Foxhole Symphony
Foxhole Symphony
Wrestling with God: Josh Ugalde's Journey of Faith Beyond the Fight
Professional MMA fighter and gym owner Josh Ugalde opens up about his journey of faith and resilience. From his roots in the church to his inspiring role as a mentor, Josh shares how his journey of faith has profoundly shaped his life. We explore his dreams, like opening a unique gym dedicated to wrestling, martial arts, and fitness, and how his marriage engagement intertwines with his personal and professional path. Josh's narrative is a testament to the transformative power of finding purpose through faith and community, and how these connections bolster his identity beyond the ring.
A gripping college spiral and redemption story unfolds as we highlight the experiences of an individual who faced monumental challenges at the University of Maryland. Confronted with struggles related to alcohol, health, and spirituality, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, this journey exposes the intensity of a mental health battle. A life-changing intervention by a sports psychologist marks a turning point, emphasizing the critical role of mental health support. Through raw and emotional storytelling, we bring to light the power of hitting rock bottom and the arduous climb toward healing, offering hope to those facing similar battles.
We explore themes of vulnerability and identity, especially for athletes who often tie their self-worth to their performance. Josh recounts his transformative experience at a "Marked Men for Christ" weekend, highlighting the strength found in embracing vulnerability and intimacy with faith. Balancing physical prowess with spiritual surrender, Josh's journey inspires listeners to seek redemption through faith, placing their burdens at the cross and finding new purpose. Join us as we encourage our community to engage, uplift, and share their stories, fostering a supportive environment for personal growth and faith-driven transformation.
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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, nate, 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. Steve and Mark are in the foxhole today and they have a special guest joining them. He's a humble child of God and he has a heartfelt testimony to share with us. You know what time it is. Get comfortable, open your notes app and let's get this symphony started.
Speaker 2:Hey, welcome back to Foxhole Symphony Podcast. I'm Sarge here with my co-host and good friend, mark Well, just call me the technical wizard.
Speaker 1:Maximus, maximus, that's me, babe. Wow, what's up? Man, I'm good, I'm really good, and I'm glad to see you.
Speaker 2:We have an awesome guest on today and I was looking at him through the screen and he was bundled up man. He was bundled up man. He was bundled up. And I'm looking at you, I'm thinking about you guys in the cold. You know it's frigid here. It is.
Speaker 1:Don't do it. Why don't you introduce our guest and we'll move right along away from the weather.
Speaker 2:Let's do it. So with us in the foxhole we've got Josh Ugalde. Josh is we met on a Markman weekend Markman for Christ and he comes to us through a couple of real dear friends and some incredible episodes. If listeners, if you have not heard the episodes with Rob Cruver and John Maz, you're going to want to go and scroll through the 86 or so episodes and find those two, because they're incredibly impactful and Josh is a dear mutual friend. And Josh, welcome man, welcome to the Foxhole.
Speaker 4:Thanks for having me, guys. I'm so excited to come on. Seriously, I'm excited.
Speaker 2:We're honored to have you and um introduce you to our listeners. And you know, uh, we've got some other mutual friends and you know folks like DLO that you know, I know, come out to come out to the gym and uh, tell, tell everybody, let's just start with the here and now, like what you know. Tell us a little bit about the gym and what you're doing.
Speaker 4:Just just you know, today in your life, yeah, so, uh, I recently opened up a gym. Um, I I've wrestled my whole life and my uh, a dream of mine from when I was even in high school was to at some point have my own gym and be have the opportunity to teach the next generation and to kind of help next and up-and-coming stars in our local areas. And I recently just opened up a gym. But not only is it a wrestling gym, but it's also a martial arts self-defense gym, but it's also a fitness side as well. So I actually opened it with a really good friend of mine His name's Dan, who is also a Marked man, who is actually at that same Mark that same market that we are at.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I, uh, I I'm. I'm running the wrestling side of things. I have some martial arts coaches who are teaching kickboxing, boxing and Muay Thai, and then Dan is kind of running the fitness side of things over here. Um, um, uh, with that, I'm also. I'm also a professional mma fighter. Um, I'm one and oh, at the at the moment looking to yeah, baby somewhat soon. And, um, I'm also a wrestling coach. I have a bunch of kids that I that I coach and mentor and and try to teach weekly, daily, um, um, I feel like I'm a father already. I don't have any kids yet. I'm, uh, I'm. I'm engaged to my beautiful fiance, though Her name's Alexa. We're getting married in July.
Speaker 4:Oh, that's great, um, thank you, thank you, and I'm just looking forward to uh, I'm just looking forward to that.
Speaker 2:So so, Josh, here you are, undefeated MMA fighter. Tell us a little bit more about your story and, and you know, that'll kind of give us a picture and a glimpse of you know maybe, how God's been at work, you know, in your life.
Speaker 4:Yeah, of course. So I grew up. I grew up in the church, um, it's I. I've always been in the church, um, it's I. I've always been in the church, but I wasn't, you know, I wasn't really too in tune. Uh, I, someone.
Speaker 4:I forget how we ended up there, but we ended up at zarafath, uh, where pastor rob was the pastor, and when I started going there, I felt like I started to kind of get more in tune and I started to understand a little bit more. I wasn't fully, I wasn't fully in per se, but I was, you know, I was. I was making my progress, like I was learning a little bit more. I got to meet Pastor Rob and the second that I met Pastor Rob, I saw this like kind of light in him. I didn't know how to like really describe it at the time, but anytime that like I, anytime that pastor abu kind of like speak to me or and he tried to like guide me, like for some reason, like I would cry and I never knew like really what that was and I would just get emotional. Um, and looking back on her. Now it's just, I mean, the spirit was working in me without even me even realizing. Um, but you know, I was part of the youth group. I started to get more in touch with my faith, um, so I would say that I was coming strong into my faith for about like a year, two years, in high school, but at the time wrestling ruled my life.
Speaker 4:Wrestling was everything. That's what I, what it's what I did from when I was a kid. It's what I did all the all the time. My, like, my life revolved on wrestling. Wrestling was everything, and everything was geared towards a state title and winning a state title. My entire life I won a state title when I was in middle school. You know I had achievements. Um, I, I was a good, I was a decent. In middle school, you know I had achievements. Um I I, I was a good, I was a decent wrestler. In high school, you know, I placed three times six, uh, second, second and um.
Speaker 4:My goal, my whole life and my life didn't revolve around Jesus. My life didn't revolve around God. My life, my life revolved around wrestling and winning. So my God was wrestling and success, and that's what I thought. That's where I thought my value, that's where I thought my value was, and I felt like that for a long time, even past high school and even through college, my value was placed in my success or my accomplishments in wrestling where I don't where they should have been with Christ Right. But basically, my senior year leading up, I'm supposed to win the state title where they should have been with Christ Right. Basically, my senior year leading up, I'm supposed to win the state title. I just took second last year. I'm ranked first the entire year.
Speaker 4:I wrestled a kid who's second, I beat the kid who's ranked second in the state earlier in the year and then, come my senior year, I'm at the state tournament. I make the finals once again and I'm wrestling the same kid that I beat earlier. The state tournament. I make the finals once again and I'm I'm wrestling the same kid that I beat earlier in the year. Um, I ended up losing that match, um, and then that's where things everything kind of went left. Uh, as soon as I left that, as soon as I lost that match, I remember running out of the arena. I ended up running outside of the building by myself and my singlet. This is like like, this is in like february, march, so it's like still kind of cold out.
Speaker 4:I'm in my singlet, I rip my like I rip my, my straps off and I just start cursing at god and I start blaming god and I and I and I kind of F'd him, f'd this, f'd all this, and sorry I'm getting a little choked up but I turned my back to God and ever since then not ever since then, but after that, you know, my senior year was over. I was depressed, I was upset. You know like my whole world came crashing down. So you know I, as the year went on, you know I was. I couldn't wait for graduation day, so I can get out of the high school, so I can like cause for me. It was like at that point it was like, okay, let me like start fresh now, like I'm going to college, like I'm done with this crap, like I'm going to college and I'm just going to you know, wrestle and do all this stuff.
Speaker 4:And once you get to college, you know like I committed, like I committed as like a 16 year old boy, like 17 year old boy, like I graduated as a 17 year old. I was just a kid and now my whole world just came to an end and now, in a couple of months, I got to leave and be without my parents be like, be on my own three, four hours away at like a major university where, like we're over a hundred thousand, you know, like a hundred, like thousands of kids, you know, are there, like I don't know. It's just like a different environment. I've never been away from my parents, like I'm living on my own as a 17 year old, and so I had turned my back to God. And then, once I got to college, it kind of just progressively gotten worse, because I never drank a sip of alcohol, I never smoked anything, anything in my life, cause I was so driven, I was focused, I wanted to win a state title.
Speaker 4:I got to college, I meet all these and then, all of a sudden, it's like I'm at college but it's clear that God isn't there. God isn't there but there's a lot of evilness going on and that, like there's a lot of influence that can steer you the wrong way. And I fell into that, that pattern. I fell into that. I fell into that world. I fell into the world, rather, you know, like I started. Uh, you know my teammates, like older, older teammates, the seniors that were there, like you know, like they're, you know they're encouraging a culture, which, which was something that led me down a dark path. Yeah, um, you know, like, like I, I, 17 years old, like I'm getting, I'm like I'm drinking, like I start smoking at some at one point, like, and I'm just like down this dark path, like and like, progressively each year.
Speaker 4:My five years of college, I loved university of Maryland. Like, it was a great time. I met some great people. But in hindsight, looking back at those five years that I was there each year got progressively worse in terms of one my relationship with God, my health, my habits. I kind of just spiraled, spiraled, spiraled, spiraled Drinking.
Speaker 4:At some point, we five, six, seven days a week there would be. There would be spans at a time where I would be getting drunk every, every night. There would be times where I was in season and I was drinking multiple. You know, like, it was just a dark path. The culture wasn't there. I was far away from God. I didn't want anything to do with him.
Speaker 4:Um, and college is rough for me. Like, like, college was like I, I didn't. I started my four years, I was there. My career wasn't great. Um, I was drinking, I was, I was lustful, I was, you know, like I, it's just things weren't going well.
Speaker 4:Yeah, my senior year was my senior year was COVID year, so I didn't get like to finish off my senior year correctly. It got to such a bad point where I there was a point where I I had a. I had a like a sports psych. Her name was Dr Garvin and I just want to like give her a shout out and blessings to her. Where I had a sports psych Her name was Dr Garvin and I just want to give her a shout out and blessings to her because she saved my life. There was a point where I quit Right before my senior year. I quit, or I got suspended and I got in my car. I was going to get in my car, I was going to and I I was going to get in my car, I was going to drive home and I was going to kill myself.
Speaker 3:I was going to. I was going to.
Speaker 4:I don't know how I was going to do it. This was my mindset. And then, as I was getting in the car, I got a phone call from my, from Dr Garvin, and I'm outside of like our, our, our college, like college facility building where we had practiced and we're just where the sports teams were. It's like the Xfinity Center, it was called. I get a call from her. She's in there and I'm talking to her. I'm crying, I'm hysterical. He comes into my car and we talk. She basically talks me off the ledge, but I was going to kill myself that day and a little more, a little, a little further down the line, you know, covid happens. I don't get to finish my senior year, we get sent home early. You know quarantine, lockdown, all that jazz. I'm like still kind of going down this dark path.
Speaker 4:But I hit this pinnacle. Like I was on, like I was on anti-depression medicine, I was on anti-anxiety medicine, I was on like sleep medicine, like I was on like all this, all these drugs, and one night I had went out drinking and I was still on these, these medicines, these drugs, and I got really banged up and I drove, I crashed my car and at this point. I'm like at rock bottom. I get home. Rock bottom. I get home. Me and my fiance at the time we had gotten into it that night and she had left. I was. I found my way home somehow. I left my car somewhere, walked miles home, whatever, I get home and then I try to kill myself with my medicine. I'm getting into detail right now, so I apologize if you're at your discretion.
Speaker 4:I start inserting these pills, the whole thing, in my mouth. My uncle's there and he's digging these whole thing in my mouth, and my uncle's there and he's he's digging these, these pills, out of my mouth and and it's just like it was a graphic night. It was a rough night, and that's when I felt like I truly hit rock bottom.
Speaker 2:And so so Josh yeah, let's, let's pause there. Let me let me give you a chance to breathe. I thank you for sharing all of that. First of all, no, nothing to be sorry about. Thank you, thank you. Um, I'm so sorry that that. You know you went through that. So, at that point, this is. This is how long ago. Maybe 2020? This is 45 years ago, 2020.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, 2020. Okay, 2020 to 2021.
Speaker 2:So I want to come back to that point and pick up in a few minutes, but you know, just a couple of questions, like you know. First of all, you know, I hear so much from you know, I hear so much from you know, competitive athletes that have faith in Jesus or come to faith in Jesus, who you know, you know who had to come sort of to the end of themselves or the end of their rope, um, because they sort of idolized, you know, their, their, their sport right, or or or saw themselves a certain way. And I and I guess that's my question for you Like, as you know, you're, you're coaching now these, you know these kids right, and you know, as you think about them right, think about them right, how do you go about training them up in a way that helps them to be the absolute best at their sport, right?
Speaker 4:Without finding their identity in that. If that makes sense, yeah, so you know, 100% makes sense. No, 100% makes sense. And this right here is kind of what I had to do that work, this identity work, before I could do anything else. And my biggest problem, this is what saved me my whole life.
Speaker 4:My identity was in wrestling, my identity was with what I did in wrestling, but the second that I and I was done competing. At this point I hadn't even transitioned into jujitsu or mma or none of that. I was just kind of like in this like gray area, like done, competing, like I had had because I had to. Right, I had to take my identity out of wrestling and find and and find my identity and other things right. At this point I wasn't with jesus yet, like, so I now I can say my identity in other things right. At this point I wasn't with Jesus yet Like, so I now I can say my identity is in Christ and that's who I identify as. Like, I identify as a child of God and a follower of Jesus.
Speaker 4:But at that point what helped me is like, and what I tell my kids now is like you're more than just a wrestler. That's not who you are. That's not where your value lies. Right, you're a son, you're a brother, you're a teammate, you're you're. You're a classmate. You know what I mean. Like you're valued in all these other areas in your life and you have so much more value within who you are, other than just the things that you do or the things that you yeah, the things that you do and the things that you accomplish. You're not what you do. You know, yes, it's your. You know. Yeah, like I said, like your, your son, like, eventually you're going to be a father, like your brothers, like your sister, your cousin. Yeah, you're a disciple, you're a disciple of Jesus. Like that, put your value in that and then that will fill your heart that that will fill your cup.
Speaker 1:There's you. There's either a moment or group of moments that take you from the bottom right. You, you explained your bottom and now we're talking about not finding your identity in in anything other than jesus. Do you recall in 2020, 2021, 2, or since then, was there something that happened? Did somebody come into your life? Who helped you? Where did the light come from? Who shined the light on you? Or did it just happen to you.
Speaker 4:God anoint you in that way so 2022, I believe, is when my testimony, god anoints you in that way. So 2022, I believe, is when my testimony, my, I guess my redemption starts, and it's kind of like a time like right now. Actually, this is perfect timing. It's kind of crazy at the end of 2021, you know, like all this bad stuff happened like. But like at the end of 2021, I'm like okay, 2022, I like I need something needs to change, like uh, like something needs to change.
Speaker 4:And I said I, I think I I don't know why, I forget what it was, but something just told me like hey, like you know what? Like let's read the Bible. I'm not going to read it from, I'm not, I'm going to start from. I'm just I'm going to start from the beginning and I'm only going to read it with like this mindset to like learn, let me just read it. And then I just want to learn, like, like historically, uh, you know what I don't. I didn't have like a specific mindset, if that makes sense. Like I just wanted to pick up the book and read it myself and see, just see what I learned and see what happens. If I don't like it, I'm going to put it back down. If I like it, I'm going to keep reading and I started reading January one. It was January 1st and like halfway through Genesis, like things started to happen.
Speaker 1:I was going to say your head exploded.
Speaker 4:My head exploded Like most of us. And like yeah, and like the book of Genesis is, so it's crazy, Like it's the, it's the creation story. You know, it's how everything that kind of came into play.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, if you're halfway through Genesis, you're in Joseph. Right, you're right around Joseph's story. It's awesome.
Speaker 4:Right and I don't know it. Just I would read it on my way to work every morning. Every morning I'd read it, and then even at work I would listen to it. I was just indulging myself into it and, slowly but surely, like I don't know, like I would find myself like coming back home and like talking to my fiance about this. Like hey, like did you know this? Like, did you read this? Like have you ever read? Like, um, like it's just, things start to happen. Like God started to work in my life, like in crazy divine ways. Like I don't believe in coincidence, coincidences anymore.
Speaker 1:Like like Hallelujah.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, like I don't believe in coincidence anymore, like I would be like, for instance, I'd be driving there's this one time I was driving to, uh Muay Thai. I was trying, I was going to go train in the morning at like 9am. I was just driving my car. I'm listening to worship music and I start like the music music like kind of took over me and like I started to like kind of cry. Right, I started to get like a little bit emotional listening to this music. And I look off to the side and I see this like truck, um, like this uh 18 wheeler or whatever the big, big, big trucks, and it says something like trust in god or god can, or something like that. And then, as I'm crying listening to the worship music, I see that sign and I start bursting out into more tears. I'm'm like God, like what is going on, like what are you?
Speaker 1:doing God wants you baby, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:Ultimately, I felt as if, like, god had revealed himself through the word to me, but then, whilst doing that, he had also put. I feel like he had just placed people in my life at certain times, like I just started going to this boxing and like a Muay Thai gym, and there's this kid named Jordan there, uh, and he and he had just come to Christ and gave his life to Christ, and and I met him there and I saw this like light in him, like, and I was like, oh, this guy, this guy fights and trains and also loves Jesus and loves God, and I love the way he carries himself, like, and it reminds me of like that time, that short period where I was in high school and I started going to Zarephath and I started going to the youth group and I started to feel like this passion for God and I wanted that again. And he kind of like inspired me even more to like continue in my faith and continue in my journey. And yeah, so, like, yeah, my journey, and uh, yeah, so like, yeah, so I got into the word, like I, I finished, I finished the bible that year, I'm and, and now, like, like, that's the beautiful, that's the other beautiful thing about the word, like I can read, that I can read the same chapter every day and gather something new from it.
Speaker 4:Or god will reveal, the holy spirit will reveal something new about it. Like I'm still reading the bible, I'm still trying to understand. I'm Like I'm still reading the Bible, I'm still trying to understand. I'm reading it every day. I'm still trying to like fully understand certain things and just continue to learn and indulge myself in it. But it's just crazy how like God kind of worked and moved in my life simply from just reading.
Speaker 1:What a calling and interactions. Yeah, Josh, I just want to say praise God together through your story and your honesty and candor with us, and it just it's lighting a fire in me right now about what God can do, Like what our God, the one true God, can do if he wants someone's heart and he wants all of them. You know, and you it sounds like you listened which is a big part of it.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, definitely, definitely. He's, uh, he's still working on me. You know, like, uh, I'm still. I still struggle every single day. But if I could be that light in someone's life and help at least one person, kind of like you said, that's what matters most to me. Like in the gym, I have a Bible out in front of my gym. We have a small little gym and I have a little whiteboard where I'll just have a verse of the day. Just little things, just having the Bible out. As soon as you walk in through the gym, you see this Bible.
Speaker 2:You know your name comes up all the time, honestly, and you know people are encouraged and inspired and, and, and you know, motivated by you. And you know, not just your story, but your zeal for God, your heart for God and um, you know so. So keep going. You know, not just your story, but your zeal for God, your heart for God and um, you know so. So keep going. You know, I just want to encourage you. I mean, you know, those, those uh, seemingly little things you're doing, uh, in your life and in the business and through your business, are, um, are significant. You know that that, those, those uh little pebbles, that those, those uh little pebbles you know create, you know kingdom ripples, and um, so it's exciting, it's exciting to watch what's next for you, brother. Uh, what, what's? You know?
Speaker 4:you mentioned um you know you're you're kind of awaiting maybe a second, a second match, yeah, yeah. So, um, still running a gym. You know we're in the middle of wrestling season so I got these guys are up and going competing every day. So I'm uh, you know this is that time of year that all that work that we put on in the off season and everything kind of comes to play, uh, and you know that's uh, we're in season, so, uh, that's going on.
Speaker 4:Um, you know, continuing to try to strengthen my relationship with the lord, uh, continuing to find fellowship, strengthen my relationship with the Lord, continuing to find fellowship and just continuing seeking that intimacy, that closeness, and just trying to constantly die every day to myself. And less of me, more of him. And that's actually. Pastor Rob actually baptized me a couple weeks ago, not a couple weeks ago, a couple months ago, yeah, a couple weeks ago, and that was he mentioned that less of me, more of you. And that's what I'm trying to focus on every day, not just one time baptism, but getting baptized every day, you know, like dying to myself every single day, and that's what I'm really trying to focus on.
Speaker 2:I saw the picture of your baptism in that, in that metal tub. It looked like, and maybe Rob's lawn, rob's front lawn or back lawn, I'm not sure. But yeah, right next to the phone booth.
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly.
Speaker 4:Exactly.
Speaker 2:So cool.
Speaker 4:It's crazy.
Speaker 2:Josh, I wanted to ask you, you know, we met Exactly, exactly, exactly. So cool it's crazy. Josh, I wanted to ask you, you know we met on this, this Mark men for Christ weekend to tell me a little bit about, if you could just tell the listeners about you know what that weekend meant to you? Well, you know what. What did God do for you on that weekend?
Speaker 4:Yeah, that weekend was a very powerful weekend. You know, before that, before that weekend, I had, like I had one or two people tell me hey, like you're going to seek, you're going to see some adversity, like before getting there, like Satan doesn't want you, satan does not want you to go, make it to this, okay, so just be strong in the spirit and be strong in prayer. And, uh, you know, that week leading up was a very tough week for me, like it was a really tough week for me, but I finally I made it. Um, I actually got Dan to commit to coming last minute, like I think it was Wednesday, I think we were supposed to leave either Thursday or Friday, and I got Dan to commit to coming last minute. Like I think it was Wednesday, I think we were supposed to leave either Thursday or Friday, and I got Dan, my partner here at Daryl, to commit to coming and I ended up, I ended up bringing him along, which was awesome Cause I got to bring not only one of my my well, he is my best friend but also, you know, like my partner and the thing that we're doing, you know. So, like I was was able to, I was able to, like get him to come. And you know we had, I had such a powerful weekend, um, uh, I think, sarge I think you described it this way and I think this is my favorite way to kind of see the weekend.
Speaker 4:It's um, it's an m, I think it's. You started off by saying or it might have been you, but the weekend is described by emptying our cup and filling it back up. So emptying our cup of the bad stuff and emptying our cup with some good stuff, and that's how I kind of saw that weekend. It was a breaking down process to building back up, and also iron, sharpens, iron, and being around a bunch of, you know, men and men for Christ. And it was, it was powerful, being able to be vulnerable and, uh, yeah, it was. It was the, the word, that a word. The word that really suits it best for me is intimacy, because I, I, I, that's what I was seeking when I went there and I felt as if, by the end of the weekend, I got that I, I, I understood what it meant to have an intimate relationship with the Lord.
Speaker 2:That's beautiful. It's beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. I you know, and it's interesting is I? I didn't, I didn't know what you'd say, but, um, you know, thinking about somebody like you. You know, if people look up a picture of Josh Ugalde, you're going to see this chiseled, strong, you know, just ripped dude, right, oh God, you know, almost um trashing.
Speaker 2:You know, uh, weekends or events or things like you know that, that, how, how, how feminine or weak, you know it, it is to be vulnerable and intimate, even need or desire, you know, godly intimacy. These things, these words you're saying, right, uh, as the world sees them, wouldn't imagine those words to come out of a guy's mouth. That that, that looks like. You know a ripped MMA fighter, right. And so I just want to honor you, bro, like I, because you know that's a message that needs to be talked about, it's a message that needs to be shared, right, like, and, and that is what it looks like to be a strong man in the Lord, right, and to be in that place of surrender and vulnerability, seeking, you know, godly intimacy and experiencing, needing to experience that right. So, thanks for sharing that.
Speaker 4:Of course, man Amen. Like I'm a crier, I'll be honest with you, Me too bro Pastor Rob says the right, I just cry, man, I hear the right thing, the spirit comes at me, the spirit like comes through me at the right time, I just start crying. Yeah, this is who I am. It's just what I do. I've always been an emotional person, but when, uh, when, god and Christ are involved, it's even more. And you're no shame?
Speaker 1:No, it's not a shame issue, but it's so nice to hear you. You know your honesty about that. I I just think about the number of times the Holy Spirit has driven me to my knees, and other men that I know and love have been. You know that feeling, bro, josh. You've been on your knees right, but yet sometime in the next 48 hours.
Speaker 1:There you are doing some core work, some real exercise, some pain, and you're just strong, right, you feel it front, back, middle. You're strong and on a moment's notice, the gospel and Jesus can drive you to your knees. And it's such a good thing. That's a balanced life, right, cause there's times where we are needed to be strong, and God calls us to be strong, and there are other times where we need to get down and put our faces on the ground and listen, right. So it sounds like you have had you're about 26, 27, I'm guessing, but an awful lot of great life experience. It sounds like God has just begun in his adventure with you and we're looking forward to you know, if we're still doing this in a few years. We got to get the Joshua update Sarge.
Speaker 2:Absolutely brother.
Speaker 1:To see what God's doing with them, you know.
Speaker 2:For sure, josh, we are. We're so thankful to have you here in the foxhole, bro, and we'll be, we'll be cheering you on, man. We are cheering you on, uh, not just uh on the edge of the cage, but in life and in your walk with the Lord. And, um, thank you for pouring into and investing in young lives and, uh, everybody you come in contact with, bro, keep, keep going and, uh, you know, pray that you just continue to be used mightily for the king and for the kingdom. So, thank you, brother, and God bless you.
Speaker 1:Give our love to John and to Pastor Rob, and we wish you nothing but the best. With your wedding coming up in six months, you're going to be pretty distracted. It's such a great thing, god bless you and congratulations.
Speaker 4:Thank you guys so much. I really great thing. God bless you and congratulations. Thank you guys so much. I really enjoyed this. God bless you guys. This is awesome.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much.
Speaker 3:We'll talk again soon. You take care. What a beautiful snapshot of how our Father in Heaven pursues His children. Josh was transparent about his relationship with God early on, and still God's grace pursued him. Josh gave us a look into the darkness of some of the valleys that he walked through, and still God's grace pursued him. What the enemy chose to use for evil, our sovereign God used for good.
Speaker 3:Are you feeling that tug in your chest? Maybe you're positive that you went too far in your bad choices for God to ever love you again? Do you feel hopeless? If you answered yes to any of those questions, there's great news. God provided a savior who shed His blood for you and me, and that blood can cover anything that you leave at the foot of His cross. Call on the name of Jesus and let your new journey begin Right now, today. 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? No-transcript no-transcript.
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