Ever reminisced about the first time you flew the nest and dived into the great unknown of adult life? Our latest episode is a rollercoaster ride through the thrills and spills of moving out, culinary experiments (ramen, anyone?), and the eternal quest for budgeting balance. Join us as we swap stories on embracing independence, while laughing off the initial mistakes that seem to be a rite of passage for any fledgling adult.
When it comes to single living, it's not all about the freedom to host dinner parties at 3 AM. We also get real about the nitty-gritty of budgeting for one—did someone say 'food expenses'?—and let you in on a credit score life hack that's nothing short of miraculous. Candid confessions about cohabitation capers, including how to share a bathroom without starting a civil war, will leave you chuckling and nodding in solidarity.
But it's not all finance and fridge arrangements; our bodies and souls need tending too. We chat about the fine art of bulking up without breaking the bank, proving meal prep isn't just a fad—it's financial genius. And in a shift from the material to the spiritual, we share an unexpected moment of connection that can occur even in the steamy confines of a gym sauna. Whether you're fine-tuning your faith or your finances, this episode is your invitation to find inspiration in the least expected places.
Credits and Info:
Hosts: Brandon Matias, Paul Wright III and John Frease
Music: Brandon Matias
Produced by: Mission Media Group
Email: info@missionmediagroup.co
Podcast Production - https://www.instagram.com/missionmediagroup.co/
Mission Men Podcast IG - @missionmenpodcast
Mission Med Podcast YT - @MissionMenPodcast
Mission Media Group IG - @missionmediagroup.co
Mission Media Group FB - https://www.facebook.com/missionmediagroup.co
Ever reminisced about the first time you flew the nest and dived into the great unknown of adult life? Our latest episode is a rollercoaster ride through the thrills and spills of moving out, culinary experiments (ramen, anyone?), and the eternal quest for budgeting balance. Join us as we swap stories on embracing independence, while laughing off the initial mistakes that seem to be a rite of passage for any fledgling adult.
When it comes to single living, it's not all about the freedom to host dinner parties at 3 AM. We also get real about the nitty-gritty of budgeting for one—did someone say 'food expenses'?—and let you in on a credit score life hack that's nothing short of miraculous. Candid confessions about cohabitation capers, including how to share a bathroom without starting a civil war, will leave you chuckling and nodding in solidarity.
But it's not all finance and fridge arrangements; our bodies and souls need tending too. We chat about the fine art of bulking up without breaking the bank, proving meal prep isn't just a fad—it's financial genius. And in a shift from the material to the spiritual, we share an unexpected moment of connection that can occur even in the steamy confines of a gym sauna. Whether you're fine-tuning your faith or your finances, this episode is your invitation to find inspiration in the least expected places.
Credits and Info:
Hosts: Brandon Matias, Paul Wright III and John Frease
Music: Brandon Matias
Produced by: Mission Media Group
Email: info@missionmediagroup.co
Podcast Production - https://www.instagram.com/missionmediagroup.co/
Mission Men Podcast IG - @missionmenpodcast
Mission Med Podcast YT - @MissionMenPodcast
Mission Media Group IG - @missionmediagroup.co
Mission Media Group FB - https://www.facebook.com/missionmediagroup.co
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Mission Men podcast brought to you by Mission Media Group. The Mission Men podcast, the podcast about everything and nothing and anything in between. Gentlemen, how are we doing today, man?
Speaker 2:I am feeling good, I'm feeling great Okay.
Speaker 3:A little over excited, aren't you?
Speaker 1:I'm feeling great, all right.
Speaker 2:I'm going to count on John to bring that energy. Brandon gave me an outro. That energy, altoy, thanks for the outro.
Speaker 1:Dude, those things, those slam, All right. So let's see we're diving into some new beginnings here today. We got some. Considering it's only our second podcast, that's true, but we got some life changes and life changes. I'm becoming an adult.
Speaker 3:Yes, you're becoming an adult. We want to dive into that.
Speaker 1:Okay, so yeah, take us through that, john. What's that mean, becoming an adult? What?
Speaker 2:do you mean by becoming?
Speaker 1:an adult. I'm moving out, moving out.
Speaker 2:On this Friday. So a week from today, less than a week from today. What is it? Five days from now?
Speaker 1:Math. I don't know how to count.
Speaker 2:So because I was homeschooled. So that's another story. But yeah, let's not go there, yeah, but anyways, I'm moving out in five days, me and my friend Isaac and Nate going together. We're going to go.
Speaker 3:You're all going to, we're all going in together on this.
Speaker 2:Yep, we're all going to be living together, jim Bros and one house, so lots of protein, lots of carbs and lots of working out.
Speaker 3:Who's buying the groceries is what I want to know.
Speaker 2:Everybody have to defend for their own. That's part of adulting, is what I hear.
Speaker 3:It is. Have you budgeted? Are you going to budget for this?
Speaker 2:Well, now that you've showed me ramen noodles just a couple minutes ago, I don't have to budget, so let's talk about your ramen noodle experience.
Speaker 3:Yeah, literally, it was your first time that I was shocked because we took a break and I wanted something to eat and I didn't want anything heavy. We have ramen. We always keep ramen noodles in the house because they're always a good un-nutricious thing.
Speaker 2:I've never had them in my life before. So Paul told me how to make them and I said okay, let's do this. I put them in the bowl, I ate them, and they were fire. They were so good.
Speaker 3:Well, you have to understand. See, ramen noodles was my poor college meal, because you can get a whole bag of them for like nothing.
Speaker 2:Dude and then me and Paul had a conspiracy theory that that's what they use for all Chinese restaurants for their noodles.
Speaker 3:I'm convinced that Chinese restaurants use ramen noodles.
Speaker 2:Think about the profit. You pay 20 bucks.
Speaker 3:And they just add chicken and shrimp to something.
Speaker 2:And it's 25 cents for the noodles.
Speaker 1:And all of a sudden, yeah, I don't think you're wrong. I mean, I'm sure we could be absolutely easily proven wrong, but I don't think we're wrong.
Speaker 3:I don't think I'm wrong. I've never wronged. I think there's a conspiracy theory, here I tell.
Speaker 2:Lexi, I'm never wrong, all the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and Lexi's who who's Lexi?
Speaker 2:It's my girlfriend Lexi, yeah. Lexi, we've been dating for two and a half years.
Speaker 3:Has it been that long.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 3:She's still here.
Speaker 2:She's still here.
Speaker 1:Somehow she stayed. She's still somehow the effect button is this oh, this is bruh Bruh, bruh, bruh Bruh.
Speaker 3:What's the red one do? I don't know. Let's try it, let's see.
Speaker 2:And we're still together for two and a half years, hey guys, and a laugh track comes in, yeah.
Speaker 1:All right, so with Lexi here for two years, moving out on your own. So what are some of the things that maybe you think you're looking forward to and kind of experiencing a new side of freedom here, a little bit as you grow?
Speaker 2:Well, I finally won't have a curfew of eight o'clock at the house. No, I'm just kidding. No, I'm looking forward to living with the dudes and being able to work from home. Obviously, I edit at home, I do all my stuff behind the computer at home, but after that it's going to be fun to just go downstairs and go relax on wine and laugh with the bros, play some games on the TV, watch a movie, I mean, have friends over anytime. You know, a house full of 20 year old dudes won't have such thing as rules or people that need to come over at a certain time. They say whatever, come on over. What could go wrong?
Speaker 1:What could go wrong? Absolutely. Exactly, except what Anything and everything, anything and everything and anything in between and everything in between. So all right, so we're doing that. So what are some possible cons that you know could possibly you know? I mean there's the whole budgeting thing. Paul's bringing up some really good questions about that- yes, cons equals cost.
Speaker 2:in my opinion, cost is the con.
Speaker 3:So have you budgeted? Have you figured your budget? Yet I have budgeted your single man budget.
Speaker 2:And I'll be good.
Speaker 3:You'll be good. I just need to make sure I keep working. So what did you budget for food?
Speaker 2:I okay.
Speaker 1:well, you pull out the spreadsheet.
Speaker 2:I all right, all right, let's um. What did you budget for food? Okay, so that's all year.
Speaker 3:I know how much people like you eat.
Speaker 2:You know you know, young guys, I'm not gonna lie. I didn't budget for food, you did not. No, I just budgeted for how much it would cost to live.
Speaker 3:There you have a budget to live in the house.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm good for that. And bills, yep, you tell your bills but you tell he's all that
Speaker 3:kind of stuff.
Speaker 1:Yes, what's your credit score?
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, I actually don't have a credit card. What's your credit score, though? But I don't have credit.
Speaker 3:Oh, you don't have a score, then yeah, so zero.
Speaker 2:Well here's my all time low right now, yeah.
Speaker 3:Well, you have to build credit, that's true.
Speaker 2:I do have to build credit. You know you build credit within the next year. No, tell me. Yeah, you build credit. Okay, I have no clue.
Speaker 3:So you can actually buy a car, buy a house, but you don't want to do that, right? But how you build credit fast and efficiently is you get two or three credit cards. Do not use them, correct? You get two or three credit cards and you, if you go to like your favorite place as a Bacchi junior or something I love, a Bacchi junior. So what you do is, instead of using your debit card that you normally use, use the credit card and just pay it off.
Speaker 2:Or like gas.
Speaker 3:Use it as if it were your debit card, okay, and you pay it off, but don't pay it here. Here's the kit. Here's a trick to this whole credit thing. If you pay it off every month, you'll still have no credit. Now, that's the craziest thing in the world, you think?
Speaker 2:you know, you.
Speaker 3:The whole point about it is to be what that free and you want to pay your credit card off your month. Right, they want you to keep a balance. So what I did is I keep five dollar, ten dollar balance on my credit card at all times, at all times. So it makes you look like you're paying off a debt. If you pay it off every month, it doesn't count. I found that out the hardware my banker friend told me this yep, and it got my score up.
Speaker 3:You trust that bank you're from it got my score up by 120 points.
Speaker 2:Is that high? What's high? Well, credit score eight.
Speaker 3:Yeah something, yeah eight.
Speaker 2:Dave Ramsey would be proud. Dave, it could look you in the eyes with that credit score and he'd be it'd be a good look.
Speaker 1:They would be very proud so there's been a lot of life lessons, I feel like on this podcast so far, we've learned about credit score ramen noodles, you know. So what? What are some other? What are some other things, john, that you know? What are some unknowns? I mean, okay, so talk about pros, talk about cons, right, what are some things that we're like not sure about?
Speaker 2:Because it's a big deal. I don't know I'm gonna share a bathroom with Nate. I don't know how that's gonna go. That's not gonna go. We have one sink and the rule is to live in the house. You have to shower to save water at the same time.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's no. No, that's not a good rule, no, not a good rule.
Speaker 2:Not a good rule, no, bad but it's just to think about cost. Going back to the budget, that was something we budgeted for.
Speaker 1:So you literally have on the line in your budget and your ex-hull spreadsheet Shower with Nate yes, to save water to save water.
Speaker 3:Okay, yeah, I'm not moving in. No, no, no, no, no, I'm not moving in that house.
Speaker 2:Unknown. Is it seriously the bathroom sharing it? How that'll go how that'll guy Because right now the bathroom is at my house with my parents is just me and a bathroom right that's all that happens. And there's, yeah, and so there's just place I've got a button.
Speaker 3:Yes perfect button for that one, yeah, so.
Speaker 2:Hibachi jr Plays a good part in my bathroom life, but yeah, so That'll be interesting to see how that goes sharing a bathroom with someone. My room is smaller but I do get my own office, get my own office space. I don't have that in my house right now. That's cool, so I'll get to set up my desk, set up all that's cool.
Speaker 1:So, separate from your bedroom, separate from my bed, oh, you get an extra room.
Speaker 2:I want extra room Wow.
Speaker 1:That's cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I'm excited for that. Well, I think I'm gonna put like a little mini fridge in there have some vitamin waters. Speaking about vitamin waters, this is a good segue to Brandon. His two strange addictions are vitamin water and eggs.
Speaker 3:I've got back. I've heard about the eggs thing we got to get back to the egg thing, because I think you eat like an obscene amount of eggs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, we can dive in bloody like 20 eggs a day.
Speaker 3:How many eggs are you today?
Speaker 1:Okay. So they've cut back, Okay, which is good. Okay, you cut back to what I'm down to seven. I am down to seven eggs a day.
Speaker 3:That's cutting back.
Speaker 2:Yes, I was doing 14, 14.
Speaker 1:Yeah, one, four, yes uh reason, reason being is what do you mean that I for?
Speaker 2:Oh, what is this? It's just a random song.
Speaker 1:Paul Paul's been given, john for those listening Control to the soundboard and I think John's been pressing buttons.
Speaker 3:He's having fun, though I'm on button profile right now.
Speaker 2:I think okay, so back to the eggs.
Speaker 1:Yes, back to the eggs. So I started Really seriously working out. About three years ago I weighed about 160 pounds. I now weigh 215, and in order to do that, that should be a sound effect right there.
Speaker 2:Oh, we got talking about what that?
Speaker 1:then go ahead, okay, okay. So I started really lifting heavy, seriously, and a lot of people like, well, you know, because I in the past I always worked out a ton but I just never saw results, never got anything. Something like, okay, there's something, what am I missing? It was the eating portion portion. And so I started working with a nutritionist and they're like, yeah, you know, you got to be eating like 3000 calories a day, 200 grams of protein a day. I'm like how in the world am I gonna get that?
Speaker 2:much protein in a puke.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know.
Speaker 3:I know.
Speaker 1:So Paul also likes Panera, so we should have like special sponsors.
Speaker 3:Like you know, I would definitely be sponsored by water and just eggs minus icy drinks, and I see a bunch of junior all the time. For sure. I just want to eat there seven days a week.
Speaker 2:I don't care about sponsorship, if I just can have their food.
Speaker 1:I just like the food. So how many times a week do you eat there? Not enough.
Speaker 3:Oh seriously, how many times a week do you eat there?
Speaker 2:No, I mean Navi as much as the joke is real. I don't eat there a ton, maybe three or four times every month.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's not a lot. No, that's not a lot. I'll let you eat more than that. I mean every time I'm talking to you there.
Speaker 2:No, I can't spend that much money on food going back to your budget again, to the budget right.
Speaker 3:Exactly.
Speaker 1:Oh, there you go, the biggest budget thing not eating out, is it gonna help? Girlfriends are expensive. Friends are expensive, they demand it actually.
Speaker 2:They demand it. Okay, so you part of the contract I signed to date, lexi so kind of going full circle.
Speaker 1:We're going around the barn going full circle here, back to back to this the how much food do you think it'll cost you To eat at home for a month? A month worth?
Speaker 3:I know how much it costs in our groceries. I'm dying to hear what your budget is 350 to 400.
Speaker 1:You, and how many calories and grams of protein you trying to get a day, because John also lives too.
Speaker 2:He's a big workout guy and then I look like it compared to Brandon right now, but whatever, it's all audio but you budget it for 350 to $400 a month. I would say so get all the meat and all the breasted chicken meal prep everything meal prep okay, so how many again?
Speaker 1:I'm just telling you. Right now it's probably I would start more thinking, a little bit more. Yeah, really well, especially if you're trying to get protein and you're trying to get all the meat.
Speaker 3:He's like I'm moving out on Friday. Yeah, I didn't budget that part.
Speaker 2:Well, the good news is, I still have my parents house to go to whenever I want and also.
Speaker 1:Paul lives five minutes away from me and he's got a man, actually, I mean he's got Panera soup on.
Speaker 3:Infinite amount of level. Actually there's an. Is there any in the fridge right now?
Speaker 2:as I ate it already. Sorry, I'm scared, I didn't have, but I got ramen noodles.
Speaker 3:I budget for that now, but you're from ramen noodles and you'll be fine. Yeah, 25 cents a bag.
Speaker 2:No but this is real. I do need to figure out how I'm gonna get enough food.
Speaker 3:Did you just bought? You just bought your bedroom set just recently?
Speaker 2:Yes, a part of that was my meal prepping set of what are those called meal prep containers glass containers. Yeah, yeah, I just bought a ton of those like tough where yes, I can set it all up, put it in anyways, so nice.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm excited, that's great.
Speaker 2:It'll be chicken and rice pretty much every day it's what I plan on doing. That's cheap to make, though, mm-hmm you just go to Kroger's, get a ton of chicken, get a ton of rice. I don't eat chickens.
Speaker 3:I don't know much chicken costs sauce.
Speaker 1:It's chicken, I mean it's, it's not to me.
Speaker 3:But we don't eat be. We don't eat beater chicken here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean with inflation, obviously everything's gone.
Speaker 2:Well, her chicken was really expensive now, yeah, depends on where you get it from to yeah if you get the organic homegrown, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah no you see, that's what I get.
Speaker 1:That's really expensive.
Speaker 3:It's really expensive like $12 for two filets or something.
Speaker 1:That's crazy. It's a lot.
Speaker 2:Well, yes. But yeah, I want to go to Taco Bell and just make some sort of alleyway deal with one of the employees and say, hey, give me some of your chicken.
Speaker 3:Well, would you know, it's not real chicken. If you, would I give them an exchange yeah, foot massage yeah.
Speaker 1:No, it's kind of scary how quickly you thought of that with the mild sauce, with Not oil, but the mild sauce to get give me the. Did we say this?
Speaker 3:show is about everything and nothing and anything between. This is the nothing part.
Speaker 1:This is in everything in between and everything in between it's, it's just, it's perfect for you guys.
Speaker 3:I think see, I don't, I don't work out, and you guys are both heavy workers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but you don't work out, but you've lost like 100 plus pounds dude.
Speaker 1:That's amazing.
Speaker 2:Paul has lost so much weight it's.
Speaker 1:It's crazy. You look like a new.
Speaker 3:I feel like a new person look like a picture of you from a year ago or year. I was, I was, I had another person, I was carrying another.
Speaker 1:Paul, you're literally half the man you were.
Speaker 3:Literally, there you go, bro, used to be pregnant, now you're good, bro. Hey, there you go. Just kidding, there you go. No, it's okay, it's in the past. Now, that's what you came from right. It's a laugh.
Speaker 1:Thanks for saving that sound boy there you go. Um, yeah, no, it's, uh, it's. I mean that's a tough thing, it's, it's a whole discipline thing, and there are so many days when I do not feel like doing it, but I just know it'll be good long-term benefits. But, but back to you, paul. So what? What did you do to go about losing that?
Speaker 3:Well, it started off with my doctor, amazing doctor, dr Chris dr Chris.
Speaker 2:Oh wait, is this an audience? That's a laugh. That's a laugh, Never mind, and high you know high blood pressure.
Speaker 3:Yeah, some all that stuff and yeah right, I wasn't pre-diabetic, but I was close pre, pre.
Speaker 1:Yeah, pre-pre you're the sequel, um, and it was just like you had to.
Speaker 3:You know, he told us about a book, amazing book, um called how not to die. It's a, it's a real book how not to die. I love that title and nice if you read it. What's it about? How not to die.
Speaker 1:Chapter one don't walk in front of trains.
Speaker 3:Dumb ways to die.
Speaker 2:Yeah, chapter two, don't give foot massages to top of bell workers. Well, that, that is that too.
Speaker 3:But anyway, if the book goes through how not to die and it talks about how not to die from Rest, you know, cardiac stuff, or how not? To die from hypertension, how not to die from, and it's all chaptered and it goes through the things you're not supposed to eat and it talks about how bad things really are for you. That's enough to scare you and then to eating, right. So then we started eating. You know more vegan vegetarian. We're kind of pescetary because we eat a lot of fish.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:Uh, nothing wrong with salmon is what our as our go to.
Speaker 1:Salmon's fire. I wish I liked fish honestly. Just go all the health benefits of it. There's health benefits but you know it's depends you can.
Speaker 3:You can actually eat too much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you can't get this very salty.
Speaker 3:You know, because things come from the ocean kind of right, so it's very salty, so you have to be careful about that part shrimp or bottom feeders.
Speaker 2:Right yeah, they feed off the bottom and people eat them. So about?
Speaker 3:bottom minus. So that's how it all start, for for me, is eating just changing how we ate. Yeah and it's been Almost two years.
Speaker 1:Did you have to change, like, the frequency of how much you ate, like you know, rather, because a lot of people say like, yeah, so doing three big meals, maybe split up into six smaller meals, or did you do anything?
Speaker 3:No, I wasn't a big eater anyway. Many times a day I didn't do that anyway. So I still keep to what I do and I may eat One meal a day, because you just get locked into work. Meat is for me, it's work.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a good.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'll forget to eat most of it. Yeah, I'll work so hard that I'll oh, I didn't eat today.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the crazy thing for me that was a huge eye-opener was Realizing I actually needed to eat more food to lose fat. I mean for me, I mean that you know. So I think, with our society and everything, that's just such a Reverse way of thinking. Because what would about a couple, maybe six months ago now I'm sorry worker with a trishness and so they're like hey, you need to actually like double your caloric intake because I was only at double, but maybe Point five it or whatever, because I was doing about 2,000 calories. So like no, you knew you need 3,000 and then you need to like up everything. I'm like what it's? That's insane. But within five weeks I went down like that's crazy 3% body fat.
Speaker 1:It literally goes against everything that you think that's weird.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I can't do that. Bro is hungry. No, I mean, but that's because you're in the gym a lot, right? Yeah, yeah, I mean, I was, yeah, working out five times a week.
Speaker 1:You wouldn't do that if you weren't in the gym, obviously, no, no. Well, I mean I, I would have to eat less obviously if that were the case.
Speaker 2:So Well, you should see this guy.
Speaker 1:He lifts 25 pounds like it's nothing you wouldn't believe it, you would not move like butter. Wow, paul, I mean, I Mean, you should, I mean the 10 pounds. Paul, you wouldn't even. I mean like it's, it's like lifting feathers didn't?
Speaker 2:you used to drink Pots of coffee every day back in the day? I? Would do two or three pots of coffee before 10 o'clock in the morning Crazy two or three pots before, not cups, not cups.
Speaker 3:This is before Starbucks. Like fold your like, late 80s, early 90s, two to three pots of coffee. Caffeinated coffee before 10 o'clock? Okay, but again you have to understand that was a different day.
Speaker 2:He was drinking that Folgers gasoline water, two pots of that.
Speaker 3:There's a deal that was me being in the studio and I would be in the studio that's gonna be working on the records, and I would literally not sleep for five days in a row.
Speaker 1:What that? Because that's kind of what my schedules were, you would not sleep for five days and that was chapter six and how to die.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Don't stay up, get sick, yeah, but I would literally work on projects and I would literally work on things in the studio, not sleeping. It's not insane, I would eat, drink all this coffee and then after the I finished the project, then I would pass out for like two days and I'd be back at it.
Speaker 2:I can't you stop two days like in a row.
Speaker 3:I would not sleep two days in row, but I would pass, I mean in my body, would give up he must have woken up from that and just been like feels so good, like so rested. No, I, you know, it wasn't like I slept, slept. It was like, when I call it sleeping back in the day, I would sleep for two, three hour and I would be back up. I think that's called insomnia. I do that now. I mean I, you know yeah.
Speaker 2:Paul's, the only person I can text at like 2 am Is always up.
Speaker 1:I'm up, I'm out.
Speaker 2:Paul's like that one unemployed friend on a Tuesday night.
Speaker 1:They're one unemployed friend.
Speaker 2:You can always reach out to him and they're always doing something. They have no job. They have no job, right, yeah, right.
Speaker 1:Giving foot massages to talk about workers.
Speaker 2:Don't try that, especially the one about Julia. Not a good idea.
Speaker 1:Thanks, you doxxed us. Yeah, I speak from experience.
Speaker 3:But anyway, I mean seriously, you know thinking about you guys in the gym thing. You know we were talking about this on our, on our last little kind of video thing we did, and John had an interesting story that I wanted to share, this interesting story about you Leading somebody Christ at your gym, wasn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, was it in gym? Yeah, yeah, I was in the sauna. So this gym I go to has a sauna and and it's going there at this on. So the song, supposed to be really good for you after workout. It's just got a ton of benefits it helps your sleep, helps fight bacteria, it from the pores, it gets rid of the bacteria in your skin and your pores, hydrate your skin all this stuff. It helps with muscles and cramps and sores and this and stuff like that. So I go in the sauna after every workout. It's like 204 degrees in there if you get enough people, so it's hot, but I'm, I sit in there and normally I'll bring in my ear buds and listen to music if I don't have someone else in there with me. But if there's random people in there, if I don't know them, I'm just gonna start talking to you like you're like talking to strangers.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love talking to strangers, so if they're sitting there too bad, you're with me because we're gonna start talking about something. And I mean, what else you got to do sitting there and hot, and you got a past time. The more you talk, the longer it goes. So, anyways, I was in there and I met some guy Just randomly and we started talking about life. I looked his bracelet. He had a bracelet I was talking about said something on it said faith. And I looked his bracelet. I was like that's a nice bracelet, bro, what's, what's that mean to you? And he said well, honestly, they were just had it at some place. I went and I just grabbed it. I was out Okay, cool To me, it's a big deal because I'm a Christian. He was like oh, you're Christian, that's cool. It's like I went on a missions trip when I was like 18 and it Changed my life and I was like, oh nice, tell me about that. So he told me about it. He went on.
Speaker 3:That was the ice. I was icebreaker.
Speaker 2:That's icebreakers always Some part of some conversation that you have with somebody that you can tie in to the gospel in some Small way. But that's cool about it is because all Jesus always leaves some part of that conversation to be able to segue. It's just up to you to feel that in your spirit to To get there know when to go in to get there and to dive into that.
Speaker 2:So, anyways, I asked to tell me about your mission trip and it was one of the mission trips where it's probably from a school or something, because all they they went to places and painted them or stored places and stuff, whereas, like the mission trip that I typically have been on, it's More talking to people, lean them to Jesus and prayer and witnessing to people and on the streets. Paul's been, brandon and been, yet no, yeah.
Speaker 3:Changing experience. Yeah, it's not a podcast altogether.
Speaker 2:Yeah another podcast, so he was telling me about that. I was like, oh, cool, cool, you know, and I was seeing what Jesus do in your life when you were there and how that affects you, and he's like, well, it affected me for a little while and then I kind of went back to my Normal routine and anyways, we got to talking and he basically the four months ago his apartment burnt down. Back to the ground, to the ground apartment burnt down in hermitage and he lost the recent fire that they just had recently.
Speaker 3:the one thing I don't know I think it's a different one- but he lost all the stuff.
Speaker 2:And Same situation as me and Isaac. He was in a room with all his buddies and stuff like that. So he lost his house and he turned to drugs and weed and alcohol and drugs and weed alcohol and drugs. He turned all that to fix the depression that he had from all this I mean doing was depressed.
Speaker 2:I was mine. So he is talking to me and he's telling me about this and I was like well, let me tell you about a story from my mission trip. I met this dude who is selling weed, which, by the way, in Jamaica, paul knows, everybody sells you weed, no matter who you are, where you are. Yeah, they walk up to shamelessly.
Speaker 1:He got a common everyday thing. It's great weed.
Speaker 2:But I was telling him. I was like well, speaking of weed, I met this dude who is selling weed in Jamaica. I just he was like you, you want to smoke? And I was like what? And he was like weed, I don't like. No, you want Jesus. And there's super cringy and corny. Don't ever approach somebody like that unless you're in Jamaican. It makes sense.
Speaker 1:It's still to make sense, yeah.
Speaker 2:But I talked to him about Jesus and I was like well, you know, jesus is one that makes me feel peace that you look for in the drugs, in the, in the weed and so I was talking To him about all that and then he started crying and I was praying for him and led to a Lord right there in the sauna.
Speaker 3:Wow pretty cool.
Speaker 2:So God will use you in the most random.
Speaker 3:Freakin places.
Speaker 1:Well, and I think too a lot of it's very easy for Christians to kind of get Side-tracked and lose focus of the big picture meaning like you know, even if, john, if you weren't able at that moment To, if that person wasn't ready to receive Jesus, at least you're sowing good seed. And you know, and, and sometimes when we witness to people, they may just completely Shut us down and reject us. But you know, obviously that's nothing personal. They're just rejecting.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Jesus, unfortunately, but you're still sowing a seed, and I will. One thing that your dad talks about is you. You're putting a pebble in their shoe Right.
Speaker 3:So, even though you may never, they walk like they're gonna feel it Exactly.
Speaker 2:I've had that happen so many times in the gym and just in life in general, where the seed planning is almost as much of a difference make is just praying with them right there and because you may not be the person that leads them to a Lord, but you may be the person that set them up to open their hearts enough to receive it when the time is.
Speaker 2:Right right and so, and especially with a lot of these guys, at least for me in the gym, they're all big dudes, complete opposite of me, I mean. Blasts will mess, racist, sexism whatever I mean they. They're ist and they're just wild Nothing everything, anything, and they're all roided out pimples all over this, all this stuff, and they're just crazy. But I mean, I have nothing in common with them. But what I do have in common is Sometimes these dudes are so Confident in being worldly, if that makes sense.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah but when I match their confidence in Christ to them, that's rare for them to encounter and so for some reason I have somewhat of a voice in these people's lives. I don't know how I don't. It's Jesus through me, but, like right, somehow I have a voice with them. And I Don't share the gospel with all of them, with a week or a month or a couple months, but I do, incrementally just yeah. If they say something out of pocket, I'm like that was the most blasphemous thing I've ever heard in my life.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you one yes, yeah, okay, yeah, I was joking.
Speaker 2:It's a family-friendly podcast. Yes but sometimes people in the world say crazy stuff. I'm not gonna. Say his cuss words, but I'll say to a degree of what he said. Okay, he was like man. I think Jesus is Just some pimp in heaven who's up there having sex with angels, and I purified that sentence as much as I could purify the course of this podcast.
Speaker 1:Thank you very much. Hey, welcome, and I'm pretty sure you can correct me if I'm wrong with it. I think that's factually incorrect.
Speaker 2:That is 110% factually. I was like that is the most. I just was like correct thing you could possibly like that Is the most blasphemous thing I think I've heard anyone say. And then he was like what sins could keep me from going to heaven? Well, and I was like, well, what you just said was pretty close one.
Speaker 1:You're getting closer buddy.
Speaker 2:I was like now, the only thing that keeps you from as hell is uh, or keep you from heaven, is the rejection of Jesus, and yeah, I was like but. But you know if in your heart, when you said that jokingly, that was your rejection, I mean there you go. Yeah, I mean so they're crazy, but I like talking to him because I don't I more so it talked to or enjoyed talking to somebody like that. Then I would sometimes talking to Christians who just post Christian.
Speaker 3:Facebook memes. You know what and that and that. For me, like I think, this could be another whole podcast but, for me, my first mission strip. Yeah, that was an experience was an experience because you know, basically on what you just said, I couldn't do this in a church and my circles are all in the Christian marketplace. And they're all believers, so I never really get to experience unbelievers.
Speaker 3:It wasn't until I went to Jamaica, to you actually could go. Oh, this is what this whole thing is about and this is what I'm supposed to be doing, and it just totally changed my mindset on everything. It was a pretty amazing trip. It was an eye-opening, life-changing experience that I'll never forget.
Speaker 1:Well, I wanna bring up something that you said that I thought was really good, john, where just about how it may take you a week or a month or whatever, because you wanna build some kind of relationship first. And for my upbringing it was hey, let's knock on the door and say, hey, you need Jesus. And like it just doesn't work.
Speaker 3:I mean no, that may work in other countries, because I've heard of that being more, but that direct approach in Jamaica kind of works, I mean, and that's. But it's a time and place for everything and I learned that.
Speaker 2:And even in Jamaica. Sometimes that doesn't work Because you can't Everybody's not ready for it like that. If you think about Jesus and Christianity from an outsider's view, that's so much to wrap your mind around. And if you just you can't even wrap your mind around it in one sentence without knowing that person.
Speaker 1:Well, and how about this? Let's just even take like Jesus out of the equation. If somebody comes up to me who I have no idea who they are, and they start telling me how to do something that who are you Like what?
Speaker 3:Well, that's a turn off. Yeah right, that's a turn off.
Speaker 1:Exactly so, I think, a good takeaway from this obviously, obviously being bold and sharing Jesus, but, like John was talking about just being led by the Holy Spirit when that right time and sowing those seeds and building those relationships, strengthening those bonds, whatever they may be, whatever that common ground is, and finding those times to do it Right.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I would say too, like with the Holy Spirit, sends you little pricks inside, where you often feel and hear those in a small way, and you typically have the nature to reject them and just ignore them and then later be like man. I should have done that, but that's. I try and capitalize on those as often as they come up, because I know that if I don't capitalize on it right then then it's just a missed opportunity from the Lord and then, later I think about it.
Speaker 2:I'm like, yeah, I should have, could have done. I'd rather do it now and it be go terrible or be awkward or whatever. Then live later with the I should have could have done this differently, or set it for the Lord. So send it for Jesus when you feel those little notifications.
Speaker 1:Wow, just gonna send it.
Speaker 2:Wow, well hey you know, what.
Speaker 3:This has been great. That's probably a wrap. Honestly, this is a wrap, good place, I feel like I should say amen to myself.
Speaker 1:Amen, amen, buddy. I'm just kidding. Amen, buddy.
Speaker 2:Amen Chester, amen Buster.
Speaker 3:Well, we are going to have to wrap this one up. This has been a great podcast.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, look, I got a infamous outro now.
Speaker 3:You have an outro, all right, I'm gonna see you. You have an outro, you remember it. You remember it yeah.
Speaker 2:Man, we talked about some valuable lessons today. So fun, so great. We love you. We can't wait to see you next time and, as always, go out and do a mission as men and women. Oh, wow, freak, wow, I forgot.
Speaker 1:Is there a crash and burn sound effect?
Speaker 3:You want to do it again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, it was handy. You want to do it again? Yeah, start it over. We're gonna listen to it again. Yeah, start it over.
Speaker 2:We're ready. Okay, you ready. Take two, here we go. Bam, thanks for listening to today's podcast. We hope you learned a great and valuable lesson. We can't wait to see you next week and, as always, we love you and go out and be mission men and women. We'll see you next time, is that it?
Speaker 3:That was it.
Speaker 2:That's it.
Speaker 3:I'm like that, I'm here for you Put your radio voice you put on was great Thank you.
Speaker 1:I love that at the end.
Speaker 3:I appreciate that I like to get there.
Speaker 1:It wasn't as good as the first one.
Speaker 2:Next episode. It's time for all of us to sing. No, no, see you, folks.