The "One Other Person" Confidentiality Crusher Principle

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Wake-Up Call

Host: John David Walt (with David Walt)
Episode: The "One Other Person" Confidentiality Crusher Principle
Date: January 11, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the spiritual and pragmatic dangers of breaching confidentiality—specifically, the insidiousness of telling "just one other person." Drawing from Proverbs 11:13-14, John David Walt unpacks the rapid spread of private information and its effect on trust within the Christian community. The reflection is interwoven with hymns, personal anecdotes, and a discussion with his father, David Walt.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Spiritual Context (00:00–03:00)

• The episode opens with the singing of the Doxology, setting a tone of gratitude and reverence.
• John David Walt invites listeners to center themselves on Jesus, offering prayers for wisdom and trust:

  “Wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.” (01:31)

2. Reading and Reflecting on Proverbs 11:13-14 (03:00–07:00)

• The focus Scripture:

  “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisors.”

• John poses a pointed question:

  “Am I a trustworthy person? Are you?” (03:50)

• He recounts wisdom from his mentor, Dr. Ellsworth Callis, illustrating how the chain of “just one other person” can rapidly escalate the spread of confidential information.

3. The “One Other Person” Confidentiality Crusher Principle (07:00–10:30)

• Dr. Callis’ visual illustration: touching the index fingers of each hand together to demonstrate the exponential growth of breached confidence.
• Walt shares the key insight:

  “Telling one other person betrays a confidence, and betraying a confidence makes us a gossip.” (08:35)

• He analyzes why people justify telling one other “trustworthy” person:
  • To show they are "in the know" (an ego boost).
  • To convey trust, ironically, by betraying someone else’s.
  • This cycle erodes genuine trust in the community.
• Walt sums up:

  “Trust simply cannot be built on betrayal. Let's call it the one other person confidentiality crusher principle.” (09:50)

4. Self-Examination and Prayer (10:30–12:00)

• John leads a prayer of confession and desire for transformation:

  “I confess that something broken in me thinks I can gain the trust of one person by betraying the trust of another. Would you reveal that broken place to me and lead me… toward healing? Shape me with the trustworthiness of your son.” (11:00)

• Prompts listeners to reflect on their own attitudes toward confidentiality with probing questions.

5. Personal Practice of Confidentiality (12:00–13:00)

• Walt shares his own commitment:

  “I kind of treat most anything anybody tells me as confidential unless otherwise notified. That's a good default.” (12:28)

• Recommends always asking for explicit permission before sharing someone’s story, emphasizing respect and trustworthiness.

6. Community Life, Family, and Surprise Blessings (13:00–15:39)

• John and his father reflect on how they ended up in Gillette and their unexpected journey there.

  “You look, you look forward and you… can't predict it, but you look backward and you wouldn't change it. That's how God's will works so often.” (14:32–14:39)

7. Hymn-Singing and the Value of Worship Traditions (15:39–19:36)

• The hosts sing all six verses of "O God, Our Help in Ages Past," highlighting the importance of hymns in grounding the faith community.
• They discuss both classic and modern hymn-writing:

  “I love how these great hymns, they start on earth, but they end in heaven.” (17:41)

  • Reference to Seedbed's new Psalter and encouragement to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs as a foundation for worship.

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Confidentiality:

  “Telling one other person betrays a confidence, and betraying a confidence makes us a gossip.” — John David Walt (08:35)

• On Trust:

  “Trust simply cannot be built on betrayal.” — John David Walt (09:50)

• On God’s Guidance:

  “You look, you look forward and you… can't predict it, but you look backward and you wouldn't change it. That's how God's will works so often.” — John David Walt (14:32–14:39)

• On Worship:

  “I love how these great hymns, they start on earth, but they end in heaven.” — John David Walt (17:41)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00–01:14: Doxology and spiritual invocation
• 03:10–07:00: Reading from Proverbs and mentor story about confidentiality
• 08:00–10:30: Analysis of why sharing “just one other person” is a breach
• 10:30–12:00: Prayer and self-examination prompts
• 12:00–13:00: John’s policy and advice on handling confidences
• 13:00–15:39: Family banter and reflections on God’s unexpected leading
• 15:39–17:53: Singing "O God, Our Help in Ages Past"
• 17:53–19:36: Hymnology insights and closing remarks

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Reflection Questions from the Episode

• Why do people not consider it a breach of confidentiality when they tell just one other person whom they consider trustworthy?
• What is it in me that causes me to do this?
• When a friend entrusts you with another person's confidential information, how does that impact the trust you have in your friend?
• How might I become a person of the strictest, most loyal confidentiality?
• How might I become a person worthy of the confidence of others?

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Tone and Style

The episode is gentle, reflective, and community-focused, blending timeless spiritual wisdom with warm, familial storytelling and worship. Listeners are encouraged toward personal integrity and deeper Christ-likeness, with practical steps for living out trustworthy relationships.

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For further engagement: Join the daily Wake-Up Call community via Seedbed, and consider journaling responses to the reflection prompts discussed.

Transcript

[John David Walt]

Foreign. Sower Nation. It is Sunday, January 11, 111-Y', all, every day. If I ever catch my clock in the daytime at 1:11pm I just feel like it's a moment to stop and sing the Doxology, you know? You know, and I feel like maybe that's how we should start today. It's a Doxology Day one one one. The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.

[David Walt]

Praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise him all creatures here below.

[John David Walt]

Praise.

[David Walt]

Him above ye heavenly host Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

[John David Walt]

I could hear some of you out there harmonizing with me there. You know I'm listening. Well, it is January 11th, is Sunday. We're going to be in the house of the Lord together. Some of you are going to join us in Gillette in person and some online. We made it 10:30 central time. We're on YouTube and Facebook. We'd love to see you if you don't have a church. I'm John David Walt and this is your wake up call. Dad's going to be with me to sing a great hymn here at the at the end. Let's dive into our morning together, our meeting with Jesus. He's here. That's the most important thing. He's joining us all together. The Lord of the Church, the Teacher of the kingdom. Wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Jesus, I belong to you. I lift up my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Jesus, we belong to you. And we're praying in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. We're waking up to wisdom in January. We're working our way through the 31 Proverbs. We are today at Proverbs 11. I want you to read that whole chapter. Our entry today is entitled the quote one other person Confidentiality Crusher Principle. Our text, of course, is from chapter 11. It's verses 13 and 14 today. Hear now the word of the Lord. A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret for lack of guidance. A nation falls, but victory is won through many advisors. The word of the Lord. Now consider this. Let me ask the question, am I a trustworthy person? Are you? I will always remember one of the happenstance lessons taught me by one of my mentors, the late Ellsworth Callis. I served on his cabinet throughout his term as the president of Asbury Seminary. Before that, when I was a student there he was my preaching professor. Now, in those days, we were navigating our way through a difficult season of the seminary's life. Our leadership team held many highly sensitive conversations which required the highest degree of confidentiality. And on the heels of these conversations, Dr. Callis, reminding us of the need for absolute confidentiality, would say, do you know how many people hear about something when one person betrays a confidence and tells just one other person? And as he said, one person, he held up his index finger of his left hand and that. And as he said, tells one other person, he held up the index finger of his right hand. Invite you to do that. Now, if you're listening, just to put those two fingers next to each other. And then referencing those two fingers now two straight lines next to one another. He answered his own question. How many people hear about something when one person confidentially shares or betrays a confidence confidentially with another person? 11 people. No, that was his point of the two fingers. 11 people. No, the point is, is it just goes from there. You know, there's probably not a person hearing this or reading it who does not consider themselves a trustworthy person. We highly estimate our ability to keep the confidences of others. We all know gossips, but we would never consider ourselves to be one. The problem most of us have when it comes to confidentiality is we somehow do not consider it a breach to just tell one other trustworthy person. See how it happens next. That person tells just one other trustworthy person, and within the span of a day, 11 people have been brought into the circle. A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. This is wisdom. Let's call a spade a spade. Telling one other person betrays a confidence, and betraying a confidence makes us a gossip. So why do we do this? Why would I entrust you with information another person asked me to keep confidential? At least two reasons come to mind. First, something in me wants you to know that I'm in the know. It's a not so subtle way of conveying my own sense of self importance to you. Second, I want you to know that that I trust you implicitly and that you can trust me implicitly. This has a way of spreading rapidly and the further down the chain from the original source, the easier it is to share with just one other person. And do you see the tragic irony here? Trust simply cannot be built on betrayal. Let's call it the one other person confidentiality crusher principle. So let me ask the question again. Am I a trustworthy person? Are you and let's pray. Our Father, we want to be worthy of trust. I confess that something broken in me thinks I can gain the trust of one person by betraying the trust of another. Would you reveal that broken place to me and lead me in a way of working through it toward healing? Shape me with the trustworthiness of your son. It's in his name I pray. Amen. The journal prompts today. So why do people not consider it a breach of confidentiality when they tell just one other person whom they consider trustworthy? What is it in me that causes me to do this? And when a friend entrusts you with another person's confidential information, how does that impact the trust you have in your friend? How might I become a person of the strictest, most loyal confidentiality? And how might I become a person worthy of the confidence of others? Well, what do you think? This is an interesting little subject that the Proverbs touch on here, keeping a confidence. Well, I do want you to know that I keep your confidence. I do hear from people all the time, and I hear all manner of stories and difficult things and. And you know what? I will never share anything anybody tells me without their express permission. Sometimes I see a story and I think, man, I'd love to share that story. And if they didn't ask me for confidentiality, I'm going to write them back and say, you know, I sense that this might be a good one for the Sower Nation. I'm not just going to assume I can share it because they didn't say it was confidential. I kind of treat most anything anybody tells me as confidential unless otherwise notified. Right. That's a good default. I think that's wisdom to consider that what people share with you personally stays with you. And if you have any, even the slightest wondering about that, like, should I share this? Would this. Would this person care if I told this to somebody else? Don't assume. Ask them. Ask them. That's how you become more trustworthy, is you hold things in deep confidence and respect of the person that shared them with you. I have, you know, learned this lesson over my life. I've learned it at times the hard way, and I've grown from it. And I've learned what it does when you actually do keep the confidence and trust of other people. So let's leave it right there today, guys. And we're gonna sing and we're gonna get to church, okay? Here we go. Well, good Sunday morning to you, dad. Are you looking forward to being together over here at our church? In Gillette.

[David Walt]

I am.

I'm. I'm looking forward to it.

[John David Walt]

Did you ever imagine that I would be your preacher?

[David Walt]

No. Did you ever imagine I'd be singing in a choir? That church? No.

[John David Walt]

We did not see Gillette in our future. Okay. We're from Dumas. We're from Dumas. And years ago, mom and dad moved out of Dumas and Dumas. Dumas still has a good church. Nothing wrong with the church in Dumas. But they moved out to the river and they began coming to church over in Gillette, which is about 10 miles away, a little bit closer. And Gillette is a town that we all knew growing up. Yeah, but we didn't know what was here, did we?

[David Walt]

No, just barely knew where it was.

[John David Walt]

There's this, you know, you pass by a small town and you don't even know all the treasure inside of it, what we do now. Yeah, but the big surprise was when I came to be the preacher here.

[David Walt]

That was. That was a. That was a good surprise. But it was a surprise.

[John David Walt]

It was a big surprise probably to.

[David Walt]

Everybody in Gillette and Gillette and in Dumas.

Yeah.

[John David Walt]

And I mean, we just didn't see it coming. That's how God's plan is.

[David Walt]

That's right.

[John David Walt]

You look, you look forward and you. You can't predict it, but you look backward and you wouldn't change it.

[David Walt]

That's exactly right.

[John David Walt]

That's how God's will works so often. And we just trust God and do the next right thing, the next good thing. Well, we're going to get ready for church. We're going to warm up with a good hymn today. Well, tell them what we're singing.

[David Walt]

We're going to sing all. Oh, God, our help in ages past.

[John David Walt]

Oh God, our help in ages past.

[David Walt]

And this. I don't know what kind of book y' all got, but.

[John David Walt]

Yeah, Our Great Redeemer's Praise is page 15 in it. It's number 15. You know what we just celebrated in Gillette this past last night? The Coon supper for the 82nd. Our third Gillette Coon supper. Raccoons. Okay.

[David Walt]

Yep.

[John David Walt]

And we were there for it. So we're glad to get that one in the record books again.

[David Walt]

And yeah, that's old time.

[John David Walt]

Old time. Deal. All right, you ready? All six verses. A short one.

[David Walt]

O God, our help in ages past Our hope for years to come Our shelter from the storm be blessed and our eternal home under the shadow of Thy throne Thy saints have dwelt secure Sufficient is thine arm alone and our Defenses share thy before the hills in order stood o' ers Receives her crown from everlasting Thou art God to endless fears the same A thousand ages in thy sight Are just an aiming gone short as a hut that ends the night before the rising sun Time like an ever rolling stream there's all the sun's away they fly Forgotten as our name dies after O God Our help in ages past Our help for years to come Be thou our God and our eternal home.

Yeah, they'll like that one.

[John David Walt]

I love how these great hymns, they start on earth, but they end in heaven.

[David Walt]

That's right.

[John David Walt]

Our help in ages past Our hope for years to come Our eternal home. And that's an Isaac Watts hymn, one of the great hymns.

[David Walt]

1719.

[John David Walt]

1719. He's one of the great hymn writers of the 18th century. He was right in there with Charles Wesley writing hymns. And you asked me, are people still writing hymns today? And, you know, Chris Tomlin and I have written a couple of hymns together, and a lot of modern worship singers are. They're kind of catching on. They, too, like the old hymns. I mean, they're writing lots of new songs. But I loved how Chris Tomlin, in his last record, sang this Is My Father's World.

[David Walt]

Oh, that's a beautiful song.

[John David Walt]

He did. And he kind of did a new spin on it. It was really good. The king is still the king, that record. Maybe we'll sing that one tomorrow. This is My Father's World. But we do need hymns. We need to sing psalms, and, boy, we hardly don't sing songs at all. Psalms. Interestingly, Seedbed has made a psalter, and we have them put to tunes. Julie Tennant and Tim Tennant worked for years to make this book.

[David Walt]

Is it a book?

[John David Walt]

It's a book.

[David Walt]

Why is it?

[John David Walt]

Well, I don't have it handy here, but maybe sometime we can sing a psalm on here. You need to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, and that's like the three legs of the stool of worship of songs. So. Well, it's time for us to get ready. Ready for church. All right. We. We won't see you on the field today. We'll see you at the House of God for The Awakening. I'm J.D. walt.

[David Walt]

And I'm David Wall.