[Music] This is Undaunted Life, a man's podcast. I'm your host, Kyle Thompson. Let's get into it. Welcome back to the forging table. The mission of Undaunted Life is equipping men to push back darkness with content that forges spiritual, mental, and physical resilience. At the forging table, you'll see a group of regular guys forging spiritual resilience by digging into God's word. And we're welcoming all of you to come along on that journey with us. That's Degan. That's OG Browning. And as I live and breathe, what the heck are you doing here, Matt Chandler? You're back. >> I am. >> Okay. But but you're at a new table here. I am at a new table. What do you think of our new forging table? >> It's it's very undaunted Kyle Thompson table. >> What does that mean? I don't know. Is that a good thing? I don't know. How how quickly in these I mean I've watched them. So, pretty quickly, we've got to we've got to mention jiu-jitsu, but >> um like it's sturdy, >> right? >> Um strong, >> right? >> Um really pretty. >> Really pretty. >> Really pretty. >> Nothing says undoned more than pretty. But I will say, so shout out to Sorex. And we do have a private donor that actually got this table for us. would prefer to remain uh anonymous, but so the base of this table, which you guys on YouTube cannot see, it's the exact same metal that they use on all the racks uh that Sorex makes. And so in Sorex, they they're thing is like, yeah, we make bomb proof stuff. And so it's like one and a half inch uh bolts on this thing. And um you know, I don't know what it is with the rest of the guys on my team, but whenever it comes to moving day, apparently everybody just wasn't available because it was Browning and I right right here. We get this package and I saw it come from Old Dominion and it was like 500 pounds was was the size of the package. We're like surely that's all packing peanuts, right? And so it comes here and there's like a it's it's built like it's together. There was there was no uh putting it together and we literally get this thing out. We take the wood frame off of it and then we're in the driveway and then it's like, "Hey, let's just lift it up once just to kind of see what we're dealing with." And we both lift it up, put it down, and then we just look at each other and go, "Oh boy." like and we're cuz we got to get it upstairs to a second floor studio cuz of course you know why wouldn't it be a second floor studio so even after we took everything off I mean this probably 400 lb table >> it's a monster >> oh yeah >> I can just it's a monster I wish people could see the size of the bolts >> that are on the edges of this >> when you have to go to multiple hardware stores just to find a socket to fit the bolts on your table like it's just like okay and so I'm always usually worried about people banging on the table not worried anymore it's like you can bang your head off the table I think we're going to be okay but Browning were you were you felt It felt like you were confident the whole time that we were going to be able to get this thing up here and my pessimism was coming out because we were able to move it inside and I'm like, "How in the world are we going to get this up the stairs?" And there was no one there to yell pivot like there was no because again it was just Browning and I and Kelsey like taking video in just in case. >> I thought I thought we had good strategy before we uh started moving it. So >> do you want to talk about the strategy or I mean I saw that we talked about it for a while. You were you were on top going backwards >> which for for people who don't >> what oh I thought you were about to throw me on the bus at all. Go ahead. >> Which for people who don't know or understand I think it be called physics. >> Um it's not really my domain physics. >> We can get there. >> Surprise. Um like you you were like really really really trusting that Kyle was going to be strong enough >> to hold hold the weight of that. What's funny about it is we literally so we literally get the table inside and we sit there for probably five or 10 minutes just strategizing about what we're going to do and we even chocked up like I lit literally went and got chalk and we like there they're no it's not I should have left it on there. We did clean off but we literally chockked up because it was kind of hot outside. I got us each like a bandana so we can kind of wipe the sweat off of our arms or all that cuz that would be our luck is we would be halfway up these stairs and then one of us would like slip or grip or whatever. But I did think that it was kind of funny that people were giving me crap online for the fact that for the fact that he was walking backwards. He's like, "Oh yeah, you would have that guy walking up and backwards, Mr. Tough Guy on Dawn." I was like, >> but again, physics, you know, people didn't pay, you know, public school strikes again. They didn't realize where does the weight transfer because yes, it sucks walking backwards upstairs while holding something while trying not to scratch up the walls and like make it fall off the banister. But it's like, yeah, the weight does transfer to the to the butt into that. So >> when it came, was it assembled? 100%. Yeah, Sorex doesn't mess around. But they I will say it was the second heaviest thing Sorex has ever sent me because the last thing they sent me was their outfitter rack which is in my which >> a lot of people will bolt down their racks into wherever it is. Don't need to, right? Cuz it weighs a billion pounds and so that thing's not moving. Like F5 tornado, nope. Sore next thing staying there. >> House will be gone. Rack will still be there though. >> Yeah. I'll be squatting with nothing else around me other than, you know, peril and sadness. I was actually more worried with that guy getting it off the old Dominion truck. Holy smokes, the thing is like way wider than the truck itself. So, he was having to like pull it out onto like a small little deal to like lower it down and then pivot it out. And I mean, it's hanging off like 3 ft each way. >> Well, he's looking at us like we work for Old Dominion. Like, what do you guys want to do? I'm like, I don't know. I want to wait for you to get this thing off the truck and then we've got to do the hard part cuz you got a dolly, you got all kinds of things. But I mean, by the skin of his teeth, he was able to get that thing like off because I'm like, how are we going to get this thing off the truck? It became problematic there for a second. >> But, you know, it's here. It's a brand new forging table. We are very, very thankful to have. We got new chairs and everything. I don't know. What do you guys think about the chairs? Evaluate. Evaluate. >> Yeah. >> Is it working? >> Sure. Okay. Yeah. Lumbar support. >> Yeah. I sat in a bunch of chairs. Just trying to figure this out. >> I'm seated. >> Yeah. I mean, it's working. >> Check the first box. >> It's winning. It's holding you. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's right. It's kind of funny. We need to throw people under the bus that aren't here. But like last night, there was a very funny joke because we were all hanging out last night having some cigars and smash burgers and things like that. Why not? And uh Russ uh Russ Eustus was like, "Hey man, uh how heavy is the table and what's like below uh the table and everything." And I'm like, "Oh, that's like the living room." He's like, "Well, let's not get Winkler up there, the largest of all forging tables. Let's not get him up there until we know that it's not going to come through and like land on your kids as they're eating breakfast or something like that." Which again, shout out to the largest of all forging tablelers, but now I am a a little bit worried. You're >> concerned. >> Yeah. I mean, cuz I mean, he's multiple people at once. >> I think I think though I think it'll be okay. But >> we can all do the elevator thing. >> Text me next time Winkler's on. >> Well, I I won't be nearby. And so, it's like let him do the forging table. >> I'll just kind of let Hey, you know, Ryan Horn thinks he can do this job. He thinks this is super easy. What's funny about that is every time gets every time someone gets a little cocky and they think they can do the the part in the captain's chair, I just shut my mouth and let them do it and then watch them just sit there and squirm and it's like, "Oh, this is harder than I thought." I was like, "Oh, you think?" >> Yeah, it is hard. I don't know if that's physics or not. But, uh, the thing about this is we've been planning this for a long time. I reached out to you several months ago. Yeah. >> Because you said something, I think it was during a sermon, >> but you know, we're we're talking as a group because it's like, okay, we've done, >> you know, we've done my favorite book, the Old Testament, Nehemiah. We we've done Matthew. We've done Acts, we've popped around uh some other Pauline letters, we've done some Psalms, we've done some Proverbs, and then like Romans was just hanging out there in the ether. And I'm like, and it was just like looking at me. And it's like, hey, come on, bro. You want this? Cuz it's like, hey, >> we we just wrapped Genesis. And I mean, how long were we in Genesis? Was that like close to a year? Like, is how long has it taken us to get I can't remember when we started Genesis, >> man? It's it's been a while. >> Yeah. So, we've been in Genesis for forever. And then it's like, okay, do you just roll into Exodus? Do you do another gospel? What do you do? And then I I remember you saying that Romans is Mount Everest. And I was like, "Okay, we just got to climb it." Because it's like I think we're in our groove. We've been fortuning for over two years now. Like I I feel like we we're really getting after it. >> But I mean there was just something about the book Romans Math that I'm just like the heaviness of it, the weightiness of it. And so and I'll kind of explain uh you know how we're going to be approaching Romans uh to the audience. But you know for you I guess why why do you consider this of all the Pauling letters why is this Mount Everest? >> Well there are a couple of reasons why one the how the book has really shaped and formed Christian history from Luther to Augustine to on and on. Uh these guys are actually becoming Christians reading Romans. You you've got the launch of the reformation born of Luther's study of Romans. You've got so there have been few books of the Bible that have shaped what you and I know to be Protestant Christianity quite like the book of Romans. And then it has a ton of unique features. Um one it we we don't know where this church came from. Um I I know some traditional kind of ideas but but they don't really hold up uh against what what we know in history and what we know from the Bible itself. So what we do know is that what what we see in Acts 2, I think it's verse 20, is that there were Romans there on the day of Pentecost. Uh and so there were certainly Romans that became Christians um on the day of Pentecost. And what what you read is there there tends to be this idea that everybody stayed in Jerusalem and certainly a ton of people did stay in Jerusalem. Uh which is going to lead to all sorts of economic issues that when you guys finally get uh to Romans 15:16 and he's talking about this gift, financial gift to give to the church in Jerusalem, it's because there's some significant financial issues there because uh most people after Pentecost who had come from everywhere stayed. Um, but the the theory, the working theory that makes the most sense to me, uh, is that some of those Romans came back to Rome and and then began to kind of gather together. Uh, there was a strong Jewish influence. Uh, it looks like in the book that they had kind of formed synagogues, but then you have this moment where Emperor Claudius kicks the Jews out of Rome for 5 years. There were riots that had been happening between the Jews. There were all these issues like um the reason Rome historically hadn't had a problem with Jews is because Jews aren't prostilizing anyone, right? >> They're not trying to convert anybody. But this new thing, which most people at the time thought was just a different kind of Judaism, they were serious about protoilizing. They were serious about evangelism. They were serious about other people becoming Christians. And that's a big problem for Rome because the Roman imperial cult um demanded allegiance to Rome. That that's why when people like Christianity and political, I'm like the whole thing's political. Sure. Like Jesus is Lord I is like a matchup for Caesar is Lord. >> Um and and >> and they were fine adding Jesus to the pantheon of gods, but they're like, "Yeah, we we there's no exclusivity here." >> That's right. But that's not what was happening. >> And so Claudius kicks out the Jews. They're gone for 5 years, but but this church is still there. Uh now it's comprised of more and more Gentiles. And then the Jews return and and now you've got this mixture of Jew and Gentile and there are all these doctrinal issues that are that are firing at the church in Rome. What we know is the letter was written later in Paul's life. So uh more than likely written while he was in Corenth. uh and we know that because of who he's referencing is with him when and who is hosting him gas who was a magistrate in Corinth who actually became a Christian and was baptized and then the crew his crew that was with him is the crew if we go to Acts that was with him in Corenth. So, it's written around 5455 AD um from Corinth. He's wanting to get to Rome so he can keep pushing westward into Spain. >> And he had not been to Rome. >> He had not he had not been to Rome. And and and the the church in Rome is comprised probably uh predominantly of Gentiles by 55. Uh because Paul wants a share of that. And we see clearly in Galatians that Peter uh had had given himself to the Jews and that Paul had considered himself the apostle to the Gentiles and everybody had kind of agreed on that. And so for Paul to want to get there and to see them and to um be a part of the fruit that was being born there, although he will say, "I don't like building on another man's foundation." um you you've got this unique and and it comes out in the letter over and over again where they clearly have some ideas of Jewish history and doctrine. He he is pressing both Jew and Gentile in this and really saying that the gospel creates unity that that that's what the gospel is ultimately going to do. that's going to create a unity, this one new humanity that we don't even get out of chapter one before he starts uh kind of telling us, no, no, he came to make something brand new. Not Jew, not Gentile, the the people of God. And that the people of God, the church of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all that the Old Testament promised and is the fulfillment to Israel itself that the Gentiles would be brought in. Uh and so that that sets up the book of Romans. We don't really know how the church was founded. Uh the best idea is that there were Romans in in Jerusalem at Pentecost. Jews who became Christians and went back to Rome, brought the message of the gospel to the synagogues there. And there were some who believed, but not all who believed because there's another historian that would talk about the riots that began among the Jews. So you had Jews that were messianic and then you had kind of your historic Jews and and these two were it was a complicated relationship would be uh the nice way to say it. They were having plenty of uh what we would call at the village robust dialogue. >> Yeah. >> Except we didn't we don't catch anything on fire when we have robust dialogue but there was quite a few issues. So that that kind of sets up uh the book of Romans. It's written for the the other thing that's unique about Romans is it's not like first Corinthians. He doesn't tackle a lot of kind of local issues. It it's much more high level. It's like a uh like Paul's magnum opus almost like uh his mature concise this is the gospel book. Whereas if if you go read first Corinthians it's everything's about a local issue. you know, you have a guy. Um, I've heard it said, uh, it's been told to me e either Paul doesn't know a ton of what's going on in the church, uh, in Rome in regards to those specifics. That that's a possibility. He had never been there. But this church is quite large. If if we think of, uh, the other letters, this this is going to be a larger church, and it's one of the older churches um, that had been around by the time Paul's writing this, probably over a decade. And they're not they're not doing poorly in regards to the mission of God. There's some significant tensions between as we read through um the the messianic Jews and the Gentiles, which is why the the book's going to keep flipping back and forth between children of Abraham and and the defense of the Gentiles fulfilling the promises of Israel in Romans 9 through11. And so it it really is a I I love it because it's the story of the Bible in 16 chapters. It's the story of the Bible in 16 chapters. >> Well, and that's interesting to the approach of it is 16 chapters. And so normally with how we've approached the forging table, it's like, oh, well, that's four months worth of worth of content, you know, we'll spend an hour at a time going through a chapter at a time. But our crew got together because there's a a greater forging table crew of about 10 guys, a dozen guys or so, the so the OG's and then all the guys that are kind of the first arms out of the bullpen. And I got everybody together on the back porch a few months ago and I was like, "Okay, we're basically doing Romans, right? So I am uh a dictator and that's that's basically what we're doing, but how are we going to approach it?" And I pitched a couple of ideas. we can keep the same cadence that we've basically always done, one chapter at a time for an hour at a time. Sometimes as we were going through Genesis, we were doubling up, even tripling up chapters cuz you're you're going through some genealogy, some different things. And so we were able to kind of double and triple up. >> But the pitch I made to the guys and it was kind of unanimous agreement was we just need to crawl our way through Romans. And as we're preparing, because we kind of all sort of like, you know, it's kind of next man up. So if someone gets sick the night before, everyone's kind of underststudying and so it's like, okay, you should be able to hop in no matter where we're at in Genesis or Acts or wherever. But with Romans, it's like, guys, we just need to dedicate to being into Romans for the next year. >> Yeah. >> And and so I'm curious for like Dan and Browning, you know, when we did that meeting and I kind of pitched that to all you guys. This this is a significant shift for how we've ever done anything forging table related because typically like y'all don't know this, but I'm kind of driving the train over here. I kind of know, okay, we have three big chunks of whatever thing we need to get through. And so if we get off on a diet tribe about, you know, top 10 worst movies of all time or sniffing smelling salts or whatever the thing that we're doing, I still know that we got about an hour to end up at our destination. And so sometimes I would I would have to kind of cut some things off. Hey, you know, we kind of have to leave that there. We have to move on. But in Romans, it's like, no, every rabbit trail, every break that we need to take, it's not going to have the fluidity of what we normally do where we read a big chunk, then we kind of go back and, you know, give commentary and ex Jesus or whatever. But for you guys, I was just kind of wondering because I mean this is such a significant uh divergence away from what we've normally done. Like what were y'all thinking and how are you still think it's a good idea when we haven't even started it yet? >> Yeah, I mean it to me it just was this opportunity to to slow down considerably. Um I don't know if it was mentioned but there often times uh opportunity we've all said it we we will have a page or two worth of notes that we've taken. we maybe get through a fourth of it, >> right? >> And we've left a whole lot on the table, which is fine. It's great and it works for that format, but >> there was some level of like, oh, okay, I I can take as many notes as I want. Like you just said, we can go down as many rabbit trails as we want to or need to. Um, and feel like we exhaust um each and every chapter as we go through this. So that there was some level of like kind of almost a feel like I could kind of ease into it, take it slow, and just kind of go, you know, just ask myself questions. Uh, so I've got literally over here on my emotes notes a bunch of Q&A like question, what is an apostle? Question, what is a servant? And then just looking for the answers and filling in the gaps as we go through there. And it was I I'll tell you it as anybody that studies the the Bible, I mean, this is great. Like this is the out like um like painting a room. You 80% of it is masking and getting ready for the job. The last 20% is the actual Yeah. >> getting it done. But that 80% uh prep is where it's at. Um so this is just the opportunity for us to like expose what God has written through um through Paul um to not only the Roman church but to us today and into the future. So it's it's exciting. Um and I think one other thing is just um there there's a lot of times there's a lot of like we're giving information. There's a lot of knowledge that we're imparting. Um, and there's some opinions and and whatnot, but I think one of the things that we can draw from this, and I think it just builds on itself as you go through Romans is just the opportunity for application. Yeah. >> In life, in your life. So, >> well, and we've done lots of books before. I remember we did Psalm 40 and I and sometimes the cadence would be, you know, you wouldn't think you'd spend very much time or we'd even before we'd start, we got like, "Hey, we're going to have to stretch and I'm going to do a long cold opening." And then and then you get to the point where we would have been talking about three verses for 40 minutes and then sometimes it's like I know you know you look down at the clock and think okay well we got to slam through the rest of it in five minutes and so just to give its due and let the Holy Spirit lead the conversation where it may is is Romans warrants it. Yeah. When I was in college, um, I lived with a couple other guys and we subscribed to, uh, I was in college in the 90s, right? So, we subscribed to cassette tape. >> Cassette tape ministry. >> Tommy Nelson. >> That was the name of it. Cassette tape ministry. >> I mean, that was the that's the genre, right? Like, and you would get a cassette tape in the mail, >> and you put it in your station wagon. And you put it in the station wagon. >> The 70s station wagon that was made in the 90s. I thought, you know, you get your pen and you rewind it a little bit and we we subscribed subscribed was an early term. We we were like signed up and paid for Tommy Nelson at a Dent Bible Church and John Piper. >> Yeah. >> John Piper in 1998. I mean, like I I've listened to most of John Piper and I say most because he started in April of 98 with Romans talking about the same thing. this is an Everest. I've considered doing Romans for decades and it's come to me and I've said, you know, it's like not now or the timing wasn't right. But he started April of 98. >> It took 22 sermons to get through chapter 1. >> Holy asberers. How in the world that happen to chapter 2 until November of that year. So you're talking just under eight years on on that estimate timeline for you know and he warned the church. He's like I don't know this may be the last book I cover before I retire but we're just going to go through it. >> I remember that series he was he had talked even I think in that first sermon about how he had kind of been avoiding Romans for a while and then it just looked too big. It looked like too much. And he he what's funny what's funny to me to remember that now is he was like I just turned 52. >> That's exactly right. >> I'm like, "Oh my gosh." Okay. All right. Maybe it's maybe it's my turn to tackle Romans. I just turned 51. I need another year. >> So is that the longest? That's got to be a Guinness Book of World Records. Maybe we can ask Chad JBT the longest sermon series through a single uh book of the Bible. >> MacArthur probably still has that. MacArthur would spend a couple years on things. So maybe not. I don't No, I didn't. >> Well, to warn the audience, I don't plan to be in Romans for 8 years, but uh cuz Browning a long time ago did the math. >> I've got it. Yeah. >> Yeah. He did the math. If we cover one chapter of the Bible, like when were we going to be finishing the entire Bible? It was like 2045 or something like that. So, it's like, okay, we're we're kind of extending the timeline a little bit here, but no, like I would say for me, >> um I'm such a get it done guy. Like I'm a checkbox guy. I will put things on my checklist that I've already done just so I can have satisfaction of kapa, you know, putting that like check mark in the box. >> And so I've had that same approach to Bible study. And so again, this whole idea of the forging table started out as a selfish idea. So going back this this would have been 2022, you know, read 54 books for the podcast that year for guests. Didn't read 54 chapters of the Bible. Got to December. This is a terrible idea. So I reach out to Browning and Grassmmer and Horn and uh Todd and and I'm just like we got to do something like we got to do something different. And then it's like what if we just you know sat around like the unashamed guys and just you know put mics on and just started studying and you know it was in my head I'm like this is okay idea but not a great one but let's just do like one you know book of the Bible and if it's terrible we'll just pretend like it never happened. And before we even recorded the first episode, I'm like, "No, we're just doing this now." Right. >> Because it made me slow down. Yeah. And consider the scripture, not just get through it. Yeah. Right. And so that's the thing with like Bible in a year things or if you're just listening to the Bible, it's like you're you're flying over the Bible at 50,000 ft like and you're you're not really getting into it. >> And so I've just tried to change my cadence over the years. And so like I always kind of felt a little guilty that the first thing I hear about people that the first thing they do is they wake up and they get their cup of coffee and they go to their table and they have their quiet time because I'm Matt Chandler or whatever stupid crap. And it always made me feel bad that I roll out of bed, I use the facilities, uh the restroom and then I go to the gym and I start getting after it and I'm like is that bad? Is that like you know are things disordered? And I'll shut up and no one asked you your bad. That's bad. That's a bad way to live. >> Shush. And so I so what I did is I have one of my Bibles is on my sorex rack. And so the my warm-up is with scripture, right? Is kind of like how I how I think about it. And so with our approach to Romans, I'm like, "Okay, you know, we'll we'll cover some ground." And so I'm reading Romans 1 and then the next morning Romans 2 and then the next morning Romans 3 and then the next morning Romans 4. And then when I started to actually study it, I'm like, "Hold up. Wait a minute. I don't think there's any chance we're going to get through three chapters." And then the more I was studying, I'm like, >> I called you guys and I'm like, I don't know that we're going to get through Romans, especially with a 30inut introduction for the first episode and we haven't even read the scripture yet. >> I I I just don't think we're going to be able to get through it. So, it's causing me to slow down and consider and it's something that you said, Browning. I had the same revelation to where it's just like uh am I just gaining knowledge or I'm am I gaining, you know, bullets to shoot through the application weapon, right? Like because it's like cuz it even talks about in here, hey, are you just gaining knowledge so that you can sound cooler at parties and you know, I don't know what parties where you sound cool executing scripture, but you know, probably ones that Tom Piper goes to. He's big party guy, big party out there in Minnesota. >> Um, lots of riots there in the streets, you know. Um, and so like that's just something that's kind of caused me to to to stay and kind of chill out and it's just been very challenging to me. And I think the other thing about Romans, and I'm not trying to extend the intro, it's just, you know, we're we're trying to consider this. I remember almost idolizing the thought of Rome, the city, and the Roman Empire growing up. And I mean, Gladiator was my favorite movie and like, you know, just kind of all this stuff. And I remember when I got the chance, my senior year of college uh to go on a trip uh with the University of Central Oklahoma with the president and going over to Rome. And so we did Rome Florence Venice Leo ACC some some different places. And to this day, my wife and I have had the the opportunity to do quite a bit of international travel. It's my favorite city in the entire world. Not because it's clean, because it's not. Not because it's safe, because it's not. Uh and not, you know, but it's just you're you're in a gelato shop, you know, eating your Amordo gelato, and then you walk out. Oh, there's uh there's the the Pantheon. Boom. It it's right there. Um and then, oh, you're kind of boppinging around the street. It's like, oh, I'm in the Forum, right? This is where like Caesars walked and all these different places. And then like, oh, you know, uh you know, Paul was here. I went to, you know, his what was supposedly his prison at the time and it's it wasn't super commercialized whenever I walked down there into that dingy dank place. But I think that's part of the thing for me as well. The book of Romans, just the name of it. I named my dog Roman, right? Like or so, uh, it's just it just kind of had that draw. I mean, I don't know like have you guys been to Rome in so No. Okay, >> we got to fix that. >> But has I mean, what's the reason? What do you have against Rome, right? Why? >> Nothing. Nothing. No. We're gonna do it. >> Yeah. Well, I mean, for you guys, I mean, what was it like? Cuz again, for me, I was I had built it up so much in my head. I mean, I remember the first time I saw the coliseum and I'm just like, "Oh my gosh, look at that thing." And I remember smoking my first Cuban cigar, walking around the outside of the coliseum at night and they light up all the columns or they light up all the arches in of of there and all that. And I'm just considering what did this look like, you know, when it just got built. But like, you know, the city of Rome is just one of those incredible things as well. >> Yeah, you're right. It's not um it's not clean. It's It's not overly safe. And And yet every he my my experience as a Christian was I was standing in line to get in the coliseum and I just paid whatever 20 bucks to walk through the ruins of the coliseum and it struck me, man. Um thi this is probably I mean arguably the greatest empire the world's ever known from India to England for 1,500 years >> like America United States still in diapers right 1 1500 years they basically ruled the known world and they set their face to destroy us and all these years later I'm a Christian from Dallas that just paid 20 bucks to walk through your ruins. >> And so it just for whatever we're in in any given moment of history, to me, the coliseum is like Jesus won. >> There's this great quote about how Jesus and Caesar had met in the arena and Christ had won. >> Um, sure I I forget who I forget where I read that, but that that to me left a mark on me. all those ruins uh from the Pantheon to you know like all of those places to me I just kept seeing the victory of faithful men and women who could not have understood or comprehended the victory that would ultimately be theirs. >> Well, look at wasn't it last year you you spent some time in some of your sermons talking about plausibility structures. >> Go back to the first century. There was no plausibility structure for Rome falling. Right now we have the advantage now being able to look back and be like okay well you know British colonialism eventually fell and you know the Roman Empire eventually fell and the Greeks eventually fell and there's a lot of study as to kind of when these great people groups u oh uh what's her name um it'll come to me in a second uh Camille Paglia >> yeah we're talking about you know at towards the end of these great empires Byzantines Romans Greeks they became obsessed with sexual liberty and uh the uh I guess fluidity of gender roles and gender structures and different things like that. Does any of this sound familiar? And like when a people group >> is so uh uh drunk on their large Yes. and they have so much safety, they can spend time considering things that are absolutely ridiculous because again, if you're worried about, you know, give us a day our daily bread and you don't know where your next meal is coming from or a barbarian horde coming over the hill and taking all your women and cattle, like you you can't sit there and think about what gender do I feel like at the moment. And so, uh, it's just it's just interesting how >> it's fascinating. That is not a Christian woman. She she she >> ardently atheist, >> ardently dislikes us and yet she would find herself doing what Paul here in a little bit is going to say they do. The Gentiles do the law without having known it. We won't get there today, but >> uh certainly not at 23 minutes into the intro but >> well, and actually, I started the timer late. Uh, so we are >> we are 30 minutes into this thing, so we got 30 minutes. So, I guess we should go ahead and get to the Well, go ahead, Brownie. Oh. Oh, no. I was just going to say my my experience with Rome recently is Dave Sto's back roads to Rome, which is like little Saturday morning. >> Any relation to John Sto? >> I have no idea. I don't think so. Probably not. >> No. I I had a buddy who was describing this um internship he got in New York City, and he's from Edund, Oklahoma, and he said the first time he'd ever been to New York, he's flying in during the day, and he looks down and sees the immensity of New York. And he the only thought he had was how am I going to make a difference in that? >> Yeah. >> Well, that that's Rome. I mean, I mean, a thousand times bigger than that, right? Like, and so what I think, excuse me, of Rome, like in this time, when you go there, it really brings all of this stuff >> to life, you know? I mean, I mean, going to Jerusalem, all that, like it really really brings it to life. gives a visual to it. uh like how big and how influential and how powerful and all of that to think of like like if I'm game planning Christianity, I'm looking at like these little bitty towns around, you know, be like, "Hey, we got a good chance of going there and we got a good, you know, and we're yeah, we're going to build up a base where it's like >> it's, you know, credit to those early Christians of like they didn't and they may have left Pentecost and walked back in hadn't having that thought as they approached the wall of how in the world. >> I'm sure >> are we going to make a dent in this place? >> And I I love that they didn't live and this is Man, I wish we could catch more of this today. >> They they're they were going to be faithful with their lives and trust the Lord. Uh they they probably weren't thinking one day this Roman oppression won't be here. They they were just thinking we're going to be faithful in the suffering, in the sorrow, in the wins and losses. with our lives. And then I again I I couldn't have they couldn't have imagined that Rome would fall in in 55. Couldn't imagine it. It would have been nowhere on the horizon. The world wouldn't make sense without Rome. >> And and yet they they were faithful. They were looking and expecting the return of Christ. They were faithful in a kind of suffering that would be not not yet in not yet in 55 but in a decade later they were faithful in a kind of suffering that we don't I say this all the time like Christians in America aren't being persecuted we're like annoying you know they people just find us annoying like why won't we get on board but there's no persecute I mean nobody's getting their stuff plundered nobody nobody's getting >> being thrown in a football stadium with wild Yeah. Well, even even cuz we talked about that before, there was no, okay, this is Rome's going to fall. There's no, you know, Jerusalem being sacked in 70 AD, >> but but also uh there's just absolutely no reckoning. So, talking about what you're talking about now, one of the things that I I bring up because I just recorded an episode recently. Again, this is we're in the we're in the future, guys, when we're recording this by the time y'all actually hear this. But every time I see a story of a couple hundred Christians slaughtered in Nigeria, I have to make sure the date is correct cuz I'm like, is this the same story or is this another story? >> And it's like cuz again, you're right. In your book, Take Heart, you you talk a lot about that. You know what's a funny? I think I said this last time. That's the first book I ever got an advanced copy of >> really >> ever in my entire life because I was trying to work out an interview with your staff and you're like and your staff was like, "Who are you plebian?" Like, "Of course we're not going to let Matt Chandler talk to you. Get out of here. Go away, Ginger." And so, but you're like, >> I do have a ginger policy. >> Yeah. Only one per year. I get it. But like at the same time, but then they're like, "Here, poor little boy. Here's an advanced copy of this book, but it's on PDF. You'll have to print it." Right. So, they they were just really just dog cassette. >> But in the book, you should release stuff on cassette anyway. We're not going to get that far off. But with within that book, you do talk about like here in America, people will feel like I'm being persecuted. It's like, well, what's going on? posted a scripture on Facebook and someone did not like it. They just didn't know and they told me they didn't like it. They're like, "Well, that doesn't really go with what I think." And it was just like, "All right." And so it's like, are you worried about Muslim fundamentalists riding into your village on motorcycles with a guy on the back with an AK-47 and they're spraying indiscriminately and killing 200 of you at the same time simply because you don't believe in the shahada and you don't believe that you know uh you know the one the one only prophet is Muhammad and all like is that what you're worried about? And you know, you kind of talk about and take heart like if we were living under that type of oppression and persecution here in America. What would our faith be like? Because it is super cheap to be a Christian in America, right? Especially like you're in Dallas, we're in central Oklahoma. You trip and fall and you land on seven different churches, right, around here. Everyone's very, very churched. And we at least colloquially understand the language of Christianity. Ah, you know, Jew died for our sins and all that. like, oh, you know, we got to repent and do all the different stuff, but like what would be different about our faith if we actually believe that what we're reading is the word of God and actually if we were potentially given the chance to die for it? Because I I think that there would be an absolutely whittling down of of the church if you were actually given the opportunity to die for your faith. There was, you know, I saw recently where was this guy who's grown now, but he was one of the kids at Coline High School as, you know, those two guys were going through and and executing people. And, you know, one of the guys, I think it was Dylan Clebold, um, saw that a girl was uh, praying to God, you know, as he's walking through the library trying to figure out who he's going to execute. And he basically sticks there and says, "Do you believe in God?" And she's like, "Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me. Do you believe in God?" Like this is a guy saying what's happening cuz it's happening right next to him. He's hiding under a table in the library. Do you believe in God? And she's like, "Yes." It's like, "Well, where's your god now?" Bang, bang, bang, kills her and shoots her. And it's like, how many of us, given the opportunity, would we have walked to the coliseum where we knew either people or animals are going to be ripping us to shreds soon? And would we be calmly doing that? Cuz when you look at these uh Jewish historians and Roman historians and all that, they're like, "What is what is up with these people? They're like singing psalms of of praise and and as they know they're going to be executed or they're going to be lit on fire to light up a party uh for the emperor. And it's just like we just don't live in that moment anymore. It's like we don't have any idea of how that would be. >> Yeah. I it to me it feels like I'm not talking attacking any one church here, but it just seems like >> Feel free. I mean we're just going to light it up. Do you have one in mind? >> Uh no, yes, but I'm going to stay in >> shame. Um yeah, that that that a lot of churches are really just interested in getting hands raised and commitments and then that's it, right? what what you just described to me and what we read like repeatedly through Romans and the entire Bible and what we see happening in places like Pakistan and Iraq where there's underground churches happen these folks they go through Bible study as non-believers become believers but when they do it's like they're going okay I'm making this decision I'm going to be ostracized and I'm okay with that and I might even be killed and I'm okay with that it's all in it's like it's not just I'm making a decision ro, you know, raise my hand, get baptized, and then I go about my my way. Those guys are all in. And I and I agree with you. They have to be >> super cheap uh in this country for us to be believers because of what you just said because it's easy. It's it's too easy in some respects. We don't take our faith seriously uh or seriously enough. You know what I mean? >> Yeah. We were just 8 A29 um church planning network I I work with. They we were just doing like a disciplehip training in a close country with about 400 pastors that had walked that had done you know things that very few people I know who even love the Lord would actually do. And while they were there, two of my friends were teaching it. It was raided by the police. So my two friends got out. They just immediately went started packing their bags and trying to get out of the country. Uh very dangerous situation. And then about 4 hours later, all 500 of those church leaders from that country were back in that room pleading with my two friends to please finish the training because they so desperately needed it. >> And I'm thinking, I know that we're going to be down 400 people if the Cowboys kick at 11, >> right? Like what what I mean just the juxtiposition of here the that my two friends they they might have been thrown in jail. They they weren't going to get killed. They were going home eventually. I mean it could have been a pretty terrible month or so, but they're getting out. These 500 indigenous people, God knows what would have happened to them. And they they said, "We the Christians that we are serving and loving and pastoring are so desperate for richer, fuller disciplehip. You you've got to you've got to stay. You've got to teach us what you came to teach us." >> And what's what do all those people have in common? They're not looking for a way out. Nope. And so I've I've talked about this before in some political context and some some different, you know, sticky icky cultural topics, but when you see military-aged males fleeing a war torn or or beat up part of the world, it's like I forget what what college coach it was at maybe Rick Patino or someone like that where at halftime his team's getting smoked and he just comes in and he goes, "Hey, there's no one else coming through those doors. It's you guys. You're it." So if you're looking around waiting looking for the cavalry, you're it. Yeah. >> Like you're the people that So those people that are doing that training, they're like cuz we're here. We're not looking for a plane ride somewhere else. We're not looking for an escape. And I think a lot of it as well is because we have such a glut in this country of I mean, how many Bibles do you guys think that you own, physical Bibles that are sitting in your house? Like this library over here, the the forging table library that we have. Like it's not lost on me that I used to walk through Barnes & Noble just with my tongue hanging out of my head cuz I was just like, "Oh man, it'd be so cool just to be able to buy a physical book to have 30 bucks for a book." I've told this story before, but after I had graduated college, there was no safety net for me. There was no I'm going to go back home and live with mom and dad. And I wasn't explicitly told that I couldn't do that. I just couldn't. Like I knew that I couldn't do that. >> And so I'm trying to figure it out. And like, you know, this is during the 2008, 2009, you know, crunch in the economy. I'm down to my last $75, okay? And I'm I'm fairly smart with my money, right? And it's not going to sound like it after I tell the story, but I'm down to my last 75 bucks. And my roommate had gone home for Christmas. And it's especially cold here in Edmond, I think. Well, I mean, people that are living in Canada, like, it's not cold, bro. But it's like in the 20s here in Oklahoma, so it's freaking cold. But I couldn't really afford to to run the heat. And so I'm sitting on my couch and I've got a space heater plugged in and I've got a blanket over me and the space heater just to try to keep warm. And I sit there, none of this is going to make sense how where my brain went, but just follow. I'm sitting there just trying to stay warm and I go, you know what, screw it. I'm going to Barnes & Noble and I'm buying the new Bret Hart autobiography. And so I get in my I get in my old Mustang and I drive down to Barnes & Noble and I've got 75 bucks and I spend 30 of those dollars on the Bret Hard biography and I go back to my cold uh you know duplex and I throw that blanket over me and I sit there and I'm I'm reading this, right? Cuz I was you know a wrestling kid. But like think about how much I value that book because of what it meant and like at the time and I just needed something to hang on to. >> And I've got a stack of Bibles. Yeah. there. I've got multiple sets of the crossway, you know, Bible thing. >> And these people in these countries what they would do for an old Bible with someone else's name on the front of it. They don't care. They don't care what version, right? We get into these spats about what's better. Oh, well, I would have been a CSB person, but ESV kind of like took over and you know, but if you're really going to read it, you got to read the King James. Like, and we get into all these spats and those people are like, "Hell, we'll read the message, which is technically not even the Bible." And it's like we'll just do something to get the word in, but we just don't have again the plausibility structure for just having Bibles. >> Lauren got to with the organization called Illuminations go to Guatemala last year and deliver up in the mountains a Bible to a people group in their heart language. And I mean she said they just goodness one the whole village is there when they walk in with this Bible. They're everyone's weeping. I mean everybody's weeping. They can read it now in their own language. And um the the kind of excitement and zeal and laughter and party that followed just finally having a Bible in your language. It it's just kind of lost on us. >> Well, we should go ahead. >> Well, we we we have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to access and and any of those people being, you know, if they could wake up on a Sunday morning and go to a church and fellowship with this huge body of believers without any threat. persecution, you know, it would it would >> them telling us how important that is. I don't even know if it would resonate. Like we're so fickle. Like here we want to go to church and hey, all of this this is for me, right? Like if you say something I don't like, I'm out. >> I'll go across the street. >> I'm going to go across the street and I'm going to be there >> as long as it suits me and my needs. Right. >> Flame you online on the way out. And if my kids is going to blow up in his first sentence, >> right? Right. Right. So perhaps we should even get to reading the Bible in our own language at this point. But um as we start here, so Matt, I want you to read Romans 1:1. But but wait, you just don't even touch it. Just leave it. Get hands off. Hands off. Just don't touch it. It'll make sense. >> Uh so last time you were here, I almost melted down because I thought that we exposed something to the world that didn't need to be exposed >> that I can't see. Uh well uh worse than that um here you go. It's like hey Matt you know you're one of us right and hey how about you read you know this section through this section >> and you start doing what it's supposed to be reading and it's not going well. Okay. And because you didn't have your glasses. >> Yep. >> You had your travel Bible. >> Yep. >> But that wasn't what I initially thought is this guy's blind. I'm like oh this guy's kind of stupid. He can't read. Like he can't read. How has he made it to this place? >> Lot of audio. I am like how can we edit this out? We can't expose the the world to all this. But again, it was because you didn't have your glasses. You didn't have your your your Bible. Like my Bible, >> but you you know what? I'm I'm big on preparation. Okay, you can just go ahead and close that. You know, it'll make more sense here in a second. >> But I I was just sitting there thinking, and I'm one of those guys that I can't fall asleep, right? I'm just sitting there. The moment I lay down, that's when my brain turns on like uh you know, exponentially. And so I'm there's like we we got to do something. We got to make sure that no matter what Matt can read. And so >> I was hoping for something like this one. I knew this would come up. >> Yes. >> All right. So, uh, shout out to Crossway. If you're not watching this on YouTube, you're missing out because I'm about to break my arm trying to hold this thing. This is the ESV, uh, pulpit Bible. It weighs roughly, what do you think that weighs, Dean? >> Oh, man. Half much of the table. That's probably Yeah, I do want this just for the effect. Uh, I'm just going to go ahead and uh right there. Right there. A nice little splash. So, I think this Bible is going to be big enough. We got to cl We got to move some space. And so, if you can get to Romans, I hope >> this is incredible. >> I hope that that is going to be big enough. Guys, again, if you're not watching this on YouTube or Rumble, you need to kind of check it out because it's literally the like this is one of those Bibles that you put like in the foyer of your house or like on the pulpit at a church when you have a pulpit that can >> not if you have a small house. >> Uh, not if you have a small house. It's not really going to work out well for you. But yeah, if you'll point that mic directly at your face and let's go ahead and read Romans 1:1 and then let's go ahead and get into the book of Romans. >> Let's do it. Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus called to be an apostle set apart for the gospel of God. >> And that's where we're going to start, guys. And so, this is just uh the greeting uh from Paul. And like, yeah, you want to leave that there. you want to you're not taking right that the shipping on that was was substantial. >> I can't imagine my truck could hold the weight of that. >> Yeah, it it'd be a hard hard drive back to Dallas. But uh what's funny about Romans 1:1 is I called uh Degan and Browning this week and I was just like uh guys, I don't know how much time we're we're going to like or how much ground we're going to be able to cover because I feel like we need to pause three times in Romans 1:1 just to explain what different things mean. And so let's just start with the very beginning. And so, uh, Matt, if you wouldn't mind even just giving us a little bit of background. So, Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus. Again, we read that in English with no regard typically for the Greek or or whatever that it was written in. But, I mean, the Greek word here is is dulos. And so, if you could even just give us a little bit of background on like, okay, so what is Paul saying here in his first handful of words? Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus. Yeah, I think if if you're looking at his intro at a high level, and this is John Piper, not me. But he what Piper drew attention to in that first sermon, was that Paul in his intro, it's not who, but who's he is. And so every wrote it down. Y'all on the same page. Everything in here is Paul introducing himself as actually belonging to and being owned by someone else. And that certainly comes out right out of the gate where Paul a servant or in the Greek the the word before do like a bond servant. I I have been purchased by Christ. I am not my own. So Paul wants you to know right out of the gate that I am uh although he is going to mention that he's an apostle. He's going he's going to start by saying I am first and foremost owned by Christ. I belong to him. My life is his. My mind is his. My body is his. I am a bondervant to Christ. I have been purchased by his blood. He would use this language in some of the other epistles too. I I think the one that I think of off the top of my head is in the book of Galatians where he's working over the Judaizers and he asked the question I I would think you would be a Galatians guy. It like you that just the tone and snark of Galatians reminds me of you. So >> is it very calm and soothing? >> Yeah. But at one point he says if circumcision holy you should cut the whole thing off and when I read a verse like that I'm like that Kyle Thompson that might be his favorite verse. We had a we had a few conversations last night about uh you know kind of brought out a little some of my more extreme opinions but you know it worked out well. >> That's fine. So like in Galatians he says am I now trying to win the approval of man or of God? If I was trying to win the approval of man then I wouldn't be a bondervant of Christ. He's saying if I'm living for your opinion I don't understand that I've been purchased by his blood and I belong to him. So this is language that Paul uses in several other epistles. It's like one of his favorites to describe how he understands himself. And that is I am not my own. I do not belong to me. I was purchased by the blood of Jesus. I am his bondervant. Which means what he tells me to do, I do. Where he tells me to go, I go. I am saying to you what I believe he wants me to say to you. He's saying in essence right out of the gate, I am not about me. This is not about me. This is about Christ Jesus. Well, and I I don't want to say that you buried the lead a little bit by going straight to a servant of Christ Jesus because the but I think you did the the the first word of this Paul, what that name represents is transformation. >> No question. >> You know, I mean, just in that one word, because when you read Romans and you get to the end and then you go back and you see the very first word of it that it was written by Paul. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And you know who Paul was >> and what Paul was about and and the history of who he is. >> You know, Piper also said like if you don't get grace, you don't get Romans, >> right? >> Well, if you want to understand what grace is and how it and and and we're going to unpack that, no doubt, as we go through this book, of of its availability to anyone. >> Yeah. The fact that Paul is telling us about it is is massively impactful. >> Yeah. >> I mean, his name represents transformation in Christ Jesus. >> Well, and if you are if you are a bondervant, if you are a slave, the the it begs the question to what? To whom, right? And so, you know, obviously understanding the fullness of the gospel, we understand that we are slaves to sin. But what what Paul is saying here is like, well, yeah, no longer >> no longer. I'm no longer a slave to sin, right? I'm a slave to him. And so, if we think about that, and again, when you when you muddy the waters with child slavery and all this different stuff, it it be becomes hard to think. But imagine if we acted in a way that we were bonded to, purchased by God through Christ. Because again, the language here is about purchase, right? It's like, who's taken ownership of me in my life? And I think that's the delineating point. You know, Browning, you brought up, you have these churches that love to get people to raise their hands so that they can count them in their annual report. But at the same time, there's there's no fruit of life change. And again, I don't want to get into fruit evaluation cuz you'll never be less guaranteed of salvation than right after you listen to a John MacArthur sermon about guaranteed salvation or whatever, assurance of salvation. But like at the same time, that's when you see fruit when it's like even in a child, right? cuz I've we've had some conversations about, okay, how can a six-year-old like really know? Are they really different? Were they doing heroin, you know, one day in the playground and the next day they're they're out? But it's like, who are you a slave to? Are you a slave to your own desires? Are you a slave to mommy and daddy's approval or are you a slave to God? And so, I mean, that's just super dense right here, even in the beginning. >> Well, and in like slavery is not missed on the Roman people. They get it. They know what it is. Slavery has nothing to do with fruit. There is very little fruit to come from being a slave in the Roman Empire. >> You know, but the fact that like he's calling himself a bondervant to someone who is known to have died. >> Yeah. >> Had to have been like mass that that was a big departure from what they understood of slavery. But all the more the impact that it made on them because this is this is a letter obviously that we get a lot out of. But when you think of it in terms of who the audience is that he's sending it to, like slavery is something that you want to be free of. >> Yeah. >> And to be a to come in and say, "Well, I am a bondervant of Jesus. He's not here anymore, but I'm still choosing him. I'm still choosing this slavery." That that >> that had to have like jacked some people up. >> Well, who's who's dead here in the scripture? Sol Tarsus is dead. Yeah. >> Like a terrorist. Yeah. who was who was literally doing what the you know uh Boo Haram and the Fulanis and and you know al-Qaeda and all he is that towards the Christians in this era and dang he was good at it like the dude was just good at it but that dude is dead like dead dead gone dead right he still understands who he was he still understands total depravity and all that don't worry we'll get there but like that's the the interesting thing about this is like so yeah thanks for you know uh burying me for burying the lead but yeah you're right I mean it it is it is Paul he is a new creation he is a new person here. >> Yeah, I I was just thinking the same thing that we're all slaves to something, right? And so what first Paul was was he was freed from being a slave to sin and then made him a slave himself a slave again to Jesus. Uh that that to me was a sticking point. you were you were saying earlier about um conversion and I remember Whitfield would you know preach to hundreds if not thousands of people just with his voice alone and they were asking one time because they like man you so many people came to Christ today and he said you know uh that's that's great um and they they how many of those are going to keep you know are going to actually be converted and he's like I don't know we'll see you in six months you know so it's kind of like that that idea that it's great you raised your hand I I I remember distinctly >> and a cousin of mine uh name will be um not not said many years ago gave her life to Christ and I and she posted on it on Facebook and whatnot and I was like I was like that was wonderful and I had such a heart in that moment like she needs to be discipled. So, I reached out to an aunt and just and I I I didn't know if my aunt was able to do that or not, but I knew that she left lived close by and I just said, "Hey, I noticed that so and so who gave her life to Christ. I just I I know how the church tends to work. Would love for you to consider coming alongside her to disciple her because I because I knew that was such a need." Well, my my aunt didn't really I don't think she fully got it. Do I see fruit in my cousin? I I'm not around her enough to evaluate that, but um I would have questions, you know, and I just I just wonder if that was just kind of a missed opportunity. >> And what's her name? >> Not going to tell you that. >> Does she go to that church she didn't want to name earlier? Is that kind of the same thing? But >> maybe. >> Okay, maybe. But and again, within this first verse, I mean, uh I saw through 1 Corinthians 6:1 19 and 20. I mean, you're not your own robot with a price. I mean, all that is is through here as well. Uh but you know to yeah at this point guys uh I didn't know how much ground we were going to cover in this uh first hour of the forging table. Uh but if you would have told me we would have not gotten through verse one of Romans 1, I would have called you a fool. But I thought we had some pretty good discussion. You know, I got to bang the table with the world's largest Bible and the world's largest print, which was was it okay? It was fun. You were reading slow, so I didn't know if that was for effect or because we were still struggling with words. >> Well, the Bible was so huge, >> right? It's like Paul, >> it took me a second to find, >> but the print's not any bigger than in this one. It's just >> No, it's bigger. >> No, >> it's got Let get it out. Let's get a comparison going. Okay. All right, Dan Browning, you can be the judge here. All right. What What font do we think? Is this 16 >> 14 16 here? Okay, let's bust this one out. >> Oh, I'm going to say >> Yeah, that's bigger. That's like 18. Yeah, it's probably 18. >> Yeah. Yeah, definitely bigger. I mean, 500 pages right there. You know, it's like >> it's a little bigger, but not so big. It justifies the size of the book. >> Let's hear the thump. And there it goes onto the floor. But Jake Winkler, >> maybe Ryan can >> Oh, maybe Ryan and Winkler can both be here at the same time. Yeah, cuz we're not we're not in my kitchen right now. So, that that's how that works. But guys, believe it or not, we're going to leave our first discussion of Romans there. And don't worry, guys. come back here next week where we're going to pick back up in Romans 1:1 and uh we'll see how far we can get next time. But before we let you go, we are going to do a quick resilience boost at Undaunted Life. Our mission is equipping men to push back darkness with content that forges spiritual, mental, and physical resilience. Wanted to remind you again that is a Crossway Bible that you saw just plop off the floor heard plop off the floor over there. We have a great relationship with Crossway. We love having their authors on the show, but also we created a forging table starter set. So if you want to create something similar and we've got guys all over the world reaching out like hey we want to do something like this. There are five amazing books. There is a scripture journal of the book of Romans which I am holding right here up in front of the camera. ESV study bible new morning mercies by Paul David Trip. The beauty and power of biblical exposition by Douglas O'Donnell and family shepherds by the great Bodie Bacham. And also we are affiliated with the best and most powerful Bible software on the planet the logos Bible software. Matt uses the the software all the time. It it literally is cavernous. You can spend the rest of your life kind of digging through this and you still won't be able to even scratch the surface with all the power that it can have. But don't use it at full price. Use it as a discount. Go to the show notes and you can get get the link for all of that. Uh but guys uh and just want to remind you we are a donation based ministry. So if you want to see stuff like this continue to happen where we're able to like you know pay uh very prominent pastors lots and lots of money to come here to hang out with us. What did you what would what payment did you accept? I forget how much what was in the contract. I think I paid for my own hotel room. >> Uh, no. You brought me a receipt. But I called them and I called the the gal who apparently doesn't know how words work and I explained to her numbers. Numb numbers that she words are numbers again. >> I tried to check into my hotel last night. They're like, "That's not it. That card's not it." >> And I'm like, "Ma'am, these are the cards I not." >> Yeah. And that card's not it. >> But we got you in there. You're all squared away. No, your payment was just you had to come up and do jiu-jitsu. So, I got to I taught you a little bit of jiu-jitsu. We didn't talk very much about jiu-jitsu. And these guys are definitely disappointed. Right. >> Right. No, >> I'm I mean I'm obvious. >> Yeah, you're obviously. Dude, if he took those headphones off like he can barely hear with the amount of cauliflower that he has over there. You get a lot of cauliflower from chipping balls onto the green. Uh no, but we thank you guys very much. We are donation based ministry. If you want to see more stuff like this so we can equipment around the globe to do exactly what we're doing here, hop on board and be a donor. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Wherever you're listening to this, please subscribe, rate, and leave us a positive fivestar review. If you want me to come speak live at your event or on your podcast or shoot me an email to info@undanton.life, that's info@undanton.life. Follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook and check out our website for everything else, including how to donate to keep more content like this coming your way. Just go to www.undton.life. And as always, we want to thank the band Holy Name for allowing us to use their music for our content. The music on this podcast is their song Perpetual, which is off their self-titled debut album on Faceown Records. The links are in the description. I'm your host, Kyle Thompson. Remember, keep pushing back darkness. Keep forging spiritual, mental, and physical resilience. Keep seeking the Lion of Judah. [Music]