me a lot of times is more of a sudden thing. It just comes out of nowhere. And it's not as much in the process.
But it can be related to the process like, you know, that daily devotion time. Thank you, Andy. Out of left field. Out of left field.
Yeah, exactly. Harold, do you have a story you'd like to share with us about it when God's kind of surprised you to kind of come out of left field? Yeah, I was sailing through Auburn University, just trucking right on. My ambition in life was to be a pilot in the Navy.
So I took the written exam for aviation officer candidate school and I passed. Two weeks later, a guy that aided the boarding house where I worked, tricked me into a blind date with his sister. We were from different towns, obviously. And I had no intentions of being serious about a woman.
I was going to be on a carrier. Six weeks after we met, we were engaged to be married. In June of this year, we have been married 58 years. God pulled a wonderful surprise on me.
Strictly from out of left field. Well, you've been married. I'll be 59 in May. So you've been married almost as long as I've been alive.
That's pretty amazing. It'll be 58 in June. Yeah, but I'll be 59 in May.
So it's almost the same. That's okay. I didn't probably say it very clearly. Jim, do you have anything you'd like to share with us? You always had nothing, no announcements, nothing we should be worried about.
Should I get the beep button? No, in fact, I'm going to use a different word for something in this just to avoid any obvious shots you can take. I actually shared a big surprise when God sent us to Alaska a week or two ago. So we're not going to share that one. I was at boot camp. I believe it was the, no, it wasn't the advanced boot camp.
It was my first boot camp in Colorado. I had pretty much decided, I almost had to make up a father wound because I had such a great father. And six years earlier, my father had died suddenly and God had sort of prepared me for that. I actually prayed that when my father died, it would be quickly.
And a couple of weeks later, he suddenly died. So I said, okay, God, you set me up to be okay with that. And I was in boot camp and I went into a coat place where you hang up your coats behind the stage and not going there. But, and it was actually a very long, it was a weird little room, but I wasn't that little, but it fairly, fairly long for a closet.
So I don't want to call it a closet, but went back there and I was praying, okay, God. And this was after the wound talk. I said, God, you know, if I have a wound that I've missed these years, and I'd been in the message for about the same amount of time since my father died.
And I basically asked and didn't expect anything because it wasn't the first time I'd asked. And just, it was a not audible voice, but it resonates through your whole being. So, you know, it's God.
There's no question about it. And he said, why are you angry with us? And if you'd asked me that an hour before I went back there to pray, was I upset with God or my father in any way?
I said, no, I love them both. And that's great. But as soon as I heard that, why are you angry with us? I knew God was telling me out. I was at buried anger for both my father for dying three weeks before my daughter got buried. And I was angry with God for allowing that.
And it was a tremendous release, but it could not have been more out of left field from where I was at that moment. Well, thank you, Jim. Not making fun of anything. Great thing. Thank you for sharing that.
If you don't make fun of me, I don't think you'll love me, Sam. Well, I'll find something. The show's not over yet.
We got just a couple of minutes before we head into break. I guess I'll go ahead and share a story that just happened a couple of weeks ago to me. I was telling the guys before the show, sometimes music will hit me, you know, and it does for everybody, I think, or a TV show or whatever. And I was listening to a song I'd heard before, but I heard it, and it was about a father singing about his little girl at different stages and how that stage would eventually pass when she was colicky and didn't want to sleep.
And from there, she didn't want to stay in her own bed at night, and then she didn't want to get left at preschool, and then eventually walked her down the aisle. And as I would listen to it, I would start to really tear up quite a bit. And I just kept thinking of my daughter, Sydney, who just got married this last year, you know, thinking I've been through all the stages with her. And I thought that was kind of what it was, was just that, kind of let it go.
And the more that I would hear that song, because I played that playlist pretty often, the more it would affect me. And so I have learned to turn to God and say, okay, God, what do I do here? You've obviously bringing this up in my heart, so what do I do? And I felt him say, send her a message. And so I sat down and started composing a message, not knowing where it was going to go, but where it ended up going was, you know, I knew I did some things right as a father as she was growing up, but I also knew I did a lot of things not right. And so, you know, I basically was apologizing to her for not listening as well as I should have, and being more angry than I should have been, and, you know, not being there a lot in the evenings until after she went to bed because I was working late, you know, working far away, and things like that, and just not having enough time for her individually, and those kinds of things. And it sent it to her with a song because I know she didn't know the song. And then she got back to me a couple hours later, and her response was, you know, dad, thank you, but I don't remember that.
This is how I remember growing up. And she said, you did love me well. I don't remember you being angry. I think you listened to me and all those things. And I thought it was for her heart, but God was really after both our hearts, right? And so when you go on the surprise with him, he's going to take you to places that are good for you and good for other people, right?
And I think it'd be good for you as to go to the upcoming boot camp coming up March 31st through April 4th, masculine journey.org. One of my favorite things about boot camp, well, the favorite thing about boot camp is every time I go, I encounter God. And as anyone that has encountered God knows, generally speaking, it's nothing we expect. Real encounter with God out of the blue. He knew what I needed. I knew what I wanted.
And those two were rarely the same thing. Register today at masculine journey.org. 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 masculine journey.org. Welcome back to Masculine Journey and that is Billy Joel.
I really don't know that song, although it's on, I think, the Allentown CD, if you know who Billy Joel is, and you know that CD back in the day, or album, as you would call it. But the whole rest of the song isn't that great about being very positive, but I really like that part of the chorus of it shouldn't surprise you at all. And especially on the topic that we're talking about with God surprising us what feels like out of left field. As long as we've been walking with him as often as it's happened, why are we still surprised?
Right? It shouldn't surprise us at all, but God still does it, and he chooses to do it that way. It's like when I sit down to watch a TV show or a movie, I'm like, oh, I'm going to find something in here. It's going to move my heart emotionally.
You know, I'm just sitting down to try to find something I'm interested in for an hour, you know, half hour, whatever it is. And God's like, oh, no, I got another plan. You know, and he'll come after us with that surprise.
And that's what we continue to talk about. And so Rodney, you're next up with a clip and a story about God catching you out of left field. Yeah, this clip is the movie This Is 40. And if you could imagine being a couple that their birthdays are very close together, they're going to have a 40th birthday party. And I can't remember the whole movie.
It's been a long time since I've seen the whole thing. But one of them's turning 40. Either they're both turning 40 or one of them's just in denial.
I forget how it goes. But she's not handling, you know, getting 40. She's not ready. She doesn't want to be 40 yet. And her out of left field moment was going to the doctor and finding out, hey, congratulations, you're pregnant. After he had told her you cannot get pregnant because of a medical condition.
Well, she was. And what I really like about this clip we're going to play here is this is when the rest of the family finds out. So just so you know, what goes on here is they're at this birthday party. They're having this and she's all nervous and anxious and she heads out to the front. And she's trying to go sneak a little smoke. And the daughter catches her.
And then the rest of the kind of story unfolds after that. Mom, what are you doing? What? You're smoking and in the front yard? No. No, they're barbs.
Mom! What have you been a smoker? I'm not a smoker.
I thought you said smokers died. I'm not smoking. I wasn't smoking. I saw you. No, I wasn't. Mom, you're smoking? Deb, you can't smoke. You're pregnant. You've been doing so well. You're pregnant?
No way. I don't want another sister. I don't want her as a sister. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
You just slipped out. Are you pregnant? Since when are you pregnant?
Since when do you care? You don't even want another baby. You have no idea what I want. I want an Asian baby. We're not going to have an Asian baby. Yes, we are. They're not Asian. Sadie.
You buy one. Shut up, Charlotte. You shut up. Shut up, Sadie. Shut up, Charlotte. Shut up. Okay, Sadie, shut up. Shut up, Charlotte. Shut up.
Okay, stop saying shut up. You're pregnant? Since when are you pregnant?
When did you find out? Will you stop eating cupcakes, please? Stop eating cupcakes! Stop eating cupcakes!
Hey, we just heard. You're having a baby. Oh.
See, it can happen to anybody. That is so wonderful. Let me give you a hug. Fantastic. Congratulations. So happy for you. Let's get the other kids. This is too adult for you all to go outside. Congratulations. Well, I guess we're stuck together then forever then, right?
Weren't we always? You didn't even want a baby. Of course I do.
I never said that. Look, I didn't want one if I could choose. I should put that on a Hallmark card.
That's beautiful. Oh, man. I mean, that is definitely out of love field. You're having your birthday party, and all of a sudden this big surprise from the friend that says, you shouldn't be doing that.
You're pregnant. And that's how the rest of the family finds out. And then their whole reaction to that. My biggest out of love field moment was I'm sitting at work, oh, I don't know, mid-morning.
I was in early 20s, recently married. And it's my mom on the phone telling me my dad just passed away from a heart attack. And I'm immediately, tears and everything are going and flowing. And I'm like, I know there's no way I can compose myself.
So unfortunately, I could turn around to my lead who's back there behind. And I was like, hey, he knew something was up. I said, I just need to get away for a moment. Took some time to try to go gather myself and stuff. But I can definitely remember that moment.
And you think back, boy, I love to have been a Christian back then and influenced my father to have become a Christian. I think about things like that. But it's just one of those moments that it's like, well, because where I went with this whole theme for myself was just how do you react in those moments out of left field? And even when you're in something that plays out over time, the emotion and the feelings become, they come out of left field. Because even though you've been at this and around this and something's happening, things come out of left field. For me, it's more of a, I can predict it.
And that's when I still get that. That's why I'm even that much more out of control. And I can't control my emotions and feelings because you can predict certain things. But yet when it happens, it's unpredictable. And you're like, and for me, it was always that anger that would jump out of me that would just finally bite because I'm like, I'm okay, I'm okay.
No big deal. I'm not going to let this get to me. And all I do is I just lock it in myself. And then when I let it go, I let it all go. And that's out of left field for everybody else because it's like, oh my gosh, where did this come from?
And my wife and kids have seen the brunt of that. And thanks to God for saving my rear end here and bringing me to Him. It's out of left field how much more control I have over that in my life and other things that I never would have thought would be able to let go. And that to me is, for me, that's what's out of left field is the emotion and feeling I have for God and what I want it to do to like, Rob, you were talking about to try to really be righteous, even though I know I'm nowhere near there.
But boy, do you want it bad. Yeah, but your father's righteous, so you can kind of live inside that. Yeah, I know. Exactly. That's why I've been content. You know, so because I finally, when you finally get that realization, you can rationalize in your own head and you understand it. And you're like, oh, the emotions and feelings are coming from Him.
It's a much better place to be. Yeah, you bring up a really good point that, you know, we talked about emotional surprises, right? But anger is another one that when you find yourself all of a sudden incredibly angry over something, especially when it doesn't seem to fit the situation, that's definitely a time to lean back into God and say, God, what's going on here?
Right? It doesn't necessarily have to be tears. It doesn't have to be this overwhelming feeling of joy or peace or whatever.
It can be anger because God's trying to say, look, I got something here for you if you just want to turn back into me. And what you've already shared and are going to share later, so people stay tuned because we got a lot coming for you. But that's one of the things that I just, I have got to turn into those moments with God more. I've got to do that.
And I do once in a while, but I need to be more intentional for sure. Yeah, we did a show, probably a couple of shows. It's hard to remember what we covered. We've been doing it for a while, but we did a show about looking under the hood, right?
And this is just kind of similar to it. But when you find that surprise, then the next reaction is to lift under the hood, look under the hood with God and say, God, what's going on here? Right? Why are you bringing this up? Or why is the enemy poking the bear here trying to get me angry? What's he pushing at?
What's in the past that I need to go dig into? Right? Because you're giving me an indicator here. Yeah. Right. Danny, do you have anything you'd like to share with us? Has God ever surprised you? I got nothing.
Exactly. Yeah, a couple things that I thought about when we were talking about this earlier, but I guess the one that comes to mind the most at the moment is when I was, you know, having had the past that I've had with addictions and stuff like that, knowing that I had a heart for ministry back when I was when I was a teenager. And I thought all those hopes and dreams were gone. And I had started a process with the denomination I was a part of at the time, and to go through their ordination process.
Well, they don't care for divorced folks. And I've got a couple of those under my belt. And so it really took me to a place where of hopelessness of being the kid that everybody picked last on the team. I'm thinking, well, God's gonna pick me last on the team, too.
And it was just a very down place, if you will. And one Sunday morning, I go to church and the dealing with all this stuff, and just, and out of left field, God shows up in a moment where I have a niece who she knows she's my favorite. Probably everybody in the family knows she's my favorite. But the reason she's my favorite is this story. She was, it was her, they were having baby dedications. And we had more babies than we had elders. And I'm showing up just praying to this whole dejection, the whole nine yards, and the pastor calls me up to help do baby dedication.
And I get to dedicate my niece. But in that moment, God spoke to me and said, you let me choose what you can and can't do, where you can and can't go, because I'm the one you depend on, not man. And it was just out of the blue. And it just turned my whole world around. And you know, with ministry and with the things that have been allowed to do so. Thank you. Danny is a natural pastor, preacher, because the whole time you can't sit on the radio.
He was talking with his hands and hitting the table. It's great. He's a real thing. Very animated. You're an animation. Animation. Yeah.
Now, Rodney in your clip now, Robby, you called us that I can't hear that clip that Rodney played and not hear Marlon. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I you know, there's no doubt it was Nemo's dad that was wanting to give that guy a hug. It was like I was waiting on Dory to come swimming in, you know? Yeah, it brought back a lot of memories for me as well, because I had that moment, that exact moment when Mariah was born, because I had had chemotherapy myself and was told we couldn't have children. And when my wife was 36, we had that dinner where, hey, dad, wait a minute.
What do you mean? I'm a dad. Yeah, I'm a dad. I'm a dad. I'm a dad. Yeah, my kids were nine and ten. And so very cool.
It was out of left field, but I'm so glad. Bank it. Bank it. We didn't go into that. Yeah, we're not going to go into that. Thank you for listening. Please download the After Hours podcast as we continue to talk about this. We got some great stories coming up. We haven't heard from Wayne yet. Wayne's always got some good stories. Robby and I are going to share some of our stories and much, much more.
But in the meantime, go to masculinejourney.org. Register for the upcoming bootcamp, March 31st through April 3rd. Yeah, 3rd. Yeah, April 3rd.
March 31st through April 3rd. God would love to see you there. We'd love to meet you. Talk to you next week. This is the Truth Network.
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