Ep 1012 | Mia Announced Her Return to Jesus with a Piano & Jase Was Wrecked

Summary

Episode Summary: Ep 1012 | Mia Announced Her Return to Jesus with a Piano & Jase Was Wrecked

Unashamed with the Robertson Family (Blaze Podcast Network) released its heartwarming and introspective episode, "Ep 1012 | Mia Announced Her Return to Jesus with a Piano & Jase Was Wrecked," on December 23, 2024. Hosted by Phil, Al, Jase, Zach, and featuring special guests, the episode delves deep into family traditions, the transformative power of worship, and personal testimonies of faith. Below is a comprehensive summary capturing the essence of their discussions.

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1. Holiday Greetings and Christmas Reflections (00:34 – 05:47)

The episode kicks off with Al extending warm Christmas wishes to listeners, emphasizing the special nature of the season for the Robertson family. Al reminisces about the family's Christmas traditions, highlighting the evolution from modest gift-giving to more generous exchanges as the family grew. He shares:

Al [02:33]: "It was like, I guess we were making up for lost time. It's not that we were super materialistic. It was just like we went so long not having anything."

This sentiment underscores the family's appreciation for togetherness and the significance of Christmas as a time of reconciliation and love.

2. Setting Low Expectations and Experiencing Christmas Miracles (05:47 – 06:43)

Jase introduces the concept of setting low expectations during Christmas to allow for unexpected blessings. He connects this strategy to the profound narrative of the Christmas story, emphasizing God's ultimate gift:

Jase [05:39]: "Jingle bells. Thank you, Maddie. I need a 20-year-old classic."

Phil elaborates on this idea, relating it to the miraculous birth of Jesus and how it surpasses all human expectations:

Phil [05:16]: "But you guys got a bad theory. I mean, in principle, strategy."

3. Phil's "Save Christmas" Duck Hunting Adventure (06:43 – 22:41)

Phil shares an engaging and humorous story about taking his young son on a duck hunting trip during Christmas. The narrative is filled with colorful anecdotes, including:

• Encountering styrofoam deer targets mistaken for real ones.
• Interacting with neighbors' elaborate Santa Claus decorations.
• Navigating through forested areas to set up a duck blind.

A standout moment involves Phil's neighbor approaching them, leading to reflections on community and shared traditions:

Phil [15:19]: "So this is brush for your blind. I never understood what you had the brush for."

This segment not only entertains but also highlights the family's unique way of blending holiday spirit with cherished outdoor activities.

4. The Power of Worship in Overcoming Challenges (22:41 – 37:57)

The conversation shifts to the profound impact of worship within the Robertson family. Phil recounts a deeply moving experience at a Christian awards event where his wife led the crowd in an impromptu worship song. This act of faith not only resonated with the audience but also led to a meaningful connection with renowned Christian artist Brandon Lake:

Phil [21:44]: "Look, we're partners in this healing and inspiration through worship and getting together."

Jase adds his perspective on the cultural assaults on the family unit, emphasizing the foundational role of worship and gratitude in maintaining faith:

Jase [34:21]: "So, I love that it gives us these three categories. Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs."

5. Deep Dive into Biblical Teachings: Colossians 3:15-17 (37:57 – 51:41)

Al leads a thoughtful discussion on Colossians 3:15-17, exploring its implications for family dynamics and personal faith. He emphasizes the balance between intellect and emotion in worship, arguing that true Christian practice involves both understanding God's word and expressing it through heartfelt worship.

Phil reflects on his personal journey, sharing how worship became a source of strength during his daughter's medical challenges:

Phil [44:57]: "But boy, I thought. After a while I realized I was like, thank you God, for sending me this woman because we, we can go do an event and cover the speaking and the worship in one package."

6. Personal Testimonies and Emotional Growth (51:41 – End)

The episode concludes with heartfelt testimonies from Phil and Jase about overcoming emotional barriers through faith and worship. Phil narrates his experience of opening up emotionally after years of emotional restraint, particularly influenced by his family's dedication to worship:

Phil [48:24]: "But the last four or five years, you know, and I think it's kind of what y'all describe with Phil now. He took about a, you know, 70-year break, but which was from when he was a baby till a few years ago."

Jase reflects on the foundational aspects of family as depicted in Genesis, tying it back to the importance of reflecting the Trinity through marital and familial relationships:

Jase [34:21]: "So, therefore, what is. How does that connect?"

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Al [02:33]: "It was like, I guess we were making up for lost time. It's not that we were super materialistic. It was just like we went so long not having anything."

• Jase [05:39]: "Jingle bells. Thank you, Maddie. I need a 20-year-old classic."

• Phil [15:19]: "So this is brush for your blind. I never understood what you had the brush for."

• Phil [21:44]: "Look, we're partners in this healing and inspiration through worship and getting together."

• Jase [34:21]: "So, therefore, what is. How does that connect?"

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Conclusion and Looking Ahead

The Robertson family wraps up the episode by affirming the intertwined nature of intellect and emotion in their worship practices and setting the stage for future discussions on biblical worship examples. They express gratitude for their journey and the ability to share their faith openly with listeners.

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For those who haven't tuned into Unashamed with the Robertson Family, this episode offers a blend of humor, heartfelt stories, and deep theological insights, making it a compelling listen for anyone interested in faith, family, and the enduring spirit of Christmas.

Transcript

[Zach]

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[Jase]

This is the sound of your ride home with dad after he caught you vaping. Awkward, isn't it? Most vapes contain seriously addictive levels of nicotine and disappointment.

[Phil]

Know the real cost of vapes brought.

[Jase]

To you by the fda?

[Phil]

I am unashamed. What about you?

[Al]

Welcome back to Unashamed and just want to wish everybody a merry Christmas out there. We know we're right here in the middle of the Christmas season. It's always a special time for our family. And it's interesting because, Zach, when you did the movie, I was so glad that you included at the end of it kind of closed with this kind of a Christmas theme. And dad kind of standing up for his newfound faith around Christmas, which meant a lot because. And Jason, I can both say when we were growing up, you know, dad wasn't in the picture those first few years very often, but the one thing he always did was he made a huge effort around Christmas. And we would. We've told the stories before we go to the movies or. Yeah, he just did more family stuff because I think Christmas meant so much to him. And so then as our families started growing, we all got married and had kids. You know, we would all gather together at mom and Dad's. And of course then we started having a little bit of success with the business. And so we went from never really doing much on gifts and things like that to then this massive pile of. I mean, Jace, remember some of the. Some of mom's gift pals from the. You know, for. It was more. We were all adults, but it was more for our kids than anything. But it was just kind of a way to. For us to appreciate, I guess what.

[Jase]

Got make up for lost time.

[Al]

It was like, I guess we were making up for lost time. It's not that we were super materialistic. It was just like we went so long not having anything. When there was an opportunity to have a few things, mom went a little bit overboard.

[Phil]

Well, and she would embellish. She would say, you're not getting anything. And then she tried the surprise every year. You know, after about Three or four years. It's like, you know, Santa's not coming this year. Sorry. I was like, yeah, that's what you said the last three years. And he magically showed up. She was trying. She would always go the, you know, the movie deal. If you have high expectations, you're never going to like it. So she would, her expectation she would give us was you're getting nothing. And then like, oh, surprise. It's a Christmas miracle.

[Al]

It's a big year.

[Phil]

Yeah.

[Jase]

I tried to do that in my marriage. Just set the bar real low, set the expectations really low so that anything, any turnouts, you'll say, wow, that's a.

[Phil]

But you guys got a bad theory. I mean, in principle, strategy.

[Jase]

Yeah, it's a good strategy. But you want to talk about the exceeding all expectations that anyone ever had is. Is the Christmas story Emmanuel, God with us? I mean, think about all the expectations through the prophets that. That Israel had. And I guess the Gentiles had no expectation because they weren't even in. We weren't even in the, in the. The discussion. And then God becoming flesh. I mean, that is the. That is probably the great. That is the greatest exceeding of expectations in the history of the world is God becoming flesh, which is a Christmas story.

[Al]

It is. And the fact that he chose to do it in miraculous fashion. The only person ever to be born in the history of the world without two people coming together to procreate. And so that very fact alone made him unique and special above all else. And it was predicted 700 years before it happened, which makes it even more of an amazing story. So I love the Christmas season. Yeah.

[Jase]

And I want to invite. It's the 23rd today, so tomorrow we're gonna have a Christmas special on the Not yet now podcast. I'm gonna have my kids on.

[Phil]

Have you changed the name yet? Not yet. Now. Now. Not yet.

[Jase]

No. I'm too deep in. But. But to be fair, I did have the first comment of somebody saying, jace is right. You should have chose a different name. But we love the podcast. But the name, you should. You should have changed it.

[Phil]

Thank you.

[Jase]

So you. You gotta. You got someone here and I've had a few say it's too. This last one, they said it's too deep, too much. But I, but you know, we're going places and. But we're gonna have on the. On Christmas we're gonna have a little thing because the kids wrote a. They wrote a really. And released a really good Christmas song. And. And I don't think I'm saying that because I'm biased. Which. I'll put the links in the show notes.

[Phil]

No, you're curious. I'm sure you wouldn't be biased. Just that. Go ahead and just say I'm actually.

[Jase]

But if you didn't talk to my wife, because Jill says I'm overly critical of my own family, which would include you guys. So she says I'm overly critical if it's someone that's related to me. She said I don't give them a fair shake. So I don't know what that is, but. But they wrote a good song. We're gonna. We're gonna do it on the podcast. On that podcast tomorrow.

[Al]

And it's a Christmas song, right?

[Jase]

It's a Christmas song. And it's about. I mean. I mean, we. I mean, when we listen to it, me and Jill both cried because it's a lot of. Kind of. They're really good at writing kind of like, about nostalgic memories. And. And so, you know, we would always come to Carolina for Christmas because we lived in Louisiana pretty much the first half of their life. But we would drive the 13 hours to Carolina to come to Christmas to be the grandparents where the grand. Her family lives. So it's called Carolina Christmas. But it says all these. Maybe I am biased now that I'm sitting there saying this.

[Phil]

That's why I said, just go ahead and own it out the gate. All right, well, I'll tell you what I did to spread the Christmas spirit, because I love any opportunities where people are focused on Jesus. Because, look, you give Jesus a chance and watch out, you'll get hooked and he'll change your life. So I think we should pray on that. You see what I did there? You can use that word interchangeably. So yesterday, little man's doing better, and I took him on the golf cart, just me and him. I was giving Missy a break, and it turned into a let's Save Christmas miniseries. That's what it turned into. Yeah. You guys.

[Jase]

So this is a good hug. This someone who pitches this kind of stuff all the time. This is a great hook.

[Phil]

So here's what happened, where you go. So I get in the golf cart with a kid that's not quite three yet, and we. We do a routine. We go see. We go through the neighborhood and we go see the deer. That's part of this. You say, well, how do you know you're going to see deer? Don't you live in town? Oh, I know we're going to see deer because, Al, behind your House. There are two deer, but one of them, I don't know if you knew this. One of them had fallen in his antlers. So there's one deer standing and there's one. He's got his look like he's like an ostrich. His head and he's broken, his back's broken. There's just two legs. Well, when. Little man.

[Jase]

These are.

[Al]

These are targets for the audience. Just so you know, they're not actual.

[Phil]

Well, they're, they're. I figured they would deduct that. These are styrofoam moment target.

[Jase]

When you said the deer fell, I was, I was going to ask how did the deer fall? I was, I was trying to imagine.

[Phil]

Well, you're still in my punch. Before I got there. These were styrofoam targets that he thinks are deer.

[Al]

Are deer. Yeah.

[Phil]

Well, when he saw the one that wasn't looking too good, he went, oh, no reindeer. We got to fix the reindeer. Because I could see the mine working. That reindeer has a job to do and he's out of commission. So I thought, let's fix Al's targets back here. Which I'm sure is coming from Jay, not Al. When's the last time you shot a bow, Al?

[Al]

It's. It's been a few years.

[Phil]

So we get. He was so happy that I was like, he's back going again, okay, we saved Christmas. He's like, yeah, I mean, just. We're singing joy to the world. Ring them bells. No, what is it? Bells are ringing. No, what is it?

[Al]

Bells would be ringing.

[Phil]

No.

[Jase]

What?

[Phil]

Jingle bells. Thank you, Maddie. I need a 20 year old classic.

[Jase]

The old classic.

[Phil]

We need a 21 year old here to remember this stuff. So look. Then we go to the next neighbors and our next neighbor bought a ladder with a Santa Claus looking creature. Looks like Santa Claus. And the ladder goes up to the roof and this thing, it looks like Santa Claus.

[Al]

I was going to the roof.

[Phil]

Going to the roof. Which he had seen that before. So he wanted to check, check in on the progress. Well, our neighbor had it turned off, which caused hysteria because to a three year old looking, he's like. He's like J Rock. We need to help him. So now I find myself in the backyard of my neighbor's house and he doesn't know I'm there. And. But I thought, I do have this kid. So he may think I'm not trying to break into his house and I'm trying to figure out how to turn this thing on. But what we concluded was it's broken. And the only thing I could say is, I will call this neighbor, which he reminded me of through the night, because we have to save Christmas, because Santa Claus is hung up here on the ladder, which I thought was pretty funny. And so then the last thing I'm doing to spread Christmas spirit is my vehicle right now out here in the parking lot, looks like I cut down a forest and put it in the back of my truck. But it has that look of. You remember the Christmas movie where I think it's the Griswold. It's had the too big of a tree on the. On the station wagon.

[Al]

Yeah.

[Phil]

The whole root system times that by a hundred. And you've got what's going on in the back of my truck right now. I'll tell you this, Mattie, I will take a picture when I leave and you can insert it before this is released, if y'all would like to see this. And the reason I tell you this story is because when I came here, I took the back roads because I don't want to drive real fast. And I'm hoping I have this secure, but I got to drive it down to fields because I'm going to put this on a duck blind. We have a brand new duck blind. And that's what Christmas. I mean, the greatest gifts on the planet during Christmas are actually the waterfowl that the Lord sends from Canada every year for us to enjoy. Would you agree?

[Al]

Yeah.

[Phil]

I mean, Christmas happens during duck season, which was a tradition for years that we would get up and go duck hunting on Christmas day. And I felt like the most special kid in the world. While everybody else is drinking hot chocolate, you know, figuring out which presents are theirs. We were getting to duck hunt, which I thought was way far superior. And I actually tried to implement that into our family, which didn't work out very well. My wife is like, you hunt 60 days? Well, we're going to make that 59 when the kids come up. But I actually did get them to go. We had about a two year trial period. And I lost because the kids turned on me and would rather open the gifts than get up and freeze their tails off. I mean, and you know what happened, Al, the second year? We didn't kill any ducks.

[Al]

Yeah.

[Phil]

So they're like, forget this, dad. I'd rather open up Christmas presents.

[Al]

But that shows you, Jason, the context of Christmas, because you and I had a little different thing going on with dad to get him to ourselves, because nobody else would come on Christmas day because they were all Spending Christmas with their families.

[Phil]

Right.

[Al]

So it was just dad and us. And I think, because we missed out a lot on our early stuff, I think we cherish that more, and I love those days. But then all of us, now it's worked out the other way around for you because your kids are grown now.

[Phil]

Yeah.

[Al]

And so you're able to hunt if you.

[Jase]

And as time went on, the. To get a seat in the duck blind became a very. I mean, that was hard. I mean.

[Al]

Yeah.

[Jase]

I remember growing up, like, if you got in on the duck hunt, that was like.

[Phil]

Yeah, exactly.

[Al]

Anybody.

[Phil]

So that was a tradition.

[Jase]

You were lucky.

[Phil]

So on the way here, despite me taking the back roads. I mean, I'm talking about the back roads because now I have to avoid interstate. I have to avoid all major highway because I don't want to go top.

[Jase]

Ends, as the song says.

[Phil]

Yeah. I don't want to go over 40 miles an hour. So I got here. I'm at duck commander headquarters. You know, I had to get here creatively. And wouldn't you know it, I get on the last road, and I look at my. My rearview mirror is not. All I see is a wall of brush, But I'm looking at the side mirrors, and there it is. The old siren truck. But they weren't going off. It just pulled up right behind me. Of course, I got a big pink flag like the loggers do. So I thought, I think I'm legal, but I'm not sure they can see my brake lights or my. Or my blinkers, but I think you can, you know, And I'm using hand signals, but I thought, what story do I need to give? Because I just figured at any moment the lights were going to go off, you know, and so I thought, I'm going Christmas spirit here, because it looks like the most. The biggest Christmas tree in the world is in the back of my truck. And. And then I'll parlay that into a duck blind. I'm. I'm making my duck blind. I'm decorating for twofold to spread.

[Al]

So this is brush for your blind. I never understood what you had the brush for.

[Phil]

I said, I got a forest in the back of my truck.

[Al]

Well, I know, but you never said. I thought. Were you hauling a Christmas tree? You never made clear what the.

[Phil]

No, I'm a duck hunter. I thought that was.

[Al]

I got it. I got it now.

[Phil]

So for everybody else who didn't get that, I have a lot of brush in the back of my truck, but it looks like one giant Christmas tree is What I'm saying from. From the visual. But wouldn't you know it? I took a laugh. I did the hand signal. I had a quarter mile to go, and he went around me and didn't wave, but he just went on. No. So I guess I was legal. Street legal. I'm very happy.

[Al]

At least it wasn't your old friend from.

[Phil]

Well, that's what I'm saying. I've had a few brushes with the law. Get it? Yeah, Brushes with the law. But I. I'm street lady.

[Jase]

You're on it today, man.

[Phil]

And I'm going to brush the duck blind as soon as this is over. And that. That, to me, puts me in the Christmas mood and spirit.

[Al]

It's a Christmas miracle. I'm James McComb reporting live from home in my bathrobe and slippers. Tonight we're talking Dunkin Polar peppermint coffee. Gene's here with the latest. Gene, do you copy?

[Zach]

The home with Duncan is where you want to be.

[Al]

You talked about the worship, Zach, with the. The new song with Layla, Max, which, by the way, I'll. I'll just go ahead and say it because I'm not their parent. They're. They're fantastic.

[Phil]

Oh, yeah.

[Al]

And Jason's family's talented, too. So we are very blessed with both of Yalls wing of youth in terms of their musical ability and what they're able to do. So they've exceeded.

[Jase]

They have exceeded, Jason and I for sure.

[Al]

Our.

[Jase]

Our children, Jace, they've taken it to the next level.

[Phil]

Well, I think you plant the seeds. And you know, my wife, which I'm super proud of, but she's always infused worship when times are difficult or just when there's opportunities. And y'all remember when we got the Podcast of the Year award, which I was very grateful for. My wife and I, when we went out there, she. Because we were presenting an award also, and we were backstage and there's. How many people were there, Zach, at the Caterpillar?

[Al]

It was full.

[Jase]

It was full.

[Phil]

Can I say thousands or the thousands?

[Jase]

Oh, yeah, it was thousands. Was the auditorium. Was it the Ryman or the Ryman?

[Phil]

Yeah, yeah.

[Al]

Grand Ole Opry.

[Jase]

Grand Ole Opry. I don't know. It was. Whatever it was. It was Grand Ole Opry.

[Al]

It was cool.

[Phil]

And. And there's a saying that she keeps on saying when these things come up, and it is. I. I'm not sure how God is going to use this, but I believe God's fixed to do something. She actually said that when we were at Mar A lago. We shared that. When she was backstage, she said the same thing. So when she says that, look out. But she said, I think I'm gonna lead this group of people in a worship song. And I was not nervous. But when she said that, I said, now, babe, we're both going to have mics. And she said, well, you can Pantomine. But she said, I feel like God is fixed to do something, and I'm not sure what it is. And when she said that, I was like, babe, you start and I'll follow. And I don't. I don't. I can't remember. Y'all were there or were you not? Yeah. And. Yeah, and she walked out there, and she just got everybody to stand, and she. She sang an old hymn, and the crowd just, I mean, fell right in line. And, I mean, I thought it was amazing.

[Al]

This was one of those. You had to be there because the song didn't make the final cut of the awards.

[Phil]

No, the doxology, we went so far.

[Jase]

I have a question. I have a question.

[Phil]

Yeah.

[Jase]

What. What award. Do you remember what award you were giving away? And do you remember who won the award?

[Al]

I remember who won.

[Phil]

I think it was Brandon Lake.

[Al]

Brandon Lake is who won.

[Phil]

And for gratitude and. And that's why. Because it got awkward.

[Al]

Was it Song of the year? Zach?

[Jase]

I don't remember the category.

[Al]

Okay?

[Jase]

But it was that Brandon Lake. I do remember Brandon Lake. I believe, after that, came out with a song that had the Doxology in it. Now, of course, Missy didn't write the Doxology, but I. I wonder if he heard that and thought, you know what?

[Phil]

Well, you inspired.

[Jase]

I wonder if he. I. I'm not.

[Al]

Not.

[Jase]

We're not claiming credit here. I'm just. I'm just wondering. I'm just. All I'm doing is. I'm saying I saw this. I saw this happen. I'm just wondering if there's a connection.

[Al]

The tentacles of Unashamed reach deep into the.

[Phil]

I share this story because everybody's like, oh, isn't that nice? But you got to remember when people put on a production and they ask you to be a part of it, you follow the rules. And the. Whoever was running that teleprompter when my wife stepped forward and said, everyone, rise to your feet and sing along. I'm sure the teleprompter operator was in the fetal position, because this wasn't in the script.

[Al]

You know, luckily, it was a Christian event, so there was a cursing.

[Jase]

Yeah, but I'm on the Production side. So I was even. I was like, oh, what are you doing here?

[Phil]

I'm sure that if we're ever invited back, there will be a caveat involved because that was why it didn't make it, because we rebelled against what we were supposed to do. And my wife led the crowd in a song acapella. There's no place to hide. She just. And look, the woman's full of the spirit of God. And I was proud of her in that moment. And look, for us there, it was moving and it led the winner, which I didn't know that. To infuse that magic of that song into whatever venture he was, but it was.

[Al]

The Doxology has been around a long time, right?

[Phil]

Yeah, that's.

[Al]

That's.

[Phil]

Yeah, well. And she did it on purpose. She said, if it does make the cut, because there's no copyright. There's no copyright infringements for a song once it's reached a certain age. But that's why he had such an awkward response when he came up there to us. And a lot of people don't realize what he said to us, but when he walked up, and I know it's because we just led that song and it was very moving, he said this Brandon Lake, who I met one time before, but in passing, he said, can I give you a hug? And I said, sure. And so he hugged us, which I'm sure people just thought that happened organically, but I think it was a cool moment.

[Jase]

You know, he normally doesn't ask, I bet, but he saw you and thought, I better.

[Al]

Here.

[Phil]

Looks a little rough around the edges. I better ask. And I was like, sure. But it wasn't. It was only in what we had just shared together.

[Al]

Yeah.

[Jase]

You know what's funny about that is we. We sing that song every Sunday. That's the. That's how we end our service, is we all sing the Doxology together. And it's such a beautiful moment and such a great kind of rhythm or pattern or just kind of. We just do it. We always end that way before we send everybody out. And I love that. It's one of my favorite songs. And, you know. You know, the first time that I remember singing it, they camp that. Camp around that box. We get around every meal, we get.

[Al]

Around that box, have a prayer in the.

[Phil]

It's. It's a simple song. The first line is like, praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise them, all creatures below. Praise him above, you heavenly host Praise.

[Jase]

Father, Son and Son and Holy Ghost. And then everyone comes in at the harmonies at the end. Amen.

[Phil]

Oh, we did it. Yeah. And we did the amen, which, I.

[Al]

Mean, and the crowd was on because you're talking about, you're talking about the greatest Christian artist in the world were all on the first three rows of the Grand Ole Opry that night. So we were sitting next to them. So you talk about sounding good.

[Jase]

Even the fans there, I mean, the K Love Fan Awards think about, you're like, if you're there, you love Christian music, period. That's why you're there. You love Christian music.

[Phil]

Which Missy told me later, you know, because everything was a production and everything was a show and you had instruments and all and there was, it was just all these people who knew that song praising God acapella. And I'm telling you, it was something God. God worked in that. It was like when you cut back all the production side of it and this guy won this award and this is about spirit filled people together singing to a real living God. And I mean, that's why when we do this Bible study, it's not, you know, people say was the Bible speaking and it kind of is cut off from the living God. This is God speaking through a Bible. And you know, I remember one of my mentors one time telling me that he closed every day, every day. And I'm sure he still does. He says, God speak to me and with something I haven't understood or something I don't understand. And so when he first told me that, I was thinking, oh, what, what, what are you, are you listening for an audible? And he said, it's amazing how many verses would pop into my head that I've read a thousand times. And that's where I got that from, is he was, he was like, this is, this is God breathed. This is God speaking to us. And that goes on down the rabbit hole of, you know, love is. It's a person, it comes back to a person. You don't, you know, you don't carry around notes from your wife back when you were dating. And while, you know, you're in the car, you're just reading those notes because at some point she's going to say, hey, I'm right here. Why don't you, you know, you see what I mean? And that's kind of what the Lord's supper is about. It's. It's not just that we're detached a million miles away. We're literally at his table listening and speaking. It's coming a lot. Deck your home with blinds.com DIY.

[Jase]

Or let us install.

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Head to blinds.com now for up to 40% off select styles plus a free professional measure. Rules and restrictions may apply. We almost started a little bit in Colossians.

[Phil]

Yeah, I'd like to get to it.

[Al]

So we left off in Colossians 3, 15, 17, which I think Jason read for us last time. And we kind of zeroed in on that concept of peace in our last podcast, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. And so we talked a lot about that, the idea that, that's been around since the Old Testament prince of peace, you know, who Christ is. And he says, since as members of one body, you were called to peace. And some of that was that idea of the Gentile and Jew coming together and how that then can bring unity for any two groups of people, race, gender, whatever. But then he says, and be thankful when this is interesting. He mentions gratitude or thankfulness in all three of these verses, which I found interesting. In verse 16, he says, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. And here is again the thought of gratitude with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of our Lord Jesus. And then the third time giving thanks to God the Father through him. But I wanted to talk a little bit today in this text where we move on to the family aspect, which we kind of already set up with both you guys talking about little ones and raising them and how that issue goes, because he's going to bring the family back up. In 1818-21 was this idea of worship and teaching in terms of how they relate to us as Christians. And, you know, it feels like to me, when you look at this, he's kind of giving you both sides. It's like a coin when it comes to your Christian faith and your walk. And one is what you feed into your brain, because we talked about the idea of the new mind and what goes in and how that relates to what comes out in terms of your actions. But then he kind of taps into this, I guess I would call it the emotional side or the, the side that worships, which is a little bit different and, and seems to tap into something different in our walk and in the way we relate to other people kind of our. One another. So I want to talk a little bit about that and get, get, get your take on it.

[Phil]

Yeah, My, my assessment of this, you know, I really studied this hard because I really believe, you know, it is a pivotal verse when he gets to 3, 5 and he starts talking about the old self and the new self. And so I think, you know, you've entered this new world, the kingdom of God, but we're still in the old world. And I think that's why it's such a profound verse when he says, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body. So we're coming together as the body of Christ in this world all over the globe. And the more I thought about this And I read N.T. wright's commentary on, he does one on the prison letters and there's four letters there, Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon, which we're going to get into. But in this section he kind of had an illustration of, because we tend to think purely in a North American context of churches. Well, you know, just get in, get saved, as we'll say it. And then he's saving you from and we'll list all the things, you know, hell and just the consequences and the world. But when you kind of look at the passage and the illustration he made, it's like, well, you found this newfound freedom in Christ, you know, in Galatians, which kind of mirrors the same problems that they were having with the Colossians. You know, there's a lot in there about freedom. And so you say, well, that doesn't mean that he's just taking you immediately from the world. And he made an illustration. It's like, it's like if you had a new president elected and you were going to be free from all the old ways and all the old rules, well, that doesn't mean that when you get out on the highway the next day that if you don't abide by some kind of guidelines, if you're just like, well we're free, we're in a new era, he's like, well guess what's going to happen? There's going to be head on collisions everywhere. And he kind of tells a story about, well, we were just free to do whatever we want. And so that's why he seems to get into the family structure, which is, but, but when you really look into the family structure, the principle that he was saying, which I want to say, just summing all that up, is that he's not taking you from the difficulty of the world, he wants to work through us. And he proved that in his life. I mean, Jesus came down here and lived 30 years. And it was just a being, a human being and growing in nature. And all of a sudden, you know, he's baptized, the spirit descends on him, and then he kind of starts his ministry for three years. But he worked through all these difficulties and then eventually dies on a cross. Which you're thinking, well, that, you know, that ended that which produced in the resurrection and him being exalted, king of Kings. And so I think that was a very good illustration to wrap our head around this, because when you really look at it, we argue about these verses and in different things, but he's turning in their world, the family structure on its head with these. These different reciprocal roles that we have that are not identical, but they're both looked at through the filter of what Jesus did. And you have other passages that do that. And I think these two principles he starts before he gets to the family is this being a part of the body of Christ. And then we teach, we're partners in this proclaiming Jesus. So that's kind of one thing. And we're also partners in this healing and inspiration through worship and getting together. And just imagine all the high points of your Christian life, it usually involves a group of people getting together and worshiping whatever you've got going on that's troubling you or difficult. I mean, there's been many times in a. Some kind of worship setting where I was going through something really difficult, even with this little one in the early days in groups of the church gathered at my house and they sang songs and worship over us, you know, and I'm sitting there, you know, tearing up because there's just something inspirational about what we have in Christ of working through difficulty.

[Jase]

Yeah, yeah. Because you get it into this passage, particularly like family stuff. I don't think it's an accident that when you think about the current cultural climate and really this has been in every culture, that the assault typically are always. The main assault of the enemy tends to be focused on the family unit. And I think that's because if you think about the construction of the family and where that first started, the, the.

[Al]

The.

[Jase]

That institution started in, in the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis chapter one, when he said, let us make man in our image. And there's that passage in Genesis 2 where God looks at Adam and all that exists is Adam and then the triune God. There's no like other people outside of Adam. He's there by himself. He's in a vertical relationship with God. And you would think that at that moment God would, would say, oh, this is all you need is me. This is perfect. This is exactly what I had planned. But God, when he looked at Adam by himself, he says something that's profound. He says it is not good that man be alone. And that is the basis for the entire thing right there. That it is not good for man to be alone. Which the opposite of that would be. It's good for man to be with someone else. If it's not good for man to be alone, then it is good for man to be with someone else. And the reason why is because to be created in the image of God, I don't think that simply means that us individually, I also think that means that man and woman together. Because when it says in the Bible that in the image of God he created them both male and female. So he makes that distinction in Genesis 1 when he says in the image of God, he created them both male and female. And I don't think he's just saying separately. I also think he's talking about together. Because to be alone is to not really reflect the nature of who God is. It's not to reflect the nature of the Trinity. Because God's not alone. God is Father, Son, Holy Spirit. He's three persons in one being. And so the marriage and the institution of the marriage, that's what it is. Ultimately it is a fulfillment and a reflection of the triune God. So when he says it's not good for man to be alone, he's making female to be a companion and a helper for man. And it's interesting we can get into a little bit to look at that word that he uses there for helper. And I think that's why these things get so controversial when you start talking about marriage and different functions inside of a relationship is because people think, whoa, if I'm in that position, then that must mean that I'm less than the other one. But that's not the truth. If we're looking at God as the ultimate source of how we reflect him.

[Al]

Which is why that Paul in Ephesians and here in Colossians, to Jason's point he made earlier, starts with this idea about our relationship with him before he gets into our one another relationships and marriage or parenting, work related, those type of things, because that's where it has to start.

[Jase]

Paul is establishing the centrality of Christ first. And then this is kind of what flows out of that. And I've heard people try to, when you try to talk about, you know, cultural issues centered around Family, even the right to life and sexuality and all these things. If you don't root and anchor that entire discussion first and who God is, then I think we're. We're left with a fairly impotent argument. And it becomes more about like, well, this is just the way it's always been. And this is. It loses its teeth. Like, the real teeth of what we're talking about is anchored in the first and foremost in who is God. And then God has created us in his image. So, therefore, what is. How does that connect? And so that's. I think that's how where this discussion should lead.

[Al]

Well, and that's why. That's why I think he approaches the worship concept with both head and heart, which, you know, we look at that as a physical thing. We think brain and heart, but in a physical way, it's just two organs. But in the spiritual side of who we are, we know there's an intellect and an inspirational side to us. But then there's also an emotional side of us that has to be open. And so a lot of people do either or. Which I think is a mistake. We've talked about this before. When I remember when dad became a Christian, and of course, the movie depicted this as well. He was drawn more the idea of the story of who God was. And even though he was in a bad emotional place, it wasn't really an emotional decision for dad. It was more of a decision of he finally got it. It was like, okay, I understand it. I understand the big picture. I see that he has something for me. And so he based his decision on that. And I remember, and Jason may have been too young to remember, but that first year, now we're a part of a church. Dad's there and he's participating. He's glad to be there because, you know, this is a family that, like, shared the gospel with him. But he really struggled with the emotional side of it. He. He would. I remember him telling other people, because, you know, we would be around when he was talking to his mentors, he said, you know, I'm struggling with this, like, singing and stuff.

[Phil]

I remember him saying that the first time he gathered, he opened his mouth, but it just.

[Al]

Nothing would come out.

[Phil]

Would not. Would not come out. And he really struggled with that. Well, I just remember, you know, in my own life, when I shared a few podcasts ago, when we were talking about feel and legacy, I shared about angel, you know, when I was mad because, you know, because she was gone. That was the only time, you know, when I went. And we were worshiping. Of course, I was a basket case, you know, emotionally. But I couldn't sing. I just could not. The words would not come out, you know, and. But I was just going to bring up Zach. I would put. When we were at your mom, you know, our aunt's funeral, who was very. Jan was very instrumental in bringing Bill to the Lord. I would say that was the number one worship that I've ever been a part of. It was. It was just. And it was kind of shocking to me. It was more joyful than anything. Our tears were more in joy. And you just start thinking back, and it's some of the songs we sang a thousand times. But in that setting, there just seemed to be a power that was being unleashed. And I think of it often, like, I'm glad I'm a part of this, which goes back to my point that he worked. God's whole big plan is he works through suffering and difficulty 100%. And we're partnering with him via the Holy Spirit in this. That's why he brings up those two things. It's not by accident, us speaking Jesus and us singing Jesus in these group settings and individually, wherever you're at, that's the way God uses flawed human beings to make Jesus known. And don't ever, you know, underestimate the power of that.

[Al]

Well, look, and just. Just to speak to that Zach, before you go, dad, through the years, grew to love singing. Like, we would have house, churches at his. In his living room, and it would just be full, man. It would just be like little ones around, like Zach was describing earlier, and Mom's trying to wrangle them. And he would look over at me and say, al, you know, get us a couple of songs started there. And we would sing, you know, we would sing praises, and it would always be him, you know, and he kind.

[Jase]

Of got a lot more. Think about how much more emotional Phil got throughout his life. And I can tell you this, I never saw Phil cry until about 2015 when we were at the beach. And. And I've told that story. But. But then, since then, you know, the last 10 years, nine years, I think I've seen Phil cry about eight or nine times, maybe more.

[Al]

Yeah.

[Jase]

And so I think about that. I mean, he's. I think that's all of us. It's not. There's a danger of coming too emotional. But I want to say this to something, Jason, when you mentioned at my mom's funeral, here's a song that we sang, and I love this because in this text here, it says, let. Let the word of Christ dwell in you, richly teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. And so often there's like, these worship wars. Like, oh, we only sing the hymns. Or, man, we don't sing the hymns. Those are old. Or, we only sing the psalms. But I love that it gives us these three categories. Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. And then at my mom's funeral, I think we did all three of those in one of the songs we sang at church the other day, and they just said, we're going to introduce you all to a song we've never sang before. And they started to sing it. Of course, I started weeping, because I'm like, I remember this song we sang at my mom's funeral, and it was the last time I'd heard that song sung publicly. And it was by Sean Curran, and it was about the kingdom. I want to see heaven. So let your kingdom come. And it was all about heaven coming to earth and an invasion, almost, of God coming to earth and his kingdom coming. And I think that, like, in that moment of, like, pain and suffering, the reason why we could worship and sing out, because those moments for us, yeah, we, like, we are. We're moved, like, in pain, but we're also like, these are sobering moments for us and moments filled with hope. Because what they do is they're like these moments of. I don't even know how to describe it, but it's like putting our hope on steroids in these moments, because it, like, fast forwards everything. Like, you know what? This is where everything is headed. Which means that we know there's more and it. And that's how we kind of find this weird peace in the. In the moments that would wreck a lot of other people.

[Phil]

Yeah, no doubt about it. Look, I had a revelation at some point because I've told y'all about my dating ministry. That was a flop, but it led me to my wife. And so really, it wasn't a flop because the end result justified the means. And for you who are just now listening, I would date a girl, share the gospel within the first minute of the date. And then that was the date. I was like, we're not going anywhere. I just want to share that with you because I just thought, did that.

[Jase]

Kind of kill the mood sometimes? Are they like, I'm out on that.

[Phil]

The first one just got out.

[Jase]

I'd say you vet him right there.

[Phil]

But I'm saying early on, the first one got out on the first couple sentences, they didn't even hear the whole, you know, dissertation.

[Jase]

They say, did they say you were weird and you were like, yep, I.

[Phil]

Sure, they didn't have to say I was weird, that it just got weird. But the only person it didn't get weird with was my wife because I gave the speech. I was like, look, I'm not going to, you know, put my hands on you in an inappropriate way. I'm looking forward to the afterlife. I'm going to spend eternity with the creator of the universe. And I'm looking for someone to help me get there. And if the Lord blesses us with kids, so be it. We'll help them. So you're going 0 to 80 seconds, 10 strikeout. Now, I did baptize one of them. Later, the one girl came back and it was like, the 10 lepers, you know, one left the vehicle thinking I was a weirdo and later came back.

[Jase]

And I don't know why they would think that you start talking about having babies with them and stuff. And one day for the kids, you know, I don't know.

[Phil]

I started the conversation with, I'm not going to touch you inappropriately as long as we are not married. Because I wanted them to hold me accountable to that. So I gave Missy the space.

[Al]

I love it.

[Phil]

I love it. Look at this stage of it. After about 10 strikeouts, I was kind of just going through it like, this is the way it is. This is who I am. You know, I didn't have a lot of heart and emotion in it. It was just like, this is the way it's going to be. And she famously said, well, I think you're the kind of guy I'm looking for. And I thought, really? Okay. She's like, but let's just start off being friends. So I thought that meant I'm just being nice about declining this proposal. But no, she was, you know, and that kind of birthed. We started off as just friends for, you know, quite a lengthy time. But what I was going to say is at some point I read this Colossians 3 in our relationship. I'm saying once we got married and realized, you know, I mainly speak Jesus, I'm teaching and admonishing and sharing mainly with the non Christian about who Jesus is. But she's. She's a worship person and I mean world class. If she hadn't married me, I'm sure she would be making a living singing or producing, singing in some capacity full time. But boy, I thought. After a while I realized I was like, thank you God, for sending me this woman because we, we can go do an event and cover the speaking and the worship in one package. And I think it was very instrumental with our kids. I wanted to share one story. I don't think I've ever shared it here. I didn't want to ever share this because I got choked up. And look, I was not an emotional guy for 30 years, you know, I cried when my best friend died and I cried a little bit when our grandpa died. But then I took a 30 year break and well, I'm just not. Look, I'm a man, you know, I've kind of got that man's man and I don't cry about things.

[Jase]

He took a 30 year break from crying. Crying.

[Phil]

Yeah, I did. And so. But the last four or five years, you know, and I think it's kind of what y'all describe with Phil now. He took about a, you know, 70 year break, but which was from when he was a baby till a few years ago. Seriously, he did. But, you know, I just. When I had my daughter, it just, it changed things, especially when she, you know, really struggled, you know, with a teenager and having all these surgeries and you know, you just, you go through anything with a special needs kid and it will put you to the test. And so my tears were more with joy in her overcoming all that. I just couldn't help it. And so a famous story I told on Sadie's podcast and I just turned into a basket case, which was embarrassing, but I think I'm good with it now. But I could tell she had had a surgery and she wasn't doing good spiritually. She had a, you know, a year or two where it was very difficult. And this is, I guess, five years ago. But I just noticed because her go to throughout all those surgeries was that contribution that Missy had made with worship and singing and learning the piano and like, you know, my son Reed can play eight different instruments and he never had a lesson. It was just, we have. Our house has been filled with worship. And look, she came down after that surgery and, and we had started the road, you know, basically to Jesus. But it's hard to see the forest for the trees. But when she. She couldn't sing. But the energy that she was playing that piano and I was sitting there on the couch listening, I thought she's had an awakening. Even though she wasn't singing. And it was like a movie that I was watching. The passion and the positivity. Even despite all this pain and all her struggles, I was like, oh, she's found her way back to the Lord. I mean, it was just. And it's hard to describe because it was just fingers on piano keys. And look, she. She played for hours and it was just this joy that was just unleashed. And different people would come in and sit down and listen. I mean, this went on. It was like a five day concert in our recovery and not a word was spoken. So obviously I had many tear filled moments during that. I was just like, she's bursting forth, you can't help it. And then when she could talk, it confirmed what I heard. And I thought, that's the beauty when you say let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. That's the beauty of speaking Jesus, even though it might come with resistance and persecution. Well, then you have the old, this, this recovery process that God instituted on the side. The beauty of worshiping together. And you. And you may have a person not even saying a word, which shows you.

[Al]

The hard part of it. Just that word. Seeing in this, in the niv here, the Greek word is solo and it means to pluck an. A. Pluck the strings is the.

[Phil]

Yeah.

[Al]

Is what the word literally means. And so what you were describing is interesting. You were talking about the keys. It could have been a guitar, it could have just been in a heart. It could have been whatever. But I love the idea there of that is a heart that's full and that, that really has an understanding of something, which is really kind of the point of the whole thing. And I love the point you made about how that we complement each other, which we'll get into the next podcast with husbands and wives, because I didn't mention. I should have mentioned that. Really one of the things that acclimated dad to the heart part of Christianity and not just the head part, was mom. And like her being there through that every step of the way. She's the one that opened our house and made those opportunities there. And she loved to sing and she loved to. And so she really brought dad along into that. Because, you know, you're right. I think our instinct is a lot like his. I get probably more motivated by a podcast, by what we're doing here, by a sermon, by a lesson. You know, I still tend to think that way, but I've grown to love worship as well and what it does for the heart. And I. And I've shed tears before like we've described. And I love it, Zach, because you mentioned what's different about biblical peace and understanding. Who God is, is even in situations where other people would be sad. We're joyful. And which we mentioned about your mom's funeral, so a lot more to say about that next time we come back. There's some biblical examples of worship I want to mention before we get into this next text, but we're out of time, so we'll we'll hit that next time on Unashamed. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating us on itunes, and don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube. And be sure to click that little bell to get notified about new episodes. And for even more content that you won't get anywhere else, subscribe to [e-mail] Unashamed.