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Welcome to the 100xLife Podcast! This is the place for anyone who desires to not just hear the words of Jesus but to live them fully. Together, we’ll explore what it means to experience the abundant life He promises, a life of purpose, growth, and transformation.
Each episode is designed to inspire and challenge you to put in the work of following Jesus, equipping you with practical insights and encouragement to align your life with His teachings.
Whether you're just beginning your faith journey or looking to deepen it, the 100xLife Podcast helps activate your next step toward the life you were created to live.
Rob Dayton (00:00)
you
Welcome to the 100X Life Podcast, where we activate people who desire to live the words of Jesus and experience the abundant life He promises. I'm your host, Rob Dayton, and I hope this podcast inspires you to put in the work of following Jesus.
Rob Dayton (00:36)
Hey, 100 X lifers. Welcome back to the podcast. We are on the 100th episode, which is very, very crazy to even think about. my team thinks that's extremely important to celebrate. have a wonderful crew of 100xLife coaches on the line and we'll introduce them, in a moment, just a little bit about where I'm at. I'm actually at my sister. My sister is a missionary and my brother-in-law been missionaries in the field for nearly 40 years and they're
Now back at the African Inland Mission Retirement Center in Florida. So we're right near Orlando. So that's where I find myself today going to see them. we're going to do this podcast, but one thing I want to ask of everyone out here who loves 100X Life, loves the process of Jesus, really wants to double down on that and spread the kind of the movement of
not just hearing his words, but following and practicing his words. I would super appreciate it if you would go ahead in Amazon and do a book review with a five star review. It's very important to amplify right now. There's 27 reviews. And when I read them, I start crying. They're just insanely cool. How many lives have been impacted? What I'd love for you to do if you love the book is to go in there. Our goal is to get over 50 reviews.
And you can also do that for the podcast as well if that's what you think. so let's get into it. So we've got our coaches here and these are the all stars of the coach realm. got Tom Laban's we got Chris Vester and Daniel Gerdler. Some of them Daniel and Tom are in are in California. And then Chris, what state remind me what state you're in.
Christopher Vester (02:15)
North Carolina.
Rob Dayton (02:16)
North Carolina. my gosh. It's just there. Unbelievable. I should have stopped. That would have been cool. So, we just want to have a conversation with these coaches and what we're trying to really do is we would really like for you, listener to understand how easy it is to become a hundred X live coach and how that can really benefit you. So not just multiply the words of Jesus, but also benefit you. So.
Let's just kick it off with a with a first question. Chris, what made you say yes to leading a group for the first time 100xLife
Christopher Vester (02:48)
So, um, mine actually started because of, uh, my church asked me to do men's ministry. Um, and I just saw it as a perfect compliment to what I was already teaching. Cause we, we go into body, mind, spirit. Um, in fact, it's the first thing we discussed for the first four weeks. And I thought, like that's exactly what the a hundred X book does is discussing how to align all those things. And, um,
Tom Lebens (03:09)
.
Christopher Vester (03:16)
So was like, this just makes a ton of sense. and it gave us something that we were common to study because they would come in with homework from the previous week, but this gave us something to like stay aligned with all week long every day. Like listen to the podcast was a, as a, as a, as a conversation point.
And then they were dropping like nuggets of what they had learned every week. So it built community. So it just, it just made sense. It was a perfect, like the perfect alignment with what my church had already asked me to do.
Then we, you know, we also did the 62-day challenge.
Rob Dayton (03:46)
That's amazing. it's really cool that pastors can, have that resource right in the pew. They have men who are been following Jesus for a long time and can really take up, take up the leadership role and really help them not have to spend so much energy. That's pretty cool. Daniel, when you did a 100xLife and I think you did it with your church. This is a great question for you. What were you afraid of? What were you concerned about when you got into this?
Christopher Vester (03:52)
Yeah.
Daniel (04:11)
No fear, Rob.
Rob Dayton (04:12)
Nice.
Daniel (04:13)
what was I afraid of?
Perhaps the responsibility to show up consistently, routinely for that period of time is no longer just me that I've got to watch. It's me on behalf of the folks I'm trying to lead at the same time. So that may have been... Say again?
Rob Dayton (04:26)
Yeah, they could be a perk.
That could be a burden.
Daniel (04:29)
Yeah, yeah, so perhaps there's a little bit of that. Not many fears really other than that, if you can call it a fear. I was confident in the material, confident in the good stuff under the hood, so was just keen to get on with it.
Rob Dayton (04:42)
Tell us a little bit more about that because I know that you were and 100X Life really moved you in kind of a powerful way. Can you describe why you had so much comfort with the content and what we're teaching about Jesus?
Daniel (04:56)
So I think I've done a hundred X maybe a couple of times before being a coach. And the reality is it was a life changing, transformative experience, which sounds kind of a little bit hyperbole, but it's the truth of the matter. And I guess it's not hyperbole when you think that what's being engaged with are the words of Jesus himself. So one would hope it's pretty hot, right?
But the way it's structured with the daily structure to be in the word, a command of Jesus every day, to need to be journaling on that, which has a whole nother level of marinating and processing and really just meditating on it, guess, which gets it into your bones. And then combining that with some of the disciplines around, whether it's the exercise related stuff or the diet related stuff.
It was just very powerful experience for me. And those times in the morning, in the Word of Jesus for the day, and then journaling it, that very quickly became the best part of my day, no doubt about it. And I turned up differently for my family as a result of that. I turned up differently, period, as a result of that. So super powerful, as you'd expect it to be.
Rob Dayton (05:57)
Wow.
that's really cool. your confidence in the material is kind of like the proof of life and transformation in your own experience really gave you the, confidence that this was going to be good for people in your congregation.
Daniel (06:21)
There's no doubt about it. At the end of the day, this is a tool to get closer to Jesus. It's a tool to follow him better. ⁓ I think discipleship, it's such a, I want to be careful not to be too, too sweeping in my statements, but I feel it's such a poorly understood thing. It's such a poorly experienced, rarely experienced thing. We kind of go to church a lot and
Rob Dayton (06:28)
Mm-hmm.
Daniel (06:45)
you know, throw the hand up and hope for the best for the week to come and try and get what we can from there from the word that's come that morning and all the rest of it. But actually, there's a daily walk and there are plenty of commands as you've as you've written in the book, you know, 50, 55 commands of Jesus. And I find that kind of staggering. think if you asked a lot of people, how many commands did he actually give us? Maybe you get three or four. I don't know. Love each other. Right. But to know there's actually so many.
Rob Dayton (07:11)
Yeah.
Daniel (07:12)
which that's not burdensome, that's beautiful, because that is a lamp to our feet. we do have a roadmap. He hasn't actually left us just to find it and hope for the best. There's a way to do this thing. And when I'm in 100X and then I'm different person, when I'm not, I'm also a different person. So I'm grateful
Rob Dayton (07:12)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
So good.
Christopher Vester (07:34)
You when you had me on your podcast and we talked about how it shrinks the follow-up gap, you know, and what Daniel just talked about, if you ask the majority of people, how many commands did Jesus give us? They would have very little idea. And if we're called to be a follower of Jesus, not just a believer of Jesus or a fan of Jesus, how are we going to follow if he doesn't know, if we don't know what he told us and it puts it in such clear terms, what he told us, you know, I mean, the commands that he gave us and
Rob Dayton (07:39)
Yes! Yes!
Christopher Vester (08:00)
And the other thing that Daniel talked about was, the new information, sometimes we run up with new information. And what I loved about it is they gave the guys, was leading this chance to go hunt for the, for the answers. Cause we consistently throughout the book, you're, you're, you're brought new information that you may have never been hurt that you'd never heard through your church or whatever. And then the conversation would be, we'll go hunt for more information, go hunt, you know, and when you start hunting for your own food, that's really a path of discipleship.
It's different. how you engage with the word drastically changes.
Rob Dayton (08:28)
WAH
Self-feeding comes to mind.
in your leadership at church, Tom, you've, you've spent a lot of time, I'm sure in the past doing many different leadership styles with groups or at church. And I'm just wondering how a 1ooxLife differentiates, or does it stand out to be different in terms of how your leadership has worked in the church?
Tom Lebens (08:50)
I think that for me the most significant change has been that I have shifted my mindset to one of being a helper to the Holy Spirit through this teaching process. so as I've faced...
some challenges occasionally and some questions occasionally, some doubts occasionally. I've had to really learn and strengthen my ability to lean on the Holy Spirit. We had an experience where at one point I thought the church was getting a little hesitant, a little unsure, and I was very intentional about turning this over to the Holy Spirit and
It wasn't that long after that that we saw a real change. And so I'm very excited. I'm seeing people that I have not talked to about 100X come up to me and say, hey, tell me more about this. So I know that people that I've talked to are out there multiplying. And that's very exciting to me. And to see some of the church leadership softening to the idea that
Yeah, the Holy Spirit's moving through this. you know, Ephesians says that we're, role of the church is to equip. And I think that in many ways, the church in the United States has lost sight of that central role of the church. It's not, the church isn't there to lead us through how
we are to be disciples per se, it's to equip us to follow the Holy Spirit in how we are to be disciples. And I've been on that journey myself. still, I feel, you know, there's movement, there's learning, there's change going on. But I also feel that there's an incredible capacity for churches to grow and change. I think there's power in bringing something into a church that
didn't necessarily originate with the leadership of the church and model for a church how discipleship can really be powerful when it comes from individual members of the church, not just in doing stuff, so not just in going out and doing the things that Jesus tells us to do, but in sharing with each other.
Rob Dayton (10:49)
Hmm.
Yeah.
Tom Lebens (11:09)
The things that you know the teaching that can go on the the discipling that can go on there's a another level of power to that when we are equipped to go out into our communities into our friends circles into our work communities. And start to share and multiply the words of Jesus through that I've got a soccer organization that I've been involved with and met with the director yesterday.
And I had mentioned this to him a few months ago as, Hey, I want to get all the coaches in our soccer club involved in this. And so it's, you know, it's, that it's, it's spreading it out, sharing it, and then getting others to, to, see and hear and share in their own way with their communities.
Rob Dayton (11:52)
Yeah, that's good. And then that makes me think about, Jenna, who's on the 100xLife team. You know, we were always looking for quotes. She's searching the book for quotes, you know, to put out there. And she actually made up a quote this week that just rocked me and was clarifying as to what all three of you are saying. And the quote is, Jesus did not ask us to learn about him.
He asked us to follow him. And I thought that was really profound and really gave me a strategic window into what we're talking about. And I want to ask you about this. With me, you hear me talking about churchianity, which is this high-minded tradition and less necessarily about relationship. And I grew up in churchianity.
I'm still parsing out my mind and trying to figure this out as I'm following Jesus. And so I was surprised that there's these things that appear. And for me, it was this quote this week that really crystallize what we're doing. you, Tom, you were talking about that in terms of mentorship, discipleship. And we're so in church, we're so ingrained in the study aspect.
Daniel (12:48)
you
Rob Dayton (13:00)
without a demand from people around us to actually transform, people monitoring us, paying attention to us, paying attention to themselves, but paying attention to how we transform. Chris, have you seen a shift, that kind of shift, even as I talk about it in the way you've experienced 100xLife Coaching?
Christopher Vester (13:18)
I would definitely say yes in that.
You know, the, the, this, you know, this whole year as the men have gone through my, and we, like I said, we started it with the first 62 days and it was just like constant. and then, and then a lot of them have said, okay, well, after the 62 days, we're to go back through it. Like we're making it more of a lifestyle than just a 62 day program, but it sends them, it sends them back through the process. Every single, so every other, or every 62 days are going back through the book and they're back through it.
Tom Lebens (13:35)
. .
Christopher Vester (13:47)
And, you know, it's been clear to me when we're in conversations that it's less now about just dipping yourself and drowning in knowledge, but about how do I apply it? Like the application of what we're learning. you know, Tom said, and it's not the, and this is not
like blaming church. It's just, there's just a lot of things to do.
by a pastor and, to, and to work at a close individual level, even in little small connect groups in church, usually there is a connect group lesson that is to be taught so that like at our church, every connect group teaches the same lesson, no matter what, how old you are. And that's not always about life application. It's, it's a, it's a, you know, Bible study of a section of the Bible that tells a story and what do we learn from the story, but the application that's what's left behind. it, it's left up to lay leaders to say, Hey,
Rob Dayton (14:22)
Wow.
Christopher Vester (14:34)
This is what I've learned. This is how to apply and then giving them the tools. And I think that for sure the hundred X does that. gives you the tool of application. You know, it's, it's, what does it mean to follow Jesus? It's, it's not, I love, I wrote that down. like that he didn't ask us to learn about him. asked us to follow him. Well, follow is a, that's a verb. Like learn to verb too, but follow is there's an activity. There's, there's putting it into action. So, but I've seen my guys in fact,
I looked at them for me, it's a three year, I can walk them through this one year process to learn. then the second year is to put it into real application. The third year is to co-teach and the fourth year now go launch and do your thing. So to commit to this three year walk, you know, is a, is a big, and what they're saying is through this process and through the learning and through the understanding, there's an excitement building up to January of we're getting ready to start over. You know, so it's, it's, it's,
Rob Dayton (15:26)
Come on!
Christopher Vester (15:29)
I definitely see that it leads them to application over learning for sure.
Rob Dayton (15:33)
That is so cool. And Daniel, you know, when I think about when I hear Chris talk, I kind of wonder, like, if we changed all the vocabulary that we're used to, to instead of a learning vocabulary, Bible study, to a following vocabulary, I don't know what you'd call it, Bible living group. ⁓ Yeah, how would that change our language or anything else that you're kind of tracking with what Chris is saying?
Christopher Vester (15:52)
application.
Daniel (15:59)
dwelling, abiding is the key. I think basically, and just a quick comment on you talked about a lot of church life being quite study focused or study centric. I would say it's also very ethereal centric and ethereal focus because of the nature of the worship sounds and worship songs and a lot of the ambiance that tries to be created and all of that stuff.
Rob Dayton (16:01)
Come on.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Daniel (16:24)
And that's
also very challenging, I think, for contemporary Christianity, because it conflates feeling the right thing with actually following Jesus. And I think we need somehow this well-rounded thing that Chris is alluding to, which is really discipleship is what makes sense of kind of everything else. Otherwise, it's too heavy on one or too heavy on the other. What we're actually called to do is follow Jesus.
Rob Dayton (16:50)
Mm-hmm.
Daniel (16:50)
what we're
actually called and invited to where he is. And I think St. John, talks about if you do what I say, if you follow me, you'll be where I am. Jesus is the best thing that happened to any of us. And then life happens, right? The world, the flesh, the devil.
Rob Dayton (17:01)
Yeah.
Come on.
Daniel (17:09)
very intentionally focused on getting us to fall over, to quit, be whatever it is. And I think we need the structure and we need the exposure to the words of Jesus in order for us to stand a chance of following Jesus and therefore being where he is. You've heard me talk about Psalm 91 a lot, Rob.
Rob Dayton (17:33)
Mm-hmm.
Daniel (17:36)
That's just, it really struck me because that starts with he who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Rob Dayton (17:44)
All these benefits happen from the dwelling.
Daniel (17:46)
There is a string, that Psalm, a string of promises which literally describe the life any one of us would want to be living.
Rob Dayton (17:55)
It's the abundant life.
Daniel (17:56)
And it begins with something that appears to be on us. You dwells, will, dot, dot, dot. And I think that's something that sense of responsibility and ownership, at least in my church life, has been never really focused on explicitly taught. It's kind of in there somewhere, and you see it when you step back, we all know friends who are believers, family members who are believers, people in our community, whatever. And you know,
Rob Dayton (17:59)
Mm-hmm.
Daniel (18:20)
things are a real mess for a lot of people, Christians or not. So the question is clearly not a case of I said a prayer once and I go to church on a Sunday and do my best to encounter clearly that's not enough because we see it experientially in our own lives and those around us. And where the worst.
Rob Dayton (18:24)
Right.
Hmm.
rates similar for
Divorce rate is on par with pre-Christian, with Christians. Like what's the difference? Like, is it making a difference? I think what you're saying is the dwelling, when we're actually dwelling in Him, which I've done a lot of journaling this week in particular on. So what does that look like? know, Papa teach me about what it looks like to dwell in you and it's converse, right? It's, He's dwelling in us and we're dwelling in Him.
He's our house and then also somehow we're his house. And then, and then trying to picture and get your, your thinking in gear with what that looks like and what that experience is. Tom has that, does that resonate or click with you in any way about your journey for winning a 100xLife
Tom Lebens (19:08)
It
does, know. Bringing it into the church has caused me to think a lot about the church as a business in many ways.
I think where I'm coming to as I reflect on that, and it relates to what was just being said, I think the word intimacy is a really important word. think that, you know, it's very clear that God wants an intimate relationship with each of us and wants us to have intimacy with each other.
loving relationships, vulnerable intimate relationships with each other. And yet I can't imagine a more difficult job if you were the pastor of a church trying to bear the load of being intimate with and teaching intimacy to all of your congregants. And I don't think that's, you're not solely responsible for that, but I think that that's often how it can feel.
And so I think what happens often in churches is that there's sort of guardrails, not even intentionally set up, but you even just you look at the way a church is physically set up, right? Often there's a platform and then there's pews. There's this barrier. We even put railings in some of our church. It's like they're fenced off. And I think that some of that may have evolved out of this
Rob Dayton (20:37)
ARIA, ARIA.
Tom Lebens (20:46)
pastors need to protect themselves. And unfortunately, I think they bring that home in their own marriages. They bring it in their relationships with their kids. Oftentimes, you know, people talk about pastors, kids or PKs. And I think some of that is that pastors are so in demand for intimacy. And so what happens is that translates into a lack of intimacy within the congregation because that's not being
emphasized and modeled in order to emphasize a model, you've got to expose yourself. And so I think that the intimate relationship that Jesus wants with each of us is tough actually for churches when you have professional clergy. And so I think we have to be respectful as we bring 100X into churches and ask for that intimacy and start to expose the joy and beauty of that intimacy.
Rob Dayton (21:27)
Mm-hmm.
Tom Lebens (21:39)
to be respectful of the fact that, that pastors have been either intentionally or unintentionally, sort of brought into a system that in many ways is designed to protect them from intimacy. So that's, that's my thought.
Rob Dayton (21:51)
That is so
good. That is so good. And I would just say, you know, bless the pastors of this world and the unrealistic expectations that somehow we find ourselves in. just think it's such a big burden. It's too big of a burden. And we need the specifically men, and women, but specifically men. And this is what I'm really excited about this next generational season that we're getting into.
with men and young men rising up and deciding to be those models of intimacy that you're talking about, Tom. And it's kind of interesting with 100X Life because we don't have any requirements for 100X Life coaches other than they've gone through the challenge and they're honest with their group they're leading about what's going on with them.
Any from any of you any insights on how that's really worked powerfully for the groups that you're involved with or engaged with?
Christopher Vester (22:47)
you know, as we're talking through this, I do want to answer that question, but Tom mentioned it about the pastors can't really model the intimacy, right? And we've got a very clear biblical picture of how that breaks down. I mean, when Moses is father-in-law came to him and says, bro, you're doing this all wrong. Like you're not even involved with your spouse. You're not involved with your children because you've sent them to me. Like they've come back to me like, no, no, no, no, no, She's yours. Right. And to have.
Rob Dayton (22:54)
Let's go do it.
Christopher Vester (23:12)
a successful marriage and successful family, you've got to learn how to delegate that down. But through that, it's like you just said, Rob, you know, the only thing that we're asking of them is to go through the program. Then we've got to be able to be intimate enough with them as they're going through the program that they have the ability to number one, be honest with us as we're honest with them and to, and to, replicate that honesty and that intimacy downward, right? Because Tom's very, he's right.
pastors are like, we have 2000 members in our church. How can our lead pastor be intimate with them? But it's about the having, having the support staff of pastoral staff under him, that he can be intimate with them. Then they can be intimate with the leaders that are under their queer. And then it just replicates downward, just like Jethro told Moses, like, Hey, there's going to be things that only you can do.
Rob Dayton (23:44)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Christopher Vester (24:01)
But you've got to, you've got to, you've got to be able to lean on and trust those that are in your care and guide them in how they should do things and build that intimacy from the bottom up. Like that's how I see it.
Daniel (24:01)
you
Rob Dayton (24:06)
Mm-hmm.
So good,
so good. I would even say, can we get five Moses is up there? Because it's like if you had a church where you had 567 leaders that were really prominent, they don't stand up above one another. They just have different gift sets that are effective for different portions of the body that you're meeting with on Sunday. Seems like it's more effective. Daniel, what are your thoughts on this?
How is that working out as you're wrestling with your 100xLife coaching and what you're going through with church right now?
Daniel (24:41)
Well, I think 100X Life is a great forum to at least begin to encourage a little honesty. You know, you've got a group of guys or a of girls, or if it's mixed, your group is. But I think this is where the onus is on the coach to set the tone. Do we want to have 27 preachers in the TMP, in the X100, sorry, in the 100X group?
all trying to come up with the right answer and the polished answer and you know, nothing to see here, it's all smiles. Or do we actually want to get to business and help each other heal and love and grow and be real? And I think that's a tone which is set from the coach. Hopefully you get a couple of three champions in the mix as well who get it and also bring that tone into the mix as well. And that begins to disseminate through the group in question.
but yeah, some people are just in that mode where, Hey, you know, they're the ones with the answers. it is what it is, but there are others who really appreciate, really appreciate your opportunity. Huh? Doria, she get to be at least even somewhat honest right now. Huh? That's a very powerful, a very beautiful thing. That's, that's where the healing is. That's where the life is. That's where the growth is. That's where the relationship is. And, so yeah, this is a lovely kind of, I guess, microcosm, if you like.
Rob Dayton (25:39)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Daniel (26:02)
within the broader church community in question even, where that can begin to occur.
Rob Dayton (26:07)
Yeah, just being transparent. was in a barber chair in Tampa day before yesterday and the guy asked me my story and I just said matter of fact really like pretty much from the book, like everything I said. And, and he, he's like, he's like, my gosh, no one has ever talked to me about Jesus that way before. And no one's been so transparent. And I just met you.
And by the way, I have problems with porn and I'm beating myself up and I'm living in shame. what an incredible door to break down in a man's life through transparency and honesty about where your struggles are and continue to be. And we're on a journey together. We're following Jesus and none of us are the perfect followers.
Daniel (26:41)
Hmm.
Rob Dayton (26:52)
But because of this cross, we've got a gym experience instead of a missing the mark experience. here's my struggle. Tom, how does that resonate with you and just that process of thinking that with the people you're leading?
Tom Lebens (27:04)
So I'll go back to what I said when I first spoke that this is a Holy Spirit's activity and I'm here to help.
And I'm playing a role. It's not, it's not a situation where it's just going to happen with just the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit has said, Tom, you're going to do this thing. It's going to feel weird. It's going to be uncomfortable. Sometimes you're going to feel totally unprepared, but I'm telling you, you're going to do this thing and I'll be there for you. And I've tried to approach it that way. And so every time I've encountered a.
any sort of a barrier I've turned to that, but also in terms of what the future looks like, what qualifies me as a coach. You mentioned the kind of the low bar. Our church has not been using the term small groups. They've been using the term medium sized groups. And the thing that's significant is not the size of the group. It's the fact that there's something smaller than the medium sized groups.
Christopher Vester (27:56)
Thank
Tom Lebens (28:01)
And so they've encouraged, if you're going to men's group, grab two or three guys that you meet at men's group and go start having coffee with them and et cetera. And so the, the thing I'm trying to model with that, with my 100X life group at the church is if you've got a group of people that you want to continue to do this after the 62 day challenge is over, if you want to
Rob Dayton (28:01)
It's
Tom Lebens (28:25)
do it with a group of women, if you wanna do it with a group of men, if you wanna do it as a group of young adults, whatever the case may be, go with it. Like this is not my program, this is not Rob Dayton's program, this is the Holy Spirit's program. And we encourage you to receive it and then start multiplying it. And so, I'm not the head of this thing.
I'm just here as a servant of the Holy Spirit to convey it and then do the hard act of letting it go because it wasn't mine to begin with, just like we do with our money, right? The hard act of letting it go.
Christopher Vester (28:50)
the
Rob Dayton (29:04)
So good. I love that. it brings this imagination that I've had, the book is literally just the words of Jesus in four paragraphs from, Rob's perspective. Wouldn't it be cool if you wrote your own legacy book of following Jesus? Like anyone could do that and hand it to their kids and say, you know, this is where, this is where I did the work. This is what I was able to put into practice. This is what I struggled with.
This one was easy. This one was hard. You know, this is why, this is why, um, you know, mom is so important as, as my partner, you could actually write your own story and you're right. It's not Rob Dayton's. It's the words of Jesus and the process of following Jesus. I've got a curiosity to ask you guys about, because it's something that you probably know I'm rather bothered by, but I wanted to know your.
your opinion about it is in the 100xLife process. One of the things we say is that, and I said it a little bit earlier is that following Jesus is now a gym experience because of the cross enables it to be a gym experience where we're actually getting stronger through the trial and the failures. And that's the way this incredible God works. And then, some of the message we've heard, at least I'll just own it. My messages I heard was that
It's going to be a sacrifice for me not to sin. It's to be a sacrifice in some way for I'm going to have to actually take something away from my life if I'm not going to sin because that sin is so fun and pleasurable. And I would come away with a 100xLife thinking, my gosh, not at all. Like doing that sin is completely missing out on the abundant life. It's a different approach and look.
Do any of you see that and see how that's a new pathway of thinking or a new way of talking or leading people to follow Jesus?
Christopher Vester (30:52)
I'd for me, it's not to sacrifice as a pruning. You know, it's like, yeah. So like, mean, we see the image of pruning used a lot in the Bible and it's, it's the printing away of the things that are not helping it grow. mean, that's the whole reason you prune a tree or prune a plan is it helps it grow to fulfill its highest purpose. Right? Well, we were created to
Rob Dayton (30:55)
Okay, tell me more. Let's say more.
Christopher Vester (31:17)
for God's glory. And how do we fulfill that highest purpose without printing away things that don't lead us towards that. And in my life, it's made my backpack of life get lighter and lighter and lighter because I'm it's, it's printing away the things that are not, that are weighing me down. They're not moving me forward
Rob Dayton (31:35)
I'm going to try to get out of the farming term. And then I want you to see if I'm getting hearing you right. so I think what you're saying, Chris, is that if I have this thing that is, defined as sin in my life and the pruning is actually cutting it out.
And I'm getting lighter now because I don't have that. I'm getting more free. It's actually more rewarding, satisfying, a better way of doing life because it's being cut away from me. Is that what you're saying?
Christopher Vester (32:00)
Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying. It's the definition of sin. There's a bunch of ways you do define sin, missing the mark, but it's missing out on God's best, right? And God had designed everything perfectly and we made the decision to sin. And sin, sin is missing out on God's best. Well, as we're plucking away the things,
It's, it's lighting is lightening our loads so that we can move forward. think I believe in my life, quicker, better, faster, stronger in that purpose of what I'm created to do, which is number one, shine a light towards God's glory, bring him glory and everything and bring as many people along with me as possible. it's
Tom Lebens (32:24)
. .
Christopher Vester (32:46)
So yeah, specifically for me, it's the idea of
lightening my backpack. Like it's just, I spent some time with Appalachian trail in college and I started the trail with an 84 pound backpack. Right. And I came off the trail with like 22 pounds. So I like in my brain, I'm like, yeah, that's the journey, you know, like I didn't need all that crap. It's just like, if I hadn't used it and it wasn't serving my purpose at the very first opportunity I mailed at home. And so
As my, as I got better at that journey of the journey of life, I'm plucking things out of my backpack that I haven't touched and, or are not serving the purpose of the journey.
Rob Dayton (33:21)
Yeah, that reminds me of the word of Jesus. My yoke is easy, my burden is light. Is this kind of the same imagery? Daniel, any other reflections on that? Like the fact that some people would almost suggest that you're having to sacrifice to follow Jesus when it's the best life ever?
Daniel (33:39)
Yeah, it's funny, isn't it? it's funny how sin can play that part to the comment you just made. It feels like a sacrifice to let it go. It's so illogical. And yet something in this is wired a certain way and has to be unwired. And we have to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, which is, course, the gym exercise of 100x in many ways.
Yeah, changing behavior, some of it's going to feel like a sacrifice. We know logically in our mind if we're changing our behavior to align with what Jesus is saying, it is absolutely and only for our good and for the good of those around us, the end period. So there's a little bit of kind of just frankly choices to be made. And none of us are perfect and we all fall over. But the point is the words of Jesus also show us how to get up again.
And that's the whole thing about the gym is so powerful, that analogy which you've brought kind of into the conversation over the last few years. It's so powerful and it really comes down to, well, what is the story about any given situation or circumstance we're telling ourselves? Because that will change everything. How are we framing what's happening to us right now? What is the narrative we are telling ourselves about why that person's behaving that way?
or what's going to happen because this just occurred. What are we telling ourselves? Because we have choices. We could choose a bunch of different ways to answer that. And the one we choose will affect how we come through it, the effect it has on us. Does it kill us and hold us back? Does it propel us forwards into freedom? It's all based on the story and the framing that we choose to put on the thing in question, which in some ways is super exciting. I really have that.
Tom Lebens (35:08)
.
Daniel (35:21)
ability, power, control to shape and craft my life into something that I actually would like it to look like. On the other hand, that's responsibility. And a lot of people, that's not it. I'd rather just play the victim or blame or
whatever or enjoy the sin. Thank you very much. But I'm sorry, the responsibility is on us. And I say that as someone who is very aware of one's own fallibility. But nonetheless, it is the truth of the matter.
Rob Dayton (35:47)
it's almost like
it gives people agency to, know, following Jesus, obviously is kind of like you're, it's, it's something that you're being asked to do. So it's an action required. It seems that way. Is that what you're saying?
Daniel (35:50)
100%.
Following Jesus is an action. Yes.
Rob Dayton (36:02)
You have to choose to
Jesus.
Daniel (36:05)
You have to
choose. You have to choose. And the gym is so powerful because something happens to you. you know, we've got such stark choices we can make. The response could be, my God, what is this? This is the worst. What am I going to do? I'm never going to recover from this. This is that. Or we could say, hold on a minute. I'm in the gym. This is very, this is a Rob Dain classic, right? I'm in the gym. Okay, Lord. Okay. I'm trusting you for the outcome because you've got me. What is it?
I need to work on right now. Which part of my personality, my character, which muscle do we need to work on? Because you can see it needs a little attention right now. All right, let's go. Let's go. Now it's easier said than done, but that's the truth of it again. And it's such a powerful image which literally transforms you from being a victim to whatever the thing might be, to agency over it. Agency over the outcome.
Rob Dayton (36:52)
There it is. So good.
Tom, do you see that that philosophy, that Jim getting the gym philosophy, working with the groups that you're leading?
Tom Lebens (37:03)
I love what Daniel just said. The gym is an incredibly powerful. It's really, we're putting them, we're taking the mind to the gym is really what we're doing. And I think that, you know, we have this innate, I use the word lust. We have this innate lust to feel in control. It's this incredibly enticing,
Rob Dayton (37:18)
Hmm.
Tom Lebens (37:23)
Alluring thing we see Satan tempting us with our own desire to be in control over and over and over again and the irony is that the type of control that Satan is selling is actually the failure to be in control. And that is that we follow Jesus were actually in control were actually.
Rob Dayton (37:47)
Yeah.
Tom Lebens (37:48)
making that decision to control our mind, body, soul and spirit to follow Jesus. And when we fail to do that, we're actually losing that control. But yet we're deceived by this lust into thinking somehow we're in more control. And if we can awaken to that reality, then I think that it changes our relationship with these
Rob Dayton (38:11)
No.
Tom Lebens (38:15)
kind of rules that, my gosh, they're hemming us in, they're fencing us, they're limiting me in some way. Actually, no, that's where the power is. ⁓ anyway, that's, think, we have this lust for control and we want to exercise it and we're being deceived into thinking that it's something actually the opposite of what it actually is.
Rob Dayton (38:24)
That's so cool.
So I want to differentiate that just a little bit, just so I can be safe with myself. So control is there's lots of things to control, right? And I think what you're saying, you tell me is you can't control your circumstances. That ain't going to happen. But because one of the fruits of spirit is self-control, I always want to be careful around this conversation to say, well, I can choose my thought. I can choose.
Tom Lebens (39:00)
That's right.
Rob Dayton (39:00)
my reaction, I can choose my tone of voice, my words. And so I am complete control of that. And is that kind of what you meant? Like the differentiation between where we want to take control and where we have control?
Tom Lebens (39:13)
Right. I mean, does it take more control when somebody flips you off going down the freeway to flip them off back or not to flip them off back? That's a really simple example, but I know for me which one takes more control. So I'm in more control when I make those decisions, those self-control decisions, as opposed to sort of chasing what feels good in the moment that can feel like
deceptively feel like, no, no, I'm doing me here, right?
Rob Dayton (39:43)
Yeah. So good. Well, so here we are. November 1st, tomorrow, the podcast drops or day after tomorrow, the podcast drops and we're at the beginning of this two month, lead into January 2nd. I'm already hearing on the call, which is, you know, common. I'm excited. I get excited about January 2nd. I don't think we're going to do another summer challenge. We're just going to stick with January 2nd and make that the pinnacle. what
What would you say to people who, they're listening to you all and they're saying, okay, well, this is, this sounds good. Maybe I could do this 1ooxLife coach thing. What advice would you be giving to them over the next two months and how they would possibly prepare or think about this? Is there, is there a pathway someone has to how, how, how you would recommend someone think about that or give advice to when you were in that process?
Tom Lebens (40:31)
Don't make it a bigger deal than it really is. The Holy Spirit is going to be there running the show. So don't get overwhelmed by it.
Daniel (40:36)
Thank
Rob Dayton (40:37)
What?
Tom Lebens (40:40)
If you know, I, the first year I did it, it was, it was, I think we had 10 people, about five or six of whom were active. And I think four or five of those have joined me to coach this year as a team. And so, you know, just start, just, you know, do the Nike thing, just do it. Holy spirit's coming along.
Rob Dayton (40:52)
Let's go.
Good.
I love that. Chris, any other thoughts about that? What would you tell yourself?
Christopher Vester (41:04)
Yeah. Yeah. I would, I would say the same thing. You know, it's the first time I was asked to teach anything at my church as a connect group. My first lesson was John three. I mean, James three, excuse me, where he says not everyone's called to be a teacher because you're held to a higher standard. That's literally the first, the first lesson and, which I'm studying that I'm like, yeah, but, but if, if you're being, if you're being nudged by Holy spirit,
Rob Dayton (41:18)
I thought you were going to start with it.
Christopher Vester (41:28)
step into that nudging. And, and what I've seen is the beautiful thing about it is as you're leading your personal, your personal walk gets deeper. Like every, mean, I love when Daniel said, well, I'll go, it's about the intimacy it's about, it's, you know, it's dwelling like that as you're leading that gets better for you as the leader. Like I think yes, it's about those you're leading.
Rob Dayton (41:28)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
That's what they're.
Christopher Vester (41:54)
But make it, if it's, if it's about your personal wall, the, the infilling and the overflow will, and like it will overflow to the group for sure.
Rob Dayton (42:01)
That's so good. I love that. You know, you know I preach that heavy like I do believe that Jesus is very fond of self indulgent behavior and he is asking us to have the abundant life. He's giving us the pathway to get to that abundant life and you know that if I'm selfish I'll deny myself, because that's going to be the best life for so this is upside down thinking Daniel. How's this hitting you?
Daniel (42:26)
Rob, that doesn't sound very religious at all. Yeah, there's a lovely quote by Derek Prince, I'm sure you all have heard of and he talks about choosing the Jesus way frankly, as simply being enlightened self-interest.
Tom Lebens (42:38)
Hmm.
Christopher Vester (42:39)
that's good.
Daniel (42:39)
Which is
something which I think rubs a lot of people was at the wrong way because we're supposed to be falsely humble, right? Nothing's about me, but he's actually just being very honest, which is kind of the point of this entire conversation. Following Jesus leads to a 100xLife So there's an enlightened self interest frankly in choosing to coach because it means we're going to be in the word more. And there's enlightened self interest in saying, well, I'm going to choose the Jesus way in this particular thing. Thank you very much.
Rob Dayton (42:40)
Wow.
So good.
Daniel (43:06)
because we know where his promises are going to take us if we do. So that's kind of more on a macro level. A couple of kind of practical tactical things I'd say as well.
When you are coaching a group, have found it, I think, important to just periodically encourage the group or individual members within the group not to be disheartened if they fall behind. There's quite a lot requires, you know, there's quite a lot in 100x if you're doing the whole thing and, you know, do you need to do the whole thing? That's maybe for another day. mean, if you're doing the whole thing, that's a lot. I think for some people it's overwhelming.
Rob Dayton (43:28)
Yes.
good.
Daniel (43:40)
And I think for some people, if they fall behind, there's an embarrassment and it's easy just to kind of skulk away into the shadows a little bit. And I think it's really important periodically, even frequently to say, if you've fallen off, don't even worry about it. Get up, it's a new day, no sweat, let's go. Let's go. And it's so simple, but I think people, yeah, I think people just need to be given that permission to know it's okay and just to get up again. Number one.
Tom Lebens (43:43)
. .
Rob Dayton (44:00)
It's a gym.
Daniel (44:09)
And number two, Tom touched on this, you
may have a group of 10, 20, 30, 40 people. There might be like eight who are active in the online channel group. And that can be a little bit, what's up guys? But I would say really don't be discouraged by that because I've experienced some interesting few occasions where people who were doing the challenge,
Rob Dayton (44:19)
Mm-hmm.
Daniel (44:30)
and we're in the group, but we're very quiet. I didn't see them in the channel. Where are you? And yet at the dinner somewhere or having a drink or whatever, just conversation, they'll say, that podcast from that week, I love that. And that comment in the group meant so much to me. And you suddenly realize, they're actually right in the middle of it. They're just not necessarily at the front face of it. So don't be discouraged because you don't know what's going on behind the scenes.
Rob Dayton (44:57)
I love that. And that's a good reminder is we got to be patient with people too. I keep having to tell myself this because I'm like, just get your stuff together, man. Let's go. And, you know, being patient and letting God grow people, in their time, there was a time in my life where that took a better part of two decades. So, what's really fast anymore. This is really good. Okay.
Daniel (45:07)
hehe
Rob Dayton (45:19)
So that's good advice for people who are thinking about becoming a 100xLife coach as we lead in this next two months. Let's just do a little lightning round. So I'll go to each of you just to question very quickly, you know, no more than three to four seconds each. So Chris, one word that sums up your challenge experience. What would you say?
Christopher Vester (45:39)
enlightening.
Rob Dayton (45:39)
Enlightening, Daniel.
Daniel (45:41)
transforming.
Rob Dayton (45:42)
Transforming, Tom.
Tom Lebens (45:43)
Invicting.
Rob Dayton (45:44)
Convicting, OK? Chris, most uncomfortable moment.
Christopher Vester (45:47)
Having one of the group really pushed back on the idea that we could hear from Father, Son and Holy Spirit differently.
Rob Dayton (45:55)
What?
Wow, okay, that's awesome. I love that, Daniel.
Christopher Vester (45:56)
Really push back.
Daniel (45:58)
No problems.
One of the frustrating things, was that the question? I can tell you about a frustrating thing. ⁓
Rob Dayton (46:04)
Uncomfortable,
most uncomfortable moment.
Daniel (46:06)
comfortable gosh
I think sometimes just, I was gonna say just putting yourself out there when you don't always feel like it. Sometimes you need to show up for the greater good of the group and you just may not be feeling it right now. But again, that's part of the enlightened self-interest part, the fact that you do get up and you do show up.
Rob Dayton (46:27)
So cool. Tom, what do you think? Most uncomfortable moment.
Tom Lebens (46:33)
In a very similar way, for me, it's putting myself out there.
recording those little videos for the channel. This is not something I do in my daily life. But as a leader, I feel I've got to be an example and be on there and be active and talking to my folks. And that grows me, but it's uncomfortable.
Rob Dayton (46:54)
So good. So next question. Favorite, favorite teaching of Jesus or something that's a 100xLife teaching that you learned from Jesus. Chris, what is it?
Christopher Vester (47:04)
My goodness. Man, that's a great question.
Daniel (47:05)
Ha
Rob Dayton (47:07)
Do you have a favor?
Christopher Vester (47:08)
I mean, that's part is the favorite. I thought you asked about the favorite moment,
Daniel (47:12)
Mmm.
Christopher Vester (47:13)
I don't know that I have a Okay. Well, I mean, our guys got together and started doing some of the outdoor workouts collectively. And I know that 62, the challenge, but it was, you know, as we were going through a hundred X life book and it was just, it was awesome. mean, we worship music playing, we're rocking and having great conversations. So it was working in all the areas we're trying to. Like that was probably my favorite thing, but my favorite teaching.
Rob Dayton (47:14)
you could give us the favorite moment. That sounds wonderful too.
I saw some videos of
those moments.
Christopher Vester (47:42)
Yeah, but my favorite teaching.
I, I, Rob, I don't know if I have a favorite because I like the minute I think of one, like another one pops in. Yeah. That's like, Hey, don't forget, man. You were really screwing up here and it became your favorite. And then, know, it's like, so that's, that's right. I don't know that I have a favorite.
Rob Dayton (47:48)
Okay.
There's gonna be another one.
Well, you gave a lot of time for Daniel to think about it.
Daniel (48:01)
Yeah, sheesh. I'm going to go with the favourite moment or at least one of them.
Rob Dayton (48:04)
Okay.
Daniel (48:05)
Just at church one morning, a young man, young father, young husband, he came up to me and he just said, this is changing my life.
And he's a young guy dealing with all the challenges that men deal with and the challenges of being a dad and a husband and trying to figure it out and one's own past and all the stuff that we are seeking to get out of the backpack. But for him to have found transformation and encouragement and hope and help in this challenge was pretty mind blowing.
Rob Dayton (48:34)
Wow, that's cool. Tom, I'm changing the question. Favorite moment.
Daniel (48:38)
Hahaha!
Tom Lebens (48:38)
I think it was in, so I was on the podcast for Follow Me.
And in sort of reflecting and preparing for that, it was the understanding that there's really three follow me's in scripture. One is when Jesus calls the disciples, follow me. So that's just the start of it. Like, okay, I'm in, I'm going to get baptized. I'm going to follow. Then there's the follow me when you're in the thick of it and you're learning and you're growing and you're in the gym.
But then there's also that follow me, and this is important, I think, for 100X, is that follow me when you've denied Jesus three times, or whatever your denial looks like, and then Jesus still says follow me. And so to me, that framework is super powerful for me, is the three follow me's.
Rob Dayton (49:27)
That is so good. I love this. OK, last question. And any of you who are ready, go ahead and answer. So what was the moment in 100x life where you're like, oh, this is really doing something powerful?
Daniel (49:41)
I think for me was the...
morning routine of being in the word of Jesus and then journaling about it. Those were extremely precious. They're so precious and it's kind of crazy how without the structure of something like 100x it's kind of wild how it can slip despite it being so incredible. Which is again why it's great to have something like 100x. It provides the structure of the content and the community.
But those mornings, sometimes there'd just be tears with Jesus, sometimes laughter. But they were transformative for the day, the week, the month, and frankly, the year ahead.
Rob Dayton (50:14)
That's Tom, Chris?
Christopher Vester (50:15)
Yeah, I'd
say, yeah, I'd say for me, in our group, I mean, I think it was Tom that spoke about us either Tom or Daniel, when you see people that are in the community, right? In like whatever way you're communicating and they never comment. Like you can see, they see it because you can look at who, who saw it. They never comment. And we had a couple of guys that were quiet in the online community and for them to come.
On a Monday, on a Wednesday night, now we've moved to Tuesdays, but they would come in on a Tuesday with a takeaway from something like this. Like it's, it's, it's having, I love the idea that they're hunting for their own food. Like that's why I say all the time, you know, that's when my faith life changed from being spoon fed all the time to go hunting for my own food. And it, they would, the story would be, Hey, this is the word today. This is the word this week. They got me and it caused me to go down this rabbit hole and then to hear how they went.
searching for the answer and searching deeper or searching their own life, how they're not living that out. So it was a conviction. So, that happened multiple times. wasn't like it was multiple occasions. And usually the ones that would have that one-on-one conversation were always quiet in the online community.
Daniel (51:19)
Hmm.
Hmm.
Rob Dayton (51:21)
Interesting. So like they're being moved significantly and then you're like, this is super real. Cause then you hear the transformation going on in their lives.
Tom Lebens (51:22)
Yeah.
Christopher Vester (51:30)
And then my encouragement to them was, it's not just me that needs to hear that. It's the men in that group that need to know that they're not alone. Because everybody goes through, there's so many, I mean, we feel alone. The enemy wants us to feel alone and we create community. And the way the community works is to speak into that.
Tom Lebens (51:47)
you're teaching them intimacy. I love that, Chris. I love that you're teaching them the value they can contribute by being intimate in that way with other men. I love that.
Rob Dayton (51:58)
So cool. And I was going to say, that's the best sermon. The best sermon is the one where someone says this transformed my life and here's how, because now I get a pick from that tree and eat it myself. And that, that fruit contains all the seed I need to put it into practice. I love that. Tom, how would you answer that question? When, when was the moment you realized this is real? This 100xLife thing is powerful.
Tom Lebens (52:20)
And clearly the reading through the 55 words of Jesus and realizing that there were some in there I hadn't really processed before. think I've heard them all before, but I hadn't really processed that. But then connecting that with a practice of disciplining the body with the mind and the relationship between that activity.
And what happens when you're in the Word, when you're doing that? The interconnectedness of all that was a big deal to me. I didn't find the same opportunity just sitting out and reading cover to cover. It was a much more experiential, intimate experience. And then by
strengthening my mind really as a tool to take command of my body. It was also strengthening my mind as a tool to follow Jesus.
Rob Dayton (53:12)
So good guys. I'm so grateful for all of you to be in the trench with you. Getting this practice of Jesus out there and modeling it and then also not modeling it and saying I'm not doing so good and being authentic and I hope if you're listening, you are inspired to become 100X life coach. We have two months until January 2nd. Now is the time to start talking about it. Start hey, who would you get to go through this with you?
I love what Tom said is now he's got like, you said like maybe six or seven or eight guys who are now actually leading with you. I mean, that's insane. So thank you once again. And if you are interested in becoming a 100XLive coach or you want to do a 100XLive church, the process is amazing. What Jenna is doing for churches and actually creating a landing page with the church branding. Really, I think.
creates a certain comfort level for pastors. It's like integrated. Those are both available to you. And then if you just want to sign up for the, the 100X Live Challenge starting January 2nd, you can do that. All three of those links are in the show notes today. Guys, thank you so much for being on the podcast.
Tom Lebens (54:10)
Thank you so much.
Daniel (54:22)
Thank you, Rob.
Christopher Vester (54:23)
Thank you, sir.
Rob Dayton (54:24)
Let's go.