Raising Spiritual Spartans

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "Raising Spiritual Spartans"

Podcast: Real America’s Voice
Host: Jensen Franklin (with Pastor Aaron)
Episode Date: December 21, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode, led by Jensen Franklin and joined by Pastor Aaron, explores the concept of “Raising Spiritual Spartans”—drawing from biblical imperatives and the legendary toughness of ancient Spartan warriors to inspire listeners, especially men and parents, to take up the “shield of faith.” The message centers on the importance of spiritual resilience, generational transmission of core values, and the vital role that both fathers and mothers play in raising a new generation of principled believers equipped to stand firm in the face of adversity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Importance of Faith as a Shield (03:02–08:51)

• Textual Foundation: Franklin opens with Ephesians 6, emphasizing "the shield of faith" as the most critical piece of Christian spiritual armor.
• Faith as Divine Currency: “Faith is the currency that heaven trades in…you give God faith and he in return…saves you and every other promise in the scripture is unattainable without faith.” (Jensen Franklin, 04:05)
• Practical Application: He underscores that all spiritual victories, promises, and resilience depend on an unwavering faith—fear is the main opponent to faith.

Mixing Faith with Action (08:51–13:00)

• Necessity of Faith in Daily Life: “You can hear all the preaching you want…but it does not profit if it’s not being mixed with faith.” (Jensen Franklin, 07:48)
• Faith Over Circumstance: Encourages listeners to trust God’s report over any negative situation—doctors’ reports, statistics, etc.

The Spartan Example as Spiritual Metaphor (13:00–25:00)

• Spartan Culture Recap:
  • Spartan boys trained for war starting at age seven, with the shield as a central emblem.
  • Mother’s Challenge: “Either bring this shield back or be brought back on this shield.” (Jensen Franklin, 18:45)
• Parallel to Christian Life: Listeners are urged to guard their faith with the same tenacity—a shield is neither ornamental nor optional but essential and to be held or returned with honor.
• Toughness and Resilience: "We need to quit rescuing our children and giving them participation trophies on every blessing—we need to get a little toughness in them to stand up to life." (Pastor Aaron, 19:21)

Passing Down the Shield of Faith (26:07–32:06)

• Raising the Next Generation: The hosts stress that the highest success is not academic or material achievement but passing down unshakeable faith.
• Cherishing the Shield: “Carry your father’s shield with honor…your shield is to be cherished, to be polished, to be defended.” (Jensen Franklin, 27:24)
• Practical Transmission: Everyday actions—praying, reading scripture, telling faith stories—are how the shield is polished and passed on.
• Notable Memory: Franklin recalls his childhood, playing church with his siblings, highlighting how a faith-filled home environment deeply imprints children.

Stand Strong Against Cultural Drift (35:19–41:00)

• Men Called to Spiritual Manhood:
  • “If you're going to sleep with her you should marry her and do it…Be a man, be a man, be a man. A man provides, a man protects, a man stands there when everything’s ugly, he doesn’t cut and run.” (Pastor Aaron, 39:30)
  • Critique of cultural softness and moral drift; embracing tough love and biblical standards.

Ministry and Identity as Spartans (41:00–47:00)

• Honoring Ministry: Franklin and Aaron voice respect for young people pursuing ministry, framing it as holding the shield of faith with distinction, not as a lesser calling compared to secular success.
• Personal Testimony: Franklin shares how his father’s faith and sacrificial living (selling cars to stay in ministry) modeled toughness and provision for family and calling.

Call to Action – Becoming and Raising Spiritual Spartans (47:00–53:39)

• Altar Call to Manhood: “I want every man in this house who wants to be a spiritual Spartan…Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong!” (Jensen Franklin, 52:01)
• Polishing the Shield: “When you're praising, you're polishing the shield. When you're repenting, you're polishing the shield…” (Pastor Aaron, 52:14)

Legacy, Family, and Commitment (53:39–End)

• Final Commitment: Hands on hearts, all are urged to declare, “I will not by the grace of God be an inferior Spartan…I will not forsake my family…a mighty man of God.” (Jensen Franklin & Pastor Aaron, 54:59)
• Mothers’ Role: Not just men—mothers are encouraged to raise spiritual Spartan children and not shrink from tough love when needed.
• No Retirement from the Fight: Even retired Spartans reentered battle if needed—everyone, regardless of age, is called to persist in faith for future generations.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Faith’s Priority: “If you lose the shield of faith none of the weapons will work…everything we do in living for God is mixed with faith.” (Jensen Franklin, 06:20)
• Spartan Maternal Wisdom: “Either bring this shield back or be brought back on this shield.” (Recounted by Jensen Franklin, 18:45)
• On Modern Parenting: “We need to quit rescuing our children and giving them participation trophies…we need to get a little toughness in them to stand up to life.” (Pastor Aaron, 19:21)
• On the Value of Ministry: “You’re not second class because you chose not to go into business…oh, you’re just a pastor. I mean you can feel it… but I just want to say I admire the young men and women who want to be in ministry and maintain the honor of the shield.” (Jensen Franklin, 41:20)
• Definition of a Man: “It’s not how many women you can sleep with, it’s not how many trophies you have on the wall…it’s all about…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Jensen Franklin, 48:49)
• Life Application: “When you die…I’m gonna die on my shield…he did it right, he loved God, he loved his family, he loved his wife, his children, his grandchildren, he loved his church— that’s all that matters.” (Jensen Franklin, 52:45)
• On Generational Faith: “You never outgrow warfare…if war broke out (for the retired Spartan), he had to re-enlist…you jump right back in.” (Jensen Franklin, 56:35)

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Key Timestamps

• 03:02 – Introduction to the sermon and Ephesians 6: significance of the shield of faith
• 08:51 – Explanation of the shield’s symbolism and role in defense
• 13:00 – Spartan history and metaphor introduced
• 18:45 – The mothers’ challenge to sons: “Bring back the shield or be brought back on it”
• 19:21 – Call for toughness and resilience in raising children
• 26:07 – Challenge to parents to measure success by faith transmission
• 27:24 – The honor and sacredness of carrying the shield
• 32:06 – Passing the shield of faith through daily family life
• 39:30 – Direct challenge to men: be providers, protectors, and spiritual leaders
• 52:01 – Communal recitation: “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong”
• 54:59–56:35 – Collective commitment to not be “inferior Spartans”; the lifelong nature of spiritual warfare

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Tone and Delivery

• Direct and passionate, with urgency and a call to practical, countercultural action.
• Frequently analogical, blending biblical imperatives and Spartan history.
• Inclusive of both men and women, challenging listeners to reject passivity and embrace spiritual leadership in the home and community.

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Summary for Listeners

If you haven’t heard this episode, you can expect a rousing, heartfelt sermon urging families (especially fathers and mothers) to become “spiritual Spartans,” standing tall for faith and integrity. Through biblical teaching and ancient history, Jensen Franklin and Pastor Aaron stress that true legacy and success are measured by the endurance and transmission of faith—a shield that must be valued, defended, and handed down, not for comfort’s sake but for spiritual victory in every generation.

Transcript

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[Jensen Franklin]

Hello i'm jensen franklin and i'm so glad you're watching real america's voice and i want to encourage you today to know that normally i know you're used to seeing the news being broadcast twenty four hours a day all over the world but the founder of this network wanted to take some time on this sunday and bring some good news to all the other news what you do with the next few moments can affect the years ahead of your life so lean in listen to this message i believe it's going to speak to you and you're going to encounter a god who loves you and cares about you this very moment ephesians chapter six and i'll begin reading with verse thirteen therefore take up the whole armor of god that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand stand therefore having girded your waist with the truth having put on the breastplate of righteousness and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace above all above all taking the shield of faith with which you are able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of god praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all saints i love and i want to center in on verse sixteen above all above all taking the shield of faith the truth is it is essential for us to have faith in god faith is the currency that heaven trades in if you get anything from god you you give god faith and he in return to your faith saves you and every other promise in the scripture is unattainable without faith the scripture lets us know the importance of having the shield of faith as it is underlined above all you got all these weapons to fight and win with but above all if you lose the shield of faith none of the weapons will work if you begin to let fear take over instead of faith if you drop your faith then the other things not mixed with faith are not productive the importance of having the shield everything we do in living for god is mixed with faith you can't please god without faith the bible says in hebrews without faith it is impossible to to please god that's a that's a remarkable verse faith is our confidence about all that god said he would do and if you lose that you lose your confidence in what he said he would do and what he said he would bring to pass then you're not walking in faith you have to get to that place that you can believe god over everything else when you have faith you can believe god over what the doctor says and thank god for doctors but you can believe god over man's final report and say but i have another report and you can believe god over what the judge says and thank god for our judicial system but i'm just telling you faith can move mountains faith can overcome anybody or anything statistics what they say what what graphs say faith can overcome all of that faith can overcome what you don't have faith is the substance of things hoped for this is what god's word says it's the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen and until you're operating in that realm that i can't see it yet but i believe for it then that is where god lives the bible said without faith you cannot please god in hebrews four and verse two it said the word preached didn't profit listen you can hear all the preaching you want to but it does not profit if it's not being mixed with faith you hear it faith cometh by hearing and when you hear it you mix your faith because he's given to every man a measure of faith and all it takes is a mustard seed of faith you don't have to have great faith if you can just ignite see the the the miracle is not dependent upon how big and great your and strong your faith is all you need is a mustard seed it's how big your god is and you have faith in how big he is not in how great your faith is i don't have to have a lot but i have faith that i am saved right now i have faith that i just believe that and it's settled it is it is an absolute peace in my soul that i'm ready to go to heaven should the trumpet sound or should i die while i'm preaching and i hope i don't but if i do i know where i'm going hallelujah and i.

[Pastor Aaron]

Do that by faith i know that.

[Jensen Franklin]

By faith you mean what do you mean once you get the faith behind it then you then you can feel that thing down in your soul the shield is as old as war itself it doesn't take fighting men long to discover that it's needed you have to have a defense against your enemies the meaning and need is still the same the shield is a defensive weapon the air and the land and the sea must have a shield of defense around their elements of war and their men and women of war the shield is the lasting emblem of war many groups identify with the strength and with the safety of the emblem of the shield the shield in bible times was so powerful that on one occasion david defeated twenty two thousand philistines and he ordered that their shields be gathered and he took them back and he put them up on the walls of jerusalem to let israel know that that or to let his enemies know let the philistines that were still spying looking down he said i want you to know that your defense is not strong enough to handle what the name that we have and the victory that we have through that name when you see that and you understand that the shield was designed to ward off attacks of the enemy it is a chief means of protection against the onslaught of the enemy in history there was a group of fighters in greece called the spartans they were natives of a city called sparta and it's one of the only cities in ancient days that did not build walls around their city they said the reason we don't need walls is because our men are the walls of safety and protection around our families and around our cities these spartans were notorious for fighting they were fearless they were skilled in warfare it was part of their very culture inbred in them to raise up young men that would become warriors as a matter of fact in those times when a child was born remember they were not christians they were pagans they were they worshiped idols and the greek gods so their their morality was not what we would have today but i want you to understand the whole very culture this is one of the facts when a male child was born in sparta greece it if it was a sickly child it was taken to the heels to die because they deemed it if it's unfit for war it's unfit for life this was the mentality of the men and the women that were in this place called sparta when a male child was born at the age of seven every male spartan was sent to military school they were taken from their father and their mother and and they were sent at the age of seven to be trained to be taught toughness to endure to be taught endurance of pain to be taught survival skills and honor and integrity and warfare and self defense they were taught to be warriors from the age of seven and for thirteen more years they would they would be trained and when they finally after thirteen years of rigorous training at the age of twenty a spartan would become a soldier the spartan soldiers spent all of their time with their fellow soldiers they were not allowed to go home they were not allowed to hang out with just anybody they only were allowed to have fellowship and time spent with fellow soldiers they did not go home they ate with them they lived with them they did life with them until they reached the age of twenty and they knew each other they grew up together they fought in the same units they put them in units early they knew each other's thoughts they were like a team they were like a unit they were they had each other's back they were trained this way they knew the other's weakness they knew everything and it was an amazing feat that they could history records that they would accomplish at the age of twenty they would take the oath of loyalty and that oath of loyalty was something that they would declare as they were now old enough to go into their first battle of warfare they came they came there came the day when the spartan soldier at the age of twenty would take this oath of loyalty and it went like this i shall not disgrace my sacred weapons nor shall i desert my comrades by my side whenever i stand in rank i shall stand and fight till death for sacred things these young men at the age of twenty would declare that oath of loyalty from the age of seven to sixty these spartan military men and the military ruled their lives from seven to sixty they were not like the athenians in greece who were into politics and luxury these men grew up in a different culture they did not value the same things the world around them valued they valued one thing are you a warrior are you a fighter i want to read this other scripture from first corinthians sixteen because it's so important if you're going to have the shield of faith obviously i'm building a case and i'm going somewhere but i want you to listen to this verse it says to men be watchful stand firm in the faith act like men and be strong this was the culture in sparta that the young men would come up and they would act like men and they would be strong in warfare now i'm talking about spiritual warfare but they're i'm but they were trained in physical warfare but there is a great parallel that i believe is worth looking at and while the others in athens may have been concerned about luxury and power and politics and all of that they had one thing in the culture of sparta your success was not based upon the things you owned or this or that or the power that you had or the clothes that you wore they could care less they all wore the same uniforms all they cared about and all they respected in that culture was was men who would fight for their families fight for their children fight for their cities fight for their farms fight for their harvest they would stop any enemy that would come against them they were they refused to build physical walls because they said our men are so strong you don't have to worry about intruders encroaching and stealing our things because we have men who stand up and who know how to defend their families and all that we have and possess when they turned sixty they were allowed to carry the shield home but the shield carried home meant i still am a lifetime member of the spartan army on the day that the twenty year old made that loyalty pledge and then he was about to go into warfare and fight on his first bloody battlefield the mothers of the young boys would talk to the son and she would be given by the commanders the shield sometimes that had been passed down in the family for generations and she would go over to her son it wasn't just men acting like men but we're talking about sparta mamas spartan mamas we're not talking about helicopter mamas that my poor little baby no no no no no she would walk over with the shield and she would say to the son that was there at the age of twenty these words prior to him going into the battle either bring this shield back or be brought back on this shield how they brought their slain back from the battlefield is they would lay them on a shield because they never were to give up that shield they were never to lay down that shield it's not a toy you bring it back on your arm or you don't come back and this is their mother talking to them you don't turn your back on your enemy you don't run and flee in fear you are a man act like a man stand up and provide for your family like a man fight for your family fight for your.

[Pastor Aaron]

Marriage take care of your children be.

[Jensen Franklin]

A man and the mother is saying.

[Pastor Aaron]

You either lay down you either die.

[Jensen Franklin]

Defending this shield or you come back laying on this shield nothing else is acceptable i think that's how we ought to be about our faith and about.

[Pastor Aaron]

Passing on to a new generation the faith but also in the natural we need we we need to quit rescuing.

[Jensen Franklin]

Our children and giving them participation trophies.

[Pastor Aaron]

On every blessing we need to get a little toughness in them to stand up to life if you don't life will run over you and leave you at some point we need you to act like a man if you're a boy you need to act like a.

[Jensen Franklin]

The shield kept was to be kept keep the last charge of the mother.

[Pastor Aaron]

Was keep the honor of the shield.

[Jensen Franklin]

This is passed down this is powerful don't take warfare lightly don't disgrace the shield don't dishonor the shield don't run from a fight if you got a fight and you cease one of your spartan women under attack or someone doing something you are a man stand up what a disgrace it was to come back and i was reading some of this stuff and i'm like man that's cold but they considered it a disgrace to come back wounded on a wagon if you came back wounded you were to come back wounded on a shield only you you may have went down you may have lost one of your arms but the one you got still clinging to the shield and they may have to carry you back but they're going to carry you back on the shield and and you might not have won the fight but they're going to know they were in a fight you won't win every fight but sometimes you just got to stand up and fight and say nobody's going to bully me.

[Pastor Aaron]

Devil i i'll fight you until i.

[Jensen Franklin]

Don'T have anything like the little boy that was in the closet that his father put him in the closet because he was misbehaving i don't recommend that but that's what he did and he came back about two minutes later and opened the door and the boy was just standing there and straining the swallow and he said what are you doing he said i spit on your coat i spit on mama's coat i spit on everything in here and i'm just.

[Pastor Aaron]

Waiting on some more spit i wish.

[Jensen Franklin]

We'D get that way with the devil.

[Pastor Aaron]

I'M going to spit on you i'm going to spit on everything you're trying to do i am not a wimp i'm going to stand up and fight and listen life is not easy and when it comes at you you don't.

[Jensen Franklin]

Flee you stand and you fight this was your father's shield he defended it until death preserve it or perish that's how we've got to get about this faith we're not serious about passing on the shield of faith to our children.

[Podcast Host]

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[Sponsor Representative]

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[Jensen Franklin]

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[Jensen Franklin]

Hello i'm jensen franklin and i want to welcome you to real america's voice there's something that's going to happen i believe as you watch this program lean in listen and let's see what god can do in your life we act like it's some kind of option we act like it's just something that we hope takes i hope i hope he takes it i hope bless their little heart i hope they take it up no no this our culture needs to change in the church this is everything this is.

[Pastor Aaron]

All that matters this is how we judge success are you still have you been to university it's great i'm glad.

[Jensen Franklin]

You went but are you still holding on to the shield of faith do.

[Pastor Aaron]

You still believe in the beginning god created the heavens and the earth do you still believe that there is no.

[Jensen Franklin]

Other name whereby men can be saved.

[Pastor Aaron]

Education can't save you money can't save you good works can't save you the catholic church can't save you the pope can't save you there's only one savior and he is jesus and jesus only and jesus alone carry your father's shield.

[Jensen Franklin]

With honor your shield is to be cherished it is to be polished it is to be defended it is to be something that is very very much a part of your life you're a hero according to how you treat the shield that was in the spartan culture you might be on the battlefield but if you somehow in an emergency situation drop your shield and you run and you recognize you left that shield you had committed the worst thing possible and you would not be allowed to enter back into the army again the future of our people depends on us honoring and protecting the shield what means more than anything is to maintain the honor of the shield of faith in our families if we're not careful we'll turn our eyes away to the glitzy spoils of war oh my look at there there's a there's a there's a great bag of gold there's this and that's what's happening in our culture because more and more the the younger generation is not picking up the shield of faith because their values are different but there needs to be a value in this book like never before the only thing that you can give your family that really matters is the shield of faith honor it honor it god help us to value the importance of the shield of faith get your eyes off the glitter get your eyes off the gold sitting in church is a valuable thing i'm polishing my shield prayer is a powerful thing when you pray every day you're polishing and protecting and valuing the.

[Pastor Aaron]

Shield of faith when you read this book when you teach it to your children when you correct them and tell them what the scripture says when you tell them bible stories when you huddle.

[Jensen Franklin]

Them together and lay your hands on.

[Pastor Aaron]

Them when you turn music on in the car and they hear you worshiping when you're cooking and you're listening and tears are going down your face or when you're working in the back with your kids or sitting in a deer stand and every once in a while you take advantage of that moment and you say to that son son jesus means everything to me have i ever told you how he saved me have i ever told you how lost i was have i ever told you how we didn't have nothing and god blessed us and he gave us everything we have son i need to tell you that's what defending the shield is and you got to make sure you're passing.

[Jensen Franklin]

It to a new generation hallelujah the spoils of battle are not the sign of greatness greatness is not how much.

[Pastor Aaron]

Money you can make but in the spartan culture it was are you a warrior are you fighting for your family are you fighting for their salvation are you fighting in prayer and fasting in.

[Jensen Franklin]

Seeking god it's the shield of faith we must have it to give it to our children and our children's children honor the shield of faith you see when our kids get it they'll only get it just like we got it i was thinking about this and how that my mother sitting on the second row and father created such a wonderful home i have no memories of things being thrown just me and my brothers but but but but no memories of cursing no memories of cussing out no no memories of none of fussing and fighting and throwing and ranting and raving none and some of the most memorable moments of my childhood is when me and my brothers and sisters would play church.

[Podcast Host]

Season two of unrivaled basketball is here and the talent is unreal the best women's players on the planet are running it back with even bigger moments and bigger stakes don't miss as paige becker snafeeza collier kelsey plumb brianna stewart and more take the court and redefine the game this isn't your regular season this is unrivaled where the pace is faster the energy is higher and every athlete shines unrivaled basketball season season two sponsored by samsung galaxy tips off january fifth on tnt trutv and hbo max.

[Sponsor Representative]

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[Podcast Host]

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[Jensen Franklin]

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[Jensen Franklin]

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[Podcast Host]

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[Pastor Aaron]

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[Pastor Aaron]

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[Pastor Aaron]

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[Pastor Aaron]

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[Jensen Franklin]

Hello i'm jensen franklin and i want to welcome you to real america voiced if you'll give me the next few moments and listen you're going to have the opportunity i believe to have a moment that can change your life they created such an environment in our home that our baby their babies wanted to play church and one would get to be the choir leader and soloist and one would get to be the preacher and one would get to be the center that was usually my brother dole because he was one amen and and and but i can remember before god almighty and my my siblings can can confirm what i'm telling you we would have times where we'd start singing and we could sing all of us could sing and we we would sing and get to singing and pretending like and we did here we'd take a the old clothes racks you know you take the white part that you fold your pants over and that would become a microphone whatever we became very we didn't have all this stuff we didn't have all that we we were poor but we didn't know it and we were.

[Pastor Aaron]

Happy and we had jesus.

[Jensen Franklin]

And we would we would one would play the drums they would set up shoeboxes and you played the drums on the drums we'd have a fake piano that was the ironing board was the organ and we just were pretending and we were worshiping jesus but i can remember there were times where the presence of the lord would come and we'd all get to crying and get to praising the lord that's passing the shield my daddy was a spartan my daddy was a holy ghost preacher and he was a spartan he didn't do it for money in the eyes world in the eyes of the world he would be considered unimportant he didn't have fancy stuff he didn't even have much to give us i'm going to tell you something he had a shield of faith he sure taught me about the love of god the prayers of god how to pray how to preach wrote me my first sermon on an envelope hallelujah i'm a.

[Pastor Aaron]

Spartan you got a spartan for a pastor hallelujah that's why i get up and i preach stuff that seems out of date cause i'm a spartan and i don't judge my pastoring by what the world says i don't care what the universal church thinks i don't care if i don't get invited to certain cliques and clans i just want to hear him say well done i just want to know i stood on what this book says is right why do you get involved why do you stand for israel cause i'm a spartan hallelujah and the bible stands for israel why do you stand for marriage between a man and a woman cause the bible stands for it why do you talk about abortion as wrong because the bible says it's wrong why why pastor can't you just shut up and preach a nice message cause we're called to be spartans.

[Jensen Franklin]

In jesus name spiritual spartans maintain and protect the shield of worship i don't care who comes to this church we don't change our worship for anybody.

[Pastor Aaron]

You'Re welcome but you do not control the menu we're going to preach this is the menu right here john three sixteen is the menu and you're not going to come in here and change the menu we'll fight for this.

[Sponsor Representative]

And.

[Pastor Aaron]

If we don't get some men who start acting like men in their homes and in their families i just feel like telling you act like a man if you're going to sleep with her you should marry her and do it get married and sleep with her don't give her a condom give give her a ring and be a man be a man be a man a man provides a man protects a man stands there when everything's ugly he doesn't cut.

[Jensen Franklin]

And run i don't know where this.

[Pastor Aaron]

Is coming from but we need men we need men to act like men quit being a whiny girly man.

[Podcast Host]

If.

[Pastor Aaron]

You have to you work two jobs if you have to you work three jobs whatever it takes to take care of my family that's what i'm going to do that's the culture i was.

[Jensen Franklin]

Raised in.

[Pastor Aaron]

My daddy to stay in.

[Jensen Franklin]

Ministry sold cars if you pulled up to the church he would have two or three he'd go to the car sale every monday night and he'd have for sale for sale so that he'd have a salary to feed his family he always kept a car for sale truck sometimes he'd get hot rod trucks take me to school in them and i was so embarrassed and i would say let me off a block away i'm not pulling up in this thing oh it'll do good i'll sell it make five hundred dollars he did that stay in the ministry you know i thought about the young men and women in this ministry i'm proud of i'm proud of young men and women who still want to be in the ministry you're not we're not second class because we chose not to go into business because we chose not to go into some field that is highly respected oh you're just a pastor i mean you can feel it you get on an airplane i can be i can have people they'll treat me with respect the moment they find out that i'm a preacher if i tell them i usually don't i use i do have two options i can say pastor i can say i'm a musician and i size them up and decide which one according to how i want to feel the.

[Pastor Aaron]

Vibe you can feel the vibe.

[Jensen Franklin]

Maybe you know what i'm talking about but i just want to say that i admire the young men and women who want to be in ministry and maintain the honor of the shield i thought about i thought about rucker kendra he's a spartan when this service is over he'll pick up his shield he'll go into the prisons metro entry haystate whitworth correctional he's a spartan do you know where he got that faith from to go into those prisons every week that's him you know where he got that faith from he had a grandmother humphrey sister humphreys you know when i first came to free chapel on on brownsbridge road they would collect the offering the ushers would take the offering in little bags and they and by the way all of you who here say oh cherokee's about his money we don't even take an offer we haven't taken an offering in four years three years when did covet start five year old we have not passed a bag in five years except in special services for a guest speaker or something so we're not about the money i'm a spartan i'm not for sale i'd rather have jesus but he'll suit up rucker humphreys his grandmother was humphreys and she used to sit on the back row of that church and she was the church clerk i guess is what they called it and she would count the money and trust me she could count it in the introduction amen of my sermon while i was preaching she would sit back there and i would hear and it was a lot of dimes nickels and pennies but she was counting the money but think about that old prayer warrior she's still alive she watches on line every sunday and so now she's got a grandson that gets up and he's got the shield of faith what are you passing on we better get a burden for our children better get along and to see our grandchildren hear so much about jesus around the tables in the family that they want to go off and play church hello i'm jensen franklin and i want to welcome you to real america's voice maybe you've been going through some things and you've had moments that have discouraged you or maybe you just feel like you've messed up and you can't recover this message is for you i believe it's going to speak to you this very moment are we passing the shield of faith to a new generation are we raising up spiritual spartans who put on the whole armor of god do you ever hear your kids singing in the shower to jesus do you ever hear them pray do you ever have service sometimes and get a burden and when you start to tell them a story this used.

[Pastor Aaron]

To happen to me when i had.

[Jensen Franklin]

My kids every once in a while we would have quick devotions most of the time but every once in a.

[Pastor Aaron]

While i'd get to telling a little.

[Jensen Franklin]

Story or something as i had the little family huddled together and the spirit.

[Pastor Aaron]

Of god would come.

[Jensen Franklin]

It ought to be happening in our homes again so i'm going to ask you to stand to your feet all over this building and only cowards are going to run for the door spartans won't do it i want every man in this house i want every man in this house who wants to be a spiritual spartan who wants god to make you into the man you know you're called to be i want them to throw that verse back up in first corinthians sixteen be watchful don't fall asleep don't get lackadaisical stand firm in the faith listen to that that doesn't sound like weakness does it that doesn't sound like wishy washy does it be watchful taking care i'm the wall to my i'm the husband the house band is where that.

[Pastor Aaron]

Comes from like a rubber band i'm the house band that holds the whole family together what do you mean you're too busy to pray you're the house band you hold it together act like a man what what money glitter has taken you off of the real real.

[Jensen Franklin]

Thing that god expects of you hold firm the shield of faith above all and act like men be strong i want every man who wants that you may not be that but you want that you're not the man you ought to be and god's calling you to spiritual manhood this morning you may be.

[Pastor Aaron]

A teenager but he's calling you to spiritual manhood this morning you may be seventy years old and you've never all you've done is for you and me and mine.

[Jensen Franklin]

But today the lord's calling you act like a man.

[Pastor Aaron]

Don'T listen.

[Jensen Franklin]

To what the world says a man.

[Pastor Aaron]

Is it's not how many women you can sleep with it's not how many trophies you have on the wall it's all about who is on the as for me and my house we will serve the lord that's a man a man that's faithful to his wife life a man that's that's pure a man that that that his word is his.

[Jensen Franklin]

Integrity i want to call the men today i'm it's not going to take long but i want every man who wants to be a spiritual spartan to get out of your seat and come forward right where you are bring your son if you're with him or your sons bring the young kid if you've got him if he's not in kit pack come on come on come on come on anybody can get drunk anybody can go get high it takes a man to live for jesus i'm a.

[Pastor Aaron]

Spartan i still believe i still believe i have no business drinking i still believe i have no business flirting i still believe i have no business in certain situations i just don't need to put myself i'm a spartan i know.

[Jensen Franklin]

I'M old fashioned but i'm a spartan and you're looking at a older man you're a younger man and i'm telling you i'm telling you the truth i'm looking you face to face and i'm telling you the lie the world is lying to you the world is telling you that that you know just live for yourself you young men need to get married you need to fall in love you need to quit dating around because when you date around you sleep around i just i just didn't date i i had a chance to date some pretty women but i didn't date them i knew i knew that that's not that won't make a preacher's wife right there i had a purpose i had a vision and if she didn't.

[Pastor Aaron]

Help me with that vision i didn't need her i had she's my helpmate you can't have a helpmate if you don't get up and get doing something.

[Jensen Franklin]

That you need help with wow somebody write that one down that was good.

[Pastor Aaron]

Why would god give you a helpmate.

[Jensen Franklin]

I want my woman well you ain't.

[Pastor Aaron]

Doing nothing.

[Jensen Franklin]

You start doing adam had to cultivate this this is before the curse he had to cultivate the garden.

[Pastor Aaron]

He had to make the garden productive he had to get up and cultivate.

[Jensen Franklin]

The garden of eden he had to take care of it then god sent him help me i i commission you men to be mighty men of god i want you to throw that verse up one more time and i want us to say it out loud i want every man in this place to sound like an old lion that's growling i want you to say it i want you to say it like like like it needs to be said ready say it be watchful stand firm in the faith act like men be strong.

[Pastor Aaron]

Hallelujah now throw your hands up.

[Jensen Franklin]

Come.

[Pastor Aaron]

On when you're praising you're polishing the shield when you're repenting you're polishing the shield when you're consecrating your life your body your mind you're polishing the shield when you're having a made up mind about your marriage and about your future about your kids then then i'm going to tell you something you're carrying the shield and you're transferring the shield what are you transferring to your children live a life that glorifies jesus live a life that brings glory to his name live a life that your children can see jesus in you live a life so that when you die i'm gonna die on my shield hallelujah he didn't mess up at the end of his life he did it right he loved god he loved his family he loved his wife he loved his children and his grandchildren he loved his church that's all that know matters maintain and preserve.

[Jensen Franklin]

Now i want you i want you to put your hand on your heart and i want everybody in this room to do it i want all of you mothers out there to say god make me a sparta mother give me the courage to teach my children how critical faith is you either die on the shield or you come back with a shield on your arm i will not i will not raise inferior spartans in my house and i promise you it'll be warfare to get them where they're supposed to get but i see it in every one of mine now i've turned a corner we have sharice and i and we're seeing it in every one of them the spiritual spartan is coming out little by little the grip is getting tighter and tighter and tighter everybody say this i will not by the grace of god be an inferior spartan i will not lay down i'll stand up i will not forsake my family i will not be less than what god's called me to be a mighty man of god say this i will not come on women of.

[Pastor Aaron]

God say this too i will not raise inferior spartan children and grandchildren they will know the value the honor of the shield of faith they will cling to it they will not drop it because their friends and the pressure of the world made them drop it if they will come i will die say that i will die on my shield of faith and hear him say well.

[Jensen Franklin]

Done thou good and faithful servant spartan raise your hand receive this word today.

[Pastor Aaron]

Do you receive it.

[Jensen Franklin]

Sometimes you have to tough love your your kids tough love not cause i'm mad at you cause i love you too much to lie to you and see you go down the road i can't support that that's the hardest thing a parent will do well i feel the lord in this place god is speaking in this realm this is serious stuff this is generations it's time to get it together if that sixty year old spartan retired and took his shield home if war broke out guess what he had to re enlist and if he was seventy eighty is you never outgrow warfare you jump right back in and if you can't do you can cook the meals you can do something for the young lines pastor aaron would you come up he's a spartan this guy was this guy was a scout and he was working for the university of southern california basketball team.

[Podcast Host]

This is an iheart podcast guaranteed human.