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The 1000 Hours Outside podcast. My name is Jenny Urch. I'm the founder of 1000 Hours Outside, and I have an incredibly accomplished guest today, Tim Timberlake. Welcome.
A
I don't know if I would say accomplished, Jenny, but I am incredibly humbled to be on the Thousand Hours podcast. Thank you for having me on.
B
Okay, well, I would say accomplished because you've written three books. I've got the third one here that just came out recently. And also you're a senior pastor, and also the church has 17 locations. And also you're a speaker and a thought. Also you have a podcast. You graduated from School of Ministry in Detroit, which was where we're from. We're from Michigan, so. And you're a big sports fan. I mean, you have a lot going on, so it's an honor to get a chance to talk with you. The book that just came out is called the Bumpy Road to Better Unlocking the Hidden Power and Hard Things. And it's such a good book you go through. Is it like 22 hard things? And I was like, yeah, there are all these hard things that you have to deal with in life. Give us a little bit of your backstory.
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Yeah. So a lot of times when authors write a book, they write it from the perspective of these are the things that I have overcome and have learned from these things, or these are the challenges that I faced some time ago. And these are the wisdom tools and kind of the knowledge and information I've learned from it. I wanted to take a different approach with this book and really write from the middle of a season of pain and, and hardship and difficulty that I'm in right now. And so it is a real time journal of how really God is walking with me hand in hand through a very difficult season. And I believe, you know, for our listeners, if we're being honest with oursel, it's not the one thing that really throws us off of our trotted and, and, and mapped out journey. It's the compounding of one thing after another that kind of stops us in our Tracks. And we begin to question and wonder, okay, is it something I'm doing? Is it something that someone else is doing to me? What in the world is kind of going on? And I've just learned, kind of going through this process and kind of navigating and stewarding this pain. Well, oftentimes we don't get disappointed by what happens to us. We get disappointed by what we expect it not to happen to us. And so my prayer is for those that read this book and go on this journey of discovering the bumpy road to better. We understand that even in the middle of hardship, even in the middle of hard seasons, even in the middle of pain, there's still the end result, which is better than what we are currently facing right now. And so that's really kind of the heart behind it. I've had so many bumps, I've had so many heartbreaks, I've had so many hardships that I just kind of wanted to write and remind myself and the readers of a couple of things. The faithfulness of God and how resilient the human spirit is when we depend on someone that's stronger, that's mightier, that's more capable than we are. And for me, that someone is Jesus.
B
Yeah, it's really powerful. It reminds me of, like, this bumpy road. It reminds me of those verses that talk about straight paths, like, trust in the Lord and He will. He will make your path straight. Right. Lean not on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge him and. And he will, you know, he straightens out these paths. But what's interesting that you talked about in the book is that, you know, when we consider a straight path, it might be straight, but it's not smooth.
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That's right.
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And I never really thought about that. I actually really thought about it when you were talking about the. This temple, the steps to this temple, and you were talking about how they created it so that the steps were not even so that you would have to slow down up to the Temple Mount. You wrote they purposely made the steps so that they weren't uniform and that you have to slow down and be intentional and pay attention and be present as they approach God.
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That's right.
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And so it really made me think about the book in general that, well, yes, God may straighten your path out, but still you have to pay attention.
A
That's right. And as it specifically pertains to those steps, they are uneven, so that each. Each step is an intentional step where you're watching where your foot is being placed. And I think in life, sometimes we get so used to the rhythm and routine that we are not aware of where we are. And we have something that I have defined as destination addiction. And destination addiction is whenever we think to ourselves, I'll be happier when I get there. I'll be happier when I get married. I'll be happier when I have kids. I'll be happier when I get paid more. My. I'll be happier when I do these things. Get the house, get a brand new car. I'll be happier when I get there. And the reality is, is you won't be happier there until you find joy and happiness right where you are. And even in pain, even in hardship, joy does not mean there's an absence of pain and difficulty. Joy means that regardless of what's happening around me, I know who's at work on the inside of me. And so when I think about those steps and the intentionality, it keeps me grounded, hyper aware of where I am right here, right now. And sometimes it's not until somebody reminds us of it that we become hyper aware again. And the best example for me is when I go into someone's house and they're cooking, and immediately I'm hit with the aroma of whatever it is that they are preparing. And then after being in that environment for a while, I lose the sensitivity of smelling what they are preparing because I've become familiar with that smell. And it's not until someone says something about what they're cooking or about what I'm smelling that I then become hyper aware of what I originally smell. Or what about when you go into a hotel or maybe you go into your favorite shopping store and they're playing music, and that music begins to get quieter and quieter the longer you stay in that particular place, until someone points out to you, hey, what is that song? And then you become hyper aware again about what you're listening listening to. My desire is that our faith would be just this presence that we are hyper aware about. It's enduring power, it's sustaining power that gets us from where we are to where we need to be. And sometimes it just takes friendly reminders like this that, that remind you. No, you are an overcomer. Look at all the things that you've been through that you've overcome. Look at all the trials you've endured. And you, you came out on the other side. And so if you had the strength, with the help of Jesus to do those things, then he surely will give you strength in this season that you may be facing right now.
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It's so encouraging. And it's really good advice. We talking just about slowing down, calming down, paying attention. That awareness is half the battle. And I really like that visual of. Of walking up the steps, you know, to. You're like pursuing the presence of God and you have to pay attention to every step that you take. And it's the same thing outside. You got to pay attention. That's how God made the world. He made the world be this place where you have to kind of pay attention to where your feet go. And you talked about. Because you're a sports guy, and I'm not a sports girl, but I did coach 10U basketball for girls for one season, and I had never even played Tim. I never even played. But they needed a coach for the team.
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I love it.
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And it was. I went out onto the court on. And I wasn't supposed to. I mean, like the first game, my husband was like, stop, stop. You're not supposed to go out there during the game. So anyway, the girls did win a few, and they got better as it went along. But one of the things that I do remember doing is just like the. Slow down, slow down. So you talk about that in sports. It's like, man, you get this, you know, you steal the ball. I guess that would be what it was called. And you would steal the ball. And then, you know, and it just. It gets so fast all of a sudden, like everything is just herky jerky. So you talked about slowing down in. In relating it to sports as well.
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It's so important, you know, using sports as an analogy. And for our listeners that may not follow sports or be sports, it's an easy concept to break down, and I'll break it down to the best of my ability. But there's something called a pivot. And a pivot, it allows us to make three decisions if we're playing basketball. The first decision we can make is whether we're going to dribble. The second decision we can make is whether we're going to pass. The third decision we can make is whether we're going to shoot the ball. And so this pivot, it is a sports stance that helps us make decisions. And it's the same thing in life. Sometimes we have to slow down and we have to work the pivot because things don't always go according to how we anticipate it and expected it to, but things will always go according to the plan and the purpose of God. And so there's a verse that I lean on whenever things are busy and whenever Things are fast. And whenever things seem chaotic and just not going the way I anticipated and thought. And it's found in Jeremiah, it says, for I know the plans I have for you, saith the Lord, Those plans are good and not evil. And I have to remind myself of that because life at certain point seems evil. The world seems very messy and chaotic. And I have to remind myself to slow down, take a deep breath, ask God, what is the plan and the purpose you have for me while I am going through this? And then be patient enough to listen to his voice and then apply what he says. You know, I've learned that there's a difference between being busy and being productive.
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Yeah.
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Because you're busy, it does not mean that you are being productive. And it's not until you slow down long enough to see what you're actually producing. And so if you find yourself in this moment, in this season, and you are more tired than you have fruit to show for it, you're busy, but you're not productive. If you find yourself maybe on the fringes of fatigue, but there is some fruit there, then you are being productive. You just have to steward your day and your time a little bit differently than you do. And so when I slow down and when I take moments to pause, it allows me to lift up my eyes to see what God is actually doing and realign myself with this plan and purpose for my life and move at something that I don't think we utilize enough. It's called Godspeed. And what I've learned about my personal life is that my destiny, my future, it moves towards me at the speed of my. My obedience. And I can always tell when I'm obedient and when I'm moving at God speed, because there's no striving, there's no stressing. It's only receiving and embracing. And so I think for our listeners, if we could practice that, then it will change the trajectory of our day, and as a result, our week and month and eventually our lives.
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So this is a lot of encouragement for if you're in a hard change. So you're talking about pivoting. So 22 hard things. These are things like hard compromises, hard consequences, hard delays, hard healing, hard losses. There's 22 of them. And when you talk about pivot, you actually talked about Jerry West. Okay? So I asked my husband, Tim. I was like, ever heard of Jerry West? He was like, yeah. And I never considered that the NBA, the silhouette of the guy. You know, I think most people can think of the Silhouette of the guy for the NBA logo. I was like, oh, it's actually a person. Yeah, it actually represents someone. But I, I loved his story that he was a player and then he went on to coach and. Is that right? He went on coach and then he went on to manage of the Lakers. You and you said this. Everywhere he went, he added value and left a mark.
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That's right.
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His greatest influence came after his playing days ended. He had a 60 year basketball career. His life illustrates the power of the pivot both on and off the court. Have you had pivots?
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I've had many pivots. I've had painful pivots. I've had good pivots. I think the best pivots though, and the most rewarding pivots are when it seems impossible and God gives you a glimpse of what is possible when you pivot with him. And so we have the latest Pivots was even with this book and the book before this one. The title for my former book before this one came out, the Art of Overcoming was entitled the Funeral. And the publishing company came back to me and said, we don't like it. You know, our primary audience is women and women won't like this book. And so I had to pivot from that and I had to take the message and curtail it and change it. And really, if I'm operating in pride or ego or, or any, anything that is selfish to me, then I limit my ability to reach the people that God desires for me to reach. And so anytime we can't pivot, we get stuck. And anytime we get stuck, we are in a place longer than we should be and it will cost us more than we have to spend. And so we have two options. Either we pivot or either we get stuck and we stay longer than we're supposed to, we pay more than we have to pay, and we lose opportunities that we wouldn't necessarily have to lose if we didn't make that pivot. And so some pivots are hard and they are difficult and inconvenient and they are costly. But at the end of it, they are always worth it. Because you step into a greater level of understanding your ability and then your lack of ability. Because all strength, all power does not lie in you, it lies in God.
B
It's really encouraging, really encouraging. You say pivoting should create space, which, that's what it does, right? Gets you away from the opponent.
A
That's right.
B
You talk about going for a walk, getting your feelings under control, and you talk about biblical characters that pivoted like Joseph. Joseph pivoted more than Jerry west. So just such beautiful encouragement. Never stop believing that opportunities will open up, come and better days will come. The new year always feels like a reset for me. Not just for schedules and routines, but for our home too. I want our space to feel calm, functional and ready for the season ahead. Essentially the opposite of what it feels like over the holidays with a stream of parties and gatherings, family visits that are fun and meaningful but also add to the craziness. And honestly, Wayfair makes that so easy. If you're refreshing bedding, upgrading towels, organizing kids rooms or finally tackling storage, Wayfair really does have everything in one place. I love being able to shop for practical things like mattresses, bathroom, kitchen essentials and add in those finishing touches that make a home feel cared for. This season I'm focusing on simple, cozy updates. We are refreshing bedding and adding a few accent pillows and mirrors to our living space. Nothing over the top, just pieces that feel warm, lived in and inviting. I was honestly surprised by how many styles and price points there were. It made it easy to stay on budget without sacrificing quality or style. And I love how convenient it is to find everything from kids room updates to work, from home setup to storage solutions for all the outdoor gear that somehow always piles up up, get organized, refreshed and back on track this new year. For way less, head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. That's W A Y-F-A-I-R.com Wayfair Every style, every Home January always feels like a fresh start in our homeschool. It's that reset moment after the holidays where you're refining what worked, letting go of what didn't, and finding your rhythm again. Oh, and also you actually know what day it is again, as opposed to being in that holiday induced fog where time and space seem to just meld into nothing and everything all at once. One thing we've learned learned over the years is how important it is to meet each child exactly where they are. That's why IXL fits so naturally into our homeschool life. It adapts to each learner so one child can review last year's skills while another jumps ahead without pressure, comparison or busy work. I love how effortless it is as a parent. Everything is organized by grade and by topic, so I'm not digging through resources or reinventing the wheel. And the real time feedback is huge. Kids learn from mistakes immediately and the progress reports give clarity and confidence as a guide. 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Quince.com outside so that's just one of the 22 changes and hard things that you maybe are dealing with. This is in the Bumpy Road to Better the other book you said, Art of Overcoming. And then there's another book, the power of 1440. So really talking about how we're using our time. And then you have your own podcast called Street Preachers. So lots of things to find. Plus 17 church campuses find you all over the place. Well, one of the ones that really stuck out to me, and I think will pertain well to this audience, is you talk about hard beginnings, and this is a. A day and age where things are changing a lot. Also. We're trying to do things a little counterculture and get our kids outside instead of being on screens. And so sometimes you gotta make a big change, and you've got to start something new in your family. We're gonna be doing less screen time. We're gonna be taking a screen sa. You know, we're going to be getting rid of the television. We're going to ditch the video games for a little while. We're going to try something new. And you had this verse in here that I have never thought about. I read it. But, you know, you're talking about not despising small beginnings, which people talk about. Right. Don't over. Don't. You know, don't despise the small beginnings. That's an actual verse in Zachariah. But then you talk about don't. So don't underestimate the power of the first step. But I think this is really powerful. I've never heard anybody talk about this. Don't overestimate the first step either. And here's the verse from Ecclesiastes. Whoever watches the wind will not plant. Whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
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That's right.
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Oh, it's so true. I mean, how often are we, like, not going to do it? It's. The conditions are not right.
A
Right. And we wait and we wait and we wait, and we're like, okay, I'm gonna wait on God. I'm gonna wait on God. When in fact, God is waiting on us most times. And I think we. We all wrestle with some level of perfectionism. Awesome. I want the conditions to be perfect. I want this to be perfect. I want this to be better. And the reality is, if we don't start now, when in the world will we start? So to that mother that's been wanting to start that side hustle, that side business. Start it. To the person that's been trying to wait for the right time to start that entrepreneurial endeavor. Start it. Time is not promised. And life here on earth is not forever. We have a short window of time. There's another passage that's quoted often, and it teaches us that life is a vapor. It's here one moment, it's gone the next. And so with what we have, let us steward it well. And I have a personal motto. My motto is this, that I want to live full because I want to die empty. I want to live to the fullest I can here. I want to do as much as I can to help people connect, to hope, to connect, to fulfill fulfillment, to connect to Jesus. But when I die, I want to die empty. I don't want to die with a dream. I don't want to die with an idea. I don't want to die with the vision. I don't want to die with any of the goodness, the talents, the grace, the anointing, the giftings that God has placed in me. I don't want any of those things to go into the grave with me. I want them all to be deposited in the people that I have an opportunity to steward. And so I would say, man, live full. Be hyper aware where you are. Empty yourself into the people that are around you so that when you take your last breath, you die empty. And you know it's only acknowledged and really appreciate it when you look at how you begin. And that's why I encourage the reader. Don't despise small beginnings. The reason why it is impossible for you to honor what you despise. Everything starts small. Everything starts small. Some things take longer. And what they define and what we define, it's small may not be the same, but in their eyes, it's still small. I'll give you a great example of this. When we think about cats and dogs and cats and dogs giving birth, we stop and we marvel at puppies and kittens for a moment. Moment. You know, those are cute and man those I like that one over that one. I like the color of that one over that one. And we stop and we marvel for a moment. But the reality is, is dogs and cats, they have litters and some of them multiple times a year, multiple times a year. And so we see dogs everywhere. We see cats everywhere. And when we see a cat or a dog on the side of the road and we, we are driving, we keep driving. 7. I've been to Africa several times. I've seen an elephant pregnant. That elephant is pregnant for 18 months. And when that elephant gives birth, that elephant does not give birth to a puppy, it gives birth to an elephant. Because what she has carried has been costly, it has been time consuming so that that baby elephant could develop to the size that it should develop into. But to that mother elephant, that elephant is small compared to her. And so in context, what we define as big is always defined by small as the P to the person giving birth to it. So don't define as small something that God has placed on the inside of you, and don't despise it because of how it starts. Look at it. It, honor it. Marvel at the gift of God through it. Because to someone, that is an elephant and we have to stop, take time to thank God for allowing us to carry something so significant. And so the longer we carry it, the longer we're pregnant with it, the more we have to understand the greater and the larger that that thing will be once we push it out into the earth. And so don't despise small beginnings. There's a blessing there. There's promises there. There. There's so much that can benefit and bless you in that beginning. And it will develop. It will mature. It will grow in God's timing.
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Isn't it incredible how there's that object lesson of the seed? If you think about even just a watermelon seed and how small it is and how boring it is. It's so boring. You know, it does, like, little. It's like this big. You know, there's. It's not colorful. We planted this corn this year. Tim him. That's this corn. And it's all different colors. When you peel it back, it's like. Like purples and yellows and blues. It's stunning. My daughter was like, how did that get painted? You know, and it starts from one little seed. And so there's that physical representation of that and into the point. It's like if you. If you're always looking at the wind, if you're always being like, oh, you know, the weather, look at the clouds, and you don't put it into the ground. Nothing's going to happen. And so that's right.
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Right.
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Just a remarkable reminder to think about beginnings. Beginnings are hard. Beginnings are hard. And you. If, especially if you've pivoted now you have a beginning, you're having to start something different. So you say beginning something unfamiliar can feel vulnerable and overwhelming. So we simply don't start. We make excuses. We watch the wind. We busy ourselves with other things. We make tentative plans but never carry them out. We remain stuck, stuck, unsure where or how or when to start. But time is not slowing down. So we do not want to have unfulfilled dreams. And then you said this, and this is how it is with the seed once things get started. Oh, this is so true. They often take on a life of their own.
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That's right.
B
Off goes that plant that, you know, that watermelon plant or pumpkin plant. It's going everywhere. You can't stop it. We planted ours too close this year. And I was like. I planted some flowers. I was like, the flowers got overtaken.
A
Yes. Yeah.
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Because the pumpkin plant takes a life of its own.
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That's right. And if we leave it alone, it accomplishes its plan. I had a science project one time where I had to take the seed, I had to put it in a paper towel, wet the paper towel, and then leave it for a while. Right. And my mind could not process or fathom just leaving a seed and a paper towel and actually letting it grow. So I would open that paper towel, and every time I open that paper towel, the little root system that had started would begin to tear from the paper towel. And I would have to start the process all over again. A fresh seed, close the paper towel, wet the paper towel again, and just leave it. Two days later, I would see what that root system was doing, and it would kill the process. And it wasn't until I left it alone and gave it time that it actually began to do what it was created to do. And so sometimes we just have to leave it alone. Let God work his plan for this season that we're in so that the purpose of what is being planted can fulfill itself in our life and in God's time.
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Yeah. Yeah. You just gotta activate it. It's one. One small thing, and off it goes. So don't despise the small beginnings. And don't overestimate it either. Don't make it too complicated. More than it actually needs to be. Okay, let's talk about this. Sometimes kids listen in, too, Tim. So we got some kids listening in.
A
Yeah.
B
And I remember when I was a kid hearing at church the verse about, honor your father and mother.
A
Yeah.
B
Honor your father. And that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy a long life on the earth. And I remember as a kid, different times. I mean, you come up with different times in childhood where you are faced with a decision. You're old enough. You're old enough to know you're seven years old, you're nine years old. You're old enough to hit that crossroads and be like, I have an opportunity right now to honor what my parents have said or to not. And I feel like the consequences. It's like God makes those consequences really clear as a child so that you can know.
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Know.
B
You can know that, like, God's word is true, that these promises are true, and you have a foundation there to go off of. Right. So you. So you have this amazing story that is similar to that about wanting a lasso. So you're like, absolutely, Indiana Jones, I want a lasso. I asked for it for Christmas this year, next year, the next year. You finally get it. Tell us what happens.
A
So I finally get this lasso. And for those that are listening, that are unfamiliar with Indiana Jones, because I don't want to say soon that people know who I'm talking about or what I'm referencing as far as a lasso, But a lasso essentially, is a whip. And Indiana Jones had this whip, and he was famous for it. When you thought Indiana Jones, you thought this whip, you thought the hat, you thought the leather jacket. And so I just needed this as a kid, and I asked my parents, and they continued to tell me no. And it wasn't that they didn't want to get it for me. It's just that at that particular time, they were on a budget because they had a bunch of kids and they didn't have a lot of income, so they told me no. And then one time I asked them, and they didn't say anything. So I just kind of left it alone. And then for Christmas, they got it for me. But they gave me some rules. And the first rule was, don't hit your sisters with it, which was so disappointing because I wanted them to know who the boss was. Right. The second instruction they gave me was don't lasso it around a tree. Do not try to take this with and take it around a tree and then swing on it.
B
That's it. It's just two rules.
A
It is. It is. It is two rules. Super simple, you know? And you think about, man, this is the same story, right? In the Garden of Eden, they had access to everything. They could do anything they wanted to. God gave them one instruction, and they couldn't follow that instruction. That's for another time, though. Back to the last. So. So they leave the day after they give me this whip. And the first thing I do is I go s up a tree outside, and I find it, and I take that whip and I last it around. I give it a good tug to make sure that it's nice and tight and it can support me when I tug. I just feel confident, man, this is going to work out great. And so it's a big oak tree in our backyard. And for those that don't know an old oak tree, it can reach upward to 150ft. And this was a big one. And so I'm on a pretty tall branch. I lassoed the Whip on it. In my mind, I'm probably 8ft off of the ground. In reality, I'm probably 4ft off of the ground and I'm lassoing successfully through the air. And I get halfway down and I see a 2x4 with nail sticking out of it. And I look up at my lasso and my lasso is beginning to unravel. And I look back down at the ground and there's nothing I can do to avoid this two by four and the lasso unravels. I come down on the two by four and sure enough, a rusty nail goes right through my shoe, right through my foot and out of the top of my shoe. And my foot was stuck on the 2 by 4. No matter how hard I tried to pull the 2 by 4 and the nail out, I couldn't. And so I had to walk inside the house, nailed to a 2 by 4 and wait until my parents got back home. Now, I did this calm, wasn't crying, wasn't emotional. I was processing the discipline that was going to happen to me because of my disobedience. And so I. I could care less about the two by four and the nail on my foot. I'm just thinking about my father, who at the time was about six, five and a half, 275. He was a big guy and, you know, obedience was a priority value to him. And so I'm sitting in, in the living room, two by four nailed to my foot. They walk back inside, he looks down at me. It. First thing he says was, you lasso the whip around the tree, didn't you? I told him, yeah. And so he pulled the 2x4 in the nail, out he went and got a white athletic sock. He poured alcohol through the top of the hole, came out the bottom of my foot. He puts the white athletic sock on, wraps duct tape around it, sends me on my merry way. I couldn't watch TV for the rest of the month. I had to do a report every single day about the importance of obedience and following instructions. And it was a valuable life lesson. But one of the greatest lessons that I learned out of it is pain sometimes is the result of disobedience. And that was one of those moments I will never forget and have tried to make the right decisions based upon that wrong decision at the forefront of my mind is it.
B
It's good, it's good that God gives you those opportunities as children though, because, I mean, that is so direct, correlated. You're like, they told me not to do it. I did it. And it's not even just that it broke or that you just fell and hit the ground. It hurt.
A
I couldn't. I could not deny it.
B
You landed on a nail.
A
I could not deny my disobedience.
B
Right, okay. But this is important because you talk about how sometimes we have to have these situations that happen so that we know to change. Humans tend to need the discomfort of hard consequences to make needed adjustments. Some weeks I just don't have the time or the brain space for real meal planning. I want to eat healthier. I care about what we're putting in our bodies. But by dinner time, I am tired and overwhelmed. And that's where Hungry Root has been such a gift. Hungry Root is basically like having a personal nutrition coach and grocery shopper rolled into one. I told them what we like, what we don't like, and what my health goals are, and they planned everything for me. The recipes, of which there are over 50,000. The groceries, all of it. And the more we use it, the smarter it gets. Gets tailoring things even better to our tastes. I love that it makes healthy eating simple without overthinking it. Whether you're trying to eat cleaner, get more protein, or reduce inflammation, Hungry Root does the work for you without junk ingredients and with high quality meats and seafood. And if you're trying to stick with healthier habits past January, which aren't we all, this really helps make it doable right now. Take advantage of this exclusive offer for a limited time, get 40 off your first box. Plus get a free item in every box. Box for life. Go to hungryroot.com 1000hours and use code 1000hours. That's hungryroot.com 1000hours code 1000hours to get 40 off your first box and a free item of your choice for life. And I think it's really eye opening how you sort of preface this in this section, because then you go on to talk about this man who worked for Volkswagen. And. And it's like, if you don't learn that when you're young. So what did you learn? You're gonna have to lose your tv. You're gonna. It's gonna hurt. You have to write these reports. You learn that when you're young. If you don't and now you're older, this man, he loses his job. He cost the company $15 billion. I've never heard of this story. Can you tell people what happened?
A
Yeah. So there was an emission and regulation standard that was put in place for all car companies. And Volkswagen found a way to work around that. And the way that they did that was disconnect a piece of technology that was on all of their cars so that the emissions board and regulators would not process how much fumes was going into the environment and atmosphere. And they did this on thousands of cars. And when the admissions board found out, they gave them an opportunity to be truthful about it, and they did. And they ended up getting sued. And so many lawsuits, so many recalls, so many different things. It eventually cost them over $15 billion. And you know, I think more important than what it cost them in finances, it's what it cost them in reputation. And yeah, stock with the people, you know, because the court of public opinion is more costly than I think most people understand and assume. And so it cost him a lot more than just money. It cost him his job, but it also cost him his reputation. It cost him a lot of friends that were near and dear to him, all because of a decision to try. Try to save money on their part. And it ended up costing them $15 billion more than what they had planned on spending.
B
I mean, so much. It says There was a 15 billion dollar settlement and another 15 billion or so in fines, repairs and legal fees. And then the CEO resigned. So it was called Diesel Gate, the Diesel Gate scandal. And I actually hadn't heard of it. And I mean, in some ways you're like, that's kind of brilliant client. They. The device could detect if it was trying to test for emissions. And then it, you know, it would, I guess. Oh, it said it would immediately lower the emissions to pass the test.
A
That's right. It would alter the emissions.
B
Yeah, yeah. Once the test was over, it would just go right back up. So the emissions levels were 40 times more than their legal limit. And then they end up getting caught. So that reminds me of the part of the book where you talk about shortcuts. So one of the hards is hard work. It's hard work. And you've got some really good verses in here about hard work. All hard work brings a profit. I mean, what a. What a promise. What a promise, Tim. Like if you're in a spot where you need a profit and, you know, I mean, I think that's a huge promise. All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. So going back to the hard beginnings, you can't just talk about it, you've got to actually do it. So you have this whole section about how short cuts actually slow you down. And I feel like we are in the day and age of life. Hacks, like there are so many life hacks, hack this, hack that, and sometimes it's like, well, no, that's actually going to make it longer in the long run. So can you talk about and this, what Volkswagen was doing, not only were they doing the wrong thing, but they were trying a shortcut instead of actually doing the work. They could have taken that $30 billion and done the actual work. And instead they try the shortcut. It makes it worse in the long run. So can you talk about, about the how to be a millionaire in 30 days. Oh, gosh, 300 you spent.
A
I, I, I don't, I can't even use the word invested into a box set of resources that promise to make you rich in 30 days or less. I can say I flush money down the toilet to buy these false promises and, and pipe dreams, but you know, at the age that I was, I was very ambitious, you know, I bought completely into this get rich quick scheme. And you know, for our listeners in the 90s and these get rich quick schemes were so abundant, they were so many different Ponzi schemes and investment schemes and, and this type of ladder scheme and this, everybody was selling something and you know, these pyramid schemes just kind of took off. But there was also a period of time where you had trusted voices and people that were wealthy and affluent writing books about how they achieve their success. But it was misleading because everything was marketed from the standpoint and from the perspective of you can do what has taken me a lifetime to do in 30 days or less. And man, I bought into that hook, line and sinker, spent 300 bucks get rich quick scheme. And the only thing that I got from that book and those resources was I made the person who wrote them richer. Because it was nothing in there that told me that taught me, that showed me how to get money, how to get wealthy. Nothing in there of value. And so I have never been a dodo bird to purchase any of those resources since then. I learned from my mistakes. I, I still remember the burn and the pain in my heart from giving my 300 so dollars to this book company to send me a box set. It still pains me, but I learned from it. And so I learned that in this life you win some and then you learn to some, but you only lose when you don't learn.
B
Oh, it's good because you had this quote by John Maxwell. Experience is not the best teacher evaluated. Experience is.
A
That's right, that's right.
B
You have to evaluate it. So you spend this $300 how to make a Millionaire make a million dollars in 30 days and it doesn't work, you're $300 further from being a millionaire. And you have these three verses. They're all from Proverbs. I love proverbs. So much wisdom. The one I already said, all hard work brings a profit. But mere talk leads only to poverty. The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. And then whoever gathers money, little by little, makes it grow. This is so antithetical that you want to grow so quick. You want to grow your social media following, you want to grow your presence. You want to grow, and you want it to be so fast. Can you talk about beyond even money, money? That there are a lot of things that we should work hard, we should work hard at and gather little by little beyond money?
A
Yeah. I think every day we have to make daily deposits to grow our character. And no, I've seen so many people that were gifted but didn't have character to keep them in the places that gifts open the doors for them to walk through. And so character is so important. Integrity is so important. And so these are values that we have to make daily deposits into because life will make withdrawals from them. And if we're not depositing daily into those areas of our life, then we will be emptied of the rich resources that are there now, because what we don't make deposits in will eventually be depleted. And so I would say outside of money, outside of financial gain, it's those things, the unseen things, that determines what everyone sees is what we should be making those deposits and investments in on a daily basis.
B
This is a world that I think preaches shortcuts. I mean, it has been at least since the 90s, how to make a million dollars in 30 days. But certainly, I mean, you're constantly seeing about shortcuts, and you say there are no shortcuts to truly valuable things. Genuine lifelong friendships, your strong marriage, your influence, how you build a company. It's so many things beyond money. And you just talk about the value of hard work. Okay, so you're a sports guy. Talk about this basketball program that you ran. You. You run this basketball program. People are going on to the NBA, and you're really talking about, yeah, okay, you got some talent, but you got to work hard.
A
Yeah. So I've had the opportunity to work alongside of a lot of professional athletes, a lot of collegiate athletes. The high school my parents started in North Carolina, I produced some of the greatest athletes to come through the state of North Carolina. We had 171 guys go to Division 1 college on basketball scholarships. We had several of those guys go to the NBA. A couple of them were lottery picks. And so I've been involved in a lot of God's life and development, and I understand the significance of character and how character will take you further than your gift will. Hard work will take you further than your gift will. And so there are a lot of guys that are gifted, but they have no character. And so they're stuck with their gift by themselves. And the gifts that God gives us are not just meant to bless us, they're meant to bless others as we. Well. And so if we don't develop the character and the godly integrity, then we find ourselves going through the Ferris wheel and the. The motions of what we should be doing, but not really executing them. And so in running that school and, and stewarding those relationships and really being a second father to a lot of those students, I just got opportunity to see those that were hungry for the right things and those who were looking for their moment. And there is a difference. And it's the same thing that can about us. We know when we're looking for our moment and we know when we're putting in the work to have something sustainable that lasts and that is a reflection of the gift of God in us and not just the things that we want to see and do.
B
If you're listening, you could see that this would be a really good book. If you've got teens or tweens, for them to read the Bumpy Road to Better Unlocking the Hidden Power and Hard things. I think you have to learn young things. Like you said, easy is overrated. And we're in this dopamine driven society, so work feels like the opposite of what we want to do. And you had this. I already said this to our boys because it's like almost basketball season, right? I was like, I'm totally stealing this from the book. Other kids, this is what you said to your son. Not long ago, my son started playing basketball. When I dropped him off at practice, I told him other kids might be more skilled, they might have more experience, or they might be able to run faster, but no one should outwork you.
A
That's right. That's right. As long as you work hard and as long as you try your best, everything else will fall into play. You can work on skill, you can work on fundamentals, you can even work on athleticism, but nobody can work on with you. And for you, the ability to work hard. You have to Want that you have to turn that motor on and you have to keep it activated. And so I try to apply that to my daily life. What is it that God has blessed me with that I might not. I might not be working as hard in that area as I should? And one time I asked myself this question, and I encourage our listeners and our viewers to do the same thing. If someone had the very same talent, the same gift, the same ability, the same resources, the same relationships that you had, would they do your job better than you? If the answer is yes, then there's more you could do in the area of working hard and stewarding those gifts and those relationships and that call better than what you currently do. If the answer is no, then well done. You're working hard, you're doing everything you can. We just have to refuse to allow anyone or anything to work harder than us in the areas that God has specifically carved out for us. And so my dad used to ask me this question. If two lions are in a cave age and they're fighting, and they're the same size, they have the same weight, they're the same length, they have equally sharp teeth, equally sharp claws, who would win? And I would ponder for a little while, when I would ask him, are they the same age? He said, yeah, they can be the same age. But that wasn't the answer. And I would ask him, is one quicker than the other? He would say, no, they're both the same quickness, this. And then he would answer it, the one that will win is the hungriest. And so same can be said for us. What is the hungriest in your life? Is it your selfishness? Is it your ambition? Is it your ego? Or is it your humility? Is it your peace? Is it your joy? And so I've had to starve my doubts by feeding my faith. And when I do those things, it helps to develop a spiritual hunger on the inside of me that can't be quenched by anything except for God. And so when we think about that, when we're going through that process, let that be our testimony, let that be our motto. That my spirit, man, is hungrier than my. My soul and my flesh. And it is because of that that my flesh and my soul benefit from it.
B
I like how you talk about, too, that this hard work, work in this pursuing of better and not doing the shortcuts, that it can permeate into other areas of life. Because you're, you know, when you're talking about your dad, you're saying, well, your dad had to do all of this plowing in the field behind this donkey. And, like, it was super unpleasant because the donkey keeps farting. He's like, this is awful, right? This is like an awful situation. And yet it also taught him a good work ethic. It also got him ready for basketball season. And it taught him a lot of things. How to push through discomfort, how to get the job done. Deal diligence, responsibility, and discipline. So there's a lot to be said about hard work. And I think that we're all, to a degree, a little taken with shortcuts. Like, ooh, you know, they kind of glisten. But you say efficiency is generally a good thing. And we've got this tendency to want to crave better results with less effort. But those things can lead us astray and sneaky ways. Instead of putting in the work we need to put, we need to put in. We take shortcuts that only slow us down.
A
Down.
B
We chase easy. Easy money, easy fame, easy power, easy growth, easy success. And then it turns out to be anything but easy. It's really good. It's good. It's good for any age we.
A
We take. We. We lean into comfort, we lean into convenience because we've been catered to for so long, you know, whenever we want food, most of the time, particularly as it speaks to our kids and our youth. Youth, they want something that's fast. They don't want to wait. They don't want to sit down. They want something that's fast. And so from a very young age, we've been taught that what you want, you can get it fast. And we carry that over into the various aspects of life. And we think and we assume, and we are entitled to believe that because we want something, we deserve it now, when in fact, God doesn't operate like that. Matter of fact, we never see in scripture where Jesus rushes for anything that's right, his friend gets sick on his deathbed, the disciples come to him and say, lazarus is dying. And Jesus says, it's okay. I'll be there when I get there. Scripture says blind people would see him and Jesus would slow down to have a conversation with them, didn't immediately lay hands on them. Jesus already knew what they needed, but he wanted to have a conversation. It never says that he rushed anywhere. It says he moved at his own speed. And he followed it by saying, I only do what my father tells me to do, and I only say what my father tells me to say. And I think sometimes we get in trouble because we want to Rush to see things that we want to see. Therefore, we say what we want to say and we do what we want to do and we manufacture our own blessings things. When we do that, we have to have the ability to sustain whatever we manufacture and whatever we make in our own power.
B
It's really good reminders, lots to learn. And learn it at a young age. If you can write these proverbs, like, learn them at a young age. That he who gathers little by little, that we don't rush things. And this dopamine driven to society. We did doordash for the first time last year. I'd never done doordash. Have you done doordash? Doordash.
A
I have.
B
Okay. Okay. So I was like, I've never done it. Wild world. So I was. We were at a hotel for a conference and there was just not a way to get food. Didn't have a vehicle. I couldn't get out anywhere. It's like one of those ones, I don't know. We were like, in a spot where you couldn't easily get anywhere. So I was like, okay, I'm gonna try this door dash thing. So I download the app, and for like 299 or 199 or something, it'll be like seven minutes faster. And you're like, you know, you're. It's going to come in 26 to 31 minutes, but if you pay $3, you can get it in 20, 20 minutes instead of 26. And you're kind of like, yeah, and you're kind of like, well, $3, you know, I can get it six minutes faster. And you are. You're just drawn into that. And that is everywhere. Fast is everywhere. How fast can I get it? How fast can the Uber come? How fast can my package come? You know, I got a birthday party tomorrow. Can I get something now? And so I think that we have to be really aware of what the Bible says about. About that it's the little by little, it's the slow. It's moving at the speed of Jesus. And that's right. It will change. It'll change things for you. It's thinking about the walking on the path and that you really have to pay attention the way that God made nature. All right, I want to hit one more time, one more. One more topic. The book is called the Bumpy Road to Better Unlocking the Hidden Power. And hard things. There are all sorts of hard things. If you're in a hard battle, if you are dealing with hard relationships, if you are dealing with delays, Hard delays. Delays. If you are dealing with hard luck, you got all your. All your plane flights got canceled. That was your story. Like, I'm. I'm just trying to get to do this wedding and everything's getting canceled. You know, sometimes things kind of unravel. Hard questions, hard rejections, hard sacrifices, hard seasons. You talk about how your grandma was in this crazy situation with all her kids, and she's on life support, and then she ends up living until she's 92. I mean, just remarkable stories in this book. Lots to learn, A great one to read together as a family. I think sometimes devotionals can be a little cheesy. So, like, if you treated this as 22 devotionals, as 22 hard things, that would be a great thing to go through with your family. So let's hit one more, because I think this is something that a lot of people are struggling with, which is balancing so hard balances. You had so many verses in here, Tim, that, like, I've heard in my life, but I haven't really thought about. Like the one about whoever watches the wind will not plant. Whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. I was like, gosh, it's so easy for us to make excuses and get distracted. I haven't really thought about that verse. Here's another one. Put this is also in Proverbs. Put your outdoor work. Because we talked about ones from Proverbs earlier. Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready. After that, build your house. So this is a God of order. Order matters, yes. Can you talk about in a day and age where the cost. There's so many things that can take our time. How do we deal with finding balance?
A
I think, you know, and I talk about this in the book, and I. I specifically kind of drive this home in the power of 1440. Balance is a fleeting perspective. And what I mean by that is there's no way that we can balance life. What I mean, I don't give my wife the same balance of time that I give other people. People. I don't give the same balance of intention to God as I do to other people. And so I don't really steward my life off of the concept of balance. I steward it off of the concept of priorities. When my priorities are in line, then things fall into place the way that they're supposed to. And so if my priorities are for me, it's God first. He aligns my day. He gives me understanding. He gives me clarity. He gives me vision. He gives me purpose. From there, I take what he gives me. And I apply it to myself personally. I apply it to my marriage. I apply it to how I father our son and then how I lead people. But my motto is always God and my family get the best of my time, and everyone else gets the rest of my time. And that way I have prioritized what is most meaningful to both God and myself. Not necessarily what I want to do, but what's most meaningful to God in myself. And so when I do that, I take away this need to try to balance everything. And so when I am trying to balance everything, I'm trying to control. And it's not until you lose control that you realize you didn't have control in the first place. Place when you prioritize, it puts God in the position he desires and deserves to be in in your life. And then from there, all good things flow. His word says, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. And so I think it's something powerful, even supernatural, about prioritizing your time over balancing.
B
It's such a good verse, isn't. Is that the one where it's like, do not worry about your life. And then that's what comes at the end. Do not worry about your life, about what you eat and what you will wear. The. You know, the pagans run after these things, but seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all these things will be added to you as well. It's really powerful because then you also talk about the verse that when you cast your anxiety on him, like, cast your anxieties on God because he cares for you, like, the God first then allows you to cast those off. And I love that you talked about with wrestling. You're talking about wrestling with your dad and you're like, look, you know, he's bigger than I am. And so one of the things that you can do is you can use their weight to your advantage.
A
That's right.
B
I was like, oh, that. That's an insight there. Yeah. Distribute.
A
Utilize their weight and momentum to distribute their weight to the ground. And so we have to do that with our thoughts. We have to do that with our decisions. We have to do that with everything. When it seems like life is coming and moving towards us and pressing in on us, we have to utilize the momentum that we can to get those thoughts, those ideas, some. For some of us in certain seasons, those voices to the ground so that we could submit them and surrender them to the future feet of Jesus. You know, he says, castor cares at his feet because he cares for you. And so we have two options. We can carry it or we can cast it, but we cannot do both at the same time.
B
It's a weight shift. It's real good. It's real good. So the three books, this is the third one just came out. It's called the Bumpy Road to Better, but you also have the Art of Overcoming, which was originally planned to be called the Funeral.
A
Yes.
B
That's interesting. What? I have picked up a book called the Funeral. I, you know, you don't know. It's. It's interesting and you don't end up really getting the final say. So I totally get how those things work. And then the power of 1440. Tell us about your podcast, Street Preachers.
A
Street Preachers is with me and my best friend, my brother, Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell passes an incredible church in Atlanta called 2819. And we take people on a journey through scripture from a real life, applicable perspective, giving biblical narration to cultural ethics events. And so it's a very fun weekly podcast that comes out informative, revelatory, and walks people through a journey through scripture and how we can apply it to our everyday lives. Both me and him have been delivered from the streets, and so now we utilize the streets as our biggest platform and podium, helping people connect with Jesus and telling them that the kingdom of God is at hand.
B
What an honor, Tim.
A
Oh, it's my honor.
B
Thank you, Global senior pastor at Celebration Church. One church with 17 locations. And here I am getting a chance to talk to you about this incredible new book. It's called the Bumpy Road to Better. We always end our show with the same question. The question is, what's a favorite memory from your childhood that was outside?
A
A favorite memory from my childhood that was outside was the first time my family saved enough money to go to Disney World. World. I remember it. We drove 16 hours in a van, all packed in there like sardines. But, man, did we have a time. You know, everything that we had thought, everything that we had saw on television, everything that we had envisioned, we got an opportunity to experience. And it may not have been the same way that we thought that it would be, but it was a great experience with my entire family. So that's one thing that I think about often. That was a joy.
B
And now you live down the that way. Now you're down there. That wouldn't be 16 hour drive anymore down in Jacksonville.
A
No, not at all.
B
Not at all. Tim, thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate your time.
A
Thank you. I appreciate you for having me on.
B
This episode is brought to you by Greenlight. Get this Adults with financial literacy skills have 82% more wealth than those who don't. From swimming lessons to piano classes, us parents invest in so many things to enrich our kids lives. But are we investing in their future financial skill success? With Greenlight, you can teach your kids financial literacy skills like earning, saving and investing. And this investment costs less than that. After school treat start prioritizing their financial education and future today with a risk free trial@greenlight.com Spotify greenlight.com Spotify.
Podcast: The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast
Episode: 1KHO 676: Life is a Long Game | Tim Timberlake, The Bumpy Road to Better
Host: Ginny Yurich
Guest: Tim Timberlake
Date: January 11, 2026
This episode features a deep and encouraging conversation between Ginny Yurich and Tim Timberlake, senior pastor, speaker, and author of the new book The Bumpy Road to Better: Unlocking the Hidden Power in Hard Things. Together, they unpack the realities of pain, growth, hard work, and spiritual groundedness, offering practical wisdom for navigating “the bumpy road” of everyday life—from parenting and faith to making big life changes and building endurance through challenges.
Tim shares candidly from the “middle” of painful seasons, discussing how to find hope, resilience, and practical steps forward, rooted firmly in spiritual principles, biblical wisdom, and life experience. The episode is filled with memorable analogies, personal stories, and takeaways for individuals and families who want to embrace hard things instead of avoiding or shortcutting them.
“Destination addiction is whenever we think to ourselves, ‘I’ll be happier when I get there...’ The reality is you won’t be happier there until you find joy and happiness right where you are.” (05:19, Tim Timberlake)
“We have two options: either we pivot, or either we get stuck and we stay longer than we’re supposed to, we pay more than we have to pay, and we lose opportunities...” (13:34, Tim Timberlake)
“Everything starts small... The longer we carry it, the longer we're pregnant with it, the more we have to understand the greater and the larger that that thing will be once we push it out into the earth. So don’t despise small beginnings. There’s a blessing there.” (24:28, Tim Timberlake)
“Pain sometimes is the result of disobedience. And that was one of those moments I will never forget... I could not deny my disobedience.” (33:31, Tim Timberlake)
“There are a lot of guys that are gifted, but they have no character. And so they’re stuck with their gift by themselves. The gifts God gives us are not just meant to bless us, they’re meant to bless others as well.” (44:36, Tim Timberlake)
“My motto is always: God and my family get the best of my time, and everyone else gets the rest of my time.” (56:19, Tim Timberlake)
On Pivots:
“Anytime we can’t pivot, we get stuck. And anytime we get stuck, we are in a place longer than we should be, and it will cost us more than we have to spend.” (13:24, Tim Timberlake)
On the Cost of Shortcuts:
“There are no shortcuts to truly valuable things. Genuine lifelong friendships, your strong marriage, your influence, how you build a company...It’s so many things beyond money.” (43:49, Tim Timberlake)
On Hard Work vs. Talent:
“Nobody can work on with you and for you, the ability to work hard. You have to want that, you have to turn that motor on.” (46:40, Tim Timberlake)
On Priorities Over Balance:
“When my priorities are in line, then things fall into place the way that they’re supposed to. ... God and my family get the best of my time, and everyone else gets the rest.” (56:19, Tim Timberlake)
Ginny strongly recommends Tim’s latest book, The Bumpy Road to Better, especially for families and young people (“22 hard things” as devotional topics). The episode concludes with Tim sharing a favorite outdoor childhood memory and information about his podcast “Street Preachers,” where he and Pastor Philip Mitchell explore scripture for everyday, real-world application.
Summary Takeaway:
This episode offers rich encouragement for anyone navigating hard seasons or initiating big changes, reminding listeners that meaningful growth happens one step at a time, through intentional living, hard work, prioritization, and faith. The spiritual and practical wisdom shared will resonate with any listener wanting to “unlock the hidden power in hard things”.
For further inspiration, check out Tim Timberlake’s books and podcast “Street Preachers.”