WHOA That's Good Podcast - John Crist: From Rock Bottom to Recovery | Sadie Robertson Huff

Episode Date: March 12, 2025

Comedian John Crist joins Sadie in studio for a heart-to-heart, but first, he wants to know why Sadie left him on "read" for 7 years! Sadie asks John how he got started in comedy and where the line is with the jokes he tells. John recently celebrated five years sober, and he opens up about his rock bottom moment, when the whole world knew all about his mistakes, and how he's so glad he's on the other side of it now — walking in freedom, with restored relationships and authenticity. And does John have any jokes about Sadie? You bet he does! Watch John's comedy special "Emotional Support" on YouTube.  https://drinkag1.com/whoa — Get a lululemon Exclusive Everywhere Belt Bag and AG1 Welcome Kit, with your first subscription, while supplies last with your lululemon membership. https://www.trymiracle.com/whoa — Get 40% off + 3 FREE towels with code WHOA at checkout! https://www.12vc.com/sister — Join the 12 Verse Challenge and help fund 12 Verses of Scripture a year for people who have little to no access to Scripture! - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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What's up fam? Happy World That's Good Wednesday. I hope you're having a great week, but per usual, it actually is about to get so much better because we have a very special guest in the house today with a live LO team audience because they were so excited to have John Chris in the house. So welcome to Well That's Good. What's up? It's my first time.

I know. And actually this is funny because I went and looked at our DMs which is kind of funny and in 2018 you DM me and said I need to be on your podcast and I never responded. Well, alright, that's not what I remember. That's when the podcast started? That is actually the year it started so you saw it come out which I'm so thankful and honored that you wanted to be on in the early days. That was the early adopter. Yeah, you were like, I wanna be the other.

Now it was like, we love Sadie. I was like, I was there. You were there. And I'm sorry I left you on Red. There was a lot going on back in 2018. Yes, but it's 2025 now. Much better trying to be on the Pike as it's grown so much.

We've been doing this seven years. Yes, isn't that crazy? Wow. My first episode came out, actually the same week Christian and I went on a first date. So as our marriage has grown, the podcast has grown, and this is much better too, because we have way more to talk about in your life.

Well, I think that I've been, this is my second time to West Monroe. Yep, I missed the first time. Yeah, because you had a photo shoot. Did I? Did you say that or not? That's what I was doing. I was like, I'll come down to be on the podcast and then she goes Sadie has a photo shoot. I'll just wait in the airport I guess. That is so annoying of me. Well I'm glad that this worked out and you came back gave us a second chance.

I don't know what I was joking about in 2018 but I but your parents came to one of my shows. Did they? Yeah I was here I had a show in West. But your parents came to one of my shows. Did they? Yeah, I was here. I had a show in West Monroe. How did I miss all of these movies? They were there. I remember. Because that's the first time I ever saw like a, I feel like I saw like a celebrity. My dad? My mom? That's awesome.

I was like, dude, can I get a photo? He's like, it's your show. I go, oh yeah, that's a good point. That's true. They came back and said hi because I saw, I'd seen them somewhere. I do remember them going to your show. I was at a church in town. That's a good point. That's true. They came back and said hi because I saw, I'd seen them somewhere. I do remember them going to your show. I was at a church in town. Yeah. That's awesome.

And you were just like, I'm busy or? I was doing a photo shoot probably. No, just kidding. I hope I wasn't. Gosh. I don't remember. That was a long time ago. Yeah.

That is funny. Well, okay. We have to ask you the same question I ask everyone who comes on The Will That's Good podcast. I hope you're ready for this. I'm ready. You did know what kind of ads I have, so you better know this question. But what is the best piece of advice you have ever been given? Best piece of advice I've ever been given? Oh man. I think, I would say, especially in

comedy is that there's a lot of different types of comedians. Sometimes my agents in LA have been like, hey, you should cut out all the Christian stuff. Like, people not gonna, everybody doesn't know what that is. And I think the longer you go, I think you was never comic to be themselves. Because you go, well, this is how I grew up. So the closer you can be to yourself, and when we make jokes, you'd, well, this is how I grew up. The closer you can be to yourself,

and when we make jokes, you'd be like, I think if I get into the energy of like, is this gonna go on the algorithm, or is this gonna be funny to them, I'm done. It's so true. You have to be like, dude, I think this is hilarious. It's so true. And whatever y'all do with it

or whatever the internet does with it. That's so true. And whatever y'all do with it or whatever the internet does with it. That's so true. When you try to feed the algorithm and never goes well or never goes right, and you're constantly frustrated and striving. But it's so true. That's our whole message. Live original.

When you are just living originally to who you were created to be and confident in that. And it's so interesting because agents say those things, managers say those things. But they're all trying to create this one thing that worked for one person. And it's so interesting, because agents say those things, managers say those things, but they're all trying to create this one thing that worked for one person, and it doesn't work for everybody. And so-

No, we already, like any, like let's say Luke Colmes comes along, right, in country music, and then all the other record labels are like, we gotta have our Luke Colmes, or our Morgan Wallen. And we're like, yeah, but we already have them. And now you see all these guys kind of come up that are, you can see, it's the same in comedy.

Like, oh, they're trying to be, but no one was ever good at anything trying to be, you can be inspired by other people, of course, but you're like, I don't know what podcast this one's trying to be like. It's very true. We just had, I think it's okay to say, but the network, A&E, we were let's do it at one. We just had, I think it's OK to say, but the network,

A&E, we were on TV, and then we got off for a while, and now we're coming back. And they were actually saying that since we've been off, they've tried to replace it in other ways. And they're like, it's so interesting, because we thought, oh, this is going to work, because it has the southern aspect, or the score, because it has the crazy guys blowing up stuff.

Yeah, it didn't work. It doesn't work, because it has the crazy guys blowing up stuff. But like, it doesn't work, you know? Because it's a copy of something, you know? Yeah, and you can see, when you watch those early episodes of Duck Dynasty, you're like, he's dead serious. Like, Uncle Sgt., you're like, he's not playing a character. That's who he is, yeah. Which to us, even, it's like, don't compare

what this is going to be to what Duck Dynasty, what we can't recreate it. It's a different show. It's a new show, but it is who we are. And thank God we stuck to who we are because now we're not having to try to create something. It's kind of an overflow. But anyways, it's exciting.

Okay, so tell me, growing up, you joke about growing up a lot. You joke about kinda how you grew up. But tell everybody, how did you grow up? All right, I grew up, so my dad was a preacher, a pastor, like a would be comparable, like a Pentecostal church. So we were always going to like, you know, youth camp and all those kind of things that everybody else was doing in like the 90s as a Christian. And like a lot of my, I worked at Chick-fil-A, that was my first job,

my parents wouldn't let me work anywhere else, they thought it was too many heathens at McDonald's. And are they a podcast sponsor? I shouldn't say that. No, you're good, just say please. You can work at Chick-fil-A only and then we were all homeschooled because my parents were like, you know,

we don't want to learn about, you know, public schools that teach about evolution and all these kind of things. So we were very, like very, very sheltered. So we didn't like, I don't know, we just didn't know anything. Like we just had a very, like we would drive by all the other churches, I don't think by,

just by, they were like, that's not, we're not Baptist, Presbyterterian we don't go over there I even remembered my brother trying to go to another youth group and my parents were like no Wow, did your parents let you go wherever so we were a Church of Christ and I've heard some of your jokes Oh, okay No, it's hilarious actually in your YouTube special is so funny when you're like, how would you have started as one denomination in sports? It's like the whole room, which is so interesting. So interesting.

But then when the woman is, OK, if I say this. This is an advertisement for my special, and you're going to butcher this so badly. I am so hard. So bad. Go do my jokes, Sadie. I'm going to do your joke. I'm going to, because it felt personal, OK?

Because this is so my life. So this woman raised her hand. I'm going to do it. And she's like, I started out at Church of Christ. And you said, oh, how does it feel to be so close to the stage as a woman? You said that. Close.

You got close. Something like that. Or with a microphone, so close to a microphone as a woman. And that was pretty funny. Because people, whenever I say a group Church of Christ, they're like, really? Because obviously, like, I'm preaching places and that's not cool. But it is, it's funny. Like, but a lot of things have changed. And even the Church of Christ Church I went to is now not a nominational. So it actually is. Yeah.

The punchline would be the preposition, you put the preposition at the end. The preposition should be good at the beginning. As a woman, what's it like to be this close to the stage? There we go. That would be it. But you got the gist of it. I was so close.

But maybe laugh because that is so real. And because people do ask me that, okay, well, how'd you get to where you're at now? So yeah, growing up. But my parents were not like, they actually weren't. They were not super strict. I would say, I think the area we grew up in is a sheltered area. I went to a Christian school, went to church on Wednesday and Sunday.

So I was sheltered in that sense. In this town? Yeah. But also, my parents were very big on like traveling, seeing the world, that kind of thing. You went over to Bossier City and you went everywhere. I did. Shreveport days, you know? Kids get in the car.

I feel like in some sense we were sheltered, but when I hear your stories, I can relate to a lot, but also a lot of it is extremely sheltered. And also you never mentioned about the Chick-fil-A, because I have heard that job ended abruptly. Really? OK. My team studied.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. OK, so I worked. I'm sure you've read the story. OK, so I was like 16 or something, maybe 15. And I would work. Sometimes, is people going to relate to this if they got like an hourly job where like I was like sweeping the Cigarette butts in the parking lot or like I think I'm low on the on the priority list of employees Okay, so I was making me okay. Yeah, you don't encourage me

So I was like it was like Saturday afternoon the place was packed They're like Chris go get the lemonade or something you they make the lemonade in these big I mean they gotta be five gallons or something like that. And they have just as pure as Chick-fil-A is, they got three ingredients, lemon juice, water, sugar. Nothing else in there, just from the Lord. So I get it all and I'm mixing it all up together and they're like, people are like at the counter with refills, like we're waiting on them, they're making it. I don't know what they're, and they're like,

Chris, where's the lemonade? And I couldn't find the big stir thing. So I just pulled up my arm and just stirred it with my hand. Yeah, no. Just super, and then I like, and then the manager came around the corner and I was mid stirring that and that was it. I don't say they fired me,

I just kind of wasn't on the schedule anymore. Yeah, that's tough. Yeah, is that what that means? I think yeah, that's the way Chick-fil-A lets you go. Yeah, they go, well, we've shifted our priorities. That is hilarious. That was a tough look for me. It's okay though, you know, everyone has to start somewhere

and that was probably a learning time of your life. Yeah, I guess you can't do that. No, well now everybody's so sensitive about those things. So sensitive. Now we go. Y'all I love spring season because it is all about starting fresh. Just like spring cleaning is a great way to refresh your home. It's also a great way to refresh your health and wellness routine. And the simplest way to do that is with AG1. AG1 supports digestion and energy levels, plus it helps your skin from within, helps

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Yeah, but I think I was very shy. I would never speak in front of anyone ever. But would you joke with your siblings? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, anytime mom and dad were doing something wild, everybody came to me to like, John, we gotta... What are you gonna say about it? Yeah, I would never be like, everybody gather around. But I was always, and like we went to Christian school

for high school. So I'd always be in the back of the room kind of knocking on everything. And like, same with church, because my dad was a pastor. So we'd always be like, kind of making fun of people in the church, or like funny stuff to people. I mean, we would, people would get prayed for and they would like fall over.

And then, why are you laughing about that? Just laughing that you're about to make a joke about it. I was about to tell my testimony, but that's fine. You can laugh. No, it's fine. OK. I just thought I was going to encourage some people. And then they would put a blanket over them.

And if some people are listening, I remember this era of Christianity. And we always thought that was so funny. I mean, it was obviously just from the outside of different perspective of it. You're like, if I'd never seen this before, I'd be like, this is wild. Actually, I have a true testimony to this.

So I grew up Church of Christ. I didn't see that at church. Yeah, well, the Holy Spirit really wasn't with y'all at that time. I didn't see that, okay? So then I- Yeah, well, the Holy Spirit really wasn't with y'all at that time. I didn't see that, okay? So then I went to a revival night at a church with a friend. Now we're talking.

More Pentecostals. Yeah. And I was just standing there worshiping and a person beside me, like, fell out on the floor and then someone just brought a blanket, like a towel and put it over their head. And I was like, oh my gosh. Like I thought they passed out.

And then I was like, are we just gonna like, are we just gonna keep going? And like, so I knew the pastors, they were friends, and I turned around and I was like, like are we okay, you know? And then that's when I understood and they told me what that meant. So it is funny, like, why, I love how you joke about church stuff because the people who are there relate and it's so funny and it's so true.

And we need to be able to laugh at ourselves. But then also the people who don't relate, like me in that moment, I can go back to that moment and be like, Oh, that was like so funny. I literally thought the person passed out and then I learned what that was. But it's very serious. It's obviously like, so you don't, so there's like a, you're like, you're not gonna deny the Holy Spirit working in someone's life. Oh, absolutely. But then you go also at the same time, you're laying under the sheet, you like come out of it.

Or like the Holy Spirit's moved on. Or then you like, do you pull it down? Or like, that's what's funny to me about you okay because I have been interested in this because you make fun of you not it's like not I guess you do make fun of it but I was trying to say that in a nicer way you laugh at you make fun poke holes at all the stuff and it's very funny but like where is line? Like, as you're writing stuff, do you ever go, oh, that's too far? Or like, where's the line?

Okay, well, all right. So for me, and everybody's different because there's a lot of, like, I remember Mark Lowry, who's an older comic that was doing a lot of churches, like in the 90s. He saw my special, he goes, how are you getting away with this? He goes, I got kicked out of a church for saying breaking wind, which is like, but you know what I'm saying? So like, he was like, that was, and they go, that's disrespectful, right? So, and then I see sometimes, I'll be honest, I see some of those Christian meme accounts, and I'm like, I think that's too far. But people also say I'm too far.

So I think my heart, if I ever was making, I've made jokes about you before. Yeah, I've seen them. But okay, now we're here to talk about it. But I go, and at the time I didn't know you, but I go, if I was her, I would think this was funny. I make jokes about my girlfriend, that she's like, thinks they're funny.

I make jokes about my parents. And I think my rule early on was like, let's say I'm making a joke about Joel Osteen. And then we're in Houston and some of my manager comes in and he's like, hey, Joel Osteen, and then we're in Houston, and some of my manager comes in and is like, hey, Joel Osteen's at the show tonight. If you would take that joke out, that's not a joke you should be saying. You know, like I would do it in front of that person.

I try to, and then, like, there was that, we had a joke about how somebody in my neighborhood had a, I don't know how this is gonna go on this podcast, but somebody had a neighborhood had a, I don't know how this is going to go on this podcast, but somebody had a nativity scene and a Harris Walls, like a sign in their front yard. And I was making jokes about that scenario and I, about the nativity scene. And I would kind of draw the line about making a joke about Mary or Jesus. Because there's like, sometimes you see people like dress up as Jesus and I don't.

Yeah, too far. But to me, I think that's too, or like, it just seems like a line that I'm not quite sure I want to do for likes. Yeah, no, that's good. But people have come at me and said, my jokes are too far. So I don't think I'd be like the police of the internet. Yeah.

I just go, that's not, I don't know. You're walking in your conviction and where you think, but also it has to do with why you do, what you do. So I mean, it's a big question, but what is your why in comedy when it comes to like Christian? Yeah, well that is a big question. I think my agent, who's like a Jewish guy that lives in LA,

he comes out to the shows and we're doing in cities like York, Pennsylvania and like Shippensburg, and he goes, man, these, I like to be in the lobby of your shows after the show because people are walking out of there with such like, I don't know, like levity or like hope or like it's so like the atmosphere is so like uplifting and it's like, dude, like look at the life is horrific if you like the news like just like the the state of things it's like terrible and if you can

I make a joke on my show it's like a lot of you guys came in here tonight with a lot of issues a lot of struggles and a lot of problems and you're gonna leave here tonight with the same problems but you're gonna feel and you're gonna leave here tonight with the same problems, but you're gonna feel better, you're gonna feel lighter. And I think that's, it's so heavy. We don't do shows in churches anymore, but we just do whatever the biggest theater in the city is and people, it's still the same people,

so believers, and there are these heavy topics about, I joke a lot of jokes now about my parents, the aging, and then like my nieces and nephews. And these are all like, I kind of say at the show, it's like I'm joking, but I'm dead serious. I'm dead serious. And I believe in what we're doing out here.

A lot of people have said, like we went, we did a military tour in Kuwait, in the Middle East. And I remember being so expensive a military tour in Kuwait, in the Middle East. And I remember being so expensive to fly us over there and do comedy, and I go, what are we doing over here? Kind of, and what's the highest ranking military official? I'm trying to think of a term, like a sergeant or like a corporal. I'm not sure if I'd be the one.

General, yeah, see, yes. He goes, we bring the comedians over here because when the comedians come, the suicide rate goes down. Wow. He said that to me dead serious, meaning like, and they bring entertainment and music and stuff over here, but like, think about how sad those,

no, not even sad, how real those situations are. And then you go, well, we're just gonna forget about it for an hour, we're gonna laugh. And I was like, and every time people go, yeah, people are sad, I feel like they go to art, and look what your podcast has done for people that go, man, we love, when's the pod come out?

Wednesdays? Wednesdays. Wednesdays, they go, we love Wednesdays, our favorite day. And I'm impersonating a white woman, I should've done that, but we love Sadie on Wednesdays. Wednesdays. They go, we love Wednesdays, our favorite day. And I'm impersonating a white woman. I shouldn't have done that, but we love Sadie on Wednesdays. What time does it come out? I think it comes out at midnight, right? Midnight? Yeah, we drop it. Second Wednesday starts and then one o'clock on YouTube.

I feel like if you had the ability to make people feel like they're a part of a community to encourage them, to uplift them, even if you could help shoulder the burden of somebody else that's going through all kinds of things and I'm sure you get emails, of course, all the time. Then who are you not to do that? I feel like. Of course, no, that's so good, that's so true. People tell me they listen to my podcast on the way to school, so they'll be confident to, like, be a believer in who they are.

And that's, like, the coolest thing ever, that they're leaning on these words and this encouragement to get through their days. Like, oh, absolutely. It means the world. Somebody said to me one time that they're, like, their parents are, like, in kind of, like like a domestic situation. They always yell and fight. He said, whenever that happens, I go up to my room and put on my headphones

and listen to your comedy. And you're like, yeah, we're just joking. I think we like your, but we're not. I don't know how else to say that. Does that make sense? It's serious. Well, I think too, even even the joke about, you know, who switched denominations.

No, I'm not doing it again. I'm not doing it again. But like, okay, everyone's dying laughing, but the truth is everyone who switched denominations, that was really hard. Very hard. That was really hard. That was a hard thing that they went through.

There was hurt there, there was pain there. There was a lot of things that they realized needed to change in their life, and it was probably really hard to make that jump. But yeah, it's so nice to just be able to laugh and be able to bring joy to something that is really hard. And so that's the gift you're giving people. And I think when people are who they are created to be,

and they're operating the gift that God gave them, it is a gift to the world. It's a gift to everyone around you. And so it's so special. When you, you know, you mentioned you were funny as a kid and your siblings were funny. Does someone ever call it out and you like, you need to be a comedian, you're gonna be a comedian? Or how did you actually start pursuing that as your career? I think there was like some times in college that I would be like on a stage somehow like I was doing like these at my fraternity and stuff like

that or you're kind of the leader of the whatever event and I remember being funny I think I was in I started my career in in the news. No way. Yeah I started my career in the news. And your girlfriend's a news anchor, right? Yeah, she's a news anchor now, yeah. So, because of me really, I've helped. Nah, just kidding, she would kill me if she knew I said it. I was in the news for like a semester. She's actually good at it. I think I was, I remember like the teleprompter,

you just have to read exactly what they said and I would be so frustrated with that. I was like, just put the bullet points up there and I'll just, you know, riff it. And they were like, that's not how the news works. And somebody, John Mark Green, I think what his name was, he goes, you should try it. You should be a stand-up comedian.

Wow. And I, what's wild about that story is I think, I wish I started when I was 25. And it took me, somebody told me that when I was 20. And it took me five years to get up the courage to do it. To do it for the first time. So I remember that day I just started, I had like a, I would just write things down that I thought were funny.

Did you watch other comedians? I had, I watched like, I mean, Tim Hawkins, who's a guy I toured with for a long time actually. We came up listening to him Kings of Comedy Cat Williams all those comics back in that in like 2008 2009. That's cool, but What's wild about that is it? It only I

Could have done it at any night. Like there's open mic night every night. And I was, it took five years to like get up the courage to do it. Friends, consider this my personal invitation to you to join the scripture translation movement and the Illuminations 12 verse challenge. Over 3,000 people groups or about a billion people don't have God's Word in their own heart language and yes I said billion with a B and there's more than 1,000 people groups without any scripture at all. So just take a second to let that sink in. Illuminations actually started the 12-verse challenge to bring the Bible to all of those people. Illuminations is an alliance of 11 Bible translation

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The time five years went by though, had you been like, you've been writing stuff down. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. For what that would look like. You wanna hear my first joke? I do wanna hear it. It's bad. But I was so, I was like so confident. yeah. For what that would look like. You wanna hear my first joke? I do wanna hear it. It's bad. But I was so, I was like, so confident.

I was like, this is gonna kill. And you have to be like kind of out of your mind a little bit to do it, I think. Could you do it? Me? No. Oh my gosh, no. But my dad, I think he, like we always tell him, you could be a standout comedian.

Yeah, just do five minutes. I've been with, on events with him. He's funny. And he has that shock effect that you're like, how did you get away with saying that? But it was funny when you said it. You know how I think he's cheating a little bit? He's always been, people are interviewing him on stage. He doesn't just come out.

He's always got, I was like, dude, you're sneaking around the rules. He does though. He does. Maybe I've just been with him when he's like to be in a Q&A. Yeah, you got to see him when it's just him. It is really, and every time it is a Q&A. Yeah, you gotta see him when it's just him. It is really... Every time it is a Q&A, they ask him one question and he talks for 30 minutes. So the Q&A is pretty much just like softball.

But I'll just say, I don't think I could do that. But people think you're funny. I think I'm a funny person, but like, there's... Okay, here's my audience. I mean, I'm a funny person, but I'm no stand-up comedian. Also, like- You have funny stories about your kids, I'm sure. I don't say shocking things. Like, you know, I don't really, like, teeter the line of like,

that was kind of inappropriate, that's not really me. Which I feel like comedians, that's their thing, and it is funny. Like, not- To try to go up to the line, at least. And not like, yeah, you don't do that in like a bad way, but it's like, oh, I can't believe they just said that. That's my dad.

Like, I can't believe you just said that, but it was so funny. I would not do that personally. Oh, the disposition you have is not, my girlfriend's the same. She goes, like, we're always out somewhere and I'm just saying wild stuff. Yeah, I'm like, I can't believe you just said that.

She used to come behind me and like sweep everything up. He didn't mean that, he's a comedian, he's just joking. Oh yeah, some people just say, oh it's just with your dad. I was like, oh really? Okay, how does that work? I think it has to, so you know that common,

bless your heart, that's like a Christian, it's not even a joke, because everybody says it now. So it's not even a joke because it's in the lexicon of what everybody knows. So a joke has to be across the line, a little bit. To be like, I can't believe you just said that.

But as a believer or as a clean comic or whatever, there's also another line. So you got to cross this one to be funny, but there's another one here that if you cross that one, you're kicked out. So, and both of these lines in every show and every night, and it could be a matinee show versus a late show, are moving.

Well, that's interesting. And you just fill the audience. You have to. Yeah. And sometimes you do a show in, you know, Montgomery, Alabama, or versus Portland, a little different. I'll just leave that up to the interpretation

of the listeners, but yeah. You go, all right, well, that worked last night, but not here. Not here. Yeah. That is funny. That's what we like about it. That's what makes us, we love it. That's fun. I do like to read the room and I feel like sometimes I'm very aware of the room. That's why I like, yes, you can do a message during COVID. You're doing a message over the screen,

but it's so much better when you're in person because you're feeling the room, you're seeing who you're talking to. But okay, we're not getting away from it though. We have to hear your first joke. Oh, I was going to ask you, has your speaking ever gone really bad for you? But I'll tell mine and then you tell a story about when it was, when it did not go good.

I have to think about that. Okay, that's the cockiest thing I've ever heard. No, no, no, I mean, I'm not. I'm going to have to think... When did it go bad? I'm gonna have to think about that. Everyone on those podcasts knows the story of my first speaking engagement, which was actually horrible. It was bad. Yes, I was supposed to speak for 25 minutes. I spoke for five.

Literally had an anxiety attack while I was on stage. I'm not laughing at that. I'm not laughing at that. And they asked for their money back. They did? That is legit true. They asked for their money back. They did? That is legit true. They asked for their money back. It was very embarrassing. Thankfully, my mom did not tell me that until years later. How am I supposed to give back $250,000?

It continued. I'm joking. Whatever. Trust me. That was not me. But. You can cut that out if you want to. It's OK.

Let it fly. But the truth is, I mean, comedy is obviously so different than preaching a message, because I'm not performing for people. So it's not necessarily good or bad. I mean, yes, messages cannot go great. Sometimes you're like, oh, man, that didn't really that analogy didn't hit as much as I thought it was going to.

But also, again, I could preach the same message at a church that's more charismatic and say the exact same analogy, and everyone's like, that's so good, yes, clap and standing up, and then preach it at a church that's a little bit more conservative, and it was still good, and it still hit, but it's just a silent reaction.

But when I'm preaching, I'm not in any way doing it for the feedback. It really is, this is a message I'm not, when I'm preaching, I'm not in any way doing it for the feedback. It really is like, this is a message I'm giving the word. Give me these words, hopefully they encourage you and people get to receive it however they want to. So comedy is different because you are like putting on a show. If comedy goes bad, we know. Yeah. Like if I, I mean, they probably have seen you speak, they would

probably know of this was a, they were more into this one than they were the other one. But if I had never seen you before you were like I didn't, it was great. But you know. I'll be like that was not the best. Yeah. Like my words got jumbled or I didn't hit. Okay actually speaking to go bad one time. Like truly actually bad. Like I was giving an analogy and midway through, I completely forgot what I was gonna say. Really? Literally I was just like, what am I talking about?

I've never had that happen before ever. And it was a horrible place for it to happen to. It was like a basketball arena at a college. It was like so crowded. You don't have to brag about it. No, like it was like, I mean, I wish it wasn't a basketball arena at a college. And I just stood there and I was like, what am I saying?

But then it was actually so cool because then I just stopped saying that and I was like, God, what do you want me to say? And then I just got super vulnerable and authentic and then it was incredible and I loved that moment. So it's like, but if that was a show I was performing at, I would be like, oh, that was not good. That was terrible.

But God can redeem a little bit more through an authentic message moment, where I don't have to be funny. I can just be like, I don't even know what I'm saying. Just let the Holy Spirit work. You know what I mean, let the Holy Spirit work. Well, yeah, I guess we both. Sometimes I say it at the end of my shows.

Sometimes if the crowd is a little too rowdy or something, wouldn't I wouldn't say it but sometimes I go listen I don't know is I've been I just probably November the 6th I just celebrated five years sober well which is a miracle congrats but I only say that because I say it in the show I go listen because I make some jokes about drinking and I go for the record I don't I don't I go I had a good run I put up some good stats back in my 30s but I'm sober and I just talk a little bit about it just a little bit and I go kind of like you you go I don't care if y'all think this is good or not this is what this is what I'm supposed to say I feel like I came to this scene if I was gone from Earth tomorrow,

that I feel like I would want to say this. And I usually say something about, like one of my cousins that passed away, committed suicide a year ago. And we all went to his funeral, and there was like 3,000 people there. And I go, isn't that wild that all these people, like who told him that he was better off not on this planet?

Who told him that? And then I go, there's a lot of people in here, just by nature of how many people are in here, that feel like they're alone, they feel like they're worthless, they feel like if people knew the truth about me, they would not like me, if all the gamut of things that are just like, and you sometimes go, well, who told you that? And it's wild, there's 3,000 people in here celebrating this kid's life and he

didn't, he thought that these people weren't even, that he was alone. And I go, this is what I say, I go, if you don't believe in God, I go, I disagree with you, but I could have that conversation with you. If you don't believe in the devil, that's insane to me. If you don't think there's some kind of evil around here trying to take you down, that's, miss me with that. And if you're like, hey, I'm Church of Christ, or I used to be Catholic, or I'm Pentagon, we can have that discussion.

I don't think anybody on this planet would not agree that there's some kind of force Totally and it's obviously taken me down and taking everybody down. I go on the other side. I go Yeah, I don't know where those voices come from. Yeah, everybody's got them You're I love how like honest you are about what you went through and sharing that now Do you feel like with coming out of what you went through so publicly and hitting such a rock bottom on a public stage, does that change the way that you use your platform? Like did you used to have that serious moment at the end of your show or feel the need to? Probably not. I mean I'll be honest I

probably was just saying it because I felt like that was like a thing. I didn't have any conviction about it but I was just like saying it because I felt like that was like a thing. I didn't have any conviction about it, but I was just like saying it because I was like, wow, maybe I should just throw in some kind of message. But I feel like, I was in rehab in 2019, and I was like, I wanted to end my life. And I don't want to say that, because sometimes people go through something and they're like, I was,

I don't want to use it to be like like people to feel sorry for me or anything like that But I was like true to your story on a dark very very dark place, and I was like Man I don't know I Don't know how this path Go I think that's what suicide is is the current situation is untenable I don't know how this path goes. I think that's what suicide is, is the current situation is untenable and there's no. You lose hope.

Yeah, there's no way forward. So you go, well, this current situation is terrible. And then there's no future. Wow. It doesn't turn. So why, what am I supposed to do? And so I think I remember saying that I wasn't going to, I was like, well, I'm not going to kill myself because my mom would be sad.

I was like, my parents would be devastated if I did that. So maybe I can, I don't know. I remember when I was in rehab, I was like, if I can get out of here, I can at least go to Chick-fil-A and play golf. That's all I thought at the time there was, maybe I could just, I could do that. I didn't think I'd ever be a comedian ever again

or anything, not even close. Well, you just had something to hope for. Something. Something. Yes, and you go, well, maybe I can, and then I remember, you know, I was like, well, if I could stay sober, then I could, I could at least be alive, or I could at least be, I don't know what I would do

for work or anything, I'm just guessing. But then I was like, and then people were like, well, we'd love to hear what you have to say. And I was like, what? And then, like, then you go, oh, well, if I can, And I was like, what? And then you go, oh, well, if I can do this and do this, then maybe I could see. But that's what everybody, like everybody

that is on the way to work right now, or is on the way to school, or wherever they're listening, they're like, if I work hard here, I can hope for the, even if you're not a believer in Christ, the hope for the future, that there's a better tomorrow. I'm gonna meet a spouse, I'm gonna get a raise, I'm gonna be able to go on vacation, there's hope and a better tomorrow,

but then you go, well I have no, that's why we, I always see, my girlfriend just covered a school shooting, which I feel like they happen all the time. Then I go, well, the debate on politics, all of it or whatever, is that the kid has no hope. If you think that is the solution to, and that's what comes down to it at the end of the day,

is if you have no hope for, oh, I don't want to go 100 miles on the interstate because I want to be alive, because I want to be able to do comedy, Because I want to be able to do comedy. Because I want to be able to spend time with my family, my girlfriend. If you don't have that, outside of a relationship with Christ, I don't know what to tell you.

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Again, that's trymiracle.com slash woe to treat yourself today. I think it's really encouraging to hear you say, like at the beginning, your hope was literally like, go to Chick-fil-A, play golf. Like sometimes hope does have to start small before it like grows into something big. And I think it's hard to imagine like imagine mustering up all the hope in the world when you are in such a rock bottom place

to think as big as, I'm gonna go back on a comedy tour. Never. Never. I'm gonna be dating an amazing person. Yeah, never. Like, you can't go there yet. I mean, faith is the common thing that we hope for.

There's sure some things that you cannot see. So yeah, like faith is gonna come into that. But like at the beginning of that, even just a spark of hope, like to those people listening in the car right now, the reality is there's a lot of people listening to this right now who have lost hope in a lot of sense. And what is one thing you can look forward to?

Maybe it's as small as trick-fil-a. As simple as the sport you love to play, a person you love to see, and let hope grow on that. I mean, I remember this is a little bit of a different context, but I used to really struggle with anxiety, like major anxiety attacks. And those would be some really dark places. And it talks about taking our thoughts captive, and that is really hard to do, to take thoughts captive.

And I had to literally replace thoughts with visual thoughts of good things. When it says, think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable, I made a collage on my phone of visual pictures of what I think about when I think about things that are pure and honorable and all those things. So that it wasn't just something I was trying to say to myself, but something I visually began to replace when I think about things that are pure and honorable and all those things so that like,

it wasn't just something I was trying to say to myself, but something like I visually began to replace and began to see. And so yeah, sometimes like, you gotta fight those things in your brain, but sometimes it looks small at first, sometimes it looks simple. If you were in a, like a prisoner of war

or something like that, and they were like, hey, but they are coming. Yeah. They are coming. They don't know where you are, but they are looking for they will find you I'm guessing you could endure an Unimaginable amount of pain and suffering because they're like they are But if if imagine the same situation they go they're not coming. Yeah Almost makes me emotional like, like it's over. They're not, you can't endure anything.

Because you go like, they're not. And if you go, one day I could have a family, maybe one day I could do comedy again, maybe one day I could see my nieces and nephews, you go, I can endure. Yeah. You can endure a child. I'm sure there's single mothers listening to this that their current situation is horrific.

But they go, well, if I keep doing it, this will turn. This will turn. And I mean, it talks about looking at Jesus as the author and prefect of our faith when we go through things like this, because Jesus endured the pain of the cross for the hope of heaven and that we would get to join him in that.

And so like enduring something like the cross, even though yes, he's God, no, he was human, fully human, emptied himself of his deity in that moment to be human and like took on all of the sin in the world, the pain, the hardship, he literally was sweating blood asking God, if this can pass, let it pass. But yet that was the reason he came.

And so he endured it because of hope, because of the future, because of heaven. And so again, yes, the little things are important, but at the end of the day, to have a hope and a faith in Jesus, it's like, hey, it might not get better on this side, but there is a hope of heaven and that the Holy Spirit is going to help me right now.

He will be the strength in my weakness. Before I physically feel it, I can spiritually begin to let hope rise within me. And I think about, even whenever we talk about doing good in sermons and not doing good, when I think about that, it's, when I think back to like, when I would speak as a kid for like, Doug Dynasty days,

I would do horrible. Those were when they asked for their money back, because I was doing it in my own strength. I was just trying to be like, Uncle Si really is weird and drinks sweet tea. Like, I wasn't like saying things that really matter. Well, I can see why they didn't like that. I was just trying to get the lights, get the hit.

But now I'm like, I'm not doing it in my own strength. I'm really not. I am leaning into the Spirit of God. And the Word says so many times, open your mouth, I'll give you the words to say. The Spirit will give you the words to say. And so to me, I'm like, who am I to say it was good or bad if it's what the Lord's doing?

You know, and so I feel like- You're just like, I just say after, I should be, I kind of joke, I'm playing with house money now. It should have been over. The story should have been over. And anything that happens now is like, I don't. Like what's the, I guess what's the, like, I just like to make things that I like. And if other people enjoy them, great. If the show, if the show's sold out or if the show's,

I don't know, it doesn't affect me like it used to. I think that's the difference, because you go, what's the best case scenario of this pod? You're like, all right, it becomes the biggest, and then you're like, all right, and then more money, or like, you know what I'm saying? There's nothing at the end of that, I feel like. Maybe that's what I'm trying to, there's no,

all right, then you go to the arena, then you go to the stadium, then you go to the, if you just keep going and then and then and then. Yep, we've talked about that a lot even on the back end of why we do the podcast, because there are sometimes we have conversations on the podcast that don't perform as well, because maybe people don't know the person.

And I go, well, that's OK, because say less people listen to this podcast, but we have a much better conversation that's so intentional that changes 10 people's lives. It is just one, of course, worthy of just one. But say it changes five of the 50,000 people that listen to that episode, as opposed to 100,000. Well, then it doesn't matter. Like, but then advertisers, the pressure of like,

oh, well then you didn't hit this number, so you shouldn't do this. And I'm like, but at the end of the day, that's not what I'm going for. That's not success to me. You took yourself off of that train. Like, what is success? Everybody has to ask themselves that.

What is it worth? Where am I going? How far am I trying to take this? And to me, because that is true about podcasting and whatever you do, you have that pressure to hit a point to make this work or this happier financially makes sense. But it's like, but if we're trying

to reach people and impact people and that's the key number we're doing, then yeah, do the ones that might not be successful in the world's eyes. But this is going to impact a large group of people and maybe the large group looks at 10, but huge impact in their generations will change because of this conversation. You still have to keep the lights on. I think for our my special that came out two weeks ago, I said, yes, we put all this money into producing the comedy special, it's on YouTube,

and I go, why don't we, nobody said this, but I go, why don't we turn off the ads? And they go, what, that's the whole, I go, yeah, but it's a good, it's a great piece of content. If I'm in the middle of a joke and they're a Pfizer, no disrespect to Pfizer, but if they were like that, that... And I go, well, they were like, what about that? I go, well... And everybody's not in the position that like, I was like, well, let's just... I believe in it and what's...

It just seems like it never ends. So, sometimes, you know, we do our podcast every Wednesday and every other Monday, so episodes have to come. And there have been times where I speak, someone's like, oh, can we just put the sermon out? I'm like, no, because I don't want to add in the middle of a sermon. Because what if I'm saying to me,

that's like the Lord's really moving on someone's heart? And then, yeah, it's like, don't interrupt this moment with the Lord. It's different in a podcast. We're having a conversation, it can stop at a point, you can do that. But when you're in a sermon and the Spirit's moving in someone's life,

you don't want to interrupt that. And so I feel you. And I think you have to walk in your conviction with that. I mean, you said that even when people said, don't say the Christian jokes, you gotta walk in your conviction. This is what I'm called to do. So if that's not working for you.

This is what I think is funny. Yeah, this is what I think is funny. What was your first show back, coming back out of the hard time? Was it hard to do. So if that's not working for you. This is what I think is funny. What was your first show back coming back out of the hard time? Was it hard to do that? And listen, let me say before we go forward that I don't want to compare. I just made a lot of poor choices. And I had to sit with the consequences of those choices. So I don't want to be like the devil was, I made all those choices myself. And I look you in the eye and say

that I'd be responsible for all of them. So I don't want to diminish it or be like, there was a target on my back. And I mean, some of those things are true, but I don't want to skirt responsibility. But I remember my agent, he was like, let's do, COVID happened right after that, he was like, let's do, COVID happened right after that, it was in 2020. And he goes, let's just do a show at the local,

at the Zanies, which is the comedy club in Nashville. And I go, I mean, I remember me and my assistant, her name was Eleanor at the time, and I hadn't done anything in nine months. And you know, and I remember me and her sat in my kitchen and just were bawling, dude, bawling about, I changed my Facebook profile to like a, I had not said a word on the internet in nine months.

And I was like, and I didn't even consider that that would go on the timeline. And people were like, oh my God, he's back. Or like, I can't wait. They were so excited, just. And I was like, like living in a place where you thought you were outcast or you were nobody loved or everybody hates you

or your poor choices are a death sentence for you. And I remember she just posts, cause we were doing all, cause we were about to come back and it was the first time it was just like, oh my God, we missed him, I can't believe he's back. And we were just bawling, dude, we were bawling. And I only say that because like, I don't even deserve that.

Or I didn't, that was, I don't even know, I just like, that's the unbelievable amount of like, love that was shown to me undeserved. And then we did a, we put on a show, we put it for sale and then my agent called me in like 40 minutes and he was like, it's sold out. And I was like, what? Like the wildest thing, when I was in rehab, it was like for the first month you can't nobody can call you or you nobody can reach out from the outside they just want to make sure that you're okay and healthy so you know contact with the outside so I remember after a

month I came into the like mail center whatever and there's a my name was written on there meaning that a piece of mail and I was like I went to the thing I was like hey my I got a piece of mail. And I was like, I went to the thing, I was like, hey, I got a piece of mail. And they brought me a little one of those voicemail, like little notes, and it said, your parents are coming to see you. And I was like, I thought I like, you know,

shamed my family and my parents are prominent in the community, and I was like, what? What do you mean they're coming? I've embarrassed myself publicly. And they were like, they're coming to see you. And then I was like,

why would you think they wouldn't? You know? Where did you get the idea that your parent wouldn't be there? And I was like, oh. And it's like, I think the joke about that everybody switching denominations and everybody, especially my age, I'm 40, are like wrestling with the faith.

Is that everybody is like, all right, that kind of flipped my whole faith. Cause like the works, performance based, make sure you look good. And if you, like I remember in growing up in youth group, they were works, performance-based, make sure you look good, and if you, I remember growing up in youth group, they were like, I make jokes about it, like if you kiss a girl, you're banished, and all these things, especially around sex,

they were very rigid, and then everybody knew everything about me, and they were like, we love you. And I was like, and a lot of people listening to this probably do not have that story. That they got divorced, I hear all the time that we got divorced, I got kicked out of my church. I was, I got pregnant and I got kicked out of my youth group, right?

Everybody has these stories. And so now everybody my age is like trying to figure out, And so now everybody my age is trying to figure out, like nobody really wants to throw it out, you know? You can see people on the internet like war about, oh, this mega church or this, but nobody's, they're like, yeah, I think there might be something. Now, like the commercial industry of Christianity is, there are humans obviously,

but I think a lot of people are like, I think there's something to that. Well. At Enterprise, we know you're constantly on the move. Getting this. Thanks, mom. Fixing that. You reach a destination.

And then it's on to the next. And when life is moving at the speed of, well, life, Enterprise is right there with you, around the corner and around the globe. We'll keep you moving forward. Enterprise, for lives in drive. Well, I think it's really beautiful what you experience because what you experience is truly

the heart of God. Like, it is true love being fully known and fully loved. Like grace that just radically shakes you. It's like when you expect to get shame and you get love, you get, you know, you're received by mercy and grace. Like that is the message of Jesus. That's what Jesus portrayed to every person that he spoke to, talked to.

And that is what's extended. And the sad thing is people who have that story, the alternative story is stories of people who said they were Christians, said they're believers, but didn't act like Christ. And so then like- He included by the way. Yeah, yeah, so then you're super her.

And that's why I think you don't wanna throw out cause like you wanna throw out that, like what I just experienced, like the church her. But I don't wanna throw out the true faith because if there really is a God who really could fully know me and fully love me, really did send a son to die for me, really does extend that grace to mercy,

like I want that. If that is true. If that's true. And I feel like we go from times where like, I believe that. If that is true. If that's true. And I feel like we go from times where, like, I believe that. Or like somebody goes, if you're, you know. I've been in times in my life where, like, I don't know if that's true. But no one's be like, hey, I'm out. There's, I think, a lot of people that are very vocal about, like, if,

I've said this all the time, but you go to the open mic night at the comedy club, tonight, there'll be 20 comics on the stage. If you sat through that whole open mic night, 15 of them or more would have a joke about Jesus or Christianity. And these are not people of faith. So everybody is in essence like, that's what comedy is, is wrestling with these. Interesting. Yeah. Nobody, there's no jokes about Muhammad,

there's no jokes about all, but everybody, all these comedians are going, I don't think it's true, and they're speaking against it, but they are. They're thinking about it. And it's, and this man that lived 2,000 years ago, they were like, I... Why is it still coming up? Something about this. And you look at, yeah, this pastor's got a private jet. And you're like, yeah, I understand that that is not, if you read the book, that's not in there.

And a lot of it has been, a lot of the faith practice has been twisted. And we had to fall over and they had to wear long pants, they had to wear skirts, this denomination can't wear makeup, all these type of wild things but no one is like has put everybody lays their head down on the pillow and people are trashing on Christ but all of them are talking about them. Yeah. Everyone got some kind of joke. And I feel like, yeah, if you know the truth or something, you don't really have to argue it.

You just go. It's true. Yeah, you know. And not in an aggressive way, but you go. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. That's good.

That's very true. You know, I see people listening to this, and when you were talking about that time of your life thinking there's no hope. And now I just want to point out for those listening, like, you literally are on tour, like a comedy tour. You just put out a YouTube special that was absolutely hilarious. Like we started this conversation out laughing so much and they got to the point in this

conversation where there's so much truth being spoken, and literally go to church sermon. And so that just, you are a living example of what it looks like if you just keep the hope, and keep walking, and keep putting one step in front of the other, and keep going into your tomorrows. And so it's very encouraging sitting here talking to you, and just seeing the kind of content that you're putting out,

knowing where you were, seeing where you're at, and knowing that that's what Jesus can do in anyone's life. It's what He did in your life. And I'm so thankful you're willing to share that, because your life is huge testimony to those watching. That's very kind of you to say. Yeah, it... I think if you... I mean I remember days in 2018, 19 that I go after the show, I was in such a high from the show, the dopamine rush from upstanding ovation is, and I'm not going to be able to survive this night without some kind of interaction with a woman or alcohol. I will not, this, I feel like

I described it to my therapist one time and I bet people will relate to this. When I closed that hotel room door, it was like prison. It was like a prison, like I, I will not survive. I will not survive there. And I remember one of the last cities we we were in Wichita Falls. I'm not here to brag, but I was doing pretty well at the time. But I remember they go, usually we take the bus, and if I was on the bus,

all my buddies were there, and it was more of like a community, it was a little bit safer. And it was so far of a drive back to Nashville, that they were like, you're gonna stay in a hotel and then fly in the morning. And I remember,

I loaded up my bag with what, white cloths and snuck them into the hotel. Cause I was like, this is the only way I'm gonna be able to survive. And to be, I remember going to my first AA meeting and the guy who said he was 30 days sober. I go, there's no way. There's no way.

I don't believe that. I don't believe that. And to be five years sober, now granted, I still got there's no way. There's no way. I don't believe that. I don't believe that. And to be five years sober, now, granted, I still got a lot of problems. I'm not here to be like, I'm fixed. Follow me. But that is a miracle. I don't know how else to say it other than that. That is a miracle. And the comedy, by the way, is a thousand times more sincere and more like if you don't, I think, if you don't for whatever your faith tradition,

if my choices or behavior was beyond what you could continue to follow, that's fine. Everybody has their own conviction that absolutely, I'm not here to ask for somebody's like, please like accept me back or something like that. I think the people that are like supportive of me and then they have been. And so it comes from a place,

like I've said this about this community here in West Monroe is like, I go, last time I was on the podcast, those guys came in from hunting to have a podcast. They don't, they're not even on the internet. There's a lot of people in your family that aren't even on the internet. I go, these are the guys to trust. They have no agenda except for to tell you about Christ. Nobody's hand is in their pockets.

No, they're like, these guys are as sincere as you could possibly be. I think going through something like that, I think a lot of people would say, coming on the other end of it, you're like, I looked the devil in the eye. I always say that, my girlfriend always makes fun of me. I go, I looked the devil in the eye, dude. I don't, whatever.

Whatever could possibly come of, I'm fine, you know? My grandpa says that. I think there's a part in the movie where he says, in the blind, it was about his life and really the hardest parts of his life, and it's like, I looked the devil in the eye. He says that? Yeah, he talks about that. Let's call it from him.

He talks about that. But I think, I'm just so thankful that you share your story, and I feel like once you know when you're in Christ and you experience this too in marriage, I think Christian gave me this gift as well. When you know you're fully known and fully loved, it's one of the most freeing things in the world. And I was talking about this through our marriage, like since we've gotten married, I have been so much more confident in who I am as a person because I'm like, I don't really care what other people think. I know who I am. My husband knows who I am. My family knows who I am and they love me and they accept me and know me. And the good, the bad, the ugly.

Like you do not try to say. You kind of consider it. Yeah. Like if something is not in the podcast or you're speaking didn't, you will consider it. Yeah. But it's not. It doesn't tell me who I am.

It doesn't dictate the rest of my day, the rest of my night. Have someone speaking truth over my life. And so just seeing you in here, it's so freeing to speak with someone who's so authentically themselves and willing to share the hard things in life. I truly mean this when I say this, I have seven years of doing this podcast. This is one of my very favorite conversations I've ever had on the podcast. And I really mean that because not many people walk in the authenticity

and vulnerability that you walk in but I think that comes from going through what you have gone through and being willing to share and that's a testimony and I'm very thankful that you were willing to share on the podcast and come on. I'm sorry it took seven years but I'm kind of glad it did. Yeah, it's probably for the best. And I will say that a lot of people that, there are a lot of people that are listening to this that do have secrets or that if they found out about my, my boss would fire me, my spouse would leave me, my kids would, like I was caught and like I, like just I didn't have the courage to come forward either. So I don't, I can't, it's so much better on this side.

It's so much more free and you can be in a relationship with someone that does know you and knows all your secret. But I didn't have the courage at the time to be like, hey, whoever needed it, this is what I'm struggling with. So I reacted in a way that led me to this. to be like, hey, whoever needed it, this is what I'm struggling with. So I reacted in a way that pushed me towards Christ versus the other way on the other side. But there's still a lot of people that I talk to

that are trapped in that area. And I was like, well, I didn't have the courage to do it either. Does that make sense or no? I actually heard you say that before on a podcast as I was listening to the different ones to prepare for this one. And I was like, I want to say, I don't think that you have to be hard on yourself

in saying that you're not an example for that, even just because you didn't do it. Because I think sometimes, like for instance, after this podcast, I'm interviewing Ben Stewart, who wrote Single Day Engaged Married. And I was going to ask Ben, after this podcast, I'm interviewing Ben Stewart, who wrote Single-Dated, Engaged, Married. And I was gonna ask Ben, does this book come from experience, how you actually dated Donna,

or from wisdom looking back, how you wish you would have? And so I think you can speak into something by saying, this is not how I did it. But as I've matured and as I've grown in wisdom, and as I've seen what's on the other side, I am gonna say the best thing you could possibly do is to step out and to shine a light on it

and get accountability and to confess. Well, in the Bible it says, confess your sins so one day you'll be healed. So to encourage people in that, you don't have to be the hearer and say, I did it, but you can say, but this is the best thing to do. And I'm saying this not because I did it, but because Jesus said to do it.

Or I'm saying this not because I did it, but because Jesus said to do it. Or I'm saying this not because I did it because through wisdom of learning the hard way, I can tell you this is the best way to do it. So I think it's humble to say I didn't do it, I didn't have the courage to do it, but I think it's still good to encourage others. It's the best thing to do. But again, thank you for sharing.

This was incredible. It's an honor to be out here. We have to go in the same color. Look was incredible. It's an honor to be out here. I think we're in the same color. Look at that. It's gold. Didn't even plan it. Oh, yeah. We never said the first joke.

Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. We didn't do it. In YouTube, everybody's going to be like, what was the joke? So this is terrible. We spent a ton of time outside. We were little. My skin would get very dark.

It would be real tan. And the first thing, they told me, the first thing you do when you go out on stage, you should acknowledge what they look at you and think. So I usually be like, I know you guys are looking at me and you'd be like, did that guy just valet my car at the mall this afternoon? I'd be like, no, because I only work Tuesday and Thursday.

Or something like that, because that's what they would look at me and think. So I go, my first joke ever, I go, my skin gets pretty dark in the summer. I know a lot of you guys are asking what race I am. And I say, I'm not white, I'm more like wheat. And then I go, well, my mom's white and my dad's nine grain. And I'm telling you, not one.

Crickets. No, the crickets would be an encouragement. And I'm telling you, not one. No, the crickets would be an encouragement. Everybody was just like, and I had done a lot of jokes in like my church, like for the announcements, or like I was always the guy at church and I was like, I like coming in, I was like, this crowd's going to love me, bro. And they were like, and the first time we get, the first time we try to stand up, they give you two minutes. Oh my gosh.

That's the, because that's like, but that just like when you were doing 25 minutes and you only did five. Yeah. If you do that joke in the first 10 seconds and you got another minute and nine, it's so, it was. It feels like 20. Horrible. That is bad.

It bombed, it bombed so bad. That is pretty bad. Yeah, so if you're like on the ticket master, like I'm gonna go to John's show and you hear this, you go, actually, nevermind. It's better now to John's show and you hear this you got actually never mind It's better now. It's come a long way That is hilarious