Guardrails — Week 1

Dina, Pastor Seth, and Pastor Zach kick off the new Guardrails series by exploring how wisdom helps us navigate everyday decisions. From managing our time and attention to asking the simple question, “Is it wise?”, they offer practical tools for building healthy boundaries that keep us moving toward God’s best.

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Chewbacca Warmups And Cheese Debates

0:04

Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the King of Kings podcast, where we dive a little bit deeper into our message series and see what we're taking Beyond Sunday. And I have to say, right before we hit record, um, my guests today were practicing Chewbacca sounds. Yes. We're inspired by you're wearing Star Wars paraphernalia. I am wearing a Star Wars shirt today. That's why you did it. I didn't even put it together. I thought that you were just doing that to do that. So, all right, this is Seth Flick with us today. Go ahead and do do your my Chewbacca. Chewbacca. All right, I gotta go a little bit back from the microphone because I don't want to blow up people's ears with my Chewbacca. Impressive. Yeah, so you gotta like move your head back and the facial reaction as you did it. You took it so seriously. There's a lot of stretching and vocal warm-up and exercises I gotta do to get there. What's funny is when you hear our worship team getting ready for the day, they seriously are like, they do the vocal warm-up. 100%. Yep. I've never experienced that before. Zach, would you like to do your chihuahua? These are the deep things that we have the profound messages. No, I actually have a very deep question for you guys to start off today. Let's do it. You always do. There are two holidays this week. And my question is which holiday would you celebrate if you could only celebrate one of them? They are two, in my opinion, very different holidays. June 3rd is Global Running Day. I know you're a big runner, Seth. I hate running. I will choose any other exercise form other than running. Um, but June 4th is National Cheese Day. Oh, it's so hard. Yeah. What did you say if we could only choose one? If you could only celebrate one. Now I'm sure it's on your calendar and you're celebrating both of them already. However, if you could I run for cheese. Like that's just I run so I can eat cheese. Yeah, all sorts of cheese. This is an easy one. It's Cheese Day. Not so easy, but I will say Cheese Day wins out. Only because we so I don't know how this works in Ohio and Tennessee, and I don't know how this works in Nebraska. But in Wisconsin, you have a dedicated space in your fridge specifically for cheese. And I think I brought this up on the podcast before, but at this point in time, I kid you not, we have a gallon bag of queso in our refrigerator and our cheese drawer right now. Wow. It's amazing how often this comes back to cheese. I know. Just in queso. We're gonna have to subtitle. It's Beyond Sunday, just in queso. My niece Jada Bay at the business fair made grilled cheeses. Grilled grilled Jesus. She did really well. And they were really good. I didn't eat that. Grilled cheeses. Grilled cheeses. It's a it it was a Jesus-looking type of grilled cheese. It was fabulous. Sounds amazing. But only slightly over national running. Global running day. Yeah. You will run. Seth is Seth is getting ready for those that don't know for the World Vision Run Marathon. Marathon or half marathon. What are you doing? Okay, he's doing a half marathon. This will be in September. It's a great fundraiser for one of our partners. So Seth is like a major runner. He runs with a vest on. He's one of those guys. So if you see him with a vest reflective vest, make fun of him. No, it's a weighted vest. Uh, because you know, you see these people around the neighborhoods that wear the weighted vests. Seth is one of them. We talked about it earlier today, actually. Yep. So if uh, you know, like you think running is bad enough already. If I am running, something is chasing me. So run also. As a deer panteth for the water, so does my soul long after the only time you see a deer pant a thing is when it's being like pursued by a hunter or predator. So yeah, it's just all biblical. This is where we're coming back to. The only other time I have run was when I was about to miss 8 a.m. announcements. Do you remember that day, Seth? Yes. I was caught up in something across campus, looked at my watch, realized that I was supposed to be on stage at that moment, and ran the length of the corridor, only to discover Seth had graciously stepped up and started the interview. And that's for me. I knew that you would have my back, and I have your back. It's all good. It doesn't matter to me which one of us is Han and which one is Chewy. There you go. But we're both on the Millennium Falcon going forward. I'm all for it. All

Why Guardrails And Why Now

4:35

right. So we started a new sermon series this week called Guardrails. And Seth actually preached. Normally, we do not have the preacher on the podcast. I am a rebel. So that we can get, yeah, a different, but Seth is our guest today. Special, you get a special treatment. Wow, this is like a special first time over. Special treatment. I think it's great. Because I I, as a preacher, there's so much that doesn't make it in. And now we get to go behind the curtain with our preacher. Yeah, yeah. Seth. There's so much nerdy stuff that ends up on the cutting room floor for the most part. Now, this is both of you are preaching during this series, right? So tell me, we don't normally talk about this too, but I'll ask, how did the series develop? Like what was the idea that, you know, really brought it? I know the original brainstorming phase where we talked about guardrails, but yeah, I'd say over the course of a year, like we try to balance out what types of sermons and sermon series come. And we certainly like to have a couple that we feel like are kind of highly practical. And I would also say our stewardship type sermons. So a lot of times when people hear the word stewardship, they tend to think about it from a money or a financial perspective. And that's a piece of stewardship, but also stewardship is just how how how we spend our time, our energy, uh, and our lives and and making sure we're stewarding some of these things that are in our world really well. So this I feel like came out of like this will be one of our really practical series this year. These things that are in our life. Seth talked about entertainment. We'll talk in future weeks about social media. Thank goodness I get the politics one. Yes. Um, we'll talk about hobbies and then Seth will close us down with artificial intelligence. But like these are things that are in our world. And so it's wise to talk about, if they're in our world, how do we go about as Christians with them in our world? So, anyway, hyper hyper practical series, agreed. Yep, it's just prayer and uh walking through the scriptures. And I think that's what I liked about it is that uh there are so many scriptures that talk about each one of these pieces because stewardship is such a broad topic. Like, what do you do with the time that God has given to you? Well, you'll be given some financial gifts during that time that the Lord has given to you. What are you gonna do with that? Uh, but all of it has to do within like the non-renewable currency of time. So, how do you spend your time in enjoyment and entertainment and movies and hobbies and social media and so on and so forth? And this is to me like a meta approach to stewardship. Yeah. I think that's a really good explanation of like investment of your time. And I have to say, my son and I just went to lunch together today and we're having a discussion about time being precious. And he brought up a movie that I don't know if he had watched it or had just heard about it. I already like where this is going. It's an older movie and it's called In Time. And I have I have not seen the movie, so I cannot speak to what it that does this star Justin Timberlake. It does star Justin Timberlake. And so the whole idea is that you carry your amount of time as like a currency. Yep. And so, like the scene he showed me was people playing poker and they were like betting 50 years of their life. And he said, like, there's things like a cup of coffee costs, you know, six minutes of your life or something, but like once your ticker is down, you're just dead. And I was like, wow, like imagine if we really treated our time that way. Like, how what investment are we making with what we're doing with our time and how valuable is it? I it was funny that it just kind of tied in. As you were talking, that's all I could think about. Christian will be so proud. And it's not a shock to me that you know the movie. Self is feels right up your alley. You just not gonna connect you with just the timberlake because we're like best buddies. Yeah, he's listening to the pod right now. Tim, Andy Stanley, we've established that already. Louis Giglio, uh, and there was like a handful of people. I think we're up to 16. I've had a couple of good people who are just steadily. Peter Bay is steadily. Peter Bay is listening. He has some fun questions. And one of the things I think he's said before, probably even on this podcast at some point, is he thinks that crock pot meals are overrated, and he would give up uh a month of his life to never eat a crock pot meal again, I believe. Oh wow. So I couldn't kind of a bold statement, bold hot take. Hot take here at the Beyond Sunday podcast. Gosh, we are just all over the place. Yep. So, Dino, what's our first question there?

Chasing Wisdom Through Proverbs

8:58

All right. What are you taking Beyond Sunday from this message series? I I'm just gonna take uh more of an appreciation to be in the book of Proverbs. Uh, you know, as we were going through asking for a friend, I alluded to it a little bit during the message, but there were a lot of comments of like, uh, why can't I hear God right now? Uh I really need to make a good decision. X, Y, Z, whatever it was, does, you know, like that part isn't the most important part, but like, how do I do this? And it's not like if you read Proverbs, that proverb will give you the answer to that problem, but it will give you wisdom for you to actually have the space to talk with the Lord and actually start to apply that wisdom. And the scriptures are really clear too. If any one of you would lack wisdom, you should ask for it and the Lord will give it to you in abundance. That's what the book of James says. And so uh for me, it's just pursuing that wisdom. In fact, today's reading is from Proverbs chapter three, and it talks about how much of a well, today's reading, if you're going chronologically through Proverbs 1, 2, 3, uh it's about how valuable wisdom is as it's exercised in the timeliness of your life. And so when we're talking about time and life and so on, this will really help make the time that you are spending in your life. In fact, in Proverbs 3, it says that the wisdom that you exercise is going to illustrate the value of your life. So that's why I'll take Beyond Sunday. Yeah, for me, along those lines, inside of those guardrails, I would say just the chase for more wisdom, I think is like how do how and obviously we we hear that in in your message, Seth, and we know that wisdom comes from the word and that Proverbs is awesome. It's known as the book of wisdom. And so all of those things pair with it, but just kind of just like always continuing to chase for for more wisdom, more wisdom, more wisdom. And I think a lot of times, probably related to all of the things we're talking about this month, that three-word question is something that I come back to over and over and over again when I'm stuck, when I have a question, when something might feel black and white, or uh, is it gray? That should I buy this? Should I watch this? Should I do this? Is it wise? Is it wise? Just kind of pausing and thinking and reflecting and doing my best to answer that question. It's a great question, but also if you don't know what wisdom is, it's hard to answer. And so it's an awesome question, an awesome handle, but also like, I gotta get why we got to be wise. Yeah. Yeah, I think part of that is that we oftentimes go through life so thoughtlessly that just to take that just brief moment and ask, is this wise? gives you the space to be able to actually exercise wisdom and discernment. Whereas most of what we do is on autopilot and we just do whatever we feel like is a reaction to the circumstances. Dina, what are your thoughts? What are you thinking beyond Sunday? I really liked you had a slide up where it talked about the understanding and the application, and that stuck out to me. And I thought, okay, well, there's all this scripture that I can understand, but if I don't apply it, then it does me no good. But also, if I misunderstand or misinterpret something and I'm applying something that's not really what God was saying or not really what he's encouraging us to do, then I'm doing myself just as much damage too. And so just I I I kept thinking about the difference and how they can work together of understanding and application with the word. All right.

God’s Will As A Playground

12:28

So, how does the analogy of God's will as a playground instead of a scavenger hunt change our approach to decision making in life? I like that analogy. That is definitely not my own. I hope I gave enough credit to Dallas Woodward with that because I don't believe that was unique to him, but he really popularized it so that people could actually see that like if you have this very, very narrow scope of God's will, then you have a very narrow scope of God's character. Like if all that can happen is one step after another and it has to be a locked step, then really you're ransoming how wise God truly is, because you're like, well, he could only work it out one way. You're telling me that the creator of all things could only like he was only smart enough to work things out one way. That can't be right. And you see how like how is it that he works through all of these characters in the scripture? And they're clearly stepping off the path. They're out way outside of the playground. And yet, even through those things, he still brings them in. And you can talk about David's sin, and you could talk about uh Solomon's uh sins with his wife and pursuing other idols. Uh you can just go through all of those characters, and if it was just like this one set rigid line, man, that would have thrown the whole thing off. And God then would only be reactive. And yet we know that God like has established uh the plan of salvation before the pillars of the earth were even settled, according to Ephesians. So I mean, like when you only look at it that way, you can find God. But when you see the playground, you understand, like, no, he's so much bigger and wiser than that. Yeah, there's some wildness outside of the playground, and he's still the God over the wild outside of the playground, too. Yeah. Yeah, you you started by saying narrow scope of God's will, you then have a narrow scope of God's character. And I think it works the backwards reverse way around too. That if you it's really how do you see God's character, that if he, you know, is this limiting, sort of angry, um, not fun, not playful, um, j you know, it depends on how like then then maybe there is a a much more narrow uh opportunity, if you will, in this world to accomplish God's will. But the more you see God's true character, the the more you see God's God's will is vast. It's diverse. And I think for me, I I love that analogy of the playground instead of a scavenger hunt, because a scavenger hunt is like, you know, uh I think they're kind of fun. I love for like a game, yeah or like an escape room. I love like a good escape room, like they're super fun to find clues and everything else, but they're challenging and it's like ah, sometimes you don't always see how it fits. And it's like uh it can be if that's how you pursue God, then it's hard to sort of have confidence in what you're doing. And I think what I love about the playground idea and where I think this lands for a lot of people is there's a lot of people that think, oh, there's one thing that God has for me. There's one person in this world that exists for me. And this is sort of just this very limited scope of like how God can operate. And I think when we operate like that, we trend tend to treat things a lot more black and white than there's actually a lot more gray. And and when you understand there's more gray than black and white, or if I'm do this or do this, uh that, if I'm making a what feels like a big decision, like neither one is gonna take God off of his throne. Um, and sometimes that really frees us up. And I was talking with a younger adult, 22 years old, just graduating from college uh this last week. And it's like, I've got these four opportunities and I'm not sure what God is doing. And and you know, my advice to him was like, uh, there's probably like as I'm listening to you, none of those four sound bad. They all sound good. So what do you want to do? A. And then like, do you have peace about it or do you have angst about it? Like, that's what I really look for in in big decisions like that is the playground opens up a whole lot more opportunity. And as someone who's kind of more entrepreneurially minded, I like that. Because, like, cool, don't limit me. Don't put, don't put me in a box. Let's not put God in a box either. Yeah, I like that. So um, this uh kind of analogy made me think of a job interview question that I've had multiple times when I've interviewed for jobs and they people ask about your work style. And the way I describe my work style is tell me where the fence is and then get out of my playground. Like I like to work very independently, but I want to know what my boundaries are, and then I'm good to go. Like I'm good to roll within that. Um, and that's what I kept thinking of here. And I had never thought about God's word being like that way, you know. Oh, well, here's my boundaries, and I'm good to go inside of it, you know, as long as I'm I'm I'm managing that. Um, so that I really liked that. And did did you bring that back at all to the garden with Adam and Eve in the message? Uh, because I think I've heard that talked about quite a bit of like, you know, there's all well, why did God have one tree that he couldn't? And and then there's a whole nother way of looking at it of you can enjoy everything in this. There's so much to enjoy, you know, just don't do the one tree. So, like, there's so much that God has for us. And yes, there's certain things we're called to avoid, but there's a ton of freedom in the garden. There's a ton of freedom in our world right now to be the people God's called us to be. And it doesn't have to look one specific way, and it probably will look different for you than for me, and that's good. We want to celebrate those things. So I love thinking about just the diversity of how God works and who he works through. And even at a workplace on our team, like we do that this test called working genius, where we get different like gifts, if you will, that are ascribed to each one of us in a work environment that and and to have a complete team, like you need each person to or the people on the team to have different gifts to complement one another well. And I love that because I know what my strengths are and I also know my weaknesses are. And so for me, I love to be thinking about the playground and what's in the playground and how big can we make it and what do we do and rally people around that. Like that's my those are my gifts. Uh, where I get frustrated is when I've got to be the one that uh kind of brings it to the end and focuses on all the little details. They're important, but there's other people that like love the details are awesome. Then we, you and I need to team up, right? Let me dream it and you do the details. Yep. And and we would drive each other crazy if we operated the way that you you would drive me crazy if I had to operate like you, and vice versa. So, anyway, it's it's just kind of fun. All right.

Guardrails In Real Life Temptation

19:16

Um, so can you share a personal experience maybe where you have seen God's guardrails protect you from the mud and muck in your life? The shoe-sucking mud and muck. Yeah. By the way, that video was the beginning of the walk. Oh, we could not find there was a second video and we could not find it for the life of us. We and it had like multiple kids losing shoes, and everybody was dirty and muddy. It was probably better than the first one. Uh, that being said, like to be serious, I think uh my time at the seminary was probably the most muddy and mucky, both like uh figuratively and literally. So Melinda had some serious health complications, or she was hospitalized for quite a long time after my first year at the seminary. So my first job actually at the seminary after my first year, um, I withdrew voluntarily because there's no way I could leave my family and try to go to school full time. So my first job was actually on the seminary's ground screw. So I was digging holes and rebuilding retaining walls, and it was really lonely for me. Like it's the loneliest I've ever been in my entire life. And yet it was the most I began to rely on being in the Word and being in prayer and actually connecting to Jesus as a friend. And so in the guardrail where he's talking about how close he is to you, that's where like I was baptized when I was eight days old, you know, like all of the things. And I know that I was saved prior to that. But it's the difference the difference for me was being um within the family of God and knowing that Jesus who is God is my friend and who spent time with me. And like that season of being stuck in that mud meant that I couldn't be anybody else and I couldn't occupy occupy my time in any way else other than with him. Because when I'd be out mowing lawn, it'd just be me and him. And when I'd go home to an empty apartment, it was just me and him. And you know, what seemed like muddy and mucky time at that time has so much enriched my faith in connection to the word and connection to Jesus as a result of that. So the guardrail of knowing that Jesus is actually a friend, he is my savior first and then also friend, has like I would say altered the station of my entire life. Yeah, and we when we talk about the the God's law, one of the three analogies we use for his law is as a curb. And so that kind of that kind of is a similar perspective to a guardrail. And so, yeah, I mean there's been so many times where I've won. To sin. And that sounds weird for a pastor to say, but you listener know what I'm talking about. Because sin feels good. That's why we do it. In the moment, it feels good. And we're tempted to do that. And so we're tempted to lash out when we someone speaks against us, or we're tempted to whatever. And and yet there's been so many times that because I'm a Christian, I know that if I do that, there'll be consequences. And so uh okay, so last week, let's get real. My uh I went to the chipping green with my son and his friend, and it was a brand new chipping green at Indian Creek. It's an awesome practice facility, by the way, if anybody wants to meet me there sometime. And we were chipping around, and it just rained the day before, and it's a huge green. And so, because of the rain, uh sometimes when you take a uh shot, there'd be divots, and some of the divots would fly onto the green. And so I told the boys earlier, like, hey, if you get if you're making divots, like make sure you clean them off the green. Anyway, we were doing all sorts of shots, and they were next to me doing uh my my son and his friend, and and then like 20 feet away from me, this guy just goes from zero to a hundred and like drops f-bombs on my on my kid and his friend, and stop tearing the ground up and cursing and like going to a level like and so I'm a pastor. I kind of want I've never fought, but I kind of wanted to fight this guy, and and yet I'm not gonna do that because that's the most ridiculous thing for a pastor to do. And I actually in the moment like actually felt really quite a bit of peace and calm. But I also was like, the right thing to do is to stand up. Um, I'm not saying you didn't have a fair point, but you don't approach anyone like that. And so I said, Hey, have you have you asked them already if to stop doing that? And they're no, no, stop, you know, and just kept going at it. Anyway, long story short, your pastor didn't fight with anybody. But I can't say I wasn't tempted. And at the same time, I knew that temptation was like, yeah, that's in one ear out the other. That's not gonna actually, I'm not gonna do that. And I felt very calm, felt very peaceful at how I handled my handled that situation. I think that's really a common struggle of what do we do with those negative emotions when we want to represent Christ to others. That my example that I thought of with this question was really going right to my divorce. And the um, I've talked about this before. My divorce took place over the course of four years. So it was a very long time where there was a lot of times I wanted to speak very poorly of people involved to others in front of my children, to people involved, to my ex-husband about things, you know, but consciously making the choice of okay, what do I want my kids to see me as in this moment? How do I want them seeing me handle this struggle? Whichever, like we were together and apart and together and apart, and through all stages of that. Like, how what do I want them to see here? What kind of perseverance, what kind of forgiveness, what kind of um just um dedication to the relationship do I want them to see? And not the oh, well, they did this and they did this and they did this, and anger and frustration and pain all the time. There's a level where it's okay to be real, you know, with your family, but it's also then what are you, how are you being real in the light of Christ? You know, that that was what came to mind. And I I would say I was very blessed by the way I handled it, that and people responded to that and said, you know, you have made an example for this. Like a my friend went through a divorce and she was constantly talking this, or I didn't even want to be around her. It was so negative or stuff. And so I'm proud of that on some level that I could be a light. It it seems like in all of these experiences, there's some level of some white space in between whatever the context is that's provoking the situation and the response. Because honestly, I don't know if I would have had the same restraint Zach had uh if somebody was, you know, like talking to my kiddos. And it would have been a poor choice on my part. I'm not saying that that would be a good thing. Yeah. Uh, but I do I cherish that little blip of time that you have in between provocation and response. Because generally that's where I hear the spirit speak loudest to just be like, stop, or not worth it. Like think about this a second. Throw a verse in my head, I'm like, all right. It's a chewy warning card. I did think I did I did think as as as I was sharing this story with Allison later, I was like, I've never fought with anybody. I kind of do want to know how I'd do in a fight. Because I'm more of a I'm not a smallest guy, I'm not the biggest guy, I'm more of a lover than a fighter. But I I told Allison, I wish like I could just get into a real knockdown drag out fight. If you promised me that there'd be nothing wrong with us and no pain, like an hour later, I want to try it. And so if anyone has a business idea to make that happen, I just serious how I'd do. Boxing MA, like you know, I haven't done any of that. So that's where I'm like, so the other week is this a male thing? Like, I the there was a period when my son in his teenage years where it was constantly, do you think I could beat that person in a fight? Do you think I could beat that person in a fight? What if I fought you, mom? Do you think I could beat you in a fight? It is 100%. Totally. Because I've had seven people ask me after telling a story, could you have taken them? And I'm like, I think so. Also, I had two 15 and 16-year-olds that were ready to like get if they needed to. With weapons like golf clubs can be. I know, right? That's if it was just like hand to hand, that's one level of news coverage. You're brandishing weapons. The wedge to the oh man. Anyway, all of that was avoided. And if that person was you, I'd love to talk with you at some point. Uh, because I've as I was thinking 10 minutes later, I was like, you know what, this guy's probably got a story, and maybe something was off earlier in his day. And uh, but anyway. Yep.

Entertainment Choices And White Space

28:18

All right. Can um how can we actively involve God's wisdom in our daily entertainment choices? Seth talked a lot about entertainment. And I I gotta say, I was telling Zach before this. So I don't always get to hear the whole message on Sunday. Please tell me. Well, that was quite like I'm walking down the corridor and I can the message is plain on the speakers in the corridor, but I'm cleaning up the coffee bars, you know, and doing stuff, and I hear murder. And I'm like, what is happening? But then I go back and re-watch it after to see it. Like I'll hear bits and pieces on a Sunday, but I'll then I'll sit down and watch the message in its entirety and sometimes a couple of times. And when I was watching it, I kept getting interrupted. And every time I'd walk away, all I had in my head is sipping on gin and juice. That song's playing through my head all of Monday. What's really bad is I've listened to that song so much I can go through the whole thing. But like I could only do a snippet that and who other people would know at that point. Plus, it has no expletives in that specific section. Right. And the fact that I use the word expletive is that means I should not be singing Snoop Dogg songs because, like, yeah. It's interesting, your drink of choices, gin and juice, right now, though. That's sparkling protein gin and juice. Okay, but how can we actively involve God's wisdom in our daily entertainment choices? Yeah, I think I think just uh yeah, you mentioned that little space between what'd you call it, provocation and and response? Reaction, yeah. Reaction. And so I think, yeah, in that, uh getting to that question where it becomes autopilot, is it wise? Is it wise? Is it wise? Is it wise? That's the real question. Because anytime I ask that, uh typically it's because it's probably not wise, and like there's a check in my heart. And so that would be one of the things is yeah, just just having that question uh before you enter into it. Is it wise? Uh there's so many, like, you know, when you look at apps and streaming services and uh podcasts and playlists, like there's tons of stuff that show you like what is going to be in it at some point. You know, you got the TV, TV MA, TV 14, TV whatever, and it'll it'll state like what's why it's that way. And so like there's obvious things of like I should I should avoid that. And I think sometimes those numbers are interesting because it's like just because it's TV MA, which what means 16 or 17, depending on like what service, that doesn't mean it's wise, right? Right? Just because I can, because I'm old enough, doesn't mean it's wise to do it. And so anyway, I just think coming back to that question in the midst of it is really important. Yeah, and I think applying wisdom is contextual. And I think that's why wisdom requires that white space, gray space, whatever you want to call it, rather I should call it gray space, rather than the black and the white of a decision-making process. Because I actually think it it actually requires less thinking to be a black and white thinker. Because, oh, well, it has to be this or it has to be that. This is either good or it is bad. And there are some things that are in and of themselves good or bad. But I would say the majority of life is how can you actually take what God's word meant at that time and apply it now in this situation of my life in a way that's actually uh doing justice to its original like meaning. And it takes time to do that and it takes slowing down, it takes wisdom. So uh I really do who's it, Juliet Font, I think, talks about white space from the Global Leadership Summit from like two or three years ago. She has a really great teaching on white space in between everything you do at work. And for her, it's so that you can gear shift from what your brain needs to do to, you know, figure out one kind of a task and move to another one. But I wonder if you can apply that to you to say, okay, well, yeah, my brain's gonna need some white space to go from email to like a prayer session. But also, should we be giving ourselves just like 10 seconds of white space before we log on to you know, set queue up our run playlist or whatever it is? Be like, eh, is this gonna be wise for me? Because what might be wise for me in this situation may not be wise for Zach or Dina, but it might be. Uh so I just wonder if that there's something about just taking a moment, uh taking a tick. Uh and there's actually a I can't remember whether the study came out of, but they were talking about use of cell phones. And to create that space, um, they made whoever it was before they picked up their phone to do whatever it is they were gonna do, they had to announce out loud what they were gonna do with their phone first. And that reduced the amount of time because of how stupid it sounded, because it was like, check an email, check an Instagram. I think we should do that here at work. I've actually thought about doing it because number one, my kids would think that was hilarious. Like they would be super annoying later, but at first they'd be like, really? Hulu again, another episode of Scrubs, Dad. Facebook notification, G.I. Joe and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, no. That's great. That's really um, I I think just um I think there's pieces of our habits that we can lay down also. I mean, like the the thing that I thought of with this is for so many years, as I was driving my children around, they controlled the radio in my car. I was not, I'm not a big stickler about what I listened to. Like some people, like it's my radio, it's my, you know, my kids always control the radio in my car. So most often it was pop music, you know, which some of it's fine, some of it's not fine, but it was what was popular. It was what they were listening to. And I like a good beat, you know. So I just, it was just what I listened to. And then when I started not having to drive my kids around, I would listen to a Christian radio station. And it changed just the thoughts that I would have throughout the day, the thoughts I would have when I was driving, and there'd be a snippet of a devotion or a verse read in between songs, and I'd be like, wow. And I'd spend the whole rest of my drive thinking about that or go look it up when I got home because I wanted to know more. And that was just on where my radio dial went. And it was not something that I woke up that morning and said, Oh, I'm gonna fill up my battery by listening to my Christian music. It's just what was on in my car. So when I started my car, that's what I so are there other areas of my life where I can just have this as my habit, where I'm having things pre-selected almost for me in order to fill my heart and my mind and my and my time with good things. Um, yeah. But I like the just take a breath too. Like that's so valuable. All right.

Chachma Wisdom You Actually Apply

35:08

Can you discuss the Hebrew's concept of Hakma? Dude, that was good. Or wisdom. How do we cultivate this wisdom in modern times? So there are a lot of different words in Hebrew for like intelligence and instruction and so on and so forth. But what sets chakma apart is it's actually has um this learning that needs to be applied in some way, shape, or form. Uh, and so for me, what's important about identifying chma is that like you can apply an understanding of that to anything. So a lot of times people might spiritualize a comment like that, but it would be more like trade school for life. Uh and what would that be like if you know we actually thought about all right? So there's the hypothetical, I could hear a hundred sermons, but if I don't see how this actually applies, like hopefully the preacher's gonna do a reasonable job of like giving me examples of how I can apply this. But when it comes down to it, I need to internalize this in a way that says, this is the word of God, this is my life. How am I actually going to do this now? And I think that's where the chachma comes into play. But it also is like what has the Lord given you for gifts and how will you actually use those to give him glory? So you can apply Hachma as a tradesman. Uh, you know, sometimes in the scripture that's where it's used for, you know, like that kind of use. You could apply Hachma as a writer, as a poet. Uh, so it's got this really wonderful broad application, but it has everything to do with actually um seeing this done in reality rather than just being hypothetical. I don't have anything else to add to that. You just wanted to say chachma on the mic because it really picks up well. I was nervous. I had to ask him beforehand to make sure I was gonna say it right. What was funny at the 11 o'clock service? Like, I I did choke a little bit as I was trying to say it. And I was like, actually, this word should get caught in your throat as you're trying to say it. I hope you have so much chakma caught right here that only wisdom comes out. Like, like that was not planned. That was, I literally choked on my own spit as I was talking about.

Via Dolorosa And Modern Distractions

37:24

Um, how does Jesus' journey on the Via Dola Rosa inspire your faith journey, especially in challenging times? So the Via Dola Rosa, you can actually walk it still. And that's uh you are going from the point of the arrest to the cross, and there are little stops along the way, and it just keeps telling the story, each one of those pieces. And like what you might have in your mind is this like bucolic pastoral setting amongst hills and everything else, but it's really not, it's just like plaques and placards, and maybe a statue, but mostly it's just plaques and markers along a pretty busy road where now, because everyone walks it, it actually has more vendors on the side of the road than anything else. And so I talked about it in one way in the sermon, but I think what I want to talk about here is how much distraction there is now on the way of following Jesus that you actually live as you're doing the Via de la Rosa. So, like we as a group walked from station to station as I read the scripture with each one of those pieces. And there was something that we would do that was interactive, either with our hands or our prayers, or there was something that would bring you into that. And all the while people are yelling at you. They want to sell you uh Jerusalem wine and Jerusalem crosses. So they're trying to distract you with things that actually aren't bad. But I think that that's a lot of our life of following Jesus. There are movies, shows, songs, things that aren't necessarily bad in and of themselves, trying to draw your attention away. And yet Jesus calls us to just walk behind him and pick up our cross. And I I just think that this is a different side road to view that path that he walks. Um what's also cool is they have um done some archaeological digs underneath some of the cobblestones because they have actually been built up over where Jesus has walked, and they have actually found first century uh stones from that time that they will allow you to walk over. So uh how close are you to the actual footsteps of Jesus? That part's kind of cool. Yeah. When were you there? It was like four or five years ago. Yeah, it was after 2020. Uh, that was we it opened like Israel opened up shortly in like 21 or something like that. And we got in as soon as we could. But interestingly enough, that's when everyone else that had scheduled a trip for like that whole time period all showed up on the same week. It was bonkers. Everyone was there, yeah. But it was so meaningful, yeah. Yeah, and if you don't or can't make your way to Israel, uh, there's a really cool opportunity that is like this in Gretna at the Holy Family Shrine. They call it the Way of the Cross. It's outside of their beautiful building, but there's 14 stations, and I've done this before, and the 14th station ends at the tomb. So not quite the same, but it's a really great opportunity to just remember what Jesus has done for you and to kind of sit with and walk a path that was about the length uh that Jesus carried the cross. That's kind of one of the things that they they have there. So it's a meaningful moment, and I think just kind of putting ourselves in back into the times in the life of Jesus to see what he did for us is you know so inspiring. You know, and for me, I'm thinking of this more, you know, the series is called Guardrails, and we're trying to stay within the guardrails. But the reality is every sermon we're preaching, someone's we're we've all gone outside of the guardrails. And and so that's really where this image comes to mind for me is like, yes, he's there have been times because I'm a Christian that I haven't gone over the curb, haven't gone over the guardrails because I didn't want to face the consequences, and because I'm a Christian. But there's also times when I've gone over and thank God he's giving me another opportunity. And so it's a great opportunity to remember when we go off the guardrails outside. Um, Jesus has walked a path that allows us to get right back on the path. I didn't know they did that at the shine. That's I'm gonna have to check that out. All right, can Liu share on Israel?

The WISE Framework For Your Heart

41:36

Actually, the walk is free there. Less less time consuming too. I don't know, the Gretna, the Gretna hood is I'm just kidding. Love you, Gretna. You share some insights on how the WISE W-I-S E framework has or could help you guard your heart effectively. So, first, okay, so the W-I-S-E. W is for word aligned. Word aligned. I intentionally guarded, I believe. Yes. I didn't I didn't make it very soul edifying. S, yeah. And then it has to do with eternity. Eternity focused. Okay, so how can that framework help our listeners guard their hearts effectively? I think my favorite part of it is the S and soul edifying, because oftentimes we think about what is the going to be the effect of this decision, and we think about it as like cause and effect. If I choose this job, then I'll make more money, whatever that if then might be. But what if it was if this decision needs to be made and I'll do it this way, how will my soul be more full of joy? Because then it's not necessarily going to be as motivated by what you can get as in like financially or what the immediate benefit will be. But like, how will this experience develop a deeper face in me? And I think that just changes the entire parameter of what are my outcomes of what wisdom looks like as I follow Jesus. And so if your outcomes look different and your goals look different, well, then hopefully the your decision-making matrices are gonna be very, very different as you look at what your options are in front of you. Yeah, yeah, I think they're all really good. And I think that we'll probably need different ones at different times. Like I was had the opportunity to preach up in Michigan this last weekend, and uh my sermon wasn't um, it was far more like eternity focused. And I think sometimes we got to remember that, that we are here for just a little while, and what we do in these days and with our time is uber important. And and so sometimes like the entertainment option that you choose may or may not be wrong, but if you continue to choose kind of, you know, let's call it amoral things over and over and over and over and over again, it's not that the thing you chose was wrong, it's just how you're using your time is wrong. And and And you can waste so much time on something that's amoral, something that doesn't last. And so that's a big piece of it too. Is I I think that if people look at their screen time each week, and I'm with you on this, like there's so much time waste. And I'm I'm not saying you can't have any screen time or enjoy entertainment, like God put it here for us to have pleasure in this world. And entertainment's one of the avenues in which that happens. And at the same time, if you're feeling like you're lacking purpose and lacking meaning and your screen time is really high, I bet they're related. And I bet if you you took a breath, took a break, took a breather, deleted a few apps, and sought the Lord's direction and remembered that you know you're here for a little while, that things what might come into a little bit more clarity as to what what your life should look like. That's really good. All right.

Final Takeaways And Daily Proverbs

44:57

So as we wrap up today, you didn't say what your face. No, I looked at the time and I'm like, where I want to hear. I have to say eternity. Like, right, that yes, I was right. Yep, bang. I find myself that theological cage match, Victor. I may not be able to win in a physical fight. I find myself very focused on the now, I feel like. And so to me, it is just okay, let me think about the eternal part of this, you know, or what is the long-term part of this, or what is the like that's what I have to trick my brain into. Cool. Yeah, focusing on. Um, okay, so final takeaways from this message. It was not lost on me that our pastor Seth is growing out his gray beard as he's speaking about wisdom. That is not lost on me. I just I just want to make sure that I don't know if that might be my final takeaway. Um, is I'm gonna not shave for the next few weeks so that I too can have uh gray hair and wisdom. You know, it was not lost on me. It was not last on me that Seth spent some time during the message talking about podcasts and did not specifically mention the Beyond Sunday podcast. Oh my gosh, we might have 20 listeners had you done that. In my defense. Wow. I was using negative examples. I'm just kidding. Please tell me you're gonna quote Proverbs 29. No, I'm gonna quote a different scripture. 16? Uh no, it's in Psalm 71, verses 17 and 18. Since my youth, God, you have taught me into this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are come. And so, Seth, you are old and gray, but you did a great job declaring the power to the next generation of who God is. But no, I'm excited for the series. I think just the final takeaway is let's keep getting wise and let's press into the this week, uh this month of really looking at things in our life and how we're gonna steward them for God's glory. So it was a great start. Awesome job. Yep. Excited to pass the torch off and see what these next few weeks are gonna look like. I think it's gonna be an incredibly practical. Um you get to be the good Oreo filling inside of this series. The set sandwich. I did not call it that. But if that's what you want to call it, I have to think about that. No, these will be good. And I think what's gonna happen, here's what I would hope our listeners in our church would do: that they're gonna listen to all of these messages charitably. Because the reason why we're picking these specific topics is because we know that people would love to hear these topics actually like spoken about from the scriptures. So if they listen charitably, they're gonna be able to learn a ton. But if we listen defensively, we're not gonna learn anything. And so I think the point of this is you may not agree with how this might get applied from what I'm saying, what Zach's saying, whatever. But if you listen charitably, you're still going to learn. And I think that is a level of wisdom that's lacking in many places in the world. And if anybody should be illustrating the most amount of wisdom and charity when it comes to like listening and hearing other people, it should be brothers and sisters in Jesus. So I'm hoping that you know we're able to take that away as well. I want to be sure and mention that the um King of Kings app is doing daily proverbs. So if you check in with our app, which is free to download on Apple and Android devices, um, you can go to kingofkings.org slash app or pick it up at your Play Store. Um, but we are doing daily devotions every day during this message series. Even on Androids, we're letting those people in. Hey, I'm an Android person. Those people. I'm a those people. If anyone has an Android, I have an Apple and you want to fight. I think I may be oh, oh Let me know. Let's settle. So it's gonna be campus directors cage match from last week's sermon. Thunderdome. Three men enter, one men leave. I was gonna say, and then like central staff, we're gonna have to have something for them. I don't I don't care who's the main card, who's the title fight. I think this is a pretty stacked card. Is this entertainment people would want to watch? Is this good for people? Would it be wise? No. Do people want to watch this? Probably. Oh, yeah. All right. Well, until next time, let's keep living our faith beyond Sunday.