WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:06.200 Thanks for watching and listening to the Win Loved Leads Podcast. 2 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:09.599 You'll be hearing today from some of our special guests 3 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:12.720 as they share with you stories of faith at work. 4 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:16.079 You can help more people find out about the podcast 5 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:20.120 by liking us on social media pages like Facebook and LinkedIn. 6 00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:24.679 Now join us as we explore people of faith at work. 7 00:00:30.280 --> 00:00:30.519 Well. 8 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:34.039 Welcome once again to the Win Love Leads Podcast. Rick 9 00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:38.200 and I are joined today by Justin Brown. Justin Welcome, 10 00:00:38.439 --> 00:00:39.240 where are you today? 11 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:41.399 Thank you guys for having me. I appreciate it. I'm 12 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:44.359 a heel billy. I'm from the heels of East Tennessee. 13 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:45.520 Bill. 14 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:51.320 A quick primer for you and our guest is Justin 15 00:00:51.320 --> 00:00:53.159 and I have been friends for a couple of years. 16 00:00:53.320 --> 00:00:56.520 I've been on his podcast, and I couldn't think of 17 00:00:56.600 --> 00:00:59.399 anybody I'd rather have on ours than Justin's. 18 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:01.000 Thank you have me. I appreciate it. 19 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:03.920 Well, Justin, tell us about yourself. For people who don't 20 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:06.359 know you, who is Justin Brown? 21 00:01:06.680 --> 00:01:09.359 Justin Brown is just like the name sounds. It sounds 22 00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:12.040 so common. It sounds like an a list, like I'm 23 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:14.799 a bank robber on the run or somebody on the 24 00:01:14.840 --> 00:01:16.840 road from the lill that's changed my name to this 25 00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:20.280 common thing. I'm just a normal nine to five guy. 26 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:24.480 I'm a factory rat most of my life and raising 27 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:27.680 a family and kids, going to work and paying my bills, 28 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:31.400 paying my taxes and coming home and rents and repeat. 29 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:35.519 You know, there's nothing really special about me whatsoever. But 30 00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:38.359 I grew up in church my whole life and read 31 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:41.959 the Bible and was always fascinated with the Word of God. 32 00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:44.840 I was that annoying kid in Sunday school asking one 33 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:48.519 hundred questions, getting on the teacher's nerves. And of course 34 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:52.079 I went through my teenage years, I went into rebellion. 35 00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:55.280 I know nobody's ever done that. But I made my 36 00:01:55.319 --> 00:01:58.359 way back to God in my early twenties and I 37 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:01.519 started just finding all these treasures in the Word of 38 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:04.439 God that I just looked over my entire life and 39 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:07.680 started making my way and getting getting all the crap 40 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:11.680 out of my life and ended up through that journey 41 00:02:11.879 --> 00:02:14.919 just found podcasting. And this has been my thing for 42 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:18.759 uh probe past two and a half years, and it's 43 00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:22.400 just something that I've dove into and just really enjoy 44 00:02:22.680 --> 00:02:25.439 I love having these conversations like we're having today and 45 00:02:25.719 --> 00:02:28.680 digging through the word of God and finding those treasures. 46 00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:31.080 That's just me. I'm just a regular old guy like 47 00:02:31.159 --> 00:02:33.159 everybody else, but just loves to talk. 48 00:02:33.240 --> 00:02:35.560 Well, tell us a little bit about your family justin. 49 00:02:36.120 --> 00:02:39.479 Yeah, my wife is and as Rebecca, got two kids, 50 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:44.879 Jackson and Kyla. Kyla seventeen. She's now senior in high school. 51 00:02:45.319 --> 00:02:48.639 Uh so she's actually doing well enough to get early graduation. 52 00:02:49.199 --> 00:02:53.400 My son's fifteen. He's just getting his driver's ermit. So 53 00:02:53.479 --> 00:02:56.319 look out everybody if you're in the East Tennessee area. 54 00:02:56.879 --> 00:02:59.960 But yeah, that's that's my that's my little try. 55 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:04.199 But justin, talk to us about how you have both 56 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:11.960 thought through and actually done integrating rather than compartmentalizing your 57 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:15.400 faith in the workplace and your family life and your community. 58 00:03:15.479 --> 00:03:17.039 And what does it look like for you. 59 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:20.840 Honestly, it's I love the whole idea and I've just 60 00:03:20.919 --> 00:03:24.280 recently come to terms with it. It's a process, and 61 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:30.919 it is being saved and going to be saved because 62 00:03:30.960 --> 00:03:33.520 God meets us all where we're at. And it's a 63 00:03:33.560 --> 00:03:37.080 process of slowly weeding out that garden and walking with 64 00:03:37.159 --> 00:03:41.280 God and allowing the Holy Spirit to clean all that 65 00:03:41.319 --> 00:03:44.280 stuff up out of your life and with me. I 66 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:47.039 always seen it as I'm just not good enough. And 67 00:03:47.080 --> 00:03:49.879 I see all these people in church and man, they 68 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:52.800 got their act together, and man, will I ever get there? 69 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:56.439 And I have to do X y Z to please God? 70 00:03:56.599 --> 00:03:59.520 And just personally, I put a lot of burden and 71 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:03.159 heavyweight on my shoulders that was really unnecessary, and as 72 00:04:03.199 --> 00:04:07.120 I got older, for me personally, the spirit of Christ 73 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:10.039 is just a spirit of humility. Every time that I 74 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:14.280 have an experience with the Holy Spirit, it is humbling. 75 00:04:14.439 --> 00:04:17.560 It's just like I've never been a really judgmental person, 76 00:04:17.879 --> 00:04:21.319 but it actually makes me see how ugly, how messed 77 00:04:21.399 --> 00:04:24.160 up I am, how far I got to go. I'm 78 00:04:24.199 --> 00:04:26.720 definitely a lot better than what I used to be 79 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:28.560 and where I was, but I still got a long 80 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:31.480 way to go. So I just try my best in 81 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:35.160 my workplace and in my daily life to just to 82 00:04:35.319 --> 00:04:38.399 show love and humility. And I know I fail every 83 00:04:38.439 --> 00:04:41.560 day Romans eight, But to just be an image bearer 84 00:04:41.560 --> 00:04:42.120 of Christ. 85 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:48.800 Your your comment about judge, judging and and love and 86 00:04:48.839 --> 00:04:52.920 being forgiven in Christ reminded me of Jesus' words in 87 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:57.399 Luke Southern that the one who is forgiven much loves much, 88 00:04:57.720 --> 00:05:01.639 and the one who's forgiven little loves little, and when 89 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:08.560 we consider our own forgiveness, it transforms transforms our perspective 90 00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:09.399 on other people. 91 00:05:10.040 --> 00:05:13.160 That's quite a contrast act justin because I think there's 92 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:17.959 sort of a common perspective that as people grow more 93 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:21.720 and more, the danger that comes along with that is 94 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:24.920 to grow more and more in your judgment of others, 95 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:29.399 as you're comparing your goodness to the lack of goodness 96 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:33.560 in others. But your point is so good that in reality, 97 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:37.040 as we're growing closer to Christ, we're actually becoming more 98 00:05:37.079 --> 00:05:40.120 aware of just how deep our sin goes and how 99 00:05:40.199 --> 00:05:44.040 much we are forgiven. How would a factory worker see 100 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:45.680 God in the workplace? 101 00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:50.600 Honestly? And it's funny because your experience dictates your worldview. 102 00:05:50.920 --> 00:05:54.720 And that's because many people that I've had encounters with 103 00:05:55.000 --> 00:05:58.519 in the workplace have been those image bearers of Christ 104 00:05:59.079 --> 00:06:02.680 and influenced me. I've seen God work through people when 105 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:06.120 I was honestly coming back to Christ in my life. 106 00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:09.040 I was working at this particular place, and God moved 107 00:06:09.079 --> 00:06:12.519 me into this position. And everything happens for a reason. 108 00:06:12.600 --> 00:06:14.839 God puts you where you're at for a season, for 109 00:06:14.920 --> 00:06:19.000 a purpose. You just have to lean in and say yes. 110 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:22.519 And usually it's in hindsight that you see God's hand. 111 00:06:22.879 --> 00:06:26.079 But where I worked at there was all these different facilities, 112 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:29.439 and there was this one facility that everybody wanted to 113 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:33.079 go to, and it was in chemical compounding and plastics. 114 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:35.959 They called it Gilligan's Island. It was this little bitty 115 00:06:36.279 --> 00:06:38.680 what't little bitty, but it was just a compared to 116 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:42.000 the whole factory itself. It was a little significantly smaller, 117 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:44.279 but it was a huge tower and so all the 118 00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:47.600 chemicals and stuff would get mixed there, and there was 119 00:06:47.639 --> 00:06:50.959 this tower that had an air conditioned control room. You know, 120 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:53.600 you got dirty and it was hard work, but you 121 00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:55.959 had a lot of sit downtime, you had air conditioner. 122 00:06:56.319 --> 00:06:58.920 And now only had like five or six employees. So 123 00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:02.040 when the job opened up there, everybody wanted to go there. 124 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:04.600 And I'd only been there a few years, and there 125 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:08.480 was people that worked there for ten years trying to 126 00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:11.399 get into that compound department and couldn't get in. But 127 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:13.120 I was like, hey, I'm going to apply. I want 128 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.279 to put my name in the hat. And I did 129 00:07:15.319 --> 00:07:18.600 and I was selected, and then I got put with 130 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:23.199 this guy and without mentioning his name my first impression, 131 00:07:23.240 --> 00:07:25.959 and this is when I was first coming back to Christ. 132 00:07:26.040 --> 00:07:28.920 So this guy was, for lack of a better term, 133 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:32.839 he was a holy roly. He didn't curse, he quoted 134 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:35.600 scripture often. He was at church every town, doors open, 135 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:38.600 and I grew to love this man. But my first 136 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:42.120 impression was like, he's one of those judgy suit and 137 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:45.240 tie guys. I'm going to have to watch myself anything 138 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:47.439 I say or do, he's going to look down on me. 139 00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:50.600 But as I got to but I got partnered with him, 140 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:53.360 and so it was only two guys each shift. So 141 00:07:53.399 --> 00:07:56.160 I got partnered with him, and throughout the nights man 142 00:07:56.160 --> 00:07:58.160 we would have these discussions. And like I said, I 143 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:00.560 grew up in church and I knew the scripture and stuff, 144 00:08:00.600 --> 00:08:03.040 but I was still coming to terms and coming back, 145 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:06.120 and he really witnessed to me, and he changed my 146 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:08.279 mind on a lot of things, taught me a lot 147 00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:10.920 of things. And I seen a lot of people do 148 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:13.639 some dirty things to this man, and he always took 149 00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:16.600 it with a smile and never got angry at nobody. 150 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:18.240 And I remember I talked to him and I just 151 00:08:18.240 --> 00:08:20.480 do like, man, why don't you say something? Why didn't 152 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:22.920 you do that you let people run over you? And 153 00:08:22.920 --> 00:08:25.800 he was like, no, he said, not accountable for what 154 00:08:25.839 --> 00:08:28.040 these people do to me. He said, I'm accountable for 155 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:30.920 what I do. I have tons of little stories of 156 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:34.240 just how that man and how he walked and how 157 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:36.879 he lived had just a profound effect on me and 158 00:08:36.919 --> 00:08:39.519 brought me back into a relationship with God a lot 159 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:41.679 faster and taught me a lot of a good lesson. 160 00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:44.480 So I can't remember who said it, but my wife 161 00:08:44.600 --> 00:08:46.159 used to quote it all the time, and it's kind 162 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:48.000 of stuck with me. But it was a preach of 163 00:08:48.039 --> 00:08:52.480 gospel wherever you go and occasionally speak, and I was like, 164 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:56.480 oh yeah, so so many times this wicked thing just 165 00:08:56.840 --> 00:09:00.039 ruins up our witness to Christ instead of helping. But 166 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:03.000 that was probably looking back, one of the first things 167 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:05.600 is just that's how I see God in the workplace 168 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:09.519 is through people and their testimony and how they react 169 00:09:09.600 --> 00:09:13.039 and things. And that's something I look back now, it's like, man, 170 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:15.879 I really screwed that up a lot of times. 171 00:09:16.159 --> 00:09:19.399 Well, join the club. It's a big club too, justin, 172 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:22.080 isn't it. 173 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:25.759 It's a wonderful thing when that God always takes crooked 174 00:09:25.799 --> 00:09:29.399 sticks and manages to draw straight lines with crooked stick. 175 00:09:29.559 --> 00:09:32.799 Yes, he does. And that that reference your wife was 176 00:09:32.840 --> 00:09:36.639 referring to. I think there's some some question whether for 177 00:09:36.759 --> 00:09:39.399 Saint Francis of ASSISI actually said it or not, but 178 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:43.799 he's kind of given attribution for making that statement. Preach, 179 00:09:43.960 --> 00:09:47.320 preach a gospel at all times and if necessary, use words. 180 00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:50.360 How do you feel like you've demonstrated that in the workplace? 181 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:52.440 Can you think of any examples yourself? 182 00:09:52.919 --> 00:09:56.759 Yeah, but honestly, I can give you more bad examples. 183 00:09:57.320 --> 00:09:58.000 That's how good. 184 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:01.080 But no, Once I, you know, I went through that, 185 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:04.360 and then I ended up going into other workplaces and 186 00:10:04.360 --> 00:10:07.200 stuff that really kind of stuck with me. And and 187 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:09.240 I guess I can give his first name because it 188 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:11.200 kind of goes with this little joke I want to give. 189 00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:13.399 But his name was Chuck. And so it was like, 190 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:16.919 once I got older and figured everything out, I would 191 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:19.840 ask myself a certain situation, what would Jesus do? Well, 192 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:23.039 I applied it to Chuck, like with what would Chuck do? 193 00:10:23.240 --> 00:10:25.559 Because that, you know, Chuck was something that I had 194 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:30.919 firsthand experience with. But honestly, I've tried to just open 195 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:34.399 some people in the workplace and be my best version 196 00:10:34.440 --> 00:10:37.240 of an imaguer of Christ. And so like with people 197 00:10:38.200 --> 00:10:41.399 through work and people have problems and you spend ninety 198 00:10:41.399 --> 00:10:44.440 percent of your time at your job and you get 199 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:49.080 to form relationships with people, and the world is it's 200 00:10:49.159 --> 00:10:52.240 just everybody's stuck in their bubble. And I mean, it 201 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:55.039 is a wicked place. But I like to think that 202 00:10:55.120 --> 00:10:59.240 most people are genuinely good people and they're they're carrying people. 203 00:10:59.559 --> 00:11:02.200 But we get so involved in our own little bubble. 204 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:04.759 It's like the mouse on the wheel. We're too busy 205 00:11:04.840 --> 00:11:07.919 running and spending our will to look around and be 206 00:11:07.960 --> 00:11:10.919 attentive and help others and things like that. So it's 207 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:13.759 like when you get to form these relationships with people, 208 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:17.080 they will they'll confide in you about things that got 209 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:20.200 going on in their life, and even non believers, and 210 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:24.279 so try to listen and show sympathy and show them 211 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:27.399 that I genuinely care about their situation and try to 212 00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:30.519 give the best biblically sound advice that I can, and 213 00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:36.399 especially with non believers, because honestly, I have actually witnessed 214 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:39.879 to people that were hardcore atheists, I mean, like blatant, 215 00:11:39.960 --> 00:11:42.519 like angry, did not believe in God, didn't want to 216 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:45.159 talk about God, and I would like to think I 217 00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:47.360 don't want to take credit, but i'd like to think 218 00:11:47.399 --> 00:11:50.399 but through some of my dialogue and witnessing to them 219 00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:53.559 at least soften the ground for Christ to come in. 220 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:55.440 Then they end up turning their life over to God 221 00:11:56.320 --> 00:12:00.440 because I use those as basically bank transactions, is how 222 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:02.799 I explained it to people. It's like too many times 223 00:12:03.080 --> 00:12:06.440 us as Christians, we go up to people, and you know, 224 00:12:06.519 --> 00:12:09.240 we're quick to go up to people and chastise them 225 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:11.039 and belit them and kind of come over the top 226 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:13.399 of them. And granted they might be doing stuff wrong, 227 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:15.679 not living their life right, but nobody's going to listen 228 00:12:15.720 --> 00:12:18.720 to somebody scream and pointing their finger and belittle on them. 229 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:21.440 And so I tell people, you've got to treat people 230 00:12:21.480 --> 00:12:23.480 like bank accounts. You can't just walk up to a 231 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:27.440 bank and demand a withdrawal and not made any deposits 232 00:12:27.559 --> 00:12:29.840 or investments. They're going to turn you away and laugh 233 00:12:29.879 --> 00:12:32.919 at you. So people's no different. So in your daily life, 234 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:36.120 just show care for people. You know, hey, how was 235 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:38.639 your weekend, What did you do this week? How's the family? Well, 236 00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:41.159 your mother's sick with cancer. Hey, you want me to 237 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:43.360 pray for it? Will you allow me to pray for her? 238 00:12:43.720 --> 00:12:45.799 And you see them the next week or next day, Hey, 239 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:49.759 how's your mother doing? Just show concern and compassion and 240 00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:54.240 those are deposits in that person's account. And then once 241 00:12:54.279 --> 00:12:57.480 you have done that, made those deposits, then you can 242 00:12:57.759 --> 00:13:00.399 look into to make them withdrawals. And so because it's 243 00:13:00.440 --> 00:13:02.320 a lot you're in a lot better position. You can 244 00:13:02.360 --> 00:13:04.879 just say, hey, we're friend, I care for you, I 245 00:13:04.919 --> 00:13:06.840 pray for you. I have invited you over the house 246 00:13:06.879 --> 00:13:09.480 for lunch. And do you think what you're doing is 247 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:13.440 edifying to God? Or do you think this this thing 248 00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:16.480 that you're doing is helping your situation because you're coming 249 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:19.919 from a place of love instead of chastise what You've 250 00:13:19.960 --> 00:13:23.519 made several investments, So there's some actual things in there 251 00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:24.960 that you can pull from. 252 00:13:25.159 --> 00:13:28.200 Yeah, Justin, you remind me of the old saying people 253 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:31.799 don't care what you know until they know that you care. 254 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:34.720 Well, Justin. You know, a lot of us, I think 255 00:13:34.759 --> 00:13:37.799 we kind of do our jobs day to day and 256 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:42.559 while we might even have or sense that opportunity to 257 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:46.519 be christ in the workplace, some of us feel like 258 00:13:46.759 --> 00:13:49.799 that's kind of all we can do. That's just about 259 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:51.879 it about it, But that's not the choice you made 260 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:54.759 a few years ago and you started you kind of 261 00:13:54.759 --> 00:13:57.279 took things to another level. I had the pleasure of 262 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:00.159 being on your podcast a couple of years ago. We 263 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:04.000 talked about a Christian worldview back then, and what I 264 00:14:04.039 --> 00:14:08.679 was really impressed with you guys then that was that 265 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:11.919 you didn't just sit around and talk. You did your homework. 266 00:14:12.200 --> 00:14:14.399 So what that said to me was just how hard 267 00:14:14.440 --> 00:14:18.559 you guys were working. And so you got a job 268 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:23.039 and you got this passion around the Dig podcast. Walk 269 00:14:23.080 --> 00:14:25.399 us through a little bit. How do you do all 270 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:28.120 of this and why are you doing all this? So 271 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:30.360 tell us a little bit about your passion about and 272 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:31.679 about the Dig podcast. 273 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:34.559 We honestly, it's one of those things I tell people. 274 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:39.159 Your God is a heavenly father, and each and if 275 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:42.360 you are a father, then each of your children are 276 00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:46.600 so different. It takes a total different way to persuade 277 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:49.080 one in the other. It takes a total different way 278 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:53.000 to discipline and correct one from the other. God is 279 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:57.000 no different. And I would love to say that I 280 00:14:57.120 --> 00:14:59.639 chose to do the Dig Bible podcast because I felt 281 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:03.000 it was my duty and to Christ and to help 282 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:05.360 the body of Christ, and because all those are our 283 00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:09.480 noble and great things. And with me, I've always just 284 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:12.720 been fascinated by the Word of God, and I've just 285 00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:16.360 loved history, and I was deep diving into these subjects 286 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:21.159 on my own and studying the Word and even looking 287 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:24.039 into the things that are in the Bible that you know, 288 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:26.320 you don't hear about it in church. You know, the 289 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:30.399 Bible is the most supernatural book in the world. It's 290 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:32.879 got that I believe it has the answers to everything. 291 00:15:33.559 --> 00:15:37.360 So from twenty twelve to twenty twenty two, I've just 292 00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:41.440 been just studying and reading and deep diving this stuff, 293 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:44.480 and reading the Hebrew and going back to the Greek 294 00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:49.440 and seeing the original languages and how these words sometimes 295 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:52.600 have different meanings and it changes the context of the passage, 296 00:15:52.600 --> 00:15:54.679 and it does it just opens up so much more 297 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:58.159 stuff and brings a better appreciation to the Word. 298 00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:02.799 And come on, now, justin an old fact, factory worker 299 00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:04.399 can't be looking to Hebrew and Greek. 300 00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:07.039 Now, come on, here's the thing we are without an 301 00:16:07.240 --> 00:16:11.080 excuse anymore. There's so many Bible apps, and one that 302 00:16:11.159 --> 00:16:15.279 I will shamelessly plug is Logos Bible software. If this 303 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:18.840 guy that barely graduated twelfth grade can do this, you 304 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:21.759 could do this. You go in there and they have 305 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:25.120 these things called inner linears and you can pull up 306 00:16:25.159 --> 00:16:28.639 your Bible digitally on your computer, laptop, even your phone, 307 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:31.919 and you can select Hebrew or Greek and it has 308 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:34.440 it all in line, side by side, so you can 309 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:37.720 see the words how they compare, and then even highlight 310 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:41.399 them and do word searches. You know how many times 311 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:45.399 this word was used, and so many times we forget 312 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:48.320 to realize that these languages are no different from ours. 313 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:51.559 We have one word that has four to five different meanings. 314 00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:55.080 So that's a great plug for logos. Bill, I think 315 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:58.000 you're an equal user of Logos as I am. And 316 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:01.000 we'll even in the show notes going to link there 317 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:05.279 because we gain a lot of value and all that's available. 318 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:07.960 They're so good plug for those guys, So keep going 319 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:09.039 justin and then. 320 00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:11.400 What so after doing all this one day, it was 321 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:14.160 just some people call it a conscience, some people call 322 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:17.559 it the universe, and us we call it God the 323 00:17:17.559 --> 00:17:20.240 Holy Spirit. Something just hit me one day and was like, 324 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:22.680 why are you doing all this? Is it just to 325 00:17:24.119 --> 00:17:29.880 selfishly just have all this and not share it with people. 326 00:17:31.079 --> 00:17:34.440 And then I was like, well, maybe I can do 327 00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:37.039 a small group. Maybe I can just invite fifteen to 328 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:40.920 twenty people and we'll get together once or twice a 329 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:45.000 month and hang out and talk about these things and 330 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:48.319 study the Word of God. And I honestly had three 331 00:17:48.359 --> 00:17:51.359 guys show up and we had three meetings, and we 332 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:55.160 talked about Mike Kaiser's of the Unseen Realm, his book, 333 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:58.599 and Mike Kaiser, for those that are unfamiliar, is he's 334 00:17:58.599 --> 00:18:02.519 a Greek Scholar's he Ruth Galler, He's got multiple doctor's 335 00:18:02.519 --> 00:18:07.400 degree in ancient dead languages. When seminary just a very intelligible, 336 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:11.160 knowledgeable guy, and he talks about the unseen around the 337 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:14.680 supernatural world view the Bible, and the first couple chapters 338 00:18:14.720 --> 00:18:17.400 of that book he talks about not the one rebellion 339 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:21.119 that we as Westerners focus on, the Adam and even 340 00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:23.839 the Garden, but he says there was three rebellions. There 341 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:26.359 was the Garden, there was the Tower of Bibble, and 342 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:31.079 then there was Genesis six. So we talked about those 343 00:18:31.079 --> 00:18:33.519 in our first three meetings and Steve was like, man, 344 00:18:33.680 --> 00:18:36.640 justin we need to be recording this stuff. This is profound. 345 00:18:37.079 --> 00:18:39.920 Other people need to hear this stuff. And I knew 346 00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:43.240 nothing about podcasting, and I was like, uh uh, no way. 347 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:46.640 And once I actually got to looking in and seeing 348 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:49.799 what podcasts were and how people were able to be 349 00:18:49.880 --> 00:18:52.759 face to face at least digitally and talk with these 350 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:56.599 authors and these scholars and these just intelligent ten thousand 351 00:18:56.599 --> 00:19:01.079 hour research people and ask their questions and things like that. 352 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:05.519 Now that kind of enticed me because God knows the 353 00:19:05.559 --> 00:19:08.119 desires of my heart and he was like, okay, justin, 354 00:19:08.440 --> 00:19:11.640 I can give you what you want, but you're gonna 355 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:17.119 do what I want to help me. So I selfishly 356 00:19:17.240 --> 00:19:19.240 was like, okay, let's do this. I figured it out 357 00:19:19.319 --> 00:19:20.880 just to be able to talk to these guys and 358 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:24.160 learn some more, and it just totally grew and just 359 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:31.799 blew up. And from three rednecks in a ten garage 360 00:19:32.200 --> 00:19:35.319 that never touched a piece of audio equipment, don't have 361 00:19:35.400 --> 00:19:40.279 any alphabet suit before our name, no college degrees, are 362 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:43.920 studying Greek and Hebrew and talking about the Word of 363 00:19:43.960 --> 00:19:47.599 God and deep diving and talking to these authors and 364 00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:50.839 researchers and stuff, and just really uncovering these treasures as 365 00:19:50.920 --> 00:19:53.720 in the Word of God, is just an amazing journey 366 00:19:53.880 --> 00:19:55.640 now that I can sit back and look at it, 367 00:19:55.680 --> 00:19:59.759 because it was one hundred percent God. There's no way 368 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:05.400 three dumb rednecks from East Tennessee you can grow a 369 00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:09.440 podcast following up, you know almost. We're almost two years 370 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:12.640 in now and we got almost two hundred thousand downloads 371 00:20:13.559 --> 00:20:17.960 and reaching people into India, China with the Word of God. 372 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:21.680 Totally amazing. Justin and tell us the name of your podcast. 373 00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:25.880 Yep, it's called the dig Bible Podcast. And if that 374 00:20:26.119 --> 00:20:28.960 wasn't enough, I'm just a glutton for punishment. I was like, man, 375 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:31.960 I need more, I need more. So I started another 376 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:37.200 podcast called Prometheus Lens Podcast, and with that one is 377 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:40.000 more like, how do I word it? It's ah, it 378 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:43.440 is the ministry that is not a ministry because the 379 00:20:43.480 --> 00:20:45.440 dig I mean, if the Bible's in the name, it's 380 00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:48.359 more right there in your face. And the Prometheus Lens. 381 00:20:48.599 --> 00:20:51.559 I go into different things. I go into the wu 382 00:20:52.759 --> 00:20:54.920 as we call it now. I look at Bigfoot, I 383 00:20:54.920 --> 00:20:58.480 look at aliens. I look at conspiracy theories, lost civilization, 384 00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:02.880 Graham Hancocks, the weird stuff. But I filter it all 385 00:21:02.920 --> 00:21:06.480 through a biblical lens and the Bible. So a lot 386 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:09.319 of people that listen to this show are not Christians, 387 00:21:09.319 --> 00:21:12.160 They're not believers, and so I get their attention with 388 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:15.799 these fascinating subjects and filter it the biblical lens and 389 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:19.200 a biblical worldview and show the way of Christ while 390 00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:22.279 I have their attention and trying to plant seeds that way, 391 00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:25.480 but at the same time selfishly scratching that itch that 392 00:21:25.559 --> 00:21:25.799 I have. 393 00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:29.440 Well, anybody that's listening that thinks this guy is a 394 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:33.880 dumb hillbilly is not paying attention because I've watched you 395 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:37.039 and Steven and Ben as you guys, and listen to 396 00:21:37.079 --> 00:21:40.720 you often because I'm fascinated by many of these topics too, 397 00:21:41.240 --> 00:21:43.680 But you just don't bring up a topic and have 398 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:48.279 a superficial conversation about it. I love how you do, 399 00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:52.200 really do dig, both in the Prometheus Lens as well 400 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:56.400 as in the Big Bible podcast. Hey, I wonder Justin 401 00:21:56.559 --> 00:22:00.319