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Beyond The Message is a weekly podcast that dives deeper into the weekend’s teaching. Released after each Sunday service, it offers thoughtful conversation, added insight, and practical reflection to help our community process and apply what they heard. Whether you're revisiting the message or catching up, this podcast is designed to help you go deeper throughout the week.
Welcome to Beyond the Message, the podcast where we take the weekly teaching at Christ Community Chapel and we bring it into your week. Each week, I sit down with friends and we talk a little bit, laugh, reflect, and we think about how to live out what it is that we're learning. If you didn't hear the sermon yet, go ahead and drop down, to the description. You'll find a link for it there, watch it, listen, and then come back and join in on this conversation. My name is Stacey DiNardo. I'm joined today by Brooks Montgomery, Lana Chilton, and Brent Blake. Hey guys, how are you doing? What's up? Doing great. Doing great. Doing great. Love it. Love it. Okay. this week was Proverbs 22:1 and 2, and I'm going to read it for us to kind of get things started. It says, a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches and favor is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor meet together. The Lord is the maker of them all. So it really is all about that good name and really about a reputation and talking about that. So to start things off, I want to ask you guys, is there a reputation about you that people kind of assume that is not actually true about you? Brent, I'm gonna kick it to you. Let's get this going. I think when people who are around me a lot, they assume that I am chaotic and probably disorganized and messy. If you know, okay, Brent has a big, big, big personality. He is talkative, kind of all over the place sometimes with lots of ideas, thoughts. So, yes, Just. Just in case, to get to know you a lot. Yeah. I put off a little bit of a vibe that I have adhd, so I can be like. I am very much the opposite, though. My closet is color-coded, warm to hot, like, warm to cool colors. I have, like, my jeans are folded a certain way. I have boxes for my shoes. Yeah, you're a man of order. Yeah. Yeah. So I am very organized. And when, it, when I'm not, I am probably not doing well. But I do not like the sink has to be empty when I go to bed, like, at night. I don't like mess. So the one question I have about colors in your closet is, like, I feel like you also just wear, like, tones of gray and black. So are there actually colors that is like that? But there are some. You have some other colors in there. Okay, that's great. But they're in a certain order. Lauren sometimes messes with them, and I'm like, come on, no, no, no. We're not doing this. So that's great. Okay. Lana. Yeah. Well, I think people would think that, I love being around people. I love talking to people. I love interacting with people. And I think people might get the idea that that's just always me. Kind of cheery. Let's chat and chummy and joyful. And I wish that was the case, but there are times that. Yeah, there are times that I'm. That you're what? I'm grouchy. Ooh. And I can be grouchy. And there are times when I'm grouchy at home that I don't use my indoor voice. When you elevate your voice at your household home. I have now, I will say, mind blown. Truth be told, this is an area over 24 years of marriage. The Lord has continued to work on me. So it doesn't happen as often as it used to, but it is an area that needs submitted to the Lord. There you go. Yep, yep. There you go. Okay. Not always sweet. You want to go and then. Yeah. The one that comes to mind for me is my wife Lydia has a saying that when I learn about something in like the pop culture media world, that's when it's like, happened three months ago. Oh, okay. So sometimes I feel like people think I'm really in, I don't know, in the nose. Yeah. You seem like you are very up on art. You know what I mean? Yes. And I think my Spotify listening age was 76 or 20, 25. So old music we saw last week the Cathedrals. I like wearing my analog. I have an analog alarm clock that any batteries for instead of digital. I. I like the old, you know, the analog things. The old music is a good thing. Like not having your phone by your bed or something like that. That's true. That's true. So that's a good. That's kind of generational, though. It's like the hipster thing. It's cool to, you know, listen to that. The Gaithers and have an analog watch. Yeah. You know. Okay. But do you have a knob TV in your house where you have to stand up power windows? I put crank windows in my car, actually. Cheap. Just a plug. Are you excited about our 8am? Oh, I genuinely looked at 8am Yep. I am without a doubt. Saw the set list. It's going to be a week. Tradition. Yeah. 8:00am Hym Sing in East. Be there. Let's go summer long. Try it out. That's right. Okay, I'll give mine Real quick. I think I have realized over the years that people definitely assume I don't want to be hugged, I think, and that's not actually true. I just give off a like, don't hug me vibe or stay away from me. I don't know. I'm gonna get up and hug you right now. I'm not asking or saying this. So I get like a hundred hugs when I go to church next time. But I do. I've realized, like, that is an assumption people have of me and actually am like, oh, no, I. I'd like to. Where's that come from? I think you're going to get a few more hugs, maybe. Yeah. Who knows? Well, let's jump in and talk. This Jamie Hewitt, spoke this week. He taught us again from that Proverbs 22:1 and 2 passage where we're talking about our name and the value of that. And his points were, oh, I just kind of said the first point. The value of a name, what makes a name good, and then the cost of a good name. So just a couple things to hit on before we jump into it. I think what makes a name good is he kind of had that tension about we can go to looking for outside and other people to kind of show us our worth and to always people please them. And that shapes a reputation. Or to the crushing other extreme of just saying, no, I'm just gonna myself is gonna be what justifies and makes my reputation. And really that that weight of trying to prove that to ourselves is crushing. so that was really good. Like, and looking to others isn't inherently bad, but you can't build your life on it. and that really, God is the one that we need to be building our life on. He is the one that has given us a name and in him that identity. So the cost of a good name, looking at what Jesus said in John 6, 28 and 29, saying, you just need to believe in the One who God sent. And there's two costs of that name, meaning that Jesus life is one of those costs. And then the other one is trust. he gave that kind of great analogy too, of the climbing the tree and needing to let go of the branch to get the help you need to get out of that tree. And that, that is a picture of trust where you're letting go of that branch and trusting God. And it can be hard, it can be scary, but then ultimately very good cause of the safety you have. So, that is. That is the recap. Let me start by Asking a question that might even feel a little basic. But Proverbs, it says that a good name is more valuable than wealth. In that Proverbs passage, do we live like that's true? Do we think about our reputations and live in a way that they are more valuable than silver, gold, just to get the ball rolling, Brooks. Yeah, I think the minute, the minute that your reputation is taken from you, perhaps, or the minute that you blow it up is probably the second that you would pay anything to get it back. Yeah, right. It's like, I think when your reputation is positive, whether it's something that, you've done a really intentional job to cultivate a, strong character with strong integrity. Right. But the second that it's gone, I think the second that, your perception, the other, the way others view you is negative. Right. The way that you've blown up, you've hurt others. And that is the moment, the moment where I think you see the value of it, when it's gone. Yeah, I guess that's what I, I. When I thought about this question, I was going, I don't necessarily feel like I think about my reputation, which maybe isn't a bad thing. Like, I think about living in certain ways. Right, right. And so. But again, I think the way in which I live in those other ways are definitely because I realize, like, this matters. Right. It matters to God and it matters to others. And. But, maybe the warning of this proverb is, you know, we are going to have pursuits in this life. Correct? Yeah. You know, we are gonna earn an income. We know we are gonna do jobs and do good and pursue things. But when it comes up against an exchange where it is that thing or protecting a good name, I think that's when the value of that. I love what you said, but I guess asking the Lord for the discernment ahead of it to go, hey, am I at an impasse here? Can I not pursue this thing? Because you value a good name, and I want to value a good name. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree. I think it's all good. How can you tell, in your own lives, just. So think about yourself in this. When you've maybe given someone else's opinion too much authority, or have you come up against that where you've gone, oh, wait a minute. Because I cared so much about what this person thought of me, or never. I've never experienced, never look at that someone ever had. No, no. I can totally relate to this question. I think, you know, you can tell when you're fearing someone's opinion before fearing God's opinion, right? When you're running down the should I? Will I? And that the fear is not of God. The fear is not of, does this honor the Lord? But the fear is, will this be okay with this person or will this please, or will this meet the standard? I think also there's been times where I have pivoted based on someone's opinion. And it could have been a fine opinion, it could have been good advice. But to, quick pivot because you're getting the impression that someone's not pleased or disapproving and you're making that quick pivot without just, from experience, without going, lord, which is it? What would you say? It's not like it always has to be this huge integrity, compromise, right? It can be opinions, it can be small ways. It can be, yeah. What were you going to say, bro? Just say, I think it's just the, you know, the way you define good, right? Because ultimately it's like the battle is always going to say this. Am I going to trust that God's definition of goodness, faithfulness to him, recognizing, living in his steadfast love is greater than what I think the good that could come from. From making a dumb comment that someone will laugh at, Right? It's like all those little. The things I say that I instantly regret. The moments you're with friends and you make a joke and you're like, why in the world did I say that? It's because I'm weighing these. These really, this balance of the scales to say in this moment, it feels like it will be better for me to make my friends think I'm funny to say a comment that might elevate me in my career to masquerade a lie in some sense to get me out of trouble like that, to me feels safer and more flourishing than just trusting God's definition of goodness and that kind of balance. You're right. It comes up in big moments, but even just in silly little comments you make and you think, why did I say that? Yeah, you said some really practical ones that I didn't think of. But yeah, is that like, oh, I want to look good in front of these people. So I'm just going to do something that, you know, without even really thinking well about what the words were going to be coming out of. And those little decisions, that's what erodes a reputation, right? It's like the slow, drift away from really, to your point, standing firm and trusting in what God says will Lead us to flourishing. Yeah. Yeah. I think, what I've found in my life is I know I'm chasing the wrong thing when it. When it's almost exhausting. because you're letting the wrong things fill you up. So Pastor Joe talks about M&M's. If you've ever heard him talk about marriage. Someone. I'm. When I'm letting the wrong M and Ms. Fill my jar, because I'm chasing this person's approval or, this person to say the right thing or give me whatever I feel like my heart is longing for. It's like you're just chasing your tail constantly. And so you are putting the wrong things into your jar, and so you're just. You're just emptying yourself out constantly. Because it's not. The great thing about Jesus is that, he says it when he's at the well with the woman. Right. Like, this is living water. This is what you're truly thirsting for. You've been chasing all these different men and different things to fill you up and thinking they're going to give you your identity and this reputation and. And it happens to all of us. And that's the thing in my life, is that I'm like. There's almost like a weight. You're this person. Oh, if I do this thing, they're gonna like me. And you're like, nothing is good enough. Nothing is good enough. Nothing is good enough. And that's when I have to, like, slow down and say, I'm not really drinking what I need. You know, I'm not really getting to what I need. Filling. Letting the Lord fill me up. So, yeah, I think, Jamie thing. Jamie used the image of, like, being on the back of a jet Ski kind of when you're trying to perform. And I think that's exhausting. That's a great way to put it exactly on. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, that's really good. I love that. okay. another question for you guys. How, if you think about, like, just really building our lives on God's approval, how does doing that make you feel more free to receive feedback instead of less so? Kind of the opposite, Brent, of what you're talking about is going like. So let's talk about the other end of that spectrum when we actually build our lives on God being the one who's saying, this is your reputation. Your name is good because I have said it is good. how does that make you more free to receive feedback and to. Yeah. For all the things really. I mean, I think back to what I had said earlier. Is that like exhaustion of the fear of people versus the fear of God. When you know you are on the foundation of trust in Jesus, his finished work for you and the identity you have because you are his and that's your foundation. It is secure, it is unchanging. When there is feedback. Sometimes it's gonna be good feedback. Absolutely. Even if it stings and even if it hurts. It might be something that you need to hear and you need to apply, but you can take it to the Lord and let the Lord be your filter in that. And you know it's not gonna crush you because it's not your foundation. But when everyone's approval is your foundation and that starts to fall apart, the feedback is gonna crush you. Cause you think, well, what do I have to stand on if not your approval? But when they're giving you feedback and you're on the foundation of Jesus, I think going, okay, what part of this do you wanna actually work on in me? And often there is something, oh, for sure. And then also saying, what part of this needs to be tossed? Do I need to let go of what needs to go on the tracks, what needs to be hung on to? Right. But taking it to the one who is giving you that foundation. I love how Jamie talked about like the foundation, the framing, the finishing. Yeah. Like our framing does need work. That is part of our sanctification and our maturing. And most often I think those indications come through the feedback of brothers and sisters in Christ. It doesn't always feel great. Nope. But we're on the foundation of Christ. We can, we can handle it if we're taking that to him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's also connected to, Just remind me, as you were talking about, of insecurity. Insecurity. But again, it's. That foundation is what matters. I think, you know, a lot of when I don't receive feedback well or I boast up and I get, you know, puffed up at an offended or things like that. It's often so rooted in an insecurity versus going, no, I'm, I can handle this because my foundation is secure in Christ. Right. So yeah, yeah. I think it's a good reminder to let the Holy Spirit kind of like fill you daily. Yeah. So the dependency to say, yeah, I need you. Yeah, I need, I need more of you every day. Because when the right thing is filling you up, even when you receive hard things, it's the discernment to say, like, I don't like this. But I probably needed it. Yeah, yeah. And there's a confidence of being able to sit in that rather than, like, just crumbling under everything. You know what I mean? Because you are empowered by the right thing. You're filled up by the right thing. So I always tell. I'm like, I wish I did it every day. I try to do it every day. But when I wake up, I'm like, all right, God, fill me with the right things, strip away the wrong things. Let your Holy Spirit just kind of guide me today. And some days I'm great, some days I'm horrible. But it gives you grace and it gives you fulfillment, too, even in the hard things. That's a great prayer, though. I feel like I pray the first part, but I don't pray that second part is saying, strip away the wrong. Because that is so important, because you are going to be hit with all sorts of things, words, thoughts, and it's going, let the right things be. Stick with me, right? That God wants to do the work inside of me and sanctify me through those. Those words or thoughts. But, yeah, yeah, I think one thing comes to mind. I mean, another Pastor Joe image is even just the, bike wheel, right? It's like when I am at the center of my world, when my name, when my glory, when my agenda is at the absolute center of my life, when someone, even if I'm in the wrong, if someone corrects me, challenges me, my first inclination is gonna be to defend myself, defend my agenda, defend my pride, Right. The second that all of a sudden, like, God's name, God's glory, I was just thinking 1 John 2:12 says this, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. It's like when I start to recognize that the gift, what God has given us is not just forgiveness, but also forgiveness and an opportunity to place his name in the center of our lives. It's no longer about defending and cleaning and, you know, all these things when we get attacked fairly, unfairly. Yeah. Rather, you know, our whole life is wrapped around glorifying his name and his kingdom and his agenda. And I think when that's center in our lives, you know, when I mess up and I'm in the wrong, forgiveness and repentance, all these things, are possible because God's agenda, God's kingdom is still advancing even when I sin and make mistakes. But, yeah, yeah, that tees up really well. What I wanted to talk about, to kind of end and think through this, I think, first of all, you know, this culture tells Us that our reputation should be about all sorts of things that make people successful in the world's eyes, like how much money you end up making, you know, how far you get in your career, what status you achieve there, how big your profile is on, and much of an influencer you are and things like those. So many things like that are, what this world tells us should shape our reputation. And yet what if really we got to a place where our desire was that our reputation was one that just pointed people to Jesus? Yeah. And like, that was our focus. And Jamie kind of ended talking about that. He referenced Acts 4, 13, where again, you know, Luke writes a book, says these men had been with Jesus. And this in that you, you know, that they've been with. That's your reputation. These men had been with Jesus. So what would that look like? I think. And if that was our mindset of saying, man, I want my reputation to be that when people are around me, they know and they see Jesus more clearly. Let's just dialogue around that. I'm not going to ask you what would have to change in your life to make that happen, but no, I mean, yeah, how would that shape or change your perspective? I don't think I go about my day with that, like thinking that's what I want people to be. I mean, I hope I live in such a way that I'm wanting to make much of him in different ways. But yeah, yeah, it made a few. He shared, 2 Corinthians 5, 21 too. But I want to read just a couple other verses from before them because these came to my mind. I think sometimes those who are maybe even newer in trusting Jesus have such an incredible opportunity in this. That's so true because, one of the verses I'm about to read talks about the old being made new. And when you are even closer to that moment where your life in Christ has begun and you have become this new creation, just putting that on display, telling what Jesus has done. Puts that gossip. And we become, those people that are like, hey, something's different about you. Oh, you've been with Jesus. Tell me about Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5, 17 is the one that talks about if anyone's in Christ, he's a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. The next verse says, this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. And then down in verse 20, therefore we are ambassadors for Christ. God making his appeal through us. So what does that look like? And I think it's. I mean, guys, I've been. Since earlier in the podcast when I told y', all, sometimes I'm grouchy and I've raised my voice. I'm like, oh, I just put that on there. But I put it out there to say, but that is Christ making me new. So I'm gonna put that on display to go, hey, guys, if you talk to Brian, the way I talk to him today is not how I talked to him 24 years ago when we first got married, when we had a disagreement. That's Christ on display, right? That's being transparent enough to go, the old is gone, and the new is come and is coming. He is making us new. And just talking about the real ways in our marriages and our parenting, in our money, in our private lives, in our thought lives, like, being willing to go, hey, Christ has made me new, or is making me new. That's God making his appeal to go, Christ has satisfaction for us. Yeah, I think, I liked what you said, because I think the first place we go to when we. When we are asked that question or think about those things or, like, character things, m. Which aren't bad. Like, it's good. You should have evaluate, get rid of things, do all that. But the first thing I thought of is. And you said it was, like, the humility to just be authentic. I think that is the most transparent thing to say, like. Because your pride and, like, wanting to have the wrong reputation, like, the wrong things fill you and present yourself as, like, I have it all together. I know everything, I've learned, everything I've done everything. But to be able to sit and just, like, own your brokenness and realize you need. I mean, we all need Jesus because, honestly, you wouldn't need a savior if we had it all together, you know? And it's so refreshing to be around people that are open. And, I mean, we all should be that type of people that are open and vulnerable about those areas that God is working. It gives him glory, but it also just. I don't know. I mean, it creates just really safe spaces, and it's. And it's the realness of who we are, you know? Yeah. Like in Acts, like, I think of the apostles, like, those were really broken. I mean, Peter, before he leads 3,000 people to Jesus, Jesus had to ask him three times, do you even love me? And he had, like. You know, he was completely flawed. He denied Christ. He completely denied Christ and his weakest moments. But then what I Think like that. I just think we have this wrong idea that we have to be presented as this thing and we should all be trying to be better. And holiness matters and all those things are important. But like the idea of the humility of who you are. I just think it's so good a reputation pointing people to Jesus can be sharing about our greatest sin. Right? It absolutely can. That does it all the more in many, many ways, Right. I think one, one, one way I do that badly, it is. I think one of the easiest things is to grab a pitchfork and join the mob against someone who has a bad reputation. Just blown it up, just messed it up. You send a text, you know, in a group chat, or you say something behind their back. Yeah. And I think, listen, God is in the new name business. You look at Saul to Paul, you look at sinner to saint, like God's economy is this. I mean, Jamie said it, right? If we are willing to die, to self humble ourselves at the cross, like God is incredibly generous with giving a new name. And I think the more that I have a heart, when I see someone who has blown it, who has messed up, who has even hurt me personally, not just at a distance, the minute my heart longs for them to have their name restored, not by them building it back up, but by finding it in the eyes of Jesus Christ. It's like that is what ambassadorship looks. That is what reconciliation looks like to what you read. And oftentimes I can just keep my reputation protected and not be that cognizant to say hey to those of you who feel like you've lost it, you've blown it, man. There's a new name God has for you. It's son, it's daughter. There's a really great place to find it in Christ. Yeah, well, that's really great conversation. I think. You know, some takeaways is as we head into this week, it is believing in him and trusting in him that our identity, our reputation can and should be built and is that foundation. So there's some great ways, hopefully we can encourage each other and others to live that out to. Thanks so much. If you are joining us, for Beyond the Message. So glad that you've joined us. If before you leave, make sure you go ahead and like and subscribe so that next week you can get pinged with the next Beyond the Message. And in the meantime, make sure you check out other resources we have on our app, on our website, so that you can grow right where you're at. And we'll see you next week.