The Sports Reverends - Season 24/25 - Episode 13 - We Listen and Don't Judge

[00:00:10] Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, welcome to the Sports Reverends Podcast. My name is Dan. I'm joined with my big bro, The Coach. He's not only a coach on the basketball court, he's also a coach in the stock markets as well. And I am a minister downtown Toronto. I also am a chaplain for Toronto Fire. And boy, do we got a great show for you today.

[00:00:39] You know, a lot of podcasts, they have something for you to take away. Some will make you laugh. Some will try to make you money. Some will help you get in shape with your fitness. We have something that is far greater than all of that. I know that sounds too good to be true. I know that sounds like a gimmick.

[00:00:57] But through our life experiences and all the challenges that we've gone through, the storms and tough times, we actually have the source and the solution to all your problems of how we got pulled out of the mud, how we made it through difficult and challenging storms. And that's through our faith in Christ.

[00:01:16] So this show is about some hot sports takes that you're going to get. And then also about our unapologetic faith. And you're going to see our sports and faith collide. And we'll look at our faith through the lens of sports. It's what we'll do. So coach, why don't you give a little bit of a rundown of the show and we'll get going.

[00:01:33] Absolutely. We always set off with our quick hitter news. Got some five good ones today. We'll recap week 13, Turkey Day and all. Look who's coming for week 14. NBA Cup talk for sure.

[00:01:45] I think tonight's the last set of games. So we'll see qualifiers who goes through the knockout stages and then we're hitting a real talk, which I think I'm really excited for. And I title it. You are more than enough. Why don't you start us off with our quick hitter news?

[00:01:59] All right. The Houston Texans linebacker Aziz Alshair has been suspended for three games after his hit on Trevor Lawrence.

[00:02:09] Matt Eberfliss has been fired as a head coach of the Chicago Bears.

[00:02:13] Bears. That's the first time ever. The Chicago Bears have fired a coach season. Wild. Wow. James Harden is the second player ever to hit three thousand threes. That's just after Steph Curry.

[00:02:27] That's a surprising style. I thought I thought they would be up there. Hey, James has been shooting a long time.

[00:02:32] Yeah. For all you F1 fans out there, some sad news. Sergio Perez will be leaving Red Bull at the end of 2024 season.

[00:02:39] And the L.A. Dodgers, they get better. They signed two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to a five-year $182 million contract.

[00:02:50] Rich just keep on getting richer.

[00:02:52] Absolutely. Before we go anywhere else, let's handle some business.

[00:02:55] We have a brand new Shopify store. It's called the Sports Reverence Shop. And you can find it out at sportsrevs.com. You can see the link in our YouTube description or wherever you're listening to this podcast.

[00:03:11] It'll be in the description at sportsrevs.com. You will not only find great deals, you'll find great products, products you like, products you want.

[00:03:21] And on the best part of it all is that this is a way for you to support the show.

[00:03:26] Check out sportsrevs.com. Anything you buy goes towards helping support the show as well.

[00:03:31] And you're going to get some awesome gifts for Christmas or maybe you want to get the office, some great teasers there, whatever it is.

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[00:03:42] Check it out, sportsrevs.com. You will be happy with what you find.

[00:03:46] Beautiful, beautiful. All right.

[00:03:49] Heading into week 13, I think we went five.

[00:03:53] Well, let's put it this way.

[00:03:55] I was perfect.

[00:03:56] You had a blemish.

[00:03:57] And I'm going 3-0 in our bets.

[00:04:00] Let's go here.

[00:04:00] We had Detroit over Chicago.

[00:04:03] Got the dub.

[00:04:04] Dallas over the Giants.

[00:04:05] Got the dub.

[00:04:06] Green Bay over Miami.

[00:04:08] Got the dub.

[00:04:09] Perfect Turkey day.

[00:04:10] Yeah, perfect Turkey day.

[00:04:12] Didn't care about the Chiefs game because we knew the Chiefs were going to roll.

[00:04:14] We had Buffalo over San Francisco.

[00:04:17] What a snowy game that was.

[00:04:19] And Denver over Cleveland.

[00:04:22] And last but not least, we had our bet for the week.

[00:04:28] Bulls took it to the Ravens.

[00:04:31] So if you're keeping track at home, that is 3-0 for the coach.

[00:04:37] They call me the coach for a reason.

[00:04:38] I see things that other guys don't.

[00:04:40] Maybe only when it comes to Daniel, but we'll see.

[00:04:43] And so that means...

[00:04:43] I'm going to get addicted to these smelling salts, man.

[00:04:46] That means next show, or maybe we'll do a reel sometime this week,

[00:04:50] and you're just going to have to sniff this thing again.

[00:04:53] Yeah.

[00:04:54] But that's okay.

[00:04:55] I earned it.

[00:04:56] I earned it.

[00:04:57] Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, is what they say.

[00:05:01] So heading into week 14, we have a juicy one.

[00:05:06] Green Bay at Detroit for the Thursday Nighter.

[00:05:10] This really is the battle for first place, right?

[00:05:13] Yeah.

[00:05:14] I think it's an excellent game.

[00:05:16] I'm really excited.

[00:05:17] But I think, and I'll take the lead on this one,

[00:05:20] Detroit is going to win.

[00:05:22] They're on a roll.

[00:05:24] They've had a bit of a stretcher.

[00:05:26] They've been uneven, but they've pulled out Ws.

[00:05:28] I think that's what you need as a contending team.

[00:05:31] It's just, you can't just be blowing out everybody,

[00:05:33] because that doesn't create that adversity you need to come together

[00:05:36] when times are tough and push through.

[00:05:38] So I think Detroit takes this one.

[00:05:40] Yeah, I think I am with you as well.

[00:05:43] Yeah.

[00:05:43] I don't, I'm not sure about it as you, but I think Detroit wins.

[00:05:48] I think they're at home.

[00:05:50] Jared Goff's different when he's inside in the dome.

[00:05:53] So yeah, I'm with you.

[00:05:55] I'm going to try.

[00:05:56] Let's take down Green Bay.

[00:05:57] If this was at Green Bay, I'd be a little less sure.

[00:06:00] Yeah.

[00:06:01] Because that weather outside is not fun to play in.

[00:06:04] Miami looked real cold last week in Green Bay.

[00:06:07] I mean, who can, you can't use it as an excuse.

[00:06:09] You can't use it as an excuse.

[00:06:10] We were called, we didn't play our best.

[00:06:12] Come on.

[00:06:12] You're paid millions of dollars to play this game.

[00:06:14] All right.

[00:06:16] Let's go over to the Chargers at KC.

[00:06:21] Now, I think this one for me, I kind of want to go against the Chiefs

[00:06:27] because they've locked up a playoff spot.

[00:06:29] They had the mishap at the end of the range at the Rangers game.

[00:06:33] That would have been incredible.

[00:06:35] I think Las Vegas would have probably burned to the ground in terms of

[00:06:39] sports book betting.

[00:06:40] But I think this could be a game that Casey's just like, you know what?

[00:06:44] We're in smooth sailing.

[00:06:46] Sure.

[00:06:47] They're going to go for the one AFC, but Buffalo is like Buffalo needs it

[00:06:50] more than day.

[00:06:52] I'm tempted to pick the Chargers here.

[00:06:54] Prove me wrong.

[00:06:55] I don't think we can take it easy because if they don't get that number

[00:07:00] one spot in the AFC, statistically, they aren't favored to make it to the

[00:07:06] Super Bowl.

[00:07:07] That number one spot has such a huge bump.

[00:07:09] That's fair.

[00:07:10] And I think, yeah, I think the Chargers are a very good team defensively.

[00:07:15] They're going to be tough on Casey.

[00:07:16] But like you've been saying before, Casey has been tested in tight situations,

[00:07:22] tight games.

[00:07:23] They're made for it.

[00:07:24] And that Patrick Mahomes factor is like, I know he's not blowing out the

[00:07:28] stat sheets, but you know, I just can't go against them right now,

[00:07:32] especially them.

[00:07:32] That's fair.

[00:07:34] That's fair.

[00:07:34] That's a, that's a, that's a, you talked about.

[00:07:36] I like it.

[00:07:37] Let's roll with Casey.

[00:07:38] So we got Detroit.

[00:07:40] We got Casey Buffalo at the Rams.

[00:07:43] Go ahead.

[00:07:44] Why don't you tell us what you think right now?

[00:07:45] Yeah, I think Buffalo is rolling right now.

[00:07:47] And I know that Rams, they're, they're kind of on the other end of the

[00:07:51] spectrum.

[00:07:52] They're looking like they're totally done.

[00:07:55] Totally got up.

[00:07:55] I'm surprised they haven't blown it up or really gotten rid of Stafford

[00:07:59] because this team is not going to make the playoffs.

[00:08:02] They're, they're pretty much finished for the year already, which is sad

[00:08:06] because they have so much talent and Buffalo, they need it as well.

[00:08:10] They're so desperate to get that number one spot.

[00:08:12] Josh Allen is playing like the best player in football, not even the best

[00:08:17] quarterback, best player.

[00:08:18] Did you see his game last week where he had a touchdown receiving, rushing,

[00:08:24] throwing and throwing unbelievable.

[00:08:27] Unbelievable.

[00:08:29] Got to catch.

[00:08:30] Josh Allen right now.

[00:08:31] Yeah, it's tough.

[00:08:32] I will say the Rams are six and six.

[00:08:36] The Cardinals are six and six and the Seahawks are seven and five and the

[00:08:41] Finners are five and seven.

[00:08:42] That NFC West is still not quite wrapped up yet.

[00:08:45] True.

[00:08:46] I think there's, I think there's something there.

[00:08:49] However, Buffalo knows they need to have the number one spot so that everything

[00:08:54] goes through them.

[00:08:55] They've, they've come close against Casey a couple of times, but they feel, I think

[00:09:00] this is a psychological edge.

[00:09:01] Just want to get out at home, get over the hump.

[00:09:03] I think we take Buffalo.

[00:09:04] I think we take Buffalo.

[00:09:06] Yeah.

[00:09:07] Yeah.

[00:09:08] But I'll say it did convince me that to worry about it.

[00:09:11] I'm not sure anymore about it.

[00:09:13] But see that.

[00:09:13] Yeah.

[00:09:13] If the Rams, the Rams take, get a W here.

[00:09:17] They make some big implications for the Seahawks, Arizona game for the Sunday

[00:09:21] nighter.

[00:09:22] True.

[00:09:23] And I think that's a huge game because Arizona wins and the Rams win.

[00:09:27] You're going to have a lot.

[00:09:28] Those top three teams are all going to be at the same record.

[00:09:31] And there's going to be a lot of different, a lot of different things going on

[00:09:34] there.

[00:09:35] So if I'll let you pick Seahawks Cardinals, who do you got, man?

[00:09:40] It just depends on what kind of version you're going to get of Kyler Murray.

[00:09:43] I was wrong against the Seahawks last week, but I still want to choose Arizona this

[00:09:48] week.

[00:09:48] They are home.

[00:09:49] They are home and they're different than their past.

[00:09:54] You know, they have some weapons.

[00:09:55] They have the rookie outside with Harrison.

[00:09:57] They have Trey McBride.

[00:09:59] James Conner's all right.

[00:10:00] I'm going Arizona.

[00:10:01] I'm going Arizona.

[00:10:02] I don't trust Seattle.

[00:10:03] I don't trust.

[00:10:04] I think they've been boosted and overrated.

[00:10:06] Yeah.

[00:10:07] I think Arizona comes in.

[00:10:11] They're a stronger team at home.

[00:10:13] Can we, can we trust the Seattle offense to keep it going?

[00:10:16] Not too sure.

[00:10:17] Not too sure.

[00:10:18] But I think it should be a fun one for sure in the afternoon on Sunday.

[00:10:23] All right.

[00:10:23] Now for the Monday nighter.

[00:10:25] I don't know.

[00:10:26] It might be a bit of a snooze fest Cincinnati at the Cowboys.

[00:10:31] Now here is a hot take.

[00:10:33] I know we're going to go against each other on this.

[00:10:35] I'm not only choosing the Dallas Cowboys to win this game.

[00:10:40] I'm choosing the Dallas Cowboys to squeak into the playoffs and the third, the wild card spot.

[00:10:47] With the schedule remaining, they have a chance.

[00:10:50] They really do.

[00:10:50] And with their defensive guys coming back to Marcus Lawrence, maybe back for this Monday.

[00:10:56] And Trayvon Diggs may be back as well.

[00:10:58] You'll see their full defense.

[00:11:00] And Cincinnati, they've already admitted they cannot stop anyone.

[00:11:03] Jamar Chase says we have to score every single time we're on offense.

[00:11:07] And there's trouble in paradise in Cincinnati.

[00:11:09] That's what I think.

[00:11:10] Well, I think if one of your best players calls out an entire half of the ball, that could light a fire underneath them.

[00:11:18] That could light a fire underneath them.

[00:11:20] So the Cowboys have the Bengals, Panthers, Bucs, Eagles, and Commanders.

[00:11:26] So that's pretty tough at the end there.

[00:11:29] Yeah.

[00:11:29] Because the Bucs will be fighting for a playoff spot.

[00:11:31] Eagles and Commanders are fighting for a playoff spot.

[00:11:33] They have to win this one to get any chance of getting in the playoffs.

[00:11:37] They for sure have to win this one and against the Panthers.

[00:11:39] And then the Panthers.

[00:11:41] It's a toss-up.

[00:11:41] Then kind of destiny's in their hands.

[00:11:43] You know what?

[00:11:43] I will go with you on the Cowboys on the win.

[00:11:47] I will not say they're jumping into the playoffs.

[00:11:49] There's no chance on that.

[00:11:50] Here we go.

[00:11:51] We'll go with that for the win.

[00:11:54] All right.

[00:11:54] So to round up our Sports Revs top five picks for this week on week 14, we're picking Detroit.

[00:12:01] We're picking Kansas City, Buffalo, Arizona, and the Dallas Cowboys.

[00:12:07] Let's go.

[00:12:08] There you go.

[00:12:09] That's our five.

[00:12:10] That's our five.

[00:12:12] All right.

[00:12:13] Now to something that we both are a little more – well, maybe I'm more happy than you are about it because you're a big football guy.

[00:12:19] NBA Cup.

[00:12:20] NBA Cup.

[00:12:21] Lots of games going down here on Tuesday night as we're heading towards the quote-unquote knockout stages.

[00:12:27] Group A, the Knicks, and Orlando are battling it up for top spot.

[00:12:31] Who are you picking?

[00:12:33] Who are you picking?

[00:12:33] I'm going New York Knicks, baby.

[00:12:35] I'm all in on the Knicks this year.

[00:12:36] Okay.

[00:12:36] You're all in on the Knicks.

[00:12:38] I'm going to jump on with Jonathan Isaac.

[00:12:40] I think Orlando can take him down.

[00:12:42] It'll be a tough game for sure.

[00:12:44] But I like Orlando here.

[00:12:46] Group B, the surging Milwaukee Bucks and the surprising Detroit Pistons, both battling for top spot.

[00:12:52] Yeah, I got to go Bucks.

[00:12:53] I think Bucks.

[00:12:54] Yeah, I think the Bucks too.

[00:12:55] They need this for their morale.

[00:12:57] So I think I'm going Bucks.

[00:13:00] Interesting.

[00:13:01] They have been on quite the run though.

[00:13:03] Yeah.

[00:13:04] They've turned it around and winning changes at all moods.

[00:13:08] Very true.

[00:13:09] They got to keep this going though.

[00:13:10] They got to keep this going if they want to be real.

[00:13:12] The momentum immediately needs to start swinging.

[00:13:15] Surprising Atlantic top spot group C.

[00:13:17] They've locked in the top spot there.

[00:13:20] So that's great.

[00:13:20] So in terms of the tiebreaker for the East at least, New York must win to advance.

[00:13:29] Orlando, Milwaukee and Detroit, they do have a chance to get in if they lose.

[00:13:34] And Boston can get in as well.

[00:13:36] It's all dependent on the tiebreaker points.

[00:13:40] The point differential is going to be what determines who goes through.

[00:13:43] But basically for New York to have to win to get in.

[00:13:47] And we let the other ones play by chance.

[00:13:48] So, you know, as you always say, win or go home.

[00:13:51] That's kind of how we play here, right?

[00:13:52] So that'll take winning takes care of everything.

[00:13:55] But there are a few permutations that get them through into the West side of things.

[00:14:00] Group A, Houston's locked up top spot, which is fantastic.

[00:14:04] Yeah.

[00:14:04] Group B, we got all three teams or three teams here.

[00:14:07] Think of two and one.

[00:14:08] So this is how it looks.

[00:14:09] San Antonio clinches with a win versus Phoenix.

[00:14:13] Phoenix clinches the group with a win versus San Antonio and an Oklahoma City loss to Utah.

[00:14:20] Oklahoma City clinches with a win and a San Antonio loss to Phoenix.

[00:14:26] Wow.

[00:14:27] So a lot of different things could happen tonight.

[00:14:29] One thing I do personally, I think as much as the Spurs are going to try and put up a fight,

[00:14:33] Kevin Durant's going to say no thank you and just bomb and just push them through.

[00:14:37] I think Phoenix wins this group.

[00:14:38] Yeah.

[00:14:38] Like this NBA Cup, this is the part that now it's getting really fun.

[00:14:43] These, especially these older star guys like Durant, they value this win, I think,

[00:14:49] and value it for their quote unquote legacy, but also for their staff and the city as well.

[00:14:56] So yeah, I think you're probably right.

[00:15:00] It's going to be tough for Phoenix to clinch it with.

[00:15:03] So what happens if Phoenix clinches or Phoenix wins and Oklahoma City wins?

[00:15:07] Phoenix still clinches top spot.

[00:15:09] Okay.

[00:15:09] So then, yeah, then I think if Phoenix, I think Phoenix will do it.

[00:15:13] I think Phoenix will do it.

[00:15:14] Not enough firepower for San Antonio.

[00:15:17] Sorry, wait.

[00:15:17] Sorry.

[00:15:17] Hold on.

[00:15:18] Oklahoma City clinches group with a win.

[00:15:20] So Oklahoma has to win and Phoenix has, and San Antonio has to lose.

[00:15:25] Sorry.

[00:15:25] So if Oklahoma and Phoenix win, Oklahoma will take the top spot.

[00:15:29] Not if Phoenix loses though.

[00:15:31] If Phoenix loses, if San Antonio wins, they got the top spot.

[00:15:34] Yeah.

[00:15:35] So Oklahoma needs to win and Phoenix needs to win for Oklahoma to get the top spot.

[00:15:39] I see.

[00:15:40] I see.

[00:15:41] Okay.

[00:15:41] So Oklahoma might just sneak it out.

[00:15:43] Yeah.

[00:15:44] The only way Phoenix clinches is if Oklahoma City loses and they beat the Spurs.

[00:15:49] Okay.

[00:15:51] And Oklahoma City is not going to lose.

[00:15:53] Hey, you never know.

[00:15:54] Could be some magic here in Utah.

[00:15:55] You never know.

[00:15:58] Group C, Golden State is locked up top spot.

[00:16:01] As you wrap up our cup talk here, the wild card positions are, there's eight teams.

[00:16:07] Spurs, Phoenix, OKC, Dallas, Portland, the Lakers, Denver, Memphis, and the Clippers.

[00:16:15] All of those teams have a chance to make the wild card spot in some way or another.

[00:16:20] And it all comes down to point differential.

[00:16:22] And so there was this post on Twitter about all the different permutations.

[00:16:26] And I was like, there is no chance I am putting that onto our little chat here because it would take forever to go through.

[00:16:33] So basically, kids, the story and theme is you win, you move on.

[00:16:39] But it also just shows you how the difference in disparity is between teams in the East and the West.

[00:16:44] Wild.

[00:16:44] This is wild.

[00:16:45] It's going to be really fun going forward here.

[00:16:48] So looking forward to the knockout changes.

[00:16:50] Yep.

[00:16:50] Yeah.

[00:16:51] Should be good.

[00:16:51] Should be good.

[00:16:52] Well, we'll talk.

[00:16:53] I think we'll do predictions after once everybody's been locked in.

[00:16:57] Yeah.

[00:16:57] And we'll go from there and see who comes out on top.

[00:16:59] That's perfect for next week.

[00:17:00] All right.

[00:17:01] All right.

[00:17:02] That wraps up our NBA talk.

[00:17:04] That wraps up our NFL talk.

[00:17:06] Now we're looking up to some more business.

[00:17:08] So as Dan mentioned earlier, I do coach on both the basketball side and the financial side of things.

[00:17:15] And if you're looking at your interest rates and you're asking, what does this even mean?

[00:17:20] If you're looking at your rate of return and you're like, how do I even get here?

[00:17:24] Check us out at www.train2invest.com.

[00:17:29] Train2invest.com.

[00:17:30] We have a free e-book.

[00:17:31] We would love for you guys to download, read through.

[00:17:34] And it's an easy explainer of what we do and how we can coach you to reach your financial freedom and future financial goals.

[00:17:42] Read through the book, fill out the contact form, and somebody will get back to you.

[00:17:46] One of our wonderful team will reach out to you and see if what we do is a fit for you.

[00:17:52] If you're looking for a second source of income, if you're looking to figure out what you're going to do with retirement, or even if you can retire,

[00:18:00] we are here to help you figure that out.

[00:18:02] And the best part is we are teaching you a skill set, and we want you to teach that to your family and for generations and for generations so that you guys all experience and understand financial freedom.

[00:18:14] So that's www.train2invest.com.

[00:18:19] Train2invest.com.

[00:18:20] Download the free e-book and check us out.

[00:18:22] All right.

[00:18:23] Now over to you for our real talk portion of the day.

[00:18:26] I think this is our favorite part of the show.

[00:18:31] This is where our sports and our faith kind of collide, and we get to share our unapologetic faith through the lens of sports.

[00:18:40] And there's this, I think, Instagram reel, maybe TikTok reel that's been going around.

[00:18:46] It started with this, I'm pretty sure he's Samoan, this big Samoan father.

[00:18:51] And he has three little daughters, and they're in the car.

[00:18:54] Yeah.

[00:18:54] This Samoan father, he's saying, we share and we don't judge.

[00:19:01] And then he shares something, and it's going to upset his little daughters.

[00:19:06] And then he says, we don't judge.

[00:19:07] We don't judge.

[00:19:08] So, for example, one of the little daughters, they like to sleep with mom and dad.

[00:19:12] And he said, sometimes when you go under the covers, I fart and I cover it up while you're sleeping.

[00:19:19] And then he goes, we share while she's freaking out.

[00:19:21] We don't judge.

[00:19:23] We don't judge.

[00:19:24] And I thought it was absolutely great.

[00:19:26] Now I know a lot of people are doing that as well.

[00:19:29] Coach, I thought maybe we could give an example either of our relationship or maybe your workspace of something you can share.

[00:19:37] And we can say, we don't judge.

[00:19:39] I can start if you need a minute to think about it.

[00:19:42] No, I got mine locked in.

[00:19:44] Okay.

[00:19:44] Mine's locked in.

[00:19:45] Start it.

[00:19:46] Start it.

[00:19:47] All right.

[00:19:47] So we share and we don't judge.

[00:19:48] So when people ask me what my favorite movie is, I always say something like,

[00:19:51] Lord of the Rings or Star Wars or something like that.

[00:19:55] It's actually The Sound of Music.

[00:19:58] The One Trap Family has got my heart.

[00:20:00] We share, but we don't judge.

[00:20:03] Okay.

[00:20:04] All right.

[00:20:04] I'm not judging.

[00:20:05] I'm trying.

[00:20:06] I'm not judging.

[00:20:07] You're trying not to.

[00:20:10] As a pastor, as a reverend, every year I get at least five gifts that are Bibles.

[00:20:18] And I love Bibles.

[00:20:19] They're great.

[00:20:21] But I have enough Bibles.

[00:20:24] I will give them away.

[00:20:25] And I know that sounds kind of rude and maybe bad, but we share and we don't judge.

[00:20:32] Okay.

[00:20:33] All right.

[00:20:33] Nothing wrong with a little bit of regifting.

[00:20:35] Do you have any others?

[00:20:36] Okay.

[00:20:36] This one's a little more personal and it includes you.

[00:20:39] So we share and we don't judge.

[00:20:41] When you guys ask me to game, sometimes I just put my avatar as offline, but I'm just

[00:20:45] playing FIFA.

[00:20:46] I just don't want to talk to anybody.

[00:20:48] I know.

[00:20:49] I knew it, Joel.

[00:20:51] I knew it, Coach.

[00:20:51] I don't see you.

[00:20:52] Just need some space.

[00:20:54] Just need some me time.

[00:20:55] Need some me time.

[00:20:56] We share.

[00:20:58] No, we judge.

[00:20:59] Don't judge.

[00:21:00] We fight big brother.

[00:21:01] All right?

[00:21:02] No.

[00:21:02] All right.

[00:21:03] I see how it is.

[00:21:04] All right.

[00:21:04] I see how it is.

[00:21:06] I guess I got to think of one more too.

[00:21:08] That of a second one.

[00:21:09] See, I came prepared.

[00:21:11] I came locked in with two.

[00:21:13] Sometimes.

[00:21:14] All right.

[00:21:15] My big bro has dry skin under his nose and it looks like boogers.

[00:21:20] And I don't say anything.

[00:21:21] We share.

[00:21:22] We share.

[00:21:23] Wow.

[00:21:23] We don't judge.

[00:21:25] We don't judge.

[00:21:26] Okay.

[00:21:26] But why I'm still single, guys?

[00:21:28] Why I'm still single?

[00:21:28] My goodness.

[00:21:29] A very eligible bachelor right here.

[00:21:32] Whoa.

[00:21:32] Don't say very eligible.

[00:21:34] Okay.

[00:21:34] That just sounds desperate.

[00:21:35] No, no.

[00:21:36] That means you're a asset.

[00:21:38] You're a commodity.

[00:21:41] Okay.

[00:21:41] There we go.

[00:21:41] So let's get into it.

[00:21:42] All right?

[00:21:42] All right.

[00:21:43] Let's get into it.

[00:21:44] Our real talk, we share.

[00:21:45] We don't judge.

[00:21:46] You know, I think a lot of people, when it comes to Christianity, when it comes to faith,

[00:21:51] it's, there's some hurdles that come in their way.

[00:21:54] There's some hurdles that challenge them.

[00:21:56] And one of the hangups for those people that are thinking about Christianity or maybe have

[00:22:01] some pre-based ideas about Christianity is not feeling worthy.

[00:22:06] You know, I've had a lot of different friends saying, I can't even walk through the church

[00:22:10] doors because God's going to judge me for my sinful past.

[00:22:14] And I'm going to light on fire as I walk through the entrance of the church doors.

[00:22:18] Or they, uh, are they, they love saying the common lines of, you know what?

[00:22:23] It's all right.

[00:22:24] I'm just going to have a party out in hell because, you know, my life is just too sinful

[00:22:28] to, I could never live up to the Christian standard and I couldn't do that Christian life.

[00:22:34] And you know what?

[00:22:35] Like, I think a lot of people feel that way and they have these pre-based ideas.

[00:22:42] And it just comes from such a kind of probably the media that they've seen, the movies that

[00:22:48] they've seen, that there's that church and Christianity are supposed to be this.

[00:22:53] Coach, why don't you share a little bit about, you know, what the reality of what church should

[00:22:59] be?

[00:22:59] Because maybe some people have experienced that, but what it should be according to what

[00:23:03] the Bible has to say.

[00:23:04] Yeah.

[00:23:04] I think the general concept of church here in North America is big building.

[00:23:10] You kind of either have the one side where it's a lot of old people and it's very stuffy,

[00:23:16] it's very stoic, you come dressed up.

[00:23:18] And then the other side of it is it's like a giant concert, right?

[00:23:21] It's dark, you can't really see anything.

[00:23:23] And, you know, there's a light show and the pastor's a hip young person.

[00:23:27] And in both situations, you are just a number.

[00:23:31] It feels like because you're just one little person in this massive crowd and it's hard

[00:23:35] to feel a connection.

[00:23:37] Whereas church is not about the building.

[00:23:39] It's not about where you're located.

[00:23:41] It's not about how many fancy lights you have or valets in the parking lot or even what the

[00:23:47] pastor drives.

[00:23:48] It's about the community who attends that church.

[00:23:51] It's about a community of fellow believers who are imperfect, coming together to worship their

[00:23:59] risen Lord and King.

[00:24:01] It's about a communal experience of expressing love to God.

[00:24:07] And in that same vein, you're meeting new people where they've been Christians for a

[00:24:13] long time or just they're new to the faith.

[00:24:16] You're getting involved in the church.

[00:24:17] And it's not about what you bring to the table.

[00:24:25] Because at the end of the day, God is all powerful.

[00:24:28] He doesn't really need us to do anything.

[00:24:31] He spoke everything into existence.

[00:24:34] So what he's looking for is just the people to be obedient and to love others and love him.

[00:24:40] So church is not about the fanciness of things.

[00:24:44] It's about building the community.

[00:24:46] And it's something that, you know, not because you're the pastor, but something that even

[00:24:52] when you were a youth pastor there coming to CITC, it was very genuine.

[00:24:57] And sure, you had, you know, used me as a sermon example for who knows how long.

[00:25:03] This is, again, this is pre-streaming, so I could never find out.

[00:25:06] But people there who, when I first came to visit Daniel, they were loving, they were kind, they were caring.

[00:25:15] They didn't put on any airs that they were superior to anybody.

[00:25:19] Because at the end of the day, we're all sinners.

[00:25:22] We all start off at the same place, right?

[00:25:24] And church is a place where you meet with other sinners because we're all imperfect and you worship God.

[00:25:30] And you get something put into yourself so that through the week, you can put it out to others as well.

[00:25:35] Yeah, I love it.

[00:25:37] I love it.

[00:25:37] And I love the part you shared about how, yeah, we're all imperfect.

[00:25:43] None of us have it all together.

[00:25:44] I think we grew up in a, I think it was a church culture.

[00:25:49] Maybe it was more in my head.

[00:25:51] I don't know.

[00:25:51] But whatever it was, is that I felt the need that I had to, when growing up, go to church.

[00:25:57] I had to look perfect.

[00:25:57] I had to act perfect.

[00:25:58] I had to have it all together.

[00:26:01] And it was all a facade because there's so many areas of my life where I was broken, where I was challenged by things,

[00:26:08] and where I wasn't living up to the Christian standard.

[00:26:11] What I want to foster at our church, and I think a lot of church cultures have changed along the way,

[00:26:19] is that we are a bunch of broken people, imperfect people, people that don't have it all together,

[00:26:25] that get together because we know the source of our hope and strength is the one who will help us in our deficiencies.

[00:26:33] His grace for us is sufficient for our deficiencies.

[00:26:38] And that's what kind of helps us, like you said, not only to receive during Sunday, but also to pour out to others as we're called to do.

[00:26:49] So that's one of the major hangups for people.

[00:26:51] And I hope if you're hearing this, and maybe that's been your experience at church,

[00:26:55] that this is what the Bible instructs the church to be like.

[00:27:00] We're supposed to be a community of believers that build each other up and encourage one another,

[00:27:04] that in our weaknesses, that we give it to God, that He makes us whole, He makes us strong, He takes away our sins.

[00:27:11] Another hangup is...

[00:27:12] Before we jump to the next piece, sorry.

[00:27:15] You said a really interesting piece.

[00:27:17] You know, we're trying to live up to the expectations.

[00:27:20] And the key word there is trying.

[00:27:22] Because we're never going to be perfect like Jesus.

[00:27:25] There's only one perfect human, and that was Jesus.

[00:27:29] And so, you're right.

[00:27:30] I think part of the, you know, growing up in our home church was you had to look the right way, dress the right way, act the right way.

[00:27:36] And there's some, you know, there's some benefit to having church rituals and things like that, for sure.

[00:27:43] What needs to not be lost in translation is that you have to come as you are, right?

[00:27:48] You don't want to put up a facade.

[00:27:51] You don't want to put up walls.

[00:27:52] And it's really easy because you look around and you say, man, this person's, you know, praying in tongues.

[00:27:57] I've never done that before.

[00:27:59] Or this person, their hands are raised during the worship, and it's like they're so into it.

[00:28:03] Why don't I feel that same way?

[00:28:05] We're in the same spot.

[00:28:06] We heard the same message, right?

[00:28:08] You have to come as you are.

[00:28:09] And being vulnerable when you come to a church is very difficult.

[00:28:12] For some people, it's past experiences at church which really turn them off.

[00:28:17] You know, or it's the idea of even being vulnerable in general, where you've had to be so hard-hearted.

[00:28:24] You've had to really close yourself off.

[00:28:26] You've had to protect yourself from whatever it is, whether it's, you know, physical or mental, emotional abuse.

[00:28:35] And so this concept of opening yourself up and being vulnerable in a public place is very difficult and it's very scary.

[00:28:45] But when you find a place that loves you and cares about you and is invested in you as a person, not just a number as you walk through the park gate, you'll see the impact that God has for your life.

[00:29:00] Because even though he doesn't need your ties, he doesn't need your skill set, he wants to do something in your life.

[00:29:08] If you open up, and that's what we've been talking, we've been talking about legacy, we've been talking about opportunities.

[00:29:15] God wants to do something in your life.

[00:29:17] The first step is getting up and going.

[00:29:21] And that's always the hardest step.

[00:29:23] And I challenge a lot of you who are sitting at home in your pajamas, watching church on your YouTube or TV, you know, maybe you're still not awake.

[00:29:35] You know, get back to church because while it's convenient to watch on your tablet or convenient to watch on your TV, if you're physically able to go, there's such a bigger blessing for you at the physical place.

[00:29:51] But you also don't know who you're going to bless.

[00:29:53] So if you find yourself, you're, you know, you're stuck at home and you're like, ah, I don't really want to go.

[00:29:59] I challenge you this week, get up and go.

[00:30:02] Because there's probably somebody who's been thinking about you, who wants to connect with you and you're going to put on their heart for some sort of reason.

[00:30:08] But yeah, just come as you are, be vulnerable because God wants to do something for you and he will do something for you.

[00:30:15] Absolutely.

[00:30:15] And yeah, so the first hang up we looked at is people feeling not worthy, that they're not good enough to come to church.

[00:30:22] Well, this is the reminder that God has created you.

[00:30:25] He's made you worthy.

[00:30:27] He wants you to have great relationship with him and he wants to bless you.

[00:30:31] So that is your reminder for this week that you are worthy.

[00:30:36] Now, another hang up for many people is also the idea of going from having all this accountability as the Christian life has compared to living the way you want to live.

[00:30:51] And that's a very difficult thing to hurdle over because it's very easy to live for self.

[00:30:59] You know, I did it for many years.

[00:31:01] I lived for myself.

[00:31:01] I lived for what I wanted to do, how it would benefit myself and how I would enjoy my life that way.

[00:31:08] All of that had always left me empty.

[00:31:11] It always led to self-destruction and my life was going down a really dark path that way.

[00:31:17] But when I decided to say, I'm going to live for you, Lord, I'm going to stop living for myself.

[00:31:22] I'm going to stop making myself God of my life.

[00:31:25] I want you to be God of my life.

[00:31:27] That's when everything changed for me.

[00:31:29] It didn't go from, oh, there's so many rules in Christianity.

[00:31:33] It went to, Lord, I want to serve you this way because I want to honor you.

[00:31:38] I want to follow what you have in store for me.

[00:31:40] And it's actually a joy to live, to be sinless, to aim to be pure.

[00:31:46] And it's not focusing on rules and the things you can't do.

[00:31:50] It's the opportunity to live the way you've called us to with integrity, with purity, with honoring you and with the opportunity to bless others along the way.

[00:32:00] Coach, have you had any experience yourself, you know, living for self and then trying to live for God?

[00:32:08] Or maybe you've encountered a conversation with someone who's hung up that way.

[00:32:12] I'll give this example.

[00:32:14] And it can be contentious in church circles and it can be contentious in life.

[00:32:19] What about tithing?

[00:32:22] You know, whether it's 10%, whether it's whatever, like God asks you to give a tithe.

[00:32:27] And simply the point of the tithe is to give back a little portion of what God has given to you.

[00:32:33] And, you know, you know, dad always ingrained in our head.

[00:32:37] You know, you take your paycheck, you put 10% in your savings, you put 10% for the tithe, you live in the other 80%.

[00:32:42] That seems pretty hard to do when you're making 200 bucks.

[00:32:46] However, however, when you talk about living for self, it's about let me pay my credit card bills.

[00:32:53] Let me buy this.

[00:32:53] Let me buy this.

[00:32:54] Let me look at this.

[00:32:55] Let me go out to eat.

[00:32:56] Let me go on this date.

[00:32:57] And then with whatever leftover I'm going to give to God, if there's enough, or even if I feel like it.

[00:33:02] And for a long time, that's how I lived.

[00:33:06] You know, I would, you know, prioritize worldly things over God's stuff.

[00:33:10] And not that I'm saying I'm rich now, or, you know, I'm super wealthy and I'm living in a $10 million home.

[00:33:17] But I've seen how my attitude shift towards tithing has impacted my ability to be more generous.

[00:33:25] You know, I'm a pretty generous guy.

[00:33:26] I love to give.

[00:33:27] I love to help people out.

[00:33:30] What my mind shift personally was, it's when I look at my paycheck, it's not, oh, okay, I got to pay this, this, this first.

[00:33:37] It's like, no, no, no.

[00:33:38] First goes to God.

[00:33:39] Whatever it is, first goes to God.

[00:33:41] And there's many ways you can do that, whether it's through setting up, you know, e-transfers, whatever.

[00:33:47] There's ways to do that.

[00:33:48] But it's giving joyfully.

[00:33:52] And it's not just I'm doing it to checkmark a box.

[00:33:54] I'm not doing it to say, okay, I've done this.

[00:33:57] It's like, you know, God, thank you.

[00:33:58] I got paid.

[00:33:59] I thank you for my job.

[00:34:00] Thank you for any opportunities that have come my way.

[00:34:03] Here is my tithe to thank you for that.

[00:34:06] Anything to give on top of that is the offerings piece.

[00:34:08] But the practice of tithing and being faithful with giving God my firsts, like Abel did, not like how Cain did, but giving God my firsts has sown different opportunities into my life.

[00:34:21] When there have been times where I'm, you know, what it's a little tight or things are a little tight, God has come through with, you know, somebody taking me out for lunch or, you know, a random person saying, hey, you know what?

[00:34:35] I got this coupon for this, this, and this.

[00:34:37] I think you should take it.

[00:34:39] Like there's things that happen that, you know, could be coincidence if you look at it from that perspective.

[00:34:45] But it's also if you look at it and say, okay, you know what?

[00:34:48] I didn't see this solution to my problem coming this way because I don't have a limited human brain.

[00:34:54] God is working on a whole other level that we can comprehend.

[00:34:58] And making him a priority, making, making a priority gives you that freedom.

[00:35:04] And it's right.

[00:35:05] It's not about just rules and regulations for the sake of saying no.

[00:35:08] It's about how do you maximize your life?

[00:35:11] Right?

[00:35:12] You look at like somebody like in the Marines or the Army.

[00:35:15] You see the movies where there's just a guy screaming and you're like, man, that sounds horrible.

[00:35:20] I don't want any part of that.

[00:35:22] However, they're building that discipline.

[00:35:25] They're building that lifestyle so that when they are put into a compromising situation, they are prepared.

[00:35:32] They are prepared to handle it.

[00:35:33] Same thing with reading the Bible.

[00:35:36] Right?

[00:35:36] When you come across a situation where it's like, man, I have zero idea what to do.

[00:35:41] I'm sure this has happened to you.

[00:35:43] Scripture just comes to your head and you're like, yeah, that makes sense.

[00:35:47] I can apply this to this thing.

[00:35:49] Or I can say, hey, this is what I think I can share into your life, so and so.

[00:35:55] And it's not about saying no.

[00:35:57] It's about learning to say yes to the right things.

[00:36:00] So that would be kind of my two semi-examples of living for life for myself versus living life for God.

[00:36:08] Yeah, and I love that.

[00:36:08] I love that.

[00:36:09] And if you didn't catch it, everything that Coach is talking about is the desire to live for God.

[00:36:19] It's not wondering about, you know, am I completing this task or am I following these guidelines of rules?

[00:36:27] It's actually with the mindset of I want to live for God the way you've called me to.

[00:36:32] It's not about a checklist of, yes, I did my tithe.

[00:36:35] I did this.

[00:36:36] I did that.

[00:36:37] It is the kingdom.

[00:36:39] We call it kingdom mindset.

[00:36:41] Right?

[00:36:41] As a Christ follower, really everything we want to do is within kingdom mindset.

[00:36:46] It's to glorify God.

[00:36:48] You know, I want to get my health in better condition to glorify God, not to look good for my Instagram post.

[00:36:55] I want to be a good example to the next generation and my future kids and all those kinds of things.

[00:37:00] Right?

[00:37:01] I want my money to have kingdom purpose.

[00:37:04] So I want to give with a generous and grateful heart.

[00:37:08] It's a joy to give.

[00:37:09] And as Coach was saying, the more you practice that, the easier it is to be generous.

[00:37:15] And the more blessings you can actually have, more opportunities to bless others is what you'll have.

[00:37:23] And that's the kind of heartbeat we want to encourage.

[00:37:26] And that's kind of the heartbeat of what this real talk has been about.

[00:37:29] Right?

[00:37:30] It's living for God as best as you can.

[00:37:32] But it's the Christianity piece to it is it's not about rules.

[00:37:39] It's not about, you know, tasks.

[00:37:41] It's a lifestyle of serving and pleasing God rather than focusing on the things that we may think hold us back from having relationship with God.

[00:37:51] And I think a lot of people get hung up on those things.

[00:37:54] But that's not what it's all about.

[00:37:56] Everyone at church is going to be just like you.

[00:37:58] They have failed and they haven't come up to standard.

[00:38:03] And at a church, that's where it's the healing process is.

[00:38:06] We bring it to God.

[00:38:08] He forgives us.

[00:38:09] He enables us.

[00:38:10] He empowers us to live moving forward.

[00:38:12] And that's kind of the heartbeat of what I had on our heart for today for the Sports Revs talk.

[00:38:18] Anything else you want to add, Coach?

[00:38:20] Yeah, I think if you're, you know, if you feel like you're just a number at church, you feel like you're not worthy to be there.

[00:38:26] Get involved.

[00:38:28] I think that's something that will really help you understand, give you a perspective of what this whole Christianity thing is all about.

[00:38:36] Whether it's joining a life group or a Bible study, whether it's, you know, volunteering to be an usher or volunteering to, you know, do whatever at the church.

[00:38:46] Get involved.

[00:38:48] And that's how you're going to build relationship, not only with other Christians.

[00:38:51] And that's how you get great mentoring and build that community.

[00:38:56] But it's going to help you also feel like you're part of the church, not just showing up to be in the church.

[00:39:03] Right?

[00:39:03] To be part of the community, you have to contribute something.

[00:39:06] And I think a lot of times people look at church as just take, take, take, and take.

[00:39:12] And we don't want that.

[00:39:13] We want to be able to give to church, not necessarily always money, but with time and with talent.

[00:39:18] And you'd have no idea what you volunteering and spending time with other people are going to do is going to bless somebody else.

[00:39:26] And then translates that to the rest of their week where they can share with something and something.

[00:39:30] And it's just, it's a snowball effect.

[00:39:32] And yeah, so my challenge, I got two challenges for you guys this week.

[00:39:35] Number one, if you've stopped going to church because you just enjoy the online side of things, get up and go.

[00:39:42] Make up the next 15 minutes earlier.

[00:39:44] Get showered and show up.

[00:39:45] You will be missed and people will want to see you.

[00:39:47] And number two, get involved.

[00:39:49] Just go to something different.

[00:39:51] I know sometimes it's a little awkward, you know, going to Bible study and not knowing many people.

[00:39:56] I guarantee you it's going to be a net positive to your life.

[00:39:59] I love it.

[00:39:59] I love it.

[00:40:00] And I guess I'll do the wrap up this time.

[00:40:02] Sure.

[00:40:03] Make sure to check out the YouTube channel that you're probably watching this on right now.

[00:40:08] If you're not, make sure you leave a like and a comment.

[00:40:11] Subscribe.

[00:40:12] Check us out on all our socials on Facebook, Instagram, X, formerly known or now known, formerly Twitter.

[00:40:18] Check us out on Spotify.

[00:40:21] Check out the sports revs dot com train to invest all in the YouTube description.

[00:40:25] And do us a favor.

[00:40:27] Share it with some of your friends that may like to hear this kind of podcast.

[00:40:31] Maybe a little encourage them.

[00:40:32] Maybe it's a good gateway for them to try church, maybe even for the first time.

[00:40:37] And if you're looking for a church, we can help you out as well.

[00:40:39] So send us a message and we'll be there for you.

[00:40:42] All right.

[00:40:42] I think that's it.

[00:40:43] Peace.

[00:40:44] Peace.