Having Fun With God

Everyman life doesn't usually feel that way.

Jesus speaks of narrow gates wide roads masculine journey is filled with many twist and turns, so how do we keep from losing heart trying to find a way when life feels more like a losing battle than something worth dying for, grab your gear, request your band of brothers will serve as the guides we call masculine journey masculine journey starts here now. Welcome masculine journey. Glad you're with us today just glad to hear without you I can say out of gas at some big stuck on the side of the road read by Carl the calf.

Like last week. The more comfortable sitting here and so the 85° weather. Nothing like running yeah yeah most men I know that doesn't happen the same Christian cargo moment all last week in studio today we have Sean finish on a I don't Sean John and I were together is the last boot camp so masculine about that.

Robby hello Robby Jim and we got Jim we have courage. One of, says he sounds like… Right so he talked just tonight Eli if he decides to get on and I were to be talking down in the mouth say we last week were talking about a topic.

Robby, if you could set up where we were going last week so you can continue that conversation came out of the theme of a beautiful outlaw how a lot of people see God is this big mighty's motor later this Mike and there's no doubt that there is a place for referencing. Don't get me wrong, but there's also a place for play and and what is that look like in our lives as we actually become friends with God and sometimes he begins to play with you and you and you find yourself essentially the bottom one is Joan's yeah you know but it's it's not a painful one that's that's a good thing is not typically painful when it's a teaching moment or just something that just makes it out now laugh growing up, and I'm not quite as old as some you guys growing up. The first movie that I remember that had God in it was actually the movie were to play a clip from which is of God with George Burns and so that was the first time I remember God having the character in the movie other than a burning bush and type things. Robby will set up little bit on this clip it's it's an interesting thing audits transitions in Hollywood over the last three decades, at most the time now. You'll find him. This is pretty funny character in this case is George Burns.

He is visiting John Denver not Bobby Gilligan's thing John Denver Rocky Mount yeah and and is visiting them on an AM radio inside of a 1976 pacer now that I know about people while people know that and it's amazing to me that God would show up in a pacer like he does.

But in order to enjoy the clip completely. You might note that there's a motorcycle and you can hear that in the background. At the end of the clip this guy and his motorcycle was looking over at Bob Denver like you're losing your mind and John and the good news is, God bails him out in a funny way does God that's just expression that watches me spread what were you want me to tell people God is God just particles, gas, gas. So you actually expect to leave you just a man know Moses was Moses on page 1 motion just a messenger. My God, Jerry Gray, your names, see if you've ever ridden a pacer for well you probably are pretty fishable was doing YouTube and I get you going Google Google and you laugh. It was very funny car back in his day. Robby, you pick that clip and so what was it about that Clinton really kinda spoke to you on it. This concept of playing is is and anybody that knows me knows I love to laugh in the sense of God playing like that and realizing that sometimes he shows up and really strange times and places, and has strange requests and in its and it's like that and you can find yourself just laughing at wow how did I get here. This happened you write Jimmy talk about a point about God having a sense of humor before the show and what was your your point you're making.

I got have a sense of humor.

Well, when I was young I had God is a fairly small box.

God is love, and was trying to date a Southern Baptist girl very conservative church and the only places I could later work at school or church went to church with her. And I heard the pastor doing the hellfire and damnation. He was telling what I considered little kids almost 16, 10 or 11 or 12. Now you may be going to hell your parents may be going to hell your brother and sister, maybe going to help, but you have to decide right now you're not and I got serious walked out of the church and I literally swore to God. I would never step foot in the leather Southern Baptist Church about 35 years after that I was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister, don't tell God what should not get it to else will figure out a way in a fun way make it happen soon. I think you, Jim. It's funny how God makes his theater word. Sometimes, especially, say never always are things like that and I know you spent a fair amount time around guys at work either at work or on the weekend when you're in with what you and the National Guard would you say the guys tend to have a sense of humor I would say so yeah I would say their own type, a sense of humor. You yeah what the construction site. It's it's a sense of humor and also I'm sure the service it's another since humor wanted us say something if you're okay with it.

Sean chose to be going to Cuba in December. You can be deployed to Cuba and so if you need some prayer about Christmas time prefer Sean he'll be there. You're almost right here. Thank you. I needed to her already poor, but that playfulness. What is it Sean, in your opinion, changes in guys when I get to do something together in a playful way playing a game or being on a team and what kind of changes that dynamic of that relationship brings you extremely closer, extremely strong with each other on the especially overseas it was and if you've ever been overseas, you would know something of the sort you find strength with somebody that you would've never thought you would've been with me find a brotherhood with somebody that you would never even thought would've been the one that you can play around with and joke around with and and years later talk about how you remember when you did this in a member when we did that yet is probably stupid vote we did any case and you find a lot of humor and then with that you find a lot of grace in that because think well we did that we probably shouldn't have, but thank God he was there with us laughing at us and saying to show you later on what you should've done that brings that camaraderie together. So what you think God likes ever since humor with his Robby if it knows it brings guys together with bring us closer to him.

That's the idea of being friends with his his in a while he put that there. So in on perfect samples. Last week was national day of prayer, and I was scheduled to pray it Jim church at the bridge and so I start realizing this is the Christian card time he's praying while he's driving is open and it was very similar to the Bruce Almighty quickly as a few weeks ago you.

I was like, I wonder why pray about your because all I could think about was Miss America prayers world peace and what you care about Robby. What he really care about was what the Holy Spirit was okay. What I really care about is that I really care about grace and I want people to know what it means to be your favorite and I'm going to this place and I'm really just gone wild with him and talk about grace. About this time. These three cars pull over behind me and there obviously a big hurry one right behind me/and slights.

The third one behind me is honking his horn the course. I'm going the speed limit is is I am in the road rage is is beginning to rage and I'm like what the course you know I'm still praying that I'm losing you. Knowing God paying attention dollars well pull over and let these two guys go by and I turned the light, another car comes up in the same exact thing this guy is honking his horn questions like what is this some kind of like I realize all of a sudden as I came about another quarter-mile bit. It was like 6:55 these people were all late for work and immediately just saw what God either you want grace Robby knew how angry I was feeling it was like okay you get it you get it, you know, here's your struggle and in yet, but just hilarious because and I laughed all the way to Moscow June only about another time if you can think of when when God had that playful spirit with your kind it was almost choking away. They are bunches and one of the ones that came to mind that I don't think I told the story before but going to Alaska and my wife said, never leaving the Carolinas. If you have to go somewhere else by attitude and we were all and more. This story want to know what happened to Jim going Alaska what happened to the bare up there and everything else got there so be talking about this playfulness that God has with us.

It's really cool playfulness of God, probably that's November 6-9 912 single registered radio.org is my son Eli talk about ways you can help support Lily smiled as he was on the information that Facebook.com where you can click button tweaking it out once again, PO Box 550 785 Sam this November's Boot Camp can literally change Lyman's life. I talked to a lot of men there saying they say they don't know what the places in the grand scheme of things they don't know how to behave as Christian men. God designed us for freedom minutes, it is good Alaskan journey radio.org to register now just $169 early Bird pricing for four amazing days Alaskan journey radio.org well-known saying anything that is here pulling away from them. I took all I could not yeah, playful, strong point that was shown the Beach boys boys boys that was under pressure you leftist you are talking about Alaska so we got to figure what we went on a cruise and as soon as I got there this home. This is heaven on earth, and we were in Skagway and Little Presbyterian Church, which was open. Nobody was there but Carolyn, I will look at the handles only Carolyn starts crying decided God wants us here and I wasn't sure that was God.

I thought it was me because I wanted but Carolyn started crying.

So what's wrong. God wants us to go to Alaska and I just breaking out laughing because he works in ways like that do strike us as humorous. One of the keep talking about one thing that I discussed with somebody this week that is happened to me so many times that might be rest of you experienced it. I'll have so many things go wrong and gets frustrating and you get upset and then folly that lastly goes wrong site. God really becomes funny and takes all of the burden of the it's funny you said that I I have the lack of patience, another everybody in here but Eli probably can't hardly believe that I have a real occupation, and that I was discretion. That was good.

They but I was on the way here and I stop by the house to let the dog out and was trying to find the treats the dog and I'm looking at these wire shelves. I'm looking and looking and looking, it's a huge box like are you kidding me how my not seeing this, you know, the more frustrated I got, the harder I looked in. Then I saw it I realized okay God you just help me work on this frustration was literally right in front of me. I was looking one side looking the other horse blinders on and couldn't see it. For me that was just humorous because I need to have more patience is always with little things like that typically is what really gets me is not some of the big things may happen at work or happened in life. This happened in the Siletz life.

It's just all those little inconveniences that drive me nuts and so God finds opportunities to help me try to get better at that instant I can't stand them up you're talking about your long nose and getting patient in Hebrew longbows is the word for patient God has a long nose to act like I could go a lot of places yeah Cliff's resignation. How great you will be yes. We tousled about this clip really well. We dug deep for this one yet to go to the very Muppet Christmas but again there's there's another example of someone speaking to God and in this case it was, the frog an extent that it is actually coming to Angel and the clip is speaking to God, is played by Whoopi Goldberg and once again we we find some interesting things but I want to point out that this is sort of a time-lapse that you're listening to his God is reviewing Kermit's life and so your your hearing certain pieces of that but the. The angel that is representing Kermit in this case is sort of like the angel Clarence and it's a wonderful life and that he is, take him on this road where he finds out what it was like if you can just love the big voice so scary well now appointment no. But this is an emergency. Kermit the frog don't worry about how you feel is right. Yeah well I'm afraid that if you don't help them. You may never get the right thing again please just take a look at this case, your honor. Excellent sea really can't men with angels convince me to come and needs my help. Send my best agent. Thank you so much. Convince me that you have to transfer all of my MP3 file when you every album ever recorded St. 857-3296 and then to check something as quickly yeah just how do you have coffee Bush swim Schwab you write the laws of the universe in a world alone. Hansen created a coffee run.

You can't tell me that this is what you wanted and sent France got a problem on earth can prepare the transport for field agent great great.

Should I get Glenn on the board now me the wrong inkling sign on the wrong job. I'm a numbers guy. People are too unpredictable. Danny you are the right guy. You have a real understanding of right and wrong in an innate sense of justice define now get down there before he turns into a frog single no probably that's a different version, you hear the playfulness of the coffee sure about she's she's playful and obviously not taken offense to the boss statement of there's a sense of how I could be friends with this God and and I think therein lies the opportunity for industry that is available in prayer that I think is a critical aspect of my relationship boot camps. When we do on Sunday and mostly came to this talk on the mask on journey. It talks about when you get to be a sage your you see guy differently. Your friends with God, but it doesn't have to wait until your that age that's a slow times because people lived enough life that they finally it's warm down to what they say now I get it. God is offered to mediate almost 54 John XXVII you know everyone out there that is just how we see it and there is something to learn here, I think as far as men in general have a need to play because were in the image of God and our wives would really really like it if we played more found some way that they felt like they were involved in the plaything and I was Tonya about this Michelle that Tammy I did this I found out about shim languages see how much I love you if you take the letters SHMILY in this old couple I heard about that they would write it in the dust in the mantle and they would write it all over the place and she actually unrolled a whole toilet where it's me that's playing that's that's that's fine and it went so far as he wrote it on her casket because that was the way that they played and and I told Tammy about it and I could just see her eyes light up like wow that's cool. Well the next morning we we use sweet and low when I took a toothpick and I spent a lot of time to create this beautiful simile. And ever since then, I mean she just lit up like wow that is the school we it's been really really fun to sit there and do that and and have a place of plan even if it was kind of stolen from somebody else's idea and understand what it meant when you send an email to guys like to play and I think that there's this fine line.

The guys can get lost in play in. I think sometimes women have seen that side of guys with the kind of run from life and they go to run play golf or run to go do something to finish whatever that might be instead of keeping it in a healthy moderation is something about the heart comes alive.

John when you're out on some of things you enjoy doing that brings you back in a little bit better place doesn't it takes my mind off of a lot of things that may have been held deep in you don't see what's bothering you until you actually let it come out.

Let basically slap in the face and you mentioned your boot camp that I was able to go to that was an awesome experience and I mean that right there just open my eyes to many many many things and it helped with a lot of things they were down deep inside that I wasn't allowing to come up. You know y'all asked me earlier. Have I seen Gabi playful said no. Then I asked him on state just a few minutes ago I said, have you been playful and I didn't know and quick story is always in Franklin for drill and there's a Christian bookstore down there. Franklin or Carolina. And I say we know is Mother's Day coming up on a mom really likes on going there. Look for this simple little you know Mother's Day gift. I found little book okay well you know I get directed towards the Bibles and I like okay well there's some nice stuff over here. Not like some hit me up and want to study will meet later to study Bible.

Okay what I want that to get messed up and will guys like well you need some to cover it up. So I got to cover says I like schools I was walking around us time to get my mom something that I see a little children's book in our our bosses working on getting a new family member and I was like man is you would really like that so I know get a book for a child in a minute. Donnie is like well you know Mother's Day is coming up and I don't have any kids but my fiancé she got dog and then nears his or her child in well let me get her something and then I know get mama something. So, here I come with a stack of books is about 10 feet high and I walk out to the counter and I say are you I came in here for one now here's this, so I just laughed and I said that's that's that's crazy.

I just throws a lot at you and you is because it's funny how he'll just kind of tricky is the wrong word you become a very good way to come in and just get on this adventure, whether to small and large one calling into it in can be playful along the way doesn't have to always be serious this time to be serious and serious at times.

But if we are made in his image as my friend Jim said were made in his image and we have humor we have playfulness and why wouldn't he say anything funny, I know shorter.

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