Rhett: 0:00

Imagine a world where every conversation feels like a genuine connection with authentic people. A place where you truly feel like you belong and where everyone's got a cheer at the table. Friends, welcome to Armchair Authentic. Um before we hit record, there was a guy walking up in my front yard, and just from the window would tell me, like, uh, dude, you got like a an older guy walking in your yard. I was like, Yeah, he's here to pick up an item. I'm selling a garden tool. The name of that garden tool will remain nameless. But I said, Yeah, he's coming to pick up this, you know, garden tool.

Justin: 0:39

Yeah.

Rhett: 0:39

And I said, in any way, it got me thinking about Facebook Marketplace because I've been on Facebook Marketplace. Um I'm trying to help my son out as much as I can. And yeah, and dude, it's amazing the things that we hold on to that that we don't even remember that we have until we go out and we pull a box and open it in the garage. Like, why do I have this? This thing has moved with me 10 times and it's sat in this box forever.

Justin: 1:03

Yeah.

Rhett: 1:04

This has got to be worth something to somebody. Oh, yeah. And instead of giving it over to Goodwill, which I've done a lot, by the way, that's a full on nonprofit business, you know. Oh yeah. Um, I'm thinking, I'm gonna, I'm gonna see if I can sell some of this. Yeah. Now, granted, it's there's a lot of work that goes into it. Um, but you know, I've made over $500 in two weeks selling what most people would go, why do you like, what is this? You know, yeah. I mean it's good stuff. Yeah, but I'm like, I don't, I don't, I don't need two rakes. I only need one rake, uh-huh, right? I don't need like, why do you know when I start going through everything? And so we've sold odds and in it, $5, $10. And man, I'm gonna tell you the five dollar items and the ten dollar items are like the hardest thing to sell because you get so many people that are like they want it, and then they don't show up, and then they do show up, or you know what I mean? It's like, yeah, I'm like, Holly, like it man, the people out there on fake, I pray for them. It you know, it's taught me a lot of patience. Oh yeah. So uh anyway, but moneymaker, yeah, it is a little moneymaker if you're trash, another man's treasure. Yeah, if you're if you're willing to put up with the patience of all the people that hit you up and that don't talk and that don't communicate, and then that do and they commit, and then they come up with an excuse of why they can't be there, and then hey, I still want it, I'll come tomorrow. And then, oh, I've got this, I forgot this, and hey, I'll come the next day, and then then you hold it one more day, and then they're like, Oh, well, my back is out now and I can't come get it, but I still want it, I'll come tomorrow. And I'm like, no, I'm sorry. If you if if you can't keep your word within like the first time, we're moving on, we're moving on. And I had a guy string me out for four days, super kind in his conversation, but like not a man of his word of integrity when it comes down to that. And I'm like, dude, it's five dollars. I know it's five bucks, and you live like five minutes down the road. Come get it, just come get it, or not, or just tell me the truth. Just go, like, hey, you know what? I really want it, but like life is busy right now. Yeah, so you know, go ahead and try to sell it. And if you sell it before I can get there, great. But like, if it's still around when I can actually come by, I'll come by and get it. Why can't you just tell me that? Why you gotta make up all this stuff?

Justin: 3:11

Yeah, you got a lot of transactions out there ready to close. Yeah, I will tell you one that uh got got donated to the Bradshaw household. Yeah, Brett gave me my first set of golf clubs. Thank you. And a golf bag. Yeah. It was sitting in your garage. So you know, me and Dax have something to try to swing around with.

Rhett: 3:28

Dude, I you're yeah. Well, that was the that was that golf, that golf set was given to me, and I used it a lot um until I finally got a new set of clubs on my own. And and dude, they're good clubs, man.

Justin: 3:42

So I hope they bless you. Yeah, you you bought a nice uh basically the equivalent of guitar world. You bought you a nice Martin. Yeah. What was what did you give me? Uh what guitar did you bought in the guitar world? What did you give me?

Rhett: 3:54

Uh I don't know. I could I can't talk guitar. So yeah, I that set of golf clubs somebody probably pay 50 bucks for. But brand new, when that was bought, that would have been like $250, maybe $300. You gave me a fender, a fender acoustic. Yeah, maybe a Yamaha. When those clubs first came out, yeah, that's how much they would have probably so I I go back to what I said.

Justin: 4:16

So that was very generous. Thank you. You gave me like a fender or a Yamaha guitar.

Rhett: 4:23

And the golf bag was just something I bought at a thrift store for like five bucks. So like it's not worth a whole bunch.

Justin: 4:28

And you have gone out and bought a really nice Martin or Taylor guitar.

Rhett: 4:32

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Justin: 4:33

And and golf club world, I don't know anything about golf.

Rhett: 4:36

Whatever, what does a Martin guitar, a good one, cost?

Justin: 4:40

I mean, it can range from uh a a good one, yeah, 2,000, 1,500. Okay, a little bit more than that. And then but but when well I'm trying to be nice to those out there who have a thousand dollar guitar because that's a really if you don't know guitars, you're thinking, well, holy cow. Yeah. But but when you're really playing, a thousand's not a lot for a guitar. It's a good, it's a good entry level of the next level of when you're you're gonna be a dedicated musician. But um, I would say, because I know your clubs, I know what you got, you got like a a custom shop Martin. Yeah, yeah. There you go. So yeah, and in that world, you're spending, not that you spent that much, but in a guitar world, you're spending now around 35 to 5,000.

Rhett: 5:22

Yeah. I would say, yeah, somewhere around there. So you got your custom shop Martin for a and and to get and give contacts for people. People are like, oh, well, aren't you bougie? And like honestly, I'm 48 years old, man. I'm 48. And I got this two years ago. Great golfer, by the way. 46 years old.

Justin: 5:40

My buddy's a great golfer.

Rhett: 5:41

I just want people to understand that's a process. Yeah, that's a journey.

Justin: 5:46

Exactly.

Rhett: 5:47

And and that was also a gift.

Justin: 5:50

Yes.

Rhett: 5:50

And um and I'm very grateful for that.

Justin: 5:52

Had a really cool time in life, too.

Rhett: 5:54

Yeah, and that and that was a gift. And and and so did I need it? No. Am I appreciative of it? Absolutely. Yeah, I'm I'm great, I'm not wrapped up in it for anything. I've been grateful for gifts that have been given. I've used that golf club set that I gave you for years, and I was perfectly happy with it. And and and a new golf club set doesn't make me any better of a golfer.

Justin: 6:16

And see, the value of what you gave me just went up because you played with it so much. Oh, yeah. It's gonna be good enough for me for a long time.

Rhett: 6:25

The only thing I would add to that, the only thing I would add to that golf set I gave you is if you wanted to do something with it, is just put new grips on it. Just new I have really big hands, and so I have to like those grips are too small for my hand. And so, like a baseball bat, you know, when you hit a ball with a baseball bat, how there's reverberation in your hand. Yeah, like I would I felt a lot of that with those clubs, and I just needed a little bit bigger grip on it for me. Then it will probably be perfect for you. Yeah, so if you if you my hands aren't as big as if you take it and you spend, you know, I don't know, 50 bucks on a new set of you know grips, grips, or I don't know, maybe I'm off on that. Maybe it's more or less, I don't know, but just some good grips. That that feel the the feel is all in that grip right there, man. I'm telling you, you'll you'll enjoy it a lot more.

Justin: 7:09

You probably you won't notice the difference. I'll bring it to top golf next time I play like I'm somebody. I'm gonna be that guy. I'm gonna bring in a money because Dax is gonna want to bring him. Let's come on, let's let's hit with ours. Yeah. To say it's ours, it feels more official.

Rhett: 7:23

For sure, man. It's fun. I bring mine when I go. People are like, when I'll go, and I don't go a bunch, but we got a friend of ours that has a membership there, and it's it's kind of fun when he'll invite us every once in a while. I'll walk in with my own, and they even provide clubs there, you know, which is great. But I'm like, no, I gotta like if I'm gonna hit, I gotta, I gotta stay. It's like you playing guitar. No, I'm gonna bring my own guitar. Thanks. I know you got I know you've prepared one for me, and that means a lot. I know when you're traveling, it's different. Yeah.

Justin: 7:50

Um I am um, yeah. Yeah. I'll need a guitar on that trip, by the way.

Rhett: 7:54

Oh, do you? Well, yeah, we don't have one, so no. Seriously?

Justin: 7:58

No one has one?

Rhett: 7:59

Sure, somebody has one, but yeah.

Justin: 8:01

Am I gonna want to travel with one? You're gonna want to travel with one, but what you're saying is bring my guitar. And as you're listening to this episode, uh, Rett, you're actually time traveling. You're already in Idaho.

Rhett: 8:12

I'm actually in Idaho at this point, and I just preached a message yesterday. That's right, and I'll be leaving to meet you there in about three days. And as it stands, um, I think I'm preaching on um, I don't know what I'm gonna call it yet, but like how to live through life's worst moments type type message. Okay. Um, you know, in recent events of what we're going through with how do we deal with grief, how do we deal with sorrow, how do we deal with how like what's that process? What's God's word say, and how do we get through it? You know, and so I don't know, I'm kind of filtering that right now. Um, so yeah, if you want to know, go back and watch it, go back and listen, believerschurch outhood.com. There you go. Yeah, that's true.

Justin: 8:48

Shameless plug, but I really and if you want to delay listening to it, yeah, or listen to that and then listen to the one next week, then that would be and it'll be me.

Rhett: 8:56

Yeah, because you're gonna come up and help us with the or you're in the process of by the time this drops, flying out.

Justin: 9:02

I'm being with us to do the hands. Restring your guitar. Yes. Tonight is probably a good time. You'll give a couple of days to let it settle. So when you land, you'll be leading worship with Rhett that night. Your strings should be just pristine. Yeah, and you're going to a very dry climate with zero humidity. Drink some tea, Justin, in the next few days. Get your voice ready.

Rhett: 9:26

Hey friends, if you're enjoying today's conversation, can you do us a huge favor? Would you share the link of this episode with a friend, with a coworker, with a buddy? I email it, airdrop it, text it, comment on Facebook, however, you would like to share it. Man, it would mean so much to us to help us get the word out to have more friends join us in on this journey. Thank you. All right, now back to the conversation. You're gonna be well over a mile high at the retreat that we're gonna be at. Can't wait. That's that's gonna be great. Yeah, it's gonna be nice.

Justin: 9:57

Um definitely, definitely there's there's stuff in my heart ready to communicate to those men.

Rhett: 10:03

You're gonna be, I know you've been a lot of you've been a lot of you have been to a lot of beautiful places, but I'm I'm telling you, there's something very beautiful about what you're about to experience. Cool. It's unlike any other part of the country. It's awesome. It's awesome. I mean, you've been to Idaho and you've been to different parts of some of the mountains there, but you haven't been you haven't been to where you're gonna go now. Well, thank you guys. It's pretty experience it.

Justin: 10:26

Thank you, Pastor Clay Amirez, for having me.

Rhett: 10:29

I almost don't want to tell people like, well, where are you going? I don't want anybody to know because if you know, then everybody's gonna show up and not to show up to this event, but show up to that part of Idaho. And there's a there's a reason, you know. It's in the middle of nowhere, it's in this uh Sun Valley Ketchum area, um, which is like the Vale uh Vale, Colorado is like Ketchum, Sun Valley is like the Vale of Idaho. Yeah. You have to go way about it years ago. You have to go way out of your way to get there.

Justin: 10:56

A lot of lot of people who we would know their names, that's where they vacation and have Bruce Willis lived there for years.

Rhett: 11:02

A lot of Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis.

Justin: 11:04

I mean, you've got uh Michael Douglas, yeah.

Rhett: 11:06

Who's the other uh some of the friends people? I can't remember their names. Anyway, um, but a bunch of people like that end up buying stuff out there because uh you can walk around town and nobody's gonna mess with you. It's just so it's a small town, but at the same time, it's just yeah, you're really nobody. Not that you're nobody, but like you can kind of remain in anemone. Yeah, I'm I'm kidding when I say that because I'm I remembered what was it, Dory or whatever it is, or the finding Nemo or whatever. Where do you live? Anemine, anemone anemone. Oh, yeah. Yeah, anonymity. Yeah, see, just at the same time. I know how to say the word. Anyway, so but we're gonna be in a uh, you know, way less bougier part of that. We're gonna be out in like uh rustic camping, which is gonna be fun.

Justin: 11:56

Coffee and fire, coffee, fire, coffee and fire.

Rhett: 11:59

Yeah, yeah. Well, they're gonna be. Well, yeah, but this isn't like Starbucks coffee, so or or you know that's okay with me. It's black cowboy coffee. Strong black cowboy coffee.

Justin: 12:08

I remember, I remember years ago, 2007, I was ending my time at the insurance company that I was at about the launch of a music business and infuse, stuff like that that I would do at churches. And I remember just getting this just this hankering. Get me a hankering. I want I kept telling Summer, I just I'm in a cowboy mode right now. I'm not ready to like be this in life, but I just needed something just raw, just this is how you felt when you came back from Arizona.

Rhett: 12:38

You wanted a cowboy hat and boots. Yeah, that's right.

Justin: 12:40

I did. But but I but I was like, I want to go camping somewhere, and I want to make a fire, and I want to make cowboy coffee. Just that dark oil doesn't taste great, but it's awesome because it's cowboy coffee and you're in the middle of nowhere. Yeah. And we did it. I remember me and um a buddy of mine, Brandon Isbel, who played drums for a long time. And um, and then he was a pastor for a long time too, but our heyday was when he was drummer for us. Yeah. And we went out there and uh another shout out to a guy, Daniel Swafford. Swaff. A couple other guys.

Rhett: 13:18

He's still in Houston.

Justin: 13:19

Oh yeah. Okay, oh yeah, big time. Yeah. He actually just became like a elder at his church. Well, there you go. We're growing up. Way to go, Swaffe. I'm proud of you. Yeah. And we went and set these this tent up just in the middle of nowhere and got our fire going and made some good old cowboy coffee. So it was, I mean, it was rich. Yeah, I'll bet it was. It was special. Side of syrup. And so, yeah, and when you're saying this, I'm that's what I'm expecting. More of the smoky experience. Gonna enjoy that.

Rhett: 13:49

Smokey not being like cigarette smoke. Yeah, you know, firewood. Yeah, firewood, yeah. Hopefully it's cold. Yeah, I don't know whether I didn't even look at the weather.

Justin: 13:57

I don't care if it's cold or not. Gotta have a fire. I mean it's always a moment, but drink that that coffee, and it's just like it bites. And you look at your chest, you're like, there's a new hair.

Rhett: 14:09

Yeah, well, I tell you. Um, yeah, it's beautiful. The surroundings are absolutely gorgeous, and we're like deep in the woods, but um, it's uh yeah, there's bougie coffee uh like 10-15 minutes down the road. And we're going to that too. Which which is very uh accessible, um, which I think I might be finding my way down there as much as I can. Hey, Clay, Clay, Clay, I love you, man. I know he's not listening, but it's so funny. He'll always say on the moment we're like, hey, today's a kind of a free day. He's like, for the real man, we're gonna be up in the mountains for all y'all boozy little likes. You know, you can go down the street to get your coffee. I'm like, hey, hey, uh I'm fine to be that guy. Okay, so he told me that I don't need to go up the I don't need to go up the side of the mountain to feel like I'm about to die. He did tell me that on the phone. Oh, I know he did. I'm fine to be able to get it.

Justin: 14:56

And you know what I was thinking? And I didn't get to before I got the reply, I was like, I want to go to the conference.

Rhett: 15:01

Yeah, I know. I don't want to be on some ATV up in the hanging off the side of a mountain at 10,000 feet.

Justin: 15:07

He told me, he said, and by the way, you ain't going into town. You're going to the mountain with me. I said, All right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Rhett: 15:16

You did tell me. Yeah, yeah. Well, you might want to let Summer know because uh there's the I'm telling you, there's a couple times like let me out of this, and y'all can go try to attempt that without me. Okay. Because there's a couple, there's a couple moments where you're where you're where it's like very questionable, and it's like it's you can do it. And I mean, being in the A TV with four guys, and it's one of those like quad-like things where you're like in a big, huge roll bar cage type thing, and you know, you got four, two in the front, two in the back. You know, it's it it it's fun, but then there's a moment where you're like, I'm 48, and I got a kid at home and a wife, and and uh y'all can do I I I've lived, I was 18, 19, 20 doing this, and y'all were grown men. Let me out and y'all can attempt to do that 20. I'll walk that. Y'all, y'all prove to yourself that you're a man and y'all can make fun of me and lie. I don't care. Get me out of this thing. Y'all have fun, and when it flips and you go down the side of that mountain another thousand feet, I'll be here to call the police and the or wherever they are. Do we even have a satellite phone? It's not even capable, you know. Sounds like mean you sounds like mean you got a rehearsal at that time.

Justin: 16:26

And I know where he's taking it. Sounds like I need to show them up on my notes around that time. And I know where he's taking you.

Rhett: 16:33

I know where he where he wants to take you and in in the route because I did it. And it's fine, and it's fun when you're just on the normal side of things. But when you get to the really crazy part, we're like, I think I can make it. Let me look. Do I go left or do I go right? I mean, if I hit this curb, I don't want the wheel to go into that rut right there. But let me just think about it. Get out and uh and they'll get out and they'll observe the situation. I'm like, you let me out, and then I'm walking to the side, and then I'll walk up the. I don't care if it takes me 30 minutes to walk up the side. Can I tell you all that it's okay, Rennette? I didn't know any of this until now. Here's all I'm thinking about.

Justin: 17:04

That's what Clay wants to take you on for Rhett Barton to be saying this right now. Doesn't it? We go into the town. Yeah, yeah.

Rhett: 17:12

It says a lot, doesn't it? It does.

Justin: 17:15

Men that I'm about to come talk to. I love y'all. I got a really tough message for you. I do want to go have my coffee. Yeah, I think. I'm just saying. You know me. You know if I see.

Rhett: 17:27

I'll go ride the ski lift to the top. You know me.

Justin: 17:29

I'm I'm going, I will read it. You'll have to advocate because I'm gonna be like, I got four boys to raise.

Rhett: 17:34

I can't argue with Clay Ramirez. I just want you to know.

Justin: 17:37

I got four boys that I gotta raise. Oh man. I don't want to go down. Listen, Clay, I love you.

Rhett: 17:43

90% of everything.

Justin: 17:44

But Rhett just put out some warnings.

Rhett: 17:46

90% of that ride up that mountain is perfectly fine. It's the 10%. Yeah. It's the 10% that you're like, okay, let me out. Did you get out of did you get out? Oh, I did. You did. Yeah. And and a couple other guys did too. They're like, uh-uh.

Justin: 18:00

Okay.

Rhett: 18:00

I'll know where that is, then, right? And then they rode up it and they got it. And then I walked up that that part, you know, it's like a very steep little hill part or whatever. And I'm dude, we're talking the side of a mountain. We're talking when you get at the top of this thing, you're you're still not at the top of the mountain. I mean, you're like at 9,000, 10,000 feet, and then there's still another 1,500 feet, and you can't make that because it's all just loose rock. Okay. Well, I'm right. I'll follow your lead. And it's fun because there's gold, there are gold mines. There's old mines and gold mines up there to where you go up and there's no more gold in the mountain because everybody did it. But there's the there's a remnants of the town and the village that was up there. So there's there's the cool part of getting up there. The way he explained it, I was fired up. Oh, it's fun. Oh, yeah. I was ready. Yeah, because he already know. I already told him. I said, dude. I was fired up. I said, well, Justin's a lot like me. He's gonna want to come into town and let's go sip our little coffee and have fun and have some deep conversations.

Justin: 18:50

That's why he didn't even know. That's why that's why he said that. I never even got to tell him that.

Rhett: 18:55

Yeah, that's why he said it. And don't get me wrong, you're you would be 100% safe, but there is a couple of moments where you're like, okay, I need to get out. Y'all, y'all do the heel, I'll meet you at the top, and you walk up and then get back in. And you'll you'll be there. You'll be there to help direct those moments, right? And you'll reverse the price. If you go, I'll go. Yeah, for sure. But like if you'll reverse, if you reverse it, when you're coming back down, it's like, all right, hey, before you even attempt, I'm out and you can do it. And then but 90% of it, it's fine. It's just there's a couple of spots to where it's a little tricky and you don't want to be in it because accidents can happen, and you don't want to be in an accident with no cell service.

Justin: 19:30

And and here's the deal since we have already since we will have already pre-recorded the week after what you're listening to now. So this would it'll be like a couple of weeks that we'll see.

Rhett: 19:40

Okay, so we'll talk about it. It'll give us something to talk about.

Justin: 19:42

We'll talk about it and and you'll hear us maybe a week or two later. But yeah, but just be aware, man.

Rhett: 19:48

And I I appreciate you saying that because it's interesting. I'm a I'm a risk taker. I love I love pushing things to the edge of fear. But honestly, there's a lot of wisdom in the things that I've chosen to do because when you jump out of an airplane, I'm gonna do that, and I did that. I was 21, but I would still do it today, and I would still do it the same way I did it. I went with a Marine who's jumped like some 5,000 times and walked through that. There was here's this scenario. We've got three shoots, and I've packed this. This is how I packed it, this is our first, this is our second, and this is our third. You know, you go with somebody with experience that knows and you calculate the risk, and it's like, oh, well, there's a risk, you know, but at the end of the day, there's also a lot of safety in it, too. So that's what I've done in anything that I've ever done. I just don't blindly go into it. And so I calculate the risk. I'm like, all right, there's a lot of risk just being in this ATV, going up the mountain and having fun, right? Yeah. But at the end of the day, I'm looking at that and I'm going, I've had enough good experiences that it doesn't make me a man or not a man for me to go another 20 feet up a you know 90 degree incline just to feel like I'm somebody. No, I would rather ride a roller coaster at a 90-degree incline that flips a several hundred times than have that experience. Yeah, I'm good. Yeah, I'm man enough. I don't need it. I value my wife and my kid more than I've in my limbs. Yeah. I'm none of us I don't want to take my boy racing in 2026. None of us are wearing helmets right now, right? And none of us are strapped into the level that if we flipped a hundred times down the side of the cliff, that we're gonna we're gonna be okay.

Justin: 21:29

Yeah.

Rhett: 21:30

Now, if I'm fully geared up and I've got helmets on and I'm strapped in and I know that I'm geared and I'm in a cockpit that's fully surrounded to where if it flips five, 10, 20 times down the hill. Like the NASCAR. Yeah, exactly. And that I'm they were made, and I've got a neck brace and I've got everything in, then I'm good. Yeah. Fine. Let's go. All right. I've calculated risk. It's like I'm willing to pay the price, but I'm like, I don't have a helmet, I don't have a neck brace. I'm in here with just a bunch of good old guys and they're wonderful, and they're, you know, Idahoan men, which are the men of all men, you know.

Justin: 22:00

It's just like amazing, man. And I think their pastor needs to spend a little extra time with just those guys while we go get prepped for that night session.

Rhett: 22:08

We'll we'll go up and have a good time. We'll do it. Maybe. Even if we're like, all right, hey, let us out here, we'll just hang out. And then, you know, but then you but then you gotta think too, like the the bears that are there. Yeah, you know, it's like anybody got bear spray? No, but I'm packing. Okay, that's good. You're my new best friend. I'm not packing. Couldn't get on the airplane with you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, right? So, anyways, uh just having so much fun caught having this conversation and with our friends listening, just kind of going along. But there's there's leadership lessons to be learned there, I think, you know, to calculate your risk, to understand, and to do the inventory and to have discernment and to be able to think through okay, what are the costs? I need to count the cost of this action and what is that ultimate cost? Yeah. At the end of the day, you know, there's a percentage that I could either really hurt myself, right? I have to think through the lens of, well, these hands are used to bring, you know, glory and honor to God for sure, but to produce losing my hands. Okay. What does that look like? So what is that? Is that am I willing to take the risk to have that dopamine hit, to have that rush, whatever it might be, to climb that mountain, to do that, um, to say that I did it, you know?

Justin: 23:19

Yeah.

Rhett: 23:21

Like, is it we're risk versus reward? Right. You know, I think that we all have to ask ourselves the question when we're leading is like, is the risk worth the reward? And for me, going up that side of the mountain, it's like the risk for that extra 20 feet at a 90-degree angle with four other guys in this ATV is not worth it.

Justin: 23:38

Yeah.

Rhett: 23:38

Worth the reward of just going, we did it. Yeah.

Justin: 23:41

Well, I even think too, the um, I'll probably share this to the men that will be hearing this at the time of this recording. They will hear this in the next three days, four days. But I was thinking too, just even what we put our entire life in, you know, it's like you're investing, you're making calculated risk. Uh, we were talking earlier before we were recording about like there's moments in your life where these seeds get sown. Yeah. And it's like, what are you gonna do to carry out your life from this moment to and it's a good seed to appropriately water it and make sure that it's taken care of? And I thought, you know, if if this is there's a lot going on right now. I mean, obviously in the nation, there's and there's just we even said in our last podcast, this is a moment right now, and there was a moment before this moment, you know, recently in our nation. But just reading the scripture, I thought I'd take the last five minutes. Yeah, let's do it and just kind of look at this because I think right now we're all kind of in this place. If you think of the parable of the sewer, and me and Rhett, we'll have these discussions before recording and how scripture's really ministering to us, and that's for another story. Because Rhett, you have great revelation on the book of Daniel, just different things that we need to pull out in a future podcast. Uh, but the parable of the sower, when Jesus is sharing this, he says, on the same day Jesus went out to the house and sat by the sea, and great multitudes were gathered together to him. Can I stop there for a second?

Rhett: 25:12

I don't mean to interrupt this amazing setup. Yeah. When he was out by the sea. That's my man. Something about it. That's my man right there. Something about it. I just want to say that right there. Like that to me, that's that that that sound bited part of that verse just says, Yeah, see, that's why I'm designed to live. I need to be by the water and the ocean. Like to me, there it is.

Justin: 25:32

I just that's he had his space. He had his sea, he had the gardens, he had his spaces. He went to I'm I'm that I think that's a great pickup.

Rhett: 25:40

I I just think there's something to be said about that particular thing. I know you said five minutes, but like I just that's great. I I love that it speaks to me because I'm a sea guy and I love the water, but there is something to be said about when you do go somewhere, go somewhere that is refreshing and that refreshes your soul.

Justin: 25:55

I love that. Yeah, yeah, and then great multitudes, obviously they chilling at the sea, evidently. They gathered they gathered together to him so that he got into a boat and he sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Okay, so he began to speak many things in parables, and he talks about but behold, a sower went out to sow, and he sowed some seed by the wayside. It fell or he sowed some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places where they did not have much earth, and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. And then he goes on later to explain what he meant. He really wanted to teach his disciples, and I think he's teaching us something how his word is living and active, even in us today. And I don't want to just generalize one thing that has happened in our nation. I want to talk about everything. Everything there's moments that you have where awakening can happen, and these good seeds of God have been planted on our ground. And what is our ground? How are we going to respond? And Jesus explains this, and it's still applicable to us today. This investment, this um calculated risk. What you're doing right now, remember, it is a calculated risk. Uh, when you decide to have something that God has done in your heart and you decide as, you know, which we'll talk more about this later. Uh, maybe it's the stuff as we move in, you know, next week or moving into October. Yeah. You know, uh whether you're watching things, whether you're looking at social media and you're hearing thousands of different opinions on whatever you got to take the calculated risk. Is this worth the risk of the seed that was planted in you? Because he explains this. Therefore, hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. So they received it. Yeah. But there was just nothing there. They didn't digest it. Yeah. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. We have just seen some things where we have had seed received with joy. Yep. We've, I mean, obviously, I'll speak to what just happened uh even in our nation when you filled up this entire stadium, um, hundreds of million or hundred million at least, and there's gonna be more, right. That actually, yes, it was a Charlie Kirk event, but man, it talked about the name of Jesus more than the Jesus was the central theme of that entire moment up until a couple of moments that got political.

Rhett: 28:52

Yeah, yeah, right. But at the end of the day, yeah, seeds were plant. You talk about a moment where the world at the most I I've never seen it, I don't think in the history of our of the world, yeah. It was uncanny. Like the history of the world has never had the gospel preached in such a clear way, consistently, uh, that open in the world.

Justin: 29:15

And then to even I know we're not doing this justice because we're ending this really soon, but to even hear Erica Kirk say, Yeah, I forgive that young man.

Rhett: 29:25

Father on the cross, Jesus on the cross, sitting there, hey, I forgive them for they know not what they do.

Justin: 29:31

So God was glorified, and we saw the gospel displayed right there. So no matter what our political beliefs are, let's forget that for a minute. Let's hang at the door. Yeah.

Rhett: 29:40

Okay. Hey, friends, Red here. Just want to take a moment to speak to those who may be joining us for the first time. We want to say welcome, friends. However, you found us, we are so glad that you did, and we believe it wasn't by accident. We're so glad that you joined us in on this conversation today. In fact, if you have Haven't already done so. Could we encourage you to follow us on social media? You can find us on Facebook or Instagram at ArmchairAuthentic or over on X at Armchair Auth Pod. That's ArmchairOff A-U-T-H P-O-D. All right. Thanks for taking the time to do that. Now let's get back to our conversation.

Justin: 30:22

The point that I'm making here is there has been a lot of people right now who received that with joy. A lot of people have been, there's been an awakening happening in people. They're questioning things, they're their spirits are stirred, and that can be wonderful. And I know many of you listening, I've known you before all that, and it was stirring in you before. The point is there's a stirring that's going on. Maybe if you're listening to this and you feel this sense of joy, you love this message of forgiveness and repentance and kingdom-minded mission, and you have this joy. Here's what Jesus said though. Remember, this happened on stony places. If you don't have a foundation built, yet he has no root in himself. So you're not going to be able to do any of this on your own. But endures only for a little while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. And so my encouragement as a fellow brother in Christ, and me and Rhett would both agree on this to encourage you. You have been sowed a seed of joy right now, and it's in you. But just as easy as it's gotten in you, if it's not deep, it can be snatched away. Be careful. It's a calculated risk. Yeah. Be careful what you just like Rhett brought up with getting on these stunts and certain things. Take the calculated risk. Guard your heart. It's the wellspring of life inside of there. Make sure that you're only putting in what should be going in because just as that joy is in you, it can be snatched away as fast as you received it when the persecution and its coming, when the tribulation and it will come in your life, you will immediately stumble if you try to do this on your own. But now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. And so now here we have an amazing moment that God has stirred in your heart, and you get back to life, and you get back to money and prosperity and finances or the worries of life. Are my children okay? All these things can choke out what God is actually doing in your life, which God is Jesus has encouraged us to carry us, carry our cross every day. Take up our cross every day. Deny yourself. Oh, that's a good one, right? Yeah, deny yourself, which means there's something that needs to be denied. You're gonna want to take in something, you're gonna want to pleasure yourself with something. Deny. We're not gonna feel it. It's just him saying, take up your cross, deny yourself. Justin Ritt, we've got to deny ourselves.

Rhett: 33:06

We have to only way we have to kill the things that are killing us. Oh, so good. We have to remove anxiety, the weeds, the the thorns represent the things that are actually trying to choke us, that are trying to kill us. Yeah. And we have to deny those things. We have to take up our cross, and we have to be willing to kill those things that are trying to kill us. Now, Jesus has given us the authority. Many people look at that and they're like, well, God just, I mean, why didn't God doing this? Well, God's done all he's gonna do through the power and authority of Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, seat at the right hand of the Father, giving us the power of the Holy Spirit. But it's up to us now to man up, to woman up, to grow up, to and to take the choice and to make the decisions on our own. God's done all he's gonna do. Now it's up to us.

Justin: 33:54

Yeah.

Rhett: 33:54

And Jesus made it very clear you want to follow me and take up your cross, deny yourself. Yeah. And I love what you're saying with this. We've got to learn how to kill the things that are killing us in order that we thrive. And so it's important that the seed that is being planted now gets to the place where it's producing fruit that lasts.

Justin: 34:08

Yeah.

Rhett: 34:09

And everything you're mentioning so far produces a little, but it's not lasting. Yeah, you'll see a little lost. It's easy.

Justin: 34:16

Yeah, it's easily lost. You'll get a little bit grow, you'll be like, oh, it's growing. And then there's a lot of it. It seems good. But man, when that heat kicks in, exactly. You dry it up because there's no root. Yep. There's no root there. But thank the Lord. Yeah, Jesus left us with this. But he who received seed on the ground, on the good ground. Okay, who is that, Jesus? It's he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces. That means you didn't just hear the word now, you begin to take on mission. You begin to take action in your life, in that what God has called us to do. And you will reap, you'll produce. Some it's going to be a hundredfold, some of you it's going to be 60, some of you 30. And we can go ahead and read into this. That means some might be a thousandfold, some might be fivefold. Jesus has given different people, according to another parable of the talents, a different capacity. And he never asked you to compare it to somebody else, but he did say, steward what I've given you. Right. And protect this seed. And so our encouragement, you know, is I'll close this and then you can jump in, Rhett, to closing remarks, but protect the seed, whatever it is that the Holy Spirit has implanted in you with these seeds, whatever season you're in for the future, this time capsule that me and Rhett are creating with this podcast for our children in the future, our children's children, people who find this years from now, the Holy Spirit has implanted some a seed in you. What are you going to do with it? What are you going to do to guard this with everything within you using the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit who will give you the strength to do this? He is the He's Christing you the hope of glory, and He will guide you, He'll comfort you, He'll let you know here's the way. Yeah, walk in it and walk in the fullness of what God has put on your heart from the foundations of the earth. When He created you, He did it for a purpose, for a reason, to bring glory to Him and to see His kingdom advanced.

Rhett: 36:28

Yeah, if I were to add any remarks to that, my mindset goes to farming. You know, I'm not a farmer, I'm not an agricultural person, I don't know all the terminology. But farming is hard, it's very difficult, it's not easy. When seeds are planted in the ground, the power is in the seed, not the sower. The seed eventually produces when it is put in soil that is good, but that has also been prepared, that has been tealed, that has been watered, that has been given the right type of nutrients, and that seed grows in the dark before it even sprouts to where people see it. And so oftentimes it's easy to hear, to receive, with joy, with gladness, but we have to do the hard work in the dark when nobody else sees us. And we have to do we have to be willing to allow the things of this life to grow us and not um it's goes back to that a couple weeks ago, or whenever it was we're talking about being uncomfortable. There's nothing comfortable about a seed that's in the point of like it's in the dark, it's in the dirt, it's unseen, but yet they're what seems dormant, what seems unseen, like is anything happening underneath there? It's there that all of it's really taking place so that it can produce a fruit later. Yeah. So oftentimes we think, well, I just got to go out and be whoever it might be to do whatever to be seen. It's like, no, maybe, maybe, maybe, just maybe planting that seed is walking in humility in such a way that it's a time of obscurity before a time of being seen. It doesn't mean that you're hiding, but wherever you are, just be faithful with what God's put in your hand. Because as you mentioned, the hundredfold, sixtyfold, what all then those numbers, like God's not very much, He's not asking us to compare ourselves and making us think that, oh, well, those I uh I gotta produce a hundred and everything. No, all he's doing is saying, be faithful, what I gave you, and what I gave you is I'm not interested in the number. I'm just interested in the fruit that you produce with what I gave you. And so uh the preparation is always in the darkness, is what I'm trying to say. And that is not a that that's that takes a lot of humility to live there. And I just think that's a key, at least to me, when I think through the lens of what you just shared in the seed, God has planted a lot of seeds in us. What are we gonna do with that? Right? We need to guard it. And how do we guard it? Well, we we guard it with humility, right? And we guard it with faithfulness, and we guard it with ensuring that we do gain an understanding and we do actually hear the words of Jesus by allowing ourselves to go, all right, I'm willing to be put in a place to where you can speak to me and I'm gonna create whatever environment I got to create to allow that growth to happen. Yeah, and that's that's hard work, yeah, but it's worth it. Because at harvest time, when that corn or whatever crop has been planted and it begins to produce, yeah, it's like, oh man, what a joy. It's almost like a it's almost like and I can't compare what childbirth is like, but it's like hearing a woman say, you know, uh being pregnant was amazing, but it was the most difficult and hardest thing ever. But the moment the child is born, it's like there's so much joy from that moment that they forget all the pain that they just went through to be there. Well said. And I I I think it's a lot like that. Not that I could compare that or understand that as a man, but I just I that's just a a picture that I have. And I just know it's hard, but it's worth it.

Justin: 40:02

Yeah, I think, man, thank you for providing the context because I think that helped it come alive for somebody to it, it's as you said a while ago, the scriptures say deny yourself. And there's a lot of self-denial that you're gonna have to do in these dark places, in the dark, in the dark room where you're being fully developed. I love what you said.

Rhett: 40:23

Guard it and guard it well. So that one day we'll hear. Well done. Good and thankful, sir.

Justin: 40:31

Beautiful. We'll see you guys next week.

Rhett: 40:36

Hey friends, thank you so much for joining in on our conversation today. It has been our pleasure to serve you. We cannot wait for our next episode that drops next Monday. But until then, we hope you have a great week. Stay safe, and we will see you real soon. God bless.