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Welcome to the Men of Faith podcast where we’re dedicated to calling men up, not out, to live a life dedicated to our God.
This is more than just a podcast, it’s a community and a brotherhood. In each episode, we'll explore topics that touch the core of our spiritual and daily lives—from the sacred bonds of marriage and the joys and trials of parenthood, to practical advice on health, fitness, and managing our finances wisely.
Our journey begins now and we want you with us, so please subscribe on your favorite listening platform.
Resources:
Learn more about Project Church: https://projectchurch.com/
Connect with Project Church on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectchurchsac
00;00;00;01 - 00;00;07;21
Speaker 1
Because you're saying, no, I'm good God, I'm a good person. I'm I, you know, I'm I do stuff for people. And he's like, let me go down the list, but.
00;00;07;22 - 00;00;28;23
Speaker 2
Right. Yeah. I can't deny it because I was doing those things. And, so I just realized God keeps it real, you know, because before that I was like, God is forgiving. You know, I'll go seen. And I believe it's called premeditated sin. Correct me if I'm wrong, but yeah, I would go sleep with a woman, for I, the Lord, forgive me for a I do I know better, right?
00;00;28;24 - 00;00;49;06
Speaker 2
But I'm just. If I was my foundation was God. I would most likely not do that right. You know just because being disciplined so but I do a lot of premeditated and seeing, things that I would do before doing so that was but God is like, I realize we can't play God.
00;00;49;10 - 00;01;09;06
Speaker 1
You're listening to men of Faith, the podcast dedicated to calling men up and not out. Join me as we live a life dedicated to our God.
00;01;09;09 - 00;01;27;08
Speaker 1
Welcome back to the man of Faith podcast. I'm your host, Caleb Colt, and I'm here with my guest today. This is Rudy Ornelas. Great to have you, Rudy. Man of faith. All the moss. Listen in, man. Make some noise in your car wherever you're at. But, man, so good to have you here.
00;01;27;10 - 00;01;30;02
Speaker 2
I appreciate you having me here and this blessing.
00;01;30;04 - 00;01;56;03
Speaker 1
Excited to hear a little bit from you. Rudy, just to give you guys some background, I'll have I'll let you talk about yourself. Kind of what you do in your regular life, day job. But Rudy's been out probably church since 2022 and is currently, doing an internship with Project Church. So just been a couple of weeks of him interning here at the church, but he's been involved for a while, been a part of our church for man going on for years.
00;01;56;03 - 00;02;09;00
Speaker 1
So super grateful for him, his heart for the Lord. And, he's a man of faith. And so, we were having a conversation in the day, and I was like, man, this will be great to have you on the pod. So here he is. So, Rudy, tell us a little bit about yourself.
00;02;09;02 - 00;02;36;16
Speaker 2
Let's go. Yeah. It's beautiful. I was I found this church when I was riding my bike, and I told you the story. But, you know, if I. When I was watching, I found this church. I was riding my bike, BMX biking. I didn't even know it was a church, you know, because at that time when I was riding my bike, I know, but people that come to project, usually after each service, we usually hang out on the porch, you know, got activity sometimes.
00;02;36;16 - 00;03;01;20
Speaker 2
Or sometimes we'll have a DJ there playing some music. And so happened it was a DJ that day playing music. So my first thought, not knowing this was a church I thought was a bar, you know, some type of, you know, I just seen I was like, well, Elena Kagan, it. So, later that day or that week, I think I went on the porch looking side in this at church, then went to go check it out the following week.
00;03;01;23 - 00;03;20;01
Speaker 2
I loved it, and at that time I still wasn't fully like surrender, you know, to Christ. I always believed in God, but there's a difference, from following him for sure. And I've learned that from one of your sermons. You know, you could believe, but you have to follow as well. But far as you know, with that, I'm a barber.
00;03;20;01 - 00;03;44;25
Speaker 2
I'm a barber shop owner. I always tell people now that I know this God's barber shop, I just manage it, you know? So I'll pray to the Lord. So I've been cutting hair since 2012, high school, and been on this journey. God's blessed me to barber shop. God bless me like great barbers, coworkers, my brothers, and, yeah, so that's what I do every day.
00;03;44;25 - 00;03;52;03
Speaker 2
Content creation as well. Just having fun with the YouTube and creating the content as well. So yeah, those are my passions and what I do.
00;03;52;07 - 00;04;01;11
Speaker 1
Yeah, he's a big social media guy. I think you've had a few clips go viral, but I saw one clip of his that went viral, like popped up in my feed and I'm like, wait, that's Rudy?
00;04;01;11 - 00;04;02;14
Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah.
00;04;02;14 - 00;04;07;09
Speaker 1
And I was like, oh, that's that's what's up. Because you popped up and just my regular feed.
00;04;07;09 - 00;04;08;06
Speaker 2
Was it the cop video?
00;04;08;06 - 00;04;09;23
Speaker 1
It was the cop video. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00;04;09;24 - 00;04;13;17
Speaker 2
That one was like super viral. Super viral. Yeah.
00;04;13;20 - 00;04;28;12
Speaker 1
It's cool. Well, hey, tell us a little bit before we jump into the topic today, just tell us about, like what was the switch maybe from you just being a believer in God to a fully devoted follower. Like, what kind of switched for you?
00;04;28;14 - 00;04;41;01
Speaker 2
Yeah. So in January 20th of 2022, I lost my best friend from suicide. And, I went to his house and I found him, you know,
00;04;41;04 - 00;05;03;16
Speaker 2
And from that grief and from seeing that and dealing with that trauma and from that moment of like after that incident, I was just trying to I was grieving with the, like, the hood teachings and. Yeah, what the culture teaches us. I start to rely on drinking. I was never a drinker. I grew up boxing, so I was never into that stuff.
00;05;03;16 - 00;05;24;00
Speaker 2
But I started to rely on drinking beer, turn into more and turn it to make drink all that stuff. So I was fighting the grief, the wrong way. I'm trying to numb it because that's what the culture taught me. Go get a drink, be by yourself. And, even just I feel like being a man. We try to just hide it, be in by ourselves and, just trying to take it on by ourselves.
00;05;24;00 - 00;05;44;18
Speaker 2
And it wasn't working. I just started. As time went on, I started to hate life. I started to just every day was depressed, frustrated, embarrassed that I failed him. And at that time, I wasn't, you know, I wasn't really leaning on God. My energy, my faith is is what the culture has taught me. What I'm you know, what I'm used to.
00;05;44;21 - 00;06;07;02
Speaker 2
So it came to a time where. But so that was about a month of grief, but it felt the longest, you know, just because the days felt so long and just the numbness in the pain and during that time, I just, I started to see, like demonic stuff like shadows of, of demons. And it scared me. And I still wasn't, like, fully there yet.
00;06;07;02 - 00;06;27;15
Speaker 2
Then I remember Super Bowl Sunday in February. Month has passed. You know, it's like a month now. And I'm over there at the cemetery drinking and talking, and I got some beers with me and just by myself, just with, visiting best friend and I, at that moment, I was just tired, like, what am I doing? You know, I feel God's talk to me.
00;06;27;15 - 00;06;52;07
Speaker 2
What am I doing? Like, what are you doing, Rudy, to saying what I led you to do. This is this is not the route. You know, you're going to lose your life. You continue to live like this, and, because we know the wages of sin is death. Yeah. And so. And that moment, I just cried out of desperation for help and from in that moment, I just felt the Holy Spirit, God's presence.
00;06;52;09 - 00;07;10;19
Speaker 2
And for anybody who's watching, you know, for me, the the feeling of the Holy Spirit is just, overwhelming with love and joy, peace, comfort. And you just feel it in filling that dying God speaking to me. I see you asking a lot of why. Because I was asking a lot of why. Like, why did this have to happen and what happened?
00;07;10;22 - 00;07;27;23
Speaker 2
See this? And it's I was asking why during that time of grief in in God's are you asking the wrong question? He needed to ask, what do you need to learn from this in a moment? Like, what do you mean? Like, I'm a good person and I help out people and just, you know, doing the the good works?
00;07;27;25 - 00;07;50;29
Speaker 2
Yeah, that's what we'll call it. The good works. But then he started naming on my scene. He's like, hey, now there are that. Don't matter. You're not a good person, you know, because you know, Jesus is bold. We know God is bold. So yeah, he's like, no, not on my scene. You were here drinking, getting drunk, sleeping around, women watching pornography, the music you listening to, the way you speak into what you think, into pretty much your heart.
00;07;51;01 - 00;07;54;28
Speaker 2
You know, it's a lot of evilness going on there. It's hard.
00;07;55;01 - 00;07;55;19
Speaker 1
Yeah.
00;07;55;21 - 00;08;10;29
Speaker 2
So it hit me like a ton of bricks. Like I am doing those things. And it's like, you need my help with doing those things and I'll help you. You cried out to me for help. Right now, I'm a good father. I'm a perfect father. So of course I'm gonna help you. I forgive you, but get close to me.
00;08;10;29 - 00;08;32;07
Speaker 2
Build a relationship with me. So in that moment, I just stopped what I was doing. The sinful start picking up my Bible, worshiping him, praying. Came back to this church. And, even when I came back to project the second time from when best after best Friend passed away. I was just came like the worst. He just.
00;08;32;07 - 00;08;56;04
Speaker 2
I was just crying like a baby, you know? But it was a cry of relief. Let it out. And guys like, hey, it's okay to cry. Don't. You don't care who's watching. Yeah. And looking. So, Yeah. That's that's my story. Was just losing my best friend and and understanding now about death. Understanding about, choices and.
00;08;56;07 - 00;09;18;14
Speaker 2
Yeah, it's deep, but I wouldn't trade it for nothing for, as you know, finding my faith in where I'm at now because I realize this life ain't mine. Yeah, this life and ours. We're here temporary. And, we got work to do, you know? And his love and his forgiveness and all that grief. It's like he comforts me, comforts us, though.
00;09;18;14 - 00;09;39;18
Speaker 2
It's just beautiful how God is. Took me from that. And from a life that was like that to just peace and just wisdom and knowledge. So for me, he's like, it's impossible to go back to how I used to live just because I've felt his his presence and understanding. He kept it real with me. So we are looking for real.
00;09;39;18 - 00;09;40;13
Speaker 2
I feel like.
00;09;40;16 - 00;09;58;04
Speaker 1
Yeah, it's, that scripture, right? Like taste and see that the Lord is good and what's you've, you know, once you've tasted of him, how could you go back to the bitter taste of sin in this world? Right. Not that we're ever perfect, but you just can't live the same way. And so thank you for sharing your story.
00;09;58;04 - 00;10;20;18
Speaker 1
I actually, that's my first memory of you. Was you coming to me after, service and, just being, you know, grieved and grieving, and you told me, like, my I found my best friend this week, and that was like the first memory. It's still ingrained in me. Just like how how impacted you were. And I knew you were kind of brand new in your faith because, like, I just found this church, and.
00;10;20;23 - 00;10;39;28
Speaker 1
Yeah, we're just kind of beginning the journey. So to see you know, where you were then and where you are now, like, it's a testament to the Lord and the Holy Spirit, but also to your obedience. And so I just want to say, you know, thank you for responding to the Lord, because I know he's using you in a powerful way now, and you become an instrument for good and for his kingdom, you know?
00;10;39;28 - 00;10;59;28
Speaker 1
And, before, even though you didn't realize it. Right. We're we're an instrument for the world and, even for the enemy at times. But I think that's what you said is one of the hardest pills for people to swallow. So it's so cool that the Holy Spirit gave it to you. Because I've had to say this to people and have this debate with people.
00;11;00;02 - 00;11;17;21
Speaker 1
And I tell people all the time, like, you're not good, right? And they'll always that's always the argument. Like, I'm a good person. All right. And then I have to go. All right. Well, have you ever done, you know, have you ever told a lie? Have you ever lusted in your heart, in your mind? You know, have you ever betrayed someone?
00;11;17;21 - 00;11;38;10
Speaker 1
Has. Have you gossiped? You know, I could go down the list, right. And then I go see all those things, like. Yeah, you're not good. You may be good in comparison to a murderer, but in comparison to God's perfection, you're not good. That's why Romans tells us like there's no one good, right? No. Not one. And so, so like, there's no good person.
00;11;38;10 - 00;11;55;14
Speaker 1
And that's why we need Jesus. Because of our imperfection, our sin. We need him. But it was. It's crazy that, like, the Holy Spirit actually spoke that to you because you're saying, no, I'm good God, I'm a good person. I'm I, you know, I'm I do stuff for people. And he's like, let me go down the list.
00;11;55;14 - 00;12;15;17
Speaker 2
But I, I can't deny because I was doing those things and, so I just realized God keeps it real, you know, because before that, I was like, God is forgiving, you know, I'll go sin. And I believe it's called premeditated sin. Correct me if I'm wrong, but yeah, I would go sleep with a woman, for I, Lord, forgive me for a mother.
00;12;15;18 - 00;12;38;04
Speaker 2
Do I know better? Right? But I'm just. If I was, my foundation was God. I would most likely not do that right. You know, just because being disciplined. So. But I do a lot of premeditated seeing, things that I would do before doing so that was but God is like, I realize we can't play God, right?
00;12;38;05 - 00;13;01;10
Speaker 2
You know? Yes, he's loving and forgiving, but now that we know better, far as being disciple, knowing the truth, there's times where we have the opportunity to say no. You know, so I take that really serious in in my faith walk where it could be, the things I used to struggle with a lot. So I keep myself disciplined as soon as that that pops out, change it.
00;13;01;10 - 00;13;04;03
Speaker 2
That. Yeah. Prayer. But, yeah, for sure.
00;13;04;04 - 00;13;23;15
Speaker 1
Take those thoughts captive. Right. And yeah. And I have always said to people like we take our thoughts captive through prayer. Yeah, right. Like that's the only way to do it. Like I think that so many times people, they quote that scripture and go, yeah. So just like think about other things like, no, you take it captive by giving it to the Lord.
00;13;23;15 - 00;13;55;24
Speaker 1
Right? So I give it to him in prayer. And then now my mindset has shifted onto him and not on to the sinful, you know, desires or thinking that I was, have or even just wrong, you know, hateful, angry, hurtful thinking that's going on in our minds. But I think this is all a great set up, because what we wanted to talk about today, is just this idea of, of holiness, I think, and what we are consuming that leads to either holy living or, you know, unrighteous living.
00;13;55;29 - 00;14;13;26
Speaker 1
And so me and Rudy, we're having a conversation the other day about music. And then it kind of led to like, movies and it led to entertainment. And how much of our lives as as followers of Christ and the men that listen to this podcast, actually, I keep hearing, guys wives are telling me they're listening to it, too.
00;14;13;26 - 00;14;42;07
Speaker 1
So some of the sisters who are listening to, it's how often we numb ourselves or or or feel like we're refueling our tank with entertainment. But how much of the entertainment is actually destructive messaging, thinking, images that are actually pulling us away from the righteousness of God. So maybe we talk about, like you, Rudy, and obviously you've changed a lot of what you consume.
00;14;42;10 - 00;15;00;28
Speaker 1
Right? And we're talking about, you know, the things we put into our body. Not I'm not we're not going to go into food today. Although we could but but like music, movies, entertainment, all that. So like you've changed a lot of that. And so talk to me a little about what are some of the changes you've made and why.
00;15;01;00 - 00;15;23;17
Speaker 2
Yeah. During that experience with the Holy Spirit, when I was at the cemetery, yeah, when God listed the music, I listen to the way I'm talking and thinking. So, I would definitely say at that time I didn't know. But now that I know, God gave me the wisdom. The Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom. Knowledge that that's another way of worshiping the enemy of the world.
00;15;23;24 - 00;15;35;23
Speaker 2
You know, the demons are working. The devil's working just as God is working in the angels working, you know, so you look at the music. What are they rapping about?
00;15;35;26 - 00;15;36;25
Speaker 1
Yeah.
00;15;36;27 - 00;16;01;01
Speaker 2
They're talking about sex, drugs, killing. And it goes on and on. So as now that I'm in walking with God. Hey what are you doing. Consuming that. You know don't do that, that don't represent me. And I'll just look back at 2000 years ago when Jesus Christ was here and even if, say, he was here present, he ain't going to be listening to that.
00;16;01;04 - 00;16;22;16
Speaker 2
So I just look at it like that is like, oh, what am I doing? Oh, it's just music, you know? It's just words. But no brother and sister, what you thinking? I think I heard this from Pastor Rick Warren. What you think is what you feel and what you feel, what you act. So if I'm thinking about those lyrics that just pop in my head in the East influenced me as well, right?
00;16;22;16 - 00;16;23;06
Speaker 1
Right.
00;16;23;08 - 00;16;45;09
Speaker 2
You know, go sleep around, get amped up, listen to that music, and you go do that. You got a fresh cut. You feel good. That music can influence you. So I cut that out. Why? Because, God, somebody cut it out. That's me being obedient. Yeah. You know, and I realize how evil that music is. And I know the Lord wants us to stay away from evil, you know?
00;16;45;09 - 00;17;06;13
Speaker 2
So just, realizing that and holding myself accountability. I observe this now, but that's no longer me. You know, you born again. That used to be me. But it's not no more. Yeah. No. So even the way we talk, you listen to that. You're worshiping that, then I think you accidentally curse me. Well, what are you listening to?
00;17;06;14 - 00;17;18;07
Speaker 2
What are you in? Contain yourself. But it's ongoing. Cussing and just talking dirty. Yeah. No. Stinking dirty. What are you getting that from? Because there's times to this day where I still remember lyrics from the stuff I used to listen to.
00;17;18;07 - 00;17;18;18
Speaker 1
Horse.
00;17;18;18 - 00;17;24;28
Speaker 2
Yeah, but what did we just talk about? Take that. That captive. Go into prayer and it goes away.
00;17;25;01 - 00;17;49;26
Speaker 1
Well, yeah. And what we put in right is what comes out right. And, and I wonder how many guys listening, like how much music they're consuming that's not glorifying God, how much movies they're watching that has nothing to do with glorifying God. How much? Just mind numbing television or reality television shows we're watching has nothing to do with God.
00;17;49;29 - 00;18;05;07
Speaker 1
Sexualized content, right? Horror films like all these things that we're putting into us. And then we wonder why what comes out is not pleasing. Right. And I was just actually, I started a journey with my son this morning.
00;18;05;07 - 00;18;05;27
Speaker 2
Yeah.
00;18;06;00 - 00;18;33;22
Speaker 1
We're every day, Monday through Friday. We're going to do just a ten, 15 minute devotional together. He turned 14. And so we're going to do it until he graduates from high school. And, we're calling it a primal path to manhood. So I'm helping him move into manhood. But this morning, our first ever devotion together was Psalm 199 that talks about how does a young man keep his path straight?
00;18;33;24 - 00;18;51;23
Speaker 1
How does the young man walk impurity? One version says, and it says, by the words of the Lord being in his heart. And so I told him, I'm like, look, bro, the only way that you're going to be the man of God that you're called to be is if you know the word, if you're in the word, if you're consuming the word.
00;18;51;26 - 00;19;11;09
Speaker 1
And so what I see is, you know, a lot of men that come to me and want to stop the pornography and stop the the bad thinking and stop being angry with their kids and stop, you know, being distracted all the time and they just want to live more, right? For God. I'll ask them, like, how much are you in the word?
00;19;11;09 - 00;19;32;23
Speaker 1
And almost every time it's little to none, right? Because it's the word that leads us down the right path. That must be a big part of our diet, right? And for most of us, it's it's just not right. And then we wonder why that's not what comes out of us. It's not what flows out of it. It's not, you know, life that flows out of us.
00;19;32;23 - 00;19;43;13
Speaker 1
It's actually death. And so, I mean, talk to me. You told me earlier, you know, about, you know, used to watch a lot of horror films. You're a big Michael Myers fan. I think you said.
00;19;43;13 - 00;19;44;01
Speaker 2
Yeah, yeah.
00;19;44;02 - 00;19;44;29
Speaker 1
Talk to me about that.
00;19;45;00 - 00;20;15;23
Speaker 2
Yeah. I was a huge Michael Myers fan. Collected props, you know, like his mask? Yeah. Jumpsuits, mechanic suits, boots. Cardboard cutouts of Michael Myers, and other ones as well. Scream and Chucky. So all that stuff just, you know, this is movies. That's. You know what I was raised on? It's just movies. So now that I know guys, you know, as I say, God, give us the wisdom and knowledge and we're in the word.
00;20;15;25 - 00;20;28;05
Speaker 2
And what I've learned is that this, this, these things in these movies, music, I'm idolizing, these things, I'm idolized.
00;20;28;10 - 00;20;28;26
Speaker 1
An idol.
00;20;28;26 - 00;20;48;26
Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah, because I'm fascinated about it, you know, thinking about it. Can't wait till it comes out, Byron. Investing in it, pinning energy and time into it. And you know, it's evil is. Yeah. It's not representing the Christ. And so for me that was a distraction where, I had to let go, you know, isn't this a movie?
00;20;48;26 - 00;21;12;23
Speaker 2
But no, these movies have sex scenes in it. They have cursing in it. So very being very conscious of what I'm watching and what I'm listening to. So how to let that go and start to have nightmares. It's crazy because I started to have like, nightmares, about Michael Myers after I found God and after I let it go, you know, not during the times when I was watching it.
00;21;12;23 - 00;21;38;11
Speaker 2
Really? But after I let it go, I started to give these these nightmares and bad dreams. Like, why am I getting hit with that now after I stopped watching it? Yeah, after I let it go. So I wasn't sure you know, what was going on. It was, you know, the evil one was just trying to, hey, you know, trying to pop up, steal it, just trying to do anything to keep me from going forward.
00;21;38;13 - 00;21;58;12
Speaker 2
But, yeah, you know, I'm. I'm not thinking about that. No, I'm not watching it. It's hard. The flesh, you know, my flesh as as you talk about, we're fighting against our flesh in the evil one. Right? So there's two enemies, is what I've heard. Do your sermon and and what I've learned. So. Yeah, I just don't want to go forward into that, you know?
00;21;58;15 - 00;22;18;28
Speaker 2
But it's harder, you know, no movie comes out and I want to watch it. Right. But, Lord, I know this life. We only got one life. I'd rather please you rather than please this. Please myself, you know, so that I just talk to God in that moment when I'm going to make a decision to go watch a movie, to look up a music on my phone and play.
00;22;18;28 - 00;22;26;23
Speaker 2
So, yeah, just really stay straightforward with with the Lord. And he keeps you real. Don't do it. Don't watch it.
00;22;26;25 - 00;22;47;07
Speaker 1
It's you gotta actually as a as a dad right now that I'm a I've been a father now for a while. But I have three kids. And you know, it's funny because I always, like, listen to a lot of worship and Christian music, but then, you know, I grew up on hip hop and R&B, and, I just, I just loved music.
00;22;47;07 - 00;23;25;17
Speaker 1
And so growing up, you know, I, I would listen to everything and even still, like, I, I for years, I, I would still listen to like, man top 40 like I just, I like to know what's, what's happening. You know, what's I want to be hip on what the kids are listening to. You know. But, it's funny because, you know, as I've gotten my kids now are in the car with me a lot, and, you know, I'd put on maybe just regular music, top 40 music and with my kids in the car, I'm so much more sensitive to the messaging.
00;23;25;23 - 00;23;50;19
Speaker 1
Oh, yeah. And that's when I knew, like, okay, always use the argument like, oh, it's just like, I just like how it sounds or it's the B or, you know, whatever. But it wasn't until my kids got in the car and I'm like, oh man, like this. This is clearly about like sex. This is clearly about like, I mean, how much of the music is, is about devil worship, even, you know?
00;23;50;19 - 00;24;16;13
Speaker 1
Right. This is this is clearly about just going after money, you know, and the things of this world and and my kids would there was not a lot but here and there, if I put a song like dad, did you hear what they just said? Like, their ears are very sensitive to it, right? Because they're innocent. There's an innocence that certain lyrics and messaging will take from them.
00;24;16;13 - 00;24;38;06
Speaker 1
Right? And it exposes them to things that they're maybe more sensitive to, but not also not ready to process through it. And it just, it really like reinforce and convicting. My wife is big on it, like she's always on me. If I ever put on music that's not glorifying to God, you know, she's like, they can't hear this, you know, and protecting their souls and their hearts.
00;24;38;08 - 00;24;58;13
Speaker 1
And so I do that as a father with my kids. So my point is, like, I should do that for myself. You know, I should protect my soul, my heart, my ears, my spirit from what the enemy would try to use to, like, pull me down, drag me down. And I'm not saying you can't listen to any music that isn't dubbed Christian like.
00;24;58;13 - 00;25;19;03
Speaker 1
I'm not saying that at all. But I am saying that when you hear messaging and and clear like idolatry, you may have to take a second thought and go, man, is this something that I should be putting into my soul or my spirit? Because ultimately we can say it doesn't affect us or impact us, but we know it does.
00;25;19;03 - 00;25;38;12
Speaker 1
Yeah, right. We know that. And then even more so, you know, for someone like you, Rudy, who came from this life of living for the streets, you know, or as you put it earlier, and then you're still listening to the same music that's glorifying the same lifestyle that you're like, no, I'm trying to live different than that. Right?
00;25;38;19 - 00;26;05;23
Speaker 1
We all should be sensitive to it. But I, I think that's why it's probably been even stronger, like that conviction in your heart, which is, is, I think, inspiring, I think inspiring for a lot of the guys to listen to. And so like, as you've walked that journey, how have you maintain like strength to go, no, I gotta like this is the the path, the call God has in my life and not get sucked back into like, former way of living.
00;26;05;25 - 00;26;11;11
Speaker 2
Yeah. Now for sure. I appreciate that Sharon. And.
00;26;11;13 - 00;26;36;05
Speaker 2
For me, it's it's. I feel like with God, there's no playing games. Yes. God is loving is forgiving. But when he speaks to you and he convicts you, I look at it like, as I said earlier, we're all looking for a real. We all want people to keep it 100 with us. Yes. So if we expect it, like to keep it real, we want people to keep it real.
00;26;36;08 - 00;26;52;03
Speaker 2
I'm gonna do the same to God. I'm going to keep it real. So that that really holds me accountability. And I think just a love just being so in love with him. And yeah, from saving me from the darkest time in my life so far yet and
00;26;52;05 - 00;27;09;28
Speaker 2
Lord, I owe you my life. You know, if you don't listen this music, if you don't want to watch this, that. So that goes in my mind is just. Hey, remember what you promised. God. Remember how he saved you? And, it's a lifestyle. I know we talked about this as well. Like following God, following the Lord Jesus Christ is a lifestyle.
00;27;09;28 - 00;27;29;13
Speaker 2
Absolutely. You know, it ain't just. Hey, we talking about this then I'll leave right now. And I go play music that we just talked about. Yeah. You know, my own private time. You know, that's been it. That's been a hypocrite. And the Lord sees that he knows what we're doing on a private time. So, like, Lord, take my heart.
00;27;29;15 - 00;27;52;08
Speaker 2
Yeah. You know, and I was reading this verse, it referring to to what we're talking about in this in the book of Ezekiel, chapter 36, verse 26, where God will give you a new, that it says, I'll give you new thoughts, I'll put a new spirit in you. That's good. You will no longer, you would want to obey me.
00;27;52;08 - 00;28;11;08
Speaker 2
You no longer want to disobey me. So I realize that, like, that's real because I want to obey you, Lord. That's all in my mind. Obey you. I'm gonna live with you. I no longer want to disobey you. And that would be a category where I'm not going to listen to this worship, you know, of the world.
00;28;11;10 - 00;28;42;15
Speaker 2
Yeah, because that's not Christ like if I'm following you. If Jesus was here right now and I'm following him and I'm following Lord. But my headphone I got, I'm listening to this trap music where he's going like, what are you doing? Yeah. Out of the love and respect, like, no. So I would say that. And that's how I operate when I think about those things in, you know, as we said earlier, prayer, such staying hungry, staying desperate, you know, knowing where we come, where you come from and what you're battling with, be accountable because God, that's what he taught us as well as is being accountable.
00;28;42;18 - 00;28;55;10
Speaker 2
Yeah. Don't do that. So as you said earlier as well, the more you in your word, the more you're praying and just living for Christ. I don't want that. I don't crave that. Yeah, I crave you, Lord, you know. So that's.
00;28;55;10 - 00;29;18;27
Speaker 1
So cool. You said that what you just said earlier was like that. You just love the Lord. Yeah. No, I think when we're in love with God and we long to know him more and please him, right? Because, like, I love my wife, I want to please her, right? I want to do things that build her up and make her feel like she's the most important thing, right?
00;29;18;29 - 00;29;40;02
Speaker 1
And and make her feel that, that she matters more than anything else. How much more so should we want to live that way for the Lord? So when you're in love with God, you love the Lord, you love Jesus, and you want to, you know, please him, honor him, give him glory like you will have a new mind, right?
00;29;40;02 - 00;30;00;28
Speaker 1
Yeah, you will have new thoughts like he does make actually the desires of the flesh. The old desires should get less. It doesn't mean you will have them still at times, right? We all do. We're all tempted. But the pull on us is less. The pull on our souls, the pull on our desires. It lessens to where?
00;30;00;28 - 00;30;22;14
Speaker 1
Like, because the pull for Jesus is more and the stronger, you know, pull, the stronger desire usually wins. And so that's why I think for a lot of guys listening, like they're feeding the the flesh side too much. And it's why the pull and desire for those things are greater, because ultimately you still love those things more. Yeah.
00;30;22;16 - 00;30;47;00
Speaker 1
But when you start to feed the the spirit man with the Bible, with prayer, with worship, right, with church attendance, with brothers, they hold you accountable. Keep it 100 with you. Like, yeah, yeah. When you do all that, they'll pull for the things of God, the ways of God that gets stronger, that desire gets stronger. And then before you know it, like, yeah, I'm still tempted, but it's much easier to resist, right?
00;30;47;01 - 00;31;07;18
Speaker 1
And it's much easier to please the Lord over pleasing my flesh. But it all comes down to like, what are we putting in? Like, what are we consuming? And I see this so often in my life. I'm I'm consuming the right things. I feel better all around. Even we can go to the physical, right? I eat right, I'm drinking lots of water.
00;31;07;21 - 00;31;26;29
Speaker 1
I'm limiting my sugar intake. It's crazy how much more. And I'm exercising. It's crazy how much better I feel all around in the mornings, at night. Like how much more energy I have, and how much more in the spiritual right in the spiritual realm, I was actually thinking about,
00;31;27;01 - 00;31;49;16
Speaker 1
Isaiah 26 three. No, no, sorry. Romans eight six. I had two verses here, but Romans eight six says the mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the spirit is life and peace. Amen. And I think we know that, like the flesh may feel good in the moment, but at least to death. But when it's a life governed by the spirit, what do I have?
00;31;49;18 - 00;31;52;20
Speaker 1
Peace. Right? Right. Life. And then that's what we all want.
00;31;52;27 - 00;31;55;10
Speaker 2
Yeah. Oh, yeah. Now for sure.
00;31;55;12 - 00;31;56;19
Speaker 1
Peace in our lives, right.
00;31;56;20 - 00;32;23;09
Speaker 2
Peace. Yeah. Love. Comfort. And yeah, it's as beautiful as you say that. Peace. And that's that's like another thing just being so in love with God. Like, show me that peace. Soon we can receive that. And his comfort, his guidance. And, there's another sermon you were speaking about. Maybe I forgot how many years ago, but things like that, like, as I said, I take this very serious.
00;32;23;09 - 00;32;50;13
Speaker 2
So I really tune in when any of you are preaching. Yeah. Y'all preach beautiful, each one of y'all. And in all the guest speakers as well. And but I remember you were going over statistics. How many fathers are not in someone's life? You know, but as you said. But guess what? We got an everlasting father. And I'm like, wow, that's so true, because everything that I was always asking are one.
00;32;50;13 - 00;33;11;19
Speaker 2
It is like it was there the whole time. Yeah. And I don't say that to like, slander my father's name. No. But I say that that's real. Like if we don't have the guidance that we need to steward us, but we actually do, which is the everlasting father. Yeah. And that's stepping into it, into surrendering ourselves to, to him.
00;33;11;22 - 00;33;36;20
Speaker 2
And he's going to teach us everything that we need to be taught the music, the entertainment, what we're putting in the diet as we're in the word, because we're going to come across some scripture on how we eat, what we're listening to, what to say. So it's all just about being obedient, just following in. If this was our last day, am I going to be listening to, you know, whatever Kodak Black NBA and wore in the car?
00;33;36;21 - 00;33;54;23
Speaker 2
Yeah, I bet I get in the car in the in my last name. Hey, I'm with God, man. What you doing listening to that. Yeah. You know, so I just I always think stuff like that too. Yeah. This was my last day. Like, man, I went to go watch a horror movie. Even though the Holy Spirit told me not to, and I disobey and I do it anyways based off my flesh.
00;33;54;25 - 00;34;02;13
Speaker 2
So I think like that is just because it's real. Death is real. And if I do that and I just, I you got to answer to God for sure.
00;34;02;16 - 00;34;29;25
Speaker 1
Yeah. I think you're living with an eternal mindset. You know, I think that's what, all the guys probably need to be reminded of. We all need to be regular, reminded of, like, you're thinking what the Bible says, like this. Life is a vapor. It's a mist, right? Like it's here and it's gone. And, we have this little window of opportunity, and this is, you know, a part of our purpose is living for the Lord in this, in this moment.
00;34;29;28 - 00;34;52;28
Speaker 1
Right. And yet, so often we're distracted by all the other things. We're not living with the eternal mindset. It's all temporary, satisfaction focused. And so what you what God has done in you is so beautiful, Rudy. This is see, like, this eternal perspective is always at the forefront. You want to please him, and you want to make the most of this moment that God has given to you.
00;34;52;28 - 00;35;09;24
Speaker 1
And so, man, I just want to say, like, super proud of you. And it's just cool to watch, you know, your journey going from when you first rolled up and going, this is a church, what is this? I believe in God, but, you know. Right, right. And then to see where you are now, man, is just, like, inspiring.
00;35;09;24 - 00;35;12;23
Speaker 1
You're still single guy. I know you're still, like, one day.
00;35;12;23 - 00;35;13;22
Speaker 2
Yeah. One day.
00;35;13;24 - 00;35;31;24
Speaker 1
Looking to get married to and yet walk in impurity and holiness. And so, man, thank you. Thank you for your example to other young man. Thank you for your example. Just some men of God in general. And so one thing we do at the end of our podcast, every, week is we give them a call up.
00;35;31;26 - 00;35;48;11
Speaker 1
All right. So I'm gonna give you a minute to think about your call up for them. So we, the men of Faith podcast. We don't call men out, but we call them up. Call them higher. And so my call up to all the guys is, that this week that you feed your spirit man more than your flesh, man.
00;35;48;11 - 00;36;09;00
Speaker 1
So I don't know what that looks like for you. Maybe it's like, hey, I'm going to turn off the music. I've been listening to a put on a podcast of, of, you know, a Christian podcast or put on some worship music or whatever. But my call up is, hey, feed your spirit. This week, more than your flesh every day.
00;36;09;02 - 00;36;09;25
Speaker 1
What do you got for him?
00;36;09;25 - 00;36;36;09
Speaker 2
Call up my collar for the man is. Your life is a privilege. Y'all are beautiful. Or even a woman. Y'all. Life is a privilege. Y'all are beautiful and make the most out of what God has given you. He created you in the book of Psalms, chapter 139, verse 13, it says, I have even thought about you before you was even in your mother's womb.
00;36;36;11 - 00;37;01;26
Speaker 2
And that just shows how special we are to God. Like it's amazing. He's a perfect guy and he's given us each and every day a privilege to change up our habits. What we're putting in ourselves that don't represent him. So just look at our lives. And is this representing Christ? Because walking with God and walking with Jesus Christ is a lifestyle.
00;37;01;28 - 00;37;32;24
Speaker 2
We are disciples. So that would be my call up is just realize what you're putting into yourself and realize that you're forgiven. You are loved and quit doing the habitual sin that sometimes we could do. Like take this Walk series and we'd love, you know, and I say this with love and I say this with, respect as well, you know, because I was once there and I still fall short sometimes, you know, where I still seen.
00;37;32;26 - 00;37;53;12
Speaker 2
None of us are perfect, but there's things where we could change up to habitual sin, you know? So I feel like habitual singing could be music in, the movies or whatever that could distract us. And for me, it was the movies and music. It was distracting me, so I had to. Hey, cut that out because it'll lead to other things.
00;37;53;18 - 00;37;59;05
Speaker 2
So just realize that that will be my message to the men and women or whoever's watching this.
00;37;59;07 - 00;38;17;03
Speaker 1
It's great man. Well, hey, thanks for joining us on the man of Faith podcast, Rudy. Thanks for being off. Yeah, it was a pleasure. Love you, bro, and love what God's doing in your life. And keep leaning. Well, to all the guys out there, thanks for listening. Tuning in and listen on Spotify, iTunes or some of you watching on YouTube.
00;38;17;04 - 00;38;34;13
Speaker 1
Do us a favor and if you're getting a lot out of this man, share it with a friend. Like and subscribe on our YouTube channel if you haven't done it. Like this video right now, that helps us, just get the message out there more. Share with the friend and then also follow us on our Instagram page of Faith pod.
00;38;34;13 - 00;38;49;11
Speaker 1
We, post clips and let everyone know every week when the new episode is dropping. So we come out new episode every other Friday and appreciate y'all so many faith. It's been a pleasure. We'll see you next time. Grace and peace.