When God Doesn’t Follow Your Plan | NFL Talk & Real Hope | The Sports Reverends

Dan: Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, welcome to the Sports Reverends Podcast. My name is Dan, and I'm joined with my big bro. You guys know him as the coach, Coach Joel, who's not only a coach on the basketball court, also a coach in the stock markets as well. And then we got Drew Martin all the way from Carmen Pentecostal. this shows you what. Pastoring does to you. All right. This is how stressful this job is. All right. You can see that Drew got a little bit more hair on top, but he's gotten a little bit older today. Okay. That's the stress of pastoring. No, I'm just kidding. We have our special guest all the way now who lives across the street from me, now in Toronto, all the way from BC. We got Pastor Gary Wilson, my father-in-law with us. We are excited for the show today. Coach, why don't you just tell us how your last week has been? The Coach: Ooh, last week. It's been good. I think what did we We finished the nursery at the church, which was a big project, so that took forever, but that was good. Had some time off to relax and the weather's been decent, so can't complain. Dan: Awesome, awesome. All right, Pastor Gary, PG, tell us a little bit about your journey from BC all the way to Toronto and what gets you excited about being pastoring now in the big city. Gary: Well, the journey, the actual journey, was a really long one because we drove here. I think it was something like forty eight hundred kilometers, which you Dan: Ooh. Gary: know, if people are watching in the States, I have no idea how many miles it is, but it's a lot. And let's see. But the but the the journey back to pastoring, which I kinda really never felt I left. has been really cool. Really cool. I love it in Toronto. Love I love Church in the City and love the community, the whole area of that whole Saint Lawrence area of Toronto and yeah, it's it's awesome. Dan: Love it. I love it. Well, we love having you here too. And we thank you for being with us today. if you guys don't know, my name's Dan. I'm a pastor of Church in the City and chaplain for Toronto Fire. And we're gonna start with a little fun game for you guys where I get to run and you guys get to participate. So basically there is I'm calling it Glory Grit Gone. Okay, I'm gonna give you we're gonna do NFL, B A, N H L L B. Okay, four majors. I'm gonna give you a basically, I'm gonna say NFL. You're gonna choose a super Super Bowl contender, one team that was a Super Bowl contender, one team that makes the playoffs, and one team that misses the playoff. This is the three and edition of this question. Okay. So you gotta say one team that is a Super Bowl, who's we'll say win the Super Bowl, make the playoffs, miss the playoffs. Okay. And we'll you guys don't have you guys have your separate answers for this. Okay. So the first The the the three teams are Bills, Chiefs, Forty Niners. So you both choose we'll start with Super Bowl contender. Or Super Bowl champion, we'll say, not contender. Super Bowl champion. Gary: Yeah. Dan: Bills, Gary: Okay. Dan: Chiefs, 49ers. The Coach: Okay, I'll I'll go first. I'll go first. I have the guy I I have my Super Bowl champion being the forty niners, taking my making my boys. I got the Bills making the playoffs, and I have the Chiefs missing the playoffs. Dan: Ooh, okay. Gary. Gary: Okay. Well, I'm gonna go out on a limb here. after the Cowboys wiped out the Bills years ago three three times to keep them from winning the Super Bowl. And I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the Bills are gonna win the Super Bowl this year. Yeah, it's a stretch, The Coach: Oof. Gary: I know. Please, Josh Allen. and don't throw so many interceptions and I'm gonna say the Chiefs make the playoffs and The Coach: Wow. Gary: the forty niners miss the playoffs. How's that? That's nice. Dan: Okay, let's go. I have it as I have it as Chiefs winning the super. I think we're all different here. Chiefs winning Super Bowl. The Coach: Wow. Dan: I got Bills missing the playoffs, 49ers making the playoffs. We're all actually every option. So here we go. Okay, now NBA edition. Okay, so it's championship, playoff The Coach: Yeah, there we go. Okay. Dan: team, disappointment. We got the seventy sixers, raptors, and the Lakers. The Coach: Okay. seventy sixters, Raptors and Lakers. All right, so Sixers to win, Raptors to make the playoff, Lakers to miss. That's a tough one. Gary: Hmm. I am I I can't see the Sixers 'cause I cannot The Coach: Yeah. Gary: stand the thought of LeBron winning. so I am gonna go wow. I'm gonna go with I'm gonna go crazy here and say Kawhi brings the championship back to Toronto and The Coach: Nice. Gary: so the Raptors win. let's see. I'll give I'll give the Sixers the playoffs and Lakers gone. Dan: That is exactly what I got as well. Raptors bringing it home. Let's go. I love it. I love Gary: Nice. Dan: it. Okay, this is the n NHL but Canadian, Canadian edition. Okay. Stanley Cup champion playoffs disappointment. We got the Oilers, we got the Leafs, we got the Canadiens. The Coach: Okay. I'll put the Oilers to win, the Canadians to make the playoffs, and the Leafs to, as always, be just be the disappointments. Gary: Hmm, interesting. Okay, well, I'm gonna say the Canadians, the Canadians will bring it back to Canada after 23 years. The Canadians were the last champions in '93, last Canadian champions. And Dan: Bonjour. Gary: so they're gonna win it. better rounded team. And let's see, the Yeah, I I can't give it to the Leafs. Leafs are gonna miss it and the Oilers will be in the playoffs. Dan: I got closer to coach. I got Oilers winning. I got Leafs making the playoffs and Canadians missing the playoffs. So The Coach: poof. Dan: I that's that's my hot take there for you. Okay, Gary: Yeah. Dan: now we got one more MLB. This is the October fate edition. who's gonna win The Coach: Okay. Dan: the World Series? Who's gonna have the deep October run? Who's gonna have the early exit? We got the Phillies, we got the Yankees, we got the Braves. Gary: Well okay, I'll take this one. Wha The Coach: Okay. Gary: why do you not have the brewers? Okay. Anyway, we'll say Dan: I I'll tell you I'll tell you why. I'll tell you why. Because the odds of the Brewers was much higher than these teams. These three were closer according to the odds of winning. That's why. Gary: Yeah, okay. Okay. Okay. I'll give it to you. okay, so you said the Braves the Dan: Phillies Yankees. Gary: Yankees. okay. I will say I will say the Braves win it all. Shocking. I say what what are we picking though? They're they're in it. Dan: Winning it all, deep October run, early exit. Gary: Okay, deep I'm gonna say deep for the Yankees and early exit Phillies. The Coach: I will say Dan: Coach. The Coach: I'll say Yankees take it all. The Braves take the deep run and the Phillies with the early exit. Dan: All right, that makes sense because the Braves and Phillies are playing each other. So they kind of have to be on the opposite point here. So I'm going to say Gary: That's right. That's right. Dan: the Braves win it. Phillies early exit. Yankees deep playoff run. That makes sense. All The Coach: There we go. Gary: Yeah. Dan: right. That's the same as Gary. Perfect. Fellas, that's great. Let's get into some sports talk. That was just some fun. did I say I'm leading this part, Joel? Yes, I did. Okay. The Coach: Yes, you did. Dan: So basically we're doing it kind of PTI style. I'll give a topic. You just give a a thought on it. All right. Here we go. First one is this. Case Keenum leads the Bears past the Eagles twenty seven. they're up. They win twenty seven to seven. Is Chicago for real or was this one disastrous night for Philly? Gary: Well, I think I think I think what makes Chicago for real is Ben Johnson. The Coach: Mm. Gary: Obviously it doesn't matter who he has as as a quarterback. He took Jared Goff, who was a dud in LA, basically, and he made made the Lions into a great team, offensively anyway. And let's see, I think Yeah, the King Kingdom look good. I I've never seen Kingdom look Kingdom look so good. So Dan: No. Gary: I I think it's for real. Dan: Coach. The Coach: so Case Kingdom hadn't started a game in a thousand and nine days, which is insane to me that he Dan: Crazy. The Coach: jumps on the field, leads a very strong squad to a W. That's not an easy thing because of course we know the quarterback position is very, very difficult. I'm gonna say this is 70% Chicago for real. 30% Philly being a disaster because I think they have they have let a lot of guys go and not replace them with quality players in Philadelphia. The coaching situation, I don't know if I'm a big fan of the coach. And Jalen Hurts, I maybe we saw the best of him already. Maybe he's peaked and is on his way down. But I think it's nice to see the Bears actually do well and for the for the right reasons be in the news. Dan: Yeah, I know I made this question, but I think Chicago's for real. And I also think this is des like Philly's a disaster. I I think Jalen Hurts is not a great quarterback, and everyone's given him a lot of props about how skilled he is and how great of a leader is and how he's always had this track record of winning. I think we've seen the last couple of actually all three weeks, even though they're two and one, he's not showed out at all. He's he's struggled and he's looked The Coach: Mm. Dan: bad overall. And I think that's just gonna continue going forward for Philly. But I do think you're totally right, Gary, with With Chicago's coach, he is definitely one of the best The Coach: Real deal. Dan: offensive minds in the game. And to see to see that kind of beatdown without your starting quarterback, not many teams can say they can do that. And I think you're absolutely right. It goes back to your head coach, quarterback relationship and just the scheme. I think it's big deal. Okay, next one the Raiders are three and well, three and contenders or September illusion. Gary: Hmm. I'm thinking I I'm thinking illusion. Has to be. Has to be illusion. I mean I I know I know they've got a they got a good Well I I'm not sh I'm not I don't know. I think they're Dan: He's waffling. He's waffling. Gary: I I no no I I'm absolutely thinking they are they are pretenders. I don't Dan: Okay. Gary: know. I just don't think they have what it takes, I mean to you know, take it through the long haul. And I'm not sure Have they played really good teams? The Coach: Not really. Dan: It's the NFL. Gary: I don't think Dan: It's the NFL. Every game's tough. Gary: I know, but I I I well, yeah, but I just I just don't think that I think I think they're pretenders. The Coach: I will put them in the illusion category. I mean, they they what week one, they beat the Dolphins. Terrible. Chargers, that that was a bit more of a statement win. But then the Saints? Are we really, really saying those are top quality teams? Now, if they beat the Chiefs next week, I think that's going to be a bit of a feather in their cap because they got the Chiefs. They have the struggling Patriots coming up after that. And then they have the Bills. So the next three games, if they can go two and one, I think puts them in a really strong con strong position. But yeah, the first three games I don't think really shows who they are, even though there's quote unquote parity in the NFL. We know there isn't. But yeah, I put them in the illusion category for now. Dan: You know, I just think like Kirk Cousins, he's thrown for nine touchdowns. Three, three touchdowns a game. Okay. Think about this. There's not been one quarterback, 38 years old and older, to throw for three touchdowns in their first three games ever. No other quarterback. And Brock Bowers is coming back. Ashton Genty looks different. This offense looks different with a capable quarterback. And new coaching system. So I if contender means I all I'm thinking, I don't think they're gonna win the Super Bowl. I do think they're gonna make the playoffs. That's my my hot take of the Raiders Gary: True. Dan: making the playoffs. That's as far as they can get. So I don't know if that means contender or not, but I'm taking them out of the illusion phase. I'm saying Kirk Cousins is riding this. He's gonna be like the the Alex Smith to Patrick Mahomes for for Fernando Mendoza. All right, he's gonna give that good year, make the playoffs, and then Mendoza's gonna take over. I don't know if he's gonna turn out to be great like Mahomes, but I think it's gonna be that kind of season. I like Kirk. I think he's got this team cooking and it's gonna be a good one in good one in Kansas City in week four. The Coach: gonna be a good one in Kansas City for Report, that's for sure. Dan: All right, next one Blue Jays missed the playoffs. What's one change the Jays have to make this offseason? Gary: goodness, man, they they need they need s so much in offense. I I don't even know where to start. they need they need power. they I mean they need consistency. I mean the thing is i if you talk about barger coming back, w will Barger be the same Barger that we saw last year? I who knows, right? and i think i don't know i think they need they probably need three three guys not not one or two they need probably three guys who can come in because we're losing we're losing springer springer's gonna be gone for sure and i don't know there's there's there's not a lot there we got we got vloggy who might You know, hopefully he turns it around. we got Kirk who's pretty consistent. We got Okamoto who's pretty good. for power anyway, or you know, he's not not great on average. and then, you know, a bunch of young guys. got Santander. Who knows what happens with him? so I I'm thinking we've gotta bring in I'm thinking at If we don't bring in at least two guys who can add some power and some consistent bats, we're s we're sunk for next year. If there's a next year. Dan: Coach. The Coach: The one thing you said, I would choose a new medical staff. Keep these guys Gary: Mm. Mm. The Coach: healthy. I think that would have made a big difference this year. We had a lot of guys miss a lot of games. And that that lack of continuity makes it very difficult to to build that cohesion because and and go on a run. Like last year, they were pretty healthy when they started going on that that heater of a run, right? The letter of the World Series. This year it was guys in and out of the lineup. expectations, et cetera. So new medical staff, turn these guys around, we'll go from there. That's that's my one pick for the Jays next year. Dan: Well, I think all of you both of you are correct. I think they also need to add a a new hitting coach because they they had a new hitting coach The Coach: Yeah. Dan: this year, correct? And I Gary: Yeah, yeah. Dan: think I think that will add to hopefully the new additions and the all the health and they just need to put it together. So okay, let's keep going. True or false, just one word. The forty niners are the best team in the NFC after three weeks. Gary: Fall. Dan: Coach. The Coach: Yes, absolutely true. Dan: I will go true right now. Yes, overall. Okay, The Coach: Ha ha ha. Gary: No no no no. Dan: who what who do you have better than the forty nineers, Gary? After three weeks. Gary: I I my goodness. I think The Coach: If you have to take this long, you can't have a real answer. You're really, you're really stretching there, Gary. You're really stretching. Gary: I I I know I Dan: He just hates San Francisco. I get it. And I get it. Gary: man. Dan: Okay, let's go to the next one. The O and The Coach: Ha ha. Dan: three NFL team most likely to make the playoffs is it's either the Texans, Chargers, Dolphins, Bucks, Titans. The O and three NFL The Coach: Yeah, it's a tough one. Dan: team most likely to make the playoffs is Texans, Chargers, Dolphins, Bucks, Titans. Choose one. Gary: Well, we know it's not the dolphins. I I'd say I'd say The Coach: Ha ha ha. Dan: Definitely not. Shout out Pharaoh. Gary: I'd like to say it's the Texans. 'Cause I like them. Dan: Okay. Yeah. Gary: They got a good defense. Dan: Coach. The Coach: I'm gonna say the Texans as well. They've done it the last couple of years, started off with goose egg and have turned it around. So big CJ Stroud fan over here. So hopefully they can turn it around. Dan: We love we CJ Strouds are one of the faves on the pod. I'm also choosing the Texans. After they go 0-4 The Coach: Yeah. Dan: this week, because they're playing the Cowboys, they're going to be one of those teams The Coach: jeez. Gary: Yes. Dan: that go 0-4, 0-5 and make the playoffs. Okay. And so we're Texans all on the board. Let's go. I love it. Chargers. Chargers are just giving us no faith. I think that's the next team The Coach: Yeah. Dan: in line, probably, that we would think about. But nope. The Coach: Correct. Dan: Let's go Texans. Okay. Shout out Dr. Mads. True or false. Last one, guys. The defending champion, Knicks. Are still the team to beat in the East. Gary: Hmm. I well I'm gonna say I'm gonna say no. I'm gonna say 'cause I already picked the Raptors to win it. The Coach: Yeah. Dan: Go. I love that. Gary: The Raptors are the team to beat. The Coach: I'm gonna I'm gonna say false as well. I I don't Dan: Wow. The Coach: yeah, I'm gonna say false. Dan: I'm gonna say true, cause they just won it. They still got the same crew basically. And I think they're gonna keep getting better. So The Coach: I'll see. Dan: they're the team to beat. Gotta take off, take down the king before you take him out. Coach, why don't you handle some business, then we'll dive into some real talk. The Coach: Yeah, absolutely. we had the pleasure of jumping in on the Captain's Platoon a couple of weeks ago and supporting that that really solid effort out there and and and Pastor Ted. So that's a great, great jump for us. And here at Train to Invest, we are solidly looking to provide you an education and and a methodology that teaches you how to invest in the stock market so that you are an expert. We teach novices how to become experts, take out the middleman and control your own financial destiny destiny. If you're looking for a a course to learn about what an RRSP is, what a TFSA is, how to trade, thinking about retirement or thinking about maybe you have a child who's going to get married or something big event coming up, check us out at www.train the number two invest.com. Train to invest.com. Download our free ebook, give us a shout, and we'd love to connect with you and see how we can help you secure your financial future. Dan: Awesome. It's now time for the best part of the show. The Coach: Absolutely. Dan: We call it real talk. And today it's entitled When Hope Runs Out. You know, three weeks now we're into the NFL season, and some fan bases are already dreaming about the playoffs. Others are looking at their team thinking, how are we going to survive the rest of the season? You know, in sports, we can laugh about losing hope in life. It feels a little bit different. You know, what do you do when you've prayed and nothing has changed? When the relationship is still broken, the diagnosis is still real or the or the future you imagined is slipping away. What do you do when you can't see a way forward? So coach, why don't you walk us through our questions here today and let's The Coach: Absolutely. Dan: let's let's go. The Coach: Let's go. question number one for you guys. Why do you find it so hard to admit we've lost hope? Do we feel pressure to sound positive, especially as Christians? Thoughts? let's go with Pastor Gary. Gary: Hmm. Yeah, there's definitely a a tendency to you know to put on put on a a a s a smiling face and and show that everything's looking perfect in my little Christian bubble here, but I I I think I think that's just a a bit of a a crazy, you know approach to things. there's nothing like reality to to help us to get to a place where where we we can deal with with struggles, you know? and and we just gotta be real with each other. The Coach: Dan, what are your thoughts there? Dan: Yeah, like I I often feel pressure, especially in the like past oral role. I feel feel pressure to have like an encouraging word on me at all times. And even this year, this past few years have been challenging years. And where we're when I've needed an encouraging word myself, I feel like I'm I'm trying to help everybody else while holding on quietly, even struggling with with my own grip at points. And you know, as Christ followers, we can confuse sounding positive. with having faith sometimes I think. You know, r y you if you read the book of Psalms, there's a lot of God, where are you? You know, admitting I'm struggling doesn't mean I've stopped believing. It means I'm finally bringing, you know, God the truth. So yeah. The Coach: Yeah, I think we we just find it hard to admit we've lost hope because internally we don't want to feel like we're lost or we're struggling. Internally we feel like, hey, I got everything together, I'm figuring things out. And we also, as you know, as Pastor Gary said, we don't want to lose face to other people and and it's give the perception that we're struggling. But it comes down to to a vulnerability and understanding things saying, hey, I haven't lost hope. I just have lost direction, maybe. And instead of of saying, I don't have the answers, which you don't necessarily have to have, but we we know where our hope comes from. But there is that that facade we have to put on even with non-Christians, because if you're a Christian, you've lost hope and all your ex if your body language and and your your attitude is is down, people notice that, right? Like in my workplace, not that I'm faking being happy, but if I'm not happy, people are going, Hey, what's going on? And You know what's going, you know, what's going on in your world, what's happening? And you talk to them, and you're like, okay, well, you said you're a Christian. So like what do you believe in? Right. So having that vulnerability to to accept that, hey, this situation that I'm in is difficult, but not go down that next path of I don't know what I'm gonna do. All hope is lost, you know, end end of the world kind of deal, i is a is a challenge for sure. And I think it's that that temptation and that human nature part that kind of pulls you to pull you away from that. Gary: Yes. The Coach: Let's go let's let's go to the next question here. what's the difference between hoping a situation changes and putting our hope in Jesus? Dan why don't you start us off with this one? Dan: You know, yeah, go ahead, Greg, go ahead go. Gary: Yeah, I think I think no, no, sorry, go ahead. Digo. Dan: I you know, I still pray for things to change, of course. You know, I want I want the breakthrough. I I I I pray for that. Breakthrough's been kind of the word on my heart for for this year, for especially for church in the city. And and of course I want the answer. I want the situation to get better. But if my hope depends on getting that change, my peace is always on probation, you know. My Putting my hope in Jesus means I can say, this isn't what I wanted, and I don't understand it, but you're still trustworthy. You know, I don't have to call the situation good to believe that God is good. Gary: Hmm. Yeah, I I kind of think that we we very often kind of look look at things too too me centered. and and so that you know my hope is based or my hope, my the things that I hope for are are too much related to me and not enough related to God's purposes and God's design for for my life for the world around me and and ultimately for God's glory. So like if if I can be focused on on pleasing him and and and and making him happy instead of making me happy I and and and you know we do that in really simple ways right like the Bible says Jesus said you know the Bible says love God with all your all your heart, soul, mind and strength and and love your neighbors yourself. And if we do that, I really believe, you know, we can we can lift ourselves from kind of the the mundane kind of f me kind of focus. So next. The Coach: Yeah, Dan: Gary, do you The Coach: I I Dan: Gary, do you have a sorry Joel, do you have a Gary, do you have a example of that in your life? The difference of of Yeah. Gary: example I don't know. Are you thinking of an example? no, I mean I just I mean it's it's it it's really kind of my the focus of my entire life. Like I I'm not I'm not trying to yeah I mean I have a good life. My my life is happy. I have a wife and children and and a job and a car and I've got things that other people kind of look for and and want but ultimately I I I don't care about that stuff, you know. I I care 'cause when it comes down to it in the end, all that will matter is me me and God and not in that order. Dan: Good, good. Joel, go ahead. The Coach: Yeah, I love that that me centric con concept there is because usually when we f we find ourselves in a situation where we're hoping for a change, often it comes down to us doing something different than we want to do. Right? It's okay, Dan: Mm. The Coach: well, I I want to be financially secure, but I'm not tithing. God knows I want God says I should tithe, but I'm not gonna do that because I gotta pay my bills instead of trusting in God that if I give my tithe, he'll take care of me. Or, you know, I'm in a relationship with this person, I shouldn't be doing X, Y, and Z because it's it's not biblically correct. But it feels good. But I hope it changes and then I hope I don't have a baby and I hope these things happen. Right? So when we put our hope in me, if we put our self, when we hope in what I can do to change something, we're gonna fall short. We may find a solution that's temporary. We may find a solution that kind of works, but it it doesn't work. But when we put our hope in Jesus and we put Jesus first, and you start thinking, okay, like like Pastor Gary said, love God, love others, as as we talk about at church all the time, things start to change in a way that we can't even comprehend. We talk about this all the time, but putting God into an earthly box. Well, I'm just a I'm just a human. I'm a sinful person. I have limited capabilities and I'm the one trying to tell God how he can react and how he can fix a situation. God's plans are are so much bigger and so much wider and so much more creative than we can ever be. And and we put our hope in him, a solution will come out of nowhere. A solution that we don't even think about or can't even comprehend. You know, an example for me would have been going to Orlando when I was gonna propose. I didn't have enough money and I was like, how am I gonna do this? How am I gonna make this work? I got the ring, got this, that, and the other. And I wasn't even thinking about it. And my income tax check came out of nowhere. Literally the night before it came in and I was able to go on this trip and and and create memories. But it's and It wasn't anything that I specifically did. But I I I was trying to pull all these strings, like I can't ask mom and dad. It's like if I just took a step back and said, okay, God, do your thing, maybe my attitude would have been different. Maybe I wouldn't have been so stressed. Maybe I would have figured it out a different way. But God will come through in turn in terms of how we Gary: Yeah. The Coach: need a resolution. We just have to let Him do that. All right, last question for us today, guys. when life isn't going the way you want it way you wanted, is Jesus still Lord? Or was your trust tied to the outcome you wanted from him? PG up first. Gary: Well, you know, Jesus is still Lord. Jesus is still Lord whether we acknowledge it or not. and just the sooner we acknowledge it, sooner we come to that re that you know realization and and and walk in that, the better better things will go for us. So you know, my my life is not as I see it, my life is not in i i the the the purpose of my life the the the end goal of my life is not to make everything nice and you know warm and fuzzy for me i it's it's not about that i mean there's lots of lots of people around the world who are suffering intensely people who are in prison camps because they are believers because they're serving god And and you you can say, well, you know, they're not you can't say they're not living their lives, right? They're living their lives, you know, with a focus on Jesus, but they're just examples of like it doesn't it isn't about how nice things are for me. The focus is on am I bringing glory and and living my life, honoring, honoring God and everything I do. The Coach: Yeah, that's that's awesome. That's that's exactly what wanted to think about. And it's interesting. Well, on Sunday he preached about I am that I am. And what went through my head, there's this like old, not old, relatively old, Christian rap group called the Cross Movement. And one of their songs is I Am That I Am. And that Gary: Mm-hmm. The Coach: was kind of stuck with me throughout the last couple of days. And this morning on my way to work, I just like, you what? I'm just gonna flip the album on. And so I'm listening to this, this, this, this group, and the song comes on, and you know, just going at it on the way to work. And on my lunch break, one of the things that's been on my heart, and it's interesting that this question has come up, is you know, every January, I think the first Sunday in January, we do what has God done for us this past year at church? And that's that's been on my heart because I I I committed this last January to say that's going to be what I I'm gonna look at every month what God has done, and I'm gonna have some sort of testimony in January. I don't know what God's gonna do, but I'm gonna have some sort of testimony. Whether it's, you know, something I'm incredible, whether it's something small, I don't know what it is, but I'm gonna go up there and I'm gonna share something that God has done. And so again, life's Ups and downs, things happen. But when I take the time to look at, okay, what happened in this month? What happened in this month? What happened in this month? You see the faithfulness of God coming through. And at certain times it's so clear, it's so abundant. And it's like, I know this is a God thing. Other times you you sit back and you're like, yeah, he did, he did answer that prayer. Or hey, this this thing happened because of him. And you it it and When you take that time to go back and take a look, it's you see, hey, I was, I was faithful, I was obedient, I listened to what God did, and his promises came true. And if you start doing that on a consistent basis, all of a sudden it's it's not just living your Christian faith because of do's and do-nots. It's hey, I want to do this. I want to, I want to sow more, I want to volunteer more, I want to. Dan: And his promises came true. And if you start doing that on a consistent basis, all of a sudden it's it's not just living your Christian faith because of Jews and do not. It's hey, I want to do this. I want to, I want to sow more, I want to volunteer more, I want to talk about. The Coach: Talk about God more. I want to be more bold in my faith. And I'm going to take these steps. And it turns to, coulda, shoulda, woulda, to, I need to, Dan: And it turns to coulda shoulda wouldn't I The Coach: I need to, I need to. And that trust builds. And you think about okay, I'm building trust with the most powerful being in the universe. When when negative things do happen, instead of crumbling and and wishing I could have a different situation or Dan: if things do happen, instead of crumbling and wishing I could have a different situation The Coach: Or hoping it'd have a different situation, I've now built this mental catalog of God has answered all these prayers. What's changing today that he won't do that? Dan: or hoping to have a different situation, I have now built this mental catalog of God has answered all these prayers. What's changing today that he wants to do? The Coach: And so I think that's what that's what is a way, at least for me that's here, that's been really positive to help me grow my faith and Dan: So I think that's what that's what is a way at least for me that's here that's been really positive, helping grow my faith and The Coach: and not tie my belief in Jesus to outcomes that I want, but rather what outcomes that he wants. Dan: This is the worst part about going last because you guys give such good answers and and really I'm echoing a a lot of what you guys said. You know, I always I have to ask myself regularly, like, do I surrender my life to you, Jesus? Or are you gonna try or I'm gonna give you a script that I want you to follow? Right. You know, I think it's easy to say, Yes, you are Lord, Lord over my life when when life is going the way I want it to, you know, when I've prayed and tried to be faithful and and still don't get the outcome, that's when I where I really discover what. My trust was resting on. You know, maybe that's where whoever's tuning in today or tuning into whenever you watch this, maybe that's where you are. Maybe you are you're tuned in and and you're coming from a place of disappointment or or you're tired. Maybe you're struggling to hope. And maybe you don't have you don't have to hide from Jesus. You don't have to hide it from Jesus. You can bring him all of your disappointments without taking back your surrender. You know. We really started out by talking about which teams still have hope, especially in our NFL. But you know, life runs much deeper than a scoreboard. You know, some of us are carrying losses nobody else sees. You know, I I can I can't promise the the outcome you want, but the cross and the empty tomb, they they give us a a reason to trust Jesus, even even in the deepest part of your storm, even the deepest challenge you might be going through. You know, my encouragement for you is when you can't see a way forward, you can still come to the one who says, I am the resurrection and the life. Coach, why don't you take it away for us and tell us, tell our everyone tuned in The Coach: Yeah. Dan: how to follow and all that good stuff. The Coach: Make sure you check us out our website. Make sure you check us out on YouTube. Hit the little subscribe button. Hit the notification bell so that you can get notified when we are going live with our pod. for all old heads out there, check out Facebook. We'll be posting there. Instagram, great place to connect with us. We'll probably toss up a couple of polls in the next couple of weeks as NFL continues to ramp up. And for those of you who like to listen instead of being the visual learners. Check us out on Spotify and Apple Music and anywhere else you get your podcasts from. Dan: Awesome. PG, thanks for joining us this evening. Always, The Coach: Absolutely. Dan: always a pleasure. Thanks for choosing the right teams to cheer for, too. And Gary: Okay. Dan: also thanks for pointing people to Jesus. I think that's the most important thing. You Gary: Email. Dan: know, we're no experts, but we are the sports reverence. The Coach: The sports reverence. Dan: See, we're we're we're bad at that, Joel. We're even bad when Drew's not here. That's okay. We're gonna get it one day. We're gonna get it one day. Peace. The Coach: I know, it's just it's a tough thing. We're in the same spot, Gary: Mm-hmm. The Coach: that's what's gonna happen. Dan: There we go.