Ep 1149 | Jase Turns a Rowdy Weekend with Willie & Uncle Si into Miss Kay’s Perfect Surprise

Summary

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Unashamed with the Robertson Family

Episode 1149 | Jase Turns a Rowdy Weekend with Willie & Uncle Si into Miss Kay’s Perfect Surprise
August 22, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode is a blend of classic Robertson family storytelling and Bible study. Jase recounts an unexpectedly rowdy birthday weekend — featuring card games, golf, and frog hunting with Willie, Uncle Si, and the rest of the crew — all while Missy is away at the Library of Congress. The party, full of laughter and antics, turns into a highlight for Miss Kay as Jase fulfills her birthday frog leg wish. In the latter half, the group transitions to discussing John 13–14, focusing on “troubled spirits” and Christ’s command to love, weaving in practical lessons from the weekend's chaos.

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Main Themes

• Family Celebrations & Humorous Mishaps: Recounting a surprise birthday that gets out of hand in the best way possible.
• Experiencing “Troubled Spirits” like Jesus: Human emotions, vulnerability, and overcoming trouble with trust.
• The Centrality of Love: Examining Jesus’ “new command” in John, Christian love as the mark of faith, and real-life applications.
• Community Apologetics: The compelling witness found in how believers love one another.
• Approaching Scripture with Fresh Eyes: Encouraging listeners to read familiar passages without preloaded narratives.

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Detailed Episode Summary

1. The Rowdy “Surprise” Birthday Weekend (01:12–19:54)

Key Segment: 01:12–06:01

• Jase opens up about his weekend. With wife Missy in D.C. to read her book at the Library of Congress, his friends and family decide to throw him a birthday “surprise” (that isn’t particularly surprising).

  • “For the first time in 38 years... my wife wasn’t with me on my birthday... so I get a text, ‘Hey, we want to do a surprise birthday party and play cards.’ Well, this is no longer a surprise.” (Jace, 03:03–04:02)

• The card game gathers the OGs: Jase, Si, Willie, Jeff, Phil McMill (“Milling the Villain”) and Jay, with Jay providing a special meal.

• The group goes all out: card games, a hearty meal, early morning golf, and a late-night frog hunt — all laughter, zero alcohol.

  • “My buddy Barrett said, ‘Jase, you’re probably the only man on this planet who had this kind of party for a weekend, and there was no alcohol involved.’” (Jace, 05:16)

Key Segment: 06:01–11:13

• During the frog hunt, Jase injures himself attempting a heroic leap after a frog— ultimately realizing his “retirement age” as frog catcher.

  • “I jumped as far as I could, and I was about a foot short. When I landed, it felt like every bone in my body just broke.” (Jace, 07:16)
  • “I think I’m going to retire from this position... There’s three positions: motorman, ice chest man, and the catcher— I think I’ve reached my retirement age.” (Jace, 08:20)

• The antics are all caught on camera for Duck Commander fans.

Key Segment: 13:05–19:35

• Miss Kay gifts $10 in crisp bills for Jase’s birthday card game and asks for fresh-caught frogs… which becomes her “perfect surprise.”

  • “She was exhilarated. It’s as happy as I’ve seen her since before my dad died.” (Jace, 15:28)

• The Card Game Escalates:

  • Si brings a beaver figurine as a card protector, Willie unloads an endless barrage of “beaver” jokes, and the banter soon devolves into mock threats:
    • “Hey, fat boy, let me borrow whatever's in your wallet, and I'm going to burn your house down.” (Si, 17:26)
    • “So let me get this right, beaver boy — you want to borrow money from me so you can burn my house down? Your beaver house has been utterly destroyed.” (Willie, 17:44)
  • “There was bedlam... I have not laughed that long and that hard in years. It was just all night.” (Jace, 18:58)

Transition:

• Jase cements his “retirement” from frog catching and reflects on moving to the back of the boat — with no shame attached.

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2. Moving into the Bible: John 13–14 (19:54–57:09)

Key Segment: 19:54–30:46

• Al launches their study with John 13’s “new command” — to love one another.

  • “Agape is unconditional in its expression, unselfish in its motive, unlimited in its benefits. ...That’s exactly how you know [a disciple].” (Al, 21:34)
  • “If you see a situation... that isn’t marked by love, then you know it’s not for real.” (Al, 22:25)

• Jase and Zach tie the conversation back to real experiences, like how new church members are drawn in by the way Christians treat each other, often more than by arguments or apologetics.

  • “She reads the apologetics book and comes back and says, ‘Yeah, that does nothing for me.’ ...Six months later, we’re baptizing her into the name of Jesus... If you asked her... she’d say, ‘We witnessed the way Christian brothers and sisters love one another in the church. That was the most compelling argument.’” (Zach, 33:10)

Key Segment: 32:00–41:15

• Al and Jase discuss the challenge of understanding love and the dangers of projecting human needs onto God.

  • “If we put God in a position where He needed us to worship Him... He doesn’t need us... He created us as an extension and an overflow of His love...” (Zach, 28:55)
  • Connection to Ephesians, Revelation, and John’s letters on God’s timeless love.

• Al sums up: “Jesus is the personification of love. ...He says, if you want a command: love. Love each other.”

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3. “Troubled Spirits” and the Humanity of Jesus (39:06–52:47)

Key Segment: 39:06–44:34

• Al sets up John 14:1, “Do not let your hearts be troubled…” highlighting Jesus’ empathy and shared human experience.

  • “He was troubled in spirit... What he’s really saying is don’t stay troubled, because good news is coming.” (Al, 42:49)

• Jase explores the Greek word for “troubled,” finding its use for both righteous and unrighteous (Herod, the disciples, and Jesus Himself). It’s a deeply human reaction, not sin in itself.

  • “Being troubled is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s what you do about it.” (Jace, 47:03)
  • Examples: Herod’s fear, the stirring of water, the disciples’ fright at Jesus walking on water.

Key Segment: 52:47–57:09

• Jase pivots to Hebrews 2 & 4 to frame Jesus’ response as the model: in trouble or temptation, He always trusts the Father.

  • “He had to be made like his brothers in every way... He became a human. He was lonely, stressed out, troubled, cried, emotional. But in all those moments, which is a prerequisite to making a bad decision, He always trusted the Father.” (Jace, 54:24)
  • “He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears... and He was heard because of His reverent submission.” (Jace, 56:38)

• Al: “At the heart of who we are, we always understand at different times we’re going to be troubled... But the idea is we don’t live there, we don’t stay there because we have something greater, something better.” (Al, 44:34)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Jace on the card game banter:
  “Willie made, I would say, a thousand and one beaver jokes during the night... ‘You better call the other troops, there’s been an explosion... Beaver boy!’ He just never stopped.” (Jace, 15:40)

• Si to Willie:
  “Hey, fat boy, let me borrow whatever’s in your wallet, and I’m going to burn your house down.” (Si, 17:26)

• Jace on frog-catching:
  “I think I’m going to retire from this position... That one leap packed a punch is all I’m saying.” (Jace, 08:20)

• Al on love as the Christian mark:
  “Agape is unconditional in its expression, unselfish in its motive, unlimited in its benefits.” (Al, 21:34)

• Zach on real church apologetics:
  “If you asked her... what is the greatest apologetic, why did they really come to Christ?... It was the way the Christian brothers and sisters love one another in the church. That was the most compelling argument for God’s existence.” (Zach, 34:00)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:12–06:01 Jase’s birthday “surprise” & weekend overview
• 06:01–11:13 The (failed) frog leap and retirement announcement
• 13:05–19:35 Miss Kay’s frog request, and card game bedlam
• 19:54–30:46 Transition to John 13/14: The “new command” of love
• 32:00–41:15 Christian love as apologetics; re-thinking God’s motives
• 39:06–44:34 “Troubled” in the Bible — Jesus’ vulnerability and comfort
• 47:03–52:47 The humanity of Christ and how He models responding to being troubled
• 52:47–57:09 Hebrews, trust, and the final reflections on John 14:1

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Tone & Style

Uplifting, humorous, self-deprecating, and always anchored in practical faith. The banter is boisterous but heartfelt, making the biblical teaching feel accessible and personal.

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Summary for New Listeners

If you missed this episode, you missed classic Robertson family chaos, including a birthday party that turns unintentionally wild (but sober) and a frog hunt nightmare that lands Jase into retirement as “the catcher.” In between the laughter and family ribbing, the guys transition to a deep Bible study on John 13–14 and the reality of “troubled spirits”— how Jesus experienced and overcame it, and how love, not doctrinal arguments, is the ultimate mark of true Christian faith. Whether you’re here for the laughs, the frogs, or the scripture, there’s something that’ll leave you encouraged and smiling.

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Transcript

[Zach]

You say you'll never join the Navy.

[Jace]

That living on a submarine would be too hard.

[Zach]

You'd never power a whole ship with nuclear energy, never bring a patient back.

[Jace]

To life, or play the national anthem.

[Zach]

For a sold out crowd. Joining the Navy sounds crazy. Saying never actually is. Start your [e-mail] America's Navy forged by the sea.

[Jace]

Mike and Alyssa are always trying to outdo each other. When Alyssa got a small water bottle, Mike showed up with a 4 liter jug. When Mike started gardening, Alyssa started beekeeping. Oh, come on. They called a truce for their holiday and used Expedia trip planner to collaborate on all the details of their trip. Once there, Mike still did more laps around the pool. Whatever. You were made to outdo your holidays. We were made to help organize the competition. Expedia made to travel. I am unashamed. What about you?

[Zach]

I don't know what he would. Are you starting or you want me to start? I was gonna just start.

[Jace]

You start.

[Zach]

Zach, I'm sorry. I stepped in too early. Well, it was a weird start because I look up in the. I got a picture of Jace over here and you're doing stretches.

[Jace]

Yeah.

[Zach]

And my question is, is that. Is something wrong with your back? What's the. What's going on?

[Jace]

I love how there's no sacred spaces anymore. Everything must go public. Yeah, I had to do some stretching before I sat down. I told you I had an encounter with a rock in Colorado.

[Al]

Which. Which z. You know what this tells me is that Zach, when we think he's listening, when we're like talking on the podcast and telling stories and he's not listening because you told the whole thing and he's like, Jace is injured. Like he missed that whole segment.

[Jace]

I had that issue. And then over the weekend, I developed another issue. I don't know if you want to hear it, but it's kind of embarrassing.

[Zach]

But really, if it's a back issue, I do want to hear it. But I'm going to tell you what you were doing. If it's a. If it's a back issue, what you were doing was the wrong thing.

[Jace]

Nope. So you're right. Here's what happened. For the first time in my life since I've been married, I guess so we're going back. Cuz I just.

[Al]

35 years.

[Jace]

Yeah, 35 years. And we dated three years, so you can include those in 38 years of being with my wife in some capacity. She has always been with me on my birthday, but this year she got invited to read her book, the Little brave book. Because we're family or because you're my family? I think it's the name of it. She got invited to read that at the Library of Congress in Our Capitol, Washington, D.C. yeah, we're going to have.

[Al]

Her own to talk about this.

[Jace]

All right, well, fantastic. And she gave me an update sidebar that evidently, whatever's happening in Washington, D.C. you know, Trump said he was going to clean it up. She's like, it looked perfectly fine. She walked the streets. She said, I did see a few National Guard members and she thanked them for their service. But so evidently.

[Al]

So Missy's given the thumbs up on the cleaning out of the swamp.

[Jace]

She was like, it was crime free, vagrant free. Just people walking around. And she was really proud of it. So, anyway, so what happened was I got a text like three or four days ago, and they're like, hey, we want to do a surprise birthday party for you and play cards. And I thought my response was, well, this is no longer a surprise. Since you're telling.

[Zach]

That's a good point.

[Jace]

Yeah. They needed a place to have the party and they heard that my wife was out of town. So that was the surprise, which turned into like a weekend at Jace's, you know, kind of like a. I was telling my good buddy Barrett about this, and he said. Because I just told him what happened, I was like, we played cards all night. I had a wonderful meal that Jay, your son in law, provided. I mean, he went over the top because it was my birthday. Oh, yeah. Then I got up really early and went and played golf. And then, you know, I crashed and burned when I got back and took a nap. And then we went frog hunting for my birthday. That was Jay's gift to me. It was like. He's like a man reaches a certain age where you can't give a gift. You give an experience. So we went frog hunting. And so then, you know, the next day was Sunday, which I spoke last night at Willie's, what they call the Hub. I think it was fantastic. It was packed electricity in the air. So I had to get. They gave me a topic, so I had to prepare for that yesterday. So it was a. It was a long weekend. But my buddy Barrett said, jase, you're probably the only man on this planet that had this kind of party for a weekend and there was no alcohol involved. And I. I kind of hesitated. I thought, you're right. There was not a drop of alcohol. But if you would have stumbled upon us at the card game or the frog hunt, you would have thought we were drunk because I have not laughed that hard during that card game. Al. We had me sigh.

[Al]

Oh, boy.

[Jace]

Willie. Jeff.

[Al]

Willie's a gift in.

[Jace]

Yeah, Jeff, you know, Phil McMill, the infamous duck Dynasty. Lifelong watchers will remember him. He was milling the villain, stirring the pot, and then, like, about five of his buddies who are about like him, and they were the laughing gallery. And so it was a lot of fun. But during the frog hunt is where I encountered an injury. And I really go public with this announcement, which is hard for me to say. This has been my. Al. I know we're going to talk about being troubled in spirit. We are. I had an encounter during the frog hunt, and I didn't say anything to Jay. He. That they don't even know anything about it. And they actually made a video of this thing. It's on Duck commander. You can watch it. The frog hunt. But something happened that I didn't tell Jay, you know, because I just got up and acted like no big deal, but. But it made me want to. Want to reveal this announcement. So I didn't miss a frog. There were two that jumped before we got there. Well, one of the ones that jumped before we got to him. You know, I've always told people, when a frog jumps, you jump. And it was my birthday, but I'm no spring chicken. Get it? When the frog.

[Al]

Well, we do know a lot about.

[Jace]

Chickens now, by the way, the frog turned his back and jumped up the bank. And it was a real steep bank. There was logs laying around. And just my DNA. I just jumped as far as I could, and I was about a foot short. But when I landed, it literally felt like every bone and my body just broke. I mean, it just. When I hit the ground, it was just. But I jumped up. Because when I hit the ground, of course he jumped. I guarantee he would have set a world record for as far as you've ever seen a frog jump. He saw me jump. And I mean, he soared.

[Al]

He was a spring chicken.

[Jace]

And I knew in that moment just the way I felt. And that was as far as I could jump. But I was a foot short. I thought, you know what? I think I'm gonna retire from this position. Cause there's three positions. To be a successful frog hunter, you got a motorman, which is what Jay did. You gotta have an ice chest, man, which can be any human, which was our cameraman. You know, he would quit film open, you know, 1, 2, 3. You think it's easy, but he messed up twice. Like, he opened it on two, frog jumped out. Now we got to catch one that we've already caught. And you got the catcher. But I think I'm retirement age because that. That. So that's why I'm stove up. It was just one leap and they got it on film. I noticed they ran that in the little video, and it doesn't look that bad when I looked at it because I. Did you go.

[Zach]

Did you, like, posture up? Like.

[Jace]

Oh, no. I never gave any impression that there was any. Any pain.

[Al]

That was such a dad thing to do, Jace. That's exactly.

[Zach]

But the pain was in the back. Is that where the pain was centrally located?

[Jace]

I'll tell you this, Zach. It was. Since you're trying to diagnose this, it was all over. It literally was from my toes to the top of my head. It just felt like I was broken in half.

[Zach]

Well, your problem is, is that you're doing the stretch as if you. This is your whole problem. It's your core. You have to work on your core. You think it's everywhere else. You have a weak core. So I've got. Oh, I'm telling you. Hey, you need to. I can give you about four exercises that you do daily.

[Jace]

No, here's what I'm saying. I think you reach an age, it's kind of like eating an apple. When you get to the core, you chunk that out in the yard and say, okay, it's over.

[Al]

The core is gone.

[Jace]

I'm trying to be realistic. I don't think I'm able, nor will I, with your four little exercises to be jumping full out and just sacrifice my body into a brush pile on a bank. I mean, it just. It packed a punch is all I'm saying.

[Zach]

Did you get the frog?

[Jace]

I did not get that frog. I was a foot short. You're not listening to the story.

[Zach]

You never got. I could.

[Jace]

No, we never got him. There were two frogs that we saw. Every frog that I was in the vicinity of. I was 100%. So I'm proud of that. I mean, Jay was bragging on.

[Zach]

But once you lose them, they're gone.

[Al]

I will say this, Jay, because we. We frog on. It's been a minute since I frog in with you, but you are one of the best frog catchers of all time in the family. I mean, so your retirement is a big deal. I mean, you're, You're. You go down as one of the all time greats, one of the greatest.

[Jace]

Yeah. I'm still going to love the experience. I'm just going to be back there because Jay's motor skills, they're a little lacking.

[Zach]

I love to take protein shakes because it's like a great way to get my daily protein. But a lot of times they taste like chalk or it's like drywall dust in your mouth. I don't know, Al, have you ever had that experience?

[Al]

I have, and I do a lot of shakes as well. That's been a big part of my weight loss. So this is. I love our new product.

[Jace]

This will help you look like a Brick House, but it doesn't taste like brick.

[Zach]

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[Jace]

So what I'm saying is not to assess blame, but since you brought it up, the two that got away, he was too slow getting there.

[Al]

You got to charge them.

[Jace]

He was worried about the motor. And I get it. We were in a stump infested area. But I just thought, what's taking so long? You know, I kept motioning my hand like, let's go. This is the universal symbol for give it gas. Give it gas, boys. Too slow. And so the bigger the frog, you know, he, they. Those two frogs that got away were the biggest frogs that we saw. Well, they didn't get that big by accident. Yeah, they're not stupid. You got cameramen, lights, banging, a boat motor coming. Even though he's Blinded by the light, he's like. Then he sees some hairy seal looking fellow just jumping at. He's like, no, I'm out of here. So anyway, but I did that because there was another reason. My mom who gave me this was funny because Jeff had visited mom before the card game. She said I need to get Jay something for his birthday. And so she. She told Jeff to put out his hand. He did. And so he had it covered up. I was like, well, what could Kay have given me? And it was 10 $1 bills. I don't know why I thought that was funny. Ten crisp, one bottle of bills. This is for the card game. So. But she said, and I have a request for your birthday. And she said, I want some frogs. So yesterday, before I went and spoke, we had 13 frogs, which there was. I mean, there's a little bitty pond where we. We hunted. And So I cooked 13 of them and brought her four. It's as happy as I've seen her since before my dad died. I'm not kidding. She was exhilarated. And so I ate the other night. I was going to give Jay some, but I just got caught up in the moment. My wife wasn't there. I hadn't eaten anything all day. I just. They were the best frogs. I kept thinking, what did I do differently? But I think it's just because I hadn't eaten all day.

[Zach]

How'd the car game turn out?

[Al]

Oh my goodness.

[Jace]

It was. Is funny. What happened was sa he brought a card protector. I don't know if y' all know what that means, cuz y' all don't play cards, right? So like we played this game called Texas hold'. Em. Have you ever heard of it? Oh yeah, I've heard of it. Okay, so sa had a beaver little figurine as his. His card protector. Well, for some reason, usually he tries to take me on because it's a family thing. He wants to beat me, but it was my birthday, I guess. So he actually bought me into the game, which was his birthday present, which was shocking. But for some reason, him and Willie just. They just clashed the whole night. And Willie got the better end of that encounter from a card playing standpoint. And Willie made, I would say 1001 beaver jokes during the night. Over size dam is breaking. You better call the other troops. There's been an explosion. Beaver boy, he just never stop that.

[Zach]

I mean, that is his modus operandi. He finds the thing and if. And if it ever gets that snowball gets going, then just. You have to weather the storm.

[Al]

Throughout the evening, whatever you do, don't show weakness. Don't show that it hurts.

[Jace]

Don't ever escalate it. You know, inside, you know how seem like he's mad, but.

[Zach]

But he's not.

[Jace]

But he's like, hey. So finally, Si. Of course, number one, he didn't bring enough money into that game. Cause Willie just beat the dog out of him. So then he's like, well, hey, fat boy. The weight. And the weight comes out. The gloves came off. He said, hey, fat boy, let me borrow whatever's in your wallet, and I'm going to burn your house down. Which everybody got so tickled. Willie's like, so let me get this right, beaver boy. You want to borrow money from me so you can burn my house down? He said, your beaver house has been utterly destroyed. That was the way it went. So I kid you not. And Willie does it. He takes all his money out and hands it to Psy. And so look this. You can't make this up.

[Al]

And then he wins it all back.

[Jace]

On the next hand. Oh, my God. I'll do an iou. I said, what are you talking about? I just gave it back to you. We're even at this point. It was bedlam. You know what I'm saying?

[Al]

You don't have to have alcohol. Would you have that?

[Jace]

No, it was just.

[Al]

Oh, that is so funny.

[Jace]

Oh, it was. It was a great time. It was the best birthday weekend. I guess it was just as another reason. I mean, my. My rib cage took a hit. I have not laughed that long and that hard in years. It was just all night. It was just.

[Zach]

Well, you guys, you had. That was the OGs of the poker game that. I mean, that was. Y' all brought back the original guys who were involved years ago.

[Jace]

Yeah, it was fun. It was a good trip down memory lane. So anyway, that was the weekend.

[Zach]

Well, happy birthday.

[Jace]

Yeah.

[Zach]

Happy belated birthday.

[Jace]

56 and stretching and retired from being the catcher. That was it.

[Al]

That's it.

[Jace]

Right.

[Al]

Moving to the back of the boat, boys.

[Jace]

Going to the back of the boat. And there's no shame in the back of the boat. It takes.

[Al]

There's not to function. It's very. It's very important. Get somebody young up front. That's good.

[Jace]

All right.

[Al]

Y' all ready to get back into John?

[Zach]

I'm ready.

[Al]

So. So we left off in John 13. There was a couple of things I kind of wanted to revisit because we had basically covered the end of John 13. We're ready to move into 14. But I felt like we needed to touch a little more on this idea of the new command. In 34, he says, a new command I give you love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. Because we kind of got into the Peter part of the story, of course, Jace went down the chicken rabbit hole and. Which was very interesting.

[Jace]

My apologies for that. Thanks for.

[Al]

Yeah, but it was. It was pretty funny. I liked it, but I read. Or I hadn't read it in a long time. But Zach, there was a book, Francis Schaeffer did, a book called the Mark of a Christian. I don't know if you ever read it because I know you read a lot of Schaeffer, but it was just a little bitty, almost like an essay that he was going to include in one of his bigger works, which is kind of was about Christianity in general, but instead it was. It's been one of the best, one of his best selling books of all time. It's a very short book, but it's based on this passage. And it's so good because he makes the comparison that through the years we've had a lot of things that we kind of use to symbolize Christianity, the mark, you know, for Christian, from the fish to the cross to, you know, all these different things we use. But he said this is the mark. I mean, this is what Jesus says. You'll know for sure whether somebody's a follower or not. Which I thought was interesting that he said that. And one of the things, I don't know if this is from that book or somewhere, something else I read, but. Jason, you made the point. Jason, a past podcast about the different Greek words for love. And of course, this idea of agape, which is unconditional sacrificial love, which is the kind of love he's talking about. Someone said it this way, which I thought was really good. And I want to get this in before we moved on. Agape is unconditional in its expression, it's unselfish in its motive, and it's unlimited in its benefits. And I just thought that was really rich. Cause in essence, that's exactly how you know. And if you see a situation that claims to be in Christ, whether it's a church setting, which happens far too often, that isn't marked by love, then you know it's not for real. There's some falsehood, there's somebody's, you know, following the wrong God. They're saying they love Jesus, but they really don't because you'll know it by the love. And of course, that's the first fruit of the spirit as well. So I just, I wanted to get that in before we moved into John 14.

[Zach]

So, Al, how did you feel when you had your first child?

[Al]

Well, you know, other than being overjoyed, it was always also a little bit scary because I thought, man, this is a life that I've got to help get through life, you know, and take care of.

[Zach]

So for me, early on, me and Jill sat down and I was like, look, I'm going to make sure that you guys are taken care of if something happens to me. So we went out and bought a term life insurance policy, which I'm a big believer in. I believe every family at least should have a term policy in case something happens to the primary caregivers. Let me tell you about Fabric by Gerber Life. It's a term life insurance that you can get done today. It's made for busy parents like you, all online, all on your schedule, right from your couch. You could be covered in under 10 minutes with no health exam required. If you're a parent, and especially if you're young and healthy, now's the time to lock in your low rates. Fabric has policies that fit your family and your budget, like $1 million in coverage for under a dollar a day. And they partner with Gerber Life, which I really like because it's such a trusted brand. You know, I knew whenever we had Layla, our first child, 22 years ago, that I had to protect my family with a term insurance policy in case something ever happened to me. And it gave Jill a lot of peace of mind as well. And fabric is great. There is a no risk 30 day money back guarantee and you can cancel at any time. So join the thousands of parents who trust Fabric to help protect their family. Apply today in just [e-mail] that's meatfabric.com unashamed M E E T fabric.com unashamed policies issued by Western Southern Life Assurance Company. Not available in certain states. Price subject to underwriting and health questions.

[Jace]

Well, it's interesting I would say this. I shared this yesterday, actually. You saying that makes me think about this point. You know, in First John 4 on two different occasions he says, God is love. Sure, exactly where that is. I know one of 4, 9, I think 4, 8.

[Zach]

First John.

[Jace]

No, 4, 8. 4, 8 is one of 4, 10.

[Zach]

4, 10.

[Jace]

No, it's 4, 8. And I just read 4 oh, and 4 16.

[Zach]

But he mentions it twice.

[Jace]

But. But I want to make a point because Al, what he just said when you. So if you read 4, 16, we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Yeah, but when you read verse 19, it's a very short verse, but think about the implications. So, so if you're like, God is love. Verse 19 says, we love because he first loved us. And I've heard people preach that, and they start at the cross and I'm like, why are you starting there? He is love. When did God first start loving us? Makes me think about that. Ephesians 4. You know, it says from the beginning in love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons. So it's an interesting thought, isn't it?

[Al]

It is.

[Jace]

How does an eternal being do something first? Well, he's always going to be first compared to anything else.

[Al]

Exactly.

[Jace]

Because he is love. It's kind of a brain teaser, but I think it's good news.

[Zach]

Well, think about, think about. In, I think it's Revelation 13. I may get this wrong. I guess I could look it up. But he says that he talks about the cross of Calvary, that the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world. I think that's the phrase he uses. And you think man, that's a weird statement, that Christ was slain before the foundation of the world. And I think that when we want to, we try to imagine our existence. Well, we do imagine our existence and we experience it through time. But a God who's outside of that, I mean, he just is. He is love. And whatever the plan of the cross of Calvary, was it actually in God's economy, it happened before the foundation of the world? It's just a weird phrase.

[Jace]

It's 13:8 of Revelation, all inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast which is representing of the anti God. All whose names have not been written in the book of life, belonging to the Lamb that was slain, the NIV says from the creation of the world, Revelation.

[Zach]

What was it again?

[Al]

13, 8.

[Jace]

Good verse to pull out of your hat. Exactly. I think that goes along with my point there. He first loved us. That's why he said earlier in First John 4, which is another interesting verse, when he said, this is love. Not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sin. You see what I mean? We tend to think like.

[Zach]

It's a good question, though. The question we're getting at here is why would God even. Why does he even create us? I mean, I think we've all probably thought about that. Like, why am I here? What's the point? What's all this about? Why would he create Me? And I've heard it says in some way that God. Well, I'll say it this way. I think we gotta be careful. If we put God in a position where we're saying that he needed us to worship him, so he created us because he doesn't need us.

[Jace]

Acts 17. That's where I preached from last night, and I made that point. He doesn't need anything.

[Al]

He's fully sustained.

[Zach]

Well, it's a nuanced thing, but you got to be careful how you talk about God in this way and why he created us. And so, I mean, I'm very careful with my language to think about. I don't want to paint a picture of God in my mind that's bringing him down to somehow he's dependent on me for my worship or me glorifying Him. And he didn't need any of that to be God. And I don't know if that's the real purpose more than it is that he created me as an extension and an overflow of his love, of his nature, as a gift to Himself from Himself. Kind of like in that trinitarian framework, the Father creates us for the Son, the Son, his participation is for the Father and the Spirit. They're all in. It's like we were created to be partakers of the divine nature. And that nature it is. It's an unadulterated love. First John 4 is so clear about that.

[Jace]

That's Acts 17:25.

[Al]

So I think that's exactly why that I titled John 13 in my outline is Jesus is the personification of love. In other words, the. The ultimate picture, if you want to see the love of God in the whole Trinity is in the person of Jesus. And so I think that's why he. He says what he says here. He says, if you want to look at everything through a command lens, he says, okay, let me just give you one love. Love each other, you know, and which is. It's been the common theme. If you think about Zach, you're preaching the Old Testament, so am I right now. It was the theme even back then. I mean, we kind of made that out. Like, well, there was law. And so, you know, people didn't understand. It was always about loving God from the beginning.

[Jace]

Absolutely.

[Al]

And about his love for us. It's just, you know, we talk a lot on the podcast about this not yet now mentality. That's the name of Zach's other podcast. But really it's always been not yet now, and it still is. Because when you recognize what God's love is and you're marked by it, you're always pushing forward. And I do agree with what you said about how we have to watch ourselves when we try to put ourselves in God's perspective of seeing things because we're not Him. And even though we know we've got this taste of eternity now because the Holy Spirit lives in us, it's a deposit, we're not there yet, we haven't realized it. So we can't see it fully from his perspective. But we have to trust when he says things like I loved you before I created you, that is true. And that he's outside of time and space. So I think people get into a lot of weird doctrines and weird teachings when they try to assume the mantle of seeing things from the perspective of God. You just. This is one of the ultimate struggles. And really, Jesus consistently says, the only thing I can tell you to do is just look at me, just see how I operate, and then you'll figure out what you need to know.

[Zach]

Yeah. And that first John 4 passage that Jace brought up is key because what it does when understanding how if love one another is the true mark of a Christian. What Schaeffer did say, by the way, he said it's the. I think he said it's the final apologetic, or it's like the greatest apologetics. Like, you don't come up with all these because Schaeffer was an apologist, essentially, he was a cultural apologist. I've read everything he's written was very influential in me really, honestly, coming out of a season of serious doubt about the truth claims of the Bible. Once I read through Schaeffer's work, it was really. I love everything he's written. And as great as his apologetics are and were, he says that this is the greatest apologetic, the greatest defense for the Christian faith. The reason how you can really see this to be true is, by the way, Christians love one another. And I've actually found this to be true. Like at our church is a great example of this. We have a lot of really smart people who have come out of the world and they're not familiar with Christianity, but they've tried every philosophy known to man. Some of the most, I mean, people so smart that I don't even know what they're talking about half the time. But you know what attracted them? They'll tell you all of them. What attracted them was the body of Christ loving one another. And they were witnessing that. And one particular girl actually had her on the Not yet now podcast. She came in and she had her first two or three Sundays. She was really questioning the validity of how in the world do you guys really believe that a guy died, Literally, Think about it. And he was put in a tomb and resurrected from the dead. And she just thought that was, like, insane that we would believe that. And she was expressing that. Not in a way that was, like, aggressive towards us. She was really curious, how can you believe something so wild? Such a tale. And so what I did is I gave her this book. It's probably on my shelf back there, by a guy named Dr. William Lane Craig, who I also had on the Not yet now podcast, who is, I would argue, probably one of the smartest, most intelligent Christian philosophers, apologists, theologians in the world. He's brilliant. I gave her a book where he just really handles this particular topic. How do we know that Jesus came out of the grave? And it's an ironclad argument. She reads that apologetics book and she comes back and says, yeah, that does nothing for me. That's not what I'm looking for. And I was like, but you said you had all these objections. And she was like, yeah, but that's just. That's not what I'm looking for. Fast forward six months later, and we're baptizing her into the name of Jesus. And now she's a dear sister. She came over last night to her house. Her and her husband both have been baptized into Christ. Both are. They got married in the church. I mean, they're like, walking the walk, talking the talk. I mean, they're doing it. They're living for Jesus. And if you asked her and Jordan both what is the greatest apologetic why did they really come to Christ? I think they would say, we witnessed the way that the Christian brothers and sisters love one another in the church. And that was the most compelling argument for God's existence and the validity of Jesus Christ.

[Jace]

Zay, you talk a lot. So do I. If you're going to talk, you need to make sure it's pure.

[Zach]

That's right. You're right. I love my company, my wireless company. Pure talk. You know, everybody says, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Which is great advice on a lot of things, but when it comes to your cell phone, it's not always the best advice, because over time, what happens to your cell phone is it might work, but your battery life fades. In fact, right now my son Bear is like, I need a new phone. My battery only lasts like two hours. Well, well, fortunately, thanks to my wireless company, PureTalk, your cell phone's something that you can actually replace without feeling guilty about it. So when you switch to PureTalk this month, this is what they're going to do. They're going to give you a free Samsung Galaxy A36 when you have a $35 qualifying plan. So for just 35 bucks a month, you get talk, text and data and you get the free Samsung phone with also has this scratch resistant gorilla glass and a battery that lasts all day long. It's all on America's most dependable 5G network as well. Look, I'm a Pure Talk customer and I can tell you the coverage is second to none. Also supporting companies like PureTalk, it's a good thing because you win by cutting your cell phone bill in half. They are committed to serving our veteran community. They donated $50,000 to provide scholarships to support veterans trying to learn trades after they get out of active duty. And they're also helping to eliminate. Eliminate veteran debt and raising money to end veteran suicide. So here's what you need to do. Make the switch in as little as 10 minutes. Go to PureTalk.com Unashamed to get your free phone today. Again, that's PureTalk.com Unashamed to switch to my wireless company, America's wireless company, PureTalk.

[Al]

And I would add to that story, Zach, just from my observation of your church there, that I think all that took off a year ago when that terrible storm came through and destroyed so much and, you know, hurt so many lives. And who was there showing Christian love? Churches like yours and a lot of others. So I think out of sometimes the worst possible times, which is a good lead in back to 14 out of. Out of troubled times, is when the love of Christ is seen. I think.

[Zach]

Great point.

[Al]

Which is really good. So let me read this the first four verses because I'm sure that's all we'll get to today and probably 14. Yeah. The next. I feel like we should have a.

[Jace]

Caveat of what we're fixing, discussing, discuss. Because I do think, you know, I've changed the way I view chapter 14 from probably the first 30 years. Yeah. Of my Bible reading. And I really just think it's because I was told a narrative that I just believe because someone, you know, was teaching the Bible and I just assumed, yeah, well, why would he. Why would it be anything different? You know, and so that's. That's my caveat, so. Because I think you got to be careful about trying to make everything fit in the Bible. And then once you kind of get that narrative in your mind, you're just only looking for that to, like, support what you believe to be true. So that may be confusing to some, but probably our take on John 14, the first three verses, I'm sure a lot of people have never heard this before in their life.

[Al]

Yeah, it's gonna be a little bit different. For sure.

[Jace]

Yeah.

[Al]

Let me. Let me read these first four. So in. Again, the context is so important because he's just told them about Judas, and then Judas leaves to do the deed. You know, the betrayal is coming, and he's just told him about Peter. And so this is hard. This is a hard moment. And so his next words are, do not let your hearts be troubled. You know, which is. You know, they're troubled, you know, because of everything that he's told them. And it's interesting I brought this up, Jace, when we were there a few podcasts ago, but it's the same Greek word, and I know you've looked at it from 21, that Jesus was troubled in his spirit when he says, I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me. So this idea, he's telling them not to be troubled, but he was just troubled this, you know, a few minutes ago. And so it does show you something about that. We'll talk more about it.

[Jace]

Does it say. Is. Is that the same word? I know it's the same word in 12. Let's see. Let's go back to 1227, when he said, now my heart is troubled.

[Al]

Yep.

[Jace]

And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. And then he says, no, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Now he's. Because he's fixed to talk about his impending death. It.

[Al]

It's the same word there. It's also the same word in 21, 1321.

[Jace]

Let me look.

[Al]

Oh.

[Jace]

After he said this, that's. There it is. Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified. I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me. But. Ow. It's also in 1133. Now, what's this got to do with anything? Remember what happened in chapter 11, Lazarus. Yeah. When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping. He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

[Al]

Yeah. And then later wept. Two verses later, he wept.

[Jace]

Yeah. So I do think people, the fact that he uses it here. 14:1, don't let your hearts be troubled because he's telling them, I'm going away, right? But I'm going to come back. And it's kind of the beginning of this. You're going to be persecuted. You know, John 14, 15 and 16. He's introducing the idea of this Holy Spirit being a comforter or a counselor that he's going to give them. I'll read just to get the context because I think this is going to matter. Understanding this, what does it mean to be troubled when he says in verse 16 of chapter 14, I will ask the Father and he will give you another counselor to be with you forever. The spirit of truth. The world does not accept him because it neither sees him nor knows Him. But you know him. For he lives. Here's a, here's a boy. You talking about a phrase for he lives with you and will be in you. So I think we needed to do that. I'll look up this word al for troubled and see the other places it's used.

[Al]

And the reason I think it's important that we start there is one is because sometimes you get the idea don't let your hearts be troubled. Say we should never be troubled because you know, Jesus tells his disciples this. But remember Jesus is shown, as Jay showed three examples prior to this, that being troubled is part of the human condition. What he's really saying is don't, don't stay trouble because there's good news is coming. And I think it really shows Jesus early part of his humanity is the idea to bring comfort. And when I read like one of my favorite passages in The Bible is 2nd Corinthians 1:3 through 11, because Paul describes his situation to the Corinthian church. And it's a tough situation. He's had a hard time. He's had a lot of difficult things happen. But he says everything that's happened to him has been to show him that God loves him and comforts him so that he can provide comfort for other people, including this church that he, that he loves so much that's having so many problems, the Corinthian Church. So I just, I think at the heart of who we are, we always understand that at different times we're going to be troubled. And it could be because of some physical malady. It could be a family situation. It could be, you know, our own sin and shortcomings and mess ups and just like we see denials of who Christ is. But the idea is we don't, we don't live there, we don't stay there because we have something greater, something better to pull us up. So I just, to me, it spoke very powerfully to me about Jesus saying, I understand you because I'm troubled too. I'm troubled in what's about to happen. What's going to happen later this night.

[Zach]

Yeah, I mean, I was going to say this. The context here is though, what he is talking to them about is that he's basically saying, I'm about to go somewhere that you can't come with me. And so they're distressed about that isolation from Jesus. And so, which is very, very interesting when you get to John 14, he said, well, no, don't be, be upset, don't be troubled. He's about to give the reason why. Over the next 14, 15, 16 and 17, four chapters, which, honestly, if you want to build a doctrine of the Holy Spirit, this is probably where you should start. Right here in these next four chapters, Jesus himself is going to give us a really thorough explanation of the role of the Holy Spirit.

[Al]

So, Jase, you know, I made the bold claim last year that I was going to lose 60 pounds by 60. It was an epic fail. You even lost money, I understand, but.

[Jace]

Technically you're still 60.

[Al]

But I'm still 60. And so it really re motivated me. And when Zach came up with the folks at PhD Weight loss and introduced me to them, it was a game changer. And I have lost that 60 during my 60th year, plus more. It's been fantastic. Dr. Ashley Lucas is the founder of this program. Thousands of her clients have had success. She teaches you what to eat, when to eat, and on your relationship with food so that you can lose weight for the rest of your life. Here's a picture of me at the beginning of this journey some 31 weeks ago. And here I am now, which is about 65, 68 pounds less, which is a real blessing. You're not eating rabbit food. There's no gimmicks, there's no pills, no injections, and no side effects, which so much of the dietary plans now have. PhD weight loss also provides up to 80% of your weekly food at no extra cost. I've got to be honest, I feel better than I felt in many, many decades, probably, probably going back 30 years. And I can attribute it to PhD weight loss. So join me on the weight loss journey. I know you've been wanting to do it. Now's the time, step up, make the move. Schedule your one on one consultation today by calling 864-644-1900 or you can visit myphdweightloss.com that's 864-644-1900 tell em Al Robertson sent you.

[Jace]

All right, Al, I'm glad you brought this up because this is fascinating. So the first time that word is used about troubled is. Is in Matthew 2, when King Herod heard that the one was born King of the Jews, he got the report in verse three it says King Herod heard this and was troubled. So to your point, being troubled is not necessarily a bad thing. It's what you do about it. King Herod said, I tell you what, let's go kill all the newborn babies. Yeah, so and I think even though it's not mentioned in the Temptation of Jesus, the fact that after he was tempted by the evil one, remember what happened. I mean I'm sure he was troubled, he'd been tempted, he fasted for 40 days. And remember it says the angels came and attended him. So it is part of the human condition. But here's a couple of interesting other places that it's used just to make the point that it's not necessarily a bad thing. The word is also used in John 5 when the water was stirred, remember?

[Al]

Oh yeah, the gutters.

[Jace]

Well, it's just used to show that there was a disturbance in the water. It was troubled. Same word. But I think that's interesting because Even in John 11 you're like, well, why was Jesus troubled? Because think about it, his good friends were mad at him, Mary and Martha, because they're like, if you'd have been here, this would never happen. Now he's dead and they're all crying, the Jews are crying and he's a human. And it's like, you know, I think the point, I've watched a movie before, you know, and wasn't good, bad or indifferent, but I was troubled. I was like misty eyed or you know, I mean, first time I watched Rudy, I'm his game about football and I was like getting all worked up here, you know, just a story. Well, and I think to read a couple of the other ones that are interesting and I'm trying to make the point that it's a human condition post resurrection in Luke 24, in the section where Jesus appeared to his disciples in 36, remember when he stood among them in verse 37, says they were startled and frightened thinking they saw a ghost. Which by the way, this word trouble is also used when Jesus came walking on the water. It said when the disciples looked out, they thought he was a ghost. And it says they were. It translates. They were terrified. But it's the same word. Yeah, they were troubled.

[Al]

Yeah.

[Jace]

And you're like, well, why? Because if you're a human and you see a man walking on the water and there's no plank under the water, that would be troubling for a variety of reasons, good, bad and indifferent. And so in this case, in Luke 24, I love how this kind of gives you the picture, what this means. He said to them, why are you troubled and why do doubts rise in your minds? Same word, troubled. Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see. I have. But then it goes further. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe because of joy and amazement, they're still troubled, but in a joyful way of like just trying to wrap their head around. How has this happened? This is a dead man. And then he said, do you have anything here to eat? And you're like, what's he doing? He's trying to get them to overcome their troubled, stirred hearts. And I think the point is because we're doing this on purpose, because a lot of people, they feel uncomfortable that Jesus was troubled in spirit and he's going to do it again. When he prays in the garden, he's troubled. And what did he do about it? You'll notice that even in the John 12, he's like, he's going to trust. He's like his heart was troubled. And he's like, save me from this hour. But how did he respond in the temptation? He said, nope, I'm going to trust you. And that's why when he said, father, we missed this power of this verse on the cross. Now, he said a lot of things, but one thing he did say when he said, father, into your hands I commit my spirit. And that word, commit, he's. It's trust. I'm trusting you for this three day process that I'm fixed to die. We just think, oh, he's just like giving up his spirit. Well, that's a. If you're God in human form, you're trusting the Father to go through this three day process. So I think the way.

[Al]

And that's the marker, Jace, that he said in the garden. Remember he said the exact same when he said, you know, I'm troubled. You know, is there any. Can you take this cup from? And then he says, nope, not my will, but yours be done. So he answers that same thing at every step of the way here for the whole rest of this narrative.

[Jace]

I think the way to wrap your head around it is a little thumbnail of Hebrews, because Hebrews 2. I think if Hebrews 2 was not in the Bible, we would have more trouble understanding why Jesus is troubled. But when you start reading it in Hebrews 2, of course, he had already said in chapter one that now he's speaking to us through his Son. And he explains that he starts off in verse 10 of chapter 2 when he says, in bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through Whom everything exists, should make the altar of their salvation perfect through suffering. Which is what I think the definition of troubled is. It's a state where things are not going your way, like John 11, where his friends are mad at him, Lazarus died, and everybody's getting weepy, and it's causing him some temptation here. You know, I think when you look at what he could have done, I mean, he could have just reamed out Mary and Martha. What part of this do you not get? But he understood that we're humans and we're slow to figure this out. That's why so many people rejected Jesus. They just couldn't wrap their head around it. But he was patient and he trusted the Father. And so then it says in verse 11, both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. What family is he talking about?

[Al]

Yeah, us being a human.

[Jace]

He became a human, so he's not ashamed to call them brothers. So then he goes on to say verse 14, since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity. Now, we're all familiar with what happens next, because he destroyed the power of the Evil One who had death, and he freed those who all their lives were in slavery. But he gets to verse 17. Here's the point I want to make. For this reason, he had to be made like his brothers in every way. So just think, in every way that a human is made. He was made. That means he was lonely, he was stressed out, he was troubled, he cried, he was emotional. But in all those moments, which is a prerequisite to making a bad decision, you become vulnerable in that he always trusted the Father. But it doesn't mean he wasn't in trouble, because then it goes on to say that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. And then here's the kicker, verse 18 of chapter 2 of Hebrews, because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. I think that is the way to look at it. Of course, he then says in chapter four, in verse 15, for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin. So he was weak because he's a human.

[Al]

We're weak.

[Jace]

We have moments. But how did he always respond? He didn't respond sinfully. He responded with trust.

[Al]

And the only way you do that, Jesus, have a heart that stays open. And one thing, you'll never see Jesus in any of the texts. You'll never see him cynical, which is what we do when we don't trust. We turn cynical. So.

[Jace]

Well, let me read the last one. I didn't realize we were out of time. In chapter five and verse seven, it says, he offered up prayers and petition. Listen to this. With loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death. And he was heard because of his reverent submission. Wow.

[Al]

So pretty good.

[Jace]

So he was troubled, and he's passing that on to his disciples, saying, don't be troubled. There's a way to respond.

[Al]

I love it. All right, we'll pick it up here next time on Unashamed. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcast. 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.