#064| Disconnect to reconnect to what matters

 What's going on, everybody. It is a pleasure to connect with you once again. And last week, there was no episode that drops. So I apologize for that. There's a lot going on. In my own personal life, that is really holding me back to be able to really give this the full attention. I truly want to give it. 

But that is life. That is just the way things are. And instead of just kind of complaining and being frustrated about it, which would be my normal thing. I've just, I've taken a step back from the online marketing. And just solely focusing on just providing value through audio podcasts, which for the most part seems to still have, most people come back and listen and I'm grateful. 

Super grateful. And because of that, I just want to stay committed to you and making sure that I'm providing value. And just driving. Some good content that would help you see Christ in the midst of chaos, whether that is in the culture in politics has gotten you stressed out or in your own personal lives. So. 

Thank you for just dealing with the process of what I'm doing here. And and I appreciate you always returning. Back to the shelf. So today, I want to talk about a topic about disconnecting. In order to just reconnect with the Lord, with God, with his word and with what he is actually called you to do. 

,I'm bringing this to you because this is pretty much what's happening to me right now. It's being able to really see what's important. And when I want to argue is for this disconnect. Of the online world and social media in order to reconnect with Christ in prayer and his word. 

In time with gathering with the church and realizing how much time we give to our screens.  I think Paul washer spoke about. Looking at. The time you give to your screen time, as opposed to your prayer time and the vast difference that is in front of you. And as I'm getting older, I am learning the value of time, the value of money as well. And just how those equate with one another, how you, if you can shave off things that are unnecessary in your time, what you can then put attention to that can then generate potentially more finances, but even more than that, right? 

Being able to connect with those that are truly important in your life. Like your children. Which is something that I think. I'm going through myself as I'm really dealing with some kind of personal things that. It's stressful. It's not easy, but I know it's a calling on my life right now and it's not what I expected. 

I mean, I wanted it. I just. I, you know, anyway we'll get into that in a second. A little bit more. I hope that this is going to help and really connect with you here. And let me just go ahead and just kinda, start this way. I've been finding myself. Really battling with between the time of work with my day job, what really pays me and pays the bills. 

And then being a father, which, you know, for the most part. I am for the most part full-time. For the most part. I mean, she goes with her mom often but her mom has gone through some medical situations that has caused me to really. Take a little bit more responsibility and raising my daughter and having her be with me more often. 

Which I'm honestly very grateful for. I grew up without a father and a, this for me is something I take very serious. I don't think I do great all the time, but you know, by God's grace, I am trying my best to be. A present active on purpose father. That I believe she needs, and I believe many children need in today in our culture. 

And I found myself just really stressing out with trying to get this podcast. To grow it, to enhance it, to build it. It is a side hustle as well as a mission, a ministry. And in that sense, I mean, I'm just keeping it real with you. I definitely love doing this for the purpose that I bring, which is just truth. In the midst of chaos Christ in the midst of chaos, this was sparked by the political climate, the cultural climate that's been kind of again, unraveling. 

And just knowing that I believe that the gospel and the scripture and Christ is the answer for all of this. I want it to just begin to it. This was my way of fighting back against everything. And on the flip side, You know, you get down into the whole YouTube world and you start to learn men there's ways to actually monetize this thing and build this as a business. And my goodness, if this is what I can do, I definitely want to do it. Now. I've been at a, for a year. 

Definitely not getting paid for it. And I could still do this for another 10 years and feel very,  like I have joy behind it. So this takes time. I understand that this is not employed for me to get you to guys feel bad or anything like that. All that to say. Because of that. I have put a lot of attention into marketing, making sure that I'm developing content from this long form. 

Audio, which I was also doing on video to break down into reels, do you know, the reels to be scheduled out, to make sure that I'm editing the audio and the video, and then want it to get into the YouTube game and really do this. And I'm literally a one man show. I don't have the ability to invest into someone else just yet to help me outsource it. I did it for a little while. It was great. The service was great. It just wasn't something I could sustain without seeing something in return for the most part. 

And I just got stressed out recently. Like really sort of depressed a little bit. Work has been struggling. I have my daughter full-time. I worked from home. So it's easier for her to be with me. And I've been battling with this. Just not doing great. They're on the flip side, you know, the market is kind of tough these days. 

And with what I do for work, it's not as easy. And I've gone through some other personal things that have really messed with my mind and then wanting to do this podcast properly for you has been so. Difficult for me. And then the nature of the content that I'm trying to provide kind of requires me. 

To really tap into what's happening on social media and the culture and news and politics. And I just found myself going, and this is one of my points going into the algorithms. And find myself in the echo chambers of those is sharing my biases. And just kind of participating in some sort of, and some form of armchair theology and political debate. 

And that drains you. That drains you because you want to leave an impact. You want to do something to provide change, to prevent the attack from tyranny, from corruption. And you're a small fish in a very huge pond. And all you have is this right? This little microphone that is in front of me and this little room and there's little apartment that you don't see most of the time, but trust me, it's not impressive. 

And that drains you and you just, you get lost in these things. You really do. You kinda like you start getting into the Bates and you'd really know you shouldn't, but you just can't help yourself because this is your form of the fight. That you have that's,  This making you feel like you're a part of it. 

And I find myself doing that same thing. But then I don't know, it just hit me. It just honestly hit me recently that.   What's the difference here? These battles and these attacks and these fights that we have online, that makes me any different from a troll or from a leftist online reading about everything. 

It's gotten to the point where our conservatives argue conservatives, because one point has one view of the. The other view, and you're just sucked into the algorithms. Your emotions are a wreck. You are losing sleep. You're anxious. You feel like you're angry and you need to kind of fight the fight, but everything else outside of the online world is passing you by. And you're just wasting time. 

You are literally wasting time. And that's where I found myself. Now, I don't know if this is you. And if this is probably the episode for you, because this is what God has kind of like showing me. And so I figured I would just take you with me on the journey and maybe this can help you as well. 

But the people that I follow online, right. That for the most part. I think from my content and from my mindset and beliefs. I look at those in the theology camp of reform theology. And I think God, for men like Joel Webbon, who has no idea who I am. From apply theology. I think God for guys like 



Who else can I say? I follow so many. The now I'm drawing a blank. I just thank God for them, whatever, you know, like they, they're doing stuff that I really appreciate, like can press, you know, Doug Wilson and those guys in that camp. Really, I look up to them so much because of what I'm doing here. I can see how they do it so well. 

And I think, yeah, well, there's a market for this and there's a place for this. And I asked should be doing this. But what I realize looking at these guys, the actually are talking about this to have successful podcasts that have YouTube and successful channels. The one thing that separates them from me, and I just gotta be cold hearted with myself and honest. 

Brutal is that they're actually in there actually doing something about it. They actually had a trajectory of their lives that led them to seminary, led them to certain work vocation fields that connected them to media, journalism ministry. And they've actually put in work before they got behind the mic or your camera. 

And I'll be honest, I've been learning by the whole idea of podcasting because I love speaking. And so I thought that this was something that I can do to. And I'm not saying I'm going to quit. I'm not going to quit. I'm just taking a big step back. Anyway, what I'm noticing from them is that they actually do it. They actually are in the fight, literally in the practical way. 

What we see on the camera and here on the podcast basically is kind of like the fumes of the work that they put out every single day with their hands practically. They write books with their hands typing. They minister to a church going behind a pulpit after spending hours of just studying and digging into the scriptures and actually applying this, they go out to abortion mills and preach the gospel and evangelize. 

They literally do the work. I think of apology radio church, Jeff Durbin. These guys have great content too. I love apology radio. I love their YouTube channel. But that's not all they do. And that's just a by-product of what they do. Right. Cause they literally go out there in the streets and do what they do. 

And it's because that is the trajectory that they have chosen. That is the trajectory that God has placed them in, and God is using them. Right. He's using them for that purpose. And I appreciate their ministries because they've clearly changed my life and have clearly have blessed me in such ways that I felt the need to step out and speak as well. 

And you know what, by God's grace, this. There's a couple of you guys that are just been tuning into this podcast and I don't take it lightly.  I feel like I don't get to see your faces. I may know about maybe one or two of you who you are, and I've been able to communicate with you on Instagram, which is awesome,  and there's so many ideas I have to want to stay connected and stay in community with you guys. 

But if I gotta be honest with you. This holiness being sucked into the algorithms. And just getting into these fights in the bait. While at the same time, I have a whole different life. A whole different life that. , I did to myself. And and I'm grateful for it. And in some parts, these are consequences of my own personal chaos and I'm dealing with. 

Because of the sins that I committed in the past that I know that. I'm forgiving enough, but I know. I am dealing with the consequences of as well. There's a lot that I don't necessarily share and eventually I will. I just don't feel it's hard for me to just dump it out without proper context. And in due time I will. 

But. It's different. For me.  I'm not out in the streets. Evangelizing and preaching. I'm not out in the streets. Going to local meetings politically. I mean, I did actually for a little bit, but I had to stop that because of other things. 

And this is  the thing that we see with a lot of people these days.  It's so hard, right? Because we have these lives that we have set before ourselves that led us to these places. That require our time and attention. Being a full-time employee or business owner of something unrelated to politics and culture. 

It takes you away. And then with the time that you do have free, you realize you have to allocate that properly to your children. Like I have a four year old who's with me all the time who wants attention? And needs it and deserves it. And it's my calling to give. And so doing this takes time away. 

It's not easy. It's not easy. And these other guys have been able to set a path in a way that has allowed them to do this full time that this is their work. So they have proper allocation and they still. Are there not necessarily sacrificing all the time for their children. But that's not the choice, the route I chose, even though I wish I did back then, but I can't go back then. 

It is where I'm at now. And I have to accept it. And what happens to guys like me, who don't, who didn't take those trajectories in life, but can see what's happening in the world. Get angry. We get angry, stressed, frustrated where we concern. And we take up mikes, we take up cameras and we want to,  put our opinions out there. And this is good. I think the more people speaking truth is what we need. 

But then many podcasts fail because they don't get past certain amount of episodes. Many YouTube channels don't get uploaded or whatever, because  This is not to, this is not to give excuses for those that are in finding the proper time to do this. But it's also just they have an unbalanced on the other side as well,  either they have to neglect their family and friends to do this, or they don't do this at all. 

And it's because we take on so much more than we probably mean to. 

So anyway. I hope this is making sense. You know what I'm trying to do. I guess drive the point is. We need to disconnect in order to reconnect with the fact that God has actually called you to do something. And if you do have a passion for this, like I do then there's something there. 

But also we need to trust him. We need to trust how he decides to grow it and kind of expand it. And. 

Well, this is why,  I mentioned these other guys that have done what they are doing. Can we say the same thing? Can we say that  we are out there doing what they're doing and then because of what they're doing, they have content to share. mind you, half of these guys have been doing it for decades. 

Years upon years. They have worked behind them that. Allows and supports them in this whole thing. So, you know, I just think it's something to consider. In order for us to really step back and see what's important and what can be. Provided in that regard. But when we also disconnect, we are then forced to answer the question about our current situations in life. 

When we step out of the algorithms, when we step out of the Instagrams, when we just don't necessarily put too much time into it as much. Then you have to assess what's important for you now, what you have in front of you now. 

And look I'm pretty much an advocate for this. I think that what's in front of you now is what God has called you to. 

We are called to be faithful in the little . That's something that we believe to be faithful in the little, then we can trust that God will been put us to be faithful over much. Now what that much is. Well, that's our battle here in our culture these days, because we have an idea of what that much is that we want to do. 

But oftentimes maybe not often, maybe is moral more than often. God places us in situations we don't necessarily want to be in. 

But he has called us to. 

So, what has God placed before you. 

And the question is, do you neglect it or worse? Do you resent it? So. 

I got into this interesting battle. Online with this other person, for the most part that we, I don't know who this person is. Again, this is the algorithm sucking me in. And I mean, for the most part, he or she, or bot was labeled conservative, and I can see on their account that they are conservative. And I mentioned I'm left the common somewhere, right? Something about. 

For the most part, not wanting to necessarily engage with the, with what new conservatism is doing, because I just kind of been noticing that it's just one big political theater, even online in the social media world. And I kind of mentioned something along the lines of why even bother in this. When this argument in this battle here does not matter. 

All we do is speak into the echo chambers of people that agree with us. And then we read about it and get riled up and post emojis, and then argue with the next troll, that kind of comments, a difference of opinion.  And then what happens then? And so this is one conservative basically said, well, it's guys like you that quit, that don't want to, do anything about it. This is why this matters because government is trying to take us over. 

Random guy. I completely agree. I know that it's not wise to be just completely. Oblivious to what's happening that we should know. And this person should have realized that I'm on their side for the most part, what my argument was. Was that us literally crying about it to each other. 

In one common section from this one big account that benefits from the engagement that they're receiving. Doesn't do anything. It doesn't do anything for the country. Yes, more awareness tends to take place, but  people were aware and here in my city, in Chicago, that Lori Leifer was a socialist Marx's. We needed to get out of office. All of them were aware, everyone online, I can tell, knew she needs to go. And yet we voted and even more marches. 

Mayer even more, probably even worse. But everybody knew. Everybody knew that this was a person. Part of the new world order, potentially all connected to the world economic forum and the great reset. We've seen videos of her talk about this. We understand that Marxist ideology is that is basically a humanist, atheistic cultish worldview. That's going to lead us into. 

A quote-unquote you told you, but we know where that really leads us to . Totalitarian rule. And yet. Many people still didn't go out and vote as much. And which is why this Robinson guy takes the office. So while we all cry online on social media about , wound needs to leave and. 

The truth that we know and beating our chest still, we, we see another vote for an even more socialist candidate. And that's my point. My point is what are we doing here? What am I doing here? Just trying to argue with you. And then on the Christian camp side with theology, post-colonialism amillennialism pre millennialism MacArthur is a cult leader. This is now like. 

I mean, I guess. I guess. I'm not cool enough to get engaged with all those guys. I'm not that cool. No one, no, one's going to care about me and my content nearly as much. Right. May got their own thing going on. I love a lot of those guys content and there'll be an awesome dream. Come true to be connect with them in some way and fight this good fight. But you know what I realized I don't need to. 

I don't need to. And I don't need to be sucked into this whole algorithm thing, because now I'm starting to kind of see this as on a Pfarius. And maybe that's conspiracy. I don't know, but I truly think that what's important right now. Is the fact that we need to start taking some personal responsibility. We need to start realizing that we have things before us, that God has placed before us. And we are neglecting it and even worse resenting it because we would rather see our podcast and YouTube and Instagram and all of these accounts blow up rather than see our children. 

Love and grow in the knowledge of Christ. And develop a bond with them that is strong and strengthened. And guys, I'm not pointing the finger. I'm literally talking to myself. Right because my daughter needs me. Like I needed my father when I was a kid. 

 That is a reality. 

And this is the life that I had created for myself that. God had allowed me to go and  this is a beautiful thing to have children, but you know what? It really isn't easy. It really is a calling. There really is a lot of work that goes behind it. And there really is an accountability that will be laid before you, on that day before the king of Kings, how did you manage what I've given you? And what he gives us is our children as well. 

Is the households that we live in as well. It's the job that you probably hate as well. How do you manage that now? 

I'm not happy with w with what I'm doing with work lately. I'm really not. It feels meaningless. 

But this is the lot in my life. This is where it's at. 

And I was listening to a cross politic episode. About a pastor by the name of Scott, I believe. Who I think he, yeah, he got into politics recently and I think he's a Congressman for the state. I don't know. But. It was funny. He's a conservative, obviously he's a biblical preacher. And. 

He's in politics and we all say, yay, praise God. We need more of that. But he did not necessarily want to do that. He didn't want to do that. He just felt like he had no choice because of, I mean, I can't remember, but there was something he did say, this is what I remember. And he said that we need to get up and do it. We need to get out and be active and be local and actually get, you know, get real with it. 

Because even he mentioned, I won't forget this. He's like, you know, my life was perfect before this. I had a great life. And now I'm doing this. He doesn't necessarily want to be in politics. 

But you can see that God is using him. And he's bringing light into what is happening even on a local level. That is so important. And sometimes guys, the thing that God causes to the thing that we are supposed to be really paying attention to are the things that we are neglecting and resenting because they're not light and shiny and they don't draw attention to us. 

And if there's anyone that understands the struggle with that, it's me, because I personally have always struggled with the idea of being mediocre. Wanting to be known and to be recognized. I remember watching a movie with Brad Pitt Troy, if you've seen that movie. And he Akilis is presented with the opportunity to go to war. 

All right, to go to war and to kind of fight that. The fight this war. That's the spot to take place over a woman. Over what happened? It's crazy. But. He's out there thinking, and his mom is approaching him and.  They're having a conversation he's really contemplating about whether to do this or to not, 

They want to use them because they  deem him as just some, somewhat of a God who can't be killed. Just a very skillful warrior. And his mom presents him with two things. One of those things is,  if you don't do this, if you don't go to war, then you will grow old. You will find a woman. You will get married. You will have many children. 

And you will be a good man and you'll live a long life and your kids will grow and do that. But then you will not be remembered after you die. Your name will be gone. And if you go do this, you will die young. If you go to war, you will die. Young. You will not have children. You will have a wife. You will not leave a family legacy, but your name will be spoken forever. And for generations to come. 

Which one do you choose and Achilles? Yeah, he sought the ladder. It's about the glory, right? The glory. And sure enough. We are talking about Achilles today. 

But I would argue that was the worst trade off. Because the true legacy, the true calling of our lives. Is what God told us to do is to go and multiply subdue the earth. And to be forgotten this isn't about us, right? It's not about you and me. It's not about our names being put on a star. It's not about that. 

And we, you know what, I struggle with that because I didn't grow up with my father. And I think there's some sort of thing connected to that. I want it to be affirmed. I need to be affirmed as a man. And so I looked for it in all the wrong places. Like we all do. We all do that. 

But,  at the end of the day, we're basically a bunch of, Akilis trying to seek glory for ourselves. But that is not what God has called us to. That is not the calling of our lives. This isn't about us. All glory goes to God. All glory is his in Psalms. You read not to us. Oh Lord. Not to us, but to your name, be the glory. 

That is. A prayer of self-denial. 

There is no self preservation. There, there is no trying to save your life here because if you save your life here, you will lose it at the end. That is what scripture teaches us. 

And so. What does God place before you. Are you presented with the same thing as Achilles was a presented. 

And are you trying to just seek eternal glory for your own namesake? 

And then kind of look at the idea of having children growing old and becoming a nobody at the end of time as a sort of waste. 

That's the saddest thing. I think it's just tragedy. 

Because your children are your legacy and you will be forgotten. 

You will be forgotten. We are not as special as we'd like to tell ourselves. And in this culture, that is what we told ourselves. Hey, everyone's special little butterfly. But we're not. We're sinners in need of a savior Christ came and died for us and provided that saving. When we are saved. 

We are used for his glory and however, mundane that may seem as long as we are faithful and found faithful to do so. God will be pleased. And the glory comes after. 

That is why we are not to build our riches here on earth and all of our wealth here on earth, where moth and rust decay. It. But to build it. In the heavenly places in Christ. That is our true treasure. Our true treasure is heavenly. 

And so.  It all means to serve our neighbor, 

if you guys were right in front of me in a room, it'd be a pretty packed room. And then what? Right. 

All I'm saying is guys. I love this. I love what I'm doing here. And I'm going to continue to do it. I may not be on social media as much. I may not be posting a lot of cool content eventually I will. But right now, Where life is calling me. Is to be faithful to this. And to provide a good audio podcast experience, and I'm gonna continue to do that. 

Because this is not about me. But it is about who God calls us to be, which is to love him with all our heart. So my strength, and then to love our neighbors as ourselves. And so, as I'm going through this, I'm trying to love you by sharing this with you in hopes that you can probably reorient yourself and to maybe disconnect from the online world and connect with what you do have in front of you, your children, the job, the house. 

Your family members to birthdays that are coming up and what you can build as far as your wealth goals. I mean, build your businesses, do a boring business. Okay. Duel boring business, unless you have the means and the mindset to be able to build an online business. I do that. I definitely liked the idea. It just doesn't seem to work for me in that sense. 

Do the sales job do whatever it is that you think is mundane. And it's not significant because it is God has called you to be faithful in the little. And if he so wills it and decides to move you one step further to grant you more responsibility, it will only be because you have been found faithful with what he's given you now. 

We don't deserve that next level. We don't deserve grace. And yet we act as if we need to have a platform and people should be giving us this attention. And people need to hear our arguments on the common section. And it doesn't do anything. If politics matters to you, there are local. Clubs and, parties that I think you should be able to engage in. 

Literally go online, register your name, do some volunteering. , you have to do this, the armchair stuff, the arguing on the online algorithms. I think that's just what they want. But we will do nothing about it. And then we waste away that things that we should be doing,  the family unit is the biggest stretch of tyranny. 

You being excellent in what you do, you taking care of your bodies, physically. That is a threat to them. And yet we neglected to argue with people, even those in our same camp online. So ultimately, what am I trying to I 

unplug. And see what's in front of you. Take inventory. Thank God for what you do have, right. Wake up with an attitude of gratitude. Pray, seek the Lord, get plugged into the church, your local body, and then literally look around and say, you know, what do I have. What do I have? Cause I'm going to be doing that myself. I have been doing that, but I'm going to be doing that a little bit more. One thing I do have is my daughter. 

I'm a father. I have this job that allows me to work from home and I'm homeschooling her. And everybody seems to think that's going to be an impossible thing for me, but I'm going to do it. 

Because I believe that. The future generation will be the ones that are going to deal with the tyranny a little bit more. And it is our responsibility to raise them in the fear and love and admonition of the Lord and to teach them what's truly right. That is your calling? Not the, government's not the public schools and is are calling. 

And then with the work, the job that I have. There are people that I work with. That need to see something in me that allows me to have the app open door, to share the gospel with them. That is my mission, right? To serve well, serve my neighbor with a good product, with a good service, with good customer service with my excellency. And then if the Lord opens doors, I'll be able to have that conversation as well. 

And then from there. Just be faithful and then we'll see where God takes me. And then where God takes you. And the meantime I commit because I do have the ability to do it, to do this audio podcast and to provide value and to bring you new resources that will help you do the same thing. Hope you understand what the heck is going on in our world. 

And how you can connect with Christ and just lean on him through it all. Okay. Now with that, I want to end this. This has got longer than I expected. But I want to read a passage in scripture. It's almost 37 has been a very big comfort for me. I'm not gonna read the whole thing, but I would highly encourage that you read chapter 37 in som. 

And just really just dissect it, but just a couple verses I'll read. Chapter 37 verse three reads. Trust in the Lord. And do good. Dwell in the land. And be friend faithfulness. That's all good. Right. It. We don't trust in the Lord, as often as we'd like to say. 

What does it look like to draw to trust in God? Well, we still have to do good. Even in the midst of chaos. And to do good as to. To do good. Right. It goes on to say dwell and land. There's no place to run. So do it here where you find yourself right in. And the, on the ground that your feet are standing upon. 

Do it, and then when you do so be friend faithfulness do not live by lies. And then do not be a hypocrite. Do not. You know, do the things that God has called us out of, but to do it with faithfulness. Verse four says, delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. And then verse five. 

Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in him and he will act. That's it. It is such a denial of self. It is complete. Abandonment of yourself. Self pleasures, self ambition, and making your ambition Christ pleasing him doing good work dwelling in the land that he's placed you in. And to trust him. 

Just trust him. And that's, I'm preaching to myself in that sense. I need to trust him. So I hope this gives you something to really think about. I hope that maybe this changes your perspective a little bit and makes you want to kind of unplug a bit from the online world and to really just. See what's in front of you. 

And how you can honor the Lord in that. All right. Guys, thank you so much for tuning in. I hope this blessed you. Please share this with somebody else, someone that you believe can really find something out of this. Subscribe to the show, leave a review. Review is going to really get this show going. And since I'm going to be stepping back from the social media stuff, you're sharing, you're reviewing, that's going to help us. If we're going to grow, I'm going to trust in God to grow it. And it's going to be because of you guys teaming up with me as we do this together as a community to push it forward. 

All right. And since I am going to be stepping back from the social media content work. I have started a newsletter. Chaos and Christ newsletter. It's in the show notes. If you want to receive some updates, , I'm not doing anything crazy. I'm giving you a scripture verse. I am kind of sharing some articles. I think maybe you should probably know about. 

Not to scare you, but to just be aware of, and to pray about. Ways to get involved locally with politics and things of that nature. And there's something else that I'll probably put in and it might change around. But for the most part, this is how I want to connect with you guys. I encourage you to subscribe it's free for now. And. 

We can engage there. I'll leave common sections where you can  talk with me and then we can just  do this together.  So subscribe to the newsletter. All right. That's it. I'm done. I gotta stop talking. I gotta go. But God bless you. And remember this in the midst of chaos Christ, is there.