Jack Hibbs Podcast Episode Summary

Episode: Busted or Broken
Date: October 6, 2025
Host: Jack Hibbs (JackHibbs.com)

Overview

In this episode, Pastor Jack Hibbs delves into the profound spiritual distinction between being "busted" versus being "broken." Through biblical teaching and personal reflection, he challenges listeners to honestly assess the state of their hearts before God. Hibbs draws from both Scripture—particularly the "Romans Road"—and real-life examples to unpack how true transformation comes not from merely getting caught but from a genuine, humble, and broken dependence on Christ. He highlights the implications of this difference for personal faith, interactions with others, and the experience of persecution in today's world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining "Busted" vs. "Broken"

• Busted: Caught in wrongdoing, often focused on how to avoid consequences or repeat mistakes more discreetly.
  • "To be busted means that you know what you're doing is wrong, but you're not willing to stop it... you still might be thinking about ways in the future on how to pull it off next time more discreetly." (01:19)
• Broken: Contrite before God, seeking mercy, honest about one’s need and failure.
  • "When you're broken? Oh, that's completely different." (01:19)

2. The Biblical Case for Brokenness

• Jesus and the Stone (Matthew 21:44):

  • "Whoever falls on this stone will be broken, but whoever it falls, it will grind him to powder." (02:19)
  • Context: Jesus, as the "stone," invites people to fall upon Him in humility, rather than be crushed by judgment due to stubbornness.

• Romans Road Explained:

  • Romans 3:23: All have sinned and fall short of God's glory.
  • Romans 6:23: The wages of sin is death, but God’s gift is eternal life.
  • Romans 5:8: God demonstrates love in that Christ died for sinners.
  • Romans 10:9, 13: Confess and believe for salvation; whoever calls on God’s name will be saved.
  • "The Christ follower is happy to be broken. Happy to understand that we come with all of our spiritual needs... to be met by God." (05:07)

3. Coming to the End of Yourself

• Cultural Contradiction: Modern self-help messages teach self-reliance and standing up for oneself, but God calls us to surrender and dependence.
  • "Coming to the end of yourself according to the Bible is a great thing. It's what you and I need to know... what I'm saying here today... flies in the face of every motivational speaker." (06:40)
• Self-Defense vs. Spiritual Surrender:
  • Not about physical self-defense (protecting home/family), but about dropping personal defenses in spiritual and relational matters. (08:10)
  • "We are talking about in the sense of someone persecuting us... This is one of the great indicators that we're not in the Spirit on this one, is that when... you get your feeling, that hurts. Your feelings, listen, your feelings should not get hurt... Your feelings will lie to you every single time." (09:55)

4. Blessing Those Who Persecute You

• Impossibility Without God: It isn’t naturally possible to bless persecutors; it requires the Holy Spirit.
  • "Bless those who persecute you. That is humanly impossible... we cannot do it. You and I do not have that in and of ourselves." (07:40)
• Example of Persecuted Christians:
  • Reference to Libyan Christians praising God at the point of death (08:00)
  • "Can you bless your persecutors? If they're removing your fingernails with pliers, can you do what the Christians did in Libya... they began to sing the praises of God." (08:23)

5. Authenticity in Faith vs. Pleasing the World

• Personal Story: Jack shares an anecdote from his youth about pretending to drink beer at a party to fit in, stressing how fear of rejection drives people to inauthenticity.
  • "But the moment I had the beer in my hand, that wasn't really a beer... I'm sending the message. I'm just like all you guys... I was caving to peer pressure." (10:30)
• Application: Standing for truth means risking misunderstanding, rejection, or persecution, but it also places one in a position to truly rely on God.
  • "The fear of man is a snare. And you need to understand that as long as you yourself are trying to look good for self gain... the Holy Spirit's power will not be present." (11:45)

6. Living on the Edge of Faith

• Challenge to Young People: Life with Christ is an adventure richer than any worldly thrill (e.g., bungee jumping).

  • "You want to live? Become a follower of Jesus for real and live." (14:25)
  • Dependence on God, living at the edge of one’s own insufficiency, is where faith is most alive.

• Acts 1:8—The Power to Witness:

  • True witness (Greek: martas, source of “martyr”) means giving up self for Christ every day, not just in death.
  • "Jesus said, you'll go and be my martyr. He's saying every day that you live, live for me, not for you. And that's how God would have us to live." (15:08)

7. The Reality of Persecution

• Persecution Is Normal:
  • Particularly in global contexts (Kenya, Nigeria) but increasingly in the West (17:10)
  • Opposition often comes from standing on God’s Word, and may even arise in the home. (See Matthew 10:34—division over Jesus)
  • "Our world is getting more hostile and more dark and more mean. And listen, it doesn't mean that God slipped off his throne. It means that God is getting his people ready… for his great return." (18:00)

8. Responding to Haters: Don't Curse, Bless

• Do Not Curse: Even under attack, do not return evil for evil or speak against persecutors.
  • "Am I busted or am I broken when I hear this? The word ‘do not curse them’ means do not bring a curse down upon them... or speak in any way against them to misrepresent the kingdom of God." (20:55)
  • Requires supernatural work of the Holy Spirit—goes against human instinct.
• Division Over Christ:
  • Jesus warned that His coming would split households, and believers must be prepared for relational costs.
  • "For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother... and a man's enemies will be those of his own household." (22:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On true spiritual surrender:

  • "Coming to the end of yourself... is a great thing. It's what you and I need to know." (06:40)

• On the impossibility of Christian love apart from God:

  • "Bless those who persecute you. That is humanly impossible... Only the Holy Spirit can do that in us." (07:40)

• Personal honesty:

  • "I've just learned to embrace it over the decades. And that is I'm weak pretty much all the time... but God does [the work]." (13:00)

• Life with Christ as the ultimate adventure:

  • "You want to live? Become a follower of Jesus for real and live... It's a thrilling way to live." (14:25)

• On persecution sharpening true belief:

  • "We're all gonna die for something in this life. I'd rather live and die for Jesus." (19:55)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:19 — Defining “busted” vs “broken”
• 02:19 — The biblical foundation: Matthew 21:44 and the Romans Road
• 06:40 — Coming to the end of yourself; cultural contradiction
• 07:40 — Blessing persecutors: humanly impossible aspect
• 10:30 — Jack’s party story about peer pressure and authenticity
• 14:25 — Life with Jesus as ultimate adventure; challenge to youth
• 15:08 — Acts 1:8 and the meaning of “martyr”
• 17:10 — The reality and normalization of persecution
• 20:55 — What it means not to curse those who harm you
• 22:05 — Division in families over Christ (Matthew 10:34)

Conclusion

Jack Hibbs delivers a challenging and clarifying message on the difference between merely “getting caught” and truly being “broken” before God—a distinction at the heart of authentic faith. He calls Christians to abandon self-defense, embrace brokenness, rely totally on Christ, and respond to a hostile world with supernatural love, even if it leads to persecution or division. The journey of a follower of Jesus is one of thrilling surrender, courage, and daily dependence on God’s Spirit.