EP 2 | Exploring Repentance & Battling Sin

We discuss the most embarrassing moments we've had while trail running, something very important that the American church doesn't talk about much, and so much more on this episode of the Christian Trail Bros.

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Ever had to hide your embarrassment while on a trail run? Picture this: tripping over your own feet in a marathon or attempting to relieve yourself mid-race. That's exactly what Briston, Billy,  and Asher, went through. Join us as we recount our cringe-worthy experiences from the trails and discuss something more profound – our personal encounters with repentance. 

Race times and embarrassing stories aside, we traverse a deeper path in this episode, exploring repentance's crucial role in a Christian's life. It's a process many overlook, but a transformative one that should be constant in our daily lives. We candidly share our journeys to understanding true repentance, challenging the reluctance seen in many churches to give this topic the attention it merits. As we exchange stories of our treaded paths, we hope to inspire you to continually seek repentance and relish the change it brings. 

Our last stretch delves into an often silent battle – the struggle against sin. Have you ever questioned how God's grace works when you wrestle with recurring sins? We tackle these questions, sharing our personal battles with addiction and the grace we found on our journey towards freedom. We emphasize the significance of God's grace, shedding light on the power it holds to turn your struggles into strength. So, lace up your running shoes, adjust your headphones, and take this faith-filled journey with us. Let's explore the uncharted trails of our faith together.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Everybody, welcome to the second episode of the Christian show bros podcast. This is where a couple brothers in Christ Meet trail running, meet a couple brother in Christ. Here we are, episode number two. Welcome to the podcast. We got bald head.

Speaker 2: 0:20

Billy hey it's. Billy, what's up everybody I?

Speaker 1: 0:26

Bald head baby.

Speaker 2: 0:27

It's so shiny in the camera.

Speaker 1: 0:29

BHB, bhb, bhb on the podcast. Now he's putting a hat on cuz. He got a little insecure about his bald head.

Speaker 3: 0:41

No, we got we'll see you to see it. Here we go, nevermind I.

Speaker 1: 0:47

Thought it was a Texas outlaw hat. He's got the okay runner. Oklahoma runner hat on your bald head is fine, bro, yeah, yeah, yeah. Next up on podcast here we got the Asher Mamlin Hamlin.

Speaker 3: 1:10

Mamlin.

Speaker 1: 1:12

That's who we got. All right, y'all Welcome. Welcome. If this is your first time listening, I Don't even know what to expect for yourself. This is only our second episode. But without being said, I have a question for you guys, or I have a question you both don't have to answer. It can just be one of y'all, but what is the? What is one of the most embarrassing moments you you've ever had while running on a trail, and I got one right off the top of my head.

Speaker 2: 1:46

If y'all don't have no, All right, I have one, but it's not a trail, but you go, you go first, all right you got a little, I'll go.

Speaker 1: 1:54

I'll go first. One of the most embarrassing moments I've ever had. So I was running in a trail race in Louisiana and it's called the wild is a year trail challenge. I was running the half marathon event there and and I was in first place and I did not want to give up my place to go pee and I've shared this before. Astra knows about it but I was. I was running, we were like eight miles in. I wasn't stopping. I didn't want the guy behind me to come catch me. So I Heard about this one elite runner that when he needs to pee, he just whips it out and peas while he runs.

Speaker 1: 2:31

So I Whip it out and I try to start peeing. And listen, if you're a woman, listen to this podcast. That's okay. That's okay. This is for women and men. But I try to start trying to pee and my pee starts going everywhere, dude, it's going all over me on my legs. So I stopped peeing, man, I just, I just hold it, man, and I wait until I get to the finish line to go use the restroom. But getting that pee all over me and it embarrassed my, I embarrassed myself, dude, and no one even saw me. And what was real funny during that race is they had mountain bikers coming the other way and so while I was peeing, any second a mountain bike could could be coming towards me as I was trying to pee. But that was mine, man, that was mine. That's my words, oh my goodness, I think I've shared.

Speaker 2: 3:20

I shared this on Strava the other day, just because the. So this isn't a trail, this is a marathon story. I don't know if that's out of our jurisdiction, it counts, it counts, just. Yeah. Okay. So the route 66 what was that? Two weeks ago in Tulsa, route 66 marathon, tulsa, oklahoma, anyways, yeah, these guys, these guys don't know, no, but uh.

Speaker 2: 3:51

So that was my first marathon I ever ran and I was like I don't know what to buy, I don't know what to wear, I don't know like any of the cool kids stuff. So I just I went to Walmart and I got three like they have like only two kinds of goos. There's chocolate goos and then, like I think, vanilla or something, and they had two. Good, as I grabbed them. I grabbed three of them. I was like maybe three will work for the marathon. So I put them in my back pocket and First mile Route 66 is downhill and I think it takes a right when you are, it's pouring down rain. I run down the hill and I slip and land straight on my butt and those chocolate goos splack ever so. First of all, I slid into the audience like all the people are standing there cheering.

Speaker 2: 4:41

I slid into them and that chocolate glue exploded all over the back of my shorts so, but this is mile one, so like 25 miles of Chocolate goo all over my butt.

Speaker 1: 4:56

Did it look like poop? Did it look like dookie?

Speaker 2: 4:59

I mean it didn't look like chocolate goo, it just it looked like. I mean. Yeah, I mean, but no one kids. I mean I was wearing black shorts, it wasn't like that Noticeable, but I was tripping. You got a picture.

Speaker 1: 5:15

Dang dude, I would have made it the the picture for this episode. I would have made it the front cover, if you had it.

Speaker 2: 5:22

Absolutely not.

Speaker 3: 5:24

I don't want to be the bearer bad news, but I feel like people probably definitely saw it as you were running. But you know type of guy that it's like man, it is what it is.

Speaker 2: 5:36

I can't even walk the ball. I gotta put that hat on.

Speaker 1: 5:41

Hey, it's okay, billy, it's okay. Hey, let me ask you this what time did you end up running in that marathon?

Speaker 2: 5:49

Oh Dang, that's so funny. I just happened to have this little black book right here with all my time in it. What a coinkie-dink. Three, twenty one, twenty six what was my first?

Speaker 1: 6:03

what pace is that per mile? Oh, I don't know about that. Do you know? Asher three twenty one.

Speaker 3: 6:12

The one forty back to back. It's probably like Mmm, that's probably like 750, I Think no. Yeah, 747, 50.

Speaker 1: 6:27

I don't believe it.

Speaker 3: 6:28

What's seven times ten hundred ten? Oh yeah, no, no, no, no, it might be a little slower. It might be a little slower. You said 341, no 321 321.

Speaker 1: 6:38

Oh yeah, you're right, cause sub three is like 659. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3: 6:45

There we go. That's my guess. That's just my quick mass. Um, I did want to say I do have a kind of a funny story, but it's not even about myself on the trail, it's about my dad, of all people I know. We were talking about him last, uh, last episode. So I was like man, let me just share something about this crazy guy. So actually I ran in the same trail race as he did my freshman year of college or something, and I ended up getting like I don't remember, like maybe second or third.

Speaker 3: 7:19

But he has this funny story where he's, uh, he's finishing up the trail merit, the trail run. It's like a 15 K and he's sprinting in to the finish and here's somebody, no, no, no, there's somebody in front of him and it's this girl and he's like all right, well, if I'm going to do anything here at the end of this race, I'm like catch this girl. So I mean, he just like takes off. He's like sprinting, you know, he's sprints past this poor little girl, beats her by like I don't know a couple of yards and he's huffing and puffing. He's at the finish line, he turns around and he's like congratulating this girl, her, this woman, he thought and, um, he's like I can't believe I beat you. I didn't think I was going to catch you, whatever, whatever, whatever. And uh, he's like how old are you? And she's like I'm 12. I can't. I'm middle school cross country team and he was just. He was just because he had barely outkicked. It's both girl.

Speaker 1: 8:20

Oh no, that's funny.

Speaker 2: 8:25

Funny, funny, go one Asha Good one.

Speaker 1: 8:30

Asha, hey, yeah, so with that I'm about to say it, billy without being oh, that's, that's Bristol's crutch phrase, if anybody doesn't know.

Speaker 2: 8:43

With that being said, is I mean, I'm getting that put on your shirt and it's going to be like Texas outlaw when.

Speaker 1: 8:52

That being said, you know, what's so funny is Billy and I. We were at the back line this weekend and he's the first person to ever tell me that he was like dude. That's your catch phrase and I haven't ever heard of it before. Like someone point that out. But it's just a transition. I don't know from point to point. Hey what am I supposed to say? Am I supposed to say furthermore or furthermore?

Speaker 3: 9:23

No, that's that's crazy that you point that out, billy Cause. Like I don't even think about that every time Bristol says it at the end of a shooting the bull or just during a regular podcast.

Speaker 2: 9:33

I said that we said anything.

Speaker 3: 9:36

Always, now that I think about it, says with that being said, whatever, whatever, let's wrap up the podcast. That's crazy, dude. I can't believe you like remember that or whatever. Put that out.

Speaker 1: 9:52

Billy's a smart.

Speaker 2: 9:52

No, I don't know about all that. I need to be observant of myself.

Speaker 1: 10:02

Okay, that's what we're for. We're here to tell you that you got a bald head, billy.

Speaker 2: 10:09

Oh no.

Speaker 1: 10:11

Hey, it looks good on you, man. It looks good on you, no. So, with that being said, tonight, tonight I felt strongly not just me, but my wife also that we should talk about something very important within the faith that is very overlooked in today's church. So last episode we talked about how do we know God's rule, how do we know Jesus is the only way, and if you haven't listened to that, I encourage you to go back and listen to it. But today we're going to talk about after you realize, okay, this God things. Real Jesus is the only way. What's next? What's next? Y'all know what's next. So you know somebody that they're, they're wanting to know more and they're wanting to step into the faith. What is next? Do y'all know?

Speaker 3: 11:15

I think it's conviction, which is what you texted us.

Speaker 1: 11:19

No, I forgot that. I sent you all the topic already.

Speaker 1: 11:23

Oh, all, right Now I know, a lot of people will say that they believe that the next step would be, you know, confessing with your mouth that Jesus is a Lord, or that the next step is maybe to get baptized or to pray a prayer right. But we see in the Gospels that one of the first things that Jesus did in his ministry and the one of the first things he preached in his ministry was repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand, or in other words, repent, for the kingdom of God is near, it's right there. He was, in a way, the kingdom of God. It was. It was close to the people that he was preaching to right, the kingdom of God was near, it was close to them. But let's talk about that word repent for a second, because repent it. To repent means to turn away or to have a change of thinking. That's what it means to repent, and it's one of the first things that Jesus preaches is to repent. Why? Because the kingdom of God is very near. Repent. Turn away, turn away from what? That's a great question.

Speaker 1: 12:49

Whenever I look at the book of Acts and Peter, I believe it's Peter. Correct me if I'm wrong, but he preaches the first sermon after Jesus's resurrection, after Jesus ascended into heaven. Peter, he preaches his first sermon and one of the things he says is, as he's preaching to these people, they say they feel convicted. They say what do we do? What do we do? And Peter says repent and be baptized. Repent and be baptized.

Speaker 1: 13:24

We're just going to talk about repentance on this episode, but we need to, I think. I think the first thing people need to understand is that it doesn't matter who you are, what you do. All human beings have to come to a point in their life where they repent before God, they turn away from the things that aren't of God and turn to God. And, billy, I'm really interested to hear what that was like for you, because clearly, you went from a crook to someone who is living for Jesus wholeheartedly, and you went from a guy who was living for the world, and then you repented and now you're living for Christ. And so, billy, let me ask you this before we go any further what was that repentance like for you?

Speaker 2: 14:19

Man, it's a very, very, very slow process. It wasn't like this isn't just a thing that you can be like a one and done. It's not like I was just like, oh sorry for all that bad stuff, so now what's next? It's not supposed to be fun. It's not supposed to be like an experience where you're like it makes you feel sick and it makes you and the thoughts that come back during that time, the thoughts that came into my head, like made me like really, really emotional. And I'm not I don't cry, I'm not like that type of dude, but like I would just put my face in the floor and just weep because of all the things that I had, all the things. But this isn't. It went away. It wasn't like I just carry these things all the time, like slowly, God revealed some things to me, like not too much for me to handle, and it's almost like he gave me the things and said you know what to do with this? Almost.

Speaker 2: 15:32

And repenting for me was like it's a daily thing, like, and that's my prayer right now. That's that is actually my main prayer is to reveal the things, that reveal the things that I don't know, that I don't see myself, that I need repentance for those like things that I overlook on the daily, because there's certain I mean there's certain things that we all like, oh yeah, don't cuss and don't do this and that's bad and you know. But like sexual flim around. You know there's the major ones, but then there's all the things that you're, you can't see, but it's still. It's still really hard because I know that I have been forgiven, but I think a lot of Christians battle with this is Still feeling, still feeling pain for all those things that they've done, regardless of they know that they're forgiven, but it's still just, if still it still follows me everywhere.

Speaker 2: 16:40

I still see people and See things like I don't know how to explain it like Places that I drive by and it's no, that's where I used to shoot up meth or that's where I used to, you know, hurt people or steal their stuff or whatever, and like it still hurts. It's not like that goes away, like you still feel remorse for those things. It's still in your mind, but it's really painful and I still I mean today like I have you have to get on your knees daily and there's I don't know exactly where, and I'll find it there's a scripture that says like and You're, you're rewarded for your repentance. Like God's, not like here's a million dollars, but like you, you, you will be rewarded. And I Don't know, man. It's just a long, long journey, still, still. It's never gonna end.

Speaker 2: 17:49

Yeah it's really comes back.

Speaker 1: 17:52

Really, I really like that man, I really like what you said and I like what we're talking about because man you'll, you'll go into these churches like a lot of a lot of churches in America, man You'll walk in, man, and you know, even if you go for a couple months, you you go in there and you and you never hear a word of repentance. Like these, some of these preachers and teachers, they don't say the word. It's almost like it's like a scary word to say because, like you said, it's painful, it hurts to hear the truth, that you have to Turn away from the things of the world and turn to God. Like that people don't like to hear that. Man, I recently I had the opportunity got you gotta give me the opportunity to preach a message and Called the fried chicken gospel. It's on my youtube channel at Briston Reigns if you want to hear it. It's pretty deep. So let me give you guys a warning beforehand. But in that message, man, I talk about how Nowadays you know Paul, he had written that people are gonna appoint Leaders, they're gonna appoint basically pastors, preachers that are gonna tell them what they're itching ears.

Speaker 1: 19:07

Once here and I talked about in that sermon how you know nowadays a lot of people. They put pastors up on this pedestal in churches and it's pastors they look up to and in these pastors You'll never hear them talk about repentance or you know More in-depth stuff to go and fall along with that, but I think it's so important to be talked about, man. I think it's the first thing, one of the first, one of the first. There's many things, but after you realize you know Jesus died on the cross for your sins, after you realize you know this God steps real. You know I have faith that Jesus is God, that he is the Messiah, you know, I think one of the first steps it really and truly is repentance, turning away from those things the world.

Speaker 1: 19:55

And I want to give a story real quick of of Whenever I had come to repentance. I wanted to share this, billy, mine was a little bit different than yours and, yes, still to this day I repent of stuff every day, but I want to share the story after I found out that God was real and and I I realized that this stuff is legit and I need to figure some stuff out. I remember I went to this mountaintop and on top of this mountain I I just felt the presence of God in his peace come upon me and In that moment I repented and turned away from everything. Man, I gave God my music, I gave God the cussing, I gave God the pornography, the sexual immorality, all those things. I, in that moment, in that time and in the snap of a finger, I gave God all those things and in return, he gave me his Holy Spirit, which allowed me to live a life where I no longer am a slave to those things, not to say after that, I was all perfect. I was perfect by the blood of Christ, but myself I wasn't perfect. And like you said, dude, even to this day I Still repent of stuff.

Speaker 1: 21:18

It's different stuff and it's new things. Almost every week it seems like a new thing I'm repenting of, but I do. And here's the thing when I do, I don't go back to it. And if I do, I repent again and I don't go back to it. And if I do it again, I repent and I don't go back to it. Man, there was one time I had a struggle to where I turned away from something. Every single time I did it, and I probably did that a thousand times and then eventually, finally, I had my last time where I said I repent, I'm not doing it again and I haven't done it again. And I haven't done it again in probably a year and a half and really, man, I, I.

Speaker 1: 22:00

It reminds me of the verse that says if a brother comes and sends against, against you ten times in a day and he comes back and Repents and asked for forgiveness, the Bible says to forgive him. So let me put that on a real scale here. Here, asher, that's like if you, if you Punch me in the face, and then you came back and said man, I'm sorry, I shouldn't done that, I repent, and I say I forgive you, and then you came and did that nine more times that day. The Bible says that we need to, as brothers in Christ, we need to forgive one another, one another, even if you punch me in the face ten times in a day and say that you repent ten times in a day, and so God says that we need to do that to each other. And that makes me think Does God? Does God do that for us too? If we were, if we do something when we sent against him and we repent, but we do it again, does he forgive us. I believe he does.

Speaker 2: 22:57

I believe he does man, man, there's like a. So you're talking about the different pastors, how they don't speak on repentance. It's almost it's the one saved, always saved. And then you get into that mentality that, oh well, I can just go do whatever I want now. And and then there's the.

Speaker 2: 23:17

This is the thing that I struggle with, and I and I Talked to some brothers in my Bible study. I had a hard time understanding this is is God's grace and and are we just abusing God's grace every time we sin? And it almost makes me feel like a fraud. Am I not a Christian? Like, do I not believe in God? Like, is this all a lie? Because I keep sinning?

Speaker 2: 23:40

And it's heartbreaking, but the fact that it's heartbreaking to you is just your evidence that God lives inside you, that the Holy Spirit is Inside you. You know, yeah, and but the fact that I keep doing it, but what you guys know the verse, is it Paul? Is it? Is it Paul that says that I keep doing the things that I don't want to do, like, and the things I do want to do, I don't do, and it's just like you, okay, I haven't. I'm struggling hard, like I can't turn. Oh, sometimes, some of these things, I don't turn away and every night, yeah, it's just heartbreaking.

Speaker 2: 24:15

Every night I'm repenting, I'm on my knees and I'm like, forgive me. So I'm kind of where I'm, I'm kind of where you are with the thousand things you know, like where you used to be, and I'm stuck right here and it's it's it's kind of brutal. But what you're also talking about there's a scripture, it's what a Luke, luke chapter 17, verse 3, says. So watch yourselves. If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them, and if they repent, forgive them. Yeah, it's not just for for your relationship with Jesus, it's with your brothers and sisters too, it's everyone in your life. It's the, the guy who stole your, you know whatever at the gas station.

Speaker 3: 24:56

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 24:59

Yeah, I was thinking.

Speaker 3: 25:01

I was thinking about what repentance Is, especially when it's constant. It's like we've taken on God's standard after we have faith. And I was actually looking at this verse I don't think I brought it up last time we were having this meeting, but it's 2nd Peter, one, five through eight. So what it's saying is, for this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith. So this is after you've gained your faith in Jesus Christ. So make every effort to add to your faith Goodness. So that's number one and to goodness knowledge. So what I think about goodness is You're acknowledging that there's a good way and you're also acknowledging that there's like a wrong way Because it's I'm gonna, I'm gonna strive for goodness and that's the first thing. I'm gonna add my faith, and then, after that, we're adding to the goodness knowledge. And so what I think about in that regard is All right, I know what's right and I know what's wrong. And now I'm gonna go to the Bible and I'm gonna reinforce my belief in what is right and what is wrong. You know, by just reading and by digging into the end of the word. And I mean, like in your case, you know, you're finding Billy, you're finding verses to reinforce the fact that you know it's not always gonna be clear-cut. There's gonna be a struggle between my old self and my new self.

Speaker 3: 26:22

And I like your point about this faith where it's like all right, well, I'm saved, I'm good, like that doesn't reinforce the idea that we have sins in our lives that need to constantly be forgiven. Like if we're not asking for forgiveness and Repenting like genuine repentance, then we're not Heading in the right direction. We're not trying to get those those habits, those bad habits and those bad Practices out of our lives, like we should be. But you know, god's grace is deficient to cover the fact that we're gonna be able to. He's gonna be able to forgive us and Be easy. It's like the prodigal son. He's gonna be thankful every time we come back to the house and he's yeah, he's like I'm so glad you're here and I'm so glad you are. You know, you know the way, you know the walk of your ways. I'm just glad you're back, you know. So it's beautiful bro.

Speaker 1: 27:27

I want to address. I want to go deep here on on on grace and on why we need to repeat. Let me start with grace. Paul I think it's Paul. He says Are we I think you said this, billy are we to go on sitting so grace may abound? By no means, that's what Paul wrote. He said by no means are we to go on sitting.

Speaker 1: 27:49

So basically, in America there's this very big picture of of Rhythm Christianity that you can still do the things that you want to do and Jesus will forgive you. Like, for example I know in like the Catholic faith, for example, if you go to an altar and you confess your sins and you pray the rosary ten times, you're forgiven and you go back out and you do it again. But as long as you go to the, the guy who, the interceder, you know the priest or whatever, you're good, right. And then within the American church there's a lot of people who believe that, oh, you know, you know we're all sinners and I can just keep on getting drunk and I can just keep on, you know, partying and stuff, because I believe in Jesus and because I believe in Jesus I'm going to heaven. But that's false. It's a very false narrative. Because Paul says are we to go on sinning so grace may abound? Are we to go on getting getting drunk, sleeping around, going to parties, and God's grace will cover it? Because God's Immersive for God, he loves me and his grace is full so I can do these things and I'm forgiven. We're all sinners, right? That's the message that's being pushed around and there's a couple things I want to talk about there. But Paul says, no, by no means. We are not to go on sinning so God's grace may abound. We must have a heart of repentance. Like I said, billy, you know having that Sorrow of feeling bad that you did something that shows that, like you said, god's living inside of you. But I want to, before we jump around too much, let's talk about why we need to repent.

Speaker 1: 29:29

The Bible makes it clear and I like to call it the list of sins, but I'll give you some examples. Bible makes it clear that if you not just murder, but if you envy, if you're envious, if you, if you're an idolatry, if you put things in the position of God, like running, for example that's another topic for another day if you Commit adultery and people say, oh, I don't cheat on my wife. Do you lust after a woman? Do you watch pornography while you're married? If the answer is yes, then you are committing adultery, because Jesus says anyone who lust after another woman in his heart commits adultery in his heart. Do you? Why have you like? Are you a liar?

Speaker 1: 30:20

These are just a couple things, a couple examples, but that point is being that we've all sinned, we've all fallen short of the glory of God and we all have have things that that we had continually done, something that you do continually. So if you get drunk every night, if you, you know, commit sexual Immorality every night, you know sex outside of marriage, stuff like that, you know, if you do these things and you do it continuously and you practice them, then there is no repentance there. That's abusing God's grace. And so when you come to the faith and you have faith in Jesus Christ yes, he forgives you, yes, god's a merciful God and he has grace and, with that being said, you cannot just sit there and abuse his grace.

Speaker 1: 31:11

Jesus says in the last days, when Jesus comes to judge the earth, we're gonna stand before him. And he says this is written up. I believe in Luke and Matthew, but he says that many are gonna come to him and these people, they're gonna say Lord, lord, did we not see people? Did we not see the pastor preaching? Did we not pray before dinner? Did we not say grace in Jesus's name? Did we not believe in you?

Speaker 1: 31:41

And Jesus is gonna say Depart from me, you doer of iniquity. I never knew you. It's mentioned twice, but one of the big things I want to focus on there is Jesus is basically saying people are gonna come to him on judgment day and they're gonna say Jesus, I went to church, I, I did this, I did that. And Jesus is gonna say to them depart for me, I never knew you, you doer of iniquity. What does doer of iniquity mean? Can you guess? Iniquity?

Speaker 1: 32:13

Paul says iniquity is sin, and, and so this is someone who practices sin. Jesus is talking to someone who practices sin, and I don't mean if you're struggling and you repent every single time you struggle and you do something and you repent. I'm not saying you got to be perfect, but this is the person who continually goes on sinning and Doesn't turn away from it, doesn't turn away from the things of world and turn to God. These are the people that are still in their sin, and so I Believe it's very clear in the Bible and it's very important that people turn away from the things of this world and they give it to God and they turn to God. I Wanted I want to throw this in there that Paul says that before Christ we are slaves.

Speaker 1: 33:11

We are slaves to sin, but when we come to Christ, when we come to Christ, we are slaves of righteousness. What that means is is that before you come to Christ, if you try to quit a sin all on your own and you're just and you say you know what, let's just say you're like I'm gonna quit Doing all these sins, you can't do that by your own strength because naturally you are a slave to it. The only way you can break away from your sin completely is through the Holy Spirit, through Christ living in you. And just know, if anyone says I repent of this, I repent of that, and they truly mean it in their heart and they let God take over it, then they've truly repented. But if someone says I'm gonna repent of this and I'm gonna repent of that by my own strength, that's prideful and it won't last because you're not letting God do it, you're trying to do it through your own strength.

Speaker 1: 34:12

So that makes sense, guys. So makes sense because, yeah, whenever, whenever you do come to Christ and you have faith in Christ and you have the Holy Spirit, that is when you are able to be set free from that sin. You can't, you can't set yourself free. You have to let Jesus set you free. You have to let Jesus do it. Man, I Know we went all over the place and that was like super in detail. I'm sure y'all have some stuff to say. Y'all go ahead.

Speaker 2: 34:47

Man, I mean, that's how I've always tried to do it in my past is is trying to do things on my own strength, from my own will, and I just didn't get it. I Was just, I was so upset like before, you know, before finding Christ, you know, before this, developing a relationship with Jesus, it's a. I Just didn't get anywhere. I would hate the things that I was doing. Like I didn't want to do the things that I was doing Because I was addicted to like drugs, you know, I mean like, no one wants to be a junkie, no one's like man. That's cool, you know, like.

Speaker 2: 35:27

But every day every day I would wake up and say like I'm going to stop doing this, and then by the end of the day I was getting high again and it was like every single day. And then it's like there was a lot of things that happened in between that period and where I'm at now. But there was. I was getting into the word way before this transformation happened and a lot of people were praying for me way before this happened and I definitely believe that angels were looking out for me. But it's so strange to me now that I don't even think about it, Like it's not even in my mind, Like there's not an urge, there's not like a nothing. It's gone, Like I can, just I could see like a syringe and like some methling on the table and just grab it and put it in a little pile and put the trash can and not even think about it, which is so crazy, but I don't think about it.

Speaker 2: 36:41

I don't think about it, but I didn't try. I wasn't like, oh man, I got as quick as drugs. I got to quit these drugs. It just happened. That's that's. That was God working in my life. That's, that's, that's how that. That's how that works. It wasn't like it was still like a difficult process, Like going through change, changing and being the new, new creation I am today. It's just like I didn't have to do anything.

Speaker 2: 37:18

I just had to stay in the word and keep, you know, staying the word, and stay in my prayers and repent of my sins and try to, you know, live the best life that I can, you know.

Speaker 3: 37:33

I'm a piggyback off what Billy was saying and in regards to meth, although I've never done meth, but, I, definitely have been addicted in the past.

Speaker 3: 37:51

I think a lot of guys struggle with pornography and masturbation. They just like we just don't talk about it just because it's not. I mean we're, I mean most guys that struggle with that sort of thing just aren't comfortable talking about it because of the way that it's like kind of you'd and. But I mean I can say for some experience, I know, you know maybe or I don't know, maybe you guys have, you know, been in the same boat that it's like one of the most addicting and terrifyingly addicting things that there is is, you know, once you've chosen that lifestyle for so long, it just begins to affect every part of your being to some degree, whether it's physical or mental or emotional, literally everything. Like there are things that I've done to myself just from having, you know, participated in that for so long that I'll probably never be able to reverse, unless it's by the grace of God. But I do want to say kind of to piggyback off what you were saying, like you would wake up with a mindset like yeah, today's the day I'm going to quit, I'm going to be done with it, today's the last day. That really only goes so far. And I think people who you know subscribe to just the worldly principle that you know I'm going to create good habits, bad habits for myself, or I'm going to try to abstain from bad habits and it'll be for my own benefit. Like it only goes so far.

Speaker 3: 39:36

But where I had true conviction and liberation from sin was whenever I gave those things up to God and I was like you know, I saw that it was just a sin. I thought I mean point blank. It was just a sin. You know it's adultery and it's in its lowest form. So I mean I don't see how people get. I mean, like you were saying, I don't see how people get unaddicted from drugs or beat the addiction of pornography or the addiction of alcohol or anything like that, without God's goodness and His mercy about things like that. And to go back to our main topic, like I mean, what's it all started with? That starts with the acknowledgement that man, I'm messing up real bad against God. I need to repent, like you got to hold yourself to that standard.

Speaker 2: 40:48

It crushes your self-esteem like and your confidence is just shattered because every single day you keep like so the thousand things I was talking about is the struggle.

Speaker 2: 41:01

I'm glad that you brought it up, because I wasn't going to bring it up, but that's the thing I struggle with the most. I even asked Briston a couple of months ago I barely even knew Briston and I was like, hey bro, can I pray for you for anything? Or maybe he said it to me and I was like, yeah, looking at explicit things on the Internet is what I need help with, because it's for real. You do that as soon as you're a kid, like men especially, but I mean women too, I don't know. And I've lost so many relationships even without even knowing. Like the way I view things is so like disgusting now, in a way, like I don't look at, like, oh, look at the beauty of God's creation. I'm like looking like south, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 41:55

And you know I get on my knees and I there was a couple times I sat there and just bawled my eyes out on the floor and I don't, and I'm still struggling with this and it makes you feel like it's a loop. It makes you feel like, okay, well, you know, maybe maybe this isn't real, maybe I'll just stop reading my Bible. You, then you start going the other way. You're like, all right, I'm not going to church this week, I'm just. You know what. I'm not qualified for this and I'll just. You know, I'm just whatever I'll. Just now I feel terrible, so I'm just gonna go back to the internet. Let's do that again. It's just this loop. This is disgusting, man, and you're truly sorry and you truly don't want to do this anymore.

Speaker 1: 42:43

Yeah, that's dude. I'll tell you what man, I don't know what set me free from that stuff, because I mean, you know, I had the same struggles. I think most guys do. I would say 90% of dudes in America struggle with that, if not more. And, dude, I've had a lot of temptations between the last time that's happened and now. I still get tempted.

Speaker 1: 43:12

But, man, I just think me realizing how big of a deal it is for me to break that covenant, not only with my wife, but with God. You see, if I were to go and watch any type of stuff that we're talking about, I'm cheating on my wife and I'm also breaking a covenant with God, because we're in a marriage with God. And by me doing that, not only would I cheat on my wife, but I would be cheating on God, and God's the most, much bigger thing. And I fear the repercussions of that. I fear what would happen if I were to do that, man, and it's the fear of God that's kept me from falling back into that trap. Jesus says. He says if your right hand causes you to sin, to cut it off, and if your eyes cause you to sin, to blot them out, because it's some serious stuff and there's some serious repercussions for it. And, honestly, it was the fear of God that came over me, man, that kept me from doing those things. Since the last time it's happened, man, it's probably been probably close to two years now or something like that. Man, it's been a while. It's the fear of God and it's a realization of his grace and his love, man, because once you repent, man, you really realize God's grace, man, because you're this dirty, filthy thing and then Jesus comes with his blood and makes you this perfect, perfect thing through his blood. Man, it's such a selfless thing. And then you really realize the grace of God because it's like God didn't have to forgive you. Like if God was the US court system, you'd be in jail. You know what I mean. Like there wouldn't be any triple chances. You know what I mean. But God, man, he does have a lot of chances and he gives you plenty of chances, man.

Speaker 1: 45:25

And if you don't, at least try to repent before he comes back, and that's the thing try to repent, right? You repent, you say I'm not going to do it again, and you mean it in your heart, right? If you don't do that before he comes back, dude, you're going to be caught off guard, man, you're going to be caught off guard and you don't want to be caught off guard whenever he comes back. If you're struggling with or not, if you're struggling. But if you're doing that stuff and you're not repenting of it, you know, like Billy, like you're repenting of it, man, you feel bad about it. God forgives you, he loves you. You're still his son, dude. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 46:06

There's things outside of that I still struggle with, like the way I talk to people. Sometimes it doesn't come off good and something I'm working on. Man, it's something I repent of all the time. The way I communicate. It's, in my eyes, sinful and you know that's just one of my new things. I'm struggling with man. But, with that being said, you know, when you do repent, god forgives you, man, he does. His blood covers you and you're made new, you're made whole, and that's the big thing. You know what I mean. But yeah, that's what I got there.

Speaker 1: 46:45

I want to read this Acts 319 says Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. I thought this was really neat because in Acts 319. It says repent, therefore be converted, so that your sins may be blotted out. So what I imagine is, every time you mess up or you sin, it's written down somewhere in a book, right. And if you repent and you're converted to Christ, right, if you're converted to having that faith in Christ, those sins, everything you've ever done, is blotted out.

Speaker 1: 47:27

Man, it's like if you've got all the wrong answers on the test and then at the end you said I repent, I turn away. I shouldn't have done the wrong answers on that test. It's like the teacher comes in and he blots out all your wrong answers and he makes all the right answers for you. Like I remember in school I would have teachers that doesn't matter how you did on the test, they would give you a good grade. That's grace, dude, that's a perfect example of grace.

Speaker 1: 48:00

And God does the same thing for us, man. He takes our test of our life, right, and he goes through and he blots them out because of your heart and what happens in the heart. And it's all about the heart, man. It's all about the heart, because if you repent but your heart is still filthy, and in your heart you don't mean it, it means nothing. God knows your deepest thoughts and in fact he knows every thought and he knows where your heart is, billy. He sees your heart right and it's a really beautiful thing, man. It really is. It really is. But, guys, I mean that's the best advice I have for overcoming that. That's something that I've beat. It's just the fear of God and wanting to keep that covenant with the one you love, which is God and your spouse, if you have one right, but just keeping that covenant with him, man.

Speaker 3: 49:00

So the best advice I would have and I think for the time being I'll beat it and I pray that it would never end to my life again, but I know that it's always a possibility because of my flesh and the best advice I'd have is look at everything, look at everyone as though they're God's children. So you think about all the people that expose themselves like that. Really, if you think about them as God's children, you're in a totally different mindset in regards to their situation. I mean you genuinely, as a Christian, you're like look at your fellow human, you're like that's one of God's children that deserves the same love and joy and peace that I experienced because I have a relationship with Christ. I also wanted to say this so I think the Bible is full of parallels, and this is in regards to repentance. I think the Bible is full of parallels.

Speaker 3: 50:11

And then, second, corinthians seven. Paul is talking about a letter he wrote to the Corinthians, I'm pretty sure the first Corinthian letter, letter, and he has that first letter pretty much got the church of Corinth to repent to their sins. And so I think about this parallel where here I'll just read the verses real quick, even if I've caused you sorrow by my letter. So even if I've caused you sorrow, I don't regret it, though I did regret it. I see that my letter hurts you, but only for a little while. Yet now I'm happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led to you repenting.

Speaker 1: 51:00

Beautiful.

Speaker 3: 51:02

For you became sorrowful, as God intended, and so we're not harmed in any way by us. So, and then he goes on to say this Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret. But worldly sorrow brings death. So you think about that in like a parallel to what God has done for us, because given us his word, which is like Paul's letter to the Corinthians, which points out the reasons why we should have sorrow about our sins. And then the sorrow is realizing I don't. I do need Jesus, you know, I do need a savior at the end of this that will pull me out of my sorrow. But God knows that that is part of the equation. He knows that us feeling that way after sin and after after acting a certain way for a whole lives. He knows that's good for us, because that's what's going to bring us to repentance, which, like verse 10, says Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.

Speaker 1: 52:10

So repentance leads to salvation, wow.

Speaker 2: 52:16

That's just the nail on the head.

Speaker 1: 52:18

Yeah, dude, that's a great way to end it, man. So like if Paul was doing this podcast, it would sound something like this For those of you that didn't pick up on what Asher said.

Speaker 1: 52:27

It for whatever reason, but let me try to do an imitation here, because Paul says imitate me as I imitate Christ. All right, fellow listeners of the Christian show bros podcast, I understand that what I've said may have hurt you, you may have not liked what I had to say, but I am happy because what I said led you to repentance, which led you to salvation. Oh baby, what a great way to end it. Asher, that's such a good verse, right there, man. Such a good verse, yeah, man.

Speaker 2: 53:09

I don't want to say anything and ruin it.

Speaker 1: 53:12

You're not going to ruin it, dude. Go ahead and say whatever you got to say.

Speaker 2: 53:16

Yeah, oh no, no, no, I forgot. No, I got flustered, oh no it was. No, no, I got it. Yeah, I got it.

Speaker 3: 53:30

Okay.

Speaker 1: 53:31

Okay, well, that was good guys, that was good. If you, if you have any questions, if you want us to talk about anything, email me. Texas Outlaw running at gmailcom. If you're a brand new listener and you're like, what the heck is Texas Outlaw running? It's a race company in Texas that we are all race directors at. It's a race coming up here in April, asher has one in June and I have like 17 all over the state of Texas. So, but, with that being said, I said it again, that's going to be a t-shirt one day, dude, if we get more than 100 listeners on an episode, I'll release the t-shirt for that. But, with that being said, that being said, that being said, email me. Texas Outlaw running at gmailcom. Sounds exactly how I say it Texas Outlaw running. Email us any topics or questions you may have.

Speaker 1: 54:36

One way you could really help us with this podcast is by leaving a five star rating. So if you're listening on Apple Podcasts, spotify, whatever the heck you're listening on, if you scroll down, give us five stars. That helps get this podcast out and it helps us shine the light of Jesus on the troll running community and really anybody that's kind of in the outdoor space that likes to do stuff outdoors or exercise or whatever. And if you want to support us, come sign up for a race. We got races all over, so come sign up for a race, texasoutlawrunningcom. But. We appreciate y'all so much for listening. Billy, you got any last words.

Speaker 2: 55:20

This is good for me. I was struggling with having some fellowship and getting in the word and I was kind of like I don't want to do this podcast. And now I'm like it's kind of like the fire a little bit and the fact that you're bringing up repentance and Asher brought up the things that I'm struggling with. I'm like, oh, and you guys battled it and you defeated it for the time being or for the future, I'm like, wow, maybe I can do this. You know, yeah, I got a little fire light up under me. So I appreciate y'all and I appreciate everybody who's listening.

Speaker 1: 55:54

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Well, this episode releases every Wednesday morning, so y'all stay tuned for the next episode that we have next week. And thank y'all for listening to the Christian Trail Bros podcast.