WHOA That's Good Podcast - Here's Why You Need to Stop 'Manifesting' ANYTHING in Your Life | Sadie Robertson Huff & Chad Veach

Episode Date: October 5, 2022

Sadie welcomes author and pastor of Zoe Church Chad Veach to the podcast. Chad shares why worrying is never the answer and why you need to stop "manifesting" — instead of looking to "the universe" for answers, why not focus on the One who created the universe? Sadie and Chad outline practical steps for how to start praying if that's not part of your daily life and remind us that the point of prayer is to connect with God. Prayer is an invitation into intimacy, so we can talk to Him like a friend! Chad also walks us through what he's learned about the physical ways your brain is transformed when you regularly pray. Prayer helps us get a new perspective. And remember: God doesn't want anything from you, He wants YOU. Your relationship with God is exactly that — a relationship! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's up friends welcome back to the world that's good podcast. Happy Wednesday everybody. Hope you're having a great week so far. It's about to get better because we have an awesome guest on the podcast today. He just came out with a new book. Y'all first of all I hope that you're watching this on YouTube and not just listening on podcast. And if you're listening on podcast go over and just check out the cover of this book

because it is so cool. It's worried about everything because I'm praying about nothing. Y'all how good is that? I know so many of us are worried about so many things, and I can't wait to talk to Chad Veach about how we get to the point of not worrying so much and praying more. So Chad, welcome to the podcast. Oh, thank you so much for having me on. I'm so excited. I'm so pumped. Well, man, it's so good to have you on. I've known you for a little while.

I'm sure people who are listening know you, but some you're new too, so I can't wait to just hear a little bit of your story. Talk about this book, but before we get into any of that, I had to ask you the question that everybody gets asked in the world, let's go podcast. And that is what is the best piece of advice that you have ever been given? Oh, ever. I like that one. That's a first of all. That's a great question. The best piece of advice. This is what comes to mind when you ask that question is from my father and my dad used to Basically say you're gonna sell something you're they're gonna sell cars are gonna sell Jesus But always try always trying promote not your thing, but his thing That's good

And I think I was just good advice to you know from a young age my dad was kind of teaching me like hey Life is not about you don't go into that side of life Always promote God and and you know to teach him, he's like, hey, life is not about you, don't go into that side of life, always promote God. And, you know, he was using the language of sell, but really what he's teaching me from a young age is live for God, live for the God story, live for the God thing, not your own thing. So, the best bit of advice I've got is live for Jesus.

It's good. That's so good. It makes me think of whenever Jesus was talking to Peter about fishing and he said from now on, I'm going to make you a fisherman. It's like, that's it. It's so good. It makes me think of whenever Jesus was talking to Peter about fishing and he said from now on, I'm gonna make you a fisherman. It's like, it's so good. It's like just live for Jesus and all that you do. Do it for him.

So I love that. That's so good. Well, I want to know a little bit more about your story. Y'all, I know y'all live in LA now and all our pastors of a church called Zoe that I've been able to go to and it is just so incredible. But how did y'all get to where you're at? What's a little bit of your backstory?

Yeah, so and I love those days What I remember when we were first starting you and your crew were coming through and we just It was fun days in LA back then It's awesome, but you know, I'm from Seattle my wife and I are actually from you know the Northwest. This is a cool story. Our dads went to college together. Oh, no way. They got saved together They got filled with the spirit together called to the ministry together. What? Our parents you can't make this up. Our parents got married on the same day, same year, same hour What?

And their first borns end up marrying each other. Oh my gosh, that is like unheard of. So people like, how long have you known Julia? I'm like, I've been known or since the bathtub, okay? That's crazy. Yeah, so our families used to get together for Thanksgiving. And we really didn't used to get together for Thanksgiving.

And we really didn't see the McGregor's. That's her main name. We didn't see the McGregor's really until Thanksgiving each year. Well, I moved right out of high school. I went to LA for my first stint. I came to LA, went to Bible college, and I became a youth pastor down here.

So I stayed even after I graduated. So I missed seven straight Thanksgiving's, because I would only come up for Christmas. Wow. So finally, when I make my way back to the Thanksgiving table, they assign seat me next to Julia. So I see Julia after all these years, and I was like, dang. Ha, ha, ha.

Julia done grown up. And so one year we're sitting there, just pass the potatoes catching up. And the next year we're sitting at the Thanksgiving table married. So more love the story. Go fishing in your own pond. Go fishing old fun. That's so good. But yeah, our stories.

We're just a couple of pastors,, from the Northwest and felon love, had an amazing time in Seattle. And then we really felt for a while, got it called us to come to LA to start this church. And we were getting ready to go. And right before we were ready to announce, our first born, our oldest, her name is Georgia, she was diagnosed with a rare brain condition.

And we just pumped the brakes on all of LA. I kind of like, to be honest, put it at the altar and said, you know, who knows, this is my priority now. Wow. And we just kind of felt like we got to take care of home for a bit. And I didn't know if we would ever go to LA

because when your dream gets put on pause, you kind of just is a little Joseph there. You kind of wonder, is this ever gonna happen? Yeah. And I'll never forget when we were getting the green light and we really felt like God was calling us to go. I was so excited. And so we moved down here and started with 11 people

in our living room and You know just had like donuts and like idea like we want to start a church Then it went from like 11 people to 85 people in our house Wow, we were meeting in our house until one night I'll never get we were meeting on Tuesday nights to get ready to start this church and I looked out as teaching in the house 85 people I looked I seen this guy and I was like That guy should never be in my home. I just don't know why like I could just sense it like this is not good So then we started renting a church on Tuesday nights and then and then we launched Zoe

Well, that's crazy. It's so cool that even while you were putting your dream on pause It's still what's happening I think there's something like to that because I think a lot of people when they get to that moment where putting your dream on pause, it's still what's happening. I think there's something like to that, because I think a lot of people when they get to that moment where their dream is on pause, you get in this waiting season, you know? And a lot of people don't know what to do in that waiting time. And I think a lot of people literally just wait.

But how do you actively wait? You know, whenever it was like, this is on pause, but what do you, how do you transition from, okay, that's what I thought, but this is what I'm doing now. Well, I think the lie that a lot of us tell ourselves is that the big time is somewhere else. Yeah.

And the reality is, is the big time is where you're at. That's good. And I always think, wherever you are, be there. Yeah. That's why Jesus is so clear, Matthew 6. He says, no, no, no, don't worry about tomorrow. Trust me, tomorrow has enough worries in itself. He said, but today, and I just love that there's this whole

theme with Jesus. He's always taking it a day at a time. Yeah. Think about the Lord's prayer. He says, when you pray, you don't have to say every single word I'm saying, but this is just good language. This is just this is good heart stuff. One of the things he says is give us today our daily bread. It's good. Or even as Jesus said, if anybody wants to follow me, they must pick up their cross daily. So I just just think like, I like to use the word active

because I think that you can still be active while you're waiting. That's good. You can still be serving and loving and wherever you are be there. Yeah. You know, the big times, not where you're at, the big time is where you are.

That's so good. And I just think so many people, they, we believe this lie that the grass is greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you water it. Yeah. And so if I'm in Louisiana, we're watering, baby, we're getting up,

serving, smiling, adding value, helping people, living to give, not take. If I'm in LA, it's the same. You know, just so, I just believe like, one of the big takeaways I had out of that experience. I forget who said this, but I think it's so true. God has a fast forward button and he can use it whenever he wants. And so those years of waiting, they're not wasted.

Because when God gets rated, you know, we move slow. So when it's time, you can move fast. And I watch God just make things happen in weeks, months, that could have taken in my own strength, the years. And so I think that's got to tell us something. If it's hard and laborious, and you feel like there's resistance, sometimes it's a sign, maybe God's not in it. Because when you're walking in the will of God, one of the things that's evident you're walking in the will of God, one of the things that's evident

that you're in the will of God is that the wind of heaven is at your back. You can feel it. We were talking before we press record, just the wind of heaven. He just breathes on stuff. Even in a waiting season, I felt God breathing on things,

opening up doors, giving me opportunities to love and to share the gospel. So I just, I'm grateful that every season doesn't look like what I thought it was going to look like, but every season is right. That's good. That's so good. And I do think that so many people, that that's the hard part to hear, but I do think it's actually really good to hear that if you don't feel the wind of God behind something, then you should stop doing it. You know, you should ask the Lord, well, if this isn't right, then what is it? And I think so many of us, you know, we have our plan marked out.

And instead of like, you know, being able to lay it down like you said, lay it down in the alter and say, God, I want your plan. What you have for me? We're like, God, no, I want my plan, make my plan work. And sometimes God's like, that's just not my plan what you have for me. We're like God no, I want my plan make my plan work And sometimes God's like that's just not my plan, you know So do you want to sit out and wait for your plan or do you want to get on board with my plan because where I want to take you Is actually gonna be fulfilling and so I love that so good I saw something that you said one time it was about

Just y'all story with Georgia and you said it was something in Lone Alliance if you said people say it was about just y'all a story with Georgia and you said, it was something in line lines of you said, people say don't get your hopes up and you said, but my hope, it's not that I'm trying to get my hopes up, I put my hope in God. And I thought that was so good. Can you expand on that a little bit about not getting your hopes up, like actually putting your hope on something that actually is a promise? Yeah, I think that your hopes got to go somewhere. putting your hope on something that actually is a promise. Yeah, I think that your hopes got to go somewhere. Yeah.

And so let's just look at a proverb real fast. Hope deferred makes the heart sick. So we all have, maybe you have hope that your baby's going to be born without a sickness. Or maybe you have hope in a relationship that this is going to be the one where you have hope in a business endeavor. This thing is going to take off. Or you put your hope in Bitcoin or what film of blank. I think that it's okay to even at a practical level be hopeful. Just as a theme in life being optimistic.

It's good. I'd rather see the glass half full than the glass half empty. Yeah. But I do, there's a little bit of caution that we have to use with bitcoins to businesses to human relationships, to even the birth of a child that the reality is that we don't live in heaven yet.

Yeah. So there's just an unknown. So where can I put my hope and never be disappointed? You put my hope in God. It's good. Well, why can't I put my hope in God? Well, because of his character and his nature. And the fact that he says in Malachi,

I the Lord your God, I do not change. Yeah. So God doesn't change. He's faithful, he's compassionate, he's merciful. That's good. I can bank on that all day long. That's good. So the world tells us, don't get our hopes up

and I get kind of what they're saying, but I don't like that sense of criticism or that jagged edge, that nasaer mentality. I think, okay, if you don't want me to get my hopes up and people are, you know, the economy, I get what you're saying, but I'm gonna put my hope on the perfect one who will never let me down. Yeah. I was listening to your message when you preached about the word about everything because

of pray about nothing. And you said something I was like, this is so good for our culture to hear right now. And you're talking about manifesting to the universe. And that is like such a thing right now. And I touched on it too, but I love how you said the power is not in saying things, but the power isn't who you're saying them to. And I was like, boom, that's it.

And so I think that this kind of goes along with what you're saying about who I put my hope in. And there are so many people who, you know, they want to take the first part of what this book says. I don't want to worry about anything, you know, of course I don't, but the way that I'm not going to worry is I'm going to manifest things and I'm going to do this and I'm going to do that.

But that, that doesn't actually do anything because there's not a God in heaven who's responding to that. And so talk a little bit about just, just even what you said there because I think that that is so popular in culture and now and even a lot of Christians are doing stuff like that, not realizing that that's not that's almost like putting your faith in another God. Yeah. And how about this, the God of self? I think that's my bigger one of my biggest concern is that if you think about what my biggest concern is that, if you think about what we're tapping into here,

it's like we're tapping into either the universe or self. Yeah, that's true. And it's like, by the way, let's just all be honest, if I could have solved the problem I would have, yeah. But the reality is like, I can't write that big of a check, or I can't heal cancer. Yeah.

I can't like fix that relationship or that person. I can't free someone from addiction. So I need a higher power. And the higher power I am convinced is not the universe. I think it's the guy that like runs the universe. So it's so the universe is powerful. Absolutely. But you want to know it's really powerful. The guy that told the sun to get up this morning. He's pretty powerful. So I'd rather talk to him about my issues. And so I, you know, I think that people understand

like the power of confession. And I think we kind of innately understand there's power in my tongue. Now I want to make sure we understand. There is power in our words. Yeah. Because the Bible clearly teaches us the power of life and death is in the tongue. Right.

So I do have the power to speak things. This is, by the way, just the spirit of faith. The spirit of faith is speaking things that don't exist as though they do. So that is the, so we've got like, I feel like when people say this, I'm like, you've got 95% of this right. Yeah, yeah. All we have to do is add the 5% that matters the most, which is the name Yahweh, you know, which is the name Jehovah Jaira. Yeah. He's the one that provides. And when we understand, if we just turn the dial and focus our faith on him,

it's not the universe that's making stuff happen. Yup. It's the God of the universe. So it's, to me, it gets me excited because I feel like people are, like a lot of people are so close to understanding the true source of power, which is God. Yeah, that's so good. I think, okay, so for people listening,

who are like, this is so good, and maybe they're like, I thought I was praying when I was manifesting. Maybe they're like, I thought I was praying when I was saying things. Say someone comes to the thing and say, Jack, okay, I'm ready to start praying about things. How do I pray?

Just basics for people. How do you start praying if you've never prayed before? I think this is so good. This gets me, first of all, whoever you are, let's go. And it gets me fired up. Cause I think, you know, like one of the greatest prayers I think you can start with. Like I always, this is

this is like a trick that I would say. Like set an alarm like let's go 9 12 and 6 p.m. Set it on your phone and three times a day let's start here. When it goes off close your eyes and just say Jesus. Let's just say his name three times today. Just Jesus. Do you know how much power and impact and effectiveness comes from saying the name that is above all names? Or, or, or let's just go even further. Some of us are so intimidated by prayer, I really think that we've, we've got this, you know, myth or, you know, like this,

this bad connotation of it. And so we think we've got to, we've got to say drawn out prayers. I actually was listening this morning too. I just, I was like, I got to get a new audiobook because I just finished one in the car. So I was looking this morning and I just downloaded, have you ever heard of that book Deep and Wide by Andy Stanley? No, but I feel like I need to. Unbelievable. I read it years ago and I was like, I want to read it again. Andy Stanley was talking this morning about this idea.

He's like, I'm a pastor's kid. I grew up in church. And he goes, he goes, people that pray long prayers, drawn out prayers, impressive prayers. He goes, in my experience, these are his words. In my experience, those are the people that usually aren't around. Still, they had some sort of failure. He goes, so just based upon trauma, I pray short prayers. He goes, maybe it's just my pen and limb swing, but he's like, there's something about short prayers. So I just, I also believe that. Like, that's why I say start with Jesus, because there's something about starting with like small,

That's why I say start with Jesus because there's something about starting with like small Do a sentence. Yeah, but I think you should start a contact in your phone Name it God or Jesus Some of us are so good at texting. It's crazy like say did you have that friend is like really good at texting? You're like wow, you're like yes Your emoji usage is sensation. It's almost intimidating. It's like, okay, you're trying to respond but you're like dang, how do I even do that?

I'm so not on your level. Like, why are you a journalist? I totally feel that, yes. But I think like, I love texting with people. I can just be like, yeah, there's misspelling here and I don't even feel bad because we know each other and we're comfortable. This is how I text my wife. I think you just started text with Jesus. It's good. And just text him because the point of prayer, this is so great. The point of prayer

is connection. It's not even answers. It's not even mountain moving. It's not even like results. The point of prayers connecting with God and connecting with God changes everything. It's good. I love how you said it's connection and not results. I wrote down a quote you had. I was like, this is so good because this is talking about prayer for the practical things.

It said, prayer done right will keep us in a place of healthy, self-worth and godly confidence. And I think so many times, like we think of prayer as like we only go, you know, for, we only go to God and prayer when we need like a miracle. We only go to God and prayer when we need something done right. But like prayer actually produces healthy, self-worth and godly like self-confidence.

And I was just reading those two words, and my man, isn't that what everybody's looking for? Like self-worth and confidence. And to know that prayer can produce those things and the Lord was super powerful. And so just for some people who have not seen prayer in a practical way, talk about some of the things that you pray for

because I think some people are like, when do you pray? Do I always pray to you? A sometimes pray, prayer can be a confusing thing for someone who's never prayed. I remember on a practical note, whenever I was in school, a Bible teacher told me, she said, start your prayer in the morning

and never end it. And it was just this idea of like, you know, hey God, like, I'm gonna see you in a talk to you all day today. And there were moments in the day that you just kind of continued the conversation and I still will do that. Like, it's not that I'm like, dear God, but all day I'm like talking to God.

Like, I'll be like, even if I'm like on the road, I'll be driving and I'll see, you know, if you see a wreck, I'm just like, oh God, bless this people, I'll be with him, heal whoever's hurt, be on the road, I'll be driving and I'll see, you know, if you see a wreck, I'm just like, oh God bless this people I'd be with them, heal whoever's hurt, be with the family, isn't that I keep driving and I'm like, oh God, I hope honey's having a good day today, just like, would you just cover her with joy? And it's just like these little things that I just bring up to God, not realizing that like, and sometimes I'm like, I'll never see the results of that prayer. I don't know who I just pray for the time. I pray for people that drive through once I pray for that. I pray for me, but over time, what it produces in me,

like the faith it produces and hope, and sometimes you hear those stories with other people, that's amazing. And so what does it look like to just practically pray? Yeah. Oh, I love those examples. And I couldn't agree more. And again, the point is connection.

And when you stay connected with God, when you're just always talking to Him, Oh, I love those examples and I couldn't agree more. And again, the point is connection. And when you stay connected with God, when you're just always talking to Him, I think again, we're so intimidated by this thing because we're just like, am I doing it right? Is this okay? Can I be this flippant or notchalant or casual? Like is he really my friend?

Think about Jesus, Jesus, like guys, you're not, I don't call you servants. Yeah. You're my friends. It's good. Jesus, like guys, you're not, I don't call you servants. Yeah. You're my friends. It's good. So we've got to get over this hurdle that I'm this big bad sinner and he's this perfect God.

And we got to close that gap to know this is my best friend. It's good. He is my imaginary friend. And I'm just talking to him today was in the car before I downloaded that book and there was something I really want and really want to do. And so I just said to God, like, hey God, I would love to do this.

You know, you know, my desires, you know, I want to go to this trip and if you want me to do that, I would love to do that. But you know, just, I want to just say I love you and grateful for all the opportunities I have. Just talk to them real fast. Yeah. You know, just check, it's almost like checking in. Yeah.

If you look at my text history with Julia, my wife, we're celebrating next week, 14 years. I have never text my wife. Hey, how you been? It was good with you. How you feeling? Like we talk nonstop. We just are always communicating. And I think that's how it should be with Jesus.

It's good. I'm never like, just like, you know that awkward reentry when you haven't talked to somebody in a while and you're like, I'm so sure. I'm so sure. Yeah. I think we feel like that God's gonna be like a human, like almost disappointed or mad at us.

Yeah. You don't even understand how much God wants to talk to you. Yeah. So I think there's like the lifestyle prayer, there's the journal prayer. Sometimes I like to process, you know with God, like what just happened on paper, good, bad, or indifferent, like I just like to process.

I have this thing that I do like flashcards. I'll take one of my kids names, I'll circle the name, and then I'll just write all around the name when I'm praying for them. That's cool. And I'll do that with my wife, I'll do that with our church. That's cool. And I'll do that with my wife. I'll do that with our church.

That's cool. So that way when I come back to prayer times, I can, I don't have to make something up that's brand new. Yeah. I can go, that's right. That's what I'm praying for and I'm believing for. And I've got language down on this flash card that helps me like, know what to say and what not to say.

I love that. So I just think there's so many opportunities of creativity, just like a relationship. You know, it's just like, let what to say and what not to say. So I just think there's so many opportunities of creativity, just like a relationship. You know, it's just like, let's just talk to God. So I have a few times in my calendar per week that I'm like, I have scheduled prayer times, I'm gonna put on worship and I'm gonna sit down and pray or I'm gonna walk around and pray

or I'm gonna go on a prayer walk. I have it in my weekly calendar. That's awesome. And so I just, I think that, again, if we look at this as a genie in the bottle, and it's transactional, yeah. You're gonna walk away from prayer being like,

ah, then I feel like there's something off, but if you can approach it like, man, this is the person that cares about me the most, I can be more honest and vulnerable and authentic with this person than anyone in my world. Then I feel like you're going to get down to the raw and the real. That's good. One of my favorite things about prayer, prayer is an invitation into intimacy. It's good.

Yeah. So I just love that. Let's talk to God like a friend. I love that. I think it's so good. Your analogy with Julia. You those. Talk to God like a friend. I love that. I think it's so good. Your analogy with Julia. You're not like, hey, how you doing?

Because you know how she's doing. Like, y'all are together. That was such a good way to put it. And I feel that way with God too. Like, it's never an awkward thing. But I remember years ago, I was like so hard on myself because I was like, I got to wake up and I got to like pray first thing. And then I would like not do it. And I would be so disappointed on myself because I was like, I gotta wake up and I gotta like pray first thing. And then I would like not do it.

And I would be so disappointed in myself thinking God was disappointed in me. And I was like, oh wait, God, like you're here right now. So why don't we just talk? Like, I slept in, that's obvious. You know that. And you are my first priority. And I just wanna say I love you.

And then we just go into a conversation. And I think like I was like putting the disappointment on me that I thought like God was disappointing on me, but it was really just like me putting that disappointment on me. And I remember saying it like this is someone I was like, I was acting like God planned a seven a.m. breakfast for us and I ditched him.

And God was like, I didn't even plan that you did, you know, like, like, it's, it's cool, you know, but, but also like there is something amazing to that. Like Jesus obviously got up in the morning and left and he would pray and he will be with the father. So yes, we should desire that. And yes, it's awesome to do that. But if you don't do that, God's not sitting there like, well, you should have done that.

Like, I think God's there. Like, he's there with you right then when you do wake up and ready to talk and ready for the day. I love Matt Chandler says, God made the days and the days were made for you. And I just think that's such a good way to put it. I know that recently you taught to Dr. Henry Cloud on your Instagram and y'all talked about what prayer actually does to the brain.

What does prayer do to the brain? Is that like an actual thing? Does it actually do something to our brains? Well, we got to get Dr. Cloud on here, the official doctor to, you know, in the only the way that he can do it, explain, but he was talking about the benefits of prayer and what it actually does in rerouting the thoughts and how powerful it is to actually bring peace. And, you know, Dr. Clas is just such a legend. I adore him so much. And when he talks, you know,

in fact, the book that I had just finished in my car and why I had to buy a new one is because I've been listening to him as I drive on a book called Necessary Endings. That is sensational. Everyone needs to read that one. Unbelievable book. But he was talking about, think about this even from a psychosis perspective. One of my favorite guys is not just Dr. Cloud, but another guy named Peter Scazero. And Peter Scazero, he's written a book called Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and he did another book called Emotionally Healthy Church.

But one of the things that he talks about a lot is that we have spiritual giants and emotional toddlers. And a line that he says, I think is so powerful, he says, I got Jesus in my heart, but I got grandpa in my bones. That is such a good line. What he's really saying is, we've got to find the way, is it how true is that?

It's like we want to serve God and we want to love Jesus, but it's like, I got this old man in me. I got this old thinking and old ways. And the Bible teaches us that we're transformed by the renewing of our mind. So when I pray, God is obviously working not just in my heart, He's working also in my mind and shifting my mind to get the mind of Christ. And Peter says that we are most powerful when the cognitive and the spiritual connect. So we're not think about that. We're not powerful when we just spiritual. We're spiritual. We're powerful when you got your mind thinking the thoughts of God. That's why

Paul the Apostle says, guys, whatever is pure, whatever is noble, whatever is praiseworthy, meditate on these things. So if not my mind gets in the gutter, I got grandpa my bones, I got grandpa in my mind. And so I think that's such a powerful thought to think, you know, one of the things that helps me in prayers that my, I'm getting a new perspective. I'm approaching it from the right premise.

I'm getting the mind of God for the person that I'm working things out with or the situation and and clearly there's a chemical side to it Gosh everything you're saying is so rich and I feel like you know the topic of prayer This is gonna help so many people but so much more beyond that I love how you have gone from scripture to scripture to scripture. And it has made me want to walk away and read a lot more scripture just so I can know it like that. And it can just flow out of me like that.

One thing that I am inspired by about you and your family is you enjoy it. You'll have a great marriage. It's such an inspiration to so many. She is also my fashion icon. I always say that. If I'm like, I'm just going to look like, I just go to her Instagram. I just go to her Instagram for fashion, but she's awesome.

So you all have a great marriage. You have four kids. You all, you know, past your church, you run marathons, you do all these things, you write books, all kinds of things, leadership podcasts. How do you do all the things and do it all well? I think that's something that Christian and I are really trying to focus on in our life right now.

You know, we have our marriage and we're parents, but we're running a ministry, we're building a house, and we're like, he's doing all of his things with his fitness and his podcast. I'm doing it with mine. Like, how do we do all these things, but do them all well? Because I think that of some people have a tendency to like,

put all of it into work, and then their home life home life suffers or all of it into their home life and their work life suffers. How do you find that balance in doing the things that you're doing and doing them well? Guys, I mean, are you kidding me? What a great question. I think first of all, when you ask that question, my first thought, it really goes to, well, you're not going to do all things well. And I'm not doing all things well.

And no, no, there is just, I think that we have to always remember that people admire our strengths, but they relate with our weaknesses. And we're all human, you know, so, like when you ask in that question, I just immediately start thinking about, if you wanna be great, you gotta be okay with dropping some balls.

And that's just the reality is, so it makes me think of like my no is more powerful than my yes, so I might be able to kill it in this area, but that means like maybe for a season, I can't hang out with my friends that much or for a season, I'm not gonna be able to spend that much time with my siblings, or I think really what I'm saying is like, you gotta define your win for that season.

And I think as a couple and as a family, you go, okay, we're starting school, we're getting back in the fall in this next, I like to look at the next 30, 60, 90 days. The next three months, what are we gonna focus on? What do we wanna do? And we're trying to find that win so that we go like, hey, what was a win in the next three months, what are we gonna focus on, what do we wanna do, and we're trying to find that win so that we go like, hey, what was a win in the summer? Playing around, being on the lake, traveling, taking a rest. You know, the win for us in the summer is recharging.

But the win in the fall just completely changes. So I think it goes by season. I like to look at the three seasons of the year. That's how we run our calendar, is to look at the three seasons of the year. That's how we run our calendar is we look at three different blocks of the year. But I think that overall, the spirit of your question is what I adore. And that is for all of us, Psalm 90, verse 12.

Psalm 90, 12, what does he say? Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. So what's David praying here? He's saying, Lord, will you show me not just to have insight, but to have foresight? Will you teach me how to fast forward the tape and show me in Christian? What do we need to do in October?, what do we need to do in October? And what do we need to do in November? In other words, I think that if you're gonna be good,

you gotta be really good at your calendar. Like, because time is like money. If I don't tell my time where to go, it'll just go anywhere it wants. So time, money, and water are all the same. Water, I gotta tell where the water goes, I gotta tell my money, my money, I assign my money. You're gonna go to my church first, I'm gonna tie,

the unit goes to my 401, you're gonna go to this investment, this savings, these bills, I tell my money where it goes, I tell my time where it's gonna go. So I think to do, I mean, come on, say to your life, this is crazy. This is, you could be stretched and pulled in every which way if you let your schedule run you. But you're not gonna do that. You're gonna run your schedule.

And because you are, I think that when you get really good at this, here's what I have found is that you're not just good at time management, time management will turn into energy management and you'll have enough energy to do what you need to do. Because I'm actually not obsessive over like minutes and hours, I'm obsessed of like what needs my energy. So like today, my first meeting was at 8am,

I'm gonna go pretty hard until tonight six. But I am so excited to go home and for two and a half, three hours, my boys are getting every bit of me that's left for the day. And I just know that I'm excited to preserve energy for them. So, you're not gonna do everything well, but I think that we can do the best of our ability, say no to the wrong things so we can say yes to the right things.

Yeah, that's so good. That's it. I remember last year, I really did feel like I was getting run by my schedule and Christian and I had to like stop, like literally pause. And we actually ended up going to a life coach. And that was the first time where we went to life coach. Never even thought about going to a life coach before until a friend recommended it.

And we got to the point where now we're running our schedule. And even in the past, gosh, six months since then, our life has looked so different. Our health has looked different. Our health has looked different. Our energy has looked different. Either my friends are asking me, like how are you doing? I'm doing great.

Where, you know, eight months ago, would have been like, I'm drowning, you know? But like I'm doing so good. And I don't even drink caffeine, but I have so much energy. Like I just feel so good because I'm doing the things that I love to do. And when you're doing the things you love to do and you're doing the right things

and prioritizing things right, man, like it energizes you. It fuels you. I was literally taking notes of what you were saying because I thought it was so good. I wanted to remember it. It's I love whenever I'm supposed to be interviewing it. I feel like I'm listening to the podcast. I'm talking about notes, but I love that. Define your wins and also you're hinting that and and know what sacrifices you need to make and be willing to make them.

I remember in a season where I was really wanting to grow and speaking. I remember going to a sermon or a church service in Alex C. Lee, which preached a sermon at the belonging and she said, a church service and Alex Ceeley, which preached in a sermon at the belonging. And she said, you're gonna have to make sacrifices when it comes to your calling. And she said, you might be working really hard at something in this season. And you're gonna have to not go to the movie with your friends.

You're gonna have to go home early from the dinner. You're gonna have to make the right sacrifices. And I remember really feeling that at the time, like man, I'm having to make these sacrifices. I'm not getting to have as much fun in these areas as I would wanna have, but in that season, that's not what it was for. And when I look back, how much I grew in that time,

man, it actually ended up being so sweet for the days to come and strengthening my muscles for what I needed that were the days to come. And there's other times in my life, I'm just having fun with my friends, you know? I'm just like, good for being, fun, like there are seasons to everything, and there's a time for everything. And so I love that. Last thing I want to say is there's a quote from the book that I thought was so good. And I think I used to look at life like this, and that's why I want

to bring it up because I don't know so many people do. But you say God isn't trying to get something from you. He's trying to get you. You are the gift. You are the goal. You are the object of his love. And I think for a long time, I thought like, and this sounds crazy, but I felt like God was like trying to just like get something from me.

Like almost like, it was, and I would say it in this context. I was trying to live like my life for him, right? But I felt like in doing that, I was like not getting to do the things that I wanted to do. I was a little bit more of an immature version of me, but I do think that's super real. Um, I remember even my brother in law went through a season where he was like, I'm living my life for you, God, but it feels like you're using me because nothing's, you know, like where are you for me, kind of thing. Um, I'm trying to do all the right things, but I just, you know, like, where are you for me, kind of thing.

I'm trying to do all the right things, but I just love that it's like, God's actually not trying to get something from you. Like, he wants you. And I think when I realize just the difference in like, even what you said, it's not about results, it's about, it's about the connections, about the communication when I realize,

like my relationship with God is not for my life to like fruitful in the ways of successes or the ways of how I thought my life was going to look, but it's to like fruitful in the ways of Him. It's to be full of Him and and vice versa for us to be in relationship together. And so that really changed my thinking. And when you read the Bible, then you're like, oh, well, this, yeah, of course, like it talks about like, if you're actually going to follow Jesus, that means to pick up your cross, you know, it's not going to be an easy road. But knowing that God doesn't need anything from me, but he just wants me is such a beautiful thing to see your

relationship with God as a relationship and not a religion. You know, I think that's like the most beautiful thing. I wanted to just ask you about that because I know so many people are in that, including me, I was in there, but I'm just going to say that quite over time. I don't want you to speak into it. God isn't trying to get something from you, but He is trying to get you. It's so good. Yeah, I just think, by the way, I love hearing your journey,

because I think all of us have gone through that journey, right? There's something, I don't know if it's just Western civilization, but we kind of all just, we live in such a transactional society. And we kind of feel like, um, I've got to bring something to the table or surely like my performance is what allows me to be friends with these people or why people follow me on social media and we just live in the works based mentality and I one of my favorite sayings is the work of a believer is receiving and that that that changed my life right there just that friends the work the

real work the real work is not striving or, the real work is not striving or earning. The real work is sitting down and receiving. Let's get it. We look at these stories in the Bible, we're like, wow, that's crazy story, but it's like, no, no, like he actually says Martha, you are not getting it right here. Mary, that's my girl. You chose the right thing.

What is she doing? Receiving. It's yeah. And you are worried about so many things. Why are we so stressed out? Why we have so much anxiety? For Martha, it was like the dishes, and the cleanliness of the house

is what we kind of use as preachers. But it's like filling the blank for worry. Like, we just go so hard in our culture and try and perform and make money and I gotta earn the grades. I gotta get there. I gotta make this happen. I gotta pick up the kid. Oh, it's like, no, no, he's really clear in this story. Mary chose the thing that will never be taken away. And that is choosing the presence of God over perfection. Yeah. Over performance. It's good. And I think that we've got to understand, watch me knee.

I don't know if you've ever heard of this book. It's got a famous book called Sit, Stand, Walk. And it's out of the book of Ephesians. And really, if you think about our theology of how we approach Jesus, we are first seated in heavenly places. So we are seated before we stand therefore in the grace of God, and before we walk in the places. So we are seated before we stand there for in the grace of God, and before we walk in the Spirit. So I got to see the first thing that God tells me to do is sit. He doesn't tell me

to run this race or to walk out my faith. The first thing he says is, son, daughter, sit. That's good. And just to use one more Bible reference so we can all understand this, this is what you're hitting on is so powerful. The Prodigal Son, Luke 15, everybody loves the Prodigal Son. But let's just look at it from like a bigger lens. Why do we all resonate with the Prodigal Son story? When I read Luke 15, I don't see some punk kid that comes back to God. I see myself in the narrative.

Why do I get to come back? It is not because of worth, it is only because of birth. That's good. We don't get to come back to the house of God because I look at what I've done, I've made it, I've memorized, I pray now, I started a contact with Jesus, I made some flashcards, I've memorized some scriptures. So clearly, God loves me because I'm worthy of His love. No, you are not. None of us. We are all

sinners saved by grace. Yes. Less any man should boast. It's the divine order. Sorry, I'm preaching for just a moment. It's just a go over your face. Ephesians, Ephesians 2.8. What does Ephesians 2.8 say? For it is by grace we have been saved through faith, and this is not of, this is the gift of God less any man should boast. What is the Bible saying? It is by grace. Jesus you have been saved through faith.

We get it wrong and we put our faith before our grace. No, Jesus comes before you. And so I get to receive. I get to sit. I get to come into the presence of God because I'm a son, not based on worth, but based upon birth. So I think when you get this right,

I gotta be honest, I was a preacher for a long time before I understood grace and I wish I could go back and apologize to all the youth You know, I was a youth pastor for 15 years and probably for the first decade of preaching. I didn't realize I'll still under the law Hmm and the and the law is a works you earn it You deserve it. So it's it's what you confess. It's what you do So the onus is all in the believer. No, no, no, no, in grace the onus is all on Jesus He's the hero. He's the one that's made it happen and you just look at the difference between the law and grace in the Bible The first time the laws preach in the Old Testament

3,000 people die, but the first time grace is preached in the New Testament 3,000 people die. But the first time grace is preached in the New Testament, 3,000 people are saved. Wow. The law kills, but the spirit of Jesus gives life. Wow. And so, sorry, I'm getting a little loud on the podcast, but whoa, that'll preach.

That'll, that's a whoa, that's good. Whoa, that's good. That is a whoa, that's good. That'll preach. Hey, there's a reason that you got a microphone. There's a reason we said, let's make sure before we start this podcast, you have a microphone. Because we knew you were about to preach. That is so good.

Oh my gosh. Well, look, we have so much here. I feel like people are going to listen to this. This is going to be one of those that people go back to. It's like you went back to the Andy Stanley book. This is going to be one of those podcasts that people go back to over and over. Like I even took out my pen and started writing notes for myself, writing down books that you said to read, writing down scripture references that you talked about go into writing down just little nuggets that you said here and there. So thank you for being a well of wisdom, for being

a well of spiritual things, the gospel, the books, everything, because you're going to help so many of us including myself grow so much. And for those listening, we definitely should have a part two at some point. But if you want a part two, go get his book, because there's so much more in this book that he has to say. You can also watch his church online. I know Zoe Church, they post their sermons. But Chad, thank you for being on this podcast. Seriously, I feel like we could have gone a whole another 45 minutes and talked about so many great things and I'm sure we'll do it another time.

But this is so rich and so good. So thank you so much. Oh, you're the best. I adore your family. I cannot wait to see you guys again in person sometime soon but just thank you for being who you are and doing what you're doing. Please don't stop. Just keep going. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. you