Pt 2: Armin Assadi + the Vietnam Vet

[00:00:00] We are here to ask about my faith podcast, where our hope is to inspire everyday faith conversations.

[00:00:09] I'm Jess and I'm Aby. Today we are honored to be back with Armin Assadi. If you missed part 1,

[00:00:16] you'll want to start there where you hear about his extraordinary journey from surviving religious persecution in Iran

[00:00:24] to a leading a life of crime in his 20s. After hitting rock bottom and wrestling with suicidal thoughts for the second time,

[00:00:33] Armin experienced God's transformative grace in a mental health facility by sharing how you was wrestling with God through poetry, a lot like Jacob can Genesis.

[00:00:45] Now Armin shares how daily faith conversations, including encountering a stranger at a gas station, are central to his walk with God.

[00:00:53] You want to miss this powerful story of redemption, humility and bold faith. Let's jump in.

[00:01:03] Well, Armin in part 1 or as we wrapped up part 1, you shared a little bit of advice for listeners.

[00:01:10] And in that you just made very slight mention of your co-worker and the fact that you have differing faiths and you have faith conversations on the regular.

[00:01:22] So can you share about us share with us about a time that you had a faith conversation with him?

[00:01:29] Well, I actually am going to change it up on you guys. So today, I'm going to give you the most recent story about me sharing my faith.

[00:01:36] Just today. Just today. And just so you guys know, like, I talk about my coming to Jesus at first and just always talking about it,

[00:01:50] and I'm actually kind of a coward about it. I have a million and two excuses not to share my faith.

[00:01:57] The more I've learned the less I share, you know what I'm saying?

[00:02:00] So like, I don't want to come across as this Christian who's everywhere all the time talking about all these years later.

[00:02:08] I'm by far more insecure about it now than I was when I didn't know all the books of the Bible.

[00:02:14] And I do make a lot of excuses not to share my faith. You know Ben, you guys have had Ben Peterson, you know, like that guy trees rocks, you know,

[00:02:25] whoever you are he's going to pray for you and, you know, he's just going to, he's going to bend it up, right? Like that's not me.

[00:02:32] Like I'm, I'm like, oh, my eye inches. It's not a good time. Whatever, right? So I'm not that bad.

[00:02:40] But we have to fight, which is exactly why we're having these conversations.

[00:02:45] Yeah, that's like I even told Jessa was like, man, my excitement about this podcast.

[00:02:50] I feel like this is about to be an hour long therapy session.

[00:02:54] I haven't had to think about for a while and it's going to be convicting. So, but anyway, I was at a gas station today.

[00:03:04] And I, I filled my gas up and I was, and I was just pulling out, I was going to get back on the road and I saw this guy wearing a hat.

[00:03:12] And it had the Vietnam veteran insignia. It didn't have any words on it.

[00:03:16] It's just that little green and red and yellow and signature, right?

[00:03:20] And I was like, oh, I need to go think that dude for a service and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

[00:03:26] And I'm million excuses right after that.

[00:03:29] Now I'm good, I was just going, it's not even spiritual yet, right? So it's just thank you for your service.

[00:03:34] And I was barely able to do that. And then like all of the sudden, I felt God-green, like, you'd be better.

[00:03:43] You know, that was like I, all right.

[00:03:46] This is going to turn back when I was leaving. I was leaving. I already decided I wasn't going to do it.

[00:03:52] I was already on the road. I just turned back around the road.

[00:03:55] So I went back, I parked and I started walking up to him, you know, and I'm wearing this jacket.

[00:04:04] It looks military and a middle eastern. So I'm pretty sure this guy's like, oh man, I'm going to have to kill terrorists.

[00:04:09] So I have no idea what's going through his head at this point. So I walk up to him and I was like, sir, I'm sorry, I didn't throw up, but I just want to say thank you for your service.

[00:04:21] And we're so grateful that you're home.

[00:04:26] And everyone's probably thinking, like, this is about to go somewhere nice. It's not.

[00:04:31] But he instantly goes, I'm trying to make it more PC version of what he said.

[00:04:37] But he was like, you know, what the blank do you know about Vietnam?

[00:04:45] And I said, well, I just happened to be a part of, you know, one of the biggest tributes to Vietnam vets in the history of the country.

[00:04:58] And we pulled off this thing called the Heroes on or Festival.

[00:05:02] And he goes, you were involved with that.

[00:05:05] That's like, oh my gosh, you've heard of it.

[00:05:07] You know, you're new? Okay.

[00:05:09] He's like, yeah, heard of it. I was like, were you there? It's like night and go.

[00:05:15] It's like, how do you know about it? It doesn't matter.

[00:05:19] Why the blank do you care?

[00:05:23] And I was like, that's actually a fair question. You can probably tell just by looking at me, I probably wasn't born here.

[00:05:31] It's a safe assumption, but once you hear me talking, it probably throws you off.

[00:05:35] But I wasn't born here.

[00:05:37] And I was like, I don't want to give you an answer that you're going to question.

[00:05:41] So I'm going to give you the honest to God truth.

[00:05:43] And the truth is my friend shared a vision and I felt extremely compelled by it.

[00:05:49] And I knew God was in it.

[00:05:51] And I felt like I should do it.

[00:05:54] And I didn't know enough for me to take credit for deciding to do that.

[00:06:00] And he goes, God, huh?

[00:06:02] I'm going to give myself control.

[00:06:06] I was like, yeah, and he's like, what the blank is God got to do.

[00:06:12] But at the blank, does God have to do it?

[00:06:14] I honestly didn't know enough about the Vietnam War for me to care.

[00:06:18] The only reason I cared is because I felt God wasn't it.

[00:06:21] And then when we got into this ministry, everyone told us that what we're about to do is impossible.

[00:06:26] It's not worth it.

[00:06:26] It's going to bankrupt.

[00:06:27] It's going to this.

[00:06:28] It's going to that.

[00:06:30] And we still did it because God was in it.

[00:06:33] And the only reason I even became a part of it and the only reason we were able to pour it off

[00:06:39] is because God knew there was a significant group of people in this country.

[00:06:44] Yeah, well.

[00:06:45] And he did to know him and the only reason we did it was because of God.

[00:06:49] Not because we're good people.

[00:06:52] And there was a long, I probably wasn't longer than five seconds.

[00:06:57] But in those times, God was going to do that.

[00:07:00] Yeah, you're just like, oh, holdy.

[00:07:02] Getting a shoot.

[00:07:03] What's going to happen?

[00:07:05] He goes, that's fair.

[00:07:08] He is having thought about God.

[00:07:11] No, really long time.

[00:07:13] Yeah.

[00:07:13] And you're saying, you guys did this because God, so like, well, it was born in Iran.

[00:07:20] I wasn't exactly born with Ra Ra, Ra, Vietnam veterans.

[00:07:24] And that's interesting.

[00:07:25] And then I ended up sharing this grotesque story that we learned from one of the Vietnam veterans.

[00:07:32] Why he never went to church because the Korean special forces got this V.M.

[00:07:36] Kong guy tortured him, shot at him, used him for shooting practice.

[00:07:39] But they crucified him to trees.

[00:07:43] And it's not a story I want to share here, obviously.

[00:07:46] But to these guys, it's very normal.

[00:07:48] And I shared that guy, a Vietnam veteran story and our planning of the event even before the event brought him back to church.

[00:07:58] And he just started choking up.

[00:08:01] He was like, son, I really appreciate this.

[00:08:05] I got to go.

[00:08:06] And he left.

[00:08:09] And I got in my car and asked you to drive him by, he goes, church huh?

[00:08:15] So like, no, God, he goes, yeah.

[00:08:18] I keep thinking about church but that's right.

[00:08:20] You're just talking about God.

[00:08:22] He goes, maybe I just heard something.

[00:08:25] Good meeting you kid and you drove off.

[00:08:29] I was like, I'll help you because is this dude about to go to church?

[00:08:33] You know, but like it was such an uncomfortable conversation because the whole time I'm thinking this dude wants a punch me, shoot me, stab me, push me.

[00:08:46] And he was now friendly.

[00:08:49] But I couldn't help.

[00:08:51] So by the time we had that final talk, I had goosebumps all over my body.

[00:08:58] Yeah.

[00:08:59] That's like, like, shake and that was this like child like, oh, thank God I listened.

[00:09:06] Thank you God for that.

[00:09:08] I don't know.

[00:09:09] Like I am make excuses and run but today it was, yeah.

[00:09:16] Man, I don't know if it felt very divine.

[00:09:19] I don't I don't create a lot of divine places right now.

[00:09:23] To see that old man's heart just change.

[00:09:27] It clearly there is such a shift to go from, you know, cursing you out to say, you know, what the blank do you know and why the blank do you care?

[00:09:36] It's like you were just faithful.

[00:09:40] You probably felt like I don't have any of the right words to say but I guess I'll just say what I can and what's true.

[00:09:47] And by the end, you know, he's driving away.

[00:09:49] Thank you, Senator.

[00:09:52] So good.

[00:09:53] It was not, it was not.

[00:09:56] And of course like right after that happened I was like, ah, I know Jess is going to like the story.

[00:10:02] That's why we probably have been just with the brain.

[00:10:04] I had to fight you onto the podcast and done.

[00:10:08] Well, and I wanted to commend your your bravery too for turning your car around for being in convenience,

[00:10:16] walking up to this strange man and then being vulnerable with like with your words and with your honesty and pointing him back to God that takes so much courage and and so much.

[00:10:30] Just like being okay, being in convenience that way, which is something that we talk about all the time to.

[00:10:36] Yeah, with our listeners it's like you are going to be convenience.

[00:10:39] You need to pull out your your bravery and your courage guard and big things happen.

[00:10:46] And God obviously was moving and using you in such a special way.

[00:10:49] I don't know that I would recognize the insignia so it's special that you have the connection where you could even, you know, turn it around and bring it back to the Lord when it was such a horrific, you know, time in his life and in our country's life.

[00:11:04] So yeah, good on you.

[00:11:06] I love that.

[00:11:06] Thank you.

[00:11:07] I appreciate that I need all the encouragement because I'm that back.

[00:11:12] But don't let me fool you.

[00:11:15] So our mean, I still want to hear also about your coworker.

[00:11:20] Yes, so tell me about it right because he does he is he is he muslim is that what you said earlier.

[00:11:27] Oh, that's my business partner my coworker is he's a.

[00:11:31] I don't want to make it obvious when I'm talking but is just someone who's very antagonistic towards the church you grew up in Europe.

[00:11:40] You know and there's.

[00:11:43] I'm not talking bad about Catholicism don't take it that way, but like there was a lot of shady Catholic practices where he came from.

[00:11:52] And so he's just he's just very antagonistic towards Christianity and general.

[00:11:58] Well, I'm not.

[00:12:00] I'm not.

[00:12:00] Because you can relate right like you can relate with that because that's kind of where you came from at least.

[00:12:09] From according to what we're understanding from your story, right?

[00:12:13] So I think that's one note too just right off the bat of recognize people who are maybe in places that you used to be or you once were.

[00:12:23] Who have some characteristic that you can relate with and that you can speak to because you've been there.

[00:12:29] Yeah, the empathy.

[00:12:30] Yeah.

[00:12:31] Okay, carry on.

[00:12:33] Yeah, so like he's he's a masterful trash talker.

[00:12:41] And extremely crass, you know, like all those things that I used to be.

[00:12:46] But he just he was just ripping Christianity apart.

[00:12:51] And but he wasn't ripping Jesus God Bible.

[00:12:56] It wasn't like, well, some of it was Bible, but like it was just more the culture of Christianity.

[00:13:02] He was tearing apart, you know?

[00:13:04] And I didn't disagree.

[00:13:07] I was like yeah, I totally agree with it.

[00:13:09] Oh, great.

[00:13:10] I would say something else.

[00:13:12] I mean, I could make you hate that even more.

[00:13:14] And let me tell you some first hand experiences.

[00:13:17] Oh, yeah, I'd experienced that a million times.

[00:13:19] You know, so like I wasn't disagreeing with him.

[00:13:22] It was just it was to me again, it was an animal conversation.

[00:13:25] So like talking about judgment and hypocrisy double standards.

[00:13:30] Like, too throw a rocket any religious house of worship and you're going to hit that.

[00:13:37] Like there's people involved.

[00:13:38] We're going to screw it up, you know?

[00:13:41] And so like none of it offended me and he's like, dude, how do you call yourself a Christian when you agree with everything I said?

[00:13:47] Because I was like, well, nothing you said was about Jesus.

[00:13:52] I mean, not following people.

[00:13:53] Oh, my job.

[00:13:56] And he was like, what's the difference?

[00:13:59] I was like, well, if I was following people, I would probably be shaming you on guilt tripping

[00:14:03] you and begging you to come to church and hoping that I can get a check mark on my check box of my Christian duty of helping you convert to be a follower of you.

[00:14:13] Like, but I like, yeah.

[00:14:15] That's, I'm not following people.

[00:14:17] I'm following Jesus.

[00:14:18] I was like, dude, I don't have to invite you into Jesus.

[00:14:21] Like the reason I'm even a follower of Jesus is I realize people have this whole religion thing messed up.

[00:14:28] Because from a religious standpoint, we talk about like what you have to believe and how you have to behave.

[00:14:36] And then you might be able to belong.

[00:14:38] And I was like, I've experienced that my entire life as like one tell I found Jesus.

[00:14:43] It was the first time I felt like I belonged before I changed the single behavior and before I changed the single belief.

[00:14:49] I was like, it's the belonging piece that made me change my belief.

[00:14:52] It's the belonging piece that made me change my behavior.

[00:14:56] But none of that changed on its own.

[00:15:01] It was like Jesus drew a circle around humanity and said, you belong.

[00:15:07] But I'm not going to force you to stay.

[00:15:09] You can see your way out but you don't have to earn your way in.

[00:15:12] And it was just such a natural organic conversation where it's like, I didn't have to defend the kingdom of Christianity.

[00:15:20] Where it's like, yeah, right?

[00:15:21] You have to think most of the things people say bad about Christians.

[00:15:25] Like if we think about it, it's actually kind of true.

[00:15:28] It's not you can't generalize and be like all Christians are terrible.

[00:15:32] But it's like any religion you're always going to have those weird,

[00:15:36] sure off-color people do weird things and shame-based.

[00:15:42] So it's not hard to grieve people.

[00:15:45] Well, they want to only unpathets.

[00:15:47] Yeah, in part one when we talked about this idea of being unoffendable.

[00:15:51] It's like, the verse so easily offended about again,

[00:15:56] people saying what they are seeing in Christians.

[00:16:02] It's like, well, then we've got our eyes on the wrong thing.

[00:16:06] If we're more concerned about us and what they're saying about us,

[00:16:10] then we're missing the whole point.

[00:16:13] Like the whole point of this is to point them toward Jesus, not toward us.

[00:16:16] Not about me, not about you.

[00:16:20] So I mean, I just love that though, that you showed in that.

[00:16:25] I like, I would say it this way.

[00:16:30] If you can get past everyone trying to offend you because your Christian,

[00:16:35] just to see how soft you are had some point.

[00:16:40] They get curious enough to ask questions.

[00:16:43] I was going to say the question, yes, that he asked, like, what's it about then?

[00:16:48] I'm like, oh my gosh, that is gold.

[00:16:51] What is the moment?

[00:16:54] And do we read the muddy cow?

[00:16:57] It's like a bar restaurant, we're sending guards.

[00:17:01] People are just really beers around us.

[00:17:03] You know, it wasn't like we were in a holy temple or something like that.

[00:17:06] But it's just like, just get through all the mechanism and at some point they realize

[00:17:13] you're not some weak, pushover, off end of the whole soft, whatever.

[00:17:18] And then they're like, all right, even if it's begrudging like, I mean, why?

[00:17:24] Right, right.

[00:17:25] You laid a gosh.

[00:17:28] So good. Okay, kind of along with the same lines.

[00:17:31] I hear you have a story of sharing your faith when it was inconvenient.

[00:17:36] Were you getting scammed?

[00:17:39] Oh, did I share that with you guys?

[00:17:42] Yes, tell our listeners that story.

[00:17:48] Okay, this is this is.

[00:17:52] This actually, I don't know if I'm okay.

[00:17:56] Okay, you don't know.

[00:17:58] We're going to do this.

[00:17:59] I'm not going to be pansy about this.

[00:18:01] Okay, so we're in the middle of Heroes on our festival.

[00:18:04] We're trying to make this big giant event happen at Daytona International Speedway.

[00:18:10] Florida's some 1000, some odd people in attendance, billions of dollars being raised.

[00:18:15] Military flyover, maybe you see a lie?

[00:18:17] You know, like on this pop and circumstance.

[00:18:21] And the pandemic is hit and we're pivoting this ministry.

[00:18:25] I'm pivoting my own software company that I built for like eight years.

[00:18:30] Everything is falling apart.

[00:18:31] I'm stuck at home going crazy.

[00:18:35] And I was like, alright, whatever the reasoning was, but this pivot that we made in the business that we had.

[00:18:45] Let us to a point where we were buying healthcare supplies for healthcare frontline healthcare workers that are

[00:18:55] like EMTs and stuff, but in very, very large quantities.

[00:18:59] And we paid $560,000 in cash for a supply that was never delivered.

[00:19:08] And you know, and that's it's not a huge, some of money to like big business people.

[00:19:16] But like when it's a startup business that you have been like,

[00:19:19] you know, you're just a big building and just here's built.

[00:19:23] So like I could supplement my income in ministry.

[00:19:27] You know, like all I want to do is ministry.

[00:19:30] The ministry doesn't pay you enough to, you know, live in more than a two bedroom apartment at best, you know?

[00:19:36] So there's just one of those things where I was like, I want to do ministry, but I don't want to struggle, you know?

[00:19:41] And so it took a long time to build it up to what it was.

[00:19:44] The fact that I could even be a part of that ministry is because of this business.

[00:19:48] And we built it up and finally made our move.

[00:19:52] And as soon as we made our move, we get scammed.

[00:19:58] And this, it broke me guys.

[00:20:07] It was the first time in my 10 year journey as a Christian at that time or a follower of Jesus,

[00:20:16] where, and it was an interesting period because it was like 10 years that I've been a Christian.

[00:20:24] And I spent 10 years in organized crime.

[00:20:27] And this situation was the first time where I felt like my 10 years of organized crime and my 10 years of faith were at odds with each other.

[00:20:37] And they were violently ripping me in half, pulling me to different directions.

[00:20:43] You know, like the organized crime side of me knows what to do because the legal system isn't going to do it.

[00:20:51] They're going to send them to prison.

[00:20:52] Let them off early.

[00:20:53] We won't see a dime of that money.

[00:20:55] The government will get more of it than we will, you know?

[00:20:58] And all that stuff.

[00:20:59] So it's like, all right, if I wanted to make this right, if I want justice, I have to do this.

[00:21:05] I know what the justice system is going to do.

[00:21:09] And then there's like the faith side that's like, you guys already know, you know?

[00:21:15] Like, yeah, like, God is your judge, grace and God.

[00:21:20] Look at what you went through.

[00:21:22] But the problem was neither side was winning.

[00:21:27] It was a deadlock.

[00:21:28] And it was just literally tearing me in half.

[00:21:31] And I just felt paralyzed and it took me to a workplace mentally that like the only thing I can think of is killing myself.

[00:21:42] I was like, I think it was so intense.

[00:21:45] And I was getting so intense and I like, I couldn't figure out what to do with that.

[00:21:50] It just drove me to suicideality.

[00:21:54] But I just remember and and.

[00:21:58] Man.

[00:22:00] I'm just going to this.

[00:22:04] And I'm going to make it sound like it was harsh, like insane to sign them or something but it was like a five star resort, you know?

[00:22:10] But I went to a mental health place.

[00:22:14] And I just remember I started journaling again for the first time because I used to write poetry like it was my outlet.

[00:22:21] And I had done it over a decade and I started doing it at this place because I just ran out of words to pray, you know?

[00:22:35] And I just.

[00:22:39] It got interesting because the more I would journal the more curious people would get like dude, what are you writing about, you know?

[00:22:46] Like, I'm just word vomiting on paper.

[00:22:51] Sorry.

[00:22:53] Did you guys hear that? Sorry, my baby girls upstairs crying.

[00:22:57] Sorry.

[00:22:59] But I just feel a lot of people started asking me like, what are you writing about what's in there and then, you know, like you have these group sessions.

[00:23:08] And I was the only one there for suicideality right?

[00:23:10] Everyone else is there for like hard core addictions and these are like celebrities and business executives that are like.

[00:23:18] Uber wealthy and you know, so like they can get into Uber wealthy drugs and that's what they're trying to be.

[00:23:25] And I'm.

[00:23:26] And then, you know, everyone's like, well, why are you here? I was like, I don't see suicide.

[00:23:33] So because I was the only one there for suicide.

[00:23:36] I got my identity and I spent so much time looking at my notebook and writing that constantly people kept asking, kept asking, kept asking.

[00:23:45] And eventually I would just get annoyed and I was like, all right, if you want to know what I'm doing, I'm wrestling with God, you know?

[00:23:52] What is that mean? I was like, dude, like sucks.

[00:23:58] At the moment, I'm torn. I'm frazzled. I'm infuriated.

[00:24:03] I feel a rage in me. I haven't felt. I don't know what to do with it and I can't do some nonsensical and descriptive prayer.

[00:24:15] Like, I'm fighting with God right now. That's what I'm doing.

[00:24:19] And they're like, oh, now they're interested, right?

[00:24:25] Because it was wrong. And then, so then they start asking, like, well, what are you writing?

[00:24:30] And I would be like, you could just read it. I don't want to read it.

[00:24:37] And then they're like, no, because they would read it and they'd be like, I can tell this is kind of lyrical.

[00:24:42] Can you just read it in your own voice? And I was like, all right.

[00:24:46] Wow. So then I start reading it and they're like, lissitating. And it's very rough.

[00:24:51] Like, I would not do it on this podcast, right?

[00:24:54] And I was starting reading it and people would zone in and it got to the point where

[00:25:01] Like in group sessions, the group therapists would be like, hey, I mean, every session because there's two sessions a day

[00:25:07] where you have the whole group, right? I almost every group session they're like, hey,

[00:25:12] I mean, you got anything to read about your god's play. You got going up, right?

[00:25:17] And I'm surrounded by people who are far, far, far, far from Christian and every day I got to read like

[00:25:26] some really hard felt stuff of just wrestling with God and it got to the point where like, I found myself

[00:25:33] preaching on a Genesis for like five minutes at one point and it was like, it was just, it was just crazy.

[00:25:42] It was awkward, it was inconvenient but the amount of conversations that led to about God and the amount of people that like,

[00:25:52] even after my stay there, people kept following up.

[00:25:58] One of the therapists I had, yeah, she was actually at Heroes on her festival.

[00:26:07] She came there to counsel Vietnam veterans.

[00:26:12] So like when I'm saying like, it made impact, I'm not, you know, it's not one of those.

[00:26:17] How do I exaggerate this to look cool? Like, it was like, I mean, my therapist came to the ward and came to our event

[00:26:28] and it was just not, it wasn't not pleasant. It's very.

[00:26:35] Once that vulnerable statement people make, it feels like you're standing naked in front of the class kind of thing.

[00:26:41] Sure.

[00:26:42] But that would be a poetry, right?

[00:26:45] Baring your heart to the Lord in a personal journal and then all of a sudden you're reading it.

[00:26:50] In group therapy twice a day, yeah.

[00:26:53] It was nuts.

[00:26:54] It was nuts.

[00:26:56] But that's so cool.

[00:26:57] I've never heard anything like that.

[00:26:59] Yeah, I've never heard anything like that.

[00:27:01] I've never heard anything like that.

[00:27:01] How did you read that?

[00:27:02] What's one of my favorite stories?

[00:27:04] Sorry, the story about Jacob wrestling with God.

[00:27:10] Yes, yes.

[00:27:11] You know, that's got to be one of my favorite stories and that's like the whole story I preached on.

[00:27:16] You know, it was like, look, he didn't know he was wrestling with God and God touched his hip.

[00:27:21] He dislocated his hip.

[00:27:22] How violent was that match?

[00:27:25] And then God goes to ask him, as if God doesn't already know what his name is.

[00:27:30] Jacob says my name is Jacob and he wanted it because Jacob means like the severs to plenther, you know, manipulate her.

[00:27:38] And like get into this whole thing.

[00:27:40] I was like, he declared that he wasn't manipulated or not that God didn't know his name.

[00:27:45] God gave him his name, you know.

[00:27:47] And then I was like, well, what's interesting is watch what God does next.

[00:27:51] And he says he looks directly at Jacob and says from this day forth, you show no longer be known as Jacob but you show me known as Israel.

[00:27:59] And then it goes on to become a nation and they become the chosen people group.

[00:28:04] And my whole thing was like, look, God didn't bless Jacob despite the fact that he wasn't a manipulator,

[00:28:12] despite the fact that he was wrestling with God, there's a part of me that believes that God wants people who are willing to sacrifice,

[00:28:22] to sacrifice, to know their faith before they proclaim it.

[00:28:26] And he was blessed for his wrestling and I was like, that's what I'm doing.

[00:28:30] I'm wrestling until I die or I'm blessed.

[00:28:33] I don't care what he just locates and people love it, you know.

[00:28:37] But I wasn't trying to preach it. It was like actually, this is what's happening.

[00:28:43] You need to need it to hear, right?

[00:28:46] And I can't imagine actually how many people needed to hear that themselves.

[00:28:50] That's just so cool.

[00:28:52] I think I got the chills though when you were preaching through the story of Jacob and wrestling with God.

[00:28:58] So yeah.

[00:28:59] Thanks for that story.

[00:29:00] My life.

[00:29:01] Yeah, no problem.

[00:29:03] I'm excited.

[00:29:04] Wrap up what is one more.

[00:29:07] You've shared so many great tidbits throughout our time, but what's one more piece of advice

[00:29:10] to encourage me to share for our listeners?

[00:29:14] Have you guys ever heard that model of kiss?

[00:29:17] It's a accurate one.

[00:29:18] That says keep it simple stupid.

[00:29:20] Yeah, yes.

[00:29:21] Life model.

[00:29:22] Yeah, that's my fault.

[00:29:24] Absolutely.

[00:29:25] It really is.

[00:29:27] So I keep it very simple when I wake up in the morning.

[00:29:30] When I first wake up in the morning, I don't journal it.

[00:29:32] I don't talk about it.

[00:29:34] I don't talk process it with my wife.

[00:29:37] I wake up and ask myself the question, where is my faith that today?

[00:29:42] And I know where it's at.

[00:29:43] You know, I know if I'm close to God.

[00:29:45] I know if I'm far away and know if I'm mad.

[00:29:47] I know if I'm sad.

[00:29:48] I know if I doubt.

[00:29:50] And then the follow-up question is,

[00:29:52] one thing I can do to exercise or grow my faith today.

[00:29:56] Just one thing.

[00:29:57] I don't care what it is.

[00:29:58] Just one thing.

[00:29:59] Yeah.

[00:30:00] Pray for one minute.

[00:30:01] Read for 30 seconds.

[00:30:03] Whatever that simple thing is.

[00:30:05] And then when I get to bed that night, my one simple question is, did I do it?

[00:30:10] I do that every day.

[00:30:12] I'm not trying to grow leaps and bounds.

[00:30:14] I would love to.

[00:30:16] But I try to keep it as simple as possible.

[00:30:21] So I know every day that I attempt to grow my faith because knowing I'm trying does a lot more

[00:30:28] than hoping and not doing.

[00:30:30] Because then I start feeling like,

[00:30:32] I can't do it.

[00:30:33] I'm a failure at it and it becomes my identity and then like,

[00:30:36] you just spiral out of control.

[00:30:38] So it's like as long as I know that I'm thinking about it every day when I wake up

[00:30:44] and trying to do something every day while I'm awake.

[00:30:47] And every night before I go to bed,

[00:30:48] I'm asking myself, did you do it?

[00:30:51] It helps me kind of,

[00:30:54] I do this to keep me even.

[00:30:59] On my eighth scale, you know?

[00:31:01] Gosh, no, I like that.

[00:31:02] I mean for some people that's more than they ever do, right?

[00:31:06] So sure it's simple but that would be a hugely poor thing for a lot of us.

[00:31:11] Absolutely.

[00:31:12] And it helps you have those conversations you don't want to have because sometimes you wake up and you're like,

[00:31:16] I need to talk about my faith today.

[00:31:19] What's joining us on the podcast,

[00:31:22] you're one thing today?

[00:31:24] It was.

[00:31:26] Oh, you did it.

[00:31:27] Checkmark.

[00:31:28] I'm serious.

[00:31:29] Are you saying that joking here?

[00:31:31] Are you serious?

[00:31:32] So you just knew it was because we talked about how it was like,

[00:31:35] he was gonna be so good.

[00:31:37] This is gonna be a good day.

[00:31:38] I hate time for you.

[00:31:40] Not at all kidding.

[00:31:41] Like when you asked me and told me what it was about,

[00:31:44] I was like, I sounds so uncomfortable.

[00:31:47] I had to do it.

[00:31:49] I had to do it.

[00:31:51] Thank you for listening to the Ask But My Faith podcast.

[00:31:54] We'd love your supporting continuing to bring you encouraging and inspiring stories.

[00:31:59] You subscribe, rate, interview, or whatever you're listening.

[00:32:02] And you can learn more about us and donate at AskButMyFake.com.

[00:32:06] That's all I see this week as you go out and share your faith.