Ep 1051 | Jase Opens Fan Mail That Reopens Old Wounds & How to Speak Honestly About Your Sin

Summary

Podcast Summary: Unashamed with the Robertson Family

Episode: Ep 1051 | Jase Opens Fan Mail That Reopens Old Wounds & How to Speak Honestly About Your Sin
Release Date: March 5, 2025
Host: Tread Lively
Guests: Preston Perry

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1. Fan Mail Segment: The Great Burger and Cheese Debate

The episode kicks off with the Robertson family engaging in their beloved "Unashamed Mailbag" segment, where they address fan letters. In this installment, Jase Robertson reads a letter from Shelley that reignites an ongoing debate about the best type of cheese to use on a hamburger.

• Jase Robertson [01:43]:
  "But I found this part very, very on the edge of your seat, Al. However, I haven't been able to get a non-biblical discussion out of my mind."

Shelley criticizes the use of processed cheese on burgers, emphasizing her preference for real cheese:

• Shelley (via Jase) [04:12]:
  "Processed cheese just doesn't compare to the real deal, Zach. It sticks to the roof of your mouth. It's oily, and it isn't even all cheese. Exactly. So don't call it that."

The Robertson family humorously debates the merits of processed versus real cheese, highlighting family dynamics and camaraderie.

• Phil Robertson [02:21]:
  "Yeah, it's the kingdom of cheese."

• Preston Perry [05:39]:
  "So you're not anti cheese?"

The segment underscores the family's ability to intertwine lighthearted topics with heartfelt discussions, fostering a sense of community and relatability.

2. Introducing Guest Preston Perry

After the fan mail segment, the family introduces their special guest, Preston Perry, an author and evangelist known for his street conversations and impactful ministry work.

• Jase Robertson [11:37]:
  "So Preston Perry, welcome to Unashamed Man."

Preston shares his journey and passion for evangelism, emphasizing authentic interactions and genuine relationships.

• Preston Perry [11:53]:
  "You basically just have street conversations with people. And the more I watched, the more I was like, well, Preston reminds me of me."

3. Evangelism and Authenticity in Faith

A significant portion of the episode delves into effective evangelism, with Preston Perry discussing strategies for sharing the Gospel authentically.

• Preston Perry [24:39]:
  "You think you have to know a whole bunch of information instead of asking good questions so people can teach you how to serve them."

Preston emphasizes the importance of genuine conversations over scripted dialogues, drawing inspiration from Jesus' interactions in the Bible.

• Zach Dasher [25:31]:
  "And so, for example, you guys just brought up, you know, the woman at the well, Jesus asks her a question that he already knew the answer to."

He advocates for emotional intelligence and active listening, allowing relationships to guide evangelistic efforts naturally.

4. Cultural Diversity in Christianity

The discussion shifts to the significance of embracing cultural diversity within the Christian community. Preston highlights how diverse backgrounds enrich the body of Christ and enhance collective understanding of God's work.

• Zach Dasher [45:07]:
  "I think that when we embrace the fact that our God is not limited to how we grew up... God wants to use so many different types of people in mighty ways."

This segment underscores the value of respecting and learning from different cultures to foster a more inclusive and effective ministry.

5. Discussion on Sin and Gospel Presentation

Preston Perry and the Robertson family explore the delicate balance of addressing sin while presenting the Gospel. They discuss the importance of transparency and honesty in conversations about faith.

• Zach Dasher [41:21]:
  "I think a lot of times people... have to deal with being seed planters."

• Zach Dasher [43:11]:
  "You were created for glory... separated from this because of sin."

Preston emphasizes that acknowledging sin is crucial for understanding the need for salvation, but it should be approached with compassion and truth.

6. Preston Perry’s Book: "How to Tell the Truth"

Preston introduces his latest book, "How to Tell the Truth," which focuses on effective evangelism and authentic dialogue. The Robertson family highly praises the book for its insightful strategies and relatable narratives.

• Phil Robertson [27:53]:
  "If you want to know how to do it better, get this book."

Preston shares excerpts that highlight his personal experiences and the transformative power of honest conversations in spreading the Gospel.

• Phil Robertson [36:21]:
  "This is such a powerful apologetic... to try to serve them."

7. Embracing Lifestyle and Cultural Practices

The conversation transitions to the family's lifestyle choices, such as hunting, which symbolize self-sufficiency and a connection to nature. This segment reflects their values and how they integrate faith into daily activities.

• Jase Robertson [44:28]:
  "We basically go through the seasons... harvest multiple things from the creation to enjoy."

• Zach Dasher [45:24]:
  "I think that when we embrace the fact that our God is not limited to how we grew up... we haven't had any executions in the state of Louisiana a long time."

8. Closing Remarks and Future Plans

As the episode concludes, the family expresses excitement about future collaborations and the continual growth of their ministry. They extend warm greetings to Preston and encourage listeners to engage with their content.

• Phil Robertson [49:31]:
  "You're always welcome here on Unashamed. Thank you for being here today."

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Notable Quotes:

• Jase Robertson [01:43]:
  "But I found this part very, very on the edge of your seat, Al."

• Zach Dasher [25:31]:
  "He asks her a question to reveal something in, you know, to her, namely himself."

• Preston Perry [27:01]:
  "God never tries to be us."

• Zach Dasher [30:50]:
  "If you think that every conversation is supposed to end with the sinner's prayer, you'll never be an evangelist."

• Phil Robertson [36:21]:
  "This is such a powerful apologetic."

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Key Takeaways:

• Authentic Evangelism: Emphasizing genuine conversations over scripted dialogues enhances the effectiveness of sharing the Gospel.

• Cultural Diversity: Embracing and learning from diverse cultural backgrounds enriches the Christian community and broadens its reach.

• Addressing Sin with Compassion: Discussing sin is essential but should be done with honesty, compassion, and a focus on redemption.

• Personal Stories: Sharing personal experiences and struggles fosters relatability and strengthens faith connections within the community.

• Continuous Growth: The Robertson family and Preston Perry advocate for ongoing personal and spiritual growth, encouraging listeners to actively engage in their faith journey.

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This episode of Unashamed with the Robertson Family offers a blend of humor, heartfelt discussions, and practical advice on faith and evangelism, making it a valuable resource for both new believers and longtime followers of Jesus.

Transcript

[Jase Robertson]

I am unashamed.

[Zach Dasher]

What about you?

[Phil Robertson]

Welcome back to Unashamed. We love getting fan mail. Oh, it's the unashamed mailbag, which I get. Several of you are not happy with me because I mentioned the mailbag a while back and. But we just periodically go here. So I know some of you like that regular segment, but I've noticed a.

[Jase Robertson]

Pattern of behavior from our audience. They will hear an argument. And most of these things so far have been non biblical. The arguments. So quite a few podcasts ago, I had already just disfellowshipped Zach on this issue, but our Unashamed Nation representative has spoken and they want to resolve an argument that we had that I think was unresolved. And this was. You'll have to scroll back a few podcasts. Remember when we had the debate about the greatest hamburger and who makes them?

[Preston Perry]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jase Robertson]

And. And Zach had everyone on the edge of their seat because he said he.

[Phil Robertson]

Had this like secret and grit. A secret thing that made it over the top secret thing.

[Jase Robertson]

And he kind of tried to sell it on his body type, you know, because you're thinking, you know, I never trust a skinny chef, you know, so.

[Preston Perry]

That was pre PhD.

[Phil Robertson]

This was pre PhD.

[Jase Robertson]

All of a sudden he drop the processed cheese.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah. American cheese, I'm telling you.

[Jase Robertson]

And I thought, no, I'm out. So here was a letter, and I.

[Phil Robertson]

Concurred with Jay's because I'm a cheddar.

[Jase Robertson]

Man, wanting to resolve the issue. And this is from Shelley. And now she gave a few pleasantries and compliments on the podcast.

[Phil Robertson]

Thank you.

[Jase Robertson]

That part. But I found this part very, very on the edge of your seat, Al. However, I haven't been able to get a non biblical discussion out of my mind. Specifically the debate you've had on what is the best type of cheese to put on a burger. As a proud Wisconsinite. So this is the equivalent to, I would argue, the godhead of the Bible, if you want to relate that. Well, Wisconsin is the capital of cheese.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah.

[Jase Robertson]

Would you agree? It's royal America.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah, it's. It's the. It's the kingdom of cheese.

[Jase Robertson]

They, I mean, they have.

[Phil Robertson]

They wear cheese on their head.

[Preston Perry]

Say they're known for their cheese. I agree.

[Jase Robertson]

So.

[Phil Robertson]

And they are in America.

[Jase Robertson]

Now, listen this. As a proud Wisconsinite and a granddaughter of the founder of Sargento, which is a company.

[Phil Robertson]

Whoa.

[Jase Robertson]

That produces cheese products, which is one of my favorites.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah.

[Jase Robertson]

And we're not here doing a commercial for Sargento, although we're open if you'd.

[Phil Robertson]

Like Yeah.

[Jase Robertson]

I use their product.

[Phil Robertson]

I love their product.

[Jase Robertson]

My favorite product. They have. They have. And it's hard to find. It's a. They put peppers in Colby Jack cheese. They call it pepper Jack because I don't. So it's like, if you get cheddar cheese. Okay. You get pepper Jack.

[Preston Perry]

Okay. Yeah.

[Jase Robertson]

But somehow they combine that. But it's not in our area very much. And so I always tell Missy. She's like, what are you out of? And I'm like, go find that. That. I love it. So she said. I couldn't help but feel the need to chime in. So she. She's chiming in on the argument. Okay, now listen to this. This is her letter, not me. Admittedly, everything Zach was describing as to how he makes his burgers sounded mouth watering until he dropped the line about a slice of processed cheese on top. I literally gasp out loud in yuck. Processed cheese just doesn't compare to the real deal, Zach. It sticks to the roof of your mouth. It's oily, and it isn't even all cheese. Exactly. So don't call it that. So what she did is she sent, I guess from her. Her parents or grandparents.

[Phil Robertson]

Grandparents.

[Jase Robertson]

And a box of cheese as a compromise. And I didn't even know Sargento made this. Oh, and then we have.

[Phil Robertson]

We got hats. There's a beanie.

[Jase Robertson]

Well, look at this. The beanie says, life.

[Phil Robertson]

Life is Gouda.

[Jase Robertson]

Yeah, I'll wear. I'll actually wear that. She sent this where the cameras are.

[Phil Robertson]

Natural American look.

[Jase Robertson]

So it looks like the little slicey cheese that Zach was talking about.

[Phil Robertson]

But it's real cheese.

[Jase Robertson]

Yeah, but it's real.

[Preston Perry]

I'll put that in your fridge once. What's the expiration date on. I have to try that. When I come down, I'm still.

[Jase Robertson]

So let's have an argument about that. Cheese doesn't expire.

[Preston Perry]

It gets moldy.

[Phil Robertson]

Well, it gets molded. But you cut the mold off. It's.

[Jase Robertson]

Oh, you keep going. I know. I've seen people eat the mold.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah. It's just penicillin.

[Preston Perry]

If you're in France. Yeah, they definitely eat the mold on it.

[Phil Robertson]

So let me.

[Preston Perry]

Let me. Let me. Let me respond with all due respect, obviously. And I'm not.

[Phil Robertson]

I'm not.

[Preston Perry]

I want to be respectful here, but the other side of the argument is. Is that. Is that she is. Has something like, she's too vested in this, so she cannot see it objectively. And. And I will say that I actually buy their cheese and I use their cheese on sandwiches and everything. Else agree to agree.

[Phil Robertson]

So you're not anti cheese?

[Preston Perry]

No. You just think that's bad.

[Jase Robertson]

You've never tried this.

[Phil Robertson]

You're already natural.

[Preston Perry]

I have not tried that. So I will try that brand. You take a picture of it. I'll send it to you.

[Phil Robertson]

I'll send it to you where you can find.

[Jase Robertson]

Let me just. Let me. Let me just.

[Phil Robertson]

Because I've never seen this.

[Jase Robertson]

Your argument has become the equivalent to Swiss cheese.

[Preston Perry]

No, I'm now using you.

[Jase Robertson]

There's holes popping up in your anatomy.

[Preston Perry]

I'm telling you, you have the T.

[Jase Robertson]

Shirt on right now, the cheddar version, and all of a sudden, it's just. Holes are just cracking up everywhere.

[Preston Perry]

No, the people have spoke and, like, there.

[Phil Robertson]

Now we have an expert on our side.

[Preston Perry]

You do have an expert, but also an ex. I think that her testimony is tainted because she is the heir to the. To the empire.

[Phil Robertson]

We're sorry. So, yeah, I'm just deal with Shelly.

[Jase Robertson]

Well, how about we'll try it and we'll get back to. What was her name?

[Phil Robertson]

The problem is Shelly. Weeks before I could.

[Preston Perry]

And look, here's the deal.

[Jase Robertson]

Oh, that's right. Y'all are both up. So here's what. Here's what I'll do.

[Phil Robertson]

You have to be now our decider Joe.

[Jase Robertson]

I will. Because I'm.

[Phil Robertson]

If I.

[Jase Robertson]

If there's ever a diet that I have to go on, which I've never been on one. If it involves cheese, I'm like our Sicilian friend that we had on the last podcast. I must eat cheese.

[Phil Robertson]

It was her gateway.

[Preston Perry]

You're gonna do it. You'll make the burgers. You'll do one my way. One with that cheese right there.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah. Give it a fair shot.

[Jase Robertson]

I've had his.

[Preston Perry]

No, you haven't had. You have not had mine.

[Jase Robertson]

No, I haven't, but I've eaten that.

[Phil Robertson]

That America that.

[Preston Perry]

I'm telling you, you got to do it the way I said it. And here's the thing. I don't even know if you can be objective at this point. I think you're so pot committed on this discussion, I don't know if you have the ability to be objective.

[Jase Robertson]

Well, you're wrong. You have. You have brought preconceived notions to the argument.

[Phil Robertson]

All right? So we're going to. We're going to. We're going to work this out where we actually have an actual taste test.

[Jase Robertson]

But I will say this. Upon first inspection, visually, this looks like something that I would ingest in my body when you got to remember where the processed cheese that. He's saying the only reason we ate that as kids was due to poverty because that is the cheapest and availability.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah.

[Jase Robertson]

I also ate mayonnaise sandwiches when I was a kid.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah.

[Jase Robertson]

Not a choice.

[Phil Robertson]

Well, the fact that it will.

[Preston Perry]

Well, let me add one thing to that before. I know we got to get to our break because we got a guest coming on, but some of the best food that you've ever put in your mouth was born out of poverty. Jambalaya, gumbo, most of the Cajun foods, they all came out of a poverty. That poverty culture. And so don't knock it for its origins, Chase.

[Jase Robertson]

No, I'm combining the origin plus the taste, because my first reaction to it was a. Was a gag reflex. And I thought, this doesn't taste like cheese.

[Preston Perry]

And I will say this about her. Her. Her saying that it sticks to the roof of your mouth only if it's cold. If it's melted onto a hamburger, it does not stick to the roof of your mouth. It actually becomes, like, almost like a. It's not quite a sauce because it's not that runny, but it's like. It's in between like, a cheese melt and a sauce, but it kind of infuses. That's what makes it good. It infuses with the burger.

[Jase Robertson]

It's burger fusion.

[Preston Perry]

That's what.

[Jase Robertson]

This looks better. So we're. We're going to try.

[Phil Robertson]

We're going to try. We're going to check it out. All right, so we're going to take a break. We have a guest that has nothing to do with cheese coming up that I am super excited about. You will love to hear his story. It's going to be fantastic. So we'll. We'll tell you about him. We come back from the break. Jase, I got a question for you.

[Zach Dasher]

Yeah.

[Phil Robertson]

What do Andrea Bocelli, Steph Curry, Justin Bieber, and Tim Tebow all have in common? Please tell me I never knew this. I knew it about Thiebaud. I didn't know about the others. All their mothers were encouraged to end their pregnancies.

[Jase Robertson]

Oh, wow.

[Phil Robertson]

Of these four men. So when a woman is facing an unplanned pregnancy, she often gets a lot of pressure to end her child's life. She wants to make the right choice, but society and those around her are telling her that her baby is not alive. And I've heard Thiebaud's mom speak very powerfully about this and how she was pressured. And that's where preborn steps in and I got to tell you, we out of all of our sponsors, preborn has been there with us for quite a while, and we just share their DNA of wanting to not only save babies, but also to help moms preborn in their network of clinics offer compassionate, loving care to mothers and the support that they need. And also, it helps them choose life, including a free ultrasound. Once a mom hears her child's beautiful heartbeat, she's twice as likely to to choose life. So if you consider yourself pro life, it's time to join forces with Reborn. Together, we can empower women to choose life. Empowering the truth of motherhood changes and transforms families and futures. One ultrasound is just $28 and $140 will help rescue five babies. When you donate monthly, you'll receive stories and pictures of lives that you helped save. Please dial £250, say the keyword baby. That's £250, keyword baby. Or visit preborn.comunashamed. that's preborn.com/unashamed. So welcome back to Unashamed. We are super excited about our next guest. I have not met you, Preston, but I have read your latest book, and you are one of our people. There's no doubt about it. A believer, a faithful follower in Christ who loves to tell people about Jesus. So, Preston Perry, welcome to Unashamed Man.

[Zach Dasher]

Thank y'all for having me. It's an honor. True honor.

[Jase Robertson]

Now, where else could you go on the planet? Because I. I had not met Preston either, and they said, we have a guest. So I looked into you and watched some of your videos online, which are quite popular.

[Phil Robertson]

They're very good.

[Jase Robertson]

And, and, and if I don't surmise this, well, you can correct me, but you basically just have street conversations with people. And the more I watched, the more I was like, well, Preston reminds me of me, which is what I thought.

[Phil Robertson]

When I was reading the book.

[Zach Dasher]

Yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure. I tell people all that all, all the time that I have so many different, you know, friends. I was just telling you guys about Ray Orlando, old white guy from Nashville. That is just one of my dearest friends. And, you know, I grew up in a predominantly African American community in a place called the Hood. And it's only, you know, the body of Christ that connects people and, you know, you know, crisis, common denominator just connects us all. You know, I love for Jesus, and so I thank God for this, this huge family that I'm a part of now.

[Phil Robertson]

Absolutely. And you, Preston, you know, you met Zach and Zach Told me I met in Angola, and I was like, wait, what were y'all doing in Angola? So he had to tell me what y'all were doing there. But you.

[Jase Robertson]

Angola. The prison.

[Phil Robertson]

The prison. The Louisiana. Our big prison, as they call it. So what were you doing, Zach? What were y'all doing in Angola when you met Preston?

[Preston Perry]

We were there with God behind bars. Layla was singing with Ella. Worship in Preston, gave his testimony and preached, which I have to say, it was. You did awesome, man. He had that. He brought the house down.

[Zach Dasher]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was. It was an honor to preach to all those inmates right before they did baptism. And just talking to the inmates and seeing so many inmates get their lives to the Lord and get baptized, that was crazy. You know, people coming up to me and telling me, you know, that they, you know, going to die in prison, but they. They're alive in Christ. So that was powerful. I will always remember that day. It was powerful. Powerful, you know? Yeah, yeah.

[Phil Robertson]

I was there a few years ago with dad, and I've said this before on the podcast, he had one of the greatest opening lines ever. He said, just because you're under lock and key does not mean that you can't be set free. And that was his opening line. He went to Galatians 3 about the whole world's a prisoner of sin, and it was just a powerful thing. And, you know, someone told me just this last week, Preston, that they. They had piped in Dad's message into even death row, which, you know, Angola is. Is our death row prison. And I think there. I don't know how many death row prisoners there are, but it went. The message went into there, and we had heard back that at least five people had given their lives to Christ after that message. And the guy that was telling me this said he had just been notified this week because we hadn't had any executions in the state of Louisiana a long time. But one of those five is slated for execution soon. That just happened. But now we know that he's committed follower of Christ, even in a situation. So it just reminds me of the parable about the kingdom. You know, the guys that get in the last hour, you know, they're still. They're still in. Which is the beauty of that, you know.

[Zach Dasher]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You could tell. It's very obvious, you know, how much you guys's family have made an impact on, you know, inmates for a long time. So just saying that was, you know, very powerful. The scriptures commands us to care for people who are in prison, you Know, as if they, you know, were one of us. And so just to see people, other Christians out there doing a work for people who are incarcerated was such a encouragement to me, you know, and just seeing them just respond the way they did to us, you could tell they just really appreciate it just to know that they're cared for and that people thought about them enough to come admit.

[Jase Robertson]

The world to them.

[Zach Dasher]

And so I definitely see myself doing it again.

[Phil Robertson]

Well, and I think that, Preston, it seems like to me, just from looking at some of your stuff, and I want to get to your new book here in just a minute because it was so good. I read the whole thing yesterday. It was so. I mean, one setting. I read the whole thing. But the. What I. What I love about it is you and your wife, like us, have found that just transparency and being real about your past, about who you are, about what Christ is on your life is just a complete door opener for people. I mean, it just, you know, that. And that's what we figured out. We figured out that, you know, a lot of people in Christianity, unfortunately, are trying to take everything that's ever, you know, not been the best representation of themselves and, like, lock that away in a closet somewhere and just had this look like we're all great and everything's perfect. And you're like. That doesn't really connect to people very easily. And so I. I just felt like that's the reason we have such a connection. You guys, you've done the same thing we do. You're just very real and transparent about, you know, where you've been, where you are, and where you hope to head.

[Zach Dasher]

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I think you have. So I think for people who feel as if they have to put on a facade, I don't think they really sat with the Scriptures.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah.

[Zach Dasher]

You know, one thing that motivated me to come to the Lord when I was, you know, I didn't grow up in church. And so one of the things that motivated me to come to the Lord even start flirting with the idea of accepting Christianity as the ultimate worldview. And the true worldview out there was man. I believe that I started to see I could trust in the validity of the Bible because it was real. It didn't hide the flaws and the downfalls of men. Right. It didn't hide the fact that David had somebody killed. It didn't hide the fact that, you know, Paul was persecuting Christians. It didn't hide the fact that Solomon, you know, had his head, his issues. He didn't hide the Fact that, you know, Peter denied Jesus three times. I mean, the Bible is a very transparent book. It does not just have men's highlights. And like, you know, social media, that's all you see is the highlights. The 32nd best lives of people's life. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, but, you know, the Bible is very, very transparent and. And honest. And so I think that, you know, because of that, we can, like, read the Scriptures and we can learn from these men and women mistakes, and we can know how to please the Lord and we can learn from another man's errors. And so how much more us, you know, And I think that, you know, even in my book, I gave my life to the Lord by. By the man who discip. Saw him fail. And the guy used that situation to show me how far, far I was away from the Lord. So I think that if we start to be more real, I think we can actually make more disciples.

[Phil Robertson]

Zach 2025 has brought in not only just a new year for me, but also a commitment to put my health at a little higher priority. And so I've decided to lose some weight. Our good friends at Ph.D. weight Loss have come alongside me, and now Zach is eng engaged in the program as well. It was founded by Dr. Ashley Lucas. And, you know, one of the things that she said early on, Zach, to us was that 80% of dropping fat and weight comes from what you eat, which, you know, sounds like very simple, but many times we miss that. What I love about Dr. Lucas is she's a registered dietitian, a PhD in sports nutrition, and chronic disease. And I have to say, out of all the diets I've done in the past, she has done, she and her team the best job of explaining the science of why you get fat and why you hang on to it. And that's one of the reasons why I think they've had so much success. The program teaches you what to eat, when to eat, and it also works on your relationship with food and shows you how to lose weight for life. So if you're watching this on YouTube, here's a picture of me when I started the journey. Now I'm into my eighth week, and I've lost almost 30 pounds, which is a great blessing. No gimmicks, no pills, no injections, no side effects. And I have to say, I just thought about this, Zach. I also haven't had to take any sort of tums. I've had no indigestion. And I was plagued with this for years. So this diet has really helped me. I'm not hungry, so it doesn't feel like I'm eating rabbit food. The protein, I think is the real help there. PhD weight loss even provides up to 80% of your weekly foods at no extra cost. Join me Join Zach on our weight loss journey. Schedule your one on one consultation today by calling 864-644-1900 or visiting myphdweightloss.com that's 864-644-1900. Tell them that Al and Zach sent you.

[Jase Robertson]

The reason I was excited that you were coming on after I watched a couple videos is that because I really wasn't raised in the church either. I mean, I guess I was a young kid when my parents came to the Lord and I witnessed that transformation in real life from literally the bar lifestyle because that's what my dad did for a living. He leased a bar and it wasn't a nice bar. You know, it was rough and they didn't really have any rules about our presence in the bar. I mean, that's basically what I was seeing. And I'm actually thankful for it because I was looking around thinking these are some of the most depressing, angry people that I've ever seen. I mean, it was, it actually, you know, it affects people different way, which Al was older than, than I was when my dad came to the Lord. But so I like you, you know, kind of was just looking on my own at the Bible without this kind of predisposed theology, I guess. Yeah. And what struck me in what you do and what I do, which is similar is, you know, we're in the book of John now, we're studying. But when you look at what Jesus did, I mean, his first, the first red letters in John is a question to his potential followers. He said, what do you want? And of course they didn't really answer his question. They were like, where are you staying? And he said, come and you'll see. And the whole book after John gives this kind of deep theology about how Jesus came to earth in, in the body of a human. It then has all these conversations with people that kind of validates God came to earth. And he had conversations with people. I mean, you know, you had Nicodemus and you know, he was a religious leader and he tells them exact opposite thing that you would ever think somebody would tell a religious leader, which is, you need to be born again. And then, you know, in John 4 he talks with the Samaritan woman, which had broken so many rules just having the conversation at the well. And her past was, to your point, very transparent. And then Jesus, you know, kind of identifies with. Yeah. He knows your past and he knows your present. That you're currently living with a guy that's not your husband. And then she became kind of the first missionary in that town. I mean, it's just. And I remember reading that at 14 years old, and I thought the same thing. I thought, man, this is so real and transparent and the opposite of what I'm now hearing at the church building that I'm going to. Wow. Yeah. So maybe that's why we developed this, which I think it's doing Jesus stuff, having conversations with people wherever you are, because I think that's how God works.

[Zach Dasher]

That's amazing.

[Phil Robertson]

Well, I haven't mentioned the book, but it's called how to Tell the Truth. And for those of you watching, I've got a copy of it here in my hands. And what Jace just talked about, Preston was learning from the Master. Was the chapter in the book when you talked about what he just said, is that you learned a lot of your skill set to talk to people from what Jesus did. Yeah. Just in talking to folks. Right. So talk a little bit about that. You know, people struggle. I have so many on our podcast that say, I want to. I want to be able to share my faith more openly, more clearly, but I'm not sure how to do that. And you said in here in your book that some people's personality lends itself to that, but we all kind of have a responsibility to try to share that. So what would you tell folks that to. How to do that better? Because your book is really. And by the way, Way, if you want to know how to do it better, get this book.

[Zach Dasher]

Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I think a lot of times when we think about being like God, I don't know if we think about being like God in. In the terms of evangelism, because I think, you know, like, we. We forget that God became man, and sometimes we forget that the God man was. Was actually, you know, a man, and vice versa. But I think when you think about when Jesus came to the earth and he. He. He incarnated himself to come to the earth, like, he literally showed us how to interact with people, to talk with people. You're right. In his humanity. And so, like, one of the things that I think that makes people nervous about evangelism is they think they have to know a whole bunch of information.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah.

[Zach Dasher]

Instead of asking good questions so people can teach you how to serve them. Does it make sense?

[Phil Robertson]

Yes.

[Zach Dasher]

And so, for example, you guys just brought up, you know, the woman at the well, Jesus asks her a question that he already knew the answer to. He says, where's your husband? He knew she had five, right. But he's asking her a question, right, to reveal something in, you know, to her, namely himself. And I do think that a lot of times when we, when we're out in the streets, I think that if we, if we're only asking questions to respond and not asking questions to truly get to know people, and we're not truly inquisitive, and we're not truly, you know, investigative about, you know, where someone is and where someone believes about God and all the things I think, you know, then it starts to become like a chess match. And one of the things I said in the book, like, when, you know, you find your, your identity and the information, you know, and not the gods, you know, you'll end up treating people like projects and not image bearers. And I do think a lot of times we do that. I think that a lot of times we, we, we try to ask questions because we have this, this, this like pre planned script and sometimes having things, you know, planned and you know, you know, having, you know, in your mind what you want to say to a person is good. But I do think that you, you, you, you have to act good questions and then people will teach you how to serve them. And so I think Jesus displayed that really well. I think that he, he know, he asked the man, why do you call me good? You know, when only God is good. Yeah, right.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah.

[Zach Dasher]

You know, where's your husband? And so when I'm on the streets, I'm asking people questions like that, you know, and so it takes a lot of pressure off me too.

[Phil Robertson]

That's right.

[Zach Dasher]

Because I'm not fishing for things to say. I'm actually, I'm actually asking good questions and they're teaching me how, how, how to, how to serve them. And so one thing that I learned about evangelism is that every heart has a cry. I think we just have to ask the right questions to hear it. And a lot of times we don't hear the cry because the questions are wrong or the questions are not there. And so I think asking good questions, I think Jesus displayed that beautifully and listening well and giving truth when the time calls for it. So I think that if we, if we, if we balance that, I think then we'll start to get more comfortable with evangelism. And lastly, I'll just say developing you know, emotional intelligence, you know, when, like, it's one thing to ask a good question and then you hear a cry, but it's another thing to how you deal with that cry once you hear it. Yeah. And so, so, so I think Jesus, you know, he asked a good question, he heard the cries of the people, and then he handled it with. With gentleness, but at the same time, truth. And I think that, you know, only the Holy Spirit can help us do that.

[Preston Perry]

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[Phil Robertson]

You said that the success is. Doesn't always end in the sinner's prayer. And I love that picture because you said that the planting of the seed may be the important moment of that conversation that you're having. This. This may come to fruition much later down the road, which is, again, a very biblical concept. So you're not sure where your role is in this process. Right?

[Zach Dasher]

That's good. That's good that you brought that up, because, you know, I think that's another thing that deters people from being evangelists. They walk away and say, man, this person did not hear me. I suck at this. And it's like, no, don't. Don't think that. Like, if you think that every conversation is supposed to end with the sinner's prayer, you'll never be an evangelist. Yeah, right. Because I think, I truly believe that God wants to raise up a generation of evangelists that are okay with being seed planters.

[Phil Robertson]

Yes.

[Preston Perry]

Yeah. Reminds me of a. That reminds me of a quote. John Quincy Adams said that duty is ours and results are God's. And I think we. We want to take on that result, but that means it's not ours, it's his that, you know, in evangelism is his to harvest. We just. Somebody said once, it's like putting a pebble in their shoe. To put a pebble in their shoe. And you don't know that. That, that, that, that pebble is going to sit there and it's going to cause them to continue to think about whatever you talked about.

[Zach Dasher]

Yeah, I heard. I read it in a book one day. The author said. He said, you know, the thing that separates us between God. Know, this separates God between us. And he said, God never tries to be us.

[Preston Perry]

That's good. That's pretty.

[Zach Dasher]

He said, God never tries to be us, you know, but we have this tendency to want to be God. And I think that's the reason why we try to play the Holy Spirit when we're out there evangelizing, because it's something that we're trying to feed ourselves. Right. Instead of trying to serve people. And I do think that a lot of evangelists and a lot of discipleship makers are not really going to see the fruit of their work until we get to glory, and we should be okay with that. Right. And I think that God wants to use so many believers to plant seeds, and somebody else will come and water that seed after he'll give increase, you know. And so one of the things I talked about in the book was, you know, the first time I heard the gospel, I was this little bad kid, you know, in my neighborhood, and I heard the gospel for the first time in a house church. And what's the crazy thing, I told that story in the book, but what I didn't say in the book, what I didn't tell in the Book. Got to give you guys an exclusive of that story. I don't know why I didn't put it in the book book. But the same guy who gave me the gospel when I was 16 in the house church, 20, 19 years later, I'm a Christian. I'm on the p. I'm on this tour called the Poets in Autumn tour, doing like a 44 city tour with a collective of poets. And I see that same pastor sitting in the front row and after the, after the show went down there, you know, gave him a hug and all of the things. And he said, he said, when I used to give you guys the gospel out in the neighborhood, you guys would come to the church. I never thought you guys heard me. And when I told him is what I said in the book, I said, man, I didn't give my life to the Lord the first time I heard you give the gospel. But I became keenly aware of my sin. I could not commit another sin. Comfortable after that. Yeah, I knew that a holy and a righteous God was watching me. I knew I deserved death because of my lifestyle. I knew I needed a savior. It took years for me to finally, you know, say yes to him. But God used you. And so when this guy came in my life to start to disciple me, my heart was already ready because the seed you planted.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah.

[Zach Dasher]

And. And he just stopped to cry. And I think that, man, like, if we can just think about that, that so many people every single day go without a gospel presentation. And if we truly believe that the word of God is alive and if we share the gospel, you have to know that it's going to impact the people around you, even if it doesn't end with a sinner's prayer right in there that God can just do wonders. And so I think God just really wants us to be faithful and allow him to do the work.

[Phil Robertson]

Man, that's so good. And I want to. So I was drawn in immediately into the book, Preston, because just you are a gifted wordsmith. I mean, God's given you something. You said in the beginning you were a poet in the book. And so. And then I started reading. I said, oh, this guy is a poet. But I want to read a little excerpt that just. It resonated so strongly with me because, you know, I grew up in South Arkansas, you grew up in South Chicago. And yet so much of what you were relating to your own life, your cousins, your grandmother having that spiritual influence, that aunt that stepped into your life when you need her, that was my aunt, which happened to Be Zach's mom as well. But there were so many things that resonated in my life. But I want to read this for the audience, just to let you know how well this book is written. It says, this is in the very beginning, in your open. It says, the streets of our neighborhood were crowded with different shades of brown. Boy bodies but hearts all the same shade of courage. When dust finally grew legs and chased us home, we would head inside to bathe in our grandmother's smile. Her home was a shower and sanctuary of its own. We watched her become a choir preparing dinner for her 13 grandsons. We didn't know how privileged we were to sit inside her songs before bed, to grow up planted in her rich soil. We didn't know then how our prayers preserved us, how her prayers preserved us for the next day when evil was walking the streets of our hood, hot with violence, seeking to decompose our melanin. I mean, it was just. You paint such an amazing picture. It was my childhood too, you know, in a completely different part of the country with a completely different set of circumstances. But I felt every bit of that, you know, when you wrote it down. So I just want to. I had to read that because it just, it drew me into the book so quickly. It was like, man, I gotta. I gotta hear what this guy has to say.

[Zach Dasher]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Thank you, man. I really appreciate that. Means a lot. You know, I wanted this book to inspire all people to be evangelists. But I, you know, in the beginning, I really wanted to pay homage to where I came from and I wanted to, you know, inspire people who came from areas that I came from to know, like when the scripture says, you know, can anything good come from Galilee? You know, Galilee was not, you know, considered the, the. The upper middle class community, right? You know, that God, you know, takes the. The foolish things of the world to shame the wives. And I wanted to really paint a picture of the people who come from the environments that I come from. So when I said, you know, when dusk finally grew legs and shakes us home, we would head inside to bathe in my grandmother's smile. We watched her become a choir preparing dinner for our 13 grandsons. You know, we didn't know how privileged you were to sit inside of us. Songs before bed. You know, I'm just really just explaining, you know, that average guy who grows up in the hood who grows up in marginalized communities or even like, you know, poverty stricken communities, who thinks God cannot get a hold of him. And so I think, you know, when you Write a book. I think if you can paint a picture and allow someone to see themselves. Yeah, I think then I think their relationship with God becomes more tangible. It's like, man, I'm. I was. I'm that person, you know? And so I was just really intentional of trying to just paint a picture in the beginning, to just cast vision, you know, for people to, like, you know, find hope, you know. And so.

[Preston Perry]

Yeah, well, you had mentioned earlier that when you connected with that guy who led you to Christ. I think, because I watched your ministry from afar and kind of up close, too, because we've done some work together, and I love what you and Jackie both do. It even, like, I've watched what's happening at your church in Atlanta, which is incredible. I mean, you guys are kind of in the middle of this incredible revival. I've watched your.

[Phil Robertson]

Your.

[Preston Perry]

Your pastor preach. Man, that guy's got some fire. And I watch and I think, man, what, like, what is it? I've tried to identify, like, what's going on in, like, your sphere. And I think you said it with what you realized through the. Through the man who really led you to Christ or put that pebble in your shoe early on. Is that recognition? You said it of your sin. And you guys don't hold back talking about sin. I mean, you guys are, like, on the front lines, I would say, speaking prophetically in the culture. I think I've told you this before. I know I've told Jackie, like, you guys are speaking prophetically in the culture about sin. And I think what, as a storyteller, you know, I make films and TV in Christian art. I think where we failed a lot is, you know, think about that, that creation, fall, redemption, restoration, consummation story that's in the Bible. We want to water down the fall part. We want to water down the sin part. But it is that understanding, that awareness of our sin, that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It really is what unites us all and that the wages of sin is death.

[Jase Robertson]

Who would die for a lie, knowing it was a lie? Especially when all you have to do is say, hey, I'm out.

[Phil Robertson]

This is such a powerful apologetic, and it still is to this day. Our good friend Todd Nettleton, who is the voice of the Martyrs radio host, continues to show us through his travels and his work with Voice of the Martyrs, just how much that these things still inspire us today. Because persecution hasn't ended around the world. You know, we got it pretty good here in America, but there are places where people are still giving their lives who are persecuted in terrible ways. And he's written a book. If you're watching, I've got it here in my hands. It's called when faith is forbidden. 40 days on the front lines with Persecuted Christians. And it's like a journey through all of these places that he's been, which shows you the power of those stories. And one of them that jumped out at me was a man named Iman, who. He tells the story from Turkey, but he's actually from Iran. But this man, once he became a Christian, he went to jail, he went to prison, and he went willingly just so he'd have an opportunity to share with others. So there's a lot of stories like this. Every stop on the journey is going to challenge you to reflect your own walk with Christ. It certainly has for me. Request your free copy of When Faith is forbidden by calling 844-463-4059, that's 844-463-4059 or visit vom.orgunashamed. that's vom.orgunashamed.

[Preston Perry]

I'd love to hear you talk about the boldness of how you guys enter into that discussion because you. You don't hold back. None of you guys that I've seen in your circle hold back on the discussion around sin. You really are being very bold about doing that, but you're also doing it with love.

[Zach Dasher]

Yeah, I think I. I think to. To not talk about sin and giving the gospel. I don't think it's no gospel at all. You know, I think before you talk about sin, though, I think. I think a lot of times people call people who talk about preachers or teachers to talk about seeing fire and brimstone teachers with. Some of them are fire and brimstone teachers, but others are not. They're just actually speaking the Bible, like, biblically and accurately. Like, it's not like, you know. And I think one way in which, you know, you can talk about sin is given the gospel. And how does the Bible gives the gospel? Right? And so when we look at the scriptures, the. The scriptures actually does not start off with our sin, right? It doesn't start off with us, with us with our fall. It starts off with a good God creating creation and then calling his creation good. And so I think. I think, you know, before we even talk about sin, I think it's very important in evangelism and I sermons. I think that people need to know who they were created by and why they were Created. You were created for glory. And so I think then when you know that, when you know that you were created by a holy and a righteous God who created you with the imago day, who created you in this image, then you see how drastic the fall is.

[Preston Perry]

Yeah. Which connects to the cry of the heart that you mentioned. The cry of the heart is, I'm trying to get back to my original condition.

[Zach Dasher]

Absolutely.

[Preston Perry]

Yeah, yeah.

[Zach Dasher]

Now I need to be restored because the one who created me, the God who created me, I failed from that grace because. Because of sin. Sin separated me. So I think that people, when you, when you just come say you're a sinner, and it's like, okay, well. And not tell them, no, no, you're. You were actually created for glory.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Zach Dasher]

And so, you know, when I talked. When I talk about sin, I'm always conscious of it. I'm always conscious of how am I showing people that before. Before I try to reveal sin, I talk about sin of the fall or Genesis 3. How am I talking about Genesis 1? How. How am I. How am I trying to paint a picture to them that man, that, no, you were created for more than this. And this is the reason why you're not experiencing this. You are separated from this because of sin. So I think then, you know, I think then, you know, we can talk about sin. And I think people will receive you talking about sin a lot better. And I think then we could be more bold if we just preach the gospel. How to. The Bible does.

[Jase Robertson]

That's what people need to understand that that is the answer of all these social issues that we have.

[Phil Robertson]

Jesus pulls us.

[Jase Robertson]

I mean, when I look at your backdrop, I'm like, okay, Preston likes tennis shoes, but if you look at my closet, I. I have boots that are like your shoes. Because I, you know, I'm in the woods and I bet I have 30 different. What?

[Preston Perry]

To be fair, to be fair, Preston is a hunter now. He is a full fledged. He's a deer slayer.

[Jase Robertson]

Have you actually gone hunting, President?

[Zach Dasher]

I did. I did. I went hunting. I got my first deer three years ago. No, four years ago now. Out in Nashville, Tennessee, with my good friend Ray Orland and a couple of guys out here in Georgia. Like, it's not where I live, like, two and a half hours away. They want me to go hog hunting. But I heard they, like, rip people legs over.

[Jase Robertson]

Well, always remember there's a certain amount of danger to anything that's really exciting.

[Zach Dasher]

But, you know, as far as culture is concerned, I think what we're talking about is really is just culture and how God wants to use it, but also how God wants to intertwine cultures in the body of Christ. And I tell people all the time, you know, I can't. I come from a particular culture. I come from, you know, urban community, you know, and I tell people, man, like God didn't really save me from my culture, but God sent me for my culture to reach my culture.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah.

[Zach Dasher]

And I think that, I think about when, you know, when we all think about how God strategically placed us in different environments for a reason. You know, before the foundations of the earth, he knew that you guys would be a family who loves and fear the Lord, but for the foundations of the earth, he knew that I'll be born in South Central Chicago. He knew that I would hear the gospel at 16. He knew that I would come to the Lord a couple years later when my friend got shot. And because of that, I've been able to lead so many people who come from communities like me to, to the Lord. So like, I think that when we embrace the fact that our God is not limited to how we grew up. When we embrace the fact of that our God, he, he, he, he's not from our town. He, he, he, he doesn't just relate to us only we limit God if we don't believe that God, you know, has people everywh and you know, he wants to use so many different type of people in mighty ways. I think, you know, one, we won't respect each other's culture. And then if we don't respect each other's culture, we won't learn from one another. And so now, you know, I'm a guy from the hood and my worldview is so vast now. I mean, not, not super bad, like I'm like in the Lord or something, but you know what I mean? Like, it's because I've been able to learn from so many different worldviews. You know, I've been around, you know, you know, white evangelicals, I've been around the Asian American Christian community. I've been around, you know, the black community. And I've learned. And so I think that when we learn from one another, I think then we'll start to see more of Jesus. I think God will start to learn way more about God that we could not learn about him if we only stuck to our, our small bows and circles and, and people groups. And so I just thank God for the diversity that's in the body of Christ and how, you know, but that's.

[Preston Perry]

I was thinking about Acts 2 when you were saying that. That in Acts chapter 2, when he brings the nations back together, which we've argued on this podcast, is a.

[Phil Robertson]

It's a.

[Preston Perry]

It's a restoration of what happened at the Tower of Babel. But I always found it interesting that he does not eradicate the differences within the nations and the cultures. He actually brings them together, and each one hears the other talking in his own native tongue. He doesn't give them a homogeneous language, that they're all. Now what he does is one guy speaking in his native tongue is a diverse tongue, but now can be understood. And I think about that eschatological picture of the kingdom that is in scripture. It's a multi. Nt. Wright says it's like a coloration, a beautiful kaleidoscope in Ephesians where he says that the church makes the manifold wisdom known to the principalities and the powers and authorities in the heavenly realms. Like, that's the picture. And I love it because it is a picture of this beautiful kaleidoscope of different cultures and nations. And we're all kind of bringing our best to the table in the kingdom, and together there is that we make up the temple. Jesus being the cornerstone of the temple, God has now made his home in humans. That, to me, is like the profound. The most profound thing is that God has made his home in human bodies. That's beautiful.

[Zach Dasher]

That's beautiful.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah. So we're out of time, man. That seemed to go by really fast, Preston. But in the book, you called it an unlikely evangelist and an accidental apologist, I would add, in an unwilling pastor. And you have our podcast, and we're cut from the same cloth. And I think that cloth is taken from the towel of the Son of God that washes the feet of other people to try to serve them. And that's the beauty of what you're doing. The book is called how to Tell the Truth, and I'm telling you, on the same nation you're always talking about, how can I figure out a way to share better? This book will help you do that. It's fantastic. I see. I definitely see in the future, you and Jackie coming down here and spending some time with us in the Louisiana.

[Zach Dasher]

I'm telling you, I'm not just saying this guy. I want to hunt.

[Phil Robertson]

Yeah.

[Zach Dasher]

I want to get more experiences. You just got to make sure I come back alive. Yeah.

[Preston Perry]

You have to come down during duck season.

[Zach Dasher]

So let me ask you a question before we leave.

[Phil Robertson]

All right?

[Zach Dasher]

Is duck hunting the only things you guys do?

[Phil Robertson]

Oh, no, we deer hunt too.

[Jase Robertson]

No, we basically go through the seasons because we were raised in an environment where that's how we put food on the table. So we became expert hunters because we were. We kind of went back to the hunter gatherer.

[Zach Dasher]

Let's do it.

[Phil Robertson]

So when you. When you come, you will kill multiple. You will kill multiple. You will harvest multiple things from the creation to enjoy.

[Jase Robertson]

Then we'll put them on the table.

[Phil Robertson]

And then we'll cook them and eat them, too. Yeah.

[Jase Robertson]

Because that. That is kind of our lifestyle as a family. Then we'll gather around, and I mean family as a forever family in Christ.

[Phil Robertson]

So, Preston, please pass along our greetings to Jack. You guys are doing awesome kingdom work. Keep it up. You're always welcome here on Unashamed. Thank you for being here today. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube. And be sure to click the little bell and choose all notifications to watch every episode.