Foxhole Symphony
Foxhole Symphony
The Light of Christ In You
Have you ever wondered how the simple joys of having a pet can lead to profound spiritual insights? In this episode of Foxhole Symphony, we share heartwarming stories about our furry friends and explore how their presence brings joy into our lives, setting the stage for a deeper conversation about shining the light of Christ amidst life's darkness. We offer biblical insights and personal reflections on the importance of being a beacon of hope and positivity, encouraging each other to remain steadfast in our faith.
Imagine adjusting to the light of Christ just like you would adjust to candlelight in a dark room. We delve into the intentionality required to spread this light, overcoming negative self-talk, and renewing our minds through faith. With personal anecdotes, we highlight how accountability and maintaining focus on God's presence can guide us through everyday challenges and significant revelations. The conversation emphasizes never taking God's guiding light for granted and constantly seeking to share it with the world.
Has an unexpected encounter ever changed your perspective? We recount a surprising moment at Costco and discuss how our daily actions and interactions can radiate our inner light. The episode also introduces the SoulCon Challenge, a six-week program aimed at enhancing spiritual, physical, and emotional discipline, and shares the importance of finding joy even in suffering. Finally, we explore how to expand our community, encouraging listeners to connect, share, and engage with the Foxhole Symphony podcast, fostering growth and wholeness together.
We have BIG plans at Foxhole Symphony and sure could use your financial support. Would you prayerfully consider a small monthly contribution to support us in our mission to catalyze transformation in the hearts of men? Support Our Mission
Find us at:
https://www.facebook.com/foxholesymphony
https://www.instagram.com/foxholesymphony/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuvcXdDpE79S_D_hInblcDw
Welcome to Foxhole Symphony, a podcast about the transformational value of men in authentic community.
Speaker 2:In our foxhole. Men are equipped to build relationships that foster belonging, accountability and growth.
Speaker 1:Stop believing the lie that you can thrive in isolation and instead join us on the journey from broken to whole.
Speaker 3:Hello everyone. They call me the maestro, and we are back in the foxhole where we actively pursue belonging, accountability and growth through authentic relationships. No masks, no agendas, just iron sharpening. Iron. Mark and Steve are in the foxhole with their shades on and they're eating strawberries. I'm not sure where they're heading today, but it sure feels good basking in the glow. It's time to get started, so grab your sunglasses, open your favorite notes app and walk toward the light. Oh, come on, don't be scared, let's do this.
Speaker 2:Hey, welcome back to Foxhole Symphony Podcast. I'm Sarge here with my good friend, mark, right on cue. You did good. What's up, corgi dad?
Speaker 1:I am that. I am that corgi dad. You're a corgi dad. I don't need to watch Facebook Reels to see cute corgis.
Speaker 2:I have one upstairs, my wife fought so hard for a puppy, as you know. Yes, fought so hard for a puppy, as you know. Yes, juno, and you know we've got marvin, who's the west, he's old, he's 13, and he's come to life with juno, which happens right. You get a puppy and all of a sudden, the old, the old one's like I want to play for like four seconds and he's like I want to sleep.
Speaker 1:Uh, juno that was a good, that was a good. Marvin, you made Wish everyone could see it.
Speaker 2:Juno is. I got to tell you. I fought and fought and fought. I'm like, and I was like all right, obviously I'm going to lose this battle. Let me just go all in. I love this dog. I love this dog. He's just, and he's my bud and he's. I wake up in the morning and his face is right, nose to nose, and he's just got his head on my pillow and he's staring at me. Oh my God, the dog sleeps on your pillow, he does, oh, jesus.
Speaker 2:And I love it. Oh, god bless you. This is like confession, I know, and this dog is about eight inches. If it's wrong, I don't want to be right. Eight inches low, this is a little dog. Well, no, he's grown. He's actually bigger than Marv. Now he is, he got bigger, oh my gosh, I haven't seen him.
Speaker 1:Yeah, anyway, more pictures, yes, well, that hits me right between the eyes because yesterday I got tag, teamed by Jack and Ria, who are the ones who got me for getting red, our Corgi Right, and I, four, five years after Annie died, and I was just done doing the dog thing because I became dog master. And it's funny because same things happen with Red, red loves Maria. I get the feeding and the walking and the poop bags. I'm the poop bag guy. No one else here in this house has ever touched a green poop bag Me thousands. All right, because of course you can't leave dog poop anywhere in the neighborhood, that's right. But I sent I mistakenly sent them a Facebook reel of a Siberian Husky puppy, very, very young puppy, howling for the first time.
Speaker 2:Come on, when did you do this Yesterday? Oh, you're in trouble.
Speaker 1:And so Ria responds and says oh so cute, want a puppy. Yeah, we need one, no.
Speaker 2:So the time I gave him the stop sign. Yeah, the sticker Stop.
Speaker 1:You know, I said that's it.
Speaker 2:Can't send any dog reels. You know, the title of this episode is man's best friend. No, it's not. Has nothing to do with. Uh, maybe we'll find a segue, but well, look at that the light is shining in the window the sun is shining right on you because you face east. Yes, I'm facing south yeah, most times, most most mornings that we're recording, notice how I gave you that seat.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, microphone number one Sarge in the light, and that's what we want to talk about today. Yeah, the light of Christ.
Speaker 2:Amen, this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
Speaker 1:Wow, this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, man, thank God, let it shine.
Speaker 2:We don't sing often on the podcast.
Speaker 1:Hallelujah. So don't say you're not blessed being on this podcast. How do you let it shine? That's a great question that I want to explore because it's been on my heart. I have found myself saying in the last five years you know to folks that I'll just lament in a devotional. You know just text or just a comment in a devotional we're doing. I said you know, please go out and shine. Today and that just became a part of my vocabulary is because I just felt it was the easiest way for me to describe my concern with the darkness. I mean, to be beautifully honest, there are some dark corners. I mean I don't even look for them, but I feel in my heart there's just. And I want to say I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I'm not getting political in this, I'm just saying it seems to me a lot of darkness out there, yeah, and it can grab you, it grabs me, it gets our attention. And so I have simply said to folks shine.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Shine with the light that you have If you believe you're called to shine. So I repeat that over and over and over. Clearly, there's a biblical foundation for this. I'm the light of the world as.
Speaker 1:Jesus said. So how I shine is a whole nother question, but I certainly feel we could have a lot of fun talking about how that light manifests itself in our lives, and I'll give you an idea how it starts for me the. I am sorry I'm going to get it wrong. I won't be able to look it up fast enough, but the Bible verse about I think it's actually a question that Jesus poses, or one of the prophets poses and says do you put a lamp under a blanket? And the obvious answer is of course not. Why would you put it under a blanket? Unless you're staying up late and reading and don't want to wake your partner, you don't. You put it out there for all to see, and that is our calling, and I feel that very strongly.
Speaker 1:That's a passionate feeling for me. I'm touching my chest now because that's where it is. It has gravitas in my life that I feel like I'm pretty fearless. With my faith I've gotten better at loving those that are hard to love. It's still a great challenge for me, but for me that manifests itself in reaching out to someone in line at ShopRite that I normally wouldn't, greeting them saying hi, helping in a public environment with folks that aren't my kind of guy. That's my light. How about you?
Speaker 2:Well, can I take a quick step back? How far back? Well, some people might be saying what are you talking about? What is the light of Christ? Right, right, so almost I kind of jumped us ahead to the how. But then I'm thinking wow, like you know, is you know, you mentioned the verse I am the light of the world, which is John 8, 12. Right, jesus says I'm the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life, the light of life.
Speaker 1:So I always thought it was the Holy Spirit, and then that was, that gift was the light, yeah, but I could be wrong. Well, and this is what I think.
Speaker 2:Matthew 5 is another verse that says you are the light of Christ to the world. You are the light of christ to the world. You are the light of christ to the world. So when christ indwells us as a follower of jesus, we become the light of christ to the world. So it, just like you said before, it shines through right those who belong to him. Um should be visible right To to the world.
Speaker 2:So anyway, just again minor, minor detour, just to talk about, like, what are you talking about? Where's this coming from? There's some, some couple of biblical references, but the first thing I think of when we we talk about the, the light and the darkness, and I and I'll relate back to me but the first thing that comes to mind is candlelight. For me it's top of mind. I'm always amazed in the pitch darkness subway and you know years being there and you know no electricity and um, in a in a dark room in the middle of the night and you know I want to read falling asleep to candlelight and lighting a candle, this little candle, right, and it's just like I mean, it just lights up every nook and cranny and corner of the room and it has oh, it's amazing.
Speaker 2:It's amazing so soothing, um, and so that's what I think of. Right, like that they're. You know, like you said, you'd have to really look for a dark corner right and it'd be tough find It'd have to be like a shadow Right, and there are many Right. So that's what I think of.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:I think, okay, you know when, when, when I am living in mission and shining the light of Christ, um, there's, there's very little shadow, you know, there's very little darkness, there's very little shadow, um where yeah? Whereas you know if I'm living outside of my mission or in my anti mission or shadow mission, right? Um, there's, there's, uh, there's not nearly as much. So um, can I go back to your candle.
Speaker 1:Yes, I'm sorry to hang on to your thought as soon as you said that. It was one of the things the other day when I said to you hey, I want to talk about this topic. And I thought about that and what came to my mind what I was thinking of when I said candlelight and how it. Usually when you're lighting a candle, it's because here there's a power outage Very rarely. Now I don't have that problem anymore because I have a generator. I heard it come on the other night. That was funny. It's till 4.30 in the morning. In any case, I thought about the adjustment time. You know when you light a candle and all of a sudden it's like, oh, there's light. But if you stay in candlelight for 10 or 15 minutes God made us to adjust, right, your eyes adjust, and all of a sudden it seems normal, right, it's like daylight Right.
Speaker 1:And I think that's a great life metaphor about how we adjust when we find Christ in our lives. It takes us a little time to adjust to the light, and so I just wanted to not forget to peel that back a little bit with you without interrupting you completely, because there is certainly an adjustment period. How many people can you imagine are walking around with a strong faith just sold out for Jesus?
Speaker 2:Yeah and don't say a word yeah Well, that's a great point, because you know it requires intentionality, great intentionality. The light is there. The light of Christ is in us, it's in you, it's in me, it's a gift.
Speaker 2:It's a gift that we get to access. We have to choose right, to share that with the world or not. Leave your wallet at home and so, going back to you know, hiding it under a blanket, under a bowl, right, you know, I'm going to let it shine right, like I'm going to choose to share this with the world. Right, and this is what that looks like. Right, starting with love as a foundation. That requires so much. Right, requires discernment, which comes from the light, the Holy Spirit, spirit. It comes from, and and requires discipline, requires intentionality. But the more that we do it right, the more natural that becomes.
Speaker 2:And so we, you know, we just finished a devotion on on negative, negative self-talk right, right with, with the, with the guys, and you know how, just the, the, um, how pervasive and sneaky those negative self thoughts are, or those lies from the enemy. It's so pervasive and so we're so used to it. Our minds just naturally produce this, this real right of negative self-talk that we don't even acknowledge, we don't even recognize it, right, it becomes the norm until in this listen again like another, another biblical reference here. But the renewing of the mind right, burning new neural pathways, you know, requires such intentionality. But as we do that and we get accustomed to that and we, we speak life, we speak against the negative self-talk, we, we. That's part of that's a huge part of it, because it starts in our minds, it starts with our thoughts. Right Becomes talk, becomes behavior.
Speaker 1:Boom.
Speaker 2:Right, becomes a habit. Becomes a habit, yeah no-transcript.
Speaker 1:We believe there's no darkness in God at all. Let's put a stake in the ground. Right, that's right. I invoke darkness into my relationship with God all the time, all the time. It's embarrassing how much I invoke darkness into that, and it had become a habit, at least I feel like I catch myself or somebody around me that holds me accountable will catch me Really. I mean, that's so important for me is that I put worldly mark, human habits, on God and my relationship with him all the time. Yet I don't know about you, I I have this vision in my head. You probably have seen this real or clip or movie where someone's in the dark but they open a door and it's a blinding light, like there's just like you know fanfare, right, like and they're.
Speaker 1:They're blinded, literally right, you're squinting, you know fanfare like, and they're, they're blinded, right, squinting, you're squinting at me. It's that light when I, you know, at 47, when I was saved, that was my. That's the light I needed from God. I needed a blinding. Knock me over, whoa, hold your hands up in your face. What's behind their kind of light?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:The magic and mystery of my faith. I feel like it's mellowed. Now to where, for me, the metaphor is. If I'm dealing with a challenge in my life these days, it's almost as if I open this little door next to my heart and check to see if the light is in there. Just a little light. You still there, yeah, and you know what I have to say out loud it's always there.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Always.
Speaker 2:I think there's two things to talk about there. One is that we're used to accessing it and sharing it, which is a good thing. Used to accessing it and sharing it, which is a good thing, and, on the other hand, on the flip side, we, we, I can have a tendency to take it for granted, right.
Speaker 2:So that is the flip side, right. So I was reading, reading a story this morning about you know, a guy who you know came, came to the Lord. Um, you know, later in life, you, you through suffering having lost his two young adult children in a car crash no-transcript.
Speaker 1:An example Of how many you just said, how many times that I forget, that I take it for granted that I, oh, I mean like regularly.
Speaker 2:Okay, no, it's, it's no one like moment, it's just like over time, I should say over time it becomes less and less you know being. You know, 30 plus years from coming to the Lord, like I. Until I read a story like that, like I did this morning, I go back and I reflect and I, I, you know, I go back to that moment and think where was I and what you know? And it was so much. It was not circumstantial like this guys, it was my own self-doing, it was my own self-sabotage that brought my suffering right, my own doing so. Anyway, I think that for me, going back there, reminding myself of that and and is so important, it's so, it's so important to helping my light shine now because you know quite honestly, like back then and aren't in your, your early, this, you just you're like. Everybody needs to know about this everybody needs to know about this.
Speaker 1:That's my blinding light, right? Did you see that?
Speaker 2:and like are we living that way now? Are we still doing that Right? And um, I'm not, I'm not.
Speaker 1:The light mellows.
Speaker 2:And so you know, it's, you know, fanning that flame is so critical, it's so critical, it's, it's it's just came to your mind Give me a fan the flame.
Speaker 1:I've got a fan the flame moment for you. Want me to go first?
Speaker 2:Yeah, all right.
Speaker 1:I'll answer my own question. Fan the flame moments happen on things like Markman phase one experiences, when we're working together and you see a man crumble or fly. Come to life.
Speaker 2:Right Experience God's healing right before our very eyes and just dude. I got goose flesh right now thinking about it.
Speaker 1:That's a fan. The flame moment for me, absolutely.
Speaker 2:And same here, and that requires our participation. It requires stepping out of the boat saying I'll go, I want to do, I want to serve here I am, I want right.
Speaker 1:Beautiful right. There's a that fellowship, that's fellowship.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Where you give up yourself, you surrender a part of yourself and look, I'm tired, I'm cranky, I want more chocolate, you know everything's. But the Holy Spirit is present and you get a chance to participate in this. And that's the wonder, my mission statement, right as a marked man for Christ, full of joy and wonder, and that wonder word is so important for me. That is, that's my light. Yeah, is that? Look, I'm, you know. Okay, there are a lot of things still coming at me in life that you know, knock me over sometimes, like how did I miss that? Yeah, you know whether I'm reading in the Bible, talking to you guys, doing a devotional, it's like I never thought of it that way. That happens to me almost every day.
Speaker 2:Yep, yeah, I would add to that just more mundane experiences, like you know, talking with a colleague, you know one-on-one or a client, and you know, just speaking life into them, encouraging them praying with them, them encouraging them praying with them, and there too, watching, watching God do what he does and seeing a shift in in their heart, posture, their, their perspective, their, their attitude, their what, whatever right, just because we, we slowed down, listened intently, responded with compassion, asked some probing questions and said can I pray for you? That's something that we can do on almost a daily basis.
Speaker 1:I have one from yesterday. There I am in the freezer at Costco. Okay, the produce section.
Speaker 2:It's cold in there.
Speaker 1:It's cold in there.
Speaker 2:It's been the forties. I swear. I don't know how they do it, because it's the there's. No, it's not closed.
Speaker 1:No, and it's lettuce. You figured it would freeze it, all right. So folks listening all over the world.
Speaker 1:Costco is our big box stores where you can go in and buy 7,000 rolls of toilet paper that you don't need, right, I've got toilet paper forever, but I'm in there and somehow I'm by myself, except for one guy. Let's call him Ray. Ray is moving strawberries boxes so he can put new boxes off a pallet and he's probably freezing his butt off, bro. I walk in, I hear kush, kush, kush and Ray is throwing the strawberries and I'm thinking.
Speaker 1:My first thought was you, jack wagon, you're gonna break up all the strawberries, right? Well, he sees me and all of a sudden he's not throwing the strawberries so much anymore. He's kind of sliding him back, making room, pushing things out of his way. And I looked at Ray and I was angry that you know, I wasn't buying strawberries, but somebody was going to get bruised strawberry and I just I had a moment and I looked at him and he didn't look like my kind of guy, but he was having a bad day. There's no question about it. Ray's face said everything Having a bad day. I went over to buy strawberries that I didn't need, I said Ray how you doing.
Speaker 1:And he said, oh God, just he bitched for like three sentences, Strawberry Right. And I said better days are coming, bro. He goes, yeah, probably, and that was the totality of our exchange. But I came alongside Ray, just I thought I got to give this guy a little break Because he walking in. I would not have been surprised I'd be heaving strawberries across the room, but I just felt like I wanted to settle him.
Speaker 2:That's a great example of salt and light, okay, cause you not only shed some light, but there was some salt in there too, like he could have really like you know, yeah, he could have punched you in the mouth Like leave me alone, right?
Speaker 1:Hey, I'm the strawberry guy, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, but yeah, like there was a little bit of loving accountability, I'll put it that way to this guy throwing some strawberries around, like you could have just said like hey, what are you doing? What are you doing?
Speaker 1:jerk, stop throwing strawberries. Easy on the strawberries there. Bucko, right Something cute.
Speaker 2:Exactly, I got my point across. That would be me. That would be snarky. Mark that that's my point, right, that that would. That's not of the, the light, but the the the. You know can some conviction, some healthy, loving accountability that truly leaves the person feeling cared for, cares for them, right? Um, I think, is that's, that's salt and light that truth, truth and love.
Speaker 1:I can tell you, without going too much further into it, what made the difference with Ray is I made eye contact with him. He tried not to, but I moved in front of him in such a way that it would have been awkward for him to not make eye contact with me. So the few words I said to him, we were looking right at each other, two feet apart, and I find that makes all the difference in the world. With people just in confidence, like if I, if I'm going to shine that light, and I didn't look.
Speaker 1:I. I certainly wasn't prepared and thinking about oh, I hope I meet a Ray bashing strawberries in Costco. It's just. But I know, when I get that chance, first I've got to seize it and secondarily I've got to act out in a way that my hope today, now that I'm talking about it, is that Ray might just a little bit better.
Speaker 1:You know like what the hell's that guy? Why is he so happy? And should I ever get a chance if someone ever says that to me like what are you's that guy? Yeah, why is he so happy? And should I ever get a chance if someone ever says that to me, like what is it? What are you so happy about? Yeah, I can't wait to tell him.
Speaker 2:Yep, can't wait. Yeah, I've definitely had those experiences, not so much with strangers but more people you know in my life or in our lives.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Christina and I think of a couple, over the years, close friends, who don't know the Lord, who have literally looked at us squinting, squinting at the light, you know a little bit.
Speaker 2:I'm like what, why, how? Oh, I'd love to tell you Incredible opportunities. I think there's a prayer, I don't think I know there's a prayer component here, right, that I mean a tremendous opportunity to get on our knees daily and ask God for help in this area, right, like, thank you, thank you for this light, thank you for being like. May your light shine through me today and, and um, bring those people to my doorstep that you want to see it and give me the words to say and help me to shine it wet Like God is faithful to do that and it would be wise, wise of us, it would be foolish of us not to ask.
Speaker 2:And and and not only that, but but then puts it top of mind. It's on our radar right. Like you know, now I'm going about my day, I'm thinking about that, and that's part of rewiring, it's part of renewing our mind, changing our perspective, like less about me and more of helping me be sensitive to and aware of those opportunities as God puts them in our path.
Speaker 1:It's. For me it starts in the word, the light starts in the word I. I funny, my light has become very refined. I can laser focus my light or I can go you've got a refined light Corgi dad. It's gotten a lot more refined, and I say that because the words bull in a china shop, the guy carrying a big flashlight banging into things, that's me.
Speaker 1:Spotlight in the eyes. Really. Hey, want some Jesus Interrogation. Yeah, that's not bad. Not bad, I sound like Dragnet, but I have used the word and my time there just softens me. I should do it more. I have little pauses during the day, literally on my calendar, that remind me to stop. I usually just hit the button and pass by, but any chance to get back to the word during the day seems to make a great difference in the uh, my illumination, as it were.
Speaker 2:Yep, yeah, and I think you know um, you know I'm a weekend at soul con. Uh, for those that are interested in, you know, developing discipline, godly discipline, check out the soul con challenge it's, it's, you know, it's awesome, shout out soul con and um what does it? Say no, there's no, no cost. Um, well, it was, it's, it was started by and founded by and really started for um military, um, you know, but it's I don't know specifically what those words oh stand for, because there's comic-Con.
Speaker 1:Is it connection? Is it conference? Is it the con?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't know, Okay, Me neither I don't know. But there is soul work. It's spiritual discipline, physical, emotional. But my point is this that this, this all requires discipline, you know, requires discipline.
Speaker 1:And so, come on, you got to tell a little bit about it.
Speaker 2:You can't just do that, yeah, I mean, well, it's six, what are you doing? Six weeks, six weeks, there's a daily devotional, a daily challenge. There's there's a fitness and food objectives each day, and so it's. It's a little bit of everything, okay, and? And there is community. There's there's biblical community as well, and so you can connect with others. There's an app, of course. There's an app, right, so you can check out the SoulCon app and connect with people in your region who are doing it, and it repeats, like every. You know, it's like six weeks and then a few weeks off you can do it again, but I'm doing it for six weeks just to kind of dig in and work on that discipline, you know, yeah.
Speaker 1:So it's Jesus-based Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Okay, and it's a self-improvement type Discipline. So it's finding joy in suffering, right. So it's working on daily disciplines and finding the joy of the Lord in spite of our, in spite of pain, whether it be fasting, whether it be, you know, physical, you know five Ks, you know whatever. Whatever it is or circumstantial.
Speaker 1:Go on the suffering podcast with brother Kevin yeah that's about it.
Speaker 2:That's a pretty good idea, actually, and his, his, his group would, his listeners would, probably. Yeah, there's a lot of military and law enforcement and stuff like that. But anyway, getting back to the light, I think that there's a strong discipline component to shining the light. And the other thing I wanted to mention is that I think it's, you know, we think of the light as something we see, and that's why I mentioned the discipline, right. So it's, people are watching. People are watching.
Speaker 2:If you're a follower of Jesus, they're watching you. And so what are they seeing? Are they seeing the light in you, the light of Christ in you, or are they seeing something else and that that takes reflection? I'm not looking to beat anybody over the head, but, but here's the other thing I'm looking over your shoulder, at your sign that says praise has a sound, worship has an aroma. Light has. You know. Light is beyond. God is bigger than the senses. Light has an aroma, it has a sound, right. What aroma are you giving off? What do you sound like? What's your tone with your wife, your kids, with your coworkers, right? What are people seeing? You know all of this is wrapped up in our light, or you know whether or not that light is under a bowl or whether it's, you know, on a, on a mountaintop, for all to see.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah that, what do people see?
Speaker 1:I have tattooed the fruits of the spirit, right, that's my, my hope. When you said that, I thought well, I hope they're seeing love, joy, peace, right, Et cetera. Uh, in me, and it also makes me think, just because of my nature, is how many times I'm not bearing that fruit. I have it right. I've decided, yes, I want that right. The, the fruits of the spirit are so and there are several in there that are so important to me in my prayer life that I'm really hyper-focused on. But how many times do I walk past my ray Go get my raspberries and get the heck out of Dodge?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, right. And what needs to be pruned? When we're talking about fruit, I mean lots of analogies here. But like the light, if Jesus is the bulb that never goes out but in order to shine through us requires a good, you know, a connection, right? What's going on? Right? Do we need a new fuse? We need a new. You know we need some new electrical wire, like you know, is the power out? You know, need a need a new gen. You need a generator, right? Um, and so part of that is biblical community staying plugged in, right, have you become unplugged?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know really tough to have your light shine if it's not plugged in.
Speaker 1:No, true, also hard to shine. I'm just thinking environmentally, like the light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it, that Bible verse, and thinking of the times in my life, and maybe in yours, where you're in a situation where you have a chance to shine, but the environment or the people there, you just I succumb to the social.
Speaker 2:You assimilate to the darkness.
Speaker 1:Yes, I do and I leave going, oh yeah blew that one chucklehead yeah, you know, yeah, but but I say that to say I'm aware, and I am aware of those opportunities and I am willing to say the awkward thing, and it's only awkward because nobody else knows what the hell I'm talking about in that environment. I'm doing this a lot at work lately giving thanks, talking about blessings. I mean I make sure when someone says how are you, I don't say I'm blessed, yeah, even though I know I am. How are you? All we know is I'm never fine.
Speaker 1:We've agreed to never be fine, but I always say I'm better than I deserve. It's actually not false humility. It's part of how I feel, given what I've contributed, because I'm a quid pro quo guy. Unfortunately, there's a balance sheet in my head, in my life, and knowing that God loves me, no matter what right. Brother Bo was just talking about that in a devotional the other day. He said how can God keep loving me in spite of the fact that I sin repeatedly? The same sin repeatedly, but he still loves me. It's very clear. So I'm getting a little far away from the light. But light conversation I'm never far from the light.
Speaker 1:I'm guilty of being in environments where it's easier. It's just easier to just go along with the conversation, and those could be political, they could be social, they could be church related, they could be faith related, work, et cetera. Sure From um, I'm a capitalist tool and trying to earn, earn money every day for my family and sometimes it's just easier to. But I'll get in my car, I'll, I'll finish the day and I'll look back at myself and the words that came out of my mouth. Uh, you hit a nerve with the tone with your wife comment Am I practicing what I'm saying? Therein lies the aroma, for me, the aroma of the light.
Speaker 2:Beautiful beautiful beautiful conversation, confession, confession, conviction. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful conversation, confession, confession, conviction. And um, uh, and excitement. I mean honestly, it's this, it's it's an exciting opportunity that we have, it's it's the most exciting opportunity that we have, right is is to be the light of christ, right where he's placed us, and and, um, um, you know, and to to bird dog people toward him, right and and regardless, and we always try on every podcast to talk about practical application.
Speaker 1:At least I do. And my thinking here is, no matter where you are, what you're doing, if you're asking yourself right now what light, or if you have the light and you're thinking, shine the light, you know, just get in the word, trust the Holy Spirit, and really, what's the worst thing that could happen if you were to share your faith, your story, your light with somebody? Start someplace comfortable, someone you know. Give it a try, yeah, but don't be afraid to make eye contact with the cashier at ShopRite, at the store, and tell them to have a blessed day. Yeah, you know, simple stuff, sure, any ideas, a practical application of shining your light?
Speaker 2:There's a million. I think it starts at home, probably the hardest place for some of us, right, because we're so comfortable, right, but just love them.
Speaker 1:Just love them. Just love them, that's it. That says it. Just love them. Yeah, they're in, they're in. Love, love.
Speaker 2:Ray at the strawberries.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:What's it look like to love Ray? Well, and that's, you know and you've. I've watched you do that for years. You know, and and um, no matter who brings what you basement or into the foxhole, we're there to just love them, Just love them. We don't need to fix them. So that's what I've got.
Speaker 1:So you got yeah, I love your light. I've seen it. I'm attracted to it like a bug Bug to a lamppost right. No, no, no. I just want to say that I've experienced you shining and value and love how God has emboldened you and given you, you know, given you strength to just push it out there and project it, and I feel it's a beautiful, clean light. So thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you for contributing to it, being a part of it. You're a huge part of it, as you know.
Speaker 1:Cool man Well happy Saturday.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Bless you. And hey, everybody go shine that light. Shine bright for Jesus. Cool man. Well, happy Saturday. Yeah, Bless you. And uh, hey, everybody go shine that light. Shine bright for Jesus, Peace, Peace.
Speaker 3:As Steve said earlier, when we speak life into our own lives and the lives of people around us, we begin to form a habit of not only remembering the gift we received from our Lord and savior, jesus Christ, but we develop the habit of sharing that light with the people around us. We share hope and love and truth that has eternal implications. So I ask myself these questions, I ask you these questions. Do we walk through our day filled with joy and wonder, praying for God's light to shine in and through us? People are watching me and they're watching you. What are they seeing in us? Is it a reflection of the chaos in this world, or is it the light of Christ that God's word says is in me and it's in you? What are they hearing from us?
Speaker 3:Is it the clanging cymbals of the world's news and politics in an echo chamber? Is it the silence of hopelessness, or is it the hope of our Redeemer for an eternity with the creator of the heavens and the earth that is paid in full for us? What are they seeing in us? Is it fear in us that the world and the people in it will cancel us, mock us and devour us, or is it a gentle boldness that comes from being a filthy rag that's washed clean daily by our Lord and Savior, jesus Christ. Holy Spirit, help us shine bright. Lord, please continue to use this podcast to impact the lives of all who listen. I ask that you would bring hope and healing to each and every one of them. Meet them right where they are and reveal yourself to them like only you can do. In Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 2:If you enjoyed today's episode, please share it and invite others to the Foxhole. You can find us wherever you download your favorite podcasts. Be sure to subscribe so you know when new episodes drop, and please rate us and comment there too, as it'll help us get found by others who could benefit. Find, follow and like us on your go-to social media networks by searching Foxhole Symphony or visit foxholesymphonycom to make it super easy to find us. Drop us a line with feedback, questions, topic requests. Who knows, maybe you'll be a guest on a future episode. In the meantime, prepare to move, embrace discomfort and just be you.
