Transcription
Well, welcome back to the Beltway Beyond Sundays podcast. We've been going for a couple episodes now, uh, me and Levi. Um, so my name is Nick. I'm the college pastor. This is Levi. He's the young adults pastor. And with us today, we've got Braden Crow, who has a new title.
>> Hello, everyone. Yes, I have a new title.
>> What's your new title?
>> Uh my new role is the staff culture pastor. And so working
>> so sick.
>> Uh I am thrilled about it. It is an answered prayer. It's something that is totally in line with the things that uh make me come alive. I have a I just have so much fulfillment and and joy from doing it. And so I'm excited for it. I'm excited for you.
So, with with part of your role, you also oversee the internship.
>> Yeah.
>> Um the most of the interns over the past several years have been, you know, 20 to 24. We have
>> some in their 30s every once in a while.
>> Um which means that you get to minister to a lot of the same
>> age group people that we get to minister to.
>> Yeah. And so one of the questions that all three of us get a lot is what's the difference between calling and anointing or what is my calling versus what's my anointing. So you kind of have the corner market on this. You've actually spoken on this on the podcast a few times before.
>> Yeah.
>> So can you tell us what the difference between calling and anointing is?
>> Yeah. So, um, how this shows up for me in my area of ministry with the internship specifically is, um, you know, the internship isn't just another job. We don't just if you're 20 to 24, you know, we'll just we'll hire you. There's a interview process that is really focused on
>> um are you called to vocational ministry? Like, are you discerning, is this what God has for me?
Yeah,
>> you know, for for my life. And so these are conversations that come up with individuals who are very driven, who are very mission-oriented.
>> Um, and it comes up in a in a ministry context for us, but calling transcends ministry, vocational ministry. It's
>> uh, everyone has a calling. Um, it's not just for people in vocational ministry, people who do ministry as a as a as a job.
Um, but you know, calling is, you know, I think I voiced this in the last podcast I was on with Ben whenever we talked about calling is like it assumes that you were called, like someone is doing the calling. It's not
>> something to create.
Um, it's not something that that you just get to uh to drum up on your own. It's it's a response
>> Yeah.
>> to something that God is asking you and calling you into. And so
>> that can look like um a a directive. It can look like an industry. It can look like a group of people. It's kind of all-encompassing with your gifts, uh your your passions.
Um um it it kind of covers all of that. And so that's what I would see as a calling.
Um, you know, so calling is not a job,
>> right?
calling is not um you know you you can't say that I'm I'm my calling in life is youth ministry because eventually you're not what happens whenever you before you step into youth ministry or after you leave youth ministry you know and so
>> Nick you're not your calling in life is not to be a college pastor right
>> and
>> you know my calling in life is not to be the staff culture pastor If it is, then I was not living out my calling the last years I've been on staff
>> and before that.
>> And my calling, if my calling is a job, then that means that my calling
>> basically is, you know,
>> it ends the moment I walk into my house at home because I'm not a pastor at my house. I mean, I I my first ministry is my family, but
>> you get what I'm saying.
you know, it's it's got to transcend a job.
>> And, so, um, that's what I would I would consider a facet of calling, um, it's it's an invitation from the Lord to step in and advance his kingdom.
>> Sure.
>> Um, in a way that he's leading you to do so.
>> Does that make sense?
>> Yeah. Um, anointing. Uh, I think we probably need to talk through what you guys mean by that. Um, anointing is something that we see all throughout scripture and it's something that
>> that we um in a lot of church circles say a lot. And so, um, what I would consider anointing today is empowerment through the Holy Spirit
>> to be able to live up to the responsibility that God has given to you in your calling.
>> Does that make sense?
>> Yeah, 100%.
>> Um, anointing meant something different throughout scripture. you know, there was always empowerment through God's spirit that we see in the Old Testament
>> and we, you know, we see um God's empowerment through his Holy Spirit in the New Testament as well,
>> right?
>> But anointing started with Jacob at Bethl.
>> It it was something that you saw that
>> priests were anointed.
Um, you saw that that prophets um I think it's second Kings says that Elisha was anointed. So prophets were anointed,
>> right?
>> Um, you had kings that were anointed. So um Saul, David,
>> and Solomon were all anointed,
>> right?
>> Um, and that was a that was a physical act. Um, it was it was almost like a like God's stamp of approval on
>> um and an act of setting setting something or someone apart.
>> Yeah.
>> Um, to be set aside for God's purpose. Yeah.
>> And so that was anointing.
>> Um, that's why we see Christ is called the anointed one,
>> right?
>> Christ is the anointed one. He was uh he's the fulfillment. And so he is he represents an anointed priest, prophet, and king.
>> Yep.
>> Um, and so that's that's kind of what we see with that carryover, that transition from the physical act to what we talk about as anointing. Now,
>> yeah,
>> we see that in first John 2 where um John is talking about that,
>> you know, we we are ex we have an anointing from the anointed one.
Mhm.
>> And we know he's talking about that we know the truth. We know the gospel. Um, whenever he's refer whenever he's referencing the antichrist. And so first and foremost, that was a really long theological rabbit trail. I I hope that you listen to this on double speed.
Um
>> slow it down, dude. Nice and slow.
Uh, but but where I'm getting at with that is that first and foremost be before whether we're talking about how we define anointing today first and foremost everything that we are and now we're talking about calling everything that we are first and foremost comes from the anointing of the king which is Christ is the anointed one. And so
>> we Christ is anointed. 1 John 2 says that because we are in Christ, we are anointed. So that so that's now an identity piece,
>> right?
>> Um, and because we are anointed and because we are in Christ, we have a calling from Christ.
>> Yep.
>> That we then need empowerment from the Holy Spirit to live out. And that is what we would define as is that's what at least whenever you said what's the difference between calling and anointing? That's what I understood.
>> Is that a fair definition of anointing, empowerment?
>> Absolutely. From the Holy Spirit spot on the set aart piece.
>> The thing is is that it's it's different than the way we would talk about it in say the Old Testament or the way we talk about it in
>> you know with Kings is that
>> empowerment through the Holy Spirit. We can call that anointing. I just there's a I want to parse out the difference there in that Our empowerment through the Holy Spirit is not it's not hierarchical. It's not bound to us by position. It's totally dependent on Christ's anointing
>> and his indwelling in us.
Does that make sense?
>> Yeah.
>> But we need it to live out what God has called us to do. We can have a calling
>> without the Holy Spirit and we need him to drive us to reach that calling.
>> So that's good.
>> Yeah. I I hope that nobody speeds through that cuz I I think that they should slow that down and just listen to your voice a little bit.
Yeah.
>> Hey, sometimes like that's why theology can be important. It it's important to understand what's actually taking place.
>> Yeah.
>> So,
>> it's a we need the Holy Spirit to live out our calling. We can we can have our calling but if if we do not have if we are not empowered by the Holy Spirit in it. I mean that's what
>> we see in in um the letters.
Yeah. It's what we see also in Corinthians where it's you know I can have all of these things but have I not love?
>> Yeah.
>> I'm just the noise of a clanging symbol.
>> Yeah. And
>> we need the Holy Spirit
>> um
>> to advance what God has called us to do, which is our calling.
>> Yeah, that's good.
>> So good.
>> So why then is it important to know the difference between calling and anointing?
>> It's important because you can know what to do, but you don't have the ability to do it. you know, and so I think it's Ephesians that Paul talks about that that grace is given in different measures.
>> Yeah.
>> Um, that is what I would call being empowered through the Holy Spirit.
>> Sure.
Um, you can you can have a call and you can know what to do, but if the Holy Spirit is not invited into that and unless and and really more than like us in our own imperfection and in our own flesh inviting the Holy Spirit into that, that's incredibly important and that's our responsibility,
>> right?
>> But more than that, we don't have any control.
>> Yeah.
on is God gonna fall on this and give us everything we need to make it happen. That is that is totally on him and it's his it's his to care for and for his to give. Yeah.
>> And there it doesn't matter how many books I books I read or how many sermons I listen to or how long I prepare to write a message or
>> how much I work a strategic plan or or fill in the blank. It doesn't matter how much work and how much effort
>> Yeah.
>> I put into it, it it's going to fall totally flat without being empowered by the Holy Spirit. And that and that's every example I gave is vocational, right? But
>> it also overflows into the way that we are are parents. It's overflows into the way that we're spouses. It overflows into the way that we're we're friends or we disciple people or we just try to live out a godly life. It's we have to be
>> and everything good in us. We are we are totally uh we're totally depraved without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and the renewal that Christ brings. That is that is what anointing is.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Apart from him, we could do nothing, right?
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. So then it would be so important for us to actually pursue the Holy Spirit.
>> Yep.
>> In everything that we're doing because the anointing might lift.
>> It's a on on like something that we're like doing.
>> Sure. I mean it it's we have to be God in his kindness has poured out his spirit on his sons and daughters. And his spirit lives inside of both of us in in all of us. Both of us. I'll let you figure out. I'm just kidding.
>> All of us.
>> Sorry, Levi.
>> Trey.
>> Trey.
>> And so it is kind of him to do that.
>> It's a gift. And it's for me it is easy to take for granted that everything that I can attribute to that is good in my life or that is good attributed to my character someone if someone knows Braden and they say oh Braden is this or Braden's that and it's all good things. It's the temptation is to attribute it to well that's just me.
>> Yeah.
>> And it's we've just become so accustomed to and taken for granted. so much of the Holy Spirit's power and influence in who we are and what we are doing. And
>> I think about the way that I'm a dad and the way that I'm I'm a husband and I think about the conversations that, you know, I've had here that, you know, with people that I love and that I care for. But it is totally the Lord's kindness that he gave me everything I needed
>> to be what that person needed in that moment.
Does that make sense?
>> The wisdom that comes up in some of these conversations,
>> it it does not come from anything that we hold. It's wild.
>> And you know, and so
>> it's easy for anything good to bolster our pride. And it is the only thing that can be attributed to anything good in us is the influence and power and work of the Holy Spirit inside of us. And
>> without it, we're we are noisy, clanging symbols.
>> Yeah.
>> Prideful.
>> Yeah.
>> Judgmental,
>> selfish,
>> without love.
>> Yeah. So with that, um, I kind of want to pull it back a little bit about like so your transition into your new your new role.
>> Yeah.
>> How specifically did you hear or discern like the movement of what the Holy Spirit was kind of like leading you into Sure. in that transition?
>> Um, so I went on a, you know, just in a lot of prayer with the Lord. I a few years ago just really started praying and asking what makes me come alive like what fills my cup like what what pieces of the Lord's heart thrills me that I want to see that carried out and just a phrase that that kept emerging in conversations at work but conversations at home but conversations with with friends or with family was that I love seeing people and um like visions reach their fullest potential.
Yeah.
Like that was something that
>> I just it makes me come alive. Like I don't want to do I don't want to do anything halfway. I don't and that shows up from
>> you know big initiatives that I want to work on to big events I put on to a recipe that I'm cooking. I don't want to do anything halfway. I want to see things reach their fullest potential and that just
>> it makes me come alive. And so, you know, with this role, um, if if you're driving and you can't see, I mean, video, we'll see, but like, uh, I used to work for Jake, uh, Mills, and he and I talked a lot about calling, and he described assignment with calling, like it's not always going to be a perfect overlay.
Sure.
And so, like,
>> some assignments are just going to be totally off, right? And that's where you probably need to like work on that and find an assignment that's more in line with who God has called you to be.
>> Yeah.
>> And some assignments are like this, like it's not perfect, but it's like 50 60% there,
>> you know, and you can probably do some maneuvering within your assignment to see it instead of seeing
>> calling through the lens of an assignment, you should see your assignment through the lens of your calling.
>> Yeah.
>> Does that make sense?
>> Yes. M
>> and so instead of seeing you know anyways it you know you want to bring it closer and eventually you know the the prayer is to find something that totally aligns and
>> and you don't always find that but
>> this was something that I knew was very aligned with with
>> what I feel like God's called me to. I have such a heart for our staff and our team and I think that there is nothing better than serving the Lord with the people you love. I just I don't think there's anything better than it. Like
>> it gets me out of bed in the morning and
>> and so my heart is for this team. I want our staff. I want, you know, the the people who dedicate their livelihood to the mission of what God is doing in this church. the people who who come here for 40 hours a week. It's like I the people who trust their families here, it's like I care about that so much that, you know, I want to see this place reach its fullest potential and I want to I want to see us keep taking steps to everything that God has for us. And
>> um
>> and so this was something that I knew was on my heart and I kind of got to to practice that in different different areas. You know, we do things throughout the year that that honor our staff and we do things throughout the year that that show appreciation to our team and
>> um just through um through leadership's just grace and blessing, they've let me be a part of that from just like a doing this in addition to what I usually do at work. But um just the Lord gave vision and a heart for leadership, the elders to to really invest in this for our team. And
>> um and so that's kind of why I stepped into it. And
>> it's one of those those things that, you know, there is no other thing I'd rather be doing. Yeah. Like if if if I could write a job description for the you know if I could write a job description for my calling and to the best of my ability how do I feel like that shows up in a work situation
>> right
>> this is it like there's there's nothing better for me and so
>> that was kind of
>> how we got there but it hasn't always been that way and we're only a few weeks into it into it being that way and so
>> it still is a lot of lot of learning and and um transition, but it's stuff that I'm so fulfilled by. And but the the thing that I'm thankful for is, you know, the moment I knew this that this was my calling. I kind of identified what makes me come alive. We're like six or seven years from that. And so like
>> that's gnarly. and and so like oh
>> whatever that'll that trend will be gone by the time we're this posts um
>> hopefully it needs to die
>> it's probably dead by now
>> I don't know man
>> let's just speak that it's over it's dead now
>> anyways it was a long time
sounds so old it was a long time before
>> I got to see my assignment be that overlay with my calling. Yeah.
>> And
>> and I'm thankful for the years that it didn't because
>> it taught me to see assignments in a different way. It it taught me to not not base all of my fulfillment in life on a job.
>> Yeah.
>> Um
>> it and I'm I'm just thankful for it. I'm thankful for how it shaped me and and the maturity that it taught me. So
>> fighting, man, I love that. And I I've gotten to benefit from the ways that you got to practice um through working genius and some other things that you've gotten to do with uh groups ministries cuz we're in groups ministry that uh you got to kind of oversee which has been awesome.
>> And because of that,
>> I found out that the things that make me come alive is discernment and galvanizing people. And that is so evident in the work that I get to do with college students. I got to do that with young adult a little bit before Levi came on. Um, so even in small ways like I can I know for a fact that the role that you get to play now is such a benefit to our staff because I've received from that.
>> So thank you.
>> Yeah, man. Thank you.
>> I should probably take that test or read that book or something. Yeah.
>> And then have Braden walk through it with you.
>> So sick.
>> But what you were saying about like the the assignments, I think that's an important piece for a lot of people to understand. Like
>> same thing for you happened to both of us. We didn't I didn't step into this assignment for 10 years. Like I was called into pas I felt a call to pastoral ministry, specifically pastoral ministry when I was 18 and then heavily when I was 20. 18 was just cuz I thought I, you know, this is the cool thing that, you know, you just finish up with youth camp and like I'm going to be a youth pastor. And then 20 it was there was stuff that's been like the opportunities were starting to arise and as I was being discipled like this became a pretty evident thing of like this is something that you're called into.
>> Yeah.
>> But I didn't step into that for 10 years after that. And the assignments that I had beforehand prepared me for this.
>> Yeah. Like I worked at the hospital and I was doing patient experience and I was dealing with unhappy people and I wasn't really able to pray with people or like share the love of God, but I was able to share the love of God.
>> Sure. Right.
>> And that just taught me how to express love like first Corinthians which you were mentioning earlier to to be love to others to be love, light, and life.
>> Yeah.
>> Like it says in first John.
>> Um, and then I went into uh fundraising. So I fundraised for four and a half years and that was wild and traveling all over the place but getting getting to disciple people. I felt like the Holy Spirit said the first thing that I want you to do is to check on pe people's spiritual life
>> rather than ask them for money.
>> Yeah.
>> Ask about their spiritual life. And I started developing how to disciple people at that time
>> and all of that. Like there was w all sorts of crazy stuff, encounters with the Lord and trial and error, lots of failing that led me to I get a call from Randy Turner to step into this position.
>> Mhm.
>> Same thing happened to you. I mean,
>> I I sold cars.
>> Yeah.
>> That was my background for the longest time. And then stepped into marketing and advertising. So like that's wild shift. But
>> yeah,
>> all like I mean I'm super introverted so like talking to people or shephering people was not on my radar for the longest time and then
>> I mean now that's my job so which is so sick.
>> It is it's so cool to like wake up and be like dude I love chatting with people. It exhausts me
>> but dude it's so cool to be like how are you doing? you know, and like just walking alongside them is such a fun thing, you know? I love seeing like what the Lord's doing and just like these little micro things that's like, dude, that's so sick.
>> Like the Lord's coming in and just like
>> literally the kingdom of heaven is just like
>> Yeah. Yeah. It's so so cool.
>> So with all that, the the assignment piece is an is an important part of the conversation. And so when we're talking about calling, anointing, assignment, um again, we we get to help oversee ministries that affect a younger generation that is very focused on the future.
>> Yeah.
>> Um, why is it why are the assignments that we get brought into why are they so important in the refinement process of what calling, anointing, all that all that is?
>> Um, Our assignments are important because I mean at least retrospectively being able to look back it well I mean naturally it teaches you, you know, what you do enjoy doing versus what you don't enjoy doing
>> right
>> um but it also matures you
>> know it it it grows you up and
>> you know the Lord in his kindness and in his sovereignty and in his plan uses assignments that are, you know, assignment. Whenever we are placed into an assignment and we submit ourselves to the Lord in that space
>> that is what the Lord totally anoints and and does work in.
>> Yeah.
>> To prepare us for whatever's next. Mhm.
>> And you know, it's we can talk about us three a ton and I know that we have history and we can testify to it, but you know, it's like let's talk about like probably a situation that everyone at least is seeing play out. Let's talk about how let's talk about the assignment transition from Pastor David to pastor Jeffrey. You know, as assignments changed all over the place, right?
>> Calling never did.
>> Yeah.
>> Right.
>> It never did.
>> Yeah.
>> And the assignments that Pastor David was in from 30 years ago to the assignment that he was in here uh as lead pastor to now as legacy pastor. It it assignments prepared.
>> Yeah. and assignments when consecrated, God does a powerful work in which is what
>> we're all experiencing. We're we're seeing
>> David step into being legacy pastor and his calling never changed.
>> Yeah.
>> Calling never changed.
>> Same thing with Pastor Jeffrey. Pastor Jeffrey was my college pastor before he was north campus pastor. before he was weekend services pastor, before he was teaching pastor, before he was lead pastor, and
>> each assignment, you know,
>> he can I'm if he was in here, he would say, I can see how every single assignment
>> Yeah.
>> refined me, prepared me. It it was so far beyond what I could do under my own strength. And I had to continually ask the Lord
>> Yeah. to let the Holy Spirit wash over me and empower me to do what he God was calling him to do and where he had placed him in that season. And
>> that is the value of assignments that God uses assignments
>> to prepare, you know, and so there's,
>> you know, you think, you know, you think about um different heroes of the faith. You want to talk about David? Before he was ever in charge as king, shephering people,
>> he was a shepherd.
>> Yeah.
>> Shephering sheep.
>> Mhm.
>> You know, before Moses was leading the Israelites, he was a shepherd and he was he was tending flocks in those same areas that he was going to be wandering through the next 40 years, you know. And there's different places, you know, throughout, you know, you think about Peter. It's you were a fisherman. I'm now going to make you a fisher of men. And it's
>> the Lord uses different assignments to prepare us for what he has planned next. And
>> I can only attribute it to his sovereignty and his plan that goes so far beyond what we could what we could plan or construct ourselves.
>> Yeah. So for sure
>> the cool thing about what you were just mentioning too, so like for David and Randy who um stepped away from from his position as executive pastor for Ben to step in, both of them, both David and Randy, there was there was a there was a calling for the church. Their assignment was to get the church to a certain place, but it was also to prepare for the next for the next ones who were more than likely going to fulfill
>> sure
>> what that is. And that's that's the cool thing about assignment as well is it also prepares for the next.
>> Well, and you know, God in his kindness gives each person a calling.
>> Mhm.
>> Uh, but God in his grandness, everything transcends people.
>> Yeah.
>> Like it doesn't hinge on a person,
>> right,
>> or people. It transcends all of that. God in his kindness uses people,
>> right?
Uh, God in his love uses us and empowers us, but his mission transcends a single person. It's
>> it was
>> it was totally fulfilled and hinges on the person of Jesus and that's the only person it hinges on.
>> We just get to co- lababor with that,
>> right?
>> Yeah.
>> So sick.
>> So sick.
>> Sick image bears, baby. Um, something that I was just thinking about as you were talking is um we live so the culture that we live in wants what I want right now right now. So when it comes to these assignments and the calling and anointing again we deal with this with the age groups that we oversee
>> right
>> um there's a lot of I just don't know what I'm supposed like I feel like I'm supposed to do this but how do I get there?
>> Sure. And so I guess let's have a conversation just about the waiting process of like what you what you think you're supposed to do with your life and the likelihood is you're not going to get that, you know, when you're 21 years old, right?
>> Or even 30 years old
>> or 40 years old. Like there might be there's just there might be something different. And so,
>> yeah,
>> you know, in a culture that does you instant gratification, how do we slow down and actually focus in on what God is calling us into right now?
>> Yeah.
>> Uh, I want to lead first with humility in that. Um, you know, I got to talk a lot about how what I'm doing right now I'm I'm incredibly fulfilled by and I love doing and it's totally aligned with who I am. But, you know, I don't know what the future holds.
>> Mhm.
>> I know that the Holy Spirit dwells inside me and I know that I want the Lord to influence the direction of my life and my heart and I believe that the Lord can do that. And
>> this may not be the fit forever. You know, it I I hope that I am different
>> five years from now than I am now or 10 years or 15 or 20 years from now than I am now.
Um, and so I think it first starts with humility to understand that uh no one's arrived.
>> You know I don't I don't think that any of us are saying that that we've arrived but
>> uh nope.
>> You know, it's like transparently I feel like really underqualified even talking to to interns about, you know, I'll talk about my area ministry. I don't want to speak for you guys, but like I feel even unqualified to speak to the people that I lead about how to be patient and how to be how to navigate instant gratification and how to like be formed more by the Lord and
>> as he shapes your calling and assign, you know, it's like I feel unqualified talking to them about it because I'm still trying to figure it out and
>> you know, it's like But there's also a reality that everyone's in at some level trying to navigate it and figure it out. No matter
>> no matter how old you are.
>> Yeah.
>> And
>> you know, it's not just predicated on age or experience. It's
>> because we're always being
>> if we're submitted to the Lord, then we're probably not staying in in one place in our heart. And but even you know transparently I feel unqualified even talking about it because
>> the Lord has me on a journey too you know and so
>> it's a I think it's Eugene Peterson that talks about it's you know it's a long obedience in the same direction I think it's Eugene Peterson if it's not I apologize but
>> it probably is fact
>> it's like
>> Trey
>> you know being being a radical believer isn't always moving across the world It's being a consistent, faithful, diligent, focused follower of Jesus day in and day out.
>> It's like entering in that fidelity.
>> It's just consistency. And
>> you know,
>> it's not being for for me, I don't want to speak for everyone, but for me, it's it's choosing to not be formed by the feelings that I have. It's it's choosing to not be
>> influenced by having a hard day or
>> you know whenever the the things that are hard in life stack on top of each other. It's like not only was work hard, but I got home and my wife had a hard day and so now I'm listening to how she had a hard day and now but my kid didn't nap today and so she had a hard day
>> compounding dude
>> and we're potty training and that didn't go well and so and then things compound
>> and
>> it's choosing and learning how to not be formed
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. by feelings and to not spiral into that and to be just to I mean I don't want to over like Christianize it but it's like we have to be focused on Christ and
>> that nothing good in our life comes without him and
>> we can't be successful in anything we do without the influence of
>> his Holy Spirit in our lives and his
>> empowering us and work and waiting and being present at home to to anything and everything in between.
>> Yeah, that's that's so good. What's cool about how you feel in qualified is that, you know, we can throw out the language of, well, God calls the unqualified, all that. But what you're getting to do through this is you're getting to show who you oversee how to walk through this. I get to talk about it because they didn't really get to see that. I get to talk about it in retrospect of like,
>> hey, I would it like I waited. You can do that, too.
>> Sure.
>> But you get to show it, which is a super cool thing. And you you kind of get to show it as well in some ways
>> while also like getting to
>> Levi, you get to uh do this. Sorry for the people who are just listening.
>> Uh you get to show it and you get to talk about it of just
>> the show and tell.
>> Yeah. Show and tell. Sir,
>> the words that the words that uh Levi and I um use quite a bit is being content with the Lord and being close with the Lord.
>> Yeah.
>> It's as simple as that with when it comes to when you're waiting on him or when you're like expectant of something and it's it's not happening yet or you know all the all the things all the things
>> to me like kind of boils down to like what did the Lord like what did Jesus do like for the disciples? You just like come follow me.
>> Yeah.
>> And so that's where like I boil it down to like dude am I following the Lord today? like what is he asking me to do today?
>> Yeah.
>> And like how do I walk in that?
>> Sure.
>> And so that's I feel like I lived there for for a while and then the Lord's like, "Hey, what's up?" And I was like, "Okay, cool. Sure,
>> cool, cool, cool, cool."
>> Which is awesome. Um, but yeah, like
>> how how do you lean on the Lord whenever things are compounding like that for you? I mean, like, do you have a specific phrase that you like hold on to or something?
Yeah. Um, you know, this is not going to be the case for everyone. I can I can tell you the case for me right now. Um, and this is more like just I feel like this is wisdom that I've I've received from people who are discipling me. I have I have really godly men in my life that are in future seasons than and further down the road than I am. And you know, it's just been so immensely helpful in navigating this season of life as a young adult and as a as a young professional. But
>> you know, it's like uh my so my wife is a is a kindergarten teacher. We have a
>> two almost three-year-old and we have another baby on the way. And uh things are just for anyone listening to this like there's no way around it. Like that season of life is so full and as as the leader of your home and it's sweet and it's amazing but it's it's full and
>> it's exhausting.
>> It's it's exhausting and but you wouldn't trade it for anything. Yeah. And um, you know, it's going back to without the influence of the Holy Spirit there is nothing good. It's it's so easy to be self-centered. It's so easy to to justify laziness or not doing everything that a good leader should do. And you know, it's like the thing that the Lord has really impressed on me through the my mentors and through just his wisdom is there is nothing better and there is not a higher higher calling than to be faithful with what God has given you.
>> Yeah. So good.
>> You know the things that the things that exhaust me are the things that I prayed for.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. Absolutely. And you know, while everyone listening to this may not have kids, I you know, if we take like a if we, you know, take a look at the things that are exhausting us, you know, how many of the things that are exhausting us are the things that we prayed for, that we asked God for that
>> we're now experiencing. And what a privilege and answered prayer it was that these things are exhausting us. And some things just are flatout exhausting. Like some things we don't ask for. Some things are not um are not are not blessings. Some things are are just hard. Sickness is hard. You know, difficulty in our in our marriage is not easy. It's not something that we ask for. It's not a blessing. But, you know, it's that I'm talking about the things that are blessings, the things in my life that exhaust me. The the I'm working on a graduate degree right now. And that was something that I always prayed for. It's like, I'd love to go back to school or being married and having kids and, you know, being a leader and stepping into to things that I love that fulfill me. It's those are things that I prayed for. I remember praying for. I have journals written down that I prayed for these things and now I'm feeling
>> the weight of them and I'm feeling the responsibility of them and
>> you know
>> in the moments that I prayed for them you don't always acknowledge or understand the magnitude of them
>> and then you get into it and you see it and
>> you're thankful for it. You know, it's it's
>> there's different responsibilities and weight that we carry and for at least some of the things. I'm not saying for all of it, but whenever things compound, it's, you know, there's probably something as you're listening that you think,
>> "Yeah, I feel the weight of that, but that's something I operate for."
And
>> it's like a good reframing.
>> It helps. But that's not just being like that's not toxic positivity, right? Like that's not just saying everything's
>> everything's awesome.
>> Everything is amazing, you know? It's like no, like it's just it's a reframing of hope
>> and it's a reframing of gratitude
>> and that
>> I didn't create that on my own.
>> God gave it to me.
>> Yeah.
>> And entrusted it to me. And you know, like specific, you know, like specifically with kids, like the the thing that you learn, I'm sure you guys already got this, but like the thing that you learn whenever you have little kids, it's like you're exhausted and it's like you I just can't wait to get to bed or I can't wait,
>> you know? It's like there's nothing better. Like
>> I know there's going to be a day where it's if I could go back to any time, what would it be? And it would be right of honor, dude.
>> It would be right now.
>> Yeah. And so it's like that's not toxic positivity to me. You know, I don't think it is to y'all, but like
>> for me it's that is the work of the Holy Spirit in my heart. Reframing things that
>> I want to choose to be anxious about or be selfish about. And Christ is reframing it.
>> Yeah.
>> And reminding me that these are things that I prayed for and these are things that he's given me and I'm I'm thankful for them. And so
>> I feel like that was I feel like I got like on a rabbit trail, but I feel like we got there. Hopefully
>> the gratitude and thankfulness. I think that's that's one of those things that we've got to come back to over and over again. Um Colossians 2:7 finishes with overflowing with thankfulness. And that starts with
>> just as you receive Christ Jesus as Lord.
>> And then in the middle of it, it's live in him. Be rooted and built up in him. strengthen the faith as you were taught.
>> And then it finishes with overflowing with thankfulness.
>> Yeah.
>> I think that's something we just
>> when we are with Christ, when we're close with him, when we're content in him,
>> even those hard moments, we can be thankful for.
>> Yeah.
>> Because
>> you're right, that is a blessing.
>> Yeah.
>> And even in the hard like
>> crazier things,
>> there is thankfulness because we're close with him.
>> Yeah.
>> Right.
>> It's good.
>> Hey, what are your thoughts on air mattresses? What?
>> We we were having a conversation before about air mattresses and we just thought it might be a a good question to ask you.
>> Yeah. Are you for air mattresses?
>> I don't think this is pertinent to a calling or anointing or anything with this podcast, but for the record, I would sleep on a couch before I slept on an air mattress. I I would sleep on an air mattress before I slept on the ground.
>> Does that help?
>> That's pretty good.
>> I'm with you on that.
>> Yeah. Yeah,
>> I would I would go in that order as well.
>> We We decided that we hate air mattresses primarily because Trey had the story about sleeping on an air mattress and he woke up with a crick in his neck
>> and yet he loved it at the same time.
>> Yeah.
>> Sorry to throw that wrench in the combo, but
>> I thought it was an appropriate time to ask that question.
>> Was it?
>> It wasn't.
>> No, dude.
>> Awesome. I'll remember that for next time.
>> Yeah.
>> Um, so last question. Um, you know, we're with what we're talking about, it could really speak to, you know, the people in their 20s and 30s, maybe early 40s.
>> Yeah.
>> For everybody else, what encouragement would you give um to speak into maybe the younger generations?
>> Sure.
>> On calling, anointing, assignment, patience that's kind of been thrown in there a little bit.
>> Sure.
what encouragement would you give? Um, so something that that really impacted me and it it impacted me so much that I adopted a lot of this into the way we do the internship and kind of what I've talked with with our pastors and our team about is um I was listening to a podcast by a guy who um is involved near uh all the Asbury Revival stuff
>> and he was on a podcast talking about how to minister and how to lead Gen Z. And uh he used this um this term called uh we choose to pay the leadership tax. And um the leadership tax is not just saying something is right or wrong. It's giving it's for the lack of better term, it's giving the teachable moment and the importance behind each thing we do. And so, you know, some people want to attribute a lot of different stereotypes to um Gen Z or to whatever the the reality is is that it's every young generation has different stereotypes. The same, you know,
>> which stereotypes always fall short.
>> Um, you know, and so every every person is different. But some some trends that I see is that I've noticed that a lot of Gen Z really value authenticity. I know that,
>> you know, Gen Z has a lot of bold, radical vision and faith to impact and shake up the world, which
>> people want to bemoone and say get with reality. And this has been every generation like every young generation has this. And so you know what the leadership tax is is first and foremost it's being a steward of your time with that person.
>> Yeah.
>> It is not taking ownership and leveraging their their youth to further you and it's not um writing them off because they're young. Yeah. Or because
>> of these stereotypes that people want to attribute. It's it's making the best use of their time. And so like whenever I work with interns, I think about I have a year with you. How do I
>> how do I
I best honor the Lord and his plans for this person's life over a year and the time and influence that I have with them? And so, you know, back to the leadership tax, the what it is is that if I asked you to go to this gas station up here and get me a Coke and said, "It's a dollar. Here it is." And I gave you a dollar bill. You're going to get to the counter and they're going to say, "That's a $18." Because there's tax.
And what that leadership tax is is it's not just doing the right or wrong thing or saying that was right or wrong. It's going a little bit further to say here's why it was wrong or here's why it was right and next time how could you handle it differently. There's a lot of times it's you may have done the right thing but you did it in the wrong way and we just need to have a conversation about this for next time you know and so and that can be everything from an email to showing up on time to you know whenever whenever someone shows up late you know the you know the thing that I always we talk about is like this isn't interns I'm just saying like anytime someone shows up I'm sure it's, you know, like you've got to sometimes connect the dots for them of like, hey, have you ever considered whenever you miss a meeting or, hey, you showed up 15 minutes late? That directly communicates how much you value me and my time. And I'm not I don't think that you meant to dishonor. I don't think that you meant to to say that it doesn't matter as much as whatever you were doing. But that is that is what some people take it as. And so I'm going to have grace. I'm going to have so much grace. And I believe in you and I think that you are capable. So I'm going to call you up higher.
Yeah. But as you leave this place, as you in my situation, as you leave the internship after this year, Yeah. you're going to go off and you're going to work for a church or you're going to work for a nonprofit or you're going to work for a business. And whenever you show up late or you show up in wrinkled clothes or you fill in the blank, it can communicate this and we want to talk about it now cuz I'd rather watch you fail now and help you than me not say anything and you suffer for it. The thing the thing that I like to say in my promise to the people I lead is I care more about where you are headed than how uncomfortable conversations make me feel. I choose to feel uncomfortable because I care about you and I care about your development. And so that is that's kind of how it it plays out for me.
Failing in a safe place is so valuable. Um I think that's what you know any anyone who's looking to disciple which we all should but anyone looking to mentor or disciple within the generations behind us we have to be a safe place for them to be able to fail and but the tension of um people don't need another cheerleader right people need accountability right yeah and you can do that in a shephering and pastoral and caring way. You know, you don't have to be a pastor to be pastoral. You can be shephering and loving, but still hold people accountable. Yeah. And that's what that's what we all need, you know. But if we want to talk about just inexperience, that's what that's what people who have inexperience need is they need people who hold you accountable. So even as if young people are listening to this and thinking, "Yeah, I need that in my life." It's you need someone who's going to champion you and and be in your corner, but you also need someone who's going to call you on the guard. Yeah. You don't need another cheerleader who all you hear is affirmation. You can't have the the posit you can't have constructive feedback. How do you grow from that? If you Yeah. If you don't have constructive feedback, you have blind spots. Yeah. And if you are blind to your blind spots, you can't ever get better. Yeah. And so it's important to you got to you got to balance both of those. And so, yeah, that's good.
And and on the flip side of if you're the one that's being discipled or mentored, um you've got to be authentic with what you're willing to convey to that person as well, you honor them by letting them um be accountable to you. Sure. And that Jeffrey and I had this conversation a couple weeks ago, like that's the cra that's the cool thing about accountability when you do it the way it's supposed to be done is it actually works. Yeah. It helps keep you accountable. Yeah. That's good. Good stuff. Let's go. You got any more questions? Nope. That was great. Literally, we covered so much stuff. It's awesome. Yeah, that was rich. Thank you. Dance, man. Nice sourdough loaf. Yeah. Sorry. Just sourdough cookie loaf. Yeah, dude. Dude, do you have any just final thoughts to to share with people? Some takeaways?
Um, I I would probably just probably my encouragement is if you're struggling to figure out like what has God called me to like that is never a bad prayer to pray. Yeah. We have a good father who gives good gifts and we have a father who listens to us. Yeah. Yeah. and um you know and so before if you've heard anything in this podcast the the thing that I want people to hear is you haven't missed it if you feel like you have that is not that is a lie that is not true but you have a calling on your life that God has placed in you that you by God's goodness cannot fulfill without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Yeah. And so if you don't know your what you are called to, it's not a job. It transcends all of that. God has something planned. And I want to challenge you to ask for it. Yeah. Mhm. And if you do know your calling, but uh you don't know the next step, I would be asking the Lord to move in and through your life. Yeah. And to bring those divine appointments, to bring those opportunities. There's, you know, we talk about if, you know, any anyone who comes on Sunday knows that we are a group of people who exist to take our next steps with Jesus. That is our that is our mission. Yep. Excuse me. Um, you're not excused. There's there's always a next step. Yeah. Always. You know, it's not just a find your calling and now you're good. Go on. Go live it out. It's okay. I know what this is, but how does this even fit? Yeah. You know, like for me, it was like I what I thought I was going to do for work. I remember thinking that calling was work. And then I you know, the Lord gave me a next step of oh, it it transcends work. Okay. Well, then what transcends work that the Lord's put on my heart? Oh, it's I come alive seeing people and organizations and vision reach its fullest potential. It's okay. I could I could see that playing out in my family. Like I want I want everything and more for the people that I love and I want everything and more for the for churches that have the mission to see the great commission reached, you know. Okay. Well, that's the next step. It Okay. Well, God, I need your Holy Spirit to empower me. Yeah. To grow me to as I mature. And there's always a next step. And so if you don't know what your calling is, begin asking the Lord what that is. Start having those conversations with people. If it's I need strength to to live it out. If if I feel like I'm doing it all on my own, that's not what the Lord intended. It's to be empowered by him. And so I would just I would encourage you that you can if you don't know your calling and you feel lost, you're just as lost as the person who knows their calling, but they're not asking the Holy Spirit to live it out. Come on. Does that make sense? Yep. And so that's good, man. That's what that's what I would encourage anyone listening to this to do.
That's awesome. Well, Braden, Reverend Bird Dog, we love you. Thank you for being on the podcast. Um, we want to encourage everybody who's listening or watching to not just listen and watch, but actually go and take the wisdom that was shared here today and and be a part of it. Um, I think that's something that we can all fall into is that we're just listening to noise at that point, like kind of like clinging symbols um, if we don't do anything with it. So, we want to encourage you um, to actually talk to God, to listen to him, to to take those next steps with Jesus. So, we'll see you next time. Thank you.