Ep 1243 | The Robertsons Call Out the Lawlessness Plaguing America’s Most Beautiful Big Cities

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Unashamed with the Robertson Family

Episode: 1243 | The Robertsons Call Out the Lawlessness Plaguing America’s Most Beautiful Big Cities
Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Phil, Al, Jase, Zach
Theme: Faith, Family, Modern American Culture, and Biblical Wisdom

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Overview

In this episode, the Robertson family and friends gather to discuss life changes, family traditions, Christian faith, and a biblical perspective on contemporary issues plaguing America—particularly the moral and societal decline they observe in major U.S. cities. Intertwined with personal stories, Bible study, and signature banter, the conversation dives deep into the concepts of spiritual light and darkness, the dangers of idolatry, and what it means to be truly “unashamed” believers in today’s world.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holidays, Family, and Transitioning Seasons

[00:06–02:23]

• The hosts reflect on holiday traditions: electronic-free sabbaticals, family pickleball tournaments, and the emotional changes of children growing up, leaving for tours (Max and Layla with Larry Fleet), and marriage.
• Zach shares: "Max is like, this is the last time you're gonna actually live in our house... It's kind of a weird, you know, have those moments where you think, man, this thing's moving." (01:15)

2. Lighthearted Family Rivalry & LSU Allegiance

[02:23–04:50]

• The dynamic humor among the Robertsons emerges as they banter over college football loyalties, gift-giving, and family pranks.
• Al jokes: "I'm like our Lord and Savior... I just give good gifts to those who love." (04:43)

3. Health Struggles, Home Remedies, and Life Lessons

[04:53–12:44]

• Jase recounts his struggles with illness over the holidays and his accidental six-day sabbatical from technology after forgetting his phone.
• The crew humorously debates the efficacy of old-school home remedies (Amish “fire water” vs. hot toddies).
• Jase (on the fire water): "I think I turned into the first ever human blowtorch... felt really good for about 30 seconds." (08:03)
• Al emphasizes the importance of traditions and keeping things simple.

4. Bible Study: New Year, New Depth

[13:16–24:27]

• The conversation pivots to resolutions centered on spiritual growth—studying the Bible, prayer, and fostering real conversations about Jesus.
• Jase: "It's simple stuff. It's studying your Bible, not just reading your Bible... These simple things that happen in the faith ignite your faith." (18:45)
• Al shares his parallel studies in James and Psalms, focusing on divine creation and God's glory:
  • Al reads from Psalm 19: "The heavens declare the glory of God..." (21:11)

5. Life Lessons in the Duck Blind: Suffering for a Purpose

[24:27–26:48]

• Jase recounts a duck hunt gone awry that unexpectedly became an opportunity for witnessing, despite physical suffering.
• Jase: "Was it worth it for me to burn a hole [in my leg] for this guy to hear about Jesus? I'm going to say, absolutely, it was." (26:10)

6. Deep Dive: Life, Light, and the Gospel of John

[26:48–37:12]

• A profound theological exploration of the opening verses of 1 John, setting the tone for the study series:
  • Life (“Zoe”) and Light are not mere ideas but are realized in the person of Jesus.
  • The importance of illumination, both physical and spiritual, is discussed using personal anecdotes and metaphors.
• Zach: "Life's not an idea. Life's a person. And now light is not an idea. Light's a person..." (28:43)
• The group examines how idolatry, sin, and the influence of evil powers work together to blind people (referencing 1 John and Genesis).

7. The Downward Spiral of Modern Cities & Spiritual Consequences

[38:57–44:27]

• Al compares the decline of cities like Seattle due to lawlessness and the rejection of godly order as a reflection of spiritual decay.
• Al: "When you take away [God's] order, when you take away his light... you can even see it in real time over a couple of decades in a U.S. city." (40:39)
• The group laments how cities become “trash dumps” when humans reverse the God-given order—worshipping creation over the Creator.

8. Truth, Darkness, and Spiritual Sight

[44:27–55:12]

• The discussion circles back to John’s prologue, emphasizing that spiritual blindness is not just lacking sight, but thinking one can see while in darkness.
• Jase explains: "Not only are you in darkness, but you think you're in the light. That's what the evil powers, the idolatry, your own sin... contribute to." (54:28)
• Key moment: The reading of John 9:35-41 ties it all together, showing Jesus as the light-giver to the spiritually blind.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Zach on home remedies:
  "I don't know if any of that stuff works, to be honest with you." (11:53)
• Jase on witnessing during suffering:
  "I was on fire for the Lord. And I was literally on fire." (26:03)
• Al on the spiritual lesson from urban decline:
  "Imagine the whole idea of humanity in this idea of what happens when something other than God is in charge." (40:39)
• Zach on illumination:
  "If I allow the Spirit to turn the lights on... I can actually experience freedom from sin." (34:17)
• Jase on biblical meditation:
  "The more you contemplate this, meditate on it... you start thinking, oh, the possibilities are endless." (46:45)
• Zach on the lie of the serpent in Genesis:
  "The lie was that the possibilities are limited. But that is actually a lie." (47:46)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 00:06 | Holiday traditions and family updates | | 02:23 | College football rivalry and playful banter | | 04:53 | Sickness, home remedies, "Amish fire water" | | 13:16 | New Year's resolutions: spiritual focus | | 21:11 | Bible study: Psalms, creation, and divine glory | | 24:27 | Duck hunting, suffering, and evangelism | | 26:48 | Theological discussion: Life, light, and 1 John | | 38:57 | Lawlessness in U.S. cities as spiritual metaphor | | 44:27 | Seeing but not seeing: Spiritual blindness in John 9 | | 54:28 | The transition from darkness to light in Christ |

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Tone & Style

The episode maintains the Robertsons’ signature blend of Southern storytelling, humor, and deep Christian conviction. Its tone is convivial, unapologetic about biblical truth, and peppered with homespun wisdom and self-deprecating jokes. The conversation moves organically from life updates to profound scriptural reflection, opening up real, relatable windows into faith, struggle, and calling in modern America.

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Conclusion

This episode offers an engaging tapestry of family anecdotes, practical theology, and social commentary. The Robertsons challenge listeners to move beyond New Year’s resolutions toward a daily, vibrant life anchored in Christ—the true light and life of the world. The message: spiritual illumination, active participation in God’s redemptive work, and rejection of idolatrous substitutes are more needed than ever, especially in a culture drifting away from biblical moorings.

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Memorable Takeaway:
"If we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another. And the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all sin." — Zach, 1 John Reflection (35:29)

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Transcript

[A]

I am unashamed. What about you?

[B]

Welcome back to the unashamed podcast, the 26th, 2026 edition. As we go forward into the new year. We're excited. We got a new study. We just came off a little break, which is always good, Zach, to refresh our minds.

[C]

Oh, it's great.

[B]

Yeah, it was kind of nice. We didn't ask you what you did during the holidays. Did you have some. Anything exciting going on up there in North Carolina?

[C]

We do it. We do a. What we call. Jase, you said you had a three day sabbatical. We take about a six day sabbatical right after Christmas every year. We go somewhere and we turn off all electronic devices and no cell phone, no tv, just nothing but like. So we went to the beach this year, played a lot of pickleball, read a lot of books, whole family went, ate some good food. I cooked a lot. So that was great because the kids, Max and Layla are actually about to go on a. On a tour with country music singer Larry Fleet, which Max met him on this podcast, matter of fact, when we were together in Nashville and they connected.

[B]

And Larry, that was the first time they met once when we were doing that interview. And yeah, Max was back there, I.

[C]

Guess he was back there trying to hustle, you know, and so. And they literally, I mean, I didn't know, I had no clue. But Max said, hey, Larry called and said, hey, y' all want to go on tour with me? I found. I went and listened to Yalls music and so they're going to be going all over the country. We're going to be in. In Tennessee, I think Kingsport, Tennessee. We're going to go actually go here on play that, that venue and they might even go to Europe. So they're. They were. That was kind of like their last little. And Max is getting married. So it was kind of an emotional time because I'm like, you know, Max is like, this is the last time you're gonna actually live in our house. Because he's. We went back to college yesterday to finish out college and he'd start the tour in February. And then. And so we were like. It was kind of weird. I mean like, man, we got. Layla's married off now Max is like, they're all kind of like, those two are like on their own. So we're. It was kind of a weird, you know, have those moments where you think, man, this thing's moving.

[B]

Well, I'm Zach. I am a record. I love all of your children. They're all amazing in Their own way and. But Max has always been my favorite, and I don't make any bones about it. It's because he's the only one with any sense when it comes to college athletics. He's an LSU fan. So I sent he and his fiance their first Christmas ornament for after they get married for next year. And it's a. They were proudly hang the purple and gold from their Christmas tree. It is.

[A]

Isn't that great though, Al? Because it's like you always have a rebel in the family. But Zach can't get mad about it because he loves Jesus. Yeah, but he loves lsu, so he's in a quant. That's why he's so bewildered. He's like, I think I'm going to. I'm still Kingsbury, Tennessee or whatever. I'm like, well, might already nail that one down. First of all, wherever you're going that shouldn't be. I think I'm going there. Nail that down.

[C]

Well, I can't remember what it was. I did pull it up, though. So what did I say? Kingsborough? No, I said Kingsport.

[A]

Yeah, I made it up, but I just. I was just.

[B]

Bristol.

[C]

It's Bristol, Tennessee.

[A]

Bristol.

[B]

I hope they're not putting you in charge of promotion, that you're the worst promoter ever.

[A]

Come see me in Kingsbury, Tennessee.

[B]

I think. Be there.

[C]

March 13th. We're going to be at the Larry Fleet concert at the Paramount Center. Paramount center for the Performing Arts in Bristol, Tennessee. I am mad at. Not Max, but I am mad at Al for. Because he's manipulated Max with this LSU stuff, is what he's done is he's over his lifetime, Jace. He's. Since he was really young, he started sending him gifts like jerseys and footballs and all. All LSU paraphernalia. And so systematically, what he's done, he's. He's come in and he's actually undermined my parental patriarchy.

[A]

That's your view. Let me. Let me be the judge. J's here. You should have been doing what Al was doing and you would have pulled it off. So you got out. Gifted.

[C]

You won that one, Al. Good job, buddy. Way to undermine.

[B]

I'm like. I'm like our. Our Lord and Savior, whom I love with all my heart. I just give good gifts to those who love.

[C]

Oh, they love.

[B]

That's what I'm doing.

[C]

Oh, they loved it.

[A]

Well, I was gonna make some New Year's resolutions, but since I was so sick and I did this. This trip, which I missed the new year because I was on the road. Which. Who does that? You know, evidently, because my wife said, well, this is. You're not going to welcome in the new year. I was like, well, I'll. How about I call you and we'll do the FaceTime? It's like, yes, great. Well, guess what happened when I left Kansas. Oh, no, it's worse than that, Al. When I left to Kansas, about three hours into the trip, I realized I don't have my phone. And so, you know, Zach, when he said he took a. He was comparing what I did to a three day sabbatical. Now, I took a sabbatical when I left that place because I had no phone for six days.

[C]

Did you do it on purpose, though?

[A]

No, Zach, I said I forgot my phone. I wouldn't.

[C]

So that's what I'm saying.

[A]

I do have a life. I have. You know, but I had my computer. So technically what I learned, even though I'm not a tech wizard, and I surprised my wife on New Year's Eve because I figured out how to call my wife on my computer. Get you some of that. Now, look, I had to. I only found a place that was 10 by 10 where I could get a signal. And I went all over the. There's one spot that Barrett actually knew about. He's like, go over there and it'll work. So I was pretty much free from all communication for the six days. Except for that. But I thought that was cool. And surprised because she was like, how are you calling me without a phone? I said, it's exciting, babe. I pull it off. It's a Christmas Love I have for you Was burning so fiery I had to find a way. So it was actually a moment. I pulled it off. She was excited, but. So I've had a lot of people make resolutions. Formula. I bumped into a guy because I. I mean, my throat and my sinuses and all that have been so bad. I lost my voice. Terrible. So I got talked into doing this Amish way of restoring your throat capabilities. I was a little nervous about it. I thought I'd share this because I think this is probably the reason that so many rednecks die at young ages that they're willing to try things like what I'm fixed to tell you. So this guy said he got it from the Amish, but he said, what you need is some fire water. And so the recipe. And I did it. I got. Bowl me some water. I took. Were the ingredients. Well, it said, take apple cider vinegar with the hot water. I can't believe oh, and some salt. Had, like, a teaspoon of salt. I had, like, a couple tablespoons. I was supposed to have apple cider vinegar, but nobody had any, so I just used white vinegar. That may be where it all went wrong. But then the last ingredient was a couple tablespoons of cayenne pepper. And so I bowled the water, and I rotated that around. And look, just the fumes made me feel better. And I drank a cup of that. And you know what happened? I think I turned into the first ever human blowtorch. I was just emitting fire from the vapors, and I felt really good for about 30 seconds. And then that. That didn't work. I coughed and wheezed. So I thought it was kind of funny that I tried that. But then it led me to what I'm sipping on now, which is my version of the fire water, which is I got one tea bag in boiling water with a half a lemon squeezed and a couple of teaspoons of honey. And I don't mean this kind that's been processed. I'm talking about honey. The honeycomb. Raw honey.

[C]

You talking about the old school honey.

[A]

And I made this concoction, and it's actually made me on the road to recovery.

[C]

Well, you're missing one key ingredient. Al knows what it is.

[B]

I know what it is.

[C]

You got one key ingredient. You're missing Bourbon. Little bourbon in there.

[A]

I tried that one time with my son, and I said, you know, nah.

[C]

That we're not talking about. We're not talking about what you're not talking about. We're talking about medicinal.

[A]

I tried the fart firewater. Look, trust me. You think, oh, I. You know, I sip on bourbon. You think, you try my little Amish firewater. Put a couple tablespoons. See, you're not registering. When that hit my lips and went down, it was literally fire water, cayenne pepper.

[C]

So, Jason, I know you've been complaining about being sick lately, so I sent you a little present. It's right there on the table in front of you.

[A]

Well, I appreciate that. I wasn't complaining. It was just a fact of life. You know, illnesses come in various forms, but evidently, Zach has hooked me up with some Texas superfood.

[C]

Well, we are in the cold and flu season, and this particular season has been extremely, extremely bad. If you're going to go into cold and flu season, here's the thing. You got to have a strong immune system to detect, deflect, and then destroy the bacteria and the viruses that you come in contact with. So our friend, naturopathic doctor Dennis Black invented Texas Superfood 25 years ago to build our body's defense from the inside out. It's got 55 vine ripened vegetables and fruits, probiotics and enzyme. I love it. You know, we've been taking Texas Superfood now for the last few months and it does make us feel better throughout the day. This is the real deal. It's the original superfood. Texas superfood is super easy to incorporate into your routine. Jill takes it every single morning. It's part of her daily routine and being healthy. So you too can start boosting your immune system today. So if you can't, won't, or don't eat all your fruits and vegetables every day, well, Texas superfood is made for you. Start boosting your immune system today. All you got to do is go to texas superfood.com and use our code unashamed and you'll get 35% off your first order. That's texas superfood.com use code unashamed to get 35% off your 1st order. Texas superfood.com discount code unashamed. The cayenne pepper. Throw some ginger in there. You could do ginger would help you.

[A]

But it didn't really work. So I don't know if. No, no.

[C]

I don't know if any of that stuff works, to be honest with you. I mean.

[B]

No, I'm. I tell you what. The. The hot toddy, the true hot toddy does work and it's tried and true.

[A]

First person I've been struggling with it.

[B]

Well, this. This house with this house with nighttime cough and helps you go to sleep. And the first person that I ever saw it was my granny is the one that first did it. And it's a little bit of honey.

[A]

None of this is true. I learned this the Amish fire.

[B]

No, no, it is true.

[A]

It's such a distraction that you forget everything and anything.

[C]

Now the hot Todd.

[A]

You have a now new problem. I could do smoke rings and I wasn't even smoking. It was just rings coming out. And I was like, look at the vapor. Missy was like, how are you doing that?

[B]

I was like, I sound like a side story now.

[A]

You got literally vaporizing the air. I've become a superhero. All I do is breathe on you and you'll pass out.

[C]

What was it like later?

[B]

Or is this Doug Kar room? Zach, are we on duck covering duck cover room.

[C]

But I the later it was probably the dangerous part was what happened.

[A]

I'm Just saying, all these wives, they're all just things that we come up with right now. It's a distraction, but this is a more enjoyable. With the tea and honey and lemon. Enjoyable distraction. So, yeah, there.

[B]

I did want to mention. I did want to mention that we had the. You mentioned about the New Year's, and. Because we usually stay up and watch the ball drop. I missed the one in New York. You know, they got the big ball in Times Square and then. But I. The last three or four years. Zach, you'll appreciate this with Nashville, kids, singers. I've been watching the Nashville edition, and it's mostly country music, although now it's kind of crossed over because you got, like, Jelly roll and all these other guys. But they have a music note that drops in Nashville, which makes sense. So it got me to wondering about different cities, what they did. And so I. Down here, close to where I'm at now, at the southern layer in Gulf Shores, the city of Mobile, do you know what they drop at the. When. When the hour strikes 12, they have a drop at their tallest building here in Mobile, Alabama.

[C]

I'm gonna guess a crawfish.

[A]

No.

[B]

That's a good guess, but nope. Jase, you want to take a shot at it? No idea. A moon pie.

[A]

Okay, now that's a good idea. I like moon.

[B]

I think it's a great idea. So then I started looking up and down the coast at Bay St. Louis, which is about halfway from here to Louisiana. Along the coast, they have an oyster that they drop, and then on across. There's a crawfish that. So you. You. You got it. It's like regional things that they drop on New Year. I didn't know cities did that. I know that was a thing.

[A]

I've only in my life, and I've been here almost as long as you have. I've only saw the new year go over once. I'm asleep when that's going. One time. Can you believe that?

[B]

Jay's. Jay's read the verses, said, what the disobedient do they do at night? And he said, I'm sleeping, probably.

[A]

No, it's because it's during duck season, and if you're a duck hunter, I can't be staying up to midnight. I'll. I'll get it in the morning. You're sleeping it off. Oh, Jason. Ripping and roaring and chasing ducks and.

[B]

Burning holes into his loins. Yeah, yeah, we know what you do.

[A]

I know I'll have a scar there, and it's just a reminder that you need to keep the coffee out of your lap and keep it ingested. And so y' all learned a lesson there.

[B]

I am, I will say, as a throwback to that conversation, I'm amazed that something that you were drinking and putting inside your body, which shows you the power of the esophagus and the stomach lining, would literally burn a hole into your loins.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

At the same time. That's incredible.

[A]

Oh, I know, Jay. I kept, you know, not complaining, but I was in pain for days. And I was running around with old J. Stone, you know, gallivanting across the country.

[B]

The picture of compassion.

[A]

And finally, when I had to, I was trying to take a picture and give it to the doctor because they were, you know, looking at my progress. And he saw it and he's like, I cannot believe that happened to you. It was like so shocking that, I mean, it looks absolutely terrible. It's like somebody took a quarter and just branded me about an inch down into my leg and festered and. And just all the skin was.

[B]

Do you know why I realize now is because it was concentrated in that one spot. It was.

[A]

And I didn't know it was happening. I literally. It just shows you how if you don't know something's happening. You know, I thought I was just. And pulled a muscle or something. I. I didn't know. It took me a while to figure out the process. And I'm trapped in a truck.

[B]

There's power and.

[A]

And then I put that tight waiters and go agitated for five hours. Yeah, I mean, I said, take me to the hospital. We got in. Charles said, take me to the hospital before I started doing all that. So anyway, we can't get off. Move on. Move on. It doesn't concentrate, but it shows that we're perishable. And no matter what you do, things just happen, you know, that's why my wife calls duck season, which my mom is the one that came up with it, the ordeal. And she's carrying that legacy. It's all part of the ordeal. And so I didn't take a three day sabbatical. I was unable to move. I've been sick and I've been in pain. And I really was thankful just because I thought we had so many Bible studies and Jesus conversations in those six days. I mean, for hours and hours, I just thought, this is what happens. This is spiritual warfare. You know, whether I did it on my. My own or whatever. I just thought they're going to try to shut you up because there were too many good things that happened for the Lord. The, really, the trip was not a duck hunting trip. And oh, I'll give Jay Stone credit. He said this has turned into a crusade for Jesus. He said that after about day three, I said, oh, that's what it is. And so it was fantastic.

[B]

Well, since he's my son in law, I'm always glad when he gets in the crosshairs of a crusade for Jesus quest. So that's always a good thing for everybody around.

[A]

Well, I think it was. But I think when you think about New Year's resolutions and all, just to keep that theme, these are the things that, that make your life in, the life you know, worth living. It's, it's simple stuff. It's studying your Bible, not just reading your Bible, studying your Bible, having Jesus conversations, praying, communicating to God. I mean, everybody always, you know, they want to hear other people's resolutions. Like there's something profound. It's these simple things that happen in the faith that just ignite your faith. And so that's what I recommend if you want to make some resolutions.

[C]

So for me, there's one shirt that I keep grabbing because it works for everything. And for me, it's been Poncho. Look, I don't usually get excited about a shirt, but I am excited that we have Poncho as a sponsor. Now. I've been wearing these shirts for years now. Jace, you and Al, you guys are on, but Willie's on board. Everybody's wearing Poncho. Now you, Jason, you look really nice right now.

[A]

Well, I appreciate that, Zach, even though that's an awkward statement. But it, it brings a certain amount of sophistication to OJ's with a collared shirt. And it's very comfy.

[B]

Yeah, I feel very, I feel very sad because I'm in Gulf Shores and I don't have my poncho shirt with me, so I got to get back home and get my. I love the product.

[C]

I mean, the reason why I like them is because like their flannel shirts, the Poncho flannels, they're, they're not bulky or stiff. In fact, I got on one right now. They have like a little stretch to it, so they're easy to move in, super comfortable, high quality, and they have hidden features that are actually useful, like zip pockets. They have a lens cloth on the bottom. They've got a built in SPF of 50. And Poncho Denim shirts are also incredible. I've got a few of those as well. They're soft from day one with that broken in feel. They've got that clean western look that works dressed up or dressed down. They're comfortable enough to travel in on long days, and they still look sharp. They hold their form. Poncho also offers free shipping, free returns, and easy exchanges. They stand behind the product and they want it to be your go to as well. Go to Ponch, show outdoors.com unashamed and enter your email. You'll get 10 bucks off your first order. That's P O N C H O outdoors.com hun for $10 off and free shipping. And when they ask how you heard about them, make sure you let them know that Unashamed sent you.

[B]

It was funny, Jace, because on New Year's Day I was. I was reading some of the bar stuff for this study. And I'm also studying the book of James, which is really interesting to have two separate Bible studies going at the same time because we're preaching James this year, the first few months of our church. And so I had two different studies going on at the same time. And both of them are great. And it was really ironic because I was reading one of the oldest manuscripts in terms of the New Testament, right alongside one of the newest, which James was written very early. I mean, just right after, you know, everything happened. And so it was really interesting seeing the dynamic of the study. And Lisa has started a year read through the Bible program that she's doing. And so she said, well, I'm fixing to go and do my little Bible study. I said, well, I'm going to be over here doing my really big Bible study because we got two of them going on. And it's so enriching. But you're right, but. But it's not just what you bring into your heart and mind, but then it's what flows out from the result, which is powerful. And so I want to. I want to open today's session back into First John 1 with a verse I wonder. I wanted to read last time, but I couldn't get it in. And it's back to that concept, Zach, that you talked about with John 1:1:4 and Genesis 1:1:4, sort of the parallels that run through these different eras. And while I was researching this, I found another one that I had never really recognized. But it's very similar, different, you know, literary work. So. So it's not. It's the same as those other three. But I want you to listen to this. This is from Psalm 19, and this was David's Psalm. But listen how similar it is to what we've been Talking about. I just had to read it. It's so good. It really enriched me. He says in Psalm 19, the heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hand. So right this creation narrative right off the bat. Day after day, they pour forth speech. There's words again. Night after night, they display knowledge. There's no speech or language where their voice is not heard. So in other words, it's so loud, it's such a revelation that you can hear it. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words, to the end of the world in the. In the heavens. He has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion. Who's that sound like? Like a champion rejoicing to run its course. It rises at one end of the heavens, and it makes it circuit to the other. And Jayce, here's the point I want to make about the heat, concentrated heat. Nothing is hidden from its heat. And he goes on to talk about the law, and he talks about, you know, all these different things at the end of the psalm. But I just. When I read that, I. Man, no matter where you go, you see, you keep going back to these same principles of who God is, how he created us, how he's redeemed us, how he's connected us back into him, and now how we're a part of this eternal existence. I just thought that was really rich. I had never noticed it before in that same narrative as what we've been studying.

[A]

Well, look, I'll tell you this. I left this part out the day I got. I was literally on fire from coffee. You know, we go hunt with these people that, I don't know. Jay lined it up. This was back in Louisiana. This is before I went to Kansas. And we got in the. You know, the guy that owned the place. And we only killed three ducks. Look, one of the hottest holes in. In Louisiana. But the fog rolled in. So not only did I burn myself, we. We only shot three ducks because the fog, I basically just sat out there and fried. But when we got into the little rig leaving there, well, a Jesus question popped up. And it was basically just like, you know, you're different than most people. I take hunting and no foul language, you know, positive, all this kind of stuff. And so I took that to mean he was asking why I'm like that. So I gave a little Jesus message and didn't think much about it. But a couple weeks later, O.J. he called me. He's like, hey, what did you what did you say to that guy when you were in that, in his rig with him? I said, well, I told him about Jesus. He said, well, he just gave his life to the Lord. This guy was an older gentleman in his, I'd say, mid-60s, I guess. And so then I thought, man, I was on fire for the Lord. And I was literally on fire.

[B]

That's the intensity of the heat. That's all.

[A]

Having said all that, was it worth it for me to burn a hole for this guy to hear about Jesus? I'm going to say, absolutely, it was. So there you go. You never know, you know, I mean, you're out in the woods and that. Which is another good New Year's resolution, spend time in the outdoors. Because there's something about it that led me to the Lord, which led me to his book, which led me to Jesus just being outdoors, that being kind of my happy place, because it. You can't help it. You look around and think, somebody is the author of this life that I'm looking at in this design.

[B]

No, that's so good. In fact, Zach used that word life last time. Of course, the. The word, it says, we proclaim this. We proclaim concerning the word of life. And we know it's that same Logos that we know from John 1. And the word life there is also the same one, and that's Zoe, the Greek word Zoe. And. And it says in him was life, John 1:4, and that life was the light of all mankind. And then I want to read another verse, Colossians 3, 4, when Christ, who is our life, that's that. Who is our life?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

In that of ours appears.

[A]

He appears, your life.

[B]

And there's that manifest appears, then you will also. You also will appear with him in glory. So I love that. That idea.

[C]

Well, if you notice in the second passage, when he gets in, like the first part, he is. The emphasis is on the word life. And then what you see in 1 John 1:1 1:4 is you see that life is personified. So life has a name. Then when you get to verse 5 through 10, then you have another word, light. Now, light is personified. And so I think the Colossians passage is helpful because the whole book of Colossians, the whole letter of Colossians rather, is a letter that's testifying to not the shadow of the things. Right. It's the substance. So if you read that whole Colossians passage one and two, it's like in him, in him, in him, in him. The reality, however, is found in Christ and so what John's doing here in these first, you know, 10 verses is he's first coming up with life. But he said, but life's not an idea. Life's a person. And now light is not an idea. Life's a person. And another way that you could separate this is. The first four verses are about being, God's being. And then the second part, when he talks about life, it's about us knowing. So it's about knowing God, because, you know, through illumination, if the lights are off and I walk into this room. In fact, when I walked into this studio today, all the lights were off in the studio except for the light over there where Josh is working. And I literally, because I came in from the outside, I couldn't see. And then I was like. I couldn't. Like, I couldn't tell where things are at. I was afraid I was gonna, like, trip over a couch or trip over a chair. And I said, hey, man, turn the lights on. And then soon as he turned the lights on, guess what? The craziest thing happened is that I had the knowledge of where everything was at. I knew it. I could see it. And so with Christ, you can see everything. It's through Christ that we can actually see reality. We can know where the furniture's at. I can know what not to trip over. I can know this couch is great if you sit on it. It's not great if you're going to try to walk through it, you're going to trip. So you have to. It helps us see the intention and the purpose and the design of creation. And we can use it for its ultimate purpose, which is to have dominion over it and to use it for the glory of God instead of letting it control us.

[B]

Which is why. Which is. Why is that darkness is so frightening most of the time. It's not. I mean, Jason, I grew up in an era that was dark, and it always seemed scary. But the only reason dark is scary is because you don't know what's out there.

[C]

You don't know what's out there.

[B]

So, Zach, do you remember when you kind of first started having to worry about weight? I mean, you know, for me, it was like when I turned maybe 40, 40 or 45, somewhere in that. That decade, all of a sudden I just. I couldn't. I was. Started putting on weight. I couldn't. It used to never be a problem for me.

[C]

Yeah, I say my 40s.

[B]

So it affects all of us. Right. Especially as we get older. But really, it's not about willpower it's about your metabolism, and that does change over time. And this is one of the things that the folks at PhD taught me about weight loss. You know that I've been through a quite the year of weight loss, about 80 pounds. At PhD weight loss, they help identify what's actually blocking fat loss and they fix the root cause. So it's more than just counting calories. Your body is much more complicated than that. And so here's a picture of me at the start of 2025 and now at the start of 2026. And so you can see the program has worked and I feel great. I'm off a lot of my meds, almost all of it. I'm off of cpap. So if you want to understand why your body isn't cooperating, call PhD Weight Loss now and mention Fix My Weight Loss to unlock our New Year's special book, your consultation. It's free, it's personalized, and it could explain everything. Call 864-644-1900 and say, Fix my weight loss. That's 864-644-1900. Or you can visit their website, myphdweightloss.com and be sure and tell them that Al sent you. But most of the time, there's nothing out there.

[A]

Here's the kicker, and you're going to see the Evil One, this celestial fallen being that we've kind of empowered through our sins. You see him come up a lot, which we didn't talk about in our first podcast, but he's going to come up a lot because the problem is people in the world using this light and darkness. And we were all in the world and of the world you think you can see. So part of you coming to Jesus is realizing, oh, I'm in darkness. I'm just going around with my hands out. You know, we've all been in those moments when all the lights go out and you're. Yeah, it is a scary thing. Well, that's the depiction that he's trying to get you to see. This is your life. The Evil One comes in there and takes control and gives you the impression that, oh, you can see you're doing great as you're heading, headed toward death and.

[B]

But he's lying to you, right?

[A]

That's my, my.

[C]

But isn't that how evil men operate, too? I mean, you know, I remember when I was a kid, there's these a group of guys, the super evil people, and they would, they would, they'd come in this room and they would turn the lights out. And they would say, we're gonna play a game called Blind Man's Bluff. And they would take pillows and they would put stuff in the pillow, and they would hit me and Jeff upside the head with these pillows. But the only way they'd get away with it is by turning the lights off. And when you guys would wear us out with those pillows, I was thinking, you know, if you turn the lights on, then you can't. The game's over. Like, we see where you're coming from. But that was the caveat that the game and we always lost, but you turn the lights on and then things get illuminated. And it's so related to the concept of truth, because in order for me to believe in a lie, I have to have some kind of blind spot. That's one of the name. The game we used to make was called Blind Man's Bluff. Right. But you have to be blinded in some capacity in order to believe in a lie. Meaning that I have to take your word for it. So if you say, around the corner from this building, there's $100 bill waiting for you, well, I can't see around that corner. So either. I mean, the only way I'm going to believe the lie. But if somehow I could see what was around that corner, then it would be impossible for you to deceive me into believing that something is around the corner that's not actually there. So what Christ does is that he actually, or the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, illuminates our awareness to what is actually real. And so to the degree that you submit to the Spirit's revelation about reality is the degree to which you can actually experience freedom from sin. Which is why he says here, if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another. And the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all sin. This isn't just talking about forgiveness of sins. This is talking about real, genuine cleansing that comes from the revelatory knowledge of what actually is reality. We can be freed from the power of sin as we are submitted to the Spirit, as he's revealing this to us. I don't have to trip over the couch. If I allow the Spirit to turn the lights on, well, and it makes.

[A]

You able to do what you were created for, walking in the light, which I'm sure we'll get into this at some point, which we're not going to redefine sin. But it's more than just breaking some moral code, which is what most religions have it down to, you know, it means missing the mark. You're not being what you were designed to be. And so what do we do? You'll see those three things come up in First John. You'll see sin come up. You'll see the evil one come up. And then the last verse seems like it's out of place. The last verse in the book of First John seems like what? And do you know it off the top of your head? It seems random.

[B]

And because people keep yourselves from idols.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Little children, keep yourself from idols.

[A]

This whole letter sermon, I think it's more of a poetic sermon to a house church says, dear children, keep yourselves from idols. What's that got to do with anything? But when you think about the beginning, where they started in creation, and we're born to reflect God and to worship God, and Jesus is the image of the invisible God, and we are made in his image as to reflect. Well, when you take something else that's created and make that the image that you bow down to, you then are giving power over to something that is not the supernatural power, the life.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it empowers the celestial beings. And this is kind of how it works. Those three things work together. Sin, the celestial beings, and idols.

[C]

Yeah. That's interesting that you brought that up because there's a parallel to this in John 15, where he talks about abiding in the vine. He gives this image of a vine and he says, if you abide in the vine, if you connect it to the vine, then you're going to actually bear fruit. And so that is indicative of this garden. Right. We go back to the creation itself and be fruitful, multiply, produce fruit, go cultivate, have dominion over the earth. So if you understand idolatry in its most basic form to be not necessarily the worship of some statue, although it is that, but that's just a version of it. To idolatry is to take the creation that you and I and Adam and Eve were. God said, I want you to cultivate the creation, cultivate the earth, cultivate the garden, and I want you to have dominion over it. What idolatry would be instead of doing that, it would be then to give that dominion over to the creation, to then have power over you. And so what's happening in this, when you talk about this idea of abiding and walking with and redefining sin, which you said we're not going to do, but we probably need to, probably do need to redefine sin from our current understanding of it, that sin is not the violation of an arbitrary commandment that God gave to prove our loyalty to him. To sin is to actually abdicate what God called us to do, which is be fruitful, multiply and have dominion. And instead we're going to give that over to creation. That's idolatry.

[B]

I was going to tell you. I've got the perfect illustration for what you're talking about. You and I were talking earlier and you'd sent me a note about this. The new Seattle mayor, who's one of these woke socialist types who's taken over the city. And basically she's just said, do drugs in the street, whatever needs to happen. We've unshackled any idea of trying to have some order in this chaos. And 12 years ago I went to Seattle for the first time to go on a cruise out of Alaska. And I happened to go every year for the next three or four years doing cruises, most of them working. And so Lisa and I, the first time I went, I walked down the streets. It's a beautiful city. It's right on the water and these great restaurants and we man this. What a beautiful city that these people have created here. They created this little jewel, you know, right up in our Northwest in Seattle. Next year we go. It was lost a little luster. There was a few more things going on the streets that weren't great. By the end of the fifth year, we were afraid to walk the streets of Seattle down where all the tourists are and like we just wouldn't even get out of our hotel. Now you continue to watch this progression of just saying there is no order and we've turned it over to creation itself. And it's just becoming untenable, unlivable, unvisitable. And so when you watch that, you can even see it in real time over a couple of decades in a US City. Imagine the whole idea of humanity in this idea of what happens when something other than God is in charge. When you take away his order, when you take away his light and all the other metaphors that we've been talking about.

[C]

Well, you see that in every city, an area that tries this, right? When you worship and serve the creation, rather than seeing the creation as something that we actually cultivate. The creation is something that we steward. The creation is something that we exercise dominion over. When you flip that script, the end result is always a death work. It's always a city like Seattle that is just. Or San Francisco. There's so many cities across America that have embraced this ideology. And you see the decline you see the filth, you see the. It's the opposite of a beautiful garden that's expanding. Instead, what it is, it becomes a trash dump that is shrinking, which sounds a whole lot like hell, right? And so that's the juxtaposition. So when you read these texts here about light and about illumination and about life, the picture goes all the way back to Genesis 1:28, which is that idea like, this is your calling. This is what the calling of man is. Don't turn that over to creation. You fulfill what God's called you to do. I think it's actually the grand story of the whole Bible is that God has instructed man at the very beginning to take the temple which was the garden. And I want you to take, take this temple and expand it across the entire cosmos for the dwelling place of God. And where Adam failed in that, and where Israel failed in that, Christ has succeeded. And so that's a big underlying part of what the text here in First John is getting at, particularly in light of what you mentioned about the temple being destroyed in AD 70. So if you're looking to refinance, buy a new car, rent an apartment, anything that depends on your credit, you want your score to be as strong as possible and you want it now. You need smart credit. Some of you out there, your credit score may have taken a big hit over the holidays. If you've maxed out your credit cards, you may not even know it. Sure, late payment hurts, but so does opening up a store credit card just to get that discount, which I know some of you have done. I've done it before in the past as well. And transferring a balance from one card to another can hurt your score. Smart credit is the new science in credit scoring. With data experts who understand how the credit bureaus actually operate, Smart Credit builds a personalized strategy designed to take action and minimize your score not just by a few points in a few months, but potentially. You can see real upward change to secure better rates on everything you finance. Better scores could mean faster approvals, lower payments, and more money in your pocket. So don't let holiday spending traps derail your entire year. Get ahead of it now with Smart Credit. You know, I've actually used this and it showed me exactly how and what I needed to do, what credit card bills I needed to pay off to increase my credit score. And I saw a massive increase in my own personal credit score just by applying these techniques. Go to smartcredit.com unashamed to start your 7 day trial for just $1 your results will depend on your unique credit profile. But I think you're going to be excited to see how many points smart Credit estimates that you can gain. Results are not guaranteed. Cancel at any time. That's smartcredit.com unashamed. Smartcredit.com unashamed.

[B]

But you. And you can't trust the leaders of these places because they're just whistling through the graveyard. They're like the evil one. The evil one said, I would rather lead and Lord in hell than serve in heaven. I mean, that's what, that's how we wind up finding this being that Jay, as you mentioned earlier, and it's the same thing. These people, they'll clean up a little part of the city and they'll say, see nothing. Everything's great. You talking about blinded?

[A]

Well, and they think they can see. That's why I was going to bring up this. You know, we didn't mention this before because I guess we're just kind of introducing this. But when he said, you know, I think the lead which we kind of buried is that when John wrote the book of John, he's definitely quickly getting to this as a person. Because in John 1:1, he says, in the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God. But then it says he was with God in the beginning. Of course, he explains it in verse 14. The word became flesh. We have seen his glory, the one and only Son. But when he gets here now, it's post resurrection. And he's like that which was from the beginning, which we know is the word of life, because he's getting that at the end of the verse. But it's almost like, oh, yeah, he's a person, but he's a. It's that which we have heard. So then he goes through this kind of deeper understanding because not only did they hear it, they saw it with their eyes, but they looked at it. And all these words are different Greek words, and they're more complex than you think. It's meditation, understanding, going, processing. So it's like you're seeing it, but it's not just that they saw him, which is why I think he's using a different adjective to even describe this being. Because how do you describe, okay, he's a person, but he's not just any person. He's life itself. And so I do think it's a bizarre way. I remember my dad used to say that. He said, boy, he saw that resurrection. And it went from a hymn to a. It like, whatever that was. You need to get behind him and.

[B]

Following him, which I and Jason, when we studied John, you remember John uses the same technique in his writing of this gospel because it said he looked in the tomb talking about himself and he saw that Jesus wasn't there. But then about three verses later, it says he saw, which, you know, in the English language that could be the same word, but it would. It means so much more.

[A]

It's lost in translation. That's why I want to, to bring it up. Look, look, you're, you're. What he's saying is, and which. Why we're making a big point of this is the more you contemplate this, meditate on it, just let it soak in. The light not only comes on, but you start thinking, oh, the possibilities are endless. I mean, forget the New Year's resolution. I got. I got a resolution every day. I wake up with a resolution after contrast, contemplating who this is. And I think it's so much bigger, which is why we're. We didn't really plan on this. But studying this book is not. I keep calling it a book. It's more of a sermon. It's deeper than you think, because he's really using words that you need to meditate and contemplate on wrapping your head around who this being is. And the greatest part of this is you can be welcomed into it, into a partnership and a participation of it right now.

[C]

Yeah. Because what's the hallmarker of the original sin was the opposite of what you just said. What they thought when Satan shows up on the scene is that the possibilities are limited. That's how they view God's commandments. What you're going to find in this whole book of first John, that that's not the case. But the way they interpreted the commandments of God at the beginning, you can eat from any tree in the garden except for one, but don't eat of that one or you'll surely die. When Satan comes in, the lie was that the possibilities are limited. Guys, he has limited the possibilities for you. But that is actually a lie. And so when the revelation is turned on, when the light is turned on, when the, when the mind is illuminated. I love what you just said there. I think that is so profound that the understanding then becomes not. I can't do these things that are fun. That's not it. It is that the. Oh, wow. The possibilities are limitless, which is why that verse 4 in 1 John 1 is so important because he says that we're writing these things so that our joy may be Complete. What's the intention? What's the purpose of this? Is that your joy may be complete. Well, how is it going to be complete? It's going to be complete by understanding and believing that the possibilities are limitless. What God has prepared for those who love him, no eye has seen nor the heart of man. Imagine what God has prepared for those who love him. The endless possibilities. But he has revealed it to us by spirit. This is a whole paradigm shift in the way that we think about sin and the way that we think about joy. And it happens to coincide in a person whose name is Jesus.

[A]

Yeah. And I would add, and your purpose, because that's why I think the fellowship word is lost in translation, is because you become a participant. Now there is a not yet, which he addresses when he gets to First John 3, you know, he brings up, there will be another manifestation or appearing of Jesus when he comes. We will see him like he is, and we will have that bodily resurrection. We'll get to that great point.

[C]

Because the fellowship, I mean, the fellowship. He says it right here. If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another. So we say, wow, the world's divided, or this or that or that. Man, you want community, you want fellowship, you want friends, you want family, you want walk in the light as he is in the light. And we will have fellowship with one another.

[A]

Well, right. What I'm going to do in a future first, John Rabbit Hole is I'm going to go everywhere that word is used. It's not as many as you would think. That word fellowship, you're going to be stunned where that's used. And it's used all over the place about. And then it's translated in English. Our partnership in the gospel. Think 2 Corinthians 5 when it says we're the ambassadors of God in Christ, we make him known. But then he gets to 2 Corinthians 6 and it says this little verse that makes people feel uncomfortable. And I don't want you to panic. I'm going to show you how this is good news. There's different kinds of work. It's the same kind of work that goes back to the creation story. You know, when he rested Adam in the garden to work it. Well, that's a different kind of work. He was reflecting the image of God. Well, this comes full circle when you get into verses like Ephesians 2, where it says God's salvation is the is the gift of God, not by man, so that they could boast not by works. You know, we've said that verse ad nauseam, but then three or four verses later, it says, for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. 2nd Corinthians 6:1 says the same thing as God's fellow workers. We do not receive God's grace in vain. And so I think there's a different kind of work. There's a bad work, working in darkness, thinking you can see or thinking you can somehow earn your salvation. But then there's a good work. It's a work that goes back to that garden when he rested Adam in the garden to work it and take care of the blessings, the problem started.

[C]

Which was before the fall. Exactly. If you read Genesis 1:28, he blessed them and then said, go work. So work was a blessing, not a curse. The curse was in Genesis 3, which was that that wasn't the work. That wasn't the curse. The curse was, it's going to produce thorns and thistles for you.

[A]

Right. And we'll get to that. I probably shouldn't have brought it up, because that was just a thumbnail, but I do want to get into that for a whole podcast and talk about what words you use. One thing I do want to read, because I know we're almost out of time to go back to your point, Al, about seeing and the light. This is very common with John when he had this conversation in John 9, after the man who was born blind, remember all that. Jesus healed him and he said, so that the work of God may be displayed in his life, but he gets to the end. And he uses this same concept that you're seeing in one John here, about the contemplation, understanding, meditation, and how the light comes in the mind. And I want to read this John 9:35. Jesus heard that they had thrown him out. And when he found him, he said, do you believe in the Son of Man? Which is really why the book of 1 John is written, because people are not believing that. Here's this man who came from God. Who is he, sir? The man asked, tell me so that I may believe in Him. Jesus said, you have now seen Him. In fact, he is the one speaking with you, which are two of the references John uses here. We've heard him speak, we've listened to Him. We touched him in his preamble here. And so then the man said, lord, I believe. And he worshiped him. Jesus said, for judgment, I have come into this world so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind. Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, what are we blind, too? And Jesus says, if you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. And I just wanted to read that, because that's what this transition from darkness to light is all about. Not only are you in darkness, but you think you're in the light. That's what the evil powers, the idolatry, your own sin and selfish ambition contribute to. And that's what Jesus he breaks that chain. I mean, he did it on his death on the cross and resurrection. But then he gives you that spirit to be able to be illuminated in truth and light.

[B]

No, that's good. And it's also a bigger narrative of what that means, which it gets into that idolatry bit you brought in at the end as well. All right, we're off and running. We'll we'll see you next time on Ashamed. 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.