Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 1278 | Lessons We Learned from the COVID Mask Mandate & ‘I Did It My Way’

Episode Date: February 26, 2026

A Frank Sinatra hit song, a COVID-era mask callback, and a brutally smelly airplane converge into one uncomfortable truth: spiritual independence sounds great…until it doesn’t. The guys center on John 15 and the difference between staying connected to the source of life and slowly drifting into spiritual decay. Along the way, they land on two words they argue may be the most important in all of Scripture and figure out how to become best friends with Jesus. In this episode: Matthew 28, verses 18–20; Acts 17, verses 24–28; John 15, verses 1–17; 2 Corinthians 2, verses 14–16; Ephesians 1, verses 4–10; 1 John 2, verse 6; Hebrews 2, verses 5–9; Hebrews 12, verses 26–28; Psalm 8, verses 3–6 “Unashamed” Episode 1278 is sponsored by: https://timtebow.com/tree-unashamed —  Get your copy of If the Tree Could Speak by Tim Tebow on Amazon today! https://cozyearth.com/unashamed — Get up to 20% off when you use our link or code UNASHAMED! https://preborn.com/unashamed — Visit the PreBorn! website or dial #250 and use keyword BABY to donate today. http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://open.spotify.com/show/3LY8eJ4ZBZHmsImGoDNK2l Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Chapters:  00:00 Zach’s Mysterious Absence 04:32 Entering the “North Carolina Research Triangle” 12:18 Ava Gardner, Frank Sinatra & “I Did It My Way” 16:48 The Brick Capital of the World 24:42 What Does It Really Mean to Abide? 29:36 The Vine, the Branches & the Source 38:10 The Airplane Smell Story 43:18 The Two Most Important Words 47:26 A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken 51:38 Jesus Calls Us Friends — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? Welcome back to Unashamed. Was that, did Maddie just like give us a chide? What did you call that a light rebuke? In our world, we haven't seen each other in a week. And so we sat around and talked as friends. Did you hear that? Yeah, that you have somebody in your room, Zach, with you.

And I hope it's not demonic. No, I'm saying there was a howl. Did you not hear of like a wolf? Wolf howl? Yeah, that's why I said I hope it's not demonic, but. Why do you think it's in my room? It was in my, that was not here. It's not here, buddy.

Does you do that, Josh? It's happening in your world, North Carolina. I heard a wolf howl in my ear in my earphone and then I looked up on the screen and it said howl and all red. I don't know what just happened. Sounds like someone was playing the theme song for a movie, probably one of these horror films how he's got yeah he's getting to some

I don't know what he's got going on over here so that was telling him to replace that what's that how it's called the how I'm watching him do it on it's a howler timer I don't know what he was into it's a timer that when it goes off it sounds like a wolf I don't know what just happened I'm sorry guys continue I thought it was good

I mean it's better than starting off with was that young Josh is that it was young Josh I mean it scared of crap out of me though okay I don't even know what we were Oh, I was saying we were catching up because in our world it's been a week. So, well, first of all, let's just talk about the elephant in the room. Zach was not here the last four podcasts we did. You and I were just left out on us.

I was not happy about that. I mean, it was just like, oh, I'm busy. We'll see y'all in a couple of weeks. I don't know what happened. Zach, were you somewhere important? Were you making some deals for us or something? I was. As long as you're making me money.

But you can't remember? I can remember. I just have to tell you offline about it. I don't want to tell you on the podcast, but we were, yeah. All you need to say is two words. No comment. No comment. So, Zach, in your absence, I will tell you this, in your absence, we had the Godwin's own, which was excellent.

I love them both, but I have a hard time understanding what they're saying. They're very country. I went to North Carolina, and Zach. I went to North Carolina. What part? Well, that's an interesting question. I know what part, because I know a guy that went to your show. So let me just tell you what I did before I tell you what part,

because I made that part of this speech. And Missy was with me and Aunt Bonnie. Everybody needs an Aunt Bonnie. We say that all the time. And so when I was getting off the plane, because I was wondering, where am I right now? Because I had my organizer and my organizer with me. So I was doing, I was free rolling here.

I'm like. You weren't even looking at where you were. No, I had no idea where I was. You were being handled by your handlers. Really, to tell you the truth, after a couple flights, I didn't know if I was on the West Coast, East Coast. I didn't know if I was in the same country. I'm looking.

So I look up and we're walking. Chase being chased. What gets my attention and when I'm exiting, any kind of facility is where you see the signs where it says exit no return. That always scares me.

It's like you're leaving the part... Because you have to stop and pause like, do I really want to go back? Because you're not sure for a minute there. I have the same feeling. I always feel that way.

Because I think if I walk through, it's usually little glass doors that open up in some of the airports and I'm thinking if I go, I'm there. If I left something on the plane, It's not the exit. It's the no return.

No return. That's intimidating. So I stopped and it said, look, this was an interesting thing. And, Zach, since you're from North Carolina, I look up and it says after the point of no return and all this, it says entering the North Carolina research triangle. Oh, you're in Rodney Darrow. In big letters. And I just thought Entering the North Carolina

Research Triangle Wow, have you ever seen that? I have been to that airport But I have not noticed it Well, so I looked past Like on the horizon I was looking for triangles You know, I thought

What are they talking about? It almost sounds like Everybody that wants through that door Is now a subject In a research triangle to me So I couldn't get that off my brain. And so I was in, you're right, Zach, I was in the Raleigh, Durham area. I'm flying in there.

And when I got to the hotel, because the events we had, I was going to do event Thursday night, which it did. Then Friday night, I was doing a men's event, not too far from the first one, but totally separate. And then Missy Saturday was doing the women. So that was kind of while we were all traveling together. which sounds great in theory, but that's a lot of time just to be moving around hotel because we moved every time. Trust me, I know. I just did three during that same period. So I got to the hotel and I was like, I've got to look this up. What is this research triangle, North Carolina?

You'd never heard that phrase before. No. Have you? Yeah. Only about 20 years ago. Well, let me ask you what I asked the crowd. So I get up. After I looked at that ball table, opening line. I said, I am in.

First I said the town, which was Smithfield. I do my Larry the Cable guy joke. People always laugh. Good to be in Smithfield, North Carolina. But you never heard that. When's the last time you heard that? Everybody laughs. That's why I do it every time.

It's always funny. He had one more line after that here that you can't say, you know. I don't remember that. But I don't like to put poison in. my mind. So then I said, I said, I have entered the North Carolina Research Triangle. And so then I said this. Did you get a chuckle when you said? No, no chuckle. No chat. Dead silence. Okay. So then I said, well, what did y'all find out? I mean crickets. And I said, silence doesn't bother me

because I looked this up and y'all formed this phrase in the 1950s so I want to know what have we found out because we're researching a triangle somewhere in North Carolina what was the verdict

and look crickets I said someone please say something that in 75 years we've come up with something and one voice said well we have have a park.

And I said, did that get a laugh? Did that she got a laugh because they have the research triangle part. And I said, but we still have no data in 75 years of research. This is why Jason is good to have on the podcast, Zach, because only he would go to this leather. He chased a rabbit hole inside a rabbit hole inside Robbie Durham.

So look. But you've got the three big universities here. You got Duke. You and see you. Oh, I read that. I read that. Well, why didn't they say that? Nobody said anything.

So let me tell you what I said, Zach, drum roll. I'm getting excited about this because it just, this went over like a lead balloon. And so here's what I said. I can't imagine why. I said, well, I've been doing some research on another triangle. The father, the son, the spirit. Yeah. And so I quoted Matthew 28.

I said, here's the research I've been doing. Here's a fellow a couple thousand years ago got up in a loud voice and said all authority in heaven and on earth. So let me save you some time on that research. You're on a planet called Earth. I realize you're in a research triangle. Are you seeing them get on the edge of their seed now? Among earth. No one knows what research were.

doing. But, I mean, I just couldn't believe no one had an answer. And I said, according to the verse, go make all authority on heaven and in earth has been given to me. Therefore, go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There's my triangle. Ooh. Ooh. That's where I started, Zach. That's pretty good. good. That's good.

All right. So, illustration number two. So then I got a little deeper because when I looked what Smithfield was known for. This was your second stop, Smithfield. No, no, I'm about the same place. We have the triangle. Okay. Because look, they've created a North Carolina Bermuda triangle.

No one knows what the heck that's talking about. Even the people that live there, don't know? They don't know. And then they started chuckling about it. I was like, it is funny, isn't it? Yeah. That you had somebody put on the airport I'm entering some weird triangle that it's a research center to nowhere. So then they're famous for Ava Gardner.

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place known for? They said, Ava Gardner used to, she was from here. Eva Gardner. So I had to look her up. Is she a singer or actress? She was an entertainer back when they were doing the research triangle when that launched. Back in the 40s and the 50s. And so I looked what the most famous, because I thought,

well, how am I going to make something out of this? Because I'm trying to get to know these people. And you want to show them you care about their community. So I said, what was the most famous thing that she did? I asked the crowd. And somebody, now they had this. Yeah. There was a few answers, but the most famous one I agreed with.

was she was married to Frank Sinatra. Oh. So there was my angle. I thought it was my name was Nancy. Was he married more than once? Pause. I was researching and Ava Gardner and she was married to Frank Sinatra. You'll find this interesting.

Okay. I said, I love Frank Sinatra. Now look, I was like, I asked all y'all what this place was famous for, and everyone said the same thing. They got no mention in the triangle all about Ava Gardner. Okay. I said, but look, then I asked you, what she most famous for, Frank Sinatra.

They got divorced. And I said, 10 years later, it led him, his experience with Ava Gardner led him to write a song. And Al, I sang the song, which I told Missy, I was like, that's the most nervous I've been, because when you sing a song, especially if I had a song. I did it my way. I did it my way. And so then I said, that was based on his divorce from Ava Gardner? Well, he wrote the song 10 years after the divorce.

And I'm like, you're hanging your hat on that. So look, I said... These people, at this point, Judge, the people that brought you here are thinking, what have we done? They're thinking in their mind in this moment, we have made a huge mistake by bringing this man to speak here. Just like I deal with the Research Triangle, I went to Jesus, who I said, how can someone make a statement?

Like what in the world? This guy's insane. That all authority in heaven and earth has been given to him. I was like, he's either a lunatic or he just came back from the dead. Well, Al, you're missing my point, my overall point. I know where you're going. So then when I sang the... I did it my way.

I didn't do it like in the shower. Yeah. Because I really belt it there. I just did that. And then I said, well, how's that working for you? Because from my experience, Every time I've done it my way, that's been a complete disaster. That's a dumpster fire.

Yeah. Dumpster fire. What's interesting, when I get back home, Missy turns on the news, I kid you not. This was like a sign. And Mara Lago was having some ceremony. I have no idea what the details were. And they had a military band that came in and they were singing. I did it, from a choral view.

I mean, people were crying. It was very beautiful. Wow. But I thought, you know what I thought? Well, how's that working for you? I like it. Yeah. So I did that, and then I said,

look, we need to make this place famous for something else. And then I went back to the same guy who said, all authority in heaven on earth. Let's make the triangle of God famous. Let's make. Let's do it God's way. let's do it God's way Al you that was

I knew where you were going I liked it I did my normal speech in between all that So that was your setup That was very good Yeah so that was Smithfield You got their attention Well then I went to

Sanford How far is that from you Zay Sanford Four five hours Because that's down around The research triangles about Four hours Well I was still in the research

triangle that still wasn't happening. So I go to Sanford. Well, I'll look it up. Guess what? What are they known for? Brick capital of the world. Brick capital of the world. So in the VIP line.

So now in the last month, you've been to the carpet capital of the world. This was the brick. And now the brick capital. Here's what I found fascinating. 200 people were in the VIP line. Guess how many built bricks? None. One.

And look, he was right at the end. Because I said, what do you do? And I was thinking, where are the brickmen? This is the brick capital of the world. And they, I mean, they're doing everything but building bricks. Finally, I got to the guy. Elderly gentleman, really nice guy. And I said, well, you know what I've concluded?

He said, what's that? I said, you're the brick capital of the world. And he said, you know what? I'm going to agree with you. And I said, what is the key? Was he an elder person? This is interesting. I said, what is the key to making the best bricks?

He said, getting clay out of the ground. Okay. You were expecting a little more, right? He said, just give it time. I love this guy. So you know where I went with that. Yeah. Oh, yeah.

I went to Acts 17. Look. I don't normally do this. I read the entire, I said, brick capital of the world, good to be in Sanford. When's the last time you heard that? Ha, ha, ha. I said, I'm going to go. Brick capital of the world, Acts 17.

God doesn't live in buildings. Yep. I don't care if they're made with bricks or not. Yeah. He didn't live there. He's not like some other image that, you know, like gold and silver or bricks. He lives in people. Yeah.

With a house of God. That's where I started. Yeah. So then did the same speech. So anyway, that was the synopsis of the... I like that you use the regional... You kind of have a regional opening thing, which is typically what you do.

You're trying to like connect, right? Well, look, here's what happened. A few podcasts ago, Zach kept talking about abide, which is a word that we no longer use. Correct. And so... But a lot of... But that word appears all in our text in terms of the Greek word.

Here's what I found fascinating. So in the NIV, it's used as remain. And I said it's God moving in, and you moving in. It's a dwelling. That's another word. So like the times that it's not used in connection with your relationship, it's used as like a house to get on the house thing, dwelling. Abode.

Like this is my humble abode. Abode. And Zach made a big deal of that. But I'm like, when's the last time you use that word in a sentence? You know, it's not a word we use, and you're like, what does it mean? And so when you know it, I was listening to, because I've been traveling, so I was listening to various services or how you want to describe Sunday worship and various sermons.

Various sermons and worship. And I heard your buddy, John Tyson, Zach, in New York. And one of the better sermons I've heard him give. It was about Jesus and the Vine from John 15. Well, guess what it was all about? Abide. Yeah, what is abide?

I was like, you can't make this up. So I looked up that Greek word out two dozen times in First John. Yeah. So I mean, when I did the, I'm adding another leg to the wheel of most common themes in first job. And we did the about being known and you knowing

and what were the other things I did I had about four of them when he was like this the ifs remember I did the if

there's a lot of if if if if we claim yeah that was a big one and then another one was this is how this is the message just

and then he makes these profound statements but I write this to you that was and then obviously a Goppe Love was one. Right. But abiding or remaining or connecting is a central theme.

And he went, he was going from John 15, but that's what we should have done in 1st John. Yeah. Because, and we can do that at some point because, oh, I'm ready. It was a fantastic sermon, but what that means, and he had a real. Zach, in your, in the ESV is the, is the. word abide there, all the words weird for Remain, does your version say abide?

I would assume because it's a better translation than the NIV. And I concur. Yeah, the Remain doesn't quite give it, because something can remain in the way we interpret that. You guys remain here while I go over here. It doesn't give the same essence of like home, dwelling. This is like my place.

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Celebrate everyday love with comfort that makes the little moments count. Yeah, but it's not just, it's not just a proximity thing. It's also, it is a, I mean, it is a home. I mean, I think that's the thing when, because like, you know, you could stay, you could remain somewhere else that's not your home and it doesn't feel it. But to be in your home, that's that place where you're really you, the place where you're really known, the place where you can let your hair down, the place where, like, real intimacy, the real you.

And so you've gone out, you know, that, I think that's the picture of when it talks about abiding. It's like, it's getting to that real core idea of intimacy. Oh, I agree with that statement. Yeah, that's good. But let me just read this. This is going to be helpful. Look, it's two dozen times in first John. I put my shades on.

All that happened was the red letters got darker. Let me put my glasses. Look, I want to read this, because we missed this. We should have gone through this in John 15. So when he says, I am the true vine and my father is the gardener. Now, you got to remember, he's in the section about pouring out the spirit. John 14, John 15, John 16. Remember, right in the middle.

Yep. Leave. Yeah. So I'm the true vine and my father is the gardener. And I'll have to say, Mr. Tyson did a wonderful job. He went through all these Old Testament verses in the Hebrew scriptures, talking about how Israel as a nation is referred to as divine, as divine, as divine, as divine. But not in a positive way, you know, a lot of things.

They were connected to God, but they weren't functioning. Yeah, they weren't bearing the fruit of... To the soul. He made an interesting phrase, and I really liked it, because that is the whole point of this. They weren't connected to the source. And so what happened is they started serving other gods. So he made a really good point on that. And even so, through that nation, of course, he was saying, the only thing I kind of disagree with,

he was saying it didn't go well, but that was God's plan to bring a about Jesus. So in essence, it did go well because it produced Jesus. Their lack of relying on the source had Jesus come out to become the ultimate human from the nation of Israel. Which is interesting because God showed in that, just a large picture of view, it didn't depend on the people getting it right for his will to be done because Jesus was going to come. no matter what. Yeah. So what I'm saying?

Like the functionary of all the people, you think, where everybody had to get it right to get Jesus here. Nope. Most time they got it wrong, but Jesus still got here. Well, but it also, to go back to Sinatra, it made us conscious of what happens when you do it my way. Start spreading the news. The connection is broken.

I had a point for bringing that up. I think it's very important. And so, all right. Then it says, he cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear, he prunes. So there's some discipline, there's some suffering. There's some struggle. Clean. So that it will be even more fruitful.

You are already clean because the word I've spoken to you. Remain up. There's a remain. Yep. Abide. So abide. remain in me. So it's a connection to the source.

He had a really good illustration here about you buy your wife flowers for Valentine's Day, which I did. And you're like, wow, this is majestic. It's beautiful. Give it 10 days. Even if you water it. What's the best you can hope for? A slow death. You're like, what happened?

What happened here? It was so beautiful. But just think about how powerful that illustration is. When you lose connection from the source, the intimacy, the relationship, it's a slow death. And you look up and you're being thrown out into the fire. I mean, it's over. And just any fire gets around, dead, dry, lifeless, remain in me, I will remain in you. To your point about intimacy, Zay.

No branch can bear fruit by itself. There's Sinatra. Yeah. You do it your way. What happens? No fruit. You just have a hit song and... And you divorce Avicardner.

Yeah, and you're dead. I mean, it's just sad, but it's just the truth. But must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain. Abide, abide, abide, abide, remain, remain, remain, remain, remain. Four times in one verse. One, two, three. What is the point?

the connection. Yeah. So that's why. And I see it another half a dozen times. What blew me away about this is because that first John 1, 1 through 4, he's like, we've seen him. We've touched him. And then he's like, you have fellowship, partnership,

connection with him. I want to explain that to you. So that is the point, this relationship. And Zach, he had a very good illustration. He said when he was engaged with his wife, for circumstances of just trying to make a living, they separated physically. He was in North Georgia. His wife was in Florida. And but they're engaged to be married. And he's like, well, I'm in Georgia.

It's like I'm, you know, a young, hot Australian. It was a joke. And there would be some Georgia. girls come up and be like, hey, what are you doing Friday night? And he's like, well, look, I know it looks like I'm single, but my heart is with, and he said his wife's name, even though she's not here. So I can't go with you.

I appreciate it. And he was just saying he was remaining. He was connected, even though he wasn't physically seeing her. Yeah. And they weren't in the same space. They weren't in the same space, but he was like, look, he kept using the word his heart. There's a love connection that is beyond the physical, actual viewing of my wife. I am madly in love with this woman.

You're out. I thought it was a great illustration. It's a good illustration. And the fruit of that is very pleasing. The fruit of remaining is very pleasing. but to your point, as Jesus's point, you cut that off from the vine, it's a whole other story. When I was in high school, my first job, when I was 13 years old, my dad was like,

you have to go to work. And so literally, he sent me to work in a watermelon field, which is the hardest job, like, ever. I mean, it is hard. I mean, you're talking about 35-pound melons that you're basically walking through a field and you just bend over, you pick up a melon, you throw it to the guy next to you, he throws it to the guy next to him,

and there's a truck going down the road, you throw it up to him, and he puts it in the truck, they take it and put it in a semi, and when the semis full, they haul it off. And every day, that summer, that's what I did.

And the first day, I got super sick, by the way, because it was so hard work, it's 100 degrees in North Florida. But the way of water, the watermelons grow on a vine. And it was interesting because you're looking at all these melons,

and I used to love watermelon until, that until I started working in the fields. I hate it now. I hate it. I feel like we're in some kind of a counseling session. It's therapy session. But let me tell you why I hate it. Because the smell, like once they get cut from the vine,

then it takes about two or three days. They just, I mean, the hot Florida sun just, they just start to sour and they just turn into like a mush. I mean, it's the most disgusting smell. It's like this horrible smell. And it's like the reason why they smell, is because they've been cut off from the source of their nutrition, and they literally just start to decay and die.

And that's the picture of us when we get cut off from the source of crisis. We begin to decay and die. We smell like death. And if you're connected with Christ, you actually take on a whole different aroma. And I think that's the, and that's what attracts the world around us. 80,000, Jace. That's how many babies were rescued last year. thanks to the faithfulness of unashamed nation and other dedicated supporters of pre-born.

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that's pre-born.com slash unashamed. I can't believe you just brought this up because the only other interesting thing that happened, and I'm apologizing in advance for this rabbit hole because it has very little to do with anything spiritual. But this was so interesting. I have to share this as a PSA, public service announcement. We walk on to the plane to get from Atlanta, no, no, from Raleigh Durham to Atlanta, Atlanta. As soon as I walked in, I have a high sense of smell. And I was like, oh, I wanted to gag. And Missy was like, oh, and she doesn't have a high sense of smell. She's like, it was the bathroom.

I thought it was the bathroom. Well, when I looked for help from the stewardess, she turns around and she has a mask on. And I was like, oh no. And she's like, what's wrong? I was like, what's wrong? I was like, The smell. Well, she's looking. What smell? I don't, what smell? I thought, I can't complain because this one has a mask on it. Usually I make fun of people.

What would she do anyway? Ow, you don't realize how bad the smell was. It was so bad. So I thought, let me just get away to my seat and maybe I can create some distance because I felt like I was going to throw up. It was that bad. it didn't go away. And so I'm on the, look, I'm flying first class for reasons I've already stated before.

I don't apologize about it. I'm in the second seat, Missy's beside me, Aunt Bonnie is across the aisle in the second seat. So we all sit down. And everyone that's past us, like, oh, so it's a thing. It's not like, okay, Jase, you're embellishing. So, so bad. Just horrible. Well, Aunt Bonnie points to the woman in front, a very large woman.

She's like, I have found the source. Right here. And I thought, what do we do? She's not leaving. She's not leaving. She's getting. And I thought, well, I had, usually I'll wear my honeyhole shirts with it. And I thought, I've got to make a mask out of the hood.

Because I can, this is undoable. Because I told me, I was like, let's just get off. And I'll take the next flight. Because I think, she's like, that's ridiculous. I was like, she's like, I'm not saying it's not bad. This is the worst thing I've ever smelled. But it was a human. And so here I am in this weird world.

I think, you know, we did the mask thing in COVID. and now the stewardess looks like a genius. She's oblivious of what's going on. All the people are suffering, and I'm like, I think I could just make a revolt and get her removed due to odor, but I'm not sure. And then I wound up making a mask out of my hoodie, and I wore it the entire flight.

So not sure why I told that story, but what would you do in that situation? So I had a similar situation on my way home yesterday, but I was in my truck. We were driving back from Arkansas, Bentonville. And we come through Farmerville, which is famous for chicken houses. Oh, they're bad. We went through a stretch. And all of a sudden, everybody went, ah, because it was me and Lisa and both my girls.

And they were like, what is that? And I was like, chicken farm, chicken houses. And so I took a can of Altoids that I happened to have in my console, and I opened it up. and I just put my nose in the alttoids. You know, the curiously strong peppermint or whatever. And I just sail right on through it. But it was about a five-mile run, a putrid dead chicken's mouth. So you've got to have an al-a-oids.

It was such a weird thing because, look, I mean, I stink a lot of things. And I always have told my wife, I'm like, well, it smells like money. When I was a commercial fisherman or when I was cutting firewood, she's like, man, you stink. What are you talking about I'm providing for you here? But now I had a life-changing experience on that plane. I'm like, you get a certain person who goes this far into bodily odor, and it just disrupts the entire setting because you're trapped in a space. And boy, I don't know. There was so many spiritual applications that I made.

it humbled me. No, I don't, I mean, it's, I mean, everything you're saying is kind of provocative and it may make some people bad, but I will, I'll tell you, it's,

make people mad, what that. People get bad about that kind of stuff, but I think it's, but I'm with you. I mean, there's, there's been situations.

We need to have this out. Why would people get mad? Because they're going to be like, you're making fun of this person because they're, I'm not making fun of the personnel. We're literally dry heeding. I get it. Over this.

And the way our system works with the mask and the COVID, because, you know, then I felt like I'm siding with what I was once against. I'm like, I should care around a mask just in case this ever happens again. Because sometimes people have also because they're nervous about flying or maybe they had a bad breakfast burrito, but there's also sometimes flatulence on airplanes that has the same effect. Well, exactly. And you need a mask, you know, just to get you through the moment.

I mean, it's happened. You got to have a mask. There's a lot of different reasons to wear a mask. You know what I mean? Yeah. I'm with you. I was always anti-mask because it was forced on us, but you're right. You're making some force.

Well, I'll say this. If you were to rank threats against me, I would probably put the foul odor above COVID. If that's more, I'm more likely to wear a mask. Because the odor situation, I don't know. Maybe it's something in our family. I've got a really sensitive nose. and I could smell that stuff too. We made you gag one time on here.

Well, look, to make this a spiritual application, you're right. I think the connection brings the fruit. And I think there's a sense of relief. I can't remember the points. There is a verse about aroma. Well, I just turned to it. Yeah. Be the aroma of Christ.

To one, does the smell of death? I thought it was First Corinthians two, but it's not. No, it's Second Corinthians, too. Second Corinthians, too. Let's read the... Yeah, I was trying to go there earlier. You sidetracked me with the... Well, I know, but I had to share that story.

It's 214. For we are to God the aroma of Christ. Yeah. Among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one, we are the smell of death, to the one that fragrance of life, who is equal to the death.

So that's a very profound after the illustration. You know, what do you smell like? if you're in him, it says, which look, I want to make a, I want to make a statement today. And I could be wrong because I haven't, I thought of this this morning, but I thought, you know what. Jason's making the statement, everybody. I think the most two important words together in the Bible, I'm going to make a very profound in the spirit of my dad, blanket statement. Okay. The two most important words or version of is in Christ.

I like that. I just, when it says... Which, by the way, is most of the book of Ephesian. Remain in me, and I will remain in you, that in me in Christ, I mean, you read Ephesians one, it's mentioned like a dozen times in that chapter. When he kind of gives the overview of how God's plan came about, in Christ, in Christ, in Christ, in Christ, in Christ, in Christ, in Christ. And this whole idea of abiding in two dozen times,

this connection, one, it takes the pressure off your performance. Because he's basically supplying the power. He's the source. So he's like, I want to work in you and through you. That's the attitude we should have. And when you go out, look, you start smelling. and like Jesus. It made me think of that verse that nobody knows what to do with in First John

that we quickly went over when it says, 1 John 2, 6, whoever claims to live, now look, there's that phrase in him. In him. Which right above that, the sentence before that, this is how, this is the message. If anybody obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are, here's that. in Christ, in him.

Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. Well, you're like, well, I can't do that. It can't be perfect. But if you're connected to the source, he's going to work in and through, you remain in me. That's where the fruit is coming from. We're getting down to the tree, the roots. You're just a little offshoot of the branch, but you're remaining in him, that connection. It's very hard to describe.

And it actually takes the pressure off, you know, trying to worry about it, right? Yeah. So it's like, oh, you're not saying, oh, I got to do something. I'm hooked up. I'm connected to a source that this is happening. And here's the proof of what you're saying is true. Back to Ephesians 1-4. He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be held in blame.

I mean. Where? Yeah. So do you all disagree with my blanket statement? No, I think it's powerful. I'll tell you what's interesting, though, how this relates to the kingdom. When you get to Hebrews, the end of Hebrews, and we're actually going through the book of Hebrews at our church,

which is absolutely, we're three weeks in. I'm preaching the third sermon. Yeah, we did it last year. It's so good. Oh, my gosh. It's so encouraging. It's so good. But one of the things that's interesting in the book of Hebrews

he says the argument begins to unfold. The Hebrew writer is essentially, obviously establishing Christ is the center of all thing and the fulfillment of the Old Testament, the fulfillment of the prophets. He's a better high priest, better prophet, better, better everything, better temple, better sacrifice, all of that. But there's another thing that's happening underneath that truth of Scripture that he is establishing humanity as the ones who will be over creation in the world to come. That's in Hebrews 2.

It wasn't the angels to whom he subjected the world to come. It was to humans. That's the whole point. We reference to Psalm 8. So that goes all the way through to Hebrews 12. And he says in Hebrews 12 that we belong to a kingdom that can't be shaken or destroyed. And he says the things that are passing away when the shaking happens, when the shaking of what the universe happens, the things that aren't of God, the things that are falling away anyways, they just fall off.

And then what remains is the kingdom. And so going to this idea of abiding and this idea of the fruit, the way I imagine that is it's a tree. And it's like, Phil used to shake those, what's the jelly he made, Mahal jelly? And he would shake those trees and that fruit would come off. But all the fruit, everything that's falling off when the world shakes are things that are passing away anyways. And it is the real fruit of the spirit that remains. It's that which is attached to Christ that remains. And that gives a lot of comfort because no matter what happens, whatever shaking the universe is undergoing at the time,

those who are connected with Christ are part of a kingdom that even though everything else is shaking around us, that one thing remains. It holds. Now, that's so good, Zach. When you think about Jay's talking earlier about that illustration, you know, those roses, as long as they're connected in the rose garden, you can walk by and smell them, and they always smell good until they go into their own regeneration process. But the minute you clip them, they still smell good, but time is ticking.

Time is tick. I just wonder, I just want to read the verse, because you had mentioned the verse, remain, or the word remain. This is in the ESV of Hebrews 2. At that time, his voice shook the earth. This is Hebrews 1226. But now he has promised, yet once more I will shake, not only the earth, but also the heavens. This phrase, yet once more, indicates the removal of the things that are shaken,

that is, things that have been made in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. May abide. I mean, that'll preach. That's powerful. Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and all for our God is a consuming fire. And half of that passage were Old Testament prophecies that pointed to this moment.

Well, look, but what does this look like? And I think that's the problem. What does it mean to be connected? And so if you go back to John 15, when he's like, verse 5, I'm the vine, if a man remains in me, he says it again, and I in him, he will bear much fruit. All right, so he's like, well, there's some fruit going to happen. So that's one thing it looks like, but it's coming from the source, this connection.

So then he's like, if you remain in me, verse 7, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish. Oh, so there's conversations. Well, then he gets down and says, says, he brings up this idea about friends, which I really, this kind of hit me like a ton of bricks, because most religion, there's a certain amount of reverence or, you know, the religions of the world. We deal with that, but you didn't be calling God your friend. Yeah.

But that's what he did. In this context, he says in verse 14. Yeah, he starts in about verse 11. loving. So I've told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. So we're getting this joy and then love. And he uses that same phrase, Josian, first John. And these are free to the spirit. Right. Love each other. Greater love is no one than this that he laid down his life. He brings up for his friends. And you are my friends. I mean,

There's no, when you try to look up the Greek language for this scenario about, because we're fine with servants of God. Yeah. Well, he's God and we're not. But you have trouble when you start trying to say, well, wait a minute, he wants to be my friend? Yeah. And it made me think, well, who are my best friends? Well, my brothers, obviously my wife. Yeah.

my kids. These are my best friends. Those three... Your mom said the dashers were your best friends recently. She did say that recently. I think she was kidding. Maybe not. But they are.

But then I thought, well, you know why these people are my best friends? Because I spend all my time with them. You're connected. We're connected. This is the way it is. And it just kind of hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought, man, what Jesus is presenting here is like, I want to be the ultimate friend relationship here.

And what's amazing today is I hadn't thought about this to you brought this up, that I run into people all the time that their best friends are not their family. Well, exactly. They're like disconnected from family and they have other friends kind of almost like replacement. And it makes me sad when I hear that. Like they're like, hey, I hadn't seen my parents in the year. They're on the other coast. And I was just like, whoa.

I mean, that seems strange to me that those you're most connected to on the earth wouldn't be your friend. Yeah. That makes me sad that people would not happen. Well, it is sad. Yeah. But people, I think that's the number one motivation, especially when you're a teenager. And it kind of, it made that click for me because really the process of rebellion that occurs is they put. their friends wanting to be accepted above anything else.

That is with all three of my kids that we gave natural birth to, not the ones I've acquired, but I just noticed that process. And I'm like, I think this verse should be useful in that realm. Because you're never going to have a better friend than the creator of the universe. Do you remember Zach when dad was working on his last book? book and he had a whole list and he did it on the podcast. It's also in the book. I could be wrong.

But he has the whole list of things, the titles for Jesus. And he got to the very last one and he said, and he's my friend. Yeah. And it was very compelling and powerful when he said it that day on the podcast. I never forgotten that. And then it was reinforced to me yesterday morning because we were in Bentonville on the set of the movie, the Lifetime movie that's being made about Lisa. And so I was there for an hour.

And the one scene that we were watching that was being filmed was me and dad sitting on the front porch, which was exactly where we would have been back during that day. And I'm a teenager. I just got back. I'm still kind of bruised from my battles. And, you know, you have to watch the movie to see all that. But, and then dad, like, I'm apologizing for my behavior, you know, the person I've been. And dad just preaches me the gospel on the porch. and, you know, just me watching that yesterday,

I didn't get, like, super emotional, but, I mean, it touched me to remember the moment and see that on film, these two actors playing me and dad. But what got me was is that we reestablished our relationship and our friendship when I came back from, when I came back and reconnected to the vibe, when I reconnected to Christ, to my family, to all this. And so that's exactly what it is for any of us.

You lose your way, but the beautiful thing is you can come back. I mean, like, he's still there. The vine is always available for us. But it makes sense. I mean, if you're so-called friends and you go weeks without talking to them. Yeah.

In my case, two years. Well, yeah. It's over. I think it makes you wrap your head around John's point in First John about what this is. This is a relationship with not even strong enough word. I mean, it's a friendship, which is why he would eventually go on to say,

because I always wondered why he said that when he said, look, you didn't choose me, I chose you. Well, think about it. This goes back to third grade, like saying who's going to be your friends? Right. And you get picked last for the soccer game. Yeah, yeah.

Well, that kind of moves on to the glory that God is wanting to have you experience is his approval of you, his choosing. He's like, I want to be your friend here. And I'll give you everything. Right. It's all yours. And no matter how much the world doesn't choose you, God will always be there. Tell you what, it makes that verse that says friendship with the world and James is hatred toward God.

Yeah. Well, what's friendship with God? Yeah. That's what this is about, which is why he brought up the first John. All right. We're out of time. That seemed to go by fast to me. I hope it did to you.

We'll see you next time. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. And don't miss an episode by subscribing on YouTube. And be sure to click the little bell and choose all notifications to watch every episode.