Summary3 min read

Podcast Summary: "Better to Think First, Than Think Fast"

Show: followHIM
Hosts: Hank Smith & John Bytheway
Date: March 5, 2026
Episode Theme: Applying Joseph of Egypt's Example—The Power of Planning Ahead to Face Temptation
Episode Scripture Focus: Genesis 37–41

Episode Overview

In this episode of "Follow Him Favorites," hosts Hank Smith and John Bytheway discuss a single powerful story to complement the week's Come, Follow Me lesson, focusing on Joseph's experience in Egypt (Genesis 39:12). The theme centers on the importance of thinking ahead—spiritually and practically—so that when challenging moments or temptations arise, we are prepared to act decisively and faithfully. Personal anecdotes, practical wisdom, and spiritual reminders make this a concise, approachable episode.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Joseph’s Example: “Got Him Out”

Reference: Genesis 39:12 (“...he left his garment in her hand and fled, and got him out.”)
Insight: John spotlights Joseph’s immediate reaction to temptation—he didn’t debate or rationalize, he simply fled.
Application:
- Thinking ahead prepares us to make righteous decisions instantly.
- “Think first, then act fast”—John's preferred phrasing derived from his New Era article.

Quote: “Remember that phrase, got him out?”
— John Bytheway (00:23)

2. Little League Baseball Analogy

Anecdote: John recalls his youth playing center field, where his coach would shout “Think!” to encourage players to anticipate plays and reactions before the action unfolded.
Parallel: Just as in baseball, spiritual and ethical readiness hinges on premeditated choices.

Quote: “Our job was to say something that wouldn’t occur to us was, what will I do if the ball comes to me? This is a great skill.”
— John Bytheway (00:33)

Outcome: John practiced thinking through scenarios, which led to a “glory moment” when his preparation paid off and he helped get an opposing player out.

Quote: “I run up and I caught the ball and I winged it to the second baseman, who got the guy out. I got him out.”
— John Bytheway (01:46)

3. The Spiritual Lesson: Decide in Advance

Theme: Preparation is crucial—spiritually, just as much as in sports.
Connection to Joseph: Joseph didn’t decide how to handle temptation in the moment; his choice had already been made through prior commitment.

Quote: “You’d be crazy to think he’s making this decision right now. No, he made this decision a long time ago. This was just the moment…the decision was actually public.”
— Hank Smith (03:14)

Practical Takeaway: If you find yourself in a tempting or compromising situation, the time to decide what to do is before it arises.

4. The Power of Physically Leaving Temptation

Advice: Don’t try to debate with temptation—leave it behind swiftly, as Joseph did.
Memorable Moment: The hosts joke about reasoning with Potiphar’s wife (“Come here, Potiphar’s wife. Let’s talk through this…”), illustrating the absurdity of trying to rationalize staying in a dangerous situation.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“I knew what I was going to do before the situation came.”
— John Bytheway (02:57)
“It can be a good skill, by the way, that if you’re tempted, run, physically, get out, get out of there.”
— Hank Smith (03:31)

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:03 – Episode introduction and context: Genesis 37–41, Joseph of Egypt
00:18–01:56 – John’s Little League story; how thinking ahead paid off
02:23–02:57 – Importance of forethought—“It’s better to think first than to think fast”
03:14–03:40 – Applying the lesson to spiritual and real-life temptation
03:40–03:49 – Practical encouragement: don’t debate, just leave
03:49–end – Invitation to listen to the full episode with guest Dr. Brad Wilcox

Conclusion

This episode distills a simple yet profound message: Preparation is key to spiritual strength. By deciding now how we’ll respond to temptation, we can act quickly and confidently, just as Joseph did. Whether it’s on the baseball field or in moments of moral testing, “thinking first” empowers us to stay faithful under pressure.

For the full insights and a deeper dive, tune in to the complete episode featuring Dr. Brad Wilcox.

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Transcript15 lines

[00:03]
A
Welcome to Follow Him Favorites. This is where John and I share a single story to go with each week's Come Follow Me lesson. John Joseph of Egypt, Genesis chapters 37 through 41. It's your turn to give us a Follow Him Favorites story.
[00:18]
B
I remember this interesting phrase in the story of Joseph when Potiphar's wife grabbed him. This is Genesis 39:12. She caught him by his garment, saying, lie with me. And he left his garment in her hand and fled and got him out. Remember that phrase, got him out? Now rewind. Way back to the 20th century, probably the 70s, I am playing Little League baseball at Lindsay Gardens in Salt Lake City, and I'm a center fielder. And my coach used to, because we're like, I don't know, eight or nine or 10. He used to come out and yell at us. Think he would just yell? Think. Our job was to say something that wouldn't occur to us was, what will I do if the ball comes to me? This is a great skill.
[01:07]
A
Yes.
[01:08]
B
In Little League, I actually did. I thought, there's a runner on first. There's one out. If the ball is on the fly, I'll try to catch it. I'll throw to second base. If it's a grounder, I'll catch it. I'll probably watch the runner throw it to second or third. I've got it all figured out. Our pitcher winds up, throws the ball, and the batter smacks it. And it's right to me in center field. But it was a little short. I'm running forward, and out of the corner of my eye, I can see the runner taking off first base. And I thought, he doesn't think I'm going to catch it because you got to tag up. You got to stay on first until the ball is caught. He's running to second. I run up and I caught the ball and I winged it to the second baseman, who got the guy out. I got him out.
[01:57]
A
Nice job.
[01:59]
B
I remember coach Mark Duran running out of the dugout screaming, nice job. By the way, what a great lesson that was to think first what you're going to do if something comes up. Because of that, I knew exactly what to do. That was like my only glory moment of Little League baseball.
[02:23]
A
Hey, people don't know. John, by the way, is quite an athlete.
[02:26]
B
Oh, yeah? Yeah. Thanks, Hank. All my high school friends are shaking their head right now. I love the idea of think what you're going to do first. I wrote it up for the new era. I said, you know when someone says, think fast and throws a ball at you.
[02:40]
A
Right.
[02:41]
B
So I thought a fun title would be It's Better to Think First, Then Think Fast. The new era did not like my title, so they changed it to Think First, Act Fast. But I still like It's Better to Think first than To Think Fast.
[02:56]
A
I like yours better, too.
[02:58]
B
That was the lesson. I knew what I was going to do before the situation came. And you've probably know that lots of church leaders have talked about that. If you feel like you're in a place where you might be tempted, what are you going to do? Think about it first, then you can get out.
[03:14]
A
That's beautiful, John. You'd be crazy to think he's making this decision right now. No, he made this decision a long time ago. This was just the moment he. That the decision was actually public. But he had made that decision a long time ago. How could I do this? He says, how could I do this? I love it. It can be a good skill, by the way, that if you're tempted, run, physically, get out, get out of there.
[03:41]
B
Exactly. Don't sit and think about it. Make it short. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this sin? Here. Yeah.
[03:50]
A
Come here, Potiphar's wife. Let's talk through this. We hope you'll join us on our full podcast. It's called Follow Him. You can get it wherever you get your podcast. We're with Dr. Brad Wilcox this week. Brad's one of our favorite people in the whole world, and you're going to love what he does with these chapters. And then come back here next week we'll do another Follow him favorites.